Nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine layers. When the founders of Zhenchuan first built it, they placed their heart’s blood within.
Among them must be the mastermind behind the Tianji, the old man Tianji, who was one of the original founders of the Qingshui Sect back then, Xie Dong.
Lin Shuang followed the direction pointed by the tall, raised nine tails, gazing upwards toward the now teetering nine thousand nine hundredth layer of Zhenchuan.
These connected stone layers now appeared like reflections in water, twisting and overlapping within the clouds and mist.
“Can this… even be repaired?”
Meng Zi felt uneasy.
“We entered the nine thousandth layer according to the rules. We didn’t break any regulations.”
“It didn’t stop everyone just now. Don’t blame us.”
He was in debt.
And he couldn’t afford to pay.
As he spoke, he hesitated slightly, wondering whether he should accept the high-grade recovery pill offered by the senior sister from the Dan Sect.
If he had to pay compensation, he’d better start saving now.
Hardly had he finished speaking when one of the nine tails slapped his right hand, directly whipping the pill into his chattering mouth.
At the same time, Lin Shuang also swallowed the spirit pill in her mouth and thanked the senior sisters from the Dan Sect beside her.
Then, their group re-entered Zhenchuan.
Due to the damaged layers, even if they used teleportation now, they could only reach layer 9904.
Beyond that, precise teleportation was no longer possible.
They had to follow Huangpu Yuan and several powerful canine clan cultivators, using their sense of smell to locate the faint position of layer 9999.
Contrary to everyone’s assumption that reaching the top layer simply required going straight upward, Lin Shuang, after moving through directions—west, south, up, north, east, down—and constantly changing positions, finally arrived with everyone else into a swirl of clouds and mist at the very top of Zhenchuan!
[Are you kidding me.]
[Layer 9999 isn’t actually the top?]
[Ah, the Bagua Formation. What I say is, what you perceive as east isn’t necessarily east, and what you think is up isn’t necessarily up. To leave this formation, you must follow the correct sequence of steps, stepping onto specific positions. The Nine Thousand Trials itself is a grand formation interlinked like a chain.]
[…So then, how do they know the way?]
A powerful canine clan cultivator, who had followed Lin Shuang inside, was now sniffing a drop of blood from Elder Chen of the Qingshui Sect, who had just pricked his finger.
Confirming the direction.
Sniffing again, adjusting the path, walking a bit, then sniffing once more.
Finally, they stopped.
“This is the place.”
[!]
[Following the scent of the founding Elder Chen.]
[Oh, he must have left a trace at the nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-ninth layer.]
[How many years has it been since he bathed? Thinking about it is terrifying.]
[…]
Luckily, the canine clan cultivators couldn’t see the projections, otherwise they might have turned pale and vomited right there.
The canine clan cultivator, at the Void Realm cultivation level, bid farewell to Lin Shuang. “We won’t go in. We don’t want to cause another disturbance in this minor realm or accelerate the formation’s deterioration.”
He escorted Lin Shuang and the others to the entrance of a chaotic stone mountain before taking his leave.
After thanking him, Lin Shuang and the other disciples looked toward the stone mountain.
It looked exactly like the western gate of the sect.
To the left of the gate stood a towering stone stele inscribed with the three large characters “Qingshui Sect.”
The two gate pillars were already covered in moss, as if they hadn’t been maintained in ages.
Meng Zi was still being fed pills by the senior sister from the Dan Sect when he suddenly uttered, “Huh?” and turned around, noticing a dark mass of people following closely behind him!
They were exactly the hundred senior brothers and sisters from layer 9904 who had previously blocked the black rain for them.
He was stunned. “You guys, why are you still here?”
They were also taking pills to replenish their energy.
Upon hearing his words, the leader among them, a Qingshui Sect disciple at the peak of the Soul Tempering stage, blushed and hesitated for a moment before finally speaking.
“We also share some responsibility for damaging the nine thousandth layer. We might as well help together to find the heart’s blood of the Tianji heretic at the topmost layer.”
Earlier, Elder Chen of the Chen family had said that he would ascend in a day.
Time was pressing!
“But with so many people, what if we accidentally collapse part of the nine thousand layers again?”
Meng Zi was worried.
Senior Brother Ming Chongmen hesitated. “Junior Sister Zhao Koran just went to ask our sect’s elder. A Grand Elder at the Ascension stage said he could repair the damage in half a day at most. She told us to hurry and finish within half a day so Elder Chen can repair Zhenchuan before his ascension.”
Junior Sister Zhao truly was reassuring.
Meng Zi felt extremely pleased and slapped his thigh. “Alright then, brothers and sisters, let’s go together!”
“Don’t delay the elder’s repairs!”
[…]
[…!]
Outside the projection, Elder Chen of the Chen family twitched his lips.
Even Chen Wushui nodded repeatedly, handing him a calming tea. “Father, drink quickly. Try to sleep now. Delay the arrival of the lightning tribulation, even a moment would help. You must finish repairing the nine thousand layers before you leave!”
Chen family elder: “…”
He would remember these young ones!
He would make sure that if they ever ascended, he’d beat the hell out of each one!
He gathered his energy forcefully.
