ã€ŠAll Things Are Contractsã€‹


 Chapter 1: Treasure

    Chapter 1: Treasure

    In the vast desert, human traces were scarce. An elderly man with white hair held a sheepskin map, examining the ruins before him. The ruins were notrge, just scatteredrge stones protruding from the yellow sand, as if randomly generated by nature. Looking at these strange stones, the old man trembled with excitement.

    ¡°This¡­ this must be it,¡± he whispered. His sunsses could block the wind and sand, but not hide the joy in his eyes.

    ¡°This is the ce, Old Gu. You¡¯re quite lucky,¡± said a short-haired man with tanned skin standing next to him. ¡°This ce is buried by sand for over 300 days a year. It¡¯s only exposed during these days when the desert winds are high. But I¡¯m just an ordinary person, I can¡¯t see what¡¯s so special about this ce.¡±

    The man wore a white cloth hat and had a curved sword at his waist, adorned with beautiful gems. His status was not¡­ not so noble, as the curved sword was a cheap online purchase. He was a native of a nearby sand city, specially brought to guide Old Gu in finding these ruins and earn some extra money.

    Old Gu, full name Gu Chengxi, was a towering figure in archaeology, proficient in ancient linguistics with extremely in-depth research on various ancient world scripts. He once suggested adding world ancient linguistics to the college entrance exam and was chased and scolded for several years, although as more and more ancient ruins were discovered, ancient linguistics became increasingly important.

    ¡°Zhanyue, what are you still doing? Come quickly, bring my notebook,¡± Old Gu called loudly to the off-road vehicle parked not far away.

    ¡°Coming, teacher,¡± a young man in his early twenties replied, getting out of the car. His skin was somewhat tanned from years of exposure to wind and sun, but he was tall and carried himself with an extraordinary air. His face was handsome, and if not for his tanned skin, he could easily outshine many fair-skinned pretty boys. He carried a huge backpack and quickly walked over.

    ¡°Teacher, is this the ruins of the ancient Sand Kingdom?¡± The young man¡¯s eyes burned with no less intensity than Old Gu¡¯s as he looked at the scattered stones before him. Though young, he was already a doctoral student in ancient linguistics, with Gu Chengxi as his advisor. Over the past year, he had followed Gu Chengxi around, inspecting and learning, gaining a wealth of knowledge.

    Old Gu crouched beside a jumbled stone, brushing away sand with his hand to reveal orderly engravings on the exposed rock. ¡°Old Gu? What¡¯s this?¡± The short-haired man beside him was somewhat surprised. These seemingly unremarkable scribbles to ordinary people held extremely high research value.

    ¡°These stones haven¡¯t been eroded by the wind, and the inscribed text has been preserved. I can¡¯t even tell what material this stone is made of at the moment. It¡¯s fortunate that this ce is so sparsely popted and it hasn¡¯t been damaged.¡± Old Gu¡¯s face couldn¡¯t hide his smile.

    ¡°Zhanyue, open the notebook to page 98. This should be Ancient Script No. 7. Let¡¯s see how much we can decipher.¡± Old Gu was very excited. The short-haired man beside him was also curious, helping to clear the sand around the stone tablet to make the text clearer. Thebor fee Old Gu gave for this trip was considerable; after returning, he could finally buy a 4090 as a hundred-day gift for his newborn son.

    Zhanyue took out a thick notebook from his huge backpack, opened it, and beganparing the symbols on the stone tablet with the corresponding meanings.

    ¡°Myriad¡­ Spirits¡­ This character should be ¡®spirit¡¯, right? Myriad Spirits Crisis, with this realm stele as medium, summon¡­ summon extraordinary talents from another world, perhaps¡­ can¡­ defy fate?¡± Zhanyue was puzzled.

    ¡°Is that so? I told you to read fewer novels, but you wouldn¡¯t listen. I think you¡¯ve be obsessed.¡± Gu Chengxi gave Zhanyue a disapproving look, snatched the notebook, and started tranting himself. Zhanyue, feeling wronged, moved to the side of the stone tablet, carefully examining the text on it, curiously reaching out to touch it. ¡°Is this the first contact with a mysterious civilization? It¡¯s really exciting.¡± As an ancient culture enthusiast, it was hard not to be thrilled.

    ¡°Teach-¡± Before he could finish the word, the sky and earth suddenly changed color, and a fierce wind arose.

    ¡°Not good, a sandstorm ising. Quick, back to the car!¡± The short-haired man pulled Gu Chengxi quickly back to the car. Life is the most precious thing.

    The two who returned to the car were still in shock when they realized Zhanyue hadn¡¯t followed.

    ¡°That little rascal, how did he not follow?¡± Gu Chengxi was about to get out of the car to find Zhanyue; the desert storm was no joke. However, strangely enough, the dark clouds that had obscured the sun quickly dispersed, the fierce wind suddenly stopped, and the desert instantly returned to its previous calm state.

    ¡°Zhanyue!¡± When the two got out of the car, they discovered that a living person had vanished in the blink of an eye!

    ¡°Teacher, Brother Ali¡­¡± Zhanyue shouted loudly. He was very afraid now. Just a moment of distraction, and when he opened his eyes again, he was no longer in the yellow sand desert but in a pitch-ck space.

    He took out a shlight from his backpack. The light shone forward relentlessly but couldn¡¯t reach an end. This dark space seemed infinite. When he pointed the shlight at the ground, he was even more startled. Beneath his feet was not solid ground, but emptiness. Was he walking in the void ?

    ¡°Teacher~¡± Zhanyue tried calling out again.

    ¡°Stop shouting, it¡¯s impolite,¡± an old voice suddenly sounded, its source untraceable.

    ¡°Where¡­ where is this ce?¡± Cold sweat appeared on Zhanyue¡¯s forehead. No normal person had ever encountered such a scene.

    The old voice sounded again, ¡°This is the realm boundary, the crevice between two worlds. No space, no time, just you and me¡­¡±

    ¡°Realm boundary? What an outdated setting. Are you trying to fool me? I¡¯ve received higher education, I¡¯m a firm materialist!¡± Zhanyue shouted angrily to cover up his inner fear, not believing this voice, thinking he must be dreaming.

    ¡°Materialism? Good word. It might be the prevailingw in your world, but not necessarily in others. I¡¯ve waited I don¡¯t know how long for you. If you hade anyter, I might have already dissipated. Then you would have been trapped here forever, neither aging nor dying, neither living nor perishing, eternally lonely.¡± The old voice was full of weariness; he was too tired.

    ¡°Who exactly are you?¡± Zhanyue had calmed down by now, after all, nothing was threatening his life at the moment.

    ¡°Who I am is not important. My power is almost gone. Take out something from your person, the thing you cherish most. Remember, you only have one chance to choose. This object will apany you forever.¡±

    Zhanyue was a bit speechless, but the answer instantly came to his mind. Of all the things on his person, what he cherished most could only be that one thing.

    Zhanyue¡¯s gaze settled on the watch on his left wrist. This mechanical watch was quite valuable, employing the most advanced technology and exquisite craftsmanship, both delicate and elegant. Its dial was covered with iid sapphire crystal, adding ayer of noble luster, while the case was made of high-strength stainless steel, precisely polished and fine-sanded, making it smooth and durable. The overall design was simple and modern, paired with streamlined curves, presenting a beauty thatbined fashion and dynamism.

    This was Zhanyue¡¯sing-of-age gift, and also thest memento left by his parents. He treasured it dearly. Even in this realm said to have no time or space, the watch hands were still moving normally.

    ¡°Is it this?¡± The mysterious old man seemed to perceive everything. The watch on Zhanyue¡¯s wrist suddenly burst into dazzling light.

    ¡°In the name of the God of Contracts, by the principle of all things¡¯ origin, reveal this object¡¯s truth, and take it as a contract!¡±

    The light from the watch grew brighter and brighter, until Zhanyue couldn¡¯t keep his eyes open. When the light faded, Zhanyue felt that he had some inexplicable connection with this ¡®inanimate¡¯ watch, and something new appeared in his mind.

    ¡°The contractor I¡¯ve shaped¡­ I thought that with this object, you wouldn¡¯t be able to develop any decent abilities. Unexpectedly, at the end of my life, I can still witness such a miracle. The future of the Myriad Spirits Realm is entrusted to you. Lastly, please ept this gift. My power can only bestow upon you nine innate contract seals. Good luck.¡±

    The old man¡¯s deste voice disappeared, and Zhanyue felt something be injected into his mind before he passed out.

 Chapter 2: Establishing Merit

    Chapter 2: Establishing Merit

    Zhanyue had a strange dream, or so he thought when he first woke up. In the dream, he had followed his advisor to a mysterious ruin in the desert. After touching the inscription on the relic, he entered a mysterious space where he awakened an extraordinary power.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been binge-reading that novel every day and night recently. I¡¯ve really be obsessed. Teacher was right, I need to bnce work and rest. I shouldn¡¯t be too immersed in anything.¡± Zhanyue opened his eyes, wanting to get up, but felt something pulling him back. He reached out and realized it was hisrge backpack.

    He suddenly sat up, eyes wide open, and looked around at the unfamiliar environment. A dazed look, rarely seen on this excellent small-town academic, appeared in his eyes. ¡°It wasn¡¯t a dream?¡±

    He felt an itch on his right hand and looked down to see nine runic marks appearing on his palm. Before he could get a clear look, the nine runic marks escaped from his palm like birds freed from a cage, flying off in different directions.

    ¡°What the hell was that?¡± The most frustrating part was that Zhanyue knew something had escaped from his grasp, but he didn¡¯t know what. He took a deep breath and calmly sorted out his thoughts, recalling everything that had happened.

    ¡°Hmm¡­I remember that mysterious voice said he left me something?¡± Zhanyue was puzzled. ¡°It couldn¡¯t have been those things that ran away, right?¡± Fortunately, Zhanyue found that his watch and backpack were still with him. The watch was a gift from his parents, his deepest attachment; while the backpack contained numerous outdoor survival tools. Zhanyue¡¯s wilderness survival skills were far superior to the average person from his previous expeditions with his teacher.

    He looked at his watch and was suddenly terrified. The originally 12-hour dial had be an 18-hour scale, extremely bizarre. The second hand counting seconds was also much slower than before. This watch seemed to be indicating a time scale not of the original world! Seconds, minutes, hours were allpletely off!

    ¡°I¡­ This is insane. Have I transmigrated?¡± At this moment, Zhanyue realized that his firm materialist beliefs might not be so firm after all, the inner fantasy addict in him even feeling a bit excited.

    Then Zhanyue recalled the new information in his mind, information about some sort of ability. ¡°That mysterious person seemed to have performed some sort of ritual with me and my watch, making me be something called a contractor. What can I do?¡± Soon, as if this knowledge was innate to him, Zhanyue gained some new information.

    ¡°State Reversal ¨C Rating Unknown. The ability to reverse the state of objects touched to a previous state. The reversal time is determined by the user at the cost of their own lifespan. The time reversed is equal to the amount of lifespan being consumed.¡± What the hell!? Zhanyue was so shocked he couldn¡¯t see straight. This was a godly ability, but what sort of terrifying cost was that? State reversal was not the same as time reversal. Time reversal could make an old person young again, but at the same time, the old person would lose all memories of those years because time itself was reversed. State reversal, however, would only return the old person¡¯s physical state to when they were young, while retaining all their memories.

    If Zhanyue wished, he could even reverse a hundred-year-old ancient tree to its seedling state, but the cost would be a hundred years of his lifespan. With his current constitution, he would likely shrivel up and die instantly.

    Excited, Zhanyue took out a piece of paper, then used a lighter to set it on fire. The paper quickly turned to ashes. Zhanyue held the paper ashes, and with a thought, the ashes that had already turned to dust suddenly retained their original appearance. A solid untouched piece of paper.

    ¡°What the¡­ Spilled water is hard to recover, a broken mirror is hard to mend ¨C these issues no longer affect me?¡± Zhanyue was somewhat dazed. However, in an instant, he realized a problem. This ability was powerful, but how could he use it for self-protection? He couldn¡¯t just grab an enemy and turn them into a child, could he? If he did that, wouldn¡¯t he instantly be someone¡¯s wise senior? A passionate sh between powerful heroes immediately turning into an elderly patient versus his grandson¡­

    Hmmm, this ability definitely can¡¯t be used forbat at the time being. If this really was another world, others probably had different supernatural abilities. With his current ability wouldn¡¯t he be on the chopping block? Someone¡¯s free experience points!

    Looking at the watch on his wrist, Zhanyue almost felt his tears flowing down.

    ¡°Forget it, I¡¯m already here with no clue on how to get back. Isn¡¯t this like those novels? I should be familiar with some of this.¡± Zhanyue was a rtively straight forward person with a good head on his shoulders. Sitting around crying and despairing wasn¡¯t his speed.

    ¡°I do have to say though, this air is fresher than anything I¡¯ve ever seen.¡± Zhanyue took a deep breath; Fresh and pollution-free. Goodbye global warming!

    He found himself on top of a small hill. The hill wasn¡¯t high, and the trees were sparse. There were no animals around. From the hilltop, he could clearly see a small mountain vige not far away, but it was too distant to see the people in the vige.

    Carrying his backpack, Zhanyue set off again, only this time his goal had changed from exploring various ruins to exploring this new world, filled with even more unknowns. ¡°I wonder if this is a fantasy world of beastmen, elves, and angels. Hmm.. Or maybe it¡¯s one of those ancient worlds where everyone cultivates immortality while flying on swords?¡±

    Zhanyue moved at a rtively quick speed, and soon arrived outside the mountain vige. Thinking the whole way, preparing a variety of ns: what to do if the people here looked strange, what to do if there was anguage barrier, what if¡­ However, his ns were unnecessary. As he cautiously approached the vige like a thief, he discovered that this ce was abandoned,pletely devoid of people. Every household¡¯s doors were tightly shut, covered in dust, while the windows were full of cobwebs.

    What made Zhanyue¡¯s hair stand on end even more was that there was a coffin ced in every household.

    ¡°What kind of ominous devil ce is this?! Definitely not the right starter location time to go.¡±

    Zhanyue tried to dash around this eerie vige like he was walking on oil. He wasn¡¯t some Taoist priest with demon subduing talismans on him; seeing all these coffins truly frightened him. Besides, even if a Taoist priest came, wouldn¡¯t they run away too?

    However, no matter which direction Zhanyue headed, he always ended up back at the entrance to the vige. Now he knew he was in big trouble. His story was about to be: Episode 1 ¡°Awakening Supernatural Powers! The Beginning of World Conquest¡±, Episode 2 ¡°Dead End, The Impassable Vige¡±, Episode 3 ¡°Reincarnation¡±.

    Seeing how bizarre this ce was, Zhanyue took out a multi-functional axe from his backpack and gripped it in his hand. Then he entered the vige, randomly choosing a house he didn¡¯t like the look of. First, he climbed onto the roof, tearing it open to let sunlight directly shine on the coffin then slowly went inside the house and gave the coffin a hard kick. This kick was powerful, knocking the coffin lid askew. ¡°The sun hasn¡¯t set yet. If there really are any zombies or ghosts, they¡¯re probably afraid of the sun and won¡¯t dare to appear. If I don¡¯t take advantage of the sun¡¯s protection to investigate everything, once the sun sets, it¡¯ll be out of my control.¡± Zhanyue thought clearly, analyzing thoroughly.

    ¡°People usually fear the unknown. They get themselves worked up without any relevant information and end up scaring themselves. But what coffin haven¡¯t I opened before excavating with teacher. Ghosts and Demonse out to y!¡±

    One kick, two kicks, three kicks, the coffin lid was kicked over. Insidey a gray corpse! The corpse opened its eyes, letting out a painful howl instantly turning to ashes under the scorching sunlight.

    ¡°Holy crap, there really are ghosts!¡± While terrified, Zhanyue was also delighted. These ghostly things really were afraid of the sun! ¡°I, Zhanyue, truly deserve to be called a genius Ph.D. student!¡± While praising himself, Zhanyue didn¡¯t stop moving. He flew up and down, tearing off roof beams and tiles, opening coffins and burning corpses. All several dozen households and coffins in the vige were thoroughly devastated. He didn¡¯t even notice that his physical abilities had already be extraordinarypared to his previous self.

    After checking around and finding no survivors, Zhanyue finally breathed a sigh of relief. He counted ¨C there were forty-eight coffins in total. The sun was about to set, and he was about to spend his first night in this other world. He didn¡¯t dare sleep indoors, but found a secluded corner with an abandonedrge water vat that could easily hide him and his backpack.

    As night fell, the sky had no bright, clear moon, but instead an extremely eerie blood moon! Unable to sleep, Zhanyue suddenly heard an arrogantugh, and he realized he could understand it.

    ¡°Mi Hongchen, this ce will be your burial ground. The great Female War God of the Eastern Kingdom will meet her demise today. I almost feel reluctant to send you to hell,¡± the wild male voiceughed.

    ¡°Heh, Blood Moon Demon Lord, do you think you¡¯re really that capable?¡± a melodious female voice replied. ¡°After hunting you for half a year I can finally personally execute you, you piece of garbage!¡±

    ¡°Hahaha, Mi Hongchen I¡¯ll be honest. Indeed I¡¯m no match for you. But so what? How long have I been preparing? I set up a Returning Nest Formation here to prevent your escape, and I¡¯ve prepared forty-eight ghost corpses in advance to arrange a Blood Demon Ghost Corpse Grand Formation. To lure you here, I didn¡¯t hesitate to put myself at risk, personally acting as bait. Today, when the blood moon is at its peak, I¡¯ll let you know why I, the Blood Moon Demon Lord, am famous!¡±

 Chapter 3: The Woman On The Dragons Back

    Chapter 3: The Woman On The Dragons Back

    The Blood Moon Demon Lord raised his hands high, activating the grand formation on the ground, energy surging. However, after waiting for a long time, he was answered only with silence.

    ¡°Why aren¡¯t the demon corpses responding?¡± He immediately tried to activate the formation again, but still, no one, or rather no ¡®corpse¡¯, paid him any attention.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on!¡± The Blood Moon Demon Lord began to panic. With a palm strike, he sted a thatched house to pieces, revealing the coffin inside. The coffin lid was already open, but it was empty. Seeing this, the Blood Moon Demon Lord¡¯s blood boiled. His Blood Moon Demon Corpse Grand Formation had been destroyed in advance!

    ¡°Mi Hongchen, you despicable bitch!¡± the Blood Moon Demon Lord roared.

    The woman named Mi Hongchen scoffed, ¡°You lured me here just to watch this ridiculous farce? Blood Moon Demon Lord, for you, the most cunning among the 99 demons under the Night Lord, to say such things, it seems you truly have the thickest skin among all the demons.¡±

    Based on her reaction, the Blood Moon Demon Lord could easily guess that the destruction of the demon corpses was unrted to her. But who could have avoided the restrictions and entered his trap to destroy the demon corpses? Is that person still here? What if they joined forces with Mi Hongchen? Thinking of this, the Blood Moon Demon Lord knew his only choice left was to flee.

    He didn¡¯t know that when Zhanyue was transported here, he had alreadynded inside the restrictions. Hiding in the water vat, Zhanyue heard half-understandingly, but he also guessed that the demon corpses mentioned by the male voice were probably the monsters he had destroyed with sunlight during the day.

    ¡°This is bad. I hope that woman definitely wins. If the man wins, I¡¯m dead for sure!¡± Realizing this, Zhanyue could only pray silently. Then came the sounds of intense collisions as the two experts began to fight.

    In an instant, the earth shook and the sky trembled. Houses copsed one after another. Fire illuminated the dark night, de lights tore through the ck curtain, and the sounds of shing weapons were incessant, along with roars and curses. Zhanyue even heard sounds like dragon roars, but overall, it seemed the woman had the absolute upper hand, with the man called the Blood Moon Demon Lord constantly being beaten down. ¡°Mi Hongchen do you really dare to kill me?! The Night Lord¡­ the Night Lord won¡¯t let you off!¡± The Blood Moon Demon Lord¡¯s voice was full of fear.

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t the Night Lord hate useless people the most? If trash like you dies, would he care? Besides, if the heavily injured Night Lord dares to show up, it¡¯ll save us the trouble of finding him. You rats who only dare to appear at night, we¡¯re all humans yet you turn against your own kind. It¡¯s your betrayal that gave the Nightmare race a chance to breathe and be the great enemy of humanity. How many of your own kind have you indirectly killed? Tens of thousands? Hundreds of thousands? Millions? Or billions? Die!¡± The woman¡¯s tone was filled with anger.

    ¡°Ahhhhh! Mi Hongchen! You bitch¡­ I¡¯ll fight you to the death!¡±

    After another intense battle, the oue was clear.

    ¡°Mi Hongchen, I¡­ I know I was wrong. Please¡­ please spare me. I was just following the Night Lord¡¯s orders. I¡­ I was forced to do it.¡± Havingpletely lost the ability to fight back, the Blood Moon Demon Lord changed from his previous arrogant demeanor and knelt, begging for mercy.

    ¡°Go to hell and repent!¡± Mi Hongchen was decisive in her killing, not a merciful person at all. Thousands of evildoers had died at her hands. As the empire¡¯s eldest princess and the empire¡¯s number one female war god, this was a quality she had to possess.

    A terrifying wave of heat swept the surroundings. Even Zhanyue, not far away, felt the unbearable heat. The once invincible Blood Moon Demon Lord turned to ashes in the fierce mes.

    ¡°It¡¯s finally over.¡± Zhanyue rxed, seeing that he hadn¡¯t been discovered. He just needed to wait until daybreak to leave. Just as he breathed a sigh of relief, he felt something staring at him. He looked out through a crack in the water vat. Under the blood-red moonlight, a huge eye was staring at him¡­ it was a dragon.

    Zhanyue was so scared he wanted to scream, but he covered his mouth just in time.

    ¡°Come out, Ayue has already discovered you,¡± the woman said.

    Knowing he couldn¡¯t hide anymore, Zhanyue had to crawl out of the water vat. At first nce, he saw a huge red dragon standing not far away. It was very close to the image of Western dragons in his mind, but not excessivelyrge, only three to four meters tall. The dragon was entirely red, with scorching mes burning on its tail. Just being close to it, one could feel waves of heat. The fire dragon¡¯s eyes were warily fixed on Zhanyue.

    Zhanyue¡¯s second nce was at the woman beside the dragon. She was tall, wearing silver armor. The custom-made armor didn¡¯t conceal her curvaceous figure. Her ck hair was wavy, reaching her waist. With bright eyes and red lips, she was breathtakingly beautiful, with a golden dragon w-like mark on her brow. The light in the woman¡¯s eyes wasn¡¯t gentle like water, but exceptionally sharp, like a sword. Even though the woman was very beautiful, Zhanyue didn¡¯t dare to look at her for more than a moment. Her weapon seemed to be a knight¡¯snce. This woman was a true dragon rider!

    ¡°That Blood Moon Demon Lord was defeated by this human and dragon pair? No wonder he lost,¡± Zhanyue sighed. This human-dragon duo looked formidable at first nce, and Zhanyue suddenly had the idea of hugging that thick thigh for safety.

    While he was sizing them up, they were also examining him. Strange attire and weak strength, yet appearing in this ce. Mi Hongchen was extremely curious.

    ¡°You¡¯re not from the Eastern Kingdom, are you?¡± Mi Hongchen asked.

    Zhanyue shook his head. He decided to answer as little as possible; the more he said, the more mistakes he might make.

    ¡°You don¡¯t recognize me?¡± Mi Hongchen asked curiously. Even if this person didn¡¯t know her, he should know about the dragon beside her. As the only dragon rider on the entire World, it would be easy to guess her identity. Yet this person didn¡¯t recognize her! Was he a Nightmare in disguise? No, that wasn¡¯t right either. The Nightmare race should recognize her even more.

    ¡°I¡­¡± Zhanyue didn¡¯t know how to answer. Should he know this woman or not?

    ¡°Alright, it seems you really don¡¯t know me. Did you destroy all these demon corpses?¡± The woman pointed at the messy, broken coffins after the battle.

    ¡°Yes¡­ during the day¡­¡± Zhanyue exined what he had done during the day. This was one of the few things he could honestly talk about.

    After hearing Zhanyue¡¯s words, the woman couldn¡¯t help but look at him with more respect. ¡°Your strength is weak, but your courage is not small. You actually used sunlight to destroy these demon corpses in advance. You¡¯ve done me a great favor. How did you break through that old demon¡¯s restrictions to get in here?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I was just walking and suddenly arrived at this mountain vige, then I couldn¡¯t get out no matter what,¡± Zhanyue honestly exined.

    The woman found it more and more suspicious, but unfortunately, she didn¡¯t have much time to dwell on these matters. She only knew that this person was weak but not a Nightmare, and she could judge that he wasn¡¯t one of the Night Lord¡¯s people.

    ¡°Perhaps he¡¯s someone who grew up in a secret realm. They don¡¯t have contact with the outside world for a long time, so they don¡¯t recognize me. If that¡¯s the case, he wouldn¡¯t answer about his birth either. But it doesn¡¯t matter. There are countless secret realms in the world, but very few can truly influence the world¡¯s situation. However, it¡¯s not a bad thing to be on good terms with these secret realm people, after all, they are humans too.¡± Thinking of this, Mi Hongchen put her mind at ease and stopped asking further questions. She wasn¡¯t concerned about these trivial matters, and didn¡¯t even ask for Zhanyue¡¯s name.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go. The wilderness at night is very dangerous. Besides Nightmares, there are also night beasts and night ns. With your strength, if you¡¯re a bit unlucky, you might not live to see dawn. I¡¯ll take you to Sun City.¡± Mi Hongchen turned and stood on the dragon¡¯s back.

    ¡°I¡­ I have to get on too?¡± Zhanyue looked at the dragon¡¯s displeased eyes, feeling a bit timid.

    ¡°Come on, Ayue. He did help us a lot. Otherwise, we wouldn¡¯t have been able to kill the Blood Moon Demon Lord so easily. Consider it repaying him a favor.¡± Mi Hongchen stroked the red dragon to soothe it.

    Hearing this, the red dragon lowered its wing, finally allowing Zhanyue to climb onto its back using the wing.

    The red dragon pped its wings forcefully, raising clouds of dust, and instantly flew a thousand meters into the air. Zhanyue almost fell off, but Mi Hongchen steadied him.

    ¡°If you can¡¯t stand steady, put your hand on my shoulder,¡± Mi Hongchen said. ¡°Ayue has never carried anyone but me before, so it probably doesn¡¯t have enough experience.¡±

    Zhanyue nodded shyly and ced one hand on the woman¡¯s right shoulder, gripping the shoulder armor. The woman was like a nail fixed to the dragon¡¯s back, as steady as a mountain. Zhanyue finally felt at ease and began to enjoy the night view from high up.

    He was shocked to discover that in the distance, more than ten huge pirs of light pierced through the night sky, shooting straight up. These pirs of light were incredibly bright, visible from a great distance, and quite spectacr.

    ¡°What is this?¡± Zhanyue asked instinctively.

    Mi Hongchen said puzzledly, ¡°You don¡¯t even know about the illumination Towers? Each pir of light is an illumination Tower. Every city with a poption of over a million has an illumination Tower to protect it. The pirs of light you see are the locations of major cities. The Eastern Kingdom has a hundred cities, so there are a hundred illumination Towers. In this direction, we can see the illumination Towers of about a dozen nearby cities. The closest to us is Sun City.¡± Mi Hongchen exined patiently. She was more certain that this person came from some secret realm, in other words, from the countryside. People from secret realms were not umon in this world and weren¡¯t particrly special.

    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Zhanyue knew nothing about this world, but riding a dragon on his first night here made his adventurous spirit quite excited. ¡°When can I have my own dragon mount?¡± Fortunately, this was just his inner voice, otherwise, he would have beenughed at by everyone.

    When he turned his head to look at the blood-colored moon hanging in the night sky, he felt dizzy and almost fainted.

    ¡°Hey! What are you doing?! You dare to look directly at the blood moon? Do you have a death wish?!¡± Mi Hongchen eximed. This person really knew nothing. She didn¡¯t know how someone with such weak strength dared to venture out alone. If he hadn¡¯t met her, dying in the wilderness would have been just a matter of time.

    That blood moon was like a demon¡¯s eye. Just one look made one feel like their soul was about to fly away. Zhanyue was terrified, only now realizing that the moon in this world couldn¡¯t be looked at directly.

    Soon, the red dragon arrived at Sun City. A majestic city revealed its imposing appearance under the illumination of the illumination Tower. The city¡¯s protective formation didn¡¯t obstruct the red dragon, allowing it tond on the top of a tower.

    ¡°You can live here from now on. Don¡¯t leave the city carelessly unless necessary. The wilderness is really dangerous. A contractor of your level could easily lose their life,¡± Mi Hongchen advised. After saying this, she seemed about to turn and leave. She needed to go back and report her mission.

    ¡°Um¡­ what should I call you¡­¡± Zhanyue asked.

    Mi Hongchen smiled charmingly, ¡°You¡¯ll know sooner orter.¡±

    Zhanyue¡¯s face reddened, and he suddenly said again, ¡°Um¡­ can¡­ can you give me some money?¡± He felt a bit embarrassed to ask, but this was the best opportunity and his skin was thick.

    Mi Hongchen wasn¡¯t too surprised. Instead, she thought Zhanyue was quite smart. If he really came from a secret realm, he might not have currency to survive here. So she took out a piece of paper and used her spiritual power to engrave a number on it.

    ¡°Take this to the Sun City Commerce Association to exchange for currency,¡± she said, then stood on the dragon¡¯s back and flew away.

    Watching the graceful figure leave, Zhanyue felt only how lucky he was. It could be said he met a noble person as soon as he went out. Otherwise, safely reaching the city probably wouldn¡¯t have been so easy. Also, thenguage of this world was not the same as his original world, but he couldmunicate without barriers and understand their writing. Perhaps it was a gift left by the mysterious old man?

    Zhanyue¡¯s eyes bulged as he looked at the number written on that piece of paper. It was actually 100,000! Zhanyue didn¡¯t know at this moment what an enormous sum this was. It was enough for him to livefortably for a lifetime.

 Chapter 4: The First Night

    Chapter 4: The First Night

    Unlike the silent, unpopted wilderness at night, Sun City was still bustling at this moment. The light emitted from the huge tower made the night as bright as day, illuminating every corner of Sun City. The illumination Tower, true to its name, kept the entire city isted from the night¡¯s darkness.

    Zhanyue didn¡¯t know at this moment how dangerous the nights in the Myriad Spirits Realm were. It was under the protection of the illumination Towers that humans could possess such a rich and colorful civilization today.

    Sun City was filled with many tall buildings, arranged in an orderly fashion. Wood and stone were the main materialsposing these structures, supplemented with some materials Zhanyue had never seen before to enhance durability. Every building was strictly nned, ensuring that every inch of the city was put to good use, after all,nd protected by an illumination Tower was worth its weight in gold.

    Although the streets weren¡¯t bustling with people and traffic, there were still asional passersby, after all, it waste, and people needed to rest. All passersby curiously looked at Zhanyue, his strange attire andrge backpack were too eye-catching. But they didn¡¯t dare to have any thoughts of robbery. Sun City¡¯s public security ranked among the top in the hundred cities of the Eastern Kingdom, which was also rted to the Sun City Lord¡¯s diligent governance.

    The unusual gazes made Zhanyue ufortable. He quickly asked someone for directions to the Sun City Commerce Association. Sun City had a poption of 3 million and covered an area of about 300 square kilometers. It wasn¡¯t particrlyrge, but it certainly wasn¡¯t small either. It took him about 1 hour of this world¡¯s time to walk to the Commerce Association. Zhanyue was happy that his watch could still be used; it had already adapted to this world¡¯s form.

    Although this world had a total of eighteen hours, one second was equivalent to about two seconds in his original world. This world divided day and night by the rise and fall of the blood moon, each upying nine hours. Now, there were still five hours until daybreak. Zhanyue finally arrived at the main hall of the Sun City Commerce Association, which operated around the clock.

    ¡°Hello, what business does this customer have to attend to?¡± asked a middle-aged man wearing a yellow cloth robe, slightly plump, with a small mustache. He was the third manager of the Sun City Commerce Association, but he was a night owl who liked to work at night and supervise other employees to prevent them from cking off.

    ¡°I¡¯m here to withdraw money,¡± Zhanyue said, not daring to appear too unfamiliar or timid. He directly and confidently handed over the paper note the woman had left him.

    The mustached man, feeling the spiritual power flowing through the paper note, changed his expression. His gaze towards Zhanyue becamepletely different. He wanted to ask something but didn¡¯t dare to inquire further. ¡°Esteemed guest, pleasee this way.¡± Not daring to be negligent, Zhanyue was invited into the VIP room and served with good tea.

    ¡°How much would you like to withdraw?¡± the mustached man asked, his tone changing, even bing somewhat respectful.

    Zhanyue frowned, ¡°Can¡¯t I withdraw it all?¡±

    ¡°Of¡­ of course you can, but 100,000 is not a small amount. I suggest you withdraw a portion first for use, and leave the rest here. You cane back to withdraw more when needed,¡± the mustached man advised.

    Zhanyue thought for a moment. Indeed, carrying too much money on him could be threatening. As the saying goes, an innocent man with a treasure invites trouble.

    ¡°Alright then, I¡¯ll withdraw 5,000 for now,¡± Zhanyue said casually.

    The mustached man said no more and went out to prepare. He returned shortly after.

    ¡°Sir, this bag contains 100 purple crystal coins, and this card has 4,900 purple crystal coins. All shops in Sun City can use the Spirit Storage Card. Please bind it to yourself first. The remaining 95,000 purple crystal coins can also be withdrawn using this card,¡± the mustached man ced a cloth bag and a purple metal card in front of Zhanyue.

    The cloth bag contained round purple coins forged from mysterious crystals, impossible to counterfeit. The metal card was even more mysterious.

    Zhanyue hadn¡¯t expected this world to have something like credit cards, allowing for card payments¡­

    ¡°How do I bind it to myself?¡± At this point, there was no need to pretend anymore, so Zhanyue asked.

    The mustached man seemed to have been waiting for Zhanyue to ask, ¡°You¡¯re a contractor, just use your contract power to leave your aura on it. Non-contractors can¡¯t use this card anyway.¡±

    Zhanyue nodded and channeled the mysterious power within him into the metal card. The card instantly turned ck.

    ¡°Beginner-level contractor?¡± Seeing this result, the mustached man was a bit disappointed. He thought Zhanyue was an expert, but it turned out he was just a novice. Indeed, the Spirit Storage Card also had a secondary function of detecting strength.

    ¡°By the way, does the Commerce Association have an affiliated inn?¡± Zhanyue asked again.

    ¡°Yes, of course. The Fi Inn not far to the left is run by our association. I¡¯ll give you a VIP card as well.¡± The mustached man handed Zhanyue another card, which didn¡¯t need to be bound.

    Watching Zhanyue enter the Fi Inn, the mustached man pondered, ¡°Who exactly is this person? He actually has a money note personally signed by the Princess! The Princess is really generous, that¡¯s 100,000 crystal coins. Although he looks simr to us, his attire suggests he¡¯s not from the Eastern Kingdom. Well, it¡¯s best not to inquire too much about matters involving the Princess.¡± The mustached man understood that some things were better left unasked.

    ¡°I should still inform the City Lord about this, to prevent anyone from offending this gentleman unknowingly. It wouldn¡¯t be good if the Princess were to reproach uster.¡± Having thought this through, the mustached man immediately had someone watch the door while he headed towards the City Lord¡¯s mansion. By the time he arrived, the City Lord would be about to wake up.

    Zhanyue didn¡¯t know that because of a piece of paper, he had be an honored guest in Sun City. Mi Hongchen¡¯s gift to him was more than just 100,000 purple crystal coins.

    Entering the Fi Inn, Zhanyue finally understood the purchasing power of purple crystal coins. One purple crystal coin could pay for ten days¡¯ stay here. Judging by the Fi Inn¡¯s decor, it was probably one of the top-tier inns in Sun City. 100,000 purple crystal coins could pay for a million days of stay here, enough for several lifetimes.

    ¡°What exactly is that woman¡¯s status? So generous.¡±

    After putting down his backpack, Zhanyue looked at thefortable goose feather bed and let out a long sigh. He hadn¡¯t expected to experience so much in just one short day. After lying downfortably, he thought of something and opened the door to call for a bellboy.

    ¡°Use this crystal coin to buy me three sets ofmon clothes. Keep the change as your tip,¡± Zhanyue said. It was time to change out of his eye-catching outfit.

    The bellboy was overjoyed, his eyes shining, but he didn¡¯t dare to cheat the customer. ording to the rules, he could only take 5% as a runner¡¯s fee, but 5% of one purple crystal coin was still not a small amount.

    ¡°Tomorrow¡­ tomorrow I¡¯ll have to take a good look at this world.¡± The warm, soft bed quickly lured out Zhanyue¡¯s sleepiness, and he soon fell asleep on the bed.

    In his dream, the dragon and the beautiful female knight appeared again. The red dragon red at him angrily, while the beautiful woman said something Zhanyue couldn¡¯t understand at all.

    In a mysterious underground cave somewhere, the lights were dim. A ck-haired man sat on arge animal skin stone chair. The man was very handsome, with long hair falling to his shoulders. He wasn¡¯t wearing a top, and his exposed skin was covered in scars from various weapons.

    ¡°Night Lord, the Blood Moon Demon Lord is dead, killed by Mi Hongchen,¡± a ck raven flew in from somewhere andnded on the stone chair. The raven¡¯s eyes were like blood-red gems.

    ¡°I had you help him escape once before, yet he still dared to provoke Mi Hongchen actively. His death is well-deserved,¡± the Night Lord said expressionlessly.

    ¡°These days, due to my severe injuries, many demon generals have died or been wounded. They¡¯ve been defeated one by one, and our Night n has suffered great losses. We can¡¯t allow the losses to continue expanding. Tell them to stop their missions and go into hiding. We¡¯ll discuss everything else after my injuries have healed,¡± the Night Lord said.

    ¡°Understood. However, Your Majesty, the attack n against Sun City has already been set up. Are we just going to abandon it?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s all just minor skirmishes. Have Blood Throat return. We can¡¯t afford for him to get into trouble too. Just let some subordinates carry it out. It¡¯s good to pester them a bit.¡±

 Chapter 5: Young Apan

    Chapter 5: Young Apan

    Curiosity ultimately couldn¡¯t ovee fatigue, and Zhanyue slept hazily for several hours. When he woke up and opened the window, the sunlight was dazzling but also particrly weing. The sunlight in this world had a kind of magical power. His room was on the third floor, with a green courtyard outside the window, filled with birdsong and fragrant flowers, like an oil painting.

    He changed into the clothes the bellboy had brought and put his backpack away. The backpack contained things from his original world, which might be usefulter. The inn was very luxurious with excellent security, so his backpack should be fine.

    ¡°Now people won¡¯t stare at me anymore, right?¡± Zhanyue looked at the blue casual wear he was now wearing. It was a well-fitting outfit that didn¡¯t restrict movement at all, and the fabric felt extremely smooth. ¡°Looks like that bellboy didn¡¯t rip me off after all.¡±

    After having breakfast at the inn, Zhanyue decided to get to know this world better.

    Unlike the deep night, the area in front of the Fi Inn during the day was bustling with people and vehicles. Some were walking, some riding mule-like pack animals, and others sitting in mechanical vehicles simr to rickshaws, pulled by drivers.

    As soon as Zhanyue walked out, a crowd of people quickly surrounded him, startling him.

    ¡°Sir, take my cart, it¡¯sfortable.¡±

    ¡°Take my cart, I¡¯m most familiar with Sun City. I can quickly take you wherever you want to go.¡±

    ¡°Ride me¡­ no, sorry, I misspoke. Take my cart.¡±¡°I just bought a new cart, it¡¯s clean.¡±

    A group of drivers waited outside the inn topete for business. Sun City had arge flow of people andplex roads, so for those unfamiliar with the city, taking these rickshaws was a good choice. The drivers served as both chauffeurs and guides. These ordinary people made a living by selling their physicalbor, and peopleing out of the inn were their prime targets.

    Among the crowd of tall figures, Zhanyue saw a boy about thirteen or fourteen years old, looking like a little chick among a group of big men. The boy also noticed Zhanyue looking at him and quickly squeezed through.

    ¡°Sir, please take my cart. I grew up in Sun City and know it very well,¡± the boy said, his eyes full of pleading.

    ¡°You look so small and thin, can you even pull the cart?¡± Zhanyue asked in return.

    The boy patted his chest and guaranteed, ¡°No problem. Sun City is mostly t roads, and my cart has been modified by Master Lu, it¡¯s very efficient. Don¡¯t look down on me because of my age I can take more than ten customers a day without even breaking a sweat!¡±

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go with you,¡± Zhanyue said, pointing at the boy. The other drivers dispersed in disappointment, waiting for their next target. Zhanyue looked at the boy, thinking that for someone so young to be doing such hard work, he must have some untold difficulties.

    ¡°Sir, where do you want to go?¡± the boy asked politely, inviting Zhanyue onto the cart. The cart wasn¡¯t big, just enough to seat one person. Zhanyue hadn¡¯t expected so many rickshaws in Sun City. He didn¡¯t know that this was intentional on the part of the Sun City Lord. Except for merchant caravans, manyrge mounts were prohibited from entering the city, which both maintained the city¡¯s security and hygiene, and provided a way for these ordinary people to make a living.

    ¡°Take me around Sun City, introduce me to those importantndmarks and buildings,¡± Zhanyue said.

    The boy¡¯s eyes lit up when he heard this. This was a big job, serving just this one person would be equivalent to a whole day¡¯s work. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, sir. I¡¯ve grown up in Sun City since I was little. I know this city like the back of my hand. I guarantee I¡¯llplete the task perfectly!¡±

    Zhanyue smiled and then asked, ¡°What¡¯s your name? Since you say you know this city so well, I¡¯ll have to test you a bit.¡±

    ¡°You can call me A¡¯Pan,¡± the boy said, feeling a bit nervous, not knowing what kind of questions Zhanyue would ask.

    Zhanyue pointed at the towering white illumination Tower and asked, ¡°Who built this tower, why does it glow at night, and what¡¯s the purpose of its light?¡±

    ¡°Just this? Just this?¡± The boy rxed. It turned out Zhanyue really was just ¡°testing¡± him. This was basicmon knowledge: ¡°This tower was invented by the illumination Goddess in ancient times and built by thousands of craftsmen, hence its name, the illumination Tower. Every city with a poption of over a million on the Myriad Spirits Realm has an illumination Tower to protect it. The illumination Tower absorbs sunlight as energy during the day and releases light at night. The light covers Sun City and the surrounding satellite towns. Where the light shines, Nightmare demons dare not approach. The illumination Tower is the most important thing in a city. Without it, the fate awaiting the city would be to be swallowed by the dark night.¡±

    Zhanyue nodded, knowing that this knowledge was probably basicmon sense on this world. He didn¡¯t show surprise but continued asking as if testing: ¡°Hmm, it seems you¡¯ve grasped the basic knowledge well. Let me ask you this then: if clouds block the sun during the day and not enough energy is collected for the night¡¯s needs, what do they do?¡±

    The boy A¡¯Pan pouted disdainfully, wondering why this person was asking such foolish questions.

    ¡°The excess energy from sunny days is stored as illumination Stones. If there¡¯s cloudy or rainy weather and the daytime energy isn¡¯t enough, the night is supported by illumination Stones. The hundred cities of the Eastern Kingdom are connected. If one city doesn¡¯t have enough illumination Stone reserves, other cities will support it. In any case, the operation of all cities has never had any problems. This is also due to the Eastern Kingdom¡¯s good organization.

    Sometimes, when there¡¯s a severe surplus of illumination Stones, they¡¯re circted in the market and even exported to other countries with insufficient sunlight. illumination Stones have many uses and are the Eastern Kingdom¡¯s most important export product. Our Sun City has the most abundant sunlight among the hundred cities of the Eastern Kingdom, so our illumination Stone production is also the highest. Sun City¡¯s status among the hundred cities of the Eastern Kingdom is only below the Imperial City and the Schr City, ranking third.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± Zhanyue understood that this world¡¯s utilization of sr energy even surpassed that of his own world, and their storage of sr energy was also very advanced. The formidable illumination Tower was the best proof of this.

    ¡°We¡¯ve arrived, sir. This is a must-see ce in Sun City ¨C the illumination Goddess Statue!¡± A¡¯Pan pointed at a huge 100-meter-high statue in front of them.

    Zhanyue stared at the nearby 100-meter statue in astonishment. This statue was muchrger than the Statue of Liberty, upying a vast area. For Sun City, wherend was extremely valuable, it was unthinkable to ce such a tall statue within the city. Without a doubt, the person this statue represented must have an extremely important status in this world.

    The statue depicted a woman with indistinct features and a tall figure. Her right hand held a sword pointing to the sky, while her left arm cradled a thick book. The sword represented military might, and the book represented wisdom. The features were indistinct because few had seen her true appearance, and the craftsmen didn¡¯t dare to carve arbitrarily. It was said that the ancient illumination Goddess was extremely beautiful, and she was also revered as the Sun Goddess and the Wisdom Goddess. It was she who invented the illumination Stones and illumination Towers, allowing humans to no longer fear the night.

    ¡°Every country has a 100-meter illumination Goddess statue tomemorate the illumination Goddess¡¯s great contribution to humanity. In the Eastern Kingdom, the illumination Goddess statue is erected in Sun City. The Imperial City also has several goddess statues, but none asrge as this,¡± A¡¯Pan exined.

    Looking at the huge goddess statue, Zhanyue felt a strange palpitation in his heart, as if he desperately wanted to touch this statue.

    ¡°Can we touch this statue?¡± Zhanyue asked curiously.

    A¡¯Pan hurriedly stopped Zhanyue¡¯s crazy idea, ¡°Do you see the line on the ground? We can only admire from afar. Without the City Lord¡¯s order, no one is allowed to cross the line. Touching the goddess statue would be a heinous act of disrespect, punishable by death at worst!¡±

    Zhanyue sighed in disappointment but memorized the statue. That palpitation was very strong, but at this moment, he didn¡¯t know what it meant.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, A¡¯Pan. Take me to thergest bookstore in Sun City,¡± Zhanyue felt that learning about this strange world from books would be the fastest way. As the distance from the goddess statue increased, the palpitation in Zhanyue¡¯s heart also subsided.

    ¡°By the way, A¡¯Pan, do you know who in the Eastern Kingdom owns a dragon?¡± Zhanyue suddenly remembered this question.

    The boy A¡¯Pan was particrly exasperated. This customer was full of oddities. Wasn¡¯t this something even a three-year-old would know? Couldn¡¯t he ask something a four-year-old might know? But he didn¡¯t dare offend his customer.

    ¡°Among the countless beast contractors on the entire Myriad Spirits Realm, there¡¯s only one dragon contractor, and that¡¯s our Eastern Kingdom¡¯s eldest princess!¡± A¡¯Pan answered.

    ¡°The Eastern Kingdom¡¯s eldest princess?¡± Zhanyue nodded. No wonder she was so generous. It turned out she was a top-tier rich beauty ¨C truly fair-skinned, truly rich, and truly beautiful. ¡°Beast contractor, what¡¯s a beast contractor? Well, these cultivation questions should be exined in detail in books.¡±

 Chapter 6: All Things Are Contracts

    Chapter 6: All Things Are Contracts

    The World Library was thergest bookstore in Sun City, boasting a collection of 100,000 books covering various subjects including astronomy, history, literature, and geography ¨C exactly what Zhanyue needed most.

    Zhanyue spent a full hour inside, selecting more than ten books. The printing technology in this world was equally advanced, with good quality paper and clear text and images. This delighted Zhanyue; the world he had transmigrated to was neither barbaric nor backward, but had long since developed its own advanced civilization.

    The dozen or so books were thick and heavy, and when ced on the cart, they indeed made it more difficult for A¡¯pan to pull.

    ¡°A¡¯pan, here,¡± Zhanyue took a piece of candy from his pocket and handed it to A¡¯pan.

    A¡¯pan was very curious about the candy¡¯s packaging, with writing he didn¡¯t recognize. After opening it, there was still a thick ck shell. He was a bit scared, but when he sniffed it, the sweet smell was very tempting.

    ¡°Go ahead and eat it, it¡¯s a Snickers, good for replenishing energy,¡± Zhanyue said.

    The taste of the candy was extremely wonderful. ¡°Brother Zhan, this must be expensive, right? I¡¯ve never had anything like it before.¡±

    ¡°Of course, once it¡¯s eaten, it¡¯s gone,¡± Zhanyueughed. After spending a day together, he had be quite familiar with the boy.

    ¡°It¡¯s a pity I¡¯m just an ordinary person, I haven¡¯t awakened a contract. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t get tired like this. But if I had awakened a contract, I wouldn¡¯t need to pull rickshaws anymore. My father was a weapon contractor. His hard work allowed my mother and me to buy a house and settle down in Sun City, but unfortunately, he went missing on the battlefield and his fate is still unknown. Although we have a foothold here, we still have to fend for ourselves for food and clothing,¡± A¡¯pan said with some sadness. ¡°Maybe your father wille back someday?¡± Zhanyue consoled.

    ¡°I really envy contractors like you, Brother Zhan. I don¡¯t know what my contract object would be, or if I¡¯ll ever have a chance to awaken in this lifetime,¡± A¡¯pan continued.

    ¡°How did you know I was a contractor?¡± Zhanyue was curious. As for his contractor identity, he suspected it had something to do with his watch.

    ¡°That¡¯s easy. All contractors have a bright spot between their eyebrows. Although it¡¯s not obvious, you can still distinguish it. Moreover, the strength and size of the bright spot can indicate their realm, unless they have a way to hide their cultivation,¡± A¡¯pan, though not a contractor himself, knew quite a bit from having a contractor father.

    After wandering around for a day, Zhanyue had gained an initial understanding of Sun City. Before returning to the inn, he gave A¡¯pan a purple crystal coin as payment, making the boy extremely grateful.

    ¡°By the way, A¡¯pan, you said the illumination Goddess statue is so important, why aren¡¯t there any guards around it?¡± Zhanyue hadn¡¯t forgotten that palpitation.

    ¡°Uh¡­¡± A¡¯pan exined, ¡°The illumination Goddess statue is so big, could it be stolen? Besides, there are restrictions around it. If anyone gets close, the restrictions will naturally trigger an rm, so there¡¯s no need to arrange guards.¡±

    Zhanyue nodded and made a note of this. After saying goodbye to A¡¯pan, he returned to his room and eagerly absorbed knowledge about this world.

    ¡°Introduction to Contract Objects and Contractors¡±, ¡°Common Knowledge of the Myriad Spirits Realm¡±, ¡°1000 Wonderful Uses of illumination Stones¡± and other basic introductory knowledge were exactly what Zhanyue urgently needed. The bookstore owner even gave him an extra book, ¡°The Legend of the illumination Goddess.¡± Zhanyue eagerly opened ¡°Introduction to Contract Objects and Contractors¡±

    ¡°Contracts are heaven¡¯s blessing, and everyone is born with a contract. At the moment of birth, an innate contract object awakens, usually appearing near its owner, but there are exceptions ¨C unfortunate individuals whose contract objects appear in extremely distant ces. When the owner meets their contract object, they can awaken as a contractor, so bing a contractor is very much a matter of fate.

    Everyone is born with a contract. Contract objects can be weapons like knives, spears, swords, and halberds; animals like tigers, leopards, bears, and snakes; or even elements like wind, thunder, water, and fire; or everyday items like rice, oil, and salt. Of course, humans cannot be contract objects, and there has never been a case of a human being a contract object. Awakening as a contractor is not difficult, one only needs to touch their contract object. The difficulty is that before awakening, people don¡¯t know what their contract object is. When a person approaches their contract object, there will be some special reactions. Some people experience rapid heartbeat and palpitations, others blush, and some feel an unbearable itch in their hands. Different people have different reactions, but there is always some reaction, which makes it a bit easier for contractors to awaken.¡±

    Reading to this point, Zhanyue almost jumped up. He had experienced obvious heart palpitations when approaching the illumination Goddess statue. Could his innate contract object be near the goddess statue? Did he, an outsider, also have a contract object? No, his watch should be his contract object. Could he have multiple contract objects?

    ¡°Three ironws of contract objects: First, a contract object can never be human. Second, a contract object will not disy any special properties before meeting its owner and awakening. Third, one object cannot be the contract object of multiple people, but a contractor may possess multiple contract objects. Such contractors are called Chosen Ones, and their urrence is extremely rare.¡±

    ¡°Chosen Ones? In this world, one person can have multiple contract objects? Then I¡­¡± Zhanyue became more and more excited. His watch had given him the ability of ¡®state reversal¡¯, but it couldn¡¯t be used forbat. If he had other contract objects and abilities, that would be incredible. ¡°I definitely need to find time to go back to the area around the statue. My contract object is likely nearby.¡±

    ¡°If the contract object is destroyed before the owner finds it, that person can no longer awaken as a contractor. Such people are called dead contractors and are the most unfortunate category. Other ordinary people at least still have the possibility of awakening as contractors, but they don¡¯t even have that possibility anymore. All those who be dead contractors develop a head of gray hair that remains unchanged even after death.¡±

    ¡°So in this world, dead contractors have absolutely no possibility of cultivation?¡± During his tour of Sun City today, Zhanyue hadn¡¯t seen a single person with gray hair. Where were these dead contractors?

    ¡°ording to the different contract objects, contractors can be divided into spirit contractors, beast contractors, weapon contractors, and misceneous contractors. The rarest and leastmon are naturally spirit contractors. Their innate objects at birth are intangible spirits like water, fire, wind, and thunder. They are also the group most likely to be dead contractors.¡±

    ¡°Wait? Thunder can also be a contract object? Lightning shes and disappears in an instant. Wouldn¡¯t that person immediately be a dead contractor? Where¡¯s the chance to form a contract?¡± Zhanyue was puzzled, but the book immediately gave an example.

    ¡°The legendary god-level expert Thunder Lord was a thunder contractor. It¡¯s said that he was born in the wilderness, and at the moment of his birth, a bolt of lightning struck him directly. Coincidentally, that lightning was his contract object, and he awakened as a contractor at birth.¡±

    Zhanyue widened his eyes and smiled bitterly, ¡°So it can happen like that? It¡¯s really frustrating topare oneself with others. Some people might never find their contract object in a lifetime, but this Thunder Lord had his contract objecte to him actively, and it was the strongest spirit contract.¡±

    ¡°Below spirit contracts are beast contracts. As the name suggests, beast contractors¡¯ objects are various animals. These animals can be ordinary animals or powerful creatures, including dragons and titan beasts! Beast contractors who form contracts with these powerful creatures are no less powerful than spirit contractors, but those who contract with ordinary animals shouldn¡¯t be underestimated either. After bing a contractor, not only does the contractor evolve, but the contract object evolves as well. It¡¯s rumored that the City Lord of Sun City in the Eastern Kingdom is an eagle contractor, but he once defeated a fire contractor.¡±

    ¡°Below beast contracts are weapon contracts. Their contract objects are various weapons. If one can contract with a divine artifact, they could crush most beast and spirit contractors, ranking at the top of all contractors. But the probability of having an innate divine artifact as a contract object and then finding and touching that artifact is extremely low. However, even weapon contractors with ordinary weapons possess extraordinarybat power.¡±

    ¡°Below weapon contracts are misceneous contracts. Their contract objects are diverse and strange, possibly a kettle, an embroidery needle, or even a pair of underwear¡­ The abilities of misceneous contractors are also varied, but generally, they are at the bottom of the contractor hierarchy. However, there are always exceptions, and exceptionally powerful misceneous contractors have appeared in history.¡±

    After reading this content, Zhanyue eagerly opened ¡°The Legend of the illumination Goddess¡± beside him. This fictional mythological novel didn¡¯t have much useful content, but Zhanyue opened it because of the statue.

    ¡°The illumination Goddess was indeed a spirit contractor, and her contract object was actually sunlight¡­¡±

    ¡°I need to find time to go back to the statue and look around. Perhaps my second contract object is nearby,¡± Zhanyue pondered.

 Chapter 7: A Connection With The Coffin

    Chapter 7: A Connection With The Coffin

    ¡°Legend has it that the illumination Goddess fell after a battle with the supreme powerhouse of the Nightmare race, the Corpse Emperor. The supposedly invincible Corpse Emperor was also severely injured and sealed away. Tomemorate the illumination Goddess, ancient craftsmen forged ten 100-meter colossal statues. These statues were made of special materials that remain unchanged regardless of wind and sun exposure. Later, the ten great empires of the human world divided these ten colossal statues among themselves for their people to remember.¡±

    ¡°Apart from the Eastern Kingdom, the other nine countries ced their statues in their imperial capitals. The Eastern Kingdom ced theirs in Sun City because it¡¯s said to be the birthce of the illumination Goddess. But at that time, there was no Eastern Kingdom or Sun City. The legend is too ancient to be verified.¡±

    Much of the content in ¡°The Legend of the illumination Goddess¡± was fabricated. Legends from such ancient times were not very reliable, but the final statement was worth considering.

    ¡°I see, no wonder such an important statue was ced in the Eastern Kingdom¡¯s third city rather than the capital,¡± Zhanyue nodded, then put down the book and hurriedly left.

    ¡°To the illumination Goddess statue,¡± Zhanyue hailed a random carriage at the inn¡¯s entrance and headed straight for the statue¡¯s location.

    ¡°Is the customer also going to pay respects to the Goddess statue? I know a good spot, the best viewing point,¡± the driver enthusiastically suggested.

    ¡°Oh? Good, go faster, I¡¯m in a hurry,¡± Zhanyue returned there only to confirm the source of that special palpitation.

    Hearing that Zhanyue was in a hurry, the driver immediately sped up. His vehicle wasn¡¯t a rickshaw, but was pulled by creatures resembling small horses, with great endurance, very suitable as transportation.

    Soon, the driver brought Zhanyue to the destination, the top floor of a nine-story building. There was a teahouse here, directly facing the Goddess statue. From this position, one could appreciate the nearby Goddess statue without much effort. ¡°Boss, I¡¯ve brought you another customer, remember my share¡­¡± the driver pulled the teahouse owner aside and whispered. The teahouse owner was a tall, thin old man with a shrewd look. He said quietly, ¡°Of course, I won¡¯t forget. Whatever he spends here, one-tenth will be yourmission.¡±

    Zhanyue, not far away, naturally didn¡¯t notice their scheming. He just ordered a pot of good tea and sat by the window to ¡®appreciate¡¯ the Goddess statue.

    ¡°Indeed, that palpitation has appeared again. What exactly is it?¡± Zhanyue still couldn¡¯t determine the source of the palpitation, only knowing it was near the Goddess statue. ¡°I probably need to get closer to the Goddess statue to search.¡±

    The sun was nting, soon to set. Thest rays of the setting sun shone on this ¡®Sun Goddess¡¯, giving her a divine color. Shortly after, several armored soldiers appeared at the base of the Goddess statue, operating something on a stone pir behind the statue. Noticing this detail, Zhanyue immediately asked the owner who was refilling his water.

    ¡°Boss, what are they busy with down there? Doesn¡¯t the Goddess statue have no guards?¡± Zhanyue asked curiously.

    The teahouse owner nced down and knew what was happening, saying nonchntly, ¡°Maintaining the statue¡¯s restrictions requires illumination Stones. They¡¯re changing the illumination Stones for the restrictions.¡± The owner finished refilling the water and went to serve other customers.

    Indeed, the restrictions surrounding the Goddess statue disappeared for a moment, along with the white warning line on the ground. This gap in changing the illumination Stones was the only weakness! Zhanyue looked at the time on his wrist and memorized this time point. Actually, the Goddess statue didn¡¯t need any guards. Its material couldn¡¯t be damaged by ordinary people, and such a huge statue didn¡¯t need to worry about being stolen. The restrictions were only to prevent people from approaching and desecrating the Goddess statue. For so many years, the Goddess statue had never had any problems.

    Gradually, the customers in the teahouse left, and the people admiring the colossal statue below also dispersed. Although the city was still bright at night, people still needed to rest. Only a few scattered humble workers on night shifts were still active in the surroundings.

    When Zhanyue left, the teahouse was already closed. He walked alone on the brightly lit street feeling a bit nervous. ¡°No matter what, I have to go and see what¡¯s up.¡±

    He felt guilty like a thief, approaching the Goddess statue very carefully. Quickly, he approached the stone pir he had seen during the day at high speed. The stone pir was the source of the restrictions.

    ¡°State Reversal!¡± Zhanyue used his ability for the second time in the Myriad Spirits Realm, but this time for sneaking around. Soon, the state of the stone pir was reversed to the moment before the illumination Stones were changed in the afternoon. The entire restriction instantly lost effect, and the barrier wall that prevented outsiders from entering disappeared silently. A living person walked in brazenly, without triggering any rms.

    After Zhanyue entered, the energy of the illumination Stones once again awakened the restrictions.

    ¡°What? How did the restrictions restart?¡± Zhanyue was shocked. This wasn¡¯t part of his n. He didn¡¯t know about the backup energy source for the restrictions. Although he had reversed the state of the stone pir to when it had no energy supplement, causing the restrictions to fail briefly, there was actually a backup energy source arranged underground for the restrictions. When the stone pir couldn¡¯t provide energy, it would automatically use the backup energy.

    ¡°It¡¯s over¡­¡± Zhanyue knew he was trapped inside now, unable to get out. His eagerness to find answers had led to an imperfect n. He had overestimated himself.

    ¡°If I¡¯m going to die, It¡¯ll be after knowing the truth. I want to know what¡¯s been calling out to me!¡± No longer thinking about what would happenter, Zhanyue quickly came to the base of the colossal statue. That palpitation became clearer as he approached the statue.

    ¡°Indeed, the center is this colossal statue, but my contract object can¡¯t be such a huge statue, right?¡± Zhanyue was a bit confused. This matter was too bizarre. What use would contracting such arge statue have? More importantly, how could he exin and ount for this to others? Those who desecrate the Goddess statue are sentenced to death, let alone contracting it.

    ¡°No, if I really contracted the Goddess statue, I might still have a chance to live. After all, ording to the ¡®Contractor Regtions¡¯, the ownership of a contractor¡¯s contract object belongs to the contractor, and the statepensates the original owner for the loss. The contractor then gradually repays the state. The Eastern Kingdom has strictws. If I really contracted the Goddess statue, legally, this statue would belong to me.¡±

    However, when Zhanyue ced his hand on the statue, the expected contract didn¡¯t form. This statue wasn¡¯t his contract object! Just as Zhanyue panicked, his entire being was pulled into the statue by a mysterious force.

    Inside the statue was incredibly spacious, emitting a faint white light. In the empty space, there was only a crystal coffin. Through the transparent coffin, one could vaguely see a body lying inside.

    ¡°What¡­ what¡¯s going on? My contract object couldn¡¯t be this coffin, right?¡± Zhanyue bravely ced his hand on the coffin. At this moment, his mind was full of questions. Where was this ce, and whose coffin was this? However, still nothing happened. The coffin wasn¡¯t his contract object.

    ¡°¡­ Could my contract object be some burial object inside this coffin¡­ This is going to be trouble.¡± Zhanyue¡¯s forehead was already covered in cold sweat. How did he be so closely associated with opening coffins?

    ¡°Great one, although I don¡¯t know who you are, I mean no offense. It¡¯s just that the palpitation in my heartes from inside the coffin. Without my contract object, I fear I can¡¯t escape death. So, please forgive me.¡± Zhanyue mourned to the coffin. He didn¡¯t want to disturb someone¡¯s rest, but he had no choice.

    Using force to push open the coffin lid, insidey not white bones, but a ¡®fresh¡¯ corpse!! The female corpse wore white clothes and a white dress, with a golden crown on her head. The crown was iid with a sun pattern, and in the center of the sun pattern was embedded a red gemstone, dazzlingly brilliant. Her ck hair was pillowed under her head, reaching her waist, ck and bright.

    When Zhanyue¡¯s gaze fell on the woman¡¯s face, he was stunned. The pale skin testified to the fact that she was a corpse, yet her perfect features were unparalleled in his life. Her crimson lips were like red plum blossoms in snow. Her tightly closed eyes made Zhanyue¡¯s heart ache involuntarily. Such a beautiful, heavenly woman lying there cold. Zhanyue had never imagined he could feel the words ¡®holy¡¯ and ¡®pure¡¯ from a dead body. Yes, holy and pure, to the point where he had the urge to bow in worship. This was the so-called ¡®divinity¡¯.

    White clothes, white dress, wearing a golden crown, holy and pure beauty. Who was this corpse? What exactly was my contract object? Zhanyue looked at the empty coffin and said, where were the burial objects?

 Chapter 8: Contracting The Goddess

    Chapter 8: Contracting The Goddess

    ¡°Could it be this crown?¡± Zhanyue looked at the golden crown on the female corpse¡¯s head. It was the only object in the coffin that could be considered an artifact.

    ¡°Excuse me.¡± Zhanyue touched the golden crown, but the legendary contract still didn¡¯t form. ¡°Not this either?¡± Zhanyue¡¯s face was now pale white. The palpitation had be extremely strong, but he just couldn¡¯t find the so-called contract object.

    ¡°It couldn¡¯t be the clothes this female corpse is wearing, could it?¡± Zhanyue felt a headacheing on. If that were the case, it would be too embarrassing and insulting. He tried touching the white dress on the woman¡¯s body. As expected, nothing happened. Zhanyue let out a long sigh of relief, ¡°Thank god, I almost became a pervert. If the contract object were a set of women¡¯s clothing, I¡¯d rather die.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve tried everything. Wait it couldn¡¯t be¡­¡± Zhanyue thought it more and more impossible, but¡­ the fact was that this was the only possibility left. He mustered up his courage and looked at the female corpse again, praying in his heart, asking for heaven¡¯s forgiveness.

    ¡°Excuse me.¡± Zhanyue could touch the corpse¡¯s hand or foot, but he was inexplicably drawn to reach for the corpse¡¯s pale cheek. The moment his hand made contact with the corpse, a feeling like an electric shock filled Zhanyue¡¯s entire body.

    The previously cold corpse suddenly opened its eyes. Their gazes met, scaring Zhanyue out of his wits. He immediately withdrew his hand and fell sitting on the ground.

    The ¡®female corpse¡¯ suddenly sat up, looking at Zhanyue with an incrediblyplex gaze. How could such a thing happen in this world?

    ¡°Are¡­ are you human or ghost?¡± Zhanyue scrambled away, still unable to believe what was happening before his eyes.

    ¡°Human? Ghost? No, I am neither human nor ghost, but your contract object,¡± the woman said. She seemed to have quickly understood the situation. ¡°No¡­ impossible. The first ironw of contracts is that humans can¡¯t be contract objects,¡± Zhanyue said, his mind calming a bit as he saw the woman didn¡¯t seem to intend to harm him.

    ¡°Of course humans can¡¯t be contract objects, but what about just a corpse? I can confirm that I¡¯m already dead, only ¡®revived¡¯ because the corpse became your contract object,¡± the woman calmly epted this fact, much moreposed than Zhanyue.

    ¡°How¡­ how can this be?¡± Zhanyue was speechless, encountering such a strange event. ¡°So you¡¯ve been resurrected? And who are you?¡±

    The woman shook her head, ¡°I only exist as a contract object, not truly resurrected. My soul hasn¡¯t dissipated, my consciousness has returned, but I¡¯m not an independent living being. If you die, I¡¯ll immediately return to being a cold corpse. As for who I am? My name in life was ¡ª Xixuan.¡±

    ¡°Xixuan? This name sounds familiar¡­¡± Zhanyue suddenly realized something and sprang up from the ground, ¡°Xixuan? illumination Goddess¡­ you¡¯re the illumination Goddess¡­ Holy crap!¡±

    The woman nodded. She looked at Zhanyue with confusion, and also looked around at the environment and the crystal coffin, puzzled about who had preserved her corpse here, and how the faith power absorbed by the statue had maintained her soul without dissipating.

    ¡°How long have I been dead?¡± the woman asked curiously, as if she had just woken up from a long sleep.

    ¡°ording to records, it¡¯s been about¡­ about three thousand years,¡± Zhanyue answered, thinking to himself that if this matter were exposed, he would probably be hunted down by people across the entire world. The corpse of the illumination Goddess, the faith of all humanity, had be his contract object.

    ¡°Over three thousand years? My old friends have probably long passed away. I was already dead, yet here I am. Is my mission still notplete? Sigh¡­¡± the woman said somewhat dejectedly.

    ¡°What¡¯s the world¡¯s situation now?¡± Xixuan asked.

    ¡°Uh, it¡¯s not something I can exin in a word or two. Let¡¯s leave this ce first. It feels strange here. I have books at the inn I¡¯m staying at that can exin things much better than I can,¡± Zhanyue suggested.

    Xixuan showed a rare smile, as warm as sunlight. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to fear when you¡¯re with me.¡± She grabbed Zhanyue¡¯s shoulders, and the two of them turned into a ball of ghostly light, appearing above Sun City.

    ¡°The illumination Tower is still here, which means the Nightmare race hasn¡¯t been eliminated?¡± Xixuan frowned as she looked at the bright illumination Tower. She remembered that after the great battle back then, humans had achieved a great victory. Why hadn¡¯t the Nightmare race been eliminated?

    ¡°We¡¯ll talk about it when we get back. The books have this history written in them,¡± Zhanyue said, hanging in mid-air, feeling the cool breeze.

    ¡°Alright.¡± Following Zhanyue¡¯s directions, Xixuan quickly brought him back to the inn. The entire process went unnoticed; the illumination Goddess¡¯s power was no ordinary matter.

    In the room, Xixuan flipped through the books, sometimes frowning, sometimes sighing. Zhanyue sat quietly to the side, idly observing Xixuan. At this moment, she still didn¡¯t have the rosy skin of a living person, but her eyes were full of life. Sitting there quietly reading books, she looked just like a charming bookworm.

    ¡°After my death, humanity went through three internal conflicts. It was these three conflicts that allowed the Nightmare race to catch their breath, and now we¡¯re back to an evenly matched situation,¡± Xixuan said, her eyes full of sadness. Didn¡¯t this result mean that all those sacrifices made back then were wasted?

    ¡°Don¡¯t be so sad. Your efforts are what allowed humanity to persist until now and develop an advanced civilization. Otherwise, with humanity¡¯s tendency for internal strife, they would have been wiped out by the Nightmare race long ago,¡± Zhanyueforted her, seeing her thoughts.

    Xixuan smiled for the second time, ¡°Thank you for yourfort. Thanks to you, I was able to wake up again. Now I have some urgent matters to confirm, so I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll have to leave for a while.¡±

    ¡°What? You¡¯re leaving already? I haven¡¯t even figured out the abilities of the contract yet,¡± Zhanyue had been very excited, thinking that with Xixuan protecting him, he might be the safest person in this world. But Xixuan was going to leave?

    ¡°As a contract object, I have my own consciousness and thoughts, which seems a bit unfair to you. But I must rify some issues, so I have to leave. As for the contract abilities, it¡¯s simple. You have the same power as me, but due to your low realm, you can¡¯t use much of it. At least as a beginner contractor, you should have the strength I had when I was a beginner contractor. As your realm increases, you¡¯ll be able to borrow more of my power. Back then, I was invincible in the same realm. As long as you don¡¯t deliberately seek death, your life should be safe,¡± Xixuan exined.

    ¡°Even if you¡¯re not by my side, I can still borrow your power?¡± Zhanyue finally breathed a sigh of relief.

    ¡°I know what you¡¯re afraid of. Actually, I¡¯m more afraid than you are. After all, if you die, I¡¯ll just be a corpse again. Take this gemstone. In critical moments, it can protect you,¡± Xixuan removed the red gemstone from her golden crown. Zhanyue felt a scorching energy from this gemstone. This gemstone was called the Sun God Stone, the most important treasure of the illumination Goddess.

    ¡°I¡¯m leaving now. Take care of yourself and don¡¯t take unnecessary risks. You don¡¯t want me to be a cold corpse again, do you?¡± Xixuan finally smiled at Zhanyue. Zhanyue had never imagined the illumination Goddess could be so yful. Xixuan¡¯s smile seemed to be the most beautiful thing in the world. ¡°Actually, you don¡¯t need to be too dejected. If you really encounter danger, I still have some methods.¡±

    ¡°You¡­ you be careful too. I don¡¯t want to be a dead contractor,¡± Zhanyue said, somewhat reluctantly. The powerful supporter he had just found was leaving again.

    Xixuan was no shy young girl. She had experienced many storms and had long since be quite transcendent. In an instant, she turned into a stream of light and flew out the window, disappearing in the blink of an eye.

    If not for the scorching heat of the red gemstone in his hand, Zhanyue might have thought it was all a dream again. ording to the books, was he a spirit contractor? Beast contractor? Weapon contractor or misceneous contractor? It seemed he was none of these. If he were to tell others that his contract object was the corpse of the illumination Goddess, he would probably be immediately charged with insulting the goddess and thrown into prison.

    ¡°Can I use her power too?¡± Zhanyue looked at his right hand, seeming to grasp a beam of light, then threw a punch. His entire fist burst into scorching light, like a small sun. ¡°The illumination Goddess was a light contractor, which means I now have simr abilities?¡±

    ¡°Train hard. Wait for my return,¡± the illumination Goddess transmitted her final words.

 Chapter 9: Alliance

    Chapter 9: Alliance

    In an underground tomb somewhere in the Myriad Spirits Realm, an eerie silence prevailed. The spacious chamber had been unvisited for thousands of years, but now suddenly showed signs of activity. In the center of the tomb¡¯s hall was a huge stone coffin. On the coffin lid were ced about ten candle stands, which suddenly lit up, emitting a ghostly blue light.

    Then, about ten figures slowly walked in, divided into two rows. In the candlelight, it became apparent that these ¡®people¡¯ were not actually human, but wooden puppets, mechanical beings. They were dressed like maids, with wooden heads, each carrying arge mirror. It was an extremely bizarre sight.

    These wooden maid puppets lined up on both sides of the stone coffin, eighteen in total. The eighteen mirrors reflected the ghostly blue candlelight, and soon ck shadows appeared in the mirrors.

    ¡°How have you all been, Great Lords?¡± a figure in one of the mirrors spoke first.

    ¡°Everything is going smoothly, Strategist. It¡¯s truly fortunate for our Nightmare race to have a genius like you,¡± another mirror chimed in, with others expressing agreement.

    ¡°If not for Strategist¡¯s brilliant ns, our Nightmare race would have been exterminated by humans long ago after the Corpse Emperor was sealed. When His Majesty the Corpse Emperor awakens, we will certainly rmend you for merit. The Nightmare race has eighteen Great Lords, it¡¯s time we had a Vice-Emperor level leader, and Strategist deserves this position.¡±

    ¡°These are trivial matters. We only need to weave our grand well. When His Majesty awakens, we canpletely drive humans from this world. In the meantime, I hope everyone will cooperate with me,¡± the Nightmare called Strategist said humbly.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Strategist. We strictly follow your strategy of ¡®increasing two, showing one¡¯ ¨C increasing our strength twofold while only revealing one part, applying just the right amount of pressure on humans. Right now, humans naively think we¡¯re evenly matched, not knowing that our Nightmare race¡¯s strength is already several times theirs. I wonder what expressions they¡¯ll have when weunch our all-out attack? I¡¯m really looking forward to it,¡± a figure in another mirrorughed.

    ¡°By the way, Strategist, how do you understand humans so well? You even sessfully instigated three internal conflicts among them? Your great wisdom is truly our Nightmare race¡¯s strongest weapon,¡± another asked curiously. The one called Strategist exined: ¡°In the past, when the Corpse Emperor was here, the strategy against humans was too overbearing and direct, putting too much pressure on them, which instead united them like iron. Actually,pared to humans, our Nightmare race¡¯s greatest advantage is our unity, after all, we are essentially different facets of the same being. When external pressure is small enough, humans¡¯ evil thoughts will surface. They arepetitive, greedy, always fighting for rankings and precedence in everything they do, and the interests of different sses arepletely disunited. Internal conflict is inevitable, provided we don¡¯t let them feel strong external pressure affecting theirmon interests.¡±

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, shouldn¡¯t our Nightmare race appear as weak as possible?¡± someone asked.

    ¡°As the saying goes, too much is as bad as too little. There are also wise individuals among humans. Such feigned weakness would make them see through my n prematurely. The current situation is just right, giving them some pressure but not enough to unite them like iron,¡± Strategist said.

    ¡°Strategist¡¯s n is brilliant. When the Corpse Emperor returns, and when humans have their next internal conflict, we will surely secure victory in one fell swoop. What do you think, Strategist?¡±

    ¡°Hehe, humans are ultimately our great enemy, we can¡¯t be careless. But I really like two sayings from human sages: ¡®Any solid fortress can be broken from within¡¯ and ¡®Humans never learn from history¡¯. So, the final victory will definitely belong to our Nightmare race!¡± Strategist said confidently.

    In the inn, Zhanyue was still immersed in studying, absorbing the basic knowledge of this world.

    ¡°The Nightmare race is the mortal enemy of our human race. They are a kind of spiritual beings that can only move freely by inhabiting the corpses of various creatures. They fear sunlight, hide during the day ande out at night. The souls of living beings are their food. They eat souls and invade corpses, extremely vicious. Human souls are the strongest and their favorite food.

    In ancient times, Nightmares were even called the natural predators of humans, until one powerful figure after another was born among humans. Relying on them to unite human strength and develop many methods and weapons against Nightmares, humans were finally able to fight back, leading to today¡¯s situation.

    Now, daytime belongs to humans, nighttime to Nightmares. The existence of illumination Towers allows humans to sleep safely at night, but ces beyond the light of the illumination Towers are still dangerous, not to be entered by non-experts.

    The special power of contractors can harm spiritual beings, so contractors are the core force against Nightmares, holding a special status in human society.

    In today¡¯s Myriad Spirits Realm, various forces are intricately intertwined. If divided by countries, there are ten great empires as leaders, while three majormerce associations distributed among the ten empires control themercial lifeline of humanity. In addition, there are five major Night Lords coordinating contractorbat power, and eight major academies passing on human knowledge andbat techniques.

    The Myriad Spirits Realm has established different organizations based on different types of contractors: the Spirit Contract Alliance that only epts spirit contractors, the Beast Contract Alliance that only recruits beast contractors, the Weapon Contract Alliance that only recruits weapon contractors, and the most recently established Jade Mountain Night Alliance that recruits misceneous contractors. Joining These Alliances has many benefits. There¡¯s also the Knowledge Profound Alliance that only recruits powerful individuals,posed of absolute human elites.¡±

    Zhanyue yed with the red gemstone left to him by the illumination Goddess, discovering that his power of ¡®light¡¯ could be transformed into a more intense power of fire through this ¡®gemstone¡¯. He gripped the gemstone in his right hand, then channeled his power. His original light fist became a fire fist, nearly setting the room aze with one punch.

    A ¡°knock knock knock¡± sounded at the door. It was the bellboy returning with his order.

    ¡°Sir, the boxing gloves you ordered are ready. Please check them,¡± the bellboy handed Zhanyue an orange-colored pair of gloves made from beast hide.

    ¡°These gloves are made from the hide of a fire-resistant beast. They¡¯re fireproof,pletely customized ording to your requirements,¡± the bellboy said with some envy.

    ¡°Good, you can go now. You¡¯ve done well,¡± Zhanyue said, paying a reward. The bellboy left, beaming with joy.

    Zhanyue carefully examined the gloves. They were designed with open fingers, very convenient as they would expose the fingers when worn. There was a setting in the palm of the glove where Zhanyue inserted the gemstone.

    ¡°From now on, this will be my contract object,¡± Zhanyue had already figured out how to deceive others. To the outside world, this gemstone would be his contract object, the source of his fire ability. After all, fire gemstones did exist in this world.

    ¡°If the outside world knew I had the same light ability as the illumination Goddess, it would probably cause a huge stir. No wonder that woman left this gemstone for me. But she didn¡¯t exin anything, wasn¡¯t she afraid I wouldn¡¯t discover how to use the gemstone? Or did she have confidence in me?¡± Zhanyue was a bit speechless, the illumination Goddess had left too hastily. But his worries were useless. With his meager strength, not being a burden was the greatest help he could offer.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go register at the Jade Mountain Night Alliance branch first. ording to the gemstone, I should be ssified as a misceneous contractor. In this world, only registered contractors have official contractor status, whiches with many benefits. Otherwise, you¡¯d be viewed with suspicion everywhere, like an undocumented person.¡±

    Soon after, Zhanyue arrived at the Sun City branch of the Jade Mountain Night Alliance. He instinctively walked towards the central door. He was greeted by a young and beautiful woman.

    ¡°Hello, are you here to register?¡± the woman smiled professionally.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m here to register as a contractor. My contract object is a gemstone,¡± Zhanyue said ¡®truthfully¡¯.

    The woman¡¯s smile froze, ¡°Uh, this is the Weapon Contract Alliance registration hall. If you¡¯re a misceneous contractor, please exit and turn left.¡±

    Instantly, everyone in the hall looked at Zhanyue. Some found it amusing, thinking another greenhorn hade, while others had contempt on their faces.

    ¡°Kid, don¡¯t waste thedy¡¯s time on real business. Misceneous contractors should register in the left room,¡± a burly man said. He was holding an axe, having just awakened as a contractor recently, and looked at Zhanyue with displeasure.

    Zhanyue¡¯s expression changed. Did misceneous contractors have some original sin? Was there a need for such insults? The weapon contractors¡¯ lofty attitude and sense of superiority left Zhanyue speechless. He couldn¡¯t be bothered to argue with them and left without looking back. The room on the left was far less imposing than the Weapon Contract Alliance¡¯s. Inside, an old man who seemed to be the caretaker waszily dozing on the desk.

    ¡°Old sir, I¡¯m here to apply for a contractor certificate,¡± Zhanyue said politely.

    The old man opened his sleepy eyes, yawning and curiously looking at Zhanyue, ¡°It¡¯s rare to see a misceneous contractore to register in Sun City.¡±

    ¡°Huh? What¡¯s wrong with Sun City? Isn¡¯t it good to register here?¡± Zhanyue was puzzled.

    The old man kindly said, ¡°The Eastern Kingdom has a hundred cities. Sun City is teeming with experts, second only to the Imperial Capital and Academy Town. Misceneous contractors have no chance of getting qualifications to enter the Imperial Academy here. If you have some ability, you should go register in a lower-ranking city topete for spots there.¡±

    Zhanyue finally understood why the misceneous contractor hall, which should have more people, was so deserted. Those people had gone to register in other cities for better ¡®prospects¡¯.

    ¡°I¡¯ll just register here. It¡¯s my fate to be connected with Sun City,¡± Zhanyue wasn¡¯t interested in any academy qualifications. Once the illumination Goddess returned to personally teach him, wouldn¡¯t that be much better than any academy?

    The old man¡¯s eyes lit up, having been worried about not finding any suckers, and now one had delivered himself. The task assigned by the Jade Mountain Night Alliance could finally bepleted. ¡°This is your own decision, don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t warn you.¡±

    ¡°Come here, let¡¯s first test your talent,¡± the old man led Zhanyue to a corner of the room where there was something like a stone mill, engraved with various mysterious patterns. ¡°Let me demonstrate for you.¡±

    The old man ced his hand on the stone mill, which lit up with a blue glow and then slowly started to rotate. ¡°The faster this stone mill turns, the stronger the potential of your contract object. My speed shows I have no talent. Let¡¯s see yours.¡±

    The old man stepped aside, making room. Zhanyue excitedly walked over, also wanting to test what kind of talent he had.

 Chapter 10: The Knights Of The Sun Kingdom

    Chapter 10: The Knights Of The Sun Kingdom

    As Zhanyue ced his hand on a jade te next to the stone mill, upon contact, the mill emitted a red glow different from the old man¡¯s, and then began to rotate slowly.

    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s also very sl-¡± The old man¡¯s words were cut short as he saw the millstone visibly elerating at a rapid pace. Soon, the rotation speed of the stone mill exceeded the fastest speed the old man had ever seen, but it still didn¡¯t stop.

    ¡°Too¡­ too fast, too fast.¡± The old man¡¯s heart was in his throat, but the stone mill¡¯s eleration hadn¡¯t stopped. Finally, the entire base of the stone mill detached and actually flew up, breaking through the roof and flying out.

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ broken?¡± The old man rubbed his eyes. Could this talent-testing stone mill actually take flight?

    ¡°Oh no!¡± The old man pped his thigh and hurriedly ran out. Even if the stone mill was broken, he had to find it, otherwise it would be a major dereliction of duty.

    In the weapon contractors¡¯ registration hall, people were chatting idly when suddenly something crashed through the roof and fell down. Everyone in the room was startled for a moment.

    ¡°Enemy attack?!¡± Everyone became extremely tense.

    However, they only saw that what had fallen was a stone millstone. They all recognized this object, of course, but how could it fall from the sky?

    The old man hurriedly ran over, and seeing that the stone mill wasn¡¯t broken, he breathed a sigh of relief. A malfunction of the testing tform and damage to the stone mill were two different matters. ¡°What are you doing? How did the stone mill from the testing tform fall from the sky? Could someone actually make it fly?¡± Everyoneughed at the old man¡¯s disheveled appearance.

    ¡°The testing tform must be broken. I won¡¯t talk to you now.¡± The old man carried the stone mill back, feeling quite speechless. The testing tform probably hadn¡¯t been used for a long time, so it was normal for it to break down.

    ¡°The testing tform is broken. Forget it, let¡¯s register you first. You cane back for a talent test when it¡¯s convenientter.¡± The old man said to Zhanyue. He was in a mess now, fearing he couldn¡¯t escape responsibility for the broken testing tform. Moreover, Zhanyue was an important quota forpleting his task, so it was better to help him register early.

    Zhanyue smoothlypleted the procedures and officially became a registered contractor in Sun City. He yed with his identity token, very happy that he had officially settled in this world. Due to the special nature of contractors, many details could be kept private, so Zhanyue didn¡¯t encounter any tricky questions.

    ¡°Well¡­ bing a contractores with many privileges, but¡­¡± the old man added somewhat embarrassedly, ¡°rights and obligations are always equal, you know what I mean?¡±

    Zhanyue frowned, not understanding the meaning of the old man¡¯s words.

    ¡°Old Gu, is this the neer you reported?¡± Just then, a cheerful voice suddenly came. The neer was a middle-aged man in his thirties, wearing silver armor, the standard armor of Sun City officers.

    ¡°Captain Cheng, long time no see. This is thest quota. I¡¯ve finallypleted the task.¡± The old man was relieved to see the neer, letting out a long sigh.

    The man named Cheng Lu looked Zhanyue over, ¡°Awakening as a contractor in your twenties¡­still better than ordinary people. Come with me.¡±

    Zhanyue looked confused, feeling as if he had been sold by the old man.

    ¡°Judging by your expression, it seems Old Gu didn¡¯t exin clearly?¡± Cheng Lu noticed Zhanyue¡¯s confusion and exined: ¡°There are three sources of soldiers in the Eastern Kingdom. First are professional soldiers who voluntarily enlist and live in barracks year-round, they are the country¡¯s main fighting force. Second are conscripted soldiers; all contractors, while enjoying special rights, must also bear the obligation to defend the country. They only need toplete some tasks to fulfill their duty. Third are wartime recruits, but in these peaceful times, we don¡¯t need you for that.¡±

    ¡°ording to regtions, conscripted soldiers should volunteer, but unfortunately, there are too few registered misceneous contractors in Sun City to meet the required numbers. So basically, once you register, you¡¯ll be selected. Now do you understand?¡± Captain Cheng Lu exined patiently.

    Zhanyue red at the old man beside him with a ck face. Why didn¡¯t he mention these things before? His first task after registration was actually military service.

    Feeling guilty, the old man said to Captain Cheng, ¡°This youngster just awakened as a contractor, his strength is low. Captain Cheng, please take good care of him.¡±

    Cheng Lu was open-hearted andughed, ¡°Am I going to assign him to eliminate the Night Lord? Don¡¯t worry, we prioritize safety when arranging tasks. After all, contractors are scarce, each one is precious. For these low-level new recruits, the tasks we assign are not much harder than sweeping streets.¡±

    Zhanyue knew that viting militaryw was a serious crime in any world, so he didn¡¯t resist.

    After Zhanyue left with Captain Cheng, the old man put the stone mill back. He ced his hand on the jade te, and the millstone began to rotate slowly again, showing no damage.

    ¡°How strange? What happened earlier?¡± The old man was puzzled. He couldn¡¯t believe any misceneous contractor¡¯s talent could be high enough to make the stone mill spin and fly. ¡°Better have someonee and check it.¡±

    ¡°By the way, do you have any family matters to take care of? ording to regtions, you¡¯ll need to leave home for about a month. If you have any arrangements, you can go back first and report to me within three days,¡± Cheng Lu said.

    Zhanyue shook his head. He had no family, nor anything that needed to be taken care of.

    ¡°No need. By the way, Captain Cheng, I have something I¡¯d like to ask,¡± Zhanyue said.

    Cheng Lu patted his shoulder, ¡°Don¡¯t be so formal, just call me Brother Cheng. This isn¡¯t the barracks. If you have any questions, feel free to ask.¡±

    Zhanyue asked, ¡°Do misceneous contractors have a very low status? I always feel like other contractors look down on us.¡±

    Cheng Luughed, ¡°Were you mocked at other contractors¡¯ registration offices? This matter is actually very simple. Those you see at registration offices are mostly neers who have just contracted recently. They have no real experience, they¡¯ve only read about the ¡®spirit¡¯, ¡®beast¡¯, ¡®weapon¡¯, and ¡®misceneous¡¯ four levels in books. Awakening a higher-level contract object naturally gives them a sense of superiority. However, in reality, every contractor has unlimited potential. In my team, some misceneous contractors are responsible for reconnaissance, some for logistics, some for emergencies. How are they any worse than others? Only neers cling to the so-called ¡®four-tier¡¯ system to determine superiority. But I must say that ¡®spirit contractors¡¯ are indeed rarer and more precious. Every spirit contractor has the potential to be a supreme expert, not to be offended lightly.¡±

    ¡°But don¡¯t worry, in my long life, I¡¯ve only seen one spirit contractor. Let alone others, you can¡¯t even encounter them, so how could there be conflicts of interest?¡± Cheng Lu exined.

    Zhanyue nodded, gaining a clearer understanding of this world¡¯s rules. Except for spirit contractors, the other three types ¨C beast, weapon, and misceneous contractors ¨C actually had no significant difference in status. It¡¯s just that the abilities awakened by misceneous contractors might not be very suitable forbat.

    After bringing Zhanyue to the city garrison, someone notified Cheng Lu to attend a meeting. This captain was in charge of over a hundred contractors, making him a middle-level figure in Sun City. Naturally, he could ess many things that lower levels couldn¡¯t.

    Zhanyue moved into his temporary residence, a small room. Although notrge, at least it was private. Hey on the bed waiting for a long time before Captain Cheng Lu returned, wearing a serious expression.

    ¡°Everyone, assemble!¡± At thismand, the hundred or so people in the garrison quickly gathered. By now, Zhanyue had also changed into Sun City¡¯s temporary military uniform.

    ¡°We have a mission. This mission is highly valued by the higher-ups, even I don¡¯t know much about it. In any case, we must approach it with the utmost seriousness and caution. But don¡¯t worry too much, there won¡¯t be any life-threatening danger,¡± Cheng Lu introduced, then set off with the troops to make advance arrangements for the mission.

    Based on the drills Cheng Lu had led them through, Zhanyue easily guessed the nature of the mission. It seemed some important person wasing to Sun City, and their task was to maintain order. They weren¡¯t responsible for the VIP¡¯s safety ¨C their strength wasn¡¯t sufficient for that. They were only responsible for maintaining order among the civilians on the streets, preventing people from running around and disturbing the important guest.

    The VIP¡¯s arrival was very sudden, or rather, very secretive. Very few people in Sun City knew about it in advance. When the sun was about to rise on the second day, Zhanyue and the others were called up and headed straight for the city gate. Their hundred or so people lined up on both sides, each responsible for a section of the area. Barriers had already been set up on both sides of the street to prevent entry. With such amotion, how could the citizens of Sun City not know? They had gotten up early to watch the excitement. Both sides of the street were bustling with people, shoulder to shoulder.

    In the direction of the rising sun came the sound of heavy hoofbeats. Finally, the mysterious visitors revealed themselves. It was a cavalry unit, numbering about a hundred.

    At the front of the heavy cavalry was the most eye-catching figure ¨C a middle-aged man with blonde hair wearing heavy armor. He had short, vigorous golden hair and a short beard, with a scar on his right cheek, a mark of both injury and merit. Most striking was the golden lion he rode, leading the way at the front, naturally unobstructed.

    The heavily armored cavalry following him were also imposing.

    Their golden armor gleamed in the Rising Sun. Tall and strong, both riders and horses were d in golden heavy armor. Just the sight of them was awe-inspiring, their killing aura immediately silencing the spectators on both sides. This cavalry unit would be elite among elites, ace among aces in any country. They were far beyondparison to small soldiers like Zhanyue. Every cavalryman in this unit was no weaker than Captain Cheng Lu.

    At the center of the cavalry¡¯s protection was an borate white carriage. The carriage was tightly sealed on all sides, making it impossible to see inside. Beside the carriage was a white steed, ridden by another golden-armored knight. His golden armor was even more dazzling, clearly special, highlighting his unique status.

    ¡°The Sun Knight Regiment! It¡¯s actually the royal elite Sun Knight Regiment of the Rising Sun Kingdom! Could the one leading at the front be the legendarymander of the Sun Knight Regiment ¨C Golden Lion Kieran?¡± Zhanyue heard people around him discussing. He was also very curious about who such an elite unit was escorting.

    At this moment, a child about four or five years old was ying with a round bead in the crowd. The bead identally fell from his hand and rolled into the horse formation. The child shook off his mother¡¯s hand and hurriedly crawled through the gap under the crowd. His mother was blocked by others and couldn¡¯t stop him.

    As luck would have it, the carriage was just passing by, and Zhanyue was responsible for this section of the road. These heavy war horses could easily trample anything in their path. Just as the naughty child was about to touch the war horse, at the critical moment, Zhanyue shed over and scooped him up. However, this movement startled the horse pulling the carriage, causing it to be agitated.

    ¡°How dare you! You dare to disturb the Holy Maiden¡¯s carriage, seize him!¡± the man beside the carriage shouted angrily.

    Just as several cavalrymen were about to approach Zhanyue, a voice came from within the carriage. It was a gentle female voice, just hearing it made one feel as if bathed in spring breeze.

    ¡°Enough, Xiongxin. He was only trying to protect the child. Don¡¯t create unnecessary trouble. Let¡¯s go to the City Lord¡¯s mansion immediately, we can¡¯t keep the City Lord waiting long.¡± Those outside couldn¡¯t see inside the carriage, but it seemed the person inside could see out.

    ¡°Yes.¡± The person inside had given the order, so naturally, the others didn¡¯t dare trouble Zhanyue.

    Zhanyue returned the child to his mother. The woman¡¯s face was pale, full of guilt. She thanked him profusely, almost causing the soldier before her to get into trouble because of her child.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡± After the cavalry had passed, others moved forward to maintain order, but Cheng Lu came to Zhanyue¡¯s side tofort him. He had also been startled just now, but since Zhanyue was trying to save the child, he naturally wouldn¡¯t me him.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. The Sun Knight Regiment, they really are impressive,¡± Zhanyue said, still feeling a bit shaken.

    ¡°Captain, who was in the carriage?¡± Zhanyue asked curiously. To be escorted by such a powerful knight regiment and receive such attention from Sun City, her identity must be extraordinary. If she hadn¡¯t spoken up to intervene, he might have gotten into big trouble.

 Chapter 11: The Ceremonys Eve

    Chapter 11: The Ceremonys Eve

    ¡°There are ten great empires in the human-popted areas of the Myriad Spirits Realm. Our Eastern Kingdom is located on the easternmost edge of the World, and there¡¯s another empire near us towards the sunrise ¨C our neighbor, the Rising Sun Kingdom. This Sun Knight Regiment is the royal knight regiment of the Rising Sun Kingdom,¡± Captain Cheng Lu exined.

    ¡°Huh? The royal knight regiment of the Rising Sun Kingdom? Could they be escorting a princess of the Rising Sun Kingdom?¡± Zhanyue asked curiously, since the female voice he heard sounded young.

    Cheng Lu shook his head and exined, ¡°The Rising Sun Kingdom does have princesses, but they have their own princess guards. It¡¯s impossible for them to be escorted by the Sun Knight Regiment when they travel. In the Rising Sun Kingdom, only three people have this privilege. The first is the Rising Sun Kingdom¡¯s ruler, but obviously it¡¯s not him this time; the second is the Rising Sun Kingdom¡¯s crown prince, clearly not him either; the third is the Holy Light Maiden of the Rising Sun Kingdom, the only light contractor among humans in the 3000 years since the illumination Goddess fell.¡±

    Zhanyue¡¯s mouth gaped slightly, showing a surprised expression, ¡°The Holy Light Maiden? The only light contractor since the illumination Goddess.¡± Spirit contractors already had a special status, let alone the nemesis of the Nightmare race ¨C a light contractor? The Holy Light Maiden¡¯s exalted status was undoubted.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect a second light contractor to be born in this world. She must be a thorn in the side of the Nightmare race. No wonder she has so many guards when traveling,¡± Zhanyue sighed. The Nightmare race probably didn¡¯t want to see a second illumination Goddess.

    ¡°It¡¯s strange though, the Holy Light Maiden has only encountered one attack from the Nightmare race since she was young. They don¡¯t seem as interested in Her Holiness as we imagine,¡± Cheng Lu couldn¡¯t help but gossip.

    ¡°Why is that?¡± Zhanyue was puzzled. If the Nightmare race had any intelligence, they should know what impact it would have on them if this Holy Light Maiden were allowed to grow up.

    Cheng Lu shrugged, ¡°How would I know? I¡¯m just a small figure. Let¡¯s go, follow them. Look up, it wouldn¡¯t be good if the City Lord sees us cking off.¡±

    Zhanyue looked up and saw an eagle circling above the guard. It was the contract beast of Sun City¡¯s Lord. The golden lion on the ground roared at the sky, followed by an eagle¡¯s cry. The two contract beasts greeted each other. Soon after, the guard arrived at the City Lord¡¯s mansion. The mansion was veryrge, now cleaned spotlessly in preparation for weing the distinguished guests.

    Standing at the entrance of the City Lord¡¯s mansion to personally wee them was Sun City¡¯s Lord, Zhan Yunfei. A man in his forties or fifties, with short ck hair and a stern appearance. He wore a cyan robe with a beast bone shoulder strap on his left shoulder and a half-cape, looking imposing and domineering. His sharp gaze was like that of an eagle or a sharp sword, probably able to intimidate his enemies with just a look. The flying eagle descended rapidly, finally perching steadily on Zhan Yunfei¡¯s right shoulder.

    Golden Lion Kieran dismounted from his lion mount. The two men greeted each other like old friends who hadn¡¯t met in a long time.

    ¡°Lord Kieran, thest time we met was three years ago, wasn¡¯t it? Three years have passed, and you¡¯re still as robust as ever,¡± Zhan Yunfei smiled.

    Kieran, fully armored, had a square face under his short golden hair, with a fierce scar on his right cheek that quivered as he spoke. ¡°No need for formalities. We¡¯vee from afar this time, sorry for the disturbance.¡±

    ¡°Please,e in,¡± Zhan Yunfei extended his hand, inviting the guard to enter the mansion. He was preparing a grand feast for the guests.

    ¡°Greetings, Uncle Zhan,¡± the young man guarding the carriage dismounted. He removed his helmet, revealing a fair and handsome face that would make countless young girls gasp, his long golden hair disying his nobility.

    ¡°Is this¡­? Xiongxin?¡± Zhan Yunfei said in surprise, then smiled, ¡°Good thing you take after your mother in looks.¡±

    Kieran joked from the side, ¡°What do you mean by that, Brother Yunfei? I was quite dashing in my youth too.¡± This Xiongxin was Commander Kieran¡¯s most beloved youngest son.

    After greeting, Xiongxin went to the carriage and knelt on one knee. The carriage door opened, and the figure inside stepped onto Xiongxin¡¯s shoulder, using him as a step to reach the ground. This wasn¡¯t an insult to Xiongxin, but rather an honor.

    The golden-haired girl was like a small sun, her appearance instantly bing the most eye-catching light present. Her hair flowed like a golden waterfall, soft and smooth, reaching her waist. Her face was as white as mutton-fat jade, delicate and wless. Her eyebrows and eyes were like a painting, her eyes like stars; her nose and mouth were small and exquisite, with slightly upturned corners revealing a sweet smile, as intoxicating as fine wine.

    Her figure was slender and graceful, elegant and slim. Although not tall, she was still curvaceous, full of feminine charm. She wore a golden ceremonial dress, made of the highest quality fabric iid with countless shining stars, perfectly fitting her figure. Not a princess, yet more noble than any princess, like an angel descending to earth.

    Everyone seeing the Holy Light Maiden for the first time was stunned.

    ¡°Goodness, she¡¯s too beautiful. I heard the Holy Light Maiden was the most beautiful woman in the Rising Sun Kingdom, but seeing her in person, she¡¯s even more beautiful than I imagined,¡± Cheng Lu couldn¡¯t help but exim. They were guarding just outside the gate, able to see the Holy Maiden¡¯s full face.

    ¡°Um, how does shepare to the Eldest Princess?¡± Zhanyue asked mischievously, stirring up trouble.

    ¡°Spring orchids and autumn chrysanthemums, each with their own charm. But when ites to the Eldest Princess, people are more focused on her powerful strength and often overlook her beauty,¡± Cheng Lu said sincerely.

    ¡°I¡¯ve seen someone more beautiful than both of them,¡± Zhanyue said mysteriously.

    ¡°More beautiful than the Holy Maiden and the Princess? Is there such a beauty in our Eastern Kingdom? Howe I don¡¯t know about it?¡± Cheng Lu obviously didn¡¯t believe him.

    Zhanyue said, ¡°It¡¯s the illumination Goddess. She¡¯s ten times more beautiful than this Holy Maiden.¡±

    Cheng Lu rolled his eyes at Zhanyue, saying exasperatedly, ¡°The features of that Goddess statue aren¡¯t even clear. If we go by the description in ¡®The Legend of the illumination Goddess¡¯, the Goddess is the most beautiful being in the world. Everyone knows that. But you¡¯re talking as if you¡¯ve seen her in person.¡±

    ¡°Shh, they¡¯reing over. Stop talking,¡± their idle chat ended there.

    ¡°Greetings, Your Holiness. I apologize for any inadequacies in Sun City¡¯s preparations,¡± Zhan Yunfei said politely. The Holy Light Maiden held a special status across the entire World.

    ¡°We came on a secret visit, it was sudden. We¡¯re the ones disturbing you, Uncle Zhan,¡± the Holy Maiden¡¯s voice was still melodious. ¡°This visit is only to conduct a sacrificial ceremony, at my request.¡±

    Sun City was said to be the hometown of the illumination Goddess, making the Goddess statue here particrly significant. It made sense for the Holy Light Maiden to conduct a ceremony here.

    ¡°A ceremony? Your Holiness, are youing of age?¡± Zhan Yunfei asked in surprise. In this world, people were considered adults at the equivalent of twenty years old. This meant the Holy Maiden before them had just turned twenty.

    The Holy Maiden nodded, then said, ¡°Uncle Zhan, please call me Lixi. After all, you were once my grandfather¡¯s student.¡± The Holy Light Maiden¡¯s full name was Mumu Lixi, a descendant of the Mumu n. The Mumu n was known as the nation¡¯s bulwark in the Rising Sun Kingdom, second only to the royal family in status.

    ¡°Alright, Lixi. Your grandfather didn¡¯t apany you on this trip?¡± Zhan Yunfei asked, puzzled why his teacher hadn¡¯te along, given that this was his most beloved granddaughter¡¯sing-of-age ceremony.

    ¡°Grandfather had urgent matters and left midway. He should catch up soon,¡± Lixi exined.

    ¡°I see.¡± Zhan Yunfei invited everyone into the courtyard. Before entering, Mumu Lixi nced slightly at Zhanyue, seeming to recognize him as the soldier who had stopped to save the child earlier. But there was no connection between them, and Zhanyue didn¡¯t even know she had looked at him.

    In a certain cave, the mysterious being known as the Night Lord wore a slightly angry expression.

    ¡°Blood Throat disobeyed my orders? He didn¡¯te back?¡±

    The red-eyed raven, perched on the chair, exined, ¡°Blood Throat originally just wanted to cause some minor trouble in Sun City, but things changed. The Holy Light Maiden suddenly appeared in Sun City. This might be a good opportunity to annoy them. Blood Throat is also eager to make merits. Please forgive him, Night Lord!¡±

    ¡°The Holy Light Maiden? It would be wonderful if we could eliminate the Holy Light Maiden. But isn¡¯t there a Spirit God level expert guarding her? With Blood Throat¡¯s quasi-Spirit level strength, he might end up losing more than he gains,¡± the Night Lord worried.

    ¡°Your Majesty, that Spirit God level expert has temporarily left for reasons unknown to us. Currently, the strongest in Sun City are Golden Lion Kieran and Eagle King Zhan Yunfei. The Puppeteer has already gone to help Blood Throat. This is the best chance to eliminate the Holy Light Maiden,¡± the red-eyed raven exined.

    The Night Lord sneered, ¡°You¡¯re underestimating others too much. Well, although your n is unlikely to seed, it¡¯s good if we can annoy them a bit. Tell those two to prioritize preserving their strength. Whether the Holy Light Maiden dies or not doesn¡¯t matter much. After all, even the Nightmare race isn¡¯t as concerned as we are. They probably have some ns we don¡¯t know about.¡±

 Chapter 12: The Ceremony

    Chapter 12: The Ceremony

    The lively banquet in the City Lord¡¯s mansion had nothing to do with low-level soldiers like Zhanyue and hispanions. After standing guard for a day, they could finally have a good rest.

    The military garrison was not far from the City Lord¡¯s mansion. Since there was still a guard mission tomorrow, the soldiers didn¡¯t dare to drink.

    ¡°By the way, Captain Cheng, what realm are you in?¡± Zhanyue asked while holding amb leg and eating heartily. Today¡¯s food was really good.

    ¡°I¡¯m at the eighth stage of Soul Control, at the door of the Profound Realm,¡± Cheng Lu said, then patted Zhanyue¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t rush. As long as you¡¯re willing to work hard in cultivation, you still have a chance to enter the Profound Realm in this life.¡±

    In the Myriad Spirits Realm, cultivation begins with the contract object, divided into Spirit Contract Realm, Spirit Communication Realm, and Soul Control Realm, which are the Three Mortal Realms. Each realm is further divided into nine stages, which is the realm where the vast majority of contractors are. Breaking through the Mortal Realms, there are Star Profound Realm, Moon Profound Realm, and Sun Profound Realm, which are the Three Profound Realms. People at these realms are also called Profound Beings and have a high status. Profound Beings have a big characteristic ¨C they possess a contract space and can put their contract object into the contract space, but of course, it¡¯s limited to storing the contract object, not other things.

    Beyond the Profound Realms is the Spirit God Realm. People at this realm can be called deities and are extremely rare among the entire human race. The ability they possess is flight without relying on external objects.

    ¡°Then what realm is the Eldest Princess of our Eastern Kingdom?¡± Zhanyue still couldn¡¯t forget that ck-haired straight ponytail big sister princess riding a red dragon.

    ¡°The princess should be at the peak of the Sun Profound Realm, but because she is a powerful dragon contractor, coupled with her contract beast, she has strengthparable to the Spirit God Realm. Just a few days ago, we received news that the Blood Moon Demon Lord, ranked 11th among the 99 demons under the Night Lord, was killed by the princess. He was a powerful existence at the eighth stage of the Sun Profound Realm and was also very skilled in formations. A favored child of heaven like the princess naturally can¡¯t bepared to us. By the way, what is your contract object and what ability do you have? I don¡¯t know yet.¡± Cheng Lu looked at Zhanyue curiously.

    Zhanyue didn¡¯t hide it and showed Cheng Lu the ¡®me gem¡¯ in the palm of his boxing glove. ¡°Look, it¡¯s this fire-attribute gem.¡± Then Zhanyue threw out a punch, which directly carried intense mes. Cheng Lu¡¯s eyes lit up and he praised, ¡°You¡¯re quite lucky. Although you¡¯re just a misceneous contractor, you can also master a certain elemental power. Look at mine.¡± Cheng Lu was seen taking out a dagger from his waist. The dagger was all fiery red, forged from zing steel. With a swing of the dagger, a trail of fire light was left in the air, also possessing the power of ¡®fire¡¯.

    ¡°Although we contractors are not proper spirit contractors, we have also mastered a small part of their abilities, which is already much more powerful than other contractors. It¡¯s also because of this reason that I became the captain of the Fledgling Eagle Squad while still in the Soul Control Realm,¡± Cheng Lu exined. He looked at Zhanyue with increasing fondness, after all, the two of them could chat and had simr abilities.

    It¡¯s not only spirit contractors who can master elemental powers. Some other contractors can also obtain them from their contract objects, but they are also rtively rare. Although Zhanyue was disguised as a ¡®misceneous contractor¡¯, having the ability of mes already made him extraordinary.

    ¡°Many people¡¯s abilities are very special. You can¡¯t underestimate any contractor. For example, a friend of mine only contracted a backpack, but that backpack can hold as many supplies as a small mountain. He directly became the core figure of the logistics department and is a treasure in the eyes of the city lord. A few experts were specially assigned to protect him,¡± Cheng Lu sighed with emotion.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that backpack like a spatial treasure?¡± Zhanyue asked in surprise. He had read in books that this world indeed had treasures like spatial rings, but the refining method had long been lost. Very few existed in the world, and each was worth a fortune. That backpack contractor was equivalent to having a spatial ring, no wonder the city lord would regard him as a treasured person.

    ¡°That¡¯s right, so there¡¯s always someone better. Don¡¯t easily define others based on being a misceneous contractor or weapon contractor. After bing a contractor, we cultivate by connecting to heaven and earth through our contract object. By the way, what cultivation method do you practice?¡± Cheng Lu asked.

    ¡°Cultivation method? I¡­ I don¡¯t have a cultivation method. Is a cultivation method necessary for cultivation?¡± Zhanyue asked in return.

    ¡°It¡¯s not necessary, but a cultivation method can greatly improve a person¡¯s cultivation efficiency. Some cultivation methods can also guide the way your power circtes, allowing you to fully exert your strength. My father left me a ¡®Spirit Infusion Method¡¯, although it¡¯s only white-grade, it¡¯s still very rare. Unfortunately, the family rules stipte that it can¡¯t be passed on to outsiders.¡± Cultivation methods are divided into nine grades from low to high: white, green, blue, purple, orange, red, gold, rainbow, and divine. However, it is impossible to directly see what grade of cultivation method one practices. The grading of cultivation methods has a special institution in the Myriad Spirits Realm. Cultivation methods that have not been graded are called ¡®ck-grade¡¯. High-grade cultivation methods are extremely rare in the world. It¡¯s possible for a Spirit God level powerhouse to only possess one or two orange-grade cultivation methods. As for divine-grade cultivation methods, ording to the records of the ¡®Heaven Viewing Tower¡¯, only seven sets have appeared in history, four of which are now lost.

    ¡°Let¡¯s rest early. We still have to stand guard for a day tomorrow. The Holy Maiden chose our Sun City for the Goddess Statue sacrificial ceremony. It¡¯s said that Sun City is the hometown of the Goddess, but I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s true or false. After all, it¡¯s been several thousand years,¡± Cheng Luined.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know either. Or I¡¯ll find the Goddess and ask her in a few days?¡± Zhanyue joked.

    ¡°Get out of here. Don¡¯t joke about the Goddess. Be careful or you¡¯ll be used of the crime of disrespect. You should know that walls have ears. Some words can¡¯t be said casually,¡± Cheng Lu reminded, then yawned and left.

    The next day, when the sunlight shone on the huge Goddess Statue, the sacred Goddess Statue watched this ancient city unchanged for a thousand years in the sunlight. The square below had long been under martialw. Zhanyue and the others stood on one side of the square maintaining order.

    The Sun Knight Regiment entered the venue first andid out a red carpet. Then the cavalry dismounted and lined up on both sides of the red carpet. They held up their cavalry spears, crossing to form an arch.

    Under everyone¡¯s gaze, the golden-haired Holy Maiden, dressed in formal attire, slowly walked over. She stepped onto the red carpet alone and walked towards the statue along the direction of the red carpet. She closed her eyes, hands sped together, praying. Today was the day she came of age, but her wish could only be told to the Goddess.

    ¡°Goddess, please bless that the toxin in my body can be resolved as soon as possible, so you won¡¯t have to worry about me anymore. Also¡­ I hope I can be free like a bird, even if only for three days¡­ no¡­ even one day is fine, just one day¡­¡±

    The crowd watched this holy Holy Maiden, thinking she was praying for blessings for humanity, not knowing what was in her heart. The identity of the Holy Light Maiden had bound her since her awakening. If possible, she would rather be an ordinary person, go wherever she wanted to go, without a bunch of people surrounding her, a bunch of people guarding her, and without implicating others. But she was also afraid of her grandfather¡¯s disappointed eyes, so she had been working hard in cultivation since she was a child, trying to meet her grandfather¡¯s requirements.

    Eagle King Zhan Yunfei and Golden Lion Kieran, two powerhouses at the ninth stage of True Profound Realm, half a step into Spirit God Realm, didn¡¯t dare to be negligent at this moment. They vigntly watched the surroundings from the viewing tform on the side to prevent any idents.

    However, at this time, a signal re suddenly burst in the clear sky, in the direction of the illumination Tower.

    ¡°Someone is attacking the illumination Tower?¡± Zhan Yunfei frowned. Sun City¡¯s troops werergely deployed near the Goddess Statue, and the illumination Tower was the most empty at the moment.

    ¡°Brother Zhan, you go and take a look. I¡¯ll handle things here,¡± Kieran said.

    The eagle circled in the sky and quickly brought back intelligence.

    ¡°It¡¯s Blood Throat breaking into the illumination Tower. The tower holds arge amount of illumination Stones that can¡¯t be taken by him. The guards protecting the tower are no match for him. I have to go.¡± Zhan Yunfei shed and jumped onto the giant eagle¡¯s back, flying straight towards the illumination Tower.

    ¡°Blood Throat, the 4th seat among the 99 demons under the Night Lord?¡± Golden Lion Kieran frowned. He didn¡¯t expect the Night Lord¡¯s people to cause trouble for Sun City at this time. He didn¡¯t dare to be negligent and looked at the sacrificial ceremony below even more vigntly.

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s snowing?¡± Suddenly, many white things fell from the sky. At first nce, they seemed like snow, but upon closer look, they were thumb-sized white paper people, scattering and covering the entire ceremony venue.

 Chapter 13: Three Deadly Arrows

    Chapter 13: Three Deadly Arrows

    ¡°Be careful! Something¡¯s up with these things!¡± Young Commander Xiongxin said, looking at the ¡®snowkes¡¯ covering the sky. The Sun Knight Regiment, true to their elite status, immediately became vignt and prepared for defense.

    These paper scraps were very light and showed no peculiarities. A knight thrust his spear at one, but it eerily dodged, as if any slight air movement could disrupt its trajectory.

    ¡°Don¡¯t let these things get near Her Holiness the Holy Maiden!¡± Soon, a squad of cavalry surrounded the Holy Maiden. They all held up round shields and gripped theirnces, eyes fixed on the sky.

    ¡°Damn, there are too many of these ghost things!¡± Endless paper figures danced randomly, attaching themselves to the soldiers and knights below.

    The Holy Maiden¡¯s eyes showed no panic, just calmly observing everything before her. Suddenly, the knights guarding her began to fight among themselves.

    ¡°Tom, what are you doing?!¡± An elite knight dodged a sudden attack.

    ¡°Jerry I can¡¯t control my body!¡± Another knight said. In an instant, the square descended into chaos.

    Young Commander Xiongxin tried to run over to protect the Holy Maiden but found himself blocked by more than ten subordinates. His contract object was the golden armor he wore, which gave him extremely powerful defense, known as the ¡®Sun Shield¡¯. The mysterious armor emitted a spiritual light that prevented the paper figures from approaching, so he wasn¡¯t controlled. But at this moment, he was caught in a bitter fight. The elite of the Sun Knight Regiment had surrounded him, striking deadly blows. He was the enemy¡¯s primary attack target.

    ¡°Damn it, a bunch of useless fools!¡± Xiongxin cursed angrily, but he couldn¡¯t bring himself to kill his own men. Commander Golden Lion Kieran, watching all this from a high building, finally moved. ¡°Golden Fang, protect the Holy Maiden. I¡¯ll go deal with the mastermind behind this.¡±

    After giving orders to his contract lion, Kieran stepped onto the railing and leaped. The armor on his body burst with air currents, propelling him into flight. Below the Spirit God Realm, people couldn¡¯t fly freely and had to rely on external forces, like flying contract beasts, or Kieran¡¯s flying power armor. However, this armor was extremely expensive, with only Kieran in the entire Sun Knight Regiment wearing it, and its flight speed and duration were quite average.

    Flying to the top of the Goddess Statue¡¯s head, Kieran finally found the enemy. It was a womanpletely wrapped in a ck robe, with half her face exposed, showing seductive red lips. Behind her was a pair of snow-white wings, like angel wings, but upon closer inspection, the wings were not made of feathers, butyer uponyer of paper figures that could drag her in flight.

    ¡°Puppeteer! It really is you!¡± Kieran recognized his enemy, the 9th seat among the Night Lord¡¯s 99 demons ¨C the Puppeteer.

    ¡°Lord Golden Lion, why aren¡¯t you protecting the Holy Maiden? Whye up here to find me?¡± the Puppeteer mocked.

    ¡°To catch thieves, first catch their king. Eliminating you will naturally break this paper demon magic!¡± Kieran didn¡¯t want to trade words and directly threw a punch. His fist roared like a lion in a jungle sending the Puppeteer flying. The woman adjusted her posture in the air, using the power of her wings to stabilize. Then, thousands of paper dolls formed about a dozen angel-like monsters that fiercely attacked Kieran.

    On the ground, the knights controlled by the Puppeteer were entangled inbat with each other. Being of simr strength, there were no casualties yet. The knights originally guarding the Holy Maiden suddenly turned to attack her. At the critical moment, a huge figure descended from the sky, sweeping away the surrounding cavalry with a turn and a tail swipe ¨C it was the lion Golden Fang, arriving on orders.

    Holy Maiden Lixi¡¯s palms burst with light, erecting a golden light barrier that blocked the paper figures, preventing them from approaching.

    The scene had long since descended into chaos. Some paper scraps had stealthily attached to Zhanyue¡¯s back, but the gem in his palm suddenly lit up, burning the paper figure to ashes. So these paper figures were ineffective against him, but the surrounding soldiers were out of control. For a time, Zhanyue was forced to flee in all directions.

    ¡°It¡¯s all chaos, our own people are fighting each other. What should we do?¡± Zhanyue saw another patch of paper figures approaching and suddenly threw out a punch, directly burning the paper figures.

    ¡°These paper figures aren¡¯t afraid of physical attacks, but they fear mes. Quickly use fire!¡± Zhanyue shouted. The people around naturally heard his voice, but it was a bit toote, as many had already been controlled.

    Zhanyue frowned. He discovered an absolutely safe ce ¨C the area guarded by the lion Golden Fang. No matter how these knights attacked, they were easily repelled. There were no enemies near the Holy Maiden.

    ¡°I need to get over there! Otherwise, I might die in this chaotic battle.¡± Zhanyue was well aware of his own strength. If these knightsunched an attack on him, he couldn¡¯t resist at all. He was too weak now. It was also because he was so weak that those being controlled didn¡¯t target him as a priority. Being weak had its advantages, at least in terms of low aggro.

    Rolling and crawling, he made his way to Golden Fang¡¯s side in an extremely disheveled state. The lion was about to swat him away with a paw.

    ¡°Golden Fang! Let him in. He¡¯ll surely die out there. There have already been casualties. We should save whoever we can,¡± the Holy Maidenmanded. She was finally showing some anxiety. The Sun Knights were fully armed and powerful, so there were no casualties among them for the moment, but other Sun City soldiers and some civilians who had gotten too close to watch the excitement and couldn¡¯t escape in time were in trouble. Over a dozen people had already been injured or killed.

    ¡°These paper figures fear mes,¡± Zhanyue said to the beautiful Holy Maiden beside him, full of gratitude. This was the second time she had helped him.

    ¡°I know, but those who can use mes have already been controlled. Your strength is low, yet you haven¡¯t been possessed. That¡¯s quite impressive,¡± the Holy Maiden looked at Zhanyue. By her side was currently the safest ce.

    ¡°Senior Lion, can you grab that person over here?!¡± Zhanyue observed the battle situation, pondering ways to break the deadlock. He was pointing at his captain, Cheng Lu, who had been possessed and was now iling about, participating in the group beating of Xiongxin.

    ¡°Do as he says,¡± the Holy Maiden ordered.

    Golden Fang nodded, then swung its tail, extending it dozens of meters to bind Cheng Lu and drag him over. It wasn¡¯t worried about Young Commander Xiongxin¡¯s safety, after all, as the ¡®Sun Shield¡¯, Xiongxin would be thest to die. Letting him share some of the pressure over there was fine.

    Zhanyue threw a punch at Cheng Lu¡¯s back as he was dragged over, burning the paper figure. Cheng Lu instantly regained his freedom.

    ¡°Captain, these paper figures are afraid of mes,¡± Zhanyue said.

    Cheng Lu immediately understood. His me dagger unsheathed, curling up waves of mes as he charged out. He was much stronger than Zhanyue, not only higher in realm but also with much morebat experience. Soon, he had burned off the paper dolls on many Sun Knights.

    Shortly after, another Sun Knight who could use me power also regained his freedom and joined the battle. In an instant, the situation on the battlefield changed dramatically. Once they knew these things feared fire, everything became manageable.

    Seeing the changes below, the Puppeteer knew her n had failed. Blood Throat suddenly detonated a signal re, indicating he couldn¡¯t hold on any longer. Sun City¡¯s defenses were extremely strong, and Blood Throat hadn¡¯t been able to distract them for long. Once Eagle King Zhan Yunfei arrived, she would likely be in grave danger if surrounded by two powerful experts.

    ¡°Trying to run?¡± Kieran seemed to sense the opponent¡¯s fear, putting more force into his fists, shattering the paper doll puppets in front of him with one punch.

    Outside Sun City, on a distant high mountain, a one-eyed man took out a bow from behind him. He drew the bow to a full moon and shot three arrows in session. These three arrows directly drained his power; he could only shoot these three life-taking arrows once a day. There was an eye growing on the tail feathers of these arrows, as if alive.

    Sun City¡¯s defense formation immediately sensed the approaching arrows, but while the defense formation was very effective against the Nightmare race, it was much less so against human methods. After being weakened by the defense formation, the three arrows were still ferocious.

    Golden Lion Kieran felt his mind blur, sensing an approaching crisis. He roared angrily, his aura shaking space, a lion¡¯s phantom image covering his body. He saw the iing arrows. The first arrow went straight for Kieran, knocking him out of the sky with one shot. Although it couldn¡¯t kill Kieran, it was enough. This arrow was to clear the way for the Puppeteer¡¯s escape. The Puppeteer seized this opportunity to flee.

    The second arrow went towards the lion Golden Fang. Golden Fang didn¡¯t have Kieran¡¯s level of protection and was directly sted dozens of meters away by the arrow, leaving the Holy Maiden¡¯s front unguarded.

    The third arrow, also the strongest, went straight for the Holy Maiden. The power of this arrow was enough to level an area of ten meters radius.

    ¡°It¡¯s over!¡± Zhanyue watched this divine arrow like heavenly punishment, fear welling up in his heart. The arrow meant to kill the Holy Maiden would undoubtedly obliterate him as a side effect. The safest ce had be the most dangerous.

    At this critical moment, the Holy Maiden finally moved. She grabbed Zhanyue¡¯s wrist, and a mysterious formation appeared under her feet. As a crystal on the ne around her neck shattered, the two of them instantly disappeared from the spot. This iparable arrow hit nothing, only sting a ten-meter crater where they had been.

    ¡°The Three Life-Taking Arrows¡­ The 1st seat among the Night Lord¡¯s 99 demons ¨C Demon Bow Huoxing!¡± Eagle King Zhan Yunfei, who was rushing back, turned pale.

    However, Huoxing didn¡¯t rashly appear in the city. He was only here to cover Blood Throat and the Puppeteer¡¯s retreat, and to see if there was a chance to kill the Holy Maiden. This was the Night Lord¡¯s temporary arrangement.

 Chapter 14: Holding Hands

    Chapter 14: Holding Hands

    Eagle King Zhan Yunfeinded beside Commander Kieran, still shaken. Kieran stood up awkwardly, with traces of blood at the corners of his mouth. Demon Bow Huoxing¡¯s strength was too terrifying, nearly at the Spirit God level. Even though the Three Life-Taking Arrows were shot from extremely far away and weakened by the protective barrier, they still severely injured the Golden Lion Commander.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Zhan Yunfei wasn¡¯t injured; Blood Throat¡¯s strength was close to his, and he had subordinates assisting him.

    The Sun Knight Regiment had now restored order. Except for a few injuries, there were no casualties among them. This was due to their own strong abilities and heavy armor protection. However, the Sun City soldiers responsible for maintaining order and some civilians weren¡¯t so lucky ¨C dozens were dead or injured.

    ¡°I never expected that it would be human traitors, not the Nightmare race, who would try to kill Her Holiness. Night Lord¡­ Night Lord!¡± Zhan Yunfei said through gritted teeth. They hadn¡¯t imagined the Night Lord would be so ruthless as to attack the Holy Maiden,pletely disregarding his human identity.

    ¡°If Wind Lord were here, they wouldn¡¯t dare to be so arrogant. Blood Throat, Puppeteer, and Demon Bow ¨C I¡¯ll remember this grudge, hmph!¡± Kieran said angrily. The Wind Lord he mentioned was Mumu Xingyun, the Spirit God level expert originally guarding the Holy Maiden, who was also her grandfather. But he seemed to have encountered something very important midway and had to leave temporarily.

    ¡°Father¡­ where did the Holy Maiden teleport to?¡± Young Commander Xiongxin hurriedly came to Kieran¡¯s side, asking anxiously.

    ¡°The Holy Maiden has a spatial stone given by Wind Lord. It will teleport Her Holiness to a random location, possibly thousands of miles away. I don¡¯t know where she is, but Wind Lord left a mark on the Holy Maiden, so he can sense her location. When he returns, he can naturally bring her back,¡± Kieran exined.

    ¡°But now the Holy Maiden has no guards around her. Isn¡¯t that very dangerous?¡± Xiongxin worried.

    ¡°We don¡¯t know her location, and others know even less. But we can¡¯t just wait stupidly. You lead some people to the surrounding human cities to wait. She should be able to find those cities. I hope the City Lord can also help out,¡± Kieran requested. Zhan Yunfei nodded and immediately sent out soldiers to search, while also releasing his contract eagle beast to search from the air. ¡°I¡¯ll contact the city lords of the areas surrounding Sun City and ask them to keep an eye out as well.¡±

    ¡°Her Holiness¡¯s own strength shouldn¡¯t be underestimated. Xiongxin, don¡¯t worry too much,¡± Kieran patted Xiongxin¡¯s shoulder. He knew his son¡¯s thoughts, but unfortunately, the Holy Maiden¡¯s special status made her unsuitable for his son. If he could break through to the Spirit God Realm, there might be a tiny chance due to his father¡¯s status, but the Spirit God Realm was the difference between humans and gods. Experts stuck at this step were as numerous as clouds and rain. Several princes in the Rising Sun Kingdom were pursuing the Holy Maiden, after all, besides her unique status, her family was also an extremely powerful political force.

    Holy Maiden Lixi and Zhanyue were randomly teleported by the spatial gem to a desert. That arrow was not something the newlye-of-age Holy Maiden could withstand, so she had no choice but to use her life-saving measure, taking Zhanyue with her.

    The Myriad Spirits Realm was vast but very deste. Humans mainly gathered around illumination Towers, and ces beyond the reach of illumination Towers were sparsely popted. However, they weren¡¯tpletely uninhabited, as there were other ways to deal with Nightmares besides illumination Towers, though illumination Towers were the most effective and cost-efficient.

    ¡°Where are we?¡± Zhanyue looked around in confusion. At the moment they were about to be annihted, the Holy Maiden had teleported away with him.

    The Holy Maiden, her pretty face also showing confusion, shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know either. The teleportation gem is random. Directional teleportation items are legendary objects, which I don¡¯t have.¡± She suddenly realized she was still holding Zhanyue¡¯s wrist and quickly let go.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to,¡± the Holy Maiden suddenly apologized.

    Zhanyue looked confused ¨C what had she done to apologize to him? He soon got his answer as frost immediately formed on the wrist the Holy Maiden had gripped, a cold sensation pricking his skin like needles. However, the frost quickly receded, and Zhanyue¡¯s wrist returned to normal.

    ¡°This¡­ how is this possible?!¡± The Holy Maiden looked at Zhanyue¡¯s instantly healed wrist, her star-like eyes full of disbelief. Her surprised expression was equally cute.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Zhanyue had no idea what had happened. What was that frost about? And why was the Holy Maiden so shocked?

    ¡°Stretch out one finger,¡± Lixi said, bing interested.

    Zhanyue extended his right hand, putting his index finger in front of Lixi. Lixi carefully stretched out her own finger and touched Zhanyue¡¯s fingertip.

    The skin where they touched quickly frosted over, but in an instant, the frost receded.

    ¡°What is this?¡± Lixi muttered. Even her grandfather couldn¡¯t dispel this cold so quickly. Zhanyue seemed to be only at the beginning of the Spirit Contract Realm; by rights, it should take him two or three days to dispel this cold poison. Could he be hiding his true abilities? The more Lixi thought, the more suspicious she became, and she quickly retreated far away.

    ¡°Tell me, who exactly are you? Why are you approaching me? Saving a child on the street to attract my attention, being immune to the paper figures¡¯ possession under the Goddess Statue, and now not fearing the cold poison in my body. Who are you really?¡± Lixi asked seriously, ready for battle.

    ¡°You¡­¡± Zhanyue was at a loss. ¡°How would I know? I didn¡¯t do it on purpose.¡± Zhanyue also found it ridiculous how he kept getting involved with this woman when everything was just coincidence.

    ¡°Still not telling the truth.¡± A small staff appeared in Lixi¡¯s hand, and with just one beam of light, Zhanyue couldn¡¯t keep his eyes open. Then the end of the staff was pressed against Zhanyue¡¯s throat. If Lixi wished, this strike could pierce Zhanyue¡¯s neck.

    ¡°This reaction doesn¡¯t seem fake.¡± Lixi was very puzzled. Zhanyue¡¯s strength was indeed very poor, but how could she exin all these weird happenings then?

    ¡°Hmph, now that we¡¯ve escaped danger, let¡¯s part ways here.¡± Lixi turned and left. She still felt she should stay away from Zhanyue; this person was too strange. If there really was some plot, she didn¡¯t know how to guard against it. She couldn¡¯t just kill him, could she?

    Watching Lixi¡¯s retreating figure, Zhanyue felt a burst of anger. He really wanted to catch up and give her backside a couple of smacks. Did he really look that much like a bad person? ¡°Hmph, if we¡¯re separating, then we¡¯re separating. Who wants to walk with you anyway.¡±

    The two walked in opposite directions, but neither of them knew the way.

    Back to walking alone, trudging on the scorching ground, surrounded by yellow as far as the eye could see, with only asional bits of green nts. Tired, hungry, and thirsty was Zhanyue¡¯s current state.

    ¡°How big is this desert¡­¡± After walking for a long, long time without leaving the desert, Zhanyue finally began to panic, until the sun set and the temperature dropped instantly. Butpared to the cold, Zhanyue feared heat more. The cool wind cleared his drowsy head somewhat.

    As night fell, no one would dare to be alone in such a desert at night, let alone an ordinary Spirit Contract Realm contractor. Soon, Zhanyue experienced the terror of the Myriad Spirits Realm¡¯s night.

    Ghost cries echoed in his ears, the night wind cutting like knives against his skin. The environment was already extremely harsh, but it wasn¡¯t until Zhanyue saw dozens of pairs of glowing green eyes that he truly despaired.

    A wolf pack! And not just any wolf pack ¨C these wolves were either skeletal or missing limbs, some even with half a head. This was a pack of undead wolves!

    ¡°Nightmares!¡± Seeing real Nightmares for the first time, Zhanyue was shocked to the core. Nightmares were spiritual beings that couldn¡¯t exist in physical form, so they possessed the corpses of various animals. One Nightmare was enough to give someone a headache, let alone dozens!

    Killing people, devouring souls, then upying their corpses to continue harming others ¨C this was the Nightmares¡¯ way of survival.

    ¡°Get back!¡± Facing a lunging undead wolf, Zhanyue threw a punch. The fire was especially visible in the night, but it only knocked the undead wolf back without causing any real damage.

    ¡°Damn it too weak. Even if I use the power of light, I can¡¯t handle these monsters.¡± Zhanyue broke out in a cold sweat. Even if he revealed his full strength, he couldn¡¯t defeat these enemies. This was the third time he had faced a life-or-death crisis sinceing to this world less than a month ago. The Myriad Spirits Realm was terrifyingly dangerous. ¡°State reversal isn¡¯t worth jack shit in this situation!¡±

    In the midst of crisis, a beam of light descended from the sky. Dozens of light orbs chased after the undead corpses, entangling with them. Finally, all the Nightmares were destroyed by these light orbs, and the wolf corpses returned to being motionless bodies.

    ¡°You¡­¡± Zhanyue hadn¡¯t expected the one appearing before him to be that annoying Holy Maiden. Had she been following him all along?

    Zhanyue¡¯s guess wasn¡¯t wrong. Lixi hadn¡¯t actually gone far, but had been following Zhanyue. She was both worried about Zhanyue having some scheme and afraid of misjudging him. If Zhanyue really was just an ordinary contractor, he would definitely not survive walking out of the desert. When she confirmed once again that Zhanyue was indeed just a small fry at the Spirit Contract Realm, she finally couldn¡¯t help but intervene. After all, everything stemmed from her ¨C whether it was that arrow or this wolf pack, they weren¡¯t aimed at Zhanyue, but he had been implicated because of her.

    After destroying the wolf pack, the Holy Maiden¡¯s face turned pale, as if she had overexerted her power.

    ¡°Let¡¯s leave quickly. We need to get out of this desert as soon as possible. If I¡¯m not mistaken, we might be in the ¡®Sunset Desert¡¯. There might be powerful Nightmares here,¡± the Holy Maiden urged.

    ¡°Are you okay? You look exhausted,¡± Zhanyue asked with concern. His life was now tied to this woman¡¯s; if she died, he would be finished too.

    The Holy Maiden wore a jade bracelet on her wrist, which was now shing with blue light. Zhanyue remembered that when he saw the bracelet during the day, it was red.

    ¡°I can¡¯t use too much power, otherwise I can¡¯t suppress the cold poison in my body,¡± the Holy Maiden said with a difficult expression. If they had teleported to a rtively safe ce, it would have been fine, but they were now in a famous death zone ¨C the Sunset Desert. As she spoke, the Holy Maiden could no longer run, her whole body shivering with cold.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Zhanyue felt very distressed seeing her condition.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. This had nothing to do with you originally, but now you¡¯ll die here because of me. The Nightmare pack we just encountered wasn¡¯t ordinary. Destroying them used too much of my power, and I can¡¯t suppress the cold poison in my body anymore. I can¡¯t move,¡± the Holy Maiden said with a guilty expression.

    ¡°This¡­ we can¡¯t just sit here waiting to die. I¡¯ll support you!¡± Zhanyue put his arm around the Holy Maiden and started to walk forward. Her body fragrance was quite noticeable, but Zhanyue¡¯s focus wasn¡¯t on that right now.

    ¡°Don¡¯t touch me, you¡¯ll freeze to death!¡± the Holy Maiden hurriedly tried to break free, but with her greatly reduced strength, she couldn¡¯t escape Zhanyue¡¯s grip. The expected oue of Zhanyue freezing to death didn¡¯t ur. The cold from the Holy Maiden¡¯s body instantly receded, and instead, a warmth from Zhanyue¡¯s body spread through the Holy Maiden. The Holy Maiden found that the cold poison in her body was instantly suppressed, and her strength returned.

    She pushed Zhanyue away, her face flushed red, but when she left Zhanyue¡¯s side, the cold poison instantly surged back.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on? I can¡¯t just stick to him all the time, can I?¡± Holy Maiden Lixi was very embarrassed. She wanted Zhanyue to help her suppress the cold poison but didn¡¯t know how to ask.

    ¡°Your hand,¡± Lixi said boldly, seeming to gather all her courage.

    ¡°Uh.¡± Zhanyue extended his hand and was gripped by the Holy Maiden. He only felt that her hand was ice-cold yet soft.

    Lixi felt a special power transmitted from Zhanyue to herself, and the cold poison in her body was suppressed again.

    Fortunately, in the darkness of night, Zhanyue couldn¡¯t see her blushing face. Lixi felt her heart racing, but she still curiously asked, ¡°Do you really not know about the cold poison in my body? Why does it get suppressed whenever I¡¯m close to you?¡±

    Zhanyue was naturally clueless, only seeing that the Holy Maiden had suddenly taken his hand, and the bracelet on her wrist had changed from blue back to a red glow, very noticeable in the dark night.

    ¡°Cold poison? You¡¯ll have to tell me what that is first, then maybe I can know the answer. Secret for secret, fair enough, right?¡± Zhanyue asked in return.

 Chapter 15: Sunset Castle

    Chapter 15: Sunset Castle

    ¡°When I awakened as a light contractor, I was attacked by the Nightmare race. Although my grandfather was by my side protecting me, the enemy was incredibly cunning, and I was still inflicted with cold poison. This poison makes my cultivation progress extremely slow, and if I consume too much light power, I¡¯ll instantly be struck back by the cold poison, losing my ability to move. This cold poison also prevents me from approaching other living beings. Anyone or any creature I touch will be invaded and frozen by the cold poison. Even someone as strong as my grandfather can¡¯t resist it.¡±

    At this point, Lixi nced at Zhanyue, wondering why he wasn¡¯t afraid of her cold poison.

    ¡°I see. No wonder it¡¯s said that the Nightmare race never attacks you. It seems they¡¯re very confident in their cold poison, believing you can¡¯t grow up to be a second illumination Goddess,¡± Zhanyue nodded, his previous doubts instantly cleared.

    Lixi looked dejected. ¡°Grandfather has tried countless methods for my cold poison, but none have had much effect. He only managed to obtain a divine jade that can slightly suppress the intensity of the cold poison. It¡¯s this bracelet on my hand. When the bracelet turns blue, it means it¡¯s working to suppress the cold poison.¡±

    Zhanyue looked at the bracelet on her wrist, which was now quite red, as the cold poison in her body had been suppressed.

    ¡°Is there really no other way?¡± Zhanyue asked further. If the Holy Light Maiden couldn¡¯t grow up, it would be a huge loss for humanity.

    ¡°Grandfather says there¡¯s probably only one thing in the world that can cure the cold poison in my body,¡± Lixi sighed.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Zhanyue asked curiously.

    ¡°The Sun God Crown!¡± Lixi answered. ¡°The Sun God Crown was the illumination Goddess¡¯s treasure, always worn on her head. It disappeared from the world soon after the Goddess fell. My prayer at the Goddess Statue this time was just hoping for the Goddess¡¯s blessing to find the Sun God Crown.¡± Zhanyue suddenly understood. So the crown on the illumination Goddess¡¯s head was the Sun God Crown, and the gem from that crown was now in his possession. No wonder he could suppress the cold poison in Lixi¡¯s body. That exined it! But he dared not tell the truth to the girl before him. Firstly, this gem was rted to his biggest secret. Secondly, even if he gave this gem to Lixi, it would be useless, because the owner of this gem was the illumination Goddess, and he could only activate this gem due to special reasons. In Lixi¡¯s hands, it would probably just be an ordinary stone.

    Zhanyue extended his hand, and a me floated in his palm. ¡°Although I¡¯m not a fire contractor, I¡¯ve also mastered the power of fire. Perhaps my me is different?¡±

    Lixi looked at the me, her eyes a bit dazed. The cold poison in her body seemed to indeed fear this me a little.

    ¡°Stop talking, they¡¯reing again,¡± Lixi warned, her face serious.

    The wolf pack they had previously destroyed had surrounded them again. These wolf corpses weren¡¯t the main bodies; after destroying the Nightmares inside them, another batch of Nightmares had possessed them and caught up.

    ¡°It¡¯s up to you now,¡± Zhanyue said sensibly. He couldn¡¯t even beat one wolf.

    Lixi nodded, her staff appearing in her hand. More than ten small suns floated above their heads. Controlling these small suns, the light contractor quickly annihted these wolf beasts. This was something other contractors simply couldn¡¯t do, because the wolf corpses were already dead bodies, and ordinary attacks could hardly harm the possessing Nightmares. If you couldn¡¯t harm the Nightmares, it was meaningless. Only light contractors could so easily destroy them. Unfortunately, for Lixi to grow up, she would probably have to endure many more hardships.

    Having learned a lesson this time, Zhanyue didn¡¯t intend to give them another chance to possess. He walked to the wolf corpses and burned them clean with the fire in his palm.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen such a strong neer at the Spirit Contract Realm. Your mes seem endless, even stronger than fire contractors. How do you do it?¡± Lixi¡¯s star-like eyes examined this enigmatic man.

    ¡°Really? Maybe I¡¯m a genius,¡± Zhanyueughed it off. He had just noticed that he had been too high-profile. Even fire contractors at this level probably couldn¡¯t casually use mes to burn these wolf corpses. He¡¯d have to be more careful in the future.

    ¡°This desert is full of countless buried bones. Burning these wolf packs is just a drop in the bucket. We should hurry on our way,¡± Lixi said, her face turning pale again.

    ¡°Are you okay? Should I hold your hand again?¡± Zhanyue said, looking at the girl in the dim moonlight.

    ¡°Mm,¡± Lixi said softly, her cheeks red. She was just a newlye-of-age girl, how could she be so intimate with a man? But now was not the time to worry about such things, after all, she needed Zhanyue to help her suppress the recurring cold poison in her body.

    ¡°By the way, where did you hide that staff?¡± Zhanyue asked curiously. Every time they fought, Lixi could always pull out that staff, but now it wasn¡¯t in her hand.

    ¡°It¡¯s this ring,¡± Lixi pointed to the ring she wore on her hand. ¡°It can store items up to one cubic meter. Spatial rings are extremely precious. This was given to me by my grandfather.¡±

    ¡°A spatial ring?¡± Zhanyue was very envious, but he knew such things weren¡¯t easy to obtain.

    ¡°I can¡¯t give this to you, otherwise my grandfather will give you trouble,¡± Lixi seemed to see through Zhanyue¡¯s thoughts.

    ¡°Well¡­ I¡¯m not a greedy person. It¡¯s just that you¡¯re covered in treasures. It¡¯s quite dangerous for one person to be out alone like this,¡± Zhanyueughed awkwardly.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you here too? How is that being alone?¡± Lixi smiled.

    ¡°Me? I¡¯m just a burden, holding you back. Besides, what if I¡¯m also a bad guy? You¡¯d be even more doomed. Especially since you¡¯re so beautiful,¡± Zhanyue said to this naive girl. The two were just joking around to ease the current terrifying and silent atmosphere. At this moment, they could only rely on each other. Zhanyue needed Lixi¡¯s power, while Lixi needed Zhanyue to help her suppress the cold poison.

    ¡°I¡¯m not worried about bad guys harassing me. Anyone who touches me will just turn into an ice sculpture. But¡­¡± Lixi trailed off, too embarrassed to continue. If Zhanyue were to harass her, he seemed unafraid of her cold poison, but the current Zhanyue couldn¡¯t beat her anyway.

    ¡°But what? By the way, your grandfather is so powerful, why isn¡¯t he here to protect you?¡± Zhanyue suddenly asked. If this Holy Maiden¡¯s grandfather were here, there wouldn¡¯t be so many idents.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Grandfather left halfway through. It must have been something very important. But he left a mark on me, so he should be able to find us quickly. We just need to hold on until he arrives. He¡¯s very fast,¡± Lixi was very confident in her grandfather¡¯s abilities.

    ¡°Your grandfather is¡­?¡± Zhanyue asked curiously.

    Lixi was surprised that this person didn¡¯t even know her grandfather. The Mumu n was famous across the Myriad Spirits Realm, and as the leader of the Mumu n, Mumu Xingyun was a Spirit God Realm expert, known as the ¡®Wind Lord¡¯, a legendary wind contractor. A Spirit God Realm spirit contractor was a national treasure for any country, not easily mobilized.

    ¡°Sometimes I really wonder where such an odd person like you came from. You couldn¡¯t be from some secret realm, could you?¡± Mumu Lixi asked in return.

    Just like that princess, even the Holy Maiden suspected he was from a secret realm. This was fine, after all, seeing Earth as a secret realm wasn¡¯t much different.

    ¡°That¡¯s right, but I can¡¯t say exactly where I¡¯m from. In any case, I indeed don¡¯t understand this world well enough yet,¡± Zhanyue didn¡¯t deny it.

    ¡°I see,¡± The Holy Maiden was also very curious about the legendary secret realms. There were many secret realms in the Myriad Spirits Realm, and legend had it that some realms hadn¡¯t been invaded by Nightmares, and the people there were incredibly safe and happy.

    In the dim moonlight, a strange ancient castle suddenly appeared before the two.

    ¡°The Sunset Castle¡­ We really are in the Sunset Desert,¡± This Holy Maiden¡¯s geography was very good. ¡°The Sunset Castle during the day has been explored by countless people, but the Sunset Castle at night seems very dangerous. We¡¯d better not go there.¡±

    ¡°Go to the Sunset Castle. That¡¯s your only choice.¡± A voice suddenly appeared in Zhanyue¡¯s mind. It was the illumination Goddess.

    ¡°??? Where are you talking to me from?¡± Zhanyue said excitedly. If the illumination Goddess returned, he wouldn¡¯t need to fear any enemy.

    ¡°You¡¯re getting excited too early. I¡¯m very, very far from you. At this moment, distant water can¡¯t quench a nearby thirst. But I can hear your conversation through the Sun Stone, and I canmunicate with you in your mind through the Sun God Crown, but that¡¯s all I can do. Go to the castle. If I remember correctly, there¡¯s a teleportation array there that can send you out of the Sunset Desert. With how weak you are, you¡¯ll die if you encounter powerful Nightmares.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s¡­ go to the castle,¡± Zhanyue pulled the Holy Maiden towards the castle.

    ¡°But¡­¡± The Holy Maiden still wanted to tell Zhanyue about the terrifying legends of the castle.

    ¡°Trust me. I take my life very seriously.¡± Zhanyue said forcefully.

    ¡°Al¡­ alright,¡± The Holy Maiden was curious. She was clearly much stronger than Zhanyue, but Zhanyue could give her a strong sense of security.

    Just as the two were heading towards the castle, a major event urred in Sun City. A cyan-robed old man fell from the sky, copsing in front of the City Lord¡¯s mansion.

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s my teacher. How could he be so severely injured? This¡­ this is impossible!¡± Everything happening before his eyes made Eagle King Zhan Yunfei¡¯s face turn pale. His teacher, the powerful Wind Lord, how could he be so heavily injured? If he was injured, how could the Holy Maiden¡¯s safety be guaranteed? ¡°This is beyond my capabilities. I must quickly get Her Highness the Princess toe and handle this.¡±

    The eagle on Zhan Yunfei¡¯s shoulder instantly transformed into an arrow, disappearing into the night sky.

 Chapter 16: Dream Battle

    Chapter 16: Dream Battle

    In the wilderness, there were no other buildings, only the ck ancient castle that looked extremely eerie under the blood moon. During the day, countless people hade to explore, but found absolutely nothing. At night, those who dared toe to the castle would mysteriously disappear. It was said that even a Spirit God level powerhouse had once visited this ce at night, but after that night, he never appeared in the mortal world again. Since then, no one dared to explore the castle at night, and this Sunset Castle had be a forbidden area.

    ¡°Are we really going in?¡± Lixi asked again. Although she was a Holy Maiden, she still felt scared, after all, she was just a girl who had just turned twenty.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go in. The Sunset Wastnd is roaming with many powerful nightmares, probably not something you and I can handle. This castle may not be more dangerous than outside,¡± Zhanyue said naturally with the assurance of the illumination Goddess. Otherwise, if he were really to explore the castle at night, he wouldn¡¯t have the courage either, after all, this castle was really strange.

    He kicked open the only gate of the castle. The heavy iron door made a creaking sound, and then a gust of cold wind blew out from inside, making the two shiver.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Zhanyue swallowed and then held Lixi¡¯s hand as they walked into the pitch-ck castle. Not long after they entered the castle, thousands of corpses of various animals surrounded the area, but facing the castle, they hesitated and could only wander outside waiting for an opportunity.

    After entering the castle, even the thin moonlight was gone, leaving only pitch darkness. Lixi took out antern, and the illumination Stone emitted light to illuminate the night.

    There was nothing eerie or scary inside the castle. It was very spacious, and furniture and decorations had long been emptied in the thousands of years and months.

    ¡°Let¡¯s stay here. We¡¯ll make ns after daybreak,¡± Zhanyue suggested.

    Lixi looked around and had no other choice. She had already sensed the dangerous aura outside the castle. ¡°Alright,¡± she said, only hoping that her grandfather woulde quickly. She didn¡¯t know that Wind Lord was already seriously injured and unconscious at this moment. ¡°Why did you ask me toe to the castle?¡± Zhanyue continued tomunicate with the illumination Goddess, who was somewhere unknown, in his mind.

    ¡°Although the Nightmare race are spiritual beings, they still have a sense of territory. Different lords have different territories, and the nightmares under them cannot enter other lords¡¯ territories at will. In this castle, a real Nightmare Lord is trapped. Counting the years, it¡¯s at least five thousand years old. It¡¯s not a local lord, and this castle is considered its private territory. Other nightmares don¡¯t dare to approach, so it¡¯s rtively safe here,¡± the illumination Goddess exined.

    ¡°That¡¯s not right! Isn¡¯t this out of the frying pan and into the fire? There¡¯s a Nightmare Lord here!¡± Zhanyue was so shocked he almost jumped up. A Nightmare Lord was the king of the Nightmare race, and its strength was even above ordinary Spirit God Realm.

    ¡°Its situation is special. Three thousand years ago, when my strength hadn¡¯t reached its peak, I came to this castle once. That lord once fought with me and was sealed here by me. At that time, I didn¡¯t have the strength to destroy it, so I sealed it together with the castle. It can¡¯t leave the castle to possess other creatures. This castle became its body, and because this body is an inanimate object, its strength is far inferior to other lords. I just didn¡¯t expect it to still be lingering here, not rescued by the Nightmare race, and you happened to appear in the Sunset Wastnd,¡± the illumination Goddess exined. This lord was actually the first acquaintance she met after her ¡®resurrection¡¯.

    ¡°So, we won¡¯t be in danger?¡± Zhanyue breathed a sigh of relief.

    ¡°That¡¯s not necessarily true. Anyway, make sure that girl beside you doesn¡¯t fall asleep. The Nightmare race has the ability to invade dreams,¡± the illumination Goddess warned. ¡°As for you, I need you to actively enter the dream.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Zhanyue expressed confusion.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t actively enter the dream, how can you see it? You and this girl are both light contractors, it can¡¯t hypnotize you, so it can¡¯t harm you. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m here,¡± the illumination Goddess said.

    ¡°Your face is turning blue and purple, what are you thinking about?¡± Holy Maiden Lixi observed Zhanyue¡¯s face and asked with concern.

    ¡°Well¡­ I need to sleep for a while. You must stay awake and absolutely must not fall asleep,¡± Zhanyue suddenly said to Lixi. This girl¡¯s light contractor physique could prevent her from being hypnotized, and this lord could only harm others in dreams, so it wasn¡¯t that scary.

    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Lixi was stunned at first, then smiled, showing understanding, ¡°You must be tired too. Don¡¯t worry and sleep, I¡¯ll keep watch. If anything happens, I¡¯ll wake you up immediately.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡± Zhanyue immediatelyy down, using his hand as a pillow, and closed his eyes.

    Lixi curiously looked at Zhanyue. This man was full of mysteries, able to sleep in such a dangerous situation, truly calm.

    Soon after, Zhanyue really fell asleep. After all, he was really too tired.

    In his dream, a familiar voice woke Zhanyue up.

    ¡°Zhanyue, sleepy head wake up, it¡¯s time for lunch.¡±

    Zhanyue got up from the bed reflexively. His mother had already prepared a table full of dishes, all his favorites, after all, today was his eighteenth birthday.

    ¡°Where¡¯s Dad?¡± Zhanyue sat at the dining table.

    ¡°He¡¯ll be back soon.¡± Zhanyue¡¯s mother served him rice.

    Not long after, a middle-aged man pushed open the door with a package. He threw the package to Zhanyue. Zhanyue excitedly opened the package, and inside was indeed the watch he wanted.

    ¡°Your mom and I are going to the hospital this afternoon to check on your grandmother. You go and have fun with your ssmates.¡± Zhanyue¡¯s father took out a thousand yuan from his wallet, ¡°Treat your ssmates and have a st.¡±

    ¡°Yay! (^o^)/~¡± Zhanyue happily epted the money.

    Zhanyue remembered that in the evening, while he was singing with his ssmates in the KTV, he received that life-changing phone call ¨C his parents had a car ident. This was a painfully memorable experience, something Zhanyue didn¡¯t want to recall, but this dream seemed to deliberately poke at one¡¯s weak points.

    ¡°Mmm, Indeed the taste of pain is the best nourishment tsk tsk.¡±

    Suddenly, the scenery around Zhanyue changed, turning into an empty void. In front of him stood a ck shadow, without a face.

    ¡°You¡­ how did you wake up?!¡± The ck shadow was surprised.

    ¡°Well done, Zhanyue. I didn¡¯t even need to help you.¡± the illumination Goddess said, but she felt that Zhanyue was a bit strange at this moment, with a pair of soul chillingly cold eyes.

    ¡°This is a dream world right? Can I use your power in this world?¡± Zhanyue asked, seeming to have be incredibly intelligent.

    ¡°¡­You can.¡± the illumination Goddess felt that Zhanyue¡¯s tone was very cold, without any human warmth.

    ¡°That¡¯s great. So great. Absolutely amazing!¡± With a thought from Zhanyue, a terrifying power surged into his body. He shone like the sun, a golden armor covered his entire body, his hair turned golden yellow, and even his pupils turned golden.

    ¡°How is this possible?¡± the illumination Goddess eximed in surprise, ¡°How can he so easily enter the ¡®Sun God¡¯ form?¡± The Sun God form was the illumination Goddess¡¯s strongest battle stance. She clearly hadn¡¯t taught Zhanyue, but it seemed he had mastered it on his own.

    ¡°Light¡­ light contractor?¡± The ck shadow opposite was even more shocked. In the dream, this monster¡¯s strength even surpassed the illumination Goddess he had once seen.

    ¡°You feed on dreams? The memories you devour will disappear forever, right? Unfortunately, you touched something you shouldn¡¯t have.¡± Zhanyue coldly looked at the ck shadow, a pair of golden me wings unfolding behind him. In an instant, he appeared beside the ck shadow, grasping its neck in a moment. Although it was just a virtual shadow, it was still firmly gripped by Zhanyue.

    ¡°Who¡­ who exactly are you?¡± The ck shadow had never felt such fear before. He could actually hurt its true body. The person before him could truly annihte itpletely. ¡°What I ate were just some painful memories. Shouldn¡¯t you humans be grateful to me?¡±

    ¡°Right! Here¡¯s some gratitude for you!¡± Zhanyue exerted force and directly crushed the ck shadow. The ck shadow didn¡¯t die from this, but recondensed not far away. It turned to run, but suddenly, light walls opened up on all sides, trapping it firmly.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡± The illumination Goddess, watching the battle from afar, was speechless. Her power was being used so skillfully by Zhanyue, seemingly even more naturally than when she used it herself.

    ¡°This boy really¡­ does he have to enter this unstable mental state to exert his full power? Well, the stronger he is, the better it is for me.¡± The illumination Goddess found that Zhanyue was a bit too domineering at this moment, with a pair of eyes looking down on the world, viewing all living beings as ingredients on the chopping board, showing no emotion.

 Chapter 17: Ghost Fruit

    Chapter 17: Ghost Fruit

    ¡°I am a mighty Nightmare Lord, how dare you insult me like this!¡± The ck shadow turned back, instantly condensing into a liquid monster as ck as oil. Its entire body could freely stretch and transform, and it could also split at will.

    ¡°The Nightmare race are spiritual beings, extremely difficult to destroy,¡± the illumination Goddess reminded.

    ¡°But a trifle.¡± Zhanyue flew towards the ck shadow at a speed difficult to capture with the naked eye, light condensing into a sword in his hand, stabbing into the ck shadow¡¯s chest cavity. The ck shadow shattered into five parts, shooting ck light beams from different directions.

    The wings on his back easily blocked these light beams, but also became tainted with ayer of ck. The ckness kept spreading, seeming to want to devour Zhanyue.

    ¡°Hmph!¡± Zhanyue let out a light snort, his body bursting with light again, the ckness melting like snow under the light. Five chains of light shot out from Zhanyue¡¯s body, directly binding all five ck shadows, then pulling them towards Zhanyue.

    Zhanyue¡¯s light-emitting fist smashed into the ck shadows.

    ¡°One, two, three, four¡­ five!¡± Five punches were thrown out, and all five incarnations exploded. Finally, they gathered back together, with the ck shadow a whole circle smaller than before.

    ¡°Wow, would you look at that. It seems you can be injured after all? It¡¯s just that your injury manifestation is different from humans.¡± Zhanyue coldly smiled at the now smaller ck shadow.

    ¡°What a terrifying battle talent. I haven¡¯t taught him any techniques yet, but he can easily handle this Nightmare Lord just with his battle instincts,¡± the illumination Goddess praised. ¡°Who¡­ who exactly are you? How could the human race produce someone like you? Didn¡¯t they say the illumination Goddess was dead?¡± This Nightmare Lord was very frightened, violently crashing against the light wall, wanting to escape.

    ¡°If I kill it now, will it affect our situation in the real world?¡± Zhanyue asked.

    ¡°From what I know of the Nightmare race, even if it dies, the aura of a Lord will take a long time to dissipate. Those nightmares won¡¯t dare toe in,¡± the illumination Goddess exined. ¡°But I¡¯m curious, it¡¯s been sealed here, and other Nightmare races surely know. Why haven¡¯t other Lords tried to rescue it? After all, my seal isn¡¯t invincible. They could naturally break it if they worked together from inside and outside.¡±

    Zhanyue shed again, suddenly appearing in front of the ck shadow, once again gripping it with one hand. The powerful Nightmare Lord was now like a little chick in front of Zhanyue. It deeply regretted invading Zhanyue¡¯s dream at this moment. This was a thorough trap. In the real world, Zhanyue wouldn¡¯t have any way to destroy it.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t your Nightmare race supposed to be far more united and reliable than humans? Why haven¡¯t other Lordse to save you?¡± Zhanyue pressed.

    The ck shadow was stunned, thenughed, ¡°You think I would tell you? I will never betray the Nightmare race, betray the Corpse Emperor! Since you don¡¯t intend to let me leave, then let¡¯s die together! Blood Night Withering Song!¡±

    The originally ck shadow turned blood red. It was going to curse Zhanyue at the cost of its own life.

    ¡°Be careful, it wants to perish with you. Kill it before itpletes the curse!¡± the illumination Goddess warned. The Blood Night Withering Song was an extremely powerful curse. Only Lord-level beings in the Nightmare race could use it. It would sacrifice its own life to make everyone who heard the ¡®song¡¯ fall into madness and eventuallymit suicide. But preparing the Blood Night Withering Song took a long time.

    ¡°Then¡­Die.¡± A great light burst from Zhanyue¡¯s hand, emitting light brighter than the sun. The light instantly devoured the blood shadow, the entire blood shadow melting like ice. The current Zhanyue could use most of the Goddess¡¯s power in the dream.

    ¡°So frustrating! I¡¯m not reconciled, I¡¯m not reconciled! There were only a hundred years left of my sentence, I¡¯m not reconciled!¡± The mysterious Nightmare Lordpletely dissipated from the world in its unwillingness.

    After its death, a purple, heart-like fruit floated in front of Zhanyue.

    ¡°What is this?¡± Zhanyue curiously looked at this fruit.

    ¡°Ghost Fruit? How could it have a Ghost Fruit in its body? This fruit has only been digested a little bit. Could it be that its constitution wasn¡¯t fit to enjoy this fruit?¡± the illumination Goddess wondered.

    ¡°Ghost Fruit? Can it exist in my dream world?¡± Zhanyue was even more curious. How could a fruit exist in this non-physical world?

    ¡°A Ghost Fruit isn¡¯t originally a physical entity. It¡¯s a soul fruit existing in the ghost realm. Humans can¡¯t pick it, but it¡¯s a great tonic for the Nightmare race. Usually, only the kings of the Nightmare race are qualified to eat it. This fruit can greatly enhance spiritual strength. Although I don¡¯t know how it ended up in this Nightmare Lord¡¯s body, it¡¯s ultimately benefited you. Under normal circumstances, humans would never be able to obtain it,¡± the Goddess exined.

    ¡°So, this fruit is beneficial to me?¡± Zhanyue smiled, his eyes now returning to their original state, full of excitement.

    ¡°It¡¯s not that easy to digest. But this Lord was sealed here by me over three thousand years ago, it should have long digested this fruit. Why did it eat it but not refine it?¡± the Goddess was puzzled.

    ¡°Never mind that, it¡¯s my gain anyway. If it¡¯s not easy to digest, I¡¯ll digest it slowly.¡± Zhanyue chuckled.

    ¡°By the way, what about the cold poison in that little girl¡¯s body? She¡¯s a light contractor after all,¡± Zhanyue suddenly thought of this matter. If not now, when?

    ¡°Although the Sun Crown could solve her cold poison, both you and I need the Sun God Crown right now, we can¡¯t give it to her. Having one more light contractor among humans is a fortunate thing. I have a divine-level technique here. If you pass it on to that girl, practicing this technique will be more than enough to suppress that cold poison,¡± the illumination Goddess said. She instinctively had a good feeling about this young light contractor.

    ¡°Di¡­ divine-level technique? I don¡¯t even have one yet! Although I also think highly of this girl, it seems too easy to just give her a divine-level technique,¡± Zhanyue said helplessly. He himself didn¡¯t have any techniques yet.

    ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to teach you techniques, it¡¯s just that I don¡¯t know what kind of contractor you are exactly. The techniques I practice might not be suitable for you. Techniques can¡¯t be practiced carelessly, otherwise it will be counterproductive. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll try my best to find a suitable technique for you to practice,¡± the illumination Goddess exined.

    ¡°Fine, let¡¯s consider it as buying a stock. Next year, this girl¡¯s strength and status will surely be extremely high. I hope she won¡¯t forget today¡¯s kindness.¡± A stream of information flowed into Zhanyue¡¯s mind.

    ¡°¡®Great Sun Traversing Heaven Technique¡¯? What a powerful technique, indeed suitable for light contractors. It¡¯s a pity that I¡¯m ultimately not a light contractor, only able to borrow your power.¡± Zhanyue looked regretful, having a top-tier technique in front of him but unable to practice it.

    Soon after, Zhanyue woke up, and the sky was beginning to dawn.

    The girl hadn¡¯t slept all night, just guarding Zhanyue, nervous and scared, but fortunately, nothing happened throughout the night.

    ¡°What are you smiling about?¡± Zhanyue saw the girl with a smile on her face, as beautiful as the morning glow.

    ¡°What dream did you havest night? You were crying one moment, angry the next, and then grinning foolishly,¡± the Holy Maiden asked curiously.

    ¡°That was¡­ quite an extraordinary dream.¡± Zhanyue suddenly asked with a serious face: ¡°Silly girl, I found a master for you in my dream. Are you willing to take her as your master?¡±

    The Holy Maiden was stunned, then smiled, ¡°From childhood to adulthood, it¡¯s always been grandfather teaching me. I don¡¯t need any master, after all, there are no more light contractors in the world.¡±

    ¡°How could I deceive you? This person is indeed the most suitable to be your master in this world. I have something I want to give you, but the premise is that you must take her as your master. What do you say?¡± Zhanyue asked again. The saying goes that the dao cannot be lightly transmitted. How could he let this Holy Maiden in front of him obtain a divine-level technique so easily? If she took the Goddess as her master, she would be considered one of their own. It¡¯s just a pity that Zhanyue couldn¡¯t reveal the Goddess¡¯s identity at the moment.

 Chapter 18: Successful Escape

    Chapter 18: Sessful Escape

    In the underground world, a mysterious space. The puppets holding mirrors gathered again, with eighteen shadows appearing on the mirrors.

    ¡°Dream Vulture Lord is dead,¡± said the Lord named Strategist, speaking first.

    ¡°Dead¡­ dead, when did this happen?¡± The crowd was in an uproar.

    ¡°Just now. It¡¯s been nearly a thousand years since a Lord has died. Who did it? Thunder Lord or Sword Lord?¡± Strategist was equally clueless.

    ¡°Star Disgust Lord, Sunset Wastnd is your territory. You¡¯ve had the most contact with Dream Vulture Lord since it was sealed in Sunset Castle, right?¡± someone asked.

    ¡°That¡¯s right, but unfortunately I¡¯m not in Sunset Wastnd at the moment. Our Nightmare race doesn¡¯t have teleportation formations like humans do. Even if we possess corpses, we can¡¯t use those formations. We¡¯ve always been less mobile than humans. But if Strategist gives the order, I can have all the nightmares in Sunset Wastnd attack Sunset Castle. The killer might not have left yet,¡± Star Disgust Lord suggested.

    ¡°No need. Anyone who could kill Dream Vulture Lord isn¡¯t someone your minions can handle. There¡¯s no need for unnecessary casualties. Besides, everyone knows the Nightmare race has a strong sense of territory. Such a reckless attack on Sunset Castle would only make them suspicious. After all,pared to Dream Vulture Lord, the secret of Sunset Castle is more important,¡± Strategist said. He hadn¡¯t expected Dream Vulture Lord to be killed by Zhanyue in the dream realm. If the Nightmare race rushed towards the castle, he and the Holy Maiden might both end up dead there. The usually infallible Strategist had made the biggest mistake of his life ¨C overestimating the enemy.

    ¡°Back then, Dream Vulture Lord was escorting the Ghost Fruit for His Majesty the Corpse Emperor when it passed by Sunset Castle. That¡¯s where it encountered the illumination Goddess. Worried that the Ghost Fruit might be damaged in battle, it swallowed the Ghost Fruit on its own, intending to have His Majesty the Corpse Emperor retrieve it upon return. But unexpectedly, it was sealed in Sunset Castle. After His Majesty the Corpse Emperor fell into slumber, we didn¡¯t have the strength to retrieve that Ghost Fruit. Who knows if it has been refined by now,¡± someone discussed.

    ¡°What do you mean by that? Dream Vulture Lord¡¯s character is beyond question. I¡¯ve met it a few times, it wouldn¡¯t dare to touch the Ghost Fruit at all. It was just waiting for His Majesty to awaken, to take the Ghost Fruit out of its body anew, letting itplete the mission it should havepleted thousands of years ago,¡± Star Disgust Lord defended Dream Vulture Lord. ¡°I actually hope it could have refined the fruit. Now that it¡¯s dead, hasn¡¯t the Ghost Fruit benefited the human race? We should have released it back then and imprisoned it elsewhere,¡± that person said discontentedly.

    ¡°Enough! One Ghost Fruit would only create one more powerful human, it doesn¡¯t affect the big picture. I was the one who ordered it to be imprisoned in Sunset Castle! By coincidence, it was sealed onto Sunset Castle, and it was because of this that the secret of Sunset Castle was preserved. That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t let you rescue it. Now that it¡¯s dead, if the secret of Sunset Castle is discovered by humans, I¡¯m afraid my n will have to bepletely changed. After the meeting, I¡¯ll set out immediately to check Sunset Castle personally,¡± Strategist¡¯s words silenced everyone.

    ¡°Strategist, if the secret of Sunset Castle is so important, why not just destroy it and let the secret disappear from this world forever?¡± someone asked puzzledly.

    Strategist sneered, ¡°You go ahead and try to destroy it. How could we possibly damage the Heaven-Defying Demon-Subduing Grand Formation? It¡¯s fortunate that the human race¡¯s current mastery of formations isn¡¯t even one percent of their ancestors¡¯, otherwise we wouldn¡¯t stand a chance against them.¡±

    ¡°Strategist has systematically studied human formations and is the only one in our Nightmare race who understands formations. He has even used illumination Stones to activate formations to kill human Spirit God Realm powerhouses. Don¡¯t question Strategist¡¯s judgment, it only makes you look foolish,¡± someone taught a lesson to this ignorant Lord.

    While the Nightmare Lords were discussing Sunset Castle, Holy Maiden Lixi finally made her decision.

    ¡°I¡­ I agree with you. You better not be deceiving me,¡± Lixi looked at Zhanyue with earnest eyes.

    ¡°Of course I won¡¯t deceive you. But others might not be so honest. You really are a woman who trusts others easily,¡± Zhanyue sighed as he looked at the Holy Maiden in front of him. But it was normal for the Holy Maiden to be inexperienced in the ways of the world.

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s not that I trust others so easily. I just feel that you¡¯re a very strange person¡­ but¡­ but I can sense your good intentions. Since I was young, I¡¯ve been very urate in sensing the good or evil thoughts of people around me. I¡¯m sure I¡¯m not wrong. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t have secretly followed you earlier, and dared to follow you into the castle,¡± the Holy Maiden exined.

    ¡°So you have this ability?¡± Zhanyue looked at Lixi in surprise. She could sense others¡¯ good and evil thoughts?

    ¡°I can do that too. Perhaps it¡¯s an innate ability of light contractors,¡± the illumination Goddess added.

    ¡°What about me? Why can¡¯t I do it?¡± Zhanyue said discontentedly. He could use the power of light too.

    ¡°Because you¡¯re not a light contractor! You¡¯re just borrowing my power, but you can¡¯t borrow talent,¡± the illumination Goddess said helplessly. ¡°However, I¡¯m quite satisfied with this disciple you¡¯ve recruited for me. When there¡¯s a chance in the future, I¡¯ll teach her properly. For now, give her the technique and let her focus on cultivation.¡±

    ¡°Alright,¡± Zhanyue turned to Lixi and said, ¡°Sit down and close your eyes. I¡¯ve only learned this method for now, so excuse me.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Lixi didn¡¯t understand his meaning, but followed his instructions, sitting cross-legged and closing her eyes. She felt a breath silently approaching her, making her heart race. ¡°What¡­ what is he going to do? Surely not¡­¡± Lixi was a bit scared, but also felt it didn¡¯t seem likely.

    Zhanyue pressed his forehead against Lixi¡¯s. This was the ¡®Mind Communication¡¯ method that the illumination Goddess had just taught him. However, Zhanyue currently needed to have their heads as close as possible to use it.

    Before Lixi could resist, a flood of vast information rushed into her mind. She nearly fainted, but thanks to her excellent constitution, she managed to withstand this wave of ¡®enlightenment¡¯.

    ¡°¡®Great Sun Traversing Heaven Technique¡¯? How¡­ how is this possible?¡± Lixi was shocked, her face pale. She naturally knew the reputation of this divine-level technique. Wasn¡¯t it lost long ago? Legend had it that the illumination Goddess had cultivated three divine-level techniques, one of which was the ¡®Great Sun Traversing Heaven Technique¡¯.

    ¡°No¡­ this is too precious. I can¡¯t ept it,¡± Lixi knew the value of a divine-level technique. What qualifications did she have to ept something so precious from someone else?

    ¡°What? You think you can give it back to me? If you want to thank someone, thank that master of yours whom you¡¯ve never met. Since you¡¯ve taken her as your master, this technique is rightfully yours. Whether it¡¯s divine-level or whatever level, this is just teaching material from a master to a disciple, understand?¡± Zhanyue persuaded.

    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Hearing this, Lixi indeed felt much better. This was from a master to a disciple, it¡¯s rightful, it¡¯s rightful. But she still felt as if she were dreaming. This was a divine-level technique after all.

    ¡°When you go back, don¡¯t reveal the secret of this technique to others. Let alone those with ill intentions, if the Nightmare race learns that your cold poison can be suppressed by a technique, I¡¯m afraid your days won¡¯t be peaceful,¡± Zhanyue advised.

    ¡°Mm.¡± Lixi agreed with a blushing face, ¡°I¡¯ll keep this secret. After all, this is a divine-level technique, it¡¯s of great importance. I won¡¯t tell even grandfather.¡±

    ¡°Why are you blushing? Come on, it¡¯s time to leave this ce,¡± Zhanyue stood up first, leading Lixi towards the depths of the castle.

    They ascended to the second floor of the castle, which was a huge hall surrounded by candlesticks. Following the illumination Goddess¡¯s instructions, Zhanyue lit several designated candlesticks in sequence, easily solving the puzzle. A teleportation formation appeared in the center of the hall, making the Holy Maiden beside him open her small mouth in surprise. However, she also realized that there were too many mysteries about this man. She was still curious about why Zhanyue was so familiar with the castle. Had he been here before? But he was only at the Spirit Contract Realm. Well, possessing a divine-level technique at the Spirit Contract Realm was even more unreasonable.

    ¡°What are you daydreaming about? Use the illumination Stone to activate the formation. We¡¯re leaving this ce. Sunset Wastnd is still too dangerous. This formation can send us out,¡± Zhanyue said.

    ¡°Alright.¡± Lixi took out several illumination Stones, and the formation flickered with a deep blue light.

    ¡°By the way, this formation is older than you, right? Why can it also be activated by illumination Stones? Weren¡¯t illumination Stones invented by you?¡± Zhanyue looked at the formation in front of him, puzzled.

    ¡°Am I that old? And who said I invented them? I just found the method of refining illumination Stones and illumination Towers in ruins. They are all relics of the previous civilization. I just brought them back to the world,¡± the illumination Goddess exined.

    ¡°Oh, alright. Then is Sun City your hometown?¡± Zhanyue asked curiously. It was most reliable to ask the person herself about this question.

    ¡°No, I was born in Sun-Bathing Valley. But I did live in the Sun City area for a few years when I was young. At that time, it was just a small mountain vige,¡± the illumination Goddess exined.

    Zhanyue mused internally, ¡°It¡¯s normal that they don¡¯t know about things from thousands of years ago. Besides, the Goddess did stay there for a few years when she was young.¡±

    The blue light flickered, and the formation activated. The two were drawn into the teleportation formation. At this moment, Zhanyue felt a sudden palpitation, just like when he saw the Goddess statue earlier. But this feeling vanished in an instant, and in the blink of an eye, the two arrived at a mountaintop.

    ¡°That feeling just now, it wasn¡¯t an illusion?! Is my contract object in that castle? But why didn¡¯t I feel anything during the whole night I stayed there, only having that slight palpitation at the moment of teleportation? What is that thing, and where is it hidden?¡± Zhanyue wondered, then posed these questions to the illumination Goddess.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know either. If what you say is true, the contract object you sensed might be in a different space. That¡¯s why you could only sense it when the teleportation formation was activated and the space was disturbed. But your current strength is too weak. Just remember this for now. When your strength is sufficient, go back to the castle and take a look. Not long from now, that ce should be reupied by the Nightmare race,¡± the illumination Goddess suggested. ¡°I need to attend to my own matters now. Take care of yourself.¡±

    Zhanyue nodded, having no choice but to ept this.

    The two stood on the mountaintop, just in time to greet the rising sun. The beautiful morning light shone on the two, making them look as holy as a painting.

    ¡°What a beautiful sunrise¡­¡­¡± Lixi sighed, her beautiful face full of excitement.

    In the direction of the sunrise, a majestic city appeared before them. It was ¡®Chuyun City¡¯, one of the hundred cities of the Eastern Kingdom, not too far from Sun City.

    ¡°It¡¯s dawn, and we¡¯ve found the city. Our one-day tour of Sunset Wastnd is over,¡± Zhanyue said, looking at the city before them. They were safe now.

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s over.¡± For some reason, Lixi wasn¡¯t too excited, but rather felt a vague sense of loss.

    ¡°Um¡­ would you be willing toe to the Rising Sun Kingdom? I could hire you as a Holy Temple Knight. The treatment would be much better than in the Eastern Kingdom,¡± Lixi invited boldly.

    ¡°That won¡¯t do. Judging from the pomp of your travels, that¡¯s not a free job. Compared to good treatment, I prefer to be a bit freer,¡± Zhanyue refused.

    ¡°Free¡­ freedom¡­¡± Lixi¡¯s eyes darkened. That was exactly what she longed for but couldn¡¯t have. How could she confine Zhanyue by her side for her own selfish desires? ¡°You¡¯re right. I believe that one day, your name will be known throughout the entire Myriad Spirits Realm.¡±

    After going back, she would still be the high and mighty Holy Maiden, while Zhanyue was currently just an ordinary soldier of the Eastern Kingdom. The two probably wouldn¡¯t have a chance to meet again.

    ¡°Oh right, take this,¡± the Holy Maiden took out the staff from her spatial ring, but handed the ring to Zhanyue.

    ¡°This¡­ how could I?¡± Although Zhanyue craved such a treasure, he also knew it was too precious.

    ¡°You were willing to give a divine-level technique, what¡¯s giving you a ringpared to that? Besides, this ring is actually one of a pair. I have another spare one at home. I rarely use it in daily life, but you might need it more than I do when you¡¯re out adventuring,¡± the Holy Maiden said, almost pleadingly.

    ¡°Alright¡­ then I¡¯ll humbly ept,¡± Zhanyue happily epted the ring, but it would take some time to refine it anew, so he couldn¡¯t use it for now. Seeing Zhanyue ept it, the Holy Maiden also breathed a sigh of relief.

    Soon after, the two walked to Chuyun City, quickly alerting the search party.

    ¡°The Holy Maiden has been found!¡±

    The news was quickly sent to Sun City. Not long after, a red flying dragonnded in Chuyun City. It was the female war god of the Eastern Kingdom, Imperial Princess Mi Hongchen, who hade in person.

 Chapter 19: Unexpected Rewards

    Chapter 19: Unexpected Rewards

    Mi Hongchen wore red armor, fully armed, with a simple phoenix-head helmet unable to cover her ck hair that fell to her waist. Years of warfare had given her a sharp, deadly aura. She was beautiful, but no one had ever dared to look into her eyes for too long. Like a rose, she was stunning yet full of thorns, inspiring fear. When people spoke of Mi Hongchen, they rarely praised her beauty, focusing more on her talent and impressive battle achievements.

    Mi Hongchen wasn¡¯t at the Spirit God Realm, but she could crush some Spirit God Realm experts, solidifying her title as the Female War God. She only needed to break through to the Spirit God Realm to be called the Dragon Lord. The imposing red dragon descended from the sky. Mi Hongchen breathed a sigh of relief seeing Holy Maiden Lixi unharmed. If anything had happened to the Holy Maiden, it would have been an extremely serious diplomatic incident.

    ¡°Your Highness the Holy Maiden, we¡¯ve finally found you,¡± Mi Hongchen smiled, a rare disy of gentleness from her.

    ¡°Sister Mi, no need for formalities. It¡¯s been half a year since west met, hasn¡¯t it?¡± Lixi and Mi Hongchen were old acquaintances.

    Mi Hongchen¡¯s gaze swept over to Zhanyue beside them, her eyes pausing with a surprised expression.

    ¡°It¡¯s you?¡± Mi Hongchen had only heard that the Holy Maiden had rescued a soldier while activating the teleportation formation, but didn¡¯t expect this soldier to be Zhanyue.

    ¡°Sister Mi, you know each other?¡± Lixi asked curiously, while also feeling a hint of wariness in her heart.

    ¡°Mm, we¡¯ve met once. When we partedst time, I left you 100,000 purple crystal coins, enough for you to live a life of luxury. How did you end up enlisting in Sun City?¡± Mi Hongchen asked, puzzled.

    Zhanyue looked at this acquaintance, still feeling quite fond of Mi Hongchen. There was no other reason; she was just too generous. ¡°Reporting to Your Highness the Princess, I registered my contractor status in Sun City and carried out mandatory military service as required. I happened to encounter the Holy Maiden¡¯s visit and was tasked with maintaining order. That¡¯s how the previous events urred. It was thanks to Her Highness the Holy Maiden¡¯s rescue that I didn¡¯t die under the arrows,¡± Zhanyue answered truthfully.

    Lixi nced at Zhanyue, countless thoughts shing through her mind. She understood that she and Zhanyue couldn¡¯t appear too close, though she realized they weren¡¯t particrly close anyway. Thinking of this, she felt a bit disappointed.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with me?¡± Lixi wondered, never having felt so conflicted before.

    ¡°With your strength, daring to guard the Holy Maiden is already a great achievement, deserving of reward. Let¡¯s go. We¡¯ll head back first; they¡¯re all waiting anxiously,¡± Mi Hongchen said. Her observation was keen, noticing that the Holy Maiden¡¯s gaze kept lingering on Zhanyue, which was quite unusual.

    The giant dragon wasn¡¯t fully grown, making it a bit cramped for three people to stand on its back. The Holy Maiden stood in front, Mi Hongchen in the middle, and Zhanyue at the back. Mi Hongchen was half a head taller than Lixi, but about the same height as Zhanyue, which exined why this woman made Zhanyue feel such pressure.

    ¡°Like before, if you can¡¯t stand steady, just hold onto my shoulder,¡± Mi Hongchen said.

    ¡°No need, I can stand steady,¡± Zhanyue replied bluntly, his abilities having improved considerablypared to before.

    ¡°Oh? Though your realm hasn¡¯t improved much in this time, your strength has progressed quite a bit,¡± Mi Hongchen praised.

    ¡°Your Highness seems a bit disappointed,¡± Zhanyue smiled, feeling happy at thepliment.

    Mi Hongchen¡¯s eyes turned cold as she snorted, ¡°You¡¯re quite bold, daring to joke with me. Aren¡¯t you afraid I¡¯ll throw you off?¡±

    Zhanyue quickly shut up, not speaking anymore. This made the Holy Maiden giggle, thinking to herself that Zhanyue¡¯s courage was far greater than she had imagined. Despite her status as Holy Maiden, Zhanyue had treated her like an ordinary girl all along, without the stiffness and subservience of others. But this actually made the Holy Maiden very happy; she disliked people putting on airs of ttery around her.

    The red dragon¡¯s speed was extremely fast, quickly carrying the three back to Sun City. Flight ability was very rare in the Myriad Spirits Realm, especially such rapid and maneuverable flight. Although humans had teleportation formations, they had long lost the method of setting up new formations and could only use existing ones. Only a few ces were connected by teleportation formations.

    The flying dragonnded in front of the City Lord¡¯s mansion. Mi Hongchen took out a wooden token and threw it to Zhanyue.

    ¡°This is your reward for your performance this time, consider it my personal reward. You didn¡¯t disgrace our Eastern Kingdom. When you encounter a bottleneck in your cultivation and can¡¯t find direction, you can take this token to the Learning Capital and report to the First United Academy,¡± Mi Hongchen exined.

    The Empire¡¯s First United Academy, located in the Eastern Kingdom¡¯s Learning Capital, was aprehensive institution jointly established by the Eastern Kingdom, Rising Sun Kingdom, and zing Earth Kingdom. It was the best academy in the entire Eastern World, gathering geniuses from the three great empires with extremely strict selection criteria. Mi Hongchen directly giving Zhanyue a spot would make others envious, but unfortunately, Zhanyue didn¡¯t yet know the value of this thing and just lightly responded with an ¡°Oh.¡±

    Mi Hongchen led the Holy Maiden into the City Lord¡¯s mansion, while Zhanyue was stopped outside by Xiong Xin, the deputymander of the Sun Knight Regiment.

    ¡°You did well, but there¡¯s nothing more for you here. Go collect your reward,¡± Xiong Xin said coldly. Spending a day and night alone with the Holy Maiden was an opportunity even princes craved, yet this kid had lucked into it. He wasn¡¯t worried about Zhanyue daring to do anything to the Holy Maiden, as she could easily kill this Spirit Contract Realm Level 3 kid. He was just jealous and resentful.

    Lixi turned her head to look at Zhanyue once, saying nothing, and followed Mi Hongchen into the inner hall. She was quick-witted, knowing that appearing too close to Zhanyue now would only harm him, making others resent him. After all, she was the noble Holy Maiden and couldn¡¯t be too close to a mere soldier.

    ¡°With this parting, I wonder if we¡¯ll meet again,¡± Lixi couldn¡¯t hide her disappointment.

    ¡°What are you thinking? If he truly has ability, you¡¯ll meet again,¡± Mi Hongchen seemed to have seen through the Holy Maiden¡¯s thoughts, just sighing at what capabilities this Zhanyue kid had to make the Holy Maiden care so much after just one day and night.

    Lixi¡¯s face reddened, knowing she couldn¡¯t continue this topic, or something would go wrong.

    ¡°Sister Mi, where¡¯s my grandfather? Why did youe to pick us up instead of him?¡± Lixi asked.

    ¡°Wind Lord¡­¡± Mi Hongchen sighed, ¡°Wind Lord was severely injured. I don¡¯t know if he¡¯s regained consciousness. You should go see him.¡±

    ¡°Ah? How could this happen?¡± Lixi¡¯s face paled at the news, and she hurriedly quickened her pace.

    ¡°Don¡¯t rush, I¡¯ll take you there.¡±

    Meanwhile, Zhanyue was led away by someone else. Besides some purple crystal rewards, the City Lord also granted him permission to enter the Heavenly Treasury Pavilion to select a technique.

    Techniques were divided into nine grades from low to high: white, green, blue, purple, orange, red, gold, rainbow, and divine. The Heavenly Treasury Pavilion¡¯s highest collection was purple-grade techniques. Techniques were further divided into cultivation techniques and battle techniques. Cultivation techniques could improve cultivation speed andy a good foundation, while battle techniques werebat skills for practical use.

    Generally, cultivation techniques were far more valuable than battle techniques because most cultivation techniques included some battle skills, and these skills could only be used by those who had cultivated that technique, like the earlier ¡°Great Sun Traversing Heaven Technique.¡±

    Zhanyue wasn¡¯t a light contractor; that was borrowing the illumination Goddess¡¯s power. He also wasn¡¯t a fire contractor; that was activating the Sun God Stone¡¯s power. The Heavenly Treasury Pavilion didn¡¯t have any suitable cultivation techniques for him, so he had to settle for second best, choosing a purple-grade fire-system battle technique ¨C ¡°me King st.¡±

    The old man guarding the Heavenly Treasury Pavilion shook his head, eximing that Zhanyuecked vision, choosing a battle technique with such a good opportunity. He didn¡¯t know Zhanyue¡¯s predicament.

    With the ¡°me King st,¡± Zhanyue happily returned to the inn where he had paid for a year¡¯s stay. Three days of leave was also part of his reward; he just needed to report back to the military camp after three days.

    Closing the doors and windows tightly, Zhanyue excitedly took out the spatial ring Lixi had given him. ¡°At least she has a conscience. This thing is incredibly useful when traveling.¡±

    Soon, Zhanyue had refined the ring anew. The ring only had a few cubic meters of space, but it was enough for Zhanyue to use. This was already an extraordinary treasure. The ring came with a built-in concealment array, making it invisible and undetectable to others, which delighted Zhanyue. ¡°As they say, don¡¯t unt your wealth. This saves a lot of trouble.¡±

    With a thought, Zhanyue put the wooden token into the space. He then turned and put therge backpack he had when he crossed over into the space as well. Some things in it might be useful in the future; they were all rarities not found in this world.

    ¡°Huh, what¡¯s this?¡± Zhanyue discovered another token and arge box inside the ring¡¯s space.

    The golden token had the character ¡°Holy¡± written on the front, with the Rising Sun Kingdom¡¯s national emblem on the back. ¡°Holy Temple Knight token? I¡¯ve heard that Holy Temple Knights have a very high status in the Rising Sun Kingdom. This might be very helpful if I go to the Rising Sun Kingdom in the future.¡±

    Then Zhanyue took out the box. ¡°Let¡¯s see what other treasures that girl left for me.¡±

    However, when the box opened, even the thick-skinned Zhanyue felt a bit embarrassed. It contained some women¡¯s clothing and essories, even including worn undergarments.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡± Zhanyue was speechless. But she had been in a hurry earlier, only taking her staff, forgetting about this box. These things should be put back and returned to her when there¡¯s a chance. He couldn¡¯t just throw them away.

    ¡°That girl is really silly and cute,¡± Zhanyue put the box back. He was probably the only one in the world who would evaluate the Holy Maiden like this. ¡°Hope she cultivates well and can suppress the cold poison soon. Next time when the Goddess returns, we¡¯ll go see her again.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s this now?¡± Zhanyue discovered that besides some transparent illumination Stones, there were also some illumination Stones that seemed ¡®dyed¡¯ in the ring, in red, green, and blue.

 Chapter 20: Azure Wind Realm

    Chapter 20: Azure Wind Realm

    Soon, Zhanyue learned from a book about the principle of ¡°coloring¡± illumination Stones. Normally, illumination Stones were transparent and colorless, of the light attribute. But in ces with extremely dense elements, they would spontaneously absorb surrounding elements toplete the coloring. Throwing illumination Stones into volcanova could yield fire-attribute stones, cing them in deep sea could produce water-attribute stones, putting them in the eye of a storm could create wind-attribute stones, and so on for other attributes.

    Colored illumination Stones were worth twice as much and were indispensable for contractors who could use elemental powers in their cultivation.

    After putting all the illumination Stones back into the ring, Zhanyue excitedly took out his reward from this journey, the purple-quality battle technique ¨C me King st. An apple-sized ss ball flickered with purple light. Zhanyue held it in his hand, marveling at the mysteriousness of this world¡¯s techniques. This ss ball contained the copy of ¡°me King st.¡± He sat cross-legged, using his contractor power to envelop and refine it. Soon, the ss ball changed from purple to colorless, and Zhanyue¡¯s mind remembered the cultivation method for ¡°me King st.¡± Suddenly, Zhanyue had an inspiration and used State Reversal on the ss ball, but the imagined return to purple color didn¡¯t ur.

    ¡°Ah, the technique and this ss ball aren¡¯t one entity. This thing is ultimately just a carrier. I can regress the state of the ss ball, but not the technique inside,¡± Zhanyue said regretfully, realizing his divine ability wasn¡¯t omnipotent.

    ¡°If¡­ if the human body is just a carrier for the soul, then I probably can¡¯t bring the dead back to life either,¡± Zhanyue suddenly thought. Unless the soul hadn¡¯t dispersed, he could only regress the physical body. ¡°Nevermind, I won¡¯t think about these things for now. Unless someone is dead, I can heal any injury, no matter how severe. What more could I ask for?¡±

    ¡°Even purple-grade techniques are soplex, it probably won¡¯t be easy to master in a short time,¡± Zhanyue sighed, then rented a cultivation room in the city and began training. This journey had made him deeply aware of the gap in strength between himself and others. To survive well in this world, one¡¯s own strength was the greatest guarantee.

    While he was diligently cultivating, the situation in the City Lord¡¯s mansion suddenly changed drastically.

    Wind Lordy on the bed, his old face dark, with ck mist lingering around his head, clearly showing signs of poisoning. He hadn¡¯t woken up yet.

    ¡°Grandfather!¡± Holy Maiden Lixi looked at her grandfather on the sickbed, her face pale. She felt his pulse and breathed a sigh of relief; he was still alive. She gathered all her strength, activating the power of light to dispel the ck mist lingering around Wind Lord¡¯s head. The ck mist dissipated instantly as if it had met its nemesis. Light contractors also possessed terrifying healing abilities. The Holy Maiden copsed on the ground. People around were about to help her up but were stopped by her.

    ¡°Don¡¯t touch me, you can¡¯t withstand the cold poison,¡± the Holy Maiden scolded.

    Due to power exhaustion, cold air was emanating from the Holy Maiden¡¯s body.

    Mi Hongchen, standing nearby, couldn¡¯t bear to just watch. She took out her cavalry spear and nted it next to the Holy Maiden.

    ¡°Sun Yang Domain!¡± Mi Hongchen deployed her domain. As the domain expanded, the surrounding people, including Eagle King, felt unbearably hot. Then the domain continuously shrank, only enveloping the Holy Maiden. Although it couldn¡¯tpletely dispel the cold poison, it greatly reduced Lixi¡¯s suffering.

    ¡°Thank you, Sister Mi,¡± Lixi said gratefully. Even though Mi Hongchen was highly skilled, she still couldn¡¯tpletely suppress the cold poison like Zhanyue could. But at this moment, Lixi didn¡¯t dare to ask someone to find Zhanyue, fearing it would expose his secret.

    ¡°So powerful¡­ At such a young age, she¡¯s mastered a domain that only Spirit God Realm experts have a chance to grasp, and can control it at will. If this woman advances to Spirit God Realm, she might be an existence like Thunder Lord or Sword Lord,¡± Golden Lion Kieran swallowed hard. Although they were both beast contractors and both at thete stage of Sun Profound Realm, the difference in their strength was like heaven and earth.

    ¡°Cough cough¡­¡± With the yin poison in his body cured by the light-system healing technique, Wind Lord finally woke up. Light contractors were a nightmare for nightmares but a blessing for humans. Countless people had been saved by the illumination Goddess in the past, and the value of the Holy Maiden was self-evident.

    Seeing the worried looks of everyone, Wind Lord smiled, ¡°This old man isn¡¯t that fragile. The yin poison in my body has been resolved. I¡¯ll fully recover in a few days.¡±

    ¡°Grandfather, where exactly did you go?¡± Lixi asked, somewhat frightened. The enemy that could inflict such severe injuries on Wind Lord, a Spirit God Realm expert, must have been formidable.

    Wind Lord Mumu Xingyun looked at his beloved granddaughter with a guilty expression.

    ¡°The people who took your grandmother away back then havee again. This time, their target is you¡­ I received the news and went to intercept them, but unexpectedly, they brought three Spirit God Realm experts. I couldn¡¯t match them one against three and had to flee. They don¡¯t know where you are and might go to the Rising Sun Kingdom in vain, but they¡¯ll soon find their way here,¡± Wind Lord exined.

    ¡°They? You mean the people from that small world? That secret realm independent from the world ¨C the Azure Wind Realm?¡± The Holy Maiden¡¯s face changed. Her grandmother was from the Azure Wind Realm and had a special status there. Wind Lord Mumu Xingyun¡¯s marriage to her wasn¡¯t approved; they had eloped. Later, her grandmother was eventually found and taken back by the people of the Azure Wind Realm. This time their target is me?

    Everyone panicked. Three Spirit God Realm experts? To forcibly take away the Holy Maiden? How important was the Holy Maiden to the Myriad Spirits Realm? How could they let them take her away?!

    ¡°Don¡¯t panic. As soon as I got the news, I notified Thunder Lord. He will intervene,¡± Wind Lord Mumu Xingyun said. The Thunder Lord he mentioned was the thunder contractor, the chosen one who was struck by lightning at birth, and currently the publicly acknowledged strongest human.

    As they spoke, three terrifying auras enveloped Sun City, causing panic among the city¡¯s inhabitants. Zhanyue walked out of the cultivation room to see three people in cyan robes standing in mid-air. One carried a jade gourd on his back, one stood on a flying centipede, and one had hair like raging fire.

    ¡°Hand over the Holy Maiden, and we can avoid a bloodbath,¡± said the man with fiery hair, his tone extremely arrogant.

    The people in the City Lord¡¯s mansion also came out. Mi Hongchen¡¯s eyes turned cold; these people really didn¡¯t take the Eastern Kingdom seriously, daring to threaten the citizens of Sun City.

    ¡°You elders are also humans, why speak such treasonous words?¡± Mi Hongchen replied.

    ¡°Humans? How could our Azure Wind Upper Realm be the same as you insects? You think too highly of yourselves,¡± said the cyan-robed man standing on the flying centipede.

    ¡°The light contractor is of our Azure Wind bloodline. We¡¯vee specifically to retrieve our lost bloodline. You shouldn¡¯t obstruct us,¡± said the man with fiery hair. He was a fire contractor, at thete stage of Spirit God Realm, the strongest among the three.

    ¡°Your Azure Wind bloodline?¡± Wind Lord forced his tired body to walk out. ¡°You Azure Wind Realm people should have some shame. If you want a light contractor, go make one yourselves. This is my granddaughter, flowing with my blood. How is she of Azure Wind bloodline?¡±

    The three were angered by these words and scolded, ¡°Mumu Xingyun, you old thief. Kidnapping Princess Feiyu back then was a capital offense. The princess used her life to threaten the ancestor to spare your life. If you know what¡¯s good for you, hand over the Holy Maiden quickly. The Holy Maiden has royal blood and is a light contractor. She can receive better education in the Azure Wind Upper Realm and have a brighter future. What talent can your backwater Myriad Spirits Realm produce? Do you have any divine-level techniques suitable for light contractors?¡±

    ¡°I think, since the Holy Maiden is already an adult, she should make her own decision,¡± the man with the gourd said ¡®objectively¡¯.

    The Azure Wind Realm people indeed came prepared, starting with the temptation of divine-level techniques. But everyone wasn¡¯t foolish. If the Holy Maiden went to the Azure Wind Realm, she would be their person, no longer belonging to the Myriad Spirits Realm. What would be the point of her cultivating any technique?

    Holy Maiden Lixi also walked out, with Mi Hongchen and Wind Lord protecting her on either side.

    ¡°Your Highness Holy Maiden,e back with us to the Azure Wind Realm. Your grandmother is waiting for you there. In Azure Wind, you¡¯ll enjoy the same Holy Maiden treatment, and you can obtain divine-level techniques. Moreover, the Azure Wind Realm has ways to resolve the cold poison in your body,¡± the fire contractor persuaded.

    Wind Lord¡¯s face changed. How did they know about the cold poison in the Holy Maiden¡¯s body? There must be a traitor in his Mumu n!

    ¡°No need to trouble you elders. I¡¯m living quite well here,¡± Lixi didn¡¯t waver at all. She had her grandfather¡¯s protection here, but in the Azure Wind Realm, she feared she would just be a puppet.

    ¡°Sigh, do you really want to force us to take action?¡± The man with fiery hair looked regretful. ¡°The Azure Wind Upper Realm can lead to the path of longevity, something this Myriad Spirits Realm can¡¯tpare to. Are you sure you don¡¯t want to reconsider?¡±

    Lixi shook her head, ¡°I¡¯ve heard many legends about the Azure Wind Realm, but never heard of them doing anything when humans were in peril. What¡¯s the point of longevity if you¡¯re just a bunch of cold-blooded bystanders? Every roadside stone is long-lived, but does anyone envy bing a stone?¡±

    The three were stunned, not knowing how to refute for a moment. ¡°Hmph, silver-tongued. You don¡¯t know the wonders of longevity, that¡¯s why you dare to speak so superficially. Today, it¡¯s not up to you. Take her!¡±

    Just as the battle was about to erupt, a heartyugh was heard, sounding like thunder.

    ¡°Although I don¡¯t know the method of longevity, I do know how to make the three of you short-lived!¡± A purple-haired, purple-bearded man in purple robesnded in front of everyone, shielding them behind him. His hair was disheveled, looking quite carefree. He was even barefoot, like a beggar, not caring about his image. There were still some bloodstains on him, as if he had just been through a battle.

    ¡°Old freak, you¡¯ve finallye,¡± Wind Lord breathed a sigh of relief seeing Thunder Lord arrive.

    ¡°I was hunting star beasts in the outer realm. As soon as I got your message, I rushed back. Not toote, right?¡± Thunder Lord smiled, then looked at the Holy Maiden.

    ¡°My granddaughter has grown so big, indeed taking after her grandmother, so beautiful and charming,¡± Thunder Lord smiled.

    ¡°Hello, Godfather,¡± Holy Maiden Lixi said happily. With Thunder Lord here, there was nothing to worry about.

    The three looked at Thunder Lord like mice seeing a cat. ¡°How did he get back?¡±

    ¡°Back then, you took n away when I wasn¡¯t around. Now you want to forcibly take my precious granddaughter while I¡¯m away? Is it the Azure Wind Ancestor who gave you this courage? If you want to take my granddaughter, let that old thinge personally. In our battle years ago, we were evenly matched. I wonder if he¡¯s improved over these years!¡±

    Seeing Thunder Lord¡¯s arrival, the three knew that forcibly taking the Holy Maiden was impossible now. ¡°Since Thunder Lord has intervened, we¡¯ll take our leave.¡±

    ¡°You hurt my old brother Xingyun and think you can just leave like this? Do you think our Myriad Spirits Realm has no one?¡± Thunder Lord moved like lightning, and the three hurriedly defended, but there was no defense possible. Thunder Lord shed behind the three, and they simultaneously spat out blood. Before they could see Thunder Lord¡¯s move, the three were already severely injured.

    ¡°This time I¡¯ll leave some face for the Azure Wind Ancestor and won¡¯t kill you. But if you dare to target the Holy Maiden again, I¡¯ll kill you for sure. Get lost!¡± Thunder Lord threatened.

    ¡°Hmph! We¡¯re leaving.¡± Although the three were unwilling, they didn¡¯t dare to linger. The gap between them and Thunder Lord was too great.

    ¡°Thunder Lord, although you¡¯re strong, you can¡¯t solve the cold poison in the Holy Maiden¡¯s body. A Holy Maiden who can¡¯t resolve the cold poison is just useless! You¡¯ll eventually have toe begging us!¡± the fire contractor said resentfully.

    ¡°Hmph.¡± Thunder Lord let out an angry snort, and a bolt of lightning struck the fire contractor from the clear sky, instantly sting him into pieces. However, he had already elementalized his body and quickly reassembled, though his injuries were even more severe.

    Watching the battle in the sky, Mi Hongchen puzzledly asked Wind Lord beside her, ¡°Why is it that although they¡¯re all Spirit God Realm, Thunder Lord can so easily severely injure them? They don¡¯t even have the ability to fight back.¡±

    Wind Lord Mumu Xingyun smiled mysteriously, ¡°Who said Thunder Lord is at Spirit God Realm?¡±

    Themon people below didn¡¯t know what had happened, only that the arrogant people from the Azure Wind Realm had fled in a sorry state, and they cheered jubntly. Only Zhanyue was full of worry, ¡°There are too many people coveting that girl. Night Lord, the Nightmare race, and now the Azure Wind Realm. Sigh, I hope her luck will be better.¡±

 Chapter 21

    Chapter 21

    In the City Lord¡¯s mansion, Thunder Lord dismissed everyone, leaving only Wind Lord Mumu Xingyun by his side.

    ¡°Brother Xingyun, what do you think?¡± Thunder Lord asked. With his purple hair, purple beard, purple eyes, and purple robe, his appearance was quite inhuman, and his features were extremely fierce and terrifying. But people described Thunder Lord as having ¡®the face of a fierce god, but the heart of a sage¡¯.

    ¡°Back then, they clearly said our grudge was settled, and they would never bother our family again. Now they¡¯ve gone back on their word and want to take Lixi away. It¡¯s utterly shameless!¡± Mumu Xingyun recalled the past events with anguish. He couldn¡¯t protect his love and son, who were forcibly taken back. When Thunder Lord returned, he personally confronted them, battling with the Azure Wind Realm¡¯s Ancestor for a day and a night, ending in a draw. Knowing Thunder Lord wasn¡¯t easy to deal with, the Azure Wind Ancestor had no choice but to release Wind Lord¡¯s son, the Holy Maiden¡¯s father, and they agreed to settle their grudge.

    ¡°There must be some change behind the Azure Wind Ancestor¡¯s breach of promise this time. Although light contractors are very important to our Myriad Spirits Realm, they¡¯re just ordinary spirit contractors in the Azure Wind Realm,¡± Thunder Lord analyzed.

    Mumu Xingyun¡¯s eyes lit up, thinking the same as Thunder Lord, ¡°The reason Lixi was appointed as Holy Maiden is because of light attribute¡¯s strong suppressive power against the Nightmare race. But the Azure Wind Realm doesn¡¯t have enemies like the Nightmares, so the light attribute isn¡¯t special there. Their current insistence on forcibly taking Lixi away, does it mean the Nightmare race has sessfully invaded the Azure Wind Realm?!¡±

    Thunder Lord nodded, ¡°Exactly, that¡¯s what I think too, so they want to take Lixi away. Since our two realms became connected, they¡¯ve always been bystanders. Now it¡¯s time for them to taste the bitterness we¡¯ve experienced.¡±

    Mumu Xingyun looked worried, ¡°I¡¯m afraid they won¡¯t give up on Lixi so easily.¡±

    ¡°No worries, I¡¯ll set up a restriction formation outside the Azure Wind Realm soon. Of course, I¡¯ll know immediately if anyone at Spirit God Realmes out. I got a spatial treasure in the outer realm called Sky-Reaching Escape, which can quickly reach the marked location of the restriction formation. They might dare toe out, but they might not be able to go back,¡± Thunder Lord said confidently.

    ¡°A spatial treasure? That¡¯s a good thing,¡± Mumu Xingyun said enviously. ¡°Although the outer realm has many treasures, I¡¯m afraid my current strength isn¡¯t enough to freely explore it.¡± ¡°You¡¯re now at the ninth stage of Spirit God Realm. To explore the outer realm, you need at least the strength of the Transcendent Spirit God Realm. Work harder to break through,¡± Thunder Lord encouraged.

    Wind Lord smiled bitterly. Breaking through the Spirit God Realm was incredibly difficult. From entering Spirit God to Transcendent Spirit God was a huge gap.

    ¡°By the way, I heard Night Lord targeted Lixi before?¡± Thunder Lord asked.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. I heard from Yun Fei that three of the 99 Demons came. Unfortunately, I wasn¡¯t there at the time, and they almost seeded. As fellow humans, they actually targeted the Holy Maiden. It shows they¡¯re beyond redemption,¡± Mumu Xingyun said, still feeling scared. Fortunately, nothing happened to Lixi.

    ¡°Hmph! Night Lord¡¯s rebellion has been going on for ten years, causing us great harm. These flies are really annoying. Unfortunately, Night Lord has at least the strength of the third stage of Transcendent Spirit God Realm. You¡¯re no match for him. Last time he was severely injured by Sword Lord and went into hiding. His injuries probably haven¡¯t healed yet, but he¡¯s still trying to cause trouble. Counting the time, Sword Lord¡¯s sword-seeking journey should be ending soon. Let¡¯s wait for his return to quell Night Lord¡¯s rebellion,¡± Thunder Lord said.

    ¡°Sword-seeking journey¡­ I wonder which secret realm Sword Lord has ventured into this time,¡± Wind Lord said enviously. Sword Lord was powerful enough to go anywhere in the mortal world, often seeking swords and only asionally returning. If not for Night Lord¡¯s special technique, he would have been in by Sword Lord thest time he showed up. Once Sword Lord returns, there will be no worries about the likes of Night Lord.

    ¡°By the way, give this to Lixi. Consider it aing-of-age gift from her godfather,¡± Thunder Lord took out a jade token with a divine bird pattern engraved on it.

    ¡°The Divine Beast Token? This¡­ this is too precious,¡± Wind Lord said excitedly. The Divine Beast Token could summon a mechanical beast with Spirit God Realm strength, equivalent to a personal Spirit God bodyguard. Its value was self-evident.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. With my current strength, I don¡¯t need it at all. The younger generation in my family are all useless things, not qualified to use it. Although Lixi is your granddaughter, she also calls me godfather. There¡¯s no one more suitable for this item than her,¡± Thunder Lord said.

    Wind Lord was grateful. With this item, Lixi¡¯s safety would be greatly assured. ¡°On behalf of that girl, I thank you, Thunder Lord.¡±

    ¡°Alright, you¡¯re a grown man, stop being so sentimental. I have many things to do, so I¡¯ll leave first,¡± Thunder Lord came and went like the wind, appearing and disappearing in an instant, turning into a bolt of lightning and vanishing from the City Lord¡¯s mansion.

    ¡°It¡¯s still too dangerous outside. We should return early,¡± Wind Lord stroked this token, deciding to take his granddaughter back to the Rising Sun Kingdom soon. There, with the Holy Temple elders and himself guarding the Holy Maiden, they would have the strength to fight even if those three returned.

    Three days passed in the blink of an eye, and Wind Lord¡¯s injuries had mostly recovered.

    The Sun Knight Regiment once again marched grandly through the streets of Sun City, but this time they were leaving.

    Lixi sat alone in the carriage, which was mystical, allowing her to see the scenery outside clearly, while those outside couldn¡¯t see inside. She searched for that familiar figure in the crowd.

    At this moment, Zhanyue was just like before, wearing the uniform of a Sun City soldier, maintaining order on the street. But this time, his gaze towards the carriage waspletely different.

    Lixi looked at Zhanyue, knowing he couldn¡¯t see her, and she could only watch silently, unable even to say a proper goodbye. After this incident, it would probably be much harder for her to go out in the future.

    As if their hearts were connected, Zhanyue seemed to know Lixi was watching him as he looked at the carriage. He pointed to his right hand, thanking her for the spatial ring she had given him.

    ¡°Sigh¡­ I wonder if we¡¯ll ever meet again. I left the Holy Temple Knight token in the spatial ring. As long as hees to the Rising Sun Kingdom, he¡¯ll have a chance to see me with this token,¡± Lixi pondered, then suddenly remembered something, ¡°Oh no¡­ my clothes and essories are still in the ring!¡±

    Lixi blushed furiously at this thought. There were even her worn undergarments in there. This was terrible. But now it was even more impossible to ask for it back.

    ¡°Girl, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Wind Lord, sitting cross-legged on top of the carriage, sensed his granddaughter¡¯s emotional fluctuations and asked curiously. He noticed his granddaughter seemed to have many things on her mindtely, but didn¡¯t pay too much attention. After everything that had happened, it was normal for her emotions to be unstable.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, grandfather. Do you think the illumination Goddess still has descendants continuing to this day?¡± Lixi suddenly began to doubt Zhanyue¡¯s identity.

    ¡°Huh? The illumination Goddess never married, how could she have descendants? She did adopt nine orphans, known as the ¡®Nine Radiant Stars¡¯, but they¡¯ve long since fallen in history. However, they might have descendants continuing to this day,¡± Wind Lord answered.

    ¡°Nine Radiant Stars? Could he be a descendant of one of the Nine Radiant Stars? Otherwise, how could he have the illumination Goddess¡¯s divine-level technique?¡± Lixi¡¯s thoughts were all on Zhanyue.

    ¡°It¡¯s finally over,¡± Cheng Lu led the team back to the military camp. He had lost a few brothers in this mission and was heartbroken.

    ¡°Brother Zhanyue, have you thought about joining the military?¡± Cheng Lu asked. He hoped to recruit more people, and Zhanyue was a very good candidate.

    However, Zhanyue shook his head, ¡°Big Brother Cheng, I¡¯m too free-spirited and disorderly. The military isn¡¯t suitable for me. But my mandatory service period isn¡¯t over yet, so I¡¯m at your disposal during this time.¡±

    Cheng Lu said with some regret, ¡°Alright, everyone has their own aspirations. I won¡¯t force you. For the remaining days, I¡¯ll try to teach you as much as I can. I hope you can use it in the future.¡± Cheng Lu knew Zhanyue¡¯s ambitions weren¡¯t in Sun City. Although Zhanyue¡¯s current strength seemed low, his growth rate was terrifying. When he registered, he was only at the first stage of Spirit Contract Realm, but now he was already at the third stage. How long had it been! His future achievements would certainly be no less than his own.

    Zhanyue trained very hard, and the Ghost Fruit inside him was also subtly influencing him.

    ¡°By the way, Captain Cheng, I¡¯ve recently mastered a technique and want you to take a look,¡± Zhanyue said. In three days, he had already mastered the most basic moves of the purple-grade technique ¡°me King st¡± and wanted to try it in actualbat.

 Chapter 22

    Chapter 22

    As a purple-grade technique, ¡°me King st¡± has three levels: ¡®Fire Fusion Realm¡¯, ¡®Fire Separation Realm¡¯, and ¡®me King Realm¡¯. At the first level, Fire Fusion Realm, fire is fused into fists and legs, with each punch carrying endless fiery might. Having mastered this realm, Zhanyue could now cover his hands and feet with mes without harming himself.

    If one reaches the second level, Fire Separation Realm, the power of fire can leave the body to attack enemies. Throwing a fireball with a punch is not a dream. At the third level, me King Realm, one¡¯s mastery of fire reaches a very high standard, able topress fire power and release it when needed. Mastering ¡°me King st¡± to the highest level makes killing enemies not difficult.

    ¡°You seem quite confident. Come with me,¡± Cheng Lu was very interested and took Zhanyue to the garrison.

    ¡°You¡¯re at the third stage of Spirit Contract Realm, while I¡¯m at the ninth stage of Soul Control Realm. There¡¯s a gap of two major realms and more than ten minor stages between us. Sparring with me won¡¯t be very beneficial for you,¡± Cheng Lu exined. After Spirit Contract Realmes Spirit Communication Realm, and then Soul Control Realm.

    Spirit Contract Realm is the beginning of cultivation. Everyone naturally enters this realm when contracting with their contract object. At Spirit Communication Realm, one canmunicate spiritually with the contract object, achieving unity of mind and spirit, and exerting most of the contract object¡¯s abilities. As for Soul Control Realm, one can skillfully control the contract object and unleash its potential.

    ¡°I¡¯m currently at Spirit Contract Realm. I wonder what changes will happen when I enter Spirit Communication Realm and Soul Control Realm, especially since my contract object¡­ is a bit too special,¡± Zhanyue pondered.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be disappointed. I¡¯ve found two suitable opponents for you. Xiao Ming, Xiao Liang,e here,¡± Cheng Lu called two soldiers. The two looked very simr, being a pair of brothers. They wore light iron armor, their faces still showing traces of youth, both having juste of age.

    ¡°They are both at the ninth stage of Spirit Contract Realm, in the same major realm as you. They¡¯re just right to be your opponents,¡± Cheng Lu said.

    The two looked at Zhanyue, inevitably feeling contemptuous. ¡°An opponent at the third stage of Spirit Contract Realm?¡± ¡°Brother, you go first. Don¡¯t embarrass us,¡± Cao Xiao Ming said to Cao Xiao Liang beside him.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, brother. He¡¯s just a new recruit at the third stage of Spirit Contract Realm. I¡¯ll take him down quickly,¡± Cao Xiao Liang said as he stepped forward. The surrounding soldiers all gathered to watch the excitement, wondering why Captain Cheng would let a new recruit at the third stage of Spirit Contract Realm fight against Cao Xiao Liang.

    ¡°I am Cao Xiao Liang, a weapon contractor. My contract object is the Bright Silver Spear,¡± Cao Xiao Liang introduced himself. The Bright Silver Spear in his hand was a standard weapon, but bing a contract object made it extraordinary. However, he wasn¡¯t as lucky as Cheng Lu to awaken elemental power. He was among the weaker weapon contractors.

    ¡°Zhanyue, misceneous contractor, contract object ¨C me Gem,¡± Zhanyue also said. It was customary to announce one¡¯s contract object before sparring.

    ¡°Misceneous contractor? me Gem? Could he have mastered fire power? Such a misceneous contractor shouldn¡¯t be underestimated. But how did he register in Sun City?¡± people discussed. But except for Cheng Lu, others didn¡¯t know that Zhanyue had been rewarded for saving the Holy Maiden. After all, a man spending a day and night alone with the Holy Maiden, even if everyone knew nothing would happen, it wouldn¡¯t be good if word got out. So Sun City didn¡¯t publicize Zhanyue¡¯s deed. However, they did give him ample rewards, allowing him to choose a purple-grade technique. Cheng Lu¡¯s family had a white-grade technique that was treated as a family heirloom, let alone a purple-grade technique. Most ordinary contractors didn¡¯t have techniques.

    For ordinary contractors without money or power, they could either have enough talent to enter an academy and obtain techniques, or join the military to earn merits and exchange them for techniques. Zhanyue¡¯s protection of the Holy Maiden was considered top-tier military merit.

    ¡°Brother Zhan, watch out!¡± Cao Xiao Liang said as he charged with his spear.

    Zhanyue nimbly dodged the spear and quickly closed in. Cao Xiao Liang¡¯s spear technique was skillful, quickly withdrawing the spear and thrusting a second strike. With his fist covered in mes, Zhanyue grabbed the spear shaft, and the fierce mes in his hand raced along the shaft towards Cao Xiao Liang like a long snake.

    ¡°Hmph!¡± Cao Xiao Liang was slightly surprised but then shook with all his might, breaking Zhanyue¡¯s grip and dispersing the mes. Zhanyue felt his right hand go numb. Cao Xiao Liang didn¡¯t give Zhanyue a chance, this time thrusting at Zhanyue¡¯s lower body. Zhanyue nimbly moved his legs, avoiding the shadow-like thrusts. Then Zhanyue leaped, stepping on the spear shaft, and jumped high, kicking towards Cao Xiao Liang¡¯s head.

    Cao Xiao Liang released his left hand, protecting his head, and took Zhanyue¡¯s kick head-on. He held the spear with one hand and thrust at Zhanyue again. Zhanyue dodged sideways, grabbing the spear with his left hand, and once again erupted mes that raced along the shaft.

    ¡°What? The left hand without the me Gem can also use fire?¡± Cao Xiao Liang was shocked and released the spear to avoid this attack.

    ¡°Come!¡± Cao Xiao Liang shouted lowly, and the spear obediently flew back to his hand. This was the difference between a contract object and an ordinary object.

    ¡°It seems I still need to focus on attacking his lower body. His leg techniques aren¡¯t as good as his fist techniques,¡± Cao Xiao Liang realized this and once again attacked Zhanyue¡¯s lower body. Like a movie rey, Zhanyue nimbly moved his legs, avoiding the shadow-like thrusts. Then Zhanyue leaped again, stepping on the spear shaft, and jumped high, once again kicking towards Cao Xiao Liang¡¯s head.

    ¡°Again?¡± Cao Xiao Liang sneered, releasing his hand to protect his head just likest time.

    However, this time, Zhanyue¡¯s entire right foot erupted with fierce mes. The terrifying force directly knocked Cao Xiao Liang to the ground. This kick was something he simply couldn¡¯t defend against. By the time Cao Xiao Liang tried to get up, Zhanyue¡¯s fist was already stopped in front of his face.

    ¡°I¡­ I lost,¡± Cao Xiao Liang felt ashamed but wasn¡¯t a sore loser.

    The spectators were silent. After a brief pause, thunderous apuse and cheers erupted.

    ¡°Brother Zhan¡­ you really surprised me. With such battle talent, are you sure you don¡¯t want to consider joining the military?¡± Cheng Lu still wanted to recruit Zhanyue. In the previous fight, Zhanyue¡¯s first kick was a probe, knowing Cao Xiao Liang had no follow-up. The second formal attack caught Cao Xiao Liang off guard, using the same defensive method asst time, resulting in him being knocked down in one hit. Cao Xiao Liang¡¯s psychological state was always led by Zhanyue, which is absolute initiative in battle.

    ¡°No thanks, Big Brother Cheng. I have my own path,¡± Zhanyue declined again. He had the token given by the princess, allowing him to enter a top academy without exams, which was naturally a better path.

    ¡°Alright,¡± Cheng Lu looked disappointed. ¡°How about this, we have a mission in a few days. We need to escort a batch of illumination Stones to the northern volcano for coloring. You cane along. I¡¯ll teach you some knowledge about living in the wild, which you¡¯ll definitely need in the future.¡±

    Zhanyue dly epted, ¡°Thank you, Big Brother Cheng. But with my strength¡­ won¡¯t I be a burden to you?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Escorting illumination Stones is one of the most routine military tasks. No one dares to mess with Sun City. As for those big shots, they won¡¯t bother with such small things and won¡¯t attack us. Don¡¯t worry, with my protection, I¡¯ll make sure you return safely,¡± Cheng Lu patted Zhanyue¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°Then thank you, Big Brother Cheng,¡± Zhanyue was also eager to learn how humans survive in the wild at night, as the nights in this world were very dangerous.

    Zhanyue returned to his temporary room, pondering over what he had gained today, and smiled with satisfaction. He took out a pouch containing several fire-red gems, which were me Gems. ¡°The Sun God Stone looks simr to these me Gems from the outside. I bought a few me Gems earlier to confuse people. They might be useful in the future.¡± After all, his contract object wasn¡¯t actually a me Gem, so he had to be well-prepared.

    In the Rising Sun Kingdom, in the capital Golden Sun City, in a magnificent estate, a man in yellow robes was lying on a recliner with his eyes closed. A mechanical bird descended from the sky andnded on the recliner. The bird¡¯s ws fit perfectly into a notch on the recliner. Soon after, an opening appeared on the armrest of the recliner, from which a secret letter emerged. Thismunication system was extremely difficult to decipher.

    ¡°The Holy Maiden was attacked by Night Lord¡¯s subordinates? People came from the Azure Wind Realm? Thunder Lord appeared?¡± The man in yellow robes had an unpredictable expression. Then he read that the Holy Maiden had used a spatial talisman to escape, saving a soldier from Sun City along the way, and was found after a day and night.

    ¡°Able to spend a day and night alone with the Holy Maiden? What good fortune,¡± the man in yellow robes revealed a hint of gloom in his eyes. ¡°Hmph, is he worthy?¡± Terrible jealousy made him unable to control himself.

    ¡°Dragon Guard, send someone to kill him,¡± the man in yellow robes said to the shadows, then added, ¡°A lion using its full strength to catch a rabbit. Send a Profound Realm assassin.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Far away in Sun City, Zhanyue could never have imagined that just because he spent a day and night alone with the Holy Maiden, someone wanted him dead, even sending a Profound Realm assassin.

 Chapter 23

    Chapter 23

    Outside Sun City, ten horse-drawn carriages loaded with illumination Stones were traveling on a wide road. Forty Sun City soldiers on horseback nked the carriages. The person in charge of this mission was Cheng Lu. As a talent at the ninth stage of Soul Control Realm, Cheng Lu had the strength to contend with early-stage Star Profound Realm experts, more than enough to escort a few carriages of illumination Stones.

    Cheng Lu rode a tall horse at the front of the team. To his left was Zhanyue, the weakest among the forty people.

    ¡°The sunlight has been quite abundant this month, producing arge surplus of illumination Stones. After selling some to the citizens, the rest need to be transported to the northern volcano for coloring. Fire-attribute illumination Stones are more valuable. Such missions are carried out almost every few months. This is my fifth time in charge of the escort,¡± Cheng Lu exined.

    ¡°I see. The northern volcano is very far from here, almost at the northernmost edge of the Eastern Kingdom¡¯s territory. How long will this trip take?¡± Zhanyue asked curiously from horseback.

    Cheng Lu smiled and exined, ¡°If we relied solely on horsepower, it would take at least half a year. There¡¯s an outpost north of Sun City with an ancient teleportation formation that happens to lead to the north. The north also has a reciprocal formation back to that outpost. So in fact, this journey only takes about half a month. Teleportation formations are very useful, but unfortunately, we¡¯ve long lost the method of setting them up. We can only use the formations left by our ancestors.¡±

    ¡°So there¡¯s a teleportation formation connecting the two ces. I was wondering why we were going all the way to the northern volcano,¡± Zhanyue marveled internally at how useful these distance-defying teleportation formations were, wondering if the illumination Goddess knew about them.

    ¡°How did such amazing formations get lost?¡± Zhanyue asked curiously, the importance of these formations was self-evident.

    Cheng Lu shook his head and sighed, ¡°How would I know? But it was probably lost during human internal conflicts. Since the fall of the illumination Goddess, humans have never been united again. Legend has it that the Nightmare race was almost wiped out, but human infighting allowed them to recover. In the end, they upied eight or nine tenths of the wilderness, while humansrgely retreated to areas illuminated by illumination Towers. Despite this, various human factions still fight endlessly, seemingly not taking the Nightmare race seriously. Fortunately,ter on, two powerful figures, Thunder Lord and Sword Lord, emerged. They temporarily united the human front, putting a halt to major conflicts for now, though minor frictions still persist.¡±

    ¡°Thunder Lord, Sword Lord¡­¡± Zhanyue noted these two names. ¡°Do you know about Night Lord¡¯s rebellion?¡± Cheng Lu asked.

    Zhanyue nodded, ¡°I¡¯ve read about it in books, and it seems the ones who tried to assassinate the Holy Maiden were Night Lord¡¯s people.¡±

    Cheng Lu nodded and borated, ¡°Between the Rising Sun Kingdom and the Eastern Kingdom, there used to be a small country called the Night Kingdom. Though small, it was rich in resources and even had several ancient ruins. Later, it¡¯s said that the Night Kingdom¡¯s court, from the Lord to the ministers, were all possessed by the Nightmare race, making the Night Kingdom a stronghold for them. The Rising Sun Kingdom and Eastern Kingdom joined forces to eradicate them, which was all normal up to this point.¡±

    Cheng Lu paused, then sighed, ¡°The Nightmares possessing the Night Kingdom¡¯s court were all destroyed, but the Night Kingdom¡¯s prince¡¯s line still survived. The two countries should have withdrawn their troops and restored the throne to the prince. Unfortunately, both countries¡¯ rulers were blinded by greed. They fabricated evidence iming the prince¡¯s line was also possessed by Nightmares, and then eradicated their entire lineage. The two countries divided the Night Kingdom¡¯s territory and resources. Who knew that the prince had left a son in the mortal world ¨C Night Lord. A hundred yearster, Night Lord¡¯s power came to fruition, and heunched his rebellion, causing heavy losses to the Rising Sun Kingdom and Eastern Kingdom. To stabilize the situation, Sword Lord intervened, but unfortunately, Night Lord¡¯s strength was extraordinary, and Sword Lord failed to kill him, allowing him to escape.¡±

    ¡°Big Brother Cheng, how do you know all this so clearly?¡± Zhanyue frowned, curious. Shouldn¡¯t this be top secret?

    ¡°It¡¯s all information Night Lord made public. Otherwise, why would he only cause trouble for the Eastern Kingdom and Rising Sun Kingdom? But it¡¯s been a hundred years. Even if everyone knows that the two great empires were wrong back then, so what? It¡¯s impossible to help Night Lord restore his country now. Besides, even if we helped him restore his country, would he forgive the two great empires? I remember Thunder Lord once tried to mediate, but it ended in failure,¡± Cheng Lu said. Although he was a citizen of the Eastern Kingdom, he wasn¡¯t an unreasonable person.

    Zhanyue sighed, ¡°Indeed, if I were Night Lord, I certainly wouldn¡¯t be willing to let it go. When the Night Kingdom was destroyed, Thunder Lord and Sword Lord didn¡¯t intervene, but now that he¡¯s seeking revenge, they step in. From his perspective, isn¡¯t this taking sides?¡±

    ¡°Ah, who can argue with that? Even if Thunder Lord and Sword Lord didn¡¯t intend it that way ¨C they were also deceived in the Night Kingdom affair ¨C but the fact remains. Such things aren¡¯t umon among humans. Grudges between countries can surface at any time. Ah, so-called unity is really just a dream¡­ If it weren¡¯t for Thunder Lord and Sword Lord suppressing with their strength, humans would destroy themselves through mutual attacks before the Nightmares even attack,¡± Cheng Lu¡¯s eyes were full of pessimism.

    Zhanyue felt a headacheing on. Because no matter from Thunder Lord and Sword Lord¡¯s standpoint, or from the Eastern Kingdom¡¯s standpoint, they now had no choice but to kill Night Lord, even if they were wrong first. Otherwise, this grudge would never end. What Night Lord wanted obviously wasn¡¯t as simple as the two empires admitting their mistake, so there was no possibility of negotiation.

    Zhanyue remembered Mi Hongchen¡¯s words. Because of Night Lord¡¯s rebellion, countless lives had been lost, eight or nine out of ten of them innocent. Night Lord¡¯s righteousness had long been lost. His attempt on the Holy Maiden¡¯s life further proved this point. He was no longer just opposing the two empires, but the entire human race. The nature of the situation hadpletely changed.

    ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about this anymore. It¡¯s a problem even Thunder Lord and Sword Lord can¡¯t solve, what can two insects like us change? By the way, make sure to keep that map I gave you earlier safe. Once you¡¯re lost in the wilderness, it¡¯s certain death. The night is the Nightmare¡¯s domain. Humans can only rest at various outposts, so during the day, you must find a suitable outpost to stay. That map shows the outposts along various roads in our Eastern Kingdom,¡± Cheng Lu reminded.

    ¡°Mm, thank you, Big Brother Cheng. It¡¯s a pity we don¡¯t have the ability to fly, otherwise reaching outposts would be easy, right?¡± Zhanyue said with some regret.

    ¡°There are four ways to fly. First, reach the Spirit God Realm, which is beyond our reach. Second, contract a flying animal, which we also don¡¯t have the chance for. Third, obtain a flying technique, which are at least seventh-grade gold quality (white, green, blue, purple, orange, red, gold, rainbow, divine) and not something we can get. Fourth, flying mechs, which can be bought if you have money, but their flying speed and duration are far inferior to the other three methods,¡± Cheng Lu smiled.

    As they talked, they arrived at an outpost. It was getting dark, and they had to stop here for the night.

    In the Sunset Wastnd, two figures visited the Sunset Castlete at night.

    ¡°Strategist, ording to my inspection, the mystery of the castle hasn¡¯t been discovered. You can rest assured,¡± one figure respectfully said to the other. It was the lord of this Sunset Wastnd territory.

    ¡°Dream Vulture Lord was guarding this ce on my orders. I bear some responsibility for its death. I wonder who killed it. By the way, notify the ¡®Soul Searchers¡¯ among the Nightmare race to get active, but they¡¯re not allowed to harm humans to avoid alerting them. Just instruct them to search for the whereabouts of the Ghost Fruit. Once we find the Ghost Fruit, we can naturally track down Dream Vulture Lord¡¯s killer,¡± Strategist ordered.

    ¡°Yes, Strategist. Your insight is beyond our reach,¡± Star Disgust Lord beside him ttered.

    ¡°Hmph, how did you learn the human way of bootlicking?¡± Strategist said dissatisfied.

    ¡°Uh¡­ Strategist, I¡¯m sincere. Take the Night Kingdom affair for example. You orchestrated the possession of the Night Kingdom¡¯s Lord and ministers, but deliberately spared the prince¡¯s line, even protecting the highly talented prince¡¯s son all the way, allowing him to grow into ¡®Night Lord¡¯ and be a major threat to humans.

    You grasped human thoughts perfectly. You said the Rising Sun Kingdom and Eastern Kingdom would take the opportunity to destroy the Night Kingdom and upy its territory, and they indeed did so. You said the prince¡¯s son would be a powerful figure in the future and cause turmoil, and it indeed happened a hundred yearster as you predicted. Whether it¡¯s the Rising Sun Kingdom, Eastern Kingdom, or those Thunder Lord, Sword Lord, or Night Lord, they¡¯ve all been yed by you. Such god-like nning, how can we not admire it?¡± Star Disgust Lord sighed.

    Strategist smiled slightly, ¡°It¡¯s just a small game. This move is just one of my ordinary ys. My brilliant moves are beyond yourprehension.¡±

    ¡°Ordinary y? Brilliant move? What do you mean, Strategist?¡± Star Disgust Lord asked confused.

    ¡°Just human chess terminology. Knowing yourself and your enemy is the key to winning every battle. To defeat humans, I¡¯ve studied arge amount of human knowledge, including chess, formations, military strategy, history, mythology, art, techniques, etc. I understand them better than many humans understand themselves,¡± Strategist exined.

    ¡°With someone like Strategist in our Nightmare race, it must be heaven¡¯s will for our race to prosper!¡± Star Disgust Lord eximed sincerely excited. Strategist was worlds apart from brutes like them who had brawn but no brains, which was why all Nightmare Lords trusted Strategist.

 Chapter 24

    Chapter 24

    The outpost named ¡®Scattered Stars Inn¡¯ was muchrger than Zhanyue had imagined. These outposts were very important on the crisscrossing transportation routes of human territories. Not only did traveling merchants rest here, but nearby refugees and temporary military camps also chose to stay here.

    The inn was brightly lit, with a huge formation made of illumination Stones operating normally at night, protecting this area, shining like a small boat in a vast night sea. Besides the areas covered by illumination Towers, these inn outposts were the safest ces in the wilderness.

    The stables next to the inn were full of warhorses. Cheng Lu frowned at these horses, not knowing which army they belonged to. He led everyone to the inn¡¯s temporary warehouse, where they stored all the illumination Stones, then dismissed the troops, leaving only four people to guard the warehouse in shifts, while the rest went to rest.

    ¡°Big Brother Cheng, it¡¯s so lively here,¡± Zhanyue said. In the army, Zhanyue called Cheng Lu ¡®Captain¡¯, but in private, he called him ¡®Big Brother¡¯. Cheng Lu had taught Zhanyue a lot of knowledge and survival skills along the way, which Zhanyue was very grateful for.

    ¡°Indeed it is. Scattered Stars Inn is close to Sun City, with many merchantsing and going. It¡¯s always been this lively,¡± Cheng Lu walked into the inn¡¯s main hall, where the tables were fully upied. He scanned the room and found his target, then led Zhanyue over.

    ¡°General Song, it¡¯s indeed you,¡± Cheng Lu said as he approached a table where a bald, burly man was sitting. The man was exceptionally muscr, still wearing armor, with sharp, piercing eyes. More interestingly, a fist-sized spider was perched on his shoulder.

    ¡°Captain Cheng?¡± The man surnamed Song looked at Cheng Lu, but wasn¡¯t very surprised. ¡°You¡¯re escorting goods again?¡±

    Cheng Lu sighed, ¡°My abilities are mediocre, I can only lead troops to do some odd jobs. How can Ipare to you, General Song, fighting on the frontlines and guarding the peace?¡±

    General Songughed and patted Cheng Lu¡¯s shoulder, ¡°Don¡¯t be discouraged. The City Lord still values you highly. Once you break through to the Star Profound Realm and be a Profound Being, you can naturally be an official general too.¡± Cheng Lu smiled slightly and introduced Zhanyue, ¡°This is Blood Spider General Song Yi, a proper patrolling general of Sun City, quite different from a captain like me.¡±

    Zhanyue looked at Song Yi and then at the blood-colored spider on his shoulder. This burly man exuded a powerful aura, likely a beast contractor at the Profound Realm.

    ¡°And this is?¡± Song Yi was quite curious about why Cheng Lu was so close to a new soldier at the third stage of Spirit Contract Realm.

    ¡°A new little brother I¡¯ve taken a liking to. We get along well. By the way, General Song, what brings you here?¡± Cheng Lu asked curiously.

    Song Yi nodded, ncing at Zhanyue but not paying much attention to him. He answered, ¡°There are two viges about fifty miles from here, not far from each other ¨C Cloud Family Vige and Yu Family Vige. We received news that over 200 people in Cloud Family Vige, from the elderly to infants, have all fallen victim to the Nightmares. I¡¯m here to exterminate those Nightmares. This ce is so close to Sun City, I didn¡¯t expect the Nightmares to be so brazen.¡±

    Hearing this, both Zhanyue and Cheng Lu paled. Over 200 lives lost just like that?

    The area covered by illumination Towers was ultimately limited, and not everyone had the privilege to live in safe zones. There were stillrge and small viges scattered outside, usually near outposts. They could only rely on illumination Stones to get through dangerous nights.

    ¡°This is a major case. Haven¡¯t those Nightmares retreated?¡± Cheng Lu asked further.

    ¡°You know how greedy the Nightmare race is. After devouring the people of Cloud Family Vige, Yu Family Vige is waiting for them. When they¡¯ve digested enough, they¡¯ll set their sights on Yu Family Vige. I n to set up an ambush in Yu Family Vige topletely annihte them,¡± General Song said, then fed a finger to the spider on his shoulder. The spider bit the finger and sucked the blood.

    ¡°My little one is good in every way, except it still can¡¯t live without fresh blood. It¡¯ll be better once it advances to the next realm,¡± Song Yi gently stroked the small spider.

    ¡°Now every household has nightmps made of illumination Stones, not fearing ordinary Nightmares. How could such a tragedy still ur?¡± Zhanyue asked, confused.

    Cheng Lu patiently exined, ¡°Illumination Stones can deal with low-level Nightmares with low intelligence, but not with mid-level Nightmares that have high intelligence. Low-level Nightmares even fear all light sources, even candlelight can scare them away, but mid-level Nightmares aren¡¯t so easy to deal with.¡±

    Seeing that Zhanyue only half-understood, Cheng Lu exined in detail, ¡°The Nightmare race has habits simr to ants and bees. High-level Nightmares rarely act, but are nurtured by mid-level and low-level Nightmares. The vast number of low-level Nightmares hunt for souls of living beings at night, with humans being the preferred prey. Generally speaking, illumination Stones can dispel low-level Nightmares and have a suppressive effect on mid-level Nightmares, but mid-level Nightmares have enough intelligence to have many ways to counter illumination Stones. For there to be so many deaths this time, there must be mid-level Nightmares leading the attack.¡±

    Above high-level Nightmares, there were king-level, lord-level, and grand lord-level, but these were beyond what Zhanyue could encounter at his current stage.

    ¡°Young brother, you haven¡¯t been on a real battlefield yet, have you?¡± Song Yi looked at Zhanyue and smiled. ¡°Perfect. Topletely annihte them, I don¡¯t have enough manpower. I¡¯m worried there might be some that slip through the. Brother Cheng, I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll have to borrow some of your men.¡±

    ¡°This¡­ this isn¡¯t quite appropriate. My mission is just to escort the illumination Stones,¡± Cheng Lu said, somewhat troubled. He couldn¡¯t casually dispatch soldiers.

    ¡°I knew you¡¯d be inflexible. Look at this,¡± Song Yi took out a token with an eagle engraved on it.

    ¡°The City Lord¡¯s token? With this, you can temporarily mobilize any troops you encounter, with the token bearer¡¯s mission taking top priority,¡± Cheng Lu breathed a sigh of relief, no longer troubled. ¡°I brought forty men this time. We¡¯ll leave ten to guard the illumination Stones. The rest, including myself, will follow General Song¡¯s orders.¡±

    ¡°Good. Your thirty men plus my fifty men will surely be able to surround those fiendspletely. This time we must annihte them all,¡± Song Yi said happily, then smiled at Zhanyue, ¡°Young brother, aren¡¯t you curious about how the Nightmares harm themon people? Why not see for yourself?¡±

    Zhanyue nodded. He was indeed curious about how mid-level Nightmares could wipe out a small vige. Zhanyue picked up amp and yed with it. There were two ways to activate illumination Stones: one was through these specialmps, which could activate the stones just by cing them on top ¨C the only way for ordinary people to use illumination Stones. Contractors could directly use spiritual power to activate illumination Stones. The invention of thesemps had eased the urgent situation for humans, allowing ordinary people in the wilderness to use illumination Stones to resist Nightmares. Unfortunately, the wilderness was still very dangerous.

    ¡°Sun City is densely popted, and the surrounding satellite towns are also extremely crowded. No wonder that little cart driver spoke so proudly of his father. His father, through his own efforts, brought their whole family into Sun City, away from their precarious life. I just don¡¯t know what happened to his missing father. I hope he¡¯s still alive,¡± Zhanyue could only pray and bless.

    The next day, Zhanyue joined Song Yi¡¯s troops along with Cheng Lu. Just from their demeanor, it was clear that Song Yi¡¯s soldiers were much more elite than those under Cheng Lu¡¯smand. But despite Song Yi¡¯s rough appearance, he was very cautious. This time, the Nightmare race¡¯s vige annihtion had truly angered him, and he vowed to catch them all in one fell swoop. Cheng Lu¡¯s soldiers were all contractors, more than capable of dealing with low-level Nightmares.

    The troops marched to Yu Family Vige and set up camp, blending in with the vigers¡¯ homes, waiting at ease and setting up a trap. As Song Yi had expected, they came two nightster.

    Zhanyue was staying in a family¡¯s house. The family of three huddled fearfully in a corner. Zhanyue¡¯s task was simply to protect these civilians; others were responsible for the actual fighting. The illumination Stone on themp shone brightly, illuminating the entire house. Zhanyue didn¡¯t know how the Nightmares would bypass the illumination Stones to attack humans. However, he soon got his answer.

    After a wolf¡¯s howl, the scent of blood approached. A huge wolf broke through the window with its sharp ws and rushed in. Zhanyue warily watched the wolf, which only red at him fiercely but didn¡¯t attack. Instead, it grabbed themp on the table with its mouth and leaped out the window.

    ¡°It¡¯s alive. This wolf is definitely a living creature, not a corpse possessed by a Nightmare. The Nightmare race actually knows how to use these beasts to solve their illumination Stone problem?!¡± Zhanyue was shocked. The small vige, originally illuminated by illumination Stones, was now plunged into absolute darkness. The illumination Stonemps in every household were forcibly taken away by one wolf after another. When the nightpletely enveloped the small vige, the real Nightmares finallyunched their attack.

 Chapter 25

    Chapter 25

    Following dozens of wild wolves, several dozen zombie wolves poured into the vige. The wild wolves were responsible for dealing with the illumination Stones, while the Nightmares possessing the zombie wolves bit vigers to death and devoured their souls, leaving the flesh for the living wolves. They had clear division ofbor and shared benefits, already demonstrating a high level of organizational intelligence.

    ¡°Fire arrows!¡± At thismand, soldiers hidden on various rooftops revealed themselves. They held longbows, with arrows specially made from ground illumination Stones. The soldiers were all contractors, using their contractor power to activate these arrows. Tiny points of light pierced the night like stars.

    Arrows rained down, urately hitting one zombie wolf after another. The specially made illumination Stone arrows were extremely effective against the Nightmare wolves. One arrow could immobilize them, and a second could end their existence. The Nightmare wolves reacted, with the few uninjured ones turning tail to run.

    However, at the vige entrance, on their escape route, Cheng Lu was already in position. The fire crystal dagger in his hand erupted with hot sparks, contractor power surging forth. This power could also effectively harm Nightmares.

    A ghostly figure darted among the Nightmare wolves, the huge beasts unable to touch even the hem of Cheng Lu¡¯s clothes. Cheng Lu was an expert known for his speed. In a breath, he sliced off one Nightmare wolf¡¯s head, destroying the possessing Nightmare along with it. Another sh set a Nightmare wolf aze. Like a butterfly dancing among wolves, in just a few breaths, the four Nightmare wolves unharmed by arrows werepletely silenced.

    ¡°Great! Captain Cheng is formidable!¡± The soldiers cheered.

    Nightmares were spiritual beings that had to possess these wolf corpses to move. Low and mid-level Nightmares needed some time to leave the wolf corpses, so everyone acted quickly. Once the Nightmares escaped, killing them would be much harder.

    Zhanyue recalled the scene of the Holy Maiden effortlessly killing a group of wolves in the desert. The Holy Maiden alone was more powerful than this entire troop¡¯s result. And that was the Holy Maiden whose growth was suppressed by the Nightmare cold poison. The light contractor¡¯s suppression of Nightmares was even greater than Zhanyue had imagined.

    ¡°Low and mid-level Nightmares can¡¯t easily leave their possessed objects, so they¡¯re rtively simple to kill. High-level Nightmares can instantly leave their bodies and escape, far beyond what we can handle. We need specialized experts to deal with them,¡± Cheng Lu exined as he came to Zhanyue¡¯s side. Zhanyue looked at the wolf corpses strewn about and asked curiously, ¡°Captain, are there any mid-level Nightmares here?¡±

    Cheng Lu shook his head, ¡°No, mid-level Nightmares aren¡¯t so easily killed with a few arrows. They¡¯re very cunning and didn¡¯t rush in at the first opportunity.¡±

    ¡°Ah? Doesn¡¯t that mean they escaped?¡± Zhanyue hadn¡¯t expected mid-level Nightmares to be so cautious, not immediatelying to harvest their prey.

    Cheng Lu smiled slightly, ¡°Guess why General Song isn¡¯t here?¡±

    Speak of the devil, a huge shadow appeared at the vige entrance. It was a giant blood-colored spider, as big as a truck, looking quite terrifying. Standing on the blood spider¡¯s back was a bald, burly man ¨C General Song. The blood spider walked on six legs, with its two raised legs each impaling a wolf corpse. These zombie wolves were muchrger than the others.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect there to be two mid-level Nightmares. Good thing I was cautious,¡± General Song jumped down from the spider¡¯s back. The huge spider then rapidly shrank to fist size and leaped onto Song Yi¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°As expected of a beast contractor,¡± Zhanyue marveled. The mid-level Nightmares hiding in the distance had also been caught and killed by Song Yi.

    ¡°Those living wolves were intercepted and killed by my men in the distance. This wolf pack must have migrated from very far away,¡± Cheng Lu reported. His men had been ambushing the wolf pack at another vige exit from the beginning.

    ¡°The group-dwelling beasts within hundreds of miles have either been driven away or killed. I didn¡¯t expect the Nightmare race to drive this wolf pack from so far away to attack. They¡¯re getting more and more brazen,¡± Song Yi sighed, looking at the wolf corpses strewn about. However, this battle was a perfect victory. They had annihted all these Nightmares without a single soldier casualty, executing a beautiful ambush. If they hadn¡¯t had the advantage of striking first and waiting at ease, casualties would have been unavoidable, given how strong these Nightmare wolves were.

    Zhanyue noticed a small transparent bead rolling out from beside a wolf corpse and picked it up curiously.

    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Zhanyue asked curiously.

    Seeing the bead, both Song Yi and Cheng Lu¡¯s expressions turned sorrowful.

    ¡°Collect all the human soul beads,¡± Song Yi ordered. All the soldiers busied themselves picking up the transparent beads beside the wolf corpses. Almost every corpse had one.

    ¡°These are human soul beads. When Nightmares devour human souls, they condense these beads inside their bodies. They eventually bring these beads to high-level Nightmares as food. Each bead you see represents a lost soul,¡± Cheng Lu exined.

    ¡°By the way, you must learn this formation too,¡± Cheng Lu brought Zhanyue to Song Yi¡¯s side. Song Yi was setting up a formation using illumination Stones.

    ¡°This is the Rebirth Formation, used to help the souls trapped in these human soul beads pass on,¡± Cheng Lu exined, then said to Zhanyue very seriously, ¡°ording to thews of various countries, anyone who obtains human soul beads must perform the passing on ritual on the spot. They cannot be kept privately or used for other purposes. If discovered, it¡¯s punishable by death. Thisw is effective in all human territories on the Myriad Spirits World and is the first taboo. You must remember this. The Rebirth Formation is basically a mandatory formation for all contractors to learn.¡±

    The formation was simple, and Song Yi quickly set it up, less than a square meter in size. He ced all the collected two hundred-plus human soul beads into the formation. All the soldiers gathered around, sitting cross-legged and praying. The scene was solemn, quiet enough to hear a pin drop. Each soldier¡¯s face was serious, sending off these tragic souls with the most sincere hearts.

    Those two hundred-plus human soul beads represented over two hundred lives. Under the formation¡¯s influence, they turned into wisps of white smoke, finally dissipating into the air. Only after the ceremony ended did people dare to speak.

    ¡°The illumination Goddess usually doesn¡¯t pay attention to specific political affairs, but this Rebirth Law was personally established by her. No one is allowed to vite it. Even Night Lord and his subordinates have no record of breaking thisw,¡± Cheng Lu sighed.

    Zhanyue felt very unsettled. The lives of an entire vige, young and old, dissipated like smoke. People living in areas illuminated by illumination Towers enjoyed a life of luxury, while those outside faced such harsh survival conditions. Was this fair to them?

    Seeming to see through Zhanyue¡¯s thoughts, Song Yi patted his shoulder, ¡°What? Feeling sad for them or thinking it¡¯s unfair?¡±

    ¡°Sigh, I just wonder if such tragedies can be avoided,¡± Zhanyue said honestly.

    Song Yi said seriously, ¡°As they say, the benevolent can¡¯tmand troops. This isn¡¯t the first time I¡¯ve seen such a scene. When humanity prospers, the poption grows toorge, and the areas covered by illumination Towers can¡¯t support so many people. Only throughpetition can the more valuable people survive. What do you think my men fight for every day? It¡¯s to umte military merits, secure positions for their wives and children, so their families can live safely in protected areas, not having to worry in outdoor viges.

    On the other hand, if humanity declines and the poption bes sparse, the areas with illumination Towers could indeed support that many people. But that would also mean we¡¯re at an absolute disadvantage in the struggle against Nightmares, with all outdoor areas upied by them. Is that a good thing? As long as the Nightmare race isn¡¯t destroyed, humans will never have peaceful days, whether prosperous or declining.¡±

    Zhanyue smiled bitterly, ¡°So it¡¯s true that whether flourishing or perishing, it¡¯s themon people who suffer.¡± Having just arrived in this world and met Mi Hongchen, receiving 100,000 purple crystal coins, able to stay in the best inns and eat the best food, he naturally didn¡¯t know the hardships of the lower-ss people.

    ¡°Kid, even if Thunder Lord and Sword Lord protect humanity, they¡¯re protecting the overall concept of humanity, not individuals like you and me. Our lives and deaths aren¡¯t really that important to humanity as a whole. Improving your own strength is the key. I started as a small soldier and only achieved my current position after nearly twenty years of brutal warfare against Nightmares. Nothing in this world is ever taken for granted. Work hard to improve your realm, and don¡¯t die easily,¡± Song Yi said earnestly, then turned tomand his subordinates to clean up the battlefield andfort the vigers.

    Zhanyue frowned deeply, wondering what General Song meant by these words.

    ¡°He means that even Thunder Lord and Sword Lord aren¡¯t invincible. They can¡¯t protect everyone, so they must make choices. Only by proving your value can you possibly gain their protection. Otherwise, you can only rely on yourself. Nightmares constantlypress human living space, and the human poption is sorge that many will inevitably be eliminated. This is the cruel truth of this world. You asked earlier if such tragedies could be avoided. I can tell you now ¨C they can¡¯t! All we can do is try our best not to let such tragedies befall ourselves and those close to us. This is why all contractors spontaneously work hard to cultivate,¡± Cheng Lu said.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, it¡¯s time to carry out our own mission,¡± Cheng Lu led his soldiers back to their station.

    Inside the inn, a ck-robed man was eating a meat pie while looking at a map.

    ¡°From Cloud Peak Inn to Mountain River Inn, if moving quickly, it would only take one day. But with them escorting so many illumination Stones, they can¡¯t move fast, so they¡¯ll definitely camp in the wilderness for one night. Spending the night outdoors, they¡¯ll be highly alert and mentally exhausted. When the sun rises on the second day, they¡¯ll naturally rx their guard. That time will be a good opportunity for me to strike. I don¡¯t know what the leader is thinking, having me, a Moon Profound Realm expert, use various teleportation formations to travel thousands of miles just to kill a third-stage Spirit Contract Realm contractor. Fortunately, that Blood Spider General isn¡¯t traveling with them, otherwise it would be difficult to make a move. These experts who¡¯ve grown up on the battlefield are not to be underestimated. Fighting across realms ismonce for them.¡±

    Even though this person was a first-stage Moon Profound Realm expert, his professional habits made him very cautious, unwilling to act rashly, aiming for a one-hit kill. He had just entered the Moon Profound Realm and might not necessarily win in a direct confrontation with the Star Profound Realm Song Yi. So he still hoped to strike when Song Yi was far enough away from the target, allowing him to escape smoothly as well.

 Chapter 26

    Chapter 26

    ¡°Brother Cheng, thank you for this time.¡±

    The Scattered Stars Inn was bustling with activity. After this night, the two groups would head towards different destinations.

    ¡°No need for formalities, General Song. It was just a small favor. Next, are you going to patrol the south again?¡± Cheng Lu asked, raising his wine cup.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. This world has never known peace. We don¡¯t know when the Nightmares willunch a sneak attack, just like this time,¡± Song Yi¡¯s eyes showed some fatigue. He wasn¡¯t afraid of hardship or toil, just of the endless nature of it. The war with the Nightmares had continued for ten thousand years, with no end in sight. It was a war without a visible conclusion.

    ¡°Sometimes I wonder, if there were no Nightmares, what would I be doing now? Would I be running a martial arts School or a security escort agency?¡± Song Yi said with a slightly tipsy expression.

    Cheng Lu shook his head and smiled bitterly, ¡°Without Nightmares, would there be no war? The ten human countries all have their conflicts. I think you¡¯d probably still be a general, just with humans as enemies instead of Nightmares.¡±

    ¡°Among the ten human countries, the Eastern Kingdom, Rising Sun Kingdom, and zing Earth Kingdom form one major camp. Azure Mountain, Jade Mist, Sleeping Dragon, and Rain Falls form another camp. The Thousand Charms Empire maintains neutrality. The mysterious Ancient Sun-Chasing Country and Eternal Night Country, though not participating inpetition with other countries, are hostile to each other. It¡¯s thanks to Thunder Lord¡¯s proposed Alliance and academy integration n that the countries have deepened their exchanges. Theplex interpersonal rtionships have diffused conflicts, leading to today¡¯s peaceful situation,¡± Song Yi sighed.

    The five Alliances Song Yi mentioned were the Spirit Contract Alliance, Beast Contract Alliance, Weapon Contract Alliance, Jade Mountain Night Alliance, and Profound Knowledge Alliance. These Alliances weren¡¯t divided by countries, but by different cultivation methods and realms.

    The eight top academies were distributed throughout the Myriad Spirits Realm. Entering any of these academies could change one¡¯s life trajectory. They were: The Empire¡¯s First United Academy, First Royal Academy, Martial Might Academy, Jade Mountain Academy, Thousand Charms Academy, Path-Seeking Academy, Sun-Chasing Academy, and Night Capital Academy.

    ¡°Brother Cheng, once you break through, you can also be a general. Then we¡¯ll have plenty of chances to fight side by side. Come, let¡¯s have onest drink,¡± Song Yi clinked sses with Cheng Lu onest time before they parted ways.

    At daybreak, Song Yi headed south towards Sun City, while Cheng Lu¡¯s team continued north.

    Due to the full load of illumination Stones, the carriages moved slowly. The wilderness scenery wasn¡¯t pleasant, and the long journey left both people and horses tired.

    ¡°Cloud Peak Inn is just ahead. After Cloud Peak Inn, the next one is Mountain River Inn. The teleportation formation is next to Mountain River Inn. Through that formation, we can enter the Northern Territory,¡± Cheng Lu exined to Zhanyue beside him.

    ¡°Captain, the inns along this route are really close together. Basically, we can reach the next inn in one day,¡± Zhanyue breathed a sigh of relief. After walking all day, they could finally rest. The delivery task was quite monotonous, far less exciting than that night¡¯s action.

    Cheng Lu smiled, ¡°It¡¯s not that good everywhere. The Eastern Kingdom¡¯s finances aren¡¯t unlimited. It¡¯s just that this route is quite prosperous, a keymercial route, so the inns are dense. Other ces may not have so many inns. By the way, from Cloud Peak Inn to Mountain River Inn, it¡¯s a day¡¯s ride on fast horses, but we¡¯re moving slowly with the cargo. We¡¯ll probably have to camp in the wilderness tomorrow night. I¡¯ll tell you about the precautions for camping in the wild then.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m all ears,¡± Zhanyue replied. The wilderness was very dangerous, but sometimes camping was unavoidable. There was much he needed to learn.

    They stayed at Cloud Peak Inn for a night without incident, rested well, and set out early the next day towards Mountain River Inn.

    By the time the sun was setting, they were still far from reaching Mountain River Inn.

    ¡°Set up camp, prepare for the night,¡± Cheng Lu ordered. The entire caravan immediately stopped, and everyone got busy, seemingly setting up some kind of formation.

    Cheng Lu threw a book to Zhanyue, ¡°This book records three sets of formations. You must understand all of them in the future. Take a good look.¡±

    Zhanyue opened the formation book, which even included methods for setting up high-level formations. But he quickly realized that these formations were only for dealing with Nightmares, so various factions were very generous in making the setup methods public. As for formations that could deal with humans, those were treasures of various factions and wouldn¡¯t be allowed to spread easily.

    ¡°Junior Light Formation: Requires 30 illumination Stones to set up. Covers an area of four square meters. Can drive away low-level Nightmares and intimidate mid-level Nightmares. Suitable for camping in the wilderness. The formation canst for one day.¡± Seeing this, Zhanyue knew that the other soldiers were currently busy setting up Junior Light Formations. They first surrounded the carriages, setting up formations around the cargo, then set up camp within the formations. Each tent could sleep 3 people.

    ¡°Intermediate Light Formation: Requires 3,000 illumination Stones to set up. Covers an area of one li (about 500 meters). Can drive away or even kill mid-level Nightmares. The formation canst for three days.¡±

    ¡°Advanced Light Formation: Requires 100,000 illumination Stones to set up. Covers an area of ten li. Can defend against high-level Nightmares. The formation canst for seven days and nights.¡±

    The top-level formation could even defend against high-level Nightmares, but the consumption was terrifyingly high. Seven days and nights required 100,000 illumination Stones. They were only transporting tens of thousands of illumination Stones on this trip. Even a month¡¯s surplus from the entire Sun City wasn¡¯t enough to set up one Advanced Light Formation. It was clear that this formation could only be used at very critical times.

    As night fell, over a dozen Junior Light Formations shone brightly in the darkness. With these formations, they naturally didn¡¯t fear attacks from mid-level Nightmares. Unfortunately, setting up the formation once required 30 illumination Stones and onlysted one night. Such an expensive cost wasn¡¯t something ordinary people could afford.

    ¡°Brother Zhan, rest well. There are people on guard outside,¡± Cheng Luy in his military bedroll inside the tent, looking at the tent ceiling, lost in thought.

    ¡°Brother Zhan, where is your home?¡± Cheng Lu asked curiously. He couldn¡¯t ce Zhanyue¡¯s ent.

    ¡°A very far ce. I came here with a merchant caravan,¡± Zhanyue had already prepared this backstory.

    ¡°Do you miss home?¡± Cheng Lu asked again.

    ¡°Home?¡± Zhanyue looked at the watch on his left hand. His family members had passed away one by one, with possibly only his mentor left as a close rtion. So he didn¡¯t feel much out of ce after crossing over to this world, as he had few attachments.

    ¡°Seems I asked a question I shouldn¡¯t have,¡± Cheng Lu apologized. ¡°I¡¯m not from Sun City. My hometown is in Sr Corona City, a small city on the edge of the Eastern Kingdom. There¡¯s really no future there, so I came to Sun City. Somehow I ended up in the military, somehow became the captain of the Youth Guard. Military tasks are frequent, and thest time I went home was five years ago. I don¡¯t know if my younger brother and sister still remember me. When I enter the Profound Realm and get promoted to general, I¡¯ll definitely ask the City Lord for a long leave to go back and visit. It¡¯ll be a glorious return home.¡±

    ¡°Hasn¡¯t Big Brother Cheng considered bringing your family to Sun City? It would be convenient to take care of them,¡± Zhanyue asked curiously.

    Cheng Lu exined, ¡°Two words: no money. My sry isn¡¯t low, but my family line has a hereditary disease. My father and brother unfortunately developed it. This chronic disease is a real money pit. The cost of living in Sun City isn¡¯t low. If I brought them all here, I couldn¡¯t afford it. Letting them save some money for medicine in the border city is better. At least that small city is under an illumination Tower, so their safety isn¡¯t a concern.¡±

    ¡°How much would it cost to cure their disease?¡± Zhanyue asked curiously.

    Cheng Lu shook his head bitterly, ¡°It¡¯s incurable. I¡¯ve sought medical advice for years, and no one has a solution. I¡¯ve heard that in the Thousand Charms Empire, there are four great families with ancient alchemy inheritances. If they were to help, there might be a way. Unfortunately, firstly, the Thousand Charms Empire is far away, and secondly, I have no connections to seek medicine there.¡±

    ¡°The Thousand Charms Empire? Is that the country with the only female emperor? I¡¯ve heard they have many ancient ruins and inheritances, with alchemy and artifact refining skills far surpassing ours. Although coveted by outsiders, those who try to take advantage of them alwayse to grief. Even the two mysterious countries, the Ancient Sun-Chasing Country and Eternal Night Country, are very polite to the Thousand Charms Empire. This is also the confidence behind the Thousand Charms Empire maintaining neutrality for a thousand years,¡± Zhanyue recalled what he had read in books.

    As the two chatted idly, a pair of eyes had already locked onto their tent.

    ¡°When that kid walks out of the tent tomorrow morning, it will be the moment of his death,¡± the ck-robed man hidden in the night yed with a blood-colored throwing knife in his hand. Then he took out a red jade token from his bosom, carefully caressing it. ¡°Last mission, I unexpectedly obtained this treasure. I didn¡¯t choose to hand it over, and the leader didn¡¯t notice. It seems the leader isn¡¯t omniscient after all. All that talk about loyalty and dedication, in the end they still put poison in us to hold our lives hostage, making us carry out missions. This body is just their tool. After this mission ispleted, my points should be enough to exchange for a year¡¯s worth of antidote. With this token, I can at least stay in that ce for a year. I¡¯ll definitely find a way to remove the poison. Then I¡¯ll truly be free.¡±

 Chapter 27

    Chapter 27

    As the sun rose from the horizon, the guarding soldiers all breathed a sigh of relief. The night had passed without incident.

    ¡°Everyone get up, it¡¯s time to move. We¡¯ll rest when we reach Mountain River Inn.¡±

    The soldiers collected the illumination Stones that hadn¡¯t exhausted their power, packed up the tents, and prepared to continue their journey. Cheng Lu walked out of the tent and stretchedzily, looking at the rising sun.

    ¡°The air is really fresh,¡± Zhanyue said as he walked out. He hadn¡¯t dared to sleep too deeply that night, after all, they were camping in the wilderness.

    Just as he stepped into the camp, the Sun God Stone in his hand emitted a wave of scorching heat.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Zhanyue looked down at the red gem in his palm. Suddenly, a red light grazed the top of his head, barely missing his skin. This attack was originally aimed at Zhanyue¡¯s brow, but due to his sudden movement, it narrowly missed.

    Before Zhanyue could react, Cheng Lu suddenly pushed him to the ground. ¡°Get down!¡± The red light turned and came back again, but this time Cheng Lu had reacted first.

    ¡°Enemy attack!¡± At thismand, everyone immediately became alert and prepared for battle.

    The assassin hiding in the distance looked at the dagger that had returned to his hand, his eyes full of anger. ¡°Why can¡¯t you just die? I, a Moon Profound Realm expert, have been following for days, ambushing here for a night, just for a sure kill. This is the assassin¡¯s aesthetics. If you don¡¯t die, doesn¡¯t it make me look like a clown? Things really aren¡¯t going smoothly!¡± The assassin gave up his disguise. Since he had been discovered, he might as well fight head-on.

    ¡°The leader taught us to be assassins, to act like assassins. But after this mission, I¡¯m going to flee far away. Who cares about that old man¡¯s nagging anymore.¡± The ck-robed assassin looked at the forty-odd soldiers before him with pity. ¡°Originally, no extra people needed to die. But who told that guy not to die? If you want to me someone, me him.¡±

    As a Moon Profound Realm expert, he naturally had the strength to kill everyone head-on. He had only chosen the most reliable method out of professional habit as an assassin. But with the assassination failing, he was now somewhat angry and embarrassed, wanting to go on a killing spree!

    ¡°Be careful! This person is a Profound Being!¡± Cheng Lu¡¯s face darkened as he watched the ck-robed assassin approach. He could feel the suppression from the realm difference.

    The soldiers took out their bows and fired. Arrows rained down, but the ck-robed assassin walked through the arrow rain as if strolling in a garden. The blood-colored dagger in his hand was enveloped in blood energy, transforming into a blood-colored long sword. This was his method for frontalbat.

    Cheng Lu took out amunication jade talisman and crushed it. ¡°There¡¯s a protective general guarding Mountain River Inn. They have extraordinary strength. We just need to hold on until theye to our aid!¡± Unfortunately, this ce was still quite far from Mountain River Inn, and Cheng Lu wasn¡¯t confident either.

    ¡°Fall back, don¡¯t engage directly!¡± Cheng Lu shouted. The enemy was too strong, and he couldn¡¯t bear to see his brothers sacrifice themselves.

    However, the ck-robed assassin was extremely fast. He entered the military formation, taking down several brothers with each sh, in the blink of an eye.

    Zhanyue¡¯s heart ached seeing these brothers he had just gotten to know fall into pools of blood. He clearly felt the assassin¡¯s gaze constantly locked on him.

    ¡°He¡¯s here to kill me? Yes, the initial attack was aimed at me too.¡± Zhanyue quickly confirmed this point. ¡°I can¡¯t let them sacrifice in vain. This person¡¯s strength is too terrifying, they can¡¯t stop him. Since he¡¯sing for me¡­¡±

    Zhanyue quickly found a horse nearby, mounted it, and galloped towards the distant forest. He left the team at an extremely fast speed, leaving those around him stunned, thinking he had lost his nerve.

    Zhanyue was indeed fleeing, but it was to reduce casualties. The assassin watched Zhanyue galloping away on horseback, revealing a disdainful smile. ¡°How clever, knowing you¡¯re the target and promptly fleeing. But can you escape?¡±

    The ck-robed assassin leaped up, stepping on the heads of the soldiers to chase after Zhanyue. His first goal was to kill Zhanyue, not to y with these soldiers. In an instant, he crossed the military formation, rapidly pursuing Zhanyue. His speed was no slower than a horse.

    ¡°He¡¯s indeed after Zhanyue,¡± Cheng Lu said, looking at the retreating figure. Then he instructed the soldiers, ¡°You guard the goods. Reinforcements will arrive soon. I¡¯m going to save him.¡±

    Cheng Lu mounted a horse and gave chase.

    ¡°Captain! This person¡¯s strength is terrifying, you can¡¯t chase!¡± someone shouted from behind. The assassin¡¯s strength was clearly far above the captain¡¯s.

    Cheng Lu, while riding, replied, ¡°I promised to keep him safe. How can I break my word and not help when he¡¯s in danger?¡±

    So, Zhanyue was fleeing at the front, with the assassin chasing behind. Zhanyue¡¯s goal was the nearby forest. If he could get deep into the mountains, it wouldn¡¯t be so easy to find him.

    The assassin naturally saw through Zhanyue¡¯s n. ¡°It would be troublesome to let you escape into the mountains.¡± He saw Zhanyue lying t on the horse¡¯s back, seemingly guarding against his attack, which he found amusing. ¡°You know how to guard yourself, but how will your horse guard?¡±

    The dagger in his hand once again turned into a blood line. The galloping horse suddenly had one of its legs cut off and fell, naturally throwing Zhanyue off its back.

    ¡°Damn, he¡¯s caught up so quickly?¡± Zhanyue rolled several times and continued running towards the forest, all while trying to contact the illumination Goddess. Unfortunately, theirmunication was one-way; only the illumination Goddess could initiate contact with him, he couldn¡¯t contact her.

    ¡°Goddess, if you don¡¯t respond soon, we¡¯re both going to be finished!¡±

    Zhanyue didn¡¯t know how he had offended such a deadly enemy, but now wasn¡¯t the time to think about these issues.

    That deadly red line shot towards Zhanyue¡¯s back again, but this time a sh of fire intercepted the dagger midway. Cheng Lu had arrived on horseback, his mount charging towards the ck-robed assassin.

    The assassin dodged with a sh, then grabbed the horse¡¯s leg in mid-air, forcefully throwing Cheng Lu off. The horse was also thrown far away. The brute strength of a Profound Being was already terrifying.

    ¡°A little junior at the ninth stage of Soul Control Realm, not even in the Profound Realm, dares to stop me?¡± The ck-robed assassin said incredulously. Someone really came to seek death.

    ¡°Captain¡­¡± Zhanyue looked at Cheng Lu with concern. This ck-robed man¡¯s strength was too terrifying; Cheng Lu had no chance of winning.

    ¡°Run quickly. I¡¯ll hold him off for a while. Run into the forest; he might not have a sensing technique,¡± Cheng Lu said to Zhanyue. Zhanyue knew staying would only be a hindrance, so he could only run with all his might.

    ¡°How touching, but how long can you hold me off?¡± The ck-robed assassin sneered.

    ¡°Heh, I¡¯ll hold you off as long as I can! Take this!¡± Knowing the strength difference, Cheng Lu immediately used his ultimate move, hoping the ck-robed assassin would let his guard down.

    ¡°Raging Fire Fang!¡± Cheng Lu¡¯s fire crystal dagger transformed into a beast¡¯s fang, aiming for the ck-robed man¡¯s neck.

    ¡°I¡¯ve won!¡± Cheng Lu saw that the ck-robed assassin hadn¡¯t guarded his neck. However, a red crystal armor suddenly covered the ck-robed man¡¯s neck. This fierce sh was like hitting a steel te. The ck-robed man kicked Cheng Lu several meters away with one foot.

    ¡°Is that your full-strength attack? Now do you understand the difference between us?¡± The ck-robed assassin felt he was talking too much today, but this was hisst mission, so he had some different thoughts.

    ¡°So strong, could it be a Star Profound Realm expert? Or even a Moon Profound Realm expert? Who on earth did Zhanyue offend to have such a powerful assassin sent to kill him?¡± Cheng Lu¡¯s face was ashen. It seemed he wouldn¡¯t survive today.

    ¡°Sir, killing Eastern Kingdom soldiers within our borders is truly audacious! This ce isn¡¯t far from Mountain River Inn; experts wille to our aid. I advise you to withdraw early,¡± Cheng Lu said, hoping to dy a bit more time.

    ¡°You¡¯ve reminded me. I need to hurry,¡± The ck-robed assassin¡¯s blood-colored dagger turned into arge sword, engaging Cheng Lu inbat. After a few exchanges, Cheng Lu was covered in blood, with several cuts all over his body, falling to the ground.

    ¡°You¡¯re a weapon contractor who has awakened elemental power. It¡¯s a pity to die here,¡± The ck-robed assassin stepped over Cheng Lu¡¯s body, but a hand grabbed his ankle.

 Chapter 28

    Chapter 28

    ¡°I won¡¯t¡­ let you go!¡± Cheng Lu tightly gripped the ck-robed assassin¡¯s ankle.

    ¡°Hmph, today is myst mission. I was in a good mood and thought of sparing your life. Since you¡¯re seeking death, then die!¡± The ck-robed assassin stabbed straight at Cheng Lu¡¯s back. At the critical moment, Cheng Lu¡¯s contract object, the fire crystal dagger, suddenly moved on its own, blocking the strike, preventing the ck-robed man from stabbing down.

    ¡°I won¡¯t let you go!¡± Cheng Lu¡¯s entire body erupted with mes, sting the ck-robed man away.

    ¡°Break¡­breakthrough?¡± The ck-robed assassin hadn¡¯t expected Cheng Lu to break through to the Profound Realm, entering the Star Profound Realm at the brink of death.

    ¡°So what? You¡¯ve just broken through to Star Profound, while I¡¯m at Moon Profound!¡± The ck-robed man felt this person was truly annoying. Why was he so unlucky today?

    ¡°Again!¡± Cheng Lu, gripping his fire crystal dagger, once again engaged inbat with the ck-robed assassin. Unfortunately, he had already been severely injured earlier.

    ¡°Fire Fang!¡± The lion¡¯s fang bit directly towards the ck-robed assassin¡¯s neck.

    ¡°Enough! Chaotic Wind sh!¡± The ck-robed assassin became truly angry. The blood sword in his hand shed like a wild wind, suppressing all the mes with blood energy. Cheng Lu¡¯s body was once again covered in numerous sword wounds, falling into a pool of blood once more.

    ¡°Hmph!¡± The ck-robed assassin knew that with such severe injuries, Cheng Lu was surely doomed. Just as he turned to leave, his foot was grabbed again! The ck-robed assassin¡¯s eyes shed with murderous intent. He shed off that arm with one stroke, then chased towards the forest.

    ¡°Little mouse, did you really think I don¡¯t have tracking techniques? Blood Energy Sensing!¡± Blood-colored energy spread out from the ck-robed man¡¯s body, and he revealed a smile, having found the direction of Zhanyue¡¯s escape.

    Trees suddenly fell one after another. The ck-robed assassin was destroying the forest trees without restraint. Seeing the falling trees around him, Zhanyue¡¯s heart sank. He had still been caught up to.

    ¡°What about Brother Cheng Lu?¡± Zhanyue looked at the blood on the ck-robed man¡¯s body, having an ominous premonition.

    The ck-robed assassin smiled, ¡°Dead, of course. In a quite miserable state too.¡±

    Zhanyue felt a pain in his chest, his eyes turning red. He threw a full-force punch towards the ck-robed assassin. However, this me-erupting, full-power punch was blocked by just one finger of the ck-robed man.

    ¡°Spirit Contract, Spirit Communication, Soul Control, Star Profound, Moon Profound¡­ How many major realms do you think are between us? Your daring to fight back is admirable. Earlier, I wanted to give you a quick death, but you refused. Now I¡¯ve changed my mind. I want you to die painfully.¡± The ck-robed assassin¡¯s eyes revealed a manic look. Killing this person before him would give him enough points. Then he could go to that ce to find a way to remove the poison, and he would truly be free. He looked at Zhanyue with some excitement, as if looking at a peerless treasure.

    ¡°Thank you, using your life to exchange for my freedom! I¡¯ll definitely make you a nice tombstone. Oh right, that captain or whatever can be buried with you too. He was so intent on protecting you, I¡¯m even a bit moved. You can continue to stay together in theherworld.¡± The ck-robed man¡¯s dagger thrust out, a fatal strike.

    ¡°All or nothing!¡± Zhanyue had no other choice. He channeled all his strength into a punch towards the ck-robed man.

    At the brink of life and death, the Sun God Stone finally lit up. The mes in Zhanyue¡¯s hand suddenly erupted massively, like a sun rising in the forest.

    The ck-robed man was forced to close his eyes tightly. He wanted to retreat but it was toote. He felt terrifying heat waves enveloping him. His contract object, the blood-congealing dagger, was actually melting? Then it was his flesh, his bones¡­

    When Zhanyue came to his senses, he found that this punch had set half the forest on fire. Everything in front of him had been incinerated, leaving only vast scorched earth. The ck-robed man, along with his contract object, had been instantly vaporized. Only a blood-colored tokeny lonely in his position.

    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± After picking up the item, Zhanyue suddenly ran towards Cheng Lu¡¯s direction.

    ¡°Did you encounter trouble?¡± The illumination Goddess¡¯s voice finally sounded at this moment.

    ¡°Big sister¡­ you finally responded. We almost perished together,¡± Zhanyue¡¯s tone already had some reproach and resentment.

    ¡°¡­.I¡¯m sorry. But, the Sun God Stone I left you activated. The enemy should be dead, right?¡± The illumination Goddess said embarrassedly. By rights, she should have been guarding Zhanyue.

    ¡°Dead, not even ashes left.¡± Zhanyue looked at the slightly dimmed gem in his palm, still feeling the lingering fear. This thing was too terrifying. The Goddess leaving it to him must have been trusting in its power.

    ¡°The Sun God Stone was my most powerful treasure when I was alive. It has the ability to avoid wind, fire, water, and dust, and can store sun god power to unleash sun god fire. However, after this activation, it needs some time to recover energy. I thought that in Sun City, you wouldn¡¯t encounter anything too dangerous, and its protection should be enough. I didn¡¯t expect you to encounter so many incidents in just over a month,¡± the Goddess sighed.

    ¡°Big sister, I don¡¯t know why I¡¯m so unlucky. I don¡¯t even know who I offended, yet they¡¯re willing to send a Profound Realm expert to assassinate me. They¡¯re taking me too seriously. Who could hate me so much?¡± Zhanyue couldn¡¯t think of who would hate him so much, believing he hadn¡¯t offended anyone.

    When he ran to Cheng Lu, the tragic scene before him made Zhanyue¡¯s face turn pale. Blood was sttered all around, with a severed arm lying beside Cheng Lu.

    ¡°Brother Cheng!¡± Zhanyue looked at the person in the pool of blood, feeling incredibly guilty.

    ¡°He seems to not be dead yet, but with such severe injuries, I¡¯m afraid he won¡¯t survive,¡± the Goddess said.

    ¡°Shut up!¡± Zhanyue shouted angrily,pletely disregarding the illumination Goddess¡¯s face at this moment.

    Zhanyue ced the severed arm back beside Cheng Lu, muttering with lingering fear, ¡°It¡¯s good he¡¯s not dead, it¡¯s good he¡¯s not dead. No matter how severe the injury, I can heal it! State Reversal!¡±

    Zhanyue once again activated his ability. This time it consumed quite a bit of his lifespan, but Zhanyue felt it was all worth it. Cheng Lu stilly there, but the scattered blood miraculously returned to his body. The wounds all over his body rapidly healed, and the severed arm waspletely restored. The only imperfection was that his newly broken through Star Profound Realm reverted back to Soul Control Realm.

    ¡°How¡­ how did you do that?¡± This time it was the illumination Goddess¡¯s turn to be shocked. She wasn¡¯t angry about Zhanyue shouting at her earlier.

    ¡°I¡¯ll exin thatter. I¡¯m thinking about what to do now. Should I go back? This time even a Profound Realm assassin failed. Will there be even more powerful assassinsing? And how should I exin what happened to Brother Cheng?¡± Zhanyue pondered for a moment, but still came to a conclusion.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go. We can¡¯t return to Sun City. If Brother Cheng doesn¡¯t know my whereabouts, others will have even less chance of knowing. Besides, staying with them would only endanger them. This time Brother Cheng not dying is already a blessing in misfortune. Otherwise, I¡¯m afraid I would feel guilty for a lifetime,¡± Zhanyue said. Then he helped Cheng Lu lean against a rock, and left without looking back.

    ¡°I also agree with you going alone. It might be safer this way. With the Sun God Stone protecting you, Nightmares can¡¯t harm you. Unknown enemies are more dangerous. Hiding your identity is the better choice,¡± the illumination Goddess agreed.

    ¡°Um, when are youing back? With your protection, there wouldn¡¯t be so much trouble,¡± Zhanyue said helplessly. He had the world¡¯s most powerful bodyguard, yet was still in such a sorry state.

    ¡°I¡¯ve discovered some very strange things and need to confirm them. But I¡¯ll pay more frequent attention to your side,¡± the illumination Goddess exined.

    ¡°What very strange things? Are they that important?¡± Zhanyue asked, puzzled.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve discovered that the Nightmare race seems to be intentionally hiding their strength. They¡¯re far, far stronger than what you see,¡± the Goddess¡¯s words made Zhanyue shiver.

    Not long after Zhanyue left, a man wearing golden armor descended from the sky, holding an umbre. This was General Bai Yun, who guarded the teleportation formation at Mountain River Inn.

    The scene before him left him dumbfounded. The nearby forest was half lush green and half covered in scorched earth. Soon after, he discovered Cheng Lu hidden behind a rock. Cheng Lu was unharmed, without even a scratch, just unconscious.

 Chapter 29

    Chapter 29

    General Bai Yun had delicate features and looked quite frail in his armor, but the power hidden within him was not to be underestimated. His contract object was a white umbre painted with a pattern of idle clouds and wild cranes. As a misceneous contractor, he had mastered the ability to fly at the Profound Realm, making him a top expert among experts. That¡¯s why he could arrive at the scene first.

    ¡°Raging fire burning the mountain, and so thoroughly that not even a spark remains. Was this the work of some fire spirit contractor at the Spirit God Realm?¡± General Bai Yun swallowed as he looked at the mountaintop, half ck and half green.

    ¡°Wake up!¡± Gu Bai fed a pill that restored spiritual power to Cheng Lu, who soon woke up.

    ¡°What¡¯s this? General Bai Yun? Didn¡¯t I die?¡± Cheng Lu sat up, full of confusion.

    ¡°And my hand?¡± Cheng Lu looked at his hand and then at his uninjured body. Even his armor was intact, without any sword marks. ¡°This isn¡¯t right. I clearly took more than ten sword strikes. No, where¡¯s my realm? Hadn¡¯t I already broken through to the Profound Realm?¡±

    Seeing Cheng Lu in a daze, Gu Bai asked, ¡°Don¡¯t rush. What exactly happened?¡±

    ¡°No! Zhanyue is in danger. Where is he?¡± Cheng Lu suddenly remembered Zhanyue and was about to move, but was held back by Gu Bai.

    ¡°Where could anyone be around here? I¡¯ve already searched. That forest over there seems to have had a big battle. The small soldier you mentioned is missing, possibly killed in the battle, his body burned to ashes. Of course, he might also have been taken away by someone else,¡± Gu Bai said.

    ¡°Fate unknown?¡± Cheng Lu looked at the half-green, half-ck mountaintop in the distance, also shocked. What had happened after he passed out? Even if the assassin was strong, he couldn¡¯t have caused this kind of disturbance. Had someone else intervened? If they came to save Zhanyue, his life should be safe. If they came to kill Zhanyue, he might truly have been turned to ashes by now. ¡°Based on your earlier description ¨C the big battle, the breakthrough at the critical moment, the severed hand ¨C I thought of a possibility. You might have been under an illusion. All of this might have been your hallucination,¡± Gu Bai analyzed rationally.

    ¡°Illusion?¡± Cheng Lu frowned. An illusion could exin everything that had happened before, but was that sense of reality really an illusion? But if it wasn¡¯t an illusion, there didn¡¯t seem to be any other reasonable exnation.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go. They¡¯re waiting for you,¡± Gu Bai helped Cheng Lu up, opened the umbre, and it carried the two of them into the air. Gu Bai was the general guarding Mountain River Inn, usually responsible for guarding the teleportation formation. His strength was naturally extraordinary.

    ¡°Can we really not find any trace of Brother Zhan?¡± Cheng Lu looked guilty. ¡°Before we left, I firmly promised to protect his safety, but now his fate is unknown? Ah¡­¡±

    ¡°Who exactly is this Brother Zhan of yours? To have a Moon Profound Realm experte to assassinate him? He¡¯s only at the third stage of Spirit Contract Realm,¡± Gu Bai was full of curiosity.

    Cheng Lu shook his head, indicating he didn¡¯t know.

    ¡°Let¡¯s hope he¡¯s as lucky as before this time,¡± Cheng Lu could only pray in his heart, after all, he knew that the small soldier rescued by the Holy Maidenst time was Zhanyue.

    Meanwhile, Zhanyue, walking alone in the forest, was surprisingly in a good mood.

    ¡°The sea is wide for fish to leap, the sky is high for birds to fly. This kind of life might not be bad,¡± Surviving a deadly assassination attempt had made Zhanyue more cautious. Moreover, after his explosive punch earlier, he had inadvertently grasped the second realm of ¡°me King st¡± ¨C the Fire Separation Realm. Zhanyue threw a punch, and a fireball appeared out of thin air, apanied by the force of the punch striking a rock not far away, leaving a scorched mark on therge stone.

    ¡°Is this the Fire Separation Realm? I now have a means of long-range attack. The technique advanced so smoothly, but unfortunately my realm hasn¡¯t budged, still at the third stage of Spirit Contract,¡± Zhanyue said regretfully.

    ¡°Who told you to be so special? One of your contract objects involves the Dao of time, space, and causality. I¡¯ve never even heard of techniques for the Dao of time and space. The other is me, undefined. Without suitable techniques, of course your cultivation will be slow,¡± the illumination Goddess exined. Zhanyue had already told her about his other contract object and its corresponding ability.

    ¡°Let¡¯s take it one step at a time. At least now I¡¯m not inferior to opponents at the ninth stage of Spirit Contract,¡± Zhanyue wasn¡¯t in a hurry. There was no use being anxious.

    ¡°Where do you n to go?¡±

    Zhanyue took out a wooden token from his storage ring. ¡°This is the token the Imperial Princess left for me. With this token, I can enter the Empire¡¯s First United Academy. It sounds impressive. I n to go to the Learning Capital, change my name and live in the academy. I don¡¯t believe that viin can find me there.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good. Do you really have no clue about this assassination attempt?¡± the illumination Goddess asked with concern.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I haven¡¯t met many people sinceing to this world. I haven¡¯t made enemies with anyone. Could it be Night Lord¡¯s people? Because I disrupted their n to assassinate the Holy Maiden? But that doesn¡¯t seem right, their style of action doesn¡¯t seem to be so secretive. Besides, the Holy Maiden teleported away on her own, it doesn¡¯t have much to do with me. I¡¯m afraid I wouldn¡¯t even catch those people¡¯s eye,¡± Zhanyue couldn¡¯t figure it out no matter how much he thought. He of course couldn¡¯t know that just because he spent a day alone with the Holy Maiden, it had aroused someone¡¯s jealousy, leading to the dispatch of an assassin.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go. Hope for smooth sailing and no more unexpected problems.¡±

    With a map in hand, Zhanyue methodically nned his route. ¡°It should take about three months to reach the Learning Capital. The Eastern Kingdom is really quiterge. This mountain before me is called Winding Stream Mountain. I¡¯m afraid it will take two or three days to get out of it. How should I spend the nights?¡±

    ¡°You should be more concerned about the spirit beasts and fierce beasts in the mountains than the Nightmares. With the Sun God Stone protecting you, ordinary Nightmares can¡¯t harm you, and it¡¯s hard to encounter Lord-level or above Nightmares. Nightmares generally have three ways of attacking humans:

    First, possessing other creatures, controlling them to attack humans, killing people and then devouring their souls.

    Second, directly attacking humans, swallowing souls alive. This is generally a method only high-level Nightmares have. With the Sun God Stone protecting you, you don¡¯t need to fear this method.

    Third, entering human dreams, quietly devouring souls and memories in the dreamscape. This is a method only King-level Nightmares have. Thest Grand Lord that entered your dream is already cold dead.¡±

    ¡°What you need to worry about most is still Nightmares possessing powerful creatures to attack you. However, although you¡¯re only at the third stage of Spirit Contract, you can use my light power, or activate the Sun God Stone to unleash the sun god me. Ordinary mid-level Nightmares are no match for you at all. Sopared to Nightmares, spirit beasts and humans are the enemies you should be more concerned about,¡± the illumination Goddess exined.

    Zhanyueughed, ¡°Compared to the Holy Maiden, I¡¯m probably more like the natural enemy of Nightmares. If Thunder Lord and Sword Lord knew, would they give me a title like Holy Son?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡± The illumination Goddess was a bit speechless, then sighed, ¡°Whether it¡¯s Holy Son or Holy Maiden, or even my title of Goddess, it¡¯s just a title after all. The price of obtaining this title might not be something you can bear.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about this. Goddess senior, what exactly did you mean earlier when you said the Nightmare race is intentionally concealing their strength?¡± Zhanyue asked curiously.

    ¡°Don¡¯t call me Goddess senior or Goddess. Didn¡¯t you like calling me big sister before? Just call me sister,¡± The illumination Goddess actually didn¡¯t like those formal, humble titles.

    ¡°Sis¡­sister?¡± Zhanyue was a bit speechless. This woman could be his great-great-great¡­grandmother.

    ¡°Are you thinking I¡¯m old, kid?¡± The illumination Goddess seemed to see through Zhanyue¡¯s thoughts.

    ¡°How dare I, Goddess sister,¡± Zhanyue immediately changed his form of address. Even a goddess cares about these things, it seems.

    ¡°Just call me Xixuan. I don¡¯t actually like the name Goddess. I¡¯m just a slightly stronger human, not some deity. But my teachers said faith could unite humanity, so I didn¡¯t oppose the title of illumination Goddess. Now living a second life, I still hope people will call me by my name. It¡¯s the only thing my parents left me, I don¡¯t want to lose it too,¡± the illumination Goddess added.

    ¡°Alright, Sister Xixuan,¡± Zhanyue felt that calling her this way really did make their rtionship seem closer.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. Regarding the Nightmare race, they do seem to be hiding their strength. I¡¯ve discovered many Nightmares forcibly in slumber. The number of Nightmares definitely far exceeds what humans currently know. I saw in books that humans and Nightmares are currently about evenly matched, but I can now say for certain that this is a misjudgment. The Nightmares seem to be waiting for an opportunity to reveal their true power andunch a total attack on humanity. If I¡¯m not mistaken, they¡¯re waiting for the Corpse Emperor to awaken, so I¡¯m now heading to the Corpse Emperor¡¯s seal. I want to reinforce the seal as much as possible, to dy its awakening time,¡± the illumination Goddess said. The information revealed in her words was probably enough to shock the world.

    ¡°Is that so? These beasts have learned to conserve their strength and y the weak to defeat the strong? This is serious. By the way, Sister Xixuan, how does your strengthpare to the Corpse Emperor¡¯s?¡± Zhanyue asked curiously.

 Chapter 30

    Chapter 30

    ¡°The Nightmare race has a group structure simr to ants. High-level Nightmares are like queen ants in ant colonies. They generally don¡¯t move, relying entirely on their subordinate mid and low-level Nightmares for nourishment. When high-level Nightmares evolve to King-level, they gain extremely high intelligence and more freedom of action. Only one Lord-level Nightmare might be born among a hundred King-level Nightmares, and only one Grand Lord-level Nightmare might be born among a hundred Lord-level Nightmares.¡±

    ¡°The Corpse Emperor itself is only a Grand Lord-level Nightmare. In my era, there were about eighteen Grand Lord-level Nightmares, most of whom fell in battle. My abilities are very suppressive to Grand Lord-level Nightmares. Even three or four ordinary Grand Lord-level Nightmares are no match for me. As powerful as they are, Grand Lord-level Nightmares are still spiritual beings. They still need to possess other creatures¡¯ corpses to exert their maximum strength.

    The Corpse Emperor found a corpse of an ancient powerhouse from somewhere. That humanoid yet inhuman corpse allowed its strength to undergo a qualitative change, no longer fearing sunlight, so my suppression of it was greatly reduced. In a one-on-one fight, I wouldn¡¯t be its match. Back then, I had the assistance of the Four Symbol Lords. They temporarily entangled the Corpse Emperor, allowing me to use a forbidden secret technique, sealing it away at the cost of my own life,¡± the illumination Goddess recounted the battles of the past.

    ¡°The Four Symbol Lords? Are they still alive?¡± Zhanyue asked curiously.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. The great battle didn¡¯t end after my death, but the possibility of them being alive isn¡¯t high. Profound Beings live for five hundred years, Spirit God Realm experts live for a thousand years, and those above Spirit God Realm, the True Realm, only live for three thousand years. It¡¯s been over three thousand years now. If they didn¡¯t have any special encounters, they¡¯ve probably passed away from old age,¡± the illumination Goddess answered.

    Zhanyue continued to ask, ¡°Then is there no concept of immortality in this world?¡±

    ¡°No, there are simr records in ancient texts, but they¡¯re all unreliable. There are quite a few evil methods to extend lifespan though. I once took in nine disciples with extraordinary potential, all war orphans. Under my guidance, they all advanced to the Spirit God Realm, known to the outside world as the Nine Radiant Stars. One unworthy disciple obtained an evil technique that could greatly extend lifespan, but that evil technique required arge number of human soul beads. For this, he even set up a trap, isting information, allowing a city of 300,000 people to be gradually overrun by Nightmares. He hid behind, gradually harvesting, obtaining 300,000 human soul beads.¡±

    The illumination Goddess recalled this past event, her tone still filled with indescribable sorrow.

    ¡°Later, I uncovered the truth and personally executed him,pletely erasing that evil technique¡­¡± ¡°No wonder,¡± Zhanyue remembered Cheng Lu mentioning earlier that the only ultimate prohibition personally issued by the illumination Goddess was that anyone privately keeping or using human soul beads for other purposes would be subject to the most severe punishment.

    ¡°Why aren¡¯t there any records of this in the books? The Nine Radiant Stars¡­ perhaps their descendants still exist in the world,¡± Zhanyue also felt emotional. Raising orphans from ordinary children to Spirit God Realm experts must have taken a lot of effort and care from the illumination Goddess, yet in the end, she had to personally execute one of them.

    ¡°Probably because that person was my disciple. They were concerned about my reputation, so they didn¡¯t make this matter public. No one is unafraid of death. If this evil technique were to spread, I fear there would be more than one unworthy disciple in the world. At that time, humans would be more terrifying than Nightmares,¡± the illumination Goddess sighed. Longevity is extremely tempting for anyone, especially those whose lives are about to end.

    ¡°But there are still people like you in the world, sister, willing to sacrifice your life to seal the Corpse Emperor,¡± Zhanyue sincerely marveled. No wonder people ofter generations revered her as a deity.

    The illumination Goddess gave a bitterugh, remained silent for a while, unsure whether to say certain things, but then she still spoke to Zhanyue. After all, living a second life, she didn¡¯t have much to care about anymore.

    ¡°I¡¯m not as noble as you think. The reason I was willing to sacrifice my life to seal the Corpse Emperor was firstly because there really was no other way to deal with it; secondly, I was truly too tired and wanted to escape.¡±

    Zhanyue was stunned by these words, gaining an unexpected insight.

    ¡°What saddened me most in the great battle back then wasn¡¯t the Nightmares¡¯ strength and ruthlessness. That¡¯s their biological instinct, a battle between two races, so I don¡¯t actually harbor hatred towards Nightmares. You can me a wolf for eating your sheep, but you can¡¯tin about why wolves eat meat instead of grass. It was the baseness of human hearts that truly grieved me. In my high position, I had ess to a lot of information. Even when facing extreme danger, they still schemed against and used each other. Even I bore the name of Goddess, pushed forward, but how much of their respect was genuine? Until I uncovered the truth about that unworthy disciple, I was finally exhausted. I didn¡¯t know what I was trying so hard to protect anymore. Why did even my closest disciple turn out like that? So in the final battle, I sought death wholeheartedly. After my death, they could do whatever they wanted, it would no longer be my concern,¡± The illumination Goddess revealed her true thoughts to an outsider for the first time.

    ¡°So that¡¯s why you say you were escaping?¡± Zhanyue felt very sympathetic hearing this. ¡°But could you really let it go? The first thing you did after awakening was to understand history and personally investigate the current state of the Nightmare race.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know. I had already died, yet things still weren¡¯t over. Perhaps my mission isn¡¯tplete yet,¡± the illumination Goddess said helplessly. She wanted to escape, even willing to seek death, yet after three thousand years of death, she came back to life in this state.

    ¡°Mission? I don¡¯t necessarily think so. Perhaps heaven took pity on you, sister, letting you live again to enjoy the happiness you didn¡¯t get to enjoy before?¡± Zhanyue said. He couldn¡¯t escape involvement in this matter either.

    ¡°You sure know how tofort people. Enjoy happiness? To really enjoy happiness, you¡¯d have to be able to stand on your own first,¡± the illumination Goddessughed.

    ¡°The sun is about to set. Indeed, I¡¯ve only reached halfway up the mountain. I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll have to spend the night in the forest. Fortunately, the fierce spirit beasts around have been driven away by the patrolling generals, and I¡¯m not afraid of Nightmares,¡± Zhanyue searched for a while and finally found a cliff with a crevice-like opening below. It wasn¡¯t deep, but it was enough for him to lie down in. He gathered some rubble and weeds to block the small crevice, making it very hidden. He didn¡¯t dare sleep deeply, but he could sit cross-legged to cultivate while recovering some energy. He was constantly thinking about improving his cultivation.

    The forest was terrifyingly quiet, without even the sound of insects, like a world without life, as even the wolves and tigers had been driven away. However, in thetter half of the night, Zhanyue actually heard two human voices. Sote at night, there were actually people climbing the mountain? Their courage was extraordinary.

    ¡°Dingding, what should we do? It¡¯s the king¡¯s birthday in two days. If we can¡¯t satisfy the king, we might be fed to the fish,¡± one voice said.

    ¡°Dangdang, it¡¯s all your fault. Why did you have to brew wine? Couldn¡¯t we just steal this stuff from humans? Hmph, you said brewing it ourselves would show loyalty, and now look what happened! It¡¯s all burned up!¡± another voiceined.

    ¡°How can you me me for this? How was I supposed to know some damned person would set half the mountain on fire, burning all the fruit wine we brewed? I originally thought if we two could learn to brew wine, the king might look at us more favorably. We wouldn¡¯t have to keep doing garbage collection jobs every day.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s Mountain Goblins. I didn¡¯t expect they hadn¡¯t gone extinct,¡± the illumination Goddess could sense many things around Zhanyue through the Sun God Stone.

    ¡°Mountain Goblins? Aren¡¯t they afraid of Nightmares?¡± Zhanyue asked curiously. These two Mountain Goblins not only spoke humannguage, but their tone also showed no fear at all.

    ¡°Mountain Goblins aren¡¯t on the Nightmares¡¯ menu, so they generally won¡¯t be attacked by Nightmares. Legend has it that their ancestors ate a kind of highly poisonous fruit and didn¡¯t die, but it left a kind of aura in their bloodline and soul. Nightmares really dislike that aura and are unwilling to devour Mountain Goblin souls or possess their bodies. Mountain Goblins are generally weak, and their intelligence is usually very low. They know their low intelligence makes them easy to deceive, so they¡¯re generally unwilling tomunicate with humans.¡±

    ¡°As long as they¡¯re not man-eating ghosts, it¡¯s fine. But how do they understand humannguage?¡± Zhanyue¡¯s thoughtsmunicated with the Goddess through the divine stone without making any sound. This treasure was truly omnipotent, worthy of being the Goddess¡¯s most prized possession.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know either. I don¡¯t know much about Mountain Goblins. They were a race with extremely low presence even thousands of years ago. They¡¯re generally weak, with the strongest in their n only at the Profound Realm level. They don¡¯t participate in the war between humans and Nightmares. They have difficulty reproducing, always seeming on the verge of extinction. I didn¡¯t expect them to survive until now. Compared to the Dragon race, which is a necessary ally for humans, they probably wouldn¡¯t even leave a name in history books,¡± the illumination Goddess exined.

    ¡°Dingding, do you smell something?¡± one of them said.

    ¡°Mmm, it¡¯s human scent. What should we do? Should we run? The king told us not to contact humans.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s hiding in that rock crevice down there, sneaking around. He doesn¡¯t look powerful at all. Dangdang, I have an idea. Let¡¯s have him help us find wine. That way we canplete the king¡¯s task.¡±

    ¡°As expected of the smartest fool in the Mountain Goblin n. No wonder the king praises you. But how do we do it?¡±

    ¡°Hehe, we¡¯ll pretend to be mountain gods, then have him bring wine as an offering. Humans really believe in this stuff. I saw it in a book.¡±

    ¡°Wow, you can read human books?¡±

    ¡°Hehe, how can I not understand when it¡¯s all picture books?¡±

    Zhanyue felt speechless. Can¡¯t you discuss your ns more quietly? nning out loud like this, are you really afraid I can¡¯t hear? No wonder the Goddess said their intelligence is very low. But he also knew that Mountain Goblins have a very keen sense of smell. He had already been discovered.

 Chapter 31

    Chapter 31

    ¡°Try not to start a conflict. The Mountain Goblin race is a very low-profile species. There are no records of them harming humans. Most of the time, they hide from humans,¡± the illumination Goddess reminded.

    Knowing he had been discovered, Zhanyue no longer hid, but gracefully crawled out.

    Under the blood moon and dark forest, the two creatures each held antern, emitting a dim yellow light. By this light, Zhanyue could clearly see the two. They looked very simr, only differing slightly in build ¨C one tall and one short, one thin and one fat, much smaller than humans, likerger monkeys. The creatures were bare-chested, covered in hair, with the lower half of their bodies covered by animal skin skirts. Their skin was the color of withered grass. Even the taller Mountain Goblin only reached Zhanyue¡¯s chest.

    Their round faces hadrge eyes, and their ears were elongated. Their noses were very prominent, muchrger than humans¡¯, looking quiteical. If described in one word, it would be ¡°ugly-cute¡±. More importantly, they had no tails and stood upright, sopared to monkeys, they were closer to humans.

    ¡°Greetings¡­ great mountain gods,¡± Zhanyue acted very reverent.

    ¡°Huh? What¡¯s with this human? I haven¡¯t even thought of how to trick him yet, and he¡¯s already fallen for it,¡± the fat Mountain Goblin named Dingding said, puzzled.

    ¡°Never mind that, maybe he¡¯s just stupid. Perhaps our appearance scared him,¡± the thin Mountain Goblin named Dangdang looked at Zhanyue and asked, ¡°How did you know we¡¯re mountain gods?¡±

    ¡°Uh,¡± Zhanyue¡¯s mind raced, then he smiled tteringly, ¡°Ordinary humans wouldn¡¯t dare to go out in the middle of the night. Even if they climbed the mountain, they¡¯d hide somewhere like me. You two walk around at night so openly, and your appearance is so magnificent and awe-inspiring, just like the legendary mountain gods. So I guessed you must be mountain gods.¡±

    ¡°Dangdang, what does ¡®magnificent and awe-inspiring¡¯ mean?¡± the fat Mountain Goblin asked. ¡°It means¡­ it means we¡¯re like the king. The king often says he¡¯s magnificent and awe-inspiring,¡± the thin Mountain Goblin Dangdang exined.

    The fat Mountain Goblin Dingding was very pleased to hear this, even his bearing became more imposing, as if he had really be the king.

    ¡°Human, do you have any wine?¡± Dingding asked.

    ¡°Uh, I got lost in the forest and was forced to spend the night here. I don¡¯t have any wine on me, but there¡¯s plenty of good wine in the vige,¡± Zhanyue answered.

    ¡°Since you¡¯ve met mountain gods, how can you not offer tribute? Quickly go back and bring wine¡­¡± the thin Mountain Goblin Dangdang hurriedly said.

    ¡°No, no, what if he runs away after going down the mountain?¡± Dingding asked.

    ¡°That¡¯s true. Should we go with him? But the king doesn¡¯t allow us to go near human viges. Last time, a few fools went to steal chickens from humans, and they were severely punished by the king when they came back.¡±

    Seeing these two creatures in a dilemma, Zhanyue thought this wasn¡¯t good, so he said, ¡°Great gods, don¡¯t worry. After I go down the mountain, I¡¯ll definitely prepare good wine and bring it to you. If you give me some benefits when I bring the wine, how could I note?¡±

    Dingding pped his thigh, ¡°Good idea! Humans are all very greedy. I¡¯ll trick him by saying, when he brings us wine, we¡¯ll give him lots and lots of money.¡±

    So Dingding turned his head and said to Zhanyue, ¡°You go and bring wine, the more the better. As mountain gods, we¡¯ll definitely reward you. We¡¯ll give you as much purple crystal coins as a mountain. It¡¯s called purple crystal coins, right?¡±

    Zhanyue rolled his eyes. They were nning out loud again, and was there such an outrageous lie? It¡¯s a good thing their intelligence isn¡¯t very high.

    ¡°It¡¯s settled then. You can¡¯t note, okay?¡± Dangdang also agreed to this n.

    Zhanyue was speechless. How did a species with such low intelligence survive until today?

    ¡°Well, if Ie back, how will I find you? This mountain is so big,¡± Zhanyue asked again. He found this Mountain Goblin race very interesting and thought he mighte back to meet them when he¡¯s strong enough in the future.

    ¡°Oh right, you¡¯re a good person for reminding me. Take this token. Tomorrow night, just hang it on a tree here, and we¡¯ll naturally be able to find you. Remember to act at night,¡± Saying this, Dingding took out a wooden token and handed it to Zhanyue.

    Zhanyue looked at the wooden token with surprise. There were two characters carved on it, but they weren¡¯t in the script of the Myriad Spirits Realm. Instead, they looked like a mysterious script he had researched with his teacher in his original world.

    ¡°Roasted meat?¡± Zhanyue unconsciously said out loud as he recalled the research from years ago. It seemed these two strange characters meant this.

    ¡°You recognize the characters on this token?¡± The two Mountain Goblins¡¯ eyes lit up.

    ¡°No¡­ I don¡¯t,¡± Zhanyue thought this wasn¡¯t good.

    ¡°Don¡¯t try to fool us. We all saw it. You clearly recognized the characters on this token! Dangdang, we¡¯ve struck it rich!¡± The Mountain Goblin named Dingding looked at Zhanyue as if looking at a priceless treasure.

    ¡°Not good¡­¡± Zhanyue didn¡¯t expect his knowledge would actually harm him. He immediately turned to run.

    But the Mountain Goblin named Dingding instantly burrowed into the ground, then caught up with Zhanyue and reached out a pair of hands from the ground, directly tripping Zhanyue. Then a bup sack was used to pack Zhanyue up. This was originally prepared by the two to hold wine.

    ¡°Earth Burrowing Technique?¡± Zhanyue didn¡¯t expect this Mountain Goblin to have such a skill.

    ¡°Carry him away, carry him away! We¡¯ve done a great deed!¡± The two carried the bup sack and quickly headed into the mountains.

    ¡°What should I do?¡± He knew nothing about Mountain Goblins and feared he would be at a great disadvantage if it came to a real fight.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. Let¡¯s see what they want to do. If there¡¯s real danger, I¡¯ll intervene,¡± the illumination Goddess¡¯s voice reassured Zhanyue. She seemed to have be interested in this race too. This was the best opportunity to understand them.

    ¡°You can help me from so far away?¡± Zhanyue asked in surprise.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I have backup ns. I¡¯ll keep an eye on your side until you¡¯re safe,¡± the illumination Goddess said. She was meticulous. She didn¡¯t fully disclose to Zhanyue before, fearing that if he knew he had her protection, he might be reckless and act wildly. Now there was no need to keep it secret.

    The two Mountain Goblin n members jogged along, happily singing a song.

    ¡°Yi ya ya, our luck is so good today; Yi ya ya, we two have done a great deed; Yi ya ya, we¡¯ll sit in the front row for meals from now on~~~~¡±

    Zhanyue felt his body bouncing all the way. He had been caught while wearing his backpack, which was very ufortable now. Based on the feeling, they seemed to be going lower and lower, apparently going down the mountain. Although he had a spatial ring, Zhanyue still wore a backpack to avoid suspicion. Only very important items were kept in the ring, with other items in the backpack.

    After a long time, Zhanyue finally breathed a sigh of relief. They had finally stopped.

    ¡°You two, what good stuff have you brought back?¡± a voice sounded.

    ¡°Little Woodhead, it¡¯s none of your business. We¡¯re going back to rest.¡±

    ¡°Little Woodhead? You used to call me Brother Woodhead. Getting bold today, are you?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re just a stinky gatekeeper. In a couple of days, you¡¯ll have to call me Brother Dingding and him Brother Dangdang.¡±

    ¡°Pah! You two useless things, worthy of me calling you brothers? Get in quickly. I¡¯m about to close the gate.¡±

    Listening to these conversations, Zhanyue realized he seemed to have been carried into the Mountain Goblin n¡¯sir.

 Chapter 32

    Chapter 32

    The Mountain Goblin¡¯sir was extremelyrge. Zhanyue felt he was carried for a long time. Just as he was lost in thought, a feeling of palpitation came over him, exactly like when he first saw the Goddess statue. But as the two monsters carried him further away, this feeling quickly weakened.

    ¡°A contract object? There¡¯s one of my contract objects in this Mountain Goblin¡¯sir?¡± Zhanyue was extremely excited. This was truly a fateful encounter that couldn¡¯t be stopped.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you already have two contract objects? And you sensed another one in the ancient castle. How can you still sense more contract objects?¡± The illumination Goddess had seen contractors with two contract objects before, but she had never seen anyone with three. Legend had it that such beings existed in ancient times, but she had never heard of someone like Zhanyue who might have four contract objects. Legend said three was the limit for contracts, but obviously Zhanyue had broken this limit.

    When Zhanyue first arrived in this world, nine divine marks each went their separate ways. Zhanyue had no idea where they had flown to. Perhaps these nine divine marks corresponded to nine different contract objects?

    ¡°We¡¯ve finally arrived. Lock him in your room first. We¡¯ll present him as a birthday gift to the Great Kingter,¡± a voice said. By now, Zhanyue¡¯s hands and feet were tied, and his mouth was gagged. He was then thrown under the bed in a small room. Zhanyue was seething with anger, ¡°You two pigs, just you wait.¡±

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª

    The Mountain Goblin¡¯sir wasn¡¯t built by the Mountain Goblins. It was originally an underground pce that was discovered and upied by them. It was very well hidden, undiscovered by humans for thousands of years. Now, the vast underground pce was bustling with activity. Mountain Goblin nsmen who looked very simr to Dingding and Dangdang were decorating the pce, especially the central hall which was particrly bright. Flower pots were ced all around the hall. The pots contained flowers emitting various colors of light, with the white-light flowers being the brightest. These were the main light sources in the underground world.

    A huge white light stone was tied to the top of the hall, like a spotlight above a stage, illuminating a giant stone chair below and naturally bing the center of the hall.

