The Dou Family Inn at the edge of Shen Du’s inner city had long been a place where dragons and snakes mingled, a hotbed for rumors and secret information, making it the go-to spot for martial artists and merchants from other regions seeking news.
A man with a scar on his face pressed his bamboo hat down and pushed through the noisy crowd, finally finding a square table to sit at.
While waiting for the waiter to pour tea, he subtly twitched his ears, trying to pick up useful information from the chaotic noise around him.
Speaking of heroes, let’s talk about heroes! It was none other than the Mad Blade who, trapped within the illusion array, endured countless wounds before ultimately slaying this year’s top scholar, Fan Changmiao—the direct disciple of the Heaven-Destroying Sect who cultivated the Six Annihilation Demon King technique and was being groomed as the future sect leader! With the Six Annihilation Demon King vanquished, the illusion array began to crumble. The officials in the Hall of State Affairs joined forces, finally breaking free from its shackles and thwarting the sinister plots of the tyrannical Emperor Luo Jiao and the Heaven-Destroying Sect. As the saying goes, “A tiny leak can sink a great ship,” and “Evil will never prevail over righteousness.” In times of peril, heroes always rise to the occasion!
The storyteller, spitting with excitement, wore the traditional attire of a traveling scholar—green robe and small cap—holding a clapper in his hand. Nearby patrons leaned in to listen, their tables pushed closely together.
At the mention of “Crazy Blade,” the scarred man frowned. He stood, holding a silver ingot, and squeezed his way to the storyteller’s side, bowing respectfully with the full etiquette of the martial world: “Esteemed sir, I’m a merchant from Xiliang, recently arrived in the capital with a shipment of goods. The atmosphere feels strange, as if something major has occurred?”
As he spoke, he discreetly slipped the silver into the storyteller’s hand.
The storyteller covertly weighed the silver, confirmed its weight, and smiled: “Brother, you don’t know the half of it. Seven days ago, at the Qionghua Banquet…”
After the storyteller finished recounting the events of Shen Du’s upheaval, the scarred man seemed to relax slightly: “So that’s what happened. It shouldn’t interfere with my business. May I ask what the current political situation is like?”
The storyteller lightly struck his clapper: “The officials in the Political Affairs Hall prioritized stability and refrained from broad persecution. From the Chief Investigator down, the Six Doors officials retained their positions, merely suffering salary deductions. However, aside from the two Grand Masters of the Zhao Clan in Shen Du, most have likely switched allegiances. Additionally, many top aristocratic families have sent their supreme experts to join the Six Doors as Golden Seal Investigators.”
This news had spread widely, known to all. Although no one explicitly said people had switched allegiances, those with worldly experience could easily sense the underlying implications.
The scarred man nodded slightly, understanding the situation: “May I ask which prince has ascended the throne?”
His speech was refined, masking his rough demeanor.
“The Crown Prince seemed implicated in the tyrant’s affairs and thus failed to ascend, being demoted to Prince of Liang, now living in seclusion and devoting himself to Buddhism,” the storyteller recalled the coronation ceremony three days prior. “Although rumors claim Prince Jin was involved with the mysterious and terrifying ‘Myth,’ even going so far as to kill his father, there’s no evidence. After investigation, the officials in the Political Affairs Hall finally crowned him emperor.”
To depose the Crown Prince required a legitimate reason; they couldn’t simply claim he was devoted to Buddhism, so they linked him to the late emperor.
“What unpredictable times…” the scarred man sighed.
“You said it!” the storyteller smacked his lips. “Do you know who the current Crown Prince is?”
“Prince Jin has married but hasn’t fathered any sons yet!” the scarred man exclaimed in surprise.
Most people around already knew, chuckling lowly, amused by his ignorance, having been misled by the term “Crown Prince.”
“Although Prince Jin—no, the current emperor—has no sons, Lord Zhou Junzheng feared he might secretly collude with the ‘Myth.’ After heated debate among the officials, they insisted on establishing a Crown Prince for balance. Thus, the previously overlooked Prince Wei suddenly rose to prominence!” the storyteller clicked his tongue. “He practically stumbled into the Crown Prince position—no, the Imperial Younger Brother. ‘Brother succeeds brother’ has been a noble tradition since ancient times…”
The scarred man listened intently. Though unrelated to his business, this information would certainly impact his hidden faction.