Meanwhile, within the projection, Lin Shuang and the others had already entered the gate and discovered that this layer contained a hall resembling the ancestral hall of the Lijia Village.
Inside the hall, it seemed as though an ordinary fighting ring had been set up.
The moment Lin Shuang saw it, her eyelid twitched.
Layer 9999, divided by nine, leaving a remainder of nine—this was a three-on-three team battle!
And now, as they entered the hall, it appeared they had triggered the trial rules still existing within this long-lost stone layer.
On the deserted top-level arena, three figures of exiled immortals swiftly took form.
Their sleeves fluttered, exuding a refined and noble aura, with white hair and beards.
These three exiled elders—two women and one man—turned around, and Lin Shuang and the disciples were all stunned.
“Qingshui Sect’s founding Sect Leader Li!”
“Founding Elder Wang!”
“Founding Elder Mu!?”
[All of you, come up together on layer 9999!]
The final layer turned out to be guarded by three founding Sect Leaders and Elders of Qingshui Sect who had successfully ascended back then!
Three terrifying figures emanating the aura of the peak of the Tribulation Crossing stage—not to mention the strong possibility they were close to Ascension.
They turned their heads and looked toward them.
[!]
[…]
[This difficulty is absurd!]
[Impossible to succeed, right?]
Chen Wushui outside the projection looked speechless at her father, almost pulling out his beard.
“Can any disciple really pass this?”
Back then, she herself hadn’t managed to climb up. At the Soul Tempering stage, she had barely reached over eight thousand layers.
“This… I couldn’t even beat them.”
Elder Chen’s expression was complex.
Who said the questions were made for students to answer?
He coughed lightly. “Back then, this topmost layer was personally set up by Sect Leader Li, together with Elder Wang and Elder Mu. As for the specifics, this old man doesn’t know.”
Not long after its creation, the three of them ascended.
Later, even the most brilliant disciples were stuck at layer eight thousand or nine thousand.
Chen Wushui’s expression turned extremely grim.
But within the projection, the voices of disciples from Ming Chongmen and Wanseng Gate could be heard.
“Lin Shuang, just now your sect elder mentioned heart’s blood connected to the Tianji?”
The senior brother from the Dao Sect also stepped forward, looking at Lin Shuang, Huangpu Yuan, and Meng Zi. “You three go. Find the heart’s blood of that old Tianji fellow! Leave this place to us!”
With that, they charged toward the arena where the three terrifying old ancestors exuded a fearsome aura!
However, these three Tribulation-Crossing ancestral illusions were seemingly supported by heart’s blood.
Even if a hundred Soul Tempering disciples rushed forward one after another, they were merely serving as cannon fodder for the old ancestors!
Still, in a three-on-three team battle, each group of three could hold out for a while!
“Go, hurry and find it!”
Lin Shuang, Huangpu Yuan, and Meng Zi immediately split up to search.
This layer wasn’t very large.
Outside stood the mountain gate of the Qingshui Sect, while inside was the hall with the martial arts platform.
Soon, every corner of this ‘sect’s territory’ had been thoroughly searched.
Lin Shuang frowned.
Could the heart’s blood be concealed beneath the arena, or was overcoming the Tribulation-Crossing illusions on the arena the sole solution?
But the latter was almost an impossible task.
The nine-tailed fox in her arms raised its paw and pointed at her heart.
Her dantian.
Her demon core?
Lin Shuang immediately understood and summoned the nine-tailed fox demon core entwined with her dantian temporarily.
He hadn’t taken it back since lending it to her earlier.
Not that he didn’t want to, but Lin Shuang had been severely injured by the black rain just now, and the pills given by the disciples of the Pill Sect couldn’t fully heal her wounds.
The nine-tailed fox demon core had become the last breath sustaining her flesh and blood.
It could automatically absorb the energy of the sun and moon, continuously repairing the cracks in her body and dantian.
If the previous nine-tailed fox’s remains were on this layer, the demon core could sense it.
Lin Shuang quickly let her hundred-numbered dantian carry the demon core, acting like a searchlight, scanning ahead.
The nine-tailed fox in her arms also closed its eyes, its slightly moist black nose lightly sniffing the air.
“You don’t feel anything either? Shuang, you didn’t say before that you suspected a part of yourself was on the nine thousandth layer?” Meng Zi asked.
Lin Shuang thought for a moment and then shook her head.
All the memories of her original body before death had disappeared.
But after using a fifth-tier memory recovery talisman and touching Li Daowei, she had already solved the case—the original body’s essence, blood, and flesh had mostly been absorbed by that old Tianji fellow.
After recalling this, she knew that the lost bones and consciousness of her original body were not in the Nine Thousand Trials, but rather had been consumed by the Tianji elder.
“If the elders who built the Nine Thousand Trials really hid their heart’s blood on this layer, they should have hidden it in the most important place, right?”
Where was important? Naturally, where something valuable was.
Meng Zi’s eyes lit up as if inspired by himself. He retreated to the entrance of this minor realm—the stone stele in front of the Qingshui Sect’s mountain gate.
He placed both hands on the stele, repeatedly feeling it.
In an instant, Meng Zi yanked the stone stele of the Qingshui Sect’s sect gate up like pulling out a radish!