    ¡°Please wee our most wise and mighty Great King to be seated!¡± a high-pitched voice rang out. Then a chubby figure walked over. He was muchrger than the other Mountain Goblins, with the same yellowish-brown skin, a round face with big eyes, a protruding long nose, and pointed ears. He was wrapped in golden animal skins from top to bottom, wearing a golden crown on his head, and ying with a white pearl about the size of an apple in his hand.

    ¡°Who prepared this?¡± the Mountain Goblin King Hulu pointed at the bright white light stone above his head.

    ¡°It was me,¡± a short and thin Mountain Goblin stepped forward with a fawning smile.

    Hulu pped him flying with one hand, angrily saying, ¡°MLGBZ, it¡¯s hurting my eyes. Why can¡¯t any of you be a bit smarter?¡±

    ¡°Oh no, the Great King doesn¡¯t seem to be in a good mood today,¡± the crowd whispered, even though it was the Great King¡¯s birthday.

    ¡°Birthday, birthday, each one means one less year. My cultivation hasn¡¯t improved at all, what¡¯s there to celebrate!¡± Hulu said angrily. A birthday only meant he was one year older.

    Everyone fell silent, the atmosphere bing terrifyingly quiet. Suddenly, the cry of a baby broke the silence.

    ¡°Bring me the baby,¡± Hulumanded.

    A female Mountain Goblin then handed the baby in her arms to Hulu. She was very tall, but certainly not by human aesthetic standards. However, the other Mountain Goblins looked at her enviously. She was the beauty of the Mountain Goblin n, the Great King¡¯s queen.

    ¡°My little ancestor, what¡¯s wrong again?¡± Hulu cooed, cradling the baby. This was his hard-won offspring. After personally soothing the child, he said to everyone, ¡°Let¡¯s begin. I know you all, you just want to take advantage of my birthday to have a good meal. You¡¯re all more excited than I am.¡±

    After Hulu finished speaking, the Mountain Goblins sat in their ces one by one. tes of roasted meat and wild fruits were served, along with jars of fine wine. The portions were several timesrger than usual. The Great King¡¯s birthday was when they ate the best, almost wishing the Great King could have a birthday every day.

    ¡°Congrattions on your birthday, Great King. This is a spirit nt I found, especially as a gift for you,¡± a Mountain Goblin stood up, opening a wooden box. Instantly, a fragrant aroma spread, and insidey a purple flower.

    ¡°Calming Fragrance? Bring it here,¡± Hulu¡¯s eyes lit up.

    The Mountain Goblin brought the box over. Hulu took out the flower and ced it on the baby in his arms. The baby soon fell into a deep sleep. ¡°With this, this little ancestor can be quieter at night. You¡¯ve done well, you¡¯re rewarded with one Earth Spirit Fruit.¡±

    Everyone looked envious upon hearing this. Earth Spirit Fruit could enhance the cultivation and improve the physique of the Mountain Goblin n. Everyone craved it.

    ¡°Great King, how do you like my gift?¡± Another Mountain Goblin stood up, taking out a whitish iron block from his bosom.

    ¡°Earth Fire Iron Essence? Not bad, not bad. It can enhance the toughness of my weapons. Reward granted!¡± Hulu was very satisfied with this gift.

    ¡°Great King, Great King, how about mine?¡± Another Mountain Goblin excitedly presented his gift, an exquisite jade wine cup.

    ¡°Is this a human artifact? Did you steal it from a human town? How dare you! Didn¡¯t you listen to what I said?¡± Hulu looked at the wine cup and scolded angrily.

    ¡°No¡­ no, I dug this up in the mountains. There was a pile of rotten wood next to the wine cup,¡± the Mountain Goblin exined. This exnation made things worse; Hulu almost fainted with anger.

    ¡°You went grave robbing? Giving me things from dead people to use? Damn it. Ah, forget it. With your intelligence, how could you not do something stupid? Just stay after the banquet tonight to clean up.¡± Hulu said exasperatedly.

    The gifts after this person became worse and worse, even including some colorful mushrooms, making Hulu sigh deeply. As the King of the Mountain Goblins, his wisdom was far beyond what other Mountain Goblins couldpare to, standing out like a crane among chickens.

    Finally, it was Dingding and Dangdang¡¯s turn. The two of them carried over a bup sack together.

    ¡°Great King, we two offer a grand gift,¡± they said excitedly as they unveiled the bup sack. Zhanyue crawled out of the sack, his hands and feet tied with hemp rope. Seeing all the Mountain Goblins staring at him dumbfounded, some dropped the meat legs in their hands, some forgot to stop pouring when their cups were full.

    The Mountain Goblin King mmed the table violently, his eyes filled with fury, ¡°Are you two seeking death? Why did you bring a human in here? We don¡¯t eat humans, you¡¯re really driving me crazy! How dare you vite the ancestral teachings. Come, throw these two idiots into the pond to feed the fish!¡±

    Dingding and Dangdang hurriedly knelt down and exined, ¡°Great King, please calm your anger. This person is not ordinary, he can read¡­ he can read the words on the tablet.¡±

    ¡°What words on what tablet?¡± the Mountain Goblin King asked puzzled.

    ¡°This wooden tablet¡­¡± the two took out the wooden tablet, ¡°Didn¡¯t the Great King say you were looking for someone who could read these words?¡±

    The Mountain Goblin King saw the wooden tablet and became even more confused, ¡°How did you know about this?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ Great King once talked in your sleep when drunk, cursing that the ancestors were no good, forbidding Mountain Goblins from contacting humans yet asking Mountain Goblins to find people who could read ancient text. It¡¯spletely contradictory and unreasonable,¡± Dangdang said honestly.

    The Mountain Goblin King¡¯s face turned red. His words cursing the ancestors had been overheard. These two fools were truly beyond help. How could they say such things in public?

    Meanwhile, Zhanyue was observing his surroundings. This ce didn¡¯t look like an ordinary cave. The walls were neat, the space was spacious, stone pirs supported the entire space. Judging by the craftsmanship, it seemed more like human work. This ce was more like an underground pce.

    ¡°Boy, I hear you can read this kind of writing?¡± The Mountain Goblin King brought two wooden tablets in front of Zhanyue¡¯s eyes. ¡°What¡¯s written on these two wooden tablets? If you don¡¯t answer correctly, I can only apologize.¡±

    ¡°Although this Mountain Goblin King hasn¡¯t reached the Spirit God Realm, I feel he¡¯s even more powerful than the Sun City Lord. Be careful, try not to cause conflict,¡± the illumination Goddess warned.

    ¡°More powerful than the City Lord?!¡± Zhanyue was shocked. Looking at this unremarkable Mountain Goblin King, he was only slightlyrger than Dingding and Dangdang. Could he really be that powerful?

    ¡°In reply to the Great King, one of these wooden tablets says ¡®roasted meat¡¯, and the other says ¡®small fire¡¯,¡± Zhanyue answered truthfully. The more he proved his value now, the better his situation would be.

    The Mountain Goblin King stood up excitedly, handing the baby in his arms to a woman nearby. He walked up to Zhanyue and looked him over carefully, ¡°Just a weak one at the Spirit Contract Realm, yet knows so much. Could you be guessing?¡±

    ¡°The Great King jests. How could this be guessed? I just have some impression, but I don¡¯t guarantee I know all such writing,¡± Zhanyue replied.

    Seeing Zhanyue so calm, the Mountain Goblin King gave a thumbs up, ¡°You¡¯re not afraid at all. What good courage. If it were an ordinary human, they¡¯d probably be scared witless by now.¡± Then, the Mountain Goblin King produced a page of paper out of thin air. He actually had a storage treasure too.

    ¡°What¡¯s written on this paper?¡± the Great King asked. Actually, he didn¡¯t recognize these characters either, but he knew roughly what the paper was about.

    Zhanyue quickly discovered that the characters on the wooden tablets came from this paper. Reading these characters with difficulty, along with his own guesses, Zhanyue roughly understood what this was.

    ¡°In reply to the Great King, this paper records a recipe, a method for roasting meat,¡± Zhanyue answered.

    Hearing this, the Mountain Goblin King¡¯s whole body trembled with excitement, ¡°Quick, quick, untie this gentleman. Damn it, how could we treat the gentleman like this? Never mind, I¡¯ll do it myself.¡±

    The Mountain Goblin King personally untied Zhanyue¡¯s bonds. Zhanyue himself hadn¡¯t expected that what he learned in his doctoral studies would be useful here. It was truly bizarre.

 Chapter 33

    Chapter 33

    ¡°Please, sir, take a seat.¡± The Mountain Goblin King Hulu raised his hand, and suddenly the ground changed shape. A stone table and chair appeared out of thin air next to Hulu¡¯s seat. This terrain-altering technique left Zhanyue dumbfounded.

    Zhanyue sat down graciously. Soon after, servants brought over a te of roasted meat, a pot of soup, fruit tters, and wine.

    ¡°You two are each rewarded with two Earth Spirit Fruits. You¡¯re promoted to the King¡¯s close guards,¡± Hulu said to Dingding and Dangdang, who were still standing below.

    ¡°Thank you, Great King! Thank you, Great King!¡± The two hurriedly knelt down in gratitude. Those around them cast extremely envious nces. To be promoted from patrol guards directly to the King¡¯s close guards was a great honor and benefit. Although serving the king was like apanying a tiger, the benefits were considerable. Moreover, although the Great King was verbally fierce, he had never severely punished any n members.

    ¡°Sir, please eat. I don¡¯t know if our n¡¯s delicacies suit your taste,¡± Hulu said very politely.

    Seeing Hulu¡¯s fawning smile, Zhanyue knew Hulu must have a favor to ask of him.

    He put a bright red fruit in his mouth. The fruit was only about the size of a pigeon egg, with a texture simr to a fairy fruit, but as sweet as honey. Then he took a sip of fruit wine. Although it was full of alcohol vor, it was also sickeningly sweet. The roasted meat was also smeared with plenty of honey, presumably also sweet. This ce was a paradise for sweet lovers and a hell for savory fans.

    ¡°Do you have any in water? The food is quite delicious, but it¡¯s a bit too sweet for me,¡± Zhanyue said generously, showing no nervousness or fear. This made Hulu even more impressed. A human of such low strength probably couldn¡¯t even beat the weakest member of their n, yet he was calm and rxed, enjoying the food and drink without worry. He was indeed no ordinary person.

    ¡°Yes, yes, yes. Someone, bring the best spring water for the sir,¡± Hulu ordered, then suggested, ¡°If sir doesn¡¯t like sweet food, you can try the soup. It¡¯s savory and the taste is unparalleled.¡± Zhanyue looked at the ck, thick soup in the bowl with furrowed brows. Could this really be drunk? But looking around, he saw some n members drinking the soup in big gulps, their faces showing expressions of happiness. He first took a small sip, and an electric-like sensation made his whole body tingle.

    Zhanyue felt as if he had arrived in heaven, floating on clouds with countless little fairies massaging his tongue.

    ¡°Delicious!¡± He then drank it all in one go. After finishing the bowl of soup, he even felt his realm loosening slightly, with a vague sense of breakthrough.

    ¡°Another bowl, please,¡± Zhanyue said, holding up the empty bowl. It would be foolish not to take advantage of such a good thing. This soup was definitely something special.

    Seeing Zhanyue¡¯s satisfaction, Hulu also rxed. He looked at Zhanyue with burning eyes, never imagining he would find someone who could understand that kind of writing in his lifetime.

    After the feast, Hulu dismissed everyone, keeping only Dingding, Dangdang, and Zhanyue.

    ¡°Great King, if you have something to say, just say it directly. There¡¯s no need to beat around the bush. I can see you¡¯re much smarter than them,¡± Zhanyue said, pointing at Dingding and Dangdang. These two rascals had actually been promoted because of him.

    Huluughed heartily, ¡°I¡¯m certainly quite a bit smarter than them. They forcibly brought you here, which was very offensive. I won¡¯t hide it from you, I do indeed have some matters to ask of you, sir.¡±

    Zhanyue thought to himself, sure enough. That recipe was just an appetizer; this King couldn¡¯t possibly just want him to trante a single recipe.

    Then Hulu took out a jade box from his spatial treasure, and carefully removed an animal skin booklet from inside, handing it to Zhanyue. ¡°The writing in this booklet is the same as on that paper earlier. I hope sir can help me trante it.¡±

    Zhanyue opened the booklet with text and diagrams, his expression changing dramatically. He quickly realized this was definitely a cultivation method. But soon he was disappointed again, seeing that the diagrams all depicted Mountain Goblins. It should be a cultivation method unique to their race.

    ¡°Great King, this is a cultivation method, isn¡¯t it?¡± Zhanyue asked.

    Hulu chuckled, his face unable to hide his excitement, ¡°Yes, yes, yes, yes, a cultivation method belonging to our Mountain Goblin n.¡±

    Zhanyue gave a wry smile and said, ¡°Great King, you¡¯re really honest. How can you show such an important cultivation method so easily? You should have scrambled the order before letting me trante, so I wouldn¡¯t know the secrets inside.¡±

    Hearing this, Hulu suddenly realized, ¡°Oh, right! What a good idea. As expected, humans are clever. But I trust you, just go ahead and trante.¡±

    Zhanyue looked at Hulu¡¯s sly expression and said, ¡°Great King, aren¡¯t you thinking of killing me after I finish tranting this cultivation method? To eliminate any future troubles?¡±

    Hearing this, Hulu¡¯s old face turned red. His thoughts had been seen through. ¡°No¡­ no such thing, absolutely not.¡±

    Zhanyue handed the booklet back, ¡°I don¡¯t want to die unjustly after rendering service. If you want to kill me, do as you please.¡±

    Seeing Zhanyue refuse to trante the cultivation method, preferring death, Hulu instantly became anxious. Although he was much smarter than Dingding and Dangdang, his racial talent was limited. How could hepare to a shrewd person like Zhanyue? He was instantly outmaneuvered.

    ¡°I swear, I promise I won¡¯t harm you, sir. Please help me trante,¡± Hulu said hurriedly.

    ¡°No good. What use is an oath? It can be broken. Anyway, you could probably kill me with just one finger,¡± Zhanyue shook his head. He needed a truly safe way to ensure his safety.

    Hulu looked at Zhanyue angrily. Forget killing, he didn¡¯t even dare to hit him now.

    As the atmosphere became awkward, Dingding and Dangdang suddenly stepped forward.

    ¡°Report to the Great King, we have an idea!¡± the two suddenly said.

    ¡°What idea?¡± Hulu looked at them puzzled. He had kept these two mainly because Zhanyue was brought back by them, thinking it might be convenient to ask some questions.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you be sworn brothers with this sir?¡± one said.

    ¡°Yes, yes, the first ironw of the Mountain Goblin n is no infighting, even the Great King must obey,¡± the other agreed.

    The Mountain Goblin King was stunned, then burst intoughter, ¡°Good idea! Why didn¡¯t I think of that? Sir, why don¡¯t we be sworn brothers of different surnames? This way, you won¡¯t need to worry about me harming you, and you can trante the cultivation method with peace of mind.¡±

    If others had suggested this, Zhanyue would have scoffed. Even blood brothers often yed out scenes of fraternal strife, let alone sworn brothers. But these words came from Dingding and Dangdang. If these two had any schemes, it would be a miracle. They were most likely telling the truth, which was very credible.

    ¡°Hehe, don¡¯t worry. As long as you be sworn brothers with the Great King in front of the n members, you¡¯ll be considered a member of our Mountain Goblin n. If the Great King really harms you, other n members probably wouldn¡¯t recognize him as the Great King anymore. I once heard my great-grandmother say that we Mountain Goblins are very stupid and weak, and it¡¯s only because of our purity and unity that we¡¯ve been able to reproduce until today. Any act of harming fellow nsmen is not allowed, even for the Great King,¡± Dangdang said honestly.

    ¡°This Mountain Goblin n is terrifyingly simple,¡± Zhanyue thought to himself, then said aloud, ¡°Alright, as long as it can guarantee that the Great King won¡¯t harm me in the end, I¡¯m willing to help the Great King.¡±

    After the two agreed, the Mountain Goblin King gathered the n members again, totaling four to five hundred adults and children. There was noplicated ceremony, just Hulu informing the ancestral tablets of past kings, and it was over.

    ¡°Alright, from now on, he is my brother Hulu!¡± Hulu said, putting his arm around Zhanyue¡¯s shoulders.

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±

    ¡°Greetings to the Second Great King¡­¡± Everyone bowed in salutation.

    Zhanyue felt a bit dazed. Had he suddenly changed from a prisoner to the Second Great King of the Mountain Goblin n? Education can indeed change one¡¯s fate; this was truly the truth. Given this situation, it would be ungrateful not to help Hulu.

    ¡°How about it, little brother? Are you at ease now?¡± Hulu smiled, ¡°Help me trante tonight, will you?¡±

    ¡°Tonight?¡± Zhanyue was at a loss, exining, ¡°Are you joking? This is a cultivation method. Not to mention therge amount of content, it must be tranted urately. It¡¯s not like a recipe where the worst that can happen if mistranted is that it tastes bad. If this cultivation method is mistranted, it could cause problems.¡±

    Hulu gave a simple smile, ¡°Hehe, you¡¯re right, little brother. I was too impatient. My realm hasn¡¯t progressed for decades. Legend has it that the Mountain Goblin n was cursed, unable to break through to the True King Realm. Only this cultivation method can help me break through.¡± The Mountain Goblin¡¯s True King Realm corresponded to the human Spirit God Realm, meaning Hulu was currently equivalent to a human at the peak of the ninth stage of the Sun Profound Realm, half a step into the Spirit God Realm.

    ¡°What exactly is this writing?¡± Zhanyue asked curiously.

    ¡°It¡¯s the writing of our Mountain Goblin n. Legend has it that long ago, we Mountain Goblins had our ownnguage and writing, but somehow we lost them and instead learned humannguage and writing. Since then, there¡¯s been a break in Mountain Goblin civilization, and no Mountain Goblin at the True King Realm has appeared. This cultivation method has been passed down through generations of Mountain Goblin kings. Practicing it is said to allow breakthrough to the True King Realm, but unfortunately, no one can recognize these characters anymore,¡± Hulu exined.

    ¡°Hmm, but without top experts at the True King Realm, how has the Mountain Goblin n survived crisis after crisis?¡± Zhanyue asked. A race that could inherit for so long couldn¡¯t have just been lucky.

    ¡°Hehe, well, firstly, the Nightmares don¡¯t deal with us, and secondly, we have two innate racial divine abilities that help us avoid persecution from other races,¡± Hulu exined.

    ¡°Earth Burrowing?¡± Zhanyue recalled Dingding and Dangdang¡¯s earlier performance.

    ¡°That¡¯s right, the first divine ability is Earth Burrowing. Our Mountain Goblin nspeople can learn it from a very young age. The second divine ability is Petrification, which can resist most attacks. With these two divine abilities, if we can¡¯t win, we can always run away.¡±

    Flying and Earth Burrowing were abilities of the same level. All Mountain Goblin nspeople inherently possessed an ability equivalent to a golden-grade cultivation method, plus the Petrification ability of unknown strength. No wonder they could continue to this day. They were truly nature¡¯s favored children.

    ¡°I might need quite some time to trante this cultivation method. Please prepare a quiet room for me. Then, gather as much material rted to these characters as possible. Actually, bring all the materials with writing in the cave to my room. The more detailed the materials, the faster I can work and the more urate the trantion will be,¡± Zhanyue said, inwardly sighing. He never expected toplete his doctoral dissertation here. After transmigrating to this world, Zhanyue felt for the first time the benefit of having a relevant specialty.

 Chapter 34

    Chapter 34

    In a spacious room, twomps hanging at the door aroused Zhanyue¡¯s curiosity. They were two white flowers that emitted bright light when touched, and dimmed when touched again.

    ¡°Hurry up!¡± Mountain Goblin nsmen were carrying wooden boxes, which directly upied half the space in Zhanyue¡¯s room. The boxes contained ancient books, paintings, stone tablets, animal skins with writing, and fabrics. The Mountain Goblin King had really brought everything with writing on it to Zhanyue.

    ¡°So much?¡± Zhanyue pointed at the pile of misceneous items stacked like a small mountain.

    ¡°Yes, all these things have writing on them,¡± said Dangdang, who was responsible for delivery.

    ¡°Alright, give me a hand,¡± Zhanyue stood by the small mountain of items, separating them ording to the type of writing. Not everything was in that ancient script; Zhanyue even found some writing he didn¡¯t recognize, not knowing which civilization it belonged to.

    After a busy morning, Zhanyue finally categorized everything into useful, potentially useful, andpletely useless.

    ¡°Take these¡­ these and these out,¡± Zhanyue instructed.

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Several Mountain Goblin nsmen hurriedly carried out thepletely useless items.

    ¡°While checking these things, this one intrigued me the most,¡± Zhanyue took out an animal skin. On it was a very detailed map drawn with extremely fine strokes, including Worlds, oceans, and various rivers and mountains on the Worlds. But what puzzled Zhanyue was that this didn¡¯t seem to be a map of the Myriad Spirits World. Besides this map, there was a type of ancient booklet that emitted a medicinal fragrance even before opening, which was quite strange. There were quite a few such booklets, which Zhanyue set aside separately.

    These booklets contained not only text but also diagrams, depicting the shapes of some nts and body parts of some beasts.

    ¡°Pill forms? These are actually Pill forms?¡± Zhanyue was shocked. Each of these booklets was a Pill form. How could there be so many Pill forms here?

    ¡°It seems I can¡¯t fully understand thesenguages withoutpletely deciphering them,¡± Zhanyue thought to himself. Previously, he was just tranting the cultivation method for Hulu, but the appearance of so many Pill forms made Zhanyue want to know what was really going on.

    ¡°These booklets look handwritten. Were they copied by the Mountain Goblin ancestors from ancient human alchemists?¡± Zhanyue spected. Compared to the Pill forms, Zhanyue was actually more curious about that map.

    ¡°Brother, how¡¯s the work going?¡± A figure appeared behind Zhanyue ¨C it was the chubby Hulu.

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you. You startled me, appearing so quietly. This map, where is it depicting? It doesn¡¯t seem to be this world,¡± Zhanyue pointed at the map in his hand and asked Hulu beside him.

    Hulu looked at the map and exined, ¡°It is our world. This map should also be left by my ancestors. The writing on it is also our own script.¡±

    ¡°But why is itpletely different from the world map I¡¯ve seen? Even with Worldal drift, there couldn¡¯t be such a huge difference. And the proportions of mountains and rivers on the map are off. How could there be suchrge mountain ranges and rivers?¡± Zhanyue asked puzzled.

    Hulu pointed to the upper right corner of the map and said, ¡°Our world is just here, only a small part of this. I heard my great-grandfather say that our area is called something like the Spirit-Extinguished Realm, not the Myriad Spirits World.¡±

    Hearing this, Zhanyue was thunderstruck. All along, he had thought the Myriad Spirits World was aplete world, but now this map told him that the Myriad Spirits World was just a realm in a corner of this world, upying less than one-twentieth of this world¡¯s size.

    ¡°Then what about the world outside?¡± Zhanyue asked further.

    At this moment, the Goddess¡¯s voice came in his mind, ¡°There are no boundaries. You will reach the other side of the world at the world¡¯s end. I tried to go to the end of the world before, but it was like a sphere ¨C passing through one side, you arrive at the other.¡±

    ¡°Being like a sphere is right, but saying it¡¯s not a sphere would be strange. Such arge Myriad Spirits Realm is actually just one realm. What¡¯s really going on? By the way, Sister Xixuan, the Mountain Goblin n had a civilization break. What about humans?¡± Zhanyue asked further. This world seemed far moreplex than he had previously understood.

    ¡°I know. Not just the Mountain Goblin n, all civilized races in the Myriad Spirits Realm seem to have had simr civilization breaks. For us humans, we can still find some traces, like the illumination Towers, illumination Stones, and alchemy and artifact crafting techniques. They alle from the pre-civilization era. The civilization break didn¡¯tpletely erase them from the world,¡± the illumination Goddess exined.

    ¡°Little brother, what are you spacing out about? Are you that shocked? What does it matter if you know? We can¡¯t leave the Spirit-Extinguished Realm anyway. I heard my great-grandfather say that the outside world was destroyed long ago. The Spirit-Extinguished Realm is thest purend for living beings,¡± the Mountain Goblin King dropped another bombshell.

    ¡°The outside world was destroyed long ago? This is thest purend?¡± Zhanyue frowned.

    ¡°Don¡¯t research useless things. Helping me trante the cultivation method soon is the main task. Oh, it¡¯s mealtime. Have some food first,¡± Hulu called out, then walked out.

    After the meal, Zhanyue¡¯s mind was still on the map. Then he remembered an important matter ¨C he had felt a palpitation when he came to the cave. Now, under the pretext of an after-meal walk, he wandered around the vast underground pce, finally finding the direction of that palpitation, and walked towards it.

    ¡°Second Great King!¡± Dingding suddenly appeared in front of him with a simple smile. ¡°Is the Great King still hungry? It¡¯s toote to go to the kitchen now.¡±

    ¡°Kitchen?¡± Zhanyue frowned. The palpitation was actuallying from the kitchen. ¡°Yes, I wanted to visit your kitchen, to see how those delicious foods are made.¡±

    ¡°Good, good, good. If the Great King is interested, I¡¯ll be your guide,¡± Dingding volunteered to be the kitchen guide, leading Zhanyue into the kitchen. It must be said that a kitchen providing food for four to five hundred people was indeed veryrge. Currently, there were still many people in the kitchen, busy washing various pots, bowls, and utensils. Zhanyue was gratified to see that the Mountain Goblin n was not a slovenly civilization, but quite particr about hygiene. Recalling those copied Pill forms, Zhanyue suspected that the Mountain Goblin n must have had very close contact with humans long ago.

    ¡°Greetings to the Second Great King!¡± The busy crowd stopped their work and bowed to Zhanyue in unison. There was more curiosity in their eyes; most people didn¡¯t know why the Great King had be sworn brothers with this human.

    ¡°Carry on with your work,¡± Zhanyue said, then walked towards the source of the heart palpitation.

    It was a huge cauldron as tall as a person. The cauldron was golden, with a solid and exquisite shape, engraved with a pattern of nine dragons soaring among clouds. This was the first time Zhanyue had seen a five-wed flying dragon pattern. The dragon patterns outside were basically like Mi Hongchen¡¯s contracted dragon, not the divine dragon form. It could be determined that this was an ancient artifact.

    ¡°Second Great King, this pot is for making soup. It¡¯s magical; whatever you cook in it tastes good,¡± Dingding introduced voluntarily, seeing Zhanyue staring at the huge cauldron.

    Without replying, Zhanyue ced his hand on the cauldron¡¯s body. A golden light shed, and in a daze, the contract was formed. A name and a piece of information appeared in Zhanyue¡¯s mind ¨C Earth Mother Golden Cauldron, one of the two greatest treasures of the Alchemy Dao.

    ¡°Earth Mother Golden Cauldron?¡± The illumination Goddess rarely lostposure. ¡°I heard from an alchemist friend that refining pills requires a good cauldron. In ancient alchemy, there were two great treasures: the Earth Mother Golden Cauldron and the Heavenly King Bronze Furnace. Legend has it that the Heavenly King Bronze Furnace can draw upon purple lightning from the Nine Heavens to refine pills, while the Earth Mother Golden Cauldron can absorb the essence of the earth¡¯s spirit veins, greatly enhancing the efficacy of pills. Obtaining either one can elevate mortal alchemy to sainthood. These Mountain Goblins actually use such a treasure as a cooking pot! And you¡¯ve actually contracted it.¡±

    Zhanyue smiled, ¡°No wonder drinking those soups gave a vague sense of cultivation improvement. It wasn¡¯t an illusion after all. Just casually cooked soup in it has such an effect; it¡¯s indeed a great treasure.¡±

    In his excitement, another change urred. The inside of the golden cauldron was densely inscribed with text, which now came to life. The characters flew out of the golden cauldron one by one, entering Zhanyue¡¯s mind through his eyes.

    ¡°¡®Earth Vein Dark Fire Body Forging and Pill Refining Method¡¯¡­ It¡¯s actually a cultivation method, including both self-cultivation and Pill refining techniques?¡± Zhanyue could hardly conceal his excitement. He finally had his own cultivation method.

 Chapter 35

    Chapter 35

    ¡°How should I take this cauldron away?¡± Zhanyue looked at the golden cauldron before him, confused amidst his excitement. He could sense that the cauldron could freely change size, fitting into either a spatial ring or a contractor¡¯s space, but he still needed to give the Mountain Goblin n an exnation. It wouldn¡¯t be right to just take away the pot they used for cooking.

    The so-called contractor¡¯s space was an ability that both weapon contractors and misceneous contractors possessed, but the contractor¡¯s space could only store contract objects. Spirit contractors didn¡¯t have this concept at all; their bodies were the contractor¡¯s space. As for beast contractors, although they didn¡¯t have a contractor¡¯s space, their contract beasts were spiritually connected to them and could be summoned remotely by the contractor. There was still no definitive ssification for what type of contract object the illumination Goddess was, perhaps more simr to a beast? But Zhanyue couldn¡¯t summon her remotely.

    After pondering for a long time, Zhanyue finally had an idea. ¡°Go call the Great King here. I have something to discuss with him.¡±

    ¡°Alright!¡± Dingding agreed, and soon brought the puzzled Mountain Goblin King Hulu over.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, little brother? Why did you call me to the kitchen?¡± Hulu asked.

    Zhanyue ced his hand on the golden cauldron beside him. Under everyone¡¯s gaze, the golden cauldron gradually shrunk until it was only the size of an ornament in Zhanyue¡¯s palm.

    ¡°You¡­ you¡­ you contracted it?¡± Hulu¡¯s knowledge was far broader than others, and he saw through the situation at a nce. ¡°Little brother, you¡¯re actually a genius with multiple contract objects. But how could you contract away our pot?¡± Hulu had a wry smile.

    ¡°How did you obtain this thing?¡± Zhanyue asked curiously.

    ¡°This pot is an heirloom. I don¡¯t know where they got it from. It was already being used by us when I was born. Everything cooked in it tastes good, and the food cooked in it is beneficial for cultivation. Little brother, you¡¯ve contracted this thing away. How am I going to exin this to them? They¡¯re all used to eating food cooked in this pot,¡± Hulu was very conflicted. Zhanyue said helplessly, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to do it on purpose. It¡¯s just the will of heaven. Besides, this isn¡¯t just any pot. It¡¯s a pill-refining cauldron. Using it as a cooking pot is such a waste.¡±

    ¡°A pill-refining cauldron?¡± Hulu frowned. ¡°I did hear my great-grandfather say that our ancestors had alchemists very, very long ago, but because of a curse, our intelligence drastically decreased, and the inheritance of pill refining was lost.¡±

    ¡°A treasure of pill refining, pill forms, all indicate that the Mountain Goblin n must have had very close contact with humans long ago, and even had alchemists. Their intelligence wasn¡¯t always this low.¡± Zhanyue curiously asked further, ¡°What do you mean by curse?¡±

    ¡°The Mountain Goblin n¡¯s intelligence was originally not inferior to humans, but our ancestors mistakenly ate something, causing the intelligence of all n members to decrease generation by generation. Coupled with the loss of inheritance, our Mountain Goblin n hasn¡¯t produced a True King Realm (Spirit God Realm) for thousands of years. However, after eating that thing, all our bloodlines are no longer coveted by Nightmares. The Nightmare race greatly despises us and won¡¯t even approach our dwellings. I suppose there are pros and cons,¡± Hulu exined.

    ¡°So that legend is true,¡± Zhanyue sighed. As the saying goes, what is lost in one ce is gained in another. Overall, the Mountain Goblin n was still quite lucky. But ording to Hulu¡¯s words, the Mountain Goblin n was intelligent long ago, and with their powerful racial talents, they must have been a very powerful race. This also made sense; the Mountain Goblins of that time must have been a force that humans had to take seriously, and the two sides had close interactions, even learning pill refining methods. However, this history was much older than the illumination Goddess, and not something Zhanyue could figure out at present.

    ¡°Do all Mountain Goblins love to eat sweet food?¡± Zhanyue suddenly asked.

    Hulu nodded, ¡°That¡¯s right. There¡¯s no Mountain Goblin who doesn¡¯t like sweet things. Unfortunately, honey is hard to collect and not always avable. Those sweet fruits we collect can¡¯t be stored for long either, most have to be made into fruit wine, greatly reducing the sweetness. Only at my birthday feast can they eat as much as they want. Usually, they rarely get to eat so many sweets.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve taken away the pot you¡¯ve used for countless years, and I do feel guilty towards my brothers. How about this: I¡¯ll find a way to solve the sweet food problem, guaranteeing that you can eat sweets anytime,¡± Zhanyue patted Hulu¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re telling the truth?¡± Hulu was clearly excited.

    Zhanyue nodded. He remembered there were things like sugarcane among the fruits earlier. With these, making sugar through traditional methods wouldn¡¯t be a problem. Teaching them to make fruit preserves would satisfy their needs. He just didn¡¯t know if they could learn to artificially raise bees with their intelligence. In any case, for the current Mountain Goblins, these were all things they couldn¡¯t ess. Taking away their pot and giving them some technology in return would make them even. However, no matter how he thought about it, he had gained a huge advantage.

    ¡°Later, find a few cleverer n members toe over. I¡¯ll naturally teach them how to do it. I¡¯ll go back to tranting the cultivation method now,¡± Zhanyue said.

    ¡°Hehe, no problem. If we can solve the sweet food problem, it¡¯s fine for you to take the pot. They won¡¯t have anyints,¡± Even Hulu didn¡¯t clearly understand what level of treasure this pot was, but since his sworn brother had taken it and could provide them with sweet food long-term, he didn¡¯t feel at a loss.

    Thus, a deal where both sides felt they hadn¡¯t lost out was reached.

    Back in his room, Zhanyue eagerly took out the Earth Mother Golden Cauldron, letting it return to its original size. Just touching this cauldron, he could feel a surge of spiritual power. The Earth Mother Golden Cauldron was constantly absorbing the essence of the earth¡¯s spirit veins.

    ¡°The ¡®Earth Vein Dark Fire Body Forging and Pill Refining Method¡¯ must be cultivated with the Earth Mother Golden Cauldron. I finally have a cultivation method,¡± Zhanyue was very excited. ¡°Sister Xixuan, contract objects always undergo changes after being contracted. I wonder what changes have urred in the Earth Mother Golden Cauldron.¡±

    The Earth Mother Golden Cauldron was already a god-like artifact. After bing a contract object, it would naturally upgrade further, but Zhanyue¡¯s current understanding of it was still not deep enough.

    ¡°After the Spirit Contract Realm is the Spirit Communication Realm. Why do you think it¡¯s called the Spirit Communication Realm? When your realm improves, you¡¯ll naturally understand your contract object more deeply. Then you¡¯ll know,¡± the illumination Goddess replied. She was no longer surprised by Zhanyue¡¯s good luck.

    ¡°By the way, don¡¯t forget the Ghost Soul Fruit in your body. It¡¯s helpful for your cultivation and even more beneficial for pill refining,¡± the illumination Goddess reminded.

    ¡°If you hadn¡¯t mentioned it, I would have forgotten. That thing is in my body but can¡¯t be refined. How should I use it?¡± Zhanyue asked.

    ¡°Both cultivation and pill refining require consuming a lot of spiritual power, or soul power. The Ghost Soul Fruit will automatically help you recover soul power. You haven¡¯t used much soul power before, so naturally you couldn¡¯t feel its wonder. I once obtained a Ghost Soul Fruit too. If not for that Ghost Soul Fruit, I might not havested until the end in that great battle afterward. Anyway, since you want to learn pill refining, it¡¯s your biggest trump card. My friend said that the higher-grade the pill, the more soul power the refining process consumes. People without enough soul power simply can¡¯t refine high-grade pills. With the Ghost Soul Fruit, you don¡¯t need to worry about this point.¡±

    ¡°Friend? Who exactly is this friend of yours who¡¯s proficient in pill refining?¡± Zhanyue asked curiously.

    ¡°She is the Vermilion Bird Lord, one of the Four Symbol Lords, one of the four True Realm beings of humanity besides me. Calcting the time, I¡¯m afraid she has fallen many years ago,¡± the illumination Goddess¡¯s tone was somewhat sad.

    The True Realm was an existence above the Spirit God Realm, but they only lived for three thousand years. After more than three thousand years, they had probably long since perished.

 Chapter 36

    Chapter 36

    As a person from the previous era, with all her contemporaries gone, the illumination Goddess was naturally lonely and isted. In this aspect, she was simr to Zhanyue, who also didn¡¯t belong to this world and was alone.

    ¡°Sister, don¡¯t be sad. I too have no family or friends. Now we can be said to be depending on each other for survival,¡± Zhanyue said. They truly were depending on each other for survival in the most literal sense. Both fell silent for a while, lost in their own thoughts. Eventually, the illumination Goddess broke the silence.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sad, just a bit mncholic. After my death, the one who created a space to put me in the Goddess statue and made a jade coffin for me with Heavenly Heart Jade was probably her. Now that I¡¯vee back to life, I don¡¯t know where her soul has gone. I went to her former residence, but it¡¯s long since fallen into ruin. I don¡¯t know if she has any descendants. But I suppose not. She was obsessed with cultivation and extremely proud. No man in the world could catch her eye,¡± the illumination Goddess exined.

    ¡°It seems you two were really close,¡± Zhanyue said. At this moment, he didn¡¯t know how tofort the illumination Goddess. The feeling of old friends passing away while oneselfes back to life was something he couldn¡¯tprehend. He fell silent and began his own cultivation.

    ¡°Heaven has mysterious thunder, earth has dark fire. Using the golden cauldron as a medium and the physical body as a spirit tool, draw upon the earth¡¯s veins to temper the body, ultimately bing a vessel for fire. When the technique is initially mastered, it can produce Earth Vein Dark Fire. It can be used to fight enemies, scorch souls, damage bodies, with unstoppable might; it can be used to refine pills, melting all things without reducing medicinal properties, and even adding spiritual energy. Earth Vein Dark Fire is the extreme of yin fire, only those of utmost yang should practice it. Otherwise, the dark fire will backfire, destroying both form and spirit! Be extremely cautious.¡±

    ¡°Only those of utmost yang should practice it? This technique has such a requirement? Sister, am I of utmost yang constitution?¡± Zhanyue asked nervously.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid you¡¯re not. But don¡¯t worry, you can cultivate it safely. Don¡¯t forget the Sun God Stone you have. The fire from the divine stone is Sr Essence Fire, the most yang fire in heaven and earth. With its protection, the extreme yin fire won¡¯t harm you,¡± the illumination Goddess exined.

    Zhanyue breathed a sigh of relief. It would have been frustrating to have a top-level cultivation technique but be unable to practice it.

    Zhanyue sat cross-legged, shrinking the Earth Mother Golden Cauldron to his height. He then ced both hands on the golden cauldron, beginning the first step of the technique: using the golden cauldron as a medium to draw upon the earth¡¯s veins¡¯ power for marrow cleansing and meridian forging. Invisible energy gathered from all around the earth, converging through the four feet of the Earth Mother Golden Cauldron into its body, then entering Zhanyue¡¯s body. All his meridians were flushed with vast spiritual energy, breaking through barriers and permeating fromrge meridians to smaller ones. Soon, Zhanyue was covered in sweat, gritting his teeth in pain. He had never experienced such pain before, as if the stagnant meridians were being forcibly opened, like tearing apart connected flesh.

    ¡°Hang in there, don¡¯t let it all go to waste,¡± the illumination Goddess reminded him timely. She feared Zhanyue might faint from the pain, which would greatly reduce the effectiveness of this first marrow cleansing and meridian forging, affecting future cultivation.

    ¡°I can endure it!¡±

    Half an hourter, Zhanyue¡¯s eyes were somewhat unfocused. He could only chat with the illumination Goddess to distract himself from the pain. The human body¡¯s meridian system isplex and can¡¯t be thoroughly cleansed in a short time. Zhanyue felt his body bing somewhat light, as if it wasn¡¯t his own, but the pain remained vividly clear.

    ¡°Sister, you¡¯re like a celestial being. You must have had many suitors in that era,¡± Zhanyue gossiped, asking through gritted teeth with a grimacing face, the pain was truly intense.

    ¡°Uh¡­¡± The illumination Goddess hadn¡¯t expected Zhanyue to suddenly ask about this.

    ¡°Actually, no. From childhood, I had very little contact with people. Most of my life was spent in cultivation, exploring ancient ruins, or fighting against Nightmares. Most of the men I interacted with were in awe of me. From a very young age, I knew I wouldn¡¯t live like ordinary girls. After gaining the title of Goddess, such things were even more out of the question. It would have been considered sphemy against a ¡®god¡¯. Sometimes I found it quite amusing, but it seemed that being aloof and above others was what fit people¡¯s imagination of a goddess,¡± the illumination Goddess said.

    ¡°I see. It seems sister¡¯s entire life was bound by responsibility and people¡¯s faith. Being a perfect ¡®idol¡¯ isn¡¯t easy,¡± Zhanyue sighed.

    ¡°Idol? What¡¯s that? It doesn¡¯t sound like a good word,¡± the Goddess said.

    ¡°Indeed, it¡¯s not a good word. But living a second life, I hope sister won¡¯t be so burdened. That girl we met earlier, surrounded by guards wherever she goes, with no space of her own. If nothing unexpected happens, she¡¯ll probably be the second goddess,¡± Zhanyue recalled the Holy Maiden Mumu Lixi. The holy maiden revered by the world was just a pitiful girl in Zhanyue¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°It¡¯s enough that you have such thoughts. The current situation for humans doesn¡¯t seem very good. The Nightmare race has hidden most of their strength, and it seems the human side has also concealed their power. On the surface, there are only two True Realm experts, the Thunder Lord and the Sword Lord, but I can sense several other powerful auras. If they could unite, there might be a chance of victory. But if they scheme against each other, I fear the final result¡­¡± The illumination Goddess didn¡¯t want to continue.

    ¡°To put it bluntly, sister, in your previous life you already gave everything for humanity. You have nothing to feel guilty about. Even if humanity is eventually destroyed due to internal strife, they would deserve it, and it wouldn¡¯t be your fault at all. Compared to the war with Nightmares, I¡¯m more concerned about my own situation. I can¡¯t even handle a simple Profound Realm assassin. Although my life is worthless, if I die, you¡¯ll die again too, sister. You¡¯ve just regained a new life,¡± Zhanyueforted her. He didn¡¯t want the illumination Goddess to be so burdened. What did the affairs of this era have to do with her?

    The illumination Goddess fell silent for a moment, thenughed: ¡°You think quite freely. How could they deserve such a fate? What about you? Apart from cultivating to improve your strength, don¡¯t you have any other dreams?¡±

    Zhanyue answered honestly: ¡°I do. The world is so vast, I want to see it. I feel this world isn¡¯t as simple as it appears on the surface. I want to see the scenery all over the world, see civilizations with different styles. If possible, see the ruins of ancient civilizations, make friends like Brother Cheng Lu along the way. When I¡¯m tired of traveling, I¡¯d like to marry a few beautiful wives. That would make this life worthwhile. Also, sister, your current form of revival is still a bit strange. It would be great if we could find a way for you to trulye back to life.¡±

    As for what the mysterious old man in the space had said, Zhanyue had long forgotten it. He was just at the Spirit Contract Realm, at the bottom of the bottom. Saving the world was too distant a concept.

 Chapter 37

    Chapter 37

    ¡°I never thought I¡¯d be part of your dreams,¡± the illumination Goddessughed. ¡°These dreams of yours don¡¯t seem that easy to realize. Your big sister doesn¡¯t demand that you make any great contributions to humanity. As long as you¡¯re happy, that¡¯s fine.¡±

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound like something you¡¯d say. If your followers heard this, they¡¯d probably lose their faith. I thought you¡¯d urge me not to waste my talent and to take on some responsibility,¡± Zhanyue said. He felt his body seemed to have undergone a qualitative change, about to be thoroughly ¡®cleansed¡¯.

    ¡°Living a second life gives one some different insights. I used to think I was good at teaching people. All nine of my disciples were sessfully taught to be independent heroes, with protecting humanity as their mission, inheriting my ideals and responsibilities. Until that incident happened, I realized I didn¡¯t understand them at all. I personally executed that treacherous disciple who harmed countless lives, but his dying words are still fresh in my memory. He was grateful for my adoption and teachings, but confused about the meaning of his existence, as if he were just a weapon born to fight against Nightmares,¡± the illumination Goddess said sadly. ¡°Even though I never thought that way, from his perspective, it was all true.¡±

    ¡°I see. It¡¯s not entirely your fault, sister,¡± Zhanyue withdrew his hands, took a deep breath, and opened his eyes. He had directly soared from the third stage of the Spirit Contract Realm to the ninth stage, with breakthrough just around the corner!

    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect a simple cultivation session to raise me by six minor realms,¡± Zhanyue said joyfully.

    ¡°You¡¯re rejoicing too early. This wasn¡¯t simple cultivation, but marrow cleansing and meridian forging. There won¡¯t be such good opportunities in the future. Besides, the reason for your rapid progress is that your realm was originally low. Cultivation is naturally easier at the beginning and gets harderter,¡± the illumination Goddess admonished.

    Zhanyue smiled wryly, ¡°Sister, you really like to dampen people¡¯s spirits. Can¡¯t you just praise me as a genius?¡±

    ¡°Oh? At your age, I was at the peak of the Sun Profound Realm,¡± the illumination Goddess said yfully, rarely. In her interactions with Zhanyue, she felt an inexplicable sense of ease and happiness.

    ¡°Uh, you won¡¯t make friends easily this way¡­¡± Zhanyue was speechless. He extended his left hand, and a blue me appeared in his palm. However, this me, despite its extremely high temperature, gave people a chilling feeling. Zhanyue felt as if he had fallen into an ice cave. He then extended his right hand, and a golden me appeared ¨C the Sr Essence Fire. Soon, that ufortable feeling dissipated.

    ¡°Once you fully master the Sun God Stone, you can use these two types of fire at will by hiding the fire in your body,¡± the Goddess said.

    ¡°Huh? What does that mean? Does the Sun God Stone have more secrets?¡± Zhanyue asked puzzled.

    ¡°The fire of the Sun God Stone requires an extremely yin body to withstand it. The fire you released earlier wasn¡¯t the true Sr Essence Fire, just a bit of its residual heat. This was my doing. Now that you have the Earth Vein Dark Fire to bnce it, I can release the true power of the Sun God Stone for you to borrow,¡± the illumination Goddess said.

    ¡°Extremely yin body? So sister really is an extremely yin body,¡± Zhanyue smiled.

    ¡°That¡¯s right, what about it?¡± the illumination Goddess asked. How else could she wield the Sun God Stone if not for her extremely yin body?

    ¡°I once read a biographical novel called ¡®The Legend of the illumination Goddess¡¯. It said that sister was an extremely yin body, cultivated a special divine-level technique that required maintaining virginity, so you never approached men in your lifetime,¡± Zhanyue said. It seemed those novels weren¡¯t entirely fabricated.

    The illumination Goddess said angrily, ¡°What nonsense! I never cultivated any such special technique. I spent my life fighting desperately, how could I have time for romance? Theseter generations making up such stories about me, it¡¯s really infuriating.¡±

    With both the most yin and yang fires in his possession, plus the Earth Mother Golden Cauldron and the Ghost Soul Fruit, Zhanyue felt it would be a great shame if he didn¡¯t be a great pill refining master.

    ¡°Sister, I have a feeling that the way to truly resurrect you and make you human again lies in this pill dao,¡± Zhanyue said.

    ¡°¡­Perhaps. Just do your best. Maintaining super long-distance spiritualmunication has made me a bit tired,¡± the illumination Goddess said, then added, ¡°You¡¯ve been too concerned about my private matters today. I¡¯ve just been chatting with you to distract you, that¡¯s why I didn¡¯t reprimand you. Don¡¯t do it again next time!¡± She cut off the connection without waiting for Zhanyue¡¯s response.

    Zhanyue smiled helplessly. The illumination Goddess¡¯s image had changed from initially sacred and invible to increasingly cute, friendly, and even a bit tsundere.

    Opening the door, he found several Mountain Goblin nsmen waiting painfully outside. One had even fallen asleep on the ground.

    ¡°Get up, the Second Great King hase out.¡±

    Several people bowed respectfully.

    Zhanyue then remembered that these people were probably sent by Hulu to learn about sugar making, canning, and beekeeping. He hoped they were really clever.

    ¡°This, this, and this, go prepare them all, then wait for me in the kitchen,¡± Zhanyue handed them several pieces of paper, asking them to prepare some tools. Although some tools weren¡¯t as good as those on Earth, people in this world all had cultivation, and many things could be achieved through different methods.

    Three dayster¡­

    ¡°Little brother, this red cane sugar is really sweet; and that canned food¡­ you say it can be preserved for at least half a year? Is that true?¡± The Mountain Goblin King was delighted with the results before him. He found that his sworn brother really had some skills. Although the cultivation method was still far from being fully tranted, the first part had been tranted. Hulu had already started preparing the conditions needed for cultivation, thinking this was the best opportunity to break through to the True King Realm. Hulu wanted to hug Zhanyue tightly and kiss him a few times to express his gratitude.

    ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re satisfied. How about those herbs I asked you to prepare two days ago?¡± Zhanyue asked.

    ¡°Those are all basic herbs. This mountain doesn¡¯t have any treasures, just abundant resources. I¡¯ve already arranged for people to collect them, and they¡¯ve gathered quite a lot these past few days. Little brother, are you really nning to learn pill refining?¡± The Mountain Goblin King wasn¡¯t stupid; he could naturally guess Zhanyue¡¯s intentions from these actions.

    ¡°Yes, the lowest-grade unranked pill, the entry-level pill for artifact refiners ¨C Calming Spirit Pill. It has no other effect, just helps people sleep soundly andfortably, improving sleep,¡± Zhanyue didn¡¯t hide it. This kind of thing couldn¡¯t be hidden anyway, as he needed others¡¯ help to collect herbs.

    Hearing this, the Mountain Goblin Kingughed heartily, ¡°Calming Spirit Pill? Good stuff. That little ancestor of mine keeps me up every night with his crying. Let¡¯s give him some Calming Spirit Pills. There are no side effects, right?¡±

    ¡°None. This is a pill, not a sleeping pill. Even the lowest-grade pill is a spiritual item. The nourishment from spiritual energy only has benefits, no drawbacks,¡± Zhanyue thought to himself that Hulu, despite looking rough, was quite attentive. After all, that was his only son.

    ¡°Um¡­ when you refine the pillster, can I watch? I¡¯m just curious,¡± Hulu asked, feeling a bit embarrassed. He had heard that pill refiners were all very mysterious and wouldn¡¯t easily show their techniques to others. He didn¡¯t n to learn pill refining, just purely curious.

    ¡°No problem,¡± Zhanyue didn¡¯t refuse. Hulu eximed that his brother was generous.

    Soon after, the two came to a stone room. This was a pill refining room specially provided by Hulu for Zhanyue, where anyone else was forbidden to enter.

    ¡°I¡¯m a bit excited about refining pills for the first time. I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll seed. I¡¯ve practiced those techniques and hand seals in my mind many times, but I¡¯m not sure how it will go in actual operation.¡±

 Chapter 38

    Chapter 38

    Pill refining isn¡¯t simply throwing all the medicinal ingredients into the cauldron and refining them with intense fire. Each ingredient requires its own specific processing method. Some need to be ground into powder, some need to be soaked in water to dissolve, some need to be melted by fire¡­ Different spiritual medicines with varying properties require different soaking and refining times. Therefore, pill forms are extremely important. It¡¯s almost impossible to refine pills haphazardly without the guidance of a form.

    ording to the Calming Spirit Pill form, Zhanyue prepared each ingredient ording to its processing method and proportion, then summoned the Earth Mother Golden Cauldron. Over a dozen ingredients floated in the golden cauldron. Zhanyue then summoned mes. Pills of this grade didn¡¯t require the most yin or yang fire, but ordinary mes heated to a specific temperature.

    As the ingredients gradually merged, the pill refiner¡¯s soul consciousness acted like a small hand, needing to weave between various ingredients,bining the molecr structures of each ingredient in a specific way. This is why pill refining particrly consumes soul power. Without sufficient realm, one¡¯s soul power is inadequate, making it impossible to refine high-grade pills. Therefore, high-level pill refiners are invariably people of profound cultivation, except for a few super geniuses with innately high soul power.

    Besides soul power, another condition for bing a pill refiner is fire control technique. The more exquisite and precise one¡¯s fire control, the more urately one can grasp temperature changes at each stage. In this world without thermometers, pill refiners are all experts at estimating temperature, not needing such devices at all.

    Before long, Zhanyue¡¯s eyes became unfocused, a sign of soul overexertion. Then, the Ghost Soul Fruit coiled in his soul emitted a faint light, instantly refreshing Zhanyue¡¯s spirit. Gradually, ten small green pills took shape in the cauldron. Each pill was round and full, without any impurities ¨C truly the cream of the crop.

    ¡°It¡¯s done! Ungradeed pill Calming Spirit Pill. The spiritual fluctuations of this pill should be at the level of a first-grade pill, truly worthy of the Earth Mother Golden Cauldron,¡± Zhanyue said excitedly.

    ¡°Let me see!¡± Hulu, watching from the side, was also excited. He took a pill and examined it carefully, then sniffed it and praised, ¡°Good stuff, one look and smell tell you it¡¯s quality. Little brother, you¡¯re a pill refiner now!¡±

    Zhanyue shook his head, ¡°Refining ungraded pills only makes one an apprentice pill refiner. Pills are divided into eleven grades from ungraded to tenth-grade. A pill refiner¡¯s grade corresponds to the highest grade of pill they can refine. It¡¯s said that currently, the strongest human pill refiners are only around seventh-grade or eight-grade.¡±

    The illumination Goddess told Zhanyue that even in her era, there was only one ninth-grade pill refiner, the Vermilion Bird Lord. tenth-grade pill forms had never appeared in that era, so naturally there were no tenth-grade pill refiners. ¡°Among the dozens of pill forms in my room, the lowest is this ungraded Calming Spirit Pill, and the best is only a fifth-grade form. It seems pill forms are extremely precious in any era,¡± Zhanyue sighed. However, it would probably be a long time before he could refine fifth-grade pills. Pill refiners who could refine fifth-grade pills were already top talents in the great empires, people that royal families needed to keep an eye on.

    Zhanyue waved his hand, summoning a me. He controlled the me to circle around him a few times, changing it into different shapes. This disy of fire control technique made Hulu exim in admiration. However, Zhanyue shook his head, feeling his basic skills were still not solid enough.

    ¡°Take these Calming Spirit Pills first. I¡¯ll refine moreter. The spiritual energy in these pills is beneficial for your child, but don¡¯t eat too many. One pill a day is the limit, remember that,¡± Zhanyue reminded. Even ordinary Calming Spirit Pills became extraordinary after being refined in the Earth Mother Golden Cauldron.

    ¡°It¡¯s a pity I don¡¯t have the Heavenly King Bronze Furnace. ording to the basic technique, the Heavenly King Bronze Furnace can generate mysterious thunder to refine the finished pills once more, improving their quality and possibly even creating anomalous grade pills,¡± Zhanyue said with some regret. So-called anomalous grade pills are those far exceeding the quality of their original grade. No matter how good the quality of Zhanyue¡¯s Calming Spirit Pills, they were still ungradeed, not advancing to be anomalous first-grade pills. Refining anomalous grade pills requires many conditions, needing the right time, ce, and person.

    Back in his room, Zhanyue reviewed today¡¯s pill refining experience, then picked up a pill form recording a first-grade pill ¨C Breakthrough Pill. Breakthrough Pills can assist cultivators in breaking through their current bottleneck, but being only first-grade pills, they can only help some beginners and aren¡¯t very effective. Some geniuses break through just by sleeping, not needing any pill assistance. Zhanyue was now at the ninth stage of the Spirit Contract Realm, needing only a catalyst to break through to the Spirit Communication Realm. He nned to try this first-grade Breakthrough Pill, which was suitable for his low realm.

    ¡°Pill forms need tranting, cultivation methods need tranting. Academic life is always so tough,¡± Zhanyue knew that haste makes waste. He needed to calm down and go through the materials section by section, deducing the Mountain Goblin n¡¯s writing and verifying with other materials. This was a very tedious and lengthy work.

    ¡°Hmm? The words on this box.¡± Zhanyue picked up a shoe-box sized wooden box from the pile of materials. The wooden box was very ancient but locked with abination lock. ¡°I couldn¡¯t recognize the words before, but now they can¡¯t stump me,¡± Zhanyue smiled.

    ¡°¡®Forced opening will destroy¡¯? What does that mean? If it¡¯s not opened with the correct code, it will self-destruct?¡± Zhanyue looked at the nine-digitbination lock and smiled wryly, ¡°How the hell can I guess this? Wait, why am I afraid of it being destroyed?¡±

    Excited, Zhanyue entered a random code and was about to force open the wooden box. Sure enough, lightning and fire surged from inside the box, turning its contents into piles of ash, some broken porcin bottle fragments, and some vaguely visible pill fragments.

    Pouring out all the contents of the wooden box, Zhanyue¡¯s lips curled into a smile, ¡°Let¡¯s regress for grandpa!¡±

    With a sh of mysterious light, those unrecognizable things returned to their original form ¨C three pill forms and three bottles of pills.

    ¡°The Mountain Goblin n really had so many treasures without knowing it, and now they all benefit me,¡± Zhanyue was delighted. But he didn¡¯t feel bad about it. He was Hulu¡¯s sworn brother, the Second Great King of the Mountain Goblin n, half a Mountain Goblin himself. What¡¯s wrong with taking some tribal resources?

    ¡°eight-grade pill form ¨C Soul Healing Pill. This pill can repair soul injuries, very precious.¡± Zhanyue¡¯s eyes lit up. A eight-grade form, actually a eight-grade form! Too bad this effect isn¡¯t useful for everyone. Soul injuries are very difficult to repair, but a pill specifically targeting soul injuries is naturally very valuable, worthy of its eight-grade rating.

    ¡°eight-grade pill form ¨C Longevity Pill. Eating one can increase lifespan by ten years, a second one halves the effect, a third has no effect. It¡¯s actually a pill that extends lifespan. One pill increases lifespan by ten years, two pills by fifteen years, and more have no effect. But that¡¯s fifteen years of lifespan!¡± Zhanyue was extremely excited. The value of this form was self-evident, and being a eight-grade pill, it wasn¡¯t impossible to refine.

    ¡°Longevity Pill? Zhanyue, you must keep this form safe. Don¡¯t show it to others lightly!¡± The illumination Goddess heard Zhanyue¡¯s thoughts and hurriedly reminded him. Those old monsters at the end of their lives all crave something that can extend their lifespan.

    ¡°ninth-grade pill form ¨C Vajra Pill. Eating it can assist in battle. Within 100 breaths, it provides a golden body protection, making defense nearly invincible!¡± Zhanyue¡¯s eyes lit up at the words ¡°nearly invincible¡±. He was very curious about what kind of attacks this Vajra Pill could resist.

    Hurriedly putting the three pill forms into his storage ring, Zhanyue then looked at the three porcin bottles. Each bottle contained one pill, matching the descriptions in the forms. These three pills were samples of the three forms ¨C one Soul Healing Pill, one Longevity Pill, and one Vajra Pill. Zhanyue felt he could barely breathe, ¡°I¡¯ve struck it rich, really struck it rich. These pills are priceless!¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re not afraid of death, you could try selling them. Just a hint of news, and strong experts from all sides would gather before you. eight-grade and 9 pills are extremely rare in the world, you should know that,¡± the illumination Goddess reminded him again.

    ¡°I know, sister. I understand the principle of ¡®treasures invite trouble¡¯. I won¡¯t show these pills to others unless it¡¯s crucial,¡± Zhanyue said.

    No matter how good eight-grade and 9 pill forms were, they weren¡¯t something Zhanyue should consider at present. Those pills also couldn¡¯t be used without the right timing. The journey must be taken step by step. Zhanyue picked up the first-grade form ¨C Breakthrough Pill ¨C again.

    ¡°Wait a few days until they¡¯ve collected the medicinal ingredients, then it will be your turn.¡±

 Chapter 39

    Chapter 39

    Above ground, the green leaves on the mountains had turned yellow. Over three months had passed since Zhanyue¡¯s disappearance. Except for a few people like Cheng Lu, everyone had forgotten about this matter. With no news for so long, that person was likely long dead.

    ¡°He still has so many purple crystal coins unused at the Commerce Association,¡± said a middle-aged man wearing a yellow robe, slightly plump with a small mustache, fiddling with the ring on his finger, looking troubled. As the vice president of the Sun City Commerce Association, the mustached man couldn¡¯t find any information about Zhanyue¡¯s identity or rtives, so he could only write a letter to Mi Hongchen, since the money was originally given to Zhanyue by her.

    Amidst her busy schedule, Mi Hongchen rode her flying dragon to Sun City to inquire about the situation from Cheng Lu, then personally went to the mountain where Zhanyue disappeared. When she saw the half-burned small mountain, she frowned. She had only met Zhanyue twice, but she had a good impression of this mysterious young man. Brave, clever, neither servile nor overbearing ¨C this was her first impression of Zhanyue.

    ¡°I hope that wooden token can still be used,¡± Mi Hongchen sighed. She didn¡¯t believe Zhanyue would die so simply. If someone came to report to the academy with that token in the future, she would naturally know. If it was Zhanyue, all would be well. If it was someone else, she could follow the clues to find information.

    ¡°The Holy Maiden¡­ do I need to tell her?¡± Mi Hongchen pondered, then shook her head, ¡°No, there¡¯s no need to write to the Holy Maiden specifically about this matter. After all, they are from two different worlds. I¡¯ll mention it to her the next time I see her.¡±

    Mounting her flying dragon, Mi Hongchen flew towards the Imperial Capital, leaving behind the unchanged mountains and woods.

    Meanwhile, Zhanyue, who didn¡¯t have many people worrying about him, was showing excitement on his face. In front of him, the golden cauldron was shing with green light. Soon after, two Breakthrough Pills appeared, round and full, containing abundant spiritual energy. There weren¡¯t many high-grade spiritual herbs in the surroundings, and it was already not easy to gather the necessary materials for the Breakthrough Pills.

    ¡°I¡¯ll break through tonight!¡± Zhanyue hung a ¡°Do Not Disturb¡± sign outside the door. Whenever he hung this sign, absolutely no one dared to intrude, not even the Mountain Goblin King.

    Inside the room, Zhanyue settled into meditation to break through. These few months were the most peaceful days he had spent in this other world. He didn¡¯t need to worry about Nightmares, didn¡¯t need to worry about assassinations, and even had food specially prepared and delivered to him. The Mountain Goblin n¡¯s territory was like a paradise, and Zhanyue looked at these ¡®different species brothers¡¯ with more affection. When the sun rose the next day, Zhanyue, who had taken two Breakthrough Pills, opened his eyes. Now a first-grade pill refiner, he had finally broken through the Spirit Contract Realm and entered the Spirit Communication Realm!

    His connection with his three contract objects became closer. The watch didn¡¯t change much, as time-space causality techniques weren¡¯t easy to advance. The Earth Mother Golden Cauldron finally revealed its new ability ¨C Condensing Qi into Form! Simply put, Zhanyue could condense the spiritual energy from earth veins into solid spiritual pills in pill form. These spiritual pills required no materials to refine yet were at the level of first-grade pills. When consumed, they could restore a person¡¯s contractor power. The so-called contractor power is essentially a form of spiritual energy, so it can naturally be replenished.

    ¡°No need for herbs, creating something from nothing. This isn¡¯t a golden cauldron, it¡¯s a damn cornucopia!¡±

    Having entered the Spirit Communication Realm, his connection with the illumination Goddess became closer. With a thought, a special scene appeared before his eyes: misty water surrounding brown rocks, then fair skin appeared ¨C a jade arm, followed by a snow-white swell and a touch of rosy red.

    Suddenly, there was a fluctuation in divine consciousness, and everything before his eyes vanished.

    ¡°What was that just now? This¡­ this isn¡¯t right, is it?¡± Zhanyue trembled, feeling like he had made a big mistake.

    Sure enough, momentster, the illumination Goddess contacted him.

    ¡°You¡¯ve broken through? Not bad indeed,¡± the Goddess¡¯s tone was a bit cold.

    ¡°Uh¡­ I just broke through and didn¡¯t have time to tell you,¡± Zhanyue said, feeling guilty.

    ¡°Hmph, although our rtionship is centered on you, I still hope you¡¯ll inform me before using this ability. I don¡¯t want there to be a next time,¡± the Goddess warned.

    ¡°I¡­ I understand. I¡¯ll be careful,¡± Zhanyue said, sweating profusely. After advancing to the Spirit Communication Realm, his connection with Xixuan became closer, gaining the ability to share perspectives. In simple terms, he could see what Xixuan could see, and could also let Xixuan see what was before his eyes, unlike before when it was just through sensing. However, because the contract rtionship centered on him, he could forcefully see what Xixuan saw, while Xixuan needed his permission to see what he saw. The first time he used this ability, he saw something he shouldn¡¯t have, so he naturally felt very guilty when faced with the Goddess¡¯s questioning.

    ¡°How was I supposed to know you were taking a hot spring bath early in the morning?¡± Zhanyue secretly grumbled.

    ¡°Sister, where exactly are you now?¡± Zhanyue quickly changed the subject.

    ¡°I¡¯m in the Misty Ghost Land. You can take a look,¡± the Goddess exined.

    Zhanyue closed his eyes, and the Goddess¡¯s view appeared in his mind. Fierce beasts were all over the mountains, tearing at each other, attacking each other. Each one had a powerful aura, no weaker than a Profound Being, and the ground was covered with corpses.

    ¡°The Misty Ghost Land is special. The bodies of creatures that die here don¡¯t decay. This is one of the Nightmare race¡¯s secret hunting grounds. These fierce beast corpses will be weapons against humans,¡± the Goddess exined.

    ¡°What? So many fierce beasts possessed by those Nightmares, what kind of powerful beast army is this?!¡± Zhanyue felt a chill down his spine. This was just one of the Nightmares¡¯ breeding bases.

    ¡°I¡¯ve found more than ten ces like this, so I told you before that the Nightmare race is far moreplex than you think. They¡¯re hiding their strength. These fierce beasts probably need high-level Nightmares to possess them to disy their full power, so we can deduce how many high-level Nightmares they have, and even estimate the number of King-level or even Lord-level Nightmares. I¡¯ve marked these ces, but I¡¯m afraid there are more than just these ten-plus locations,¡± the Goddess exined.

    ¡°So this is what sister has been busy with these days,¡± Zhanyue understood how important this intelligence was for humanity. ¡°Do we need to inform those strong humans in advance?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re probably waiting for the Corpse Emperor to break the seal. Before that, humans are still safe. I¡¯ve been to the sealing ce. It will take at least a hundred years for it to break. I don¡¯t know how much humans can develop in these hundred years. If you have the chance, you can inform the Thunder Lord and Sword Lord about this. They are True Realm experts and will naturally make decisions,¡± the Goddess replied.

    ¡°But after the Corpse Emperor breaks the seal, can humans be its match?¡± Zhanyue asked. Last time, it took the illumination Goddess¡¯s life to seal it for thousands of years. How would they deal with it this time? The Goddess was essentially not a living being anymore, so she naturally couldn¡¯t use her previous sealing techniques.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡± the Goddess answered honestly, ¡°But now there¡¯s another light contractor born. With ourbined strength, we might not lose to it. However¡­ this little girl must reach a realm like mine in these hundred years. But advancing to the True Realm requires opportunity, otherwise, couldn¡¯t humans mass-produce experts? So we can only take it one step at a time. Your previous move of epting a disciple for me was a good one. I¡¯ll find a chance to teach her.¡±

    Thinking of the beautiful Holy Maiden who was like a princess from a fairy tale, Zhanyue sighed, ¡°I hope so. I don¡¯t want what happened to you to happen to her again. Sacrificing one¡¯s life to seal the Corpse Emperor, once is enough.¡±

    ¡°Forget it, an existence like the Corpse Emperor is not something I should be considering. I¡¯m worrying too much,¡± Zhanyue stretched his muscles and bones, ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve exercised. I wonder how my strength is now.¡±

    Zhanyue, who came out of seclusion after just one day, received a warm wee. The scene was even grander than the Great King¡¯s birthday. Mountain Goblin King Hulu specially arranged a celebration to celebrate Zhanyue¡¯s realm breakthrough. This made Zhanyue feel overwhelmed. These Mountain Goblins were truly pure and lovable in their simplicity.

    ¡°Little brother, congrattions!¡± the Mountain Goblin King raised his wine cup in congrattion.

    ¡°It¡¯s just the Spirit Communication Realm. Big brother, this is too grand,¡± Zhanyue felt a bit embarrassed.

    ¡°Second Great King, you¡¯re being too modest. Each of your breakthroughs is a great joy for us. This means you can refine higher-grade pills, and we brothers can benefit from it. You¡¯re a noble pill refiner. Our Mountain Goblin n now has our own pill refiner,¡± Dingding said from the side.

    Zhanyue looked at him in surprise, ¡°You fellow, when did you be so eloquent?¡±

    ¡°Hehe, well¡­ those Calming Spirit Pills of yours are extraordinary. After eating them, we feel our intelligence has increased,¡± Hulu exined from the side. ¡°My child has been eating them for over ten days and can now speak. ording to previous experience, it would have taken at least half a year. Dingding and Dangdang¡¯s intelligence has also significantly improved after taking the pills.¡±

    ¡°Calming Spirit Pills are just unranked pills. How can they have such an effect?¡± Zhanyue frowned deeply. Pills that could open intelligence should be at least seventh-grade or 8, right? What was going on? Unfortunately, even the illumination Goddess couldn¡¯t provide any exnation for this.

    ¡°As long as it¡¯s useful. Later, you prepare more materials, and I¡¯ll refine more for you. It¡¯s not a troublesome matter,¡± Zhanyue said.

    Then came a thunderous cheer from the crowd, ¡°Long live the Second Great King!¡± ¡°Long live the Second Great King!¡± The Mountain Goblin n all knew they weren¡¯t very smart and knew it was a kind of curse. Now this curse seemed to have loosened a bit, all thanks to Zhanyue. As for Hulu himself, he looked at Zhanyue with burning eyes, having a feeling and firmly believing that his breakthrough to the True King Realm must rely on Zhanyue. His fortune was not small.

    ¡°Well, big brother, I¡¯ve just entered the Spirit Communication Realm and my hands are itching. Can you arrange for a few brothers to practice with me?¡± Zhanyue asked.

    Hulu was stunned, thenughed heartily: ¡°Of course, no problem. Little brother, you be careful not to let these little ones knock you down. Dingding and Dangdang¡¯s strength is just right. I heard you were no match for them before.¡±

    Dingding and Dangdang looked unwilling. How could they fight with the Second Great King? They couldn¡¯t bear to hit him.

    ¡°You two, fight me with all you¡¯ve got. This is an order. If you win, I¡¯ll reward you with a special pill,¡± Zhanyue said.

    The two immediately became interested. The three walked to the center of the arena, with the surrounding Mountain Goblins forming a circle, eagerly watching, creating a lively scene.

 Chapter 40

    Chapter 40

    Having broken through to the Spirit Communication Realm, Zhanyue¡¯s confidence soared, and he was eager to test himself. With his promise of a reward, Dingding and Dangdang were full of enthusiasm.

    ¡°Second Great King, be careful,¡± the two warned beforeunching their attack.

    Zhanyue threw out exploratory punches with both hands simultaneously, two fireballs speeding towards the faces of the two at an extreme speed. Since this was just a sparring match, Zhanyue didn¡¯t use the two extreme fires, just ordinary mes.

    ¡°Petrification!¡± The two simultaneously used their racial talent, their bodies bing as rigid as stone. The fireballs hit them but caused no pain or damage.

    ¡°Again!¡± Zhanyue frowned. This petrification defense was indeed impressive. Two more fireballs flew towards the two. Just as they were about to defend like before, Zhanyue had a thought, and the two fireballs suddenly curved around them, circling to their backs and hitting them on the back of their heads.

    ¡°Second Great King, it¡¯s useless. Petrification protects the whole body,¡± the twoughed. Then Dingding dove into the ground like a diver, activating Earth Burrowing. Dangdang curled up into a ball, using Petrification to be a stone ball. The stone ball began spinning furiously, then rolled towards Zhanyue with immense power.

    ¡°Flesh Bullet Impact!¡±

    Although the stone ball was formidable, Zhanyue was confident he could dodge it. However, at this moment, Dingding, who had burrowed underground, stretched out his hands to grab Zhanyue¡¯s legs, preventing him from dodging.

    Seeing the stone balling straight for his face, Zhanyue remained calm. ¡°No choice but to take it head-on.¡± He stretched out both hands, feeling the stone ball shake his arms painfully, as if they might be crippled.

    ¡°me King st ¨C me Explosion!¡± Both hands simultaneously burst into mes, continuously erupting as if they cost nothing. Petrification could resist damage but couldn¡¯tpletely iste temperature. Soon, Dangdang couldn¡¯t take it anymore and fell to the ground, also burrowing underground.

    ¡°Good!¡± The surrounding Mountain Goblin spectators cheered.

    ¡°Dingding, Dangdang, are you up to it? You can¡¯t even win two against one?¡± someone taunted.

    Unable to bear the provocation, Dingding and Dangdang attacked as stone balls from different directions. Zhanyue¡¯s movements were agile, dodging with a sidestep. The two stone ballsnded and then burrowed underground again. Dingding and Dangdang, who could strike from anywhere at any time, put Zhanyue in apletely passive position.

    ¡°This Earth Burrowing technique is too overpowered. It can attack and defend, leaving no trace,¡± Zhanyue frowned. The Mountain Goblins¡¯ fighting style was difficult for him to counter.

    ¡°Although you have many trump cards now, few are directly applicable tobat. Later, I¡¯ll teach you a set of movement techniques and a set of sword techniques, both martial arts I created. For now, find a way to win. Don¡¯t embarrass yourself,¡± the illumination Goddessmented sharply.

    Zhanyue was speechless. It was because he was afraid of seriously injuring Dingding and Dangdang. Neither the Sr Essence Fire nor the Earth Vein Dark Fire could be resisted by Petrification. Unable to use his strongest techniques, he naturally felt frustrated.

    ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll defend first, using defense as offense, and wait for an opportunity!¡± Surging mes erupted from Zhanyue¡¯s right hand, then transformed into a fire dragon coiling around to protect him tightly. This was due to the exquisite fire control technique he gained from pill refining. Whether the fire was in the shape of a dragon or a line didn¡¯t affect its power; it was purely for aesthetics.

    ¡°Impressive and majestic, but the power iscking,¡± Hulumented while drinking wine. The fire dragon looked fierce but was actually quite ordinary.

    Dingding and Dangdangunched surprise attacks from all directions, but were all blocked by the fire dragon. However, Zhanyue¡¯s counterattacks couldn¡¯t hurt them either.

    ¡°If I could master the third level of me King st, the me King Realm, with the power topress mes, I wouldn¡¯t fear their defense. For now, I can only outsmart them,¡± Zhanyue thought. As he pondered, he felt something unusual beneath his feet. He leaped high into the air, and sure enough, a stone ball emerged from where he had been standing.

    ¡°They really fell for it. My only weak point is the soles of my feet, and they attacked there as expected.¡± The high-jumping stone ball didn¡¯t cause any damage to Zhanyue. He stepped on the stone ball and flew into the air. The stone ball fell, and should have dropped to the ground, but a golden cauldron suddenly appeared beneath it, catching the stone ball.

    ¡°Haha, take this!¡± From high in the air, Zhanyue continuously shot out fireballs. Hundreds of fireballs bombarded the golden cauldron, and Dingding inside had nowhere to dodge or burrow, taking all the attacks.

    ¡°I surrender, I surrender! Second Great King, stop the fire, I¡¯m about to be cooked!¡± Dingding was the first to surrender.

    After sending Dingding off the field, Dangdang became more cautious, having learned a lesson. However, Zhanyue had found a way to deal with him. He picked up the huge Earth Mother Golden Cauldron by one foot and used it as a weapon.

    The stone ball came crashing in, colliding head-on with the Earth Mother Golden Cauldron. After four or five such collisions, Dangdang became dizzy and staggered to the ground.

    ¡°You really don¡¯t hold back, using the Earth Mother Golden Cauldron as a weapon,¡± the illumination Goddess said, speechless.

    ¡°It¡¯s my contract object after all, and it won¡¯t break. It works quite well as a weapon. In the future, when I¡¯m stronger, who knows how many people I could crush with one strike of this cauldron,¡± Zhanyueughed.

    ¡°That¡¯s not wrong,¡± the illumination Goddess nodded. Zhanyue¡¯s adaptability wasn¡¯t without reason. Who says a pill cauldron can only be used for refining pills? This cauldron¡¯s material was special, much more durable than many divine artifacts. Why couldn¡¯t it be used forbat?

    ¡°But you¡¯re easily exposing this cauldron. I¡¯m afraid someone might recognize its origin, and you¡¯ll be in big trouble,¡± the illumination Goddess worried.

    ¡°No problem, sister, look,¡± Zhanyue waved his hand, and the originally shining golden cauldron instantly changed to a bronze appearance. ¡°I don¡¯t know what material it¡¯s made of, but it does have the ability to change its appearance. How much could those people know about the Earth Mother Golden Cauldron? They probably can¡¯t recognize it now. Besides, who would believe I¡¯d use the Earth Mother Golden Cauldron as a weapon?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s up to you. As long as you understand. Contact me again when you¡¯re alone,¡± the illumination Goddess cut off the mental connection.

    ¡°Little brother, you¡¯re really amazing. You¡¯ve just advanced to the Spirit Communication Realm and can already defeat Dingding and Dangdang working together,¡± Hulu praised.

    ¡°Big brother, you¡¯re ttering me. Those two are among the weakest in the n. Beating them doesn¡¯t count for much. It¡¯s just a pity¡­¡± Zhanyue looked regretful.

    ¡°A pity about what?¡± Hulu asked, puzzled.

    ¡°All Mountain Goblins have the innate divine abilities of Petrification and Earth Burrowing. But I, the Second Great King of the Mountain Goblin n, can¡¯t do any of that. Sigh¡­¡± Zhanyue was justmenting the power of the Mountain Goblins¡¯ innate divine abilities, but these words stuck in Hulu¡¯s mind.

    Back in his room, Zhanyue reviewed today¡¯s battle. Currently, the onlybat technique he had mastered was ¡°me King st,¡± which was quite monotonous. In a life-or-death battle, the Sr Essence Fire and Earth Vein Dark Fire could greatly enhance hisbat ability. But in public or other sparring scenarios, these two extremely powerful fires might not be suitable, as he didn¡¯t want to easily expose these two extreme fires.

    ¡°Sister, you¡¯re finally willing to teach me some martial techniques,¡± Zhanyue said happily.

    ¡°Take off the Sun God Stone,¡± the illumination Goddess instructed.

    Zhanyue did as told, removing the Sun God Stone and cing it on the table. A small figure took shape on the Sun God Stone, dressed in white, peerlessly beautiful ¨C it was the illumination Goddess Xixuan.

    ¡°Sister, you even have this kind of divine ability?¡± Zhanyue eximed, seeing the small figure.

    ¡°What divine ability? It¡¯s just energy taking form. Watch carefully. ¡®Phantom Light Step¡¯ and ¡®Phantom Form Sword Technique¡¯ are martial arts I created myself. If ranked by grade, they¡¯d be at least gold grade (white, green, blue, purple, orange, red, gold, rainbow, divine),¡± the illumination Goddess exined.

    ¡°Go¡­gold grade? Sister, you can actually create gold-grade martial arts?¡± Zhanyue¡¯s eyes widened. It should be noted that ¡°me King st¡± was only purple grade. At this moment, he even felt a bit disdainful of the ¡°me King st¡± he had previously wanted to master.

    ¡°The higher the grade, the harder it is to learn. Your ¡®me King st¡¯ also suits your fighting style well, don¡¯t abandon it,¡± the illumination Goddess was definitely a top-tier teacher in martial arts cultivation, otherwise she couldn¡¯t have nurtured nine Spirit God Realm disciples.

 Chapter 41

    Chapter 41

    ¡°¡®Phantom Light Step¡¯ is a movement technique that incorporates some illusion techniques. When mastered, others can¡¯t pinpoint your true location without special detection methods. I once used this technique to kill five beast king-level fierce beasts while outnumbered five to one at the Spirit God Realm. ¡®Phantom Form Sword Technique¡¯ is a special sword technique. I once condensed light into a sword to kill a Lord-level Nightmare. You can also condense fire into a sword. This technique isn¡¯t limited by the user¡¯s power attribute. The sword is formless, and the moves are unpredictable, making it hard to counter,¡± the illumination Goddess exined.

    Her small figure demonstrated the mysteries and learning methods of these two techniques. Zhanyue felt a headacheing on. These gold-grade techniques were indeed much harder than purple-grade ones, even understanding them was much more difficult.

    As the illumination Goddess moved, Zhanyue felt she was one meter in front of him, then three meters away. He couldn¡¯t pinpoint her actual location. Looking at her was always like looking through a refracting ss. The Light Goddess¡¯s application and understanding of light far surpassed ordinary people.

    ¡°As expected of a movement technique incorporating illusions. It¡¯s so powerful,¡± Zhanyue marveled.

    Then the illumination Goddess demonstrated the other technique. Her hand was empty, then a shining golden sword appeared. The light sword had a shadow but no form, its moves unpredictable. It seemed to thrust at one¡¯s chest but actually aimed for the head.

    ¡°Phantom Form Sword Technique¡± paired with ¡°Phantom Light Step¡± was a perfectbination. Others could neither judge your position nor predict where your attacks wouldnd. It was like fighting from another world.

    ¡°These two techniques aren¡¯t invincible. Some cultivators specializing in perception don¡¯t rely on their eyes. When they close their eyes and locate enemies through perception, these two techniques be much less effective. Those two Mountain Goblins could locate you underground through perception. It seems the Mountain Goblin n is also very skilled in perception, but they might not be able to break through ¡®Phantom Light Step¡¯. After all, my ¡®Phantom Light Step¡¯ has been improved many times and doesn¡¯t purely rely on visual deception; perception can also be deceived. There are no invincible techniques in the world. It depends on your level of mastery. If you can¡¯t even fool the Mountain Goblins¡¯ underground perception with ¡®Phantom Light Step¡¯, you might as well give up early,¡± the illumination Goddess said bluntly, intentionally provoking Zhanyue to train diligently.

    After this exchange, Zhanyue realized the gap between himself and this Goddess sister in terms of strength and martial understanding. The illumination Goddess was indeed once humanity¡¯s strongest expert. Her divinity and various deeds benefiting humanity often made people overlook her achievements in martial arts.

    After about half a day of teaching, Zhanyue hadn¡¯t even grasped the basics, naturally feeling frustrated. He wasn¡¯t the type of martial genius who could learn instantly. ¡°Don¡¯t belittle yourself. Everyone¡¯s talents are different. Yourbat talent is extremely strong. Even without learning any specific moves, you can use power as if it were an extension of your arm. However, your talent forprehending martial techniques isn¡¯t as good as yourbat talent. But if you could master gold-grade techniques in half a day, people in this world might as well just bang their heads against a wall and die. Remember, haste makes waste,¡± the illumination Goddessforted. She recalled the previous battle in the dream realm. She hadn¡¯t taught Zhanyue anything, but he had used her power masterfully, relying purely onbat instinct. Moreover, this guy¡¯s pill refining talent was also extremely strong. What more could he ask for? She needed to keep him in check asionally to prevent him from bing too arrogant. These two gold-grade techniques were a good opportunity.

    ¡°Little brother, little brother!¡± Hulu called from outside the door. Without Zhanyue¡¯s permission, even the Mountain Goblin King wouldn¡¯t dare enter Zhanyue¡¯s room.

    The illumination Goddess¡¯s small figure disappeared. Zhanyue opened the door to find the Mountain Goblin King Hulu standing before him, holding a bowl. The contents were dark red, with a pungent bloody smell.

    ¡°Big brother¡­ what¡­ what is this?¡± Zhanyue asked, puzzled.

    ¡°Blood Demon Soup. Drink it quickly,¡± Hulu urged.

    ¡°Blood Demon Soup? What¡¯s that?¡± Zhanyue asked, confused. This thing obviously didn¡¯t look pleasant to drink.

    ¡°It¡¯s something good that can give you the Mountain Goblin n¡¯s divine abilities,¡± Hulu exined.

    Zhanyue¡¯s eyes lit up at this, ¡°There¡¯s such a thing?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Legend has it that long, long ago, our Mountain Goblin n was on good terms with humans. The Mountain Goblin n also once had pill refiners and medicine makers, as you should know. This was developed by a medicine maker within the Mountain Goblin n. Humans who drink it have a chance of developing the Mountain Goblin n¡¯s innate divine abilities. As for why he developed this, I don¡¯t know. Yesterday, seeing you envious of our n¡¯s talents, unable to obtain them, and considering all you¡¯ve done for our n with no way to repay you, I remembered this form. It needs to be taken continuously for a hundred days. There¡¯s a 99% chance of awakening the Petrification talent, but also a slight chance of awakening the Earth Burrowing talent,¡± Hulu exined.

    ¡°There¡¯s actually such a miraculous thing?¡± Zhanyue¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°How is it made? Why does it smell so strongly of blood?¡±

    ¡°Naturally, Mountain Goblin blood is one of the core ingredients,¡± Hulu didn¡¯t conceal this fact.

    Zhanyue was shocked, ¡°Big brother, you didn¡¯t kill people for blood, did you? That¡¯s uneptable.¡±

    Hulu shook his head, ¡°Of course not. How could our Mountain Goblin n do such things? This blood was all voluntarily donated. Each person donates a little blood every day, not enough to harm their lives. When they heard it was for you, they were all very enthusiastic.¡±

    Zhanyue felt indescribably moved looking at the bowl of blood before him. These Mountain Goblins truly treated him as one of their own.

    Drinking the bowl of fresh blood in one gulp, he felt a special power nourishing his whole body. ¡°Still need ny-nine more times? That¡¯s a lot of blood,¡± Zhanyue felt sorry for them.

    Having received so much, Zhanyue became even more dedicated to tranting the cultivation method. He didn¡¯t want to owe others.

    In the mountain, there¡¯s no calendar; in the cave, no sun or moon. Tranting cultivation methods and pill forms, refining pills when materials were ready, practicing various techniques when tired of sitting ¨C days passed one after another. Finally, the cultivation method was fully tranted. A full year had passed since Zhanyue was carried into the underground pce.

    After handing over the cultivation method to Hulu, another three months passed. During these three months, Zhanyue wasn¡¯t upied with tranting ancient texts or refining pills. He invested all his energy into practicing several martial techniques, achieving remarkable results. During these three months, Hulu didn¡¯te to find him, as Hulu himself was in seclusion.

    Standing nervously outside a room, Zhanyue paced back and forth. In his arms, he held a small Mountain Goblin, Hulu¡¯s only son, who by seniority was his little nephew. This was one of the rare moments of tension in his life. Many Mountain Goblin nsmen stood around, all looking nervous.

    Then, a terrifying pressure covered the entire underground pce. All Mountain Goblin nsmen felt their bloodlines suppressed and knelt down in unison.

    ¡°Hahahahaha!¡± Then, crazyughter echoed through the underground pce. ¡°I¡¯ve finally broken through!!!¡±

    The room¡¯s door opened, and Hulu walked out. His entire aura hadpletely changed. Although not tall, he had a towering, majestic presence like a high mountain.

    ¡°True King Realm?¡± Zhanyue asked.

    Hulu nodded, then bowed respectfully to Zhanyue, ¡°Thank you, brother. You are our Mountain Goblin n¡¯s benefactor. If not for you, I might have died of old age in the Profound Realm. The curse of our Mountain Goblin n having no True King is now history!¡±

    ¡°No need for such formality. I was deeply afraid that my trantion wasn¡¯t urate enough and would affect your breakthrough. Now a weight has been lifted from my heart,¡± Zhanyue breathed a sigh of relief. His biggest worry had finally been resolved.

    The underground pce was once again decorated withnterns and colored banners. This celebration was grander than any before. Various delicacies and fine wines were provided in unlimited quantities. Laughter and cheers echoed throughout the underground pce.

    ¡°Dingding, Dangdang, shall we have another battle?¡± A year had passed in the blink of an eye, and Zhanyue invited them to fight again.

    ¡°We can, but Second Great King, you¡¯re not allowed to use that cauldron to hit us anymore,¡± the two said somewhat timidly. Their strength had also increased considerably, after all, they were now the king¡¯s personal guards with abundant resources.

    ¡°Of course not.¡±

    The three fought again at the old site, but Zhanyue was now a different person.

    ¡°Petrification!¡± The two turned into stone bullets and burrowed into the ground. Their impact force and speed were far beyond a year ago. Even the surface of the stone bullets was coated with ayer of earth-yellow spiritual energy for protection.

    Two attacks came from left and right, but Zhanyue¡¯s figure suddenly disappeared from the field. As the two were about to burrow into the ground after missing, two pirs of fire erupted from the ground they were about to enter, sending them straight to the ceiling before they fell heavily.

    Instant kill! In this battle a yearter, Dingding and Dangdang were defeated in an instant.

    ¡°Second Great King, it¡¯s not fair. You can use Earth Burrowing too now. We can¡¯t beat you,¡± the two looked miserable.

    Zhanyue recalled the days of awakening from the Blood Demon Soup and couldn¡¯t help but smile. His luck was really good. There was a high probability ofprehending Petrification and a small probability ofprehending Earth Burrowing. He had hit the jackpot. Flying and Earth Burrowing were of the same level, but he had learned Earth Burrowing before flying. However, this wasn¡¯t his innate divine ability. The time and distance of his Earth Burrowing were much less than the Mountain Goblin nsmen¡¯s, but he was already very satisfied.

    ¡°Little brother¡¯s strength is improving by leaps and bounds,¡± Hulu praised, but there was a hint of sadness in his eyes. He knew Zhanyue was going to leave.

    Without rming others, as Zhanyue didn¡¯t like farewell scenes, after leaving arge number of pills for the Mountain Goblin n, Hulu personally escorted him outside the mountain.

    ¡°A hundred miles from here is Thousand Feather City. Big brother, let¡¯s part here,¡± Zhanyue said, looking at Hulu.

    ¡°Alright, little brother. If you encounter any trouble out there, remember toe find me. I¡¯m at the True King Realm now. If one day you can no longer stay among humans, the doors of the underground pce will always be open for you,¡± Hulu patted Zhanyue¡¯s shoulder. Without being sentimental, he instantly burrowed into the ground and left.

    Breathing the air above ground, looking at the long-unseen sun, Zhanyue felt as if ages had passed.

    Sixth stage of the Spirit Communication Realm, second-grade pill refiner, mastering Earth Burrowing technique and two extreme fires, possessing the treasure Sun God Stone and Earth Mother Golden Cauldron. ¡°me King st¡± cultivated to the third level ¨C me King Realm, initial mastery of ¡°Phantom Light Step¡± and ¡°Phantom Form Sword Technique¡±. Assessing his current status, Zhanyue stretchedzily and smiled as he walked along the small path. He was no longer the helpless novice he once was. Although only at the Spirit Communication Realm, he was confident he could fight anyone below the Profound Realm.

 Chapter 42

    Chapter 42

    In the Rising Sun Kingdom, in the capital city of Daye, the Holy Light Sacred Court was located in the north of Daye City. Legend had it that the Holy Light Sacred Court was founded by the Moon Star Lord, one of the illumination Goddess¡¯s nine disciples, to pass on the illumination Goddess¡¯s ideals and faith. Among the Nine Radiant Stars, the Sun Star Lord hadmitted an unforgivable sin and was personally executed by the illumination Goddess. Few people knew about this, but the other eight of the Nine Radiant Stars were aware.

    After over three thousand years, the Nine Radiant Stars had all withered away, but their legacy had not been cut off. At least the Moon Star Lord¡¯s legacy was still preserved by the Holy Light Sacred Court, specifically by the archbishop of the Holy Light Sacred Court, Mumu Yunyi, who was also the younger sister of Wind Lord Mumu Xingyun. The Mumu family was second only to the royal family in the Rising Sun Kingdom, and these two individuals had made great contributions.

    Unlike historical churches that liked to interfere in politics, the Holy Light Sacred Court¡¯s doctrine was very simple and never meddled in politics. They maintained the illumination Goddess¡¯s ideals, protected her reputation, and the Sacred Court¡¯s research institute also had very advanced research on the illumination Towers and illumination Stones left by the illumination Goddess. Now, the Holy Light Sacred Court had a new mission: to protect and nurture the Holy Light Maiden.

    At this moment, deep in the Sacred Court, a stunningly beautiful girl with golden hair falling on her shoulders and bright eyes had just finished cultivating. Sweat soaked her clothes, the tight garments outlining her graceful figure.

    Since practicing the ¡°Great Sun Traversing Heaven Technique¡±, Mumu Lixi had basically gotten rid of the cold poison¡¯s disturbance. Although the cold poison hadn¡¯t been eradicated, the previous bone-chilling feeling had never appeared again. Because Mumu Lixi hadn¡¯t told others about the technique, both Mumu Xingyun and Mumu Yunyi found it incredible. This happened after worshipping the illumination Goddess statue in Sun City, and their devout faith attributed it to the Goddess¡¯s divine intervention. Well, in a sense, it really was the Goddess¡¯s intervention.

    Others didn¡¯t know, but Mumu Lixi was clear. Although they had only spent one day together, an image had already been imprinted in her heart, like a meteor streaking across her short life. Opening the window to wee the warm sunlight from the east, Mumu Lixi stretched out her hand as if to catch this sunlight. The warm sunlight reminded her of the warmth transmitted when Zhanyue held her hand, just like this sunlight.

    ¡°Will we have a chance to meet again?¡± Mumu Lixi murmured. The girl¡¯s face in the sunlight was sacred and beautiful beyondpare.

    In the Eastern Kingdom, outside Thousand Feather City in the wilderness, a man was pushing a wooden cart quickly along the official road. A woman was lying on the wooden cart, her face pale, her right leg wrapped in bandages. Beside her crouched a little girl of five or six years old. Although in coarse cloth clothes, she was delicately beautiful, now looking at her mother with a pained expression.

    ¡°A Dong, I think it might rain. Will we be able to reach Thousand Feather City in time?¡± the woman asked worriedly. If the weather remained good, the man could push her and their daughter to the city, but if it started pouring, it might not be possible. And if they couldn¡¯t reach Thousand Feather City before nightfall, what awaited them was the terrifying prospect of spending the night in the wilderness. There were no inns on thisst stretch of road. ¡°I¡¯ll do my best,¡± the muscr man named A Dong said, pushing the cart with more effort. His wife had identally broken her leg, and with the vige¡¯s medical conditions, it probably couldn¡¯t be healed properly. He was bringing all their valuables to Thousand Feather City, hoping to heal his beloved wife¡¯s leg.

    Coming towards them was a monk. The old monk was as thin as a stick, wearing tattered monk¡¯s robes, hunched over, walking slowly and unsteadily, step by step.

    ¡°Daddy, look at this old grandpa. He can barely walk steady. He must be starving,¡± the little girl on the wooden cart said, pointing at the monk.

    A Dong frowned, ¡°Diedie, just mind your own business.¡±

    ¡°But we still have extra cakes and water on our cart. Can we give him some?¡± the little girl asked.

    A Dong looked at his precious daughter, then at the monk, and sighed helplessly, ¡°Alright, but be quick.¡±

    The little girl happily took a cake and a jug of water, got off the cart, and walked to the monk.

    ¡°Grandpa, have some food and water before you continue your journey,¡± the little girl offered the cake and water to the monk.

    The old monk looked at the little girl once, neither refusing nor speaking. He just silently ate the cake clean and drank all the water, then left on his own.

    A Dong looked at the old monk¡¯s back with some displeasure, ¡°This old fellow didn¡¯t even say thank you.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s alright, A Dong. Maybe he has difficulty speaking. Let¡¯s continue our journey. We need to hurry. I¡¯m afraid it might really pour,¡± the woman on the cart reminded. The family of three continued towards Thousand Feather City.

    The old monk looked back at the three, his brows furrowed, ¡°Such a heavy aura of death.¡± Then he sighed slightly and continued on his way.

    Zhanyue¡¯s pace was quick, but Thousand Feather City was still far away. He probably couldn¡¯t reach it before sunset, but he wasn¡¯t afraid. Unless he encountered a King-level Nightmare, he could save his life even facing high-level Nightmares. This was the confidence the illumination Goddess had given him.

    After walking alone for who knows how long, the scenery of the wilderness on both sides wasn¡¯t particrly beautiful, butbined with the setting sun about to fall, it had a deste feeling.

    Under the setting sun, a figure stumbled towards him. It was an old monk in tattered clothes.

    Zhanyue looked at the old man with some surprise. Did this world also have monks? However, as the old man came closer, a shocked expression appeared on his face. He actually saw a huge stone Buddha pressing on the old monk¡¯s back. The old monk had been carrying this five or six-meter-high stone Buddha all along, and looking at his feet, he hadn¡¯t left even a single footprint.

    It was indeed ¡ª Walking ten thousand miles alone, carrying Buddha to nt karmic causes; When will steps produce lotuses, allowing sentient beings to turn back?

    Carrying a Buddha statue weighing thousands of pounds yet leaving no footprints in the sand, what level of strength did this old monk have?

    Zhanyue didn¡¯t dare to rashly interact with such a powerful being, just silently making way. However, the old monk stopped beside him.

    ¡°Benefactor, can you see the Buddha on this poor monk¡¯s back?¡± the old monk asked.

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Zhanyue knew there was no point in lying at this moment, so he nodded.

    ¡°Benefactor, since you can see the future Buddha, you have deep karmic affinity with Buddhism. Are you willing to join our Buddhist order?¡± the old monk asked again.

    Zhanyue shook his head. Joking aside, he didn¡¯t want to be a monk. He was thinking of taking several wives and concubines.

    ¡°By the way, Master, this Buddhist order you speak of, how many people are there?¡± Zhanyue asked curiously. He really hadn¡¯t expected this world to have Buddhism too.

    ¡°Just me alone. Since you¡¯re unwilling, it seems we have karmic affinity but not karmic connection,¡± the old monk said with some regret. He had walked all this way, finally meeting someone who could see the Buddha on his back.

    ¡°Master, are you carrying this Buddha statue as an ascetic practice?¡± Zhanyue asked further. This old monk seemed quite easy to talk to.

    ¡°I¡¯m practicing a Buddhist secret technique ¨C Steps Producing Lotuses,¡± the old man didn¡¯t conceal.

    Zhanyue was very curious about this cultivation method, but didn¡¯t dare to ask more.

    ¡°Master, we¡¯ll meet again if fate allows,¡± Facing such a high-level person, Zhanyue didn¡¯t dare to stay too long, deeply fearing being forced to be a monk.

    Just as Zhanyue was about to leave, he was called back by the old man, making Zhanyue¡¯s heart tremble.

    ¡°Benefactor, I have a request. A meal¡¯s kindness cannot go unrewarded. This karmic debt, I need you to repay for me. I will give you some benefits in return,¡± the old monk said. As he finished speaking, a string of prayer beads in his hand automatically wrapped around Zhanyue¡¯s wrist.

    ¡°This old monk is quite forceful. Giving me the benefit first, not allowing me to refuse,¡± Zhanyue thought.

 Chapter 43

    Chapter 43

    ¡°A storm ising. A family of three ahead will likely be stranded outdoors, possibly in mortal danger. I hope the benefactor can help this poor monk by escorting them safely to Thousand Feather City, resolving this karmic connection,¡± the old monk said.

    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Zhanyue understood that the elder probably couldn¡¯t act himself, which is why he asked Zhanyue to save them. ¡°Elder, what¡¯s this benefit you mentioned?¡±

    Zhanyue pointed at the prayer beads on his wrist, confused.

    ¡°Someone once owed me a favor. Wearing these prayer beads, you¡¯ll naturally sense it when you meet that person. They will take extra care of you,¡± the old monk exined.

    ¡°Huh?¡± Zhanyue was speechless. This reward was like opening a mystery box. How would he know when or where he¡¯d meet this person, or what help he¡¯d receive?

    ¡°This poor monk doesn¡¯t know where that person is wandering, but I can smell medicinal fragrance on you, caused by long-term pill refining. You must be a pill refiner too. That person is a eight-grade pill refiner, also the most likely in this world to break through to grade 9. I imagine he could help you,¡± the old monk exined.

    Hearing this, Zhanyue grew respectful. This old monk wasn¡¯t deceiving him; it was truly a great gift. The illumination Goddess was good at everything except having limited help in pill refining. If he could receive guidance from a eight-grade pill refiner, his pill dao skills would surely advance rapidly.

    ¡°I ept this karmic task,¡± Zhanyue said happily, then hurried off, afraid of not catching up to the family of three.

    Watching Zhanyue¡¯s departing figure, the old monk smiled slightly, finally resolving a concern. ¡°This youth¡¯s realm is low, but his fate is peculiar. I can¡¯t see it clearly at all, even a Spirit God expert wouldn¡¯t be like this. After all, this poor monk¡¯s contract object is this Future Buddha,¡± the old monk sighed, then stopped thinking about it and continued on his solitary journey.

    Dark clouds covered the sky, thunder roared, and soon after, heavy rain fell. The rain connected heaven and earth like a curtain. The downpour turned the ground muddy and slippery, making it difficult for vehicles and horses to pass.

    Lightning tore through the sky, wind howled, and the rain easily soaked through the clothes of the family of three.

    ¡°We can¡¯t go on. I can¡¯t see anything,¡± Adong¡¯s heart sank. Although they wore straw hats and raincoats, they weren¡¯t much help. The three saw an abandoned tent by the roadside and took shelter in it without thinking. This tent seemed to have been left intentionally, probably by some kind-hearted person specifically for those in need. The tent¡¯s quality was quite good, keeping out wind and rain.

    This small space sheltered the family of three. They huddled together for warmth, grateful to have found this tent. Otherwise, just the thunderstorm alone could have been disastrous for them.

    ¡°The rain is too heavy. How can there be such heavy rain? It probably won¡¯t stop for a while,¡± Adong said, feeling frustrated.

    ¡°It¡¯s getting dark. Take out the illumination Stone,¡± the woman said.

    ¡°Alright.¡± Adong took out amp and ced an illumination Stone in it. The light enveloped the three, dispelling their inner fears. It seemed that with the illumination Stone¡¯s protection, the night was no longer dangerous. But Adong clearly didn¡¯t think so, after all, this wasn¡¯t the vige with houses for protection. The tent was shaking in the fierce wind, seeming about to copse.

    ¡°Father, don¡¯t be afraid. The illumination Goddess will surely protect us,¡± Meng Xiaodieforted, seemingly noticing her father¡¯s worry. The man named Adong and the woman didn¡¯t dare sleep, just holding Meng Xiaodie tightly in their arms.

    ¡°Xiaodie, if you¡¯re tired, go to sleep,¡± Adong regretted bringing his daughter along. She had insisted oning, and he couldn¡¯t refuse her. But he had to protect her no matter what.

    The faint light in the tent was insignificant in the pitch-ck world outside, seeming about to extinguish at any moment. The heavy rain showed no signs of stopping, instead growing stronger. The rain was manageable, but the fierce wind was more terrifying.

    A sudden gust of wind uprooted the tent. In the chaos, the illumination Stonemp was blown far away.

    ¡°Not good. You protect Xiaodie, I¡¯ll go get themp back,¡± Adong understood what losing the illumination Stonemp meant. But themp rolled further and further away in the wind, soon disappearing from sight.

    The world was pitch ck, only asional lightning tearing through the night sky.

    Without the illumination Stonemp, even the few illumination Stones Adong carried were useless. He was just an ordinary person who couldn¡¯t activate them. But he still clutched these illumination Stones, protecting his wife and daughter, as if ghosts really were surrounding them.

    ¡°Don¡¯te closer, all of you stay away,¡± Adong shouted in panic, holding the non-glowing illumination Stones. There was a pir of light in the distance, from Thousand Feather City¡¯s illumination Tower, but it couldn¡¯t protect the three of them.

    Several skeletons emerged from the ground. Although they were just low-level Nightmares possessing some animal bones, they were more than these three ordinary people could resist.

    ¡°It¡¯s over.¡± Adong smashed an illumination Stone hard against a skeleton. In the lightning, the skeleton seemed to smile disdainfully, or perhaps it was just Adong¡¯s imagination. In any case, the unactivated illumination Stone had no effect on the skeleton.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Amei, Xiaodie. I couldn¡¯t protect you,¡± Adong¡¯s face was wet, whether from rain or tears. Despair enveloped the three.

    Another thunderp roared across the sky.

    A figure appeared before the three. With a wave of his hand, three fireballs like miniature suns lit up the night, directly incinerating the three skeletons and instantly killing the Nightmares inside. The fire attack¡¯s power wasn¡¯t much diminished by the heavy rain, because Zhanyue used his strongest Sr Essence Fire from the start.

    ¡°Made it in time,¡± Zhanyue sighed in relief, seeing the three unharmed.

    He re-erected the tent and set up a small formation with several illumination Stones, a formation Cheng Lu had taught him.

    The inside of the tent was brightly lit, finally a safe haven.

    Adong and his wife Xiaomei looked at Zhanyue with gratitude and awe, while the little girl gazed at him with curiosity.

    ¡°Th-thank you, thank you, sir,¡± Adong knelt down excitedly, kowtowing.

    ¡°No need to thank me. If you want to thank someone, thank the old man you helped during the day,¡± Zhanyue said. If not for the old monk¡¯s request, he wouldn¡¯t have rushed here to save them before they met harm.

    ¡°Old man?¡± Adong recalled the old monk, guessing Zhanyue was his junior or something. He hadn¡¯t expected Xiaodie¡¯s kindness to be rewarded so quickly.

    ¡°Big brother, are you the illumination Goddess¡¯s messenger?¡± Xiaodie asked curiously.

    ¡°Messenger?¡± Zhanyue shook his head, ¡°No, I¡¯m her master.¡±

    ¡°Ma¡­ what?¡± Meng Xiaodie didn¡¯t understand.

    ¡°Uh¡­ okay, I was joking. Anyway, you¡¯re saved. Rest here tonight, and I¡¯ll escort you to Thousand Feather City tomorrow,¡± Zhanyue said, then sat cross-legged at the tent entrance, no longer paying attention to the three.

 Chapter 44

    Chapter 44

    In the vast world, thunder rumbled, andrge raindrops fell on the tent, making continuous pattering sounds. At first, the family of three was still apprehensive, but looking at Zhanyue¡¯s reassuring figure, the three, unable to resist the fatigue of the day, gradually fell asleep.

    This small space was like a little boat floating in the vast ocean, where even a small wave could overturn it. But the ¡®boatman¡¯ steering this small boat was extremely skilled, making this boat the safest ce in the vast night sea.

    Looking at the sleeping family of three behind him, tightly embracing each other, Zhanyue experienced for the first time the sense of achievement called ¡®protection¡¯. With his meager strength, he could only protect this family of three in the dark night, while the illumination Goddess had once sheltered the entire human race with her own power. Thinking of this, Zhanyue became increasingly admiring of the illumination Goddess.

    ¡°I wonder what sister is busy with now,¡± Zhanyue pondered.

    A momentter, he noticed the little girl¡¯s face was flushed red, looking pained. cing his hand on her forehead, it was burning hot.

    ¡°A fever? Well, she was in the rain for so long and then in the cold wind.¡± Zhanyue woke up the man and handed a pill to A Dong, ¡°This pill isn¡¯t specifically for treating fever, it can only ease her difort. When you reach Thousand Feather City tomorrow, still find a doctor to check her.¡±

    ¡°Th-thank you,¡± the man took the pill. Not knowing what kind of medicine it was, but realizing this great person had no reason to harm his daughter, he gave it to the girl, followed by some water. Then he wiped the sweat from the girl¡¯s forehead with a pained expression.

    When I had a fever as a child, my father must have cared for me like this, Zhanyue recalled, watching the scene before him.

    Suddenly, the girl woke up struggling, ¡°Daddy, my eyes, my eyes hurt so much.¡± ¡°Xiao Die¡­ what¡¯s wrong?¡± The parents became worried again.

    A momentter, Meng Xiao Die opened her eyes. Her originally bright ck eyes had now turned fiery red, looking very strange.

    ¡°Sir, this sir, please look at my daughter¡¯s eyes, she¡­ what happened to her?¡± the two asked anxiously.

    Zhanyue walked to the little girl¡¯s side and carefully examined her. His face was filled with shock. He actually detected a slight fluctuation of contractor power from the girl? She had contracted, just now? But what was the contract object?

    Zhanyue looked at those fiery red eyes, ¡°Could it be these eyes? But¡­ I¡¯ve never heard of this.¡±

    Those who awaken as contractors naturally gain knowledge of their innate abilities in their minds. The little girl stared at Zhanyue, feeling that a few strands of his hair were too long. If they were shorter, this big brother would look even more handsome. In an instant, a blood-colored de of light cut off those few strands of hair without harming anything else.

    Zhanyue was startled and quickly said, ¡°Little girl, you can¡¯t use your ability recklessly, or you might identally hurt others.¡± Then he found a tree branch by the roadside, ¡°Try cutting this.¡±

    The little girl stared at the branch in Zhanyue¡¯s hand, and indeed, a blood-colored de of light, incredibly sharp, cut the branch. The blood de disappeared after cutting the branch, not harming anything else.

    ¡°What a terrifying ability,¡± Zhanyue drew in a sharp breath. This little girl was only a few years old, had just awakened her ability, and her contract object was actually her own eyes?

    ¡°She¡¯s fine. It¡¯s a blessing in disguise. She has be a contractor,¡± Zhanyue said to the dumbfounded couple.

    ¡°Ah? Sir¡­ you mean Xiao Die¡­ Xiao Die has be a contractor?¡± The parents said excitedly. How could they not know what bing a contractor meant? It was truly a sparrow turning into a phoenix, a carp leaping over the dragon gate.

    ¡°This is indeed quite a remarkable karmic connection,¡± Zhanyue sighed, wondering if that old monk had foreseen this little girl¡¯s awakening.

    ¡°Sister, nowadays contractors are divided into spirit contractors, beast contractors, weapon contractors, and misceneous contractors. This little girl¡¯s contract object is her own eyes. How should she be ssified?¡± Zhanyue asked, puzzled.

    Soon after, the illumination Goddess replied, ¡°I¡¯ve long had some issues with this contractor ssification. A long time ago, they lumped all the small number of unssifiable people into the misceneous category, which is clearly unreasonable. Actually, besides these, there are also nt contractors and body contractors, though fewer in number, who have always been ssified as misceneous contractors. Contracting with nts is much rarer than beast contractors, and contracting with one¡¯s own organs is even rarer.¡±

    ¡°Everyone is born with a contract potential, some haven¡¯t awakened, some haven¡¯t found it yet. Body contractors are likely to need a trigger to awaken. It seems this little girl is quite lucky,¡± the illumination Goddess exined.

    ¡°nt contractors, body contractors? Indeed, I still don¡¯t know enough about the world of contractors,¡± Zhanyue sighed.

    In thetter half of the night, the family of three didn¡¯t continue sleeping. The couple was too excited to sleep, while the little girl kept asking Zhanyue all sorts of questions, as she roughly understood that she and Zhanyue belonged to the same world now.

    As the sun rose, Zhanyue escorted the three to Thousand Feather City without further incident.

    ¡°Sir, you have saved the lives of our family of three. We can¡¯t express our gratitude in words, and I know I can¡¯t repay you anything, but our whole family will remember your great kindness for a lifetime,¡± the man thanked again.

    Zhanyue waved his hand, but looked towards the little girl.

    ¡°Your daughter¡¯s awakened ability is extraordinary and needs proper guidance, but I don¡¯t have the time or ability. Keep this letter safe,¡± Zhanyue took out a letter and handed it to the man along with some purple crystal coins. ¡°Here¡¯s some travel money. You¡¯d better follow some merchant caravans to Sun City. There, find a garrison officer named ¡®Cheng Lu¡¯. After reading this letter, he will take care of this girl.¡±

    Zhanyue also wanted to take this opportunity to let Cheng Lu know he was safe, to prevent him from feeling guilty. At the same time, this little girl¡¯s talent was very high. If the Eastern Kingdom nurtured her well, she would surely be a prodigy of her generation. It wasn¡¯t appropriate to have them directly seek the city lord, but through Cheng Lu, the little girl¡¯s situation could be made known to the Sun City lord. Then naturally, someone woulde to guide this little girl.

    Holding this letter, the man¡¯s hand trembled slightly. How could he not understand what Zhanyue intended with this letter? As a man without power or influence, although his daughter had awakened as a contractor, she was too young, and he had no idea what to do. But Zhanyue had paved the way for them.

    ¡°Big brother, what¡¯s your name?¡± Before parting, the little girl asked with her strange red eyes. The little girl was in in clothes but was exquisitely beautiful, with two small buns on her head, incredibly cute. One couldn¡¯t help but wonder how she would grow up to look.

    ¡°Zhanyue,¡± Zhanyue patted the little girl¡¯s head, not concealing it. Seeing the little girl¡¯s sincere gaze, he didn¡¯t want to lie. The little girl firmly remembered the name and appearance of this person who had saved her whole family¡¯s lives, then followed her parents away.

    Watching the backs of this family of three, Zhanyue let out a long breath. ¡°I¡¯ve certainly gone above and beyond. Old monk, I don¡¯t owe you anything anymore,¡± Zhanyue said, touching the prayer beads on his wrist.

    He stayed in Thousand Feather City only to collect herbs for refining third-grade alchemys, aiming to be a third-grade alchemist. The Mountain Goblin territory wasn¡¯trge and didn¡¯t have all kinds of herbs, but Thousand Feather City was a big city after all, and finding materials for third-grade alchemys wasn¡¯t difficult. But moving up from third grade wasn¡¯t so simple. There was a huge gap between third-grade and fourth-grade alchemists, just like the difference between ordinary contractors and Profound Beings.

 Chapter 45

    Chapter 45

    After sending off the three people, Zhanyue inquired about thergest herb shop in Thousand Feather City and hurried over eagerly. The herb shop was called ¡®Thousand Luo¡¯, and while it was called an herb shop, it was actually an entire building, five or six stories high. In the Myriad Spirits Realm, there were three majormercial associations spanning various countries ¨C Fu Yuan, Wu Wei, and Thousand Steeds Association . This Thousand Luo Herb Shop in Thousand Feather City was a property of the Thousand Steeds Association. They weren¡¯t short of money, so the building was quite grand.

    On the first floor of Thousand Luo Herb Shop, a manager warmly received Zhanyue. However, when he picked up the list Zhanyue handed him, he immediately became respectful and exined, ¡°Young master, the first floor sellsmon medicines. The things you want, you¡¯ll need to ask about on the third floor.¡±

    ¡°Alright,¡± Zhanyue took back the list and went upstairs.

    ¡°Probably another alchemist. Wonder what grade of pills he¡¯s nning to refine,¡± the manager spected, his face full of envy. Alchemists held a very noble status, and it took an unknown amount of money to cultivate a qualified alchemist.

    On the third floor, a tall woman in a cheongsam was idly ying with her nails. Unlike the bustling first floor, the third floor was very quiet, as these alchemy materials weren¡¯t needed by everyone.

    This woman was quite attractive after dressing up, but having seen the illumination Goddess, the Holy Light Maiden, and the Imperial Female War God, Zhanyue¡¯s aesthetic standards had been raised to a very high level. This level of beauty couldn¡¯t cause even the slightest ripple in him.

    ¡°Customer, are you here to buy herbs?¡± the woman named Qing Luo asked.

    Zhanyue nodded and handed over the list. To hide the pill form, he had added many red herring herbs, which was also customary.

    The woman looked at Zhanyue meaningfully, ¡°The customer is quite lucky. We have all these herbs. It¡¯s good that it¡¯s only for third-grade alchemys. Materials for fourth-grade pills aren¡¯t so easy to obtain.¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± Zhanyue wanted to ask how she knew these were materials for third-grade alchemys, but he held back, suspecting she was trying to trick him. ¡°As expected of the Thousand Steeds Association. A single shop can prepare all the herbs,¡± Zhanyue replied,pletely ignoring the mention of third and fourth grades.

    The woman fiddled with her abacus, ¡°The herbs you want total 90,000 purple crystal coins.¡±

    ¡°Ni¡­ ny thousand?¡± Zhanyue¡¯s legs trembled a bit when he heard this. Mi Hongchen had once given him 300,000, which was undoubtedly a huge sum, enough for a person to live a life of luxury. However, just buying some materials needed for breaking through to third-grade alchemist actually required a full 90,000. And this was just for third-grade alchemy materials. How much would fourth and fifth-grade materials cost?

    The woman looked at Zhanyue with a smile, seeming to say, wee to the world of alchemists, a world where money flows like water, both in spending and earning.

    The Mountain Goblin n had covered all the materials for first and second-grade pills, so Zhanyue had no idea about prices, but he had to walk his own path from now on. There was still quite a bit of money on that card, but Zhanyue didn¡¯t dare to use it, as using it would reveal his location. He frowned, then had an idea.

    ¡°Do you buy pills here?¡± Zhanyue asked. He really couldn¡¯t produce 90,000 purple crystal coins.

    The woman smiled slightly and nodded, ¡°Yes, we buy all kinds.¡±

    Zhanyue took out a pill, ¡°This kind of pill, what price would you give for one? It can restore contractor power.¡±

    The woman took the round, full, milky-white pill, her eyes brightening, ¡°This is a first-grade pill, right? May I try it?¡±

    After Zhanyue nodded in agreement, the woman stretched out her hand. A wild wind blew in the room, scattering dust. It wasn¡¯t clear what her contract object was, but she had mastered a bit of wind power. After consuming some contractor power, the woman took the pill. Soon after, the consumed power was instantly restored. Her pupils dted, and she said to Zhanyue, ¡°So strong, so fast.¡±

    Zhanyue was covered in ck lines. He really couldn¡¯t stand hearing this.

    ¡°This pill of yours is of special grade quality among first-grade pills. It takes effect very quickly, and the recovery amount is also substantial. Ordinary first-grade pills generally go for about 100 purple crystal coins each. For this kind of pill of yours, I can offer 300 purple crystal coins each,¡± the woman said. She wasn¡¯t lying; 300 purple crystal coins to buy a first-grade pill was already quite sincere.

    Zhanyue nodded. He actually didn¡¯t know the market price and could only trust the credit of the Thousand Steeds Association. ¡°Here are 300 Earth Vein Pills. Please check them,¡± Zhanyue took out 15 bottles from his backpack, each ceramic bottle containing 20 Earth Vein Pills. The so-called Earth Vein Pills were pills condensed out of thin air by the Earth Mother Golden Cauldron, requiring no materials, purely a creation of spiritual energy, profit without cost. However, with Zhanyue¡¯s current strength, condensing these pills was still quiteborious. 300 Earth Vein Pills weren¡¯t so easy to produce, and after handing them over, he didn¡¯t have many left.

    ¡°So many?¡± The woman was clearly surprised that Zhanyue could produce so many of these pills. ¡°No problem. We¡¯ll exchange goods for goods. Customer, I¡¯ll have someone fetch the herbs you want. Please wait here for a moment.¡±

    The process of waiting for the herbs to be prepared was boring. The woman sidled up tteringly.

    ¡°Customer, you¡¯re an alchemist yourself, right? Are you a third-grade alchemist or preparing to break through to third grade?¡± the woman asked.

    ¡°Uh, well, I¡¯m preparing to break through to third grade,¡± Zhanyue answered. With the Earth Vein Pills exposed, there was no need to hide this kind of question, and there was nothing to hide anyway. The other party was the Thousand Steeds Association, one of the world¡¯s three majormercial associations. There would be many more days of dealing with them in the future.

    ¡°Oh, no wonder you¡¯re buying so many materials for third-grade alchemys. Do you have an affiliated organization?¡± the woman asked.

    ¡°Affiliated organization?¡± Zhanyue frowned. Seeing his expression, the woman smiled slightly, having her answer.

    ¡°It seems the customer doesn¡¯t have an affiliation yet. Alchemists need to consume enormous resources to grow, and not everyone has such a strong financial backing. So generally, low-level alchemists choose to affiliate with some powerful organizations, seeking resources and protection. This is the norm in the alchemist world. Although alchemy isn¡¯t developed in the Eastern Kingdom, it¡¯s notpletely absent,¡± the woman exined.

    ¡°Ah, I see. I was wondering how other alchemists progress when just buying some materials is so expensive. So how does one affiliate, and what price do I need to pay?¡± Zhanyue asked.

    Hearing this, the woman¡¯s face brightened, and she happily answered, ¡°For our Thousand Steeds Association, there are two ways: honorary affiliation and formal employment. If you be an honorary alchemist of our Thousand Steeds Association, you¡¯ll enjoy two privileges. First, all herbs will be at a 10% discount. Second, you can pre-order some herbs, and we¡¯ll try our best to help find and prepare them. What we need in return is just priority purchasing rights. When you sell some pill forms or pills, if our offer is simr to others, we have the priority to buy.¡±

    Zhanyue nodded. The benefits of honorary affiliation were quite good. Don¡¯t underestimate the 10% discount; for alchemists, it could probably save a lot of money.

    ¡°As for the second form ¨C formal employment ¨C you be an official professional alchemist of our Thousand Steeds Association, with the following guidelines:

    All materials needed for alchemy are provided by us for free, but half of the refined pills need to be returned to us. For first to third-grade alchemists, the association will assign fifth-grade or above alchemists for guidance. Alchemists who advance to fifth grade will be association stewards, wielding some real power in the association and having a say in some major decision-making (shareholders). The association will arrange two normal-range alchemy tasks each year. These two tasks cannot be refused. If it exceeds two times, the association willpensate with extra remuneration. (overtime pay) After advancing to seventh-grade alchemist, there will no longer be any mandatory alchemy tasks. If the association has needs, special people wille to negotiate. Moreover, for seventh-grade alchemists who are formally employed, the Thousand Steeds Association will provide a spatial treasure for free.¡±

    Zhanyue was shocked after hearing this. He had underestimated the status of alchemists in people¡¯s eyes. Such benefits and treatment were hard not to be tempted by. But after thinking about it, Zhanyue still gave up on the idea of formal employment. After all, rashly joining arge organization to restrict his freedom wasn¡¯t what he wanted.

    ¡°I want to apply for honorary alchemist status. How do I do that?¡± Zhanyue asked.

    Hearing that he only wanted honorary status, the woman was a bit disappointed, but the expression shed by quickly. ¡°We can process that here too, but doesn¡¯t the customer want to consider formal employment?¡±

    ¡°No, thanks. My name is Zhan Ding. Please register me,¡± Zhanyue was cautious and gave a false name. However, the Thousand Steeds Association didn¡¯t care about these things, after all, they weren¡¯t just doing a one-time deal.

    ¡°Alright.¡± The woman was also happy. Helping the association recruit an alchemist came with amission, even if it was just honorary status. After all, formal employment involved significant rtionships and deep karmic connections, and couldn¡¯t be easily recruited. Actually, to formally employ someone, they would need to go through an assessment. It wasn¡¯t something you could juste and mix into. As for people like Zhanyue who had talent but didn¡¯t want to be bound, honorary status was quite good. As for feelings, naturally, they should deepen gradually. The Thousand Steeds Association had a grand vision.

 Chapter 46

    Chapter 46

    The woman took two strands of Zhanyue¡¯s hair, keeping one as a token for the Thousand Steeds Association and making the other into an identity jade token.

    ¡°Young Master Zhan, take this jade token and you¡¯ll be an honorary alchemist of the Thousand Steeds Association. Today¡¯s herb costs will be calcted at a 10% discount, and we¡¯ll return 9,000 purple crystal coins to you,¡± the woman said respectfully.

    ¡°Thank you.¡± epting the token, Zhanyue was delighted. Just by being an honorary member, he could save a lot of money. Soon after, the herbs were packaged and brought out by an assistant, ced on the counter.

    ¡°Young Master Zhan, please check them,¡± the woman said, pointing to the herbs on the counter.

    As Zhanyue was checking the herbs, a man in green clothes swaggered in. He looked to be in his early twenties, with an average appearance, but his face seemed to say ¡®I¡¯m the best in the world¡¯.

    ¡°Young Master Zhou, you¡¯re here,¡± the woman hurried to greet him.

    Zhou got straight to the point, ¡°Give me five portions of Phoenix Blood Grass, quickly.¡±

    ¡°Phoenix Blood Grass? Uh, Young Master Zhou, we¡¯re just out of Phoenix Blood Grass. A new batch will arrive in about two days. Please wait for two days, and I¡¯ll personally deliver it to you then,¡± the woman said politely. This Young Master Zhou was a third-grade alchemist, also formally employed by the Thousand Steeds Association. More importantly, he had a fifth-grade alchemist grandfather in the association.

    ¡°Phoenix Blood Grass has a very distinct chicken blood smell. Do you think my nose doesn¡¯t work?¡± The man named Zhou Hong walked to the counter, pointing at a package of herbs, which indeed contained Phoenix Blood Grass. The woman said awkwardly, ¡°These herbs have already been sold. They belong to this young master here.¡±

    Zhou Hong sized up Zhanyue, seeing his handsome features and pine-like demeanor, feeling quite jealous. ¡°Isn¡¯t new stock arriving in two days? Let him wait. I¡¯m the Thousand Steeds Association¡¯s own alchemist, don¡¯t I have any priority? Moreover, these herbs are crucial for my attempt to break through to fourth-grade alchemist, do you understand? If you dy my advancement, can you bear that responsibility?¡±

    These heavy usations immediately pressured the woman, who had no background and didn¡¯t dare to argue with this young master, knowing his background. Zhou Hong mentioning his attempt to break through to fourth-grade alchemist was meant for Zhanyue to hear.

    Though also involved, Zhanyue calmly watched the drama unfold, as if uninvolved. He couldn¡¯t be bothered to argue with these people. After all, the Thousand Steeds Association was such arge organization; the more they were in the wrong, the more he would benefitter. At this moment, he almost hoped the man in front of him would make even more unreasonable demands.

    ¡°Young Master Zhou, our Thousand Steeds Association is based on integrity. This Phoenix Blood Grass has been sold and belongs to Young Master Zhan. I no longer have the right to dispose of it. If you¡¯re dissatisfied, feel free toin about me,¡± the woman also lost her temper. This Young Master Zhou was detested by all, tyrannical because of his fifth-grade alchemist grandfather. Many in the Thousand Steeds Association were dissatisfied with him.

    ¡°You! You actually side with an outsider.¡± Zhou Hong was very indignant, having lost face in front of this man who irritated him just by looking at him. ¡°You wait. In the future, don¡¯t expect to have a single fourth-grade or above pill in your shop. When Thousand Feather City¡¯s performance is at the bottom, don¡¯te begging me for help.¡±

    The woman¡¯s face turned ashen. Young Master Zhou¡¯s grandfather really had that ability; the fourth-grade and above pills in several nearby cities were all refined by his grandfather.

    ¡°Qing Luo, pack the Phoenix Blood Grass for Young Master Zhou.¡± At this moment, a deep voice came. A middle-aged man came down from upstairs, followed by a ck-robed person whose appearance and build were unclear. The middle-aged man was dressed luxuriously, with a prosperous face and robust build, his gaze sharp. He was Luo Mingtao, the overall manager of all Thousand Steeds Association properties in Thousand Feather City, holding a very high position in the association.

    ¡°Steward Luo is here.¡± The man¡¯s arrogance immediately changed. Steward Luo was a silver steward, one rank higher than his grandfather¡¯s bronze steward.

    ¡°Alright.¡± Since Luo Mingtao had spoken, the woman no longer insisted and reluctantly handed the Phoenix Blood Grass to Zhou Hong.

    ¡°Then let me congratte Young Master Zhou in advance on breaking through to fourth-grade alchemist. Also, please give my regards to your grandfather,¡± Steward Luo said to Zhou Hong with a smile.

    ¡°Of course, of course. I won¡¯t disturb you further then.¡± Zhou Hong took the Phoenix Blood Grass with a grin, not forgetting to give Zhanyue an arrogant look before leaving, as if to say, even Steward Luo has to give me face, what level are youpared to me?

    Zhanyue waspletely bewildered. He was the one who had his things taken away, he was the victim. Why did that Zhou whatever hate him so much? He hadn¡¯t said a word.

    ¡°Steward Luo, why did you side with that bastard too?¡± Qing Luo asked, feeling wronged.

    Luo Mingtao, still wearing his smiling tiger expression, exined, ¡°His grandfather recently found a sixth-grade pill form somewhere and presented it to Elder Hong. The Zhou family is currently at the height of their influence. We should avoid offending them if possible. It¡¯s unfortunate for you and this young brother here.¡±

    Zhanyue could feel a pressure from a superior. This Steward Luo must be a Profound Being. Profound Beings were rare and considered experts everywhere, upying high positions.

    ¡°Without the Phoenix Blood Grass, I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll have to wait a few more days,¡± Zhanyue said, shaking his head.

    Luo Mingtao turned around and politely asked the ck-robed person behind him, ¡°Do you have any Phoenix Blood Grass?¡±

    The ck-robed person answered in a hoarse voice, ¡°Yes.¡± Then took out several high-quality Phoenix Blood Grass nts from a spatial treasure.

    ¡°Consider that I owe you another favor,¡± Luo Mingtao said, then brought the Phoenix Blood Grass to Zhanyue. ¡°I apologize. You¡¯re a guest of the Thousand Steeds Association yet suffered such unfair treatment. This time, all the herbs will be given to you for free. Qing Luo, return the herb money to this young master, charge it to my ount.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± The woman naturally returned purple crystal coins rather than pills, but Zhanyue was also happy to ept these purple crystal coins. Using pills for deduction every time was quite troublesome.

    Zhanyue was quite satisfied with thispensation because he had just stood there without saying a word from beginning to end, yet gained an extra 90,000 purple crystal coins for nothing. That Zhou Hong was truly a fortune-bringing child.

    ¡°Young brother, you want to refine third-grade alchemys, right? After bing a third-grade alchemist, you¡¯ll need to refine fourth-grade pills. Just finding all the materials is very troublesome. Let me give you this booklet as furtherpensation,¡± Luo Mingtao said, taking out a small booklet and handing it to Zhanyue.

    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Zhanyue asked, puzzled.

    ¡°Pearl City will hold an auction next month. This is an invitation to the auction. Many fourth-grade pills, pill forms, and materials can be bought at the auction. You might want to pay attention to it. This booklet contains information on the items to be auctioned. You¡¯ll need this booklet to enter the venue, so please keep it safe,¡± Luo Mingtao exined.

    ¡°Oh? I see.¡± Zhanyue happily epted it, then bid farewell to everyone and left.

    ¡°This person is really generous. He waived 90,000 purple crystal coins just like that, and even knew what I needed most. He¡¯s truly shrewd. No wonder he holds such a high position,¡± Zhanyue praised.

    After Zhanyue left, the woman took out the pills Zhanyue had used for deduction earlier. ¡°Steward Luo, look at these pills.¡±

    Steward Luo took the pill bottle and handed it to the ck-robed person beside him. The ck-robed person took out a pill and carefully examined it, suddenly trembling all over.

 Chapter 47

    Chapter 47

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Luo Mingtao asked, looking at the visibly disturbed ck-robed person.

    ¡°Why isn¡¯t there even a trace of impurity? How is this possible? It¡¯s perfectly formed, without a single impurity? What kind of precise technique, or is there some principle I don¡¯t know about?¡± The ck-robed person was lost in thought. Although it was a first-grade pill, she couldn¡¯t purify it to this level.

    ¡°Qing Luo said the effect of this first-grade pill is excellent. Can you reverse engineer the form?¡± Luo Mingtao asked with great expectation.

    The ck-robed person shook their head, ¡°No, it¡¯s too clean. There¡¯s not a single impurity. I can¡¯t distinguish which herbs were used to refine it.¡±

    ¡°Even you can¡¯t?¡± Luo Mingtao was somewhat surprised. Although the ck-robed person was only a fourth-grade alchemist, their understanding of alchemy was at an incredible level. Luo Mingtao highly valued them.

    ¡°The way of alchemy is as vast as the sea. What I¡¯ve mastered is just a spoonful of water. I still have much to learn,¡± the ck-robed person sighed.

    Although not an alchemist himself, Luo Mingtao could sense the profound depth of alchemy. He asked again, ¡°Can those few third-grade alchemy forms from before be further optimized?¡±

    ¡°Yes, after optimization, the forms could probably save about half of the herbs,¡± the ck-robed person answered.

    Hearing this, Luo Mingtao¡¯s eyes lit up with joy. How much money could they save? This ck-robed person was truly a god of wealth. ¡°I¡¯ve done what I promised you. Have you taken care of my matter?¡± the ck-robed person asked.

    Luo Mingtao nodded, ¡°Through my connections, I¡¯ve confirmed that the item you want will indeed appear at next month¡¯s auction. And I¡¯ve sessfully added those few items of yours to the auction list. They will be auctioned at the event.¡±

    The ck-robed person nodded with satisfaction, their eyes hiding both worry and anticipation. ¡°I hope we can sessfully acquire it,¡± they prayed silently.

    In Thousand Feather City, Zhanyue generously rented an independent courtyard instead of staying at an inn, because he needed to refine pills and practice martial techniques. An inn was no longer suitable. Fortunately, he now had money, and renting this small courtyard was no problem. Moreover, this small courtyard came with a hidden basement.

    In the basement, the Earth Mother Golden Cauldron revealed its true form. Zhanyue sat cross-legged, his hands forming seals, meticulously controlling the mes. Various herbs melted, boiled, separated, andbined in the golden cauldron. Gradually, several round pills took shape. The purple pills were somewhat strange, emitting a pungent odor.

    ¡°Purple, pungent odor, smelling nauseous. It¡¯s done!¡± Zhanyue took out the seven pills with a look of joy. Only seven pills in one batch, but it officially meant Zhanyue had entered the realm of third-grade alchemist. Around him were many pitch-ck failed pills, products of his previous failures. Even with his talent, he had failed several times. Each pill refinement was very draining, and ordinary people would need several days to recover. Fortunately, Zhanyue had the Ghost Fruit, allowing him to refine pills so frequently. After four failures, he finally sessfully refined seven third-grade alchemys on the fifth attempt.

    third-grade alchemy ¨C Vein Sealing Pill. When used, it could seal the contractor power of cultivators below the Profound Realm for a period of time, quite domineering.

    ¡°I remember the Vein Sealing Pill form was lost. I didn¡¯t expect the form discovered in the Mountain Goblin n to be so ancient. This kind of pill has obvious characteristics, smelling terrible, so it can¡¯t be used as a poison,¡± Zhanyue said with some regret, after all, it wasn¡¯t colorless and odorless.

    ¡°In the world of martial arts, there will always be times when such harmful pills are useful. The herbs I boughtst time only made these seven pills. Being an alchemist really burns money,¡± Zhanyue said painfully. However, this was because he wasn¡¯t very skilled before. Now his sess rate would be much higher.

    ¡°Normally, refining fourth-grade pills requires soul power equivalent to a Profound Being. Although I¡¯m not born with a strong soul, with the Ghost Fruit, soul power isn¡¯t a problem. However, the difference between third and fourth grade is like heaven and earth. Countless alchemists are stuck at this step for life. I should prepare early. It will probably consume a lot of herbs,¡± Zhanyue opened the booklet Luo Mingtao gave him. The items recorded in the booklet were dazzling. Not only materials for fourth-grade pills, but even fifth and sixth-grade materials were avable. Among the finale items of the auction, there was even a seventh-grade pill, though its effect was unknown, deliberately teasing people¡¯s curiosity. Besides that seventh-grade pill, there were two hidden finale treasures, also unknown.

    ¡°These days, I should refine more first and second-grade pills to sell for money. I¡¯ll probably need to bleed a lot of money to get arge number of herbs at this auction. Fifth and sixth grade are not considered for now, but I should try to get fourth-grade materials as much as possible,¡± Zhanyue nned.

    After finishing pill refinement, he came to the backyard of the small courtyard, which was a small bamboo forest with nice scenery. He condensed fire into a sword and practiced swordy in the dense bamboo forest. Afterpleting a set of sword techniques, the illumination Goddess¡¯s voice came.

    ¡°Three leaves. You burned three bamboo leaves. Still far from qualified. These days you¡¯ve been busy refining pills, and have be a bitx in cultivation,¡± the illumination Goddess reminded. However, it was very difficult to focus on both pill refinement and cultivation. There were experts who excelled in both alchemy and martial arts, but a person¡¯s time was limited. There was no such thing as being a hundred or thousand times more hardworking than others. Could you work hard for a hundred hours in a day when others work hard for one hour? Talent was actually a more important factor at this point.

    ¡°Sister, is there any shortcut?¡± Zhanyue asked jokingly.

    ¡°You¡¯re already taking a shortcut. What more do you want? How many people in this world can get my personal guidance?¡± the illumination Goddess was a bit speechless.

    ¡°My realm progress is too slow,¡± Zhanyue sighed. Spirit Communication Realm sixth stage was far from enough.

    ¡°Do you really think the faster the realm improves, the better?¡± the illumination Goddess taught, ¡°Cultivation is like climbing a mountain. Each stage has different scenery. If your realm improves too quickly, you might miss a lot of scenery. These missed scenes might be what youck when you want to go further after reaching the peak. Feel your current weakness well, and be stronger bit by bit. This is my insight from living a second life. In my previous life, I advanced too quickly, which is why I got stuck at that step and found it hard to progress further.¡±

    ¡°Uh, sister, what realm are you actually at?¡± Zhanyue asked very curiously.

    ¡°Wonderful Law Realm,¡± the illumination Goddess didn¡¯t avoid answering.

    ¡°Wonderful Law Realm? I¡¯ve never heard of it,¡± Zhanyue was a bit speechless.

    ¡°Don¡¯t aim too high. Practice well for me. By tomorrow at thetest, I want to see you ¡®dance fire in the forest without burning a single leaf¡¯. You¡¯re personally taught by me, don¡¯t embarrass me,¡± the illumination Goddess became extremely strict when it came to cultivation.

    ¡°Alright, alright, I¡¯ll practice hard,¡± Zhanyue once again condensed fire into a sword and walked into the bamboo forest. He couldn¡¯t be said to be not diligent.

    In Sun City, Cheng Lu was arranging for his subordinate soldiers to change shifts when he received a special letter.

    After reading the letter, Cheng Lu¡¯s face was full of wild joy, but then he suppressed his emotions and burned the letter without showing any expression. ¡°I knew you wouldn¡¯t die so easily. Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t reveal to anyone that you¡¯re still alive.¡±

    ¡°Bring that family of three here,¡± Cheng Lu ordered. Soon after, he saw the little girl mentioned in the letter.

    ¡°Little girl, look at these weapons. Try to cut them,¡± Cheng Lu looked kindly and friendly at Meng Xiao Die, pointing to a row of weapons nearby.

    Meng Xiao Die still had those strange red eyes. With just a nce, all the metal weapons in the row were cut, the cuts clean. These days, she had be more adept at using her ability.

    Cheng Lu drew in a sharp breath, his palms sweating. This was truly an ability that could kill with just a nce. Knowing the importance of the matter, he immediately arranged for the three to stay, while he hurriedly went to the City Lord¡¯s mansion. Everyone only knew that three dayster, the red giant dragon familiar to everyone in Sun City descended from the sky again.

 Chapter 48

    Chapter 48

    In the camp, a flying dragon descended from the sky. A woman jumped down from the dragon¡¯s back. She was tall, wearing silver armor that didn¡¯t conceal her shapely figure. Her wavy ck hair fell to her waist. With bright eyes and red lips, she was stunningly beautiful, with a golden dragon w-like mark on her brow. The light in her eyes wasn¡¯t gentle, but exceptionally sharp, like a sword. People around bowed in greeting, not daring to look directly at her.

    ¡°Greetings, Your Highness.¡±

    Everyone knew Mi Hongchen¡¯s identity, but her sudden appearance here was rare.

    ¡°Have Cheng Lue see me,¡± Mi Hongchen said.

    Soon after, Cheng Lu led the family of three to Mi Hongchen.

    ¡°Greetings, Your Highness. This girl is the one you¡¯re looking for,¡± Cheng Lu brought Meng Xiao Die before the princess. The girl looked at the princess with her strange red eyes. Dongzi and A Mei beside her were too nervous to speak. They had never seen such a scene before. That was the legendary female war god of the Eastern Kingdom, a figure of legend. They never imagined they would receive Mi Hongchen¡¯s personal reception.

    ¡°Dragon¡­ it¡¯s really a dragon!¡± Meng Xiao Die was quickly attracted by the fire dragon nearby. She didn¡¯t seem afraid at all.

    The fire dragon turned around, blowing a small me that dissipated in front of the girl, deliberately teasing her. Meng Xiao Die wasn¡¯t scared, but giggled in delight.

    ¡°This little girl is quite brave and not shy,¡± Mi Hongchen praised, then asked Cheng Lu. ¡°Her contract object is her eyes? Can her gaze materialize into de light?¡± Mi Hongchen confirmed, looking at the little girl¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. The de light is very sharp. She¡¯s so young and without any training has this kind of power. When she grows up, she¡¯ll definitely be a powerful expert. I didn¡¯t dare to be negligent and reported this news as soon as I received it,¡± Cheng Lu said.

    Mi Hongchen came to the little girl¡¯s side and picked her up, saying to her, ¡°Try if you can cut this open.¡± Then she tossed a gold coin into the air. The little girl looked up at the coin, a sh of light glinting in her eyes. When the coin fell to the ground, it had been cleanly cut in half.

    ¡°Try again,¡± Mi Hongchen exerted her power, a fiery red energy enveloping another gold coin, which she tossed into the air again.

    This time, the little girl stared at the coin for a long time, but in the end, the coin was still cut in half.

    Mi Hongchen¡¯s breathing became a bit rapid. Such a terrifying ability right after awakening, this child is truly a blessing for our Eastern Kingdom.

    ¡°Where did you find this girl?¡± Mi Hongchen turned to ask Cheng Lu.

    ¡°Uh¡­ a friend of mine encountered her and had theme find me,¡± Cheng Lu exined, only saying it was a friend of his.

    Mi Hongchen nodded, not pursuing the question further, only saying, ¡°You and your friend should be rewarded. Tell me, what reward do you want?¡±

    ¡°Uh, discovering talent for the empire is our honor. How dare we ask for a reward? My friend is also a person who cares little for fame and fortune,¡± Cheng Lu certainly wouldn¡¯t mention Zhanyue, still keeping the secret.

    Mi Hongchen frowned, then waved her hand, and a bottle of pills appeared in front of Cheng Lu. ¡°Inside are two fifth-grade Profound Entering Pills. Your cultivation is about to break through to the Profound Realm, right? Take these two Profound Entering Pills and share them. Clear rewards and punishments have always been an iron rule of the Eastern Kingdom. How can meritorious service go unrewarded?¡±

    Cheng Lu epted the pills and hurriedly thanked her. He didn¡¯t dare refuse the person before him.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take this little girl to the Academy Town first. Have Zhan Yunfei (Sun City Lord) arrange for people to send her parents to the Academy Town as well. Someone will receive them there,¡± Mi Hongchen said, then picked up Meng Xiao Die and jumped onto the dragon¡¯s back.

    ¡°Your family of three will live in the Academy Town from now on,¡± Mi Hongchen said to Meng Xiao Die¡¯s parents, then the flying dragon pped its wings and flew towards the horizon.

    ¡°Captain Cheng¡­ what about us¡­¡± Dongzi looked at Cheng Lu, at a loss.

    Cheng Lu patted his shoulder, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the princess will take good care of your daughter. I¡¯ll go speak with the City Lord. You¡¯ll probably be settling in the Academy Town from now on. It¡¯s aplete change of fate.¡±

    Dongzi and A Mei both showed joy on their faces. A Mei, still leaning on crutches with her leg not fully healed, couldn¡¯t help but be happy. The couple felt even more grateful to Zhanyue in their hearts. If not for him, their family of three would have died in the rainy night, but now they had a chance at prosperity.

    ¡°Sister, are we flying in the sky?¡± Meng Xiao Die looked around, hiding in Mi Hongchen¡¯s arms. It was so high, she was quite scared.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright, don¡¯t be afraid,¡± Mi Hongchenforted her, an energy barrier blocking the strong winds of high altitude. ¡°Your talent is extremely high. I¡¯ll help you find a suitable teacher.¡±

    ¡°Teacher? Sister, are you sending me to the Academy Town?¡± Meng Xiao Die asked again.

    ¡°That¡¯s right, the Academy Town is where you should go.¡± Mi Hongchen smiled. Facing a child, she wasn¡¯t as cold as usual.

    ¡°After graduating from the Academy, can I go kill monsters and demons?¡± Meng Xiao Die continued to ask.

    ¡°Of course. When you grow up, you¡¯ll be an important force in our fight against the Nightmares,¡± Mi Hongchen answered.

    ¡°Great! I¡¯ll be a great hero like Brother Zhanyue in the future,¡± the little girl said happily.

    Hearing this, Mi Hongchen¡¯s body trembled, ¡°Who did you say? Zhanyue? Great hero?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Brother Zhanyue saved our whole family that night. He was as warm as the sun. It was also he who told us toe to Sun City,¡± the little girl had no guile, very innocent, and spilled everything.

    ¡°Zhanyue, the friend Cheng Lu mentioned¡­ it really is you. You little guy, you always manage to surprise me,¡± Mi Hongchen sighed softly. Although she hadn¡¯t interacted much with Zhanyue, only meeting him twice, Mi Hongchen had a deep impression of him. ¡°It¡¯s good that you¡¯re alive. There will be a chance to meet again.¡±

    At this moment, Zhanyue naturally didn¡¯t know someone was talking about him. In the bamboo forest, a white figure moved gracefully like a startled swan, like a swimming dragon. Holding a ming sword, he performed a set of sword techniques without damaging a single bamboo leaf. Zhanyue¡¯s movements and techniques had improved rapidly.

    ¡°Sister, how was my performance?¡± Zhanyue stopped, waiting for the illumination Goddess¡¯s praise.

    ¡°You¡¯ve initially mastered the Phantom Light Step and Phantom Form Sword Technique, but youck actualbat experience,¡± the illumination Goddess replied. ¡°Only true life-and-death battles can hone skills to the extreme.¡±

    Zhanyue nodded, ¡°No rush. Living in the martial world, how can one not face danger? Although I don¡¯t like killing, I¡¯m not amb. By the way, I¡¯ve used up all the herbs I bought before. I need to buy some new herbs to refine another type of third-grade alchemy.¡±

    ¡°Cultivating both alchemy and martial arts, since you¡¯ve chosen this path, you¡¯re not allowed to give up. I don¡¯t like people who quit halfway,¡± the illumination Goddess admonished.

    ¡°Yes, yes, yes. It¡¯s my choice. I¡¯m just working harder than others, watch me outwork them all,¡± Zhanyue had almost no recreational activities, using all his time on pill refining and cultivation, or perhaps he considered pill refining as recreation itself.

    ¡°That¡¯s best. I was worried that at your age, with your blood running hot, you might indulge in women and linger in brothels,¡± the illumination Goddess said.

    ¡°Uh, women would only slow down my sword speed,¡± Zhanyue said.

    ¡°Is that so? I remember someone saying his dream was to take several wives and concubines,¡± the illumination Goddess said coldly.

    ¡°That¡¯s because the right opportunity hasn¡¯te yet. If there¡¯s anyone to me, it¡¯s you, sister,¡± Zhanyue suddenly said.

    ¡°What does it have to do with me?¡± the illumination Goddess was a bit speechless.

    ¡°There¡¯s a saying in my hometown: ¡®Having seen the sea, all waters pale; Having seen Wu Mountain, all clouds are in.¡¯ After seeing a peerless beauty like you, sister, I¡¯m afraid my standards have be too high,¡± Zhanyue said.

    ¡°What waters and clouds? You sure know how to tter in different ways. Unfortunately, I¡¯m not some young girl. Your sweet talk won¡¯t fool me,¡± the illumination Goddessughed in response.

    ¡°See? Even sister¡¯s realm isn¡¯t something those shallow women canpare to,¡± Zhanyue said again.

    ¡°Smooth talker, I won¡¯t bother with you. Hurry and prepare. In a few days, you¡¯re going to Pearl City to attend that auction. You need to prepare funds in advance.¡±

 Chapter 49

    Chapter 49

    At the Thousand Luo Herb Shop, the woman named Qing Luo received Zhanyue again. His alias in the Thousand Steeds Association was Zhan Ding.

    ¡°Young Master Zhan, you¡¯ve sessfully advanced?¡± Qing Luo looked at the list of herbs Zhanyue handed over, clearly different from the previous pill form.

    ¡°That¡¯s right, I¡¯m now a third-grade alchemist. I want to refine some other third-grade alchemys,¡± Zhanyue said honestly.

    Qing Luo looked at Zhanyue appreciatively, then moved her abacus, ¡°A total of 120,000 purple crystal coins, but with the discount, I¡¯ll count it as 100,000 purple crystal coins for you.¡±

    Zhanyue nodded with satisfaction. The other party had reduced the price by 8,000 purple crystal coins. ¡°Likest time, I¡¯ll use pills for deduction. These and these,¡± Zhanyue took out quite a few pills.

    ¡°Are they the same first-grade pills asst time?¡± Qing Luo asked excitedly.

    ¡°No, this time it¡¯s first-grade Breakthrough Pills and second-grade Blood Stopping Pills,¡± Zhanyue answered. He didn¡¯t n to sell third-grade alchemys, as those were troublesome enough to refine for himself. And he hadn¡¯t had time to refine Earth Vein Pills these days.

    Although somewhat disappointed, Qing Luo still took these two types of pills for evaluation. However, when she returned, her gaze towards Zhanyue changed again.

    ¡°Why are all your pills of such good quality?¡± Qing Luo marveled. Although they were first and second-grade pills, the quality difference was very obvious. The same Breakthrough Pills provided by Zhanyue probably had a higher breakthrough rate than others¡¯, and the effect of those second-grade Blood Stopping Pills was also very good, able to instantly stop evenrge amounts of bleeding. This time was very efficient. Qing Luo converted 100,000 purple crystal coins worth of pills, then handed the herbs to Zhanyue.

    Just as Zhanyue was about to leave, a hoarse voice stopped him.

    ¡°Young master, shall we have a chat?¡±

    Zhanyue turned back and saw a person in a ck robe, their build and appearance unclear. He recognized this as the ck-robed person who had stood behind Steward Luo before. Frowning slightly, Zhanyue nodded. He had to give face to Steward Luo, as they would inevitably deal with each other in the future.

    The fourth floor of the Thousand Luo Shop was the VIP room, used to receive important guests and for some business activities. At this moment, only Zhanyue and the ck-robed person sat facing each other.

    ¡°I¡¯ve looked at your list. Although you¡¯ve tried hard to conceal it, I can still see that you want to refine third-grade Wind Sprint Pills, which can greatly increase one¡¯s speed for a short time after consumption. Your pill form is very ancient, and the effect isn¡¯t actually that good. This form has been optimized many times over the years. It¡¯s better to rece the Yellow Cloud Sand with White Hand Sand, Purple Gold Grass with Crescent Flower, remove the Bitter Hand Chrysanthemum, and increase the proportion of Wind Seeking Seeds,¡± the ck-robed person said while handing Zhanyue a piece of paper with methods to improve the Wind Sprint Pills.

    Zhanyue raised an eyebrow and epted the paper. This was the ck-robed person showing goodwill. It was also Zhanyue¡¯s first proper exchange with another alchemist.

    ¡°Thank you, senior. May I ask why you¡¯ve kept me behind?¡± Zhanyue asked.

    Hearing the word ¡®senior¡¯, the ck-robed person was slightly stunned, then returned to normal. ¡°I wanted to ask if you¡¯ve mastered the lost ¡®Thousand Hand Fire God¡¯ technique?¡±

    ¡°Thousand Hand Fire God? What¡¯s that?¡± Zhanyue looked puzzled.

    ¡°You really don¡¯t know?¡± The ck-robed person looked at Zhanyue¡¯s expression, which didn¡¯t seem to be lying.

    ¡°This is the first time I¡¯ve heard of it,¡± Zhanyue answered.

    The ck-robed person¡¯s eyes showed obvious disappointment. ¡°Thousand Hand Fire God is an alchemy technique. Legend has it that it can greatly purify pills, reducing impurities. I saw that the pills you refined all have very few impurities, so I thought you had mastered this lost technique.¡±

    Zhanyue understood inwardly. The high quality of the pills he refined wasn¡¯t because of his skill, but because of the Earth Mother Golden Cauldron. Obviously, this ck-robed person had taken him for an expert. He needed to think of how to deceive them. The secret of the Earth Mother Golden Cauldron couldn¡¯t be discovered. Refining pills that were too good was also a trouble.

    ¡°Well, senior, you might have misunderstood something. These high-purity pills were refined by my master, not me. The old man has gone traveling the world. Next time I see him, I¡¯ll ask on your behalf if he knows what Thousand Hand Fire God is,¡± Zhanyue answered.

    ¡°Your master? What¡¯s his name?¡± the ck-robed person asked curiously.

    ¡°I can¡¯t reveal his name,¡± Zhanyue looked at the prayer beads on his wrist. Although he didn¡¯t know who that person was, it was a good shield to use right now. Otherwise, the ck-robed person would discover the secret of his pill cauldron. Zhanyue had a feeling that this ck-robed person before him was very powerful and intelligent.

    ¡°I can only secretly tell you, he¡¯s an eighth-grade alchemist,¡± Zhanyue said, feigning mysteriousness.

    ¡°Ei¡­ eighth-grade?¡± This indeed stunned the ck-robed person. If an eighth-grade alchemist refined pills of such high purity, it wouldn¡¯t be surprising. Zhanyue¡¯s words were half-true and half-false, and no one could verify them.

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, next time when you see your master, please ask about the ¡®Thousand Hand Fire God¡¯ for me,¡± the ck-robed person said. They didn¡¯t fully believe Zhanyue.

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll remember. This junior will take his leave now,¡± Zhanyue said and turned to leave. The ck-robed person didn¡¯t keep him.

    After Zhanyue left, Luo Mingtao came out, asking curiously, ¡°How was it? Did you find out his background?¡±

    The ck-robed person shook their head, ¡°No. If he really is the disciple of an eighth-grade alchemist, we¡¯d better not have designs on him and keep our distance. We can¡¯t afford to offend an eighth-grade alchemist.¡±

    ¡°An eighth-grade alchemist, ah. Even my Thousand Steeds Association only has one honorary eighth-grade alchemist, who only refines pills when personally invited by the chairman,¡± Luo Mingtao sighed. In any case, they couldn¡¯t offend this Zhanyue. ¡°No wonder he was so calm about the previous incident, not angry at all. The disciple of a great master is indeed different.¡±

    ¡°By the way, are you really going to Pearl City alone in a few days? Don¡¯t you need me to apany you?¡± Luo Mingtao asked. In fact, he had quite a lot of his own business to attend to.

    ¡°No need. You handle your affairs. I¡¯ll go with the Thousand Steeds Association¡¯s merchant group. From Thousand Feather City to Pearl City, there¡¯s not much danger along the way,¡± the ck-robed person exined.

    ¡°That¡¯s not necessarily true. Night Lord¡¯s rebellion hasn¡¯t beenpletely resolved. The Eastern Kingdom¡¯s territory might not be absolutely safe,¡± Luo Mingtao said with some worry.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Most of Night Lord¡¯s 99 Demons have been killed or injured, and the rest have all gone into hiding,¡± the ck-robed person was quite well-informed.

    Luo Mingtao nodded, ¡°Alright then. After all, you have the strength of the ninth stage of Soul Control Realm, half a step into the Profound Realm.¡±

    The ck-robed person before him was slightly inferior to Cheng Lu, but not by much.

    Walking out of the Thousand Luo Herb Shop, Zhanyue¡¯s palms were a bit sweaty. One lie needs more lies to cover it up. However, he looked at the prayer beads on his wrist, ¡°Old monk, I hope you didn¡¯t deceive me, and that person really is an eighth-grade alchemist. It¡¯s alright for me to borrow his name for now, right?¡± Thinking of something, Zhanyue turned back and supplemented some herbs.

    In the basement of the small courtyard, Zhanyue first refined a batch of third-grade Wind Sprint Pills ording to the ancient method, then refined another batch using the improved method given by the ck-robed person. The first time he produced six pills, while the second time he got a full ten pills. Moreover, the pills from the second batch were obviously rounder and smoother, with stronger spiritual energy fluctuations.

    ¡°It really has improved a lot. I underestimated the heroes of the world,¡± Zhanyue sighed. He had obtained an ancient pill form. This form had been passed down for so many years, and generations of geniuses had improved it. The improved effect was indeed better.

    ¡°If human civilization hadn¡¯t been interrupted, and many inheritances had been preserved, how strong would the human race be now?¡± Looking at these improved Wind Sprint Pills, Zhanyue couldn¡¯t help but think.

    ¡°Pack up and go to Pearl City. I should also consider materials for fourth-grade pills. I heard that woman (Qing Luo) say they have a merchant group heading to Pearl. I¡¯ll go with them, so the journey won¡¯t be lonely,¡± Zhanyue made his n.

 Chapter 50

    Chapter 50

    The merchant group consisted of about thirty people, with over twenty of them being ordinary people without cultivation. Among the eight guards, six were at Spirit Communication Realm, and two at Soul Control Realm. This configuration was actually quite formidable, as the goods this time were quite valuable. Back then, Cheng Lu, who was responsible for escorting illumination Stones, was only at the ninth stage of Soul Control Realm. Profound Beings above Soul Control Realm were notmon.

    Profound Beings, in Sun City, were at the level of generals. Ordinary people lived to a hundred, while Profound Beings lived to five hundred. This five-fold difference was equivalent to two different species. The vast majority of people couldn¡¯t enter the Profound Realm in their lifetime. For alchemists, fourth grade was a hurdle, while fifth grade held an extremely high status. The fundamental reason was that fifth-grade alchemists could refine fifth-grade Profound Entering Pills, which could increase the chances of entering the Profound Realm, making them very precious.

    Zhanyue rode a fine horse, following the merchant group. He quickly discovered that the ck-robed person from before was also in the merchant group. The ck-robed person also noticed Zhanyue, and kicked their horse toe before Zhanyue.

    ¡°Young Master Zhan, we meet again,¡± the ck-robed person said in a hoarse voice.

    ¡°Greetings, senior. The Wind Sprint Pills improved with your guidancest time were indeed effective,¡± Zhanyue said politely, though he was curious why Steward Luo didn¡¯t seem to havee along.

    The ck-robed person nodded, asking, ¡°You¡¯re also nning to attend the auction in Pearl City, right?¡±

    Zhanyue didn¡¯t conceal it and nodded, ¡°I need to prepare for bing a fourth-grade alchemist. It¡¯s better to collect materials in advance. By the way, senior, what kind of city is Pearl City?¡±

    The ck-robed person didn¡¯t expect Zhanyue to ask this but patiently exined, ¡°Pearl City is located in the southeast of the Eastern Kingdom, built by the sea. It¡¯s the most important port city in the Eastern Kingdom, very prosperous. If the imperial capital is the political center of the Eastern Kingdom, and the Academy Town is the cultural center, then Pearl City is the trade center.¡±

    Zhanyue nodded. No wonder such arge-scale auction would be held in Pearl City. Thend route from Thousand Feather City to Pearl City was very smooth, with many inns along the way. Originally, this journey should have been very safe, but Zhanyue felt a vague unease in his heart, as if being watched by tigers and wolves.

    ¡°What mountain is that ahead?¡± Zhanyue saw a series of majestic peaks in front, with such a continuous mountain range on the vast open in.

    ¡°It¡¯s the Celestial God Mountain Range. We won¡¯t go through it, just skirt around the foothills. Legend has it that this mountain range wasn¡¯t naturally formed, but was moved here. Of course, this is just a legend, I¡¯m not sure. But it¡¯s really strange to have such magnificent mountains suddenly appearing on the in,¡± the ck-robed person exined.

    ¡°Moved here?¡± Zhanyue drew in a sharp breath. What kind of divine being could move mountains? When he had timeter, he should visit this Celestial God Mountain Range. He might discover some ruins there.

    As the saying goes, ¡°The mountain seems near but takes forever to reach.¡± They walked from early morning to afternoon before reaching the foothills. They didn¡¯t need to climb the mountain; the official road went around the mountain range and was quite spacious. Although the road was wide, the terrain was very treacherous, with high mountains on the left and cliffs on the right, with a rushing river below the cliffs. However, people in this world weren¡¯t afraid of cliffs. The danger was only for ordinary people.

    ¡°Once we follow this river out of here, we¡¯ll reach Wangshan Inn. We can rest well there today,¡± the ck-robed person exined. Everyone still adhered to the principle of not staying overnight in the wild.

    The majestic mountains nearby were very quiet. Only the sound of horse hooves could be heard on the road. Zhanyue frowned; that feeling of being watched became more obvious.

    A horse neigh echoed in the valley below. The lead carriage stopped, and those behind also stopped. Five tall horses were blocking the group¡¯s path. On these huge horses sat five muscr men, each bare-armed and wearing a conical hat, their eyes fierce.

    ¡°The Five Horses of Dongye? How did they wander here?¡± The ck-robed person¡¯s eyes showed worry.

    ¡°Hm? Are there still bandits blocking roads now?¡± Zhanyue asked puzzled.

    ¡°Of course there are, just not many. During Night Lord¡¯s rebellion, Night Lord and his 99 Demons attacked various prisons, releasing arge number of prisoners from the Eastern Kingdom and Rising Sun Kingdom. These prisoners surrendered to Night Lord¡¯s forces and then caused trouble everywhere, robbing and killing,mitting all kinds of evil. The Eastern Kingdom has cracked down many times, but they always flee far away after each crime, making them hard to trace. After Night Lord disappeared and most of the 99 Demons were killed, they all went into hiding. I didn¡¯t expect these Five Horses of Dongye to dare show up,¡± the ck-robed person exined.

    ¡°Are the Five Horses of Dongye part of the 99 Demons?¡± Zhanyue asked, shocked.

    ¡°No, they¡¯re not. The 99 Demons refer to the 99 Profound Beings under Night Lord. These five are probably just subordinates of the 99 Demons. If they were five Profound Beings, we might as well kill ourselves now. They¡¯re probably very cunning now, not daring to cause trouble themselves, but sending their pawns out to annoy people. The Five Horses of Dongye were five bandits active outside Dongye City. They had all been caught and were about to be executed when they were rescued. I didn¡¯t expect them to have wandered here now,¡± the ck-robed person said. ¡°These five are quite powerful. We should try to escapeter. Once we reach Wangshan Inn, we¡¯ll be safe.¡±

    Zhanyue looked at the ck-robed person speechlessly. This ck-robed person seemed quite strong, yet was already thinking about running.

    The ck-robed person felt uneasy under Zhanyue¡¯s gaze and exined with a red face, ¡°Although I¡¯m at the ninth stage of Soul Control Realm, I¡¯ve hardly ever fought. I¡¯ve focused solely on alchemy and am not good at martialbat, so I can¡¯t be of much help.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± Zhanyue nodded slightly. No wonder they were thinking about running before even fighting. It seems they really couldn¡¯t fight.

    The person in charge of the merchant group, also an expert at the sixth stage of Soul Control Realm, a plump man in a flowery robe, stepped forward and cupped his hands to the five men, saying, ¡°Gentlemen, please ept this toll fee. We understand the rules.¡± The fat man in the flowery robe threw a package to the man in the center of the five.

    The man took the package without even looking at it and asked in return, ¡°Are you people from the Thousand Steeds Association?¡±

    ¡°We are,¡± the fat man in the flowery robe wasn¡¯t afraid. The Thousand Steeds Association was a life-saving brand.

    ¡°That¡¯s right then. The chairman of the Thousand Steeds Association once publicly insulted His Majesty Night Lord. We¡¯ve been ordered to kill all Thousand Steeds Association people without exception!¡± the manughed loudly.

    ¡°This¡­!¡± The fat man in the flowery robe immediately lost hisposure upon hearing this. These five men were notorious, all experts at the Soul Control Realm. The strongest leader was already at the ninth stage of Soul Control Realm.

    ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re so bold,¡± the guards hurried forward, but facing these five fierce men, the eight guards were somewhat intimidated.

    ¡°Brothers, kill all the men, take the women up the mountain. This Celestial God Mountain Range is deep and dense. Those mediocre soldiers and generals of the Eastern Kingdom won¡¯t be able to find us,¡± the leader gave the order and was about to start ughtering the merchant group.

    ¡°These five are all deserving of death. No one will hold me responsible if I kill them, right?¡± Zhanyue asked the ck-robed person beside him. His right hand was already quietly gathering mes.

    ¡°What are you trying to do? We¡¯re no match for them. It¡¯s better to run away early,¡± the ck-robed person said. They had already taken several enhancement pills, ready to flee at any moment.

    ¡°Where did this thiefe from? With a senior here, how dare you act recklessly!¡± Zhanyue suddenly shouted loudly. With his shout, the Five Horses¡¯ attention was indeed drawn over.

    ¡°Oh? There¡¯s actually a high-level expert hidden in the merchant group. Second Brother,e with me to kill this Soul Control Realm ninth stage expert first,¡± the leader and the second brother rushed towards the ck-robed person on their fast horses.

    ¡°You¡­¡± The ck-robed person looked at Zhanyue with fury.

    ¡°Senior, hold these two off for a few breaths. I¡¯ll deal with the others and thene help you. This is the method with the least casualties,¡± Zhanyue said, avoiding them and moving to the front. The two on horseback naturally didn¡¯t take Zhanyue, at the sixth stage of Spirit Communication Realm, seriously, and all went towards the ck-robed person.

    ¡°Damn it!¡± The ck-robed person gritted their teeth, then took out a handful of pills and threw them at the two men. Purple smoke exploded, and when the two emerged from the purple smoke, their horses had already fallen to the ground, whinnying.

    Affected by this purple smoke, the two men felt unbearably itchy, momentarily losing the desire to attack, stopping to circte their energy to expel the poison from their bodies. While the ck-robed person held off the two strongest, Zhanyue joined the battlefield at the front, where the guards were already fighting with the remaining three horses.

    A figure ghostly disappeared and ghostly reappeared behind one person. That person had already dismounted, holding a bone flute in his hand. This was his contract object, with sound attacks effective over arge area.

    Zhanyue, who had been burrowing underground, suddenly appeared behind that person. The longpressed mes in his hand shot out like a rocket, instantly piercing through the person¡¯s heart from the back. The flute yer fell down with a look of iprehension. He still had so many techniques unused, how could he die so carelessly?

    ¡°One!¡± Zhanyue said calmly. It was the first time he had killed someone with clear consciousness. The blood in his body was somewhat boiling. He seemed like a born cold-blooded killer, without any fear.

    ¡°Fifth Brother!¡± The two nearby were greatly shocked to see their fifth brother killed. They forcibly fought off the surrounding guards and rushed towards Zhanyue, determined to avenge their brother. One of them had contracted a kitchen knife, extremely sharp, while the other had a sickle, very fast. Before bing contractors, they were just ordinary vigers.

    The two attacked Zhanyue from left and right, but no matter how they shed, they couldn¡¯t harm Zhanyue at all. To others, it looked as if the two were seeing things and shing wildly, not actually aiming at Zhanyue at all.

    ¡°The Phantom Light Step is so powerful. It¡¯s good I killed that flute yer instantly. Hisrge-area attacks would have been hard for me to dodge,¡± Zhanyue thought as he moved. While dodging, he finally counterattacked, condensing fire into a sword in his hand. He burrowed underground and appeared behind one person. This sword strike was narrowly avoided by that person, but still injured his kidney.

    ¡°Third Brother, be careful. This person can teleport,¡± the severely injured man immediately retreated, protected by his third brother.

    The sneak attack failed, and Zhanyue sighed. The Phantom Form Sword Technique was used for the first time in front of others. The third brother saw Zhanyue thrusting towards his head and hurriedly turned his head aside, only to see the fire sword pierce through his heart.

    ¡°What¡­ what¡¯s going on?¡± This was his biggest question before death. How could they know the profundity of a gold-grade martial technique?

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll leave this kidney-injured one to you,¡± Zhanyue immediately ran towards the ck-robed person. The remaining guards looked at each other in bewilderment but quickly reacted, swarming the injured man.

    ¡°You two fools, don¡¯t you know who¡¯s the strongest here? Look back at your three brothers,¡± the ck-robed person taunted the two men constantly approaching. Having taken pills, their speed and reactions were very fast, without any injuries.

    The two looked back to see their fourth brother surrounded and hacked to death by the guards, while the third and fifth brothers had long since fallen to the ground.

    ¡°Fourth Brother!¡± The two were enraged and abandoned the ck-robed person to rush back. On the way, a pair of hands suddenly stretched out from the ground, grabbing their feet. The two stumbled unexpectedly.

 Chapter 51

    Chapter 51

    The two who had been tripped were experienced killers. They simultaneously used their hands to touch the ground, spinning their bodies and standing up in one rotation. The leader of the Five Horses of Dongye held a steel trident, while the second brother held a rope with a sharp dagger tied to one end.

    ¡°ying tricks, you little thief,e out!¡± the leader shouted angrily, constantly stabbing his steel trident into the ground. He could feel the threating from underground.

    Both the leader and second brother were at the ninth stage of Soul Control Realm, experts at the doorstep of the Profound Realm. Zhanyue didn¡¯t dare to be careless. Although his methods were formidable, he was still only at the sixth stage of Spirit Communication Realm, a whole major realm behind.

    Fortunately, the Five Horses of Dongye¡¯s battle techniques were ordinary, and their experience limited. Zhanyue had killed three of them in advance; otherwise, the coordinated efforts of all five would have been more than the current Zhanyue could handle.

    ¡°Big Brother, be careful!¡± the second brother warned.

    Zhanyue appeared ghostly behind the leader, but the leader didn¡¯t even turn his head, just thrusting his trident backwards at Zhanyue. This back thrust wasn¡¯t effective, easily dodged by Zhanyue.

    ¡°me King st!¡± Zhanyue¡¯s fist pressed against the leader¡¯s back, terrifying mes instantly gushing out. The leader was directly sted away, arge area of his back burned. But he wasn¡¯t pierced through like the fifth brother had been.

    ¡°Ordinary mes are indeed limited in power,¡± Zhanyue frowned. The ninth stage of Soul Control Realm was equivalent to Cheng Lu¡¯s level, not so easy to kill.

    ¡°You little thief! Stop killing my Big Brother!¡± The second brother¡¯s rope moved like a nimble snake, flying towards Zhanyue. Zhanyue dodged the dagger at the rope¡¯s end, but the rope unexpectedly curved, seemingly trying to bind him. ¡°Is the contract object this rope?¡± Zhanyue hurriedly burrowed underground, and the rope bound empty air.

    ¡°Big Brother, how are you?¡± The second brother flew over to support his brother.

    ¡°This kid is tough. Retreat is our best option,¡± the two had the intention to flee, no longer remembering to avenge their brothers.

    ¡°Trying to run?¡± Zhanyue darted out again.

    ¡°Damn it, he¡¯s like a persistent ghost. Let¡¯s fight him to the death,¡± the two charged from left and right. They couldn¡¯t easily escape without defeating Zhanyue.

    However, the ck-robed person who had been watching finally moved. They threw a handful of pills towards the three, which exploded, spreading red smoke and dust. Zhanyue burrowed underground to avoid it, inwardly cursing how even his own side was ying tricks.

    When the smoke cleared, the two men were bleeding from their seven orifices, their limbs numb and weak.

    Zhanyue was greatly shocked. He didn¡¯t know pills could be used this way. The ck-robed person truly couldn¡¯t fight, but that didn¡¯t mean they werepletely helpless.

    ¡°Why are you staring at me? The drug effects will wear off quickly. Hurry up and kill them,¡± the ck-robed person said irritably to Zhanyue.

    Zhanyue attacked again, killing the two in just a few moves. The two, poisoned by the pills, had their strength greatly reduced.

    ¡°If you¡¯re this powerful, why did you think about running? There are so many people here, yet you thought about selling them out?¡± Zhanyue said to the ck-robed person, speechless.

    ¡°What do you know! There were five of them, and I¡¯m just one person. The pill poison might not hit all of them at once. If even one escaped, I¡¯d be in danger. How was I to know you were so formidable? Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t have suggested running,¡± the ck-robed person red at Zhanyue, their eyes still full of deep meaning.

    ¡°By the way, how are you so powerful? A Spirit Communication Realm killing the Five Horses of Dongye. You¡¯re even an alchemist. Dual cultivation in alchemy and martial arts isn¡¯t rare, but killing across realms is a bit much, isn¡¯t it?¡± the ck-robed person asked curiously.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t just my achievement. If those five had set up a formation and coordinated with each other, I couldn¡¯t have been a match for them together. You also contributed a lot,¡± Zhanyue said honestly.

    ¡°Hmph!¡± The ck-robed person naturally understood. Zhanyue had deliberately exposed their existence, attracting the two strongest, then quickly killed the other three, and finally eliminated the two strongest together with them. Toplete such a n in such a short time, and to instantly kill three Soul Control Realm experts like ughtering chickens, this person¡¯s battle talent andbat wisdom were too strong.

    ¡°Th-thank you both for your righteous intervention,¡± the merchant group¡¯s leader came over, hurriedly thanking the two.

    ¡°Are the brothers alright?¡± Zhanyue asked. Zhanyue chose to intervene mainly to temper his strength through life-and-death battles. He was confident that even if he couldn¡¯t win, he could run away, not to mention he still had a bunch of trump cards unused.

    ¡°A few were seriously injured by that sound attack, but their lives aren¡¯t in danger. If not for you two, I¡¯m afraid our entire group would have perished here. We didn¡¯t expect to encounter Night Lord¡¯s people robbing on the road,¡± the leader said, still in shock. They had narrowly escaped death. Although he didn¡¯t know the identities of these two traveling with the group, they both had some connection with the Thousand Steeds merchant group. Especially this young man in front of him, who was only at Spirit Communication Realm but performed like an invincible Profound Realm expert, opening his eyes. He wondered which family or academy this super genius came from to gain experience.

    ¡°Stop wasting time, hurry up. We can talk when we reach Wangshan Inn. Who knows if there are other dangers,¡± the ck-robed person reminded. ¡°Remember to leave a few people to burn these corpses, to prevent Nightmares from possessing them.¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes,¡± the leader immediately nodded. The merchant group moved at a faster pace, encountering no dangers along the way, and safely reached Wangshan Inn.

    Night fell. Wangshan Inn was still brightly lit under the protection of the grand formation. Zhanyue had a room to himself and was peacefully sitting cross-legged cultivating when he was interrupted by a knock on the door.

    ¡°Come in,¡± Zhanyue wondered who woulde looking for him sote.

    The one who entered was naturally the ck-robed person, still dressed as they were during the day, in a loose ck robe covering everything, with a mask and hood, their appearance and figure unclear. They spoke in a hoarse voice, ¡°Today¡¯s events reminded me that this world is far less safe than imagined, and I¡¯m not good at fighting.¡±

    Zhanyue looked puzzled: ¡°What exactly do you want to say, senior? Just get to the point.¡±

    The ck-robed person nodded, ¡°I want to hire you to protect me, from now until I board the ship for a long voyage in Pearl City, about ten days or so.¡± It seemed like a joke for a ninth stage Soul Control Realm expert to hire a sixth stage Spirit Communication Realm as a bodyguard, but both Zhanyue and the ck-robed person were seriously considering it.

    ¡°As payment, I can give you a fourth-grade pill form and the materials to refine fourth-grade pills. It won¡¯t be easy for you to gather these materials,¡± the ck-robed person said, taking out a fourth-grade pill form, which was for the fourth-grade Blood Mist Pill. ¡°You saw the effects of this pill today. Those below Profound Realm who touch it will be briefly poisoned, greatly reducing their strength.¡±

    ¡°Is it that pill?¡± Zhanyue¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Both the form and the corresponding materials are the payment?¡±

    ¡°Hmph, I naturally keep my word. I¡¯ll give you these few herbs first, and I¡¯ll give you the form when it¡¯s over,¡± the ck-robed person handed over a package of herbs.

    ¡°Uh, you¡¯re giving this to me just like that? Aren¡¯t you afraid I¡¯ll run off with the herbs?¡± Zhanyue asked suspiciously.

    The ck-robed person sneered, ¡°The form for fourth-grade Blood Mist Pills isn¡¯t easy to find. If you run, you might not get another chance. Those herbs might not be useful for refining other fourth-grade pills. I¡¯m sincere in this transaction.¡±

    Zhanyue thought for a moment, then nodded, ¡°Alright, I agree.¡±

    Hearing this, the ck-robed person breathed a sigh of relief. With Zhanyue as a guard, they would naturally be much safer.

    ¡°You can sleep here tonight,¡± Zhanyue said casually, then closed his eyes to cultivate.

    ¡°N-no, Wangshan Inn is still safe. I¡¯ll go back to my own room,¡± the ck-robed person said and walked out. They hadn¡¯t expected Zhanyue to be so responsible, thinking about close protection as soon as the deal started.

    After the ck-robed person left, Zhanyue said to himself, ¡°This ck-robed person is truly mysterious. Their alchemy experience far surpasses mine. Following them, I should be able to learn something.¡±

    ¡°Mysterious? In the middle of the night, you really have some nerve to let a young girl sleep in your room,¡± the illumination Goddess said in a somewhat unfriendly tone.

    ¡°Young girl? What young girl?¡± Zhanyue was stunned, then asked in surprise, ¡°Sister, you don¡¯t mean that ck-robed person, do you? They¡¯re a young girl? I¡¯ve been calling them ¡®senior¡¯ all along.¡±

    ¡°Uh, you didn¡¯t realize? I thought you had figured out her identity and that¡¯s why you agreed to be a close guard,¡± the illumination Goddess said, speechless.

    ¡°It¡¯s really a young girl? I was just interested in that fourth-grade pill form. Sister, you¡¯re making me sound like a lecher,¡± Zhanyue was equally speechless.

    ¡°You¡¯d better not be,¡± the illumination Goddess said meaningfully. She still remembered the moment when Zhanyue had taken advantage of her, staring for quite a while.

    ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about this. Sister, how was my performance in today¡¯s battle?¡± Zhanyue quickly sought praise.

    ¡°It was okay. You were quite clever. If all five had surrounded you head-on, the one with the flute and the one with the rope would have caused you huge trouble. The Phantom Light Step isn¡¯t invincible; area attacks can break it, and binding attacks also have a suppressive effect. You were able to immediately judge who posed the greatest threat to you, and then go all out to kill them instantly, which was the best decision. But you also relied on your earth burrowing technique. Otherwise, it wouldn¡¯t have been so easy to kill across realms. In future face-to-face battles, you should use the earth burrowing technique less. Don¡¯t develop it into abat habit. There are many methods in this world that can break your earth burrowing technique. When that day reallyes, if you rely too much on it, it will be your biggest weakness,¡± the illumination Goddess said.

    Zhanyue nodded, firmly remembering. The earth burrowing technique was very mysterious and had miraculous effects in battle, but if he relied on it too much, wouldn¡¯t he be at a great disadvantage when encountering someone who could counter it? So he couldn¡¯t think about using the earth burrowing technique to solve every battle.

    As the sun rose, the merchant group set out again. Zhanyue rode his horse next to the ck-robed person, but his gaze towards them was somewhat different now.

    ¡°This person is really a woman? And very young? How is the voice disguised? What exactly is her identity, why does she have such rich alchemy experience at such a young age?¡± Many questions arose in Zhanyue¡¯s mind.

    The ck-robed person felt very ufortable being stared at by Zhanyue. ¡°Although I¡¯ve asked you to protect me, you don¡¯t need to stare at me all the time, do you? Isn¡¯t the situation around us more important?¡±

    Zhanyue withdrew his gaze. Since this ck-robed person was willing to hide, they must have their reasons. Why should he expose them? He was just doing a job for money after all.

    Five dayster, the group finally reached their destination ¨C Pearl City.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, the auction officially starts the day after tomorrow,¡± the ck-robed person and Zhanyue separated from the group, walking towards the depths of Pearl City.

 Chapter 52

    Chapter 52

    As the economic center of the Eastern Kingdom and itsrgest seaport trade city, Pearl City was much more prosperous than Sun City. Bustling crowds moved through theplexwork of alleys, the streets were filled with vehicles and horses, and merchants were constantlying and going.

    People from the Eastern Kingdom, Rising Sun Kingdom, zing Earth Kingdom, and even from the distant Rain Falls Kingdom came here for tourism and trade. Various civilizations¡¯ clothing styles were strange and diverse, with rows of small but distinctive shops lining both sides of the streets. A dazzling array of goods was disyed in shop windows, with colorful silks, fragrant spices, and precious gems attracting many people¡¯s attention. Vendorspeted to sell their wares, with noisy hawking and bargaining voices filling the entire district. Even the simple act of window shopping was enough to make one linger and forget to leave.

    As a port city, a huge statue of the Goddess stood quietly on the sea, watching over everything. Theing and going of passenger and merchant ships densely covered the sea surface like Schools of fish on patrol.

    ¡°How is it? Pearl City is very lively, isn¡¯t it?¡± the ck-robed person asked, looking at Zhanyue.

    Zhanyue nodded, ¡°It¡¯s much more lively than I imagined. There are many faces and clothing styles I¡¯ve never seen before.¡±

    ¡°Pearl City is the Eastern Kingdom¡¯s most important port city. It¡¯s a mix of all sorts of people here. Beneath the prosperous surface, undercurrents are surging. The city lords of other cities are usually powerful Profound Beings, but the one presiding over Pearl City is a powerful Spirit God Realm expert ¨C Sea Suppressing King Mi Tianwei. He¡¯s the Eastern Kingdom Emperor¡¯s uncle, showing how much importance the Eastern Kingdom ces on this ce. So don¡¯t cause any trouble in the city,¡± the ck-robed person warned.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go. Our purpose here is the auction, not tourism,¡± the two quickly passed through the crowd and checked into a luxurious inn. For some reason, the ck-robed person didn¡¯t step out at all.

    ¡°Is this auction organized by the Thousand Steeds Association?¡± Zhanyue asked curiously.

    ¡°It¡¯s jointly organized by the Thousand Steeds, Wu Wei, and Fu Yuan, the three major associations. The three are evenly matched here, none submitting to the others. In the end, under the Sea Suppressing King¡¯s coordination, they jointly took the rights to hold Pearl City¡¯s only auction. Each of the three puts up some auction items, and they split the proceeds ording to what¡¯s sold. Because it¡¯s an auction held by the three major associations together, the Pearl City auction is thergest auction event within the Eastern Kingdom¡¯s borders. But not every auction has particrly valuable items appearing,¡± the ck-robed person exined. ¡°Then what¡¯s the most valuable item that has appeared at the Pearl auction?¡± Zhanyue asked curiously.

    The ck-robed person said, ¡°It¡¯s hard to say. The value of items is different for different people. The most valuable things I know of include ninth-grade pills, gold-grade techniques, ancient relics, and so on. I remember that ninth-grade pill sold for the astronomical price of 1 billion purple crystal coins. Just one pill for such a price. It¡¯s a pity there are no ninth-grade alchemists in the world, otherwise, they would definitely be the world¡¯s richest person.¡±

    ¡°1 billion?¡± Zhanyue drew in a sharp breath. Ninth-grade pills couldn¡¯t be refined by anyone; they were mostly discovered in ancient ruins. A single pill was actually worth 1 billion. He had a ninth-grade Vajra Pill on him.

    ¡°You should rest well. Our rooms are next to each other. If anything really happens, you cane over quickly,¡± the ck-robed person dismissed him.

    ¡°Alright,¡± Zhanyue didn¡¯t hesitate and returned to his own room, then had the servant prepare hot water for a bath. After many days of travel, a good bath was trulyfortable.

    In the huge wooden tub was warm water, with white flower petals floating on the surface. This type of flower had cleansing and refreshing effects. Soaking in the warm water, Zhanyue felt both body and mind rxed.

    ¡°Comfortable. I¡¯ll askter what these flowers are. I¡¯ll keep some for myself and add them to my baths in the future,¡± Zhanyue¡¯s arms moved around his body, easing the fatigue.

    Just as Zhanyue wasfortably soaking in the bath, a figure suddenly pushed open the window and entered. Zhanyue looked closely and saw it was the ck-robed person.

    ¡°You¡¯re bathing?¡±

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you use the door? Why the window?¡±

    They asked simultaneously.

    ¡°Junior brother, go check next door. I clearly felt that spiritual energy fluctuation,¡± a voice came from outside.

    ¡°There¡¯s no time!¡± The ck-robed person looked around Zhanyue¡¯s room but couldn¡¯t find a suitable hiding ce. Finally, they looked at the huge wooden tub, gritted their teeth, and jumped right in. Then they took a pill underwater and held their breath.

    Soon after, two figures directly broke down the door and barged in.

    The two were dressed identically in tight-fitting green clothes, with short hair, sharp gazes, and imposing auras.

    ¡°Could they be two Profound Realm experts?¡± Zhanyue looked at these two with a chill in his heart. The aura of these two was terrifying; they were likely both Profound Beings.

    ¡°Big brother, there¡¯s no one,¡± the two scanned Zhanyue¡¯s room with their gaze, then both looked at Zhanyue suspiciously. Zhanyue looked at the two with a ¡®panicked¡¯ expression.

    ¡°They must have run far away,¡± that person replied, then said to Zhanyue somewhat apologetically, ¡°Young brother, sorry for the disturbance.¡±

    The two closed the door and left. Although Zhanyue was angry, he was also helpless. Others had forcibly entered his room, but he could do nothing about it.

    The ck-robed person¡¯s head emerged from underwater, but Zhanyue¡¯s expression changed, and he pushed that head back underwater, ignoring the ck-robed person¡¯s struggles and holding them down firmly.

    The ck-robed person hiding underwater felt like they were about to explode with anger. Their entire face was pressed against Zhanyue¡¯s thigh, and he was holding them down firmly. At this moment, they didn¡¯t dare use their power.

    ¡°Bang.¡± The door was forcefully pushed open again. Those two had actually returned.

    ¡°Seniors, is there anything else?¡± Zhanyue looked at the two with a pitiful and innocent expression.

    ¡°No¡­ nothing,¡± the two looked at the empty room, indeed unable to sense the presence of a second person, then left reluctantly.

    After Zhanyue asked the illumination Goddess to use her divine sense to confirm that the two had indeed left, he finally breathed a sigh of relief and released his hand.

    The ck-robed person who emerged from underwater had bloodshot eyes, as if they were about to eat someone. They raised their hand to p, but that delicate jade hand was grabbed by Zhanyue, unable toe down.

    ¡°The situation was critical. You can¡¯t repay kindness with enmity.¡±

    The ck-robed person¡¯s chest heaved violently, taking a long time to calm down before jumping out of the tub. Soaking wet, they could no longer hide their graceful figure. They red fiercely at Zhanyue once, then returned to their own room to change clothes.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go. We can¡¯t stay here anymore. I¡¯m afraid they¡¯lle back,¡± the ck-robed person came to Zhanyue¡¯s room again. By this time, Zhanyue had also dressed.

    Zhanyue didn¡¯t ask much, and the ck-robed person didn¡¯t say much. The two seemed to have tacitly agreed to forget about what had just happened.

    ¡°How did they find you?¡± Zhanyue asked puzzled. The ck-robed person hadn¡¯t stepped out at all, how could they still be found? Could there be some tracking mark?

    ¡°A mark was left in my spirit veins. As long as I use spiritual power, they can sense it within a certain range. Although I try my best to control the spiritual power in my body, sometimes it¡¯s not under control, like when sleeping or other times when there¡¯s involuntary spiritual energy fluctuation,¡± the ck-robed person didn¡¯t conceal this key information, after all, Zhanyue was currently responsible for their safety.

    ¡°Sigh, I realize I¡¯ve gotten onto a pirate ship. I didn¡¯t expect there to be Profound Realm experts chasing you,¡± Zhanyue said with a bitter smile.

    ¡°You¡­ do you want to back out? You can if you want to. After all, this doesn¡¯t concern you,¡± the ck-robed person said withplex emotions. They also didn¡¯t know those people had tracked them to Pearl City.

 Chapter 53

    Chapter 53

    ¡°Since I¡¯ve already agreed to help you, how could I give up halfway? You said there¡¯s a mark nted in your spirit veins, and they can sense any spiritual power fluctuations nearby?¡± Zhanyue asked.

    The ck-robed person, still in their ck robe attire, nodded.

    ¡°Then see if this Vein Sealing Pill would help you,¡± Zhanyue handed the third-grade Vein Sealing Pill he had refined to the ck-robed person.

    ¡°Vein¡­ Sealing Pill?¡± The ck-robed person¡¯s eyes showed some shock. ¡°Wasn¡¯t this pill form lost? Where did you find it?¡± The Vein Sealing Pill could seal spirit veins, effective on those below the Profound Realm. Originally a method to restrict people, it could now help the ck-robed person. As long as they took this pill, they would be no different from ordinary people, and those people wouldn¡¯t be able to track them.

    Looking at this bottle of Vein Sealing Pills, they were somewhat conflicted. If they took it, the spiritual power fluctuations would indeed disappear, but they would also truly have no means of self-protection. If the person in front of them wanted to do something, they would bepletely unable to resist.

    After thinking for a moment, the ck-robed person took the Vein Sealing Pill and then took a ck pill.

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Zhanyue asked with a frown. That ck pill gave a very ominous feeling.

    ¡°Fourth-grade ck Water Pill, extremely poisonous,¡± the ck-robed person said. ¡°Without activation, it will slowly be digested by the body, harmless. But when activated, it turns into a deadly poison, causing instant death. Even if I¡¯ve taken the Vein Sealing Pill, I can still forcibly activate it without problem.¡±

    Zhanyue looked at the ck-robed person speechlessly. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen anyone feed themselves poison. Do you distrust me that much?¡± Zhanyue naturally understood the ck-robed person¡¯s thoughts. Now that Zhanyue knew they were female, if Zhanyue had any intentions towards her, she would activate the poison pill inside her body tomit suicide and preserve her chastity. ¡°Fine, you¡¯re really a ruthless person,¡± Zhanyue sighed helplessly. After all, they hadn¡¯t known each other for long, so it was understandable that she couldn¡¯t fully trust him.

    ¡°I¡¯m curious, how beautiful are you that you think I might have designs on you if I see your appearance?¡± Zhanyue said unhappily. Did he really look like a lecher? Was it necessary to guard against him so much?

    The ck-robed person didn¡¯t answer this question, only saying, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. But now I¡¯mpletely an ordinary person. My safety will entirely depend on you from now on.¡±

    After taking the Vein Sealing Pill, the ck-robed person was no different from ordinary people. Even standing in front of those two Profound Beings, they wouldn¡¯t sense any fluctuations, so she could move freely.

    ¡°Fine, after all, we¡¯re in a fair transaction. Just give me the promised reward when the timees. By the way, I should at least know your name, right? I can¡¯t keep calling you ¡®senior¡¯. What if you¡¯re even younger than me?¡± Zhanyue said.

    The ck-robed person thought for a moment, then said, ¡°My name is Baizhi. As for age, I should be younger than you. But it¡¯s better if you don¡¯t call my name outside. It wouldn¡¯t be good if they heard it.¡±

    ¡°Baizhi? I¡¯ve heard that the Thousand Charms Empire has four great alchemy families: Bai, Huang, Zhu, and Lan. Are you from the Bai family?¡± Zhanyue immediately thought, after all, this girl¡¯s insights into alchemy were truly extraordinary.

    The ck-robed person didn¡¯t respond, nor did she deny it. At this moment, the two had only changed to two different rooms, still in the same inn. After all, the most dangerous ce is often the safest ce. Those two Profound Beings probably wouldn¡¯t think that Baizhi hadn¡¯t run away, and with the Vein Sealing Pill¡¯s protection, they wouldn¡¯t be able to sense any aura.

    As night fell, the ck-robed person knocked on Zhanyue¡¯s door, hugging a pillow and nket.

    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Zhanyue looked suspiciously at the ck-robed person standing at the door.

    ¡°Can I sleep in your room? I¡¯ll sleep on the floor,¡± the ck-robed person asked.

    Zhanyue thought for a moment, then nodded and invited the ck-robed person in. ¡°After what happened today, could this girl be scared? But also, her spirit veins are sealed now, she¡¯s just an ordinary person.¡±

    Zhanyue curiously looked at the ck-robed person, making her feel uneasy. ¡°You gave yourself a poison pill, and now you¡¯re running into my room in the middle of the night. Do you trust me or not?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know either,¡± Baizhi was conflicted in her heart, but now it seemed she could only rely on this person she hadn¡¯t known for long.

    ¡°You¡¯re not running away from an arranged marriage, are you?¡± Zhanyue gossiped. This kind of plot was toomon in novels.

    ¡°Huh?¡± Baizhi was slightly stunned, then said, ¡°Yes¡­ and no. Anyway, things are veryplicated. It¡¯s better if you don¡¯t know too much. It¡¯s not good for you.¡±

    ¡°Alright, you rest well,¡± Zhanyue didn¡¯t say more, but turned off the lights and closed his eyes to rest. He didn¡¯t dare sleep too deeply. In the deep of night, Zhanyue actually heard faint sobbing. ¡°This girl, is she crying?¡± For a moment, Zhanyue felt somewhat heartbroken, as if she truly had no one to rely on.

    ¡°Hey, stop crying. You¡¯re making me irritated, as if I¡¯ve bullied you,¡± Zhanyue persuaded.

    ¡°No¡­ I¡¯m not crying,¡± Baizhi covered her head, her inner sorrow intensifying. As the most outstanding young member of the Bai family, although she lost her mother at a young age, she had grown up in luxury and never suffered any grievances. But since her grandfather and father disappeared, everything changed. In the world, it seemed there was no one to rely on.

    Her voice now was unlike the hoarse one before, but a clear female voice. She had forgotten to disguise it.

    ¡°Sigh,¡± Zhanyue sat up, not knowing how tofort this person.

    ¡°You¡¯re already a fourth-grade alchemist at such a young age, and your understanding of alchemy is exceptionally profound. Isn¡¯t your talent good enough? Why are you being forced to flee in hiding?¡± Zhanyue couldn¡¯t understand. Such a prodigy would be a treasured pearl in any family, cherished and never allowed to suffer any grievances.

    ¡°What¡¯s so great about being a fourth-grade alchemist? What¡¯s so great about talent? My value is nothing more than a pill form,¡± Baizhi said somewhat aggrieved. ¡°Don¡¯t ask anymore. I don¡¯t want to talk about them.¡±

    Zhanyue knew that he probably hadn¡¯t gained this girl¡¯s trust yet, and she was still unwilling to tell him many things. He couldn¡¯t force it.

    Without touring the prosperous Pearl City, the two silently waited in the room until the day of the auction.

    Baizhi led Zhanyue into the auction venue, which was already packed with people. Below were rows of seats, while the second floor had independent VIP rooms. Somehow Baizhi had obtained VIP cards, so the two sat in a VIP room.

    ¡°It¡¯s those two Profound Beings!¡± Zhanyue actually discovered the two from that day in the seats below. They hade too. Perhaps due to hasty preparation, the two hadn¡¯t obtained VIP cards and, as Profound Beings, were sitting in the ordinary seats. But they didn¡¯t seem to mind.

    Baizhi¡¯s breathing became somewhat rapid. She thought it was fortunate that Zhanyue had given her the Vein Sealing Pill, otherwise she might have been discovered by the two at the auction, and everything would have been ruined. Luckily, she was now in a VIP room, very safe.

    ¡°Nothing? Completely no trace of her aura,¡± the two Profound Beings discussed below.

    ¡°How can there be nothing? ording to our investigation along the way, she seemed very interested in this auction, although we don¡¯t know what item she wants,¡± the other asked.

    ¡°Could it be that our actions a few days ago scared her, making her give up on this auction?¡±

    ¡°Possible. It¡¯s really damned. If we hadn¡¯t been so impulsive that day, it would have been better. We clearly sensed she was in that building.¡±

    ¡°We checked all the rooms in that building, no one. Thinking about it, the only ce that could hide a person was in that man¡¯s bathtub, but how could that be possible? The young miss couldn¡¯t bear such humiliation, hiding in a man¡¯s bathtub. It would probably be worse than killing her.¡±

    ¡°Better to kill wrongly than let someone escape. Why didn¡¯t you say so at the time? What if she really was hiding in there?¡± the other said unwillingly.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ve memorized that man¡¯s appearance. I can recognize him at a nce next time we see him. Then we can thoroughly interrogate him.¡±

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s just watch the auction. I heard there¡¯s an eighth-grade pill as the finale this time.¡±

    ¡°An eighth-grade pill, ah. It¡¯s a pity our Bai family doesn¡¯t have an eighth-grade alchemist. So we must find the young miss and bring her back. This time she has no choice. It¡¯s about whether our Bai family can produce an eighth-grade alchemist andpletely surpass the other three families. She¡¯s too willful,¡± the other said. Eighth-grade alchemists were already the ceiling for alchemists in this world. There were only four known eighth-grade alchemists in the whole world. Even the patriarchs and elders of the four great alchemy families were only sixth or seventh-grade alchemists.

    Soon, the noisy voices quieted down. A middle-aged man with exceptional temperament walked onto the auction stage. His appearance meant the auction was officially beginning.

 Chapter 54

    Chapter 54

    The middle-aged man was tall and straight, with an extraordinary temperament. His facial features were clear and defined, with deep contours, revealing a mature and steady charm. His eyes were deep and bright, revealing a hint of wisdom and determination.

    ¡°It¡¯s actually Bing Qianqiu, Steward Bing from the Wu Wei Association,¡± people below whispered.

    ¡°The one hosting the auction this time is actually Bing Qianqiu, an expert at the ninth stage of Moon Profound Realm. One more step and he could be a city lord, bing a high-ranking official,¡± others murmured. Among the hundred cities of the Eastern Kingdom, city lords were generally at the Sun Profound Realm, but some smaller, peripheral cities could have Moon Profound Realm officials. Ninth stage Moon Profound Realm was a high-level figure in any country. However, important cities like Sun City still needed someone like Zhan Yunfei at the peak of ninth stage Sun Profound Realm to keep things under control, while Pearl City even had a Spirit God Realm expert presiding over it.

    ¡°Everyone, wee to this auction. As always, this auction is jointly organized by the Wu Wei, Fu Yuan, and Thousand Steeds Associations. There are quite a few treasures in this auction as well. I hope everyone enjoys themselves,¡± the middle-aged man said, cupping his hands. Then, changing his tone and looking serious, he added, ¡°Without rules, there can be no square. Our auction has always had only one principle ¨C ¡®Regardless of background or strength, the highest bidder wins!¡¯ I hope everyone can give face to our three major associations and refrain from showing off or making things difficult for us during the auction.¡±

    Everyone understood Bing Qianqiu¡¯s words clearly. In many small auctions, people from big factions often appeared, saying things like ¡°This item, I so-and-so want it, whoever dares to bid is my enemy¡± and other threatening words, preventing items from reaching their true price. But the auction here was jointly organized by the world¡¯s three major associations. Even if a Spirit God Realm expert were present, they wouldn¡¯t have the face to say such things. Here, it was just as Bing Qianqiu said: regardless of background or strength, the highest bidder wins.

    ¡°Steward Bing, let¡¯s begin. We all understand the rules. Whoever dares to threaten or bribe, this old man will be the first to object,¡± an old man¡¯s voice came from a VIP room.

    ¡°That old monster is here too? Over 400 years old and only at Sun Profound Realm, he probably has no hope of entering Spirit God Realm in this life. Such people are the most terrifying,¡± people below whispered again. It wasmon knowledge in this world that ordinary people lived to 100, Profound Beings to 500, Spirit God Realm to 1000, and True Realm to 3000. A cultivator over 400 years old just entering Sun Profound Realm would probably die of old age before entering Spirit God Realm. Each minor stage breakthrough after the Profound Realm was very difficult. But Sun Profound Realm was still Sun Profound Realm, and that aura of pressure was chilling.

    ¡°It seems Old Master Gu can¡¯t wait. Then let¡¯s officially begin,¡± Bing Qianqiu pped his hands, and a tall beauty in a red cheongsam walked up carrying a jade tray covered with golden silk. Nothing ordinary could appear at this auction.

    ¡°This first treasure is an illumination Stone,¡± Bing Qianqiu unveiled the golden silk, revealing a transparent illumination Stone. It didn¡¯t look special. ¡°Haha, you all probably don¡¯t know its uniqueness. I can tell you, this is a product of the ¡®Holy Light Sacred Court¡¯, an illumination Stonepressed a hundred times. One is equivalent to a hundred. The value of this item isn¡¯t high, but itsmemorative significance is extraordinary. Starting price is 100 purple crystal coins, each bid must be no less than 100 purple crystal coins,¡± Bing Qianqiu introduced.

    Everyone looked at each other, not saying a word.

    In the VIP room, Zhanyue showed a strange smile and quietly asked Baizhi beside him, ¡°Is this an advertisement from the Holy Light Sacred Court, telling us they¡¯ve developed this kind of illumination Stone?¡±

    Baizhi nodded, ¡°That¡¯s right. The people here are either rich or noble. Selling just one is actually just for advertising effect, letting everyone know the Holy Light Sacred Court has this thing. If there¡¯s arge demand, naturally people will contact the Sacred Court. Otherwise, what¡¯s the point of buying one of these?¡±

    It seems no ce can do without sponsor advertisements.

    ¡°Zhanyue, buy it. I¡¯m quite curious,¡± the illumination Goddess¡¯s divine sense came in his mind.

    ¡°Alright,¡± Zhanyue immediately spoke up: ¡°200 purple crystal coins.¡±

    ¡°300 purple crystal coins!¡±

    ¡°400 purple crystal coins!¡±

    Not many people participated in the bidding. Who cares aboutmemorative significance? They were just bidding for fun, after all it was the first auction item.

    ¡°5000 purple crystal coins once, 5000 purple crystal coins twice, 5000 purple crystal coins thrice, sold!¡±

    In the end, Zhanyue got it for 5000 purple crystal coins. This thing was just a sample; buying inrge quantities wouldn¡¯t be worth so much money. But Zhanyue was just satisfying his sister¡¯s curiosity.

    One advertisement was enough; any more and the audience would start toin. Bing Qianqiu and the others naturally knew this principle.

    ¡°This second auction item is a fragment of a technique manual. It¡¯s said this technique was originally a gold-grade technique, but it¡¯s now iplete. Those confident inpleting the technique, or wanting to seek an opportunity, shouldn¡¯t miss this. Starting price is 100,000 purple crystal coins, each bid must be no less than 10,000,¡± Bing Qianqiu revealed the second auction item. In a real sense, this was actually the first formal auction item.

    ¡°A fragment of a gold-grade technique?¡± Although it was just a fragment, many people were already restless.

    ¡°Sister, this technique, should I bid?¡± Zhanyue naturally knew the illumination Goddess had vast knowledge, so he consulted her opinion. Although he didn¡¯t have much cash, he could use pills for deductionter.

    ¡°How many bargains do you think exist in this world? A fragment is just a fragment. You don¡¯t even know how much is missing. Most people lose their rationality when they hear the words ¡®gold-grade¡¯. It¡¯s probably just buying a few pieces of waste paper. You don¡¯t need to take this risk. After all, you¡¯re not some tycoon now. Save your money for more important things,¡± the illumination Goddess advised.

    Zhanyue¡¯s greatest virtue was that he listened to advice.

    ¡°1.2 million once, 1.2 million twice, 1.2 million thrice! Sold.¡± As Bing Qianqiu¡¯s voice fell, this technique fragment was finally bought by that mysterious Old Master Gu. Many people knew this thing was probably waste paper, but for Old Master Gu, 1.2 million was just a small amount. He was willing to take a gamble. What if, what if it helped his advancement?

    ¡°Tsk tsk, there are still many rich people willing to spend 1.2 million on a fragment,¡± Zhanyue thought to himself. How much were the twoplete gold-grade techniques his sister taught him worth? Probably an astronomical figure.

    Zhanyue looked at Baizhi sitting beside him. That girl¡¯s mind wasn¡¯t on these auction items at all.

    ¡°What exactly are you here to buy?¡± Zhanyue asked curiously.

    ¡°You¡¯ll knowter. Don¡¯t talk now, I¡¯m a bit nervous,¡± Baizhi¡¯s hands were trembling slightly, showing how nervous she was.

    Various alchemy and artifact refining materials, pills, techniques, even ancient books and paintings were disyed one by one. The auction was in full swing, letting Zhanyue see how the rich people of this world spent money.

    Gradually, there weren¡¯t many items left in the auction. Bing Qianqiu cleared his throat, took a sip of tea, and said to everyone.

    ¡°Everyone, there are five treasures left in the auction. These are the highlights of this auction. Get ready and we¡¯ll begin.¡±

    The auction finally entered its climax.

    ¡°This first treasure is a fourth-grade pill form. Everyone is familiar with the Qi Replenishing Pill, right? A fourth-grade pill, effective even for Profound Beings, can regte internal qi and improve bodily functions, making one more enduring in battle. The form for fourth-grade Qi Replenishing Pills isn¡¯t rare, many of your families have it, but this form has improved the refinement of Qi Replenishing Pills, increasing the pill yield by 30% and improving the pill quality. Higher yield, better quality, you all understand. To be honest, if the form¡¯s owner hadn¡¯t insisted on auctioning it, our Wu Wei Association would have snatched it up long ago. Starting price, 1 million purple crystal coins, each bid must be no less than 50,000 purple crystal coins,¡± Bing Qianqiu said.

 Chapter 55

    Chapter 55

    ¡°30% increase in pill yield, higher quality?¡± All families with fourth-grade alchemists were restless. The Qi Replenishing Pill was a very useful pill, greatly beneficial for prolonged battles. Whether for family members¡¯ use or for sale, it was a good choice. Even Profound Beings could use this, and many experts who had just entered the Profound Realm were tempted. Even if they couldn¡¯t refine pills themselves, this would definitely please alchemists.

    The items presented by the three major associations couldn¡¯t possibly be fake, so everyone bid boldly.

    Below, the two Bai Family Profound Beings tracking Baizhi, White Five and White Six, exchanged nces, both somewhat tempted. ¡°Buying this back would be a great achievement, after all, fourth-grade pills are the main market for everyone¡¯s consumption. Higher-grade pills are a bit too expensive.¡±

    Seeing Baizhi trembling even more violently, Zhanyue couldn¡¯t help but put his hand on her shoulder to steady her.

    ¡°Don¡¯t get excited. Is this what you put up for auction?¡± Zhanyue asked curiously.

    Baizhi nodded, ¡°That¡¯s right. I don¡¯t know how much it can sell for. It¡¯s crucial to whether I can buy that thing in the end.¡±

    ¡°Tsk tsk, improving a fourth-grade pill form, how are you so amazing, girl?¡± Zhanyue couldn¡¯t help but praise. With his current alchemy level, he couldn¡¯t even refine fourth-grade pills, let alone improve the form.

    ¡°Three million purple crystal coins!¡±

    ¡°Four million purple crystal coins!¡±¡­

    ¡°Eight million five hundred thousand purple crystal coins!¡±

    In the end, the form was sold for 8.5 million purple crystal coins.

    The form was ultimately bought by an alchemy family, but Baizhi frowned. This item didn¡¯t reach her ideal price.

    ¡°After all, it¡¯s just an improved form, and they¡¯re also worried about the form leaking, causing it to lose value. So 8.5 million is not a small amount,¡± Zhanyueforted. The value of such things depended on whether someone recognized itsmercial value.

    Next, Bing Qianqiu took out a soul jade and introduced to everyone: ¡°Everyone, this is a one-time use soul jade, destroyed after reading. So we don¡¯t know its contents either. You don¡¯t need to worry about its uniqueness; our association guarantees its authenticity and effectiveness. Next to be auctioned is a brand new fourth-grade pill, with the form in this soul jade. The seller has also taken a heavenly oath, guaranteeing this form won¡¯t be sold to others. You can rest assured. In other words, this new form is the only one in the world. After buying it, you¡¯ll have exclusive rights to this fourth-grade pill, with no marketpetition.¡±

    ¡°Come, let¡¯s see this never-before-seen pill, the fourth-grade Flesh and Bone Pill!¡± Bing Qianqiu called a servant. ¡°Sorry for the trouble, your bonus won¡¯t be small this time.¡±

    With that said, under everyone¡¯s breathless gaze, a knife directly cut the person¡¯s arm, deep enough to see bone. Everyone drew in a sharp breath.

    Then Bing Qianqiu took out a small bottle and poured a few sesame-sized red pills into the person¡¯s wound. Soon, the pills merged with the blood, and the wound began to heal. Not long after, the knife wound had automatically healed. Everyone was excited; this was a new type of externally applied pill.

    ¡°How long has it been since a new pill form appeared? Which eighth-grade alchemist¡¯s work is this?¡± The crowd was in an uproar.

    ¡°It might not be newly developed. It could be an ancient form resurfacing,¡± another person spected.

    ¡°I still believe it¡¯s a newly developed fourth-grade pill. After all, most ancient forms were for internal use pills. Externally applied ones are extremely rare. The rise of externally applied pills only happened in the past thousand years. Even now, the highest quality externally applied pills are only seventh-grade,¡± someone else said.

    The poison pill Baizhi used against enemies earlier, the fourth-grade Blood Mist Pill, was also an externally applied pill, just with the opposite effect. That poison pill form was the reward she had promised Zhanyue.

    ¡°Full ownership of the Flesh and Bone Pill form, starting price 3 million purple crystal coins, each bid must be no less than 100,000 purple crystal coins,¡± Bing Qianqiu¡¯s voice fell, but there was silence.

    Many people knew they couldn¡¯t afford it, and those who could were evaluating itsmercial value.

    ¡°Quickly send someone to contact the master. An externally applied healing pill, a miracle drug with such fast effects, who wouldn¡¯t want to keep some? Let the master decide, hopefully it¡¯s not toote,¡± someone immediately arranged to contact their superiors. Bing Qianqiu naturally wouldn¡¯t stop this.

    For such an item, Bing Qianqiu wasn¡¯t in a hurry to hammer it down, letting them prepare well. However, many VIPs had actually received wind of this in advance and came prepared.

    ¡°Is this Flesh and Bone Pill also developed by you?¡± Zhanyue looked at Baizhi as if seeing a ghost.

    Baizhi silently nodded, acknowledging it.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with the Bai Family? Shouldn¡¯t they worship someone like this as an ancestor? How dare they let her run away feeling wronged? What arranged marriage or forced marriage? With such talent, who needs marriage! They should want her to stay in the Bai Family forever,¡± Zhanyue was very confused.

    ¡°These things were all created after I left the Bai Family. They don¡¯t know,¡± Baizhi seemed to see Zhanyue¡¯s confusion and added, ¡°Even if they knew, they still wouldn¡¯t change their minds.¡±

    ¡°Ten million purple crystal coins!¡±

    ¡°Fifteen million purple crystal coins!¡±

    People kept bidding, only slowing down when it reached 20 million purple crystal coins.

    ¡°Thirty million purple crystal coins!¡±

    In the end, the exclusive rights to the Flesh and Bone Pill form were taken by the Lan family from the Thousand Charms Empire. That person¡¯s face was full of smiles; they hade prepared specifically for this item.

    ¡°Wee everyone to patronize our Lan family¡¯s business in the future. We won¡¯t price this Flesh and Bone Pill too high, ensuring everyone can afford it,¡± that person stood up and said to those around.

    ¡°Of the four great families ¨C White, Lan, Zhu, and Huang ¨C the Lan family is the richest, one of the wealthiest families in the Thousand Charms Empire. Seeing it today, it¡¯s indeed so, truly extravagant. However, no matter how powerful the Flesh and Bone Pill is, it¡¯s still only a fourth-grade pill. It can¡¯t heal all wounds, and there are other pills that can substitute for it. Thirty million purple crystal coins is about the limit,¡± someonemented.

    Indeed, 30 million purple crystal coins wasn¡¯t a huge sum for these great families, but this form was still just for a fourth-grade pill.

    ¡°Sigh, it¡¯s a pity I haven¡¯t entered the Profound Realm and can¡¯t refine fifth-grade pills, nor can I improve or develop fifth-grade pill forms,¡± Baizhi said with some regret. Her realm was limiting her ideas. An original fifth-grade pill form might sell for billions,pletely different from the 30 million for a fourth-grade form. Fourth-grade pills were still too small a help for Profound Beings, and most of the world¡¯s wealth was controlled by Profound Beings, so the gap between fifth-grade and fourth-grade pills was enormous.

    ¡°Fifth-grade alchemist? I¡¯m still far from fourth-grade,¡± Zhanyue sighed.

    The gap from third to fourth grade was huge, the dividing line between genius and mediocrity. Countless alchemists were stuck at third grade for life. The difference between fourth and fifth grade was more about soul power. Refining fifth-grade pills required Profound Realm level soul power. Without entering the Profound Realm, it was impossible to refine them. So this threshold wasn¡¯t about alchemy skill but realm. No matter how good one¡¯s alchemy talent was, without entering the Profound Realm, there wasn¡¯t enough soul power to support refining fifth-grade pills. And because fifth-grade pills were extremely helpful to Profound Beings, their value naturally couldn¡¯t bepared to fourth-grade pills. Moreover, among fifth-grade pills were things like the Profound Entering Pill. The status of fifth-grade alchemists was evident; they held steward-level positions in the three major associations.

    ¡°Thirty million, basically the top price. I hope it¡¯s enough,¡± Baizhi was still very nervous.

    ¡°Everyone, the next item is quite interesting. This is a token. Legend has it that holding this token allows one to ascend ck Whale Ind and stay there for a year. I don¡¯t know more than that, after all, I¡¯ve never been to ck Whale Ind. But I believe some among you must know the value of this item. Starting price, 5 million purple crystal coins!¡± Bing Qianqiu said.

    Looking at that blood-colored token, Zhanyue¡¯s heart shook. He had an identical token on him. When he had sted that Moon Profound Realm assassin earlier, this item hadn¡¯t been destroyed after the assassin¡¯s death. But Zhanyue knew this token couldn¡¯t be the assassin¡¯s identity token; who would carry identification while assassinating? But he didn¡¯t know what this item was for. Now, an identical token appeared at the auction.

    ¡°What kind of token is this? What¡¯s it for? Do you know?¡± Below, many people looked at each other in bewilderment. Some Profound Beings among them also didn¡¯t know what this 5 million token was for.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been to ck Whale Ind. Couldn¡¯t you stay as long as you wanted? Since when did you need a token? And 5 million, isn¡¯t this a scam?¡± someone asked puzzled.

    ¡°Hmph, a bunch of ignorant fools,¡± the old man in the VIP room had obtained a blood-colored token in his youth. He knew the token¡¯s secret, but he was somewhat confused about its value. ¡°If not for those two itemster, I¡¯d buy this token for my grandson to broaden his horizons. What a pity, those two items are more important. I won¡¯tpete for this. It¡¯s just an entrance ticket, a dream.¡±

    ¡°Seven million!¡±

    ¡°Eight million!¡±

    ¡°Fifteen million!¡±

    The price gradually reached over 20 million, but not many people were bidding. Firstly, many people had no idea what this thing was for. Secondly, quite a few people knew, but they were more concerned about thest two auction items and didn¡¯t dare spend too much money on this.

    ¡°What kind of thing is this, so expensive?¡± Zhanyue was very puzzled. He also had one of these tokens; the higher the price, the happier he was.

    Suddenly, Baizhi¡¯s hoarse disguised voice sounded by Zhanyue¡¯s ear, ¡°Thirty million!¡±

    ¡°Hm? This girl came for this token? Opening with 30 million, what a richdy,¡± Zhanyue¡¯s eyes widened.

 Chapter 56

    Chapter 56

    ¡°Well, are you still bidding? It¡¯s already 30 million. Bidding more might affect thepetition for thest two treasures,¡± some participants were already backing out.

    ¡°Blood Jade Tokens don¡¯t usually circte. Seeing one at an auction is already rare. I don¡¯t want to miss it. What if there¡¯s really something I want there?¡± Another person muttered, then called out a high price of 35 million.

    ¡°Not many people know the secret of the Blood Jade Token. Many have gone there and returned. Not everyone gains something, and there might even be life-threatening dangers. Many have perished there. Without apelling reason to go, these tens of millions aren¡¯t worth spending. I¡¯d better give up. It¡¯s better to steadily buy some cultivation resources I need with these tens of millions,¡± someone contemted.

    Slowly, the Blood Jade Token was bid up to 40 million.

    Baizhi gritted her teeth, ¡°45 million!¡±

    Zhanyue beside her could see that this girl was determined to get this item.

    ¡°48 million!¡± At this price point, only two voices were left bidding.

    ¡°50 million!¡± Baizhi bid again.

    ¡°What a pity. If I didn¡¯t need to save money for the itemster, I¡¯d really like to take this and experience it. What a shame.¡± The person bidding against her finally gave up. He knew that if he went higher, others would probably follow. 50 million was his psychological limit. ¡°50 million once, 50 million twice, 50 million thrice! Sold!¡± Bing Qianqiu hammered it down.

    Baizhi let out a long sigh, her whole body going limp. This was a reaction to extreme tension. There had been no battle, but the previous bidding had used up all her mental energy.

    Having achieved her wish, Baizhi had no interest in theter auction items. She just wanted to leave immediately, but leaving now would be too conspicuous.

    ¡°What exactly is this thing you bought for 50 million for?¡± Zhanyue leaned over, asking curiously.

    But Baizhi shook her head, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t want to talk now.¡± She was really quite tired, even falling asleep right there.

    Zhanyue was a bit taken aback, but this auction was interesting, so he had to continue watching.

    ¡°Sister, do you know what this thing is for?¡± Zhanyue asked for help.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± However, the illumination Goddess didn¡¯t know the use of this item. After all, she wasn¡¯t from this era, and this item probably hadn¡¯t appeared too long ago.

    ¡°This next auction item is a seventh-grade spirit beast egg ¨C the Tai Xuan Golden Python. We all know how powerful beast contractors are, but apart from those born as beast contractors, we still have a chance to have our own beastpanions. Although not as mystical and convenient as beast contractors¡¯panions, if raised well, they can still be our capable assistants. The Tai Xuan Golden Python¡¯s highest growth potential is equivalent to the human Sun Profound Realm. Of course, it also depends on how you raise it, but a minimum of Star Profound Realm assistance is no problem. We won¡¯t set a starting price for this item, bid as you please,¡± Bing Qianqiu said.

    ¡°A loyal Profound Realm fighter, with the potential to be raised to Sun Profound Realm. With this, my family¡¯s strength would rise a level. I must try my best to get it.¡±

    Immediately, bids were called out continuously. Zhanyue marveled but could only watch the excitement. Joking aside, the price had already been called up to 200 million.

    In the end, this seventh-grade spirit beast egg was bought by that Sun Profound Realm elder for 700 million, far exceeding the previous auction items.

    ¡°A spirit beast egg that can grow to Sun Profound Realm is already 700 million. What about a Spirit God level spirit beast egg?¡± Zhanyue didn¡¯t dare imagine. In fact, such a level of egg would never appear at an auction.

    ¡°The booklet earlier mentioned there was a seventh-grade pill among the auction items. Howe we haven¡¯t seen it yet? Could it be that thisst treasure is the seventh-grade pill? But no matter how you look at it, a seventh-grade pill can¡¯tpare to a seventh-grade spirit beast egg, right?¡± Zhanyue was a bit confused.

    ¡°Everyone¡­ we¡¯ve finallye to thest auction item. Putting a seventh-grade pillst, you must all be very curious,¡± Bing Qianqiu said with a smile. ¡°We all know that ordinary people live to 100, while Profound Beings live to 500. Profound Beings also have parents, wives, children, masters, friends, but not everyone has the aptitude for cultivation. Even taking a lot of fifth-grade Profound Entering Pills won¡¯t let them enter the Profound Realm.¡±

    ¡°Couples who promised to spend their lives together can¡¯t grow old together. How many powerful Profound Beings have had to bury their children? All this is because the people they care about don¡¯t have cultivation aptitude and can¡¯t enter the Profound Realm. But now, an opportunity hase! This seventh-grade pill is the legendary, long-lost Profound Breaking Pill! This pill was discovered in ancient ruins. It¡¯s the first time a Profound Breaking Pill has appeared at our auction,¡± Bing Qianqiu said excitedly.

    ¡°Profound ¡ª Breaking ¡ª Pill!¡± These three words made everyone present boil over with excitement. The Profound Breaking Pill is only a seventh-grade pill because seventh-grade alchemists can refine it, but the materials are very difficult to collect. Moreover, the form was long lost, so the Profound Breaking Pills appearing now are all discovered in ancient ruins. As the name suggests, it can force people without cultivation aptitude, or those stuck at the door of the Profound Realm, to break through to the Profound Realm. Although those who break through using the Profound Breaking Pill can only stay at the first stage of Star Profound Realm for life, unable to advance further. But the difference between the ninth stage of Soul Control Realm and the first stage of Star Profound Realm, one step apart, is the difference between living 100 years and 500 years.

    The Profound Breaking Pill is useless to Profound Beings, but as Bing Qianqiu said, which Profound Being doesn¡¯t have parents, wives, and children? Can all their rtives enter the Profound Realm? Five hundred years is too long, long enough to witness the passing of many loved ones.

    ¡°900 million!¡±

    ¡°1 billion!¡±

    Zhanyue was stunned. These bids were increasing by 100 million each time. The value of this seventh-grade Profound Breaking Pill opened Zhanyue¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°If someone had the Profound Breaking Pill form, wouldn¡¯t they directly be the world¡¯s richest person?¡± Zhanyue muttered happily.

    ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it. Someone once excavated fragments of the Profound Breaking Pill form. Although it wasn¡¯tplete, it gave some insight. Some key spirit materials for refining the Profound Breaking Pill are already extinct. Otherwise, why do you think a seventh-grade pill is so expensive?¡± Baizhi had woken up and heard Zhanyue¡¯s self-talk, criticizing him.

    In the end, the Profound Breaking Pill was bought for 2.3 billion by someone sent by the Sea Suppressing King. Everyone suddenly remembered that the Sea Suppressing King seemed to have a eldest son with mediocre cultivation aptitude, already over 60 but still at the ninth stage of Soul Control Realm, having eaten many Profound Entering Pills without effect. It seems that even Spirit God experts can¡¯t forcibly make their family members enter the Profound Realm.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go. Once we get the item, we¡¯ll leave immediately. The three associations have done a good job with protection. We can leave through the secret passage to avoid being robbed.¡±

    The auction officially ended, and everyone left. Some people¡¯s eyes inevitably showed disappointment. Missing this Profound Breaking Pill might mean never having another chance. But the sky-high price of 2.3 billion deterred people. Besides, even if they continued bidding, it would still end up with the Sea Suppressing King in the end. Who could be richer than the City Lord of Pearl City?

    After leaving through the secret passage, Baizhi took Zhanyue directly towards ck Whale Ind. ¡°Once we reach ck Whale Ind, our transaction will be over. I¡¯ll give you the pill form.¡±

    Baizhi had now recovered her spiritual power. After all, the two were about to part ways, and she didn¡¯t want to continue being a helpless ordinary person.

    Soon, the two boarded a fishing boat. After giving the fisherman some money, he took them towards ck Whale Ind. ck Whale Ind was to the east of Pearl City, not a bustling ce or tourist attraction, rarely visited by people. Generally, only some fishermen would rest there.

    However, at this moment, apart from Baizhi and Zhanyue, there were actually several other fishing boats sailing towards ck Whale Ind. Zhanyue¡¯s heart jolted, fearing that the trouble wasn¡¯t over yet.

 Chapter 57

    Chapter 57

    ¡°It seems someone has still set their sights on you. Although they can¡¯t find your whereabouts, they know you¡¯ll definitely go to ck Whale Ind. They¡¯re really moving fast,¡± Zhanyue said, looking at the several fishing boats behind them.

    ¡°There are no Profound Realm cultivators. Can you handle it?¡± Baizhi asked nervously. Nothing could go wrong at this crucial moment.

    Zhanyue nodded, condensing a ball of me in his hand.

    ¡°Are you nning to burn their boats? A fishing boat in water isn¡¯t something you can burn with just that bit of fire,¡± Baizhi frowned.

    ¡°This time it¡¯s your turn to open your eyes,¡± Zhanyue smiled. What he held was no ordinary me, but Sr Essence Fire. He used precise fire control techniques to guide several fireballs to strike the pursuing boats. The Sr Essence Fire instantly ignited the wooden boats, causing the people on board to jump into the water. They could only swim now, much slower than Zhanyue and Baizhi¡¯s boat.

    ¡°Still daring to show your heads!¡± Zhanyue controlled fireballs to st at the few people on the water¡¯s surface. They continuously dove underwater to avoid them. Finally, they fell further and further behind Zhanyue¡¯s boat.

    ¡°What kind of me is that?¡± Baizhi asked in shock. She had seen one person raise a water screen to block the fireball, but the fireball easily prated it.

    ¡°Want to know? I won¡¯t tell you,¡± Zhanyue said with a smile.

    Baizhi was a bit angry, but she knew Zhanyue was retaliating for her keeping many secrets. ¡°Hmph, stingy man.¡± At this moment, not only was the fisherman rowing, but Baizhi was also using her qi to propel the boat, doubling its speed. Only after shaking off their pursuers did they both rx.

    ¡°That ck dot ahead is ck Whale Ind. The whole ind is shaped like a ck whale, hence the name,¡± Baizhi said, pointing to an ind in the distance.

    ¡°Not a bit of green, all ck rocks, like a barren ind. Are you sure it¡¯s there?¡± Zhanyue asked doubtfully.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. When we get to the ind, you can take this boat back,¡± Baizhi said. Now that they were actually about to part, she felt a bit reluctant. At least she didn¡¯t dislike Zhanyue, but the path ahead was one she had to walk alone.

    However, a fast boat rushed towards them from not far away. Two people stood on it ¨C none other than Bai Wu and Bai Lu. The two Profound Realm cultivators came by boat, naturally sensing Baizhi¡¯s aura after the Vein Sealing Pill¡¯s effects wore off.

    ¡°It¡¯s over! They still caught up,¡± Baizhi said, her face pale beneath the ck veil.

    Zhanyue frowned, then controlled two mes to repeat his earlier trick. However, the two Profound Realm cultivators were not easy opponents. They skillfully maneuvered their small boat to avoid the mes. Just as the two showed disdainful expressions, a ball of pale blue me shot up from underwater and hit the wooden boat. It was Earth Vein Ghost Fire. The wooden boat quickly sank.

    ¡°Fire in water? What kind of me is that exactly?¡± Baizhi was even more puzzled.

    ¡°Now¡¯s not the time to talk about that. What other moves do you have? Hurry and use them!¡± Zhanyue urged. The two Profound Realm cultivators were now walking on water as they approached ¨C they were no ordinary opponents.

    ¡°I still have a trump card. It¡¯s good we¡¯re at sea. The ocean is no safe zone,¡± Baizhi took out a bottle of pills and handed it to Zhanyue. ¡°Throw the pills in the bottle at them. Try to get them infected with the scent of the pills.¡±

    ¡°Alright,¡± Zhanyue nodded, then controlled a huge fire dragon to fly towards the two.

    ¡°shy but useless!¡± The two Profound Realm cultivators sneered. The fire dragon was all show. They both struck out with a palm, shattering the fire dragon, apanied by a wafting medicinal fragrance.

    ¡°Hiding pills in the fire? What kind of poison pill did the young miss refine?¡± The two reacted, driving their spiritual energy to expel the poison. Fourth-grade pills weren¡¯t much threat to them. However, the sea soon stirred. Swarms of sea beasts and spirit sharks surged from all directions, pouncing towards the two.

    ¡°Fourth-grade Dragon Fragrance Pill. Its scent has a fatal attraction to marine animal life,¡± Baizhi exined.

    ¡°What the hell is this!¡± The two Profound Realm cultivators were surrounded by countless sea beasts but weren¡¯t afraid. ¡°How dare sea beasts in coastal waters attack humans? Have they lost their minds?¡±

    ¡°Go!¡± Soon after, the two jumped onto ck Whale Ind.

    ¡°I have a Blood Jade Token. I¡¯ll be fine here, but what about you? They¡¯ll likely take out their anger on you,¡± Baizhi suddenly realized.

    ¡°You do have a conscience, girl. Don¡¯t worry, use whatever methods you have. I have my own ways,¡± Zhanyue said. He wanted to see what Baizhi would do with that token. If her token could help her escape, he naturally had his own means.

    At one corner of ck Whale Ind stood an eerie bronze bell. Baizhi took out the token worth fifty million and struck the bronze bell with it. An eerie bell sound rang out, and white mist rose from the sea surface.

    A golden light shed in the mist, and a small boat emerged, rowed by an old man with hollow eyes. He was skeletal, his face full of wrinkles, quite terrifying.

    ¡°Just like the legend, it¡¯s the ghost boatman,¡± Baizhi sighed in relief upon seeing the old man. The ancient texts she had read were not wrong.

    Baizhi jumped onto the boat with her token, still concerned about Zhanyue. ¡°How will you escape?¡±

    ¡°Like this,¡± Zhanyue grinned and also jumped onto the boat, his right hand holding a Blood Jade Token as well.

    ¡°You¡­ how do you have a Blood Jade Token too?¡± Baizhi was shocked. What was the deal with this man?

    ¡°I picked it up,¡± Zhanyue smiled. He really had picked it up, from someone else¡¯s pile of ashes.

    ¡°Picked it up?¡± Baizhi felt a sour feeling inside. She had spent fifty million! ¡°You also know the secret of the Blood Jade Token?¡±

    Zhanyue shook his head, ¡°No, I don¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Huh? You dare toe along without knowing?¡± Baizhi was a bit speechless.

    ¡°Do I have a choice?¡± Zhanyue pointed at two figures emerging from the mist ¨C Bai Wu and Bai Lu, who had fought their way through.

    ¡°It really is that man from that day!¡± Bai Wu looked at Zhanyue with regret and murderous intent. Then he said to Baizhi, ¡°Young miss,e back with us. The rise and fall of the Bai family rests on you alone!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s time to go,¡± Baizhi didn¡¯t reply, but instead spoke to the ghost boatman beside them.

    ¡°Where is this?¡± Zhanyue asked in confusion at the suddenly changed scenery. He realized things had gone seriously wrong. The connection with the illumination Goddess that had never been broken before was now severed. No matter how he called, he couldn¡¯t contact the illumination Goddess.

    ¡°Ghost Sea¡­ It seems you really don¡¯t know anything. Sigh, I¡¯ve dragged you into this,¡± Baizhi saw Zhanyue¡¯s confused face and felt a bit guilty.

 Chapter 58

    Chapter 58

    All along, Zhanyue¡¯s greatest trump card had been the illumination Goddess. Although the Goddess wasn¡¯t by his side, being able to contact her at any time gave Zhanyue a solid sense of security. Now that mysterious connection had suddenly beenpletely cut off, how could Zhanyue not panic?

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You look terrible,¡± Baizhi noticed the change in Zhanyue¡¯s expression.

    ¡°Where are we going?¡± Zhanyue asked the eerie boatman.

    The small boat drifted downstream, surrounded by emptiness. The entire sky was a hazy expanse with no sun in sight.

    ¡°Ghost Ind of the Other Realm. With a Blood Jade Token, you can stay on Ghost Ind for one year,¡± Baizhi exined. ¡°It seems you really don¡¯t know anything. Ghost Ind appeared in the world a thousand years ago. No one knows where it came from, nor which force it belongs to. They are extremely mysterious. You need a Blood Jade Token tond on the ind, and they only ept people below the Spirit God Realm.¡±

    ¡°So only those below Spirit God are allowed on the ind? There¡¯s such a ce? Are there any treasures on this ind?¡± Zhanyue asked curiously.

    Baizhi continued, ¡°A race called the Ghost Shark n lives on the ind. They¡¯ve built a market on Ghost Ind, selling some rare treasures that you simply can¡¯t buy elsewhere. Lost cultivation methods, lost pill forms, sealed magical treasures, extinct spirit herbs, rare spirit beast eggs and such all appear in the Ghost Market.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s such a ce? No wonder those Blood Jade Tokens can sell for so much. But¡­ I¡¯m afraid these things aren¡¯t cheap,¡± Zhanyue sighed. At the auction outside, a seventh-grade Profound Breaking Pill had sold for the sky-high price of 2.3 billion. Who knew if the Ghost Market had any, and how much they would sell for.

    ¡°The Ghost Market doesn¡¯t ept Purple Crystal Coins, nor any form of barter. Money and pills are useless here,¡± Baizhi added. ¡°Ah? They don¡¯t ept Purple Crystal Coins or barter, then how do you buy those things?¡± Zhanyue frowned, knowing things weren¡¯t simple.

    ¡°We¡¯ve¡­ arrived¡­¡± The ghost boatman uttered in a cold, mechanical voice. ¡°Ghost Ind. No climbing high, or¡­ face¡­ the consequences.¡±

    The ghost boatman was seen waving his oar, tossing a stone into the air. However, there seemed to be some kind of barrier in the sky. As soon as the stone touched that invisible barrier, it instantly turned to dust.

    Ghost Ind wasrge, but Zhanyue had no idea where exactly it was located. Baizhi took out a bamboo hat and veil and handed them to Zhanyue.

    ¡°It¡¯s best to hide your identity here. Don¡¯t let yourself be recognized, or you¡¯ll have endless trouble when you return,¡± Baizhi warned.

    Zhanyue nodded and put on the veil and bamboo hat to disguise himself. He had long noticed that Baizhi also had spatial tools, often taking out various items out of thin air.

    The two walked towards the interior of the ind. Along the way, they encountered people wearing various masks or veils, hiding their identities, staying silent. Until they reached near the center of the ind, they finally saw the legendary Ghost Shark people. It was a burly male, two to three meters tall, with green scales all over his body except for the head. The lower half was not a human body but a giant shark tail, with huge fish fins for ears, and a white ¡Á symbol carved on his brow.

    ¡°Two neers?¡± The Ghost Shark man named Mo Sang saw the two approaching. ¡°I¡¯m Mo Sang, the person in charge here.¡±

    Zhanyue felt this Ghost Shark man exerted tremendous pressure on him, likely possessing extraordinary strength.

    ¡°On Ghost Ind, I¡¯ll tell you what you need to know on my own. Don¡¯t ask questions randomly, remember that,¡± Mo Sang said, looking at Zhanyue who was about to open his mouth.

    Zhanyue was instantly silenced and spoke no more. He feared the other wouldn¡¯t answer his questions anyway.

    ¡°Take out your Blood Jade Tokens,¡± Mo Sang said.

    He first examined Zhanyue¡¯s Blood Jade Token and said, ¡°Room Di-5. For your year on the ind, that will be your residence. Someone in the living area will tell you where Di-5 ister.¡±

    Then Mo Sang examined Baizhi¡¯s Blood Jade Token and pointed to an empty space not far away, saying, ¡°That empty space, you can set up a tent there, like the others.¡± Several tents had already been set up in the empty space.

    Baizhi¡¯s eyes widened. How could there be such a double standard?

    ¡°On Ghost Ind, every inch ofnd is worth gold. Rooms are limited, not everyone can be allocated housing. His is a high-grade Blood Jade Token, yours is a low-grade one,¡± Mo Sang seemed to see Baizhi¡¯s question.

    ¡°Pfft,¡± Zhanyueughed out loud. So this is what fifty million gets you?

    Baizhi red at Zhanyue angrily, then asked, ¡°Can I stay with him?¡±

    ¡°As long as he doesn¡¯t mind, of course you can,¡± Mo Sang looked at the two with amusement. ¡°Since it¡¯s your first time on Ghost Ind, let me tell you the rules first.¡±

    ¡°Ghost Ind is divided into three areas: living area, trading area, and adventure area. The living area is where you live and can move freely; the trading area is where my nsmen set up stalls, and you can exchange points for their treasures; as for points, they are obtained from the adventure area. The adventure area is divided into two secret realms, one for those below the Profound Realm, and one for Profound Beings.¡±

    At this point, Mo Sang took out two fragrant pouches and handed them to the two.

    ¡°The spatialws inside the secret realms are special. Spatial treasures from the outside world cannot contain anything from inside the secret realms. Everything you obtain in the secret realms must be put into these storage fragrant pouches. We will calcte points for everything you bring out of the secret realms. These points can be exchanged for things you want in the trading area. Remember, you must not privately keep anything from the secret realms, nor are you allowed to take those things out of Ghost Ind. Vitors will face death!¡± Mo Sang warned.

    Zhanyue thought to himself, ¡°So it¡¯s really ¡®earn on Ghost Ind, spend on Ghost Ind, don¡¯t think about taking a cent home.¡¯¡±

    Mo Sang then handed two jade stones and two magnifying ss-like objects to the two, one set each.

    ¡°This jade stone is a teleportation jade. You can use it anywhere in the secret realms to teleport out of the realm at any time, but it takes ten breaths to teleport, so it¡¯s best to do it in a safe environment. You can enter and exit the secret realms repeatedly. It¡¯s not rmended to go deep inside at the beginning, it¡¯s better to explore slowly. You have one year. After one year, whether you¡¯re in the secret realm or outside, you¡¯ll be forced to leave the ind. You can¡¯t take the storage fragrant pouches with you, and any unused points will be void, so remember to exchange them in time.¡±

    ¡°This lens can assess the point value of items in the secret realms. Each person only gets one, so take good care of it. We won¡¯t rece it if you lose it,¡± Mo Sang pointed to the magnifying ss-like object.

    ¡°Alright, onest reminder. Fighting in any form is prohibited on the ind, but we can¡¯t control what happens inside the secret realms. The secret realms are very dangerous, and we¡¯re not responsible if you perish inside,¡± With that, Mo Sang vanished.

    ¡°What a strange ce indeed,¡± Zhanyue looked at the fragrant pouch in his hand. He found that none of his own items could be put inside. This pouch seemed to only store things from inside the secret realms, and those things couldn¡¯t be stored in other spatial treasures. What did Mo Sang mean by different spatialws?

    ¡°Let¡¯s go. Let¡¯s check out the living area first, then the trading area,¡± Baizhi said.

    ¡°Hey, when did I agree to let you stay in my room?¡± Zhanyue said mischievously.

    Baizhi was taken aback, pointing at the empty space, ¡°That ce is a mix of all sorts, with absolutely no privacy. You wouldn¡¯t really have the heart to let me set up a tent there, would you?¡±

    ¡°I would, why wouldn¡¯t I? What¡¯s wrong with me living alone? Why do I need a roommate? Besides, it¡¯s not appropriate for an unmarried man and woman to live together,¡± Zhanyue said.

    ¡°I don¡¯t mind, why should you? Come on, what benefit do you want now?¡± Baizhi had seen through this man.

    ¡°Hehe, I only have two requests,¡± Zhanyue¡¯s gaze made Baizhi shudder.

    ¡°Don¡¯t go too far,¡± Baizhi said angrily. ¡°I¡¯ll just set up a tent outside if I have to.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, they¡¯re not unreasonable requests.¡±

    As they were talking, they arrived at the living area with rows of single-story houses. They quickly found room Di-5. The room wasn¡¯trge, but it was more than enough to amodate two people living there. In fact, it was even possible to refine pills inside.

    Seeing the room with excellent soundproofing and privacy, Baizhi naturally wanted to live here even more. She was furious that her fifty million only bought a low-grade token.

    ¡°Alright, what are your requests?¡± Baizhi asked.

 Chapter 59

    Chapter 59

    ¡°The first request is that I hope you can patiently answer some questions I might have about pill refining in the future,¡± Zhanyue said.

    Baizhi nodded. She had thought it would be some other kind of request. Even if Zhanyue hadn¡¯t asked, she would have been happy to share her insights. ¡°And the other request?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve known each other for so long, yet I know nothing about you. I¡¯m very curious about what you actually look like,¡± Zhanyue said. This had been bothering him for a long time; curiosity can be quite itchy.

    Baizhi was silent for a moment, somewhat speechless. ¡°It¡¯s not like few people have seen me. This isn¡¯t an unreasonable request either.¡± She then took out arge piece of cloth, which was originally for a tent. She cut it and hung it in the middle of the room, forming a temporary curtain.

    ¡°I¡¯ll sleep inside, you sleep outside. Is that okay?¡± Baizhi asked. The single room was now divided into two spaces.

    ¡°Uh, no problem,¡± Zhanyue looked at the gray-ck cloth wall. This thing could only stop a gentleman, not a scoundrel.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s check out the trading area,¡± Baizhi said again.

    Zhanyue nodded and they walked together towards the long street.

    There weren¡¯t many people on the street. The stalls on both sides were managed by Ghost Shark n members. The stalls didn¡¯t disy actual goods, but hung wooden ts with the names of items for sale and their corresponding point values. Everything was exchanged for points. ¡°What did youe to Ghost Ind to buy?¡± Zhanyue could guess Baizhi¡¯s purpose.

    ¡°An eighth-grade pill form,¡± Baizhi didn¡¯t conceal it.

    ¡°Are eighth-grade pill forms that rare? Can¡¯t you buy them outside, only exchange for them in a ce like this?¡± Zhanyue asked again.

    Baizhi looked at Zhanyue like he was an idiot. ¡°Let me put it this way. The four great pill-making families of the Thousand Beauties Kingdom ¨C Blue, White, Vermilion, and Yellow ¨C none of them possess an eighth-grade pill form. Aren¡¯t you an alchemist? How can youck such basic knowledge? In the entire Myriad Spirits Realm, there are only four eighth-grade alchemists. They do have eighth-grade pill forms, but would they tell others? You said before that you had an eighth-grade alchemist master. I¡¯m afraid you were lying to me. You¡¯re quite dishonest, full of nonsense.¡±

    Zhanyue smiled helplessly, feeling quite embarrassed at being exposed. But he really didn¡¯t know how precious eighth-grade pill forms were, because he actually had two eighth-grade forms and one ninth-grade form. However, this was something he would absolutely not tell anyone lightly.

    ¡°Precious treasures often appear on Ghost Ind. I hope we can encounter an eighth-grade pill form,¡± Baizhi prayed.

    The two browsed from stall to stall, looking at the names of treasures on the long wooden ts.

    ¡°Goodness, what are all these things? I¡¯ve never even heard of them, let alone know what they¡¯re for,¡± Zhanyue finally felt that his knowledge was far too limited.

    What Zhanyue didn¡¯t know was that his token came from that Moon Profound Realm assassin. The assassin had originally nned toe to Ghost Ind to find a way to remove the poison in his body, but unfortunately, he died, benefiting Zhanyue.

    ¡°This¡­ isn¡¯t this that pill refining technique you mentioned ¨C Thousand Hands Fire God? They actually have it for sale here!¡± Zhanyue discovered a t with ¡®Thousand Hands Fire God¡¯ written on it, priced at 500,000 points.

    Baizhi¡¯s pupils changed, and she lingered in front of that wooden t for a long time. She wanted so much to obtain this ¡®Thousand Hands Fire God¡¯, but her primary goal was still the eighth-grade pill form.

    ¡°Hmph, two young people who don¡¯t know how high the sky is. Do you know what 500,000 points means?¡± A person in a ck robe walked past the two, looking at the neers with emotion, remembering how he was also full of desire when he first came.

    ¡°Even people at the peak of Sun Profound Realm can at most obtain 200,000 points in a year here. The items are good, but not something you can exchange for just because you want to. Don¡¯t aim too high.¡± The person left after saying this, throwing cold water on the two. A peak Sun Profound cultivator can get at most 200,000 points in a year? And these points can¡¯t be umted, they be void when leaving the ind. Doesn¡¯t that mean these treasures can never be sold? Are the Ghost Shark people just ying games here? No wonder the Blood Jade Token only sold for 50 million in the end. It¡¯s not that those people didn¡¯t recognize its value, but that those who did had some inside information.

    The owner of the stall was a short Ghost Shark n member. He revealed a mouthful of sharp teeth and smiled, ¡°Don¡¯t listen to him. How many points you can get doesn¡¯t entirely depend on your realm and strength. What¡¯s more important is opportunity. We hope these things can be sold even more than you do.¡±

    Opportunity was a mysterious thing. Zhanyue made noment, but instead asked, ¡°Senior, is there an eighth-grade pill form for sale on this street?¡± He was asking for Baizhi, of course.

    ¡°I remember Old ck Nose¡¯s stall has one. Go east, it¡¯s the ninth stall,¡± the short Ghost Shark said. Watching the two leave, he thought to himself, ¡°These two have deep fortune. I hope they can bring out more good things, exchanging those otherworldly treasures for this garbage. Only these frogs in a well think they¡¯ve made a profit. Eighth-grade pill form? It really fits the desires of these bumpkins. Maybe I¡¯d give a tenth-grade form a second look. Unfortunately, our Ghost Shark n is under a curse and can¡¯t enter those secret realms. Otherwise, why would we need to go through all this trouble?¡±

    Following the directions, the two quickly arrived at Old ck Nose¡¯s stall. The name fit the person perfectly. Old ck Nose was indeed a Ghost Shark n member with a ck nose.

    ¡°Eighth-grade pill form ¡®Dream Realm Pill¡¯. After taking it, one canprehend the great dao of heaven and earth in dreams, improving realm and cultivation, greatly helpful for entering the divine. There¡¯s such a miraculous pill? Greatly helpful for entering the divine, wouldn¡¯t those Profound Beings go crazy for it?¡± Zhanyue marveled.

    Beside him, Baizhi was trembling all over, extremely excited. ¡°There really is an eighth-grade pill form here, there really is¡­¡± However, when she saw the price, she instantly calmed down. This form actually required 1.2 million points.

    ¡°So expensive? More than twice the price of ¡®Thousand Hands Fire God¡¯.¡± Zhanyue only felt that Baizhi¡¯s breath had be chaotic, as if she could barely stand. She felt somewhat desperate. There indeed was an eighth-grade pill form here, but how could she possibly get those 1.2 million points?

    ¡°Interested in this old one¡¯s eighth-grade pill form? You two young ones haven¡¯t even reached the Profound Realm, it won¡¯t be easy to get these 1.2 million points. Let this old one point you in a clear direction. Deep in the green secret realm, there¡¯s an ancient city. In the ancient city, there¡¯s an armory. If you can get one or two weapons and bring them out, you might get several hundred thousand points,¡± the old ck-nosed one said.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Zhanyue said, dragging the dazed Baizhi as they continued browsing.

    The person next to the ck-nosed Ghost Sharkined, ¡°You old thing are quite nasty. Can those two evene out alive if they enter that ancient city? After so many years, someone only managed to bring back an arrowhead.¡±

    ¡°Do you know what metal that arrowhead was made of? It was soul-scorching gold crystal. Who knows what metal the other weapons are made of? Too barren, our world is too barren. There are countless treasures hidden in this secret realm, but we can¡¯t get them. How sad, howmentable! Those two don¡¯t have many choices if they want to gain higher points. Do you expect them to go to the deeper parts of the secret realm?¡± The ck-nosed shark sighed.

    ¡°¡®Annotations of Ancient Scripts of Hundred Races¡¯? They even have such a thing here? Priced at 800,000 points?¡± Zhanyue said, looking at the t in front of a stall.

    ¡°Why is this thing so expensive? Is it really worth so many points?¡± Zhanyue asked the stall owner.

    That Ghost Shark n member was resting with closed eyes, but hearing this, he pointed to the lowest t with his finger.

    ¡°¡®Preliminary Interpretation of Seven Great Race Scripts¡¯, priced at 10,000 points.¡± Zhanyue understood the Ghost Shark person¡¯s meaning ¨C if you can¡¯t afford it, buy this one instead, don¡¯t expect him to lower the price.

    ¡°Hm? An egg of the divine beast Bifang? Five million points?¡± Zhanyue discovered another extraordinary item at this stall.

    ¡°With your items priced so high, I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ve never sold anything,¡± Zhanyueined, somewhat speechless.

    Just as Zhanyue wasining, an incredibly powerful aura suddenly appeared. That person was also dressed all in ck, their face unclear.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take this gold-grade cultivation method,¡± the person handed their Blood Jade Token to the Ghost Shark n member. The Ghost Shark person scanned the Blood Jade Token on his own identity token. Soon after, a mechanical bird dragging a box flew in from somewhere andnded in front of that person. The box contained a soul jade, which recorded a gold-grade cultivation method ¨C ¡®Blood God de¡¯.

    After the sale, the Ghost Shark n member took down the t for the Blood God de, indicating the item had been sold.

    ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate the heroes of the world,¡± the Ghost Shark n member said to Zhanyue, grinning from ear to ear. This gold-grade cultivation method sold for one million points, he could exchange for many high-grade materials now.

    Zhanyue watched the person leave but dared not approach to greet them. That murderous aura was chilling. What kind of fierce person could gather one million points? Could it be that he killed many people in the secret realm? Zhanyue suddenly thought of this possibility. The secret realm was probably extremely bloody. For the sake of points, everyone would likely use any means necessary. It would be very difficult to gain too many points in one year relying on oneself.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go back. We¡¯ll check out the secret realm tomorrow,¡± Zhanyue said. Baizhi seemed uninterested in anything else, her mind only on the eighth-grade pill form.

    ¡°What do you think of this Ghost Ind?¡± Back in the living area, Zhanyue asked with a frosty expression.

 Chapter 60

    Chapter 60

    The two returned from their shopping trip, each lost in their own thoughts.

    ¡°What do you think about the Ghost Shark n? Their strength is hard to fathom, and each of them has so many rare items. Isn¡¯t that strange?¡± Zhanyue asked curiously.

    Baizhi hadn¡¯t thought that much about it. ¡°You¡¯re asking me? How would I know? The Ghost Shark n doesn¡¯t move around in the outside world. Even those Spirit God Realm experts can¡¯te in here. The outside world knows nothing about them.¡±

    ¡°What exactly is in the secret realm? They¡¯re willing to exchange these treasures, yet absolutely don¡¯t allow us to take anything out of the secret realm,¡± Zhanyue felt increasingly that this ce was full of oddities everywhere.

    ¡°We¡¯ll only know after we¡¯ve been to the secret realm. Let¡¯s go back first.¡± The sky was gradually darkening, but this ce had no worries about Nightmares, it was truly a blessednd.

    Although it was his own room, Zhanyue was now locked outside. He waited silently with a bitter smile. After a while, the door finally opened.

    No longer in all-ck robes, she was now wearing a green dress. Her hair was coiled up into a butterfly bun, with some strands falling over her shoulders. Her pretty face was tinged with a few streaks of red, like sunset glow on jade. Her small face was adorned with delicate features, and her bright eyes were somewhat evasive. If the illumination Goddess had a cold and noble aura like Chang¡¯e in the moon pce, then Baizhi before him was more like a harmless and cute jade rabbit. Even Zhanyue, who had seen iparable beauties, was stunned for a moment. Only now did he understand what ¡®pitiful even at a nce¡¯ meant. This appearance naturally evoked a sense of protectiveness in Zhanyue. Compared to that otherworldly beauty, Baizhi had more of a touching charm, more like a delicate and boneless nation-toppling enchantress.

    Zhanyue swallowed and said, ¡°Do you still have any of those poison pills? Maybe you should take another one.¡± Zhanyue joked.

    Baizhi said irritably, ¡°Come in first before you speak.¡± Closing the door, Zhanyue had a mistaken feeling of hiding a beauty in a golden house. This girl was so beautiful, it was indeed dangerous for her to be alone outside, no wonder she had disguised herself all the way.

    ¡°This counts as fulfilling your request. You¡¯ve seen what I look like. I¡¯m only sharing a room with you out of necessity, it would be more troublesome outside. But I have plenty of life-saving methods, you¡¯d better not have any ideas about me, otherwise¡­¡± Baizhi red fiercely at Zhanyue, extending two fingers in a scissor gesture, the implication clear without words.

    Zhanyue just smiled without speaking. Baizhi was at the ninth stage of Soul Control, with who knew how many secrets. If they really fought, he might not be able to beat her. It¡¯s just that this girl was obviously too naive. How much scheming could someone who could hide in someone else¡¯s room and cry in the nket have?

    ¡°Mm-hmm, now I¡¯m more curious about why you ran away from home, and why you¡¯re seeking an eighth-grade pill form here?¡± Zhanyue asked curiously.

    Baizhi seemed about to speak but then stopped, unsure whether to tell Zhanyue.

    ¡°What? You¡¯re willing to share a room with me but still don¡¯t trust me? How do you n to buy that eighth-grade pill form? Tell me the whole story, maybe I can help you,¡± Zhanyue said.

    Although Baizhi didn¡¯t believe Zhanyue could help her much, she had been wanting to express some of her troubles for a long time.

    ¡°You already know, I¡¯m from the Bai family of the Thousand Beauties Women¡¯s Kingdom. My grandfather was the former family head. He and my father went to explore a secret realm and then disappeared without a trace. My mother passed away when I was very young, and my grandmother is seriously ill, always secluding herself and not seeing outsiders, with no power in her hands. The current head of the Bai family is my second uncle, my grandfather¡¯s younger brother. He¡¯s a seventh-grade alchemist, and also a Spirit God Realm powerhouse,¡± Baizhi narrated.

    Zhanyue nodded, guessing the subsequent developments in his heart. This second uncle must not be simple.

    ¡°Originally, my second uncle was also extremely good to me. Compared to my grandfather who had to consider the thoughts of other family members, my second uncle, topensate for my loss of parents, gave me double the resources within the family and was willing to fulfill any request I had. Until one day, that person came to our door,¡± Baizhi¡¯s eyes dimmed.

    ¡°He¡¯s a seventh-grade alchemist without any backing, an old monster. Somehow he took a liking to me and actually came to propose marriage, with the bride price being the form for an eighth-grade pill. You should know that none of the four great families have an eighth-grade alchemist. It¡¯s not because of insufficient talent, but because without an eighth-grade pill form, there¡¯s no chance to even attempt breaking through to the eighth grade. My second uncle¡¯s alchemy talent is also extremely good. He naturally wants to push towards bing an eighth-grade alchemist. If he could advance to eighth-grade alchemist, our Bai family would firmly sit on the throne of the first family, and the price was just me,¡± Baizhi bit her red lips, her eyes dim.

    ¡°That old monster calls himself the Golden Pill Immortal, notorious for his lechery. Everyone knows he¡¯s already married 98 wives and concubines. I don¡¯t know where he got the eighth-grade pill form from, or when he set his sights on me. Knowing that my Bai family is not easy to offend and he couldn¡¯t use force, he actually used the form to exchange for me.¡±

    ¡°At first, my second uncle didn¡¯t agree. He was afraid, afraid that my grandfather would suddenly return and he wouldn¡¯t be able to exin. Until one day, he seemed to have learned some information and actually had the idea of agreeing to the Golden Pill Immortal¡¯s proposal. I naturally didn¡¯t want to be the 99th concubine of that Golden Pill Immortal, so I cried to my grandmother. Grandmother, seriously ill, had long stopped managing affairs and naturally couldn¡¯t help me much, but she did find a way to help me escape from the Bai family. However, I didn¡¯t expect that my second uncle had already left a backup n, nting a mark in my spirit veins. No matter how I ran, someone could always catch up,¡± Baizhi revealed everything.

    Zhanyue stared at Baizhi¡¯s face carefully, looking until Baizhi¡¯s face turnedpletely red.

    ¡°That Golden Pill Immortal, if nothing else, at least knows how to appreciate. He¡¯s willing to exchange an eighth-grade pill form for you,¡± Zhanyue sighed, then said, ¡°You learned about Ghost Ind and got insider information about the Blood Jade Token, so you desperately bid for the token. You want to find an eighth-grade pill form yourself, then give it to your second uncle, making him refuse the Golden Pill Immortal¡¯s request, right?¡± Zhanyue finally understood why Baizhi was so nervous at that time, terrified of not winning the Blood Jade Token.

    ¡°Yes, my second uncle just wants to break through to eighth-grade alchemist. If I can give him an eighth-grade pill form, I would naturally be free,¡± Baizhi nodded.

    ¡°Well, let me ask, is there a possibility,¡± Zhanyue said with a dark face, ¡°Even if you get an eighth-grade pill form, he still insists on marrying you off to that old monster to exchange for a second eighth-grade form? That¡¯s an eighth-grade form, who wouldn¡¯t want more?¡±

    Hearing this, Baizhi¡¯s face turned pale, without a trace of color. ¡°No¡­ it can¡¯t be. Second uncle just wants to break through to eighth-grade alchemist. If I¡¯ve already given him an eighth-grade form, he¡­ he wouldn¡¯t¡­¡± Baizhi spoke with increasing uncertainty, she really couldn¡¯t guarantee.

    ¡°So you misjudged the problem from the beginning. If your second uncle really cared about you, even if you didn¡¯t give him an eighth-grade form, he absolutely wouldn¡¯t let you marry the Golden Pill Immortal. After all, you yourself are a genius. In the end, you¡¯re not his real granddaughter, and with your talent, you might be the head of the Bai family again in the future. Using the reason of the Bai family¡¯s interests to marry you off, no one would dare oppose. This is killing two birds with one stone. How would he change just because you bring back an eighth-grade form? It would just let him kill three birds with one stone,¡± Zhanyue said. The interests of great families areplex and intertwined, how could Baizhi, a nk sheet of paper, figure it out?

    Hearing Zhanyue¡¯s words, the simple-minded Baizhi seemed to lose her soul. All along, she had thought that as long as she brought back an eighth-grade pill form, all problems would be solved. However, at this moment she realized that even if she took an eighth-grade form back, she could still be exchanged for another eighth-grade form. The problem wasn¡¯t solved at all.

    A clear tear flowed from her bright eyes. Baizhi cried again, suddenly leaving Zhanyue at a loss.

    ¡°Look, you¡¯re a genius in the way of pills, a person at the ninth stage of Soul Control. How can you be such a crybaby? Please stop crying,¡± Zhanyue hurriedly said. However, Baizhi¡¯s crying only grew louder, her pretty face wet with tears, like a pear blossom in the rain, moving one¡¯s heart. Zhanyue only felt heartache, secretly sighing that after all, it was he who had made her cry.

    ¡°Stop crying. Crying won¡¯t give you extra points. Let¡¯s think of a solution together,¡± Zhanyueforted.

    Baizhi raised her head, looking at Zhanyue through teary eyes, ¡°What solution do you have?¡±

    ¡°In the end, it¡¯s because your strength is too weak. No matter how talented you are, it¡¯s still just talent. Of course, at your age, it¡¯s impossible to be too strong. Now, to solve your problem, there¡¯s only one way: find a backer, a backer who can make decisions for you. And this backer needs to meet two conditions. First, this backer must be more powerful than the Bai family. Second, this backer must not harm you,¡± Zhanyue analyzed.

    Baizhi¡¯s eyes widened, then dimmed again, ¡°Who could this backer you¡¯re talking about be? I¡¯m not familiar with the Myriad Steeds Trading Company, and they might not offend two seventh-grade alchemists for my sake.¡±

    ¡°Who says it has to be the Myriad Steeds Trading Company? The world is vast, could your Bai family be the biggest? Although I don¡¯t know where your backer is now, with your talent, it¡¯s not impossible to find protection. Don¡¯t underestimate yourself. Don¡¯t think too much about it now, focus more on how to get some points. Use those points to improve yourself, or if you really have a chance to exchange for an eighth-grade pill form, it will be easier for you to find a backer,¡± Zhanyue replied.

    Hope rekindled in Baizhi¡¯s eyes. She wiped away her tears and retreated to the inner room. Lying on the bed, she carefully analyzed Zhanyue¡¯s words, pondering how to find a backer for herself. Not long after, a fragrant smell wafted into the inner room. Baizhi, hungry for a day, finally couldn¡¯t resist and came out.

    Although Zhanyue had once disapproved of the Mountain Goblin n using the Earth Mother Golden Cauldron for cooking, he was now doing the same thing. There was no help for it, the food made in the Earth Mother Golden Cauldron was really damn delicious.

    ¡°This cauldron? Isn¡¯t this an alchemy cauldron? And it doesn¡¯t seem to be an ordinary one. You¡¯re actually using it to cook soup? You¡­ you¡­¡± Baizhi was furious. As a genius in the way of pills, how could she stand to see such behavior?

    Zhanyue ignored her and instead took a bamboo bowl,dled a bowl of soup with a wooden spoon, and handed it to Baizhi.

    Baizhi took the hot soup. Although she was still a bit angry, she couldn¡¯t resist her hunger and thirst and drank it down.

    ¡°How is it?¡± Zhanyue asked.

    ¡°Not¡­ not bad,¡± Baizhi said with a red face, her tongue licking her lips. She handed the empty bowl back to Zhanyue, ¡°I didn¡¯t taste it properly just now. Give me another bowl to try.¡±

    Zhanyue didn¡¯t expose this girl¡¯s little trick. ¡°When I use this for refining pills, it¡¯s an alchemy cauldron. When I use it for cooking, it¡¯s just a pot. A tool doesn¡¯t have any thoughts of its own, after all, it¡¯s not human, it can¡¯t resist. But you¡¯re different. I really like your courage to run away from home alone.¡±

    With that, Zhanyue handed over another bowl full of soup.

    Drinking the soup, both Baizhi¡¯s stomach and heart felt warm. It had been a very, very long time since she had felt this kind of warmth.

 Chapter 61

    Chapter 61

    After the delicious meal, Baizhi¡¯s mood improved considerably. She nced at Zhanyue with a blush, feeling a bit embarrassed. She had just used others of wasting a precious alchemy cauldron to cook soup, but now she had downed five bowls herself, like a glutton.

    ¡°Meal¡¯s over, time to clean up.¡± Zhanyue circted his spirit power, and the Earth Mother Golden Cauldron instantly became spotlessly clean. ¡°I n to refine some pills. Do you want to watch?¡± Zhanyue turned his head to ask Baizhi. Before officially heading to the secret realm tomorrow, he wanted to try breaking through to fourth-grade alchemist.

    ¡°You¡¯ve just advanced to third-grade alchemist. Aren¡¯t you going to consolidate your foundation?¡± Baizhi asked, pouting slightly.

    ¡°Breaking through to third grade was rtively easy. I want to try challenging fourth grade. They say there¡¯s a threshold between third and fourth grade. I want to see how big the gap is,¡± Zhanyue said. He wasn¡¯t confident himself.

    Baizhi nodded, ¡°Alright then, I¡¯ll watch. You can start.¡±

    Zhanyue sat cross-legged. Various medicinal materials had been prepared in advance ording to specific methods, now all floating inside the alchemy cauldron.

    ¡°Is this alchemy cauldron your contract object? Was that mysterious me earlier an apanying awakened ability?¡± Baizhi¡¯s eyes widened, discovering the cauldron¡¯s extraordinariness.

    Zhanyue answered while operating, ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°Hehe.¡± Baizhi smiled slightly, taking out a ck alchemy furnace about the size of an incense burner. The furnace was exquisite and small, carved with various mysterious symbols, but that was all. ¡°My contract object is this alchemy furnace. Don¡¯t look down on its size, I find it very handy.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Zhanyue hadn¡¯t expected Baizhi¡¯s contract object to be an alchemy furnace. It was quite a coincidence. However,pared to his Earth Mother Golden Cauldron, this ck furnace wasn¡¯t very eye-catching, not much different from an ordinary alchemy furnace.

    ¡°This fourth-grade Blood Mist Pill is quite difficult. If you¡¯re using it to break through to fourth grade, be prepared for failure,¡± Baizhi warned, then instructed, ¡°South Liri Flower is especially sensitive to temperature. It won¡¯t work if the temperature is a bit too low or too high. You just ced the Blood Mist Grass seeds too close to it. That thing absorbs and releases heat intensely. This batch of pills is already ruined.¡±

    ¡°Ah?¡± Zhanyue¡¯s face showed great shock. They had just started, and Baizhi had already pronounced his death sentence.

    ¡°Don¡¯t panic. First, operate ording to the normal process. Failed experience is still experience. We can¡¯t waste materials. Continue,¡± Baizhi urged, patiently guiding him step by step from the side.

    Indeed, when the pills were formed, the Blood Mist Pills were pitted and uneven, withpletely inadequate density and appearance. It was a batch of waste pills.

    ¡°For your first time refining fourth-grade pills, you only made 166 mistakes. Not bad,¡± Baizhi critiqued sharply.

    Zhanyue¡¯s face turned ck. The difficulty of fourth-grade pills waspletely different from third grade. One mistake led to a series of errors.

    ¡°Let me demonstrate for you,¡± Baizhi took out her small alchemy furnace. She had also awakened a fire-rted auxiliary ability, but that me seemed very ordinarypared to the Extreme Yin and Extreme Yang mes.

    As soon as Baizhi started refining pills, she entered a state of self-forgetfulness. Her delicate jade hands precisely and urately controlled the mes and various materials. Using only half the time Zhanyue had taken, a small batch of Blood Mist Pills was formed, each one full and round.

    ¡°Ah.¡± Zhanyue sighed deeply. Indeed, there¡¯s always someone better. Without the Earth Mother Golden Cauldron or exotic mes, using only the most ordinary alchemy furnace and the most ordinary mes, Baizhi had refined pills with perfect appearance. Compared to her, he was quite embarrassing.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be discouraged. I can tell at a nce that you¡¯re self-taught. What you said earlier about an eighth-grade alchemist being your master wasplete nonsense. Your techniques are too crude. I¡¯ll gradually correct your bad habitster,¡± Baizhiforted, deeply afraid of discouraging Zhanyue.

    ¡°With your talent, I¡¯m afraid you could immediately be a fifth-grade alchemist as soon as you advance to Profound Being. What¡¯s limiting you has never been your alchemy talent, but your realm,¡± Zhanyue sighed. The woman before him was a true academic genius, while he was just a hardworking underachiever. The saying that poor students have many and good tools wasn¡¯t a lie.

    ¡°By the way, why do you lean more towards refining external-use pills?¡± Zhanyue asked curiously. Pills had two types: internal use and external use. Baizhi obviously refined more external-use pills and was more skilled in this type.

    Baizhi smiled and exined, ¡°Unlike you, I don¡¯t cultivate both alchemy and martial arts. I don¡¯t have that ability. I focus solely on alchemy but don¡¯t want to bepletely withoutbat ability. When I discovered that many external-use pills could be applied inbat, that¡¯s when I became determined in my path. Moreover,pared to internal-use pills, external-use pills have a shorter development time, so I can make more achievements.¡±

    ¡°Look, my greatest masterpiece,¡± Baizhi smiled and took out a pill. It seemed to be a third-grade alchemy.

    ¡°Among fourth-grade external-use pills, there¡¯s one called the ¡®Fierce Explosion Pill¡¯. Its explosive power is astonishing, even able to harm Profound Beings. However, this pill is particrly unstable, easily exploding out of control, so few dare to refine it, and even fewer dare to carry it around. I improved the Fierce Explosion Pill, adding a protectiveyer outside it to make it less prone to explosion. Then I covered the protectiveyer with the pill skin of a third-grade ¡®Fire Explosion Pill¡¯, which has less power but higher stability. When needed, activate the outer Fire Explosion Pill to destroy the protectiveyer and detonate the inner Fierce Explosion Pill. This way, it has both stability and power,¡± Baizhi proudly introduced her masterpiece.

    Zhanyue swallowed. This girl was too incredible. He had repeatedly overestimated Baizhi¡¯s talent but still underestimated her. Self-createdposite pills? What level of skill was this? What would happen when this girl advanced to seventh or eighth-grade alchemist?

    ¡°Now I think your second uncle is just an idiot. If I were your second uncle, I¡¯d be afraid of dropping you if I held you in my palm, afraid of you melting if I kept you in my mouth,¡± Zhanyueined.

    Baizhi red at Zhanyue, ¡°What do you mean if you were my second uncle, keeping me in your mouth? That¡¯s disgusting. You¡¯re always trying to take advantage of me. Besides, as you said, I¡¯m not his direct blood rtive. The more talent I show, the lower the future status of his line will be. You should practice quickly. We need to focus on exploring the secret realmter.¡±

    Time slowly passed. Although Zhanyue was still quite far from bing a fourth-grade alchemist, as they say, a good teacher produces excellent students. He believed that under Baizhi¡¯s guidance, breaking through to fourth-grade alchemist was just a matter of time. Although Baizhi was also only a fourth-grade alchemist, Zhanyue now didn¡¯t dare to view her that way at all.

    ¡°Teacher Bai, if you¡¯re tired, you should sleep first. I¡¯ll study a bit more,¡± Zhanyue said, looking at the somewhat fatigued Baizhi.

    Baizhi yawned and went into the inner room, falling asleep immediately. A smile still hung on her lips. It had been a long time since she felt this needed by someone.

    Watching the graceful figure enter the room, Zhanyue felt something in his heart. ¡°We still need to find a way to solve the Bai family¡¯s issue. This girl will definitely be a master-level figure in alchemy in the future. If we don¡¯t hold onto this big leg and cultivate feelings now, when will we?¡±

    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s a pity I can¡¯t contact big sister now. Otherwise, we could have another person to give advice.¡± Since entering Ghost Ind, Zhanyue hadpletely lost contact with the illumination Goddess. There seemed to be extremely powerful restrictions here preventing any form ofmunication with the outside world, even the illumination Goddess couldn¡¯t do anything about it.

    Ghost Ind also had day and night, although the sky was still grayish, just noticeably brighter during the day.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, it¡¯s time to check out the Azure Sky Secret Realm,¡± Baizhi said, resuming her all-ck robe attire, concealing her peerless beauty.

    ¡°What a pity, can¡¯t feast my eyes anymore,¡± Zhanyue sighed, following her towards the entrance of the secret realm. There were two secret realms on Ghost Ind: the Azure Sky Secret Realm and the Blue Sky Secret Realm. The former could be entered by those below Profound Being, while thetter could be entered by Profound Beings.

 Chapter 62

    Chapter 62

    There weren¡¯t few people on Ghost Ind, but most lived in seclusion. More people had already entered the secret realms to explore. A year wasn¡¯t a long time, after all, considering the enormous number of points required for those treasures.

    At the entrance of the Azure Sky Secret Realm, there was also a Ghost Shark n member on guard. At this moment, both Zhanyue and Baizhi were covered in ck robes, wearing hoods and veils to conceal their faces.

    ¡°If you¡¯re going in together, it¡¯s best to be bound together. After entering the secret realm, you¡¯ll be randomly teleported to the outermost areas. Then you can explore freely. Going east means going deeper, and it¡¯s more dangerous. If your strength isn¡¯t sufficient, you can explore in the south or north directions. If you encounter deadly danger, you can activate the teleportation jade you received earlier to teleport out, but the next time you enter, you¡¯ll have to start exploring from the outskirts again. That¡¯s all I have to say. I hope you won¡¯t die in there,¡± the Ghost Shark n member reminded them as a matter of routine.

    Zhanyue nodded and took the initiative to grip Baizhi¡¯s wrist tightly. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    The two stepped into the azure doorway simultaneously. They felt a tremendous force pulling them inward. Their tightly gripped hands were about to be forcibly separated. Baizhi, frightened, directly hugged Zhanyue, tightly embracing his waist. Soon after, the two felt solid ground beneath their feet again.

    ¡°It really is random teleportation,¡± Zhanyue curiously surveyed their surroundings.

    Baizhi hurriedly let go and stepped back, pretending to calmly observe as well.

    Inside the Azure Sky Secret Realm, the sky was clear, but there was no sun visible. Before them was a in, with green grass and a gentle breeze. Spirit energy seemed to fill the heaven and earth. Just breathing felt like taking an extraordinary tonic.

    ¡°What beautiful scenery, and the spirit energy is so abundant. There must be many rare medicinal herbs here,¡± Baizhi eximed. ¡°It¡¯s a pity we can¡¯t take them away. We¡¯re just porters for the Ghost Shark n. Let¡¯s go, make haste. Try to get as many points as possible,¡± Zhanyue took out the two treasures they received upon entering Ghost Ind: a fragrant storage pouch and a light-transmitting mirror.

    ¡°Look at this flower. I¡¯ve never seen one like this before,¡± Baizhi approached a flower in the grass. The flower had a ck base with white spots, seemingly highly poisonous.

    Zhanyue shone the light-transmitting mirror on it and saw a message on the mirror: ¡°Night Star Flower, highly toxic, worth 1 point.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t touch it with your hands!¡± Zhanyue warned Baizhi, who was about to reach for it.

    Baizhi showed her hands, proudly waving her small hands covered in thick gloves. ¡°I¡¯m wearing gloves. I¡¯m a professional at harvesting spirit objects.¡± With that, she picked the flower and put it in her fragrant pouch.

    ¡°I was overly cautious,¡± Zhanyue realized, remembering that this girl¡¯s knowledge of various medicinal herbs and spirit objects far surpassed his own. How could she easily make mistakes?

    ¡°There are more over there!¡± Sharp-eyed Baizhi discovered several dozen Night Star Flowers clustered together, with a thumb-sized bee perched on one of them. The bee had a huge ck head and wings much sturdier than ordinary bees.

    Zhanyue grabbed Baizhi, who was about to go pick the flowers.

    The light-transmitting mirror already disyed: ¡°Ghost Head Bee, highly toxic spirit insect, worth 2 points.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s cast a long line to catch a big fish,¡± Zhanyue said, pointing at the Ghost Head Bee. The two held their breath and waited nearby until the Ghost Head Bee finished collecting and flew away.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, follow it!¡± The two closely followed the Ghost Head Bee. Soon after, they discovered a low-lying area where a huge tree root was exposed above ground, forming an arch-like shape. Under the arch hung a massive beehive.

    ¡°A beehive? How many Ghost Head Bees must be in there? We¡¯ve struck it rich,¡± Baizhi¡¯s eyes widened with stars, very excited.

    ¡°We need to think of a way to capture them all at once. These highly toxic spirit insects aren¡¯t easy to deal with,¡± Zhanyue pondered, looking at the beehive not far away. He was skilled with fire and could easily exterminate these poisonous insects, but capturing them alive and unharmed was the challenge.

    ¡°I have some Intoxicating Fragrance Pills here. They can intoxicate spirit insects, but they work best in enclosed spaces,¡± Baizhi took out two third-grade spirit pills. The pills emitted an alcoholic fragrance and were specifically targeted at various spirit insects.

    Zhanyue was no longer surprised. This woman was like a treasure chest. He took the pills and a smile appeared at the corner of his mouth. He shot the two Intoxicating Fragrance Pills like bullets into the beehive, then used a me to burn through the connection between the beehive and the giant tree root. The beehive fell directly to the ground, and Ghost Head Bees swarmed out. At the critical moment, a huge cauldron appeared out of thin air,pletely covering the beehive. Only a few stray Ghost Head Bees weren¡¯t covered and flew towards Zhanyue to attack.

    Zhanyue controlled the Sr Essence Fire to instantly kill these few Ghost Head Bees. Ordinary mes probably wouldn¡¯t have this instant-kill effect, but he wanted to deal with them quickly without dragging it out.

    ¡°Now we wait for the Intoxicating Immortal Pills to take full effect,¡± Zhanyue said.

    Baizhi looked at the huge cauldron inverted there and pouted. This precious cauldron was suffering with this man, sometimes used as an alchemy cauldron, sometimes as a pot, and now as a treasure.

    The Ghost Head Bees naturally couldn¡¯t break through the Earth Mother Golden Cauldron. A thick medicinal fragrance permeated inside the golden cauldron. In the enclosed space, they had nowhere to escape and fell to the ground one after another.

    Soon after, Zhanyue withdrew the huge cauldron. Ghost Head Beesy drunk all over the ground.

    ¡°You should have something to store spirit insects, right?¡± Zhanyue asked.

    ¡°I do,¡± Baizhi took out a white bag. Living spirit insects put into the bag couldn¡¯t escape. She happily picked up all the insects from the ground and put them in the bag.

    ¡°Two hundred and twenty Ghost Head Bees, worth 440 points. One Ghost Head Bee Queen, worth 100 points. That¡¯s a total of 540 points,¡± Baizhi was very happy, but when she thought of the number 1.2 million, these 540 points didn¡¯t seem so exciting anymore.

    ¡°If we hadn¡¯t used a clever method, these Ghost Head Bees wouldn¡¯t have been so easy to deal with. It¡¯s easy to kill them all, but capturing them alive is too difficult. Thanks to your Intoxicating Fragrance Pills,¡± Zhanyue sighed. Points weren¡¯t actually easy to earn.

    ¡°Oh, this fragrant pouch can actually store living things from the secret realm,¡± Baizhi marveled, putting the bag containing the poisonous insects into her fragrant pouch. Ordinary spatial treasures couldn¡¯t store living things at all.

    ¡°It¡¯s a pity. This fragrant pouch can only be used to store treasures from the secret realm, and we can¡¯t take it away,¡± Zhanyue sighed. This thing was essentially lent to them by the Ghost Shark n. The Ghost Shark n¡¯s understanding of the secret realm far surpassed theirs, but Zhanyue also guessed that these Ghost Sharks probably couldn¡¯t enter themselves, which is why they needed people like them to help. And there couldn¡¯t be too many people, hence the Blood Jade Tokens.

    At this moment, the two discovered a golden fruit hanging beside where the beehive had been.

    ¡°Golden Root Fruit, highly toxic, worth 500 points.¡±

    ¡°Looks like we don¡¯t need to divide these poisonous bees,¡± Zhanyue smiled slightly, dly taking this spirit fruit. The two returned to the flower patch and collected all the Night Star Flowers. In just half a day, Baizhi had 600 points, while Zhanyue had 500 points just from one fruit.

    ¡°This is just the outskirts. The deeper we go, the more treasures there will be. Who knows how many points we can get in the end,¡± Zhanyue led Baizhi to continue deeper eastward, with Baizhi obediently following behind him.

    Just after the two left, a masked man also arrived at the beehive area. Looking at the empty beehive on the ground, his eyes were full of anger. ¡°These Ghost Head Bees have been snatched by someone, and that Golden Root Fruit too!¡± He held a purple, demonic-looking flower in his hand, which he had intended to use against the Ghost Head Bees. However, while he was searching for this flower, someone had beaten him to it.

    ¡°I hope they haven¡¯t gone far,¡± the masked man¡¯s eyes were cold. These thousand-plus points were rtively easy to get, and someone had snatched them. How could he not be angry?

 Chapter 63: A Horse Wont Fatten Without Night Grass

    Chapter 63: A Horse Wont Fatten Without Night Grass

    The two continued eastward with their bountiful harvest. As the saying goes, ¡°The more skilled, the bolder.¡± With no Profound Beings in this secret realm, Zhanyue was confident he could fight anyone. However, acting too aggressively could lead to being surrounded, which would still be dangerous, so he knew to keep a low profile when necessary.

    But just because you don¡¯t look for trouble doesn¡¯t mean trouble won¡¯t find you.

    The masked man had some unknown tracking method and quickly caught up with Zhanyue and Baizhi. He stayed far away, assessing their strength.

    ¡°One at the ninth stage of Soul Control, one at the sixth stage of Spirit Communication. A bit troublesome. I¡¯m only at the peak of the ninth stage of Soul Control, but I¡¯ve been here for over half a year. I¡¯ve used my previous points to enhance my strength, far surpassing ordinary ninth stage Soul Control cultivators. I can evenst a few moves against a Profound Being. That sixth stage Spirit Communication one can be ignored. With those people guarding that area, I can¡¯t go to the deeper parts of the secret realm. I can only collect points in the outskirts. I¡¯ll take the gamble! First, sneak attack and severely injure the ninth stage Soul Control one, then instantly kill the Spirit Communication one, and finally turn back to finish off the Soul Control expert.¡± The masked man made his n.

    ¡°You two, wait for me!¡± the masked man suddenly called out. He needed to get close to the two for his sneak attack, as he didn¡¯t have any super long-range sneak attack methods.

    Hearing the call, Zhanyue and Baizhi turned to look at this ck-robed, masked person.

    ¡°Be careful, his realm is about the same as mine, but his aura is stronger,¡± Baizhi warned.

    ¡°You¡¯re the one who needs to be careful. Stay behind meter,¡± Zhanyue said as they turned around, with him in front and Baizhi behind.

    The masked man frowned slightly under his mask. How could this Spirit Communication cultivator be so strange? Could it be that the Soul Control one was the guard? What use was such a weak guard? ¡°Friends, are you new to the secret realm?¡± the masked man asked. He hadn¡¯t sensed such dressed individuals before, nor someone so weak at the Spirit Communication realm.

    ¡°Indeed we are. Does this friend have something to discuss?¡± Zhanyue asked.

    ¡°The secret realm is full of dangers, especially the Hopeless River ahead. Be careful of the kite-flying man by the river. However, if we team up, he might be wary of us,¡± the masked man suggested.

    ¡°Hopeless River? Kite-flying man?¡± Zhanyue realized this person knew many things about the secret realm.

    ¡°No, thanks. We don¡¯t n to cross the river,¡± Zhanyue replied. No one could be trusted in the secret realm.

    ¡°Quite cautious, aren¡¯t they? A bit troublesome,¡± the masked man sighed inwardly.

    So he changed his approach and asked directly: ¡°I found a beehive earlier, but couldn¡¯t take it down. When I went back to look, it had already been taken. Could it have been your method, brother?¡± The masked man pointed at Baizhi. He only wanted the two to change positions. His sneak attack method was naturally reserved for Baizhi; attacking someone at the sixth stage of Spirit Communication was meaningless.

    ¡°Beehive?¡± Baizhi¡¯s eyes faltered. That was indeed what they had taken. She nced at Zhanyue, unsure how to answer.

    ¡°What beehive? We don¡¯t know anything about that,¡± Zhanyue¡¯s eyes conveyed confusion.

    ¡°Still acting? Too bad the person behind you isn¡¯t as good at it,¡± the masked man grumbled inwardly. But this ck-robed Spirit Communication person was really annoying, always intentionally or unintentionally blocking the person behind.

    ¡°Forget it, let¡¯s use the old strategy,¡± the masked man couldn¡¯t wait any longer. He shouted towards the wilderness behind the two, ¡°Brothers Zhang and Li, what are you waiting for? Quick, make your move!¡±

    Baizhi was startled and turned her head to look behind.

    At this moment, the masked man shifted to the side, changing his angle to easily target Baizhi. A ring could be seen on his hand, his contract object. A yellow gem was embedded in the ring, which shot out aser beam straight towards Baizhi.

    ¡°Watch out!¡± Zhanyue had been wary of this person all along and didn¡¯t turn around even when he shouted. When the man suddenly attacked, Zhanyue wasn¡¯t caught off guard. He moved his body to block in front of Baizhi. Being considerablyrger than Baizhi, theser meant for her hit Zhanyue instead. He felt his whole body go numb, unable to move.

    ¡°Damn it!¡± The masked man was furious. In the end, he was still blocked by this bastard. ¡°Fine, let¡¯s settle this head-on.¡± The paralyzing divine light from the contract ring was his trump card, but unfortunately, it didn¡¯t hit his main target.

    ¡°You!¡± Baizhi reacted, shielding Zhanyue behind her, each hand holding a pill.

    The masked man was a misceneous contractor, with the ring as his contract object. The yellow gem on the ring contained lightning power, giving him the ability to paralyze. Any creature touching the gem would be paralyzed, and he had the strange ability to shoot paralyzing divine light, though this ability couldn¡¯t be used frequently. The masked man¡¯s strength was formidable. He quickly approached Baizhi, preventing her from using these pill weapons. Baizhi then realized this person was far more powerful than that Five Horses guy.

    At this critical moment, a fire dragon suddenly appeared, forcing the masked man back. Zhanyue skillfully controlled the fire dragon tounch an attack. The masked man hurriedly distanced himself, but the fire dragon was just dragon-shaped, formed by exquisite control techniques, purely for intimidation. Zhanyue liked to use it, and the masked man quickly realized this.

    ¡°Damn, it¡¯s just ordinary fire control. Who are you trying to fool with this true dragon form?¡± The masked man dispersed the fire dragon with a punch and attacked again. He now discovered that Zhanyue had regained movement and was protecting Baizhi.

    ¡°How is this possible? How did he recover so quickly?¡± He had thought the fire dragon was Baizhi¡¯s technique, but it turned out to be from this Spirit Communication cultivator.

    ¡°Use the pills to st him,¡± Zhanyue reminded.

    Zhanyue¡¯s body suddenly disappeared. Baizhi, hiding behind Zhanyue, shot out a pill with her delicate jade hand, the pill flying straight towards the masked man.

    ¡°Danger!¡± The masked man instinctively wanted to dodge the pill, but his feet were suddenly grabbed by something, momentarily unable to escape. In his eyes, Baizhi¡¯s figure was frantically running into the distance. Zhanyue, underground, also let go and burrowed deeper.

    ¡°Boom!¡± Baizhi¡¯s self-researchedposite Fierce Explosion Pill exploded, releasing an extremely considerable amount of energy for a single pill, even forming a small mushroom cloud, raising countless dust particles and leaving a deep crater.

    ¡°Wow.¡± When Zhanyue returned to the surface, his eyes were filled with shock. Could a fourth-grade pill have such an effect? It was fortunate he could burrow underground, otherwise being caught in the explosion would have seriously injured him too. Now the masked man¡¯s ck robe was in tatters, his bodypletely damaged, the mask shattered revealing an unfamiliar face.

    ¡°He¡¯s not dead, but severely injured. As expected of a pill that can harm Profound Beings,¡± Zhanyue felt lingering fear. He had still underestimated the power of this Fierce Explosion Pill.

    ¡°To kill or not to kill?¡± Zhanyue was conflicted, then sighed. After he took the masked man¡¯s fragrant pouch, the masked man was teleported away. This pouch didn¡¯t need to recognize an owner. He had activated the teleportation jade at the instant of the explosion, but couldn¡¯t escape the st. However, the teleportation jade activating now and sending him away saved Zhanyue from his dilemma.

    ¡°You¡¯re lucky this time. You didn¡¯t n to let us off, did you? If you still want revenge on uster, feel free toe!¡± Zhanyue said coldly to the masked man in the teleportation light pir.

    The masked man was covered in wounds but had saved his life. The teleportation light protected him, making it futile for Zhanyue to try to finish him off.

    Baizhi returned to Zhanyue¡¯s side, nervously looking around.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Zhanyue asked, confused by her reaction.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t he have aplices? Those Brothers Zhang and Li, why didn¡¯t they make their move?¡± Baizhi asked, puzzled.

    Zhanyue rolled his eyes. This girl was adorably stupid. Indeed, she was a pampered youngdy, but fortunately lucky enough not to have run into trouble in her long time away from home.

    ¡°There were no Brothers Zhang and Li. He was shouting randomly, like shouting ¡®Look, a UFO!¡¯¡± Zhanyue exined.

    ¡°What¡¯s a UFO?¡± Baizhi¡¯s eyes widened with curiosity.

    ¡°Never mind, I can¡¯t exin it clearly,¡± Zhanyue opened the man¡¯s fragrant pouch. The spirit objects inside were worth over 5,000 points. ¡°Indeed, killing and looting is the fastest way. This man¡¯s skills weren¡¯t weak, far surpassing that Five Horses boss I met before. It seems that even within the ninth stage of Soul Control, strengths can vary greatly. But that¡¯s normal, after all, everyone¡¯s contract object is different. That strange light beam of his could actually paralyze me. Fortunately, I have this overpowered ability to instantly recover my state, otherwise this little Baizhi definitely wouldn¡¯t have been a match for him. Those who can survive in the secret realm all have some tricks up their sleeves.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go. It¡¯s time to check out that Hopeless River ahead.¡±

 Chapter 64: -The Heavenly Moat River and Feng Bulang

    Chapter 64: -The Heavenly Moat River and Feng Bng

    As they moved eastward, Zhanyue felt the spirit energy bing more concentrated, even causing some loosening in his internal realm boundaries. The two walked on, not finding anything of particr value, but they weren¡¯t entirely empty-handed either.

    A fruit tree stood ahead, bearing two red fruits that neither Zhanyue nor Baizhi recognized.

    ¡°Red Star Fruit, highly toxic, worth 1 point,¡± the light-transmitting mirror provided the answer.

    Zhanyue climbed the tree and picked the two fruits. He wiped one clean and took a bite.

    ¡°Don¡¯t eat it!¡± Baizhi was startled. ¡°Didn¡¯t it say the fruit is highly toxic?¡±

    Zhanyue found the fruit sweet, tasting like abination of Hami melon and apple. ¡°You believe everything it says? I¡¯m half skeptical of the Ghost Shark n¡¯s words. Fruits aren¡¯t like wild grass or mushrooms; most of them aren¡¯t poisonous. In fact, they try hard to be delicious so other animals will eat them and spread their seeds elsewhere. Such a big fruit tree with only two fruits left at the top, the others were probably eaten by small animals.¡±

    Actually, Zhanyue hadn¡¯t mentioned one thing: even if it were truly toxic, he could recover using his State Reversal ability. He just wanted to see how ¡®honest¡¯ this light-transmitting mirror was. The result was obvious ¨C this thing had been tampered with by the Ghost Shark n.

    ¡°These Ghost Shark people are really despicable, calling non-toxic things toxic. I wonder if they¡¯d evaluate a treasure worth 10,000 points as just 1 point? After all, they hold the pricing power,¡± Zhanyue pondered. But on second thought, he realized he was overthinking. No one is a fool ¨C if a dangerous ce held a secret treasure they needed, and they set an extremely low point value, who would risk going there? That would be a lose-lose operation.

    They clearly didn¡¯t want outsiders using the resources within this secret realm. While other things couldn¡¯t be taken out, spirit fruits could be eaten directly inside the secret realm. So they marked all spirit fruits as highly toxic ¨C who would dare to gamble? But obviously, Zhanyue was that gambler. ¡°Do you have paper and pen?¡± Zhanyue asked Baizhi.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Baizhi nodded.

    ¡°Help me record this: Red Star Fruit, red and round, fist-sized, sweet taste. Eating it can increase internal spirit power. Someone who consumed it broke through from the sixth stage of Spirit Communication to the seventh stage,¡± Zhanyue said.

    Baizhi recorded it faithfully, her eyes brightening. She naturally guessed what Zhanyue intended to do. ¡°You want to collect information on various spirit objects in the secret realm? And did you really advance?¡±

    Zhanyue nodded, ¡°I¡¯ll be like Shennong tasting a hundred herbs. I don¡¯t believe those nning toe to Ghost Ind wouldn¡¯t be interested in this. I¡¯ll help them distinguish which things in the secret realm can be eaten and which can¡¯t. Although most things can¡¯t be taken out of Ghost Ind, eating and using these spirit fruits and objects within the secret realm shouldn¡¯t vite any rules. I¡¯ve always felt that exchanging these things from the secret realm for their rare items is a very losing deal.¡±

    Baizhi looked at Zhanyue with starry eyes, ¡°This sounds so interesting just thinking about it. But aren¡¯t you afraid of eating something truly toxic?¡±

    Zhanyue patted his chest, ¡°I have a special constitution, immune to all poisons.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Baizhi looked at Zhanyue suspiciously. This man had too many secrets. Though only at the Spirit Communication realm, he gave her a strong sense of security.

    ¡°Do you want to eat?¡± Zhanyue wiped the Red Star Fruit clean and offered it to Baizhi.

    Baizhi took the fruit and took a bite. Indeed, it tasted excellent.

    ¡°I was worried about food in the secret realm, but it seems with you around, these aren¡¯t problems,¡± Baizhi said happily.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    After traveling east for a while, arge river appeared before them. The river was a thousand meters wide, with extremely rapid currents. Neither its source nor its end was visible, and even the scenery on the opposite shore was somewhat blurry.

    ¡°Such a wide river, we probably can¡¯t cross directly,¡± Zhanyue observed the river¡¯s flow speed and depth. Even with their abilities, they couldn¡¯t cross it. Zhanyue¡¯s earth burrowing was far inferior to the Mountain Goblin n¡¯s, limited in both depth and duration, making it impossible to pass under the riverbed.

    ¡°This river is too rapid, small boats couldn¡¯t move in it. We¡¯d need arge ship, but where would we find one in this secret realm?¡± Baizhi was also at a loss. Flying was an extremely rare ability, which neither Zhanyue nor Baizhi possessed.

    ¡°Should we make a raft?¡± Zhanyue immediately shook his head. There were vague ck shadows patrolling in the river, likely unsafe. Just as the Tongtian River stumped the pilgrims, Zhanyue and Baizhi were also stumped by this enormous river.

    On the horizon, a colorful phoenix kite suddenly appeared in their view. The kite¡¯s appearance was quite eerie, and even more strangely, a huge bamboo basket hung below it with a person standing inside.

    Soon, that personnded in front of them. To their great surprise, this person wore no ck robe or mask,pletely showing his true face. He wore colorful clothes, a riot of colors, with long hair intertwined in red, yellow, and blue. The man¡¯s face was handsome, looking at the two with a smile.

    ¡°This is a mboyant one,¡± Zhanyue immediately judged. This man¡¯s attire and expression were too ¡®mboyant¡¯, somewhat ahead of his time for this era. And daring to show his true face in the secret realm, he was either a fool or had absolute confidence.

    ¡°I am Feng Bng from Ye Capital. Do you two wish to cross the river?¡± the man asked.

    ¡°Be careful of the kite-flying man?¡± Zhanyue remembered the masked man¡¯s words. Was this man before them the kite flyer? He couldn¡¯t help but be nervous. ¡°Ye Capital¡­ actually from the mysterious Ye Capital.¡±

    ¡°Greetings, Brother Feng. My young master and I were indeed about to cross the river,¡± Zhanyue said. He now fully appeared as a guard, while Baizhi had switched to a young master¡¯s voice.

    ¡°Seventh stage of Spirit Communication? Bringing someone at the Spirit Communication realm here, this young master is quite bold,¡± Feng Bng said, looking at Zhanyue and then at Baizhi.

    ¡°Brother Feng, is there no way to go around this river?¡± Zhanyue asked curiously.

    Feng Bng smiled, ¡°To go around this Heavenly Moat River would take at least two or three months. You can try if you have the patience. You don¡¯t know, there are many fierce beasts in this river. If one¡¯s abilities are strong enough, they could swim across. Of course, there¡¯s a simpler way right now.¡±

    Zhanyue naturally knew Feng Bng¡¯s intention, but still asked, ¡°If one doesn¡¯t have flying abilities like Brother Feng¡¯s, wouldn¡¯t it be very difficult to reach the other side? How did people cross before? Surely not everyone went around?¡±

    Feng Bng smiled slightly, ¡°Of course they used a bridge. A huge stone bridge connected the two shores, quite magnificent.¡±

    ¡°A bridge? Where is the bridge?¡± Zhanyue was stunned. So there was a bridge.

    ¡°I said people used to use a bridge. Since I came to the secret realm, it can¡¯t be used anymore. I destroyed that bridge, even the bridge pirs fell into the river. It can¡¯t be repaired,¡± Feng Bng said mischievously. ¡°How about that? My method was quite good, wasn¡¯t it? That bridge was really hard to demolish.¡±

    Zhanyue¡¯s face darkened. This bastard had destroyed the bridge, then used his own ability to ferry people across. Everyone knew what he was thinking.

    ¡°Alright, Brother Feng, how many points does it cost to cross the river?¡± Zhanyue asked helplessly.

    ¡°Hehe, it¡¯s not expensive. Just items worth 1,000 points per person,¡± Feng Bng said with a smile.

    ¡°1,000 points?! Why don¡¯t you just rob us outright!¡± Zhanyue¡¯s eyes widened.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t I robbing you now? Take it or leave it. Is 1,000 points really that expensive? Where is it expensive? It¡¯s just that you¡¯re not working hard enough. Once you miss this chance, you won¡¯t get another. The other side of the river is truly vast and broad. The heavenly materials and earthly treasures there are far more abundant than this side. This here is just the edge of the edge. Only after crossing the river can you say you¡¯ve truly entered the secret realm,¡± Feng Bng said disdainfully. He had been here for half a year, earning points solely by collecting tolls. Letting others take risks was always safer than taking risks himself.

    Zhanyue gritted his teeth in anger, ¡°Brother Feng, the fact that you haven¡¯t been beaten to death yet must mean your abilities are truly exceptional.¡±

    Feng Bng nodded in agreement, ¡°Just average, third in the world. Among those below the Profound Realm, those who can beat me can be counted on one hand. Even facing Profound Beings, I can run away at will.¡±

    ¡°With such abilities, Brother Feng, why don¡¯t you think about going deeper into the secret realm to find more treasures yourself? Collecting tolls is good, but it¡¯s hard to get truly rich that way,¡± Zhanyue asked. The person before him was too dangerous and mysterious.

    ¡°What do you know? I can fly, I¡¯ve already been inside and seen. Find treasures? Find my ass. You never know when you might lose your life. I advise you not to go too deep either. Even Spirit Gods risk perishing in the depths of the secret realm. We¡¯re not even Profound Beings, are we going to seek death? Look¡­¡± Feng Bng took out three fragrant pouches and sighed, ¡°I found these beside three skeletons. They had a total of 120,000 points, which shows they were extraordinarily powerful. They even acted as a team of three, yet they all died in there. In the end, I benefited.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for the warning, Brother Feng. We¡¯ll be careful. Please send us across,¡± Zhanyue took out spirit objects worth 2,000 points.

    Feng Bng curiously looked at Zhanyue, ¡°You¡¯re not a simple Spirit Communication cultivator. Well, I don¡¯t want to pry too much. Good luck to you.¡±

    The two entered Feng Bng¡¯s huge bamboo basket. Feng Bng waved his hand, and the kite grew evenrger, carrying the three of them across the Heavenly Moat.

    ¡°Brother Feng¡¯s contract object is actually a kite, giving him the ability to fly. It¡¯s truly enviable,¡± Zhanyue praised, looking at the kite in the sky.

    ¡°Envy my ass. Wouldn¡¯t it be better if I were a wind contractor like Wind Lord? Elementalizing the body, flying at will. It¡¯s just a broken kite, limiting this young master¡¯s potential. But I¡¯ll tell you, this young master has developed this kite to its limit. I¡¯m in a good mood today, so I¡¯ll let you see something special.¡±

    With a wave of Feng Bng¡¯s hand, the phoenix kite grew evenrger, then shed with golden light, transforming into a phoenix. It no longer resembled a kite at all.

    ¡°This is contract object transformation. Not even one in ten thousand contractors can master it,¡± Feng Bng said, pointing at the phoenix in the sky. Although it wasn¡¯t a real phoenix, it had some of a phoenix¡¯s charm, and its power was iparable to before.

    ¡°It can do that!¡± Zhanyue was amazed. This Feng Bng was truly extraordinary.

    ¡°It¡¯s just a small trick. Compared to the Eastern Kingdom¡¯s Crown Princess¡¯s true flying dragon contract beast, it¡¯s far inferior. How could Ipare to someone who can contract a true mythical creature?¡± Feng Bng sighed. He had developed his kite contract object to its limit, but innate differences couldn¡¯t be made up for through effort.

    ¡°This thing is excellent for fooling people. Those who don¡¯t know would really think you¡¯ve contracted a phoenix,¡± Zhanyue marveled, looking at the lifelike phoenix in the sky.

    Feng Bng smiled slightly, ¡°How did you know I use this to deceive people? I even used it to sneak into Ye Capital¡¯s mansion. Those examination teachers were so angry their noses went crooked, but ording to the rules, they couldn¡¯t dismiss me.¡±

    Baizhi stood to the side without speaking. Looking at the phoenix made her feel dejected. Her contract object was just an ordinary alchemy furnace, while Zhanyue had a mysterious giant cauldron, clearly extraordinary. Would the gap between them growrger in the future? Just thinking about this made her feel irritable.

    Soon after, the three flew across the Heavenly Moat River andnded on the ground.

    ¡°Brother Feng, we¡¯ll take our leave now,¡± Zhanyue led Baizhi away quickly.

    Feng Bng watched Zhanyue¡¯s departing figure, a smile appearing at the corner of his mouth. ¡°I really want to know what trump cards this little Spirit Communication cultivator has. Facing me without any fear. Well, when my time is almost up, I¡¯ll go y inside. For now, collecting tolls is mostfortable. Another 2,000 points in hand.

 Chapter 65: Spirit Beasts and Spirit Pills (1)

    Chapter 65: Spirit Beasts and Spirit Pills (1)

    Having crossed the Heavenly Moat River, the two finally breathed a sigh of relief. Feng Bng had indeed simply collected money and ferried people across without any tricks.

    ¡°What a strange person,¡± Baizhi stuck out her tongue andined.

    ¡°However, I¡¯m a bit curious. Flying straight across would have been the shortest distance, but he flew at an angle, as if he had some purpose,¡± Zhanyue had actually been on guard against Feng Bng the whole time, but the other party didn¡¯t seem to have any ill intentions.

    ¡°The two gentlemen¡¯s curiosity is not without reason,¡± a voice came, making Zhanyue and Baizhi¡¯s hearts tighten. Had someone been eavesdropping on their conversation?

    ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous,¡± a white figure walked over. The person was dressed like a young master in white, but wore a mask on his face. The mask was carved with a horse¡¯s head, looking somewhatical.

    ¡°I am Horse Face, though of course, that¡¯s just a codename,¡± the white-robed Horse Face man said.

    ¡°What did you mean by your earlier words?¡± Zhanyue looked at him warily.

    Horse Faceughed, ¡°That mboyant Feng Bng intentionally brought you to me. There¡¯s no need for you two to be nervous, I just want to make a deal with you.¡±

    With that, Horse Face took out a scroll. When unrolled, it was clearly a map. ¡°I, Horse Face, have been in this realm for over ten months, more familiar with the terrain on this side of the river than most. Where it¡¯s dangerous, where it¡¯s safe, where there are opportunities ¨C I¡¯ve explored about thirty percent. Of course, I don¡¯t dare go deeper with my strength,¡± Horse Face said. ¡°This scroll is the map I¡¯ve drawn. It only costs 2,000 points per copy. I¡¯m sure you gentlemen know the principle of ¡®to do a good job, one must first sharpen one¡¯s tools¡¯,¡± Horse Face said with a smile.

    ¡°A map?¡± Zhanyue was tempted. Indeed, where there are people, there¡¯s not just a jianghu, but civilization.

    ¡°Then why don¡¯t you explore yourself, instead of selling maps here?¡± Zhanyue asked further.

    Horse Face seemed to know Zhanyue would ask this and replied, ¡°I was injured during my previous explorations and it¡¯s inconvenient to go to dangerous ces again. But I still want to earn more points, as I¡¯m just short of enough points to exchange for what I want. So I started selling maps here. Those willing to cross the river are all ambitious and naturally won¡¯t begrudge these 2,000 points. I¡¯ve already sold nearly a hundred copies of this map.¡±

    ¡°Nearly a hundred copies? That¡¯s 200,000 points. You even reveal that you¡¯re seriously injured. Aren¡¯t you afraid we might rob you?¡± Zhanyue asked curiously.

    Horse Faceughed, ¡°I dare to be honest because I naturally have some strength. If nothing else, I have the ability to hold out for ten breaths to teleport away. Gentlemen, I see we have a connection. If you buy the map today, I¡¯ll throw in a set of exploration notes, which will greatly benefit your exploration. What do you think?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll buy it,¡± Zhanyue didn¡¯t waste time. Although the map and notes might not be entirely trustworthy, they were much better than knowing nothing about the secret realm.

    He took out spirit objects worth 2,000 points, and both parties happilypleted the transaction. It was fortunate that the previous masked man¡¯s ¡°gift¡± had given Zhanyue sufficient starting funds.

    Watching the two leave, Horse Face muttered to himself, ¡°I hope they can return safely. Don¡¯t throw away their lives for the Ghost Shark n¡¯s grand cause. We¡¯re all just working for them, no need to risk our lives.¡±

    Contrary to Zhanyue¡¯s thoughts, Horse Face¡¯s map was not only real but also carefully drawn by him.

    ¡°This Feng Bng and Horse Face are not simple characters. I¡¯ve underestimated the heroes of the world,¡± Zhanyue self-reflected. He had thought that with his many skills, he would be invincible below the Profound Realm. However, both Feng Bng and Horse Face gave him a dangerous feeling. His realm was still too low; there were others besides him in the world who could kill across realms.

    ¡°I should be more careful when traveling in the future,¡± Zhanyue reminded himself, especially without the illumination Goddess¡¯s protection.

    ¡°This secret realm is so strange. That masked man looked friendly but suddenly tried to kill us, while these two weirdos looked odd but turned out to be so easy to talk to,¡± Baizhiined.

    ¡°That¡¯s natural. The secret realm isn¡¯t a zero-sum game. There¡¯s bothpetition and cooperation. There are countless treasures here, more than enough for everyone. The difficulty is that some treasures aren¡¯t easy to obtain, and at those times, cooperation is often the better choice. Of course, you can choose to kill and loot, but you don¡¯t know others¡¯ strengths. It¡¯s a high-risk, high-reward method that may not suit everyone.

    Both Feng Bng and Horse Face are part of the collective exploration of the secret realm, although Feng Bng is indeed quite despicable for destroying the bridge to force people to buy his service,¡± Zhanyue exined. Where there are people, there¡¯s not just a jianghu but also civilization. Everyone will make the optimal choice based on their environment.

    ¡°How do you know everything? Unlike me, I don¡¯t understand anything except pill refining,¡± Baizhi pouted.

    ¡°It¡¯s normal that you don¡¯t understand. You¡¯ve been well protected by the Bai family since childhood, spending all your time on the way of pills. What else would you understand? But now, you should learn some things about being independent,¡± Zhanyue replied.

    ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. I heard them say there¡¯s day and night in this secret realm, and the night seems very dangerous,¡± Zhanyue said, looking at the sky.

    ¡°Are there Nightmares in the secret realm too?¡± Baizhi asked, puzzled.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Just because there aren¡¯t any on Ghost Ind doesn¡¯t mean there aren¡¯t any in the secret realm. And Nightmares aren¡¯t the only danger.¡±

    The two set up their tent. Since Baizhi had used her tent as a curtain, they could only share one tent now. The tent was ced under arge tree, which would provide some protection even in case of strong winds or heavy rain.

    Soon, night fell. During the day, there was no sun but the secret realm was bright. At night, however, a blood moon hung in the sky, identical to the blood-red moon in the outside world. No sun during the day but a blood moon at night ¨C Zhanyue didn¡¯t know how the secret realm operated, but he knew this ce was extraordinary.

    For safety, Zhanyue still set up a light formation to illuminate the surrounding area.

    ¡°If you¡¯re tired, you can rest first. I¡¯ll take a look at this thing,¡± Zhanyue took out the exploration notes Horse Face had given.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sleepy. What¡¯s recorded in there? Tell me about it,¡± Baizhi moved close to Zhanyue¡¯s side and asked. At this moment, she had removed her bamboo hat and hood, revealing her pretty face, looking delicate and charming.

    ¡°Coincidentally, he also recorded about the nights in the secret realm. There are no Nightmares at night, but there are blood-eyed beasts, not much different from those possessed by Nightmares. They seem to be influenced by the blood moon. What¡¯s more terrifying is that they aren¡¯t undead creatures and aren¡¯t afraid of illumination stones, so light formations aren¡¯t effective at night. Instead, we should use pills or formations that conceal our aura,¡± Zhanyue exined.

    ¡°Ah?¡± Both of them suddenly realized and hurriedly exited the tent. They saw a ck panther charging towards them from not far away. The panther was jet ck all over, with only a pair of blood-red eyes.

    ¡°Let me handle this. I can¡¯t always be protected by you,¡± Baizhi was fired up.

    Zhanyue nodded. Letting this girl experience more was good; the more help she could be to him, the better. Zhanyue now believed that manyrge families and powerful forces probably knew the secret of the Blood Jade Tokens. This ce had a special realm for those below the Profound Realm and could exchange treasures ¨C it was definitely a good ce for training. Those who could get Blood Jade Tokens ande here were not ordinary people. Whether it was Baizhi, Feng Bng, Horse Face, or himself, even that masked man with the paralyzing ability would be considered outstanding in the outside world.

    Baizhi moved her body, ready for battle. When the ck panther pounced, she crushed a pill, enveloping herself in white mist. She had already taken a breath-holding pill. The ck panther entered the white mist and after inhaling a few breaths of the mist, it became drowsy and started staggering.

    Another Blood Mist Pill was thrown out. The ck panther, whose movements had slowed significantly, couldn¡¯t dodge. As the Blood Mist Pill dispersed, the ck panther instantly lost its strength, just like the Five Horses bandits, its power greatly reduced.

    Baizhi walked over and, mustering her courage, stabbed a dagger into the ck panther¡¯s head. This was her first time personally finishing off an enemy. Her little heart was beating nervously until the ck pantherpletely stopped moving. After all, she was still at the ninth stage of Soul Control.

 Chapter 66: Spirit Beasts and Spirit Pills (2)

    Chapter 66: Spirit Beasts and Spirit Pills (2)

    ¡°I really suspect that the Bai family head deliberately didn¡¯t cultivate this girl¡¯sbat skills. His intentions are questionable, treating herpletely as a pill refining tool, and then nning to exchange her for an eighth-grade pill form once she had higher value,¡± Zhanyue spected. Baizhi was extremely talented, and Zhanyue felt that if she learned some cultivation methods and martial techniques, it wouldn¡¯t necessarily take too much time. In fact, Baizhi didn¡¯t know any martial techniques, only having raw cultivation power and relying entirely on pills for fighting. No wonder her first thought when facing the Five Bandits was to run.

