The malevolent entity that had absorbed the entire Dao cultivation of Diwu He suddenly gained immense fortune. That joyous mask seemed to have gained a bit of spirit and humanity. With a swirl of his sleeve, he flipped backward through the air, the red-robed entity drifting like a giant red bat toward three hidden guests of the Ti Bing Mountain. Xu Beizhi could only watch as an ear-piercing tearing sound and wailing filled the air. Witnessing this inexplicable battle, Xu Beizhi felt as if lost in a fog, overwhelmed by layers of unanswered questions pressing heavily upon him. Watching Xu Fengnian sway precariously, Qing Niao swiftly arrived behind him. She did not offer support but stood back-to-back with him, subtly leaning forward to prevent Xu Fengnian from collapsing to the ground. Xu Beizhi felt a deep sorrow—where else could one find such a master and servant pair?
Leaning against Qing Niao, Xu Fengnian wiped the thick black blood from his face. He did not attempt to heal himself through cultivation techniques, for the Great Huang Ting was gone, having been implanted into Diwu He as a catalyst for immortality. Now he felt empty inside. Just as he was about to speak, the Spring Thunder blade slipped gently from his left hand and fell to the ground. Before slipping into unconsciousness, he failed to warn Qing Niao about the danger posed by the malevolent entity.
How long passed, he could not tell. Xu Fengnian hovered between sleep and wakefulness, as if immersed in a small lotus pond filled with withered lotus plants. Had the flowers bloomed, their purple-gold petals shimmering on the rain-drenched leaves, the sight would have been delightful. Remembering it was autumn, he knew only that he was within the lotus pond but could not discern whether he sat cross-legged on the water or floated above it. His seven souls and six spirits felt like a pond of broken reeds, their echoes fading. He gazed aimlessly at the pond. At first, autumn rains poured heavily, then winds blew the lotus leaves in late autumn, followed by heavy winter snows flattening the lotus until, finally, at the beginning of spring, Xu Fengnian saw a single lotus bud slowly rise from the desolate pond. It was a small purple-gold lotus, still tightly closed, yet Xu Fengnian felt genuine joy. He recalled the festive feeling of hanging new peach charms as a child. When he first arrived in Beiliang, the imperial treasury and clan office had refused even a few thousand taels of silver. His father, Xu Xiao, had paid for the construction of the feudal palace himself on Qingliang Mountain, exceeding the prescribed scale. When the palace was completed, the couplets were composed by Li Yishan and written by Xu Fengnian himself, with the most memorable words being “Jia Chang Chun Qing You Yu” (May spring last forever, with abundance and joy). Xu Fengnian gazed longingly at the bud swaying gently in the breeze, but it stubbornly refused to bloom. He waited and waited until his head throbbed, and suddenly he opened his eyes. There was no pond, no solitary lotus—only Qing Niao’s weary face. Seeing the young master awaken, her once-dull eyes regained a flicker of life. Xu Fengnian found himself lying on a hard bed covered by two blankets. Qing Niao whispered softly, “Master, we have crossed the Golden Toad Province, but Xu Beizhi insisted we couldn’t head directly south, so we took a detour. We are now on Yanjia Lake, at the border of Guse and Longyao provinces.”
“How many days have I slept?” Xu Fengnian asked.
“Six days and six nights,” Qing Niao replied sorrowfully.
Xu Fengnian exhaled deeply. His aching body was a good sign—he hadn’t become completely useless. Sitting up, Qing Niao helped him dress. He stepped outside the cabin, leaning on the railing in the corridor. “I know what you’re thinking—blaming yourself for leading me into Diwu He’s trap. But don’t. It’s like someone who never gets sick suddenly falling gravely ill and dying, while those who often fall ill tend to live longer. Besides, before entering Beiman, I had planned to hone my blade all the way, eventually using a Fingersky expert like Xie Ling as my test. That wasn’t enough.”
Qing Niao remained silent. Xu Fengnian knew his sarcasm was sharp but his comfort clumsy. He smiled, “Good news—I’ve reached the false Fingersky realm.”
Qing Niao’s hand, poised to support his frail body, trembled slightly.
Entering the false realm often meant one could never attain the true Dao. Like a bamboo basket scooping the moonlight from water, the false realm was merely an empty gesture.
Xu Fengnian didn’t bother hiding the bad news, “In theory, with the Great Huang Ting and the blessings of the monk Longshu, I had already entered the Great Vajra path. Losing the Great Huang Ting meant losing the Great Vajra. This isn’t an ascent—it’s a descent. And the false realm’s drawback is that it makes reaching the true realm extremely difficult in the future. But we must be content. Even a false realm is still a Fingersky realm. Even Zhao Danping, the famous Qing Ci Chancellor in the capital, hasn’t reached this stage. The Great Huang Ting may be gone, but perhaps it can regrow like grass after spring rain. The four peak realms of the First Rank: the Buddhist King Kong (Vajra) unbreakable body, the Daoist Seeking Immortality (Fingersky) immortality, the Confucian The Resonance of Heaven and Earth (Heavenly Resonance) leading to Law of Heaven and Earth (Emulating Heaven), and finally the Celestial Immortal of the Earth (Earth Immortal) path shared by all sects. For ordinary martial cultivators, these four realms are ascended one after another, with few skipping stages. Those from the Three Teachings, however, have fewer restrictions and rarely claim to be Earth Immortals. Whether this is an ascent or descent, I’ve found my own path. Even if it’s a wrong path, I want to walk it to the end and see what lies ahead. At the very least, my father Xu Xiao was merely a second-tier martial artist, and recently I argued with Xu Beizhi, neither of us yielding. But deep down, I agree with him—being the Prince of Beiliang requires strategy, not brute force.”