Lin Shuang: “!”
Huangpu Yuan: “…”
[!]
[Disrespectful disciple!]
[This guy has no respect for his sect!]
But just as the projection text floated by, Meng Zi’s expression in the scene turned strange.
Lin Shuang’s dantian, acting as a searchlight, and Huangpu Yuan’s demon core both stopped here.
Huangpu Yuan narrowed his eyes and jumped down from her arms.
His small short legs, now miniatured without the demon core, walked to the soil pit where the stele had been and started digging with his hind foot…
Plop.
A crimson crystal, mixed with soil, was dug out!
It was as vivid as blood, with streaks of gold threads, radiating a continuous stream of pure energy!
[Lin Shuang, Huangpu Yuan, and Meng Zi have found the hidden treasure of this layer—the heart’s blood of Sect Leader Li.]
[!]
[…]
“Ahahaha! I knew it!” Meng Zi stood with hands on his hips.
Lin Shuang rubbed her nose.
The thinking of successive Qingshui Sect leaders had always been this straightforward.
At that moment, on the dueling platform, one of the three Heavenly Tribulation illusions—the foremost one, Sect Leader Li’s tribulation illusion—abruptly came to a halt!
His immortal demeanor instantly turned kind and benevolent, like a refreshing breeze.
He looked toward the disciples before him.
“You have finally reached this layer. I am very pleased.”
“Perhaps when you see me, I will have already ascended or perished in the Tribulation.”
“I have left a drop of heart’s blood, containing my life’s cultivation insights. If one day the Qingshui Sect falls into ruin, whoever is fortunate enough to obtain it can swallow it and instantly inherit forty percent of my previous cultivation base.”
“But if the sect remains prosperous, this heart’s blood will remain in the Nine Thousand Trials, supporting this illusion of mine, allowing disciples to challenge it ninety thousand times, thus tempering the disciples’ cultivation.”
[So that’s how it is!]
[With ninety thousand matches allowed, even a hundred senior brothers and sisters going in would barely make a dent…]
As the illusion spoke, Meng Zi, holding the snow-white fluffy hind leg of the nine-tailed fox, walked to the ‘referee position’ on the arena platform in the hall.
“Er Bao, hurry, dig a hole.”
“This is the spot.”
Bang! The nine-tailed fox’s nimble little short leg kicked Meng Zi in the face!
It sent him headfirst into the referee position like an upside-down chive.
“Ack! Ack! Ack!”
Meng Zi angrily pulled his head out.
“You were enjoying digging just now!”
As he spat, he coughed up a piece of blood-red.
[!]
[…]
The illusion of Elder Wang from the Shanhaisong faction on the arena also ceased his attacks on the disciples.
“You have found the heart’s blood I left behind.”
“This heart’s blood can allow ninety thousand disciples to comprehend once—’I am the mountain.'”
He smiled and began throwing punches in the ring.
Each punch was like a mountain collapsing.
[Quick, learn it!]
On the fighting platform among the hundred disciples, some suddenly attained enlightenment and sat in meditation, while others, whose techniques were incompatible, glanced around in bewilderment.
Lin Shuang hadn’t expected that the team battle on layer 9999 was actually a teaching match.
It was impossible for the disciples to defeat the three founders. Back then, their real bodies had already been infinitely close to immortals. Even if this was only an illusion left behind, supported by heart’s blood, it was still incredibly powerful.
This layer was essentially a treasure hunt.
The treasures were hidden within these three illusions.
One sect leader provided disciples with practical combat experience, strengthening themselves and identifying weaknesses.
One elder allowed disciples to learn mountain-style martial arts.
Then the third one…
It must be for disciples to learn water-style martial arts.
The Qingshui and Shanhaisong sects originally shared the same source!
Lin Shuang’s expression turned strange. The nine-tailed fox beside her also looked at her with both eyes and nodded.
Lin Shuang hummed in agreement and immediately extended her right hand, instantly transforming it into water.
In an instant, it resonated with the distant figure of the third founding elder on the arena.
The elder on the arena soon turned to her with a smile, his body dissolving into a flowing stream of water…
All things return to water—the supreme ultimate technique of the Qingshui Sect.
This elder was the one who had ascended back then using this technique.
At this moment, the elder’s illusion transformed into water, and the red mark between his eyebrows also turned into liquid, flying into Lin Shuang’s flowing left hand.
[Lin Shuang has found the third heart’s blood.]
“This heart’s blood of mine can allow disciples to comprehend that all things return to water, ninety thousand times.”
The disciples of the Qingshui Sect, including Dao Zhong, immediately sat cross-legged on the arena.
Lin Shuang nodded.
The three ancestral elders on the arena finally ceased their battle with the disciples.
The arena then split open from the middle.
[Disciples have collected all three heart’s blood and learned the techniques three times!]
[Completed the 9999th layer trial!]
[Layer cleared!]
Clearing the stage didn’t necessarily require winning the arena battle; as long as there was progress, it was also considered a victory.
[This level has no overseer.]
[When you embark on the path of ascension and transcend into immortal beings, your names shall be eternally enshrined within the annals of our sect—let alone a mere nine thousand!]
