Lu Xiangleng had already left.

But the battles here were just beginning.

Jian Chou couldn’t leave at this moment, so even though she had seen Lu Xiangleng’s figure, she couldn’t go up and greet this beauty from their chance encounter.

She watched for a long time, somewhat lost in thought.

Below the Heaven Connecting Platform, a gaze had been burning intensely on her for quite some time.

“Truly worthy of being the 1,367th person I admire! Senior Jian Chou, Senior Jian Chou—”

He suddenly began shouting loudly.

Jian Chou, who was lost in thought, heard this voice and was somewhat surprised.

Drawing back her gaze, she looked ahead and saw a thin figure directly flying up on a broken blade, holding a sheepskin booklet and a broken writing brush in his hands, his face full of excitement: “Senior Jian Chou! I really admire you! Could you sign something and leave a spiritual consciousness imprint?!”

“…”

No need to say more—it was Zuoliu, who had chased Zhou Chenjiang for autographs and spiritual consciousness imprints!

The moment she saw him, Jian Chou felt a headache coming on.

All the spectators below were dumbfounded.

My god, who is this fool!

He actually flew right up! Don’t you know this could get you kicked away by Yashan’s Senior Sister!

For a moment, everyone broke out in cold sweat for him.

Even Jian Chou herself was considering whether to just kick him away with one foot to avoid the trouble of another fight.

But the next moment, an unexpected scene occurred—

Zuoliu, full of excitement with glowing eyes, was about to land on the Heaven Connecting Platform when the platform suddenly shot out a deep red light, raising a completely new barrier that directly blocked him as he flew over!

Zuoliu, flying straight ahead, couldn’t stop in time and crashed headfirst into the barrier!

“Bang!”

A muffled sound.

Zuoliu was completely unprepared and crashed into a shower of stars, directly bouncing back and smashing to the ground!

He was dizzy and disoriented, unable to react for quite some time. Only after half a day did he crawl up from the ground, swaying as he pulled at the dao seal at his waist. It still had six bright squares, representing that he still had six chances to enter the Heaven Connecting Platform. How could he be unable to enter?

The cultivators who witnessed this scene all suddenly showed surprised expressions.

Clearly having a dao seal, yet this situation occurred—how was this possible?

Could there be hidden rules here?

For a moment, someone refused to believe it. A bearded man immediately declared loudly: “I still have ten chances left. To be defeated by Fairy Jian Chou in my first battle would be an honor. Let me try!”

As his words fell, this bearded man also flew up in everyone’s sight, seemingly about to approach the Heaven Connecting Platform.

Jian Chou hadn’t expected the Heaven Connecting Platform to automatically repel incoming people either. For a moment, she also wanted to know what this was about, so she didn’t take action, quietly watching the bearded man.

The red light the platform had shot out earlier was gradually fading, leaving only a thin layer.

The bearded man began slowly approaching, and the red light showed no reaction.

He became somewhat suspicious.

Jian Chou also showed an interested expression.

However, just as he was halfway relaxed and about to prepare to land, exactly ten zhang from the Heaven Connecting Platform!

“Buzz!”

Spiritual energy vibrated, and a slight sound came from the void.

To the bearded man’s ears, it sounded like thunder!

A red light instantly shot out, right before his eyes!

Though prepared, the bearded man still couldn’t react in time. He was hit squarely by this suddenly appearing barrier, his entire body flying backward through the air, tumbling several times before stopping!

“This is!”

His eyes widened.

Countless people below were also extremely surprised.

When Zuoliu went up earlier, it was too sudden for everyone to pay attention.

But when the bearded man went up, everyone had been watching closely, so they saw very clearly: once approaching within ten zhang, the Heaven Connecting Platform would automatically emit a barrier, blocking incoming people from the platform.

What did this mean?

Could it be that Jian Chou’s Heaven Connecting Platform no longer accepted other challengers?

This speculation was truly extraordinary.

The crowd below immediately exploded, discussing among themselves.

Four Heaven Connecting Platforms merging into one was one thing, but now it was also automatically rejecting external challengers. Could this Yashan Jian Chou be planning to pass this level directly with just this one platform?

