Northern Commandery, Great Xuan Empire

  Within the Azure Dragon Gate, Mo Beike emerged slowly, wrapped in thick robes.

  The Xuanwu Army soldiers guarding the gate all bowed deeply the moment they saw him.

  Though Mo Beike had vanished for months, no soldier of Great Xuan would ever forget who he was.

  At the foot of Asking-Heaven Peak, where the Azure Dragon Gate stood, lay the Great Xuan Academy.

  Thus, news of Mo Beike’s return spread like wildfire through the academy.

  Mo Ju, currently overseeing the academy, soon came rushing over, holding up the hem of his Confucian robes.

  “Master Giant, you’re finally back!”

  There was a hint of grievance in Mo Ju’s eyes.

  Mo Beike had been personally appointed by Tantai Xuan as the true leader of the academy, yet he had disappeared for months and left the whole place in Mo Ju’s hands.

  The pressure had been crushing.

  Mo Beike smiled. Behind him rolled a cart piled high with bamboo scrolls.

  He patted the stack. “These are the fruits of my labors these past few months.”

  “Something for the little brats at the academy to chew on.”

  Mo Ju’s eyes instantly lit up.

  “I think I’m beginning to understand why old Master Kong Xiu traveled the hundred schools back then…”

  “We’re not born knowing everything. Life is just one long journey of seeking and learning… This trip around the world has taught me a great deal.”

  Mo Beike continued, “Cultivation is a profound discipline. Any single path is deep enough to consume a lifetime.”

  His words carried weight. Mo Ju nodded in quiet agreement.

  Half a day after Mo Beike settled back into the academy, Tantai Xuan’s carriage thundered through the gates.

  The king himself leapt out barefoot, robes hitched high, face alight with excitement.

  “Master Giant! You’re really back!”

  Seeing the familiar figure, Tantai Xuan broke into a wide grin.

  Mo Beike hastily bowed, a little overwhelmed by the enthusiasm.

  “My king.”

  They talked for hours. Mo Beike recounted his travels, and Tantai Xuan listened with wonder—first Kong Xiu visiting the hundred schools, now Mo Beike seeking truth across the rivers and lakes.

  The scrolls and cultivation insights Mo Beike had brought back were priceless treasures, the very foundation for the Great Xuan Academy to rise.

  “My king, three days from now, please make a trip to Beiluo City. Young Lord Lu will hold an auction there.”

  “Knowing Young Lord Lu, this auction will be anything but ordinary.”

  Mo Beike said.

  “We received the invitation too. Something feels off about it. I can’t figure out what Young Lord Lu is planning,” Mo Ju added, frowning.

  Mo Beike’s heavy eye bags trembled. He drew a deep breath.

  “My king… we cannot miss this auction. Call it an old man’s intuition, but after it ends, the entire world may change forever. And the chance to ride that change… it might very well lie in that auction hall.”

  Tantai Xuan’s expression grew solemn.

  Mo Beike was the Giant of the Mohist School—experienced, shrewd, and after his journey, keenly aware of the shifting tides.

  If he said this, there was substance behind it.

  Tantai Xuan nodded gravely.

  “Three days hence, I will enter Beiluo once more.”

  Mo Beike smiled faintly. “Bring plenty of gold, my king.”

  “The competition will be fierce…”

  Tantai Xuan’s face turned even more serious.

  …

  Liangzhou City

  When Ding Jiudeng stepped onto this land again, his emotions were a tangled mess.

  He had walked out of the forbidden zone alive, having survived horrors beyond imagining. The world felt strangely distant now.

  Xu Chu, guardian of the Western Commandery forbidden zone, looked as if he’d seen a ghost when Ding Jiudeng appeared.

  But Western Liang folk were straightforward. No beating around the bush, no skimping on rewards.

  Since Ding Jiudeng had returned alive, Xu Chu followed the Overlord’s orders to the letter—handed over the reward and even gathered all the little bald monks from the barracks and returned them to him.

  Ding Jiudeng gently rubbed the children’s smooth heads, a soft look on his face.

  The Overlord was domineering, yes, but contrary to the rumors, he was also a man of honor.