[Therefore, level ninety-nine thousand nine hundred ninety-nine has no overseer.]
[This old man and the elders await your arrival from above the nine heavens!]
Cultivating the spirit and entering the void… these are merely segments of the cultivation journey.
Nine thousand nine hundred ninety-nine is merely the end of Zhenchuan.
Not the end of cultivation.
This journey absolutely does not end here.
Even reaching this point is merely the beginning.
[Congratulations, you have reached level ninety-nine thousand nine hundred ninety-nine of Zhenchuan, and your disciple trials have now fully concluded.]
[Although it is not the end, it is still worth celebrating.]
[Ninety thousand trials, fully opened, celebrated by the entire sect!]
Characters continuously appeared on the water screen.
Then, at the small area where Lin Shuang and others stood, golden rays descended one by one.
[Treasure Pavilion of Zhenchuan, open!]
[Private treasury of the founding elders, open!]
[Teachings of the founding elders, open!]
[Blood repository of the founding elders’ hearts, open!]
[!]
[!]
The group battle arena at level ninety-nine thousand nine hundred ninety-nine fully split open from the center, revealing a secret passage that no one had anticipated.
The ‘mountain gate’ and ‘arena’ of this trial level completely vanished.
The minor realm of this level returned to its true appearance!
Instantly, Lin Shuang, Huangpu Yuan, and Meng Zi stood frozen before the sect’s underground secret passage, turning their heads in unison.
All arrays at the ninety-nine thousandth level of Zhenchuan were activated.
The reward for the disciple’s successful completion of all ninety thousand trials seemed to be a celestial phenomenon triggered by the heart’s blood of the first patriarch and elders…
From the first level to the ninety-nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-ninth level of Zhenchuan, all puppets, formations, and minor realm structures began to float into the void within the disciples’ line of sight.
In the distance, the ninety thousand tiers of the Shanhai Zongyuan Chuan, sharing the same origin, also rose entirely!
Fireworks and firecrackers continuously erupted!
Water splashed and fountains rose!
The entire sect celebrated this grand moment!
The ninety thousand layers of Zhenchuan and Yuanhe formed a magnificent landscape akin to an ink painting. Within it, the imprisoned Hui Niang, the lingering spirit of the tiger demon at the “Wang Jian” level, and the remnants of the previous generation’s dog and wolf demons rising from the seventy-thousandth layer… all stood afar amidst the fireworks.
Lin Shuang, Huangpu Yuan, and Meng Zi gazed silently.
These remnants of souls were difficult for others to perceive.
(Note: “残魄” is poetically translated as “remnants of souls” to convey the ethereal and fragmented nature implied in the original term, while maintaining readability in English. The phrasing also preserves the original sentence structure and meaning.)
Even if seen, they would be mistaken as illusions created by puppets and arrays in the trial.
Only those inside could feel the sorrow and gloom as Hui Niang’s lingering spirit was washed away.
Could sense their faint smiles now.
They were finally liberated.
Now they could let their souls return to heaven and earth.
No longer imprisoned, endlessly tormented by their past sufferings.
“Thank you, young master.”
“Thank you, Miss Lin, Fellow Daoist Meng…”
Hui Niang, with the strongest lingering soul, slightly bowed her head and spoke silently.
Then, slowly drifting towards the spiritual energy surging up from ninety thousand levels, merging with it, gradually disappearing.
Before vanishing, her face bore a tranquil tenderness.
Meng Zi, shouldering his blade, waved his hand after a while.
“Wait until you reincarnate, then we’ll meet again～”
Lin Shuang and Huangpu Yuan activated their demon cores simultaneously, sending them off.
They kept watching until they completely vanished before turning their gazes away.
“Let’s go into the secret passage.”
Lin Shuang turned around.
The nine-tailed fox on the ground nodded, then was picked up by her.
The soul and bones of the former Fox King were no longer within the ninety thousand levels.
Most probably, just like her “original body,” she had ultimately been devoured by the old man from Tianji.
The remaining parts were probably divided by Hu Xun.
“Hui Niang and the others suffered far more than my mother.”
The nine-tailed fox shook its head, dodging Meng Zi’s comforting pat.
“Perhaps, she has already reincarnated many years ago, which is better this way.”
In fact, he had long suspected this when he absorbed the residual demonic aura from Hu Xun’s demon core.
He just hadn’t spoken of it then, still clinging to a sliver of hope.
There was some melancholy in its lowered fox eyes, but soon it was distracted from its loneliness and sadness by the hands of Lin Shuang and Meng Zi taking turns to pet it!
Mother, look, this is what you meant by good friends!
The nine-tailed fox jumped down from Lin Shuang’s arms, bared its teeth at Meng Zi, and entered the secret passage.
Looking back at them, “Hurry up.”
“Alright, yeah, you’re right, your petting time for one incense stick is almost up.”
Lin Shuang looked at the tomato clock and hurried too.
“Senior Brother Meng, hurry up, we’re leaving without you.”
Meng Zi: “Damn!”
He quickly caught up!
The hundred disciples following behind: “……!”
Petting for one incense stick?
Is Junior Sister Lin really playing this hard?!