“…Furthermore, the Emperor’s Sword is no longer under royal control but kept in the Political Affairs Hall, guarded in rotation by the officials, only handed over to the emperor when needed,” the storyteller spoke rapidly, spilling out the aftermath of Shen Du’s upheaval. “Tomorrow, the tyrant emperor will be buried with the posthumous title ‘Li.'”
Satisfied, the scarred man turned to leave, muttering as he walked: “No wonder… the strange phenomena I witnessed in Shen Du a few days ago must have been from a Dharma Body expert… Wait, that was six days ago!”
Clearly, he had been lingering near Shen Du for some time.
He turned back in surprise: “What exactly happened with the phenomena six days ago?”
The storyteller paused, then burst into laughter: “The Crazy Blade’s ascension! He enveloped Shen Du, endured four tribulations, achieved the Outer View, and shocked all the experts!”
The scarred man sucked in a breath, stunned for a long time before regaining composure, frowning deeply: “Tell me more.”
The storyteller chuckled: “I personally witnessed it outside the Su Family’s villa that day!”
The Mad Saber sent out invitations far and wide, and we all assumed he was adhering to Xingyun’s ancient tradition—challenging top-tier martial artists to ascend by leveraging their qi connections. Yet, the Mad Saber surpassed even the Formless Sword, requiring no life-or-death pressure. Seated calmly at the head of the gathering, he laughed and chatted while effortlessly opening the mystical gateway, bridging the inner and outer realms, transcending the ordinary entirely!
Getting excited, he lifted his green robe and slapped the table: “At that moment, night fell over Shen Du, the entire city plunged into darkness. Stars bloomed like flowers, the sun rose in the east with crows flying chaotically, a chaotic void emerged with the earth floating, truly encompassing all phenomena, ever-changing. The Crazy Blade faced the Celestial Thunder Tribulation, Yin Fire Tribulation, and Golden Wind Tribulation as easily as picking something from his pocket. Only when the final Chaos Tribulation descended did he exert his utmost strength, emerging bloodied but victorious by cleaving through the chaos.”
“Even so, he still managed to change clothes, offer toasts, and chat calmly, earning admiration from all the guests.”
“Wait a minute, Celestial Thunder Tribulation, Yin Fire Tribulation, Golden Wind Tribulation, and Chaos Tribulation… four heavenly tribulations?” the scarred man exclaimed in shock.
“Of course!” the storyteller affirmed firmly, his face flushed with excitement. “Do you know who last ascended through four heavenly tribulations?”
“The Divine Sword from Beyond the Heavens only faced three…” the scarred man shook his head, bewildered.
The storyteller struck the clapper, making him shudder: “The Human Emperor!”
“The Human Emperor!” the scarred man was both shocked and solemn, scarcely believing his ears.
“Would the Wang Clan of Jiangdong spread false news? Even if the world has changed, the Crazy Blade might not match the Human Emperor’s might, but at least he should have achieved the Half-Step Dharma Body, right?” the storyteller half-asked, half-answered.
The scarred man stared blankly, falling silent.
“Speaking of the Divine Sword from Beyond the Heavens, according to my cousin in the Six Doors, six days ago, the Sword Immortal Maiden broke through her death barrier, her sword light illuminating a hundred miles, also enduring three heavenly tribulations!” someone interjected from the side.
The storyteller took a deep breath and said, “Judging by the timing, the Da Luo Demoness must have ascended as well. Back then, among the top six on the Martial Rankings—the Formless Sword, the Da Luo Demoness, the Heaven’s Calculator, the Sword Immortal Maiden, the Wolf King, and the Mad Blade—all except the Wolf King, who met his demise, ascended in a single step! This is an unprecedented phenomenon in the history of the Martial Rankings!”
“With the shifting winds and clouds, golden scales emerge—could this be an omen of great calamity and chaos?”
“God forbid! We ordinary folks would rather be dogs in times of peace than humans in times of chaos. Flip through the history books—whenever turmoil breaks out, cities are razed, and tens of thousands perish in a single battle! Even those who escape the collateral damage from Outer View experts will still face starvation. Think carefully about the phrase ‘people resort to cannibalism’!”
In peaceful times, if droughts or floods occur, Outer View experts can be dispatched to harness the forces of heaven and earth, alleviating disasters and ensuring annual harvests. But in chaotic times, which Outer View expert would have the leisure to help those outside their own circle?
Amidst the clamor, the scarred man had already exited the Dou Family Inn.
“The Crazy Blade’s ascension must be reported to Elder Ze Luo immediately; they have a deadly feud! This mission also tasked me with gathering information on the Crazy Blade…” pondering, his expression turned grave, his steps quickening.