  He had taken the little monks into the army because he feared Ding Jiudeng might never return and the children would be left with nowhere to go.

  “Amitabha.”

  Ding Jiudeng pressed his palms together, bowed deeply to Xu Chu in thanks, then led the cluster of bald little monks away from the barracks and back into Liangzhou City.

  The small courtyard he had bought and turned into a temple had been destroyed.

  With master and disciples gone, vagrants had moved in.

  Even the signboard had been torn down and burned for firewood.

  Ding Jiudeng didn’t blame them.

  He took silver from his reward and personally oversaw the building of a new temple.

  This time, the little monks sensed a real change in their master.

  Ding Jiudeng was no longer slow on the uptake—he was almost frighteningly sharp now.

  A few tried to sneak out at night while he slept; he caught them by the collar and hauled them back before they reached the gate.

  Every day he assigned them sutras to chant and taught them breathing techniques for cultivation.

  The temple rose quickly, most of the reward silver poured into its walls.

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  A grand, golden-roofed temple soon stood in Liangzhou City, drawing crowds of curious onlookers.

  Most eye-catching of all was the great golden Buddha inside, its surface covered in gleaming gold leaf.

  Soon enough, local thugs got ideas.

  Late one night they crept in, planning to scrape off the gold.

  They never got the chance.

  A bald monk stood silently in the darkness, watching them with calm, eerie eyes.

  From that day on, something strange happened in Liangzhou.

  The city’s worst bullies—who had failed to steal the gold—all shaved their heads and took monastic vows, becoming monks in the new temple.

  On the day the temple was officially completed, Ding Jiudeng went into the city to fetch the new signboard.

  When the red cloth fell away, the little monks clapped excitedly.

  Ding Jiudeng stared at the three characters revealed, a look of bewildered realization on his face.

  Bitter Buddha Temple.

  …

  Star-Picking Peak, Cloud Dragon Gate

  Ye Shoudao hovered in midair, his empty sleeve snapping in the wind.

  He sensed a familiar aura—one that filled him with both surprise and complicated emotions.

  “So… she’s here.”

  He murmured, then stepped down onto the peak itself.

  The moment his foot touched the ground, every powerful cultivator in the Dao Pavilion felt it.

  Several peak Qi Core disciples came rushing out.

  “Who goes there?!”

  “How dare you trespass on Dao Pavilion grounds!”

  They glared at him.

  Ye Shoudao regarded them calmly. To him, mere Qi Core cultivators were less than ants.

  Yet he didn’t slaughter them. He had only just arrived in this world and knew nothing of its factions—or whether this one was connected to Lu.

  The person he feared most in this world was that unfathomable Young Lord Lu.

  He took one step forward.

  An overwhelming pressure exploded from his body.

  Thump!

  Every disciple dropped to their knees, hearts pounding, sweat pouring down their faces.

  Ye Shoudao walked past them toward the back mountain.

  A quiet bamboo tower stood among the greenery.

  He appeared instantly before its window.

  Suddenly, the fallen bamboo leaves on the ground whirled into spirals, transforming into countless razor-sharp blades.

  “A formation?”

  Ye Shoudao raised an eyebrow.

  He shook himself lightly. Terrifying qi burst outward; the leaves shattered, and the hidden sword qi within shot toward him.

  He raised one hand. A wall of spiritual energy formed, blocking every strike.

  “Interesting…”

  A delicate shout rang out.

  More leaves surged, weaving together into a dragon that lunged at him.

  Ye Shoudao clapped once. The leaf-dragon exploded.

  Formations lit up across the ground one after another, attacking relentlessly.

  “Not bad formations,” he commented. “Shame about the power.”

  Then he grasped the hilt at his back with his single arm.

  Immense aura flooded the area. Every formation shattered like glass.

  “No matter how fancy the array, raw power is what matters. If it can’t kill the enemy, it’s just decoration.”

  His words carried a hint of instruction.

  Boom!

  A muffled groan came from inside the bamboo tower.

  A daoist nun stepped out slowly.

  “Who… are you?”

  Li Sansi wiped blood from her lips, staring at the figure with grave alarm—and a trace of fear.