[I once said I wanted to explore the ninety thousand levels with Junior Sister Lin, but now… forget it.]
[Right, I have a cultivation partner now. Let the nine-tailed fox have this good fortune!]
[Yes.]
[So, Meng Zi often watches her with Brother Huangpu…]
[…!]
The disciples watching the projection were in disarray, their imaginations running wild.
In the Hundred Flowers Sect, many disciples took out their brushes and ink, suddenly struck by inspiration for their novels!
Before long, Lin Shuang had already seen the sacred land of heart’s blood in the secret passage.
One by one jade boxes were neatly arranged on the ancient treasure rack.
—Elder Chen’s heart’s blood: to replace if Elder Wang’s heart’s blood is depleted;
—Elder Zhou’s heart’s blood: to replace if Elder Wang’s heart’s blood is depleted;
…
Each heart’s blood left by the first generation elders already had their usage planned out from the beginning.
They just hadn’t anticipated any traitors.
Lin Shuang carefully inspected each jade box one by one and soon discovered the name of the old Tianji fellow!
—Xie Dong’s heart’s blood: to replace if Patriarch Li’s heart’s blood is depleted;
Meng Zi’s eyes lit up, ready to open the jade box.
But was kicked by Huangpu Yuan, “Wait a second.”
Lin Shuang looked around the basement, then carefully examined the many jade boxes on the treasure rack.
“Someone has already touched them.”
Meng Zi: “!”
Lin Shuang slightly raised her chin, indicating him to look at the spiritual energy fluctuations on the jade box.
Compared to the two jade boxes nearby, they were completely different.
The spiritual energy on the former was rich, while the latter was weaker.
“This place is airtight, the spiritual energy should originally be evenly distributed.”
But now the concentration varies.
Airflow movement usually goes from high pressure to low pressure.
[Little Ai No.1 (Lin): This place should have no difference in high and low pressure unless a jade box has been opened.]
Meng Zi intensely stared at the treasure rack, holding his head.
[Little Ai No.1 (Lin): Opening a jade box and taking the spiritual treasure inside would make this jade box become the ‘low-pressure position’ in the entire secret room for a short time, attracting surrounding spiritual energy to rapidly gather at this low-pressure position ‘to make up for the spiritual energy difference’.]
“! I get it!”
Meng Zi understood.
Therefore, the spiritual energy attached to the jade box of the old fellow Xie Dong was now more than that of the other jade boxes.
This meant that the jade box had been opened, and the heart’s blood inside had been taken, making it the only empty box in the entire secret room!
Moreover, the spiritual energy in the entire secret room had not yet returned to its normal even distribution!
This indicated that this act of taking it happened just now, very recently!
Meng Zi widened his eyes, his head itching, he’s starting to grow brains!
“Be careful!” Lin Shuang whispered.
“Retreat!”
In an instant, Huangpu Yuan transformed into a miniature nine-tailed fox, struggling to double in size, grabbing Meng Zi who had taken the jade box, and rapidly retreated to the entrance of the secret passage!
In an instant, a black mist exploded in front of the entire treasure rack!
The place where Meng Zi had stood was now a huge hole dug three feet into the ground.
If it weren’t for Huangpu Yuan’s speed, he would now be blown into pieces!
[!]
[…]
[What?! There are still deadly traps within Zhenchuan’s ninety thousand levels!]
The elders outside immediately stood up.
The Chen family patriarch’s face turned pitch black, “Xie Dong! He actually hid inside!”
“What?” The expressions of Chen Wushui and Shui Qiantan were extremely grim.
All the elders and disciples were stunned.
Then they instantly understood.
These sect elders had each split off one or two avatars, either to protect sect disciples during trials or to escort Lin Shuang and the others on their journey to the demon realm.
The original physical cultivation of the Qingshui Sect elders had somewhat declined.
The Chen family patriarch had also been sleeping for a long time to preserve his lifespan.
Xie Dong, having separated his evil avatar, as one of the founding elders of the sect, seized the opportunity to stealthily infiltrate Zhenchuan’s ninety thousand levels undetected.
The patriarch of the Chen family knew that the vital blood essence of the old man Xie Dong, who possessed the secrets of heaven, was concealed at the highest level of Zhenchuan. With this heart’s blood, one could locate his whereabouts.
Xie Dong himself was also aware of this!
So he wanted to seize his heart’s blood from the highest level ahead of time!
“Xie Dong still has one last bitter avatar left.”
Chen Wushui instantly understood.
“Previously, he never separated it, which is why we couldn’t find him.”
“But to protect the location of his original body, he was willing to sacrifice this one to come and steal his heart’s blood!”
Lin Shuang and the other disciples were at most at the peak of divine sense cultivation.
Their spiritual awareness was insufficient to detect the infiltration of the bitter avatar.
Especially just now, a series of Zhenchuan’s destruction, obtaining the patriarch’s heart’s blood, witnessing Huiniang’s fragmented soul, Lin Shuang and the other three, along with the hundred disciples, were all emotionally overwhelmed and failed to notice that there had always been a 104th person among the ninety thousand steps.