    ¡°This won¡¯t do. I need to find a way to arm this girl. It¡¯s a pity I can¡¯t contact big sister now, or I could get some free cultivation methods,¡± Zhanyue thought to himself.

    ¡°How was that? Wasn¡¯t I amazing?¡± Baizhi retrieved her bloodied dagger, her eyes curved like crescent moons in a smile, quickly returning to Zhanyue¡¯s side to seek praise.

    ¡°Watch out!¡± Just as Zhanyue was about topliment her, the ck panther¡¯s ¡®corpse¡¯ suddenly sprang up and pounced. Zhanyue hugged Baizhi and spun around to protect her. Despite the soft fragrance in his arms, Zhanyue had no time to savor it as the ck panther¡¯s sharp ws left three bloody gashes on his back.

    Zhanyue used his hand as a de, covering it with scorching mes, condensing fire into a sword. With a Sun me sh, he turned and cut the ck panther in two, then burned the two halves of the corpse clean with two balls of Sr Essence Fire.

    ¡°Are you alright? I¡¯m so sorry, it¡¯s all my fault,¡± Baizhi¡¯s eyes were filled with tears, Zhanyue¡¯s back already soaked in blood. She hadn¡¯t expected the ck panther to still be capable of fighting back even with its head pierced.

    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault, don¡¯t cry. Quickly pack up the tent, we need to change locations,¡± Zhanyue took off his blood-soaked clothes and threw them on the ground. The bloody marks on his back had already ¡®healed¡¯ without a trace of injury ¨C State Reversal was such an overpowered ability. ¡°The scent of blood will quickly attract other fierce beasts. We need to leave quickly.¡±

    Zhanyue keenly noticed that the incinerated ck panther corpse left behind a blood-red pearl, which he collected.

    The two quickly moved to another location. Sure enough, the blood and bloody clothes soon attracted several powerful fierce beasts. ¡°You¡­ you¡­¡± Baizhi stared nkly at Zhanyue¡¯s smooth back. Hadn¡¯t the panther injured him? Was it her imagination earlier? But the force felt so real, he had clearly shielded her, and the impact had even passed through to her.

    ¡°What are you looking at? Do you have another ck robe?¡± Zhanyue said helplessly. This girl was really quite naive.

    ¡°Oh, I do,¡± she took out another ck robe and handed it to Zhanyue.

    ¡°Have you refined any pills that can mask human scent?¡± Zhanyue asked again.

    ¡°There¡¯s a third-grade ¡®Scent Removing Pill¡¯ that fits the requirement. I can refine it, but unfortunately, I don¡¯t have any in stock,¡± Baizhi didn¡¯t carry every type of pill, of course.

    ¡°These beasts find their prey through blood scent and human aura. Without the Scent Removing Pills, we might be in trouble. It seems we can¡¯t sleep tonight. Apparently, when the blood moon disappears, they regain their intelligence and won¡¯t actively antagonize humans. At least, that¡¯s what Horse Face¡¯s book says,¡± Zhanyue said helplessly.

    He picked up the red pellet he had collected earlier and scanned it with the light-transmitting mirror. ¡°Third-grade spirit beast core, worth 50 points.¡±

    ¡°That ck panther was a third-grade spirit beast? This thing is a beast core? In the outside world, there¡¯s no concept of ¡®yao¡¯. There are only fierce beasts and spirit beasts. Yao? Are there yao in this secret realm?¡± Zhanyue knew that in the Myriad Spirits World, beasts were just beasts. Regardless of their level, they couldn¡¯t shapeshift, not even dragons, because beast ns had long lost the inheritance of yao cultivation, and could no longer enter the path of humanity. Were all the beasts in this secret realm yao beasts? Yao that could cultivate? What kind of ce was this secret realm!

    ¡°What are you spacing out for? Another monster ising,¡± Baizhi warned. Zhanyue looked in the direction she pointed, seeing a huge ck bear. A smile appeared at the corner of Zhanyue¡¯s mouth, ¡°Spirit beasts are good. Spirit beasts have cores, and cores are worth quite a few points.¡±

    The ck bear was twice Zhanyue¡¯s size. Its roar shook one¡¯s heart and mind. Zhanyue and Baizhi instantly felt their spirits wilt ¨C this ck bear could even use mental attacks. Fortunately, the Ghost Fruit in Zhanyue¡¯s soul trembled slightly, and his wilted spirit instantly became full again. His State Reversal couldn¡¯t affect intangible things like the soul and spirit, but he had the Ghost Fruit.

    ¡°Vicious beast, don¡¯t be so arrogant,¡± Zhanyue formed a fire sword and attacked.

    Stepping with the Phantom Light Step, wielding the Phantom Form Sword, the ck bear, having lost its intelligence, fought purely on instinct. Its eyes locked onto Zhanyue, but it couldn¡¯t hit him no matter how it swiped, nor could it dodge his attacks. Soon, it had many charred wounds on its body, though its thick skin and sturdy flesh made it quite resistant to damage.

    ¡°I need to end this quickly, before more spirit beastse. I can¡¯t handle several more ck bears like this,¡± Zhanyue thought. He formed Earth Vein Ghost Fire in his left hand and Sr Essence Fire in his right. Using an earth burrowing technique, half his body sank into the ground. As the ck bear swiped at empty air, two fire swords cut the tendons in both its feet. The ck bear instantly copsed, unable to move.

    Zhanyue pulled back, controlling the mes to continuously attack the ck bear, burning its skin ck and filling the air with a charred smell.

    The ck bear angrily opened its mouth, preparing for another mental attack.

    Zhanyue¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for this!¡± He poured two balls of me, one blue and one golden, directly into the bear¡¯s mouth. The ck bear fell to the ground, struggled a few times, then stopped moving. Having learned from the ck panther experience, Zhanyue observed for a while to confirm the bear was truly dead before approaching. The bear¡¯s core was in its abdomen, which Zhanyue cut open to retrieve.

    ¡°Fourth-grade peak spirit beast core, worth 500 points,¡± Zhanyue smiled happily. It was ten times the value of the ck panther¡¯s core. The Ghost Shark n indeed hadn¡¯t manipted the point values; this ck bear was much harder to kill than the ck panther.

    ¡°The bear carcass isn¡¯t worth much, no need to take it. Hm? What¡¯s this?¡± Zhanyue noticed a faint glow in the ck bear¡¯s head. He immediately broke it open, finding a small bone inside. It took quite some effort to extract, and the white bone glowed faintly in the night light.

    ¡°Spirit beast soul bone, extremely rare, worth 100,000 points.¡± After reading this information, Zhanyue was stunned for a moment. The beast¡¯s core was only worth 500 points, but this thing was worth 100,000? Zhanyue didn¡¯t know that very few spirit beasts possessed innate divine abilities. These abilities were stored in the beast¡¯s soul bones, soul blood, or cores. After the beast¡¯s death, these would normally be ordinary with the beast¡¯s passing, but in extremely rare cases, soul bones, soul blood, or special cores retaining their extraordinary properties would remain. These items were scarce in any era.

    ¡°The Ghost Shark people must have been conflicted about pricing this at 100,000 points. They were afraid people wouldn¡¯t recognize its value and not take it if the points were too low, but giving too many points would draw our attention. Unfortunately, I don¡¯t know how to use this thing, and nothing can be taken off Ghost Ind. Ah, the Ghost Shark n really has good methods,¡± Zhanyue knew this was a treasure, but unfortunately didn¡¯t know its use.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? You¡¯re spacing out again,¡± Baizhi had watched the thrilling battle. This ck bear couldn¡¯t be taken down with just a few pills, but it still died at Zhanyue¡¯s hands. Zhanyue was too strong. If he really wanted to do something to her, could she resist? She couldn¡¯t help thinking, then quickly pushed the thought out of her mind. ¡°He¡¯s not that kind of person.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve struck it rich,¡± Zhanyue opened his palm to show Baizhi the soul bone. It was a white sphere, bone-white in color, emitting a faint glow.

    ¡°One¡­ one hundred thousand?¡± Baizhi trembled with excitement. ¡°If we kill a few more bears like this, wouldn¡¯t we have enough points?¡±

    Zhanyue put away the soul bone and smiled, ¡°Silly girl, you think these aremon? A bear would most likely only give those 500 points, and it¡¯s so hard to kill.¡± Zhanyue nned to study the secrets of this soul bone carefully after leaving.

    The two changed locations again. Shortly after they left, several more spirit beasts came and feasted on the ck bear carcass, not pursuing Zhanyue and the others. This was also Zhanyue¡¯s purpose in leaving the bear carcass.

    The two walked and hid along the way, exhausted but also reaping a full harvest. In one night, they killed seven third-grade spirit beasts and two fourth-grade spirit beasts. Unfortunately, soul bones proved to be rare items, and they didn¡¯t encounter any more. Finally, they found a cave with several stone pirs outside, clearly man-made markers. They decisively hid inside. ording to Horse Face¡¯s records, this cave was called the Blood Python Cave. It originally housed a fifth-grade spirit beast, equivalent to a Star Profound Realm strength, but it had been killed by several people working together. This became a good temporary shelter, as the blood python¡¯s aura lingered for years, keeping nearby spirit beasts away.

    ¡°Finally, we can rest. Horse Face¡¯s information really was useful,¡± Zhanyue praised, feeling the 2,000 points were well spent. No wonder he could sell so many copies; it truly contained valuable information.

 Chapter 67: Night Talk in the Cave

    Chapter 67: Night Talk in the Cave

    The cave was brightly lit, with illumination stones serving excellently as light bulbs. Zhanyue organized their day¡¯s harvest. Just that mysterious soul bone alone was worth 100,000 points, and the other various spirit objects and spirit beast cores added up to over 10,000. Zhanyue gave most of the spirit objects and cores to Baizhi, keeping only a small portion for himself as ¡®pocket change¡¯.

    ¡°No, no, this is too much. I hardly did anything following you,¡± Baizhi declined, her small face slightly flushed. The saying goes, ¡®don¡¯t ept rewards without merit¡¯, and along the way, it was basically Zhanyue acting as the fighter, while she only took action twice.

    ¡°Have you forgotten about that soul bone? We agreed earlier on a 50-50 split. I¡¯m keeping that soul bone for research, so I should give you 50,000 points. It¡¯s still far from enough, so just take it,¡± Zhanyue exined. Although Baizhi¡¯s help wasn¡¯t significant along the way, at least she kept him from being lonely. Moreover, he had many things to consult Baizhi about regarding alchemy, so the 50-50 split could be considered as paying tuition fees. Zhanyue was confident that Baizhi would definitely be a master-level figure in alchemy in the future, so naturally, he didn¡¯t mind giving her more points now.

    Baizhi epted the points, her eyes darting around, looking at Zhanyue suspiciously. The blush hadn¡¯t left her face, making her as beautiful as a goddess bathed in the sunset. ¡°Why are you so good to me?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Zhanyue was momentarily speechless. He could hardly say it was because Baizhi was beautiful and smart, with extraordinary talent. That would be too opportunistic.

    ¡°Not saying anything? Could it be that you have some thoughts about me because I¡¯m pretty?¡± Baizhi leaned her small face closer, smiling and asking. Then she warned, ¡°If you really think that way, the Bai family and that Golden Pill Immortal won¡¯t let you off.¡±

    Baizhi didn¡¯t have the typical fragrance of a young woman, but rather a special medicinal scent, rted to her long-term pill refining. But that medicinal scent was fresh and pleasant, momentarily distracting Zhanyue.

    ¡°You¡¯re really narcissistic, girl. I admit you¡¯re very beautiful, but what I value more is your courage and talent. Just being pretty isn¡¯t worth my investment. I¡¯ve seen two women whose beauty is no less than yours, and there¡¯s even a senior whose beauty surpasses yours,¡± Zhanyue retorted.

    ¡°Oh? Who are you talking about?¡± Baizhi was very beautiful, known as the number one beauty of the Thousand Beauties Country¡¯s Alchemy Capital sinceing of age. It¡¯s worth noting that the Thousand Beauties Country was known for producing beauties, so this title carried a lot of weight. Otherwise, it wouldn¡¯t have caused trouble, attracting the Golden Pill Immortal¡¯s desire, who was even willing to use an eighth-grade pill form as a betrothal gift. Baizhi was very confident in her looks, so naturally, she wasn¡¯t convinced hearing Zhanyue say this. ¡°Well, the first one is the Empire¡¯s Crown Princess, the Empire¡¯s Female War God Chi Hongchen. I¡¯ve ridden her contract dragon twice, admiring her heroic bearing up close,¡± Zhanyue said.

    ¡°Chi Hongchen? I¡¯ve heard of her too, and even seen her portrait. She¡¯s extraordinarily talented, with unparalleledbat power, the world¡¯s only dragon contractor. Besides herbat power, her beauty is unparalleled, but often overlooked. I admit she¡¯s indeed not inferior to me,¡± Baizhi nodded, but her eyes flickered with disbelief. She didn¡¯t believe thetter half of Zhanyue¡¯s words about riding the contract dragon twice.

    ¡°As for the other one, it¡¯s the Holy Maiden of the Rising Sun Country¡¯s Divine Light Holy Court, Mumulixi. She has long golden hair, noble and elegant, youthfully beautiful. I¡¯ve shared hardships with her,¡± Zhanyue said.

    Baizhi pouted, unable to help but retort, ¡°Of course I know about the Holy Maiden, and I know she¡¯s extremely beautiful. But you¡¯re so dishonest, always bragging. First, you said you had an eighth-grade alchemist master, and now you say you¡¯re close with Chi Hongchen and the Holy Maiden. Why don¡¯t you just say the Holy Maiden likes you?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if she likes me, but I quite like her. That little girl isn¡¯t as mischievous as you, but gentle as water,¡± Zhanyue rubbed the ring on his hand, feeling a bit sad, wondering how that girl was doing now, whether her cold poison had been sessfully suppressed.

    ¡°Hmph, what else? You said these two have beauty no less than mine, I¡¯ll ept that. But you said there¡¯s a senior whose beauty surpasses mine, who is she?¡± Although Baizhi didn¡¯t believe Zhanyue¡¯s words, she enjoyed listening to him talk.

    ¡°That senior is none other than the illumination Goddess,¡± Zhanyue said. In terms of beauty, Zhanyue didn¡¯t think anyone in this world could surpass his adopted sister. Her originally beautiful face paired with that otherworldly, peerless aura and unfathomable strength made her truly a woman who stood alone, apart from the world.

    ¡°Pfft,¡± Baizhiughed, exasperated. ¡°You really can exaggerate. Even the Goddess statues don¡¯t show much, you¡¯re just imagining the Goddess¡¯s true appearance. Although books record that she was very, very beautiful, she¡¯s long gone. Who among today¡¯s people has seen her? There¡¯s not a single truth in your words.¡±

    Zhanyue didn¡¯t argue, only saying, ¡°Unless absolutely necessary, I don¡¯t lie. One day you¡¯ll know everything I said is true. If you don¡¯t believe it, forget it. I originally had a belly full of secrets I wanted to share with you.¡±

    ¡°Hmph, king of bragging, lying so shamelessly. I¡¯m not a three-year-old child. Why don¡¯t you say the Goddess has returned to the mortal world, even took you as a disciple and taught you peerless martial arts?¡± Baizhi pouted, looking extremely cute.

    ¡°Oh? How did you know? Although she didn¡¯t take me as a disciple, it¡¯s almost the same,¡± Zhanyue smiled. He knew that even if he told these truths, no one would believe him, so there was no need to conceal anything.

    ¡°You¡¯re still going on with it. Hmph, I¡¯m ignoring you,¡± Baizhi turned her head away, taking out a book of alchemy secrets and starting to study.

    ¡°This girl, once she gets into it, she really focuses single-mindedly,¡± Zhanyue guarded her from the side. Baizhi looked very nice when she was seriously reading, especially her lively eyes, sometimes puzzled, sometimes delighted. At this moment, she wasn¡¯t wearing her veil and bamboo hat; she was less inclined to hide and disguise herself in front of Zhanyue.

    ¡°Just in the outskirts, there are already fifth-grade spirit beasts, equivalent to Profound Being strength, requiring group efforts to kill. Going further in, I¡¯m afraid even my strength won¡¯t be enough. No wonder points are so hard toe by. Even Feng Bng and that mysterious Horse Face aren¡¯t willing to continue exploring deeper, but instead do business outside,¡± Zhanyue took out the map, frowning. Continuing inward would likely be increasingly dangerous, especially with Baizhi in tow. ¡°But if we stop here, we definitely won¡¯t gather enough points. Among those things, I¡¯m most interested in that ¡®Thousand Hands Fire God¡¯ pill refining technique and the ¡®Annotations of Ancient Scripts of Hundred Races¡¯. These two items alone add up to 1.3 million points, 100,000 points more expensive than that eighth-grade pill form.¡± Zhanyue pondered.

    ¡°The eighth-grade pill form can¡¯t solve Baizhi¡¯s problem. We¡¯ll take her situation one step at a time. If it really doesn¡¯t work out, we can only hope for big sister¡¯s help. After a year, her business should be about finished,¡± Zhanyue thought. He certainly didn¡¯t want Baizhi to be that Golden Pill Immortal¡¯s concubine. This future alchemy master must be firmly tied to his own chariot. Who knows how she would shock the world after advancing to seventh or eighth-grade alchemist.

    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Zhanyue suddenly realized, remembering something. ¡°Besides exploring inward, there are two other directions: up and down. Although I can¡¯t fly and can¡¯t explore the sky, there¡¯s still underground. Given how mysterious this secret realm is, there might be secrets underground.¡±

    With this new idea, Zhanyue eagerly burrowed into the ground, returning shortly after.

    ¡°Little girl,¡± Zhanyue interrupted Baizhi¡¯s focused study.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Baizhi asked, puzzled.

    ¡°I¡¯ve discovered that there¡¯s actually space underground in this secret realm. Unfortunately, my earth burrowing technique can¡¯t carry living beings orrge objects, so I can¡¯t take you down. I n to go and see for myself. If I haven¡¯t returned by daybreak, use the teleportation jade to transport yourself outside and wait for me there,¡± Zhanyue said.

    ¡°Ah? But won¡¯t it be very dangerous underground?¡± Baizhi asked.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I know my limits. If I encounter danger, if nothing else, I can at least escape. It¡¯s not wise to explore further inward now. Since there¡¯s space underground, I should naturally go and see. Other people probably have never been there, so it¡¯s worth a try,¡± Zhanyue exined his thoughts.

    Baizhi looked at Zhanyue¡¯s eyes, knowing he had made up his mind. Without her holding him back, he could explore more conveniently. Baizhi felt a sourness in her heart. At this moment, she somewhat regretted not learning some martial techniques. ¡°These, and these, take them all with you,¡± Baizhi took out bottle after bottle of pills and handed them to Zhanyue. ¡°These Fierce Explosion Pills are hard to refine, there are only three left. Take them all.¡±

    ¡°Uh,¡± Zhanyue saw the earnest look in the girl¡¯s eyes and couldn¡¯t bear to refuse. He epted various fourth-grade pills ¨C attack pills, defense pills, enhancement pills, recovery pills, all kinds. ¡°If I haven¡¯t returned by daybreak, teleport back directly. Be good, leave the matter of points to me.¡±

    Baizhi nodded, wanting to say something more, but Zhanyue turned and burrowed into the ground, disappearing. Baizhi stomped her foot, saying angrily, ¡°King of bragging, you¡¯d better not die.¡±

 Chapter 68: The Red Lotus Trial

    Chapter 68: The Red Lotus Trial

    Zhanyue wasted no time, burrowing straight down into the earth. Coincidentally, beneath the fifth-grade spirit beast¡¯s cave was another hidden passage. This passage might have had other methods of entry, but Zhanyue, with his earth burrowing ability, came directly to the passage. But he didn¡¯t stop there, continuing to burrow downward. Below the passage was another cavern, and below that, an underground pce, like the eighteen levels of hell.

    Counting, Zhanyue had burrowed about eight times before stopping. This time, he emerged in a pathway deep underground. What stopped him was a mysterious barrier; the ground below had an extremely powerful restriction preventing him from burrowing further.

    ¡°The ancestors who built these underground secret passages seem to have guarded against earth burrowing techniques. But why didn¡¯t they use this method in the previous levels, allowing me to slip through?¡± Zhanyue pondered. Today¡¯s discovery was indeed significant; there was truly another world underground, and that spirit beast cave might be the entrance to the underground caverns, though he didn¡¯t know how to activate it.

    Following the path forward, the underground world was illuminated by illumination stones. What met his eyes were crude rock walls and pirs supporting this underground space, covered in mysterious green glowing runes. The space was vast. After walking for a long time, Zhanyue finally reached the end of the space. There stood an ancient, grand bronze door, about two zhang high, carved with mysterious patterns resembling both fish and dragons. In front of the bronze door was a bronze sarcophagus.

    Looking at the sarcophagus, Zhanyue thought to himself that he really had a connection with coffins, though this time there was no chance of a peerless beauty inside. As he approached, the sarcophagus creaked open on its own. First, the head part of a suit of armor flew out, followed by the body armor and limb protectors, as well as gloves and boots. The armor was overall white-gold in color, with the luster of a special metal shimmering with flowing light, inscribed with mysterious patterns. Terrifying killing intent enveloped the armor. With a sh of golden light, the armor automatically formed a human shape, with arge red cape behind the body armor, embroidered with the same fish-dragon pattern as on the bronze door. Finally, a ji halberd flew out of the coffin and was grasped by the ¡®hand¡¯ of the armor.

    ¡°Heavens! The armor hase to life!¡± Zhanyue¡¯s eyes widened. Though clearly no one was wearing the armor, it seemed to have a human form. The empty head had no eyes, yet Zhanyue felt he was being locked onto.

    Zhanyue had confirmed that this was a cenotaph, the kind that buried weapons and armor but not people. However, this armor could somehow move on its own.

    Armor is a man¡¯s romance, and the suit of armor before Zhanyue was incredibly cool. Zhanyue could already imagine himself wearing it. However, the armor had its own ideas. It didn¡¯t want to be worn by Zhanyue, but instead swung its ji halberd to attack him.

    Zhanyue used the Phantom Light Step to dodge hurriedly, but discovered a terrifying fact: this armor monster couldn¡¯t be fooled by his techniques. It had no eyes and didn¡¯t rely on eyes to lock onto enemies. ¡°Damn!¡± Zhanyue panicked inwardly. He couldn¡¯t use earth burrowing, and the Phantom Light Step and Phantom Form Sword techniques had no effect on it. He was at a great disadvantage.

    Zhanyue moved nimbly, quickly dodging the armor¡¯s vertical sh. The ji halberd fell beside Zhanyue, apanied by earth-shaking power, leaving a terrifying crack in the barrier-reinforced ground. It was fortunate that this space was reinforced with barriers everywhere, preventing copse.

    Seeing the power of this strike, Zhanyue drew in a sharp breath. If he were hit, he¡¯d likely be instantly killed. Fortunately, this thing wasn¡¯t very fast.

    ¡°Even those Profound Being experts probably wouldn¡¯t dare to face this armor¡¯s strike head-on,¡± Zhanyue couldn¡¯t help thinking, instantly wanting to retreat. This armor wasn¡¯t something he could handle now.

    ¡°Could this be the depths of some trial ground?¡± Zhanyue somewhat regretted his bug-exploiting behavior,ing directly to the bottom level of the trial. With his strength, he couldn¡¯t cause even the slightest damage to this armor. This was not an opponent he could deal with.

    ¡°Run!¡± Zhanyue ran as fast as he could, just hoping to reach a ce close to the upper ground where he could burrow and escape upward.

    Unfortunately, the armor had no intention of letting him go. A divine thought transmitted from the armor to Zhanyue¡¯s mind. Though Zhanyue didn¡¯t understand thenguage, he directly understood the meaning.

    ¡°The Red Lotus Trial does not allow giving up. Only by passing the final level¡¯s test can one leave.¡±

    As it spoke, mysterious runes appeared in the soilyer above Zhanyue¡¯s head. Now he couldn¡¯t burrow in any direction ¨C up, down, or sideways. The space waspletely sealed off.

    ¡°Senior, I just identally entered this ce. I¡¯m not here to participate in the trial,¡± Zhanyue pleaded, not knowing where the divine thought came from. At this moment, he had already cursed the Ghost Shark n¡¯s ancestors thoroughly. Why would a secret realm that only allowed those below Profound Realm to enter have such a terrifying ce? Zhanyue didn¡¯t think any being below Profound Realm could pass this Red Lotus Trial. That armor was like L¨¹ Bu reborn; even his two extreme fires hitting it were like tickles.

    ¡°The Red Lotus Trial does not allow giving up, nor cheating. Since you came by burrowing, bypassing the first eight levels of trials, you must pass the final level¡¯s test to leave.¡±

    That divine thought was like a broken record, repeating only this sentence no matter how Zhanyue shouted.

    The ¡°L¨¹ Bu¡± in the flesh attacked again. Zhanyue could only dodge. Each strike had earth-shattering power. If it weren¡¯t for this thing¡¯s slow speed, he would have been killed in one hit long ago. Although its speed wascking, this armor possessed terrifying attack and defense, far beyond what Zhanyue could handle.

    Finding an opportunity, Zhanyue finally created some distance and threw out a Fierce Explosion Pill. The terrifying explosion¡¯s aftermath sent Zhanyue flying, coughing up mouthfuls of blood. He quickly used State Reversal to recover from his injuries. As the smoke cleared, the armor walked out unscathed, without even a tiny mark left on it.

    ¡°Is this all a Fierce Explosion Pill that can harm Profound Beings can do?¡± Zhanyue despaired. Forget about sting the armor apart, he couldn¡¯t even make it move.

    ¡°Am I going to die here?¡± Zhanyue looked at the Sun Divine Stone in his palm. ¡°No, if I die, big sister will perish too. It¡¯s truly one death, two lives. I can¡¯t give up no matter what. But even though the Sun Divine Stone can still unleash an attack like before, I¡¯m afraid it won¡¯t work on this armor.¡±

    The Sun Divine Stone could naturally protect its master, once again unleashing power that could burn half a mountain. But Zhanyue intuitively felt that even that move couldn¡¯t destroy this strange armor.

    ¡°Damn it, who is this Red Lotus Trial made for? Below Profound Realm? Who would believe that?¡± Zhanyue couldn¡¯t helpining. He wasn¡¯t wrong; this trial indeed wasn¡¯t aimed at weaklings like him. He had exploited a bug, bypassing the previous trials toe directly to the final level. This was the consequence of exploiting bugs and being punished. It¡¯s worth noting that even at the entrance to the secret realm¡¯s cave, there was a fifth-grade spirit beast guarding. The Azure Sky Secret Realm wasn¡¯t developed by the Ghost Shark n, and they didn¡¯t know much about what was inside. Just because those below Profound Realm could enter didn¡¯t mean Profound Realm strength could dominate inside.

    ¡°This is the only way left. Although it¡¯s dangerous, I have to try. Big sister, I hope you can bless me, or we¡¯re both done for!¡± Zhanyue prayed, then charged directly at the armor.

 Chapter)

    Chapter)

    Zhanyue had two trump cards left. Relying on these two trump cards, he formed a n and immediately put it into action. Instead of fleeing, he charged towards the armor.

    Just as the armor¡¯s ji halberd was about to cleave Zhanyue¡¯s head, he summoned the Earth Mother Golden Cauldron. With a slide tackle, he slipped past the cauldron¡¯s feet. The massive cauldron appeared out of thin air, taking the ji halberd¡¯s strike head-on with a metallic ring. Fortunately, this treasure was truly extraordinary, showing no trace of damage from the armor¡¯s strike.

    In the moment the Earth Mother Golden Cauldron blocked the strike, Zhanyue emerged from beneath it, his hand already grasping the armor¡¯s leg piece.

    ¡°State Reversal!¡± Zhanyue shouted. Terrifying spacetime causal forces swept over the armor. What was once a single entity instantly scattered on the ground, regressing to its inactivated state.

    Zhanyue breathed a sigh of relief. This move worked! However, soon after, the armor was enveloped in golden light and activated again.

    ¡°State Reversal!¡± Zhanyue once again used his lifespan to employ his ultimate skill. ¡°Damn it, still want to transform?¡±

    And so, Zhanyue picked up the armor¡¯s helmet and began to study it carefully. Whenever the armor showed signs of activating with golden light, Zhanyue would ¡°shut it down¡±. Repeating this process, the armor couldn¡¯t fully assemble and activate.

    ¡°This thing isn¡¯t soul-controlled, it¡¯s more like some kind of formation control. No wonder I can regress it. Since it relies on formations, it must need energy,¡± Zhanyue spected, looking at the formation patterns inside the helmet. Although he wasn¡¯t deeply versed in formations, he recognized these as formation patterns. Each piece of the armor had formation patterns inside.

    Soon after, Zhanyue discovered a green stone about the same size as the Sun Divine Stone inside the breastte. The stone was embedded in the center of the formation, clearly the energy source for this armor. ¡°I¡¯ll remove your battery and see if you can still transform,¡± Zhanyue quickly removed the stone. Sure enough, the armor became lifeless, no longer moving. By now, Zhanyue was drenched in sweat. It was his first time using his ability so frequently. This battle had consumed a significant portion of his lifespan, but it was all worth it. With normal methods, he couldn¡¯t have been a match for this armor. Without his ability, even a Spirit God Realm expert would have topletely suppress the armor before removing this stone.

    ¡°Top-grade spirit stone, containing vast amounts of spirit energy, worth 200,000 points,¡± the light-transmitting mirror provided the answer.

    ¡°200,000 points?¡± Zhanyue¡¯s face showed an ecstatic smile. ¡°What a treasure! It¡¯s actually a top-grade spirit stone. The outside world doesn¡¯t have these at all. I¡¯ve only read about them in ancient texts.¡± Spirit stones were recorded as spirit objects from the previous civilization, divided into four grades: low, middle, high, and top. In the current era, illumination stones had reced spirit stones as energy sources. Zhanyue hadn¡¯t expected to see one here.

    Even an eighth-grade pill form was only worth about six top-grade spirit stones. The soul bone he had found earlier was only worth half a top-grade spirit stone. These spirit stones were truly rare items.

    When the light-transmitting mirror shone on the armor and ji halberd, there was no reaction.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on? It¡¯s impossible that they have no value. It must mean the light-transmitting mirror hasn¡¯t recorded them or can¡¯t evaluate them,¡± Zhanyue looked at the armor and ji halberd with a pained expression. Such good items weren¡¯t his, and he ultimately couldn¡¯t take them off Ghost Ind.

    ¡°Without a price set, even if I hand them over to the Ghost Shark n and they deliberately undervalue them, I can¡¯t do anything about it,¡± Zhanyue wanted to keep them privately, but it was impossible. His own spatial ring couldn¡¯t hold these items, not even the spirit stone. However, the fragrant pouch worked well, directly storing the ji halberd and the cool armor set.

    ¡°Ah, such good items, and I can only look at them,¡± Zhanyue¡¯s face was full of disappointment.

    However, a divine thought came again, this time from the bronze door.

    ¡°The Red Lotus Trial does not allow giving up. You can only leave afterpleting the final trial.¡±

    ¡°Will this ever end?!¡± Zhanyue¡¯s head was about to explode. He had dealt with the armor, and now they were telling him the trial wasn¡¯t over? Such a formidable armor wasn¡¯t even the final trial? This had to be a mistake.

    With the way back cut off, Zhanyue could only continue forward. This time he had learned a big lesson: there were too many dangerous ces in this secret realm, and he absolutely couldn¡¯t take risks lightly.

    Pushing open the bronze doors, inside was a vast space, pitch ck, with no visible end. Beneath his feet was an expanse of scorched earth.

    ¡°Is this the final trial?¡± After entering the space, the bronze doors automatically closed, meaning Zhanyue had no way back.

    ¡°Pop, pop, pop¡± sounds kepting. One skeleton after another emerged from the scorched earth, each wearing armor. Soon, an army of 3,000 skeleton soldiers formed ¨C this was the final trial.

    ¡°This¡­¡± Zhanyue was dumbfounded. Densely packed enemies, each seemingly not easy to deal with. Asking him to fight 3,000 alone? Even if they were 3,000 pigs, he¡¯d be exhausted to death.

    ¡°Is this a trial? Is this really a trial? There must be some mistake,¡± Zhanyue was speechless. The previous armor was just an appetizer; this was the main course. ¡°Even Moon Profound and Sun Profound experts would find it hard to pass,¡± Zhanyue couldn¡¯t help thinking. This was definitely not a test for those below Profound Realm.

    The enemies didn¡¯t stop to wait for Zhanyue¡¯s confusion to clear. A skeleton jumped over but instinctively retreated upon seeing the illumination stone in Zhanyue¡¯s hand.

    ¡°Illumination stone? It¡¯s afraid of illumination stones?¡± Zhanyue noticed the surrounding skeleton soldiers seemed hesitant, showing some fear.

    ¡°They¡¯re possessed by Nightmares?!¡± Zhanyue suddenly realized these skeletons weren¡¯t undead, but Nightmares possessing them. They were forcibly confined within these skeletons, unable to leave, bing trial tools.

    ¡°What kind of person could forcibly trap so many Nightmares and turn them into trial tools?¡± Zhanyue couldn¡¯t help wondering, but there were more pressing matters at hand.

    Each skeleton was possessed by a high-level Nightmare. One high-level Nightmare was enough to cause huge chaos, requiring high-level Profound Beings to deal with. Yet here were 3,000 of them. These queen-like existences numbered 3,000.

    Soon after, the skeletons realized the illumination stone¡¯s damage to them was actually very limited. Their fear was just instinctive. Once they recognized this, true danger finally descended.

    ¡°Damn it, I¡¯m specialized in killing Nightmares!¡± Zhanyue went all out, fully activating the Sr Essence Fire and Sun Divine Stone. Relying on his top-level counter to Nightmares, he was able to y high-level Nightmares that normally required Profound Beings to deal with!

    The Sr Essence Fire condensed into a sword, piercing through a skeleton, then chopping off its head, and finally dismembering it. The skeleton finally stopped moving, the possessing Nightmarepletely dead. Even with the Sr Essence Fire, it was very taxing for Zhanyue to kill high-level Nightmares. His realm was still too low.

    Fighting while retreating, after killing five skeleton high-level Nightmares, Zhanyue was already drenched in sweat, his power depleted. Fortunately, he had enough pills. After taking some, he was back in fighting form.

    After killing thirty skeleton Nightmares, Zhanyue¡¯s pills were running low, and he had sustained some injuries. Luckily, he immediately recovered using State Reversal. Unfortunately, State Reversal only restored his state; the depleted power couldn¡¯t be recovered. After all, State Reversal couldn¡¯t create something from nothing, especially for intangible things like cognition, memory, soul state, spirit power, and such.

    After killing forty skeleton Nightmares, Zhanyue was at his limit,pletely exhausted. Even though his ability was highly effective against Nightmares, facing densely packed high-level Nightmares with his lowly Spirit Communication realm, he couldn¡¯t hold on. Killing forty high-level Nightmares at this realm would have shocked the world if known, but unfortunately, Zhanyue¡¯s opponents numbered 3,000!

    With each step, Zhanyue left an illumination stone. Slowly, he finallyid out thirty illumination stones through movement, forming a basic Light Formation covering an area of four zhang. Zhanyue hid within the formation, panting.

    The Nightmare skeletons indeed halted their advance. Zhanyue remembered Cheng Lu saying that a basic Light Formation could intimidate mid-level Nightmares but wasn¡¯t very effective against high-level ones. A high-level Light Formation was needed to fully repel high-level Nightmares and intimidate king-level Nightmares. But the high-level Nightmares in this secret realm were clearly inexperienced, not knowing much about Light Formations, only instinctively fearing them.

    But soon, they realized that the formation¡¯s damage to them was indeed limited, and they began to constantly assault and consume the formation¡¯s power.

    ¡°The formation is about to be broken. What should I do?¡± Zhanyue had used all his trump cards and could fight no more.

    ¡°Little one, why aren¡¯t you using the armor prepared for you before entering?¡± That mysterious divine thought sounded again, this time kindly reminding.

    ¡°That armor? Won¡¯t it attack me if I let it out?¡± At this moment, many thoughts surged in Zhanyue¡¯s mind. The trial¡¯s difficulty was too high unless the person who set it up deliberately didn¡¯t want people to pass. Otherwise, the armor at the entrance might truly be the key to breaking through the situation.

    Zhanyue summoned the armor and mustered the courage to put it onpletely. The armor didn¡¯t fit at first but automatically adjusted its size, perfectly fitting Zhanyue¡¯s entire body. Then, countless fine spikes extended from inside the armor, piercing Zhanyue¡¯s skin at various points, drawing his blood. The blood flowed along the formation patterns, making several circuits before finallypleting the pattern. This eerie recognition ceremony shocked Zhanyue.

    ¡°Detected that your realm is too low. Your own power cannot activate the armor. Please insert a spirit stone to use an external spirit power source,¡± a thought sounded in Zhanyue¡¯s mind after the armor recognized him as its master.

    ¡°Ah?¡± Zhanyue was speechless. He had actually been looked down upon by the armor. His current ability couldn¡¯t activate the armor¡¯s true power, needing a spirit stone as an external driving force. ¡°200,000 points?¡± However, this money had to be paid whether he wanted to or not, because the formation had been broken.

    An opening appeared in the chest piece, and Zhanyue inserted his only top-grade spirit stone.

    Soon, he felt his body filled with power. Picking up the ji halberd standing nearby, at this moment Zhanyue felt he was truly L¨¹ Bu reborn.

    ¡°Unrivaled Chaos Dance!¡± Zhanyue didn¡¯t know halberd techniques, just swinging wildly, but with the armor¡¯s enhancement, he was like a god of ughter descending to the mortal realm.

    One sweep of the halberd felled a swath of skeleton soldiers. One was skewered high and then thrown. The powerful Nightmares were now being ughtered like toys.

    ¡°With this armor, the trial¡¯s difficulty isn¡¯t much,¡± Zhanyueined. However, he soon paid the price for his ignorance.

    ¡°Spirit stone energy depleted. Please rece the spirit stone promptly,¡± the armor issued a warning.

    ¡°Ah?¡± Zhanyue was dumbfounded. He had only killed over 500 of the 3,000 Nightmares. This was a top-grade spirit stone! The armor consumed spirit power too quickly.

    ¡°Your mastery and utilization of power are too poor, wasting a lot of spirit power. Even with the armor¡¯s enhancement, this trial is much harder than you think. One spirit stone won¡¯tst until the end. Ah, what a pity. I had high hopes for you,¡± that divine thought sighed helplessly, believing Zhanyue had already failed.

    Without the spirit stone¡¯s enhancement, the armor dimmed, no longer having that earth-shattering power boost. Zhanyue was once again in a deadly situation.

    ¡°Damn it, no choice but to try!¡± Zhanyue took out the Sun Divine Stone and ced it where the pulverized spirit stone had been. Terrifying power transmitted from the Sun Divine Stone to the armor. The originally silver-white armor suddenly turned a fiery red, as if Zhanyue was bathed in blood, regaining power.

    ¡°As expected of the Sun Divine Stone, big sister¡¯s most powerful treasure. You¡¯ve never disappointed me,¡± Zhanyue¡¯s eyes showed confidence. The illumination Goddess hadn¡¯t lied, giving him her most important treasure as a trump card from the beginning. This divine stone had saved him many times.

 Chapter 70: -Trial Reward

    Chapter 70: -Trial Reward

    d in red armor, Zhanyue now looked majestic, like a general assured of victory. The red armor¡¯s cape danced like mes, exuding an overwhelming aura.

    The ji halberd, infused with Sr Essence Fire, swept around. Each strike could harvest at least one high-level Nightmare, like a wolf among sheep or a whale swallowing fish. The true power of the Sun Divine Stone was finally released through this mysterious armor. Zhanyue, eyes reddened with battle fervor, entered a state of self-forgetfulness, reaching a new level in his control of power. No longer wastefully using power at random, he now used each bit of power just right, killing enemies without waste, with no excess damage.

    ¡°Oh? This youngster can actually enter the Realm of Self-Forgetfulness? Among the Four Battle Realms ¨C Self-Forgetfulness, Invincibility, Ethereal, and Profound Entry ¨C the Realm of Self-Forgetfulness is about absolute control over power, very suitable for the current environment,¡± the mysterious divine thought marveled. The so-called Four Battle Realms were four states people could enter during battle, with no distinction of superiority. The Realm of Self-Forgetfulness allowed perfect control over power without the slightest waste; the Realm of Invincibility could unleash one¡¯s greatest potential, exerting strength far beyond current power; the Ethereal Realm could greatly enhance the five senses, improving eyesight, hearing, movement, and uracy; the Realm of Profound Entry could connect with heaven and earth, absorbingrge amounts of natural spirit energy to replenish oneself. These four realms didn¡¯t conflict and couldn¡¯t be taught; they were all realized by individuals themselves. Clearly, Zhanyue was naturally gifted in this.

    This wasn¡¯t the first time Zhanyue had entered the Realm of Self-Forgetfulness. Back in the dream when he borrowed the illumination Goddess¡¯s power to suppress that Nightmare lord, he had also entered this realm. However, even the illumination Goddess didn¡¯t know about the Four Battle Realms; this belonged to forgotten knowledge.

    As the Sun Divine Stone gradually dimmed, only scattered white bones remained on the scorched earth. Unlike the one-time use top-grade spirit stones that shattered after use, the Sun Divine Stone wouldn¡¯t break, but its energy would be depleted, needing to absorb sunlight to recharge.

    Pulling the ji halberd out of thest skeleton, Zhanyue copsed to the ground, gasping for breath. He had no injuries, having single-handedly annihted three thousand Nightmares. But Zhanyue wasn¡¯t particrly proud, knowing this was the power of the Sun Divine Stone and the divine armor, not his own. More importantly, it was due to the Sr Essence Fire¡¯s extreme effectiveness against Nightmares, making the originally hard-to-kill Nightmares extremely vulnerable. Even for a Spirit God Realm expert, killing these Nightmares wouldn¡¯t be so easy ¨C of course, except for light contractors.

    A white gemstone flew over from afar, emitting a divine thought.

    ¡°To think the secret realm this old man set up was broken by you, a junior. Someone of such a low realm actually passed the Red Lotus Trial. Truly, the world is vast and full of wonders.¡±

    ¡°You¡­ Senior, this trial was set up by you? I passed the test? Who exactly are you?¡± Zhanyue replied. He couldn¡¯t understand the old man¡¯s words but couldprehend their meaning, which itself was the old man¡¯s great divine ability. ¡°Who am I? I¡¯m just a remnant consciousness, with all memories rted to this trial, only executing rted matters. I know you have many questions for me, but it¡¯s meaningless. I don¡¯t know the answers. Perhaps in the future, you¡¯ll have a chance to meet my true self. You can ask him then. I dare not speak my true self¡¯s name,¡± the old man replied.

    Zhanyue was greatly disappointed. He had hoped to ask the old man about the Azure Sky Secret Realm and the Ghost Shark n, but now it seemed his wish would go unfulfilled.

    ¡°The Red Lotus Trial was set up by my true self to help his disciple Ji Honglian find an heir for the Moon-Reflecting Armor. Only an unparalleled genius could pass. But you first used earth burrowing to bypass the first eight levels of trials, then used strange methods to stop the armor¡¯s transformation to pass the armor trial, and finally used that mysterious energy stone¡¯s countering effect to pass the final battlefield trial. Ah, you cheated,¡± the old man sighed.

    ¡°Senior, you can¡¯t say that. The fact that I can sessfully stand before you is naturally due to my ability,¡± Zhanyue said anxiously, fearing this old fellow wouldn¡¯t acknowledge his sess. Although he knew he had indeed relied on some tricks to pass the trial rather than his true strength, but then again, weren¡¯t the earth burrowing technique, State Reversal, and Sun Divine Stone all his possessions?

    ¡°Senior, if you didn¡¯t allow the use of earth burrowing to skip sses, why didn¡¯t you apply restrictions from the first level of the trial? Then I wouldn¡¯t have been able to burrow down, right?¡± Zhanyue countered.

    ¡°Well¡­ this¡­ As the ancient saying goes, even the wisest can make mistakes. My true self only thought about earth burrowing when setting up thest level of the trial. He¡¯szy by nature and couldn¡¯t be bothered to go back and add restrictions. Who would have thought you¡¯d actually find this loophole. Why are you so anxious, kid? I didn¡¯t say I wouldn¡¯t acknowledge your trial results,¡± the divine thought replied.

    Zhanyue¡¯s face lit up with joy. Passing such a terrifying trial at such a low realm was like a heaven-sent blessing. However, no other Spirit Communication realm cultivator or even a slightly weaker Profound Being in the world could have passed that armor test. The armor was too powerful. Zhanyue had relied entirely on cheating methods.

    ¡°Then Senior, is there any reward for passing the trial?¡± Zhanyue asked excitedly.

    ¡°Reward? Isn¡¯t the reward already on your body?¡± the divine thoughtughed. ¡°This armor is called the Moon-Reflecting Armor, forged jointly by a god-level forging master and a god-level formation master. It¡¯s itself a divine artifact, and even you can use it.¡±

    ¡°Ah?¡± Zhanyue was somewhat disappointed. He was naturally very satisfied with this armor, which even he could use despite his low realm, and it could fully unleash the power of the Sun Divine Stone. But he hadn¡¯t expected just this one set of armor as a reward. ¡°Senior, you might not know, but although this armor is good and has recognized me as its master, I can¡¯t take it out of here,¡± Zhanyue exined about the fragrant pouch situation. He couldn¡¯t take this armor away; wouldn¡¯t it ultimately benefit the Ghost Shark n?

    ¡°That¡¯s easy. My true self really is prescient,¡± the divine thought replied, and then an exquisite ring appeared before Zhanyue.

    ¡°This?¡± Zhanyue was overjoyed. ¡°A spatial ring, suitable for this secret realm?¡±

    Zhanyue hurriedly imed ownership and eagerly inspected it. The space inside this spatial ring was extremelyrge, a full twenty cubic meters, like a small room. Inside were only ten green stones ¨C ten top-grade spirit stones. These were left by the true self who set up the trial for those who passed. The spatial ring itself wasn¡¯t the focus; those top-grade spirit stones were clearly meant to be used with the divine armor. However, in Zhanyue¡¯s eyes, the value of those ten top-grade spirit stones was far less than this spatial ring.

    ¡°So you¡¯re saying I can avoid the Ghost Shark n¡¯s inspection and take things from inside the secret realm out?¡± Zhanyue was ted. When leaving Ghost Ind, the fragrant pouch would have to be handed over, and there might be body searches. Items from inside the secret realm couldn¡¯t be taken out, but now with this ring! Zhanyue had a sudden idea, and with a thought, this spatial ring was actually stored inside his original spatial ring.

    ¡°Space within space, isn¡¯t this against the rules?¡± Zhanyue was shocked.

    ¡°The spatialws of your two spatial tools are different, so naturally they can amodate each other. As for that fragrant pouch, it¡¯s obviously been tampered with, so it can¡¯t be put into other spaces. The person who made these fragrant pouches must also be a master-level artifact refiner, very impressive,¡± the divine thought exined.

    Zhanyue was relieved. Now he could put items from inside the secret realm into this spatial ring, then put the spatial ring into the ring the Holy Maiden gave him. No matter how capable the Ghost Shark n was, they surely couldn¡¯t discover this, right?

    ¡°Wait, Senior, why can¡¯t my original ring store things from inside the secret realm, but it can store this spatial ring?¡± Zhanyue asked, puzzled.

    After pondering, the divine thought answered: ¡°Fortunately, your question hasn¡¯t exceeded my knowledge base. This spatial ring is made from materials from outside, not materials from inside the secret realm, so naturally it can be stored. Those fragrant pouches should be the same in principle; they wouldn¡¯t be made from materials inside the secret realm. ording to what you said, the Ghost Shark n can¡¯t enter the secret realm, so how could they have so many materials to make so many storage fragrant pouches? They just made some additional modifications. As for how to adapt to different spatialws, that¡¯s beyond my knowledge.¡±

    Zhanyue¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°I understand. Senior, you¡¯re saying this spatial ring and the fragrant pouch are like Appleputers that have been loaded with Microsoft systems, so they can install Microsoft software.¡±

    ¡°What Apple and Microsoft? I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re talking about. You¡¯ve passed the trial and received your reward. It¡¯s time for you to leave,¡± the divine thought issued a polite dismissal. Soon after, a teleportation formation lit up nearby.

    ¡°Ah¡­ my mission is finallyplete.¡± The stone instantly lost its luster. This remnant consciousness was no different from a program segment, automatically deleting itself once the task waspleted.

    Stepping onto the formation, Zhanyue found himself back in the cave in the blink of an eye. But now it was daylight; he had been gone for a day and a night.

    ¡°I wonder if that trial ground has disappeared. If it hasn¡¯t, whenter geniuses pass the first eight levels and reach the ninth level, only to find it empty, how will they feel? Probably as bad as eating shit,¡± Zhanyue grinned mischievously.

    ¡°Let¡¯s head back first. With this spatial ring, I don¡¯t need to work for the Ghost Shark n anymore,¡± Zhanyue stretchedzily, feeling his future was bright.

 Chapter 71: Fourth-Grade Alchemist

    Chapter 71: Fourth-Grade Alchemist

    Baizhi sat alone in the room, a small bronze furnace before her, fragrant scents permeating the air. She was refining pills when suddenly, ck smoke burst from the furnace.

    A look of frustration appeared on her pretty face. She had actually failed at pill refining. She rarely, if ever, failed with fourth-grade pills. Somehow, she couldn¡¯t calm her heart.

    ¡°I¡¯m done refining,¡± Baizhi said, sulking. She put on her bamboo hat, deciding to go out for some air. She couldn¡¯t help thinking how much better it would be if her strength was greater.

    As soon as she opened the door, a familiar figure appeared before her. After all, it was the same style of bamboo hat and ck veil.

    ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re back,¡± Baizhi¡¯s eyes were full of joy and a hint of resentment. The weight in her heart finally lifted.

    ¡°I¡¯m back. It went fairly smoothly,¡± Zhanyue smiled. Seeing Baizhi¡¯s gaze on him, like a pining wife. ¡°Hm? What¡¯s that smell? Why is there a burnt odor?¡±

    Zhanyue sniffed the strange scent in the room, a smell he was very familiar with. ¡°Were you refining pills in the room? And failed?¡±

    ¡°No, just researching a new medicine,¡± Baizhi¡¯s face reddened under her veil, quickly making an excuse.

    ¡°Really?¡± Zhanyue was puzzled how someone of Baizhi¡¯s skill could fail. He didn¡¯t know that Baizhi had been distracted with worry for him. ¡°You didn¡¯t encounter any danger, did you? When are we going back in?¡± Baizhi walked into the room, quickly changing the subject. Failing at pill refining might be normal for others, but for her, it was too embarrassing.

    ¡°There was a bit of danger, but it¡¯s fine now,¡± Zhanyue didn¡¯t want Baizhi to worry too much, so he didn¡¯t mention the details of the trial. Now he finally had a trump card to save his life. Even without contacting the illumination Goddess, with that armor and the Sun Divine Stone, he wasn¡¯t afraid of ordinary Profound Beings.

    ¡°In three days, we¡¯ll enter the Azure Sky Secret Realm again.¡±

    Zhanyue needed time for the Sun Divine Stone to recover energy, and he also needed time to digest information and learn some pill refining knowledge. He now had ten top-grade spirit stones worth two million points. If he exchanged them, it would be a huge windfall, but he was unwilling and didn¡¯t dare. It would easily arouse suspicion from the Ghost Shark n. Moreover, these top-grade spirit stones could serve as energy for the Moon-Reflecting Divine Armor, used for life-saving purposes, so naturally couldn¡¯t be easily exchanged for points. However, with the Sun Divine Stone as a rechargeable battery, the top-grade spirit stones weren¡¯t so crucial.

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s rest well these few days,¡± Baizhi nodded. Without Zhanyue leading, entering the secret realm alone would be suicide for her.

    Zhanyue brought out the Earth Mother Golden Cauldron again, first making a pot of delicious food. The two happily ate their fill, then entered the pill refining phase. With Baizhi¡¯s step-by-step careful guidance, Zhanyue made rapid progress.

    ¡°Stupid, the temperature¡¯s too high. Don¡¯t use that extreme fire, use ordinary fire. That extreme fire requires more precise control, which you can¡¯t manage yet.¡±

    ¡°Oh no, why did you mix the sunward flower and yin date ginseng together? It¡¯s ruined.¡±

    ¡°Uh, didn¡¯t I sayst time? The earth spirit must be seven-tenths fine, with particles about sesame seed size. You forgot again. You ground it too fine; it¡¯s already mushy once heated.¡±

    ¡°During thebining process, you need to continuously infuse power, like a gentle stream. Your force is too strong.¡±

    ¡°Yes, like that. Be careful, more careful. Oh no, it still failed.¡±

    ¡­

    One day, two days, three days passed. A golden light shed, and a furnace of pills waspleted ¨C fourth-grade Blood Mist Pills.

    Looking at the round, full pills, Zhanyue excitedly stood up, hugging Baizhi beside him and spinning several times. Breaking through to fourth-grade alchemist meant Zhanyue had alchemy talent, a threshold many couldn¡¯t cross in a lifetime.

    Dressed in a white dress, Baizhi looked stunningly beautiful, her face full of bashful red. Suddenly hugged by Zhanyue, she didn¡¯t know how to react, only ring at him angrily. Zhanyue noticed her gaze and realized his impropriety, hurriedly putting her down. Baizhi was petite and delicate, arousing tender feelings. Her body was soft as if boneless, quitefortable to hug.

    ¡°Um¡­ I was too excited. I didn¡¯t mean to. Do you believe me?¡± Zhanyue said awkwardly.

    ¡°Rogue, braggart, big liar. Do you think I¡¯d believe you? You¡¯ve finally shown your true colors! Hmph!¡± Baizhi said angrily. However, she was still shocked by Zhanyue¡¯s talent. After three days of teaching, he had truly entered the realm of fourth-grade alchemist. Normally, refining pills, whether sessful or not, consumed a lot of soul power. But Zhanyue seemed fine, refining pills non-stop for three days, which Baizhi couldn¡¯t understand. But the final result was gratifying.

    ¡°Ah, finally seeded,¡± Zhanyue sighed, examining the pill in his hand. Without Baizhi¡¯s careful guidance, relying on his own exploration with just the pill form, it might have taken much longer to advance. Having a pill form and materials doesn¡¯t necessarily mean one can refine pills. Many things might not be clearly written in the form and need constant exploration. This umtion of experience is the foundation of why alchemy families are family businesses.

    ¡°Little girl, consider that I owe you a favor. Let¡¯s go, we need to hurry and y in the secret realm,¡± Zhanyue said.

    ¡°Hmph, don¡¯t call me little girl. You¡¯re only a few years older than me,¡± Baizhi said defiantly. In this world, Profound Beings had five hundred years of lifespan; being a few years older didn¡¯t matter at all.

    Looking at that beautiful, cute face, Zhanyue thought to himself, ¡°This girl stillcks some life-saving methods. Let¡¯s earn some points in the secret realm to arm her. This world ultimately respects strength. Alchemists have high status because various powerful figures keep each other in check. Otherwise, they might have been captured by ill-intentioned people to forcibly refine pills. So improving one¡¯s strength is also essential.¡±

    The two entered the Azure Sky Secret Realm again, once more arriving at the banks of the Heavenly Moat River.

    Feng Bng descended from the sky, once again collecting the fare, safely earning small money, unlike the cultivators on the other side risking their lives for points.

    ¡°Brother Feng, we meet again,¡± Zhanyue said politely. Now facing people like Feng Bng, he felt much more confident. Wearing that armor, he was sure he could crush his opponents.

    ¡°Oh? You¡¯re really cautious, returning after just a few days of adventure? Caution is good, it keeps you alive. You¡¯re lucky. After this trip, I¡¯m also going across the river to take a look. If you hadeter, you might have had to swim across,¡± Feng Bng smiled.

    ¡°You¡¯re crossing too? Finally decided to take a chance?¡± Zhanyue asked curiously.

    Feng Bng shook his head, exining: ¡°You know that Golden Venomous Python¡¯s cave, right? Many people have stayed there overnight, as it¡¯s safe. A couple of days ago, something strange happened. The cave suddenly lit up with formation light, revealing a downward tunnel. Someone discovered the secret inside ¨C it¡¯s actually a trial ground. Now many people know about this and are rushing over. As long as you pass the trial, you can get some rewards. Those rewards are quite valuable, who knows how many points they can exchange for. I n to try too. That Horse Face guy has already gone over.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± Zhanyue sighed. After he took the ninth level¡¯s reward, the trial ground had indeed changed, and the entrance had been discovered. He had nned to secretly go to the first to eighth level trials to see, after all, although he had taken the ultimate grand prize, each level had some small rewards. Now he abandoned this n. With so many people, it would be troublesome if he exposed too much. He¡¯d better continue deeper, using that spatial ring to obtain as many materials from the secret realm as possible.

    More importantly, Zhanyue knew how difficult that trial was. These people could pass one or two levels at most. He wasn¡¯t in a hurry at all. With his current strength, he couldn¡¯t pass many levels without exposing the armor. There was no need to get involved now.

    After crossing the river, Zhanyue led Baizhi to continue deeper, heading away from the trial ground.

    ¡°You¡¯re not going to take a look? With your strength, you might have a chance,¡± Baizhi asked, puzzled.

    ¡°No need. Now that many people have rushed over, this is actually an opportunity. There will be fewerpetitors for things deeper inside,¡± Zhanyue smiled, adding: ¡°That trial isn¡¯t interesting. I¡¯ve already passed the ninth level and taken the ultimate prize. After eating the meat, I should leave some soup for others, right?¡±

    Baizhi helplessly rolled her eyes at Zhanyue. Here he goes again, this man has started bragging again. This man was good in every way, except for his incorrigible habit of boasting. Although Baizhi knew Zhanyue had been busy for a day, she didn¡¯t believe he could enter the secret realm and pass the ninth level in such a short time.

    ¡°You don¡¯t believe me, huh? Ah, there¡¯s no justice in this world. Even telling the truth, no one believes,¡± Zhanyue feigned a sigh.

    ¡°Who would believe you? You say the illumination Goddess is your master, you say the Holy Light Maiden loves you, and now you say you passed the ninth level of the secret realm in one day. Yeah, yeah, everything you say is true,¡± Baizhi felt Zhanyue was too shameless. Even bragging shouldn¡¯t be this outrageous.

    ¡°What if one day, you find out I wasn¡¯t lying?¡± Zhanyue grinned mischievously.

    ¡°Hm? Then I¡¯ve wronged you, and you can do whatever you want with me,¡± Baizhi said instinctively, not taking it seriously.

    ¡°You said it. Whatever I want, crybaby. You wait and see, hehe,¡± Zhanyue¡¯s malicious gaze fixed on Baizhi, making her heart flutter with anxiety.

 Chapter 72: Meow Meow Meow

    Chapter 72: Meow Meow Meow

    Zhanyue and Baizhi headed straight into the depths. During the day, the dangers in the secret realm were rtively fewer, and this time they had prepared arge number of pills to conceal human scent, ensuring safety even at night.

    The two stopped in front of a ¡®willow tree¡¯. This tree had thousands of branches and leaves hanging down like a willow, swaying in the wind. On the main trunk was a hole, inside which hung a fruit that looked like a heart, pulsating periodically.

    ¡°Demon Willow Heart, worth 1,000 points!¡± Baizhi excitedly ran over. Zhanyue wore a mischievous smile but didn¡¯t stop her.

    The thousand willow branches suddenly came alive, tightly binding the approaching Baizhi, entuating her graceful figure. Then, the willow leaves on the tree transformed into flying des, about to cut Baizhi into pieces.

    A huge pir of fire erupted from the ground, directly enveloping the entire willow tree. The flying des turned to ash in the fierce fire, and the branches entangling Baizhi were all burned off.

    Under her veil, Baizhi¡¯s face was crimson. She didn¡¯t dare look at Zhanyue.

    ¡°You knew this thing was a demon willow, yet you still rushed over. Demon nts are also demons, with some intelligence,¡± Zhanyue criticized. This girl was too reckless, seeing points like a dog seeing a bone.

    ¡°It¡¯s because you¡¯re here that I let my guard down,¡± Baizhi defended herself.

    ¡°Now you¡¯re ming me? I¡¯m not omnipotent. Besides, you¡¯re at the ninth stage of Soul Control, almost entering Profound Realm. It¡¯s not good to always rely on someone at the seventh stage of Spirit Communication,¡± Zhanyue said helplessly. ¡°The capable should do more work. Who told you to be so powerful?¡± Baizhi took the red fruit from the charred trunk. Zhanyue wasn¡¯t interested in this thing; they needed to use some things to exchange for points. ¡°You keep it.¡±

    Baizhi didn¡¯t stand on ceremony and epted these 10,000 points. She had given Zhanyue the right to choose; she wouldn¡¯t ask for anything he wanted, only taking what he didn¡¯t. She was aware of being a burden.

    Taking out the map, Zhanyue looked at the markings. Not far away was a ruin that should have been a small town. Where there was a town, there might be remnant information of civilization. The two headed there.

    Anything of value in these ruins had long been emptied by others, not even sparing some building materials, leaving only broken walls. Zhanyue didn¡¯t even find a single character here.

    Suddenly, a ck wildcat appeared on top of a broken stone pir. It pointed towards the east with its paw, seeming to indicate for Zhanyue and Baizhi to go that way.

    ¡°Hm?¡± Zhanyue curiously looked at this cute wildcat, not expecting spirit beasts in this secret realm to be willing tomunicate with humans, although it was daytime now and they weren¡¯t affected by the blood moon.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, follow it and see,¡± The two closely followed the wildcat as it left. The wildcat would asionally turn its head back to see if Zhanyue and the others were keeping up.

    Soon, Zhanyue and Baizhi were led to a deep part of the wilderness. The smell of blood drifted on the wind. Arge number of spirit beasts had gathered here, surrounding two cat demons, onerge and one small, in the center. Therger cat demon was also ck, but now covered in blood, with several blood-red wounds that looked ghastly. The small cat demon beside it was snow-white all over, timidly hiding beside its mother.

    ¡°Did this little ck cate to find help? It¡¯s really grasping at straws. None of these spirit beasts are easy to deal with,¡± Zhanyue hid in the distance, looking at the spirit beasts in the outer circle. They were all powerful fourth and fifth-grade existences, a full twelve of them.

    ¡°What should we do?¡± Baizhi beside him felt helpless. Those spirit beasts were too strong. Even if she and Zhanyue joined forces, they would just be offering themselves up. After all, even a peak fourth-grade bear demon was so difficult to deal with. That old ck cat was already a peak fifth-grade existence, half a step into sixth grade, originally a local demon king level existence that other spirit beasts wouldn¡¯t dare to provoke. Unfortunately, it had failed in its breakthrough attempt and suffered bacsh injuries, now being attacked by the group.

    ¡°Meow!¡± The little ck cat beside them didn¡¯t care about all that. It directly rushed back. Enduring several attacks, the fourth-grade little ck cat finally returned to its mother¡¯s side. Fifth grade was equivalent to the Star Profound level for humans. Among these twelve spirit beasts, four were fifth grade. They were wary of each other and also afraid the old ck cat might suddenly counterattack, so they only surrounded without attacking, unwilling to be the first to move and risk being dragged down by the old ck cat.

    The old ck cat looked at the little ck cat who had returned after escaping, its eyes full of sorrow. This foolish child had escaped but came back.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect these beasts to be so loyal,¡± Baizhi sighed, watching the battle situation from afar. But she was powerless; those three cat demons probably couldn¡¯t escape death.

    ¡°So do you think we should save them?¡± Zhanyue asked.

    Baizhi was stunned, then said, ¡°Now is not the time to joke. Don¡¯t go over there.¡± She was really afraid Zhanyue would impulsively rush over. It was too dangerous.

    ¡°Every day you call me a big braggart. If I don¡¯t show some real skills, you¡¯ll really underestimate me. Twelve spirit beast cores are there for the taking. That little ck cat is very cute, I like it. That reason is enough,¡± Zhanyue made up his mind.

    ¡°You¡­¡± Baizhi wanted to dissuade him, but she saw Zhanyue¡¯s mind move, and a silver armor appeared out of thin air, automatically equipping itself on him. Then Zhanyue took out a top-grade spirit stone and embedded it in the armor.

    Although the Sun Divine Stone wouldn¡¯t be destroyed, it also needed time to replenish energy. The power embedded with the Sun Divine Stone was obviously stronger; he wanted to keep it in hand as a trump card.

    ¡°Quick battle, quick victory. The energy of the top-grade spirit stone shouldn¡¯t bepletely consumed,¡± Zhanyue, d in armor, charged over.

    Seeing that shining silver armor, Baizhi was a bit dazed. What was that? But his current appearance was too handsome. Baizhi¡¯s heart fluttered at the sight.

    Seeing someone interfere, the group of spirit beasts was very dissatisfied. Three spirit beasts immediately surrounded and attacked, while the other spirit beasts continued to encircle the old ck cat, preventing it from escaping.

    The three spirit beasts were all fourth grade, a wolf, a tiger, and a leopard. Zhanyue didn¡¯t look closely, nor did he need to. His ji halberd smashed the fourth-grade wolf¡¯s head in one strike. Then, activating the Phantom Light Step, he dodged the tiger and leopard¡¯s attacks and with another halberd strike cut the leopard in half. The tiger demon, seeing the situation was unfavorable, wanted to escape, but Zhanyue disappeared and suddenly burrowed out of the ground in front of it, kicking it down and then piercing its belly with the halberd. In just a few breaths, Zhanyue had in three beasts. Whether it was the other spirit beasts, the cat demons, or Baizhi watching from afar, all fell silent, as if time had stopped.

    ¡°How is he so powerful?¡± Baizhi was left with only confusion.

    ¡°(>^¦Ø^<) Meow!¡± The little ck cat cried out joyfully. The reinforcements it had desperately found at random were actually willing to help, and more importantly, they were so strong.

    ¡°Meow?¡± The old cat demon looked at Zhanyue puzzledly, then at its cub, somewhat confused. Its child had run out and actually found strong support.

    ¡°Roar!¡± A fifth-grade two-headed tiger as tall as a person attacked, one head spitting fire, the other spitting smoke. Smoke concealed its form, fire burned the enemy.

    ¡°You dare y with fire in front of me?¡± Zhanyue sneered. A fire dragon formed behind him and then charged towards the two-headed tiger. The two-headed tiger was startled, only to realize this fire dragon was just for show, merely grand in appearance. It didn¡¯t even dodge, as the ordinary fire couldn¡¯t harm its body.

    However, Sr Essence Fire was hidden within the fire dragon. This was Zhanyue¡¯s favorite underhanded method, showing weakness to the enemy, hiding skills in clumsiness. The Sr Essence Fire fell on the two-headed tiger, burning it so badly it rolled on the ground.

    ¡°One head, two heads!¡± The ji halberd extinguished both heads, and the fifth-grade spirit beast died on the spot. The death of the two-headed tiger shook the other fifth-grade spirit beasts to their core. This armored man¡¯s strength was too great. How could such a strong human appear in the secret realm? In the past, humans needed at least seven or eight people to kill a fifth-grade spirit beast. He killed the two-headed tiger with a single sweep of his halberd. How was this possible? Had something gone wrong with the secret realm?

    ¡°Meow!¡± Hope reignited in the old ck cat¡¯s despairing eyes. Working with this human, there might be a glimmer of hope for survival. It didn¡¯t know what this person¡¯s purpose was, but now wasn¡¯t the time to worry about that. Surviving came first, especially protecting the two children.

    It transformed into a residual shadow, and amidst the beasts¡¯ shock, it sneak attacked and killed three fourth-grade spirit beasts. Zhanyue didn¡¯t even see clearly how it attacked. This was its innate divine ability ¡ª ¡®Charm Shadow¡¯.

    Of the twelve spirit beasts involved in the encirclement, one fifth-grade and six fourth-grade had died. Now only three fifth-grade and two fourth-grade remained. Those two fourth-grade spirit beast minions weren¡¯t fools; this battlefield wasn¡¯t something they could participate in. They turned tail and ran.

    How could Zhanyue let their spirit cores escape? Two Fierce Explosion Pills shot urately onto those two spirit beasts, instantly raising two small mushroom clouds in the distance. Both spirit beasts were severely injured, losing their ability to move.

    ¡°This thing is really useful. I should have Baizhi refine more,¡± Zhanyue marveled. This was a rare powerful long-range attack method.

    Now the situation suddenly became Zhanyue and the old cat demon teaming up to hunt the remaining three fifth-grade spirit beasts.

    The two little cat demons, one ck and one white, both looked at Zhanyue with starry eyes.

 Chapter 73: Entrusting the Orphans

    Chapter 73: Entrusting the Orphans

    The three fifth-grade spirit beasts stood back-to-back, supporting each other. Faced with Zhanyue¡¯s lightning-fast methods, they were all afraid.

    A giant snake over ten meters long flicked its enormous tongue, watching Zhanyue warily. To its left was a huge toad, as big as a small mountain, pitch ck all over, with poison sacs secreting purple liquid ¨C undoubtedly a terrifying poisonous creature. To the snake¡¯s right was a centipede with a hundred feet, arching its body over three meters high, fire-red all over, with eyes like gemstones.

    The old ck cat struck first. It harbored deep hatred for these beasts. It had been the demon king of this area, but these subordinates took advantage of its failed breakthrough to unite and try to kill its entire family. It charged towards the giant snake, its terrifying figure turning into a ck light, instantly leaving a bloody mark on the snake¡¯s face. But the fifth-grade python¡¯s skin was thick and tough; this small wound couldn¡¯t threaten its life. It swept its tail, which the ck cat nimbly dodged.

    The giant toad and centipede wanted to help, but Zhanyue attacked at this moment.

    ¡°Your opponents are me,¡± Zhanyue revealed a slight smile, hoping these two creatures could give him some pressure.

    The toad opened its mouth, spitting out a terrifying air cannon carrying purple poison gas.

    ¡°Activate poison gas protection formation,¡± the armor automatically reacted. Formation lights flickered on its surface, the helmet transformed to add a mask-like protection, covering Zhanyue¡¯s mouth and nose. At the same time, a light screen formed around him. As Zhanyue dodged the air cannon, the light screen also blocked the purple gas.

    With a sh, Zhanyue jumped to a high point above the toad¡¯s head. Roaring mes entwined the ji halberd in his hand.

    ¡°me King st!¡± Zhanyue was now adept at using this ultimate skill with weapons. The terrifying ji halberd left his hand, turning into a horrifying meteor fire cone, falling straight to the ground, pinning the toad down with one strike. Sr Essence Fire burned its internal organs, and the fifth-grade toad instantly became a charred corpse. As the toad died, the purple centipede burrowed into the ground at an extremely fast speed.

    ¡°Digging into the ground to escape?¡± Zhanyue revealed a disdainful smile.

    The centipede hadn¡¯t run away, but suddenly emerged from beneath Zhanyue¡¯s feet. However, it pounced at empty air; Zhanyue wasn¡¯t standing there. Just as it was confused, a terrifying force erupted from underground. The ji halberd, carrying endless power, cut the centipede in half at the waist. Purple poisonous blood sttered everywhere, but Zhanyue, who had retreated underground, waspletely unaffected.

    When he emerged elsewhere, the centipede, cut into two halves, was dead beyond dead. Fifth-grade spirit beasts were ultimately no match under armor mode.

    Zhanyue turned his head to look at the other battlefield and drew in a sharp breath. The ground had been ttened by the giant snake, but the once imposing giant snake was now cut into five or six pieces.

    Just as the ck cat and Zhanyue thought the battle was over, a ck shadow turned into a residual image and plunged towards the ground. It was an eagle with a wingspan of five or six meters, one w grabbing the little ck cat and the other grabbing the little white cat, fleeing towards the distance. It wasn¡¯t a spirit beast from this area, just identally witnessing the conflict below. The two little cat demons had special bloodlines; if it could devour their bloodlines alive, it would definitely break through to the sixth grade.

    Zhanyue could only frown as he watched the ck eagle fly away. He couldn¡¯t fly and could only watch as the other took the two little cats away. The old ck cat, seeing its children being taken away, naturally wasn¡¯t willing to give up. Terrifying ck mes erupted from its body as it forcibly broke through to the sixth grade by burning its beast soul. After reaching the sixth grade, a pair of ck wings grew from its back, its body erged, looking like a winged ck tiger. With one p of its wings, it turned into a ck light and gave chase.

    Before long, it returned, with the two little cats lying on its back and bloody feathers in its mouth. As soon as itnded, its entire body instantly shrank, shedding its wings.

    ¡°How are you?¡± Zhanyue was moved by the old cat demon¡¯s determination to save its children at all costs and wanted to save it. However, he now discovered that the old cat demon¡¯s soul was iplete, like a candle in the wind. Even if he used State Reversal, he could only heal its surface injuries and had no way to help its fading soul.

    ¡°I¡¯m dying. Before I go, I want to make a deal with you,¡± the cat demon¡¯s divine thought entered Zhanyue¡¯s mind. This spirit beast couldmunicate with him?

    ¡°Don¡¯t be rmed. My n¡¯s bloodline is extraordinary. We had deep interactions with humans in ancient times. Communicating with you is not difficult. I don¡¯t have much time left, so I¡¯ll be brief. I hope you can help take care of my two children. As thanks, I will leave behind a beast core with a bloodline imprint. Whether it¡¯s a soul bone or soul core, it can give humans the possibility of mastering spirit beast talents, which is very valuable. Our n¡¯s bloodline is special, and only under voluntary circumstances can we leave behind a soul core, unlike other spirit beasts who can¡¯t control their bloodlines. If you agree, make a heavenly oath.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Zhanyue was shocked. What kind of ancient strange species was this cat demon? A heavenly oath was no ordinary oath. Breaking it would give birth to heart demons, severely affecting future cultivation. Generally, after making a heavenly oath, one couldn¡¯t easily break it. Of course, if you didn¡¯t care about the future, you could be faithless, but most people had no reason to do so.

    ¡°But I don¡¯t know how long I can stay in the secret realm,¡± Zhanyue thought of this, then suddenly saw the little cats running to their mother¡¯s side crying. He said to them, ¡°Don¡¯t resist, let me try something.¡±

    The old cat demon also told them to obey Zhanyue.

    Zhanyue took out the spatial ring he got from the Red Lotus Trial. The spatialws inside that ring were the same as those of these secret realm spirit beasts, but he didn¡¯t know how strong the spatialws were and whether they could amodate these spirit beasts.

    With a thought from Zhanyue, the two little beasts didn¡¯t resist and were instantly collected into the ring.

    ¡°They can really be put in?¡± Zhanyue was overjoyed. A spatial ring that could hold living things must have very profound spatialws. Unfortunately, this ring¡¯s spatialws were adapted to the secret realm space; he couldn¡¯t put things or living beings from the outside world into it. ¡°I¡¯m still a bit greedy,¡± Zhanyue couldn¡¯t help thinking. The ring the Holy Maiden gave him was far less powerful than this one, but that ring was adapted to the outside world and was also very important to him.

    Seeing that Zhanyue could carry the two little ones with him, the old cat demon also breathed a sigh of relief. This human had many secrets; it wouldn¡¯t be bad for its two children to follow him.

    ¡°I swear to the heavenly way that I will do my best to protect and care for these two little ones,¡± Zhanyue said.

    Seeing Zhanyue make the oath, the old cat demon¡¯sst breath was about to dissipate. Zhanyue released the two little ones, and the old cat demon looked at them reluctantly, finally licking them, its eyes full of attachment and reluctance to part.

    ¡°Cat demon senior, how¡­ how do I use these soul bones and soul cores?¡± Zhanyue originally didn¡¯t want to interrupt their final tender moment; this was a bit too mood-breaking. But he knew that if he didn¡¯t ask now, he might not be able to use the soul core even if he got it.

    The old cat demon didn¡¯t me Zhanyue, answering with intermittent divine thoughts: ¡°Use soul power tomunicate, find the right frequency, resonate with it, then¡­ then you can¡­ Don¡¯t forget your oath, they are¡­ entrusted to you¡­ to take care of.¡±

    After saying this, the old cat demon closed its eyes. Its entire demon body shed with golden light, leaving behind only a chicken egg-sized beast core covered in golden patterns. The old cat demon had even fused its entire body¡¯s power into the beast core, ultimately not even leaving a corpse behind.

    The two little cats looked at the beast core in bewilderment. Zhanyue put it away and picked up the two little cats.

    ¡°Little ones, from now on, you¡¯re with me.¡±

 Chapter 74: Charm Shadow

    Chapter 74: Charm Shadow

    ¡°Is it dead?¡± Baizhi walked over, her eyes full of sorrow.

    ¡°Yes. I used all my trump cards, but still couldn¡¯t save it,¡± Zhanyue sighed. He had done his best, but the old cat demon still died. It had been the demon king of this area, extremely powerful, already at the peak of fifth grade. Unfortunately, when breaking through to sixth grade, it was found by a group of demons. They threatened the life of the little white cat, forcing it to end its seclusion prematurely, resulting in a failed breakthrough. Even so, the old cat demon had still rescued the little white cat with its powerful strength, but was then surrounded here.

    Cleaning up the battlefield, Zhanyue obtained many fourth and fifth-grade beast cores from this battle. Fourth-grade beast cores were worth 500 to 800 points each, while fifth-grade ones were generally around 10,000 points. Unfortunately, there were no soul bones or soul cores, proving they were indeed extremely rare treasures.

    One hundred low-grade spirit stones could be exchanged for one middle-grade spirit stone, one hundred middle-grade for one high-grade, and one hundred high-grade for one top-grade spirit stone. A top-grade spirit stone was worth 200,000 points. That fourth-grade spirit beast soul bone was worth 100,000 points, equivalent to fifty high-grade spirit stones or 500,000 low-grade spirit stones ¨C a huge sum even in the immortal cultivation era.

    With top-grade spirit stones as a reference, Zhanyue finally had another standard for pricing things within the secret realm.

    He really wanted to see how many points the sixth-grade spirit beast soul core left by the old cat demon was worth, but he restrained himself. He was afraid that if he looked, he wouldn¡¯t be able to bring himself to use it.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go. The smell of blood is too strong here. If more fifth-grade spirit beastse, I won¡¯t be able to handle them,¡± Zhanyue said. Using the armor once consumed one top-grade spirit stone, which was 200,000 points ¨C definitely a losing deal. This time he was willing to help mainly because he liked the cat demon family and was moved by the little ck cat¡¯s behavior. The materials and beast cores from the ughtered spirit beasts weren¡¯t worth the 200,000 points. Of course, the old cat demon¡¯s beast core wasn¡¯t included in this calction.

    Fifth-grade spirit beasts were equivalent to human Star Profound experts. Without using the armor, Zhanyue would struggle against even one fifth-grade spirit beast and might not win.

    Now the two little cat demons seemed to have cried themselves out and were sleeping soundly in Baizhi¡¯s arms. Baizhi was incredibly fond of these two little ones. The little white cat was only at the early stage of third grade, while the little ck cat was only at the early stage of fourth grade. Their strength was far from sufficient here. ¡°These two little ones are both female cats,¡± Baizhi said.

    ¡°Both females? I thought the little ck cat was male, being so brave,¡± Zhanyue marveled. That little ck cat, even knowing it might die, was unwilling to abandon its mother and sister to escape alone.

    ¡°By the way, how did you suddenly be so powerful? Fifth-grade fierce beasts are equivalent to Star Profound experts, but you killed them like chickens,¡± Baizhi couldn¡¯t help but ask. This man was too mysterious.

    ¡°I told you, but you don¡¯t believe me. It wasn¡¯t my power, it was temporarily lent to me by the armor. The armor was the reward from the trial,¡± Zhanyue said.

    Baizhi looked at Zhanyue suspiciously, ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Why would I lie to you? I¡¯ve never lied to you,¡± Zhanyue said.

    Baizhi rolled her eyes, ¡°Even if you¡¯re not lying about passing the secret realm trial and getting the armor, it doesn¡¯t mean you haven¡¯t lied about other things. Don¡¯t change the subject. You also said you had an eighth-grade alchemist master, but your pill refining technique is extremely poor, clearly showing no one has guided you!¡±

    Zhanyue¡¯s face reddened, and he defended himself: ¡°There will definitely be an eighth-grade alchemist master, but that¡¯s a future matter.¡±

    Baizhiughed at him again, ¡°You even say it like that. You¡¯re really shameless. Don¡¯t let these two little cats learn bad habits from you.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go. There seems to be a cave ahead. Shall we try there?¡± Zhanyue asked.

    ¡°Try? Try what?¡± Baizhi¡¯s eyes were full of confusion, then she seemed to think of something unpleasant, ¡°You¡­ you rogue, you¡¯ve finally revealed your true nature!¡±

    Zhanyue gave Baizhi¡¯s head a tap, ¡°What yellow garbage is filling your head? I meant try that soul bone and soul core.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± Baizhi lowered her head in embarrassment. What was wrong with her? Why did she keep thinking in that direction?

    The two came to a cave and set it up well, taking pills to mask human scent.

    ¡°I wonder if these two little ones will be frenzied under the influence of the blood moon at night,¡± Zhanyue said, looking at the two little cats in their small nest. They didn¡¯t look like spirit beasts at all.

    The ck cat opened its eyes, jumped onto Zhanyue¡¯s shoulder, licked his cheek, pointed to the sky, then to itself, and shook its head.

    ¡°Oh, you can understand what I¡¯m saying?¡± Zhanyue was very happy. Although this little cat couldn¡¯tmunicate with him through divine thought like its mother, it clearly had high intelligence and could understand his meaning. He really didn¡¯t know how they did it. Its gestures clearly meant they wouldn¡¯t be affected by the moon.

    ¡°What bloodline are you exactly?¡± Zhanyue couldn¡¯t help but be curious. They were too special, these cat demons were too special. ¡°In ancient times, they were very close to humans. I¡¯m afraid their ancestors were truly some extraordinary great demon.¡±

    Zhanyue took out the old cat demon¡¯s beast core. The little white cat also smelled the familiar scent, opened its eyes, walked to the beast core and licked it, its eyes full of sadness. The little ck cat beside it patted its sister¡¯s head with its small paw tofort her.

    ¡°Ah¡­¡± Zhanyue had Baizhi take them back, then began to use pill refining methods to explore this beast core with his soul power. Gradually adjusting the frequency of soul vibrations, he finally found the right frequency. The patterns on the beast core shed periodically, but soon after, Zhanyue opened his eyes with a bitter smile.

    ¡°How is it?¡± Baizhi asked with concern.

    ¡°I found the method, but my soul strength isn¡¯t enough,¡± Zhanyue said helplessly. His soul power couldn¡¯t open the door to the treasure.

    ¡°Not enough soul power? You¡¯re a fourth-grade alchemist, able to refine fourth-grade pills,¡± Baizhi didn¡¯t understand.

    Zhanyue knew that his soul power seemed strong but was actually an illusion. He relied on the Ghost Fruit in his body for timely replenishment. In gaming terms, his mana regeneration speed was very fast, but his mana cap wasn¡¯t high enough. This beast core seemed to require a high enough mana cap to break through at once, which he couldn¡¯t do.

    ¡°You try it,¡± Zhanyue handed the beast core to Baizhi and told her the method.

    ¡°Me? This¡­ this isn¡¯t right. Such a valuable thing, and¡­ and you saved them,¡± Baizhi declined.

    ¡°This thing already belongs to me, so naturally I decide how to use it. Besides, the stronger you are, the more help you can be to me. You can¡¯t always think about just watching from afar, can you?¡± Zhanyue said.

    Hearing him say this, Baizhi reluctantly epted. After all, she really didn¡¯t want to keep being useless.

    Sitting cross-legged, her soul power resonating with the beast core, Baizhi quickly entered the state. She was a proper fourth-grade alchemist, with the strongest soul power standard. Zhanyue saw the patterns on the beast core gradually fade and knew it was working. Time passed bit by bit. After several hours, Baizhi changed, with white smoke rising from her head, transforming her into a cat demon state.

    Finally, the patterns on the beast corepletely disappeared, bing an ordinary sixth-grade beast core. Baizhi slowly opened her eyes, ¡°My soul power is now no weaker than an ordinary Profound Being. I should be able to try refining fifth-grade pills, but my physical body hasn¡¯t entered the Profound Realm yet. I¡¯m afraid taking one fifth-grade Profound Entry Pill would immediately make me enter the Profound Realm.¡± Refining those patterns had greatly improved her.

    ¡°You must resist breaking through,¡± Zhanyue reminded her. If she entered the Profound Realm, she probably wouldn¡¯t be able to enter this Azure Sky Secret Realm anymore.

    ¡°Mm, I know. I¡¯ll suppress my realm,¡± Baizhi said. Her eyes looking at Zhanyue were particrly beautiful, full of deep meaning. She really hadn¡¯t expected Zhanyue to be willing to give such an opportunity to her.

    ¡°Look,¡± Baizhi stood up, suddenly disappearing and reappearing behind Zhanyue, patting his shoulder. When Zhanyue turned his head, she appeared in front of him again. Her speed was so fast that Zhanyue¡¯s eyes couldn¡¯t keep up.

    ¡°I¡¯ve mastered their innate divine ability ¨C Charm Shadow,¡± Baizhi said, her tone somewhat heavy because she felt she owed too much of a debt of gratitude, impossible to repay!

    ¡°It¡¯s the old cat demon¡¯s skill!¡± Zhanyue was excited. Baizhi¡¯s strength had greatly increased like this. ¡°Why don¡¯t you look very happy?¡± Zhanyue asked, puzzled.

    Baizhi asked instead: ¡°This divine ability should have been yours. Don¡¯t you regret it?¡±

    Zhanyue smiled and said: ¡°So that¡¯s it. I¡¯ve said before, the stronger you are, the more help you can be to me. I would regret it if you died in the secret realm because of insufficient strength. Besides, I still have this.¡± Zhanyue picked up that fourth-grade soul bone.

    ¡°These things are much more useful than points. I think the prices those Ghost Shark n members set for them are definitely lower than their actual value. Rather than benefiting the Ghost Shark n, it¡¯s better to arm ourselves,¡± Zhanyue sat cross-legged and began to refine the soul bone. He couldn¡¯t refine the sixth-grade soul core, but this fourth-grade soul bone should be fine.

    Baizhi nervously stood guard for him nearby, a smile appearing under her veil. ¡°This man, he¡¯s really¡­¡± She looked at Zhanyue and felt her heart rate quicken.

 Chapter 75: A Peaceful Night

    Chapter 75: A Peaceful Night

    While Zhanyue closed his eyes to refine, Baizhi wasn¡¯t idle either. She took out her bronze furnace and a dagger. First, she removed the dagger¡¯s sheath and handle, cing only the metal de part into the bronze furnace. Then she brought out the poison collected earlier from the fifth-grade spirit beasts. Both the giant toad and centipede were terrifying poisonous creatures, with extremely frightening venom on their bodies. Neither was something a Star Profound expert could easily handle.

    She sealed the furnace lid, not letting a trace of poison gas escape, then began tempering with poison. The two little cats were scared and hid far away, naturally aware of how terrible those poisons were.

    Soon after, the originally green and ck poisons became transparent, while the originally bright silver de turned an eerie green color. All the toxins had been refined into it by Baizhi. This basic poison-tempering artifact refining technique had somemonalities with pill refining, so it wasn¡¯t difficult for Baizhi.

    Baizhi took out a pair of thick gloves, put them on, then reassembled the dagger, revealing a vicious smile. She thought that just scratching an opponent¡¯s skin a little with this de would be enough to make them suffer.

    ¡°What are you doing, smiling so sinisterly?¡± Zhanyue, having finished refining, asked the grinning Baizhi curiously.

    Baizhi waved the poisoned dagger, ¡°This thing is extremely toxic. It could easily take down a fourth-grade spirit beast, and even fifth-grade spirit beasts would fear it.¡±

    ¡°Uh, I thought you were a harmless little white rabbit. Indeed, a woman¡¯s heart is the most poisonous,¡± Zhanyue joked.

    Baizhi red fiercely at Zhanyue, ¡°You¡¯d better know it. If you dare to misbehave, I¡¯ll¡­¡± Baizhi made a couple of gestures with the dagger.

    Zhanyue looked at her pretty face, now without the veil, and smacked his lips, ¡°What a pity. I should have acted earlier. Now that you have the power to resist, it¡¯s going to be troublesome.¡± Baizhi¡¯s face reddened. She knew Zhanyue was joking, having long gotten used to his personality. ¡°Enough of that. How are you? What innate divine ability did youprehend?¡±

    Zhanyue smiled slightly and replied, ¡°Naturally, it¡¯s that bear¡¯s talent, Soul-Shaking Roar. It¡¯s a rare soul-targeting attack method.¡±

    Baizhi remembered how that night, with just one beast roar from the ck bear, her spirit had wilted significantly. This talent was indeed excellent.

    ¡°Now that you¡¯ve learned Charm Shadow and have this extremely poisonous dagger, you finally have some self-protection ability. I can feel more at ease. Tomorrow, let¡¯s go deeper,¡± Zhanyue said, a weight finally lifting from his heart.

    ¡°No rush. Can we stay here for a day tomorrow? I want to attempt breaking through to fifth-grade alchemist. Fifth-grade pills are much more powerful than fourth-grade ones. I still have some materials for fifth-grade pills. With these pills, our journey will be safer,¡± Baizhi suggested. After refining the talent patterns on that beast core, her soul power had greatly improved, reaching the Profound Being level. Only her physical body and foundation couldn¡¯t keep up, but entering the Profound Realm was just a matter of time. Of course, Baizhi naturally wouldn¡¯t choose to enter the Profound Realm now.

    ¡°Fifth-grade alchemist¡­ tsk tsk,¡± Zhanyue envied. ¡°Alright then, we¡¯ll stay here for a day tomorrow.¡± If anyone else had said they could refine fifth-grade pills within a day after their soul power reached the standard, Zhanyue would have dismissed it as nonsense. But if it was Baizhi saying it, Zhanyue didn¡¯t doubt it at all.

    Zhanyue gathered the two little cats into his arms, then took out a fourth-grade spirit beast core and gave it to the little white cat, and a fifth-grade spirit beast core to the little ck cat. Zhanyue had tried refining beast cores before; they had a very low cost-performance ratio, with limited help for human cultivation. They were generally used for pill refining or artifact refining, but for spirit beasts, they were great nourishment.

    ¡°Let¡¯s keep this sixth-grade beast core for now. We¡¯ll give it to them when they¡¯re stronger. After all, it¡¯s their mother¡¯s power. That old cat demon would probably want her power to be inherited by them,¡± Zhanyue put away the sixth-grade beast core. The two little cats couldn¡¯t refine a sixth-grade beast core yet.

    Night fell, with the blood moon high in the sky. As expected, the two little cats didn¡¯t change, their eyes still clear. The two little ones were both hugging their respective beast cores and cultivating.

    ¡°I wonder what bloodline they actually have, not being affected like other beasts,¡± Zhanyue smiled, then said, ¡°Let¡¯s call this little white cat Xue¡¯er (Snow), and this little ck cat Mo¡¯er (Ink).¡± Zhanyue simply named the two little cats. Today¡¯s gains were quite substantial, putting Zhanyue in a great mood.

    He started a fire and took out some fish. The fish were already dead, but the spatial ring isted air, having a preservation effect. He immediately began grilling the fish. The two little ones had been hungry all day, and smelling the aroma, they stopped cultivating and waited eagerly by the fire.

    Handing the grilled fish to Baizhi, and two smaller ones to the two little cats, watching them eat happily, Zhanyue felt a sense of peace in his heart. ¡°Three little greedy cats.¡± Although the two little cats looked harmless now, Zhanyue knew how terrifying they would be when grown up. That cat demon¡¯s sixth-grade transformation was quite shocking. Then he picked up thest grilled fish and began eating.

    ¡°You should rest well, keep your spirits up. Try to seed in one go tomorrow,¡± Zhanyue took out a piece of beast hide,ying down a temporary bed for Baizhi, while he sat near the cave entrance. The secret realm wasn¡¯t safe; they couldn¡¯t both sleep at the same time. However, with their strength, going without sleep for a few days wasn¡¯t a problem.

    Baizhiy down, still hugging the two little cats, looking at Zhanyue¡¯s back as he sat cross-legged cultivating. She revealed a sweet smile. In all the time since she ran away from home, only when she was by Zhanyue¡¯s side did she feelpletely at ease.

    ¡°Good night.¡±

    Perhaps because they had killed all the powerful spirit beasts nearby during the day, the night passed peacefully. When the sun rose again, Zhanyue opened his eyes.

    ¡°Spirit Communication Realm, eighth stage now. The spirit energy in this secret realm is dense. It¡¯s really a good ce for cultivation, pity we can only stay for a year,¡± Zhanyue said, looking at his improved realm. He had also taken quite a few spirit fruits and pills during this time.

    ¡°You¡¯re really a monster. You¡¯re only at the Spirit Communication Realm, yet your strength is so great,¡± Baizhi, who had already woken up,ined. Then she took out various medicinal materials and her alchemy furnace, beginning her first attempt at refining a fifth-grade pill ¨C the Fierce Profound Pill, an advanced version of the fourth-grade Fierce Explosion Pill, and currently the most helpful powerful attack pill for them.

    Outside the secret realm, several Ghost Shark n members gathered, discussing recent events.

    ¡°ording to our spies inside, another trial ground has been discovered in there, seemingly called the Red Lotus Trial. The strongest of those youngsters have already entered the third level of the trial, but we don¡¯t know what kind of treasures they can bring back,¡± one Ghost Shark n member said.

    ¡°That guy called Feng Bng is quite interesting. Wonder how many levels he can pass. It seems the rewards arepletely different depending on the order ofpletion,¡± another said.

    ¡°I¡¯m just a bit worried. If they get spatial rings or simr treasures from the secret realm and take our treasures out, wouldn¡¯t we suffer a great loss?¡± a Ghost Shark n member worried.

    Another joked, ¡°You¡¯re really treating the secret realm as your own property? These two secret realms are originally exclusive treasures for humans, otherwise other races wouldn¡¯t be unable to enter. Besides, those above Profound Realm can¡¯t enter the Azure Sky Secret Realm. Even if they got spatial rings, how much could they take away? Do they have the strength to enter the depths of the secret realm? ording to our intelligence, in the deepest parts, sixth-grade beings are everywhere, seventh-grade are asmon as dogs, and there might even be eighth-grade demon emperors.¡±

    The person nodded, ¡°Indeed, I overthought it. Even if someone had the devil¡¯s luck and got a spatial ring, at most they¡¯d only take away some garbage from the outskirts. We just need to wait for our n¡¯s formation grandmaster to break the restrictions of these two secret realms, then we can go in and get our hands on the truly valuable treasures.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s difficult, so difficult. Even the elders in our n don¡¯t know who created these two secret realms. They only know that the formations are profound, far surpassing the level of those formation grandmasters recorded by humans,¡± another sighed.

 Chapter 76: Extraordinary Grade Pill

    Chapter 76: Extraordinary Grade Pill

    One by one, fifth-grade spirit herbs were prepared and suspended in the air by Baizhi¡¯s soul power. She activated her ordinary fire to preheat the alchemy furnace, then precisely manipted the medicinal ingredients into the furnace.

    Zhanyue watched intently, trying to learn Baizhi¡¯s techniques. Her delicate jade hands formed various seals, controlling the fire¡¯s size and temperature. Inside the furnace, various dposed materials were arranged orderly. Baizhi was like a marshalmanding thousands of troops, making all the soldiers line up andbine in an orderly fashion, changing formations and gradually merging.

    ¡°Amazing, so smooth. It doesn¡¯t look like her first time refining pills at all,¡± Zhanyue marveled. When he first refined fourth-grade pills, he often got stuck, having to recall details and ponder the order. However, Baizhi¡¯s pill refining was flowing and seamless, and this was her first time refining fifth-grade pills. This girl had formed experiences in her mind that would take others a long time to umte. This is what a genius is.

    ¡°This girl, if the Bai family doesn¡¯t treasure her, my Zhan family must. Pills are extremely helpful for cultivators, with countless wonderful uses both externally and internally. When she bes an eighth-grade alchemist, I¡¯ll have a source for high-grade pills. Even though I need to master this art myself, having her to learn, exchange, andpete with might allow me to go further,¡± Zhanyue was already thinking about how topletely free Baizhi from the Bai family¡¯s control.

    Time passed slowly. Beads of sweat appeared on Baizhi¡¯s forehead, which Zhanyue wiped away to prevent them from obscuring her vision. Baizhi waspletely focused, her world reduced to just herself and the furnace. Finally, five round pills formed in the furnace, four fire-red and one golden, round and full.

    ¡°Mission aplished!¡± Baizhi¡¯s eyes couldn¡¯t hide their starlight.

    ¡°These¡­ these are fifth-grade Fierce Profound Pills, capable of severely injuring Profound Beings?¡± Zhanyue looked at the five pills, feeling the terrifying aura emanating from them. One could sense their power without even thinking. ¡°Then what about this golden one?¡± Zhanyue looked at the single differently colored pill.

    ¡°Lucky us, an extraordinary grade pill appeared. It¡¯s upgraded, a sixth-grade Fierce Profound Pill,¡± Baizhi happily looked at Zhanyue¡¯s stunned eyes. How about that? Stunned, aren¡¯t you? Now you know how amazing this youngdy is. It¡¯s always been you showing off, finally it¡¯s my turn. Baizhi was thoroughly satisfied.

    For the first time in his life, Zhanyue understood what ¡®inferiority¡¯ meant. In his early twenties, he was pursuing a doctorate, studying under academic giants, naturally a favored child of heaven. Evening to this world, knowing the illumination Goddess, contracting the Earth Mother Golden Cauldron, each was stealing heaven¡¯s fortune. However, Baizhi, using ordinary fire and an ordinary alchemy furnace, produced an extraordinary grade pill on her first attempt at fifth-grade pill refining. If she had the opportunity with the Earth Mother Golden Cauldron, what level could she reach? Zhanyue looked at that ordinary alchemy furnace, feeling indignant for Baizhi. How stingy heaven was; if only this girl¡¯s contract object was the Heavenly King Bronze Furnace. The Heavenly King Bronze Furnace and the Earth Mother Golden Cauldron were the two supreme treasures of alchemy. Zhanyue had one, but was far from reaching Baizhi¡¯s level. Normally, Baizhi shouldn¡¯t be able to refine sixth-grade pills, but she was simply abnormal. Refining an extraordinary grade pillparable to sixth grade without even entering the Profound Realm was probably enough to shock the world.

    ¡°You take this sixth-grade Fierce Profound Pill and this fifth-grade one. I¡¯ll keep the remaining three,¡± Baizhi allocated the pills, after all, Zhanyue was the mainbat force. ¡°I¡¯ve used up most of my fifth-grade materials.¡± Baizhi didn¡¯t have many fifth-grade materials to begin with, mostly fourth-grade ones.

    ¡°I wonder if this pill could severely injure the old cat demon at its peak,¡± Zhanyue looked at the mysterious fluctuationsing from the golden extraordinary grade pill.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Zhanyue happily put away the two pills. Indeed, this day¡¯s time wasn¡¯t wasted. With these, they might even save a top-grade spirit stone.

    The two little cats were put into the spatial ring to rest. The deeper they went, the more dangerous it became. The strength of third and fourth-grade spirit beasts wasn¡¯t enough, and Zhanyue was afraid he wouldn¡¯t be able to protect them in time.

    ¡°The territory of the peak fifth-grade old cat demon is in this circle. Going further in, we might encounter real sixth-grade spirit beasts. But spirit beasts aren¡¯t necessarily impossible tomunicate with,¡± Zhanyue and Baizhi were very cautious.

    ¡°ording to Horse Face¡¯s map, ten miles further in is the ruined ancient city, which is the ruins that Ghost Shark n member mentioned. The map is nk beyond that, seems Horse Face only explored to the outskirts of the ancient city, he didn¡¯t dare go inside,¡± Zhanyue analyzed, looking at the map in his hand.

    A small river appeared before the two. This river was much smaller than the Heavenly Moat River, but the water emitted a sweet scent, like honey.

    ¡°Hallucination River. The river water must not be drunk, or you¡¯ll fall into an illusion. Many vicious beasts in the river wait for prey. Be extremely careful. The river water also has points, but negligiblepared to the danger within. Suggest stopping here, seeking opportunities on this side of the river.¡± This was thest entry in Horse Face¡¯s exploration notes.

    ¡°Looks like the vast majority of people stop here. There are unclean things in the river,¡± Zhanyue said, looking at the river that wasn¡¯t very wide. He could even sprint and jump across.

    ¡°Are they spirit beasts?¡± Baizhi was also curious. This river didn¡¯t look difficult to cross.

    Zhanyue analyzed: ¡°This river is very long. If they were spirit beasts, they couldn¡¯t cover all areas, right? It¡¯s probably not as simple as spirit beasts.¡± Zhanyue took out a spirit beast corpse he had kept earlier, a fourth-grade spirit beast, a yellow dog demon as sturdy as a small cow. He kicked it towards the opposite bank with one foot. This kick was powerful, the dog demon corpse drawing a beautiful arc in the air, then flying to the middle of the river. Countless shadows leapt out from the middle of the river, then fell back. The dog demon was instantly reduced to white bones, its flesh and bloodpletely devoured.

    ¡°Piranhas?¡± Zhanyue thought of these creatures, but the things in this river were far more formidable than piranhas. They absorbed flesh and blood so quickly that only afterimages could be seen. It definitely wasn¡¯t biting mouthful by mouthful, but some other method.

    ¡°Impressive technique. Girl, can your Charm Shadow evade them?¡± Zhanyue asked.

    Baizhi revealed a disdainful smile. Her figure turned into a streak of light, instantly appearing dozens of meters away on the opposite bank, waving to Zhanyue.

    Zhanyue drew in a sharp breath, ¡°The cat demon n¡¯s innate divine ability is truly terrifying.¡± This time he saw clearly, those shadows in the river tried to intercept but all missed.

    Soon after, Zhanyue suddenly appeared behind Baizhi, startling her.

    ¡°My earth burrowing technique isn¡¯t inferior to Charm Shadow, right?¡± Zhanyue smiled. He could naturallye through underground, those river creatures couldn¡¯t stop him.

    ¡°Hmph.¡± Baizhi coldly snorted, not speaking. Both the Charm Shadow divine ability and earth burrowing technique were at least gold-grade or even higher-quality ultimate skills, but Zhanyue had given it to her so simply. ¡°This bastard definitely has ulterior motives!¡± Baizhi was certain, yet she didn¡¯t feel disgust, rather some anticipation.

    One relied on speed to force through, one on earth burrowing to cross. The Hallucination River that stopped countless people was easily passed by the two. This was thest obstacle before entering the ancient city ruins.

    ¡°Feng Bng can fly, he must havee to this ancient city before. But that guy keeps his mouth shut tight, unlike Horse Face who likes to share,¡± Zhanyue thought. At this moment, these two should still be in the trial grounds. Too bad the final trial¡¯s grand prize had already been taken by him, Zhan. Others could only drink the soup.

    As soon as they entered the ancient city¡¯s territory, the sky dimmed, and mist seemed to rise. It wasn¡¯t dawn, yet fog appeared out of nowhere. Definitely not a good sign.

    ¡°This doesn¡¯t seem like a climate change, more like a formation,¡± Zhanyue analyzed, then said to Baizhi: ¡°Give me your hand.¡±

    Baizhi nodded, obediently extending her hand. She knew Zhanyue was afraid they would get separated, and didn¡¯t act coy. This ghostly fog was definitely problematic.

 Chapter 77: Nest of Beasts

    Chapter 77: Nest of Beasts

    Mist covered the abandoned city area as Zhanyue and Baizhi advanced cautiously. Broken walls and ruins were not umon, but even from these fragments, one could see that the architectural style of this ruin was very different from the outside world. Exquisite patterns and strange beast shapes were visible, but unfortunately, Zhanyue didn¡¯t see any writing.

    ¡°It¡¯s so quiet,¡± Baizhi said softly. Her right hand was held by Zhanyue, while her left hand held an illumination stone for light. Zhanyue held her hand with his left, while his right hand had already umted scorching mes, extremelypressed into a ball, ready to strike at any moment.

    Zhanyue paid attention to his surroundings, not daring to be careless. His caution was justified as suddenly, a group of white bats flew out of a broken waterway. These bats were snow-white like jade, with only their eyes being blood-red.

    ¡°Die!¡± Zhanyue released the mes he had been holding. Where the Sr Essence Fire passed, the bats melted like snow. However, those melted bats reformed again.

    ¡°What kind of creature is this?¡± Zhanyue was shocked. These things weren¡¯t afraid of fire at all.

    ¡°Let me try,¡± Baizhi took action. Her entire form turned into a residual image, her poisoned dagger quickly striking several bats. Those poisoned bats fell to the ground and didn¡¯t move again.

    ¡°The poison is effective?¡± Zhanyue¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Indeed, things that can resist fire don¡¯t necessarily resist poison. I¡¯ll leave it to you, Lady Baizhi.¡±

    Baizhi grinned and immediately sprang into action. In no time, the strange white bat swarm all fell, all killed by poison.

    ¡°White Jade Bats, third-grade spirit beasts. Unafraid of water and fire, can melt into water and fire. Extremely terrifying when in a swarm. No beast core inside, corpse worth 500 points,¡± the light-transmitting mirror provided the result. ¡°As expected of a ruined area, these thirty bats are worth 15,000 points,¡± Baizhi collected these bats, very happy. She finally felt somewhat useful.

    Not long after, the two came to a spacious area where they heard some strange sounds. As they approached, they realized it was snoring.

    A grey giant ape was sleeping there, surrounded by various spirit beast bones. The giant ape was covered in grey fur, about four or five times Zhanyue¡¯s size, sleeping very deeply.

    ¡°Sixth-grade spirit beast?¡± Baizhi didn¡¯t speak, but made a six gesture to Zhanyue, who understood her question and nodded.

    Zhanyue pointed to a small path nearby. The two decided to take a detour. To face a sixth-grade spirit beast, Zhanyue would need to wear the armor to have any fighting chance. He didn¡¯t want to waste this precious opportunity.

    However, how could a sixth-grade spirit beast¡¯s perception be so easily fooled? It suddenly opened its eyes, grabbed a bone beside it, and threw it at Zhanyue and Baizhi. The terrifying force turned the bone into a meteor-like projectile. The two dodged, and the stone destroyed a pathway, even dispersing some of the mist.

    ¡°We¡¯ve been discovered!¡± Zhanyue¡¯s scalp tingled. A sixth-grade spirit beast wasparable to a Moon Profound Realm expert, or even stronger.

    The grey ape picked up a bone from some unknown giant beast as a weapon, then leaped in front of Zhanyue and the others.

    Without listening to Zhanyue and Baizhi, the ape attacked, wielding the bone club skillfully.

    ¡°This spirit beast knows martial arts?¡± Zhanyue was speechless. One burrowed into the earth, one used Charm Shadow, and the two quickly retreated several hundred meters.

    The ape locked onto them again, leaping to chase them, roaring wildly at Zhanyue and Baizhi, its mouth emitting a foul stench.

    ¡°Why are you roaring?!¡± Zhanyue opened his mouth and roared back, activating his Soul-Shaking Roar innate divine ability. The ape¡¯s head went nk, and when it opened its eyes again, the two had run away.

    This time it leaped into the air again, ready to chase. However, when it was mid-air, a terrifying fireball came from below, knocking it down, followed by a low, growling sound, as if warning.

    The fireball didn¡¯t hurt the grey ape, but it didn¡¯t dare to continue chasing. It wasn¡¯t its territory inside. Many sixth and seventh-grade spirit beasts were entrenched in this ruin, each with a fixed area, and not veryrge. The mist wasn¡¯t some illusion, but a special gas that wasn¡¯t always present. It just happened to appear now. The mist was very beneficial to demon races, and many spirit beasts hade from various ces to cultivate. Zhanyue and Baizhi didn¡¯t know that this ce had now be a gathering of demons, a beast¡¯s nest. Otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t have dared to enter.

    The two hid in an abandoned pavilion, panting heavily, only to find that the grey ape hadn¡¯t chased after them.

    ¡°Sixth-grade spirit beasts, how terrifying,¡± Zhanyue said, still shaken. That beast¡¯s aura was too overwhelming.

    ¡°Do you feel like something is watching us?¡± Baizhi tightly gripped Zhanyue¡¯s hand, her palm sweating, very nervous.

    A white giant python was coiled around the abandoned pavilion, its entire head hidden in the mist. As the mist thinned, Zhanyue and Baizhi felt a chill down their spines. A huge white head was staring at them, then opened its bloody maw to attack.

    ¡°Dodge!¡± Baizhi quickly evaded, but Zhanyue didn¡¯t panic. A fifth-grade pill appeared in his hand, instantly flicked into the snake¡¯s mouth, before he burrowed into the ground. The white snake missed, and the pill in its mouth exploded with a muffled boom.

    The white snake¡¯s body struggled violently, pushing down all the surrounding buildings. The pill couldn¡¯t kill it, but exploding in its mouth caused intense pain it couldn¡¯t bear. It took a long time to calm down, blood still dripping from its mouth. Zhanyue and Baizhi had long since fled. The white snake¡¯s eyes were full of helplessness, having suffered a loss.

    ¡°Don¡¯t sixth-grade spirit beasts have a strong sense of territory? How did two appear in this not-sorge area?¡± Zhanyue sensed something was wrong and immediately put on his armor. After some thought, he put the Sun Divine Stone inside. The silver-white armor turned fiery red, looking majestic. With this, Zhanyue finally felt confident. At least sixth-grade spirit beasts were no longer a problem.

    Baizhi looked at Zhanyue with starry eyes. d in armor, he looked valiant and handsome, his already good looks elevated several notches.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Zhanyue protected Baizhi by his side as they continued deeper. Sure enough, not far ahead, another sixth-grade spirit beast blocked their way. It was a ck tiger with a pair of human hands growing on its back, each holding a weapon ¨C a sword and a dagger, though both were clearly very broken, ancient artifacts.

    Zhanyue wasn¡¯t here to hunt spirit beasts. Killing sixth-grade spirit beasts was very taxing, requiring the consumption of the Sun Divine Stone¡¯s power or top-grade spirit stones, possibly not worth it. But this tiger had two weapons on it, which made it quite cost-effective.

    ¡°Let me try first,¡± Baizhi, now quite battle-hungry, turned into a residual image and struck at the ck tiger with her dagger. However, the dagger couldn¡¯t prate the tiger¡¯s fur at all. The hands on the tiger¡¯s back immediately gave Baizhi a sh, but fortunately, she was extremely fast and dodged.

    ¡°It¡¯s no use, I can¡¯t break through its defense,¡± Baizhi was frustrated. She had speed butcked killing power.

    ¡°Leave it to me. A sixth-grade spirit beast isn¡¯t something you can match with just one divine ability. The gap is toorge,¡± Zhanyue said, thenunched a frontal attack. Instantly, mist scattered and dust clouded the air. The tiger had a mouth, a tail, ws, and the arms on its back, giving it many attack methods. Even among sixth-grade spirit beasts, it was extremely powerful. The pair of arms on its back was its innate divine ability. Having wings like a tiger was naturally good, but an extra pair of hands also doubled itsbat power.

    The ji halberd shed with the sword and dagger, the metallic sound spreading around. However, other spirit beasts only cast curious nces, with no intention of intervening.

    ¡°So strong, even more powerful than the grey ape and white python from before,¡± Zhanyue judged, even though he hadn¡¯t fought the previous two. ¡°Can¡¯t hold back, need to end this quickly.¡±

 Chapter 78: Deadly Situation

    Chapter 78: Deadly Situation

    White mist nketed thend. On the ruins, Zhanyue, d in red armor, exerted his full power, his cape violently fluttering with his high-speed movements.

    ¡°Phantom Light Step!¡± Zhanyue activated his strongest movement technique. No matter how many hands or ws the tiger demon had, it couldn¡¯t touch him at all. Instead, the ji halberd constantly pierced and sliced the tiger demon¡¯s body, a true sh of raw power.

    Finally, the tiger demon managed tond a hit, but its tiger w only struck Zhanyue¡¯s chest te without leaving even a scratch. The defense of a divine artifact couldn¡¯t be broken by a mere sixth-grade spirit beast.

    ¡°Huh, you could still touch me even with the Phantom Light Step. You beast, your sense of smell is unusually keen,¡± Zhanyue deflected the tiger w and turned to strike it again. Although the Phantom Light Step could fool the tiger demon¡¯s eyes, it couldn¡¯t deceive its sense of smell. Zhanyue¡¯s current movement technique still couldn¡¯t achieveplete deception.

    The pair of arms on the tiger demon¡¯s back swung the sword and dagger. Although these ancient weapons were once formidable, they were now just remnants and still couldn¡¯t deal with Zhanyue¡¯s armor. Faced with such an imprable shell, the tiger demon truly couldn¡¯t break through and gradually lost strength.

    ¡°Die!¡± Zhanyue seized the opportunity and struck with full force. Without any fancy moves, it was pure power. The tiger¡¯s head was split open by the ji halberd, its brains bursting, dead beyond dead.

    ¡°It seems that wearing this armor, I can still handle sixth-grade spirit beasts, but seventh-grade ones would probably be difficult,¡± Zhanyue assessed his current strength, then picked up the weapons from the ground.

    ¡°Xuanyang Remnant Weapon, forged from Xuanyang steel. Although damaged, materials can be recovered. Worth 90,000 points.¡±

    ¡°Kun Steel Remnant Weapon, forged from Kun steel. Although damaged, materials can be recovered. Worth 110,000 points.¡±Zhanyue was overjoyed. These two weapons alone were worth a full 200,000 points. As expected of ancient city ruins. But Zhanyue being able to snatch treasures from a sixth-grade spirit beast was already a miracle. The tiger demon¡¯s arms on its back disappeared, being formed by divine ability, naturally dissipating after death. Unfortunately, no soul bone was left behind. After collecting the spirit beast¡¯s corpse and core, Zhanyue cautiously looked around, constantly feeling many gazes watching him from afar.

    ¡°Something¡¯s not right. These ruins aren¡¯t right. Let¡¯s pack up and leave immediately, not going any deeper. Never mind, let¡¯s just teleport out directly,¡± Zhanyue said vigntly to Baizhi.

    ¡°Okay,¡± Baizhi didn¡¯t ask much, trusting Zhanyue¡¯s judgment. The two then took out their teleportation talismans, preparing to teleport away. Ten breaths of time isn¡¯t long, but it¡¯s certainly not short either.

    A beast¡¯s roar shook heaven and earth, seeminglying from afar.

    All the sixth-grade spirit beasts heard this roar, their eyes changing simultaneously as they rushed towards Zhanyue and Baizhi from all directions. Two huge rocks were thrown at Zhanyue and Baizhi, interrupting their teleportation. The one who threw them was the grey-haired giant ape.

    Soon after, one sixth-grade spirit beast after another appeared around them. The grey ape and the white giant python were among them, with the formidable auras of a full ten sixth-grade spirit beasts emerging. They had originally been surrounding the area watching the battle, not expecting these two to be able to kill the powerful tiger demon. Still in a state of shock, they simultaneously heard the order from a seventh-grade spirit beast deeper inside,manding them to surround and kill the two, not letting them escape.

    Seeing the giant beasts all around, Zhanyue¡¯s heart sank to the bottom, his face bitter. He had relied on the power of the armor to enter the city, only to end up in this situation. Heaven knows how many spirit beasts were actually in these ancient city ruins. What he didn¡¯t know was that he and Baizhi had extremely bad luck. Although this ancient city was dangerous, usually it was just full of mechanisms with the asional sixth-grade spirit beast encounter, clearly not the state of numerous spirit beasts upying it as it was now.

    Zhanyue thought the white mist was a maze formation, but in reality, when the white mist rose, it was when the beast-gathering formation formally activated. Every so often, the remaining beast-gathering formation in this ancient city would activate once. It was very beneficial for demon races to cultivate here, so many spirit beasts woulde in advance during this period to upy spots. Zhanyue and the others naturally didn¡¯t know this and walked right into it.

    ¡°Girl, you teleport again. I¡¯ll buy you time,¡± Zhanyue said to Baizhi behind him.

    ¡°What about you?¡± Baizhi asked with concern.

    ¡°I have earth burrowing secret techniques. I naturally have ways to escape,¡± Zhanyue said.

    ¡°Mm,¡± Baizhi didn¡¯t hesitate, choosing to trust Zhanyue. The two retreated to a corner, and Baizhi took out the teleportation jade talisman again to prepare for teleportation.

    Seeing Baizhi preparing to run, the spirit beasts acted simultaneously. The grey-haired giant ape threw a broken bone with terrifying force. The white giant python spat out an invisible energy ball. A fire-red giant lizard opened its mouth and spewed out a me. Ten sixth-grade giant beastsunched attacks from all sides at once.

    Zhanyue mobilized all his power, using all his trump cards. The Yin and Yang fires were pushed to their limits, forming two fire walls to block many attacks. But some powerful attacks still prated the fire walls, which Zhanyue blocked with his ji halberd. The remaining force was absorbed by the divine artifact armor.

    Zhanyue¡¯s face was pale, but a smile appeared at the corner of his mouth. He had ultimately withstood it.

    At this moment, a red pebble came breaking through the air. It prated the mist, like a bullet fired from a sniper rifle, heading straight for Zhanyue¡¯s face.

    The pebble¡¯s speed was extremely fast. Zhanyue had only just started to burrow when the stone urately hit his helmet. The enormous force uprooted him from underground and sent him flying, instantly knocking him unconscious. If not for the armor¡¯s protection, this small stone would have directly shattered his head. However, the terrifying impact force still instantly knocked Zhanyue out, sending him flying and crashing to the ground.

    ¡°Zhanyue!¡± Baizhi was about toplete the teleportation and could have safely escaped, but seeing this scene, she didn¡¯t hesitate for a moment to interrupt the teleportation. Then she took out a handful of spirit pills and swallowed them, picked up Zhanyue, and used the Charm Shadow divine ability with all her might. She fled at top speed, not distinguishing direction, frantically escaping westward. The north was deeper into the city, but the west wasn¡¯t safe either. The south was the way they came, but there was no choice because only that direction still had some gaps.

    The ten giant beasts simultaneously erupted in fury, chasing after them. However, at this moment, Baizhi¡¯s speed increased to an extremely terrifying level. Though she was running, it was almost like flying. Even carrying Zhanyue, she was still swift.

    Another red pebble shot out, this time aiming at Baizhi¡¯s back. The stone¡¯s speed was extremely fast. Even with Baizhi¡¯s speed, she still couldn¡¯t escape, especially since it was shot from behind her.

    In this life-or-death moment, a red light emanated from Baizhi¡¯s body. A fire bird phantom suddenly appeared, protecting her. The red pebble turned to ash the instant it touched the fire bird.

    ¡°Hm?¡± The seventh-grade demon king in the distance was somewhat surprised. Its divine ability ultimate skill had been used twice yet failed to kill even one person. It was a strange spirit beast, with an appearance like a qilin, but its entire body was covered in scales made of red gemstones. This was the true ruler of this ancient city ruin, the strongest existence ¨C the Jade Cmity Beast.

 Chapter 79: South Ming Leaving Fire

    Chapter 79: South Ming Leaving Fire

    Baizhi didn¡¯t know she had just avoided an attack from the Jade Cmity Beast, nor was she aware of the changes happening to her body. She just kept running westward frantically. Her meridians were expanded to the limit, being violently impacted by the drug power. To unleash all her strength, she had swallowed arge number of various enhancement pills, which allowed her to exert power far beyond her current realm. However, the consequences of such frenzied pill consumption were terrifying.

    Baizhi felt her heart beating at ten times its normal rate, her limbs¡¯ meridians shrinking crazily, blood seeping from her seven orifices. Another powerful aura from the west locked onto her, but Baizhi waspletely unaware of it at this moment.

    The Jade Cmity Beast¡¯s speed was extremely fast. Even with Charm Shadow activated, Baizhi couldn¡¯t gain any advantage. It seemed determined to obtain the armor on Zhanyue. Leaving the sixth-grade spirit beasts behind, it chased after them alone.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid we¡¯ll both die here today,¡± Baizhi looked at the unconscious Zhanyue in her arms, feeling the terrifying aura behind her getting closer and closer.

    ¡°I never expected it to end like this,¡± Baizhi, her body soaked in blood, having exhausted all her strength, revealed a bitter smile. Then she thought that perhaps dying together with Zhanyue wasn¡¯t so bad.

    Several Jade Cmity scales shot towards Baizhi again. At this critical moment between life and death, that mysterious phantom appeared once more, terrifying mes burning the jade scales to ashes.

    ¡°Hm?¡± The newly appeared divine thought from the west expressed confusion.

    Baizhi fell heavily to the ground with Zhanyue in her arms. She couldn¡¯t run anymore.

    Just as the Jade Cmity Beast was about to catch up, a figure suddenly blocked its path. It was a small spirit beast shaped like a lynx, its entire body burning with mes. It looked harmless, but seeing it, the Jade Cmity Beast stopped, looking vignt. The Jade Cmity Beast was a seventh-grade spirit beast with ancient qilin bloodline, extremely powerful and an absolute demon king. However, this fire lynx was no ordinary beast either. Also a seventh-grade spirit beast, it had the bloodline of the ancient divine beast Xiang. Two top-tier demon kings possessing the power of ancient divine beasts were now facing off over two humans.

    ¡°Roar!¡± The Jade Cmity Beast let out an angry roar.

    The fire lynx responded with a disdainful look. The two beasts seemed tomunicate something, after which the Jade Cmity Beast left with a reluctant gaze. It knew it was no match for this fire lynx. Despite the fire lynx¡¯s current small and delicate appearance, they had fought more than once before, and it had lost every time.

    After driving away the Jade Cmity Beast, the fire lynxnded beside Baizhi. However, Baizhi¡¯s condition made it panic. Had it saved a dead person? Wouldn¡¯t that mean it had intervened for nothing?

    At this moment, Zhanyue finally woke up. He had only been knocked unconscious by the heavy blow. The first thing he saw was Baizhi¡¯s veil had fallen off, her face covered in blood, looking terribly miserable.

    ¡°Brother Zhan, I¡¯m dying,¡± Baizhi smiled sadly. She didn¡¯t know who had saved them, but at least that terrifying aura had left.

    Seeing her in this state, Zhanyue instantly guessed everything. She must have desperately broken through with him while he was unconscious. He felt a pang in his heart.

    ¡°Brother Zhan, don¡¯t look at me like that¡­ Am I very ugly now?¡± Baizhi could feel her body¡¯s condition. Her meridians were shattered, blood flowing from her seven orifices. How could she still look beautiful?

    Zhanyue shook his head and was about to activate State Reversal when he heard Baizhi say, ¡°Can you¡­ kiss me?¡±

    If she weren¡¯t about to die, Baizhi would never have had the courage to say this. It was herst wish, not quite a confession but more than that. Some words, if not said now, there would be no chanceter.

    Zhanyue was stunned for a moment, then smiled slightly and lowered his head, kissing her lips.

    Baizhi felt that warmth and thought this life was enough. But suddenly she felt her body improving rapidly. Those meridians were somehow unharmed. Apart from exhaustion from overexerting her power, she didn¡¯t have a single injury. Was everything just now an illusion? Why had all those severe injuries on her body suddenly disappeared?

    After their lips parted, Zhanyue smiled at her, ¡°Silly girl, you¡¯re fine now.¡±

    Baizhi¡¯s face turned bright red with embarrassment. She had been so bold thinking she was about to die, but now she felt it would have been better if she had died. It was too embarrassing.

    ¡°Holy crap, just a kiss and it healed all her injuries?¡± The fire lynx beside them was dumbfounded and couldn¡¯t help but speak.

    Only now did the two notice the spirit beast beside them, not much bigger than a cat, its body burning with mes.

    Zhanyue didn¡¯t dare underestimate it and respectfully said, ¡°It¡¯s just a forbidden secret technique. Did you save us, senior? Thank you very much.¡± He couldn¡¯t sense any other spirit beast auras around and guessed this fire beast had protected them.

    The fire lynx¡¯s ability to speak humannguage was also its talent. This fire lynx possessed the bloodline of the ancient divine beast Wangtian Xiang, able to convey heaven¡¯s will above and reach people¡¯s feelings below. It could understand and speak anynguage expertly upon hearing it, truly remarkable.

    ¡°Don¡¯t thank me. I only intervened for the little girl¡¯s sake. As for you, we¡¯re not acquainted,¡± the fire lynx said,pletely disregarding Zhanyue. Then it noticed the armor on Zhanyue and eximed in surprise, ¡°You couldn¡¯t have passed the Red Lotus Trial, could you? Strange, if you could pass the Red Lotus Trial, how could you be chased down by the Jade Cmity Beast?¡±

    Hearing this, Zhanyue¡¯s eyes lit up, realizing this fire lynx knew many things.

    ¡°Th-thank you, senior,¡± Baizhi now understood that the terrifying aura had stopped pursuing them because of this spirit beast not much bigger than a cat.

    ¡°No need for thanks. Little girl, why do you have the South Ã÷ Leaving Fire?¡± The fire lynx turned to ask Baizhi.

    Baizhi looked confused, ¡°South Ã÷ Leaving Fire? What¡¯s that?¡±

    The fire lynx saw her expression and then looked disappointed, ¡°It seems you really don¡¯t know anything. It was just your bloodline power automatically protecting you at the brink of death.¡±

    ¡°Old Xiang here isn¡¯t some benevolent being, I don¡¯t intervene casually. I only helped because I saw you could release the South Ã÷ Leaving Fire, which means you must possess the bloodline of the South Ã÷ Vermilion Bird Divine Lord. The Vermilion Bird Divine Lord has deep ties with my ancestors, having saved us many times, so naturally I couldn¡¯t stand by and watch its descendant die,¡± the fire lynx said.

    ¡°Senior, you¡¯re saying she has the Vermilion Bird bloodline? But the Vermilion Bird is a divine beast, and she¡¯s human,¡± Zhanyue asked, puzzled.

    The fire lynx looked at Zhanyue with disdain, ¡°How ignorant. What humans or demons, we¡¯re all creatures of the same origin, or rather, most beings across the myriad worlds are of the same origin. When cultivated to the extreme, all can unite with the human race, and there¡¯s more than one way topletely transform into human bloodline. You wouldn¡¯t understand if I said more. You just need to know that only those with Vermilion Bird bloodline can use the South Ã÷ Leaving Fire.¡±

    ¡°When did you use the South Ã÷ Leaving Fire?¡± Zhanyue looked at Baizhi curiously. He had been unconscious and knew nothing of what happened.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know either. I only control ordinary fire, far inferior to the two extreme fires you control,¡± Baizhi also looked bewildered.

    ¡°The scales shot by the Jade Cmity Beast were burned by your South Ã÷ Leaving Fire. Otherwise, you would have been killed by it long ago. Well, it seems you really don¡¯t know anything. What a pity to possess the Vermilion Bird bloodline but bepletely unable to awaken it,¡± the fire lynx said regretfully. It was a master of fire control but still needed help from higher-level mes.

    ¡°Wait, did this little girl just say you control two extreme fires?¡± The fire lynx suddenly remembered. Baizhi¡¯s face changed color, realizing she had let it slip.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright. Senior has saved our lives. There¡¯s no need to hide such a small matter from you,¡± Zhanyue was quite generous. The spirit beast before them could kill them easily. It was better to show trust to gain its favor.

    Zhanyue summoned the Sr Essence Fire and Earth Vein Ghost Fire, one hand holding golden mes, the other blue mes.

    The fire lynx¡¯s eyes widened, then it shook its head, ¡°Not enough, still not enough. These are still a bit short of extreme fires. Your Sr Essence Fire needs to evolve once more into True Sr Fire, and this Earth Vein Ghost Fire needs to evolve into True Yin Fire to be considered two extreme fires. However, it¡¯s truly remarkable that you can possess both Sr Essence Fire and Earth Vein Ghost Fire simultaneously. No wonder you could pass the Red Lotus Trial. You must be blessed with good fortune and passed by luck.¡±

    ¡°Since Old Xiang has saved you, it¡¯s not too much to ask you to stay and help me with something, is it?¡± The fire lynx suddenly said to Zhanyue.

 Chapter 80: Three Flavors Fire Fusion Technique

    Chapter 80: Three vors Fire Fusion Technique

    ¡°Senior, if there¡¯s anything I can help with, I¡¯ll do my best,¡± Zhanyue said. At this point, clinging to this mysterious spirit beast¡¯s leg was the only way to ensure their safety.

    ¡°Come in,¡± the fire lynx tapped the ground with its paw, and a stone door rose from the ground. As the door slowly opened, the fire lynx walked in.

    Zhanyue and Baizhi followed closely. Without the fire lynx¡¯s protection, they¡¯d be easy prey here, so there was nothing to fear.

    Entering through the stone door, the two arrived in a new realm. It was a bright cave illuminated by fire basins around its walls. The cave wasrge, filled with various things: spirit herbs, spirit objects, and some animal skeletons. Clearly, this was the fire lynx¡¯sir.

    Looking back at the stone door, Zhanyue showed a hint of envy.

    ¡°Kid, don¡¯t get any ideas about Old Xiang¡¯s stone door. This is my most prized possession,¡± the old lynx said nervously, noticing Zhanyue¡¯s gaze.

    Zhanyueughed awkwardly, saying, ¡°How could I? I just think the stone door is amazing.¡± Zhanyue remembered Doraemon¡¯s Anywhere Door from childhood cartoons, which was simr in function to this stone door, though this one could only connect to this cave.

    ¡°You two are so weak, yet you dared to enter the Beast Gathering Formation. You¡¯re really reckless,¡± the fire lynx shook its head, seeing Zhanyue¡¯s true aura after he removed the armor.

    ¡°Beast Gathering Formation? Senior, do you mean the formation in the ancient city ruins? We didn¡¯t know about it. How much do you know about this Azure Sky Secret Realm?¡± Zhanyue quickly asked, eager to learn about the secret realm¡¯s origins. The fire lynx shook its head, ¡°I know what you want to know, but unfortunately, I don¡¯t know. As far as I can remember, I was born here. I¡¯ve recalled many things from my bloodline inheritance and guessed that I might be in a secret realm. But this realm is extremelyrge and very dangerous. I¡¯ve tried to find a way out but failed.¡±

    ¡°Uh, Senior, you also know very little about this ce?¡± Zhanyue felt somewhat disappointed. This fire lynx had lived for who knows how long, yet didn¡¯t know the secret realm¡¯s origins, having been born here.

    ¡°I only know that every so often, some humans like youe in. But their strength is generally poor, and few cross that river toe here. The high-level spirit beasts on this side rarely go to that barrennd on the other side. It¡¯s a sort of peaceful coexistence,¡± the fire lynx added.

    ¡°Senior, howrge is this secret realm, and how many strong beings like you are there?¡± Zhanyue continued to ask. If the fire lynx didn¡¯t know about the past, it should at least know about the current situation.

    However, the fire lynx still shook its head, ¡°No one knows how big this small world actually is, because even I don¡¯t dare to venture into the deepest parts. In this area, I¡¯m invincible. Even that Jade Cmity Beast avoids me. But in the depths of the secret realm, there are several auras that make even me shudder. Those must be Beast Emperor level existences.¡±

    Spirit beasts of fifth, sixth, and seventh grades all qualify as Beast Kings, corresponding to human Profound Realms. Beast Emperors are naturally eighth-grade and above spirit beasts, corresponding to human Spirit God Realms.

    ¡°Then Senior, what¡¯s the principle behind the blood moon at night in this secret realm? Why do those spirit beasts be frenzied at night?¡± Zhanyue asked again.

    ¡°The blood moon¡­¡± the fire lynx shook its head. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I only know it¡¯s rted to spirit beast bloodlines. Those with inferior bloodlines are affected by it. Spirit beasts like us with divine beast bloodlines aren¡¯t affected at all.¡±

    Zhanyue sighed. Even this senior before him had more questions than answers.

    ¡°Kid, stop asking this and that. I brought you here to help me,¡± the fire lynx rummaged through its treasure pile and pulled out a purple fruit. The fruit was about the size of a coconut, but its shell seemed to be some kind of metal.

    ¡°I got this fruit from the depths with great difficulty, but I can¡¯t eat the flesh inside. We spirit beasts with divine beast bloodlines, although powerful, have a much harder time breaking through than other spirit beasts. This Diamond Fruit might be my key to breaking through to the eighth grade,¡± the fire lynx said.

    ¡°Diamond Fruit? You mean this metal ball-like fruit?¡± Zhanyue asked curiously. He took out his light-transmitting mirror, which actually identified it.

    ¡°God-Forging Steel, legendary top-tier material for forging divine artifacts. One finger of God-Forging Steel is worth 1 million points.¡± A ¡°finger¡± referred to a unit of size, using a human thumb as reference. In other words, a piece of God-Forging Steel the size of a Ghost Shark n member¡¯s thumb was worth 1 million points. Zhanyue¡¯s eyes widened. The metal outside this fruit was actually God-Forging Steel?

    ¡°The Diamond Fruit itself doesn¡¯t have a shell, but it usually grows in areas rich in metal elements and absorbs surrounding rare metals to form its own protective shell. I think there must have been some God-Forging Steel around where it grew, which it absorbed to form its shell,¡± the fire lynx exined.

    ¡°To think such divine objects exist in the world! It¡¯s truly eye-opening,¡± Zhanyue marveled. Beside him, Baizhi also came closer, examining the Diamond Fruit. She hadn¡¯t seen such a divine object either.

    ¡°What¡¯s so divine about it? I want to eat its flesh, but it¡¯s difficult. This God-Forging Steel can¡¯t be broken by brute force. The best way is to melt it with fire. The Diamond Fruit flesh inside isn¡¯t afraid of high temperatures; no amount of heat can harm it,¡± the fire lynx said somewhat frustratedly. It was a fire-controlling divine beast, yet still couldn¡¯t melt the Diamond Fruit¡¯s shell.

    ¡°Senior called me here hoping I could help melt the fruit¡¯s shell?¡± Zhanyue suddenly realized.

    The fire lynx nodded, then looked dejected, ¡°This girl has Vermilion Bird bloodline. If she could awaken the South Leaving Fire, melting it would be effortless. But she knows nothing, only passively using it in life-or-death situations. To trigger the South Leaving Fire passively, if not done properly, she might really die. Then I¡¯d be a sinner to my n, since the Vermilion Bird Divine Lord has shown kindness to our n.¡±

    ¡°If you really mastered two extreme fires, you could do it too. But Sr Essence Fire isn¡¯t True Sr Fire, and Earth Vein Ghost Fire isn¡¯t True Yin Fire. They¡¯re on the same level as my innate Star me Fire. Since I can¡¯t melt this God-Forging Steel, naturally you can¡¯t either,¡± the fire lynx exined.

    ¡°Then why did Senior ask me toe?¡± Zhanyue was confused. If the fire lynx had determined he couldn¡¯t melt the God-Forging Steel either, how could he help?

    ¡°Hehe, my fire lynx n has mastered the way of fire control since ancient times. We know countless fire techniques. Among them, there¡¯s a very special technique called ¡®Three vors Fire Fusion Technique¡¯. It can fuse three fires of the same level into one. Of course, Three vors Fire and Three Realm True Fire are different things, don¡¯t confuse them. I hope you and I can both learn the Three vors Fire Fusion Technique, thenbine your two fires with my fire to refine that Diamond Fruit with the Three vors Fire,¡± the fire lynx exined.

    If Three Realm True Fire, South Leaving Fire, True Sr and True Yin Fire are the highest-grade fires, then Sr Essence Fire, Earth Vein Ghost Fire, and Star me Fire are the next grade down. Fusing these three might achieve powerparable to the highest-grade fires.

    ¡°Alright, I agree, Senior. But I can¡¯t stay in the secret realm for too long. I don¡¯t know if there¡¯s enough time,¡± Zhanyue said.

    ¡°There¡¯s enough, definitely enough. You¡¯re definitely not an ordinary person, kid. I believe in you,¡± the fire lynx actually didn¡¯t know either, but at this moment, confidence was more important than anything. To save time, man and beast immediately began practicing the Three vors Fire Fusion Technique.

    Beside them, Baizhi watched the two meditating, feeling bored. She took out her alchemy furnace and tried to improve some pills. Without enough materials, she couldn¡¯t refine fifth-grade pills. After all, even a skilled housewife can¡¯t cook without rice.

    After meditating for a while, the fire lynx yawned and opened its eyes. Seeing Zhanyue still concentrating on cultivation, it nodded with satisfaction. He was indeed taking its matter seriously.

    Then it walked over to Baizhi, watching her refine pills. Suddenly, its whole body shook, and it asked in a trembling voice, ¡°Girl, how did the Heavenly King Bronze Cauldron end up in your hands?¡±

 Chapter 81: The Mysterious Baizhi

    Chapter 81: The Mysterious Baizhi

    ¡°Heavenly King Bronze Cauldron?¡± Hearing these words, Zhanyue also suddenly awoke and came to Baizhi¡¯s side.

    ¡°You know about the Heavenly King Bronze Cauldron too?¡± The fire lynx looked at Zhanyue.

    Zhanyue nodded, ¡°Legend has it that the Heavenly King Bronze Cauldron and the Earth Mother Golden Cauldron are the two supreme treasures of ancient alchemy. I¡¯ve seen her cauldron many times but never noticed anything unusual.¡±

    Baizhi was equally puzzled, ¡°This cauldron is indeed an antique, kept in the Bai family¡¯s treasury until I contracted it. But I¡¯ve never felt anything special about it either.¡±

    The fire lynx said with certainty, ¡°There¡¯s no mistake. This cauldron¡¯s shape and the mysterious heavenly patterns on it are definitely the Heavenly King Bronze Cauldron. Unfortunately, it¡¯s been sealed, so naturally you can¡¯t feel anything special. One of my ancestors was once an attendant to an alchemy divine lord, serving as a fire-controlling beast. That divine lord once borrowed the Heavenly King Bronze Cauldron for pill refining, so I have its memory in my bloodline. There¡¯s absolutely no mistake.¡±

    ¡°Is it really the Heavenly King Bronze Cauldron? Could it be a replica?¡± Baizhi asked excitedly, but still couldn¡¯t help doubting.

    ¡°No, although this cauldron is sealed, its material won¡¯t be different. I wouldn¡¯t mistake it. What a pity, this girl is truly carrying treasures she can¡¯t use. It¡¯s the same with the South Ming Leaving Fire and the Heavenly King Bronze Cauldron. Whoever set the seal on this cauldron must be a great power. It¡¯s beyond my ability to remove it,¡± the fire lynx said somewhat regretfully.

    ¡°Well then, you two stay here. I¡¯ll go out and get you something to eat,¡± the fire lynx knew these two still needed food, so it went out to find some for them.

    ¡°Is this real?¡± Baizhi felt like she was dreaming. At this moment, she had dropped all disguises, revealing her most beautiful appearance. She had previously envied Zhanyue for mastering extreme fires and having an extraordinary cauldron, but now the fire lynx said she had the South Ming Leaving Fire and the Heavenly King Bronze Cauldron. ¡°Silly girl, it really is¡­¡± Zhanyue sighed, ¡°I wasmenting earlier about how unfair heaven was, giving you such great alchemy talent but not the matching tools. Now it seems I overthought it. You must be heaven¡¯s favorite daughter.¡±

    ¡°Hmph, what favorite daughter? I haven¡¯t awakened anything, and this cauldron is sealed,¡± Although Baizhi was very happy, she remained calm. But she felt some relief, thinking this might reduce the gap between her and Zhanyue. She didn¡¯t know when she had gradually started to like this guy, butpared to Zhanyue¡¯s terrifyingbat power and talent, she inevitably felt a bit inferior. Apart from pill refining, she could hardly do anything else, always feeling like she was holding Zhanyue back.

    Zhanyue summoned his cauldron and smiled slightly, ¡°Let me tell you a secret. This cauldron of mine is the Earth Mother Golden Cauldron. What a coincidence, right?¡±

    Baizhi¡¯s mouth opened slightly, but she also understood. This cauldron indeed had an extraordinary origin. Then she thought of the two supreme treasures of alchemy ¨C she had contracted the Heavenly King Bronze Cauldron, and Zhanyue had contracted the Earth Mother Golden Cauldron. Didn¡¯t this mean they were a match made in heaven? Thinking of this, Baizhi¡¯s face turned bright red with embarrassment.

    Zhanyue looked at her suddenly reddened face with confusion, ¡°You didn¡¯t blush when I kissed you earlier, why is your face so red now?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, who¡­ who¡¯s blushing. Before¡­ before it was because I thought¡­ I thought I was going to die,¡± Baizhi said softly. Never in her life had she felt so shy.

    The more Zhanyue looked at this girl, the more adorable he found her. This little beauty was truly as pure as a nk sheet of paper, truly living up to her name. He reached out and pulled Baizhi into his arms, ¡°What about now? You¡¯re alive and kicking. Do you still dare to talk like that?¡±

    Baizhi struggled symbolically a few times, then said with a red face, ¡°What are you doing, you big liar, big pervert. How did I talk? You must be remembering wrong.¡±

    Zhanyue looked at that cute and charming little face, red as if about to drip water, and stopped teasing her. Her face was too thin; this was already the limit of intimacy for them at the moment.

    ¡°By the way, I haven¡¯t asked you. Earlier I felt my body was at itsst gasp, why did it suddenly get better? Even eighth or ninth-grade healing pills shouldn¡¯t have such a terrifying effect, right?¡± Baizhi asked. She had been puzzled about how she suddenly went from near death to full of vitality.

    ¡°I told you, it¡¯s a secret technique. But I can only use it mouth to mouth. So don¡¯t be afraid of getting injured in the future. Just let me kiss you, and you¡¯ll be fine,¡± Zhanyue smiled, not minding teasing the beauty in his arms again.

    ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ don¡¯t¡­ I¡­ I¡­¡± Baizhi thought for a moment, wanting to say she wouldn¡¯t get injured anymore, or that she didn¡¯t want him to kiss her, but couldn¡¯t say either. Then she wondered if she was being led astray by him.

    ¡°You scoundrel, not a word of truth from your mouth. Who would believe that a kiss could heal injuries? You pervert, you rascal!¡± Baizhi said angrily, blushing.

    ¡°You don¡¯t believe me?¡± Zhanyue smiled, then took out a small knife and cut his finger. Blood immediately flowed out.

    ¡°What¡­ what are you doing?¡± Baizhi red at him but took out a pill to stop his bleeding.

    ¡°No need,¡± Zhanyue gently kissed Baizhi¡¯s delicate lips, like a dragonfly touching water.

    ¡°You!¡± Baizhi was about to get angry when Zhanyue showed her his finger.

    ¡°Look, it¡¯s fine. The wound is gone,¡± Zhanyue said.

    ¡°Oh? It¡¯s actually true,¡± Baizhi¡¯s eyes widened. Even pills would take time to heal, but this secret technique healed instantly without even leaving a scar.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t lie to you, did I? Just a kiss can heal,¡± Zhanyue was overjoyed inside. What could be more interesting than teasing such a pure and beautiful little girl?

    However, Baizhi wasn¡¯t stupid. She suddenly remembered something. ¡°I remember now. Earlier when you blocked that leopard¡¯s ws for me, your clothes were torn and you were bleeding. But when I looked again, there wasn¡¯t a single wound. You didn¡¯t kiss me then. You were just tricking me!¡±

    Zhanyue¡¯s smile froze, his lie exposed. Then heughed awkwardly, ¡°That was for healing myself. But to heal you, I must transmit true qi through the mouth. If you don¡¯t believe me, you can try cutting your own finger and let me kiss it.¡±

    Baizhi red at him, crawling out of his arms and looking at him disdainfully, ¡°Cut myself and then let you kiss me? Am I sick?¡±

    ¡°Hmph, and in the future, without my permission, you¡¯re not allowed to hug me, much less kiss me!¡± Baizhi straightened her disheveled clothes. Zhanyue¡¯s hands hadn¡¯t been behaving, and she was a bit scared.

    ¡°Ahem,¡± an untimely voice sounded, ¡°It¡¯s time for you two to eat.¡±

    The fire lynx had returned with many spirit fruits, all worth quite a few points. Baizhi didn¡¯t dare eat any, afraid she might instantly advance to the Profound Realm and then be unable to return to the secret realm. The fire lynx had to get her some meat from wild beasts, the kind without much spirit energy.

    Xue¡¯er and Mo¡¯er, the two little cat demons, were also let out by Zhanyue for some air. The two little ones saw the fire lynx and trembled all over, quickly hiding in Zhanyue¡¯s arms. This was the pressure of a superior being.

    ¡°Oh? These two little beasts actually have the bloodline of the ancient divine beast Zouwu,¡± the fire lynx instantly sensed their bloodline and then withdrew its pressure.

    Zhanyue was no longer surprised. In this secret realm, encountering any powerful spirit beast was possible.

    ¡°Young Zhan, can your treasure hold me?¡± the fire lynx suddenly asked curiously.

    Zhanyue immediately said, ¡°Senior, please don¡¯t resist. I¡¯ll try.¡±

    Then Zhanyue tried to put the fire lynx into the spatial ring, but it wouldn¡¯t go in no matter what.

    ¡°It¡¯s no use. The spatial stability of your ring is too poor. It¡¯s fine for these two little ones with weak strength, but trying to hold me is wishful thinking. What a pity, I wanted to go out with you to see the world,¡± the fire lynx said somewhat regretfully.

    Zhanyue only now realized that this ring had limitations on storing living things. Those too powerful simply couldn¡¯t be put in; the spatial stability wouldn¡¯t allow it.

    ¡°Eat quickly, then study the Three vors Fire Fusion Technique well. As for these two little ones, let me train them for you. When they grow up, they¡¯ll definitely be good helpers for you,¡± the fire lynx looked at the two adorable little cat demons and felt a love for talent. These were the younger generation of the demon race, also possessing ancient divine beast bloodlines.

    Zhanyue nodded. This was like living in paradise, not only safe but also eating remarkable spirit fruits every day. A month of outside time passed, and Zhanyue¡¯s strength had already reached the ninth stage of Spirit Communication. He could now challenge the Soul Control Realm.

 Chapter 82: Soul Control Realm

    Chapter 82: Soul Control Realm

    ¡°Take this, and this,¡± Baizhi ced bottle after bottle of pills in Zhanyue¡¯s hands. ¡°These pills will help you with your breakthrough.¡±

    The fire lynx beside them couldn¡¯t help butment, ¡°Little girl, you¡¯re overthinking out of concern. With young Zhan¡¯s talent, breaking through to the Soul Control Realm should be a piece of cake, right?¡±

    Baizhi¡¯s pretty face reddened again, ¡°It¡¯s not the same. I¡¯ve heard that people with greater talent actually find it harder to break through realms. Zhanyue can match those at the ninth stage of Soul Control while still in the Spirit Communication Realm. We can¡¯t be careless with his breakthrough.¡±

    Zhanyue put away the pills and said to the fire lynx, ¡°Senior, I¡¯ll go break through now. Once my realm improves, I should be able to help you better.¡±

    The fire lynx nodded. It had already mastered the Three vors Fire Fusion Technique and only needed to wait for Zhanyue. After all, this was their technique, and it was indeed much more difficult for Zhanyue to cultivate.

    The fire lynx¡¯sir was veryrge. One of the newly excavated caves became Zhanyue¡¯s breakthrough location. He closed the wooden door of the cave and settled his mind, sensing the changes in his internal realm.

    In their, Baizhi watched the two little cat demons y-fighting, her eyes asionally ncing towards the cave where Zhanyue was.

    The little white cat had now advanced to a fourth-grade spirit beast, matching the little ck cat¡¯s level. The two little cat demons fought evenly, with the fire lynx guiding them from the side. Both beasts were growing extremely fast.

    ¡°Senior, can spirit beasts transform into human form?¡± Baizhi asked curiously. The fire lynx nodded, ¡°When spirit beasts break through to the eighth grade, they be Beast Emperors. This is the end point of cultivation for the vast majority of spirit beasts. Breaking through further to the ninth grade allows them to take human form. Of course, there are some exceptions. Some spirit beasts have transformation as their bloodline divine ability, allowing them to take human form at very low levels. These two little ones also have ancient divine beast bloodlines, so they have a chance to advance to ninth-grade spirit beasts and take human form. However, I, Old Xiang, have only reached the seventh grade after so many years. It¡¯s incredibly difficult for spirit beasts to cultivate to the ninth grade.¡±

    ¡°I see. Senior, do you know how I can awaken the bloodline in my body?¡± Having learned about her Vermilion Bird bloodline, Baizhi naturally wanted to awaken this power.

    The fire lynx shook its head, ¡°I don¡¯t know. Each divine beast race has different ways of awakening their bloodline. This matter might only be known by¡­ no, the Vermilion Bird Pce has long been destroyed. Who knows if there are any other Vermilion Bird bloodlines left in the world? They might know.¡±

    ¡°Is the Vermilion Bird Pce from the previous era?¡± During these days of chatting, Baizhi had learned about the concept of eras. Simply put, before the break in civilization was the previous era, and after the break was the current era. ¡®All Things as Contracts¡¯, where everyone is born with a contract, appeared in this current era. The fire lynx¡¯s bloodline memories came from the previous era, and it had grown up in this secret realm since childhood, not even knowing what a contract object was. From this, one could deduce that this secret realm was a remnant of the previous era, which exined why the things inside were not found in the outside world.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve always lived in the secret realm, knowing nothing of the changes outside. Based on what you¡¯ve said before, the outside world has probably undergone earth-shattering changes. Even the demon race¡¯s inheritance has been broken. The world only has fierce beasts and spirit beasts, but no demon beasts, and they can no longer transform,¡± the fire lynx exined.

    Zhanyue sat cross-legged, mist swirling around his head. Advancing from the Spirit Communication Realm to the Soul Control Realm wasn¡¯t a difficult matter, notparable to entering the Profound Realm. The Spirit Contract Realm was when one just awakened their contract object, the Spirit Communication Realm allowed one to be more in tune with their contract object, while the Soul Control Realm represented absolute control over the contract object.

    In the depths of Zhanyue¡¯s consciousness sea, three contract objects surrounded the central spirit tform. First, the Earth Mother Golden Cauldron burst with light, its connection with Zhanyue bing closer. After the advancement, the quality of pills Zhanyue could refine improved again. Then came the watch, the contract object containing the dao of time and causality, which emitted a blue-purple light. Zhanyue then felt his ¡®State Reversal¡¯ ability rise a level, able to regress stronger beings with greatly reduced consumption. Unfortunately, it still couldn¡¯t restore those intangible things like spirit power, soul, memory, and such. When he regressed Cheng Lu before, he had only regressed his physical body, making him fall from the Profound Realm, but Cheng Lu¡¯s soul realm had already entered the Profound. After taking the fifth-grade Profound Entry Pill granted by the Crown Princess, he was now a Profound Being.

    Thest contract object was a human-shaped light cluster, pale yellow like moonlight. Zhanyue knew it represented the illumination Goddess Xixuan. That light cluster became clearer and more human-shaped, bursting with intense light.

    ¡°Big sister?!¡± Zhanyue felt the long-lost mysterious connection return.

    ¡°Hm? You¡­ you broke through?¡± The illumination Goddess¡¯s tone was also a bit excited. She had been trying to contact Zhanyue all this time but always failed.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m in a secret realm now. This secret realm is likely a remnant of the previous era. There¡¯s some power on this Ghost Ind and in this secret realm that even blocks our connection,¡± Zhanyue said.

    ¡°No¡­ it won¡¯t work. Our connection was forcibly opened by the evolution light during your realm breakthrough. I¡¯m afraid it will be interrupted again soon,¡± the illumination Goddess said, sensing the increasingly weak connection.

    ¡°Big sister, wait for me in Pill City of the Thousand Beauties Women¡¯s Kingdom¡­¡± Zhanyue quickly finished this sentence before feeling their connection break. He felt a bit frustrated, ¡°Well, at least I reported that I¡¯m safe.¡± This Ghost Ind and secret realm truly weren¡¯t ces for normalmunication.

    Zhanyue then realized he had already reached the Soul Control Realm, his entire aura bing more powerful. ¡°Pity, I probably need to enter the Profound Realm before I can freely use that divine armor. Even though I¡¯m at the Soul Control Realm now, I¡¯m afraid I still need to rely on spirit stones to activate it.¡±

    Zhanyue looked at the spirit fruits and pills beside him, thought for a moment, and decided not to end his seclusion. Instead, he consumed these pills and spirit fruits, continuing to improve his realm.

    In the blink of an eye, half a month passed. By the time Zhanyue had digested all the pills and spirit fruits, he had reached the third stage of Soul Control.

    ¡°That should be enough. If I cultivate any further, Senior might get anxious.¡±

    As soon as he left the cave, a familiar face greeted him. ¡°Why did it take so long?¡± Baizhi¡¯s face looked a bit haggard, her eyes showing both worry and some reproach.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine now. Why do you look so tired?¡± Zhanyue stroked her small face tenderly.

    ¡°Ahem, stop showing your affection in front of Old Xiang. Young Zhan, you¡¯ve gained quite a lot from this seclusion. Let¡¯s focus on practicing the Three vors Fire Fusion Technique. You know you can only stay in the secret realm for a year at most,¡± the fire lynx urged. It was the most anxious one.

    ¡°Alright, Senior. I¡¯ll take a bath and start right away. I feel ufortable all over after this seclusion,¡± Zhanyue said.

    In a huge wooden tub, Zhanyueyfortably, enjoying a massage from a pair of small hands, feeling utterly content.

    ¡°Although we¡¯re safe in thisir, what about the points?¡± Baizhi asked worriedly as she massaged Zhanyue.

    ¡°You¡¯re still thinking about that eighth-grade pill form? Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll figure out the points issue. But your problem can¡¯t be solved by an eighth-grade pill form. Leave it to me, okay?¡± Zhanyue patted Baizhi¡¯s small hand, thinking to himself that he couldn¡¯t possibly let Baizhi marry that Golden Pill Immortal. At worst, he¡¯d have his big sister appear and smash that dog¡¯s head.

    ¡°Mm,¡± Baizhi didn¡¯t know what method Zhanyue had, but she chose to trust him unconditionally.

 Chapter 83: The Way of Fire Control

    Chapter 83: The Way of Fire Control

    Time flew by, and in recent days, Zhanyue¡¯s only focus had been on cultivating the Three vors Fire Fusion Technique. His efforts finally paid off, and he had now initially mastered this fire technique.

    ¡°Young Zhan, rx. Let¡¯s try it,¡± The fire lynx was actually more excited than Zhanyue, but to maintain its image as a senior, it pretended to be calm.

    The human and beast sat facing each other. Sr Essence Fire, Earth Vein Ghost Fire, and the fire lynx¡¯s Star me Fire were summoned. The three mes ¨C gold, blue, and purple ¨C converged in the air, but no matter how they controlled them, the three types of fire still couldn¡¯t fuse.

    ¡°It¡¯s not working. Two people performing the Three vors Fire Fusion Technique is indeed much harder than one person doing it. Our fire control levels are vastly different. Currently, you can¡¯t keep up with my precision. We must first improve your fire control level,¡± The fire lynx¡¯s eyes showed some disappointment, but it was understandable. How could Zhanyue, who had only been cultivating for a short time,pare to a natural fire spirit beast like itself?

    ¡°Senior, my fire control technique is currently limited to pill refining, and the only fire-type technique I¡¯ve learned is the purple-grade ¡®me King st¡¯,¡± Zhanyue exined. From the previous attempt, he could clearly feel the huge gap between himself and the fire lynx.

    ¡°¡®me King st¡¯? Kid, try attacking me with full force,¡± the fire lynx said.

    Zhanyue nodded, then widened the distance between them. Sr Essence Fire continuously gathered in his right fist, eventually condensing into a fireball the size of a fist.

    ¡°Go!¡± Zhanyue threw a punch, sending the fireball flying towards the fire lynx. This was the strongest strike technique of me King st. Don¡¯t underestimate the fist-sized fireball; when thepressed and condensed mes exploded, their power was quite extraordinary.

    The fire lynx watched the approaching fireball, then opened its mouth and swallowed it whole, followed by a burp. ¡°Is that a move thatpresses mes? Thepression density is too low. Kid, watch carefully,¡± The fire lynx opened its mouth, and a fireball flew out. The fireball flew towards the cave wall in the distance. When it hit the wall, it suddenly exploded. The terrifying power made the entire cave shake, and the rock wall actually melted intova, truly frightening.

    Baizhi¡¯s eyes widened. This senior fire lynx really wasn¡¯t afraid of its own cave copsing.

    ¡°So powerful,¡± Zhanyue marveled. The fireball condensed by the fire lynx was more than ten times stronger than hispressed fireball. That refined me instantly melted the rock wall intova. Although the fire lynx¡¯s Star me Fire was on the same level as Sr Essence Fire, the difference in power was so great.

    ¡°You possess two types of fire. Do you know the characteristics of Sr Essence Fire?¡± the fire lynx asked.

    Zhanyue answered, ¡°Absolute instantaneous high temperature, and it has a great suppressing effect on Nightmares and light-hating creatures.¡±

    The fire lynx nodded and asked again, ¡°Then what are the characteristics of Earth Vein Ghost Fire?¡±

    Zhanyue answered again, ¡°Earth Vein Ghost Fire is extremely difficult to extinguish and has super strong prating power. I can even control it to pass through a haystack and ignite something behind it without setting the haystack on fire.¡±

    ¡°Correct. The two types of fire you master have vastly different characteristics, but you haven¡¯t fully developed them forbat use. In theing days, I¡¯ll try to teach you some fire control tricks to take your use of them to the next level,¡± the fire lynx said.

    Zhanyue¡¯s face showed excitement, ¡°Thank you, Senior.¡±

    ¡°No need to thank me. Helping you is helping myself. Little Baizhi,e learn too. After all, you¡¯re also an alchemist, and you might need these techniques in the future,¡± the fire lynx turned to Baizhi and said.

    ¡°Okay,¡± Baizhi naturally agreed happily.

    Regarding the way of fire control, the fire lynx had extremely profound insights, and now it was imparting everything to the two of them.

    Outside the secret realm, on Ghost Ind.

    Feng Bng had just finished exchanging items at the market when he encountered the Horse Face person.

    ¡°Brother Feng, congrattions on achieving your wish,¡± the young master wearing the horse mask congratted.

    Feng Bng was in a great mood and replied, ¡°Luck, just luck. I finally gathered enough points before time ran out.¡±

    Horse Face didn¡¯t ask how many points he had or what he had exchanged. These were other people¡¯s secrets.

    ¡°When does Brother Feng n to leave?¡± Horse Face asked again.

    Feng Bng didn¡¯t conceal it, ¡°Tomorrow. I¡¯ve already handed in my fragrant pouch. Counting it up, I¡¯ve been here for a year. Your time must be running short too, right?¡±

    Horse Face nodded, ¡°About half a month left. My points are almost there too.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not very honest, fellow. We¡¯ve known each other for a year, but I don¡¯t even know who you are,¡± Feng Bng looked at that horse mask with some dislike. He had always shown his true face.

    Horse Faceughed, ¡°How many people in the world can be as free-spirited as Brother Feng? Brother Feng is from the Ye Capital Mansion. You and I will meet outside sooner orter, so there¡¯s no harm in telling you. Brother Feng, do you know ¡®White Cloud Tower in the sky, Moon Reflecting Pavilion among humans. Shallow fate can¡¯t meet, deep fortunees to the door¡¯?¡±

    Feng Bng¡¯s whole body shook, ¡°You¡­ are you from White Cloud Tower or Moon Reflecting Pavilion?¡±

    ¡°I am Meng Huyue from White Cloud Tower,¡± Horse Face said truthfully.

    ¡°Someone from White Cloud Tower, no wonder you¡¯re so unfathomable. I hope next time we meet, we¡¯ll both have achieved our wishes,¡± Feng Bng looked deeply at Horse Face. The people on this Ghost Ind all had quite extraordinary identities.

    ¡°If fate allows in the future, after we enter the Profound Realm, we could explore the Blue Sky Secret Realm together,¡± Meng Huyue invited.

    Feng Bng nodded, ¡°We¡¯ll see. It¡¯s gettingte. I need to go pack. We¡¯ll meet outside.¡±

    ¡°See you outside,¡± Meng Huyue cupped his hands, watching Feng Bng leave.

    ¡°Ye Capital Mansion¡­ Feng Bng¡­ I wonder which of us is truly the number one below the Profound Realm? It¡¯s a pity that neither of us used our full strength in ourst contest. But being number one below the Profound Realm isn¡¯t much of a title. You and I will eventually enter the Profound Realm. Let¡¯s decide the victor after we both enter,¡± Meng Huyue was happy to have met such an interesting person on this trip to Ghost Ind. He knew that both he and Feng Bng were deliberately suppressing their realms, not entering the Profound Realm, specifically to explore this secret realm.

    ¡°If Senior Sister Yun hadn¡¯t already entered the Profound Realm, this title of number one below the Profound Realm probably wouldn¡¯t be for him and me topete for. Well, I should gather enough points and return to White Cloud Tower soon,¡± Horse Face thought of this and entered the secret realm again.

    In a hidden ce on Ghost Ind, a gaze watched the two parting, murmuring, ¡°The human race has been in decline for a long time, but there will always be an era of emerging geniuses. Unlike our Ghost Shark n, burdened with a bloodline curse, it¡¯s hard for geniuses to emerge. Sigh¡­ was our ancestor¡¯s decision back then right or wrong? Well, there¡¯s no point thinking about that now. I should continue trying to break the restrictions of this secret realm. Who exactly was this human powerhouse who set up these restrictions? It¡¯s fortunate that almost all human powerhouses have perished. Otherwise, our Ghost Shark n would be as weak as ants before humans. How could we have had the day to privately upy a human secret realm?¡±

 Chapter 84: Progress

    Chapter 84: Progress

    In the fire lynx¡¯sir, Zhanyue held his breath and focused, extending one finger. At the fingertip, a blue me the size of a peanut condensed ¨C it was the Earth Vein Ghost Fire. Then, like a bullet, Zhanyue shot out this peanut-sized me. The me struck a rock, instantly piercing through it and leaving a finger-sized hole with uncooledva inside.

    ¡°Combining the power of Earth Vein Ghost Fire and Sr Essence Fire, this fireball may be as small as a bullet, but it¡¯s iparably more powerful than before. I¡¯ll call it ¡®Heaven-Burning Finger¡¯ from now on. Hopefully, one day it can reach the level of a divine-grade ultimate skill,¡± Zhanyue said to himself, satisfied.

    After the fire lynx¡¯s patient guidance, Zhanyue¡¯s fire control level now far surpassed his previous abilities. Based on me King st and his own characteristics, he developed two new ultimate skills. One was this ¡®Heaven-Burning Finger¡¯. Zhanyue estimated that ¡®Heaven-Burning Finger¡¯ had improved by one gradepared to ¡®me King st¡¯, reaching the level of an orange-grade technique, not far from a red-grade one.

    Then, Zhanyue fully activated his fire power. Behind him, a golden sun and a blue moon rose simultaneously ¨C the Sr Essence Fire and Earth Vein Ghost Fire.

    ¡°Sun and Moon Shine Together!¡± Zhanyue threw both fireballs at the fire lynx.

    ¡°Star Spinning me!¡± The fire lynx spat out a purple me from its mouth. The me instantly formed a fire tornado, swallowing both fireballs. Then a terrifying explosion erupted, blowing things in the cave into disarray. The cave became scorching hot, with waves of heat.

    Beads of sweat appeared on Baizhi¡¯s forehead, and the two little cats trembled in her arms, frightened.

    ¡°Alright, stop fighting. You¡¯re going to tear down the cave,¡± Baizhi spoke up to stop them.

    ¡°Young Zhan, you really are progressing at an astonishing speed. Come, let¡¯s try the Three vors Fire Fusion Technique again,¡± The fire lynx¡¯s body moved, instantly absorbing all the heat in the cave, cooling it down. ¡°Alright!¡± This time, Zhanyue was full of confidence.

    The human and beast sat facing each other again. Golden, blue, and purple mes converged above their heads, gradually fusing into a ck me. The ck me emitted a terrifying aura. The fire lynx¡¯s eyes showed both excitement and fear ¨C if this me went out of control, its cave would probably be instantly incinerated.

    ¡°Good! Let¡¯s try!¡± The fire lynx controlled the me, cing it under the already set up Diamond Fruit.

    Under the scorching of the ck me, the God-Forging Steel encasing the Diamond Fruit finally showed signs of melting.

    ¡°Senior¡­ I have a request¡­¡± Zhanyue said somewhat embarrassedly.

    ¡°I know what you want. I only need the flesh of the Diamond Fruit. The God-Forging Steel shell is useless to me, as I can¡¯t forge artifacts, and I can¡¯t melt it without you. It¡¯s yours,¡± the fire lynx said generously.

    ¡°Thank you, Senior!¡± Zhanyue was overjoyed. Just a small amount of this God-Forging Steel could be exchanged for a million points. Melting it all might be worth over ten million points. Of course, Zhanyue wouldn¡¯t be foolish enough to exchange it all for points. He estimated exchanging for two million points would be enough; any more and the Ghost Shark n would be suspicious.

    The melted God-Forging Steel instantly solidified into spheres. Each small sphere was worth about 100,000 points.

    ¡°Now we don¡¯t have to struggle desperately for points anymore,¡± Zhanyue was delighted, having resolved one concern.

    However, after refining for a long time, they had only melted part of the bottom of the God-Forging Steel. Zhanyue was the first to run out of spirit power and couldn¡¯t continue. The Sr Essence Fire also needed to replenish energy.

    ¡°Let¡¯s stop here for today and continue tomorrow,¡± The fire lynx was even happier than Zhanyue. The flesh of the Diamond Fruit was within reach. In a few days, he and Zhanyue would be able topletely refine its shell.

    Putting away the God-Forging Steel spheres, these ten spheres were worth a million points. Nothing was more suitable for exchanging into points than these. Firstly, Zhanyue couldn¡¯t forge artifacts. Secondly, without the fire lynx¡¯s help, these steel spheres were useless to him. Thirdly, there was plenty of God-Forging Steel left, so he didn¡¯t feel too bad about giving some to the Ghost Shark n.

    ¡°The ¡®Thousand Hands Fire God¡¯ pill refining technique worth 500,000 points, the ¡®Ancient Scripts of Hundred Races Annotations¡¯ worth 800,000 points ¨C these two items must be obtained. But there¡¯s no need to exchange for too many points to avoid suspicion. As for the eighth-grade pill form that Baizhi wants, there¡¯s no need to exchange for it at all. I still have two forms myself. If there¡¯s a real need, I can just bring them out,¡± Zhanyue had made some ns by now. As for the origin of the God-Forging Steel, he had already prepared an exnation.

    After thinking, Zhanyue told Baizhi his ideas. When she heard that Zhanyue wanted to give her the ¡®Thousand Hands Fire God¡¯ pill refining technique, she repeatedly shook her head in refusal. But Zhanyue said:

    ¡°You know that my cauldron is the Earth Mother Golden Cauldron. Its main function is purification. Having the ¡®Thousand Hands Fire God¡¯ technique is just icing on the cake for me, but for you, it¡¯s like sending charcoal in snowy weather. After all, your Heavenly King Bronze Cauldron is just an ordinary alchemy furnace before it¡¯s unsealed. And once you master the ¡®Thousand Hands Fire God¡¯, you can naturally teach me.¡±

    Hearing this, Baizhi nodded, her eyes fixed on Zhanyue, saying resentfully, ¡°I know exactly what you¡¯re up to, but I can¡¯t bring myself to dislike it. It¡¯s all your fault!¡±

    ¡°Uh,¡± Zhanyue knew this little girl had seen through his attempt to gain favor. He said with a straight face, ¡°I remember someone actively asking me to kiss her. Or am I remembering wrong?¡±

    Baizhi¡¯s face flushed red, and she said angrily, ¡°Don¡¯t say that.¡±

    ¡°Ahem,¡± The fire lynx walked over, interrupting their flirtatious banter. ¡°It¡¯s time to eat.¡± The fire lynx handed the roasted meat to them.

    ¡°Thank you, Senior,¡± Zhanyue took two legs of some unknown animal and gave them to the two little cats.

    ¡°Senior, since you know about the Red Lotus Trial, you must know about other trial grounds, right?¡± Zhanyue asked curiously.

    The fire lynx didn¡¯t hide anything, ¡°I¡¯ve traveled all over this secret realm and have seen many trial and inheritance grounds, but they¡¯re all left for humans. I can¡¯t participate. It¡¯s strange, there are too many human trials in this secret realm. But those youngsters whoe in are too weak, they don¡¯t even have the ability to discover these trials.¡±

    ¡°There are arge number of human inheritances in the secret realm?¡± Zhanyue¡¯s eyes widened. It wasn¡¯t strange for trials to appear in secret realms, but the appearance of many inheritances was odd. Did so many senior experts leave their legacies in this secret realm?

    ¡°I know what you¡¯re thinking, kid. With your current strength, you absolutely can¡¯t pass those trials. However, some trial creators were kind-hearted. Even if you fail their trials, nothing will happen to you. Even when I, a spirit beast, forcibly entered, I wasn¡¯t harmed. After you help me refine the Diamond Fruit, I¡¯ll take you to try. After all, failing those trials shouldn¡¯t result in any punishment,¡± the fire lynx said.

    Zhanyue nodded. If that was the case, it was worth a try. He wasn¡¯t sure about the first few levels of the Red Lotus Trial, but the ninth level was definitely very dangerous. If you couldn¡¯t defeat that armor, you¡¯d likely be killed. It seems the mysterious old man who set up the Red Lotus Trial wasn¡¯t a kind person.

 Chapter 85: The Divine Couples Hall

    Chapter 85: The Divine Couples Hall

    The ck me scorched thest of the God-Forging Steel, revealing the true appearance of the Diamond Fruit. It was a golden fruit the size of a fist, emitting a golden aura under the cave¡¯s firelight, like a small sun.

    The fire lynx swallowed it in one gulp, as if afraid someone might snatch it away. But it wasn¡¯t in a hurry to refine it, as it hadn¡¯t yet fulfilled its promise to the two humans.

    ¡°Congrattions, Senior. You¡¯ve finally achieved your wish,¡± Zhanyue said. He hadn¡¯t even gotten a clear look at the Diamond Fruit before the fire lynx swallowed it.

    The fire lynx patted his shoulder, ¡°This wouldn¡¯t have been possible without your help. Now I have hope of breaking through to the eighth grade and bing a Beast Emperor.¡±

    Zhanyue¡¯s realm had now reached the fifth stage of Soul Control, his strength improving significantly, thanks in no small part to the spirit fruits the fire lynx collected daily from the secret realm.

    ¡°I¡¯ll naturally fulfill my promise to you two. Let¡¯s go, I¡¯ll send you into that secret realm, then I¡¯lle back to focus on refining this Diamond Fruit. I don¡¯t know how long it will take,¡± the fire lynx, used to living alone, felt a bit reluctant to part after spending time with Zhanyue and the others.

    ¡°Baizhi, how much time do we have left?¡± In the cave, there was no way to tell time, and Zhanyue didn¡¯t even know what time it was now. But Baizhi had been keeping track of the days.

    ¡°We have about a month left before our one-year limit is up. At that time, we¡¯ll probably be teleported out directly,¡± Baizhi said, her pretty face showing some panic.

    Zhanyue could see through Baizhi¡¯s thoughts. He held her small hand, feeling it tremble slightly, andforted her, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. We¡¯ll figure something out after we leave. The world is so vast, the Bai family can¡¯t control everything.¡± ¡°Mm,¡± Baizhi nodded.

    ¡°Only a month left. Who set this one-year restriction? What a pity¡­¡± Zhanyue shook his head helplessly. This secret realm was full of treasures, his strength was progressing rapidly, and there were various inheritances waiting to be explored. ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s those Ghost Shark n bastards.¡±

    The fire lynx beside them said, ¡°You¡¯ve guessed wrong, kid. No matter how capable the Ghost Shark n is, they can¡¯t forcibly pull people out of the secret realm. If you were in an inheritance ground, isted from outside contact, how could they possibly manage such a thing? This one-year limit was probably set by the owner of this secret realm. I guess they probably didn¡¯t want one person to gain too much, wanting to give more people a chance, so they set a one-year limit. As for what you mentioned about only those below Profound Realm being able to enter, that¡¯s probably a restriction set by the Ghost Shark n at the entrance.¡±

    Although the fire lynx had never seen the Ghost Shark n, its guess was about 80-90% correct. There was a special restriction in the secret realm: no matter how many times one entered or exited, they could only stay in the secret realm for a maximum of one year, with this time limit resetting every ten years. This was the only restriction set by the secret realm¡¯s master. The Ghost Shark n even added a restriction that one could only stay on Ghost Ind for one year, to prevent people from staying on the ind without venturing into the secret realm. The so-called restrictions of only those below Profound Realm being able to enter the Azure Sky Secret Realm and those below Spirit God Realm being able to enter the Blue Sky Secret Realm were additional restrictions added by the Ghost Shark n at the entrance of the secret realm. Their purpose was clear: they feared that true human geniuses entering the secret realm would take away all those inheritances. If they restricted entry to those below Profound Realm, even if someone was exceptionally powerful, it would be controble and within their eptable range.

    However, the Ghost Shark n naturally hadn¡¯t anticipated the existence of someone like Zhanyue, who passed the Red Lotus Trial without entering the Profound Realm.

    ¡°Only humans can enter, and there are many inheritances from human powerhouses in the secret realm. It seems this secret realm originally belonged to humans. I wonder why it has now fallen into the hands of the Ghost Shark n. What exactly is the origin of the Ghost Shark n? Where did their treasurese from? The news about Ghost Ind isn¡¯t aplete secret, many people know about it. I suppose the Thunder Lord and Sword Lord know too. As the current strongest among humans, how do they view Ghost Ind?¡± Zhanyue had countless questions in his mind, but couldn¡¯t find answers to any of them.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, I¡¯ll take you to that trial ground. It should be a rtively safe inheritance. Even when I identally entered the depths, I wasn¡¯t harmed at all, just forcibly teleported out. I think the two seniors who left the inheritance were quite benevolent. With your weak strength, trying there at least won¡¯t put your lives at risk,¡± the fire lynx said.

    The two humans and one beast moved quickly through the depths of the secret realm. With the fire lynx¡¯s protection, surrounding spirit beasts all gave way. The aura of the beasts inside made Zhanyue shudder, with powerful presences appearing from time to time. Without the fire lynx¡¯s escort, they could never have reached such a deep ce. This secret realm had too many secrets, but unfortunately, he no longer had time to continue exploring.

    ¡°After I enter the Profound Realm, I¡¯ll find a blood-colored token to check out the Blue Sky Secret Realm. If the Azure Sky Secret Realm is already so dangerous, the Blue Sky Secret Realm must be even more terrifying,¡± Zhanyue pondered.

    ¡°We¡¯re here.¡± The fire lynx stopped at a canyon deep in the secret realm. In the canyon was a huge waterfall, truly a sight of water falling three thousand feet, incredibly magnificent.

    ¡°Watch Old Xiang¡¯s move!¡± The fire lynx spat out a fireball, which fell directly under the waterfall, then flowed upwards against the current, tearing open a gap in the waterfall.

    An opening appeared in the gap of the waterfall.

    ¡°Water Curtain Cave?¡± Zhanyue¡¯s mouth twitched slightly, not expecting there to be an inheritance cave behind the waterfall as well.

    ¡°Hurry through, I can¡¯t hold it for long,¡± The fire lynx controlled the fireball to forcibly cut off the water flow at the cave entrance.

    ¡°Alright.¡± Although Zhanyue and Baizhi couldn¡¯t fly, they could easily jump this distance. With one leap, they both entered the cave.

    ¡°This trial should be most suitable for you. Good luck, Old Xiang will head back now.¡± As the waterfall closed again, the fire lynx¡¯s voice came through the sound of water.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± In front was a pitch-ck passage, and behind was the huge waterfall. Lighting an illumination stone, the two walked along the passage.

    Soon after, a vast cavern appeared before them. In the center of the cavern was a huge pce. The pce was resplendent with gold and jade, carved railings and jade steps, grand and majestic. In front of the pce stood two huge statues, one male and one female. The man was heroic, the woman stunningly beautiful. Before the statues was a pale yellow curtain, like a barrierpletely enclosing the pce behind it.

    ¡°The Divine Couple¡¯s Hall inheritance only epts couples for the trial. Those who are single may not enter. Those with false feelings may not enter.¡±

    A mysterious voice transmitted to both their ears.

    Zhanyue and Baizhi looked at each other, both showing shocked expressions. No wonder the fire lynx said this ce was most suitable for them; it truly hadn¡¯t deceived them. The fire lynx had lived in this secret realm for many years, identally entering many inheritance grounds. It could be considered the best guide.

    Zhanyue sighed, ¡°This inheritance ground is really interesting. Even if you have unparalleled talent, if you¡¯re single, you can¡¯t obtain the inheritance. It seems the two people carved in these statues have some story. I just wonder who they are.¡±

    Baizhi, however, was a bit shy. She asked Zhanyue beside her, ¡°So, do you think we count as a couple?¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t we try and find out?¡± Zhanyue directly picked up Baizhi in a princess carry and stepped across the pale yellow curtain, officially entering the Divine Couple¡¯s Hall trial ground.

 Chapter 86: The Jade and Stone Saints

    Chapter 86: The Jade and Stone Saints

    Deep in the great hall, two ethereal figures sat on the throne. Before them was a jade table with a scroll painting ced on it. The painting showed the scene outside the hall, and the two figures watched as Zhanyue and Baizhi entered the hall. Upon closer inspection, these two ethereal figures were identical to the two stone statues outside the hall.

    ¡°Jade Sister, how many years have we waited? Finally, someone hase,¡± the male figure said.

    ¡°Yes, since someone hase, it means our human race hasn¡¯t gone extinct,¡± the female figure replied with some excitement.

    ¡°Our true selves must have perished by now,¡± the man gazed upwards, as if he could see through the void, his eyes full of destion.

    ¡°Probably. You and I have been through a lifetime of hardships, finally bing a couple, and making a name for ourselves as the ¡®Jade and Stone Twin Saints¡¯. In the end, we were fortunate to participate in that great battle. Being able to contribute everything for the continuation of the human race makes life worthwhile. The only regret is that I never bore you a child in my lifetime,¡± the woman said with some regret in her voice.

    Hearing this, the manforted her tenderly, ¡°I¡¯ve said before, if we can safely pass through this cmity, all future human descendants will be our children. Why speak of regrets?¡±

    The woman nodded, her gaze towards Zhanyue and Baizhi in the painting bing more benevolent.

    ¡°It¡¯s a pity these two children¡¯s strength is quite ordinary. I wonder if they can pass the three trials you set up,¡± the woman said with some concern.

    ¡°We¡¯ve waited so long for these two toe. No one has ever entered before. I even doubted if humanity had gone extinct. Just for this, I can lower the difficulty a bit for them. But a trial is a trial, it can¡¯t be without a threshold. After all, it¡¯s our inheritance. How can we give it away easily?¡± the man smiled. ¡°Our inheritance, indeed. Our divine abilities and skills, I¡¯m afraid they won¡¯t know what they are even until they die,¡± the woman¡¯s face also showed a smile as she recalled past events.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. Back then there was even a Knowledge Ranking Board, gathering strange news and difficult problems from all over the world. The seventh-ranked question was about what our divine abilities actually were. Haha! I¡¯m afraid they didn¡¯t guess it even until the end of that great battle,¡± the man alsoughed heartily.

    Zhanyue and Baizhi were unaware of this conversation, nor did they know that their every move was being observed by these two.

    The first trial after entering the great hall soon arrived.

    Inside the spacious hall stood two mechanical puppets. These puppets were about the size and shape of humans, each holding a sword.

    ¡°This first trial is called the Double Puppet Formation. It tests theirbat synergy. These two puppets coordinate wlessly. They must coordinate better than the puppets and demonstrate stronger abilities to defeat them,¡± the male figure exined to the woman beside him.

    Inside the hall, Zhanyue held his breath and focused, looking at the two creaking puppets, knowing these were the enemies they needed to face.

    ¡°Wait here, I¡¯ll test their methods first,¡± Zhanyue said to Baizhi beside him.

    ¡°Be careful,¡± Baizhi nervously reminded him from the side. This was her first time participating in such a trial.

    ¡°Oh? The man probes, while the woman waits for an opportunity?¡± the man said, observing Zhanyue¡¯s behavior.

    ¡°Obviously, this little girl¡¯s realm is higher, and I can sense her extraordinary bloodline, though it seems not yet awakened,¡± the womanmented.

    ¡°Hmm, is this another story of an ordinary boy falling in love with a talented youngdy? Interesting, I must watch carefully,¡± the man smiled, thinking of his younger days when there was a vast difference in strength and status between himself and the beauty beside him.

    Zhanyue entered the formation alone, engaging with the two puppets. He was quite frustrated that his Phantom Light Step and Phantom Form Sword techniques weren¡¯t effective, as these wooden dummies didn¡¯t rely on eyes to lock onto enemies, but used other sensing methods. However, the current Zhanyue was far from ordinary.

    Kicking away one puppet, Zhanyue¡¯s hand condensed mes, and a terrifying me fist struck the other puppet. However, the puppet wasn¡¯t set on fire. It spun rapidly to dissipate most of the force, and the sword in its hand began to rotate as well.

    Zhanyue used his earth burrowing technique to dodge, reappearing behind the other puppet with a finger pointed at its body.

    ¡°Heaven-Burning Finger!¡± This ultimate skillbining two terrifying mes was used in actualbat for the first time. A terrifying me bullet shot from Zhanyue¡¯s fingertip, prating the puppet¡¯s body and leaving a peanut-sized hole.

    However, the puppet didn¡¯t stop moving. It turned and swung its sword, which Zhanyue again dodged by burrowing into the ground.

    ¡°Brother Stone, these puppets are made of me Fire Wood, aren¡¯t they? They¡¯re not afraid of fire, and the material is extraordinary. How did this boy easily pierce through it? He¡¯s not even using a weapon. And didn¡¯t you say these two puppets coordinate closely? Where¡¯s the coordination?¡± the woman asked the man beside her.

    ¡°I¡­ how should I know? This boy is ying dumb to catch us off guard. He actually possesses such a powerful attack method and has earth burrowing skills. The puppets¡¯ coordination techniques can¡¯t even be deployed. Wait, I¡¯ll increase the difficulty right away!¡± The man, having lost face, decided to give Zhanyue a tough time.

    The puppets attacked with swords from front and back, coordinating closely. Zhanyue frowned. Although his Heaven-Burning Finger could break through their defense, he didn¡¯t know where the puppets¡¯ weak points were and couldn¡¯t stop their actions. If they were humans or other animals, he would at least know where to attack.

    Once again trying to burrow into the ground to avoid the two puppets¡¯ attacks, Zhanyue found that an unknown formation in the hall had activated, and he could no longer burrow underground.

    ¡°Hmph!¡± The male figure smiled with satisfaction, having blocked Zhanyue¡¯s earth burrowing ability. Only now could the two puppets disy their true strength.

    Zhanyue used the Phantom Light Step, narrowly dodging the puppets¡¯ attacks with his agile movements.

    The aura of the two puppets suddenly increased,pletely unlike before. Their strength and speed were iparable to earlier.

    Zhanyue frowned, not wanting to engage in a prolonged battle. After losing the ability to burrow, he realized the puppets¡¯ joint techniques were very clever. It would be extremely difficult for him to fight both alone. Baizhi wasn¡¯t good atbat and could only help a little by relying on speed to maneuver. She probably didn¡¯t even have a way to break through their defense now.

    Using positioning to create distance, a silver armor covered Zhanyue¡¯s entire body. He felt a power he had never experienced before. The improvement in his realm allowed him to unleash more of the armor¡¯s power. Holding the ji halberd, he immediately engaged. The two puppets,parable to sixth-grade spirit beasts, were instantly torn to pieces by Zhanyue, unable to rise again. Any intricate coordination was meaningless in the face of such overwhelming force.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t¡­ isn¡¯t that Red Lotus boy¡¯s Moon-Reflecting Armor?¡± The male figure¡¯s face showed shock.

    ¡°Ji Honglian, as the vanguard team leader, fell first. His inheritance should have been arranged by his master. That old fellow isn¡¯t easy to deal with. How could this boy with such little strength possibly pass the trial set up by that old man?¡± The woman was equally puzzled.

    ¡°Ah! If I had known he had such ability, I should have increased the difficulty more. Now the puppets are destroyed, and he¡¯s passed the first trial just like that! Miscalction!¡± The man felt some regret.

    ¡°Why do you seem to hope for others to fail? The stronger they perform, the happier we should be. However, in this challenge for two people, that girl seems to have stood by from start to finish. We can¡¯t see their coordination and tacit understanding,¡± the woman said.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, there are still two more trials. Those can¡¯t be passed by brute force alone. Let¡¯s see if their hearts are in sync,¡± the man adjusted his mood. ¡°This little rascal is much more capable than I was back then. The girl obviously knows his strength and isfortable watching from the sidelines.¡±

    ¡°Stop talking nonsense, quickly start the second trial,¡± the woman had be more interested.

 Chapter 87: The Synchronous Jade Wall

    Chapter 87: The Synchronous Jade Wall

    After defeating the two mechanical puppets, a golden door opened in the great hall.

    Zhanyue and Baizhi exchanged nces, then walked through hand in hand. Behind the golden door was a long passage, with no traps or enemies within. At the end of the passage, they encountered a fork in the road.

    ¡°Let¡¯s check the left side first,¡± they entered the left path.

    A smooth jade wall stood before them, blocking their way. The wall was towering, stretching upwards with no visible end. Above, there was light, clearly marking the exit.

    ¡°Are we supposed to climb up this jade wall?¡± Zhanyue wondered.

    He ced his hand on the wall, feeling it was extremely smooth and couldn¡¯t provide any grip. It didn¡¯t seem climbable at all. Zhanyue frowned. Although at their level, falling from a great height wouldn¡¯t kill them, they still couldn¡¯t fly.

    ¡°Huh?¡± As Zhanyue was puzzled, protrusions suddenly appeared all over the jade wall, like handholds in a rock climbing game.

    ¡°Is this level just testing rock climbing?¡± Zhanyue was confused, thinking it couldn¡¯t be that simple. He ced his hand on a protrusion and indeed could grip it. However, before he could rejoice, the protrusion turned from solid to ethereal, and Zhanyue¡¯s hand passed through it.

    ¡°How¡­ how are we supposed to climb this?¡± Zhanyue was speechless. The protrusions could be used for leverage, but they would turn ethereal after just a breath. He couldn¡¯t possibly climb to the top using these protrusions in such a short time. ¡°Let me try,¡± Baizhi volunteered. She used her ¡®Charm Shadow¡¯ divine ability to rush upwards, but only made it a third of the way up the wall before sliding down.

    Baizhi exined, ¡°It¡¯s no use. At my speed, I can¡¯t reach any further handholds once I get that high. Climbing up is much harder than moving on the ground.¡±

    ¡°Ah,¡± Zhanyue sighed, ¡°Charm Shadow isn¡¯t omnipotent. It can only reach its maximum speed on the ground and isn¡¯t suitable for climbing. If only we could fly.¡±

    The man watching their awkward performance said proudly, ¡°Stumped, aren¡¯t you? Haha, I¡¯ve set up restrictions here. Even a pseudo-divine realm (Spirit God Realm) expert would have to honestly climb up.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s check the other side,¡± they went to the other path, only to find an identical jade wall. The protrusions on this wall behaved the same way, turning ethereal shortly after being touched, impossible to use for climbing.

    ¡°Since this is a two-person trial, and there are two identical jade walls, could it be¡­?¡± Zhanyue had an idea and said to Baizhi, ¡°I¡¯ve noticed the protrusions on both walls are in the same positions. Go to the other wall and try touching the protrusion in this position.¡±

    Baizhi nodded and went to the other wall.

    When she ced her hand on the protrusion, Zhanyue did the same on his side. When they touched the same position simultaneously, the protrusion didn¡¯t turn ethereal as before but remained solid, allowing them to use it for leverage.

    They met again, both understanding the secret of the two walls.

    ¡°That boy figured it out so quickly, he¡¯s indeed promising,¡± the woman observing from afar said.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be hasty. Knowing the wall¡¯s secret isn¡¯t enough. I want to see how they manage to be of one mind and in sync,¡± the man smiled. This second trial didn¡¯t require facing any enemies, but its difficulty far exceeded the first trial. There was no way to cheat or use brute force to win.

    Zhanyue had also figured it out, ¡°This trial tests the tacit understanding between Baizhi and me. We must climb up simultaneously, at the same speed, and choose the same protrusions each time. One wrong step and we¡¯ll fall back to the start. Separated so far apart, and without the ability for soulmunication (a Spirit God level technique), how can we achieve such synchronization?¡± Thinking of this, Zhanyue frowned.

    They immediately began to try, attempting to climb without any way tomunicate. However, the protrusions would turn ethereal if not touched simultaneously. Either Zhanyue was too fast, or Baizhi was. Moreover, with so many protrusions in front of them, should they choose left or right first? Inconsistent choices would also lead to failure. They couldn¡¯t see the distribution of protrusions above, and there seemed to be no discernible pattern.

    After dozens of attempts, all ended in failure.

    ¡°The difficulty of this trial is unbelievable. Unless Baizhi and I are truly of one mind, how can we have such tacit understanding? Even twins probably couldn¡¯t seed,¡± Zhanyue was frustrated. Even with his many skills, he had no way to use them here. They needed to be in sync and make the same choices at every step. How could they achieve this?

    Baizhi came over from the other side and, seeing Zhanyue¡¯s furrowed brow, said, ¡°I¡­ I have an idea. I don¡¯t know if it will work.¡±

    ¡°Oh? Let¡¯s hear it,¡± Zhanyue was curious about what idea this little girl might have.

    Baizhi said softly, ¡°I know of a fourth-grade pill called the Sleepless Pill. After taking it, one can stay alert even without sleep for ten to fifteen days. When refining it, the rhythm and choice of each ingredient are very strict. Although it¡¯s only a fourth-grade pill, few people can refine it because it¡¯s difficult and has limited use. The refining process is troublesome, with over ten ingredients added repeatedly in a specific rhythm. I was thinking, since we¡¯re both alchemists, if we both mastered its refining method, couldn¡¯t we use its rhythm for climbing and the yin-yang attributes of the ingredients for left-right choices? Wouldn¡¯t that achieve the same rhythm and choices?¡±

    Hearing this, Zhanyue¡¯s eyes widened. He pulled Baizhi into his arms and kissed her forehead firmly, ¡°Great idea! Let¡¯s do it that way. Do you have the ingredients for that pill?¡±

    Baizhi¡¯s face turned red with embarrassment. She nodded, ¡°Yes, I still have some. I¡¯ve already mastered it, it¡¯s up to you now.¡±

    ¡°Good, guide me through it,¡± Zhanyue, now a fourth-grade alchemist, could naturally learn the Sleepless Pill¡¯s refining method. He sat cross-legged and began refining the Sleepless Pill using the materials Baizhi provided.

    ¡°Huh, what are they doing? Why did they suddenly start refining pills? Judging by the grade of those materials, it¡¯s probably just a fourth-grade pill. Are there any fourth-grade pills that can make people¡¯s minds connect?¡± the woman asked, puzzled.

    The man shook his head. Neither of them understood alchemy, so they naturally couldn¡¯t guess Zhanyue and Baizhi¡¯s n. ¡°I bet they won¡¯t pass this trial in less than half a year. They¡¯re probably refining some satiety pill.¡±

    The Sleepless Pill was indeed one of the most troublesome fourth-grade pills to refine, requiring extremely strict mastery of rhythm and a rigid order for repeatedly adding each ingredient. Even with Baizhi¡¯s guidance, it took Zhanyue seven days to fully master the pill¡¯s refining method. Although Zhanyue sessfully refined the pill on the third day, sess didn¡¯t mean mastery, so he still took seven days.

    ¡°It seems the girl is guiding the boy in pill refining. Strange, what does pill refining have to do with climbing the jade wall?¡± The two senior experts couldn¡¯t figure it out after seven days of pondering.

    ¡°They¡¯re moving.¡±

    ¡°Look! Identical, identical rhythm. How can they be so synchronized!¡±

    The two eximed.

    ¡°Blood Sun Grass, yang nature, left.¡±

    ¡°River Otter Flower, yin nature, right.¡±

    ¡­

    Using the rhythm and ingredient order of refining the Sleepless Pill, they climbed with the same rhythm, choosing the same protrusions each time, all the way to the top of the jade wall.

    ¡°It¡¯s driving me crazy. How did they do it? I clearly left a cultivation method in the jade wall that would automatically appear after a thousand failures if they didn¡¯t give up. Once mastered, it would allow them to be of one mind. They clearly didn¡¯t discover it!¡± the man said in surprise.

    ¡°Your cultivation method probably requires reaching the third level to have such an effect, right? That would take quite a while. Yet they only took seven days,¡± the womanughed.

    ¡°Ah, they passed again, and in a way I didn¡¯t anticipate. How did they do it?¡± The man felt a bit embarrassed. ¡°Never mind, I don¡¯t believe they can do the same for the third trial!¡±

 Chapter 88: The Path of Companionship

    Chapter 88: The Path of Companionship

    Zhanyue used the power of the Moon-Reflecting Divine Armor to pass the first trial, while Baizhi used alchemy techniques to solve the second trial. Both were full of fighting spirit. After climbing the jade wall, the scene before them made their expressions tighten.

    They were no longer in a great hall, but in a void. Before them was only a long staircase stretching upwards. At the end was a huge golden door emitting golden light, illuminating this dark space.

    Was this third trial just these stairs? Zhanyue naturally thought.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Zhanyue held Baizhi¡¯s hand as they stepped onto the stairs. However, as soon as he set foot on the stairs, he felt a terrifying force pressing down on him. ¡°As expected, it¡¯s another trial testing endurance.¡±

    The higher Zhanyue climbed, the more painful it became, but Baizhi behind him seemedpletely at ease.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Baizhi seemed to notice Zhanyue¡¯s difort.

    ¡°Hm? Don¡¯t you feel that immense pressure?¡± Zhanyue turned back to look at Baizhi curiously.

    Baizhi shook her head, ¡°No, I don¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°How strange. Is this staircase targeting only me?¡± Zhanyue was puzzled. Baizhi let go of Zhanyue¡¯s hand and used her Charm Shadow technique to rush towards the top of the stairs. However, after passing Zhanyue by just a few steps, she was pressed t on the stairs.

    ¡°Are you alright?!¡± Zhanyue hurried over to help her up.

    ¡°Hm?¡± He keenly felt that these few steps he took didn¡¯t seem to be affected by that mysterious pressure.

    ¡°It¡¯s no use. The faster I go, the more terrifying the pressure bes. It almost instantly reaches a level I can¡¯t bear. It¡¯s impossible to rush up in one go,¡± Baizhi exined to Zhanyue.

    ¡°I see,¡± Zhanyue nodded. After some more experimentation, they finally summarized the rules:

    First, the person in front would bear enormous pressure while the person behind wouldn¡¯t.

    Second, if both were on the same step, they would both feel the pressure, and it wouldn¡¯t decrease.

    Third, the faster they climbed, the greater the mysterious pressure would be. It was impossible to pass quickly.

    Based on these three rules, Zhanyue understood what this trial was testing.

    ¡°I think this trial requires us to take turns leading. The person in front will bear great pressure. Once they can¡¯t bear it anymore, they switch to the back to rest. We repeat this until we reach that door,¡± Zhanyue said.

    The male ethereal figure watching their trial exined, ¡°Mydy, this third trial is called the Path of Companionship. No matter what abilities they have, they must honestly climb up step by step.¡±

    ¡°The Path of Companionship? I hope they can pass,¡± the woman beside him sighed, seemingly recalling the difficult life she had shared with her husband, supporting each other until they finally reached the peak, revered by millions.

    ¡°Baizhi, let me take over,¡± Zhanyue saw Baizhi¡¯s forehead covered in sweat, her legs shaking. He actively moved past her to the front. When he walked in front, the pressure on Baizhi instantly vanished, and she gasped for breath.

    They went from needing to switch every ten steps at the beginning to now needing to switch every three steps. Zhanyue¡¯s regression ability wasn¡¯t very effective; it couldn¡¯t regress the mental and spiritual fatigue brought by the pressure. The physical difort was secondary. Fortunately, Baizhi¡¯s soul power was inherently strong, and Zhanyue had the help of the Ghost Fruit. Their performance was already quite remarkable.

    Struggling to take another step up, Zhanyue felt as if his limbs and meridians were being torn apart, in excruciating pain. The effects of the spirit fruits and pills he had taken earlier werepletely refined, and he advanced from the third stage of Soul Control to the fourth. Taking advantage of this breakthrough, he climbed up a few more steps.

    ¡°The pressure from these stairs actually made me break through. How mysterious,¡± Zhanyue panted heavily.

    ¡°You rest for a bit. Let me take over,¡± Baizhi, having rested, moved past Zhanyue to the front, bearing the immense pressure as she climbed upwards. The pressure on Zhanyue instantly disappeared, and he took this opportunity to take some pills, quickly recovering. He knew Baizhi couldn¡¯t hold on for too long.

    However, Baizhi¡¯s willpower exceeded his expectations. She managed to climb five steps in one go.

    ¡°Brother Zhan¡­ five steps, I climbed five steps,¡± Baizhi turned back, showing a five with her hand and smiling slightly. This Path of Companionship was impossible to pass with just Zhanyue alone; she had to exert all her effort too.

    ¡°Don¡¯t, don¡¯t push yourself too hard. Let¡¯s take it slowly,¡± Zhanyue hurriedly moved past her, taking on that terrifying pressure to let her rest for a moment.

    Finally, as they climbed higher and higher, the pressure became greater and greater. In the end, they had to switch after every single step. Yet they were still some distance from the door at the top of the stairs.

    ¡°No choice!¡± Zhanyue put the Sun Divine Stone into the Moon-Reflecting Armor and continued upwards wearing the divine armor. However, the Moon-Reflecting Armor, which had never disappointed him before, wasn¡¯t much help this time. The divine armor could resist that terrifying pressure, but only a little bit. Relying on the Moon-Reflecting Armor, Zhanyue climbed five more steps but then ran out of strength. Now he felt the armor was unbearably heavy, seeming to have be a burden, so he put it away.

    Baizhi looked at that figure, gritted her teeth, and caught up, taking on the pressure for Zhanyue. However, this time she couldn¡¯t even stand, directly being pressed down to one knee.

    Zhanyue painfully helped her up and took another step forward, letting the pressure fall on himself. The immense pressure nearly made him stumble and kneel. Both of them were now covered in sweat, faces pale, almost at their limits.

    ¡°We can¡¯t fail at thest hurdle!¡± Zhanyue took out the sixth-grade Profound Breaking Pill that Baizhi had refined earlier and put it into his Earth Mother Golden Cauldron. The cauldron visibly shrank.

    A terrifying power exploded inside the cauldron. Using the propulsive force from this explosion, Zhanyue¡¯s body leaped over seven or eight steps. The terrifying power directly pressed him down on the stairs, unable to even stand up!

    ¡°Brother Zhan!¡± Baizhi followed up, moving past Zhanyue to bear the pressure for him, but was instantly pressed down on the stairs as well.

    Zhanyue felt his limbs had lost all feeling. Even State Reversal had no effect, because there wasn¡¯t actually a single wound on his body.

    ¡°Let me!¡± Zhanyue painfully crawled past Baizhi¡¯s position, taking the pressure back on himself.

    The two finally went from climbing standing up to crawling upwards, alternating back and forth.

    However, with the door now in sight, the two found themselves on the same step, simultaneously bearing the pressure, both pressed to the ground, unable to move an inch.

    Zhanyue looked at the door before him unwillingly, trying to struggle forward. Just a few more steps, just a few more steps. But willpower still couldn¡¯t support his body; he could barely move a finger. Baizhi beside him was in an even worse state. Having been pampered since childhood, how could she have ever experienced such hardship? Her entire body was like mud.

    ¡°Brother Zhan¡­ we¡­¡± Baizhi couldn¡¯t finish her sentence.

    The two ethereal figures watching this scene were deeply moved. They were so close, but unfortunately, they had both reached their limits.

    ¡°How can we give up like this!¡± Zhanyue once again summoned the Moon-Reflecting Armor, embedding a top-grade spirit stone. He fully activated the armor, instantly shattering the intact spirit stone, all its power injected into the armor, allowing Zhanyue to crawl up three more steps.

    Zhanyue didn¡¯t feel sorry for the spirit stone at this moment, only regret. He knew he had truly reached his limit this time. Even consuming another spirit stone wouldn¡¯t support him to continue climbing. That terrifying pressure was like the Five Elements Mountain pressing down on him.

    Baizhi followed up but could no longer pass Zhanyue. When on the same step as him, the pressure seemed about to crush her bones.

    ¡°Silly girl, why did you climb up? You wouldn¡¯t feel pressure behind me. When we¡¯re on the same step, you feel the same pressure as me,¡± Zhanyue didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry. He had exerted all his effort just to let Baizhi stay behind, to make it easier for her, but Baizhi had crawled up again.

    ¡°I know, I just didn¡¯t want you to bear it alone at the front,¡± Baizhi said somewhat aggrievedly.

    ¡°Ah, what should we do now?¡± Zhanyue was out of ideas. He had exhausted all his methods.

    ¡°Every time, I¡¯m hiding behind you,¡± Baizhi looked at Zhanyue¡¯s dejected expression, feeling equally unwilling. Throughout this climb, Zhanyue had climbed far more steps than her. She was the one holding him back.

    For the first time in her life, Baizhi desperately craved power. She hoped that at least this once, just this once, she wouldn¡¯t be the one holding them back.

    The young woman gritted her teeth, using all her strength. An unprecedented determination appeared on her face.

    ¡°One step, two steps¡­¡± After crawling up two steps, Baizhi was finally pressed immobile by the stronger pressure.

    Zhanyue¡¯s face was filled with shock. He couldn¡¯t imagine how Baizhi had managed this; he had consumed a top-grade spirit stone just to climb a few more steps. At this moment, his heart was filled with a mixture of bitterness and emotion.

    ¡°It¡¯s not enough¡­ This time, just leave it to me,¡± Baizhi knew two steps couldn¡¯t solve anything. She had to reach the end in one go.

    ¡°Ah¡­¡± The female ethereal figure watching sighed softly, ¡°This girl¡¯s temperament is simr to mine. Brother Stone, should we lower the difficulty of the trial a bit more?¡± She felt pity.

    The man shook his head, ¡°How can our sessors be ordinary people? Without surpassing their limits, it¡¯s impossible to pass this trial. Even if they performed well before, failure is failure. I¡¯ve already lowered the standard considerably; otherwise, with their strength, they couldn¡¯t havee this far. It can¡¯t be lowered anymore.¡±

    The woman didn¡¯t say more. On such a major decision, she chose to trust the man¡¯s judgment. After all, this wasn¡¯t an ordinary trial, but their most important inheritance. How could it be easily taken away?

    Baizhi felt pain all over her body, every organ seeming not to belong to her, even her spirit somewhat dazed. However, her resolve to climb upwards didn¡¯t weaken at all.

    ¡°Ah¡­¡± In the depths of Baizhi¡¯s soul, a helpless sigh sounded. Then, a phantom image of a vermilion bird appeared behind Baizhi. The hidden power of the Vermilion Bird bloodline emerged again.

    Baizhi felt as if she had been reborn, her body filled with endless power. Under Zhanyue¡¯s shocked gaze, she stood up, passed thest few steps, and stood before the door.

    Zhanyue felt as if he was dreaming, but he sensed that Baizhi¡¯s gaze now seemed somewhat unfamiliar and cold.

 Chapter 89

    Chapter 89

    ¡°You¡­ who are you?¡± Zhanyue was not overly excited after reaching the end, but rather extremely nervous as he looked at Baizhi. Baizhi¡¯s final performance was simply too shocking ¨C where did that terrifying powere from?

    The woman snorted coldly, ¡°You¡¯re asking who I am?¡±

    ¡°Are¡­ are you still Baizhi?¡± Zhanyue asked uncertainly.

    The woman looked at Zhanyue with aplex expression. ¡°I cultivated the ¡®Three Lives Reincarnation Art¡¯. I am the first life, Baizhi is the third life. As for the memories of the second life, they have not yet awakened. How you view it is up to you. As for whether I am Baizhi, I don¡¯t know either. But in the end, we will possess the same memories and the same loves and hates. Even with split personalities or a second persona, there wouldn¡¯t be such harmonious unity, because we are fundamentally the same person, just with different experiences and memories. The merging of memories should have taken a long time, but ¡®I¡¯ forced myself to wake up early, and all of this was for you. I don¡¯t know if the ¡®Three Lives Reincarnation Art¡¯ will cause any problems. Forget it, after all, this was my own choice.¡±

    ¡°By the way, my Heavenly King Bronze Furnace requires the ultimate power of thunder to unseal it. You figure it out, hmph.¡± The woman snorted coldly onest time, and then her eyes became hazy. Baizhi looked dazed for a moment, seeing Zhanyue¡¯s worried expression, and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did we pass the trial?¡±

    Zhanyue nodded. This girl¡¯s obsession was too deep. She had forcefully awakened the memories and power of her previous lives to help him pass the trial. Zhanyue had long sensed that Baizhi was not simple. Now it seemed she was indeed the reincarnation of some great being, but what were that great being¡¯s intentions?

    ¡°We will eventually possess the same memories and the same loves and hates? Does that mean, if Baizhi likes me, then she also likes me?¡± Zhanyue thought with some trepidation. He didn¡¯t want Baizhi to suddenly be a different person. However, this great being was indeed quite tsundere, very simr to the previous Baizhi.

    Putting aside these thoughts, Zhanyue looked at therge door in front of them, not knowing if there were any other trials beyond it. However, no matter how hard Zhanyue tried, he couldn¡¯t push the door open.

    ¡°Idiots, each of you put one hand on either side of this door and push together,¡± a divine sense transmission arrived again. The two illusory figures observing the trial no longer hid behind them. Although they couldn¡¯t hear Zhanyue and Baizhi¡¯s conversation, they could guess that in the end, Baizhi had awakened the power in her bloodline and passed the trial in one go.

    Zhanyue and Baizhi looked at each other, then each ced a hand on the door and pushed together. The door that couldn¡¯t be opened no matter what before now opened easily.

    After the door opened, the two were surprised to find that a mysterious golden mark simultaneously appeared on Zhanyue¡¯s right hand and Baizhi¡¯s left hand. The mark was like the character ¡°ÓÖ¡±, emitting a strange light. When the two marks were branded on their palms, the two illusory figures became even more blurry, as if they would dissipate at any moment. The inheritance wasplete and they didn¡¯t have much power left.

    After entering the hall behind the door, the two blurry figures sat above, too indistinct to make out their features, only able to distinguish the outlines of a man and a woman.

    ¡°Greetings, Seniors,¡± Zhanyue said politely. This kind of scene wasn¡¯t the first time he had seen it. In the previous Scarlet Lotus Trial, there was also the remnant image of that old man.

    ¡°Good, good, good. Sure enough, heroes emerge from the young. You¡¯ve both done well. It¡¯s just a pity we don¡¯t have much time left, otherwise we¡¯d definitely have a good chat with you,¡± the man¡¯s voice rang out. ¡°If you have anything to ask, hurry up and ask.¡±

    ¡°Is this the inheritance?¡± Zhanyue extended his hand, pointing to the mark on his palm.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. Those two marks are our inherited Space Divine Art ¨C Heavenly Hand Link. You will gradually uncover its marvelous uses. Make good use of it,¡± the woman exined, but did not borate on the art¡¯s functions. This divine art of theirs was a secret that had perplexed countless generations.

    ¡°Seniors, what exactly is this secret realm?¡± Zhanyue asked again.

    ¡°This ce is called the ¡®Human Heritage Realm¡¯. It was jointly created by the nine Divine Emperors of the Human Race¡¯s Void Heaven. It is the inheritance ground of the Human Race. Many great beings have left inheritances here, including us, in order to continue the Human Race¡¯s civilization and leave behind power for the Human Race¡¯ster generations to resist the Crimson Tide,¡± the man exined.

    ¡°Crimson Tide? What is that?¡± Zhanyue asked curiously.

    ¡°It can¡¯t be exined in a single sentence. Just know they are enemies from beyond the heavens and will visit periodically,¡± the man said. His words contained anotheryer of meaning ¨C the Crimson Tide woulde again in the future.

    Zhanyue furrowed his brows slightly. Was the Crimson Tide referring to the Nightmares? It seemed not quite the same.

    ¡°Senior, do you know of the Ghost Shark n? They are currently upying the Human Heritage Realm and have divided it into the Azure Sky and Blue Sky secret realms, restricting the Human Race¡¯s ess,¡± Zhanyue said.

    ¡°Ghost Shark n? That n of cowards? With their bit of strength, they dare to upy the Human Heritage Realm? It seems the strength of the Human Race is but a shadow of its former self,¡± the man¡¯s tone was a bit mncholic, but s, there was nothing he could do. ¡°This Human Heritage Realm is the Human Race¡¯s hidden treasure. I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll have to seize it back yourselves.¡±

    ¡°Actually, besides the Human Race, the other races have also left inheritance grounds to a greater or lesser extent. The Crimson Tide is a cmity targeting the entire Myriad Spirit World, not just the Human Race,¡± the man said, his figure bing increasingly blurry.

    ¡°Stone, we don¡¯t have much time left. Say the key points,¡± the woman reminded.

    ¡°Mm. Lad, make good use of the power we¡¯ve left behind. You just need to find the inheritances of the Nine Emperors of the Void Heaven. Find any of the nine keys and you can freely enter and exit the Human Heritage Realm from anywhere. Their inheritances are scattered throughout the Myriad Spirit World. That¡¯s all I know,¡± the man said.

    ¡°Thank you Senior, I¡¯ll remember that,¡± Zhanyue¡¯s expression brightened. He had been racking his brains over this issue. However, the Human Race hadn¡¯t heard any information about the Nine Emperors of the Void Heaven for so many years. In this era of cultural decline, the difficulty of finding their inheritances was imaginable.

    ¡°Alright, you¡¯ve asked us so much. Before we disappear, we have a question we want to ask you,¡± the two seniors were both very curious. ¡°How did you pass the second trial? I clearly saw you refining pills the whole time.¡±

    Baizhi revealed a hint of proud delight and exined the principle of using the Alchemy Daoist to pass the trial.

    The two suddenly understood and clicked their tongues in amazement, seeming to have no more regrets.

    ¡°Lad, remember our title ¡®Jade and Stone Sages¡¯. Your existence is proof that we once came. You must live on,¡± not long after, the two illusory figures intertwined and finally dissipated into nothingness. The inheritance had been passed on, they no longer had the power to maintain their own existence.

    ¡°Thank you Seniors, I will remember,¡± Zhanyue nodded.

    ¡°Big Brother Zhan? They¡¯re gone?¡± Baizhi looked at the dispersing figures and asked.

    ¡°Not gone, they were people from the previous civilization era. In all likelihood, they are no longer around. That¡¯s why they said our existence is proof they once came,¡± Zhanyue said with some emotion. The previous civilization era was an era that even the illumination Goddess knew little about. But Zhanyue knew it must have been an era full of geniuses, where the Human Race prospered and flourished. It was a pity it had alreadye to an end.

    ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about that. Let¡¯s see what divine art they left us,¡± Zhanyue said with great curiosity. He used his mind to sense the mark on his palm.

    He then took out a demon pellet. With a thought, the demon pellet disappeared, entering a mysterious space.

    ¡°Hm? A space storage divine art?¡± Zhanyue was surprised. In that case, he wouldn¡¯t need any storage rings in the future. This mysterious space divine art could store any non-living object, including all storage tools.

    Baizhi revealed a strange expression, then stretched out her hand. With a sh of divine light, that demon pellet appeared in her hand.

    ¡°Eh? The Heavenly Hand Link is a shared space?¡± Zhanyue was stunned, suddenly realizing how terrifying this divine art was. The two shared a storage space and could each store and take out items, ignoring distance limitations.

    ¡°Um¡­ Girl, why don¡¯t we go open a courier service?¡± Zhanyue joked. Zhanyue was in the Eastern Kingdom and Baizhi was in the Thousand Charms Empire. If someone wanted to send something from the Eastern Kingdom to the Thousand Charms Empire, they just needed to hand it to Zhanyue. Zhanyue could directly put it into the space and Baizhi could take it out in the Thousand Charms Empire. What could be more convenient?

    ¡°What courier service?¡± Baizhi was a bit exasperated, but she thought of something. ¡°Big Brother Zhan, then in the future, no matter what pills I refine, no matter where I am, I can directly give them to you.¡±

    Zhanyue pped his thigh. ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± From now on, Baizhi would be his pill repository. He also thought that if they put Sound Transmission Jades or letters inside, the other person would immediately notice. No matter how far apart they were, they couldmunicate without hindrance. This Heavenly Hand Link divine art was truly an extremely powerful two-person divine art. At this moment, Zhanyue felt all his previous efforts had been worth it. Moreover, Zhanyue felt this divine art likely still had room for improvement. After all, this was the Sages¡¯ most prized divine ability.

    Thinking of this, Zhanyue also put his two storage rings inside. Suddenly thinking of something, he immediately took out the one the Holy Maiden gave him. Some things shouldn¡¯t see the light of day. Baizhi sensed his actions but didn¡¯t give it much thought.

    ¡°Girl, you go out first. I¡¯ll use my Earth Traversal skills to get some more good stuff,¡± Zhanyue said.

    Baizhi didn¡¯t object and directly used a Transmission Jade Talisman to teleport to Ghost Ind. In the following days, she could sense Zhanyue constantly throwing things into their ¡°couple¡¯s space¡± ¨C demon pellets, spirit fruits, and even various scrap metal and broken weapons. (Wow, a God¡¯s Space. Can it fit people in the future?)

 Chapter 90: Leaving the Island

    Chapter 90: Leaving the Ind

    Inside the Azure Sky Secret Realm, a ck venomous snake with three heads was battling Zhanyue. Each head could spray different venoms. Zhanyue, d in battle armor, did not fear this sixth-level demon beast. Behind the demon beast was a giant fruit tree it was guarding, with a golden fruit the size of an ostrich egg. The light-transmitting mirror didn¡¯t even have a record of it, its value unknown.

    ¡°I can¡¯t beat seventh-level demon beasts yet, but as for you, die for me!¡± Dodging all the venom by going underground, Zhanyue arrived behind the venomous snake. He hurled his square sky halberd, firmly nailing the ck snake to the ground.

    Then Zhanyue gathered power at his fingertips, continuously firing Scorching Heaven Fingers. One after another, charred holes appeared on the ck snake¡¯s three heads. Apanied by the eruption of terrifying mes, soon the three heads ceased struggling.

    ¡°Although I can kill sixth-level demon beasts now, forget about getting revenge on that Jade Tribtion Beast. After all, that thing has divine beast bloodline, it¡¯s not an ordinary seventh-level demon beast.¡± Zhanyue directly stored the sixth-level demon beast corpse into his personal space. This space was iparably vast, who knew how much it could hold. The Heavenly Hand Link left by the Jade and Stone Twin Sages was truly a top-grade space divine art.

    ¡°Time to go back.¡± Zhanyue sighed with regret. There wasn¡¯t much time left.

    Taking stock of his wealth, he still had six top-grade spirit stones left. These days he had hunted two sixth-level demon beasts. He now had 3 sixth-level demon pellets, 9 fifth-level demon pellets, over 20 fourth-level demon pellets, and a chunk of Divine Steel the size of a fist, as well as some finger-sized fragments. These were things Zhanyue nned to exchange for points. The scrap metal collected from everywhere, who knew what materials they were, could also be exchanged. Besides this, he still had nearly a hundred spirit fruits and a hundred spirit nts, more than half of which were sent by Fire Lynx. Of course there was also that golden fruit he just harvested. Just smelling it once seemed to advance his cultivation.

    ¡°This trip has been quite a harvest. This Human Heritage Realm is truly full of treasures. These are all things left by the Human Race ancestors of the previous Primal Era for us. Sooner orter we will take them back.¡± Zhanyue thought indignantly. After going out, he had to inquire properly about the so-called inheritances of the Nine Emperors of the Void Heaven. Activating the Transmission Jade Talisman, Zhanyue¡¯s figure quickly appeared on Ghost Ind.

    ¡°You¡¯re finally back. What have you been throwing into the space day after day, it¡¯s filthy.¡± Baizhiined. That three-headed snake corpse was still floating in her space, disgusting to look at.

    ¡°Sorry, didn¡¯t have time to deal with it. Oh? You entered the Profound Realm?¡± Zhanyue looked at Baizhi in surprise, her temperamentpletely different. Baizhi nodded. ¡°Mm, after returning to Ghost Ind there was no need to keep suppressing my cultivation. After taking some pills I entered the Profound Realm.¡±

    Zhanyue clicked his tongue. Others entered the Profound Realm like facing tribtion, Baizhi entered the Profound Realm like drinking water. Before in the Azure Sky Secret Realm she still had to forcibly suppress her cultivation. Comparisons truly are odious.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, it¡¯s time to leave after exchanging points and rewards.¡± Zhanyue said.

    Baizhi was stunned, somewhat reluctant. Staying here alone with Zhanyue only made her happy, but once they left all sorts of trivial matters would entangle them. The Bai Family¡¯s issues needed to be resolved.

    ¡°It¡¯ll be fine, trust me, I¡¯ll help you find a solution.¡± Zhanyue saw through Baizhi¡¯s thoughts and said while stroking her small hand, then pulled her to the point exchange area. The two wore ck robes to conceal their auras.

    The Ghost Shark nsman in charge of exchanging points looked at the two and let out an exmation of surprise. He still remembered these two inseparable people in ck robes. One was at the ninth level of Soul Control Realm while the other was at the sixth level of Spirit Communication Realm. Now about a yearter, one was at the first level of Star Profound Realm while the other had reached the fifth level of the Soul Control Realm. They had both progressed at lightning speed, likely having some fortuitous encounter in the secret realm. The Ghost Shark nsman¡¯s greedy gaze was unconcealed, just regretful that they couldn¡¯t enter the secret realm. The Ghost Shark n also knew these people would eat those spirit fruits inside the secret realm, but they didn¡¯t need to stop them. Always have to leave some benefits for others so they would work diligently.

    ¡°You two, looks like you obtained quite a haul inside the secret realm.¡± The Ghost Shark nsman said with a smile.

    At this moment, Baizhi stepped forward to trade with them. After all, on the surface Baizhi was in the Star Profound Realm, upying the dominant position.

    ¡°Not bad, just had good luck.¡± Baizhi first took out some spirit fruits and nts, exchanging them for several ten thousands points, including the few things obtained earliest.

    ¡°Good, good, what else?¡± The Ghost Shark nsman said happily.

    ¡°These fourth-level demon pellets.¡± Baizhi took out nine fourth-level demon pellets and exchanged them for some points. This way it was reasonable.

    ¡°So many demon pellets from fourth-level demon beasts, your strength is truly not bad!¡± The Ghost Shark nsman eximed in admiration. You should know, fourth-level demon beasts had strength close to entering the Profound Realm. Fifth-level was equivalent to the Star Profound Realm, sixth-level the Moon Profound Realm, seventh-level the Sun Profound Realm, and eighth-level and above was equivalent to the Spirit God Realm.

    ¡°There¡¯s also these.¡± Then Baizhi handed over the broken weapons and armor she picked up, making the Ghost Shark¡¯s eyes go straight!

    ¡°How did you get these things?¡± The Ghost Shark said, incredibly shocked.

    ¡°Don¡¯t get excited yet, there¡¯s also these.¡± Following that, Baizhi handed over some small chunks of Divine Steel.

    ¡°This is¡­ Di¡­ Divine Steel?¡± How could that Ghost Shark have seen this before, he was so happy he nearly fainted.

    ¡°My friend here possesses an Earth Traversal technique. Relying on it, he can go to ces ordinary people can¡¯t reach. No need to ask more.¡± Baizhi said mysteriously.

    ¡°Alright, alright, alright, I know the rules.¡± The Ghost Shark nsman epted all the items and modified the point record on Baizhi¡¯s token. It was nearly two million points!

    That Ghost Shark nsman looked at the two with a somewhatplex gaze. He really wanted to know what the two experienced inside the secret realm.

    Afterwards, Zhanyue and Baizhi also handed over their fragrant pouches to ensure they weren¡¯t hiding anything private.

    Without much dy, the two went to the trading area and exchanged all their points. The ¡¶Thousand Hands Fire God¡· Alchemy Technique was given to Baizhi by Zhanyue. It was a special ss orb. The moment Baizhi got it, she absorbed the memories inside. Zhanyue satisfactorily obtained the research materials on the ancientnguages of various races. As for the remaining points, the two exchanged them all for ingredients for fifth-level pills which they urgently needed.

    Under the dazed eyes of the Ghost Shark nsmen, the two returned their identity tokens and light-transmitting mirrors. After inspection, that mysterious Ghost Boat Master appeared again, but this time to send them off the ind.

    On Ghost Ind, the Ghost Shark nsmen gathered together, looking at the Divine Steel in front of them, all falling into deep thought.

    ¡°What do you think? Should we make a move on them? Although this goes somewhat against the Patriarch¡¯s decision, better to kill by mistake than let them go. Those two definitely have big secrets.¡± Someone suggested. They were still worried the two were hiding things from them.

    ¡°You dare disobey the Patriarch¡¯s words? Just some treasures worth two million points and you can¡¯t stand it? Feel like you got the short end of the stick? Really spineless.¡± A Ghost Shark nsman took the lead in withdrawing, no longer participating in the meeting. However, a hint of cunning shed in his eyes.

    ¡°With the Ghost Shark n¡¯s identity, naturally it¡¯s not good to act openly. After all, the Patriarch won¡¯t let us be active in the outside world. But I have nted some hidden agents among the Human Race. It¡¯s time for these hidden agents toe in handy. Capture one alive, I want to see what secrets they have.¡± This Ghost Shark nsman revealed a spine-chilling smile.

 Chapter 91: Open Scheme

    Chapter 91: Open Scheme

    The Ghost Boat Master remained silent as the small boat slowly drifted away from Ghost Ind. Soon, the eerie fog dissipated, and ck Whale Ind appeared before the two again after a year, still that rarely visited small ind, unchanged.

    After disembarking, looking at the gradually receding boat and Ghost Boat Master, the two sighed with emotion, not knowing when they would be able to enter Ghost Ind again. However, the Human Heritage Realm was the shared wealth of the Human Race. Zhanyue felt this matter wasn¡¯t just his alone.

    ¡°Sister, where are you?¡± Zhanyue asked hurriedly. After leaving Ghost Ind, his connection with the illumination Goddess finally resumed.

    ¡°I¡¯m rushing to the Alchemy Capital of the Thousand Charms Empire. You¡¯re out?¡± The familiar voice rang in Zhanyue¡¯s mind again, only then allowing him to feel at ease. The illumination Goddess was his biggest backer in this world.

    ¡°I¡¯m out. Many things happened this year, I need to have a good talk with you.¡± Zhanyue sighed as if meeting an old friend he hadn¡¯t seen in a long time.

    ¡°Okay.¡± The illumination Goddess didn¡¯t say more. She could feel Zhanyue¡¯s changes, it was a kind of sublimation. This kid was much stronger than a year ago. ¡°I traveled the world this year, living freely. I¡¯ll wait for you in the Alchemy Capital. It¡¯s been a long time since we met.¡±

    A hint of a smile appeared at the corner of Zhanyue¡¯s mouth. The illumination Goddess had finally finished her investigation of the current state of the world and nned to return to his side. From now on, he had a big thigh to hug, and an super thick one at that.

    ¡°What are you smiling about so sneakily?¡± Baizhi beside him asked, seeing Zhanyue¡¯s sudden smile.

    ¡°Nothing, just happy.¡± Zhanyue said. Baizhi looked at Zhanyue, her eyesplex. After leaving Ghost Ind, her problem could no longer be dyed. She also didn¡¯t exchange for the pill form, although the pill form couldn¡¯t solve her problem.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯re my person, you can¡¯t run even if you want to.¡± Zhanyueforted.

    Baizhi¡¯s pretty face reddened slightly, her eyes full of resentment. Although she was still wearing a veil, Zhanyue could feel her shyness. ¡°What do you mean¡­ I¡¯m your person, I haven¡¯t agreed to anything.¡±

    As the two flirted, they suddenly felt two auras appear not far away.

    Baizhi¡¯s expression changed. ¡°It¡¯s Bai Wu and Bai Liu, they sensed my aura.¡±

    Sure enough, not long after, two people in identical attire, wearing blue tight-fitting clothes, with short hair, sharp eyes, and an overbearing air, appeared before the two. They were Bai Wu and Bai Liu, the Bai Family¡¯s two trusted subordinates tracking Baizhi. The two had calcted the timing and waited early on ck Whale Ind.

    Bai Wu was at the fourth level of the Star Profound Realm while Bai Liu was at the third level. At this moment, the two could no longer pose any threat to Zhanyue. Zhanyue just looked at them coldly.

    ¡°Y-Young Miss, you entered the Profound Realm?¡± The two were startled upon sensing Baizhi¡¯s aura. Baizhi was just in her early twenties, yet she had already entered the Profound Realm. The two of them were in theirte thirties when they entered the Profound Realm, already considered to have outstanding talent. Only then were they selected by the Bai Family Patriarch to join the guard squad and be the Bai Family¡¯s trusted aides.

    ¡°That¡¯s right, so what? You still want to catch me and take me back?¡± At this moment, Baizhi no longer feared the two. Using her Charm Phantom Divine Art, she could easily run away. She was now a Profound practitioner and no longer someone who didn¡¯t know any martial arts. That poisoned dagger would also not be something the two could endure.

    The two exchanged nces. They didn¡¯t expect Baizhi to be so bold. Then Bai Wu said with a wry smile, ¡°Young Miss, if you don¡¯te back with us, I¡¯m afraid our lives won¡¯t be secure. Also¡­ we won¡¯t forcibly catch you, but there is one thing we must inform you of.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡± Baizhi asked. She and Zhanyue suddenly had a bad premonition.

    ¡°Old Madam¡­ Old Madam is afraid she won¡¯tst much longer. She misses you dearly.¡± Bai Wu said.

    At this moment, Zhanyue could clearly feel Baizhi¡¯s body tremble and then shake violently. He quickly gripped Baizhi¡¯s small hand andforted, ¡°What they said may not be true.¡± Zhanyue felt a bit helpless. He knew the Old Madam they mentioned was Baizhi¡¯s grandmother, currently her only direct rtive and the only one in the Bai Manor on her side. To think the Bai Family would use such an open scheme. Regardless of whether what the two said was true or false, Baizhi would have no choice but to return.

    Bai Wu and Bai Liu¡¯s pupils fiercely contracted upon seeing the hands held together. What they feared most had still happened. But at the moment, they didn¡¯t dare make a scene.

    ¡°I¡­ I¡¯ll go back with you.¡± Baizhi thought a lot but ultimately decided to return. Her grandmother¡¯s health had always been poor. What the two said might not be false. She at least had to go see her grandmother onest time. She looked at Zhanyue apologetically and said, ¡°Sorry, originally I wanted to slowly figure out a solution with you. But don¡¯t worry, no matter what, I won¡¯t marry that Golden Pill Elder. Baizhi will always belong only to you.¡±

    Baizhi tore off her veil, revealing her exquisite features. Tears welled up in her eyes but she held them back from falling. She directly embraced Zhanyue and kissed him. This kisssted a long time, making Bai Wu and Bai Liu¡¯s scalps go numb. They secretly thought that the Golden Pill Elder was already being cuckolded.

    A long whileter, Zhanyue felt those parting lips and dissipating warmth, his heart and soul shaken. He didn¡¯t know when Baizhi¡¯s feelings for him had taken such deep root, and how could he not like this pure and beautiful girl.

    Zhanyue looked at Baizhi andforted, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, go back. It¡¯s good to go see your grandmother too. I¡¯m afraid you¡¯d regret it for life otherwise. Rest assured, I¡¯m far more capable than you think. Leave your problem to me to solve.¡±

    Then, Zhanyue turned to look at the two from the Bai Family and said coldly, ¡°Baizhi will go back with you. You should have seen what happened with us. Help me pass a message to the Bai Family Patriarch. Baizhi¡¯s lifelong matters are for her to decide. If she suffers any grievances after returning, I will certainlye knocking to demand an exnation! The consequences are probably not something the Bai Family can bear.¡±

    Bai Wu and Bai Liu already had opinions about Zhanyue. Hearing these words, how could they not be angered?

    ¡°Where did this wild brate from, he¡¯s really boasting! A chap who hasn¡¯t even entered the Profound Realm dares to threaten my Bai Family?¡± Bai Wu and Bai Liu found itughable. A kid at the fifth level of Controlling Spirits used some method to deceive the Young Miss¡¯s affections and even dared to boastfully threaten the Bai Family. The Bai Family Patriarch was a seventh-level Alchemist and a Spirit God Realm powerhouse. That Golden Pill Elder was also a seventh-level Alchemist and a Spirit God Realm powerhouse. This was truly an ant trying to shake a tree, utterly foolish.

    Just as the two were looking on disdainfully, Zhanyue¡¯s figure disappeared and then appeared behind the two.

    ¡°Be careful!¡± The two sensed a spine-chilling feeling from behind and were about to circte their Profound power.

    ¡°Roar!¡± However, a terrifying roar suddenly rang out. The two felt their souls freeze and nearly fainted. It was the ¡®Soul-Suppressing Roar¡¯ divine art Zhanyue obtained from the Soul Bone.

    Zhanyue¡¯s index fingers on his left and right hands pressed against Bai Wu and Bai Liu¡¯s rear shoulders. Scorching Heaven Finger was immediately activated, piercing through the two Profound practitioners¡¯ bodies like two lines of mingsers. Then Zhanyue used the Earth Traversal Technique again to return to Baizhi¡¯s side.

    ¡°You two, if the two attacks just now were aimed at your heads, you would be two corpses now!¡± Zhanyue said with a coldugh.

    Bai Wu and Bai Liu¡¯s expressions were extremelyplex. They could feel the intense pain from their shoulders. Although Zhanyueunched a sneak attack and took advantage of them being off-guard, it was an utter humiliation for the two Profound practitioners to be sessfully ambushed by someone who hadn¡¯t entered the Profound Realm. What was that figure shifting technique? The Earth Traversal Art? And what was that roar that attacked their souls and made them dizzy? What was that attack that could easily pierce their bodies? These were all formidable techniques they had never seen before.

    The two no longer dared underestimate Zhanyue. They weren¡¯t brainless people. For a young man to have such abilities, either he had great fortune or a great background. If it was the former, that was still fine. If it was thetter, then it would be troublesome. Offending him without knowing his identity was not a good thing.

    ¡°We¡¯ve experienced Young Master¡¯s techniques. We¡¯ve also taken note of the words Young Master entrusted us to pass on. May we know how to address Young Master so we can report to the Patriarch.¡± Bai Wu looked at Zhanyue with aplex expression. After taking a healing pill, hisplexion improved a lot. Although they might not lose in a head-on battle, it was as Zhanyue said. If Zhanyue¡¯s goal in ambushing them just now wasn¡¯t to show off, but to kill them, then they might already be dead. So he didn¡¯t dare look down on Zhanyue.

    ¡°I am Zhan Zilong of Changshan!¡± Zhanyue left a big name. At this moment, whether it was his real name or a fake name didn¡¯t matter because he wasn¡¯t famous at all. However, he cautiously still gave a pseudonym.

    The three all furrowed their brows. Bai Wu and Bai Liu were puzzled because there were no famous ns with the Zhan surname under the Heavens. The most famous was just the City Lord of Rising Sun City in the Eastern Kingdom. Meanwhile Baizhi was confused about where Changshan was and what the heck ¡®Zhan Zilong¡¯ was.

    ¡°Young Master Zhan, we¡¯ll remember that.¡±

    Bai Wu and Bai Liu called over a boat that had long been prepared and took Baizhi away. Baizhi, dressed in all ck, stood at the stern of the boat, looking at Zhanyue with reluctance. Zhanyue watched the boat gradually receding into the distance, his heart also filled withplex emotions. ¡°Damn it, once I reach the Alchemy Capital, I¡¯ll bring Sister to raid the Bai Family if I have to, exterminate that Golden Pill Elder, and take her away.¡±

    However, Zhanyue didn¡¯t want to do that unless absolutely necessary. Baizhi was, after all, a member of the Bai Family. She grew up there since childhood. If she wasbeled as betraying the family and biting the hand that fed her, how could she face others in the future? And what then? Have Baizhi follow him to wander the world? Zhanyue felt he still needed to think of a more reliable solution. The illumination Goddess was his nuclear weapon. It¡¯s not like he could use a nuke to solve every problem.

    ¡°Shit, I forgot one thing. They took the boat and left! How am I supposed to get back?¡± Zhanyue suddenly realized this issue.

 Chapter 92: World Map and Cultivation Realms

    Chapter 92: World Map and Cultivation Realms

    Although ck Whale Ind was rarely visited, as a coastal ind, there were still some fishermen who woulde. After waiting for a short while, a boat directly headed towards ck Whale Ind.

    ¡°Young Master, please board the boat,¡± the fisherman said politely.

    ¡°Hm?¡± Zhanyue didn¡¯t expect the boat to actively seek him out. He looked at the fisherman with a puzzled expression.

    The fisherman exined, ¡°A youngdy asked me toe to ck Whale Ind to pick you up. She already paid.¡±

    Zhanyue nodded, secretly thinking that Baizhi was still meticulous. She probably remembered he had no boat to return, so she hired this fisherman¡¯s boat at the shore to pick him up.

    Boarding the fishing boat, Zhanyue soon returned to Pearl City.

    Without a moment¡¯s dy, he quickly purchased a world map from a store. To go to the Alchemy Capital of the Thousand Charms Empire, a map was indispensable.

    Unfolding the map, the situation of the world wasid out before his eyes.

    The Eastern Kingdom was located at the easternmost part of the map, bordering the East Sea to the east and the Rosy Sea to the south. At this moment, Zhanyue was in Pearl City at the southernmost point of the Eastern Kingdom. To the west of the Eastern Kingdom was the Rising Sun Kingdom. Taking the sea route, one could quickly reach Rising Sun. South of the Rising Sun Kingdom was the Scorched Earth Kingdom. The Eastern World was divided between the three great empires of the Eastern Kingdom, Rising Sun Kingdom, and Scorched Earth Kingdom. Below them, various small kingdoms stood, but on the map, they were only the size of peanuts. By crossing the Sunset Rosy Valley or traversing the Source Sea, one could reach the Jade Rosy Kingdom on the Western World from the Eastern World. North of the Jade Rosy Kingdom was the Thousand Charms Empire. The two were separated by the terrifying Broken Soul Mountain Range. To go from the Jade Rosy Kingdom to the Thousand Charms Empire, one needed to pass through the periphery of the Broken Soul Mountain Range. Although the Broken Soul Mountain Range was dangerous, the peripheral areas weren¡¯t that frightening.

    ¡°First take the sea route to go from the border to the Rising Sun Kingdom¡¯s East Dream City. Then use the Rising Sun Kingdom¡¯s internal transmission array to teleport from East Dream City in the east to Hundred Birds City in the west. Follow the merchant caravans to cross the Sunset Rosy Valley and enter the Jade Rosy Kingdom. Then go along the periphery of the Broken Soul Mountain Range northward to enter the Thousand Charms Empire.¡± Looking at the map, Zhanyue had a n. However, he didn¡¯t know Baizhi and the others¡¯ route back home. Going to the Alchemy Capital of the Thousand Charms Empire this time was truly a long and arduous journey.

    Without staying in Pearl City, Zhanyue quickly bought a boat ticket to East Dream City of the Rising Sun Kingdom.

    This passenger ship was veryrge, with three decks, able to hold a thousand passengers. Inside the cabin, Zhanyue sat cross-legged. The two little fellows were let out and were ying in the room. In order not to attract attention and be too noticed, the two little fellows could only be pitied and kept in the storage ring for long periods. Only when no one was around would Zhanyue let them out to get some air. Fortunately, the two little fellows were very understanding and had noints.

    After ying for a while, they each hugged a Demon cores and also entered cultivation. The strength of fourth-level demon beasts was very ordinary. At least fifth-level demon beasts, equivalent to the Star Profound Realm, were needed to be of use. They were also very clear about this point and wanted to grow up quickly to be able to help Zhanyue.

    Zhanyue¡¯s divine sense moved while cultivating. He felt some movement in his personal space. With a thought, a letter appeared in his hand.

    ¡°This thing is really convenient. No matter where that girl is, she can contact me in a timely manner.¡± Zhanyue smiled slightly and opened the letter. The letter didn¡¯t say anything else, only telling Zhanyue that she had already teleported to Hundred Birds City a step ahead. She was also preparing to cross the Sunset Rosy Valley to reach the Jade Rosy Kingdom. The Bai Family had businesses in the Jade Rosy Kingdom, and people there would receive her and escort her back to the Thousand Charms Empire.

    The letter also reminded Zhanyue to pay attention to the Broken Soul Mountain Range. ording to information from the Bai Family, some powerhouses under Night Lord had appeared there at some unknown time, and their purpose was unclear.

    ¡°Night Lord¡¯s people? The Ny-Nine Demons under him aren¡¯t extinct yet?¡± Zhanyue furrowed his brows. Night Lord had grievances with the Eastern Kingdom and Rising Sun Kingdom, so he had always been active within these two countries. What were his people doing in the Broken Soul Mountain Range of the Jade Rosy Kingdom? The Ny-Nine Demons were ny-nine Profound practitioners, their strength not to be underestimated. Hopefully he wouldn¡¯t encounter them.

    Opening the cabin door, Zhanyue stood by the window, looking at the setting sun in the distance. The sea was also not a peaceful ce and would simrly be attacked by Nightmares. So the entire passenger ship was covered in Enlightenment Stones, forming a powerful formation effect. Even high-level Nightmares would avoid this formation.

    ¡°Did you hear? A big incident happened at the Imperial Capital Academy.¡± By the side of the ship, two men stood together chatting. They didn¡¯t avoid others, so Zhanyue could also hear clearly.

    ¡°What big incident?¡± The other man asked curiously.

    ¡°Gu Weicheng, the President of the Imperial First United Academy and a super powerhouse in the Spirit God Realm, died!¡± That person said.

    ¡°What? President Gu was a Spirit God Realm powerhouse, and his strength was outstanding. How could he die?¡± The other man¡¯s eyes were filled with shock.

    ¡°You¡¯re asking me, how would I know. Anyway, he¡¯s really dead.¡± That person sighed.

    ¡°Ay, I heard President Gu was a very good person. Although I didn¡¯t attend the Imperial First United Academy, I also yearned for it. I didn¡¯t expect his cause of death to be unknown. What about now? How is the academy?¡±

    ¡°I heard His Majesty has personally invited Wind Lord Mumu Xingyun to take over as the President of the Imperial First United Academy.¡± That person said.

    ¡°Wind Lord Mumu Xingyun? I¡¯ve heard of him. It¡¯s said that before his granddaughter was born, he had always served as the Vice President of the Imperial First United Academy, teaching countless students. Among the hundred cities within the Eastern Kingdom, over a dozen City Lords were once his students. He could be said to have disciples all over. Him taking over as the new President would be able to convince the masses. But his granddaughter is the Holy Light Maiden of the Rising Sun Kingdom. Since birth, she has shown extraordinary talent. In order to protect the Holy Maiden, his own granddaughter, Wind Lord resigned from the First United Academy. If he leaves, what will happen to the Holy Maiden?¡± The other man asked in puzzlement. He knew quite a bit.

    ¡°That¡¯s not something I would know. How could we inquire about the decisions of those at their level? However, I heard Wind Lord¡¯s realm has broken through again, so His Majesty personally invited him to take charge of the situation. President Gu¡¯s mysterious death has caused no small disturbance. An ordinary person really can¡¯t handle it.¡±

    ¡°Wind Lord is a ninth-level Entering Godhood Realm powerhouse and also a Spirit Contractor. If he breaks through again, wouldn¡¯t he enter the Comprehending Matter Realm?¡± The other man said in surprise.

    ¡°The three realms of the Spirit God Realm are Entering Godhood, Comprehending Nature, and Exiting Godhood. Each advancement to a higher major realm brings a soaring increase in strength. Ay, forget the Comprehending Nature Realm. If I could enter the God Realm, I would be thanking the heavens.¡±

    ¡°With Brother Long¡¯s aptitude, you may have a chance to advance to the Spirit God Realm. When the timees, I hope Brother Long won¡¯t forget me when ¡®enjoying riches and honor¡¯.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll take your auspicious words. If I enter the God Realm, I definitely won¡¯t forget you.¡±

    The two chatted happily. Zhanyue, who was at the side, furrowed his brows. Back then, Wind Lord was able to preserve his life in the face of an encirclement by three super Spirit God Realm powerhouses, showing his strength was extraordinary. Perhaps that life-or-death battle gave him some insights. Now his realm was a step further, naturally his strength went without saying. Just, if he really agreed to go to the academy to take over as President, what about that Holy Maiden? Could he rest assured leaving her to other Spirit God Realm guards? After all, the Holy Maiden was his own granddaughter.

    ¡°Sister, can you tell me about the realms above the Spirit God Realm now,¡± Zhanyue asked curiously.

    ¡°The Spirit God Realm is divided into Entering Godhood, Comprehending Nature, and Exiting Godhood. Generally, Spirit Gods are limited to the Entering Godhood Realm their whole lives. Those who can advance to the Comprehending Nature Realm are all outstanding talents. Above the Spirit God Realm is the True Realm, which is the major realm Thunder Lord and Sword Lord are currently in. The True Realm is simrly divided into three realms, Transforming Nature Realm, umting Dao Realm, and True Self Realm. Above the True Realm is the Paramount Realm. The Paramount Realm should also have three levels of realms, but I only know of the first level of the Paramount Realm ¨C the Wonderful Law Realm.¡±

    Only now did Zhanyue have aplete understanding of the cultivation realms in this world. Cultivation had five major realms: Mortal Realm, Profound Realm, Spirit Realm (Spirit God Realm), True Realm, and Paramount Realm. Each major realm also had three minor realms. The Mortal Realm was divided into Spirit Contract Realm, Spirit Communication Realm, and Soul Control Realm; the Profound Realm was divided into Star Profound, Moon Profound, and Sun Profound; the Spirit God Realm was divided into Entering Godhood, Comprehending Nature, and Exiting Godhood; the True Realm was divided into Transforming Nature, umting Dao, and True Self; and above the True Realm there was also a Paramount Realm. The first level of the Paramount Realm was the Wonderful Law Realm where the illumination Goddess was. In the past few thousand years, only the illumination Goddess had reached this realm. Below her, the Four Cardinal Lords, the four strongest people in the Human Race besides her, were all only in the True Self Realm, stuck at thest step unable to break through.

    And now, the Human Race¡¯s strongest, Thunder Lord and Sword Lord, hadn¡¯t even reached the height of the Four Cardinal Lords. Zhanyue¡¯s current realm was also merely Mortal Realm ¨C Soul Control Realm ¨C Fifth Level. The road ahead could be said to be long and arduous.

 Chapter 93: Movement in the Four Directions

    Chapter 93: Movement in the Four Directions

    The journey was smooth. Zhanyue rarely had such an uneventful trip. Only when his feet touched the ground and he arrived at East Dream City did he snap out of his daze. This could be considered his first time abroad, setting foot on the soil of the Rising Sun Kingdom.

    As the three great empires of the Eastern World, the Eastern Kingdom, Rising Sun, and Scorched Earth had also crossed swords in the past. But in the end, peace arrived. Now, themon people of the three kingdoms could freely visit the various cities of the three empires. Business and cultural exchanges had never been so frequent.

    Although East Dream City, also a port city, couldn¡¯tpare to the prosperity of Pearl City, it was still very lively. Especially since East Dream City had a huge ancient transmission array that could directly send people to Hundred Birds City in the west of the Rising Sun Kingdom.

    The two cute little cats were very irritated in the spatial ring. Zhanyue also felt a bit distressed. Little Ink and Little Snow were two living beings. Being confined in the not-sorge ring was a huge torment for them. Somehow, Zhanyue thought of that cute yellow-furred rat from his previous world. It seemed it was also unwilling to enter the ball.

    ¡°When there¡¯s no one around, I¡¯ll let you out. Just bear with it for now,¡± Zhanyue said apologetically. Without much dy, he directly headed towards that ancient transmission array. But when he arrived there, he heard some bad news.

    ¡°The ancient transmission array will be sealed for three days. During these few days, this array will not be open to the public.¡± A notice was posted at the entrance of the formation hall, causing the people outside to wail, especially some merchants who still wanted to argue their case. After all, beingte by a day risked breaking contracts. However, the Rising Sun Kingdom¡¯s soldiers couldn¡¯t be bothered with them and only focused on executing their orders.

    ¡°Just my luck. Right after Baizhi left, this ce is sealed. Looks like it¡¯s impossible to get to the Alchemy Capital ahead of her.¡± Zhanyue originally wanted to hurry and arrive first to investigate the situation in the Alchemy Capital. However, this prohibition order disrupted his ns. But he wasn¡¯t worried. He could contact Baizhi at any time, and the illumination Goddess had long been waiting in the Alchemy Capital. If anything changed in the Alchemy Capital, even if he couldn¡¯t make it in time, he could have the Goddess take action. Zhanyue was always cautious in his actions, not daring to be negligent.

    Taking out pen and paper, he passed on the information that the transmission array could only be used after three days to Baizhi. Not long after, Zhanyue received a reply. In the letter, Baizhiforted him not to be anxious. She had found out that the Golden Pill Elder had gone out to search for a seventh-grade medicinal ingredient and wasn¡¯t in the Alchemy Capital. They still had plenty of time.

    These past few days, as long as Baizhi had time alone, she would write to Zhanyue. It hadn¡¯t been long since they parted, but the girl¡¯s yearning had already turned into a thick stack of letters. Although the letters were all about some trivial matters, with asional exchanges on the Alchemy Daoist, Zhanyue didn¡¯t dare throw them away. He just secretly thought that even the most talented person, once falling in love, was no different from an ordinary girl. He found it hard to associate the cold and aloof eyes of the one who called herself the ¡°first life¡± before with the girl now. ¡°The divine art left by Seniors Jade and Stone Twin Sages is indeed endlessly marvelous.¡± Zhanyue thought back to the previous trial. To think that the second checkpoint, the Kindred Heart Jade Wall, was solved in that way. This made Zhanyue view Baizhi in a new light. Zhanyue also thought, if he and the illumination Goddess went to tackle that checkpoint and opened visual sharing from the start, wouldn¡¯t it be a piece of cake?

    Although outsiders weren¡¯t allowed to enter, Rising Sun Kingdom¡¯s soldiers entered the transmission array one after another like ants.

    ¡°Are they transmitting troops to Hundred Birds City? What happened there?¡± Zhanyue furrowed his brows tightly. Unfortunately, he couldn¡¯t find out any information. This was a military secret.

    Returning to the city center, Zhanyue rented a room. He let the two little fellows out. They happily surveyed their surroundings, curiously observing this new world. The little ck cat pointed at the door, its meaning couldn¡¯t be clearer. It wanted to go out and y.

    ¡°That won¡¯t do. You are demon beasts, different from the beasts of this world. If someone recognizes you, it will be trouble,¡± Zhanyue shook his head. The two little cats were demon beasts. They absorbed Demon coress and moonlight to cultivate. The beasts of this world absorbed the spiritual energy in the air and devoured spirit objects and flesh to cultivate. The methods were different, naturally the end results were also different. No matter what realm the beasts of this world cultivated to, they couldn¡¯t transform. But demon beasts had the possibility of transformation. This was also the biggest difference between the two. The lineage of demon beasts had long been severed in this world.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Even my perception can¡¯t distinguish them from other beasts. Others have even less of a chance,¡± the illumination Goddess suddenly transmitted.

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Zhanyue revealed a smile. The two little cats were only fourth-level demon beasts and hadn¡¯t entered the fifth level. As long as they didn¡¯t enter the Profound Realm, they wouldn¡¯t attract too much attention. In this world, the disparity in whether one could enter the Profound Realm was extremelyrge.

    Zhanyue had already informed the illumination Goddess of everything that happened on Ghost Ind. Even with the illumination Goddess¡¯s knowledge, she was greatly shocked. However, Ghost Ind and the Ghost Shark n were matters from a thousand years ago. At that time, she had long fallen. She knew nothing about this, let alone any information about the Human Heritage Realm. It could be seen that this information was firmly controlled by the Ghost Shark n.

    ¡°After you disappeared, I went to the so-called ck Whale Ind to take a look. There was no way to find the path to Ghost Ind at all. Ghost Ind and the Ghost Shark n are probably extremely terrifying. It¡¯s best to n for the long-term and not think about telling a few strong people you know to take back the Human Heritage Realm. I have a premonition that the Ghost Shark n¡¯s strength is very, very frightening.¡± This was the illumination Goddess¡¯s advice to Zhanyue. Zhanyue naturally agreed and immediately acted as if Ghost Ind didn¡¯t exist, no longer thinking about those matters.

    Taking the two little cats out of the room, the two little fellows followed at Zhanyue¡¯s feet, looking around with great curiosity. A world with so many people, so many strange buildings, were all things they had never seen before.

    The two fourth-level beasts indeed didn¡¯t cause anymotion. Just that the two cute little fellows still attracted a few more nces from passersby. Some people even wanted to pay money to buy them. Although they weren¡¯t of much use, who wouldn¡¯t like such cute pets?

    ¡°Oh! Third Grandpa, those two little cats are so cute! Howe I haven¡¯t seen them in the Myriad Beasts Illustrated Handbook? Are they spirit beasts?¡± A pleasant and lively voice rang out. Zhanyue furrowed his brows. He felt a terrifying power observing him. That definitely wasn¡¯t the power a Profound practitioner should have. A Spirit God powerhouse? ¡°Not good, trouble!¡± Zhanyue somewhat regretted bringing the two little things out. Although others couldn¡¯t see through their demon beast identity and bloodline, they were good-looking! Cute! Their lethality to some people was even greater than any formidable beast.

    Speaking of Zhanyue encountering trouble, in an extremely secret ce, in an underground pce, once again, all the Nightmare Lords gathered together.

    ¡°I said back then to directly kill that girl who is the Light Contractor and eliminate future troubles. But Strategist disagreed and instead used the scheme of poisoning. Now others have found a way to suppress the poison¡¯s toxicity, and her realm is rapidly advancing. If not for the news from Night Lord¡¯s side, we wouldn¡¯t even know. Although Strategist has countless strategys, there are still times when he makes mistakes.¡± A Lord snorted coldly. Among the Lords, he could be considered a die-hard loyalist of the Corpse Emperor and looked down on Strategist¡¯s faction, disdaining the other Lords¡¯ appearance of taking Strategist as their leader.

    ¡°Well said, but not very well.¡± The Nightmare Lord named Strategist appearedst. With just a sweep of his eyes, that Lord shivered with cold.

    ¡°That move back then was a key move. You couldn¡¯t see through it. I don¡¯t me you,¡± Strategist said indifferently.

    ¡°Please enlighten us, Strategist!¡± That Lord asked, unsatisfied. He wanted to know how Strategist would exin. Now the Holy Light Maiden could suppress the Chilling Poison and would be a major headache for their Nightmare Race in the future.

    ¡°Although killing the Holy Light Maiden could eliminate a major headache, you should know that the illumination Goddess¡¯s power isn¡¯t only because she is the Light Contractor. You underestimate the illumination Goddess too much. Besides, I deliberately used the Chilling Poison and spared the Holy Light Maiden¡¯s life to burden the Human Race. They naturally couldn¡¯t bear to give up on the Holy Light Maiden and would definitely waste a lot of their manpower and resources, all for naught in the end.¡± Strategist said.

    ¡°What about now? Now they¡¯ve found a way to suppress the Chilling Poison. What do you say?¡± That Lord pressed, not giving any face. Strategist couldn¡¯t be wrong, but now seemed to be an important opportunity to break this notion.

    ¡°What do I say?¡± Strategist turned to look at that Lord and said coldly, ¡°Rather than the Holy Light Maiden, I¡¯m more concerned about who suppressed that Chilling Poison or what method they provided. That poison was personally concocted by me. You should all know how formidable it is. Now that it has been suppressed, almost cracked, there are only three possibilities. One, the Holy Light Maiden cultivated the divine-grade technique of the illumination Goddess from back then. Two, the Human Race recovered the illumination Goddess¡¯s supreme treasure, the Sun God Stone. Three, there exists someone with strength not inferior to the illumination Goddess who suppressed the Chilling Poison for her. Isn¡¯t this an extremely important piece of information? Regardless of which situation it is, it says one thing ¨C we underestimated the Human Race.¡±

    The Lords shivered with cold. Indeed, who solved the Holy Maiden¡¯s Chilling Poison was a more important question. Was the illumination Goddess really dead? Had the Sun God Stone appeared in the world? Did the Human Race still have hidden powerhouses? All of this seemed to be behind this question.

    ¡°Strategist is wise!¡± Everyone couldn¡¯t help but feel convinced. Not killing the Holy Light Maiden, but obtaining such important intelligence, he had schemed very far.

    ¡°Have Night Lord continue to investigate the Holy Light Maiden¡¯s matter. I want to see which situation it is. If the illumination Goddess is really still alive, then all our ns will have to change. Let¡¯s hope they only found the illumination Goddess¡¯s Sun God Stone to suppress the Chilling Poison and not the other two situations.¡± Strategist sighed.

    Everyone was clear about what the other two situations meant. If they only found the Sun God Stone and suppressed the Chilling Poison, that would still be fine. If it was the other two situations, it meant either the illumination Goddess was still alive or the Human Race still had hidden experts as powerful as the illumination Goddess. For them, both would be huge changes.

 Chapter 94: One Old, One Young

    Chapter 94: One Old, One Young

    From the crowd, a young girl in green clothes walked over. Like a newly bloomed daisy, her fair face still had a look of childishness. Based on this world¡¯s age, she was only about sixteen or seventeen years old, still a few years away from officiallying of age. Give her a few more years and she would be a devastating beauty. The little girl had her hair tied in two buns, with the rest of her green tresses hanging down to her waist. The material of that green silk dress was extraordinary. Under the sunlight, it seemed to be dyed with ayer of soft light, making her particrly eye-catching amidst the crowd, like the gentle moon in the night sky.

    The most attention-grabbing thing was the white flower by the little girl¡¯s ear. It resembled a peony but was much smaller. That flower seemed to be a living thing, its variety indiscernible, but it was not some artificial decoration. If an ordinary person wore this flower, it would appear gaudy and vulgar. However, on this little girl, it added an iparable charm. The flower and the personplemented each other, both capable of toppling cities with their beauty. The red beauty and the flower¡¯s splendor, neither wasting their youth.

    On that pure and lively face, a pair of curious beautiful eyes stared intently at the two little cats. She handed the candied hawthorn stick in her hand to the old man behind her. That old man actually didn¡¯t look old. Dressed in gray clothes, although he had white hair and a white beard, his skin was smooth and delicate, clearly skilled in nourishing his appearance. His stature wasn¡¯t tall and straight, standing behind the girl like an old servant. The old man¡¯s right hand held two iron balls that he was turning. He reached out his left hand to take the little girl¡¯s candied hawthorn stick, also curiously observing Zhanyue and the two little cats.

    ¡°Can I pet them?¡± The little girl looked at Zhanyue and asked, her eyes filled with eagerness.

    Zhanyue waspletely defenseless against those eyes. Besides, there was a Spirit God Realm powerhouse standing behind the little girl. He nodded, just hoping this girl would leave after looking and petting enough.

    The little girl bent down and petted the white cat. Little Snow was a bit scared and moved closer to Zhanyue¡¯s leg.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, little darling. Big sister won¡¯t hurt you.¡± The little girl stroked the white cat¡¯s soft fur, then extended her sinful hand towards Little Ink. Little Ink looked up at Zhanyue, the meaning in its expression probably being, can I scratch her?

    Zhanyue quickly shook his head. This little girl went out with a Spirit God Realm powerhouse in tow. This was treatment only the Light Holy Maiden would have. Who knew what her identity was? She couldn¡¯t be offended lightly.

    The little ck cat understood and allowed the little girl to pet it without resisting. After ying with the little cats for a while, it attracted the attention of countless people around. Both the cuteness of the little cats and the stunning beauty of the girl were existences that drew gazes. But due to the powerful aura of that old man, the surrounding people didn¡¯t daree up to strike up a conversation.

    ¡°Are you selling these two little fellows of yours? You can name any price.¡± The little girl stood up. She also wasn¡¯t used to being stared at by a group of people like this.

    Zhanyue¡¯s heart thudded. He secretly thought, not good, this old and young pair wouldn¡¯t be trying to forcefully buy and sell, right?

    ¡°Not selling. These little cats have a close rtionship with me. It¡¯s not something that can be measured with a price.¡± Zhanyue refused. He needed to nip the little girl¡¯s thoughts in the bud at the first opportunity.

    The little girl furrowed her brows and asked again, ¡°Then what about exchanging for techniques or pills? Definitely high-grade techniques and high-grade pills you can¡¯t find outside.¡±

    She hadn¡¯t given up.

    Zhanyue still shook his head and picked up the two little fellows. ¡°I don¡¯t treat these two little fellows as pets, but as friends. I won¡¯t exchange them.¡± He was already prepared that if that old man wanted to forcefully buy and sell, he would escape at any time. After all, this was a big street. A Spirit God Realm powerhouse also couldn¡¯t stoop so low as to make a move to kill him, right?

    The little girl was out of options. She looked at Zhanyue a bit angrily. ¡°Alright then. Can you tell me their species? I¡¯ll go find simr ones.¡±

    ¡°Um¡­¡± Zhanyue was a bit awkward for a moment. The other party¡¯s request wasn¡¯t excessive. It¡¯s just, these little cats were demon beasts from the previous Primal Era. Where would there be the same species in this world? Although they really looked simr to the cats Zhanyue was familiar with, unfortunately, this world only had dogs and no cats, let alone bred pet cats. Otherwise, how could the little girl be like this?

    ¡°They are close rtives of tigers, also a mutated lineage of tiger beasts. I can¡¯t exin the specifics clearly either.¡± Zhanyue said. Although there were no cats, there were tigers.

    ¡°Really? Tigers are all big and fierce. How are they as cute as them?¡± The little girl didn¡¯t believe it.

    ¡°Young Miss, when tigers are cubs, they indeed look very simr to them. At first, I also thought they were cubs of tiger beasts or leopard beasts.¡± The old man behind her exined. He just wanted to take this girl and leave quickly. They still had important matters. He never had the thought of forcefully buying and selling that Zhanyue was worried about.

    ¡°Oh.¡± The little girl looked at the two little fellows a bit reluctantly. Then her eyes lit up. She took out a purple sphere the size of a fist from a spatial ring.

    ¡°This battle technique is called¡¶Twin Dragon Killing Formation¡·. It¡¯s a double-attack technique suitable for beasts to cultivate. I¡¯m giving it to you. You have to take good care of them. Don¡¯t let them die, or I¡¯ll be sad.¡± The little girl handed this technique to Zhanyue. Then she left with that old man.

    The old man clicked his tongue, wanting to say something but stopping himself. Looking at the technique in Zhanyue¡¯s hand, he really couldn¡¯t muster the face to take it back. He could only sigh and quickly take this little miss who was like a child sending out wealth away. (Later in the text, techniques used for realm cultivation are uniformly called ¡¶Cultivation Techniques¡·. Skills and moves used in actualbat are uniformly called ¡¶Battle Techniques¡·. Aplete set of¡¶Cultivation Techniques¡·maye with some inherent¡¶Battle Techniques¡·. Some¡¶Battle Techniques¡·can only be used after cultivating specific cultivation techniques. From now on, they will be distinguished like this.)

    Zhanyue looked at the extra technique that appeared in his hand, a bit dazed. The forceful buying and selling he imagined didn¡¯t happen. He even got a battle technique suitable for the two little beasts to use for free.

    ¡°Young Miss, although our Moon Reflection Pavilion is rich and has countless treasures, it¡¯s not for you to squander like this. That orange-grade beast cultivation battle technique is extremely rare outside. Beast cultivation techniques and battle techniques are inherently more precious and scarce than human cultivation ones. It is at least equivalent to a red-grade human battle technique. Next time you are willful like this, I¡¯ll have no choice but to report to the Old Pavilion Master.¡± The gray-clothed old man lectured. He was also considered the little girl¡¯s elder and wasn¡¯t some servant. (White, Green, Blue, Purple, Orange, Red, Gold, Rainbow, Divine)

    The little girl stuck out her tongue and nodded. ¡°I know, Third Grandpa. I just really found those two little beasts cute and wanted to form a good connection with that young master. Didn¡¯t Grandpa teach me not to cause trouble when out and about, to be friendly with people, and to form many good connections?¡±

    ¡°Form a good connection with him? Did you use ¡®Divination Eyes¡¯ to see his capabilities?¡± The gray-clothed old man was startled and hurriedly asked. He knew what capabilities his little ancestor in front of him had.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. In the result of Divination Eyes, I used a secret art to defeat him. Without using a secret art, I¡¯m not his match.¡± The little girl exined. ¡°I think using one technique to form a good connection with such a talent isn¡¯t a loss.¡±

    The gray-clothed old man was stunned, standing in ce. He knew the little girl was an expert at the third level of the Star Profound Realm, and all her skills were the secret arts of the Moon Reflection Pavilion. She had always been the one to defeat others at a higher realm. Today, she encountered a youth who hadn¡¯t entered the Profound Realm. Without using a secret art, she would actually lose to him? It was simply unimaginable and inconceivable. ¡°Is he from the White Cloud Tower?¡± The old man asked in puzzlement.

    ¡°He shouldn¡¯t be. In Divination Eyes, the techniques he used: one for earth traversal, one marvelous movement technique, and a terrifying me attack that could easily pierce through my defense. Completely different from those experts I know from White Cloud Tower. I didn¡¯t even see through what his contracted item was.¡± The little girl said. If Zhanyue was standing here, he would probably be scared to death. That little girl hadn¡¯t actually fought him, yet she knew even his trump cards.

    ¡°Ay, the world is indeed full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers. Both White Cloud Tower and our Moon Reflection Pavilion have underestimated the people of the world.¡± The old man sighed.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go quickly. Don¡¯t let Wind Lord wait for us too long in the Rising Sun Imperial Capital.¡± The two were headed in the direction of the imperial capital for this trip.

    ¡°That¡¯s great. I can finally see Sister Lixi again. Thest time we met was three years ago when Grandpa Wind Lord took her to Moon Reflection Pavilion to seek medicine. Unfortunately, our Moon Reflection Pavilion had no way to treat Sister¡¯s illness. I don¡¯t know how she is now.¡± The little girl said with some worry.

    White Cloud Tower in the sky, Moon Reflection Pavilion in the human realm. With shallow fate, one cannot meet; with deep fortune, theye to the door themselves. This was a doggerel many people knew, referring to the two most mysterious organizations in the world, White Cloud Tower and Moon Reflection Pavilion. Zhanyue naturally didn¡¯t know that the old and young pair he just encountered were people from Moon Reflection Pavilion.

 Chapter 95: Spirit Stone Mine

    Chapter 95: Spirit Stone Mine

    Speaking of the day before Zhanyue came ashore, a major event urred in Hundred Birds City of the Rising Sun Kingdom.

    Outside the city of Hundred Birds, in a mining cave, this ce was one of the purple crystal mines in the Rising Sun Kingdom. Purple crystal ore was the raw material used to forge purple crystal coins, and it was a very important ce for any country.

    ¡°Hurry up, hurry up.¡± Under the supervision of the soldiers, oneborer after another loaded blocks of ore into small carts and pushed them out. The entrance of the mine was a continuous stream of activity.

    ¡°Hello, Brother Zhang.¡± A sturdyborer greeted a soldier guarding the entrance of the mine.

    ¡°Iron Bull, it¡¯s you kid. So big and tall. Hurry and go in, be careful and stay safe.¡± The soldier patted the body of the one called Iron Bull. Iron Bull was half a head taller than him, wearing a short ck cloth shirt and carrying a mining shovel. Those who came to dig in this purple crystal mine were all ordinary people from nearby. Mining was a tiring and dangerous job. Long ago, it was all done by ves. Under the efforts of the illumination Goddess and others, there were very few ves left in this world. Now they all hiredmoners to do the work, and the wages paid were much higher than farming.

    Iron Bull had an elderly mother to support and was also strong and sturdy, so he naturally chose to be a miner.

    After going down the mine shaft, Iron Bull started working. Their current position was already very deep.

    A young man on the side greeted Iron Bull, ¡°Morning, Brother Iron Bull.¡±

    ¡°Morning, Little Six.¡± Iron Bull replied. There was already a good amount of excavated purple crystal raw ore in the wooden crate beside them. ¡°Brother Iron Bull, I heard our mine vein is almost depleted. What will we do after that?¡± Little Six asked with some worry.

    Iron Bull shook his head, ¡°How would I know? We¡¯ll just have to ask around at other mining sites.¡± There was also unease in Iron Bull¡¯s eyes. It wasn¡¯t easy to find such a high-paying job. Although it was a bit tiring, what he feared least was being tired. As long as he worked hard for a few more years, he would be able to move his elderly mother to live in the city, which was much safer than the vige outside the city. Although their vige was very close to Hundred Birds City, and they could even clearly see the Enlightenment Tower at night, it was still not as safe as being inside the city. Land in the city was worth its weight in gold. Unless one awakened a contract power or had other special abilities, it was very difficult to settle in the city, at least not by farming. But being a miner gave Iron Bull hope.

    The two didn¡¯t speak further and continued digging. As they dug, they felt the mine shaft shake a bit, apanied by a thud thud thud sound, as if something inside had fallen.

    ¡°Brother Iron Bull, did the mine shaft just shake? Should we run?¡± Little Six said, a little scared.

    ¡°What¡¯s there to be afraid of? The mine shaft was reinforced by a Spirit God Realm powerhouse. That¡¯s a Spirit God powerhouse. How could it copse so easily?¡± Iron Bull wasn¡¯t afraid at all. To them, Spirit God Realm powerhouses were like deities.

    ¡°You¡¯re right. Our mine shaft has never had an ident. I have a friend in another iron ore mine who is so envious of me.¡± Little Six immediately felt at ease. Their mine shaft was a purple crystal ore vein. The empire attached great importance to it and was the least willing to see it copse, so they invited Spirit God Realm powerhouses toy down formations to reinforce the mine shaft. It was difficult for it to copse without a powerful external force striking it.

    As Iron Bull¡¯s pickaxe went down again, what appeared under a rock was not purple-colored purple crystal ore, but some jade green pebbles. Those pebbles were smooth and translucent, with some impurities inside, but they weren¡¯t something this pickaxe could destroy.

    ¡°What is this? Are they gems? How can there be suchrge gems?¡± Iron Bull took a piece of the pebble in his hand and weighed it. It wasn¡¯t light.

    ¡°Brother Iron Bull, we should still report this to the higher-ups.¡± Little Six said, looking at these strange pebbles.

    ¡°Mm, you take it and go report.¡± Iron Bull handed a piece of the stone to Little Six, then dug a few more swings himself. The two were at the very end of a mine shaft fork.

    Not long after, Iron Bull actually dug up a veryrge crystal stone. What was even more terrifying was that he found this crystal stone was transparent, and something seemed to be sealed inside. He looked inside along the light from the mine shaftmp and stumbled back in fright. Inside the crystal stone was actually a sealed skull!

    That skull emitted a wisp of ck smoke, which was unconsciously inhaled by Iron Bull into his nostrils. Afterwards, Iron Bull¡¯s expression froze, his eyes changed, revealing a hint of a smile. He was seen stretching a hand into that crystal stone, and that crystal stone actually dispersed like water. He took the skull out from inside the stone, and a red cone stuck in the skull was pulled out by him.

    ¡°I never thought I would see the light of day again.¡± ¡®Iron Bull¡¯ said to himself, then shattered the skull into powder, and the crystal stone also disappeared without a trace.

    ¡°Looks like it was this spiritual vein that kept my soul from dispersing. I¡¯m really lucky.¡± This person instantly saw that this ce was a spirit stone mine. He picked up a stone from the ground and carefully examined it. ¡°Medium-grade spirit stones? Not even low-grade spirit stones? It seems the better spirit stones are still in the deepest part.¡±

    Afterwards, Little Six hurried over with two soldiers. Iron Bull¡¯s eyes changed, returning to his previous honest appearance.

    ¡°What is this?¡± A soldier carefully examined.

    ¡°It seems the purple crystal ore vein has been exhausted. This ce is connected to another kind of ore. Go find General He toe over.¡± That person said.

    Not long after, quite a few people had gathered here. A chubby middle-aged general in armor walked over. He was the person in charge of this ce, a super expert at the seventh level of the Moon Profound Realm.

    ¡°This ore? I seem to have seen it in ancient books.¡± General He¡¯s eyes were filled with shock. He then ordered, ¡°This matter is of great importance. It must not be leaked. Control all the miners working here. For now, they can¡¯t be allowed to leave.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± The soldiers below nodded.

    A hint of excitement shed in General He¡¯s eyes. ¡°It¡¯s really a spirit stone mine. With this mine, Lord Night Lord¡¯s cause of revenge will surely seed!¡± No one knew that this high-ranking General He was actually one of Night Lord¡¯s people. He had no intention of reporting this spirit stone mine matter to those above, thinking about how to seize it for himself and for Night Lord¡¯s use.

    Iron Bull and the others¡¯ work instantly changed from digging purple crystal coins to digging spirit stone ore. The difference from before was that they were required to eat and live here and were not allowed to leave.

    ¡°Why haven¡¯t other soldierse to take over after so long? With such a huge spirit stone mine, if that fat general really saw its value, he should have sent people to guard it and increased the mining long ago. Could it be that he wants to secretly keep it for himself?¡± ¡®Iron Bull¡¯ spected. If it was the original Iron Bull, he naturally wouldn¡¯t think too much. But he wasn¡¯t. After he possessed Iron Bull, a part of Iron Bull¡¯s memories entered his mind. Although they were different, it also let him know that he wasn¡¯t in the era he was originally from. Unfortunately, Iron Bull was just an ordinary person, and the intelligence he knew was very little. Moreover, he was very weak now, his strength was less than a hundredth of what it used to be. He could only wait here as a miner for now, casually absorbing those medium-grade spirit stones to recover his strength. Unfortunately, the quality of the medium-grade spirit stones was too low, and he recovered extremely slowly.

    Paper can¡¯t wrap fire. General He underestimated the degree of control the Rising Sun Empire had over this mine. In a ce he didn¡¯t know, the army was quickly gathering, determined to capture him and the remnants of Night Lord under him in one fell swoop. His self-righteous concealment of information made those above finallypletely confirm his problem.

    This was also the scene Zhanyue saw earlier of squad after squad of soldiers entering Hundred Birds City through the transmission array. Because they were afraid that mobilizing troops nearby would alert General He, the Rising Sun Kingdom chose to airdrop troops from the easternmost point through the transmission array, wanting to thoroughly control General He and his group with lightning speed.

 Chapter 96: The Wind Stops, the Waves Rise Again

    Chapter 96: The Wind Stops, the Waves Rise Again

    Inside the mining area, it was extremely busy. Little Six felt that people had been exhausted these past few days, but there was no way to rest at all. He mined the spirit stone ore pickaxe swing after pickaxe swing, his expression somewhat numb.

    Outside the mining area, many rtives of the miners rushed over, carrying vegetable baskets.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t my husbande back yesterday?¡± A farmer¡¯s wife asked, her eyes full of worry.

    The soldier stopped her and exined, ¡°Madam, these past few days the higher-ups have been urging tightly. Everyone is working overtime. At night they stay in the mining sheds and we provide the meals.¡±

    ¡°Why suddenly need to work overtime? There was no such thing before.¡± The woman was a bit puzzled.

    ¡°You woman, how bold. How can you question the government¡¯s decisions? Don¡¯t worry, after a while they will be released to go back. Since you brought food, I¡¯ll help deliver it inside for you. Don¡¯t stand here anymore.¡± Another officer came and said. Under his authority, those who came looking for their family members all retreated in disappointment. After all, they didn¡¯t dare offend the officers and soldiers and also felt that working in this purple crystal mine shouldn¡¯t have any major problems.

    However, not long after this group withdrew, squad after squad of soldiers surrounded the area from all directions, encircling this mining site watertight.

    ¡°Everyone inside, put down your weapons and seal your cultivation. Otherwise, you¡¯ll be treated as rebels!¡± A high-pitched voice rang out.

    The soldiers inside the mining site looked at each other, some with faces full of shock. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why are we surrounded by our own people? Looking at their banners, they seem to be troops from the coastal areas.¡± Some people asked in puzzlement.

    Not long after, General He, who was in charge here, strode out. As a seventh-level Moon Profound expert, General He Zudao¡¯s position was naturally extraordinary. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t be responsible for supervising this core mine.

    ¡°What are you doing! You dare surround my people!¡± General He Zudao shouted. However, he had an ominous premonition in his heart.

    ¡°General He, long time no see.¡± A middle-aged man in white robes and with the appearance of a schr stood out. He had a handsome face and a kind smile, but was aplete smiling tiger.

    ¡°City Lord Guan Yunpeng? What long time no see? Didn¡¯t we just meet a few days ago?¡± He Zudao was already nning how to escape in his heart.

    Guan Yunpeng didn¡¯t waste words and sighed, ¡°His Majesty treated you well, letting you be responsible for such a core mine within the borders. It can be said to be a task with little work and much profit. However, you actually defected to Night Lord and became his running dog, stealing purple crystal ore for Night Lord to use as funds for their rebellion. What crime should you be charged with!¡±

    He Zudao¡¯s face changed and he reprimanded, ¡°City Lord Guan, you can¡¯t speak nonsense. Although I, He, work under your governance in Hundred Birds City, I was dispatched from the Imperial Capital. What qualifications do you have to punish me!¡±

    ¡°Originally we wanted to catch a big fish with a long line. Unfortunately, the discovery of this spirit stone mine disrupted the n. If Night Lord gets a bit more purple crystal coins, we can still ept it. But if he gets so many spirit stones, I¡¯m afraid I, Guan, would be a sinner of the Rising Sun Kingdom. Today, He Zudao and the other running dogs of Night Lord, don¡¯t even think about leaving!¡±

    He Zudao knew that the matter had been exposed. These spirit stones probably couldn¡¯t be taken away. A hint of resentment shed in his eyes. He didn¡¯t know who had leaked the information. Obviously, his control over this mining area was absolute. Not even a fly could fly out.

    ¡°Talking is useless. Let¡¯s show our true skills. Although I¡¯m at the seventh level of the Moon Profound Realm, you¡¯re only at the ninth level. In actualbat, I may not necessarily lose to you!¡± He Zudao took out a pair of gloves, his contracted item. Instantly, his hands had immense strength. He smashed a rock towards a ce, and the soldiers besieging there were instantly scattered by the huge impact.

    Guan Yunpeng frowned, knowing that He Zudao was going to start a massacre. He snorted coldly, ¡°What are you waiting for, take action!¡±

    A soldier hiding not far behind He Zudao suddenly appeared behind him like a ghost. The sharp de in his hand almost cut off He Zudao¡¯s neck, but he dodged it at thest moment.

    He Zudao looked at that person in surprise, ¡°Who are you!¡±

    That soldier took off a mask that was like human skin. The mask instantly turned into a white false face, which was his contracted item. It could perfectly conceal his realm and appearance.

    ¡°It¡¯s me. General He, as the 30th of the Ny-Nine Demons under Night Lord, the ¡®Wealthy General¡¯, you really made me put in a lot of effort. His Majesty is wise and divine. He long noticed that you might have a problem and sent me to lurk by your side. These years, you¡¯ve provided quite a lot of purple crystal coins to Night Lord. You really live up to the name Wealthy General.¡± The false-faced General Gao Liang, who belonged to the Rising Sun Empire¡¯s secret troops, mocked.

    Under the joint efforts of Hundred Birds City Lord Guan Yunpeng and false-faced General Gao Liang, two peak Moon Profound experts, the seventh-level Moon Profound He Zudao was quickly killed. They originally wanted to capture him alive, but He Zudao resisted to the death. Not long after, the mining site waspletely suppressed. All the soldiers and miners inside were taken back for strict interrogation. Only those confirmed not to be He Zudao¡¯s minions were released.

    ¡°Should we really release all these miners to go home? What about the news of the spirit stone vein?¡± Guan Yunpeng asked with some concern.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to make things difficult for these ordinary people. I reckon that He Zudao had long passed the information to Night Lord¡¯s people. The secret here can¡¯t be kept. Besides, spirit stone veins are recorded in ancient books as the most valuable ore deposits. It¡¯s not something you and I can be responsible for. His Majesty should have already dispatched Spirit God Realm experts from the pce to take over. We can leave the matters after to them.¡± Gao Liang said.

    ¡°That¡¯s good too. I also don¡¯t want to increase my sins. Besides, the future mining of these spirit stones will still rely on nearby miners. It¡¯s just that the Spirit God Realm seniors of my Rising Sun Kingdom are really busy. Like this, the Eastern Kingdom still wants Wind Lord to take the post at the academy. When the old man leaves, what about the Holy Maiden? The Holy Maiden is the future of the Human Race.¡± Guan Yunpeng said with concern.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I heard the Holy Maiden will also go to the First United Academy soon and will have someone apany her. Her safety will be taken care of. You and I shouldn¡¯t meddle in these matters. Is this something for you and me to manage?¡± False-faced General Gao Liang said.

    ¡°Is that so? The Holy Maiden is going on a long journey again? I hope everything goes smoothly.¡± Guan Yunpeng said. These matters naturally weren¡¯t for a city lord of a border city like him to worry about.

    The miners who had been scared out of their wits didn¡¯t expect to have a day where they could be released alive to go home. They all rushed home with lingering fear. Iron Bull and Little Six were from the same vige, so naturally they went back together.

    ¡°Brother Iron Bull, why have you been gloomy the whole way?¡± Little Six asked.

    A hint of a strange expression shed in Iron Bull¡¯s eyes, then it returned to its original honest look. ¡°No¡­ it¡¯s nothing. Just a bit frightened.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s understandable. Before, it was a battle between Profound practitioners. I didn¡¯t expect to be able to see a battle between Profound practitioners in this life and even survive.¡± Little Six said with lingering fear.

    ¡°Those three ants just now? If I was at my prime, I could crush them to death with a single finger. ording to the partial memories I integrated, the Human Race now seems to have declined too much. Profound practitioners¡­ Profound practitioners are probably only equivalent to the strength of Foundation Establishment. But what the hell are contracted items? Why did these things appear? Before clearly understanding this world, I still have to rely on this identity and gather more intelligence.¡± This person said to himself in his heart.

 Chapter 97: A Mother Knows Her Child Best

    Chapter 97: A Mother Knows Her Child Best

    Returning home, Iron Bull¡¯s mother had been waiting for a long time.

    ¡°Iron Bull¡­ Iron Bull, you¡¯re finally back. I was worried to death.¡± Iron Bull¡¯s mother was a woman in her sixties or seventies. Her hair was graying and her face haggard, clearly having suffered a lot.

    ¡°Mom¡­ I¡­ I¡¯m back.¡± Iron Bull replied. He had integrated Iron Bull¡¯s memories and learned a lot of things. Although the memories weren¡¯tplete, he thought it shouldn¡¯t be a problem to deal with this olddy.

    ¡°Iron Bull must be hungry. I steamed some buns. Quickly go in and eat some.¡± The old woman said.

    Then Iron Bull walked into the house, picked up a steaming bun and started eating. The old woman¡¯s eyes paused, shing a hint of doubt. Since childhood, Iron Bull had always been very filial. The first bite at the dinner table would always be given to her to eat. He definitely wouldn¡¯t be like this.

    ¡°Iron Bull¡­ do you remember what day tomorrow is?¡± The old woman asked.

    ¡°To¡­ tomorrow?¡± Iron Bull thought for a long time and shook his head. ¡°I have no impression. These past few days I suffered too many shocks. My state isn¡¯t very good.¡±

    The old womanforted, ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay. As long as you¡¯re safe, it¡¯s good.¡± The old woman¡¯s doubts grew heavier in her heart. Tomorrow was the death anniversary of his father. How could Iron Bull possibly forget this date?

    ¡°Come, drink some soup. Don¡¯t just eat buns.¡± The old woman brought over a bowl of bone soup and handed it to Iron Bull. Iron Bull¡¯s family lived quite a bit better than ordinary farmer families. They could afford to eat white flour buns and drink bone soup. Naturally, it was because Iron Bull worked at the mine. Iron Bull drank it in one gulp, secretly thinking it wasfortable. He also needed food and drink now. He originally wanted to kill this woman and be done with it, but was afraid of rming others. Besides, keeping her to take care of his life wasn¡¯t bad either. He needed to eat now, but he didn¡¯t want to cook himself. This was something he hadn¡¯t done for who knows how many years.

    Only after Iron Bullid down did the old woman return to her own room and light the enlightenment stonemp. Her face was deathly pale, full of worry and fear. ¡°This person is definitely not Iron Bull. Who on earth is he?¡± Usually, Iron Bull would personallye to check the enlightenment stonemp and light it, deeply afraid that something would go wrong. But today, hepletely didn¡¯t do so.

    The next day, the old woman prepared breakfast and woke up Iron Bull.

    ¡°I heard the mine gave you two days off? I¡¯ll go into the city to buy some fish and meat to nourish you well.¡± The old woman said.

    Hearing fish and meat, that Iron Bull¡¯s eyes lit up. Having been sealed for who knows how many years, his desire for taste was now strong. ¡°Mom, you go.¡±

    The old woman took money and grain and went to Hundred Birds City alone. Their vige was very close to Hundred Birds City. A round trip could be made in a morning. It was just that the old woman¡¯s mind was heavy. If her son was really possessed by an evil thing, it was probably not something she or the vigers could handle. She hoped to go into the city to report. If she could see a big shot like the city lord, it would be foolproof. Although this old woman was advanced in years, her mind was very meticulous. The moment she became suspicious, she didn¡¯t startle the snake in the grass. Having toiled all her life, if she didn¡¯t have some wits, she probably wouldn¡¯t have been able to raise Iron Bull by herself.

    ¡°Officer, listen to me. My son has really changed. He¡¯s definitely not my son. He must be possessed by an evil spirit, maybe even a Nightmare!¡± The old woman found a squad leader in charge of city defense to report. With her status, she naturally couldn¡¯t see the city lord.

    That squad leader said a bit impatiently, ¡°Don¡¯t disturb my work. What evil spirit, what Nightmare, you said yourself your son can be active under the sun. If possessed by a Nightmare, how could he be active under the sun? I guess you¡¯re overthinking it. Go back andmunicate well with your son. You¡¯re not young anymore either.¡±

    The squad leader thought this woman¡¯s son was unfilial and the old woman was using the name of evil spirits, wanting them to help punish and discipline her son.

    ¡°Really, I¡¯m not lying to you. Iron Bull¡¯s eyes are off. The tone he speaks with is also off. He¡­ he even forgot his father¡¯s death anniversary. This is absolutely impossible. He¡¯s definitely not my son Iron Bull. Go with me to take a look.¡± The old woman pleaded.

    ¡°You old woman, you¡¯re being unreasonable. We are soldiers responsible for city defense, not for mediating your family conflicts!¡± That squad leader was a bit angry. His initial patience had been exhausted.

    ¡°But¡­ but dealing with Nightmares and evil spirits, isn¡¯t that your job?¡± The old woman looked at the squad leader in front of her anxiously and in confusion.

    The squad leader shook his head helplessly and took out a few purple crystal coins to hand to the old woman. ¡°Olddy, go into the city and buy some good food. Adjust your mood. Also use the money to buy your son some good wine and meat. You two have a good talk. How can there be overnight grievances between mother and son? That mixed brat forgetting his father¡¯s death anniversary is indeed not a thing, but we really can¡¯t step forward to discipline him. What kind of matter is this?¡±

    However, the old woman didn¡¯t take the money. ¡°I don¡¯t want your money. I only ask that you send someone to go with me to take a look. Iron Bull¡­ he¡¯s really not right.¡± Tears fell from the old woman¡¯s anxiety.

    The passersby nearby all pointed and whispered. That squad leader only felt his scalp go numb. This olddy was really a big trouble. Would others think I bullied her?

    A youth in white clothes walked over following the sound of crying. He saw a soldier in armor talking with an old woman. That soldier held a few purple crystal coins in his hand, while the old woman was in tears. This white-clothed youth was none other than Zhanyue who had recently teleported over. Zhanyue shook his head, secretly thinking how the world was declining. What kind of ghost was this Rising Sun Kingdom? An upstanding city guard soldier was actually robbing an old woman in broad daylight.

    That squad leader saw Zhanyue¡¯s expression and felt a bit anxious. If he was misunderstood, he was afraid it would affect his official career.

    ¡°You¡­ it¡¯s you, stop right there,e over!¡± That squad leader pointed at Zhanyue and said.

    Zhanyue furrowed his brows. He already disliked this soldier, but this was after all someone else¡¯s jurisdiction. It wasn¡¯t good for him to take action. However, that soldier actually directly provoked him.

    ¡°Do you have something?¡± Zhanyue walked over, his attitude unfriendly. That old woman¡¯s eyes were red from crying, making Zhanyue feel distressed and thinking he should teach this dog a lesson.

    ¡°Olddy, look, look at other people¡¯s man-eating eyes. I¡¯ve been misunderstood. Really, really don¡¯t cling to me anymore. Just take this money. Consider it me begging you.¡± That squad leader said.

    Hearing this, Zhanyue paused. The matter seemed different from what he imagined.

    That old woman didn¡¯t take the money and instead looked at Zhanyue. ¡°Young master, this officer didn¡¯t bully me.¡±

    ¡°Then why are you crying so grievously?¡± Zhanyue asked in puzzlement.

    The old woman then recounted the whole course of events. That squad leader sighed. Finally his name was cleared.

    However, Zhanyue listened with his scalp going numb. ¡°Olddy, are you really sure there¡¯s a problem with your son?¡±

    The old woman nodded, iparably firm.

    ¡°Zhanyue, go take a look. If there really is some Nightmare that can possess a living person and even act during the day, it¡¯s probably a huge matter. Better to believe it exists than believe it doesn¡¯t.¡± The illumination Goddess¡¯s voice came.

    ¡°But a Nightmare that can be active under the sun is probably very strong. Can I beat it?¡± Zhanyue asked with some concern.

    ¡°What¡¯s there to be afraid of? I¡¯m here.¡± The illumination Goddess said. She had secret arts to protect Zhanyue.

    ¡°Alright.¡± Zhanyue agreed.

    ¡°Olddy, I¡¯m also a contractor. I¡¯ll go back with you first to take a look. If there¡¯s really an abnormality, we¡¯lle back to report to the officials, how about that?¡± Zhanyue asked.

    ¡°You? I¡¯m afraid you¡¯re not that evil spirit¡¯s match.¡± The olddy was a bit worried.

    Zhanyue patted his chest. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m much more capable than that guy. Besides, it¡¯s just observing and confirming. We don¡¯t necessarily have to get into a conflict with him.¡±

    That squad leader¡¯s scalp went numb. For a moment, he didn¡¯t know whether to thank or me Zhanyue. He could only pretend he didn¡¯t hear.

    ¡°Is that so? Then many thanks, young master.¡± The old woman finally breathed a sigh of relief. She bought some fish and meat and led Zhanyue towards her home.

 Chapter 98: Soul Possession

    Chapter 98: Soul Possession

    On the way, Zhanyue learned that the old woman¡¯s surname was Zhao. The two discussed how to deal with Iron Bullter. Soon after, the two arrived at Mingchun Vige. This quiet vige was located not far from Hundred Birds City and was considered a safe zone for human habitation. But at night, enlightenment stonemps were still needed to guard against the unexpected.

    Birds circled in the sky, red, green, yellow, all sorts of varieties. There were a huge number of bird species near Hundred Birds City, which was how the city got its name. It was just that those bird calls now seemed very tense, as if foreboding an imminent change.

    Mingchun Vige only had about two hundred people. Everyone knew each other. Seeing Granny Zhao bring back a stranger, many people cast puzzled gazes.

    ¡°Auntie Zhao, who is this young man? Howe I¡¯ve never seen him before? He¡¯s really handsome.¡± A passing woman asked. The woman looked to be in her forties or fifties. Her gaze sized up Zhanyue back and forth. At this moment, Zhanyue was dressed in white clothes. With his handsome looks, he truly seemed like the young master of some family,pletely out of ce with these vigers.

    ¡°A warm-hearted young man I met on the road. He helped me a lot. He¡¯s trying to find Flying Cloud Post Station to the west but can¡¯t find the way. It just so happens our vige isn¡¯t far from there, so I¡¯m having hime over to rest a bit.¡± Granny Zhao exined. Zhanyue was indeed going to Flying Cloud Post Station. That was the starting point for flying across Sunset Gorge. Most people going to the Jade Rosy Kingdom would board an airship there.

    Not long after, Granny Zhao returned home. She took a deep breath to calm herself before opening the door.

    Iron Bull looked at his old mother who had returned, then at Zhanyue standing behind her. He couldn¡¯t help but be alert in his heart.

    ¡°Mother, you¡¯re back. Who is he?¡± Iron Bull asked.

    As Iron Bull was sizing up Zhanyue, Zhanyue was also sizing him up. From the outside, Iron Bull looked no different from an ordinary person. Zhanyue didn¡¯t know if it was an illusion, but he felt those eyes seemed to have experienced vicissitudes, definitely not something a farmer should have. ¡°I encountered a thief in the city. Fortunately, this young master helped. He happens to want to go to Flying Cloud Post, and our vige is in that direction. After I make a mealter, eat lunch, then take him to Flying Cloud Post. He may not be able to find the way.¡± Granny Zhao said. She had Iron Bull in middle age and doted on him greatly. In order to figure out the situation with Iron Bull, she could be said to have put in a lot of effort.

    ¡°Alright.¡± Iron Bull nodded. He was displeased in his heart, secretly thinking it was really troublesome to use someone else¡¯s identity. This white-clothed youth also had cultivation. He couldn¡¯t let him see any ws.

    ¡°How is it, Sister?¡± Zhanyue had long opened vision sharing. The illumination Goddess had a clear view of everything in front of him.

    ¡°I can sense there are indeed two soul auras inside him, one strong and one weak. But I haven¡¯t detected the aura of a Nightmare. It¡¯s not in the form of a Nightmare possessing a corpse. It¡¯s more like soul possession recorded in ancient books. He was very likely possessed by some powerful soul.¡± The illumination Goddess quickly made a judgment.

    ¡°Soul possession? It¡¯s actually soul possession.¡± Zhanyue didn¡¯t expect to hear this term. ¡°Is there still hope for Iron Bull?¡±

    ¡°That weak soul hasn¡¯t disappeared. Perhaps this person¡¯s strength hasn¡¯t recovered yet and he hasn¡¯t had time topletely refine the original soul. If his soul is peeled off now, Iron Bull should still have hope. It¡¯s just¡­ with soul damage, the best result is probably still an idiotic cripple.¡± The illumination Goddess said regretfully.

    ¡°Is that so.¡± Zhanyue thought of the old woman¡¯s face and felt some heartache. ¡°What is this person¡¯s strength like now? Can I be his match?¡±

    ¡°On the surface, he won¡¯t be your match. But since he¡¯s someone who knows the art of soul possession, he probably has some hidden means. You can¡¯t let your guard down.¡± The illumination Goddess reminded. The soul possession technique was an ancient art, not something everyone knew.

    ¡°I know. But if we dy too long, I¡¯m afraid Iron Bull¡¯s original soul will bepletely refined and even gods and immortals won¡¯t be able to save him.¡± Zhanyue said. As for how to force that soul to leave Iron Bull¡¯s body, Zhanyue already had an idea ¨C directly ¡°cripple¡± Iron Bull. He didn¡¯t believe that soul would upy a scrapped body.

    Not long after, Iron Bull¡¯s mother finished preparing the meal. There was meat, fish, wine, letting Zhanyue have a hearty meal. The taste of this farmer¡¯s cooking was quite different from that in restaurants.

    ¡°I¡¯m full.¡± After eating, Iron Bullfortably patted his belly. It had been a very, very long time since he experienced the taste of worldly delicacies.

    Iron Bull¡¯s mother had a smile at the corner of her mouth, but her eyes were a bit bleak. Although Iron Bull was sitting alive beside her, she could clearly distinguish he wasn¡¯t her son. At this point, she could only ce all her hopes on Zhanyue.

    ¡°Brother Iron Bull, sorry for the trouble. Take me to Flying Cloud Post.¡± Zhanyue said with a smile.

    Iron Bull nodded. ¡°No problem. Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll treat it as exercise after a meal.¡±

    ¡°You guys hurry. Iron Bull, rest there at night. Onlye back after dawn. Don¡¯t travel at night.¡± Granny Zhao reminded.

    Zhanyue exchanged nces with her, giving her a reassuring look, then followed Iron Bull out the door.

    This Iron Bull only had a faint impression, knowing the direction of Flying Cloud Post but notpletely clear on how to get there. He hadn¡¯tpletely refined Iron Bull¡¯s memories and soul. He had been sealed for who knew how many years and was really too weak.

    The two each harbored their own thoughts and left the vige, arriving at a wilderness. Zhanyue didn¡¯t want to make things difficult in the vige. The vigers were all ordinary people. He was afraid of harming innocent lives. And this Iron Bull was on guard against Zhanyue, also not wanting to be exposed in the vige. He was really too weak at the moment and still needed this identity as a cover. Once he recovered some strength and had the ability to protect himself, even if he ughtered the vige, what would it matter?

    ¡°Brother Iron Bull, is this road really the way to Flying Cloud Post?¡± Zhanyue asked doubtfully.

    Iron Bull¡¯s heart shook. This fellow saw through it so quickly? Looks like he can¡¯t be allowed to live. I must kill him in one blow!

    Iron Bull turned around, looking at Zhanyue with an honest face. However, behind him, a red cone-shaped magic treasure was floating in mid-air, blocked by his body.

    ¡°No problem. You see that tree? That tree is the marker.¡± Iron Bull pointed at a tree beside them.

    Just as Zhanyue turned his head, Iron Bull let out half his body. The cone-shaped magic treasure behind him flew over at extreme speed, but the fatal red line pounced on empty air.

    Zhanyue had already appeared behind Iron Bull. His knife hand became a sword, directly piercing through Iron Bull¡¯s abdomen!

    ¡°You¡­¡± Iron Bull looked at the hole in his abdomen in disbelief. This body of his was only a mortal body. His own soul power hadn¡¯t recovered. At this moment, he was at his weakest. He actually couldn¡¯t even block a single move from Zhanyue.

    ¡°Your means aren¡¯t bad. If I wasn¡¯t on guard against you, your sneak attack would have seeded.¡± Zhanyue said. That terrifying red cone-shaped magic treasure seemed very, very dangerous.

    ¡°This body can¡¯t be used anymore. No, this old man will fight it out with him. I don¡¯t believe his soul power can be stronger than mine!¡± Iron Bull pondered. Then he left Iron Bull¡¯s body and turned into a mass of ck qi, possessing Zhanyue¡¯s body. He wanted to directly possess Zhanyue¡¯s soul!

    Zhanyue saw Iron Bull¡¯s momentary soulless state and used State Reversal on him, healing his injuries and saving his life. Afterwards, he felt an evil and powerful force invading his soul.

    In the soul world, that mass of ck qi condensed into human form.

 Chapter 99: The Curse and the Heaven Punishing Demon Sword

    Chapter 99: The Curse and the Heaven Punishing Demon Sword

    ¡°Hehehe, I, Demon Sword Ancestor, have never feared anyone. Little brat, you delivered yourself to me. This body of yours is mine!¡± The ck humanoid figure said.

    ¡°How could I fear you!¡± Zhanyue¡¯s soul was a mass of white radiance, unable to even transform into human form like the ck qi, clearly showing the disparity in the strength of their souls.

    ¡°Someone like me, Demon Sword Ancestor, was also a domineering figure back then. To think I was almost harmed by a junior like you. It¡¯s truly a case of a tiger falling to the nds and being bullied by dogs.¡± Demon Sword Ancestormented. He wanted to slowly recover, but Zhanyue didn¡¯t give him a chance. He could only forcefully drive his soul power to upy Zhanyue¡¯s body, but he was afraid he would need even longer to recover afterwards.

    ¡°If you possessed another animal to escape, I might really have no way to deal with you. But you shouldn¡¯t have, you really shouldn¡¯t have entered my soul world. This ce is the safest for me.¡± Zhanyueughed. Then, a giant sun rose behind him. A powerful aura appeared, and the sun transformed into the figure of a woman. It was none other than the illumination Goddess connected to Zhanyue¡¯s soul. Zhanyue was perhaps the person least afraid of soul possession now, but this Demon Sword Ancestor just had to target his body, truly falling into a trap.

    ¡°Not good, I¡¯ve been tricked!¡± Demon Sword Ancestor¡¯s face turned deathly pale. If he was at his peak, he wouldn¡¯t fear this powerful force. But the current him waspletely unable to contend against the woman. ¡°Flee!¡±

    Demon Sword Ancestor wanted to escape, but the illumination Goddess didn¡¯t give him any chance at all. Before long, that mass of ck qi became very thin and blurry.

    ¡°Sp-spare me. I¡¯m from the previous Primal Era. I know many secrets, many lost techniques, the locations of many secret realms.¡± Demon Sword Ancestor was truly afraid. No matter what, he never imagined he would face such a powerful soul at his weakest moment. This little brat was the real one ying pig to eat tiger.

    Hearing this, Zhanyue was somewhat tempted. He didn¡¯t expect this remnant soul to actually be from the previous Primal Era. But then his eyes changed. ¡°Sister, kill him, eradicate himpletely!¡±

    Demon Sword Ancestor was startled. He never expected Zhanyue to be so decisive, unable to be lured even by these secrets. ¡°Hehehe, little brat, even if I die, don¡¯t think you¡¯ll have it easy!! Demon Soul Curse!¡± Demon Sword Ancestor actually self-destructed his spirit soul, leaving behind a curse in Zhanyue¡¯s soul world. This Demon Sword Ancestor was also an overlord of his generation, naturally with extraordinary means. Before his soul waspletely annihted, scene after scene of memories unfolded. He, Demon Sword Ancestor, roamed the world. A sword called ¡®Heaven Punishing Demon Sword¡¯ killed until the world trembled. In the end, it was the Human Race¡¯s supreme of the Void Heaven Realm who personally took action to suppress and kill him. A wisp of his remnant soul escaped into the Demon Sword. The supreme destroyed the Demon Sword¡¯s sword spirit and sealed it. When the Demon Sword was sealed, Demon Sword Ancestor¡¯s remnant soul was also sealed. As the supreme perished, countless yearster, the sealing power had nearly disappeared. He saw the light of day again, originally thinking that in this life he would definitely be able to climb to the peak again. He didn¡¯t expect to encounter the illumination Goddess in the starting vige and be forced to self-destruct.

    A thread of blood color appeared within Zhanyue¡¯s originally pure white soul. That was the power of the curse.

    ¡°What is this?¡± Zhanyue secretly thought it wasn¡¯t good, but he couldn¡¯t detect the effect of the curse¡¯s power.

    ¡°Sigh¡­ it¡¯s actually a Spirit Soul Curse.¡± The illumination Goddess secretly sighed. Even with her going all out, she wasn¡¯t able to stop the other party from using the curse technique. ¡°He left a curse in your soul. As long as you use soul power, you will suffer immense pain.¡±

    Zhanyue didn¡¯t believe it and immediately drove his soul. Pill fire appeared in his palm, but it was instantly extinguished. Zhanyue copsed to the ground, his head aching so much it felt like it would split. That kind of pain originated from the soul and waspletely unbearable. This meant he couldn¡¯t fight or refine pills from now on, no different from being crippled. He understood why Sun Wukong feared the Golden Hoop Curse.

    ¡°What¡­ what should I do?¡± Zhanyue panicked for a moment. This meant he would be a cripple from now on.

    ¡°Sigh¡­¡± The soul power of the illumination Goddess transformed back into a sun, enveloping Zhanyue¡¯s soul. Zhanyue only felt iparablyfortable, as if his entire person was soaking in a hot spring, while being caressed by countless soft and warm hands. The most intimate contact between souls made both of them feel a strange sensation. It was an experience even more profound than physical interaction.

    Not long after, their spirit souls separated. Zhanyue only felt his soul be active again. Freely driving his power also no longer brought the previous pain. At this moment, even Zhanyue¡¯s face was a bit flushed. The previous soul experience was extremely pleasurable.

    ¡°The curse was transferred to my soul body, but it wasn¡¯tpletely eliminated. I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be able to easily take action in the future. Otherwise, I will simrly be affected by the curse. Keep a low profile when you act in the future.¡± The illumination Goddess said indifferently.

    ¡°Sister¡­ you¡­¡± Zhanyue was both moved and distressed. He had just experienced that kind of pain.

    ¡°You and I are one. The curse is better on me than on you. Besides, the current me generally doesn¡¯t need to use too much power. As long as I don¡¯t go all out, that curse won¡¯t affect me. It¡¯s just that this ultimately isn¡¯t a solution. We still need to find a way topletely remove this curse.¡± The illumination Goddessforted. In the current world, there were very few people who could make her go all out. ¡°Even without using my full strength, I¡¯m still at the level of Thunder Lord and Sword Lord. You don¡¯t need to be too guilty.¡±

    ¡°Demon Sword Ancestor¡­¡± Zhanyue hated him so much his teeth itched. He knew this remnant soul was a person from the previous Primal Era, even more not daring to spare his life, fearing their means were too numerous and too strange. He didn¡¯t expect he still got hit.

    ¡°Sister, I will definitely find a way to help you dispel the curse.¡±

    Picking up the red cone that fell to the ground, this was the only trophy. This treasure was already an ownerless item, but it was quickly refined by Zhanyue.

    ¡°This¡­ this is actually a flying sword! It¡¯s just that Demon Sword Ancestor¡¯s spiritual power from before wasn¡¯t enough to activate it. Demon Sword Ancestor, Demon Sword Ancestor, could this thing be the demon sword in his title?!¡± Zhanyue¡¯s heart shook!

    Helping Iron Bull up, the unconscious Iron Bull woke up not long after, but his eyes were dull, drooling, no different from an idiot.

    ¡°Although I saved him, with him in this state, how heartbroken will Granny Zhao be seeing him? How will this mother and son live in the future?¡± Zhanyue said, looking at Iron Bull¡¯s current appearance. Although Iron Bull didn¡¯t die, after being possessed, his soul was damaged and no longer the same as before.

    Sighing, Zhanyue¡¯s eyes seemed to be struggling with something. Finally making up his mind, he took out a medicine bottle. When he was with the Mountain Macaque n, he had obtained three bottles of pills and three top-grade pill forms, two of eighth-grade and one of ninth-grade. One of the pills in one of the bottles was precisely the eighth-grade Soul Molding Pill, having an extremely good effect on soul injuries.

    ¡°Have you really thought it through? That is an eighth-grade pill. Are you really willing to use it on him?¡± The illumination Goddess reminded.

    Zhanyue nodded. ¡°This kind of pill was invented precisely to save people like him. Could it be that just because he¡¯s an ordinary person, he doesn¡¯t have the qualifications to take it? I don¡¯t have the ability to save everyone under the heavens, but saving Iron Bull is not a problem. Besides, I don¡¯t want to betray Granny Zhao¡¯s trust. What¡¯s the use of bringing back an idiot?¡± Zhanyue knew that he clearly had a way to treat Iron Bull now but didn¡¯t save him. He was afraid he wouldn¡¯t be able to face Granny Zhao¡¯s gaze. This might be his heart demon.

    Feeding Iron Bull this eighth-grade pill, Iron Bull fell into deep sleep again. When he woke up next time, he would be a normal person. It was just that some memories might be missing, but it wasn¡¯t important. At least he wouldn¡¯t forget his mother.

    ¡°I find that I admire you a bit now.¡± The illumination Goddessughed.

    ¡°Sister¡¯s admiration, does it mean liking? Then I¡¯m really lucky.¡± Zhanyue joked.

    ¡°Glib tongue. Alright, study that flying sword carefully. Its value is probably even higher than the armor on your body.¡± The illumination Goddess reminded.

    As Zhanyue supported Iron Bull and walked back, a refined-looking youth in green Daoist robes appeared not far behind Zhanyue at some unknown time, looking at Zhanyue¡¯s back with a yful expression.

    ¡°That was an eighth-grade pill, yet he fed it to an ordinary person just like that? What magnanimity. The person chosen by that old monk is a bit interesting.¡± The Daoist youth passed by this ce and sensed the aura of that string of Buddha beads, so he hurried over, just in time to see the scene of Zhanyue feeding the eighth-grade pill to Iron Bull. Then he followed not far behind Zhanyue, but Zhanyue couldn¡¯t detect his existence at all.

 Chapter 100: Soaring Over Rosy Valley (1)

    Chapter 100: Soaring Over Rosy Valley (1)

    Although Iron Bull was big and tall, with Zhanyue¡¯s current strength, it was a piece of cake to carry him on his back. The two quickly returned to the vige.

    The old woman had long been waiting at the vige entrance. Only when she saw Zhanyue return did her expression rx a bit. However, when she saw the unconscious Iron Bull, her face instantly turned deathly pale again.

    ¡°What happened to Iron Bull?¡± The old woman asked anxiously.

    ¡°He¡¯s fine, just fell into a deep sleep. He should wake up soon. Although the evil spirit possessing him has been expelled, I¡¯m afraid his memory has been damaged after this ordeal.¡± Zhanyue exined.

    ¡°There really was an evil spirit possessing him?¡± Although the old woman had long guessed so, only when she heard these words from Zhanyue¡¯s mouth did she feel a chill down her spine.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s fine now.¡± Zhanyueforted.

    ¡°Alright, alright, thank you young master, thank you young master. I¡­ I don¡¯t know how to repay you.¡± The old woman was a bit embarrassed, unable to repay such a great kindness.

    The two supported Iron Bull into the house. As it was gettingte, Zhanyue had no choice but to stay the night at Iron Bull¡¯s home. Soon, Iron Bull woke up, his eyes a bit dazed. Wasn¡¯t he mining in the mine shaft? How did he appear in his own home? His soul body wasn¡¯t strong enough, he didn¡¯t even retain any memories of what happened before.

    ¡°My head¡­ it hurts a lot.¡± Iron Bull rubbed his head. Only then did he notice someone sitting beside him, giving him a fright. ¡°You¡¯re awake? Do you still know where this ce is?¡± Zhanyue asked.

    ¡°This is my home, where else could it be? Who are you? Why are you in my house?¡± Iron Bull looked at Zhanyue a bit nervously.

    At this time, the old woman heard themotion and knew Iron Bull was awake. She brought over a bowl of medicinal soup that had the effect of refreshing the mind.

    ¡°Iron Bull, quickly drink the medicine.¡± The old woman handed it over.

    Although puzzled, Iron Bull never doubted his mother. Without asking any questions, he drank it all in one gulp.

    ¡°This young master is your great benefactor. You were previously possessed by an evil spirit and turned into another person. Your mom was worried to death. Fortunately, this young master took action and helped expel the evil spirit from you.¡± The old woman exined.

    ¡°Hm?¡± Iron Bull was a bit dazed, but he could feel that something had indeed happened to him. It didn¡¯t seem fake. Plus, with his mother also saying so, he stood up and bowed to Zhanyue, ¡°Thank you young master for saving my life.¡±

    ¡°Alright, alright, you must all be hungry. The meal is ready.¡± The old woman smiled. The vegetables bought in the morning weren¡¯t used up yet. It was just right to use them at night to reward Zhanyue and also nourish Iron Bull¡¯s body.

    Iron Bull looked at the table full of delicious food, a hint of a smile appearing on his face. Then he ced arge piece of meat into his mother¡¯s bowl. Only then did he start picking dishes with his chopsticks while inviting Zhanyue. ¡°Benefactor, don¡¯t stand on ceremony. Eat quickly. My mom¡¯s cooking skills are pretty good.¡±

    The old woman looked at the meat in her bowl, tears flowing down. At this moment, she finally confirmed that her son hade back.

    ¡°Iron Bull, you had me so worried¡­¡± The mother and son hugged each other.

    Only now did Zhanyue breathe a sigh of relief. This pill of his wasn¡¯t wasted.

    One night passed without words. Early the next morning, Zhanyue left alone for Flying Cloud Post Station, not even alerting Iron Bull and the old woman, quietly leaving.