  She could feel his strength, on par with Beiluo’s Lu Ping’an.

  Since when did the world have another monster like this?

  Ye Shoudao glanced at her and raised a brow.

  “Foundation Building realm… talented youngster.”

  But she wasn’t why he was here. A mere Foundation Building cultivator wasn’t worth his attention.

  He took one step.

  In an instant he stood beside her.

  A storm of blade intent made Li Sansi feel as though she stood atop a mountain of knives, about to be sliced to pieces at any moment.

  While she was dazed, Ye Shoudao entered the tower.

  On the bed lay Li Sansui, unconscious, body wrapped in vines like some kind of monster.

  Yet when Ye Shoudao saw him, his emotions grew impossibly complex.

  “Vine Demon Body…”

  In his eyes flashed the image of a bewitching woman.

  Buzz…

  Terrifying blade intent filled the room.

  The black sword on his back unsheathed itself.

  Shlick, shlick!

  Every piece of furniture was neatly bisected, cuts perfectly smooth.

  Ye Shoudao held the blade in his single hand, hovering it above Li Sansui’s chest.

  Deadly blade light flickered.

  Yet in the end, he exhaled and did not strike.

  “No reaction…”

  “Has that woman’s soul completely vanished?”

  His eyes trembled violently.

  After a long silence he whispered, memories flooding back—of her innocence once, then her descent into murderous hatred…

  He let out a long, weary sigh.

  The black sword returned to its sheath.

  He touched his own chest; for some reason it ached.

  “Fine. You’ve inherited the Vine Demon Body. Don’t disgrace it. If one day you turn into a true demon… I, Ye Shoudao, will cut you down myself.”

  His voice was cold.

  Then he gathered a wisp of blade light on his fingertip and flicked it into Li Sansui’s forehead.

  One step later, only afterimages remained as he vanished from Star-Picking Peak and stepped through the Cloud Dragon Gate.

  Li Sansi gasped, finally snapping out of the blade mountain illusion.

  The terrifying man was gone.

  She looked around—the bamboo tower was covered in horrifying blade scars.

  Her gaze fell on the bed.

  Suddenly she froze.

  Li Sansui’s brows twitched.

  The eyes that had stayed shut for so long… slowly opened.

  Li Sansi’s lips quivered.

  Tears welled up.

  “Brother!”

  Li Sansui… had awakened.

  …

  Beiluo Lake

  Lone boats bobbed gently on the water.

  Cultivators stood aboard them, gazing up at the floating White Jade Capital in the sky.

  The lake of origin, towers rising, spiritual energy swirling—immortal mist everywhere.

  Sima Qingshan sat cross-legged on one boat while An Miaoyu unrolled a scroll beside him, sleeves rolled up, painting White Jade Capital.

  From time to time Sima Qingshan offered gentle guidance.

  Somehow, as she painted, An Miaoyu’s cultivation actually improved.

  Suddenly, Sima Qingshan’s heart jolted.

  He looked toward the Yinglong Dragon Gate.

  A black-robed figure with one arm emerged slowly, his empty sleeve fluttering wildly.

  Yet the aura rolling off him was overwhelmingly sharp.

  Sima Qingshan met the man’s gaze and felt his eyes sting, as if staring at an unsheathed blade ready to split the heavens.

  On the island, the Empress chatting with Ni Yu about alchemy raised a perfect eyebrow.

  “One-Armed Ye is here. Faster than I expected.”

  She glanced up at the second floor of White Jade Capital.

  Lu leaned against the railing, eyes closed, preparing something.

  Seeing that even Lu ignored the newcomer, the Empress shrugged and went back to discussing how to coat Body-Tempering Pills in candy shells with Ni Yu.

  Ye Shoudao paid no attention to Sima Qingshan—a half-step Golden Core was beneath his notice.

  His gaze fixed on the floating lake of origin and the White Jade Capital within.

  Sima Qingshan was shaken to the core. This man was terrifying!

  Just the leaking aura felt like knives scraping his skin.

  Since when did the world hide monsters like this?

  He glanced at the red-robed woman on the island—she was terrifying too.