Seizing the opportunity of their opening in Zhenchuan’s secret passage, Xie Dong glanced at Hui Niang and bid farewell to her lingering spirit before slipping into the passage first, stealing the heart’s blood half a step ahead!
“This guy!” Chen Wushui immediately grabbed a blue-and-white porcelain bottle and charged toward Zhenchuan.
But the projection instantly changed.
In it, Lin Shuang was not angry but smiling, though her smile carried a hint of anxiety.
“Heavenly Mechanism Elder, or should I call you the despicable evil cultivator suffering from agony, Xie Dong.”
“Good, you came yourself, saving us the trouble of looking for you. Come out, don’t waste my time!”
[!]
Chen Wushui: “…”
Then, just as the shadow covered the shadows of the three people, preparing to devour them—Lin Shuang and the three others simultaneously did one thing.
They relaxed their consciousness, allowing him to come and feast!
Then they immediately activated a sparkling rhombus talisman stored in their mustard seed bag until now—teleportation!
[Drawn by Lin Shuang, three streets of teleportation?]
[Doesn’t look like it, this talisman is unfamiliar.]
The Chen family patriarch frowned outside, “The Zhao family’s aura?”
[!]
[The Zhao family!?]
[When was that study mission conducted?]
Within the projection, Lin Shuang smiled. Her one hundred and eight strands of spiritual consciousness seized the shadow attempting to devour her sea of consciousness and activated the teleportation!
This was given by the Zhao family patriarch back then.
During the Persuasion to Study mission, Lin Shuang, still distrustful, had the Zhao family patriarch inspect the teleportation talisman from the Shanhai Sect and then requested three new ones.
Rather than saying she wanted teleportation at that time, she wanted a ‘safe house to run home and level up if she couldn’t fight back’!
The safe houses of the Zhao family were simply two places.
“I originally thought I wouldn’t need to use this.”
As Lin Shuang spoke, her figure began to fade.
“What are you doing!”
The shadow gasped.
He actually wasn’t afraid; since the avatar came, he was prepared to abandon it.
He quickly destroyed the heart’s blood in his hand.
But just as he moved, Meng Zi had already slapped the teleportation talisman he held onto his head!
In an instant, at the peak of the tribulation crossing, the teleportation granted by the patriarch of the Zhao family was immediately activated.
This was something that even this peak Void Avatar couldn’t resist!
In a flash, the shadow, Lin Shuang, and Huangpu Yuan disappeared from the spot.
[!]
In the blink of an eye, the projection switched to an unremarkable general store—the stronghold of the Annihilation Pavilion.
The drowsy shopkeeper of the Vanishing Pavilion: “!”
Lin Shuang: “I’m here to deliver the bounty target! Hurry and call your patriarch out!”
Zhao Keran: “!”
Zhao family parents: “!”
The assassins from the Annihilation Pavilion, who had been casually observing the ninety thousand levels of Zhenchuan for amusement, all suddenly changed their expressions. They crushed their teleportation talismans and vanished in an instant.
Appearing in front of Lin Shuang in the general store in a flash.
The Zhao family naturally had their own teleportation!
The teleportation bestowed by the patriarch to Lin Shuang covertly informed her of the connection between the Annihilation Pavilion and the Zhao family!
But she hadn’t used it until today.
“What are you waiting for!” the shopkeeper urged.
In an instant, several cultivators from the Annihilation Pavilion at the Tribulation Transcendence realm, as if waking from a dream, surrounded the shadow!
“Xie Dong, surrender now!”
“Hand over the heart’s blood!”
Several Tribulation Transcendence cultivators against one Void Stepper…
The shadow was almost furious.
“Never!”
He turned to self-destruct with the heart’s blood.
But the fastest way to learn, doing the second question, is faster than the first!
In an instant, Lin Shuang’s right hand turned into water, entering the battle circle, calling the drop of heart’s blood into her hand!
After previously absorbing the heart’s blood of the Water Transformation Elder, she had already reached an extremely proficient level!
In the blink of an eye, the shadow avatar hadn’t even realized it, his right arm holding the heart’s blood had already turned into water.
The heart’s blood rolled away.
Shadow: “!”
“Senior Chen family patriarch!” Lin Shuang shouted.
The Chen family patriarch responded instantly, instantly pinching the drop of heart’s blood, shrinking space in an instant with Lin Shuang and others!
Everything happened in an instant.
The observing disciples couldn’t utter a single word.
Time seemed to stand still as the Chen family patriarch, Lin Shuang, and the others found themselves staring at a fleeing figure dashing out of the Great Wilderness Mountain!
The shadow didn’t even look back as he fled.
But the Chen family patriarch’s loud shout transformed into a giant water hand, inch by inch gripping his body!
“Xie Dong, do you know your crimes!”
“This old man today, even if I don’t ascend…”
The Chen family patriarch rebuked.
“I will destroy you, this sect traitor who harmed both human and demonic cultivators, along with you!”
(Note: “宗门” is translated as “sect” in this context, as it commonly refers to a martial or cultivation sect in xianxia/xuanhuan settings. “妖” is rendered as “demonic” to convey the supernatural/monstrous aspect of these cultivators, though “yao” could also be retained as a cultural term if preferred.)
But before he could finish, the Chen family patriarch almost bit his own tongue.