    ¡°The benefactor left?¡± The old woman only btedly discovered Zhanyue was gone after getting up. ¡°I hope the benefactor has a smooth journey.¡± She knew she also couldn¡¯t help Zhanyue with anything and had nothing to repay him with. She could only bless and pray.

    ¡°Interesting, interesting. I originally thought this kid was willing to use an eighth-grade pill, he must have some rtion to that big fellow. I didn¡¯t expect them to be strangers who met by chance.¡± The youth in green Daoist robes appeared again, unhurriedly following Zhanyue. However, Zhanyue was stillpletely unaware.

    Flying Cloud Post Station, although only a post station, was actually no different from a town. Merchants came and went in great numbers here. From time to time, there were airshipsnding and airships departing. Flying Cloud Post Station was the transportation hub connecting the Rising Sun Kingdom and the Jade Rosy Kingdom. Most people would board an airship from here, fly across Sunset Rosy Valley, and arrive at the Jade Rosy Kingdom on the Western World.

    ¡°I have already crossed the Broken Soul Mountain Range. This trip, I have elders from my n escorting me, don¡¯t worry. The White Family may value my life even more than myself, so I¡¯m very safe. I heard that Night Lord¡¯s people have been appearing in the Broken Soul Mountain Range and have killed quite a few people. You must be carefulter.¡±

    Zhanyue read Baizhi¡¯s spatial message and only rxed after confirming her whereabouts. At this moment, he was already on a huge airship. That airship used enormous gas bags as floating power. Below it, the suspended hull had dozens of rooms. Of course, such a luxurious airship was extremely expensive, but Zhanyue wasn¡¯t short on money.

    A Profound practitioner at the Star Profound Realm controlled the airship. Under his control, the airship slowly floated up. This airship actually also used enlightenment stones as a power source. Enlightenment stones could be considered the sr energy or batteries of this world. This trip would consume quite a lot of enlightenment stones, so the ticket from the Rising Sun Kingdom to the Jade Rosy Kingdom was very expensive. It was something an ordinary farmer couldn¡¯t afford even if they worked their whole life. The vast majority of ordinary people couldn¡¯t go to the other World in their entire lives.

    Inside the room, Zhanyue took out that red cone. Power continuously poured in. Gradually, that cone elongated at a visible speed, finally returning to its original state. It was a red treasured sword. The de was sharp and the body was like blood. Mysterious runes were engraved on the hilt. Just a nce could make one feel a thick bloody killing intent. Just suspended there, it was like a red primordial ancient beast. Fortunately, Zhanyue was the master of this ¡®ancient beast¡¯ and didn¡¯t feel too much pressure.

    ¡°Luckily, luckily that thief didn¡¯t recover enough spiritual energy. Otherwise, if he had the power to let this treasure show its true face, you definitely wouldn¡¯t have been his match. This sword is so terrifying¡­¡± The illumination Goddess looked at the flying sword in front of her, clicking her tongue in wonder. That Demon Sword Ancestor from the previous Primal Era left behind a demon sword, how could it be ordinary? This Heaven Punishing Demon Sword had a mysterious origin. Even Demon Sword Ancestor himself only obtained it by chance and didn¡¯t know its source.

    ¡°Good treasure. I happen to becking a handy weapon. That square sky halberd can¡¯t be activated when not using the Silver Moon Armor. With this treasured sword, it solves my urgent need.¡± Zhanyue smiled, satisfied as he examined this red flying sword. ¡°Unfortunately, I don¡¯t have a sword controlling art. I can only use this flying sword magic treasure as an ordinary sword.¡±

    ¡°Ay, I didn¡¯t browse carefully on Ghost Ind before. I don¡¯t know if those stalls had any sword controlling arts for sale. But it¡¯s toote to regret now.¡± Zhanyue said with some regret.

    Knocking sounds of ¡°dong dong dong¡± rang out. Zhanyue hurriedly put away the flying sword and opened the door with some puzzlement. Standing outside the door was a young man with a youthful and refined appearance, dressed in green Daoist robes.

    ¡°Friend, may I have a word with you?¡± This Daoist looked at Zhanyue with a yful expression.

 Chapter 101: Soaring Over Rosy Valley (2)

    Chapter 101: Soaring Over Rosy Valley (2)

    This was the first time Zhanyue had seen such a standard Daoist attire. Just that this person sought him out for no apparent reason, making him somewhat alert.

    ¡°May I ask who you are?¡± Zhanyue asked politely.

    ¡°This poor Daoist has no name. You can call me Alchemy Daoist.¡± That young Daoist replied, his face always carrying a hint of an affable smile.

    ¡°Alchemy Daoist?¡± Zhanyue¡¯s heart thudded. Could this person have some rtion to Golden Pill Elder?

    ¡°Naturally, you don¡¯t know me, but it knows me.¡± The Daoist pointed to that string of beads on Zhanyue¡¯s wrist. Those beads instantly lit up, emitting a scorching aura.

    Zhanyue¡¯s eyes widened. He had nearly forgotten about this matter. After all, that old monk only gave him a string of Buddha beads and didn¡¯t say where to go or who to find. It waspletely up to fate. From the initial anticipation to now, he had almost forgotten about it.

    ¡°You¡­ you are the person mentioned by that senior monk? An eighth¡­ eighth-grade alchemy grandmaster?¡± Zhanyue was a bit excited. If what that ascetic monk said was true, then the Daoist standing before him was an eighth-grade alchemist! You should know, even the four great families of alchemy who had fame throughout the world only had seventh-grade alchemists holding the fort. The heads of the four major business associations that controlled the world¡¯smerce had to be very polite when seeing an eighth-grade alchemist.

    ¡°Mm, I¡¯m an eighth-grade alchemist. What are you excited for?¡± Alchemy Daoist pouted. The eighth grade was an extremely high achievement for outsiders, but for him, it wasn¡¯t worth much because he could already refine ninth-grade pills. He was the only ninth-grade alchemist in the world. It was just that no one knew about this. Even that ascetic monk still thought he was at the eighth grade.

    ¡°Um¡­¡± Zhanyue didn¡¯t expect Alchemy Daoist to react this way. ¡°I also study the Alchemy Daoist, but I¡¯m only a fourth-grade alchemist. Seeing a senior naturally makes me excited.¡± ¡°No guts.¡± Alchemy Daoist said, ¡°Just an eighth-grade alchemist. Being able to refine eighth-grade pills isn¡¯t much skill. What, not inviting me in to sit? Just chatting at the door?¡±

    Only then did Zhanyue notice hisck of manners and hurriedly invited Alchemy Daoist into the room.

    Alchemy Daoist sat on the stool, his eyes once again sizing up Zhanyue. He asked, ¡°So, what request do you have? ording to my agreement with that old baldy, you can make one request, but whether I agree or not depends on my mood. You can ask me to refine an eighth-grade pill for you, or give you an eighth-grade pill form, or teach you some alchemy techniques. All of that is no problem.¡±

    Zhanyue calmed his excitement a bit and pondered what request he should make. Then his eyes lit up. Perhaps this Alchemy Daoist could solve his current predicament.

    ¡°Senior, I want to ask senior to take in a disciple.¡± Zhanyue said.

    ¡°Take in a disciple?¡± Alchemy Daoist furrowed his brows. ¡°If you have talent in alchemy, I might consider it. But taking in a disciple involves too much karmic entanglement. I¡¯m used to being carefree. Don¡¯t have too high expectations.¡±

    ¡°No no no.¡± Zhanyue exined, ¡°I don¡¯t hope for senior to take me as a disciple, but to take¡­ take a friend of mine as a disciple.¡±

    ¡°Hm?¡± Alchemy Daoist looked at Zhanyue in puzzlement. Wasn¡¯t he a fourth-grade alchemist himself? Why have him go take someone else as a disciple?

    ¡°A friend of mine has alchemy talent far surpassing mine. A few years younger than me and already a fifth-grade alchemist. Senior, take a look at these two things.¡± Zhanyue took out a fifth-grade pill refined by Baizhi and a self-developed fourth-grade pill.

    Alchemy Daoist nced at them and nodded. ¡°That¡¯s right. Your friend is indeed an alchemy genius seen once in a thousand years.¡± His spiritual sense swept over the pills and he already made a judgment. ¡°But, I don¡¯t take in disciples.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Zhanyue furrowed his brows. He originally wanted to find a backer for Baizhi. Her problem would naturally be easily solved. But this senior seemed not to be so easily dealt with. ¡°Didn¡¯t senior say you could consider it before?¡±

    Alchemy Daoist exined, ¡°If that person was you, I could consider it. If it¡¯s someone else, no matter what kind of genius they are, I won¡¯t consider it. You obtained the Buddha beads, so you naturally have a fated connection with me. The karmic ties already exist, so I don¡¯t mind taking you as a disciple. But for others, forget it. Taking in a disciple involves too much karmic entanglement. You don¡¯t understand this matter.¡±

    Zhanyue was pondering. If he appeared with the identity of Alchemy Daoist¡¯s disciple, could he solve Baizhi¡¯s problem? However, he shook his head. At a nce, Alchemy Daoist was a secluded expert. He didn¡¯t even want to get involved in karmic entanglements, so how would he meddle in these matters?

    ¡°What? Very disappointed? Who is that friend of yours?¡± Alchemy Daoist asked curiously.

    ¡°Oh, just a friend.¡± Zhanyue replied.

    ¡°A woman?¡± Alchemy Daoist asked again.

    ¡°Mm.¡± Zhanyue nodded truthfully.

    Alchemy Daoist showed an expression of ¡®as expected¡¯. Then he asked again, ¡°Why do you want me to take her as a disciple so much? With her talent, she doesn¡¯t need to rely on an eighth-grade alchemist like me and will still have extraordinary aplishments. She already likes to develop pills herself, so naturally she will have her own path.¡±

    Zhanyue thought for a bit. Perhaps there was no need to conceal this matter from this senior, so heid out Baizhi¡¯s situation in full.

    Alchemy Daoistughed loudly, ¡°Using such a genius to exchange for an eighth-grade pill form? Looks like poverty has limited their imagination. Kid, you want to borrow my prestige to let your little lover get rid of that so-called Golden Pill Elder, right? Do you know why there are only three eighth-grade alchemy grandmasters in the world and not four? Because outsiders don¡¯t know about my existence at all. You wouldn¡¯t be wanting me to expose myself for your little lover, right? Don¡¯t even think about it. The more people who know me, the more likely I might be noticed by ¡®it¡¯.¡±

    ¡°This¡­¡± Zhanyue knew this expert in front of him probably really wouldn¡¯t meddle in this matter.

    ¡°But since you took the old monk¡¯s Buddha beads and made a request, I naturally won¡¯t ignore it. Right, do you have any eighth-grade pill forms on you?¡± Alchemy Daoist asked.

    ¡°Eighth-grade pill forms? I indeed have one.¡± Zhanyue nodded.

    Alchemy Daoist smiled and said, ¡°That¡¯s good. This eighth-grade pill form plus my reputation should be enough. I¡¯ll take you to see someone. To solve your little lover¡¯s matter, her stepping forward is much more useful than me.¡±

    ¡°This?¡± Zhanyue¡¯s eyes lit up. Since Alchemy Daoist had said so, he also felt at ease. Letting Baizhi be free through other methods was best. Having the illumination Goddess take action was ultimately the worst choice. After all, Zhanyue also didn¡¯t want Baizhi to leave her hometown.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll take you there. This airship is too slow. Who knows what year or month it would take to reach the Thousand Charms Empire.¡± Alchemy Daoist said.

    ¡°That senior is also in the Thousand Charms Empire?¡± Zhanyue asked.

    ¡°Exactly. I was also just thinking of going to the Thousand Charms Empire. Perhaps I should bid farewell to some old friends¡­ sigh¡­¡± Alchemy Daoist¡¯s tone was a bit mncholic.

    Then Alchemy Daoist was seen grabbing Zhanyue and leaving the room. Finding a ce with no one around, Alchemy Daoist summoned a flying sword. That flying sword erged, like a small flying boat. Then he carried Zhanyue and stepped on the sword, instantly flying across Sunset Rosy Valley.

    ¡°Flying on a sword!¡± Zhanyue widened his eyes.

 Chapter 102: Legendary Sword Flight Technique and Tenth-Grade Pills

    Chapter 102: Legendary Sword Flight Technique and Tenth-Grade Pills

    The flying sword pierced through the air. Two figures, one in green and one in white, stood on the sword¡¯s body, flying towards the distance. Sunset Rosy Valley was beautiful, but the speed of the flying sword was simply too fast. Even the most beautiful scenery turned into afterimages, losing its aesthetic.

    Thest time Zhanyue had such a marvelous experience was when standing on a dragon¡¯s back. It¡¯s just that the speed of this sword flight was even faster than that giant dragon. Flying was an ability only possessed by those in the Spirit God Realm. Below the Spirit God Realm, one either had to rely on some flying apparatus or have a special contracted item. Flying in the sky and traversing the earth was the dream of countless people. Zhanyue already had earth traversal, so how could he not yearn for flying in the sky.

    ¡°Sigh.¡± Zhanyue let out a sigh.

    ¡°What, why are you suddenly sighing?¡± Alchemy Daoist asked in puzzlement.

    ¡°I was thinking, since senior has such a divine ability, then my previous ship ticket was bought for nothing? That was quite a bit of money.¡± Zhanyuemented. A ticket for an airship was something a farming family couldn¡¯t earn in a lifetime.

    Alchemy Daoist¡¯s foot wobbled upon hearing this, nearly falling off. ¡°Not caring about an eighth-grade pill, but now caring about the ticket money? Since you¡¯re already an alchemist, you still value such a vulgar thing like money?¡±

    ¡°Uh, let¡¯s not talk about that. Senior, can I learn this sword flight technique of yours?¡± Zhanyue asked curiously. He wanted to know if one could fly on a sword below the Spirit God Realm.

    ¡°Of course it can be learned. Even if you¡¯re not a Spirit God, you can simrly fly on a sword. It¡¯s just that the speed and endurance will be far inferior to mine. It¡¯s just¡­ to fly on a sword, you first need to have a sword. Ordinary swords won¡¯t do. It has to be a flying sword forged from special materials. The forging method for flying swords has long been lost. This sword of mine was also found by my master in an ancient ruin. You should know, being able to fly in this age has endless advantages.¡± Alchemy Daoist didn¡¯t conceal it.

    ¡°Then can senior pass on this technique to me?¡± Zhanyue asked. Alchemy Daoist asked in puzzlement, ¡°You have a flying sword? If not, learning this technique is useless.¡±

    Zhanyue smiled awkwardly. However, that demon sword was a major event. At this moment, he hadn¡¯tpletely trusted this Alchemy Daoist and was unwilling to reveal it. ¡°Senior, do you know of Ghost Ind? Ancient objects often appear in the Ghost Ind market. If I go to Ghost Ind again in the future, perhaps I can buy a flying sword in the market. Won¡¯t I have a sword to use then?¡±

    ¡°Ghost Ind? You¡¯ve been to Ghost Ind?¡± Alchemy Daoist¡¯s expression changed, his eyes filled with curiosity.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. Not only have I been to Ghost Ind, I also know quite a few secrets. If senior is willing to pass on this sword flight technique to me, I¡¯m willing to exchange secrets for it.¡± Zhanyue said. He already had a flying sword, so naturally he was eyeing this sword flight technique. This was flying on a sword!

    ¡°Kid, you have a good n. It indeed moved me. I can give you this sword flight technique, but you have to tell me about your matters on Ghost Ind. I actually went to search for that Ghost Ind, but couldn¡¯t find its location at all.¡± Alchemy Daoist said.

    Zhanyue nodded and informed Alchemy Daoist of many things about Ghost Ind, including the Ghost Shark n, Ghost Shark Market, demon beasts, demon pills, and even Ji Honglian¡¯s inheritance. He didn¡¯t conceal it, only not mentioning the Twin Sages¡¯ inheritance.

    ¡°Human Heritage Realm? Filled with inheritance grounds? A treasure left by the Human Race¡¯s powerhouses of the previous Primal Era for the Human Race? upied by the Ghost Shark n?¡± Alchemy Daoist¡¯s eyes became increasingly fervent. ¡°It matches, it all matches. The legends turned out to be true.¡±

    ¡°Senior, calm down. The Ghost Shark n isn¡¯t easy to provoke.¡± Zhanyue hurriedly reminded, deeply afraid that Alchemy Daoist would get hot-headed and go cause trouble for the Ghost Shark n.

    ¡°This old Daoist still needs you to remind me? Can a race that survived from the previous Primal Era to now be ordinary? You¡¯re curious about where the Ghost Shark n gets so many ancient objects from, right? I can tell you.¡± Alchemy Daoist said.

    ¡°Do you know that the Myriad Spirit World we are in is actually only a small part of the real Myriad Spirit World?¡± Alchemy Daoist asked.

    Zhanyue nodded. ¡°I know, and I also know that the world we are in is isted by the Nameless Wall and can¡¯t go out.¡± Zhanyue had obtained aplete map of the Myriad Spirit World in the Hulu n¡¯snd and knew the truth of the world.

    Alchemy Daoist was a bit surprised. ¡°You know quite a lot. For a junior who hasn¡¯t entered the Profound Realm, you have an unusuallyrge number of secrets on you. Then let me tell you now, the Ghost Shark n lives outside the wall. Their ancient objects naturallye from outside the wall. It¡¯s just that I also don¡¯t know what method they use to cross the wall ande inside. And Ghost Ind should be outside the wall! That¡¯s why I couldn¡¯t find it.¡±

    Zhanyue widened his eyes. Those things originated from the world outside the wall? No wonder, that ce definitely had quite a few ruins from the previous Primal Era. That was a world countless timesrger than inside the wall.

    ¡°Back then in that great war, the myriad races joined hands but still couldn¡¯t match the opponent. In the end, the small portion who survived retreated inside the wall. Even the inheritance of civilization was nearly severed. The Ghost Shark n, by some unknown method, preserved themselves and was also the only race that didn¡¯t retreat inside the wall. After the enemy receded, their race upied the outside world.¡± Alchemy Daoist helped Zhanyueplete that blurry history.

    ¡°Senior actually knows so much?¡± Zhanyue was also very curious about the origin of this Alchemy Daoist.

    ¡°It was all told to me by the ¡®Storyteller¡¯. No one understands this world better than him.¡± Alchemy Daoist didn¡¯t conceal it.

    First it was the ascetic monk, then Alchemy Daoist, and now there was a Storyteller. Zhanyue only felt that this world was truly full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers, far from being as simple as he perceived. Not only Zhanyue, even the illumination Goddess felt that shecked knowledge at this moment. Many things she had never even heard of.

    ¡°How do I not know anything he said? Looks like in these years I was asleep, the Human Race made extraordinary progress in exploring ancient civilizations.¡± The illumination Goddess also sighed at this moment.

    ¡°What do you think about contracted items?¡± Alchemy Daoist asked again.

    ¡°Contracted items? I originally thought they were things simr to life-bound magic treasures, but the more I see, the less they seem like it.¡± Zhanyue said truthfully.

    Alchemy Daoist nodded. ¡°Life-bound magic treasures have to be magic treasures in the first ce, but contracted items can be anything. Once bing a contracted item, it will transform from an ordinary object to a treasure. I can clearly tell you that in the era of the previous Primal Era, there was no such thing as contracted items. The origin of this power is unknown to anyone. It seems that the truth of the world is hidden behind this. You should pay close attention to relevant information in the future. Take this jade pendant.¡±

    ¡°Senior, this is?¡± Zhanyue took the jade pendant.

    ¡°The sword flight technique is within it.¡± Alchemy Daoist said.

    Zhanyue was overjoyed and hurriedly put away the jade pendant. Once he mastered this sword flight technique, he would be able to fly in the sky and traverse the earth, omnipotent!

    ¡°Right, senior, this junior has another matter to ask. A friend of mine had a curse nted in their soul by someone. Is there a way to break the curse?¡± Zhanyue asked. This mysterious Alchemy Daoist in front of him seemed like a life-saving straw.

    ¡°Curse? I¡¯m also helpless against things like curses, but there is a legendary pill called ¡®Dust-Dispelling Pill¡¯ that can cleanse the soul, making the soul immacte, in order to break through to a higher realm. That thing should be able to remove all kinds of curses. After taking it, not only will the curse be dispelled, one¡¯s strength will probably be able to advance another level.¡± Alchemy Daoist said.

    ¡°What grade of pill is the Dust-Dispelling Pill?¡± Zhanyue asked with concern.

    ¡°Tenth-grade.¡±

    ¡°Ten¡­ tenth-grade?¡± Zhanyue instantly became dumbfounded. In his knowledge, this world didn¡¯t even have ninth-grade alchemists. Where would he get a tenth-grade pill?

    ¡°Don¡¯t be anxious. Even if the curse isn¡¯t removed, I also have extraordinary strength and can protect your growth without any problems.¡± The illumination Goddess said. She was afraid Zhanyue would feel too guilty.

    ¡°Sister transferred my curse to her own body. How can I not be anxious? It¡¯s just that being anxious is useless. Tenth-grade pills, let alone where the pill form is, even if there was one, no one can refine it.¡± Zhanyue felt depressed in his heart.

    ¡°Senior, is there anyone in this world who can refine tenth-grade pills?¡± Zhanyue asked, although he knew it was impossible.

    ¡°No one can refine it alone.¡± Alchemy Daoist said.

    ¡°What does that mean?¡± Zhanyue reignited his hope.

    ¡°The possibility of a tenth-grade alchemist appearing is extremely small. Even in the previous Primal Era, they could be counted on one¡¯s fingers. But if there are two ninth-grade alchemists, one holding the Heavenly King Bronze Furnace and one holding the Earth Mother Golden Cauldron, the two can cooperate to refine a tenth-grade pill beyond their grade. It¡¯s just that the Heavenly King Bronze Furnace and Earth Mother Golden Cauldron have long been lost.¡± Alchemy Daoist exined.

    Upon hearing this, Zhanyue was overjoyed. Although the conditions were harsh, the harshest condition had already been met. The two supreme alchemy treasures were in his and Baizhi¡¯s hands. Tenth-grade alchemists were nearly impossible to appear, but ninth-grade alchemists could still possibly exist. After all, the illumination Goddess had said that her alchemist friend was a ninth-grade alchemist. Since the first one could appear, a second one might not be impossible. Once they found the form for the Dust-Dispelling Pill, either wait for him and Baizhi to both advance to ninth-grade alchemists, or find two other ninth-grade alchemists worthy of trust. They could all try to refine that tenth-grade pill. In any case, this wasn¡¯t hopeless. But for now, it wasn¡¯t the time to consider these things.

    ¡°Senior, where are we going exactly?¡± Zhanyue asked curiously. One mountain peak after another passed under his feet. Zhanyue knew they had already passed through the Broken Soul Mountain Range. He would arrive at the Alchemy Capital earlier than Baizhi.

    ¡°The imperial capital of the Thousand Charms Empire, Myriad Purple City!¡± Alchemy Daoist said.

 Chapter 103: The Thousand Charms Empress (1)

    Chapter 103: The Thousand Charms Empress (1)

    Cities vanished beneath their feet, only for new ones to appear. Though the scenery of foreignnds was beautiful, Zhanyue couldn¡¯t appreciate it. A journey that would normally take over a month waspleted in just one short day by flying sword.

    As night fell, illumination Towers lit up like beacons across the ground. When Zhanyue was in the city, the illumination Towers seemed enormous, illuminating vast areas. But now, from the sky, these towers were merely tiny circles of light dotting the earth.

    Compared to the vast World, the areas of human habitation at night were only a tiny fraction. Even though humans were thergest race in this world. This made Zhanyue feel the same despair he had felt gazing at the stars in his original world ¨C small and powerless.

    The Alchemy Daoist slowed down and descended. A majestic city appeared before Zhanyue¡¯s eyes. It was farrger and more prosperous than Pearl City, with towering buildings rising from the ground. Such tall structures were rare elsewhere, but here they were ubiquitous. These high-rises reflected the light from the illumination Towers, casting various fluorescent colors. The city was colorful and enchanting, as if covered in neon lights. This characteristic was mainly due to the extraordinary minerals used to build these tall structures. For a moment, Zhanyue thought he had traveled back to the modern city he came from, with neon lights everywhere, a riot of colors.

    ¡°The capital of the Thousand Beauties Empire, Myriad Purple City, is also known as the Dream City. The minerals used to build these structures are a specialty of the Thousand Beauties Women¡¯s Country and are never exported. The most beautiful night scenery in the world can only be appreciated here,¡± the Alchemy Daoist exined.

    He took out a jade pendant, and the invisible city-protecting barrier didn¡¯t activate, allowing the Alchemy Daoist to enter freely from the sky.

    Zhanyue saw that the central area of Myriad Purple City was clearly enclosed by huge pce walls, forming a pattern resembling a rose. People on the ground probably couldn¡¯t see it, but Zhanyue could see it clearly from midair. The buildings inside the walls werepletely different from those outside. Instead of towering high-rises, there were walls made of ss petals,yer uponyer, enclosing the people and things inside. People in the surrounding high-rises couldn¡¯t see a single de of grass inside. The multicolored light reflected from the surrounding buildings shone on the flower pce, making this huge ss flower appear in different colors from different angles.

    ¡°A flower in the mortal realm that doesn¡¯t attract butterflies, bathed in five colors at night, blooming brilliantly; Since ancient times, beauties have been said to topple cities, but only this city topples beauties. This is where the Thousand Beauties Empress resides, the imperial pce of the Thousand Beauties Empire ¨C the ss Flower Pce,¡± the Alchemy Daoist sighed with emotion every time he saw this huge ss flower. He had many stories from his youth in this ce.

    The twonded on a circr tform with a stone tablet beside it, inscribed with the words ¡°Guest Reception tform¡±. Even the Alchemy Daoist followed the proper procedures here, after all, this was the imperial pce, and the current Thousand Beauties Empress was his junior. ¡°Sen¡­ Senior, the person you said you¡¯d introduce me to is¡­ is the Thousand Beauties Empress?¡± Zhanyue finally understood, still trying to recover from his shock.

    Soon after, two beautiful female officials approached. When they saw the jade pendant in the Alchemy Daoist¡¯s hand, they were both startled. That pendant meant free ess within the pce.

    ¡°Take him to see the Empress,¡± the Alchemy Daoist instructed one of the on-duty female officials, then said to Zhanyue: ¡°Kid, speak carefully in front of that girl, her temper isn¡¯t too good. I won¡¯t go with you.¡± The Alchemy Daoist sensed a divine thought probing and immediately fled on his flying sword.

    The female officials curiously observed the Dao cultivator, not daring to ask more. This senior actually dared to call Her Majesty the Empress ¡°that girl¡± ¨C clearly someone they couldn¡¯t afford to offend. Then they turned their gaze to Zhanyue, observing this handsome young man.

    ¡°Young Master, pleasee with us. Her Majesty summons you to the Phoenix Luan Pce for a meeting,¡± the female official said. They had already received a message from the Thousand Beauties Empress.

    Passing through maze-like corridors, Zhanyue headed towards the Phoenix Luan Pce with a nervous heart. If the Thousand Beauties Empress was willing to help, Baizhi¡¯s predicament would be easily resolved.

    Soon, a magnificent sleeping pce appeared before Zhanyue¡¯s eyes. Such arge pce actually only housed the Empress and a dozen pce maids. As for guards? They werepletely unnecessary, because the Thousand Beauties Empress herself was the strongest expert in the Thousand Beauties Women¡¯s Country. The pce maids around her were also all exceptionally skilled.

    ¡°We¡¯ve arrived. Gong Xiaoyun, please take over,¡± the female official responsible for receiving guests brought Zhanyue to a pce maid. Without the Empress¡¯s permission, they couldn¡¯t enter. Only the pce maid could lead Zhanyue in.

    ¡°Young Master, although you¡¯re a guest, I still need to remind you of the proper etiquette. When you go in, don¡¯t let your eyes wander, don¡¯t move around carelessly, and don¡¯t speak out of turn,¡± the pce maid named Gong Xiaoyu reminded.

    ¡°Thank you for the reminder, miss. I¡¯ll remember,¡± Zhanyue replied.

    The Phoenix Luan Pce was the Empress¡¯s sleeping quarters and generally didn¡¯t receive outsiders. But since the Alchemy Daoist had brought someone in the middle of the night, it must be urgent, so the Empress didn¡¯t move to another location but received Zhanyue here.

    As soon as Zhanyue entered the great hall, he sensed a fragrance, like flower scent but more mellow, very pleasant. The decorations in the hall were all world treasures ¨C paintings by famous artists, sculptures by great craftsmen, rare gems, top-grade silks¡­

    Entering the inner hall, a screen appeared before him, hanging down to Zhanyue¡¯s waist level. In the candlelight, it was somewhat translucent. Through the screen, Zhanyue could see a huge dragon bed. The bed was sorge that not just one, but ten people could sleep on it. The dragon bed was also covered with thin gauze curtains, with only a graceful silhouette visible inside, the facepletely unclear.

    Zhanyue knew to stop here; one step forward would be overstepping.

    ¡°Junior Zhanyue pays respects to Her Majesty the Empress,¡± Zhanyue bowed respectfully. In this world, kneeling wasn¡¯t necessary.

    ¡°Uncle Master didn¡¯te with you?¡± The Empress spoke. Her voice was very aloof, with a hint of dominance, but even so, it was very pleasant to hear.

    ¡°Uh, the Alchemy Daoist senior didn¡¯te,¡± Zhanyue answered. Although he couldn¡¯t see the Empress, her divine thought was constantly locked onto him.

    ¡°That old thing, he borrowed a few top-grade spirit herbs from mest time. Looks like he doesn¡¯t want to return them. If he¡¯s willing to visit my master more often, what are a few spirit herbs worth?¡± The Empress sighed inwardly, feeling indignant for her master, then asked, ¡°What¡¯s your rtionship with him? Are you his new disciple?¡±

 Chapter 104: The Thousand Charms Empress (2)

    Chapter 104: The Thousand Charms Empress (2)

    ¡°Actually, I haven¡¯t formally be his disciple. The elder just agreed to help me with a favor, and he said you might be able to assist me,¡± Zhanyue exined truthfully.

    ¡°Not his disciple? That makes sense. He doesn¡¯t take disciples lightly,¡± the Empress nodded, then asked, ¡°What favor does he want?¡±

    ¡°Does Your Majesty know of the Bai family from Alchemy Capital?¡± Zhanyue inquired.

    ¡°As one of the four great pill-making families, of course I know of them. Get to the point,¡± the Empress said impatiently. She had been sleeping soundly before being suddenly summoned. If there wasn¡¯t something interesting to discuss, it would be a waste.

    ¡°As youmand.¡± Zhanyue recounted Baizhi¡¯s situation honestly. The Empress and her maid listened with great interest to this gossip.

    ¡°Hmm, Baizhi fled an arranged marriage, met you on the way, and you spent a year together adventuring on Ghost Ind. Your feelings must be deep? It¡¯s just like those stories in novels. You¡¯re not trying to deceive me, are you?¡± the Empress saidnguidly. These matters were trivial to her.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare deceive Your Majesty. My strength is limited, and I¡¯m no match for the Bai family. I can only seek outside help,¡± Zhanyue said sincerely.

    ¡°But why should I help you? We don¡¯t know each other, and offending the Bai family, while not a big deal, ispletely unnecessary,¡± the Empress asked. ¡°That old fool thinks highly of himself, but his reputation means nothing to me. When I needed him, he was nowhere to be found. Hmph!¡± Due to her master¡¯s situation, the Empress harbored resentment towards the Alchemy Daoist, who was her master¡¯s junior.

    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Zhanyue was dumbfounded. He hadn¡¯t expected the Empress to dislike the Alchemy Daoist so much. The old Taoist had seemed so confident, but apparently he wasn¡¯t as respected by others as he thought. However, Zhanyue overthought the situation. If the Thousand Charms Empress didn¡¯t respect her master¡¯s junior, why would she summon Zhanyue to her bedchamber in the middle of the night? The Empress¡¯s words were more an expression of her dissatisfaction, standing up for her master. ¡°I¡¯m willing to exchange an eighth-grade pill form for Your Majesty¡¯s assistance,¡± Zhanyue offered.

    ¡°An eighth-grade pill form? Another one? While the Bai family values it highly, it doesn¡¯t mean much to me. Fine, present it,¡± the Empress said after some thought. Though she spoke dismissively, she still had to give face to her master¡¯s junior.

    Zhanyue reluctantly took out a pill form and had the maid deliver it to the Empress¡¯s hand.

    The Empressy on her bed, propping her head with one hand, andzily yawned. She took the pill form from the maid, but upon seeing it, she was shocked and sat up straight.

    ¡°Where¡­ where did you get this?¡± the Empress asked excitedly. What Zhanyue had given her wasn¡¯t the Soul Healing Pill form the Alchemy Daoist had imagined, but the Longevity Pill form. To ensure the Empress would be willing to help, Zhanyue had brought out something truly valuable.

    ¡°I obtained it by chance in the territory of another race,¡± Zhanyue said.

    The Empress read and reread the contents of the form, her face filled with surprise. ¡°How do I know this form is genuine? This is the Longevity Pill form. You must know its value!¡± One pill could extend life by 10 years, two pills by 15 years. While the increase in lifespan might not seem significant, for those at the end of their lives, an extra 15 years could truly change their fate. Much could be aplished in that time.

    ¡°Your Majesty, I have apleted Longevity Pill here. I found it along with the form,¡± Zhanyue said, taking out a jade bottle.

    The Empress took the bottle and immediately sniffed it. She felt a wave offort wash over her, as if her whole being had be more energetic. What outsiders didn¡¯t know was a great secret ¨C the Thousand Charms Empress was also an eighth-grade alchemy master! The world knew of three great pill-making masters, but that didn¡¯t include the Alchemy Daoist or the Thousand Charms Empress. With her skill, she could naturally judge the authenticity of the pill, even if she had never seen one before. With both the form and the pill to verify, the Empress was nearly convinced of Zhanyue¡¯s ims.

    ¡°Do you know the value of what you hold? Is it worth it for just one woman?¡± the Empress asked curiously.

    ¡°It¡¯s worth it. I obtained this form quite easily. I don¡¯t think it canpare to Baizhi. Not to mention my feelings for her, even Baizhi¡¯s innate talent for pill-making alone is beyond its worth,¡± Zhanyue said decisively.

    The Empress fell silent for a moment, sighing inwardly: ¡°If only my master¡¯s junior had half, no, even a tenth of this young man¡¯s attitude. He and my master wouldn¡¯t be in their current situation. They clearly had feelings for each other, yet wasted a lifetime¡­ Unlike this boy who¡¯s like a bull in a china shop, trading a mountain of gold for his wife. He truly values rtionships.¡± The Empress couldn¡¯t help but look at Zhanyue again.

    ¡°I¡¯d like to meet this girl who¡¯s worth more than these pills and form,¡± the Empress smiled, then added, ¡°I never shortchange those who have done me a service. This form is not only incredibly valuable, but it also helps me with a big problem. Gong Xiaoyun, bring brush and ink.¡±

    Soon after, the maid brought the imperial edict, brush, and ink to the Empress. After some thought, the Empress immediately wrote out an edict and then took out the imperial seal to stamp it. However, the moment the Empress took out the imperial seal, Zhanyue felt an inexplicable stirring in his heart, just like when he had seen the Goddess statue and the Earth Mother Golden Cauldron. He could sense that the special feeling came from the bed, from the imperial seal in the Empress¡¯s hand!

    ¡°No¡­ it can¡¯t be. The imperial seal of the Thousand Charms Empire is my contract object?¡± Zhanyue¡¯s mind was in turmoil, but he didn¡¯t dare to ask or say anything. He couldn¡¯t very well say, ¡°Your Majesty, this imperial seal is my contract object. It should be returned to me.¡±

    If he dared to ask the Thousand Charms Empress for the imperial seal, he¡¯d likely be fertilizer for the flowers by tomorrow. This matter would require careful consideration.

    Soon after, the maid brought the imperial edict to Zhanyue. After reading it, his breathing became rapid. He couldn¡¯t believe the contents of the edict ¨C it seemed too¡­ too frivolous. The conditions given in the edict far exceeded Zhanyue¡¯s expectations, making his efforts worthwhile.

    ¡°Well? Will this edict help you?¡± the Empress asked.

    Zhanyue nodded rapidly like a pecking chicken. It would help, it would definitely help. He had secured an immense backer for Baizhi.

    ¡°Gong Xiaoyun, see the guest out. I¡¯m feeling tired,¡± the Empress dismissed him.

    After Zhanyue left, the Empress¡¯s excitement hadn¡¯t subsided. She instructed Gong Xiaoyun, ¡°Later, go to Alchemy Capital. After he announces the edict, bring him and that girl called Baizhi back here.¡± The Empress feared that if Zhanyue suddenly produced the edict, the Bai family might not believe it. So she added an extrayer of insurance by sending her personal maid to support Zhanyue.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Gong Xiaoyun nodded, her beautiful eyes also filled with curiosity and anticipation.

    Despite saying she needed rest, the Empress didn¡¯t sleep. Instead, she vanished from her bed in a sh, reappearing in a forbidden area of the imperial pce.

 Chapter 105: The Forbidden Area of the Imperial Palace

    Chapter 105: The Forbidden Area of the Imperial Pce

    In the Thousand Charms Empire, within the forbidden area of the imperial pce,yers of formations covered the area. However, Empress Luo Shenyu wasn¡¯t hindered by them. She quickly entered the formation and stopped before a wooden cabin.

    ¡°Master, your disciple seeks an urgent audience!¡± she called out to the cabin.

    After calling three times, the cabin door opened. A white-haired woman emerged. Though her hair was white, her face was still beautiful, but her expression was extremely poor. While the outside world believed she had passed away peacefully, and that Empress Luo Shenyu was the strongest in the Thousand Charms Empire, in reality, she was still alive, but with her lifespan nearly exhausted and death not far off.

    Ordinary people live to 100, Mystic Realm practitioners to 500, Spirit God Realm to 1000, and True Realm to 3000. As a peak Spirit God Realm ninth stage expert, the former Empress Mu Fangchen now had just over two years of life left, like a candle in the wind.

    The Thousand Charms Empire¡¯s empress session had few requirements, the only one being that the sessor must be female. It could be a female descendant of the previous empress or a disciple without blood ties. Mu Fangchen never married or had children, so she passed the position to her most talented and beloved disciple, Luo Shenyu.

    ¡°Yu¨¨r, I told you not to wake me unless the nation was in danger. I¡¯m at a crucial point in my closed-door cultivation. Whether I can ovee this tribtion depends on these one or two years. Have youe to me because something major has happened to the Thousand Charms Empire?¡± Mu Fangchen asked, her eyes showing some tension. Only two things could worry her now.

    Luo Shenyu shook her head, ¡°No, Master. The Thousand Charms Empire is fine. For years, I¡¯ve been collecting treasures to extend your lifespan, but always without sess. Today, however, I obtained an eighth-grade Longevity Pill that can extend life by ten years! I came here immediately to give it to you.¡±

    ¡°Longevity Pill? Wasn¡¯t the Longevity Pill long lost? That¡¯s what your senior uncle said. Where did you get it?¡± Mu Fangchen¡¯s eyes lit up, asking joyfully.

    ¡°Let¡¯s not discuss that now. Master, please take this pill first and see,¡± Luo Shenyu took out the pill and handed it to Mu Fangchen. Mu Fangchen knew her disciple was skilled in both pill-making and martial arts, not only being a Spirit God Realm second stage expert but also an eighth-grade alchemy master, truly a prodigy of the ages whose future achievements would surpass her own. She took the pill without any doubt. As the wondrous medicinal power circted through her body, a green light emanated from Mu Fangchen. Under Luo Shenyu¡¯s anxious gaze, Mu Fangchen¡¯splexion regained its vitality.

    ¡°Excellent! With these extra ten years of life, my chances of advancing to the True Realm are much greater! It¡¯s all thanks to you, Yu¨¨r.¡± Mu Fangchen looked at Luo Shenyu with eyes full of love. She had no children, but she viewed Luo Shenyu as her own.

    ¡°This small favor is nothingpared to your nurturing, Master. I¡¯ve obtained the Longevity Pill form. If I gather the materials, I can refine another pill to extend your life by five more years,¡± Luo Shenyu said.

    ¡°You even got the form?¡± Mu Fangchen¡¯s face showed shock. She had thought Luo Shenyu¡¯s chance acquisition of a Longevity Pill was already incredibly fortunate, but she even had the form. This kind of pill was effective for people at any realm. While fifteen years might not seem much, its effect was actually enormous. For instance, if your enemy had calcted that your lifespan was about to end and came for revenge, you could foil their ns by living an extra fifteen years due to the Longevity Pill. Or in Mu Fangchen¡¯s case, already with one foot in the True Realm and truly racing against time, these extra fifteen years were like sending charcoal in snowy weather. No matter how many treasures or purple crystals it cost, as long as she could afford it, she would be willing to exchange for it. This form was truly priceless!

    ¡°Yes, a young man asked for my help, and this pill and form were his payment. He also obtained them by chance,¡± the Empress smiled. At this moment, she recalled Zhanyue¡¯s somewhat nervous expression. That boy had underestimated the value of this form, but he was truly willing to give it up to save his lover.

    ¡°To have such fortune? Yu¨¨r, this merits a great reward. Don¡¯t shortchange him. Alright, I need to continue my closed-door cultivation to strive for the True Realm. Once I advance to the True Realm, the safety of the Thousand Charms Empire will be truly assured,¡± the former Empress Mu Fangchen said.

    ¡°Of course. He has greatly helped you, Master, which makes him my benefactor as well. I certainly won¡¯t treat him poorly. Come to think of it, this person was brought by Senior Uncle, though it seems Senior Uncle didn¡¯t know about the Longevity Pill. It¡¯s truly strange,¡± Luo Shenyu thought for a moment, then spoke.

    ¡°He¡­ he came to Myriad Purple City?¡± Mu Fangchen¡¯s body trembled slightly. ¡°It seems Senior Brother still has some affection for me, knowing my lifespan is nearly exhausted and willing toe see me.¡±

    Seeing her master¡¯s state, Luo Shenyu felt indignant. ¡°He came all this way, yet still isn¡¯t willing to see you. Master, let me go find him for you!¡±

    Mu Fangchen grabbed Luo Shenyu¡¯s hand, ¡°Your Senior Uncle is a True Realm expert. If he doesn¡¯t want to see you, how could you find him? I understand your Senior Uncle. He¡¯s lived a free and unrestrained life, not wanting to be burdened by worldly affairs. That¡¯s why he¡¯s always avoided me. He fears having too deep a connection with me would affect his ¡®Carefree Heart Sutra¡¯. My affairs should be handled by me. How can I let you intervene? Once I break through to the True Realm, I¡¯ll seek him out myself. Don¡¯t resent your Senior Uncle because of me. He¡¯s been very good to you as well.¡±

    Luo Shenyu nodded. She couldn¡¯t have be an eighth-grade alchemy master without the Alchemy Daoist¡¯s guidance.

    Mu Fangchen returned to the wooden cabin to resume her closed-door cultivation. Luo Shenyu hurried back and immediately sent people to search for the materials needed for the Longevity Pill.

    After she left, a man in green robes who had been watching from the shadows appeared outside the wooden cabin. He sighed softly, ced a bottle of pills down, knocked on the door, and left without waiting for a response.

    Mu Fangchen opened the door curiously, thinking Luo Shenyu had returned. But when she saw the note under the bottle of pills on the ground, she froze, a tear rolling down her cheek.

    ¡°Ninth-grade True Knowledge Pill. Remember to take it at the crucial moment.¡±

    ¡°Senior Brother!¡± Mu Fangchen called out, looking around, but there was no response. She knew her senior brother had broken through to be a ninth-grade alchemy master, that he had refined this pill for her, and how precious these materials and this pill were. But what she wanted more was for her senior brother to see her face to face. ¡°Senior Brother, what unspeakable difficulty do you have? Why won¡¯t you talk to me? We¡¯ve known each other since childhood, for over 980 years now, yet I still can¡¯t understand you.¡±

    But no one answered her. After a while, she dejectedly took the pill back inside. With this ninth-grade True Knowledge Pill and the extra ten years of life, her chances of entering the True Realm from her current half-step True Realm had greatly increased.

    Zhanyue, of course, knew nothing of what had transpired in the forbidden area of the imperial pce. He was arranged to stay outside and leave the pce the next day. Zhanyue was in no hurry and sat cross-legged in his room, cultivating and chatting idly with the illumination Goddess.

    ¡°Sister, what cultivation realm is that Empress at?¡± Zhanyue asked curiously.

    ¡°Spirit God Realm, second stage,¡± the illumination Goddess replied.

    ¡°Spirit God Realm, second stage?¡± Zhanyue¡¯s eyes widened. The Spirit God Realm had three stages: Entering Spirit, Investigating Things, and Transcending Spirit. Wind Lord had only recently broken through from Entering Spirit to Investigating Things, which was already impressive. Yet this Empress was at the second stage of Transcending Spirit!

    ¡°Not only is her talent no less than mine in the past, but she¡¯s also very beautiful,¡± the illumination Goddess suddenly added. ¡°The Thousand Charms Empire truly deserves its reputation as and of beauties.¡±

    The illumination Goddess dared to use her divine sense to investigate the Empress, but Zhanyue wouldn¡¯t dare. ¡°More than that, I¡¯m concerned about the imperial seal in her hand. That¡¯s my contract object! Ah, how did it turn out to be something like this!¡± Zhanyue felt a headacheing on.

    ¡°That¡¯s easy to solve. Just win her over, and it¡¯ll be yours,¡± the illumination Goddess suggested.

    ¡°Sister, I¡¯ve noticed you¡¯ve be quite mischievoustely,¡± Zhanyue said, somewhat speechless.

    ¡°Before, when we weren¡¯t close, I had to act like a senior expert. Now there¡¯s no need to pretend, and it was quite tiring,¡± the illumination Goddess said honestly. Those who knew her well were aware that she had always been very lively and yful, never changing. It was only because of her great strength and achievements that others had more ¡®divine¡¯ fantasies about her. Gods were supposed to be serious, lofty, loving yet distant. But in reality, it wasn¡¯t so. The illumination Goddess had been a curious and mischievous child from a young age.

    ¡°Ah, in the future, I must personally write ¡®The Biography of the illumination Goddess¡¯ to set the record straight!¡± Zhanyue said, exasperated. But then he suddenly realized that his ¡®sister¡¯ hadn¡¯t been proper from the start, otherwise why would she let him call her sister? Being several thousand years older than him, how could she be so shameless?! But whether serious and aloof or yful and cute, she was still his good sister.

    ¡°But to speak seriously, the strength of the human race isn¡¯t as weak as I thought. Besides the publicly known Thunder Lord and Sword Lord, the ascetic monk you met before and this mysterious Alchemy Daoist are all True Realm experts,¡± the illumination Goddess suddenly mentioned the Alchemy Daoist.

    As if summoned by their conversation, soon after, a green figure appeared in Zhanyue¡¯s room, startling him.

    ¡°Elder, why didn¡¯t you knock?¡± Zhanyue said, displeased.

    The Alchemy Daoist looked Zhanyue over and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect a youngster like you to have such a treasure as the eighth-grade Longevity Pill form. Well, you¡¯ve helped me resolve a matter of the heart. Although I have no intention of taking disciples, giving you some guidance is no problem.¡±

    With that, the Alchemy Daoist ced two jade tablets on the table, serving as payment for Zhanyue and fulfilling his promise to the old monk. Before Zhanyue could ask any questions, the Alchemy Daoist vanished from the room as silently as he hade.

    After examining the jade tablets with his soul sense, Zhanyue¡¯s face lit up with joy. One jade pendant contained the ¡°Twelve Mystic Light Swords¡± technique for controlling flying swords after mastering sword flight, while the other contained the Alchemy Daoist¡¯s notes on pill refining. Both of these were priceless treasures.

 Chapter 106: Digesting Knowledge

    Chapter 106: Digesting Knowledge

    The ¡°Twelve Profound Light Swords¡± was a sword control technique that required mastering the ¡°Sword Flight Technique¡± first. It was divided into eleven levels. When mastered, it allowed the user to split into eleven flying sword avatars, making twelve swords including the main body, hence the name. These eleven avatar swords were semi-real and semi-illusory, possessing extraordinary killing power and making it hard to distinguish between real and fake. More terrifyingly, the controller could instantly switch positions between the main body and avatars, making it impossible to defend against.

    ¡°What a fearsome technique. Unfortunately, I haven¡¯t even learned the Sword Flight Technique yet, so I¡¯ll set it aside for now,¡± Zhanyue carefully put the jade pendant away in his storage ring. Then he picked up the other jade pendant containing the Alchemy Daoist¡¯s pill refining notes and insights.

    The moment his soul sense touched the jade pendant, a vast sea of knowledge flooded into Zhanyue¡¯s mind like a bursting dam. He staggered a few steps, clutched his head, and fell to the ground. It took a long time before he could absorb all this knowledge into his mind, though he hadn¡¯t yet understood or mastered it.

    ¡°The amount of information in these insights is incredibly vast andplex.¡± At this moment, Zhanyue realized how naive he had been before, thinking he could advance to be a high-level alchemy master through self-study. This sea of knowledge made him understand the importance of inheritance. The art of pill refining had developed over countless years, built step by step on the theories and experiences of predecessors. It was almost impossible for one person toy the foundation anew and reach the heights others had achieved. This exined the emergence of pill-making families, the tradition of valuing teacher lineage in pill refining, and why so many alchemy masters were willing to join Associations, sacrificing some freedom for guidance from experts.

    ¡°The Alchemy Daoist elder truly held nothing back,¡± Zhanyue sighed. His previous understanding of pill refining wasparable to a high schooler¡¯s math level. This experience opened the door to higher mathematics, a world Zhanyue had never stepped into before. With this ¡°advanced¡± knowledge and expert guidance, Zhanyue believed his pill refining skills would surely progress rapidly.

    ¡°Next time I discuss problems with that girl Baizhi, I won¡¯t always be at a disadvantage and let her feel smug. Yes, next time I¡¯ll make her beg me for exnations!¡± Zhanyue was full of fighting spirit. It had always been Baizhi guiding him, but now, after absorbing the Alchemy Daoist¡¯s knowledge and experience, he would surely be able to guide Baizhi in turn. After all, the highest level in Baizhi¡¯s Bai family was only a seventh-grade alchemy master, while the Alchemy Daoist was the world¡¯s only ninth-grade alchemy master.

    ¡°Ah, no wonder Sister repeatedly warned me to be cautious about choosing whether to cultivate both pill refining and martial arts. I underestimated the path of pill refining. Without the Alchemy Daoist elder¡¯s mind techniques, even with that girl Baizhi¡¯s guidance, I don¡¯t know how many wrong turns I would have taken.¡± Zhanyue felt fortunate; his luck had always been good. Although cultivating both paths was extremely difficult, he had now cleared the biggest obstacle. His mind was filled with a vast amount of knowledge, experience, and details from fifth-grade to eighth-grade pill refining.

    While seventh-grade alchemy masters were generally at the Spirit God Realm, thebat power between Spirit Gods could vary greatly. For instance, the four heads of the four great pill-making families were extraordinary in pill refining butgged far behind in martial arts. They generally couldn¡¯t defeat other Spirit God Realm martial artists of the same level, as people¡¯s time and energy were limited. Pill cultivation alone was enough to consume all their time and energy. Only true geniuses could excel in both pill refining and martial arts, like the Empress of the Thousand Charms Empire, Luo Shenyu.

    Early the next morning, Zhanyue stretchedzily. He had only rested for a short while, too excited to sleep much all night. After all, he was still just a young man in his twenties. He had spent the entire night absorbing the experience left by the Alchemy Daoist. Leaving the imperial pce, Zhanyue finally appreciated the splendor of Myriad Purple City in daylight. Tall buildings lined both sides of the streets, able to amodate a vast poption. Although not as beautiful as at night, the prosperity of daytime Myriad Purple City left Zhanyue in awe. There were even more women on the streets, all with good looks.

    ¡°Tsk tsk, worthy of being the capital of the Thousand Charms Empire. The average level of beauty is terrifying. Sister mentioned earlier that the Thousand Charms Empress was very beautiful, it¡¯s a pity I didn¡¯t get to see her,¡± Zhanyue felt some regret.

    Aftermunicating with Baizhi, Zhanyue learned that the girl would take at least half a month to return to the Bai family in Alchemy Capital. Myriad Purple City wasn¡¯t far from Alchemy Capital, only a five-day journey. This meant Zhanyue had plenty of time to prepare. He had obtained the imperial edict, solving Baizhi¡¯s problem. However, he was thinking that he couldn¡¯t let it end so easily. He needed to teach that Golden Pill cultivator and the Bai family a lesson, letting them taste the bitterness of failure.

    ¡°I¡¯ll walk to Alchemy Capital these days, and practice the Sword Flight Technique along the way,¡± Zhanyue made his n.

    ¡°Fire Refining Pills are fire-attribute pills that require extremely high purity of materials. The Fire Cloud Stone needs to be refined with a gentle fire until it melts, then mixed with mountain spring water and re-solidified. Repeating this process can purify the impurities to obtain pure Fire Cloud Stone raw material, which is necessary to sessfully refine Fire Refining Pills. What do you think of this method of repeated water addition and melting?¡± Baizhi loved discussing pill knowledge with Zhanyue, using their divinemunication space as a chat tool.

    Looking at the note Baizhi sent, Zhanyue, sitting on arge tree branch, thought for a moment and wrote back, ¡°Mountain spring water contains different impurities due to varying soil qualities. These impurities will still mix into the Fire Cloud Stone. Your method is slightly better than the traditional one, but not by much. Actually, what Fire Refining Pills need isn¡¯t Fire Cloud Stone, but the fire essence within it. The method to obtain fire essence is simple: use extreme high temperatures to burn away all impurities, leaving only the purest fire essence. Previous generations just didn¡¯t reach those temperatures, so they didn¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°Hmm? Where did you learn this?¡± Baizhi was curious.

    ¡°Hehe, I figured it out myself. If you don¡¯t believe me, give me some Fire Cloud Stone, and I¡¯ll extract the fire essence for you to see,¡± Zhanyue smiled. In the vast sea of knowledge he had acquired, Fire Cloud Stone was a key point, as many high-grade pills required fire essence. Ordinary people just didn¡¯t have high-grade mes to create extreme temperatures, so they didn¡¯t know this secret.

    ¡°You figured it out yourself? I don¡¯t believe you. Howe I feel like you suddenly understand so much, even things I don¡¯t know about?¡± Baizhi was confused.

    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you when we meet next time. By the way, I¡¯ve already solved your problem. You don¡¯t need to worry anymore,¡± Zhanyue replied.

    ¡°Solved it? How?¡± Baizhi asked curiously.

    ¡°It¡¯s a secret,¡± Zhanyue prepared to give the girl a surprise, but added, ¡°I just hope Miss Bai won¡¯t forget me when she bes sessful.¡±

    ¡°Sessful? What exactly did you do?¡± Baizhi naturally knew nothing.

    ¡°Little girl, don¡¯t worry. When we meet next time, it will be when you¡¯re truly free. The mere Bai family can¡¯t hold you back,¡± Zhanyue sent the message. Although he had paid the price of the Longevity Pill form, the Empress had shown her gratitude. The content of that imperial edict was so outrageous even Zhanyue found it hard to believe.

    Zhanyue jumped down from the tree,nding on the Heaven Punishing Demon Sword, then controlled the sword to move slowly forward. He was learning sword flight, daring only to control it within half a meter of the ground. However, sword flight wasn¡¯t particrly difficult, and soon his speed increased.

    ¡°Heaven Punishing Demon Sword, good stuff, good stuff. From now on, you¡¯ll pretend to be my contract object in public,¡± Zhanyue smiled. All the contract objects he currently possessed seemed unable to be revealed. Although the Heaven Punishing Demon Sword wasn¡¯t a contract object, he had refined it into his life-bound treasure, which was almost the same.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Zhanyue boldly raised the flying sword¡¯s height, leaving the ground for the first time by his own power, filled with excitement!

 Chapter 107: Reunion

    Chapter 107: Reunion

    In mid-air, a white-robed man flew on a blood-colored long sword, his form graceful. asionally he wobbled, as if about to fall from the sky.

    In three days, Zhanyue had initially mastered the Sword Flight Technique, finally daring to fly high in the sky. However, his speed was still far behind the Pill Sage¡¯s.

    A flying bird passed by Zhanyue. He urged his flying sword to elerate, quickly catching up to the gray little bird and grabbing it. The bird struggled wildly, but Zhanyue didn¡¯t tease it, releasing his hand and letting it return to the sky. ¡°I can now be considered to have the means of flying in the heavens.¡±

    Generally, one needed to be in the Spirit God Realm to fly by their own power, but Zhanyue, only at the fifth stage of the Mortal Realm Soul Control Realm, had already mastered the art of flying and earth traversal, truly blessed by fortune. Riding the flying sword, Alchemy Capital, which would have taken several days to reach, was now within sight, even with Zhanyue practicing and stopping along the way.

    Outside Alchemy Capital, in a deste area, there was a small protruding hill, strewn with rocks and overgrown with weeds, but without any spirit herbs or fruits, so rarely visited by people. This was Zhanyue¡¯s destination. He descended from the sky,nding on a huge rock, feeling somewhat excited.

    ¡°Sister agreed to meet me here. Has she not arrived yet?¡± Zhanyue wondered. Since their initial encounter, this would be their second meeting, both familiar and strange.

    Soon after, a figure in white descended from the sky. The woman had a graceful figure, wore a bamboo hat, and a white veil covered her face. Her eyes showed some joy. It was the illumination Goddess, Xixuan.

    Seeing this figure, Zhanyue¡¯s heart finally settled. He could feel the mysterious connection between them. With her by his side, his safety was assured.

    ¡°Long time no see,¡± Xixuan said. ¡°Yes, long time no see,¡± Zhanyue didn¡¯t know what else to say.

    ¡°Well then, let¡¯s have a fight,¡± Xixuan said.

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s fight. No¡­ wait, fight?¡± Zhanyue was stunned.

    ¡°Come at me with all you¡¯ve got. Let your sister see what you¡¯re capable of now,¡± the illumination Goddess extended a finger, a ball of light gathering at her fingertip, then transforming into a tiny light sword, only as big as a finger.

    Seeing the Goddess in high spirits, Zhanyue didn¡¯t want to refuse. It would be good to receive some guidance from his sister.

    The Heaven Punishing Demon Sword appeared in his hand. Zhanyue didn¡¯t dare hold back at all, using the Phantom Light Step to attack. He was quite adept at using the Phantom Form Sword Technique with the Heaven Punishing Demon Sword.

    Zhanyue moved nimbly, his techniques changing constantly, afterimages surrounding the Goddess as he attacked. However, the Goddess remained unmoved, blocking all of Zhanyue¡¯s sword strikes with just one finger.

    ¡°Is this all you¡¯ve got?¡± the Goddess mocked.

    Zhanyue frowned and pulled back. The demon sword in his hand flew out, then split into two, the first level of the ¡°Twelve Profound Light Swords¡±. It was his first time using the Sword Flight Technique inbat, with the two flying swords attacking continuously from left and right.

    ¡°Interesting, but even if it were twelve swords instead of two, I could still handle them,¡± the illumination Goddess¡¯s body red with light, as if she had grown many hands. She now looked like a thousand-armed Guanyin, easily dealing with the two flying swords.

    While controlling the swords, Zhanyue used earth traversal to appear behind the Goddess, then let out a shout ¨C the Soul-Shaking Roar. However, this mental attack didn¡¯t even cause a ripple in the Goddess.

    The illumination Goddess knew Zhanyue was behind her but didn¡¯t even bother to turn her head. Zhanyue gathered fire in his hand, a beam of me breaking through the air ¨C the Heaven-Burning Finger.

    The Goddess merely shifted her form slightly, dodging the terrifying attack. The Heaven-Burning Finger hit a huge rock nearby, burning a hole through it.

    ¡°Not bad power, but poor aim,¡± the Goddess smiled. She had dodged this attack without even turning around.

    ¡°Ah,¡± Zhanyue sighed. The mes in his hand transformed into a sword as he attacked again. One person and two swords formed a triangr formation, surrounding the Goddess. While controlling the flying swords, Zhanyue¡¯s phantom sword wasn¡¯t idle either, managing to fight as three. An ordinary Profound Star Realm expert might be flustered, unable to defend against attacks from three directions, but before the Goddess, this was child¡¯s y.

    The Goddess flicked a finger at one approaching flying sword, and it dissipated into smoke. Then she pinched the other flying sword between two fingers and flung it away. The demon sword was thrown into a nearby rock, unable to break free for a moment.

    Zhanyue¡¯s sword thrust from behind only hit an afterimage. With his current strength, he couldn¡¯t discern the illumination Goddess¡¯s true location. The Phantom Light Step was perfectly disyed on the Goddess. The illumination Goddess grabbed Zhanyue¡¯s wrist, and with a slight exertion, the sword in Zhanyue¡¯s hand vanished.

    ¡°Ouch, ouch, ouch, Sister, please let go,¡± Zhanyue cried out in pain.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you have a set of armor? Why don¡¯t you use it?¡± the illumination Goddess smiled.

    Zhanyue replied helplessly, ¡°I¡¯m no match for you anyway. What use would the Silver Moon Armor be? It would just waste energy.¡± Wearing armor or not made no difference against an opponent like the Goddess.

    ¡°You have many techniques, but none are perfected. After you finish Baizhi¡¯s business, I¡¯ll find time to give you some hellish training,¡± the Goddess smiled. Her smile filled Zhanyue with dread. She had been so strict during their remotemunications; now face-to-face, the ¡°hellish training¡± she mentioned would surely be painful.

    ¡°Sister, how long can you stay this time? You¡¯re not leaving again, are you?¡± Zhanyue asked.

    ¡°What? Will you miss me? Don¡¯t you have enoughpany? I¡¯ve seen you surrounded by beauties wherever you go,¡± the illumination Goddess teased.

    Zhanyue¡¯s face reddened. ¡°No, it¡¯s just that this world is too dangerous. With you protecting me in the shadows, I feel more secure.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t leave for now. But I can¡¯t guarantee how long I can stay by your side. After all, the world seems calm on the surface, but undercurrents are surging beneath. I still need to figure out many things,¡± the illumination Goddess said. At this moment, she was dressed like a white-robed knight-errant, exuding an extraordinary aura.

    ¡°After resolving Baizhi¡¯s issue, where do you n to go? Or do you intend to stay by her side, living happily ever after?¡± the Goddess asked.

    ¡°I¡­¡± Zhanyue thought for a moment, then said, ¡°She has her path, and I have mine. Once she¡¯s safe, I can explore with peace of mind. After that, I n to return to the Eastern Kingdom and go to the Academy Town.¡± Zhanyue remembered he still had the token from Mi Hongchen, allowing him to enroll in the Empire¡¯s top academy at any time.

    ¡°The Academy Town? That¡¯s right, you haven¡¯t entered the Profound Realm yet. You should be able to get good training there, after all, it¡¯s a gathering ce for geniuses,¡± the Goddess nodded.

    ¡°Moreover, I¡¯ve always been concerned about one thing: who sent that assassin after me before? I don¡¯t remember offending anyone. Until this is rified, I won¡¯t be at ease,¡± Zhanyue said. ¡°If I don¡¯t return to the Eastern Kingdom, I might never know the answer.¡±

    ¡°Indeed, that was your most dangerous moment. The sun is setting, you should head to Alchemy Capital now,¡± the Goddess reminded him, then vanished.

    Zhanyue didn¡¯t know where she was, but he could sense she was nearby.

    Riding his flying sword, Zhanyue quickly arrived at the gates of Alchemy Capital. In a ce crowded with people, it was best not to reveal his Sword Flight Technique. Putting away his sword, Zhanyue walked into the city. He saw a notice posted on the city wall, with people gathered around it.

    ¡°This notice says the Bai family is recruiting temporary pill-refining assistants? Anyone above third-grade alchemy master can apply.¡±

    ¡°Really? Does the Bai familyck people?¡± another person asked.

    ¡°The Bai family naturally doesn¡¯tck people, but I heard they received a veryrge order, and the alchemy masters in their n aren¡¯t enough. So they need some junior alchemy masters to help with misceneous tasks,¡± the person exined.

    ¡°I see. This is a good opportunity. Firstly, the Bai family pays well. Secondly, you can interact with many high-grade alchemy masters, even directly observe them refining pills. Just a few casual instructions from them would be immensely beneficial. I¡¯ll go back and tell my nephew to try. He¡¯s a third-grade alchemy master.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, your nephew is a third-grade alchemy master. Don¡¯t miss such a good opportunity.¡±

    Zhanyue looked at the notice, a mischievous smile appearing at the corner of his mouth. Perhaps before Baizhi returned to the Bai family, he could go undercover and probe the situation? Knowing yourself and your enemy is the key to winning every battle.

 Chapter 108: The Family Ranking Battle

    Chapter 108: The Family Ranking Battle

    Just as people were getting excited about the Bai family¡¯s notice, a man in red clothes immediately posted another notice on the other side of the city wall.

    People quickly gathered around it.

    ¡°What¡­ what¡¯s going on? The Zhu family is also recruiting Alchemists above third grade? And their conditions seem even more generous than the Bai family¡¯s.¡± People immediately started discussing.

    After the Zhu family member posted the notice, a person in yellow clothes and another in blue clothes came over one after another, posting new notices on the left and right of the city wall.

    ¡°The Huang family and the Lan family have made their moves too? What¡¯s going on? Why are all four great families taking action at once? Did they all receiverge orders andck manpower? Wow, the Lan family truly deserves to be the top family. Their conditions are much better than the other three families,¡± people remarked.

    ¡°Hehe, you people naturally don¡¯t know, but this news will spread in a day or two at most. My buddy works at the City Lord¡¯s mansion, so I have more inside information. Let me tell you, the Family Ranking Battle that happens every twenty years is about to begin!¡± a middle-aged man said proudly.

    ¡°Brother, don¡¯t leave us hanging. What¡¯s this Family Ranking Battle?¡± someone asked.

    The middle-aged manughed and generously exined, ¡°Do you know how many pill-making families there are in Alchemy Capital? Four? Or ten? Wrong! There are sixty certified pill-making families in Alchemy Capital! This Family Ranking Battle is to rank these families. The four great families that have long upied the top four positions are the Lan, Huang, Zhu, and Bai families we¡¯re familiar with. Currently, Lan family is first, Huang family second, Zhu family third, and Bai family fourth. This ranking was set twenty years ago. Now that the ranking battle is starting again, the family rankings might be reshuffled.¡±

    ¡°I see, but what does this Family Ranking Battle have to do with recruitment? Are outside helpers allowed?¡± someone else asked. ¡°Of course. In the Family Ranking Battle, a family¡¯s connections are also an important factor. As long as the pillse from your household, it counts, regardless of whether the person is from your family or not, including guest elders. Do you know how this Family Ranking Battle is conducted?¡± The man looked at the curious eyes around him.

    ¡°Come on, brother, stop keeping us in suspense. Tell us quickly,¡± someone said impatiently. Zhanyue, standing nearby, was also waiting for the exnation.

    ¡°Why the rush? Let me wet my whistle first.¡± The man took out a wine gourd and took a sip, then continued, ¡°Every twenty years, Night Capital sends a request to our Alchemy Capital to purchase pills. The quality ranges from third to seventh grade. No one knows what pills Night Capital needs, so they can¡¯t be prepared in advance. Of course, if you guess correctly, that¡¯s your good luck. The City Lords of our Alchemy Capital have inherited the same rule for generations, passing this order down to all the pill-making families in Alchemy Capital, while simultaneously conducting the family ranking. All families refine pills ording to the order¡¯s requirements. Once refined, they submit them to the City Lord¡¯s mansion. Different grades of pills are worth different points. When the order is fulfilled, the ranking ends.¡±

    ¡°At that time, points are calcted based on the grade and quantity of pills submitted by each family, determining the family ranking. At the same time, Night Capital buys these pills. This strategy of the City Lord ensures that Night Capital has never defaulted on an order,¡± the man added.

    ¡°But¡­ but what¡¯s the use of this family ranking?¡± someone else asked.

    The man looked at that person with disdain and exined, ¡°Not to mention that both Night Capital and the City Lord¡¯s mansion offer good rewards for the top three. Just the title of the top family carries enormous weight. Apart from the four Pill Dao Grandmasters, the top family is the best brand. Twenty years ago, the Lan family narrowly beat the Huang family by a small margin of points to take first ce. Who knows how much more money this title has earned the Lan family over these twenty years? Moreover, the four great families have long histories, and none submit to the others. The Family Ranking Battle is the best opportunity to prove oneself.¡±

    ¡°I see. Thank you for the exnation, brother. But I heard that both the Lan and Huang families have two seventh-grade alchemists, while the Zhu and Bai families only have one each. It seems this year¡¯s top family title will again go to either the Lan or Huang family,¡± someone said.

    ¡°Having an extra seventh-grade alchemist indeed gives a huge advantage, but other core alchemists are also indispensable. After all, the order also requires arge number of third and fourth-grade pills. That¡¯s why all four great families are so eager to recruit people, hoping to gain as many points as possible,¡± someone exined.

    ¡°Also, I heard that the Bai family has been getting close to that Golden Pill Cultivator recently. Maybe the Golden Pill Cultivator will join the Bai family as a guest elder. That way, the Bai family would have two seventh-grade alchemists and might not end up at the bottom.¡±

    Zhanyue, standing not far away, frowned upon hearing this. ¡°It seems besides the eighth-grade pill form, the Bai family has another reason to marry Baizhi to the Golden Pill Cultivator. No wonder they¡¯re so eager for Baizhi to return. The title of top family is indeed very attractive.¡±

    ¡°Are you talking about that Golden Pill Cultivator with the terrible reputation? Are families willing to cooperate with him?¡± someone questioned.

    ¡°Bad reputation, bad character, what does it matter? The Golden Pill Cultivator is still a seventh-grade alchemist, on par with the heads of the four great families. Speaking of which, the Bai family has been quite unlucky. When the previous Bai family head was a seventh-grade alchemist, the current head was only sixth grade. By the time he advanced to seventh grade, the previous head had disappeared, still unheard of to this day. The Bai family has never had two seventh-grade masters at the same time to show their strength.¡±

    ¡°Why haven¡¯t any of these families produced an eighth-grade alchemist in all these years? And why don¡¯t those eighth-grade Pill Dao Grandmasters have their own families?¡± an old man with white hair asked.

    ¡°Breakthrough to eighth-grade Alchemist is incredibly difficult. Family experience and inheritance work well up to the seventh grade, which is why seventh-grade alchemists keep appearing. But when ites to the eighth grade, everyone¡¯s just groping in the dark. As for why those Pill Dao Grandmasters don¡¯t have their own families, that¡¯s nonsense. Eighth-grade Alchemists can establish Pill Dao Sects, a level above families. They look down on the family title. For example, our Alchemy Capital¡¯s City Lord is Changqing, one of the four grandmasters. Although he has a nominal position in Alchemy Capital, he rarely appears here. Most administrative affairs are handled by the Deputy City Lord. Changqing¡¯s Changtian Medicine Sect is in a secret location, rarely seen in the world. There are too many people seeking help from eighth-grade Alchemists, so these grandmasters are all annoyed and hide far away,¡± someone well-versed in this history exined.

    Zhanyue, standing nearby, learned a lot of pill-making secrets just from these conversations, thinking to himself that Alchemy Capital truly deserved its name. He asked someone for directions and headed towards the Bai family mansion. At the back door of the Bai family, many people were lined up, all applying for the pill-refining assistant positions. Third and fourth-grade Alchemists, rarely seen elsewhere, now formed long queues, quite a spectacr sight. Although the Bai family¡¯s conditions weren¡¯t as good as the wealthiest Lan family, their requirements were rtively lower. Moreover, everyone understood the principle of helping those in need rather than adding flowers to brocade. If they bet on the Bai family¡¯s sess, the Bai family would naturally be more grateful to them in the end. They were also taking a gamble.

 Chapter 109: The Bai Family

    Chapter 109: The Bai Family

    ¡°A third-grade Alchemist certified by the Thousand Steeds Association? Zhanyue? Very good. Take this wooden token, it¡¯s your identity pass. With this, you can move freely within the Pill Fire Courtyard, but your activity is restricted to that area only. Remember this well!¡± A kind-looking old man handed Zhanyue a wooden token.

    Zhanyue nodded. He was curious about how a production line for pills worked. He hadn¡¯t updated his information with the Thousand Steeds Association yet, so he was still officially a third-grade Alchemist.

    ¡°Understood, I¡¯ll remember,¡± Zhanyue nodded, and was then led into the Bai familypound by an old woman.

    The Bai familypound was vast, divided into the Pill Fire Courtyard for refining pills for the outside world, the Spirit Herb Courtyard for cultivating spirit nts, the Pill Study Academy for teaching Bai family disciples, the Inner Courtyard where the Bai family lived, and the Outer Courtyard for the servants. The temporarily recruited Alchemists were all housed in the Pill Fire Courtyard.

    Zhanyue was now in his own room, given a set of gray clothes, simr to a uniform. These people were Alchemists after all, so the Bai family naturally treated them well. The food, clothing, and amodation were quite good. They just weren¡¯t allowed to wander around the Bai familypound, restricted to the Pill Fire Courtyard.

    ¡°You few,e with me,¡± a white-haired elder picked a few people and led them to his courtyard. He was a fifth-grade Alchemist of the Bai family.

    ¡°My task from above is to refine the fifth-grade Clear Eyes Pills. Taking this pill can improve one¡¯s eyesight,¡± the elder told the three people he brought, including Zhanyue. Zhanyue had heard of Clear Eyes Pills before. They were for treating and preventing myopia, and quite troublesome to refine.

    ¡°The difficulty in refining Clear Eyes Pills lies in handling the Clear Eye Flowers. Each flower needs to be examined to determine if it¡¯s male or female. Only the pistils of female flowers can be used. Then the pollen needs to be extracted from the pistil. Each flower provides very little pollen, and it¡¯s extremely hard to collect. That¡¯s why I needed to request a few assistants specifically for this task. This will be your job,¡± the Bai elder told the three.

    The other two besides Zhanyue were very excited. They were only third-grade Alchemists but could participate in refining fifth-grade pills. How could they not be thrilled? Soon after, three baskets of Clear Eye Flowers were ced before the three. Clear Eye Flowers weren¡¯t particrly rare herbs, but extracting the pollen from female pistils wasborious work. Without a Alchemist¡¯s delicate technique, it could result in great waste. The three immediately got to work, unanimously selecting the female flowers from the baskets first. Then they used silver needles to extract the pollen into jade vials. All three were Alchemists with exquisite techniques and strong soul power, so they were quite adept at this kind of work. If ordinary people were to do this, efficiency would drop dramatically after a while, and the extracted pollen might have too many impurities to be usable.

    Soon, more and more porcin vials filled up in front of the three. Zhanyue¡¯s pile was notablyrger, easily as much as the other twobined.

    ¡°Oh? You¡¯re quite good, kid. Your technique is fast,¡± the Bai elder, who had been processing some herbs himself, came to check their work. Seeing the numerous porcin vials, he was delighted. Opening the vials, he found that Zhanyue¡¯s collected pollen was not only greater in quantity but also higher in purity.

    ¡°Are you really a third-grade Alchemist?¡± The Bai elder frowned.

    ¡°I¡¯m a fourth-grade Alchemist, but I haven¡¯t updated my information yet,¡± Zhanyue answered honestly.

    The elder smiled, as expected. He truly had a discerning eye to discover such a gem. Having a fourth-grade Alchemist as an assistant would make his task much easier. Hearing this, the other two sighed in relief. If Zhanyue were truly a third-grade Alchemist, they would have doubted their own skills. Now knowing he was fourth-grade, they showed expressions of understanding, along with a hint of envy and confusion. Envy because breaking through to fourth-grade was difficult, and confusion as to why a fourth-grade Alchemist like him didn¡¯t go to the better-treating Lan family.

    ¡°By the way, why didn¡¯t you go to the Lan family?¡± The elder, without much reservation, asked directly.

    ¡°I have a friend in the Bai household, so naturally I should help the Bai family,¡± Zhanyue said.

    ¡°A friend? Male or female?¡± The elder asked curiously.

    ¡°Female,¡± Zhanyue answered honestly.

    All three showed a look of understanding.

    ¡°The women in our Bai family all have sky-high ambitions. They¡¯re not easy to pursue,¡± the elder chuckled, not pursuing the matter further. This kind of thing was normal, and he wasn¡¯t a gossip. However, he didn¡¯t know that the friend Zhanyue mentioned was the Bai family¡¯s young miss, Baizhi.

    ¡°But being a fourth-grade Alchemist at such a young age, you¡¯ll likely be fifth-grade in the future. Your chances of sessfully proposing to our Bai family aren¡¯t low. If you perform well in this family ranking, if I have the chance in the future, I might be able to put in a good word for you,¡± the Bai elder said, dangling a carrot to make him work harder.

    Zhanyue was secretly delighted, wondering if the elder would still dare to put in a good word for him if he knew he was talking about Baizhi.

    ¡°Since you¡¯re a fourth-grade Alchemist, I have some more challenging tasks for you,¡± the elder, with the idea of making full use of talent, assigned Zhanyue new work.

    ¡­

    ¡°I¡¯ve arrived in Alchemy Capital. Where are you?¡± Baizhi messaged.

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ guess where. Let¡¯s y a game. If you can find me, there¡¯ll be a reward,¡± Zhanyue didn¡¯t reveal he was in the Bai household, nning to give Baizhi a surprise.

    Baizhi smiled bitterly. Having returned to the Bai household, how could she possiblye out to find him? But she was curious about the reward Zhanyue mentioned.

    ¡°Back at the Bai household, I¡¯m afraid we¡¯ll have fewer chances tomunicate. Zhanyue, I miss you,¡± Baizhi messaged.

    Reading her message, Zhanyue felt a warmth in his heart and replied, ¡°Soon, we¡¯ll see each other again very soon.¡±

    Night fell, but they continued messaging, chatting about recent events and pill dao explorations for a long time.

    The next day, Baizhi returned to the Bai household with an anxious heart. Bai Wu and Bai Liu escorted Baizhi to the n leader and then withdrew, conflicted about whether to inform the n leader about Zhanyue¡¯s words.

    The Bai family n leader, Bai Yulou, was a dignified middle-aged man with an imposing appearance and fair skin. With profound eyebrows and sharp eyes, he was a genuine Spirit God Realm, seventh-grade Alchemist. The entire Bai family was known for their good looks, which is how they produced a beauty like Baizhi.

    ¡°Baizhi greets Second Granduncle,¡± Baizhi looked timidly at her second granduncle, the younger brother of her grandfather Bai Yucheng.

    ¡°Zhi¡¯er, you¡¯ve finally deigned to return. Since you left, I¡¯ve been on pins and needles, deeply worried you might encounter some danger outside,¡± Bai Yulou said, looking at Baizhi.

    ¡°Second Granduncle¡­ I¡­ How¡¯s Grandmother?¡± Baizhi was most concerned about her grandmother¡¯s condition.

    ¡°Your grandmother is the same as always, as you know,¡± Bai Yulou didn¡¯t hide the fact that he had lied.

    ¡°You¡­ you lied to me!¡± Baizhi¡¯s pretty face paled, but then she sighed in relief. At least her grandmother wasn¡¯t really critically ill.

    ¡°Without this strategy, how could I get you to obediently return? Zhi¡¯er, your future now concerns the fate of thousands in our Bai family. The familypetition has begun. The Lan and Huang families have two seventh-grade Alchemists each, and even the Zhu family has one more sixth-grade Alchemist than us. Must our Bai family be at the bottom of the four great families again? If you just agree to the Golden Pill Cultivator¡¯s proposal, he will not only hand over the eighth-grade pill form but also fight for our Bai family. I¡¯m confident I can lead the Bai family back to the position of the top family!¡± Bai Yulou spoke frankly, without restraint.

    ¡°Hmph! Second Granduncle, you keep talking about the Bai family, but aren¡¯t you just thinking about advancing to eighth-grade Alchemist yourself?¡± Baizhi said indignantly.

    Bai Yulou was stunned, then sneered, ¡°After adventuring for over a year, your courage has grown. You even dare to talk back to me. So what if I am? If your father and grandfather hadn¡¯t stubbornly insisted on exploring that secret realm back then, our Bai family would have one more sixth-grade and one more seventh-grade Alchemist now. How could we fall behind others? If I hadn¡¯t broken through in time, our Bai family would have no seventh-grade Alchemist to lead, and I fear the people below would have scattered immediately. The legacy left by our ancestors would have been hard to protect. A great family without a seventh-grade Alchemist is a joke. Over these years, haven¡¯t I given enough for the Bai family? Why is it not okay when ites to you? Besides, if I can advance to eighth-grade Alchemist, the entire Bai family will benefit. How is that just thinking about myself? As long as you agree to marry the Golden Pill Cultivator, I can fulfill any of your requests.¡±

    Baizhi couldn¡¯t argue with him but firmly shook her head, gritting her teeth, ¡°Second Granduncle, don¡¯tugh at me, but Baizhi already has someone in her heart. I can¡¯t marry anyone else. You should give up on this idea.¡±

    Hearing this, Bai Yulou¡¯s face darkened, barely suppressing his temper. ¡°Granny Jin, take this girl to see her grandmother. They haven¡¯t seen each other for a long time. Keep a close eye on this girl, don¡¯t let her escape again.¡±

    An old woman walked out from the inner room. It was Bai Jinhua from the Enforcement Hall, a Bai elder and a super expert in the Sun Profound Realm, specifically responsible for monitoring Baizhi.

    Baizhi naturally knew her, this indecisive old woman who always followed the family head¡¯s words. With her watching, Baizhi had no chance of escape.

    Seeing Baizhi leave, Bai Yulou revealed a terrible expression, ¡°Have those two useless Bai Wu and Bai Liue over. Someone in her heart? I want to see which family¡¯s boy dares to block our Bai family¡¯s glory and wealth!¡±

 Chapter 110: The Sun Illumination Scripture

    Chapter 110: The Sun Illumination Scripture

    After Baizhi left, Bai Wu and Bai Liu entered the hall with anxious hearts.

    ¡°Greetings, Family Head,¡± the two lowered their eyes, not daring to look directly at Bai Yulou. Both were orphans raised in the Bai family since childhood, considered Bai Yulou¡¯s confidants.

    ¡°What exactly happened? Exin to me!¡± Bai Yulou sternly rebuked.

    Bai Liu tugged at Bai Wu¡¯s sleeve, indicating he should speak. These two Profound Realm experts were now as silent as cicadas in winter.

    ¡°Fa-Family Head, when the young miss ran away secretly, we couldn¡¯t find her. We only found her in Pearl City, and by then she was already with that boy. They boarded a ship to Ghost Ind together and stayed there for a year. We only brought her back after a year. It¡­ it must have happened during that year,¡± Bai Wu said.

    Bai Yulou¡¯s face immediately darkened. Baizhi had stayed with a man for a year? How would the Golden Pill Cultivator react if this got out?

    ¡°Who is that man?¡± Bai Yulou pressed.

    ¡°He said¡­ his name is Zhan Zilong¡­¡± Bai Liu answered, ¡°He¡­ he also said that the young miss¡¯s lifelong happiness should be her own decision. If she faced any mistreatment after returning, he woulde to demand an exnation! The consequences might be more than the Bai family could bear.¡±

    ¡°Outrageous!¡± Bai Yulou mmed his palm on a nearby table, instantly shattering it. The pressure of a Spirit God Realm expert spread out, causing Bai Wu and Bai Liu to break out in cold sweat. ¡°What realm is that brat in, and where is he from?¡± Bai Yulou¡¯s face was as dark as water. No one had ever dared to speak to the Bai family like this before.

    ¡°He¡­ he¡¯s around the fifth stage of the Soul Control Realm Realm, but as for where he¡¯s from¡­ we don¡¯t know,¡± Bai Liu said nervously.

    ¡°Fifth stage of Soul Control Realm? A mere mortal dares to speak so brazenly? Are you two useless? Has the Bai family raised you for nothing all these years? A mortal realm boy insults the Bai family like this, why didn¡¯t you bring him back?¡± Bai Yulou red at them, eyes wide with anger. In his lofty position for so long, he had never encountered such a situation.

    Bai Wu and Bai Liu exchanged nces, deciding to tell the truth. ¡°Fa-Family Head, that boy is very strange. Plus, the young miss has broken through to the Profound Realm. Together, we might not be a match for them.¡±

    Hearing this, Bai Yulou¡¯s usually dignified face turned extremely ugly. ¡°You¡¯ve been in the Profound Realm for several years. Working together, you couldn¡¯t handle a newly-entered Profound Realm Baizhi and a mortal realm boy? What are you talking about? Tell me the truth, or you¡¯ll face family punishment!¡±

    At the mention of family punishment, the two fell to their knees in fear.

    ¡°Family Head¡­ we grew up in the Bai family since childhood. How dare we deceive you? That boy¡¯s methods are truly strange. He not only knows techniques simr to earth traversal, but also possesses a battle skill that can harm us, definitely not below orange-grade! We don¡¯t know his background or origin, so naturally, we didn¡¯t dare offend him carelessly. We hope the Family Head will understand!¡± Bai Wu knelt, his head buried in the ground.

    Hearing this, Bai Yulou calmed down, narrowing his eyes, ¡°Earth traversal? Orange-grade battle skill? If what you say is true, he indeed has an unusual background. Your decision not to act rashly was correct. Considering you brought the young miss back, it¡¯s a great achievement. I won¡¯t pursue this matter with you two this time. You may rise.¡± These two were Bai Yulou¡¯s confidants, and he naturally knew they wouldn¡¯t dare lie to him.

    A mysterious force lifted the two up, and they stood, quickly expressing their gratitude.

    ¡°Not a word of this is to be leaked outside, especially not to the Golden Pill Cultivator. Understood?¡± Bai Yulou said sternly.

    The two nodded hurriedly, ¡°We understand. We haven¡¯t said a word about this all the way back.¡±

    ¡°From that brat¡¯s tone, it seems he intends toe to our Bai family to demand an exnation? Take Bai Da and Bai Er with you and guard the city gate. Alchemy Capital only has one gate, allings and goings must pass through there. You must capture him alive and bring him to me before he enters the city,¡± Bai Yulou instructed. He believed that no matter how skilled the boy was, he couldn¡¯t escape from four Profound Realm experts. Once they captured the boy and locked him up, they could deal with Baizhi¡¯s matter first. Even if the boy had some background, as long as they didn¡¯t harm his life, it wouldn¡¯t be aplete falling out. Everything could be negotiated, after all, Baizhi was a member of the Bai family, and public opinion would naturally favor them.

    ¡°Yes!¡± The two quickly agreed. Although they weren¡¯t confident themselves, with Bai Da and Bai Er¡¯s help, it should be an easy task. However, none of them realized that Zhanyue was already in their Bai familypound, assisting with pill refining in the Pill Fire Courtyard. The fifth-grade Bai elder¡¯s pill refining process was going extremely smoothly, and he had been praising Zhanyue to the skies.

    In the inner courtyard, in a quiet garden, leaves covered the ground with no one sweeping. Baizhi looked at this messy garden with great dissatisfaction. ¡°Is this how you take care of my grandmother? After all, she¡¯s the wife of the former family head!¡±

    The Enforcement Hall elder, Bai Jinhua, exined, ¡°Young Miss, it¡¯s not that we didn¡¯t send servants to care for her. She refused their care herself. We have no choice.¡±

    Baizhi¡¯s anger hadn¡¯t subsided. ¡°Then you stay here. I¡¯m going in to see Grandmother. You surely don¡¯t need to watch me every step of the way.¡±

    Bai Jinhua smiled awkwardly, ¡°That¡¯s not necessary. As long as you don¡¯t leave the Bai familypound, it¡¯s fine.¡± Bai Jinhua¡¯s task was to watch Baizhi and prevent her from running away again. As long as she didn¡¯t leave the Bai family, there was no need to follow her every step. Besides, with her Sun Profound Realm cultivation, it was impossible for Baizhi to escape.

    Cheng Lingxin¡¯s courtyard was the most low-key in the Baipound. The ground covered with fallen leaves made it look as if it had been deste for a long time.

    Baizhi knocked on the door, and a series of coughs came from inside.

    ¡°Cough, cough, cough. Who is it?¡± a slightly weak voice asked.

    ¡°Grandmother, it¡¯s me. I¡¯m back,¡± Baizhi said.

    The door opened, and an old woman with white hair wearing green clothes and a haggard face came out. Her illness made her look much older than her actual age, but her proportionate figure and regr features hinted at her past beauty through the cracks of time.

    ¡°Child, why have youe back?¡± Cheng Lingxin looked at Baizhi with aplex expression, both happy and worried.

    ¡°They said your health was failing, tricking me intoing back,¡± Baizhi said honestly.

    Cheng Lingxin¡¯s face turned ugly. ¡°Those dogs, how despicable. Ah, child, you shouldn¡¯t havee back. The secret passage fromst time has been blocked. It¡¯s impossible to escape now. Come in.¡±

    Cheng Lingxin led Baizhi into the room and closed the door.

    While asking Baizhi about recent events, she took out paper and pen, writing, ¡°Be careful, the walls have ears. Let¡¯smunicate through writing.¡±

    Baizhi nodded, ¡°Grandmother, how is your health?¡±

    ¡°Still the same. It¡¯s been over a year since west met, and you¡¯ve already entered the Profound Realm. Was it hard out there?¡± Cheng Lingxin asked, while writing, ¡°I know Bai Yulou¡¯s purpose. He tricked you back, it seems he still wants to force me to hand over the ¡®Sun illumination Scripture¡¯. But I¡¯m worried that even if I give him the scripture, he won¡¯t let us go.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the ¡®Sun illumination Scripture¡¯?¡± Baizhi wrote. She had never heard of it before. At the same time, she answered, ¡°It wasn¡¯t hard. Many things happened during this time. We should have a good chat tonight, it¡¯s quite exciting.¡±

    ¡°The ¡®Sun illumination Scripture¡¯ is a soul cultivation technique I brought from my maiden family. Your father and grandfather both practiced it, which is why their soul power is much stronger than others. He wants to use your marriage to force me to give him the scripture. I don¡¯t have any storage treasures, and I¡¯m afraid he¡¯s already searched my room thoroughly, but he couldn¡¯t find it. Unfortunately, only men can practice the ¡®Sun illumination Scripture¡¯, so I never told you about it,¡± Cheng Lingxin wrote.

    Baizhi remembered Zhanyue¡¯s words and frowned, writing, ¡°No, even if we give it to him, he won¡¯t let us go. He¡¯s a Spirit God Realm expert. Even if he breaks his promise, we can¡¯t do anything about it.¡±

    The two chatted for a long time, from how she met people from the Thousand Steeds Association during her escape to how she met Zhanyue, and then about the secrets of Ghost Ind. Cheng Lingxin listened, sometimes worried, sometimes smiling.

    After a long while, a figure quietly left from not far away. It was Bai Jinhua! Unfortunately, she didn¡¯t hear anything important. All the crucial matters weremunicated through writing, and the used papers were all put into Baizhi¡¯s divine space, leaving no trace. The only information she could get was that the man¡¯s name should be Zhanyue, but it wasn¡¯t important because she didn¡¯t know him.

 Chapter 111: Meeting Again

    Chapter 111: Meeting Again

    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to experience so much during your year away,¡± Cheng Lingxin looked at her granddaughter with love and relief. ¡°But some things aren¡¯t as simple as you think. That boy called Zhanyue said he has a way to solve your predicament? How could a boy without background, who isn¡¯t even a Profound Realm cultivator,e up with any solution?¡±

    Baizhi lowered her head. Actually, she didn¡¯t know what solution Zhanyue might have, but she believed in himpletely.

    ¡°Ah¡­¡± Cheng Lingxin stood up and took the bedsheet off her bed. She wrote on paper: ¡°The ¡®Sun illumination Scripture¡¯ is written on this bedsheet. Just soak it in boiling water, and the text will appear. I¡¯m giving it to you now.¡±

    Baizhi put it away carefully, then looked at her grandmother with concern.

    ¡°No matter what, I won¡¯t let that old man¡¯s n seed,¡± Cheng Lingxin thought it was better to trust herself than to ce hope in Zhanyue, a younger generation.

    ¡°Grandmother¡­ you¡­ please don¡¯t do anything foolish. You¡¯re my only family now,¡± Baizhi seemed to sense something.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I know what I¡¯m doing. Tonight, sleep with me,¡± Cheng Lingxin said.

    Soon after, she lulled Baizhi to sleep as she did when Baizhi was a child. Then she took a pill and started meditating. ¡°Give me a little more time, and I can forcefully break through to the Spirit God Realm with a secret technique. Whether it¡¯s Bai Yulou or the Golden Pill Cultivator, they¡¯re just Alchemists, not cultivators of both pill and martial arts. Their actualbat power isn¡¯t strong. With my methods, I should be able to fight them both and forcefully take Baizhi back to Qinghe Valley. I¡¯m a criminal, and although I¡¯ll certainly die, Master should not harm her considering our past rtionship.¡±

    Cheng Lingxin recalled her youth, when she secretly left the valley to travel and met the flourishing Bai Yucheng. They fell in love at first sight and secretly pledged to marry. She was hunted by her sect for viting Qinghe Valley¡¯s rules. Her master, who always loved her, couldn¡¯t protect her then. In the end, her master sealed her heart meridians and expelled her from Qinghe Valley, finally ending the matter. But from then on, she was left with a chronic illness. Although she was a Profound Realm cultivator and could continue cultivating, she couldn¡¯t fight or use any Qinghe Valley techniques, or her heart meridians would rupture and she would die. Moreover, her heart meridians constantly tormented her, only suppressed by pills. But she never regretted it. At least Bai Yucheng never betrayed her, even going to such a dangerous secret realm to find medicine for her.

    ¡°Back then, the information about that secret realm and spirit herbs was all told to Yucheng by Bai Yulou. To this day, I don¡¯t know if Bai Yulou deliberately set up his own brother, or if he truly didn¡¯t know the dangers of that secret realm,¡± Cheng Lingxin felt weary. Baizhi¡¯s mother died early, and Baizhi was raised by her. She treasured Baizhi like a jewel. Her husband and son were still missing after searching for medicine for her, and she could do nothing with her ill body.

    ¡°Yucheng¡­ I believe you¡¯re not dead, right? We¡¯re being bullied like this now, why haven¡¯t you returned?¡± Cheng Lingxin hoped every day that Bai Yucheng would suddenly return, but was disappointed day after day.

    Sunlight shone through the gauze window, and Baizhi woke up. Only in her grandmother¡¯s arms could she sleep so peacefully.

    Her grandmother was cooking porridge in the kitchen, and Baizhi took a broom to sweep the courtyard for her. After they had breakfast together, Cheng Lingxin asked, ¡°What are your ns for this period?¡±

    Baizhi shook her head, ¡°This time, Second Granduncle is watching closely. I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t escape. But I don¡¯t know when that Golden Pill Cultivator will return. However, as long as I¡¯m in the Bai familypound, I can still move freely.¡±

    After saying goodbye to her grandmother, Baizhi said to Bai Jinhua, ¡°Grandmother said the family rankingpetition has begun? Take me to the Pill Fire Courtyard, I want to see.¡±

    Bai Jinhua asked, ¡°Are you going to refine pills too?¡±

    Baizhi said coldly, ¡°I¡¯m the Bai family¡¯s young miss and a fifth-grade Alchemist. How could I stand by when it concerns the Bai family?¡±

    Bai Jinhua was momentarily speechless. This stunningly beautiful young woman was already a fifth-grade Alchemist at such a young age. Bai Jinhua had wondered more than once whether the family head¡¯s decision to give away this precious gem to gain the Golden Pill Cultivator¡¯s help was really a good deal, but she didn¡¯t dare question Bai Yulou¡¯s decision.

    Soon, Bai Jinhua brought Baizhi to the Pill Fire Courtyard.

    For a moment, the busy Pill Fire Courtyard fell silent. Baizhi rarely went out, and outsiders had only heard that the Bai family¡¯s young miss was not only extremely talented in pill dao but also incredibly beautiful. However, very few had actually seen her.

    Now, in the Bai family, Baizhi naturally didn¡¯t hide her true appearance. Dressed in white, she walked among these people like an otherworldly white crane descending to the mortal world. Her hair was tied up in a butterfly bun, with the rest flowing over her shoulders. Her small face was adorned with perfect features, bright eyes, and cherry-red lips.

    ¡°So the legend is true. They say the Bai family¡¯s young miss is Alchemy Capital¡¯s number one beauty. Seeing her today, it¡¯s indeed true.¡±

    ¡°There really are fairies in this world. We really came to the right ce in the Bai family.¡±

    People whispered, but were scared off by Bai Jinhua¡¯s re and returned to their busy work.

    ¡°Young Miss, as a fifth-grade Alchemist, ording to the rules, you can choose from these pills to refine,¡± a manager of the Pill Fire Courtyard brought a paper listing the fifth-grade pill forms that hadn¡¯t been assigned yet.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take the Water Avoidance Pill. It¡¯s the most difficult to refine and corresponds to the highest points,¡± Baizhi pointed at the Water Avoidance Pill on the list.

    ¡°Alright, Young Miss. But the Water Avoidance Pill is quite troublesome to refine. I suggest you choose a few Alchemists as assistants,¡± the manager suggested, his words exciting the surrounding Alchemists. Being an assistant to such a beauty and genius would be a great honor.

    Baizhi frowned, about to say she didn¡¯t need any assistants.

    At this moment, the fifth-grade Alchemist Bai Qiu brought Zhanyue to report. He had finished refining the first batch of fifth-grade pills with Zhanyue¡¯s assistance and came to get the next task. He arrived with a happy face, chatting andughing with Zhanyue. He wanted to hear Zhanyue¡¯s opinion on which fifth-grade pill to refine next, so he brought him along.

    When Zhanyue¡¯s gaze met those familiar eyes, he was stunned. He didn¡¯t expect to see Baizhi so soon.

    Baizhi¡¯s face changed when she saw Zhanyue, but she quicklyposed herself, pretending not to know him. Inwardly, she was shocked. How could he be here? What was going on?

    Of course, no one was puzzled by Zhanyue¡¯s expression. Who wouldn¡¯t be stunned seeing Baizhi?

    ¡°Grandfather Bai Qiu, what grade of Alchemist is he?¡± Baizhi asked the Bai family elder.

    ¡°Young Miss?¡± Bai Qiu was surprised, then exined, ¡°Although he¡¯s registered as a third-grade Alchemist, he¡¯s actually already a fourth-grade Alchemist.¡±

    ¡°A fourth-grade Alchemist? Perfect, I¡¯ll take him. After all, the Water Avoidance Pill isn¡¯t easy to refine. I need a capable assistant,¡± Baizhi pointed at Zhanyue, a hint of mischief in her eyes.

    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Bai Qiu smiled bitterly, not expecting to be ¡®robbed¡¯ so quickly. ¡°Alright, since the Young Miss wants him, I can¡¯t refuse. Boy, work hard with the Young Miss, don¡¯t bezy.¡±

    Bai Qiu secretly whispered in Zhanyue¡¯s ear, ¡°This is our Bai family¡¯s young miss. If you get along well with her, with just a word from her, it¡¯ll be much easier for you to see that little lover of yours.¡±

    Zhanyue nodded, thinking to himself that old Bai Qiu still remembered that. But he was overthinking it ¨C his little lover was right in front of him.

 Chapter 112: Inside the Pill Room

    Chapter 112: Inside the Pill Room

    Amidst the envious gazes of others, Zhanyue followed Baizhi away. Bai Jinhua didn¡¯t say anything, never imagining that this person was the man Baizhi had been thinking of. How could there be such a coincidence in the world? Besides, the family head had already sent four Profound Realm experts to intercept Zhanyue at Alchemy Capital¡¯s only city gate.

    Meanwhile, outside Alchemy Capital, Bai Wu, Bai Liu, and the others waited anxiously but couldn¡¯t see Zhanyue. Due to its special nature, Alchemy Capital only had one city gate, with no other ess points. Even flying or underground travel would trigger the city¡¯s defensive formations.

    ¡°Old Wu, we¡¯ve been waiting for so long. Could he have disguised himself and mixed into the crowd to enter the city?¡± Bai Da asked impatiently.

    ¡°Brother, I know it¡¯s not reliable. If that boy was a bit clever, he wouldn¡¯t stroll into Alchemy Capital so boldly. But the family head is afraid he might cause trouble and disrupt the young miss¡¯s affair with the Golden Pill Cultivator,¡± Bai Wu replied.

    ¡°Waiting here isn¡¯t getting us anywhere. Let¡¯s do this: I¡¯ll make arrangements, and you and Bai Liu disguise yourselves as city gate guards. Check everyone entering the city carefully. Even if he can disguise himself, you two should remember his height, build, and aura,¡± Bai Da instructed.

    The two nodded quickly, unaware that their efforts were in vain, as Zhanyue was already in the Bai mansion with Baizhi.

    In a pill refining room, Baizhi nced at Bai Jinhua. ¡°Granny Bai, I don¡¯t like people watching me when I refine pills. Please wait outside the door.¡±

    Bai Jinhua looked at Baizhi and Zhanyue but didn¡¯t think much of it, as Baizhi had always been like this. Not all Bai family members had pill refining talent. Bai Jinhua knew nothing about pill dao but was powerful in martial arts, hence her position as an elder in the Enforcement Hall. Bai Yulou felt reassured having her personally monitor Baizhi.

    She smiled awkwardly, ¡°Then I won¡¯t disturb you.¡± She didn¡¯t suspect Baizhi and Zhanyue would do anything inside, as she had personally heard Baizhi mention having someone in her heart. As for that boy, he was just in the Mortal Realm, no match for Baizhi. Moreover, who would dare to take liberties with the young miss in the Bai familypound? Even with ten times the courage, no one would dare. So Bai Jinhua tactfully withdrew, only needing to ensure Baizhi didn¡¯t escape the Bai family. ¡°How¡­ how are you here?¡± Baizhi locked the pill room door and immediately changed her expression.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid she¡¯ll hear outside?¡± Zhanyue pointed at the door.

    ¡°All important pill rooms in the Bai family have formations blocking sound and perception. Pill refining is confidential, and many techniques and methods are things Alchemists don¡¯t want others to easily observe. She can¡¯t hear or sense anything,¡± Baizhi exined. This wasn¡¯t her grandmother¡¯s courtyard or those temporary pill rooms, but one of the Bai family¡¯s best pill rooms, with excellent privacy protection. Even Spirit God Realm experts would find it difficult to probe. Otherwise, it wouldn¡¯t be good if secrets discussed in the pill room were overheard by outsiders. Bai Yulou probably never imagined that theyers of protection and restrictions he painstakingly added to the family¡¯s pill rooms would end up helping Baizhi.

    ¡°You should have said so earlier.¡± With no worries, Zhanyue also revealed his ¡®true¡¯ face, pulling Baizhi into his arms.

    Baizhi¡¯s beautiful face blushed. She pretended to struggle briefly before giving in. ¡°What are you doing? This is the Bai familypound.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s precisely because this is the Bai familypound that it¡¯s more exciting,¡± Zhanyue smiled, never tiring of the beauty in his arms. Baizhi usually wore a bamboo hat and ck veil, hiding her true face. Her current appearance truly befitted a stunning young miss.

    Baizhi¡¯s heart raced, knowing the Bai family¡¯s Enforcement Hall elder was just outside the door. But Zhanyue didn¡¯t let her go, soon sealing her lips with a kiss, his hands roaming freely over her body.

    ¡°Mmm¡­¡± Baizhi let out a sensitive cry, then covered Zhanyue¡¯s mouth with her small hand, her entire body trembling violently. ¡°Not here, please.¡± She was truly afraid Zhanyue wouldn¡¯t be able to control himself and would devour her right there.

    Zhanyue didn¡¯t expect such a strong reaction from her. He hadn¡¯t really intended to go further with Baizhi here. He had just been unable to control himself momentarily upon seeing his beloved. He released Baizhi and adjusted her clothes. The rumored number one beauty of Alchemy Capital now had a flushed face and couldn¡¯t even look at him.

    However, Zhanyue was still somewhat wary. He knew there was a terrifying divine soul in Baizhi¡¯s body, her memories from two lifetimes ago. If he really did something with Baizhi, would that soule out to stop him? If she was unhappy, what if she killed him with a single p? He¡¯d better be careful.

    ¡°You bully me as soon as we meet. You said before that if I found you, you¡¯d give me a gift. Does that still count?¡± Baizhiposed herself, returning to her usual demeanor, and asked Zhanyue.

    ¡°Of course it counts. You¡¯ll know soon. Anyway, you¡¯ll be free soon, no longer constrained by the Bai family. As for that Golden Pill Cultivator, let him eat shit,¡± Zhanyue said.

    Baizhi looked at Zhanyue puzzled, ¡°How did you manage this? You¡¯re just in the Mortal Realm, while my second granduncle and the Golden Pill Cultivator are both in the Spirit God Realm. Do you know some expert who ns to snatch me away?¡±

    Zhanyue had indeed nned this before, but with the Pill Sage¡¯s introduction, the matter was easily resolved.

    ¡°No need. In the future, you cane and go from the Bai family as you please. Bai Yulou won¡¯t be able to control you, and the Golden Pill Cultivator won¡¯t dare to have designs on you,¡± Zhanyue said.

    Baizhi was full of questions, ¡°What exactly did you do? You¡¯re so mischievous!¡± Baizhi was very dissatisfied, Zhanyue was making her curious but not saying anything.

    ¡°No, no, it¡¯s a surprise. It won¡¯t be fun if I tell you in advance,¡± Zhanyue teased, stroking Baizhi¡¯s cheek.

    Baizhi pped Zhanyue¡¯s hand away, ¡°Hmph! If I¡¯m not satisfied when the timees, see if I¡¯ll pay attention to you. Oh right, I have something to give you.¡±

    Baizhi took out the bedsheet from her space. Zhanyue had seen it before and was confused. Now Baizhi exined, ¡°This is a treasure my grandmother gave me. The bedsheet contains a soul cultivation technique called the ¡®Sun illumination Scripture¡¯. Soak it in boiling water and text and images will appear. Unfortunately, only men can cultivate this technique. My father and grandfather both practiced it, which is why they had extraordinary achievements in pill dao.¡± Baizhi¡¯s grandmother probably couldn¡¯t have imagined that Baizhi would give away such a treasure so quickly. Girls truly grow up fast.

    ¡°A soul cultivation technique?¡± Zhanyue was shocked. Such techniques were the rarest. For Alchemists, soul power was the most important. Although Zhanyue had the Ghost Soul Fruit for rapid soul power recovery, his soul power strength was insufficient. He couldn¡¯t even refine the beast soul divine ability before. With this ¡®Sun illumination Scripture¡¯, his path in pill refining would be greatly enhanced. Moreover, his sword flight technique also had high demands on soul power. Baizhi giving him this was truly timely help.

    Zhanyue put away the ¡®Sun illumination Scripture¡¯ and kissed Baizhi¡¯s cheek. Baizhi¡¯s willingness to give him this probably meant she was truly devoted to him, not in vain for him giving up the incredibly precious Longevity Pill and its form for her sake.

    ¡°You¡­ don¡¯t touch me. Although I closed the door, Elder Bai can break in anytime if she wants. You¡¯re in the Bai family now. If second granduncle recognizes you, you might not be able to escape. By the way, how are you so daring!¡± Baizhi now worried about Zhanyue¡¯s situation.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the world is vast, I can go anywhere. The mere Bai family can¡¯t take my life,¡± Zhanyue smiled, confident with the illumination Goddess protecting him in secret.

    ¡°Mere Bai family?¡± Baizhi red at him, ¡°I¡¯m also from the Bai family. How dare you belittle my family, you deserve a beating.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not just from the Bai family, you¡¯re also mine,¡± Zhanyue smiled.

    Baizhi blushed again, recalling their first meeting. She never imagined there would be such a day.

    ¡°Alright, we should start refining pills. If we don¡¯t produce some results, Elder Bai might get suspicious,¡± Baizhi reminded, then began processing herbs. Zhanyue also started preparing seriously.

    As the two were refining pills, Bai Wu and Bai Liu, waiting at the city gate, suddenly trembled.

    ¡°Exalted One, you¡¯ve returned,¡± the two hadn¡¯t waited for Zhanyue, but instead encountered the Golden Pill Cultivator returning from his herb-seeking journey.

 Chapter 113: Quite a Lively Scene

    Chapter 113: Quite a Lively Scene

    The Golden Pill Cultivator was dressed in golden robes, exuding an elegant and noble aura. His appearance wasn¡¯t bad, even somewhat handsome, but his unnaturally pale skin was unsettling, and his deep-set eyes were chilling. As a seventh-grade Alchemist and Spirit God Realm expert, his status was naturally superior. He was seated in a chair carried by tworge figures. The two burly men had nk stares, like puppets, but their muscr limbs disyed their strength. On the huge chair, two women sat on either side, one fanning him and the other offering him fruit.

    Most Spirit God Realm experts were low-key and had an air of eminence, but the Golden Pill Cultivator wasn¡¯t among them. He entered the city quite ostentatiously.

    ¡°Bai family servants?¡± The Golden Pill Cultivator seemed to remember Bai Wu and Bai Liu.

    ¡°Yes¡­ yes, that¡¯s right,¡± the two felt as if they¡¯d fallen into an ice cer just from his nce. The pressure from this superior being was extremely evident.

    ¡°Has your young miss returned from her family visit?¡± the Golden Pill Cultivator asked, with an eerie smile on his face.

    ¡°She¡­ she has returned,¡± The Bai family naturally hadn¡¯t told the Golden Pill Cultivator that Baizhi had run away. Of course, he didn¡¯t believe the Bai family¡¯s excuse, but none of that mattered. The only thing that mattered to him was Baizhi herself.

    ¡°Good that she¡¯s back. Go tell the Bai family head that I¡¯lle to propose marriage tomorrow,¡± the Golden Pill Cultivator said before entering the city, heading towards his mansion.

    ¡°Yes¡­ yes¡­¡± The two nodded in agreement and immediately transmitted this news back.

    In the Bai familypound, Bai Yulou was refining seventh-grade pills. When this urgent message reached his hands, he couldn¡¯t help but frown. ¡°So urgent? Well, the sooner the better. I want to see how long sister-inw can hold out. The ¡®Sun illumination Scripture¡¯ will be mine,¡± Bai Yulou crushed the message jade. He was determined to marry off Baizhi, obtain the eighth-grade pill form, and get the ¡®Sun illumination Scripture¡¯. Neither Baizhi nor Cheng Lingxin had any ability to resist.

    ¡°Where is the young miss now?¡± Bai Yulou asked a servant.

    ¡°Reporting to the Family Head, the young miss is currently refining pills in the Tianzi No. 3 pill room,¡± the servant answered.

    ¡°Refining pills? At a time like this, she¡¯s still thinking about refining pills? What a pity. If the Golden Pill Cultivator hadn¡¯t offered so much, I¡¯d be reluctant to give you away,¡± Bai Yulou thought, then instructed, ¡°Send a message to Elder Bai, tell her to watch Baizhi. Let her stay in the pill room, don¡¯t let here to the meeting hall to cause trouble. We¡¯ll settle everything tomorrow to avoid anyplications.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± The person immediately left.

    Pill refining was a tedious task. Both Zhanyue and Baizhi¡¯s foreheads were covered in sweat as they finallypleted a batch of pills.

    ¡°How have you improved so much?!¡± Baizhi eximed, recalling Zhanyue¡¯s previous performances.

    ¡°What, are you the only one allowed to be a genius? Can¡¯t I suddenly have an epiphany?¡± Zhanyue smiled.

    Baizhi red at him, then pinched him lightly, ¡°Tell me quickly, don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know your previous level.¡±

    Zhanyue couldn¡¯t resist her and answered, ¡°I met a senior expert who imparted all his pill refining insights to me.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not going to talk about that ¡®eighth-grade¡¯ Alchemist teacher again, are you? You¡¯re lying to me again,¡± Baizhi said, puffing up her cheeks.

    Zhanyue said helplessly, ¡°I almost became his disciple, but he didn¡¯t seem to have that intention. However, the insights and techniques the senior left me are all real. After I gradually digest them, I¡¯ll teach them to youter.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Baizhi¡¯s beautiful eyes still held some doubt, but Zhanyue¡¯s performance seemed to confirm his words. He had indeed progressed rapidly these days, as if guided by an expert, avoiding many mistakes he would have made before.

    Pill refining was time-consuming, and soon a night had passed. In Zhanyue¡¯s divine sense, he received a reminder from the illumination Goddess, ¡°The Golden Pill Cultivator has arrived.¡±

    Zhanyue showed a hint of surprise, not expecting him toe so quickly. But he wasn¡¯t afraid, as he had alreadymunicated with someone.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go submit the pills,¡± Baizhi said happily, looking at the vials of pills. She loved refining pills and loved Zhanyue. Refining pills with Zhanyue was the happiest thing in the world for her, but she didn¡¯t know how long this happiness couldst.

    However, when the two opened the door to leave, Bai Jinhua blocked their way.

    ¡°Young Miss, I¡¯m sorry, but you can¡¯t go anywhere,¡± Bai Jinhua held a dragon-headed cane, her contract object. She tapped the cane on the ground, and a mysterious power spread out, creating an invisible barrier in front of them, confining them to the pill room.

    ¡°Elder Bai¡­ what do you mean by this?¡± Baizhi¡¯s face changed dramatically, seeming to realize something unpleasant.

    ¡°I mean nothing else. The young miss just needs to stay here for half a day,¡± Bai Jinhua said calmly.

    Zhanyue looked at the old woman and shook his head helplessly. Hemunicated through divine sense, ¡°Sister, it seems we need your help after all.¡±

    Bai Jinhua was watching Baizhi when suddenly her vision went ck, and she copsed to the ground. The barrier instantly shattered.

    Baizhi was stunned. How did the previously invincible Elder Bai suddenly fall to the ground?

    ¡°Did you do this?¡± Baizhi turned to look at Zhanyue.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have that ability,¡± Zhanyue shrugged, ¡°Let¡¯s go see what¡¯s happening.¡±

    ¡°No¡­ we can¡¯t! If Elder Bai confined me, it must mean the Golden Pill Cultivator has arrived. They want to settle everything behind my back. I¡¯ll go alone. If your identity is exposed, they won¡¯t let you off. You should leave the Bai family immediately!¡± Baizhi said seriously.

    Zhanyue pinched Baizhi¡¯s pretty face, ¡°You¡­ don¡¯t worry, nothing will happen to either of us, I promise.¡± With that, Zhanyue took Baizhi¡¯s hand and walked towards the inner courtyard.

    In the meeting hall, not only were Bai Yulou and the Golden Pill Cultivator present, but also a middle-aged man in gray robes, slightly plump with a kind face, wearing a yful expression. He was Gu Changfeng, the deputy city lord of Alchemy Capital. Although Alchemy Capital had a city lord, the lord rarely handled affairs, and Gu Changfeng actually controlled all administrative matters. He was here today naturally at the Golden Pill Cultivator¡¯s invitation.

    ¡°Bai Family Head, I invited City Lord Gu here today to be a witness. Have you considered what I said before? The family rankingpetition has already begun. If the Bai family wants to take the lead, you can¡¯t do without me as your son-inw,¡± the Golden Pill Cultivator said.

    Both Gu Changfeng and Bai Yulou inwardly despised him. This guy was from their generation, yet he was so lustful. However, his conditions were indeed very generous.

    ¡°Joining the Bai family as a guest elder, with an eighth-grade pill form as betrothal gift. The Golden Pill Cultivator is indeed sincere,¡± Gu Changfeng sighed. The conditions offered by the Golden Pill Cultivator were too generous for Bai Yulou to refuse.

    ¡°Well¡­¡± Bai Yulou was about to speak when he was interrupted by a stern shout.

    ¡°You¡¯re marrying off my granddaughter without even notifying me?¡±

    The neer was Cheng Lingxin, haggard-looking and sickly.

    ¡°Sister-inw? Your health isn¡¯t good, you shouldn¡¯t be moving around. I¡¯ll handle this matter properly. As they say, men should marry and women should be married off when theye of age. It¡¯s time for Baizhi,¡± Bai Yulou said, then brought her a chair to sit on.

    Cheng Lingxin looked at the Golden Pill Cultivator and let out a coldugh, ¡°I wondered what kind of person the Golden Pill Cultivator was. It turns out he¡¯s just a lecher. You old fool, how could you be worthy of our Baizhi?¡±

    With these words, the atmosphere instantly chilled. The three Spirit God Realm experts were momentarily speechless, feeling somewhat awkward.

    ¡°I don¡¯t agree to this marriage. Alright, you should all leave now,¡± Cheng Lingxin continued, though feeling bitter inside. She hadn¡¯t expected Gu Changfeng to be here too. If it were just the two pill dao Spirit God Realm experts, she could have forcefully broken through and fought them both. However, Gu Changfeng was a genuine martial arts expert with extremely strong power.

    ¡°Enough, sister-inw! I am now the head of the Bai family, and every decision I make is for the family¡¯s benefit!¡± Bai Yulou rebuked.

    Cheng Lingxin sneered, ¡°I can give you what you want, but on the condition that Baizhi gets to decide her own lifelong happiness!¡±

    Bai Yulou¡¯s face suddenly changed. He hadn¡¯t expected Cheng Lingxin to mention this in front of others. Gu Changfeng and the Golden Pill Cultivator also changed expressions, their eyes showing confusion.

    ¡°Wow, the Bai mansion is quite lively today,¡± At this moment, a voice broke the awkward situation. It was Zhanyue, holding Baizhi¡¯s hand as they walked in. Strangely, along the way, Baizhi hadn¡¯t seen any Bai family guards, and they had walked in easily.

    The three Spirit God Realm experts and Cheng Lingxin simultaneously turned their gazes to the two, or more urately, to their joined hands. The four had varied expressions and thoughts, but the deputy city lord looked at Zhanyue with appreciation, ¡°Daring to p two Spirit God Realm experts in the face like this, quite interesting.¡±

 Chapter 114: A Change in Status

    Chapter 114: A Change in Status

    Baizhi felt ufortable being stared at by everyone and tried to pull her hand away from Zhanyue, but he held on tightly, and she couldn¡¯t break free. Cheng Lingxin looked at Zhanyue withplex emotions. His appearance was passable, and his courage wasmendable, but was he really not afraid of death? Daring toe here alone to stake his im? She couldn¡¯t even protect Baizhi, how could she protect him? Wait, didn¡¯t Baizhi say earlier that he had a way to solve her predicament? Could it be that he wasn¡¯t just boasting?

    Facing the pressure from three Spirit God Realm experts, Zhanyue remained calm andposed, thanks to the confidence given to him by the illumination Goddess.

    ¡°Zhanyue pays respects to the three elders,¡± Zhanyue said, adhering to the principle of courtesy before force.

    ¡°Zhanyue? You must be Zhan Zilong. What do you mean by this?¡± Bai Yulou looked at this young man with some confusion. He was too calm, frighteningly so. He only wondered what Bai Jinhua was doing, how she could have let Baizhie here.

    The Golden Pill Cultivator had a terrifying look in his eyes, as if he wanted to eat someone. Baizhi was his target, his forbidden fruit. From the moment he saw Baizhi¡¯s true face, he vowed to have her, even at the cost of an eighth-grade pill form.

    ¡°What are the three elders discussing here?¡± Zhanyue asked, feigning ignorance.

    ¡°We¡¯re discussing important matters of the Bai family! Please withdraw for now. It¡¯s not that we don¡¯t know how to treat guests, but now is not the time,¡± Bai Yulou didn¡¯t dare to act rashly without knowing Zhanyue¡¯s background.

    But the Golden Pill Cultivator beside him was about to lose control. A mere mortal daring topete with him for a woman!

    ¡°Boy, let go of her hand,¡± the Golden Pill Cultivator said coldly. ¡°Oh, alright,¡± Zhanyue released Baizhi¡¯s hand, then directly wrapped his arm around her soft waist.

    ¡°You¡¯re courting death!¡± The Golden Pill Cultivator was about to act when Gu Changfeng stopped him, transmitting a message: ¡°This boy is fearless, he must have some backing. We can¡¯t act rashly.¡±

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Baizhi¡¯s face turned red as she broke free. She was naturally embarrassed in front of so many people.

    ¡°Young Master Zhan, this is a private matter of our Bai family. Please mind your own business, or regardless of your identity, you¡¯ll suffer the consequences,¡± Bai Yulou threatened, surprised by the many unexpected turns of events today.

    ¡°So you don¡¯t know my background and are being cautious,¡± Zhanyue smiled. ¡°I don¡¯t have any background, and there¡¯s no powerful family named Zhan in this world. I just heard that the Bai family head wants to marry this girl off to someone else, so I rushed here. I should have already sent a message through Bai Wu and Bai Liu to the Bai family head, that Baizhi¡¯s marriage should be her own decision, or the consequences would be more than the Bai family could bear. Did Bai Wu and Bai Liu not deliver the message, or did the Bai family head forget?¡±

    Bai Yulou had never imagined he could be so enraged by a junior, ¡°You youngster! Silence! Do you think this is a ce where you can run wild? Today, regardless of your identity, you must pay the price!¡± Bai Yulou, provoked repeatedly, was truly angry now. A terrifying pressure fell upon Zhanyue.

    ¡°Not good,¡± Cheng Lingxin was about to forcefully break through to take them away when another figure descended from the sky and walked in. The neer was a stunningly beautiful woman who could fly without being in the Spirit God Realm. She wore the standard blue official uniform of the Thousand Charms Empire, but her uniform was embroidered with a colorful divine bird, with nine auspicious clouds beneath it.

    That night, being tense, Zhanyue hadn¡¯t noticed the exceptional beauty of this personal attendant beside the Empress. She had an oval face, a snake-like figure, and between her brows was a mix of allure and extraordinary heroic spirit. She was smiling at everyone, nodding slightly towards Zhanyue.

    Others might not recognize this woman, but Gu Changfeng was startled and immediately went to greet her. The Empress rarely met people and seldom attended court, and even fewer had seen her face. But this female official by the Empress¡¯s side often appeared in public. Outside, she was the Empress¡¯s avatar, and no one dared to disrespect her. The Thousand Charms Empire didn¡¯t have eunuchs; instead, there were pce maids and female officials around the Empress. This Gong Xiaoyun was one of the Empress¡¯s right-hand women, with a status equivalent to a ¡®seal-holding eunuch¡¯, truly high in position and power.

    ¡°Greetings, Your Highness Gong Jiuyun,¡± Gu Changfeng, although a Spirit God Realm expert and deputy city lord of Alchemy Capital, didn¡¯t dare to put on any airs in front of Gong Xiaoyun. Jiuyun referred to the nine clouds on Gong Xiaoyun¡¯s official uniform, meaning the same as ¡®Ninth-rank Official¡¯. It¡¯s worth noting that Gu Changfeng, as the deputy city lord of Alchemy Capital, only had seven clouds on his uniform, and even the eighth-grade Alchemist, the lord of Alchemy Capital, only had eight clouds.

    ¡°No need for formalities. I¡¯m here to announce an imperial edict on behalf of Her Majesty,¡± Gong Xiaoyun said.

    With Gu Changfeng¡¯s exnation, everyone now knew who this Gong Xiaoyun was. Wasn¡¯t she the legendary ¡®Little Empress¡¯? But why did she suddenly appear here? The Golden Pill Cultivator felt a sinking feeling in his heart, having an ominous premonition.

    Everyone bowed in greeting. In the Thousand Charms Empire, kneeling wasn¡¯t required.

    ¡°By heaven¡¯s mandate and the Empress¡¯s decree: There is a girl in Alchemy Capital named Baizhi, with unparalleled talent, stealing heaven¡¯s creation, who has done great service to the Empress. The Empress¡¯s actions seek only to be just in rewards and punishments, with a clear conscience. Considering her talent and suitable age, the Empress wishes to adopt her as a goddaughter, conferring upon her the title of Pill Saint Princess, and granting her a hundred acres ofnd outside Long Ye Forest in the capital as her fief. This is the imperial will.¡±

    Adopting a goddaughter, conferring a princess title, granting a fief ¨C this triplebination stunned everyone except Zhanyue. It¡¯s worth noting that in the Thousand Charms Empire, unlike other countries where a princess was just a princess, the throne was always inherited by women. The current Empress had no children or disciples, and Baizhi would be her only adopted daughter, potentially making her the future heir to the throne! At first, Zhanyue also thought the Empress had gone mad, but then he realized that whether Baizhi could inherit the throne was just a matter of the Empress¡¯s word, but outsiders didn¡¯t know this. This way, Baizhi¡¯s status would appear supremely noble to the outside world.

    Zhanyue didn¡¯t think that just one pill form could make the Empress pass the entire empire to Baizhi. The Empress¡¯s thoughts were as deep as the sea. For her, this adopted daughter status was something she could give with one edict and take back with another, but outsiders didn¡¯t know her attitude. Baizhi could use this to her advantage, solving her predicament. The ways of emperors are indeed extraordinary.

    An eighth-grade Alchemist could be called a Pill Dao Master, a ninth-grade Alchemist a Pill Dao Grand Master, and only a tenth-grade Alchemist could be called a Pill Saint, ording to ancient records. Now the Empress had conferred upon Baizhi the title of Pill Saint Princess. Did this princess title mean the Empress believed Baizhi had the potential to be a Pill Saint? Or was it just a beautiful hope? Outsiders couldn¡¯t know and could only specte, only knowing that Her Majesty the Empress valued and had high hopes for this adopted daughter.

    ¡°I must say, the Empress is really generous. This adopted daughter status and princess title are enough to make outsiders imagine a lot,¡± Zhanyue praised.

    ¡°Bai Family Head, do you still want to help arrange the marriage for Her Majesty¡¯s daughter?¡± Zhanyue asked, looking at the stunned Bai Yulou.

 Chapter 115: The Empires First Princess

    Chapter 115: The Empires First Princess

    The three influential Spirit God Realm experts stood like y statues. Despite their vast experience, they had never seen such a turn of events. One moment they were arguing about Baizhi¡¯s marriage, the next she had transformed into the Thousand Charms Empire¡¯s only princess. Gu Changfeng red angrily at the Golden Pill Cultivator, ming him for involving him in this mess. If offending the princess led to offending the Empress, his future days might not be pleasant.

    Few had seen the Empress, and even fewer had seen her in action. But there was a legend that when three imperial-level fierce beasts from the Soul-Breaking Mountain Range caused trouble in the outer regions, disrupting important routes between the Thousand Charms Empire and the outside world, the Empress single-handedly went to the mountain range, ughtered the three beasts, and warned the others. Since then, only the powerful beasts dared to stay in the depths of the range, while weaker ones remained in the outer areas. This cemented the Empress¡¯s reputation as the nation¡¯s top expert, as she easily killed three terrifyingly powerful beasts.

    ¡°Greetings, Your Highness,¡± Gu Changfeng was the first to recover and bow to Baizhi.

    ¡°You¡­ I¡­¡± Baizhi¡¯s face was a picture of emotions, still not fully grasping that she had be the Empress¡¯s adopted daughter and a princess. Was the powerful backer Zhanyue mentioned actually the Empress? How did he manage this?

    Baizhi gave Zhanyue a reproachful look. This guy, keeping such a big matter secret, calling it a surprise ¨C he nearly scared her to death.

    ¡°Gre-greetings, Your Highness,¡± Bai Yulou also recovered. With the deputy city lord present and Gong Xiaoyun personally delivering the edict, this couldn¡¯t be fake. He knew Baizhi didn¡¯t have such means, so all this must be Zhanyue¡¯s doing. Recalling his earlier attitude towards Zhanyue, he felt a chill down his spine. Zhanyue had said he had no background, but wasn¡¯t that nonsense? Could he be the Empress¡¯s illegitimate son? Bai Yulou dared to think, but only think. Adopting Baizhi as a daughter and making Zhanyue the prince consort would be like half a son to the Empress, legitimizing him. The more Bai Yulou thought, the more usible it seemed, as he couldn¡¯t understand the Empress¡¯s intentions otherwise.

    ¡°Greetings, Your Highness,¡± The Golden Pill Cultivator was truly pale-faced now, the prize slipping through his fingers. Baizhi¡¯s status change had made him look like a clown. He didn¡¯t have the courage to propose in the imperial capital now.

    The happiest person present was Cheng Lingxin. She gave Zhanyue a deep, thoughtful look. Earlier, when her granddaughter said he had a solution, Cheng Lingxin thought the young man was justforting Baizhi. She never imagined Zhanyue would so easily rescue Baizhi from her predicament.

    ¡°You two, Her Majesty wishes to see you. When you¡¯re ready, let me know, and I¡¯ll take you back to the imperial capital,¡± Gong Xiaoyun observed everyone¡¯s reactions without saying more. ¡°I¡­ I need to speak with my grandmother,¡± Baizhi was still a bit dazed.

    ¡°If Her Majesty wants to see you, you should go directly. Don¡¯t keep Her Majesty waiting. As for me, I have nothing to worry about now,¡± Cheng Lingxin told Baizhi.

    ¡°Second Granduncle, please take care of my grandmother these days. I¡¯ll go to the imperial capital to see Her Majesty and return in a few days,¡± Baizhi turned to Bai Yulou, more as a warning.

    Bai Yulou smiled awkwardly, ¡°Of course, Sister-inw will be very safe in the Bai mansion. You can go without worry.¡±

    At this moment, Cheng Lingxin walked up to Zhanyue. It was her first time meeting him, but her eyes couldn¡¯t hide her appreciation and fondness.

    ¡°Goodd, very good indeed. From now on, please take care of my granddaughter,¡± Cheng Lingxin said to Zhanyue.

    Zhanyue nodded. Did this mean he had gained Baizhi¡¯s family¡¯s approval?

    ¡°I¡¯ve lived here for so many years, what could happen to me? You should go quickly with this official. Don¡¯t keep Her Majesty waiting,¡± Cheng Lingxin urged again.

    ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll be going then,¡± Zhanyue led Baizhi out of the hall, where they saw Gong Xiaoyun using her abilities to conjure a white cloud beneath her feet.

    ¡°Come up, I¡¯ll take you. We¡¯ll reach Myriad Purple City by nightfall,¡± Gong Xiaoyun said, maintaining her smile.

    ¡°Yes,¡± the two curiously jumped onto the white cloud, feeling as if they were stepping on cotton. Then Gong Xiaoyun urged the cloud to fly away, truly riding the clouds and mist.

    Gu Changfeng drew in a sharp breath, ¡°The rumors are true. Lady Gong is a Water Contractor. When she advances to the Spirit God Realm, she¡¯ll surely pass the Lord Hall¡¯s test and officially be a Water Lord.¡± Not all Spirit God Realm experts qualified as Lords; they needed to pass the Lord Hall¡¯s test. Even someone as strong as Gu Changfeng couldn¡¯t obtain the Lord title. Spirit Contractors were inherently powerful, and obtaining the Lord title after advancing to Spirit God Realm was as easy as reaching into a pocket for them, like the Wind Lord and Thunder Lord.

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s all disperse. What a show this has been,¡± Cheng Lingxin smiled and left first. She no longer needed to forcefully break through, so she wouldn¡¯t die. Things had developed much better than she had imagined.

    ¡°Hmph, Your Eminence, you¡¯ve really put me in a spot this time. I hope Her Majesty won¡¯t implicate me,¡± Gu Changfeng sighed deeply before striding away.

    The Golden Pill Cultivator frowned but said nothing.

    ¡°What¡­ what are your ns?¡± Bai Yulou asked.

    ¡°Even if Her Majesty doesn¡¯t pursue the matter, that boy doesn¡¯t seem easy to deal with. I can¡¯t stay in Alchemy Capital anymore. Brother Bai, let¡¯s part ways here. I¡¯ll goy low for a while,¡± the Golden Pill Cultivator said. He hadn¡¯t broken anyws, so the Empress had no reason to punish him, but he worried that Zhanyue might cause him trouble. Although he was a Spirit God Realm expert and didn¡¯t fear Zhanyue, it was better to avoid unnecessary problems. In these troubled times, it was best to hide for a while. After some time, people might forget about this incident.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t spread this matter. It won¡¯t affect your reputation,¡± Bai Yulou said tactfully.

    After seeing off the Golden Pill Cultivator, Bai Yulou smashed an expensive teacup to pieces! The guest elder n had failed, the eighth-grade pill form was lost, and the mysterious technique was gone too. Baizhi hadpletely escaped his control.

    Just then, a steward walked in. ¡°Congrattions, master! Felicitations, master!¡±

    Bai Yulou looked displeased, ¡°What congrattions?¡±

    The steward was confused. Why wasn¡¯t the master happy? Didn¡¯t he know?

    ¡°Just now, the news of Her Majesty conferring the title of Pill Saint Princess on the young miss has spread. Many Alchemists havee to sign up, wanting to contribute to our Bai family. The queue is endless,¡± the steward said.

    This news was naturally spread by the deputy city lord, who was very sensible and knew what shouldn¡¯t be said and what should be widely publicized.

    Bai Yulou¡¯s expression was strange. He sighed inwardly, thinking that if he hadn¡¯t offended Baizhi earlier, perhaps he would be happy now. Baizhi bing a princess naturally benefited the Bai family the most.

    In the sky, Baizhi nervously clung to Zhanyue¡¯s arm.

    ¡°What should I do? I¡¯m so nervous,¡± Baizhi had never met the Empress but was directly conferred the title of princess. About to have an audience, she was afraid the Empress might not like her. How could she not be nervous?

    Gong Xiaoyun, standing at the front steering the cloud, smiled reassuringly, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. Her Majesty isn¡¯t some man-eating monster. With your beauty and talent, you¡¯ll likely exceed Her Majesty¡¯s expectations. No wonder Young Master Zhan is so devoted to you.¡±

    Baizhi¡¯s pretty face reddened, and she asked, ¡°Lady¡­ Lady Gong, why did Her Majesty confer the title of princess on me?¡±

    ¡°Your Highness, please don¡¯t call me Lady. I don¡¯t deserve it. You can call me Gong Xiaoyun directly, or Sister Gong if you prefer,¡± Gong Xiaoyun said.

    ¡°Alright¡­ Sister Gong,¡± Baizhi hadn¡¯t yet adjusted to her princess identity.

    ¡°It¡¯s because Young Master Zhan greatly helped Her Majesty. I¡¯ve never seen Her Majesty look so rxed, as if a huge stone had been lifted from her heart. Her Majesty has always been fair in rewards and punishments. Such a great service naturally deserves more than ordinary rewards. Her Majesty heard about your situation and knew Young Master Zhan wanted to secure your freedom withoutpletely breaking ties with the Bai family or being constrained by them. That¡¯s why she conferred the princess title on you,¡± Gong Xiaoyun exined.

    Baizhi¡¯s eyes were full of love as she hugged Zhanyue tighter. ¡°What did you do?¡±

    Zhanyue smiled, ¡°I just offered an eighth-grade pill form and an eighth-grade pill. Her Majesty happened to need them.¡±

    ¡°Eighth-grade pill form? But you didn¡¯t exchange for one on Ghost Ind,¡± Baizhi was confused.

    ¡°Silly girl, who said eighth-grade forms are only on Ghost Ind? I had one before going to Ghost Ind. I, Zhanyue, never lie. When I said I¡¯d give you freedom, I meant it,¡± Zhanyue pinched Baizhi¡¯s nose affectionately.

    ¡°Never lie? So you really have an eighth-grade Alchemist teacher? You really met the illumination Goddess? And you¡¯re really close with the Holy Light Maiden?¡± Baizhi couldn¡¯t help but tease. This Zhanyue, full of tall tales, always imed to be honest.

    At the front, Gong Xiaoyun¡¯s beautiful eyes sparkled. While getting her fill of their lovey-dovey behavior, she also became more curious about Zhanyue. This guy was truly mysterious.

 Chapter 116: Audience with the Empress (1)

    Chapter 116: Audience with the Empress (1)

    Gong Xiaoyun¡¯s cloud-riding technique truly opened Zhanyue¡¯s eyes. As a Spirit Contractor with water vapor as her contract object, even though she hadn¡¯t advanced to the Spirit God Realm yet, even Spirit God Realm experts wouldn¡¯t fare well against her. As the Empress¡¯s confidant, Gong Xiaoyun¡¯s strength, wisdom, and methods were all top-tier.

    The three of them quickly returned to the imperial capital, Myriad Purple City. Viewing the city from above in daylight offered a unique perspective. Zhanyue now noticed two enormous statues in Myriad Purple City. He recognized one as the illumination Goddess statue found everywhere, though he inwardly criticized that the statue¡¯s appearance didn¡¯t do justice to his ¡°sister¡¯s¡± beauty, not even one ten-thousandth of it. The other colossal statue was also of a woman, wearing imperial robes, with a noble air, her gaze fixed intently on the distantndscape.

    ¡°Miss Gong, who is that statue of?¡± Zhanyue asked curiously.

    ¡°It¡¯s the statue of our Thousand Charms Empire¡¯s founding emperor,¡± Gong Xiaoyun answered.

    ¡°The founding empress, truly a remarkable woman,¡± Zhanyue praised. Beside him, Baizhi stared at the statue, feeling a strange sense of familiarity she couldn¡¯t quite grasp.

    ¡°Do you know her identity?¡± Gong Xiaoyun asked.

    ¡°Of course not,¡± Zhanyue naturally didn¡¯t know.

    ¡°Three thousand years have passed. The world remembers the illumination Goddess but has forgotten the Four Symbol Lords. The Four Symbol Lords were the four strongest humans after the Goddess, and among them, only one was a woman ¨C the Vermilion Bird Lord, Yue Lingchen. She was the founding emperor of our Thousand Charms Empire. Legend has it she was also the world¡¯s only ninth-grade Alchemist,¡± Gong Xiaoyun exined.

    ¡°Ninth-grade Alchemist?¡± Baizhi was lost in thought. That was a realm countless Alchemists could only look up to. ¡°Sister, did you know about this?¡± Zhanyue curiously contacted the illumination Goddess. She had mentioned the Vermilion Bird Lord before; they seemed to be close friends. The illumination Goddess suspected that after her death, it was the Vermilion Bird Lord who collected her body and buried her in the illumination Goddess statue, allowing her to enjoy the people¡¯s faith day and night. Zhanyue hadn¡¯t expected the Thousand Charms Empire to be founded by the Vermilion Bird Lord. No wonder its status was so special, never allying with others yet no one dared to offend it. And no wonder Alchemy Capital appeared in the Thousand Charms Empire.

    ¡°Before I died, she hadn¡¯t established a country yet, but she had mentioned this to me. She said all the empires in the world were inherited by men, which was quite boring. If she had the chance in the future, she would establish a nation ruled by women, where only females could inherit the throne. I didn¡¯t expect she really did it,¡± the illumination Goddess sighed. Unfortunately, after thousands of years, Yue Lingchen must have passed away long ago, and she could no longer see her.

    ¡°Vermilion Bird Lord, Vermilion Bird Lord¡­ Sister, did your friend master the South MingÀë Fire?¡± Zhanyue asked curiously. If she had mastered the South Ming Àë Fire, things would be interesting. He gave Baizhi a strange look.

    ¡°She didn¡¯t. Although the Four Symbol Lords were called the Four Symbols, they actually had no connection to the Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, or ck Turtle. It¡¯s just that they happened to be born in four different directions ¨C east, south, west, and north. The Vermilion Bird Lord was born on a small ind in the south,¡± the illumination Goddess replied.

    ¡°Is that so,¡± Zhanyue was a bit disappointed. He had thought Baizhi might have some connection to the Vermilion Bird Lord, but it turned out the title of Four Symbol Lords was so casually given.

    What neither the illumination Goddess nor Zhanyue knew was that after the Goddess¡¯s death, the Vermilion Bird Lord lived for a long time. She not only awakened the South Ming Àë Fire but also became a tenth-grade Alchemist, attempting to revive the Goddess through pill dao. In the end, she failed and lost her own life in the process. Of course, this all happened after the Goddess¡¯s death, and such a secret was unknown to anyone in the world.

    ¡°We¡¯ve arrived,¡± Gong Xiaoyunnded directly in the imperial pce. She looked at the sky and said, ¡°It¡¯ste. Her Majesty should be asleep by now. You should rest and prepare well. You¡¯ll have an audience tomorrow.¡±

    Zhanyue asked curiously, ¡°With Her Majesty¡¯s cultivation level, does she need to sleep so early every day?¡±

    Gong Xiaoyun¡¯s face showed a mysterious smile, but she said, ¡°Her Majesty just likes to sleep. Well, don¡¯t ask too much about this.¡± Gong Xiaoyun naturally knew that the Empress herself was an eighth-grade Alchemist who refined pills daily. Pill refining was most taxing on the spirit, and even for someone of her status, sleep was the best way to restore spiritual power.

    After settling the two in a side pce, Gong Xiaoyun said to them, ¡°You¡¯ll have to make do here for the night. There aren¡¯t manyplex rules in the pce. I¡¯lle for you early tomorrow morning.¡±

    ¡°Alright,¡± Zhanyue and Baizhi nodded.

    ¡°Oh, one more thing,¡± Gong Xiaoyun said to Zhanyue, ¡°The inner pce is all women. Young Master Zhan, it¡¯s best not to wander around to avoid gossip. Although Her Majesty doesn¡¯t care about empty reputations, there¡¯s no need to create unnecessary trouble, right?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Sister Gong. I¡¯ll keep an eye on him,¡± Baizhi said first.

    Zhanyue was speechless. Was his character really so untrustworthy?

    There were many empty rooms in the side pce, but the two weren¡¯t in a hurry to retire separately. Zhanyue finally let the two little cats out for some air.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking, Little Mo and Little Xue should stay with you for now. Staying in the storage space with me all day isn¡¯t good for them. Now that you¡¯re a princess with your own fief, it¡¯s quite reasonable for you to keep two rare and strange beasts,¡± Zhanyue said, looking at the two cats. These two beast spirits were still weak and couldn¡¯t help him much. As he traveled, he didn¡¯t have much time to care for them, so letting Baizhi raise them was perfect.

    ¡°Also, here¡¯s a beast cultivation method I got for free. Remember to supervise their cultivation,¡± Zhanyue also gave Baizhi the beast cultivation method he obtained from that mysterious girl.

    The two little cats curiously looked around, ying with each other. Baizhi liked them and didn¡¯t mind taking care of them, but she picked up on something else.

    ¡°Brother Zhan, are you nning to leave?¡± Baizhi¡¯s eyes were full of reluctance. How long had it been since they reunited?

    Zhanyue nodded, ¡°A man of ambition should set his sights far. Now that you have princess status and your own fief, you can bring your grandmother to live thereter. I feel at ease now. I¡¯m cultivating both pill and martial arts. If it were just refining pill techniques, staying anywhere would be the same, but to train martial skills, I need more practice. I haven¡¯t entered the Profound Realm yet, so I need to travel more. I n to check out the Empire¡¯s First United Academy. It won¡¯t be very dangerous there. When I cultivate to the Profound Realm, I¡¯lle find you.¡±

    ¡°But if it¡¯s just for study, we have the Thousand Charms Academy in our nation,¡± Baizhi was still reluctant, her watery eyes making Zhanyue¡¯s heart a mess.

    ¡°It¡¯s different. I considered the Thousand Charms Academy before, but it¡¯s not suitable for me,¡± Zhanyue shook his head. He had discussed this with the illumination Goddess. The Empire¡¯s First United Academy was more suitable for him, a ce where geniuses gathered andpetition was fierce. The Thousand Charms Academy was mostly for women and only recruited people from the Thousand Charms Empire. The level ofpetition was far less than in the Eastern Kingdom.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Look at this¡­¡± Zhanyue took out a token. ¡°This token was given to me by the Eastern Kingdom¡¯s Crown Princess. I¡¯m notpletely without backing in the Eastern Kingdom. There won¡¯t be any danger.¡±

    Baizhi looked at the token and pouted, ¡°It¡¯s precisely because it was given by that so-called Crown Princess that I¡¯m worried.¡±

 Chapter 117: Audience with the Empress (2)

    Chapter 117: Audience with the Empress (2)

    Zhanyue stroked Baizhi¡¯s hair, teasing, ¡°Are you jealous? I¡¯ve only met that Crown Princess twice. Don¡¯t overthink it. She might not even remember me now.¡±

    ¡°You can go, I won¡¯t hold you back, but you must stay with me for a few more days,¡± Baizhi said. Though reluctant, she didn¡¯t stop him, seeing his determination.

    Theyy on the bed, just talking, doing nothing else. It wasn¡¯t that Zhanyue was being reserved; he was truly afraid that if they did anything, the divine soul in Baizhi might awaken and burn him to ashes.

    ¡°Girl, promise me one thing, okay?¡± Zhanyue suddenly said, looking at Baizhi.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Baizhi asked, puzzled.

    ¡°No matter what, don¡¯t forget me, okay?¡± Zhanyue said seriously.

    Baizhi was speechless. She wasn¡¯t senile; how could she possibly forget him? But seeing Zhanyue¡¯s serious expression, she nodded, ¡°I promise you, no matter what, I won¡¯t forget you. I¡¯ve said it before, Baizhi will always belong only to you.¡±

    Zhanyue pulled her into his arms, kissing her soft lips until she was breathless. For Zhanyue, Baizhi¡¯s existence held a very special meaning. The illumination Goddess was bound to him for special reasons, but Baizhi was Zhanyue¡¯s active choice, his biggest attachment in this world now. She was also the person he trusted most after the illumination Goddess; they shared many secrets. Baizhi waspletely open with him, giving him the mysterious ¡®Sun illumination Scripture¡¯ as soon as she saw him.

    ¡°That consciousness said before to find the purest lightning power to activate the Heavenly King¡¯s Bronze Furnace for Baizhi. I should keep an eye out for that during my travels,¡± Zhanyue suddenly remembered. Baizhi not only possessed the Heavenly King¡¯s Bronze Furnace but also the South Ming Fire. When she truly grows up, her help to him would be immeasurable. ¡°With the divinemunication space, we can contact each other anytime no matter how far apart we are. You don¡¯t need to be too sad,¡± Zhanyueforted her, ¡°Sleep now.¡± Holding Baizhi in his arms, Zhanyue felt at ease, and they slept like that all night.

    The next day, when the two walked out of the same room, Gong Xiaoyun couldn¡¯t help but roll her eyes. These two were really bold, right under the Empress¡¯s nose. They weren¡¯t even married yet, how shameless. But she didn¡¯t say anything; after all, the two were deeply in love, and it wasn¡¯t her ce to interfere.

    ¡°Your Highness, please follow me for the audience,¡± Gong Xiaoyun said.

    Baizhi nodded. She hadn¡¯t slept all night, even though shey in Zhanyue¡¯s arms, his hands caressing her. Her mind was on the uing audience; she couldn¡¯t help but be nervous.

    Zhanyue followed, but was stopped by Gong Xiaoyun.

    ¡°Young Master Zhan, please wait here. Her Majesty only summoned the Princess,¡± Gong Xiaoyun said, still smiling.

    ¡°No business for me?¡± Zhanyue said helplessly, having to let Baizhi enter alone.

    This made Baizhi even more nervous, realizing the Empress only summoned her.

    ¡°I¡¯m going in,¡± Baizhi looked at Zhanyue, took a deep breath, and walked into the hall alone. Even Gong Xiaoyun didn¡¯t enter; the Empress seemed to want to talk to Baizhi privately.

    At the hall entrance, Zhanyue paced back and forth. Gong Xiaoyun smiled, ¡°Young Master Zhan, you seem even more nervous than the Princess.¡±

    ¡°After all, I don¡¯t know Her Majesty¡¯s temperament at all. I¡¯m worried Baizhi might say something wrong. You know, serving a ruler is like serving a tiger,¡± Zhanyue exined.

    ¡°Serving a tiger? Are you saying Her Majesty is a tigress?¡± Gong Xiaoyun narrowed her eyes, looking at Zhanyue mischievously.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t say that. Don¡¯t misquote me. This is no joking matter,¡± Zhanyue quickly denied.

    ¡°If you want me not to tell on you, it¡¯s simple. Just answer one question for me,¡± Gong Xiaoyun said, still with her beautiful smile, but Zhanyue saw mischief in it.

    ¡°What question?¡± Zhanyue asked.

    ¡°Have you and Her Highness done ¡®it¡¯?¡± Gong Xiaoyun asked curiously.

    ¡°No¡­ no,¡± Zhanyue was embarrassed, not expecting such a question from Gong Xiaoyun.

    ¡°No?¡± Gong Xiaoyun was surprised, ¡°You were in the same room with her, and Her Highness is so beautiful. You could resist? Or maybe you can¡¯t perform?¡±

    Zhanyue felt Gong Xiaoyun was really difficult to deal with. ¡°Whether I can perform or not, Miss Gong can try and see,¡± he said, flustered.

    Gong Xiaoyun¡¯s smile froze, then her expression became strange, ¡°You¡¯re quite bold. No one in the Thousand Charms Empire has dared to flirt with me.¡±

    ¡°Uh, okay, I spoke out of turn. But you teased me first,¡± Zhanyue realized he had misspoken, remembering that the woman before him was no simple character.

    ¡°However, it¡¯s good that nothing happened between you and Her Highness. After all, she¡¯s now an imperial princess. Some things be much moreplicated with this identity. It wouldn¡¯t be good if word got out that the princess was fooling around with a man before marriage,¡± Gong Xiaoyun reminded.

    ¡°Thank you for the reminder, Miss Gong. I¡¯ll remember,¡± Zhanyue nodded, feeling troubled. He¡¯d have to be careful with Baizhi in public from now on, though in private it didn¡¯t matter. At least in front of others, they had to maintain the princess¡¯s face.

    ¡°You offended me. You don¡¯t think a simple apology will suffice, do you?¡± Gong Xiaoyun said.

    ¡°Uh, how should I make amends, Miss Gong?¡± Zhanyue said, hoping she wouldn¡¯t be too unreasonable.

    ¡°Just let me beat you up once,¡± Gong Xiaoyun said with a smug smile.

    ¡°Miss¡­ Miss Gong, you¡¯ve cultivated for years, your cultivation is much higher than mine. How could I be your match?¡± Zhanyue refused.

    ¡°Cultivated for years? Are you subtly calling me old?¡± Gong Xiaoyun¡¯s smile hid a knife.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare! Miss Gong, you¡¯re a peerless beauty. How could you be old? Anyone who doesn¡¯t know better would think you¡¯re a 16-year-old girl,¡± Zhanyue quickly praised.

    ¡°Hehe,¡± Gong Xiaoyun giggled, ¡°Peerless beauty? How so? Tell me, who¡¯s more beautiful, me or the princess?¡±

    Zhanyue¡¯s head hurt. She had maliciously asked such a deadly question.

    ¡°Well, to be honest, I think the princess is more beautiful. But my feelings for her are special, so my judgment of her beauty might be biased. In others¡¯ eyes, Miss Gong might be more beautiful,¡± Zhanyue answered.

    ¡°Is that so? You don¡¯t want to offend anyone, do you? I won¡¯t make it difficult for you. Let¡¯s have a fight,¡± Gong Xiaoyun didn¡¯t let Zhanyue off. In fact, she was just curious about Zhanyue and wanted to know his capabilities.

    Inside the hall, the Empress chatted with the princess. Outside, Gong Xiaoyun fought with Zhanyue. Time slowly passed.

    After a long while, Baizhi opened the hall doors and came out. She saw Zhanyue soaked like a drowned rat, while Gong Xiaoyun was giggling. Seeing Baizhie out, she quickly suppressed herughter.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Baizhi frowned.

    ¡°We were bored waiting and had a little match. Miss Gong is indeed formidable; I¡¯m no match,¡± Zhanyue said helplessly, not daring to offend Gong Xiaoyun. He couldn¡¯t beat her anyway, but this appearance was too embarrassing. He realized how terrifying Spirit Contractors could be; despite using all his tricks, he couldn¡¯t harm Gong Xiaoyun at all.

    ¡°Your Highness, let me arrange for someone to escort you to your fief,¡± Gong Xiaoyun said, then arranged for people to escort Baizhi and Zhanyue out of the pce. When she returned to the pce, she was summoned by the Empress.

    ¡°Your Majesty, how was it?¡± Gong Xiaoyun asked curiously.

    The Empress had returned to herrge bed, yawningzily. ¡°We talked a lot, and I¡¯m a bit tired. This girl is even more excellent than I imagined, with pill dao talent surpassing mine. It¡¯s a pity she neglected martial arts cultivation; otherwise, I¡¯d really consider grooming her as the next empress. However, her heart is all on that Zhanyue boy. If she really ascended the throne, I fear the empire would be stolen by Zhanyue. Let¡¯s leave it for now. Let her stay in the capital, and I can guide her in pill dao cultivation. After all, she¡¯s now my daughter.¡±

    ¡°By the way, what do you think of this Zhanyue boy?¡± the Empress asked. She naturally knew about the match between Gong Xiaoyun and Zhanyue earlier.

    ¡°His talent is unfathomable. Although he hasn¡¯t entered the Profound Realm, ordinary Profound Star Realm experts probably aren¡¯t his match,¡± Gong Xiaoyun evaluated honestly.

    ¡°This is what I often tell you about people with great fortune. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have obtained the Longevity Pill form. We need to find a way to use this fortune for our benefit,¡± the Empress said.

    ¡°How to use it?¡± Gong Xiaoyun didn¡¯t understand. She knew the Empress made Baizhi a princess mainly because of Zhanyue, to maintain a close rtionship with such a fortunate person for many benefits.

    ¡°I heard from Baizhi that he ns to study at the Empire¡¯s First United Academy? Perfect. That old fellow asked me for people before, and I was going to refuse, but now I¡¯ve changed my mind. You go there for a while, protect the Holy Maiden, and keep an eye on Zhanyue. That thing in the depths of the academy is about to emerge. You can try to help as much as possible, and if it ends up in Zhanyue¡¯s hands, have him share some with you. That thing can¡¯t be obtained without great fortune,¡± the Empress said.

    ¡°Your Majesty wants me to go to the First United Academy? But what about the court affairs?¡± Gong Xiaoyun asked, confused.

    ¡°Silly girl, do you really think I can¡¯t do anything without you? Just go. First, build a good rtionship with the Wind Lord; his benefits aren¡¯t small. Second, that thing in the academy is very important to me; we can¡¯t notpete for it,¡± the Empress exined.

    ¡°Al¡­ alright,¡± Gong Xiaoyun nodded.

    The Wind Lord nned to be the principal of the First United Academy, and he also had the Holy Maiden enter the academy for convenience of care. He went to great lengths for the Holy Maiden¡¯s safety, not only contacting experts from the White Cloud Tower as shields but also seeking help from the Thousand Charms Empire, which had many powerful women suitable for protecting the Holy Maiden. Gong Xiaoyun¡¯s strength was no less than Mi Hongchen¡¯s. With her close protection, the Holy Maiden¡¯s safety would be assured.

 Chapter 118: Meeting the First Life Again

    Chapter 118: Meeting the First Life Again

    Myriad Purple City, as the capital andrgest city of the Thousand Charms Empire, covered a vast area. To its south was a small forest called Changye Forest, a royal property that had been partially cleared for medicinal herb fields. Now, a hundred acres of thisnd had been granted to Baizhi as her fief, including those herb fields. While a hundred acres wasn¡¯trge, its location within the capital made it extremely valuable. With this safe herb field in such a prime location, Baizhi wouldn¡¯tck for ie. The Empress¡¯s gift was trulyprehensive.

    Inside a luxurious carriage, Baizhi nestled in Zhanyue¡¯s arms, looking like a love bird. Though she was a princess, she didn¡¯t care about exposing her rtionship with Zhanyue, while Zhanyue wanted to stake his im, warning potential suitors that this beauty was taken.

    ¡°What did Her Majesty ask you?¡± Zhanyue asked curiously.

    ¡°She asked about my background, my cultivation level, and some questions about pill refining. She also had me refine a fifth-grade pill in front of her. I could see Her Majesty is very knowledgeable about pill dao. She said she¡¯d guide me when she has time,¡± Baizhi smiled. The meeting had gone much better than she expected. After all, the Empress wasn¡¯t really considering her as an heir, but just checking if her qualities matched the princess title. The result satisfied the Empress: Baizhi had a clean background, stunning beauty, a gentle personality, exceptional talent, was already in the Profound Realm at a young age, and was a fifth-grade Alchemist. She wouldn¡¯t shame the title of princess of the Thousand Charms Empire.

    ¡°Your Highness, we¡¯ve arrived,¡± the female official driving the carriage reminded them.

    They stepped down from the carriage to see a huge wallpletely enclosing the herb fields, now serving as the wall for the princess¡¯s mansion.

    ¡°Construction of the princess¡¯s mansion is underway, so Your Highness may need to wait ten to fifteen days before moving in,¡± the official said.

    ¡°My mansion doesn¡¯t need to be toorge. Leave as much space as possible for the herb fields; growing more herbs is good,¡± Baizhi said. She didn¡¯t care much about the size or grandeur of her mansion.

    ¡°Al-alright, I¡¯ll inform them right away,¡± the official immediately sent subordinates to notify the workers. ¡°Also, can I bring my servants from the Bai family? I¡¯m used to their service,¡± Baizhi asked. As the young miss of the Bai family, she naturally had servants there, and she had a good rtionship with the maids she had chosen herself.

    ¡°Of course. The princess can form her own staff of servants, maids, and guards. If you need more people, you can request them directly from the pce,¡± the official said.

    Baizhi thought for a moment and said, ¡°Alright, then please help me request some guards from the pce ording to the rules, preferably all female.¡±

    The official nodded, ¡°Of course.¡±

    With personnel arrangements settled, Baizhi could establish herself here smoothly. As for the princess mansion¡¯s financial sources, between the pce¡¯s annual allowance and the herb fields, there was no worry.

    ¡°By the way, Your Highness, as a core member of the royal family, you can go to the Imperial Inheritance Hall to receive benefits for royal descendants,¡± the official continued.

    ¡°Royal descendants?¡± Zhanyue asked, confused. ¡°Doesn¡¯t the current Empress have no children?¡±

    The official was polite to Zhanyue too, as specifically instructed by Gong Xiaoyun. She didn¡¯t dare offend him. ¡°In response to young master, although Her Majesty has no children, both the previous Empress and the current one had family and rtives. They themselves might have passed away, but they left descendants. Although not in the main royal line, they are coteral descendants. Most of them have been settled elsewhere. Only those with excellent qualities are eligible to return to the Imperial Inheritance Hall to receive royal benefits. They need to pass multiple assessments, but the princess doesn¡¯t need to.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± Zhanyue nodded. The previous Empress and the current one had lived for an unknown number of years. Their rtives without cultivation talent probably died long ago, but they still had descendants continuing to this day, forming the current royal coteral branches. There were quite a few people, but the Empress didn¡¯t support idlers. Only those who passed assessments could enter the Imperial Inheritance Hall.

    Baizhi looked at the mansion under construction, which wasn¡¯t much to see.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go to the Imperial Inheritance Hall,¡± she said.

    The two got back in the carriage and headed for the Imperial Inheritance Hall.

    After they left, the workers dared to start discussing.

    ¡°Did you see just now? That white-clothed woman is the new princess appointed by Her Majesty. She¡¯s like a fairy descended from heaven,¡± one said.

    ¡°Indeed, even in this capital full of beauties, I¡¯ve never seen such a beautiful woman. I didn¡¯t dare to look too much. But who was that man beside the princess? Could he be a eunuch from the pce?¡± another chimed in.

    ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense. There are no eunuchs in the imperial pce. He¡¯s probably the princess¡¯s guard or something.¡±

    ¡°Ah, the princess¡¯s guard. It¡¯s a pity we don¡¯t have any skills. We can¡¯t even dream of such a job.¡± After chatting, they returned to their work. After all, they were just ordinary construction workers.

    The ¡°princess¡¯s guard¡± they were talking about was now ¡°bullying¡± the princess in the carriage, making Baizhi¡¯s face flush red. Baizhi was now lying in Zhanyue¡¯s arms, clothes disheveled, far from the image of a celestial fairy.

    ¡°Brother Zhan, there are people outside,¡± Baizhi reminded.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that better?¡± Zhanyue wasn¡¯t being very proper.

    ¡°Ah¡­¡± In the silence, the illumination Goddess sighed inwardly. This boy was really a lecher. But he was indeed at a passionate age, and he wasn¡¯t fooling around everywhere. As both teacher and friend to Zhanyue, she naturally wouldn¡¯t criticize too much, but she worried Zhanyue might be too obsessed with such things and neglect his cultivation. However, so far Zhanyue hadn¡¯t shown that side.

    ¡°Brother Zhan, you¡¯re really not behaving. Butst night I was all prepared, why did you give up?¡± Baizhi said, a bit helplessly. Zhanyue was just teasing, not daring to actually do anything. She didn¡¯t really mind these things, and even looked forward to them a bit.

    Zhanyue looked at the beauty in his arms helplessly, ¡°Do you really not know anything?¡±

    Baizhi asked, puzzled, ¡°Know what?¡±

    Zhanyue thought for a moment and decided to be honest with Baizhi. Just as he was about to speak, Baizhi¡¯s face turned cold, her gaze bing unfamiliar.

    ¡°How is it, feelingfortable holding me?¡± ¡®Baizhi¡¯ asked, her tone icy. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you remove your dirty hands from my clothes?¡±

    However, Zhanyue didn¡¯t listen to her, instead hugging her tighter. His hand even pinched a sensitive spot.

    ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re courting death!¡± Baizhi said angrily.

    ¡°If you have the ability, then burn me to death with fire,¡± Zhanyue said shamelessly.

    Baizhi was speechless, ¡°Forget it, it¡¯s just a stinking sack of flesh. Let me tell you something important. First, you can¡¯t tell her about my existence in advance. Second, you can¡¯t ruin her body. She has a pure yin physique. If she loses her virginity prematurely, my technique will be wed. You¡¯ve been restraining yourself well before, and I¡¯m quite satisfied with that.¡±

    ¡°Senior, what kind of existence are you exactly?¡± Zhanyue asked, a bit scared. Everything he did and said, the ¡®her¡¯ inside Baizhi could see and hear.

    ¡°I am Baizhi, and Baizhi is me. If she doesn¡¯t mind intimate contact with you, then I won¡¯t mind either. In the past, forget about such frivolous behavior, even approaching within three feet of me would have resulted in being burned to ashes. Now I can¡¯t even generate a bit of disgust. I don¡¯t know if cultivating this ¡®Three Lives Reincarnation Art¡¯ is good or bad for me. I came out this time because I feared your unintentional actions might ruin the future for both me and Baizhi.¡±

    ¡°Senior, you¡¯re confusing me. When will you two merge? Will she still know me then?¡± Zhanyue asked worriedly.

    ¡°Confused? I¡¯m the first life, Baizhi is the third life, and the memories of the second life haven¡¯t awakened yet. It will be even more confusing then. You¡¯d better hope that my second life didn¡¯t fall in love with someone, or I might really transfer my affections,¡± Baizhi said with a cold smile. Her words really startled Zhanyue, his face turning ck.

    Seeing her tactics were effective, ¡®Baizhi¡¯ smiled smugly, ¡°It¡¯s so easy for me to tease you. Don¡¯t worry, I was pure in my first life, pure in my second life, so the third life must also remain pure. Only when the three lives merge can the ¡®Three Lives Reincarnation Art¡¯ be consideredplete. Whether you can have a taste then depends on your abilities. I don¡¯t know what our personality will be like after we three merge. But we won¡¯t forget you, at least.¡±

    The first life of Baizhi retreated, and Baizhi returned to her usual self.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Brother Zhan? I seem to have zoned out for a moment?¡± Baizhi blinked innocently. Zhanyue withdrew his wandering hands, no longer in the mood to tease Baizhi.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± Zhanyueforted her. The first life¡¯s memories could hear all his words, so he didn¡¯t dare say much. He could only sigh inwardly that having so many secrets wasn¡¯t a good thing for this girl. But now he didn¡¯t need to worry about her safety. Anyone who underestimated Baizhi would be in for trouble. ¡°If I hadn¡¯t interfered, the Golden Pill Cultivator might have been incinerated by the South Ming Fire. I guess I¡¯ve done a good deed. If I have the chance in the future, I should ask him for some reward money.¡±

 Chapter 119: Parting (1)

    Chapter 119: Parting (1)

    The Imperial Inheritance Hall was located directly south of the imperial pce, a massive nine-story building covering a vast area. Each floor housed extremely important resources, from purple crystals to cultivation techniques, from spirit herbs to pills ¨C everything one could imagine. It was the treasury of the Thousand Charms Empire.

    Zhanyue followed Baizhi to the Imperial Inheritance Hall but was stopped at the entrance. Not being a member of the royal family, he naturally couldn¡¯t enter and could only wait silently outside. The powerful auras inside the hall were numerous; Zhanyue even determined there must be Spirit God Realm experts inside.

    Inside the hall, Baizhi, as the sole imperial princess, enjoyed resources iparable to others. The first floor was for receiving annual sries. Baizhi took 10 million purple crystals and headed upstairs. For her, a fifth-grade Alchemist, this amount wasn¡¯t much. But for other ordinary royal members, it would be a huge sum.

    The second floor was the royal textile workshop. After leaving her measurements, some clothes and precious jewelry befitting her princess status would be sent to her mansion in a few days.

    The third floor was the royal armory, housing many divine weapons. After careful selection, Baizhi finally chose a pair of exquisite daggers named ¡®Butterfly¡¯. One dagger curved slightly left, the other slightly right, forming a butterfly shape whenbined, very suitable for her attack style.

    The fourth floor was the pill storage. Here, one could receive many pills, but Baizhi gave up these pills and instead exchanged her quota for arge number of spirit herbs and medicinal herbs. She could refine pills herself, and the pills here, except for a few sixth-grade ones, were mostly fifth-grade and below.

    The fifth floor was crucial, housing the royal cultivation techniques and battle skills, far superior to those in Rising Sun City¡¯s collection. Here, there were battle skills up to the red grade, but they required arge number of royal contribution points to exchange. With Baizhi¡¯s princess status, she could at most get orange-grade techniques and skills for free. But this was enough. Baizhi had neglected martial skills cultivation since childhood, and it was time to pick it up. Following the rules, she selected one cultivation technique and three battle skills. Just as she was about to go to the sixth floor, a tall figure blocked her way.

    ¡°Which family are you from, sister? You look unfamiliar,¡± the neer was a handsome young man, tall with fair skin and an extraordinary bearing. He wore yellow clothes, a jade pendant at his waist, and held a folding fan. He looked at Baizhi curiously, having fallen for her at first sight.

    ¡°Please move aside,¡± Baizhi rarely paid him any attention, walking past him to the sixth floor. The young man wanted to follow but was stopped by the sixth floor¡¯s guard. ¡°Lord Mu, you can¡¯t go up without a token,¡± the guard said. Floors one to five were for royal descendants to receive resources and benefits, while floors six to nine were mysterious and not allowed without special permission. Baizhi¡¯s special status allowed her to ess floors six, seven, and eight, but even she wasn¡¯t allowed on the ninth floor.

    ¡°Who is she?¡± Mu Chenglong asked, his gaze burning.

    ¡°Naturally, it¡¯s the princess,¡± the guard didn¡¯t conceal it, having just received the notification recently.

    ¡°Is she the adopted daughter of Her Majesty? That unexpected princess?¡± Mu Chenglong was stunned, then showed a slight smile. He turned and went downstairs, not leaving but waiting below.

    The sixth floor housed many pill forms. Baizhi even saw many rare seventh-grade forms, though no eighth-grade ones. She guessed they weren¡¯t kept here. She chose some fifth and sixth-grade forms, then went to the seventh floor.

    The seventh floor was surprisingly a puppet room, filled with many mechanical puppets. Baizhi chose a small mechanical bird. Though small, it had many functions and considerablebat power. Anyone underestimating it would be in for a surprise.

    The eighth floor was a spirit pet room, housing some fierce beast eggs. However, Baizhi and Zhanyue already had Little Snow and Little Mo, two beast spirits with divine beast bloodlines, which was enough. She wasn¡¯t interested in these, so she converted the fierce beast egg quota into points to exchange for some precious herbs for beast cultivation. With these, the two little cats could grow rapidly. Baizhi threw all these things into her divinemunication space. Zhanyue, waiting outside, was fully aware and sighed at the wealth of the Thousand Charms Empire. They had everything from cultivation techniques to puppets and beast pets.

    Zhanyue, waiting outside the hall, saw Mu Chenglong and curiously asked a nearby female official, ¡°Who is he?¡±

    ¡°In response to young master, he is the great-great-grandson of the previous emperor¡¯s sister, inheriting the title of marquis. He¡¯s known as ¡®Ghost Fan Lord Mu¡¯, currently at the Profound Realm, with outstanding talent among the royal descendants,¡± the female official exined.

    Soon after, Baizhi walked out of the Imperial Inheritance Hall. Mu Chenglong immediately went up to her, fawning over her with concern.

    Zhanyue clicked his tongue, ¡°Where did this sycophante from?¡± He knew that with Baizhi¡¯s beauty and status, many would covet her. He didn¡¯t expect someone to jump out so quickly. Even the Golden Pill Cultivator had been scared off, yet this so-called marquis dared to approach.

    Baizhi, with a ck face, impatiently shook off Mu Chenglong. Seeing Zhanyue, she finally smiled, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± She couldn¡¯t be bothered with the marquis.

    ¡°Wait,¡± Zhanyue jumped down from the carriage and walked towards Mu Chenglong.

    ¡°May I ask who you are?¡± Mu Chenglong didn¡¯t know this person¡¯s rtionship with the princess and showed vignce and hostility.

    ¡°The future prince consort,¡± Zhanyue said bluntly.

    Mu Chenglong¡¯s pupils contracted slightly, then he showed a hint of mockery, ¡°You? A mortal who¡¯s not even in the Profound Realm.¡±

    Zhanyue shook his head, ¡°I wanted to keep a low profile, but if I don¡¯t stake my im, I fear too many people will have designs on her. Please, enlighten me.¡±

    Mu Chenglong was a bit confused. This man in front of him was actually challenging him? Right here in front of the Imperial Inheritance Hall? Wasn¡¯t he afraid of losing face in front of the princess?

    ¡°Very well, let Mu see what abilities you have to make such boasts, future prince consort,¡± Mu Chenglong felt it necessary to demonstrate his strength in front of the princess, hoping to change her impression of him.

    Baizhi sat in the carriage, ying with the two little cats on top.

    ¡°Your Highness, aren¡¯t you afraid?¡± the female official asked curiously. Lord Mu was already at the Profound Star Realm, and a very strong one at that.

    ¡°Afraid of what? He¡¯s very powerful,¡± Baizhi had full confidence in Zhanyue.

    On the ninth floor of the Imperial Inheritance Hall, a divine sense observed everything happening below. An old man watched with interest.

    ¡°A fight is good, a fight is good.¡±

    Mu Chenglong¡¯s contract object was the ghost fan in his hand. His technique was mysterious, the fan seeming to hover above him like a living thing. His entire aura changed.

    Zhanyue took out the Heaven Punishing Demon Sword, feeling the battle intent transmitted from the sword. He was excited, having wanted to fight someone for a long time.

    ¡°Go!¡± Mu Chenglong threw his ghost fan. It spun frantically like a wheel, easily able to cut through metal and stone. He stood at a distance, only needing to remotely control the fan to easily defeat his enemy.

    ¡°Interesting,¡± Zhanyue threw out the Heaven Punishing Demon Sword, using his sword control technique to make it sh with the ghost fan. The two treasures fiercely engaged in mid-air, but after a while, the ghost fan couldn¡¯t hold up and seemed about to fall apart.

    ¡°Not good!¡± Mu Chenglong hurriedly recalled his contract object. Zhanyue took three steps in two, instantly appearing in front of Mu Chenglong. The demon sword fell from the sky into Zhanyue¡¯s hand, and he swiftly ced it at Mu Chenglong¡¯s neck. For a moment, everyone was silent. The battle had ended so quickly.

    ¡°Is this all the famous Lord Mu has?¡± Zhanyue put away his sword.

    Mu Chenglong¡¯s face turned red with embarrassment. He still had many techniques unused, but when he was flustered trying to retrieve his fan, Zhanyue instantly closed in and put the sword to his neck. He wanted to say it didn¡¯t count, but that seemed even more embarrassing.

    ¡°Mu admits defeat,¡± Mu Chenglong conceded unwillingly.

    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t leave yet,¡± Zhanyue stopped Mu Chenglong as he was about to leave.

    ¡°What else do you want?¡± Mu Chenglong said with a ck face. To be defeated by someone who hadn¡¯t even entered the Profound Realm was a great humiliation.

    ¡°Tell the other royal descendants to stay away from the princess,¡± Zhanyue said, narrowing his eyes. Before leaving the Thousand Charms Empire, he wanted to create a peaceful environment for Baizhi.

    Mu Chenglong wanted to speak but held back, finally leaving reluctantly.

 Chapter 120: Parting (2)

    Chapter 120: Parting (2)

    In Myriad Purple City, Baizhi excitedly browsed from stall to stall, while Zhanyue just followed behind her, watching over her. For these few days, Zhanyue had only been apanying her to enjoy herself freely. Until the princess¡¯s mansion waspleted and Baizhi truly moved in.

    The servants from the Bai family and Baizhi¡¯s grandmother were all brought over. As for the Bai family and that family rankingpetition, they were no longer important. With the princess as their backing, even if the Bai family ranked at the bottom among the families, who would dare to look down on them or offend them? At least Bai Yulou hadn¡¯tpletely fallen out with Baizhi, and Baizhi still had feelings for the Bai family, so the Bai family was currently in a mysterious state of stability.

    Outside Myriad Purple City, Baizhi¡¯s eyes were full of reluctance. Parting was inevitable, and now was the time. She didn¡¯t want to restrict Zhanyue¡¯s freedom, but she was still very reluctant to part.

    ¡°Cultivate well, delve into pill refining, and pay attention to martial arts too. Next time we meet, I¡¯ll be checking, you know,¡± Zhanyue said, holding Baizhi¡¯s hand. A Alchemist¡¯s status is given by others, but true strengthes from oneself, so Zhanyue still hoped Baizhi would have some self-protection ability.

    ¡°I¡¯ll entrust these two little ones to your care,¡± Zhanyue looked at the two little cat spirits rubbing against his legs. It was inconvenient for him to travel with them, and the two little cats currently had nobat power. Keeping them in his storage ring wasn¡¯t a good choice for him or for the two little cat spirits. With Baizhi, they wouldn¡¯t have to stay in the cramped storage space, and Baizhi could nurture them with the best resources.

    Baizhi picked up the two little cats and nodded.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be like this. I¡¯m just going to study. When I advance to the Profound Realm, I¡¯lle back,¡± Zhanyue said. ¡°Don¡¯t forget, even if we¡¯re far apart, we canmunicate at any time. We¡¯re already much luckier than others.¡± Zhanyue felt this space divine ability was truly wonderful. Baizhi could refine pills in the rear, continuously supplying him, and if he needed any herbs for pill refining, he could ask Baizhi to collect them for him.

    Unable to bear looking at Baizhi¡¯s eyes any longer, Zhanyue took a deep breath, summoned the Heaven Punishing Demon Sword, and flew away on it, quickly leaving Myriad Purple City. He feared if he lingered any longer, he really wouldn¡¯t be able to leave.

    Only after Zhanyue hadpletely disappeared from sight did Baizhi turn to go back to her mansion. The princess¡¯s mansion had just been built, and many misceneous matters still needed her decision, including which herbs to nt in which fields. But thinking that she could write to Zhanyue at any time, and Zhanyue could immediately sense it, she wasn¡¯t so sad. ¡°Yesterday I had another idea. I wonder if I can develop this kind of fifth-grade pill,¡± Soon, Baizhi immersed herself in pill dao again, temporarily forgetting the sorrow of parting.

    Zhanyue, flying away on his sword, finally breathed a sigh of relief as Myriad Purple City faded into the distance. Baizhi¡¯s situation was temporarily resolved satisfactorily. With the Empress¡¯s protection, no one in the Thousand Charms Empire would dare to have designs on Baizhi.

    ¡°Sister, this journey to the Eastern Kingdom¡¯s Academy Town is long. I¡¯m afraid only you and I will bepanions,¡± Zhanyue knew the illumination Goddess was always hiding in a ce he couldn¡¯t see, her methods mystical. The Light Contractor¡¯s mastery of light was unparalleled.

    ¡°Perfect. All along, I¡¯ve only been orally teaching you some knowledge and techniques, without personally training you. On this journey, I¡¯ll help you build a solid foundation,¡± the illumination Goddess smiled.

    Zhanyue¡¯s heart sank, thinking to himself that he was in trouble. He feared he wouldn¡¯t escape beatings on this journey.

    ¡°You now possess quite a few techniques and battle skills, and even have divine weapons like the Heaven Punishing Demon Sword and extraordinary skills like the sword flight technique. If you can integrate them all, your strength will surely advance again,¡± the illumination Goddess said. Zhanyue now had contract objects like the illumination Goddess, the mysterious watch, and the Earth Mother Golden Cauldron. He had mastered two high-grade mes, the Sr Essence Fire and the Earth Vein Ghost Fire, along with two cultivation techniques, the ¡®Earth Vein Ghost Fire Body Forging and Pill Refining Method¡¯ and the ¡®Sun illumination Scripture¡¯. His battle skills included the ¡®me King st¡¯, ¡®Heaven-Burning Finger¡¯, and ¡®Phantom Form Sword Technique¡¯. For movement, he had the ¡®Phantom Light Step¡¯, and the Silver Moon Armor as his trump card. Ordinary Profound Star Realm experts were no match for him.

    ¡°It¡¯s a pity. I know the imperial seal of the Thousand Charms Empire is my contract object, but I can¡¯t take it away. I wonder what benefits that thing could give me,¡± Zhanyue said with some regret. But this matter couldn¡¯t be rushed. If the Empress knew he was coveting the imperial seal in her hands, it would be another trouble.

    ¡°Sister, I have an idea. I wonder if the ¡®Phantom Form Sword Technique¡¯ can be integrated into the ¡®Twelve Light-Splitting Swords¡¯. If I could use the sword flight technique to perform the ¡®Phantom Form Sword Technique¡¯, it would surely make opponents unable to defend,¡± Zhanyue said.

    ¡°The idea is good, but integrating two techniques is not an easy task. You¡¯ll have to put in a lot of hard work on this journey,¡± the illumination Goddess agreed with Zhanyue¡¯s idea. ¡°Also, you need to study well the ¡®Sun illumination Scripture¡¯ that little girl gave you. I¡¯ve looked at it. It¡¯s an extremely profound soul cultivation method, though unfortunately only males can cultivate it. Not to mention anything else, you¡¯re quite good at deceiving young girls. She gave you such a rare technique without any hesitation.¡±

    ¡°Sister, is that deceiving? We exchanged true hearts. To help her get the princess title, I even gave away the divine object of the Longevity Pill form,¡± Zhanyue said.

    ¡°Is that so? I remember you picked up this pill form in the Mountain Goblin¡¯s underground pce, getting it without any effort. Moreover, I see you were the most excited about that little girl bing a princess. The princess who is so noble outside is at your mercy in private,¡± the illumination Goddess said teasingly.

    Zhanyue blushed, his thoughts exposed. Ever since the illumination Goddess removed her divine facade, Zhanyue felt she was simply a witch.

    ¡°Speaking of nobility, who could be nobler than you, Sister? Sister, how long can you stay this time?¡± Zhanyue tried to change the subject but failed.

    ¡°Noble? What, do you want to ¡®bully¡¯ me?¡± the illumination Goddess found teasing Zhanyue to be quite enjoyable.

    ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Zhanyue was speechless. ¡°Alright, Sister, I still prefer your lofty, otherworldly appearance.¡±

    ¡°I yed the role of the divine maiden others saw for a lifetime in my previous life. Living again, I don¡¯t want to constrain myself like that anymore,¡± the illumination Goddess said lightly, then added, ¡°I¡¯ll see after I send you to the Academy Town. The Nightmare n has be so clever and cunning now, I need to investigate why. They¡¯ve even learned to hide their strengths, which is unbelievable.¡±

    ¡°Be careful, someone is following you,¡± the illumination Goddess suddenly warned.

    ¡°Following me? Aren¡¯t I in the sky?¡± Zhanyue, who was concentrating on sword flight, was startled. Could it be a Spirit God Realm expert? Who could it be?

    ¡°Not Spirit God Realm, it¡¯s a Sun Profound Realm expert, with extremely heavy killing intent. Actually, I noticed a few days ago that a killing intent was often locked onto you. But seeing you and that girl ying so happily, I didn¡¯t tell you, not wanting to disturb your time together before parting. After you left Myriad Purple City, he followed. He seems to be using some special flying device,¡± the illumination Goddess said.

    ¡°Sun Profound Realm? Sister, don¡¯t intervene. Let me y with him,¡± Zhanyue knew that if the illumination Goddess acted, this Sun Profound Realm expert would probably be instantly killed, which wouldn¡¯t be interesting. But he was curious about who wanted to deal with him. The Bai family? The Golden Pill Cultivator¡¯s people? Both seemed unlikely. They didn¡¯t know his background and wouldn¡¯t dare to act rashly.

 Chapter 121: The Demon Sword Slays the Enemy

    Chapter 121: The Demon Sword ys the Enemy

    Zhanyue controlled his flying sword tond in a wilderness area, as fighting in the air wouldn¡¯t be advantageous. Sure enough, shortly after hended, a figure descended as well. It was a burly man wearing red clothes, with the most eye-catching feature being therge sword on his shoulder. The sword was entirely golden, exuding a murderous aura, having likely imed countless lives. He also wore armor, with two jet-like devices on his back that allowed him to fly. Zhanyue had seen flying devices before and knew they were very expensive.

    ¡°You noticed me long ago?¡± The burly man, with a fierce look, stared at Zhanyue like a lion eyeing its prey.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± Zhanyue asked, frowning slightly. He felt the man¡¯s aura was somewhat familiar, as if he¡¯d seen him somewhere before. But the man wasn¡¯t masked, and if Zhanyue had seen him before, he should have remembered, given that Sun Profound Realm experts weren¡¯tmon.

    ¡°Who I am doesn¡¯t matter. I advise you to surrender, to avoid unnecessary suffering,¡± the man said.

    From this statement, Zhanyue understood that the man wanted to capture him alive rather than kill him.

    ¡°You might not have that ability!¡± Zhanyue said calmly.

    ¡°Boastful!¡± The man found it amusing that he, a person of his caliber, was being sized up by a mortal junior who hadn¡¯t even entered the Profound Realm. ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, let this junior taste my newly refined ¡®Blood God Sword¡¯!¡±

    Hearing this, Zhanyue¡¯s pupils contracted slightly. His memory was always good, and the words ¡®Blood God Sword¡¯ reminded him of the man¡¯s identity. When he first arrived on Ghost Ind and toured Ghost Street with Baizhi, a powerful person had spent a million points to exchange for the ¡®Blood God Sword¡¯. That person was the man before him, which was why Zhanyue remembered him so vividly. But he didn¡¯t understand what connection he had with this man. Who had sent him? Then he had a chilling guess ¨C could this be rted to Ghost Ind? Ghost Ind wanted to capture him alive, and the Ghost Shark n members couldn¡¯t act directly, so they found this man? Had they discovered his secret? It seemed the Divine Sky Steel had alerted the Ghost Shark n members.

    The burly man didn¡¯t expect that just mentioning ¡®Blood God Sword¡¯ would allow Zhanyue to guess the whole situation. ¡°If it¡¯s Ghost Ind¡¯s methods, it makes sense. It seems they have ways to track me, which is troublesome,¡± Zhanyue shared his concerns with the illumination Goddess.

    ¡°The mark left on Baizhi by the Bai family has been removed by the Empress, but I haven¡¯t found a simr mark on you. Ghost Ind might have methods I¡¯m unaware of,¡± the illumination Goddess replied.

    ¡°These Ghost Shark n members on Ghost Ind are really disgusting. They upy human secret realms and wealth, lure human juniors to work for them, and even leave marks on us for easy monitoring. They¡¯re truly thorough,¡± Zhanyue was truly angry, irritated at the thought of Ghost Ind constantly harassing him in the future. It also meant he couldn¡¯t casually visit Ghost Ind like before. At least he needed to figure out what Ghost Ind had left on him.

    ¡°Kid, you dare to be distracted facing me? If I didn¡¯t need to keep you alive, I¡¯d have chopped you in half long ago!¡± The burly man swung his sword, using the t side.

    Zhanyue used his earth traversal technique, instantly creating distance and making the man¡¯s attack miss.

    ¡°What¡¯s the rush?¡± Suddenly, the Silver Moon Armor covered Zhanyue¡¯s body. He looked like a war god descended, holding a sky-piercing halberd, with flying swords circling him.

    The Silver Moon Armor was now covered in red patterns, using the power of the Sun God Stone. Facing a Sun Profound Realm expert with a gold-grade technique, Zhanyue didn¡¯t dare hold back.

    ¡°He¡¯s at the third stage of Sun Profound Realm, extremely strong. Be careful,¡± the illumination Goddess warned. Even with the huge boost from the Silver Moon Armor, Zhanyue might not be his match.

    Seeing the Silver Moon Armor on Zhanyue and his suddenly increased aura, the burly man showed a greedy look. ¡°This divine armor! Must be a good thing!¡±

    ¡°Take my sword!¡± The man swung his sword. He only regretted that his task was to capture alive, not kill, so he had to hold back everywhere.

    The sky-piercing halberd shed with therge sword, creating a terrifying shockwave that overturned surrounding vegetation and sent sand and stones flying.

    ¡°This man has such great strength! Even wearing the Silver Moon Armor, I¡¯m only evenly matched with him in pure strength,¡± Zhanyue was shocked.

    The burly man¡¯s contract object was thisrge sword, and the ability it gave him was innate divine strength, capable of splitting mountains.

    ¡°He should have the strength of a seventh-grade beast spirit, but he¡¯s far inferior to those divine beasts,¡± Zhanyue assessed. He wouldn¡¯t have a chance to fight back against those seventh-grade divine beasts, but he could hold his own against this man.

    The sky-piercing halberd danced impressively, while the Heaven Punishing Demon Sword simultaneously attacked the burly man from different directions. The pincer attack of man and sword made the burly man very ufortable.

    ¡°Good skills, good skills. A mere mortal with such abilities!¡± The burly man¡¯s face was full of fighting spirit. He shook off Zhanyue and the flying sword, then used therge sword to cut a wound on his own wrist. Bright red blood flowed out, and after the golden sword absorbed the blood, it turnedpletely red.

    ¡°Blood God Sword ¨C Blood Demon Tramples the Earth!¡± Blood qi enveloped the burly man, making him look like a red demon. This was the gold-grade technique ¡®Blood God Sword¡¯.

    Facing Zhanyue¡¯s iing halberd strike, the burly man reached out with his left hand and grabbed the de of the sky-piercing halberd, Zhanyue unable to harm his skin. The Blood God Swordbined offense and defense, with world-shaking power. The burly man then turned and swung his sword to deflect the Heaven Punishing Demon Sword, making Zhanyue¡¯s sneak attack fail.

    Zhanyue decisively let go of the sky-piercing halberd and used earth traversal again.

    ¡°Want to run?¡± The burly man leaped high and swung countless shes towards the ground, instantly covering the earth with cracks like a spider web. Even Zhanyue, hidden underground, felt the massive impact.

    Returning to the surface, Zhanyue recalled the Heaven Punishing Demon Sword.

    ¡°You can¡¯t match him in brute force. The ¡®Phantom Light Step¡¯ and ¡®Phantom Form Sword Technique¡¯ are also gold-grade techniques, and they counter his type. Use cunning to win,¡± the illumination Goddess said.

    Zhanyue nodded. Earlier, he had hoped to quickly defeat the burly man with the Silver Moon Armor¡¯s strength and flying sword coordination, but now he saw it wasn¡¯t possible.

    Holding the demon sword, Zhanyue engaged with the burly man again. The burly man soon realized something was wrong. His powerful moves kept missing, and Zhanyue¡¯s figure appeared strange to him. He seemed to be on the left, but when the man swung left, he hit nothing, Zhanyue somehow appearing on the right. This small movement made the burly man¡¯s scalp tingle. No matter how strong his power, he couldn¡¯t touch Zhanyue.

    Meanwhile, Zhanyue¡¯s sword was something the burly man couldn¡¯t dodge. The man clearly saw the sword thrust towards his left, but he was actually hit on the right. Soon, he had several wounds on his body.

    ¡°Sister was right. This brute force type ispletely countered by my two techniques. Fortunately, this person hasn¡¯t cultivated any spiritual perception techniques, making it easy to trick him! But I can¡¯t drag this out too long, the Sun God Stone¡¯s energy is running low,¡± Zhanyue decided to end it quickly. Although he had the illumination Goddess as backup, it would be best if he could win directly.

    ¡°Blood God Sword¡­ isn¡¯t it a gold-grade technique? Why can¡¯t I take him down, why!¡± The burly man was confused. Maintaining the blood god state consumed a lot of power, but despite his strong attack and defense, he couldn¡¯t touch Zhanyue. The wounds on his body, though shallow, were humiliating.

    Seizing the moment of the burly man¡¯s self-doubt, Zhanyue let out a shout ¨C the Soul-Shaking Roar! The soul attack washed over the burly man, making him momentarily dazed. Then the Heaven Punishing Demon Sword thrust towards his head. The burly man came to his senses and hurried to block, but the sword that should have been aiming for his head pierced his heart instead.

    ¡°You think this can kill me?¡± The burly man grabbed the demon sword, revealing an eerie smile. Blood qi from all over his body gathered towards his heart, rapidly healing the wound. The ¡®Blood God Sword¡¯ not only had powerful attack and defense but also strong self-healing ability, truly worthy of a gold-grade technique.

    However, an unexpected change urred. The Heaven Punishing Demon Sword, no longer under Zhanyue¡¯s control, forcefully pushed several inches deeper into the burly man¡¯s heart, then began to frantically absorb his blood.

    ¡°No¨C!¡± The burly man let out an unwilling roar, eventually having all the blood in his body drained, bing a desated corpse.

    Zhanyue looked at the slightly trembling demon sword in shock. The sword¡¯s aura seemed to have be even more powerful.

    ¡°Heaven Punishing Demon Sword¡­ really is¡­ a demon sword,¡± Zhanyue now understood what the ¡®demon¡¯ in its name meant. However, it seemed the demon sword was only interested in the opponent¡¯s heart area.

    ¡°What a pity. This person was quite formidable, but unfortunately, he met me. When he couldn¡¯t counter the ¡®Phantom Light Step¡¯, he had already lost. The techniques Sister gave me are indeed extremely powerful,¡± Zhanyue analyzed after the battle.

    ¡°Naturally. But you still haven¡¯t mastered them fully, otherwise why did it take so long to defeat him? Alright, quickly check if he has anything that can prove his identity,¡± the illumination Goddess reminded.

    Zhanyue nodded. The burly man didn¡¯t even have a storage ring. Zhanyue only found a token on him with a number ¨C ¡°Sixteen?¡± This man was actually the 16th of the 99 Demons under Night Lord ¨C Wild de. But Zhanyue didn¡¯t know this. He had been entrusted by that mysterious Ghost Shark n member to capture Zhanyue, but unexpectedly lost his life. Zhanyue didn¡¯t know he had inadvertently offended Night Lord again.

    Therge sword, having lost its contract master, became a dead object and was casually thrown into Zhanyue¡¯s storage space. As for the corpse, it was burned to ashes with a fire.

    ¡°If he was really sent by Ghost Ind, I fear I¡¯ll have plenty of trouble in the future.¡±

 Chapter 122: Fanfeng Relay City

    Chapter 122: Fanfeng Ry City

    At the edge of the Soul-Breaking Mountain Range, on the only main road leading to the Thousand Charms Empire, there was a huge ry station called Fanfeng Ry. Although called a ry station, it was now about the size of a small city due to its extremely special geographical location as an important hub connecting the Thousand Charms Empire with the outside world. Therefore, Fanfeng Ry was also known as Fanfeng City. The usually busy small city was even more lively today.

    Alchemists and other experts gathered from all directions, all for a recently emerged rumor. Given that this was a crucial moment in the family rankingpetition, most of the Alchemists who came were unaffiliated cultivators.

    ¡°Have you heard? An ancient tomb relic was discovered in the east. They say it¡¯s the legacy of an eighth-grade Alchemist,¡± an old man exined to a young man in an inn. The young man turned out to be a fourth-grade Alchemist.

    ¡°Grandfather, I only received the news recently. I heard the tomb hasn¡¯t fully opened yet. ording to the stone tablet, there are still two days until the tomb opens,¡± the young man said.

    ¡°If you could obtain the legacy, our Li family could rise to prominence,¡± the old man¡¯s eyes were full of hope.

    ¡°Grandfather, it¡¯s not that easy. Look how many people havee, all for the relic¡¯s legacy,¡± the young man was much calmer, having seen the world in Alchemy Capital.

    ¡°Most of these people aren¡¯t Alchemists, they¡¯re just here for the excitement. After all, anything left by an eighth-grade Alchemist, whether it¡¯s eighth-grade pills or forms, is priceless. Their goal is these treasures, not the legacy,¡± the old man analyzed.

    ¡°Yes, but there are quite a few Alchemists too. It¡¯s good that the news hasn¡¯t spreadpletely, and Alchemy Capital is holding the family rankingpetition, so many Alchemists are in seclusion refining pills. Otherwise, how could it be our turn?¡± the young man sighed. ¡°I also heard that the Golden Pill Cultivator hase. He¡¯s a seventh-grade Alchemist.¡±

    In a certain room in the inn, four people gathered together. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Wild de said he was going to handle some private business, why hasn¡¯t he returned after so long? If it dys the master¡¯s n, we can¡¯t bear the responsibility,¡± one of them said coldly.

    ¡°Wild de is at the third stage of Sun Profound Realm and has recently mastered a gold-grade technique. Even if you and I wanted to kill him, it would be very difficult. We don¡¯t need to worry about him. Our n can bepleted even without him,¡± another said.

    ¡°This n is very important. We spent a lot to set up that ancient tomb relic. How many Alchemists we can capture depends on us. I heard the Golden Pill Cultivator hase too? If we capture a seventh-grade Alchemist, the master should be very satisfied,¡± one person said.

    ¡°The Golden Pill Cultivator is not only a seventh-grade Alchemist but also a Spirit God Realm expert. Is it that easy?¡± someone questioned.

    ¡°What¡¯s there to fear from a Spirit God Realm who mainly cultivates pill dao? Don¡¯t forget who¡¯s here,¡± one person said contemptuously.

    Everyone looked at the most low-key of the four, a one-eyed man with exceptionally strong arms, neat short hair, wearing linen clothes. He carried arge bow on his back and was leaning against the bedpost with his arms folded, his face expressionless. This man was the first seat among Night Lord¡¯s 99 Demons ¨C Demon Bow Huoxing. The others were the fourth-ranked Mad Demon Bloodthroat, the ninth-ranked Puppeteer, and the twelfth-ranked Stonemason, plus the sixteenth-ranked Wild de who had been killed by Zhanyue earlier. Five of Night Lord¡¯s elites had actuallye. After all, there had long been rumors that Night Lord¡¯s subordinates were active in the Soul-Breaking Mountain Range.

    ¡°It¡¯s not just us. As long as we lure those people to the ancient tomb relic, there will be surprises waiting for them,¡± Bloodthroat smiled. He wore ck clothes, only exposing a pair of bright red eyes.

    ¡°The Alchemists need to be captured alive. What about the others? Kill them directly?¡± the Puppeteer, also shrouded in a ck robe, asked.

    ¡°Kill them if we must. Who told them to like joining in the excitement?¡± another burly man said, the twelfth-ranked Stonemason.

    ¡°It seems the legacy of an eighth-grade Alchemist isn¡¯t attractive enough. Only one seventh-grade Alchemist came,¡± the Puppeteer said regretfully.

    ¡°If we spread news of a ninth-grade Alchemist¡¯s legacy, the attraction would be great, but it would be easy to expose. Moreover, if it really attracted some formidable figures, we might not be able to handle them. Fishing is fishing, but don¡¯t fish for sharks,¡± Bloodthroat said calmly.

    ¡°Alright, anyway, the master¡¯s task for us is to capture arge number of fourth and fifth-grade Alchemists. That¡¯s the key point. Is there definitely no problem with the underground pce of the tomb legacy?¡± Demon Bow, who hadn¡¯t spoken until now, asked the Stonemason. The n was his idea, and he was responsible for implementing it.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, boss. There was already an abandoned huge underground pce there, and no one knew about it. I just made use of waste, mixing truth with falsehood. I dare guarantee that even the Golden Pill Cultivator won¡¯t see anything amiss,¡± the Stonemason said confidently.

    ¡°That¡¯s good. The master has found some helpers for us. Even if more peoplee, it doesn¡¯t matter. Let them make a fuss. After the master was injured, we haven¡¯t done anything big for a long time. We¡¯ve been looked down upon,¡± Demon Bow Huoxing revealed a mocking smile. They chose to implement the n here after much consideration, after all, the Thousand Charms Empire had the most Alchemists, and the Soul-Breaking Mountain Range was the most chaotic.

    Zhanyue, riding his flying sword, was finally getting tired due tock of stamina. Soon after, he appeared in Fanfeng City. The endless stream of people confused Zhanyue.

    ¡°Why are there so many people? Did something big happen here?¡± Zhanyue thought for a moment, then found a nearby inn.

    ¡°Guest, there are no vacant rooms,¡± the innkeeper said apologetically.

    ¡°So many people? Innkeeper, do you know what happened?¡± Zhanyue asked curiously.

    The innkeeper was a helpful person and said, ¡°I heard an underground pce was discovered outside the Soul-Breaking Mountain Range. It¡¯s said to be the legacy site of an eighth-grade Alchemist. Many people want to try their luck, so they¡¯re staying in Fanfeng City, as the underground pce won¡¯t open for two more days.¡±

    ¡°An eighth-grade Alchemist¡¯s legacy?¡± Zhanyue understood. No wonder it attracted so many people. But he felt a bit disdainful. However, finding a ce to stay for the night was difficult. Fanfeng City was called a city but was essentially still a ry station, without the protection of a illumination Tower. At night, it still relied on formations for protection. Not staying in an inn could be very dangerous outside.

    ¡°Guest, I see you¡¯re alone. If you don¡¯t mind, you could make do in the storage room for a night? The storage room is also within the formation¡¯s protection, so it¡¯s safe. I¡¯ll only charge you half price,¡± the innkeeper was kind-hearted.

    ¡°Thank you very much,¡± Zhanyue nodded, paid, and was led to a side room. The room was cluttered with tables and chairs, but there was a bed. Zhanyue only nned to rest here for one night, so he didn¡¯t mind.

    Just as he was about to rest, a graceful figure appeared before him. It was the illumination Goddess.

    ¡°Sister?¡± Zhanyue was a bit confused.

    ¡°What? Am I not worthy of sleeping indoors?¡± the illumination Goddess smiled, then said seriously, ¡°This Fanfeng City is not right. I sense arge amount of Nightmare aura. Also, your love rival, the Golden Pill Cultivator, seems to be in the city too.¡±

 Chapter 123: Meeting Again

    Chapter 123: Meeting Again

    ¡°Arge number of Nightmares? Around Fanfeng Ry?¡± Zhanyue was shocked. If the illumination Goddess said rge number,¡± it probably meant an extremelyrge amount.

    ¡°No, right inside Fanfeng Ry,¡± the illumination Goddess said seriously.

    ¡°What? Inside the city?¡± Zhanyue was surprised, as he hadn¡¯t noticed any Nightmares anywhere. ¡°What are they nning to do?¡±

    The illumination Goddess sighed and said, ¡°In the past, Nightmares were mindless monsters. Their intentions were obvious at a nce, which is why humans could deal with them. But now, they seem to have learned cunning and scheming. I can¡¯t guess their n. I¡¯m not only worried about what changes have urred among the Nightmares, but more concerned that they might be colluding with humans. Nightmares are acting more and more like humans.¡±

    The illumination Goddess was originally an expert in studying Nightmares, but now they were no longer what they used to be.

    ¡°Sister, let¡¯s take it one step at a time. We can¡¯t figure out much about these things in a short time,¡± Zhanyueforted.

    ¡°You¡¯re right. There¡¯s no point in us guessing here now,¡± the Goddess nodded, then smiled, ¡°Aren¡¯t you curious about where I¡¯ve been hiding all this time?¡±

    Zhanyue opened his curious eyes wide. He only knew that the illumination Goddess had been protecting him nearby. Earlier in the Bai mansion, it was she who instantly knocked out the Enforcement Hall elder and the guards along the way without anyone noticing.

    A sh of white light appeared, and the illumination Goddess rapidly shrank in Zhanyue¡¯s eyes, finally bing as small as a speck of dust. ¡°Shrinking? Sister, you even have this divine ability?¡± Zhanyue was greatly surprised. The illumination Goddess could change to the size of a speck of dust, staying close to him without others noticing.

    ¡°Not just shrinking, I can also growrger. This is an ability unique to Spirit Contractors. Of course, you first need to surpass the True Realm and reach the Marvelous Law Realm,¡± the illumination Goddess exined. This ability to freely change form was something she mastered after reaching the Marvelous Law Realm. The Marvelous Law Realm lived up to its name, beginning to touch on some truly heaven-defying methods, like moving mountains and seas, shifting stars and constetions.

    ¡°That¡¯s amazing. I wonder how long it will take me to have such abilities like you, Sister,¡± Zhanyue showed an envious look, but he was only in the Mortal Realm now, countless realms away from the Marvelous Law Realm.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to belittle yourself. At your current realm, I wouldn¡¯t be your match,¡± the illumination Goddess encouraged, ¡°You should rest now, but don¡¯t sleep too deeply. You¡¯d better take a look at that legacy site too. I always suspect it¡¯s rted to the Nightmares.¡±

    Zhanyue nodded and sat down to cultivate. Unless he was extremelycking in spiritual energy, he would always seize the time to cultivate.

    In the divinemunication space, bottle after bottle of pills were thrown in. Zhanyue knew they were sent by Baizhi. They were all fifth-grade Fierce Explosion Pills, in such arge quantity that Zhanyue was astonished.

    ¡°This girl,¡± Zhanyue felt full of happiness. In future encounters with enemies, he could throw a handful of Fierce Explosion Pills first. Even if a Profound Star Realm expert didn¡¯t die, they would be crippled. These were fifth-grade pills with extraordinary power.

    The night passed without incident, but Zhanyue knew that Fanfeng Ry was a hidden powder keg. The next day, more and more people poured in from outside. Many even set up tents on the street. The poption of Fanfeng Ry had long exceeded its capacity. Fortunately, many people had already rushed to the legacy site in advance.

    A dpidated stone gate had stood in the wilderness for countless years. Many had seen this stone gate but hadn¡¯t discovered anything special about it, until a stone tablet emerged from the ground, recording the location of the underground pce beneath the stone gate.

    Now, hundreds of people had gathered outside the stone gate, with Zhanyue among them.

    ¡°That¡­ the female official you sparred with before is also here. She¡¯s disguised quite well,¡± the illumination Goddess reminded. Others couldn¡¯t tell, but she easily saw through Gong Xiaoyun¡¯s disguise.

    Gong Xiaoyun, on the Empress¡¯s orders to take up a position at the Eastern Kingdom¡¯s Academy Town, had heard about the legacy while passing through Fanfeng Ry. The astute woman quickly sensed something fishy about it. As a pir of the Thousand Charms Empire, she felt obliged to investigate the matter. So she suppressed her cultivation, disguised herself as a pretty young girl, and mixed into the crowd.

    ¡°Miss, are you also a Alchemist?¡± Zhanyue walked over with a smile.

    Seeing someone actively greet her, Gong Xiaoyun frowned. She had deliberately made her appearance ordinary. When she turned her head, she saw Zhanyue¡¯s mischievous face.

    She was first stunned, then shocked. Had he seen through her disguise? Or was it just a coincidence?

    ¡°Can¡¯t Ie to see the excitement if I¡¯m not a Alchemist?¡± Gong Xiaoyun asked in return.

    ¡°Of course you can. It¡¯s just that you look like an acquaintance of mine, so I came to ask,¡± Zhanyue didn¡¯t expose her, thinking that chatting with Gong Xiaoyun and teaming upter would provide some support, given her extreme strength. Inviting her to join was all gain and no loss.

    ¡°You¡¯re quite presumptuous. Tell me, who do I look like to you?¡± Gong Xiaoyun smiled, understanding that Zhanyue had discovered her identity and was speaking this way. It seemed this boy really had some skills to see through her disguise.

    ¡°Like a distant niece of mine,¡± Zhanyue said shamelessly.

    Gong Xiaoyun red at him, ¡°Oh? How old are you to have such a grown-up niece?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just about generations, generations,¡± Zhanyue said. Teasing Gong Xiaoyun was indeed an interesting thing.

    ¡°Do you n to participate in the trial?¡± Gong Xiaoyun changed the subject, tired of his antics.

    ¡°I¡¯m a fourth-grade Alchemist, naturally interested in this eighth-grade Alchemist¡¯s legacy. This is the legacy of a Pill Dao Grandmaster,¡± Zhanyue said.

    As they talked, they walked closer together, tacitly forming a team.

    ¡°What do you think about this trial site?¡± Gong Xiaoyun asked.

    ¡°The stone gate and tablet don¡¯t seem fake, but I feel something¡¯s not right,¡± Zhanyue said honestly.

    More and more people gathered here. Soon, there was amotion in the crowd as people made way. A man in golden robes walked through ¨C it was the Golden Pill Cultivator, a seventh-grade Alchemist!

    He approached the stone gate and tablet, reading the text on the tablet, sometimes frowning, sometimes showing joy.

    ¡°Why did hee too? A seventh-grade Alchemistpeting with us juniors for opportunities,¡± someoneined.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be hasty. Opportunities are for those with fate. He might not obtain the legacy,¡± someoneforted.

    ¡°The Golden Pill Cultivator himself isn¡¯t far from being an eighth-grade Alchemist. It¡¯s normal for him to be interested in this legacy. If Alchemy Capital wasn¡¯t in the midst of an intense rankingpetition, more Alchemists would havee. I heard the Blue, Yellow, Vermilion, and White families also sent some low-level disciples to try their luck,¡± someone revealed.

    ¡°Compared to this ethereal legacy, the family rankingpetition seems more important, as those benefits are tangible. But an eighth-grade Pill Dao Grandmaster¡¯s legacy is very likely to include eighth-grade pill forms, which is what those four great families covet. No wonder they sent people over. They want both,¡± someone analyzed. The legacy was good, but it depended on fate. The vast majority would just be running alongside, so the four great families weren¡¯t too focused on it, but still sent some people to try.

    ¡°Have you heard? The Bai family¡¯s young miss was made a princess by the Empress. The Bai family¡¯s status has risen because of this. Even if they lose in the familypetition, no one can look down on them,¡± someone sighed.

    ¡°Hmph, princess? Just borrowing the tiger¡¯s might. When I obtain this eighth-grade Alchemist¡¯s legacy, my future achievements will surely be extraordinary. I might even create my own family,¡± a female Alchemist said somewhat jealously. She was from the Lan family.

    ¡°It¡¯s really lively. I didn¡¯t expect the Golden Pill Cultivator toe too,¡± Zhanyue looked at the golden figure, hiding to the side to avoid being recognized.

    ¡°What method do you use to hide your appearance? Can you help me conceal mine?¡± Zhanyue asked Gong Xiaoyun beside him.

    ¡°I can,¡± Gong Xiaoyun took out a gourd, poured some water from it, then wiped it on Zhanyue¡¯s face. Zhanyue immediately changed appearance.

    ¡°What treasure is in that gourd?¡± Zhanyue asked in surprise.

    ¡°It¡¯s just ordinary water. Your disguise is due to my ability,¡± Gong Xiaoyun exined. As a Water Contractor, she possessed many unique methods.

    Zhanyue marveled. These Spirit Contractors were indeed heaven¡¯s favorites, with unfathomable abilities. He would have to be careful if he encountered them in the future.

    On a distant mountain peak, four figures gathered together.

    ¡°Wild de hasn¡¯t returned. Something must have happened,¡± Bloodthroat said with some anger in his voice.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. With or without him, it makes no difference. We¡¯re not the main force this time. If we didn¡¯t need to capture these Alchemists alive, it wouldn¡¯t be so troublesome. How are the preparations for the transfer formation?¡± the one-eyed man asked.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, boss. The transfer formation is ready. After all, we can¡¯t move so many people without a formation. It¡¯s a pity our transfer formation has limited transmission distance. The master seems to value this operation highly, even giving us the formation diagram,¡± Stonemason replied. Only with that ancient formation diagram could this grand transfer formation operate.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. People can be taken away slowly. As long as we can shake off pursuers, it¡¯s enough. This ce is close to the Thousand Charms Empire after all. We can¡¯t be careless.¡±

 Chapter 124: The Legacy Opens

    Chapter 124: The Legacy Opens

    The crowd was noisy, with many eyes full of anticipation. There were many legacies in the world, but Alchemist legacies were undoubtedly the rarest. An eighth-grade Alchemist was considered a grandmaster, and grandmaster legacies were umon. It¡¯s worth noting that even the four great pill-making families known worldwide only had seventh-grade Alchemists presiding. An eighth-grade grandmaster could establish their own sect, on a different level from families.

    Of the four grandmasters currently in the world, there was Master Changqing of the Changtian Medicine Sect, who was also the nominal city lord of Alchemy Capital; Ye Baisu, the master of Qinghe Valley where Cheng Lingxin came from; Gu Zhixian, the master of the Pill Tower in the Heavenly White Cloud Pavilion; and Du Guyehuo, the master of the Medicine Pavilion in the Earthly Yingyue Chamber. Unfortunately, the four grandmasters all lived in seclusion, and outsiders couldn¡¯t meet them, let alone receive their guidance. Before these grandmasters and the forces behind them, the four great families of Alchemy Capital were nothing.

    ¡°It¡¯sing, it¡¯sing, the stone tablet is glowing!¡± After waiting for a long time, the crowd finally saw the secret realm opening. After the stone tablet lit up, the stone gate behind it also began to glow.

    People looked at the stone gate, hesitating to move forward. A burly man showed a hint of disdain, pushed through the crowd, and was the first to walk in, leaving behind the words, ¡°A bunch of cowards, how can you be worthy of opportunities?¡±

    With this man taking the lead, others became bolder. Many people followed through the stone gate, understanding the principle of seeking fortune amidst danger.

    Zhanyue and Gong Xiaoyun looked at each other, both seeing shock in the other¡¯s eyes. ¡°Could this legacy be real? How else to exin this teleportation gate?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Gong Xiaoyun said. With her skill high and courage great, naturally she wasn¡¯t afraid with her ability to challenge Spirit God Realm experts across realms.

    Zhanyue nodded. He was truly the one who feared nothing. Even if there was a Nightmares Lord inside, he wouldn¡¯t be afraid.

    The crowd continued to surge towards the stone gate, all being teleported to the underground pce. Seeing the spacious underground pce, everyone¡¯s faces showed joy. The pce wasrge, though in ruins for many years. In the spacious hall were a hundred ancient pill furnaces, all in styles popr a thousand years ago. Those who came in first had already upied positions at the furnaces.

    ¡°It seems it really is a Alchemist¡¯s legacy. We¡¯re not Alchemists, what benefits can we get?¡± Some people who followed in wondered. This setup seemed to require them to refine pills, but how could they?

    In the pce, a humanoid mechanical puppet creaked and finally stood up. People looked at it warily, but then it spoke.

    ¡°Alchemists, refine any third-grade pill, can¡­ can pass through the right door. Non-Alchemists, can go through the left door¡­ other opportunities await.¡±

    ¡°Oh? It really is a legacy targeted at us Alchemists,¡± Some Alchemists were already delighted, and it only required third-grade pills. Most of them met this requirement.

    The Golden Pill Cultivator, standing at the front, showed a bored expression. He refined a third-grade pill in just a moment, then was the first to enter the right door.

    The burly man who had rushed in first wasn¡¯t a Alchemist. He looked at the left door, then at the right door. He directly went towards the right. Soon after, people only heard a wail. The burly man flew back out, crashed into the pce wall, and was embedded in it, dead beyond dead.

    ¡°Not following the rules, trying to take advantage, he deserved to die!¡± People didn¡¯t feel sad for the burly man, only feeling he brought it upon himself by trying to enter the right door as a non-Alchemist.

    Some people with simr thoughts now only felt lucky they had actedte, and had to reluctantly walk towards the left.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go left, you go right. I feel something¡¯s wrong, be careful,¡± Gong Xiaoyun took out a gourd and handed it to Zhanyue. ¡°If you encounter danger you can¡¯t handle, open the gourd.¡±

    Zhanyue looked at the gourd, appreciating Gong Xiaoyun¡¯s righteousness. He had already started refining pills. Third-grade pills were simple, but he couldn¡¯t do it as easily and quickly as the Golden Pill Cultivator. After all, the Golden Pill Cultivator was a true seventh-grade Alchemist.

    The Golden Pill Cultivator went in first, naturally confident in his high skill. He was a Spirit God Realm expert, and even though he wasn¡¯t skilled inbat, his cultivation realm was there, so he wasn¡¯t careless for a moment.

    However, when he walked through the door, passed through a long corridor, and arrived at another empty hall, what was more terrifying was that various fierce beast corpses were strewn about the hall. Just as he was confused, he was greeted by an arrow breaking through the air!

    The Golden Pill Cultivator reacted quickly, immediately raising a spiritual energy shield. However, the shield was easily broken by this arrow like paper. The invincible arrow pierced the Golden Pill Cultivator¡¯s right shoulder, carrying him into the air and pinning him directly to the wall behind.

    The Golden Pill Cultivator endured the pain, trying to activate his contract object, a fire-red gemstone that gave him the ability to control mes. However, he found he couldn¡¯t activate his contract object at all.

    ¡°Hit by my Demon-Sealing Arrow, don¡¯t think about using your power again,¡± The attacker was the first seat of Night Lord¡¯s 99 Demons ¨C Demon Bow Huoxing. Night Lord didn¡¯t have Spirit God Realm existences under him, but that didn¡¯t mean there weren¡¯t beings withbat power equivalent to Spirit God Realm. This Demon Bow Huoxing was a genius-like figure, subduing the Golden Pill Cultivator with just one arrow. Of course, this was also because the Golden Pill Cultivator¡¯s own strength wasn¡¯t strong.

    The Golden Pill Cultivator gritted his teeth and took a seventh-grade pill. Instantly, his body was surrounded by golden light. The arrow piercing his body was deeply pushed out from behind, and even the wound healed considerably. This was the seventh-grade Golden Light Healing Body Pill. Even as a seventh-grade Alchemist, the Golden Pill Cultivator hadn¡¯t been able to sessfully refine many of these.

    ¡°As expected of a seventh-grade Alchemist. It¡¯s really difficult to subdue you with just this Demon-Sealing Arrow,¡± Another figure appeared, the Blood Demon Bloodthroat. He was a rare Body Contractor, with his contract object being his own blood. His strength wasparable to the city lord of Rising Sun City.

    But what was more terrifying wasn¡¯t him, but the box he opened in his hand. Countless ck shadows flew out of the box and attached themselves to the fierce beast corpses on the ground.

    ¡°Nightmares! You¡­ you actually cooperate with Nightmares!¡± The Golden Pill Cultivator was shocked seeing this scene. The fierce beast corpses in the hall all stood up. The weakest were high-grade Nightmares, among them were several king-grade Nightmares, and even a lord-grade Nightmares.

    ¡°Let¡¯s hand him over to these beasts first,¡± Bloodthroat smiled.

    Countless Nightmaresunched attacks at the Golden Pill Cultivator. Even with his Spirit God Realm cultivation, he was powerless to resist, especially against the lord-grade Nightmares possessing the crocodile, whose strength was extremely terrifying. Soon after, the Golden Pill Cultivator was covered in wounds.

    ¡°It¡¯s our turn to pick up the pieces,¡± Seeing the Golden Pill Cultivator exhausted, Bloodthroat and Demon Bow, blocking the door, attacked simultaneously. Soon after, the Golden Pill Cultivator, having used up his pills andpletely exhausted, fainted and was directly captured alive.

    ¡°If it were just the two of us, it wouldn¡¯t be easy to take him down. Although Alchemists are weak in strength, they really have many treasures and pills. It¡¯s good we had these Nightmares help us consume his pills and treasures,¡± Bloodthroat smiled. ¡°Being able to capture the Golden Pill Cultivator alive is a great achievement, an unexpected joy. Boss, you take him away first. He probably needs your personal supervision to avoid any idents.¡±

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll take him away first. I¡¯ll leave this ce to you. Let these Nightmares be careful not to harm the lives of those Alchemists,¡± Demon Bow Huoxing reminded. He wasn¡¯t afraid of any unexpected situations. With these convenient Nightmares and Bloodthroat guarding here, it should be fine.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, these beasts are as docile as dogs. The Nightmares the master gave us will only obey ourmands. I have to say, Stonemason¡¯s n was really good. It was so simple to gather so many Alchemists here. We shouldmend him before the master when we return,¡± Bloodthroat said.

    Demon Bow Huoxing nodded and left first, dragging the bound Golden Pill Cultivator. This hall was like a ck hole. Every Alchemist who came in would be captured alive, then carried away by a fierce beast possessed by a Nightmares. Until Zhanyue finished refining his pill and also walked in.

 Chapter 125: Battle in the Underground Palace

    Chapter 125: Battle in the Underground Pce

    Meanwhile, Gong Xiaoyun mixed into the crowd, and those who weren¡¯t Alchemists all walked towards the left. Since they weren¡¯t Alchemists, Night Lord¡¯s people naturally didn¡¯t need to be cautious about them. They could kill if possible, and it didn¡¯t matter if a few escaped.

    ¡°It seems we can¡¯t get the Alchemist¡¯s legacy. I wonder what kind of opportunity that elder left for us,¡± someone in the crowd said regretfully.

    The hall wasrge, but there were even more people, making it feel crowded.

    ¡°Huh? It¡¯s snowing?¡± someone said in surprise.

    ¡°What are you talking about? How could it snow? We¡¯re in an underground pce,¡± someone scoffed.

    ¡°If it¡¯s not snow, what¡¯s that white stuff above us?¡±

    Hearing this, everyone looked up.

    Small paper figures were floating down,nding on people.

    ¡°Zhang He, what are you doing!¡± A man was stabbed through the heart by his friend beside him, his eyes full of confusion. ¡°No¡­ it¡¯s not me doing it, I don¡¯t want to, my body is out of control!¡± The man who killed his friend was also suffering, then his limbs moved uncontrobly, continuing to kill those around him.

    The hall instantly turned into a human hell, with many people starting to kill each other.

    ¡°This won¡¯t do. If this continues, they¡¯ll all die. This paper figure technique? Has Night Lord¡¯s Puppeteer made a move? This trial is indeed problematic!¡± Gong Xiaoyun frowned, seeing the issue.

    She waved her hand, and water clouds rose up. The falling paper figures could no longer descend, blocked in the air by the cloud vapor.

    Those who were possessed were quickly dealt with by the people around them. The hall quieted down again, but many corpses alreadyy on the ground, blood everywhere.

    ¡°Everyone retreat! This ce is a trap!¡± Gong Xiaoyun said seriously. After all, this ce was at the edge of the Thousand Charms Empire, and many who came were from there. As an official of the Thousand Charms Empire, she felt obliged to help them.

    However, not many people heeded her. Many thought the previous change was a test of the trial, and having survived, they had passed a challenge.

    Gong Xiaoyun¡¯s face turned cold. She stomped her foot, not bothering with these fools anymore. If it weren¡¯t for her intervention, how many would still be standing now? However, as she prepared to retreat, a stone pir rose out of nowhere, blocking the door. It was the Stonemason who made the move!

    ¡°Everyone, you¡¯d better rest in peace here,¡± the Stonemason said coldly. Beside him appeared a small, thin figure with angel-like wings. Looking closely, the wings were made ofyers of paper figures ¨C it was the Puppeteer.

    ¡°Who are you!¡± There were Profound Realm experts present who weren¡¯t intimidated.

    The Stonemason looked at the corpses on the ground and frowned. ¡°Not many corpses. Your paper figures didn¡¯t have much effect.¡±

    The Puppeteer said calmly, ¡°There¡¯s an expert inside. Be careful.¡±

    The Stonemason took out a ck box. When opened, streams of ck shadows flew out ¨C they were Nightmares. These Nightmares immediately possessed the corpses on the ground. Although the corpses were limited, the risen corpses immediately started fighting with the people around them. As corpses fell, they were immediately possessed by other waiting Nightmares. The Nightmares¡¯ enemies were increasing, while the living people were decreasing.

    ¡°Enough! Night Lord¡¯s dogs, you actually cooperate with Nightmares! This is intolerable!¡± Gong Xiaoyun had to act. A water ball directly enveloped a corpse, and the Nightmare sealed inside the water ball couldn¡¯t move at all. Soon, water balls like water prisons controlled many corpses possessed by Nightmares.

    ¡°Such skills? Hmm? A Water Contractor, could it be the one by the Thousand Charms Empress¡¯s side? This is big. Let¡¯s hold on for a while, and have Bloodthroat and the others quickly take those people away,¡± the Puppeteer said, looking at Gong Xiaoyun who was taking action. They naturally knew Gong Xiaoyun¡¯s formidability.

    ¡°A Spirit Contractor? I¡¯ve never fought someone like this before!¡± The Stonemason hugged a stone pir and rushed towards Gong Xiaoyun. One stone pir directly hit Gong Xiaoyun, causing her to ssh into water and shatter. However, Gong Xiaoyun reappeared behind the Stonemason without any injury. This was the power of a Spirit Contractor.

    ¡°Rainstorm Beads!¡± Gong Xiaoyun gathered water beads at her fingertips, then pointed at the Stonemason. Droplets of water shot towards the Stonemason like a machine gun. The Stonemason immediately put the stone pir in front of him while covering his skin with ayer of stone armor. But the stone armor couldn¡¯t block the water beads¡¯ attack, cracking open. Soon, the Stonemason was quite injured.

    ¡°So powerful!¡± The Stonemason knew the difference between them after just one exchange. He wanted to retreat, but Gong Xiaoyun didn¡¯t intend to let him go.

    ¡°Water Flow de!¡± Gong Xiaoyun condensed water into flying des. The des instantly cut the stone pir in half. Just as they were about to hit the Stonemason, a pair of wings suddenly grew from his back, lifting him up to dodge the fatal strike. It was the Puppeteer who had acted.

    Several paper figures surrounded Gong Xiaoyun from all sides, instantly engaging her in battle.

    ¡°Even the two of us together might not be her match. Prepare to retreat. Who¡¯d have thought we¡¯d fish out such a big fish? It¡¯s a pity that king-grade Nightmare was given to Bloodthroat and the others to deal with the Golden Pill Cultivator. This woman is much more formidable than the Golden Pill Cultivator,¡± the Puppeteer naturally knew the power difference. A seventh-stage Sun Profound Realm Spirit Contractor could easily crush ordinary Spirit God Realm experts, let alone Gong Xiaoyun who was personally taught by the Empress.

    ¡°What a pity we can¡¯t kill all these little ones,¡± the Stonemason said regretfully.

    By the time Gong Xiaoyun dealt with the paper figures, the blocked door had opened, and the two were nowhere to be seen. Although she was strong, she couldn¡¯t attend to too many things at once. She had to maintain the water clouds above, control the corpses possessed by Nightmares in the water balls, and deal with the paper figures.

    ¡°They escaped!¡± Gong Xiaoyun¡¯s face was extremely bad. With a shout, the water balls burst with light, instantly killing many Nightmares. Contract power could also harm Nightmares.

    ¡°How¡¯s Zhanyue¡¯s side?¡± Gong Xiaoyun was now worried about Zhanyue¡¯s situation. At this moment, the underground pce shook, seeming about to copse.

    ¡°Rise!¡± Gong Xiaoyun waved her hand, and several water pirs appeared to support the underground pce. ¡°Everyone get out!¡±

    This time, no one objected. All survivors hurriedly ran out. Not even a third had survived.

    The left hall eventually copsed. While others were fleeing outwards, Gong Xiaoyun went towards the right hall, as if that was the focus of Night Lord¡¯s people¡¯s n.

    In the hall, Zhanyue¡¯s face was pale, and his Silver Moon Armor had dimmed. He could naturally have the illumination Goddess act and instantly crush everything. But if he always relied on the illumination Goddess, how could he grow under pressure?

    ¡°A king-grade Nightmare. Nightmares have specialmunication methods. Sister¡¯s existence can¡¯t be easily exposed. I should resolve this battle myself,¡± Zhanyue thought.

    Bloodthroat was looking at Zhanyue in shock. Countless Nightmares were mercilessly killed by Zhanyue, with only the king-grade Nightmare able to engage him. He had wanted to watch from the side, not expecting the show to be so intense. Nightmares alone couldn¡¯t take down Zhanyue.

    ¡°Bloodthroat, how¡¯s it going!¡± The Puppeteer and Stonemason had also rushed over, looking in surprise at everything happening in the hall.

    Zhanyue frowned. There was a king-grade Nightmare here, a covetous Bloodthroat, and now the Puppeteer and Stonemason had arrived. It wasn¡¯t something he could handle.

    ¡°I hope that woman¡¯s thing is really useful,¡± Zhanyue took out the gourd Gong Xiaoyun gave him and poured out the water inside. The water instantly condensed into a human shape ¨C it was Gong Xiaoyun!

 Chapter 126: Ambush! One Fatal Strike!

    Chapter 126: Ambush! One Fatal Strike!

    ¡°Looks like I made it in time,¡± Gong Xiaoyun, summoned over, smiled slightly at Zhanyue, d she had arrived.

    ¡°What an incredible technique,¡± Zhanyue waspletely amazed, watching Gong Xiaoyun transform from a puddle of water into human form. Were Spirit Contractors really this terrifying? No wonder he had heard that although Contractors were divided into many types, in reality, there were only two categories: Spirit Contractors and others.

    ¡°It¡¯s not difficult for you to fight four at once, is it?¡± Zhanyue looked at the others, who were equally shocked.

    Gong Xiaoyun gave Zhanyue a resentful look, ¡°Although I don¡¯t know what methods you used, it¡¯s not easy to have held out until now. Help me hold off this Nightmare, I¡¯ll handle the other three.¡±

    ¡°Alright,¡± Zhanyue nodded, continuing to battle the king-grade Nightmare possessing the fierce beast with his sky-piercing halberd.

    ¡°I must say, you look quite presentable in that armor,¡± Gong Xiaoyun chuckled, then attacked Bloodthroat and the other two. The battlefield instantly split in two, with Zhanyue engaging the king-grade Nightmare using the Silver Moon Armor on one side, and Gong Xiaoyun single-handedly fighting Bloodthroat, Stonemason, and Puppeteer on the other. Fortunately, the strongest, Demon Bow Huoxing, had already left with the Golden Pill Cultivator.

    ¡°Hehe, I¡¯ve long heard that the chief female official of the Thousand Charms Empire is extraordinary. Seeing it today, it¡¯s indeed true. We have no enmity with the Thousand Charms Empire, why are you pressing us so hard?¡± Bloodthroat said calmly.

    ¡°No enmity? You set traps at my Thousand Charms Empire¡¯s border, ambushed our people, captured our Alchemists. Given my position, I have no choice but to intervene,¡± Gong Xiaoyun replied. She had roughly guessed their purpose, as there were no human corpses here, indicating that the Alchemists hadn¡¯t died but had been captured. The Alchemists who came after Zhanyue had narrowly escaped and had long since fled.

    ¡°Damn it, we¡¯ve onlypleted half of the master¡¯s task. But we unexpectedly captured the Golden Pill Cultivator, which should make up for it. Don¡¯t fight this woman to the death. The people have all escaped, the n can be terminated. Find a way to escape. Dy breeds change!¡± Bloodthroat said to the other two. At this point, continuing to fight made little sense, but Gong Xiaoyun clearly didn¡¯t want to let them go. The king-grade Nightmare was extremely fierce, not only swift in movement but also incredibly tough physically, able to quickly recover from any injury.

    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll have to rely on the Sun God Stone,¡± Zhanyue stopped holding back, cing the partially recovered Sun God Stone into his armor. The armor changed from silver-white to being covered in red patterns. In the previous battle with Wild de, Zhanyue¡¯s Sun God Stone had depleted most of its power and hadn¡¯t fully recovered yet.

    The sky-piercing halberd carried the Sr Essence Fire, with a flying sword providing cover on one side.

    The king-grade Nightmare indeed showed fear, as the power of the Sun God Stone was also the bane of Nightmares. For a while, Zhanyue easily suppressed the king-grade Nightmare. On the other side, Gong Xiaoyun, fiercely fighting the three, asionally nced at Zhanyue¡¯s situation. Her face was full of shock, ¡°This guy, he¡¯s really hiding his abilities. Just a mortal who hasn¡¯t even entered the Profound Realm, yet he¡¯s able to contend with a king-grade Nightmare using a treasure armor.¡±

    ¡°You dare to be distracted while fighting us, we¡¯re really being underestimated!¡± Bloodthroat sneered, his body enveloped in blood mist that transformed into bats attacking Gong Xiaoyun. Meanwhile, Stonemason¡¯s right arm grew massive, then hurled the stone pir in his hand, with the power to smash mountains and shatter iron. The Puppeteer also used her killing move, with countless ¡®feather¡¯ des flying from her paper wings behind her, able to cut gold and stone.

    ¡°Water Dragon Rise!¡± Gong Xiaoyun condensed water into a dragon, which coiled around to protect her. Whether it was blood bats, stone pirs, or feather des, all were blocked by the water dragon.

    ¡°Too overpowered, she¡¯s on the same level as the boss. We three can¡¯t handle her. Retreat!¡± Bloodthroat¡¯s gaze was solemn. Their full-force attack was easily blocked by Gong Xiaoyun.

    ¡°Blood Condensation Explosion!¡± Bloodthroat used his ultimate technique, spitting out a drop of heart blood towards Gong Xiaoyun.

    ¡°Hmm?¡± Gong Xiaoyun pointed a finger, and a water droplet flew out, colliding with the blood drop in mid-air. Instantly, blood mist spread, obscuring vision.

    ¡°Go!¡± As Bloodthroat and the other two were about to leave, they heard Stonemason cry out in pain.

    As the blood mist dispersed, a flying sword was seen piercing Stonemason¡¯s heart, eagerly absorbing his power and blood, turning crimson all over.

    It turned out that the battle on the other side had ended. The king-grade Nightmare had been incinerated by the Sr Essence Fire. Zhanyue had seized the moment when they were most careless and unaware of his actions, using his flying sword to ambush Stonemason, the weakest of the three, seeding in one strike!

    Bloodthroat and the Puppeteer had already escaped the hall, but seeing Stonemason fall, they stopped.

    ¡°You go first, I have to retrieve Stonemason¡¯s corpse. The thing the master gave him is still on him, we can¡¯t lose it!¡± Bloodthroat said, turning back.

    ¡°You dare toe back!¡± Gong Xiaoyun¡¯s gaze sharpened seeing Bloodthroat return.

    ¡°Blood-Burning Escape!¡± Bloodthroat, no longer holding back, used his ultimate life-saving technique. He transformed into a mass of blood, wrapping around Stonemason¡¯s corpse at extremely high speed and carrying it away. During this process, Gong Xiaoyun¡¯s techniques couldn¡¯t even catch up to Bloodthroat¡¯s speed.

    ¡°He got away,¡± Gong Xiaoyun¡¯s face darkened. The opponent had used some forbidden secret technique, and she couldn¡¯t hold him back.

    ¡°What a pity, we only killed one,¡± Zhanyue said regretfully, recalling his flying sword.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know where those Alchemists were taken. I¡¯ll go scout around, then return to the imperial capital to report this. Be careful,¡± Gong Xiaoyun said, leaving as a shadow without even properly saying goodbye to Zhanyue.

    ¡°Are Night Lord¡¯s subordinates all so loyal? Risking death to retrieve a corpse? Could there be some treasure on that person?¡± Thinking of this, Zhanyue felt he had missed out big time.

    ¡°Here, this is the spatial ring from that person,¡± the illumination Goddess suddenly appeared, handing a ring to the stunned Zhanyue.

    ¡°Sister, how did you know he had treasure?¡± Zhanyue asked in surprise. The illumination Goddess had taken the spatial ring from the corpse when no one was paying attention, her actions undetectable to others.

    ¡°When Bloodthroat turned back to retrieve the corpse, I acted. If you could guess it, how could I not?¡± the illumination Goddess said somewhat proudly. Bloodthroat¡¯s blood escape was extremely fast, but to the illumination Goddess, it was turtle speed. During this process, she easily took the ring.

    ¡°Let¡¯s leave first. I¡¯m afraid they mighte back if they discover the ring is missing,¡± Zhanyue immediately used his earth traversal technique to leave.

    Sure enough, Bloodthroat¡¯s face turned ashen as he examined Stonemason¡¯s corpse outside.

    ¡°It¡¯s not here, how can it not be here! His ring is gone!¡± Bloodthroat roared. ¡°The formation diagram the master lent us was in there. It¡¯s an ancient teleportation formation diagram. I have to go back.¡±

    The Puppeteer stopped him, ¡°You¡¯re heavily injured from using the blood escape. Besides, you¡¯re no match for that woman even if you go back. We should quickly send those Alchemists away and inform the boss about these events. Minimize the losses, be rational!¡±

    Bloodthroat forced himself to calm down, muttering hatefully, ¡°Gong Xiaoyun, I¡¯ll remember this grudge!¡± He naturally suspected Gong Xiaoyun had done something.

 Chapter 127: The Beginning of Harsh Training

    Chapter 127: The Beginning of Harsh Training

    After leaving the underground pce, Zhanyue flew away on his sword, distancing himself from the troublesome area. With Gong Xiaoyun handling the matter, he naturally didn¡¯t need to worry about it.

    This plot resulted in many Alchemists being captured alive, even the arrogant Golden Pill Cultivator disappeared, and other cultivators suffered heavy casualties. It served as a wake-up call to the world that there are no free lunches. However, Night Lord¡¯s reputation became even worse, causing trouble at the Thousand Charms Empire¡¯s border.

    But Night Lord¡¯s side also paid a price. Wild de was missing, Stonemason died, and two more of the 99 Demons fell, both high-ranking experts. Now, Night Lord¡¯s 99 Demons probably didn¡¯t even have half left. If there was a biggest beneficiary from this drama, it was naturally Zhanyue, who was now hiding in a cave taking stock of his gains.

    Stonemason had quite a few good things. Besidesmon items like illumination stones and purple crystals, an octagonal copper te caught Zhanyue¡¯s attention. It was engraved with various mysterious symbols ¨C the formation diagram for a small spatial teleportation array. Only with this could one set up a small teleportation array. Night Lord had bestowed such a treasure to capture and transfer Alchemists, letting Stonemason, who understood formations, set it up. Unexpectedly, it ended up in Zhanyue¡¯s hands.

    ¡°Never mind, I¡¯ll throw it in first,¡± Zhanyue couldn¡¯t understand its function yet, so he threw it into his divinemunication space. Others might worry about restrictions on stolen goods, but Zhanyue had no such concerns. Once thrown into the divinemunication space, any tracking restrictions would be untraceable.

    ¡°That thing seems to be some kind of formation tool. It¡¯s a pity I don¡¯t understand formations well either,¡± the illumination Goddess said regretfully. ¡°Among the Four Symbol Lords, the Azure Dragon Lord was extremely skilled in formations. I wonder if he has any descendants still alive in the world.¡±

    ¡°Sister, let¡¯s not think too much about that. What about the harsh training, the hellish training you mentioned?¡± Zhanyue asked.

    ¡°You still remember that? I thought you had deliberately forgotten. Here, take this,¡± the illumination Goddess suddenly took out an item and handed it to Zhanyue. It was a set of clothes, the upper part like a vest, the lower part only protecting the knees and ankles. It clearly wasn¡¯t proper attire, not meant to be worn on the outside for others to see.

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ so heavy,¡± Zhanyue said, looking at the small item. He took off his outer clothes and put it on inside, close to his skin. It felt like he was carrying a huge stone. ¡°Besides the extra weight training for your physical body, this item will also obstruct the flow of your meridians, training you inside and out,¡± the illumination Goddess smiled.

    ¡°What?¡± Zhanyue tried to circte his power. If normally his power flowed like a river through his limbs, now it was just a small stream. He could mobilize very little power.

    ¡°You must wear it until you enter the Profound Realm, even when bathing,¡± the illumination Goddess demanded.

    ¡°That¡¯s fine, but this little vest is too small, it¡¯s a bit tight, doesn¡¯t fit well,¡± Zhanyueined. Though small, it was indeed a treasure.

    The illumination Goddess blushed, unnoticed by Zhanyue, but didn¡¯t say much. The vest was small because it was originally made for her when she was young, naturally not fitting Zhanyue¡¯s body. But due to its special material, Zhanyue could still wear it.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go. You¡¯ll leave along the outskirts of the Soul-Breaking Mountain Range, engaging in actualbat with those fierce beasts. I¡¯ll asionally spar with you personally too,¡± the illumination Goddess said. Zhanyue didn¡¯t fly on his sword, but walked out alone. He knew that by the time he reached the Eastern Kingdom, he would bepletely transformed.

    In the Thousand Charms Empire, Myriad Purple City, deep in the pce.

    ¡°Why are you back?¡± The Empress asked, puzzled, looking at Gong Xiaoyun who had hurriedly returned.

    ¡°Your Majesty, something unexpected happened when I was going to the Eastern Kingdom, passing through Fanfeng Ry,¡± Gong Xiaoyun reported the recent events truthfully.

    ¡°So you¡¯re saying Night Lord¡¯s people have infiltrated our borders? And are capturing Alchemists on arge scale? These are minor matters. But can Night Lord¡¯s people really control Nightmares? Nightmares actually choosing to cooperate with humans, that¡¯s the real big issue. We must investigate the reasons behind this. You should still go to the Eastern Kingdom¡¯s Academy Town as nned. I¡¯ll arrange for someone to investigate this matter. Also, have someone leak this information to the ambassadors of the Eastern Kingdom and Rising Sun Kingdom, let them pass the message back. Night Lord has no grudge with our Thousand Charms Empire, no need to offend us. His purpose in capturing Alchemists is likely still to deal with the Eastern and Rising Sun Kingdoms. Let them be aware.¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Gong Xiaoyun responded.

    ¡°Don¡¯t leave yet. You just said you met Zhanyue, and he even killed a king-grade Nightmare and ambushed and killed one of the enemy? He¡¯s not even in the Profound Realm, how did he manage that?¡± the Empress asked curiously, her eyes full of light.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know either, but he was wearing a strange armor that didn¡¯t seem ordinary. It probably temporarily boosted his cultivation and strength from somewhere else. This boy¡¯s talent is indeed terrifying,¡± Gong Xiaoyun didn¡¯t dare withhold information, feeling the Empress seemed particrly interested in Zhanyue.

    ¡°Very well. Remember what I said before. When you get to the Academy Town, build a good rtionship with this boy, help him when necessary. That thing in the Academy Town requires someone with great fortune to obtain it, and Zhanyue is very likely to be that person. If you help him get that thing, it makes sense for him to share some with me. This is your second priority, remember,¡± the Empress instructed again.

    Although Gong Xiaoyun was a bit confused, she nodded. The main thing was, why didn¡¯t the Empress rify what that thing was? She needed a clear n, not just guesswork.

    The Empress seemed to see Gong Xiaoyun¡¯s confusion and smiled, ¡°Little Fish, you¡¯re still too young. Heavenly secrets can¡¯t be revealed. If I tell you what it is, outsiders might sense it, causing unnecessary idents. I know it will emerge, but many people don¡¯t know. When it emerges, you¡¯ll naturally know.¡±

    ¡°I understand, Your Majesty. But I¡¯m curious, why does the Wind Lord insist on having the Holy Maiden study at the Academy Town? It¡¯s crowded and chaotic there, not good for security. After all, we can¡¯t prevent the Holy Maiden from interacting with others, right?¡± Gong Xiaoyun asked. Her other task on this trip was to protect the Holy Maiden, at the Wind Lord¡¯s request.

    ¡°Who knows? Perhaps there¡¯s also a high-level person behind the Wind Lord who knows that thing is about to emerge? Wanting the Holy Maiden to try?¡± the Empress spected.

    ¡°Then if in the end the Holy Maiden and Zhanyue arepeting for that thing, what should I do?¡± Gong Xiaoyun asked a soul-searching question.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡± The Empress was silent for a moment, then said, ¡°Help Zhanyue. After all, he¡¯s considered my future son-inw, he¡¯s family.¡±

    ¡°Uh, alright, I understand,¡± Gong Xiaoyun nodded. After all, the Wind Lord¡¯s request to the Empress was to protect the Holy Maiden, not to help herpete for opportunities. The Empress¡¯s choice was understandable.

 Chapter 128: Full Of Princesses

    Chapter 128: Full Of Princesses

    On the outskirts of the Soul-Breaking Mountain Range, though not as dangerous as the depths, it wasn¡¯tpletely safe. A tiger with a single horn on its head had pinned down a deer, breaking its neck with one bite. It then raised its head, vigntly looking around, and after finding no danger, began to feast.

    As it was enjoying its meal, a man approached with a sword. The unicorn tiger, its mouth still covered in blood, stared intently at the man with unfriendly eyes.

    ¡°Go!¡± Zhanyue¡¯s flying sword left his hand. In the air, it instantly split into three, like three streaks of light rushing forward. The unicorn tiger was extremely fast, leaping to dodge the first sword. Just as it was about to dodge the second sword in the same way, the sword it thought it had avoided suddenly pierced its face.

    ¡°The ¡®Twelve Light-Splitting Swords¡¯ has finally sessfullybined with the ¡®Phantom Form Sword Technique¡¯. My flying sword will be impossible to defend against,¡± Zhanyue retrieved his sword. Even with his cultivation suppressed, he killed this fierce tiger effortlessly.

    ¡°Soul Control Realm, seventh stage! My journey to the Eastern Kingdom¡¯s Academy Town is to see the world¡¯s heroes and break through to the Profound Realm. I hope this trip goes smoothly,¡± Zhanyue said to himself. He had finally left the Soul-Breaking Mountain Range and was now flying on his sword.

    Time flew by. He wasn¡¯t in a hurry, stopping here and there along the way. Under the illumination Goddess¡¯s training, all his techniques were honed to the extreme, even mastering the first level of the ¡®Sun illumination Scripture¡¯ Baizhi had given him.

    ording to the illumination Goddess, the ¡®Sun illumination Scripture¡¯ was an extraordinary technique for cultivating soul power, divided into eighteen levels. Having mastered the first level, Zhanyue¡¯s soul power had greatly increased. Even his previously mediocre soul attack technique ¡®Soul-Shaking Roar¡¯ had qualitatively changed, not to mention his rapidly progressing pill refining skills.

    Outside Sun City in the Eastern Kingdom, Zhanyue revisited familiar ground. Looking at the small mountain vige at the foot of the mountain, he felt a sense of being in another world. When he was transported to this world, the first ce he went was that abandoned mountain vige, where he met Mi Hongchen, who brought him to Sun City.

    ¡°It¡¯ste. I¡¯ll make do for the night in this small mountain vige. Come to think of it, that night I was also nning to spend the night here,¡± Zhanyue found a dpidated house to stay in. Unlike his initial fear and unease, he now didn¡¯t know what fear was. ¡°Why do you seem a bit distracted since seeing this small vige?¡± In the dpidated house, the illumination Goddess revealed herself, still stunningly beautiful.

    ¡°Coming back here reminds me of some things, making me feel a bit sentimental,¡± Zhanyue said. He wasn¡¯t originally from this world, but he didn¡¯t have any close rtives in his original world either, so he didn¡¯t particrly miss it. But in his original world, there was no flying or earth traversal ability. Although scientific research was hard, the goals were clear, and life had a n. Now he had extraordinary abilities, could fly on a sword above and traverse the earth below, but he suddenly realized he seemed to have no goal. Immortality or being unrivaled in the world? He didn¡¯t seem to care about these things, at least not as much as the people of this world.

    ¡°Sister, do you believe in fate?¡± Zhanyue suddenly asked.

    The illumination Goddess nodded, ¡°Before, I definitely didn¡¯t believe. But you resurrected me, and now I believe. Perhaps there¡¯s something I need to do, which is why I didn¡¯t diepletely. Otherwise, how could I remain in the world in such a strange form?¡±

    ¡°If fate is arranged by others, would you feel sad?¡± Zhanyue asked again.

    ¡°Do you feel that your life has been arranged?¡± the illumination Goddess asked in return.

    Zhanyue nodded, ¡°Actually, I realized this issue very early on, but I¡¯ve been holding back, afraid to think about it in detail. Since I came to this world, since I resurrected you, my luck has always been good. This is what others call the protection of the heavenly way. But I don¡¯t know where it¡¯s pushing me to go. As for rebelling against so-called fate, that¡¯s even more nonsensical. At least fate can point me where to go. If I rebel against it, I might not even know why I exist or where I should go.¡±

    ¡°Your dao heart is finally facing a test. This is the cmity of emptiness. In history, many geniuses didn¡¯t die at the hands of enemies, but ended their own lives. They, like you, fell into endless emptiness, believing everything was meaningless,¡± the illumination Goddess had experienced this, having thought about these questions when she was young.

    ¡°Sister, what¡¯s your view?¡± Zhanyue asked.

    ¡°Look at the stars in the sky, and that blood moon that can¡¯t be directly gazed at. The world we live in has too many secrets. In the face of these secrets, not just you, even I at the Marvelous Law Realm feel small and powerless. So I want to live on with expectation, perhaps one day all these secrets will surface. As for the meaning you speak of, time itself is the answer.¡±

    ¡°Time itself is the answer?¡± Zhanyue didn¡¯t understand.

    ¡°Wait. When you understand, you¡¯ll understand,¡± the illumination Goddess smiled, her beautiful face showing a hint of expectation. ¡°Besides the secrets of this world, I¡¯m also very curious about what achievements you can reach in the future, whether you can walk a path that predecessors couldn¡¯t.¡±

    Zhanyue smiled bitterly, ¡°I¡¯m not even in the Profound Realm. Surpassing all seniors and experts, such expectations¡­ Sister, you really think highly of me.¡±

    The illumination Goddess said, ¡°Don¡¯t belittle yourself. If it were just about realm and cultivation, I could help you break through quickly, but what would be the meaning in that? Even if you reached the strength of the Sword Lord and Thunder Lord, you¡¯d just be a passerby in the river of time, a supporting character in this world. I hope you can be its protagonist, stepping over me, over everyone in this world, past, present, and future.¡±

    Zhanyue¡¯s mouth was slightly open, not knowing how to respond. He didn¡¯t expect the illumination Goddess to have such high expectations for him.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never thought that humanity¡¯s enemies were just as simple as Nightmares. They¡¯re strong but still within my understanding. What¡¯s behind that blood moon might be enemies beyond both ourprehension. When I understood this point, I probably understood what my mission was. This world might really just be a chess game, and you and I are just pieces in it. But I can be sure of one thing: the chess yer is also a piece in the game. He hopes even more than you and I that we can walk out of this game. That¡¯s why I was reborn as your contract object.¡±

    The illumination Goddess looked at Zhanyue with gentle eyes, then said, ¡°True chess pieces don¡¯t have self-awareness, so you and I are not just pieces, we¡¯re also yers.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t think about things too far ahead. You just need to focus on the present, how to build a good foundation, how to break through to the Profound Realm. As for now, if the sky falls, the Thunder Lord and Sword Lord will hold it up. When they can¡¯t hold it, I¡¯ll naturally step in. And you, just experience life well. As for what you said before about marrying three or four wives and traveling the world, that¡¯s not impossible. Come to think of it, Mi Hongchen is the Eastern Kingdom¡¯s princess, MuMu Lixi is the Holy Maiden of the Rising Sun Kingdom and the adopted daughter of the Rising Sun Kingdom¡¯s ruler, also a princess; and the Thousand Charms Empress adopted Baizhi as her daughter, making her a princess too. You sure know how to pick them,¡± the illumination Goddess teased.

    ¡°Is that so¡­ I remember, Sister, you were once a princess of a fallen country too,¡± Zhanyue recalled the records about the illumination Goddess¡¯s background in her legend.

    The illumination Goddess gave Zhanyue an exasperated look. She had long gotten used to Zhanyue¡¯s thick skin. Turning around, she disappeared. ¡°After I send you to the Academy Town, I n to leave for a while. Night Lord has some collusion with Nightmares, and Nightmares have learned to cooperate with humans. I have to pay attention to this.¡±

 Chapter 129: Outside the Academy

    Chapter 129: Outside the Academy

    In Sun City, everything was as before. Standing in front of the illumination Goddess statue, Zhanyue looked at the giant goddess statue with mixed feelings. Revisiting old ces, things remained the same but people had changed. This goddess statue was the beginning of everything.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe Sister was once ced in the mysterious space inside this goddess statue. I wonder how that person managed it,¡± Zhanyue mused. The power of faith had been maintaining the illumination Goddess¡¯s divine soul, which allowed Zhanyue the opportunity to bring her back to life through a contract.

    ¡°It¡¯s a pity I didn¡¯t have the chance to thank her back then,¡± the illumination Goddess said regretfully. After thousands of years, the Vermilion Bird Lord had probably passed away long ago.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Zhanyue said after visiting the illumination Goddess statue, heading towards the city defense army camp. Now he wasn¡¯t afraid of exposing his identity; even if there were Profound Realm assassins, they wouldn¡¯t be his match. Wearing the Silver Moon Armor, he had even in ¡®Wild de¡¯.

    ¡°Stop, this is a military area. Outsiders are prohibited,¡± a soldier at the camp gate stopped Zhanyue.

    Zhanyue smiled and said, ¡°Please, brother, could you announce my arrival? Tell Captain Cheng Lu that Zhanyue is here to see him.¡± ording to the previous schedule, Cheng Lu should be in the camp now.

    ¡°Captain Cheng? Which Captain Cheng? We don¡¯t have a captain surnamed Cheng here,¡± the soldier shook his head. He didn¡¯t seem to be pretending; it appeared he really didn¡¯t know any Captain Cheng.

    Zhanyue¡¯s heart sank. Could something have happened to Cheng Lu?

    Just then, a man in officer¡¯s uniform walked out. He saw Zhanyue and was first slightly stunned, then looked as if he¡¯d seen a ghost. ¡°Zha-Zhanyue, aren¡¯t you¡­ aren¡¯t you dead?¡± This man was an old soldier who used to be under Cheng Lu¡¯smand, now promoted to captain of the city defense team.

    ¡°Brother Zhang?¡± Zhanyue said, recognizing the man. He had stayed in Cheng Lu¡¯s team long enough to know him.

    ¡°It¡¯s a long story. I didn¡¯t die back then, luckily surviving,¡± Zhanyue didn¡¯t say much, then asked, ¡°Do you know where Captain Cheng Lu went?¡±

    Captain Zhangughed heartily, ¡°Still calling him Captain Cheng. Brother Cheng has already advanced to the Profound Realm and been promoted to general. He¡¯s now gone to the Academy Town to take up a position.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s gone to the Academy Town for a position?¡± Zhanyue sighed in relief. It was good that nothing had happened. After more than two years, Cheng Lu had indeed sessfully broken through and seemed to have been given important responsibilities.

    ¡°Wait, your cultivation level?¡± Captain Zhang looked at Zhanyue, rubbing his eyes, ¡°No way, the aura of Soul Control Realm, seventh stage? It¡¯s only been three years, and you¡¯ve¡­ you¡¯ve risen from Spirit Contract Realm to Soul Control Realm, seventh stage?!¡± For geniuses, Soul Control Realm, seventh stage might not be impressive, but for people with ordinary talent, Zhanyue¡¯s aptitude was enough to shock them. He had spent over a year in the Mountain Goblin territory, another year on Ghost Ind, and then unhurriedly made his way back from the Thousand Charms Empire. It had indeed been three years since Zhanyue first arrived in Sun City. Three years was just the blink of an eye for Profound Realm cultivators, but for those below the Profound Realm, it was a very long time.

    ¡°Just some fortuitous encounters,¡± Zhanyue said, ¡°Since Brother Cheng isn¡¯t in the camp, I won¡¯t disturb you further.¡±

    Captain Zhang asked, ¡°Are you nning to go to the Academy Town to find him?¡±

    Zhanyue nodded.

    ¡°That¡¯s great then. The Academy Town¡¯s annual recruitment exam ising up. I think you have a chance. Even if you don¡¯t get into the Imperial First United Academy, you can try other academies. Give it a try. You¡¯re still young, and with such good talent, it¡¯s not wrong to learn more,¡± Captain Zhang suggested.

    Zhanyue smiled in thanks, then turned to leave. He naturally had to go to the Academy Town, but he didn¡¯t need to take the exam because he could enter without testing. As Captain Zhang said, the annual recruitment day wasing soon, and people were flocking to the Academy Town from all directions. Zhanyue easily hitched a ride with a merchant caravan, not even needing to pay for the journey because it happened to be a Thousand Steeds Association caravan heading to the Academy Town. As a contracted Alchemist, Zhanyue had this extra benefit. Everyone knew he was a Alchemist and treated him with great respect.

    Outside of Alchemy Capital, Alchemists were very rare in other ces. They became objects of everyone¡¯s eager ttery. No wonder Night Lord¡¯s people specifically went to the Thousand Charms Empire¡¯s border to capture Alchemists; they probably would find it difficult to find so many suitable targets elsewhere.

    No idents likest time urred, and after more than ten days, the caravan safely arrived at the Academy Town.

    The Eastern Kingdom¡¯s Academy Town, originally named Tianshu City, became the academic center of the Eastern Kingdom due to the Imperial First United Academy being located there, earning it the name Academy Town. It didn¡¯t have the prosperousmerce of Pearl City, but the atmosphere of martial arts and other misceneous studies was particrly strong. Tianshu City wasrge,rge enough to have two illumination Towers illuminating it. Even the imperial capital only had one illumination Tower for protection. This showed the Academy Town¡¯s status in the Eastern Kingdom. Because of the many academies here, arger and more open teaching environment was naturally needed, so people understood the need for two illumination Towers.

    The architectural style of the Academy Town was quite low-key, not as shy as Wanzi City. Neat and clean was Zhanyue¡¯s first impression. Walking on the streets, he could often hear passersby discussing various topics ¨C some discussing martial arts cultivation, some discussing artifact refining techniques, and naturally some discussing pill refining insights¡­ Everyone seemed open, willing to share their insights. The academic exchange atmosphere was unlike any other city.

    ¡°Academy Town, I really came to the right ce,¡± Zhanyue mused. The mostmon shops on both sides of the street were bookstores.

    ¡°Elder, do you know how to get to the First Academy?¡± Zhanyue randomly asked an old man on the street for directions. The old man was dressed in in clothes but had an extraordinary aura, seeming well-read.

    ¡°Go east, walk to the end of the road, then look left. The location of the illumination Goddess statue is there,¡± the old man said kindly, then added, ¡°You¡¯re here to take the First Academy¡¯s exam, right? Good luck.¡±

    Zhanyue thanked the old man and quickly found the Imperial First United Academy. The first thing that caught his eye was the huge illumination Goddess statue. Every city had a goddess statue as a memorial, and the Academy Town¡¯s goddess statue was inside the First Academy. This also showed the status of the First Academy.

    Although the Imperial First United Academy was actually managed by the Eastern Kingdom, it wasn¡¯t solely owned by the Eastern Kingdom, but jointly owned by the Eastern Kingdom, Rising Sun Kingdom, and Fierce Earth Kingdom. It was also the highest institution of learning in the entire Eastern World. The three countries provided people and resources to jointly build thisrgestprehensive academy in the world, recruiting students from across the entire Myriad Spirits Realm. Not only could Contractors enter the academy for further studies, but ordinary people also had suitable subjects for them at the First Academy. Astronomy, geography, agriculture, and metallurgy were all taught here. After all, most people in the world were ordinary people, and their power couldn¡¯t be ignored. Even if they couldn¡¯t cultivate, their wisdom was no less than others. That¡¯s why it was called a trulyprehensive academy, a holynd in the hearts of all people, especially ordinary people. Here, these people who couldn¡¯t cultivate could find dignity and respect. The Eastern Kingdom¡¯s abundance of talent originated from here.

    However, at the bustling entrance of the Academy Town, an interesting incident urred. An old man in tattered clothes tried to rush into the academy gates but was picked up and thrown out.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Who¡¯s this old guy? At his age, does he still want to apply to the First Academy?¡± people around discussed.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s even more bizarre. I heard this old guy wanted to teach at the First Academy and even wanted them to set up a special course just for him. It would be strange if the guards let him in. This person must be crazy for fame,¡± someone exined.

    ¡°What? He wants to be a teacher in the academy and even have a special course set up? In his shabby state, what does he n to teach us, begging?¡± someone mocked.

    Zhanyue frowned, not bothering with these matters. But while he didn¡¯t want to find trouble, trouble found him.

    ¡°Young man, would you like to learn derivation studies from me?¡± The speaker was the old man in tattered clothes. Unable to enter the academy gates, he was now trying to recruit students at the entrance, wanting to charge a hefty fee for his lessons, but no one was falling for it.

 Chapter 130: Entering the Academy

    Chapter 130: Entering the Academy

    ¡°Derivation studies? What¡¯s that?¡± Zhanyue asked curiously.

    The white-haired old man in tattered clothes, seeing that Zhanyue was willing to listen to him, instantly became energetic.

    ¡°The study of great derivation epasses the changes of all things in heaven and earth, distinguishes the stark differences between ancient and modern, new and old, observes the foundation of the universe¡¯s yin and yang, and recognizes the true appearance of the minutest details. It¡¯s a great learning that includes and contains everything,¡± the old man said, his face full of enthusiasm.

    ¡°Speak inly,¡± Zhanyue frowned. These profound-sounding things might seem impressive, but they contained no useful information.

    The old man was momentarily at a loss for words, then timidly said, ¡°I study the principles of all things, like why things fall when thrown up, or why water turns into steam when boiled.¡±

    ¡°You study physics?¡± Zhanyue was a bit surprised, but not too astonished. After all, there were many people in this world, and not everyone was foolish. Naturally, some sharp-minded, curious individuals would emerge. It would be strange if no one studied these things. However, in a world dominated by Contractors where principles relied on force to break through, how much use would physics have?

    ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate me. Do you know why Nightmares fear sunlight?¡± the old man said mysteriously.

    ¡°Why?¡± Zhanyue became interested.

    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m researching now,¡± the old man smiled. ¡°Have you discovered anything?¡± Zhanyue asked again.

    The old man¡¯s face reddened, ¡°No, not yet. I¡¯m halfway through the research, but ran out of funds. But give me half a year, no, three months. In at most three months, I should have hope of getting an answer.¡±

    Zhanyue sighed. This old man was really good at making excuses to scam money. If he really had the ability to research this question, wouldn¡¯t people in this world revere him?

    ¡°Brother, I see you¡¯re kind-hearted, so let me give you a warning. Don¡¯t be fooled by this old man¡¯s sweet talk. Last month he was saying he was researching how to miniaturize Illumination Towers, but he didn¡¯t discover anything. Now he says he¡¯s researching Nightmares,¡± a well-intentioned person stepped forward to warn Zhanyue.

    The old man wanted to defend himself but couldn¡¯t, as he indeed hadn¡¯t figured out anything.

    ¡°Never mind, I see you¡¯re not doing well. Take this money as my support for you,¡± Zhanyue threw a bag of purple crystals to the old man. Although it wasn¡¯t much, it was enough for the old man to maintain a basic living. Fortunately, the Academy Capital had excellent security and many wealthy people, so no one would covet the old man¡¯s small amount of money.

    ¡°Ah,¡± the people around shook their heads and dispersed. They wouldn¡¯t say much; if someone had money and was willing to give charity, it was their business.

    The old man took the money, expressing profuse thanks. ¡°I will do my research well.¡±

    Zhanyue smiled nomittally, not saying much. This was just a small interlude in ordinary life.

    ¡°Sister, has this old man hidden his cultivation?¡± Zhanyue asked.

    ¡°No, he¡¯s just an ordinary person. But¡­ I seem to sense the smell of a curse on him,¡± the Illumination Goddess said with some confusion. Who would ce a curse on an ordinary person?

    ¡°A curse?¡± Zhanyue was startled to hear this. Curses weren¡¯t easy to ce. For example, the curse on the Illumination Goddess was ced by that mysterious person burning their own divine soul, definitely a case of killing 800 enemies but losing 1000 of your own. For such an ordinary person, wouldn¡¯t it be better to just kill him directly? Why ce a curse?

    Not thinking about this issue anymore, Zhanyue continued walking towards the academy gates.

    ¡°Young master, please show your credentials,¡± the guard said. To enter the academy, one needed to be either a student of the academy or have a temporary exam candidate certificate. Zhanyue had neither.

    ¡°Will this do?¡± Zhanyue took out the token Mi Hongchen had given him.

    Seeing that token, the guard¡¯s expression changed, and he immediately said respectfully, ¡°Young master, please wait here for a moment.¡± The guard took out a fist-sized small bird and tied a freshly written note to its leg. The bird flew away at an incredibly terrifying speed. This was the mostmonmunication method in the academy ¨C spirit bird messaging.

    Soon after, a middle-aged woman in blue clothes hurried over. Looking at Zhanyue, she asked the guard beside her, ¡°Is he the one you mentioned?¡± The middle-aged woman looked Zhanyue up and down, not finding anything special about him except for his handsome appearance.

    ¡°That¡¯s right, it¡¯s him. That token has been verified. It is indeed the princess¡¯s letter of rmendation. ording to the rules, the princess has the right to directly rmend students for admission without examination,¡± the guard said.

    The woman nodded and said to Zhanyue, ¡°Come with me, let¡¯s talk inside.¡±

    ¡°Alright,¡± Zhanyue followed the woman inside. This woman¡¯s strength was at the third stage of Sun Profound Realm, definitely not a low status.

    ¡°Is that Director Wu, responsible for new student admissions? She¡¯s personallying to wee that guy for admission? What¡¯s that guy¡¯s identity?¡± People watched as the woman led the man away, discussing among themselves. They had to go through a lot of procedures to enter the academy, unlike Zhanyue who was personally invited in by Director Wu.

    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± the middle-aged woman asked. Although she wasn¡¯t beautiful, her appearance was very kind.

    ¡°In response to the elder, my name is Zhanyue,¡± Zhanyue answered.

    ¡°Don¡¯t call me elder in the academy. You can call me Teacher Wu or Director Wu,¡± the woman said.

    Zhanyue nodded. From Alchemy Capital to the Academy Capital, Zhanyue felt like he had moved from an Eastern fantasy world to a Western fantasy world. However, he was indeed still in the Ten Thousand Spirits Realm; it was just that customs varied in different countries and regions.

    ¡°Although you were rmended by the princess and can be admitted without examination, you still need to be assessed for ss cement. After all, we can¡¯t force growth, and forcibly cing you in a ss full of geniuses might not be good for you. By the way, how old are you this year?¡± Director Wu asked again.

    ¡°Twenty-seven,¡± Zhanyue calcted and answered truthfully.

    ¡°Twenty-seven, Spirit Link Realm seventh stage, not bad talent,¡± Director Wu nodded. Although not as good as those geniuses who entered the Profound Realm at a young age, it was above average. However, she was still curious about what the princess saw in him.

    ¡°Director Wu, can you introduce me to the study and assessment in the academy?¡± Zhanyue asked.

    Director Wu was very patient, after all, Zhanyue was introduced by the princess. ¡°All courses in the academy are unrestricted and can be freely studied. However, different levels of assessments are provided for students of different levels. Students who haven¡¯t entered the Profound Realm can choose to graduate after entering the Profound Realm. Of course, if you want to continue studying in the academy as a Profound Realm cultivator, you need to pass another assessment. It¡¯s like an advancement exam. If you reach the Moon Profound Realm or even Sun Profound Realm in the academy, you can apply for external assignment to take up a position as a city lord. You should know that many current city lords graduated from the academy. Their strength is far greater than others at the same level, which is why the academy is so sought after. The resources provided by the academy are iparable to the outside world.¡±

    Zhanyue nodded and asked again, ¡°Director, is there a situation where someone who hasn¡¯t entered the Profound Realm takes the advancement exam and participates in Profound Realm level courses and training?¡±

    Hearing this, Director Wu looked at Zhanyue with some surprise, a hint of interest in her eyes. ¡°Of course it¡¯s possible, but that assessment isn¡¯t simple.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the assessment like?¡± Zhanyue asked again.

    Director Wu smiled, ¡°The Profound Realm assessment is divided into two parts. First, reach the tenth floor of the Boundless Tower; second, umte 10,000 academy points.¡±

    Zhanyue frowned. The Boundless Tower should be a ce for practicalbat testing, which wasn¡¯t a problem for him. But what were academy points? 10,000 points didn¡¯t seem easy to umte.

    ¡°Director, generally speaking, what¡¯s the fastest way to get academy points?¡± Zhanyue asked again.

    ¡°You¡¯re really in a hurry? Do you want to start Profound Realm level studies as soon as you enter the academy? You should know that even if you haven¡¯t entered the Profound Realm, there are still many things worth learning in the academy,¡± Director Wu kindly reminded him. Being overly ambitious wasn¡¯t a good thing.

    ¡°Thank you, Director. I just want to try,¡± Zhanyue didn¡¯t n to stay in the academy for long. With his strength andbat power, he could fully ept Profound Realm level training and assessment, being treated as a Profound Realm cultivator.

    ¡°Sigh, alright. To obtain academy points, there are generally two ways. One is toplete courses and pass course assessments to get corresponding points. This path is the most stable but also the slowest. The second way is toplete tasks issued by the academy and obtain corresponding task points. If you¡¯re asking about the fastest way, submitting task items for tasks is the quickest way to get points,¡± Director Wu said.

    Zhanyue¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°Director, are there tasks that require pills?¡±

    ¡°Of course, those tasks are the mostmon. After all, for the academy, pills are always in short supply. Can you refine pills?¡± Director Wu asked with some surprise.

    ¡°Indeed,¡± Zhanyue nodded happily.

    Director Wu couldn¡¯t help but look at Zhanyue with new respect, while reminding him, ¡°I¡¯ll say it again, being overly ambitious isn¡¯t a good thing. Even if you reach the corresponding points, you still need to pass the Boundless Tower assessment. If you fail the assessment, 10,000 points will be deducted. You¡¯ll need to umte points again.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s such a rule?¡± Zhanyue asked in surprise.

    ¡°Of course. Firstly, it¡¯s to prevent too many students from overestimating themselves and constantly applying for advanced assessments. Secondly, opening the Boundless Tower also consumes a lot of resources, so naturally, some price needs to be paid,¡± Director Wu exined.

    ¡°I see. Thank you, Director Wu. Please take me to the ce where I can exchange for academy points,¡± Zhanyue requested.

    Director Wu frowned. This little guy was in such a hurry, not taking the academy assessment seriously at all. Well, she had said what she needed to say. Even if he failed the assessment and was discouraged, it wouldn¡¯t be her responsibility.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, I¡¯ll take you there,¡± Director Wu said irritably. She had never seen a student who hadn¡¯t entered the Profound Realm prepare for the Profound Realm assessment on their first day at the academy, without even applying for a dormitory. But this person was rmended by the princess, so she couldn¡¯t reprimand him. ¡°Let¡¯s see what level this boy is at. The Boundless Tower test isn¡¯t that simple.¡±

 Chapter 131: The Boundless Tower

    Chapter 131: The Boundless Tower

    It didn¡¯t take long for the two to arrive at arge building that resembled a small castle. The sign above read ¡°Academic Affairs Office¡± ¨C this was where students¡¯ academic credits were managed.

    This was one of the busiest institutions in the academy, with students constantlying and going.

    ¡°Academic credits are very important within the academy, equivalent to currency. You can earn credits bypleting coursework, fulfilling tasks assigned by the academy, and in turn, you can exchange credits for some cultivation methods and pills. You can also spend credits to post tasks on the mission board, though all these tasks are subject to the academy¡¯s approval,¡± Wu Mingyu exined to Zhanyue beside her.

    Most students recognized Wu Mingyu and greeted her respectfully, while casting curious nces at Zhanyue.

    ¡°Who is that? A new student?¡±

    ¡°Not sure, but to be personally apanied by Director Wu, he must have an extraordinary background.¡±

    The two ignored the whispers and quickly entered an office.

    ¡°Director Wu, what brings you here?¡± The person sitting inside was a young woman.

    ¡°Xiaoli, you¡¯re in charge of coordinating pill-rted tasks, right? Please give me a list of the pill requests,¡± Director Wu said. Xiaoli nodded and quickly handed a register to Director Wu.

    ¡°Take a look at this and see what pills you can contribute,¡± Director Wu said to Zhanyue.

    Zhanyue took stock of the various pills in his divine ability space, then started flipping through the register. The divine ability space contained arge number of pills, a small portion of which were refined by Zhanyue himself, while most were made by Baizhi. To alleviate her lovesickness, Baizhi had been refining pills day and night, hoping these pills could be of help to Zhanyue. Now, the opportunity had finallye.

    ¡°Director Wu, who is this? Is he an alchemist?¡± Xiaoli asked quietly, standing to the side.

    ¡°A newly enrolled student. He¡¯s a fourth-grade alchemist. Don¡¯t ask anything more,¡± Director Wu said. If not for this person being personally rmended by the princess, why would she be so attentive? She was also curious about what made this person worthy of the princess¡¯s attention.

    ¡°I have these three types of fifth-grade pills and seven types of fourth-grade pills. I¡¯ve calcted, and it should be worth about ten thousand credits,¡± Zhanyue said, taking out bottle after bottle of pills from his divine ability space and cing them on the table.

    Xiaoli¡¯s mouth gaped open as she quickly took inventory of the pills. As the person in charge here, she herself was a third-grade alchemist. Higher-grade alchemists probably wouldn¡¯t be willing to do such mundane work.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you a fourth-grade alchemist?¡± Xiaoli asked, looking at the few bottles of fifth-grade pills in confusion.

    ¡°These pills were given to me by a friend. Surely you don¡¯t inquire about the origin of pills when they¡¯re submitted?¡± Zhanyue asked.

    ¡°No, no, I was just curious. Indeed, this totals ten thousand five hundred credits. May I have your identity token?¡± Xiaoli said.

    ¡°Identity token?¡± Zhanyue was a bit confused.

    ¡°It¡¯s this. I¡¯ve already activated it for you,¡± Director Wu handed over the token given to Zhanyue by the princess.

    Xiaoli took the token and operated on a formation stone tform for a while before returning it. ¡°Alright, the credits have been transferred to your token.¡±

    ¡°Keep the token safe. It¡¯s already been imprinted with your fingerprint and soul aura. Although others can¡¯t use your token, getting a recement is a very troublesome process,¡± Director Wu said as she handed back the token.

    ¡°Thank you. Director, where is the Boundless Tower?¡± Zhanyue asked.

    Wu Mingyu was a bit exasperated. ¡°You¡¯re really in a hurry, aren¡¯t you? You haven¡¯t even familiarized yourself with life at the academy. Why don¡¯t I take you to find a ce to stay first? You can rest and prepare well before challenging the tower.¡±

    ¡°I appreciate your kindness, Director, but don¡¯t Profound Realm students and those who haven¡¯t entered the Profound Realm live in different areas? I¡¯d like to get there in one step,¡± Zhanyue said.

    ¡°You¡¯re certainly confident. Very well, I¡¯ll take you there,¡± Director Wu said, seeing that she couldn¡¯t dissuade him. After all, what¡¯s youth without some ambition?

    Xiaoli stood there stunned. This young man didn¡¯t seem to have entered the Profound Realm, yet he wanted to challenge the Boundless Tower in advance? No wonder he exchanged over ten thousand credits.

    The Boundless Tower, named after the saying ¡°learning is boundless as the sea,¡± was one of the most important structures in the academy. Standing at a hundred stories tall, its appearance was ancient, predominantly red and ck, standing in stark contrast to the surrounding white buildings. Even those who had advanced to the Spirit God Realm could find suitable training grounds within the Boundless Tower. Legend had it that the Boundless Tower was an ancient structure, preserved to this day by mysterious formations.

    ¡°Sister, have you been inside the Boundless Tower?¡± Zhanyue looked up at the hundred-story tower in amazement. Apart from the Illumination Goddess Statue, the Boundless Tower was the tallest structure.

    ¡°Yes, I have. The Boundless Tower has a hundred floors. I¡¯ve reached the ny-ninth floor, but the hundredth floor wasn¡¯t open to me,¡± the Illumination Goddess said.

    ¡°Even you couldn¡¯t ess the hundredth floor?¡± Zhanyue was a bit surprised. After all, the Illumination Goddess was the strongest human from thousands of years ago to the present day. What mysteries could the hundredth floor hold?

    ¡°Don¡¯t overthink it. The hundredth floor is still far beyond your reach. I won¡¯t apany you inside from here on. The Boundless Tower should be able to detect my presence, and we can¡¯t let that interfere with your test,¡± the Illumination Goddess said.

    ¡°Alright,¡± Zhanyue naturally understood. Simrly, he didn¡¯t n to cheat using the Silver Moon Armor. There would be no point in that.

    ¡°Go on then,¡± Director Wu pointed at the main entrance at the base of the Boundless Tower. ¡°Reaching the tenth floor is considered a pass, the eleventh floor is average, the twelfth floor is above average, and the thirteenth floor is excellent. This is the standard for those who have just entered the Profound Realm. If you can reach the tenth floor without having entered the Profound Realm, I can grade your performance as above average.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Director, but I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t need your concession,¡± Zhanyue smiled and walked towards the entrance.

    Director Wu shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s confidence or arrogance. The Boundless Tower isn¡¯t easy to conquer.¡± She found a nearby pavilion to rest, asionally ncing towards the Boundless Tower.

    Zhanyue ced his token on the Boundless Tower. A golden pir of light burst from the top of the tower, shooting straight into the sky. Ten thousand credits were deducted, and the main door opened.

    ¡°Strange, the Profound Realm test is always before the new student test, isn¡¯t it? Hasn¡¯t it already passed? Why is the Boundless Tower activating again?¡± a student asked in surprise.

    ¡°It¡¯s a golden light pir, which means the participant is a student who hasn¡¯t entered the Profound Realm. This is a special test that requires a full ten thousand credits and leadership approval to activate. Who is it? You should know that if you fail the test, those ten thousand credits are wasted. That¡¯s no small amount.¡±

    The entire academy was in a stir. The Boundless Tower usually emitted a purple light pir, signifying a normal Profound Realm test. Now, it was the rare golden light pir, meaning someone was attempting a cross-realm challenge. Cross-realm battles weren¡¯t umon, but the Boundless Tower was different. It seemed particrly strict with those who hadn¡¯t entered the Profound Realm, with the difficulty even surpassing that for ordinary Profound Beings. A long time ago, quite a few arrogant students had attempted it, but gradually everyone understood this fact: the Boundless Tower didn¡¯t encourage cross-realm challenges. Since the academy¡¯s establishment, only four people hadpleted the cross-realm test.

    Three of them were spirit contractors, and the fourth, also the most recent, was the Imperial Princess Mi Hongchen, who was also the only dragon contractor. Now that someone else hade to challenge, how could people not be excited?

    ¡°ce your bets! Let¡¯s guess how many floors this person can pass. I¡¯ll start with a number: the fifth floor.¡±

    ¡°The fifth floor? If someone has this much confidence, they shouldn¡¯t be that weak. I bet they¡¯ll narrowly fail on the ninth floor!¡±

    In an instant, the entire academy seemed to be drawn to this change in the Boundless Tower, making it the center of attention.

    Deep within the academy, atop a detached building, there was a tea table. This spot offered an excellent view of the academy. Around the tea table sat four stunningly beautiful women, each as lovely as chrysanthemums in autumn or plum blossoms in winter.

    ¡°It¡¯s truly fortunate for our Eastern Kingdom that Sister Gong has agreed to take up a position here,¡± said the speaker, who was none other than the Eastern Kingdom¡¯s female war god ¨C Princess Mi Hongchen. She was actually in the academy at this moment.

    The ¡°Sister Gong¡± she referred to was naturally Gong Xiaoyu from the Thousand Charms Empire.

    ¡°Not at all. I¡¯m here at Wind Lord¡¯s request, just staying for a year. Don¡¯t expect me to do anything special,¡± Gong Xiaoyu sipped the excellent tea with a smile on her face. Looking at Mi Hongchen, there was a hint of fighting spirit in her eyes. People had always been curious about who was the top expert below the Spirit God Realm between her and Mi Hongchen.

    The other two women whispering to each other were the Light Holy Maiden Lixi and the young girl from the Moon Reflection Pavilion.

    As the four chatted idly, they saw a golden light shoot straight into the sky from the Boundless Tower, immediately catching their attention.

 Chapter 132: Ascending the Tower

    Chapter 132: Ascending the Tower

    ¡°The Boundless Tower is lit up, it¡¯s a golden light pir.¡± The four women could clearly see the towering ancient tower from their position.

    ¡°Is there a student below the Profound Realm attempting a cross-realm test? It¡¯s been a while since we¡¯ve seen that,¡± Mi Hongchen looked at the light pir, a hint of curiosity on her lips. She didn¡¯t know who was taking the test at the moment. Busy with official matters, she rarely stayed in the Academy Town , and was only here to receive Gong Xiaoyu as the host. After all, Gong Xiaoyu herself represented the Thousand Charms Empress.

    ¡°A cross-realm test isn¡¯t easy. I remember thest sessful attempt was by Sister Mi, wasn¡¯t it?¡± The Holy Maiden Lixi also looked curiously towards the Boundless Tower.

    ¡°Hmph, what¡¯s so special about that? If we hadn¡¯t already entered the Profound Realm, I could pass the cross-realm test too,¡± said the young girl beside MuMu Lixi. No one doubted she had that ability.

    ¡°Your Highness, how many floors did you reachst time?¡± Gong Xiaoyu, dressed in green, looked stunningly beautiful, not at all overshadowed even among this group of beauties.

    ¡°The fifteenth floor. With my strength at that time, I couldn¡¯t pass the sixteenth floor. The sixteenth floor is a huge hurdle,¡± Mi Hongchen didn¡¯t hide anything. For a cross-realm challenge, passing the tenth floor was considered qualified, the eleventh floor was average, the twelfth floor was above average, and the thirteenth floor was excellent. Mi Hongchen passing the fifteenth floor naturally marked her as a genius among geniuses, worthy of the title of Eastern Kingdom¡¯s Female War God. People like Mi Hongchen and Gong Xiaoyu, although not in the Spirit God Realm, were treated as such by others. When they advanced to the Spirit God Realm, they would certainly obtain the title of Lord, bing the future Dragon Lord and Cloud Lord.

    ¡°Sister Gong has always lived in the Thousand Charms Empire. It¡¯s a pity you didn¡¯te here back then, or you would have certainly made a name for yourself,¡± MuMu Lixi said from the side.

    ¡°You little girl sure know how to talk. I don¡¯t care about such empty fame. But the atmosphere of this academy is quite nice. No wonder the Eastern Kingdom has been producing so many talents in recent years,¡± Gong Xiaoyu smiled.

    For MuMu Lixi to be able to live in the academy this time, Wind Lord had to pull a lot of strings and put in a great deal of effort. MuMu Lixi was not only the Holy Maiden but also his granddaughter. He didn¡¯t want MuMu Lixi to always be caged like a golden canary, he wanted her to enjoy her youth like other girls. He first persuaded his sister and the emperor of the Rising Sun Kingdom to allow MuMu Lixi to leave the capital, then pulled strings to arrange both overt and covert protection for MuMu Lixi. Openly, the academy itself was rtively safe, with him, the Wind Lord, as the principal. Covertly, Wind Lord called in old favors to invite an elder from the Moon Reflection Pavilion, whose strength was not inferior to his own, to guard secretly. This wasn¡¯t enough, so he also invited Gong Xiaoyu from the Thousand Charms Empire to be a teacher at the academy, responsible for teaching MuMu Lixi¡¯s ss. After all, Gong Xiaoyu was also a spirit contractor and a woman, who could look after MuMu Lixi in many situations.

    The granddaughter of the Moon Reflection Pavilion¡¯s leader, Nangong Wei, had alsoe and stayed by MuMu Lixi¡¯s side, almost inseparable. Her abilities were special and could avoid many dangers. In addition, Thunder Lord had given MuMu Lixi a Spirit God level spirit puppet. Although MuMu Lixi was in the academy, she was protected byyers of security. Not to mention the Night Lord¡¯s 99 demons, even if the Night Lord came personally, he wouldn¡¯t be able to easily take MuMu Lixi¡¯s life. Moreover, in the Academy Town , even if the Night Lord had ten times the courage, he wouldn¡¯t dare to set foot here.

    If there was one thing that worried Wind Lord, it was that the death of the previous academy principal remained a mystery.

    ¡°Look, he¡¯s reached the third floor already,¡± everyone said as the room on the third floor of the Boundless Tower lit up.

    ¡°So fast, it¡¯s like he¡¯s taking a leisurely stroll. He reached the third floor so easily,¡± everyone was shocked by Zhanyue¡¯s speed.

    Inside the Boundless Tower, Zhanyue looked at the wooden puppet mechanism before him with a hint of disdain. Did they think this toy could stump him? His flying sword quickly dismantled the puppet mechanism. Seeing the stairs to the fourth floor open, Zhanyue quickly walked in. At this moment, he hadn¡¯t realized that themotion in the Boundless Tower was so great that it had caught the attention of almost everyone in the academy.

    ¡°The eighth floor already? My goodness, this is too fast. Even those Profound Beings taking the trial aren¡¯t this quick,¡± everyone was surprised as the eighth floor lit up.

    ¡°The difficulty has increased,¡± Inside the Boundless Tower, Zhanyue frowned at the monster made of mes before him. ¡°Let¡¯s see whose fire is stronger, yours or mine!¡±

    Before long, three types of mes filled the fire monster¡¯s body, and its entire form disintegrated.

    The art of fire control had now been mastered to perfection by Zhanyue.

    The ninth floor was a stone golem, which Zhanyue shattered with his sword.

    On the tenth floor, the difficulty suddenly increased. It was a shadow-like monster with five senses like a human. However, these very senses were its downfall. Under the Phantom Step and Phantom Sword Technique, the shadow couldn¡¯t hit Zhanyue at all, but Zhanyue found that all his attacks on it were ineffective.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see what you really are!¡± Zhanyue took out the Sun God Stone and activated it with all his might. The Sun God Stone burst forth with dazzling light, illuminating the entire tower room. The shadow melted away under this light like snow.

    ¡°Gone¡­ just like that? Is it really gone?¡± Zhanyue looked at the Sun God Stone in his hand in confusion. The thing had disappeared just from being illuminated. Did this count as cheating?

    However, the door to the eleventh floor had already opened.

    ¡°Looks like this method was allowed?¡± Zhanyue didn¡¯t question it further and stepped onto the eleventh floor.

    ¡°Heavens! He passed the tenth floor. He seeded! How did he do it?¡± Everyone marveled as the light on the eleventh floor lit up.

    In fact, for Zhanyue, this tenth floor was the most perplexing. That shadow, whatever it was, behaved just like a Nighmare, disappearing under the light of his Sun God Stone. Was that supposed to be difficult?

    ¡°At this speed, he¡¯s likely far surpassed my record from back then.¡± Mi Hongchen couldn¡¯t sit still anymore. She directly leapt from building to building towards the Boundless Tower.

    ¡°Sister Mi is really in a hurry. It seems the academy is about to wee another super genius. I wonder which faction they¡¯re from.¡± Gong Xiaoyu and the others didn¡¯t follow Mi Hongchen to watch the excitement at the Boundless Tower. As the princess of the Eastern Kingdom, Mi Hongchen had always been known for respecting talent and appointing capable people, recruiting many talented individuals for the Eastern Kingdom and promoting many excellent generals. With such talent emerging, she naturally wanted to understand the situation immediately. The Female War God of the Eastern Kingdom wasn¡¯t just an empty title.

    On the eleventh floor, a portal suddenly opened, and a ck giant bear walked out. Zhanyue¡¯s face showed surprise. This Boundless Tower was truly impressive. The puppets and spirit bodies before had already been eye-opening, and now it had sent him a real fierce beast.

    The ck bear was starving and confused by the teleportation. Seeing Zhanyue before it, its eyes lit up, and it began to drool. This was a living person, a delicacy it hadn¡¯t tasted in a long time.

    ¡°Interesting.¡± For the first time, a serious look appeared in Zhanyue¡¯s eyes. This ck bear was undoubtedly extraordinary in strength.

    At the bottom of the Boundless Tower, in a nearby pavilion, Director Wu had already widened her eyes in disbelief. ¡°What kind of monster did the princess find?¡±

 Chapter 133: Unstoppable Momentum

    Chapter 133: Unstoppable Momentum

    Mi Hongchen, dressed in red, was not wearing armor at the moment, presenting a valiant and heroic appearance. Although she was extremely beautiful, everyone¡¯s first impression of her was awe. Her gaze was sharp, and few dared to meet her eyes.

    ¡°Princess? Why are you here?¡± Director Wu was startled by Mi Hongchen¡¯s sudden appearance before her.

    ¡°I happened to be in the academy and rushed over when I saw themotion at the Boundless Tower. Since you¡¯re standing guard here, do you know who¡¯s attempting the tower?¡± Mi Hongchen asked.

    ¡°?¡± Director Wu looked at Mi Hongchen with a puzzled expression. ¡°Don¡¯t you know?¡± Zhanyue had been admitted to the academy without examination on Mi Hongchen¡¯s rmendation, and now he was taking the Boundless Tower test. Mi Hongchen had rushed to the scene, but the princess seemed unaware of who was attempting the tower.

    ¡°It¡¯s a student named Zhanyue, who was admitted with Your Highness¡¯s token,¡± Director Wu said.

    Mi Hongchen was stunned for a moment, then said, ¡°Tell me what this person looks like.¡±

    ¡°Certainly.¡± Director Wu¡¯s fingers moved in the air, her spiritual energy leaving traces that quickly formed a rough sketch of Zhanyue¡¯s appearance.

    ¡°It is indeed him.¡± Mi Hongchen was slightly taken aback. She had only met Zhanyue twice and hadn¡¯t spoken much with him. She had given him the token as a reward for saving the Holy Maiden. Later, she heard he had been assassinated and disappeared, which she found regrettable. She didn¡¯t expect that at this moment, Zhanyue would be ascending the Boundless Tower.

    ¡°It seems the person General Cheng mentioned before was Zhanyue. Come to think of it, he did help us unearth a good talent for our Eastern Kingdom.¡± Mi Hongchen¡¯s face showed a hint of a smile. The girl named ¡®Little Butterfly¡¯ had talent and abilities far exceeding her expectations. When she grows up, she would be another ¡®Female War God¡¯. Seeing the sudden smile on Mi Hongchen¡¯s face, Director Wu couldn¡¯t help but specte, ¡°Could this Zhanyue really have a rtionship with Her Highness? Although there haven¡¯t been any rumors about the princess all these years.¡± Of course, she could only keep these thoughts to herself.

    ¡°Let¡¯s watch together and see how far he can go,¡± Mi Hongchen said, no longer asking questions. Looking at the not-so-distant Boundless Tower, she felt some anticipation. She didn¡¯t know much about Zhanyue¡¯s strength and talent. When they first met, his aura was simr to someone who had just contracted at the Spirit Contract Realm. It had only been a few years since then, and he was already able to challenge the tower?

    On the eleventh floor of the Boundless Tower, the ck giant bear was extraordinarily powerful. Zhanyue¡¯s sword pierced its body, but not only did it fail to seriously wound it, it further provoked its ferocity. The ck bear swung a paw that could crush an ordinary Profound Being¡¯s head. Zhanyue didn¡¯t dare to meet it head-on and dodged at close range. Under the Phantom Step, no matter how powerful the ck bear¡¯s attacks were, they couldn¡¯t hit Zhanyue and thus posed no threat.

    ¡°Finally caught an opportunity.¡± Zhanyue stuck close to the ck bear, seeking a position under it. He turned and thrust his sword, the Heaven Punishing Demon Sword piercing right where the ck bear¡¯s heart was.

    With its heart stabbed, the ck bear became extremely frenzied. Zhanyue quickly ran far away, even abandoning the Heaven Punishing Demon Sword.

    The Heaven Punishing Demon Sword stuck in the ck bear¡¯s chest lit up with a red glow, suddenly beginning to suck the bear¡¯s heart blood vigorously. The ck bear¡¯s life wasn¡¯t worth as much as the previous Mad de¡¯s. After this bout of extraction by the Heaven Punishing Demon Sword, it quickly perished.

    Zhanyue retrieved the demon sword and said resignedly, ¡°You¡¯re really picky, only drinking heart blood and not a drop from anywhere else.¡± The reason the Heaven Punishing Demon Sword was called a demon sword was because of its terrifying blood-sucking ability. However, it wouldn¡¯t drink just any blood; you had to stab it into the enemy¡¯s heart for it to drink. This was somewhat of a dilemma. Enemies whose hearts Zhanyue could pierce with his sword already gave him a great chance of victory. This ability seemed more like a guarantee of a killing blow.

    ¡°I hope in the future there will be enemies stupid enough to confidently expose their hearts to me.¡± Zhanyue put away the Heaven Punishing Demon Sword. The bear¡¯s corpse on the ground was actually absorbed by that mysterious door, and the bloodstains left from the fight disappeared as the formation flickered, leaving the area as clean as before. The door to the twelfth floor opened.

    What Zhanyue thought of as ¡°in the future¡± came very soon. On the twelfth floor, the same mysterious door appeared, this time teleporting in a ck-haired gori.

    After a bout of entanglement, Zhanyue didn¡¯t feel this creature was stronger than the previous ck bear, until he cut off the gori¡¯s hand with one sword strike. The severed hand automatically reattached and healed. The gori looked at Zhanyue provocatively, beating its chest with both hands to show its strength.

    ¡°What terrifying regenerative ability! No wonder it guards the twelfth floor. It¡¯s indeed tougher than that ck bear.¡± Zhanyue frowned. The ck bear¡¯s injuries could at least umte gradually, but this gori¡¯s self-healing ability was truly frightening. It could automatically recover from severed hands and feet, almostparable to Zhanyue¡¯s own state reversal ability.

    Seeing Zhanyue¡¯s attacking desire diminishing, the gori simplyy down, even using one hand to pick its nose. It already felt that Zhanyue had no means to kill it.

    A sword stabbed into its thigh, and the wound healed instantly. Another sword stabbed its shoulder and healed quickly as well. A third sword thrust aimed at its head, but this time the gori deftly dodged.

    ¡°Is the head the weak point?¡± Zhanyue discovered the creature¡¯s weakness. He would need to break open its skull.

    The gori stood up, its eyes blood-red. It knew its opponent had discerned its weakness and must kill him with all its might.

    Both charged at each other.

    ¡°Soul-Shaking Roar!¡± A soul-shaking howl erupted from Zhanyue¡¯s mouth. The gori¡¯s head was dazed for a moment but quickly recovered. The Heaven Punishing Demon Sword once again pierced the enemy¡¯s heart.

    What? It thought Zhanyue would aim for its head, but he targeted the heart instead. Too bad the heart wasn¡¯t its weak point. The gori breathed a sigh of relief, but before it could rejoice for long, the Heaven Punishing Demon Sword activated again. The blood from its heart flowed endlessly into the demon sword. Its regenerative ability continuously replenished the blood, but the demon sword drank its fill. After a long while, the goriy motionless on the ground, thoroughly dead.

    The originally silver-bright demon sword now had a tinge of crimson, adding to its eeriness.

    ¡°I take back what I said before. You¡¯re not useless at all. I wonder what kind of existence you¡¯ll grow into in the future.¡± Zhanyue mused, looking at the demon sword in his hand. The gori¡¯s head was its weak point; yet when the demon sword hit its heart, even the gori¡¯s terrifying self-healing ability couldn¡¯t resist the sword¡¯s consumption.

    The demon sword seemed to understand Zhanyue¡¯s words, emitting a hum, its de appearing even sharper.

    ¡°Truly a good sword!¡± Zhanyue praised. This item was the treasure of that mysterious person. That person¡¯s curse could even affect the Illumination Goddess, so naturally, it was extraordinary. His treasured sword was no ordinary weapon.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go to the next floor.¡± Without any hesitation, Zhanyue entered the thirteenth floor.

    ¡°He passed the eleventh and twelfth floors so quickly.¡± Director Wu¡¯s eyes widened. This was too fast.

    ¡°Your Highness, are the trials on each floor the same for everyone?¡± Director Wu asked.

    ¡°ording to my research on notes left by previous seniors, the trials are different for each person. But it¡¯s certain that the difficulty of the Boundless Tower trials differs for those in the Profound Realm and those below. It¡¯s actually harder for those below the Profound Realm,¡± Mi Hongchen said.

    ¡°Even harder? Goodness.¡± Director Wu admired her princess even more. After all, she had passed the fifteenth floor back then.

    ¡°I¡¯m a dragon contractor. The tower trial was essentially two-against-one for me. Passing fifteen floors wasn¡¯t much. I¡¯m more curious about what Zhanyue¡¯s contract object actually is,¡± Mi Hongchen was now full of curiosity about Zhanyue.

    ¡°Your Highness doesn¡¯t know?¡± Director Wu was confused. How could the princess who rmended someone for admission not know anything about him?

    ¡°Don¡¯t ask too much. I have my own considerations,¡± Mi Hongchen naturally wouldn¡¯t say that this matter was rted to the Holy Maiden Lixi.

    ¡°He¡¯s reached the thirteenth floor now.¡± On the rooftop, the three women who continued to watch the show also stared at the Boundless Tower. ¡°The world is indeed vast, full of talented individuals.¡±

 Chapter 134: The Fifteenth Floor

    Chapter 134: The Fifteenth Floor

    The moment Zhanyue entered the thirteenth floor, he realized something was off. It was supposed to be just one floor of the tower, yet before him stretched an endless expanse. Did this tower contain its own space? What was the origin of the Boundless Tower?

    In the sky, a portal opened, and a giant eagle with two heads flew out. The eagle was majestic and imposing, its four eyes from two heads staring sharply at Zhanyue.

    ¡°An enemy flying in the sky? Normally, only those in the Spirit God Realm can fly. To arrange a flying enemy for a test below the Profound Realm, and this is only the thirteenth floor? Is it this difficult already?¡± Zhanyue couldn¡¯t help but frown.

    The giant eagle didn¡¯t care about Zhanyue¡¯s confusion. Its left head opened its mouth, and a terrifying wind force pulled Zhanyue towards the eagle, making it impossible for him to break free. Then the right head also opened its mouth, spitting out a bolt of lightning.

    The wind vortex restricted movement while the lightning struck the enemy ¨C the two heads worked in perfect coordination.

    However, the lightning merely grazed Zhanyue, missingpletely. Even though pulled by the wind force, the Phantom Step was still activated, confusing the giant eagle¡¯s vision. Enraged, the eagle fired a barrage of lightning bolts.

    Zhanyue no longer remained passive. The demon sword flew out, and Zhanyue, gripping it, was pulled out of the wind vortex. He then stood on the sword and flew towards the eagle. This monster would indeed be troublesome for those who couldn¡¯t fly, forced to passively endure attacks on the ground. But for Zhanyue, there were ways to counter.

    Seeing Zhanyue take flight, the eagle was clearly surprised. It continued to fire lightning bolts, which Zhanyue deftly dodged. Compared to when he first started sword flying, Zhanyue was now quite proficient. As Zhanyue closed the distance, the eagle immediately flew far away.

    However, the speed of sword flight far surpassed the eagle¡¯s flying speed. Zhanyue quickly caught up and leapt onto the eagle¡¯s back. The eagle panicked and immediately flipped over in the air. Zhanyue grabbed its feathers to avoid falling, but the feathers couldn¡¯t withstand the pull. Zhanyue fell, clutching arge feather, but quickly stabilized himself by standing on his flying sword.

    Angered by Zhanyue¡¯s grabbing, the eagle no longer tried to escape. It turned to attack Zhanyue, its feathers like des, shooting towards him in a storm.

    ¡°You beast, you¡¯ve got some temper.¡± Zhanyue nimbly dodged all attacks, though his offensive options were limited with the sword under his feet. Suddenly, an idea struck him, and a wicked smile appeared on his lips. A handful of pills appeared in Zhanyue¡¯s hand, all fifth-grade Fierce Profound Pills. Once again, Zhanyue flew onto the eagle¡¯s back and was thrown off again. This time, however, he allowed himself to free fall, having nted many pills among the eagle¡¯s feathers.

    A series of explosions rang out, filling the air with a bloody mist. The giant eagle fell from the sky like a crashing ne. Even with its physical strength, it couldn¡¯t withstand such terrifying explosive impacts.

    Afternding, Zhanyue found that the giant eagle was already dead, not even needing a finishing blow.

    ¡°Tsk, tsk, that girl Baizhi¡¯s pills are so potent, ordinary Profound Beings couldn¡¯t withstand them at all. I should have her make more of these. Aren¡¯t they more effective than flying swords?¡± Zhanyue critiqued. The demon sword in his hand hummed indignantly.

    ¡°Alright, alright, thanks to you too. How else could I have flown up to engage with it?¡± Zhanyue cated. Then, an ethereal staircase appeared out of thin air, and Zhanyue ascended it to the fourteenth floor.

    The world of the fourteenth floor was a vast ocean. As soon as Zhanyue entered, the terrifying water pressure almost overwhelmed him.

    ¡°What the hell? Just went to the sky, and now I¡¯m under the sea? This is too much!¡± Zhanyue circted his technique, pushing away the surrounding seawater. There was no light in the sea; Zhanyue relied entirely on his spiritual energy to sense his surroundings.

    Soon, a dark shadow rushed towards him from afar. Zhanyue barely dodged, but his arm was still cut. Thankfully, under state reversal, this small injury was instantly healed. Maintaining the ability to push away the surrounding seawater was already taxing, and having to guard against the unknown creature¡¯s sneak attacks was truly difficult.

    ¡°This test won¡¯t result in death. I suppose the trial will end if it¡¯s determined I¡¯ve received a fatal wound. Even with my state reversal ability, if I¡¯m judged to be severely injured, the test might end directly. So I can¡¯t sustain too heavy injuries,¡± Zhanyue analyzed. He could trade injuries, but it wasn¡¯t suitable in this tower. He feared the test would end immediately, not giving him a chance to reverse.

    Once again, the mysterious creature came flying at a terrifying speed. This time Zhanyue was prepared. He let out a fierce shout. The Soul-Shaking Roar came into y again. The mysterious monster, affected by the soul attack, suddenly slowed down. Zhanyue sensed its position and thrust his sword, hitting it squarely.

    Feeling the seawater recede, Zhanyue knew he had passed the fourteenth level. On the surface, this fourteenth level seemed much quicker than the thirteenth, but Zhanyue knew the danger within. He had many ways to deal with the giant eagle, but facing this mysterious creature, if he hadn¡¯t mastered the Soul-Shaking Roar as a soul attack method, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to catch it at all and might have been worn down by sneak attacks. Even after passing the level, Zhanyue didn¡¯t know what that thing was, not even able to capture its image with the light of the Illumination Stone.

    ¡°The fifteenth floor already?¡± The people waiting outside were dumbfounded. Zhanyue had spent a long time on the thirteenth floor, how did he pass through the fourteenth so quickly?

    ¡°Fifteen floors! Isn¡¯t this the princess¡¯s record? Who exactly is this person? Is he a spirit contractor? If he passes the fifteenth floor, he¡¯ll match the princess¡¯s record!¡± Everyone was shocked and expectant.

    Mi Hongchen, however, frowned. ¡°That kid is this capable? What has he encountered in these years?¡± She recalled the scene when she first met Zhanyue, when he was as weak as an ant.

    ¡°The fifteenth floor already, how interesting.¡± Gong Xiaoyu sipped her tea, thinking that this trip to the academy wasn¡¯t in vain after all. At this moment, she also thought of Zhanyue. He hadn¡¯t entered the Profound Realm either, right? She wondered how many floors he could climb if he entered this Boundless Tower.

    The fifteenth floor was a vast, empty in.

    Zhanyue¡¯s eyes widened as he saw his opponent. ¡°Pr-Princess?¡± Opposite him stood a stunningly beautiful woman in armor, with a terrifying red flying dragon behind her.

    But Zhanyue quickly realized this wasn¡¯t a living being, more like a projection. The Mi Hongchen before him appeared younger, and the red flying dragon was much smaller than the one Zhanyue had seen.

    ¡°Is this¡­ her appearance when she challenged the tower back then? This fifteenth floor is actually a projection of Mi Hongchen¡¯s past self.¡± Zhanyue furrowed his brow, knowing the difficulty of this fifteenth floor was likely extraordinary.

    The projection showed no emotion. Holding a long spear, it charged towards him, the flying dragon beside it providing support. The human and dragon coordinated perfectly.

    ¡°If it were the current princess, I¡¯d be no match at all. But unfortunately for you, you haven¡¯t entered the Profound Realm either. Princess, please forgive my offense.¡± Zhanyue smiled, though he knew the thing before him was just a projection.

    As the flying sword shed with the long spear, Zhanyue felt a terrifying force transmitted. As the Female War God of the Eastern Kingdom, she had always overwhelmed her peers from childhood. Now Zhanyue was facing this war goddess in her youthful form, at least before her impressive chest had fully developed.

 Chapter 135: The Sign of a Sage

    Chapter 135: The Sign of a Sage

    In the extreme north of the Myriad Spirits Realm, there was a vast secret realm called the Azure Wind Secret Realm. This ce had been passed down for countless years with little interaction with the outside world. At the entrance of the Azure Wind Realm, several Spirit God Realm experts were bidding farewell to a young man. The youth was handsome and refined, and though only in his twenties, he had already reached the seventh stage of the Star Profound Realm, showing extraordinary talent.

    ¡°Young Master, we can only send you off this far. Thunder Lord has left prohibitions outside. If we go out, he will surely detect us, which would ruin your n,¡± said a Spirit God Realm expert with a jade gourd on his back. He was one of the three Spirit God Realm experts who had attempted to kidnap the Holy Maiden Lixi from Wind Lord.

    The young man nodded, revealing a smile. ¡°Great-grandfather said that the Holy Maiden ys a crucial role in the uing changes in the world. If the Azure Wind Realm could obtain the Holy Maiden, we would surely pass through the cmity safely. The rash attackst time has made them prepared, so we can¡¯t use that n again. This time, I¡¯ll disguise my identity and infiltrate the academy. With my talent, I can naturally get close to the Holy Maiden, and then find a way to bring her back.¡±

    The Spirit God Realm expert nodded, ¡°Everything has been arranged. We have hidden forces in the Academy Town that you can use. We hope for your sess, Young Master.¡±

    ¡°Of course. Don¡¯t worry, it won¡¯t be long before I bring the Holy Maiden back,¡± the youth said confidently. He summoned a flying sword and departed on it.

    After he left, the Spirit God Realm experts who had sent him off began to discuss.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t Young Master Jade taking too big a risk?¡± one worried.

    ¡°You can¡¯t catch a tiger cub without entering the tiger¡¯s den. Don¡¯t worry, no one can know the young master¡¯s true identity. We¡¯ve arranged a false identity for him. Once he contacts the Holy Maiden and finds a chance to be alone with her, he can use the spatial artifact to bring her back to our Azure Wind Realm. This task is suitable for him; you and I wouldn¡¯t have a chance to get close to the Holy Maiden,¡± another said.

    ¡°With our young master¡¯s talent and looks, he can naturally captivate thousands of girls. If we can make the Holy Maiden fall for him, even if Thunder Lord questions us, we¡¯ll have an exnation.¡± ¡°You¡¯re thinking too far ahead. Is this a honeypot scheme? But it¡¯s a good idea. Our young master has the air of an immortal and is a once-in-a-millennium genius. How can the men out therepare?¡±

    The Academy Town was unaware of themotion outside the Azure Wind Realm. Yu Xuanyi was crossing thousands of mountains on his sword. As the great-grandson of the Azure Wind Realm¡¯s ancestor and an unparalleled sword cultivator, he would surely be able to contact the Holy Maiden after disguising his identity and entering the academy.

    On the fifteenth floor of the Boundless Tower, Mi Hongchen¡¯s projection was engaged in fierce battle with Zhanyue. Her spear struck like lightning and rain, unceasing, while the fire dragon assisted from the side, asionally unleashing dragon mes, putting Zhanyue in a sorry state. However, with the enhancement of the Phantom Step, it was also extremely difficult for ¡®Mi Hongchen¡¯ to injure Zhanyue.

    ¡°Such impressive spear technique, not inferior to my swordsmanship,¡± Zhanyue marveled. ¡°This human-dragon pair coordinates perfectly. It seems I¡¯ll have to defeat them one by one. The young dragon¡¯s strength clearly hasn¡¯t fully developed yet, so I¡¯ll target it as a weak point first.¡±

    Zhanyue used earth escape to dodge Mi Hongchen¡¯s spear and appeared behind the red dragon. The dragon sensed the anomaly and, without turning, swept its tail, sending a huge force towards Zhanyue. Zhanyue continued to use earth escape, half of his body entering the ground to avoid this attack. Meanwhile, the red dragon turned around and opened its mouth at the half of Zhanyue¡¯s body still above ground.

    ¡°You¡¯re not the only one who can open your mouth!¡± Zhanyue threw a handful of pills, some falling into the red dragon¡¯s mouth, others scattering on its face and the ground. Zhanyue quickly escaped, running far away.

    ¡°Boom! Boom! Boom!¡± Huge explosions rang out. Under the onught of fifth-grade pills, the red dragon¡¯s head was covered in blood, and its entire body swayed.

    ¡°It¡¯s still not dead?¡± Zhanyue was shocked by the dragon race¡¯s vitality. The giant eagle had been killed outright by the explosions, but this dragon hadn¡¯t died even with pills exploding in its mouth. And this was just a young dragon, not a fully grown one.

    Controlling his flying sword to intercept the approaching Mi Hongchen, Zhanyue leapt onto the red dragon¡¯s back and ced a finger on its head.

    ¡°Heaven-Burning Finger!¡± With all his might, he unleashed this ultimate technique that fused two extreme fires, instantly piercing through the red dragon¡¯s skull and even creating a crater in the ground. After this fatal blow, the red dragon finally copsed.

    ¡°Princess, I apologize for the offense!¡± Having dealt with the red dragon, the difficulty of the battle decreased significantly. Even so, Zhanyue had to use all his techniques to barely defeat Mi Hongchen. When Mi Hongchen¡¯s figure dissipated, the entire world began to shake, as if some change had urred in the Boundless Tower.

    ¡°The sixteenth floor is lit! He¡¯s reached the sixteenth floor!¡± The real Mi Hongchen was watching the Boundless Tower from outside. Zhanyue had now matched her record.

    At this moment, the Boundless Tower emitted another beam of light piercing the sky. Previously, it was a golden light pir, but now it was a seven-colored light pir. This seven-colored pir caused a stir in the Academy Town .

    Wind Lord Mumu Xingyun, in his office, stared at the seven-colored light pir with his mouth agape, unable to close it for a long time.

    ¡°Do you know what this seven-colored light pir represents?¡± A divine sense transmitted from afar, someone asking Wind Lord.

    ¡°Third Elder?¡± Wind Lord knew the questioner was the Moon Reflection Pavilion¡¯s Third Elder, responsible for secretly protecting the Holy Maiden.

    ¡°The golden light pir represents a cross-realm test. As for this seven-colored light pir, I don¡¯t know either, because since the Academy Town was built around the Boundless Tower, no one has ever activated the seven-colored light pir test. It should be a level higher than the golden light pir test,¡± Wind Lord spected.

    ¡°How interesting. Could the Moon Reflection Pavilion have some contact with this person?¡± the Third Elder asked.

    ¡°Oh? Your Moon Reflection Pavilion is interested in this person too? I naturally won¡¯t obstruct, but it all depends on his opinion. However, I don¡¯t even know who¡¯s taking the test yet,¡± Wind Lord smiled.

    ¡°This guy is still being so mboyant. Reaching the tenth floor would have been enough, but now he¡¯s caused such amotion. I don¡¯t know if this is good or bad,¡± the Illumination Goddess, hidden in the shadows, frowned slightly. She had originally nned to leave after Zhanyue sessfully enrolled, but with Zhanyue causing such a stir, she felt uneasy and decided to stay a bit longer. Unless the Corpse Emperor broke his seal and came to take Zhanyue¡¯s life personally, the Illumination Goddess was confident she could protect Zhanyue. She had intended for Zhanyue to y weak and grow stronger quietly. But clearly, Zhanyue was fired up, climbing higher and higher. Zhanyue himself also wanted to know where his limit was.

    On the sixteenth floor, a sword appeared before Zhanyue, identical to the Heaven Punishing Demon Sword. It was to be Zhanyue¡¯s opponent on this floor.