Xu Beizhi stood nearby, smiling bitterly, “To be honest, I now think you were more right. Skills are never burdensome.”
Xu Fengnian asked, “What route are we taking?”
Xu Beizhi replied solemnly, “The Yanjia Lake naval force is led by a general who was my grandfather’s trusted student. I originally planned to pass through here alone on my way to Beiliang.”
Xu Fengnian laughed, “The Yanjia Lake navy—Beiman’s Empress is already preparing for a southern invasion. North and South have always been about defending rivers, the Huai River, and the Yangtze. Two of these require naval forces. She’s wise to prepare early.”
Hearing the “three defenses” theory, Xu Beizhi’s eyes lit up, but Xu Fengnian, with no patience, snapped, “I don’t have the energy to lecture you now. Besides, this theory was devised by my second sister. If you want to discuss it, go argue with her in Beiliang.”
Xu Beizhi smiled, “I’ve long heard of the second princess of the Xu family, her wisdom and poetry unmatched, with no trace of feminine weakness. I deeply admire her.”
Xu Fengnian teased, “A word of warning—when you meet my temperamental second sister, avoid flattery like that, or she might kill you with one sword stroke.”
Xu Beizhi accepted the advice, gazing at the lake, sighing, “My grandfather always believed Beiman’s future depends on whether Dong Zhuo or Hong Jingyan could become the next Tuoba Pusa. With Diwu He’s death at your hands, Dong Zhuo’s immediate crisis is resolved, and his rear is secured. In the Hulu Pass battle, Dong Zhuo and Diwu He were already at odds. Diwu He once declared that as long as he lived, Dong Zhuo, his son-in-law, could never extend his influence into Ti Bing Mountain and the Rouran Mountains. Now, with the Empress seeking to appease Dong Zhuo, who lost over seven thousand elite soldiers, and her desire to promote a capable young faction in the Southern Court, I estimate the Rouran Five Garrisons, with over twenty-six thousand cavalry, will soon fall under Dong Zhuo’s command. With the Rouran cavalry, Dong Zhuo will become even more powerful.”
Xu Fengnian laughed, “Xu Beizhi, do you think Dong Zhuo is ready to challenge Beiliang anytime soon?”
Xu Beizhi glared, “A man without foresight will face imminent danger!”
Xu Fengnian nodded with a smile, “Well said.”
Frustrated by Xu Fengnian’s easy dismissal, Xu Beizhi grunted and returned to the cabin to continue studying history.
Leaning on the railing, Xu Fengnian saw a stern, golden-faced figure staring back at him.
He reached out, tapping the entity’s forehead, “At least you’ve got some conscience left, not abandoning me when I’m down or kicking me when I’m down.”
The malevolent entity clinging to the warship’s wall grinned—a surprisingly lively expression that startled Xu Fengnian.
“You haven’t left, so I must still be a decent meal for you, with potential to grow. Good, good. Oh, are you really coming to Beiliang with me?”
The entity, having reached the peak of the Fingersky realm, stiffly nodded.
Xu Fengnian smiled, “I schemed with Diwu He, the evil against evil. But we’re different—straightforward. Listen, if you protect me back to Beiliang, I’ll give you the Great Qin Azure Serpent Armor. You can make the Xu family mansion your new nest. How does that sound?”
The silent entity seemed to want to shift from the Ksitigarbha form to the joyful one, but Xu Fengnian placed a finger to stop it, laughing, “Don’t bother changing. It’s creepy even in daylight. I already know your answer.”
The four-armed entity silently slid down the ship’s side, vanishing into the lake beneath a crimson robe.
Xu Fengnian turned, leaning against the railing, noticing Qing Niao’s sadness. She was clearly jealous of the entity. Xu Fengnian nearly laughed aloud but, knowing her shyness, refrained. He asked casually, “Was Diwu He’s head secured?”
Qing Niao nodded.
Xu Fengnian stretched, “This trip to Beiman was rough—chased constantly—but the gains were worth it.”
The warship, comparable in size to the Huanglong fleet of the Spring Spirit Lake, slowly sailed southward on Yanjia Lake. Three days later, at nightfall, a young man with nearly white hair stood at the bow.
Xu Beizhi sighed from afar.
Inside the cabin, Qing Niao sat beside a table, a spear named Moment (Instant) resting across it.
The young master had barely reached adulthood, yet his hair was already turning white like snow.
Though Xu Fengnian hadn’t seen his reflection in a mirror, he knew his appearance had changed. For three days, he had maintained a calm expression, his heart as still as water. The transformation from black hair to white frost was likely a side effect of losing the Great Huang Ting and defeating the false celestial being Diwu He. It was strange, but compared to losing six years of life, it was trivial. He had even joked with Qing Niao that it might return to black. If not, it would serve as a reminder that he was mature enough to rule Beiliang without being seen as inexperienced. If all else failed, a good dye job would suffice.
Gazing at the moonlit lake, Xu Fengnian whispered, “Xuanjia, Qingmei, Zhuma, Chaolu, Chunshui, Taohua, Emi, Zhuque, Huangtong, Pifu, Jinlu, Tai’e.”
Like a general summoning his troops on the battlefield.
Twelve swords, each perfectly attuned, flew from his sleeve and hovered in the air.
Even Deng Ta’a, a swordsman of the Sword Immortal realm yet still deeply versed in the Fingersky mysteries, would likely be astonished by Xu Fengnian’s rapid sword cultivation!
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage