Bang! Bang! Bang! Fireworks exploded one after another, like thousands of trees blooming with flowers, differing in colors, dazzling and radiant, heralding the passing of the New Year’s Eve and the arrival of the New Year.
Inside the grand hall of Xingyun Manor, silence reigned. In past years, Su Wuming had sat in seclusion for three years, breaking the boundary between heaven and humanity with a single sword slash. His sword light spanned hundreds of miles, reaching the realm of external scenery and shaking the entire martial world. Yet since that generation, after two more individuals achieved such a breakthrough on the human ranking list, it had been countless years since such an event had occurred.
Originally, He Jiu had occupied the top spot on the human ranking list for many years, prompting speculation among those attending the banquet today, suspecting he might follow in the footsteps of his predecessors. However, how many years would it take for another Su Wuming to emerge? Thus, Bai Wenyuan, Mi Zijing, and others felt He Jiu was unlikely to directly break through, but rather pause slightly at the perfect half-step, like Bai Qigu, waiting to adjust his physical and mental state before advancing smoothly within one or two years. Yet, who could have guessed that not only did He Jiu ascend to the “heavens” in one step, but Suanjin Cangsheng did as well!
This generation of the human ranking list is truly terrifying! Even in Su Wuming’s generation, there had never been a case of two people advancing at once!
“Congratulations, young master, and Prince Wang for ascending to the ‘heavens’ in one step.” Gongyang Hao, the elder swordsman from Donghai Sword Manor, smiled and stood up to offer his congratulations.
Regarding Wang Siyuan’s final sword strike, he now felt only gratitude.
Hong Qian, Qian Kai, and other external scene cultivators also stood up, clasped their hands, and said, “Congratulations, young master He and Prince Wang, for breaking the boundary between heaven and humanity.”
From today onward, He Jiu and Wang Siyuan would no longer be rising stars on the human ranking list, but external scene cultivators equal to them, capable of dominating a region.
Meng Qi and others also stood up to offer their congratulations. He Jiu laughed heartily, waved his hand to have servants bring wine and delicacies, and the formal Xingyun Banquet officially began, although the real Xingyun Banquet had already ended.
After watching the performances, Prince Zhao Qian was the first to take his leave, accompanied by the eunuch Wei Gao and the monk Huayan from Puxian Monastery.
Xuan Zhen, the “Buddha Heart Palm,” left slightly later. Shaolin’s attitude toward Zhao Qian still seemed ambiguous.
With this beginning, guest after guest, either shocked, motivated, or in a bad mood, departed one by one, and the Xingyun Banquet drew to a close.
Jiang Zhiwei, dressed in a yellow dress, slowly walked toward Meng Qi, smiling with some feeling: “I never thought my ranking on the human list could rise so directly by two places.”
So far, only “Great Luo Demon Girl” Gu Xiaosang was ahead of her. But compared to those above her breaking through and leaving the list, she would rather defeat them herself, step by step, climbing to the top.
“It’s okay, you can surpass them on the Earth Ranking in the future!” Meng Qi half-jokingly and half-dreamily said.
Jiang Zhiwei nodded: “Witnessing their advancement has given me some insights. Also, I have been on a cultivation journey for quite some time, experiencing countless duels and battles. Suddenly, I feel like taking a period of quiet cultivation to digest what I’ve learned and contemplate my own path.”
“I plan to return to the Sword Washing Pavilion now. What about you, little monk?”
“I also plan to cultivate quietly. After all, wherever I go to cultivate, it’s still cultivating. Why don’t I build a hut near the Sword Washing Pavilion?” Meng Qi joked.
If the Sword Washing Pavilion were not so far away in the northwest, he would genuinely consider this idea. Unfortunately, the long journey would take too much time. He would wait until he had digested his current gains, opened his ninth acupoint, and then travel to that area.
Jiang Zhiwei smiled and said, “Remember to pay the rent.”
She could tell that Meng Qi’s current greatest desire was to find a quiet place nearby for cultivation, so she did not invite him to accompany her to the Sword Washing Pavilion.
“After today, I will hide my tracks and leave Yingcheng. Even if the ‘Myth’ seeks revenge, they probably won’t find me…” Meng Qi then spoke about the matter of the ‘Myth,’ “Unfortunately, I couldn’t give them a lesson.”