The white-robed Xie Dong, who appeared elderly, had his original body standing before him at merely… the mid-stage of the Void Entry realm?
There was no question of mutual destruction.
Lin Shuang was stunned, blinking, then lowered her head to ask the nine-tailed fox.
“Did I see that wrong?”
The nine-tailed fox’s eyes flickered, “The avatar was destroyed, the original body’s consciousness was injured, cultivation became unstable, and declined. Not long ago, we also just destroyed the demon clan’s tribute, the Heavenly Secret Order within the bodies of those undergoing tribulation like the Tiger King… and Hui Niang and the others were also released…”
“…”
Lin Shuang opened her mouth.
She looked at the boss in front of her, breathing unevenly, not even having been attacked, yet already bleeding from the corner of his mouth.
Her previous fear instantly vanished.
At the third stage of entering the Void?
No way!
“Wait, Ancestor Chen, wait—”
Lin Shuang quickly raised her hand.
“Give me twelve heartbeats!”
She, along with Huangpu Yuan, disappeared from the spot with a fox and a dog companion.
Ancestor of the Chen family: “?”
Soon after, not far from the entrance of the Dahuang Mountains, a roar from Meng Zi rang out, “I’ve finally caught up! What are you two doing? Wait for me!”
“Now I see, he’s only entered the Void.”
“Then that settles it. If not now, when… Right, I’m talking about the Jiezi bag!”
Ancestor of the Chen family: “…?”
Not long after, three Elimination Pavilion assassins appeared—double doors open, shoulders hunched, carrying eighteen different weapons.
“Assassins Wu, Liu, and Qi.”
“Assassin Jiezi.”
“Assassin… Not important.”
Three masked assassins, seemingly just emerged from a fierce battle, their breaths uneven, charged excitedly toward the weakened Tianji old man at the third stage of entering the Void, who stood opposite Ancestor Chen, as if he were at full strength.
They dragged swords in their hands, wobbling but radiating intense sword qi.
[This feels oddly familiar.]
“We three assassins have accepted the commission from Lin Shuang, Huangpu Yuan, and Meng Zi to come here and kill this leader of the Tianji villains!”
[!]
[…]
[…]
“This old man’s cultivation was originally at the Feisheng level. The Elimination Pavilion, Shuiqing Sect, and Shanhai Sect placed a bounty of one million spirit stones on his head, right?”
The double-door assassin confirmed.
“Whatever the amount!”
The eighteen-weapon assassin swung his sword at Xie Dong.
The sword qi twisted like a serpent, bypassing Ancestor Chen’s hand that held Xie Dong, and slashed toward Xie Dong’s heart!
The Serpent Sword—commonly found in many sects, a sword technique equivalent to two thousand layers in the Nine Thousand Trials, a basic human-tier sword method.
Not the kind of sword techniques Lin Shuang used before.
[Hmm? I thought this assassin might be my junior apprentice sister Lin in disguise. Guess I was wrong.]
[Techniques don’t lie. Seems like they are genuine assassins.]
Xie Dong, at the third stage of entering the Void, immediately spat blood from his mouth under Ancestor Chen’s palm.
The projections were buzzing with discussions.
[These assassins can’t possibly be Lin junior sister. She wouldn’t hide her strength to this extent. Back in the Black Rain Layer, she was forced to use all her techniques.]
[That’s right. Although the Serpent Sword is common, this assassin’s strike has already reached the Zhenhua realm.]
[Exactly. How could junior sister Lin possibly master so many Zhenhua-level sword techniques? As far as I know, she’s never exchanged for this sword manual in the Nine Thousand.]
[Even the Zhenhua-level Serpent Sword—surely not something Meng Zi’s blade techniques could achieve. Huangpu Yuan’s nine-tailed sword is barely at the beginner level…]
“It seems these three really are genuine assassins.”
Dao Fa, the senior apprentice watching the projection, said curiously.
He couldn’t resist chatting with his junior apprentice beside him.
“Dao Xi, I never expected the Elimination Pavilion to have such skilled assassins. They even have someone like you who’s proficient in the Serpent Sword.”
Dao Xi: “…?”
He looked up at the projection, his lips twitching.
These bastards were definitely Lin Shuang!
At that time, during the investigation of the theft by the Daoist boy, he had refused to cooperate—and that damned Lin Shuang had stolen this sword technique from him!
“Pity the Elimination Pavilion assassins all wear masks and keep their identities secret. Otherwise, Dao Xi, you could learn from them.”
“…!”
Secret my ass!
Dao Xi wore a look of speechless disbelief.
Looking at the three absurd assassins with hunched shoulders like double doors, barely over four feet tall, and carrying eighteen weapons on their backs.
What kind of ridiculous disguise was this… and he, Dao Xi, had actually lost to someone like that!
So infuriating.
But… he also felt a strange sense of admiration, even wanting to stand up and cheer for them.
Dao Xi turned his gaze back to the projection.
There stood Xie Dong, the traitor of Shuiqing Sect, the mastermind behind the Tianji’s crimes. Finally, under the pressure of Elder Chen’s palm and the swords of the three assassins, his dantian was shattered!