  And that giant whale that had once fought Lu… now that he thought about it, it hadn’t been ordinary either.

  Thinking of his own World Creation Chart, a bold guess began to form.

  Boom!

  Another figure shot out of the dragon gate.

  Black battle robes, a long spear on his back, spear intent piercing the sky.

  “Gate Master Ye, you beat me here.”

  Du Longyang stepped out, grinning at Ye Shoudao.

  Ye Shoudao’s lips curved slightly.

  “I heard Young Lord Lu is holding an auction. Ni Chunqiu said it could help us break the Infant Transformation barrier—how could I not come?”

  Just as Du Longyang opened his mouth to reply—

  Trumpets and suonas blared.

  Petals rained from the sky.

  Four old women carried a sedan chair bearing a red-robed, pale-faced, beardless youth who flew out dramatically.

  Young Master Tianxu saw Du Longyang and Ye Shoudao already present and immediately looked annoyed.

  He whipped around to the old women who had neither scattered petals nor played music.

  “Where are the petals?!”

  “Where’s the music?!”

  “I paid you a fortune—are you here to stand around like vases?!”

  “When no one’s watching you blow and scatter like your lives depend on it, but the moment there’s an audience you freeze?!”

  The old women looked sheepish.

  One opened an empty sack. “Young Master… we ran out of petals.”

  Another smacked her lips. “Mouth’s dry. Can’t blow anymore.”

  Young Master Tianxu’s face went blank with despair.

  “Get lost.”

  He clutched a handkerchief to his lips and coughed delicately.

  One old woman replied earnestly, “Young Master, we have professional integrity. You paid us handsomely—we can’t just roll away.”

  Tianxu smiled sweetly.

  He flipped open his sword case, pulled out a tiny palm-sized sword, and pointed it at her.

  “Say that again?”

  The four old women instantly put on terrified expressions with perfect professionalism.

  Du Longyang was speechless.

  Ye Shoudao couldn’t be bothered with this clown.

  On the island, the Empress was laughing so hard her stomach hurt.

  “Tianxu, where did you dig up these four treasures?”

  “Tell me so I can steer clear next time.”

  Tianxu huffed, twirling his little sword.

  Out on the lake, Sima Qingshan stared in awe at the gathered experts—Du Longyang, Ye Shoudao, Young Master Tianxu—each aura crashing over him like a tidal wave.

  Perhaps sensing his gaze, Tianxu glared back.

  “What are you staring at, fake Golden Core?”

  Immense spiritual pressure slammed down.

  Sima Qingshan and An Miaoyu’s boat shot backward several meters, crashing into Bai Qingniao’s boat.

  Bai Qingniao swayed, instantly annoyed.

  She glared at Tianxu.

  Little Phoenix One poked its head out of her collar and glared too.

  Terrifying!

  Sima Qingshan clutched his chest, face pale with fear.

  Tianxu lounged in his sedan chair and glanced at the glaring girl.

  “Well, well, your little chicken pet is kinda cute.”

  He raised a hand and beckoned.

  Little Phoenix One floated up from Bai Qingniao’s chest, drifting toward him with a bewildered expression.

  Tianxu covered his mouth with his silk cloth and gave a light cough.

  “A spirit beast, eh?”

  His eyes gleamed.

  On her boat, Bai Qingniao was on the verge of tears.

  Someone was stealing her chick!

  Someone was trying to take her baby!

  “Tianxu, don’t mess around.”

  Du Longyang frowned, looking at the girl who was about to cry. Only Tianxu would bully a little girl.

  Little Phoenix One, bound in midair, grew furious.

  Boom!

  Crimson flames erupted—it transformed into a fire phoenix.

  Tianxu’s eyes shone brighter, but he waved dismissively.

  “Your daddy Lu and I are best buddies. Such a good guy, Brother Lu—he’d never fall out with me over a little chicken, right?”

  Atop White Jade Capital,

  Lu slowly opened his eyes, sensing the struggling Little Phoenix One in Tianxu’s grasp.

  He frowned slightly.

  With a light flick of his finger on the armrest of his wheelchair—

  Clang!

  A phoenix-feather sword shot out with a shrill cry.