He used the secret technique of transmitting his voice directly into Jiang Zhiwei’s mind, unafraid of being overheard by the external scene cultivators present. After all, those who needed to know already knew, and perhaps some cultivators might even deliberately help him conceal his whereabouts.
“There will be opportunities in the future.” Jiang Zhiwei smiled and replied with Meng Qi’s words.
The two chatted for a while until Hong Qian and Gongyang Hao said their goodbyes, and then they left together.
Meng Qi was about to return to the side courtyard to sleep peacefully, planning to blend into the crowd and leave at dawn, when he suddenly saw Wang Siyuan, who had just exchanged a few words with He Jiu, walking toward him.
“Su Meng, cough cough, you will soon face a calamity,” Wang Siyuan said while coughing.
“What?” Meng Qi’s heart tightened, his eyes fixed on Wang Siyuan, waiting for him to continue.
Wang Siyuan turned around leisurely, leaving behind a sentence: “Matters cannot be fully explained; heavenly secrets must not be divulged.”
This was practically asking for a beating! Meng Qi’s face twitched a few times. Even the frauds and charlatans on the streets usually elaborated a bit after scaring people, recommending methods to avoid disasters to earn money. How could this guy just say something vague and incomprehensible and then leave, causing nothing but alarm and confusion!
Meng Qi tried to chase after him to ask for more details, but Wang Siyuan, now an external scene cultivator, was much faster than him. In an instant, he had already left the hall, leaving with Wang Ruizhi.
“…What kind of calamity could it be!” Meng Qi swore in frustration, unable to figure it out after much thought.
…
Yanyu Mountain was near Xingyun Manor. Crown Prince Zhao Qian, Master Huayan, and Eunuch Wei Gao were soon at the foot of the mountain, accompanied by a group of guards and monks.
Suddenly, the mountain shook and the earth trembled, giant stones rolled down, and smoke and dust rose, obscuring everything around.
Screams echoed without ceasing, as one guard after another was crushed into pulp by the falling boulders.
Huayan stepped in front of Zhao Qian, his acupoints emitting a faint golden glow, forming a vague golden image of a Buddha behind him, with chants and Buddhist hymns reverberating in the air.
He formed the Vase Mudra, and so did the Buddha image. The two seemed to overlap, striking upward together.
A brilliant golden light erupted, and a surge of energy shot forth like flowing water, colliding with a mountain-sized boulder descending from the sky.
Boom!
The mountain shattered, turning into a rain of stones filling the sky, mingled with glimmers of golden light.
Huayan’s feet slightly sank into the soil, and a figure flew backward, landing not far away. The mountain that had just fallen was actually shattered by his single punch, with the might of a mountain condensed, and it seemed as if he had directly moved half of a small peak!
As this figure landed, the mountain shook even more violently.
He wore a mask commonly seen in dramas, that of the “Mountain Deity.”
At the same time, Eunuch Wei Gao’s face changed dramatically as he sensed a rising murderous intent and a sword aura disturbing his mind.
He quickly clapped his hands, sending out waves that spread outward, turning giant stones and soil into dust wherever they passed.
Clang!
A long sword suddenly appeared, striking the waves and dispersing them.
The swordsman holding the long sword also wore an eerie mask, that of the “Star Lord of the Big Dipper” from the drama.
His figure flickered, exuding a deadly aura. Each sword strike sent chills down Wei Gao’s spine, and soon he was at a disadvantage.
The remaining guards and monks quickly surrounded Zhao Qian to protect him, while others attempted to send out signals for rescue by the external cultivators in Yingcheng.
Just then, the swords and blades in the guards’ hands began to dance gracefully, as if they had come to life, piercing the throats and hearts of their wielders, and impaling the nearby monks one by one.
Ahh! Ahh! Ahh! The screams continued without ceasing, as one guard and monk after another fell to the ground.
A dignified and noble woman, riding a golden wind, emerged from the side of the mountain, her fingers flicking. A white, misty aura, sharp as a sword or knife, surged back and forth like a scythe cutting down weeds, causing the guards and monks to fall one by one. No one could approach the Crown Prince or send out a distress signal.
Caught off guard by the sudden attack, Zhao Qian was momentarily bewildered. Suddenly, he saw a black shadow dart out, surrounded by a swirling dark aura. He could not see inside the shadow, but only felt its eerie and terrifying presence.