…
Affected by the Outer View battle, over half of the Yulin Garden’s forest had been destroyed, the lake expanded, shimmering under the waves.
A small boat floated on the lake, Meng Qi sitting at the bow, the wind stirring his green robe as he smiled watching Su Zi Yue prepare tea.
A figure leaped from the stern, graceful as a celestial being. At the peak of his leap, he made an unbelievable turn, attempting to change direction and fly back.
However, his maneuver was awkwardly clumsy, his body suddenly plummeting into the lake with a loud splash.
“Second Brother, why didn’t you catch Gu Gongzi…” Su Zi Yue stared at Meng Qi, stunned.
Meng Qi looked at Gu Changqing emerging from the water, smiling: “Without the pain of failure, how can one deeply remember? How can one improve in martial arts?”
Gu Changqing was now a drenched chicken, his hair soaked and messy, but his face showed no hint of pain, muttering repeatedly: “So that’s where my qi flow was wrong, so that’s…”
A few days prior, Meng Qi had retrieved Gu Changqing from the Huanhou Mansion, solemnly teaching him the “Seven True Classics,” while Gu Changqing swore a Yuan Shen oath to diligently promote the “Seven True Classics,” establishing a sect for generations to come.
As the sole heir of the Tang Clan, Meng Qi also taught the “Seven True Classics” to Su Zi Yue.
—In Meng Qi’s view, the “Seven True Classics” surpassed Su Clan’s inheritance by far.
“‘Flying Amidst the Void’ is far more elegant than the Kunwu Steps…” Su Zi Yue completely believed Meng Qi’s words, oblivious to his hidden mischief.
Unaware of her true origins, she believed her “mother” was a direct descendant of the Tang Clan, thus feeling that half of her blood was Tang, which made it her duty to inherit the “Seven True Classics.”
Gu Changqing kept practicing, kept falling into the lake, while Meng Qi sipped tea, admired the scenery, his heart peaceful and content.
As the day passed, just as Meng Qi returned to his courtyard, his vision suddenly darkened, his Yuan Shen dizzying, and he found himself in the Reincarnation Plaza.
Beams of light fell, and Ruan Yushu, Qi Zhengyan, and Zhao Heng stepped out. However, Meng Qi’s gaze was fixed on the girl in the yellow robe.
Her eyes held even sharper intensity, more mature and steady; she could no longer be called a girl…
Jiang Zhiwei also looked at Meng Qi, her lips slowly curving into a radiant smile: “Congratulations on enduring four heavenly tribulations, stars blooming across the city.”
Meng Qi smiled in return: “Your sword light stretched a hundred miles, slicing through three tribulations. Congratulations to you as well.”
Their smiles dissolved all awkwardness!
Ruan Yushu was also delighted, her big eyes gleaming with joy as she whispered with Jiang Zhiwei.
After catching up, upon hearing that all mission evaluations were “Medium,” and each person (except Jiang Zhiwei) received two hundred Virtue Points, Meng Qi approached the central light pillar, placing his loot inside.
“Annihilation Palm, treasure-grade weapon… redeemable for two thousand Virtue Points.”
“Taiyi Ziran Sword, artifact… redeemable for sixty Virtue Points.”
Sixty? Meng Qi was first startled, then quickly understood. He and Jiang Zhiwei had already become Outer View experts, and Zhao Heng was a Half-Step, causing the value of artifacts to plummet.
This was to prevent powerful reincarnators from hoarding artifacts and drawing attention.
Since Jiang Zhiwei didn’t participate in this mission, the four split evenly, each receiving five hundred and fifteen Virtue Points. Adding the previous one thousand seven hundred, each person earned a total of two thousand two hundred and fifteen Virtue Points for this mission.
“Let’s redeem the information for the next mission first,” Jiang Zhiwei suggested. She still needed to complete a solo mission to make up for this one, but the remaining time could be used to consolidate her strength.
Jiang Zhiwei previously had eighty Virtue Points left, just enough to contribute, so the five requested to redeem the information for the next mission.
“The next mission will be in one and a half years.”
“Due to two members already achieving the Outer View, the team’s power disparity is too great. The mission will split, but the strength of the remaining three before the next mission is uncertain, so please check again before starting.”
“Mission Background: Five hundred years after the Fengshen era, no Sages have emerged, and no schools have thrived.”
Five hundred years after the era of deification! Meng Qi’s pupils contracted sharply.
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