    ¡°Well, well, it can even do this?¡± Zhanyue, holding the Heaven Punishing Demon Sword, began to duel with this copy of the Heaven Punishing Demon Sword. The sword in his hand was also full of fighting spirit, as if wanting to crush this counterfeit.

    In the Academy Town , atop the Illumination Tower, which illuminated the entire town, a white bird stood, its gaze fixed on the seven-colored light pir emitted by the Boundless Tower.

    ¡°A seven-colored light pir? Is this the posture of a sage? Is the human race about to have a new sage king? This isn¡¯t good news for us Nighmares. I must report this to the Strategist quickly!¡±

    This white bird was actually possessed by a Nighmare. Everyone knew that Nighmares feared the Illumination Tower, yet this white bird appeared brazenly at the top of the Illumination Tower, and flew away spreading its wings towards the sun in a challenging manner. If the Illumination Goddess were here, her jaw would drop in shock. Even the Corpse Emperor, the king of Nighmares, feared the sun and the Illumination Tower, yet this white bird wasn¡¯t afraid at all! This even exceeded the Goddess¡¯s understanding.

 Chapter 136: Familiar Faces

    Chapter 136: Familiar Faces

    On the sixteenth floor, divine swords shed, the sound of metal ringing pleasantly. The two Heaven Punishing Demon Swords fought evenly.

    Zhanyue¡¯s wrist was starting to ache, and for a moment, he couldn¡¯t find any way to deal with that demon sword. None of his techniques had any effect on it ¨C fire burning was ineffective, soul attacks were useless, and Fierce Profound Pills were like tickles.

    ¡°Go!¡± Zhanyue released the demon sword from his hand, controlling it like a flying sword to entangle with the other demon sword, while he racked his brains for a solution.

    However, to Zhanyue¡¯s surprise, the usuallyzy Heaven Punishing Demon Sword was very excited today. Its originally silver-white de was now coated with ayer of crimson. Zhanyue released control, and the demon sword automatically engaged its opponent, seemingly to the death.

    The sound of shing metal was incessant. The two demon swords battled in the sky, their power rippling, even causing spatial distortions. Zhanyue¡¯s eyes widened. The demon sword had never shown such power in his hands before, but today it seemed to be going all out. Had the counterfeit demon sword angered it?

    ¡°So strong, such an amazing sword,¡± Zhanyue truly witnessed the terrifying nature of the Heaven Punishing Demon Sword for the first time. He probably wasn¡¯t even a match for it as its master.

    In the end, the counterfeit couldn¡¯t beat the original. With a crisp sound, the fake demon sword was cut in two. The broken de pieces surrounded the Heaven Punishing Demon Sword¡¯s body, and Zhanyue realized it was absorbing the broken sword.

    After a long time, the Heaven Punishing Demon Sword let out a sword cry and fell from the sky,nding in front of Zhanyue.

    ¡°Finished absorbing?¡± Zhanyue carefully drew the sword. The current Heaven Punishing Demon Sword was incredibly sharp, exuding dominance, as if a dull de had been enlightened. ¡°Good sword, good sword!¡± Zhanyue eximed, admiring the Heaven Punishing Demon Sword before him. Unfortunately, this sword still seemed to look down on him, unwilling to exert its full power. Though he was its master, it still seemed somewhat unconvinced.

    The sixteenth floor was passed easily thanks to the Heaven Punishing Demon Sword¡¯s power, so he continued to the seventeenth floor.

    The enemy on the seventeenth floor was familiar to Zhanyue ¨C it was the ck bear he had encountered in the Ghost Ind Secret Realm. His ¡°Soul-Shaking Roar¡± technique came from one of its kind.

    ¡°Roar!¡± The terrifying bear roar shook Zhanyue¡¯s spirit. This attack was far more powerful than the previous ck bear¡¯s. Even with his current soul strength, he almost had his soul scattered.

    Could the ¡°Soul-Shaking Roar¡± be this powerful? Zhanyue now realized how terrifying this divine ability was.

    ¡­¡­

    A day and a nightter, Zhanyue finally walked out of the Boundless Tower. He stopped at the neenth floor, having cleared eighteen floors, surpassing Mi Hongchen¡¯s record by three full floors. Recalling his experiences on the sixteenth, seventeenth, and eighteenth floors, Zhanyue had some guesses. The trials from the sixteenth floor onwards seemed more like specialized training for him. The sixteenth floor helped awaken his Heaven Punishing Demon Sword, the seventeenth floor gave him a deeper understanding of the ¡°Soul-Shaking Roar,¡± and the eighteenth floor¡¯s enemy was a powerful mountain demon, with which Zhanyue grappled above and below ground, ultimately refining his earth escape technique to a new level. Now his earth escape duration and speed were no worse than an average mountain demon¡¯s. As for the neenth floor, it featured two terrifying fire beasts. He couldn¡¯tst three breaths before them, and he suspected he¡¯d only be able to pass it once he fully mastered the Sun Prime Fire and Earth Vein Ghost Fire. The difficulty of the neenth floor was aplete step up from the eighteenth, and Zhanyue knew that with his current abilities, he could only reach the eighteenth floor. He just didn¡¯t know if in the future, when he advanced to the Profound Realm and challenged the tower again, whether he would start from the neenth floor.

    Walking out of the Boundless Tower, the scene of being surrounded by crowds that Zhanyue most feared didn¡¯t materialize. The Academy Town ¡®s soldiers had already dispersed the surrounding crowd, naturally on Mi Hongchen¡¯s orders.

    The first person Zhanyue saw upon exiting was Director Wu¡¯s familiar face, and beside her stood a valiant and beautiful woman.

    ¡°Princess?¡± Zhanyue was a bit surprised.

    ¡°Long time no see, Zhanyue,¡± Mi Hongchen said with a slight smile, curiously appraising Zhanyue. ¡°Seventh stage of Soul Control Realm, eighteenth floor, you¡¯ve truly opened my eyes.¡±

    Zhanyue didn¡¯t know what to say for a moment. ¡°Just some lucky encounters.¡±

    ¡°Alright, Director Wu, process his paperwork through the special channel. Starting tomorrow, he¡¯ll be promoted to a Profound Realm student. As for his lodging, arrange it in Tianhe Garden¡¯s Second Vi,¡± Mi Hongchen said.

    ¡°Tianhe Garden¡¯s Second Vi? But that¡¯s¡­ is that appropriate?¡± Director Wu asked in confusion. Tianhe Garden was Mi Hongchen¡¯s residence in the academy, with two vis besides the main house. The First Vi housed the Holy Maiden Lixi and Nangong Wei, and now the Second Vi was given to Zhanyue.

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing inappropriate about it. It¡¯s been empty, and he qualifies for it,¡± Mi Hongchen said. ¡°Go handle his paperwork. I¡¯ll take him with me first.¡±

    Mi Hongchen whistled, and the red dragon descended from the sky,nding before her.

    ¡°Come, I¡¯ll take you to meet some old acquaintances,¡± Mi Hongchen smiled.

    Standing on the dragon¡¯s back for the third time brought a different feeling. Looking at the Academy Town buildings below, Zhanyue was filled with emotion. He really came to the right ce this time. On his first day of enrollment, his strength had already increased dramatically.

    After Zhanyue left, the soldiers responsible for the blockade dispersed, and people gathered at the base of the Boundless Tower.

    ¡°Who was it? Who has such ability?¡±

    ¡°Is the princess trying to suppress the news? But that light pir was visible to the entire Academy Town , it can¡¯t be hidden. As for who it was, it¡¯s not hard to guess. We¡¯ll know when we see which non-Profound Realm student takes the Profound Realm testter,¡± someone said, puzzled.

    ¡°You dare question the princess¡¯s decision? She naturally has her considerations.¡±

    On the dragon¡¯s back, Mi Hongchen spoke seriously: ¡°A outstanding tree invites the wind¡¯s destruction. You¡¯ve now shaken the Academy Town , and soon the whole world will know about you. Many people know about your situation, it can¡¯t withstand investigation. Your identity probably can¡¯t be kept secret, so be careful in the future.¡±

    Zhanyue nodded. He had always kept a low profile, but this time he suddenly became too high-profile. ¡°Is Your Highness saying someone might harm me?¡±

    ¡°The Night Lord certainly doesn¡¯t want our Eastern Kingdom to benefit, and the Nighmares don¡¯t want another human prodigy to rise. As for within the human race, jealousy itself is the greatest killing intent. In your future interactions, you need to be more cautious and never trust people lightly,¡± Mi Hongchen advised earnestly, speaking from experience. A genius growing up is still just a genius, and there were countless people who could kill Zhanyue. However, Zhanyue didn¡¯t care at all, after all, he had the strongest bodyguard protecting him.

    ¡°Ah, you little rascal, looks like I can¡¯t leave for a while,¡± the Illumination Goddess sighed in the shadows. Protecting Zhanyue was clearly more important than her investigation. When Zhanyue acted low-key before, the troubles he encountered were manageable. Now that he¡¯s so high-profile, he might truly attract the attention of some formidable figures, and the troubles he faces won¡¯t beparable to before.

    The red dragonnded at Tianhe Garden¡¯s First Vi. Seeing Mi Hongchen return, several beautiful women came out.

    ¡°Sister MuMu Lixi, guess who¡¯s here?¡± Mi Hongchen smiled. She knew about Zhanyue and the Holy Maiden¡¯s rtionship.

    The women looked at Zhanyue jumping down from the dragon¡¯s back and said in unison: ¡°How is it you?¡±

    Then they looked at each other and asked in unison: ¡°You know him?¡±

    Mi Hongchen looked at this scene with a ck line over her head. It was understandable that Holy Maiden Lixi knew Zhanyue, but how did Gong Xiaoyu, the powerful minister from the Thousand Charms Empire, and Nangong Wei, the little princess from the Moon Reflection Pavilion, also know Zhanyue? This guy was really something.

 Chapter 137: Catching Up

    Chapter 137: Catching Up

    Of the three people before him, one was Gong Xiaoyu in a green robe. Though days had passed, she was still as beautiful as ever, her bright and deep eyes inscrutable, hiding her thoughts. The meaningful smile at the corner of her mouth made Zhanyue shiver. ¡°Why is she here too?¡±

    Another was Nangong Wei, whom Zhanyue had met briefly before. This young woman, also dressed in green, was like a newly blooming daisy, her fair face still showing hints of youth. The girl¡¯s hair was tied in two buns, with the rest of her green-ck hair falling to her waist. Her green gauze dress was of extraordinary quality, shimmering with an ethereal glow in the sunlight, making her stand out in the crowd like the moon in the night sky. Most eye-catching was the white flower by her ear, resembling a peony but much smaller. The flower seemed to be alive, its species indistinguishable, but clearly not an artificial decoration.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t this the girl who wanted to buy my cat before? She¡¯s here too?¡± Zhanyue looked at Nangong Wei with some confusion.

    The third person was naturally MuMu Lixi. After several years, the Holy Maiden had shed some of her childishness. Her hair was still like a golden waterfall, soft and smooth, falling to her waist, exuding elegance and nobility. Her face was as fair as white jade, delicate and wless. Her features were like a painting, her eyes like stars; her nose and mouth were small and exquisite, with slightly upturned corners revealing a sweet smile, as intoxicating as fine wine.

    Her figure was graceful and slender, elegant and tall, with curves in all the right ces, full of feminine charm. She was like a princess who had stepped out of a fairy tale.

    But those eyes, like a bowl of intoxicating wine, made Zhanyue feel a bit guilty.

    ¡°Long time no see,¡± Zhanyue said, naturally addressing MuMu Lixi.

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s been a while,¡± MuMu Lixi looked at Zhanyue, her gaze intense and unguarded.

    Something was off about these two. The three women around them were sharp and immediately sensed something amiss. Gong Xiaoyu couldn¡¯t help but think to herself: ¡°What¡¯s going on with this Zhanyue? Doesn¡¯t he already have Baizhi? When did he get involved with the Holy Maiden? Were the things he told Baizhi all true? So young, yet such rich experiences? That Baizhi girl is in trouble. No, I need to tell her about this soon. This Holy Maiden girl doesn¡¯t seem easy to deal with. His Majesty¡¯s future son-inw better not be stolen away.¡± ¡°I thought I¡¯d never see you again,¡± MuMu Lixi said with a slight smile. Though she had only spent a few short days with Zhanyue, those memories had already been deeply etched in the young girl¡¯s heart.

    ¡°Has your cold poison improved?¡± Zhanyue didn¡¯t know what else to say, especially with Gong Xiaoyu present. He felt somewhat guilty, like a thief.

    ¡°Thanks to you, it¡¯s much better,¡± MuMu Lixi had been practicing day and night since receiving that god-level cultivation technique. She could nowpletely suppress the cold poison, though she still couldn¡¯t eliminate it entirely. ¡°Was it you who challenged the tower earlier? I always knew you¡¯d be amazing.¡± MuMu Lixi¡¯s eyes curved like crescent moons, seeming even happier than if she had sessfully challenged the tower herself.

    ¡°Alright, don¡¯t just chat between yourselves, there are so many people here,¡± Mi Hongchen quickly interrupted. Something was off, very off. This girl used to be so aloof, keeping everyone at arm¡¯s length,pletely different from when she was younger. How had she melted like this in front of Zhanyue?

    ¡°Hello, let me introduce myself properly. I¡¯m Nangong Wei. We¡¯ll be ssmates from now on,¡± the green-d girl nearby smiled. Her eyes swept over Zhanyue, giving him a chill that rose from his feet, raising goosebumps all over.

    Nangong Wei said meaningfully: ¡°It hasn¡¯t been that long since west met, yet you¡¯ve be so much stronger. How did you do it?¡± Imperceptibly, Nangong Wei had already used her ability to see through all of Zhanyue¡¯s capabilities. This was what made this woman so formidable, and why Wind Lord wanted her to stay by MuMu Lixi¡¯s side.

    ¡°This is Sister Nangong, from the Moon Reflection Pavilion. ¡®White Cloud Tower in the sky, Moon Reflection Pavilion on earth.¡¯ You know, right? Don¡¯t be fooled by her young age, she¡¯s already at the second stage of the Star Profound Realm. She has the most terrifying talent among us,¡± MuMu Lixi introduced.

    ¡°This is Sister Gong Xiaoyu from the Thousand Charms Empire. She¡¯s also our teacher, but it seems you already know each other,¡± MuMu Lixi said, looking at Zhanyue, seemingly very curious about how this came to be.

    Gong Xiaoyu smiled and said: ¡°Zhanyue has been to our Thousand Charms Empire. When the Night Lord¡¯s people were causing trouble at our borders, we even fought side by side. So we¡¯ve known each other for a while.¡± Gong Xiaoyu thought for a moment and decided not to mention Baizhi. Her beautiful eyes looked at Zhanyue, seeming to say: ¡°You¡¯d better thank me. If you had dared to offend me before, I would have spilled all your secrets.¡±

    It was a tangled web. Zhanyue hadn¡¯t expected to encounter so many familiar faces in the Academy Town .

    Mi Hongchen smiled slightly and said: ¡°From now on, Zhanyue will be staying in the Second Vi next door. You¡¯ll have plenty of time to talk in the future. But for now, I need to take him to see the principal. He¡¯s been urging me with his divine sense.¡± The principal Mi Hongchen referred to was naturally Wind Lord Mumu Xingyun.

    In the principal¡¯s office, Mi Hongchen knocked on the door, sent Zhanyue in, and then withdrew. The principal seemed to have something to discuss with Zhanyue privately.

    ¡°So the ¡®Red Dust Attachment¡¯ is in your hands. That girl, really¡­¡± Wind Lord was a kindly old man. By ¡®old¡¯, it meant he was of Zhanyue¡¯s grandfather¡¯s generation in age, but his appearance was not old at all. Instead, he was quite handsome with an extraordinary bearing. He wore a blue robe and sat in a chair, with a tea table in front of him.

    ¡°Sit down.¡± Wind Lord gestured for Zhanyue to sit. With a wave of his hand, a cup of tea was lifted by a mysterious force and flew to Zhanyue.

    ¡°Thank you. What is this ¡®Red Dust Attachment¡¯ you mentioned, sir?¡± Zhanyue asked, puzzled.

    Wind Lord pointed at Zhanyue¡¯s hand. ¡°That¡¯s the true name of the storage ring on your hand. It¡¯s one of a pair of rings, one of which is in your possession, and the other is with MuMu Lixi. I originally gave both rings to her, but who would have thought she secretly gave one to you. When I asked her about it before, she wouldn¡¯t say anything, and we had a long period of awkwardness because of it.¡±

    ¡°?¡± Zhanyue touched the ring on his finger, not realizing it had such a significant background.

    ¡°Take good care of that ring. Since it¡¯s in your hands now, I won¡¯t take it back. This pair of rings is said to be the key to a secret realm. I obtained them by chance when I was young andter gave them to MuMu Lixi. You were the one who stepped forward to save my granddaughter in Rising Sun City, right? And you were alone with her for quite a while. In such a short time, you managed to captivate her so thoroughly that she not only gave you the ¡®Red Dust Attachment¡¯ but also became listless, moping around all day. You certainly have some skill,¡± Wind Lord said calmly.

    Zhanyue felt a chill down his spine. Wind Lord hade to hold him ountable.

    ¡°What¡¯s the story with the cultivation technique MuMu Lixi is practicing?¡± Wind Lord¡¯s gaze suddenly turned sharp.

 Chapter 138: Multiple Killing Intents

    Chapter 138: Multiple Killing Intents

    ¡°This¡­ you already know about this?¡± Zhanyue wasn¡¯t particrly surprised. Even if MuMu Lixi had kept her mouth shut, Wind Lord was her closest person, so how could he not notice the changes in her?

    ¡°Since the pilgrimage, the frequency and intensity of MuMu Lixi¡¯s cold poison attacks have decreased. I observed that her internal energy is now vigorous, with the aura of a zing sun. She must have practiced an extraordinary cultivation technique. During the pilgrimage, MuMu Lixi was always apanied by someone, except for the time she was alone with you. If MuMu Lixi could obtain a profound technique from anyone, the most likely possibility would be you. Moreover, MuMu Lixi wouldn¡¯t easily give away the ¡®Red Dust Attachment¡¯. I think the main reason she gave you this ring was probably because you provided her with tremendous help,¡± Wind Lord spected, and his guess was quite urate.

    ¡°Lord, some things perhaps should remain known only to you and me,¡± Zhanyue said mysteriously.

    Wind Lord understood. With a thought, wind rose around them, forming a barrier that blocked both sound and divine sense. ¡°Now you can tell me.¡±

    Zhanyue nodded and said with a mysterious expression, ¡°Lord, do you believe in dream visitations?¡±

    Wind Lord frowned; he had heard of such things.

    ¡°The technique I taught the Holy Maiden is indeed the god-level cultivation method ¡®Great Sun Traversing Sky Technique¡¯ that the Illumination Goddess once practiced. And it was given to me through a dream visitation by the Goddess,¡± Zhanyue said.

    ¡°¡®Great Sun Traversing Sky Technique¡¯? Not bad, it matches the legends and could indeed suppress cold poison. But you say this technique was given to you in a dream by the Goddess? Do you take me for a three-year-old child?¡± Wind Lord clearly didn¡¯t believe it.

    Zhanyue pouted and asked in return, ¡°Then answer me two questions. First, where else could I have obtained this god-level technique? Second, why would I so easily pass this god-level technique to MuMu Lixi?¡± Wind Lord was taken aback. Thinking carefully, Zhanyue¡¯s dream visitation exnation actually seemed quite reasonable. It exined both the origin of the technique and why he would pass it to MuMu Lixi. If it was indeed the Goddess¡¯s request, it made sense, especially since MuMu Lixi was also a Light Contractor.

    ¡°Then why didn¡¯t the Goddess dream-visit MuMu Lixi directly, instead of having you pass it on?¡± Wind Lord asked again.

    Zhanyue smiled, ¡°Good question, but how would I know? You should ask the Goddess.¡±

    Wind Lord was momentarily speechless. He couldn¡¯t find any loopholes. Could it really have been the Goddess¡¯s spirit visiting in a dream? This¡­ well, this outrageous exnation was actually the most reasonable. It couldn¡¯t be that the Goddess hade back to life and personally taught MuMu Lixi, right?

    ¡°Very well, I won¡¯t pursue this question for now, after all, you have indeed done her a great favor. Now let¡¯s talk about your situation. Your tower challenge today was quite high-profile, but ¡®a tall tree catches the wind¡¯. Fortunately, Princess Mi reacted quickly and sealed off the scene in advance. Not many people know that you were the one who challenged the tower. So, do you want to choose a low-key life, or do you prefer to handle this in a high-profile manner?¡± Wind Lord asked, giving Zhanyue the choice.

    Zhanyue thought for a moment and said, ¡°I¡¯d rather keep a low profile. I don¡¯t want people staring at me wherever I go.¡±

    Wind Lord nodded, ¡°Very well, I¡¯ll help you suppress this information, but those who are determined to investigate will still be able to trace it back to you. It will only keep ordinary people in the dark. Take this, it can help you avoid some trouble.¡± As he spoke, Wind Lord handed a jade pendant to Zhanyue.

    Zhanyue took the pendant and asked curiously, ¡°What is this?¡±

    ¡°Profound Aura Jade. Its function is simple: when worn, it gives you the aura of a Profound Being. Others will see you as around the first stage of the Star Profound Realm,¡± Wind Lord exined.

    Zhanyue was delighted. With this, he could disguise himself as a Profound Being and enjoy all the treatments of one without exposing his true talent and strength.

    ¡°Thank you, Lord.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t call me Lord in the academy, call me Principal,¡± Wind Lord smiled.

    After Zhanyue left, Wind Lord¡¯s face turned serious. ¡°Dream visitation? Does that little rascal really think I¡¯d believe that? But if it wasn¡¯t a dream visitation, then it¡¯s even more interesting. With his talent, he does match well with MuMu Lixi, but I wonder about his character. Well, children have their own fortunes. I shouldn¡¯t intervene too much, just keep an eye on things.¡±

    Wind Lord¡¯s main concern now was to investigate the cause of the previous principal¡¯s death. He wouldn¡¯t rest easy until this matter was resolved.

    Deep underground, in a certain subterranean pce.

    A white strange birdnded on the hand of a pale man. The man¡¯s skin was frighteningly white, even more so than a corpse. His appearance was ordinary, but his eyes seemed capable of captivating souls.

    ¡°Strategist, that¡¯s roughly the situation. ording to the prophecy, when the Boundless Tower emits a seven-colored light, it must mean a sage will appear in the world. If a sage appears among humans, I fear we Nightmares will never know peace,¡± the strange bird spoke in humannguage.

    ¡°The sign of a sage? I remember that Light Contractor girl is also in the Academy Town. Humans are really lucky. It seems it won¡¯t be easy topletely annihte them. I n to make a trip to the Academy Town to personally see this ¡®sage¡¯. If there¡¯s a chance, it would be best to nip it in the bud. Compared to the sign of a sage, that Light Holy Maiden is a small matter,¡± the Strategist said.

    The strange bird was shocked. The usually steady Strategist actually had such a dangerous n. ¡°Commander, you mustn¡¯t! The Academy Town is treacherous. How can you risk yourself? It¡¯s better to send a Great Lord.¡±

    ¡°You know the Academy Town is treacherous and you still say such things? I can¡¯t trust them to go. Even when the Corpse Emperor was alive, humans never gave birth to a Sage King. I must be cautious in this matter. Forget it, tell Great Lord Tuzu toe see me. I¡¯ll take him along,¡± the Strategist said.

    ¡°Tuzu? With his abilities, he is indeed suitable. This puts my mind at ease,¡± the strange bird said before flying off.

    ¡°First the Light Holy Maiden appears, then signs of the Goddess¡¯s revival, and now this sign of a sage. The human race is truly blessed by fortune, producing talents one after another,¡± the Strategist said calmly.

    On Ghost Ind, in the Ghost Shark n¡¯s territory, in the room of a Ghost Shark elder.

    ¡°It¡¯s been so long and they still haven¡¯t brought the person back. They¡¯re all useless indeed.¡± This mysterious Ghost Shark was the mastermind who had sent Mad de to capture Zhanyue alive.

    ¡°Fine, I can¡¯t rely on them. It seems I¡¯ll have to use my secret weapon ¨C my external incarnation. No one in the Ghost Shark n knows I¡¯ve mastered this divine ability. Even if they detect a Ghost Shark viting the Patriarch¡¯s order and going to the outside world, they won¡¯t be able to trace it back to me. I must obtain the secrets that person possesses!¡± The Ghost Shark elder muttered to himself. A ck shadow separated from his body and disappeared into the ground.

    One monthter, in the Rising Sun Kingdom¡¯s capital, at the Crown Prince¡¯s pce.

    A secret letter was delivered to the Crown Prince. The man in yellow robes narrowed his eyes, ¡°Zhanyue? First stage of Star Profound Realm? This name again. Even the Moon Profound Realm assassins I sent before couldn¡¯t take your life? And now you dare to associate with the Holy Maiden? It seems it will take some real skill to get rid of you.¡± The Rising Sun Crown Prince took out a purple bottle from his storage ring and handed it to a secret guard. ¡°Do it cleanly. Don¡¯t let anyone suspect it¡¯s me.¡±

    Outside the academy in the Academy Town, a green flying sword appeared in mid-air. The man on the sword had an extraordinary bearing, standing out from the crowd. After more than a month of travel, Yu Xuanyi had finally arrived at the Empire¡¯s First United Academy.

    ¡°So this is the First Academy? It¡¯s time to meet the so-called geniuses of this world,¡± Yu Xuanyi revealed a disdainful smile as he descended from the sky.

 Chapter 139: The Last Tranquility (1)

    Chapter 139: The Last Tranquility (1)

    Soon after, Yu Xuanyi passed the examination and officially became a student of the First Academy, with the best scores of the year.

    ¡°Have you heard? A powerful figure has joined the academy, someone called Yu Xuanyi. Even the examiners couldn¡¯t stop praising him. He seems to have broken many academy records,¡± two students chatted as they walked through the academy.

    ¡°Is he that impressive? I¡¯ve subscribed to the Cicada Society¡¯s newspaper. Have you read it? Let me see,¡± the other requested.

    ¡°I¡¯ll just tell you. You want to know about this year¡¯s top ten events, right? Only a few of them are truly significant. Yu Xuanyi made the list, ranking fourth. He single-handedly broke multiple entrance exam records, has a mysterious background, and is handsome. He¡¯ll probably captivate many girls in the academy. The third-ranked event is Wind Lord Mumu Xingyun bing the academy¡¯s principal, which is widely known. The second-ranked event is Holy Maiden Lixi¡¯s enrollment, though she rarely appears in public. As for the top-ranked event, it¡¯s naturally that mysterious junior student¡¯s record of reaching the eighteenth floor of the Boundless Tower, truly unprecedented. However, that mysterious student seems to have disappeared since then. Many specte he¡¯s been secretly protected by higher-ups.¡±

    Yu Xuanyi was listening nearby. He had been at the academy for a while now, expecting to be the absolute star. However, everyone was constantly discussing the mysterious student who cleared the eighteenth floor of the Boundless Tower. Inparison, Yu Xuanyi¡¯s achievements seemedckluster.

    ¡°If I hadn¡¯t entered the Profound Realm years ago, I¡¯d go challenge it myself. What a pity,¡± Yu Xuanyi said reluctantly. Having been hailed as an unparalleled genius since childhood, he naturally wouldn¡¯t admit inferiority to others.

    ¡°There¡¯s an open lecture this afternoon. I heard Teacher Gong is giving it. Shall we go listen?¡± one student said.

    ¡°You want to listen to the lecture? I think you just want to see Teacher Gong,¡± the other exposed.

    ¡°Oh, what do you know? Though Teacher Gong teaches knowledge rted to spirit contractors, and we¡¯re not spirit contractors, we might face such enemies in the future. As they say, know your enemy and yourself, and you¡¯ll win every battle. There¡¯s no harm in learning more.¡± After they left, Yu Xuanyi narrowed his eyes from nearby. ¡°Teaching knowledge rted to spirit contractors? The Holy Maiden is likely to attend. This could be a good opportunity to approach her.¡± With that, he turned and left.

    At Tianhe Garden Vi, the Holy Maiden¡¯s residence.

    Zhanyuey on a lounge chair eating grapes, admiring the beautiful figures of two women sparring before him, a feast for the eyes.

    In the courtyard, MuMu Lixi was practicing with Nangong Wei. The Holy Maiden was a Light Contractor, while Nangong Wei¡¯s contract object remained mysterious. At least until now, Zhanyue didn¡¯t know what it was, and he didn¡¯t feel it appropriate to ask.

    The Holy Maiden¡¯s speed was incredibly fast, too quick for Zhanyue to track with the naked eye. However, Nangong Wei seemed to anticipate her moves, always managing to dodge the Holy Maiden¡¯s attacks at just the right moment.

    A ball of golden light gathered in the Holy Maiden¡¯s hand. She pushed it towards Nangong Wei, who smiled slightly and drew a circle in the air with her finger. The light ball¡¯s trajectory changed, heading straight for where Zhanyue was lounging.

    ¡°Oh crap,¡± Zhanyue tossed aside his fruit and used earth escape to dodge. The light ball exploded with little force, but its blinding light would have caused temporary blindness if it had hit.

    ¡°Hey, you two can fight all you want, but why suddenly attack me?¡± Zhanyue emerged from the ground, quite exasperated.

    ¡°Hmph, that¡¯s what you get for letting your eyes wander,¡± Nangong Wei said disapprovingly. Over the past days, she had be quite familiar with Zhanyue, mostly because the Holy Maiden often visited Zhanyue¡¯s courtyard.

    ¡°Eighth stage of Soul Control Realm now. It seems you¡¯ll be able to enter the Profound Realm within a year at most,¡± Nangong Wei said, looking at Zhanyue. He was curious ¨C the treasure the principal gave him could even fool Gong Xiaoyu, preventing her from discerning his aura. But this girl from the Moon Reflection Pavilion could see through it at a nce. He really didn¡¯t know what her ability was.

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s end today¡¯s practice here. Sister Nangong, you¡¯re truly impressive, even though you¡¯re a few years younger than me,¡± MuMu Lixi sighed. Despite being a Light Contractor and having practiced longer than Nangong Wei, she wasn¡¯t necessarily a match for her.

    ¡°She¡¯s from the Moon Reflection Pavilion, with countless cultivation techniques and battle skills at her disposal. She can even casually give me beast cultivation techniques. They¡¯re really generous. MuMu Lixi, don¡¯t be discouraged. Later, I¡¯ll teach you two techniques,¡± Zhanyueforted. With the Goddess¡¯s approval, Zhanyue nned to teach MuMu Lixi the ¡°Phantom Step¡± and ¡°Phantom Sword Technique¡±. Since Wind Lord had already guessed something, there was no need to hide it anymore. If he asked, Zhanyue would still say it was from a dream visitation, whatever. These two battle techniques were already formidable in Zhanyue¡¯s hands, and they would likely be even more powerful with the Holy Maiden.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t this two of you ganging up on me? Shameless,¡± Nangong Wei grumbled. She knew Zhanyue¡¯s abilities and what battle techniques he nned to teach the Holy Maiden. If the Holy Maiden really learned them, she might truly be unable to defeat her anymore.

    MuMu Lixi¡¯s face turned red, but she nodded. Now she had top-tier cultivation techniques and sufficient cultivation level, butcked suitable battle skills. Even Wind Lord¡¯s extensive search hadn¡¯t found particrly powerful battle techniques for her.

    ¡°Are you going to Sister Gong¡¯s ss this afternoon?¡± Nangong Wei asked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± the Holy Maiden nodded. She came here to experience academy life, after all. Staying cooped up here wasn¡¯t the point.

    ¡°Sister, when you go out, be mindful of your image, especially keep your distance from this guy,¡± Nangong Wei reminded.

    Holy Maiden Lixi shook her head, ¡°What does it matter? Let them think what they want.¡±

    Zhanyue felt that Gong Xiaoyu must have said something to this girl. MuMu Lixi now showed undisguised affection towards him. She wasn¡¯t at all hesitant to appear intimate with him in public. Even Wind Lord had advised against it, but MuMu Lixi didn¡¯t care. Over the years, this girl¡¯s personality had changed quite a bit,pletely different from the timid little girl she once was.

    Time quickly passed to the afternoon.

    Open lectures were an important part of the academy curriculum, and not everyone was qualified to give them. Gong Xiaoyu, receiving an enormous sry from the academy, felt somewhat guilty and applied to give a few open lectures, intending to do some work to justify her pay.

    The huge venue could amodate thousands of people, with a spacious central area for the teacher¡¯s demonstrations. The venue was already packed, with students who hadn¡¯t entered the Profound Realm, those who had, spirit contractors, weapon contractors, and other types of contractors all crowded in. Some were genuinely eager to learn, while others came to see the rumored most beautiful female teacher. Only a very few people with extraordinary backgrounds knew Gong Xiaoyu¡¯s true identity.

    Soon after, MuMu Lixi and her twopanions entered. The crowd naturally parted to make way. There were reserved seats for the Holy Maiden in the front row.

    Yu Xuanyi mingled in the crowd, his gaze fixed intently on MuMu Lixi¡¯s back. He had been at the academy for so long but had found it difficult to find an opportunity to approach the Holy Maiden. Today presented a good chance to make an impression. However, who was that man beside the Holy Maiden,ughing and talking with her? Yu Xuanyi frowned, feeling a sense of unease.

 Chapter 140: The Last Tranquility (2)

    Chapter 140: The Last Tranquility (2)

    As the time arrived, Gong Xiaoyu walked onto the stage in casual attire. Though not borately dressed, her natural beauty was still captivating. She secretly nced at Zhanyue and the others nearby before turning to face the sea of students.

    ¡°No amount of theoretical teaching canpare to actualbat. Who¡¯s willing to serve as an assistant for this demonstration?¡± Gong Xiaoyu asked the audience.

    ¡°Well¡­¡± The students below looked at each other, realizing this teacher was truly unique.

    ¡°Let me try!¡± A green sword hovered above the crowd. Yu Xuanyi leapt up, standing on the sword. With a graceful flip, hended on the stage, then summoned the sword to his hand. The entire sequence was smooth and stylish, coupled with Yu Xuanyi¡¯s handsome face, causing the female students below to scream in excitement.

    ¡°So handsome! Who is he?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t know him? He¡¯s the star of this year¡¯s ss, Yu Xuanyi, who broke several entrance exam records.¡±

    ¡°So that¡¯s Yu Xuanyi? This will be interesting to watch.¡±

    The crowd below buzzed with discussion.

    Nangong Wei, sitting beside Zhanyue, fixed her keen eyes on Yu Xuanyi, her expression changing immediately. ¡°This person is very strong, much stronger than me. Where did hee from? Why have I never heard of him before?¡± Nangong Wei¡¯s expression wasplex.

    ¡°He¡¯s much more powerful than you?¡± Zhanyue was stunned. Did this mean this person¡¯s strength surpassed his own? The world was indeed full of hidden talents.

    ¡°Teacher Gong, please instruct me,¡± Yu Xuanyi said with a confident smile. He stepped forward to show off, hoping to catch the Holy Maiden¡¯s attention. If he could get close to her, he had ways to abduct her even under heavy protection. The Light Holy Maiden was crucial for future events and indispensable to the Azure Wind Realm, which was why he came personally.

    ¡°Very good. This student should be a weapon contractor, skilled in swordsmanship,¡± Gong Xiaoyu said. Yu Xuanyi gave her an ufortable feeling. ¡°A disguise? He¡¯s hiding his true cultivation level? Why?¡±

    Yu Xuanyi currently exuded the aura of a seventh-stage Star Profound Realm cultivator, outstanding in the academy but not top-tier. However, Gong Xiaoyu knew his strength definitely exceeded that level. ¡°Where did such a powerful figuree from?¡± Gong Xiaoyu wondered, echoing Nangong Wei¡¯s question.

    ¡°Indeed. My sword is named Green Edge. Please instruct me, Teacher Gong,¡± Yu Xuanyi said politely with a proper attitude, making a good impression. But his hands didn¡¯t stop moving. With a wave, Green Edge flew towards Gong Xiaoyu.

    ¡°Sword control?¡± Gong Xiaoyu looked puzzled. This person could also use sword control, just like Zhanyue had when they sparred earlier.

    ¡°He can control swords too?¡± Zhanyue became interested and watched attentively from below.

    Gong Xiaoyu fought with Yu Xuanyi while exining, describing the characteristics of spirit contractors in battle and how to use or counter these traits.

    The flying sword pierced through Gong Xiaoyu¡¯s body, but Yu Xuanyi didn¡¯t rx at all. As expected, Gong Xiaoyu turned into water and reformed elsewhere.

    ¡°Spirit contractors aren¡¯t easily harmed by blunt weapons. Don¡¯t let your guard down. Elementalizing one¡¯s body is also an ability spirit contractors must master,¡± Gong Xiaoyu said after reforming.

    ¡°Seven Stars Nine Glories!¡± Yu Xuanyi used his real skill. Green Edge spun around its hilt, drawing circles in the air and leaving nine afterimages. Then, a pir of sword energy shot towards Gong Xiaoyu.

    Gong Xiaoyu¡¯s gaze turned serious. This sword energy could indeed harm her.

    She waved her jade hand, instantly gathering moisture from the air to form a shield, blocking the sword energy.

    ¡°Yu Xuanyi¡¯s sword energy attack contains boundless profound energy. A Profound Being¡¯s energy can indeed harm spirit contractors, so one cannot physically block such attacks. Alright, let¡¯s end today¡¯s demonstration here,¡± Gong Xiaoyu said. She could have defeated Yu Xuanyi, but there was no need.

    Yu Xuanyi nodded and returned to his seat, not forgetting to nce at the Holy Maiden¡¯s position.

    However, Holy Maiden Lixi was chatting with Zhanyue and didn¡¯t even look at him, which disappointed Yu Xuanyi greatly. ¡°Who is that man? Could the Holy Maiden already be taken? No, that¡¯s not eptable.¡±

    Though the Holy Maiden was beautiful, Yu Xuanyi wasn¡¯t shallow. He was devoted to martial arts and hade on behalf of his ancestor to capture the Holy Maiden and gain merit. He personally had no interest in MuMu Lixi. With his talent, status, and strength, he nevercked female attention. He was extremely proud and had no inclination to be a sycophant. Unfortunately, MuMu Lixi showed no interest in him either.

    ¡°I had hoped to attract the Holy Maiden¡¯s attention with my talent, ideally bing her confidant to find a chance to get close to her and be alone with her. It seems this approach won¡¯t work,¡± Yu Xuanyi frowned. Though confident in his talent and looks, he immediately noticed the Holy Maiden¡¯sck of interest. ¡°I need to change my strategy.¡±

    Gong Xiaoyu wasn¡¯t particrly skilled at lecturing, but her strength and knowledge were sufficient. The audience gained a lot, and her beauty was pleasing to the eye. Soon, the open ss ended. Gong Xiaoyu left faster than anyone, leaving students who wanted to ask questions bewildered.

    ¡°I¡¯m nning to go out for a while,¡± Zhanyue said. He hadn¡¯t visited his old friend Cheng Lu sinceing to the Academy Town. Having found out where Cheng Lu was, he nned to visit his old friend. In this world, Zhanyue didn¡¯t have many friends, so he valued Cheng Lu greatly.

    ¡°Mm,¡± MuMu Lixi naturally didn¡¯t say much and returned to the vi early with Nangong Wei¡¯spany. As for the students who wanted to watch, they had long been blocked far away by the academy guards and soldiers.

    ¡°Sister MuMu Lixi, be careful of that Yu Xuanyi. He kept secretly looking at you many times,¡± Nangong Wei warned.

    MuMu Lixi frowned, ¡°Is that strange?¡± She was aware of her beauty, and Yu Xuanyi wasn¡¯t the only one sneaking nces. That¡¯s why she didn¡¯t like appearing in public much; no one likes being stared at constantly.

    ¡°No, his gaze was different from others. It was like a hunter eyeing prey. He likely has ulterior motives towards you,¡± Nangong Wei said perceptively. No wonder Wind Lord had her apany the Holy Maiden constantly.

    MuMu Lixi nodded, ¡°I have no connection with him. I¡¯ll just stay away from him in the future.¡± She trusted Nangong Wei¡¯s words, given her strange and special abilities.

    After seeing Zhanyue leave the Academy gates, Yu Xuanyi pped his hands, and an ordinary-looking student approached.

    ¡°Greetings, Young Master,¡± the person said respectfully.

    ¡°No need for formalities. How has your investigation been these days?¡± Yu Xuanyi asked.

    ¡°The Holy Maiden resides in Tianhe Garden Vi, which is Princess Mi Hongchen¡¯s residence within the academy. Security is very tight. Even with my special abilities, I dare not get too close,¡± the person replied.

    ¡°Do you know who that man often appearing beside the Holy Maiden is?¡± Yu Xuanyi asked again.

    ¡°That person? I¡¯ve noticed him too. He seems to be called Zhanyue, with a first-stage Star Profound Realm cultivation. I don¡¯t know his specific background. However, the Holy Maiden seems very close to him, and he¡¯s the only male who can easily enter and exit Tianhe Garden Vi,¡± the man said, able to uncover information difficult for others to obtain.

    ¡°Very good. Tell me, if I transform to look like him, would I have a chance to approach the Holy Maiden?¡± Yu Xuanyi asked, revealing his n.

    ¡°It should be possible. The Holy Maiden trusts him greatly, but the chances of being discovered are extremely high,¡± the man said honestly.

    ¡°Being discovered doesn¡¯t matter. I just need an opportunity to get close to the Holy Maiden. As long as I can get within one meter of her, it¡¯s enough,¡± Yu Xuanyi was confident in his abilities. ¡°This eighth-grade pill, its refinement method has been lost to the world. I didn¡¯t expect to use it here, but it¡¯s worth it. Capturing the Holy Maiden is more important than anything.¡±

    Yu Xuanyi found a secluded spot and took the pill. Soon, his appearance and aura changed to match Zhanyue¡¯s. They looked identical, with only slight differences in demeanor. The eighth-grade Divine Appearance Pill was extraordinary, and only Yu Xuanyi¡¯s unfamiliarity with Zhanyue prevented a perfect imitation.

    As Yu Xuanyi, disguised as Zhanyue, walked towards Tianhe Garden, two pairs of eyes locked onto him.

    ¡°It¡¯s definitely him, right? We clearly saw him leave the academy, how did he return so quickly? And he changed clothes?¡± one person asked, puzzled.

    ¡°It¡¯s definitely him. His appearance matches the portrait, and his aura is familiar to us both,¡± the other replied.

    ¡°Then let¡¯s make our move on the green path ahead. There are fewer people there.¡±

    ¡°Why do we have to act inside the academy? Wouldn¡¯t it be easier outside?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t understand. It¡¯s precisely because the academy¡¯s defenses are so tight that he¡¯ll let his guard down. Outside the academy is a different story. Anyway, he¡¯s alone now. With that thing we have, are you afraid we can¡¯t kill him?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right. That thing can even kill Spirit God Realm experts, let alone a mere Star Profound Realm cultivator.¡±

    As the two plotted their attack, the real Zhanyue appeared at the city defense military camp in the Academy Town. He waspletely unaware of what was happening in the academy.

 Chapter 141: The Last Tranquility (3)

    Chapter 141: The Last Tranquility (3)

    The forest path was a side route leading to Tianhe Garden. Not many students passed through here, and it was even more deserted at high noon.

    Yu Xuanyi walked along this forest path, enjoying the sunlight filtering through the leaves and swaying in the gentle breeze. He now looked exactly like Zhanyue. As long as he could enter Tianhe Garden Vi in this guise and get close to the Holy Maiden, even if his identity was discovered, he was confident he could quickly abduct her.

    The wind stopped, and the trees grew still. Yu Xuanyi frowned as a murderous aura filled the surroundings.

    ¡°Who¡¯s there?!¡±

    From both ends of the forest path, two ck-d figures emerged. Both were at the seventh stage of the Moon Profound Realm. They each held a grey g, which they nted into the ground. Yu Xuanyi felt the world spin, and in an instant, he seemed to be in a new space. But with his extensive knowledge, he knew this wasn¡¯t spatial transfer but an illusion formation.

    ¡°Mere tricks. You think this petty illusion can trap me?¡± Yu Xuanyi was confused. Had he been exposed? He hadn¡¯t even seen the Holy Maiden yet.

    ¡°Die!¡± The two assassins didn¡¯t waste words. Since they were here to take ¡®Zhanyue¡¯s¡¯ life, they had to act quickly, especially within the academy.

    One was a ¡®Thread¡¯ contractor, the other a ¡®Quicksand¡¯ contractor. Both were excellent assassins with perfect coordination. The sandstorm obscured countless threads hidden within, capable of slicing Yu Xuanyi into pieces.

    Yu Xuanyi closed his eyes tightly to avoid being blinded by the sand. His Green Edge sword emerged, its invincible sword energy shing through the before him. ¡°Use killing moves. Don¡¯t hold back.¡±

    The Quicksand contractor sped his hands together. ¡°Quicksand Hell!¡±

    The ground beneath Yu Xuanyi¡¯s feet suddenly turned to sand, his legs sinking in, unable to break free.

    ¡°Chaotic Sky-Earth Net!¡± The other assassin also unleashed his killing move. Countless razor-sharp threads wove into a, descending upon Yu Xuanyi from above.

    Faced with this deadly situation, Yu Xuanyi remained calm. The Quicksand Hell¡¯s effect was extremely strong; even he couldn¡¯t break free immediately. But no matter how powerful a technique, it would fail if its user died!

    ¡°Green Edge Sword! Three Feet of Flowing Clouds!¡± Yu Xuanyi¡¯s aura suddenly surged. The flying sword shot out, aiming for the Quicksand contractor¡¯s head.

    ¡°Sand Barrier!¡± The Quicksand contractor condensed sand into a shield before him. However, Green Edge cut through the barrier as easily as a knife through tofu. A sh of green light, and a head flew. The seventh-stage Moon Profound Realm Quicksand contractor was instantly beheaded, not even having time to turn his body into sand.

    ¡°This is wrong. He¡¯s definitely not first-stage Star Profound Realm! His aura¡­ his aura is ninth-stage Moon Profound Realm?¡± The Thread contractor¡¯s eyes widened as he sensed Yu Xuanyi¡¯s true power.

    ¡°Constrict!¡± The Thread contractor hadn¡¯t given up on his mission. The suddenly tightened.

    The Quicksand Hell dissipated, but the Sky-Earth Net had already fallen. A long saber appeared in Yu Xuanyi¡¯s hand.

    Like a sharp knife cutting through tangled hemp, Yu Xuanyi cleanly sliced through the above his head.

    ¡°Insignificant fool, die!¡± With a sh of the Golden Chime Saber, a terrifying saber energy cut the Thread contractor in half from over ten meters away, along with the formation g behind him.

    Yu Xuanyi was actually at the seventh stage of the Moon Profound Realm, and a peerless genius with both sword and saber contract objects. This was his true strength. He easily ughtered two powerful seventh-stage Moon Profound Realm assassins. With the formation g destroyed, the illusion disappeared, and he reappeared on the forest path, now with a corpse at each end.

    As Yu Xuanyi was considering how to dispose of the two bodies, he felt an itch on his face. His fingertips were stained with faint traces of blood.

    ¡°Hm?¡± Yu Xuanyi hadn¡¯t expected to be wounded by the Thread contractor¡¯s, even if it was just a barely visible small cut on his face. To him, this was a great humiliation.

    Suddenly, a thunderbolt-like sensation struck his heart. Yu Xuanyi¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Not good, the thread was poisoned!¡±

    He took out an all-purpose antidote pill and quickly swallowed it, but the poison became even more violent, invading his heart. Yu Xuanyi coughed up blood, his expression gloomy and face pale. ¡°What kind of poison is this? How can it be so powerful? This is bad. If this continues, I¡¯ll die here!¡±

    Yu Xuanyi no longer cared about the Holy Maiden; his life was at stake. He took out a talisman and activated it painfully. A white light shed, enveloping him and pulling him into a spatial tunnel, directly sending him back to the Azure Wind Realm. Such cross-realm spatial transfer talismans were extremely rare; Yu Xuanyi only had this one. He had nned to use it to take the Holy Maiden away after getting close to her. He never expected to encounter such a terrifying poison before even seeing the Holy Maiden, forcing him to use it to escape.

    Zhanyue was unaware that a great crisis meant for him had been taken on by Yu Xuanyi. Soon after, the two corpses were discovered by others, and the atmosphere in the academy immediately became tense. When you¡¯re enjoying peaceful times, someone is always bearing the burden for you. If Zhanyue knew, he would surely appreciate Yu Xuanyi¡¯s self-sacrificing spirit, but unfortunately, he knew nothing. At this moment, he was treating his old friend to a meal at a restaurant.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it¡¯s really you,¡± Cheng Lu said happily, raising his wine cup.

    ¡°Congrattions on your promotion to general, Brother Cheng,¡± Zhanyue congratted.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, really. But you, quietly reaching the Star Profound Realm, it¡¯s truly humbling. I owe it all to you. When you sent that little girl, I introduced her to the princess. It was counted as a great merit. The princesster promoted me exceptionally and transferred me from Sun City to the Academy Town . The work is more rxed, but the sry tripled,¡± Cheng Lu said with a smile. He was genuinely grateful to Zhanyue. His life¡¯s pressures had greatly reduced, though with his talent, this was probably his limit. He didn¡¯t have much ambition beyond this.

    ¡°By the way, how is your family?¡± Zhanyue asked.

    ¡°Still the same. With more money, I hired better doctors, but the effect wasn¡¯t significant. I can¡¯t afford alchemists. The doctor said that maybe fifth or sixth-grade pills could cure that illness,¡± Cheng Lu said, looking downcast when mentioning this.

    ¡°How about this, Brother Cheng? Next time, bring your family to the Academy Town , and I¡¯ll take a look. I¡¯m now an alchemist too,¡± Zhanyue said. Although he was only a fourth-grade alchemist, he could first examine the situation and then ry the information to Baizhi for her analysis. Or he could ask Baizhi to seek help from the Thousand Charms Empress. There might be a solution.

    ¡°Re-really? You¡¯re an alchemist too?¡± Cheng Lu looked shocked. This little brother of his was too amazing. What had he experienced in these years?

    They chatted for a long time, parting only when the sun set. Zhanyue walked alone towards the academy gates. Before the gates, he was stopped by a familiar figure.

    ¡°Young man, it¡¯s me!¡± The speaker was a shabbily dressed old man.

    Zhanyue looked closely and recognized him as the old man who had asked for sponsorship before. He had given him quite a sum of money.

    ¡°What? Run out of money?¡± Zhanyue said helplessly. The old man must have been waiting here specifically for him, or for other ¡°big fish¡±.

    The old man smiled awkwardly, ¡°For researchers, there¡¯s never enough money.¡±

    ¡°So, what about the research results?¡± Zhanyue asked.

    ¡°Well¡­ about that, I was halfway through when I realized the topic wasn¡¯t interesting. I found another topic,¡± the old man said.

    ¡°Not interesting? I remember you said before that you were researching why Nightmares fear sunlight, right? Even that topic wasn¡¯t interesting? What are you trying to research now?¡± Zhanyue said, exasperated.

    ¡°Hehe, this time I¡¯m researching ancient active power armor,¡± the old man said mysteriously.

 Chapter 142: The Last Tranquility (4)

    Chapter 142: The Last Tranquility (4)

    ¡°Come on, show me your research,¡± Zhanyue said, having learned to be smarter this time. He wouldn¡¯t give up anything without seeing results.

    ¡°A-alright,¡± the old man didn¡¯t refuse and led Zhanyue to his home.

    After circling half the city, Zhanyue finally saw the old man¡¯s home deep in an alley. To his surprise, it was a sizeable courtyard. In the Academy Town wherend was incredibly valuable, owning such arge yard was rare.

    ¡°This is your home?¡± Zhanyue asked, looking at therge but dpidated courtyard.

    ¡°Yes, my ancestors were once a wealthy family. I even have a title, though people have probably forgotten about it by now,¡± the old man replied, having forgotten what his hereditary title even was.

    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± Zhanyue asked, following the old man into the courtyard. It was in disrepair, long uncleaned, with fallen leaves everywhere and moss-covered stones.

    ¡°I¡¯m called Bai Bole, but now everyone calls me Old entric Bai,¡± the old man answered, leading Zhanyue towards thergest main house.

    Zhanyue followed him in, sighing at the empty room. The furniture had probably been sold off long ago. ¡°Do you live alone?¡±

    The old man nodded, ¡°That¡¯s right. I was married when I was young, but my wife couldn¡¯t bear it and left me.¡± As he spoke, he touched his head. His white hair turned out to be a wig, under which was greyish hair. Zhanyue¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°You¡¯re a dead contractor?¡±

    A dead contractor refers to those whose contract objects have shattered, reverting them from contractors back to ordinary people. They were even more pitiful thanmon folk, as ordinary people still had a chance to be contractors, while dead contractors not only had strengthparable to ordinary people but also no chance of rising again, making them the lowest in status. This was Zhanyue¡¯s first time seeing a dead contractor, as it was extremely rare for a contractor to survive the shattering of their contract object.

    ¡°Ah, in my youth, I reached the Profound Realm. But somehow I offended someone I shouldn¡¯t have, ending up in this state, my cultivation wasted, and my wife gone,¡± the old man said dejectedly.

    ¡°How did you manage to keep such arge property?¡± Zhanyue looked around. Could an ordinary person without cultivation really protect such arge estate?

    The old man was puzzled, ¡°What do you mean keep? No one hase to trouble me.¡±

    ¡°No one has bothered you in all these years?¡± Zhanyue asked, confused. Land in the Academy Town was extremely valuable, and this courtyard was quiterge. It didn¡¯t seem like something an ordinary person could protect. The old man saying no one had bothered him for so many years suggested something moreplex was going on.

    ¡°Never mind, that¡¯s a minor issue. Come with me,¡± the old man turned a wall sconce, which was actually a mechanism. As it activated, a secret door appeared in the wall. Entering it and descending the stairs, Zhanyue came to a basement. The basement was lit by illumination stones, not dark but very cluttered, filled with various strange objects.

    ¡°This is for researching personal flying devices,¡± the old man pointed to something resembling a rocket backpack.

    ¡°This is a half-finished magical device I invented. Even ordinary people could use it, theoretically with great power,¡± the old man pointed to a half-assembled object resembling a sniper rifle.

    ¡°Look, this cage houses a Nightmare. It¡¯s possessing a rat and can¡¯t escape. I paid a high price to have a Profound Being help me get this for research,¡± the old man held up a covered cage to prevent illumination stone light from reaching it. Inside was a rat, or rather a rat¡¯s mummified body that could move freely, possessed by an extremely weak Nightmare somehow sealed inside it.

    Seeing these things, Zhanyue was convinced the old man wasn¡¯t entirely lying. He really seemed to be doing research.

    ¡°So in all these years, haven¡¯t you developed anything truly useful?¡± Zhanyue asked, puzzled.

    The old man said with a bitter expression, ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s wrong. At first, I¡¯d be very interested in a topic, even forsaking food and sleep. But as soon as I¡¯m halfway through the research, I suddenly lose all interest and abandon it. Even though I know it¡¯s wrong, I can¡¯t control myself. Then I immediately find a new research topic, and this keeps repeating, ultimately achieving nothing. It¡¯s as if I¡¯m cursed. Over the years, I¡¯ve sold almost everything valuable in the house and can only seek sponsorship outside, but few are willing to sponsor me.¡±

    ¡°Cursed?¡± Zhanyue¡¯s eyes lit up. The Illumination Goddess had mentioned before that this old man was under a curse, so hearing these words made him sensitive. ¡°You say you abandon everything halfway through, no matter what you do?¡±

    The old man nodded, ¡°Before, I was happily using your money to research Nightmare habits, but one day I suddenly lost all interest. I found a broken piece of armor that no one wanted in an antique shop, discovered it was an ultra-ancient relic, and started researching it.¡±

    The old man took out the armor from a box under the table. It was made of steel, nowpletely rusted. Though called an antique, it didn¡¯t look particrly special.

    ¡°What¡¯s there to research about this thing?¡± Zhanyue picked up the broken breastte, examining it closely but finding nothing unusual.

    ¡°You naturally can¡¯t see anything just by looking at it like that.¡± The old man took out a ss bottle containing a dark red liquid and poured it on the armor. A bloody smell spread.

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Zhanyue asked.

    ¡°Beast blood,¡± the old man answered.

    The metal armor, soaked in beast blood, suddenly moved, absorbing all the blood. Then its texture became soft, changing from metal to something like beast hide.

    ¡°What? What is this?¡± Zhanyue asked in surprise.

    ¡°I found some clues in ancient records. This thing might be active armor from an ultra-ancient civilization. I don¡¯t know more than that. I want to research and understand this thing, but unfortunately, I don¡¯t even have money to buy more beast blood,¡± the old man said regretfully.

    As he spoke, the beast hide-like armor turned back into metal form, showing no signs of its extraordinary nature.

    ¡°Truly amazing,¡± Zhanyue thought for a moment. He didn¡¯tck money, and what if this thing could be useful to him? ¡°Take this money for now. When you run out, contact me again. Just tell the guards at the gate.¡±

    Seeing therge bag of purple gold coins, the old man¡¯s eyes lit up. He didn¡¯t love money, but research required it. ¡°Thank you, thank you, young master.¡±

    ¡°This time, you can¡¯t abandon it halfway through,¡± Zhanyue added.

    ¡°Certainly, certainly,¡± the old man nodded repeatedly, though he had no confidence in his heart.

    Leaving the old man¡¯s house, Zhanyue felt even more puzzled.

    ¡°Sister, did you figure out this old man¡¯s identity?¡± Zhanyue increasingly felt that this old man wasn¡¯t ordinary.

    ¡°He indeed has no cultivation and is a dead contractor, but¡­ someone is protecting him in secret. He might not even know it himself,¡± the Illumination Goddess naturally sensed the hidden presence.

    ¡°Someone protecting him in secret?¡± Zhanyue wasn¡¯t surprised. ¡°Of course, how could an ordinary person protect such arge courtyard? Someone must be protecting him in secret, he just doesn¡¯t know. Who could it be? Has someone else also seen this old man¡¯s extraordinary nature? Or could it be the wife he mentioned who left him long ago?¡± Zhanyue could only think of these two possibilities, but there was no need to investigate further now. He¡¯de back to check on the old man¡¯s progress when he had time.

    ¡°Ancient active armor? Interesting, it seems to be something very old, even you don¡¯t know about it, sister,¡± Zhanyue murmured. It was a decent discovery.

 Chapter 143: The Last Tranquility (5)

    Chapter 143: The Last Tranquility (5)

    In the Azure Wind Realm, though it was a small world independent of the Myriad Spirits Realm, it was actually quiterge. Many powers existed here, but the Yu family was the most dominant. The Yu family¡¯s ancestor was a terrifying existence no weaker than Thunder Lord in the Myriad Spirits Realm. At this moment, deep within the Yu family¡¯s territory, the atmosphere was tense.

    ¡°The poison Yu Xuanyi contracted is called ¡®Ten Thousand Ghosts¡¯ Wail¡¯. Even Spirit God Realm experts can¡¯t withstand it. Fortunately, he used the teleportation talisman to return to our territory in time. I¡¯ve used a secret technique to protect his heart meridian. After taking the pills I¡¯ve refined, he should be able to detoxify,¡± the Yu family ancestor personally saved Yu Xuanyi.

    ¡°Why did Xuanyi keep this mission secret from me?¡± The ancestor¡¯s gaze swept over the three Spirit God Realm experts beside him, who all knelt down.

    ¡°Ancestor, the young master said your birthday was approaching, and he wanted to give you a grand gift. You also mentioned that the Nightmare cmity would happen soon, and that the Light Contractor was key to breaking the deadlock. Obtaining the Light Contractor could protect our realm¡¯s safety, so the young master nned to infiltrate the academy and bring back the Light Holy Maiden,¡± one of them said.

    ¡°Nonsense! You three failed to bring back the Holy Maidenst time, missing thest opportunity. Thunder Lord and the others are now on guard. How could Xuanyi have any chance? But who poisoned Xuanyi? Was his identity exposed, or was there another reason?¡± the ancestor asked again.

    The three shook their heads, indicating they didn¡¯t know.

    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll ask him myself when he wakes up,¡± the ancestor said, then added, ¡°By the way, have representatives from the other major familiese over. It¡¯s time we discuss opening up the Azure Wind Realm.¡±

    ¡°Opening up the Azure Wind Realm? Ancestor, do you mean¡­ connecting our realm with the outside world?¡± The three were shocked.

    ¡°That¡¯s right, I¡¯ve made my decision. Only by weathering this cmity can we hope for longevity. Otherwise, what¡¯s the point of talking about longevity? Since we can¡¯t get the Holy Maiden, let¡¯s connect the two realms into one. Then, the affairs of the Azure Wind Realm will naturally be the affairs of the Myriad Spirits Realm. They¡¯ll have to unite with us whether they want to or not,¡± the Yu family ancestor said. ¡°So young master Xuanyi¡¯s mission waspletely unnecessary, a waste of effort?¡± One person¡¯s face showed a strange expression.

    ¡°It¡¯s because you all kept it from me. Otherwise, how would I have let him go? He¡¯s lived in the Azure Wind Realm all his life, how would he know the treachery of the outside world? This poison should serve as a wake-up call for him. Hmph, it¡¯s good for him to suffer a bit. He really thought he was invincible,¡± the Yu family ancestor said, exasperated. ¡°However, my great-grandson¡¯s suffering shouldn¡¯t be in vain. The one who poisoned him won¡¯t get off easy. Have our spies in the Academy Town investigate thoroughly. This ¡®Ten Thousand Ghosts¡¯ Wail¡¯ isn¡¯t something just anyone can obtain.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±

    While the Yu family in the Azure Wind Realm was in turmoil over Yu Xuanyi¡¯s situation, Zhanyue returned to the academy. The atmosphere in the academy was also strange. When he returned to the vi, the worry on Holy Maiden Lixi¡¯s beautiful face dispersed like clouds.

    ¡°You¡¯re finally back,¡± MuMu Lixi said with a hint ofint.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Zhanyue asked, confused. ¡°Did something happen outside?¡±

    ¡°There was a murder case in the academy. Two students died on the tree-lined path. They were both high-level students at the seventh stage of the Moon Profound Realm, and their deaths were extremely brutal,¡± MuMu Lixi said, gesturing for Zhanyue to sit down and pouring him a cup of tea. A Holy Maiden serving tea was unimaginable in the outside world, but it was routine for Zhanyue. He had even taught her the tea-making technique hand-in-hand.

    ¡°A murder case? In the academy? Who would be so bold?¡± Zhanyue was shocked. It had been a long time since such an incident urred in the academy.

    ¡°We don¡¯t know, but the two who died might not be innocent. ording to the academy¡¯s investigation department, they were likely ambushing someone else and were killed in retaliation. Moreover, they found a deadly poison on the thread used by the deceased, a poison feared even by Spirit God Realm experts. Ordinary people can¡¯t obtain such a thing, which makes this case interesting,¡± MuMu Lixi exined.

    Nangong Wei, sitting nearby, unceremoniously took the tea in front of Zhanyue and took a sip herself. Then she said, ¡°Now the academy is investigating if there are any other victims, and they don¡¯t know who the person was that those two were trying to ambush, or if that person was poisoned. In any case, Grandfather Wind Lord is overwhelmed. Many students in the academy are either rich or noble. If they can¡¯t investigate thoroughly and provide a reasonable exnation, it will be hard to ount for. I heard that Princess Mi has also returned to help with the investigation.¡±

    ¡°Sister MuMu Lixi was really worried about you earlier. She was pacing anxiously when you didn¡¯t return after going out. She feared you might have been their target,¡± Nangong Wei teased, causing the Holy Maiden to blush angrily.

    ¡°You¡¯re right, their target was Zhanyue,¡± a cool female voice said. It was Eastern Kingdom Princess Mi Hongchen.

    ¡°What?¡± All three, including Zhanyue, were shocked.

    ¡°We found this in the storage rings of the corpses,¡± Mi Hongchen took out a portrait, which depicted Zhanyue. ¡°We¡¯ve kept this hidden. We can be certain their target was you, and the poison was prepared for you too. So, did you kill them?¡± Mi Hongchen stared at Zhanyue.

    Zhanyue shook his head, ¡°It wasn¡¯t me.¡±

    Mi Hongchen nodded, ¡°I believe you. But thisplicates matters. If it were you, we¡¯d know someone targeted you and you killed them in self-defense. It could be because your talent was exposed or for other reasons. But now that it wasn¡¯t you who killed them, who did? Do you have any clues?¡±

    Zhanyue thought for a moment. There were only a few people in the academy who might help him. MuMu Lixi and Nangong Wei were immediately ruled out; they didn¡¯t have that level of strength. Those two were at the seventh stage of the Moon Profound Realm, and even Zhanyue would need to wear the Silver Moon Armor to have a chance. Gong Xiaoyu had no reason to conceal this, and it couldn¡¯t be Mi Hongchen. Zhanyue couldn¡¯t think of who would help him. As for the Illumination Goddess, it was even more impossible; she had been by his side protecting him the whole time.

    ¡°It seems you don¡¯t know either,¡± Mi Hongchen sighed. ¡°I¡¯ve already had people check if any other students in the academy are missing. If that person really was poisoned, I¡¯m afraid they won¡¯t survive.¡±

    Zhanyue suddenly felt worried. Who would stand up for him? He didn¡¯t even know who his benefactor was, but that person might die. This made Zhanyue feel guilty. Ironically, Yu Xuanyi, lying unconscious in bed, could never have imagined that Zhanyue and the others were worried about his safety.

    ¡°In any case, your situation is dangerous. To deal with you, someone even used a rare poison like ¡®Ten Thousand Ghosts¡¯ Wail¡¯. This attempt failed, but you might face danger again. What do you n to do?¡± Mi Hongchen asked, while the two girls beside her also looked concerned.

    Zhanyue smiled slightly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I have my own ways to stay alive. No one in the world is safer than me, and poisoning is meaningless against me.¡±

    ¡°So confident? What¡¯s your trump card?¡± Mi Hongchen couldn¡¯t understand how Zhanyue, who wasn¡¯t even a Profound Being, could be so confident.

    Zhanyue¡¯s trump cards were naturally the Illumination Goddess and state reversal, but he couldn¡¯t reveal either. After reassuring everyone, Zhanyue returned to his quarters.

    ¡°Sister, who do you think is after me?¡± Zhanyue asked, puzzled.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but there have indeed been some malicious gazes on youtely. You¡¯ve probably been targeted for a while,¡± the Illumination Goddess said.

    ¡°Last time, Mad de wanted to capture me alive. This time, the poison was clearly meant to take my life. They¡¯re probably not the same group,¡± Zhanyue felt frustrated. Someone wanted to capture him alive, someone wanted him dead, yet he didn¡¯t know who they were or how he had offended them.

    ¡°As long as they keep targeting you, they¡¯ll eventually slip up. Don¡¯t worry,¡± the Illumination Goddessforted him.

    As night fell, the Illumination Tower continued to guard the city as usual.

    There was a knock on Zhanyue¡¯s door. He opened it to find a graceful figure standing there ¨C it was MuMu Lixi, but this time her shadow, Nangong Wei, wasn¡¯t with her.

 Chapter 144: The Last Tranquility (6)

    Chapter 144: The Last Tranquility (6)

    Outside the door stood a graceful woman, still wearing a snow-white robe that fluttered like mist. Her white skirt swayed in the night breeze, resembling a blooming white lotus. The waist of her dress was adorned with gold thread embroidery, exquisite and elegant. The hem of her skirt swayed gently with her steps, exuding an otherworldly ancient charm.

    The Holy Maiden¡¯s fair skin was wless, as smooth and delicate as white jade. Her face was dignified and serene, her eyes deep and bright like twinkling stars, yet with a hint of shyness and bashfulness.

    Zhanyue had seen many beautiful women. In terms of features, once beauty reaches a certain level, the differences aren¡¯t that great. It¡¯s more about the distinct aura. MuMu Lixi, having grown up in an environment of universal respect, naturally carried a holy and noble aura.

    ¡°May Ie in?¡± MuMu Lixi asked.

    Zhanyue snapped back to reality and hurriedly invited her in.

    ¡°It¡¯s sote, do you have some urgent matter to discuss with me?¡± Zhanyue asked curiously. This girling to his room alone sote at night didn¡¯t seem to worry about gossip.

    ¡°What, am I not wee?¡± MuMu Lixi stared at Zhanyue, making him ufortable.

    In the few years they hadn¡¯t seen each other, the Holy Maiden had shed her youthful naivety and be more mature. Compared to her previous reserved nature, she had be much more proactive.

    ¡°Of course not, I¡¯m just worried about what others might say if they see,¡± Zhanyue exined. ¡°You¡¯re unmarried, I¡¯m unmarried, so what if people talk?¡± MuMu Lixi retorted.

    ¡°Well¡­¡± Zhanyue hadn¡¯t expected her to say that.

    Seeing his flustered look, MuMu Lixi smiled brightly, like a blooming lotus. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll stop teasing you. You¡¯ve always been helping me, whether it¡¯s the god-level cultivation technique, the ¡®Phantom Sword Technique¡¯, or the ¡®Phantom Step¡¯. You¡¯ve been helping me, but I¡¯ve never been able to help you. Now that you¡¯re in danger, I happen to have something that can help you.¡±

    With that, MuMu Lixi took out a mechanical bird from her storage ring. Even without activation, Zhanyue could feel a powerful energy fluctuation from the bird made of mysterious star iron.

    ¡°This mechanical divine bird, once activated, has the strength of a Spirit God Realm expert. With this, you¡¯ll have a trump card,¡± MuMu Lixi exined.

    ¡°This?¡± Zhanyue didn¡¯t ept it. This item was clearly meant to protect the Holy Maiden. This mechanical bird was equivalent to having a Spirit God Realm expert as a personal guard, invaluable. But Zhanyue didn¡¯t need it. He had the Illumination Goddess secretly protecting him, making him safer than anyone. It was MuMu Lixi who needed this item¡¯s protection.

    ¡°I can¡¯t ept this,¡± Zhanyue declined. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t worry about my safety. You need this more. If anything happened to you, I¡¯d be the one with endless regrets.¡±

    Seeing Zhanyue¡¯s refusal, a hint of disappointment shed in MuMu Lixi¡¯s eyes. She asked, ¡°Is it because of another woman? Is that why you won¡¯t ept it?¡±

    ¡°Another woman?¡± Zhanyue shook his head. He really didn¡¯t need this treasure, while MuMu Lixi did. If taking it away put MuMu Lixi in danger, he would regret it.

    ¡°Really?¡± MuMu Lixi asked. Zhanyue looked at her expression, feeling like she knew something. Somehow, he felt he was about to be passivelybeled as a scoundrel.

    ¡°Although we only spent a few days together years ago, those days changed my fate. I¡¯ve never forgotten you. I¡¯m grateful that heaven has brought you back to my side,¡± MuMu Lixi said seriously. ¡°Please ept it. I can¡¯t help you much, and this is the most useful thing I can think of for you.¡±

    Zhanyue looked at MuMu Lixi¡¯s watery eyes, feeling that if he didn¡¯t ept, she might start crying. He reluctantly took the mechanical bird.

    ¡°This is mine now, right?¡± Zhanyue asked.

    MuMu Lixi nodded. Although the item was precious, she didn¡¯t care.

    ¡°So I can do whatever I want with it?¡± Zhanyue asked again.

    MuMu Lixi nodded again, not understanding Zhanyue¡¯s intention.

    ¡°Alright.¡± Zhanyue took one of MuMu Lixi¡¯s hands and gave the mechanical bird back to her. ¡°I¡¯m giving this to you. I hope you like it.¡±

    MuMu Lixi¡¯s face froze, tears welling up in her eyes. She didn¡¯t understand what Zhanyue meant. Was he disdaining her gift, determined to draw a clear line between them?

    ¡°Girl, why are you crying? This treasure was given to me by you, so it¡¯s mine now, right? So naturally, I have the right to give it to you. Compared to me, you actually need its protection more. I¡¯m in a much safer situation than you imagine,¡± Zhanyue reached out to wipe MuMu Lixi¡¯s tears, surprised that the Holy Maiden, so holy and aloof in public, was no different from an ordinary girl in front of him.

    MuMu Lixi quickly understood Zhanyue¡¯s intention and the meaning behind his words. He wanted to ept her goodwill while ensuring the treasure stayed with her for protection.

    ¡°Do you really not need it? They even used that kind of poison against you. The power behind this must not be simple,¡± MuMu Lixi asked, her expression improving.

    Zhanyue smiled slightly, and the Silver Moon Armor covered his body, his aura surging. ¡°In this state, even high-level Sun Profound Realm experts would struggle to harm me. Look at this.¡± Zhanyue took out an identity token with the number ¡¯16¡¯ engraved on it. ¡°This is the identity token of ¡®Mad de¡¯, ranked 16th among the Night Lord¡¯s 99 demons.¡±

    Zhanyue¡¯s reliance was far more than just the Silver Moon Armor, but he couldn¡¯t reveal the existence of the Illumination Goddess yet.

    ¡°Is this armor so powerful?¡± MuMu Lixi touched the beautiful armor, her eyes widening in curiosity. ¡°It allows you to kill Sun Profound Realm experts without even entering the Profound Realm yourself?¡±

    ¡°Indeed. And it¡¯s just one of my trump cards. I have many more, so don¡¯t worry about me. Your identity is special, and I¡¯ll feel more at ease if you keep the mechanical bird,¡± Zhanyue finally circled back to his point.

    MuMu Lixi was now convinced and nodded. ¡°What have you experienced in these years? How did you suddenly be so powerful?¡±

    Zhanyue asked her to sit down, then closed the door. ¡°Since you want to know, I¡¯ll tell you everything in detail.¡±

    Then, Zhanyue told MuMu Lixi about his experiences with the mountain demon n, Ghost Ind, and the Thousand Charms Empire. He didn¡¯t even hide Baizhi¡¯s existence, telling her everything in detail. As he narrated, dawn broke, and it was already the next morning.

    MuMu Lixi looked at Zhanyue with aplex expression. They had done nothing that night except listen to Zhanyue¡¯s experiences, but their rtionship felt much closer.

    ¡°I really envy sister Baizhi. If there¡¯s a chance, I¡¯d like to meet her.¡±

    ¡°Meet her?¡± Zhanyue frowned, unable to imagine that scenario.

    When MuMu Lixi opened the door to leave, she ran into Nangong Wei, who had just arrived.

    ¡°Sister MuMu Lixi¡­ you¡­¡± Nangong Wei had a strange look on her face.

    ¡°What about me¡­ let¡¯s go,¡± MuMu Lixi¡¯s face reddened, knowing Nangong Wei had misunderstood. She had snuck out in the middle of the night and was now leaving Zhanyue¡¯s room at dawn. Anyone would have thoughts seeing this.

    ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re moving too fast, isn¡¯t this inappropriate?¡± Nangong Wei patted her chest, worried that Wind Lord might me her as the Holy Maiden¡¯s personal guard.

    ¡°You¡¯re thinking too much. We didn¡¯t do anything,¡± MuMu Lixi exined.

    ¡°Really?¡± Nangong Wei obviously didn¡¯t believe it. The Holy Maiden was so beautiful; how could a man and woman spend a night alone and do nothing?

    ¡°Of course it¡¯s true. Don¡¯t ask anymore. I know my limits,¡± the Holy Maiden¡¯s face turned serious. Nangong Wei stuck out her tongue and said no more, but thought to herself, ¡°With your behavior, you¡¯re not afraid of people knowing you like Zhanyue. What limits?¡±

    Zhanyue¡¯s room still lingered with the Holy Maiden¡¯s fragrance.

    ¡°You little rascal, you really are¡­¡± the Illumination Goddess sighed. She could see that MuMu Lixi had developed deep feelings for Zhanyue, although their time together wasn¡¯t long. But some feelings, once fermented, only be more intoxicating with time, like wine.

    ¡°Sigh, I didn¡¯t deceive her. I even told her everything about my rtionship with Baizhi,¡± Zhanyue sighed. Whether in his past world or this one, it was his first time being pursued by a girl.

    As he was worrying about this, a strong water element enveloped him. The Illumination Goddess was about to act, but Zhanyue quickly said, ¡°Sister, don¡¯t move. This person¡¯s technique doesn¡¯t seem intended to kill me. Let¡¯s follow the trail and go along with the n.¡±

    Zhanyue¡¯s entire body was enveloped in water, then sank into the ground and disappeared, leaving only a puddle of water in the room. Apart from the Illumination Goddess, no one in the Academy Town noticed this change.

 Chapter 145: Cause and Effect

    Chapter 145: Cause and Effect

    Zhanyue felt his entire body submerged in water, jostling along, his mind hazy.

    When he regained consciousness, he found himself tied to a wooden frame, bound by chains made of flowing water. Was his captor an expert in water control?

    As he opened his eyes, he saw a tall figure in a ck robe standing before him, speaking in a deep male voice.

    ¡°Don¡¯t move. Don¡¯t struggle.¡±

    ¡°Who are you?¡± Zhanyue pretended to be panicked.

    ¡°Kid, you did well on Ghost Ind,¡± the ck-robed figure said.

    Zhanyue¡¯s body tensed. The other person knew about his activities on Ghost Ind? Was it someone else from there? Mad de, who had tried to capture him before, was also someone he had encountered on Ghost Ind.

    ¡°Sir, let¡¯s talk this over,¡± Zhanyue pleaded.

    ¡°Hehe, you think you disguised yourself well, but you can¡¯t fool us. Those treasures couldn¡¯t be taken out without some ability,¡± the ck-robed man said calmly. ¡°Enough talk.¡± The man began cing formation gs and strange objects around Zhanyue, clearly setting up a formation. ¡°If you¡¯re going to kill me, at least let me die knowing why!¡± Zhanyue said.

    ¡°I have no obligation to exin your death to you,¡± the ck-robed man was very cautious, unwilling to reveal his identity even with 100% confidence.

    ¡°This formation is the Soul-Stealing Memory Search Array? Wasn¡¯t it lost?¡± the Illumination Goddess was surprised. It seemed this ck-robed person wanted to search Zhanyue¡¯s soul to obtain information from his mind.

    ¡°Sister, you know this formation?¡± Zhanyue was surprised. He wasn¡¯t worried about his safety because the Illumination Goddess was nearby.

    ¡°I¡¯ve read some formation texts. These special tools are definitely materials for the Soul-Stealing Memory Search Array. This formation will suppress your soul power, allowing him to directly search your memories through your soul,¡± the Illumination Goddess exined.

    ¡°What should we do?¡± Zhanyue asked urgently.

    ¡°Don¡¯t panic. Although the formation text I read didn¡¯t include setup instructions, it did have breaking methods. Let me think¡­ if your soul power is higher than his, you can reverse the formation and obtain his memories instead,¡± the Illumination Goddess said.

    ¡°Uh, how could my soul power possibly be higher than his?¡± Zhanyue said helplessly.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you have me?¡± the Illumination Goddess thought for a moment. This person¡¯s background was mysterious and rted to Ghost Ind. This might be the best chance to understand Ghost Ind, so she decided not to hold back anymore.

    In the depths of Zhanyue¡¯s soul, his own soul was a small, pure white light ball that could take human form if desired. Beside the small light ball was a huge sun, which was the Illumination Goddess¡¯s soul. Due to their contract, they had always shared soul space, though their souls remained independent.

    At this moment, the huge sun began to merge with the small light ball. Zhanyue felt a wave of pleasure, an indescribably wonderful feeling. His entire being seemed to ascend, the sun gentle and warm, making him incrediblyfortable.

    Soon, the entire sun entered the small sphere,pletely hibernating within.

    The Illumination Goddess¡¯s feelings were no less intense than Zhanyue¡¯s, but to sessfully ambush the man, she endured her shyness. Strictly speaking, this was a higher-level soul union than physical intercourse, though Zhanyue didn¡¯t know this at the moment. Goddess Xixuan naturally wouldn¡¯t point it out. Their souls were now one, ready to counterattack at any time.

    Zhanyue¡¯s strained expression was misinterpreted by the ck-robed man.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t even started yet, and you¡¯re already in such pain? What a coward,¡± the ck-robed man said disdainfully.

    However, he didn¡¯t know that Zhanyue was actually suppressing feelings of pleasure, afraid he might cry out in ecstasy. The sensation brought by the Illumination Goddess¡¯s soul was incrediblyfortable, as if his entire being was wrapped in warm cotton, every cell of his body exuding pleasure. This was an experience he had never had before.

    ¡°Kid, let me see what benefits you got from Ghost Ind,¡± the ck-robed man said, cing a finger on Zhanyue¡¯s brow, then activating the formation to begin the soul search.

    However, soon the ck-robed man¡¯s eyes became unfocused, as he was unexpectedly bacshed by the formation! For a soul search to seed, a crucial condition was that one¡¯s soul strength had to far exceed the target¡¯s, even with the formation¡¯s assistance. The ck-robed man never imagined that the Illumination Goddess was hiding within Zhanyue at this moment.

    ¡°The formation has reversed. Now you¡¯re the butcher and he¡¯s the fish on the chopping block. Quickly search his soul!¡± the Illumination Goddess urged. Wasn¡¯t this why she had made such a sacrifice? Otherwise, she could have appeared and killed the opponent with a single strike.

    ¡°But I don¡¯t know how!¡± Zhanyue said helplessly.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. You don¡¯t need to search specifically, just invade his soul directly!¡± the Illumination Goddess urged. She had already discovered that this ck robe wasn¡¯t the main body, but a part of the soul.

    ¡°Alright!¡±

    Zhanyue felt countless pieces of information instantly flood into his brain. Unable to search specifically, he obtained what the ck-robed man considered the most important information.

    On Ghost Ind, in a secret chamber, Ghost Shark Elder Meng Ao¡¯s face showed great rm.

    ¡°Not good, the formation has reversed. He¡¯s searching my soul in return!¡± Meng Ao knew his n had backfired, but he acted decisively, immediately severing all connections with his external incarnation and abandoning that body. A hundred years of effort, wasted. As he abandoned the external incarnation, the soul fragment in that body returned to the main body, escaping Zhanyue¡¯s continued soul search.

    The water chains binding Zhanyue¡¯s limbs instantly dissipated. Zhanyue looked at the fallen ck robe on the ground with regret. ¡°The soul search was interrupted.¡±

    ¡°Yes, this ck robe was that person¡¯s incarnation. He abandoned it to save himself. How much knowledge did you obtain?¡± the Illumination Goddess asked. Their souls had now separated.

    ¡°Quite a bit. At least I know who he is and why he wanted to capture me,¡± Zhanyue sat cross-legged, beginning to organize the new information in his mind. The ¡®person¡¯ under the ck robe had turned into a section of purple divine wood, clearly no ordinary object.

    In the memories, Zhanyue saw a huge turtle. Its head had been cut off, its limbs bound by massive chains. On its back was a piece ofnd ¨C the legendary ¡®Ghost Ind¡¯. The true name of Ghost Ind was actually ¡®Turtle Ind¡¯, named after the ind on the divine turtle¡¯s back.

    As the memories unfolded, Zhanyue saw a magnificent golden pce deep under the sea, all its structures incredibly huge. Inside the pce, countless Ghost Shark n members were busy working. Deep within the pce was an exceptionally powerful aura that the memory¡¯s owner both respected and feared greatly.

    ¡°Is this the Ghost Shark n¡¯sir? That aura is terrifying, even¡­ even not inferior to sister¡¯s. The Ghost Shark n has such formidable foundations,¡± Zhanyue pondered.

    Then, the memories took him above the sea surface to a vast, boundless world ¨C a world not belonging to the Myriad Spirits Realm.

    ¡°This¡­ is this the real world?¡± Zhanyue knew he was seeing the world outside the Myriad Spirits Realm, theplete world. The Myriad Spirits Realm was just a remote corner of thisplete world.

    In the memories, Zhanyue also obtained a cultivation technique called ¡°External Incarnation¡±, as it was one of the Ghost Shark elder¡¯s deepest memories. However, when he tried to search further, it suddenly stopped, yielding nothing more.

    Zhanyue looked at the mysterious purple wood on the ground, revealing a smile. ¡°The difficulty in cultivating an external incarnation isn¡¯t the technique itself, but the materials for the incarnation. This Ghost Shark elder¡¯s hundred years of effort has ultimately benefited me, haha.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be too happy yet. Aren¡¯t you afraid of his revenge?¡± the Illumination Goddess reminded.

    ¡°Sister, you don¡¯t know. He vited the so-called Patriarch¡¯s rules by secretlying out with an external incarnation. Now that I know many of his memories, which are secrets the Ghost Shark n absolutely cannot reveal, if this gets out, he¡¯ll be the first to die without a burial ce. I think he can only swallow this bitter pill and pretend nothing happened. After all, outsiders don¡¯t know he cultivated an external incarnation, and his main body never left Ghost Ind. Any leak from Ghost Ind would be unrted to him.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? Quickly tell me, what did you learn?¡± The Goddess was extremely curious about Ghost Ind, otherwise she wouldn¡¯t have let Zhanyue take such a great advantage.

 Chapter 146: Uneasy Emotions

    Chapter 146: Uneasy Emotions

    Zhanyue¡¯s inability to perform targeted soul searches was actually beneficial, as he primarily obtained what the Ghost Shark elder considered most important.

    ¡°The Ghost Shark n is extremely powerful. Their royal court is located in the depths of the Thousand Falls Sea in the Myriad Spirits Main Domain (Old World). Within the royal court, there¡¯s a powerful aura no weaker than yours, sister. They have special secret techniques to cross the Sky¡¯s Veil to our Myriad Spirits Border Domain (New World), though it seems not many cane. The Crocodile-Headed Divine Turtle that originally guarded the entrance to the Human Realm had its head cut off and limbs bound, imprisoned in the Ghost Mist Sea. The Ghost Shark n has extremely skilled formation grandmasters who set up a grand formation on the Ghost Mist Sea, making it impossible for ordinary people to reach Ghost Ind through normal means,¡± Zhanyue shared all the information he had obtained with the Illumination Goddess without reservation.

    ¡°That formation is incredibly powerful. The human side doesn¡¯t have formation masters of that level. Even Spirit God Realm experts like you, sister, can¡¯t forcibly enter the formation to reach Ghost Ind. By restraining the divine turtle and setting up the formation to iste it, the Ghost Shark n has taken over the Human Realm that belonged to humans.

    However, the entrance to the Human Realm is also protected by restrictions that only allow humans to enter. Even the Ghost Shark n¡¯s formation grandmaster can¡¯t break it. They guard a treasure vault without the key, so they came up with the idea of letting human youths go to Ghost Ind for trials, allowing humans to enter and bring out treasures. To obtain resources from the Human Realm for a long time, they didn¡¯t choose to exhaust everything at once, but used a gentler approach of bartering. Things that are extremely rare or extinct on our side can all be found in the Myriad Spirits Main Domain (Old World), after all, that¡¯s the world¡¯s original state. When the myriad races hastily retreated, they left behind countless resources.¡±

    ¡°I see. It seems that the disaster back then didn¡¯t greatly affect the Ghost Shark n, allowing them to multiply in the original world and be masters of the Old World. They even found a way to cross the Sky¡¯s Veil to reach us and took over the Human Realm, continuously extracting human wealth,¡± the Illumination Goddess sighed. However, she didn¡¯t think about reiming Ghost Ind, firstly because no one could break the formation, and secondly, as Zhanyue said, there were beings in the Ghost Shark n no weaker than her. Now was not the time to make enemies with the Ghost Shark n.

    ¡°In any case, this Ghost Shark elder¡¯s n haspletely backfired, and he doesn¡¯t dare toe for revenge. If the Ghost Shark n found out he leaked their secrets, he¡¯d be the first to die. What that elder fears most now is being associated with me, so I¡¯m safe for the time being. By the way, sister, I also obtained a technique called ¡®External Incarnation¡¯ from his memories,¡± Zhanyue said, looking at the mysterious purple wood on the ground. This item took the Ghost Shark elder a hundred years to refine as an essential material for the external incarnation, but now it had fallen into Zhanyue¡¯s hands.

    ¡°I know something about external incarnation. It requires your soul strength to be sufficient. Since you haven¡¯t entered the Profound Realm yet, I don¡¯t rmend you cultivate it. When you enter the Profound Realm, relying on techniques like the ¡®Sun Shining Scripture¡¯ that enhance soul strength, you should barely meet the requirements to cultivate it,¡± the Illumination Goddess advised.

    Zhanyue nodded, understanding the principle of not biting off more than he could chew. External incarnation wasn¡¯t easy to cultivate. Forcibly creating an external incarnation with his current soul strength would only split his soul. Zhanyue had to put away the purple wood, considering it again after breaking through to the Spirit God Realm.

    ¡°Sister, what happened in my soul world earlier? Why did it feel¡­ sofortable?¡± Zhanyue recalled the previous events. The Illumination Goddess was stunned, then said sternly, ¡°Don¡¯t ask about this again, and don¡¯t mention it.¡±

    Zhanyue was bewildered, not understanding why the Illumination Goddess suddenly became angry. ¡°Alright, I won¡¯t ask. We should head back.¡± Zhanyue smiled. On this trip, he not only learned many secrets, but more importantly, he learned from the elder¡¯s memories how to cross the Sky¡¯s Veil back to the Old World, though the conditions were extremely harsh for anyone outside the Ghost Shark n.

    Walking out of the dpidated basement, Zhanyue realized how far the Ghost Shark elder had taken him. The elder¡¯s strength was truly remarkable, able to bypass all the restrictions of the Academy Town with just an external incarnation and forcibly abduct him. If his target had been the Holy Maiden, even MuMu Lixi might not have been able to defend against it. Fortunately, his target was Zhanyue, and the Illumination Goddess was always guarding him. The Ghost Shark n¡¯s power was truly terrifying.

    ¡°I was just boasting to MuMu Lixi about how powerful I am wearing the Silver Moon Armor. It¡¯sughable. In front of truly strong beings, I¡¯m just an ant wearing armor, still just an ant,¡± Zhanyue said self-mockingly.

    ¡°Don¡¯t belittle yourself. That was a Ghost Shark elder who knew countless secrets. How old are you to think aboutpeting with him?¡± the Illumination Goddessforted. She had directly confronted the Ghost Shark elder¡¯s soul, so she knew his strength was far beyond what Zhanyue could currently handle.

    ¡°So many years have passed, and I still haven¡¯t entered the Profound Realm,¡± Zhanyue was indeed getting impatient. No matter how others praised his genius, he knew talent and strength were not the same thing.

    ¡°Haste makes waste. With me protecting you, you¡¯ll certainly grow strong in the future. Why rush for temporary realm advancement at the cost of your future path?¡± the Illumination Goddess quickly advised, fearing Zhanyue might be too eager for quick results.

    ¡°You¡¯ve helped me resolve so many dangers, sister. If one day you¡¯re not by my side, I really don¡¯t know what I¡¯ll do. You¡¯ll always protect me, right?¡± Zhanyue suddenly felt insecure. The Lord-level Nightmare in the ancient castle, the curse from the original owner of the demon sword, and this Ghost Shark elder were all terrifying beings Zhanyue couldn¡¯t possibly deal with. If not for the Illumination Goddess¡¯s protection all along, he would have died countless times already. But he couldn¡¯t be sure the Illumination Goddess could always protect him.

    ¡°Of course. After all, I¡¯m considered your contract object. Why are you suddenly saying these things?¡± the Illumination Goddess sensed the pessimism in Zhanyue¡¯s tone.

    ¡°I have a feeling that something big is about to happen,¡± Zhanyue expressed his inner unease. The feeling was so strong that even being protected by the strongest being in the world couldn¡¯t restore his usual sense of security. ¡°What could it be?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go back first. Even if the sky falls, there are tall people to prop it up. Why worry so much when you haven¡¯t even entered the Profound Realm?¡± Hearing Zhanyue¡¯s words, a hint of unease also appeared in the Goddess¡¯s eyes. She knew Zhanyue¡¯s intuition was usually urate, but for now, she needed to calm his emotions.

    In the southwest of the Academy Town, in the principal¡¯s office, Wind Lord deployed a domain to iste everything. Within the domain, besides Mi Hongchen, there were several middle-aged men, all at least at the Sun Profound Realm level.

    ¡°We¡¯ve pretty much figured it out. The target was the key to the ¡®Book World¡¯. The principal¡­ he died protecting the key,¡± a man in white said. The principal he referred to was naturally the deceased former principal, Gu Weicheng.

    ¡°Although we don¡¯t know who the enemy is, at least the key was protected. The enemy probably didn¡¯t expect Principal Gu to swallow the key instead of hiding it in his storage ring. Even though the enemy took the storage ring, they likely miscalcted,¡± the man in white continued. They found the ¡®key¡¯ in Gu Weicheng¡¯s stomach after an autopsy.

    Wind Lord Mumuxingyun looked at a copper ball in his hand, engraved with eight mysterious runes, his eyes full of sorrow. ¡°Old Gu, you can be considered to have died gloriously. At least you protected this item.¡± Mumuxingyun and Gu Weicheng were close friends in their youth. He wanted to investigate the truth behind Gu Weicheng¡¯s death. Now they knew the enemy¡¯s goal, but who was behind it? What was the purpose of stealing this key? After all, a key is only useful on a door, and opening the door wasn¡¯t easy. Just stealing a key alone was meaningless.

    ¡°Continue the investigation. Being able to silently kill a Spirit God Realm expert like Principal Gu within the academy, it¡¯s likely no ordinary force. Be careful, if you sense any danger, stop immediately,¡± Wind Lord told the group.

    Mi Hongchen, as the royal representative, participated in this secret meeting throughout.

    ¡°Lord Wind, now that the key has been recovered, can the door to the Book World be opened?¡± Mi Hongchen asked after the others left.

    ¡°Of the eight key figures, we currently have six. We¡¯re still missing the Kun Earth position and the Li Fire position. I¡¯ve secretly sent messages to various forces, asking them to help find talents in these areas. Since someone has set their eyes on the key to the Book World, it means the secret of the Book World can no longer be kept. We need to hurry,¡± Wind Lord sighed.

    Zhanyue, of course, knew nothing of Wind Lord¡¯s discussions. He returned to his courtyard, heavy-hearted. But as soon as he entered, he felt his soul plunge into an icy pit. A strange man in ck sat in the courtyard, drinking alone, seemingly having waited for Zhanyue for some time. Zhanyue had never seen this man in ck before, but his face and his entire skin were terrifyingly white, even whiter than a corpse.

 Chapter 147: No More Peaceful Days

    Chapter 147: No More Peaceful Days

    ¡°You¡¯ve finally returned. I thought I might havee for nothing,¡± said the pale-skinned man. It was already night when Zhanyue rushed back to the academy, thanks to the Ghost Shark elder taking him so far away in his caution.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± Zhanyue felt his hair stand on end. This man gave him a feeling he¡¯d never experienced before, as if he were gazing into an abyss.

    ¡°Not bad. Indeed, your value far exceeds that of the Light Holy Maiden,¡±

    ¡°The Holy Maiden? What have you done?¡± Zhanyue¡¯s heart jumped. This person sat here silently, undetected by anyone in the academy. If he meant harm to the Holy Maiden, no one could stop him.

    ¡°Nothing yet. After all, my purpose here is you, not the Holy Maiden.¡± the man waved his hand, and two cups appeared before Zhanyue, though he was clearly alone.

    ¡°Old friends reunite on a narrow path. Goddesse out and let¡¯s have a chat?¡± the man said to no one in particr.

    These words chilled Zhanyue to the bone. The other person could sense the Illumination Goddess¡¯s presence. Who exactly was he?

    The Illumination Goddess no longer hid, revealing herself looking gravely at the man.

    ¡°Are you a Nightmare?¡± the Goddess asked, her tone uncertain. The man nodded, ¡°Correct. I once served as a Strategist under the Corpse Emperor and witnessed the Goddess¡¯s unparalleled heroism. But you might not remember me. Let me reintroduce myself ¨C Nightmare n, Strategist Ye Xiange.¡±

    ¡°Strategist Ye Xiange¡­¡± Zhanyue turned to look at the two bright Illumination Towers in the Academy Town , then back at the man before him. The Illumination Towers were not much different from the sun; even Lord-level Nightmares couldn¡¯t move freely under them. So what was going on with this Strategist? Moreover, Nightmares generallycked reason; even at the King level, they could only act on instinct. Only Lord-level and Great Lord-level Nightmares above the King level had so-called wisdom. This man gave Zhanyue an unfathomable feeling. Was he a Great Lord-level Nightmare? And he was standing openly under the Illumination Towers, in front of the Illumination Goddess?

    ¡°How did you know I¡¯vee back to life?¡± the Illumination Goddess asked directly, her expression grim. The Nightmare n had undergone many changes over the years, especially learning about conspiracies, which might all be rted to this person. For the Nightmares to produce such a figure after the Corpse Emperor was sealed was truly unfortunate for humanity.

    Ye Xiange smiled, ¡°First, our Lord-level Nightmare imprisoned in the ancient castle perished, but ording to our intelligence, neither Thunder Lord nor Sword Lord of the human race were in that area at the time, so another mysterious expert must have intervened. Second, the cold poison I left in the Holy Maiden¡¯s body has been suppressed. Third, I¡¯ve already confirmed that the Holy Maiden is practicing the ¡®Great Sun Traversing Sky Technique¡¯. It¡¯s not hard to guess that you¡¯re still in this world, but you say you¡¯vee back to life? That¡¯s interesting.¡±

    Ye Xiange looked at Zhanyue beside the Illumination Goddess, ¡°As the Illumination Goddess, instead of secretly guarding the Light Holy Maiden, such a good sessor, you choose to protect this boy. Do you also know the secret of the Boundless Tower?¡±

    ¡°The secret of the Boundless Tower?¡± Zhanyue couldn¡¯t understand Ye Xiange¡¯s words at all, and the Illumination Goddess looked equally puzzled.

    Ye Xiange continued, ¡°So you don¡¯t know. That¡¯s even more interesting. Why would you choose to stay by this boy¡¯s side?¡± The Strategist naturally couldn¡¯t imagine that the Illumination Goddess was Zhanyue¡¯s contract object. He had assumed the Illumination Goddess knew Zhanyue¡¯s identity and chose to protect him, but it seemed that wasn¡¯t the case.

    ¡°Sister, this person is extremely cunning, likely a brain-level figure in the Nightmare n. Can you strike and kill him? If he dies, the Nightmare n¡¯s strength will surely be greatly diminished,¡± Zhanyuemunicated secretly with the Illumination Goddess.

    ¡°I¡¯ll try, but he¡¯s a clever one and might have precautions,¡± the Illumination Goddess had indeed thought of killing this great enemy of humanity on the spot, even if it meant severe injury to herself.

    ¡°Hmm? Let me guess, you¡¯re thinking of suddenly sneak attacking. Do I scare you that much?¡± Ye Xiange continued smiling.

    ¡°I advise you not to do that. Although after the Corpse Emperor was sealed, the Goddess is indeed the strongest in the world, and even several Great Lords together wouldn¡¯t be your match. But my ability to stand in this position, to be the temporary leader of the Nightmares, has never been about strength,¡± Ye Xiange said calmly.

    ¡°What¡¯s your purpose ining here?¡± the Illumination Goddess asked. She felt uneasy, as Ye Xiange¡¯s target was clearly Zhanyue, not the Holy Maiden. What did the Nightmares know? Why was Zhanyue more important to them than the Light Holy Maiden?

    ¡°To see him, and if possible, kill him. Unfortunately, you¡¯re really still alive and constantly guarding him,¡± Ye Xiange made no effort to hide his killing intent towards Zhanyue.

    Zhanyue was internally shocked. Was he so important in the eyes of the Nightmare n that Ye Xiange would personally appear to kill him? And why wasn¡¯t he afraid of the Illumination Towers? This was what truly worried Zhanyue and the Illumination Goddess.

    ¡°I like reading human books. ording to the settings of those books, I¡¯m like the final boss right? They often don¡¯t notice the protagonist¡¯s existence, allowing them time to develop, only thinking of dealing with them when they¡¯ve grown strong. Unfortunately, I¡¯ve read the script. I won¡¯t give you time to grow. Goddess, the final battle between humans and Nightmares begins anew from this moment,¡± Ye Xiange¡¯s words represented a formal deration of war to the Illumination Goddess as the leader of the Nightmare n.

    Zhanyue stood dumbfounded, feeling the Illumination Goddess¡¯s body tremble, also shocked by Ye Xiange¡¯s words. ording to previous predictions, the Nightmares should have waited for the Corpse Emperor to break his seal beforeunching the final battle.

    ¡°By the way, after so many years of conflict, does the Goddess know where Nightmarese from?¡± Ye Xiange suddenly said.

    ¡°I¡¯m all ears,¡± the Illumination Goddessposed herself.

    ¡°All humans have souls. After death, souls return to heaven. These souls are divided into two categories: those willing to continue as humans in the next life, and those unwilling to have a next life. The former reincarnate, while thetter lose all memories of their past lives and be Nightmares. Topletely eliminate Nightmares, there¡¯s only one way: make everyone feel that ¡®life is worth living¡¯.

    Haha, can you achieve this? If not, Nightmares will always exist alongside humans. This is why even though you nearly wiped out the Nightmare n back then, we could easily make aeback. The more humans, the more Nightmares, you know,¡± Ye Xiange exined.

    Zhanyue and the Goddess were both stunned. This was the first time humans had heard about the origin of Nightmares, and from a Nightmare¡¯s mouth no less. If what Ye Xiange said was true, didn¡¯t it mean that Nightmares could never bepletely eliminated? Creating a world where everyone is satisfied ¨C how was that possible? Especially when this world was already full of injustice and oppression.

    ¡°Are you trying to destroy my will to fight?¡± the Illumination Goddess quickly realized. ¡°Whether what you say is true or false, Nightmares must have weaknesses, and problems must have solutions. Otherwise, why would you go to such lengths to n everything?¡±

    ¡°Oh my, as expected of the Goddess, seeing through my intentions so easily,¡± Ye Xiange smiled.

    The Illumination Goddess¡¯s killing intent intensified. She felt this Strategist was even more terrifying than the Corpse Emperor. She had made a decision ¨C no matter the cost, she had to kill him here. This Nightmare was too special, special to the point of not seeming like a Nightmare at all.

    ¡°Such strong killing intent. But I¡¯m not unprepared. How about I show you a magic trick?¡± With that, Ye Xiange snapped his fingers. Suddenly, the Academy Town originally illuminated by two Illumination Towers, plunged into darkness, as if someone had turned off the lights. Both Illumination Towers simultaneously failed. The strongest protection that had sheltered humanity for so long was easily broken.

    At the same time, millions of Nightmares appeared around the Academy Town , surrounding it. Among them were terrifying presences of Great Lord-level beings, seemingly ready to attack at Ye Xiange¡¯smand.

    ¡°Though I¡¯m not talented, I do have some ability. The Goddess has a 50% chance of killing me if she goes all out. But the price would be the lives of the Light Holy Maiden, this little fellow behind you, and all the human geniuses in the Academy Town . If you gamble and win, killing me would be a great victory. But if you lose and I escape, with the Holy Maiden and him dead, it would be a huge loss. Are you willing to gamble?¡± Ye Xiange said the harshest words in the calmest tone.

    The Illumination Goddess¡¯s face was like water. She and Zhanyue both knew that the curse still existed in the depths of her soul, making it impossible for her to use her full power. She didn¡¯t even have a 50% chance, let alone daring to gamble, as Zhanyue¡¯s death would mean her own. However, the all-calcting Strategist didn¡¯t know this point, otherwise he wouldn¡¯t have negotiated with her. At this moment, she could only choose to give up the idea of killing the Strategist.

    ¡°It seems you¡¯ve made the rational choice,¡± Ye Xiange¡¯s body floated up, flying towards the distance.

    The Illumination Goddess clenched her fists tightly, only able to watch him leave. Missing this opportunity, Ye Xiange would likely never appear alone before her again. Killing him in the future would be almost impossible. But the terrifying number of Nightmares outside the Academy Town left her no choice. Without the protection of the Illumination Towers, Wind Lord and his peers were no match for Great Lord-level Nightmares. More importantly, Zhanyue couldn¡¯te to harm.

    ¡°This time, consider it a reunion gift for the Goddess. Not a de of grass in the Academy Town will be harmed by Nightmares. Next time, there won¡¯t be such good treatment. Please remember what I said earlier, the final battle between Nightmares and humans begins anew from this moment,¡± Strategist Ye Xiange said before disappearing. With his departure, millions of Nightmares left simultaneously. The two Illumination Towers lit up again, but this time their light could no longer give Zhanyue any sense of security.

    Only now could Zhanyue truly feel what Nightmares meant for humanity, and how great of a pressure the Illumination Goddess had been facing all along.

 Chapter 148: Order Is About to Collapse

    Chapter 148: Order Is About to Copse

    ¡°Sister, what should we do?¡± As a small fry who wasn¡¯t even a Profound Being, Zhanyue was helpless in the face of such a major event.

    ¡°I told you, when the sky falls, there are tall people to prop it up. Though the Nightmares are strong, the Myriad Spirits Realm¡¯s development over so many years hasn¡¯t been without capable individuals emerging. Besides Thunder Lord and Sword Lord that you know of, I can sense hidden powerful auras in various parts of the world. The Nightmare n naturally knows this too, which is why they chose to n before acting, waiting for the Corpse Emperor to break his seal. But now, because of the appearance of new-generation geniuses like you, they¡¯ve be restless and decided to advance the war,¡± the Illumination Goddess exined.

    ¡°However, this also shows that the Nightmares fear us, and fear our future even more. Do you still think we have no fighting chance?¡± the Illumination Goddess asked in return, her face full of determination.

    Zhanyue nodded. As the Illumination Goddess said, if the Nightmare n truly had an overwhelming advantage over the beings of the Myriad Spirits Realm, why would they need to scheme for so long? The Myriad Spirits Realm was far moreplex than Zhanyue had imagined.

    ¡°Sister, earlier the Strategist said Wind Lord was no match for a Great Lord. If Lord-level Spirit God Realm experts can¡¯t match Great Lords, does it take existences like Thunder Lord and Sword Lord to contend with them?¡± Zhanyue asked, puzzled.

    The Illumination Goddess nodded, ¡°Lord-level Nightmares require Spirit God Realm experts to contend with, while some powerful Lord-level Nightmares need Lord-level Spirit God Realm experts to counter. As for Great Lord-level, they require True Realm experts above the Spirit God Realm. But who says the human race only has Thunder Lord and Sword Lord as True Realm experts? In my era, the Four Symbol Lords were all in the True Realm, and all were in the True Self Realm within the True Realm, with extremely formidable strength. The mid-level forces below the Four Symbol Lords were indeed not as strong as today¡¯s human race. After all, the current human poption is 10 times that of my era, nurturing more geniuses.¡±

    Zhanyue already knew that the Spirit God Realm was divided into ¡®Entering Godhood¡¯, ¡®Comprehending Nature¡¯, and ¡®Exiting Godhood¡¯, while above Spirit God Realm was the True Realm, divided into the ¡±, Transforming Nature Realm, umting Dao Realm, and True Self Realm. Thunder Lord was at the ninth stage of the Transforming Nature Realm, while Sword Lord was at the seventh stage. They were the strongest known figures in the human race. However, in the Illumination Goddess¡¯s era, besides her, the Four Symbol Lords had all reached the True Self Realm. Could it be that the Myriad Spirits Realm now concealed countless experts?

    Seeming to read Zhanyue¡¯s thoughts, the Illumination Goddess said, ¡°You¡¯re right in your thinking. Thunder Lord and Sword Lord are rtively weakpared to them. Don¡¯t worry, with your talent, you¡¯ve likely already caught their attention. You¡¯ll meet them sooner orter. No, strictly speaking, you¡¯ve already met some of them.¡±

    ¡°Who?¡± Zhanyue asked curiously. He had already met them? ¡°That ragged old monk and the Alchemist who taught you alchemy are both much stronger than ¡®Thunder Lord¡¯ and ¡®Sword Lord¡¯. They¡¯re even close to the level of the Four Symbol Lords,¡± the Illumination Goddess said. She had sensed both of these individuals through Zhanyue but hadn¡¯t told him, as these matters were still too distant for him.

    ¡°Them?¡± Zhanyue recalled those two and nodded, ¡°I sensed they were extraordinary before, but I didn¡¯t think they¡¯d be more powerful than Thunder Lord.¡±

    ¡°The world has no shortage of capable people. So, don¡¯t worry needlessly. We¡¯re not without fighting power,¡± the Illumination Goddessforted. ¡°However, what concerns me most now is their method of isting the Illumination Towers.¡±

    ¡°Indeed, it was already outrageous that the Strategist wasn¡¯t afraid of the Illumination Towers, but they even have a way to render the towers ineffective?¡± Zhanyue remembered that all living beings in the Myriad Spirits Realm now relied on the Illumination Towers for protection. How many would die without them? Thinking of this, he couldn¡¯t help but worry.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure why the Strategist doesn¡¯t fear the Illumination Towers, but such existences are likely rare even among Nightmares. Otherwise, there would be no need to block the Illumination Towers, indicating that they are still effective against other Nightmares,¡± the Illumination Goddess analyzed.

    This night was destined to be sleepless. Zhanyue walked towards the Holy Maiden¡¯s courtyard to check on her. However, the Strategist didn¡¯t seem to be lying; he said he hadn¡¯t harmed the Holy Maiden, which was likely true.

    In Wind Lord¡¯s residence, countless secret messages were continuously arriving through themunication formation. He was already overwhelmed.

    ¡°The Illumination Towers really did fail earlier, it wasn¡¯t my imagination, and the terrifying Nightmare aura outside the city was real too. But why did they suddenly retreat?¡± Wind Lord felt panicked and confused, a feeling he had never experienced before, a sense of powerlessness filling his limbs.

    ¡°Enough, this matter is likely beyond my ability to handle,¡± Wind Lord took out a purple stone and a small sword, first crushing the stone and then breaking the sword.

    ¡°Let Thunder Lord and Sword Lord handle it,¡± Wind Lord knew the situation was serious. The Illumination Towers, which had never failed before, suddenly became ineffective, along with those powerful Nightmare auras. The Academy Town was now in chaos, fear and unease gripping everyone¡¯s hearts. Everyone worried that in the blink of an eye, the two Illumination Towers would go dark again, and then the Nightmare army would invade.

    This night was destined to be sleepless. Everyone was waiting for the city lord and the academy principal to give a reasonable exnation to calm people¡¯s hearts, not knowing that Wind Lord¡¯s heart was already in turmoil.

    ¡°Are you all alright?¡± Zhanyue appeared outside the room of Holy Maiden Lixi and Nangong Wei. The two girls, dressed, came out, looking at Zhanyue with puzzled expressions.

    ¡°It¡¯s sote, is something wrong?¡± Nangong Wei asked.

    ¡°Did you not notice anything earlier?¡± Zhanyue asked.

    The two girls shook their heads. They had been meditating in their rooms earlier, naturally unaware that they had actually been on the brink of death.

    Suddenly, a figure appeared beside Zhanyue. It was the old man Zhanyue had seen before with Nangong Wei.

    ¡°Great-uncle?¡± Nangong Wei looked at him, not knowing why he had suddenly appeared.

    ¡°Young man, did you sense what happened earlier?¡± the old man asked.

    Zhanyue nodded. ¡°Sir, what I want to say is, relying on you alone, the Holy Maiden¡¯s safety is likely difficult to guarantee. Did you know Nightmares came earlier?¡±

    The old man¡¯s face instantly paled as he grabbed Zhanyue¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Is what you¡¯re saying true?¡±

    Zhanyue nodded. ¡°It was a Great Lord-level Nightmare. Due to special reasons, it spared the Holy Maiden and me, but the Holy Maiden¡¯s situation is clearly not safe. She needs protection from more powerful figures.¡± Zhanyue didn¡¯t conceal anything. He wasn¡¯t afraid of assassination by Great Lord-level Nightmares because he had the Goddess protecting him, but what about the Holy Maiden? All the protection Wind Lord had prepared for her was based on Nightmares fearing the Illumination Towers, mostly to guard against the Night Lord¡¯s people. However, in reality, all these protections were fragile. More powerful figures muste forward to protect MuMu Lixi, which was why Zhanyue hade to find them.

    ¡°Come, let¡¯s go see Wind Lord,¡± the old man led the three to Wind Lord¡¯s residence. By now, many people had already gathered there.

 Chapter 149: The Goddesss Decree

    Chapter 149: The Goddesss Decree

    In the conference room, besides Wind Lord, the Academy Town¡¯s lord Mi Tianxiao and Crown Princess Mi Hongchen had already arrived. Mi Tianxiao was the second strongest figure in the Eastern Kingdom, known as ¡®Purple Lord¡¯. He was the current emperor¡¯s brother and Mi Hongchen¡¯s uncle. The Mi family was incredibly blessed, producing multiple Spirit God Realm experts and firmly holding the Eastern Kingdom¡¯s throne.

    However, these usually confident figures now wore extremely serious expressions.

    ¡°Have you found out the reason?¡± The Moon Reflection Pavilion¡¯s Third Elder stepped forward, still ying with two iron balls in his hand. The unusual speed of their rotation betrayed his inner unease. Behind him were Zhanyue, Holy Maiden Lixi, and Nangong Wei.

    ¡°The Illumination Towers seemed to be covered by something earlier, preventing light from prating. But it onlysted for a moment, not even harming the guards outside the towers,¡± Wind Lord exined to everyone.

    ¡°The Strategist said he wouldn¡¯t harm a de of grass in the Academy Town. It seems he really kept his word,¡± Zhanyue thought to himself.

    ¡°What exactly was it? Nightmares?¡± Mi Tianxiao, dressed in purple robes befitting his extraordinary status, asked. He had handsome features and an imposing aura even without anger. Zhanyue noticed that his right arm seemed missing, with only an empty sleeve.

    ¡°I sensed arge number of Nightmares outside the city earlier, but for some reason, they quickly receded like the tide,¡± Wind Lord said, his tone full of confusion. ¡°Blocking the Illumination Towers, surrounding the Academy Town ¨C it was like preparing for an attack. Why did they suddenly abandon it?¡±

    ¡°If the Nightmares really have found a way to counter the Illumination Towers, doesn¡¯t that mean there¡¯s no safe ce left in the world? Are human civilians just to be ughtered by Nightmares at will?¡± Mi Tianxiao voiced everyone¡¯s concerns. If the Illumination Towers failed, humanity would face catastrophe.

    Zhanyue felt puzzled and asked the Illumination Goddess, ¡°Sister, before you found the design for the Illumination Towers and recreated them, how did humans resist Nightmares?¡± Zhanyue asked. People had be ustomed to the Illumination Towers¡¯ existence, but they hadn¡¯t always been there. ¡°It was ancient formations. Beneath our feet are formations left by some human powerhouses, with effects even surpassing the Illumination Towers. However, the area covered by these formations isn¡¯trge. Over the years, the human poption has grown to more than ten times that of my era. Even if all the formations were reactivated, they probably couldn¡¯t protect so many humans,¡± the Illumination Goddess was equally worried. Because of the Illumination Towers, humans had thrived and multiplied far beyond her time. But now that the towers had lost their protective effect, everyone was exposed to the Nightmares¡¯ ws. Reactivating the old formations simply couldn¡¯t protect so many people. ¡°Those formations also require spirit stones to activate. But after so many years, if they¡¯re not foolish, they should have stored plenty of spirit stones.¡±

    ¡°Spirit stones?¡± Zhanyue remembered that a spirit stone vein had been discovered in the Rising Sun Kingdom earlier. Humanity¡¯s spirit stone reserves should be considerable, likely enough to reactivate the formations. But as the Goddess said, the formations couldn¡¯t protect that many people.

    Soon after, a thunderp sounded, and a lightning bolt struck the roof of the building where everyone was gathered, opening a hole. Thunder Lord appeared before everyone, dressed in purple robes with short purple hair, a purple beard, and purple eyes, his face like that of a fierce demon.

    Wind Lord looked up at the ceiling and sighed helplessly, ¡°Thunder Lord, couldn¡¯t you make a less violent entrance?¡±

    Thunder Lord Ye Mingchao red at Wind Lord, ¡°Wasn¡¯t it you who crushed the distress jade? I came as quickly and decisively as possible. Now I see, nothing¡¯s wrong with you at all?¡± Thunder Lord looked around at the shocked faces, appearing confused. There hadn¡¯t been any battle here.

    ¡°Thunder Lord, I¡¯m afraid the situation is more serious than any mishap to me,¡± Wind Lord didn¡¯t waste time and quickly informed Thunder Lord of the earlier events. Thunder Lord¡¯s previously carefree face instantly darkened. In terms of speed, Thunder Lord was the fastest in the current world, so he could arrive quickly after Wind Lord crushed the distress jade. However, faced with this situation, even he couldn¡¯t make a decision alone.

    ¡°Sword Lord¡¯s speed isn¡¯t as fast as mine, but he was already nearby. Let¡¯s wait for him to arrive and make a decision together,¡± Thunder Lord said, then turned his gaze to Zhanyue. Among those present, only Zhanyue was unfamiliar to Thunder Lord.

    ¡°You¡¯re the one who broke Hongchen¡¯s record, right? Apart from looking delicate, I can¡¯t see anything special about you,¡± Thunder Lordughed.

    Zhanyue¡¯s face twitched. How could Thunder Lord stillugh at a time like this?

    ¡°Junior pays respects to Thunder Lord,¡± Zhanyue said politely.

    ¡°No need for formalities. You three are perhaps the most important geniuses of our human race. This Nightmare army¡¯s appearance tonight wouldn¡¯t have anything to do with you, would it?¡± Thunder Lord asked.

    Zhanyue was taken aback. Thunder Lord had actually guessed correctly. However, at this moment, the Illumination Goddess didn¡¯t n to reveal her identity. She disliked being troubled by mundane affairs. If she appeared, it would be hard to extricate herself again. In her previous life, she had had enough of days where every decision fell to her.

    As they were getting acquainted, Sword Lord arrived shortly after. He was a middle-aged man with white hair and white clothes, sword-like eyes and star-like pupils, also riding a flying sword, appearing as graceful as an immortal. Even riding a flying sword, his speed was far inferior to Thunder Lord¡¯s. As the fastest in the current world, only the Illumination Goddess could surpass Thunder Lord. Only light could match thunder in speed.

    ¡°Everyone¡¯s here. Let¡¯s make a decision on how to exin this to the public,¡± Thunder Lord said.

    Sword Lord, usually taciturn, spoke up, ¡°We can¡¯t hide it. The Nightmares will likely make follow-up moves soon. I received secret messages before, saying the Nightmare n had been hiding their strength, warning us to be careful. Now it seems that was indeed the case.¡±

    ¡°You received secret messages too?¡± Thunder Lord had naturally also received warnings from the Illumination Goddess, but those warnings were too vague to be of much practical use.

    ¡°We must find out why the Nightmares can block the Illumination Towers. Otherwise, we¡¯ll have to activate the ¡®Goddess¡¯s Decree¡¯,¡± Sword Lord said. The Goddess¡¯s Decree was humanity¡¯s highest order, which all national rulers and human forces must follow unconditionally. The initial holder of the Goddess¡¯s Decree was naturally the Illumination Goddess, who had the highest decision-making power at that time. Now, the Goddess¡¯s Decree was jointly held by Thunder Lord and Sword Lord.

    ¡°We must prepare for the worst. If the Illumination Towers truly can¡¯t deter Nightmares, we¡¯ll have to reactivate the ancient formations. That will require massive poption relocations, and I fear many, many humans will die,¡± Sword Lord said calmly, but there was no other choice.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t just a matter for our human race. Other races in the Myriad Spirits Realm can¡¯t escape it either. Hongchen, you¡¯re the only one here who can see Dragon Lord. Even Sword Lord and I might not be given face. In terms of strength, Dragon Lord is truly the first in the Myriad Spirits Realm. At this time, we can¡¯t let him hide away. See if he has any ideas,¡± Thunder Lord said to Mi Hongchen.

    Mi Hongchen nodded, ¡°I¡¯ll go right away.¡± She flipped out the window, and the silhouette of a red dragon appeared. Mi Hongchen stood on the flying dragon, heading towards the distance. Her contract beast was one of Dragon Lord¡¯s descendants, and only she might be able to see Dragon Lord.

    ¡°Indeed, the world is full of hidden talents. If all races unite, we might have a fighting chance,¡± Zhanyue thought to himself. Now that Illumination Towers were spread across the world, even other races were under their light, enjoying the peace and tranquility brought by the Illumination Goddess. Naturally, they all owed humanity a favor.

    Everyone discussed for an entire night but couldn¡¯te up with a good solution. Until an urgent letter was delivered to Thunder Lord¡¯s hand. The usually optimistic Thunder Lord trembled all over upon reading the letter, his face turning pale.

    ¡°Snowdrift City in the Northern Border of the Eastern Kingdom, a city of one million people, was ughtered overnight, with very few survivors. Wheel of Fire City in the Western Border of the Rising Sun Kingdom, destroyed, with only 300 survivors.¡± Two cities with poptions of millions wiped out in one night ¨C this was the Nightmares¡¯ method. The spection that Illumination Towers could no longer protect humanity had be a fact, with the deaths of millionsing so casually.

    Thunder Lord took a deep breath and took out a piece of white jade.

    ¡°Transmit my order: The human race enters the highest state of alert. Reactivate the ¡®Revering Brightness Great Formations¡¯ in all areas, and have the poption migrate within the formations as much as possible,¡± Thunder Lordmanded. The white jade shot out a mysterious light, and all Illumination Towers simultaneously received Thunder Lord¡¯s order. Soon after, all national rulers and city lords received the news.

    ¡°This is¡­ the Goddess¡¯s Decree? The Goddess¡¯s Decree is issued, humanity¡¯s fate hangs by a thread. What exactly happened? I must awaken the ancestor. He said not to disturb him unless the Goddess¡¯s Decree was issued.¡±

    ¡°The Goddess¡¯s Decree? What¡¯s going on? Have Thunder Lord and Sword Lord gone mad? I must get to the bottom of this.¡±

    On this day, as the sun rose, the entire human race plunged into endless panic. The Revering Brightness Ancient Formations, dormant for countless years, were reactivated across various regions. However, these ancient formations could protect a much smaller area.

    ¡°The locations of the Illumination Towers were originally based on the ancient formations. But humanity has spread far and wide over the years. Many Illumination Towers are not within the ancient formations, meaning the cities they¡¯re in are not protected,¡± the Illumination Goddess said. This sudden change would likely result in the deaths of many, many people.

    With the Goddess¡¯s Decree issued, hidden experts from all over the world emerged. The fate of humanity was at stake, and none dared to ignore it.

 Chapter 150: Chaos

    Chapter 150: Chaos

    In the Thousand Charms Empire, Empress Luo Shenyu once again entered the forbidden area. A powerful aura surged from the thatched cottage, and Luo Shenyu¡¯s beautiful eyes gleamed with excitement.

    ¡°Sess.¡±

    Soon after, a middle-aged woman walked out. Though dressed in coarse cloth, she couldn¡¯t hide her elegant and noble bearing.

    ¡°Greetings, Master. Congrattions on breaking through to the True Realm. From now on, our Thousand Charms Empire also has a True Realm expert,¡± Luo Shenyu said happily.

    Mu Fanchan felt the energy within her body. Her originally nearly exhausted lifespan had now increased by a full two thousand years. Profound Beings lived for five hundred years, Spirit God Realm for a thousand, and True Realm for three thousand. She had reached an entirely new level.

    ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard all these years,¡± Mu Fanchan sighed, caressing Luo Shenyu¡¯s pretty face.

    ¡°However, Master, a major event urred yesterday. I need your decision,¡± Luo Shenyu¡¯s expression suddenly turned serious.

    ¡°What matter is so significant that even you can¡¯t decide?¡± Mu Fanchan asked, puzzled.

    Luo Shenyu exined, ¡°Yesterday, we received the Goddess¡¯s Decree from Thunder Lord, ordering us to reactivate the Ancient Revering Formations and relocate as many people as possible from outside the formations to within them. It¡¯s said that the Nightmares have found a way to counter the Illumination Towers, which can no longer protect humanity.¡± Mu Fanchan¡¯s face tensed, ¡°So this day has finallye. My senior brother once told me that although the Illumination Towers are profound, they might not be able to protect humanity forever. Our Thousand Charms Empire isn¡¯t as vast as other countries. We have fifty-two cities in total, with only twenty-four within the formations. The other twenty-eight cities are outside. Let¡¯s have them all relocate within the formations. All these years, I¡¯ve remembered my senior brother¡¯s warning, so I had you maintain our kingdom¡¯s poption and not expand blindly. Can twenty-four cities amodate the poption of fifty-two?¡±

    Luo Shenyu thought for a moment and said, ¡°It¡¯s possible. After all, our kingdom¡¯s poption isn¡¯t thatrge. However, many people will likely be lost during the relocation process, and the people in these twenty-four cities will have to give up many benefits. I fear they won¡¯t ept it easily.¡±

    ¡°Hmph, they¡¯ve been livingfortably on fertilend, eating and drinking to their heart¡¯s content. At this critical moment, they¡¯re unwilling to make sacrifices? This is basic national policy; they have no choice,¡± Mu Fanchan resumed her usual decisive temperament.

    ¡°I understand, Master. I¡¯ll issue the decree immediately,¡± Luo Shenyu hurried off, as this matter couldn¡¯t be dyed.

    Simr scenes yed out in all twenty-four cities of the Thousand Charms Empire.

    ¡°No, this forest has been my Wang family¡¯s foundation for a hundred years. How can you just take it away?¡± a wealthy merchant howled in anger.

    ¡°All under heaven belongs to the sovereign. Wang Han, I¡¯m here to inform you, not to negotiate. This is the highest-level government order; everyone must obey!¡± a general said. For twenty-four cities to amodate the poption of the original fifty-two, many mansions and wildnds had to be utilized. Thesendowners were the primary targets.

    In other cities, implementing the decree was equally difficult.

    ¡°Our ancestors have lived here for a thousand years. Why should we abandon our heritage and relocate to other cities?¡±

    ¡°Yes, we can take our gold and silver, but what about our good fields? Withoutnd, how will we make a living?¡±

    News of several cities being annihted by Nightmares hadn¡¯t spread yet, but the administrative order for relocation had already been issued.

    The Thousand Charms Empire was vast with a sparse poption, so relocating people within the formations wasn¡¯t difficult. But other countries weren¡¯t so fortunate.

    ¡°Your Majesty, ording to our calctions, the thirty-six cities within the formations can at most amodate three times their current poption. Any more would be unsustainable. This means at least twenty million civilians must be abandoned,¡± a finance minister said in the Rising Sun Kingdom¡¯s court.

    ¡°Abandon twenty million civilians? If this gets out, I fear I won¡¯t be able to face our ancestors or our people,¡± the Rising Sun Kingdom¡¯s ruler said, looking troubled.

    ¡°Your Majesty, the cities within the formations can¡¯t support that many people, and our kingdom¡¯s major grain-producing cities are also outside the formation areas. Not only is it a question of whether the cities can amodate so many people, but also whether food production can keep up. Even if everyone tightens their belts, we can¡¯t feed that many,¡± another official said.

    ¡°Your Majesty, since the Nightmares are targetingrge cities protected by Illumination Towers, why not let those who can¡¯t relocate within the formations disperse to various ces and survive in vige form? We can find ways to provide illumination stones. ording to current intelligence, ordinary Nightmares still fear illumination stones,¡± someone suggested.

    ¡°Your intelligence is outdated. Justst night, over a dozen viges outside a city in the Eastern Kingdom were all ughtered. Even the patrol troops barely escaped with one or two survivors. This time, the Nightmares aren¡¯t just causing small disturbances; it¡¯s arge-scale attack. Letting people leave the cities to live in scattered viges is no different from asking them tomit suicide,¡± someone argued.

    ¡°Then what do you suggest? The cities within the formations simply can¡¯t amodate that many people. Staying in the cities is waiting for death, and dispersing to viges is also waiting for death.¡±

    ¡°Enough, stop arguing!¡± The Rising Sun Kingdom¡¯s ruler rubbed his temples. ¡°For now, it seems we can only relocate as many people as possible within the formations. I don¡¯t have a perfect solution. The question is, who should be relocated within the formations, and who should be abandoned? By the way, what¡¯s the Eastern Kingdom¡¯s policy?¡±

    ¡°Your Majesty, I¡¯ve inquired. They¡¯re in the same situation as us, unable to protect everyone. So¡­ contractors are the first priority, then women and children. As for the elderly without contracts, I¡¯m afraid they¡¯ve been directly abandoned,¡± an official reported.

    The Rising Sun Kingdom¡¯s ruler nodded. Contractors were the main force against Nightmares and should be preserved as much as possible, while children represented the future. Only those elderly who hadn¡¯t awakened contract power could be sacrificed. Although inhumane, there was no other choice.

    ¡°Implement the same policy. Sigh, I wonder if Thunder Lord and the others can find out why Nightmares no longer fear Illumination Towers. Only by solving the problem at its source can we truly break the deadlock. It¡¯s fortunate that spirit stone veins have been discovered within our borders. Maintaining the Ancient Revering Formations won¡¯t be a problem; they should have stored plenty of spirit stones over the years,¡± the Rising Sun Kingdom¡¯s ruler finally decided.

    In the Eastern Kingdom¡¯s Academy Town, three days had passed since the city annihtions. It seemed that even Nightmares had to pay a price and rest after forcibly blocking Illumination Towers. At least after those two cities were destroyed, there were temporarily no new victims. However, Nightmare attacks on scattered viges had be much more frequent than before, with many outlying viges beingpletely wiped out.

    Now, the Academy Town was inplete chaos. ording to the Eastern Kingdom emperor¡¯s regtions, the Academy Town also had to ept poptions from surrounding cities not covered by formations. Every day,rge numbers of people entered the city, making it more crowded by the day.

    ¡°Let me in, let me in,¡± an elderly man with silver hair desperately tried to push into the city.

    Two soldiers blocked him, ¡°Sorry, old man, ording to regtions, you can¡¯t enter the city.¡±

    The old man pleaded, ¡°I know, I know. I just want to see my grandson onest time. Please let me in.¡±

    ¡°No, old man. Don¡¯t make this difficult for us,¡± the soldiers ignored the old man¡¯s request. ording to regtions, people over fifty were not allowed to enter unless they were contractors.

    ¡°Make way, make way,¡± a convoy approached, and people cleared a path. The old man¡¯s eyes lit up. With surprisingly agile movements, he climbed onto the top of a vehicle, then in a few quick steps, leaped over the city gate and ran inside.

    ¡°Not good, he got into the city. That old thing, he¡¯s causing trouble for us,¡± the two soldiers looked panicked.

    ¡°We can¡¯t leave our posts. Notify the guards inside the city to catch him. We must make an example of him,¡± the two soldiers could only notify people inside the city to catch the man.

 Chapter 151: On My Own

    Chapter 151: On My Own

    ¡°Useless! You can¡¯t even watch an old man. What are we keeping you for?¡± A city defense general¡¯s face was filled with anger. Recently, there had been a constant stream of refugees bursting through the city gates, but not everyone was qualified to enter the city. More people were setting up new homes in the wilderness around the Academy Town, but the defense at the edge of the formation was not necessarily secure.

    ¡°Find him quickly and execute him on the spot as a warning to others,¡± the general said sternly.

    ¡°Execute on the spot? Isn¡¯t that too harsh?¡± A soldier was taken aback, not expecting the general to be so ruthless.

    ¡°Desperate times call for desperate measures. Otherwise, how can we implement policies? If we spare this old man, next time expect others to storm the city gates. Do you think our swords are just for show? Execute immediately. This is a military order, no objections allowed,¡± the general said coldly.

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡± A squad under the general¡¯smand immediately began searching the city. Finding an old man without cultivation and with distinct facial features shouldn¡¯t have been difficult, but with the city now overcrowded, the search was dyed.

    After entering the city, the old man asked a random passerby about the location for settling civilians.

    ¡°In the south of the city?¡± The old man immediately ran towards the south. He knew he would die for breaking thew but just wanted to see his grandson onest time. He had been doing business elsewhere when his daughter-inw gave birth to a son. Upon receiving the news, he immediately rushed to Wuye City. Wuye City was not far from the Academy Town but was outside the formation¡¯s protection area and among the first batch of cities to be relocated within the formation. The Eastern Kingdom¡¯s policy was to relocate cities one by one, starting from the nearest. They tried to move the poption towards areas protected by the formation, but only a portion of people could actually live in the cities. Those outside the formation could only fend for themselves.

    The human race had multiplied over the years, but now the poption had be a severe burden. The yield from the safe farnds within the formation couldn¡¯t support so many people. ording to Thunder Lord and others¡¯ calctions, the formation could at most protect one-third of the poption. The other two-thirds would have to live outside the formation and fend for themselves.

    This Nightmare attack was like a cleansing, with both cities and rural viges facing attacks fromrge numbers of Nightmares. The Nightmare poption had exploded, bing countless. Vige destruction meant hundreds or thousands of deaths, while city destruction meant hundreds of thousands or even millions. Under the massive Nightmare army¡¯s attack, human resistance was minimal, mainly due to being caught off guard. No one expected that the Illumination Towers, which had operated without problems for thousands of years, would one day be ineffective against Nightmares. Strictly speaking, they were ineffective against a small number of powerful Nightmares, but as the attackers, the Nightmares could initiate attacks at any time and ce unpredictably. Humans couldn¡¯t organize effective defense and could only contract their lines, surviving under the protection of ancient formations. Zhanyue sat in a teahouse in the city, watching the chaos in the Academy Town and feeling deeply moved. The Academy Town had changed from prosperity to chaos in just a few days, with countless people facing the pain of family separation. ording to the Eastern Kingdom emperor¡¯s decree, those elderly who hadn¡¯t awakened contract power were the first to be abandoned.

    From the teahouse¡¯s location, Zhanyue could clearly see the second Illumination Goddess statue. The Academy Town had two goddess statues, one within the academy for students to worship, and another in the city center for other civilians. However, even the Illumination Goddess, who had protected and prospered humanity for thousands of years, now had no solution.

    ¡°Catch him! He¡¯s running towards the goddess statue!¡± Several soldiers finally discovered the old man. He didn¡¯t even have time to reach the south of the city to see his newborn grandson before being discovered.

    ¡°Don¡¯t hold back, execute on the spot!¡± a soldier shouted. These soldiers were all contractors, notcking in ranged attack methods. But due to the distance, the old man luckily dodged a few times.

    Hearing the words ¡°execute on the spot,¡± the old man¡¯s heart sank. He realized how serious his crime of forcibly entering the city was, and that he was to be made an example of.

    The old man felt deeply wronged. He wasn¡¯t unwilling to follow the policy, but he knew staying outside the formation meant certain death. He just wanted to see his unborn grandson and fulfill hisst wish. How could it be so difficult? Although he was an ordinary person, he had umted considerable wealth through his intelligence in business and lived quitefortably. Yet he had done nothing wrong,mitted no crime. Why should he suffer such treatment? In the face of historical tides, any individual¡¯s efforts seemed meaningless. Even Thunder Lord couldn¡¯t protect everyone.

    Seeing no hope of escape, the old man kept running towards the goddess statue.

    At this moment, there were quite a few people around the goddess statue, kneeling and praying devoutly, hoping the goddess would show her divine power and protect their families outside the city.

    ¡°Help me stop him!¡± a soldier ordered those praying ahead: ¡°This man is a wanted criminal, help me stop him!¡±

    Someone reached out to grab the old man, but somehow the old man burst with unexpected strength and threw him off.

    ¡°Goddess, I¡¯ve lived a virtuous life and never done anything evil. Why am I suffering such retribution? Please, Goddess, grant me justice!¡± Knowing he would die if caught, the old man decided to die making a statement. He suddenly rammed his head against the goddess statue, dying on the spot.

    Everyone around was stunned, taking a while to react. Two soldiers finally carried away the old man¡¯s body, to be disyed outside the city gate as a warning to others.

    Zhanyue felt the other soul in his soul space tremble. He knew the Illumination Goddess couldn¡¯t turn a blind eye to what was happening.

    ¡°Sister, do you really have no way to break this deadlock?¡± Zhanyue asked.

    ¡°There is a way,¡± the Illumination Goddess answered after some thought.

    ¡°Is it because of me?¡± Zhanyue asked again.

    ¡°Yes. You¡¯ve now been exposed to the Nightmares, with even higher priority than the Holy Maiden. If I leave, your life can¡¯t be guaranteed,¡± the Illumination Goddess said honestly.

    ¡°So that¡¯s it. I¡¯ve felt your unease these past days, seeming very conflicted. So it was because of this,¡± Zhanyue sighed. Although the Illumination Goddess said she wanted to live for herself in this new life and not carry too many burdens, when faced with the situation, she indeed couldn¡¯t abandon her responsibilities.

    ¡°Although it was I who made you reincarnate, it was the strong faith of the people that maintained your soul for thousands of years. I don¡¯t want to put you in a dilemma because of me,¡± Zhanyue said calmly.

    The Illumination Goddess¡¯s soul shook, ¡°But what about you? You know that if you die, I¡¯ll die too.¡±

    ¡°The Nightmare n doesn¡¯t know this secret. Although they see me as someone who must be killed, they¡¯re not urgent about it. Moreover, with Thunder Lord and Sword Lord both stationed in the Academy Town now, at worst I can just stay in the town and not go out. And once I advance to the Profound Realm and refine an external incarnation, my main body can hide in the city while the incarnation ventures outside. I won¡¯t be bored,¡± Zhanyue persuaded.

    The Illumination Goddess revealed herself in the private room, her eyes flowing with divine light as she looked deeply at Zhanyue. If she didn¡¯t act, human casualties would likely be astronomical. But if she did act, Zhanyue would no longer be under her protection and might only be able to hide within the Academy Town, unable to leave.

    ¡°Promise me, you won¡¯t die,¡± the Illumination Goddess said seriously.

    Zhanyue nodded, ¡°I promise. You know I won¡¯t go down without a fight.¡±

    ¡°Pinky swear,¡± the Illumination Goddess held out her little finger.

    Zhanyue was stunned, not expecting the goddess to have such a childlike side. He smiled and reached out his hand, hooking his little finger with hers.

    ¡°Take care,¡± the Illumination Goddess said finally.

    Zhanyue felt a fragrant breeze pass by and stood there dazed, a soft sensation lingering on his forehead.

    Before officially leaving, the Illumination Goddess finally revealed herself to Thunder Lord. There were some things she had to exin clearly to him, especially regarding Zhanyue¡¯s safety.

    As night fell, each night was a death sentence for humanity. However, this night was destined to be extraordinary.

    ¡°Look, what¡¯s that?¡± People all over the world were surprised to see a ¡®bright moon¡¯ slowly rising, illuminating allnds. At this moment, it was truly a time shared by all under heaven. Under everyone¡¯s gaze, that moon hung high in the night sky, its light bringing peace to people¡¯s hearts.

    ¡°The Celestial Star Wheel Illumination?¡± Around the world, some knowledgeable old-timers looked at the moon with shocked expressions, seemingly recognizing this technique. ¡°It¡¯s exactly like the records in ancient texts, the legendary ultimate skill of the Goddess. Could it be that she didn¡¯t die?¡±

    Zhanyue looked at the moon and realized he could no longer get a response to his inquiries. He knew that the moon was the transformed Illumination Goddess. He was now on his own.

    [Trantor note: And now begins a new story arc! I hope you¡¯ve all enjoyed this novel as much as I have so far. This uing arc is one of my favorites I can¡¯t wait for you to experience it!]

 Chapter 152: The Goddess Manifests

    Chapter 152: The Goddess Manifests

    The blood moon in the sky originally had the power to disturb minds and couldn¡¯t be looked at directly. However, at this moment, a second moon rose in the sky, illuminating allnds and warming the world. Under its light, even the blood moon seemed to be gentler. Tonight was destined to be an extraordinary night. The great migration movement had just begun, and moving such arge poption was an extremely troublesome matter.

    In the Eastern Kingdom, Sun City, as the city with the most abundant sunlight and the richest production of illumination stones, abandoning it was an extremely difficult decision. So even though it was outside the formation¡¯s range, Sun City hadn¡¯t made many moves yet, with the Eastern Kingdom only sending a powerful Spirit God Realm expert to guard it.

    ¡°Sigh, if we can¡¯t even protect Sun City, I don¡¯t know how much more our Eastern Kingdom¡¯s people will suffer,¡± Eagle King Zhan Yunfei, the city lord of Sun City, stood on the high tower of the city lord¡¯s mansion, overlooking the quiet city. Beside him stood a white-haired old man with sharp eyes, holding a dragon-headed cane.

    ¡°Lord Zhan, we can only do our best and leave the rest to fate,¡± the old man said. Sun City held a special position as an important producer of illumination stones for the Eastern Kingdom. Once abandoned, many civilians would lose their supply of illumination stones, so the Eastern Kingdom hadn¡¯t fully made up its mind.

    As they were about to say more, a cold wind swept by, chilling their necks.

    ¡°Not good! They¡¯re really here!¡± As the saying goes, speak of the devil and he shall appear. Zhan Yunfei¡¯s worst fear hade true ¨C the Nightmares had targeted this ce.

    A ck shadow fell from the sky, instantly covering the Illumination Tower, not letting a single ray of light escape. When Zhan Yunfei and the imperial envoy named Long Qianxu approached, they found it was a huge monster like a giant squid,rge enough to envelop the entire Illumination Tower.

    ¡°A monster controlled by Nightmares?¡± Both frowned. After the Illumination Tower was blocked, traces of Nightmares appeared densely around, ambushing the city and preparing for a massacre.

    ¡°My Sun Citycks everything but illumination stones! Activate the formation!¡± Zhan Yunfei shouted, his order spreading everywhere. Soon, Sun City lit up again, formations within formations protecting the entire city. Ordinary Nightmares below the King level didn¡¯t dare approach, but the attackers included not only King-level Nightmares but even Lord-level ones. ¡°The formation¡¯s protection is far inferior to the Illumination Tower, it can only prevent invasion from those Nightmares of average strength. Envoy Long, please take action and quickly deal with the monster on the Illumination Tower. I¡¯ll hold off that Lord-level Nightmare!¡± Zhan Yunfei said. He knew he might not be a match for a Lord-level Nightmare, but he could hold it off for some time.

    ¡°Alright!¡± The Spirit God Realm Long Qianxu walked on air, attacking the giant squid monster. His dragon-headed cane transformed into a hundred-meter-long giant dragon, smashing into the squid, but it felt slippery and caused no substantial damage. The squid¡¯s tentacles suddenlyshed out, sending Long Qianxu flying with one hit. Long Qianxu¡¯s body crashed through numerous buildings before stopping, having suffered considerable injury.

    ¡°Not good, it¡¯s a Great Lord-level Nightmare!¡± Long Qianxu made his judgment. This squid monster was possessed by a Great Lord-level Nightmare, far beyond his ability to handle. On the other side, Zhan Yunfei was also being overwhelmed by the Lord-level Nightmare,pletely unable to fight back.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid Sun City can¡¯t be held. But if we retreat, I fear not a single civilian in the city who hasn¡¯t been evacuated will survive!¡± Long Qianxu wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, his gaze grave. His Majesty¡¯s unwillingness to abandon Sun City seemed to be a wrong decision. Although he had already called for help, it was uncertain whether they could hold out until reinforcements arrived.

    The formation was constantly being damaged by the Great Lord-level and Lord-level Nightmares, with many gaps appearing. Soon, arge number of Nightmares would enter the city. At this critical moment, the Goddess statue that had been silently watching over the human world suddenly lit up, its radiance interweaving with the bright moon in the sky, like a second Illumination Tower. Nightmares that had entered the city were swept by the light, disintegrating in an instant.

    ¡°What¡¯s happening? Has the Goddess manifested?¡± Long Qianxu and Zhan Yunfei looked at the radiant Goddess statue with incredulous expressions. Soon after, a graceful figure flew out from the Goddess statue, directly towards the squid Great Lord on the Illumination Tower.

    After they shed, the squid Great Lord fled in pain. The light of the Illumination Tower once again covered thend, and the Lord-level Nightmare that hadn¡¯t retreated in time was easily erased by the graceful figure. A city-destroying crisis was so easily averted.

    ¡°Envoy Long, are you alright?¡± Zhan Yunfei came to Long Qianxu¡¯s side. Both looked at the now calm Goddess statue, dumbfounded. ¡°Did the Goddess just manifest?¡± They were still in shock, while around the Goddess statue, countless people had already fallen to their knees, weeping profusely.

    The Goddess¡¯s manifestation was not coincidental. Wherever the Celestial Star shone, the Illumination Goddess¡¯s graceful figure could easily reach. Even though Nightmare attacks were unpredictable, and it was unknown which city they would ambush, the Illumination Goddess¡¯s ¡®Celestial Star Wheel Illumination¡¯ sheltered most of the world¡¯s cities. As long as there was a Goddess statue as a medium, she could instantly reach any location. This was the absolute power of humanity¡¯s strongest being, solving an unsolvable situation with her own strength. But as a price, the Illumination Goddess would temporarily lose her freedom, transforming into the Celestial Star, always on standby.

    Soon, the human great migration n was terminated. People could return to live in their own cities. The Illumination Towers and Goddess statues formed two barriers. Even if Nightmares could break through the Illumination Towers, they had no way to deal with the Goddess statues.

    In a teahouse, three people with different appearances and attire gathered. One was dressed as a monk, one as a Taoist, and one as a schr. Among these three, Zhanyue knew two. One was the ascetic monk Zhanyue had met briefly before, and the Daoist was naturally the Alchemist who had taught Zhanyue flying sword techniques and alchemy. As for the schr, he was the Storyteller mentioned by the Alchemist.

    The three sipped tea, looking together at the moon on the horizon, their eyes filled with deep respect.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect she really hadn¡¯t died,¡± the Alchemist sighed.

    ¡°This is an immense blessing for us,¡± said the Storyteller, a middle-aged man dressed as a schr in blue robes, refined and elegant.

    ¡°Amitabha,¡± the ascetic monk chanted.

    ¡°Monk, stop chanting. The three of us inherit the ancient ¡®Buddhist¡¯, ¡®Taoist¡¯, and ¡®Confucian¡¯ traditions. We should bear the heavy responsibility of saving the world and helping people. Yet both during thest Corpse Emperor disaster and this cmity, it was the Illumination Goddess who stepped in to resolve them. Are we three just here to watch?¡± the Storyteller said.

    ¡°During the Corpse Emperor disaster, you and I weren¡¯t even born yet. It was our seniors who watched. I won¡¯t take that me. Back then, we three agreed to strengthen humanity in our own ways. I wonder, after all these years, what have you all done?¡± the Alchemist looked at the Storyteller and asked.

    The Storyteller said irritably, ¡°Why are you staring at me? ¡®White Cloud Tower in the sky, Moon Reflection Pavilion on earth¡¯ ¨C the masters of White Cloud Tower and Moon Reflection Pavilion are both my disciples. Now my sect is full of talents, and given time, they will surely be pirs of the human race.¡±

    If the Storyteller¡¯s words were to spread, few would dare believe that the legendary White Cloud Tower and Moon Reflection Pavilion were both established by him.

    The Alchemist, not to be outdone, said, ¡°I entered the world through alchemy. Which of the four great alchemy masters today hasn¡¯t received my favor or guidance? Even Alchemy Capital was built under my guidance. I can say I¡¯ve devoted myself wholeheartedly to the revival of human alchemy. Moreover, I¡¯ve broken through to be a ninth-grade alchemist, on par with the Vermilion Bird Lord of the past. The Vermilion Bird Lord wanted to revive alchemy but died halfway. I¡¯ve fulfilled the will of our predecessors. Compared to the Vermilion Bird Lord¡¯s era, human alchemy has made great strides, with the number of alchemists increasing many times over.¡±

    After they finished speaking, they both looked at the old monk, seeming to ask, what have you done all these years?

    The old monk smiled helplessly and replied, ¡°This poor monk has only made some progress in cultivation.¡±

    The Alchemist and the Storyteller understood that this old monk hadn¡¯t supported any forces or spread any teachings, but was solely focused on his own cultivation.

    ¡°What level are you at now?¡± the two asked sincerely, as this concerned the future of humanity.

    ¡°Compared to the realm of the Four Symbol Lords of the past, only stronger, not weaker,¡± the monk didn¡¯t lie, his words reassuring the Alchemist and the Storyteller.

    ¡°The three of us, plus Dragon Lord of the Dragon n and Winged Saint of the Bird n, are enough to match the Four Symbol Lords of the past. This means that in terms of top-tierbat power, we¡¯re not inferior to the Goddess¡¯s era. If the Nightmares want to fight, let theme. We have nothing to fear. I n to go to the Academy Town first tomunicate with Thunder Lord. He might know more information about the Goddess,¡± the Alchemist said.

    ¡°As for you two, please continue to investigate why Nightmares no longer fear the Illumination Towers. The problem with the Illumination Towers must be solved. We can¡¯t solely rely on the Goddess¡¯s Celestial Star Wheel Illumination. We need to share her burden,¡± the Alchemist added. Then, the three parted ways with different goals.

 Chapter 153: The Book World

    Chapter 153: The Book World

    In the northern border of the Eastern Kingdom, Snowdrift City.

    As the first city annihted by Nightmares, Snowdrift City was now eerily strange. The Illumination Tower was in ruins, no longer emitting any light. Various ¡°corpses¡± crawled on the streets ¨C this was a citypletely upied by Nightmares, no longer belonging to humanity.

    ¡°Amitabha,¡± an old monk with a bald head and bare feet walked through the night.

    He entered the city, looked at the scene, and closed his eyes, unable to bear the sight. The surrounding Nightmares became excited at the intruding prey, attacking from all directions.

    The ascetic monk opened his eyes, no longerpassionate but resolute. He put his palms together, and a golden light burst from his body, like a sun. All the attacking Nightmares instantly evaporated, leaving behind soul pearls.

    The monk walked on air, lotus flowers blooming with each step. He reached the center of Snowdrift City and made a hand seal. A huge Buddhist swastika appeared on the ground, spinning and expanding to cover the entire city.

    Under the Buddhist light, all Nightmares in the city evaporated without any resistance. Even two Lord-level Nightmares hiding underground were crushed without a fight.

    The old monk waved his hand, and countless soul pearls flew towards him from everywhere. These were the remnants of human souls devoured by Nightmares.

    ¡°Amitabha!¡± With another sigh, the old monk instantly delivered all the souls. After finishing all this, he walked towards the ¡°dead¡± Illumination Tower. His main purpose foring was to investigate why the Illumination Tower was destroyed.

    ¡°Hm? All the formations in the Illumination Tower are in disarray. Do Nightmares understand formations?¡± This discovery startled even the old monk, but it was a fact.

    He understood formations and was familiar with the Illumination Tower¡¯s structure. After a night of repairs, the Illumination Tower lit up again. But the ascetic monk¡¯s heart grew heavier, ¡°They didn¡¯t destroy it randomly. They truly understand the Illumination Tower¡¯s structure and know how to truly destroy it. How did they manage this?¡±

    The ascetic monk single-handedly recaptured Snowdrift City and repaired the Illumination Tower. Civilians living precariously in scattered viges around could now return to live in the city. As long as the Goddess statue was there, this city would be safe for now.

    Meanwhile, a simr scene was unfolding in Wheel of Fire City on the western border of the Rising Sun Kingdom. The one taking action was a schr. With a single move, he unleashed endless righteous energy, easily killing Nightmares without any resistance. He also repaired the Illumination Tower, single-handedly recapturing Wheel of Fire City.

    ¡°I need to have my two disciples investigate thoroughly why Nightmares have be so intelligent,¡± the Storyteller had the same doubts as the ascetic monk.

    In the Eastern Kingdom¡¯s academy town.

    In a secret room, only one person faced Zhanyue ¨C Thunder Lord. The usually carefree Thunder Lord had be much more serioustely. His appearance, resembling Zhang Fei, always made Zhanyue feel a bit nervous.

    Thunder Lord¡¯s gaze towards Zhanyue was indeed unusual, filled with admiration, curiosity, and concern.

    ¡°The Goddess has told me everything. You¡¯re even more important to the Nightmares than the Holy Maiden. After she left, your safety is crucial. What are your ns?¡± Thunder Lord asked.

    Zhanyue smiled helplessly, ¡°What can I do? Just stay in the academy town and not go out.¡± Zhanyue had no other choice. The Nightmare Strategist had already noticed him, and could probably guess that he no longer had the Goddess¡¯s protection. They would likely try every means to eliminate him. The academy town now had Thunder Lord and Sword Lord guarding it, capable of resisting even Great Lord-level Nightmares.

    However, Thunder Lord said, ¡°If we¡¯re always here to protect the academy town, naturally there¡¯s no worry. But we can¡¯t always stay here, and we can¡¯t take you everywhere we go.¡±

    ¡°This¡­¡± Zhanyue, still not even a Profound Being, had little control over the situation.

    ¡°Do you know the original name of the academy town?¡± Thunder Lord suddenly asked.

    Zhanyue nodded, not knowing why Thunder Lord suddenly asked this, but honestly answered, ¡°The academy town was originally called Book of Heaven City.¡±

    Thunder Lord smiled mysteriously, ¡°Do you know about the Book of Heaven?¡±

    ¡°Book of Heaven?¡± Zhanyue shook his head again. Surely the academy town wasn¡¯t called Book of Heaven City because there was really a Book of Heaven here?

    ¡°Our era may not be superior in other aspects, but our research into many ancient relics far surpasses the Goddess¡¯s era,¡± Thunder Lord exined. ¡°There really is a Book of Heaven in Book of Heaven City. Strictly speaking, it¡¯s not a book, but a world. Called the Book World.¡±

    Before Zhanyue could fully grasp this, Thunder Lord continued, ¡°Now, to find an absolutely safe ce for you to avoid Nightmare pursuit and allow your strength to grow, the most perfect ce I can think of is the Book World.¡±

    ¡°The Book World?!¡± Zhanyue eximed, realizing this must be the academy town¡¯s biggest secret.

    ¡°However, opening the Book World requires eight keys. By the way, your contract object isn¡¯t that sword, but the Earth Mother Golden Cauldron, right?¡± Thunder Lord suddenly said.

    Zhanyue was stunned, asking, ¡°How do you know that?¡±

    ¡°Naturally, the Goddess told me. I told her about the Book World and the eight keys, and we had no clue about the ¡®Earth Key¡¯. The Goddess said your contract object, the Earth Mother Golden Cauldron, canmunicate with earth vein power and could serve as the ¡®Earth Key¡¯. Unfortunately, your current cultivation is still too weak. You need at least the Profound Realm to handle it,¡± Thunder Lord exined.

    ¡°I see.¡± Zhanyue understood. The Illumination Goddess had prepared a backup n for him before leaving.

    ¡°So the urgent task is to break through to the Profound Realm and open the Book World. Once you enter the Book World, your safety will be guaranteed,¡± Thunder Lord exined.

    ¡°But my cultivation technique is special, and my progress is slow. It might be difficult to break through in a short time,¡± Zhanyue said helplessly. His cultivation progress was indeed very slow. Although he was extremely strong and could kill across realms, his own cultivation speed wasn¡¯t fast.

    ¡°Look, who¡¯s this?¡± Thunder Lord smiled. Outside the secret room, a middle-aged man dressed as a Taoist entered.

    ¡°It¡¯s you! Senior Alchemist!¡± Zhanyue¡¯s face lit up with joy seeing the middle-aged man.

    ¡°Young friend, we meet again,¡± the Alchemist smiled.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time, Senior. You still look as energetic as ever,¡± Zhanyue said politely.

    The Alchemist didn¡¯t waste words, ¡°I¡¯ve long seen that you¡¯re extraordinary. I didn¡¯t expect the Goddess to think so highly of you. I originally came to discuss some matters with Thunder Lord, but your situation seems more critical now. You¡¯re cultivating a fire-based alchemy technique, so breaking through naturally isn¡¯t easy. Fortunately, I have this.¡±

    The Alchemist took out a green medicine bottle containing only one pill. It was a ninth-grade pill ¨C the Karmic Fire Profound Refinement Pill, a dream pill for all fire-based cultivators to break through realms. It was usually used for Profound Beings breaking through to Spirit God Realm, so using it for Zhanyue to break through to Profound Realm was somewhat wasteful. But the Alchemist didn¡¯t mind, as only this pill could guarantee 100% sess in helping Zhanyue directly cross minor realms to break through to a major realm.

    ¡°Senior, this is too precious,¡± Zhanyue¡¯s hand trembled as he held the pill. This was a ninth-grade pill after all.

    ¡°Just take it. However, taking it directly might be dangerous. It¡¯s best to have someone protect you during the process. I sense that little Gong Xiaoyu is also in the academy. As a water contractor, she¡¯s most suitable to protect you. If the medicinal power goes out of control, ordinary people might not be able to suppress it, but with her water spirit power, she can handle it easily. Take the pill and go find her quickly. Only after arranging your situation can we act freely,¡± the Alchemist exined.

    ¡°Thank you, Senior,¡± Zhanyue knew it wasn¡¯t the time to be overly polite. He took the pill and left the secret room.

    Watching Zhanyue leave, Thunder Lord sighed in relief, ¡°It¡¯s fortunate to have your help, Senior. Otherwise, I couldn¡¯t have solved this kid¡¯s problem so quickly. Since you seniors are willing toe out of seclusion, naturally the role of human race leader shouldn¡¯t fall to me.¡± Thunder Lord then took out the Goddess¡¯s Decree.

    The Alchemist waved his hand, ¡°We don¡¯t want to be burdened by mundane affairs. Keep the Goddess¡¯s Decree. Feel free to call on us old fellows. It¡¯s been a long time since we¡¯ve been active, it¡¯s a good chance to stretch our legs.¡±

    Thunder Lord didn¡¯t decline further and kept the Goddess¡¯s Decree. Now that the legendary seniors ¨C the ascetic monk, the Storyteller, and the Alchemist ¨C had all entered the world, it was a great reinforcement for the human camp.

    ¡°Mi Hongchen has gone to consult with Dragon Lord. I wonder if the Dragon n is willing to go all out in this final battle,¡± Thunder Lord said worriedly.

    The Alchemist pointed at the sky, ¡°The Goddess is watching from above. If the Dragon n has any face, they won¡¯t ck off. Which of the myriad races doesn¡¯t owe the Goddess? Now that the Goddess has appeared, sacrificing her freedom to buy us time to prepare for the final battle, whether it¡¯s the Dragon n or the Bird n, they should understand the principle of shared glory and loss.¡±

 Chapter 154: Ancient Active Microbes

    Chapter 154: Ancient Active Microbes

    Zhanyue didn¡¯t rush to find Gong Xiaoyu. He knew this seclusion might take quite some time. During this period, there were some things he needed to handle properly.

    ¡°Everything is fine on my end, don¡¯t worry,¡± Baizhi¡¯s letter arrived on time in the divine ability space. Theymunicated frequently, and various pills had already filled the space. Since the seclusion would likely take some time, he naturally needed to inform Baizhi first to avoid her being unable to contact him.

    Returning to his courtyard, Zhanyue found a beautiful woman already waiting. She was looking up at the ¡°moon¡± in the sky with aplex expression.

    ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± Zhanyue stood beside the Holy Maiden. He was half a head taller than MuMu Lixi, and the two standing together looked like a divine couple, extraordinarily graceful.

    MuMu Lixi turned to look at Zhanyue, her eyes somewhat resentful. ¡°Back then, when you said you wanted to take me as a disciple for someone, you meant the Goddess, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    Zhanyue nodded. At this point, there was no need to hide it. ¡°The god-level cultivation technique and battle skills were all her instructions for me to pass on to you.¡±

    ¡°Sigh,¡± Holy Maiden Lixi sighed, ¡°The Goddess¡¯s kindness to me is as heavy as a mountain, yet I have no chance to thank her in person.¡±

    ¡°There will be opportunities in the future. Sister is only temporarily confined to the sky, she will surely return one day,¡± Zhanyue also looked at the bright moon on the horizon. The moon illuminated the nine provinces, but could no longer protect him alone.

    ¡°Sister? You actually call the Goddess ¡®sister¡¯?¡± MuMu Lixi¡¯s eyes widened. The Illumination Goddess was her faith and idol. Zhanyue nodded, ¡°Is it strange? She asked me to call her that.¡±

    ¡°Pfft,¡± MuMu Lixi smiled slightly, ¡°The Goddess really is an interesting person.¡±

    ¡°Indeed. Sometimes, I feel she¡¯s more like a person, and sometimes more like a deity. However, I¡¯d prefer her to live in the world more like a human. Unfortunately, we¡¯re notpetent enough. After so many years, we still need her to step in and solve crises,¡± Zhanyue sighed.

    ¡°If Thunder Lord and the others heard you say this, it might be a bit hurtful,¡± MuMu Lixi said. But it was indeed the truth. After so many years, humanity¡¯s greatest reliance was still the Illumination Goddess. ¡°The Goddess has extraordinary talent and profound realm. It¡¯s not easy forter generations to surpass her. To share the Goddess¡¯s burden, this task might ultimately fall on your shoulders.¡±

    Zhanyue pouted. ¡°You¡¯re all expecting too much of me, it¡¯s a lot of pressure. Look at the protagonists in those novels and stories. They¡¯re usually underestimated, ying weak while actually strong, developing in secret, and then suddenly shocking everyone. Unlike me, the Nightmares have already targeted me, and you¡¯re all putting me on a pedestal. I¡¯m not even a Profound Being yet.¡±

    MuMu Lixi was stunned, then revealed a slight smile. She boldly took Zhanyue¡¯s hand, her pretty face flushed, and said softly, ¡°I¡¯ll share the burden with you too.¡±

    Zhanyue held that nervous little hand tightly, feeling the pressure in his heart truly lighten. The Illumination Goddess had said MuMu Lixi¡¯s talent was no less than hers. If both of them in the human race could grow smoothly, humanity¡¯s future would be bright.

    Elsewhere in the building, Nangong Wei hugged a bag of snacks, eating while watching the two from afar. ¡°These two are so sentimental. Hmph, this youngdy won¡¯t lose to you either.¡± The little girl was full of ambition. In terms of talent, she was no less gifted.

    The next day, Zhanyue walked out of the Academy gates. With the Alchemist, Thunder Lord, and Sword Lord all in the academy town, it was now the safest ce in the world. Before secluding himself for breakthrough, he wanted to see one more person.

    It was still that dpidated little courtyard, unaffected even by the recent chaos in the academy town. As soon as Zhanyue pushed open the door, the old man came running.

    ¡°You¡¯ve finallye to see this old man,¡± Bai Bole said with a smile.

    ¡°What? Has your research made progress?¡± Zhanyue asked curiously.

    Bai Bole shook his head, ¡°It¡¯s still the same. Whatever I research, this old man loses interest halfway through. I¡¯m now researching another topic ¨C the mutual conversion between illumination stones and spirit stones.¡±

    Zhanyue felt a headacheing on. What on earth was this old man researching? Illumination stones absorbed sunlight power, while spirit stones¡¯ energy came from earth vein spirit energy. They weren¡¯t from the same source. Wanting to convert them mutually, wasn¡¯t that a fool¡¯s dream? It would be strange if he could research anything with his mortal body.

    ¡°Well, Young Master Zhan, I have quite a few illumination stones, but spirit stones¡­ spirit stones are hard toe by. I hope you can sponsor some,¡± Bai Bole pleaded.

    ¡°I knew nothing good woulde from finding you,¡± Zhanyue sighed helplessly. Due to preparations to reactivate formations, spirit stones had long been banned from cirction in the market, all requisitioned by the state. It was very difficult for ordinary people to find spirit stones. But for Zhanyue, it wasn¡¯t a difficult matter. He still had some spirit stones on him.

    ¡°Take these,¡± Zhanyue handed a few low-quality spirit stones to the old man. He didn¡¯t know why he was indulging this unreliable old man. He just subconsciously felt he should help him.

    Seeing the spirit stones, the old man¡¯s eyes lit up, and he thanked Zhanyue profusely. ¡°Thank you, young master, thank you. I will definitely¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t ¡®definitely¡¯ anything. How¡¯s your research on that ancient active armor going?¡± Zhanyue said, exasperated.

    ¡°Although I abandoned it halfway, it wasn¡¯t entirely fruitless. Young master,e with me,¡± the old man once again led Zhanyue to his basement.

    ¡°Look at this,¡± the old man took out a pitch-ck bottle and handed it to Zhanyue.

    ¡°What is this?¡± Zhanyue asked, looking at the bottle where nothing could be seen clearly.

    ¡°These are microorganisms taken from that mysterious armor. The reason those active armors are so special is because of these microorganisms on their surface. Watch this.¡± The old man used something like a brush, dipped it in the bottle, then took a piece of metal and brushed it on the metal surface.

    Soon after, that smooth and hard metal softened like beast hide. Zhanyue pressed a finger on the metal, feeling itpletely soft, his strength fully absorbed.

    ¡°I call this thing ¡®active microbes¡¯. They can grow on the surface of any metal. Metal covered by them bes as soft as beast hide, while simultaneously retaining the hardness of metal and the toughness of beast hide. It has a very strong absorption effect against all force impacts. If it could be widely used, it could create an incredibly powerful army. Unfortunately, these little things reproduce extremely slowly. But don¡¯t underestimate them. They¡¯re not afraid of water, fire, or electricity, with extraordinarily tenacious vitality. Young Master Zhan, do you have any precious armor? I can modify it for you, surely making it reborn!¡± Bai Bole exined.

    Zhanyue naturally had precious armor, but these active microbes were discoveries from ancient ruins. Were they really reliable? Wouldn¡¯t they ruin his Silver Moon Divine Armor? Zhanyue pondered for a while, then gritted his teeth, ¡°Never mind, fortune favors the bold. Let¡¯s give it a try.¡±

    Then, a majestic silver armor appeared before Bai Bole, making the old man¡¯s eyes shine. ¡°Only such a handsome armor is worthy of someone like Young Master Zhan.¡± The old man had learned to tter.

    ¡°Stop talking and quickly fix it up for me,¡± Zhanyue said helplessly. Money really did talk.

    Bai Bole nodded, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Your divine armorbined with these ancient active microbes will surely reach a new level, helping you to y in all directions.¡±

 Chapter 155: Deal

    Chapter 155: Deal

    After working for a while, the old man finally stretched. He had evenly distributed the mysterious ancient active microbes on the surface of the Silver Moon Armor, then applied ayer of unknown ¡°oil¡±. The entire suit of armor now gleamed brilliantly, shining with silver light.

    Zhanyue eagerly put it on. The originally ¡°stiff¡± metal armor now fit perfectly, as flexible as wearing a beast hide garment. Moreover, Zhanyue felt that while the previous Silver Moon Armor could resist sharp weapon cuts, it had limited absorption against blunt impacts. Now it not only retained the metal properties but also gained beast hide characteristics, significantly improving its absorption of blunt force impacts and elevating its defensive capabilities to a new level.

    ¡°This really is a treasure,¡± Zhanyue was overjoyed. His investment in this old man hadn¡¯t been in vain.

    ¡°The secret of the ancient active microbes isn¡¯t just this. Remember how they first came to life by absorbing beast blood? In the future, if you have the chance, you can soak the armor in beast blood, letting the active microbes absorb and feed. It will surely surprise you. The higher the quality of the beast blood, the better the effect should be,¡± Bai Bole continued to exin.

    ¡°Is that so? I¡¯ll remember,¡± Zhanyue nodded, nning to try with high-quality beast bloodter.

    After leaving Bai Bole¡¯s ce, Zhanyue was in high spirits. The Silver Moon Armor was his strongest trump card, and now this trump card had made another qualitative leap. How could he not be happy?

    ¡°Everything is arranged,¡± Zhanyue took a deep breath andnded in Gong Xiaoyu¡¯s courtyard.

    Gong Xiaoyu had very few teaching duties and spent most of her time in free activities. She was quite a homebody, hiding at home to cultivate every day. In her words, she had been busy with official duties in the Thousand Charms Empire, but now in the academy, she could seize the time to cultivate well in preparation for the great changes of the ages.

    ¡°Knock, knock, knock.¡± Zhanyue politely knocked on Gong Xiaoyu¡¯s courtyard door. Soon, a familiar female voice came, ¡°Come in, I¡¯m in the cultivation room.¡± Passing through the small courtyard, Zhanyue entered Gong Xiaoyu¡¯s cultivation room. Gong Xiaoyu was wearing light green clothes with her hair down, without makeup, sweat still on her forehead and hair. Zhanyue realized that this woman was not only beautiful but also had an excellent figure. He only dared to nce briefly before averting his eyes, reminding himself not to look improperly.

    Gong Xiaoyu used profound energy to dry the moisture from her body, then put on a long robe, covering her shapely figure. People oftenpare women to water, but Zhanyue knew this woman before him was truly made of water. Gong Xiaoyu smiled slightly, and even without makeup, she was still enchantingly beautiful.

    ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Gong Xiaoyu said teasingly.

    ¡°Uh,¡± Zhanyue withdrew his gaze from Gong Xiaoyu, embarrassed, ¡°Should I go out first so you can dress up?¡±

    ¡°What? Do I look that bad?¡± Gong Xiaoyu asked in return.

    ¡°No, not at all. Lady Gong is naturally beautiful, how could you look bad?¡± Zhanyue quickly said, knowing he needed her help and should speak sweetly. ¡°In terms of beauty, Lady Gong probably surpasses all in the Thousand Charms Empire.¡±

    Gong Xiaoyu giggled, ¡°Won¡¯t Baizhi be jealous if she hears you praising other women like this? Besides, how many people from the Thousand Charms Empire have you seen to say I surpass them all? Let¡¯s talk business. You didn¡¯te here just to flirt with me, did you?¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare,¡± Zhanyue took out the pill and said seriously, ¡°Senior Alchemist gave me a ninth-grade pill. This pill can help me quickly break through to the Profound Realm. However, the pill is explosive, with fierce medicinal effects. I fear I won¡¯t be able to suppress its power after taking it. I cultivate a fire-based technique, and this pill is also an extremely strong fire-attribute pill. It needs to be suppressed with gentle water power. Looking across the world, only you, Lady Gong, are most suitable to protect me and help me refine this pill.¡±

    Gong Xiaoyu looked at the pill and could feel its intense fire attribute power. ¡°That senior really thinks highly of you, willing to give you a ninth-grade pill. So you¡¯re just looking for me to protect you. I thought¡­¡±

    ¡°Thought what?¡± Zhanyue asked, puzzled.

    Gong Xiaoyu gave him a sideways nce, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to be so innocent. I can certainly help you with protection, but what benefit do I get?¡±

    ¡°Benefit?¡± Zhanyue didn¡¯t know how to answer for a moment, so he said, ¡°Whatever Lady Gong needs me to do, as long as it¡¯s within my ability, I¡¯ll naturally do my best.¡±

    ¡°I do indeed have something I need your help with,¡± Gong Xiaoyu said. ¡°I assume you¡¯ll be entering the Book World soon. I want you to obtain something from the Book World for me.¡±

    ¡°What thing?¡± Zhanyue wasn¡¯t surprised that Gong Xiaoyu knew about the Book World, but he was puzzled about what she wanted, as he hadn¡¯t obtained anything yet.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know either. Anyway, we¡¯ll talk about it after youe out of the Book World,¡± Gong Xiaoyu actually didn¡¯t know either, as the Thousand Charms Empress hadn¡¯t said what the item was, seemingly saying it out loud would affect causality.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what the Book World will be like either. What if I don¡¯t get that item?¡± Zhanyue asked again. Gong Xiaoyu¡¯s request was indeed strange. If she really needed him to get something from the Book World, she could just tell him directly. Saying she didn¡¯t know seemed odd.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about that. When the timees, I¡¯ll know whether you¡¯ve obtained it or not. Just don¡¯t break your promise,¡± Gong Xiaoyu said.

    Zhanyue spoke seriously, ¡°I¡¯m not one to break my word. As long as what I bring back from the Book World includes what you need, I¡¯ll naturally keep my promise.¡±

    Gong Xiaoyu nodded, ¡°I believe you. Let¡¯s begin then.¡±

    ¡°Right here? Don¡¯t we need any extra preparations?¡± Zhanyue hadn¡¯t expected Gong Xiaoyu to be so direct.

    ¡°It¡¯s just helping you refine a pill, what extra preparations do we need? Prepare a bed?¡± Gong Xiaoyu teased. ¡°This is my cultivation room, and no one dares to disturb us here. It¡¯s perfect.¡±

    Zhanyueughed awkwardly. This woman had liked teasing him since their first meeting. It¡¯s fortunate he was a gentleman. But¡­ even if he had impure thoughts, he probably couldn¡¯t beat her anyway, even wearing the Silver Moon Armor.

    The two sat cross-legged. Zhanyue immediately swallowed the ninth-grade pill, instantly feeling as if he had swallowed a volcano. That volcano immediately erupted inside him, starting to burn his dantian and internal organs. His face was instantly covered with blue veins, the pain unbearable.

    Gong Xiaoyu¡¯s previous yfulness disappeared, reced by a serious expression. She controlled gentle water power to enter Zhanyue¡¯s body through his seven apertures, suppressing the ¡°volcano¡±, letting it erupt slowly and gradually release its medicinal power.

 Chapter 156: Three Talents Wondrous Fire, Water and Fire Intermingling (Slightly 18+?)

    Chapter 156: Three Talents Wondrous Fire, Water and Fire Intermingling (Slightly 18+?)

    Zhanyue had always used the ¡°Earth Vein Ghost Fire Body Forging and Pill Refining Method¡± as his basic technique, cultivating both alchemy and martial arts. Later, he also obtained the ¡°Sun Shining Scripture¡± to cultivate his soul. However, both these cultivation methods and soul cultivation techniques were fire-attribute. Now, after taking that ninth-grade pill, it was like igniting a powder keg. The saying ¡°too much of a good thing¡± probably applied here.

    His hair, eyebrows, and clothes were burned clean from the inside out by the mes. Even the fine hair on his body couldn¡¯t be protected. A smell of roasted meat emanated from Zhanyue¡¯s body, his skin bright red, a terrifying sight.

    ¡°This severe?¡± Gong Xiaoyu raised an eyebrow, not expecting the side effects of Zhanyue swallowing the ninth-grade pill to be so intense. She bit her finger and ced a drop of essence blood on Zhanyue¡¯s brow, then activated her technique. Water vapor gathered from all directions. A huge water sphere enveloped Zhanyue, temporarily suppressing the external fire.

    Inside Zhanyue¡¯s body, Gong Xiaoyu¡¯s drop of essence blood had merged with his blood, instantly lowering his internal temperature. Then, Gong Xiaoyu¡¯s fair hand reached out, pressing against Zhanyue¡¯s heart. She felt it was as hot as the sun; the pill¡¯s power had already prated his heart, which naturally needed to be protected as a priority. Under the protection of gentle water power, the medicinal power was slowly absorbed by Zhanyue.

    Eighth stage of Soul Control¡­ Ninth stage of Soul Control¡­ Peak of Soul Control¡­ Only one step away from entering the Profound Realm.

    Zhanyue¡¯s soul sea had long been a sea of fire, with the Sun Prime Fire and Earth Vein Ghost Fire, one gold and one blue, clearly separated. He floated above them. His soul body absorbed energy from the fire sea below, the mes cleansing his meridians. Zhanyue once again used fierce fire power to cleanse his marrow and veins. The ¡°Earth Vein Ghost Fire Body Forging and Pill Refining Method¡± was a top-tier body tempering technique, treating one¡¯s own body like a pill for refinement. The ¡°Sun Shining Scripture¡± was an even more extraordinary soul cultivation method. With these two methods as a foundation, the basis should have been very solid. However, a green me suddenly appeared between the Sun Prime Fire and Earth Vein Ghost Fire. This green me started weak but continuously grew stronger, using the surrounding fire power as fuel to aid its growth.

    Green mes suddenly ignited on Zhanyue¡¯s body surface. His outer clothes had already been burned away, leaving only the undershirt given by the Illumination Goddess to suppress his cultivation. Now, even this undershirt of mysterious material turned to ash under the green mes¡¯ burning. The water sphere enveloping Zhanyue instantly evaporated!

    ¡°What¡¯s happening? Where did this additional fire powere from?¡± Gong Xiaoyu¡¯s eyes widened. Even with her cultivation, she couldn¡¯t suppress the fire power in Zhanyue¡¯s body anymore. ¡°He was about to break through sessfully!¡±

    In Zhanyue¡¯s soul sea, the ¡°Sun Shining Scripture¡± broke through to the next level, his soul power reaching the Profound Realm first. A new set of mental methods suddenly appeared in his mind, seemingly from this ¡°Sun Shining Scripture¡±. ¡°Heaven¡¯s fire burns the body, Earth¡¯s fire refines the bones, Human¡¯s fire forges the soul. This is the method of the Three Talents Wondrous Fire for body tempering and soul cultivation.¡± Zhanyue savored this sentence. The Sun Prime Fire was Heaven¡¯s fire, the Earth Vein Ghost Fire was naturally Earth¡¯s fire, but where did the Human¡¯s firee from? Thinking of this, his soul consciousness locked onto that green me in the center of the fire sea.

    ¡°Could it be this? When did it appear in my body?¡± Zhanyue was puzzled, but that sentence about the Three Talents Wondrous Fire tempted him, and he allowed the green me to grow stronger. Soon, the gold, green, and blue mes formed a tripartite bnce. Zhanyue felt his consciousness blur, as if about to explode. Soon after, he felt himself falling into an ice sea, his entire being thoroughly cooled down. The nourishing feeling of being enveloped by seawater was veryfortable, letting him fall into a deep sleep like a baby.

    In the outside world, Gong Xiaoyu¡¯s entire body was tightly pressed against Zhanyue¡¯s, like water and milk intermingling. She never imagined Zhanyue would be so bold as to ignite the fire of human desire at such a time. The so-called desire fire is the me buried in everyone¡¯s heart. Zhanyue unconsciously allowed it to grow stronger without suppression, nearly dying from being consumed by desire.

    Seeing Zhanyue¡¯s expression offort, Gong Xiaoyu was furious. She bit Zhanyue¡¯s neck, leaving a blood mark. She never thought that to save Zhanyue¡¯s life, she would have to sacrifice herself, suffering a great loss! What started as protection had turned into dual cultivation of water and fire.

    Zhanyue unconsciously held the person in front of him tighter, making thempletely merge, as this was the only way to make himself feel better.

    Sun Prime Fire, Earth Vein Ghost Fire, and Human Desire Fire ¨C the three fires intertwined,pleting the Three Talents of Heaven, Earth, and Human. Zhanyue¡¯s soul world was renewed, followed by mysterious changes in his body, sessfully stepping into the gate of the Profound Realm.

    The ¡°Three Mysteries Fire Fusion Technique¡± was unconsciously activated by Zhanyue. The Three Talents fires continued to merge, transforming into a milky white me. This me didn¡¯t have scorching high temperature, but instead acted as a nourishing substance, continuously repairing various burns on Zhanyue¡¯s body and restoring him.

    Finally, he opened his eyes. Under the Profound Realm, the world seemed even vaster. But the first thing Zhanyue saw wasn¡¯t the world, but a beautiful woman looking at him angrily. At the same time, Zhanyue finally understood what had happened, and with this shock, his profound gate faltered. Gong Xiaoyu let out a muffled groan, weakly resting her head on Zhanyue¡¯s shoulder. She naturally knew what had just entered her body.

    Their eyes met, both filled with endless embarrassment.

    Gong Xiaoyu covered Zhanyue¡¯s eyes with her hand, a mist of waterpletely obscuring his vision. By the time the mist disappeared from Zhanyue¡¯s eyes, Gong Xiaoyu had already dressed.

    ¡°What exactly happened?¡± Zhanyue waspletely bewildered, not understanding how things had turned out this way.

    Gong Xiaoyu looked at him coldly, ¡°Wasn¡¯t this your n from the beginning? Knowing I couldn¡¯t stand by and watch you die.¡±

    Zhanyue shook his head, with a bitter smile, ¡°Definitely not. I didn¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t know? You deliberately ignited the fire of desire, nearly causing yourself to die from being consumed by it. I had no choice but to use dual cultivation to help you dissipate the excess desire fire. And you say you don¡¯t know anything?¡± Gong Xiaoyu was very angry. She had only meant to protect him during cultivation, but ended up sacrificing her purity.

    ¡°Gong¡­ I¡­¡± Zhanyue wanted to say something but didn¡¯t know how to exin.

    ¡°You should go. Only you and I know about this. If a third person finds out, no matter how special your identity is, I will kill you!¡± Gong Xiaoyu dismissed him. Her heart was also in turmoil.

    Zhanyue quickly dressed and hurried out. He was somewhat afraid that in her anger, Gong Xiaoyu might really kill him.

    ¡°I¡¯ll try to exin after everyone has calmed down,¡± Zhanyue thought. He never imagined things would develop this way.

    Seeing Zhanyue leave, Gong Xiaoyu¡¯s expression wasplex. Perhaps Zhanyue hadn¡¯t deliberately schemed against her, but the fact remained. Thinking of their previous actions, her face couldn¡¯t help but redden.

    ¡°Spirit God Realm, huh.¡± Gong Xiaoyu felt the changes in her internal power. She wasn¡¯t the only one who benefited from this dual cultivation. The water and fire dual cultivation, with Zhanyue¡¯s three-in-one wondrous fire, had thoroughly transformed Gong Xiaoyu¡¯s body as well.

    ¡°Well, I guess we¡¯re even now.¡± Gong Xiaoyu let out a long breath. Although she had suffered a loss, she had unexpectedly broken through to a new realm, and she had also absorbed much of the ninth-grade pill¡¯s power.

    ¡°Sigh, how am I going to face Baizhi in the future?¡± Gong Xiaoyu felt a headacheing on. She just hoped Zhanyue would keep the secret well. Let¡¯s just treat it as a dream.

 Chapter 157: The Strategists Plan

    Chapter 157: The Strategists n

    In an underground pce, where sunlight never reaches, a series of mirrors were carried out by puppets and arranged in two neat rows. Soon after, ck shadows appeared in the mirrors as the Great Lords gathered once again.

    ¡°The Illumination Goddess is really still alive?! The Strategist¡¯s guess was correct!¡±

    ¡°Sigh, was our sudden attack right or wrong? Not only did we fail to achieve good results, but we also exposed our strength, putting them on guard.¡±

    ¡°Besides the Illumination Goddess, a batch of new experts has emerged among humans. They¡¯re powerful, seemingly no weaker than the Four Symbol Lords of the past. Should we wait for His Majesty the Corpse Emperor to awaken before making a decision?¡±

    ¡°Human talents keep emerging, geniuses appearing one after another. If we give them another hundred years to develop, I¡¯m afraid we¡¯ll be at a disadvantage.¡±

    The Great Lords expressed their views, all dissatisfied with the current state of the war. The ability to ignore Illumination Towers wasn¡¯t something everyone had, and this trump card had been countered by the Illumination Goddess.

    Amidst the mor, one mirror lit up, and everyone instantly fell silent.

    ¡°Greetings, Strategist,¡± everyone said in unison.

    ¡°No need for formalities,¡± the Strategist¡¯s calm voice came through. ¡°I yed a trump card, and they responded with one of their own. This isn¡¯t a loss, so don¡¯t worry too much. Proceed ording to the previous n, eliminate all living beings outside the range of the Illumination Towers.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± everyone responded. Now that the great war had begun, Nightmares¡¯rge-scale actions were no longer concealed. Previously, humans could still have some vige outposts in the wild, but this time the Nightmares nned arge-scale cleansing operation. Viges, outposts, ry stations ¨C none would be spared. They would cut off human trade routes and eliminate any possibility of human survival in the wild, forcing all humans to be confined within city walls, daring to venture out only during the day.

    ¡°Human geniuses are numerous, and it¡¯s uncertain when His Majesty the Corpse Emperor will awaken. We can¡¯t afford to wait. That¡¯s all, everyone organize attacks ording to the original n,¡± the Strategist never dragged things out, quickly ending the meeting.

    Although the Illumination Goddess protected human cities with the secret technique of Celestial Star Wheel Illumination, viges and various outposts and ry stations outside the cities all suffered massive destruction. Humans retreated from the wilderness back into the cities, no longer daring to step out. Resources became tight everywhere, prices soared, and trade routes were cut off. An unprecedented crisis loomed over all races, not just humans; other races weren¡¯t faring well either.

    Deep underground, a pale-skinned man ventured in, with a strange bird perched on his shoulder. The man and bird walked for a long time, finally arriving at an underground cavern. Here, cold winds blew constantly, the temperature extremely low. Underground water froze whileva spurted from cracks. The cold and heat created an eerie atmosphere.

    In the center of the cave, several giant spiders circled. These spiders had twelve blood-red eyes on their backs, and their webs were woven into a giant cocoon, which these spiders guarded. The cocoon pulsated rhythmically, like breathing. Sealed within this demonic cocoon was naturally the leader of the Nightmares ¨C the Corpse Emperor.

    The Strategist looked at this giant cocoon with an extremely solemn expression. The strange bird on his shoulder excitedly asked, ¡°Is His Majesty the Corpse Emperor about to awaken?¡±

    The Strategist nodded. The cave¡¯s light came entirely from theva¡¯s glow, casting everything in a red hue. In his hand appeared a white sword, pure white throughout, emitting something like holy light. The sword hilt was carved with the image of a strong man holding a torch to illuminate the darkness. The strange bird, seeing this sword, flew far away in fright.

    ¡°It¡¯s the Holy Sword!¡± It recognized this sword as the Nightmares¡¯ bane ¨C the Holy Sword.

    ¡°Strategist, why is this legendary holy object in your possession?¡± The bird was astonished; this thing shouldn¡¯t exist in this world.

    The Strategist leapt towards the giant demonic cocoon. Several demon spiders noticed his movement and were about to attack. The Strategist uttered a single word ¨C ¡°Freeze!¡± The demon spiders truly froze in ce.

    ¡°True Word Technique! The Strategist has mastered the True Word Technique!¡± The bird was again surprised.

    The Strategist plunged the Holy Sword directly into the giant demonic cocoon. The cocoon shook for a long time before settling. Its originally powerful aura now became weak.

    ¡°This way, it will take at least several decades to awaken,¡± the Strategist said, pulling out the Holy Sword and returning to his original position.

    ¡°Strategist, why did you do this?¡± The bird, though a Nightmare, was loyal to the Strategist rather than the Corpse Emperor. It was just puzzled by the Strategist¡¯s motives.

    ¡°Humans and Nightmares are two sides of the same coin; there will never be a true victory or defeat between them. The Corpse Emperor and those who call themselves ¡®gods¡¯ are the real enemies. Humans have finally produced a ¡®sage¡¯, who cannot die here. The Illumination Goddess achieving ¡®godhood¡¯ will certainly attract attention from above. This is an opportunity to break the deadlock. I just worry that this forgotten ce of exile will be forever forgotten by them. Only if they remember do we have a chance,¡± the Strategist spoke mysteriously, words the bird couldn¡¯t understand at all.

    ¡°Who are ¡®they¡¯, and what is our chance?¡± The bird asked, puzzled.

    ¡°The detestable beings who enve all will. The chance? Naturally, the chance to regain free will,¡± the Strategist looked at the Holy Sword in his hand. ¡°For that slim chance, this ruse must continue, no matter how many people die, it must go on.¡±

    Everything the Strategist nned was unknown to the Nightmares, the Ghost Shark n, the myriad races, the Illumination Goddess, and certainly not to Zhanyue. Yet all people, all forces were already entangled in it.

    ¡°ording to my n, that human ¡®Holy Son¡¯ should enter the Book World soon. The Illumination Goddess exposing her ¡®divine nature¡¯ will certainly put her on their ¡®must kill¡¯ list, so that ¡®Holy Son¡¯ will definitely not ept their recruitment. He will eventually stand before me seeking help. As the most important piece in the n, I hope you won¡¯t disappoint me,¡± the Strategist¡¯s lips curled into a confident smile. Zhanyue¡¯s sudden rise and his rtionship with the Illumination Goddess were unexpected joys for him, giving him an even more weighty bargaining chip.

    In the academy town, Zhanyue naturally didn¡¯t know the Strategist was thinking of him. He was worrying about how to face Gong Xiaoyu in the future. Should he pretend nothing happened? Wouldn¡¯t that be too scummy? But his rtionship with her wasn¡¯t that intimate, was it?

    ¡°Star Profound Realm now,¡± Zhanyue refocused, feeling the surging power within him. Then, he summoned three mes ¨C gold, blue, and green: the Sun Prime Fire, Earth Vein Ghost Fire, and Human Desire Fire, expertly controlling them. He then used the ¡°Three Mysteries Fire Fusion Technique¡±, instantly fusing the three mes into one milky white me ¨C the Three Talents Wondrous Fire. However, Zhanyue still didn¡¯t know the marvelous uses of this fire.

    ¡°This me seems to have an endless power, I wonder what amazing properties it has,¡± Zhanyue pondered, looking at the milky white me in his palm.

    ¡°Kid,e quickly!¡± Soon after, Thunder Lord¡¯s voice transmission reached Zhanyue¡¯s ears.

    When Zhanyue arrived, there were already eight people in the room, making nine including him. They were Thunder Lord, Sword Lord, the Alchemist, Wind Lord, Holy Maiden Lixi, Gong Xiaoyu, Mi Hongchen, and a middle-aged man wearing a yellow robe with a noble aura.

    Gong Xiaoyu nced at Zhanyue once before looking away, as if nothing had happened between them before. However, her realm had broken through to Spirit God.

    ¡°Zhanyue, you know everyone else. Let me introduce you to this person ¨C he is the Eastern Kingdom¡¯s Emperor,¡± Thunder Lord said, pointing to the middle-aged man.

    Zhanyue¡¯s pupils contracted slightly. No wonder this man had such a noble aura and somewhat resembled Mi Hongchen in his features. So he was the Eastern Kingdom¡¯s Emperor, Mi Hongchen¡¯s father.

    ¡°Greetings, Your Majesty,¡± Zhanyue said respectfully.

    ¡°No need for formalities. This isn¡¯t the imperial court; we can address each other as uncle and nephew,¡± said the Eastern Kingdom¡¯s Emperor, Mi Doni. Everyone standing here was of high status; no one was nobler than the others, so only rtionships of seniors and juniors applied.

    Mi Hongchen looked Zhanyue over and praised, ¡°Broken through to the Profound Realm?¡± Then she looked at Gong Xiaoyu with a troubled expression, ¡°I¡¯m not surprised he broke through to the Profound Realm, but why did you break through to the Spirit God Realm? Good sister, do you have some secret method? Can you teach me?¡±

    Gong Xiaoyu was at a loss for words, not knowing how to answer. ¡°Just good luck, I suppose. With your talent, breaking through to Spirit God Realm is just a matter of time.¡± Zhanyue noticed Gong Xiaoyu¡¯s nce towards him, tinged with killing intent, and tried to appear calm. He knew she was threatening him not to mention what happened before.

    ¡°Alright, Hongchen, enough chatter. We¡¯ve gathered everyone today mainly for two things. First, to inform everyone about the news from Dragon Lord. Second, matters rted to opening the Book World,¡± Mi Doni urged his daughter.

 Chapter 158: The Secret of the Book of Heaven

    Chapter 158: The Secret of the Book of Heaven

    ¡°My luck was good. When I arrived at Dragon Ind, Dragon Lord had just finished his seclusion,¡± Mi Hongchen said. Thunder Lord¡¯s face showed a hint of an embarrassed smile. Why was it that every time he sought Dragon Lord, there was never such perfect timing? The dragons of this world weren¡¯t part of the demon race and couldn¡¯t transform into human form, so they differed from humans in many habits. Dragon Lord generally disliked excessivemunication with humans, except, of course, for Mi Hongchen.

    Mi Hongchen¡¯s contract beast was a descendant of Dragon Lord, personally handed to her by Dragon Lord when it was young. Thus, Mi Hongchen was the most important link between humans and dragons.

    ¡°Dragon City is also under the Goddess¡¯s protection. Dragon Lord deeply appreciates the Goddess¡¯s righteousness and is willing to lend a hand,¡± Mi Hongchen spoke with admiration. In the entire Myriad Spirits World, there were only two types of people: believers of the Illumination Goddess and fanatical believers of the Illumination Goddess. Mi Hongchen probably belonged to the more fanatical category. ¡°He has issued the Dragon Lord¡¯s Decree, ordering each of the four great dragon ns in the Myriad Spirits Realm to dispatch a thousand giant dragons to human cities, helping to restore trade routes and transport supplies.¡±

    Everyone¡¯s faces lit up at this news. Four thousand giant dragons entering the world, establishing a flying transport system, couldpletely alleviate humanity¡¯s urgent needs. Giant dragons were incredibly strong and fast flyers. They could easily travel between two cities in just one day, unlike inefficient human transport animals like horses.

    Zhanyue raised an eyebrow, feeling as if the world had evolved overnight fromnd transport to air traffic.

    ¡°Excellent. With these giant dragons¡¯ assistance, at least resources can be freely allocated between cities, and food shortages due to transport limitations won¡¯t ur. A full four thousand giant dragons ¨C Dragon Lord has certainly shown goodwill,¡± Thunder Lord let out a long sigh of relief. As the human leader, he had been under extreme pressuretely. Nightmares were striking everywhere, making viges and ry stations unsafe. Although cities were protected by Illumination Towers and the Goddess, human transportation capabilities had been almostpletely strangled. A merchant caravan could hardly travel far in a day, and staying overnight in the wilderness was now tantamount to suicide. The world was no longer in the state where Nightmaresy dormant. In the wilderness at night, high-level Nightmares were everywhere, and King-level Nightmares roamed freely. Humanity had entered an era ofpletely losing the night.

    ¡°Indeed. With the power of giant dragons, round trips between two cities in a day will be effortless. Leave the task of arranging and deploying these dragons to me. I fear ordinary people might not be able to handle it,¡± the usually taciturn Sword Lord said. Restoring the human resource transportationwork was a crucial matter, so he decided to take personal responsibility for it.

    ¡°Very well, I wouldn¡¯t feel at ease entrusting this to anyone else,¡± Thunder Lord nodded.

    ¡°Now, let¡¯s discuss the second matter. The opening of the Book World,¡± Thunder Lord¡¯s expression turned serious. Wind Lord took over, saying, ¡°The matter of the Book World may have been exposed. We don¡¯t know if the enemy is the Night Lord¡¯s people or Nightmare spies among humans. Nightmares can no longer be analyzed based on past intelligence. They¡¯ve learned to scheme, and a small number of them are no longer afraid of Illumination Towers. The previous principal¡¯s death might be rted to Nightmares. They want topletely destroy the Book World, but fortunately, we managed to keep the key safe. To avoid prolonged troubles, opening the Book World is now urgent.¡±

    ¡°How much do you know about the Book World?¡± Zhanyue asked curiously. He had never heard of the Book World before, but judging from Wind Lord¡¯s manner, they seemed to know a lot about it.

    Wind Lord smiled and exined, ¡°Many ancient legacies have been discovered in our era. Both Thunder Lord and Sword Lord have their own fortuitous encounters. Among these, the Book World is the most special legacy trial ground because it¡¯s alive. It has its own will and can evenmunicate with us, so we know a lot about the Book World.¡±

    ¡°Alive?¡± Zhanyue was stunned. Ancient humans left many relics, most of which Zhanyue knew were in the Human Realm, but that didn¡¯t mean there were none outside. Could the Book World be the legacy ground of one of the legendary Nine Emperors of the Void Sky?

    ¡°To open the Book World, we need to gather eight extreme powers: ¡®Heaven¡¯, ¡®Earth¡¯, ¡®Wind¡¯, ¡®Thunder¡¯, ¡®Mountain¡¯, ¡®Fire¡¯, ¡®Water¡¯, and ¡®Metal¡¯. Now we¡¯ve finally gathered them all,¡± Wind Lord continued.

    Zhanyue looked at the people in the room, finally understanding why these particr individuals were present.

    Light as the power of Heaven, the Light Contractor Holy Maiden Lixi representing ¡®Heaven¡¯;

    The Earth Mother Golden Cauldron could mobilize earth vein power, with Zhanyue, now in the Profound Realm, representing ¡®Earth¡¯;

    Wind Contractor Wind Lord representing the power of ¡®Wind¡¯;

    Thunder Contractor Thunder Lord representing the power of ¡®Thunder¡¯;

    The Eastern Kingdom Emperor possessing mountain power, representing ¡®Mountain¡¯;

    Water Contractor Gong Xiaoyu representing ¡®Water¡¯;

    Mi Hongchen had awakened the Extreme me Domain, andbined with her fire dragon, could meet the ¡®Fire¡¯ requirement;

    And Sword Lord naturally represented the power of ¡®Metal¡¯;

    With these eight powersbined with the key, they could now formally open the Book World. The most difficult to find, the power of ¡®Earth¡¯, was nowplete due to Zhanyue¡¯s advancement to the Profound Realm. Previously, Zhanyue¡¯s realm wasn¡¯t sufficient and might have held them back, but now that problem was resolved.

    ¡°Next is the selection of personnel to enter the Book World. You eight are important contributors to opening the Book World, so each of you has one rmendation slot. The Spirit of the Book of Heaven said that a maximum of twelve people can enter at once, so we have twelve slots,¡± Wind Lord continued.

    Zhanyue himself needed to go in, so his slot was for himself, same for Holy Maiden Lixi. Since MuMu Lixi had her own slot, Wind Lord gave his to Nangong Wei, as thanks to her and the Moon Reflection Pavilion. Gong Xiaoyu naturally considered her own people, giving her slot to Baizhi. Mi Hongchen, entangled in worldly affairs, couldn¡¯t possibly go to the Book World herself, so she gave her slot to a surprising choice ¨C the little girl named Meng Xiaodie whom Zhanyue had saved before.

    ¡°Sword Lord and I won¡¯t take up slots,¡± Thunder Lord said. He and Sword Lord represented human authority and couldn¡¯t show personal preferences.

    ¡°Brother Mi, what about you? Does your Eastern Kingdom have anyone to rmend?¡± Thunder Lord asked the Eastern Kingdom Emperor.

    Mi Doni calmly said, ¡°The Azure Wind Realm¡¯s ancestor contacted me earlier, intending to negotiate a deal.¡±

    ¡°What deal? That old fellow finally couldn¡¯t sit still?¡± Thunder Lord frowned. In their eyes, the Azure Wind Realm was a bunch of cowardly mice clinging to life.

    ¡°The Azure Wind Realm is preparing to open its borders. You know, there are many spirit stone veins within the Azure Wind Realm. These spirit stones are very important for those formations. That old fellow is willing to exchange an entire spirit vein for one slot,¡± Mi Doni said.

    ¡°You agreed?¡± Thunder Lord asked.

    Mi Doni nodded, ¡°As you know, although the Eastern Kingdom is rich in illumination stone production, spirit stone veins are not abundant. As the Eastern Kingdom¡¯s Emperor, I must consider the people. It¡¯s better to be prepared. That¡¯s an entire spirit stone vein.¡±

    ¡°Sigh, your slot is naturally yours to decide. If you want to give it to him, so be it. I¡¯m curious what kind of genius the Azure Wind Realm has produced to be worth such a high price for a slot. Also, how did that old fellow know about the Book World?¡± Thunder Lord was puzzled.

    ¡°Who knows? We know very little about the Azure Wind Realm. In this great cmity, their willingness to open their borders and face the disaster together ¨C we don¡¯t know if it¡¯s good or bad for us,¡± Mi Doni was equally unclear about the Azure Wind Realm.

    Wind Lord¡¯s expression was the most peculiar, his mind heavy. ¡°The Azure Wind Realm is opening its borders?¡±

    ¡°Grandfather,¡± MuMu Lixi squeezed Wind Lord¡¯s hand. She naturally knew what he was thinking ¨C his wife was still imprisoned in the Azure Wind Realm.

    ¡°So, six of the twelve slots are confirmed. The remaining six slots will be open forpetition. I¡¯ll issue another Goddess¡¯s Decree to various major forces, letting them select suitable candidates toe to the academy town. The remaining six slots will be decided throughbat. When all twelve slots are filled, that will be the day to formally open the Book World,¡± Thunder Lord finally said. Of the twelve slots, six were predetermined, and the remaining six would be open for freepetition.

    Zhanyue¡¯s eyes were full of anticipation. This would surely be a fiercepetition, with the human geniuses of the Myriad Spirits Realm having to show their true abilities.

 Chapter 159: Human Geniuses (1)

    Chapter 159: Human Geniuses (1)

    With the second Goddess¡¯s Decree issued, Thunder Lord¡¯s message was received wherever there was a Goddess statue, causing a stir throughout the world.

    In the Rising Sun Kingdom, a handsome young man with golden hair, wearing knight¡¯s armor, knelt on one knee before the Rising Sun Kingdom¡¯s ruler.

    ¡°Xiongxin pays respects to Your Majesty,¡± said the young man. He was Xiongxin, the young leader of the Sun Knight Regiment, who had escorted the Holy Maiden to the Eastern Kingdom for worship before. Now, Xiongxin was more reserved and mature than before, and his strength was considerable.

    ¡°You will go topete for a slot in the Book World trial,¡± the Rising Sun Kingdom¡¯s ruler said. The most suitable candidate in the Rising Sun Kingdom was the Holy Maiden, but she was already guaranteed a spot, so he had to send Xiongxin topete for the remaining slots.

    ¡°Remember, this opportunity is extremely important for both you and our Rising Sun Kingdom,¡± the ruler reminded again.

    ¡°Your subject remembers and will give it his all!¡± Xiongxin said ambitiously. Thispetition would surely make his name known throughout the world.

    ¡°This time, let the Crown Prince apany you. Many seniors are currently in the academy town, so you must not fail in etiquette,¡± the ruler finally said. Sending the Crown Prince to apany Xiongxin to the academy town for thepetition showed the Rising Sun Kingdom¡¯s emphasis on this matter. The academy town was now the absolute center of world changes. Thunder Lord, Sword Lord, and the Alchemist were all there, and even the ascetic monk and the Storyteller were heading towards the academy town. This grand event would gather the top human geniuses, representing the absolute core of humanity, and could not be taken lightly. Humanity was going all out to ensure the safety of the academy town. With the protection of Thunder Lord, Sword Lord, and the three legendary seniors, even if the Strategist came personally, he wouldn¡¯t gain any advantage. As for the Night Lord? In the face of such a lineup, showing his face would be suicide. The Night Lord wasn¡¯t foolish enough to cause trouble in the academy town at this time.

    In the Fierce Earth Kingdom, the court had decided to send the thirteenth prince, Liu Zhaoran, topete. As the Fierce Earth Kingdom¡¯s top genius, Liu Zhaoran¡¯s spear techniques were divine, and he could challenge across realms as easily as reaching into a bag. In the martial arts arena, a muscr man with a bare upper body wielded arge spear like a flying dragon, amazing the onlookers.

    ¡°Your Highness truly lives up to being a martial arts fanatic, still practicing spear techniques at this time. This spear technique can be described as a unity of man and weapon, reaching the pinnacle of skill. Impressive, truly impressive,¡± an old mannded on the rooftop, watching Liu Zhaoran below and sighing in admiration. ¡°Greetings, Elder Weng!¡± Liu Zhaoran quickly bowed upon seeing the white-haired elder who suddenly appeared on the roof. This man was a true imperial tutor; both the previous emperor and his father were his disciples, so he dared not show any negligence.

    ¡°Get ready, we¡¯re leaving. We should arrive early to make some preparations. We must secure a slot in this Book World trial. It concerns whether our Fierce Earth Kingdom will have a true pir for the future. Your elder brother is responsible for governing the country, but the heavy responsibility of protecting the country lies on your shoulders,¡± the elder named Weng said.

    ¡°Yes!¡± Liu Zhaoran¡¯s eyes were full of fighting spirit. Battling heroes from all over the world had long been his wish!

    In the Thousand Charms Empire, in the imperial harem, Baizhi was busy assisting Empress Luo Shenyu in pill refining. After a long time, a furnace of pills waspleted, eighth-grade pills.

    ¡°Well done, sessful on the first try. Zhier, you truly are my good assistant,¡± the Empress¡¯s eyes were full of joy. Eighth-grade pills were not easy to refine, but with Baizhi¡¯s help, she had seeded so smoothly, showing Baizhi¡¯s terrifying talent in alchemy.

    ¡°Your Majesty is an eighth-grade alchemist. You were the main force in this pill refining. I only provided some insignificant assistance,¡± Baizhi said. Even now, she was still somewhat timid before the Empress, after all, she was facing the one who held the power of life and death in the Thousand Charms Empire.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need for such formality between us. Let me tell you some good news,¡± the Empress said, holding Baizhi¡¯s hand. ¡°That girl Xiaoyu participated in the Book World opening ceremony. ording to Thunder Lord and the others¡¯ rules, she secured a guaranteed slot for our Thousand Charms Empire to cultivate in the Book World. I¡¯ve decided to let you go.¡±

    Baizhi was somewhat panicked and asked, ¡°Although I¡¯m skilled in alchemy, I¡¯m not good at cultivation and martial arts. Is it really appropriate to give such a good opportunity to me?¡±

    ¡°Silly girl, who said the Book World is only for honing martial arts? Go with peace of mind. Besides, if you don¡¯t go, your little boyfriend might be snatched away by someone else,¡± the Empress teased, which was rare for her.

    Baizhi¡¯s face reddened. She knew the Empress was referring to Holy Maiden Lixi, whom Zhanyue had mentioned in his letters. ¡°I¡¯ll go,¡± Baizhi said. She hadn¡¯t seen Zhanyue for a long time and missed him greatly. She was indeed worried about that unseen powerful love rival.

    ¡°This time, let me apany her. Her safety cannot bepromised, and besides, I¡¯d like to catch up,¡± a simply dressed woman, whose elegance and nobility couldn¡¯t be hidden, walked out from the deep pce. It was the former Empress, Mu Fanchan! With her apanying Baizhi, there would naturally be no problems.

    In the Jade Mist Kingdom, a white-robed man was hunting fierce beasts in the Soul-Breaking Mountain Range. His sword emitted dazzling rosy light, and with one move, the sky was filled with rosy radiance. Over ten terrifying fierce wolves surrounding him all perished under this single move.

    ¡°The final move of the ¡®Heavenly Rosy Sword Technique¡¯, ¡®Sky Full of Rosy Light¡¯, isplete!¡± The man let out a long breath. Just then, a five-colored small bird shot towards him, which he caught easily. The bird held a treasure pearl in its mouth, from which a divine sense was transmitted.

    ¡°Return quickly. The Jade Mist Kingdom¡¯s ruler has decided to let him go to the academy town topete for a Book World trial slot. This matter is of great importance.¡± Song Yuxian¡¯s expression turned solemn as he put away his rosy light sword and headed out of the Soul-Breaking Mountain Range. This man was the peerless genius of the Jade Mist Kingdom ¨C Rosy Light Sword Song Yuxian.

    In the Pine Mountain Kingdom, at the sacred ce, the Eternal Sky Medicine Sect. This was the sect of one of the four great alchemy masters, holding a very special position in the Pine Mountain Kingdom. At this moment, in the sect, a white-robed man with an immortal-like aura was drying medicinal herbs in the courtyard.

    ¡°Not bad, the quality of this year¡¯s medicinal herbs is good,¡± the man inhaled the fresh scent of the herbs, looking intoxicated.

    ¡°Senior Brother Jiang, the Sect Master is looking for you,¡± a young medicine apprentice approached.

    ¡°Alright,¡± White Robed Medicine King Jiang Licheng put down the herbs in his hands and walked curiously into the sect¡¯s main hall. The usually reclusive Eternal Sky Medicine Sect had finally decided to take action.

    In the Rain Waterfall Kingdom, Green Crane Valley. This valley was deep and secluded, known to few. But the royal family of the Rain Waterfall Kingdom knew that one of the world¡¯s four great alchemy masters resided here. Green Crane Valley held a position in the Rain Waterfall Kingdom equivalent to that of the Eternal Sky Medicine Sect in the Pine Mountain Kingdom. Initially, Baizhi¡¯s grandmother had thought of bringing Baizhi to Green Crane Valley for refuge.

    In the valley, it was like spring all year round, with flowers everywhere and green cranes asionally flying in and out, like a paradise on earth. A green-d young woman with a basket on her back was picking some medicinal herbs in the flower fields at the bottom of the valley. She had also woven a flower crown and ced it on her head, which,bined with her extraordinarily beautiful face, made her look like a flower fairy.

    ¡°Xueqing,¡± a middle-aged woman with a kind face descended gracefully. She was one of the world¡¯s four great alchemy masters, the master of Green Crane Valley, Yan Baifeng.

    ¡°Master?¡± Feng Xueqing turned around, also surprised. For her master toe looking for her personally, there must be something important.

    ¡°Come with me to the Eastern Kingdom¡¯s academy town,¡± the woman said.

    ¡°Master, why are we suddenly going to the academy town?¡± Feng Xueqing asked, puzzled.

    ¡°Thepetition for Book World trial slots has begun. We must strive for such an opportunity,¡± Yan Baifeng said.

    Feng Xueqing shook her head, ¡°Master, let thempete if they want to. This disciple doesn¡¯t want to go. Fighting is not as interesting as these flowers and nts.¡±

    Yan Baifeng sighed. Her disciple was good in every way, with extraordinary talent in both alchemy and martial arts, but shepletelycked any desire forpetition, being detached from worldly matters and transcending the mortal world. She didn¡¯t know if this was good or bad.

    ¡°Senior Alchemist is currently in the academy town. I¡¯m at a loss regarding your illness, but perhaps he might have a solution. This opportunity can¡¯t be missed. We must go, and I¡¯ll apany you,¡± Yan Baifeng said seriously.

    Feng Xueqing wanted to say something more, but seeing her master¡¯s eyes, she closed her mouth. She knew her master¡¯s decision was final and couldn¡¯t be refused.

    ¡°Alright then, I¡¯ll go to see Senior Alchemist. But as for that Book World slotpetition, I don¡¯t want to participate,¡± Feng Xueqing said.

    ¡°We¡¯ll discuss it further when we reach the academy town,¡± Yan Baifeng thought to herself, once we¡¯re there, you won¡¯t have a choice but to participate.

 Chapter 160: Human Geniuses (2)

    Chapter 160: Human Geniuses (2)

    In the northwest corner of the World, there was a country called the Sleeping Dragon Kingdom, named so because within its bordersy the corpse of a giant dragon. The dragon¡¯s corpse coiled over hundreds of miles, resembling a mountain range. Various rare and precious herbs grew on the dragon corpse, making it extremely valuable. As a result, this Dragon Corpse Mountain Range was designated as a forbidden area by the Sleeping Dragon Kingdom.

    In the center of the Dragon Corpse Mountain Range, a man sat naked under a waterfall, letting the cascading water impact his muscr body. On his heart was a birthmark resembling dragon scales, now emitting an eerie purple light.

    The man suddenly opened his eyes, his body instantly covered in dragon scales, a dragon tail growing out. He could actually transform into a half-human, half-dragon form, something even Dragon Lord couldn¡¯t do. Ancient dragon blood flowed in his veins, and his contract object was the mysterious dragon scale on his heart.

    The man leapt up, using the dragon wings on his back to split the waterfall in two, hovering in mid-air. He flexed his hands, now transformed into dragon ws, a confident smile appearing on his lips.

    ¡°I¡¯ve almost fully absorbed the ancient dragon breath. I wonder if there¡¯s still anyone below the Spirit God Realm who can match me,¡± the man murmured. ¡°Mi Hongchen would be a good choice for a dao partner, although she¡¯s quite a bit older than me, it doesn¡¯t matter. I should find a time to have Father Emperor propose marriage, though the Eastern Kingdom Emperor won¡¯t easily let her go. Well, someday I¡¯ll stand at the peak of the world, and then I can just take her directly.¡±

    Fan Longyu looked towards the east, not taking thepetition for Book World slots seriously at all. With his strength, it would naturally be a piece of cake.

    ¡°Before leaving, I should say goodbye to my four masters in the Four Saints Lake,¡± he thought, then shot off towards the distance.

    The Four Saints in theke, four True Realm experts on par with the Four Dragon Kings, were actually all his masters.

    In the human realm, as night deepened, a hugeke in the center was brightly lit, like an earthly moon reflecting the moon in the sky. Thiske was often shrouded in mist, making it impossible for outsiders to prate deeply, only able to linger at the edges. This was the Moon Reflection Pavilion, deep in the Sunset Canyon. ¡°Nangong Wei already has a guaranteed slot, but our Moon Reflection Pavilion must still send a disciple to participate. It¡¯s time to let the world see our Moon Reflection Pavilion¡¯s strength again,¡± a middle-aged man said calmly deep within the Moon Reflection Pavilion, with a young man in green standing beside him.

    ¡°Master, let me go. I can also see how little junior sister is living there,¡± the speaker was the Moon Reflection Pavilion¡¯s top genius, Gong Sun Taoli.

    ¡°Very well, but there are many experts in the Myriad Spirits Realm. This time, no one will hold back. You must be careful, don¡¯t be careless when facing enemies, and be sure to give it your all,¡± the Moon Reflection Pavilion Master instructed.

    But Gong Sun Taoli clearly showed some disdain, ¡°Unless I encounter that woman from the White Cloud Tower, I will surely defeat anyone else. This slot will be mine, Master can just wait for the good news.¡±

    Watching Gong Sun Taoli¡¯s departing figure, the Moon Reflection Pavilion Master frowned, ¡°This child has never experienced setbacks since childhood. It¡¯s good for him to go and gain some experience. The world¡¯s talents are not limited to just a few from the Moon Reflection Pavilion and White Cloud Tower. However, Wei is actually our Moon Reflection Pavilion¡¯s most talented disciple, and she¡¯s already secured a slot, so I don¡¯t need to worry too much.¡±

    Above the Origin Sea, a mysterious floating ind hung high in the sky, with pavilions and towers like a fairnd. This was the White Cloud Tower, on par with the Moon Reflection Pavilion. ¡°White Cloud Tower in the sky, Moon Reflection Pavilion on earth¡± ¨C attracting the world¡¯s geniuses was not just a slogan.

    Outside a closed cultivation room, a man dressed as a schr with extraordinary bearing was idly twirling a brush in his hand. If Zhanyue were here, he might guess his identity ¨C this was the horse-faced man who had traded with Zhanyue on Ghost Ind. Now he had removed his horse-head mask, and his cultivation had advanced to the Profound Realm.

    Soon after, the door opened, and a white-d woman slowly walked out. Meng Huyu felt his heart skip a beat; no matter how many times he saw his senior sister, she was always stunningly beautiful, like a heavenly fairy.

    Yunyao was the adopted daughter of the White Cloud Tower Master and the top genius of White Cloud Tower. With long ck hair falling over her shoulders, skin as white as snow, and wless features, she was beautiful but exuded an unapproachable aura, giving people a great sense of pressure. Even the extraordinarily talented Meng Huyu felt inferior standing before her, not even having the courage to look at her directly. More astonishingly, Yunyao had a pair of small white wings on her back, covered with sacred feathers, identical to the wings of legendary angels.

    Indeed, this heavenly maiden of the White Cloud Tower was not fully human, or rather, she was a hybrid of the Bird Race and humans. Yunyao only knew that her father was from the Bird Race and her mother was human. She was abandoned as a child and fortunately adopted by her master. Yunyao felt neither hatred nor love for her parents, treating them asplete strangers and never thinking about them. But the Bird Race blood in her body was real, with those wings as the best evidence. Contract objects were exclusive to humans, and Yunyao happened to be a rare body contractor, with her contract object being those wings on her back. Thebination of these two mysterious powers made Yunyao¡¯s strength terrifyingly powerful. Only the White Cloud Tower Master knew that Yunyao had once secretly in a Spirit God level fierce beast. Killing a Spirit God with Profound Realm cultivation was an extremely rare feat. Even the White Cloud Tower Master didn¡¯t dare to leak this information casually.

    ¡°Senior Sister, Master intends for us both to participate in thepetition for Book World trial slots,¡± Meng Huyu said.

    ¡°Understood,¡± Yunyao nodded and left alone, unwilling to say another word.

    Although Meng Huyu was used to this, he still smiled helplessly. His senior sister was too cold.

    ¡°Senior Sister, Master also asked me to tell you to hold back during thepetition, don¡¯t hurt anyone, and especially don¡¯t kill anyone,¡± Meng Huyu shouted at Yunyao¡¯s back. He knew how terrifying his senior sister could be when angered. Both their master and he worried that if some fool offended her, she might casually kill them. Such deaths couldn¡¯t ur at this grand event.

    ¡°I know my limits,¡± Yunyao left these few words and floated away.

    ¡°Sigh, I wonder which unfortunate soul will encounter Senior Sister,¡± Meng Huyu sighed, but then began to worry about himself, ¡°Never mind, I¡¯m just here to make up the numbers. I wonder if I¡¯ll see that kid Feng Bng from Night City this time. With his strength, as long as he doesn¡¯t encounter a monster like Senior Sister, he should be able to secure a slot, right?¡±

    The Night City Meng Huyu mentioned was located in the Eternal Night Kingdom on the western edge of the Night Sea. This ce had extreme daylight conditions with very long nights, so the number of Nightmares there was the highest on the World. But even in such a harsh ce, humans had established a kingdom. Once, a Great Lord level Nightmare invaded the Eternal Night Kingdom but was repelled by a mysterious old man. This old man was called the Night Watcher by the people of the Night Kingdom, with extremely high cultivation. Many suspected his strength even surpassed Thunder Lord¡¯s.

 Chapter 161: Human Geniuses (3)

    Chapter 161: Human Geniuses (3)

    In a wilderness outside Night City, two shifty figures, one old and one young, were secretly busy.

    ¡°What are you doing? Do you even know how? Don¡¯t waste my good ingredients,¡± the old man said anxiously.

    ¡°What do you know? This is my secret seasoning. If you hadn¡¯t said this chicken was extraordinary, I wouldn¡¯t have bothered using it. Don¡¯t judge by the charred exterior, it¡¯ll be delicious inside!¡± the young man argued.

    This old man and youth were hiding here roasting a chicken.

    ¡°Look at this meat,¡± the young man tore off a chicken leg. Under the charred skin was exceptionally tender meat. The old man took a bite and kept giving thumbs up. ¡°Good job, kid. I didn¡¯t raise you for nothing. What excellent skill.¡±

    ¡°Of course. But your ingredients are good too. Where did you get such a delicious chicken? Do you have any more?¡± Feng Bng asked. This young man was the infamous scoundrel of Night City Academy.

    ¡°This is Night Changtian¡¯s phoenix chicken. I heard it might have ancient phoenix bloodline,¡± the old man said.

    Feng Bng suddenly stopped chewing, as if he¡¯d eaten something poisonous. ¡°Old man, are you crazy?! You roasted the principal¡¯s treasure? We¡¯re doomed!¡±

    ¡°You roasted it. I didn¡¯t touch it. You killed the chicken, plucked it, and did the roasting,¡± the old man continued eating happily. ¡°You¡­ you¡­ you¡¯re trying to get me killed! That old codger has been looking for a chance to expel me, but couldn¡¯t because of school rules. Now I¡¯m finished. If I leave Night City, where else will I find so many cute junior sisters to flirt with! You old scoundrel, you set me up!¡± Feng Bng was furious.

    ¡°Look at your petty concerns. It¡¯s just one of his chickens, he can¡¯t eat you. Let me point you in the right direction,¡± the old man said.

    ¡°What direction?¡± Feng Bng asked, confused.

    ¡°Go to the Eastern Kingdom¡¯s academy town topete for a Book World trial slot. Represent Night City and win a slot, I guarantee he¡¯ll be all smiles and won¡¯t pursue your responsibility,¡± the old man said.

    ¡°Eastern Kingdom¡¯s academy town? Not going, it¡¯s too far,¡± Feng Bng disliked conflict.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have a choice, since you¡¯ve already eaten the chicken,¡± the old man grabbed Feng Bng and threw him into a ck hole. When Feng Bng woke up, he found himself in a coastal city, which was Pearl City.

    ¡°Damn, I¡¯m in the Eastern Kingdom? That old bastard tricked me!¡± Feng Bng finally realized. ¡°Well, since I¡¯m here, might as well check it out. Let me think, I could possibly fight others, but I hope I don¡¯t encounter that winged ice sculpture woman from White Cloud Tower or that scale-covered monster from the Sleeping Dragon Kingdom. I definitely can¡¯t beat those two. Honestly, this kind of thing should be for Huan Xiaoyao. His strength isn¡¯t less than mine. Wait, they didn¡¯t say only one person couldpete. That old guy should have sent him too for insurance.¡±

    Soon after, a figure was thrown out of the void and crashed onto Feng Bng.

    ¡°Brother Feng?¡± Huan Xiaoyao was dizzy, and upon waking, saw Feng Bng¡¯s disgusted face.

    ¡°Get away from me, you little gay,¡± Feng Bng quickly moved away. Sure enough, that old man had thrown him over too.

    Huan Xiaoyao said helplessly, ¡°Brother Feng, that incident was an ident. I¡¯m a proper man, not gay. Don¡¯t tarnish my reputation groundlessly.¡±

    ¡°Damn, your gaze is just not right,¡± Feng Bng said, exasperated.

    ¡°Brother Feng, this is an admiring gaze. What¡¯s wrong with it? Forget it, Brother Feng, what¡¯s this Book World trial about? The old man didn¡¯t exin it clearly to me,¡± Huan Xiaoyao asked, confused.

    ¡°Nothing much, just wants you to fight against Yunyao and Fan Longyu,¡± Feng Bng said casually.

    ¡°Ah? Fight them? The Yunyao you¡¯re talking about is that Yunyao, right? And Fan Longyu¡­¡± Huan Xiaoyao smiled bitterly, ¡°Damn, aren¡¯t we just going to be their punching bags?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, if you can¡¯t win, just admit defeat. Remember, that woman Yunyao doesn¡¯t like people staring at her. I suggest you fight her with your eyes closed. You can¡¯t beat her anyway, don¡¯t offend her,¡± Feng Bng said.

    Huan Xiaoyao nodded solemnly, ¡°Thanks for the reminder, Brother Feng. Admitting defeat, I¡¯m a professional at that.¡±

    In the southeast of the Myriad Spirits World was a sea area called the Rosy Sea. North of the Rosy Sea was the Eastern Kingdom, while deep in the ocean south of the Rosy Sea was a vast World with only one country, called the Sun-Chasing Ancient Kingdom. Legend had it that this was thend where the sun rose, and the origin of civilization in the Myriad Spirits World. This isted overseas kingdom rarely contacted the outside world, even more mysterious than the Eternal Night Kingdom. There were even rumors that deep within this Sun-Chasing Ancient Kingdom lived the legendary giant race.

    In the capital of the Sun-Chasing Ancient Kingdom, Golden Crow City, there was none of the prosperity seen in other imperial capitals, and almost nomercial atmosphere. Simple houses built of yellow mud lined both sides of the streets. Cheers frequently echoed to the sky. The not-sorge capital had a hundred huge arenas, where battles between humans and beasts, and humans and humans, took ce daily.

    At this moment, in one of the beast-fighting arenas, a muscr man wielding a dagger was facing off against a giant bear. The man was bare-chested, with long hair falling over his shoulders, wearing a ne of beast teeth. His originally handsome bronze face was made fierce by a scar running from upper left to lower right.

    Amidst the cheers of the spectators, the man stuck close to the bear¡¯s belly, stabbing his dagger into its neck, then performed a shoulder throw, mming the bear, several times his size, hard onto the ground. The giant bear groaned in pain and theny still. The man had used no profound energy, defeating a bearparable to the Moon Profound Realm with just physical strength. Amidst the cheers of the surrounding audience, the man left the arena, wiped his sweat, and put on a golden beast skin coat brought by servants. He drank a cup of some animal¡¯s blood in one gulp. He was no ve used for beast-fighting performances, but one of the ny-nine adopted sons of the Sun-Chasing Ancient Kingdom¡¯s ruler, and the most talented among them, holding a high position in the kingdom.

    ¡°Tai¡¯e, the King Father is looking for you,¡± another muscr man came to inform him.

    The man named Tai¡¯e tidied himself up and walked into a great hall. Sitting in the hall was a man, but his body was five or six times the size of a normal person, the absolute focus of the hall.

    ¡°Greetings, King Father,¡± Tai¡¯e respectfully bowed to the giant before him.

    ¡°Tai¡¯e, I will send you to the Eastern Kingdom¡¯s academy town to participate in apetition. You need to win a slot for the Book World trial,¡± the Giant King said.

    ¡°King Father, our Sun-Chasing Ancient Kingdom has countless legacy inheritances within our borders, more than we can explore. Why fight with those people?¡± Tai¡¯e said somewhat disdainfully. How could that Book World trial secret realmpare to the various terrifying legacies within the ancient kingdom?

    ¡°It¡¯s not like that. The Book World secret realm is a special existence, possibly even the legacy of one of the ancient human emperors. Such an opportunity cannot be missed,¡± the Giant King added: ¡°I¡¯m sending you over to also convey a message to Thunder Lord and the others. In the face of the Nightmare cmity, our Sun-Chasing Ancient Kingdom will not stand idly by.¡±

    It was well known that Illumination Goddess statues were spread throughout the World, and Illumination Towers were symbols of modern civilized cities. However, within the Sun-Chasing Ancient Kingdom, there was not a single Illumination Tower or Illumination Goddess statue. Instead, there was a giant statue. Although also human, the Sun-Chasing Ancient Kingdom¡¯s beliefs differed from other humans. But this time, the Sun-Chasing Ancient Kingdom seemed willing to join hands with other humans to face the cmity together. This ancient capital hiding endless secrets was about to show its splendor to the world for the first time.

 Chapter 162: Incurable Disease

    Chapter 162: Incurable Disease

    In the Eastern Kingdom¡¯s academy town, this ancient city full of schrly atmosphere had be somewhat quiet recently. Anyone with a bit of ability could sense this hidden change. Every day, people in different attire entered the city and then weren¡¯t seen active again. As for the academies within the town, they had directly given all students an extended holiday.

    Only as the day approached did everyone understand what was happening. A grand event involving major forces from all over the world, belonging to the human race, was about to be held in the academy town. Thunder Lord and the others had discussed for a long time whether to hold this battle secretly or make it public. The final conclusion was to make it a grand affair, best if the whole world knew about it. Because this was an opportunity to flex muscles, a chance to convey confidence to all people that the human race now had countless experts and emerging geniuses, and was not afraid of the Nightmares¡¯ challenge. This kind ofpetition was more like a grand military parade, letting the various forces that had been dormant for years show their faces and boost morale.

    In a teahouse in the academy town, a middle-aged Taoist was having tea with a handsome young man ¨C it was the Alchemist and Zhanyue. Discussing alchemy with the Alchemist, Zhanyue had learned a lot.

    ¡°How do you feel after just advancing to a fifth-grade alchemist?¡± the Alchemist asked. Under his guidance, Zhanyue, who had broken through to the Profound Realm, had also sessfully advanced to a fifth-grade alchemist, catching up with Baizhi¡¯s level. But his skill was still far behind Baizhi¡¯s, and many things needed time to settle. In terms of experience, he was far inferior to Baizhi.

    ¡°The path of alchemy is indeed as vast as smoke, as misty as the sea. The more I learn, the more ignorant I feel,¡± Zhanyue sighed.

    ¡°That¡¯s natural. Even as a ninth-grade alchemist, I dare not say how far I¡¯ve gone in alchemy. I have the form for tenth-grade pills, but just reading it feels like reading a book from heaven,pletely different from ordinary pill-refining methods. It involves understanding and application of the Dao and its implications. But you don¡¯t need to aim too high. At least before you advance to a ninth-grade alchemist, I can still guide you. These paths have been walked countless times by our predecessors,¡± the Alchemist instructed.

    As they chatted, they heard amotion from below. Opposite the teahouse was a pharmacy that also served as a clinic to treat patients. The doctors in the academy town¡¯s clinics were quite skilled, and there were even alchemists present.

    At this moment, a inly dressed man was kneeling outside the clinic, holding a little girl. The man had spent all his savings trying to cure his daughter, but the final conclusion was that the girl¡¯s illness was incurable. The girl was about seven or eight years old, trembling constantly in her father¡¯s arms.

    ¡°Father, it hurts. My head hurts, my hands hurt, my feet hurt too,¡± the little girl¡¯s eyes were red, her tears long dried up. ¡°Liu San¡¯er, go home. Kneeling here won¡¯t solve anything. If others see this, they might think our clinic has done something terrible. We¡¯ve examined your child, we even invited a sixth-grade alchemist from the merchant association to look at her. It¡¯s indeed an incurable disease, there¡¯s nothing we can do. Continuing to spend money is just a waste. The unused medicine at home, bring it back, we¡¯ll buy it all back at the original price,¡± an elderly man in in dress from the clinic looked at the father and daughter with some pity, but he had no solution. They were doctors, not immortals.

    The crowd gathering around grewrger, all discussing the father and daughter¡¯s situation, shaking their heads and sighing. Some even generously threw some money to Liu San¡¯er.

    ¡°Doctor Wang, I know, I know you¡¯ve all tried your best. I¡¯m not expecting you to cure Ying¡¯er¡¯s illness now, I just hope you can help suppress her pain a bit. She¡¯s in too much pain, can¡¯t sleep, can¡¯t eat. At least, I want her to be able to spend her remaining days happily, even if it¡¯s just a few days,¡± the man named Liu San said chokingly. He knew there were some things he couldn¡¯t change, and he had epted fate, but he didn¡¯t want his child to spend herst days in such pain.

    The old man sighed deeply, ¡°Ah, we¡¯ve tried all the painkillers, all treatment ns. For this kind of incurable disease apanied by endless pain, we really have no solution. Even if we knock her out or give her sleeping pills, she still wakes up in pain. We¡­ we¡­ ah¡­¡± Not only could they not save the little girl¡¯s life, they couldn¡¯t even make her less painful. This doctor had saved many lives in his lifetime and seen countless incurable diseases, but this time it was particrly heart-wrenching. He felt utterly powerless, but he had done all he could, even breaking rules to invite a sixth-grade alchemist to find a solution.

    ¡°Yin deficiency, qi depletion, soul and bones scattered, meridians blocked, not a single internal organ intact. It¡¯s a miracle she¡¯s lived till now. This is a truly incurable disease, not due to insufficient medical skill,¡± From far away, the Alchemist could see the girl¡¯s condition at a nce. But even as a ninth-grade alchemist, he had no means to cure the little girl.

    Zhanyue frowned deeply. If even the Alchemist said it couldn¡¯t be cured, it must truly be an unsolvable illness.

    ¡°Senior, is this disease congenital?¡± Zhanyue asked.

    The Alchemist shook his head, ¡°No, it should be an infection from some evil entityter in life. Although the evil entity has left, it has already ravaged her body. Her life force is almost exhausted, all meridians blocked. Even longevity pills like the Long Spring Pill would be useless, as she can¡¯t absorb them.¡±

    As they were discussing, two women walked out from the crowd. One was a middle-aged woman with an elegant temperament, dressed simply but with an unworldly aura. Beside her stood a beautiful young woman in green clothes, her face covered with a white veil. The young woman wore a flower crown on her head, looking innocent and lovely.

    ¡°Oh? It¡¯s them?¡± The Alchemist naturally recognized the two below. ¡°Green Crane Valley Master Yan Baifeng and her beloved disciple.¡±

    ¡°Green Crane Valley Master? One of the four great alchemy masters of the current world?¡± Zhanyue asked in surprise.

    Whether due to their unique aura, the crowd consciously parted to let the two walk in.

    Yan Baifeng looked at the little girl, whose breath was as thin as a thread and whose face was contorted in pain, and shook her head. If it could be cured, she would have saved her casually, but unfortunately, this was a truly incurable disease. All meridians were blocked, even if given the right medicine, it couldn¡¯t be absorbed, eliminating the possibility of being cured from the source.

    ¡°Master, could the Soul-Melting Bone Pill alleviate her pain?¡± Feng Xueqing asked beside her.

    Yan Baifeng frowned and nodded, ¡°It could, but this child¡¯s life has at most three months left. Even taking the Soul-Melting Bone Pill would only make her morefortable for these three months. The Soul-Melting Bone Pill is an eighth-grade pill, even I can¡¯t easily refine it.¡±

    ¡°Master has forgotten, I received some pill inheritance in the Flower Sea Heavenly Cave before, including a Soul-Melting Bone Pill,¡± Feng Xueqing said while holding the little girl¡¯s hand to examine her condition.

    Liu San¡¯er was stunned, realizing from their appearance that these two were no ordinary people. He hurriedly knelt down and kowtowed. ¡°Please, fairydies, save my daughter.¡±

    ¡°Fairydies?¡± Feng Xueqing shook her head, ¡°I¡¯m no fairydy. Take this pill and give it to her immediately. I¡¯ll protect you as you do. Although it can¡¯t save her life, at least it will ensure she won¡¯t suffer from pain in her remaining months.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, fairydy, thank you!¡± the man excitedly took the pill.

    ¡°Xueqing, this is an eighth-grade pill. Is it really worth it?¡± Yan Baifeng transmitted her voice, somewhat reluctant. If this eighth-grade pill could save the little girl¡¯s life, it would be fine, but it could only make her morefortable for the remaining few months. Was this really worth it?

    ¡°Those ephemeral creatures only live for a few days. You can¡¯t say a life with only three months left is not a life,¡± Feng Xueqing had no hesitation about her choice. She didn¡¯t care about these things.

    ¡°Sigh, do as you wish,¡± Yan Baifeng knew her disciple¡¯s personality. The pill belonged to her, and how she wanted to use it and who she gave it to was naturally her own decision.

    The Alchemist turned to look at Zhanyue, ¡°This little girl is quite a match for you, very generous. Using an eighth-grade pill like this? It¡¯s a pity though. If this little girl¡¯s meridians weren¡¯t all blocked, this eighth-grade pill could cure her illness. The Soul-Melting Bone Pill is very suitable for her condition. Now that she¡¯s taking it, it can only rely on the pill¡¯s own medicinal power to spread, truly a waste.¡±

    ¡°Senior, are you saying that if we solve the problem of the little girl¡¯s blocked meridians, she could be saved by taking the pill?¡± Zhanyue asked.

    The Alchemist nodded.

    Suddenly, Zhanyue leapt down from the teahouse,nding in front of the group. He grabbed Liu San¡¯er¡¯s hand. ¡°Don¡¯t take it yet.¡±

    Yan Baifeng and Feng Xueqing¡¯s gazes turned cold simultaneously. Was this sudden intruder here to steal the pill? A mere Profound Being, truly audacious.

    ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand, you two. Let me check the little girl¡¯s condition first, then it¡¯s not toote to let her take it,¡± Zhanyue exined.

    ¡°You? What grade alchemist are you? We can¡¯t cure this illness, what use is it for you to look?¡± Yan Baifeng said displeased. She was an alchemy master and top physician. She had said it couldn¡¯t be cured, and now a junior was saying to let him try. This was equivalent to pping her face.

    ¡°Senior, let me try. If it really doesn¡¯t work, I¡¯ll naturally know my limits and retreat,¡± Zhanyue said calmly.

    Yan Baifeng pursed her lips. As a master of her generation, there was no need to argue with a junior over such a matter. ¡°Go ahead and try.¡± She didn¡¯t stop Zhanyue¡¯s next actions.

 Chapter 163: Miracle

    Chapter 163: Miracle

    Zhanyue held the little girl¡¯s hand. He didn¡¯t have the ability of the Alchemist and Yan Baifeng to see the girl¡¯s physical condition at a nce. However, when he injected his profound energy into the little girl¡¯s body to investigate, he finally understood what the Alchemist meant by blocked meridians. All the meridians were contracted, almost sticking together, as if they had been burned. It was impossible to open the meridians while ensuring the little girl¡¯s survival. With the meridians closed, no medicine could be absorbed, so the little girl¡¯s fate was destined to be incurable.

    ¡°When did she be like this?¡± Zhanyue asked. The girl wasn¡¯t very old, and if she had been born this way, she would have died early and certainly wouldn¡¯t have lived until now.

    Liu San¡¯er didn¡¯t dare to conceal anything and quickly said, ¡°About three months ago, Ying¡¯er went out to y and came back with a serious illness. At first, she just had a fever and talked nonsense, then her body got worse and worse, and the pain increased. Recently, she¡¯s been in so much pain that she can¡¯t even sleep well. The clinic in the academy town is already the best in the area. We spent all our savings, but unfortunately couldn¡¯t cure her.¡±

    The old doctor beside them added, ¡°They came to find me about two months ago. By that time, the little girl had already been diagnosed as incurable. At first, the painkillers we prescribed still worked, butter they became ineffective. Even sleeping pills didn¡¯t work. She hasn¡¯t slept for many days.¡±

    Zhanyue nodded, having a general understanding of the situation. He looked at the little girl¡¯s pale face, covered in sweat.

    ¡°Three months, I¡¯m now a Profound Being with a lifespan of five hundred years. Three months doesn¡¯t seem like much to me now, but I¡¯ve never tried to reverse such a long period. I don¡¯t know if I can do it now,¡± Zhanyue pondered. His state reversal required sacrificing his own lifespan, so he didn¡¯t dare use it lightly. Previously, he had only reversed a few seconds, which was insignificant. This time, reversing over three months, even he wasn¡¯t sure if he could do it.

    ¡°I¡¯ll try. If this little girl¡¯s life isn¡¯t meant to end, then I should be able to save her,¡± Zhanyue held the little girl¡¯s hand and closed his eyes. He felt a mysterious connection between them, and the river of fate unfolded in Zhanyue¡¯s mind. Time seemed to flow backward, and along with it, Zhanyue¡¯s life force was dissipating. This was even more soul-consuming than refining pills. Soon, Zhanyue¡¯s forehead was covered in sweat, his face turned pale, and his body began to stagger. Fortunately, a soft hand supported his swaying body, and a special power transmitted, replenishing some of his soul power and spirit.

    The one who helped was Feng Xueqing. Although she didn¡¯t know what Zhanyue was doing, seeing his condition, he seemed to have consumed a lot of soul power and spirit. She happened to have a method to help others recover some power, so she lent a hand.

    Soon after, Zhanyue opened his eyes and looked back at this mysterious veiled woman. ¡°Thank you,¡± Zhanyue said.

    ¡°How is it?¡± The woman withdrew her hand and asked curiously.

    ¡°Her meridians have recovered. She can take the medicine now,¡± Zhanyue said.

    Yan Baifeng beside them was shocked, ¡°Impossible! Absolutely impossible.¡± She then came to the little girl¡¯s side, grabbed her small hand, and after a brief examination, her pupils contracted.

    ¡°It¡¯s really cured? And so thoroughly?!¡± Yan Baifeng was dumbfounded. The little girl¡¯s meridians had not only recovered but there wasn¡¯t even a trace of previous blockage.

    ¡°How¡­ how did you do it?!¡± She looked at Zhanyue in disbelief. She had been watching the whole time, Zhanyue had only held the little girl¡¯s hand, without using acupuncture or medicine, and the little girl had recovered.

    ¡°Senior, this involves my private matters. I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t disclose it,¡± Zhanyue replied.

    ¡°You!¡± Yan Baifeng was somewhat irritated. This junior didn¡¯t seem to take her seriously at all. But since he was unwilling to say, she couldn¡¯t force him.

    ¡°I¡¯m willing to exchange eighth-grade pill forms and some eighth-grade pills. How about that?¡± Yan Baifeng couldn¡¯t give up. This kind of technique was a fatal temptation for a physician like her.

    ¡°Uh, Senior, this matter involves my privacy. I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s not something that can be exchanged for material things,¡± Zhanyue refused again.

    ¡°Hmm? Then how about I take you as my disciple and teach you alchemy?¡± Yan Baifeng still wasn¡¯t willing to give up, but Zhanyue still shook his head.

    ¡°Alright, Master, you¡¯re losing yourposure,¡± Feng Xueqing tugged at her master¡¯s sleeve. ¡°Since this young master is unwilling to say, he must have his reasons. We shouldn¡¯t force him.¡±

    After the girl took the pill, her pain disappeared soon after. Drowsiness quickly overtook her, and she fell asleep in her father¡¯s arms.

    ¡°Thank you, two immortal masters! Thank you!¡± Liu San¡¯er knelt on the ground with his child, expressing gratitude. He never imagined his child could actually be cured.

    ¡°A miracle! It¡¯s truly a miracle!¡± The old doctor beside them looked at the little girl¡¯s condition, his eyes full of disbelief. This was an incurable disease! Yet it was solved by two young people. The world was indeed full of hidden talents.

    ¡°No need for thanks. If you want to thank someone, thank this youngdy. This pill is extraordinary and just the right medicine,¡± Zhanyue said. Although he had reversed the little girl¡¯s body, the soul damage and bone separation were beyond his current ability to solve. State reversal wasn¡¯t omnipotent. Things like the soul, memories, and curses, these intangible things couldn¡¯t be reversed. But this pill could cure the little girl.

    ¡°Without your intervention, this pill would have been merely a painkiller,¡± Feng Xueqing didn¡¯t dare to take credit.

    ¡°Giving such a top-grade pill so simply to a stranger, youngdy, you have a kind heart. I truly admire that,¡± Zhanyue said politely, and he genuinely admired her.

    Feng Xueqing¡¯s beautiful eyes moved, and she smiled, ¡°If I had sold this pill, I could have saved more people. The reason I was willing to save her was because I saw it, and if I could save her but didn¡¯t, it would leave a demon in my heart, preventing me from achieving peace of mind. So essentially, I did it for myself. I¡¯m not as noble as you think, and you don¡¯t need to praise me so highly.¡±

    Zhanyue was taken aback, not expecting this woman to say such things. ¡°I was being superficial then. I have matters to attend to, so I¡¯ll take my leave.¡±

    Seeing more and more people gathering, Zhanyue disliked being surrounded and prepared to leave.

    ¡°May I know your name?¡± Feng Xueqing asked. She originally didn¡¯t want toe to the outside world to participate in those boring disputes, but now it seemed the trip wasn¡¯t in vain. She was naturally curious about Zhanyue¡¯s method of curing the little girl.

    ¡°I am Zhanyue. I believe we will meet again soon,¡± Zhanyue smiled. This woman was obviously here to participate in the uing qualificationpetition, so they would naturally meet again.

    ¡°Zhanyue,¡± Feng Xueqing silently repeated the name,mitting it to memory. She watched as Zhanyue disappeared into the crowd.

    ¡°Oh? Has he sparked your interest?¡± Yan Baifeng teased beside her. ¡°You¡¯ve grown up in the valley since childhood and haven¡¯t seen much of the world. Don¡¯t be easily deceived by some wild boy.¡±

    Feng Xueqing¡¯s cheeks reddened, ¡°Master, what are you saying? I just feel that I¡¯ve underestimated people in the world. I trulyck experience. Perhaps this outing isn¡¯t a bad thing.¡±

    As they were talking, a divine sense message reached Yan Baifeng¡¯s ear, ¡°Xiaofeng, how have you beentely?¡±

    Yan Baifeng was startled, then her face lit up with joy, ¡°Senior Alchemist?¡± It¡¯s worth noting that Yan Baifeng¡¯s advancement to an eighth-grade alchemist was partly due to the Alchemist¡¯s guidance in her youth.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± she led Feng Xueqing following the Alchemist¡¯s guidance, ascending to a nearby teahouse. However, both were surprised to see Zhanyue sitting beside the Alchemist. Zhanyue looked at the two with an equally shocked expression. He hadn¡¯t expected the Alchemist to secretly call them over.

    ¡°Kid, it¡¯s good to maintain good rtions with people from Green Crane Valley. Your previous behavior wasn¡¯t appropriate. There¡¯s a sacred ce in Green Crane Valley called the Hundred Flowers Secret Realm, with endless spirit herbs. If you everck materials for pill refining in the future, that¡¯s the most likely ce to find them. If you want to go further in alchemy, you can¡¯t do without various spirit herbs. This time, consider it me bridging the connection for you. There¡¯s no harm in interacting with them more,¡± the Alchemist secretly transmitted.

 Chapter 164: Another Curse

    Chapter 164: Another Curse

    The four were in a private room, with no one else around. Feng Xueqing removed her veil. It would be impolite to keep her face covered in front of elders, especially since there were no outsiders here.

    The moment she unveiled her face, Zhanyue understood why she needed to wear a veil. It was a face that could captivate souls. Even Zhanyue, who had seen many characters, was stunned by her beauty. Her eyebrows were thin like willow leaves, with the slightly upturned ends seeming to carry a hint of pride. Her crystalline eyes were like two ck gems, sparkling with wisdom and youthful vitality. Her long, high nose bridge was beautiful, with a slightly upturned tip revealing her lively temperament. Her face was delicate, like a lotus emerging from water, wless and fine. Her skin was as white as snow, seemingly so delicate it could be pinched. That extremely pure whiteplexion was like spring peach blossoms, full of alluring charm. Her hair cascaded like a waterfall, ck and glossy, smooth as ck velvet. A few strands fell across her forehead,plementing the flower crown on her head, adding a touch of cuteness and shyness.

    A flower fairy, a spring spirit, breathtakingly beautiful yet not intimidating. Unlike Holy Maiden Lixi¡¯s sanctity, Baizhi¡¯s cuteness and loveliness, or Gong Xiaoyu¡¯s mature allure, Feng Xueqing gave Zhanyue a sense of gentle elegance. Just looking at her seemed to bring the feel of a spring breeze.

    The Alchemist coughed lightly, bringing Zhanyue back to his senses. He quickly averted his gaze, smiling awkwardly. Even though he had seen countless beauties, he still lost himself for a moment.

    Seeing Zhanyue¡¯s reaction, Feng Xueqing just smiled slightly, adding a unique charm to her already stunning face, a smile that could topple a city. Yan Baifeng was used to such reactions, knowing how eye-catching her disciple was, which was why she had instructed her to wear a veil when going out.

    Zhanyue could only marvel at how the Myriad Spirits Realm lived up to its name as a mystical realm. Under the nourishment of spiritual energy, human beauty had broken through a barrier. There was no beauty filter here, but everyone seemed to have a natural one. The heavily edited, perfected beauty photos he had seen on the inte in his previous world were now within reach in this world. If he were to take a photo of the woman before him and show it in his original world, it would probably be met withments like ¡°great Photoshop work,¡± and the lively aura couldn¡¯t even be captured in a photo. Zhanyue thought to himself that ording to his aesthetic standards, the Illumination Goddess ranked first, and the woman before him could even rank second.

    ¡°Junior Feng Xueqing pays respects to Senior,¡± Feng Xueqing said respectfully. Although the Alchemist didn¡¯t take disciples, in Yan Baifeng¡¯s eyes, he was no different from a master, so Feng Xueqing naturally regarded him as a grand-master.

    ¡°Baifeng, is this the little girl you mentioned adopting in your letter?¡± the Alchemist asked, looking at the graceful Feng Xueqing.

    ¡°Yes, it is. Senior, can you introduce the young man beside you? Is he your disciple?¡± Yan Baifeng asked. She was also curious about Zhanyue¡¯s identity. The illness she couldn¡¯t cure was easily solved by Zhanyue, which was too shocking. If this young man was the Alchemist¡¯s disciple, it would make sense. Unexpectedly, the Alchemist shook his head, ¡°What qualifications do I have to take him as a disciple? I wouldn¡¯t dare to overstep.¡±

    Yan Baifeng and Feng Xueqing¡¯s expressions changed simultaneously. They knew the Alchemist¡¯s strength and abilities, but for him to say such words, who exactly was this young man?

    The Alchemist exined, ¡°Zhanyue is the Illumination Goddess¡¯s disciple. Before the Goddess transformed into a star, she specially entrusted Thunder Lord to take care of her disciple.¡±

    This was probably the most shocking thing Yan Baifeng had ever heard in her life, but she quickly understood. If he was the Goddess¡¯s disciple, then any extraordinary abilities he had would be reasonable.

    Feng Xueqing¡¯s eyes were now full of stars as she looked at Zhanyue, ¡°You¡¯re really the Goddess¡¯s disciple? Have you met the Goddess?¡±

    Zhanyue nodded, thinking to himself that his sister¡¯s influence was indeed great. This girl was clearly a die-hard fan of the Goddess.

    ¡°Tell me quickly, what does the Goddess look like? Does she look like the statues?¡± Feng Xueqing asked curiously. The Illumination Goddess was her idol, a legendary figure. Now she felt like legend had walked into reality, how could she not be excited?

    ¡°Xueqing, you¡¯re being impolite,¡± Yan Baifeng reminded. Her disciple was usually calm and detached from worldly matters, but now she was so excited and losingposure. However, she could understand. After all, everyone grew up hearing the Goddess¡¯s legends, and everyone was protected by the Goddess.

    Feng Xueqing calmed down, looking at Zhanyue apologetically, her cheeks slightly red.

    ¡°Uh, this isn¡¯t something I can¡¯t talk about. My¡­ my master doesn¡¯t look like the Goddess statues at all. She¡¯s very beautiful, the most beautiful woman I¡¯ve ever seen, and the person I trust the most,¡± Zhanyue said. Since the Goddess had told Thunder Lord their rtionship was master and disciple, then that¡¯s what it would be. Zhanyue didn¡¯t mind, after all, calling the Goddess his master wasn¡¯t a problem at all. Telling others they had a brother-sister rtionship would be too outrageous.

    ¡°Young Master Zhan is the Goddess¡¯s disciple, no wonder his skills are so extraordinary. Even an illness I couldn¡¯t cure was easily solved by you,¡± Yan Baifeng sighed, no longer coveting Zhanyue¡¯s techniques.

    ¡°Not just you, even I couldn¡¯t do it. This kid has many secrets. If he doesn¡¯t want to talk about them, we can¡¯t force him,¡± the Alchemist smiled. Although he was also curious about what method Zhanyue had used, since it involved Zhanyue¡¯s secrets, and possibly even the Illumination Goddess¡¯s secrets, he knew not to ask about things that shouldn¡¯t be questioned.

    Yan Baifeng nodded, turning the page on this topic. She knew her limits. ¡°Senior, I brought my disciple to the academy town for two reasons. First, to participate in thepetition for Book World trial slots; second, to ask for your help in determining the cause of my disciple¡¯s illness.¡±

    ¡°Illness?¡± The Alchemist couldn¡¯t see anything wrong with Feng Xueqing by just looking.

    ¡°Xueqing,¡± Yan Baifeng asked her disciple to demonstrate.

    Feng Xueqing nodded. She closed her eyes tightly, circting her power. Soon after, a blood-colored lotus formed on her forehead, then her hair instantly turned white, her skin became withered, and her entire being became like an old person, a candle in the wind, no longer the stunning beauty from before.

    When Feng Xueqing withdrew her power, the blood lotus on her forehead disappeared, and she returned to her original beautiful appearance. Zhanyue was shocked, and the Alchemist beside him also frowned deeply.

    ¡°For one day each month, Xueqing is forced to transform into this elderly appearance. Other than that, there are no other effects. I¡¯ve searched through ancient texts but can¡¯t find the reason,¡± Yan Baifeng sighed. Although the strange illness seemed to have little impact at present, not knowing the cause was still a worry for her.

    ¡°In my opinion, this should be a curse, and a very strong one at that. I¡¯m powerless against it,¡± the Alchemist shook his head, then asked, ¡°When did this strange illness appear?¡±

    ¡°I had an extraordinary encounter in the Hundred Flowers Heavenly Cave, but after receiving that fortune, this problem appeared,¡± Feng Xueqing exined. In fact, she didn¡¯t have much hope.

    ¡°Looking at it this way, it really is a curse. The one who tied the bell must untie it. The method to break the curse is probably still in that Hundred Flowers Heavenly Cave,¡± the Alchemist said.

    ¡°Sigh, she went back to search, but found nothing,¡± Yan Baifeng¡¯s eyes were full of disappointment. After all, the Alchemist was herst hope.

    Feng Xueqing held her master¡¯s hand,forting her, ¡°Master, it¡¯s alright. It¡¯s just one day a month. I¡¯ll just stay indoors on that day. It¡¯s not a life-threatening issue.¡±

    ¡°A curse, another curse?¡± This was the third time Zhanyue had encountered a curse. These things were always troublesome when they appeared. Even the Illumination Goddess couldn¡¯t do anything about curses. Those who could ce curses were all supremely powerful beings.

    ¡°Alright, Senior. Xueqing and I will go see Thunder Lord now. After all, participating in the trialpetition is our main purpose foring,¡± Yan Baifeng said.

    ¡°You may go,¡± the Alchemist didn¡¯t keep them.

    As they left, Feng Xueqing secretly nced at Zhanyue, clearly very curious about him.

    ¡°Tsk tsk tsk, just over twenty years old, with cultivation at the peak of the Sun Profound Realm. This old Taoist is truly enlightened. What kind of extraordinary encounter did this girl have?¡± the Alchemist said.

    Zhanyue nearly fell off his seat. He had just entered the Star Profound Realm, and this girl, who looked even younger than him, was at the peak of the Sun Profound Realm? Was this a joke?

    ¡°The Hundred Flowers Heavenly Cave has great opportunities, so this isn¡¯t surprising,¡± the Alchemist understood. In fact, he didn¡¯t care much about it. Even so, he still felt Zhanyue had greater potential. Because Zhanyue could do things that even he couldn¡¯t do!

 Chapter 165: A Gathering of Winds and Clouds

    Chapter 165: A Gathering of Winds and Clouds

    While the Academy was abuzz with excitement, Zhanyue remainedpletely at ease. Others were tense about ¡®preparing for exams¡¯, but he had already been guaranteed admission, so naturally, he felt no pressure. However, his encounter with Huang Xueqing made Zhanyue realize that people in this world each had their own opportunities, and one should never underestimate anyone. If the Alchemy Daoist hadn¡¯t mentioned it, how could Zhanyue have imagined that the elf-like girl, even younger than him, was already at the peak of the Sun Profound Realm, with one foot stepping into the Spirit God Realm? It was simply unimaginable.

    ¡°This battle is sure to be spectacr,¡± Zhanyue said, sitting in his courtyard with great anticipation. Not long after, MuMu Lixi arrived, leading the tagalong Nangong Wei. Nangong Wei unceremoniously poured herself a cup of tea. The tea at Zhanyue¡¯s ce was different from elsewhere; it was fruit tea that Zhanyue made himself, which Nangong Wei loved. She didn¡¯t like the bitter tea leaves.

    ¡°We agreed to savor tea, but you¡¯ve finished a whole pot in no time,¡± Zhanyue said, feeling a bit distressed. These fruits were all spirit fruits, a product he had developed over a long time. How could it withstand Nangong Wei drinking it like a beverage?

    Nangong Wei sat on a stone chair, swinging her legs and pouting, ¡°Stingy! And you call yourself the disciple of the Goddess!¡± That¡¯s right, this girl was jealous, insanely jealous. There was hardly anyone in the world who didn¡¯t revere the Illumination Goddess, unless they had no conscience. This stinky boy was actually the Goddess¡¯s disciple ¨C how could she not be jealous?

    Zhanyue hade to understand the significance of the Illumination Goddess to the people of the Myriad Spirits Realm during this time. Those Illumination Towers and Illumination Goddess statues weren¡¯t built for nothing. Perhaps it was in response to people¡¯s worship and expectations that his sister had resolutely decided to be a star to protect the mortal world.

    Holy Maiden Lixi stood by with a smile at the corners of her mouth, watching the two. Then she took out a porcin jar from her spatial ring. ¡°Sister Nangong, here are the tea leaves for this fruit tea. Take it with you, and you can brew it yourself whenever you want. Actually, I prefer lighter tastes, not as fond of sweetness as you are.¡±

    Nangong Wei happily epted it, then turned to Zhanyue and said, ¡°You gave this tea to Sister Holy Maiden, didn¡¯t you, you miser? You didn¡¯t give me any, but in the end, it still ended up in my hands.¡±

    Zhanyue smiled awkwardly. It wasn¡¯t that he was stingy, but these fruit teas weren¡¯t easy to make. After he made them, he only gave one portion each to Baizhi and MuMu Lixi. Baizhi quite liked it, but MuMu Lixi preferred other normal tea vors to fruit tea. She hadn¡¯t used much, and now seeing how much Nangong Wei liked it, she just passed it on to her.

    Just then, a familiar female voice was heard. ¡°Zhanyue.¡±

    Everyone turned around to see a woman in white walking through the courtyard gate. The woman was stunningly beautiful and youthful. In a few steps, she walked up to Zhanyue and threw herself into his arms.

    ¡°Baizhi? You¡¯re here?¡± Zhanyue knew Baizhi wasing back but didn¡¯t expect it to be at this time.

    Baizhi had been missing Zhanyue for days, just like a girl in love, with Zhanyue being her entire world. However, when she peeked out from Zhanyue¡¯s embrace, her face flushed red as she finally noticed the two other people in the courtyard.

    Nangong Wei and the wooden MuMu Lixi both looked awkward, admiring Baizhi¡¯s boldness. Nangong Wei tugged at MuMu Lixi¡¯s clothes, using her eyes to signal to Holy Maiden Lixi, as if saying, ¡°This woman is not easy to deal with, be careful.¡±

    Baizhi¡¯s eyes shed with Holy Maiden Lixi¡¯s for the first time, an indescribable feeling that Zhanyue found ufortable. Baizhi¡¯s cheeks were slightly red as she moved away from Zhanyue and walked over.

    ¡°You must be Sister Holy Maiden. I¡¯ve heard about you since I was little. Before, when Zhanyue said he had a good rtionship with you, I thought he was just boasting. I didn¡¯t expect it to be true,¡± Baizhi said with emotion.

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard him mention you too,¡± Holy Maiden Lixi replied, maintaining herposure.

    ¡°What did he say about me?¡± Baizhi squinted her eyes. If Zhanyue had said anything nonsensical, she definitely wouldn¡¯t let him off the hook.

    ¡°He said you were an unparalleled genius, especially in your attainments in the Alchemy Daoist. Now that I see you, sister, not only are you exceptionally gifted, but your beauty is also unmatched in the world. You truly are a sight to behold,¡± MuMu Lixi said.

    ¡°In terms of beauty alone, sister, you are the true beauty of the mortal world. There¡¯s no point in discussing such superficial topics.¡± Baizhi turned to look at Zhanyue and asked, ¡°I don¡¯t like the amodations Thunder Lord arranged for me. Can I stay here? I see you have quite a few empty rooms.¡±

    ¡°Of¡­ of course you can,¡± Zhanyue dared not refuse. Right now, his strategy was to speak as little as possible.

    ¡°By the way, it¡¯s a long journey from the Thousand Beauties Kingdom to here. Did youe alone?¡± Zhanyue asked with concern.

    ¡°No, I came with Royal Grandmother. She had some business to attend to and left first,¡± Baizhi exined.

    ¡°Royal Grandmother? Is that the Empress¡¯s mother?¡± Zhanyue asked, puzzled.

    ¡°She¡¯s the Empress¡¯s master, the former Empress. She had been in secret seclusion before, and now that her seclusion has ended, she came out to have a look around. She¡¯s been very kind to me,¡± Baizhi said.

    Hearing this, Zhanyue felt relieved. It seemed that both the current Empress and the former Empress had epted Baizhi¡¯s existence. Otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t have personally apanied her here.

    ¡°You must be tired from your long journey. There are plenty of empty rooms in my courtyard. You all keep chatting, I¡¯ll go prepare a room for you,¡± Zhanyue found an excuse to leave the courtyard. He really couldn¡¯t stay there any longer.

    Watching his retreating figure, Nangong Wei made a face, ¡°Coward, daring to do but not to face the consequences.¡±

    ¡°Sister, please sit. Let¡¯s chat,¡± Holy Maiden Lixi pulled Baizhi to sit down. The two engaged in casual conversation, mostly about everyday matters, asionally probing each other with a few words about Zhanyue. Only Nangong Weiy on the stone table, taking out her pet little turtle to y with.

    Meanwhile, Mu Fanchen, who had escorted Baizhi to the Academy, sought out the Alchemy Daoist after ensuring Baizhi¡¯s safety. However, the Alchemy Daoist was still avoiding her, refusing to meet. Now he could only discuss some official matters with Thunder Lord.

    ¡°Congrattions on breaking through to the True Realm. It¡¯s truly a great fortune for our human race!¡± Thunder Lord said happily. The former Empress breaking through to the True Realm meant that the human race had gained another high-level expert in the True Realm.

    ¡°It was just luck. My talent is limited, and I¡¯m afraid there¡¯s no possibility of further progress,¡± Mu Fanchen said honestly. She had broken through by using up her lifespan and relying on pills.

    Just as the two were engrossed in conversation, a voice suddenly rang out in the sky.

    ¡°An old friend hase to visit. Would Thunder Lorde out to meet?¡±

    Thunder Lord¡¯s expression changed, knowing who had arrived. He shook his head somewhat helplessly. ¡°It¡¯s the Jade Family Ancestor of the Azure Wind Realm, Yu Zhitian.¡±

    Thunder Lord and Mu Fanchen walked out. Sure enough, two people were standing in the sky, one treading on air, the other riding a sword. The one walking on air appeared middle-aged, dressed in cyan robes with deep-set eyes. On the back of his clothes was embroidered the character ¡®Jade¡¯, and on his forehead was a tattoo of the character ¡®Heaven¡¯. This was the Ancestor of the Azure Wind Realm. Beside him was naturally Yu Xuanyi from the Azure Wind Realm. Yu Xuanyi¡¯s poison had already been neutralized, and ording to the previous deal with the Eastern Kingdom¡¯s Emperor, he also had a guaranteed admission spot.

    ¡°Lord Yu, long time no see. It seems your cultivation has advanced further,¡± Thunder Lord said with some apprehension.

    ¡°Not at all. My small abilities are nothing in front of true seniors and experts. Now that the three elders ¨C the Alchemy Daoist, the Storyteller, and the Ascetic ¨C have entered the world, how can my Azure Wind Realm remain aloof? With the Heaven Book Trial, where young prodigies gather, how can I not bring some juniors to see the world?¡± Yu Xuanyi said.

    As they conversed, powerful auras from other forces began to converge on the Academy Town. It was truly a case of ¡®For fame, all young geniuses enter the world; To protect their legacies, old monsters appear one after another.¡¯ The Academy Town was bustling with activity.

 Chapter 166: The Twelve

    Chapter 166: The Twelve

    Countless powerful auras approached from all directions. Thunder Lord looked at the Jade Family Ancestor with some apology.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be able to entertain you separately. Please, let¡¯s move to the Sacred Banquet Hall,¡± Thunder Lord gestured invitingly.

    ¡°We cultivators need not bother with such formalities. Xuanyi, let¡¯s go,¡± Yu Zhitian led Yu Xuanyi away, heading directly to the Sacred Banquet Hall that Thunder Lord mentioned.

    ¡°Ruler Mu, please go there first. I¡¯ll go greet the guests,¡± Although Mu Fanchen was no longer the Empress of the Thousand Beauties Kingdom, Thunder Lord still habitually addressed her as Ruler.

    Mu Fanchen nodded and went to the Sacred Banquet Hall. After some thought, she decided not to seek out Baizhi. Let that girl decide for herself whether toe or not.

    The Sacred Banquet Hall was thergest and most magnificent hall within the Academy, specifically used for hosting grand ceremonies. At the moment, there weren¡¯t many people in the hall, only forty or fifty, but each exuded a powerful aura. Various forces had sent their young prodigies, naturally apanied by strong protectors.

    ¡°Madam Huang, long time no see,¡± a man in white approached a beautiful middle-aged woman.

    ¡°Master Li from the Moon Reflection Pavilion?¡± The beautiful woman greeted the neer. Both were deputies, the second-inmand of the Moon Reflection Pavilion and the White Cloud House respectively.

    Beside the white-robed Master Li was a young man of extraordinary bearing, none other than Gongsun Taoli of the Moon Reflection Pavilion. Gongsun Taoli¡¯s gaze, however, fell on the woman behind Madam Huang. That woman was coldly beautiful and otherworldly, with unparalleled beauty. Most eye-catching were the pair of small white feathered wings on her back. Her expression was neither sad nor happy, and unlike others, she didn¡¯t curiously survey her surroundings, but just stood there calmly. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect both of White Cloud House¡¯s outstanding disciples toe. I hope you can take the top spot,¡± Master Li said politely, aware of Yunyao¡¯s strength.

    ¡°Howe I don¡¯t see that little girl Nangong Wei?¡± Madam Huang asked, puzzled.

    Master Li smiled, ¡°It seems Madam Huang doesn¡¯t know yet. Little Wei was granted Wind Lord¡¯s rmendation spot for her meritorious service in protecting the Holy Maiden. Wei has already been guaranteed admission and doesn¡¯t need topete for a spot.¡±

    ¡°Ah,¡± Madam Huang was taken aback, then smiled awkwardly, ¡°Congrattions to your Moon Reflection Pavilion then.¡± The rtionship between the Moon Reflection Pavilion and the White Cloud House couldn¡¯t be described as good or bad, after all, their leaders were fellow disciples, butpetition andparison were inevitable. Now that Nangong Wei had been guaranteed admission, the Moon Reflection Pavilion had taken a step ahead.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright, Senior Aunt Huang. I can secure a spot,¡± Yunyao said calmly.

    Remembering Yunyao, Madam Huang felt relieved. She had full confidence in Yunyao¡¯s abilities.

    While they were chatting, two other forces also came together.

    ¡°Valley Master Yan? I didn¡¯t expect you toe personally.¡± The speaker was a white-haired elder. Despite his white hair, his skin was as soft as a baby¡¯s. This was the Deputy Sect Master Liu of the Changtian Medicine Sect. The young man behind him was also extraordinarily handsome with an otherworldly aura. His eyes seemed unmoved by glory or disgrace ¨C this was the unparalleled genius of the Changtian Medicine Sect, Jiang Licheng. He also noticed Huang Xueqing behind Yan Baifeng, but at the moment, Huang Xueqing¡¯s eyes were darting around, seemingly searching for someone in the hall.

    ¡°Deputy Sect Master Liu, long time no see. I brought Xueqing here to broaden her horizons,¡± Yan Baifeng said politely.

    ¡°Valley Master Yaning personally shows how much you cherish Xueqing,¡± Deputy Sect Master Liu hadn¡¯t finished speaking when his entire face froze, ¡°You¡­ you¡­ you¡¯ve reached the peak of Sun Profound Realm!¡±

    Deputy Sect Master Liu¡¯s tone was very excited, and his words immediately drew attention. All eyes were instantly attracted, making Huang Xueqing the absolute focus. Although the elders could see through the juniors¡¯ cultivation levels before, it wasn¡¯t very polite to do so. Now, however, they all probed, regardless of etiquette, and showed expressions of disbelief.

    ¡°Bone age just over twenty, peak of Sun Profound Realm¡­ there¡¯s a faint Spirit God aura, should be half a step into Spirit God Realm. How is this possible!¡± Everyone eximed. This was a height that even the Illumination Goddess couldn¡¯t reach in her youth.

    Huang Xueqing felt a bit depressed. She didn¡¯t like this feeling of being the center of attention. She tugged at her master¡¯s clothes, and the two found a secluded spot to sit down.

    ¡°Disciple, your talent and strength will be exposed sooner orter. I know you don¡¯t like interacting with people, and I¡¯m the same, but living in this world inevitably requires dealing with others. Having more friends will give you more opportunities in the future,¡± Yan Baifeng said.

    Huang Xueqing nodded, taking off the flower crown on her head to y with. The flowers on the crown were not ordinary ones, they hadn¡¯t withered yet.

    Soon after, Thunder Lord arrived, and everyone stood up to greet him.

    ¡°Please, everyone, no need for formalities. Sword Lord has gone to handle the important matter of restoring inter-citymunications, so he will likely miss this grand gathering. I don¡¯t like unnecessary formalities either. Thepetition for spots will officially begin tonight. That¡¯s right, thepetition will be held at night,¡± Thunder Lord smiled, ¡°Thispetition will be open for outsiders to watch freely. You young ones better show your true abilities, don¡¯t embarrass your elders.¡±

    Holding thepetition at night and opening it for public viewing was undoubtedly Thunder Lord¡¯s n to boost the morale of the human race, letting themon people know the current strength of humanity, dispelling the previous atmosphere of despair. Night City now had arge number of experts stationed, and the representatives from various forces were either the leaders or deputies, plus the three elders ¨C Alchemy Daoist, Storyteller, and Ascetic. Even if Strategist came personally, he absolutely couldn¡¯t escape. Academy Town could now be considered the safest ce in the entire world.

    Soon after, Alchemy Daoist also entered, followed by several young disciples ¨C Zhanyue, Baizhi, Holy Maiden Lixi, and Nangong Wei. Zhanyue was holding the hand of a little girl, the one with the special constitution he had saved before, Meng Xiaodie, now renamed Mi Xiaodie. That¡¯s right, she had been adopted by the Eastern Kingdom¡¯s Emperor as his goddaughter, bing the little princess of the Eastern Kingdom, showing how much the Eastern Kingdom valued her.

    As Alchemy Daoist approached, everyone fell silent. Many eyes held a trace of fervor. This was a legendary figure, with strength surpassing Thunder Lord, a reclusive expert. It was said that all four Grandmasters of Alchemy had received his guidance. Although many were seeing Alchemy Daoist for the first time, no one dared to disrespect him.

    Alchemy Daoist¡¯s gaze first fell on Mu Fanchen, then quietly moved away. He addressed everyone: ¡°Time is pressing, so I won¡¯t waste words. The Heaven Book Trial has twelve spots in total, and eight suitable candidates are needed to initiate the trial. They each have one rmendation spot. ording to the discussion results, six people have already been guaranteed admission. The remaining six spots are open forpetition among outstanding youths under thirty.¡±

    After he finished speaking, someone asked, ¡°Elder Alchemy Daoist, we have no objections to the guaranteed admissions, but shouldn¡¯t we know who they are?¡±

    Alchemy Daoist nodded. The Heaven Book world was shared by all of humanity. Although they had set the rules, they should let everyone know the results.

    ¡°There are six guaranteed admissions: Holy Maiden Lixi from the Rising Sun Kingdom, Little Princess Mi Xiaodie from the Eastern Kingdom, Princess Baizhi from the Thousand Beauties Kingdom, Yu Xuanyi from the Azure Wind Realm, Nangong Wei from the Moon Reflection Pavilion, and¡­ Zhanyue from the Imperial Academy.¡± Alchemy Daoist didn¡¯t publicly announce Zhanyue¡¯s identity, as per Zhanyue¡¯s request. He didn¡¯t want to bear the title of the Illumination Goddess¡¯s disciple and be watched by everyone.

    The crowd had no objections, knowing that Thunder Lord and the others must have reasons for choosing these six. They didn¡¯t dare to question easily, even if they felt unsatisfied in their hearts.

    Alchemy Daoist waved his hand, and a hidden door opened in the hall.

    ¡°Those participating in thepetition, enter this door. Those who cane out of this door in half an hour will be eligible for the subsequentpetition,¡± Alchemy Daoist said. This was a preliminary selection. Only those who could endure the trial behind the door for half an hour would be qualified for the subsequentpetition.

    One by one, the prodigies from various forces entered the door. Everyone outside waited nervously. About thirty people went in, but when the stone door opened again, only twelve people came out. The rest were teleported outside the hall, meaning they were eliminated.

    ¡°Very good, I didn¡¯t expect as many as twelve people to pass the test,peting for the remaining six spots,¡± Alchemy Daoist was very satisfied with this result. ¡°Very well, please everyone move to the next venue. Tonight, when the moon rises, thepetition will officially begin. Thepetition will use a double elimination system. Those who achieve two victories will advance, those with two defeats will be eliminated.¡±

    ¡°That burly guy looked pretty strong, but he didn¡¯t even pass the preliminary selection. Looks like thispetition is at maximum difficulty,¡± Zhanyue muttered to himself, grateful that he had a guaranteed spot and didn¡¯t have topete with these monsters.

    Soon, he received a list in his hand, showing the twelve people who passed the preliminary selection and wouldpete for the six spots.

    ¡°Zi Xionxin, the Golden Lion Cub from Rising Sun Kingdom

    Liu Zhaoran, the Spear King from Fierce Earth Realm

    Song Yuxian, the Xiaguang Sword from Jade Glow Kingdom

    Jiang Licheng from Changtian Medicine Sect

    Huang Xueqing from Green Crane Valley

    Fan Longyu from Sleeping Dragon Kingdom

    Yunyao and Meng Huyue from White Cloud House

    Feng Bng and Huan Xiaoyao from Eternal Night Kingdom

    Tai¡¯e from Ancient Sun-Chasing Kingdom¡±

    (ce your bets now! Based on the previous descriptions, which six will get the spots? Come and guess!!!)

 Chapter 167: The Grand Opening

    Chapter 167: The Grand Opening

    Internally, this grand event was to decide the six candidates for the Heaven Book Trial. Externally, it was apetition of young talents. Not only would the legendary White Cloud House and Moon Reflection Pavilion send participants, but even the mysterious Night City and Ancient Sun-Chasing Kingdom would make appearances. As thepetition was open to the public, Thunder Lord and others had shamelessly started selling tickets early on. The ticket prices were extremely high, with the proceeds used for disaster relief and reconstruction. When better to harvest these wealthy cultivators if not now? Of course, these people didn¡¯t feel they were being fleeced at all. Being able to participate in such a high-level event was already extremely fortunate, possibly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Some even spent their entire fortunes to buy tickets.

    The huge square, originally used for various martial arts demonstrations at the Academy, could amodate a hundred thousand spectators, and it was finally put to good use.

    As night fell, the grandpetition began.

    The twelve participants stood in a line on the arena, surrounded by a sea of seated spectators. On the main tform was the chief judge of thispetition ¨C Thunder Lord. With his extremely strong power and unparalleled speed, he could quickly intervene if any idents urred in the arena, making him the perfect judge.

    On one side of the square were private boxes. These boxes offered a clear view of every move in the arena without the need to mingle with the noisy crowd. Privileges exist everywhere, at all times. The boxes naturally housed the elders and dignitaries from various forces.

    Zhanyue stayed in one room with Baizhi, Holy Maiden Lixi, Nangong Wei, and Alchemy Daoist. Alchemy Daoist¡¯s presence was to ensure the safety of Zhanyue and Baizhi. Although this event was meant to showcase the strength of the human race and boost morale, necessary precautions couldn¡¯t be neglected.

    ¡°Elder Alchemy Daoist is really attentive in protecting the Holy Maiden, not leaving her side even at a time like this. Ah, I had hoped to take this opportunity to ask him some questions,¡± a voicemented in another private box.

    ¡°That might not be the case. The one Alchemy Daoist is protecting might not be the Holy Maiden. Didn¡¯t you notice that boy called Zhanyue? He¡¯s also one of the guaranteed admissions, but we don¡¯t know much about him. I suddenly remembered a rumor from the Academy before, about a junior below the Profound Realm breaking the record of the Boundless Tower, but then disappearing without a trace. People spected that he was taken as a disciple by some big shot and secretly protected. Now that I think about it, that person might have broken through to the Profound Realm, and could very well be that boy called Zhanyue. You didn¡¯t notice earlier, but both the Holy Maiden girl and the Moon Reflection Pavilion¡¯s Nangong girl seemed to revolve around him, as if he was the center. That¡¯s quite telling,¡± another voice added.

    This person¡¯s observation and deduction skills were indeed extraordinary, almost guessing the truth. His voice wasn¡¯t blocked from others, so naturally, everyone in the box could hear. Yan Baifeng, sitting in the front row of the box, smiled. She had heard about Zhanyue¡¯s identity from Alchemy Daoist ¨C he was the disciple of the Illumination Goddess, how could his status be ordinary? However, Alchemy Daoist and the others hadn¡¯t made this public. The fact that Alchemy Daoist had told her privately earlier probably meant he wanted Zhanyue to establish good rtions with their Green Crane Valley. Considering Zhanyue¡¯s identity as an alchemist, Yan Baifeng instantly understood Alchemy Daoist¡¯s intention. ¡°He¡¯s after the Hundred Flowers Secret Realm. Well, since he¡¯s the Goddess¡¯s disciple, I should give him face no matter what,¡± Yan Baifeng thought to herself, then turned her gaze to the huge window outside, which was designed for them to watch thepetition. The boxes were filled with big shots from various forces, many of whom hadn¡¯t seen each other for a long time and were catching up. No oneined about how crowded the box was, after all, there weren¡¯t many boxes to begin with, so everyone just squeezed in. The viewing stands outside were even more crowded, with a worse view than here.

    ¡°Kid, you¡¯ll soon learn there¡¯s always someone better out there. Your family spent a lot of money on tickets for you to watch thispetition, to broaden your horizons and see true world-ss geniuses. These geniuses are usually treasured and rarely appear in public. Kid, what are you looking at? Are you listening to me?¡± On the viewing stand, an old man smacked the head of the young man beside him.

    ¡°Grandpa¡­ what¡­ what did you say?¡± Cultivators all had excellent eyesight and could see the people on the stage clearly even from afar. Among the twelve, the one attracting the most attention was Yunyao. There was no other reason ¨C she was too beautiful. Unlike Huang Xueqing, she didn¡¯t conceal her appearance. Her cold, otherworldly, aloof aura was hard not to notice. Her perfect features and cold eyes seemed full of stories.

    ¡°So beautiful, such a cold woman.¡± This was most people¡¯s impression of her. Moreover, she had a pair of small white wings on her back, making her look as pure as an ¡®angel¡¯. Yunyao, in her white dress, naturally became the focus of everyone. Even some of the geniuses on the stage asionally nced at her. However, Yunyao seemed oblivious to everything, ignoring all gazes, her eyes looking down on everything.

    ¡°This sister has such a strange temperament. I hope I don¡¯t encounter herter,¡± Huang Xueqing thought to herself.

    ¡°God, these people are all so strong. Brother Feng, I¡¯m afraid we¡¯ll embarrass Night City,¡± Huan Xiaoyao, standing next to Feng Bng, already had a bitter expression. Without even fighting, they could feel how formidable the others were. Monsters, they were all monsters, a whole row of monsters.

    Feng Bng was frowning, a change from his usual carefree attitude. He truly wanted to secure a spot. Although he appeared unrestrained on the surface, he still had the heart of a strong person. ¡°As long as I don¡¯t encounter those few people, I still have a chance to get a spot. Sigh, I¡¯ll do my best and hope heaven takes pity on me.¡±

    Tai¡¯e from the Ancient Sun-Chasing Kingdom had the most unique attire. It was the traditional costume of the ancient kingdom, with cloth-like clothing on the upper body exposing bronze skin and strong muscles showcasing his strength. The lower body was covered in long pants with an animal skin apron. His hair was loose, held by a headband simr to the Tight-Fixing Spell, but instead of a moon at the front, his headband had a sun pattern, the symbol of the Ancient Sun-Chasing Kingdom. Around his neck was still a ne of beast teeth. He was used to such asions, not much different from the beast arenas in his ancient kingdom, just on arger scale with stronger opponents.

    He scanned the crowd, his eyesnding on a red-haired man who was meditating with his eyes closed. There was a faint red light at the position of his heart ¨C it was Fan Longyu.

    ¡°This person is very strong,¡± Tai¡¯e immediately noticed Fan Longyu due to his sense for strong opponents. As for beauties, not everyone in this world was as ¡®obsessed with beauty¡¯ as Zhanyue. More people were in pursuit of power.

    ¡°This woman is also very strong,¡± of course, even if not captivated by Yunyao¡¯s beauty, Tai¡¯e still felt the pressure emanating from her.

    ¡°I wonder if there are others hiding their strength,¡± Tai¡¯e¡¯s eyes were full of fighting spirit. This trip wasn¡¯t in vain.

    ¡°Everyone!¡± A voice like thunder spread in all directions. Whether in the private boxes or on the stands, everyone fell silent. Thunder Lord was speaking.

    ¡°Wee to Academy Town. This youthpetition is a grand event unseen in a hundred years. Prodigies from all major forces have gathered here, showcasing the abundance of talent and the endless vitality of our human race. Earlier, due to the sudden rampage of the Nightmares, our human race suffered heavy losses. Many still live in fear and grief. But what I want to say is, the human race will not submit. We have propagated until today and are not so easily defeated!¡± As he spoke, a powerful aura surged from Thunder Lord¡¯s body, piercing through the clouds and covering the entire Academy Town, demonstrating the authority of the human race¡¯s leader. His action was like a signal, and all the human experts in Academy Town released their auras. In an instant, hundreds of powerful auras filled Academy Town, with several auras iparably strong.

    The millions of people in Academy Town werepletely awed. The terrifying aura tore through the night, extending for hundreds of miles. Even some strong cultivators in neighboring cities could feel it.

    The twelve standing on the arena also changed their expressions dramatically. They were geniuses, but still just geniuses. The owners of these auras were the current pirs of the human race. Each powerful aura made them yearn and ignited their desire for power.

    ¡°Everyone, this is just a small part of our human race¡¯s strength! So why should we be pessimistic? I believe many friends have guessed that the Illumination Goddess didn¡¯t truly die, and the recent cmity was resolved by her intervention. We have the Goddess¡¯s protection, numerous strong cultivators, and countless prodigies. Whether in the past, present, or future, the human race will never decline!¡±

    Thunder Lord¡¯s words greatly encouraged everyone. Especially apanied by these powerful auras, many people truly realized for the first time the strength of the human race. The nightmare that had been lingering in their hearts dissipated. If the human race was too weak without any chance of resistance, they would have just muddled through, but the human race had the power to resist!

    ¡°Moreover, the Myriad Spirits Realm is not just our human race. The hundred races will unite this time to face the cmity together. The Nightmares are not invincible,¡± Thunder Lord continued.

    ¡°Before the grand event officially begins, please all rise,¡± Thunder Lord suddenly said, then turned to face the direction of the Illumination Goddess statue.

    ¡°The Goddess has protected the human race for thousands of years, and then became a star to guard the mortal world. No one hasn¡¯t benefited from the Illumination Tower, no one hasn¡¯t received the grace of the moonlight illuminating the world. Let us express our highest respect to the Goddess!¡±

    Everyone stood up, paying their respects towards the Goddess statue. Even Tai¡¯e on the arena, who didn¡¯t worship the Goddess, still admired and revered this strongest human cultivator of the past thousands of years. Above was the bright moon transformed from the Goddess, below were countless believers silently paying their respects. At this moment, Zhanyue truly realized the status of his adopted sister in the hearts of the human race in the Myriad Spirits Realm. No wonder there were Goddess statues everywhere. But he also felt somewhat rueful. The freedom his sister wanted seemed difficult to achieve. In this situation, she could never abandon the human race. Unless¡­ the human race could be strong enough to no longer need the Illumination Goddess¡¯s protection, no longer need the Illumination Tower, no longer need that faith to unite their strength, but truly be powerful, powerful enough to not need any god or any faith.

 Chapter 168: The First Battle! Shield vs. Spear

    Chapter 168: The First Battle! Shield vs. Spear

    With the ceremony concluded, thepetition officially began. Since Alchemy Daoist had already conducted a preliminary selection, the remaining twelve were all geniuses who met his standards for entering the Heaven Book Secret Realm. Thus, thispetition could be called the highest quality youthpetition in thousands of years, far surpassing previous academy exchanges. The only regret was that some participants had already been guaranteed admission and couldn¡¯tpete here.

    ¡°Father, those auras earlier were so terrifying, they scared me so much my internal energy became chaotic,¡± a young man said to the middle-aged man beside him. Both were dressed in luxurious clothes, indicating their high status.

    ¡°This is the power of human race¡¯s strong cultivators. I never imagined we had so many powerful experts, so many terrifying forces,¡± the middle-aged man¡¯s eyes were full of fervor. Thunder Lord¡¯s show of strength had indeed restored confidence in many people. With so many strong cultivators protecting the human race, even the Nightmares weren¡¯t invincible.

    In the private box, Yu Zhitian, the head of the Jade Family, also hadplex emotions. The Azure Wind Realm had long been isted from the outside world. Now it seemed that the experts in the outside world far surpassed those of the Azure Wind Realm in both number and strength. His strength wasparable to Thunder Lord¡¯s, but there were many in the Myriad Spirits Realm who were even stronger than Thunder Lord.

    ¡°There are twelve participants in thispetition. We¡¯ll use a double elimination system. Those who achieve two victories will qualify, producing a total of six spots. I hope you seize this opportunity. Additionally, thispetition is more about testing skills and battle awareness, so there will be a special formation on the arena that will suppress everyone¡¯s realm to the first stage of Star Profound Realm!¡± Thunder Lord¡¯s words made many frown. This rule was very unfair to many high-realm participants.

    ¡°There¡¯s no choice, it¡¯s the will of the Heaven Book Spirit,¡± Alchemy Daoist transmitted to the people in the private box, exining that this rule wasn¡¯t set by them. Everyone looked at Yan Baifeng, as her disciple Huang Xueqing had the highest realm among all participants, and this rule would affect her the most.

    Yan Baifeng smiled disdainfully, ¡°You don¡¯t think my disciple only has a high realm without actual strength, do you?¡±

    Seeing that she didn¡¯t voice any objection, naturally, there were no more disputes. If it¡¯s apetition at the same realm, then it¡¯s about other abilities ¨C battle techniques,bat experience, treasures, and battle skills were all unlimited.

    Thunder Lord continued to address the twelve on the arena. ¡°Draw lots.¡± Thepetition was only to produce six spots, not to decide a champion, so the draw was particrly important.

    Thunder Lord waved his hand, and twelve jewels flew into the air, like twelve small suns.

    Since it was a random draw for grouping, the order didn¡¯t matter much. Fan Longyu, with his eyes tightly closed, moved first. He waved his hand, and a jewel was pulled into his hand.

    The others weren¡¯t far behind, each choosing a jewel until all were distributed.

    Thunder Lord activated a secret technique, and all the jewels revealed their true colors. There were three colors: gold, blue, and purple. The same color represented one group.

    Thunder Lord nodded and announced: ¡°Xionxin, Liu Zhaoran, Song Yuxian, and Tai¡¯e enter Group A; Jiang Licheng, Huang Xueqing, Fan Longyu, and Gongsun Taoli enter Group B; Yunyao, Huan Xiaoyao, Feng Bng, and Meng Huyue enter Group C. Only one person from each group can directly secure a spot, the others will enter the losers¡¯ bracket for furtherpetition. The first match of Group A: Xionxin from Rising Sun Kingdom versus Liu Zhaoran from Fierce Earth Kingdom! Finally, I remind you, admitting defeat on the arena or being knocked off the arena both count as a loss. I know some of you can fly, but if you don¡¯tnd on the arena within 100 breaths, it also counts as a defeat.¡±

    The draw results brought joy to some and sorrow to others. Feng Bng and Huan Xiaoyao¡¯s faces turned ck ¨C they really ended up in the same group as Yunyao. Feng Bng patted Huan Xiaoyao¡¯s shoulder, ¡°We¡¯re truly brothers in misfortune. See you in the losers¡¯ bracket.¡±

    Soon, only Xionxin and Liu Zhaoran remained on the arena. Xionxin wore golden armor, had golden long hair, and was truly handsome. Opposite him stood Liu Zhaoran in tight-fitting cloth clothes, equally handsome with short hair, standing like a green pine, holding a silver spear.

    ¡°Xionxin from Rising Sun Kingdom is the deputy captain of the Sun Knight Regiment, right? His strength is formidable. I remember he¡¯s called the ¡®Sun Shield¡¯,¡± someone who recognized Xionxin said, knowing his prowess.

    ¡°That Prince Liu is no simple character either. Everyone in the Fierce Earth Kingdom knows he¡¯s a true martial arts fanatic. His spearmanship is divine. This first match is actually a confrontation between spear and shield. Indeed, worthy of apetition of this level,¡± another person said.

    In the private box, the Imperial Tutor who brought Liu Zhaoran squinted his eyes, ¡°I heard Xionxin¡¯s contract object is the golden armor he wears, with extremely strong defensive capabilities. At the same realm, it¡¯s very difficult to break through his defense forcefully. However, Zhaoran is no ordinary warrior. I¡¯m more worried about that young man called Tai¡¯e in the same group. It¡¯s rare to see someone from the Ancient Sun-Chasing Kingdom.¡±

    ¡°Xionxin? It¡¯s him?¡± Zhanyue naturally recognized Xionxin. He looked at the Holy Maiden beside him curiously, ¡°Who do you think will win?¡± Back when Night Lord¡¯s subordinates caused trouble, Xionxin wasn¡¯t affected by those paper people and single-handedly upied many knights of the regiment, showing considerable strength.

    ¡°Xionxin is favored by the Crown Prince of Rising Sun Kingdom and has received abundant resources. He¡¯s also traveled and trained extensively with the Sun Knight Regiment, so his strength is formidable. However, it¡¯s rumored that Prince Liu has profound martial arts skills. I don¡¯t know much about him, so I can¡¯t tell,¡± the Holy Maiden exined.

    Nangong Wei beside them scoffed, ¡°Liu Zhaoran will win. Xionxin is far inferior to him.¡±

    ¡°So confident?¡± Zhanyue asked, puzzled. This girl Nangong Wei seemed to really have a way to know others¡¯ strength.

    ¡°Just wait and see,¡± Nangong Wei puffed out her chest confidently, her cute and beautiful face full of smiles.

    ¡°Girl, what exactly is your ability?¡± Zhanyue was extremely curious.

    ¡°Want to know? I won¡¯t tell you!¡± Seeing Zhanyue at a loss, Nangong Wei¡¯s face bloomed with joy.

    Well, since she wouldn¡¯t say, Zhanyue couldn¡¯t press further. After all, this involved other people¡¯s secrets, just like he had many secrets he couldn¡¯t tell others.

    On the arena, Xionxin looked at Prince Liu opposite him and said politely, ¡°Your Highness, please forgive me.¡±

    ¡°On the arena, there¡¯s no need for such courtesies. There are no princes here, only opponents. Let¡¯s begin,¡± Liu Zhaoran¡¯s martial arts fanatic spirit was fully aroused, he could hardly wait.

    ¡°Begin,¡± Thunder Lord said.

    As soon as the words fell, Liu Zhaoran took a few steps closer to Xionxin, then his spear shot out like a dragon.

    ¡°So fast! Such a fast spear!¡± The crowd couldn¡¯t help but exim.

    Xionxin frowned, his helmet covering his head, his whole body like a golden saint warrior. Then a golden light enveloped him. Liu Zhaoran¡¯s spear thrust fiercely into the golden light, and his whole body was sent flying back.

    A trace of delight surged in his eyes. ¡°Such strong defense. Finally, a worthy opponent.¡±

    One¡¯s contract object was armor, the other¡¯s was a silver spear. It was truly a battle between offense and defense, a match of equals.

 Chapter 169: The Future Under the Bodhi Tree

    Chapter 169: The Future Under the Bodhi Tree

    ¡°Imperial Hundred Refined Spear!¡± Liu Zhaoran thrust his spear a hundred times, but to onlookers, it seemed like a single strike. A hundred forces converged on one point, all hundred thrusts hitting the same spot on the golden light, which shattered with a boom. However, Xionxin let out a mighty roar, and a huge golden gori covered him. The armor on his body connected with the giant gori, allowing him to control it flexibly. The golden gori swatted Liu Zhaoran away with one palm. Liu Zhaoran¡¯s silver spear pierced the ground, leaving a long mark on the arena as he barely managed to stabilize himself without falling off.

    ¡°So strong, I¡¯m afraid Liu Zhaoran will have trouble breaking through this gori¡¯s defense. Xionxin has developed his contract object well,¡± many people now favored Xionxin more.

    ¡°Is this your strongest trump card? I see. Then I¡¯m sorry, goodbye! Ten Thousand Dragons Sky-Breaking Strike!¡± Liu Zhaoran stepped forward, each step seemingly very difficult, as if something was resisting his advance. Until the spear tip touched the gori¡¯s body. Then, time seemed to freeze. Countless golden dragons surged from behind Liu Zhaoran, all rapidly converging into the spear tip. As time resumed, the spear tip burst forth with terrifying power. The huge golden gori shattered instantly, and Xionxin¡¯s body flew backwards uncontrobly, falling off the arena and spitting out a mouthful of blood. He looked at Liu Zhaoran on the arena in disbelief. The power of that spear strike filled him with tremendous terror, as if he had been forcibly knocked off the arena by ten thousand dragons,pletely unable to resist.

    Below the arena, thepeting participants all showed vignt expressions. That spear strike was incredibly powerful.

    ¡°First match, Liu Zhaoran wins!¡±

    The audience below the arena erupted in cheers. Everyone¡¯s eyes were opened just by this first match. What kind of spearmanship was that? Was that power something that could be unleashed at the first stage of Star Profound Realm?

    ¡°See? I told you Liu Zhaoran would win,¡± Nangong Wei said smugly.

    ¡°What about the next match then? Song Yuxian and Tai¡¯e, who will win?¡± Zhanyue asked curiously.

    Nangong Wei looked at the two on the arena and activated her ¡®Foresight Eye¡¯. Soon after, her expression changed, as if she had seen something iprehensible. ¡°How terrifying. That Tai¡¯e, he¡¯s so strong, so strong. How can there be such a powerful person?¡± ¡°How strong?¡± Zhanyue asked, puzzled. What kind of strength could scare the little girl like this?

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid the three of usbined wouldn¡¯t be his match. Unless, unless you wear that mysterious armor of yours.¡± The three people Nangong Wei referred to were naturally the Holy Maiden, herself, and Zhanyue.

    Zhanyue¡¯s expression also changed. Even after advancing to the Profound Realm, he wasn¡¯t a match for him and would need to rely on the Silver Moon Armor? Wait, I¡¯ve never worn the Silver Moon Armor in front of this girl, how does she know about it? What an amazing ability.

    ¡°You all, why belittle yourselves? He¡¯s from the Ancient Sun-Chasing Kingdom. Their trial secret realms and inheritances are the most numerous in the Myriad Spirits Realm. He¡¯s received more than one inheritance, so isn¡¯t it normal for him to be strong? That¡¯s why you must seize this opportunity to enter the Heaven Book Secret Realm. It¡¯s your best chance to catch up to him,¡± Alchemy Daoist said to them. He could see Tai¡¯e¡¯s strength, but he didn¡¯t really care about how strong or weak these children considered themselves. The current Zhanyue and Nangong Wei might not be able to defeat Tai¡¯e, but if either the Illumination Goddess or Alchemy Daoist were to choose a disciple, they would still choose Zhanyue or Nangong Wei. Zhanyue had mysterious abilities that even Alchemy Daoist didn¡¯t possess, and Nangong Wei was no simple character either. It¡¯s like two runners ¨C running fast and running far arepletely different things, and the path of cultivation is endless.

    Zhanyue, MuMu Lixi, and Nangong Wei nodded simultaneously. The little girl Mi Xiaodie beside them also nodded. However, Baizhi beside Zhanyue became even more dejected.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Zhanyue noticed Baizhi¡¯s mood.

    ¡°You¡¯re all so amazing, unlike me. I can¡¯t do anything except alchemy. In a real fight, I¡¯m afraid I wouldn¡¯t even qualify to step onto the arena,¡± Baizhi grew more frustrated the more she watched. She never doubted her alchemy talent, but it seemed that this alone was far from enough, andpared to these true prodigies, her strength was too weak.

    ¡°You little girl, you don¡¯t know how many people envy you, yet you¡¯re still not satisfied. Earlier, when the Thousand Beauties Empress wrote to me asking about some questions, she specifically mentioned you, saying you¡¯re an unparalleled genius in alchemy not seen for ages. Even now that I¡¯m a ninth-rank alchemist, that little empress hasn¡¯t praised me like that,¡± Alchemy Daoist seemed to be reprimanding Baizhi, but was actually endlessly encouraging her.

    Zhanyue, however, was quite speechless. Neither Alchemy Daoist nor Baizhi knew about Baizhi¡¯s past life. When Baizhi¡¯s three lives merge, Zhanyue couldn¡¯t even imagine how powerful she would be, yet Baizhi was currently worrying about her strength. He held Baizhi¡¯s hand andforted her: ¡°Your martial arts talent isn¡¯t bad at all, you just haven¡¯t received any relevant training since childhood, always focusing on alchemy. Cultivators measure their lives in hundreds or thousands of years, how old are you now?¡±

    With Zhanyue¡¯sfort, Baizhi indeed felt better. Nangong Wei stared at Baizhi for a long time. Indeed, Baizhi was no match for her. Then she thought for a moment and activated her right eye¡¯s ability. That¡¯s right, her two eyes had different abilities. The left eye¡¯s Foresight Eye could perceive the present, while the right eye¡¯s Divination Eye could perceive the future. However, she hadn¡¯t fully mastered the ability of the Divination Eye yet.

    When she tried to look at Baizhi, she saw endless mes. When she turned to look at Holy Maiden Lixi, she saw radiance like the sun. Looking at the little girl Mi Xiaodie, she saw a sea of blood. Finally, she looked at Zhanyue. She only saw a naked Zhanyue sitting cross-legged, with someone sitting in hisp, seemingly a naked woman. However, they had a solemn and dignified appearance, without any hint of lewdness. Behind them was a huge Bodhi tree. Looking closer, the woman¡¯s appearance was actually herself. Embarrassed, her face turned red, and she quickly closed her eyes.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Although my ability isn¡¯t perfect, I can still get some information. Sister Baizhi will have extremely powerful fire abilities in the future, and Sister MuMu Lixi¡¯s future is like the sun. Xiaodie has the power of killing. That bad guy¡­¡± Nangong Wei mustered her courage to look at Zhanyue again, and saw exactly the same scene. Under the Bodhi tree, a man and a woman, one was Zhanyue and one was her. What does this mean?

    ¡°Why are you staring at me in a daze? The match has started,¡± Zhanyue naturally noticed Nangong Wei¡¯s eyes. This little girl had been staring at him for a long time, her ears red with embarrassment. Who knows what she was thinking about.

    ¡°Oh,¡± Nangong Wei hurriedly looked away towards the arena. Now she had no interest in watching the match, only wanting to know what the scene she saw meant.

    On the arena, Xiaguang Sword Song Yuxian faced Tai¡¯e from the Ancient Sun-Chasing Kingdom.

    ¡°The Xiaguang Sword Technique is the national ultimate skill of the Jade Glow Kingdom. I heard Song Yuxian has mastered it. I¡¯m betting on Song Yuxian for this match!¡± People below the arena discussed. Naturally, where there¡¯s apetition, there are bets.

    ¡°It seems you haven¡¯t heard enough legends about the Ancient Sun-Chasing Kingdom. I dare to bet Tai¡¯e will win.¡±

    ¡°Legends are just legends. You¡¯re being too absolute,¡± the person retorted, unconvinced.

    ¡°Let me put it this way, if Tai¡¯e loses this match, I¡¯ll eat shit.¡±

    ¡°Damn, that¡¯s intense. Brother, I¡¯ll trust you this time. I¡¯m betting my family¡¯s entire fortune on Tai¡¯e!¡±

 Chapter 170: The Second Battle! A Visible Difference.

    Chapter 170: The Second Battle! A Visible Difference.

    The second battle: Song Yuxian from the Jade Glow Kingdom versus Tai¡¯e from the Ancient Sun-Chasing Kingdom.

    This second battle naturally attracted more attention than the first, given the mysterious nature of the Ancient Sun-Chasing Kingdom. Most eyes were on Tai¡¯e, while the muscr man named Tai¡¯e only had eyes for his opponent, Song Yuxian.

    Song Yuxian frowned, feeling as if he was facing not a person but a terrifyingly powerful beast.

    ¡°Xiaguang Sword Song Yuxian!¡± Song Yuxian greeted. This Song Yuxian was quite remarkable. The Xiaguang Sword in his hand was a national treasure of the Jade Glow Kingdom, yet it became his contract object, automatically flying out of the national treasury to find him. At that time, the whole country was shocked. Song Yuxian was directly taken as a personal disciple by the National Tutor of the Jade Glow Kingdom, their strongest expert, and was given the exceptional privilege to learn the ¡°Xiaguang Sword Technique¡± which only the royal family could practice.

    ¡°Tai¡¯e!¡± Tai¡¯e also learned to bow in greeting.

    Song Yuxian made the first move to probe, one sword strike bringing forth a glow of rosy clouds, bewitching the mind.

    ¡°Is it a sword move with illusions?¡± Tai¡¯e closed his eyes, but his ears twitched.

    He dodged Song Yuxian¡¯s sword with a sidestep, thenunched a heavy punch, hitting Song Yuxian¡¯s waist. This powerful punch seemed to lock onto him, making him unable to move.

    Fortunately, a green light shed on Song Yuxian¡¯s waist, and Tai¡¯e felt as if his punch had hit cotton. Song Yuxian took the opportunity to dodge, looking at Tai¡¯e with great wariness. ¡°Fist Domain?¡± Alchemy Daoist, who was watching the match, eximed in surprise. ¡°Tai¡¯e¡¯s fist technique carries spatialws, not easy to avoid.¡±

    ¡°Spatial¡­ws?¡± Zhanyue asked in surprise, then added, ¡°The Xiaguang Sword that Song Yuxian just used seems somewhat simr to the ¡®Phantom Light Sword Technique¡¯ I learned.¡±

    Holy Maiden Lixi nodded, ¡°Yes, I have the same feeling.¡± After all, with Zhanyue¡¯s thorough teaching, she had now mastered this sword technique as well.

    ¡°That¡¯s natural. The founding monarch of the Jade Glow Kingdom was one of the Goddess¡¯s disciples. They inherited the Goddess¡¯s ¡®Phantom Light Sword Technique¡¯, but this sword technique has an extremely high learning threshold. So after generations of optimization, it became today¡¯s ¡®Xiaguang Sword Technique¡¯, with slightly weaker illusion ability but stronger killing power,¡± Alchemy Daoist exined.

    ¡°I see, indeed they are techniques from the same source,¡± Zhanyue nodded, gaining some insight.

    On the arena, Song Yuxian¡¯s protective soft armor was already somewhat damaged. Just one punch, and it was already in such a state.

    ¡°Too strong. My raw strength is no match for him. I only have one chance,¡± Song Yuxian was naturally no ordinary person, understanding the gap between them after just one exchange.

    ¡°Again!¡± Song Yuxian attacked once more, his Xiaguang Sword shining brightly.

    Tai¡¯e still had his eyes closed, a smile appearing at the corner of his mouth. If he used his eyes to look, he might fall for the Phantom Sword Technique, but Tai¡¯e could still dodge just by relying on his hearing.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see how you dodge this!¡± Seeing Tai¡¯e close his eyes, Song Yuxian suddenly changed his move, leaping into the air with dazzling light.

    ¡°Xiaguang Fills the Sky!¡± He immediately used his strongest ultimate skill, holding nothing back. He could only hope that his opponent underestimated him, underestimated his sword technique, and thus win by surprise.

    The sky was filled with colorful clouds covering the arena, dreamlike and illusory. Terrifying sword energy ran wild, allowing even those outside the arena to feel its sharpness. An unavoidable sword technique aimed at defeating a single person.

    ¡°What a powerful sword technique. Is this the final move of the ¡®Xiaguang Sword Technique¡¯? How many Profound Realm experts could withstand this sword strike!¡± The crowd marveled. The ultimate skill empowered by the Xiaguang Sword filled the space with sword energy, causing even the experts in the private boxes to show shocked expressions.

    ¡°Song Yuxian is indeed very powerful, but unfortunately his luck is bad, encountering Tai¡¯e,¡± Nangong Wei sighed in Zhanyue¡¯s private box.

    On the arena, Tai¡¯e moved. His right hand formed a fist, and a Fist Domain appeared. His fist was like a ck hole, instantly absorbing all the colorful clouds in the sky, sweeping them clean. The next moment, Tai¡¯e¡¯s fist was pressed against Song Yuxian¡¯s face. Song Yuxian¡¯s face turned pale, his forehead covered in sweat. If this were a life-and-death battle, this punch would have already exploded his head.

    ¡°I admit defeat,¡± Song Yuxian said unwillingly, but the gap in strength was like a vast chasm.

    ¡°Second match, Tai¡¯e wins,¡± Thunder Lord gave Tai¡¯e a deep look. From this second punch, he could clearly tell that Tai¡¯e had mastered some kind of spatialw, directly swallowing all the sword energy into space.

    ¡°In Group A, Liu Zhaoran and Tai¡¯e enter the winners¡¯ bracket, tomorrow will decide one spot. Xionxin and Song Yuxian fall to the losers¡¯ bracket, you still have a chance,¡± Thunder Lord announced Group A¡¯s results.

    ¡°It¡¯s really as the little Nangong girl said, this Tai¡¯e is terrifyingly strong,¡± Zhanyue also frowned. Among his peers, someone had actually mastered power simr tows. Abovews were the Dao.

    ¡°See? Some people, as the Goddess¡¯s disciple, shouldn¡¯t embarrass the Goddess,¡± Nangong Wei teased. Suddenly, Zhanyue drew his sword, scaring her to quickly hide behind MuMu Lixi. ¡°What are you doing!¡±

    Zhanyue ignored her. A white light emitted from the sword in his hand, bewitching people¡¯s minds. It was the Phantom Light Sword Technique. Then that white light turned into colorful rays, just like the Xiaguang.

    ¡°You¡­ you¡­ you¡­¡± Nangong Wei was too surprised to speak. Wasn¡¯t this Song Yuxian¡¯s Xiaguang sword energy? When did he learn it?

    ¡°You just learned the Xiaguang Sword Technique from watching Song Yuxian¡¯s move?¡± Alchemy Daoist beside them also looked astonished.

    Zhanyue nodded, ¡°The Xiaguang Sword Technique is just a variant of the Phantom Light Sword Technique, not difficult to learn.¡±

    Alchemy Daoist¡¯s eyebrows twitched. If people from the Jade Glow Kingdom heard these words ¡®not difficult to learn¡¯, they would probablymit suicide on the spot.

    ¡°Does the Goddess know you have such martial arts talent?¡± Alchemy Daoist asked again.

    Zhanyue shook his head, ¡°Sis¡­ Master said my martial arts talent is average.¡± This was true. Previously, Zhanyue¡¯s learning speed for various martial techniques wasn¡¯t particrly fast.

    ¡°Average¡­ Ah, I wish I could be this ¡®average¡¯,¡± Alchemy Daoist didn¡¯t want to say more. The Goddess probably said that to prevent Zhanyue from bing arrogant.

    ¡°Can I learn it?¡± MuMu Lixi beside them asked curiously.

    ¡°Of course. You¡¯re a Light Contractor, you should be more suited to this sword technique than us. Song Yuxian had to make a sound when using this technique, allowing Tai¡¯e to dodge by hearing. If you use it, it might be silent and invisible,¡± Zhanyue had sparred with MuMu Lixi many times these days and knew how formidable Light Contractors were. Moreover, the ¡®Phantom Light Sword Technique¡¯ was originally created by the Illumination Goddess for herself, naturally most suitable for Light Contractors.

    ¡°Then teach meter,¡± MuMu Lixi said with a sweet smile.

    ¡°Hmph,¡± Baizhi snorted coldly beside them, seemingly a bit jealous.

    Alchemy Daoist watched these juniors¡¯ romantic rivalries, finding it amusing. He wanted to see how Zhanyue would handle thister. The word ¡®love¡¯ could help people create miracles when used correctly, or lead to eternal damnation when misused. He seemed to recall something, his eyes full of guilt and sorrow.

    Next match, Group B: Jiang Licheng versus Huang Xueqing!

 Chapter 171: The Third Battle! A Frustrating Loss

    Chapter 171: The Third Battle! A Frustrating Loss

    Both of thesepetitors were dual cultivators of alchemy and martial arts, one from the Changtian Medicine Sect and the other from Green Crane Valley. As soon as Jiang Licheng stepped onto the arena, countless female spectators eximed in awe. His otherworldly aura and white robes made him appear like an immortal descending to the mortal world. As for Huang Xueqing in her green clothes, although her figure and aura were extraordinary at a nce, her face was veiled, hiding her appearance.

    ¡°What¡¯s with the act? Could she be more beautiful than Her Highness the Holy Maiden? What¡¯s there to hide? Could she be an ugly duckling?¡± Some spectators below were displeased with Huang Xueqing¡¯s face veil.

    Zhanyue, however, knew that Huang Xueqing was truly beautiful, even surpassing MuMu Lixi and Baizhi in terms of pure looks. Only Yunyao couldpare, but Yunyao was too cold, making people ufortable. However, if asked about the most beautiful woman in the world, Zhanyue would still choose the Illumination Goddess. ¡°Sister is unparalleled in both strength and beauty, truly like a deity. If I hadn¡¯t grown up with her, I might also worship her as frantically as they do.¡±

    ¡°Ah,¡± Huang Xueqing sighed on the arena. She disliked crowded ces and hated being stared at most. Removing the veil would only cause more trouble. She didn¡¯t care about being beautiful or not, just found these people annoying.

    ¡°Greetings, Fairy Xueqing,¡± Jiang Licheng said politely.