All the elders, disciples of various sects, Zhao family members, and Elimination Pavilion assassins wore strange expressions for a moment.
Elder Chen’s lips twitched.
[!]
[The Shuiqing Sect’s Ancestor has appeared, but in the end, it was the Elimination Pavilion that reaped the greatest reward. The Elimination Pavilion is the true winner, having eliminated the Tianji!]
But just as the words floated across the projection for a moment, the three assassins rasped out,
“Deliver the goods!”
Immediately, three tightly wrapped youths and maidens in thick cloaks appeared, wearing light-green Shuiqing Sect robes.
‘Lin Shuang,’ ‘Huangpu Yuan,’ ‘Meng Zi’—seemingly gravely injured, stiff in posture, swaying unsteadily—once again appeared before the projection.
They faced the three assassins, shook hands.
Handover.
“Thank you.”
“Not a problem. We were simply hired by you.”
“Go to the Elimination Pavilion to complete the mission.”
“Alright.”
The three assassins and the three swaying figures, whose movements rustled like paper, simultaneously walked slowly toward the direction of the Elimination Pavilion’s general store.
Elder Chen of the Shuiqing Sect felt his eyelid twitching.
“Lin Shuang! Meng Zi! Huangpu Yuan!”
“What the hell are you doing!!”
[!]
[!!]
The three paper figures stiffened instantly, but none turned around, continuing to walk forward as if they hadn’t heard a thing.
The Zhao family’s Transcendence-stage assassins all covered their faces.
Meng Zi’s parents pressed their fingers to their temples.
“Alright, stop pretending. Even if you come to the Elimination Pavilion in person, we will still give you the bounty for the Tianji elder.”
The three paper figures kept walking.
But one of the three assassins suddenly turned his head back.
“Really?”
Instantly, he was beaten by the other two.
[…]
[…………….]
[So, Lin junior sister, how many Zhenhua-level sword techniques do you actually have?! I’m saved!]
*
The three assassins never admitted their identities.
After receiving the bounty of one million spirit stones for the Tianji elder, they happily disappeared into the world.
Later, Lin Shuang, Huangpu Yuan, and Meng Zi returned to the Shuiqing Sect, looking utterly exhausted.
Before Elder Chen, whose lips were twitching, Chen Wushui, who wore a look of complete disbelief, and the water elder, who had turned into a rippling pond chuckling secretly, Lin Shuang and the others tilted their heads back.
Looking surprised.
“Elder, you’re still here?”
[…]
“Are you waiting for us?”
“We were completely drained of strength just now, so we thought of commissioning our old partners from the Elimination Pavilion.”
[…]
Chen Wushui sighed, “Lin Shuang, you had already planned this all along, hadn’t you? To expose the identities of those three Elimination Pavilion assassins?”
“After all, following the events at Shanhai Sect with Wang Heng and the Auction Pavilion incident, the identities of these three assassins who discovered the Tianji hideout should be erased. Otherwise, the elders of various sects would easily notice the critical role they played back then.”
“In the subsequent full-scale cleansing of the Tianji, it could draw the attention of the sects.”
Lin Shuang took a step back.
Chen Wushui rolled his eyes, “Anyway, those three assassin identities—like the Jiezi bag—after this incident, have been upgraded to Celestial-level assassin status.”
“Lin Shuang, from now on, if you want to act secretly, using the name of a Celestial-level assassin will only make things harder for you. You should apply for three new Elimination Pavilion identities instead. That way, even if the old ones are exposed, it won’t matter anymore. They’ll be out in the open, and using new assassin identities afterward, no one will suspect you anymore. That’s what you were thinking, right?”
“Hmph, still trying to hide from us? We’ve eaten more salt than you’ve eaten rice…”
Before he could finish, Chen Wushui turned to look smugly, only to see Lin Shuang wearing a look of heartfelt appreciation.
“Great, Elder, I’m glad you understand without me having to explain again.”
Chen Wushui: “…?”
“Take advantage of the projection not ending yet, with all the disciples and elders still watching. Why don’t you say a bit more and explain things for me?”
That way, she could save time and energy.
Chen Wushui: “??”
Even the blue-and-white porcelain vase in his hand trembled.
Huangpu Yuan coughed, lowering his head.
Meng Zi’s blade was shaking with laughter.
[…]
[Chen Elder: Lin Shuang, don’t think you can manipulate the elders. Five heartbeats, and Elder Chen collapses.]
[…………….]
Chen Wushui took a deep breath, supporting his forehead, looking at Lin Shuang, feeling like he was about to ascend himself.
Otherwise, he would die of frustration.
“My father ascends tomorrow.”
“In the morning, you three should accompany everyone to return the remains of the Tianji hideout to the demonic realm and various sects.”
“If you make it back in time by evening, you might as well try to attend. Observing my father’s Heavenly Tribulation might help your future cultivation.”
Lin Shuang nodded, but after taking half a step forward, she stopped again.
“Elder Chen, how confident are you about ascending? Have you done any simulations?”
Chen Wushui paused for a moment.
“Also, have you practiced all the past Feisheng exam questions from the twelve sects?” Zhao Keran couldn’t help but chime in beside him.
Chen Wushui: “…”
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