The demon figure’s hands reached out without any flourish, and a silent demonic wail pierced Zhao Qian’s soul.
A golden mark appeared on Zhao Qian’s forehead, exuding an air of solemnity, as if a divine being had descended, resisting the demonic wail.
He then drew his sword, and the shaking mountain seemed to momentarily freeze, embodying the sword technique described in the “Book of Prophecy.”
The sword light was directed at the demonic figure, and the demonic aura appeared to be suppressed, gradually dissipating to reveal the figure within. The figure also wore a mask—it was none other than the “Great Freedom Heavenly Prince,” who had once betrayed the Demon King and defected to the Celestial Court!
His ultimate techniques had never been passed down, and no one knew them, not even the “Myth,” who could only substitute them with other divine skills.
The sword clashed with the demon’s claws, but suddenly was gripped tightly. The force contained in the sword seemed to flow like rivers into the “demon shadow.”
Moreover, Zhao Qian felt his true energy uncontrollably leaking out, and his flesh and bones seemed to have their own will, wanting to defect to the enemy.
Faced with this strange change and the terrifying half-step, Zhao Qian was in a desperate situation, nearly being drained into a mummy.
However, the “Book of Prophecy” was no ordinary text. Eunuch Wei Gao, who had only scratched the surface of its cultivation, had formidable combat power. In this life-or-death moment, the true energy within Zhao Qian transformed into waves, disregarding his own safety, shattering the demonic aura and the suction force.
At this moment, the demon shadow let out a cackling laugh, and its true energy suddenly changed. Zhao Qian felt as if he had fallen into paradise, experiencing pleasure far beyond any he had ever known in his previous sexual encounters with women!
His lower body ejaculated, and he was so ecstatic that tears and snot flowed, seemingly on the verge of collapsing from exhaustion. His flesh, bones, and true energy were no longer under his control, beginning to flow toward the demon shadow.
This was the “Heavenly Demon’s Ultimate Bliss,” barely touched in cultivation.
“Amitabha Buddha…”
“Thus have I heard…”
At this critical moment, a golden light emerged from Zhao Qian’s soul, and a crystal-like sarira floated above his forehead, stabilizing his flesh, blocking the bliss, and creating a pure and serene environment around him, preventing the Heavenly Demon from invading.
Seizing the opportunity, he released a distress signal.
A specially crafted item pierced through the layers of smoke, soared into the sky, and exploded into a golden, peculiar flower.
At the same time, it dispelled the obscuring smoke, exposing the scenes on the mountain to the people at Xingyun Manor, who were not far away.
“Prince? Myth?” Qian Kai, the silver-badged constable who was conversing with Meng Qi, looked closely and was greatly alarmed. He immediately flew over to offer rescue.
He Jiu’s face showed a fighting spirit, delighted and overjoyed, transforming with Gongyang Hao into a sword beam flying toward Yanyu Mountain.
Meng Qi’s current strength could not yet see the situation on Yanyu Mountain from afar, but he heard Qian Kai’s muttering.
“‘Myth’ attacking the prince suddenly?” He twitched his lips slightly, unsure whether it was a shock or joy, “Could ‘Myth’ also think that the prince obtained the ‘True Emperor’s Seal’?”
“Would Prince Jin get involved?”
“Does he have any connection with ‘Myth’? ‘Myth’ acted suddenly and decisively, unless they confirmed that Zhao Yi also failed to obtain it…”
“This is really a pleasure to watch them fight it out…”
“Wait, ‘Myth’ has an external cultivator, so during the incident at the Chaotic Grave Valley, why was it only Old Zhong who took action, allowing Sikong Tu to escape?”
Meng Qi watched from afar, his thoughts surging, feeling a sense of detachment amidst his confusion.
There is no such thing as an eternal feast. The surroundings had already quieted down, and Meng Qi looked around, seeing only a few servants and maids.
“There are no masters left in the manor…”
“There are no masters here!” A sudden realization struck his mind, recalling Wang Siyuan’s warning:
He would soon face a calamity!
Clang! He drew his long knife.
Suddenly, darkness enveloped the area, making it impossible to see even one’s hand in front of one’s face.
The Wolf King?
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