    ¡°Fairy? I don¡¯t deserve such a title. I¡¯m just a mortal. You¡¯re a few years older than me, and we¡¯re both inheritors of the Alchemy Daoist. Just call me junior sister,¡± Huang Xueqing actually didn¡¯t want to participate in the Heaven Book Trialpetition, but was forced by her master. Her master also said there might be a way to solve the curse on her body in the Heaven Book world. Although she didn¡¯t have much hope, it was worth a try.

    ¡°These two are both dual cultivators of alchemy and martial arts, with extraordinary talents. Watch them carefully,¡± Alchemy Daoist said.

    Jiang Licheng took out a pack of silver needles. ¡°My contract object is a set of nine silver needles. They¡¯re meant for healing, but when necessary, I have to use them against enemies. I¡¯m determined to get a spot in the Heaven Book Trial, so I won¡¯t hold back. Please be careful, Junior Sister Xueqing.¡±

    ¡°How about these two? Who will win?¡± Zhanyue looked at Nangong Wei beside him again. Nangong Wei¡¯s face reddened as she looked at Zhanyue, recalling the previous scene that was now etched in her mind. ¡°Jiang Licheng is very strong, and his needles attacking the opponent¡¯s acupoints are usually invincible. If his opponent were Xionxin, Liu Zhaoran, or Song Yuxian from before, he might win. But unfortunately, he¡¯s facing this woman.¡±

    ¡°What about this woman?¡± Zhanyue asked curiously. He was indeed curious about Huang Xueqing¡¯s strength, given her absurdly high realm. Apart from her realm, she must have other abilities.

    ¡°Why are you so concerned about this woman? Could it be you have a thing for her?¡± Nangong Wei retorted.

    ¡°Uh, why do you always target me now, girl?¡± Zhanyue was annoyed, not knowing what he had done to offend her.

    Holy Maiden Lixi beside them exined with a smile: ¡°What else could it be? You¡¯re the Goddess¡¯s disciple, she¡¯s not. She¡¯s jealous. Little Wei always wears her heart on her sleeve. Can¡¯t you see that?¡±

    Zhanyue suddenly understood. The Illumination Goddess was also Nangong Wei¡¯s idol. ¡°Then how dare you offend me? If you make me happy, I might put in a good word for you with my master in the future. Perhaps she¡¯ll take you as a disciple too.¡±

    Nangong Wei¡¯s eyes suddenly widened, looking extremely cute. That¡¯s right, both Zhanyue and Sister MuMu Lixi were the Goddess¡¯s disciples. If she pleased them and they spoke well of her to the Goddess, maybe the Goddess would take her as a disciple too. Just thinking about being the Goddess¡¯s disciple was so exciting.

    If her master at the Moon Reflection Pavilion heard these thoughts, he would probably be furious. What an ungrateful little wolf. But if that day really came, the Moon Reflection Pavilion would be more than happy for Nangong Wei to have a connection with the Goddess.

    Zhanyue had taken in Holy Maiden Lixi on behalf of the Goddess, and now he also had the identity of the Goddess¡¯s disciple in public. Now he and the Holy Maiden were fellow disciples, so it was normal for them to be close. This gave Zhanyue a legitimate reason to stay by the Holy Maiden¡¯s side.

    ¡°Back to this woman, she¡¯s really disgusting,¡± Nangong Wei suddenly said.

    ¡°Disgusting?¡± Zhanyue frowned, recalling Huang Xueqing¡¯s appearance and aura. How could she be associated with disgust? However, he soon understood.

    ¡°Be careful, Junior Sister!¡± Jiang Licheng controlled several flying needles towards Huang Xueqing.

    A white lotus suddenly bloomed under Huang Xueqing¡¯s feet, protecting her. The white lotus grewrger andrger, expanding from a few feet to several zhang, showing signs of filling the entire arena.

    The flying needles hit the white lotus but left no mark. Jiang Licheng frowned and sent out all nine needles, his ultimate skill ¨C Nine Needles in a Line!

    The nine flying needles lined up, aiming at one point. He believed even Xionxin¡¯s armor couldn¡¯t withstand this ultimate skill. However, he miscalcted. His needles still couldn¡¯t prate the white lotus.

    Everyone saw the white lotus growingrger andrger until it filled the entire arena. Jiang Licheng had nowhere to stand and had to leap onto the white lotus. However, the lotus suddenly bloomed, its powerful force directly pushing him off the arena.

    Jiang Licheng, his feet touching the ground, was a bit dazed. Did he just lose? Huang Xueqing hadn¡¯t even moved a step.

    Indeed, ording to the arena rules, he had lost. With a bitter smile, Jiang Licheng cupped his hands towards Huang Xueqing on the arena. ¡°Junior Sister¡­ what a great divine ability.¡± Jiang Licheng, without a scratch, grudgingly admitted defeat.

    ¡°Now you understand, right? This woman called Huang Xueqing has learned all sorts of defensive skills. Whoever faces her is bound to lose. It¡¯s so disgusting,¡± Nangong Wei exined.

    ¡°Can¡¯t even Tai¡¯e break through her defense?¡± Zhanyue asked.

    ¡°No, her defensive methods are too numerous and profound. But it seems she doesn¡¯t have any attacking methods. If not for the arena rules, she couldn¡¯t do anything to others either. But unfortunately, this is an arena match. What a shameless woman. You should be careful if you meet her in the future. Don¡¯t fight her, it¡¯s a waste of energy,¡± Nangong Wei had seen Huang Xueqing¡¯s abilities through her Foresight Eye and felt her scalp tingling. In the preview space, she had used all her methods, fought for three days and three nights, but couldn¡¯t cause even the slightest injury to the opponent.

    The other contestants¡¯ expressions changed as they looked at Huang Xueqing. Before, they only knew she had the highest cultivation, already half a step into the Spirit God Realm, probably due to some extraordinary encounter. Now, that lotus made them feel a chill, all analyzing whether they could break through her defense.

    ¡°Valley Master Yan, your disciple really has some tricks,¡± in the private box, the old man who brought Jiang Licheng was speechless, losing in such a bewildering way.

    Yan Baifeng smiled, ¡°My disciple doesn¡¯t like fighting, but I¡¯ve taught her since childhood that even as an alchemist, she should master self-protection skills. But she seems to have misunderstood, only loving to practice defensive techniques and battle skills since childhood. Even in inheritance secret realms, she only chooses defensive ones. Can¡¯t help it, it¡¯s her nature. She doesn¡¯t want to harm others, nor does she want to be harmed.¡± Yan Baifeng had full confidence in her disciple¡¯s abilities. Even Tai¡¯e couldn¡¯t break through, because in this battle, her good disciple hadn¡¯t even used a tenth of her methods.

    The next match: Fan Longyu from Sleeping Dragon Kingdom versus Gongsun Taoli from Moon Reflection Pavilion. Tai¡¯e, Yunyao, and others all turned their gaze to Fan Longyu. In the private box, Nangong Wei shouted: ¡°Go, Senior Brother Gongsun!¡± As Gongsun Taoli¡¯s junior sister, she naturally had to cheer for her own people. Then she looked at Fan Longyu, her face turning pale. ¡°Senior Brother Gongsun is done for.¡±

    Seeing her reaction, Zhanyue knew she had seen Fan Longyu¡¯s abilities. He felt that the most formidable person wasn¡¯t Tai¡¯e or Fan Longyu, but Nangong Wei herself. No wonder that old man Wind Lord wanted Nangong Wei to closely protect Holy Maiden Lixi. He must have known this girl had such abilities. Anyone trying to disguise themselves to approach MuMu Lixi would be easily exposed. No wonder Wind Lord gave her a guaranteed spot. He needed to find a chance to get the little girl to reveal her abilities. Zhanyue was extremely curious about what her power actually was.

 Chapter 172: Fan Longyus Dominance

    Chapter 172: Fan Longyus Dominance

    Zhanyue sheathed his sword and turned his gaze to the arena. He had grasped the most basic moves of the Xiaguang Sword technique, but was far from being able to create a sky full of rosy clouds like Song Yuxian. However, Song Yuxian had only fallen to the losers¡¯ bracket, so Zhanyue would have more chances to observeter.

    On the arena, Gongsun Taoli¡¯s face was serious. He too had an extraordinary bearing, holding a peach wood staff in his right hand. Opposite him stood a muscr red-haired man. Though clothed, a red light on his chest was impossible to conceal. He looked at Gongsun Taoli with a hint of mockery, seemingly not taking his opponent seriously at all.

    ¡°This Fan Longyu is a disciple of the Four Saints of the Lake, who are four True Realm experts,¡± Alchemy Daoist introduced.

    ¡°Four True Realm masters?¡± Zhanyue was shocked. He had been underestimating the heroes of the world all along.

    ¡°What should we do? Senior Brother can¡¯t beat him,¡± Nangong Wei beside them was too nervous to sit still. Having grown up in the Moon Reflection Pavilion, Gongsun Taoli had cared for her like an elder brother, so she naturally hoped for her senior brother to win.

    Gongsun Taoli took a deep breath, feeling somewhat angry at Fan Longyu¡¯s disdainful gaze. He was really being underestimated.

    He thrust his peach wood staff into the ground, and instantly, a peach forest rose on the arena, as if by magic.

    ¡°Illusion?¡± Everyone was surprised, but only the target of an illusion should be able to see these phantoms. Could he have cast the spell on everyone simultaneously?

    ¡°It¡¯s not an illusion, but an illusory realm. We can all see it. This is a technique more advanced than illusions, even more advanced than illusion arrays. This Gongsun Taoli is no simple character,¡± an elder skilled in illusions said. ¡°Child¡¯s y,¡± Fan Longyu still looked disdainfully at the surrounding peach forest, not moving an inch.

    ¡°Three Thousand des of Falling Peach Blossoms!¡± Gongsun Taoli immediately unleashed his signature move. Countless peach blossoms fell, the petals like countless des flying towards Fan Longyu. The spinning peach petals formed a terrifying de storm, with Fan Longyu at its center.

    Fan Longyu took a step, and a ring of fire spread from his feet, instantly dispersing all the surrounding flying des, not a single leaf touching him.

    Just as Fan Longyu was about to mock, he felt a chill on his neck. A small green snake had somehow silently approached him and bit the back of his neck.

    ¡°Get lost!¡± Fan Longyu roared, letting out a high-pitched dragon¡¯s cry from his mouth. This dragon cry made everyone feel dizzy. The small green snake was stunned unconscious and tossed back to Gongsun Taoli like trash.

    ¡°So you¡¯re a genius with two contract objects. I really underestimated you,¡± Fan Longyu said calmly.

    Gongsun Taoli¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change, and the small green snake immediately woke up. He wasn¡¯t worried about the snake¡¯s safety, as this little creature¡¯s special trait was immortality. The small green snake immediately coiled around the peach wood staff, its eyes fixed fiercely on Fan Longyu.

    ¡°Brother Fan¡¯s methods are indeed formidable, but you¡¯ve been careless and poisoned by my little friend here,¡± Gongsun Taoli was confident in his contract object¡¯s poison. The paralyzing venom had already started to take effect. No one thought Gongsun Taoli was being underhanded ¨C if someone¡¯s contract object is a poisonous snake, you can¡¯t expect them not to use poison.

    ¡°This Gongsun Taoli from Moon Reflection Pavilion actually has two contract objects. This is my first time seeing such a thing. It¡¯s really eye-opening,¡± the spectators below marveled.

    ¡°You think that¡¯s enough?¡± Fan Longyu still looked disdainful. He could feel the snake venom invading his limbs and brain. With a roar, his upper body clothes burst open, scales covering his upper body, and a tail growing from his back. He had half-transformed into a dragon!

    The terrifying power shocked everyone, and the so-called snake venom was instantly purified.

    ¡°The power of an ancient divine dragon, not bad, not bad at all,¡± Alchemy Daoist squinted his eyes, feeling the power erupting from Fan Longyu¡¯s body.

    All the contestants looked serious upon seeing Fan Longyu¡¯s form.

    ¡°Interesting,¡± Tai¡¯e¡¯s fighting spirit surged, eager to immediately go up and fight Fan Longyu. Gongsun Taoli¡¯s strength was naturally extraordinary, otherwise he wouldn¡¯t have forced Fan Longyu to show his true abilities. Fan Longyu took a step and turned into a streak of light rushing towards Gongsun Taoli. Gongsun Taoli responded cautiously, his peach wood staff and the small green snake cooperating seamlessly. The two exchanged hundreds of moves in a short time, most people unable to see clearly. Until the peach blossom forest dispersed, Fan Longyu was seen pinching the small green snake¡¯s neck with one hand, while his tail was wrapped around Gongsun Taoli¡¯s body, holding him up like a trophy.

    ¡°This match, Fan Longyu wins,¡± Thunder Lord announced the result.

    Gongsun Taoli left the arena dejectedly. Possessing two contract objects, he had been called a genius since childhood. He hade out this time hoping to bring glory to Moon Reflection Pavilion, but didn¡¯t expect to lose so badly.

    ¡°Senior Brother!¡± Nangong Wei looked at her senior brother¡¯s back with sympathy. His luck was too bad, encountering Fan Longyu in the first battle. Otherwise, he might have had a chance to enter the winners¡¯ bracket.

    The victorious Fan Longyu didn¡¯t immediately leave the arena, but said: ¡°I came to Academy Town mainly for two things. The first is topete for a spot; the second is to propose marriage to the Crown Princess of the Eastern Kingdom. I cultivate a dragon body, naturally a perfect match for Her Highness the Princess. I request Your Majesty¡¯s blessing.¡±

    Everyone was stunned, not expecting Fan Longyu to be so bold as to propose to the Eastern Kingdom¡¯s Female War God in front of everyone. It was truly confident.

    Soon after, a deep voice came: ¡°Her marriage is her own decision. We won¡¯t interfere.¡± Fan Longyu¡¯s special status made it difficult to directly offend him.

    Outside the arena, Mi Hongchen, who had been watching thepetition with Gong Xiaoyu, suddenly had her face covered in ck lines when she was mentioned. She was about to go down and beat up that bastard, but was held back by Gong Xiaoyu.

    ¡°If you appear, you¡¯d be fulfilling his wish. Even if you win, so what? It would just be bullying someone weaker,¡± Gong Xiaoyu advised.

    Mi Hongchen nodded and responded via voice transmission: ¡°I am devoted to the martial path and have no interest in these romantic affairs. Moreover, I don¡¯t think we are a ¡®perfect match¡¯ as you im. Your dragon breath indeed aids my cultivation, but I have always relied on my own efforts to advance. Why would I need assistance from others? Don¡¯t entertain any further thoughts. Give up this idea.¡±

    Mi Hongchen had directly rejected him. Fan Longyu didn¡¯t get angry or embarrassed, but said: ¡°Your Highness, I won¡¯t give up on you. One day, I will make you see my worth!¡± He hadn¡¯t expected Mi Hongchen to agree in the first ce, he just wanted to announce to the world that Mi Hongchen was the woman he had his eye on, warning others not to have any ideas.

    After this scene, gossip ignited everyone¡¯s hearts. The ticket was really worth it.

    ¡°This Fan Longyu is so domineering. He probably hasn¡¯t had any interaction with the Princess, maybe hasn¡¯t even met her, yet he directly proposed,¡± Zhanyue frowned, disliking this kind of behavior. He was still a superficial person who cared about looks. These cultivators didn¡¯t even look at faces, purely for their own cultivation. Under this concept, what¡¯s the difference between people and tools? He didn¡¯t think Fan Longyu was attracted to Mi Hongchen because of her beauty.

    Baizhi beside him said, ¡°Don¡¯t learn from him. It¡¯s so embarrassing.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t public confession romantic?¡± Zhanyue asked curiously.

    ¡°It¡¯s stupid. I prefer something more low-key,¡± Baizhi replied. Not all girls like this approach.

    ¡°Hmph, you only know how to talk about love. Can¡¯t youfort someone!¡± Nangong Wei said dissatisfied. She was still upset about her senior brother¡¯s defeat.

    ¡°Your senior brother has only fallen to the losers¡¯ bracket. He still has a chance. Let¡¯s continue watching thepetition,¡± Zhanyueforted.

    ¡°In Group B, Huang Xueqing and Fan Longyu enter the winners¡¯ bracket, Jiang Licheng and Gongsun Taoli enter the losers¡¯ bracket. Next is the battle of Group C, Yunyao from White Cloud House versus Huan Xiaoyao from Night City!¡± Thunder Lord¡¯s voice resonated throughout the venue.

 Chapter 173: The End of the First Round

    Chapter 173: The End of the First Round

    Yunyao stood there like a beautiful statue, beautiful indeed, but without any hint of human warmth. She seemed untouched by any mortal air.

    ¡°This sister is so beautiful,¡± Baizhi couldn¡¯t help but praise in the private box.

    ¡°Not just beautiful, her strength is also incredible,¡± Nangong Wei looked at Yunyao with absolute fear. ¡°Although White Cloud House is on par with Moon Reflection Pavilion, we all know Yunyao¡¯s strength is not on the same level as ours.¡±

    Alchemy Daoist frowned slightly, ¡°Generally speaking, when humans crossbreed with other races, the offspring only inherit the talents of one race. But this girl is an exception. She inherited both the human race¡¯s contract ability and the Bird Race¡¯s innate abilities. The world is truly full of wonders.¡±

    On the arena, Huan Xiaoyao from Night City was already trembling slightly.

    ¡°Well, I can¡¯t just surrender directly, that would be too embarrassing,¡± Huan Xiaoyao thought this through and wasn¡¯t so timid anymore. Losing is losing, but at least he had to fight with style and spirit. So, he jumped on the ground and actually burrowed into it.

    ¡°Earth tunneling?¡± Zhanyue frowned, not expecting Huan Xiaoyao to master the same earth tunneling ability as himself. He wondered how Huan Xiaoyao had acquired it.

    Yunyao on the arena also frowned. She had actually lost Huan Xiaoyao¡¯s aura. Even though she saw him burrow into the ground, there was no trace of his aura underground either.

    People looked puzzled at Yunyao standing alone on the arena, not knowing exactly what had happened. Soon, there was a change on the arena. The ground under Yunyao¡¯s feet shifted, and then her figure appeared outside the arena. Huan Xiaoyao emerged from underground. His ability to control the earth had indeed caught her off guard and had an effect. Seeing Yunyao outside the arena, he finally showed a rxed smile.

    ¡°What? What happened? How did he win?¡± The spectators were all confused.

    However, Huan Xiaoyao¡¯s smile quickly disappeared. He saw that the Yunyao outside the arena turned into a feather, her body vanishing. What he had moved out was just Yunyao¡¯s clone?!

    Suddenly, a huge force came from behind. Huan Xiaoyao¡¯s entire body was enveloped in a spiritual energy cage, which directly sent him out of the arena.

    ¡°Yunyao wins!¡± Thunder Lord announced the result. He took a deep look at this unbelievably beautiful girl, her abilities were too strange. Huan Xiaoyao¡¯s mysterious methods might have worked against others, but unfortunately, his opponent was Yunyao.

    ¡°Wei, what exactly are Yunyao¡¯s abilities?¡± Zhanyue asked curiously.

    Nangong Wei exined, ¡°Sister Yunyao is highly skilled, with various abilities emerging one after another. I don¡¯t know her true capabilities either.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? It seems Yunyao, Tai¡¯e, and Fan Longyu are probably the strongest,¡± Zhanyue felt immense pressure. As the Illumination Goddess¡¯s disciple, the gap between him and these people was really quiterge, unless he wore the Silver Moon Armor. But the armor¡¯s divine power was an external boost, not his own true strength. ¡°I need to find time to refine that external avatar,¡± Zhanyue pondered. The external avatar was the fastest way to improve his strength.

    ¡°Brother Feng, I lost,¡± Huan Xiaoyao walked down from the arena, looking guilty as he spoke to Feng Bng.

    Feng Bng gave Huan Xiaoyao a knock on the head, ¡°Are you stupid? I told you earlier to just admit defeat. Now look, not only did you lose, but you also exposed your trump card. Others will be prepared in future battles.¡± Feng Bng was somewhat exasperated. Using one¡¯s trump card against an opponent they clearly couldn¡¯t beat served no purpose other than exposing it.

    Huan Xiaoyao smiled bitterly, realizing this decision might lead to his final elimination. ¡°Ah, Brother Feng, it¡¯s all up to you now.¡±

    Ten of the twelve contestants had already shown their faces. Thisst battle was between Feng Bng from Night City and Meng Huyue from White Cloud House.

    Looking at the two on the stage, Zhanyue fell into reminiscence, ¡°Feng Bng? It¡¯s him? And Meng Huyue? I remember now, he¡¯s the horse-faced man.¡± Zhanyue saw the pen in Meng Huyue¡¯s hand, which was his contract object. ¡°These two actually met here, what a coincidence.¡±

    Naturally, Zhanyue wasn¡¯t the only one thinking this. Feng Bng was happily looking at Meng Huyue opposite him.

    ¡°Brother Feng, long time no see,¡± Meng Huyue said politely. The two were already acquainted from Ghost Ind.

    Feng Bng smiled, ¡°Brother Meng, you¡¯re really considerate. Knowing I can¡¯t beat the others, you specially came here to let me advance.¡±

    Meng Huyue didn¡¯t know whether tough or cry. He knew Feng Bng¡¯s personality. ¡°In our previous sparring, I always lost to you. But now we¡¯ve both entered the Profound Realm. I might not be inferior to you anymore.¡±

    ¡°Then what are we waiting for? Let¡¯s begin,¡± Feng Bng smiled. He couldn¡¯t beat White Cloud House¡¯s Yunyao, but beating Meng Huyue should be easy, right?

    Feng Bng released his contract object, a kite hanging high in the sky.

    ¡°What¡¯s this? This person¡¯s contract object is actually a paper kite? It seems quite ordinary,¡± the audience discussed.

    ¡°Indeed, after seeing the abilities of others, he doesn¡¯t seem so impressive. Is this person just here to make up numbers?¡± Kite contract objects were verymon, as they provided flight ability and were often used for transportation. As forbat, they were quite average. So it was normal for people to look down on Feng Bng.

    Meng Huyueunched the first attack. He held his brush and wrote in the air. Whatever he wrote turned into a sword qi flying towards Feng Bng.

    Feng Bng dodged nimbly, easily avoiding all attacks. Then he loosened the kite string in his hand, and the string directly entangled Meng Huyue¡¯s body. The kite was about to drag Meng Huyue out of the arena.

    ¡°Brother Feng doesn¡¯t think this method can defeat me, right?¡± Meng Huyue released the brush in his hand. The jade brush flew up, writing a ¡®Cut¡¯ character in the air, which turned into a de qi, cutting the tough kite string.

    ¡°Thoughts Transform into Myriad Forms!¡± Meng Huyue pressed his advantage, his brush moving like a dancing dragon. Dozens of ink tigers appeared on the arena, vivid and lifelike. The tiger pack rushed towards Feng Bng from all directions. Feng Bng pulled back his kite, yanked hard, and his whole person flew up, standing on the kite. Then the kite transformed into a seven-colored phoenix in everyone¡¯s eyes. The phoenix descended from the sky, circling the arena several times. The fierce tigers filling the arena all shattered,pletely annihted.

    ¡°Kun Devours the World!¡± Feng Bng waved his hand, and the kite that had flown into the sky turned into a Kun Peng bird, descending from the sky, swallowing Meng Huyue in one gulp, then directly sending him out of the arena.

    ¡°This¡­¡± The people outside were dumbfounded. Was this still a kite contract object? Kites were just misceneous contracts, with the advantage of flightpared to other contract objects, but limited to that. How could Feng Bng turn it into a phoenix and a Kun Peng? It was too outrageous.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect an ordinary contract object could be developed to this extent. Amazing, truly amazing,¡± Thunder Lord looked at Feng Bng appreciatively. Among all the contestants, Feng Bng¡¯s contract object was the most ordinary andmon. It was really just a paper kite, yet in his hands, it disyed various mysterious abilities. Many people were excited watching this. If Feng Bng could do it, could they do it too?

    ¡°In Group C, Yunyao and Feng Bng enter the winners¡¯ bracket; Huan Xiaoyao and Meng Huyue enter the losers¡¯ bracket! Today¡¯spetition ends here. Thepetition will continue tomorrow. May all contestants rest well,¡± Thunder Lord finally said.

    As thepetition ended, the venue erupted in enthusiastic cheers. They had never seen so many human prodigies before, each one a world-ss genius. Today had truly been eye-opening.

    Zhanyue was about to return to focus on his cultivation. Today had given him a great shock, finally seeing clearly the gap between himself and those top-tier geniuses. However, outside the private box, there was a knock on the door.

    Opening the door, there was a man in luxurious clothes, handsome as a jade tree in the wind, already at the Spirit God Realm. But Zhanyue was certain he didn¡¯t know him.

 Chapter 174: The Beginning of Great Fame

    Chapter 174: The Beginning of Great Fame

    The visitor was none other than Prince Ji Ming of the Rising Sun Kingdom, who had apanied Xionxin. Ji Ming entered the room and immediately spotted Zhanyue. A cold glint shed in his eyes, which he quickly concealed, putting on a slight smile.

    ¡°I am Ji Ming, greetings to Elder Alchemy Daoist,¡± Ji Ming first respectfully greeted Alchemy Daoist in the room.

    ¡°So it¡¯s the Crown Prince of Rising Sun. No need for formalities,¡± Alchemy Daoist replied. Ji Ming was probably here to see Holy Maiden Lixi, after all, MuMu Lixi was originally from the Rising Sun Kingdom.

    ¡°MuMu Lixi, are you doing well here?¡± Ji Ming asked.

    The Holy Maiden nodded. The Rising Sun King had repeatedly stated publicly that Holy Maiden Lixi¡¯s status was equivalent to a princess, and she was practically treated as a daughter. So in this sense, Ji Ming was like her royal brother. However, Holy Maiden Lixi¡¯s rtionship with the Rising Sun royal family wasn¡¯t very good. After all, the Mumu family was thergest n under the Rising Sun royal family, and the royal family both feared and had to value them.

    ¡°Greetings, Your Highness,¡± Holy Maiden Lixi responded.

    ¡°Haha, Holy Maiden, I don¡¯t deserve such a title. Let¡¯s get to the point,¡± Ji Ming took out a jade box from his storage ring. When opened, it revealed a pure white jade stone, wless throughout.

    ¡°Light Emperor Jade?¡± Alchemy Daoist nearby was shocked, not expecting Ji Ming to find such a treasure. ¡°It¡¯s extremely difficult for Light Contractors to cultivate, but if they can find corresponding heavenly treasures, it can greatly boost their progress. For example, Thunder Lord has a Thunder Light Dragon Shadow Stone, which has greatly elerated his progress, leading to his current achievements. This Light Emperor Jade is a heavenly treasure no less valuable than the Thunder Light Dragon Shadow Stone.¡±

    Everyone in the room was attracted by this divine object. ¡°I got news of this and spent a great deal to find it especially for you,¡± Ji Ming smiled. He was already at the Spirit God Realm and much older than Holy Maiden Lixi. Although he was the Crown Prince, his im to the throne wasn¡¯t secure. Even if he ascended the throne, he would still be controlled by the Mumu family like his father. But if he gained the Holy Maiden¡¯s favor, his session would be assured, and he could fully utilize the Mumu family¡¯s power. Moreover, he knew a secret about Holy Maiden Lixi, which made him even more determined to marry her. For this, he had gone to great lengths to obtain this Light Emperor Jade.

    Wind Lord naturally knew his intentions, as did Holy Maiden Lixi, but these things couldn¡¯t be pointed out on the surface.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but this is too valuable. I cannot ept it,¡± the Holy Maiden frowned slightly. This thing was too precious, she certainly couldn¡¯t take it. Besides, Zhanyue was standing right there. The Prince¡¯s actions greatly annoyed her. What if Zhanyue misunderstood?

    ¡°In this world, only you are worthy of this. Don¡¯t worry about taking it. What¡¯s our rtionship? I¡¯ve watched you grow up. How could I harm you?¡± Prince Ji Ming suddenly reached out and took one of Holy Maiden Lixi¡¯s hands, cing the jade box containing the divine stone in her palm.

    MuMu Lixi¡¯s face changed, and she quickly withdrew her hand, ncing at Zhanyue beside her. Her attitude towards Ji Ming inwardly dropped to freezing point.

    ¡°This is truly too valuable. I really cannot ept it,¡± MuMu Lixi waved her hand, and the jade box returned to Ji Ming¡¯s hand.

    Ji Ming looked embarrassed, not expecting the Holy Maiden¡¯s attitude to be so resolute. He could only say reluctantly, ¡°Very well, I¡¯ll keep this for you. There will be a time when it¡¯s needed.¡± As he spoke, he nced at Zhanyue nearby, wondering if it was because of this boy that MuMu Lixi was so rejecting of him. He had sent assassins twice to eliminate Zhanyue, but both attempts failed. He realized then that this Zhanyue was no ordinary person.

    Since Holy Maiden Lixi wouldn¡¯t ept it, he could pass it to Wind Lord, who would naturally give it to the Holy Maiden. First, let the Mumu family ept this grand gift from him, bringing them to his side and securing his position as Crown Prince.

    ¡°This young man is called Zhanyue, right?¡± Ji Ming turned to ask Zhanyue.

    ¡°That¡¯s right, greetings, Your Highness,¡± Zhanyue bowed. His status was far beyond what any prince couldpare to. Bowing to Ji Ming was already very polite.

    Alchemy Daoist watched all this with a smile, then said, ¡°This Zhanyue is no ordinary person. He is the disciple of the Illumination Goddess. The Goddess also recently took the Holy Maiden as a disciple, so Zhanyue is actually the Holy Maiden¡¯s senior brother.¡± Alchemy Daoist unhesitatingly revealed Zhanyue¡¯s identity, actually intending to make Ji Ming back off.

    Indeed, Alchemy Daoist¡¯s words made Ji Ming¡¯s face change. But he quickly adjusted his attitude, a basic skill for a schemer. He still wore a smile, ¡°So he¡¯s the Goddess¡¯s disciple. I truly failed to recognize Mount Tai. Please forgive me, Young Master Zhanyue.¡± The identity of the Goddess¡¯s disciple was not something a mere prince like him couldpare to.

    ¡°I came today only for the Holy Maiden, and unexpectedly met the Goddess¡¯s disciple. What good fortune. I¡¯ll take my leave now. We¡¯ll talk more another day. Young Master Zhanyue is also wee to visit our Rising Sun Kingdom as a guest. Our entire nation would surely wee you with feasts and songs.¡± With that, Ji Ming withdrew. The moment he left the door, his face turned ck. Things had be veryplicated. Zhanyue¡¯s identity was too special, special enough to make him wary. However, it was good that earlier, even knowing the Holy Maiden would dislike it, he had forcibly touched her hand. It was to confirm one thing ¨C the Holy Maiden was still pure. This way, that secret hadn¡¯t been discovered yet, and he still had a chance. The Holy Maiden held a great opportunity, which he had identally learned about. He couldn¡¯t let anyone else have it. But now he was in a dilemma. Anyone not stupid could see that MuMu Lixi liked that Zhanyue.

    ¡°Do I really have to agree to that person¡¯s request?¡± Ji Ming squinted his eyes, then thought of the opportunity hidden in MuMu Lixi¡¯s body, seemingly making some decision.

    After sending Ji Ming away, the atmosphere in the room was a bit awkward. Baizhi was the first to speak, ¡°See what happens when you flirt around? You¡¯ve gotten into trouble. That prince¡¯s eyes looked strange. Be careful.¡±

    MuMu Lixi beside them just blushed, not saying anything.

    Zhanyue sighed. He had originally wanted to keep a low profile, but Alchemy Daoist had made the decision for him. The Rising Sun Prince had no obligation to help him conceal his identity. Soon, many people would know the background of this mysterious Zhanyue ¨C he was actually the Illumination Goddess¡¯s disciple! For a time, everyone was in an uproar. Not long after, Zhanyue gained a new title ¨C Divine Son. Zhanyue also understood that his ordinary daily life would no longer exist.

    Returning to his own courtyard, Zhanyue closed the gates tightly and issued an order refusing visitors, politely declining all meeting requests.

    Indeed, that night countless people sought to meet him. Tai¡¯e, Fan Longyu, and even Yunyao came, all wanting to see this Zhanyue, the disciple of the Illumination Goddess! Unfortunately, they were all turned away by Zhanyue¡¯s guards. Now, those gate-guarding soldiers were especially spirited on duty. After all, they were guarding the gate for the Goddess¡¯s disciple! How precious was this honor!

 Chapter 175: External Avatar Complete!

    Chapter 175: External Avatar Complete!

    ¡°Hehe, now you know how noble your status is, Your Highness Divine Son,¡± Nangong Wei said teasingly, holding a bunch of grapes and eating them. She loved seeing Zhanyue¡¯s frustrated expression. Before, only a few people knew his identity, and he wanted to keep a low profile and stay peaceful. However, Alchemy Daoist directly sold him out. Alchemy Daoist naturally had his reasons for doing this, and Zhanyue didn¡¯t dare to me this old senior who had been kind to him.

    ¡°I think Elder Alchemy Daoist probably hopes you¡¯ll adapt to this identity sooner. After all, you can¡¯t keep it hidden forever,¡± Holy Maiden Lixiforted beside him.

    Nangong Wei interjected, ¡°I think Grandpa Alchemy is thinking this: by making your identity public, you can openly be with Sister Holy Maiden, and others can¡¯t say anything. They¡¯ll just think you¡¯re a perfect match. Holy Maiden and Divine Son, tsk tsk.¡±

    These words made MuMu Lixi¡¯s cheeks blush slightly, leaving her momentarily speechless.

    ¡°Hey hey, I¡¯m still here. Hmph, I¡¯m going inside to refine pills. You all chat,¡± Baizhi couldn¡¯t stand it and went into the room first. Her battle with MuMu Lixi had only just begun, far from over.

    MuMu Lixi felt a bit awkward and asked Zhanyue, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going tofort her?¡±

    Zhanyue shook his head, ¡°She¡¯s not that petty. She¡¯s deliberately leaving to give us time to talk privately, unlike some people who can¡¯t read the atmosphere at all.¡±

    Nangong Wei plucked a grape and threw it at Zhanyue, ¡°Hmph, I don¡¯t like staying here anyway.¡± With that, she also returned to her room, leaving only Zhanyue and MuMu Lixi in the courtyard.

    By now, night had fallen deep. Under the illumination of the Illumination Stonemp on the stone table, the Holy Maiden¡¯s pure and beautiful face was close at hand. ¡°Don¡¯t you regret it?¡± Zhanyue asked.

    ¡°Regret what?¡± Holy Maiden Lixi didn¡¯t understand.

    ¡°That Light Emperor Jade. It¡¯s a heavenly treasure, hard toe by. With it, your cultivation would surely speed up significantly,¡± Zhanyue said.

    ¡°It¡¯s just a stone. But if I had epted it, would you be jealous?¡± MuMu Lixi asked.

    ¡°Uh,¡± Zhanyue thought for a moment, then nodded.

    ¡°Then that¡¯s fine. Besides, I have a god-level cultivation method. No jade stone canpare. My cultivation speed is already not slow. Cultivation speed isn¡¯t always better faster; it needs to be steady and grounded,¡± MuMu Lixi replied.

    Zhanyue liked this answer very much and unconsciously held MuMu Lixi¡¯s hand. Compared to the prince, MuMu Lixi¡¯s attitude was aplete 180-degree change. Not only did she not let go of Zhanyue¡¯s hand, but she held it even tighter, shyly asking, ¡°Why are you suddenly holding my hand?¡±

    ¡°To see if the cold poison in your body has dispersed,¡± Zhanyue joked, then said, ¡°Try circting the ¡®Great Sun Traversing Heaven Technique¡¯.¡±

    Although MuMu Lixi was a bit confused, she did as told. She was surprised to find that her internal energy cirction was much faster and more stable than usual. ¡°Why is this?¡± She looked at Zhanyue curiously. It couldn¡¯t be because Zhanyue was holding her hand, could it?

    ¡°Because of this,¡± Zhanyue took out the Sun Divine Stone. ¡°Remember the first time I dispersed the cold poison for you? I was also holding your hand then, channeling the power of the Sun Divine Stone into your body. The Sun Divine Stone is Sis¡­ I mean Master¡¯s most important treasure, entrusted to me for safekeeping. You¡¯re also Master¡¯s disciple, so naturally you have the right to use it. In the future, if you encounter cultivation obstacles,e find me. I¡¯ll assist you with the Sun Divine Stone. It¡¯s much better than that Light Emperor Jade.¡±

    MuMu Lixi giggled, ¡°You, with such apetitive heart. But, do I need you by my side every time I cultivate?¡±

    ¡°Why, is that not okay?¡± Zhanyue asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s not that it¡¯s not okay, but we¡¯re an unmarried man and woman often alone together. What are you to me?¡± MuMu Lixi asked, her eyes filled with emotion.

    Zhanyue felt his heart burning. His bond with Baizhi had formed through shared hardships, while Holy Maiden Lixi waspletely pursuing him. Yet, how could he not be moved by this kind, pure, and always considerate cute girl? He gently pulled, and the Holy Maiden fell into his embrace. Then he kissed those lovely lips.

    Zhanyue felt MuMu Lixi¡¯s body trembling violently, very nervous. But today, Prince Ji Ming¡¯s appearance had made Zhanyue feel a bit anxious, so he subconsciously drew closer to MuMu Lixi. The high and lofty, pure and wless Holy Maiden was now lying in his arms, allowing him to take advantage. Zhanyue was excited, but he knew some things had to develop step by step. He didn¡¯t want to scare the girl, so he limited himself to just kissing. After a long while, he finally got up. MuMu Lixi was too embarrassed to look at him.

    ¡°I¡¯m going back first. We still need to watch thepetition tomorrow,¡± she said, then disappeared from the courtyard. Zhanyue only then realized that as a Light Contractor, her speed was truly fast. He didn¡¯t even see how MuMu Lixi left.

    ¡°The girls in this world, each one more shy than thest,¡± Zhanyue sighed, then his eyes grew deep. He thought of Gong Xiaoyu. Some things, once they happen, can¡¯t be undone. He hadn¡¯t seen Xiaoyu for a long time. Except for necessary moments, she seemed to be always avoiding him.

    ¡°Hmph, ruining my innocence and wanting to deny responsibility?¡± Zhanyue muttered to himself. If Gong Xiaoyu heard this, she¡¯d probably be furious.

    Returning to his room, sensing the medicinal fragrance from the next room, he knew Baizhi was still refining pills, so he didn¡¯t disturb her. He took out that mysterious piece of wood, obtained from killing the Ghost Shark n avatar.

    ¡°External Avatar, it¡¯s time I improved my strength too,¡± Zhanyue said seriously. Today¡¯spetition had greatly stimted him. There were so many heroes in the world. Now everyone knew he was the Illumination Goddess¡¯s disciple. He couldn¡¯t embarrass his sister.

    Soon, he began circting the cultivation method for the External Avatar deep in his mind. Now his soul power was truly extraordinary. The Ghost Fruit in his body, the cultivated ¡®Sun Shining Scripture¡¯, and the Three Talents Wondrous Fire, a fusion of the three mes obtained when advancing, were all things that strengthened the soul. Although he was only at Star Profound Realm, he felt his soul strength might not be inferior to those Sun Profound Realm cultivators who weren¡¯t skilled in soul techniques.

    ¡°Soul power meets the standard, method is in mind, materials are ready. External Avatar, can be formed!¡± Zhanyue, following the method, separated part of his soul and then entrusted it to that mysterious piece of wood.

    The External Avatar was a very powerful divine ability, with the avatar¡¯s abilities varying depending on the materials used. But few people sessfully practiced it. Firstly, it would damage the soul; secondly, the method was hard to find; thirdly, suitable materials were even rarer. Zhanyue wasn¡¯t afraid of soul problems, and both the materials and method were gifts from others. A night passed, and that piece of wood gradually transformed, taking on a half-human, half-fish form ¨C a Ghost Shark person. However, the Ghost Shark person¡¯s facial features were very simr to Zhanyue¡¯s, but the body characteristics were truly those of the Ghost Shark n,pletely unlike a human.

    Zhanyue opened his eyes and found the world had be wondrous. Both selves were in his eyes. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect this avatar to take the form of the Ghost Shark n. It seems the various essences and bloodlines in this divine wood were from the Ghost Shark n. Not bad, this way my body has mastered two innate divine abilities of the Ghost Shark n.¡±

 Chapter 176: The Marvelous Avatar

    Chapter 176: The Marvelous Avatar

    While humans have the talent to acquire contract objects, other races don¡¯t. However, each race has its own innate divine abilities. For example, the Mountain Yao n has earth tunneling and skin petrification, and the Ghost Shark n naturally has its own abilities.

    Zhanyue controlled his avatar and felt the innate talents it possessed: ¡®Whale Swallow¡¯ and ¡®Water Crevice¡¯.

    The Ghost Shark n Zhanyue avatar slightly opened its mouth and instantly swallowed the Zhanyue in front of it. Zhanyue felt he wasn¡¯t inside some creature¡¯s body, but in a pitch-ck, silent space. This mysterious space seemed to be slowly depriving him of his five senses. This was the ¡®Whale Swallow¡¯ ability, but at Zhanyue¡¯s current level, swallowing a living person was about the limit.

    Then, the Ghost Shark avatar turned into a puddle of water. This water moved rapidly on the ground surface, slipping through the door cracks. Curiously, Zhanyue ran into Baizhi¡¯s room. She was still concentrating on refining pills,pletely unaware of his presence. He then retreated and went to Holy Maiden Lixi¡¯s room. MuMu Lixi was sitting cross-legged on the bed, cultivating, seemingly also stimted by today¡¯s events. Without disturbing MuMu Lixi, Zhanyue quickly moved to Nangong Wei¡¯s room. At this moment, this puddle of water could still see the outside scenery. In a water barrel, a beautiful young girl was gently stroking her jade-like arm, her shoulders exposed above the water surface. She was bathing.

    ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± Nangong Wei seemed to sense something. She turned her head but found nothing. She blinked in confusion. However, the courtyard had long been protected by Alchemy Daoist¡¯s Dao Gate Array. Any intruder would be immediately detected by Alchemy Daoist, so she didn¡¯t suspect anyone could break in. ¡°Could it be that bastard Zhanyue sneaking in to peep at me bathing? No, that¡¯s not right. With earth tunneling, he couldn¡¯t expose his head. If he exposed his head, I would immediately notice. Underground, he could only perceive the outside world with soul sense and wouldn¡¯t be able to see anything.¡±

    Water Crevice was naturally different from earth tunneling. Firstly, Water Crevice moved on the ground surface, almost without volume, able to pass through various cracks to different ces at extremely high speed. Secondly, when using Water Crevice, the Ghost Shark n could see the outside scenery, unlike earth tunneling which could only rely on perception. These two abilities naturally had their own advantages and disadvantages. Now Zhanyue¡¯s main body mastered earth tunneling, while his avatar mastered Water Crevice, bringing his mobility to a new level. Moreover, Zhanyue¡¯s main body was now in the avatar¡¯s internal space, and this Water Crevice could carry him while moving.

    ¡°So this is how I was captured by that Ghost Shark n person before,¡± Zhanyue instantly understood how he had been taken from the academy before.

    Returning to the room, the avatar spat out the main body. Zhanyue was very satisfied with the Ghost Shark avatar in front of him. No wonder that Ghost Shark n person wanted to make an avatar with Ghost Shark bloodline; these two innate divine abilities were truly powerful. Then Zhanyue withdrew the avatar¡¯s soul body, and the avatar instantly turned into a purple wood held in Zhanyue¡¯s hand, stored in his divine ability space. Unfortunately, the divine ability space couldn¡¯t store living things with souls.

    Suddenly, he had an idea. He quickly ran to Baizhi. Baizhi had just finished refining a batch of pills when she saw Zhanyue rushing in. She asked puzzledly, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? What happened?¡±

    Zhanyue said, ¡°Come help me with an experiment. I¡¯ll put this piece of wood into the divine ability space, and you try to take it out.¡±

    After saying this, Zhanyue returned to his own room and put the purple wood into the divine ability space.

    In another room, Baizhi naturally sensed an extra piece of wood in the divine ability space and then took it out. Sensing that Baizhi had taken out the wood, Zhanyue activated the External Avatar method. His soul body awakened on that avatar at a speed surpassing everything. The wood in Baizhi¡¯s hand suddenly turned into a Ghost Shark n member, frightening her. Just as she was about to scream, Zhanyue quickly stopped her.

    ¡°It¡¯s me.¡±

    Baizhi looked carefully and indeed saw Zhanyue¡¯s features on the Ghost Shark n member. ¡°You¡­ you¡­ you¡­¡±

    Then Zhanyue¡¯s main body also came to her, exining the External Avatar situation. ¡°In the future, I¡¯ll put the purple wood in the space. If you encounter danger, just take it out, and my avatar can protect you immediately.¡±

    A trace of joy appeared on Baizhi¡¯s pretty face. This divine ability space was the most important bond between her and Zhanyue, irreceable by anyone else. Zhanyue hadn¡¯t forgotten her, thinking of using this ability to protect her as soon as he learned the External Avatar technique. This already showed her position in his heart. She walked forward and hugged Zhanyue tightly, her pretty face against his chest, listening to his heartbeat.

    ¡°I¡¯m happy that you¡¯re bing stronger, but I¡¯m so afraid of not being able to keep up with your progress speed, being left far behind by you all,¡± Baizhi said with some concern.

    Zhanyue stroked Baizhi¡¯s head. It seemed she still hadn¡¯t figured it out, but her worry was natural. Even he and the Holy Maiden felt great pressure seeing those geniuses¡¯ performances, let alone her. ¡°It¡¯s okay. You have the South Ming Leaving Fire inside you, and your contract object is the Heavenly King Copper Furnace. Believe me, once they all awaken, your strength will quickly catch up. Besides, even if you stay at this level and only cultivate the Alchemy Daoist, I won¡¯t mind. I will protect you. I won¡¯t let anyone bully you.¡±

    Zhanyue¡¯s words made Baizhi smile. She looked up and kissed Zhanyue lightly. Then she asked, ¡°Have you kissed the Holy Maiden yet?¡±

    Zhanyue looked embarrassed. He couldn¡¯t say he had just kissed her tonight.

    Not answering was an answer. Baizhi pouted, ¡°No matter what, at least I was first.¡± Although the Holy Maiden knew Zhanyue before her, Zhanyue¡¯s first kiss was naturally hers. Unfortunately, she didn¡¯t know that Zhanyue¡¯s purity had already been lost, although that wasn¡¯t Zhanyue¡¯s initiative but an ident.

    ¡°Don¡¯t think too much about it. Just focus on learning alchemy techniques. I¡¯ve already talked to Elder Alchemy Daoist. I can pass on to you all the alchemy techniques he taught me. Although I cultivate both alchemy and martial arts, my alchemy talent is obviously not as good as yours. I¡¯ve just be a fifth-rank alchemist recently, and you¡¯re about to advance to sixth-rank alchemist. How can those old men bear this?¡± Zhanyueughed.

    Alchemists need soul power, and what Baizhi had most was soul power. She was a three-life being. Although her strength hadn¡¯t recovered, her soul power far surpassed ordinary people. When her three lives merged, her strength would definitely reach the peak. So Zhanyue didn¡¯t actually care about Baizhi¡¯s current strength, just hoping she could be happy. For the uing trial, Zhanyue had been a bit worried about Baizhi, but now he had a way to deal with it. Moreover, the Heaven Book Trial shouldn¡¯t be life-threatening, after all, even Mi Xiaodie, that ten-year-old girl, was sent in. If it was too dangerous, Alchemy Daoist and others would have stopped it long ago. ording to the Heaven Book Spirit, the book would give each person entering the trial a separate trial route, finding their own path for each person. This was also why each force dared to send their future into the Heaven Book world. After all, Alchemy Daoist and others knew the secret behind the Heaven Book.

    Time flew, and the venue on the second day was still as packed as yesterday. With yesterday¡¯s eye-opening experience, everyone was more excited about the uing matches.

 Chapter 177: The Key to Breakthrough

    Chapter 177: The Key to Breakthrough

    Outside the arena, besides discussions about thepetition, there was another topic.

    ¡°Have you heard of a name called Zhanyue?¡± a curious person asked theirpanion.

    ¡°Zhanyue? Never heard of it,¡± the person replied curiously. ¡°I don¡¯t remember him being on thepetition list.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s like Holy Maiden Lixi, a disciple taken in by the Goddess after she awoke,¡± the person said mysteriously.

    ¡°The Goddess¡¯s disciple? How is that possible? It¡¯s normal for Holy Maiden Lixi to be taken as a disciple since she¡¯s a Light Contractor, but what abilities does this Zhanyue have?¡± The listener was indeed interested.

    ¡°Hehe, do you remember when the record of the Boundless Tower was broken? That person should be Zhanyue.¡±

    ¡°It was him! I see. Does that mean we should respectfully address him as Divine Son when we meet him? After all, he¡¯s the Goddess¡¯s disciple.¡± People around who heard this were incredibly surprised. The spectators were all either rich or noble, so it was normal for them to have such information. However, the contestants on the arena were not so calm.

    ¡°This Divine Son has set quite a high threshold, refusing to meet any of us,¡± Fan Longyu said somewhat angrily. Yesterday, whether it was Tai¡¯e, Yunyao, or others, they were all turned away by Zhanyue.

    Tai¡¯e added, ¡°Since he was taken as a disciple by the Goddess, he must have extraordinary skills. It¡¯s a pity he¡¯s not participating in the arena. I would very much like to spar with this Divine Son.¡± The ice beauty Yunyao beside them had no reaction, but she was also a bit unconvinced in her heart. The Goddess was also her faith, and she was curious about what kind of person her disciple would be.

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t he supposed to hide his identity? How did it suddenly get exposed? Looks like Zhanyue is in trouble,¡± Huang Xueqing frowned slightly. Zhanyue¡¯s identity exposure was quite troublesome, with everyone wanting to fight him. She knew Zhanyue had many secrets, but in terms of realm, she had sensed earlier that Zhanyue was only at the level of the first stage of Star Profound Realm, seemingly having just entered the Profound Realm not long ago. He might not be a match for them.

    Not only outside the arena, but people in the private boxes were also discussing Zhanyue.

    ¡°That kid I met back then actually became the Goddess¡¯s disciple,¡± Mi Hongchen recalled her first encounter with Zhanyue. He seemed to be someone who had just started cultivation, not much stronger than ordinary people, knowing and understanding nothing. ¡°No wonder I always felt this kid was extraordinary. Looks like my intuition is not bad.¡±

    ¡°Hmph, just a kid who got lucky,¡± Gong Xiaoyu beside her was wearing a water-green pce dress, her hair in a high bun with a hairpin inserted, disying her noble beauty. Her originally charming eyes now held some inexplicable hatred. She had lost her purity in such an unclear manner, and the other party acted as if nothing had happened. How could she not be angry? ¡°You bastard, one day I¡¯ll catch you and teach you a lesson.¡± Recalling everything that happened that day, Zhanyue was in a daze with little memory, but Gong Xiaoyu remembered it clearly. Zhanyue was indeed strong and vigorous, making her unable to resist, only passively epting. However, she had used this opportunity to break through to the Spirit God Realm. Her feelings towards Zhanyue were veryplex. She couldn¡¯t say she hated him, but she couldn¡¯t say she liked him either. She had always seen him as a junior and didn¡¯t have those kinds of thoughts. Now she didn¡¯t know how to face Zhanyue, so she had been avoiding him.

    ¡°Sister Gong seems to have some conflicting feelings about that kid. By the way, sister, how did you break through to the Spirit God Realm? I¡¯ve been stuck at the peak of Sun Profound Realm for a long time and can¡¯t find that opportunity. Sister, you must teach me,¡± Mi Hongchen said.

    Gong Xiaoyu gave her a look, full of charm, seemingly thinking of some scene again, her cheeks flushing. ¡°Opportunities can¡¯t be shared.¡± Gong Xiaoyu was a bit speechless. She couldn¡¯t tell Mi Hongchen to go do that kind of thing with Zhanyue. Not to mention whether it would work or not, it was too embarrassing.

    ¡°Sister, why have you been dressing more maturely recently, with a mature woman¡¯s charm? Have you found someone you like and are hiding it from me?¡± Mi Hongchen asked again. She felt Gong Xiaoyu had been acting strangetely.

    ¡°Shut up and watch thepetition. It¡¯s about to start. You better pray that Fan Longyu doesn¡¯t win. I¡¯m afraid he¡¯lle to confess again. Let¡¯s see how embarrassed you¡¯ll be,¡± Gong Xiaoyu said.

    At the mention of Fan Longyu, Mi Hongchen¡¯s smile indeed froze. ¡°Hmph, what kind of thing is he? I don¡¯t know what he¡¯s thinking. I, Mi Hongchen, am not a tool for his cultivation. Although he¡¯s extraordinarily strong, he¡¯s too arrogant. He¡¯ll stumble one day.¡±

    ¡°Ah, if you don¡¯t break through to Spirit God Realm soon, you might really be caught up by these guys. They¡¯re all extraordinary geniuses,¡± Gong Xiaoyu said.

    ¡°That¡¯s why, sister, you need to help me. How did you break through to Spirit God Realm before?¡± Mi Hongchen circled back.

    Gong Xiaoyu was exasperated, but she seriously thought about it. Zhanyue had a mysterious me inside him, a fusion of three mes. Her breakthrough was partly rted to the medicinal power of pills, and partly to the aid of that me. Would this me be effective for Mi Hongchen too? She couldn¡¯t be sure, and besides, she wouldn¡¯t tell outsiders about this matter. She could only remain silent and not answer.

    Seeing her not speaking, Mi Hongchen didn¡¯t pursue it further. She nned to get some good wine one day, the kind of top-grade divine wine that could intoxicate Spirit God Realm cultivators. She didn¡¯t believe she couldn¡¯t pry open Gong Xiaoyu¡¯s mouth then.

    On the arena, a new round ofpetition began. The first match was from the winners¡¯ bracket, Liu Zhaoran versus Tai¡¯e. One of them would secure the first spot in the Heaven Book Trial, while the loser would naturally fall to the losers¡¯ bracket.

    ¡°Winners¡¯ bracket, first match, Liu Zhaoran versus Tai¡¯e,¡± With Thunder Lord¡¯s announcement, the arena became lively, with cheers echoing.

    ¡°Please advise!¡± Spear King Liu Zhaoran held his long spear, his eyes like a fierce tiger.

    Tai¡¯e nodded and threw out the first punch.

    The fist force carried endless wild winds, making Liu Zhaoran¡¯s clothes flutter. He used his spear tip to support himself on the ground, stopping his retreating body. Then, not wanting to be passively beaten, he charged forward with his spear. A cold glint arrived first, followed by the spear striking like a dragon.

    However, what met the spear was a fist without any protection.

    The collision between the spear tip and the fist didn¡¯t result in the expected bloodbath. Instead, the fist bent the spear shaft, and the enormous force directly sent Liu Zhaoran flying back with his spear. Liu Zhaorany on the ground, spitting out a mouthful of blood. His silver spear alsoy beside him. Losing his spear was his greatest shame. He stood up, his eyes even more determined.

    ¡°Ah, the gap is too big,¡± including the Imperial Tutor who brought Liu Zhaoran, everyone knew Tai¡¯e was almost certain to win. This young man from the Ancient Sun-Chasing Kingdom was too strong.

    On the arena, Liu Zhaoran didn¡¯t intend to give up like this. Hadn¡¯t he been dreaming of encountering a true strong enemy since he started practicing martial arts? Now with a strong enemy in front of him, how could he talk about giving up!

    ¡°Ten Thousand Dragons Sky-Breaking Strike!¡± The ultimate skill that defeated Xionxin reappeared on the arena. Tai¡¯e didn¡¯t interrupt, allowing Liu Zhaoran to unleash his strongest attack.

    Liu Zhaoran, facing enormous pressure, stepped forward one step at a time, then thrust out his spear. Behind him, ten thousand giant dragons soared, all pouring into the spear tip, transforming into endless mighty force towards Tai¡¯e.

 Chapter 178: Invincible Realm and Battle Markings

    Chapter 178: Invincible Realm and Battle Markings

    Tai¡¯e used both his fists, striking out simultaneously. ¡°Shatter Kunlun!¡± With Tai¡¯e¡¯s fierce shout, his terrifying fists touched the silver spear, dispersing all the giant dragon power on the spear. The horrifying might made the arena shake, raising dust. When the dust settled, both stood motionless in their original positions. Liu Zhaoran¡¯s upper clothes had turned to tatters, blood flowing like columns from both arms. Tai¡¯e, however, was unscathed, his hands gripping the silver spear.

    ¡°You could force me to use both hands. Not bad,¡± Tai¡¯e praised.

    However, his praise felt like mockery to Liu Zhaoran. ¡°Again!¡±

    Liu Zhaoran pulled back his spear and engaged Tai¡¯e again, seemingly entering a mysterious state.

    ¡°Invincible Realm? Liu Zhaoran has entered the Invincible Realm of the Four Battle Realms. He truly has profound martial arts!¡± people eximed in surprise.

    The so-called Four Battle Realms are four states people can enter during battle, with no distinction of superiority. The Selfless Realm allows perfect control over power without the slightest waste; the Invincible Realm can unleash one¡¯s maximum potential, exerting strength far beyond current levels; the Ethereal Realm greatly enhances the five senses, improving agility and uracy; the Profound Realm connects with heaven and earth, absorbingrge amounts of spiritual energy to replenish oneself. These four realms don¡¯t conflict and can¡¯t be taught, only self-realized. When Zhanyue was in the Red Lotus trial, he resolved the crisis by entering the Selfless Realm. Now Liu Zhaoran had entered the Invincible Realm, greatly enhancing his strength.

    Finally, Liu Zhaoran¡¯s spear could meet Tai¡¯e¡¯s fists, and they exchanged dozens of moves in an instant.

    Tai¡¯e was delighted to find a worthy opponent and decided to treat him seriously. He let out a roar, and mysterious beast markings appeared on his bare skin. One punch caused space to vibrate, and with just this punch, Liu Zhaoran was knocked out of the Invincible Realm. As the state receded, Liu Zhaoran instantly felt his limbs weaken. The borrowed power ultimately had to be repaid.

    ¡°What happened? The Invincible Realm was shattered by Tai¡¯e¡¯s single punch? This Tai¡¯e is too strong!¡± Everyone was stunned, thinking Liu Zhaoran in the Invincible Realm could match Tai¡¯e evenly, but he was so easily knocked out of the Invincible Realm? Liu Zhaoran was unwilling to ept this. He seemed to make some decision, and the blood vessels all over his body began to swell, as if he was about to activate some secret technique harmful to himself. At this moment, Thunder Lord¡¯s figure suddenly appeared beside Liu Zhaoran, a finger touching him to stop him from activating the secret technique.

    ¡°Enough. Losing isn¡¯t shameful; not daring to face the gap is. Even if you activate a secret technique harming yourself, you won¡¯t be his match. You¡¯ve only fallen to the losers¡¯ bracket and still have a chance. This isn¡¯t a life-or-death battle. If you don¡¯t have the courage to face the gap between you and others, how can you be a true strong person? From childhood to adulthood, I was never as good as Sword Lord, butter I surpassed him. How can a true man focus only on temporary sess or failure?¡± Thunder Lord¡¯s words enlightened Liu Zhaoran, who hurriedly thanked him for the guidance.

    ¡°Thank you, senior. I was shortsighted. Senior, how could he knock me out of the Invincible Realm?¡± Liu Zhaoran asked puzzledly.

    Thunder Lord exined: ¡°Did you see the tattoos on his body? Those are battle markings, something you get only when you reach the third level of the Invincible Realm among the Four Battle Realms. You¡¯re only at the first level of the Invincible Realm, so you werepletely suppressed. Moreover, he may not have mastered only the Invincible Realm. The gap between you is veryrge.¡±

    Liu Zhaoran nodded, feeling relieved. If it had been a close defeat, he might have felt regretful, but the chasm-like gap made him realize how foolish his previous actions were. Fortunately, Thunder Lord intervened in time, otherwise it would have certainly affected his next match in the losers¡¯ bracket.

    ¡°I admit defeat. Brother Tai¡¯e, you won this battle,¡± Liu Zhaoran conceded.

    Tai¡¯e nodded with a smile, ¡°You¡¯re quite good, but too inexperienced. I can see you love fighting, otherwise you wouldn¡¯t have realized the Invincible Realm. But unfortunately, my battle experience and fighting will far surpass yours. If you¡¯re interested, you cane to our Ancient Sun-Chasing Kingdom for special training in the future. We don¡¯t usually ept outsiders, but with my invitation, an exception can be made.¡± Tai¡¯e quite admired Liu Zhaoran¡¯s unyielding spirit.

    ¡°Thank you so much, Brother Tai¡¯e!¡± Liu Zhaoran thanked excitedly, even happier than if he had won. For a martial arts fanatic like him, entering the Ancient Sun-Chasing Kingdom would truly be like a fish in water.

    ¡°Four Battle Realms, Invincible Realm, third level ¨C Battle Markings! This Tai¡¯e is terrifyingly strong. We don¡¯t know how much strength he used against Liu Zhaoran just now,¡± Zhanyuemented with a serious look. Unfortunately, Tai¡¯e had already won two matches and secured a spot, so there wouldn¡¯t be any more fights from him.

    ¡°If you want to know his strength, why don¡¯t you challenge him yourself? I think he¡¯d be happy to ept,¡± Nangong Wei beside him had a belly full of mischief.

    ¡°I don¡¯t n to embarrass myself. Thunder Lord¡¯s words were meant for everyone to hear, and you heard them too. Admitting you¡¯re not as skilled as others isn¡¯t shameful. Tai¡¯e and I will definitely fight one day, but not now. I¡¯m not his match right now,¡± Zhanyue said. If he wore the Silver Moon Armor, it wouldn¡¯t be meaningful, and besides, Tai¡¯e might have other trump cards, and he might not be able to win.

    Compared to the one-sided first match, people were more looking forward to the second match. Huang Xueqing versus Fan Longyu, both with unfathomable strength.

    ¡°Girl, how do these twopare?¡± Zhanyue asked.

    Nangong Wei pouted, ¡°Why do I feel you¡¯re particrly interested in this Huang Xueqing? Sister Baizhi, Sister Holy Maiden, you better be careful.¡±

    Zhanyue suddenly flicked Nangong Wei¡¯s forehead, ¡°Say it if you want to, if not, forget it. You¡¯re here stirring up trouble between us. All those good foods and pills before were really wasted on you.¡±

    Nangong Wei looked at Zhanyue angrily and said, ¡°Huang Xueqing will win. Are you satisfied now?¡±

    ¡°Huang Xueqing? Can she beat that Fan Longyu?¡± Zhanyue obviously didn¡¯t quite believe it.

    ¡°This is an arena match. In arena matches, Huang Xueqing is invincible,¡± Nangong Wei said irritably, then leaned over to Holy Maiden Lixi¡¯s ear to say something, asionally ring at Zhanyue.

    Soon after, the match on the arena began, and the private box also quieted down.

    ¡°Greetings, Fairy Huang,¡± Fan Longyu politely addressed Huang Xueqing opposite him.

    ¡°Why does everyone call me fairy? Well, fairy it is then. Please, Mr. Fan,¡± Huang Xueqing made a gesture of invitation.

    ¡°On the arena, for the fairy to keep her face veiled seems impolite. Let me remove the fairy¡¯s veil and see her celestial countenance,¡± Fan Longyu naturally had the capital to be arrogant.

    Huang Xueqing calmly said, ¡°Whether it¡¯s you or Tai¡¯e, as long as I don¡¯t want it, you won¡¯t be able to do it. If you don¡¯t believe me, you can try.¡±

    Fan Longyu naturally wouldn¡¯t believe it. He stomped his foot and turned into a streak of light, rushing straight towards Huang Xueqing¡¯s face, determined to remove her veil and satisfy his curiosity.

 Chapter 179: The Scheming and the Ice Mountain

    Chapter 179: The Scheming and the Ice Mountain

    Fan Longyu¡¯s speed was fast, quickly reaching Huang Xueqing¡¯s face, one hand already reaching for her veil. Suddenly, a lotus flower bloomed under Huang Xueqing¡¯s feet. The jade-colored lotus instantly protected her, and Fan Longyu¡¯s hand felt like it touched something as hard as steel, unable to advance any further.

    Then the jade lotus gradually grewrger, about to push Fan Longyu off the arena likest time.

    ¡°Such a trivial trick won¡¯t work on me!¡± Fan Longyu sneered, then threw a punch at the lotus. However, contrary to his expectations, the lotus didn¡¯t even have a scratch. ¡°What powerful defense.¡±

    As the lotus grewrger andrger, Fan Longyu became anxious. He instantly transformed into a half-human, half-dragon form, not only with a dragon tail but also dragon wings this time, bing incredibly fierce.

    ¡°Dragon Scale w!¡± Fan Longyu wed, tearing arge hole as if ripping paper, then walked in. Looking at Huang Xueqing inside the lotus, he revealed a ferocious smile, ¡°It seems your defensive technique can¡¯t stop me after all.¡±

    Huang Xueqing smiled slightly, ¡°If I didn¡¯t show a weakness, how would youe in?¡± Huang Xueqing suddenly shed backward, flying gracefully like an immortal out of the lotus. Then the torn part of the lotus instantly repaired itself, trapping Fan Longyu inside like a prison. The ever-growing lotus now began to shrink.

    ¡°This thing of yours can¡¯t trap me!¡± Fan Longyu stomped the ground, his dragon ws reaching upward. However, unlikest time, the inner wall of the lotus was incredibly smooth this time, even rebounding his own power. He couldn¡¯t tear it open at all.

    ¡°Can¡¯t Fan Longyu¡¯s human-dragon form break through this lotus¡¯s defense?¡± Below the arena, even Tai¡¯e frowned. He could sense that Fan Longyu¡¯s power in human-dragon form was no less than his own battle marking form.

    Fan Longyu finally lost his previous ease, his eyes serious. Then he opened his mouth, terrifying power umting inside. Soon after, a horrifying dragon breath sword spat out from his mouth. This dragon breath sword attack would make even Spirit God Realm cultivators retreat. The terrifying power indeed made cracks appear on the lotus, but in just a moment, the lotus automatically repaired itself. ¡°What!¡± Fan Longyu panicked. The hole he had worked so hard to create was repaired so quickly.

    ¡°I don¡¯t believe this!¡± All power concentrated on Fan Longyu¡¯s wings, the two pairs of wings like two sharp des. He flew high up, his wings slicing through the lotus barrier. Finally, he breathed a sigh of relief, but then a desperate situation appeared before him. A secondyer, thirdyer, fourthyer, fifthyer¡­ A hundredyers of lotus appeared in his sight. He had exhausted his strength to break through the firstyer of lotus, but there were still ny-nineyers behind? In an instant, Fan Longyu was stunned. Then the shrinking lotus carrying Fan Longyu fell outside the arena. Fan Longyu still couldn¡¯t break it open before falling out of bounds.

    ¡°This match, Huang Xueqing wins,¡± Thunder Lord looked at Huang Xueqing and swallowed. This young girl looked quite innocent, could she be scheming? Thunder Lord could see clearly that the lotus actually only had twoyers, the remaining ny-eightyers were all illusions. However, Fan Longyu fell for it, instantly losing his fighting spirit and also losing hisst chance to break through the lotus.

    Huang Xueqing read Thunder Lord¡¯s thoughts from his eyes and smiled, ¡°Elder Thunder Lord, you don¡¯t think he could win against me just by breaking through the lotus, do you? I still have many techniques I haven¡¯t used. It¡¯s just a pity he couldn¡¯t even break through the Dream Phantom Lotus.¡±

    Thunder Lord was speechless for a moment, thinking to himself what kind of monster this girl was. Fan Longyu was really unlucky to encounter her. The second spot naturally fell into Huang Xueqing¡¯s hands.

    Fan Longyu looked around awkwardly, wishing he could tear Huang Xueqing apart. It was frustrating, too frustrating. He had lost like this.

    ¡°Tch, what a bad woman. Zhanyue, I warn you, this woman isn¡¯t as innocent as she looks. She¡¯s quite despicable. She could only make twoyers of lotus defense, but she used illusions to make Fan Longyu think he was facing a hundredyers of lotus, instantly breaking his mentality,¡± Nangong Wei warned.

    Zhanyue nodded. He had never seen Huang Xueqing as a naive girl. Earlier, when she gave precious pills to that child, normal people would think this was a saintly act, but she said it was just to clear her own thoughts. At that time, Zhanyue knew this woman wasn¡¯t some naive girl. She might just really dislike conflict with others and dislike fighting and killing, but that doesn¡¯t mean she can¡¯t do these things. Not liking and not being able to are two different things. Earlier, when Nangong Wei said she only learned defensive techniques, could this also be her disguise?

    ¡°I wonder if my techniques could break through her defense,¡± Zhanyue thought for a while. Perhaps only that mysterious Three Talents Wondrous Fire might work. Sun Essence Fire, Earth Vein Shadow Fire, and Human Desire Fire, a sacred mebining the attributes of heaven, earth, and man. Zhanyue hadn¡¯t fully mastered its abilities yet.

    The two matches in the winners¡¯ bracket were thrilling to watch. Although Fan Longyu lost, everyone knew he should be able to fight back from the losers¡¯ bracket. Everyone¡¯s attention turned to the third match of the winners¡¯ bracket, Feng Bng versus Yunyao.

    Yunyao still stood like an ice mountain. Feng Bng, looking at this beautiful figure opposite him, sighed, ¡°What a cold woman. I wonder which man could melt this block of ice.¡±

    ¡°Greetings, Fairy Yun,¡± Feng Bng greeted first.

    ¡°Let¡¯s begin,¡± Yunyao said coldly, her eyes showing neither joy nor sorrow, neither love nor hate.

    ¡°What a proud woman. But I heard you went to see the Divine Sonst night and got turned away. Someone daring to refuse a fairy, it seems there¡¯s someone even more arrogant than you in this world,¡± Feng Bng couldn¡¯t help but tease. This proud woman had finally met someone who gave her the cold shoulder.

    Yunyao¡¯s brows furrowed slightly, feeling Feng Bng was too talkative.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be angry, fairy. If you really want to pursue that Divine Son, I can give you some advice. After all, it¡¯s said that when a woman pursues a man, it¡¯s as thin as paper,¡± Feng Bng continued.

    Yunyao¡¯s face indeed changed. A snow-white divine sword appeared in her hand, instantly at Feng Bng¡¯s throat. Only because Feng Bng said three words did he escape disaster.

    ¡°I surrender!¡±

    The crowd couldn¡¯t hear the previous conversation clearly, but these three words were deafening.

    ¡°What the hell, he surrendered just like that? (¡¥¨Œ£þ¡«) Tch~~¡± A bunch of people looked at Feng Bng with disdain.

    Feng Bng calmly said, ¡°I couldn¡¯t win anyway, why expose my techniques?¡±

    Yunyao didn¡¯t pay attention to Feng Bng and directly left the stage, but Feng Bng had nted a seed in her heart. Previously, she didn¡¯t care about being turned away by Zhanyue, but now she started to mind.

    Below the arena, Huan Xiaoyao asked puzzledly, ¡°Brother Feng, why did you provoke her for no reason? That was dangerous just now.¡±

    Feng Bng smiled and said, ¡°I was going to surrender anyway, I couldn¡¯t let her win sofortably, right? I imagine she¡¯s not feelingfortable now either. It¡¯s just a pity that Divine Son might be on that woman¡¯s mind now. But he¡¯s the Divine Son, he should be fine, right?¡±

 Chapter 180: Three People Eliminated

    Chapter 180: Three People Eliminated

    With the winners¡¯ bracket matches concluded, Tai¡¯e, Huang Xueqing, and Yunyao became the first three to secure spots, especially Yunyao, who barely had to lift a finger, which was quite a pity. The uing losers¡¯ bracket matches were to be much more exciting, as the losers would be directly eliminated. The winners would retain their chance topete for spots against those who had fallen from the winners¡¯ bracket earlier.

    ¡°First match of the losers¡¯ bracket, Xionxin versus Jiang Licheng!¡± Thunder Lord¡¯s voice once again resounded throughout the venue.

    A handsome golden-haired man stood opposite a long-haired, ssically dressed beautiful man, giving a feel of European nobility facing an Eastern recluse.

    ¡°I can¡¯t lose this match!¡± Xionxin, aware of his situation, immediately activated the armor on his body, a huge golden gori phantom enveloping him.

    The gori raised both hands and smashed towards Jiang Licheng, who dodged with a graceful sh, his body in mid-air, nine divine needles shooting from his hand. The needles pierced through the phantom, broke through Xionxin¡¯s armor, and entered his acupoints. Instantly, Xionxin¡¯s body froze, the golden phantom directly dissipating.

    ¡°I¡­ I lost,¡± Xionxin admitted defeat painfully. If the opponent¡¯s attack had targeted his vital points, he would already be a corpse.

    ¡°What happened? Jiang Licheng¡¯s needles broke through all of Xionxin¡¯s defenses so easily, but earlier Huang Xueqing¡¯s lotus could easily block these needles! How powerful are Huang Xueqing¡¯s techniques!¡± The spectators below felt a chill. Jiang Licheng¡¯s strength was formidable, able to instantly defeat Xionxin, yet he was helpless against Huang Xueqing.

    ¡°In my opinion, Xionxin is probably the weakest among all the participants. But that¡¯s understandable, the real prodigy of the Rising Sun Kingdom is Her Highness the Holy Maiden. It¡¯s a pity we can¡¯t see the Holy Maiden in action and glimpse her celestial countenance,¡± another person sighed.

    In the private box, Holy Maiden Lixi had no particr feelings about Xionxin¡¯s defeat. Xionxin was part of the Crown Prince¡¯s faction, and he was probably the weakest among all participants, so losing was normal. Jiang Licheng breathed a sigh of relief. As long as he didn¡¯t encounter Fan Longyu in the next battle, his chances of advancing were high. However, ording to the rules, he and Fan Longyu belonged to Group B and would automatically avoid each other. So his opponent would only be Feng Bng or Liu Zhaoran, both tough battles!

    ¡°Next match, Song Yuxian versus Huan Xiaoyao,¡± Thunder Lord¡¯s voice rang out again.

    On the arena, Song Yuxian¡¯s face was serious. In the previous battle, he had used all his trump cards but was still easily defeated by Tai¡¯e, which had troubled him for a long time. Today¡¯s battle was definitely to prove himself to the world.

    ¡°Young Brother Huan, let¡¯s begin,¡± Song Yuxian, holding the Xiaguang Sword, charged towards Huan Xiaoyao.

    Huan Xiaoyao¡¯s figure was agile, easily dodging Song Yuxian¡¯s Xiaguang Sword Technique.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on? That Huan Xiaoyao actually has his eyes closed. Although Song Yuxian¡¯s Xiaguang Sword Technique confuses vision, it shouldn¡¯t be possible to dodge with eyes closed, right?¡± Everyone was shocked.

    Below the arena, Feng Bng smiled. Only he knew that Huan Xiaoyao¡¯s contract object was the pair of shoes on his feet. Those shoes were extraordinary. Now he had entrusted his movement to those shoes. It wasn¡¯t Huan Xiaoyao dodging Song Yuxian¡¯s attacks, but his contract object, a pair of ancient cloth shoes.

    ¡°Xiaguang Fills the Sky!¡± Song Yuxian leaped high, his Xiaguang Sword emitting seven-colored light. Instantly, rosy clouds filled the sky, covering the entire arena, leaving Huan Xiaoyao nowhere to hide.

    However, Huan Xiaoyao¡¯s figure instantly burrowed into the ground, avoiding this terrifyingrge-scale attack. The sky-filling sword energy bombarded the arena, leaving it pitted, but it was quickly repaired by the formation.

    Song Yuxian had anticipated Huan Xiaoyao would burrow underground. He fell from the sky, stabbing his sword into the ground.

    ¡°Xiaguang Ten Thousand Zhang ¨C Earth Shaking Posture!¡± Terrifying sword energy poured directly underground. With Song Yuxian as the center, the arena began to crack, and more terrifyingly, the entire underground was enveloped in sword energy.

    Huan Xiaoyao desperately dodged the sword energy surging from all directions underground. Suddenly, Thunder Lord said, ¡°Huan Xiaoyao, out of bounds. Winner: Song Yuxian!¡±

    ¡°What!¡± Huan Xiaoyao emerged from underground, only to find he had somehow already run outside the arena. He looked at Song Yuxian on the stage with a ck face, praising, ¡°Young Master Song truly has great skills. I admire you.¡± Huan Xiaoyao¡¯s defeat was bewildering; he hadn¡¯t even used his earth control technique before losing.

    In the private box, Zhanyuemented, ¡°Even underground, Huan Xiaoyao should know where the edge of the arena is. The fact that he went out of bounds can only mean Song Yuxian¡¯s Xiaguang Ten Thousand Zhang interfered with his soul perception. Like the Phantom Light Sword Technique, when practiced to a profound level, it can not only interfere with the enemy¡¯s vision but also their soul perception. It seems Song Yuxian has achieved this.¡±

    ¡°I see. What level has your ¡®Phantom Light Sword Technique¡¯ reached?¡± Nangong Wei asked curiously beside him.

    ¡°Not much different from Song Yuxian. MuMu Lixi has been learning the ¡®Phantom Light Sword Technique¡¯ for a short time, but her mastery of this sword technique is already above ours,¡± Zhanyue sighed.

    ¡°Of course, Sister MuMu Lixi is a Light Contractor. She naturally has an innate advantage in cultivating this sword technique,¡± Nangong Wei said proudly, hugging Holy Maiden Lixi beside her.

    ¡°You¡­ you know his strength, what¡¯s there to argue about?¡± MuMu Lixiforted.

    Nangong Wei pouted. Since her first encounter with Zhanyue, his strength had be equally terrifying. Although not as strong as Tai¡¯e, Yunyao, and that strange Huang Xueqing, even Fan Longyu might not be his match. Among the participants, only those three could definitely beat Zhanyue; others like Xionxin were no match for him at all.

    ¡°Third match of the losers¡¯ bracket, Gongsun Taoli versus Meng Huyue!¡±

    Thest battle of the losers¡¯ bracket was between Gongsun Taoli from Moon Reflection Pavilion and Meng Huyue from White Cloud House, attracting countless eyes.

    ¡°Go, Senior Brother Gongsun!¡± Nangong Wei shouted. ¡°This battle is definitely won.¡±

    Not much different from Nangong Wei¡¯s prediction, Gongsun Taoli¡¯s strength was indeed much stronger than Meng Huyue¡¯s. The dual contract objects of the peach wood staff and small green snake were too much for Meng Huyue to handle. He soon fell to the ground poisoned; he was no Fan Longyu.

    Thus, Xionxin, Huan Xiaoyao, and Meng Huyue became the first three to be eliminated.

    Soon after, the draw results came out. Tomorrow would decide the remaining three spots. The matchups were: Jiang Licheng vs Feng Bng; Song Yuxian vs Fan Longyu; and Gongsun Taoli vs Liu Zhaoran.

    People waited expectantly for tomorrow, wondering who would secure the remaining three spots. As they left, they were still discussing Tai¡¯e¡¯s strength, Huang Xueqing¡¯s mysteriousness, and Yunyao¡¯s cold beauty, wondering what the result would be if these three faced each other.

    Returning to the small courtyard, Zhanyue still refused all visitors. Since his Divine Son identity was exposed, visitors had been endless. Soon after, a beautiful white figure appeared outside the courtyard gate again.

    ¡°Yunyao from White Cloud House is visiting, please inform,¡± Yunyao said calmly.

    Today¡¯s gate guard was stunned. He had never seen such a beautiful person, evenparable to the Holy Maiden, whom he had seen before. Only her eyes were too cold. It took him a while toe back to his senses. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m sorry, miss. His Highness the Divine Son said he¡¯s not receiving any guests.¡±

    Yunyao frowned, not expecting Zhanyue to still refuse visitors today. Although Tai¡¯e and Fan Longyu hadn¡¯te, this was her second visit.

    She couldn¡¯t force her way in when others weren¡¯t being received, so she had to leave reluctantly, her mood worsening.

    A beautiful figure brushed past her. She recognized it as the veiled Huang Xueqing. She stood at a distance watching, expecting Huang Xueqing to be turned away like her, but to her surprise, the guard opened the door for her and let her in!

    Seeing this, Yunyao¡¯s gaze turned cold. Didn¡¯t this Divine Son say he wasn¡¯t seeing outsiders? Could this be targeting her specifically?

    ¡°Hmph!¡± Yunyao left with a cold face. There would be a chance to catch him and ask for rification.

 Chapter 181: The Purpose of the Visit

    Chapter 181: The Purpose of the Visit

    In Zhanyue¡¯s courtyard, Baizhi was lying in Zhanyue¡¯s arms, enjoying his service. Zhanyue was peeling grape-sized spirit fruits and feeding them into Baizhi¡¯s mouth. His fingers asionally touched those soft cherry lips, sending a tingling sensation through both of them. It was rare that Holy Maiden Lixi and Nangong Wei were both hiding inside cultivating, allowing the two to share an intimate moment in the courtyard, feeling warm and cozy. After all, it had been a long time since Zhanyue had been alone with Baizhi. Time seemed to return to their days on Ghost Ind.

    Given their level of intimacy, even if Zhanyue wanted to do something more intimate, Baizhi wouldn¡¯t refuse. But Zhanyue remembered what that ¡®person¡¯ inside Baizhi had said. For Baizhi¡¯s future, he couldn¡¯t really ¡®eat¡¯ this girl, but collecting some interest in advance was still eptable.

    ¡°Ahem.¡± A cough interrupted the two. Only then did they realize how careless they had been earlier, not noticing someone approaching so close. Baizhi awkwardly stood up from Zhanyue¡¯s embrace, straightening her disheveled clothes.

    ¡°It seems I¡¯vee at an inconvenient time,¡± Huang Xueqing¡¯s beautiful eyes ¡®mischievously¡¯ surveyed the two.

    ¡°No¡­ you¡¯vee at the right¡­¡± Zhanyue was about toplete the sentence when he suddenly realized something was wrong. ¡°You¡­ how did you get in?¡± He had given orders outside that even if the king of heaven came, no one was to disturb him, refusing all meetings. As the Illumination Goddess¡¯s disciple, even elders like Thunder Lord and Alchemy Daoist had to give him face, so naturally, he wasn¡¯t afraid of offending anyone.

    Huang Xueqing walked to the stone table and sat on a stone stool. She was still wearing her veil, but those lively eyes made Baizhi feel hostile. This woman, could what Nangong Wei said be true, that she also had a thing with Zhanyue? Baizhi couldn¡¯t help but give Zhanyue a suspicious re.

    ¡°Miss Huang, how did you get in?¡± Zhanyue was a bit exasperated.

    ¡°It¡¯s like this,¡± Huang Xueqing smiled. ¡°I just told the guard at the gate that I was your mistress. If he didn¡¯t believe it, he coulde in and ask. He thought for a moment and then didn¡¯t dare to stop me. Simple, right?¡±

    Zhanyue was dumbfounded hearing this. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that damage your reputation, miss?¡± Huang Xueqing said carelessly, ¡°You know it¡¯s fake, I know it¡¯s fake, and now Miss Baizhi knows it¡¯s fake. As for that guard? He wouldn¡¯t dare to spread rumors even with ten thousand guts. How could it damage my reputation?¡±

    Hearing this, Zhanyue nodded. That was indeed true. Nangong Wei said Huang Xueqing was scheming; he didn¡¯t believe it at first, but now he was starting to. She looked so innocent, like a fairy among flowers, yet her thoughts were hard to fathom. Not evil, but giving a very strange feeling.

    ¡°Why have youe to find me sote?¡± Zhanyue naturally didn¡¯t have much interaction with her and couldn¡¯t guess her intentions.

    ¡°Find you?¡± Huang Xueqing let out a silveryugh. ¡°Some people really have a high opinion of themselves. I came to see Sister Baizhi.¡±

    Baizhi, who had been standing aside coldly watching the situation develop, didn¡¯t expect Huang Xueqing to say this. Find her? For what? They didn¡¯t even know each other.

    ¡°I heard my master say that Elder Alchemy Daoist praised you as an unparalleled genius in alchemy rarely seen in thousands of years. Elder Alchemy Daoist is someone even my master respects and admires. To receive such praise from him, I naturally became very curious. Later, I found out you were living in this courtyard, being kept like a precious treasure by someone,¡± Huang Xueqing said.

    Hearing the phrase ¡°kept like a precious treasure,¡± Baizhi¡¯s face turned red. She stared at Huang Xueqing and asked, ¡°Has Sister Huange to discuss alchemy experiences with me?¡±

    Huang Xueqing nodded, ¡°It¡¯s a rare opportunity, I couldn¡¯t miss it. Now that I¡¯ve secured a spot, with nothing else affecting me, I came to find you.¡±

    ¡°Congrattions, Sister Huang. I watched your match too. You¡¯re really amazing. Even that powerful Fan Longyu was no match for you,¡± Baizhi praised sincerely.

    ¡°Just a bit of cleverness. Let¡¯s not talk about that. Do you have an alchemy furnace here? I happen to have several alchemy problems that have been troubling me for a long time,¡± Huang Xueqing asked,pletely ignoring Zhanyue.

    ¡°Yes, I have one in my room,¡± Baizhi said.

    ¡°Then let¡¯s go in,¡± Huang Xueqing suggested.

    ¡°What about me?¡± Zhanyue smiled bitterly. ¡°I¡¯m also an alchemy expert, you know.¡±

    ¡°You¡­ It¡¯ste at night. It wouldn¡¯t be appropriate for a grown man to be in a room with two youngdies, would it?¡± Huang Xueqing smiled, then followed Baizhi. Baizhi turned back and made a face at Zhanyue, telling him to behave himself.

    Zhanyue watched the two beautiful figures leave and smacked his lips. Women¡¯s friendships really develop quickly. ¡°Just wait, Huang Xueqing. There will be a time when you beg to be in the same room with me. We¡¯ll see if you¡¯re still so reserved then.¡± Zhanyue naturally wasn¡¯t referring to that kind of thing, but to something he had that he believed Huang Xueqing wouldn¡¯t be able to resist.

    For a moment, only Zhanyue was left in the courtyard. He looked up at the sky. The night was beautiful, and the star transformed from the Illumination Goddess was particrly bright in the night sky.

    ¡°Maintaining this state must be really hard for sister. I wonder when it will end,¡± Zhanyue sighed. However, the only way he could help the Illumination Goddess was to be stronger as quickly as possible.

    He took out a purple piece of wood from his space and threw it out. Then, with a thought, that purple wood transformed into a tall figure, the Ghost Shark n avatar with facial features identical to Zhanyue¡¯s.

    ¡°Come, fight!¡± Zhanyue threw the Heaven Painting Halberd from under his Silver Moon Armor to this avatar, which was just right for its physique. He himself held the Heaven Punishing Demon Sword.

    When the sun rose, Huang Xueqing finally came out of Baizhi¡¯s room, looking radiant and refreshed. Although a night of alchemy was tiring, she had learned many things from Baizhi, insights that even her master didn¡¯t have.

    ¡°Sister Baizhi is truly an unparalleled genius. If you weren¡¯t already part of the Thousand Beauties Kingdom, I would definitely persuade my master to take you as a disciple. This night of exchange has been very fruitful for me,¡± Huang Xueqing sighed. She was also a top student, but in a different specialization.

    ¡°Sister Huang is too kind. Sister Huang has gone very far inbining alchemy and medicine. I¡¯ve learned a lot too,¡± Baizhi said as she came out.

    ¡°Hey hey, so early in the morning, and you¡¯re alreadyplimenting each other. No need for that, there are no outsiders here,¡± Zhanyue appeared inopportunely beside the two.

    ¡°Oh? It seems someone is jealous,¡± Huang Xueqing looked at Zhanyue and smiled, her beautiful eyes making Zhanyue¡¯s heart flutter. This woman was also a monster.

    ¡°Not inviting me to explore alchemy, you¡¯ve missed out on my treasure,¡± Zhanyue thought, and the Earth Mother Golden Cauldron appeared beside him.

 Chapter 182: Meaning in the Painting

    Chapter 182: Meaning in the Painting

    Feeling the dense earth vein energy converging on the golden cauldron, Huang Xueqing¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°Is this the legendary Earth Mother Golden Cauldron?¡±

    ¡°You guessed right. Using this to refine pills has excellent results,¡± Zhanyue smiled, finally feeling a sense of triumph, and letting this woman see some real power, hoping she would show more respect.

    Huang Xueqing¡¯s gaze couldn¡¯t move away from the Earth Mother Golden Cauldron. As an alchemist, she knew well how formidable this object was.

    ¡°Um¡­ Your Highness Divine Son, in the future, could I borrow this alchemy furnace to refine pills?¡± Huang Xueqing¡¯s tone became more polite.

    ¡°Well, that depends on my mood. If I¡¯m in a good mood, naturally I could agree,¡± Zhanyue said.

    ¡°Mood?¡± Huang Xueqing looked deeply at Zhanyue. ¡°You¡¯re not thinking of taking advantage of me, are you? I guess I didn¡¯t misjudge you. Her Highness the Holy Maiden, Sister Baizhi, and that little Nangong Wei are all rare beauties. You fellow, you¡¯re not eyeing me too, are you?¡± Huang Xueqing¡¯s blunt words made Zhanyue feel awkward, especially with Baizhi watching nearby.

    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Zhanyue was momentarily at a loss for words.

    Seeing his reaction, Huang Xueqingughed again, ¡°A guy with desires but no courage. I¡¯m not so easily moved. If you have the ability to cure my ailment, I might consider it. By the way, I do have something I need your help with. After the Heaven Book Trial ends, could youe to Green Crane Valley? Thinking about it, you seem to be the most suitable. After all, I know very few men, even fewer that I don¡¯t dislike, who also have considerable strength and alchemy skills, and more importantly, who can be trusted. Thinking it over, only you are left. As long as you help me, Green Crane Valley won¡¯t treat you poorly. We¡¯ll help you find all the precious medicinal materials you need for alchemy.¡±

    Seeing Huang Xueqing¡¯s serious expression, Zhanyue knew she wasn¡¯t joking about thetter part. Alchemy Daoist had also said to establish good rtions with Green Crane Valley, so he wouldn¡¯t have to worry about medicinal materials for pill refining in the future. Zhanyue nodded, ¡°Let¡¯s discuss the details after the trial ends.¡± After seeing Huang Xueqing off, Baizhi inevitably started to question, her eyes fixed tightly on Zhanyue. ¡°You really don¡¯t have anything going on with her?¡±

    ¡°No¡­¡± Zhanyue answered.

    Baizhi nodded. Zhanyue and Huang Xueqing¡¯s rtionship shouldn¡¯t be deep, otherwise they wouldn¡¯t talk like that,pletely like a transaction. Her rival Holy Maiden Lixi was already hard enough to deal with, and now with the emergence of a top-tier threat like Huang Xueqing, Baizhi felt immense pressure. This guy, was he really that likable?

    Meanwhile, after Huang Xueqing left Zhanyue¡¯s courtyard, she encountered Yunyao in a nearby shaded path, that beautiful and freezing moving ice mountain.

    ¡°You¡­ you just came from the Divine Son¡¯s ce?¡± Yunyao asked proactively.

    Huang Xueqing nodded.

    ¡°You stayed there all night?¡± Yunyao hadn¡¯t expected Huang Xueqing toe out after so long. She had been waiting for a long time.

    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you waited outside all night too,¡± Huang Xueqing said, exasperated. This woman was really persistent.

    Yunyao nodded, ¡°How did you get in?¡±

    ¡°Oh, so you waited all this time just to ask that. It¡¯s simple. I told the guard I was the Divine Son¡¯s woman. He believed it and didn¡¯t dare stop me, so I went in,¡± Huang Xueqing said honestly, curiously observing Yunyao.

    ¡°This¡­¡± Yunyao was very troubled for a moment. ¡°You¡¯ve actually only known him for a short time too. This is some kind of scheme, right?¡±

    Huang Xueqing nodded again.

    Watching Yunyao¡¯s retreating figure, Huang Xueqing showed a curious expression.

    Soon after, that white silhouette appeared again outside Zhanyue¡¯s courtyard gate. Yunyao hade for the third time.

    ¡°Yunyao requests to see His Highness the Divine Son,¡± Yunyao said to the guard.

    The guard, looking at such a beautiful woman, although reluctant, still refused, saying His Highness the Divine Son had said not to see any outside guests.

    ¡°Well¡­ I am¡­ Are you really not letting me in?¡± Yunyao said wretchedly, many words she simply couldn¡¯t say out loud.

    However, the guard instantly understood! His eyes were full of gossip fire. His Highness the Divine Son was truly heavenly, with so many beautiful women having rtionships with him. Since she was the Divine Son¡¯s woman, of course he wouldn¡¯t dare stop her. He wasn¡¯t stupid.

    The guard indeed opened the courtyard gate. Yunyao felt it was too embarrassing, lowering her head as she walked in, not forgetting to turn back and warn, ¡°You can¡¯t tell anyone about this! Otherwise~!¡±

    The guard nodded repeatedly. How would he dare spread gossip about these people? That would be seeking death. These secrets were to be kept in his belly. Without this awareness, one couldn¡¯t stand in this position.

    After a while, seeing Yunyao walking towards him, Zhanyue was at his wits¡¯ end. How did another one get in? Were these guards not taking his orders seriously?

    ¡°How did you get in?¡± Zhanyue asked, ¡°Not the same as Huang Xueqing, right?¡±

    Yunyao nodded, ¡°Mm.¡±

    ¡°Ah~¡± Zhanyue sighed deeply, not expecting even an ice mountain like Yunyao to start learning how to lie. ¡°Fine, Miss Yun, I know you¡¯ve tried to see me many times. What exactly is it that makes you have to see me in person? You know, my identity is special. There are too many people who want to see me. I can¡¯t possibly deal with them all, so I simply don¡¯t see anyone.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not ming you,¡± Yunyao said calmly.

    ¡°Tell me, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Zhanyue also replied calmly.

    Yunyao was cold and direct, without any beating around the bush or exchanging pleasantries. She took out a painting, ¡°Since you¡¯re the Goddess¡¯s disciple, you should have seen the Goddess¡¯s appearance, right? Look, is the woman depicted in this painting the Goddess?¡±

    Looking at the scroll in Yunyao¡¯s hand, the painting showed a beautiful woman holding a sword charging towards a strange ck mist. That woman could only be the Illumination Goddess, depicted vividly and urately.

    ¡°This¡­ where did you get this painting from?¡± Zhanyue was very curious. This painting seemed to depict a battle scene between his sister and some unknown creature. Who painted it?

    ¡°Is it really the Goddess?¡± Yunyao asked.

    Zhanyue nodded.

    Yunyao looked at Zhanyue with aplex expression, seeming to have something to say but then remembering something and not daring to speak. She left with a word of thanks and hurriedly departed.

    ¡°This¡­ she just left?¡± Zhanyue was very puzzled. However, he recalled the painting he had just seen and felt very rmed, because although the woman in the painting was beautiful, her face was pale, looking exhausted. ¡°Am I overthinking? Since it¡¯s a painting, it must be of past events. Even if sister encountered great danger, it¡¯s all in the past.¡±

    Yunyao, leaving Zhanyue¡¯s courtyard, couldn¡¯t calm her mood. ¡°What should I do? How should I tell him?¡± Only Yunyao knew that the painting depicted not the past, but the future. As for how she obtained this painting, that was another secret tale.

 Chapter 183: The Final Battles (1)

    Chapter 183: The Final Battles (1)

    Thest day of thepetition was still fully packed. Three of the six spots had been filled, and the remaining three would be decided today. Thunder Lord stood on the stage, looking at the six people in front of him and said, ¡°This is yourst chance. I hope you make the most of it and leave no regrets. However, don¡¯t be too nervous. We¡¯ve received a message from the Ancient Sun-Chasing Kingdom that all contestants who participated in thispetition but were defeated can go to the Ancient Sun-Chasing Kingdom. There are many opportunities there, and it¡¯s usually not open to outsiders. So, even if you don¡¯t get a spot in the Heaven Book Trial, you can still go to the Ancient Sun-Chasing Kingdom.¡±

    Thunder Lord¡¯s words were like a reassuring pill, exciting everyone. Especially the few already defeated contestants watching below the arena. Even if they couldn¡¯t participate in the Heaven Book Trial, they could go to the Ancient Sun-Chasing Kingdom. The opportunities gained there might not be inferior to the Heaven Book Trial, as evident from Tai¡¯e¡¯s strength.

    ¡°Without further ado, the next match, Jiang Licheng versus Feng Bng!¡± Thunder Lord¡¯s voice resounded again.

    Feng Bng still had a carefree appearance. In terms of looks and aura, he couldn¡¯tpare to Jiang Licheng opposite him, who stood there like an otherworldly immortal, causing numerous female screams. However, no one dared to underestimate Feng Bng now. Even though he directly surrendered in thest match, faster than a certain romantic country, the fact that he hade this far with amon contract object like a kite already proved his strength.

    ¡°Brother Feng, be careful,¡± Jiang Licheng didn¡¯t dare to underestimate his opponent. Nine golden needles floated in front of him, instantly turning into nine beams of light shooting directly at Feng Bng.

    Feng Bng released his kite, its enormous power directly lifting him off the ground. However, with a thought from Jiang Licheng, the nine light beams turned upwards towards Feng Bng in the air.

    ¡°Wind Transformation Wings!¡± Feng Bng disyed his ultimate skill. The kite suddenly adhered to his back, transforming into a pair of wings, allowing him to maneuver in the air.

    However, the nine golden needles were extremely fast. Soon, Feng Bng fell from the sky, having suffered quite a few injuries. Invisible wounds spread inside his body, many acupoints severely damaged.

    He knelt on one knee, spitting out a mouthful of blood. The previous exchange had already revealed his defeat. ¡°What a pity, Feng Bng doesn¡¯t have any defensive techniques. He can only passively take hits against these flying needles!¡± The spectators all sighed.

    But then Feng Bng raised his kite again, his eyes extremely serious. He had always been low-key, not wanting to reveal his strength, but this time, if he didn¡¯t use his real skills, he wouldn¡¯t be a match for Jiang Licheng.

    He was seen holding the kite string with one hand while running towards Jiang Licheng.

    Seeing him charging, Jiang Licheng wasn¡¯t afraid and immediately controlled his flying needles to meet the attack.

    However, the usually invincible flying needles failed this time. All needles that approached Feng Bng automatically changed direction, revolving around him without being able to get close.

    Wind Lord, watching the match, widened his eyes and uttered a few words, ¡°Wind Domain!¡±

    ¡°What!¡± The people around Wind Lord couldn¡¯t sit still. Domains were a special ability that even Spirit God Realm cultivators might not master. Everyone knew Mi Hongchen was an unparalleled genius because she had mastered a domain ability without entering Spirit God Realm. However, now this Feng Bng from the mysterious Night City had also mastered a domain.

    ¡°So¡­ so powerful,¡± Meng Huyue below the stage smiled bitterly. So Feng Bng had been holding back all along.

    With the domain deployed, no flying needles could get close. Feng Bng was seen repeatedly reaching out his hand, grasping the needles bound by the wind domain one by one. By the time he walked to Jiang Licheng¡¯s front, he had all nine flying needles in his hand.

    Jiang Licheng felt he had lost connection with those flying needles. Then an invisible force swept him up and threw him out of the arena.

    ¡°So this is the power of a domain? It¡¯s my first time experiencing it. Brother Feng, what a great technique!¡± Jiang Licheng smiled helplessly outside the arena. When others could master this level of power, he couldn¡¯tin about losing.

    ¡°You tter me,¡± Feng Bng cupped his hands, epting this spot.

    ¡°Domain! Unparalleled genius, unparalleled genius!¡± The spectators all eximed.

    ¡°Wait, if he¡¯s this powerful, why did he surrender without a fight in thest match? If he had used his domain, he might not have lost, right?¡± Someone questioned.

    ¡°Is it possible that he knew even with his domain, he wasn¡¯t a match for Yunyao?¡±

    ¡°Is that so? Then how powerful must Yunyao be? I really want to see her fight Tai¡¯e, but there¡¯s no chance now.¡±

    While the previous battle was still being discussed, the next one was about to begin.

    ¡°Second match, Song Yuxian versus Fan Longyu!¡± Thunder Lord announced again.

    ¡°Unlucky, Song Yuxian drew Fan Longyu,¡± everyone had the answer in their hearts.

    Zhanyue watched the match below and said, ¡°There¡¯s no way back now. Just like Feng Bng, I wonder if Song Yuxian has any reserved techniques.¡±

    ¡°He does, but he¡¯s not a match for Fan Longyu,¡± Nangong Wei said while eating spirit fruits.

    On the arena, Song Yuxian looked at the muscr man opposite him and calmly said, ¡°Brother Fan, everyone knows I¡¯m no match for you, but I don¡¯t intend to give up easily. I will use my full strength in one move. If you can withstand it, you naturally win the match. Be careful.¡±

    Fan Longyu looked at Song Yuxian somewhat arrogantly, ¡°Go ahead and show me.¡±

    ¡°Very well, then please receive my sword, Brother Fan!¡± Song Yuxian was seen leaping into the sky, once again filling the sky with rosy clouds.

    However, this time was different. The seven-colored rosy clouds instantly contracted, converging on the Xiaguang Sword, transforming into a beam of white light! Behind Song Yuxian, the sun was rising, blindingly bright. The sword energy like a rainbow split the sun in half, this sword energy falling from the sky, pointing directly at Fan Longyu.

    ¡°Xiaguang Sword Technique ¡ª White Rainbow Piercing the Sun!¡±

    Faced with this attack, Fan Longyu could no longer remain calm. He instantly half-transformed into a dragon, terrifying dragon wings growing from his back.

    ¡°Sky Covering Wings!¡± The ten-meter dragon wingspletely enveloped him, forming a huge circr house-like protection. The sword energy heavily fell on it. The terrifying power made the earth shake, light radiating in all directions, causing spectators to close their eyes.

    After a while, vision restored. Fan Longyu was seen retracting his wings. Those huge wings had severe burn marks, tattered and broken. He was breathing heavily, looking at Song Yuxian in the sky.

    Seeing that Fan Longyu hadn¡¯t suffered much damage, Song Yuxian smiled bitterly and fell from the sky. He hadn¡¯t fully mastered this move and had barely managed to use it. Unfortunately, the gap between them was too big. Even if he had fully mastered it, he might not have been able to defeat Fan Longyu.

    ¡°This match, Fan Longyu wins,¡± Thunder Lord caught Song Yuxian, knowing he had just exhausted his strength.

    ¡°The power of this sword was truly terrifying. What a pity, what a pity he encountered Fan Longyu,¡± everyone sighed deeply. With this, only thest battle remained.

    ¡°Next match, Gongsun Taoli versus Liu Zhaoran,¡± Thunder Lord announced again.

 Chapter 184: The Final Battles (2)

    Chapter 184: The Final Battles (2)

    For thest battle, most of the audience was still eager for more, but for the two on stage, they were ready to fight with their lives.

    Gongsun Taoli made the first move, waving his hand. Peach blossom branches sprang up from the ground, and his contract snake disappeared, waiting to deliver a fatal strike to Liu Zhaoran.

    ¡°Kill!¡± Liu Zhaoran¡¯s eyes were filled with fighting spirit. Holding his long spear, he charged towards Gongsun Taoli. The peach blossom branches and petals along the way surrounded him like soldiers, but he was breaking through theseyers of peach wood with an invincible momentum.

    ¡°Invincible Realm,¡± Gongsun Taoli frowned. Liu Zhaoran hadn¡¯t held back from the start, and those peach woods couldn¡¯t stop Liu Zhaoran in the Invincible Realm.

    In the shadows, the small snake was poised to strike. Taking advantage of the moment when Liu Zhaoran¡¯s old force was spent and new force hadn¡¯t yet begun, it transformed into a shadow and lunged at Liu Zhaoran¡¯s ankle. However, as if Liu Zhaoran had eyes on his feet, he miraculously dodged this attack.

    Gongsun Taoli frowned, ¡°A coincidence?¡±

    The small snake continued to lurk, and soon, the next opportunity to attack came. However, once again, Gongsun Taoli was dumbfounded. No matter how or from where the small snake attacked, Liu Zhaoran could skillfully avoid it, as if he had eyes all over his body.

    ¡°Could this kid also have a domain?¡± Some expert spectators marveled. Even Fan Longyu couldn¡¯t dodge the small snake¡¯s sneak attack earlier, relying on his physical constitution to resist the poison. Liu Zhaoran obviously didn¡¯t have that kind of physique, but the small snake couldn¡¯t bite him at all.

    ¡°This is the Ethereal Realm among the Four Battle Realms. I didn¡¯t expect someone so young to have mastered both the Invincible Realm and the Ethereal Realm,¡± Alchemy Daoist couldn¡¯t help but sigh. Zhanyue watched the arena, his desire to be stronger intensifying. The unfathomable Tai¡¯e, the unpredictable Yunyao, the untouchable Huang Xueqing, Fan Longyu with ancient dragon bloodline, Feng Bng who mastered the Wind Domain, Liu Zhaoran whoprehended two martial realms ¨C this was the foundation of humanity, with talented youths emerging in every generation. Even those who were eliminated were not ordinary.

    Soon, the battle had a result. Liu Zhaoran held nothing back, simultaneously using both realms, and only after a tough fight did he defeat Gongsun Taoli.

    ¡°Brother Gongsun, you¡¯ve been gracious,¡± With his spear tip at Gongsun Taoli¡¯s neck, Liu Zhaoran said calmly. He had walked out of Tai¡¯e¡¯s shadow. Fortunately, Thunder Lord had stopped him in time earlier, preventing him from harming himself to fight Tai¡¯e, otherwise he wouldn¡¯t have recovered so quickly and wouldn¡¯t have been able to win this match.

    Gongsun Taoli¡¯s face was pale as he walked off the arena dejectedly. He, a prodigy of the Moon Reflection Pavilion with two contract objects, had thought securing a spot would be easy, but ended up losing two matches and exiting ingloriously.

    ¡°Senior Brother¡­¡± Nangong Wei finally couldn¡¯t eat anymore. She had grown up in the Moon Reflection Pavilion, and Gongsun Taoli had cared for her like an elder brother. His loss naturally made her feel bad.

    ¡°Try to see it positively. They¡¯re all outstanding individuals, it would be a loss no matter who lost. It¡¯s just a pity there are only so many spots,¡± Alchemy Daoistforted. ¡°So now you know how precious your guaranteed spots are, right? Make sure to cherish this opportunity.¡±

    Everyone nodded.

    ¡°Alright, thispetition hereby concludes! Yunyao, Tai¡¯e, Huang Xueqing, Fan Longyu, Feng Bng, and Liu Zhaoran have obtained the qualifications to enter the secret realm,¡± Thunder Lord announced. They hadn¡¯t revealed much to the public, not mentioning the Heaven Book Trial, only saying it was a mysterious secret realm.

    ¡°It¡¯s over? Ah, I haven¡¯t had enough yet,¡± The crowd below the arena was still eager for more.

    ¡°These people are really monsters. I¡¯m also a Profound Realm cultivator, but I¡¯m afraid I couldn¡¯t even beat one of their hands. We should work harder,¡± Seeing the level of these prodigies, everyone finally had a clear understanding of themselves. Especially some young people who had some lucky encounters and unusual strength, now realized howughable their past pride was.

    ¡°The human race has so many powerful seniors and so many gifted juniors, constantly renewing and passing on. What is there to fear from mere Nightmares?¡±

    This arena, more than anything, made people understand the current strength and foundation of the human race. Mysterious forces like Night City and Ancient Sun-Chasing Kingdom entering the world, Azure Wind Realm opening up, Dragon n uniting ¨C a series of good news swept away the gloom hanging over humanity.

    In the sky, a giant dragon hovered. The dragon was enormous, blood-red all over, with bright, spirited eyes.

    ¡°Dragon Lord, how was it?¡± The speaker was a bald monk, none other than the Ascetic. This giant dragon was actually the Dragon Lord, who hade to watch thepetition in person.

    ¡°As expected of humans, the foremost of all creatures, truly producing geniuses in every generation, ah,¡± Dragon Lord sighed. ¡°It¡¯s a pity we beast cultivators lost the method of transforming into human form, it¡¯s ultimately a great regret.¡±

    The Ascetic said, ¡°Isn¡¯t it our regret too? If you, Dragon Lord, could transform, your strength might advance even further. It¡¯s not impossible that you could touch the Goddess¡¯s level.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about this. I¡¯m going back first. Feel free to visit me when you have time. I thought besides the Goddess, I was the first in the world, but I didn¡¯t expect a prodigy like you to appear,¡± The two had sparred before, and Dragon Lord knew how formidable the Ascetic was.

    ¡°Being first or not, what does it matter? The Goddess¡¯s realm is what we seek for a lifetime, but taking that step is no easy feat,¡± The Ascetic shook his head. With that moon in the sky, everyone else was just a supporting role. She was too dazzling, single-handedly protecting the human race for thousands of years. She was a true deity.

    Soon after, Thunder Lord convened a meeting. Only Thunder Lord, Alchemy Daoist, and the twelve trial participants attended.

    In the hall, the twelve greeted each other, discussing the previous matches. Zhanyue knew he could no longer avoid it.

    ¡°Divine Son sets quite a high threshold,¡± Tai¡¯e was the first to approach.

    Zhanyue smiled, ¡°I just prefer to be low-key and quiet, no other intentions.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a pity. If circumstances allowed, I¡¯d really like to spar with you. I can sense you¡¯re very powerful,¡± Tai¡¯e said.

    Everyone was attracted by Tai¡¯e¡¯s words. If Tai¡¯e said Zhanyue was powerful, it wasn¡¯t mere ttery. Everyone present wanted to know Zhanyue¡¯s strength.

    After Tai¡¯e left, Zhanyue proactively approached Feng Bng.

    ¡°Brother Feng, long time no see,¡± Zhanyue¡¯s greeting left Feng Bng puzzled. When did he know the Divine Son?

    ¡°On Ghost Ind, the ck-robed person,¡± Zhanyue said.

    Feng Bng suddenly realized, looking at Zhanyue in shock, ¡°That person was you!¡±

    Everyone was catching up until a loud voice interrupted them. Thunder Lord had arrived.

    ¡°Alright, we don¡¯t have much time, I¡¯ll keep it brief,¡± Thunder Lord said. ¡°Tomorrow, I will gather the necessary people to open the Heaven Book Trial. You have one day to prepare freely. The Heaven Book Trial is a special secret realm, because the Heaven Book Spirit is not only alive but also very¡­ very intelligent. After you enter the Heaven Book world, it will tell you the rules of the trial. Although the Heaven Book Trial won¡¯t be life-threatening, I hope you won¡¯t take it lightly. Missing out on opportunities might lead to lifelong regret. Alright, go back and prepare, say goodbye to your family and friends. The next time youe out, it might be a few months, or three to five years, who knows.¡±

    ¡°Three to five years?¡± Zhanyue¡¯s eyes widened. A trialsting so long? He became interested. What kind of ce was the Heaven Book world, and what kind of trial awaited them?

 Chapter 185: The Trial Begins

    Chapter 185: The Trial Begins

    Within the academy, a long-abandoned courtyard was suddenly swept clean of dust. Although cleaned, the dpidated buildings still stood there. The courtyard was spacious, able to amodate dozens or even hundreds of people. At this moment, eight people led by Wind Lord surrounded an ancient well in the courtyard, each upying a position.

    Wind Lord then threw a purple-ck stone into the well. The abandoned well suddenly erupted with a golden light pir, dazzling even in broad daylight. The light pir pierced the sky, breaking through the clouds and shooting straight into space. People in Academy Town could see it, people throughout the Eastern Kingdom could see it, and even people in the neighboring Rising Sun Kingdom could see this terrifying light pir tearing through the sky.

    Alchemy Daoist and the Ascetic were hidden nearby, watching the sacred light pir and feeling emotional. The hope of humanity seemed to be within this light pir. It was the most crucial moment, and they couldn¡¯t allow even the slightest ident. Fortunately, the Nightmares seemed sensible enough not to attack Academy Town at this time, knowing that countless experts were now in Academy Town, fully prepared.

    Before the golden light dissipated, another change urred. Array formation runes appeared around the ancient well. These runes were ancient and mysterious. Although unreadable, they gave people a surging feeling in their hearts, an irresistible urge to bow down in worship.

    ¡°Is this the power of the Celestial Emperor?¡± Wind Lord¡¯s expression was excited.

    In the ancient era, at the peak of human civilization, nine Emperor Lords ruled the mortal world, living in the Void Heaven and collectively known as the Nine Emperors of Void Heaven. Below the Emperor Lords were countless Saints, such as the Jade Stone Twin Saints who passed down divine abilities to Zhanyue and others. At that time, humans suppressed all races, their fame resounding throughout the starry realms. However,ter, the Crimson Tide invaded, various realms withered, and even the human stronghold, the Myriad Spirits Realm, finally fell, leaving only this small purend. In that battle, all nine Emperor Lords perished, but fortunately, they each left behind their legacies.

    This Heaven Book world was the legacy of the ¡®Void Heaven Emperor¡¯, the leader among the nine Emperor Lords. The Void Heaven Realm was also the domain opened by the Void Heaven Emperor. Only those who knew this, like Alchemy Daoist and Wind Lord, understood what the legacy of the Heaven Book world truly meant.

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s each exert our full strength, inject power into the array formation, and activate the opening of the Heaven Book world!¡± Wind Lord instructed. Then, the eight people who had already prepared began to act.

    Holy Maiden Lixi upied the Qian position, transforming the light power in her hands into mysterious force and fusing it into the array. This was the power of the heavens, and it was appropriate for her to activate the Qian trigram. Zhanyue upied the Kun position. He summoned the Earth Mother Golden Cauldron, gathering endless earth vein power and injecting it into the array.

    Gong Xiaoshui upied the Kan position. As a Water Contractor, she easily injected surging water power into the array. She also took the opportunity to secretly nce at Zhanyue, her feelingsplex.

    Mi Hongchen upied the Li position. Her unique fire domain instantly expanded, and fierce fire power lit up the array.

    The Eastern Kingdom Emperor Mi Doni upied the Gen position, releasing heavy mountain power from his body into the array.

    Thunder Lord and Wind Lord upied the Zhen and Xun positions respectively, easily activating the array.

    Sword Lord, who had already rushed back, upied the Dui position, inserting his sword into the ground, all its sharpness absorbed by the array.

    At this point, the eight-direction array wasplete, and the originally golden light pir turned colorful. The surrounding people were moved and excited. Soon after, a golden book emerged from the well, then opened by a mysterious force.

    ¡°This¡­ this is the Heaven Book!¡±

    Everyone was incredibly shocked, but the most astonished was Zhanyue. He could feel that inexplicable tremor, just like when he first saw the Illumination Goddess statue and the Earth Mother Golden Cauldron. Was this Heaven Book his contract object?!

    ¡°This¡­ how is this possible!¡± Zhanyue said puzzledly. Then he looked at Thunder Lord and asked, ¡°Can I take a look at it?¡±

    Thunder Lord looked at Zhanyue puzzledly but didn¡¯t refuse, ¡°Be careful, this is an Emperor-level artifact. They repel those who dare to approach.¡±

    Zhanyue nodded and walked up under everyone¡¯s gaze, touching the golden pages. He felt a huge forceing, directly sting him away.

    Thunder Lord protected him in time.

    ¡°See? It¡¯s indeed so. Emperor-level artifacts can¡¯t be touched at will,¡± Thunder Lord smiled.

    However, at this moment, Zhanyue was irritated. He had never encountered such a thing before. This Heaven Book was clearly his contract object, why was it repelling him? Not submitting? What should he do?

    ¡°Alright, Wind Lord, let¡¯s begin,¡± Thunder Lord then said to Wind Lord.

    Wind Lord nodded, stepped forward, and respectfully said, ¡°May the Book Spirit please awaken and initiate the Heaven Book Trial.¡±

    No one responded, so Wind Lord raised his voice and said again, ¡°May the Book Spirit please awaken and initiate the Heaven Book Trial.¡±

    Everyone looked at each other, wondering why there was no response.

    ¡°May the¡­¡± Before Wind Lord could finish, he was interrupted by azy, charming female voice.

    ¡°I heard you, what are you shouting for? I was sleeping so well,¡± the Book Spirit¡¯s voice came, then continued, ¡°ording to our previous discussion, send in twelve children. The old ones won¡¯t do.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Book Spirit,¡± Seeing the Book Spirit respond, Wind Lord finally rxed. The Book Spirit¡¯s temper was unpredictable, often ignoring them.

    Then the twelve pre-selected people were already prepared nearby.

    ¡°Book Spirit, this child is not even ten years old, is that alright?¡± Wind Lord asked, pointing at Meng Xiaodie, who had been saved by Zhanyue before. The little girl was a bit timid, holding Mi Hongchen¡¯s hand tightly.

    ¡°Oh? Eyes of Heavenly Cmity, what good material. Of course it¡¯s fine. The Heaven Book Trial isn¡¯t a life-threatening ce, there¡¯s no danger to life. You alle in quickly, I¡¯ve arranged everything, so I can go back to sleep soon,¡± the Book Spirit replied.

    Everyone looked at each other, but Tai¡¯e was the first to step forward bravely. He ced his hand on the Heaven Book, and unlike Zhanyue being repelled earlier, he directly disappeared, entering the Heaven Book world.

    ¡°You should all go in too. Remember, this trial not only concerns your future but also the future of the human race. Please take it seriously,¡± Thunder Lord said to everyone.

    Everyone¡¯s faces were serious as they nodded.

    Then, Yunyao, Huang Xueqing, Fan Longyu, Liu Zhaoran, Feng Bng, Zhanyue, MuMu Lixi, Baizhi, Nangong Wei, Meng Xiaodie, and Yu Xuanyi from the Azure Wind Realm all entered the Heaven Book. After the twelve were in ce, the colorful light shooting into the sky finally dissipated. The Heaven Book vanished from everyone¡¯s sight, and the ancient well returned to its ordinary appearance.

    ¡°Let¡¯s hope everything goes well for them,¡± Thunder Lord sighed. ¡°We should also do our part. We can¡¯t let the Goddess shield us from everything. We need to quickly find out why some Nightmares are not afraid of the Illumination Tower.¡±

    In the depths of an endless void, a figure appeared, not in human form appearing the size of a dozenrges. It slowly opened its eyes, each eye asrge as a star, with hundreds of such eyes on its body.

    ¡°Finally awake?¡± another voice said.

    ¡°The malice of fate¡­I actually sensed it. A pseudo-god was born in a distant ce. Although this pseudo-god is very weak, it is indeed a pseudo-god.¡±

    ¡°Do you need me to handle it?¡± the mysterious voice asked.

    ¡°I¡¯ll send a strand of my divine will. I need to confirm some things personally,¡± the huge shadow blinked hundreds of eyes and said.

    ¡°The journey is long, be careful.¡±

    ¡°Careful? We are the masters of this starry sky, what would I need to be careful about?¡± That great being sank back into the dark void. Such a small matter wasn¡¯t worth upying too much of its time.

    ¡°A pseudo-god¡­ Are there any unsubmitted races in the southeast of the starry sky? Could it be¡­that ce? That lost realm where nine insects made us lose facepletely. Humans? I remember it was this race. Such a weak existence actually produced a pseudo-god? Even those nine insects didn¡¯t be pseudo-gods. How strange, no wonder it suddenly woke up.¡±

    With that, this mysterious person took out a ss ball, drawing power from it. ¡°The faith power of humans is actually still so dirty and mixed. Disgusting this thing can¡¯t even be sold. Such a trash race isn¡¯t even worth our special effort, we only dealt with them in passing back then. Even such a lowly race thinks they can produce gods? Do they think they¡¯re worthy of having free will?¡±

    ¡°Well, I guess we¡¯ll know when it returns.¡± the mysterious person smirked.

 Chapter 234: From White Swan to Ugly Duckling

    Chapter 234: From White Swan to Ugly Duckling

    Mysterious light beams surrounded Zhanyue from all sides. He frantically thought of a way out, but none of his abilities seemed capable of escaping this trap.

    At the critical moment, Zhanyue felt his body freeze, then suddenly found himself disced. In his original position now stood a graceful figure ¨C Yunyao.

    Countless strange light beams hit Yunyao directly.

    Zhanyue remembered that Yunyao had demonstrated a simr spatial ability in the arena before. He hadn¡¯t expected her to instantly swap their positions, taking the Disaster Beast¡¯s attack herself.

    ¡°Go!¡± Yunyao shouted to Zhanyue.

    Zhanyue nodded, quickly flying to Yunyao¡¯s side and carrying her far away.

    Watching the two fly off, the white-haired monkey attacked wildly in frustration, shooting countless light beams across Monkey Mountain. Chief Ming Guang, watching the battle from afar, felt his heart sink. ¡°Did they lose?¡±

    Zhanyue dared not take Yunyao back to the Spirit Eye n¡¯s territory, as he didn¡¯t know what would happen to her after being hit.

    ¡°Why¡­ why did you save me?¡± Zhanyue asked, his face full of guilt. He should have been the one hit, but Yunyao had used her spatial ability to take the blow for him. ¡°The divine artifact recognized me as its master. It¡¯s better for me to take that strange attack than you. Perhaps the artifact might have some reaction,¡± Yunyao exined. This was indeed her reasoning ¨C as the one holding the divine artifact this time, she naturally felt responsible.

    After flying far enough, Zhanyue threw out his flying sword, carving a cave in a cliff face for them to rest temporarily.

    ¡°How¡­ how are you?¡± Zhanyue looked at Yunyao beside him, anxious about how she might have changed after being hit.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. I don¡¯t feel any abnormalities, just exhausted from the battle, especially from using the spatial ability to swap our positions,¡± Yunyao exined.

    Zhanyue couldn¡¯t help but admire her. As expected of the Great Emperor¡¯s sessor, whether it was her earlier sword qi corridor or this spatial exchange technique, her abilities seemed endless.

    ¡°Really nothing wrong?¡± Zhanyue asked again, remembering how previous victims had either gone mad or died.

    Yunyao retorted irritably, ¡°Do you want something to be wrong with me?¡±

    Seeing her still maintaining her distant attitude, Zhanyue finally rxed. ¡°It¡¯s good if you¡¯re alright.¡± Inwardly, he thought, ¡°This woman is really cold and hard to get along with.¡± But then again, although she was cold, she was loyal and righteous. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have voluntarily taken that hit for him.

    ¡°It¡¯s my fault this time. When I went to steal the divine artifact before, I didn¡¯t uncover this thing¡¯s trump card. I didn¡¯t expect it to have such clone abilities,¡± Zhanyue said, ming himself. The monkeys¡¯ ability to clone was one thing, but the mirrors cloning too was another level entirely. Dodging one beam versus thousands was apletely different challenge. No matter how many times they tried, they¡¯d eventually get hit. ¡°Let¡¯s think of a strategy before trying again.¡±

    But Yunyao shook her head, ¡°Let¡¯s give up. Our current abilities can¡¯t avoid those strange light beams. After being hit, I feel like I can¡¯t muster any fighting spirit. Why don¡¯t we abandon this Disaster Beast and look for the next divine artifact?¡±

    Zhanyue stared at Yunyao in disbelief. He could hardly believe these words came from her. How could such a proud woman give up so easily?

    ¡°What are you staring at? Is it strange? Am I wrong? Against the Fear Beast and the Spider Beast before, if you hadn¡¯t saved me twice, I would have lost my life and failed the trial. Without relying on you, I couldn¡¯t possiblyplete the trial,¡± Yunyao said dejectedly.

    ¡°???¡±

    Zhanyue finally realized something was wrong. She wasn¡¯t fine at all; she had definitely been affected. The Disaster Beast¡¯s greatest ability was to make people fall into a state of inferiority and self-deprecation, constantly negating themselves. Many went mad because of this, and many moremitted suicide. Although Yunyao still seemed rational, her state was clearly abnormal.

    ¡°What are you saying? You contributed equally to defeating the Fear Beast. Without your assistance, how could I have so easily approached its weakness? As for the Spider Beast, it was only because the fire I controlled countered its spider silk. Come to your senses, you¡¯re the Great Emperor¡¯s sessor,¡± Zhanyue encouraged.

    This encouragement, however, only stirred up another of Yunyao¡¯s worries. ¡°Hmph, Great Emperor¡¯s sessor? It¡¯s just my luck. Perhaps the Feather Sky Emperor doesn¡¯t think much of me at all. The Thousand Affinity Feather she left me ¨C I¡¯ve carried it for so many years without being able to refine it, yet you refined it easily. It clearly chose you, not me. Maybe you¡¯re more suitable to be her sessor.¡±

    Zhanyue patted his head. This was bad; Yunyao seemed heavily influenced by that divine light. A heavenly maiden, far surpassing her peers in beauty, figure, strength, and experience, truly unparalleled in the world ¨C such a proud person had begun to feel inferior and self-pitying after being hit by that light? No wonder others went mad.

    ¡°Wake up, you¡¯re just affected by that light. You¡¯re starting to doubt yourself. What nonsense is this? Although I don¡¯t know what that Thousand Affinity Feather is, the Feather Sky Emperor definitely didn¡¯t underestimate you,¡± Zhanyue continued tofort her.

    ¡°Stop pretending tofort me. Someone like me has never been likable. No one likes to interact with an iceberg. Gentle and beautiful women like Feng Xueqing are the ones you all prefer to be around,¡± Yunyao said.

    Zhanyue felt like the world had gone mad. Yunyao¡¯s words sounded like she was jealous of Feng Xueqing, but he understood that at this moment, Yunyao might truly feel inferior to Feng Xueqing.

    ¡°I¡¯m a hybrid of the Bird n and humans, abandoned by my parents since childhood. I can neither integrate into human society nor return to the Bird n. I¡¯m probably a joke to many,¡± Yunyao suddenly added.

    Zhanyue knew about Yunyao¡¯s mixed heritage, but not being able to return to the Bird n was news to him.

    ¡°Why can¡¯t you return to the Bird n?¡± Zhanyue asked.

    ¡°When I was young, my master took me to the Bird n to find my birth father, but we were turned away before even entering their territory. They said Bird n members with impure bloodlines couldn¡¯t enter theirnd, as it would be disrespectful to their ancestors,¡± Yunyao exined.

    ¡°So that¡¯s what happened. Isn¡¯t all this the fault of your father whom you¡¯ve never met? The Bird n is the one being ungrateful, rejecting a prodigy like you, a Great Emperor¡¯s sessor. They must be out of their minds. But isn¡¯t it better this way? Isn¡¯t staying with humans good?¡± Zhanyue countered.

    Yunyao pointed at her wings. ¡°Have you seen any other humans with wings? Everyone who sees me for the first time inevitably stares at them.¡±

    ¡°But I think they¡¯re beautiful. Besides, in this humanpetition, Lei Zun and the others didn¡¯t treat you as an outsider. Otherwise, you wouldn¡¯t have entered the Book Trial. In their hearts, you¡¯re part of the human race,¡± Zhanyue said.

    Yunyao smiled bitterly, ¡°It¡¯s precisely because I know they treat me well that I want to work harder. But this Book Trial is clearly beyond my capabilities. Seven Disaster Beasts, and we¡¯ve barely defeated one with your strength. What use am I?¡±

    Zhanyue¡¯s head was about to explode. No matter what he said, they kept circling back to the initial problem. Yunyao¡¯s current mindset clearly made her unable to continue fighting. What should he do?

 Chapter 235: Jade Feet

    Chapter 235: Jade Feet

    ¡°How about this ¨C why don¡¯t we return to the Spirit Eye n¡¯s territory?¡± Zhanyue suggested. Considering that Yunyao showed no signs of violent behavior and didn¡¯t seem insane, staying in their territory would be better than this cave, and they¡¯d have another person to consult.

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t want to go to the Spirit Eye n¡¯s territory,¡± Yunyao shook her head.

    ¡°Why? Are you that afraid of snakes?¡± Zhanyue naturally guessed Yunyao¡¯s thoughts.

    Yunyao nodded, not denying it. She looked at Zhanyue somewhat embarrassedly, her beautiful eyes making his scalp tingle. ¡°Am I useless?¡±

    Zhanyue was really ufortable with her current state. He could only try tofort her: ¡°It¡¯s not your fault. This fear is hidden in your bloodline, you don¡¯t need to me yourself.¡±

    Yunyao nodded, ¡°All the Bird n bloodline has left me with are these wings and the fear in my blood. Since the moment they rejected me, I¡¯ve been training desperately, hoping to prove to them one day that I¡¯m no less than they are. But now, I realize that no matter how hard I try, I can¡¯t change the fact that my blood is impure, nor can I change their views. The Bird n¡¯s strength is on par with the Dragon n, and my master won¡¯t offend them for my sake. My hope of seeking justice seems impossible to realize.¡±

    Seeing Yunyao like this made Zhanyue feel awful. This should have been what he would bear, but Yunyao had taken it for him. She was dejected, self-deprecating, negating herself and everything she had been.

    This girl was supposed to have a protagonist¡¯s script, how could she be so dispirited? Zhanyue couldn¡¯t help but sigh, then tried to guide her: ¡°Not necessarily. Do you know why you were able to be born?¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± Yunyao asked, puzzled. ¡°Have you ever heard of humans having offspring with cats or dogs? Because their blood rtion is too distant, it¡¯s impossible for them to have offspring. But you are the offspring of humans and the Bird n, which means the blood gap between these two races isn¡¯t that wide. In other words, humans and the Bird n are equal in terms of bloodline. As a hybrid of the two races, you¡¯re naturally no less than them. Their emphasis on blood purity is more about maintaining false glory, and this glory has its downfalls too. I heard from Senior Dan Daoren that as a hybrid, you possess the advantages of both the Bird n and humans, which is extraordinarily fortunate. Even the Heavenly Dao is on your side, so why should you feel inferior about your birth?¡± Zhanyue exined.

    ¡°You have a point. Bird n, humans¡­ apart from these wings, I actually resemble humans more,¡± Yunyao said.

    ¡°Why?¡± Zhanyue asked curiously.

    ¡°The difference in appearance between the Bird n and humans, besides my wings, is also in the feet. Their feet are more like eagle ws, while I¡­¡± As she spoke, Yunyao sat down and removed her shoes and socks, revealing a small section of wless, beautiful leg and her left foot.

    Zhanyue¡¯s eyes widened. Yunyao had actually taken off her shoes and socks, exposing her delicate little foot. Her foot was a work of art, each toe appearing extremely elegant, neither too long nor too short, just right. Her nails were neatly trimmed, emitting a faint pink glow, like delicate flower petals in spring. The curves of her foot were soft and smooth, round without being plump, like a silken painting. Her fine skin radiated a natural glow, as if gently nourished by tender sunlight. The curve of her ankle was graceful and elegant, like a delicate feather, light and refined.

    Zhanyue felt as if he had awakened some new attribute, swallowing hard. These feet walking on the earth should be considered the earth¡¯s honor.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Do you think it looks bad?¡± Yunyao asked nervously.

    ¡°Beautiful, how could it not be beautiful? It¡¯s good that you have half human blood, otherwise the world would be missing such a pair of beautiful jade feet,¡± Zhanyue quickly said, then feeling he had been too forward, hurriedly averted his gaze.

    ¡°Why are you avoiding me? Am I that frightening?¡± Yunyao¡¯s expression darkened again.

    ¡°You¡­ you should put your shoes and socks back on,¡± Zhanyue couldn¡¯t help but say. This woman¡¯s damned charm, just one small foot could make his heart flutter.

    ¡°You say you like it, yet you¡¯re so afraid. Are you lying to me?¡± Yunyao asked.

    Zhanyue¡¯s head was about to explode. He thought, do you know your current mental state is problematic? If I dare to take advantage now, when you recoverter, won¡¯t you turn me into a pincushion?

    ¡°Put them on first. It¡¯s clear that you¡¯re perfect from head to toe. What garbage is the Bird n, how can theypare to these jade feet¡­ your blood fusion is perfect. I think they don¡¯t let you return to the n out of jealousy. Among a bunch of bird ws, it¡¯s rare to have such beautiful feet,¡± Zhanyue praised generously.

    ¡°Pfft.¡± Yunyaoughed, like the first plum blossom blooming in winter snow, indescribably beautiful, beyond human words.

    It was the first time Zhanyue had seen Yunyaough. Being able tough was a good sign.

    ¡°If you really like them, I¡¯ll let you look more. Even the most beautiful shell is just a skeleton with rouge, ultimately just a handful of dirt,¡± Yunyao said, raising her foot and bringing it closer to Zhanyue¡¯s face.

    ¡°You¡­ ah¡­¡± Zhanyue was speechless. ¡°Since you won¡¯t put your shoes on properly, I¡¯ll help you put them on. You won¡¯t forget thister, right? Don¡¯t hold it against me afterward.¡±

    Zhanyue picked up the ck fabric socks from the ground, which had no trace of sweat, then took Yunyao¡¯s foot and put them on. His fingers touching her delicate skin sent his heart fluttering again. After a while, Zhanyue finally finished putting on her shoes and socks, though he wasn¡¯t sure if he had done it deliberately slowly.

    ¡°By the way, where¡¯s the divine artifact?¡± Zhanyue quickly changed the subject to ease the awkwardness.

    Yunyao took out the divine mirror. ¡°I should have let you refine it. In my hands, it¡¯spletely useless. I was so presumptuous earlier, thinking I could help you, that I could defeat that Disaster Beast on my own.¡±

    Zhanyue pped his forehead, ¡°Oh no, here we go again.¡±

    Zhanyue took the mirror and held it in front of Yunyao, reflecting her perfect face in the jade mirror.

    ¡°Look carefully at how beautiful you are in the mirror,¡± Zhanyue praised.

    Yunyao stared at herself in the mirror, a bit dazed. Was this really her?

    ¡°Am I beautiful? How do Ipare to the Holy Maiden and Feng Xueqing?¡± Yunyao asked.

    Zhanyue said directly: ¡°Of course you¡¯re beautiful. You¡¯re more beautiful than both of them.¡± Inwardly, he thought, it¡¯s good they¡¯re not here. For now, it¡¯s best tofort Yunyao.

    ¡°Really?¡± Yunyao seemed doubtful.

    ¡°Of course it¡¯s true. Look carefully, look at these eyebrows, these eyes, this nose, these lips, every part is perfect,¡± Zhanyue said.

    Yunyao held the mirror, staring at herself, lost in thought, no longer paying attention to Zhanyue.

    Seeing her finally calm down, Zhanyue sat cross-legged and began to cultivate. The previous battle had also depleted him considerably. Maintaining the phantom wings of the Thousand Affinity Feather wasn¡¯t an easy task.

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m sorry,¡± Yunyao suddenly apologized to the meditating Zhanyue.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Zhanyue was puzzled.

    ¡°There¡¯s something I¡¯ve been hiding from you¡­¡± Yunyao said apologetically.

 Chapter 236: Heart

    Chapter 236: Heart

    ¡°What other surprises do you have that I don¡¯t know about?¡± Zhanyue wanted to ask, but seeing Yunyao¡¯s expression, he wasn¡¯t in the mood for jokes.

    ¡°When I gave you the Thousand Affinity Feather and the ¡®Sky-Covering Wings¡¯ technique earlier, the truth is, these two things alone aren¡¯t enough to master the Sky-Covering Wings divine ability. Many of its mysteries require my assistance. Without my guidance and the secrets passed down from the Feather Sky Emperor, mastering this technique would be as difficult as ascending to heaven. Out of selfishness, I didn¡¯t tell you this. After all, I was also worried about your strength far surpassing mine. Am I very despicable? Very contemptible?¡± Yunyao¡¯s eyes darted around, not daring to look at Zhanyue.

    Zhanyue pped his thigh, ¡°My goodness, there¡¯s an unexpected gain.¡± No wonder he had made no progress despite studying the ¡®Sky-Covering Wings¡¯ technique for so long. He had thought it was due to his poor aptitude, but now he realized he was missing part of the instruction manual, and that manual was Yunyao herself.

    ¡°I don¡¯t me you,¡± Zhanyue said, though he wanted to punch her to express his feelings, he held back. Seeing her current pitiful state, he really couldn¡¯t bring himself to do it. ¡°With the Thousand Affinity Feather, giving me the ¡®Sky-Covering Wings¡¯ was already extremely generous. You could have even concealed its existence, and I wouldn¡¯t have known. But you still told me about it. Although the possibility of me mastering this divine ability on my own is low, it¡¯s not absolutely impossible, right?¡±

    ¡°You¡­ really don¡¯t me me?¡± Yunyao asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t me you. You don¡¯t need to feel guilty about this. There are plenty of viins in this world, but you¡¯re definitely not one of them. Stop overthinking and rest for a while,¡± Zhanyue advised. He also needed to rest and recover, and think about what to do next.

    Yunyao sat nearby, holding the divine artifact mirror, asionally ncing at Zhanyue from the corner of her eye, lost in thought. Staring at the mirror, looking at herself, Yunyao suddenly remembered the incantation, ¡°Clear mind, still heart. Mirror me, not me. True self enters mirror, mind clear, heart still.¡±

    As she repeated this incantation over and over, Yunyao¡¯s heart gradually calmed down. Only when truly calm, discarding all chaotic noise, can one truly understand one¡¯s inner self. The antonym of inferiority isn¡¯t arrogance; in a sense, inferiority and pride are the same thing ¨C both are an inability to truly face oneself, to view one¡¯s strengths and weaknesses objectively.

    Yunyao was very intelligent. The curse-like power had changed her personality but hadn¡¯t affected her wisdom. Soon, without Zhanyue knowing, she entered a mysterious state, an indescribable mental realm. As she closed her eyes, the divine artifact mirror in her hand began to show tiny cracks. In her mind, she stood naked by ake, ake of the heart that was exceptionally still, like a mirror reflecting her bare self. Every hair, every detail was clear, whether it was her exquisite face, her voluptuous yet graceful figure, or her pair of perfect jade feet, all clearly disyed before her. Yunyao was confused. She gently stirred theke¡¯s surface with her hand. The ripples soon settled, continuing to reflect her. Then, her life experiences yed back like a revolvingntern on this mirror-likeke. She witnessed her pride, her weakness, her helplessness, and her loneliness.

    ¡°He¡¯s right. Although I¡¯m of mixed blood, I¡¯m not inferior to either humans or the Bird n. I have an origin, and I also have a destination,¡± Yunyao suddenly smiled. Then her eyes lit up with golden light ¨C it was the Eye of Dominion activating. In an instant, theke water became turbulent, then calm again.

    In reality, Yunyao opened her eyes. They were a pair of golden eyes, lofty, viewing all beings as ants. Without Zhanyue knowing, Yunyao had quietly recovered.

    She secretly nced at Zhanyue, who was meditating beside her, her feelingsplex. She hadn¡¯t forgotten everything that had happened before ¨C it was definitely her dark history. Should she take this opportunity to silence him permanently?

    Of course, Yunyao wouldn¡¯t be so cruel. Although she greatly despised Zhanyue¡¯s earlier behavior ¨C appearing gentlemanly on the surface but ying with her foot for so long, did it really take that long to put on her shoes and socks? What a pervert, she should stay away from him in the future.

    With a thought from Yunyao, a divine light fell on Zhanyue, and then her figure disappeared from the cave. She couldn¡¯t let that Disaster Beast off for making her so embarrassed. By coincidence, her mental state had reached a new level, and even her cultivation had advanced, crossing from Moon Profound to Sun Profound realm. She had widened the gap with Zhanyue by another major realm.

    After a while, Zhanyue woke up groggily. He had only meant to rest for a bit, how did he suddenly fall asleep? When he woke up, he found Yunyao gone, and instantly felt as if he¡¯d fallen into an ice pit. Where Yunyao had been, only a broken mirror remained.

    ¡°What happened?¡± Zhanyue was puzzled and quickly gave chase.

    A earth-shattering battle was taking ce on Monkey Mountain. When Zhanyue arrived, his eyes nearly popped out. Monkey Mountain was no more; the entire small mountain had been leveled. The Disaster Beast¡¯s aura was nowhere to be felt, and sword qi lingered everywhere, refusing to dissipate.

    ¡°She couldn¡¯t have done this, could she?¡± Zhanyue felt a chill down his spine. This woman had quite a temper. Had she recovered?

    A figure suddenly appeared behind Zhanyue. He turned to look ¨C who else could it be but Yunyao? Gone was her previous meek demeanor; now she had returned to her usual icy, unapproachable self.

    ¡°Is the Disaster Beast dead?¡± Zhanyue asked.

    ¡°Dead,¡± Yunyao replied coldly, her sword still unsheathed.

    ¡°What¡­ what are you nning to do? You¡¯re not thinking of silencing me, are you?¡± Zhanyue said, sensing the killing intent from Yunyao hadn¡¯t dissipated.

    ¡°Killing you would be pointless. After all, dying here isn¡¯t real death,¡± Yunyao said.

    ¡°What do you mean? Are you nning to kill me after we get out?¡± Zhanyue asked again.

    ¡°We¡¯ll see,¡± Yunyao only left these two words before heading to the ground.

    ¡°We¡¯ll¡­ see?¡± Zhanyue felt a headacheing on. She really was nning to kill him? But outside, she¡¯d be even less able to act. ¡°This woman is just trying to scare me,¡± Zhanyue thought as he followed her to the ground.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want anyone else to know about what happened earlier,¡± Yunyao said while dealing with the Disaster Beast¡¯s corpse.

    ¡°I¡­ I understand,¡± Zhanyue dared not disagree. ¡°After you recovered, you just attacked directly? Why didn¡¯t you call me to join you?¡±

    ¡°Call you? You¡¯re not immune to that divine light. Bringing you would only hinder me. That light no longer affects me; killing it was like ughtering a pig or dog,¡± Yunyao exined. She was actually afraid that if she brought Zhanyue, he might end up in the same situation. The divine artifact was already destroyed; she couldn¡¯t protect a second person. The artifact was indeed divine, not fake. It¡¯s just that the methods of using them were very special, whether it was the sword fromst time or this mirror.

    ¡°Tsk tsk tsk,¡± Zhanyue was speechless. This woman had been saying earlier how she was useless and everything depended on him for the seven Disaster Beasts, but now she hadpletely reversed, saying he would only be a hindrance. However, Zhanyue was happy. The familiar Yunyao had finally returned, and only this Yunyao could possibly work with him to kill the seven great Disaster Beasts.

    ¡°See if you can use its blood,¡± Yunyao asked. She had known since theirst battle that Zhanyue¡¯s armor was somewhat strange.

 Chapter 237: The Golden Sacred Fruit

    Chapter 237: The Golden Sacred Fruit

    Facing the Disaster Beast¡¯s gruesome corpse, Zhanyue couldn¡¯t imagine how much suffering it had endured before death. However, it was better that Yunyao had vented her anger on it rather than on him.

    Zhanyue stepped forward and summoned the Silver Moon Armor, but the expected reaction didn¡¯t ur. The armor didn¡¯t actively absorb the Disaster Beast¡¯s blood as it hadst time; it didn¡¯t react at all.

    ¡°Are those bugs picky eaters?¡± Zhanyue could only think. But if they wouldn¡¯t absorb it, what could he do? Perhaps this Disaster Beast¡¯s blood meant nothing to them. ¡°Well, we can¡¯t expect such good fortune every time.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s also the Disaster Beast¡¯s eye,¡± Yunyao handed one to Zhanyue, ¡°But I feel it¡¯s just an ordinary eyeball, nothing special about it.¡±

    Although they had bothpleted the task, this time there was no reward at all.

    ¡°By the way, where¡¯s that mirror?¡± Zhanyue suddenly remembered. The Mirror-Hugging Monkey¡¯s power came from the mirror, not itself.

    ¡°Shattered,¡± Yunyao said tly. ¡°After I killed the monkey, the mirror turned to dust. We really didn¡¯t get any benefits this time.¡±

    ¡°Ah,pleting the task is good enough. Let¡¯s go, we should return to the Spirit Eye n¡¯s territory and check on them,¡± Zhanyue sighed.

    In the Spirit Eye n¡¯s territory, passing through the cemetery, Chief Ming Guang carried a bamboo basket to the jumbled stone area. ¡°Ancestor,e out for your meal.¡±

    As always, he personally brought food for the ancestor. He took out tes of vegetables and fruits from the basket, cing them on the stone table as usual. The single eye on Chief Ming Guang¡¯s face was filled with worry. He wondered how those two young people were doing.

    The Spirit Eye ancestor dragged his heavy chains over, devouring the food ravenously as usual. However, as he ate, he suddenly paused, seeming to remember something, and froze in ce.

    ¡°Ancestor, please eat. Is today¡¯s food not to your liking? These are all your favorite vegetables and fruits,¡± Chief Ming Guang said, concerned at seeing the ancestor motionless.

    ¡°How long have I been mad?¡± the ancestor suddenly asked.

    ¡°About¡­ thirty years,¡± Chief Ming Guang answered. Even though the Spirit Eye n¡¯s lifespan was two to three times that of humans, and their powerful members lived even longer, thirty years was still a very long time.

    ¡°You¡¯ve had a hard time these thirty years,¡± the Spirit Eye ancestor said.

    ¡°Ancestor, what are you saying? You¡¯ve protected our n for far more than thirty years. Taking care of you is our duty,¡± the chief was speaking when he suddenly froze, his body trembling violently, his single eye filled with shock.

    ¡°Ancestor¡­ you¡­ you¡¯ve recovered?¡± Chief Ming Guang asked in a shaky voice, hoping for the answer he wanted.

    ¡°Yes,¡± the Spirit Eye ancestor formed a hand seal. Soon, the steel needles sealing his cultivation were all expelled from his body. He then easily broke the chains binding his limbs, freeing both his body and mind.

    ¡°Congrattions, Ancestor!¡± Chief Ming Guang knelt and kowtowed, his eye full of tears. The n had been on the brink of extinction, and he couldn¡¯t bear this responsibility. Fortunately, the ancestor had finally regained his sanity. With him around, many things would be much easier. He then thought, could it be that those two young people had solved the problem?

    ¡°Let¡¯s go back. Soon, we should have honored guests arriving,¡± the ancestor said.

    Not long after they returned to the n territory, the Spirit Eye ancestor and Chief Ming Guang were waiting at the entrance.

    Seeing the previously disheveled old man now standing there in clean clothes, Zhanyue and Yunyao understood that with the Disaster Beast¡¯s death, the Spirit Eye ancestor had also returned to normal.

    ¡°Honored guests, pleasee in,¡± the Spirit Eye ancestor said to the two. It was hard to imagine that this dignified old man had been in such a state before. However, the fact that he had survived being hit by the divine light showed his strong will and survival instinct. Perhaps the Spirit Eye n¡¯s situation had made it difficult for him to end his life, no matter how self-deprecating he became.

    ¡°This old man¡¯s life and the fate of the Spirit Eye n have been preserved thanks to you two. We¡¯ve prepared a celebratory feast inside. Please, take your seats,¡± the Spirit Eye ancestor said.

    Almost all members of the Spirit Eye n had gathered. Today was even more lively than any previous celebration, with every household hanging red tree fruits as festive decorations. Even the sacred tree was adorned with colorful ribbons. Most importantly, Zhanyue noticed there wasn¡¯t a single snake in the n territory. It would have been quite a sight if everyone had brought out their snakes. Chief Ming Guang seemed to be very considerate, knowing Yunyao feared snakes, and ensured not a single snake appeared at the celebration.

    During the feast, many Spirit Eye n members got drunk for the first time, indulging freely. They had been living under great pressure due to the Disaster Beast¡¯s threat and the sacred tree¡¯s decline. Now that the Disaster Beast was eliminated, their territory was free from worry.

    After the banquet, the Spirit Eye ancestor led the two to a treehouse and had Chief Ming Guang bring a tray. On the tray were two golden fruits shaped like pears, gleaming with golden light, clearly extraordinary items.

    ¡°For your great kindness, our Spirit Eye n has no way to fully repay you. Please ept these two sacred fruits,¡± the Spirit Eye ancestor said.

    ¡°These¡­ are these the legendary fruits that can awaken the Spirit Eye n¡¯s bloodline talent? They probably won¡¯t work for us, right?¡± Zhanyue asked, puzzled.

    ¡°Ordinary fruits wouldn¡¯t work, but these two golden fruits are from the first-generation sacred tree. Even ordinary people would benefit greatly from eating them. These fruits don¡¯t rot for ten thousand years. Since the first-generation sacred tree has long withered, once eaten, they¡¯re gone forever. We don¡¯t have many left in our n, so we can only offer these two fruits to thank you. I hope you won¡¯t find themcking,¡± the Spirit Eye ancestor exined.

    ¡°Not at all, not at all,¡± Zhanyue quickly epted one. He had been curious where these fruits came from, as the sacred tree had nothing on it. So they were remnants from the first-generation sacred tree. It seemed the Spirit Eye n had been farsighted, leaving themselves a backup n.

    Yunyao also took one. Her intuition told her that this item would greatly benefit her eye techniques as well.

    ¡°Do you two n to continue dealing with the other Disaster Beasts?¡± the Spirit Eye ancestor asked.

    ¡°We came back for this very reason. We wanted to know if the Spirit Eye n has any clues about other Disaster Beasts and divine artifacts,¡± Zhanyue nodded and replied.

    The Spirit Eye ancestor turned his head towards the north, recalling, ¡°If you go north, there¡¯s a desert. In the center of the desert is a huge oasis, where a race called the Dune n lives. They should also possess a divine artifact. However¡­¡±

    ¡°However, what?¡± Zhanyue pressed.

    ¡°The Dune n has a peculiar temperament, not as easy to deal with as we are,¡± the Spirit Eye ancestor said.

    ¡°Peculiar temperament?¡± Zhanyue expressed confusion. How peculiar could they be?

    ¡°The Dune n looks like giant standing lizards. They¡¯ve always disliked contact with outsiders. At the same time, they¡¯re extremely powerful, so generally, no one dares to approach them. They¡¯re very belligerent and quick to anger. Their n members are either fighting or on their way to a fight¡­¡±

    Having obtained this information, the two decided to spend one night with the Spirit Eye n before setting out on their journey.

    In the treehouse, the two took turns guarding each other as they consumed the golden sacred fruits. They felt their eyes brightening, bing incredibly clear and bright. Their vision far surpassed what it had been before, and their eye techniques also improved significantly.

    ¡°It seems this time¡¯s reward wasn¡¯t on the Disaster Beast itself, but rather these golden sacred fruits,¡± Zhanyue said happily. It hadn¡¯t been a wasted effort after all.

 Chapter 186: Trial Identities

    Chapter 186: Trial Identities

    Twelve beams of light simultaneouslynded in a void space, a vast expanse of white nothingness. Everyone looked at each other, not daring to speak loudly, knowing they were now inside the Heaven Book.

    ¡°Alright, twelve trial participants, you¡¯re very fortunate. I hope you don¡¯t waste this fortune. Next, I will send down twelve identity tokens. They will show the roles you¡¯ll y in the Heaven Book world. You twelve will appear in twelve different worlds in different time-spaces, with no intersection between you. Remember your identities well; acting in ordance with your roles is key to passing the trial,¡± the mysterious and charming female voice sounded again. Then, twelve tokens appeared, floating in front of the twelve people.

    They each took their jade tokens, and text appeared on the previously nk surfaces:

    Meng Xiaodie, Princess;

    MuMu Lixi, Holy Maiden;

    Liu Zhaoran, Warrior;

    Baizhi, Witch;

    Huang Xueqing, Divine Doctor;

    Fan Longyu, Dragon Descendant;Yu Xuanyi, Assassin;

    Yunyao, Angel;

    Nangong Wei, Witch;

    Feng Bng, Ranger;

    Tai¡¯e, General;

    Zhanyue, Saint of Thieves;

    Everyone frowned at their identity tokens, unsure what these identities meant. Especially Zhanyue, seeing his identity as the Saint of Thieves. Had he ever stolen anything? How did this fit his identity? This was nder! Absolute nder. Not giving him a Divine Son identity was one thing, but couldn¡¯t they at least give him a hero or brave warrior role? How could it be Saint of Thieves?

    ¡°You will each be transported to trial worlds suitable for you. You can treat that world as real. At different times, different tasks will be assigned to you. The more tasks youplete, the richer the rewards. Of course, you can die in that world, but don¡¯t worry. You each have 3 lives. If you exhaust all 3 lives or fail the same task three times, your trial will end, and you¡¯ll be transported out of the Heaven Book world. So, cherish each life and chance to reset tasks. If you can¡¯t force your way through, use wisdom to solve the challenges before you.¡±

    The woman¡¯s words left everyone more confused. This Heaven Book world trial was indeed unique, more like¡­ a game? Zhanyue¡¯s frown deepened. The Emperor Lord who set up this Heaven Book trial really had a childish heart.

    ¡°Go now, hope you can reach the final step.¡± As the woman finished speaking, eleven light pirs enveloped eleven people, instantly transporting them away. Why eleven light pirs? Naturally, because Zhanyue was still standing there.

    Seeing everyone sent away except himself, Zhanyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat, forming some judgments.

    ¡°Hehehe.¡± From the white void, a figure slowly emerged.

    Zhanyue saw clearly, it was a white fox about the size of a small horse. The fox was beautiful, with a pure white coat, but more terrifyingly, it had nine tails behind it, each tail a full hundred meters long, swaying behind its small body, quite spectacr. Then the fox transformed before Zhanyue¡¯s eyes into a beautiful woman. The woman stroked her tails, which slowly shrank to about a meter long.

    The woman had a graceful figure with curves in all the right ces, especially her impressive chest, unlike anything Zhanyue had seen before. Yet despite this, she didn¡¯t look unnatural at all, due to her tall stature and long legs. She wore a white fox fur robe, her hair in a butterfly-shaped bun, exuding the air of a traditional Chinese woman. Unfortunately, she wore a half-mask with a fox face pattern, revealing only alluring red lips and lively eyes. Under her robe, a jade pendant hung at her waist, half of her jade-like legs exposed. Below her legs, the woman wore no shoes, her perfect jade feet bare. This woman was perfect and alluring in every way.

    The woman approached, scrutinizing Zhanyue, making him nervous.

    ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re a demon¡­ no, you¡¯re the Heaven Book Spirit?¡± Zhanyue asked.

    The woman nodded, ¡°I¡¯m a demon, and also the Heaven Book Spirit. Little brother, are you the one who wants to contract the Heaven Book?¡±

    The woman was half a head taller than Zhanyue. She lowered herself slightly, using a finger to lift Zhanyue¡¯s chin, breathing out a fragrant breath, infinitely alluring.

    Zhanyue inhaled the woman¡¯s fragrance, feeling his soul drift, wanting to sleep. Then, he shook his head vigorously, clearing his mind.

    ¡°The Heaven Book is my contract object, why can¡¯t I contract it?¡± Zhanyue asked.

    ¡°Oh?¡± The woman was puzzled. Her charm technique was ineffective on Zhanyue. Why? This boy had already lost his yang essence, he didn¡¯t seem the type to avoid women, so why was it ineffective? The woman didn¡¯t know that Zhanyue¡¯s soul was connected to the Goddess. Even though the Goddess had fallen asleep and be a star, with her power, it was still impossible to charm Zhanyue.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to charm me. If you have questions, just ask directly. I¡¯ll answer truthfully,¡± Zhanyue seemed to see through the woman¡¯s confusion.

    ¡°Giggle.¡± The womanughed coyly. ¡°You¡¯re really interesting. You are indeed the Heaven Book¡¯s contractor, but without my consent, you can¡¯t contract the Heaven Book. The Heaven Book trial is in progress, and a sudden contract would disrupt the trial, so you can¡¯t contract it for now. We¡¯ll talk after everyonepletes the trial. Even if you¡¯re the Heaven Book¡¯s master, you still must follow the trial rules, understand? This is an ironw set by the Void Heaven Emperor. I won¡¯t let you control the Heaven Book to cheat.¡±

    Zhanyue finally understood. Although he was the Heaven Book¡¯s contract master, this Heaven Book Spirit¡¯s control over the book was still above his. He needed her approval to sessfully contract, and once contracted, he would inevitably influence the Heaven Book trial. For the trial to proceed normally, the woman refused Zhanyue¡¯s contract.

    ¡°So, sister doesn¡¯t object to me contracting the Heaven Book? Just need to wait until the trial ends?¡± Zhanyue asked.

    The woman nodded again, ¡°Why not? You don¡¯t know how long I¡¯ve been here. I¡¯ve wanted to go out for a breath of fresh air for so long, but the prerequisite for going out is the Heaven Book recognizing a master. Only then will I, the Heaven Book Spirit, have some freedom. Funny, isn¡¯t it? I think it¡¯s funny too. I want freedom, yet I have to first acknowledge someone as master. How sad, how sad.¡±

    Zhanyue frowned. This fox demon seemedpletely different from the artifact spirits he understood. She seemed no different from a living person.

    ¡°Sister, you¡­¡± Zhanyue was about to ask about the fox demon¡¯s background, but she interrupted him.

    ¡°Some questions you¡¯d better not ask, because I¡¯m not in a good mood and don¡¯t want to talk about it,¡± the fox demon seemed to see through his intentions.

    ¡°Uh, okay, then at least let me know your name, sister,¡± Zhanyue felt he should try to get on her good side. If the Heaven Book could be his contract object, his strength would surely skyrocket, and the attitude of this spirit before him was crucial.

    ¡°Name? Let me think. I haven¡¯t mentioned it for many years, I¡¯ve forgotten. I¡¯ll tell you when I remember,¡± the woman looked puzzled, not seeming to be pretending.

    ¡°You¡¯ve even forgotten your name?¡± Zhanyue could hardly believe it.

    ¡°Yes, yes, people always forget some things. Why can¡¯t it be a name?¡± The woman looked at Zhanyue with a smile.

    ¡°Wu¡­ Yun¡­ Meng? Is that your name?¡± Zhanyue stared at the jade pendant at the woman¡¯s waist.

    The woman¡¯s expression changed. She hid the jade pendant and looked at Zhanyue angrily, ¡°Is it so great to recognize these characters? You think you¡¯re so clever? I want to see how many trial levels you can pass. Go!¡±

    The woman waved her hand, transporting Zhanyue away. Before sending him off, she snatched away Zhanyue¡¯s identity token.

    ¡°Saint of Thieves? Hmph, turns out he¡¯s just a petty thief. I want to see what kind of waves you can make,¡± the woman said disdainfully.

 Chapter 187: The Task Begins

    Chapter 187: The Task Begins

    Zhanyue felt a sudden spinning sensation and found himself in a mountain valley. He was about to curse that fox woman, wondering why she got so angry just because he said her name. However, something fell from the sky and hit his head. He picked it up and realized it was his identity token. This object was crucial for the trial, so he couldn¡¯t lose it. Without thinking, he tried to put it into his divine ability space.

    However, the usually smooth operation couldn¡¯t be performed. Zhanyue panicked, realizing he couldn¡¯t sense the existence of his divine ability space, something he had never experienced before. Then, he found that all his cultivation had been reset to zero, turning him into apletely ordinary person. He couldn¡¯t use any divine abilities or battle techniques, and couldn¡¯t even summon his contract object.

    In his panic, the identity token emitted a beam of light, enveloping Zhanyue.

    ¡°Identity: Saint of Thieves; Cultivation: Sealed; Identity Abilities: World¡¯s Best Lightness Skill; World¡¯s Best Thieving Technique; Tasks Completed: 0; Current Task: Prevent bandits from massacring the vige; Task Completion Condition: Annihte the bandits, and ensure Vige Chief Yu Dayou survives; Task Failure Condition: Yu Dayou dies; Perfect Task Evaluation Condition: Annihte the bandits, and no one in Yunmo Vige dies;¡±

    After the light faded, much information appeared in Zhanyue¡¯s mind. He felt as light as a feather and gained some new abilities. He leaped up and found himself jumping over ten meters high, thennding gracefully.

    ¡°World¡¯s Best Lightness Skill, World¡¯s Best Thieving Technique?¡± Zhanyue pondered this information, not underestimating these few words. He quickly analyzed a lot of information.

    ¡°My original cultivation realm has been sealed, and I can¡¯t use any of my original abilities. The identity token has given me new abilities, seemingly hoping I¡¯ll use these to solve problems. What kind of being is this Void Heaven Emperor, making us y a live-action role-ying game? My current lightness skill is called the world¡¯s best, suggesting that the world I¡¯m in now isn¡¯t a fantastical one, but closer to a martial arts world. Otherwise, it wouldn¡¯t be called the world¡¯s best lightness skill. Lightness skill and thieving technique? How can I use these to protect a vige ofmon people? Never mind, let¡¯s go to Yunmo Vige first and see.¡±

    Zhanyue thought as he walked towards the mountainside, where Yunmo Vige was located on a t area.

    ¡°The trial gives us 3 lives in total, and 3 chances for each task. Looking at it this way, life is more important. It¡¯s not a big deal if we fail the task the first time, but we need to gather enough information.¡± As he walked, Zhanyue pondered about this trial. The Heaven Book Spirit had said earlier that each of them would be sent to different worlds. ¡°I wonder how little Meng Xiaodie is doing.¡± At this moment, Zhanyue wasn¡¯t worried about Baizhi or MuMu Lixi, but was concerned about that little girl. She was too young. Could she really handle such a trial?

    ¡°The identity token will give each person corresponding abilities. I hope they¡¯re lucky and get good abilities,¡± Zhanyue prayed. He couldn¡¯t afford to think about others¡¯ situations now. ¡°Earlier Iined about being given the Saint of Thieves identity, but now I see I was ungrateful. With such lightness skill, at least I don¡¯t have to worry about self-preservation.¡±

    With Zhanyue¡¯s current speed, it didn¡¯t take long for him to find Yunmo Vige mentioned in the task.

    At the vige entrance, a guard vigntly watched Zhanyue approach. Zhanyue¡¯s current clothes seemed too luxurious to them, his aura unlike ordinary people. Dressed in a white robe with medium-length hair,bined with a handsome and confident face, he lived up to the Saint of Thieves identity. A huge wooden fence stood between them.

    ¡°Stop! Who are you? We¡¯re not weing outsiders at the moment,¡± the guard asked.

    Zhanyue looked at the sturdy man before him, wondering why an ordinary vige needed guards. It seemed this world wasn¡¯t a peaceful ce. He marveled at how real everything seemed, from each flower and de of grass to the person before him. Was this really a trial illusion?

    ¡°Hello, I¡¯m a mountain traveler, enjoying touring mountains and rivers. I¡¯ve arrived here, and it¡¯s gettingte. Could I possibly stay here for the night?¡± Zhanyue asked politely. He didn¡¯t have any money from this world, so he could only hope the vige had honest folk.

    Hearing this, the man looked troubled. It was getting dark, and if he sent this person away, he¡¯d have to sleep outside. There were wolves in the valley.

    Just then, another man walked over from outside the vige. This man looked about forty, with a half-inch long beard, a fierce face, and a tall, strong build, a full head taller than Zhanyue. He wore a blue cloth vest with no undershirt, revealing strong chest muscles, and held a well-sharpened chopping knife.

    ¡°Little Five, let him in,¡± the man said.

    ¡°Yes, Vige Chief,¡± the guard, seeing the man speak, opened a gap in the huge wooden fence from the inside.

    ¡°Vige Chief?¡± Zhanyue had thought the Yunmo Vige chief would be some white-bearded old man, not expecting such a burly man who seemed to know martial arts. He also felt relieved, thinking such a person wouldn¡¯t be easy to kill.

    Vige Chief Yu Dayou walked up to Zhanyue, curiously looking him over, and asked, ¡°And you are, young sir?¡±

    ¡°My name is Zhanyue, Ie from afar,¡± Zhanyue replied.

    Yu Dayou nodded, ¡°Judging by your attire, you don¡¯t look like a mountain rustic. What brings you to such a remote ce?¡±

    Zhanyue walked over and exined, ¡°I¡¯ve always enjoyed touring famous mountains and rivers. I¡¯ve traveled here today, may I ask where this ce is?¡±

    ¡°This is Wuyou Mountain, Yunmo Vige. I¡¯m the vige chief, Yu Dayou,¡± Yu Dayou introduced, thinking to himself, these rich young masters, not enjoying their good lives but running around everywhere. What¡¯s so fun about these mountains?

    ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. I hope to stay in the vige for the night. Is that possible?¡± Zhanyue asked again.

    ¡°Hmm, it¡¯s not very safe in these mountains. You can stay at my ce tonight. We have an old room that can be tidied up for you to make do for the night. However, you should leave early tomorrow morning. Wuyou Mountain isn¡¯t peaceful. Unlike us, who have been rooted here for generations and can¡¯t leave even if we wanted to,¡± Yu Dayou said.

    Zhanyue sighed in relief. Although Yu Dayou was rough and burly, he had a kind heart.

    As Yu Dayou led Zhanyue back to the vige, the vigers¡¯ gazes often fell on Zhanyue. They hadn¡¯t seen outside visitors for a long time. Yunmo Vige wasn¡¯t big, with only about two hundred people. Looking at these simple faces, Zhanyue felt emotional, knowing they were unaware that bandits would soon massacre them all.

    ¡°Mother, I¡¯m back!¡± Yu Dayou shouted towards several small houses.

    ¡°Good that you¡¯re back. I¡¯ve prepared dinner,¡± an elderly woman with white hair came out of one of the houses. Seeing Yu Dayou safe and sound, she sighed in relief, then noticed Zhanyue beside him. Zhanyue¡¯s demeanor and attire were so different from these mountain people that he naturally stood out.

    ¡°Who is this?¡± the old woman asked curiously.

    ¡°A friend I met outside. It¡¯s gettingte, so he¡¯ll be staying with us for the night,¡± Yu Dayou said.

    The old woman scrutinized Zhanyue warily before nodding. ¡°Come in for dinner. I¡¯ve made plenty. Young sir, if you don¡¯t mind, please join us.¡±

    ¡°Thank you very much, madam,¡± Zhanyue said politely. He saw worry in the old woman¡¯s eyes, perhaps the people of Yunmo Vige weren¡¯tpletely unaware of the bandits.

    Entering the house, the old woman brought bowls and chopsticks. On the table were two dishes, one stir-fried cured meat, one vegetable dish, and a pot of wild vegetable soup. As the vige chief, and being so strong and capable, Yu Dayou¡¯s family naturally lived a bit better than ordinary vigers, but only just.

    ¡°We mountain folk don¡¯t have much to entertain distinguished guests. Please don¡¯t mind, young sir,¡± Yu Dayou said.

    ¡°Not at all. I¡¯m already very grateful that Brother Dayou is letting me stay. I¡¯m not some pampered person,¡± Zhanyue said, eating the not-so-delicious food.

    Seeing this, Yu Dayou¡¯s good impression of him increased. Indeed, he didn¡¯t seem like a pampered young master.

    After dinner, Mother Yu tidied up the old room a bit and arranged for Zhanyue to stay there. She then pulled her son into their room to whisper.

    ¡°How could you entertain outsiders at a time like this? What if he¡¯s with those people?¡± Mother Yu asked worriedly.

    ¡°Mother, we¡¯re both old hands. You can see this young sir is clearly of noble birth. How could he be with those mountain bandits?¡± Yu Dayou replied.

    ¡°You! Don¡¯t forget, it¡¯s not just mountain bandits we have to deal with. This person appearing here at this time might not be a coincidence. Anyway, you must be careful,¡± Mother Yu said again.

    ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll send him away early tomorrow morning anyway,¡± Yu Dayou said.

    They didn¡¯t know that their entire conversation had fallen into Zhanyue¡¯s ears. His movement was ghostly, his footsteps silent. The two hadn¡¯t noticed at all, living up to the name of the world¡¯s best lightness skill.

 Chapter 188: Important Item

    Chapter 188: Important Item

    In the dead of night, Zhanyue, lying on the bed, wasn¡¯t asleep but was paying close attention to every movement outside with heightened alertness. Sure enough, his vignce paid off as he heard a faint sound of a door opening.

    A sturdy figure passed by Zhanyue¡¯s window, quickly disappearing into the night.

    ¡°Where is Yu Dayou going sote?¡± Zhanyue got up to follow, his movements as ghostly as ever.

    The moon in this illusory world was slightly yellow and bright,pletely unlike the unbearable blood moon of the Myriad Spirits Realm. Under the moonlight, Yu Dayou moved quickly, his movements agile. However, Zhanyue, with his world-ss lightness skill, followed step by step without being noticed by Yu Dayou.

    ¡°He¡¯s quite skilled. I didn¡¯t expect someone so burly to be so swift. This Yu Dayou is definitely not an ordinary viger,¡± Zhanyue became more astonished as he followed. He felt that several times Yu Dayou had almost discovered him, fortunately, there were many trees andrge rocks along the way. Even with the world¡¯s best lightness skill, he almost lost track of Yu Dayou, showing how extraordinary thetter¡¯s strength was.

    After a while, Zhanyue followed Yu Dayou to the back mountain. The back mountain had long been deste, with no fields but a graveyard of tombs where generations of Yunmo Vige ancestors were buried.

    ¡°Coming to a graveyard in the middle of the night, aren¡¯t you afraid of ghosts?¡± In the moonlight, Zhanyue could clearly see what Yu Dayou was doing. He watched vigntly around, then took something out from his bosom and walked to a tomb. Under the tombstone of that grave, there was actually a hiddenpartment. He put the thing from his bosom into it, then covered the traces with soil and weeds, leaving no sign of disturbance before leaving with relief.

    After finishing this, he left directly. However, Zhanyue didn¡¯t rush to the tomb immediately. Sure enough, momentster, Yu Dayou returned, and seeing no one had touched the tomb, he finally left reassured.

    ¡°Indeed cautious, but I¡¯m even more so. If I had rushed to get that thing, I might have been caught red-handed,¡± Zhanyue smiled slightly. After making sure Yu Dayou had really left, Zhanyue appeared in front of the tombstone, took out the item, and restored the original appearance. It was a small wooden box. In the moonlight, Zhanyue opened it. Inside was a piece of silk cloth with what seemed to be a painting, like a map. The map marked a point, and on the edge of the silk cloth were a few words ¨C ¡°Under the ancient locust tree.¡± ¡°What is this? A treasure map?¡± Zhanyue frowned. The treasure map was veryplete, one could directly follow it to find that locust tree. If it really hid a treasure, Yu Dayou could have gone to get it himself long ago. But if it wasn¡¯t treasure, what was it?

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s go back first,¡± Zhanyue knew he couldn¡¯t figure it out just by looking. He put away the small wooden box and flew back to Yunmo Vige with his supreme lightness skill, returning to his room before Yu Dayou. Then, he naturallyy down, breathing steadily as if asleep.

    Soon after, Yu Dayou indeed returned. He leaned against the window of Zhanyue¡¯s room, listening to the steady breathing from inside, confirming he was still in the room, and finally felt relieved. This person shouldn¡¯t have followed him, otherwise, he couldn¡¯t have returned earlier than himself. He was very confident in his own lightness skill. He hadn¡¯t used full speed when going to the graveyard, but was faster on the way back. If an ordinary person had followed him, they would have been exposed, but unfortunately for him, Zhanyue was the Saint of Thieves with unparalleled lightness skill.

    Nothing else happened after that. Roosters crowing heralded the sunrise. Mountain people rise early, and by the time Zhanyue came out, many had already gone to work in the fields.

    ¡°Brother Zhanyue,e have breakfast,¡± Yu Dayou called Zhanyue. Mother Yu had already prepared millet porridge for breakfast.

    After breakfast, Yu Dayou escorted Zhanyue to the vige entrance, kindly reminding him, ¡°Brother Zhanyue, Yunmo Mountain isn¡¯t peacefultely. You¡¯d better leave early.¡±

    Zhanyue asked, ¡°Brother Yu, I heard you have bandits around here, right?¡±

    Yu Dayou frowned, sighing helplessly, ¡°Yes, I heard the bandits are getting more vicious. Before, they just robbed money and women, now they¡¯ve started massacring viges.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t the officials do anything?¡± Zhanyue pressed.

    ¡°Officials? Hmph,¡± Yu Dayou sneered disdainfully, hisugh tinged with helplessness. ¡°The officials can barely take care of themselves. In the court, rotten wood serves as officials; in the pce, beasts eat official sries. Our Great Feng Country is gued by disasters. How can they care about the life and death of us mountain folk? They don¡¯t even send tax collectors anymore. What do you think?¡±

    ¡°The court can¡¯t protect the people and can¡¯t even collect taxes?¡± Zhanyue¡¯s heart sank. This world was more chaotic than he had imagined, so chaotic that even local officials couldn¡¯t bother to collect taxes.

    ¡°With bandits causing havoc, can¡¯t you move away?¡± Zhanyue asked again.

    ¡°Our ancestors have lived here for generations. We have good fields here for our survival. Move away? Would there be no bandits elsewhere? Moreover, we might not find such good fields elsewhere. Relying on these mountain fields, wild fruits, vegetables, and animals from the mountains, we can still support our more than 200 people. If we leave¡­ we might not be able to survive,¡± Yu Dayou exined.

    Zhanyue nodded, knowing that trying to persuade the whole vige to move was a fool¡¯s errand. Even if they knew the bandits were dangerous, they had no other choice.

    ¡°Brother Zhanyue, you should go now. Head north, don¡¯t go south. You might encounter bandits there,¡± Yu Dayou said again.

    This strong man was quite kind-hearted and had treated him well. Zhanyue sighed, knowing that to get more information, he had to use some tactics. Simply asking wouldn¡¯t get him the answers he needed.

    ¡°Before I go, I want to ask Brother Yu, what is this?¡± Zhanyue took out the silk cloth he had obtained earlier.

    Seeing that object, Yu Dayou¡¯s face suddenly changed. He shouted fiercely, ¡°What are you doing? Give that back to me!¡± He reached out to grab it, but Zhanyue nimbly dodged.

    ¡°Good moves! Who exactly are you?¡± Yu Dayou finally recognized Zhanyue¡¯s prowess.

    ¡°In any case, not an enemy. Brother Yu, do you know that bandits will soon attack your vige?¡± Zhanyue said.

    ¡°What¡¯s that to you? Quickly return that to me!¡± Yu Dayou¡¯s eyes were bloodshot, on the verge of going berserk.

    ¡°I¡¯m just here to inform Brother Yu that bandits wille to massacre the vige in a few days. Please make preparations early. As for this thing¡­ I just want to know what it¡¯s for,¡± Zhanyue said, then threw the box and silk cloth back.

    ¡°You¡­¡± Yu Dayou didn¡¯t expect the other party to return it, but he still drew the knife from his waist and attacked Zhanyue, ¡°Knowing this secret, how can I let you leave?¡± However, no matter how high his martial arts were, he couldn¡¯t touch Zhanyue. Zhanyue dodged with one move and fled. Yu Dayou knew he couldn¡¯t catch up and could only watch Zhanyue escape.

    ¡°Damn it! I should have listened to mother!¡± Yu Dayou gritted his teeth and returned home. Although the map was returned to him, Zhanyue had surely memorized the information on it. What use was it to return it now?

    Yu Dayou returned home and immediately knelt before Mother Yu.

    ¡°Mother, your son is unfilial. The secret we¡¯ve guarded for so many years has finally been leaked,¡± Yu Dayou said.

    ¡°What happened?¡± Mother Yu helped her son up, also looking puzzled.

    ¡°It¡¯s like this¡­¡± Yu Dayou told Mother Yu everything in detail.

    Mother Yu became more confused as she listened, ¡°This Zhanyue shouldn¡¯t be with the bandits as you said, and he shouldn¡¯t be from the pce either. He doesn¡¯t even know the secret of the map. You say you leaked the secret, but that¡¯s not quite the case. It seems he doesn¡¯t know anything. But is it really a coincidence that such a skilled person appeared here?¡±

    On top of the room, Zhanyuey listening to the mother and son¡¯s conversation. He had returned undetected, something Yu Dayou hadn¡¯t anticipated at all.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know either. That person¡¯s lightness skill is incredibly high. You said before that this map should be given to General Yue¡¯s people, but we¡¯ve waited for so many years, and General Ye hasn¡¯t sent anyone to find us. I¡¯m afraid¡­¡±

    ¡°Ah, this was your father¡¯s dying wish. I don¡¯t know why General Yue hasn¡¯t sent anyone. Perhaps you should have gone to find him actively long ago,¡± Mother Yu said.

    ¡°But mother, your legs aren¡¯t good. If I leave, who will take care of you? That matter isn¡¯t something our family alone can bear. If it¡¯s lost in history, that¡¯s the destined oue. Compared to that, I¡¯d rather stay by your side and take care of you,¡± Yu Dayou said.

    Mother Yu stroked her son¡¯s head. ¡°But this is your father¡¯sst wish. I heard that group of bandits is nning to join the rebel army? Once they leave, Yunmo Vige will be safe. Then you should leave here and give the item to General Yue.¡±

    Zhanyue became more confused as he listened. Did these matters have anything to do with his task?

    At this moment, a voice shouted loudly, ¡°Not good, the bandits areing!¡±

    Zhanyue frowned. What was bound toe had finally arrived.

 Chapter 189: An Unexpected Encounter (1)

    Chapter 189: An Unexpected Encounter (1)

    Zhanyue moved swiftly, leaping onto arge tree in the vige. The tree crown was massive, allowing Zhanyue to hide within, undetectable to outsiders.

    The sound of ¡°dong dong dong¡± rang out as someone was designated to beat a basin to spread the news. Soon, the vigers gathered. There were about fifty young and strong men, while the rest were the elderly, weak, sick, and disabled.

    ¡°Let them hide in the back mountain, we¡¯ll buy them time!¡± Yu Dayou arranged.

    ¡°Alright,¡± two men in theirte teens, holding sickles, led the elderly and children towards the back mountain.

    ¡°Not good, the path to the back mountain is blocked!¡± Someone quickly reported back. ¡°There are crossbowmen lying in ambush there. I just went to scout, and if I wasn¡¯t lucky, I might have been shot dead.¡± A man with a darkened face walked over.

    ¡°What?¡± Yu Dayou hadn¡¯t expected these bandits to split into two routes, cutting off their retreat in advance, likely using a remote path.

    Zhanyue looked into the distance. A group of about a hundred people was approaching, all wielding steel des, each looking fierce as wolves and tigers.

    ¡°These fifty-odd vigers are no match for a hundred bandits. It¡¯s likely to be a bloody battle. Yu Dayou is extremely strong, but I wonder if he¡¯s willing to expose his true strength,¡± Zhanyue thought.

    Soon, the bandits reached the gate of the fence. ¡°Fire arrows!¡± About twenty archers lit their arrowheads and shot towards the inside of the fence. Though the fence was made of heavy wood, it couldn¡¯t withstand so many fire arrows. The first line of defense was easily breached. Those responsible for guarding the fence didn¡¯t dare to defend and retreated early. The disparity in weapons made the first line of defense seem like a joke.

    ¡°Bandits? With so many archers? Their strength is unusual,¡± Zhanyue frowned.

    Without further ado, the burly bandit leader, wearing a mask, raised his de.

    ¡°Kill them all, leave no one alive!¡± he ordered.

    ¡°Kill!¡± The bandits behind him poured in, murderous intent palpable.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on? No words, no demands for wealth, just direct action? They¡¯re here purely for a massacre?¡± Zhanyue was quite surprised. This waspletely different from what he had imagined.

    Yu Dayou stood alone in front of everyone, protecting them behind him.

    ¡°Get the hell out of here!¡± He shouted, scaring the bandits who hesitated to advance.

    ¡°What are you afraid of? He¡¯s just one person. Shoot him dead with arrows!¡± The bandit leader spoke again.

    The twenty archers came forward again, drawing their bows and shooting. Instantly, arrows rained down. Yu Dayou grabbed arge wooden pot lid from someone behind him, maneuvering through the arrow rain. He blocked all the arrows, which densely filled the pot lid. Then he gripped the lid tightly, pulled out the arrows, and threw them back.

    In an instant, the terrifying force caused these broken arrows to pierce through seven or eight people¡¯s bodies. For a moment, everyone was stunned, not expecting Yu Dayou to have such strength.

    ¡°Stand back, I¡¯ll y with him!¡± The bandit leader couldn¡¯t sit still anymore. He wielded arge chopping knife and personally entered the fray, while Yu Dayou only held a firewood chopper. The leader¡¯s skills were unremarkable, like a trained fighter, each move powerful. However, he was no match for Yu Dayou, who took only five moves to cut down the bandit.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on? The plot shouldn¡¯t be like this. How could such a useless bandit leader possibly kill Yu Dayou?¡± For a moment, Zhanyue was confused. However, an unexpected change urred.

    A sudden gust of wind blew up, raising a cloud of dust. A charming voice sounded.

    ¡°What a useless fool, can¡¯t even handle such a small matter.¡± Then a fair-skinned man walked out, with a snow-white fox perched on his shoulder. His speech was neither masculine nor feminine, and his handsome face was filled with murderous intent in his eyes.

    ¡°Die for me!¡± As he acted, countless flying needles shot out from his sleeves.

    Yu Dayou used the pot lid to block, but the flying needles pierced through the lid, shooting through his body. Enduring the pain, he charged towards the androgynous person, but the person¡¯s movements were strange, dodging all attacks, then casually kicking Yu Dayou flying.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to act personally, but I didn¡¯t expect you to have some skill, inheriting a bit from your father,¡± the man said.

    ¡°You¡­ you knew my father, are you from the pce?¡± Yu Dayou¡¯s eyes widened.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter anymore, you can¡¯t live,¡± The man attacked again, this time aiming directly at Yu Dayou¡¯s heart.

    Zhanyue was hesitating whether to intervene, as this androgynous man¡¯s strength was too terrifying. He could instantly kill Yu Dayou, and Zhanyue likely wasn¡¯t his match in a direct confrontation. After all, he was just the Saint of Thieves, not a war god.

    Suddenly, a flying dagger came from nowhere, rushing towards the man.

    The man moved his internal energy, and this palm didn¡¯t touch Yu Dayou but still sent him flying. Then he caught the flying dagger between two fingers. The dagger suddenly exploded, releasing a red mist.

    The man leaped back, leaving the mist area, using his sleeve to cover his nose and mouth. Then he waved forcefully, his terrifying internal energy dispersing the poison mist.

    At this moment, a ck-d man was holding the injured Yu Dayou. It was he who had just intervened, but unfortunately, he was still toote. Even though that palm hadn¡¯t touched Yu Dayou, the terrifying internal energy had already shattered his heart.

    ¡°I¡¯m General Yue¡¯s man,¡± the masked man in ck said.

    Yu Dayou took out the wooden box from his bosom and handed it to the man. ¡°Take this to General Yue.¡±

    The masked man took the item and instantly fled into the distance. The fair-skinned, strange, androgynous man saw this and hurriedly gave chase, determined to kill him.

    ¡°Who is this masked man? Could he be the person from General Yue they mentioned in their conversation earlier?¡± Zhanyue wondered. At this moment, a voice sounded in his ear.

    ¡°Yu Dayou has died. Task failed. Task scenario will be reset shortly.¡±

    ¡°This¡­ he died just like that?¡± Zhanyue had underestimated the strength of that effeminate person. Even the powerful Yu Dayou had died. It was good he hadn¡¯t rashly intervened. With his world¡¯s best lightness skill, it was uncertain whether he could survive under that person¡¯s hand.

    ¡°Task scenario has been reset. Special note: Your task scenario has ovepped with another trial participant. Please be careful.¡± This voice indeed came from the identity token.

    ¡°What¡­ what does that mean?¡± Zhanyue was stunned. This hadn¡¯t happened before. After the task reset, his scenario ovepped with another trial participant? Meaning someone else had alsoe to this world? Who could it be? Didn¡¯t the Heaven Book Spirit say they wouldn¡¯t meet? How to exin this?

    Not only was Zhanyue confused, but even the Heaven Book Spirit, who was secretly watching these twelve trial participants, was puzzled. ¡°Hm? After his task failed, how did he end up in someone else¡¯s task world? Strange, could there really be such a coincidence?¡±

    Zhanyue didn¡¯t think too much about it. Looking at his current position, he had returned to where he first woke up.

    ¡°My task is to protect Yu Dayou from dying. Those bandits were just a front, and that death eunuch behind the scenes is the key, right?¡± Zhanyue deduced. That man was neither masculine nor feminine and came from the pce, making it hard not to believe he was a eunuch. And it seemed reasonable for a eunuch to have such high martial arts skills.

    Meanwhile, on a cliff of Yunmo Mountain, a withered vine hung down. The vine was very tough, and currently, a graceful figure was hanging from it ¨C it was Huang Xueqing. She had a bamboo basket on her back and was picking medicinal herbs on the cliff face. Suddenly, a voice interrupted: ¡°Another trial participant has entered your task world. Your tasks may intersect or conflict. Please be careful.¡±

    Huang Xueqing¡¯s expression froze, and she expressed the same confusion, ¡°Didn¡¯t the Heaven Book Spirit say that we trial participants wouldn¡¯t encounter each other?¡±

 Chapter 190: An Unexpected Encounter (2)

    Chapter 190: An Unexpected Encounter (2)

    With only three chances for the task, each opportunity was extremely important. Fortunately, Zhanyue had gathered enough information during his first attempt. Those bandits couldn¡¯t pose a fatal threat to Yu Dayou; the real danger came from that eunuch with ridiculously high martial arts skills.

    ¡°What should I do?¡± Zhanyue pondered strategies. Warn Yu Dayou to flee in advance? He probably wouldn¡¯t do it. Or should he try to take out that eunuch beforehand? But he likely didn¡¯t have that strength.

    ¡°Never mind, in thest task, those bandits attacked shortly after dawn, meaning they¡¯re probably already on their way now. I hope there¡¯s still time.¡± Zhanyue decided to scout the enemy¡¯s situation first. ¡°Earlier, Yu Dayou warned me not to go north, so the bandits must being from the north. Let¡¯s check out the northern mountain path.¡±

    Knowing time was tight, Zhanyue didn¡¯t dare dy. He used his unparalleled lightness skill to head towards the northern mountain path.

    The sky gradually darkened. Even without Zhanyue¡¯s intervention, everything would still progress. Yu Dayou would still die, that masked man in ck would still appear, and even if the small box wasn¡¯t on Yu Dayou¡¯s person, he would tell him where it was before dying. As for whether that masked man could escape the eunuch¡¯s pursuit, Zhanyue didn¡¯t know.

    After traveling for a while, Zhanyue saw a firelight on the opposite cliff. In the firelight, there was a human figure.

    ¡°Sote, and someone¡¯s still on the cliff? Could it be a scout from the bandits? No, that¡¯s not the direction to Yunmo Vige.¡± Zhanyue was puzzled and decided to take a closer look.

    Approaching the opposite cliff, Zhanyue could see more clearly. This person was climbing up and down the cliff, seemingly collecting something. ¡°A mountain herb gatherer? But what herbs need to be gathered in the middle of the night?¡±

    Just as Zhanyue was about to turn away, he heard a cry of rm. The vine holding the herb gatherer suddenly snapped, and the person fell from the air. Zhanyue frowned. It was a small effort; he couldn¡¯t just watch someone die. He moved like a white crane, stepping through the air, catching the falling herb gatherer. He felt the person in his arms was light as a feather. Then, with a step on the cliff, using that bit of reaction force, he flew back. This was an operation ordinary people couldn¡¯t even imagine, but it was the true power of the world¡¯s best lightness skill.

    Putting the person down, Zhanyue realized the herb gatherer was actually a girl. However, when he saw her face clearly, he was stunned.

    ¡°How can it be you?¡± They eximed simultaneously.

    Zhanyue never expected the person he saved to be Huang Xueqing! She was the trial participant mentioned in the earlier prompt!

    ¡°You¡¯re gathering herbs in the middle of the night? If I hadn¡¯t passed by, wouldn¡¯t you have fallen to your death?¡± Zhanyue asked, not questioning too much.

    Huang Xueqing left Zhanyue¡¯s arms, her face slightly flushed. She exined, ¡°Star Light Grass only forms seeds at night. If I went during the day, they would have been blown away by the wind. I had toe at night to collect them. Unfortunately, they only grow in rock crevices on steep cliffs.¡±

    Her attire was very simple, dressed in coarse cloth clothes no different from the farm women Zhanyue had seen, but it couldn¡¯t hide her extraordinary beauty.

    ¡°I had a backup n. There¡¯s a small river below this cliff. I¡¯m an excellent swimmer, so even if I fell, I probably wouldn¡¯t die,¡± Huang Xueqing exined.

    ¡°That¡¯s quite risky,¡± Zhanyue said, speechless.

    They found a t rock to sit on and started chatting.

    ¡°My identity token says Saint of Thieves. What about yours?¡± Zhanyue asked tentatively, being as honest as he could.

    Seeing his openness, Huang Xueqing said, ¡°My identity token says Divine Doctor. After my cultivation was sealed, the abilities I received are the world¡¯s best medical skills and the world¡¯s best poison techniques.¡±

    ¡°Uh,¡± Zhanyue hadn¡¯t expected this girl to be even more candid than himself, treating him like an insider. ¡°Medical and poison skills? I have lightness skill and thieving techniques.¡±

    ¡°Lightness skill? I can see that,¡± Huang Xueqing smiled. ¡°Then¡­ can you tell me your task?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­¡± Zhanyue thought for a moment. This kind of secret couldn¡¯t be casually shared. If their tasks conflicted, they wouldn¡¯t be partners butpetitors.

    ¡°My task is to protect someone,¡± Zhanyue said vaguely.

    ¡°You¡¯re really cautious,¡± Huang Xueqing was a bit dissatisfied with this answer. ¡°My task is to collect all the herbs for a prescription. I¡¯ve basically found everything, just missing the most important herb, which I have no clue about.¡±

    ¡°What herb?¡± Zhanyue asked curiously.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell me who you need to protect?¡± Huang Xueqing asked in return, not wanting to be at a disadvantage.

    ¡°It seems our tasks don¡¯t conflict for now. Since that¡¯s the case, why don¡¯t we be open with each other? Perhaps we could help each other?¡± Seeing Zhanyue¡¯s silence, Huang Xueqing said, ¡°I certainly won¡¯t stab you in the back.¡±

    ¡°Who knows,¡± Zhanyue muttered softly, ¡°Everyone knows you¡¯re scheming.¡±

    ¡°What did you say!¡± Huang Xueqing¡¯s expression changed as she pinched Zhanyue¡¯s waist hard. ¡°You¡¯re supposed to be the Divine Son, yet you¡¯re such a coward. I possess the world¡¯s best poison techniques. If I really wanted to harm you at this close distance, you¡¯d be long gone.¡±

    ¡°The world¡¯s best poison techniques?¡± Hearing this, Zhanyue suddenly had an epiphany. He ced his hands on Huang Xueqing¡¯s shoulders, his eyes gleaming. ¡°Do you have any particrly potent poison, one that would be fatal even to someone with deep inner power if they drank it?¡±

    ¡°You¡­ let go of me first. You¡¯re hurting me.¡± Huang Xueqing was speechless, wondering why Zhanyue suddenly got so excited. ¡°Weren¡¯t you supposed to protect someone? Why are you asking me for poison? Or were you not telling the truth?¡±

    Zhanyue smiled awkwardly and exined, ¡°I didn¡¯t lie to you. I do need to protect someone, but that person is targeted by an extremely powerful enemy. I¡¯m no match for him with my strength. Now that I¡¯ve met you, I thought using poison might work?¡±

    ¡°I see. Alright, I can give you poison, but in return, you need to help me find that herb,¡± Huang Xueqing said. Since Zhanyue had the world¡¯s best lightness skill, having his help would make things much easier for her.

    ¡°Deal!¡± Zhanyue agreed immediately.

    Huang Xueqing pricked herself with a silver needle, then took out a small medicine bottle and dropped a drop of blood into it. ¡°Take this. This blood won¡¯t coagte or disappear. Dilute it with water, and its toxicity won¡¯t decrease much.¡±

    ¡°The poison you mentioned is your blood?¡± Zhanyue was shocked.

    ¡°Yes. Even with my cultivation sealed, the toxicity in my body hasn¡¯t disappeared. Well, it¡¯s good. This is my greatest survival method. No matter who wants to harm me, I have a way to kill them in return,¡± Huang Xueqing said.

    Zhanyue looked at her delicate face and swallowed. If anyone really had designs on her, despite her currentck of cultivation, she would definitely not be easy to deal with.

    ¡°Thank you. Wait here for me, I¡¯ll be back soon,¡± Zhanyue said as he took the medicine and added some water to it. Then, in a sh, he disappeared.

    Watching his vanishing figure, Huang Xueqing hadplex feelings. ¡°I hope you can seed. Ah, even if our tasks don¡¯t conflict this time, what about next time? The tasks in this world probably aren¡¯t so simple. If we end up against each other in the future, what should I do?¡±

    Meanwhile, Zhanyue searched and indeed found the group of bandits. The team of about a hundred people was now camping on a t ground. ¡°Everyone, rest well for two hours, eat something, but no alcohol. Recover your strength, we must reach Yunmo Vige early tomorrow morning.¡±

    Inside arge, brightly lit tent, the fair-skinned man sat at the head, asking in his androgynous voice, ¡°How much longer?¡±

    ¡°Reporting to Your Excellency, we can reach Yunmo Vige by tomorrow morning at thetest. The brothers have been traveling for two days, they need to rest and prepare for battle,¡± the bandit leader said submissively.

    ¡°Hmph, what a bunch of useless fools,ining about such a short journey. If I didn¡¯t want to wipe out every de of grass in Yunmo Vige, why would I bother bringing you along?¡± the man said. He could certainly deal with Yu Dayou himself, but there might be escapees. Bringing these hundred-odd people for cleanup was more convenient than doing it himself.

    ¡°Yes, yes, we¡¯re nothingpared to Your Excellency. You must not have eaten for a long time either, you should have something too. I¡¯ll have the servants prepare right away,¡± the bandit leader said.

    ¡°Hmm, you do have some insight. No need for too much meat, but prepare good wine for me,¡± the man said.

    The bandit leader hurriedly agreed, but inwardly he was resentful. His best wine reserves were all being drunk by this person, but how could he dare say no? However, thinking about this person¡¯s promise to grant them amnesty and give him an official position after the job was done, he decided to endure it.

 Chapter 191: Changes in the World Line

    Chapter 191: Changes in the World Line

    On a dark and windy night, the bandit leader returned to the tent and reported obsequiously, ¡°Eunuch, the wine has been warmed, and the meat is being roasted. It will be served soon. I also have a treasure I¡¯d like to offer you.¡±

    ¡°What kind of treasure?¡± The eunuch showed a disdainful smile, wondering what treasure could be found in such a remote area. But he was still curious.

    The bandit took out a wooden box from his bosom. Inside the box was ck soil, and buried in the soil was a red ginseng root.

    ¡°This is said to be called ¡®Blood King Ginseng¡¯, a very rare medicinal herb. My subordinates found it by chance in the mountains a few days ago and turned it over to me,¡± the bandit leader said.

    The eunuch¡¯s expression changed for just a moment before heposed himself, saying indifferently, ¡°Since it¡¯s your goodwill, I¡¯ll ept it.¡±

    ¡°Eunuch Cao, about my official position?¡± the bandit leader asked timidly. Being a bandit was ast resort, living on the edge of a knife. If they could be granted amnesty and obtain an official position, it would be much better than being a bandit. After all, the saying ¡°Three years as a clean magistrate, a hundred thousand taels of silver¡± wasn¡¯t just talk.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, afterpleting the task, it¡¯s just a matter of my word, isn¡¯t it?¡± Eunuch Cao said.

    Shortly after, the bandit leader returned to the tent with freshly roasted meat and warmed wine.

    ¡°Eunuch, have some wine,¡± the bandit leader said with a fawning smile, filling the cup in front of him. Eunuch Cao picked up the wine cup and was about to bring it to his lips when he suddenly stopped. ¡°You drink this cup first,¡± Eunuch Cao handed the cup to the bandit.

    The bandit leader smiled awkwardly and epted the cup, drinking it in one gulp. He knew this dead eunuch was afraid of being poisoned, but he inwardly grumbled, what benefit would he get from poisoning him? What he didn¡¯t know was that Eunuch Cao naturally didn¡¯t trust him, because he never considered him an insider. This secret mission to resolve His Majesty¡¯s troubles required confidentiality, so he wouldn¡¯t spare anyone who knew the reason. Not all bandits needed to be killed, but this leader must die.

    The bandit leader drained the cup, still smiling, but his smile quickly froze as he suddenly copsed to the ground, dead from poison!

    ¡°Such a potent poison, which little thief tried to harm me!¡± Eunuch Cao shouted fiercely, his surging internal energy making the bandits outside dizzy.

    ¡°Failed? Indeed, this dead eunuch isn¡¯t so easy to kill!¡± Zhanyue frowned. With his skills as the Saint of Thieves, poisoning the wine wasn¡¯t difficult, but the challenge was getting Eunuch Cao to drink it. Unfortunately, Eunuch Cao was too cautious and made the bandit leader a scapegoat.

    ¡°Lure the tiger away from the mountain and find another chance?¡± Zhanyue thought.

    Then he revealed himself from the darkness and taunted the nearby Eunuch Cao, ¡°Dead castrated dog, you¡¯re lucky this time. Just you wait!¡±

    Seeing the thief reveal himself, Eunuch Cao wouldn¡¯t let him go. ¡°Little thief, how daring. Did you think you could escape so easily?¡±

    Eunuch Cao flew in pursuit, his speed like a phantom.

    Unfortunately, Zhanyue was always one step ahead, and he could never catch up. ¡°This eunuch is too strong. Although I can shake him off, how can I kill him?¡± Zhanyue confirmed that his title of world¡¯s best lightness skill wasn¡¯t in vain. Even this terrifying pce expert couldn¡¯t catch him. He could escape if he wanted to.

    At a critical moment, a sound cut through the air as a flying dagger headed towards the eunuch¡¯s back of the head. The eunuch dodged as if he had eyes on the back of his head.

    A man in ck attacked from behind, ¡°Brother, let¡¯s join forces and kill this bastard together!¡±

    ¡°The man in ck?¡± Zhanyue was stunned. He guessed the other¡¯s identity ¨C wasn¡¯t this the man in ck who saved Yu Dayou before? So he had been following this eunuch all along, just not making a move. When he finally acted, it was toote. Seeing Zhanyue now, he exposed himself early, wanting to join forces?

    The man in ck quickly engaged in battle with the eunuch. In an instant, rocks were flying. This man in ck was no ordinary person, actually able to fight the eunuch head-on.

    ¡°Old dog Cao, you killed my entire family. Today, I¡¯ll have your life!¡± The man in ck was burning with rage, holding a steel de in his hand. The eunuch¡¯s flying needles from his sleeves were incredibly strange, even harder to guard against in the darkness.

    ¡°I know who you are now. So it¡¯s you. Weren¡¯t you guarding the northern border with General Yue? You barely escaped with your life, yet you dare toe back?¡± Eunuch Cao recognized the man in ck¡¯s identity, after all, there were few people in the world who could fight him.

    Soon, the man in ck was at a disadvantage. Zhanyue wasn¡¯t idle either, waiting on the side for a chance to sneak attack.

    Flying needles shot out again, but Zhanyue blocked in front of the man in ck, his hands moving like shadows, catching all the flying needles between his fingertips, a miraculous sight.

    Both the man in ck and Eunuch Cao were stunned.

    ¡°Brother, what skill! This dead eunuch¡¯s flying needle technique is unbeatable, yet he can¡¯t hurt you!¡± the man in ck eximed.

    ¡°Damn it, who exactly are you? Do you have a grudge against me too?¡± Eunuch Cao frowned. The man in ck before him was extraordinarily skilled, and there was this young man he didn¡¯t recognize, whose lightness skill was no less than his own, and who could catch flying needles with his bare hands. How could there be so many experts in this small Yunmo Mountain?

    Zhanyue smiled slightly, ¡°Nothing much. You just deserve to die.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha, well said! This castrated dog deserves to die!¡± The man in ckughed loudly and attacked Eunuch Cao again. However, Eunuch Cao lived up to his reputation as the top expert in the pce. Even with the man in ck and Zhanyue joining forces, they quickly fell to a disadvantage.

    ¡°Hmph!¡± Eunuch Cao was truly angry now. His internal energy surged, and his strength increased dramatically.

    The man in ck¡¯s de came shing down, but Eunuch Cao caught the steel de with his hand. The man in ck forcefully shed, but only managed to create a small cut on Eunuch Cao¡¯s hand. However, the man in ck was struck in the chest by Eunuch Cao¡¯s left palm, spitting out a mouthful of blood and flying backwards.

    ¡°Brother, you should leave quickly. His martial arts are too profound. We underestimated this old dog,¡± the man in ck said hatefully. His all-out attack only managed to inflict a slight wound on Eunuch Cao¡¯s right hand, leaving a thin cut, while he himself could no longer fight.

    ¡°Want to leave? Today, none of you will¡­ will¡­¡± Eunuch Cao hadn¡¯t finished speaking when he suddenly felt the world spinning. In an instant, blood flowed from his seven orifices, and he fell to the ground, dead!

    ¡°Dead?¡± Both the man in ck and Zhanyue were stunned. After a while, Zhanyue finally understood.

    ¡°He died from poison,¡± Zhanyue said calmly.

    The man in ck looked at the eunuch¡¯s corpse, confirming he was no longer breathing, and looked at Zhanyue in shock, ¡°When did you poison him?¡±

    Zhanyue exined, ¡°I had put poison in the wine and on the cup earlier. He probably didn¡¯t drink the wine, but he must have touched the cup, so there was poison on his hand. The poison wouldn¡¯t have been a problem if it didn¡¯t enter his body, but once it did, it could instantly take his life. Apparently, your de just now broke his skin, allowing the poison to enter his body.¡±

    ¡°What¡­ what kind of poison is this? Such a small wound contaminated with poison could take old dog Cao¡¯s life? His internal energy was so strong that ordinary poisons wouldn¡¯t work!¡± the man in ck eximed in shock.

    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know either. In any case, it¡¯s a rare poison in the world,¡± Zhanyue became even more wary of Huang Xueqing. A single drop of her blood could poison such a formidable enemy to death.

    ¡°Cough, cough, cough.¡± The man in ck continued to cough blood, rapidly weakening. ¡°I took one of his palm strikes. My heart meridian is shattered. Even a divine doctor couldn¡¯t save me. Listen¡­ listen to me. Take this¡­ go¡­ go to Yunmo Vige to find¡­ Yu¡­ then take the item to see¡­ see General Yue.¡± The man in ck handed a token to Zhanyue. He had no choice but to entrust his mission to Zhanyue.

    Soon, the man in ck breathed hisst. The world line changed once again. This time, both Eunuch Cao and the man in ck were dead.

    ¡°Sigh, if you knew the mission was important, why didn¡¯t youplete it earlier? Why did you have to follow this eunuch?¡± Zhanyue said helplessly. He had underestimated the man in ck¡¯s hatred for Eunuch Cao. He could have rushed to find the person, but he didn¡¯t want to miss the chance for revenge. He had been looking for opportunities to ambush Eunuch Cao all along, until Zhanyue appeared, giving him hope. That¡¯s when he revealed himself. However, he still underestimated Eunuch Cao¡¯s strength. Fortunately, in the end, Eunuch Cao was still killed by the poison.

    ¡°Oh? This dead eunuch was carrying this wooden box? Could it be some treasure?¡± Zhanyue found an item while searching the body.

 Chapter 192: Perfect Completion (1)

    Chapter 192: Perfect Completion (1)

    Seeing the corpse of the man in ck, Zhanyue was a bit troubled. After some thought, he still used the man¡¯s steel de to dig a simple grave for him. Zhanyue shook his head, finding his own behavior ridiculous. He clearly knew this was an illusion, and everything would eventually dissipate, yet the corpse before him seemed so ¡°alive¡±.

    ¡°This dead eunuch is dead, the bandit leader is dead, Yunmo Vige should be safe now. I should go back to find Huang Xueqing first,¡± Zhanyue thought as he set off, pondering along the way. The difficulty of this trial was terrifyingly exaggerated. Although he seemed to have dealt with Eunuch Cao easily, in reality, if he hadn¡¯t identally met Huang Xueqing and obtained the extremely potent poison, he wouldn¡¯t have been a match for this top expert from the pce with his strength. ¡°Without poison, I probably could only have fled with Yu Dayou. But since it¡¯s a trial, there must be a solution. Just like this time there was the man in ck as a temporary ally. Perhaps there are other ways to pass that I haven¡¯t found.¡±

    ¡°The top expert from the pce, the pce, a remote mountain vige, General Yue¡­ I wonder what secret this ce is hiding. The next task should still be in this world. It definitely won¡¯t end so simply.¡±

    Soon, Zhanyue found Huang Xueqing. This girl had really waited for him here. The night was deep, and it was very cold. Her slender figure made Zhanyue feel a bit sorry for her, after all, they had both lost their cultivation now. But then he remembered that drop of blood. Just one drop of blood on the wine cup, which Eunuch Cao touched and then contacted his wound, could directly cause him to die from poison. It was too terrifying. This woman¡­ was truly extraordinary.

    ¡°You¡¯re back? How did the task go?¡± Huang Xueqing was like an immortal under the moonlight. Her coarse cloth clothes couldn¡¯t hide her extraordinary beauty. Her beautiful eyes looked at Zhanyue. She had stayed here alone, not afraid of anything. Though appearing to be a weak woman on the surface, she was not without means to protect herself.

    ¡°Perfectlypleted, all thanks to you this time,¡± Zhanyue sighed. ¡°By the way, what medicinal herbs do you still need to find? I¡¯ll apany you tomorrow. Tonight, we¡¯ll probably have to spend the night in the wild.¡±

    Huang Xueqing nodded, ¡°It¡¯s a type of ginseng called Blood King Ginseng. I¡¯ve found all the other herbs, just missing this one toplete the task. It seems my task might be simplerpared to yours.¡±

    Zhanyue¡¯s pupils contracted slightly as he asked, ¡°Is that Blood King Ginseng transparent like crystal and red?¡±

    Huang Xueqing continued to nod, ¡°That¡¯s right. The task says it¡¯s only in this Yunmo Mountain, but it¡¯s not easy to find. There are some ces I can¡¯t reach. Now with you as a helper, it should be much easier.¡± Without saying much, Zhanyue took out the box he got from the eunuch¡¯s body. Inside the boxy a blood-colored ginseng.

    ¡°This¡­¡± Huang Xueqing¡¯s beautiful eyes trembled, not expecting toplete the task so easily. ¡°Where did you get this from?¡±

    Zhanyue briefly exined. Huang Xueqing¡¯s herb-gathering task seemed simple, but in reality, it might have been even harder than his task. This ginseng was on Eunuch Cao¡¯s person, so naturally, one would have to confront Eunuch Cao to obtain it. If it weren¡¯t for his task coincidentally intertwining with hers, allowing him to obtain the Blood Ginseng when poisoning Eunuch Cao, it would have been very difficult for Huang Xueqing toplete her task. If Eunuch Cao had eaten the ginseng at some point, she would have naturally failed her task.

    ¡°Thank¡­ thank you. You really are my lucky star,¡± Huang Xueqing smiled like a flower. It seemed that whenever she met Zhanyue, good things happened. She had just gathered some herbs, and her task was alreadypleted. ¡°However, after my task ispleted, we might have to part ways. I¡¯ll really miss you.¡±

    They had just met, yet they might have to separate soon.

    ¡°Is that so? Not necessarily,¡± Zhanyue felt these tasks weren¡¯t that simple. They were likely chain tasks. If they were chain tasks, then Huang Xueqing would still have to stay in this world, and as long as they didn¡¯t fail their tasks and reset, the two would probably still be synchronized.

    The moment Huang Xueqing obtained the ginseng, a familiar voice came from her identity token.

    ¡°Taskpleted. Completion level: Perfect.

    Task reward: Cultivation restored to Spirit Contract Realm. You can choose to restore one battle technique or divine ability. Perfect evaluation, your contract object has been restored. You can use it now.¡±

    Huang Xueqing was very happy. Although the increase from ordinary person to Spirit Contract Realm was just a small step, it was still a world of difference. Plus, she could restore a battle technique, giving her an extra trump card.

    ¡°Second phase task initiated. You need to rush to the northern border and cure General Yue Feipeng before he dies of illness.

    Task pass condition: Cure General Yue Feipeng;

    Perfect pass condition: Cure General Yue Feipeng while resolving his chronic ailment.

    Task failure condition: General Yue Feipeng dies.¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Huang Xueqing was stunned. The second task was still in this world. With her identity as a divine doctor, curing and saving people shouldn¡¯t be difficult, but this General Yue Feipeng seemed to be guarding the northern border, very far from here.

    ¡°How is it?¡± Zhanyue asked with concern.

    Huang Xueqing didn¡¯t hide anything from Zhanyue now and told him about her task.

    ¡°General Yue again?¡± Zhanyue frowned. This General Yue seemed too active, he had heard about him from various people.

    ¡°It seems our worlds are still synchronized, not separated. Tomorrow, I¡¯ll go to Yunmo Vige to see Yu Dayou, and I should be able toplete the task,¡± Zhanyue said.

    They found a small cave, just big enough for two people to rest, and crawled in. They gathered some wood and lit a campfire.

    ¡°Um¡­ what¡¯s the deal with the poison in your body?¡± Zhanyue couldn¡¯t help but ask.

    ¡°It¡¯s innate. Even though this trial secret realm sealed our cultivation, it didn¡¯t change this constitution,¡± Huang Xueqing said, a bit dejectedly.

    ¡°I was born in the Hundred Flowers Secret Realm, seemingly abandoned by my parents. Later, my master who came to explore the secret realm found me and brought me out to raise. But because my blood has deadly poison, I was well-protected since childhood, never getting bumped or bruised, and learned a set of defensive skills to avoid injury,¡± Huang Xueqing recalled.

    ¡°I see,¡± Zhanyue nodded. ¡°You mean there are people living in the Hundred Flowers Secret Realm?¡±

    ¡°Yes, the secret realm is veryrge, with indigenous inhabitants, but they can¡¯te out. The Hundred Flowers Secret Realm produces all kinds of medicinal herbs, it¡¯s the foundation of our Green Crane Valley,¡± Huang Xueqing exined.

    ¡°Besides blood, are other things in your body also highly toxic?¡± Zhanyue asked again.

    Huang Xueqing nodded heavily, ¡°Yes, blood is the most toxic, but other body fluids, like saliva and sweat, are also poisonous, just not as terrifying as blood. So I rarely have contact with people. My master has always taken care of me, and even so, she¡¯s been poisoned a few times. Fortunately, her cultivation is profound, and she¡¯s a very skilled physician herself. However, this doesn¡¯t really affect me much, it¡¯s more like a protection. The male disciples in the valley never dare to get close to me, so I enjoy some peace and quiet.¡±

    Zhanyue nodded. Someone as beautiful as Huang Xueqing couldn¡¯t possibly have no admirers, but unfortunately, her body was full of deadly poison, making it impossible to get close. But he was an exception. He only needed to recover a bit of his strength, and with his ability to retract his state, no poison would mean anything to him.

    ¡°Sigh¡­¡± Huang Xueqing suddenly let out a sigh.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Zhanyue looked at her puzzled.

    ¡°Have you¡­ been intimate with other girls?¡± Huang Xueqing suddenly asked.

    ¡°Uh,¡± Zhanyue hadn¡¯t expected her to ask this. He nodded.

    ¡°The desire between men and women is human nature, but I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll never be able to experience it in my lifetime,¡± Huang Xueqing sighed about this matter.

    Zhanyue hadn¡¯t expected her to be so bold, willing to talk about these things with him. ¡°We cultivators shouldn¡¯t be burdened by love and emotions, right?¡±

    Huang Xueqing gave Zhanyue a side-eye, ¡°Hypocrite. You¡¯re ambiguous with that Baizhi girl and the Holy Maiden, yet you say these things. Isn¡¯t that disgusting?¡±

    ¡°Alright, male-female love is human nature. I¡¯m just following my heart,¡± Zhanyue honestly admitted.

    The two chatted about many things, all past interesting stories, really talking about everything until dawn broke.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go. I should goplete my task and see what the next task is,¡± Zhanyue was somewhat looking forward to how things would develop.

 Chapter 193: Perfect Completion (2)

    Chapter 193: Perfect Completion (2)

    ¡°You¡¯ve put all those herbs into your storage space?¡± Zhanyue asked curiously.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. Afterpleting the task, I recovered a bit of cultivation, enough to open the storage space. It¡¯ll be much more convenient for future travels,¡± Huang Xueqing said happily.

    ¡°Naturally. In this world, such treasures are like dimensional superiority. Let¡¯s go, I shouldplete my task quickly too,¡± Zhanyue stood up, and the two walked out of the cave, breathing in the fresh air.

    ¡°Autumn has arrived,¡± Zhanyue said, looking at the yellowing leaves outside. As they say, one falling leaf heralds autumn for the whole world.

    ¡°Indeed. We should prepare some winter clothes soon. Before, relying on our deep cultivation, we didn¡¯t need to consider clothing. Now that we¡¯re almost like ordinary people, we need to think about these things more,¡± Huang Xueqing reminded.

    ¡°You¡¯re quite thoughtful. Let¡¯s go.¡±

    The two followed the mountain path and after a while arrived at Yunmo Vige. Like before, the huge wooden fence blocked the vige entrance.

    ¡°You¡­¡± The guard looked at the two, about to say something when he suddenly froze. His gaze fell on Huang Xueqing¡¯s face, stunned. Where in the mountains had he seen such an otherworldly beautiful woman? No, even city folk probably hadn¡¯t seen such beauty.

    Huang Xueqing had never liked being stared at. She frowned slightly, inwardly chiding herself for not being cautious enough. Now that she could use her storage ring, her previous disguise tools coulde in handy. ¡°I want to see your vige chief, Yu Dayou,¡± Zhanyue said. ¡°Tell him General Yue¡¯s people are here to see him.¡±

    Seeing that Zhanyue could name the vige, the man¡¯s suspicion lessened a bit. He called inside. Soon, a strong figure came running urgently ¨C it was Yu Dayou.

    He also paused when he saw Huang Xueqing, but being no ordinary person, he quickly shifted his attention to Zhanyue.

    ¡°Sir, are you really General Yue¡¯s man?¡± Yu Dayou asked excitedly, inviting the two in.

    ¡°That¡¯s right, look at this,¡± Zhanyue tossed out the token the man in ck had given him. After seeing it, Yu Dayou had to believe and treated Zhanyue even more politely.

    ¡°Please,e in and rest,¡± Yu Dayou invited the two inside. Mother Yu kindly offered them tea, but asked curiously, ¡°And this youngdy is? She¡¯s so beautiful, like a fairy.¡±

    ¡°A doctor I met on the way, an extra gain for this journey. They need someone like her over there. Don¡¯t ask too much, Auntie,¡± Zhanyue replied, not exining further.

    Mother Yu nodded in understanding. In these times, finding someone skilled in medicine wasn¡¯t easy. She thought perhaps someone under General Yue was ill.

    ¡°Auntie, may I use the room for a moment?¡± Huang Xueqing pointed to a nearby empty room.

    Mother Yu dared not refuse and nodded, ¡°Please, go ahead.¡±

    Huang Xueqing got up and entered the room.

    ¡°How long until Brother Yu returns?¡± Zhanyue asked. He naturally knew Yu Dayou had gone to retrieve the item buried under the tombstone. Buried justst night, it had to be retrieved today. This time, without Zhanyue to bring it back, he had to fetch it himself.

    Soon after, Huang Xueqing came out of the room. Her face had changed from its previous otherworldly beauty to a new ¡®face¡¯. Though her features were proper, she was only slightly more attractive than an ordinary person. Paired with her coarse cloth clothes, she looked in and ordinary, just like a farm woman.

    ¡°This¡­ this disguise skill, miss, it¡¯s truly miraculous,¡± Mother Yu marveled. These two were indeed no ordinary people.

    After a while, Yu Dayou finally returned with the item.

    ¡°This wooden box is my father¡¯s legacy. He instructed me to definitely give it to General Yue. There was a message from General Yue¡¯s side earlier saying they would send someone to collect it. If I wasn¡¯t so tied up here, I would have personally set out to deliver it. Fortunately, you¡¯ve finallye, sir,¡± Yu Dayou said happily, finally resolving a concern.

    As soon as Zhanyue took the item, his identity token immediately issued a prompt.

    ¡°Taskpleted. Task evaluation: Perfect.

    Task reward: Cultivation restored to Spirit Contract Realm. You can choose one contract object to awaken. Perfect rating additional reward: restore one battle technique or divine ability.¡±

    Looking at his identity token¡¯s prompt, Zhanyue finally rxed. It was as he had guessed. At this moment, the task was trulypleted. His cultivation instantly reached Spirit Contract Realm, and he naturally chose the watch he always carried as the first contract object to restore. As for the divine ability, he chose the divine ability space. He wanted to know if he could still contact Baizhi in this trial space.

    Recovering his state retraction ability, Zhanyue¡¯s heartpletely settled. This ability didn¡¯t rely on spiritual energy, but consumed his own lifespan more. If he had this ability before, the man in ck wouldn¡¯t have died. In this martial arts world-like trial space, the state retraction ability was truly invincible.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You look so happy,¡± Huang Xueqing asked, seeing Zhanyue¡¯s expression change.

    ¡°Just remembered some happy things,¡± Zhanyue replied. Then another voice came from the token.

    ¡°Initiating next phase task: Personally deliver the contents of the wooden box to General Yue Feipeng. Task failure conditions: General Yue dies or the item in the wooden box is lost or destroyed. Perfectpletion condition: Hidden.¡±

    Zhanyue was stunned. Indeed, the next phase task was still in this world, and it was a continuation of the previous task. However, this time the perfect condition was hidden, requiring him to explore.

    ¡°We really are destined,¡± Zhanyue sighed.

    Having obtained the item, the two prepared to leave. Yu Dayou knew they were pressed for time and didn¡¯t insist on them staying, only preparing some local specialties for them to take, as a gesture of goodwill.

    Soon after, the two figures disappeared from Yu Dayou¡¯s sight. He returned home and said to his mother with a smile, ¡°The fish has taken the bait. I should go back to report.¡±

    ¡°Mm, but things aren¡¯t that simple. It¡¯s not easy to deceive General Yue. I need to go back too.¡±

    The two made some arrangements and left Yunmo Vige. Especially Mother Yu, who moved with agile steps, not at all like an old woman.

    ¡°This food is enough for us to eat for ten days. Now in this world, we have to consider eating, drinking, and sleeping. Ah, it¡¯s better toplete more tasks quickly to recover our strength,¡± Zhanyue sighed. Both their tasks were to find General Yue, so they could travel together. But they both knew the task couldn¡¯t be so simple. There might be some changes at General Yue¡¯s ce, or changes might have already urred.

    ¡°General Yue is guarding the northern border. At this rate, we might not reach there even in half a year,¡± Zhanyue looked at Huang Xueqing.

    ¡°But I¡¯m already traveling at full speed. My current physical strength is only slightly better than an ordinary person¡¯s,¡± Huang Xueqing pouted. Was heining that she was a burden already?

    ¡°I mean, I should carry you on my back. That way we¡¯ll be faster,¡± Zhanyue said. With his world¡¯s best lightness skill, he could move swiftly even carrying a woman.

    ¡°Okay,¡± Huang Xueqing nodded, not refusing. She quickly climbed onto Zhanyue¡¯s back.

    Both felt a flutter in their hearts but quickly calmed down. Zhanyue really wasn¡¯t trying to take advantage; carrying Huang Xueqing did indeed speed up their journey many times over.

    For the first time in her life, Huang Xueqing was being carried on someone¡¯s back, especially a man¡¯s. Feeling the contact between their bodies, she couldn¡¯t help but blush, burying her face in Zhanyue¡¯s back. Soon, she fell asleep, as the cavest night wasn¡¯t really suitable for sleeping. This man¡¯s back, on the other hand, was so warm and safe.

 Chapter 194: Northward Journey

    Chapter 194: Northward Journey

    The two traveled swiftly, or rather, Zhanyue carried Huang Xueqing swiftly. They finally left Yunmo Mountain and reached its northern side. A journey that would take ordinary people two or three days, Zhanyuepleted in just one day while carrying a person.

    ¡°Why did we stop?¡± Huang Xueqing opened her drowsy eyes and asked curiously. She had enjoyed a good sleep.

    ¡°You sleptfortably, but I¡¯m exhausted. Weren¡¯t you afraid I might throw you off a cliff?¡± Zhanyue joked.

    ¡°The esteemed Divine Son surely wouldn¡¯t stoop so low. If the Goddess knew, she might spank you,¡± Huang Xueqing climbed down from Zhanyue¡¯s back, her face still slightly flushed. They had been too close, which was indeed a bit ufortable.

    ¡°We should find a carriage to travel inter. It¡¯s not good to have you carry me all the time,¡± Huang Xueqing said apologetically.

    Zhanyue didn¡¯t say much, just pointed to a ce in the distance and said, ¡°That should be a vige. Let¡¯s stay there for the night. Although there are no Nightmares in this world at night, it¡¯s cold and we can¡¯t see anything, which isn¡¯t good for traveling. Our current strength isn¡¯t enough to ignore naturalws.¡±

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯m hungry anyway,¡± Huang Xueqing said sheepishly. She had done nothing all day but sleep, and now she wanted to eat.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    The two walked side by side and soon reached the vige at the foot of the mountain. However, at a time when there should have been lights and smoke from cooking, the mountain vige was eerily quiet. ¡°No one¡¯s here?¡± Zhanyue and Huang Xueqing entered the vige, only to find it had been abandoned for a long time.

    ¡°These houses show signs of being looted. The vigers probably fled into the deep mountains to escape bandits,¡± Huang Xueqing guessed.

    ¡°Mm, you¡¯re probably right,¡± Zhanyue entered a house. The furniture inside was in disarray, and there were no clothes in the wardrobe. The vigers must have packed up and left voluntarily. For them to abandon everything, those bandits must have been truly notorious. Now that they had lost their strongest leader, who knows if they would split up. If they turned on each other, it would be some revenge for themon people.

    ¡°Sigh, even without Nightmares, ordinary people¡¯s lives are still so difficult,¡± Zhanyuemented.

    The two found a spacious and clean ce to stay. Although there were many empty houses, Huang Xueqing insisted on staying in the same house as Zhanyue, looking at him pitifully. Who knows what this woman was thinking.

    ¡°Staying overnight in an abandoned vige, I¡¯m not afraid of you, but I am afraid. I¡¯m just a weak woman now,¡± Huang Xueqing said softly.

    ¡°Keep pretending. You¡¯re all sweetness on the outside but dark on the inside,¡± Zhanyue was speechless. This woman was capable of defeating Fan Longyu, yet she imed to be a weak woman. Even with her cultivation restricted, Zhanyue didn¡¯t believe she had no means of self-preservation. However, she really wasn¡¯t afraid of anyone having improper thoughts about her, after all, her entire body was highly toxic, and she was extremely skilled in using poison. So Huang Xueqing wasn¡¯t actually afraid of Zhanyue either, firstly because she trusted his character, and secondly because she really wasn¡¯t afraid of him having any bad intentions.

    However, she didn¡¯t know that if Zhanyue really tried to take advantage of her, she would be powerless against him. After all, Zhanyue could revert his body state, making poisonpletely useless. Of course, she didn¡¯t know this.

    As night fell, Zhanyue took out an Illumination Stone, which lit up the pitch-ck room.

    ¡°The Illumination Stone works?¡± Zhanyue became interested. Then he took out a pill from his divine ability space. Under their gaze, the pill lost its medicinal effects at an extremely rapid rate, instantly bing useless.

    ¡°Well, okay, it seems something as outrageous as pills isn¡¯t allowed by thews of this world. I wonder if afterpleting tasks, I can recover my pill refining skills. Pills refined with herbs from this world might be usable normally,¡± Zhanyue spected. If pills could be used, forget that dead eunuch, even if all the martial arts experts in the world were together, Zhanyue believed the handful of fifth-grade Xuan Lie Pills in his divine ability space could blow them all to smithereens. Unfortunately, this was a trial, and trials wouldn¡¯t be so simple. Such cheating methods wouldn¡¯t be allowed.

    ¡°To be able to define variousws within this illusion, the Void Heaven Emperor¡¯s strength is simply unimaginable. At least sister couldn¡¯t do this,¡± Zhanyue was curious about the Void Heaven Emperor, the master of this Heaven Book. He wondered what realm he had reached, and was somewhat worried about what kind of cmity even such a powerful figure as the Void Heaven Emperor couldn¡¯t handle. At least it wouldn¡¯t be Nightmares.

    ¡°What are you thinking about? You haven¡¯t spoken for a while,¡± Huang Xueqing asked beside him. She was now disguised as an ordinary woman.

    ¡°The weather is getting colder,¡± Zhanyue took out an animal skin nket and handed it to Huang Xueqing, while he used a piece of cloth to make a bed on the ground. One person slept on the bed, the other on the floor, and they chatted casually.

    ¡°Our tasks this time are both to go to the northern border to find General Yue. Since it¡¯s a trial task, it probably won¡¯t be simple. We should be carefulter,¡± Zhanyue said.

    ¡°Mm, I¡¯m just a doctor. I¡¯ll follow your lead in everything,¡± Huang Xueqing waszy to think.

    ¡°You¡­ ah¡­¡± Zhanyue sighed helplessly. Was this woman nning to rely on himpletely?

    ¡°I wonder how the others are doing?¡± Zhanyue thought about the others at this moment, not knowing what kind of tasks Baizhi and MuMu Lixi were experiencing. How did he end up with this woman?

    ¡°What are you thinking about again? You¡¯re not wondering why it¡¯s me here instead of Baizhi or little sister Holy Maiden, are you?¡± Huang Xueqing said from under the animal skin nket, smiling.

    ¡°Well¡­ okay, I was indeed thinking that,¡± Zhanyue said.

    ¡°Between those two, who do you like more?¡± Huang Xueqing asked gossip-like.

    ¡°Can¡¯t I like them both? Let¡¯s not talk about this. Let¡¯s rest early, we still need sleep to recover, but don¡¯t sleep too deeply,¡± Zhanyue changed the awkward topic.

    ¡°Ah, you really are a greedy, fickle radish. You sleep first, I¡¯ll keep watch. After all, I¡¯ve been sleeping all day,¡± Huang Xueqing said. Soon after, she heard Zhanyue¡¯s even breathing. Zhanyue was truly tired, first from the battle with Eunuch Cao, then not sleeping well in the small cave, and then carrying Huang Xueqing for a whole day¡¯s journey. He slept peacefully, confident that if anything happened, Huang Xueqing would wake him. This woman surely wouldn¡¯t do anything ungrateful.

    Huang Xueqing looked at the man lying on the ground,menting in her heart. If only she were a normal woman, it would be good. Her body determined that she could never get too close to others. The sweet intimacy others enjoyed was out of reach for her.

    Early the next morning, the two set off again. This world was vast, asrge as the real world, and it would take them a long time to reach the northern region. Fortunately, the weather was nice, crisp and clear, suitable for traveling.

    ¡°Giddy up!¡± Huang Xueqing, on Zhanyue¡¯s back, was beaming with joy.

    ¡°Miss Huang, if you keep this up, I might just drop you,¡± Zhanyue was a bit speechless. He still hadn¡¯t figured out this woman¡¯s true personality. At first, he thought she was aloof and saintly, then he felt she was sweet on the outside but dark inside, with deep schemes. Now he saw her innocent and lively side.

    ¡°What, is the horse unwilling?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s going too far. I am the Divine Son, after all,¡± Zhanyue frowned. How annoying could this woman be?

    Huang Xueqing hugged Zhanyue tighter, her body pressed close to his back, her mouth near his ear, her breath like orchids. ¡°Or should we switch? I¡¯ll carry you? I¡¯ll be your horse?¡±

    Zhanyue felt her fragrant breath on his face and was quite speechless. Her carrying him? Him riding her? Probably not that kind of riding.

    ¡°What are you thinking? Don¡¯t have any bad ideas,¡± Huang Xueqing seemed to realize she had said something ambiguous. ¡°By the way, Divine Son brother, if we¡¯re like this, won¡¯t little sister Baizhi and little sister Holy Maiden be angry if they knew?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    After a long journey of bantering with Huang Xueqing, Zhanyue finally saw other people. It was a group of people in tattered clothes, about seventeen or eighteen of them, looking like refugees.

 Chapter 195: The Tragic State of Wunan

    Chapter 195: The Tragic State of Wunan

    Before them were about a dozen people, men and women, old and young, all thin and sallow, walking with faltering steps. When they saw Zhanyue and Huang Xueqing, they all rushed over.

    ¡°Food¡­ do you have any food?¡± A middle-aged woman stared at Zhanyue eagerly.

    Although Zhanyue and Huang Xueqing both had spatial storage tools, to avoid exposure, they still carried packages for show. The packages contained some baked cakes and potatoes they had brought from Yunmo Vige.

    He took out a baked cake, and the people in front of him instantly looked like wolves seeing meat, about to rush forward.

    ¡°Stop! All of you,e back!¡± A shout rang out as a middle-aged man walked out from the crowd, seeming to be the leader of this group of refugees.

    ¡°You two, are youing from Nancai Province?¡± the man asked. His face was also dirty, and though hungry, he still maintained his rationality.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. And you?¡± Zhanyue looked at the man puzzledly.

    ¡°Don¡¯t go north anymore. A locust gue has broken out in Wunan Province, causing famine and epidemic. The officials up there can barely protect themselves, and no other provinces are sending relief. The whole of Wunan has be a living hell. We¡¯re lucky, being close to Nancai and getting the news early. We had stored quite a bit of food at home, so we ran early,¡± the man exined.

    These dozen or so people were from one family. Fortunately, someone in the family was in official service, so they received the news early and made ns, fleeing south early. ¡°Bandits, riots, gue, famine ¨C the whole of Wunan ispletely finished. You should turn back quickly,¡± the man emphasized again.

    ¡°Take these cakes first. Walk south for two or three more days, and you¡¯ll see Yunmo Mountain. There are some wild fruits and animals in the mountains that can stave off hunger,¡± Zhanyue handed some food to the man.

    The others¡¯ eyes lit up, and they all knelt down. Though not much, this food could definitely save lives. They just needed to reach the mountains to survive.

    The man took the food and distributed it, looking at Zhanyue gratefully. ¡°We will never forget your great kindness, benefactor. Where are you heading north to?¡±

    ¡°To the Northern Border,¡± Zhanyue said.

    ¡°What?¡± The man was stunned and hurriedly said, ¡°The Northern Border is very far from here. You have to cross both Wunan and Wubei Provinces to reach the Northern Border Province. Not to mention that Wunan is already hell on earth, you won¡¯t get any supplies. And the Northern Border is in chaos now. What are you going there for?¡±

    ¡°We have reasons we must go,¡± Zhanyue replied.

    ¡°Sigh, you should take a detour. In any case, don¡¯t go to Wunan. It¡¯s not a ce for humans anymore,¡± the man said again. He naturally didn¡¯t want to see these two jump into the fire pit.

    ¡°Thank you, brother. Don¡¯t worry, we know what we¡¯re doing. If it really doesn¡¯t work out, we¡¯lle back,¡± Zhanyue continued. As for taking a detour? Heaven knows how much time this task has left them. That General Yue is probably ill, which is why Huang Xueqing needs to go treat him. If they dy too long, both his and Huang Xueqing¡¯s tasks will fail.

    ¡°Alright then,¡± seeing he couldn¡¯t persuade Zhanyue, the man didn¡¯t persist. Each to their own fate. He took out a map from someone¡¯s bag in the group. ¡°We have no way to repay your great kindness, benefactors. This map of the ¡®Great Yun Country¡¯ is for you two. We hope you can reach your destination safely.¡±

    Zhanyue was overjoyed, and Huang Xueqing¡¯s beautiful eyes trembled. So the country they were in was called Great Yun Country, vast in territory,posed of sixteen provinces. They were currently at the border of Nancai Province and Wunan Province.

    After seeing off these refugees, Zhanyue and Huang Xueqing continued north.

    However, what they encountered along the way made them shudder. They met several more waves of refugees. Some people just came to beg for food, and left grudgingly when they saw they had none. But some people showed their fangs, seemingly eyeing their flesh. Zhanyue never imagined that Wunan Province had reached the point of cannibalism.

    Of course, these refugees were no match for Zhanyue. As they continued north, even the grass on the roadside had been eaten clean. All they saw was devastation. There were no crops in the fields, and as far as the eye could see, beyond small hills, there were no deep mountains or old forests.

    ¡°We underestimated the difficulty of our task. I never thought we¡¯d have a day where we¡¯d worry about food,¡± Zhanyue frowned. After five or six days, the two had exhausted all their food supplies. In the past, he had refined arge number of pills that could satisfy hunger, so he had never worried about food. But in this world, the medicinal effects of pills were null. Besides the food brought from Yunmo Vige, they had also eaten all the edible things in their original storage spaces.

    Soon after, they came to a vige. As expected, it was a dead vige. Unexpectedly, it wasn¡¯t empty, but filled with corpses ¨C men, women, old, and young, simply covered with cloth or mats, some even dead at doorsteps and on streets.

    ¡°gue¡­ we¡¯ve entered gue-strickennd,¡± Zhanyue said, fighting the urge to vomit as he searched the vige for half a day without finding anything edible.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go. I don¡¯t want to spend the night here,¡± Huang Xueqing frowned. What they had seen along the way made her sigh, but she was powerless.

    ¡°As a divine doctor, don¡¯t you want to research this gue?¡± Zhanyue asked.

    ¡°What¡¯s the use? In this situation, even if I could research a cure for the gue, would it help? Not to mention we can¡¯t find the corresponding herbs, we can¡¯t even find living patients. These past few days, how many corpses have we seen? Thousands or tens of thousands?¡± Huang Xueqing said helplessly. Although she had divine doctor abilities, the current situation was beyond her power to change.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± the two continued north, finding a dpidated temple north of the vige that could serve as a shelter for the night. Fortunately, there were no people or corpses in this temple. Those who could run had run, those who couldn¡¯t had died. The closer they got to the center of Wunan, the more horrified the two became. This was truly hell on earth. People either starved to death or died from the gue, regardless of gender or age, no one had any privilege.

    ¡°I wonder how the Great Yun Country is dealing with this Wunan problem. Judging from Yu Dayou¡¯s tone earlier, the current emperor is probably not a good person,¡± Zhanyue sighed.

    After tidying up a bit in the temple, they discovered its peculiarity. The temple didn¡¯t enshrine any gods, Buddhas, or human figures, but a fox statue. Was this actually a fox deity temple? Did the Great Yun Country have such a tradition?

    But regardless of what it enshrined, neither Zhanyue nor Huang Xueqing were afraid.

    ¡°What should we do? Wunan is vast, and we¡¯re out of supplies. If we can¡¯t find food soon, we might really starve to death. I don¡¯t want to resort to eating human flesh,¡± Huang Xueqing¡¯s pretty face showed some confusion. They were too unprepared and hadn¡¯t anticipated that this ce would be so deste, with no signs of life for a thousand miles, just a road of white bones.

    Zhanyue wasn¡¯t worried about them starving to death. At worst, he could revert his body state, though it would waste some lifespan. It¡¯s better not to use it if possible.

    ¡°Let¡¯s wait a bit longer,¡± Zhanyue sighed. Since it¡¯s a trial, there must be a way to break through, just deeply hidden. Perhaps they should have prepared enough food before setting out. In any case, even if the task fails, even if they die, they¡¯d just start over. So neither of them felt particrly concerned, though after resetting the task, they might not be together anymore. Huang Xueqing hoped to stay with Zhanyue ¨C wasn¡¯t it nice being carried all the way?

    Suddenly, there was movement in Zhanyue¡¯s divine ability space. His eyebrows raised in joy. ¡°Bai girl is indeed my good treasure!¡± He took out a te of roast duck and a jar of wine out of thin air. He hadn¡¯t expected that even in the trial space, this divine ability space was still connected, showing its high grade. ¡°It seems she¡¯s alsopleted her first task.¡± Thinking of this, Zhanyue felt relieved. Earlier, he had written a letter in the divine ability space exining the situation, and now he had received this roast duck and fine wine.

    ¡°You¡­¡± Huang Xueqing was stunned. Where did this hot roast duck and fine winee from? Not only was she stunned, but the Heaven Book Spirit watching outside was also dumbfounded. What had she seen? She saw Baizhi making roast duck and buying wine in her trial space, and those things appeared in Zhanyue¡¯s hands shortly after!

    ¡°They¡¯re cheating!¡± The Heaven Book Spirit gritted her teeth. But thinking about it, it shouldn¡¯t be possible to cheat in this trial world. Was this an ability they originally had? She had been looking forward to seeing Zhanyue in a predicament, a generation¡¯s genius starving to death ¨C how interesting that would be. Instead, she saw him happily drinking wine and eating roast duck.

    ¡°Hmph, don¡¯t be in a hurry. This trial isn¡¯t as simple as you think. You think solving the food problem is enough?¡±

 Chapter 196: The Show Begins

    Chapter 196: The Show Begins

    Great Fortune Kingdom, Imperial Capital, Court.

    The ministers were in an uproar, all discussing Wu South and matters of gue. The dragon throne above was empty.

    By mid-morning, a corpulent figure finally emerged from behind and sat on the dragon throne, yawning.

    ¡°Your Majesty, the situation in Wu South needs to be dealt with promptly. Wu North and South Cai provinces have epted many refugees, and they should be properly settled soon,¡± an elderly official below advised.

    The person on the dragon throne nced at him and said impatiently, ¡°You summoned me to court just for this trifling matter?¡±

    The elder was stunned but controlled his emotions and said, ¡°Wu South is ravaged by famine and gue. The people are suffering terribly. At least several million have died, and tens of millions are disced. This is a major national issue that requires Your Majesty¡¯s decision.¡±

    On the dragon throne, the corpulent figure found a morefortable position and said, ¡°The dead are dead, I can¡¯t resurrect them. As for settling the refugees, do I need to teach you how? You¡¯re making a fuss over nothing. Our Great Fortune Kingdom has a poption of hundreds of millions. One man and one woman can produce a new child in a year. Won¡¯t the poption recover in just a few years? Whether in prosperous times or the end times, how can there be no deaths in great disasters and wars? Next time, don¡¯t call me for such trivial matters.¡±

    The elder was so angry his beard quivered. ¡°Your Majesty, we¡¯re talking about millions of lives! Remember, water can carry a boat but also capsize it. I implore Your Majesty to attend more to state affairs!¡±

    ¡°Elder Hu, you¡¯re still so annoying, always preaching. Don¡¯t you have the keys to the national treasury? Do whatever you want, just stop bothering me.¡± The Emperor of Great Fortune Kingdom grew irritated and walked out, leaving the court officials looking at each other in dismay. ¡°s!¡± Elder Hu sighed deeply. The treasury? The treasury had long been squandered empty by this foolish emperor. There was no money or grain left. This ipetent ruler either indulged in pleasure with fox spirits in the harem or sought immortality in temples and Taoist monasteries. He even built grand temples and monasteries within the pce, keeping many monks and Taoist priests to pray for his blessings and refine elixirs daily.

    ¡°Elder, what should we do? Wu North is close to the Northern Frontier, and supplying provisions for the war there is already stretching us thin. South Cai is overrun with bandits, and with theck of official troops, they can barely manage themselves, let alone aid Wu South,¡± someone asked.

    ¡°What else can we do? We must seek help from the Jade King. His Tian Gan Province has abundant food and the people live in peace. Only he has surplus grain now,¡± Elder Hu sighed. If only the Jade King had inherited the throne, he thought, then quickly banished this treasonous idea. The current emperor was the most legitimate heir both byw and thete emperor¡¯s edict. In this world, rules were paramount.

    In Wu South, at the fox shrine, Feng Xueqing ate the roast duck but without much appetite, seemingly troubled.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Zhanyue asked.

    Feng Xueqing smiled bitterly, ¡°I¡¯ve studied medicine since childhood and mainly refined pills to save lives and heal injuries. But in the face of such a catastrophe, I realize the limitations of a doctor. Even the best elixirs are not as useful as your half roast duck.¡±

    ¡°Doctors can only treat people, not society. This ismon sense. Why dwell on it? Do your best and leave the rest to fate,¡± Zhanyue said.

    ¡°From what we¡¯ve seen and heard along the way, doesn¡¯t it prove something? Fate? I fear it¡¯s all man-made disaster. The locust gue didn¡¯te without warning, and the famine didn¡¯t happen overnight. The Son of Heaven is supposed to shepherd the people on behalf of Heaven, but he¡¯s neglectful, leading to this state,¡± Feng Xueqing sighed.

    ¡°Those who steal a hook are executed, while those who steal a kingdom be lords. There are no Sons of Heaven, just thieves. Throughout history, emperors have had the same mentality as thieves. Can we expect them to suddenly grow a conscience?¡± Zhanyue said.

    ¡°Tell me, what exactly is our trial? What will we encounter afterpleting these tasks? Our identities ¨C one a divine doctor, one a divine thief. What are we supposed to heal, what are we supposed to steal?¡± Feng Xueqing asked in return.

    Zhanyue was stunned and quickly shook his head, ¡°What do you mean? Are you suggesting we steal the kingdom? I have no interest in being an emperor.¡±

    ¡°Since it¡¯s a trial, I¡¯m afraid we may not have a choice,¡± Feng Xueqing smiled at his flustered expression, then pointed at the fox statue nearby and asked, ¡°Why do you think there are fox shrines everywhere in this Great Fortune Kingdom?¡±

    ¡°Who knows? Maybe the fox is the totem of the Great Fortune Kingdom. Let¡¯s rest early and continue our journey tomorrow. The sooner we leave Wu South Province, the better. This ce is truly not fit for human habitation,¡± Zhanyue said, finishing thest piece of roast duck and wiping his mouth contentedly.

    ¡°This fine wine and meat are still warm. How did you manage that?¡± Feng Xueqing¡¯s beautiful eyes widened with curiosity, but Zhanyue was determined not to tell her.

    The two took shelter in the temple and passed another hazy night.

    The deeper they went into Wu South, the more horrifying the sights became. Finally, they arrived at a city in Wu South. This Giant Wood City was once a famous city in Wu South, named after a huge ancient tree within its walls. But now the city was deste and empty. There were no living beings, not even scavengers eating carrion. Cats, rats, dogs ¨C all had long been eaten. Those who could flee had fled, and those who couldn¡¯t had simply died in their homes or on the streets.

    ¡°Giant Wood City. We¡¯ve reached the core of Wu South Province,¡± Zhanyue said. Faced with the city¡¯s destion, they were at a loss for words. This was a scene one would only expect after a brutal war and massacre, yet it was right before their eyes.

    ¡°This city is overrun with gue. It¡¯s not a ce for humans. We should pass through quickly.¡±

    The two didn¡¯t linger. Zhanyue, well-fed, continued to carry Feng Xueqing on his back as they hurried along. They couldn¡¯t find even a piece of horse meat, let alone a carriage. Fortunately, thanks to the divine ability space, Baizhi on the other side could continuously provide food.

    ¡°The world I¡¯m in ispletely different from yours, seemingly more ancient, with numerous ns. My identity is that of a shaman, a high-ranking one in a ratherrge n. My status is revered, so life is quite good,¡± Baizhi reported her situation through letters.

    While the trial proceeded normally, major events were unfolding in the Myriad Spirits Realm outside the Heavenly Book.

    A blood moon hung in the sky, the night as dark as ink.

    A ray of Buddhist light illuminated the night. The Ascetic Monk had finally tracked down a Lord-level Nightmare, the octopus-like one that had been wounded by the Goddess and was impervious to the Illumination Divine Tower.

    ¡°Vile creature, I¡¯ve finally found you!¡± The Ascetic Monk extended a hand, which rapidly grewrger, suffused with Buddhist light, and gripped the Nightmare like a small chicken.

    ¡°Ten Thousand Buddhas Pilgrimage!¡± After a Buddhist chant, countless Buddha palms bombarded the Nightmare from all directions. The powerful Nightmare was as weak as a chicken before the Ascetic Monk and was instantly obliterated.

    After the Nightmare¡¯s death, a ck stone fell out. The Ascetic Monk immediately noticed it. When he picked up the stone, he felt dizzy, as if it was something that shouldn¡¯t be looked at directly.

    ¡°Is this why Nightmares aren¡¯t afraid of the Illumination Tower?¡± The Ascetic Monk wondered. He pocketed the stone and disappeared. Shortly after he left, the Strategist, pale as paper, emerged with a slight smile on his lips.

    ¡°You humans, living in your cradles, it¡¯s time you learned some truths about the world. Don¡¯t me me for being ruthless in wagering the entire Myriad Spirits Realm. If we win, you¡¯ll all benefit,¡± the Strategist muttered to himself. He was lonely, unable to find anyone who truly understood him. Before everything was settled, he had to bear it all alone.

    ¡°The Heavenly Book trial? Do the children participating in the trial truly understand what power is, what order is, what rules are, what rebellion is, what despair is, what hope is, and what miracles are? Void, I hope you have worthy sessors, my dear elder brother¡­¡±

 Chapter 197: Spring Return Hall

    Chapter 197: Spring Return Hall

    Several months passed in a sh. Zhanyue and hispanion traversed the provinces of Wu South and Wu North, finally reaching the Northern Frontier. Along their northward journey, they witnessed the gue ravaging Wu South, with corpses strewn everywhere. In Wu North, they saw corrupt officials and bandits running rampant. The people under these two provinces¡¯ rule could hardly find peace, either hiding deep in the mountains or fleeing to other provinces. The pair often encountered groups of refugees, their faces showing only numbness, everything done just to survive, and only to survive.

    The Northern Frontier Province was the northernmost province of the Great Fortune Kingdom, bordering the Blue Hill Kingdom to the north. Due to the rich mining areas at the border, there had been constant warfare, with the mines changing hands between the two countries multiple times. Now, with General Yue Fei Peng personally leading troops northward, the mining areas were fully upied by the Great Fortune Kingdom. Though Blue Hill had troops stationed at the border, they dared not move south due to General Yue¡¯s reputation. General Yue Fei Peng had achieved the feat of being a one-man Great Wall, beloved by the Northern Frontier soldiers. His troops were the most elite in the Great Fortune Kingdom, able to rival the Dragon Tiger Army that guarded the capital.

    ¡°I hear they¡¯re stockpiling troops and supplies at the front. A major battle could break out at any moment. You rest here, I¡¯ll go scout the situation,¡± Zhanyue said.

    The two were resting in a small vige, finally seeing normal living people, though the vigers weren¡¯t faring well either. Mostly the old and weak remained, with most young people having gone to the front lines.

    ¡°Alright, go ahead and check things out,¡± Feng Xueqing nodded. Their long time alone together had made them quite in sync.

    Zhanyue used his lightness skill and soon arrived at Iron Horse City, the location of the front line headquarters. Iron Horse City wasrge but very quiet, with strict checks on all civilians entering and leaving. Zhanyue wanted to enter the general¡¯s mansion, but it was impossible through normal means. Though he had the ck Robe¡¯s token, he knew too little about it to risk using it carelessly.

    Instead of entering the city normally, Zhanyue infiltrated directly. With his abilities, this was easily aplished, and he soon found the general¡¯s mansion.

    The general¡¯s mansion was heavily guarded, with sentries every ten steps and lookouts every five. After all, they had to be vignt against Blue Hill assassins at such a time. Bells hung from every rooftop, and every potential hiding spot was manned. From a distance, Zhanyue frowned at the strict arrangements. Even he, the world¡¯s greatest divine thief and master of theft, found it challenging.

    ¡°I was hoping to secretly meet General Yue, but it seems impossible,¡± Zhanyue was at a loss. He had to admit that General Yue¡¯s military discipline was excellent. The soldiers on guard duty showed no signs of cking, with no opportunities left even during shift changes. ¡°Well, if this way is blocked, let¡¯s try another,¡± Zhanyue thought, then moved to the kitchen area. As expected, the kitchen was also heavily guarded, leaving no chance for poisoning attempts. But Zhanyue came only to confirm one thing ¨C that General Yue was indeed ill. The kitchen was permeated with the smell of medicinal herbs.

    Soon after, Zhanyue returned to Feng Xueqing.

    ¡°How did it go?¡± Feng Xueqing asked.

    ¡°I had hoped to find a chance to meet General Yue alone, but the mansion is too heavily guarded. I couldn¡¯t get an opportunity. However, I¡¯ve thought of another method. This time, we¡¯ll have to rely on you,¡± Zhanyue said.

    Feng Xueqing¡¯s eyes glinted as she said, ¡°You want me to practice medicine nearby and make a name for myself? If General Yue is truly ill, he shouldn¡¯t miss this opportunity and might even send people to find us?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ well, you¡¯ve guessed it all,¡± Zhanyue nodded. This was indeed their chance. Actively presenting themselves would be suspicious, but having theme looking for us would be ideal.

    The reason they could stay peacefully in this small vige was that Feng Xueqing had cured the illness of the vige headman¡¯s young son.

    ¡°Then let¡¯s get started, beginning with this small vige,¡± Feng Xueqing said. The two then set up a simple clinic in an empty house in the vige.

    Due to the low prices, people seeking medical advice and medicine came in an endless stream. First from the vige, then from neighboring viges, and finally even people from the city heard about it and came from afar.

    One day, as Zhanyue was helping prepare medicine, an old man in blue clothes entered. He was very thin but gave off a sturdy impression. His eyes fell on Feng Xueqing, and he was shocked. The recently rumored divine doctor was not only a woman but also so young. Though her appearance was ordinary, she had kind eyes and a gentle demeanor.

    ¡°Excuse me, are you the divine doctor Feng?¡± the old man asked.

    Feng Xueqing nodded, ¡°My surname is Feng, but I dare not im the title of divine doctor.¡±

    ¡°Dr. Feng is too modest. These days, I¡¯ve heard you¡¯ve treated many patients, some of whom I had seen but couldn¡¯t cure. You¡¯ve worked miracles with your skillful hands. Such medical skills certainly deserve the title of divine doctor,¡± the old man said.

    He then added, ¡°I forgot to introduce myself. My surname is Deng, you can call me Old Deng. I¡¯m the owner and chief physician of the Spring Return Hall in Iron Horse City. I heard there was a divine doctor in Zheng Lin Vige and came specially to meet you.¡±

    ¡°Old sir, you¡¯vee to recruit, haven¡¯t you?¡± Zhanyue asked. This must be like a bossing to hire directly.

    The old man nodded, not hiding his intentions. ¡°And you are?¡±

    Feng Xueqing took over, ¡°This is my husband. We run this small pharmacy together. You can discuss anything with him, he usually makes the decisions.¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Zhanyue was stunned for a moment, then quickly yed along. The two went into a small room and talked for a long time, discussing everything from schedules to benefits, from work to welfare. When the old man came out, he was beaming with joy. At his age, all he had was this medicine hall, and now finding a highly skilled doctor to take charge allowed him to retire to the background with peace of mind.

    ¡°It seems everything is going even more smoothly than imagined. Isn¡¯t that right, dear wife¡­¡± Zhanyue smiled.

    Feng Xueqing gave him a sidelong nce. Since they would be acting together from now on, this identity was reasonable. But seeing Zhanyue¡¯s smirking face, she felt like she had been taken advantage of. However, throughout their journey, the two had be quite close, talking about everything. She had been carried on his back the whole way, a treatment probably not even Baizhi or the Holy Maiden had received. She was grateful to have met Zhanyue; this trial seemed too easy for her. Someone to carry her while walking, someone to feed her ¨C this wasn¡¯t a trial, it was pure enjoyment. So she had long wanted to contribute more.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that before General Yue¡¯s people could find us, the Spring Return Hall contacted us first. But this is good too. Once we enter the city, everything else will be easier,¡± Zhanyue said. Soon after, the two set off for Iron Horse City. With the old man leading the way, entering the city became much simpler. The city guards clearly recognized the old man.

    ¡°We¡¯re here,¡± the old man led them into the Spring Return Hall. It was indeed arge establishment, befitting its status as the best medicine shop in Iron Horse City.

    ¡°Old sir, where are your children?¡± Zhanyue asked curiously. Such arge shop was managed by the old man alone with just two hired helpers.

    ¡°I have only one son. He doesn¡¯t like practicing medicine but prefers fighting. He joined the army under General Yue and now works in the military camp. Never mind about him. From now on, you¡¯ll be seeing patients here,¡± the old man said, then led them to the back courtyard.

    ¡°Thisrge house is for you two to live in. It used to be where my wife and I lived. After she passed, I don¡¯t need such a big house. I¡¯ll move to the small house on the west side,¡± the old man pointed to thergest bedroom, showing his sincerity. In his life, he only cared about two things: his son¡¯s safety and this medicine shop.

    ¡°This¡­¡± Zhanyue nodded. If they were to act, they had to do it thoroughly. Besides, the room wasrge enough for two people to sleepfortably.

 Chapter 198: Poison

    Chapter 198: Poison

    News of the new physician at Spring Return Hall quickly spread throughout Iron Horse City. Initially, many people were skeptical. Old Mr. Ye had been practicing medicine for over forty years, and his medical skills and character were well-established. How could they bear to see him step back? More concerning was that the new physician was reportedly a young woman. How skilled could someone so young be?

    Feng Xueqing sat in the hall with Zhanyue standing guard nearby. Many people just looked in from the doorway, hesitating whether to give her a try. Soon, they finally received their first patient. It was a middle-aged woman who came in clutching her stomach, her face as pale as paper. Given the urgency, she naturally couldn¡¯t afford to hesitate.

    ¡°Doctor, my stomach hurts and I¡¯m feeling dizzy with ringing in my ears,¡± the woman said.

    Zhanyue helped her to a chair, and Feng Xueqing came over, felt her pulse, and looked at her tongue, quickly making a diagnosis.

    ¡°You¡¯ve probably eaten something unclean. Let¡¯s induce vomiting first,¡± Feng Xueqing said. She took out some needles and inserted them into specific points on the woman¡¯s body. Zhanyue, already in sync, ced a basin in front of the woman. After a few needles, the woman indeed vomited until there was nothing left. Only then did Feng Xueqing remove the silver needles and offer a ss of light salt water.

    ¡°I¡¯ll write you a prescription. Rest well for two days and take the medicine as directed,¡± Feng Xueqing quickly provided a prescription. Fortunately, the names of medicinal herbs in this trial world were the same as in the Myriad Spirits Realm, otherwise, it would have been troublesome.

    The old woman took the prescription and asked the price, her eyes widening, ¡°So cheap?¡±

    ¡°Yes, you don¡¯t have any major issues, but do rest well for a few days and eat light foods,¡± Feng Xueqing advised.

    ¡°Thank you, doctor. Thank you,¡± the old woman repeatedly expressed her gratitude. Onlookers only saw the old woman enter clutching her stomach with a pale face, but when she came out, she looked much more rxed and seemed to be in less pain. Instantly, people¡¯s trust in this new doctor increased.

    Gradually, business at the shop picked up, even forming queues.

    On the first day: ¡°This new doctor¡¯s skills are quite good.¡±

    On the second day: ¡°Dr. Feng surpasses her teacher. Spring Return Hall has a worthy sessor.¡±

    On the third day: ¡°Dr. Feng is truly a divine doctor, working miracles.¡±

    On the fourth day: ¡°Dr. Feng must be a celestial in the mortal world, saving people from suffering¡­¡±

    In just a few short days, Feng Xueqing made a name for herself with her miraculous medical skills. It was only a pity that this worldcked many spiritual herbs and medicines, limiting her abilities.

    Old Mr. Ye watched the busy pair in the hall from outside, a satisfied smile on his face. He was old, with decreasing energy, but the reputation of Spring Return Hall couldn¡¯t fall. Finding suitable sessors made him truly happy. If his son really didn¡¯t want to inherit Spring Return Hall, letting this couple inherit wouldn¡¯t be bad at all. He¡¯d observe them a bit more.

    After a busy day, the three sat down for dinner together. Old Mr. Ye¡¯s cooking skills were quite good. Back in their room, the spacious chamber was divided by a screen, each naturally upying half.

    ¡°You must be tired these past few days,¡± Zhanyue asked.

    ¡°A bit tired. This world reallycks doctors. Ah¡­¡± Feng Xueqing suddenly sighed.

    ¡°What are you sighing about?¡± Zhanyue asked again.

    ¡°Haven¡¯t you noticed that Old Mr. Ye seems to have the intention of letting us inherit Spring Return Hall? But we¡¯re just passing through, we can¡¯t possibly stay here forever. I¡¯m afraid we¡¯ll disappoint his good intentions,¡± Feng Xueqing said.

    Zhanyue was momentarily speechless, thenforted her, ¡°This trial world is ultimately fake. Don¡¯t truly me yourself.¡±

    ¡°Fake?¡± Feng Xueqing said reluctantly, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s all fake. These past few days of life, and even our identities, are all ultimately fake.¡±

    ¡°What? From what you¡¯re saying, do you actually like this kind of life?¡± Zhanyue asked curiously, ¡°Is heaven¡¯s favored daughter so easily satisfied?¡±

    Feng Xueqing nodded, ¡°This is indeed the life I want to live. Having someone by my side, having something to do, isn¡¯t this kind of life good? But you¡¯re not one to settle down. I fear you couldn¡¯t bear this ordinary life. The mission must ultimately continue.¡±

    Their life these past few days, except for not sharing a bed, was no different from an ordinary couple¡¯s, which silently stirred up some unusual feelings in both Zhanyue and Feng Xueqing.

    Until the second day, what was bound toe finally arrived.

    A middle-aged man dressed as an ordinary citizen found the two.

    ¡°Could you make a house call?¡± the middle-aged man asked, his face tired, his eyes full of hope.

    ¡°If the patient can¡¯te to us, we should certainly make an initial visit,¡± Feng Xueqing replied, ¡°But I still have so many patients here¡­¡±

    Before she could finish, Old Mr. Ye suddenly appeared, ¡°You two go ahead. I¡¯ll watch things here for now.¡±

    The middle-aged man looked at Old Mr. Ye, his eyes full of gratitude. It seemed Old Mr. Ye knew why the man hade, and the man clearly knew Old Mr. Ye as well.

    ¡°Alright then, let¡¯s go,¡± Feng Xueqing and Zhanyue were both inwardly delighted. They had finally waited for this day.

    The middle-aged man first led them to a civilian house where they disguised themselves. Then he led them around the city for a long time before heading to the general¡¯s mansion through a secret passage.

    ¡°This is the general¡¯s mansion. I know you have many questions, but due to military secrets, I can¡¯t answer them. You¡¯re here to see a patient. Just treat the illness, don¡¯t ask about anything else,¡± the middle-aged man¡¯s previously kind demeanor changed, his tone now serious.

    ¡°We understand,¡± Zhanyue and Feng Xueqing nodded.

    They were led through many turns. The general¡¯s mansion was huge; outsiders could never know where General Yue was. The middle-aged man blindfolded them and led them around for a long time before finally bringing them to a room.

    The room was filled with the smell of herbs. Apart from a bed, there was nothing else.

    The middle-aged man had originally intended to bring only Feng Xueqing, but hearing that Zhanyue also knew some medicine, he brought him along as well. Now he could only pin his hopes on these two.

    ¡°Come,¡± the middle-aged man led them to the patient¡¯s bedside, extremely cautious.

    Lying on the bed was another middle-aged man, with sword-like eyebrows and star-like eyes, extraordinarily handsome, but with ck qi swirling around his brow, unconscious.

    As Feng Xueqing diagnosed him, her expression grew increasingly grim.

    ¡°What a terrifying poison,¡± she quickly concluded that this was definitely a case of poisoning.

    ¡°Dr. Feng, do you know what poison it is? Is there a cure?¡± the middle-aged man asked anxiously.

    ¡°Curing the poison won¡¯t be easy, but I can temporarily slow its erosion,¡± saying this, Feng Xueqing began to apply acupuncture. After aplete set of needles, she was covered in sweat. Zhanyue wiped her sweat away, something he had done many times before.

    ¡°He must have taken a lot of medicine. These medicines, though not very effective, have indeed stopped the spread of the virus. I¡¯ve sealed his heart meridian, which can protect him for about a month. We must find the antidote within this month,¡± Feng Xueqing said.

    ¡°What¡¯s the antidote?¡± the middle-aged man asked emotionally, ¡°Just tell me. Whatever the cost, I¡¯ll help you find it.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t get excited yet. I need to discuss this with my husband first. Please arrange a room for us. I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll let us leave easily,¡± Feng Xueqing said.

    The middle-aged man looked embarrassed and smiled, ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll arrange it right away. This is unavoidable, I hope you understand.¡±

    Back in the arranged guest room, Feng Xueqing¡¯s expression immediately turned serious, ¡°We¡¯re in trouble.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°The poison he¡¯s been infected with shouldn¡¯t exist in this world. It¡¯s definitely not a poison that should be in this world, and he shouldn¡¯t have been able to hold on until now. The people of this world only cultivate martial arts, as we both know, but he seems to be no ordinary person. There¡¯s a power in his body that I can¡¯t understand at all, sustaining his life. To cure such a poison requires spiritual herbs and medicines, which this world with its scarce spiritual energy simply doesn¡¯t have.¡±

    Zhanyue¡¯s expression instantly changed as well. A poison not of this world, a power not of this world. He had asked Baizhi before, and there were no spiritual items in her world either. This was truly troublesome now.

 Chapter 199: The Fox Gods Curse

    Chapter 199: The Fox Gods Curse

    ¡°The poison in his body is strange. It¡¯s very potent yet controlled. To cure it, we¡¯d need some spiritual herbs. I need to think carefully about possible substitutes,¡± Feng Xueqing said. She then took out several thick pharmacology texts from her spatial ring and began studying. Spiritual herbsmon in the Myriad Spirits Realm didn¡¯t exist in this world. As the saying goes, even a skilled cook can¡¯t make a meal without rice. Feng Xueqing could only search for things to rece the ¡®rice¡¯.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go check again,¡± Zhanyue said, leaving Feng Xueqing to her research. He went to General Yue¡¯s side again, apanied by the middle-aged man. He wanted to confirm one thing: whether General Yue¡¯s problem could be solved through state reversal.

    Coming out of the room, Zhanyue¡¯s brow rxed. The ¡®poison¡¯ hadn¡¯t affected the soul, meaning it could be solved through state reversal. The cost would be a month of his lifespan, as General Yue had been poisoned a month ago. However, he couldn¡¯t do this because curing General Yue was Feng Xueqing¡¯s task. If he intervened, Feng Xueqing¡¯s mission might fail directly.

    ¡°There¡¯s indeed a strange power protecting him. What exactly is that power? Why does such power exist in this martial arts world where no one can cultivate immortality? Could it be that my understanding of this world is wed?¡± Zhanyue was very puzzled. From his experiences in this world, there didn¡¯t seem to be any magical powers. Even Eunuch Cao, the top expert in the imperial pce, was just a martial arts master, not yet entering the realm of the mystical.

    The next day, Feng Xueqing produced a prescription.

    ¡°This prescription can¡¯t cure the poison, but it can help the patient¡¯s body recover somewhat. Let¡¯s replenish his body¡¯s nutrition first. As for the poison issue, I can¡¯t solve it quickly. I need more time to research,¡± Feng Xueqing said, handing the prescription to the middle-aged man.

    ¡°Thank you, Dr. Feng,¡± the man showed a hint of gratitude before sending someone to prepare the medicine.

    ¡°How should we address you, sir?¡± Zhanyue asked, still unsure how to refer to the man before them.

    ¡°Call me Li Yunluo. I believe you¡¯ve guessed that I¡¯m General Yue¡¯s deputy, and the person lying on the bed is indeed General Yue. The border situation is urgent now, and General Yue¡¯s condition is a military secret. So I can¡¯t let you leave and can only have you stay temporarily in the general¡¯s mansion,¡± General Li exined. ¡°We understand that, but what about the border situation?¡± Zhanyue asked with some concern. ¡°Haven¡¯t you reported to the imperial court to have someone else take over?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­¡± General Li thought for a moment before telling the truth, ¡°The Blue Hill Kingdom is afraid of General Yue and dares not easilyunch an attack. As for the imperial court sending someone else to take over? I¡¯m afraid no one else couldmand this army. If it were possible to rece him, General Yue would have been reced long ago. After all, His Majesty has long been displeased with the general. It¡¯s only due to the general¡¯s reputation in the army that he dares not force the issue. Moreover, Blue Hill Kingdom is not weak, not something an ordinary person can contend with.¡±

    ¡°I see. Whoever poisoned General Yue must be no ordinary person,¡± Zhanyue sighed. The culprit was now untraceable, as it had happened a month ago.

    Soon after, the medicinal decoction was ready. A soldier tasted it first, testing it for General Yue. Seeing he was fine, they dared to feed it to General Yue. After drinking the medicine, although he didn¡¯t wake up, hisplexion improved significantly.

    Suddenly, another middle-aged general in armor entered. This general was burly, with a full beard, broad-shouldered and stout, with piercing eyes ¨C clearly a formidable man. Behind him was a white-haired old man. The old man had white hair and a wrinkled face, hunched over and leaning on a bamboo staff with a gourd hanging from it. His clothes were tattered, looking as frail as a roadside beggar.

    ¡°General Zhang, what¡¯s this?¡± General Li frowned at the old man behind the middle-aged general.

    ¡°I¡¯m not the only one in the army concerned about General Yue¡¯s safety. This is a divine doctor I invited from the Western Ridge,¡± said the bearded General Zhang, ncing at Feng Xueqing and Zhanyue. The room was already quite crowded with so many people.

    ¡°General Yue¡¯s condition is a military secret, not to be casually disclosed. Where did you find this person?¡± General Li frowned deeply. General Zhang was of the same rank and one of the few who knew about General Yue¡¯s situation.

    ¡°Rest assured, I wouldn¡¯t bring someone here without being certain. Besides, haven¡¯t you brought quite a few people yourself? What, are you the only one loyal to General Yue, while the rest of us are potential traitors?¡± General Zhang said disdainfully. He was just as loyal to General Yue, only he hadn¡¯t been with the general as long as Li had. How dare he doubt him?

    ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant. I naturally vetted the people I chose. Since you¡¯ve already brought him, let him take a look,¡± General Li said helplessly, but with some hope. As long as General Yue could wake up, did it matter who cured him?

    The old man walked to General Yue¡¯s side, made a show of examining him, then frowned.

    ¡°Divine Doctor Bai, how is it?¡± General Zhang asked anxiously. If he could cure General Yue, it would be a great achievement, and his future status would surely surpass General Li¡¯s.

    ¡°Oh my¡­ this is troublesome. General Yue has been cursed,¡± the beggar-like old man said.

    ¡°Cursed?¡± Everyone was shocked.

    Feng Xueqing and Zhanyue exchanged nces, unsure what this old man was up to.

    ¡°That¡¯s right, he¡¯s been cursed. If I¡¯m not mistaken, it¡¯s the Fox God¡¯s curse,¡± Old Bai said.

    ¡°Fox God¡¯s curse? What nonsense are you spouting?¡± General Li frowned deeply, regretting letting this old man try.

    ¡°Nonsense? I think Divine Doctor Bai makes sense. General Li, have you forgotten what General Yue did before he fell unconscious?¡± General Zhang seemed to have grasped something important.

    ¡°What did he do?¡± General Li thought back. ¡°We were marching to the border when General Yue discovered that the local residents were all worshipping some Fox God temple, even offering children to feed foxes. General Yue was furious and led troops to destroy all the local Fox God temples. Since when did our Great Fortune Kingdom have such evil gods? It¡¯s all because that sorcerer became the Imperial Advisor and bewitched His Majesty, allowing the Fox God religion to spread in our country, bringing disaster to the nation and people.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s it! It must be General Yue¡¯s destruction of the Fox God temples that angered the Fox God, bringing down this curse,¡± General Zhang said.

    ¡°A curse?¡± Zhanyue had dealt with many curses before. This didn¡¯t seem like a curse, and he trusted Feng Xueqing¡¯s judgment. If she said it was poison, it should be poisoning.

    ¡°Do you have a way to wake General Yue?¡± General Zhang asked the old man beside him.

    ¡°Yes, but some preparations are needed,¡± Old Bai answered confidently.

    ¡°He dares to agree?¡± Zhanyue was surprised. This was a matter of national importance, not something to be promised lightly. Did he really have some means?

    ¡°What preparations are needed?¡± General Zhang asked.

    ¡°Since we¡¯ve offended the Fox God, we must make amends. I need you to forge a pure gold statue of the Fox God, then set up an altar. Leave the rest to me,¡± Old Bai said.

    ¡°A golden Fox God statue? That¡¯s doable, but it will take some time. Is human-height enough? Anyrger, and it would be hard to find that much gold quickly,¡± General Zhang inquired.

    ¡°That¡¯s enough, enough. It¡¯s the thought that counts,¡± Old Bai said. ¡°First, arrange a room for this old man. I need to prepare other things for the ritual.¡±

    ¡°Alright,e with me,¡± General Zhang led the old man out, not forgetting to give General Li a smug look.

    ¡°This¡­ General Li, do you really believe General Yue is under some Fox God curse?¡± Zhanyue asked.

    General Li frowned deeply and shook his head, ¡°Of course I don¡¯t believe it, but I can¡¯t stop General Zhang from trying. It¡¯s just casting a gold statue, we can ept that. I¡¯m only worried about dying the general¡¯s treatment. Dr. Feng, please work harder to find a solution soon.¡±

    ¡°Alright,¡± Feng Xueqing nodded, also deep in thought. This new arrival, Old Bai, gave her an eerie feeling.

    General Li then added, ¡°The Fox God was originally a belief in the Blue Hill Kingdom. Our Great Fortune Kingdom didn¡¯t believe in this originally. But ever since that sorcerer became the Imperial Advisor, everything changed. He bewitched His Majesty, allowing the Fox God religion to spread. Now there are many Fox God temples in our country. What use are these broken temples? It¡¯s still up to us to protect the country. Believing in the Fox God didn¡¯t prevent Wu South from suffering gue and famine.¡±

    ¡°It seems General Li doesn¡¯t believe in any supernatural powers like the Fox God in this world,¡± Zhanyue observed.

    ¡°Of course I don¡¯t. Previously, when marching in the wilderness with scarce provisions, my soldiers and I hunted many foxes and used fox meat as rations. We didn¡¯t see any Fox God curse then,¡± General Li said.

    Zhanyue sighed inwardly. He hadn¡¯t believed either, but the poison in General Yue¡¯s body was indeed strange, not a power belonging to this world.

    Back in their room, Zhanyue and Feng Xueqing discussed the matter.

    ¡°If this old man is a fraud, he¡¯s incredibly bold. If he can¡¯t cure General Yue, he¡¯ll lose his head. Or does he really have some ability?¡± Zhanyue wondered.

    ¡°Fox God? The dpidated temple we stayed in before also enshrined a Fox God, right? I didn¡¯t expect this world to have such a strange belief,¡± Feng Xueqing sighed.

    Zhanyue remembered that the Heavenly Book Spirit¡¯s true form was a nine-tailed celestial fox. Could this be her twisted sense of humor?

    ¡°If that old man really has some means, it¡¯ll be trouble. You must cure General Yue before he does, as this is your task after all,¡± Zhanyue said. Although what Old Bai said seemed nonsensical, Zhanyue had a feeling that he might actually have a way to cure General Yue.

    ¡°Tonight, I¡¯ll secretly go check,¡± Zhanyue decided.

 Chapter 200: Turning the Tables

    Chapter 200: Turning the Tables

    As night fell deep, Zhanyue, the Master Thief, finally put his skills to use. He quietly approached the roof of the mysterious Old Bai¡¯s room, lifted a tile, and peered down. The ragged old man was bustling about, the room filled with various odds and ends that indeed looked like ritual props. He was meticulously assembling these items, his hands skilled.

    After a while, he seemed to tire and prepared to blow out the light and rest. Before sleeping, he removed the gourd from his bamboo staff, hugged it close, and theny down. Soon, snoring could be heard.

    Once the old man was sound asleep, Zhanyue silently appeared by his bedside. Using mysterious techniques, he took the gourd, which seemed to contain some kind of liquid. Zhanyue poured out a portion of the liquid into a jade vial, then returned the gourd to its original ce and quietly retreated. As the Master Thief, he had finally encountered his area of expertise.

    ¡°How did it go?¡± Feng Xueqing, still awake, greeted Zhanyue as he returned. As they posed as a married couple, they naturally shared a room.

    ¡°I found something. Take a look at this,¡± Zhanyue handed the jade vial containing the stolen mysterious liquid to Feng Xueqing.

    Feng Xueqing sniffed it, then sensed it with her spiritual power. Her expression changed dramatically, ¡°This¡­ this is spirit liquid, made from spirit herbs and fruits. And this scent, isn¡¯t it Blood Flow Grass? How can this world have Blood Flow Grass?¡±

    ¡°Can Blood Flow Grass cure General Yue¡¯s poison?¡± Zhanyue asked, puzzled.

    ¡°It can, but it¡¯s a spirit herb that shouldn¡¯t exist in this world,¡± Feng Xueqing said.

    ¡°That old man¡­ he clearly had the antidote all along, yet he talked about some Fox God curse? Could there be some plot afoot?¡± Zhanyue frowned. ¡°Mm, I think so too. It¡¯s too coincidental. He might even know the inside story of General Yue¡¯s poisoning, otherwise how would he bring the antidote?¡± Feng Xueqing reasoned.

    ¡°Who knows what he¡¯s up to,¡± Zhanyue thought for a moment, then said, ¡°Let¡¯s do this: now that we have the antidote, we should act first. If that old man beats us to it, General Yue will truly be cured by him, and your mission will fail.¡±

    ¡°But if we ruin the old man¡¯s n, we might end up further from the truth,¡± Feng Xueqing said worriedly.

    ¡°Not necessarily. As long as General Yue wakes up, I think he¡¯ll be interested in this matter too. If he¡¯s willing to cooperate with us in putting on a show, everything will be under control,¡± Zhanyue said.

    Early the next morning, Zhanyue secretly met with General Li. After a confidential discussion, the potion prepared by Feng Xueqing was administered to General Yue. Meanwhile, General Zhang was still overseeing the construction of the golden statue, and the mysterious Old Bai was busy setting up the altar.

    In a secret room, General Yue had already awakened, though he still looked unwell. Deputy General Li was briefing him on recent events, only piquing his interest when he mentioned Zhanyue and Feng Xueqing.

    ¡°Thank you both for your help. I owe my safe awakening to your great efforts,¡± Yue Feipeng said. Though pale, his long experience inmand still gave him the aura of a superior who held the power of life and death.

    ¡°General Yue, we have two important matters to report to you,¡± Zhanyue suddenly said, ncing at Deputy General Li.

    Yue Feipeng understood but said, ¡°Speak freely. General Li is my absolute confidant, more trustworthy than even some of my brothers.¡±

    Zhanyue nodded and said, ¡°Please look at this.¡± He then produced the token he had obtained from the ck-robed man, startling both General Yue and Deputy General Li.

    ¡°This¡­ this is Commander Huang¡¯s identity token. How did ite into your possession?¡± General Yue had previously assigned Commander Huang a secret mission.

    ¡°Commander Huang died at the hands of Eunuch Cao. He asked me to pass this on to you,¡± Zhanyue then handed the wooden box to General Yue.

    ¡°Eunuch Cao? The top expert in the pce? Wasn¡¯t he supposed to be at Cloud Ink Mountain? How did he encounter Eunuch Cao? What else do you know? Tell me quickly!¡± General Yue was bewildered.

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Zhanyue recounted how he had encountered Eunuch Cao and how they had joined forces against him, though he said he had killed Eunuch Cao with poison, omitting many details.

    ¡°Eunuch Cao is dead too?¡± General Yue looked incredulous. He knew Eunuch Cao¡¯s strength and gazed at the mysterious young man before him with aplex expression.

    ¡°Why did you help me?¡± General Yue asked.

    ¡°It was the right thing to do. Why not?¡± Zhanyue answered.

    ¡°Is that all?¡± General Yue pressed.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that enough? I¡¯ve long heard of General Yue¡¯s reputation. Everyone admires you,¡± Zhanyue had prepared this response in advance.

    Yue Feipeng smiled slightly, thinking this person had no reason to lie to him, as these matters would be easy to verify. He had his own spies in the pce.

    ¡°What¡¯s the second matter you mentioned?¡± General Yue asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s about the poison you were given and the antidote,¡± Zhanyue said.

    Outsiders didn¡¯t know what they discussed, but afterward, General Yuey back down, looking exactly as he had when poisoned.

    ¡°Congrattions onpleting the second stage mission ¨C Saving General Yue. Mission rating: Average. Mission reward: Restore Spirit Control Realm cultivation, can unseal one battle technique or divine ability,¡± Feng Xueqing¡¯s identity jade tablet transmitted again.

    ¡°My strength has increased again. I wonder what the next stage mission will be,¡± Feng Xueqing felt a bit uneasy. She didn¡¯t want to part ways with Zhanyue so soon, having grown ustomed to hispany these days, though she hadn¡¯t realized it herself.

    ¡°Initiating next stage mission: A gue is spreading from south to north and will soon affect the Northern Frontier. Please stop the spread of this gue. Mission sess condition: The gue is effectively controlled. Mission failure condition: The gue ravages the Northern Frontier.¡±

    Feng Xueqing frowned. What was bound toe had arrived.

    Meanwhile, Zhanyue received his own prompt.

    ¡°Congrattions onpleting the second stage mission ¨C Delivering the message. Mission rating: Average. Mission reward: Restore Spirit Control Realm cultivation, can unseal one battle technique or divine ability.¡± Without hesitation, Zhanyue unsealed Earth Traversing. At his current strength, he couldn¡¯t maintain sword flight for long, but Earth Traversing was different. A Master Thief with the Earth Traversing divine ability was terrifying to contemte.

    ¡°Initiating next stage mission: Help General Yue repel the Blue Hill army¡¯s attack. Mission sess condition: Blue Hill¡¯s main force retreats. Mission failure condition: General Yue¡¯s troops suffer more than 25% casualties.¡±

    ¡°This¡­¡± Zhanyue inwardlyined of unfairness. The mission required defeating the Blue Hill army, but failure only required a quarter of General Yue¡¯s troops to be lost. This demanded a decisive victory from General Yue, absolutely not allowing a bloody battle. However, the Blue Hill army was not weak, otherwise the Great Fortune Kingdom wouldn¡¯t need a god-tier military figure like General Yue stationed here permanently.

    The two openlypared their missions, both frowning. The two tasks were closely rted. Without solving the gue¡¯s spread, General Yue¡¯s troops¡¯ logistics couldn¡¯t be guaranteed, making victory impossible. But it also meant the two would have to separate, one heading south to solve the gue¡¯s spread, the other north to fight Blue Hill.

    But for now, they hadn¡¯t finished their current business.

    A few dayster, the golden fox statue was finallypleted. In the spacious courtyard, an altar had been set up, with the Fox God statue enshrined upon it.

    General Li, General Zhang, and their trusted subordinates stood to one side, while Zhanyue and Feng Xueqing watched from another. At the center of the stage was naturally the mysterious Old Bai. He had discarded his previous ragged appearance and now wore splendid clothes, holding strange talismans, singing and dancing. His dance was bizarre, his singing even harder on the ears. Then he kowtowed seven times to the Fox God statue. Next, he ced talisman papers in a basin before him. The papers were wrapped around stones, so they sank immediately. The basin wasn¡¯t filled with water, but oil.

    He then ordered someone to light a fire under the oil basin, bringing the oil to a boil.

    He addressed the crowd: ¡°Who¡¯s willing to use their hand to fish out the talisman papers from the basin?¡±

    Everyone looked at each other in dismay. This was a pot of oil! Using bare hands to retrieve something? Wasn¡¯t that suicide?

    ¡°Your sincerity iscking. I¡¯ll have to do it myself. If the great Fox God has forgiven us, this hot oil won¡¯t harm me. Otherwise¡­ General Yue is in danger!¡± Old Bai said.

    Under everyone¡¯s gaze, he extended his thin arm into the oil pot. The onlookers couldn¡¯t bear to watch, but his face showed no fear as he retrieved the talisman papers from the bottom of the oil pot, amazing everyone.

    ¡°What skill!¡±

    ¡°What skill? It¡¯s the Fox God¡¯s protection. He has forgiven us,¡± Old Bai said. He burned the talisman papers to ash in a bowl, then took out his gourd and mixed the liquid inside with the ashes. ¡°This talisman is the forgiveness charm bestowed by the Fox God. Once General Yue takes it, he¡¯ll naturally recover.¡±

    Zhanyue watched silently from the side, speechless. He had heard enough of these tricks with vinegar at the bottom of oil pots to make fishing things out easy. How did this worlde up with such a performance? This old fox was using this method to feed the real antidote to General Yue. What was he up to?

    After testing, General Yue took the talisman water. Sure enough, after half an hour, he slowly awoke.

    ¡°The Fox God has shown his power! The Fox God has shown his power!¡± General Zhang eximed with wide eyes. It seemed he truly believed in this Fox God business.

    ¡°Divine Doctor Bai, what should we do with this Fox God statue?¡± General Zhang pointed at the golden sculpture.

    ¡°Naturally, it should be enshrined in a Fox God temple. Not just any temple, I need to calcte carefully,¡± Old Bai said.

    ¡°Enshrined in a temple? But it¡¯s made of gold. Won¡¯t it be stolen?¡± General Zhang worried.

    ¡°We can just te it with ayer of copper on the outside. Then no one will know,¡± Old Bai suggested.

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that be disrespectful to the Fox God?¡± General Zhang asked again.

    ¡°The great Fox God wouldn¡¯t care about such trifles,¡± Old Bai said, exasperated.

    They spoke very softly, but with Zhanyue¡¯s current cultivation, he could hear every word clearly. ¡°This old fox, going to such lengths just for this gold? Is it really that simple?¡±

 Chapter 201: A Shocking Secret

    Chapter 201: A Shocking Secret

    With General Yue Feipeng¡¯s awakening, the general¡¯s mansion was filled with joy. The strange old man who had cured General Yue naturally became an honored guest. A grand feast wasid out in the mansion, with everyone drinking to their heart¡¯s content.

    ¡°Old sir, I truly thank you,¡± said Yue Feipeng. ¡°If not for your help, I fear I wouldn¡¯t have survived. If you have any requests, as long as I can fulfill them, I will do so to repay your life-saving kindness.¡±

    The old man, drunk and full, swallowed a piece of meat before advising General Yue, ¡°This old man¡­ has nothing¡­ that needs the general¡¯s help. I only hope that in the future, the general will respect the Fox God and never again destroy Fox God temples.¡±

    Yue Feipeng hadn¡¯t expected this response. He asked curiously, ¡°Old sir, does the Fox God truly exist in this world?¡±

    The old man smiled mysteriously through his drunkenness, ¡°If you believe¡­ it exists. If you don¡¯t¡­ it doesn¡¯t. But if you don¡¯t believe¡­ yet force others not to believe¡­ you¡¯ll surely face retribution.¡± With that, the old man copsed onto the table, asleep from too much drink.

    A glint shed in Yue Feipeng¡¯s eyes; he still didn¡¯t believe in any Fox God. ¡°Someone, help the old sir to rest.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Two soldiers carried the old man away.

    After the banquet dispersed, Yue Feipeng kept Deputy General Li in a secret chamber.

    ¡°His im that I was cursed by the Fox God isn¡¯t credible. I must have been poisoned, probably at that time¡­¡± Yue Feipeng recalled: ¡°When we were scouting the border terrain earlier, didn¡¯t we save a group of civilians? A little girl among them gave me a piece of cake, which I ate without suspicion. The next day, the poison took effect. It seems those civilians were actually from the Blue Hill Kingdom. I fell into their trap.¡± ¡°I know about that incident, General. I was there too. I sent people to pursue them immediately, but that group vanished like smoke. My men tracked them to a fox den, where they seemed to disappear into thin air.¡±

    ¡°A fox den? Foxes again?¡± Yue Feipeng¡¯s face darkened, feeling enveloped by a grand conspiracy. ¡°We must keep that old man under close watch. We can¡¯t let him escape. He came with the antidote to save me ¨C what¡¯s his real plot?¡±

    ¡°Yes, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve arranged hidden guards to watch him,¡± said Deputy General Li.

    Yue Feipeng rubbed his temples, having to deal with these strange matters right after waking up. After Li left, he took out the wooden box Zhanyue had brought him. He unfolded the silk cloth inside, which was indeed a map, though he didn¡¯t know what it marked. However, he didn¡¯t focus much on the cloth, instead examining the box carefully before finally smashing it. The box had a hiddenpartment containing a secret letter. This was something Zhanyue hadn¡¯t anticipated; anyone opening the box would focus on the silk cloth, not the box itself. Yet the real secrety within the box, something General Yue had previously arranged with a friend.

    ¡°Brother Feipeng, by the time you receive this letter, I fear I¡¯ll no longer be in this world. I don¡¯t even know when you¡¯ll receive it. But I don¡¯t want this secret to be buried, and after much thought, I feel I should tell you¡­¡± The letter writer was Yu Xinwen, father of Yu Dayou, the Cloud Ink Vige chief. Yu Xinwen had once enlisted in the army with Yue Feipeng, both performing excellently. But their paths diverged ¨C one remained in the military, while the other entered the pce, bing a leader of the Imperial Guard and deeply trusted by the previous emperor.

    After reading the letter, Yue Feipeng¡¯s eyes widened, his whole body trembling. The letterpletely overturned his understanding of things.

    Thirty years ago, in the imperial harem, two consorts vied for favor. The emperor promised that whoever bore a son first would be empress. The Virtuous Consort became pregnant first and gave birth to the current emperor. However, this letter told Yue Feipeng that the Virtuous Consort had actually given birth to a baby girl, who was switched for a baby boy. More terrifyingly, the Virtuous Consort wasn¡¯t human, but a fox spirit. She had used magic to bewitch Yu Xinwen, the Imperial Guard leader, to carry out her n. Yu Xinwen learned of this because he had previously obtained a talisman from a Taoist temple, which he carried with him. Unexpectedly, the talisman worked, allowing him to wake up midway through the plot, avoiding bing the fox spirit¡¯s puppet. By then, he had already been ordered to strangle the baby girl and bury her outside the pce. All along, he pretended to know nothing to protect himself and his family, allowing the boy of unknown origin to be the emperor of the Great Fortune Kingdom.

    Years ago, feeling his days were numbered, Yu Xinwen didn¡¯t want to take this secret to his grave. If the emperor had been wise and virtuous, it might have been fine, but he turned out to be an ipetent ruler, causing great suffering to the people, while the wise Jade Prince could only rule a small domain. Yu Xinwen knew the throne should have been the Jade Prince¡¯s. If the Jade Prince had ascended the throne, the people of Great Fortune might have lived better lives, which made Yu Xinwen especially guilty. Before his death, he sealed all the secrets in this box, instructing Yu Dayou to pass it to General Yue when he was stationed at the border.

    However, Yu Dayou discovered that he and his mother seemed to be targeted, in constant danger. Unable to wait to deliver the message to General Yue, he fled deep into the mountains for years before finding a way to contact General Yue¡¯s people. Still not daring to hand over the item directly, he could only ask General Yue to send trusted people to retrieve it, having his own ways to identify them. This led to Zhanyue¡¯s story in Cloud Ink Mountain, and Eunuch Cao likely rushed there after catching wind of something.

    ¡°So that¡¯s how it is.¡± General Yue connected all the pieces, but the events recorded in the letter were still too bizarre. ¡°Fox spirits? The current emperor isn¡¯t the previous emperor¡¯s son, but someone the fox spirit found outside? What¡¯s their rtionship with the Fox God religion?¡± Yue Feipeng felt overwhelmed. This matter concerned the fate of the nation; he dared not tell anyone. He burned the secret letter and then called for Deputy General Li.

    ¡°General, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Seeing Yue Feipeng¡¯s solemn expression, Li also became serious.

    ¡°Find someone trustworthy to go to this location on the map and bring back whatever is dug up,¡± Yue Feipeng said to Li, handing over the silk map. If the secret letter was correct, that ce should contain¡­ a baby¡¯s remains. Was the Virtuous Consort really so cruel? Killing her own daughter for the position of empress? But remembering historical events, Yue Feipeng wasn¡¯t too surprised.

    ¡°Fox God, fox temples, fox spirits¡­ the world is about to descend into chaos,¡± Yue Feipeng sighed deeply.

    Deputy General Li soon returned, his face pale.

    ¡°General¡­ the old man is gone,¡± Li reported.

    ¡°Gone? How?¡± Yue Feipeng was furious. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to watch him closely? He¡¯s an important informant!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened. He was clearly in that room; the guards at the door could hear him snoring. But when we checked againter, he had vanished. We don¡¯t even know how he escaped. The room only has one door and one window, both closely watched,¡± Li said defensively.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go take a look,¡± General Yue said, leading Li to the room.

    The door and window were intact and had been guarded continuously, so escape through them seemed impossible. That left either digging a tunnel or escaping through the roof.

    Yue Feipeng looked around. The floor was undamaged, so tunneling seemed unlikely. On the ceiling, there was indeed a hole in the rafters, but it was small, not seemingrge enough for a person to squeeze through.

    ¡°Could it be there? But that hole is too small for a person. Maybe a cat or a fox could get through,¡± Li wondered aloud.

    Yue Feipeng¡¯s face darkened. He gritted his teeth and said, ¡°Don¡¯t mention foxes in front of me again.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Li was confused by this reaction.

    Meanwhile, the old man was fleeing at top speed, havingpleted his mission and just needing to escape. However, a figure followed closely behind ¨C Zhanyue. Ordinary people might think the old man was just after the golden statue, but Zhanyue knew it wasn¡¯t so simple. This old man was certainly no ordinary person. Zhanyue had also kept watch for a long time and had seen something incredible: the old man using a bone-shrinking technique to make himself smaller and squeeze out through a gap in the roof tiles. The old man¡¯s lightness skill was impressive, but he still couldn¡¯t evade Zhanyue.

    ¡°How long are you going to chase me?¡± the old man shouted. He was nearly exhausted, never imagining there could be someone in the world whose lightness skill surpassed his, the ¡®White Rat¡¯.

    Soon, Zhanyue¡¯s handnded on his shoulder. ¡°Still running?¡±

    ¡°Impossible! Who are you? How could you catch up to me?¡± White Rat was astounded. He was supposed to be the world¡¯s best in lightness skill, a generation¡¯s king of thieves. But he didn¡¯t know that with Zhanyue¡¯s arrival in this world, that title had to be relinquished. It was truly a case of the king of thieves meeting the saint of thieves.

    ¡°Let¡¯s cut to the chase. Where did you get that antidote? How could it cure General Yue?¡± Zhanyue asked directly.

    ¡°What antidote? I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re talking about,¡± White Rat¡¯s eyes darted evasively.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t understand words, maybe you¡¯ll understand this.¡± A dagger pressed against White Rat¡¯s throat.

    ¡°Great¡­ great hero, no need for weapons. Let¡¯s talk this out. I¡¯ll tell you, I¡¯ll tell you everything. The antidote was given to me by a fox immortal,¡± White Rat said.

    ¡°You¡¯re still trying to fool me? What fox immortal? Nonsense,¡± Zhanyue said, exasperated.

    ¡°Hero, it¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s true. It was a fox immortal. That day I was sleeping in a Fox God temple when a blurry figure appeared beside me. I couldn¡¯t see clearly. It said it would give me a great fortune and then gave me a gourd, telling me to find that General Zhang. It guaranteed I¡¯d be rich and famous after curing General Yue. I¡¯m telling the truth,¡± White Rat hurriedly exined, not seeming to be lying.

    ¡°Then why are you running?¡± Zhanyue asked, puzzled. ¡°You saved General Yue¡¯s life. What are you afraid of?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know. I just had a gut feeling that staying there was dangerous. My instincts are usually right¡­¡± As he finished speaking, White Rat¡¯s expression changed. He had been preparing for a while and finally let out a thunderous fart. Zhanyue felt nauseous from the stench. In a moment of dizziness, he realized White Rat had vanished.

    ¡°He got away¡­ like a weasel,¡± Zhanyue quickly moved to a clean area to recover. ¡°Next time I see him, I won¡¯t let him off so easily,¡± he said through gritted teeth.

 Chapter 202: A Bewildering Maze

    Chapter 202: A Bewildering Maze

    In a Fox God temple somewhere, White Rat had escaped to after evading Zhanyue. After waiting idly for a long time, a figurepletely shrouded in a ck robe finally entered.

    ¡°You¡¯re finally here. This old man has been waiting for ages,¡± White Rat¡¯s eyes lit up upon seeing the neer.

    ¡°How did the mission go?¡± the ck-robed person asked.

    ¡°It failed. Your n had too many ws. General Yue probably doesn¡¯t believe in any Fox God business. I didn¡¯t dare to stay by his side, and as for that treasure protecting General Yue, I couldn¡¯t find it at all. Could your intelligence be wrong?¡± White Rat hurriedly deflected me.

    The ck-robed figure remained silent for a long while before saying, ¡°Hmph, truly as timid as a rat. Yue Feipeng is lucky indeed. Even the fox spirit¡¯s poison couldn¡¯t take his life. He must have a powerful treasure protecting him. What a waste of such a good opportunity.¡±

    ¡°If it was your poison, why did you provide the antidote?¡± White Rat asked, puzzled.

    ¡°Is that something you should be asking? In any case, if you want us to help rescue your son, you need to aplish something. Since you can¡¯t return to General Yue¡¯s side, you¡¯ll have to carry out the next mission,¡± the ck-robed person continued.

    ¡°What mission? Don¡¯t push this old man too hard,¡± White Rat asked, having no choice but toply since they had leverage over him.

    ¡°It¡¯s simple. Just go to a ce,¡± the ck-robed person said calmly. ¡°What ce?¡±

    ¡°Hell!¡±

    White Rat¡¯s hair stood on end as he ran towards the door at top speed. However, the ck-robed person seemed prepared. With a grab of their hand, they pulled White Rat back.

    ¡°Dragon Catching Hand? You¡¯re the leader of the Divine Dragon Guard!¡± White Rat eximed in shock, his body involuntarily retreating to the ck-robed person¡¯s side.

    ¡°Good observation, but you still have to die!¡± The ck-robed person struck out with a palm towards White Rat. If it connected, it would surely kill the old man on the spot.

    White Rat used his signature move again, letting out a thunderous fart. The horrible smell spread quickly, making the ck-robed person dizzy. The palm strike went off course, only hitting the old man¡¯s arm. In an instant, White Rat vanished.

    ¡°Seeking death!¡± The ck-robed person was about to give chase when suddenly, it felt as if a pair of hands reached out from the ground, tripping them. They looked at the ground suspiciously but found it smooth with nothing there. Though puzzled, pursuing White Rat was more urgent at the moment.

    White Rat fled desperately, not knowing where to go. The ck-robed person¡¯s speed was no slower than his.

    ¡°Go to the general¡¯s mansion. Only there is safe,¡± a mysterious voice appeared in White Rat¡¯s ear. He looked around confused, seeing no one. Though frightened, he thought it over and realized the general¡¯s mansion might indeed be the only safe ce. The ck-robed person probably wouldn¡¯t dare to rush into the general¡¯s mansion recklessly. At least officially, the general was still alive thanks to him.

    White Rat ran towards the general¡¯s mansion with the ck-robed person in hot pursuit. Suddenly, another pair of hands emerged from the ground, causing the ck-robed person to fall heavily.

    The ck-robed person stood up, looking at the ground with eyes full of fear. Something was definitely hindering their pursuit, but they couldn¡¯t see anyone.

    ¡°Are you human or ghost? Come out,e out now!¡± the ck-robed person shouted.

    Zhanyue naturally ignored them. Soon, he caught up with White Rat and carried the severely injured old man towards the general¡¯s mansion. The ck-robed person stopped outside Iron Horse City.

    ¡°It seems there¡¯s an unexpected variable in the n. Who is this person?¡± The ck-robed person frowned, but then rxed. ¡°No matter what, as long as Yue Feipeng falls into the trap, it¡¯s a sess. I¡¯d better go back and report.¡±

    The ck-robed person vanished in an instant.

    In the general¡¯s mansion, White Rat nowy on the bed. Although only his shoulder was struck, the injury was still severe. The ck-robed person¡¯s strength wasn¡¯t much weaker than Eunuch Cao¡¯s.

    Under Feng Xueqing¡¯s treatment, White Rat soon could sit up. He opened his eyes to find four people surrounding him: Zhanyue, Feng Xueqing, Yue Feipeng, and Deputy General Li.

    ¡°Tell us, what¡¯s really going on? I won¡¯t make things difficult for you,¡± Yue Feipeng asked.

    White Rat sighed, realizing he had no choice but to confess honestly. If the ck-robed person was unfaithful, they couldn¡¯t me him for being disloyal. They betrayed him first.

    ¡°I am the world¡¯s number one thief king, White Rat. I believe the general has heard of my name. One day, my son and I broke into the imperial pce. My son was caught and thrown into the imperial prison, while I barely escaped. A few dayster, a ck-robed person found me, saying they could help rescue my son from prison, but I needed to do something for them,¡± White Rat confessed everything.

    ¡°They said General Yue Feipeng had been poisoned by fox spirit venom, which ordinary medicine couldn¡¯t cure. They gave me a gourd, saying it contained the antidote, and told me to use it to save the general. At the same time, they said the fox spirit venom was very potent, and ordinary people wouldn¡¯t survive it. Since the general had held on for so long, he must have a treasure protecting him. They wanted me to investigate and find a chance to steal this treasure while curing him.¡±

    ¡°Later, through a series of schemes, I convinced General Zhang of my divine doctor identity, and he brought me to General Yue. Not knowing medicine, I naturally couldn¡¯t just hand over the antidote directly; that would be too obvious. So I came up with the Fox God curse excuse to make the general drink the antidote. During this time, I didn¡¯t actually find any treasure on the general. After the general woke up, he didn¡¯t seem to believe the Fox God story much. I could sense this, and knew I would be exposed if I stayed, so I found a chance to slip away,¡± White Rat exined.

    ¡°However, this Young Master Zhan is indeed impressive, able to catch up with me. Thanks to Young Master Zhan¡¯s rescue, I was able to escape with my life,¡± White Rat said gratefully. The ck-robed person was too strong; he was no match at all.

    Zhanyue fell into thought, then asked, ¡°I have three questions. First, what is ¡®fox spirit venom¡¯? Second, why did they poison the general and then provide the antidote? Third, who is the ck-robed person?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know the answer to the first question. I only heard the ck-robed person say the general was poisoned with fox spirit venom. Could there really be fox spirits in this world?¡± The old man was also puzzled.

    Yue Feipeng¡¯s face darkened. He didn¡¯t want to hear the word ¡®fox¡¯ anymore. His mind was in turmoil.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know the answer to the second question either. Why they poisoned and then cured. As for the third question, I do have some clues. When the ck-robed person caught me, they used the legendary ¡®Dragon Catching Hand¡¯. This martial art should only be known to Qian Ren, the leader of the Divine Dragon Guard now, right?¡± As the old man finished speaking, Yue Feipeng and Deputy General Li drew in sharp breaths.

    ¡°The Divine Dragon Guard is the most secret force under the imperial court, answering only to the current emperor. So it was him!¡± Deputy General Li said through gritted teeth, ¡°This ipetent ruler! Why would he do this to the general!¡±

    ¡°Li Ping! Watch your words!¡± Yue Feipeng reprimanded.

    ¡°The second question, hehe, isn¡¯t it easy to exin?¡± Deputy General Li¡¯s eyes were bloodshot with anger. ¡°In the past, the Blue Hill Kingdom was frightened by the general and signed a peace treaty with His Majesty. After long peace, he¡¯s now ungrateful, seeing the general as a threat, so he had someone poison him and framed Blue Hill. However, who would have thought the general would be so lucky and survive the poisoning. During youra, Blue Hill has been amassing troops, seemingly preparing to tear up the treaty. Fearing he had no one to use, afraid a new general couldn¡¯tmand us, he had to find a way to cure you so you could guard the border for him.¡±

    Zhanyue frowned, ¡°Isn¡¯t this too childish?¡±

    ¡°Childish? Of course it¡¯s childish. What wouldn¡¯t that ipetent emperor do? It¡¯s all too normal for him to do such things,¡± Deputy General Li spoke up for his general. The general was loyal, guarding the border for him. When he felt the general was useless and a threat, he nned to poison him. When the poisoning failed and he felt the general was still useful, he sent the antidote. He had always treated the general as just a tool. Such an emperor was truly disheartening.

    ¡°Say less. It¡¯s all just your spection. His Majesty, His Majesty although¡­ might not necessarily harm me. Thete emperor¡¯s kindness to me was as heavy as a mountain. I once swore an oath before him that I would guard his kingdom well,¡± General Yue said, though the shadow in his heart grew deeper. Fox spirit, fox spirit venom¡­ could the secret in that letter be true? If so, what should he do?

    Back in their room, the two who had received their missions didn¡¯t rush to leave. This time they had to act separately, and they suddenly felt a bit reluctant to part.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Something on your mind?¡± Feng Xueqing asked, seeing Zhanyue¡¯s furrowed brow.

    ¡°The Heavenly Book trial can¡¯t be this simple. I always feel something¡¯s not right. I thought this was just an ordinary martial arts world, but now there¡¯s talk of fox spirits and Fox Gods. It¡¯s strange,¡± Zhanyue said.

    ¡°There was indeed a mysterious power protecting General Yue¡¯s heart meridian, keeping him alive, but whether it¡¯s a treasure is hard to say. But with our current strength, shouldn¡¯t we be able to walk sideways in this world without problems?¡± Feng Xueqing said.

    ¡°No problems is the biggest problem. Now, even if I encountered Eunuch Cao again, he couldn¡¯t do anything to me. Worst case, I could use Earth Traversing to escape. But this way, the trial tasks ahead seem too simple. Helping General Yue win the war ¨C if I wanted, I could go assassinate the Blue Hillmander now, and the task would be nearlyplete. And for you, that gue is even easier. As long as General Yue cooperates with you, with enough manpower and resources, controlling the gue is just a matter of time. This trial seems too simple, which is why I find it strange,¡± Zhanyue analyzed.

    Feng Xueqing was speechless. This man ¨C wasn¡¯t it good if the trial tasks were a bit simpler?

    However, Feng Xueqing and Zhanyue¡¯s identity tokens suddenly sounded simultaneously. ¡°Unlocking hidden trial task. You will have the opportunity to decide the direction of this world. Please make your choices wisely. Taskpletion condition: Unknown. Uponpleting the hidden task, you can directlyplete the trial in this world.¡±

    However, this hidden trial task left the two looking at each other in bewilderment. The taskpletion condition was unknown?!

 Chapter 203: The Night Before Parting

    Chapter 203: The Night Before Parting

    Ravaged by gue and famine, disaster finally spread from Wu North to Wu South. The people were in panic, already hoarding food and supplies, preparing to relocate. At the border of Wu North and the Northern Frontier provinces was a city called Tianwen. Once a bustling border town between the two provinces, it was now deste. The merchant caravans oncemon were now rarely seen, and the once-busy streets now had only sparse stalls.

    Rows of shops stood empty, their former bustle long gone. On the old storefronts, mottled wood carvings and red paint had silently peeled off, revealing bare white walls beneath. Atop withering phoenix trees, yellowed leaves danced elegantly in the autumn wind, adding a touch of destion to the barren city.

    ¡°Make way, make way!¡± A caravan suddenly entered the city, with two lines of tall-horsed soldiers guarding a carriage in the center. Passersby hurriedly moved aside, staying far away to avoid trouble. Suddenly, an old blind man walked into the middle of the road. The lead soldier reined in his horse, halting the entire procession.

    ¡°Old fool, are you seeking death?¡± the soldier berated.

    ¡°S-sorry,¡± the blind old man was startled. Though he couldn¡¯t see, he could hear the horses and knew this group was not to be trifled with. He hurriedly tried to move aside but tripped and fell again.

    ¡°You¡­¡± The soldier, seeing him still not clearing the way, was clearly angered.

    ¡°Zhao Hu, what¡¯s the matter?¡± A gentle voice came from within the carriage.

    ¡°Reporting to Your Highness, a blind old man is blocking the road, disturbing our progress. This subordinate deserves death,¡± the soldier named Zhao Hu replied.

    The carriage curtain was lifted, and a distinguished, gentle middle-aged man stepped out. He wore a golden robe and crown, holding a folding fan. He descended from the carriage, curiously surveying the street. Themoners all kept their distance but couldn¡¯t resist looking on curiously. The brocade-d middle-aged man was none other than the current emperor¡¯s half-brother, Prince Yu.

    ¡°Your Highness, be careful of traps,¡± Zhao Hu warned.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, remember, I have martial arts skills too,¡± Prince Yu replied.

    He walked to the old man¡¯s side, helped him to the roadside, and inquired, ¡°Old sir, I remember Tianwen City used to be very prosperous. How has ite to this state?¡±

    The old man replied in a trembling voice, ¡°Reporting to Your Lordship, they say the gue is about to spread here. Those who could flee have fled. Only us old, weak, sick, and disabled remain, or those whose entire livelihoods are here and can¡¯t leave.¡±

    ¡°I see. It seems the situation is more serious than I imagined,¡± Prince Yu helped the old man to the roadside before returning to his carriage. ¡°To contain thisrge-scale epidemic, the few people under mymand are far from enough. The administrative systems of Wu South and Wu North are nearly paralyzed. The urgent task is to find enough manpower to restore the governance system. We must continue north to the Northern Frontier Province. Currently, only there can we borrow troops. In these chaotic times, only military forces can efficiently execute orders.¡±

    While Prince Yu was heading to the Northern Frontier to borrow troops to control the disaster, a scene was unfolding in the imperial capital.

    A Taoist priest in robes was tending to a furnace of medicinal pills. After a long while, the pills were ready. A fat man standing nearby immediately approached.

    ¡°Imperial Advisor, how is it? Is this batch of pills ready?¡± the fat man asked excitedly.

    ¡°Reporting to Your Majesty, this humble official has not failed his mission. This furnace has produced seven pills,¡± the Taoist-dressed man said.

    ¡°Only seven? This cost me seven million taels, averaging one million per pill. Will eating them grant immortality?¡± the Great Fortune Emperor inquired.

    The old Taoist shook his head, ¡°Immortality isn¡¯t so easy, but they will certainly extend life and improve health.¡±

    The emperor took the pills and swallowed one. He felt the pill¡¯s power spreading through his body, nourishing his internal organs. His face showed satisfaction; these few million taels were well spent.

    ¡°Your Majesty, I heard Wu South Province is gued by an epidemic? They say this gue is particrly severe, even spreading to Wu North with fleeing refugees?¡± the old Taoist asked. Usually, epidemics spread within one province at most, because the more severe the gue, the higher the mortality rate, and the faster patients die, preventing widespread transmission. Only gues with strong transmission and long incubation periods would show such widespread propagation across multiple regions. This was not a good sign.

    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. Because of this, I¡¯ve even generously exempted them from a year¡¯s taxes. But Wu South and Wu North are poor ces anyway, not much revenue to collect. The court is full of ipetents, all talk and no action when ites to solving real problems. I¡¯ve entrusted the gue matter entirely to my royal brother,¡± the Great Fortune Emperor said.

    ¡°Your Majesty, Prince Yu¡¯s reputation is too prominent, which might be unfavorable to you. He already has high prestige among the people. If he sessfully resolves this gue, I fear¡­¡± the Imperial Advisor warned, his eyes full of caution.

    ¡°Advisor, you¡¯re worried about him rebelling? You¡¯re overthinking. My royal brother doesn¡¯t have the guts. Besides, he only has less than two thousand royal guards, while the Dragon Tiger Army guarding the capital has a full hundred thousand men, led by my uncle. Even if he had the courage, hecks the strength,¡± the Great Fortune Emperor, though ipetent, wasn¡¯t stupid. He had put much effort into ensuring his personal safety.

    ¡°He may not be ill, but Wu North is close to the Northern Frontier, where General Yue is stationed. What if they join forces?¡± the Imperial Advisor continued.

    The emperorughed heartily, ¡°Advisor, you jest. Let alone the fact that General Yue Feipeng¡¯s troops must face the northern Blue Hill Kingdom¡¯s army, you don¡¯t understand Yue Feipeng. This man is unparalleled in loyalty and righteousness, valuing promises and reputation far above his own life. He once swore before thete emperor to guard my throne. Thete emperor told me that General Feipeng is Great Fortune¡¯s Great Wall, the sharp de of imperial power. Even if the whole world rebelled, he would not. You can restpletely assured.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡± The Imperial Advisor wanted to say more. ¡°Ah.¡± He remembered that Eunuch Cao, whom he had sent to investigate that matter, had gone silent. Cao was likely in grave danger, but who in the world could be his match?

    ¡°No buts. How about this: I¡¯ll send someone from the Divine Dragon Guard to the Northern Frontier to monitor their movements. Will that suffice?¡± the emperor said. He controlled the Dragon Tiger Army and the Divine Dragon Guard. Yue Feipeng was loyal, and the court officials supported the emperor and followed the rules. Though he was ipetent, only themon people suffered. He had given plenty of benefits to these officials. Compared to tyrants who frequently killed officials, he was quite amiable. As for themon people? As long as they had food to eat, they wouldn¡¯t rebel. He understood this well, and even if they did rebel, it would only be in a few provinces. He had the power to suppress them. His throne was very secure.

    In a secret room in the Northern Frontier General¡¯s Mansion, there were still only four people: Yue Feipeng, Deputy General Li, Zhanyue, and Feng Xueqing.

    ¡°Prince Yu has sent word that the Wu South gue shows signs of spreading to Wu North. If Wu North falls, it will inevitably affect the Northern Frontier. If the Northern Frontier is unstable, logistics cannot be guaranteed, so we must control the gue. I have rmended you two to Prince Yu. I hope you won¡¯t decline. This is a great meritorious deed. Once the gue is contained, I will certainly report to His Majesty,mending your achievements,¡± Yue Feipeng said. Now knowing Feng Xueqing¡¯s exceptional medical skills, he naturally wouldn¡¯t miss this opportunity.

    ¡°This¡­¡± Feng Xueqing looked at Zhanyue beside her, who nodded. ¡°Go. If you gain Prince Yu¡¯s trust, your suggestions and measures can be properly implemented.¡±

    ¡°Alright,¡± Feng Xueqing nodded.

    Then Zhanyue said to Yue Feipeng, ¡°My wife can stay in Wu North. I¡¯m willing to go north with the general. Firstly, I know some medical skills and can serve as an army doctor. Secondly, my lightness skill is quite good, and I can do many things for the general.¡±

    Yue Feipeng looked at Zhanyue, frowning in deep thought. This young man¡¯s background was too mysterious, but he always felt he wasn¡¯t a bad person and could be of great use. Whether delivering the message, curing his poison, or pursuing White Rat, he had been of great help. He was definitely a capable person.

    Deputy General Li also said, ¡°General, take young brother Zhanyue along. His skills are exceptional and might be very useful in theing battles.¡±

    ¡°Very well, you can stay by my side,¡± Yue Feipeng finally agreed.

    Back in their room, Feng Xueqing and Zhanyue both felt reluctant to part. Having shared a room for so long, though nothing had happened, they had grown ustomed to each other¡¯s presence. These days of discussing alchemy methods had been fruitful for both. In a few days, they would have to separate, one going south to assist Prince Yu in quelling the gue, the other going north to help General Yue against Blue Hill.

    ¡°Keep this with you at all times, never take it off. But remember, don¡¯t open it to look!¡± Feng Xueqing handed Zhanyue a tightly sewn cloth package, its contents invisible. Her face was now slightly flushed.

    ¡°What is this?¡± Zhanyue asked, holding the small package curiously.

    ¡°Something that can save your life. Going to the battlefield, with your skills, you should be safe. But I still have a bad feeling. Your task definitely won¡¯t be that simple. With this, I¡¯ll feel more at ease. My task of managing the gue in the rear is rtively safer,¡± Feng Xueqing exined.

    ¡°Uh, alright,¡± Zhanyue didn¡¯t know what was in the package but tucked it into his clothes.

    Feng Xueqing reminded him again, ¡°Don¡¯t open the package to peek, or I¡­ I won¡¯t forgive you.¡±

    ¡°I understand¡­¡± Zhanyue agreed, but was even more curious about what she had given him. They talked for a long while before going to sleep. Lying in bed, Feng Xueqing¡¯s face was red with embarrassment. She had been so bold to give that thing to Zhanyue, but with it by his side, it was like giving him an extra life, which put her mind at ease.

 Chapter 204: Questioning

    Chapter 204: Questioning

    The next day, Zhanyue changed into new attire, looking like one of General Yue¡¯smon soldiers. Feng Xueqing stood beside him, adjusting his armor and clothes. To outsiders, they appeared no different from a married couple, unaware that the two were merely acting.

    ¡°You should set off for Wu North now. With your current strength, I feel at ease,¡± Zhanyue said. Prince Yu was at the border of Wu North and the Northern Frontier, having borrowed ten thousand soldiers from General Yue to quell the disaster. To solve the gue issue, many physicians were needed. General Yue Feipeng had rmended Feng Xueqing to Prince Yu, which was exactly what Feng Xueqing wanted, as her task was to contain the gue.

    ¡°Mm, I know. Be careful on your journey too. I have a feeling this war won¡¯t be simple. Make sure to keep what I gave you with you at all times. But that package ¨C don¡¯t open it,¡± Feng Xueqing emphasized once again.

    ¡°I know,¡± Zhanyue said, a bit exasperated. How many times had she stressed this? What exactly was in that sealed cloth package?

    Feng Xueqing boarded the carriage. This time, she had an escort. She lifted the carriage curtain to look at Zhanyue, feeling reluctant to leave. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare die,¡± Feng Xueqing said finally. Although death for them merely meant wasting one life, their tasks might no longer be synchronized, and it was impossible to predict what changes might ur.

    After seeing Feng Xueqing off, Zhanyue returned to the general¡¯s mansion.

    ¡°ording to our forward scouts, the Blue Hill army seems to havepleted their mobilization and is ready to move south at any time. Their preparations this time are quite thorough,¡± Yue Feipeng said, pointing to a map on the table.

    ¡°The Wu South gue will likely spread to Wu North soon, and then affect the Northern Frontier. They won¡¯t miss this opportunity. They¡¯re just waiting, waiting for the gue to break out on arge scale and affect our morale. That¡¯s when they¡¯llunch arge-scale invasion,¡± Li Guolin said. Deputy General Li once again pointedly identified the reason for Blue Hill¡¯s dy in attacking. The gue hadn¡¯t truly affected the army yet, so they were willing to wait. But General Yue might not be able to wait.

    ¡°We can¡¯t sit idly by. We can take the initiative to strike, to cripple and frighten them first. This way, we can buy enough time for Prince Yu to solve the gue problem. Otherwise, if we wait for the gue to spread among our troops, it will be impossible to counterattack,¡± Yue Feipeng said. ¡°Taking the initiative might also be within their expectations. It would be difficult to catch them off guard. This looks to be a tough battle,¡± Deputy General Zhang also offered his insight.

    ¡°Well said, but in previous engagements with our army, Blue Hill has always been defeated. Therefore, their soldiersrgely fear us. This is our greatest advantage ¨C they are apprehensive before the battle even begins, while our morale is high. If we make good use of this morale difference, our chances of victory in this battle are greater,¡± Deputy General Li exined.

    Yue Feipeng said, ¡°You¡¯re all correct, but this time Blue Hill¡¯s preparations far exceed previous asions. This war might not end as quickly as we hope. The key to the war actually lies in whether our logistics can be guaranteed, and whether Prince Yu can sessfully quell the disasters in Wu South and Wu North. If our rear is stable, they naturally won¡¯t dare to engage in prolonged warfare. Prince Yu has already begun to gather money and supplies from the surrounding provinces to solve this disaster and help with some of our military expenses. Although the national treasury is empty, these local powers still have abundant wealth.¡±

    ¡°General Yue, who exactly is this Prince Yu?¡± Zhanyue asked curiously. He had heard this name mentioned multiple times in recent days, always with respect and admiration.

    ¡°Prince Yu is His Majesty¡¯s brother, exceptionally capable and of excellent character. The fief he governs is peaceful, with thriving industries. It has always been the most prosperous region after the capital, and the wealthiest area in Great Fortune, consistently paying the highest taxes. Now, with court officials old and corrupt, and no suitable candidates among the frontier governors, His Majesty had no choice but to entrust this important task to Prince Yu,¡± Yue Feipeng exined, then handed Zhanyue a promation.

    ¡°This promation was written by Prince Yu. He has long been gathering relief supplies and funds from the surrounding major provinces,¡± Yue Feipeng exined.

    Zhanyue took the promation, which contained a poem:

    ¡°gue and famine afflict the people, grief silences even tears;

    Winteres with no warm quilts, humble rooms shelter the old;

    Years pass swiftly, people struggle to survive.

    Three share one fruit, five divide a cooked rat;

    When wild grass withers, people turn to cannibalism.

    I think of our Great Fortune, spanning thirteen provinces,

    In good years all prosper, in disaster years each suffers alone?

    The pig in your nest is fatter than the people here;

    The rich soak in wine cups, able to nourish unborn babes;

    The wealthy¡¯s granaries full, could save roadside skeletons.

    If Wu South can¡¯t be saved, how can Wu North survive,

    If brothers don¡¯t help each other, this family will scatter.

    With gue still rampant, enemy troops gather,

    Iron hooves march south, how to preserve the realm;

    I wish you¡¯d climb high towers, open your eyes to see a thousand miles.

    Cers hide fine wine, to be left for enemy looters?

    Better to share food, to strengthen our people,

    Strong people make strong armies, strong armies secure the nation.

    When good years return, granaries will fill again,

    Brew joyous wine then, to enjoy peaceful days.

    s, I know not who can see bleached bones in the wild without sorrow!

    Consider our Great Fortune¡¯s thousand-year legacy until now,

    Built on the people¡¯s deep trust, how can today¡¯s benevolence not match the ancients?

    What should the powerful do? Need I say more?¡±

    Thest line was almost a naked threat. Zhanyue thought Prince Yu¡¯s reputation must be extraordinary.

    ¡°I can trust Prince Yu with the rear. We should focus our attention on the front lines. In three days, we officially move to the front. We can¡¯t let Blue Hill upy advantageous positions,¡± Yue Feipeng said.

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Everyone epted the orders and left to prepare. Only Yue Feipeng and Zhanyue remained.

    General Yue poured Zhanyue a cup of wine and said, ¡°Your and Divine Doctor Feng¡¯s identities must be extraordinary, like young masters and misses from some reclusive family suddenly emerging into the world. But I still trust you very much. Do you know why?¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡± Zhanyue shook his head.

    ¡°Because your purpose is too pure, you¡¯re overly enthusiastic, your motives too simple,¡± Yue Feipeng continued. ¡°I can see that you stayed by my side to help me win this war, while Divine Doctor Feng went to Prince Yu to help solve the gue problem. What is this? Is it a trial task given by your family?¡±

    Zhanyue felt his back break out in a cold sweat. Though the people of this world were all ordinary, it didn¡¯t mean their observation, reasoning, and intelligence were mediocre. Yue Feipeng had been observing Zhanyue and Feng Xueqing for days, only feeling at ease after confirming they weren¡¯t spies. He recalled stories of reclusive families he had read in ancient texts and made the connection. Feng Xueqing¡¯s medical skills were exceptional, and this Zhanyue was even more remarkable, able to capture the world¡¯s number one thief king, clearly extraordinary.

    ¡°You¡¯re probably not even from Great Fortune, are you?¡± Yue Feipeng continued to ask.

    ¡°We don¡¯t belong to any country,¡± Zhanyue answered truthfully.

    Yue Feipeng nodded, indicating he had indeed thought so.

    ¡°Then, what¡¯s your view on the current state of my Great Fortune?¡± Yue Feipeng probed.

    Zhanyue spoke honestly, ¡°Great Fortune has a thousand-year heritage and has seen several enlightened rulers, greatly strengthening its national power. It controls thirteen provinces, with agriculture,merce, and military might all ranking at the forefront among nations, with only the northern Blue Hill Kingdom able to match it. But in the current reign, due to His Majesty¡¯s neglect of state affairs, pursuit of immortality, and belief in various superstitions, the national treasury is depleted, corruption is rampant, and the people can barely survive. This Wu South affair is both a natural disaster and a man-made cmity. If Wu South¡¯s officials had found the right measures to deal with it early on, it wouldn¡¯t have developed to this extent.¡± Zhanyue¡¯s observations came from the most sincere voices of themon people and some schrs.

    ¡°As an outsider to Great Fortune, you¡¯re more objective. It¡¯s said that if Prince Yu were the emperor today, everything would be different. What¡¯s your view on this?¡± Yue Feipeng continued to ask.

    Zhanyue¡¯s pupils suddenly contracted slightly. This question was difficult to answer; if word got out, it could be a capital offense. He hadn¡¯t expected Yue Feipeng to so bluntly seek his opinion on such a matter.

 Chapter 205: Discourse on the Son of Heaven

    Chapter 205: Discourse on the Son of Heaven

    ¡°General, you truly speak shocking words,¡± Zhanyue sighed. ¡°The current ruler on the throne isn¡¯t doing well enough, so everyone thinks he should be reced, and Prince Yu seems suitable. But I know a story about a man named Wang Mang, who was like a sage before ascending the throne, butpletely changed after bing emperor. He caused more harm to the people than his predecessor, leading to a change of dynasty.¡±

    Yue Feipeng nodded, ¡°Prince Yu is too perfect, so perfect it seems unreal. That¡¯s why I¡¯ve never dared to trust him too much. Do you know why throughout history, the eldest legitimate son inherits the throne instead of choosing the most capable?¡±

    Zhanyue shook his head. Even in his previous life, the eldest legitimate son always inherited, even if he was an imbecile. Emperor Hui of Jin, Sima Zhong, was the best example.

    Yue Feipeng exined, ¡°The foundation of order is stability, and the foundation of stability is clear rules. Without rules, nothing can be achieved. The eldest legitimate son is an objective fact; capability is not. Who defines capability? Who can truly judge if a person is capable? Throughout history, those who rebelled always imed to be purging evil ministers, then deposed the ruler for being ipetent. In the end, whoever had the strongest army decided who was capable. The eldest legitimate son as the legitimate heir avoids many ims of righteousness. Many rules that you know aren¡¯t entirely correct or good exist simply because there¡¯s no better alternative. An ipetent emperor can be overthrown with righteous banners, and all will rejoice because the emperor is truly ipetent. But once it¡¯s established that only the capable can be rulers, the realm will fall into chaos. Because someone can be capable today and incapable tomorrow. After all, no one can avoid mistakes or foolishness forever. How long must one be capable to qualify? To what degree? How many ipetent acts warrant recing an emperor? Who decides?¡±

    Zhanyue frowned at Yue Feipeng¡¯s words. Indeed, if he only focused on the current problem, there was a clear answer: the emperor is ipetent, everyone thinks he¡¯s incapable, so rece him with someone better. But when everyone epts this system, the real trouble begins. Can capability be objectively and fairly quantified? Can themon people truly receive urate information? In ancient times, there was the practice of rmending filial and incorrupt individuals, which led to a series of performances of filial piety. So the seemingly unreliable system of eldest son inheritance is actually the one that can achieve true stability.

    ¡°These words were told to me by thete emperor,¡± Yue Feipeng continued. ¡°He showed me great kindness. Before the crown prince ascended the throne, he made me swear to assist him in securing his reign. Because thete emperor knew that only with my support, as Great Fortune¡¯s war god, could the realm truly be stable. Of course, he could have chosen to eliminate me, but with Blue Hill rising, he didn¡¯t want to destroy his own great wall.¡±

    People always said General Yue was loyal, even when the current emperor was ipetent and unkind. Zhanyue had previously thought this was foolish loyalty, but now he saw it wasn¡¯t so simple.

    ¡°General, I have another question,¡± Zhanyue said. ¡°Are there any supernatural powers in this world? Like forces far beyond ordinary martial artists?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve heard too much about fox spirits and fox gods today, so now you¡¯re curious about this?¡± Yue Feipeng smiled, then continued, ¡°There have always been legends of spirits and gods, but I¡¯ve never seen them, so I don¡¯t believe in the Fox God religion. I¡¯ve destroyed countless temples and recovered mountains of wealth from their followers, all scammed from themon people. But besides legends of spirits or gods, there are powers beyond martial arts in this world.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Zhanyue sat up straight, interested.

    ¡°Legend has it that long, long ago, there were concepts of immortal cultivation here, with many terrestrial immortals. Butter, something happened, and everything changed. The immortals vanished from the mortal world, leaving only legends, andter, even most of these legends were lost. But not all traces disappeared from this world. There are still spirit fruits and magical treasures.¡±

    ¡°Spirit fruits? Magical treasures?¡± Zhanyue was shocked.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. The reason I didn¡¯t die from that severe poison before was because I had eaten a spirit fruit called the Qilin Fruit. Actually, that Qilin Fruit was given to me by Prince Yu, so he saved my life in a way,¡± Yue Feipeng said nostalgically. Years ago, he was hit by a poisoned arrow that wouldn¡¯t heal. When Prince Yu heard about it, he sent a Qilin Fruit. After eating it, not only did his injury heal, but his constitution far exceeded what it was before. This time, he could withstand the so-called fox spirit poison for so long also because of the Qilin Fruit.

    Zhanyue nodded. Earlier, Feng Xueqing had said she could sense a mysterious power protecting Yue Feipeng¡¯s heart meridian. Now it seemed that was the Qilin Fruit.

    ¡°Besides spirit fruits, there are the rarer magical treasures. I only know of one, in the hands of Ma Qiangang, the leader of the Dragon Tiger Guard. He¡¯s His Majesty¡¯s uncle and most trusted general, so the Thunder-Controlling Divine Whip ended up in his hands. Without the magical treasure, he¡¯s far from my match, but with it, I¡¯m certainly no match for him,¡± Yue Feipeng said.

    ¡°Thunder-Controlling Divine Whip!¡± Zhanyue¡¯s eyes flickered. This world really did have treasures. He wondered if these treasures could be taken out of this world as rewards. But he didn¡¯t get his hopes up too much. Compared to the treasures in the Myriad Spirits Realm, even the most powerful treasures in this world would be limited.

    ¡°I know your abilities are extraordinary, but you still need to be careful, especially when fighting the Blue Hill armyter. They might have magical treasures as trump cards, after all, they¡¯re also a thousand-year-old empire,¡± Yue Feipeng warned.

    Zhanyue nodded. He was always cautious and wouldn¡¯t make such mistakes. But the general¡¯s words today made Zhanyue even more confused. What exactly was that hidden task? What was the Heavenly Book¡¯s trial trying to convey to him? He still had no idea.

    The two talked pleasantly. Three days passed in a sh, and the army set out for the front lines. A great battle was imminent. The vast army traversed the Northern Frontier, moving towards the border with Blue Hill. Great Fortune¡¯s advantage was their well-equipped infantry, while Blue Hill¡¯s was their cavalry. Their mission now was to upy the high ground and advantageous terrain to prevent the enemy cavalry from gaining an advantage.

    ¡°General Yue, our speed can¡¯t match their cavalry, right? Even if we rush at full speed, we might not be able to upy Guanshang Ridge before them,¡± Zhanyue asked.

    ¡°No matter, I¡¯ve made arrangements,¡± Yue Feipeng smiled.

    Deputy General Li beside him said, ¡°The general arranged for secret troops to guard Guanshang Ridge long ago, and even put some special feed in the grasnds below. The horses of Blue Hill¡¯s vanguard cavalry are probably all having diarrhea by now. We believe they can hold out until we arrive.¡±

 Chapter 206: Stalemate

    Chapter 206: Stalemate

    In the endless cosmos, distances measured in light-years separated civilizations. Yet powerful civilizations still produced mighty beings who could traverse the universe in physical form.

    Gods could easily destroy gxies, but across countless star systems, even they couldn¡¯t reach. A god¡¯s avatar tore through space in a golden light, moving at speeds beyond causality, its destination the marked red star ¨C the location of the Myriad Spirits Realm.

    In the Myriad Spirits Realm, night had fallen. The Strategist sat in a pavilion like an ordinary human, his gaze fixed on the red moon and the star that the Goddess had be. In his eyes, he could see countless threads of starlight rising from the mortal world towards the bright moon. Though the threads were thin, their number was vast. From all corners of the world, wherever the stars shone, this mysterious power was converging towards the Illumination Goddess.

    Watching this scene, the Strategist murmured to himself: ¡°None of the past emperors could be gods, yet this little girl seeded. Only true gods can absorb the power of people¡¯s faith. They won¡¯t allow a real god to be born in this world. She¡¯s still too weak, even as a god, she¡¯s just a small deity. To resolve this crisis, perhaps only¡­¡±

    In the Heavenly Book world, Zhanyue naturally didn¡¯t know about the great crisis the Illumination Goddess was about to face. He was currently with Yue Feipeng, resisting the Blue Hill army¡¯s offensive. Under Yue Feipeng¡¯smand, the Great Fortune army was incredibly strong, with every soldier fearless and eager to fight. At first, the Great Fortune army gained a significant advantage, not only securing the high ground but also dealing a heavy defeat to the Blue Hill army.

    The first month was a great victory, the second month a draw, but by the third month, they were at a disadvantage.

    In the military camp, all themanders were frowning. They could sense that the Blue Hill army was exceptionally fierce this time, with high morale,pletely different from before.

    ¡°What happened, Deputy General Li? I ordered you to nk from the right wing. Your troops are all elites. They didn¡¯t have a numerical advantage, yet they routed you! This ruined my entire strategy,¡± Yue Feipeng sternly questioned. His n had no ws, it should have been a certain victory, yet it ended in a draw, and Li¡¯s elite troops suffered heavy losses.

    Li immediately admitted fault and exined: ¡°This subordinate followed orders. Everything was normal at first, they indeed were no match for us. But suddenly, a fierce wind arose, stronger than I¡¯ve ever seen. Our soldiers¡¯ eyes were blinded by flying sand and stones. Our arrows couldn¡¯t fly out, while theirs came with doubled force on the wind. I wanted to wait for the wind to stop, but it didn¡¯t. In the end, we were driven back. Please punish me, General.¡± Yue Feipeng was now officially inmand, referred to as ¡°General¡± in the army.

    ¡°General,¡± anothermander stepped forward, ¡°Something is very wrong. Earlier, I led troops to set an ambush. The weather was fine, but suddenly there was a downpour, dying our march. We couldn¡¯t reach the ambush point on time. It feels like the heavens are favoring the Blue Hill army.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense,¡± Yue Feipeng quickly rebuked, not wanting to shake the army¡¯s morale.

    Beside him, Zhanyue also frowned. Over these months, he could sense Yue Feipeng¡¯s brilliant strategies, worthy of his title as a war god. Yet Blue Hill hadn¡¯t been defeated by the offensive, instead dragging both sides into a war of attrition, due to too many unexpected variables. ¡°Could the other side have someone like Archmage Liu Xiu?¡±

    ¡°General, I also encountered something strange earlier,¡± anothermander reported. ¡°I met the Blue Hill army on a narrow road and once again faced my old rival, Dugu Ling. In the past, we were evenly matched, neither able to defeat the other. But in our recent encounter, his strength suddenly increased dramatically. I was almost captured alive. Fortunately, loyal soldiers came to my rescue, saving me from disgrace. Thinking back, that sudden increase in strength didn¡¯t seem like any martial art technique, but more like sorcery.¡±

    Yue Feipeng frowned deeply. ¡°Don¡¯t speak of spirits and demons, or we won¡¯t be able to fight this war. I understand your concerns. The priority now is to confirm whether these incidents you¡¯ve encountered are just our bad luck or if someone is truly interfering.¡±

    The military camp fell silent, morale low, unsure what to do.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go,¡± Zhanyue suddenly stepped forward. He hadn¡¯t forgotten his mission. If this stalemate continued, even if Great Fortune eventually won, it would be a pyrrhic victory, and he still wouldn¡¯tplete his task.

    ¡°You?¡± Yue Feipeng looked at Zhanyue gratefully.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t contributed much since joining the army, just delivered a few letters for somemanders. With my lightness skill, scouting the Blue Hill army for intelligence should be no problem. Besides, they probably don¡¯t know me,¡± Zhanyue volunteered.

    Themanders all nodded. They had witnessed Zhanyue¡¯s unparalleled lightness skill these days, his ability to transmit information far surpassing other messengers.

    ¡°Very well, then I¡¯ll trouble you with this task,¡± Yue Feipeng patted Zhanyue¡¯s shoulder. For this intelligence-gathering mission, he couldn¡¯t think of anyone more suitable than Zhanyue.

    Dismissing everyone else, Yue Feipeng kept only Zhanyue.

    ¡°Take this, it¡¯s a letter from your wife,¡± Yue Feipeng handed Zhanyue a letter.

    Zhanyue eagerly opened the letter, which was indeed from Feng Xueqing. After reading it, he felt relieved. In the letter, Feng Xueqing spoke highly of Prince Yu. Her suggestions were always implemented by Prince Yu despite opposition. With Prince Yu¡¯s full support, the gue was effectively controlled. She had faced several assassination attempts but easily thwarted them.

    Zhanyue took out paper and pen, briefly described the situation on his end, and asked Yue Feipeng to send the letter back.

    Yue Feipeng waited beside him, not interrupting until Zhanyue finished writing. Taking the letter, he smiled and said, ¡°Young Master Zhan and Divine Doctor Feng¡¯s rtionship is truly good.¡±

    Zhanyue smiled nomittally and asked in return, ¡°Has General Yue not married?¡±

    Yue Feipeng said, ¡°My wife¡­ she passed away ten years ago.¡± His eyes were full of sorrow.

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m sorry, General. My condolences,¡± Zhanyue said apologetically.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, it¡¯s all in the past now,¡± Yue Feipeng invited Zhanyue to sit down and personally poured him a cup of wine.

    ¡°Let this cup of wine be a send-off for Young Master Zhan. Such a dangerous task shouldn¡¯t fall to you, but right now, you are indeed the most suitable person. Consider this a favor I owe you. If you have any requests in the future, I won¡¯t refuse,¡± Yue Feipeng said. Although he still didn¡¯t know Zhanyue¡¯s purpose, he knew they were on the same side.

    ¡°General is too kind. Don¡¯t worry, even if it¡¯s a dragon¡¯s den or a tiger¡¯sir, I¡¯m not afraid. I have my own ways to stay alive,¡± Zhanyue said. Even if there really were supernatural beings in the Blue Hill army, he wasn¡¯t afraid. Now he had the world¡¯s best lightness skill and had unlocked the earth traversing technique. In terms of escaping, he dared say he was second to none.

    The next day, Zhanyue secretly left the camp alone. There might be enemy spies in the camp, so he left without alerting anyone.

 Chapter 207: Eight Divine Incantations

    Chapter 207: Eight Divine Incantations

    In the Blue Hill army¡¯s main camp, themanding general was Tuoba Wujiang of the Blue Hill Kingdom. He was arge man with explosive muscles and eyes as big as copper bells, like Zhang Feie to life. However, Tuoba Wujiang was much more cunning than he appeared. As Yue Feipeng¡¯s formidable opponent, he was no ordinary man. Although he had lost to Yue Feipeng twice, he still maintained control of Blue Hill¡¯s military affairs, showing his strength and background.

    ¡°Come,e, Celestial Master Zhang, this battle¡¯s sess is thanks to you,¡± Tuoba Wujiang personally went down to pour wine for a middle-aged man seated below. The man had loose hair with a headband, a beautiful feather stuck in it, and wore a yellow robe. He exuded a strange aura.

    ¡°It¡¯s a small matter. When the general achieves victory, don¡¯t forget what you promised me,¡± Celestial Master Zhang smiled.

    ¡°Of course, we¡¯re still counting on Celestial Master Zhang¡¯s divine arts for the uing battles,¡± Tuoba Wujiang said happily. The two chatted pleasantly. Afterward, Tuoba Wujiang arranged for two beautiful courtesans to be sent to Celestial Master Zhang¡¯s tent.

    As night fell deep, the entire camp quieted down. Patrols of soldiers carrying torches diligently made their rounds, but these patrols were useless against Zhanyue, who possessed the earth traversing ability.

    ¡°Mmm¡­ mmm¡­ oh¡­¡± Sounds of pleasure reached Zhanyue¡¯s ears. He instantly understood what was happening. Only someone extraordinary would dare to indulge so openly in such a ce. Zhanyue immediately approached.

    Inside therge tent, one figure was entangled with two others. The soldiers guarding outside swallowed hard, envious.

    ¡°Celestial Master Zhang really has good fortune with women, singing and dancing every night. Not like us, bitterly standing guard outside,¡± one soldier said.

    ¡°If you had Celestial Master Zhang¡¯s abilities, you could do the same. But you don¡¯t, so ept your fate. Guard the door well, maybe you can be a squad leader in the future, bringing glory to your ancestors,¡± another soldier advised. ¡°Sigh, how do you think Celestial Master Zhang can control wind and rain? That¡¯s real immortal magic. Is he an immortal in the mortal world?¡±

    ¡°If I knew, would I be standing guard with you? Stop talking, be careful the captain doesn¡¯t catch us cking off.¡±

    The two fell silent, but these few sentences had stirred up a storm in Zhanyue¡¯s mind. ¡°Someone really can use magic to control wind and rain? And that person is in this tent.¡±

    After a while, the activity in the tent subsided. The two guards at the door suddenly felt a pain in their necks and copsed. Then Zhanyue entered the tent. Celestial Master Zhang was cautious; the entrance was full of bells that would alert him to intruders. However, Zhanyue simply used earth traversing to enter.

    ¡°Mmm¡­ sleep, stop bothering me, I¡¯m tired,¡± Celestial Master Zhangy in bed, embracing two women. Zhanyue explored the tent, putting all clothes and objects into his divine ability space, thinking they might be useful. He emptied the entire tent, living up to his thief reputation. Looking at the three on the bed, Zhanyue first knocked out the two women, then after some thought, also knocked out Celestial Master Zhang. This man was supposed to have some divine arts or magic, but he seemed no different from an ordinary person.

    ¡°Never mind, I¡¯ll take him out first,¡± Zhanyue thought. He took the unconscious Celestial Master Zhang and left the camp. Thus, using earth traversing and his lightness skill, Zhanyue easily aplished the feat of stealing a living person from among tens of thousands of troops.

    Soon after, cold water was sshed on Celestial Master Zhang¡¯s face. He awoke with a start, finding himself tied up instead of in his warm bed.

    ¡°Who¡­ who are you? What do you want?¡± Celestial Master Zhang asked in panic.

    Zhanyue, now wearing night clothes that covered his face, ignored the question and asked, ¡°Tell me, what is your magic? How do you do it?¡±

    ¡°What¡­ what magic?¡± Celestial Master Zhang tried to y dumb, but a knife was already at his throat, drawing blood.

    ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ don¡¯t¡­ Even if I tell you, you won¡¯t be able to do it. If it could be learned by force, General Tuoba would have forced me to hand it over long ago,¡± Celestial Master Zhang hurriedly said.

    ¡°Just tell me. Whether I can learn it or not is my business,¡± Zhanyue continued.

    ¡°You¡­ you untie me first.¡±

    But the response was a colder de.

    ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ I¡¯ll tell! In the lining of my clothes, the incantations are in the lining of my clothes,¡± Celestial Master Zhang quickly said.

    ¡°Oh?¡± Zhanyue directly took out his robe from the divine ability space, stunning Celestial Master Zhang.

    ¡°You¡­ how did you produce clothes out of thin air? No¡­ is that the legendary storage ring? Are you a true cultivator?¡± Celestial Master Zhang asked excitedly. Thinking about it, only a true cultivator could have stolen him from among tens of thousands of troops.

    ¡°You even know about storage rings? Not simple,¡± Zhanyue said, ignoring him and continuing to search the robe. Finally, he found a thin booklet in the robe, about the size of a palm, made of a material Zhanyue couldn¡¯t identify. Opening the booklet, he saw it was filled with mysterious writing. Zhanyue¡¯s eyes widened in shock.

    ¡°Can you read these characters?¡± Zhanyue asked.

    Celestial Master Zhang shook his head, ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t understand them, but I¡­ can recite them.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean? Exin clearly!¡± Zhanyue demanded sternly.

    ¡°I really don¡¯t recognize the writing, I found this thing deep in a cave, it was buried under many skeletons. But after looking at it for a long time, I strangely learned to recite it,¡± Celestial Master Zhang exined.

    ¡°Oh? Then what does it say?¡± Zhanyue continued to ask.

    Celestial Master Master Zhang was about to say something when he suddenly felt his throat blocked, unable to speak. Then his eyes rolled back, and he fell dead.

    ¡°What¡­ what happened?¡± Zhanyue was stunned by Celestial Master Zhang¡¯s sudden death. ¡°Could it be some curse? Did this Celestial Master Zhang reveal some secret, viting a curse, and thus died?¡± Zhanyue analyzed. It was the only exnation he could think of.

    Zhanyue was surprised because he recognized the writing in the booklet. He had bought annotations of thenguages of the myriad races on Ghost Ind, and this was among them. It was the writing of the Incantation God race, also known as incantation script.

    After reading, Zhanyue found that the booklet contained eight incantations. The first was the ¡®Great Strength Vajra Incantation¡¯; the second, the ¡®Wind and Rain Summoning Incantation¡¯; the third, the ¡®Mountain Moving and Sea Filling Incantation¡¯; the fourth, the ¡®Star Shifting Incantation¡¯; the fifth, the ¡®Heaven and Earth Reversing Incantation¡¯; the sixth, the ¡®Cause and Effect Reversing Incantation¡¯. As for the seventh and eighth, Zhanyue couldn¡¯t recognize them. It wasn¡¯t that he couldn¡¯t recognize them, but reading them was extremely difficult, as if even saying their names or thinking about them would make his head explode.

    Zhanyue breathed heavily, ¡°How terrifying, what is this? Just thinking about it nearly killed me.¡±

    When he looked at the booklet again, he found all the writing had disappeared. He immediately understood that everything had entered his mind.

    ¡°This thing is just like those cultivation methods. It seems once obtained, it¡¯s obtained for good. Even if the mission fails, it won¡¯t be erased from my mind. It must be a hidden benefit of this trial,¡± Zhanyue thought happily. However, it was a pity that he had no idea how to use these incantations, and the only person who knew had died. The Incantation God race was a very mysterious race, one of the myriad races of the past. It was said that each of them had three mouths, one on the face and one on each hand, used inbination to chant incantations. Unfortunately, this was all Zhanyue knew about them.

    ¡°With this Celestial Master Zhang dealt with, General Yue can rest easy. But fighting like this, who knows how long it will take,¡± Zhanyue thought. Since he was here, wouldn¡¯t it be great if he could just kill the enemymander? If he could secretly bring out Celestial Master Zhang, he might be able to bring out Tuoba Wujiang¡¯s head.

 Chapter 208: Pursuit in the Lake

    Chapter 208: Pursuit in the Lake

    In the Heavenly Book world, the Spirit of the Heavenly Book observed the performance of all trial participants. At this moment, she was gritting her teeth as she watched Zhanyue.

    ¡°Why, why is his luck so good? I never thought Father would hide this thing in such a ce, benefiting that boy,¡± the Spirit of the Heavenly Book muttered angrily. It was something she wanted for herself, but now it had fallen into Zhanyue¡¯s hands. Fortunately, that Celestial Master Zhang had suddenly died, so even though Zhanyue had obtained the ¡°Eight Divine Incantations¡±, it wouldn¡¯t be easy for him to learn them. Yes, she was that petty. Thinking of Zhanyue as the master of the Heavenly Book made her furious, after all, as the Spirit of the Heavenly Book, she should be its master. Moreover, this Heavenly Book world was created by her father ¨C the Void Emperor.

    ¡°This boy seems to want to cause trouble for that Tuoba Wujiang. I hope Tuoba Wujiang is capable enough to kill him directly and eliminate him,¡± the Spirit of the Heavenly Book, Wu Yunmeng, continued to observe Zhanyue¡¯s every move, showing no interest in the performance of others.

    ¡°Terrible news! Celestial Master Zhang has been abducted!¡± Suddenly, the entire camp was thrown into chaos.

    Tuoba Wujiang, dressed, went over and saw thepletely ransacked camp, with only two women lying on the bed.

    ¡°You two! Do you know where Celestial Master Zhang went?¡± Tuoba Wujiang lifted the two women as if they were chickens.

    ¡°We¡­ we don¡¯t know. We just woke up,¡± the women said trembling. They truly knew nothing.

    ¡°Useless!¡± Tuoba Wujiang showed no mercy, strangling the two women to death and tossing them aside like garbage. Then he kicked the two soldiers responsible for guarding the camp, killing them instantly.

    ¡°Useless, all useless! Go find him, quickly!¡± Tuoba Wujiang roared like a madman. He knew better than anyone the importance of Celestial Master Zhang, which was why he had arranged secret guards for protection. However, those guards were the first ones Zhanyue had taken out, without even making a sound. ¡°Who, who on earth did this!¡± Tuoba Wujiang roared to the sky. Someone had taken Celestial Master Zhang from his camp of ten thousand men. How could he face others if this got out? And how could he fight the uing battles without Celestial Master Zhang¡¯s help?

    ¡°It was me!¡± Zhanyue¡¯s figure suddenly appeared in the camp, immediately targeted by hundreds of archers.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± Tuoba Wujiang¡¯s bell-like eyes fixed on Zhanyue. This person¡¯s mysterious appearance in the military camp suggested extraordinary skills, but he wasn¡¯t afraid, being the number one expert of the Blue Hill Kingdom.

    ¡°I am your enemy,¡± Zhanyue said simply, only wanting to provoke the Blue Hillmander. After revealing himself, Zhanyue used his lightness skill to flee towards the distance.

    ¡°Seeking death!¡± Tuoba Wujiang, enraged, took a fewrge steps, stepping on soldiers¡¯ heads to pursue, his speed equally impressive.

    ¡°General, you can¡¯t! You¡¯re the armymander, how can you leave camp to chase an enemy!¡± a deputy general shouted from behind. Tuoba Wujiang might have fallen for someone¡¯s trap.

    Hearing this, Tuoba Wujiang calmed down and stopped, resisting the impulse. Indeed, as themander of three armies, he couldn¡¯t leave arbitrarily.

    ¡°He¡¯s really calm,¡± Zhanyue shook his head helplessly, seeing Tuoba Wujiang give up the pursuit.

    The next night, the camp¡¯s defenses were even stricter. Everyone slept in armor, and the number of patrolling soldiers doubled. However, it was still useless because Zhanyue could use earth traversing! When the new day dawned, a deputy general was found dead in his own tent.

    Looking at the deputy general¡¯s corpse, Tuoba Wujiang gritted his teeth. He was strong and unafraid of the thief, but his subordinates¡¯ lives were in danger.

    ¡°Bastard, I¡¯ll tear you apart alive!¡± Tuoba Wujiang roared.

    ¡°Tear who apart?¡± Zhanyue revealed himself again, taunting: ¡°You¡¯re the Blue Hillmander, you can¡¯t easily leave camp. This ce¡¯s guards are sparse, pathetically weak. I¡¯lle again tonight.¡± With that, Zhanyue fled into the distance.

    This time, Tuoba Wujiang was extremely calm. After some thought, he still gave chase.

    ¡°General, you¡­¡± Someone tried to dissuade him.

    ¡°I know what I¡¯m doing. As long as this little thief isn¡¯t eliminated, our army won¡¯t know peace,¡± Tuoba Wujiang pursued directly. His lightness skill was also extraordinary, and under Zhanyue¡¯s deliberate slowing down, he indeed caught up.

    ¡°Oh? You really dared to chase me,¡± Zhanyue said admiringly.

    Tuoba Wujiang drew the sword at his waist and pointed it at Zhanyue, ¡°Is Celestial Master Zhang still alive?¡±

    Zhanyue shook his head, ¡°Dead.¡±

    Tuoba Wujiang exploded with anger, ¡°Killing my pir of strength, sabotaging my national affairs, today you must die!¡± Tuoba Wujiang swung his sword, releasing a de aura.

    Zhanyue hurriedly dodged, and the de aura directly split the rock behind him in half. Zhanyue drew a sharp breath. This Tuoba Wujiang seemed even stronger than Eunuch Cao, likely one of the top experts in this martial world. Killing him wouldn¡¯t be easy.

    ¡°So you¡¯re just exceptional in lightness skill. Such a minor trickster dares to provoke me?¡± Tuoba Wujiang judged after exchanging a few moves with Zhanyue. Compared to his lightness skill, Zhanyue¡¯s other skills were much weaker. Zhanyue was also somewhat helpless; his realm was only at Spirit Communication, and many techniques and treasures were unusable. If he were at his original level, killing Tuoba would be as easy as ughtering a pig or dog.

    Zhanyue thought for a moment and decided to use the most vicious yet safest tactic ¨C trading injury for life!

    Soon after, Tuoba Wujiang¡¯s de cut into Zhanyue¡¯s shoulder, while Zhanyue¡¯s sword pierced Tuoba Wujiang¡¯s waist. They separated, with Zhanyue clearly more severely injured. Tuoba Wujiang was puzzled; did this person want to perish together with him? Was he worthy?

    However, under his puzzled gaze, Zhanyue¡¯s injuries instantly healed.

    ¡°What¡­ what?¡± Tuoba Wujiang touched his own wound, bewildered.

    ¡°Can¡¯t figure it out? That¡¯s right! Let¡¯s go again!¡± Zhanyue once again engaged in battle with Tuoba Wujiang. Each time, Zhanyue¡¯s injuries were more severe, almost to the point of death, but he recovered instantly, while Tuoba Wujiang¡¯s injuries became increasingly serious.

    ¡°Are you human or ghost?¡± Finally, Tuoba Wujiang became afraid. The Zhanyue before him was too bizarre. Instead of fighting to the death, he turned to flee. He wasn¡¯t a fool; this Zhanyue was clearly abnormal.

    ¡°Don¡¯t run!¡± Zhanyue, seeing him trying to escape, naturally wouldn¡¯t let him go easily. This man¡¯s martial prowess was extraordinary. If he had help from others, it would be very difficult to kill him. Zhanyue had already used such an underhanded method; if he couldn¡¯t kill him now, it would be a great loss.

    Despite his injuries, Tuoba Wujiang was still formidable, worthy of being Blue Hill¡¯s number one warrior. As long as he ran back, someone woulde to his aid soon.

    However, at this moment, Zhanyue revealed his true speed, quickly getting ahead of Tuoba Wujiang.

    Tuoba Wujiang showed a vicious expression and ran towards the side. In the direction he fled was a hugeke. He ran to theke¡¯s edge and plunged in. Blood instantly reddened theke¡¯s surface.

    ¡°Escaping into theke? Does entering theke mean you won¡¯t die?¡± Zhanyue pursued, also leaping into theke. He wasn¡¯t afraid of water. He couldn¡¯t let his efforts go to waste.

    Seeing Zhanyue also enter the water, Tuoba Wujiang showed a slight smile, ¡°You¡¯re seeking your own death.¡± He took out two pearls, one red and one blue.

    Soon after, Zhanyue sensed something unusual. The temperature of theke water around him was rising at a terrifying speed, seemingly boiling in an instant.

 Chapter 209: Burning Sea, Freezing River

    Chapter 209: Burning Sea, Freezing River

    The entireke instantly began to boil. From high above, one could see the wholekepletely boiling, white steam rising, creating a misty scene. Even the smell of cooked meat wafted up ¨C the scent of all theke¡¯s creatures being cooked. At theke¡¯s bottom, Zhanyue realized he had been tricked; his opponent¡¯s methods were beyond his imagination.

    The water temperature continued to rise, surpassing that of normal boiling water. It was truly strange, far exceeding the temperature of ordinary boiling water in the mortal world. Zhanyue endured great pain, trying to swim upwards, only to find his legs had lost all feeling.

    ¡°Revert!¡± Zhanyue immediately reverted his body to its optimal state, but within moments, he lost sensation again. The terrifying heat made it impossible to move even a finger. This heat, more horrifying than magma, was not something he could resist in his current state.

    ¡°It¡¯s over!¡± Zhanyue felt despair, fearing this environment most because even state reversal couldn¡¯t solve the current predicament. He had always turned danger into safety, but now he was trapped here. He had underestimated this world and Tuoba Wujiang.

    ¡°What treasure does he have that¡¯s so powerful?¡± Zhanyue couldn¡¯t understand, only feeling that his life was truly in danger this time, likely to lose a life.

    In this critical moment, the package in Zhanyue¡¯s clothes floated out. The sealed cloth bag burst open, revealing its contents, leaving Zhanyue dumbfounded. It was a red¡­ belly band? The belly band was embroidered with a golden lotus, now glowing with golden light.

    ¡°No wonder that girl repeatedly emphasized not to open this bag. I didn¡¯t expect it to contain her intimate item.¡± Zhanyue finally understood, realizing this was no ordinary object. The belly band transformed into a huge red cloth in his eyes, wrapping around him for protection, separating him from the boiling water. The golden lotus bloomed with brilliant divine light.

    Zhanyue once again reverted his body to its optimal state, now free from the scorching heat. This treasure belly band had blocked all harm.

    ¡°This item? It seems to be her contract object, this aura¡­¡± Zhanyue pondered, looking at the red expanse before him, then sighed. He owed her a great favor, deeply moved that she had left such a powerful life-saving artifact for him. Recalling Feng Xueqing¡¯s performance on the arena stage, Zhanyue felt reassured. ¡°Her defensive methods are miraculous. Even without this, she can protect herself, so she left it for me.¡± On theke shore, Tuoba Wujiang stood straight, holding a red pearl in his left hand and a blue pearl in his right. The red pearl injected power into theke, while the blue pearl protected him from the red pearl¡¯s bacsh. Watching the boilingke, he showed a smug smile. No matter who you are, falling under the burning of this Sea Burning Pearl means certain death! The two treasures in his hands were named the Sea Burning Pearl and the River Freezing Pearl. The former was a fire-attribute magical treasure capable of burning rivers and boiling seas, while thetter was naturally an ice-attribute treasure, able to freeze rivers and congeal seas.

    Tuoba Wujiang had obtained these two treasures and studied them for years, barely able to use a fraction of their power in rivers,kes, and seas. Yet this small fraction had nearly taken Zhanyue¡¯s life. He had originally nned to use them when the Great Fortune army crossed the river, boiling thousands of soldiers alive. Unfortunately, before that opportunity came, Zhanyue had forced him to use this method. He didn¡¯t regret it; as long as Zhanyue died, this secret weapon wouldn¡¯t be exposed. Moreover, Zhanyue had killed Celestial Master Zhang, ruining his ns. Zhanyue¡¯s terrifying infiltration ability and lightness skill were his greatest concerns. Killing Zhanyue here wasn¡¯t a bad thing. Tuoba Wujiang thought Zhanyue must be one of Yue Feipeng¡¯s trump cards.

    Soon after, Zhanyue¡¯s night clothes floated to the surface.

    Tuoba Wujiangughed, ¡°His flesh and bones must have melted. Indeed a good treasure. Pity we didn¡¯t experience that era when immortals walked the earth.¡± Tuoba Wujiang felt somewhat emotional. His martial arts were unparalleled in the Blue Hill Kingdom, but he understood that in that era of widespread immortal cultivation, he would be but an ant. These leftover treasures were the best proof.

    He put away the two pearls and turned to leave, his mood much improved after killing Zhanyue. However, the Spirit of the Heavenly Book, watching from outside the Heavenly Book world, was anxiously stomping her feet.

    ¡°You fool, be careful! That bastard isn¡¯t dead!¡± Unfortunately, the Spirit of the Heavenly Book couldn¡¯t influence the trial¡¯s progress. This was one of the Heavenly Book¡¯s fundamental rules, which even she couldn¡¯t vite. Despite her thousand unwillingnesses, she could only watch as Zhanyue once again used earth traversing, appearing behind Tuoba Wujiang and piercing his heart with a sword.

    Tuoba Wujiang turned around, looking at Zhanyue as if seeing a ghost, not understanding how he could have survived. But Zhanyue wouldn¡¯t answer him, instead beheading him with another sword strike.

    ¡°You nearly drove me to death¡¯s door. You were quite capable. Unfortunately, the moment of your sessful kill was when you were most rxed, allowing me to seed so easily. Pay attention in your next life, don¡¯t be so smug.¡± Zhanyue wrapped the severed head in cloth, then searched the corpse.

    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Zhanyue discovered the two pearls, naturally overjoyed.

    ¡°Congrattions on obtaining this trial¡¯s hidden reward ¨C the Sea Burning Pearl and River Freezing Pearl. As a reward, your treasure ¨C the Sun God Stone, and your divine ability ¨C Three Talents Wondrous Fire, have been unlocked,¡± the information came again from the identity token.

    ¡°Indeed! Even in a seemingly low-level martial world like this, rich rewards await discovery.¡± Zhanyue was ted, considering today a great harvest.

    ¡°Wait, why isn¡¯t this reward letting me choose what to restore?¡± Zhanyue was puzzled for a moment, then had an inspiration. He found a hidden spot and took out the Sun God Stone, cing it with the Sea Burning Pearl and River Freezing Pearl. Zhanyue was clever, knowing the trial giving him this reward directly must have a special purpose. Sure enough, the Sun God Stone and Sea Burning Pearl were mutually attracted, drawing closer to each other.

    ¡°Is this¡­ magical treasure fusion and upgrade?¡± Zhanyue thought of this possibility, overjoyed. However, the fusion process between the Sun God Stone and Sea Burning Pearl was very slow, making Zhanyue anxious. Then he suddenly pped his forehead, ¡°Of course, how could I be so stupid!¡±

    Zhanyue sat cross-legged, activating the Three Talents Wondrous Fire. Under its refinement, the two treasures fused rapidly, taking on Zhanyue¡¯s mark. The newly born pearl instantly triggered celestial phenomena, projecting a sun illusion into the sky. The shocking sight of two suns in the sky briefly appeared in the world. Soon after, the pearl¡¯s radiance faded, returning to its original appearance, resembling both the Sun God Stone and the former Sea Burning Pearl.

    ¡°Henceforth, I shall call you the Great Sun Sea Burning Pearl.¡± Zhanyue looked at the golden pearl floating in the center of his palm, surrounded by burning mes, like a miniature sun.

    ¡°I¡¯ll keep this River Freezing Pearl for now. Pity I don¡¯t have an ice-attribute treasure of the Sun God Stone¡¯s caliber,¡± Zhanyue said with some regret.

    ¡°The Heavenly Book trial is ultimately for enhancing our strength. Various magical treasures and divine abilities must be hidden in simr ways, waiting for us to uncover. I wonder what opportunities the others will have,¡± Zhanyue mused, then headed towards the Great Fortune army. ¡°It¡¯s time to end this war.¡±

 Chapter 210: Triumphant Return

    Chapter 210: Triumphant Return

    The Blue Hill camp was inplete chaos. Due to Zhanyue¡¯s repeated harassment, first Celestial Master Zhang mysteriously disappeared, then somemanders were assassinated. Now, even the powerful General Tuoba Wujiang had gone to pursue and had not been heard from since. The camp had sent out search parties in all directions, but so far had found nothing.

    As night fell, a mysterious ck-d figure snuck into the camp under cover of darkness. However, his eyes were filled with disbelief. The Blue Hill camp was brightly lit, with patrols constantly moving about and traps everywhere, indicating something major had urred.

    The ck-d man had been ordered to assassinate the Blue Hill general, but now found himself in a difficult situation.

    ¡°Don¡¯t these people ever sleep or rest?¡± The ck-d man was very frustrated. Finally finding an opening, he moved to the centralmand tent. However, he unknowingly triggered some mechanism, and suddenly bells rang out, alerting many people.

    ¡°Who¡¯s there? Who is it?¡± Blue Hill soldiers quickly began searching everywhere. This ck-d man¡¯s lightness skill was not bad, but ultimately not as miraculous as Zhanyue¡¯s earth traversing ability, and he was eventually discovered.

    ¡°The thief is here!¡± Many soldiers instantly surrounded him.

    Thousands of troops encircled the ck-d figure, torchlight illuminating the night.

    ¡°Fire arrows! Don¡¯t let this little thief escape again!¡± At themand, arrows rained down like a downpour.

    The ck-d man¡¯s eyes turned cold. Tonight¡¯s assassination attempt had likely failed, but he had to teach them a lesson, or he couldn¡¯tplete his mission. He circted his internal energy, using the mysterious Dragon Catching Hand. All arrows fired at him were grabbed in mid-air by an invisible hand. ¡°Return!¡± He forcefully flung them back, killing countless archers with their own arrows.

    ¡°Think you can stop me? Hmph!¡± This ck-d man was like Zhao Zilong reborn, breaking throughyer afteryer of military formations, killing hundreds of enemies, and finally breaking through the encirclement to escape. To break into a military camp alone and still escape safely showed his extraordinary strength. If Zhanyue were here, he would recognize this man as the ¡®Divine Dragon Guard¡¯ leader who had tried to silence him at the fox god temple earlier.

    ¡°Bad luck, what¡¯s going on?¡± The ck-d man fled for a long time before shaking off his pursuers. He hade to assassinate Blue Hill¡¯s high-ranking officials to give the Great Fortune army an advantage, but tonight seemed to be a bad time. The entire Blue Hill camp was brightly lit and bustling with activity.

    ¡°Let¡¯s wait and see if there¡¯s another chance,¡± the ck-d man said, finding a hidden spot to lurk. However, he was destined to wait in vain, as Tuoba Wujiang¡¯s head had already been taken by Zhanyue.

    Soon after, Zhanyue returned to the Great Fortune camp. General Yue and others seemed to still be in a meeting, arranging the battlefield and discussing tactics. Upon receiving news of Zhanyue¡¯s return, they immediately summoned him.

    ¡°How did it go?¡± Everyone, including General Yue, looked at Zhanyue, wanting to know the results of his reconnaissance.

    ¡°Mission aplished!¡± Zhanyue threw a package in front of everyone. When they saw the face inside the package, everyone was shocked into silence.

    In the vast tent, you could hear a pin drop. Yue Feipeng was the first to recover. He swallowed and pointed at the object before him, asking, ¡°Is¡­ is this Tuoba Wujiang? You¡­ you killed him?¡±

    Zhanyue nodded, using the most casual tone to say the most shocking words, ¡°That¡¯s right, he was careless.¡±

    All present were veteran generals who naturally weren¡¯t afraid of corpses or severed heads. They gathered around to examine it closely.

    ¡°It¡¯s real! It doesn¡¯t look like a body double. This is Tuoba Wujiang, the number one expert of the Blue Hill Kingdom. He¡¯s just¡­ dead?¡± Deputy General Li felt like he was dreaming. They had been here discussing strategies, unable toe up with a better n, and someone had simply returned with the enemymander¡¯s head, single-handedly achieving what an entire army couldn¡¯t.

    ¡°Brother Zhan, what about those strange winds and rains?¡± others continued to ask.

    ¡°The enemy did indeed have a mysterious figure responsible for those. But he¡¯s dead too, so you don¡¯t need to worry about that anymore,¡± Zhanyue said, though he didn¡¯t mention the incantations. Those were his spoils of war, his secret.

    ¡°Excellent! Brother Zhan, you should be credited with the top merit for our army¡¯s great victory!¡± Yue Feipeng¡¯s eyes were full of joy and surprise. He felt he had found a real treasure. He knew Zhanyue was impressive, but not to this degree. He must be a genius disciple from some reclusive sect, out gaining experience.

    With this intelligence, everyone continued to arrange troops and formations. With the enemymander killed, their morale would be at its lowest. Soon after, Yue Feipeng and others formted a n for a general offensive.

    Another month passed, with frequent reports of victory. Great Fortune won three consecutive battles, dealing heavy blows to Blue Hill. Hundreds of thousands of Blue Hill¡¯s main forces were destroyed, a great victory indeed. During this month, Zhanyue didn¡¯t even need to take action personally. With the Great Sun Sea Burning Pearl in hand, his strength was now beyond the imagination of people in this world. But Zhanyue still didn¡¯t dare to be careless, as his previous carelessness had nearly cost him his life, saved only by the backup Feng Xueqing had left him.

    As Blue Hill announced a full retreat, ceding the resource-rich mountain range entirely to Great Fortune, this war between the two countries ended in Great Fortune¡¯s overwhelming victory. Zhanyue¡¯s identity token finally gave another prompt.

    ¡°Missionpleted. Mission rating: Perfect! Mission reward: Cultivation level increased, can choose to unlock one divine ability or one treasure.¡±

    With the prompt, Zhanyue¡¯s cultivation advanced further, reaching the Spirit Control Realm, just one step away from restoring his peak strength by entering the Profound Realm. This time, he chose to unlock the Silver Moon Armor! His most important trump card. If he had had the Silver Moon Armor before, he wouldn¡¯t have been trapped immobile in theke.

    ¡°Let me see your strength now, old friend! Silver Moon!¡± Zhanyue shouted softly. A suit of silver armor enveloped him, making him look extraordinarily heroic. His current realm couldn¡¯t fully activate this armor, but Zhanyue immediately embedded the Great Sun Sea Burning Pearl into the armor. Instantly, terrifying power filled the armor. The originally silver-white armor turned blood-red, covered with golden me patterns.

    ¡°I wonder if that Eunuch Cao and Tuoba Wujiang could withstand even one of my attacks now,¡± Zhanyue felt the terrifying power filling his body, finally feelingpletely at ease. His current strength could kill the pce¡¯s top expert Eunuch Cao and Blue Hill¡¯s top expert Tuoba Wujiang as easily as ughtering pigs or dogs.

    Another month passed, and the Great Fortune army returned victorious. In the Northern Frontier Province, Prince Yu personally set up a feast to wee the returning army.

    ¡°General Yue, you¡¯ve had a hard journey,¡± Prince Yu personally helped Yue Feipeng remove his armor. ¡°Soldiers, pleasee inside. I¡¯ve prepared wine and food to wee you all back.¡± Prince Yu added.

    ¡°Thank you, Your Highness!¡± Everyone thanked him in unison, dismounting and removing their armor before entering the mansion. Other soldiers naturally also had wine and meat served, though in temporary camps.

    Prince Yu then quickly walked to Zhanyue, ¡°So you must be Young Master Zhan that General Yue mentioned in his letters. You¡¯re truly talented. I¡¯ve heard of your achievements, beheading the enemy general in their own camp is unprecedented in history. Please,e inside. I must properly entertain our hero.¡±

    As Prince Yu examined Zhanyue, Zhanyue was also observing Prince Yu. The man before him was dignified and noble, yet without arrogance, with a gentle face and approachable manner. He perfectly matched the descriptions Zhanyue had heard before. This Prince Yu seemed to be just such a ¡®perfect¡¯ person.

    ¡°By the way, Divine Doctor Feng has been helping me quell the gue these days, truly deserving top merit. It¡¯s a blessing for our Great Fortune that you two could lend a hand,¡± Prince Yu continued, and then Feng Xueqing walked out from behind.

    ¡°You two must have much to catch up on after a long separation. I won¡¯t disturb you further. We¡¯ll meet again at the banquetter,¡± Prince Yu tactfully left. However, out of Zhanyue and Feng Xueqing¡¯s sight, his expression became extremely serious. He disliked things outside his ns. This Zhanyue and Feng Xueqing were too strong, strong enough to make his hair stand on end. If they couldn¡¯t be used by him, they must be eliminated!

    ¡°Um¡­ here¡¯s your thing back,¡± Zhanyue spoke first, returning the cloth package to Feng Xueqing.

    Feng Xueqing¡¯s face reddened. She knew the item had been activated, so Zhanyue naturally knew what it was.

    ¡°Thank you so much this time. I didn¡¯t expect you¡¯d let me carry your contract object, such a life-saving item,¡± Zhanyue said very gratefully.

    ¡°You¡¯ve helped me so much, it¡¯s only right. Though I have many treasures, you can¡¯t activate most of them. Only this one allows me to sense from afar if you¡¯re in danger and activate it remotely. So¡­ so that¡¯s why I had you carry it,¡± Feng Xueqing exined. After all, this was her intimate item, and such an action was rather ambiguous. But as she had said before, this was the only treasure she had that could help Zhanyue.

    ¡°Thank you, I understand. Without this item this time, I fear I wouldn¡¯t have survived,¡± Zhanyue thanked her again.

    ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ don¡¯t be so formal. Let¡¯s not mention it anymore. Tell me what danger you actually encountered,¡± Feng Xueqing quickly changed the subject, her beautiful eyes full of concern.

    ¡°It¡¯s a long story, and this isn¡¯t the right ce. Let¡¯s go to the banquet first. We shouldn¡¯t keep them waiting. I¡¯ll tell you all about it tonight,¡± Zhanyue suggested.

    Feng Xueqing nodded, naturally following behind Zhanyue as they walked in together.

 Chapter 211: Forcing the Emperors Hand

    Chapter 211: Forcing the Emperors Hand

    A grand feast was held in Iron Horse City. Prince Yu had spared no expense, buying up all the wine and meat from surrounding cities to entertain the victorious soldiers.

    Looking at the table full of food and drink, Zhanyue couldn¡¯t help but marvel. This was the best meal he¡¯d had in this world. Known and unknown people came to toast him, and Zhanyue politely reciprocated. Fortunately, at the banquet table, everyone was focused on pleasantries and celebration, not discussing any serious matters. After all, with so many people around, it wasn¡¯t the ce for such conversations.

    Outside the banquet, however, a bloody storm was brewing.

    ¡°What are you doing? I¡¯m from the Divine Dragon Guard!¡± A man held up a golden badge, but his body trembled, and his voice was unsteady.

    ¡°Divine Dragon Guard? What a coincidence, that¡¯s exactly who I¡¯m here to kill!¡± The ck-d figure before him reached out, a terrifying suction pulling the man in. He grabbed the man¡¯s neck, and with a crisp sound, the man¡¯s life was extinguished. Just like that, an expert from the emperor¡¯s most renowned secret organization died easily.

    The ck-d man looked at the corpse, his eyes ncing to the side. He could sense someone hiding nearby but showed an almost imperceptible smile before leaving nonchntly. Long after he left, the hidden person emerged, looking at the body on the ground with a sense of shared fate.

    ¡°To so brazenly attack the Divine Dragon Guard, it seems Prince Yu and General Yue truly have some conspiracy. I must report this to His Majesty quickly.¡± He didn¡¯t bother with the body, instead hurrying away.

    After the banquet, Zhanyue and Feng Xueqing didn¡¯t stay at the general¡¯s mansion but returned to their lodgings at the medical hall. Still posing as a married couple sharing a room, they exchanged stories of their experiences. Strangely, though both hadpleted their missions perfectly, there was no prompt for the next task.

    ¡°So, not only did I get mysterious divine incantations, but I also obtained two extraordinary treasures. This low-level martial world is far moreplex than we imagined. Although these people have no cultivation, some of the relics left behind are truly remarkable. Even I almost failed. Once we find these treasures, they be ours, so we must cherish such opportunities. By the way, did you gain anything while managing the gue in Wu South?¡± Zhanyue asked. Feng Xueqing didn¡¯t hide anything, answering, ¡°Yes, we found a mountain vigepletely unaffected by the gue. It turned out an old doctor there had controlled the epidemic using secret forms from an ancient book. That book eventually came into my possession and was very helpful. It¡¯s a medical text that can use ordinary herbs to achieve effects close to spirit herbs and nts. It¡¯s incredible. The book has no name, but its author¡¯s understanding of pharmacology far surpasses mine, no, even my master¡¯s. That¡¯s when I realized this world isn¡¯t simple.¡±

    Hearing her words, Zhanyue nodded. It seemed they hade to the same realization: this world was not simple!

    ¡°By the way, throughout my journey, everyone I met talked about fox gods or fox spirits. But I never actually encountered any. What about you?¡± Zhanyue asked.

    Feng Xueqing thought for a moment and said, ¡°It is indeed strange. I¡¯ve seen many fox god shrines, and many patients prayed to fox gods, but I¡¯ve never personally seen these so-called fox gods. Could they be hiding too deeply?¡±

    ¡°It seems we know nothing about this world. Who knows what tasks will be given to us next,¡± Zhanyue sighed.

    As they conversed, a major event was unfolding in the general¡¯s mansion.

    In a secret room, Yue Feipeng stared at the box sent by Prince Yu, reluctant to open it. It was a gift from Prince Yu, and Yue Feipeng didn¡¯t want to know what was inside.

    Soon after, one of Yue Feipeng¡¯s trusted subordinates entered, reporting, ¡°General, I have results from the investigation you ordered. There was indeed an infant¡¯s skeleton buried in that ce, likely a female infant, from long ago.¡±

    ¡°I see. You may go,¡± Yue Feipeng waved his hand, and the man left. Only Yue Feipeng remained in the secret room. ¡°Could it be¡­ everything in that secret letter was true?¡±

    With a long sigh, Yue Feipeng opened the box. Inside were not treasures or gold and silver, but ount books and secret correspondence.

    As Yue Feipeng carefully read through these, his whole body trembled. These were evidence of a series of dirty deedsmitted by the current emperor, including things Yue Feipeng knew and didn¡¯t know. For instance, he knew about the construction of a thousand golden temples depleting the national treasury, but he didn¡¯t know about the sacrifice of a thousand boys and girls in these temples. The list went on, each revtion more shocking than thest.

    ¡°Ipetent ruler! What an ipetent ruler!¡± Even the usually loyal Yue Feipeng couldn¡¯t help but grit his teeth. The crimes listed in this box were innumerable. That dog emperor had done countless heinous deeds in pursuit of immortality. After a while, he calmed down. Prince Yu¡¯s intention in sending these things was clear. He had said nothing, yet said everything. Yue Feipeng didn¡¯t think these were fabricated by Prince Yu, as each incident could be verified.

    Soon after, another subordinate came to report.

    ¡°General, we¡¯ve discovered some troubling matters,¡± the man said.

    ¡°Speak,¡± Yue Feipeng didn¡¯t think anything could be more troubling than what was in this box.

    ¡°We found several bodies around the general¡¯s mansion. After our investigation¡­ they might¡­ they might be from the Divine Dragon Guard,¡± the man reported.

    ¡°Divine Dragon Guard?¡± Yue Feipeng rubbed his temples. He naturally knew who had done this. Prince Yu was forcing him to make a choice, the simplest of conspiracies.

    ¡°Prince Yu, Prince Yu¡­ why does it all happen at such a time?¡± Yue Feipeng sighed deeply.

    As the sun rose, Zhanyue and Feng Xueqing received an invitation from Prince Yu. At the previous banquet, with so many people around, Prince Yu had only exchanged pleasantries. This invitation likely meant serious business.

    ¡°What do you think?¡± Feng Xueqing asked.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go. I don¡¯t believe it¡¯s some trap. Perhaps our next task is rted to this,¡± Zhanyue said.

    ¡°Alright.¡± Feng Xueqing was quite calm. With much of her cultivation restored, she feared nothing.

    Soon after, they arrived at the ce mentioned in the invitation, a teahouse that Prince Yu had reserved for the day. Before they even reached the upper floor, they could hear elegant music. Prince Yu was ying the zither. In the spacious teahouse, there were only Prince Yu and two maids behind him, three people in total. After Zhanyue and Feng Xueqing arrived and listened to the music for a while, Prince Yu stopped ying and stood up to wee them: ¡°This prince was so engrossed in ying that I neglected my honored guests. Please forgive my rudeness.¡±

    ¡°Your Highness is too kind. Your zither skills are extraordinary, like heavenly music. It¡¯s our fortune to hear it,¡± Zhanyue replied.

    Prince Yuughed heartily, ¡°No need for such formalities. It¡¯s just a trivial skill.¡±

    Prince Yu personally poured tea for them to show respect, then asked, ¡°You two divine-like figures are not from our Great Fortune Kingdom, are you?¡±

 Chapter 212: Mysterious Eye Technique

    Chapter 212: Mysterious Eye Technique

    ¡°That¡¯s correct, we are indeed not from the Great Fortune Kingdom,¡± Zhanyue answered honestly, trying to gauge Prince Yu¡¯s intentions. His eyes asionally nced at the two beautiful maids behind Prince Yu, probably the most attractive local people he had seen in this world.

    ¡°Young Master Zhan single-handedly killed the enemy general, turning the tide of battle. He should be credited with the top merit for this war. And Miss Feng, assisting me in quickly containing the gue across three provinces, also deserves great merit. I don¡¯t know how to reward you properly. Would you be interested in official positions at court?¡± Prince Yu asked.

    Zhanyue and Feng Xueqing both shook their heads, expressing no interest.

    ¡°Then are you interested in gold and silver?¡± Prince Yu asked directly, as he could tell these two were not ordinary people.

    ¡°Gold and silver are of no use to us,¡± Zhanyue replied. They weren¡¯t from this world and would leave afterpleting their mission, so what use would they have for this world¡¯s money?

    ¡°Power and wealth, you want neither. Then I truly don¡¯t know how to reward you,¡± Prince Yu showed a troubled expression.

    Zhanyue understood Prince Yu¡¯s meaning; he was letting them name their conditions. So Zhanyue didn¡¯t hesitate, ¡°Your Highness is knowledgeable and experienced. Have you encountered any extraordinary objects? We two are interested in such things.¡±

    Prince Yu smiled and pped his hands. The maid beside him understood and retrieved something from a nearby cab. It was an object on a tray, covered with a red cloth inscribed with scriptures, looking quite mysterious.

    ¡°You two are indeed extraordinary, seeking extraordinary things. I happen to have a treasure here that I can give to you, to thank you for your kindness.¡± Prince Yu had his servants remove the zither and ced the object on the table, then removed the red cloth covering the mysterious item about a quarter of a person¡¯s height. Under the red cloth was a statue, seemingly made of a mysterious purple blood jade. The statue¡¯s face was fierce, baring fangs, like a rakshasa demon. One foot was nted, the other raised, with a foot muchrger than a human¡¯s, having seven toes with long nails, carved lifelike. Its two hands, however, had five fingers each. One hand pointed high to the sky with one finger extended. The other hand held a ¡®small thing¡¯. Looking closely, it was actually a human infant, smiling happily in the monster¡¯s arms, seemingly unafraid.

    Zhanyue was reminded of the Guanyin who sends children from his homnd, but this monster was likely not Guanyin. Given the prevalence of fox god worship in this world, it was questionable whether legends of Guanyin even existed here.

    ¡°This object is called the ¡®Child-Sending Rakshasa¡¯ statue. It¡¯s very mysterious, definitely not an ordinary item,¡± Prince Yu exined. ¡°In this world, there are loving couples who cannot conceive for years. If they ce this statue in their bedroom, it will take effect within a month. This has been verified by nearly a hundred couples without fail, before it came into my possession. Today, I¡¯m gifting this treasure to you two.¡± Prince Yu was catering to their interests. If he wasn¡¯t sincerely trying to win these two over, he wouldn¡¯t part with this object. As he said, it was truly a treasure, seemingly rted to the legendary ancient Rakshasa religion.

    ¡°It really is a child-sending Guanyin?¡± Zhanyue was secretly surprised. Although this thing didn¡¯t look like the child-sending Guanyin and seemed quite sinister, its function was the same. He and Feng Xueqing could sense a mysterious power emanating from it, definitely not an ordinary statue.

    ¡°In that case, we¡¯ll ept it,¡± Zhanyue said without hesitation. The treasures of this world were real treasures, not to be missed.

    As they agreed to ept this treasure, both received a message from their identity tokens simultaneously.

    ¡°Because you epted the Rakshasa religion¡¯s holy object ¨C the Great Joy Heaven Eternal Life Demon Statue ¨C gifted by Prince Yu, you have formed a karmic connection with Prince Yu. The final task is to help Prince Yu ascend to the throne. Task sess condition: Prince Yu sessfully ascends the throne; Task failure condition: Prince Yu is defeated in battle and dies.¡±

    Zhanyue and Feng Xueqing exchanged a quick nce. As expected, Prince Yu did indeed have ulterior motives, and their final task was to help him im the throne.

    ¡°Thank you for your generous gift, Your Highness,¡± Zhanyue said gratefully.

    Prince Yu had servants bring a wooden box to pack the statue and sent it to Zhanyue and Feng Xueqing¡¯s lodgings.

    ¡°Your Highness, I have a question,¡± Zhanyue suddenly said.

    ¡°Please, go ahead,¡± Prince Yu showed interest.

    ¡°There are many legends of fox spirits circting, and both the Great Fortune and Blue Hill kingdoms have numerous fox god temples. Have you ever personally seen these fox spirits or fox gods?¡± Zhanyue asked, curious whether this world actually had supernatural beings.

    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Prince Yu hadn¡¯t expected this question. He paused, then smiled, ¡°So Young Master Zhan is interested in such things. Although I haven¡¯t personally seen any fox spirits, who can say what¡¯s true and what¡¯s false? Just like the appearance of unparalleled figures like you and Miss Feng in this world, it¡¯s something I never imagined.¡±

    Zhanyue nodded. He had spoken, yet seemed to say nothing at all.

    They chatted for a long time, from strange tales to people¡¯s livelihoods, then from livelihoods to governance. Prince Yu also casually probed their backgrounds. After a while, Zhanyue and Feng Xueqing finally stood to leave. Prince Yu personally saw them off, falling into deep thought as he watched them go. ¡°I feel like these two know what I¡¯m nning to do, and they seem quite supportive. In any case, it shouldn¡¯t be a bad thing.¡±

    Back in their room, Zhanyue finally sighed in relief, ¡°I never expected it, but that honest-looking Prince Yu really does want to rebel.¡±

    Feng Xueqing replied, ¡°What¡¯s unexpected about it? He¡¯s been showingpassion to the people, doing good deeds everywhere. His reputation among themon people has long surpassed the emperor¡¯s. It would be strange if he didn¡¯t have any ambitions. It¡¯s just that the ipetent emperor doesn¡¯t care, seeming overly confident. So we need to take this task seriously.¡±

    Zhanyue turned his head and suddenly froze, because he saw that Feng Xueqing had removed her disguise, restoring her original appearance. That pure, youthful, and stunningly beautiful face appeared again, captivating Zhanyue each time.

    ¡°What are you staring at? You¡¯ve seen it several times already,¡± Feng Xueqing said, exasperated, flicking Zhanyue¡¯s forehead. Zhanyue came to his senses, smiling awkwardly, ¡°Why did you suddenly remove your disguise?¡±

    Feng Xueqing looked at herself in the mirror for a long time, saying, ¡°We¡¯ve been in this world for so long, mostly not showing our true faces. I was afraid I¡¯d forget what I really look like.¡±

    ¡°Let me guess, is it because I looked at those two maids a few extra times at the teahouse earlier?¡± Zhanyue, being sharp and clever, instantly guessed the reason.

    ¡°Hmm? What does you looking at other women have to do with me? You¡¯re so thick-skinned,¡± Feng Xueqing said, trying to maintainposure after her thoughts were exposed.

    ¡°I was looking at those two maids earlier to see if they might be fox spirits in disguise. After observing for a while, they seemed to be just ordinary humans. I think both Prince Yu and you misunderstood. If you hadn¡¯t been there, I¡¯m afraid he would have offered those two maids to me on the spot,¡± Zhanyue teased.

    ¡°What if he really had offered?¡± Feng Xueqing asked, narrowing her eyes. No matter what expression she made, she was always incredibly beautiful.

    ¡°Of course I would refuse. After all, I have a wife at home who¡¯s more beautiful than a celestial maiden,¡± Zhanyue joked.

    Feng Xueqing rolled her eyes at him, ¡°Who¡¯s your wife? We¡¯re just acting. I¡¯ll definitely tell Sister Baizhi about thister.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about this anymore. We haven¡¯t closely examined the treasure Prince Yu sent,¡± Feng Xueqing suggested.

    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Zhanyue looked at the statue covered by the red cloth in the room, then uncovered it. They examined it carefully for a long time, looking for anything unusual. Zhanyue touched it and suddenly had an idea. He summoned the Three Talents Wondrous Fire, intending to refine part of it. He had discovered that the Three Talents Wondrous Fire had remarkable effects on treasures and simr objects. Under the fire¡¯s refinement, before long, the statue¡¯s eyes shed with a red light. Then, a flood of information poured into Zhanyue¡¯s mind. Countless eerie chants of scriptures rang in his head, causing him to roll on the ground in pain. At the same time, the strange statuepletely shattered.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Feng Xueqing felt a pang of worry, suspecting they might have fallen into Prince Yu¡¯s trap. When she went to help Zhanyue up, she saw his eyes were blood-red, staring at her. Those eyes were filled with blood-colored scriptures, containing a wonderful world of human pleasures. By chance, Zhanyue had obtained the Rakshasa religion¡¯s ultimate treasure ¨C the Great Joy Heaven¡¯s Lustful Blood Eyes. Clearly, at this moment, Zhanyue couldn¡¯t control these eyes. But as his gaze met Feng Xueqing¡¯s, her eyes also took on a blood-red hue. The two unconsciously drew closer to each other.

 Chapter 213: Golden Eyes

    Chapter 213: Golden Eyes

    Their lips drew closer, their bodies pressed together. Unlikest time when he was unaware, this time Zhanyue clearly knew what he was doing, but he couldn¡¯t control his actions. Reason was locked in a cage, and he could only watch as desire did what he dared not do.

    Feng Xueqing was no better off than Zhanyue, her eyes tinged red, passion surging, her cheeks flushed. Their lips met, then their tongues intertwined. Zhanyue greedily sucked and took, his hands not idle, freely exploring that beautiful and noble body, conquering territory. Rough growls and enticing moans alternated.

    Just as the situation was about to be uncontroble, a blue lotus mark suddenly appeared on Feng Xueqing¡¯s forehead, dispelling the crimson in her eyes. She looked at Zhanyue with aplex expression, then pressed her forehead against his.

    ¡°Heaven and Earth clear! Mysticw returns to stillness¡­¡± Feng Xueqing began chanting the ¡°Great Luo Blue Lotus Mind-Calming Incantation.¡±

    Zhanyue felt an icy coolness in his head. The incantation was indeed powerful, and soon Zhanyue regained control of his body. He looked awkwardly at the disheveled beauty before him.

    ¡°Don¡¯t speak yet, you¡¯ve been poisoned. Quick¡­ I need to help you detoxify,¡± Feng Xueqing¡¯s pretty face was pale. At this moment, she felt no shame, only extreme worry for Zhanyue. Her body was special, with all bodily fluids being highly toxic. Though her saliva wasn¡¯t as terrifying as her blood, it wasn¡¯t something ordinary people coulde into contact with, and Zhanyue had just explored her mouth for quite some time¡­

    Zhanyue suddenly felt pain all over his body, his senses gradually fading. He immediately used state reversal, returning his body to its pre-poisoned state.

    Feng Xueqing was holding silver needles, about to apply acupuncture, when Zhanyue suddenly grabbed her wrist.

    ¡°No need, I¡¯m fine now,¡± Zhanyue smiled. The concern on this girl¡¯s face couldn¡¯t be faked. ¡°You¡¯re¡­ you¡¯re fine?¡± Feng Xueqing looked carefully at Zhanyue, finding all signs of poisoning gone. She gaped in disbelief.

    ¡°It¡¯splicated to exin. Simply put, you can understand it as me being immune to all poisons,¡± Zhanyue said. ¡°You¡­ you should put your clothes back on.¡±

    At this moment, Feng Xueqing¡¯s outer clothes were undone, revealing the belly band underneath, withrge areas of jade-like skin exposed. That belly band was the treasure Feng Xueqing had lent Zhanyue before, her innate contract object she was born with.

    ¡°You¡­ turn around!¡± Feng Xueqing finally felt embarrassed.

    After some rustling sounds, Feng Xueqing dressed andposed herself before speaking: ¡°What just happened? What was that strange statue?¡±

    Zhanyue exined: ¡°ording to the information I received, this object was a holy relic of an ancient evil religion called the Rakshasa Cult. It contained their highest-level eye technique ¨C the Great Joy Heaven¡¯s Lustful Eyes. This relic needed to be activated by human desire to obtain the eye technique hidden within. When I used the Three Talents Wondrous Fire to refine it, I identally seeded, as my Three Talents Wondrous Fire contains human desire. This eye technique can manipte various desires in others, including lust, bloodlust, and all kinds of desires. Of course, the most basic desire is lust, as it¡¯s human instinct.¡±

    ¡°The Rakshasa Cult was once despised by the world. Its leaders, a man and a woman, both mastered this eye technique. They often used it to hypnotize and control the opposite sex, practicing dual cultivation or turning them into blood ves. Eventually, they provoked a top-tier sect called ¡®Supreme rity Sect,¡¯ whose expertspletely destroyed the Rakshasa Cult. The Rakshasa holy statue was lost until I found it.¡± Zhanyue recounted all the information he had obtained from the statue.

    Feng Xueqing looked at Zhanyue¡¯s eyes with disgust, ¡°If others discover such an evil eye technique, you might be seen as a demon. Hypnotizing the opposite sex, arousing their desires for cultivation ¨C only lustful demons would do such things. You just obtained the eye technique and probably used it unconsciously.¡±

    Zhanyue also felt a chill of fear, ¡°You¡¯re right, I can¡¯t control it at all yet. Fortunately, your cultivation method seems to counter it. It¡¯s good that it didn¡¯t really harm you, otherwise I¡¯d find it hard to forgive myself. This eye technique has seven desire heavens with seven levels, but historically, most inheritors only mastered the first level of lust heaven, so they were like lustful demons. But I feel this eye technique should have greater uses, not just for hypnosis and dual cultivation. It¡¯s just been used wrongly.¡±

    ¡°Are there any side effects from inheriting this eye technique?¡± Feng Xueqing asked, her beautiful eyes examining Zhanyue up and down, especially looking at his lower body, which still seemed somewhat abnormal.

    Zhanyue immediately blushed and exined: ¡°I haven¡¯t fully mastered this yet, so my bodily desires are over a hundred times stronger than before. Others might be driven by desire, sinking into a sea of lust and acting recklessly, but due to previous coincidences, I¡¯ve already mastered human desire fire, so I won¡¯t lose my reason. Earlier¡­ earlier was an ident,pletely due to my own carelessness.¡±

    ¡°Mm, I¡¯ll believe you this once. If there¡¯s a next time, I¡¯ll help you gouge out these eyes to prevent you from harming others,¡± Feng Xueqing was also relieved that such a bizarre eye technique ended up with Zhanyue, who had some means of control. As for what happened earlier¡­ Feng Xueqing dared not think too much. He had not only taken her first kiss, but his hands had roamed all over her body. She didn¡¯t know how to face Zhanyue in the future.

    ¡°Um, I¡¯d like to ask for your help with one more thing,¡± Zhanyue said, somewhat embarrassed.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Feng Xueqing looked at Zhanyue, her voice much softer than before.

    ¡°I want topletely refine this eye technique. But I¡¯ll inevitably fall into that state again. I want you to use that technique you just used to suppress it,¡± Zhanyue requested awkwardly.

    ¡°Alright¡­¡± Feng Xueqing agreed without hesitation.

    Then, they sat cross-legged, both taking a deep breath before beginning. A blue lotus appeared on Feng Xueqing¡¯s forehead again. She leaned forward, pressing her forehead against Zhanyue¡¯s, the lotus mark protecting them both.

    With this protection, Zhanyue opened his mind, fully circting the bizarre eye technique.

    The negative effects of the eye technique were very strong, desires stirred again. But this time Zhanyue was prepared. He mobilized the mysterious Three Talents Wondrous Fire, suddenly inspired to use it to refine his own eyes. With his state reversal ability, he wasn¡¯t afraid of really going blind. This time, he finally experienced the feeling of Sun Wukong being refined in the Eight Trigrams Furnace, and simrly gained a pair of fiery golden crystal eyes.

    But when Zhanyue opened his eyes again, they were reced by golden pupils, less evil and more divine than the blood-colored eyes. This represented Zhanyue¡¯splete mastery of this eye technique, even more thorough than the previous Rakshasa Cult leaders.

 Chapter 214: The Final Battle (1)

    Chapter 214: The Final Battle (1)

    ¡°Young Master Zhan, General Yue requests your presence at his mansion.¡±

    The next day, Zhanyue received another invitation from Yue Feipeng and went alone. He had gained considerably from this Heavenly Book trial, not only obtaining two treasures but also a mysterious incantation and the Rakshasa Cult¡¯s top-tier eye technique. He was naturally very interested in how events would unfold, wondering what else he might gain. Of course, he hadn¡¯t forgotten his next task ¨C to help Prince Yu ascend the throne.

    At the general¡¯s mansion, it wasn¡¯t a banquet today, but a secret meeting.

    In a private room, Yue Feipeng and Zhanyue met alone.

    ¡°Has Prince Yu met with you privately?¡± Yue Feipeng asked bluntly.

    Zhanyue nodded, ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°What do you think of Prince Yu?¡± Yue Feipeng asked again.

    Zhanyue knew his answer was crucial and could influence Yue Feipeng¡¯s decision. He thought for a moment and said, ¡°Outwardly benevolent but inwardly fierce, unfathomable.¡±

    ¡°Indeed, unfathomable¡­¡± Yue Feipeng sighed deeply, then asked, ¡°You¡¯re not from the Great Fortune Kingdom, more of an outside observer. Do you think if Prince Yu ascends the throne, it would be a blessing or a curse for themon people?¡± Zhanyue hadn¡¯t expected Yue Feipeng to be so direct. Instead of answering directly, he asked in return, ¡°General Yue, you said before that even though the current emperor has many faults, he is indeed the eldest legitimate son, and his inheritance of the throne is legal and reasonable. If he were to be deposed for ipetence, it might affect stability for generations toe.¡±

    Yue Feipeng nodded and exined, ¡°I did say that. But what if he isn¡¯t? Or what if he has no right to inherit the throne at all?¡±

    ¡°?¡± Zhanyue looked at Yue Feipeng in confusion.

    ¡°It¡¯s like this.¡± Yue Feipeng revealed all the secrets he had obtained, shocking Zhanyue to the core.

    ¡°General Yue, are you saying¡­ that the current emperor is the son of a fox spirit? That fox spirits have infiltrated the court?¡± Zhanyue looked at Yue Feipeng in disbelief.

    ¡°At least, all the information I¡¯ve received says so. Including what was in the wooden box you brought me,¡± Yue Feipeng said.

    Zhanyue took a deep breath and asked, ¡°I often hear legends of fox spirits and fox gods, and fox god temples are everywhere in the Great Fortune Kingdom, but I¡¯ve never seen a fox spirit with my own eyes. May I ask if you, in all these years, have ever seen such creatures?¡±

    Yue Feipeng shook his head, ¡°Never.¡±

    ¡°So, all the evidence we have points to the current emperor being the son of a fox spirit. But none of us have ever actually seen a fox spirit in the world?¡± Zhanyue, being clever, asked perceptively.

    Yue Feipeng wasn¡¯t surprised but looked at Zhanyue with a smile, ¡°It seems you¡¯ve also noticed the inconsistency.¡±

    ¡°Prince Yu¡¯s doing?¡± Zhanyue asked cautiously.

    Yue Feipeng nodded, ¡°I don¡¯t know when he started nning, but all the evidence is meant to make me believe one thing ¨C that the current emperor isn¡¯t the eldest legitimate son, but a fox spirit. Only by convincing me does he have a real reason for rebellion. But he underestimated you, and he underestimated me.¡±

    Zhanyue marveled internally at Prince Yu¡¯s scheming, which had started even from Cloud Ink Vige¡­

    In the capital, in the imperial court, the monarch who hadn¡¯t been seen for days finally appeared on the dragon throne.

    The entire court was oppressive, no one daring to speak.

    The emperor angrily threw the memorial in his hand to the ground, shouting, ¡°Can someone tell me what¡¯s going on? Why has Prince Yu rebelled? Why has Yue Feipeng also rebelled? Why are they advancing so quickly!¡±

    The ministers below all lowered their heads,municating with their eyes, ¡°What¡¯s going on? Don¡¯t you know yourself? You¡¯ve made the peoplein loudly, giving Prince Yu the opportunity to rebel. You foolishly sent Prince Yu to the Northern Frontier to solve the gue problem, giving Prince Yu and Yue Feipeng a chance to work closely together. Now you ask us why?¡±

    ¡°Your Majesty, in the current situation, we should quickly arrange for the Dragon Tiger Army to prepare for battle. Although the Dragon Tiger Army has only 100,000 men, they are extraordinarily powerful and brave. With Commander Ma Qiangang in charge, we are not without hope against Yue Feipeng,¡± Imperial Advisor Nangong Wendao suggested.

    ¡°Right! I still have my uncle. My uncle is invincible in the world. He will surely crush Prince Yu and Yue Feipeng!¡± Faced with this sudden turn of events, the emperor could only rely on his powerful uncle to protect his throne.

    ¡°Hahaha, Your Majesty, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m here.¡± A middle-aged man in armor, with a ruddyplexion, steady aura, and burly build walked in. He had a steel whip at his waist and wore armor and sword to court, which was his special privilege. This was Ma Qiangang, themander of the 100,000 imperial guards and the emperor¡¯s uncle! His presence even overshadowed the emperor on the dragon throne, making everyone tremble.

    ¡°Uncle! You must stand up for me!¡± The emperor finally rxed a bit seeing his uncle, who was still so powerful.

    Ma Qiangang drew out the Thunder-Controlling Divine Whip, lightning dancing on it, electric arcs flickering, illuminating the entire court in shes. The lightning highlighted Ma Qiangang¡¯s fierce face, ¡°I haven¡¯t taken action in years, and now some cats and dogs dare to challenge us. Watch me wield this whip and clear the realm in three months!¡±

 Chapter 215: The Final Battle (2)

    Chapter 215: The Final Battle (2)

    Prince Yu¡¯s rebellion, nned for over a decade, received widespread support. The current emperor¡¯s inhuman behavior was already known throughout thend. Recently, rumors spread that the emperor was the son of a fox spirit, disrupting the court. The true heir to the throne should have been Prince Yu. Many evil deeds were exposed, causing public anger to boil over. However, Prince Yu knew that military power would ultimately determine sess or failure, which is why he schemed several times to bring General Yue into his camp. Now, with the Blue Hill Kingdom in the north recently defeated and unable to invade southward, and the three Northern Frontier provinces just recovering from disaster, the emperor¡¯s prestige was at rock bottom while Prince Yu¡¯s was at its peak. This was the best opportunity, and Prince Yu didn¡¯t miss it.

    The rebel army conquered cities and territories, advancing unstoppably under Yue Feipeng¡¯smand. In no time, they reached Wenshi Lake. Wenshi Lake was a hugeke west of the capital, next to Tianwei City, upying a strategic position that was hard to bypass. If Tianwei fell, the army would march directly on the capital, leaving it defenseless. Now, warships lined Wenshi Lake, and unlike the enemies the rebel army had faced before, this time they faced 100,000 imperial guards of the Dragon Tiger Army arrayed on the eastern shore of Wenshi. Commanding Tianwei City was the Great Fortune Kingdom¡¯s top expert ¨C Ma Qiangang.

    The two armies faced each other on Wenshi Lake. Prince Yu and Yue Feipeng could see Ma Qiangang standing on a warship not far away.

    ¡°Traitorous rebels, surrender quickly! Otherwise, when my Thunder-Controlling Divine Whip falls, it will be the moment your entire army is annihted!¡± Ma Qiangang¡¯s voice, powered by his deep internal energy, echoed across Wenshi Lake, clearly heard by Prince Yu and his group.

    ¡°Ma Qiangang¡¯s strength is unfathomable, and he seems to have improved since before. He won¡¯t be easy to deal with,¡± Yue Feipeng said.

    ¡°Go, test Ma Qiangang. Be careful,¡± Prince Yu ordered.

    Then, the ck-d man was seen walking on water, flying towards Ma Qiangang. Seeing the approaching enemy, Ma Qiangang got excited and also flew out from the warship, walking on water. The two experts shed on the water¡¯s surface, causing waves to surge and both sides¡¯ ships to rock.

    Before long, Ma Qiangang recognized his opponent¡¯s identity, ¡°It¡¯s you! The Divine Dragon Guard leader ¨C Wuming! You¡¯ve also rebelled?¡±

    ¡°Wrong, I am Wuxin. Wuming was my junior brother, we were from the same school. He died long ago,¡± the ck-d man didn¡¯t hide his identity. ¡°Whether you¡¯re Wuming or Wuxin, today you die!¡± Ma Qiangang threw punch after punch, terrible fist winds apanied by breaking sounds assaulting Wuxin¡¯s face.

    The ck-d man dodged with a sh, his right hand grabbing at theke surface. A water dragon rose from theke, swallowing Ma Qiangang in one gulp.

    Lightning shed inside the water dragon¡¯s belly, terrifying thunder instantly tearing the water dragon apart. Ma Qiangang emerged, holding the Thunder-Controlling Divine Whip, lightning surging around his body.

    ¡°Hehehe, is this all you¡¯ve got?¡± As he spoke, Ma Qiangang didn¡¯t let up, unleashing five moves in session, each apanied by lightning.

    The ck-d man tried to dodge but couldn¡¯t avoid them, taking all five hits. He retreated to the ship with injuries.

    ¡°Hahaha, Prince Yu, Yue Feipeng,e and try whatever else you¡¯ve got!¡± Ma Qiangang taunted.

    Prince Yu and Yue Feipeng both frowned. This man was too strong; even if Yue Feipeng went himself, he might not be a match. And if he lost, the impact would be great.

    ¡°Leave it to me,¡± Zhanyue sighed. Silver armor appeared on his body, and a sky-piercing halberd appeared in his hand. He wanted to end this quickly.

    Wearing the Silver Moon Armor, walking on water as if on solid ground, Zhanyue charged directly at Ma Qiangang.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± Ma Qiangang changed his previous arrogance, looking warily at Zhanyue. The Thunder-Controlling Divine Whip in his hand trembled, as if warning him.

    ¡°The one who will kill you,¡± Zhanyue took out the Great Sun Sea Burning Pearl and embedded it in the Silver Moon Armor. Instantly, the entire armor underwent a huge change, red me patterns covering it. Zhanyue¡¯s aura rose another level.

    Zhanyue didn¡¯t bother with words and attacked with his sky-piercing halberd.

    The terrifying lightning was easily suppressed by mes. With just one move, Ma Qiangang was sted into theke bottom, causing water to ssh dozens of meters high. Ma Qiangang emerged from theke bottom in a sorry state, his face pale. Zhanyue¡¯s single attack had proven the gap between them. This was an absolute crushing at the power level.

    ¡°Lightning Dragon Shakes the World!¡± Ma Qiangang could only pin his hopes on the mysterious treasure in his hand. Fully activating the precious item, the Thunder-Controlling Divine Whip transformed into a giant lightning dragon lunging at Zhanyue. At the same time, dark clouds covered the sky, and heavy rain poured down.

    ¡°Disperse!¡± Zhanyue swung his halberd from bottom to top. A me like a fire dragon rose, first shattering the lightning dragon, then soaring into the sky, actually dispersing all the dark clouds above, letting sunlight shine on theke surface again.

    Everyone stared dumbfounded at Zhanyue. This must be the strike of an immortal.

    ¡°You¡­ you shouldn¡¯t be a figure of this world. Why are you helping Prince Yu? Someone like you shouldn¡¯t participate in dynastic struggles. This is too unfair!¡± Ma Qiangang looked at Zhanyue as if seeing a monster, muttering resentfully. He understood all too well that Zhanyue was on apletely different level from him.

    At this moment, on the walls of Tianwei City, the Great Fortune emperor himself was present. He ced the tablets of his ancestors before him, then knelt down, praying with tears in his eyes: ¡°Ancestors above, I am the eldest legitimate son of thete emperor, my inheritance of the throne is legal and proper. Now Prince Yu rebels, aided by powers beyond the mortal realm, truly intending to overturn our dynasty¡¯s fate and destroy the order of thousands of years. Please, ancestors, show your divine power, protect our realm, maintain the rules and order.¡±

    Instantly, golden lights shot out from the many tablets, all entering Ma Qiangang¡¯s body. Ma Qiangang felt his strength skyrocket, as if bing an immortal on the spot. A huge golden shadow stood behind him. Looking at this golden figure, people felt only deep fear and submission. This was the power symbolizing imperial authority, order, and heavenlyw. This was their final measure.

    ¡°Come again!¡± Ma Qiangang engaged Zhanyue once more, this time gaining the upper hand. Zhanyue sensed that his opponent was not the person before him, but the power of the world¡¯s rules! He couldn¡¯t resist at all! This was Zhanyue¡¯s first time experiencing the power of rules.

 Chapter 216: The Final Battle (3)

    Chapter 216: The Final Battle (3)

    What should have been a lively scene was now terrifyingly quiet. Theke was silent, the distant mountains and sky merged into one, as if the entire world had been reduced to the tranquility of theke surface.

    Zhanyue reassessed the opponent before him. The frightening thing wasn¡¯t Ma Qiangang, but the overwhelming heavenly authority behind him.

    ¡°This power¡­¡± Zhanyue gripped his sky-piercing halberd tightly. The red me patterns on his Silver Moon Armor all lit up. He was already using his full strength, but this was his first time facing a power known as ¡®rules¡¯.

    ¡°Traitorous rebels! Die!¡± Ma Qiangang swung his whip again, like a mountain copsing.

    Zhanyue forcibly took the blow, feeling as if all his internal organs had been struck by a muffled hammer, apanied by terrifying lightning coursing through his body. He was smashed into theke bottom. Soon after, he flew back up, only to be greeted by another whip strike, lightning shing across theke surface.

    ¡°Hahaha, no matter who you are, you¡¯re just a rotten fish now. Watch me smash you to pieces!¡± Ma Qiangang struck out with his steel whip again, as if to split the entireke in two. As theke waters surged, Feng Xueqing stood at the bow of the ship, reaching out her hand. A lotus flower bloomed before her, forming a shield to resist the terrifying impact. She used all her strength to protect the ship beneath her, and now cracks appeared on the lotus shield.

    ¡°Such terrifying power¡­ even the aftershock can break my shield. What horrifying attacks must Zhanyue be enduring?¡± Feng Xueqing couldn¡¯t help but worry. This trial task was indeed extraordinary.

    ¡°Prince Yu, if you have any more tricks up your sleeve, now is the time. Or do you know nothing about their trump cards?¡± Feng Xueqing turned her head to ask Prince Yu beside her.

    Prince Yu¡¯s face had turned pale. If not for Feng Xueqing¡¯s intervention, the ship would have sunk into theke by now. ¡°Alright, please protect me, Miss Feng,¡± Prince Yu gritted his teeth, knowing it was time for him to act.

    Feng Xueqing nodded in agreement.

    Prince Yu had his attendants bring a thick bamboo scroll. As he unrolled it, a bloody smell spread. The scroll was very long, written with blood characters.

    ¡°This is a record of the current emperor¡¯s bloody debts, too numerous to list! Each character is written with the heart¡¯s blood of victims, their cries cannot be ignored.¡± Prince Yu sat cross-legged, bit open his finger, and continued writing on the blood scroll. The incantations were veryplex, iprehensible to outsiders. But everyone felt that as Prince Yu wrote, the pressure from the heavenly way weakened considerably.

    ¡°What is the heavenly way? Maintaining order is the heavenly way, so resisting order is naturally also the heavenly way! These unwilling wills will all be your weapons, these resentful thoughts will be your armor. What we do is also carrying out heaven¡¯s will!¡± Prince Yu waved the bamboo scroll, and the blood characters on it materialized, flying towards Zhanyue.

    Zhanyue suddenly felt himself surrounded by mountains of corpses and seas of blood, endless wronged souls appealing to him, unwilling wills urging him to resist. At this moment, Zhanyue entered a state of enlightenment. A blood-red shadow appeared behind him, confronting the shadow behind Ma Qiangang. The feeling of being suppressed by the heavenly will vanished.

    Heavenly way against heavenly way, rule against rule. If the opposite side symbolized stable order, then he was unyielding resistance. Two opposing rule powers shed, bringing the duel back to a fair arena.

    ¡°Hmph!¡± Zhanyue snorted coldly and attacked again. Without the advantage of rule power, Ma Qiangang couldn¡¯t gain any upper hand. After a series of exchanges, the Thunder-Controlling Divine Whip fell into Zhanyue¡¯s hands, while Ma Qiangang sank to the bottom of theke.

    Seeing the enemy leader fall, Prince Yu gave the order, and all soldiersunched a general attack. The decisive battle of Wenshi Lake began. In the end, the current emperor, seeing the situation was lost,mitted suicide.

    A monthter, Prince Yu entered the capital and ascended the throne. When he sought Zhanyue and Feng Xueqing again, they were nowhere to be found.

    Missionpleted, Zhanyue and Feng Xueqing were suddenly transported away by their identity tokens. They found themselves by a riverbank, looking at each other in confusion, not knowing where they were or what their next task would be.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Is this still the previous world?¡± Zhanyue asked puzzled.

    Feng Xueqing shook her head as well.

    ¡°There¡¯s a fisherman by the river. Let¡¯s ask him,¡± Feng Xueqing suggested.

    They approached the man. The fisherman was white-bearded, thin, about sixty years old, fishing and drinking. He looked at the two curiously as they approached.

    ¡°Old sir, is this within the Great Fortune Kingdom?¡± Zhanyue asked.

    The old man looked even more confused and replied, ¡°Great Fortune Kingdom? Didn¡¯t it fall thirty years ago? This area now belongs to the Blue Hill Kingdom.¡±

    Zhanyue and Feng Xueqing stared at each other, bewildered.

    ¡°Do you know about Prince Yu and General Yue Feipeng?¡± Zhanyue asked again.

    The old man became interested, ¡°Prince Yu and Yue Feipeng? We all grew up hearing their stories. How could we not know? They were figures from a hundred years ago.¡±

    ¡°A hundred years ago?¡± Zhanyue and Feng Xueqing gasped. They had been transported to a world over a hundred yearster?

    ¡°Oh? Could you tell us more about their stories, old sir?¡± Zhanyue requested.

    ¡°No problem, this old man loves chatting with young people like you.¡±

    As the old man narrated, a grand historical epic unfolded before them.

    After the Battle of Wenshi Lake, Prince Yu smoothly ascended the throne as Emperor Shengwu, reformed the government, gave the people respite, and restored the nation¡¯s strength. This period was known as the ¡°Shengwu Revival¡±. Twenty yearster, he waged war against Blue Hill, winning consecutive victories and forcing Blue Hill to cede territory and pay reparations, leaving it on the brink of copse. However, his son was not as wise, giving Blue Hill a chance to recover. The third-generation ruler was even more ipetent than Prince Yu¡¯s brother, causing widespread discontent within Great Fortune and frequent rebellions. He even desecrated Yue Feipeng¡¯s tomb out of personal desire, forcing Yue Feipeng¡¯s grandson to flee to Blue Hill and be a general there. Yearster, Yue Feipeng¡¯s grandson personally led iron cavalry to overthrow Great Fortune, making the once struggling Blue Hill Kingdom the final victor.

    Zhanyue and Feng Xueqing listened in a daze to the old man¡¯s ount. Just moments ago, they had witnessed Prince Yu¡¯s ascension, and he had promised to treat the people well and be a wise ruler, making them feel they had helped the right person and chosen the correct path. The next moment, they arrived a hundred yearster to find that although Prince Yu had indeed fulfilled his promise and be a great ruler, Great Fortune still fell after three generations. Yue Feipeng, who valued his reputation above all else, would never have imagined that it would be his descendant who overthrew Great Fortune.

    All of Prince Yu¡¯s schemes to ascend the throne; General Yue¡¯s inner struggles and decisions for the people¡¯s sake; Zhanyue¡¯s heroic deeds of infiltrating the camp to kill Nangong Wujiang and beheading Ma Qiangang on the battlefield ¨C in the long river of history, they were merely passing clouds, ultimately bing just tales on this fisherman¡¯s lips. Even the heavenly way¡¯s will of stable order versus the will to resist seemed to hold no great power in the face of time.

    ¡°So this is how this world ends up,¡± Zhanyue sighed. Having personally experienced these major historical events, only to see such an oue. Prince Yu was so talented, yet his nation fell after three generations; General Yue cherished his reputation, yet his descendants had to betray the country; Blue Hill was defeated several times, yet ultimately turned defeat into victory. The fickleness of fate was indeed unpredictable.

    Zhanyue and Feng Xueqing both felt their identity tokens vibrate. Their cultivation had fully returned, with no more restrictions.

    ¡°All tasks in this realm have beenpleted. Failed toplete the hidden task ¨C changing Great Fortune¡¯s national fate. Final evaluation: Grade B.¡±

    ¡°? That hidden task was actually to change Great Fortune¡¯s fate of destruction?¡± Zhanyue and Feng Xueqing both felt some regret, but there was nothing they could do. The difficulty of this trial had exceeded their expectations.

    ¡°Where do you think we went wrong? Why couldn¡¯t we change Great Fortune¡¯s downfall?¡± Zhanyue asked, puzzled.

    Feng Xueqing shook her head as well, ¡°I don¡¯t know either. But we¡¯re about to part ways. All tasks in this realm arepleted, and our future tasks are unlikely to synchronize again.¡±

    ¡°I¡­¡± Zhanyue wanted to say something more, but two beams of light enveloped them, instantly separating them and sending them to the next task world.

    ¡°(¨s¡ã¡õ¡ã)¨s¦à ©ß©¥©ß!¡± Zhanyue felt speechless, he still had things he wanted to say.

    ¡°You have entered the Demon Abyss. At the same time, there are other trial participants in this realm. The task worlds have been synchronized. You may be coborators orpetitors. Good luck to you.¡± Another reminder came from the identity token.

    ¡°Synchronized with others again?! Who is it this time?¡± As Zhanyue pondered, he saw a pair of angel wings rapidly erging, and a graceful figure crashed into his arms. Before he could see who it was, his attention was drawn to a huge creature in the distance. Just a nce filled him with unprecedented fear.

    ¡°What¡­ is¡­ that¡­ monster¡­¡±

 Chapter 217: Trouble Caused by Meddling Hands

    Chapter 217: Trouble Caused by Meddling Hands

    The monster was 1000 feet tall, like a mountain. Its shape resembled a giant octopus, but it was covered in red armor. Looking closely, each ¡®scale¡¯ of the armor seemed to be a human face, etched with fear. The blood-red monster was now staring at Zhanyue with eyes full of killing intent strong enough to scatter his soul.

    At some point, Zhanyue¡¯s eyes had turned golden. He had instinctively activated his Lustful Eyes. Although the eye technique had no effect on the monster, it could resist the mental attack from the monster¡¯s gaze, keeping Zhanyue clear-headed. He found himself rapidly falling towards a vast ocean. The monster¡¯s body above the water surface was already so enormous. He quickly summoned the Heaven-Punishing Demon Sword and stood on it.

    Seeing that it couldn¡¯t ¡°kill with a nce¡±, the monster let out a bone-chilling roar that made Zhanyue¡¯s soul feel like it had plunged into an ice cave. He had never encountered such a powerful creature. Without hesitation, Zhanyue removed the vest given by the Illumination Goddess that had been constraining his spiritual power for hard cultivation. Instantly, he felt his body be incredibly light, his internal power flowing smoothly.

    Next, he threw out a purple wooden block which transformed into his doppelganger, Demon Shark. The Demon Shark swallowed the woman in Zhanyue¡¯s arms, then dropped into the sea, using water escape techniques to flee at high speed. Zhanyue¡¯s main body had donned the Silver Moon Armor and embedded the Great Sun Sea Burning Pearl into it, maximizing the armor¡¯s power.

    Seeing something escape, the monster extended a tentacle at incredible speed towards the Demon Shark doppelganger.

    ¡°Break!¡± Zhanyue swung his sky-piercing halberd. The terrifying force prated the sea surface, striking the tentacle directly. The powerful impact shattered the tentacle, but it regenerated almost instantly.

    With a hint of mockery, the monster roared, and suddenly a thousand tentacles appeared. It wanted to see how Zhanyue would defend against this. Facing one tentacle required Zhanyue¡¯s full power, let alone a thousand.

    Zhanyue suddenly took out an object ¨C a dark blue pearl. It was his first time using this treasure, unsure of its power, so he used it with all his might. Instantly, a terrifying gale arose, freezing the entire ocean in front of Zhanyue solid. Both the pursuing tentacles and the sea beneath the monster were frozen solid.

    ¡°The Sea Burning Pearl and River Freezing Pearl are indeed extraordinary treasures. This freezing speed must be faster than ordinary divine abilities,¡± Zhanyue marveled while fleeing at high speed on his flying sword. Momentster, the monster forcibly broke through the ice, its countless tentacles frantically whipping the ice surface, shattering all the frozen ice. It tried to give chase, but chains deep in the sea kept it firmly sealed in ce, unable to move. It could only let out angry roars. Zhanyue felt the terrifyingly powerful force and almost stumbled off his flying sword. This monster was truly frightening. But fortunately, it didn¡¯t pursue. He fled at full speed until reaching the shore, where he finally breathed a sigh of relief.

    Near the shore was a small mountain with a cave. Zhanyue had his doppelganger head there as well.

    The Demon Shark doppelganger spat out the woman, then turned back into a wooden block which Zhanyue put away. Now he carefully examined the woman. The stunningly beautiful woman had her eyes tightly closed, her expression still calm as if emotionless. Behind her, a pair of white wings was particrly eye-catching. This woman was none other than Yunyao. Usually, Yunyao¡¯s wings were retracted and small, but now they were fully extended, likely from battling the monster earlier.

    ¡°What level is this, daring to challenge such a monster? Could this be her task?¡± Zhanyue joked. If so, she probably couldn¡¯tplete it. Just as he thought this, another message came from his identity token.

    ¡°Task objective: Eliminate the seven ancient demon beasts dominating this world.

    Task failure condition: All lives exhausted

    Task reward: Explore on your own¡±

    ¡°Se-seven ancient demon beasts? Don¡¯t tell me that monster just now was one of them? There are seven beings like that, and I have to kill them all?¡± Zhanyue was dumbfounded. But a trial was a trial, and he had no choice. He could only sit cross-legged and carefully consider all the powers he currently possessed.

    Realm: Star Profound Stage One

    Contract objects: ??, ??, Earth Mother Golden Cauldron

    Cultivation method: ¡°Three Talents Wondrous Fire Body Refining Technique¡± (upgraded from ¡°Earth Vein Dark Fire Body Refining and Pill Refining Technique¡±)

    Divine abilities: state reversal, Earth Traversing, Three Talents Wondrous Fire, Lustful Eyes, Soul-Calming Roar, Doppelganger

    Battle techniques: Phantom Sword Technique, Phantom Light Step, Sword Flying Technique ¨C Phantom Light Twelve Swords, Rosy Glow Sword Technique, Heaven Burning Finger

    Treasures: Silver Moon Armor, Great Sun Sea Burning Pearl, River Freezing Pearl, Heaven-Punishing Demon Sword, Thunder-Controlling Divine Whip

    Compared to ordinary Star Profound cultivators, Zhanyue was countless times stronger, far ahead in divine abilities, battle techniques, and treasures. But in front of that monster, it all seemed inadequate.

    ¡°Ah.¡± Zhanyue stood up, suddenly remembering that the mysterious and powerful woman before him had confronted that monster. Perhaps their tasks had something inmon. Why not team up?

    Zhanyue immediately used state reversal on her, trying to revive her. However, Yunyao¡¯s injuries involved her soul, an area state reversal couldn¡¯t affect. But fortunately, Zhanyue sensed that the damage to Yunyao¡¯s soul seemed to be self-repairing, as she was no ordinary person.

    Yunyaoy t on the ground, dressed in white with golden armor on some parts. With her incredibly beautiful face andrge wings, she truly resembled a legendary angel. But Zhanyue knew the Winged Race wasn¡¯t angels, just one of countless races.

    ¡°Oh?¡± As Zhanyue admired the beautiful snow-white wings, he noticed a red feather deep within the wings, near Yunyao¡¯s back, starkly different from the other feathers. Because all other feathers were white, this single red feather stood out.

    Zhanyue reached out and touched the red feather, but unexpectedly, it came off as if it wasn¡¯t firmly attached.

    ¡°Damn, so young and already molting?¡± Zhanyue was speechless. He had just curiously touched it, and the feather fell off. He picked up the red feather and examined it curiously, but it dissolved into sparks before his eyes and disappeared.

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ gone?¡± Zhanyue looked at his empty fingertip. He instinctively felt he might have made a big mistake!

    Not long after, Yunyao slowly woke up, immediately standing alert. She looked at her body in confusion, finding all her external injuries healed. And before her stood the Divine Son Zhanyue. She was about to thank him when her body suddenly shook. She looked at Zhanyue in disbelief and asked, ¡°You took the Thousand Fate Feather?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know, it disappeared on its own,¡± Zhanyue exined. He was telling the truth ¨C the feather had fallen off by itself and then vanished.

    ¡°You¡­ Damn you!¡± A silver-white sword appeared in Yunyao¡¯s hand, and she thrust it at Zhanyue¡¯s head without mercy. Zhanyue used Earth Traversing to dodge and escaped outside the cave. ¡°I just saved you. Even if you¡¯re not grateful, why are you trying to kill me?¡±

    But Yunyao looked at him coldly, as if facing a mortal enemy, her killing intent soaring.

    ¡°Despicable scoundrel, die!¡± Yunyao attacked again.

    Zhanyue knew how formidable this woman was. Now she seemed to have gone mad, determined to kill him. He had no choice but to flee on his flying sword, while Yunyao spread her wings and pursued relentlessly.

 Chapter 218: Impossible to Explain

    Chapter 218: Impossible to Exin

    One person flew on a sword, the other on wings. One fled, one pursued. They flew for an unknown distance.

    ¡°You crazy woman, what do you want? Ungrateful!¡± Zhanyue angrily shouted. He had just saved her, yet she was trying to kill him.

    ¡°Give me back the Thousand Fate Feather!¡± Yunyao¡¯s face remained cold, her sword asionally releasing sword energy.

    While dodging the sword energy, Zhanyue exined, ¡°I really didn¡¯t take that Thousand Fate Feather. I just touched it, and it fell off by itself, then disappeared.¡± Zhanyue was telling the truth. He had just curiously touched the red feather, not knowing this girl would molt. The feather fell off, he naturally picked it up, but then it mysteriously vanished.

    Yunyao refused to believe his words. The Thousand Fate Feather was extremely important to her. Even if all the feathers on her wings fell off, it wouldn¡¯t detach. And it was impossible for it to disappear without reason.

    ¡°Kill you, and the truth will be revealed!¡± Yunyao still showed no mercy.

    ¡°You crazy woman, are you sick? This is the Heavenly Book world. Even if you kill me, I¡¯ll just reset the task. It¡¯s meaningless. Besides, do you really want to kill me?¡± Zhanyueughed angrily, wanting to p himself for meddling with that feather.

    Yunyao¡¯s eyes turned cold as she stopped. She made a hand seal and chanted. Then she pointed, and a white light shot from her finger towards Zhanyue, or more precisely, towards the flying sword under his feet.

    ¡°Magic Sealing Divine Light!¡± Hit by the Magic Sealing Divine Light, Zhanyue instantly felt his connection with the Heaven-Punishing Demon Sword disappear! His sword-flying technique instantly failed, and Zhanyue fell straight from the sky. They were thousands of meters high. While it wouldn¡¯t kill him, he would certainly be severely injured. Even with state reversal, he¡¯d still have to endure that pain. With no time toment this woman¡¯s viciousness, Zhanyue recalled the Heaven-Punishing Demon Sword to his divine ability space and adjusted his posture, preparing for a hardnding.

    But Yunyao didn¡¯t even give him the chance for a hardnding.

    ¡°Thousand Peak Sword Rise!¡± Yunyao used another ultimate move. From the ground, sword energy rose, converging into peaks. If he hit them, he¡¯d be skinned alive if not killed. Seeing Yunyao about to catch up, Zhanyue couldn¡¯t help but marvel at this woman¡¯s strange techniques. If only he had a pair of wings like her.

    As this thought arose, Zhanyue felt a tingling on his back, and a pair of fire-red wings suddenly grew out. These wings were different from Yunyao¡¯s, being phantom wings, not real. But they could still give Zhanyue the ability to fly.

    Barely controlling the wings to avoid the sword peaks, Zhanyue soon mastered their use. ¡°Damn, how did I suddenly grow wings? It can¡¯t be because of that feather, right? This is hopeless, now I really can¡¯t exin.¡±

    ¡°You thief, still saying it wasn¡¯t you! While I was unconscious, you used some method to steal my Thousand Fate Feather and have already refined it, yet you say it disappeared on its own. How shameless!¡± Yunyao was furious. She didn¡¯t really want to kill Zhanyue, given his special identity, but wanted to force him to tell the truth. She didn¡¯t expect Zhanyue had already refined the Thousand Fate Feather and was still trying to deceive her. How could she not be angry?

    ¡°Let me exin!¡± Zhanyue urged his wings to flee, wanting to exin something.

    ¡°The evidence is conclusive. What more do you want to exin?¡± Yunyao¡¯s sword again sent out waves of sword energy. Fortunately, Zhanyue was agile enough to avoid them all.

    Yunyao knew the speed of the phantom wings formed from the Thousand Fate Feather wasn¡¯t inferior to her own wings. This pursuit was getting nowhere. She decided to use her real skills. Her eyes turned golden, and even her jet-ck hair turned golden.

    ¡°Look at me¡­¡± Yunyao¡¯s voice seemed to have a magical power. Zhanyue¡¯s head involuntarily turned, his eyes meeting Yunyao¡¯s.

    ¡°Eyes of Suppression!¡± Yunyao activated her eye technique.

    Zhanyue felt Yunyao in his eyes be immensely huge, her body covering the entire sky. He was like an ant before her, while she was like a deity who could easily control his life and death. At the same time, the power in his body couldn¡¯t flow smoothly, and his speed plummeted!

    Zhanyue shook his head, his eyes also turning golden, using eye technique to counter eye technique. He activated the Lustful Eyes! Although he couldn¡¯t possibly seduce someone like Yunyao with this technique, it did negate the suppression of her Eyes of Suppression, just like when facing the fear from that terrifying giant creature¡¯s eyes earlier. The Lustful Eyes now served a defensive purpose, while its ability to stimte desire in the target couldn¡¯t be used effectively. Neither that giant creature nor Yunyao before him would easily fall for it, and even Feng Xueqing earlier had a way to stay clearheaded. This Lustful Eye technique, only cultivated to the first level, was indeed not impressive enough, but fortunately, this eye technique had seven levels in total!

    ¡°You!¡± Yunyao realized she had underestimated this bastard. He actually possessed a strange eye technique too. Eye techniques were actually quite rare, but Zhanyue¡¯s eye technique quality was not inferior to her Imperial Eye. Yes, Yunyao¡¯s eye technique was called ¡®Imperial¡¯, which she hadn¡¯t fully mastered yet, only grasping its suppressive power, but it was enough for her to defeat many enemies.

    ¡°Enough! Can¡¯t you listen to someone exin properly?¡± Zhanyue got angry. This woman kept using different techniques, seemingly really wanting to teach him a lesson.

    ¡°Hmph!¡± The response to Zhanyue was a cold snort. A giant sword came cleaving down, its power able to split mountains and seas.

    Zhanyue instantly donned the Silver Moon Armor, then embedded the Great Sun Sea Burning Pearl into it. me-like patterns covered the armor. He swung his sky-piercing halberd, directly shattering the giant sword!

    Yunyao¡¯s eyes widened. Zhanyue¡¯s strength had surged again.

    ¡°Very well, no wonder you have the guts to seize the Thousand Fate Feather!¡± Yunyao was truly angered now. She just wanted to teach him a lesson, but he kept resisting. Suddenly, her body burst forth with boundless golden light. Her snow-white wings turned golden, and a golden armor covered her entire body, leaving only her pretty face exposed. She looked like a golden saint warrior.

    ¡°Damn!¡± Zhanyue cursed. This woman¡¯s trump cards seemed endless.

    A red figure and a golden figure fought together, exchanging hundreds of moves in an instant. Zhanyue¡¯s eyes turned cold. This Yunyao was too strange. Even wearing the Silver Moon Armor, he wasn¡¯t her match! What was her background, and what opportunities had she encountered? He dared say that if he met that Long Fan Yu now, he could beat him to a pulp, yet he was no match for this Yunyao in her holy golden armor.

    ¡°Run, this woman is too strong.¡± Zhanyue continued to flee. If he couldn¡¯t win even with the Silver Moon Armor, he was truly out of options. He finally understood why Feng Bng surrendered without a fight; he must have known some inside information.

    ¡°Running again!¡± Yunyao saw Zhanyue flee and continued to chase.

    They moved at extreme speed, soon entering a canyon, weaving between the cliff walls.

    As they were chasing at top speed, a transparentrge suddenly appeared in front of them, previously invisible. They fell into the one after another, sticking to it as neighbors. This huge spider web was hidden here, originally to catch some flying birds, but unexpectedly caught two humans.

    At first, they weren¡¯t concerned, but as they struggled with all their might and couldn¡¯t break free from the web, they realized the problem was serious. This wasn¡¯t an ordinary trap set by magical beasts. They were both using their full strength yet couldn¡¯t move at all!

 Chapter 219: Everyone Has Their Secrets

    Chapter 219: Everyone Has Their Secrets

    The spider web was made of some unknown material, its terrifying stickiness making it difficult for both of them to move. Yunyao chanted something, and her sword left her hand automatically, shing at the web. However, the moment the sword touched the spider web, all its force was absorbed, and the treasured sword stuck to the web.

    ¡°Don¡¯t waste your energy. This spider web isn¡¯t ordinary. We probably can¡¯t break free easily,¡± Zhanyue taunted.

    ¡°Hmph, it¡¯s all because of you,¡± Yunyao red at Zhanyue fiercely.

    ¡°You ungrateful woman, you¡¯re really biting the hand that feeds you. If you hadn¡¯t chased me so hard, how would we have crashed into this?¡± Zhanyue was exasperated.

    As they were about to argue further, they felt a steady rhythm. Their peripheral vision caught sight of a huge cave in the nearby cliff. Something indescribably terrifying seemed to be coiled inside the cave, but its aura was stable, as if resting.

    ¡°Let¡¯s be careful. If we wake that thing up, we¡¯ll both lose our lives,¡± Zhanyue said softly. Then, a spark of me appeared at his fingertip ¨C the Three Talents Wondrous Fire. The mysterious spider silk seemed to meet its nemesis when it encountered this me, melting like spring snow under the scorching sun. Yes, melting. Before long, Zhanyue freed himself from the web.

    He flew in front of Yunyao, carefully examining the woman before him. Yunyao was firmly bound by the spider web, like a beautiful golden butterfly. Her hands were stuck to the web as she had tried to tear it, unable to move at all.

    Zhanyue leaned in close, with a fierce expression.

    ¡°You nasty woman, try being fierce now,¡± Zhanyue felt extremely satisfied. After being chased and hunted by Yunyao for so long, he could finally hold his head high. Yunyao turned her face away, no longer looking at Zhanyue. She was shocked at how Zhanyue had escaped from the web, but her pride wouldn¡¯t let her ask for his help. Soon, she felt his intense breath on her cheek; Zhanyue was too close.

    ¡°What¡­ what are you trying to do?¡± Yunyao asked nervously.

    Zhanyue felt an uncontroble sexual urge within him, partly because Yunyao before him was too sexy and beautiful, and partly perhaps due to the influence of this spider web?

    He reached out his hand, gently caressing Yunyao¡¯s fair cheek, as if touching some rare treasure.

    ¡°Stop it! Stop right now, or¡­ or I¡¯ll awaken that monster and let us perish together!¡± Yunyao naturally wouldn¡¯t let Zhanyue bully her, and she really meant to die together if necessary.

    Zhanyue¡¯s entranced eyes suddenly shed golden, and he instantly came to his senses. He realized his actions were somewhat inappropriate. He had indeed wanted to teach this woman a lesson, but not like this.

    ¡°Something¡¯s wrong. This spider web is wrong,¡± Zhanyue quickly deduced. By now, Yunyao¡¯s usually frosty face had finally thawed, showing a blush, her breathing bing rapid. It seemed she was also affected.

    ¡°This won¡¯t do. We must leave here before losing our minds, or who knows what might happen!¡± Zhanyue analyzed calmly, then said to Yunyao, ¡°I can rescue you, but swear you won¡¯t hunt me anymore.¡±

    Yunyao could also feel the changes in her body, bing incredibly sensitive and empty. She nodded hurriedly, also wanting to leave quickly.

    Seeing Yunyao agree, Zhanyue used the Three Talents Wondrous Fire, quickly burning through all the spider silk binding her. Just as they were about to leave, strands of white silk shot out from the cave!

    Zhanyue controlled the Three Talents Wondrous Fire, forming a wall of me to block all the silk. Then he grabbed Yunyao¡¯s hand and fled rapidly towards the distance. Yunyao seemed to have notpletely shaken off the influence of that mysterious power. As they left, Zhanyue saw a huge spider poking its head out of the cave. A chill ran down his spine. This spider wasn¡¯t asrge as the previous sea monster, but Zhanyue could sense they were of the same level.

    ¡°Run!¡± With no other thought, Zhanyue urged his wings to flee rapidly.

    The spider wanted to leave its cave but was restrained by a mysterious force, unable to give chase. It could only watch helplessly as Zhanyue and Yunyao left.

    After flying for a long time, Yunyao finally came to her senses.

    ¡°Let go!¡± A cold, emotionless voice came from Yunyao¡¯s mouth.

    Zhanyue just remembered he was still holding her delicate hand and quickly let go.

    Yunyao coldly looked at Zhanyue. He had taken many liberties with her, and she was seething with anger. The white sword appeared in her hand again.

    ¡°Hey! Are you going back on your word? You said you wouldn¡¯t hunt me anymore, and I¡¯ve saved you twice, okay!¡± Zhanyue quickly said, seeing this woman about to draw her sword again.

    Yunyao¡¯s expression changed several times before she put away her sword. Instead, she asked, ¡°How did you remove the Thousand Fate Feather, and how did you refine it?¡±

    Zhanyue looked at Yunyao innocently, ¡°I¡¯ve told you so many times, sis. I just touched it, and it fell off by itself, then disappeared, and then became these wings on my back. I¡¯m really not lying to you!¡±

    Yunyao stared directly into Zhanyue¡¯s eyes, seemingly not believing him. Who would believe such a story?

    ¡°Alright, alright, I swear by my master¡¯s name, okay? If I¡¯m lying, may heaven strike me down!¡± Zhanyue added.

    Seeing Zhanyue so resolute, Yunyao became even more confused. Could it be that the Thousand Fate Feather chose Zhanyue on its own? But Zhanyue wasn¡¯t of the Winged Race, so why?

    ¡°I¡¯ll believe you for now, but¡­¡± Yunyao wanted to reim the Thousand Fate Feather but didn¡¯t know how to ask. If it really was the Thousand Fate Feather¡¯s choice, she had even less reason to take it back.

    ¡°Miss Yun, what¡¯s the origin of that feather?¡± Zhanyue asked curiously.

    Yunyao thought for a moment. Although her tone was still cold, her attitude had clearly improved, ¡°That feather is the Thousand Fate Feather left by the Feather Heaven Emperor, one of the Nine Void Emperors of the past. The Feather Heaven Emperor is also the ancestor of all Winged Race or Feathered Race.¡±

    ¡°? A relic of a Heaven Emperor? How did it end up with you?¡± Zhanyue didn¡¯t expect to learn such a secret.

    ¡°I can tell you, but in exchange, you must first answer one question for me,¡± Yunyao suddenly said.

    Zhanyue nodded, ¡°Ask.¡±

    ¡°The Illumination Goddess isn¡¯t a living person, is she?¡± Yunyao asked straightforwardly.

    Zhanyue¡¯s body shook. He was considering whether to silence this woman, but then remembered he probably wasn¡¯t her match. Besides, since she asked like this, she must have some deductions.

    ¡°It seems I guessed right,¡± Yunyao didn¡¯t wait for Zhanyue¡¯s answer, or rather, Zhanyue¡¯s reaction was an answer in itself. ¡°In exchange, I can also tell you about the previous question. I received the Feather Heaven Emperor¡¯s inheritance when I was very young.¡±

    ¡°What?!¡± Zhanyue¡¯s jaw dropped in disbelief. This woman had actually received the inheritance of one of the Nine Void Emperors. At the same time, Zhanyue finally understood why he was no match for her. She was the inheritor of a great emperor. Even the Illumination Goddess was definitely not a match for the Nine Void Emperors. It was only natural that he lost to her.

    ¡°Then, how much do you know about this world and our tasks?¡± Zhanyue asked again, after all, when he arrived, Yunyao had already fought that monster and suffered a crushing defeat.

 Chapter 220: The Seven Great Demon Beasts

    Chapter 220: The Seven Great Demon Beasts

    ¡°This world¡­¡± Yunyao sighed, ¡°My task is to obtain the eyeballs of the seven ancient demon beasts in this world. These things are extremely beneficial for my eye technique, and it¡¯s also my trial task. However, these seven ancient demon beasts are incredibly powerful. What about you?¡±

    ¡°Me? My task is to kill these seven demon beasts. But I fear your task and mine aren¡¯t much different. It would be hard to get their eyeballs without killing them, right?¡± Zhanyue said.

    Yunyao nodded, ¡°This world is from an extremely ancient era, where various giant beasts roamed freely. Among them, seven demon beasts were the most formidable. It¡¯s said that a Primordial Saint intervened, sealing them all. Only after that did civilization emerge in this realm.¡±

    ¡°Primordial Saint? Sealing? Where did you learn all this?¡± Zhanyue asked curiously.

    Yunyao flipped her hand, and a huge stone tablet appeared before them, densely covered in ancient text.

    ¡°Hm? Mountain Goblin script?¡± Zhanyue said in surprise.

    ¡°You? You recognize this script?¡± Now it was Yunyao¡¯s turn to be surprised.

    Zhanyue nodded, ¡°Due to some coincidences, I do indeed recognize this script.¡± He had lived in Mountain Goblin territory for quite some time, helping to decipher their writing, and even became their Second King.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not strange that I recognize this script, but how do you know it?¡± Zhanyue asked, wondering if this ice beauty also liked to study such things. But Yunyao shook her head, ¡°I don¡¯t recognize it.¡±

    ¡°Huh? If you don¡¯t recognize it, how do you know what it says?¡± Zhanyue asked, puzzled.

    Yunyao gave Zhanyue a side-eye, ¡°There are Mountain Goblins in this world. I asked them. It¡¯s that simple.¡±

    ¡°Alright.¡± Zhanyue had overthought the problem. He didn¡¯t expect that the Mountain Goblin script, which had lost its inheritance in the outside world, was still widely circted among the Mountain Goblins in this world.

    ¡°The stone tablet records the story of the seven ancient demon beasts. Each of these seven great demon beasts mastered a kind of rule power. For example, Fear,¡± Yunyao recalled her previous battle and felt it was heart-stopping. If not for Zhanyue¡¯s rescue, she might have lost a life.

    ¡°Fear? Is that the monster from the sea earlier? Whether it¡¯s deep-sea phobia, gigantophobia, or trypophobia, there¡¯s one for everyone. No wonder it¡¯s called the monster of Fear,¡± Zhanyue nodded.

    ¡°Another example is ¡®Lust¡¯. The spider monster we encountered earlier is the demon beast that mastered the rule of ¡®Desire¡¯. What it wove should be a web of desire, which ordinary methods can¡¯t destroy. So, what was that me you used earlier?¡± Yunyao¡¯s beautiful eyes looked at Zhanyue curiously.

    Zhanyue extended his hand, and pure white mes danced in his palm. This me of his was too special, not only helpful in pill refining and artifact forging but also possessing many extraordinary powers. The Three Talents Wondrous Fire was formed by fusing Earth Vein Dark Fire, Sr Essence Fire, and Human Desire Fire,bining the powers of heaven, earth, and humanity. When Zhanyue broke through, he coincidentally refined the Human Desire Fire and fused it, representing a kind of control over his own desires. That¡¯s why the Three Talents Wondrous Fire could burn through the web of desire. And his Lustful Eyes also represented a further strengthening of his control over desire, which is why he didn¡¯t sumb in that previous environment. It¡¯s worth noting that even Yunyao only fully regained her senses long after leaving that ce.

    ¡°You¡¯re truly full of surprises,¡± Yunyao marveled. This mysterious Divine Son was indeed extraordinary.

    ¡°The remaining five great demon beasts each mastered a rule power, or rather, a weakness of human nature,¡± Yunyao exined.

    ¡°Weaknesses of human nature? What does that mean?¡± Zhanyue probed. What did the powers mastered by monsters have to do with human weaknesses?

    ¡°Besides ¡®Fear¡¯ and ¡®Lust¡¯, there¡¯s also Inferiority, Obsession, Greed, Vanity, and Emptiness. These seven demon beasts have never beenpletely eliminated. They even merged into the human world, bing human weaknesses. I don¡¯t know how ancient the world we¡¯re in is, but in any case, this is even before the birth of the human race. What we face are the seven great demon beasts that humanity has never confronted,¡± Yunyao exined.

    ¡°You mean, before the human race was born, these seven great demon beasts already existed, and for some reason, after being eliminated, they merged into human nature, bing the seven great weaknesses of humans. And our task is to eliminate them? That seems a bit too much to ask. To deal with enemies who have mastered rules, we need to use rule powers to counter them. It¡¯s not something beings at our level can easily handle,¡± Zhanyue was speechless. The difficulty of this trial task was truly terrifying. How could the two of them eliminate these legendary ancient demon beasts just because these monsters were sealed and suppressed by that mysterious being? Wait, if these are all stories from before humanity existed, then what is this so-called ¡®Primordial Saint¡¯? In any case, this world is full of secrets.

    ¡°You seem very knowledgeable about rule powers?¡± Yunyao continued, her beautiful eyes widening.

    Faced with those eyes, Zhanyue found it hard to say no. He honestly confessed, ¡°In the previous trial world, I also fought against enemies who mastered rule powers. I have to say, I was no match for them at all until I also received the empowerment of rule power. Only then did I close the gap and manage to kill the enemy. I think to defeat these seven great demon beasts, we can¡¯t use brute force. Likest time when you went to challenge that Fear beast alone, that¡¯spletely unfeasible.¡±

    Yunyao nodded in agreement. Last time was indeed rash of her. She hadn¡¯t mastered rule power and knew that kind of oppression.

    ¡°By the way, I¡¯ll give you this too,¡± Yunyao suddenly took out a golden ancient book and handed it to Zhanyue. It was titled ¡°Wings that Cover the Sky¡± inrge characters.

    ¡°This¡­ what is this?¡± Zhanyue didn¡¯t understand why this woman was suddenly giving him something, and it looked like an extraordinary item at first nce.

    ¡°The Thousand Fate Feather is an item of the Feather Heaven Emperor. Although I obtained it early on, I was never able to refine it. It only attached itself to me. I didn¡¯t expect it would actively choose you as its master. This set of techniques was originally meant toplement the Thousand Fate Wings. It¡¯s meaningless to me now. If you master it, it will benefit both of us in our future battles. Consider it a thank-you gift for saving me,¡± Yunyao said.

    Zhanyue was overjoyed to receive it. This was a battle technique left by an emperor-level figure. He suddenly forgot all his resentment from being chased by Yunyao earlier, finding the woman before him more and more pleasing to the eye. He really wanted to hug her and give her a couple of kisses, but if he actually did that, he¡¯d probably be chased for ten days and nights again. This ice goddess could only be admired from afar, not toyed with. But this was already quite good. At least she no longer held any hostility towards him and was willing tomunicate. However, Zhanyue still had a question in his heart: how did she know the secret of the Illumination Goddess? But obviously, this matter was of great importance. Since she didn¡¯t bring it up voluntarily, Zhanyue didn¡¯t dare to ask rashly.

    ¡°What are you staring at me for? I think we should first go to the Mountain Goblin territory and see if there are more clues about how to fight our enemies,¡± Yunyao suggested.

 Chapter 221: Secrets Of This World

    Chapter 221: Secrets Of This World

    ¡°Wait, you said earlier that you got the information on the stone tablet from the Mountain Goblins? They could understand you?¡± Zhanyue suddenly realized. This wasn¡¯t the Myriad Spirits Realm, and humans hadn¡¯t even appeared yet. So how did they acquire the humannguage?

    ¡°I found it strange at first, butter got used to it. All races in this world use thenguage of the Myriad Spirits Realm, which is the humannguage. Actually, this world may not necessarily be the past of the Myriad Spirits Realm. It could be some other world,¡± Yunyao exined.

    ¡°How much do you know about other worlds?¡± Zhanyue asked curiously. After all, Yunyao had inherited an emperor¡¯s legacy, her knowledge far exceeding that of ordinary people.

    ¡°The Myriad Spirits Realm is a fragment of a broken world, and it¡¯s not the only world. Strictly speaking, in the same life zone of the starry sky, there are multiple worlds with very simr naturalws, rules, and life forms. I think this ancient world isn¡¯t the Myriad Spirits Realm but another world in the same life zone. But powerful beings from the Myriad Spirits Realm must havee here to spread their teachings, which is why the humannguage of the Myriad Spirits Realm is popr here, even though humans don¡¯t exist yet. I know another secret: humans, as the most intelligent of all beings, are always thest race to appear in any world,¡± Yunyao didn¡¯t hide anything, sharing all her spections.

    ¡°I see. So the world we¡¯re in now, although simted by the Heavenly Book, isn¡¯t the Myriad Spirits Realm, but a world far behind in development. But because high-level predecessors from the Myriad Spirits Realm came here to spread teachings, thenguage of the Myriad Spirits Realm was able to spread here?¡± Zhanyue even suspected that the so-called teacher might have been the Void Emperor himself.

    ¡°Follow me,¡± Yunyao spread her wings and flew high, with Zhanyue close behind, his red wings particrly dreamlike.

    Yunyao looked back at Zhanyue¡¯s wings, feeling a bit sour. She had obtained the Thousand Fate Feather but had never been able to refine it, yet it actively chose Zhanyue and was easily refined by him.

    ¡°Little girl¡­ our fate ends here. I leave this item to you, consider it your future dowry.¡±

    Yunyao vaguely remembered these were the words the Feather Heaven Emperor said when giving her the Thousand Fate Feather, which is why she reacted so strongly when Zhanyue took it earlier. However, the current situation was that the Thousand Fate Feather had actively chosen Zhanyue. What kind of dowry was this? Yunyao was speechless. Besides, she was focused on cultivation and had no thoughts of marriage. Of course, she wouldn¡¯t tell Zhanyue any of this. Following behind Yunyao, Zhanyue was thinking about his newly acquired ¡°Wings that Cover the Sky¡± technique and the mysterious incantation he got earlier. He could study these to improve his strength. Soon, his power should reach a new level, narrowing the gap with Yunyao. This woman was a genuine inheritor of an emperor¡¯s legacy.

    ¡°Wait a moment, since you¡¯re an emperor¡¯s inheritor, you must know about the Human Culture Realm, right? Have you been there?¡± Zhanyue asked curiously. When talking with the Jade Stone Twin Saints earlier, they had told Zhanyue that the inheritances of the nine emperors were equivalent to nine keys to enter the Human Culture Realm, without so many restrictions.

    ¡°Of course I¡¯ve been there, but the Human Culture Realm is now controlled by the mysterious Demon Shark n. I don¡¯t dare to enter and exit frequently,¡± Yunyao said.

    ¡°Did you enter through Ghost Ind?¡± Zhanyue asked again.

    ¡°No, Ghost Ind isn¡¯t the only entrance to the Human Culture Realm. But don¡¯t get any ideas about me. I can¡¯t help you. I can only enter by myself, I can¡¯t bring anyone in. Or, if you obtain the Void Emperor¡¯s inheritance through this Heavenly Book trial, you could naturally enter. You should know that the Void Emperor is the leader of the Nine Void Emperors,¡± Yunyao said.

    ¡°How could obtaining an emperor¡¯s inheritance be so simple,¡± Zhanyue sighed.

    As they chatted, they flew over thousands of mountains,nding in a valley. The Mountain Goblins here also lived in the mountains, but not underground.

    Seeing Yunyao¡¯s figure descend, the Mountain Goblins below all fled back to their homes, closing windows and doors, hiding underground, too scared toe out.

    ¡°Uh, what did you do earlier to make them so afraid?¡± Zhanyue asked, seeing the goblins¡¯ reactions.

    Yunyao shook her head, ¡°Nothing much. Their leader didn¡¯t listen, so I taught him a lesson.¡±

    ¡°Are you always this cold? I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever seen you smile,¡± Zhanyue said, looking at her face, cold as frost yet beautiful as a celestial maiden.

    ¡°Smile? What¡¯s there to smile about?¡± Yunyao frowned. She indeed couldn¡¯t remember when she hadst smiled, not even when she received the Feather Heaven Emperor¡¯s inheritance, such a great opportunity.

    ¡°Uh, alright. Looks like they¡¯re all afraid of you. Let memunicate,¡± Zhanyue stepped forward, chanting in the Mountain Goblinnguage, ¡°We mean no harm. Could the Mountain Goblin spokesperson pleasee out to meet us.¡±

    Soon, a head poked out of the ground nearby, looking at Zhanyue curiously, wondering how he could speak the ancient Mountain Goblinnguage.

    ¡°You¡­ what¡¯s your rtionship with our n?¡± the person asked, most of his body still hidden underground. After all, earth traversing was the racial talent of the Mountain Goblins. But looking at Yunyao beside Zhanyue, he didn¡¯t dare to fully appear.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯re just here to ask about some things. We won¡¯t harm you. You might not trust this woman, but you can trust me,¡± Zhanyue said.

    Yunyao nced at Zhanyue. If the Mountain Goblins were so easy to talk to, why would she have needed to use force earlier? However, to her surprise, the Mountain Goblin king jumped out and came to Zhanyue¡¯s side, sniffing him.

    ¡°You¡­ you have our scent. You¡¯re one of us. I trust you,¡± The Mountain Goblins in this world were as simple and honest as those in the Myriad Spirits Realm. Zhanyue had undergone the Mountain Goblin blood essence baptism and obtained their earth traversing divine ability, naturally having the Mountain Goblin aura. But this secret method seemed unknown to the Mountain Goblins of this world. They only knew that Zhanyue¡¯s scent was simr to theirs, so he must be one of them.

    ¡°Mountain Goblin King Momo greets the two celestials. You two, a golden boy and jade girl, are a perfect match made in heaven, a union blessed by fate¡­¡± Momo racked his brains, ttering them excessively, his face full of ingratiation.

    Yunyao frowned again, interrupting, ¡°Shut up. What nonsense are you talking about? We¡¯re just travelingpanions.¡±

    Zhanyue, on the other hand, smiled, ¡°Good eye. Keep talking, I like hearing it.¡±

    This left Momo at a loss, unsure whether to continue praising them.

    Yunyao looked at Zhanyue irritably, ¡°Our tasks align, that¡¯s why I¡¯m traveling with you. If you keep being so frivolous, we might as well act separately.¡±

    Zhanyue sighed inwardly. This woman was truly an iceberg, unable to take even a small joke. What he didn¡¯t know was that if it were anyone else, Yunyao might have drawn her sword already. Her attitude towards Zhanyue was already quite good.

    ¡°Celestial ones, pleasee inside,¡± Momo hurriedly weed them. He could sense that these two indeed meant no harm.

 Chapter 222: The Ancestor and the Seven Divine Artifacts

    Chapter 222: The Ancestor and the Seven Divine Artifacts

    Yunyao felt the change in the Mountain Goblins¡¯ attitude most keenly. Last time, she was far from being considered a celestial being. If not for her extraordinary strength and obtaining some information through violent means, these Mountain Goblins wouldn¡¯t have given her the time of day. However, their attitude towards Zhanyue waspletely different, seeming very friendly.

    ¡°Are you confused? Hehe, it¡¯s a secret. If you want to know, trade it for one of your secrets,¡± Zhanyue grinned mischievously. An emperor¡¯s inheritor held countless secrets, and this woman¡¯s secrets were very tempting.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to know,¡± Yunyao looked at that smug face and could only turn away. Looking at it for one more second would irritate her. If possible, she¡¯d like to tie Zhanyue up and teach him a lesson. This man had taken many liberties with her and still acted so smug. How could the Illumination Goddess be so blind as to ept such a disciple? Although she knew something was off about the Illumination Goddess, not seeming like a normal living person, she could never guess that the Illumination Goddess was Zhanyue¡¯s contract object, reborn through him. It was too incredible.

    ¡°Celestial ones, are you here to eliminate the Seven Disaster Beasts?¡± Mountain Goblin King Momo asked.

    ¡°Seven Disaster Beasts? Should be. We found this stone tablet written in the Mountain Goblinnguage, so we guessed the Mountain Goblins might know more,¡± Zhanyue said.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know much about the Seven Disaster Beasts, but the ancestor should know. I can take you to see her,¡± Momo said. Zhanyue gave him a very friendly feeling, and with the Mountain Goblins¡¯ simple and honest nature, this goodwill was enough to make them lower their guard.

    ¡°Ancestor?¡± Yunyao frowned. This Mountain Goblin King wasn¡¯t being honest; he hadn¡¯t mentioned an ancestor during herst visit. But it wasn¡¯t his fault. Faced with such a violent woman, the Mountain Goblin King wasn¡¯t stupid. How could he introduce the ancestor to her?

    Momo smiled sheepishly at Yunyao, then said to Zhanyue, ¡°It¡¯s our Mountain Goblin n¡¯s ancestor. Our n has about a hundred territories in this realm, but there¡¯s only one ancestor, whom we¡¯re currently supporting.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? Why are there over a hundred territories, but the ancestor ended up staying with you?¡± Zhanyue asked curiously, thinking secretly that he and Yunyao were really lucky to have found the most important Mountain Goblin territory. ¡°Well¡­ the ancestor doesn¡¯t allow us to say. Come on, I¡¯ll take you to see her,¡± Momo led Zhanyue and Yunyao deeper, the terrain getting lower, entering an underground cave through a hole. Indeed, this ancestor still had to be hidden underground.

    Yin-attribute spirit grass served as guiding lights along both sides of the tunnel. After walking for a long time, they passed through the tunnel into an underground cave. The temperature here was extremely low, with underground rivers frozen solid and no longer flowing.

    Zhanyue and Yunyao widened their eyes at this underground ice sculpture world before them. Such a phenomenon must be caused by some extraordinary treasure.

    The ice and snow-carved hall was very bright, with mysterious gems emitting a faint blue glow around. The hall was empty except for a huge spring eye in the center, gushing pale blue water that flowed through channels to the outside. Wherever the water flowed, there was an intense cold.

    ¡°Ancient Frost Spring?¡± Yunyao eximed.

    ¡°You know it?¡± Although Zhanyue knew the spring eye wasn¡¯t simple, he didn¡¯t know the details.

    ¡°Legend has it there¡¯s a kind of cold spring whose water freezes but doesn¡¯t turn to ice. No low temperature can solidify it, and it emits terrifying cold. This ice and snow cave is probably due to the effect of this cold spring water,¡± Yunyao exined. ¡°This thing is an invaluable treasure for tempering magical artifacts, extremely precious.¡±

    ¡°Hehe, although this water is good, it can easily take one¡¯s life if not careful. Our Mountain Goblin n loses people every year transporting the cold spring water. This cold spring is both a blessing and a curse. I consider you one of us, so please don¡¯t speak of this outside,¡± Momo said. He actually didn¡¯t want to expose the cold spring, but to see the ancestor, they had toe here.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯re not that kind of people,¡± Zhanyue promised, but in his heart, he was already nning how to ask them for some cold spring water. He wouldn¡¯t tell others, but that didn¡¯t stop him from wanting to get some.

    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Momo walked to the edge of the cold spring eye, his voice trembling from the cold, ¡°Ancestor, ancestor, are you awake? Distinguished guests have arrived, pleasee out to meet them!¡±

    After Momo shouted a few times at the spring eye, he quickly retreated. Sure enough, the spring eye stirred, and a huge female Mountain Goblin emerged from the bottom of the spring eye. She had endless mes on her body, as if constantly burning. Her old face showed clear traces left by time, many teeth had fallen out, and her eyes were squinting as if not fully awake.

    ¡°Is it mealtime?¡±

    When the ancestor opened her mouth, Zhanyue almost stumbled.

    ¡°Hehe, the ancestor¡¯s hearing isn¡¯t very good, please forgive her. But her eyes and mind are still clear,¡± Momo exined.

    ¡°It¡¯s not mealtime, it¡¯s distinguished guests visiting,¡± Momo shouted loudly.

    ¡°Oh? Are the guests inviting me to eat?¡± the ancestor asked back.

    ¡°It¡¯s not about eating, they have some questions to consult you about!¡± Momo was a bit speechless. This ancestor spent all day soaking in the cold spring, just eating and sleeping.

    Zhanyue and Yunyao didn¡¯t dare to underestimate this huge Mountain Goblin ancestor before them. They didn¡¯t dare to touch the cold spring casually, yet this ancestor had been soaking in it all along. Her strength was undoubtable.

    The Mountain Goblin ancestor slowly opened her eyes, revealing a glint of sharpness. ¡°Distinguished guests? So, people from beyond¡­¡±

    ¡°Elder, have there been people like us who came before?¡± Zhanyue asked.

    The Mountain Goblin ancestor opened her domain, covering the entire cave. She could sense any subtle changes within the domain, and her hearing problem instantly disappeared.

    ¡°Like you, but not like her. That great person didn¡¯t have wings,¡± the Mountain Goblin ancestor recalled.

    ¡°Actually, we¡¯vee about the matter of eliminating the Seven Great Demon Beasts. You, being the Mountain Goblin ancestor, might know some stories?¡± Zhanyue asked.

    ¡°Come to kill those disaster beasts? Good, good, good.¡± The Mountain Goblin ancestor smiled and said, ¡°I do know a lot. Long, long ago, seven great disaster beasts roamed this world, troubling all races, making survival difficult. One day, a person from beyond descended to this realm. Yes, looking much like you, like hairless apes. That celestial being had terrifying strength, sealing the seven great disaster beasts single-handedly.

    But he told us that the seven disaster beasts were rule beasts, not easily eliminated by ordinary means, so they could only be sealed first. Over the next hundred years, he collected materials while teaching. Only those who seriously learned hisnguage could receive his teachings, so everyone worked hard to learn this celestial being¡¯snguage. After a hundred years, he forged seven artifacts, iming they couldpletely eliminate the seven disaster beasts.

    But suddenly one day, he left in a hurry, as if something major had happened in his world of origin, and he had to return immediately. He entrusted the seven divine artifacts to the seven strongest races among us for safekeeping, asking us seven races to find suitable candidates, then use these seven divine artifacts to eliminate the seven disaster beasts. Unfortunately, after so many years, not one of the seven disaster beasts has been eliminated.¡±

    ¡°You mean, to eliminate the seven disaster beasts, we need the corresponding seven divine artifacts, and these seven artifacts are in the hands of seven races? Elder, do you know which seven races?¡± Zhanyue asked.

    The Mountain Goblin ancestor nodded, ¡°Eliminating the seven disaster beasts is a shared wish of all races, and the seven divine artifacts are useless except for dealing with the disaster beasts, so this isn¡¯t some unspeakable secret. Our Mountain Goblin n has one of the seven divine artifacts, and the remaining six are in the hands of these people.¡± The Mountain Goblin ancestor waved her hand, and an animal skin scroll fell into Zhanyue¡¯s hands.

    This item came so easily that Zhanyue felt a bit unreal.

    ¡°Because the seven disaster beasts have been sealed, and there haven¡¯t been any problems for so many years, people aren¡¯t very motivated to eliminate the seven disaster beasts, and they stopped looking for so-called suitable candidates long ago. Moreover, with the passage of time, some of the seven great races have declined, some have gone into seclusion. Collecting the seven divine artifacts won¡¯t be easy,¡± the Mountain Goblin ancestor exined. Few of the younger generation knew about the seven disaster beasts, after all, they were all sealed in remote ces and could hardly affect their lives.

    ¡°I see,¡± Zhanyue nodded. ¡°We indeed need to eliminate the seven disaster beasts for certain reasons. We hope the elder can help us.¡±

    The Mountain Goblin ancestor widened her eyes, looking at Zhanyue, then at Yunyao beside him.

    ¡°Just the two of you to eliminate the seven disaster beasts? Your strength is far, far inferior to that celestial being from back then,¡± the ancestor sighed.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t the seven disaster beasts in a sealed state? Besides, if we have the seven divine artifacts targeting them, we might have a chance,¡± Zhanyue exined.

    ¡°It¡¯s good to have confidence, but your realm is a bit low. The girl beside you has a higher realm than you. I can sense the Mountain Goblin aura in you, it seems you have deep ties with our Mountain Goblin n. Take this,e find me again after you¡¯ve fully refined it. I don¡¯t want to watch you go to your deaths,¡± The Mountain Goblin ancestor waved her hand again, and a jade bottle fell into Zhanyue¡¯s hand, filled with incredibly rich spiritual energy, definitely an extraordinary heavenly treasure.

    ¡°What about me?¡± Yunyao looked a bit sourly at the treasure in Zhanyue¡¯s hand. She had nothing.

    ¡°Little girl, I haven¡¯t even addressed your rampaging in our territoryst time. Forget it, I¡¯m not petty. Take off one of your feathers, and this old one will help you forge a feather artifact in theing days,¡± the Mountain Goblin ancestor said. She was even a master artisan.

    Both having gained something, they temporarily settled in the underground of the Mountain Goblin territory. What the Mountain Goblin ancestor gave Zhanyue was a bottle of Cold Spring Jade Essence, an excellent treasure for improving one¡¯s realm.

    In a room in the underground cave, Zhanyue drank the entire bottle of Cold Spring Jade Essence in one go, feeling refreshed and invigorated.

    The Mountain Goblin ancestor, sleeping in the spring eye, suddenly woke up, remembering something, ¡°Oh no, I forgot to tell that little fellow, the Cold Spring Jade Essence needs to be refined drop by drop!¡±

 Chapter 223: The Sword of Courage, One of the Seven Divine Artifacts

    Chapter 223: The Sword of Courage, One of the Seven Divine Artifacts

    In the sky, Yunyao spread her wings and soared, her wings shimmering with points of light like stars. She wore a simple white dress thatplemented her pale blue feathers, fluttering in the wind like a dream. The feather named ¡°Frost Spring Feather¡± was not only light and soft but also imbued with mysterious ice power.

    As she flew over mountains and rivers, her wings brushed against the trees, bringing a cool breeze, as if the breath of ice and snow was spreading. She became one with the sky, wind, and clouds.

    The Frost Spring Feather was a treasure specially forged for her by the Mountain Goblin ancestor. It contained ancient ice power, and each p of the wings would spread a chill, freezing everything around.

    Yunyao yed in the sky for a long time beforending, in a good mood. After all, these obtained treasures were real and would still exist even after leaving the Heavenly Book world. This feather had again raised her power to a new level. It was interesting to think that not long ago, she had lost a red feather and now gained a blue one. All these changes were because of one person.

    At this moment, Zhanyue was putting all his effort into absorbing every bit of knowledge taught by the Mountain Goblin ancestor. The profundity andplexity of incantations far exceeded his imagination. Fortunately, he was already an alchemist with mental power far beyond ordinary people, and mental power was what incantations needed most.

    ¡°Eight Great Divine Incantations, in so many days I¡¯ve only mastered the ¡®Great Strength Vajra Incantation¡¯ and the ¡®Wind and Rain Summoning Incantation¡¯. As for theter incantations, they¡¯re still far off. With my current mental power, I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t chant them,¡± Zhanyue wasn¡¯t one to aim too high, knowing to progress gradually.

    ¡°Elder, thank you so much for these days,¡± Zhanyue sincerely thanked her. Without her careful guidance, it would have been very difficult for him to enter the path of incantations. He couldn¡¯t help but think of the Celestial Master Zhang from the previous world. How did he obtain these Eight Great Divine Incantations, and how did he master the first two incantations? He now determined that Zhang had indeed mastered the ¡®Great Strength Vajra Incantation¡¯ and the ¡®Wind and Rain Summoning Incantation¡¯, which helped the Blue Hill army achieve several great victories. That world still held many secrets waiting to be uncovered, and Zhanyue felt a bit regretful.

    ¡°Your talent is not bad. This ¡®Spirit Energy Incantation¡¯ of mine, none of my descendants could master it. I can pass it on to you,¡± the Mountain Goblin ancestor was also very happy. The incantation she had obtained by chance finally had a sessor, although this person wasn¡¯t from the Mountain Goblin n. But it was clear that he was very friendly towards the Mountain Goblins.

    Soon after, Yunyao walked in from outside. ¡°Thank you, Elder, for the gift,¡± Yunyao said calmly, still with that frosty face, though her tone had softened a lot.

    The Frost Spring Feather forged for her by the Mountain Goblin ancestor exceeded her expectations.

    ¡°You little girl, your temperament is really cold, like an iceberg. Zhanyue, you¡¯ve got such a wife, you must take good care of her,¡± the Mountain Goblin ancestor had clearly misunderstood their rtionship.

    ¡°I¡­¡± Yunyao was about to exin but then fell silent. Exining these things would only make it more awkward. What¡¯s true can¡¯t be faked, and what¡¯s fake can¡¯t be true. Now wasn¡¯t the time to talk about this.

    ¡°Elder, about the divine artifact¡­¡± Yunyao got back to business. She had been in this world for quite a while now.

    ¡°Come with me,¡± the Mountain Goblin ancestor flew up andnded on her chair. Then four Mountain Goblins carried her deeper into the cave. Zhanyue and Yunyao followed closely behind.

    Deep in the cave was a mysterious space, a huge cavern that was very spacious. Only a lonely sword was stuck there, waiting for someone to take it away.

    ¡°This is one of the seven divine artifacts, the Sword of Courage. If you can pull it out, you can take it away. I have no objections,¡± the ancestor pointed to the sword stuck in the empty ground.

    Zhanyue walked over. More than half of this sword was stuck in the ground, but the exposed de was alreadypletely decayed, worse than ordinary swords. Could this be a divine artifact?

    Zhanyue gripped the equally rusty hilt and pulled hard. With a ¡°pop¡± sound, the sword broke into two halves. Zhanyue only pulled out the half above ground.

    ¡°This¡­¡± Zhanyue looked at the half sword in his hand, not knowing what to say. Is this really a divine artifact? Just this? Just this?

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on either. Anyway, this is how it is now,¡± the Mountain Goblin ancestor said seriously. ¡°This is indeed one of the seven divine artifacts, the Sword of Courage, used to kill the disaster beast symbolizing fear.¡±

    Zhanyue dug hard, excavating the other half of the sword from underground. However, the broken sword couldn¡¯t be reattached.

    Yunyao walked over, frowning at the sword broken in half. How could this thing defeat a disaster beast? What a joke.

    ¡°Well, should we each take half?¡± Zhanyue handed over half of the broken sword.

    ¡°You keep it. Maybe there¡¯s some secret hidden in the sword,¡± Yunyao couldn¡¯t be bothered to take the broken sword.

    ¡°So, do you still want to go kill that disaster beast?¡± the Mountain Goblin ancestor asked. She didn¡¯t want to see such excellent young people risk their lives.

    ¡°Yes,¡± they answered in unison.

    Leaving the cave, Zhanyue and Yunyao spread their wings and flew into the sky, leaving the Mountain Goblin camp.

    On the ground, the Mountain Goblin king looked at the departing duo and asked confusedly, ¡°Ancestor, is that broken sword really the divine artifact Sword of Courage? It¡¯s no different from scrap iron.¡±

    The Mountain Goblin ancestor said meaningfully, ¡°What¡¯s important is not the sword, but the courage to face fear. That¡¯s the real Sword of Courage. Let¡¯s hope they can seed.¡±

    ¡°ording to the elder¡¯s words, the monster we encountered in the sea before is the giant beast symbolizing fear among the seven disaster beasts. Let¡¯s choose it as our first enemy,¡± Yunyao said.

    Zhanyue took out the Sword of Courage, which was now intact, showing no signs of being broken. ¡°Can this thing really kill that giant beast?¡± Zhanyue expressed confusion.

    ¡°Hm? How did it get fixed?¡± Yunyao saw the intact rusty sword in Zhanyue¡¯s hand. This sword had broken into two halves right before her eyes.

    ¡°Secret. Trade it for your secret,¡± Zhanyue once again showed his mischievous smile, making Yunyao clench her fists.

    Soon, they revisited their old haunt. From far away, they could see the terrifying monster as big as a hill. Fortunately, this was the ocean, and the towering giant beast seemed somewhat small in the sea. But even smaller were Zhanyue and Yunyao.

    ¡°Wait,¡± Zhanyue suddenly stopped Yunyao.

    Yunyao turned her head, looking at Zhanyue in confusion.

    ¡°Before we start fighting, let¡¯s add a buff,¡± Zhanyue said words Yunyao didn¡¯t understand, then began a long chant. After a long time, the chant ended, and two golden light pirs fell on their heads. They both felt their strength increase.

    ¡°Great Strength Vajra Incantation, an incantation that can increase strength and defense. Incantations are indeed a marvelous power, seemingly able tomunicate with heaven and earth to obtain power. Let¡¯s go.¡±

    Bathed in golden light, the two charged towards the terrifying mountain-like giant beast.

 Chapter 224: Nightmare (1)

    Chapter 224: Nightmare (1)

    In the vast sea, waves surged. Golden streaks of light charged towards the mountain-like creature.

    ¡°I¡¯ll charge in and clear the way for you,¡± Yunyao said to Zhanyue.

    Zhanyue nodded, holding the rusty Sword of Courage in his left hand and the Heaven-Punishing Demon Sword in his right. His red wings pped behind him as he rushed at top speed towards the monster¡¯s head. His task was to plunge the Sword of Courage into the creature¡¯s crown, though he didn¡¯t know if it would be effective.

    The enormous being sensed danger and let out a deep roar. Countless tentacles rose from the sea surface like skyscrapers. Zhanyue ignored them, focusing solely on his charge.

    Just as a huge tentacle was about to hit him, a powerful sword energy sliced it in half. The tentacle, which would normally regenerate instantly, had its cut surface covered in ayer of golden light, preventing regrowth.

    Yunyao was now covered in golden armor, her snow-white wings spread behind her, wielding a snow-white sword. She looked like a Valkyrie, protecting Zhanyue as he charged towards the monster¡¯s center. ¡°Don¡¯t hold back!¡±

    Hearing Yunyao¡¯s words, Zhanyue immediately donned his Silver Moon Armor, his speed increasing dramatically.

    ¡°©»|`O¡¯|©¿ Roar~~¡± The monster continued to bellow, tentacles sprouting like bamboo shoots after rain, endlessly breaking through the sea surface. These tentacles could injure with a touch and maim with a graze, their power boundless. However, being small had its advantages. Zhanyue and Yunyao dodged them at top speed, getting closer and closer to the monster¡¯s head.

    Hundreds of tentacles suddenly appeared before them like a wall, blocking their path. ¡°Just keep charging, leave the rest to me,¡± Yunyao calmly looked at the tentacle wall ahead.

    ¡°Thousand Peak Sword Rise!¡± Countless sword energies rose from the sea surface like mountain peaks, a magnificent sight. The tentacle wall was directly torn open, and Zhanyue seized the opportunity to charge through.

    Finally, Zhanyuended on the monster¡¯s head. As before, it was covered in scales, each scale bearing a face filled with fear.

    Zhanyue thrust down with the Sword of Courage, but it couldn¡¯t break through the armor at all.

    ¡°Not good, this thing is useless!¡± Zhanyue¡¯s eyes widened, looking incredulously at the so-called divine artifact in his hand.

    At this moment, the tens of thousands of densely packed faces moved, all turning to look at Zhanyue.

    In an instant, Zhanyue felt a great terror surge through his heart. That power of fear reached deep into his soul, impossible to defend against by any means. Holding the sword, his body simply copsed, unable to offer any resistance.

    ¡°?¡± Seeing Zhanyue fall, Yunyao sliced through two more tentacles and flew over, scooping him up and fleeing. Countless tentacles pursued, unwilling to let them escape.

    Yunyao couldn¡¯t easily fight back while carrying Zhanyue, but thankfully she had the newly refined Frost Spring Feather. A pale blue feather swiftly weaved through the mass of tentacles, spreading intense cold wherever it passed, freezing all the pursuing tentacles. After a long time, they finally escaped the giant beast¡¯s territory. After the battle, Zhanyue had fallen into aa, while Yunyao was exhausted to the point of copse. In contrast, the monster had only lost some self-regenerating tentacles. It was apletely unequal fight.

    In a mountain cave, Yunyao looked at Zhanyue lying on the ground, her face gloomy. Zhanyue was probably in the same state she had been in before. Last time, Zhanyue had saved her; this time, the roles were reversed.

    She took out pillows and animal skin bedding from her spatial ring, making Zhanyuefortable. Now she could only wait for him to wake up, and she needed rest too. Although the battle wasn¡¯t long, every moment was perilous. The giant beast was truly terrifying, and cutting off its tentacles was no easy task.

    Zhanyue woke up, feeling his limbs pinned down and unable to move. A familiar yet strange smell filled his nostrils, like disinfectant.

    He suddenly opened his eyes. This wasn¡¯t the sea at all. The white ceiling looked pale under the lights, and he was lying on a hospital bed.

    ¡°Patient 72 is awake, quickly notify his family,¡± a nurse¡¯s voice sounded nearby.

    Soon after, hurried footsteps approached, and Zhanyue once again saw that familiar white hair and kind face.

    ¡°Zhanyue, you¡¯re finally awake.¡±

    ¡°Teacher?¡± Zhanyue said weakly, looking confusedly at the person before him. It was his doctoral advisor, Gu Chengxi.

    ¡°Ah, you had me so worried,¡± Gu Chengxi sat by Zhanyue¡¯s bedside.

    ¡°What happened to me?¡± Zhanyue felt very confused.

    ¡°Sigh¡­ seems you¡¯ve forgotten. We went on a desert expedition to search for lost texts. We encountered a sandstorm and quicksand, and you were buried in the sand. By the time we rescued you, you had fallen into aa. These past few months, I¡¯ve been on edge, fearing the worst for you, you poor child. Thankfully, you¡¯re awake now.¡± Gu Chengxi¡¯s face showed rare relief.

    ¡°Desert? Expedition? Coma? Didn¡¯t I transmigrate? How did Ie back?¡± Zhanyue¡¯s mind was still foggy.

    ¡°Transmigrate?¡± Gu Chengxi put his hand on Zhanyue¡¯s forehead. ¡°Is your brain alright? You probably had a dream while in thea.¡±

    ¡°A dream?¡± Zhanyue suddenly sat up, startled. ¡°No, it wasn¡¯t a dream. I should be in the Myriad Spirits Realm. I met many people: Baizhi, MuMu Lixi, Xueqing, Yunyao, and sister¡­¡±

    ¡°What¡­ what are you doing?¡± Gu Chengxi was startled. ¡°You should lie down, your body is still very weak.¡±

    Zhanyue stared nkly at the ceiling, feeling endless fear wash over him. It was a dream. Everything that had happened before was just a dream. He feltpletely lost.

    Gu Chengxi looked at him helplessly. ¡°Sigh, it¡¯s about time you had a romance. Don¡¯t overthink things, just rest well for now.¡±

    In the cave, Yunyao frowned. Zhanyue¡¯s reaction was too intense, his forehead covered in sweat, as if he was having a terrible nightmare.

    ¡°Baizhi, MuMu Lixi, Xueqing, Yunyao¡­ and sister,¡± Zhanyue muttered in his sleep.

    Yunyao was stunned. How did her name get in there? And why was Feng Xueqing mentioned? Could they really have had something going on? She took out a handkerchief and wiped the sweat from Zhanyue¡¯s forehead. This was probably the first time she had ever cared for someone.

    Zhanyue suddenly reached out wildly, grabbing Yunyao¡¯s wrist.

    ¡°No, don¡¯t leave me. No, this isn¡¯t real,¡± Zhanyue continued to ramble.

    Yunyao¡¯s expression changed. She was about to p him but held back, struggling to remove her hand.

    ¡°What kind of dream is he having to scare him like this? A noble Divine Son, frightened to this state by a nightmare, how unseemly,¡± Yunyao couldn¡¯t help but criticize. But she understood this must be the work of the Fear Beast. It could indeed evoke the deepest fears in one¡¯s heart and manifest them as dreams. She had barely woken up from it before, and thinking back still sent chills down her spine. After all, she had been affected from a distance before, while Zhanyue had faced it up close this time. The impact was iparable.

    ¡°Does this thing even work?¡± Yunyao ced the Sword of Courage beside Zhanyue, feeling exasperated.

 Chapter 225: Nightmare (2)

    Chapter 225: Nightmare (2)

    Stepping out of the hospital, the scorching sunlight on Zhanyue¡¯s face made it hard for him to open his eyes. In a daze, he saw over a dozen people standing ahead, men and women, tall and short, holding flowers and smiling.

    ¡°Congrattions on your discharge,¡± they surrounded him.

    Zhanyue then remembered these familiar faces ¨C his college roommates, graduate juniors, and seniors. They had alle to wee him out of the hospital.

    ¡°Bro Zhan, how are you? I was so scared when I heard you were in aa,¡± a chubby man said.

    ¡°You are¡­ Xun Yang?¡± Zhanyue searched his memory for a while before recalling the name.

    The chubby guy put his hand on Zhanyue¡¯s forehead, ¡°Is your brain okay? Don¡¯t you remember me, brother? Without your help back then, I might not have gotten such good results on that project. Come on, we must rx properly today. Your little brother here, though not talented, is quite well-off.¡±

    Zhanyue then remembered this was a junior from his school, whom he had met due to certain circumstances. This chubby guy was a well-known rich second generation; his father was said to be the CEO of a steel factory.

    The chubby guy waved his hand, and three cars drove over from nearby. ¡°Everyone get in the cars. You¡¯re all Bro Zhan¡¯s friends, which means you¡¯re my friends too. Today we¡¯re going to have a lively celebration.¡±

    Everyone happily got into the cars. Gu Chengxi smiled as he saw them off. An old man like him had no business meddling. Better to leave time and space for the young people.

    In the luxurious private room of a KTV, everyone raised their sses to celebrate Zhanyue¡¯s recovery and discharge.

    ¡°Bro Zhan, you¡¯ve just recovered, so you can¡¯t drink too much. Just have a couple of sips for the gesture. The rest of you, don¡¯t be shy. We have red and white, drink as much as you want.¡±

    Zhanyue sat on the sofa, listening to the music. Under the colorful dance lights, looking at these familiar yet strange friends, he felt a sense of being in another world. Those who coulde to see him as soon as he was discharged were naturally close friends. He could slowly recall their faces, names, and past experiences. But Zhanyue¡¯s mind was constantly gued by a question: was it Zhuangzi dreaming of a butterfly, or a butterfly dreaming of Zhuangzi?

    In a daze, it was alreadyte at night, and everyone dispersed. Zhanyue also took a taxi home. He hadn¡¯t drunk much, so he was naturally sober. Sitting in the back seat of the taxi, he looked out at the neon lights through the window.

    Zhanyue suddenly asked instinctively, ¡°Driver, it¡¯s sote, aren¡¯t you afraid of nightmares?¡±

    The driver, who was listening to music while driving, heard the passenger¡¯s question and asked confusedly, ¡°What are nightmares?¡±

    Zhanyue then realized he had misspoken. There were no nightmares in this world.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fine,¡± Zhanyue said, seeming a bit lost.

    Back home, he turned on the lights andy on the bed, staring nkly at the ceiling, then looked at the family photo on the bedside table. His parents were forever frozen at that age, leaving him this house. He turned on the TV in the bedroom, which was ying boring dramaste at night. Zhanyue didn¡¯t know what he was thinking.

    ¡°It was all just a dream.¡±

    ¡°So, Professor Zhang, what are the advantages of our prescription?¡± Amercial program interrupted the TV drama, promoting a new medicine.

    ¡°Our prescriptionbines Chinese and Western medicine. For example, Baizhi in this prescription is a widely used Chinese herb. It has the effects of dispersing cold, relieving pain, clearing the nasal passages, drying dampness, stopping discharge, reducing swelling, and draining pus¡­¡±

    The TV droned on, but in Zhanyue¡¯s mind, a strange yet familiar face appeared ¨C a face more beautiful than a celebrity, with a gentle yet yful personality, and the days they spent fleeing together¡­

    ¡°No¡­ how could all of this be fake!¡±

    Zhanyue stood up and opened the window. The cold night wind brushed his cheeks, making him a bit more clearheaded. He looked up at the night moon by the window. It was a bright moon, without the blood moon, the sky clear and lucid.

    ¡°Sister¡­¡± Zhanyue looked at the moon and thought of the Illumination Goddess again. She was still waiting for him to solve her problem, to find freedom for her. At this moment, Zhanyue finally realized that all his previous experiences were real. This world was the fake one. He finally realized his consciousness was imprisoned in this world, but he couldn¡¯t find a way out.

    The next day, Zhanyue got up, a cold smile appearing on his lips. This world was quite real indeed. After all, everything was reyed based on the memories in his mind.

    In the park, elderly men and women were up early exercising. Zhanyue walked up to an old man and said, ¡°Grandpa, can I borrow your sword to take a look?¡±

    The old man looked at Zhanyue curiously but still handed over the practice sword he was using.

    Zhanyue took the sword, and with a thought, he actually flew away on it¡­

    ¡°Holy shit!¡± The old man on the ground widened his eyes in confusion. ¡°Did I just see an immortal?¡±

    Zhanyue flew high, far from the ground, straight towards the top of the sky. He wanted to see where the boundary of this false world was. Sure enough, he didn¡¯t fly out of the Earth but came to the barrier of this illusory world. It was a transparent wall, through which he could see nothing but emptiness outside.

    Zhanyue closed his eyes, meditating on something in his mind. Finally, with his meditation, a rotten sword like scrap metal appeared before him ¨C it was the Sword of Courage. He held this dpidated sword and shed at the invisible barrier. The entire transparent barrier shattered like ss.

    ¡°Indeed, this is how to use the Sword of Courage.¡± Zhanyue faced the greatest fear deep in his heart and then used the Sword of Courage to break through this world¡¯s prison, his consciousness returning to his body.

    At this moment, Yunyao was still wiping the sweat from Zhanyue¡¯s forehead when she saw him suddenly open his eyes, startling her.

    ¡°You¡­ you¡¯re awake.¡± Yunyao quickly stood up, putting away the handkerchief in her hand, resuming her cold demeanor.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Zhanyue said gratefully. This woman might be a bit cold, but at least her nature was very kind.

    ¡°How are you?¡± Yunyao asked.

    ¡°Ready for the final battle,¡± Zhanyue smiled.

    They then flew out of the cave.

    ¡°By the way, the Sword of Courage is still in the cave,¡± Yunyao reminded.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. The Sword of Courage isn¡¯t that thing. Let¡¯s go¡­ watch your brother chop up that ugly beast. Haha.¡± Zhanyue was full of confidence, flying straight towards the sea.

    ¡°Hmph, I¡¯d like to see how you chop it up,¡± Yunyao had many doubts in her heart. Zhanyue had just had a nightmare, but after waking up, he seemedpletely transformed. What did he dream about, and what did he understand?

    One white and one red pair of wings sped across the sea surface. Finally, the two faced that huge sea demon for the third time.

    ¡°Same asst time, I¡¯ll lead the attack, you support me to break through,¡± Zhanyue said, bing serious again as he looked at this giant creature.

    ¡°Alright.¡±

 Chapter 226: Spoils of War

    Chapter 226: Spoils of War

    On the boundless sea, two figures, one red and one white, attacked again. The giant beast, annoyed, became much more irritable. Before Zhanyue and Yunyao could get close, it was already agitated. Countless tentacles formed an imprable defensive barrier. Each strike could tear the sea apart, raising waves tens of meters high, easily crushing any living beings.

    Yunyao¡¯s speed and reactions were quick, and Zhanyue could now barely keep up. One wore golden armor like a Valkyrie descending to earth, the other wore the red Silver Moon Armor like a god of death.

    ¡°Go!¡±

    The two took a deep breath, nning to break through in one go.

    Sword energy crisscrossed, tentacles intertwined, and both sides battled once again. The pale green blood flowing from the beast¡¯s severed tentacles soon dissolved into the sea. It howled in pain, letting out an ear-splitting roar. It was a soul-striking mental attack, but fortunately, both had defensive measures.

    ¡°You dodge, I¡¯ll clear a path for you,¡± Yunyao said to Zhanyue.

    ¡°You have another trick up your sleeve?¡± Zhanyue said joyfully, then retreated to Yunyao¡¯s side.

    Yunyao raised her sword high, her eyes fixed ahead, her expression serious. As golden light appeared on her brow, arger Yunyao appeared behind her. This Yunyao looked colder and more emotionless than the original, with an air of authority like a true emperor who held life and death power over all in heaven and earth.

    ¡°Imperial Divine Avatar ¨C Sword Energy Corridor!¡± The divine ability she used was the Imperial Divine Avatar, not the Heaven and Earth Divine Avatar, but its power was nearly the same. She was indeed worthy of being the Feather Heaven Emperor¡¯s inheritor, with endless trump cards. Terrifying sword energy surged from around her, its horrifying power directly splitting the sea in two. All the tentacles in front werepletely annihted, forming an absolutely safe corridor on the sea. Sword energy swirled on both sides of the corridor, continuously pulverizing the monster¡¯s reinforcing tentacles.

    ¡°Go quickly!¡± Yunyao gritted her teeth. Maintaining the sword energy corridor was also very painful for her.

    Zhanyue moved at top speed, turning into a streak of light andnding directly on the giant creature¡¯s head. Like before, the monster¡¯s head was covered in armor-like scales, each scale bearing a face contorted with pain and fear, incredibly creepy.

    Zhanyue looked directly at these faces, feeling himself once again transported into a dream space. The torn sky was repaired, determined to imprison him within.

    ¡°This trick doesn¡¯t work on me anymore!¡± Zhanyue¡¯s will was firm in his heart. A sharp sword condensed in the dream space, easily tearing the sky in two, then shattering the entire world.

    ¡°Your power of fear can indeed evoke the deepest fears in people¡¯s hearts, even making them sink into it unable to extricate themselves. Unfortunately, what Ick least is the courage to face the truth,¡± Zhanyue said, not caring if the monster understood him or not. Zhanyue¡¯s greatest fear had be very clear in the previous dream. He worried that everything he had experienced would ultimately be just a dream, all false. But he knew those life-and-death experiences, those people¡¯s feelings for him, couldn¡¯t be negated by a mere dream. Regarding the question of whether it was Zhuangzi dreaming of a butterfly or a butterfly dreaming of Zhuangzi, Zhanyue¡¯s answer was ¨C who he was at this very moment, and now he was Zhanyue, the only Divine Son of the Myriad Spirits Realm, possessing power beyond ordinary people.

    Finally, the sharp-eyed Zhanyue found a sword mark on the monster¡¯s head. The sword mark had severely damaged that scale, which even the monster¡¯s terrifying recovery ability couldn¡¯t repair. This was likely left by that senior expert. The answer was obvious as to why that senior expert would leave a full-strength attack here.

    ¡°Die!¡± Zhanyue¡¯s Heaven-Punishing Demon Sword in hand and the Sword of Courage in his heart simultaneously stabbed at the old wound.

    For this giant creature, this bit of damage was like a mosquito bite to a human, hardly noticeable. However, the wound expanded rapidly at a visible speed. Zhanyue felt like he had split a mountain.

    With a painful wail, the monster exploded, terrible blood sttering all around. At this moment, the Silver Moon Armor emitted a faint light, and the surrounding blood frantically surged towards it, being absorbed.

    Zhanyue was stunned, then remembered the mysterious ancient insect attached to the Silver Moon Armor. That strange creature liked blood, so thismotion was its doing? Zhanyue didn¡¯t mind, this was probably good for him. Soon after, the blood waspletely absorbed, and the Silver Moon Armor underwent some changes.

    Zhanyue felt it bing softer and more form-fitting. With a thought, countless tentacles grew from the surface of the Silver Moon Armor.

    ¡°?¡± Zhanyue was shocked. This tentacle ability wasn¡¯t his power but the Silver Moon Armor¡¯s. The ancient strange insect attached to the Silver Moon Armor had gained some of the monster¡¯s abilities after absorbing its blood.

    ¡°Are¡­ are you alright?¡± Yunyao looked warily at Zhanyue with tentacles growing from his back.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m fine. I haven¡¯t been possessed by the monster,¡± Zhanyue smiled, not exining further. He opened his hand, holding two eyeballs that were still moving around, very creepy. ¡°Such a big creature, yet such small eyes. One for each of us, perfect as we both need them for our eye technique cultivation.¡±

    Yunyao nodded, taking one divine eye. Whether for her Imperial Eyes or Zhanyue¡¯s Lustful Eyes, cultivation was extremely difficult. Eye technique cultivation needed a medium, and the Fear Beast¡¯s fear eyes were one of the best mediums.

    ¡°How are you?¡± Zhanyue asked with concern, seeing Yunyao¡¯s pale face.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, just a bit overdrawn. I¡¯ll be fine after a few days of rest,¡± Yunyao said calmly, putting away the divine eye. She was actually a bit happy. At least this task didn¡¯t seem impossible now. Facing this giant creature, neither of them could do without the other. Without her, it wouldn¡¯t have been easy for Zhanyue to approach the monster¡¯s head. Without Zhanyue, she might not have found the key to killing this monster.

    ¡°Good, let¡¯s go back to the Mountain Goblin n first. It¡¯s rtively safer there,¡± Zhanyue said.

    They quickly returned to the Mountain Goblin territory, which had be a kind of safe house for them. The previous divine ability had been very taxing on Yunyao, apparently not something that could be easily used. They needed to rest for a few days before heading to the next location.

    ¡°You really did it?¡± The Mountain Goblin ancestor was also a bit surprised to see the two return victorious. In such a short time, they had actually eliminated the Fear Disaster Beast. Her previous help and expectations hadn¡¯t been in vain.

    ¡°The remaining six divine artifacts are managed by six other races. I haven¡¯t been in contact with them for a long time, so I can¡¯t help you much. However, I was once on good terms with the old chief of the Spirit Eye n. I¡¯ll write a letter for you to take to him, which might help you a bit. As for the divine artifacts of the other five major races, you¡¯ll have to figure that out yourselves,¡± the Mountain Goblin ancestor said.

    ¡°Spirit Eye n?¡± Zhanyue and Yunyao quickly thanked her. It was fortunate they had obtained enough information here, otherwise they would have been like headless flies, bumbling around aimlessly.

 Chapter 227: Dream Forest

    Chapter 227: Dream Forest

    The passage of time outside the Heavenly Book world was much slower than inside. After the Night Fiend n¡¯s uprising, humans once again lived in peace, all thanks to the Illumination Goddess.

    The night was deep, with a red moon hanging in the sky. Beside it, a solitary star shone just as brightly ¨C the star that the Goddess had be, protecting the beings below.

    A monk, a Taoist, and a schr gathered again.

    ¡°Any findings these days?¡± Dan Daoren asked the other two. He was in charge of guarding the Academy Town, while the Ascetic Monk and the Storyteller had been out investigating.

    ¡°Killed some Night Fiend Lords, but couldn¡¯t solve the root problem. After all this time, we still don¡¯t know why some Night Fiends aren¡¯t afraid of sunlight and Illumination Towers. But I found this in their bodies¡­¡± The Ascetic Monk took out a red-ck stone, possibly the reason why they weren¡¯t afraid of sunlight.

    However, as the three were analyzing this strange stone, it suddenly cracked open. From within, a majestic aura emanated, shocking the three to their core. Their bodies went limp, firmly pressed into their seats. It was the majesty of a superior being, a power they had never felt before, as deep as the sea and as vast as the starry sky.

    This aura was ancient and heavy, as if it had traversed countless times and spaces to reach them. Under such a terrifying aura, the three top experts of the human race were like ants, unable to muster any thought of resistance.

    ¡°Amitabha!¡± The Ascetic Monk reacted first, chanting Buddha¡¯s name, then reciting scriptures. Golden light burst from his body, growing from weak to strong, finally purifying the lingering majesty. By now, the Ascetic Monk was drenched in sweat, his face pale. Just a bit of this aura had left him in such a state.

    Among the three, his strength was the greatest, so he reacted earliest. Dan Daoren followed, his Dao energy rising, a pill cloud condensing above his head, finally dispelling the aura¡¯s suppression. The Storyteller wasn¡¯t to be outdone, reciting ancient sage texts. With each sentence, the pressure weakened, until it waspletely removed. The three looked at each other, realizing their clothes were soaked with sweat.

    ¡°What terrifying thing is this? Merely a trace of its aura could leave the three of us breathless,¡± the Storyteller said with a bitter smile. He had long understood that the more one knows, the more one realizes how ignorant they are, and the higher one¡¯s cultivation realm, the more one realizes their insignificance. To outsiders, the three were pirs of humanity, experts among experts. But the three deeply knew their own insignificance. Now, just a mysterious aura of unknown origin had left them in such a predicament. They dared not even imagine the existence behind this aura.

    Where the three couldn¡¯t understand, a figure had been hiding and observing. Even with the three great experts¡¯ abilities, they hadn¡¯t noticed.

    ¡°In medicine, there¡¯s a method to prevent diseases by injecting small doses of poison into the body, allowing it to develop resistance. Later, when faced with the same poison, the body is no longer defenseless. I hope this dose of poison wasn¡¯t wasted. Next time you encounter an aura hundreds or thousands of times stronger than this, I hope you can withstand it.¡± The mysterious person muttered to themselves before disappearing without a trace.

    The three looked up at the sky, feeling uncertain about humanity¡¯s future.

    ¡°Have you noticed the red moon getting bigger?¡± the Storyteller asked.

    ¡°You feel it too?¡± Dan Daoren replied. Ordinary people wouldn¡¯t dare to look directly at the blood moon, but these three weren¡¯t afraid. However, now the familiar blood moon seemed to be getting bigger, or perhaps closer.

    At this moment, a lightning bolt streaked over from nearby. It was the Thunder Lord, with a dejected little figure beside him. It was Liu Zhaoran, who had juste out of the Heavenly Book world. After failing the trial anding out, he learned he was the first to be eliminated, which naturally made him dejected.

    ¡°Little one, you seem very unhappy? But I see you¡¯ve gained quite a lot from this trip,¡± Dan Daoren smiled at Liu Zhaoran. He remembered this youngster skilled in spear techniques, mastering two martial realms. But Dan Daoren hadn¡¯t expected him to be the first eliminated; the trial¡¯s difficulty must have been extraordinary.

    ¡°Respected elder, I indeed gained something. The Heavenly Book world is truly a wonderful ce, but it¡¯s precisely because it¡¯s so good that I feel lost. If I had been more careful, more clever in the previous trial, perhaps I could have seeded and gained even more benefits,¡± Liu Zhaoran said regretfully. The Heavenly Book trial was a rare opportunity in life to greatly increase his strength, but he hadn¡¯t grasped it fully, not gaining enough benefits.

    ¡°Compared to those who¡¯ve never entered the Heavenly Book world, you¡¯re already excellent enough. Don¡¯t dwell on regret and self-me. Tell us what the Heavenly Book trial is really like; we¡¯re very curious,¡± the Storyteller said inquisitively.

    ¡°Yes, elder.¡± Liu Zhaoran perked up and recounted everything that had happened. ¡°The Heavenly Book trial is conducted in the form of tasks. I¡­¡± Liu Zhaoran told everything about his experiences in the trial, especially expressing regret when describing how he failed and died. But the trial¡¯s difficulty was what it was.

    Inside the Heavenly Book world.

    Zhanyue and Yunyao descended from the sky, walking side by side into a primeval forest. This forest was deep and somewhat terrifying, with sunlightpletely blocked by leaves, only asionally letting through sparse spots of light through gaps.

    ¡°We¡¯re here. This is the Dream Forest the elder mentioned,¡± Zhanyue said. Following the Mountain Goblin ancestor¡¯s guidance, they had arrived at their next location, the Dream Forest where the Spirit Eye n lived.

    ¡°This Dream Forest seems to be a naturally formed maze-like array. We need to constantly mark our path,¡± Yunyao said cautiously.

    ¡°You understand arrays too?¡± Zhanyue asked, surprised.

    ¡°A little,¡± Yunyao said calmly.

    Even though they were quite familiar now, Zhanyue still felt that this incredibly beautiful woman before him was like an iceberg, unapproachable. She couldn¡¯t take even the slightest joke. But having witnessed her terrifying strength and that Sword Energy Corridor technique, Zhanyue didn¡¯t dare offend this ¡°youngdy¡±. He¡¯d need to rely on her for future monster fights. Thinking of this, Zhanyue¡¯s eyes fell on Yunyao¡¯s legs. This woman¡¯s face and figure were wless, and those long, beautiful legs were quite a sight.

    ¡°What are you staring at? Focus,¡± Yunyao¡¯s expression cooled again, noticing Zhanyue¡¯s gaze. This Divine Son was good in every way except for sometimes being a bit shameless and lecherous.

    ¡°Ahem,¡± Zhanyue coughed awkwardly, caught in the act. He quickly changed the subject, ¡°How¡¯s your eye technique cultivation going?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s alright. With the Fear Eye as material, my eye technique has progressed further. What about you? And what exactly did you experience earlier? Why could you resist that Fear Beast¡¯s ability after waking up from youra? And what¡¯s the Sword of Courage?¡± Yunyao had quite a few questions.

 Chapter 228: The Spirit Eye Clan

    Chapter 228: The Spirit Eye n

    ¡°The Fear Beast¡¯s ability is to trap you in your most terrifying situation, imprisoning you in a nightmare of fear. You just need to realize this and have the courage to face it. It¡¯s not difficult ¨C that Sword of Courage is indeed a divine artifact. Without it, we probably wouldn¡¯t even have had the courage to turn back and confront it,¡± Zhanyue said with a smile. His Eye of Avarice had reached the second level after absorbing the Eye of Fear ¨C the first level being Indulgence, and the second being Fear. In other words, he now possessed part of the Fear Beast¡¯s abilities. He had to admit, the Book World truly understood what trial-takers needed.

    ¡°It seems that Yunyao and I being assigned the same trial task wasn¡¯t just random chance, but because this trial was the optimal choice for both of us. Both her Eye of Dominion and my Eye of Avarice need the eyes of the seven Disaster Beasts as mediums for advancement. But¡­ how exactly does this Book World, which is both real and illusory, operate?¡± Zhanyue now had a deeper understanding of the Book Trial.

    ¡°I see. So the Seven Divine Artifacts may not necessarily refer to seven physical treasures, but perhaps to some kind of spirit. Since the seven Disaster Beasts represent humanity¡¯s seven great weaknesses, the Seven Divine Artifacts must be methods to ovee these weaknesses. In this world where humanity hasn¡¯t yet been born, some ¡®paths¡¯ have already begun to operate,¡± Yunyao said.

    The two wanted to continue discussing their insights, but they both fell silent at the same time. The forest was quiet, the light dim, with only the sound of their footsteps on dry branches and fallen leaves.

    Sure enough, a volley of arrows came whistling towards them.

    Both were no ordinary individuals. These arrows couldn¡¯t harm them at all. Even in the dense forest where movement was restricted, they twisted and turned, either dodging or blocking with their swords. Not a single scratch appeared on their bodies.

    ¡°Just defend, don¡¯t attack. Don¡¯t hurt them,¡± Zhanyue reminded. He had already guessed who was attacking them, but they couldn¡¯t retaliate, otherwise what came next would be difficult to exin.

    Another wave of arrows came, and the two skillfully avoided them all. Then, small snakes began emerging from the fallen leaves, trying to bite their legs.

    Yunyao¡¯s face paled in fright. She was about to use her sword to cut the snakes in half when Zhanyue stopped her. ¡°Don¡¯t kill them!¡± Zhanyue said. Seeing Yunyao¡¯s reaction, he realized it was worse than when she faced the Fear Beast. ¡°Are you afraid of snakes?¡±

    ¡°Who¡­ who¡¯s afraid of these things?¡± Yunyao stuttered.

    Zhanyueughed, ¡°Oh my, I¡¯ve discovered quite a secret.¡±

    Yunyao frowned, ¡°You¡¯reughing. I¡¯ll cut you down too.¡± She was indeed afraid of snakes. Legend had it that snakes were the natural enemies of the Bird n, a fear ingrained in their very souls. Yunyao could easily kill these snakes, but her fear was genuine.

    ¡°So the legend about the Bird n fearing snakes is true. Leave them to me. If you¡¯re scared, just close your eyes,¡± Zhanyue said. It wasn¡¯t just one snakeing at him, but dozens.

    Zhanyue opened his mouth and used an ability he hadn¡¯t used in a long time ¨C the Soul-Shaking Roar!

    The terrifying mental shock instantly knocked out all the snakes. This move might not work on strong enemies, but against these small snakes, it had the effect of Conqueror¡¯s Haki.

    ¡°If you don¡¯te out now, I¡¯ll take all these little snakes to make snake soup,¡± Zhanyue said, pointing at the snakes on the ground. Even he felt a bit sick looking at so many of them. It seemed fear of snakes was also encoded in human genes, although Zhanyue could easily deal with them.

    Zhanyue sensed a familiar fragrance. Yunyao had moved closer to him, the first time she had ever voluntarilye so near. These snakes were no match for her, but she instinctively disliked them.

    ¡°Don¡¯t kill them!¡± a voice came from nearby.

    Figures appeared on the ancient trees in the forest. They were about the same size as the Mountain Demon n, a head or two shorter than humans, with thin bodies. They wore coarse cloth and leaves to cover crucial parts, revealing green skin. Most striking were their heads ¨C they had no hair, with long elf-like ears on their faces. Most notably, they had no eyebrows, just a single giant eye in the center of their faces. They looked like legendary mountain spirits.

    ¡°Are you the Spirit Eye n?¡± Zhanyue asked.

    ¡°And who are you? Why have you trespassed into our Spirit Eye n territory?¡± asked one who seemed to be the leader, slightlyrger than the others. Though alert, his tone had softened considerably. These two were clearly powerful, yet they had only defended without harming anyone, showing a friendly attitude.

    ¡°We have urgent business and need to see the Spirit Eye n¡¯s ancestor,¡± Zhanyue said straightforwardly.

    ¡°See the ancestor?¡± The Spirit Eye n members looked at each other.

    ¡°What do you want with our ancestor?¡± the leader asked again.

    ¡°We have some questions we¡¯d like to consult with him about,¡± Zhanyue said politely, but he had a bad feeling.

    ¡°Then I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll have to turn back. The ancestor went mad long ago. I fear you won¡¯t be able to get any answers from him.¡±

    ¡°Mad?¡± Zhanyue was shocked. Yunyao also stood stunned.

    Just then, the group of Spirit Eye n members parted, and a giant snake slithered over from not far away. The snake was enormous, entirely green, flicking its red tongue. Most importantly, it had no eyes. But Zhanyue sensed danger ¨C this giant snake was terrifyingly powerful. Crucially, there was a person standing on the snake. He was also of the Spirit Eye n, but looked much older than the others, with wrinkles visible on his face.

    Yunyao instinctively took a step back, equally rmed by the giant snake.

    ¡°I am Ming Guang, chief of the Spirit Eye n. What business do you have with our ancestor?¡± As the n chief, he appeared more cautious and humble.

    ¡°Greetings, Chief Ming Guang. We two have urgent matters to discuss with the Spirit Eye ancestor. This is a letter of introduction from the Mountain Demon n ancestor,¡± Zhanyue took out the token given to them by the Mountain Demon ancestor ¨C a turtle shell with some inscriptions.

    After reading it, Chief Ming Guang¡¯s expression changed dramatically.

    ¡°Please, honored guests,e up. We¡¯ll discuss this further in the vige,¡± Ming Guang invited.

    Seeing Yunyao¡¯s embarrassed expression, Zhanyue grabbed her arm and leapt onto the giant snake¡¯s head with her.

    Yunyao shook off Zhanyue¡¯s ¡°dirty hand¡±. If anyone else had dared to do this, she would have cut off their hand long ago.

    ¡°Do that again, and see if I don¡¯t cut you down!¡± Yunyao snorted coldly, then fell silent. Being in such close proximity to the giant snake made her very uneasy.

    The giant snake had no eyes, yet it could move freely through the forest, skillfully avoiding every tree, and at great speed.

    Seeing Zhanyue¡¯s curiosity, Chief Ming Guang exined, ¡°This snake is called a Blind Snake. It has no eyes and no venom, relying entirely on its tongue to sense the outside world. They secrete an anesthetic substance. After biting their target, it quickly numbs them before being swallowed. Thus, our Spirit Eye n ancestors tamed the Blind Snakes long ago as huntingpanions. Our n¡¯s divine ability is precisely vision sharing. Through our ability, the Blind Snakes can clearly see the world. Therefore, Blind Snakes have always been partners of our Spirit Eye n. The one beneath my feet is the Blind Snake King, already a thousand years old and immensely powerful.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± Zhanyue marveled at the diversity of the hundred ns¡¯ ecology. The Spirit Eye n was said to have the ability to see a thousand miles and clearly discern targets in dim environments. He hadn¡¯t expected them to also have a racial divine ability like vision sharing, simr to how he could share vision with the Illumination Goddess. Looking back, he saw that indeed, each Spirit Eye n member wore a Blind Snake around their neck.

    Yunyao now felt grateful that Zhanyue had stopped her from harming these Blind Snakes earlier. Otherwise, it would have been difficult to have such a peaceful and friendly exchange now.

    Zhanyue looked at Yunyao with a smile, as if to say, ¡°See? Trusting my judgment wasn¡¯t wrong, was it?¡±

    Yunyao snorted coldly and turned her head away, toozy to bother with him.

 Chapter 229: A New Legend

    Chapter 229: A New Legend

    On the back of the giant snake, the Spirit Eye n chief still looked dazed.

    ¡°Honored guests, did you really eliminate one of the seven Disaster Beasts, the Fear Beast?¡± Chief Ming Guang asked. Although he knew the letter from the Mountain Demon n ancestor was likely genuine, it was still hard to believe.

    Zhanyue nodded, ¡°The Fear Beast has been eliminated. We heard that the Spirit Eye n possesses one of the divine artifacts, so we came to visit.¡±

    The old chief felt a chill. His nsmen had just ambushed these two with arrows. If they had gotten angry, given their strength, they could have wiped out the entire n. After all, the strongest Spirit Eye ancestor could no longer protect them.

    ¡°s¡­¡± Chief Ming Guang sighed, ¡°If only you hade earlier. Please, follow me.¡±

    With that, Ming Guang led the two into the n¡¯s territory.

    The Spirit Eye n was a race that lived deep in the forest, preferring to dwell in treehouses. They had cultivated this vast woond, now fully integrated with the forest. Treehouses nestled against massive tree trunks, scattered artfully among the treetops. Each treehouse was built of wood, adorned with vines and colorful flowers, as if created by nature itself. Wisps of smoke rose slowly from the chimneys, dispersing in the fresh air, mingling with the faint scent of wood and flowers, creating a sense of tranquility andfort.

    This n territory was home to three to four thousand Spirit Eye n members. They weren¡¯t as numerous or widespread as the Mountain Demon n. A race with only three to four thousand people was already in a precarious situation. Fortunately, they had no natural predators and lived in a dreamlike forest reminiscent of a hidden paradise, allowing them to develop and multiply in rtive peace.

    At the center of this treehouse town stood several enormous ancient trees. The towering trees were covered with colorful ribbons, seemingly part of a blessing ritual. More intimidating was the sight of snakes coiled around the branches. With so many Blind Snakes guarding it, this was clearly the most important sacred site of the Spirit Eye n. ¡°Chief, what kind of tree is that?¡± Zhanyue asked curiously.

    ¡°That is our n¡¯s sacred tree,¡± Ming Guang replied, his eyes filled with deep concern as he looked at it.

    A group of people, men and women, old and young, gazed curiously at Zhanyue and Yunyao atop the giant snake ¨C rare visitors to their n. Each of these Spirit Eye n members had a Blind Snake coiled around their shoulders, having lived in symbiosis for many years. Chief Ming Guang didn¡¯t linger in the n territory but led Zhanyue and Yunyao deeper into the forest to a somewhat open area. This ce had been cleared to serve as a cemetery, where the Spirit Eye n¡¯s ancestors were buried.

    Among the many graves, Zhanyue keenly noticed that some had tombstones while others didn¡¯t. Moreover, about ten graves were noticeably more borate than the others.

    ¡°Those few graves are the heroes¡¯ tombs. Some rest there, while others are cenotaphs. These heroes all sacrificed themselves trying to eliminate the Disaster Beasts for our Spirit Eye n,¡± Chief Ming Guang exined, his eyes filled with both sorrow and admiration.

    ¡°So many?¡± Zhanyue was surprised. It seemed the Spirit Eye n had a close connection to the Disaster Beasts.

    ¡°s¡­¡± Another long sigh escaped before the Spirit Eye chief slowly began his tale. ¡°I believe you¡¯ve already learned quite a bit about the seven Disaster Beasts from the Mountain Demon ancestor. Let me tell you some things you don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°Years ago, when the seven Disasters gued the world, an outsider came ¨C someone who looked much like you. This celestial being was incredibly powerful and single-handedly sealed the seven Disaster Beasts. However, he said the seven Disasters were immortal and indestructible, and that a special method was needed topletely eliminate them. So he forged seven divine artifacts. Just as he was about to use these artifacts to thoroughly destroy the seven Disasters, he told the world that his homnd had suffered a cmity and he had to return immediately.¡± The Spirit Eye chief recalled the story his ancestor had told him.

    ¡°Before he left, seemingly anticipating that he might never return, he entrusted the seven divine artifacts to seven powerful races. He hoped they could find people capable of using the artifacts to eliminate the seven Disasters. Yes, our Spirit Eye n was once one of those seven great races. But as time passed, we declined.¡±

    Zhanyue and Yunyao listened quietly. Those events from many years ago had be legend, and any additional information they could gather would be helpful.

    ¡°At first, all seven races actively sought suitable candidates to use the divine artifacts. However, we all failed. Not even a single Disaster Beast was eliminated. Gradually, everyone lost their fighting spirit. After all, the seven Disasters being sealed didn¡¯t affect anyone¡¯s daily life. But our Spirit Eye n was different¡­ we couldn¡¯t just ignore it.¡± Chief Ming Guang¡¯s face was bitter. The other six great races could leave the seven Disasters alone, but they couldn¡¯t.

    ¡°Why?¡± Zhanyue asked curiously.

    ¡°You saw the sacred tree earlier. At our n¡¯s peak, we had over thirty sacred trees. Now only one remains. Our ancestors said that we, the Spirit Eye n, are a race born alongside the sacred trees. If the sacred trees be extinct, it will be the day our n perishes. Our n¡¯s talents are the two divine abilities of ¡®Thousand-Mile Eye¡¯ and ¡®Vision Sharing¡¯. However, these abilities are deeply hidden in our bloodline and aren¡¯t innate like other races¡¯ abilities. The fruit of the sacred tree can awaken our divine abilities,¡± Chief Ming Guang continued to exin.

    ¡°I see, but what does this have to do with the Disaster Beasts?¡± Zhanyue asked, puzzled.

    ¡°Our Spirit Eye n is highly dependent on the sacred trees. Where the sacred trees grow is where our n must be, and now the sacred tree can only take root here. All attempts to transnt it have failed. So we can only stay here and can¡¯t relocate. And one of the seven Disasters, the Mirror-Hugging Monkey, lives on Monkey Mountain not far from here! We live adjacent to a Disaster Beast and can¡¯t move away.¡±

    The chief¡¯s tone had be somewhat indignant, perhaps resentful of heaven¡¯s unfairness towards them. ¡°What¡¯s more desperate is that we¡¯ve discovered the beast¡¯s seal is gradually weakening. The area it can roam is expanding, and sooner orter it will cover where our sacred tree is. That day will be the day our n perishes. Unless we give up the chance to awaken our bloodline¡¯s divine abilities. But if we abandon our divine abilities, what right do we have to exist? Extinction would still be inevitable. So while other races can ignore the Disaster Beasts, we must find a way to eliminate them.¡±

    ¡°Generation after generation, n chiefs have sought warriors capable of using the divine artifact to destroy the Disaster Beast, both from within the n and outside. This is the origin of those heroes¡¯ tombs you saw. The heroes either never returned from Monkey Mountain or came back insane and subsequentlymitted suicide. Until¡­ our n gradually declined, talented individuals became scarce, and wecked the resources to search for suitable candidates outside. Finally¡­ our ancestor personally took the divine artifact and ventured into Monkey Mountain.¡±

 Chapter 230: The Insane Ancestor

    Chapter 230: The Insane Ancestor

    ¡°Hero after hero sacrificed themselves. Some died directly on Monkey Mountain, some managed to return alive but fell into madness, and without exception, all ended upmitting suicide. Until our ancestor personally went to Monkey Mountain. Unfortunately, he too returned in failure, and has been insane ever since. At least he didn¡¯t end his own life like the others,¡± Chief Ming Guang¡¯s eyes were visibly filled with mncholy. After all, the extinction of the Spirit Eye n might truly be not far off. Only one sacred tree remained, and the n¡¯s strongest ancestor had gone mad.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take you to see him,¡± Chief Ming Guang continued to guide the blind snake forward, passing through the cemetery to arrive at a ce piled with jumbled rocks. In the midst of the forest, this area clearly stood out as man-made.

    A house made of piled stones, a yard of piled stones, and an elderly Spirit Eye n member with his limbs chained to stone pirs. Eight daggers were embedded in his shoulder des, sealing his cultivation with a secret technique.

    ¡°Ancestor¡­ Ancestor, I¡¯vee to see you again,¡± Chief Ming Guang looked at his n¡¯s ancestor with immense pain. Unfortunately, he was now insane, and if not restrained, the consequences would be unthinkable.

    ¡°The ancestor voluntarily sealed his own cultivation and agreed to be chained. He did this beforepletely losing his sanity. He knew that once he went mad, given his strength, he might cause great harm to the n members. So he chose to harm himself instead, to be chained far from the n territory, living like a stray dog,¡± Ming Guang became more emotional as he spoke, tears welling up in his single eye.

    Zhanyue and Yunyao¡¯s faces were filled with respect, but now that their most important lead had gone insane, their task seemed difficult to aplish. The three jumped down from the giant snake and approached the Spirit Eye ancestor.

    ¡°Hehe,¡± the insane Spirit Eye ancestor giggled foolishly upon seeing the visitors, then shortly after began to cry. ¡°I¡¯m useless, I¡¯m useless, I can¡¯t do anything.¡±

    After berating himself, the Spirit Eye ancestor ran up to Yunyao. ¡°How did you grow up to be so beautiful? Look at me, look at me, I¡¯m so ugly, I¡¯m so ugly, old and ugly, old and ugly.¡±

    Then, he crawled on all fours to Zhanyue,paring their heights. ¡°See? Am I not useless? I¡¯m so short, why am I so short? I¡¯m useless.¡± ¡°Ancestor, stop it, you¡¯re not useless, you¡¯re not¡­¡± Ming Guang grabbed his shoulders, trying to bring him to his senses. ¡°Look at them, they¡¯re celestial beings, they¡¯ve eliminated the Fear Beast. Our Spirit Eye n can be saved¡­¡±

    Ming Guang spoke loudly, wanting to share this good news with his ancestor, hoping it might restore his sanity. Clearly, he was being too optimistic.

    ¡°Saved? Saved? Hehe, you¡¯re lying to me, you¡¯re lying to me. The Disaster Beasts are invincible, they¡¯re invincible. We¡¯re so insignificant, how could we possibly be their match? I¡¯m useless, I¡¯m useless, the Spirit Eye n will be extinct because of me, the Spirit Eye n will be extinct because of me, wuwuwu, wuwuwu, what should I do, I¡¯m just useless!!¡± The Spirit Eye ancestor became hysterical again, then burst into loud sobs.

    ¡°It seems he¡¯s truly gone mad,¡± Zhanyue and Yunyao¡¯s expressions were grim. The Spirit Eye ancestor¡¯s mental state was too poor; they feared they couldn¡¯t get any useful information from him. ¡°He keeps belittling himself, why is that?¡±

    ¡°Why? It¡¯s all because of that Disaster Beast. All Disaster Beasts are manifestations of the dark sides of living beings¡¯ hearts. The beast you eliminated earlier controlled fear, while the Mirror-Hugging Monkey controls the power of inferiority and self-deprecation. The ancestor¡¯s current state actually shows how strong his inner heart is. Many who managed to escape beforemitted suicide after returning.¡±

    ¡°Inferiority and self-deprecation?¡± Zhanyue recalled his experience defeating the Fear Beast and asked, ¡°Couldn¡¯t we just find someone who doesn¡¯t know their own limitations, who¡¯s conceited and extremely arrogant to counter it?¡±

    Chief Ming Guang shook his head, ¡°You¡¯re oversimplifying it. There are many arrogant people in the world, but most fall into two categories. First, those who use arrogance to mask their inner inferiority ¨C these people are helpless against this Disaster Beast. Second, those who are arrogant due to ignorance ¨C when they see a broader world and have their perceptions thoroughly shattered, they lose their confidence and are equally no match for the Disaster Beast. We need someone who can face the vastness of the stars without feeling insignificant, someone who truly possesses this mindset, not just pretending. Even a hint of inferiority or self-negation makes it difficult to defeat it. To have such a mindset, one still needs the aid of the divine artifact.¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­ yes, the divine artifact! Where is it?¡± Zhanyue suddenly remembered their main task ining here was to obtain the divine artifact. However, he immediately became confused, recalling that previous heroes had also taken the artifact to challenge the Disaster Beast. Some had died on Monkey Mountain, so shouldn¡¯t the artifact be lost there?

    ¡°Come with me,¡± After checking on the ancestor, Chief Ming Guang led them back to the n territory.

    In the chief¡¯s treehouse, he retrieved a wooden box from under the bed. However, when opened, the box was empty.

    ¡°The divine artifact used to be kept in this wooden box. This box is quite remarkable. Every time the artifact¡¯s owner dies, it automatically returns to this box. Now, our ancestor is only insane, not dead, so the artifact hasn¡¯t returned automatically,¡± Ming Guang exined.

    ¡°Why not kill him to make the artifact return?¡± Yunyao, who hadn¡¯t spoken for a while, suddenly spoke up, making Zhanyue and Chief Ming Guang break out in a cold sweat.

    ¡°I¡¯m joking,¡± Yunyao said coldly. She wasn¡¯t actually that cruel, but since this Book World was virtual, if everything was done purely toplete the task, it wasn¡¯t entirely impossible.

    ¡°Well, you¡¯re even making jokes now,¡± Zhanyue was speechless seeing Yunyao joke so seriously. He was sure that for a moment, she had truly considered it. But Zhanyue would have stopped her regardless. This wasn¡¯t out of righteousness, but because he knew taskpletion was evaluated, and to get a perfect evaluation, many things had to be taken seriously.

    ¡°When our ancestor took the divine artifact to fight that Disaster Beast, I¡¯m afraid the artifact ultimately fell into the beast¡¯s hands,¡± Chief Ming Guang said somewhat embarrassedly.

    ¡°So you¡¯re saying we need to open a room¡¯s door, but the key is inside the room?¡± Zhanyue said helplessly. This time was indeed not as easy as thest. ¡°As things stand, we can only try to steal back the divine artifact first.¡±

    ¡°Hmph, that¡¯s your area of expertise,¡± Yunyao snorted coldly, recalling something unpleasant.

    Zhanyue pouted. This woman was still holding a grudge. He had only taken one feather while she was unconscious, right? Besides, the Thousand Affinity Feather had chosen him, how could that be considered stealing? How could it be theft when fate chooses its master?

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fine. Even someone as great as the Monkey King used these methods when faced with difficulties. I don¡¯t find it shameful at all. Chief, what does the divine artifact look like? Could you forge an exact replica? I have a n,¡± Zhanyue asked.

 Chapter 231: Ascending Monkey Mountain (1)

    Chapter 231: Ascending Monkey Mountain (1)

    ¡°The divine artifact our n guards is called the ¡®Heart-Reflecting Mirror¡¯. It¡¯s a palm-sized mirror. I¡¯ll draw it for you,¡± said Elder Ming Guang as he took out paper and brush to sketch the artifact.

    Zhanyue and Yunyao received the drawing. It depicted a small crystal mirror, only palm-sized, with a handle attached below. It looked no different from the mirrors women carry for touch-ups.

    ¡°Chief, does the mirror have any magical properties?¡± Zhanyue asked.

    Chief Ming Guang sighed and said, ¡°It¡¯s said to be one of the seven divine artifacts, but over all these years, we haven¡¯t found anything special about it. Just¡­ just that things reflected in it seem a bit clearer, that¡¯s all.¡±

    Zhanyue and Yunyao exchanged nces, thinking it was indeed as they expected. The so-called Sword of Courage had also been like scrap metal. The seven divine artifacts were merely seven clues to defeating the seven Disaster Beasts.

    ¡°Nothing special? Then can we make a replica?¡± Zhanyue asked again.

    ¡°Well¡­¡± The old chief walked to the bedside and pulled out a dust-covered box from underneath. Opening it revealed several mirrors inside.

    ¡°I almost forgot about these. Long ago, our n had some Earth Spirit n craftsmen make a few identical mirrors. My predecessors took these replicas to travel, hoping to find information about how to use this mirror from the outside world. These mirrors are almost identical to the divine artifact,¡± Chief Ming Guang said. He realized he didn¡¯t need to draw earlier if he had remembered these mirrors. He was indeed getting forgetful in his old age.

    ¡°So this is what the divine artifact looks like.¡± Zhanyue picked up one of the mirrors. ¡°I n to use this as bait to see if we can retrieve the real divine artifact.¡± ¡°What are you going to do?¡± Yunyao asked, puzzled.

    ¡°You¡¯ll seeter. I¡¯m nning to go to Monkey Mountain first,¡± Zhanyue said. His n might not seed, but how would they know without trying?

    ¡°No, it¡¯s too dangerous. It¡¯s too risky to enter Monkey Mountain without the divine artifact,¡± Chief Ming Guang hurriedly advised.

    ¡°The divine artifact has already fallen into Monkey Mountain. To catch a tiger, one must enter the tiger¡¯s den. To defeat that Disaster Beast, we must take risks,¡± Zhanyue exined.

    Although Yunyao also knew the journey was dangerous, they had no other choice now. The worst oue would be Zhanyue dying on Monkey Mountain, but if that happened, she wasn¡¯t sure if their synchronized task could continue. For now, she could only trust him.<hr> Monkey Mountain was north of the Dreamlike Forest, a small mountain named for the many monkeys living there. As the seal weakened, the monkeys on Monkey Mountain increased in number and expanded their territory. One day, they would enter the Dreamlike Forest and affect the Spirit Eye n¡¯s territory.

    ¡°This is it. ording to the old chief, the monkeys on Monkey Mountain are all infected by the Disaster Beast¡¯s aura and act as its eyes and ears?¡± A lone figure arrived at the foot of Monkey Mountain. This journey was only to retrieve the divine artifact, not to confront the Disaster Beast. Zhanyue took out a piece of purple wood, which instantly transformed into the shape of a Ghost Shark n member ¨C Zhanyue¡¯s external avatar. Zhanyue¡¯s real body then burrowed underground.

    The Ghost Shark avatar, holding the ¡®fake divine artifact¡¯, ascended the mountain. The forest wasn¡¯t quiet; monkey calls could be heard frequently. Soon, the avatar saw monkeys hiding behind the trees, baring their teeth and making threatening noises.

    The Ghost Shark avatar didn¡¯t tolerate this. It picked up some stones and threw them at the monkeys, scattering them.

    ¡°So cowardly, yet daring to im the mountain as king?¡± Zhanyue scoffed.

    As he went deeper into Monkey Mountain, the monkeys became more numerous and bolder. They dared to stand on treetops staring at Zhanyue¡¯s avatar, even throwing leftover fruit cores at him.

    ¡°Why are these all just ordinary monkeys? Why hasn¡¯t the Disaster Beast appeared?¡± Just as Zhanyue was wondering, he keenly sensed a pair of eyes watching him. The terrifying aura sent chills down his spine.

    He quickly turned around. Not far behind him stood a white monkey. It wasn¡¯trge, about the same size as an ordinary monkey, but it was entirely snow-white. On its back, it carried a mirror, but it was a dressing mirror,pletely different from the divine artifact.

    Zhanyue didn¡¯t dare underestimate this monkey. He could guess that this was the legendary Disaster Beast. Despite its small size, it was on the same level as the Fear Beast they encountered earlier ¨C a monster possessing the power ofws.

    The white monkey bared its teeth at Zhanyue, issuing a warning, then transformed into a white light and attacked. Zhanyue couldn¡¯t even react before the white monkey was on his face, its paws frantically wing at his avatar.

    Zhanyue hurriedly threw it off. His avatar¡¯s face was in tatters, but it quickly recovered. This was just an avatar constructed from spiritual objects, not a real physical body.

    ¡°Good thing it was just an avatar, and a high-level one at that. If it had been my real body, I¡¯d probably be disfigured. This monkey¡­ its speed is incredible,¡± Zhanyue thought, feeling a bit scared.

    With this first experience, Zhanyue became fully alert, ready to match wits with the white monkey. In his hand, he held the Thunder-Controlling Divine Whip obtained from the previous task. Lightning surrounded his body as the Ghost Shark avatar engaged the white monkey again.

    This white monkey was indeed extraordinary. It showed no fear of the lightning at all. After just a few exchanges, the Ghost Shark avatar was defeated. The avatar fought while retreating, terrifying lightning sweeping the surroundings, setting the entire forest aze. The fire quickly spread.

    Seeing its territory set on fire, the white monkey became furious. Finally, it took the mirror from its back and held it in front. Seeing this, Zhanyue knew trouble wasing and quickly ran downhill.

    However, a strange light suddenly shot out from the mirror. Just as the light was about to hit Zhanyue, he withdrew his soul consciousness, dispelling the avatar technique. The Ghost Shark body disappeared, reced by a piece of purple wood. The strange divine light shone on the wood, naturally with no effect.

    Hiding underground, Zhanyue felt his heart racing. If he had withdrawn his soul consciousness even a momentter, he would have been hit. He had a very strong feeling that he absolutely must not be touched by that light.

    The white monkey came to where the purple woody. Besides the wood, on the groundy a weapon ¨C the Thunder-Controlling Divine Whip ¨C and a mirror.

    Seeing the mirror, the white monkey clearly paused. Hadn¡¯t it already buried this thing? How did ite back? How annoying.

    The white monkey, carrying the wood, the divine whip, and the mirror, returned victorious with its spoils. As for how a living person suddenly turned into a piece of wood, it didn¡¯t care.

 Chapter 232: Ascending Monkey Mountain (2)

    Chapter 232: Ascending Monkey Mountain (2)

    The forest fire was quickly extinguished by the white monkey¡¯s power. It returned to the depths of the forest with its spoils, examining the items in its hands. The Thunder-Controlling Divine Whip seemed like a good thing, so it kept it to y with. As for the wood and the mirror, it decided to bury them as before.

    Soon after, the white monkey arrived at its den deep in Monkey Mountain. It moved aside a grass mat, then dug up the soil beneath, where it had buried many things it had collected, including that mirror it found disgusting.

    After digging up the pit, an identical mirrory in the soil. Looking at the mirror in the pit and then at the one in its hand, the white monkey¡¯s eyes clouded with confusion. But it couldn¡¯t be bothered to think too much and threw the wood and the new mirror into the pit as well. Then it covered everything with soil, ced the grass mat on top, andy down to sleep. This way, no one could take these things away.

    After waiting for a long time, Zhanyue sensed that his avatar had stopped moving and carefully tunneled towards its position. However, even while burrowing, he couldn¡¯t escape the white monkey¡¯s perception. The white monkey suddenly awoke and charged towards Zhanyue.

    Seeing the white monkey appear, Zhanyue dealt with its attacks while quickly retreating. Once he had put some distance between them, he activated his avatar technique again. The purple wood buried in the soil transformed into the Ghost Shark avatar, taking the mirror from the soil and fleeing in another direction.

    ¡°Ah~¡± The white monkey let out a fierce cry. It sensed something appearing in its den and abandoned Zhanyue to rush back.

    ¡°Trying to escape? Your opponent is me!¡± Zhanyue controlled his flying sword to block the white monkey. Even with its speed, the monkey couldn¡¯t outpace the flying sword.

    The white monkey still held Zhanyue¡¯s Thunder-Controlling Divine Whip, using it to fend off the flying sword. Sensing the thief in itsir getting further away, the monkey became anxious. The whip in its hand now seemed cumbersome, so it threw it forcefully. Zhanyue caught it steadily.

    ¡°You¡¯re quite polite for a beast, understanding the principle of returning lost items to their owner,¡± Zhanyue joked. But the white monkey was now truly angry. It distanced itself and hugged the mirror from its back. Zhanyue knew what it was about to do and quickly used his earth-burrowing technique to escape. With his ability to fly and burrow, although he couldn¡¯t defeat the white monkey, it wasn¡¯t easy for the monkey to hit him either.

    Watching Zhanyue escape and sensing another presence also fleeing beyond its perception, the white monkey screamed to the sky, venting its fury. All the monkeys on the mountain went crazy, searching everywhere for traces of Zhanyue and his avatar. However, Zhanyue naturally wouldn¡¯t stay there any longer.

    Soon after, he sessfully rendezvoused with his avatar. Their coordination on this trip had been perfect, as they were, after all, the same person. Zhanyue, holding the divine artifact, returned to the Spirit Eye n¡¯s territory, feeling satisfied.

    In the Spirit Eye n¡¯s territory, Chief Ming Guang paced back and forth, worried about Zhanyue¡¯s safety. Nearby, Yunyao sat cross-legged, meditating with her eyes closed.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you worried?¡± Chief Ming Guang couldn¡¯t help but ask, seeing Yunyao so calm.

    ¡°What¡¯s the use of worrying? If he can do it, he¡¯ll do it. If not, we¡¯ll think of another way,¡± Yunyao replied.

    ¡°I mean, aren¡¯t you concerned for his safety? What if he never returns, ores back insane? What then?¡± Ming Guang said. This had happened many times before.

    ¡°Others went to eliminate the Disaster Beast, but Zhanyue has a different purpose. He¡¯ll try his best to avoid conflict with the Disaster Beast. I trust him,¡± Yunyao answered.

    Chief Ming Guang sighed, ¡°Let¡¯s hope so.¡±

    Not long after, Zhanyue stood before them, unharmed.

    ¡°You¡­ how did you return so quickly?¡± Ming Guang asked, puzzled. It hadn¡¯t even been a full day. Could it be that Zhanyue hadn¡¯t dared to ascend Monkey Mountain?

    ¡°Mission aplished,¡± Zhanyue ced two mirrors in front of Chief Ming Guang.

    ¡°This¡­ this¡­¡± Ming Guang was shocked to see the two mirrors. Had he really retrieved the divine artifact from the Disaster Beast so quickly? The chief was thoroughly convinced now. As expected of celestial beings who could eliminate the Fear Beast. This time, they might truly seed.

    ¡°Can you tell which of these mirrors is the divine artifact?¡± Zhanyue asked.

    Ming Guang nodded, ¡°Yes.¡± He picked up one of the mirrors and looked at his reflection. ¡°The divine artifact shows a clearer image, but you shouldn¡¯t look for too long. Gazing too long can make you feel dizzy. The replica doesn¡¯t have this ability.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡± Zhanyue picked up the divine mirror and looked. Indeed, his reflection was crystal clear, every pore visible. It seemed as if his eyesight had improved.

    ¡°Now that we¡¯ve retrieved the mirror, let¡¯s begin the artifact recognition ceremony,¡± Chief Ming Guang said.

    ¡°This divine artifact needs recognition?¡± Zhanyue asked, confused.

    ¡°Of course. Otherwise, how would the artifact automatically return to its box when its owner dies? Currently, it¡¯s still bound to our ancestor, who isn¡¯t dead, so the mirror didn¡¯t return automatically. Now that you want to use this artifact to eliminate the Disaster Beast, it naturally needs a new owner. Which of you will it be?¡± Ming Guang asked the two.

    Zhanyue was about to speak when Yunyao cut in, ¡°I¡¯ll do it. Last time you took the risk, this time it¡¯s my turn.¡±

    They both knew that whoever became the artifact¡¯s owner would be the core of the attack and in more danger. Moreover, this mirror wasn¡¯t exactly a lucky item ¨C its owners either died or went mad.

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then you do it,¡± Zhanyue didn¡¯t argue. After all, Yunyao was the sessor of the Great Emperor. He shouldn¡¯t underestimate her.

    ¡°How do I be its owner?¡± Yunyao asked. The old owner wasn¡¯t dead yet, so could a new owner directly take over?

    ¡°The method is simple. You just need to look into the mirror and recite the incantation on this box,¡± Chief Ming Guang brought over the wooden box that housed the divine artifact. Indeed, an incantation was carved on the bottom of the box.

    ¡°Alright.¡± Yunyao picked up the divine mirror and looked at herself. The mirror reflected her otherworldly beauty. She paused, surprised at how clear the mirror was. She didn¡¯t realize she was this beautiful.

    ¡°Hey, what are you spacing out for? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re mesmerized by your own reflection,¡± Zhanyue teased from the side.

    Yunyao came to her senses and picked up the wooden box. She recited the mysterious incantation on the back: ¡°Clear mind, still heart. Mirror me, not me. True self enters mirror, mind clear, heart still.¡± This eight-character incantation was in thenguage of the Myriad Spirits Realm, which she could naturally read. She was now more certain that the person who forged the seven divine artifacts was a predecessor from the Myriad Spirits Realm, perhaps even the Void Emperor himself.

    As the divine mirror emitted a beam of light, the new ownership was sessfully established.

    ¡°How do we use this divine artifact?¡± Yunyao asked.

    Chief Ming Guang shook his head, ¡°I don¡¯t know. This artifact seems to only be able to reflect things.¡±

    But Zhanyue asked, ¡°That Disaster Beast also has a mirror that can emit a strange divine light. Can this artifact defend against that light?¡±

    Ming Guang hurriedly shook his head, ¡°No, no, absolutely don¡¯t do that. Everyone who went up Monkey Mountain thought of this, and surely some tried it, but without exception, they all failed!¡±

    Zhanyue¡¯s gaze sharpened. He realized he had guessed wrong. So how should this mysterious mirror be used?<hr> A dayter, Zhanyue once again set foot on Monkey Mountain, this time with Yunyao apanying him. They couldn¡¯t afford to wait. There were still many Disaster Beasts to deal with. Rather than guessing, it was better to gain insights through actualbat.

 Chapter 233: Second Ascent of Monkey Mountain

    Chapter 233: Second Ascent of Monkey Mountain

    ¡°The white monkey itself isn¡¯t particrly special, just extremely fast. Its attack methods are quite limited, mainly just scratching. It¡¯s far less imposing than the Fear Beast we encountered before. However, we need to be careful of the mirror it carries. That mirror can emit a strange light. I have a feeling that if we¡¯re hit by it, something bad will definitely happen,¡± Zhanyue exined to Yunyao as they walked, recounting his previous encounter and battle experience.

    ¡°I understand. So we just need to avoid being hit by that mirror¡¯s light, right?¡± Yunyao nodded.

    ¡°Yes, but we should also be wary of any other tricks this beast might have,¡± Zhanyue reminded her. By now, they had entered Monkey Mountain.

    Likest time, as they went deeper, the number of wild monkeys increased. They constantly threw stones and fruit cores to drive the two away.

    ¡°How noisy. Should we kill them first?¡± Yunyao¡¯s face was cold as frost, her hand already gripping her sword.

    Zhanyue was about to respond when his brow suddenly furrowed. ¡°Watch out!¡±

    The two instantly split left and right as a white figure shot between them ¨C it was the Disaster Beast, the Mirror-Hugging Monkey. This time, however, the monkey wasn¡¯t hugging the mirror to its chest but had it on its back.

    The sound of wind, monkey cries, and heartbeats filled their ears. Their senses were heightened to the maximum as they faced the fierce-looking white monkey. Seeing Zhanyue dare to return, the white monkey was naturally furious. In a sh, it appeared behind Zhanyue, its speed like teleportation.

    Before Zhanyue could turn, an exquisite long sword blocked the monkey¡¯s path. If not for its extremely fast reaction, it would have been wounded by the sharp de. The one who acted was, of course, Yunyao. The white monkey was fast, but so was she. ¡°Thanks,¡± Without turning, Zhanyue was aware of everything that happened behind him.

    ¡°No problem. Let me test its abilities first,¡± Yunyao, possessing a mysterious footwork technique, moved with fluid grace and extreme speed.

    Zhanyue watched as the white monkey and Yunyao engaged in battle. When they separated, the monkey had several sword wounds, bleeding fresh blood.

    ¡°Impressive,¡± Zhanyue, having fought the white monkey before, naturally knew its prowess. But Yunyao had wounded it so easily.

    ¡°The mirror seems stuck to its back. I couldn¡¯t get it,¡± Yunyao said as she returned to Zhanyue¡¯s side. She had tried to seize the mirror from the monkey¡¯s back but failed.

    Wounded, the monkey was clearly enraged. It leapt onto a tree and took the mirror from its back, hugging it to its chest.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go all out.¡±

    With that, both of them donned their armor, entering their strongest forms. Zhanyue wore red Silver Moon Armor, with red phantom feathers appearing behind him. Yunyao was d in golden armor, like a descending deity, her wings now at their full size.

    As mirror light shot towards them, both took to the air, dodging the beam at extreme speed.

    ¡°Go!¡± Zhanyue controlled his flying sword from midair, shooting it straight at the white monkey. He couldn¡¯t help but appreciate how useful the phantom feathers were. Without them, he¡¯d have to rely on sword riding to fly, which would prevent him from using sword techniques to attack. These wings truly solved his urgent need. After all, in this world, the ability to fly was the hardest to obtain.

    Yunyao¡¯s attack method was simpler. Sword qi rained down from the sky, each strike capable of cleaving a deep fissure in Monkey Mountain.

    On the ground, the white monkey dodged everywhere, constantly seeking opportunities to release its strange light beams. Unfortunately, the two in the air were too agile, giving it no chance. Even the most powerful move is useless if it can¡¯t hit its target.

    The white monkey suddenly stopped and let out a fierce cry.

    To Zhanyue and Yunyao¡¯s shock, all the monkeys on Monkey Mountain went berserk. The originally brown-furred monkeys all turned white, and more terrifyingly, each held a mirror. This ability to transform into thousands was something Zhanyue hadn¡¯t seen before.

    ¡°Be careful, this must be its true ability!¡± Zhanyue warned.

    Beams of golden light shot into the sky from all over Monkey Mountain, a spectacr sight. But beneath this spectacley grave danger. From having to dodge one beam, they now had to avoid thousands. Zhanyue and Yunyao couldn¡¯t distinguish which was real and which was fake, or if they were all real. They could only dodge as best they could.

    ¡°This won¡¯t work. We can¡¯t go on like this. Now that it¡¯s transformed into thousands, we don¡¯t know which is its true form and can¡¯tunch an effective attack. And when our stamina is depleted, we might not be able to dodge these beams. Should we retreat for now?¡± Zhanyue suggested.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. If we can¡¯t distinguish, then we¡¯ll kill them all,¡± Yunyao said expressionlessly. Then sheunched her sword technique ¨C Thousand Peaks Rising! Countless sword qi rose from the ground like mountain peaks, piercing through the entire Monkey Mountain. In one move, hundreds of white monkeys were impaled. But there was no expected bloodbath or corpses strewn everywhere. The fallen monkeys simply stood up again, unharmed, and continued their mirror attacks.

    ¡°Go!¡± Undeterred, Yunyao sent out her Cold Spring Feathers. They flew at extreme speed across Monkey Mountain, leaving a trail of frost wherever they passed. Countless monkeys were pierced, their bodies encased in ice.

    But something even stranger happened. The corpses suddenly vanished, then reappeared. Zhanyue saw clearly that all these monkeys were transformed from monkey fur.

    ¡°It¡¯s truly like the Monkey King!¡± Zhanyue¡¯s eyes widened. This ability was identical to Sun Wukong¡¯s trick of plucking a hair and blowing it to create thousands of clones.

    Suddenly, one of the monkeys let out a fierce cry. The monkeys below stopped fighting individually and gathered together, forming circr formations. They held their mirrors high, making it impossible to see the monkeys from above ¨C only circr formations made of mirrors.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on? They understand formations too?¡± Both Zhanyue and Yunyao were shocked.

    Beams of light shot skyward. This time, the attack was no longer scattered but relentless. The two had barely dodged several beams when more came, leaving them struggling. The monkeys could make countless mistakes, but they couldn¡¯t afford even one. At this rate, getting hit was inevitable.

    ¡°Still no reaction from that divine artifact?¡± Zhanyue was feeling overwhelmed. They could only dodge, without even a chance to counterattack.

    ¡°No,¡± Yunyao frowned, thinking of a strategy.

    At that moment, both felt their hair stand on end as danger approached. They looked up to see a giant mirror above them.

    ¡°Watch out!¡± Yunyao cried out.

    The mirror¡¯s target was clearly Zhanyue. It seemed the monkey hated him more for daring toe to Monkey Mountain twice.

    Light beams fell from above, while countless more shot up from the ground. They had given up on Yunyao, focusing on eliminating Zhanyue first. Countless light beams formed a deadly cage. Unless Zhanyue could teleport, there was no escape.

 Chapter 238: The Dune Kingdom

    Chapter 238: The Dune Kingdom

    The forest¡¯s edge gave way to barren grasnds, and beyond the grasndsy a vast, deste desert. This was thergest desert in this world, stretching for millions of miles. Beneath the two, endless golden sand dunes extended as far as the eye could see, undting like giant dragons winding their way across thendscape.

    The sun beat down mercilessly on the desert, heat waves shimmering like a veil, blurring their vision. Even flying high above, they could feel the waves of heat rising. It was hard to imagine that life or civilization could exist in such a ce.

    ¡°How long have we been flying?¡± Zhanyue was getting tired. ¡°I¡¯m a bit worried we might get lost.¡±

    ¡°Lost? Not likely. The Bird n has an innate, keen sense of direction. We¡¯ve been flying north the whole time, so we haven¡¯t lost our way. It¡¯s just that this desert is truly vast; we haven¡¯t reached the so-called center yet,¡± Yunyao exined.

    ¡°It¡¯s hard to imagine how outsiders manage to reach that supposed oasis on foot. No wonder the Dune n is so isted. This natural barrier is the best great wall,¡± Zhanyue mused.

    As they spoke, a sandstorm approached. It was overwhelming, like a colossal beast, making it hard to breathe. Though it was high noon, the sky suddenly darkened as the sandstorm blotted out the sun.

    ¡°Should we find a ce to take shelter?¡± Zhanyue asked, looking at the approaching sandstorm that seemed to topple mountains and overturn seas. They were flying high, but would still be affected. Flying any higher might make it impossible to see the ground, especially given the poor visibility in the heat-shimmering desert.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Yunyao said as she drew her sword. Terrifying sword qi directly tore the sandstorm apart. It was another sword qi corridor, but this time Yunyao didn¡¯t manifest the Heavenly Emperor¡¯s form. The sword qi formed two walls of energy, splitting the sandstorm and allowing them to pass through quickly.

    ¡°You¡¯ve grown stronger again,¡± Zhanyue remarked. This woman was already powerful, and this period of trials had elevated both her realm and her mental state. ¡°Haven¡¯t you as well?¡± Yunyao replied.

    ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Zhanyue didn¡¯t deny it. Compared to when he first arrived in this world, he had obtained the Thousand Affinity Feather, learned incantations, and gained the Cold Spring Jade Essence and the Golden Sacred Fruit. His strength far surpassed what it had been before.

    ¡°By the way, about the Sky-Covering Wings technique¡­¡± Zhanyue suddenly brought up. He greatly desired this Heavenly Emperor¡¯s divine ability, but Yunyao had mentioned before that it would only be possible to master with her help.

    ¡°It depends on my mood,¡± Yunyao answered with just these four words and said no more.

    ¡°What do you mean, ¡®depends on your mood¡¯? Your mood never seems to be good; you¡¯re always cold-faced,¡± Zhanyueined. They had been together for so long, yet Yunyao still maintained her cold demeanor.

    ¡°What? You want me to smile and flutter my eyshes at you? Hmph, your matter isn¡¯t settled yet. Shut your mouth and focus on the journey,¡± Yunyao wasn¡¯t indulging Zhanyue. If anyone else dared to speak to her like this, she would have cut them down long ago. Moreover, this man had behaved so disrespectfully before.

    ¡°What¡¯s that!¡± Zhanyue suddenly eximed, looking shocked at something ahead.

    ¡°Hm?¡± Yunyao looked forward but saw nothing.

    ¡°Hehe, just joking to break the boredom of the journey,¡± Zhanyue grinned mischievously. If he didn¡¯t havepany, this flight would have been extremely dull.

    ¡°You¡­¡± Yunyao was speechless at Zhanyue¡¯s shameless behavior, wondering how this rascal¡¯s personality could make so many women like him. She couldn¡¯t be bothered to engage with him further.

    ¡°Hm? Look, over there, is that¡­?¡± Zhanyue said again.

    ¡°Are you ever going to stop?¡±

    Yunyao was truly annoyed now, but her eyesight was equally good. She quickly noticed something unusual ahead. A pitch-ck shadow extended from the ground into the sky, like a rod piercing the heavens.

    ¡°To be visible from so far away, it must be some incredible structure. Let¡¯s go!¡± Zhanyue was excited. Such a structure couldn¡¯t be natural; what desert would have a pir reaching to the sky?

    Sure enough, after flying towards the shadow for a while, they finally saw green.

    The legendary oasis at the center of the death desert finally appeared before them. What was a death desert to ordinary people was merely a bit troublesome for Zhanyue and Yunyao. The oasis was vast, its boundaries not visible, but that wasn¡¯t the main point. The shadow reaching to the sky became clearer as they approached. It was a tower, an enormous tower that seemed to touch the heavens!

    ¡°It really is a man-made structure, what a wonder!¡± Zhanyue eximed. This sky-piercing tower was so mysterious and magical, incredibly tall yet not swaying at all, standing firm. Soon, houses in the oasis came into view, low, t buildings made of sand and stone, without particrly borate decorations. However, just as they thought the local architecture was unremarkable, they noticed a huge, magnificent pce near theke in the center of the oasis. The pce walls, made of gold and precious stones, stood in stark contrast to the sand and stone houses, lookingpletely out of ce in a desert.

    The two descended from the sky and entered the oasis. Soon, they encountered their first person, clearly one of the Dune people the Spirit Eye ancestor had described. With lizard-like skin and head, it was essentially a standing lizard-person. Strangely, an eight-legged spider was perched on its face.

    ¡°Hello, is this the Dune n territory?¡± Zhanyue asked politely.

    ¡°No, this is the Dune Kingdom, not some n territory,¡± the Dune person answered with a nk stare.

    ¡°Can you take us to see your n leader?¡± Zhanyue asked again. Kingdom or vige, it was all the same to him.

    ¡°n leader? We don¡¯t have a n leader, only a king,¡± the Dune person continued. It pointed to the nearby pce. ¡°His Majesty the King resides in the royal pce.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Zhanyue said, feeling that this Dune person¡¯s mental state was a bit odd. The Dune person didn¡¯t respond further and walked towards the sky-piercing tower.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go directly to that so-called pce,¡± Zhanyue suggested. Yunyao naturally had no objection. They quickly arrived at the pce gates, where two enormous figures stood guard. They were like giants, but covered in armor resembling pangolin scales, clearly not Dune people. The onlymonality was that they all had an eight-legged ck spider perched on their brow.

    ¡°We seek an audience with the King of the Dune Kingdom,¡± Zhanyue said to the two giants.

    Before they could respond, a voice came from inside the pce. ¡°These outsiders look too soft and delicate to be workers, but they¡¯d make suitable food for me. I should change up my diet. Catch them.¡±

 Chapter 239: A Tamed Disaster Beast

    Chapter 239: A Tamed Disaster Beast

    At the castle master¡¯smand, the two giant gatekeepers sprang into action. Each held an iron chain, with a massive iron ball at the other end. These simple meteor hammers wielded terrifying power in their hands. One aimed directly at Zhanyue, while the other attacked Yunyao.

    The iron ball grew from a distant speck to fill Zhanyue¡¯s vision. He hurriedly raised his sword to defend. But rather than being struck by the ball, it felt as if he¡¯d been hit by an entire mountain. He flew backward at an incredible speed, a blow that would have incapacitated any ordinary expert.

    The giant¡¯s task was to capture these two, so naturally, he wouldn¡¯t let them escape. In a few strides, the giant caught up to the flying Zhanyue. Just as he reached out to grab him, Zhanyue suddenly vanished.

    Reappearing behind the giant after burrowing underground, Zhanyue didn¡¯t understand why the castle¡¯s master had ordered their capture without knowing their intentions. But he knew he had to show some real skill or risk being underestimated.

    Zhanyue swung his sword at the back of the giant¡¯s ankle. However, the giant¡¯s body was covered in sand armor. The sword struck solidly but became stuck in the giant¡¯s sand armor, failing to cause any substantial damage.

    ¡°Hm?¡± The giant noticed Zhanyue below and turned to catch him again. But Zhanyue wasn¡¯t so easily caught. He burrowed underground once more, then leapt up, this time aiming for the giant¡¯s nape. ording to an unwritten rule, a giant¡¯s weak point should be the back of its neck. Yet once again, the sharp Heaven Punishing Demon Sword was blocked by the sand armor.

    ¡°I don¡¯t believe this!¡± Zhanyue pressed a finger against the giant¡¯s back shoulder. ¡°One Finger Scorches the Heavens!¡±

    The terrifying mes that could normally pierce through anything had no effect on the giant.

    ¡°Immense strength, immune to weapons and fire¡­ How can this thing be so powerful?¡± Zhanyue was shocked. The sand-armored giant¡¯s capabilities far exceeded his expectations. These two gate guardians were unexpectedly formidable. On the other side, Yunyao had clearly lost her patience. She directly used brute force to ovee all techniques. With a single sword strike, she sent the sand-armored giant flying back, crashing heavily into the city wall and embedding it there.

    ¡°How long are you going to y around?¡± Yunyao turned to look at Zhanyue.

    Zhanyue nodded, covering his entire body with the Silver Moon Armor. He decided to use softness to ovee hardness. Facing the giant charging back, two enormous tentacles appeared on the Silver Moon Armor. The tentacles wrapped around the giant¡¯s feet, and Zhanyue began to spin, throwing the giant back like a discus.

    The sand-armored giant was mmed heavily inside the city wall.

    ¡°Useless fools.¡±

    The castle¡¯s master let out a cold snort, and the two giants fell to the ground, groaning in pain.

    At this moment, Zhanyue and Yunyao saw a figure fly out from the castle. It also had the appearance of a lizard-man, but was much more robust than the others. It wore a crown on its head and held a golden scepter in its hand, able to hover in mid-air. Being able to fly using only its own power meant it was at least at the Spirit God Realm.

    ¡°Be careful, this Sand Dune nsman¡¯s strength is no less than that of the Mountain Yao Elder and Spirit Eye Elder,¡± Yunyao warned, then covered herself in golden armor. She too needed to fight at full strength.

    Together, they were a force that even ordinary Spirit God Realm beings would avoid. But clearly, this Sand Dune King was no ordinary Spirit God Realm being. Or perhaps this world didn¡¯t have the concept of Spirit God Realm, but his strength was undeniable.

    ¡°Respected elder, we¡¯vee here regarding the matter of the disaster beast. We mean no offense,¡± Zhanyue said. They hade to eliminate the disaster beast, not to make enemies. He still hoped to resolve this peacefully.

    ¡°Disaster beast? The disaster beast has already submitted to me. Why should you concern yourselves? Your appearance is identical to the legendary celestial beings. I wonder what you taste like.¡± The Sand Dune King let out a chillingugh.

    Zhanyue and Yunyao exchanged a nce. They understood that this person was determined to fight them, and a few words wouldn¡¯t change that. Also, what did he mean by the disaster beast submitting? But soon, they would understand.

    The Sand Dune King raised his scepter high, muttering incantations.

    Zhanyue and Yunyao hovered in the air, but they could sense something strange in the sand below. Countless golden fish burst forth, each with terrifyinglyrge fangs, identical to piranhas. How could such terrifying fish exist in this desert sea? Clearly, they weren¡¯t fish at all, but the disaster beast that the two had encountered many times before.

    This disaster beast could fly. The school of fish formed a fish cloud, surging towards the two in a sky-covering, earth-nketing mass.

    ¡°So he was telling the truth about the disaster beast submitting?¡± The two were utterly shocked that the Sand Dune King could actually control the disaster beast.

    They wordlessly flew outwards. They wouldn¡¯t fight an unprepared battle. If the enemy was just the Sand Dune King, it would be fine, but the appearance of the disaster beast made them abandon the idea of fighting. After all, the disaster beast couldn¡¯t be eliminated by ordinary means, and they needed more information.

    The two fled the oasis at extreme speed. The disaster beast chased to the edge of the oasis but didn¡¯t pursue further.

    ¡°What a pity. These two have wings and are quite fast. I¡¯ve missed out on a fine meal,¡± the Sand Dune King said with some regret as he watched them escape, not bothering to give chase.

    On the ground, a giant sand worm watched the two figures in the sky, then burrowed into the sand to follow them.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on? We barely saw any of the Sand Dune n, but we ran straight into their leader, who was so unweing. And the disaster beast submitted? How could the disaster beast submit to him?¡± There were too many iprehensible things, and Zhanyue couldn¡¯t make sense of it all.

    ¡°Who¡¯s there?!¡± Just then, Yunyao stared at a nearby sand dune.

    A figure leapt out from the dune. It was a giant sand worm, enormous in size, blood-red all over, with a body like a snake and a head like a chrysanthemum. In the center of the chrysanthemum were human-like facial features. It was a desert worm n member.

    ¡°Please don¡¯t attack,¡± the worm said in human speech, proving it was a member of a civilized species.

    ¡°Who are you? Why are you following us?¡± Zhanyue asked.

    ¡°I can answer your questions,¡± the desert worm n member said. ¡°The Sand Dune n¡¯s ancestor obtained the divine artifact, the golden scepter, and subjugated the disaster beast. He unified the oasis and surrounding major ns, establishing the Sand Dune Kingdom. It won¡¯t be easy for you to defeat him. I can provide information and some assistance.¡±

    Although the worm was strange-looking, its tone suggested it indeed knew quite a bit.

    ¡°What¡¯s really going on?¡± Zhanyue asked.

    The worm crawled closer and patiently exined: ¡°This oasis was originally inhabited by three major ns living together: the Sand Dune n, the Desert Worm n, and the Sand-Armored Giant n. The three ns were roughly equal in strength, bncing each other out. Although the Sand Dune n was aggressive, they generally didn¡¯t fight to the death. But everything changed after the Sand Dune n¡¯s ancestor mastered the use of the golden scepter.¡±

    ¡°He ventured deep into the desert alone, and with the golden scepter, he subjugated the disaster beast. Then he used the disaster beast to overwhelm my n and the Sand-Armored Giant n. The two giants you encountered earlier were warriors of the Sand-Armored Giant n. As for their chieftain, he was killed for resisting the Sand Dune n¡¯s rule.¡±

    ¡°Then why didn¡¯t we see many people living in the city just now?¡± Zhanyue asked, puzzled.

    ¡°Because all the ns, all the people, have been sent by him to build the Millennium Tower.¡±

 Chapter 240: Drawing the Tiger Away from the Mountain

    Chapter 240: Drawing the Tiger Away from the Mountain

    ¡°The Millennium Tower, that¡¯s the giant tower reaching to the sky. Why is he building this tower?¡± Zhanyue asked.

    ¡°Sigh, you might not believe this. The Sand Dune King simply wants to build a tall tower, one that will be recorded in history and be legendary, unprecedented and unmatched. That¡¯s all,¡± the Desert Worm n member exined.

    ¡°All this effort just to build a wonder?¡± Zhanyue wanted to cry out that wonders ruin nations.

    ¡°Building the Millennium Tower requires a vast amount of manpower and resources. The Desert Worm n, the Sand-Armored Giant n, the Sand Dune n, and many smaller surrounding ns have all been enved by him, including his own Sand Dune nspeople. He spares no one. As for the sand, stone, and wood needed for construction, it alles from this oasis. Do you know? This oasis used to be ten times its current size. But the edges have all turned to desert. If this continues, it will soon disappear into the desert,¡± the Worm nsmanmented deeply. The Sand Dune King was clearly mad.

    Zhanyue asked, puzzled, ¡°Haven¡¯t you all thought about uniting to resist? After all, if so many people could unite, he might not be able to handle it.¡±

    The Worm nsman smiled bitterly, ¡°You¡¯re thinking too simply. That viin somehow mastered the golden scepter, and then gained the power to control the disaster beast. In a very short time, he killed the Sand-Armored Giant n¡¯s ancestor who tried to resist, and captured and imprisoned our Worm n¡¯s matriarch. Did you see the spiders on everyone¡¯s faces in the oasis? Those are our matriarch¡¯s soul-devouring spiders. He controls our matriarch, and through her power, controls everyone else.

    Free individuals like me are extremely rare, and it¡¯s only thanks to our ability to live underground in the desert, rarely needing toe to the surface. He¡¯s already formidable, and with the golden scepter and the disaster beast, plus controlling our matriarch and countless strong individuals as his enforcers, how can we resist? Everyone is ultimately forced to build this meaningless tower for him.¡±

    ¡°I see. Do you know what those disaster beasts are?¡± Yunyao interjected.

    ¡°We don¡¯t know the origins of those disaster beasts either. They¡¯re incredibly greedy, eating everything except sand. If you fall among them, not even bones will remain. I personally saw the Sand-Armored Giant n¡¯s ancestor devouredpletely, and that was a Sand-Armored Giant with terrifying defense,¡± the worm shuddered, recalling that horrific scene. ¡°From what you¡¯re saying, isn¡¯t this Sand Dune King invincible?¡± Zhanyue asked.

    The sand worm hurriedly replied, ¡°Well, not entirely invincible.¡±

    ¡°Tell us, what¡¯s your real purpose here? You didn¡¯te just to answer our questions, did you?¡± Zhanyue narrowed his eyes at therge worm.

    ¡°Uh¡­¡± the worm confessed honestly, ¡°I saw from underground that you two are extraordinarily powerful. Those two Sand-Armored Giants were no match for you. And you managed to escape from the disaster beast. So you are the key to breaking this situation. If you could sneak into the castle and rescue our matriarch, letting her remove the insect techniques cast on everyone, then you could unite everyone to fight against him, instead of facing him while being forced to fight against everyone else.¡±

    Zhanyue and Yunyao exchanged a nce and nodded. The worm was telling the truth. It hade to them voluntarily to save its matriarch.

    ¡°Can¡¯t you get close to the castle?¡± Zhanyue asked.

    ¡°No, I once tried to burrow under the castle while he was supervising the Millennium Tower¡¯s construction, but I failed. The disaster beast fish school guards the entire area under the castle, while the surface is guarded by experts from the three ns,¡± the worm exined.

    Zhanyue and Yunyao listened intently to the sand worm¡¯s exnation. They understood that to rescue the Worm n¡¯s matriarch and break free from the Sand Dune King¡¯s control, they needed to n carefully and devise a perfect strategy to avoid alerting their enemies.

    ¡°Do you have any n?¡± Zhanyue asked.

    ¡°What about you?¡± Yunyao countered.

    They looked at each other and said in unison, ¡°Draw the tiger away from the mountain!¡±

    Yunyao continued, ¡°The so-called experts from the Sand-Armored Giant n and other ns aren¡¯t much of a concern, but there¡¯s still the disaster beast and the Sand Dune King himself. It won¡¯t be easy to lure all the castle¡¯s defensive forces out, and they stopped chasing us at the oasis¡¯s edge, seeming quite cautious.¡±

    ¡°So we can¡¯t leave the oasis, we¡¯ll have to engage them here,¡± Zhanyue pondered for a moment, then suggested, ¡°I have an idea, but it requires perfect coordination between us.¡±

    ¡°Go on,¡± Yunyao said without hesitation.

    The two humans and the worm discussed for a long time, finally settling on a n.

    As night fell, work on the tower didn¡¯t cease, with people from various ns still busy. Zhanyue initially wanted to burn down the Millennium Tower, but there were too many people on it. It would be counterproductive, even in this virtual world, as every action could affect subsequent developments.

    Instead, Zhanyue set fire to the trees around the tower, with mes threatening to spread towards it.

    ¡°Fire! Fire!¡± The people below shouted in panic, creating chaos. Soon after, the castle gates opened, and several powerful experts rushed out to control the situation and stop the fire.

    Taking advantage of the chaos, Zhanyue and Yunyao approached the castle gates again.

    ¡°What, you thought a simple fire would lure me away?¡± This time, the Sand Dune King quickly appeared before them. ¡°This time, I won¡¯t let you escape.¡±

    He raised his scepter high, and with a rustling sound from the ground, the disaster beast fish school flew out towards the pair.

    ¡°This time, Zhanyue will deal with the disaster beast alone.¡± The Silver Moon Armor was already on his body. The terrifying Three Talents Wondrous Fire continuously devoured one disaster beast after another. To hold back these beasts, Zhanyue was using all his trump cards. But these disaster beasts would revive after falling to the sand, making them seemingly endless.

    Meanwhile, Yunyao engaged the Sand Dune King. Her sword shed with the golden scepter, sending her flying back. She could clearly feel the power ofws at work. This golden scepter truly had the essence of a divine artifact, unfortunately in enemy hands.

    ¡°Again!¡± Spreading her wings, Yunyao once more faced off against the Sand Dune King.

    ¡°I just remembered, you¡¯re celestial beings, right? The legendary beings who will eliminate the disaster beast and save people from cmity. I can¡¯t let you interfere with my ns!¡± The Sand Dune King¡¯s strength was extraordinary, each strike swift and decisive, every collision shaking Yunyao to her core.

    ¡°Hmph!¡± A n formed in Yunyao¡¯s mind. She swung her sword, not at the Sand Dune King, but towards the massive Millennium Tower. If this strikended, it would likely copse the tower, causing countless deaths. Yunyao wasn¡¯t cruel; she was certain the Sand Dune King cared more about these lives and the nearlypleted Millennium Tower than she did.

    ¡°Damn you!¡± The Sand Dune King flew in front of the sword energy, taking the hit directly.

    While the battle raged above, below, the worm was carrying a purple piece of wood in its mouth, burrowing towards the castle underground. It might not seed alone, but what it carried was actually Zhanyue¡¯s external avatar.

 Chapter 241: The Winged Tribe Arrives

    Chapter 241: The Winged Tribe Arrives

    Outside the Heavenly Book world, life continued as usual. Due to the Goddess bing a star, the Nightmare Disaster had ended. However, those with strong abilities who looked directly at the red moon in the night sky noticed it seemed to be gettingrger, giving them an ominous feeling.

    As the first person eliminated from the Heavenly Book trial, Liu Zhaoran didn¡¯t leave. Instead, he stayed, kneeling and begging Thunder Lord for guidance. After all, this opportunity wouldn¡¯te again. Seeing his sincerity, Thunder Lord had no choice but to spend more time and effort on him. Coming out of the Heavenly Book world, Liu Zhaoran¡¯s cultivation progressed rapidly under Thunder Lord¡¯s guidance.

    On this day, the academy was as usual ¨C students attending sses, assessments being conducted. However, everyone saw two white figures flying in the sky, descending into the academy.

    ¡°Who are they? What beautiful wings,¡± was all they could discern.

    Thunder Lord and Alchemy Daoist were waiting on the rooftop of a tall building in the academy. They had long sensed the arrival of these visitors.

    A middle-aged man and a young man descended from the sky. Both had enormous white wings on their backs, simr to Yunyao¡¯s but evenrger.

    They had golden hair and extremely beautiful features that could make all the world¡¯s handsome men sigh in admiration. They didn¡¯t seem like mortals, with a hint of divine aura between their brows. These two were clearly members of the Bird n.

    ¡°Bird n Grand Elder Tianyu greets Elders Alchemy Daoist and Thunder Lord,¡± the older Bird n member said. Then, pointing to the young man beside him, he added, ¡°This is our Bird n¡¯s young master, Tianxian. I¡¯ve brought him along this time to broaden his horizons. I hope you don¡¯t mind.¡±

    Elder Tianyu spoke with a neither humble nor arrogant tone. ¡°Not at all, you are honored guests. We are the ones who have been remiss,¡± Thunder Lord said politely, secretly marveling at the Bird n¡¯s bloodline. They were all like this ¨C the men handsome, the women stunningly beautiful. The Bird n was the world¡¯s thirdrgest race, with strength nearly equal to the second-ranked Dragon n. But they were incredibly proud, rarely interacting with the mortal world, even more conservative and extreme than the Dragon n.

    ¡°I guess the Elder hase because of the growing moon?¡± Thunder Lord asked.

    ¡°Correct, this is a prophecy of impending disaster. Although our Bird n seldom concerns itself with worldly affairs, when ites to a cmity affecting all living beings, we cannot stand idly by,¡± Elder Tianyu said.

    ¡°Oh? It seems you know quite a bit,¡± Thunder Lord became interested and invited the two down. Beside him, Alchemy Daoist secretly thought these visitors weren¡¯t here with good intentions. Even though he and Thunder Lord were extremely powerful and he could easily overpower this Grand Elder, there was no trace of fear in the eyes of these two Bird n members. In fact¡­ there was even a hint of disdain?

    ¡°Let¡¯s wait for Dragon Lord¡¯s people to arrive before discussing important matters. I heard that the human race recently held a grandpetition, producing many outstanding talents and exciting the world?¡± Tianyu asked.

    ¡°Indeed, those children are currently participating in the Heavenly Book trial,¡± Thunder Lord exined. The previouspetition was an internal human affair, so naturally, they hadn¡¯t invited the Bird n.

    The Bird n¡¯s young master Tianxian suddenly interjected: ¡°Was there a mixed-blood named Yunyao who also participated in thepetition? Where is she now? Is she still in the Heavenly Book realm?¡±

    Thunder Lord¡¯s brow furrowed slightly at this young one¡¯s rudeness. But he patiently exined, ¡°Yunyao also has half human bloodline. After discussing with Sword Lord, we allowed her to participate in thepetition. She is indeed still in the Heavenly Book realm.¡±

    Tianxian pouted, ¡°That girl is quite lucky. Her father actually defied the ancestral teachings and mated with a human woman, letting our Bird n bloodline flow out. But it gave her a body full of Bird n talents for free.¡±

    ¡°Tianxian, watch your words,¡± Elder Tianyu reprimanded, then exined, ¡°We¡¯vee here firstly for the moon issue, and secondly for this girl named Yunyao. Our Bird n has ancestral teachings that our bloodline must not flow out. She¡¯s an idental product, but it¡¯s not her fault, so we won¡¯t kill her. However, she now possesses part of the Bird n bloodline. If she were to unite with other humans, it would inevitably cause our bloodline to continue spreading. This is not allowed by our n. So¡­ another reason for our visit is that we want to take her back to the Bird n.¡±

    ¡°?¡± Thunder Lord asked, puzzled, ¡°If you care so much about this matter, why did you drive her away when she went to your tribalnds seeking her roots? And why do you suddenly want to take her back now?¡± The Bird n¡¯s contradictory actions made Thunder Lord feel this matter wasn¡¯t simple.

    ¡°She¡¯s a forbidden child. At that time, we were all very wary. We dared not let her stay in ournds, but we were unwilling to kill her and damage our n¡¯s reputation. So we left her to fend for herself. But after our n¡¯s ancestor came out of seclusion, he scolded us severely. Only then did we realize our previous decision was wrong. Although she can¡¯t be considered a Bird n member, since she has our bloodline, we must take responsibility for her. When shees out, I will take her back to meet our ancestor,¡± Elder Tianyu exined.

    ¡°The Bird n ancestor hase out of seclusion?¡± Alchemy Daoist was shocked. The Bird n ancestor¡¯s strength was no weaker than Dragon Lord¡¯s before entering seclusion. What level could he have reached aftering out?

    ¡°That¡¯s right, he came out not long ago,¡± Elder Tianyu smiled. With their ancestor¡¯s greatly increased strength, the Bird n¡¯s status would naturally rise.

    ¡°I cannot make decisions for Yunyao. Whether she wants to go with you or not will be up to her,¡± Thunder Lord thought for a moment before answering.

    Tianxian scoffed, ¡°Returning to the tribalnds is our ancestor¡¯s mercy. How dare she refuse? She carries the Bird n bloodline. If she bears a child of another race, causing our bloodline to spread outside, it would be a great sin. I¡¯ve heard she¡¯s still unmarried, so I came specifically to see. If suitable, I could take her as a concubine. I¡¯m not as conservative as other Bird n members. With my care, her treatment in the n would naturally be extraordinary, and no one would dare speak ill of her.¡±

    Alchemy Daoist thought to himself that the Bird n was still as arrogant as ever. But who could me them for having reasons to be proud? The Bird n¡¯s ancestors had once stolen heavenly fire for the mortal world, continuing the civilization of all races. They could be said to have great merits.

 Chapter 242: True Purpose

    Chapter 242: True Purpose

    Inside the castle, powerful enemies still stood guard. Zhanyue and the Desert Worm n member bypassed the guards, heading straight for the depths of the castle. Thanks to the worm¡¯s thorough preparation, at least the outer areas were well-explored.

    ¡°Beyond here is the area previously guarded by the disaster beast. It should be where our n¡¯s matriarch is imprisoned. I¡¯ve never reached that ce before,¡± the Desert Worm n member said.

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t your matriarch have the ability to burrow underground?¡± Zhanyue asked, puzzled. The sand worm before him could burrow, so how could the strongest of their n not have this innate ability?

    ¡°No, that¡¯s why we need your help to rescue the matriarch from above ground,¡± the worm exined. ¡°Although we present ourselves as a single race to outsiders, in reality, the Desert Worm n is an alliance of insect ns. Insect ns typically have vast power disparities, but each n¡¯s overall strength is limited. Without an alliance, it¡¯s hard to establish a foothold. Our Desert Worm n is an alliance of all insect ns in this desert, and the matriarch, as the leader of this alliance, is the most powerful existence.¡±

    ¡°I see. Now that the disaster beast has left, you can¡¯t use your burrowing ability.¡±

    ¡°Yes, so I¡¯ll have to rely on you, Young Master Zhanyue,¡± the worm said before burrowing back underground.

    Zhanyue smiled, thinking this big worm was quite polite. Then, he stealthily moved deeper into the castle, avoiding all unnecessary battles.

    There weren¡¯t many guards inside the castle, perhaps because the Sand Dune King was very confident in his own strength and that of the disaster beast.

    Soon, Zhanyue found a small house with two Sand Dune n members guarding the door. Like the others, they had ck spiders crawling on their faces. Zhanyue moved with extreme speed. Before the two could react, the spiders on their faces were killed. Zhanyue looked at the Thunder God¡¯s Whip in his hand and the electrocuted insects on the ground, thinking this treasure was quite useful. The two Sand Dune n members were paralyzed and fell to the ground. They were freed from the soul-devouring spiders¡¯ control but hadn¡¯t fully regained their senses.

    Entering the small house, he found a longdder leading underground.

    Soon after, Zhanyue arrived in the dungeon. The underground passage was long and exceptionally quiet. Suddenly, he heard a woman¡¯s agonized scream. His expression changed, and he rushed towards the sound.

    When he arrived, he witnessed a shocking scene. A huge red spider was chained in a cage. The spider had a woman-like face on its back, looking very eerie. This giant red spider was the Desert Worm n¡¯s matriarch. What shocked Zhanyue wasn¡¯t the appearance of the Desert Worm n leader, but the fact that the worm who came to rescue her was now on her back, devouring the giant spider¡¯s flesh bite by bite.

    ¡°What¡­ what¡¯s going on? Wasn¡¯t that big worm here to save its matriarch?¡± Zhanyue asked, confused.

    ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that. The matriarch is almost gone. Even if we rescue her, what¡¯s the point? Besides my earth-burrowing ability, I have another talent ¨C devouring. I can evolve by consuming other insect ns. The matriarch¡¯s dying body is the best supplement. Don¡¯t worry, after Iplete my transformation, I¡¯ll help you kill the Sand Dune King,¡± the worm said happily. ¡°I forgot to introduce myself. You can call me Lulu the Sand Worm.¡±

    Such an innocent name coupled with his current actions made Zhanyue¡¯s scalp tingle. He could sense that the Desert Worm matriarch was already lifeless, and it was toote to stop this.

    Soon after, Lulu hadpletely devoured the matriarch, who was muchrger than him. Then his body lit up with a white glow. After the light faded, Zhanyue saw that Lulu, who was previously like a caterpir, had grown four limbs. The human face in his chrysanthemum-like mouth had berger and more real, with a terrifyingly ugly appearance that could only be described as horrific.

    ¡°You never intended to save your matriarch, did you?¡± Zhanyue hated being manipted the most. Now it seemed that Lulu¡¯s n from the beginning was to have them distract the Sand Dune King¡¯s attention, while he came to the dungeon to devour his own matriarch andplete his evolution. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

    ¡°Don¡¯t say that. Although I don¡¯t know your intentions, we have amon enemy. I just want to take control of the Sand Worm n. The Sand Dune King and that disaster beast are ourmon enemies,¡± Lulu smiled. ¡°Let¡¯s go. The soul-devouring spiders¡¯ secret technique has been lifted with the matriarch¡¯s death. It¡¯s probably chaos outside now.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re quite capable,¡± Zhanyue sighed, realizing he had underestimated this big worm¡¯s strength.

    Outside, all the ck spiders on people¡¯s faces automatically fell to the ground, lying dead. On the tower and throughout the oasis, everyone regained their rationality, no longer puppets.

    ¡°How¡­ how have we been living these days? My son, my daughter, they¡¯re all dead, worked to death!¡± On the tower, a Sand-Armored Giant n member knelt on the ground, weeping bitterly.

    ¡°Am I¡­ am I still alive? Our ancestor, how could he be like that? We¡¯re all Sand Dune n members, how could he treat us this way? What¡¯s the point of this damned tower?¡± A Sand Dune n member who had just regained consciousness took his tool and chopped at a nearby pir, something he never dared to do before.

    ¡°The soul-devouring spiders are all dead. Is the matriarch dead? Damn the Sand Dune King to hell! We, the Desert Worm n, will never forgive you!¡± A Desert Worm n expert came to his senses, instantly understanding everything. He couldn¡¯t believe their n¡¯s matriarch was dead, not knowing she wasn¡¯t killed by the Sand Dune King.

    ¡°Revenge! We must have revenge! Blood for blood!¡±

    At this moment, all the enved beings from various ns raised the banner of rebellion.

    The Sand Dune King looked towards the castle, his face extremely grim. To control so manyborers to build for him, he had to use the Desert Worm n¡¯s control methods. How could the Desert Worm n matriarch be dead? Although she was weak, she was far from dying. How could she suddenly die?

    ¡°Damn you all! You all deserve to die!¡± The Sand Dune King raged, the golden scepter in his hand zing with light.

    Outside the Heavenly Book world, Thunder Lord and Alchemy Daoist watched the arena with disbelief. Liu Zhaoran, who had been through the Heavenly Book trial and received Thunder Lord¡¯s careful guidance, had lost. He lost so decisively that he didn¡¯t evenst ten breaths.

    The Bird n young master had a ball of cyan me floating in his hand, dancing with incredible agility. Looking at Liu Zhaoran lying on the ground, he sneered, ¡°I hadn¡¯t even warmed up, and you¡¯re already down. Human prodigies? Nothing special.¡±

    ¡°Tianxian! Mind your words,¡± the Grand Elder warned from the side, then turned to Thunder Lord and Alchemy Daoist with an apologetic smile. ¡°This boy rarely goes out and doesn¡¯t understand human etiquette. Please forgive him, respected elders.¡±

    Thunder Lord and Alchemy Daoist both wore solemn expressions. It seemed the Bird n ancestor¡¯s emergence from seclusion had given the third-ranked race the confidence to challenge the first-ranked race.

    ¡°Young and arrogant, indeed. If I¡¯m not mistaken, young master has mastered the legendary Cyan Lotus Heavenly Fire?¡± Alchemy Daoist asked.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. It was quite difficult for me to refine it. Do you humans have any more experts? I¡¯m not satisfied yet.¡±

    As they were speaking, the second person to fail the Heavenly Book trial emerged. It was the free-spirited Feng Bng. At this moment, Feng Bng hadn¡¯t realized how unlucky he was.

 Chapter 243: Old Grudges

    Chapter 243: Old Grudges

    Feng Bng still maintained his carefree attitude, showing no disappointment as a failed contestant.

    ¡°Not bad, not bad. Perfectly cleared the first world mission, but just a bit unlucky with the second. I¡¯ve always had bad luck, but this journey was still quite rewarding,¡± Feng Bng said with a satisfied smile.

    ¡°Oh? You¡¯re out?¡± Wind Lord appeared beside Feng Bng.

    ¡°It¡¯s not like whoeveres out first is the strongest. There¡¯s no need to wee such an embarrassing thing. Did you rush here first tough at me?¡± Feng Bng looked at Wind Lord who appeared before him.

    ¡°No¡­ the situation is special. Thunder Lord is facing some trouble, and we want to hear your thoughts now,¡± Wind Lord exined.

    ¡°?¡± Feng Bng looked at Wind Lord in shock. ¡°What did you say? Say it again?¡±

    ¡°Thunder Lord is facing some trouble, and we want to hear your thoughts now,¡± Wind Lord repeated patiently.

    ¡°Trouble that Thunder Lord can¡¯t handle needs my thoughts? He could kill me with a fart. What thoughts could I possibly have? What¡¯s going on?¡± Feng Bng was confused, encountering strange events right aftering out of the Heavenly Book world.

    Wind Lord coughed and continued, ¡°It¡¯s like this. The Bird n has arrived, and a young Bird n prince is challenging human prodigies. It seems they don¡¯te with good intentions. Liu Zhaoran has already been defeated, so Thunder Lord wants to know if you¡¯re willing to fight. There¡¯s no one more suitable in the academy right now than you.¡± Hearing this, Feng Bng¡¯s expression changed, turning from carefree to extremely serious. ¡°Who did you say? Bird n prince? Could it be that guy called Tianxian?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Wind Lord was curious how Feng Bng seemed to know Tianxian. At this moment, he noticed Feng Bng clenching his fists, gritting his teeth, and then spitting out a few words. ¡°He came here himself, he can¡¯t me me!¡±

    Wind Lord immediately sensed something was wrong and quickly asked, ¡°Do you have a grudge against him?¡±

    ¡°He destroyed my opportunity, hurt my loved ones, and insulted my ancestors. It¡¯s a deep hatred!¡± Feng Bng¡¯s eyes shed with murderous intent as he recalled past experiences.

    At the academy¡¯s arena, Liu Zhaoran stood dejectedly beside Thunder Lord. He had lost too quickly in the previous battle, not even getting to use some of his techniques before being defeated. But he wasn¡¯t resentful; in a life-or-death battle, he would have died. He couldn¡¯t understand why, despite going through the Heavenly Book trial and receiving Thunder Lord¡¯s guidance, there was still such a huge gap between him and these true prodigies. He wasn¡¯tcking in effort, and his talent had always been praised.

    ¡°Stabilize your mind. Everyone has different opportunities. The strength possessed at the same stage is also different. You are indeed not as strong as him now, but who can say for sure about the future? The Bird n has invested countless resources in him; it¡¯s not shameful that he¡¯s stronger than you,¡± Thunder Lordforted through mental transmission.

    On the field, the handsome golden-haired man in white was boredly adjusting his wings. His keen gaze caught two figures approaching, one old and one young ¨C Feng Bng and Wind Lord.

    ¡°Oh, interesting. I thought no one would dare to fight. If nothing else, at least the courage ismendable,¡± Tianxian sized up Feng Bng.

    The second battle began between the two, without much small talk. On the arena, Feng Bng red fiercely at the handsome man before him.

    ¡°Tianxian, do you remember me!¡± Feng Bng asked.

    ¡°You are?¡± Tianxian looked at Feng Bng, trying hard to search his memory, but had little impression, only feeling that he might have seen this human before.

    ¡°I never waste too much memory on irrelevant people and things,¡± Tianxian shook his head, toozy to think further.

    ¡°Very well, very well. You¡¯re still as arrogant as before. Then let me help you remember!¡± Feng Bng summoned his contract object, a paper kite.

    Seeing this kite, Tianxian finally remembered. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you, that unlucky fellow.¡±

    ¡°Tianxian, if it weren¡¯t for your sneak attack and hostage-taking to threaten me back then, I would have been the one to enter the Cyan Lotus Treasury. You destroyed my opportunity and don¡¯t even feel a bit of guilt,¡± Feng Bng said coldly, the scene outside the Cyan Lotus Treasury unforgettable for life.

    ¡°Treasures naturally belong to the capable. As for the means, they¡¯re just ways to achieve the goal. If you can¡¯tpete with me, you should admit defeat gracefully,¡± Tianxian didn¡¯t feel his methods were despicable at all. ¡°Besides, the Cyan Lotus Treasury was indeed a great ce. My life¡¯s greatest opportunity came from there. Moreover, the Heavenly Fire was inside. Even if a mere human had entered, what could they do? Did you think you couldy hands on the Heavenly Fire? Enough talk, let¡¯s fight.¡±

    Feng Bng abandoned his usual carefree attitude, going all out from the start. The kite hanging high in the sky transformed into a azure phoenix, circling above Feng Bng¡¯s head.

    ¡°This is¡­? Contract object transformation? To develop a contract object to this level, this human youth is extraordinary!¡± Outside the arena, Elder Tianyu was shocked, but then shook his head, ¡°What a pity. His original contract object is too ordinary. If it were a powerful contract object, with his talent, it would truly be unprecedented. This misceneous kite¡¯s base is too low. Apart from granting flight ability, itsbat capabilities are basically zero. Even if it bes a hundred times stronger after transformation, the foundation is too weak.¡± Elder Tianyumented.

    Beside him, Alchemy Daoist and Thunder Lord remained silent, knowing Elder Tianyu spoke the truth. Feng Bng¡¯s talent was truly wasted. If Feng Bng were a spirit contractor, or even just a weapon contractor, his future achievements might surpass theirs. What a pity¡­ what a pity.

    The azure phoenix was lifelike, its call could even be heard, and the pressure from a divine beast was real. It had the form, the sound, and the spirit of a true azure phoenix. But unfortunately, itcked the essence. Its bones were still just a ¡®paper kite¡¯.

    ¡°No wonder you hate me so much. You wanted to transformpletely. Indeed, the Cyan Lotus Treasury had top-tier divine objects that could change or even add contract objects. Too bad I¡¯ve already consumed it, so even though I¡¯m not human, I now have a contract object,¡± Tianxian said as a ball of cyan me danced in his hand.

    ¡°This¡­ this¡­¡± All the spectators¡¯ pupils dted. They had previously thought the Cyan Lotus Heavenly Fire was just a divine ability he mastered, but now they realized it was his contract object. The difference between a divine ability and a contract object was immense. In other words, Tianxian was not just a Bird n member, but also a spirit contractor, and not an ordinary fire contractor ¨C his contract object was Heavenly Fire!

    ¡°What kind of ce is this Cyan Lotus Treasury, to have such a supreme treasure that can give non-humans an acquired contract object? No wonder Feng Bng¡¯s hatred is so intense. For him, if he could have gotten another decent quality contract object,bined with his talent, he could indeed have achieved aplete transformation,¡± Wind Lord finally understoodpletely.

    ¡°Bastard.¡± Feng Bng couldn¡¯t bear the provocation andunched the first attack against Tianxian.

 Chapter 254: Bai Zhis Mission

    Chapter 254: Bai Zhis Mission

    ¡°Why is this happening?¡± The Spirit of the Heavenly Book bit her jade-like fingers, her charm capable of captivating all beings, but unfortunately, no one was there to appreciate it.

    She couldn¡¯t understand how Baizhi had previously sent food to Zhanyue through the divine ability space, helping Zhanyue and Huang Xueqing through their crisis. Now, Zhanyue had even managed to transmit his avatar over. Although she was the Spirit of the Heavenly Book, she couldn¡¯t interfere with the Heavenly Book trial.

    ¡°Sigh, there are no loopholes in the Heavenly Book world. Whatever can happen is allowed to happen. After all, it¡¯s responsible for running the Heavenly Book world. What kind of divine abilities have these two mastered to be able to y like this?¡± This nine-tailed celestial fox became even more interested in Zhanyue.

    Zhanyue, of course, didn¡¯t know that someone was pondering his secrets at that moment. He looked around; there were no living enemies left on the deserted ind, with mutted corpses scattered everywhere.

    ¡°What¡­ what¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Baizhi looked at Zhanyue in front of her, puzzled.

    ¡°What do you mean, what¡¯s wrong? Are you alright?¡± Zhanyue asked with concern.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine, but the problem is you. In the past, even when killing enemies, you didn¡¯t have the habit of torturing them or desecrating corpses. Why are you so violent now?¡± Baizhi frowned slightly; Zhanyue¡¯s behavior was unlike his usual self.

    ¡°Really?¡± Zhanyue said, ¡°I don¡¯t know either, I was just very angry just now. Probably because they wanted to harm you.¡±

    Baizhi¡¯s pretty face reddened, and she didn¡¯t pursue the matter further. ¡°By the way, how long can you stay this time?¡± Baizhi asked.

    Zhanyue thought for a moment, ¡°I should be able to stay for quite a while. My main body is still in the process of breakthrough, which will take some time.¡± He and Yunyao were focused on breaking through their eye techniques in that underground secret chamber, as it was a very safe ce.

    Baizhi smiled happily, very satisfied. ¡°That¡¯s good. Then I¡¯ll have to trouble you with my mission. I was just worrying about it.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the deal with this world? And what¡¯s your mission?¡± Zhanyue asked curiously.

    ¡°This is my second mission. I was lucky in the first mission and even obtained some lost pill forms. But this second mission is simply beyond my ability toplete,¡± Baizhi said, a bit puffed up.

    ¡°This world is called the ¡®Star World¡¯. It¡¯s a world where over 99% of the surface is ocean, with tens of thousands of inds scattered across the sea. All humans live on these inds, relying on resources from the sea for food.¡±

    Baizhi continued her exnation: ¡°This world also has cultivators, but the heavenlyws clearly suppress cultivators¡¯ powers. The effects of techniques and divine abilities are greatly weakened in this world, spiritual energy is scarce, and there are no heavenly and earthly treasures. The strongest in this world are equivalent to the strength of Profound Beings in our world, called the Divine Martial Realm. Note that it doesn¡¯t mean reaching the Profound Realm makes one a Divine Martial cultivator. Only those who can maintain Profound Realm strength under the world¡¯s suppression are considered Divine Martial. For example, although I¡¯m at the Star Profound Realm, due to the world¡¯sw suppression, mybat power doesn¡¯t reach the Profound level, so I¡¯m not considered Divine Martial.¡±

    ¡°So, does that mean my current strength is already at the peak of this world?¡± Zhanyue asked curiously. His avatar belonged to the Ghost Shark n, not of human bloodline, and surprisingly wasn¡¯t suppressed by this world¡¯sws. This meant he could perfectly exert Profound level power.

    ¡°Yes, but within the Divine Martial Realm, there¡¯s also a distinction between Lesser Divine Martial and Greater Divine Martial. I don¡¯t know how they ssify this. For instance, in the Ink Sea area to the north of this sea region, the Lord of the Ink Sea is a Greater Divine Martial,¡± Baizhi continued to exin.

    ¡°I see. I didn¡¯t expect that in a world with such scarce spiritual energy and where humans are suppressed byws, there would still be people who could cultivate to such a level. If they were in our world, they¡¯d probably all be extraordinary prodigies,¡± Zhanyue marveled.

    In cultivation worlds, one¡¯s birth often determines their upper and lower limits. Even the most talented genius, if born in a world without spiritual energy, would have no possibility of embarking on the path of cultivation.

    ¡°So what¡¯s your mission?¡± Zhanyue continued to ask. Baizhi knew quite a bit, seeming to have deep contact with this world. She was at the Star Profound Realm and had many pills with her. Even with her power suppressed, she was still much more formidable than ordinary people. It should be rtively easy for her to gather information.

    Baizhi¡¯s expression gradually became serious as she continued: ¡°This world has a kind of natural disaster called the Void Thunder Storm. It appears without any warning, and its location is unpredictable. Every time it appears, divine thunder strikes the sea surface. The terrifying lightning kills all living beings in that sea area. Even those sheltering on inds who aren¡¯t directly affected are forced to relocate due to loss of food sources. In worse cases, the divine thunder directly strikes areas where humans gather, and even Divine Martial cultivators might not survive.¡±

    ¡°Void Thunder Storm? Such a thing exists in this world with scarce spiritual energy?¡± Zhanyue was puzzled.

    ¡°So, because of my mission, I know some secrets of this world that even the people here don¡¯t know,¡± Baizhi continued. ¡°The Ink Sea in the north is special. Its waters are dark green, and although no life exists in it, the advantage is that divine thunder never falls into the Ink Sea, and lightning from outside can¡¯t conduct into it. So, living on inds at the edge of the Ink Sea is a desire for many humans. They can fish outside the Ink Sea and retreat into it to avoid divine thunder.¡±

    ¡°The reason the Ink Sea is special is that it¡¯s actually their of that monster. But humans don¡¯t know this; they think it¡¯s some kind of divine sanctuary,¡± Baizhi smiled. As an outsider, she knew more due to her mission-rted knowledge.

    ¡°Monster? What monster?¡± Zhanyue became more curious.

    ¡°A terrifying thunder bird. It¡¯s the one absorbing the already scarce spiritual energy. Those divine thunders are all its doing. It leaves the Ink Sea to hunt periodically, eating a lot each time. Those sea creatures killed by electricity don¡¯t disappear; they all end up in its stomach. And¡­ my mission is to kill the thunder bird. How about that? I¡¯m impressive, right?¡± Baizhi said a bit mischievously.

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Zhanyue furrowed his brow. The Heavenly Book trial shouldn¡¯t arrange absolutely impossible trials. If it assigned Baizhi to deal with the thunder bird, it must be because Baizhi has some means to counter it, and it would benefit her. The essence of the Heavenly Book trial is still an opportunity for fortune, and Zhanyue had already gained many benefits so far.

    Soon, a memory surfaced. Zhanyue recalled what Baizhi¡¯s past life self had told him when she awoke. She needed a special ce with divine thunder because the true form of Baizhi¡¯s contract object was the Heavenly King¡¯s Bronze Furnace, which needed particrly dense thunder spiritual energy to break its seal and recover. The thunder power controlled by the thunder bird in the Ink Sea might be exactly what Baizhi needed.

    ¡°This girl probably doesn¡¯t know yet what this opportunity means for her,¡± Zhanyue smiled, but then became curious again. ¡°What level of strength does the Void Emperor really have, and what methods? How does he know exactly what we need most?¡± Zhanyue couldn¡¯t understand.

    He and Yunyao both needed to advance their eye techniques, so the trial of the seven disaster beasts was arranged to help them improve their eye techniques. Baizhi¡¯s bronze furnace awakening needed thunder power, so she was assigned to kill the thunder bird. This was both a trial and an opportunity, which everyone knew from the beginning. But while Zhanyue could guess the oue, he couldn¡¯t figure out the process.

 Chapter 255: The Medicine Doll Lingling

    Chapter 255: The Medicine Doll Lingling

    ¡°By the way, I see we¡¯re surrounded by the sea, and nearby inds should be quite far. How did you get here?¡± Zhanyue was puzzled. Apart from the pirate ships with gs, he didn¡¯t see any other boats nearby. With Baizhi¡¯s suppressed abilities, she shouldn¡¯t have been able to cross long distances at sea.

    ¡°You might not believe it, but I¡¯ve been crossing the sea on a bamboo raft all this time. Unfortunately, they destroyed that raft earlier,¡± Baizhi said angrily. That bamboo raft was handmade by her and had apanied her across many seas and ces.

    ¡°Bamboo¡­ raft?¡± Zhanyue indeed didn¡¯t believe it. With the waves at sea, how long could a small bamboo raftst?

    Seeing Zhanyue¡¯s disbelief, Baizhi was very proud. She put her hands on her hips and said happily, ¡°Let me show you something.¡±

    Not having seen her for a long time, Zhanyue felt that this girl was bing more and more adorable. Unlike Huang Xueqing and Yunyao, Zhanyue felt particrly rxed around Baizhi. Although they hadn¡¯t taken the final step in their rtionship, by this world¡¯s standards, Baizhi had long considered herself Zhanyue¡¯s person.

    ¡°Look at this,¡± Baizhi extended her hand. In her palm was a green gourd-shaped mark that was glowing.

    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Zhanyue asked curiously. He didn¡¯t remember Baizhi having this before.

    ¡°Just keep watching,¡± Baizhi activated the symbol in her palm. The mark burst with light, and then a fist-sized little person appeared in her palm. It was a porcin-like doll that looked seven or eight parts simr to Baizhi, but more childish. Its watery eyes were adorable, though it looked a bit dim-witted.

    ¡°What is this thing? Why does it look not very smart?¡± Zhanyue asked. It looked very simr to the legendary Nascent Soul, except it had a small belly-covering garment. ¡°This is the reward I got from my previous mission. Besides some pill forms, there¡¯s this medicine doll, Lingling. It¡¯s a spirit being, without an actual physical body. Don¡¯t be fooled by its silly appearance. Although it¡¯s not good at fighting, it¡¯s very useful,¡± Baizhi introduced. The little doll was now hugging one of Baizhi¡¯s fingers, affectionately rubbing its small face against it.

    ¡°Medicine doll? Does it have something to do with finding medicinal herbs?¡± Zhanyue guessed.

    Baizhi nodded her little head, ¡°That¡¯s right. Its ability is to find heavenly and earthly treasures. Unfortunately, this world is too barren, so it doesn¡¯t have much use. Watch this¡­¡±

    Baizhi pointed to a wild grass not far away. The medicine doll Lingling disappeared from Baizhi¡¯s palm, transforming into points of starlight, then flew towards the wild grass and possessed it. Then, the entire grass nt, including its roots, flew up andnded in Baizhi¡¯s hand.

    Zhanyue looked at the wild grass in shock. Its roots werepletely undamaged, something ordinary people could never achieve. Even he would need to use state reversal techniques to do this. This little thing definitely didn¡¯t just uproot the nt; it was a more mystical method simr to telekinesis.

    ¡°You see, this little one can not only sense where heavenly and earthly treasures are, but it can also easily ignore terrain and dangers to get there, and bring those treasures to mepletely intact. This little guy is more useful to me than any divine artifact,¡± Baizhi was very satisfied with the little one, even though it couldn¡¯t increase herbat power.

    ¡°But what does this have to do with you crossing the sea, or with the bamboo raft?¡± Zhanyue had been led astray and now returned to the main topic.

    ¡°Silly, its endurance is incredible. It previously possessed the bamboo raft and carried me across the sea,¡± Baizhi exined.

    ¡°I see. You¡¯ve suffered a lot these days,¡± Zhanyue knew that even if the power problem was solved, drifting alone at sea for a long time must have been tough.

    ¡°It¡¯s a trial, after all. There¡¯s no such thing as not suffering. By the way, to kill that thunder bird, we need to head north to the Ink Sea. It¡¯s not close,¡± Baizhi said, looking troubled.

    ¡°What¡¯s there to worry about?¡± Zhanyue was now in his Ghost Shark form. He immediately used the Ghost Shark n¡¯s innate ability and swallowed Baizhi, then leaped into the sea.

    The sea was the Ghost Shark n¡¯s home turf. The water escape technique operated at high speed.

    Zhanyue transformed into a white wave, moving at a speed far surpassing those sea creatures.

    Soon after, he spat Baizhi out.

    ¡°Where is this?¡± Baizhi looked around at the environment. ¡°I¡¯ve been here before. It¡¯s the deserted ind north of that small ind. How long has it been? Even if I used the bamboo raft, it would take most of a day,¡± Baizhi said incredulously. In the blink of an eye, she had appeared here.

    ¡°I¡¯m just that fast,¡± Zhanyue said proudly. The Ghost Shark avatar was incredibly advantaged in this world mainlyposed of oceans, and its strength wasn¡¯t suppressed. This ¡®instance¡¯ seemed tailor-made for Zhanyue.

    ¡°Look¡­ look over there!¡± Baizhi¡¯s expression suddenly changed as she pointed to the distance.

    They saw the sky to the north suddenly darken, then a purple ball fell from the sky, crashing into the sea before exploding.

    ¡°Not good, that thunder bird is feeding again!¡± Baizhi¡¯s face turned pale. Fortunately, they were far enough away, but it was still terrifying.

    Sound travels slower than light, so Zhanyue and Baizhi only heard the terrifying thunder after the lightning had exploded. That power was no weaker than a full-force attack from a Spirit God Realm expert, perhaps even more terrifying.

    ¡°Baizhi¡¯s mission is to eliminate that thunder bird?¡± Zhanyue retracted his earlier thought that the mission shouldn¡¯t be difficult. This thunder bird¡¯s strike was truly too terrifying.

    ¡°Those divine thunderbolts fall into some part of the ocean without any warning, just like this. It¡¯s a true natural disaster. That¡¯s why many people aspire to live near the Ink Sea, as divine thunder never falls there. However, establishing oneself in the Ink Sea is not easy,¡± Baizhi exined.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go take a look,¡± Zhanyue said boldly. Then he took Baizhi towards where the lightning had struck. The thunder bird had just finished feeding, so it shouldn¡¯t act again. And ording to Baizhi, each time it fed, it would clear out all life in the strike area, so it shouldn¡¯t strike the same ce twice.

    Zhanyue swallowed Baizhi again and dove into the water.

    Soon after, Zhanyue arrived at the area affected by the lightning strike, exactly as Baizhi had described earlier. Upon entering this area, Zhanyue couldn¡¯t see any marine life. No fish, no shrimp, the ce had be a dead zone.

    ¡°Hm? There¡¯s a ship?¡± Zhanyue saw a huge ship in the distance and swam towards it. Without wings or a flying sword, he couldn¡¯t fly, but fortunately, water was everywhere here.

    Soon after, Zhanyue boarded the ship. Indeed, it was a ghost ship. All the people on board had disappeared. There was even a cup of steaming tea on a wooden table.

    ¡°It seems they were all eaten by the thunder bird,¡± Zhanyue sighed. Even though the ship wasn¡¯t directly hit by the lightning, so its hull was still intact, it was within the thunder bird¡¯s feeding area, so everyone on board had been eaten.

    Zhanyue frowned as he looked at a painting hanging in the cabin because the person in the painting looked ny percent simr to Baizhi. There were also a few words written in a script he didn¡¯t recognize.

    ¡°Do you know what this is?¡± Zhanyue released Baizhi and asked, pointing at the painting.

    ¡°That¡¯s a wanted poster for me,¡± Baizhi said angrily.

 Chapter 256: The Ink Sea Star Ship

    Chapter 256: The Ink Sea Star Ship

    ¡°A wanted poster? You can read the text? Who exactly is putting a bounty on you?¡± Zhanyue asked, already feeling a surge of anger. He had be very impulsivetely.

    ¡°Yes, I can read it. By chance, I learned this world¡¯s writing for a while. It¡¯s notplicated,¡± Baizhi exined, then continued: ¡°It says there¡¯s a bounty for the Star¡­ Star Sea¡­ Goddess¡­ Anyone who brings her to the Ink Sea will receive living quarters for 100 people on the Ink Sea Star Ship.¡± Baizhi said somewhat embarrassedly.

    Zhanyue stared at Baizhi and asked, ¡°Star Sea Goddess? You? Is it that Ink Sea Lord who¡¯s offering this bounty?¡±

    Baizhi nodded, blushing a little. ¡°That¡¯s right, they gave me that title. I¡¯ve never met this Ink Sea Lord, and I don¡¯t know why he¡¯s putting a bounty on me.¡±

    Zhanyue could understand. To outsiders, Baizhi was not only beautiful but also possessed many strange abilities. Before her pills ran out, she was quite formidable. After adventuring in this world for so long, she naturally made a name for herself.

    ¡°I¡¯d like to know what this Ink Sea Lord is all about, setting his sights on my woman,¡± Zhanyue narrowed his eyes, pondering his next move.

    ¡°Pah, what do you mean <em>your</em> woman? Who says?¡± Baizhi pouted, pretending to be angry, but actually feeling delighted inside. Apart from her grandmother, Zhanyue was the person she trusted most in the world, having given all her feelings to him.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll go meet this so-called Ink Sea Lord,¡± Zhanyue swallowed Baizhi again to protect her, then dove into the sea, swimming northward at a speed iprehensible to the people of this world.

    Chatting and joking with Baizhi along the way, resting, and mostly traveling, they finally covered a distance in three days that would take others several months, arriving at the edge of the Ink Sea. The Ink Sea, the most mysterious area in the Star Sea world, was most notably different in that the entire sea area was ink-ck. There were no marine creatures in the sea, but it also wasn¡¯t attacked by the thunder bird, making it the safest area in the entire world. However, this area had long been ruled by the mysterious Ink Sea Lord, and not all forces could establish themselves in the Ink Sea.

    At the edge of the Ink Sea, people were again attempting to sneak in. When they reached the boundary between the Ink Sea and the ocean, they discovered that ships simply couldn¡¯t navigate in the Ink Sea. The terrifying resistance stopped all vessels. The Ink Sea water was very thick, almost like asphalt, but without asphalt¡¯s stickiness.

    On the smuggling boat, an old man jumped off. Contrary to everyone¡¯s expectations, the old man didn¡¯t sink but stood on the Ink Sea water.

    ¡°Thank you all. This old man is actually from the Ink Sea. Haha, I¡¯ll be heading back now,¡± the old man waved to therge ship behind him, then walked on the Ink Sea as if treading on waves, no different from walking onnd. His speed wasn¡¯t fast, mainly because the buoyancy of the Ink Sea far exceeded that of ordinary sea surfaces. He wasn¡¯t some expert; he had simply mastered the extremely strong buoyancy. He didn¡¯t care if people snuck into the Ink Sea because the edge of the Ink Sea couldn¡¯t sustain life. To truly live in the Ink Sea, one had to reside on the Ink Sea Star Ships in its depths.

    ¡°Is that old man a native of the Ink Sea?¡± Everyone suddenly realized that he wasn¡¯t a smuggler like them. Seeing the old man¡¯s actions, many people tried to imitate him. They jumped off the ship, but when they touched the Ink Sea, they fell over. They couldn¡¯t swim, couldn¡¯t stand, and certainly couldn¡¯t walk freely like the old man.

    ¡°We¡¯re doomed. I¡¯m stuck here,¡± someone cried helplessly. He hadn¡¯t mastered the technique of walking on the Ink Sea and could barely move. The Ink Sea was like constantly shaking ground, and not everyone could quickly adapt.

    Theirpanions still on the smuggling ship threw down ropes, and these people climbed back up, feeling relieved but shaken.

    The smuggling ship just stayed there, not knowing where to go. Continue inward? The ship couldn¡¯t go in, and neither could the people. Go back? These people were trying to enter the heaven-like Ink Sea world because they couldn¡¯t survive elsewhere. How could they be willing to go back? Many had spent all their family wealth, even selling their children to get here.

    ¡°Stop struggling. We smugglers can¡¯t go in to live. Just settle for living on the ship,¡± a fishing boat nearby called out to them.

    The people on the fishing boat were earlier smugglers who had adapted to living on ships at the edge of the Ink Sea. However, this kind of life wasn¡¯t particrly good. The edge of the Ink Sea wasn¡¯tpletely safe from divine thunder. They just didn¡¯t dare to admit it.

    ¡°What does it take to enter the Ink Sea and be an Ink Sea person?¡± someone on the smuggling ship shouted to the fishing boat.

    ¡°You want to be Ink Sea people? Look at yourselves. The Ink Sea Star Ships don¡¯t usually take people, but there¡¯s a good opportunity right now. The Ink Sea Lord has put out a bounty to capture the Star Sea Goddess. If you can catch her, you¡¯ll get living quarters for a hundred people on the Star Sea Ark,¡± someone from the fishing boat replied, thenughed and left. They didn¡¯t believe they had that ability.

    ¡°Star Sea Goddess? Who?¡± Many of the smugglers were from outside and had no idea what this meant.

    Zhanyue was hiding under the smugglers¡¯ ship at this moment, listening to their conversation and gaining a better understanding of the Ink Sea. He continued to swim deeper. The good thing was that he could use his water escape technique in the Ink Sea water, but the scary part was that his speed was greatly reduced. However, he was still much faster than others; most people couldn¡¯t move in the Ink Sea water at all.

    After swimming for a while longer, Zhanyue finally arrived at his destination ¨C the location of the Ink Sea Star Ships.

    When he saw the Ink Sea Star Ship, his jaw dropped. What a massive vessel it was, dozens of stories high. Although called a ship, its size was so enormous that Zhanyue was in awe. Even so-called aircraft carriers would be tiny inparison.

    Legend had it that hundreds of thousands of people lived on this star ship, essentially a huge city.

    ¡°So big?¡± Zhanyue felt a bit of a headache. If he appeared on it, he would probably be recognized immediately, given his current Ghost Shark n form and appearance were too distinctive. Fortunately, Baizhi had prepared a prop for his infiltration ¨C arge white cloth. Zhanyue quickly made it into a temporary robe, covering his body shape and appearance. Compared to others, he was just a bitrger in size. This world had no monsters or other racial beings, so even if others found his attire strange, they wouldn¡¯t think in that direction. His disguise seemed eye-catching but was actually quite effective, as no one could imagine that beneath the white robe was a non-human bloodline.

    Zhanyue was the real smuggler, but his purpose wasn¡¯t for a peaceful life. Although he couldn¡¯t understand this world¡¯snguage, Baizhi in the mysterious space could.

 Chapter 257: On the Star Ship, In the Arena

    Chapter 257: On the Star Ship, In the Arena

    In the vast Star Sea world, if anything could be considered its symbol, it would probably be this Ink Sea Star Ship. No one knew how it came to be, nor did anyone remember who first discovered it. In any case, its existence became the ultimate pursuit of all people in the Star Sea world. Life on the star ship was safe andfortable. The massive ship could amodate several hundred thousand people, but its ten deck levels also divided all people into ten sses.

    The closer Zhanyue got to this giant object, the more his scalp tingled. Even with the production capabilities of the Myriad Spirits Realm, building such a huge ship would be extremely difficult, let alone in the more backward Star Sea world. So Zhanyue naturally had two thoughts: First, the Star Sea world¡¯s condition long ago waspletely different from now, and this giant ship was built at that time. Second, this star ship was actually a product from another world, identally falling here.

    In any case, Zhanyue didn¡¯t think this giant ship was just for show. Perhaps it could move? A mobile city carrying hundreds of thousands of people was impressive just to think about. Zhanyue couldn¡¯t help but have the idea of iming it for himself. But, as he had guessed before, some things in the Heavenly Book world were real while others were fake. Zhanyue couldn¡¯t judge the authenticity of this ship now, nor did he know what conditions were needed to im it.

    ¡°Do you think we could take it away?¡± Zhanyue asked Baizhi in his internal space. ¡°¡­You¡¯re really daring. I¡¯ve never thought about it that way. But perhaps it¡¯s not impossible,¡± Baizhi replied. ¡°The star ship has ten levels, each housing many people. The higher the level, the higher the status of its residents. To find the Ink Sea Lord, we probably need to reach the tenth level.¡±

    ¡°Indeed.¡± It wasn¡¯t good to sneak in during the day, so Zhanyue quietly waited underwater for nightfall. After a long time, the sun illuminating this world finally set. The sea surface darkened, but it was then that the star ship truly revealed its beauty.

    The star ship was brilliantly lit, with a giant star pir like a lighthouse driving away the surrounding darkness. The star ship was also a city that never slept.

    However,pared to daytime, there were fewer guards on the star ship at night. Zhanyue¡¯s infiltration went smoothly, after all, the highest realm in this world was only at his level.

    Although he didn¡¯t understand this world¡¯snguage and writing, Baizhi inside him did. It was just a pity he couldn¡¯t speak. The first level had thergest space and was where most people on the star ship lived, housing as many as 200,000 people. This was unimaginable for a ship. This level was mostly residential areas and shops, meeting the star ship¡¯s most basic supply and living requirements. Zhanyue even saw fish ponds and farnds here, and naturally, there were also brightly lit casinos and brothels. It was no different from cities in the outside world.

    ¡°The star ship is in the Ink Sea, so how do these suppliese in? It can¡¯t be that the star ship is self-sufficient, right? Although there are fish ponds for raising fish and farnd for nting, it doesn¡¯t seem like it can meet its own consumption,¡± Zhanyue wondered. His doubt wasn¡¯t without reason. In fact, the vast majority of supplies on the star ship came from outside, and as for the transportation method, Zhanyue soon found out.

    In the sky, huge airship balloons descended from afar, only able tond in the first level area. Besides sea transportation, there were naturally air transportation methods. However, it was almost impossible for smugglers to sneak in by air, as everyoneing down from the airships would be checked.

    ¡°Compared to the outside world, life on the star ship is indeed peaceful, and¡­ the supplies are even more abundant than outside?¡± Zhanyue shook his head. Indeed, where there are people, there are sses, and where there are sses, there is exploitation. Although isted in the Ink Sea, the star ship enjoyed far more abundant resources than the outside world.

    If anything was most precious on the star ship, it was probably fresh water. The vast majority of people drank distilled seawater, while spring water was something only the wealthy could enjoy. Each bottle was air-transported from outside, and in the Star Sea world, which was mainly oceans, springs were extremely rare. Most springs had already been controlled by the powerful figures on the star ship.

    Outside the Heavenly Book world, Tianxian had toured the academy for days and was getting bored. The so-called human prodigies, in his view, were limited to humans. That Liu Zhaoran and Feng Bng didn¡¯t interest him at all. He craved strong enough opponents; only when opponents were stronger could he give humans more shock. Humans became the number one race in the Myriad Spirits world through quantity, but as the young master of the Bird n, Tianxian wasn¡¯t convinced. In terms of quality, his Bird n was number one. He despised the humans¡¯rge-scale reproduction method.

    Soon after, he received good news. A man named Yu Xuanyi hade out of the Heavenly Book world. He heard that Yu Xuanyi was the top genius of some small world, so he wanted to y with him properly.

    Yu Xuanyi was very unhappy. As the top expert of the Cangfeng Realm, he was the third to be eliminated, which naturally hurt his pride. Moreover, he had failed at a crucial moment in the Heavenly Book trial, bing one of the few regrets in his life. However, now he had received a challenge letter from some Bird n young master.

    ¡°Does every cat and dog want to step on my head?¡± Yu Xuanyi¡¯s handsome face showed a hint of viciousness. He needed someone to prove himself, to prove that he wasn¡¯t inferior, and this Tianxian had just walked into the line of fire.

    On the arena, two opponents who looked down on each other faced each other. Thunder Lord and others were watching from around.

    Just in terms of looks, these two were both extremely handsome men, even somewhat bewitching.

    ¡°Yu Xuanyi of the Cangfeng Realm,¡± Yu Xuanyi introduced himself. ¡°Tianxian of the Bird n,¡± Tianxian¡¯s mouth curved into a slight smile. After being idle for so long, he could finally stretch his muscles. He hoped this so-called top expert of the Cangfeng Realm could spark his interest a little.

    Yu Xuanyi had heard that Tianxian had defeated Liu Zhaoran and Feng Bng, so he didn¡¯t underestimate Tianxian, but he didn¡¯t take him too seriously either. After all, he knew the strength of Liu Zhaoran and Feng Bng, and he wasn¡¯t afraid even of Feng Bng¡¯s domain.

    A sword and a knife, two contract magical treasures, appeared in his hands. Since the opponent wasn¡¯t weak, there was no need to probe gradually.

    ¡°A dual contract object contractor? Interesting,¡± Tianxian nodded, spreading his wings, ready for battle.

    ¡°Sword and Knife as Dream!¡± Yu Xuanyi moved, his body appearing beside Tianxian as if teleporting, followed by a storm of attacks.

    ¡°So fast, such fast speed!¡± The Bird n Grand Elder watching from the side eximed. As the saying goes, of all martial arts, none can withstand, only speed is unbreakable. Yu Xuanyi¡¯s terrifying openingbo indeed caught Tianxian off guard.

 Chapter 258: Defeated Again

    Chapter 258: Defeated Again

    Yu Xuanyi¡¯s techniques became faster and sharper, and although only he was attacking, it was as if thousands were wielding swords and knives simultaneously.

    Tianxian spread his wings, protecting his body, using his feathers to forcibly withstand Yu Xuanyi¡¯s attacks. A few feathers were even knocked off, falling to the ground and quickly burning up into mes.

    ¡°Get away!¡± Tianxian roared, a terrifying power bursting from within, directly sending Yu Xuanyi flying back, naturally interrupting his continued attack.

    Yu Xuanyi adjusted his position in mid-air, spinning a few times beforending steadily on the arena. By now, Tianxian had flown into the air. It was his turn to attack. His terrifying wings shot feathers like a rainstorm towards Yu Xuanyi. Feng Bng had been defeated by this move earlier, but clearly, Yu Xuanyi¡¯s current strength far surpassed Feng Bng¡¯s.

    ¡°Wings of Heavenly Fire ¨C Rain Fall!¡±

    Facing these heavenly fire feathers that could burn everything, Yu Xuanyi¡¯s mouth curved into a cold smile.

    ¡°White Tiger Ultimate Technique ¨C Gold Devouring Life-shing Cut!¡± Yu Xuanyi¡¯s right-hand knife emitted a de intent, the terrifying intent directly transforming into a white tiger form that devoured all the heavenly fire feathers, blocking Tianxian¡¯s attack with a single cut.

    ¡°Is this de intent? This Yu Xuanyi must have had some fortuitous encounter in the Heavenly Book world,¡± Thunder Lord and others eximed. de intent and sword intent were extremely high realms of martial arts cultivation, which ordinary people couldn¡¯t manifest.

    ¡°Get down here!¡± Yu Xuanyi¡¯s attack didn¡¯t stop. His left-hand sword also moved. ¡°Azure Dragon Ultimate Technique ¨C Bone-Breaking Soul-Destroying Kill!¡± The terrifying sword intent transformed into an azure dragon form, directly flying into the sky, as if swallowing Tianxian¡¯s wings.

    However, Tianxian was in a state simr to a spirit contractor, and his swallowed wings quickly regrew. But his handsome face now showed a hint of anger. ¡°Mere ant, you really think such trivial ability can defeat me!¡±

    ¡°This isn¡¯t enough?¡± Yu Xuanyi frowned. He had already released his de and sword intents but hadn¡¯t managed to subdue his opponent.

    ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, let me show you this!¡± Yu Xuanyi simultaneously activated his knife and sword. Instantly, de qi ran wild on the arena, sword qi crisscrossed, and even the ground reinforced by formations showed cracks. At this moment, Thunder Lord and others watching finally couldn¡¯t sit still. ¡°It would take a full-power strike from a Spirit God Realm expert to destroy the arena. He hasn¡¯t even entered the Sun Profound Realm, yet he can release such power?¡±

    ¡°What is he doing?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s trying to fuse de intent and sword intent. How is this possible? The ways of de and sword are each as deep as the sea. I¡¯ve never heard of anyone being able to fuse de intent and sword intent,¡± Thunder Lord¡¯s eyes widened.

    As the top genius of the Cangfeng Realm and the most valued junior by the Cangfeng Ancestor, he was naturally extraordinary. That¡¯s why he had previously fallen victim to a sneak attack and been poisoned ¨C because he was too strong and too careless.

    ¡°This Yu Xuanyi is a prodigy on the level of Fan Longyu. Even if he officially participated in the arena qualification, he could probably get a Heavenly Book spot. The Cangfeng Ancestor really dotes on him, using spirit veins to exchange for qualification just to ensure he could definitely enter. Looking at it now, the Cangfeng Ancestor made a good investment. This de and sword fusion is probably what he gained from this journey,¡± Pill Taoist remarked from the side. The younger generation was bing more and more formidable. Some mastered the realm of battle intent, some mastered domains, some could fuse de and sword intents, and there were some he couldn¡¯t even understand clearly. The human race was truly rising.

    Although this Bird n young master was strong, he was already the top prodigy of the Bird n. Losing to him wasn¡¯t shameful.

    ¡°de and Sword Union, Star and Moon Converge!¡± Yu Xuanyi struck out with both knife and sword simultaneously, the terrifying power transforming into a ball of radiant light.

    Tianxian knew that this attack seemed unavoidable even if he turned into spirit form. For the first time, his eyes showed a serious look. He had to take this strike seriously.

    ¡°Celestial Image! All Beings Bow!¡±

    Tianxian used his ultimate technique again. A huge phantom with white wings appeared behind him, said to be the ancestor of the Bird n. When thisw body appeared, everyone felt a terrifying pressure, as if wanting to make them bow in submission. Thunder Lord and others with deep cultivation naturally didn¡¯t feel it, but the students in the academy suffered. They were far away, but still felt great pressure, as if wanting to prostrate themselves towards the arena.

    ¡°Destroy it!¡± Tianxian threw a punch, directly scattering the Star and Moon Convergence formed by the de and sword fusion.

    Blood appeared at the corner of Yu Xuanyi¡¯s mouth as he used his knife and sword to support himself on the ground, not letting himself kneel. His full-power strike was naturally formidable, but Tianxian seemed even more invincible.

    ¡°You¡¯re not bad, actually forcing me to use my Celestial Image divine ability. But that¡¯s all. Go down now.¡± Tianxian pressed down with another punch, directly pressing Yu Xuanyi to the ground. This time, he didn¡¯t get up.

    ¡°Yu Xuanyi has also been defeated. This youth has now defeated three of our human prodigies in a row,¡± Thunder Lord sighed. ¡°Elder Pill Taoist, do you think Yunyao or Tai¡¯e could be his match?¡±

    Pill Taoist shook his head, ¡°I don¡¯t know either. Yunyao, Tai¡¯e, and this Tianxian before us haven¡¯t shown their full strength in front of us. We¡¯ll only know when they fight.¡±

    Tianxian looked at the people in the distance and smiled, ¡°It¡¯s getting more and more interesting. It seems theter peoplee out of the Heavenly Book world, the stronger they are. That¡¯s good, I should stay here longer and have good matches with the human prodigies. I heard that the Tongming Goddess took a disciple who is revered as the Divine Son. I wonder when he¡¯lle out and if he¡¯ll be more interesting than this Yu Xuanyi.¡±

    Thunder Lord and Pill Taoist looked at each other. This Tianxian was really nning to defeat all the human prodigies single-handedly to make a name for the Bird n.

    Zhanyue, whom Tianxian mentioned, was currently having a bit of a headache. He had nned to forcefully enter the highest level to ask the so-called Ink Sea Lord why he put a bounty on Baizhi. He couldn¡¯t sit idly by. However, after boarding the star ship, Zhanyue realized his idea was a bit too much. Although he was strong, he wasn¡¯t invincible in this world. Just on the first level, he had already sensed several not weak auras. If he forcefully tried to go up, with the experts on this star ship joining forces, he might only be able to flee in a sorry state.

    ¡°Brother, nice outfit. Are you also a stowaway?¡± A person simrly shrouded in a robe came over and said quietly. Seeing Zhanyue¡¯s extremely tall stature and mysterious ck robe, he came over to probe.

    Zhanyue looked at him vigntly. The person wore a white robe and a mask. His eyes looked a bit shifty. Although Zhanyue couldn¡¯t understand what he was saying, fortunately, Baizhi could trante. But he couldn¡¯t speak this world¡¯snguage, so he could only use gestures to probe.

    ¡°Brother, don¡¯t be nervous. There are many stowaways on this first level. We¡¯re all undocumented residents. Even the Ink Sea Lord knows but won¡¯t drive us away. However, because we¡¯re undocumented, it¡¯s a bit difficult to obtain living resources. I¡¯m quite clever, and seeing your tall stature, you should have good skills. I want to make friends with you. Perhaps we have a chance to cooperate,¡± the robed person said.

 Chapter 259: The Many Faces of the Star Ship

    Chapter 259: The Many Faces of the Star Ship

    Zhanyue didn¡¯t understand. Was he really that strange? Did he look so much like a stowaway? How did the first person to talk to him immediately recognize his identity?

    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you speaking? No need to be nervous. I¡¯m the same as you, also a stowaway. Don¡¯t worry, this star ship doesn¡¯t have much ill will towards stowaways,¡± the robed person continued in a lowered voice, as it wasn¡¯t good to discuss these things too loudly here.

    Zhanyue pointed at his mouth and shook his head, indicating he couldn¡¯t speak.

    ¡°Mute¡­ you¡¯re mute?¡± The robed person was slightly stunned but didn¡¯t say much more. He only valued Zhanyue¡¯s skills; whether he was mute or not didn¡¯t matter. Others didn¡¯t know, but the robed person had by chance seen how Zhanyue climbed onto this massive star ship from the sea surface in the night. As they say, even the wisest can make mistakes. Zhanyue had tried hard to find an opportunity, but he couldn¡¯t be invisible, and was ultimately seen. That¡¯s why this robed person in front of him was so sure Zhanyue was a stowaway, and had extraordinary skills.

    ¡°By the way, have you eaten?¡± the robed person continued to ask.

    Zhanyue shook his head. He didn¡¯t need to eat, and this avatar didn¡¯t have such needs, but he had to act like a normal person.

    ¡°Thene with me.¡± The robed person knew that neers like Zhanyue needed a guide the most, and he would need Zhanyue¡¯s helpter, so this was a good chance to do him a favor.

    He guessed correctly; Zhanyue did need such a guide. After all, forcibly entering the tenth level seemed impossible now. He¡¯d better gather enough information and n carefully. He wouldn¡¯t be at ease until he resolved this big trouble for Baizhi.

    Soon after, the two arrived in front of a red house. It was already crowded with people, who knowingly formed a long queue, seeming to be waiting for something. ¡°You can get free food here. Many of these people are also stowaways, or have legal status butck money for various reasons,¡± the robed person exined.

    Zhanyue nodded, surprised that the welfare on this star ship was so good, even offering free food.

    ¡°Don¡¯t think this is some great act of charity. This is just what slips through the fingers of those above. As long as people have food to eat, they¡¯re happy to do it. Those high and mighty bigwigs all know about the existence of stowaways, but they don¡¯t n to drive them away. After all, there are hundreds of thousands of people on the star ship, and someone has to wash dishes, clean, do physicalbor. We stowaways are the cheapestbor force, much more cost-effective than the legal residents of the Star Sea. Understand? There¡¯s no such thing as a free lunch in this world,¡± the robed person exined.

    Zhanyue nodded, understanding why so many stowaways could live openly on the star ship. Because they all had value in existing. But Zhanyue was also curious how the stowaways managed to sneak on board. After all, Zhanyue had seen the smuggling boats, and those people couldn¡¯t find a way onto the Star Sea.

    Zhanyue thought for a moment and realized one possibility ¨C inside and outside coboration. It seemed to be the only possibility. As for the stowaways on the smuggling boats outside, they probably didn¡¯t have the right connections or directions.

    Soon, the door of the red house opened, and a person came out, shouting at everyone: ¡°Stand properly, line up well, and don¡¯t you dare push! Today¡¯s food is quite good, probably stuff you¡¯ve never eaten in your lives. It¡¯s all thanks to the kindness of the big shots up there.¡±

    After speaking, the big man had his subordinates bring out the food. There was grape wine, sweets and desserts, and things like roast chicken and goose.

    ¡°Wine? Sweets, and roast chicken? Am I dreaming? We¡¯re eating so well today?¡± The crowd burst into an uproar. Because this world was mainlyposed of oceans with scarcend, resources were also scarce. Wine, sugar, and poultry meat were all much more luxurious than in ordinary worlds.

    ¡°I¡¯vee to the right ce. This star ship really is heaven. It wasn¡¯t in vain that I spent all my family¡¯s wealth to sneak here,¡± someone in the crowd said with a face full of joy. He had never eaten desserts before; this was his first time in life.

    ¡°Well, looks like our luck is good today,¡± the white-robed person was also a bit excited. That was wine, after all. ¡°The people up there must be holding some grand banquet again. Seems like they have a lot left over, and we¡¯re benefiting from it.¡±

    Soon after, the queue started moving.

    The three people responsible for distributing food had eyes full of reluctance and disdain ¨C reluctant that such good things were wasted on these lowly people, and disdainful that these lowly people had no experience, unlike them who came from above.

    ¡°Um¡­ could I not have wine and have an extra dessert instead?¡± an old woman asked.

    The man red at her, ¡°Are you trying to negotiate with me? Take what you¡¯re given and get lost. You should be grateful I¡¯m in a good mood today. Eating free food and still being picky.¡±

    The old woman took what she was given and quickly left, frightened.

    ¡°Heh~ Ptui!¡± Everyone saw one of the three men spit into the wine jar before taking a long breath. ¡°That feels better. What status do you have to eat the same food and drink the same wine as us? You only deserve to drink what we leave, the unclean stuff.¡±

    Zhanyue frowned. This person was indeed somewhat perverse. The people above let him distribute these things for free, yet it made him so resentful that he was only willing to give it to everyone after contaminating the wine.

    However, the people queuing behind still happily took their share of food, not caring whether the wine was clean or not. It was wine, after all. Many evenined about getting too little.

    ¡°I say, life on the star ship is stillfortable. With wine in hand, what more could one ask for?¡± a young man said happily after taking a sip of wine.

    Listening to Baizhi¡¯s trantion, Zhanyue found it hard to understand.

    ¡°What? Can¡¯t stand it? But we¡¯re used to it already. As stowaways, we have no dignity. If you want dignity, you shouldn¡¯t havee to the star ship. Oh right, I forgot to remind you of the most important thing about living on the star ship: don¡¯t, absolutely don¡¯t try to go upwards. They allow us to live on the first level, but absolutely do not allow us to go up. Those who dare to sneak upwards end up feeding the fish. I know how you got here, and I know you might have the ability to run to the upper levels, but without permission from those above, don¡¯t ever try to go up,¡± the robed person warned.

    Seeing Zhanyue¡¯s shocked expression, he continued, ¡°If you really want to go up,e with me.¡±

    The two got their food. The robed person hurriedly ate the dessert and gave his share of wine to others. Zhanyue didn¡¯t dare eat anything, not knowing if other foods had been tampered with like the wine. Seeing Zhanyue not eating, the robed person didn¡¯t say anything, then led Zhanyue to a shop.

    ¡°You can¡¯t speak, which makesmunication quite troublesome,¡± the robed person continued.

    ¡°Oh? It¡¯s Old Bug. Where did you find this neer? Looks like he can fight, with such a tall stature,¡± the shop owner knew this white-robed person. Looking at Zhanyue beside him, he was both curious and somewhat pitying. People targeted by Old Bug didn¡¯t live for many days; they were just tools for Old Bug to make money.

    ¡°Give me a consciousness crystal, a one-day temporary one, the cheapest,¡± the robed person said.

 Chapter 260: The Underground Arena

    Chapter 260: The Underground Arena

    ¡°Consciousness crystal, a one-day one, and the cheapest at that. You¡¯re so damn stingy,¡± the shopkeeper grumbled as he went into the store, then brought out a purple crystal the size of an egg. ¡°Ten star coins.¡±

    ¡°So expensive? Why don¡¯t you just rob me?¡± Old Bug was speechless.

    ¡°This is a consciousness crystal. Even the worst consciousness crystal is still a consciousness crystal. Ten star coins, not a penny less. Take it or leave it,¡± the middle-aged shopkeeper said calmly. He was a legal resident of the star ship, running a legitimate business. His status was much higher than the stowaways. But this Old Bug was a bit different, having quite a high status among stowaways. It was said he even had some connections with people from the upper levels, so ordinary people didn¡¯t dare to provoke him.

    ¡°Fine, ten it is. Eat so much, hope you choke on it,¡± Old Bug painfully took out a fingernail-sized strange metal from his bosom. This was the universal currency on the star ship, star coins. It was said that only the Ink Sea Lord knew where these came from, and only he could issue this currency, so the total amount of star coins circting in the market was fixed, and the prices on the star ship were very stable.

    ¡°Here, take it. These ten star coins are considered an advance from me. Remember to pay me back when you make money,¡± Old Bug handed the consciousness crystal to Zhanyue.

    ¡°Use your mind tomunicate with it, and it will speak for you. This way, we canmunicate more easily. Your nodding and shaking head was making me anxious,¡± Old Bug exined.

    ¡°There¡¯s such a method?¡± Zhanyue curiously held the not-sorge consciousness crystal, activating it with his mind. A muffled voice came from the crystal, not loud and not very pleasant to hear, as this was the lowest quality type.

    ¡°Can you hear me speaking?¡± Zhanyue was startled by the sudden voice from the crystal.

    ¡°I can hear you. But let me tell you, this crystal can only be used for one day. After all, such a divine artifact can¡¯t be too cheap. Those eternal crystals are something we can¡¯t even dream of. Even this costs ten star coins. Do you know what ten star coins can do? That¡¯s enough to have a good time at the Snow Wind Tower for a whole night. Consider this money as a loan from me. Remember to pay me back when you earn money,¡± Old Bug continued. Zhanyue looked at Old Bug, knowing that this guy¡¯s unsolicited kindness must have an ulterior motive, though he didn¡¯t know what Old Bug was nning to do yet.

    ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that, why are you so dumb? Come with me, I¡¯ll introduce you to a money-making business. If you¡¯re lucky, you might catch the eye of someone from above, and that would be your chance to soar. I can see that you want to go up, though I don¡¯t know why,¡± Old Bug observed carefully.

    Every sentence Zhanyue received needed to be tranted by Baizhi, so his reactions were naturally a few beats slower, making him appear somewhat slow and dull-witted to others.

    ¡°I got anguage crystal before, so I instantly learned this world¡¯snguage and writing. I exchanged it for pills,¡± Baizhi said.

    ¡°Does this world have pills too?¡± Zhanyue asked curiously.

    ¡°Yes, but their effects are generally very average. They¡¯re just a bit cheaper than ordinary medicines,¡± Baizhi exined.

    She and Zhanyue shared the divine ability space. Thebat pills in the space were basically used up, but there were still some healing or auxiliary pills.

    ¡°Can you check if there are any low-grade pills left in the space? I want to exchange them for some money. It seems we need money on the star ship too. It¡¯s too troublesome to always have you trante, I¡¯m afraid of giving ourselves away,¡± Zhanyue asked.

    ¡°There should be some,¡± Baizhi answered. They both knew that high-quality pills would arouse suspicion, but some low-grade pills would be fine.

    ¡°Um¡­ I have some medicine, can you help me sell it?¡± Zhanyue asked Old Bug beside him. The consciousness crystal was indeed useful, allowing them tomunicate instantly.

    ¡°Medicine? What kind of medicine?¡± Old Bug asked, puzzled.

    Zhanyue took out two jade bottles, each containing thirty pills. ¡°These pills can sober you up. After eating them, you can quickly regain consciousness without worrying about passing out drunk.¡±

    ¡°?¡± Old Bug looked at the two jade bottles with a furrowed brow. ¡°What use are these pills? Sobering up? How much alcohol do we even have to drink?¡±

    The shopkeeper, who had been paying attention to their conversation, became interested and interjected: ¡°Old Bug, you know nothing. Young¡­ big brother,e here, let¡¯s talk?¡±

    ¡°Oh? Are you interested in them?¡± Zhanyue asked. He had taken out these low-grade pills because he saw alcohol earlier and knew people in this world also liked to drink. But as Old Bug said, people at the bottom couldn¡¯t afford alcohol, so sobering pills naturally had no meaning.

    ¡°Hehe, big brother, you don¡¯t know. We may not be able to afford alcohol, but some people can. Those young masters from the upper levels like to have drinking contests. This thing can be used to cheat. How could those face-conscious young masters not be interested? How many pills do you have? I¡¯ll take them all. Of course, we need to test if they¡¯re effective first,¡± the shopkeeper said.

    Soon after, the shopkeeper verified the effectiveness of these pills in his own way and bought all sixty pills at the low price of three star coins each.

    ¡°Cheap is cheap, but without some connections, it¡¯s not easy to sell these things,¡± Zhanyue thought. Then he spent another hundred star coins to buy anguage crystal. These were usually bought for children at home, allowing them to quickly master this world¡¯snguage and writing.

    ¡°Here, I¡¯m paying you back,¡± Zhanyue handed ten star coins to Old Bug, not wanting to owe any favors.

    ¡°Good brother, you¡¯re really something, getting so much money in the blink of an eye. I underestimated you. Come on, I¡¯ll take you somewhere. At that ce, you might find someone who can take you upstairs,¡± Old Bug said.

    Old Bug led him through several streets and down for a long time, perhaps already down to the lower levels of the star ship.

    ¡°Let me be direct. The ce I¡¯m taking you to is an underground arena. I¡¯m a middleman there, often introducing some fearless and strong fighters to the bosses, and taking amission fee. I see you have extraordinary skills, so I want you to give it a try. Many big shots from the upper levels oftene to watch the underground fights. It¡¯s their favorite entertainment. If you perform well and catch the eye of someone from above, being taken up as a house ve or bodyguard would be like a fish leaping over the dragon gate. So the underground arena nevercks contestants. However, to make the fights exciting, they¡¯re all life-and-death battles, quite dangerous. What do you say? Want to give it a try?¡± Old Bug said.

    ¡°Fighting?¡± Zhanyue hadn¡¯t expected Old Bug¡¯s purpose was to introduce him to fight. With his strength, wouldn¡¯t that be like dynamite fishing in a pond? Strong people probably wouldn¡¯t appear in such a ce.

    However¡­ Zhanyue eventually nodded. He wanted an opportunity to go to the upper levels and slowly approach the so-called Ink Sea Lord.

 Chapter 261: A New Identity

    Chapter 261: A New Identity

    Soon after, the two arrived at the underground arena. It was veryrge and lively. Ordinary people couldn¡¯t enter, but Old Bug was clearly a familiar face. The two burly guards at the door nodded to him and let him and Zhanyue in.

    Upon entering, Zhanyue immediately smelled sweat and heard screaming. Inside, it wasn¡¯t a small room but a space the size of a normal stadium. However, it was clearly divided into two halves: opposite were many stands and boxes, while on their side were densely packed seats.

    ¡°We first-level people can only watch from this side. Those seats and boxes are reserved for the upper-level people,¡± Old Bug exined.

    ¡°Well, if it isn¡¯t Old Bug? Still not satisfied? Who¡¯s the poor fool you¡¯ve tricked over this time?¡± Just then, a bald man walked over. He was an acquaintance of Old Bug, and also apetitor, doing the same work.

    But unlike Old Bug, the person the bald man brought had already won ten consecutive matches and was the absolute star of the underground arena recently. He not only won but brutally killed his opponents, each dying horribly. That person was standing behind the bald man now, with long hair and a bare upper body, like a wild man. His blood-red eyes were staring at the two, even licking his lips as if with murderous intent.

    ¡°Bald Egg, what are you saying? You¡¯re just lucky, you won¡¯t be so arrogant for long,¡± Old Bug said, looking warily at the wild man behind the bald man.

    ¡°You dare call me Bald Egg? Your guy looks tall, is that what you¡¯re relying on? I hope he¡¯s not all show and no substance. Just wait and see, we¡¯ll settle this in the arena,¡± Bald Egg left with his man. Many bosses had offered high prices to buy his ¡®wild man¡¯, but he thought the prices were too low and didn¡¯t agree. He believed the wild man could fetch an even higher price after winning more matches. It would be best if he was bought by one of the top-level powers, then he could also establish a connection and walk tall in the first-level world.

    ¡°You saw that, right? That wild man behind Bald Egg is his trump card. Well, are you confident?¡± Old Bug asked.

    ¡°That guy looks like a berserker, a Berserker, but I¡¯m not afraid of him.¡± ¡°Berserker? What¡¯s that? Anyway, I don¡¯t even know what to call you yet,¡± Old Bug asked.

    ¡°Call me¡­ Moon Cutter.¡±

    ¡°Moon Cutter? Doesn¡¯t sound like a real name, but whatever. Many fighters in the underground arena use code names anyway,¡± Old Bug said.

    Soon, Old Bug registered Zhanyue as an underground fighter. He was professional and efficient.

    ¡°Your first fight is scheduled for the third match tonight. Good luck,¡± Old Bug encouraged. The better Zhanyue performed, the better price he could ¡®sell¡¯ him for. Of course, it wasn¡¯t really selling, as both parties knew about it. The profit-sharing ratio was agreed upon in advance: 30-70, with Old Bug getting 30 and Zhanyue 70. Zhanyue didn¡¯t know if this ratio was good, as every ¡®agent¡¯ was different. It was an industry secret. Yes, agent ¨C Zhanyue felt that people like Old Bug were simr to agents.

    As participants, they got free tickets and even front-row seats. They quickly took their seats, wanting to watch their opponents¡¯ matches.

    ¡°See those boxes over there?¡± Old Bug pointed to the boxes on the other side of the arena.

    ¡°Those are for the high-level people. There might even be people from the ninth and tenth levels watching. People of that level have their little pleasures too. If you can catch their eye and get their reward, we¡¯ll have made it. Or if they directly take a liking to you and buy you, then you¡¯ll have made it, and I¡¯ll make a big profit too,¡± Old Bug said.

    Selling oneself was verymon in this star ship world. Beautiful women and strong men were excellentmodities. No one thought this was wrong because it was the basic rule of the star ship. Moreover, bing the property of those high-level people meant enjoying apletely different life. No one could imagine how luxurious the lives of those high-level people were.

    The match began. The host was an expert who had cultivated something simr to the Lion¡¯s Roar technique. His voice could perfectly reach every corner of the arena.

    ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, honored guests, tonight¡¯s matches are about to begin. The first match is our ten-consecutive-win rising star ¡®Wild Man¡¯ versus the veteran champion ¡®Mad Shark¡¯. Will Wild Man advance further, or will Mad Shark defend the honor of the veteran fighters? Let¡¯s wait and see!¡±

    ¡°This host is also an upper-level person, working here purely out of interest. I don¡¯t know what these people are thinking, not enjoying their good life but mixing with us, taking our jobs, and being so enthusiastic about it. I heard he doesn¡¯t even take a sry. He must be crazy,¡± Old Bug was full of resentment when talking about this host. Not content with being an upper-level person, he came topete for their jobs and didn¡¯t even take a sry? He didn¡¯t need a sry indeed.

    In one of the boxes, a pair of eyes watched the arena, then focused on Zhanyue. A smile appeared at the corner of the mouth, ¡°Looks like a rat has sneaked in.¡±

    Of course, Zhanyue didn¡¯t know someone had noticed him. He was currently interested in seeing how these underground fights were conducted.

    On the arena, the wild man-like fighter codenamed ¡®Wild Man¡¯ entered. His opponent was a blond man in full armor, wielding a steel knife.

    ¡°Oh, so weapons are allowed in these fist fights?¡± Zhanyue said, surprised.

    ¡°Of course they are. You can use your fists too. By the way, what¡¯s your weapon?¡± Old Bug asked, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you didn¡¯t prepare one.¡±

    ¡°Uh, just my fists,¡± Zhanyue said. Bringing a weapon to fish in a pond would be too embarrassing.

    The match quickly began. Wild Man¡¯s eyes were blood-red as he charged at Mad Shark like a madman, directly sending Mad Shark flying.

    ¡°You¡¯re dead!¡± Mad Shark swung his knife at Wild Man¡¯s neck, not caring about Wild Man¡¯s life at all. However, when the steel knife hit Wild Man¡¯s skin, it didn¡¯t cause even a bit of damage.

    Wild Man looked at Mad Shark mockingly, then reached out his right hand, gripping Mad Shark¡¯s knife-wielding right hand, and suddenly exerted force. A scream of agony echoed across the arena as Mad Shark¡¯s arm was awkwardly broken.

    But it wasn¡¯t over. Wild Man pulled him over and literally tore off both his arms before twisting his neck, despite Mad Shark being fully armored.

    The arena was silent for a moment, then erupted in terrifying cheers.

    ¡°Too strong! Wild Man is too strong! Just like before, his opponent was like paper,pletely crushed, torn apart ¨C literally torn apart. Who can stop Wild Man?¡± the host eximed excitedly.

    ¡°This ¡®Wild Man¡¯s strength seems too much for this underground fight. Is he also here to fish in a pond?¡± Zhanyue wondered.

 Chapter 262: Lets End This Quickly

    Chapter 262: Lets End This Quickly

    Without much fanfare, time passed quickly. Zhanyue was now standing in the arena. His opponent was an astonishinglyrge fat man. The fat man wore custom-made iron armor and wielded dual axes. Just standing there, he looked like a small mountain.

    ¡°Today, we have a new friend in our arena, codenamed ¡®Moon Cutter¡¯. He¡¯s tall, wearing a ck robe, and doesn¡¯t show his face. Very mysterious. Let¡¯s see if he¡¯s really skilled or just pretending to be mysterious. His opponent this time is the fighter known as ¡®Meat Mountain¡¯, Lei Tong. His weight plus his armor exceeds a thousand jin, and many opponents have died under his deadly charge.¡±

    Old Bug watched nervously from below. He didn¡¯t expect the random opponent to be Meat Mountain. Although he had confidence in Zhanyue¡¯s strength, the pressure from that Meat Mountain was overwhelming.

    Meat Mountain moved, each step causing tremors. His body wasn¡¯t all fat; there was a lot of solid muscle too. So although he was fat, he was also incredibly strong. Soon, his speed increased, and he charged like a mad bull.

    Zhanyue watched him charge with boredom, considering what level of skill he should disy to attract attention from above without being too shocking.

    Zhanyue side-stepped and slid down, extending one leg. The charging Meat Mountain directly tripped and fell forward, face-nting.

    ¡°Good, very agile moves.¡± Seeing such arge body fall so simply surprised everyone.

    ¡°I¡¯ll chop you up!¡± Meat Mountain stood up angrily, wielding his dual axes and charging again. This time, his speed was much slower, nning to get close and chop his enemy into mincemeat.

    An axe swung down, the terrifying force making the arena tremble, but it couldn¡¯t even touch a corner of Zhanyue. This scene was quite like the giant spirit fighting Sun Wukong. Zhanyue didn¡¯t want to waste much time on this big guy. He moved and kicked Meat Mountain¡¯s knee joint. Meat Mountain was fully armored, but the joints were exposed for flexibility, showing a weakness.

    Left leg once, right leg once, left leg again, right leg again. Soon, Meat Mountain¡¯s legs were trembling. After another kick, he directly knelt down, unable to stand up. Such a humiliating posture enraged him, and he threw both axes at Zhanyue.

    Facing the thrown axes, Zhanyue leapt up and kicked both axes back. The axes flew past Meat Mountain¡¯s ears without deviation. Meat Mountain could clearly hear the whistling of the axes.

    ¡°I¡­ I surrender,¡± Meat Mountain knew the difference in strength. If Zhanyue hadn¡¯t deliberately spared his life, he would already be dead.

    ¡°Good, good!¡± The crowd apuded enthusiastically. ¡°This neer is so powerful. He seemed to only use his feet to easily defeat Meat Mountain.¡± Everyone was discussing.

    Back at the stands, Old Bug¡¯s face was full of joy. ¡°Amazing! I made a fortune on this match!¡±

    ¡°You bet?¡± Zhanyue asked.

    ¡°All my assets, I bet on you,¡± Old Bug said excitedly. ¡°My assets doubled twice, all thanks to you!¡±

    ¡°You weren¡¯t afraid I¡¯d lose?¡± Zhanyue smiled.

    ¡°How could I be? I always felt you weren¡¯t that simple,¡± Old Bug said.

    The matches continued. Theter matches were bloody but less interesting. Soon, thest match ended, but no one left. Because today was the reserved program of a Star Sea month.

    ¡°Everyone, you all know what day it is today. Now we start auctioning the right to choose for the reserved program. Starting price is 1,000 star coins,¡± the host said in a high-pitched voice.

    ¡°Reserved program? What¡¯s that?¡± Zhanyue had never heard of it.

    ¡°It¡¯s like this: every so often, the fight organizers auction off a designated slot for a match. The buyer can choose two fighters from today¡¯s battles to fight. It satisfies the curiosity of those noble lords,¡± Old Bug exined.

    ¡°I see, there¡¯s even a customized program for the rich,¡± Zhanyue could only sigh at the huge wealth gap on the star ship. But if there¡¯s such an obvious gap with the strength differences in this world, what about the Myriad Spirits Realm? It¡¯s probably even more outrageous there. Most ordinary people are just numbers in others¡¯ eyes.

    Soon, the bidding ended. The designation right was sold for the high price of 100,000, shocking Zhanyue. ¡°Just to watch a fight they want to see, they really spend money like water.¡±

    ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, ording to the buyer¡¯s request, thisst fight will be ¡®Wild Man¡¯ versus Moon Cutter! ording to the organizer¡¯s rules, neither can refuse. Pleasee to the stage,¡± the host continued: ¡°I didn¡¯t expect everyone to be so interested in this neer. Wild Man isn¡¯t easy to deal with. Let¡¯s see if our neer will be torn apart alive by Wild Man.¡±

    ¡°Why did they choose me?¡± Zhanyue frowned. Did some big shot lose a bet on his match and arrange this fight for revenge? Or did they really want to see him fight Wild Man? Was his previous performance too high-profile?

    In a box, a pair of eyes remained fixed on Zhanyue, muttering: ¡°How strange, how strange. Why are there other living people in this world besides that Baizhi? Is there some malfunction? Heavenly Book trial, hmph. Void Emperor, you imprisoned me for so many years, did you really think I wouldn¡¯t hold a grudge? I¡¯ll ruin this trial for you and see.¡±

    On the stage, Wild Man and Zhanyue stood facing each other. Wild Man showed an excited expression. He had long wanted to tear apart this good prey, but unfortunately hadn¡¯t been randomly matched in previous fights. But now, the opponent couldn¡¯t escape.

    ¡°Your ability doesn¡¯t seem fit for being a ve. Or do you enjoy this cruel process of killing others?¡± Zhanyue asked.

    Zhanyue guessed correctly. This Wild Man was found outside, naturally bloodthirsty, especially enjoying killing strong people. So he came to this fighting arena and had already won eleven consecutive matches.

    ¡°Come, die!¡± Wild Man didn¡¯t waste words with Zhanyue. The more excited he was, the redder his eyes became.

    Soon, Wild Man charged. His speed was much faster than Meat Mountain¡¯s. But the difference wasn¡¯t big. People didn¡¯t even see clearly how Zhanyue kicked, and Wild Man was already kicked back.

    ¡°What happened? What¡¯s going on?¡± The audience was also confused.

    Wild Man stood up with disheveled hair, rubbing his stomach which still hurt. But his face was even more excited. So he charged again.

    This time, Wild Man flew back at an even faster speed.

    Zhanyue yawned boredly, just wanting to end this farce quickly. After all, he couldn¡¯t stay in this world for too long.

 Chapter 263: Spine-chilling

    Chapter 263: Spine-chilling

    ¡°Again?¡± Zhanyue beckoned to the ¡®Wild Man¡¯ watching him from afar.

    The fighter codenamed Wild Man finally lost his temper. He roared to the sky, his muscles exploding, his entire body growingrger. His explosive power reached another level as he charged towards Zhanyue like a blur.

    ¡°So fast! Wild Man is angry now. This will be interesting to watch,¡± the crowd got excited.

    However, in the next scene, Wild Man was sent flying back again. No matter how Wild Man charged, the result was always the same. The crowd now understood. This Wild Man waspletely outmatched by Moon Cutter.

    ¡°Die! Die! Die!¡± Wild Man went berserk. He had never been toyed with like this before.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Angry? I¡¯m not done ying yet,¡± Zhanyue smiled. He didn¡¯t have a good impression of this Wild Man. Death in the arena was normal, but torturing someone to death, especially bit by bit, was somewhat perverse. After all, there was no real hatred between them. They were more like the same type of people, both selling their lives and strength to earn a living in front of the upper-ss people. What Zhanyue hated most were people who betrayed their own ss and took pleasure in it.

    The next moment, Wild Man didn¡¯t fly back but up into the air. Zhanyue had changed the direction of his kick. Wild Man was kicked up into the sky repeatedly like a shuttlecock.

    The scene was dead silent until Zhanyue lowered his foot. Wild Many on the ground, motionless. He had been kicked to death, and from start to finish, Zhanyue had only used his left foot.

    ¡°This¡­ this is too intense! Let¡¯s congratte fighter Moon Cutter. How strong is he really? Can he be the new king of the underground arena?¡± the host shouted in a high-pitched voice. Tonight¡¯s story would surely spread widely across the star ship. At this moment, Zhanyue could feel the gazes of many strong individuals on him. His strength had exceeded the upper limit of the underground arena. Someone like him shouldn¡¯t appear here.

    However, Old Bug watching the match hadn¡¯t considered so much and was ecstatic. He had really found a treasure.

    Just as today¡¯s matches all ended and the crowd was dispersing, Old Bug and Zhanyue were held back.

    ¡°They¡¯re here, finally here,¡± Zhanyue had been waiting for this moment.

    ¡°Gentlemen, an honored guest wants to see you,¡± a person who looked like an attendant came over.

    Old Bug was excited beyond measure. Had Zhanyue conquered those upper-level people with just two fights?

    ¡°Five hundred thousand¡­ The people above are offering five hundred thousand. How¡¯s this price?¡± a mysterious old man came over and said to the two.

    ¡°Fi¡­ five hundred thousand?¡± Old Bug was about to faint from excitement. With this money, he had a chance to either stay in the first level or bribe his way to the second level.

    ¡°What¡­ what do you think?¡± Old Bug naturally didn¡¯t dare to make decisions for Zhanyue. He couldn¡¯t control Zhanyue.

    ¡°Me? I want to know, which level is this guest from?¡± Zhanyue asked. If he was only being ¡®sold¡¯ to the second level, it wouldn¡¯t mean much.

    ¡°Well, for confidentiality reasons, we usually don¡¯t disclose this. But I¡¯m also looking forward to this deal being made. I can only tell you, it¡¯s a guest from the top three levels,¡± the old man said cheerfully.

    ¡°Top three levels?¡± Old Bug¡¯s eyes widened. Tonight, there were actually guests from the top three levels watching the fight, and they had their eye on Zhanyue at first sight. This was extraordinary.

    ¡°Top three levels? Alright,¡± Zhanyue nodded. Going to the top three levels would make it much easier to meet the so-called Ink Sea Lord.

    ¡°Keep this money for yourself,¡± Zhanyue had no use for this money. He couldn¡¯t be bothered to wait for the profit-sharing. ¡°Just give all the money to himter.¡±

    The old man was slightly stunned, then nodded. ¡°I understand.¡±

    Old Bug was not only excited but also touched. He wasn¡¯t sentimental though, after all, Zhanyue would soon be a person from the top three levels and naturally wouldn¡¯tck money. ¡°Um¡­ will we have a chance to meet again in the future?¡±

    ¡°Maybe,¡± Zhanyue wasn¡¯t sure either. All journeys in this world were illusory, all actions were just toplete the mission.

    ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, you cane with me,¡± the old man said to Zhanyue.

    Zhanyue nodded, then followed the old man. Only Old Bug remained there, as if in a dream.

    The old man led Zhanyue to a room simr to an elevator shaft. This ce clearly had formations, but it was unclear whether they were part of the star ship itself or if this world also had formation masters.

    ¡°When you go up, don¡¯t speak carelessly. Only answer when they ask, and don¡¯t ask what you shouldn¡¯t,¡± the old man kindly reminded.

    ¡°Alright,¡± Zhanyue nodded, indicating he remembered.

    Entering this small room, Zhanyue could feel it moving upwards like an elevator. The star ship was incredibly huge. After a long time, this ¡®elevator¡¯ finally stopped.

    ¡°We¡¯re here. This is the ninth level,¡± the old man led Zhanyue out. Immediately, a beautiful maid walked over.

    ¡°Old He, you can stop here. I¡¯ll take over from here,¡± the maid said.

    ¡°Hm?¡± Old He was slightly stunned. Could it be that it wasn¡¯t a guest from the ninth level who bought this fighter? ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you, Little Ling. Could it be someone from the tenth level wants to see him?¡±

    Little Ling nodded, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t ask more than necessary.¡±

    ¡°Alright,¡± the old man left, knowing his ce.

    ¡°This¡­ this guest, please follow me,¡± the beautiful maid said.

    ¡°Guest?¡± Zhanyue found it strange. He didn¡¯t seem like a ve bought by someone, more like a guest?

    The woman led Zhanyue into another room. A new ¡®elevator¡¯ continued to take them up. Zhanyue hadn¡¯t expected to be sent directly to the highest level of the star ship, the tenth level.

    ¡°Miss, who exactly wants to see me?¡± Zhanyue was increasingly puzzled. What kind of people lived on the tenth level?

    ¡°You¡¯ll know when you get there,¡± the woman didn¡¯t say, only waiting for the star elevator to stop steady. Then she said to Zhanyue: ¡°Just walk straight ahead and you¡¯ll be there. I won¡¯t go. Without permission, I can¡¯t approach that ce either,¡± the woman said.

    ¡°This?¡± Zhanyue was more confused. The woman didn¡¯t continue to escort him but let him go alone.

    ¡°Because those are the master¡¯s orders. I believe you¡¯ll guess if you¡¯re not stupid. The tenth level is the Ink Sea Lord¡¯s territory, and only one person lives in this small world on this level,¡± Little Ling said, then left.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡± At this moment, even if Zhanyue was stupid, he understood one thing: he had been exposed. The one who bought him was the Ink Sea Lord himself. It must be said that the scenery on the tenth level was beautiful and quiet, after all, only one person lived on the entire tenth level.

    Zhanyue kept walking forward and arrived at a beach. This was an artificial beach. Other people¡¯s swimming pools were like seas, of course actually much smaller than the sea, but it wasn¡¯t noticeable at the moment.

    Under a sun umbre, a pair of snow-white long legs came into Zhanyue¡¯s view. That person heard Zhanyue¡¯s footsteps and asked straightforwardly: ¡°What¡¯s your rtionship with Baizhi?¡±

    Zhanyue was stunned. He hadn¡¯t expected the Ink Sea Lord to be a woman, and even more, he hadn¡¯t expected that she knew his purpose.

 Chapter 244: Victory and Defeat

    Chapter 244: Victory and Defeat

    The azure phoenix spread its wings, each p creating sharp wind des. Feng Bng¡¯s hand now held a gun, not the long spear used by Liu Zhaoran, but a weapon simr to a firearm, seemingly a treasure he obtained from the Heavenly Book trial.

    He fired invisible bullets of condensed spiritual energy one after another, coordinating with the azure phoenix¡¯s attacks. An ordinary person might find it difficult to defend against such invisible attacks, but Tianxian merely fluttered his wings, unleashing a terrifying aura that nullified all attacks approaching his body.

    Feng Bng frowned, realizing ordinary attacks were ineffective. He recalled the phoenix, which perched behind him, opening its beak.

    At the same time, Feng Bng¡¯s gun barrel gathered terrifying power. Tianxian could have interrupted Feng Bng¡¯s charge-up attack, but his pride wouldn¡¯t allow it. He wanted to see what performance this struggling little bird could offer.

    Certain that Tianxian wouldn¡¯t interfere, Feng Bng unleashed his strongest technique without any defense! To defeat Tianxian, his only chance was if Tianxian underestimated him.

    All spectators could feel the gust of wind, as a huge wind vortex formed under Feng Bng¡¯s feet, bing the center of the entire arena.

    ¡°Compared to thest time he demonstrated his wind domain, it has strengthened,¡± Thunder Lord remarked. It seemed Feng Bng had gained quite a lot from the Heavenly Book world. After all, time flowed much slower in that world than outside, and what these young prodigies needed most was time.

    ¡°Contract object transformation, wind domain, this youth called Feng Bng is truly extraordinary,¡± Even the Bird n Grand Elder Tianyu couldn¡¯t help but praise Feng Bng¡¯s talent.

    A cyan dragon pattern appeared on the gun¡¯s body. Feng Bng and the azure phoenixunched their attacks simultaneously. ¡°Dragon¡¯s Roar, Phoenix¡¯s Cry!¡±

    The dragon¡¯s roar was resounding, the phoenix¡¯s cry clear and crisp. As a cyan dragon shot out from the gun barrel, the azure phoenix transformed into a beam of blue light. The two light beams shot out at an incredible speed. The Bird n young master Tianxian had no time to react and was directly pierced by the two beams, turning into a shower of white feathers.

    However, as more and more feathers fell from the sky, a pair of enormous wings appeared. The white wings opened, revealing Tianxian¡¯s body inside.

    Feng Bng¡¯s eyes widened, unable toprehend how his full-power attack,bined with his domain power, hadn¡¯t even scratched his opponent.

    ¡°Not a bad attack, but far from enough to hurt me. As a return gift, take this strike!¡±

    Tianxian spread his wings and flew up, standing proudly in the air like a deity.

    Then, each of his feathers was tinged with cyan mes, raining down as blue fire.

    ¡°Cyan Lotus Heavenly Fire ¡ª Rain Fall!¡±

    Each feather, imbued with terrifying cyan heavenly fire, descended from the sky at extreme speed.

    ¡°Wind Domain!¡± Feng Bng once again deployed his domain, trying to deflect these feathers with its power. However, after seeding only a few times, he found his domain being directly torn apart by the attacks.

    He dodged desperately but was still grazed on the shoulder by a feather. Instantly, his face was filled with pain as the mes began to spread from his shoulder.

    ¡°This is bad. We concede,¡± Alchemy Daoist knew the oue was decided and there was no need to suffer further. With a wave of his hand, all the ming feathers were collected into his sleeve, including the mes on Feng Bng¡¯s body.

    Tianyu and Tianxian in the sky were both stunned. Alchemy Daoist was famous for his pill-making skills, but this sleeve technique seemed to be a space maniption ability. As expected of one of the human race¡¯s top three experts, he was formidable in both pill-making and martial arts.

    ¡°Take him away for treatment,¡± Alchemy Daoist gave Feng Bng a medicinal pill to consume before having Wind Lord take him away.

    ¡°Young master¡¯s strength is truly formidable. Ordinary prodigies are no match for you. There¡¯s no point in continuing thepetition. Let¡¯s wait until theye out of the Heavenly Book world,¡± Thunder Lord exined. He could see Tianxian¡¯s terrifying strength; probably only Tai¡¯e from the ancient country could face him in battle. However, perhaps the others could transform within the Heavenly Book world?

    Inside the Heavenly Book world, the wave of rebellion had risen, with experts from various races joining the resistance alliance. Suddenly, the pressure on Zhanyue and Yunyao greatly decreased.

    The Desert Worm n member named Lulu, after devouring and evolving, had reached a new height of power, not much inferior to the Sand Dune King.

    ¡°You¡¯re seeking death!¡± The Sand Dune King raised his scepter high, and it seemed the entire desert heard hismand. Countless sand grains condensed into form, creating sand soldiers that attacked from all directions.

    ¡°He¡¯s truly the emperor of the desert. The scepter can even be used like this?¡± Zhanyue was shocked. However, the fighters from various races who had been enved were filled with the spirit of resistance, fearless in the face of death, organizing to resist the sand soldiers¡¯ attack.

    ¡°Leave these sand soldiers to them. Zhanyue, you focus on containing the disaster beast. As for the Sand Dune King, leave him to us,¡± Lulu the sand worm said. Then, another pair of wings grew from its back as it flew into the sky,unching an attack on the Sand Dune King together with Yunyao.

    Zhanyue recalled his avatar, and both his main body and avatar worked together to contain the disaster beast, greatly reducing the pressure. Zhanyue felt something was odd; this disaster beast fish school seemed much less threatening than previous disaster beasts, with no strange abilities. As long as they weren¡¯t bitten, there was no threat.

    Yunyao¡¯s strength was originally not inferior to the Sand Dune King¡¯s, and now with external help, the two quickly gained the upper hand.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go destroy the Millennium Tower. He will surely try to stop me forcefully. You find a chance to deliver a fatal blow,¡± Yunyao said. Now that the people on the Millennium Tower had regained consciousness and mostly evacuated, they could truly threaten this tower. On the field, only the Sand Dune King cared about the Millennium Tower.

    Seeing Yunyao charging towards the Millennium Tower, the Sand Dune King panicked. The Millennium Tower was the symbol of his achievements and power. Even if many people died building it, as long as the tower stood, it would be the greatest structure in this world. Future generations might curse his cruelty, but they would have to admire him for building such a tall tower. He had power, wealth, and a long life; now his only pursuit was to leave his name in long history, with achievementssting for thousands of years, bing a legend for all time.

    So the Millennium Tower absolutely could not fall!

    ¡°Die!¡± He hurriedly controlled all the sand soldiers and disaster beasts to rush towards Yunyao, just to stop her.

    Zhanyue smiled, knowing that Yunyao wasn¡¯t the only one who could destroy the Millennium Tower. He also charged towards it from another direction.

    Terrifying sword energy devastated the outer structures of the Millennium Tower like a storm through dry twigs. A few more sword strikes, and this towering structure would copse due to an unstable foundation.

    ¡°I¡¯ll perish with you!¡± The Sand Dune King¡¯s eyes bulged as he rushed towards Zhanyue,pletely unaware that behind him, Lulu the sand worm was approaching.

 Chapter 245: A New Enemy

    Chapter 245: A New Enemy

    Lulu the sand worm pped its newly grown wings, darting behind the Sand Dune King at incredible speed.

    ¡°Get lost!¡± The Sand Dune King¡¯s tail suddenly swept back, unleashing a terrifying energy shock that directly repelled it. The Sand Dune King didn¡¯t bother further with Lulu¡¯s harassment. As Zhanyue was about to strike the Millennium Tower with his sword, the king intercepted him.

    The king raised the golden scepter, and a beam of golden light shot out. Zhanyue nimbly dodged, but where the light touched, the disaster beast fish school seemed to appear as if teleported, devouring everything around.

    Zhanyue¡¯s eyes widened. The Sand Dune King still had reserved techniques ¨C he could instantly transport those disaster beasts?

    At this moment, Yunyao also broke free from her pursuers and approached the Millennium Tower from above.

    ¡°Bastards! You all deserve to die!¡± The Sand Dune King hurriedly chased after her, blocking Yunyao¡¯s attack.

    Thus, Zhanyue and Yunyao continuously attacked the Millennium Tower, while the Sand Dune King intercepted from both sides. However, the Millennium Tower still suffered many impacts from the battle¡¯s aftermath.

    Amidst the melee, the Sand Dune King finally adjusted his position, shielding the Millennium Tower behind him. All the disaster beasts also stopped attacking and instead surrounded and protected the tower.

    ¡°Again!¡± Zhanyue and Yunyao attacked simultaneously from the left and right. The Sand Dune King could only block one, leaving the other side to the disaster beasts¡¯ defense. During the stalemate, a figure darted out from the Millennium Tower. It was Lulu the sand worm, who had somehow burrowed into the tower from underground and climbed up from the bottom, appearing silently behind the Sand Dune King.

    Lulu spat out a needle-like proboscis from its mouth, directly piercing the Sand Dune King¡¯s neck. Then its entire body firmly embraced the king, as if they had fused into one. No matter how the Sand Dune King struggled, he couldn¡¯t shake off Lulu. He could feel his flesh and power being continuously absorbed by Lulu.

    ¡°Ahhhhh!¡± Like the previous Desert Worm n matriarch, he let out an agonized wail, then began to struggle frantically. The golden scepter in his hand swung wildly, striking his own body, as he crashed around like a headless fly.

    ¡°This¡­¡± Zhanyue and Yunyao dealt with the disaster beast fish school while observing this scene, unsure how to intervene now.

    The nearby Millennium Tower suffered greatly. The Sand Dune King, with Lulu tightly embracing and feeding on him, crashed around blindly, his eyes having lost vision due to Lulu¡¯s neurotoxin. Finally, he smashed hard into the Millennium Tower, directly breaking its main beam. In ancient legends, Gong Gong angrily struck Mount Buzhou and broke the pir of heaven. Today, though the Sand Dune King couldn¡¯tpare to Gong Gong, he still had enough force to crash into the Millennium Tower.

    The two rampaged inside the tower, leaving it in tatters.

    ¡°It¡¯s falling!¡± Zhanyue and Yunyao watched as this sky-piercing tower fell straight down before them, bing a line dividing the oasis, finally shattering into pieces.

    ¡°Good, good!¡± The people below cheered as they saw the Millennium Tower destroyed. The symbol of tyranny and envement had finally copsed.

    Then, all the sand soldiers turned back into sand, and the disaster beasts swam back underground, no longer fighting Zhanyue and the others.

    Zhanyue knew the Sand Dune King was dead.

    Sure enough, soon after, Lulu emerged from the ruins. Compared to before, it was now covered in ayer of golden armor. After absorbing the king¡¯s power, it had once again evolved through devouring!

    ¡°Thank you both so much. Without your help, devouring the Sand Dune King would have been an impossible dream,¡± Lulu smiled, its originally insect-like body bing more and more human-like.

    ¡°Your help was significant too. By the way, where¡¯s the golden scepter?¡± Zhanyue asked, remembering their mission was to obtain the divine artifact and then kill the disaster beast. The Sand Dune King was dead, but the disaster beast had escaped.

    Lulu waved its hand, and a golden scepter flew into its grip.

    ¡°There¡¯s one more thing I need your help with. Then I¡¯ll naturally hand over this scepter to you,¡± Lulu suddenly said.

    Zhanyue frowned. This wasn¡¯t what they had agreed upon, and now it dared to threaten them. ¡°Your words aren¡¯t necessarily trustworthy. Earlier, you said you could only evolve by devouring insect ns, but now that¡¯s clearly not the case. Or are you thinking of devouring us too?¡±

    Lulu chuckled, ¡°As expected of celestial beings, so clever! Please leave your lives here to help me devour and evolve, transcending realms.¡±

    Yunyao¡¯s face turned cold. This inconspicuous insect that had been so polite and respectful before was now so arrogant. It seemed that after absorbing the insect n matriarch and the Sand Dune King, not only its power had inted.

    ¡°You¡¯re courting death!¡± Yunyao swung her sword, sending out a de of energy.

    ¡°Hehehe.¡± Lulu suddenly waved the golden scepter, dissipating the sword energy.

    It clenched its left hand, then looked at the scepter in its right hand. ¡°So this is the feeling of possessing great power? This is the feeling of wielding authority? Hahaha!¡±

    The golden scepter burst with light, and soon, the departed disaster beasts were summoned back. This time, however, it was Lulu summoning them.

    ¡°Unlike the Sand Dune King, I won¡¯t lose my life over a broken tower. I know you¡¯re both strong, but now, are you two still a match for me and the disaster beastbined?¡± Lulu smiled.

    Zhanyue and Yunyao exchanged nces, both feeling the situation had be tricky. Before, it was three against two; now it had be two against two, and Lulu¡¯s strength now surpassed the Sand Dune King¡¯s.

    ¡°Is that Elder Lulu? I recognize him. He was originally the youngest elder of our Sand Worm n,¡± someone from the Sand Worm n below said.

    ¡°Everyone, these two harbor ill intentions. They tricked me terribly. To make you break free from control and help them deal with the Sand Dune King, they even killed our n¡¯s matriarch. Now that I¡¯ve gained new power and control over the disaster beast, I can surely restore the oasis to its original prosperity and peace. But before that, please join me in opposing these two outsiders. You wouldn¡¯t want to see them leave with the Life-Nurturing Soil, would you?¡± Lulu said.

    Many people below were half-believing Lulu¡¯s words, but upon hearing about the Life-Nurturing Soil, they all became anxious instantly.

    ¡°What? They¡¯re taking away the Life-Nurturing Soil? What will we do? No, we can¡¯t let them leave. Even the cruel Sand Dune King didn¡¯t¡­¡±

 Chapter 246: Back to Square One

    Chapter 246: Back to Square One

    Zhanyue was exasperated. Had they been framed? Not only was the Desert Worm n matriarch killed by Lulu, but they had never even heard of this ¡°Life-Nurturing Soil.¡±

    ¡°Return the Life-Nurturing Soil! Return the Life-Nurturing Soil!¡± Everyone below became enraged. Some flying Sand Worm n members took to the air, and many ranged attacks began to charge up.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you all? You believe everything he says?¡± Zhanyue said, speechless.

    ¡°Why would you two outsiders be so kind as to save us without an ulterior motive? We don¡¯t know how you took the Life-Nurturing Soil, but no one¡¯s leaving without an exnation!¡± A Sand-Armored Giant n giant said. Legend had it that such arge oasis existed in this desert because of a magical soil buried underground, called Life-Nurturing Soil. Though none of them had seen it, they believed the legend unquestioningly. If the soil were taken, the oasis would eventually turn to desert, leaving them nowhere to live.

    ¡°Don¡¯t waste words on them. They seem to trust that Lulu more than us,¡± Yunyao said coldly, her expression displeased.

    Lulu stood in the distance, smiling at the two¡¯s predicament.

    ¡°If we stay, we¡¯ll inevitably conflict with them. Though we¡¯re not afraid of bearing any guilt, killing indiscriminately isn¡¯t good. Let¡¯s leave first and think of another way,¡± Zhanyue suggested.

    ¡°Alright.¡± The two fought off the intercepting Sand Worm n members and headed into the deep desert.

    ¡°We can¡¯t let them escape so easily. The Life-Nurturing Soil can¡¯t be taken away,¡± many people pursued them. Zhanyue and Yunyao moved extremely fast, quickly shaking off their pursuers. However, they looked somewhat disheveled in the vast desert. ¡°That disgusting worm must be cut into piecester,¡± Yunyao said through gritted teeth. An inconspicuous character had be a major obstacle in such a short time; she had underestimated this world¡¯s beings.

    ¡°I just find it strange. Are those people brainless? Why are they so easily misled?¡± Zhanyue wondered.

    ¡°It must be that golden scepter. I felt something odd about it earlier,¡± Yunyao spected.

    ¡°The golden scepter ispletely different from the divine artifacts we¡¯ve seen before. It can control the disaster beast and mislead people? Is this really a divine artifact? It seems more like a demonic artifact.¡±

    Both were very puzzled but had no clues to solve the situation.

    ¡°Sigh, it¡¯sughable,¡± Zhanyue shook his head.

    ¡°What¡¯sughable?¡± Yunyao asked.

    ¡°We¡¯vee full circle, back to square one. The oasis just exchanged one king for another. We still know nothing,¡± Zhanyue sighed.

    ¡°Not entirely. The beings we encountered before, whether the Spirit Eye n or the Mountain Yao n, were kind and simple. This time, this worm has taught us a good lesson,¡± Yunyao said.

    ¡°True.¡± Zhanyue recalled the worm¡¯s humble attitude towards him earlier and felt the irony.

    As the sun set, the two walked through the desert, unable to find shelter as the desert wasn¡¯t safe. Fortunately, both were extraordinary. Soon after, night fell, and the quiet desert was filled only with the sound of wind and their breathing.

    ¡°This world has no stars,¡± Zhanyue looked up at the sky.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t a real world after all. Not every detail has to be perfect,¡± Yunyao opened her eyes and looked at the sky too.

    ¡°How did the Void Emperor do this? It doesn¡¯t seem fake, but it¡¯s not real either,¡± Zhanyue couldn¡¯t understand how the Void Emperor had constructed this trial space.

    ¡°Stop overthinking. It¡¯d be strange if you could figure it out. Just rest well,¡± Yunyao said. The two connected their spiritual power to create a spirit tent, keeping out the wind and sand.

    What they didn¡¯t know was that terrifying events were unfolding in the oasis. Each n had sent their strongest and elite to attend a meeting for the new ruler, supposedly to decide the future safety and development of all oasis ns. But these strong and elite members had entered the castle long ago and hadn¡¯t returned even by sunrise the next day.

    Lying on the bed in the castle, Lulu the sand worm burped contentedly. He had eaten well that night, doing something he had never dared to do before but now indulged in shamelessly.

    ¡°Tastes good, but my strength only increased a little. To continue improving, I still need to devour those two celestial beings,¡± Lulu muttered to himself. He picked up the golden scepter beside him and caressed it gently like a lover. ¡°My precious, my life depends on you from now on. Once we find the Life-Nurturing Soil, I¡¯ll take you away to a broader world outside. There will be enough food for me to devour there. That Sand Dune King was truly sick in the head, holding such power yet only wanting to build a tall tower. You were wasted on him.¡±

    Outside the Heavenly Book world, Feng Bng finally woke up after careful treatment. Being burned by heavenly fire was no small injury, even though Alchemy Daoist had intervened promptly.

    He stared out the window with empty eyes, no longer carrying his previousziness and open-mindedness. He couldn¡¯t understand why heaven was so unfair, that such a great opportunity would ultimately fall to such a despicable person. No matter how hard he tried, no matter how much his talent was praised, the gap in their strength was visible to the naked eye.

    Mastering the wind domain before reaching the Spirit God Realm, cultivating his contract object to the legendary transformation state ¨C each achievement alone would amaze the world. This naturally required his hard work. But now it seemed all this praise was unnecessary. He couldn¡¯t think of any way to catch up to the Bird n young master Tianxian. His talent and efforts were insignificantpared to bloodline and opportunity; his starting point was too low.

    Feng Bng wasn¡¯t afraid of losing. He had even conceded directly to Yunyao without futile struggle. But he couldn¡¯t ept losing to Tianxian. The scenes from the Cyan Lotus Treasury that day were unforgettable. Tianxian¡¯s actions were heinous; his friends and family suffered greatly because of it, yet Tianxian soared to heights Feng Bng could only look up to. Feng Bng couldn¡¯t ept this.

    In his daze, the smell of roasted meat wafted in from outside, seemingly the scent of roasted chicken legs.

    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Feng Bng¡¯s face showed surprise, not expecting that person to leave Night City toe here.

    ¡°I¡¯m here to see you. If I didn¡¯te, my dear would fall into demonic ways,¡± a sleazy voice came from outside the window. Soon after, a figure climbed through the window to Feng Bng¡¯s bedside. It was the mysterious old man who had sent Feng Bng to participate in the Heavenly Book trial, the Night Watcher who had guarded the Eternal Night Kingdom for countless years.

    He held a chicken leg to Feng Bng¡¯s mouth.

    Feng Bng took a bite but found it tasteless.

    ¡°Your technique is terrible. What a waste of good ingredients,¡± Feng Bng couldn¡¯t help but criticize.

    ¡°Ah, after so many years, I still can¡¯t learn to roast meat properly. Either too much seasoning, or I forget to add any, or the cooking time is wrong. Guess why?¡± the Night Watcher asked.

 Chapter 247: Too Many Secrets

    Chapter 247: Too Many Secrets

    ¡°In life, how many things can truly interest you?¡± The shabby and sleazy old man said, eating the not-so-tasty chicken leg in his hand.

    ¡°You¡¯re doing this on purpose?¡± Feng Bng asked, puzzled. Even the dullest person should master something after hundreds or thousands of repetitions, let alone something as simple as barbecuing. Even a child could get it mostly right after a few tries. But this old man¡¯s food was always terrible. So, there was only one possibility left ¨C he was doing it intentionally.

    The Night Watcher exined, ¡°That¡¯s right, I am doing it on purpose. When you¡¯re a child, everything in this world is so interesting. Even a piece of paper, an insect, or a marble can bring you joy. Gradually, as people grow up, childhood dreams seem to lose their appeal. People always lose more than they gain. Especially for an old monster like me who has lived countless years, what haven¡¯t I seen, heard, or experienced? All pleasures are leaving me. Even the finest wine bes boring after drinking it for a thousand years.¡±

    ¡°So, it¡¯s not that I can¡¯t barbecue well, but I deliberately make it taste bad. Only by knowing what tastes bad can you know what tastes good and never get tired of eating. I don¡¯t want to lose the pleasure of eating in the end.¡±

    ¡°I see. I can understand that. But why are you telling me all this?¡± Feng Bng was even more confused.

    ¡°You! Yourprehension is too poor.¡± The old man casually tossed away the finished bone and wiped his greasy mouth. Then he slowly said, ¡°The fact that you can still feel the gap, still feel pain, is actually a good thing. After all, you can still improve. As long as you focus on walking your own path, one day you¡¯ll find yourself ahead of others. Do you know what true despair is?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°True despair is when there¡¯s no path ahead, and when you look at others, they too have nowhere to go.¡± The old man¡¯s eyes were full of sorrow. ¡°No path left, or perhaps the wrong path was taken from the start. But by the time you realize it, you can¡¯t turn back. That¡¯s true despair.¡±

    ¡°Are you saying your strength can¡¯t improve anymore?¡± Feng Bng didn¡¯t know how strong the old man before him was, but he knew that even Thunder Lord or the even stronger Alchemy Daoist couldn¡¯t match the old man¡¯s ability to casually toss him to the academy. ¡°Yes, my path has ended. But you¡¯re different. Your path is still very long. Focus on walking your own path, don¡¯t worry about whether others are ahead of you. Walking fast isn¡¯t a skill; walking far is the real skill,¡± the old manforted.

    ¡°Walking fast isn¡¯t a skill; walking far is the real skill?¡± Feng Bng pondered these words. Then he lowered his head again, ¡°I only have the mostmon misceneous contract object. Can I really go farther than them?¡± Feng Bng wasn¡¯t sure because there had never been a precedent.

    ¡°Rotten wood cannot be carved. What do you know about contract objects? Misceneous contracts, spirit contracts are just forms of power. All strong beings in this universe are essentially from the same root. An ant and the Void Nine Emperors in the sky have no fundamental difference at the level of life and basicws. The Void Nine Emperors can easily crush an ant, but there are also things that can crush the Void Nine Emperors just as easily as crushing an ant.¡±

    ¡°I can understand what you¡¯re saying, but the reality is that Bird n member can crush me. Even if others can crush him, what does that have to do with me?¡± Feng Bng was still thinking about the previous battle.

    ¡°Forget it, forget it. You¡¯re too weak to understand what I¡¯m saying. There¡¯s one thing I¡¯ve been keeping from you. It¡¯s time to tell you this secret,¡± the old man said with a mysterious smile.

    ¡°What secret?¡± Feng Bng asked curiously. This old man had no shortage of secrets.

    ¡°Actually, your contract object isn¡¯t just the kite. You yourself also possess a dual contract object.¡±

    The old man¡¯s words made Feng Bng shudder. ¡°What do you mean? I also have a dual contract object? But where¡¯s the other contract object? Why can¡¯t I sense it?¡±

    ¡°Do you know about body contractors?¡± the old man asked.

    ¡°Of course I know about body contractors. They¡¯re the rarest type of contractors. For example, Yunyao uses her wings as a contract object, and that little girl from the Eastern Kingdom uses her eyes as a contract¡­ Are you saying¡­ I¡¯m also a body contractor?¡± Feng Bng looked at his body in confusion, never having felt any part of his body was special.

    The old man pointed his finger at Feng Bng¡¯s chest.

    ¡°It¡¯s your heart. You are the rarest heart contractor.¡±

    ¡°Heart contractor?¡± Feng Bng looked at his chest, unable to understand.

    ¡°If not for this, how could you cultivate so quickly, easilyprehend domains, and master contract object transformation? Because your heart is inherently different, yourprehension far surpasses your peers. Your future is limitless,¡± the old man continued.

    ¡°My heart is my contract object?¡± Feng Bng was lost in thought.

    ¡°So you don¡¯t need to doubt that you¡¯re inferior to others. You have your own uniqueness. Alright, rest well. I¡¯lle back in a few days to take you back to Night City.¡± With that, the old man¡¯s body simply disappeared.

    ¡°My heart is my contract object?¡± Feng Bng sat on the bed, feeling his heartbeat. It seemed that at this moment, even the sound of his heartbeat was different.

    ¡°Foolish child, there¡¯s no such thing as a heart contractor in this world. I was just making it up. I hope you¡¯ll take care of yourself,¡± the old man sighed in his heart. He knew what Feng Bngcked wasn¡¯t really a contract object, but a heart that dared to face his own shorings, a strong heart that wasn¡¯t inferior to others.

    The old man didn¡¯t leave the Eastern Kingdom but quietly came to an underground pce. A man was already waiting behind the pce. His face was as white as snow, with eerie eyes. Who else could it be but Strategist?

    ¡°Third Brother? Why are you here?¡± Strategist was startled to see the old man suddenly appear before him.

    ¡°Seventh Brother, you¡¯ve had it tough these years,¡± the old man looked at Strategist¡¯s state, feeling very guilty.

    ¡°It¡¯s not tough. At least I¡¯m still alive and can do what I want to do. But they¡­ they no longer have the chance,¡± Strategist said calmly.

    ¡°Third Brother¡¯s appearance here, does it mean you¡¯ve chosen a sessor?¡± Strategist suddenly realized.

    ¡°That¡¯s right, it¡¯s a foolish child. What about you?¡± the old man asked.

    Strategist nodded, ¡°I¡¯ve chosen the child rted to the Goddess. He inherently has the qualities of a sage. I hope he can get through this.¡±

    ¡°The Goddess¡­ Although Illumination Goddess¡¯s realm is far below ours, she has walked a path we¡¯ve never trodden. She has be a true god, hasn¡¯t she?¡± the old man asked.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. Even the weakest god is still a true god. She will surely attract those false gods. But that¡¯s good. If they don¡¯te, we might never have the chance for revenge,¡± Strategist said.

    ¡°False¡­ gods¡­ Isn¡¯t it too early?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not for us to decide. As long as we can create enough time for the children to grow, our survival will have meaning,¡± Strategist said.

 Chapter 248: The Heavenly Emperors Who Remained in the Mortal World

    Chapter 248: The Heavenly Emperors Who Remained in the Mortal World

    ¡°You abandoned your human form to be a Nightmare, controlling the Nightmare n, just to understand the false gods and theirws. If the false gods descend, what are our chances of victory?¡± the old man asked.

    ¡°One hundred percent,¡± Strategist said calmly. ¡°For the human race, for all races in the universe, for the dignity of living beings, for the will of freedom, we can only seed.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re still the same as ever. I hope your years of nning will seed. By the way, have you been outside the barrier? What¡¯s it like there now?¡± the old man asked again.

    ¡°It¡¯s not possible. Even Nightmares can¡¯t pass through that barrier. Big Brother¡¯s strength was too great; the barrier he left behind has be both a wall and a cage. Currently, only the Ghost Shark n can freely travel between the two sides, as they possess that divine artifact,¡± Strategist said.

    ¡°The Ghost Shark n? I remember they¡¯re still upying the Human Cultural Realm, right? They really don¡¯t know what¡¯s good for them. I never thought there¡¯d be a day when humans would fall so low that even the mere Ghost Shark n dares to upy our ancestors¡¯ legacy. Sometimes I really want to wipe out the Ghost Shark n on Ghost Ind, but it seems there¡¯s no benefit other than alerting our enemies,¡± the old man sighed.

    ¡°Third Brother, let the children reim what was left for them. We should focus on preparing for the impending false gods,¡± Strategist reminded.

    ¡°You¡¯re right. By the way, this child you speak of with a sage¡¯s potential, he won¡¯t side with the false gods, will he? After all, he also qualifies to be a false god,¡± the old man asked worriedly.

    ¡°That¡¯s why in theing battle, he¡¯ll have only two oues: live and fight for humanity, or die. I respect his free will to choose, but he must also be responsible for his choice,¡± Strategist said.

    ¡°You¡¯re indeed like that. It¡¯s fortunate he was born on this side of the barrier and not the other. Otherwise, we¡¯d have no chance of winning him over,¡± the old man remarked. ¡°Third Brother, it¡¯s not safe to stay here long. You should go. The day the false gods arrive won¡¯t be far off. You might die, so enjoy yourself while you can.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I might die, but I¡¯ve lived long enough. I should have died long ago but lived these extra years. I¡¯ve profited,¡± the old man smiled, having long forgotten about life and death.

    ¡°By the way, the Heavenly Book trial, Big Brother¡¯s legacy, who will it ultimately fall to? You¡¯re the smartest of the Void Nine Emperors. See if you can guess Big Brother¡¯s intentions this time,¡± the old man asked finally before leaving.

    ¡°The sessor Big Brother would like has only one word: ¡®true¡¯,¡± Strategist said, not specifying who it was.

    The old manughed heartily upon hearing this, ¡°Big Brother bears the title ¡®Void¡¯ yet likes ¡®true¡¯ the most. Haha, indeed interesting. Seventh Brother, we¡¯ll meet again in the final battle!¡±

    With that, the old man¡¯s figure disappeared, leaving Strategist alone in the empty underground pce.

    No one knew that the Void Nine Emperors hadn¡¯t all perished. The Night Watcher guarding Night City was the third seat of the Void Nine Emperors ¨C the Universe Emperor, while humanity¡¯s nemesis, the current leader of the Nightmare n, was the seventh seat ¨C the Wisdom Emperor. The two remained hidden in the mortal world, all for the moment that was about toe. This war was a continuation of the previous one¡­

    In the Heavenly Book world, at the edge of the oasis.

    Zhanyue and Yunyao were hiding here. Zhanyue had already gone in to scout using his earth-burrowing technique. The various races inside were in a state of panic. They weren¡¯t liberated by the Sand Dune King¡¯s death. Although they no longer had to build the Millennium Tower, they discovered another terrifying thing. This newly appointed ruler of the Sand Dune Kingdom would summon some powerful individuals from various ns to enter the castle every night, but those who entered never came out again. No one knew who would be next, but they didn¡¯t dare resist. Lulu the sand worm¡¯s strength was now too great, and it wielded the golden scepter.

    At this moment, no one cared about the Life-Nurturing Soil anymore. They probably realized that those two people likely didn¡¯t take the Life-Nurturing Soil. After all, it was a legendary item. Let alone whether it could be taken away, its very existence was uncertain. Of course, they still tended to believe it existed, as no one could exin how such arge, unchanging oasis could exist in the barren desert for thousands of years.

    Inside the castle, Lulu the sand worm had just finished another feast, burping contentedly.

    ¡°This won¡¯t do. The oasis is ultimately too small. The number of strong individuals is limited; sooner orter, I¡¯ll eat them all. I should find the Life-Nurturing Soil soon and leave. They all think it¡¯s just a legend, but I know it truly exists. It¡¯s one of the rarest divine objects in the world, and it must and can only belong to me.¡±

    Lulu waved the golden scepter, and the disaster beast fish school underground began to busily search for the location of the Life-Nurturing Soil.

    ¡°How is it?¡± Yunyao asked, looking at Zhanyue who had returned from scouting. She was getting impatient. Why think when you can solve problems with action?

    ¡°The castle¡¯s defenses are practically non-existent. It seems that fellow doesn¡¯t take us seriously at all. The key problem still lies with the golden scepter. I n to go steal it.¡±

    ¡°Stealing again?¡± Yunyao looked at Zhanyue with disdain.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with stealing? The identity this world trial gave me is the Saint of Thieves. If the Saint of Thieves doesn¡¯t do this, wouldn¡¯t it be letting down the Heavenly Book world¡¯s arrangement? This is heaven¡¯s will,¡± Zhanyue argued.

    ¡°Fine then, be careful. I don¡¯t think stealing the golden scepter will be that simple,¡± Yunyao thought for a moment, then plucked a feather from her wing. The pure white feather looked unremarkable.

    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Zhanyue asked, puzzled.

    ¡°My contract object. I can instantly teleport to wherever this feather is,¡± Yunyao exined.

    ¡°Huh? Aren¡¯t you a body contractor? Shouldn¡¯t your contract object be your wings?¡± Zhanyue was even more confused.

    ¡°Who said that? That¡¯s just their guess. I never exined it. In reality, it¡¯s not my wings, just this single feather. Although it¡¯s just a feather, it grants spatial abilities, including the technique I used earlier to switch our positions,¡± Yunyao exined.

    ¡°This feather isn¡¯t yours, is it?¡± Zhanyue asked.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not,¡± Yunyao shook her head. ¡°Only my master and I knew about this. Now you¡¯re the third.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m honored you told me. I¡¯d like to know, which Heavenly Emperor¡¯s power did you inherit?¡± Zhanyue asked again.

    Unexpectedly, this time Yunyao told him honestly, ¡°It¡¯s the Feather Heavenly Emperor. Don¡¯t guess anymore. This feather indeed belongs to her. I sessfully contracted with this feather, andter receiving her legacy was also rted to it. As for how I obtained this feather, that¡¯s another story.¡±

    ¡°Moreover¡­ although the Feather Heavenly Emperor was human, she had wings like mine. But her wings probably didn¡¯t belong to the Bird n, but to another extinct race ¨C the Wing n. She was a mixed-blood like me,¡± Yunyao couldn¡¯t help but say.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know about this. Then your previous self-doubt waspletely unnecessary. If she could grow to the level of a Heavenly Emperor, you might be able to as well,¡± Zhanyue was a bit surprised. The nine human Heavenly Emperors established the golden age of humanity. He never expected that among them, the Feather Heavenly Emperor was also of mixed blood, yet ultimately belonged to the human race. Who knows what story unfolded in her life.

    ¡°You dare bring that up?¡± Yunyao red at Zhanyue fiercely.

    Zhanyue felt a bit wronged. Weren¡¯t you the one who brought up the topic? But he knew not to argue at a time like this. He just smiled shamelessly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯vepletely forgotten about what happened before. I don¡¯t even remember what shape your feet were.¡±

    ¡°You!¡± Yunyao¡¯s sword was already out of its sheath, but Zhanyue¡¯s earth-burrowing speed was faster. He had already vanished without a trace.

 Chapter 249: Underground Tomb

    Chapter 249: Underground Tomb

    Flying and earth-burrowing are abilities of the same level, but clearly, earth-burrowing is a rarer skill. Although Zhanyue had mastered the earth-burrowing technique, he didn¡¯t like the feeling of being underground. His entire body merged with the earth, his eyes couldn¡¯t see anything, and he could only determine direction through his soul perception. So all along, Zhanyue had only used earth-burrowing as an auxiliarybat technique. Long-term burrowing was extremely difficult and something he disliked.

    But now, he endured the difort and continued to burrow deep underground. His tightly closed eyes couldn¡¯t see anything, but his soul perception could sense everything around him.

    ¡°Disaster beast?¡± Not far from the castle, Zhanyue sensed the aura of a disaster beast. What was strange was that these disaster beasts used to move in groups, but now this one was alone.

    To avoid alerting anyone, he decided not to confront this disaster beast and continued to burrow deeper, trying to bypass it. However, the disaster beast also went downwards. For a moment, Zhanyue tensed, thinking he had been discovered. Although he could burrow, he had no means of attack underground. If he stopped burrowing, his body might be instantly crushed by the earth. Exiting the burrowing state in such conditions was extremely dangerous.

    However, Zhanyue¡¯s worries were unnecessary. The disaster beast might have noticed him but didn¡¯t take any action. Instead, it continued downward not far from him.

    ¡°It didn¡¯te after me?¡± Zhanyue had prepared to flee, but the creature didn¡¯t chase him.

    ¡°Something¡¯s not right. It seems its task isn¡¯t to guard, but to search for something?¡± The more Zhanyue thought about it, the more likely it seemed. A single disaster beast¡¯s strength was ordinary, which was why they usually acted in groups. Their dispersal might be for more efficient searching.

    Following the disaster beast, deep underground, Zhanyue finally made a discovery. Although his eyes were closed, he could sense a faint glow ahead.

    The disaster beast swam to the glow and disappeared. Zhanyue, emboldened by his skills, followed. When he touched the glow, he felt his body pause before being pulled into a mysterious space. ¡°Where is this?¡± Zhanyue found himself no longer in rock but in an open area. He opened his eyes, and instead of pitch darkness, he saw long-burningmps on the rock walls illuminating the ce. Before him was a long tunnel, at the end of which stood a stone door.

    The stone door was carved with many small figures, forming a series of pictures that seemed to tell a story. Before Zhanyue could observe further, the stone door opened automatically.

    A huge burial chamber appeared before Zhanyue. The floor was painted with mysterious patterns, with three clear convergence points where three coffins rested. In the center of the three coffins was arge bronze statue of a handsome man wearing a cape. Zhanyue was startled by the man¡¯s appearance, as it was definitely human. In this world where humans hadn¡¯t yet appeared, this could only be an outsider. Who was he, and why was he here?

    The statue¡¯s hands held arge bronze te with what looked like¡­ soil?

    Zhanyue quickly noticed the stone door suddenly closing behind him, sending chills down his spine.

    ¡°Where¡¯s that disaster beast? It¡¯s gone?¡± Zhanyue had followed the disaster beast here but now couldn¡¯t find it.

    Just as Zhanyue was about to approach the statue, he heard the sound of the stone door opening again. He quickly hid behind one of the coffins, as there weren¡¯t many ces to hide in the tomb.

    ¡°Indeed, the legend is true.¡± A familiar voice rang out. Zhanyue frowned; the neer was Lulu the sand worm.

    ¡°The statue! Yes, it¡¯s in the image of a celestial being. This is indeed the ce. That is¡­?¡± Lulu looked at what the statue was holding, barely able to contain his excitement.

    ¡°The Life-Nurturing Soil! It really is the Life-Nurturing Soil!¡±

    ¡°Life-Nurturing Soil?¡± Zhanyue heard this name again. So it really existed, and was now in the statue¡¯s hands.

    ¡°It¡¯s mine now.¡± Lulu flew over impatiently. However, just as he was midair, the mysterious patterns on the ground all lit up. The three coffins moved simultaneously, their lids opening automatically. Three creatures with human heads and snake bodies stood up. They were bare-chested and muscr, their bodies covered in scars. They opened their blood-red eyes. Each of these human-headed, snake-bodied monsters wielded two curved des and attacked Lulu at extreme speed.

    ¡°The Desert Snake People? Indeed, it¡¯s the extinct Desert Snake People.¡± Lulu recognized their origin, showing his broad knowledge.

    These three Desert Snake People were extraordinarily powerful, joining forces to block Lulu, preventing him from advancing a step further.

    ¡°Hmph, you think you can stop me?¡± Lulu took out the golden scepter, and instantly, numerous disaster beasts poured in.

    ¡°Devour them!¡± Lulu ordered.

    The disaster beasts obediently charged at the three Desert Snake People, while Lulu tried to approach the statue.

    Just as he thought victory was at hand, a flying sword blocked his path.

    ¡°Sorry, but this doesn¡¯t belong to you yet.¡±

    The one who stopped him was Zhanyue.

    Lulu¡¯s face twisted in disgust. He couldn¡¯t have imagined Zhanyue would appear here.

    ¡°You¡­ how did you get in? How could you possibly find this ce?¡± He couldn¡¯t understand.

    ¡°I followed the disaster beasts. They made good guides,¡± Zhanyue said truthfully.

    ¡°You!¡± Lulu cursed his bad luck, or perhaps Zhanyue¡¯s good fortune. To find the coordinates to enter the tomb in the vast underground was something they couldn¡¯t do. Only unique creatures like the disaster beasts, which could live underground, could manage it.

    ¡°You¡¯re courting death!¡± Lulu swung the golden scepter and engaged Zhanyue in battle, instantly causing the burial chamber to shake. However, this was no ordinary structure. Despite the intense fighting, not a single brick fell, indicating the tomb must be reinforced by formations.

    Zhanyue secretly tossed out the feather, reciting the incantation Yunyao had taught him.

    Soon after, Yunyao appeared directly in front of him. He couldn¡¯t help but marvel at the wonder of Yunyao¡¯s technique. However, he recalled that Gong Xiaoyou had seemingly achieved something simr with other methods. In any case, the situation had be two against one.

    ¡°Those corpses are helping us contain the disaster beasts, and there¡¯s no one else to interfere. Let¡¯s quickly take it down together,¡± Zhanyue suggested.

    ¡°Alright.¡±

    Zhanyue donned the Silver Moon Armor, while Yunyao was d in golden armor. One red and one gold figure instantly pushed Lulu the sand worm into a desperate situation.

 Chapter 250: Dont Binge Eat

    Chapter 250: Dont Binge Eat

    Although Lulu the sand worm had be stronger than the Sand Dune King after two instances of devouring, he was struggling against thebined forces of Yunyao and Zhanyue, especially with Yunyao¡¯s noticeably fiercer attacks.

    However, just as Lulu underestimated Zhanyue, Zhanyue¡¯s eyes brightened. For the first time in actualbat, he used his Eyes of Greed, imposing the emotion of fear on Lulu. He hadn¡¯t fully refined the eyes he obtained from the disaster beast earlier.

    Soon, Lulu became uneasy, sweating profusely, feeling as if he was about to be killed at any moment, and no longer wanting to continue the fight.

    ¡°Your eye technique is not bad,¡± Yunyao said, naturally sensing Lulu¡¯s change. Then her eyes turned golden, activating the Eyes of Dominion.

    In Lulu¡¯s eyes, Yunyao¡¯s figure became immenselyrge and divine, as if she were a ruler dominating the world, while he was merely an ant. He almost couldn¡¯t resist the urge to kneel.

    ¡°Ahhhhh!¡± Lulu hurriedly closed his eyes, not daring to look at either Zhanyue or Yunyao. He fled to another battlefield, needing to muddy the waters. At least the three Desert Snake People should also attack Zhanyue and Yunyao, which would reduce the pressure on him.

    ¡°It¡¯s a pity. My Eyes of Dominion still can¡¯tpletely influence it,¡± Yunyao said with some regret.

    ¡°If your eye technique reaches the highest level, will people have to kneel and sing ¡®Conquest¡¯ just by looking at you?¡± Zhanyue couldn¡¯t help but joke. Fortunately, he also had a strong eye technique to resist Yunyao¡¯s.

    The two chatted while pursuing Lulu, finding this battle much easier. Soon, Lulu despaired, realizing that the three Desert Snake People weren¡¯t attacking Zhanyue and Yunyao at all.

    ¡°Why?¡± Lulu couldn¡¯t understand. They were all uninvited guests in the tomb, so why the different treatment?

    However, Zhanyue understood clearly. Perhaps it was because he and Yunyao looked like celestial beings?

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I have no choice!¡± Lulu waved the scepter, sending all the disaster beasts towards Zhanyue and Yunyao, while he himself faced the three Desert Snake People.

    Although Zhanyue and Yunyao couldn¡¯t destroy the disaster beasts, it wasn¡¯t difficult to shake off their harassment. They soon broke through the beast swarm, only to witness another unforgettable scene.

    Lulu had split into three, each embracing a Desert Snake Person, with sharp appendages piercing their necks, absorbing their power and flesh.

    ¡°It had another trick up its sleeve?¡± Zhanyue was speechless. How many backup ns and hidden abilities did this worm have? What was this avatar talent?

    Soon after, the three Desert Snake People fell silent, leaving only their skins on the ground.

    ¡°The tomb¡¯s guardians aren¡¯t very effective,¡± Zhanyuemented. Now, they were once again facing two opponents.

    Feeling the power flowing within, the reunified Lulu stretched his shoulders, revealing a look of enjoyment. After this absorption, he had grown stronger once again.

    ¡°Let¡¯s end this here. We can¡¯t let it keep getting stronger, or there¡¯lle a day when we can¡¯t handle it,¡± Yunyao said seriously, getting serious.

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll leave it to you. I¡¯ll keep the disaster beasts upied,¡± Zhanyue agreed.

    With clear division ofbor, Zhanyue engaged the disaster beasts again. His Three Talents Wondrous Fire repeatedly annihted the fish swarm, only to see them revive again and again. The disaster beasts were immortal and indestructible; Zhanyue had no choice but to keep them upied. This time, he went all out, even summoning his Ghost Shark avatar. The avatar held the River Condensing Pearl in its left hand and the Thunder God¡¯s Whip in its right, disying formidablebat power.

    While fighting, Zhanyue kept an eye on the other battlefield. Yunyao¡¯s aura was rapidly rising. Finally, a phantom appeared behind her ¨C the Heavenly Emperor¡¯s Law Body. The enormous figure was a woman, also with wings spread, her eyes filled with supreme arrogance, seeming to look down upon everything.

    ¡°Eyes of Dominion!¡± Yunyao activated her eye technique again. This time, without fail, Lulu felt immense pressure on both mind and body, falling to his knees without any will to resist.

    ¡°Die!¡± A golden sword energy pierced Lulu¡¯s chest, green blood flowing from his body. However, the pain also brought him back to his senses.

    ¡°No!¡± He couldn¡¯t ept it. After devouring so many powerful beings, he was still no match for this woman?

    ¡°Escape!¡± He charged towards the stone door, but how could Yunyao let him seed? Her sword left her hand, directly pinning him to the stone door, unable to break free.

    ¡°Be careful, you¡¯ve fallen for his trap,¡± Zhanyue warned.

    The Lulu pinned to the stone door turned to smoke, while Lulu¡¯s true body used earth-burrowing technique to head towards the statue. His target was still the Life-Nurturing Soil.

    Soon, all the disaster beasts stopped attacking actively, instead forming a barrier to protect Lulu behind them.

    The soil on the te held by the statue wasn¡¯t ordinary soil. It looked more like a piece of rotten flesh or a living mass.

    ¡°Life-Nurturing Soil! It should also be considered a kind of living being! Once I absorb its power, I don¡¯t believe I still can¡¯t defeat you!¡± Lulu said, his mouth opening to reveal sharp spikes that pierced into the Life-Nurturing Soil.

    Zhanyue and Yunyao could only sense terrifying power flowing into Lulu¡¯s body, his strength rapidly expanding.

    ¡°Not good, it¡¯s evolving again!¡± The two charged forward, but the fearless disaster beasts blocked them, preventing them from breaking through instantly.

    ¡°Let me,¡± Yunyao tried her spatial technique again, attempting to swap positions with Lulu, but failed.

    ¡°It¡¯s not working. The space around the Life-Nurturing Soil is extremely solid. I can¡¯t control it,¡± Yunyao shook her head. Could the energy emitted by the Life-Nurturing Soil solidify space?

    ¡°Not enough, not enough, so good! Power! So good!¡± Lulu, feeling the vast power within the Life-Nurturing Soil, couldn¡¯t stop. He greedily seized its power.

    ¡°What do we do?¡± Yunyao looked at Zhanyue beside her. Lulu¡¯s aura was already bing troublesome for her.

    ¡°Wait, something¡¯s not right,¡± Zhanyue stopped Yunyao, who was about to charge forward again.

    Yunyao looked and realized, no longer advancing.

    ¡°Has it gone mad? It¡¯s still devouring,¡± The two watched Lulu¡¯s body continually expand, their eyes widening.

    ¡°Hahaha, so good, my power, this is all my power!¡± Lulu continued to devour, seemingly unaware that his body had reached its limit. ¡°More, more, power, this is the power I¡¯ve longed for.¡±

    The two just watched, doing nothing. After a long time, Lulu finally realized, ¡°No, no, too much, I¡¯ve eaten too much¡­¡± However, at this moment, the scepter in his hand once again spoke in his mind, ¡°Not enough, not yet enough, continue. Absorb the Life-Nurturing Soil, and you will be on par with the gods.¡±

    ¡°Gods, yes, I am to be a god.¡± Lulu continued to absorb this hard-won power, until his entire body was like a balloon.

    ¡°Run!¡± Zhanyue pulled Yunyao beside him, and they dashed out at extreme speed, closing the stone door behind them.

    Soon, a terrible explosion came from within the burial chamber. The two stone doors couldn¡¯t withstand it and were blown away.

    After a long time, the dust settled. The burial chamber remained, protected again by the formation.

    ¡°Is that worm dead?¡± Yunyao couldn¡¯t believe the sand worm had eaten itself to death.

    ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, this disaster beast is called ¡®Greed¡¯, and its death isn¡¯t unjustified. We¡¯ve been mistaken about one thing all along. We thought they controlled the disaster beast, but in reality, whether it was the Sand Dune King¡¯s pursuit of fame or Lulu¡¯s pursuit of power, it was all endless greed awakened by the disaster beast. A seed instantly became a great tree. We underestimated the disaster beast¡¯s power,¡± Zhanyue sighed.

    ¡°I see,¡± Yunyao nodded, and they walked in again.

 Chapter 251: The Life-Nurturing Soil

    Chapter 251: The Life-Nurturing Soil

    The two re-entered the burial chamber. The three coffins had been blown to pieces; while the chamber itself was protected by a formation, the coffins weren¡¯t. However, the statue, having endured such a terrible explosion, didn¡¯t show a single scratch, seeming to have merged with the formation.

    The golden scepter that was in Lulu¡¯s hand now stood straight up, looking quite eerie. The disaster beast, naturally not easily killed, was now swimming around the golden scepter in a fish swarm, not actively attacking Zhanyue and Yunyao.

    Zhanyue and Yunyao exchanged a nce, understanding each other¡¯s meaning.

    ¡°You go or I go?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯d better go. Be careful,¡± Yunyao said. She had suffered greatlyst time, and to avoid embarrassment again, she naturally left this ¡°good opportunity¡± to Zhanyue.

    ¡°Alright, but it won¡¯t be easy to get close to that golden scepter. Help me keep those disaster beasts upied,¡± Zhanyue said, rubbing his shoulder and preparing to charge in.

    ¡°No need for that trouble,¡± Yunyao stopped him. She held a feather between her fingertips. Under Zhanyue¡¯s gaze, the originally white feather turned fiery red, the same color as his phantom wings.

    ¡°Oh, white was just a camouge color. It¡¯s actually red,¡± Zhanyue looked at the feather, which was Yunyao¡¯s contract object, possibly from the legendary Feather Heavenly Emperor.

    Yunyao manipted the feather, making it pass through the gaps in the fish swarm at an invisible speed, finallynding next to the golden scepter. Then, Yunyao¡¯s body appeared next to the feather, and she swapped her position with Zhanyue¡¯s. Just like that, while Zhanyue was still stunned, he found himself next to the golden scepter. ¡°This is too exaggerated,¡± Zhanyue had seen Yunyao¡¯s abilities before, but he was still amazed. This was simr to the Flying Thunder God techniquebined with the Heavenly Hand Power, or even more impressive. However, swapping their positions seemed to have some additional limitations, though Zhanyue didn¡¯t know what they were yet.

    Not pondering further, Zhanyue grasped the golden scepter beside him. At that moment, it seemed as if the whole world had stopped. The surrounding disaster beasts hung motionless in the air, no longer swimming. Yunyao in the distance stood still like a beautiful sculpture. Zhanyue felt that at this moment, he was the master of this world, with everything in heaven and earth submitting at his feet. The feeling was so wonderful that he found himself reluctant to let go of the golden scepter.

    But his state of mind was ultimately iparable to that of the Sand Dune King or Lulu the sand worm. Soon, his eyes regained a hint of rity, and he struggled free from that pleasant illusion. Time resumed its flow at that moment.

    Zhanyue nted the golden scepter on the ground and uttered the word ¡®Destroy!¡¯

    The surrounding disaster beasts instantly merged into a giant piranha, then exploded into dust, dying just that simply, leaving only a pair of fish eyes.

    ¡°That simple?¡± Yunyao walked over and picked up the fish eyes from the ground. She couldn¡¯t believe the third disaster beast had been eliminated so easily.

    ¡°It¡¯s just that simple. This golden scepter seems like a true divine artifact, having absolute control over the disaster beasts, including the power to make them die,¡± Zhanyue said. He didn¡¯t know how the previous Sand Dune King had awakened this golden scepter, but he knew they were lucky this time. The enemies they faced weren¡¯t some incredibly powerful disaster beasts, but characters like the Sand Dune King and Lulu the sand worm. Lulu even died by self-destruction in the end. Everything had gone smoothly.

    ¡°That¡¯s good. We haven¡¯t fully refined the eyes from that mirror-holding monkey, and now we¡¯ve got another pair of eyes. I see this underground tomb is particrly safe. Why don¡¯t we go into closed-door cultivation here? Once our eye techniques breakthrough, we can continue searching for the next disaster beast,¡± Yunyao suggested. Such a rare opportunity for undisturbed cultivation shouldn¡¯t be missed.

    ¡°Good, indeed we should. We need to progress steadily, step by step,¡± Zhanyue nodded. ¡°But before that, we have one more thing to do.¡± He turned his gaze to the Life-Nurturing Soil in the tray held by the statue behind them.

    ¡°You¡¯re eyeing it?¡± Yunyao warned, ¡°If we take it away, the oasis above our heads will cease to exist, and those races will have nowhere to live. You don¡¯t seem like someone who would do such a thing.¡±

    Zhanyue smiled, ¡°Aren¡¯t you taking this too seriously? We¡¯re in a virtual world. Those people were created by the Void Emperor; they¡¯re not real living beings. But some treasures in this world are real, like this one.¡±

    ¡°Sometimes, I¡¯m also curious about what¡¯s real and what¡¯s fake in this world. For example, if I take away this Life-Nurturing Soil and die, how will the world reset? Without the Life-Nurturing Soil, there¡¯s no reason for the oasis to exist. I fear everything would change,¡± Zhanyue said.

    ¡°You can try it,¡± Yunyao said calmly.

    ¡°Never mind. If the task resets to the beginning and we have to start over fighting disaster beasts, I can¡¯t take it,¡± Zhanyue shook his head. Although he was curious, he didn¡¯t dare to gamble.

    He walked over, wanting to take the tray, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn¡¯t lift even this small amount of Life-Nurturing Soil.

    ¡°So heavy, how can it be so heavy!¡± Zhanyue eximed, unaware that the weight of this bit of Life-Nurturing Soil exceeded thebined weight of three mountains and five sacred peaks.

    ¡°Try if you can directly put it into your divine ability space,¡± Zhanyue thought again. However, after many attempts, he couldn¡¯t take it away. Neither spatial rings nor divine ability spaces worked.

    ¡°I told you earlier, the space around this Life-Nurturing Soil is solidified. You can¡¯t take it away,¡± Yunyao knew this would be the result from the beginning, which is why she never had designs on the Life-Nurturing Soil.

    ¡°I was wondering how you could resist the temptation of such a treasure. So that¡¯s why,¡± Zhanyue was speechless. The treasure was right in front of him, but he couldn¡¯t lift it or take it away.

    ¡°Wait,¡± Zhanyue suddenly had an idea and took out the Earth Mother Golden Cauldron, which he hadn¡¯t used for a long time.

    However, when this object was taken out, a magical scene urred. The Life-Nurturing Soil flew into the Earth Mother Golden Cauldron by itself.

    ¡°This?¡± Yunyao¡¯s eyes widened, and Zhanyue showed a smug smile. ¡°Although I don¡¯t know why, I seeded.¡±

    After entering the Earth Mother Golden Cauldron, that terrifying weight disappeared. Zhanyue could easily pick up the cauldron and recall it to his storage space.

    ¡°Earth Mother Golden Cauldron, Life-Nurturing Soil, perhaps there¡¯s some connection between them that we don¡¯t know about,¡± Yunyao didn¡¯t envy Zhanyue for obtaining this treasure, after all, she couldn¡¯t take it away even if it was given to her. She just marveled at Zhanyue¡¯s good luck.

    ¡°Wait, there seems to be some writing on this tray,¡± Zhanyue keenly discovered that after removing the Life-Nurturing Soil, the words on the tray were revealed.

 Chapter 252: Mysterious Message

    Chapter 252: Mysterious Message

    ¡°Words? This is¡­ the script of the Myriad Spirits Realm,¡± Yunyao leaned in closer.

    The two huddled together, reading the words on the tray. Yunyao¡¯s body was so close that Zhanyue could smell her faint fragrance. However, her attention was entirely focused on the iron tray, not noticing Zhanyue¡¯s actions. Suddenly, Zhanyue felt a strong urge to embrace this woman, a feeling he had never experienced so intensely before.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m afraid she¡¯d kill me,¡± Zhanyue gritted his teeth, finally suppressing that inexplicable impulse.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Yunyao turned her head, looking at Zhanyue quizzically. He seemed to be in pain.

    ¡°Nothing¡­ nothing, just continue reading,¡± Zhanyue struggled to calm himself, but was confused about what was happening to him. Why did he feel such uncontroble lust? But thinking carefully, the previous impulse didn¡¯t seem to be lust, but more like a possessive desire, a desire topletely possess Yunyao, not letting anyone else touch her. ¡°I hope it¡¯s just my imagination.¡±

    Zhanyue collected himself and began reading the words on the bronze tray.

    ¡°I am a visitor from beyond this world, leaving this message to exin some things. In the past, I came from beyond the sky,nding on the northern grasnds. To heal my injuries, I used the ¡®Heavenly Creation Stealing Technique¡¯, absorbing all the life force from the entire grasnd. From then on, no life could survive on thisnd, and soon after, the world¡¯srgest grasnd became thergest desert.¡±

    ¡°Though I didn¡¯t intend this, I had no choice for my survival. The races living on the grasnd migrated south, with many dying along the way. My heart was originally as hard as iron, having destroyed countlesss and innumerable lives on them, let alone the ant-like alien races of an unfamiliar world.¡±

    ¡°But I didn¡¯t expect that incident to happen¡­ Anyway, to show my apology, I left a piece of Life-Nurturing Soil. This object can create an oasis in the endless desert for them to live. If you can see these words, it means you¡¯ve taken the Life-Nurturing Soil. If there are no living beings left in the oasis, you can take this soil. But if some races still live in the oasis, taking the Life-Nurturing Soil means making an enemy of me. I advise you to return it quickly, otherwise, even across time and causality, I will take your life!¡± After reading thest sentence, both Zhanyue and Yunyao could feel the terrifying power contained in the words. It was a soul-deep fear, even stronger than what they felt from the fear disaster beast. They had no doubt that the person who left these words could do as they threatened.

    ¡°What should we do? You¡¯ve already taken the soil,¡± Yunyao looked at Zhanyue.

    Zhanyue shrugged and replied, ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, the one who took the Life-Nurturing Soil wasn¡¯t me, but the Void Emperor. We¡¯re currently in the Heavenly Book world, a world that¡¯s half real and half fake. The treasures we can obtain are real, while many things we can¡¯t take away are fake. I think the treasures we¡¯ve gained so far are what the Void Emperor obtained in the past. The Life-Nurturing Soil naturally belongs to the Void Emperor as well.¡±

    ¡°You mean¡­ the person who left these words isn¡¯t the Void Emperor?¡± Yunyao had originally guessed that the person from beyond this world who forged the divine artifacts was the Void Emperor, and the one who left these words should also be the Void Emperor.

    ¡°Probably not¡­ I guess he should be a powerful figure even more ancient than the Void Emperor,¡± Zhanyue shared his thoughts.

    ¡°Is that so? What do you think about this Heavenly Book world?¡± Yunyao asked curiously, wanting to know what else Zhanyue knew.

    ¡°Hmph, little one, what do you understand? Are you just guessing?¡± Outside the world, the Spirit of the Heavenly Book stared at Zhanyue and the others, showing a disdainful expression. Zhanyue was right; the person who left the words wasn¡¯t her father, the Void Emperor.

    Zhanyue said, ¡°I think the Void Emperor can construct various worlds in such detail because he experienced them personally. Perhaps the Void Emperor came to this world in the real world before, and his role was actually like ours. The one who truly solved the seven disaster beasts using the seven divine artifacts was the Void Emperor himself. We are just experiencing what the Void Emperor experienced before. So, these real treasures have very reasonable origins because they originally belonged to ¡®this world¡¯.¡±

    ¡°You mean¡­ the identity we¡¯re currently ying is actually the Void Emperor¡¯s identity? Your idea makes some sense and can exin many things. In that case, the human predecessor who forged the seven divine artifacts and left these words is even more of a predecessor to the Void Emperor. Who is that person? What was the Myriad Spirits Realm like before the Void Nine Emperors, to produce such a strong being? The ¡®Heavenly Creation Stealing Technique¡¯ is already an extraordinary technique, so what kind of injury did he suffer that required such vast life force to heal? In any case, we¡¯re really insignificant, knowing nothing,¡± Yunyao sighed.

    ¡°Knowing nothing? I¡¯m not so sure. Perhaps in the future, we¡¯ll know more than they do. After all, they don¡¯t seem to be hiding anything from us. Even a supreme treasure like the Life-Nurturing Soil, the Void Emperor directly offered as a treasure. I believe other gains will also be extraordinary,¡± Zhanyue remarked.

    Outside the Heavenly Book world, the Spirit of the Heavenly Book heard Zhanyue¡¯s words and felt extremely irritated. ¡°Hmph, Void Emperor! Leaving so much heritage to outsiders instead of his own daughter, and imprisoning me here. What a ¡®great¡¯ father indeed.¡±

    Zhanyue, of course, didn¡¯t know that someone was watching andmenting on them at this moment. He looked at the Earth Mother Golden Cauldron before him with amazement, even more surprised to find that his cauldron seemed to be absorbing the power of the Life-Nurturing Soil within it.

    ¡°This?¡± Zhanyue didn¡¯t know what was happening but knew it must be a good thing.

    He looked to the other side, where Yunyao had found a suitable ce to sit cross-legged, beginning to digest what she had gained, wanting to advance her eye technique further. Looking at the angel-like figure sitting there, Zhanyue¡¯s inner fire ignited again, but it wasn¡¯t a fire of desire. It was more aggressive and possessive, wanting to directly im Yunyao as his own.

    ¡°What¡­ what¡¯s wrong with me?¡± Zhanyue shook his head, trying to clear his mind.

    ¡°Hmph, you think you¡¯ve really destroyed the disaster beast named ¡®Greed¡¯? ording to my father, among the seven disaster beasts, Greed is the second hardest to deal with. It¡¯s not as simple as you think. Some are greedy for fame, so they want to build the Millennium Tower to be recorded in history forever; some are greedy for power, so they want to find the Life-Nurturing Soil to absorb its power and strengthen themselves; and you¡­ you¡¯re greedy for beauty¡­ Sigh¡­ I didn¡¯t expect the master of the Heavenly Book to be such a person,¡± the Spirit of the Heavenly Bookmented the Heavenly Book¡¯s poor choice, but she was also curiously watching Zhanyue, wondering how long he could suppress the desire in his heart. The greed for possession is even more terrible than lust. Lust can be temporarily satiated, but greed only grows stronger.

    Haven¡¯t you seen how many people, already immensely wealthy, still can¡¯t resist amassing more wealth everywhere?

    ¡°Zhanyue, I hope you don¡¯t disappoint me¡­¡±

    The Spirit of the Heavenly Book turned her gaze to other worlds. It was a world with far more ocean thannd, with various inds scattered across the sea surface. On one of the deserted inds, Baizhi found herself in danger.

    ¡°Little girl, where do you think you can run?¡± Opposite her, hundreds of pirates had surrounded Baizhi. The leader looked at her lecherously, never having seen such beauty before.

    ¡°Run? Why should I run?¡± Baizhi sneered, then took out a piece of purple wood from her divine ability space.

 Chapter 275: Facing the Demon Beast Alone

    Chapter 275: Facing the Demon Beast Alone

    Between the vast mountain rangesy a mysterious and magnificent canyon, a ce of unparalleled beauty in this false world. The canyon walls were steep and treacherous, standing as if carved by knives and axes. Clear streams flowed between the rocks, shimmering like silver threads, resembling the Milky Way pouring down from the sky.

    At the deepest part of the canyon was a crystal-clear waterfall. The water curtain fell straight down from the towering cliff, like a silver dragon leaping into the sky, breaking into millions of water droplets uponnding, soft as white silk. Rare and precious lingzhi grew on the green rocks beside the waterfall, their bodies translucent and emitting a faint fragrance.

    The canyon was lush with trees, their shadows swaying. Ancient trees with intertwining root systems coiled like pythons underground, their sturdy trunks seeming to bear the weight of a thousand years. Above the canyon, a thin mist perpetually floated, making one feel as if in a fairnd.

    No matter how beautiful the scenery, Zhanyue and hispanion had no heart to admire it. They had hurriedly passed through this ce before, only having a vague impression.

    ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t need my help?¡± The two stood on a high cliff, overlooking the distant cave. They both knew a great terror lurked in that cave.

    ¡°No need. I have a way to counter it, you don¡¯t. In this battle, neither of us can use divine artifacts. Even if I¡¯m not better than that demon beast, I have ways to escape,¡± Zhanyue exined.

    Yunyao pouted without saying anything more. She hadn¡¯t expected there woulde a day when she would be a burden. But as Zhanyue said, she had no means to counter that demon beast. Last time, when she was bound by the beast¡¯s spider web, if not for Zhanyue saving her, she wouldn¡¯t have been able to break free. That spider web was incredibly strange; even her spatial techniques couldn¡¯t escape it.

    Zhanyue spread his phantom wings and flew over. He directly threw himself into the embrace of danger, like amb entering a tiger¡¯s den.

    He deliberately crashed into the crevice of the canyon. Last time, he and Yunyao had been stuck to the invisible spider web this way. Sure enough, this time he felt that marvelous spider web again, sticking him firmly like a moth. ¡°Oh no, what¡¯s this? How did I fall into a trap? Can anyone save me?¡± Zhanyue shouted loudly. He had no other purpose than to lure the demon beast out of its cave. After all, entering the cave to fight might not be a good idea. Last time, the demon beast was truly sleeping and didn¡¯t immediately discover Zhanyue and Yunyao. This time was different.

    A giant spider poked its head out of the cave. This spider was enormous, its body a heart-stopping ck color, supported by eight slender yet strong legs. The eight eyes on its head were like the coldest stars in the night sky, emitting a blue ghostly light.

    The spider web was tougher than the hardest steel, precisely the web of emotion and desire that humans fear most. Any normal creature would find it difficult to escape its binding. Although Yunyao was cold by nature, she still had emotions and would naturally be caught. Zhanyue wasn¡¯t afraid of it because he had mastered the Human Ethics Bathing Fire, having extremely strong control over his own desires.

    The Human Ethics Bathing Fire had long since evolved into the Three Talents Wondrous Fire, which was the nemesis of this spider web. The spider demon beast naturally didn¡¯t know so much; it only knew that new food had been caught in the spider web, and it was the most delicious food.

    One must enter the tiger¡¯s den to catch the tiger cub. As the demon beast approached, Zhanyue¡¯s heart was in his throat. He waited for the right moment. Using fire to burn the spider web, he regained his freedom, then directlynded on the demon beast¡¯s head under its shocked gaze. The Heaven Punishing Demon Sword appeared in his hand, and he stabbed it into the demon beast¡¯s head.

    Compared to the fear demon beast, this lust spider was much smaller in size, and the wound caused by the Heaven Punishing Demon Sword couldn¡¯t be ignored. The demon beast spider struggled frantically, its terrifying power directly throwing Zhanyue off.

    When he called for the Heaven Punishing Demon Sword, he found the magic sword had been bound byyers of spider web. The demon beast was actually using spider web to heal itself, wrapping the wound while also wrapping the sword.

    ¡°Give me back my sword!¡± Another weapon appeared in Zhanyue¡¯s hand, the golden scepter he had obtained earlier. Somehow, with this divine artifact in hand, Zhanyue felt he had the world under control. The demon beast naturally wouldn¡¯t be in by a single sneak attack. Its mouth continuously spewed out spider silk.

    Zhanyue was now d in the red Silver Moon Armor, mes enveloping his entire body. All spider silk was burned to nothing as it approached. In a sh, Zhanyue appeared above the demon beast, the golden scepter in his hand striking with full force. The huge demon beast was hit as if by a mountain, its head caving in with arge pit. Somehow, Zhanyue hade to enjoy this feeling of frenzied torture.

    The demon beast was enraged, spitting purple venom at extremely high speed from the canyon.

    ¡°Such beautiful scenery, why are you spitting everywhere!¡± Zhanyue casually waved out a ball of fire, which visibly evaporated the venom at incredible speed.

    Although he hadn¡¯t found a divine artifact to deal with this demon beast, Zhanyue himself was the strongest divine artifact against it.

    ¡°Impressive, his methods perfectly counter this spider,¡± Yunyao watched from afar, finally relieved. The so-called demon beasts weren¡¯t fundamentally strong in their power, but in their bizarre methods. As long as one could counter their methods, there was nothing to fear. Besides this, one also needed a way to understand their life force. Yunyao didn¡¯t know if Zhanyue¡¯s mes couldpletely annihte this spider demon beast.

    The battle continued, and the spider demon beast naturally had more tricks up its sleeve. It made a big jump, retreating far away, and then from beneath it emerged thousands upon thousands of small spiders.

    These small spiders instantly spread throughout the canyon, as if countless cannons had grown on both sides of the canyon. The mother spider had also shrunk, mixing among these spiders, making it difficult to discern its true form. The small spiders quickly established a densework in the canyon, shuttling between the rock walls, entangling the entire area into a chaotic spider web. These tiny creatures disyed amazing organizational ability, as if they were an invisible army waiting for the mother spider¡¯smand.

    Spider webs surging from all directions formed a true of heaven and earth. Zhanyue activated his mes to guard against them from all sides. These spider webs were manageable, but the venom was more difficult to deal with.

    ¡°I don¡¯t remember him having very strong area-of-effect abilities,¡± Yunyao recalled Zhanyue¡¯s fighting style, not remembering any methods he had for dealing withrge numbers of enemies. His techniques had always been best suited for single targets.

    Just as Yunyao was about to step in to help, she saw Zhanyue fly high into the sky. To Yunyao¡¯s shock, the phantom wings behind Zhanyue rapidly grewrger.

    ¡°Wings that Cover the Sky!¡± Zhanyue used this divine ability he had justprehended for the first time.

 Chapter 276: Incineration

    Chapter 276: Incineration

    The red phantom wings rapidly expanded in the sky, burning like a raging fire, instantly dyeing the entire horizon red. Under its radiance, the Wings that Cover the Sky revealed their divine might, the colossal wings enveloping the sky, blocking everything. It was truly a technique that could obscure the heavens.

    The Wings that Cover the Sky lived up to their name. The entire sky was covered by Zhanyue¡¯s wings, followed by endless white mes raining down, engulfing the entire canyon within Zhanyue¡¯s attack range.

    Streaks of white mes descended from the sky like meteors, crashing down with thunderous booms echoing through the canyon. Grass and trees were incinerated, rocks melted, and streams evaporated. Every de of grass and tree in the canyon was impacted. The Three Talents Wondrous Fire, bolstered by the Wings that Cover the Sky, revealed its truly terrifying power for the first time.

    The small spiders spread throughout the canyon naturally couldn¡¯t escape either. The white mes fell upon them like fire entering an oil field, likeva pouring into ice ¨C the power that countered them the mostpletely erupted on their bodies. They struggled in agony amidst the raging mes, but to no avail, eventually being devoured without a trace. Under the saturated bombardment of the Wings that Cover the Sky, all the small spiders were reduced to ashes, as if they had never existed.

    The Wings that Cover the Sky annihted all the small spiders, and along with them, the once lush and verdant canyon perished as well.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Yunyao stared at the scene before her, dumbfounded. The apocalyptic sight before her eyes was actually caused by Zhanyue. The originalndscape of the canyon had been utterly devastated, withva now flowing in ce of rivers. She naturally knew it was precisely thebination of the Wings that Cover the Sky and Zhanyue¡¯s wondrous mes, but she couldn¡¯t figure out how Zhanyue hadprehended the Wings that Cover the Sky. After all, these past days, both she and Zhanyue had been cultivating underground. Could it be that he had an epiphany just by imagining it? Zhanyue¡¯sprehension ability was too terrifying. She had originally nned to find opportunities to give Zhanyue some tips on cultivating this divine ability. Although she hadn¡¯t mastered it herself, she still had some relevant experience, being the inheritor of the Feathered Emperor¡¯s legacy.

    In the sky, Zhanyue gasped for air. The consumption of the Wings that Cover the Sky exceeded his imagination, but its power equally exceeded his expectations. Relying on the Three Talents Wondrous Fire alone, he had no possibility of causing such amotion. But the Wings that Cover the Sky seemed to have given him tens of thousands of hands, easily aplishing what he couldn¡¯t do before. It was just that the consumption was too immense; even with Zhanyue¡¯s capabilities, he couldn¡¯t release it continuously.

    ¡°Indeed, the best teacher is personal experience,¡± Zhanyue felt somewhat fortunate that he had witnessed the true ¡°Wings that Cover the Sky¡± with his own eyes in that Ink Sea world, gaining some insight from it. Otherwise, relying on imagination alone, he feared it would¡¯ve been difficult toprehend this divine ability. But he also knew that his Wings that Cover the Sky were still far inferiorpared to that thunderbird¡¯s. The techniques of that ancient creature naturally couldn¡¯t be rivaled by Zhanyue at his current realm. However, Zhanyue believed that as his strength increased, the Wings that Cover the Sky would one day truly be able to cover the sky. ¡°Not dead yet?¡± Zhanyue keenly noticed a massive spider on the ground, its body covered in burns, barely clinging to life.

    With a wave of his hand, the Heaven Punishing Demon Sword originally stuck in the huge spider¡¯s back returned to Zhanyue¡¯s hand.

    Then, Zhanyue descended from the sky, white mes enveloping the Heaven Punishing Demon Sword. He intended to deliver the final blow to this spider demon beast that couldn¡¯t even move.

    Just under Yunyao¡¯s gaze, a red light burst forth from the demon beast¡¯s body.

    The originally hideous demon beast transformed before their eyes. Its lower body was still that of a giant spider, but a human body grew out from above the spider body, skin as smooth as congealed cream,pletely uncovered. Her appearance was like a flower of icy coldness, beautiful yet stern. Her eyes were deep like the stars in the night sky, clear yet profound, as if able to glimpse into the depths of one¡¯s heart. Her brows were slightly raised, outlining a noble and aloof temperament, like a crescent moon hanging in the sky, invible. The lines of her lips were elegant, parting slightly to reveal a faint, cold smile, as if maintaining a transcendent attitude towards the splendor and mundanity of the world.

    Her skin was as white as snow, clean and wless, as if untouched by the dust and turmoil of the world, emanating a mysterious and invible aura. Her long hair was as ck as the night, cascading over her shoulders like a flowing waterfall, exuding a faint fragrance that made one unwittingly intoxicated.

    At this moment, the woman¡¯s appearance had actually be identical to Yunyao¡¯s, and it was a Yunyao without a single thread on her body. She had a pitiful look, her hands hugging her barely covered ample bosom, presenting a pitiable appearance.

    Zhanyue was momentarily dazed, subconsciously withdrawing his sword andnding in front of the spider demon beast. In his eyes, it wasn¡¯t some spider demon beast before him, but the real Yunyao.

    Meanwhile, Yunyao, who was observing the battle from afar, blushed, then surged with endless cold air. This wicked beast had gone too far, using her own appearance to seduce Zhanyue. She couldn¡¯t ept it no matter what. Just as she was about to join the battlefield to quickly end this absurd battle, the situation changed again.

    Zhanyue¡¯s eyes turned blood-red as he once again activated his pupil technique, ¡°Eyes of Strong Desire¡±. In an instant, the spider¡¯s illusion of lust was dispelled, and Zhanyue regained rity, stabbing his sword into the spider demon beast¡¯s chest. Then, he pulled out the treasure sword and gouged out the eyeballs from the spider demon beast¡¯s body. He ced a fingertip on the spider demon beast¡¯s body, and terrifying white mes instantly ignited it,pletely incinerating it to ashes.

    Without relying on a divine artifact, Zhanyue alone, with a single sword, had actually exterminated this lust demon beast. It was the lust demon beast¡¯s misfortune. The Three Talents Wondrous Fire countered its web of lust and infatuation poison, while its own illusions were countered by Zhanyue¡¯s Eyes of Strong Desire. Compared to divine artifacts, Zhanyue¡¯s counter was even more apparent. It had quite a few techniques, but they were all cracked by Zhanyue. Its death was not undeserved.

    ¡°It¡¯s dead?¡± Yunyaonded in front of Zhanyue, her anger not yet subsided. She didn¡¯t even have time to teach it a lesson.

    Zhanyue looked at the woman in front of him and her body wrapped in clothes, swallowing. Were they really that big? Zhanyue couldn¡¯t help thinking. However, this demon beast probably didn¡¯t transform randomly. Who knows how it knew Yunyao¡¯s body measurements? But nothing was impossible in this world. Even Baizhi needing divine thunder to activate her covenant item, this heavenly book world could deduce it, let alone Yunyao¡¯s mere figure.

    ¡°What are you looking at? Be careful, or I¡¯ll gouge out your eyes!¡± Yunyao red fiercely at Zhanyue, ready to take action at any moment. She wasn¡¯t just saying it.

    Zhanyue hurriedly averted his gaze and handed an eyeball to Yunyao.

    ¡°Mission aplished. I told you I could eliminate the demon beast even without a divine artifact,¡± Zhanyue smiled faintly.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡± Yunyao fell silent, not knowing whether she should praise Zhanyue or not. She indeed hadn¡¯t expected that divine artifacts weren¡¯t necessarily required. Finding the weaknesses of those demon beasts could also do the trick.

    ¡°What should we do next? Let alone divine artifacts, we don¡¯t even know where the demon beasts are sealed,¡± Yunyao asked.

    ¡°This ce isn¡¯t far from the territory of the Mountain Demon race. Let¡¯s go back and ask the Mountain Demon Elder again. Maybe the elder has other methods,¡± Zhanyue suggested.

    ¡°We have no choice but to do that,¡± Yunyao had no choice but to agree with this suggestion.

 Chapter 277: The Truth About the Cold Poison

    Chapter 277: The Truth About the Cold Poison

    ¡°You¡¯ve already eliminated four of the seven demon beasts?¡± In the Mountain Demon n¡¯s territory, the Mountain Demon Elder¡¯s face revealed a surprised expression. It hadn¡¯t been too long since the two left the n¡¯s territory, yet the four great cmity beasts of ¡°Fear¡±, ¡°Inferiority¡±, ¡°Greed¡±, and ¡°Lust¡± had already been eliminated by them. Only three of the seven cmity beasts remained.

    ¡°Elder, we now have no clues about the remaining three great cmity beasts. The map you gave us before is too ancient and probably not that useful anymore. We¡¯vee back this time to seek your guidance on where we should go next to find clues,¡± Zhanyue asked sincerely.

    The Mountain Demon Elder closed his eyes, pondering this question in his mind. The legend of the seven cmity beasts had passed long, long ago. Many races responsible for guarding the divine artifacts had even gone extinct. They hadn¡¯tmunicated with each other for a long time. Thest time the Mountain Demon n and the Spirit Eye n hadmunicated was many years ago.

    Suddenly, the Mountain Demon Elder¡¯s eyes snapped open. ¡°Got it! How could I have forgotten about them?¡± A hint of a smile appeared on his face. ¡°Do you know about the ¡®Fairy Spirit n¡¯?¡±

    ¡°Fairy Spirit n? We know very little about the races of this world. Please borate, Elder,¡± Zhanyue probed.

    ¡°The Fairy Spirit n are spirits of grass and trees taking physical form. They are the most mysterious race in this world. It¡¯s said that they are the closest to nature and the Heavenly Dao. No race dares to underestimate them. Among the Fairy Spirit n, there are prophets. It¡¯s said they know many secrets that we don¡¯t. But this legend has never been proven. Everyone just spectes based on how the Fairy Spirit n emerges unscathed from every major disaster. If it¡¯s the Fairy Spirit n¡¯s prophets, they might be able to help you find the remaining three great cmity beasts. But¡­¡± The Mountain Demon Elder¡¯s tone changed.

    ¡°But what?¡± Zhanyue continued asking.

    ¡°The reason I didn¡¯t think of them immediately is because they have always been mysterious and exclusive, rarely showing themselves in front of other living beings. Even though many people know where their n territory is, very few have actually seen them,¡± the Elder sighed.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Zhanyue was puzzled. Why was it that people knew where their n territory was but couldn¡¯t see them? ¡°Because¡­ they reside in other worlds. What we know as their n territory is merely the entrance to their world. If they don¡¯t want to see you, there¡¯s absolutely no way you¡¯ll be able to see them.¡± The Elder exined. Having lived countless years, even the Mountain Demon Elder knew very little about the Fairy Spirit n. There was no way around it ¨C this race was too mysterious. Even that visitor from beyond the heavens back then didn¡¯t get close to the Fairy Spirit n. The seven races guarding the divine artifacts didn¡¯t include the Fairy Spirit n.

    ¡°Also, because the Fairy Spirit n actually lives in another world, they don¡¯t really care about the seven cmity beasts. So, although they might not necessarily lend a hand to help you, this is the most troublesome part.¡± The Mountain Demon Elder said. If there were other options, he wouldn¡¯t have rmended Zhanyue and the others to seek the legendary Fairy Spirit n¡¯s help. But this was still better than searching for the divine artifacts like finding a needle in a haystack. After all, for the remaining three demon beasts, Zhanyue and the others weren¡¯t confident they could resolve the issue without divine artifacts.

    ¡°What do you think?¡± Zhanyue turned around and asked Yunyao behind him.

    ¡°I also don¡¯t have a better idea. Since there¡¯s a clue, let¡¯s go.¡± Yunyao naturally wouldn¡¯t object. After all, more than half the mission was alreadypleted. Even if she was told to give up now, she wouldn¡¯t agree.

    ¡°Alright then. Since you¡¯re willing to try, I¡¯ll tell you the location of the Fairy Spirit n¡¯s territory. As for whether you can meet the Fairy Spirit n, I can¡¯t help with that.¡± The Mountain Demon Elder took out a map and marked the location of the Fairy Spirit n¡¯s territory that he knew of. This wasn¡¯t some big secret. After all, many people had gone to seek them out, but very few had actually seen them. The only thing that could be confirmed was that every time the Fairy Spirit n appeared, it was there.

    ¡°Elder, you¡¯ve already helped us so much. We shouldn¡¯t dy any further. We¡¯ll take our leave now.¡± Zhanyue had already stayed in the Heavenly Book World for a very, very long time. He also wanted toplete the Heavenly Book Trial sooner.

    ¡°In such a hurry? It¡¯s good to be young.¡± The Mountain Demon Elder sighed. Then, remembering something, he shouted at the backs of Zhanyue and the others, ¡°Remember! The Fairy Spirit n hates lies the most. Don¡¯t deceive them!¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll keep that in mind!¡±

    The two left the Mountain Demon n and headed towards the legendary Fairy Spirit n territory ording to the map. <hr>

    In the Academy City, after Fan Longyu, Baizhi also exited the Heavenly Book World. Unlike Fan Longyu who was forced out due to failing the mission, Baizhi was the first person toplete the trial ande out. Of course, this was inseparable from Zhanyue and Lei Ying¡¯s help. Otherwise, relying on her alone, she would¡¯ve likely failed in the end. But perhaps by a fortuitous coincidence, she might¡¯ve still been able to awaken her covenant item.

    As expected, Tian Xian sought out Baizhi again. However, Baizhi had no interest in fighting. If they were topete, it would only be in alchemy. Before entering the Heavenly Book World, she was only a fifth-rank alchemist. When she came out, she was already a sixth-rank alchemist. Such a young sixth-rank alchemist directly stunned the people of the Alchemy Dao. Naturally, they were afraid of her getting hurt or injured and would never allow Tian Xian¡¯s challenge.

    ¡°If you want an opponent, wait for Tai¡¯e toe out.¡± The Alchemy Daoist only left this one sentence.

    Tian Xian had sessively defeated Liu Zhaoran, Feng Bng, Yu Xuanyi, and Fan Longyu, bing unrivaled for a time, with the Winged Race¡¯s heavenly genius pressing down on the Human Race¡¯s heavenly geniuses to act domineering. The Alchemy Daoist only regretted that Huang Xuejing, Yunyao, and Tai¡¯e hadn¡¯te out. In his eyes, only these three could rival Tian Xian. As for Zhanyue, Holy Maiden Lixi, Nangong Wei and the others, they probably weren¡¯t a match for Tian Xian. Of course, he knew very little about their experiences in the Heavenly Book World.

    At night, another beam of light burst out from the ancient well, instantly overshadowing the light from the Illumination Pagoda. The night was like daytime, and the gentle light energy made everyone bathed in it feel delighted in body and mind. After Baizhi, MuMu Lixi had alsopleted the trial and walked out. Unlike Baizhi, she hadpleted the trial relying on her own strength. Her entire bearing waspletely different, with a sacred and invible aura surging from her body.

    The Wind Lord Mumu Xingyun immediately came to his granddaughter¡¯s side, but the change in his granddaughter greatly shocked him. Compared to her previous frailty, MuMu Lixi¡¯s eyes now held a hint of determination.

    ¡°Girl, you¡­¡± The Wind Lord was somewhat stunned. His granddaughter seemed to have be even more beautiful. More importantly, it wasn¡¯t just her appearance and bearing, but the threatening aura emanating from her body. She could actually make him feel threatened? The Wind Lord naturally found it hard to understand.

    ¡°Grandpa, I just had some gains in the Heavenly Book World. The cold poison in my body has beenpletely resolved. Moreover, I discovered a secret.¡± MuMu Lixi said with a solemn face.

    ¡°What secret?¡± The Wind Lord was a bit puzzled. She was in such a hurry to tell him these things, so there must be some big event.

    ¡°The ¡®cold poison¡¯ in my body isn¡¯t actually ¡®poison¡¯, but a divine object, a top-grade treasure. My increase in strengthes from it.¡± MuMu Lixi¡¯s words caused the Wind Lord¡¯s mind to crash.

    ¡°The poison the Nightmare n put in you is actually a great nourishing substance, a top-grade treasure?¡± No matter what, the Wind Lord couldn¡¯t understand. How was this possible?

 Chapter 278: A New Challenge

    Chapter 278: A New Challenge

    ¡°Grandpa, look.¡±

    The Holy Maiden Lixi extended her jade-white hand, condensing a ball of cyan light in her palm. Compared to before entering the Heavenly Book World, this light had gained a hint of icy coldness. In other words, MuMu Lixi¡¯s power had changed from pure light to a dual attribute of light and cold. This was simply unbelievable.

    ¡°When you sessfully became a Light Contractee as a child, our family wasn¡¯t happy at first, but deeply worried. After all, Light Contractees are too special. The Nightmare n wouldn¡¯t let a second Illumination Goddess grow up smoothly. We were always worried about your safety, and I didn¡¯t dare leave you for too long.¡±

    Recalling past events, Wind Lord Mumu Xingyun had many feelings. Although many things had happened, his granddaughter had still grown up safely.

    ¡°Later, the Nightmare n indeed made a move against you. Although they didn¡¯t take your life, they left you with a cold poison, sealing your cultivation. To cure your cold poison, I tried every method but to no avail. After you were poisoned, the Nightmare n seemed to be at ease and never attempted to assassinate you again. But now you say that cold poison is a great nourishing substance, a divine treasure¡­ What exactly is going on? Did the Nightmare n not recognize its value and turn a clever move into a blunder?¡± Mumu Xingyun couldn¡¯t figure it out no matter how much he thought about it.

    ¡°What if the Nightmare n did it on purpose?¡± Holy Maiden Lixi asked in return.

    The Wind Lord¡¯s face became even more attractive. ¡°If that¡¯s really the case¡­ Could it be¡­ No¡­ Impossible, how could that be? Are you saying that someone in the Nightmare n has been secretly protecting you? Poisoning you was just to give the Nightmare n an excuse to stop persecuting you? And that poison itself is even a divine treasure greatly beneficial to you? How is that possible? This¡­ This is impossible!¡±

    MuMu Lixi¡¯s expression was equallyplex. Her guess was outrageous, even she herself didn¡¯t believe it, but there was a vague feeling in her heart that she might not be wrong.

    ¡°This matter needs long-term consideration. How is your strength now?¡± The Wind Lord stopped thinking about this iprehensible question and instead excitedly inquired about MuMu Lixi¡¯s current strength. ¡°More than ten times stronger than before¡­¡± MuMu Lixi thought for a moment and truthfully said. She naturally wouldn¡¯t deceive her grandfather.

    ¡°T-ten times?¡± The Wind Lord¡¯s eyes widened. He could sense MuMu Lixi¡¯s realm. She had now touched the threshold of the Sr Profound Realm but hadn¡¯t stepped into it yet. But her strength was more than ten times greater than before? What did this mean? Invincible below Spirit God Realm? Even surpassing top experts like Mi Hongchen and Gong Xiaoyu before they entered the Spirit God Realm? ¡°Just what kind of divine treasure is that cold poison? And what kind of trial is the Heavenly Book Trial?¡±

    MuMu Lixi exined, ¡°That cold poison is originally called ¡®Marrow of the Cold Heaven¡¯. It¡¯s said to be a divine treasure of the extreme cold attribute that has long disappeared from the world. As for the Heavenly Book Trial, it is indeed a good ce. My potential was fully developed. I wonder how much benefit the others have gained.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯ve gained quite a bit, but definitely not as much as you. By the way, that girl Baizhi also came out not long ago. Her changes seem quite big too.¡± The Wind Lord said. He had never even heard of what the Marrow of the Cold Heaven was.

    ¡°Unfortunately, I don¡¯t have any treasures with the ice-cold attribute, so I can¡¯t bring out the full power of this strength yet.¡± MuMu Lixi said with some regret. ¡°You said Sister Baizhi also came out? I¡¯ll go see her.¡±

    ¡°Alright, you go ahead first. The matter of ice-cold attribute treasures isn¡¯t urgent. Grandpa will also keep an eye out for you.¡± The Wind Lord said. He had been focused on collecting light attribute treasures in the past and hadn¡¯t paid attention to any ice attribute treasures.

    After the Holy Maiden left, she returned to her own courtyard. Baizhi was currently also living in the courtyard where Zhanyue had lived before. The two lived in the same room, chatting about their experiences in the Heavenly Book World.

    With the two of them, six out of the twelve people who entered the Heavenly Book Trial hade out, exactly half. It was just a pity for Tianxian. Neither Baizhi nor MuMu Lixi seemed very willing to spar with him. He couldn¡¯t force them either.

    ¡°They say the Winged Race has handsome men and beautiful women. Now it seems the women of the Human Race are not inferior to those women of our Winged Race. It¡¯s just a pity the Winged Race never allows intermarriage with other races. The mistake of Yunyao¡¯s father must never be repeated.¡± Tianxian was still guarding the Academy City at this time. His purpose ining was to battle the Human Race¡¯s heavenly geniuses and enhance the Winged Race¡¯s prestige. Fortunately, after Holy Maiden Lixi, Huang Xueqing alsopleted the trial and came out. She originally had no intention of crossing hands with this heavenly genius of the Winged Race, but after some thought, this Winged Race genius would most likely not let Zhanyue, the Human Race¡¯s Divine Son, off the hook. Defeating Zhanyue would enhance his reputation more than defeating anyone else. And Huang Xueqing was very clear about Zhanyue¡¯s strength. She was worried Zhanyue might not be his match. If so, she would first help Zhanyue test this person¡¯s skill. Not to mention whether she could win against him, Huang Xueqing was confident she could stand undefeated. No matter what, she could at least draw out all of this person¡¯s techniques.

    ¡°If only Tai¡¯e couldplete the trial ande out first. With his belligerent personality, he would be very suitable to teach this Winged Race genius a lesson. I¡¯m just afraid Zhanyue wille out first. If we women avoid battle, it won¡¯t let outsiders gossip, but if Zhanyue, as the Illumination Goddess¡¯ disciple and the Human Race¡¯s Divine Son, avoids battle, there will probably be a lot of idle chatter.¡± This was Huang Xueqing¡¯s true thoughts. She was thinking even further than MuMu Lixi. As for MuMu Lixi, she didn¡¯t believe at all that Zhanyue would lose to this Tianxian.

    In any case, Tianxian encountered a new opponent, the mysterious fairy Huang Xueqing from Azure Crane Valley.

    ¡°Sister MuMu Lixi, did you hear? Sister Huang epted Tianxian¡¯s challenge? How strange, with her personality, how could she care about such things?¡± In the room, Baizhi, who had just received the news, asked Holy Maiden Lixi beside her.

    MuMu Lixi was currently holding a medicinal pill in her hand, curiously pondering some questions about the Alchemy Daoist. Although she didn¡¯t refine pills, she was also somewhat interested in it. Hearing Baizhi¡¯s words, her eyes moved with a hint of hostility because she sensed some crisis. ¡°Hmph, this fairy from Azure Crane Valley has always been unwilling to get involved in too many mundane matters. For her to be willing to stir up this muddy water this time, she must have some other purpose. Let¡¯s go. At least she is representing the Human Race now, so we should go cheer her on.¡±

    In the Heavenly Book World, Zhanyue and hispanion crossed mountains and rivers, finally arriving at the ce marked on the map. He naturally didn¡¯t know about the excitement in the outside world, nor did he know that Huang Xueqing was thinking of helping him get rid of a troublesome person.

    The Fairy Spirit Forest was veryrge and shrouded in a faint purple mist. The flowers and nts growing in the forest were ones they had never seen before. Even with Zhanyue¡¯s knowledge as a high-level alchemist, he didn¡¯t recognize them at all. These nts werepletely different from the nts in the Wanling Realm, each looking as if they were highly poisonous.

    ¡°We¡¯re here? But how do we find the Fairy Spirit n people?¡± Yunyao stood to the side like a jade statue, her face emotionless.

    ¡°Let¡¯s stroll around and see. Maybe we¡¯ll be lucky,¡± Zhanyue said.

    The two wandered aimlessly in the forest, feeling the unique charm of this forest. At this moment, not far away, a creature only the size of a rabbit was carrying a basket on its back, collecting a particrly good-looking mushroom. The creature had a face like a human, with cute features and a big red flower on its head, as if a potted nt hade to life. Its face was brimming with a happy expression,pletely unaware of Zhanyue and hispanion¡¯s approach.

 Chapter 279: Invincible Against Invincible (1)

    Chapter 279: Invincible Against Invincible (1)

    There were quite a few spectators for this battle. Thunder Lord, Wind Lord, and others had already appeared outside the arena. Baizhi and the Holy Maiden were also quietly staying to the side. The Winged Race¡¯s Great Elder still had a look of confidence, believing that no matter who the opponent was, Tianxian would not lose.

    ¡°Senior Alchemy Daoist, I heard that Tianxian¡¯s opponent this time is a woman? True heroese in all forms,¡± the Winged Race¡¯s Great Elder said politely.

    The Alchemy Daoist nodded. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that girl to agree to fight either.¡± The Valley Master of Azure Crane Valley, Yan Baifeng, had already returned a few days ago. Based on Huang Xueqing¡¯s personality, she wouldn¡¯t have normally intervened in this challenge, but she still chose to fight. As for the reason, among those present, probably only Holy Maiden Lixi had guessed it.

    The crowd didn¡¯t wait long before Tianxian, who had been standing on the arena early, weed his opponent ¨C Huang Xueqing.

    Unlike usual, today Huang Xueqing wasn¡¯t wearing a veil. Her eyebrows were thin as willows, the curved tips slightly raised as if carrying a hint of pride. Her crystal-like eyes were like two ck gems, sparkling with the light of wisdom, containing the spirit of youth. Her long nose bridge was tall and handsome, the slightly upturned tip revealing her lively temperament. Her face was delicate, like a lotus rising from water, exquisite and wless. Her skin was white as snow, seeming to be able to pinch out water. That kind of extremely pure whiteplexion was like peach blossoms in spring, full of tempting mour. Her beautiful hair cascaded like a waterfall, ck and shiny, as delicate and smooth as ck velvet. A few strands fell loose on her forehead. A fairy of a hundred flowers, a spirit of spring, peerlessly beautiful yet not giving people a sense of pressure.

    Completely different from Holy Maiden Lixi¡¯s sanctity, Baizhi¡¯s cute yfulness, and Gong Xiaoyu¡¯s mature charm, Huang Xueqing gave more of a feeling of gentle elegance. Just looking at her, one seemed to be able to feel the spring breezeing.

    Looking at Huang Xueqing on the arena, Holy Maiden Lixi clenched her fists. This woman posed quite a threat to her. Although she was also considered a peerless beauty, in terms of appearance alone, among the younger generation, probably only Yunyao could be on par with her.

    Feng Bng had left the Academy City after recovering from his injuries, missing this battle. Yu Xuanyi had been taken back home by his n¡¯s elder to stabilize his realm. As for Liu Zhaoran, after losing to Tianxian, he was said to have gone to the Chasing Sun Ancient Kingdom to continue improving his strength. After losing to Tianxian, the always proud Fan Longyu had also left early to return to the Sleeping Dragon Kingdom, deeply digging into the opportunities within his body.

    ¡°Another peerless beauty. I didn¡¯t expect the women of the Human Race to be not inferior to the women of my Winged Race at all. It¡¯s just that the men of the Human Race are not pleasing to the eye in both strength and appearance. It¡¯s a pity that the ancestral rules are there,¡± Tianxian couldn¡¯t help sighing. On this trip to the mortal world, he had seen too many peerless beauties, not inferior to the Winged Race women known for their beauty. Unfortunately, the Winged Race did not allow their bloodline to flow out. These women also had extraordinary identities and statuses, so he couldn¡¯t possibly take them away. He could onlyment in secret. However, Tianxian was not the kind of person who was obsessed with beauty and lost in lust. After all, as a member of the Winged Race, there was no shortage of stunning women within the n. ¡°But now I¡¯m even more curious. I heard that Yunyao is also extremely beautiful. I wonder how shepares to the woman in front of me.¡± Tianxian couldn¡¯t help thinking.

    ¡°Still distracted while fighting me?¡± Huang Xueqing said indifferently. The reason she was willing to fight was actually to test Tianxian¡¯s strength, to draw out all his techniques. If he really went looking for Zhanyueter, Zhanyue would also be prepared. Of course, others didn¡¯t know these thoughts.

    ¡°Since you¡¯re in a hurry, let¡¯s begin. I won¡¯t hold back just because you¡¯re a woman.¡± Tianxian knew that the woman in front of him definitely had extraordinary strength. After all, he had already defeated Fan Longyu, yet she still dared to ept his challenge, indicating that she was probably not weaker than Fan Longyu. The Human Race indeed had many heavenly geniuses.

    Tianxian directly spread his wings and flew into the air. Feathers burning with cyan heavenly fire shot towards Huang Xueqing.

    However, Huang Xueqing waved her hand, and threeyers of protective shields appeared around her body. Her face was solemn, not underestimating this Winged Race genius at all.

    Those feathers, like a storm, easily broke through the firstyer of the shield, then pierced the secondyer, and were finally stopped by the thirdyer.

    ¡°Huang Xueqing¡¯s defensive techniques are truly amazing. The move that defeated Feng Bng couldn¡¯t even break through her defense,¡± the spectators couldn¡¯t help sighing. In the previous battles of geniuses, Huang Xueqing¡¯s strength had not been fully drawn out. Below the arena, the Holy Maiden also stared at Huang Xueqing with a pair of beautiful eyes. Before entering the Heavenly Book World, she knew she was not Huang Xueqing¡¯s match, but now it was uncertain.

    ¡°What a pity. Before entering the Heavenly Book Trial, Huang Xueqing was at the peak of the Sun Profound Realm. Aftering out, she¡¯s still at this realm and hasn¡¯t broken through to the Spirit God Realm,¡± the Wind Lord said with some regret. You should know that Huang Xueqing was the person most likely to break the record of the youngest Spirit God Realm held by the Illumination Goddess. It was just that the benefits brought to her by the Heavenly Book Trial didn¡¯t seem to be in terms of realm.

    ¡°Breaking through to the Spirit God Realm also requires opportunity and coincidence. That girl Mi Hongchen has been stuck at the peak of the Sun Profound Realm for so many years and still hasn¡¯t broken through. And that little girl Gong Xiaoyu also made no progress in the Kingdom of a Thousand Beauties for a long time, but broke through aftering to the Academy City. Opportunity, it stilles down to opportunity,¡± the Alchemy Daoist sighed. If Gong Xiaoyu were present, she would definitely feel extremely embarrassed, after all, that kind of opportunity was really¡­ a bit hard to say out loud.

    ¡°Good technique!¡± Tianxian¡¯s face revealed a hint of joy. This opponent was really not bad. A Winged Race phantom appeared behind him ¨C it was the Winged Race Statue. The statue chopped down from the sky with a hand de, directly shattering thestyer of the shield like ss.

    Huang Xueqing naturally wouldn¡¯t have just these few techniques. Below her, a nine-grade lotus tform appeared. On her forehead, a cyan lotus also appeared. She stood on the lotus tform, like the most sacred god or buddha.

    ¡°Hmm? Why does this woman have innate buddha nature?¡± The figure of the Ascetic Monk appeared at some unknown time beside the crowd.

    ¡°Greetings, Senior.¡± The crowd all bowed, including the Winged Race¡¯s Great Elder who didn¡¯t dare to be rude to the Ascetic Monk. After all, this Ascetic Monk was someone even their elder was wary of.

    ¡°No need for that.¡± The Ascetic Monk¡¯s thoughts werepletely on Huang Xueqing. ¡°No wonder this woman has an aura ofpassion for the world, she actually has such buddha nature.¡± The Ascetic Monk sighed with emotion. He knew that Huang Xueqing didn¡¯t even know what a buddha was.

    Back then, when Zhanyue first mastered the Eyes of Strong Desire, he almost lost control. It was Huang Xueqing who used the cyan lotus on her forehead in conjunction with the ¡°Great Luo Cyan Lotus Heart-Calming Chant¡± to restore Zhanyue¡¯s rationality and help him master the Eyes of Strong Desire. Zhanyue and Huang Xueqing didn¡¯t know that this power had some connection with Buddhism.

    A lotus flower appeared in Huang Xueqing¡¯s palm, the same one as the lotus tform below her. It then flew into the sky and collided with the huge phantom in the sky. Instantly, everyone felt terrifying energy ripples appear in the air. That Winged Race Heavenly Statue was actually shattered by a lotus flower.

    ¡°So powerful!¡± The crowd couldn¡¯t help sighing at Huang Xueqing¡¯s techniques. On this trip to the Heavenly Book Trial, the reward for the second mission was this mysterious lotus tform.

    ¡°This woman may be able toprehend my ¡®Lotus Step¡¯.¡± The Ascetic Monk¡¯s eyes glowed. He had been searching for a sessor for countless years, and today he finally had some gains.

    ¡°Good technique, good technique.¡± Tianxian also stopped holding back and once again transformed into a mysterious form, his entire body like quicksilver!

    ¡°So this is your trump card?¡± Huang Xueqing didn¡¯t dare to be careless. The light from the cyan lotus on her forehead intensified.

 Chapter 280: Invincible Against Invincible (2)

    Chapter 280: Invincible Against Invincible (2)

    Tianxian in his quicksilver form had no facial features, merely a human shape, like a creature from another realm. Even with the insight of the Ascetic Monk and the Alchemy Daoist, they couldn¡¯t understand Tianxian¡¯s power at all.

    Huang Xueqing calmly responded. With a flip of her right hand, the lotus in the air separated into des, the nine-grade lotus tform transforming into nine lotus petal flying knives.

    The nine-grade flying knives flew directly towards Tianxian, but Tianxian didn¡¯t defend at all, allowing the nine knives to pass through his body. These knives were like passing through a water screen, and then that water screen instantly healed. That quicksilver figure waspletely unharmed.

    ¡°Indeed, it¡¯s like this again. It seems any damage is unable to injure Tianxian in this form,¡± the spectators all eximed in amazement.

    The quicksilver man went straight for Huang Xueqing¡¯s location. However, Huang Xueqing waved her hand again, and the nine lotus petals of the nine-grade lotus tform converged in front of her like light beams, forming the shape of a shield.

    The quicksilver man fiercely crashed into the shield, turning into dots of quicksilver droplets, and then those quicksilver droplets gathered back into human form. Tianxian punched the lotus shield again and again, but it was difficult to shake it.

    ¡°What an amazing defense. Each punch and kick from Tianxian in this state is as heavy as a mountain, yet this lotus defense ispletely undamaged?¡± the Winged Race¡¯s Great Elder sighed. He naturally knew how powerful Tianxian¡¯s attacks were in this state. Even those at the early Spirit God stage definitely wouldn¡¯t be a match for Tianxian in this state.

    Since a strong offense didn¡¯t work, Tianxian changed his approach. He actually stuck to the lotus shield like a liquid, then passed through the gaps in the lotus shield and returned to human form to attack Huang Xueqing.

    ¡°There¡¯s even this kind of breakthrough method?¡± The crowd didn¡¯t expect to see such a scene. ¡°Huang Xueqing is in danger now. This shield of hers can¡¯t stop Tianxian in this form.¡± The people off-stage were all anxious, watching with pounding hearts, but Huang Xueqing on stage was extremely calm.

    Suddenly, eighteen identical lotus tforms appeared beside Huang Xueqing, forming multiyered shields tightly protecting her. The shields rotated at high speed. As soon as the quicksilver Tianxian drilled into the gaps, he was thrown out, unable to break through like before.

    ¡°This¡­ eighteen lotus tforms!! How is this possible?!¡± The crowd gaped at the densely packed lotus shields. One lotus tform was already so powerful, yet she actually had eighteen.

    ¡°Is it another illusion?¡± The Thunder Lord narrowed his eyes. In the previous battles of geniuses, Huang Xueqing had deceived Fan Longyu with an illusion.

    ¡°True and false, false and true. She indeed only has one lotus tform, but these eighteen lotus tforms are also all real,¡± the Ascetic Monk said.

    ¡°Senior, what do you mean? What does it mean she only has one lotus tform, but these eighteen lotus tforms are all real?¡± The crowd couldn¡¯t understand.

    The Ascetic Monk smiled slightly and didn¡¯t exin. After all, this involved Huang Xueqing¡¯s secret. He saw through it but didn¡¯t expose it. The others on stage, including the Alchemy Daoist, couldn¡¯t see through it at all.

    After repeated attempts, the quicksilver man finally broke through the lotus shield and arrived in front of Huang Xueqing.

    ¡°You¡¯ve lost,¡± Tianxian¡¯s face, which didn¡¯t resemble a human¡¯s, revealed the shape of a mouth, confidently saying.

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Huang Xueqing smiled disdainfully.

    The eighteen lotus tforms flew in eighteen directions, floating in the air, and then eighteen Huang Xueqings stood on the tforms, looking at the dumbfounded Tianxian.

    ¡°How is this possible! What level of illusion is this?!¡± The Great Elder Tian Yu couldn¡¯t sit still anymore. He knew Huang Xueqing was using an illusion, but he couldn¡¯t see through it.

    ¡°So amazing¡­¡± Baizhi looked at Huang Xueqing with admiration. She had also heard of Tianxian¡¯s reputation recently and didn¡¯t expect Huang Xueqing to be able to contend with him for so long.

    ¡°A draw?¡± MuMu Lixi beside her also breathed a sigh of relief. She was still quite worried about Huang Xueqing. After all, she represented the Human Race. Now Huang Xueqing was in a truly undefeatable position.

    ¡°What a pity. I¡¯m afraid Tianxian is familiar with this level of illusion,¡± Elder Tian Yu sighed helplessly.

    ¡°Hehe, Elder Tian Yu, how about considering this battle a draw?¡± the Thunder Lord proposed.

    Elder Tian Yu nodded. Although Tianxian was invincible in this state, he couldn¡¯t really injure Huang Xueqing, and Huang Xueqing¡¯s moves also couldn¡¯t injure Tianxian at all. There wouldn¡¯t be a result if two people with ¡°no weaknesses¡± continued fighting.

    Tianxian and Huang Xueqing on stage naturally also understood this principle. Both sides retreated from the arena.

    ¡°Impressive, impressive. Wait until I find a way to break your illusion, I¡¯ll definitely battle you again,¡± Tianxian was a bit unconvinced. His understanding of illusions was too shallow, so he had no way to deal with Huang Xueqing.

    Huang Xueqing didn¡¯t even frown. She couldn¡¯t think of a way to break through Tianxian¡¯s quicksilver state. ¡°Forget it, I indeed can¡¯t defeat him.¡±

    With this battle, the Winged Race genius¡¯s advancing steps were finally halted. The Human Race regained a bit of ground.

    However, Tianxian and the Great Elder didn¡¯t leave after this. He couldn¡¯t defeat Huang Xueqing because her techniques were too strange. He was more curious about the level of Tai¡¯e, whom he hadn¡¯t seen, and that rumored Divine Son. More importantly, they had another mission for this trip ¨C to bring Yunyao back.

    In the Heavenly Book World.

    A creature only the size of a rabbit was carrying a basket on its back, collecting a particrly good-looking mushroom. The creature had a face like a human, with cute features and a big red flower on its head, as if a potted nt hade to life. Its face was brimming with a happy expression,pletely unaware of Zhanyue and hispanion¡¯s approach.

    ¡°Hold!¡± Without any hesitation, Yunyao directly used her spatial technique.

    The mysterious little creature¡¯s face froze, wanting to run but unable to escape at all.

    ¡°Who are you? Hurry and let me go, or I¡¯ll get angry,¡± a cute voice appeared in the minds of the two. This mysterious creature could actually directlymunicate with them telepathically.

    ¡°Little cutie, are you from the Fairy Spirit n?¡± Zhanyuemunicated in his mind.

    ¡°I am from the Fairy Spirit n. Hurry and let me go, or I¡¯ll really get angry,¡± the little Fairy Spirit n member said angrily. Yunyao¡¯s technique wasn¡¯t very effective against those experts, but it was even better at restraining this little Fairy Spirit n member.

    ¡°Let you go? What if you run away? Do you know how to get to the true Fairy Spirit n territory?¡±

    ¡°You want to go to our vige? That¡¯s not a ce ordinary people can go. There¡¯s a kind of seven-colored mushroom in my basket. If you eat it, you can go,¡± the little Fairy Spirit n member said.

    Zhanyue took out a colorful mushroom from its small basket and examined it for a long time.

    ¡°You¡¯re not really thinking of eating it, are you? It¡¯s obviously trying to trick us. This mushroom looks highly poisonous at a nce,¡± Yunyao said, looking at Zhanyue.

    ¡°Nonsense! The Fairy Spirit n never lies,¡± the little Fairy Spirit n member said angrily.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. What I fear the least is poison. I¡¯ll try it first. If there¡¯s a problem, I have ways to deal with it.¡± Zhanyue was fearless and directly ate the colorful mushroom. Instantly, he felt dizzy, as if he had arrived in a mysterious ce.

    In Yunyao¡¯s eyes, after Zhanyue ate the mushroom, his entire body turned into specks of light andpletely disappeared from her sight.

    ¡°Huh? What¡¯s going on? Didn¡¯t Grandpa say only Fairy Spirit n members can return to the n territory after eating the seven-colored mushroom? How did he go there too?¡± The little Fairy Spirit n member widened its cute eyes, expressing its inability to understand. If it were really this simple, countless people would have set foot in that sacrednd long ago.

 Chapter 281: Dreamland of the Immortals

    Chapter 281: Dreand of the Immortals

    Zhanyue opened his eyes and found himself not in the Fairy Spirit Forest. The mysterious creature and Yunyao were also not by his side. He looked around and widened his eyes.

    The surrounding trees were different from ordinary trees. They towered into the clouds, their trunks straight and upright, standing like guardians deep in the forest. The leaves shimmered with various colors, some glowing with a golden light, others shining with a silvery luster, as if the leaves themselves possessed magical energy. As the breeze blew, the leaves made a pleasant sound, as if whispering, conveying mysterious messages.

    Even more amazing, bubble-like things kept floating up from the ground, as if he was at the bottom of the sea.

    Zhanyue reached out and touched a bubble in front of him that was shimmering with a seven-colored glow. The bubble popped as soon as Zhanyue poked it with his finger.

    Then, a fingernail-sized piece of cake appeared in Zhanyue¡¯s hand.

    ¡°Huh?¡± Zhanyue looked at the small piece of cake in his hand with confusion, then poked the surrounding bubbles with his finger.

    Candy, fruit, cake, juice¡­ various delicacies appeared from the not-sorge bubbles. Such a magical scene greatly piqued Zhanyue¡¯s curiosity.

    ¡°You¡­ who are you? How did you appear here? Are you here to steal our food?¡± Three rabbit-sized creatures appeared not far from Zhanyue. They all had different flowers on their heads, each looking like a potted nt that hade to life.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t the great Prophet Grandpa say that only the Fairy Spirit n can enter the Dreand of the Immortals? Unless¡­ unless¡­¡± One of the Fairy Spirit n members looked at Zhanyue with doubt. It was a bit bolder and even dared to stare at Zhanyue for a few moments. ¡°But¡­ we didn¡¯t hear about the Fairy Spirit n having guests. How did this person appear here?¡± another Fairy Spirit n member said.

    ¡°Then what should we do?¡± the third Fairy Spirit n member asked.

    ¡°I appeared here after eating the seven-colored mushroom. I¡¯ll return this food to you.¡± Zhanyue waved his hand, and those small delicacies flew back into the hands of these Fairy Spirit n members. He could only sigh at how good the food of these little spirits was. Whatever they wanted to eat could be obtained directly from these bubbles. The abundance of resources in this world was simply unimaginable.

    ¡°He doesn¡¯t seem like a bad person.¡±

    ¡°Yes, he seems very polite.¡±

    ¡°No, no, the Prophet said that only the Fairy Spirit n can return here through the seven-colored mushroom. Others can only enter through the teleportation formation and must have our consent. Everyone be careful, he¡¯s a big liar.¡± One of the smarter Fairy Spirit n members said.

    Instantly, Zhanyue felt three powerful auras locking onto him. He frowned. He told the truth, but it seemed to have caused an even bigger misunderstanding.

    He wasn¡¯t afraid of fighting, he was just afraid of hurting these little ones. After all, he didn¡¯te here to make enemies with the Fairy Spirit n.

    Unlike the young Fairy Spirit n member outside, these three Fairy Spirit n members possessed extremely strongbat power. White spiritual energy seeped out from their bodies. One of them transformed the white energy into a fox, one into an eagle, and another into a fierce tiger.

    The three creatures formed from spiritual energy were lifelike. Zhanyue even felt a great threat from them. The three little Fairy Spirit n members were very cute, but these spirit beasts were very formidable.

    ¡°The Fairy Spirit n¡­ must never be offended.¡± Zhanyue instantly made a decision. If he casually encountered three Fairy Spirits that were already so powerful, there must be even stronger experts in their n.

    The three little Fairy Spirits attacked simultaneously. The fox, eagle, and tiger all charged towards Zhanyue. Zhanyue closed his eyes and didn¡¯t fight back. The three attacks all stopped in front of him at the same time.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t he counterattack?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°Maybe he¡¯s not a bad person?¡±

    The three Fairy Spirits discussed for a while, asionally ncing at Zhanyue.

    Then, two Fairy Spirits stayed to watch Zhanyue while the other one left.

    ¡°Please stay here for a while,¡± the little Fairy Spirit said politely. It then popped a bubble beside it, and a piece of candy fell out. It immediately put it in its mouth, revealing a happy smile.

    The Dreand of the Immortals was a truend of happiness. There was no war, no gue, no famine, and even no¡­ death. However, thisnd of happiness had always been enjoyed exclusively by the Fairy Spirit n.

    Zhanyue smiled and sat down, curiously observing his surroundings. The two Fairy Spirit n members also curiously observed him.

    ¡°What race are you?¡± one of the Fairy Spirit n members asked curiously.

    ¡°Human,¡± Zhanyue replied. He patiently waited, estimating that the Fairy Spirit that left had gone to find someone who could talk. This was in line with Zhanyue¡¯s intentions.

    ¡°Human? Never heard of it.¡± The two little Fairy Spirits had never heard of the Human Race. Their understanding of the outside world generally came from stories told by the elders in the n or from various storybooks, but they had never heard of the Human Race.

    Not long after, the Fairy Spirit that had left returned. Two figures followed behind it. One was an elderly Fairy Spirit n member. Although he was only the size of a rabbit, his white beard was much, much longer than his body. Such a long beard naturally wouldn¡¯t be dragged on the ground, but was held up by the ws of a cyan and red parrot behind him. The elder was wearing a blue robe and holding a wooden staff in his right hand.

    ¡°Greetings, Prophet Grandpa.¡± The two Fairy Spirit n members all bowed when they saw the elder.

    ¡°No need for formalities, children.¡± The elder¡¯s gaze had already stopped on Zhanyue from afar, his eyes filled with confusion, fear, and excitement at different times.

    ¡°Did you really enter by eating the seven-colored mushroom?¡± the elder asked bluntly.

    ¡°Absolutely. There¡¯s still one of your little Fairy Spirit n members outside, along with my friend. They can all testify,¡± Zhanyue said.

    ¡°The little Fairy Spirit outside? It must be Tao Tao. It sneaked out again, so disobedient,¡± the few little Fairy Spirits whispered among themselves.

    ¡°Is that so?¡± The elder waved the peach wood staff in his hand, and a huge bubble rose from the ground. Then, the elder waved the staff, and the bubble burst. A figure appeared inside ¨C it was the Fairy Spirit they had encountered outside.

    Zhanyue widened his eyes. The elder¡¯s technique was too strange. And in the outside world, Yunyao also discovered that the Fairy Spirit she had trapped had directly disappeared. She didn¡¯t even sense any spatial fluctuations.

    ¡°P-Prophet Grandpa.¡± The little Fairy Spirit who had sneaked out trembled all over when it saw the elder in front of it.

    ¡°I know, I¡¯ll go to the confinement room,¡± the little Fairy Spirit was about to go ept its punishment, but was stopped by the elder.

    ¡°Before you leave, first tell me, did this persone here after eating the seven-colored mushroom?¡± the Prophet asked.

    The little Fairy Spirit looked at Zhanyue, only now noticing that this person was also here. ¡°Yes¡­ he listened to me and ate the seven-colored mushroom, then disappeared. It was clearly the teleportation light of the Fairy Spirit n.¡±

    ¡°Alright, I understand.¡± The elder let this little Fairy Spirit off the hook. The heart that had been suspended finally settled down, and a smile appeared on his face, making Zhanyue¡¯s heart tingle.

    ¡°Young man, do you know why you were able toe here after eating the seven-colored mushroom?¡± the elder asked, looking at Zhanyue.

    ¡°Senior, I really don¡¯t know anything about this matter,¡± Zhanyue said, equally honest.

    ¡°Because¡­ you¡¯re also from the Fairy Spirit n!¡±

 Chapter 282: Awakening (1)

    Chapter 282: Awakening (1)

    ¡°Me? Fairy Spirit n?¡± Zhanyue¡¯s mouth twitched, only remembering that this was a huge joke. Whether in his previous world or in the Wanling Realm, he was a proper member of the Human Race. So many Human Race big shots had never doubted his bloodline. Besides, just look at the appearance of the Fairy Spirit n in front of him. Where was he the same as them? Did he have a flower on his head? Or was his height not even reaching an ordinary person¡¯s knees?

    ¡°It seems the Heavenly Book World has problems again,¡± Zhanyue sighed. Although the Heavenly Book World was maintained by the remnant divine consciousness of the legendary God of Wisdom, it was obviously not omniscient and omnipotent, and could still make mistakes. The blunder in front of him was the best proof.

    The elder¡¯s eyes moved and moved again as he looked at Zhanyue. He naturally understood Zhanyue¡¯s thoughts. ¡°I know you don¡¯t believe it, but the restrictions of the Dreand of the Immortals can¡¯t be faked. Only the Fairy Spirit n can enter by consuming the seven-colored mushroom. Other races can only enter through the teleportation formation.¡±

    Zhanyue couldn¡¯t be bothered to say much. If it was really some bug, he was also a beneficiary of the bug. After all, if this elder really treated him as a member of the Fairy Spirit n, things would be much easierter on. It was just like how he had gained many benefits from the Mountain Demon n before because they treated him as half a n member.

    ¡°Um, old sir, my friend is still outside. Can you let her in first?¡± Zhanyue asked somewhat uneasily. Yunyao was still left outside at the moment, and he naturally couldn¡¯t abandon hispanion.

    ¡°Of course. After all, your friend is a friend of our Fairy Spirit n. Follow me.¡± The elder waved his hand, and the surrounding bubbles converged, with several small bubbles gathering to form a few huge bubbles.

    The surrounding little Fairy Spirit n members were all very skilled at sitting on the bubbles. Zhanyue naturally understood that thergest bubble was reserved for him, and he directly sat on the bubble.

    Then the elder waved the wooden staff in his hand again, and everyone was carried up by their respective bubbles. Zhanyue curiously observed his surroundings. They weren¡¯t flying very high, but their speed was quite fast. The beautiful scenery around him was something Zhanyue had never seen before ¨C purple trees, grass with a white glow¡­ Everything in this world was so unique.

    Soon, Zhanyue saw the gathering ce of the Fairy Spirit n. It was a huge town, and each house was shaped like a mushroom. They seemed to be some kind of dried giant mushrooms that had been hollowed out to serve as houses, which was very interesting. The Fairy Spirit n members saw the returning group and politely greeted the Prophet, but everyone unanimously focused more of their gazes on Zhanyue, whispering. However, no one dared to stop them. If the Prophet didn¡¯t say anything, they didn¡¯t dare to ask too much. This was the rule.

    ¡°We¡¯re here.¡± Soon, Zhanyue was brought to the base of arge tree. The Prophet¡¯s house was a tree house on the tree, and it was very, veryrge, clearly iparable to the other Fairy Spirit n members¡¯ houses. But the Prophet didn¡¯t lead Zhanyue into the wooden house, instead stopping at the trunk of the tree.

    The Prophet used the wooden staff in his hand to draw circles on the trunk, and then the trunk emitted a glow, and a door appeared in front of Zhanyue.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± The Prophet led Zhanyue inside. The two instantly appeared in the Fairy Spirit Forest, appearing in front of Yunyao.

    Seeing the suddenly appearing Zhanyue and the unfamiliar short old man, Yunyao was obviously a bit dazed.

    ¡°Bring your friend over.¡± The elder said, then casually found another tree and repeated the same method. Not long after, a teleportation gate appeared on the trunk.

    ¡°No time to exin, hurry and follow me,¡± Zhanyue said to Yunyao beside him.

    At this moment, the elder suddenly turned his head and said to Zhanyue, ¡°You¡¯d better hold her hand. She¡¯s not from the Fairy Spirit n and might get lost in the spatial tunnel, unable to arrive smoothly.¡± With that, the elder went in first.

    Zhanyue reached out his hand towards Yunyao, but Yunyao acted like she didn¡¯t see it and asked in return, ¡°What did it mean by that? I¡¯m not from the Fairy Spirit n? Are you saying you are?¡± Yunyao was so clever that she instantly grasped the key point.

    She didn¡¯t believe she would get lost in the spatial tunnel. After all, she also understood some spatialws. Several of the Nine Emperors of the Void Sky were skilled in spatialws, and the Feathered Emperor was one of them. Of course, among the nine, the Cosmic Emperor was the most skilled in thisw. The four directions and the up and down were ¡°cosmic¡±, and his strength indeed lived up to the name of Cosmic Emperor.

    Yunyao confidently walked into the teleportation gate, and Zhanyue shook his head and followed.

    Inside the teleportation tunnel, Yunyao felt a mysterious force pulling her to the side, sometimes to the east, sometimes to the west. She quickly became a bit dizzy.

    ¡°Be careful!¡± Seeing Yunyao almost being squeezed out by the space, Zhanyue hurriedly caught up and reached out, holding her waist.

    Yunyao was about to get angry, but she found that indeed, as soon as Zhanyue held her, that strange force disappeared.

    ¡°Sorry, force of habit,¡± Zhanyue shamelessly said.

    ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Yunyao was a bit speechless. She couldn¡¯t really me Zhanyue. At this moment, the two of them were a bit too intimate. If she had known earlier, she might as well have let him hold her hand before.

    ¡°Damn, how could I have these thoughts?¡± Yunyao dismissed these distracting thoughts and focused on the surrounding spatial tunnel. This spatial tunnel could most likely enhance herprehension of space. Although she didn¡¯t delve deeply into spatialws, it wouldn¡¯t hurt to know more.

    ¡°Comprehending the Dao at a time like this?¡± Zhanyue was a bit speechless. If it were Baizhi, MuMu Lixi, or even Huang Xueqing, being held by him like this would have made their hearts flutter long ago, but Yunyao was so calm, without the slightest ripple in her heart, and was evenprehending the surrounding spatialws.

    Not long after, the two emerged from the trunk of the tree below the tree house.

    At this moment, Yunyao had her eyes tightly closed, still digesting her previousprehension. Zhanyue¡¯s hand was still around that slender waist. This was something he had wanted to do for a long time, but it had been realized in this way.

    Yunyao opened her eyes, her gaze like lightning. Zhanyue sheepishly let go.

    ¡°Sorry¡­ I was afraid of disturbing yourprehension of the Dao, so I stayed still,¡± Zhanyue said with a flushed face.

    ¡°You¡¯d better be.¡±

    Yunyao couldn¡¯t be bothered with him, her attentionpletely drawn by the scenery of this Dreand of the Immortals. ¡°There¡¯s actually such a ce in the world.¡±

    Yunyao looked at the bubbles continuously floating up from the ground, and the various delicacies and fine wines inside the bubbles.

    ¡°You two, wee to the Dreand of the Immortals. Let me formally introduce myself. I am the Prophet of the Dreand of the Immortals.¡± The elder floated in midair and said. His long beard was still held by the ws of the colorful parrot behind him.

    ¡°Wee! Wee!¡± The parrot also mimicked.

    ¡°I know why you¡¯re here. I just didn¡¯t expect you to be from the Fairy Spirit n,¡± the elder continued.

    Yunyao turned her head to look at Zhanyue, then at the elder. ¡°Zhanyue is from the Fairy Spirit n?¡± She would never believe it. If someone said Zhanyue was from some demon race or a lust demon race, she would believe it, but how could he possibly be from the Fairy Spirit n?

    ¡°Old sir, you know why we¡¯re here?¡± Zhanyue asked. He didn¡¯t really care about being from the Fairy Spirit n or not. It was a system bug, what was there to say?

    ¡°For the whereabouts of the demon beasts and divine artifacts, right?¡± The elder smiled slightly. The identity of a prophet wasn¡¯t fake. ¡°It¡¯s just that before that, I hope you can go through the baptism that all Fairy Spirit n members experience and awaken that fairy spirit power that belongs to you.¡±

    Zhanyue¡¯s mouth twitched slightly. Awakening? Wouldn¡¯t that expose the truth? Forget it, the Fairy Spirit n hated deception the most. He would just let them do as they pleased. After all, he had never acknowledged being from the Fairy Spirit n, so it couldn¡¯t be considered deception.

 Chapter 283: Awakening (2)

    Chapter 283: Awakening (2)

    ¡°Is this really necessary?¡± Yunyao inwardlyined, but she was also very curious about what kind of experience Zhanyue would have next.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. Awakening is a process that all Fairy Spirit n members need to go through. Only after experiencing awakening can the guardian power within the body be revealed. The Fairy Spirit n is a race favored by the heavens. All Fairy Spirit n members will give birth to guardian spirits within their bodies. Guardian spirits exist in various forms, and the mostmon are animal-type guardian spirits,¡± the Prophet continued to exin.

    Zhanyue had naturally seen it before. When those few little Fairy Spirit n members were guarding against him, they had released their guardian spirits. The technique of condensing spiritual energy into form made him feel immense pressure. The Fairy Spirit n was a race favored by the heavens. In that sense, the Human Race was actually quite simr, after all, the Human Race also had the possibility of awakening covenant objects. But unlike the Fairy Spirit n, the probability of awakening guardian spirits in the Fairy Spirit n was one hundred percent, not as low as the Human Race. Thinking like this, the Fairy Spirit n was truly favored by the heavens.

    Seeing their doubts, the elder tapped his wooden staff on the ground, and his entire being surged with a special aura. Soon, a huge eyeball appeared behind the elder. That eyeball waspletely condensed from spiritual energy and was a spiritual body. Just being looked at by it, Zhanyue and Yunyao felt their hair stand on end and a chill down their spines. This eye was extraordinary.

    ¡°Giant¡¯s Eye, this is my guardian spirit. Guardian spirits are not creatures that truly exist. They arepletely different due to individual differences and bring us different powers,¡± the elder exined. ¡°Come with me. After you awaken, you will understand that you are indeed the same as us, also a member of the Fairy Spirit n.¡±

    The Prophet knew Zhanyue didn¡¯t believe it. He had always known, but he wasn¡¯t in a hurry to exin. Because facts speak louder than words.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go and take a look.¡± Zhanyue had no choice but to follow, and Yunyao also moved along, waiting to watch the show.

    After walking for a while, the two arrived at a depression. It could be seen that this seemed to be a spring eye, but there was no spring water gushing out here.

    ¡°This is the ce of awakening?¡± Zhanyue was a bit surprised. Anything could happen in this magical realm, but since this was the awakening ce of the Fairy Spirit n, it should be important and sacred. However, who would have thought that this ce was just a dirt pit? ¡°You sit in it. The Divine Awakening Spring will sense the bloodline of the Fairy Spirit n and awaken. It will help you awaken the power hidden within your body that belongs to the Fairy Spirit n,¡± the elder said, pointing to the dirt pit.

    Zhanyue was forced to sit in the dirt pit like a duck being herded onto a perch. It was better for both sides to clear up the misunderstanding as soon as possible.

    For the Fairy Spirit n, this dirt pit could be considered quite arge swimming pool when filled with spring water, but Zhanyue sitting there alone felt a bit out of ce.

    Just like that, Zhanyue sat quietly, with the Prophet and Yunyao watching from the side. After a long time, there was still no reaction, and even the Prophet couldn¡¯t help but frown.

    ¡°I said¡­ I¡¯m not¡­¡± Before Zhanyue could finish his words, the spring eye in front of him started to move. First, a little bit of water seeped out, then the water column becamerger andrger, shooting higher and higher.

    ¡°It¡¯sing, it¡¯sing. The awakening power of the Fairy Spirit n. The greater the potential, the higher the spring water will shoot. I don¡¯t know to what degree he can achieve,¡± the Prophet said excitedly.

    Yunyao¡¯s eyes widened, a look of disbelief on her face. Did Zhanyue really have the Fairy Spirit n¡¯s bloodline within him? What¡­ what was going on?

    In front of Zhanyue, the spring water surged, bing more and more turbulent. The water flow shot out from the ground, and the water column got higher and higher. Three meters, five meters, thirty meters, fifty meters¡­ The water column directly shot towards the sky.

    ¡°Is it raining?¡± The Fairy Spirit n members looked at the small water droplets falling from the sky in puzzlement. ¡°It rains every twenty days in the Dreand of the Immortals, fixed and unchanging. The time for rain hasn¡¯t arrived yet, so why is it raining early?¡± someone wondered.

    ¡°No, no, look over there!¡± someone said, pointing in the distance.

    ¡°That ce is¡­ the Divine Awakening Spring?¡± The Fairy Spirit n members looked over and saw a spectacr scene. A column of water directly shot up from the ground into the sky, and the scattered water droplets covered the entire Dreand of the Immortals, making it seem like it had started to drizzle.

    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s impossible¡­ How could someone¡¯s awakening water column be so high¡­¡±

    The water column connecting heaven and earth didn¡¯t stop for a long time. Zhanyue was nowpletely submerged by the spring water. The spring pool, which should have only been a small water pit, had now be an extremelyrge pond.

    ¡°¡­The Fairy Spirit n has never given birth to such a concentrated bloodline power¡­ Even the former Fairy Spirit King didn¡¯t have such a pure bloodline as his¡­ The legend¡­ is true!¡± This Fairy Spirit n¡¯s Prophet was trembling all over, simply too excited.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± It was difficult for Yunyao to maintain herposure on her beautiful face. Zhanyue¡¯s Fairy Spirit bloodline was purer than the king of the Fairy Spirit n. What did that mean? Wasn¡¯t he from the Human Race? She was dumbfounded.

    However, at this moment, Zhanyue¡¯s mind had long fallen into another mysterious feeling. Many, many things appeared in his mind. It seemed like the information of the entire starry river was instantly poured into his brain, but all the starry rivers disappeared in an instant, not leaving a single bit of memory in his mind. He seemed to have seen many secrets of the universe, but in the blink of an eye, he forgot all these secrets. Just like that, he kept acquiring and forgetting. Until the myriad spiritual energy gathered and took form behind him.

    Different from those animals or the mysterious eyeball of the Prophet, behind Zhanyue was a huge human-shaped figure. From the figure, it seemed to be a woman, but it was so blurry that the facial features couldn¡¯t be seen at all.

    Yunyao saw thatpletely indiscernible human-shaped spiritual image and actually felt a sense of reverence welling up from the bottom of her heart. She almost couldn¡¯t help but want to kneel down and worship. ¡°This is¡­ Zhanyue¡¯s¡­ guardian spirit?¡± She couldn¡¯t tell who it was at all, only knowing that she was sacred, noble, only knowing that she was invible and indescribable.

    Zhanyue also seemed to have noticed something. He turned his head and looked at his guardian spirit image. He dared to say that this woman was not any woman he knew. Different from Yunyao¡¯s feeling, Zhanyue only felt a strange familiarity from the woman. The woman¡¯s embrace seemed to be a mother¡¯s embrace.

    ¡°Mother of All Things¡­¡± The Prophet had already knelt down in front of that woman¡¯s spiritual image, tears streaming down his face.

    At this moment, the Prophet seemed to have understood some things, understood why Zhanyue¡¯s Fairy Spirit bloodline within his body was so pure. But in an instant, the entire Dreand of the Immortals shook, as if everything was about to fall apart, even space-time itself seemed to be on the verge of destruction. The Prophet looked around in panic, then everything returned to calm again. It was just that the Prophet felt he had suddenly forgotten something, but he couldn¡¯t remember what it was.

    ¡°How is this possible?!¡± Outside the world, Wu Yunmeng, the Heavenly Book Spirit who had been paying attention to Zhanyue, was no less surprised than Yunyao. Her nine tails swayed wildly, a manifestation of her inner agitation. As the Heavenly Book Spirit, she knew even more. The Dreand of the Immortals was a virtual world, maintained by the Heavenly Book¡¯sputation and simtion, but the information obtained by the Prophet exhausted the Heavenly Book¡¯sputational power and nearly caused the Dreand of the Immortals to directly copse. In the end, the Heavenly Book had no choice but to directly delete the Prophet¡¯s memory, not letting things proceed normally. Only then did it avoid the copse of this illusory world.

    ¡°Just what secret is hidden within that guardian spirit? Just simting it nearly caused the Heavenly Book to copse directly?¡± Not to mention Wu Yunmeng, even the Void Emperor himself had never experienced such a thing. You should know, the Heavenly Book could even trap the Star Boat and Lei Ying, which were also true divine instruments, by constructing a virtual world. Its power was beyond doubt, yet now it nearly copsed just from simting a segment of the past.

    ¡°Zhanyue¡­ This man conceals secrets that even gods have no right to know¡­¡±

 Chapter 284: Divine Voices Blessing

    Chapter 284: Divine Voices Blessing

    The goddess statue formed from spiritual energy just hovered silently behind Zhanyue.

    The Fairy Spirit n could control these spiritual energy manifestations forbat, but Zhanyue had no idea how to do it. He only felt that this goddess statue was very familiar and sacred, having a deep connection with him. Other than that, he couldn¡¯t sense how to control this goddess statue formed from gathered spiritual energy.

    ¡°Um¡­ Senior, how do I control this form created from spiritual energy? Does the Fairy Spirit n have rted control techniques?¡± Zhanyue asked. Although he didn¡¯t understand why he could really awaken the abilities of the Fairy Spirit n, the fact was just that. He could feel that the new power he gained was not false.

    The Prophet looked at Zhanyue with a puzzled expression. ¡°You don¡¯t know? Fairy spirit manifestation is the instinct of the Fairy Spirit n and doesn¡¯t require any control techniques. It¡¯s just like using your own hands and feet. What techniques are needed?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Zhanyue didn¡¯t expect to hear such an answer. Instinct? Although he felt countless connections with the goddess statue, he didn¡¯t feel he could control it in any way.

    He turned his head to look at the goddess statue he had summoned, and in a daze, he seemed to hear some voices by his ears.

    ¡°Did you hear any voices?¡± Zhanyue asked.

    The elder Prophet and Yunyao both shook their heads. Their hearing was very sharp. If there were really any sounds, they couldn¡¯t possibly not hear it.

    ¡°Auditory hallucinations?¡± Zhanyue was a bit puzzled, but he felt the voices by his ears getting louder and louder. ¡°May your path be smooth, with scenery always by your side.¡±

    ¡°May your heart be full, with joy residing forever within.¡±

    ¡°May your dreams soar, reaching the summit of every peak.¡±

    ¡°May your faith be firm, with the years not changing its color.¡±

    ¡°May your life be like a song, with glorious chapters forever splendid.¡±

    ¡°For this¡­¡±

    ¡°I bestow upon you the most sensitive hearing, so that you may never be deceived by words.¡±

    ¡°I bestow upon you the brightest eyes, so that you may never be blinded by appearances.¡±

    ¡°I bestow upon you the purest heart, so that you may never be disturbed by the mundane world.¡±

    The goddess statue moved on its own, cing its hands in front of its chest in a praying posture. A golden pir of light descended from the sky, enveloping Zhanyue.

    Zhanyue only felt like he was bathing in the warmest sunlight, with every cell in his body feeling sofortable. The golden scepter he had obtained earlier automatically emerged from Zhanyue¡¯s space, revealing its true form in the golden light. Countless fish-shaped demon beasts symbolizing greed circled around Zhanyue, then turned to ashes in the golden light.

    ¡°What is that!¡± Yunyao was startled when she saw those familiar fish swarms reappear. Wasn¡¯t the greed demon beast eliminated by them?

    ¡°So that¡¯s how it is¡­¡± Zhanyue had some enlightenment at this moment. Those uncontroble thoughts of possessiveness from before were all caused by the greed demon beast lurking beside him. The greed demon beast had never disappeared. However, at this moment, under that mysterious golden light, it had nowhere to hide and actually turned directly to ashes. As the second most difficult demon beast to deal with among the seven, it was so easily eliminated.

    The golden blessing didn¡¯t dissipate for a long time. Zhanyue only felt that some of his hidden injuries, old illnesses, and even some bad thoughts and negative emotions had all dissipated.

    At this moment, he finally understood the ability of this goddess statue formed from spiritual energy behind him ¨C blessing and purification. The demon beast lurking on his body was easily purified.

    Then, the goddess statue dissipated. Zhanyue knew that as long as he needed, he could summon it again. The secrets of this goddess statue still needed to be slowly explored by himself in the future.

    ¡°The power awakened by each Fairy Spirit n member is different. I also can¡¯t give you any guidance. Everything needs to be explored by yourself,¡± the Prophet said. He didn¡¯t dare to probe into Zhanyue¡¯s secrets. It seemed like some mysterious power was prohibiting him from doing so.

    ¡°Why can I awaken like the Fairy Spirit n?¡± Zhanyue was naturally puzzled at this moment. He still didn¡¯t think he was from the Fairy Spirit n. It was just that for some reason, he could do the same things as the Fairy Spirit n.

    ¡°Come with me. I know what you want,¡± the Prophet said again.

    Zhanyue and Yunyao followed the Prophet back to that giant tree. This time, the Prophet led the two into his own house. Compared to the homes of other Fairy Spirit n members, the Prophet¡¯s home could be considered veryrge.

    ¡°Do you know the origin of the seven demon beasts?¡± the Prophet suddenly asked.

    Zhanyue and Yunyao naturally shook their heads. They indeed knew very little about this.

    ¡°Long, long ago, the seven demon beasts never existed in this world. Until¡­ a powerful visitor from beyond the heavens descended. He cultivated a special cultivation method. In order to advance further, he needed to expel many dark aspects of human nature from his body. This world naturally became his cultivation ground.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve already guessed it. The seven demon beasts are actually the seven negative emotions from his soul. Although his cultivation method was perfected, the seven demon beasts also began to wreak havoc on the world. As the originator of everything, this visitor from beyond didn¡¯t just leave. He tried to take action to eliminate the seven demon beasts. However, the seven demon beasts were of the same origin as him, two sides of the same coin. He couldn¡¯t take action to eliminate them himself. At most, he could seal them. This was limited by the cultivation method. So he changed his approach and forged seven divine artifacts specifically to counter the seven demon beasts, trying to find suitable candidates in the world to help him eliminate these demon beasts. It¡¯s just that before he could eliminate the seven demon beasts, he had to leave due to important matters. He only handed over the task of eliminating the seven demon beasts and guarding the seven divine artifacts to seven powerful races.¡±

    The Prophet continued, ¡°However, after so many years, no heroes capable of using the divine artifacts to y the seven demon beasts have appeared in this world. Many powerful races have even disappeared in the long river of time, and the divine artifacts have also been lost.¡±

    ¡°Look.¡± The Prophet waved his hand, and a chest under the bed flew out on its own. When it opened, three items appeared in front of the two.

    ¡°Inside are the three divine artifacts I¡¯ve collected. The Book of Abstinence, the Shield of Forgiveness, and the Bow of Humility.¡± The elder pointed to a book, a shield, and a bow in the treasure chest.

    Zhanyue and Yunyao looked at each other. They didn¡¯t expect that three of the seven divine artifacts were actually with the elder. Or rather, the Prophet was worthy of being a prophet and had foreseen such a day long ago. That Book of Abstinence should be the divine artifact to counter that lust demon beast, it¡¯s just that it wasn¡¯t needed now.

    In the Wanling Realm.

    Fan Longyu was quite frustrated. Although he had gained a lot from this trip and reached a new height in the use of his innate dragon scales, he couldn¡¯t be happy at all. He had originally thought that his innate talent was unparalleled even in ancient times, but the appearance of one genius after another shattered his perception. On top of that, he had lost to Tianxian before, so how could he be happy?

    ¡°Let¡¯s go back first and have the four teachers think of a solution together.¡± Fan Longyu was born noble and had the Four Sages of the Lake as his teachers. He wouldn¡¯t easily admit defeat. At this moment, he was pping his dragon wings, passing over the Kingdom of Rising Sun.

    However, a man in a golden robe suddenly appeared in front of him, blocking his path. Being able to stand in midair, he was naturally a powerhouse above the Spirit God Realm.

    ¡°Who are you and what do you want?¡± Fan Longyu wasn¡¯t afraid. Even if the other party was really in the Spirit God Realm, he had his own life-saving methods.

    ¡°Actually traveling alone without the apaniment of elders, giving me an opportunity. I have no other intentions, I only want your innate dragon scales.¡± The man in the golden robe wore a golden mask, his eyes filled with greed.

    ¡°It seems you¡¯re determined to be my enemy. I want to see just who you are, not daring to show your true face.¡± Fan Longyu¡¯s killing intent was aroused.

 Chapter 253: One-sided Slaughter

    Chapter 253: One-sided ughter

    Zhanyue sat in the secret chamber, feeling the changes in the Earth Mother Golden Cauldron. Even though it had only absorbed a little of the Life-Nurturing Soil, Zhanyue noticed that this divine contract object seemed to have be more mysterious and weighty. This feeling made Zhanyue wonder who had forged this item, or if it was even forged by humans at all. From its design and function, the answer seemed clear, but as its contractor, Zhanyue felt that things weren¡¯t that simple.

    Limited by his own pill-making skills, the Earth Mother Golden Cauldron was currently wasted in Zhanyue¡¯s hands. But Zhanyue had no choice; cultivating both martial arts and pill-making, he didn¡¯t have enough time to delve deeply into the art of pill refining.

    Thinking of pill refining reminded Zhanyue of Baizhi. As the first girl to express her feelings for him and the first person to give him a sense of belonging in this world, Baizhi¡¯s importance to Zhanyue was self-evident. He missed her greatly after not seeing her for so long.

    ¡°I wonder how that girl is doing now.¡± Zhanyue couldn¡¯t help but worry. But after thinking for a moment, he rxed. Baizhi had three lifetimes of memories, her true strength far exceeded what appeared on the surface. If truly pushed to the brink, her hidden past life memories would naturallye into y. Zhanyue knew the power of the Southern Ming Separation Fire.

    ¡°Come to think of it, that girl hasn¡¯t sent me a message for a long time.¡± As Zhanyue was pondering this, he sensed something unusual in his divine ability space. The purple divine wood stored there had been taken away, and only Baizhi could have taken it.

    ¡°Not good, that girl is in danger.¡± Zhanyue quickly sat down and sent a strand of his soul consciousness to that avatar. ¡°I hope it works!¡± Zhanyue wasn¡¯t sure if it would seed, after all, this was in the Heavenly Book world. But soon he rxed.

    In a world of blue seas and skies, the scenery was beautiful, but no one was appreciating such a seascape. Instead, the air was filled with the smell of blood.

    ¡°Over there, don¡¯t let her escape!¡± Several pirate-like men were chasing a white-d woman. The woman was young and beautiful, with an otherworldly aura and bright, spirited eyes. Though not as stunningly beautiful as Yunyao, she had a certain liveliness and cuteness that made her a rare beauty in the world.

    ¡°Hurry, we can¡¯t let her escape. Such a beauty is rare in this world. If we present her to the King of the Ink Sea, we¡¯ll be set for life. We¡¯ll be able to walk tall in these waters afterward,¡± one of them said. The white-d woman was Baizhi. She took out one of her few remaining pills and threw it.

    A terrible explosion directly blew her pursuers to ashes. She was usually kind, but even a rabbit bites when cornered. She had encountered many dangers in this world and had already killed many people. She showed no mercy to these disgusting individuals. However, she was almost out of pills, and this world didn¡¯t have enough materials for pill refining.

    Soon after, she was discovered again on a deserted ind in the vast sea. This time, the enemy came out in full force, with over two hundred people surrounding the entire ind, making it impossible for her to escape.

    And so, the initial scene unfolded.

    The pirate leader, looking at the beautiful woman before him, could barely contain himself. But he knew that he couldn¡¯t keep such a beauty for himself, and it might even bring about his demise. The most suitable action was to present her as a gift to the King of the Ink Sea in exchange for his protection.

    ¡°Beautifuldy, give up your resistance. We dare not harm you, but you¡¯ve killed and injured so many of my brothers, you need to give us an exnation. We just want to introduce you to the King of the Ink Sea, the most powerful man in these waters,¡± the pirate leader said, his bald head reflecting the light, seemingly thinking his words were very clever.

    Baizhi frowned. Although she still had some means, the sea was dangerous, and she didn¡¯t want to push herself into a corner. ¡°I¡¯ll have to try that. I hope he¡¯s free right now.¡± Baizhi knew that Zhanyue was also going through important battles, so she was reluctant to disturb him unnecessarily. If he was in a crucial battle, her call for help might disturb his concentration. But seeing the purple wood lying quietly in her divine ability space, she knew Zhanyue probably wasn¡¯t in such a dangerous situation, as the avatar hadn¡¯t been used. So she gritted her teeth and took it out.

    ¡°What treasure is that!¡± The pirate leader was startled to see Baizhi take out a piece of purple wood from thin air. But what shocked him even more was what happened next. The piece of purple wood transformed into a humanoid monster right before everyone¡¯s eyes.

    The monster was muscr, two to three meters tall, covered in green scales except for the head. Its lower body wasn¡¯t human but a giant shark tail, with huge fish fins for ears, and a white ¡®X¡¯ mark carved on its forehead. It was a Ghost Shark n member.

    ¡°M-monster!¡± Everyone was shocked. They had never seen an intelligent being other than humans before, only reading about monsters in storybooks.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Zhanyue turned his head, looking at Baizhi.

    Baizhi had seen Zhanyue¡¯s avatar before, so she wasn¡¯t afraid. She said, ¡°They want to capture me and present me to someone called the King of the Ink Sea.¡±

    Hearing this, a fire of rage seemed to ignite directly in Zhanyue¡¯s heart, as if something important that belonged to him was about to be snatched away. Even he didn¡¯t notice that his reaction was somewhat excessive, but it also seemed natural.

    ¡°Then they all deserve to die!¡±

    After having Baizhi take out the Thunder God¡¯s Whip from the divine ability space, Zhanyue began a grass-cutting-like ughter. Instantly, flesh and blood flew across the deserted ind. Some were electrocuted to death, some were split in half by a singlesh, some were smashed to death by a single palm strike.

    The pirate leader was so frightened that his legs went weak, and he even wet his pants. It wasn¡¯t that he had never seen scenes of ughter before; he had even enjoyed them. But this monster was too violent, too terrifying. The one-sided massacre left him with no will to resist.

    ¡°Monster¡­ Great Monster, please spare my life.¡± He wanted to run but found he couldn¡¯t move his legs, so he directly knelt down.

    Zhanyue looked down at him from above, revealing a cruel smile, ¡°You dare to covet what¡¯s mine.¡± Then the divine whip in his hand fell, and the pirate leader¡¯s head split open like a watermelon.

    Soon after, the ind returned to silence. The entire ind was like a hell on earth, with corpses strewn everywhere.

    ¡°Are¡­ are you alright?¡± Baizhi was clearly frightened by Zhanyue¡¯s ferocity. She had never seen Zhanyue so enraged before.

    Zhanyue shook his head, ¡°Just a bunch of small fry, how could anything happen to me? But what about you? Your realm isn¡¯t low, why were you surrounded by them?¡± Zhanyue was a bit puzzled. His ughter had gone smoothly; the opponents had no power to fight back.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. This world seems to have some heavenlyws that suppress the upper limit of all human cultivators¡¯ strength. I¡¯m not good at fighting to begin with, and after being suppressed, I¡¯m even worse. These pirates who cultivate their bodies and martial techniques actually have an advantage, not to mention there are many of them. I¡¯ve almost run out of pills too,¡± Baizhi exined.

    ¡°Suppression? I didn¡¯t feel anything.¡± Zhanyue was puzzled, but he suddenly realized that his body was of the Ghost Shark n, not human. Could it be because of this? Weren¡¯t humans at a great disadvantage in this world then?

    ¡°I know what you¡¯re thinking. This world seems to have no intelligent species other than humans,¡± Baizhi answered Zhanyue¡¯s confusion.

    Outside the world, the Spirit of the Heavenly Book widened her beautiful eyes as she watched Zhanyue¡¯s avatar appear in Baizhi¡¯s world. Gritting her teeth, she squeezed out a few words, ¡°This guy is cheating!!!!¡±

 Chapter 264: The Mysterious Woman

    Chapter 264: The Mysterious Woman

    The sun shone brightly and a gentle sea breeze blew. A beautiful blonde womany elegantly on a white lounge chair, holding a novel. She was reading while sampling fruits and drinks.

    ¡°Come over here and talk,¡± the woman¡¯s voice was pleasant, but Zhanyue was only nervous. This opponent was definitely, absolutely formidable.

    He mustered his courage and walked over.

    The woman before him was dressed very lightly. She was tall and graceful, with snow-white exposed skin, especially her long legs, which were like wless jade, a rare delicacy in the world.

    She had long golden hair that flowed like waves. Her facial features were Eastern, yet she had emerald green eyes. At the moment, she was wearing sunsses, which seemed out of ce in this world, as if she too were a time traveler. On her exposed neck was a small tattoo, seemingly of some kind of bird.

    The woman stood up, picked up a robe beside her, and put it on, covering her beautiful figure.

    Then, Zhanyue felt a sudden gust of wind. This wind was like knives and swords, and soon his outer robe was torn to shreds, yet not a hair on his body was harmed.

    ¡°Hmm? You little thing, you look quite unique,¡± the womanmented critically as she looked at Zhanyue¡¯s exposed appearance. ¡°You¡¯re not human? No, your soul aura is indeed human¡­ but iplete. Is this your external avatar?¡±

    Zhanyue was shocked. The woman had easily seen through him, while she remained unfathomable, both in terms of her deep cleavage and her strength. This woman¡¯s figure could be described as perfect, even taller than Yunyao and Mi Hongchen. She was arguably the tallest woman Zhanyue had ever seen. ¡°This woman¡­¡± Zhanyue felt another urge to possess her.

    ¡°Hmph!¡± The woman let out a cold snort, like a thunderp next to Zhanyue¡¯s ear, bringing him back to reality.

    ¡°Quite gutsy, aren¡¯t you? In this situation, you can still think of lust? Impressive, truly a daring pervert,¡± the woman yawned, waved her hand, and a chair appeared out of thin air next to Zhanyue.

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m sorry,¡± Zhanyue said, somewhat embarrassed. He had been abnormaltely, and he knew it himself, but he couldn¡¯t control it.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve seen such an aggressive gaze. Very good,¡± the woman smiled, ¡°More vivid than those fictional insects.¡±

    ¡°Fictional insects, you mean?¡± Zhanyue asked.

    ¡°What do you think? You don¡¯t need to pretend in front of me, outsider,¡± the woman sat down again, very elegantly, not at all worried about Zhanyue harming her.

    ¡°You know? Then what about you? Aren¡¯t you fictional?¡± Zhanyue boldly asked. Things were getting more and more strange.

    ¡°Me? Of course I exist for real. Otherwise, want to feel for yourself?¡± The woman extended a leg towards Zhanyue.

    Zhanyueughed awkwardly. He didn¡¯t dare. If he really dared to touch, he feared he would end up like Wild Man, kicked by her just as he had kicked Wild Man.

    ¡°In a sense, I¡¯m also a Heavenly Book trial participant, but different from you. I have no mission, so naturally I can¡¯t fail the mission, and there¡¯s no time limit. But it also means I can¡¯t leave the Heavenly Book world,¡± the woman continued. Every word she said made Zhanyue¡¯s hair stand on end.

    ¡°You¡¯re also a trial participant? Also for the Void Emperor¡¯s legacy?¡± Zhanyue asked curiously.

    ¡°You mean Void? Hehe, kid, you don¡¯t really think the Heavenly Book world was created by Void, do you? You¡¯re giving him too much credit. That boy doesn¡¯t have such ability,¡± the woman said.

    The mighty Void Emperor was just ¡°that boy¡± in the woman¡¯s mouth. Zhanyue was more puzzled about the woman¡¯s identity.

    ¡°Who¡­ who exactly are you?¡± Zhanyue asked. He knew he was no match for this woman. She was too formidable, as mysterious as the vast sea.

    ¡°Who I am isn¡¯t important. The key is who you are,¡± the woman continued, ¡°Never mind, there are four people here besides you and me, one wee, one unwee.¡±

    Zhanyue was stunned. Even counting Baizhi, there were only three people. What did she mean by one more?

    The woman reached out her hand, and Zhanyue felt dizzy. Baizhi was directly pulled out of his racial talent space by the woman. ¡°Since you¡¯re here, don¡¯t hide anymore.¡±

    Then the woman looked at the sky and said lightly, ¡°Little girl, big sister is going to discuss some important matters now. You¡¯re not allowed to eavesdrop.¡±

    A thunderp was heard, and the sky darkened.

    Zhanyue and Baizhi had no idea what had happened. But outside the Heavenly Book world, the Spirit of the Heavenly Book, who had been peeking, stomped her feet in anger. ¡°Hmph, if you don¡¯t want me to look, then I won¡¯t. Who cares about your secrets.¡±

    She had always known about this person¡¯s existence in the Heavenly Book world. It was a mysterious being that had been in the Heavenly Book even before her father obtained it. She had also encountered it before, but the other party seemed very unfriendly to her because of her father. She hadn¡¯t been able to get any information out of it.

    ¡°Good, now the eavesdropping little ghost has been driven away,¡± the woman smiled, then pointed at Baizhi, ¡°You¡¯re Baizhi, right?¡±

    Baizhi hid behind Zhanyue fearfully. She had naturally heard the previous conversation. This woman before them was too mysterious. What was her purpose, and why had she put a bounty on her?

    ¡°What are you afraid of? It¡¯s normal that I know of your existence. When you entered this world, I knew many things, including your mission. Due to certain reasons, I can¡¯t leave the Ink Sea, so I could only have someone bring you to see me. I ordered that you be brought unharmed. I had no intention of hurting you,¡± the woman said.

    ¡°???¡± Zhanyue and Baizhi looked at each other in confusion. Why did she know their identities, and even Baizhi¡¯s mission?

    ¡°I¡¯ll be direct. With your strength, trying to kill the thunder bird is simply a pipe dream. But if I help you, it bes much simpler,¡± the woman continued.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Zhanyue pressed, ¡°Senior, what are your conditions?¡± Zhanyue didn¡¯t believe this person would help them for nothing.

    ¡°Mm, there are conditions, of course. That is, you need to take me away,¡± the woman said.

    ¡°Take you away? What do you mean?¡± Zhanyue didn¡¯t understand.

    The woman pointed at Zhanyue and said, ¡°You¡¯re not a trial participant from this world, right? So how did you get in? How do you get back? If you can leave, then naturally I can leave too.¡±

    ¡°This?¡± Zhanyue smiled bitterly, ¡°Senior, you know I¡¯m just an avatar, not a living person. That¡¯s why I cane and go freely.¡±

    The woman smiled mysteriously: ¡°Who said I¡¯m not an avatar, that I¡¯m a living person? If you can have an external avatar, can¡¯t others?¡±

    Zhanyue was stunned, ¡°Senior¡­ you¡¯re also an avatar?¡±

 Chapter 265: The Fourth Era

    Chapter 265: The Fourth Era

    ¡°Pff.¡± The blonde beautyughed, exining, ¡°I¡¯m joking. I¡¯m not an external avatar.¡±

    ¡°Not an external avatar?¡± Zhanyue frowned, then recalled the woman saying she might not be a living being. Could she be a ghost? No, Zhanyue suddenly thought of a possibility.

    ¡°You¡­ are you a spirit of an artifact?¡± Zhanyue¡¯s eyes widened. The Heavenly Book world was itself a space-time treasure, so it wasn¡¯t impossible for another divine artifact¡¯s spirit to appear within it.

    The woman nodded, then asked, ¡°Guess what kind of artifact spirit I am?¡±

    After thinking for a moment, Zhanyue¡¯s eyes grew even wider. He pointed at the star ship beneath his feet. ¡°Could it be, senior, that you¡¯re the spirit of this star ship?¡±

    ¡°Congrattions, you¡¯re correct. Unfortunately, there¡¯s no prize,¡± the woman¡¯s eyes behind the sunsses curved into crescents, looking very beautiful. ¡°Although the star ship was picked up by the Void Emperor, he never refined it. His soul power wasn¡¯t enough.¡±

    ¡°What? Even the Void Emperor couldn¡¯t refine it? If it can¡¯t be refined, how can we take you out?¡± Zhanyue was puzzled. Why did this woman think they could take her away?

    The woman looked at Baizhi beside them and asked, ¡°Do you possess a powerful space divine ability? I can sense that when you pick up items, you¡¯re not using a spatial ring, but connecting to another space. Am I right?¡±

    Baizhi was also shocked. This was unheard of. How did the other party know she was opening her divine ability space? ¡°The Dream Heavenly Book is a space-time divine artifact. The Eternal Sand Star Ship is an equally powerful spatial artifact, otherwise it couldn¡¯t travel between stars. As the spirit of the Eternal Sand Star Ship, I¡¯m much more sensitive to spatial fluctuations than ordinary people. You¡¯ve used that spatial divine ability multiple times here, and I could sense it each time. The space connected by that divine ability is extremelyrge,rge enough to contain the Eternal Sand Star Ship. Years ago, I made a bet with the Void Emperor. I lost, so I kept my promise and helped him repair the Heavenly Book.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect him to have perished. Now the Heavenly Book no longer needs me, and I don¡¯t want to stay here anymore. As long as I leave this ce, the Heavenly Book¡¯s seal on me will automatically disappear. At that time, I will regain my freedom,¡± the woman said without concealment.

    ¡°Senior, do you mean that within the Heavenly Book, you can¡¯t leave the Ink Sea area, but if you leave the star ship, you can move freely?¡± Zhanyue asked. An artifact spirit that could move freely was indeed outrageous, but considering the woman¡¯s terrifying spatial attainments, he could understand.

    ¡°Yes, after I help youplete your mission, if this girl puts the Eternal Sand Ship into that space, I¡¯ll be free,¡± the woman said again, clearly showing her desire to leave.

    ¡°How much of what she¡¯s saying is true, and how much is false?¡± Zhanyue frowned. This woman was too powerful, and he couldn¡¯t fully trust her. Who knew what would happen if they brought her out of the Heavenly Book? Unfortunately, he couldn¡¯tmunicate with the Spirit of the Heavenly Book, otherwise he could have another person to verify.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, feeling conflicted?¡± The woman smiled, ¡°You won¡¯t be a match for that thunder bird. Even if that thunder bird is fake, far less terrifying than its true form, it¡¯s still definitely not something you can handle.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? To make us feel more at ease, could senior please answer a few questions for me?¡± Zhanyue knew the woman before him knew a lot. It would be a waste not to cherish such an opportunity.

    ¡°Ask away.¡± The woman looked at Zhanyue with interest, holding up three jade-like fingers. ¡°Seeing your good attitude, kid, I¡¯ll answer three questions for you.¡±

    Zhanyue thought for a moment, then asked, ¡°First, what exactly is the Heavenly Book world, and what is its operating mechanism?¡±

    The woman nodded and answered, ¡°This question is simple. The Heavenly Book¡¯s original name is the Dream Heavenly Book. It¡¯s an ancient human treasure, integrating multiple grandws including time, space, chaos, order, reality, and illusion. It was jointly refined by multiple ancient powerful beings and is one of the supreme treasures left for humanity. In the Fourth Era, it was obtained by the Void Emperor, earning him the title of the First Heavenly Emperor. You didn¡¯t think the Heavenly Book was refined by the Void Emperor, did you? That boy doesn¡¯t have such ability. Only a divine artifact like the Heavenly Book world can provide such suitable trials for each of you. Of course, it¡¯s not perfect. For example, it calcted that this world would be most suitable for Baizhi, but it seems to have assumed one premise ¨C that I would definitely help. In reality, I could choose not to, and in that case, this little girl wouldn¡¯t be able to pass the trial.¡±

    ¡°Calcte? So the Heavenly Book world constructs various worlds through logical calctions?¡± Zhanyue couldn¡¯t imagine how terrifying theputational power required for this would be.

    ¡°My second question: What is the Fourth Era you mentioned, senior, and which era are you from?¡± Zhanyue quickly asked.

    ¡°It seems you really don¡¯t know anything,¡± the woman sighed, then continued, ¡°The civilization centered on the human race has flourished and declined many times in the gxy, just like the rise and fall of dynasties in the mortal world. The First Era, apart from a few traces proving it once existed, is no longer verifiable. Everything about the First Era is a secret. Perhaps it wasn¡¯t even the First Era, but whether it was or not doesn¡¯t matter much now. The Second Era was the most prosperous era of human civilization. At that time, one-fifth of the gxies in the universe were ruled by humans. The human race then could rival those races that called themselves gods.¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately,ter, due to internal strife among the human elite, the alliance front disintegrated. The god races seized the opportunity to invade on arge scale. Countless gxies were enved by them, and countless people became their believers and nourishment. Some powerful humans, with the mentality of preferring to be jade shattered than a tile intact, destroyed countless gxies, severely wounding both the god races and humanity itself. They were called the ¡®Enders¡¯ by us.¡±

    ¡°While the god races were recovering, humans rose again, ushering in the Third Era. Although the Third Era was far inferior to the Second Era, it still led three hundred gxies and gave birth to three Dao Ancestor level powerhouses: the Blue Lotus Dao Ancestor, the Purple Cloud Dao Ancestor, and the White Deer Dao Ancestor. Unfortunately, the god races wouldn¡¯t give humans the chance to dominate again. Although they were also severely wounded, they were still far stronger than humans. The three hundred gxies of the Third Era werepletely annihted under the invasion of the god races, and all three Dao Ancestors also perished,¡± the woman continued telling these fantastical stories.

    ¡°Next came the Fourth Era, where humans had declined to a state where they couldn¡¯t widen the gap with other races. Not only did they fail to produce a single Dao Ancestor, but they didn¡¯t even have a Dao Monarch level figure. The strongest were only at the Heavenly Emperor level, like the Void Nine Emperors. In the Fourth Era, humans were confined to a single gxy. However, the god races still didn¡¯t intend to let humans off. This time, though, they only sent two deities, which was the greatest contempt for humanity.¡±

    ¡°But the result was that the Void Nine Emperors were defeated, and you entered the Age of Declining Laws. To be honest, I quite admire the Void Nine Emperors. At least they didn¡¯t let the spark of human civilization bepletely extinguished in their hands. But on a cosmic scale, there¡¯s not much difference between humans and extinction. Forget upying gxies, you can¡¯t even defend a single realm now.¡±

 Chapter 266: What It Means To Be Human

    Chapter 266: What It Means To Be Human

    At this moment, Zhanyue felt like a frog at the bottom of a well. Previously, he only knew that the current Myriad Spirits Realm was iplete, just a corner of the true Myriad Spirits Realm. He never imagined that humanity had such a glorious past. upying one-fifth of the gxies in the entire universe was an incredible concept. He couldn¡¯t even imagine the level of power and technology people of that era had achieved.

    The traceless First Era, the glorious peak of the Second Era, the resurgent but prematurely copsed Third Era, and the barely surviving Fourth Era. Zhanyue regretted that he lived in the Fourth Era, unable to witness how powerful humanity truly was.

    ¡°Senior, are you from the Second Era?¡± Zhanyue made his guess.

    The woman didn¡¯t deny it, but smiled and said, ¡°You still have onest chance to ask a question.¡±

    Zhanyue pondered for a moment, then asked, ¡°The ¡®human race¡¯ you speak of isn¡¯t the same concept as our current human race, is it? What exactly is it? And what are these so-called god races?¡±

    ¡°Ah, you¡¯re not being honest. This counts as two questions, doesn¡¯t it? But¡­ these are indeed two closely rted questions. Being able to ask such questions shows you have some insight,¡± the woman praised. She brushed her beautiful hair and changed to a morefortable posture, taking a sip of fruit juice. Zhanyue didn¡¯t understand how an artifact spirit could drink fruit juice, but currently, his mind wasn¡¯t focused on such things.

    ¡°Humans are the lords of all creatures, but what¡¯s important is not the meaning of ¡®lord¡¯ but the definition of ¡®all creatures¡¯. The meaning of ¡®all creatures¡¯ varies in different contexts. When humanity was at its most glorious, the scope of all living beings was very broad. Whether dragon races, elf races, or demon races, those who were humanoid or could transform into human form, who identified with and understood human culture, could all be considered part of the human race. They collectively constituted that most glorious human civilization.¡±

    ¡°The human civilization of the Second Era began with mutual recognition among all races and copsed due to estrangement and division among them. Simply put, there was a huge disagreement about what constituted a ¡®human¡¯. There were theories based on bloodline, reproduction, talent, culture, and values. In the end, the definition of human became increasingly narrow, to the point where today, the meaning of human is limited to your kind of hairless ape-like species. It¡¯s quiteughable, really. Take your so-called Bird n, for example. Apart from having wings, what difference is there between them and humans? They can even interbreed with humans. They can sleep together and have children, yet there¡¯s such deep estrangement. Each side thinks they¡¯re superior to the other,¡± the woman said with some disdain.

    Zhanyue and the woman before him didn¡¯t know what was happening outside the Heavenly Book world, but the division between the Bird n and humans had already begun in the Third Era. ¡°Forget about humans and the Bird n, even within the human race, they continue to divide based on skin color, region, tastes, preferences, and so on, ultimately dividing into small groups with conflicting interests, thereby losingpetitiveness among the myriad races of the universe. This is probably the strongest strategy of the god races. After all, conflicts arising from different religious beliefs are the most intense and irreconcble,¡± the woman continued.

    ¡°As for the god races you asked about, they have been the most powerful beings in the universe since its inception. They have the ability to traverse gxies with both physical and soul bodies, and can easily destroys and severely damage gxies. Their numbers are not small, though not vast either. More importantly, they feed on the faith of all living beings. So they don¡¯t oppose the existence of living beings, and even hope for them to multiply. But the premise is that these living beings must provide them with faith.¡±

    ¡°The more religions a civilization has, the more they like it. They often deliberately create suffering, then deliberately solve the problems of those in deep misery, to deceive people into believing in them. They don¡¯t care if the source of faith is pure or real. It¡¯s full of hypocrisy and lies. At the beginning of the Second Era, humans also had various sects and provided them with a lot of faith. But in the end, what was precious was that humanity obtained something called ¡®free will¡¯. It¡¯s the ability to view the universe from a higher dimension. It helped humans see the truth, grasp reality, and rapidly ascend. But people with ¡®free will¡¯ find it extremely difficult to contribute faith power, thus bing thorns in the sides of the gods.¡±

    ¡°The humans of the Second Era defined the god races as false gods because the faith they obtained wasn¡¯t pure. People with ¡®free will¡¯ aren¡¯t without faith, it¡¯s just very difficult to generate. But once generated, it¡¯s extremely firm and unwavering. The beings who enjoy this kind of faith power were called ¡®true gods¡¯ by humans.¡±

    ¡°The universe hasws of time, space, elements, and so on, but the most important is thew of consciousness. That¡¯s the ultimate domain that even gods can¡¯t interfere with, involving an ultimate mystery: whether the universe has its own will. In any case, the universe favors beings with free will, so the power level of ¡®true gods¡¯ born from free will is far stronger than that of false gods.¡±

    After hearing the mysterious woman¡¯s speech, Zhanyue fell into deep thought. He understood well the concept of true gods and false gods. The so-called ¡®true gods¡¯ could be described differently ¨C those who came from the mortal world, truly loved by humans, not out of utilitarianism or deception, but genuinely respected from the heart. If they were just ordinary people, it would be fine, but if these people had the ability to control faith power, they could possess true divine power. At this moment, Zhanyue suddenly thought of someone ¨C his sister, the Illumination Goddess. She seemed to fit these conditions perfectly. She was loved genuinely by people, so statues of her were everywhere, and she also seemed able to control faith power. Viewed this way, she indeed was a so-called ¡®true god¡¯. While excited, Zhanyue instantly became worried.

    ¡°No, if sister is a ¡®true god¡¯, those ¡®false gods¡¯ probably won¡¯t let her be. True gods are only higher than false gods in terms of power level, it doesn¡¯t mean their actual strength can definitely win. Sister¡¯s realm isn¡¯t highpared to human powerhouses, not even as high as the Void Nine Emperors. What if a false god discovers her?¡± Zhanyue broke out in a cold sweat. What he didn¡¯t know was that the god races had not only discovered her but had already arranged for a deity to send an avatar to deal with her. It was fortunate that the universe was so vast and thews of space-time strongly restricted even gods, so it couldn¡¯t arrive immediately.

    ¡°This won¡¯t do. I¡¯m too weak now. I don¡¯t even have the ability to share some of her dangers, let alone face the god races,¡± Zhanyue was finally anxious.

    ¡°Are you in a hurry?¡± The woman seemed to see the meaning in Zhanyue¡¯s eyes. ¡°How about our deal? Let her take me out, and I can help you kill the thunder bird.¡±

    ¡°Alright,¡± Zhanyue thought for a moment and agreed. This woman was too mysterious. Although he didn¡¯t know how much of what she said was true, it was better to maintain a good rtionship with her for now. His current strength probably wouldn¡¯t even catch her eye.

    Since Zhanyue agreed, Baizhi also nodded. She had heard the earlier conversation too. While shocked, she didn¡¯t think too much about it, only wondering if there were popr pill refining methods in the Second Era, and if so, what the most powerful alchemists would be like.

    ¡°Little girl, you seem to have questions you want to ask me too?¡± The woman keenly sensed Baizhi¡¯s thoughts.

    ¡°But¡­ but the three questions have already been asked,¡± Baizhi said somewhat shyly.

    ¡°Seeing how cute you are, big sister will give you one free question.¡±

 Chapter 267: Before the Great Battle

    Chapter 267: Before the Great Battle

    ¡°I want to know, did the humans¡­ the human race of the Second Era have alchemists? What level did you reach?¡± Baizhi asked curiously. While there¡¯s no end to the Dao, Baizhi wanted to know where the limits of alchemyy.

    ¡°Alchemists? You ask this question, are you an alchemist?¡± The woman looked at Baizhi with interest.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Baizhi nodded. She was naturally afraid of this mysterious woman before her, mainly because she was too mysterious, giving a feeling of being unapproachable.

    ¡°Back then, the alchemical Dao also had a supreme expert who surpassed the Dao Ancestors. He once used the sun as a pill furnace, the resources of three thousands as ingredients, and finally refined seven pills. Those seven pills were asrge ass, floating in space. In the end, these seven pills were swallowed by the Ancient Azure Dragon, allowing it to advance to be a Dragon Race Dao Ancestor. These seven pills should be thergest and strongest ever created in the entire universe,¡± the woman recalled the legend with some sighs. How many years had it been since she first heard this story? The concept of time had be somewhat blurred for her. She was immortal, but that didn¡¯t mean she was happy.

    ¡°Pills asrge as stars?¡± Baizhi¡¯s eyes widened, unable toprehend. Could such pills really be refined by humans?

    ¡°That¡¯s nothing. If not for pursuing absolute speed, the star ship under my feet could be countless timesrger than it is now. Humans once had over a thousand star ships asrge as the sun,¡± the woman said.

    Zhanyue sighed deeply. It was a pity that era had long passed. Humans couldn¡¯t indulge in past glories. But at least, humanity hadn¡¯t gone extinct, and their legacy hadn¡¯t been cut off. Hadn¡¯t the Void Emperor obtained the star ship and Heavenly Book from the Second Era? The reason the Void Nine Emperors could confront the true forms of gods was probably due to the legacy of the Second and Third Eras.

    ¡°Senior, what should we call you?¡± Zhanyue suddenly realized he didn¡¯t know more information about the woman before him.

    ¡°Me? My name¡­ let me think, I think it was¡­ Lei Ying?¡± The woman carefully recalled. She had gotten used to people calling her the Ink Sea Lord or¡­ Star Lord¡­ Zhanyue remembered this name, thinking he might find information about it in the texts left by the previous civilization someday. He knew this senior before him must have her own ns to be willing to chat with two ¡®insects¡¯ like them for so long.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll apany you to see the thunder bird, let you see how unreliable the Heavenly Book world¡¯s calctions are,¡± the woman seemed to have some hostility towards the Heavenly Book.

    Outside the Heavenly Book, the sun, moon, and stars rotated as always. The star transformed from the Illumination Goddess still silently watched over the mortal world. Many people had noticed that the blood moon in the night sky seemed to be gettingrger and closer, which didn¡¯t seem to be a good omen. Another major event was that the Nightmare activities seemed to be bing more active recently. Even the Lord-level Nightmares that used to act alone had started moving in groups. Perhaps it was due to the pressure from human powerhouses, or perhaps for other reasons?

    In the underground pce, Strategist was tapping on a stone table, seemingly deep in thought.

    ¡°For so many years, I transformed into a Nightmare to uncover their secrets, after all, Nightmares are the test subjects of the god races, their eyes.¡± Through the Nightmares, one could learn many secrets of the god races, but now, Strategist couldn¡¯t wait any longer. The current Nightmares could no longer provide him with any useful intelligence.

    ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s time. At least I can¡¯t sacrifice in vain. Let the Corpse Emperor, the Lords, and all the Nightmares perish with me.¡±

    No one knew Strategist¡¯s n. He had always been a results-oriented person, not caring about the process. In his years of controlling the Nightmares, he had directly or indirectly caused the deaths of many humans, but he didn¡¯t feel regret. Because all of this was the price forpletely resolving the Nightmare disaster. For the continuation of the human race, sacrificing a small portion of people was unavoidable in his view.

    ¡°Ah, how I wish I could just quietly read books and y chess,¡± Strategist stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze empty, his pale face looking even more deste. ¡°The era of the Human Nine Emperors will soone to aplete end. Humanity will usher in its own Fifth Era. I hope you can walk the path we couldn¡¯t, reach ces we couldn¡¯t reach, and appreciate the most beautiful scenery of this starry sky.¡±

    Strategist¡¯s ns, feelings, and true identity were forever hidden in the night. He was thest night watchman of human civilization. Of course, there was also his sworn brother, that old man still waiting in Night City, ready to die at any time. Theirst wish was probably to witness tomorrow¡¯s sunrise together.

    In the academy at night, all was quiet, and most of the students were asleep. Suddenly, a wildugh echoed through the night sky.

    ¡°Hahaha, I, Fan Longyu, am out!¡±

    The oneughing wildly was Fan Longyu, who had participated in the Heavenly Book trial. While others came out of the Heavenly Book world feeling dejected, he was exceptionally excited.

    ¡°I¡¯m free, I¡¯m free!¡± Fan Longyu hadn¡¯t passed the second trial, and had even encountered terrifying ordeals during the trial. But although he hadn¡¯t passed the trial, he had still grown quite a bit. He had regained his freedom through his own power, escaping from that hellish ce. So even though he failed the mission, he hadn¡¯t lost! At least he hadn¡¯t chosen suicide to escape, but had fought his way out on his own.

    The dragon scales on Fan Longyu¡¯s chest emitted a dazzling red light, and a pair of dragon wings spread out, unleashing a terrifying dragon might. His gaze stopped in a certain direction.

    ¡°Come out! Sneaking around, your aura is unfamiliar. Who are you?¡± Fan Longyu said towards a certain spot.

    ¡°Impressive, you can actually detect my presence,¡± Tianxian spread his snow-white wings and also flew up. A white and a red pair of wings faced off against each other.

    ¡°You are? Bird n?¡± Fan Longyu frowned slightly.

    ¡°Are you human? You don¡¯t look like it. Could you also be some kind of hybrid?¡± Tianxian said impolitely.

    Fan Longyu didn¡¯t get angry. He was originally a pure-blooded human, just having obtained some dragon power. But he knew one thing: this Tianxian didn¡¯te with good intentions, he was deliberately looking for trouble.

    ¡°Bird-man with wings, I just had some insights. Let me try them out on you. Let¡¯s see if Bird n wings taste better cold or braised,¡± Fan Longyu retorted.

    ¡°Damn you!¡± Tianxian had never been so offended before. Neither of them gave way, and they instantly began fighting in the sky. Dragon wings and Bird n wings, one red and one white, sometimes colliding head-on, sometimes brushing past each other. The two streaks of light in the sky attracted countless gazes from below.

    ¡°Interesting, no wonder you dare to be so arrogant,¡± Fan Longyu¡¯s body began to grow dragon scales, his degree of dragon transformation increasing.

 Chapter 268: Mysterious Technique

    Chapter 268: Mysterious Technique

    The fierce battle in the night sky continued, with crowds below discussing animatedly.

    In his room, Feng Bng could see the battle outside through the window. The terrifying energy waves had awakened many people, including him.

    ¡°Has Tianxian found another opponent? Who is it?¡± Feng Bng was in a bad mood. He had originally nned to return directly to Night City, but felt reluctant to leave. He wanted to know if others could aplish what he couldn¡¯t. Although Tianxian was strong, the human prodigies might not necessarily be unable to defeat him.

    ¡°Sigh, this young master of the Bird n is really troublesome,¡± Pill Taoist had naturally been alerted by the fighting outside. With a wave of his hand, his power covered the entire academy, protecting all the buildings. They could fight as they pleased without causing major damage. These prodigies were all extraordinarily powerful, but they were still not enough in front of top experts of the current world like Pill Taoist.

    ¡°Heavenly Fire ¨C Sudden Rainstorm!¡± Tianxian¡¯s wings shot out countless feathers, each burning with cyan mes. It was a terrifying fire that was hard to extinguish once it touched something.

    ¡°Hmph!¡± Fan Longyu snorted coldly, his dragon scales shooting out. Each scale seemed to have consciousness, urately blocking all the feathers.

    Tianxian knew his opponent was extraordinary. In terms of speed, power, and explosive force, he far surpassed previous opponents, even slightly better than that number one genius from the Cangfeng Realm. It seemed he had gained a lot in the Heavenly Book world.

    ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, there¡¯s no need to hold back. Celestial Image!¡± Behind Tianxian appeared a huge winged human divine image. Terrifying power emanated from his hands, as if he was the god controlling this space, omnipotent, easily crushing everything.

    ¡°What is that?¡± Many people seeing this winged human divine image for the first time were so surprised their jaws dropped. ¡°Is it simr to the legendary Heaven and Earth Law Body divine ability? I¡¯ve heard it¡¯s a secret technique of the Bird n, only those with pure Bird n bloodline canprehend it,¡± someone with broad knowledge exined.

    ¡°Impressive. The pressure from this divine image is extraordinary. I wonder how his opponent will break through this situation.¡± As the battle reached its climax, the spectators also became excited.

    A dragon¡¯s roar echoed in the night sky. The dragon scales on Fan Longyu¡¯s chest burst into a scorching light, and a fire dragon phantom emerged from the scales, coiling around to protect Fan Longyu.

    In the sky, the winged human image faced off against the five-wed fire dragon phantom, presenting a grand spectacle for all to see. The second round of the match began.

    The winged human image and dragon phantom shed, the terrifying power from their collisions pressing down on the people below, making it hard to breathe. This was even with Pill Taoist protecting the academy.

    ¡°Hahaha, exhrating! Finally, there¡¯s an opponent among humans who can make me go all out. How dare those previous ones call themselves prodigies?¡± Tianxian said excitedly. Only with a strong enough opponent could his own strength be highlighted.

    ¡°You talk too much, bird-man,¡± Fan Longyu didn¡¯t know about the previous events, he only knew the person before him was a good whetstone.

    After a long time, both the celestial image and dragon phantom disappeared, and the two returned to their original forms.

    ¡°Warm-upplete. Time to get serious,¡± Tianxian stretched his shoulders.

    Fan Longyu¡¯s pupils contracted slightly. Was that just a warm-up? He naturally didn¡¯t believe it. ¡°Stop pretending. I¡¯ll use my newlyprehended technique to beat you back to your original form!¡±

    Fan Longyu had fought his way back from the abyss thanks to his newlyprehended ability. At this moment, he decided not to hold back anymore.

    ¡°True Dragon Transformation ¨C Scorching Abyss!¡± Fan Longyu evolved again. Now his appearance waspletely unrecognizable as human, with a dragon¡¯s head, ws, tail, wings, and body.

    ¡°That¡¯s not right. I remember that although dragons have wings, their body shape wasn¡¯t as slender as the previous dragon phantom. That dragon phantom looked more like an ancient dragon, but ancient dragons didn¡¯t seem to have wings. Where does this person¡¯s dragon bloode from?¡± someone asked, puzzled.

    ¡°Who told you ancient dragons didn¡¯t have wings? There was a type of dragon called Ying Long that had wings. I guess Fan Longyu¡¯s poweres from Ying Long.¡±

    ¡°Ying Long?! That¡¯s incredible!¡±

    ¡°Hmph, even if it really is power from Ying Long, it¡¯s just a tiny bit of inheritance. Otherwise, he would have been unbeatable in the world long ago,¡± someone else added.

    ¡°You¡¯re right, I overthought it. Even if it¡¯s power from Ying Long, he¡¯s not a direct bloodline descendant of Ying Long.¡±

    As the true dragon transformation finished, Fan Longyu had a new form, with scorching fire rings under his feet. It was a power simr to but distinctly different from a domain, which he called the Scorching Abyss.

    ¡°Can such diluted bloodline give birth to such a high-level divine ability? Ying Long, Ying Long¡­¡± Pill Taoist was also very surprised. He saw that what Fan Longyu had wasn¡¯t a domain but a divine ability, though its effect was simr to a domain. Entering the area covered by his fire ring would subject one to the torment of hellish mes.

    ¡°Is this your trump card? Interesting,¡± Tianxian looked at Fan Longyu and understood he needed to bring out his real skills too. Then, his entire body began to enter a mercury-like state. His original appearancepletely disappeared, reced by a winged mercury man.

    ¡°What is this?¡± Pill Taoist¡¯s eyes widened. He actually didn¡¯t know Tianxian¡¯s technique. Even with his knowledge, he couldn¡¯t recognize it!

    ¡°Senior, do you know what this technique is?¡± Thunder Lord appeared beside Pill Taoist like lightning, followed by Wind Lord.

    ¡°You all don¡¯t know either?¡± Pill Taoist sighed. None of the three of them knew Tianxian¡¯s technique.

    The dragon-transformed Fan Longyu and mercury-transformed Tianxian continued to battle, entering the third stage. However, this was the quickest ending stage. Instead of the expected evenly matched fight, Fan Longyu was being overwhelmed. None of his attack methods could cause any damage to the mercury man before him. The mercury man didn¡¯t even defend, allowing him to attack freely. But Fan Longyu couldn¡¯t ignore his opponent¡¯s attacks. Thus, Fan Longyu was facing a nearly invincible opponent who could hurt him, but he couldn¡¯t hurt back. Even the scorching domain aura had no effect at all.

    Soon, Fan Longyu was punched to the ground, his true dragon form immediately dissipating.

    ¡°Fan Longyu has lost,¡± Pill Taoist shook his head. This Tianxian was even stronger than they had estimated. ¡°By the way, ask Feng Bng toe see me. What exactly was that Cyan Lotus Treasury that Tianxian entered back then? This kind of technique doesn¡¯t seem to be internal to the Bird n, it should be rted to Tianxian¡¯s own encounters. Cyan Lotus Heavenly Fire, divine objects that can increase contract objects, and this technique I¡¯ve never seen before. The secrets of this world are far more numerous than I imagined.¡±

 Chapter 269: The Secret of the Cyan Lotus Treasury

    Chapter 269: The Secret of the Cyan Lotus Treasury

    Tonight, many in the academy were destined for sleepless nights. The aerial sh between two top young geniuses had stunned many. The continuous unveiling of trump cards made it hard to believe they were both Profound Realm cultivators who hadn¡¯t reached the Spirit God Realm. But the facts were before their eyes, leaving no room for disbelief.

    ¡°Ah, that dragon-form expert was finally scared. I could feel that his final strength must have been on par with Spirit God Realm, but he still lost in the end.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to regret. That Bird n person must be the recently famous Tianxian. He¡¯s already defeated several human prodigies in a row. I wonder when it will end.¡±

    ¡°What was that mercury-like form at the end? I know that dragon-like person, he¡¯s Fan Longyu who participated in the Prodigy Battle before. With his strength, he couldn¡¯t even scratch his opponent.¡±

    Feng Bng cleverly guessed the reason these front-row figures had called for him.

    ¡°You kid, your dissatisfaction is written all over your face,¡± Thunder Lord shook his head.

    ¡°I know what you want to ask, but talking about that ce inevitably brings up my painful memories,¡± Feng Bng said with a bitter smile.

    ¡°We¡¯re not asking for nothing. Don¡¯t look so impatient,¡± Pill Taoist took out a first-grade pill and handed it to Feng Bng.

    Feng Bng opened the medicine and sniffed it, instantly brightening up and changing his previous attitude. ¡°Ask away. I¡¯ll tell you everything I know,¡± Feng Bng seemed to have returned to his previous carefree manner.

    ¡°This kid,¡± Thunder Lord and Wind Lord shook their heads helplessly.

    Pill Taoist asked directly, ¡°What¡¯s the deal with the Cyan Lotus Treasury? How much do you know?¡±

    Feng Bng smiled, knowing they would definitely ask about this. ¡°The Cyan Lotus Treasury is located in a canyon somewhere in the Night Country. There was nothing special about it originally. Until one day, four experts were chasing a man. That man escaped into a cave in the canyon. Three dayster, he came out and easily killed three of the experts. One person with good escape skills managed to flee.¡±

    ¡°After the news spread, everyone knew that ce must have an extraordinary treasure, enough to cause a qualitative change in a person within three days. So, many who got the news were moved to action. That man didn¡¯t leave but guarded the cave entrance. Anyone who coveted the cave behind him would be killed by him.¡±

    ¡°No matter how strong one person is, their strength is limited. Among those who came, several experts joined forces to kill him. They thought this would allow everyone to enter the cave sessfully, but unexpectedly, after that expert died, a cyan lotus bloomed on his corpse. Then the corpse revived and killed many people. Those killed by him also had cyan lotuses bloom on their corpses, bing corpse guards at the cave entrance.¡±

    ¡°From then on, that cave became a dangerous ce. Anyone who dared to covet it would be the target of the cyan lotus corpse guards. But there were still fearless people who repeatedly attempted to storm the cave. Finally, they discovered that although these cyan lotus corpse guards were strong and fearless of death, they had a fatal weakness ¨C they weren¡¯t very smart.¡±

    ¡°So many people thought of the strategy to lure the tiger away from the mountain. I also snuck in with a few friends at that time. Tianxian probably snuck in during the chaos too. However, after entering, we discovered that the cave was just the first test of this secret realm. I won¡¯t go into details about what happened after, but in short, the struggle inside was extremely brutal. There were four of us who entered together, but in the end, only I survived. Originally, I had the final chance to enter thest door, but Tianxian used my friends¡¯ lives as leverage, making me lose the opportunity. But after he seeded, he didn¡¯t keep his promise.¡±

    Feng Bng gritted his teeth. Although Tianxian¡¯s methods were despicable, he could understand. It was his own fault for being too loyal to his friends, allowing others to exploit his weakness. But Tianxian not keeping his promise led to Feng Bng losing both the opportunity and his friends. What¡¯s more ridiculous is that Tianxian didn¡¯t even remember him. Perhaps in Tianxian¡¯s eyes, people like Feng Bng were truly insignificant as ants.

    ¡°Indeed a vicious nature. We probably can¡¯t intervene in Tianxian¡¯s matter, as it would be a conflict between humans and the Bird n. You can only rely on yourself. What else do you know about the Cyan Lotus Treasury?¡± Pill Taoist asked.

    Feng Bng nodded, not expecting Pill Taoist and the others to help him seek revenge. ¡°I don¡¯t know who the owner of the Cyan Lotus Treasury is. Although I¡¯ve never seen the Void Nine Emperors, I estimate that mysterious person¡¯s realm is above the Void Nine Emperors.¡±

    ¡°What? Are you telling the truth? Do you know what level of strength the Void Nine Emperors possess?¡± Everyone was surprised.

    ¡°You¡¯ve all seen it. Whether it¡¯s the Cyan Lotus Heavenly Fire or that mysterious mercury form, they¡¯re most likely what Tianxian obtained from the treasury. Additionally, in the Cyan Lotus Treasury, there were a total of 33,000 branching paths. By the time we reached that point, only a few trial participants were left. It was a trial where people really died. I chose one of the paths, and Tianxian, for some reason, made the same choice as us.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think that path was the only correct answer. Out of 33,000 paths, we just happened to choose the right one? You know how small that probability is. Perhaps what Tianxian obtained was just a small prize in the prize pool, with the grand prize still elsewhere.¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately, for some unknown reason, the treasury disappeared in the end. No one could enter it again. That cave simply vanished into thin air, and no one knows why.¡± Feng Bng regretted, when he wanted to revisit the treasury, the Cyan Lotus Treasury was no longer there.

    ¡°Hm? Disappeared? Could the trial secret realm have grown legs and run away?¡± Everyone was extremely surprised. If what Feng Bng said was true, the Cyan Lotus secret realm must truly be of a very high level. But why hadn¡¯t such a figure left any traces in history? Could they really be even more ancient than the Void Nine Emperors?

    If Zhanyue were here, he wouldn¡¯t be as regretful as them. He could easily guess that the treasury might have been left by a high-level expert from the Third Era. But right now, Zhanyue wouldn¡¯t know about these things. At this moment, he had already arrived in the depths of the Ink Sea.

    ¡°Where¡¯s that Sister Lei Ying? Why didn¡¯t shee?¡± Baizhi asked curiously.

    ¡°She said if she appeared, the thunder bird would definitely not dare to show up. She wants to use us as bait to lure the thunder bird,¡± Zhanyue exined. He could deduce the strength of that mysterious artifact spirit; at least this thunder bird was very afraid of it.

    They had already entered the thunder bird¡¯s territory in the deepest part of the Ink Sea. The thunder bird seemed to have been awakened by the unfamiliar aura. In the sky, dark clouds suddenly gathered, with shes of lightning and rumbles of thunder.

    At the same time, a ¡®golden star¡¯ rose from the sea.

    ¡°Is this thing really a bird?¡±

    Zhanyue¡¯s eyes widened as he saw the enormous creature rising from the Ink Sea. Even the fear disaster beast would probably be like an ant in front of it. The giant thunder bird spread its wings, and Zhanyue couldn¡¯t even see where its feathers ended. ¡°The Heavenly Book world¡­ really has issues.¡± Seeing the entity of this thing, Zhanyue finally believed the mysterious woman¡¯s words. This thunder bird was not something they could handle.

 Chapter 270: Wings that Cover the Sky

    Chapter 270: Wings that Cover the Sky

    There¡¯s a word called ¡°insignificant,¡± which Zhanyue had always understood. For instance, humans are insignificant when facing the boundless sea or the brilliant starry sky. However, the enormous bird before him, blocking out the sky and sun, gave Zhanyue the same feeling, even robbing him of the courage to resist, as everything seemed futile.

    He and Baizhi stood dumbfounded on the Ink Sea, neither attacking nor fleeing, just staring nkly. They didn¡¯t even know if the thunder bird, being so massive, would notice two insects like them. In fact, they could feel a powerful force pressing down on them, undoubtedly the thunder bird¡¯s gaze. Just its eyes could make them lose the ability to move or even think. It was not a creature of the same dimension or power level. The giant bird was like the sun, causing them to close their eyes directly.

    A golden figure suddenlynded behind the two. The woman had long, wavy golden hair and a perfect figure, much taller than Zhanyue¡¯s real body, with an impressive bust. But what caught attention wasn¡¯t her looks or figure, but her mysterious background and strength. Her beautiful eyes were hidden behind sunsses as she looked at the giant bird, a hint of disdain on her lips.

    She gently patted the two, bringing them back to their senses, and gave each of them a pair of sunsses.

    ¡°Oh my, these two little ones really haven¡¯t seen much of the world, even this fictional thunder bird scared you like this. You should know that humans are the lords of all creatures. The human race that once dominated the universe killed countless star beastsrger than suns. This thunder bird is child¡¯s ypared to them. Are you two up for this¡­?¡±

    The womanughed, then walked in front of them. Instantly, Zhanyue and Baizhi felt no pressure at all.

    ¡°Th-thank you¡­¡± Zhanyue, havinge to his senses, hurriedly thanked her. Was this monster really what Baizhi¡¯s mission required them to face? Wasn¡¯t this a joke? Had the Heavenly Book world¡¯s calctions really gone wrong?

    ¡°Zhanyue¡­ can we win?¡± Baizhi put on the sunsses, allowing her to look directly at the giant bird in the distance. She swallowed hard, expressing doubt. Even with this mysterious woman protecting them, the pressure from this thunder bird was truly terrifying.

    ¡°This thunder bird should be considered a creature of the Third Era. Next, you¡¯ll witness a battle not belonging to this era. Watch carefully,¡± the woman instructed the two behind her without turning back, then walked step by step towards the front. The thunder bird looked warily at the woman, opening its mouth to let out a piercing cry. Terrifying lightning apanied the cry, falling from the sky. Thousands of lightning bolts, like threads, connected the sky and the earth.

    ¡°Hehe.¡± The woman smiled slightly, raising her hand. A huge lightning cherry tree sprang up from the ground, growing from small torge, gradually bing as tall as the sky, like a mountain. This cherry tree acted like a lightning rod, absorbing all the lightning. With each bolt of lightning, a cherry blossom bloomed on the tree.

    ¡°ying with lightning in front of me? You¡¯re far from good enough,¡± the woman said leisurely, looking at the thunder bird. All lightning attacks were easily blocked. Zhanyue and Baizhi were sheltered under the lightning cherry tree, feeling none of the disaster-like lightning attacks.

    The people on the star ship were all frightened and confused, not knowing what was happening in the deepest part of the Ink Sea. No one dared to approach, they could only pray silently. However, they all understood that the so-called thunder bird never dared to approach the star ship.

    The thunder bird knew there was something on the star ship that could threaten it, so it never dared to approach. Lei Ying knew the thunder bird was fictional and couldn¡¯t be bothered with it, killing it would be pointless. But now, the thunder bird was Baizhi¡¯s mission, and in exchange, she needed to take action.

    Seeing its lightning attacks ineffective, the thunder bird spread its wings, covering the sky and blocking out the sun. Instantly, the sky darkened.

    Then, the feathers on the thunder bird¡¯s body fell towards the Ink Sea at the speed of lightning. Under the wings that covered the sky, endless lightning feathers fell like hail. Compared to the previous lightning attacks, the feathers were solid, each like a mountain covered in lightning, crashing into the sea. For the first time, the Ink Sea was so turbulent, the oceans of the entire world were in turmoil. Countless tsunamis swept across the world. Although ordinary people around the world were innocent, weakness itself was a sin. The aftershocks of the battle in the Ink Sea were enough to destroy the world.

    ¡°Wings that cover the sky and block out the sun.¡± Zhanyue looked up at the sky, seeming to have some insight. Earlier, he had obtained the Phantom Wings, and Yunyao had told him that mastering the Phantom Wings might allow him to master a divine ability ¨C Wings that Cover the Sky. Previously, ording to Yunyao, mastering this divine ability was not easy and required some of her experience and guidance. Zhanyue couldn¡¯t imagine what this divine ability was like, but seeing the thunder bird¡¯s technique, he seemed to gain a bit more understanding.

    In another world, in the underground tomb, Yunyao still sat like a beautiful statue, the most beautiful sculpture in the world. Though cold, she was truly beautiful. At this moment, she was still focused on improving her eye technique,pletely unaware of everything Zhanyue¡¯s avatar was experiencing in another world.

    Zhanyue opened his eyes, looking at this cold and proud woman sitting not far away. ¡°Later, perhaps I can give you a surprise.¡±

    As the thunder bird¡¯s attack approached, the woman named ¡®Lei Ying¡¯ waved her hand again. The cherry blossoms that had grown on the lightning cherry tree all left their branches and floated towards the sky. Each ¡°delicate¡± cherry blossom precisely hit a falling feather in the sky. The mountain-like feathers were directly ignited, turning into points of light, creating a spectacr scene of light feathers filling the sky. The thunder bird¡¯s technique was once again easily neutralized by the woman. Such an exchange of attacks was unimaginable even in the Myriad Spirits Realm. The academy and several surrounding cities could probably be reduced to ruins by one move from the thunder bird. No wonder the woman said this was a battle not belonging to this era.

    The thunder bird was truly angered. It was wary of the woman, but she had provoked it in its ownir. Did it have to move house? It opened its beak, spewing out purple divine lightning. Compared to the previous golden lightning, this purple divine lightning seemed even more terrifying, like a purple star falling towards Lei Ying. It wanted to destroy that lightning cherry tree.

    ¡°Be careful, this purple extreme divine lightning is real, not fictional. It should be a gift left for you by that little Void,¡± the woman suddenly said.

    ¡°Gift?¡± Zhanyue and Baizhi were stunned. Was there such a gift? Wouldn¡¯t this leave them nothing but bones?

    ¡°That¡¯s it!¡± Zhanyue suddenly realized, finally remembering what the ultimate purpose of this journey was. Baizhi didn¡¯t know, but how could he not?

    ¡°Girl, quickly throw your contract medicine cauldron over there, let it collide with that so-called purple extreme divine lightning,¡± Zhanyue hurriedly said.

 Chapter 271: The Heavenly Kings Bronze Cauldron

    Chapter 271: The Heavenly Kings Bronze Cauldron

    A contract object is the most important treasure for a contractor. If the contract object is destroyed, the contractor¡¯s cultivation is greatly damaged, possibly even bing a waste contractor with no chance of recovery. Although contract objects are generally difficult to destroy, and in most cases, the contractor dies first. But the purple divine lightning before them was extraordinary, clearly not something that should be blocked by a contract object.

    However, Baizhi had 100% trust in Zhanyue. She immediately summoned her contract pill cauldron and maneuvered it to fly up. The cauldron collided head-on with the purple spherical divine lightning in the air. Baizhi¡¯s pretty face showed extreme tension. Although Zhanyue had told her to do this, she didn¡¯t know the details of her contract object and was naturally nervous.

    Beside her, Zhanyue¡¯s brows furrowed slightly, also watching tensely, but with more anticipation than Baizhi. He wasn¡¯t worried about the cauldron being damaged, but rather that the purple divine lightning might not be strong enough. After all, he knew this cauldron was on the same level as his Earth Mother Golden Cauldron, how could it be so easily damaged?

    ¡°Oh?¡± Lei Ying¡¯s beautiful eyes turned, letting out a light exmation as she looked at the cauldron in the air. She hadn¡¯t expected this little sister to possess such a treasure.

    The terrifying divine lightning didn¡¯t destroy the cauldron, but was instead slowly absorbed by it. The divine lightning, which originally had the power to destroy heaven and earth, hadn¡¯t even had a chance to explode or show its divine might to the world before being instantly destroyed as if it had encountered a ck hole. It didn¡¯t even create a spectacr scene, just being inly absorbed.

    It disappeared inly, but the originally in bronze cauldron burst into radiance. The cyan bronze cauldron gradually turned purple, and an ancient, aged aura slowly spread out. This aura made people want to bow down in worship. After the Earth Mother Golden Cauldron had appeared in the world, the Heavenly King¡¯s Bronze Cauldron was finally unsealed.

    Below, Baizhi felt herself enveloped by a mysterious power. The unsealing of her contract object greatly benefited her. She looked at her hand in confusion. In her palm, a purple divine lightning instantly condensed. She suddenly mastered the power of lightning, just as Zhanyue had mastered the Earth Vein Ghost Fire before. Now she possessed the Divine Might Lightning. However, Zhanyue¡¯s Earth Vein Ghost Fire had already merged with the Human Ethics Bathing Fire and the Great Sun Essence Fire to form the Three Talents Wondrous Fire. The Three Talents Wondrous Fire,bining the powers of heaven, earth, and humans, had endless wonders that even Zhanyue hadn¡¯t fully mastered.

    Although the Divine Might Lightning wasn¡¯t as good as the Three Talents Wondrous Fire, it was on the same level as the Earth Vein Ghost Fire. The most perfect pill refining process in the current world was to first use the Earth Mother Golden Cauldron to refine pills of extremely high purity, then put these pills into the Heavenly King¡¯s Bronze Cauldron for tempering, elevating the grade of the pills. Thebination of the two strongest pill cauldrons could break through the grade limits of alchemists. It wasn¡¯t impossible for a ninth-grade alchemist to refine tenth-grade pills, and it could even be the norm. This was what made the Heavenly King¡¯s Bronze Cauldron and Earth Mother Golden Cauldron so powerful.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to possess a quasi-divine artifact. Congrattions,¡± Lei Ying returned to Baizhi¡¯s side, then waved her hand again. The nearby lightning cherry tree¡¯s branches rapidly expanded, turning into a huge spherical cage that could envelop ¡®heaven and earth¡¯, enclosing the thunder bird within. Therge amount of lightning around the thunder bird couldn¡¯t cause any damage to the fragile branch cage. While dealing with the terrifying beast, Lei Ying could still chat casually with Zhanyue and the others.

    ¡°Quasi-divine artifact? What does senior mean by quasi-divine artifact?¡±

    ¡°A so-called quasi-divine artifact is a treasure that doesn¡¯t quite match up to a divine artifact¡­¡± Lei Ying said while maintaining the cage trapping the thunder bird.

    ¡°¡­¡± Zhanyue¡¯s avatar struggled to roll his eyes. ¡°Alright then, what is a divine artifact?¡±

    Lei Ying smiled, deciding not to tease him anymore, and exined seriously: ¡°True divine artifacts date back to the Second Era. When humanity was at its peak, it was the number one race just below the gods. And it possessed the power to y deities. The deities that fell in the human-god war were forged into divine artifacts by human master craftsmen. Each divine artifact is the corpse of a deity. Perhaps the concept of divine artifacts in your era has changed, but true divine artifacts are a testament to humanity¡¯s glory.¡±

    ¡°True divine artifacts are forged from the corpses of deities?¡± Zhanyue¡¯s eyes widened. This concept of divine artifacts was different from that in the Myriad Spirits Realm. The so-called divine artifacts in the Myriad Spirits Realm were just a grade concept. Items like his Earth Mother Golden Cauldron and Heaven Punishing Demon Sword were divine artifacts in the Myriad Spirits Realm, but not true divine artifacts in this sense.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. The star ship is a divine artifact, and so is the Heavenly Book. Divine artifacts aren¡¯t that rare, after all, quite a few deities fell back then. It¡¯s just that with humanity¡¯s decline, most divine artifacts were either lost in the depths of the star sea, sealed away out of sight, or destroyed by the god races. After all, my glory is the enemy¡¯s shame.¡±

    ¡°Moreover,¡± the woman paused, then added, ¡°The star ship was forged from the remains of a space deity, and the Heavenly Book is even more extraordinary, refined from the corpse of a wisdom deity. Let me tell you another secret.¡±

    The woman thought for a moment, then said, ¡°Actually¡­ the wisdom deity hasn¡¯tpletely perished.¡±

    ¡°Hasn¡¯tpletely perished?¡± Zhanyue shuddered, looking around at the void. ¡°What do you mean, senior?¡±

    ¡°It means exactly what I said. Neither I, nor the so-called Spirit of the Heavenly Book, nor even the Void Emperor, are the true masters of the Heavenly Book world. The true master of the Heavenly Book world is the remnant soul of the wisdom deity. It no longer has its own will, but still retains its wisdom. This wisdom is used by powerful humans to maintain the operation of the Heavenly Book world. Now do you understand why the myriad worlds evolved by the Heavenly Book world are so realistic? Because it¡¯s not really human power, but that of a god.¡± The woman finally revealed the greatest secret of the Heavenly Book.

    ¡°So the Heavenly Book is actually the corpse of the wisdom deity, and its wisdom still remains, used to calcte the operation of various virtual worlds in the Heavenly Book? No wonder¡­ I always felt that the Void Emperor probably didn¡¯t have such means. Indeed¡­¡± Zhanyue¡¯s long-standing confusion was finally resolved. However, even greater puzzles arose along with it.

    ¡°If deities are so powerful that even after falling, even with only their so-called wisdom remaining and no will, they still have such terrifying power, then who exactly killed them, and where did the power of humanity at its peake from?¡± Zhanyue couldn¡¯t understand. He couldn¡¯t imagine through what means humanity could possess the power to y deities.

    ¡°Oh my, you¡¯re really clever,¡± the woman smiled charmingly. ¡°Because the deities are false gods. Among humans, there are true deities. I said before, the universe itself might have a will, it has its own preferences. Compared to false gods, it prefers true gods. As for the path to bing a true god, that¡¯s not a secret I can easily divulge.¡±

    ¡°You can think about this question yourself in the future. It¡¯s time to end this farce.¡±

    ¡°What about quasi-divine artifacts?¡± Zhanyue quickly asked, as this question had been sidetracked.

 Chapter 272: Divine Artifacts and Quasi-Divine Artifacts

    Chapter 272: Divine Artifacts and Quasi-Divine Artifacts

    ¡°Quasi-divine artifacts¡­ are probably treasures refined from damaged divine artifacts. Although they¡¯re not as miraculous as divine artifacts, the material itself is still the iplete remains of a god, far more powerful than other treasures. Although divine artifacts and quasi-divine artifacts differ by only one word, the difference is like heaven and earth. In the Second Era, a hundred quasi-divine artifacts couldn¡¯t be exchanged for one divine artifact. But that doesn¡¯t mean quasi-divine artifacts are useless. A thousand top-tier treasures couldn¡¯t be exchanged for one quasi-divine artifact. Your little girlfriend¡¯s medicine cauldron seems to be a quasi-divine artifact,¡± the woman continued to exin, then walked forward to end this absurd battle.

    ¡°I see, so the gap between divine artifacts and quasi-divine artifacts is sorge, but quasi-divine artifacts are also rare treasures,¡± Zhanyue couldn¡¯t help but think of the few treasures he possessed. The Earth Mother Golden Cauldron, Silver Moon Armor, and Heaven Punishing Demon Sword all seemed to be quasi-divine level artifacts. As for divine artifact level treasures, he didn¡¯t seem to have any? No, the Heavenly Book was already his contract object, and this was a true divine artifact, but for some reason, he didn¡¯t seem to have fully mastered it.

    The Spirit of the Heavenly Book, the wisdom of the Heavenly Book itself, and the original owner of the Heavenly Book all seemed to have ownership of the Heavenly Book. He was like a newly joined major shareholder. Zhanyue understood the current situation. At present, the Heavenly Book was jointly controlled by multiple wills. Although he was the nominal owner, he didn¡¯t have actual control. To master the Heavenly Book, he would naturally have to reim the Heavenly Book¡¯s ¡°shares¡± from the other ¡°shareholders¡±.

    ¡°Indeed, it¡¯s not so simple to fully own a divine artifact,¡± Zhanyue turned his gaze to the distant star ship. ¡°It¡¯s also a divine artifact.¡± Instantly, Zhanyue was scared by his own bold idea. He had actually developed greed for this star ship. Unlike the Heavenly Book, the mysterious woman named Lei Ying clearly had absolute control over the star ship. Wouldn¡¯t obtaining the star ship be equivalent to making that charming woman acknowledge him as her master?

    At this moment, a fire rose in Zhanyue¡¯s heart again. Such a peerless beauty should naturally belong to him. Then he suddenly sobered up, shaking his head. That endless greed had affected him again.

    ¡°No¡­ if I dare to reveal such thoughts, I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll be directly sted to death by Senior Lei Ying. This is a path to death,¡± Zhanyue still had self-awareness. Lei Ying was likely a figure from the Second Era, how could she easily take a liking to him? Obviously, even the former Void Emperor hadn¡¯t caught her eye.

    Outside the world, the Spirit of the Heavenly Book was gnashing her teeth in anger. She hugged her tails and looked at the snowy screen in front of her, finally sighing helplessly. The Heavenly Book world was veryplex, not something she, as the Spirit of the Heavenly Book, could control. At present, she was just a gatekeeper, only able to decide who could enter the Heavenly Book world. As for the operation of the Heavenly Book world itself, that wasn¡¯t something she could decide.

    ¡°Hmph, an old woman who¡¯s lived for who knows how many years. If you don¡¯t want to look, then don¡¯t. Who cares,¡± The Spirit of the Heavenly Book, Wu Yunmeng, could only turn her gaze to other worlds.

    In that battle back then, the situation was critical. To prevent her soul from beingpletely destroyed, the Void Emperor had no choice but to refine her into the spirit of the Heavenly Book. Although her life was extended, she was also imprisoned within the Heavenly Book. The Void Emperor naturally had no other choice, at that time only the marvel of the Heavenly Book could save his daughter. After all, in the end, even he himself fell in that battle. Thinking of the past, Wu Yunmeng found it amusing. As the saying goes, ¡°The fallen flowers are willing, but the flowing water is heartless.¡± Her old man had taken a liking to Lei Ying, but unfortunately, this big sister wasn¡¯t interested in him at all. At the final moment, the Void Emperor forcibly pulled the star ship into the Heavenly Book world, not for himself, but because he was afraid Lei Ying would run away. For humanity to step out of this remote gxy and recreate human glory, the star ship was indispensable. Although he couldn¡¯t make the star ship acknowledge him as its master, he hoped someone in the future could do it. Only then would humanity have the possibility of stepping out again.

    Obviously, Zhanyue knew nothing about this. His agreement with Lei Ying was to help her leave the Heavenly Book world, which was contrary to the Void Emperor¡¯s intentions.

    The thunder bird spread its sky-covering wings, forcibly breaking open the cage, but no longer had any desire to continue fighting. It knew it had lost, and continuing to fight might endanger its life, so it tried to escape.

    ¡°This simtion by the Heavenly Book¡¯s wisdom is so annoying, even simting the thunder bird¡¯s fear of death perfectly,¡± Lei Ying finally couldn¡¯t help butment as she watched the thunder bird trying to flee.

    In the distance, on the star ship, a cannon tower appeared on the top floor. The cannon instantly locked onto the thunder bird, then fired a purple beam. The beam hit the thunder bird directly. Compared to the thunder bird, the beam seemed tiny, but where it hit, purple began to spread, expanding to the entire body at a speed Zhanyue couldn¡¯t imagine. The golden thunder bird turned purple, then with a wail, it vanished into nothingness, just like that.

    ¡°What kind of attack was that!¡± Zhanyue was dumbfounded. One attack from the star ship had directly eliminated that terrifying creature. Was this the power of a divine artifact?

    ¡°Space dposition cannon. The thunder bird couldn¡¯t withstand it,¡± Lei Ying smiled.

    Now she appeared beside Zhanyue again.

    Baizhi had alsoe to her senses. She had finally absorbed all the newly gained power, feeling reborn. Compared to before, herbat power had finally soared, especially with her mastery of the Divine Might Lightning. Lightning power could be used to temper pills, and of course, also to destroy enemies.

    ¡°Little sister, your task isplete. It¡¯s time to fulfill your promise,¡± Lei Ying said to Baizhi beside her.

    Then, the three returned to the star ship.

    ¡°Are we going to send the star ship into the divine ability space?¡± Zhanyue wasn¡¯t sure either. The star ship was really too big, he didn¡¯t know if the divine ability space could really contain it.

    ¡°What about these people on the star ship?¡± Baizhi asked innocently.

    ¡°They¡¯re all fake.¡± With a wave of Lei Ying¡¯s hand, all the people on the star ship disappeared. Whether it was children ying, people watching underground fights, wealthy people in high positions, or penniless poor people, they all vanished into thin air, no longer existing.

    ¡°All fake.¡± Although Zhanyue knew they were all fake, all created by the Heavenly Book, just like NPCs in a game, all just data, Zhanyue still felt a sense of unreality. His sneaking onto the star ship, his interactions with the people on the ship, were all fake. Real and fake, giving Zhanyue a kind of mysterious insight, just like when he fell into a dream before, feeling that everything about his transmigration to another world was fake. What exactly is real, and what is fake?

    ¡°Wake up!¡± Lei Ying hurriedly interrupted Zhanyue¡¯s state of enlightenment.

    ¡°Senior, what¡¯s this?¡± Zhanyue was a bit confused. He seemed about to understand some principle, but was suddenly interrupted by Lei Ying.

    ¡°Do you want to stay here forever? Enlightenment isn¡¯t a good thing for you right now. One enlightenment might take ten thousand years to pass. Some Dao is not for you to master now, understand?¡± Lei Ying said with a serious face.

 Chapter 273: The Star Ship Escapes

    Chapter 273: The Star Ship Escapes

    Zhanyue felt a chill. If not for Lei Ying¡¯s interruption, he might have continued his enlightenment indefinitely. Until he figured out the answer he wanted, who knows how long it would have taken. He might not have woken up even if his lifespan had been exhausted. Fortunately, Lei Ying broke his enlightenment in time. As she said, the time wasn¡¯t right, and some blessings might turn out to be misfortunes.

    ¡°Little girl, hurry up. You¡¯vepleted the Heavenly Book trial, you might be transported out soon,¡± Lei Ying urged.

    ¡°Oh,¡± Baizhi nodded her little head, looking at Zhanyue.

    Zhanyue nodded slightly, giving an affirmative response. At least for now, Lei Ying hadn¡¯t done anything harmful to them, and had even helped him and Baizhi. He naturally should keep his promise.

    Baizhi touched the star ship with both hands, struggling to put it into her divine ability space. The star ship was ownerless, and the divine ability space wasrge enough. Sure enough, Lei Ying had guessed correctly, Baizhi did it.

    The huge star ship instantly disappeared, entering the divine ability space. Baizhi and Zhanyue also fell from the sky. Zhanyue swallowed Baizhi and used water escape technique at the moment of touching the water surface to dispel the falling force. The two safely returned to the Ink Sea. In the Ink Sea world, the sudden disappearance of the star ship was naturally a big event, but all this was no longer important to them. This false world hadpleted its task of existence.

    ¡°I have to go,¡± Baizhi said, somewhat reluctantly.

    ¡°We¡¯ll see each other outside. You go first,¡± Zhanyueforted.

    ¡°Okay, be careful with your task too. Don¡¯t fail,¡± Baizhi smiled, then saw Zhanyue turn back into a purple piece of wood, which she sent back to the divine ability space. With the taskpleted, the entire world began to disappear. In the blink of an eye, Baizhi found herself in a white space, where everything was white except for white.

    A person in white, whose face couldn¡¯t be seen, walked over.

    ¡°Congrattions, you¡¯vepleted the Heavenly Book trial. You can choose one thing as your reward,¡± the white-clothed person said without emotion, not seeming like a living being. Heid out a series of precious items before Baizhi.

    ¡°Wow! This¡­ this¡­¡± Baizhi opened her small mouth in surprise, only regretting that she could only choose one thing. Finally, her gaze fell on a pill form.

    ¡°Is this¡­ is this the lost form for the ¡®Breaking Profound Pill¡¯?¡± Baizhi still remembered what price a single Breaking Profound Pill had fetched at that auction.

    ¡°Hehe, now I can be the world¡¯s richest person,¡± Baizhi smiled happily, taking the Breaking Profound Pill form. She hadn¡¯t expected to encounter this here.

    With the reward in hand, the white-clothed person directly disappeared. With a sh of white light, Baizhi returned to the real world. The moment she returned to reality, she sensed something unusual in her divine ability space. That star ship had disappeared?? Without her permission, the star ship had directly left the divine ability space?

    The star ship was originally a spatial treasure, leaving one space was easy for it. It was just that the Void Emperor had used a wonderful method with the Heavenly Book to trap the star ship. Baizhi and Zhanyue didn¡¯t know, but they had helped Lei Ying escape. Lei Ying originally couldn¡¯t leave the Heavenly Book world, but Baizhi¡¯s departure had incidentally brought her out. She returned to this world truly free to roam as she pleased, with nothing able to trap her anymore.

    At this moment, Zhanyue in the Heavenly Book world could naturally sense the star ship¡¯s departure from the divine ability space. He frowned slightly, ¡°Why do I feel like I¡¯ve caused trouble? Never mind, I believe Senior Lei Ying isn¡¯t someone who would act recklessly.¡±

    The Spirit of the Heavenly Book, Wu Yunmeng, looked at the broken world and the star ship that should have been on the Ink Sea, her pretty face pale. ¡°Those two little brats, how did they help that old woman escape! Why didn¡¯t the Heart of the Heavenly Book stop them?¡±

    Wu Yunmeng was very helpless. She knew how much effort her father had put into trapping the star ship, all for the day when humanity could subdue it. Once the star ship left the Heavenly Book world, it would bepletely free. Who knows where it would go? Maybe it would never appear in the Myriad Spirits Realm again. In any case, the Void Emperor¡¯s n had failed.

    ¡°Sigh, perhaps this is fate. What doesn¡¯t belong to humanity can¡¯t be forcibly retained,¡± Wu Yunmeng quickly epted reality.

    ¡°This little brat, always causing trouble. Why can someone like this be the master of the Heavenly Book?¡± The more Wu Yunmeng thought about it, the angrier she became. She wished Zhanyue would fail his task and get out of the Heavenly Book soon, but obviously Zhanyue wouldn¡¯t agree.

    After Zhanyue¡¯s consciousness returned to his main body, he fully focused onprehending the concept of the Wings that Cover the Sky that he had sensed earlier. It was more reliable than any experience, like on-site teaching.

    Yunyao opened her beautiful eyes and found Zhanyue still cultivating, feeling puzzled. How was he slower than her? She had already improved her eye technique early on and practiced some other techniques along the way.

    ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Zhanyue suddenly opened his eyes, startling Yunyao.

    A faint blush appeared on Yunyao¡¯s pretty face, but quickly disappeared.

    ¡°Nothing. Since you¡¯re awake too, we should leave,¡± Yunyao said. This period of settling had also advanced her strength further.

    ¡°Alright,¡± Zhanyue stood up and walked over. Again, an impulse rose in his heart, wanting to embrace Yunyao. He struggled to push this thought out of his mind.

    Greed, anger, and delusion are inherently one. It was no exaggeration that greed was the second hardest challenge, but Zhanyue didn¡¯t know this for the time being. He and Yunyao both thought they hadpletely eliminated the greed beast.

    Returning to the surface, it felt like a different world. The original oasis no longer existed, with corpses everywhere.

    ¡°Sigh, after taking away the Life-Nurturing Soil, the oasis really disappeared. Fortunately, this is just a simted virtual world, otherwise I would havemitted a grave sin,¡± Zhanyue sighed, looking at the bones strewn about. The Heavenly Book¡¯s simtion was too realistic, worthy of its name as a divine artifact.

    ¡°Where should we go next?¡± Yunyao hadn¡¯t expected that one day, she would seek someone else¡¯s opinion.

    ¡°We have no choice. We didn¡¯t get any clues about other demon beasts or ¡®divine artifacts¡¯ here. I suddenly feel, have our thoughts been constrained by the legends of this world?¡± Zhanyue analyzed.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Yunyao frowned slightly, showing another kind of charm.

    Zhanyue could only sigh that this woman was really beautiful, not inferior even to Lei Ying, and perhaps even more attractive because of her coldness.

    ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Yunyao knew Zhanyue was looking at her and asked coldly.

    ¡°You¡¯re so beautiful, won¡¯t you let others look? Isn¡¯t that a bit too much?¡± Zhanyue suddenly felt like teasing Yunyao.

    Yunyao still looked at him coldly, ¡°Will those demon beastsmit suicide because I¡¯m beautiful?¡±

    ¡°Well, not to that extent¡­¡±

    ¡°Then that¡¯s it. Let¡¯s focus on the task at hand. Haven¡¯t you gotten tired of looking after so many days?¡± Yunyao wished she could gouge out Zhanyue¡¯s eyes. If anyone else dared to be so unreasonable, she would have already taken action.

    ¡°I mean, we¡¯ve always thought we need divine artifacts to eliminate demon beasts, but I feel that might not be necessary,¡± Zhanyue returned to the main topic.

    ¡°What do you want to do?¡± Yunyao asked.

    ¡°Currently, we have no information about the whereabouts of other demon beasts and divine artifacts, but there¡¯s one demon beast whose location we know, and I happen to have a way to counter it. Why don¡¯t we go eliminate it first?¡±

    ¡°You mean that spider?¡± Yunyao instantly remembered the canyon from before and the demon beast in it.

 Chapter 274: Crisis in the Myriad Spirits Realm

    Chapter 274: Crisis in the Myriad Spirits Realm

    In a small border town in the Myriad Spirits Realm, the patrol team was resting at a post station. It waste at night, and their duty was only to clear out low-level Nightmares and ensure there were no Nightmares around the city.

    The bald general scratched his head, looking at the table full of dishes without appetite. ¡°It¡¯s strange, how did these Nightmares suddenly disappear without a trace?¡±

    A nearby soldier didn¡¯t dare to pick up his chopsticks, seeing the general not eating. ¡°General, shouldn¡¯t we be happy that there are fewer Nightmares?¡±

    ¡°What do you know? The Nightmares have been rampant for so long, how could they suddenly vanish? I¡¯m afraid they¡¯re nning something big. I need to report this up the chain quickly. You all eat first, don¡¯t mind me.¡± The general left a table of subordinates and returned to his room alone to write a report.

    Meanwhile, countless letters were being gathered from various cities in the Myriad Spirits Realm to their capitals, and then consolidated at the Academy City, the administrative center of the entire Myriad Spirits Realm.

    Thunder Lord, Wind Lord, and others were troubled by the numerous reports gathered. ¡°The Nightmares from all over the world seem to have disappeared overnight. They¡¯re not attacking towns, and even remote viges have no trace of them. This doesn¡¯t seem like a good thing. I suspect they¡¯re umting strength, preparing for something big,¡± Wind Lord spected.

    Pill Taoist nodded, ¡°ording to their replies, not only the low-level Nightmares but also the King-level, Lord-level, and Great Lord-level Nightmares seem to have disappeared, no longer active. The Nightmare race must be nning something big this time.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m worried about this point too. The problem is we don¡¯t know the Nightmare race¡¯s target. There are so many cities in the Myriad Spirits Realm. If the Nightmares concentrate their forces to attack a certain city, I¡¯m afraid only the Academy City and the capitals of various countries can hold out until reinforcements arrive. What are they up to?¡± Thunder Lord said with concern.

    Suddenly, Pill Taoist spoke up, ¡°I received a special letter from the Night Watcher of Night City. It¡¯s a warning letter. He said the Nightmares might concentrate their forces to attack the Academy City, telling us to make early preparations.¡± Thunder Lord widened his eyes, looking confused, ¡°How is this possible? Unless the Nightmare race has gone mad, the Academy City is now the safest ce in the world. What gives them the courage to target the Academy City?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s do this: we¡¯ll open up the existing teleportation arrays to ensure smoothmunication between the Academy City and the outside world. Although maintaining the teleportation arrays requires a lot of resources, now is clearly not the time to economize. If the Nightmare race really ns to have a decisive battle with humanity at the Academy City, we¡¯re not unprepared,¡± Thunder Lord suggested.

    Ascetic Monk then appeared, saying, ¡°The strength of senior Night Watcher is as vast as the ocean, unfathomable. Perhaps he has even surpassed the Goddess. His words cannot be ignored.¡±

    Everyone was in an uproar, as Ascetic Monk¡¯s words implied that the Night Watcher¡¯s strength might have surpassed the Illumination Goddess, a figure beyond theirprehension.

    ¡°Humanity has always been treading on thin ice, yet always manages to turn danger into safety and continue to multiply. I believe those hidden human powerhouses are the key,¡± Ascetic Monk sighed.

    Meanwhile, in a deep mountain somewhere in the Myriad Spirits Realm, all the captured alchemists were refining a kind of evil pill day and night, under themand of the long-silent Night Lord. Night Lord was nning to make the Corpse Emperor awaken prematurely, in order to see the two great empires of Eastern Country and Morning Sun Countrypletely destroyed.

 Chapter 285: Death of a Genius

    Chapter 285: Death of a Genius

    ¡°You skulking rat, let me tear off your mask and see your ugly face!¡± Fan Longyu directly transformed into a dragon, his entire body covered in dragon scales. His hands and feet turned into dragon ws, with only his human face retaining human features. Facing a Spirit God Realm opponent, he naturally didn¡¯t need to probe. He directly assumed his strongest form.

    ¡°So this is the power of a true dragon, dragon transformation? Interesting.¡± The man in the golden robe sized up Fan Longyu, not intimidated by his aura at all. ¡°It¡¯s time to see¡­ my power!¡±

    The man in the golden robe stretched out his hand, and a fiery red pearl floated in his palm.

    The fiery red pearl in the man¡¯s hand emitted a heart-palpitating hot aura, as if it contained boundless power. His eyes shed with a sharp light, and¡­ disdain.

    ¡°Dragon? Let me see who the true dragon really is.¡± The man in the golden robe sneered coldly. The fiery red pearl in his hand began to slowly rotate, releasing powerful me energy.

    Fan Longyu¡¯s expression was solemn. He could feel the oppressive force emanating from the man in the golden robe. It was a powerful energy from the Spirit God Realm, not something that could bepared to by ordinary people. What caught his attention even more was that pearl.

    ¡°Dragon¡­ Pearl¡­¡± He didn¡¯t expect that the covenant object of the person in front of him was actually the legendary Dragon Pearl. ¡°Hmph, it seems you want to seize my dragon scales to nourish your Dragon Pearl with the aura of a true dragon.¡±

    Fan Longyu guessed the man¡¯s intentions and naturally flew into a rage. He let out a low shout, and his dragon ws fiercely swiped, carrying violent dragon force as it attacked the man in the golden robe.

    A trace of disdain shed in the man¡¯s eyes. He wasn¡¯t in a hurry to dodge. Instead, he coldly stretched out his palm and suspended the fiery red pearl in front of it. As Fan Longyu¡¯s attack approached, the man¡¯s palm suddenly lifted. The fiery red pearl burst out with a dazzling light, transforming into a huge me barrier,pletely blocking Fan Longyu¡¯s attack.

    Fan Longyu frowned slightly. He didn¡¯t expect the man in the golden robe to stop him so easily, but he didn¡¯t give up. Instead, he focused his mind even more, preparing tounch a more powerful attack.

    ¡°Inheriting the bloodline of an ancient true dragon, is this all you¡¯ve got?¡± The man in the golden robe said coldly. His eyes revealed a hint of disdain, as if mocking Fan Longyu¡¯s ipetence.

    Fan Longyu snorted coldly. His dragon ws moved again, and the violent dragon force converged into a huge dragon w imprint, fiercely mming towards the man in the golden robe. This time, he was determined to thoroughly defeat the man and disy the true majesty of a dragon!

    However, just as the dragon w imprint was about to make contact with the man in the golden robe, a glint suddenly shed in the man¡¯s eyes. He seemed to have anticipated the direction of Fan Longyu¡¯s attack and easily dodged this strike.

    ¡°Too naive.¡± The man in the golden robe snorted coldly. His figure shed, and he quickly attacked Fan Longyu.

    Fan Longyu¡¯s expression changed slightly. He didn¡¯t expect the man¡¯s counterattack to be so fierce. Seeing the man¡¯s attack about to arrive, he hurriedly mobilized his dragon wings and pped to dodge.

    The battle entered a white-hot stage. Fan Longyu and the man in the golden robe exchanged blows back and forth. Each collision stirred up scorching mes and violent dragon force, distorting and deforming the surrounding space.

    Time passed in the battle. Fan Longyu gradually felt that the man¡¯s strength far exceeded his imagination. He had no choice but to go all out, using all his power to resist the other party¡¯s attacks.

    ¡°It¡¯s no use. I¡¯m no match for him.¡± Fan Longyu already had an answer in his heart. Four treasures suddenly appeared, floating around him. They were the four elemental pearls of earth, fire, water, and wind, forged by his four teachers and not ordinary treasures.

    With a thought from Fan Longyu, the four pearls transformed into four divine dragons in the form of true dragons, guarding him.

    Earth Dragon, Fire Dragon, Water Dragon, and Wind Dragon. They weren¡¯t the kind ofrge lizards with wings, but the true ancient dragon form. This was Fan Longyu¡¯s real life-saving method. He had never used it in front of outsiders before. At this moment, if it were an ordinary Spirit God Realm expert, they would probably die under the siege of him and the four ¡°Illusory Dragons¡±.

    ¡°Oh? A technique outside of the information. As expected, a genius is indeed a genius.¡± The man in the golden robe wasn¡¯t too surprised. He naturally wouldn¡¯t think that Fan Longyu would be so easy to kill.

    He charged in alone. Faced with the siege of one man and four dragons, he was still at ease. Fan Longyu gradually gained the upper hand, feeling that the man in the golden robe was already a bit stretched thin. He circled behind the man at an extremely fast speed. He had already seen that in the next moment, his dragon ws would pierce through the man¡¯s body. However, at the critical moment, a strange face grew out of the man¡¯s back. That thing didn¡¯t look like a human face and had an indescribable eeriness. That thing stretched out its tongue at a speed invisible to the naked eye. The long tongue, like a sharp sword, pierced through Fan Longyu¡¯s head under his surprised gaze. That head protected by dragon scales was now like tofu.

    A dragon bloodline genius of a generation, the inheritor of a true dragon bloodline, had fallen.

    ¡°I¡­ died?¡± Even in death, Fan Longyu still couldn¡¯t believe it. His life was still long. He still had many things he wanted to do, goals to pursue, enemies to take revenge on, but unfortunately¡­ everything ended. The man in the golden robe turned around and dug out that fiery red dragon scale from Fan Longyu¡¯s body.

    The four masterless dragons instantly self-destructed. The terrifying power destroyed everything around them. It¡¯s just that the man in the golden robe¡¯s body appeared outside the explosion as if teleporting.

    ¡°Thank you, Teacher. If you hadn¡¯t taken action to kill him, it really wouldn¡¯t have been easy. And that self-destruction technique¡­ was also truly shocking.¡± The man in the golden robe revealed a hint of a smile at the corner of his mouth. This dragon scale was a great nourishing item. The dragon scale¡¯s aura was quickly absorbed by his Dragon Pearl. Finally¡­ the legendary divine item, the dragon scale, turned into a gray, stone-like waste material. All the true dragon aura was absorbed by the Dragon Pearl.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need¡­ If you want to advance further, the true dragon aura of this dragon scale is something you must obtain. Hurry and leave. I¡¯ve alreadypletely erased your aura. Those four old fellows can only be impotent with rage.¡± That strange face appeared on the man¡¯s shoulder again this time.

    ¡°Teacher, you say¡­ when will we have the power to not fear the Goddess and be the number one person in this world?¡± the man in the golden robe asked.

    ¡°Goddess? Hehehe, with my guidance, what does the Goddess matter? This will naturally happen sooner orter. I know you have your eyes on that so-called Holy Maiden, but you can¡¯t obtain her. But don¡¯t be in a hurry¡­ You¡¯re still too weak now and can¡¯t be exposed.¡±

    ¡°I know. I¡¯m not such a superficial person. Endurance is all. Endurance is what I¡¯m best at.¡± The man in the golden robe smiled. With this powerful and mysterious teacher¡¯s assistance, his prospects were limitless.

    With the death of the four dragons¡¯ self-destruction, the Four Sages in the depths of the Four Sages Lake reacted at the same time¡­ Four powerful auras simultaneously rose to the sky, carrying surging anger, and rushed towards the Kingdom of Rising Sun.

    And in the Heavenly Book World, Zhanyue and hispanion fell into deep thought as they looked at the three divine artifacts.

 Chapter 286: Ruthless

    Chapter 286: Ruthless

    The Four Sages Lake was located at the intersection of the Jade Mist Kingdom, Verdant Mountain Kingdom, Rain Cascade Kingdom, and Sleeping Dragon Kingdom. It was thergest indke in the Myriad Spirits Realm and didn¡¯t belong to any single country. Long, long ago, legends said that four immortals lived in this Four Sages Lake. The legends weren¡¯t entirely true, but they weren¡¯tpletely baseless either. Living in the Four Sages Lake were four True Realm experts. It was said that they were guarding some ancient demonic creature here and had never left.

    However, this time, the four ¡°Sages¡± left the Four Sages Lake at the same time, all because their shared disciple Fan Longyu¡­ had died. Fan Longyu wasn¡¯t just their disciple, he was also a ¡°key¡±, it¡¯s just that outsiders didn¡¯t know. Although the four of them couldn¡¯tpare to the Thunder Lord in cultivation, they all had the strength of Sword Lords. Anyone who knew Fan Longyu¡¯s background wouldn¡¯t dare to easily offend him, let alone kill him. With the key gone, the four Sages couldn¡¯t sit still at all. They swore to make the murderer pay the price!

    With the four Sages arriving together in the Kingdom of Rising Sun, a storm of blood and gore was about to unfold.

    In the capital of the Kingdom of Rising Sun, the king Mu Chenge had been in seclusion for many days. During this time, it was the crown prince Mu Changsheng who governed the kingdom. The crown prince of the Kingdom of Rising Sun had always kept a low profile. Few people even knew that he had already reached the Spirit God Realm. Although he was quite a bit older than those geniuses, reaching the Spirit God Realm at his age was no easy feat.

    ¡°Teacher, do I really have to do this?¡± Mu Changsheng was a bit conflicted. He wouldn¡¯t hesitate to take action against others, but the person his teacher told him to deal with¡­ was his own biological father.

    ¡°The position of crown prince is of no benefit to you, but if you ascend to the throne, the dragon energy of the Kingdom of Rising Sun will naturally gather upon you, greatly benefiting your cultivation. Compared to these, what do the mundane familial affections count for? People say the grace of giving birth is not as great as the grace of raising, and the grace of raising is not as great as the grace of recognizing one¡¯s talent. Besides giving birth to you, doing things that any ordinary person could do, what else has he done? Who helped you break through to the Spirit God Realm, allowing you to change your fate? Who helped you kill Fan Longyu, allowing you to seize the workings of heaven? Compared to me, how much do his bits of favors count for? In the future, I will give you even more¡­ as long as you listen to me, you will have everything you want.¡±

    That eerie voice resounded in Mu Changsheng¡¯s heart, carrying endless temptation, making Mu Changsheng seem to have made some sort of resolution as he headed towards the forbidden area of the imperial capital. No one noticed his abnormality.

    A long timeter, the four Sages arrived, faster than Mu Changsheng had expected. Fortunately, he had already made all the arrangements.

    Everyone in the imperial capital felt four terrifying pressuresing from the sky, crushing them until they couldn¡¯t breathe. Those feelings of anger and pain infected everyone. Just the pressure from four True Realm experts above the Spirit God Realm was enough to directly disable the defensive formations of the imperial capital. ¡°Who is the current ruler of the Kingdom of Rising Sun? Come out!¡± A sharp shout rang out. Everyone heard it. Someone meant ill towards their king, but at this moment, no one was thinking of loyalty to the king and patriotism. They all tremblingly looked at the sky, at those four blurry figures, and no one dared to step forward. Except for¡­

    A man in golden robes flew into the sky. It was none other than the crown prince of the Kingdom of Rising Sun, Mu Changsheng.

    ¡°Flying in the air? The crown prince is actually in the Spirit God Realm?¡± Many people in the crowd only now learned that their own crown prince had already reached the Spirit God Realm.

    ¡°Facing four mysterious powerhouses, he still dares to confront them? The crown prince, he really¡­¡± Many people sighed at the crown prince¡¯s courage.

    ¡°Mu Changsheng, crown prince of the Kingdom of Rising Sun, greets the four seniors. I don¡¯t know why the four seniors are so enraged,¡± Mu Changsheng said neither humbly nor arrogantly.

    ¡°Crown prince? You¡¯re not qualified to speak to us yet. Tell your dad to get out here,¡± said the most quick-tempered of the four.

    ¡°Father¡­ Father is currently in seclusion and I¡¯m afraid he cannot receive the four seniors. I am currently governing the kingdom. I have the authority over all political and military affairs in the Kingdom of Rising Sun. Whatever needs the few seniors have, just inform me,¡± Mu Changsheng said.

    ¡°Seclusion? Hehehe, my disciple died on the territory of your Kingdom of Rising Sun, and his master still dares to avoid meeting? I don¡¯t care if he¡¯s in seclusion or doing whatever. I want to see him and get a clear exnation. Otherwise¡­ otherwise, let this city be his imperial mausoleum!¡± That quick-tempered person continued.

    ¡°Senior! Although my strength is far inferior to yours, the Kingdom of Rising Sun is a great nation among humans. This ce is the capital of my Kingdom of Rising Sun. I ask the senior to be cautious with your words!¡± Mu Changsheng calmly said.

    ¡°Alright, Fourth, what nonsense are you spouting? Grievances have sources and debts have debtors. Do you really want to take action against mortals?¡± The strongest of the four finally spoke. He turned his head to look at Mu Changsheng. ¡°Junior, you¡¯re not bad, but we indeed have important matters to find your father for.¡±

    The four of them had all sized up Mu Changsheng. Although Mu Changsheng had the strength of the Spirit God Realm, they knew¡­ with Mu Changsheng¡¯s strength, he couldn¡¯t possibly have killed Fan Longyu.

    ¡°But¡­¡± Just as Mu Changsheng was about to say something more, a voice rang out. ¡°My son, there¡¯s no need for this. I havee.¡±

    A voice rang out, protecting Mu Changsheng behind him.

    ¡°Mu Chenge of the Kingdom of Rising Sun greets the four seniors¡­¡± Even in seclusion, Mu Chenge was awakened by these four terrifying auras, but he also had a face full of bewilderment, not knowing where he had offended these powerhouses hidden from the world.

    In the Heavenly Book World.

    Zhanyue and Yunyao once again confronted a demon beast. The divine artifacts obtained from the Fairy Spirit n¡¯s prophet gave them confidence. This time, the demon beast they faced was called ¨C the Beast of Stubbornness.

    Appearing in front of Zhanyue and Yunyao was a giant rhinoceros beetle, with a body asrge as a small mountain, endowing this insect with extremely terrifying power.

    ¡°This bug? I didn¡¯t expect the demon beast to be hiding in a ce like this. Compared to that fear demon beast, the strength of this bug doesn¡¯t seem to be much,¡± Zhanyuemented after sizing it up.

    ¡°Don¡¯t let your guard down. Have you forgotten about the greed demon beast? If it weren¡¯t for you happening to awaken that kind of mysterious purifying power, who knows how long you would have been influenced by it? Who would have thought that even after we obtained its eyes, its existence didn¡¯t disappear? Who knows what other tricks these demon beasts have,¡± Yunyao reminded, not forgetting to tease Zhanyue.

    Zhanyue pursed his lips and continued, ¡°This time, I still don¡¯t n to rely on the power of divine artifacts. I¡¯ll go test its strength first. Since the trial has a solution without using divine artifacts, we have to at least try¡­¡± Zhanyue still remembered the matter of the hidden rewards. He suspected that this trial was the same.

    Zhanyue spread his red phantom wings and charged towards the demon beast at an extremely fast speed. A man and a beast started battling together.

    Yunyao, who was watching from the side, observed for a while and then frowned. She discovered that Zhanyue¡¯s attacks were very brainless, without anybat wisdom at all. He only attacked the giant horn of that rhinoceros beetle, but it was obvious that the horn was the strongest part of this demon beast.

 Chapter 287: The Beast of Stubbornness

    Chapter 287: The Beast of Stubbornness

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Zhanyue? Has his brain broken? Why does he keep crashing into the beetle¡¯s horn?¡± Yunyao watched from behind with a face full of confusion, her beautiful eyes filled with questions. Then, she pped her wings and soared high, joining the battlefield.

    Zhanyue was engaging from the front, so she nned to pincer attack from the rear. However, when she approached the giant rhinoceros beetle, she had a new idea. This bug didn¡¯t look a bit formidable. There was no need for sneak attacks or pincer attacks. Directly breaking through it would give her a sense of aplishment.

    Without much thought, Yunyao also came to the front and followed Zhanyue inunching an attack on the rhinoceros beetle¡¯s giant horn.

    ¡°Sword Light Condensing Star!¡± Yunyao unleashed another sword technique. Terrifying sword energy gathered into a single point, aiming to break through in one go and destroy the enemy. However, that giant beetle horn was made of who-knows-what material. Such a terrifying sword technique actually didn¡¯t cause the slightest damage to it.

    ¡°I don¡¯t believe it!¡± Zhanyue, holding the Heaven Punishing Demon Sword and wearing the Silver Moon Armor, which was now a ming red color, had countless tentacles growing out from the armor. It was an ability obtained from the fear demon beast¡¯s blood. These tentacles directly entangled the giant beetle horn, preventing it from moving around. Then, arge amount of Three Talents Wondrous Fire enveloped the giant horn.

    Unfortunately, this demon beast wasn¡¯t the lust beast. Even the Three Talents Wondrous Fire didn¡¯t cause it any damage.

    The two people and one bug fought for a long time. That giant bug seemed to never know fatigue. But Zhanyue and Yunyao couldn¡¯t hold on anymore. However, the two of them didn¡¯t even think about retreating at all, as if they wouldn¡¯t stop until they killed this giant bug.

    Time ticked by bit by bit. The two of them had used almost all their techniques, but this giant beast¡¯s horn seemed to be the most solid thing in the world, not suffering any damage at all. Zhanyue even felt that his hands were sore and he had some difficulty gripping his sword, but he never thought of backing down. He couldn¡¯t ept it. This bug clearly wasn¡¯t powerful, so why couldn¡¯t he take it down?

    Yunyao was about the same as Zhanyue. Just as the two of them didn¡¯t know they had already fallen into a desperate situation, the divine artifact that had always been on Yunyao finally lit up. The divine artifact called the Shield of Forgiveness automatically flew out. The shield rapidly expanded until it separated the two of them from the giant bug, blocking the giant bug¡¯s strike. At this moment, Zhanyue and Yunyao also regained their senses. Their spiritual energy was nearly exhausted. They hurriedly retrieved the divine artifact and quickly fled. That bug closely chased after them, but when it chased to a certain ce in this desert, it couldn¡¯t continue forward. It was still bound by the seal.

    In a small forest, Zhanyue and Yunyao each sat cross-legged under a tree, recovering their strength. After a long time, they had only recovered a bit of strength.

    ¡°That was close. We almost perished,¡± Zhanyue said with lingering fear.

    Yunyao also opened her beautiful eyes and sighed, ¡°It seems that with our current state of mind, wanting to kill the demon beast without using divine artifacts is nothing but a pipe dream. You were able to kill that lust beast before because you happened to counter it. But this giant bug¡­¡± Yunyao was also a bit scared in retrospect. The two of them before were like they were demonically possessed,pletely unaware of it.

    ¡°This demon beast is indeed worthy of being called the Beast of Stubbornness. Entering its range of influence, our thoughts werepletely influenced by it. We could only think of attacking its toughest horn, only think of not stopping until death. Even if our spiritual energy was exhausted, we weren¡¯t willing to run away. It¡¯s really a bit scary¡­¡± Zhanyue understood. These seven demon beasts all had the ability to influence their state of mind without exception. And this Beast of Stubbornness, without a doubt, made them be ¡°stubborn¡± and extreme.

    Yunyao took out the divine artifact. If it wasn¡¯t for this item, they really would have been in some danger before.

    ¡°This item is called the Shield of Forgiveness¡­ I wonder what that means?¡± Her beautiful eyes examined this shield that looked ordinary. Just now, this item had disyed its divine might, allowing them to escape the influence of stubborn thoughts, so they could react and flee.

    ¡°Forgiveness¡­ It seems that to ovee stubbornness, one can only be a bit more forgiving to oneself and others.¡± Zhanyue sighed. ¡°By the way, who exactly was that Human Race predecessor? What cultivation method did he practice? He was actually able to strip all the weaknesses of human nature out of his body. I don¡¯t know what realm his strength reached. Just some of his negative emotions could form such terrifying things as the seven demon beasts. The Void Emperor was actually able to pass this kind of assessment before.¡±

    At this moment, he and Yunyao already knew many things, such as the origin of the seven demon beasts and the formation process of the trial. This Heavenly Book World couldn¡¯t create something out of nothing without any basis. There must have been something that happened before. The most likely scenario was that the Void Emperor had yed the role of him and Yunyao, eliminating the seven demon beasts for this world. It was just that Zhanyue now couldn¡¯t understand at all the matter of him possessing Fairy Spirit bloodline. This was really a bit too strange.

    ¡°Let¡¯s not force it. Next time, let¡¯s still rely on the divine artifacts to defeat it,¡± Yunyao suggested.

    Zhanyue nodded. As Yunyao said before, with their current state of mind, they really couldn¡¯t resist the influence of that demon beast. Without relying on divine artifacts, the battle would probably be the same as before. They would frantically attack the Beast of Stubbornness¡¯ toughest horn until death, not even realizing their own problems. This was the scariest part.

    ¡°The seven demon beasts¡­ indeed none of them are easy to deal with.¡± The two of them adjusted their breathing for a long time. When their strength was fully recovered, they once again sought out the terrifying giant bug in the desert.

    ¡°Our disciple Fan Longyu¡¯s final aura disappeared within your Kingdom of Rising Sun¡¯s borders. We want to know if you have any clues,¡± one of the four said.

    ¡°Fan Longyu¡­ died?¡± The king of the Kingdom of Rising Sun¡¯s eyes trembled. He had naturally heard of this Human Race genius¡¯ great name and finally understood why these four seniors were so enraged. But wasn¡¯t he suffering an unjust cmity? How would he know that Fan Longyu would die within his country¡¯s borders? Although he had the strength to kill Fan Longyu, he wasn¡¯t stupid and wouldn¡¯t dare to either.

    ¡°Four seniors, please see clearly. In the Kingdom of Rising Sun, there are probably only five people who can kill Fan Longyu. However, these five people have absolutely no reason to. I¡¯ve been in seclusion the entire time. The Wind Lord isn¡¯t here, and his sister wouldn¡¯t leave the church either. As for the other two powerhouses of the Kingdom of Rising Sun¡­ they are on the verge of death, falling into a deep slumber. They wouldn¡¯t appear unless the country was facing the danger of being destroyed.¡± The king of the Kingdom of Rising Sun didn¡¯t lie and was even very sincere. He said everything he knew, even some secrets of his own country. ¡°The one who killed Fan¡­ Longyu may not be from my Kingdom of Rising Sun. I ask the seniors to see clearly.¡±

    The four of them looked at each other. They naturally knew that Fan Longyu dying within the Kingdom of Rising Sun didn¡¯t mean it was done by someone from the Kingdom of Rising Sun. They were just taking out their anger on others. They came here just to probe a bit. They didn¡¯t expect Mu Chenge to be so cooperative. As he said, within the Kingdom of Rising Sun, only five people could kill a top genius like Fan Longyu, but these five people should all be free of suspicion.

    Just at this moment, one of the four people¡¯s nose moved. His innate talent was extraordinary. He could smell many things that ordinary people couldn¡¯t. Then, his eyes suddenly changed!

    ¡°Viin! You still dare to quibble! My disciple died at your hands!¡± That person stared at Mu Chenge, killing intent surging!

 Chapter 288: The Hidden Danger in the Human World

    Chapter 288: The Hidden Danger in the Human World

    ¡°Third, you can¡¯t say that carelessly. Are you sure?¡± The elder among the four sages asked with a solemn expression, the air almost solidifying.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you know my abilities? My disciple¡¯s aura is indeed within this viin¡¯s body. I¡¯m afraid his dragon breath has already been refined by him!¡±

    Mu Chenge, the king of the Kingdom of Rising Sun, only felt his head go nk. What was going on with these four sages? Were they deliberately framing him to find fault? But he had never offended them and had only heard of Fan Longyu but never met him.

    And the crown prince Mu Changsheng standing behind him naturally knew everything clearly, including the so-called ¡°aura¡± within his body. He only sighed at the strength of his teacher, who was actually able to help him conceal his aura. Standing in front of these four sages, none of them discovered that Fan Longyu died at his hands and that dragon scale was even refined by him. But at this moment, his scheming was revealed as he continued his act.

    ¡°Few seniors, this is absolutely impossible. My royal father has been in seclusion in the forbidden area these past few days. How could he possibly take action to harm Fan Longyu? I can testify!¡± Mu Changsheng stepped forward, blocking in front of his royal father.

    ¡°Get lost, it¡¯s none of your business.¡± The most short-tempered Fourth, with a p, directly sent Mu Changsheng flying.

    ¡°Changsheng!~¡± Mu Chenge nced at his son, but unfortunately, he was also like a y bodhisattva crossing a river, unable to protect himself. His neck was gripped by a powerful hand.

    ¡°Speak, why did you kill my disciple!¡± That sage interrogated, seeming to have already determined that Mu Chenge was the culprit. After all¡­ he indeed had Fan Longyu¡¯s aura on him and had the strength to do it.

    ¡°I¡­ didn¡¯t¡­¡± Mu Chenge naturally wouldn¡¯t admit it. After all, he didn¡¯t do anything. ¡°You still dare to quibble! It seems I¡¯ll have to use the Soul Search Technique on you.¡± The sage said.

    ¡°No¡­ You can¡¯t!¡± Mu Chenge¡¯s eyes widened. Soul searching would not only cause irreversible damage to his soul, making his future cultivation path extremely difficult, but he was also the emperor of the Kingdom of Rising Sun and held many national secrets. If his soul was really searched, he would also lose all face and leave a foul reputation for ten thousand years.

    ¡°I am, after all, the ruler of a nation. Isn¡¯t it inappropriate for you four seniors to use force to pressure me like this? Please allow me to report to the Thunder Lord and let him judge. If it¡¯s finally found out that Fan Longyu indeed died by my hand, I¡¯m willing to pay with my life!¡± Mu Chenge had no other way, but he was at least the ruler of a great nation. His life was tied to the stability of the country. Even the four sages couldn¡¯t just kill him as they pleased, at least not without giving the Thunder Lord and the others an exnation.

    ¡°Fourth¡­ let him go. He can¡¯t run¡­¡± The elder among the four sages was the calmest person. If the culprit was really Mu Chenge, even the Thunder Lord wouldn¡¯t be able to protect him, but now everything wasn¡¯t yet concluded. They couldn¡¯t act on emotions. ¡°You should have a way to notify the Thunder Lord. We can wait for you. Having the Thunder Lord as a witness is good too, so people won¡¯t say that we, the Four Sages of the Lake, bully and kill the innocent by force.¡±

    Mu Chenge was the ruler of a great nation. Although his strength was far inferior to the four sages, the four sages also couldn¡¯t directly take action to kill him. Otherwise, they would be hitting the leaders of the leaders of the Human Race like the Sword Sovereign and Thunder Lord. After all, the Human Race¡¯s order was their responsibility, so the monarchs who maintained this order were naturally under their protection.

    The released Mu Chenge let out a sigh of relief. At least his life was saved. He believed that as long as it wasn¡¯t something he did, there would always be a way to prove it.

    However, at this most tense moment, Mu Chenge¡¯s eyes changed, surging with an inexplicable emotion. He felt that his body seemed to be somewhat out of his control. A terrifying power burst out from within his body, making him flee into the distance at the fastest speed.

    ¡°Running?!¡± The four sages were all caught off guard. They didn¡¯t expect Mu Chenge, who had been polite and courteous before, to suddenly pull this move. The expressions of the four of them changed. This kind of tant deception made them feel like clowns. When had they, as True Realm existences, ever suffered this kind of deception?

    ¡°Trying to run? Hehehehehe, trying to run?¡± The four sages already had an idea. If it really wasn¡¯t you who did it, why are you running? Wait for the Thunder Lord toe and clear your unjust case, and we can¡¯t do anything to you. Fleeing so timidly, what else can it prove?

    ¡°Die!¡± That most short-tempered sage couldn¡¯t hold back anymore. Taking action now, he showed no mercy. When a True Realm expert made a move, you would know how big the difference was between them and the Spirit God Realm. A golden light pierced through the sky and instantly caught up to the fleeing Mu Chenge. Hit by that golden light, half of Mu Chenge¡¯s body directly melted. The remaining half of his body fell from the sky. This was the strength of a sage. Even a ruler of a nation, a top expert, was like an ant in front of the True Realm.

    ¡°Royal Father!¡± Mu Changsheng chased after him. Seeing Mu Chenge with only half a body left, he felt a bit pained in his heart, but also secretly let out a sigh of relief. The reason why Mu Chenge suddenly fled was naturally because of his cheap teacher.

    ¡°Fourth, you¡­ you directly made a killing move!¡±

    ¡°Big Brother, it¡¯s obvious. He is the culprit. How could I hold back!¡±

    ¡°Sigh¡­¡± The four sages avenged their disciple, but only felt emptiness.

    ¡°You four¡­ killed my royal father. How can I let you just leave like this!¡± Mu Changsheng chased after them. Although he knew he definitely wasn¡¯t a match for the four of them, he still made a move.

    However, his strength was like an infant in front of the four of them and was easily blocked.

    ¡°Vile creature, do you really think I don¡¯t dare kill you?¡± That Fourth was about to take action but was stopped by the elder among the four sages. ¡°Grievances have sources and debts have debtors. The prime culprit is already dead. We can¡¯t implicate others. The king of the Kingdom of Rising Sun is dead. If you kill the crown prince too, I¡¯m afraid the Kingdom of Rising Sun will really fall into chaos. It¡¯ll be hard for us to exin to the Thunder Lord.¡±

    Then, he continued to say to Mu Changsheng, ¡°Your royal father chose the path of death for the sake of dragon energy. If you want revenge, we¡¯ll be waiting. This time, I helped you stop Fourth. Next time, I won¡¯t tolerate you offending us like this again.¡±

    The sages were detached from the world. Killing a ruler was just killing, but they didn¡¯t implicate others. It was also to give the Thunder Lord an exnation. They had already restrained themselves a lot. He believed that if he hadn¡¯t stopped him, Fourth would have already started massacring the city.

    The four of them quickly disappeared into the horizon. It was just that the elder vaguely felt that something seemed a bit off somewhere, but looking at the weeping Mu Changsheng, he didn¡¯t have any more thoughts for the time being. Mu Changsheng¡¯s aura was very clean and shouldn¡¯t have had any intersection with Fan Longyu.

    After the four left, the entire Kingdom of Rising Sun was in mourning, but a nation couldn¡¯t be without a ruler for a day. On this very day, Mu Changsheng ascended the throne of the Kingdom of Rising Sun, sitting on the position he had dreamed of. He didn¡¯t crave power, but as a ruler of a nation, that kind of dragon energy blessing was something he urgently needed. Controlling a nation was just the first step he took. He believed that he would one day be able to control the entire world.

    In the Heavenly Book World, Zhanyue once again engaged from the front,unching attacks on that iparably hard beetle horn. And this time, Yunyao circled to the back. She hugged that Shield of Forgiveness, unaffected by the demon beast. With Zhanyue in the front and her in the back, they began their pincer attack. Many days of cooperation had brought about a qualitative change in the two¡¯sbat tacit understanding.

 Chapter 289: A New Demon Beast

    Chapter 289: A New Demon Beast

    Zhanyue, holding the Heaven Punishing Demon Sword, his figure like a soaring dragon, once again faced this ancient giant beast head-on. Without any divine artifacts on him, he was still under the influence of this demon beast. In his mind, he only thought about defeating this monster from the front. It had to be said, the power ofws on this demon beast was incredibly strong. Even after experiencing the previous battles, Zhanyue already knew his own problems, but after getting close to it, he would still be influenced. No matter what he thought before, at this moment, he only wanted to break the giant beast¡¯s horn with the sword in his hand.

    At the same time, Yunyao silently circled to the back of the rhinoceros beetle. She gripped her sharp sword tightly, her eyes revealing a sharp light. She adjusted her angle, took a deep breath, and waited for the best timing.

    The strength of the rhinoceros beetle was astonishing. Each swing of its horn carried the power to split mountains and crack rocks. Just the gust of wind made the surrounding sand and stones fly away. But Zhanyue, now wearing the Silver Moon Armor, naturally had the power to entangle with it. He couldn¡¯t take down the rhinoceros beetle, and the rhinoceros beetle couldn¡¯t do anything to Zhanyue for the time being either.

    Behind the rhinoceros beetle, Yunyao¡¯s mind was unaffected by the influence of ¡°stubbornness¡± with the protection of the divine artifact. She could freely n tactics.

    A divine statue faintly appeared behind her, but it wasn¡¯t the Bird n¡¯s Winged God Statue. It was the Emperor¡¯s Dharma Image that Yunyao hadprehended from the Feathered Emperor¡¯s inheritance,pletely different from the technique of the Bird n¡¯s young master Tianxian.

    ¡°Emperor¡¯s Dharma Image ¨C Sword Energy Corridor!¡± The ultimate sword technique that had opened a path for Zhanyue before appeared in the world again. Huge sword energy surged forward from her body, the terrifying power directly tearing this desert into two halves. Sword energy crisscrossed, leaving a permanent gorge in this ce. The front of the rhinoceros beetle was invincible, but its back was far from being as hard as its horn.

    The sword energy directly tore its body into two halves without any obstruction.

    The body of the rhinoceros beetle slowly disappeared, leaving only a pair of eyes in ce. This formidable and invincible demon beast was ¡°easily¡± in by Yunyao in such a manner.

    Looking at the chasm-like ditch behind the giant beast, Zhanyue swallowed. Before, on the ocean, Yunyao had used this move to open up a path for him on the sea. At that time, his feeling wasn¡¯t as deep. Now, without the cover of seawater, this naked earth was left with irreparable scars. ¡°This woman¡­ is still so strong. Even though I¡¯ve mastered so many new techniques and abilities, I¡¯m probably no match for her.¡± After assessing the battlefield, Zhanyue had a bottom line in his heart. Before, using the Wings that Cover the Sky to destroy the canyon was already an incredible feat, but Yunyao¡¯s ability to open up an abyss with one sword still made his heart tremble.

    ¡°This demon beast isn¡¯t much.¡± Yunyao returned to Zhanyue¡¯s side, her face looking a bit haggard. Unleashing this ultimate move was also an extremely heavy burden for her, but there was still a faint smile at the corner of her mouth, as if she was asking for credit.

    ¡°Is she smiling?¡± For a moment, Zhanyue was actually a bit dazed looking at her.

    Yunyao¡¯s eyes froze, and then she returned to her usual icy expression. She didn¡¯t know why she was like that before, actually wanting to get Zhanyue¡¯s affirmation. She hurriedly threw these thoughts out of her mind.

    ¡°It seems that with the divine artifacts in hand, these demon beasts are indeed no match for us. Five of the seven demon beasts have been in, and we still have another divine artifact in our hands. Let¡¯s go to the sealing ce of another demon beast earlier,¡± Yunyao said.

    Zhanyue naturally nodded in agreement. The mission of the seven demon beasts was already more than halfpleted, and it was very smooth. As for the sixth demon beast, they still had another divine artifact in their hands ¨C the Profound Bow, a wooden bow that didn¡¯t look particrly special.

    Going straight all the way, the location marked by the Fairy Spirit n for the two of them was very urate. It had to be said, thanks to the help of the Fairy Spirit n¡¯s prophet, the difficulty of their mission had dropped a lot. They didn¡¯t need to search everywhere for divine artifacts and demon beasts.

    Their next destination was a deep and mysterious valley. Hidden within the valley was a vast and breathtaking in. This in seemed to be a masterpiece of nature, wide and t, as if it had been specially prepared for these two travelers as a ce of tranquility.

    When the two stepped onto this in, what appeared before their eyes was a splendid and colorful painting. On the in, countless white flowers were in bloom, like stars in the sky, dazzling and eye-catching. These flowers were densely clustered together, forming a boundless sea of flowers, making people feel as if they were in a dreamlike world.

    The color of these white flowers was pure and soft, exuding a faint fragrance. Under the illumination of the sun, the dewdrops on the petals shimmered, like gems iid on the flowers. And in this ocean of white flowers, there were also some purple and red colors interspersed, which were other flowers blooming inpetition, adding more vitality and vigor to this in.

    The flowers on this in seemed to be telling a beautiful story. They used their colors and fragrances to give soul to thisnd. The two travelers were deeply attracted by this beautiful sight. They stopped in their tracks and quietly admired this sea of flowers, feeling the wonder and beauty of nature.

    This valley, this in, and these blooming flowers were all precious treasures of the human world. How could this ce be like a demon beast¡¯s sealing ground? It was more like a fairnd.

    ¡°We didn¡¯t find the wrong ce, right? How about we go back first? And ask the prophet senior again?¡± Zhanyue looked at the beautiful scenery in front of him and eximed in admiration.

    Yunyao thought for a moment and actually agreed. ¡°Indeed, there¡¯s a problem. The map seems to be marked wrong. Let¡¯s go back first.¡±

    After careful consideration, the two decided to temporarily leave this valley to seek more clues. They took off and flew towards the distance. However, when they flew out ten miles, Yunyao suddenly seemed to be startled awake, and a look of confusion and shock appeared on her face.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why did we just leave directly? The demon beast might not not be there. We should at least investigate clearly before leaving.¡± Yunyaoined, her tone revealing regret and unwillingness at the possibility of missing an opportunity.

    Zhanyue was also a bit speechless. He frowned slightly, looked at Yunyao, and responded, ¡°I also asked for your opinion, and didn¡¯t you agree?¡± His tone carried a hint of helplessness and confusion.

    Hearing this, Yunyao fell into a brief silence. She scratched her head, as if trying hard to recall their previous conversation. Then, she suddenly widened her eyes, as if she had thought of something important, and said to Zhanyue, ¡°No, no, could it be that we were influenced again?¡±

    Hearing this, Zhanyue¡¯s heart stirred. He also began to recall his previous experience, trying to find any possible abnormalities. Then, his eyes also lit up. He looked at Yunyao, his eyes filled with shock.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go back. There¡¯s definitely a problem there. The demon beast must be hiding there!¡± The two said in unison, their eyes shing with a determined light.

    This time, the demon beast they needed to face was called ¨C the Beast of Suspicion.

 Chapter 290: The Thousand-Eyed Peacock

    Chapter 290: The Thousand-Eyed Peacock

    In the valley, flowers were in full bloom and the fragrance was overwhelming. Zhanyue and Yunyao stepped into this fairy-like ce again, and they had that feeling once more ¨C the demon beast was not here.

    However, they knew that this strong suspicion precisely indicated that this ce was the sealing ground of that demon beast.

    ¡°Let¡¯s search. I want to see what tricks this demon beast has up its sleeve this time,¡± Zhanyue smiled slightly, his eyes sparkling with curiosity and anticipation. He knew that each confrontation with a demon beast was a brand new challenge and an opportunity to enhance his own strength.

    Although the valley was notrge, for Zhanyue and Yunyao, two powerful cultivators, every inch ofnd was filled with the unknown and danger. They carefully searched every corner, afraid of missing any clue.

    Finally, in an inconspicuous corner, they discovered that demon beast. It was a giant peacock, its feathers colorful and beautiful enough to take one¡¯s breath away. Its huge tail was covered with countless peacock feathers, and the patterns on each feather were like eyes, making people feel dazed just by staring at them.

    Although this peacock demon beast had tried its best to hide its aura, the demonic beast aura on its body was ultimately impossible to conceal. Zhanyue and Yunyao could clearly feel that powerful aura. It was like an invisible mountain pressing on their hearts, making them not dare to be the slightest bit rxed.

    The peacock demon beast seemed to have sensed the approach of the two. It suddenly spread its magnificent tail feathers and let out a deafening cry. The eye patterns on the tail feathers seemed toe to life, shing with a profound light, instilling fear in people¡¯s hearts.

    ¡°Be careful. This demon beast is not simple,¡± Yunyao reminded, her hands tightly gripping her weapon, ready to deal with any sudden situation at any time.

    The peacock demon beast suddenlyunched an attack. It pped its huge tail feathers, stirring up a gust of wind. Sharp wind des were mixed in the wind, howling towards Zhanyue and Yunyao. The two quickly dodged while alsounching attacks. Zhanyue¡¯s sword energy was like a rainbow, directly attacking the demon beast¡¯s vital points; Yunyao also wielded her sword. The two of them attacked from the left and right.

    Although the peacock demon beast was powerful, under the joint attack of the two, it had no choice but to retreat step by step.

    The battlested for a long time. The roars of the demon beast and the shing sounds of weapons echoed in the valley. Although Zhanyue and Yunyao were powerful, facing this cunning peacock demon beast, they also felt a bit of pressure.

    Being unable to take down these two for a long time made the thousand-eyed peacock a bit angry. It directly jumped back, opening up distance from the two. At the same time, on its tail, endless eyes came to life, shooting out beams of cyan light. No matter how clear Zhanyue and Yunyao¡¯s figures were, the density of such light had already exceeded that of the mirror-holding monkey back then. Soon, the two were hit.

    They felt as if their minds were split into four or five parts, as if they had developed schizophrenia. Not only that, each personality put forward their own tactics and opinions. None could convince the others, and they even started fighting in their minds. These personalities, each one of them didn¡¯t trust the others and only believed in themselves. They simply couldn¡¯t unify their opinions.

    From an outside perspective, Zhanyue and Yunyao suddenly froze as if they had crashed.

    The peacock looked at the two people who were as still as wooden chickens and walked over arrogantly. It only needed to walk up to the two and peck their heads to pieces.

    However¡­ just as it was about to deal with the two, an invisible arrow hit Zhanyue.

    When the arrow hit him, those split minds instantly vanished like smoke.

    Then, he repeated the same move and shot an arrow at Yunyao.

    The two quickly woke up and fled at high speed.

    Seeing the two figures turning into streaks of light, the thousand-eyed peacock let out a helpless cry towards the sky. It hadn¡¯t broken the seal yet and couldn¡¯t leave the valley.

    ¡°This demon beast is indeed formidable. How did you feel just now?¡± Zhanyue asked.

    Yunyao truthfully said, ¡°I only felt that my mind split into countless mes. They didn¡¯t trust each other, and no one was controlling my body. I could only watch us argue with each other while being conscious. By the way, you should have had a simr feeling, right? How were you able to move?¡±

    Zhanyue calmly smiled. ¡°Because of it.¡±

    Zhanyue¡¯s avatar walked over. It was the one who had just shot an arrow at Zhanyue with a longbow, allowing Zhanyue to return to normal.

    ¡°Although the various personalities in my body couldn¡¯t reach a consensus due to endless arguments and couldn¡¯t take action, my avatar wasn¡¯t hit. It has a part of my rationality. It¡¯s that simple,¡± Zhanyue exined.

    ¡°So you had a backup n and didn¡¯t even tell me in advance,¡± Yunyao understood. She had seen Zhanyue¡¯s avatar before. It was truly amazing.

    ¡°It seems that monster is simr to the mirror-holding monkey from before. They both rely on that kind of mysterious light. Now that we have divine artifacts in hand, we have nothing to fear from that divine light. How about you take the lead and I¡¯ll provide support from behind? If you unfortunately get hit by the divine light, I can also shoot you from behind. As long as we do this, we don¡¯t need to fear its tricks,¡± Zhanyue suggested.

    Yunyao pondered the feasibility of Zhanyue¡¯s n. ¡°Alright. You have the Earth Traversal Technique. With preparation, it won¡¯t be easy for that divine light to hit you. You also have your avatar as a backup. I¡¯ll still be the main attacker this time.¡±

    After discussing the n, the two attacked again. As soon as they entered the valley, the two felt that their n was unreliable and probably wouldn¡¯t seed. Fortunately, their will was firm, so they weren¡¯t deceived by that false suspicion again. The two secretly sighed at how terrifying this demon beast was. It could actually influence people¡¯s state of mind without them noticing.

    The two people and one beast fought together again. This time, Yunyao was in the front, while Zhanyue assisted from a distance by controlling flying swords.

    Soon, the peacock used its old trick again. Yunyao was too close and had nowhere to dodge. It was an attack that was very difficult to avoid even with spatial abilities. Fortunately, Zhanyue had enough time to react. As soon as those eyes showed any movement, he had already traversed underground.

    Not long after, an invisible arrow made Yunyao recover. Yunyao, who hade back to her senses, attacked the peacock demon beast again.

    Zhanyue wasn¡¯t idle either. He curiously shot an arrow at the peacock as well. The arrow hit the eye pattern on the peacock¡¯s tail feathers, directly blinding that eye.

    ¡°It worked?¡± Zhanyue was overjoyed. He only now discovered that attacking with this bow was more effective than controlling flying swords.

    Just like that, Yunyao attacked from the front while Zhanyue assisted from behind. Whenever Yunyao was identally hit by the divine light, Zhanyue would provide timely rescue, not letting Yunyao suffer the slightest bit of damage. The two cooperated skillfully. The eyes on the tail feathers became fewer and fewer, and in the end, they couldn¡¯t even hit Yunyao.

    Finally, the magnificent peacock let out a mournful cry and copsed to the ground.

    The sixth demon beast was ¡°easily¡± eliminated by the two in such a manner. But the two also understood that if they didn¡¯t have divine artifacts in hand and their tacit cooperation, they probably wouldn¡¯t have been able to take down this demon beast. Zhanyue had shot Yunyao a full seven arrows, which also meant that Yunyao was hit seven times. It was enough to witness the formidability of this demon beast. Unfortunately, reality was not a one-on-one duel.

    ¡°Weren¡¯t you afraid that I wouldn¡¯t make it in time to save you and you would have your head pecked to pieces by the peacock?¡± Only now did Zhanyue have the mood to joke.

    Yunyao just looked at him without answering. Naturally, it was because she trusted Zhanyue. One, she trusted Zhanyue¡¯s strength; two, she trusted that Zhanyue wouldn¡¯t scheme against her. At some unknown time, she actually dared to ce her own safety in someone else¡¯s hands, but she had never realized this point.

    Taking down the sixth pair of eyes, Zhanyue said, ¡°Let¡¯s go back to the Dreand of the Immortals to refine these eyes. The whereabouts of thest demon beast and thest divine artifact are not easy to find out. We should first enhance our strength a bit.¡±

    Yunyao naturally wouldn¡¯t refuse. Although she knew that the two of them had already stayed in this world for too long, but¡­ the seventh demon beast was definitely not so easy to deal with, let alone the whereabouts of the seventh divine artifact being unknown.

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