What were the rules exactly?

“Isn’t anyone from Kunwu coming out to explain?”

“How come no one’s making it clear? What’s going on?”

“This is so frustrating, these rules are completely sick!”

“Shh, don’t you want to live?”

“What’s wrong?”

“This gathering’s rules were set by Elder Fudao. You’d better shut up quickly—I don’t want to collect your corpse someday!”

“Ah…”

“No wonder they’re so tricky…”

…

Layer upon layer of discussion made the entire mountain base boil with excitement.

Jian Chou, standing at the height, felt a very strange sensation.

Uh…

It seemed she had accidentally become the most special one among all the cultivators.

The largest and highest Heaven Connecting Platform, now also automatically rejecting outsiders’ entry—truly strange.

Fudao Shanren was naturally tricky, so it was normal for him to deliberately hide some rules.

If her kicking away three opponents and merging four Heaven Connecting Platforms was within the rules, then when others who owned platforms defeated opponents on other platforms, would the same effect occur?

Would a large platform formed by several Heaven Connecting Platforms automatically reject new challengers?

Or perhaps…

Their current challenge qualifications were simply insufficient?

All mysteries.

Jian Chou roughly knew she might currently be in an absolutely safe period, so she simply sat down cross-legged on the spot. She formed hand seals with both hands, slowly settling them on her knees, opened her forehead ancestral aperture, and began absorbing spiritual energy from all directions to replenish her earlier consumption.

However, during this cultivation, Jian Chou didn’t sink all her consciousness into it. Instead, she allocated part of it to observe the external situation. One reason was to see if Kunwu’s elders or Fudao Shanren would come out to announce new rules; the other was to prevent opponents from coming up while she was deep in cultivation, unaware and losing unfairly.

Like Jian Chou, cultivators on other Heaven Connecting Platforms also looked at each other in confusion, thinking Kunwu would eventually provide an explanation.

Who would have thought that after more than half a shichen passed, not a single elder in charge came out to speak.

At this point, everyone’s thoughts were generally the same: this small gathering was truly beyond redemption!

“It seems everything must be slowly researched… interesting…”

A sigh slowly permeated through the overflowing rich floral fragrance.

The lazy, long-haired man reclining on the flower platform narrowed his slender eyes, with faint brilliance flickering within.

“Young Master?”

One of the serving girls slightly bowed, her voice sweet and crisp, seemingly wanting to inquire about her master’s thoughts.

Unexpectedly, a beautiful, jade-like pale and slender hand was raised, cutting off her words.

The man slowly rose from the flower platform, standing tall.

His robes were embroidered with brilliant blooming flowers, and the rich fragrance in the air finally became intense.

Between the fingers of his other hand, he held a delicate orchid, like a beauty’s drooping cheek, tinged with slight red, extremely lovely.

“Beautiful flowers should be given to beauties, but unfortunately the beauty is in the clouds…”

Bringing the orchid close to smell it lightly before his nose, this lazy man cast his distant gaze toward the Heaven Connecting Platform suspended high in the 120-zhang void.

A large shadow fell into his eyes, as if igniting something.

“Being alone at such a height must be very cold. It seems this young master should go warm the beauty’s heart.”

Speaking thus, his lips curved slightly. Standing on the flower platform piled with fragrant flowers, barefoot, he stepped forward!

One step—three hundred zhang!

That figure carrying intense floral fragrance instantly crossed the three hundred zhang of void, appearing on the first eastern Heaven Connecting Platform.

His bare feet, concealed under the loose robe’s hem, still floated above the ground, not staining even half a speck of dust.

The cultivator on the Heaven Connecting Platform was slightly stunned, not yet reacting.

The man embroidered with fresh flowers smiled slightly at him: “I am a disciple of Wuyi Sect. You may call me Young Master Ruhua. I now wish to borrow your Honor’s Heaven Connecting Platform to go up and accompany the beauty. A moment of spring night is worth a thousand gold. Would your Honor grant this convenience?”

“…”

Dumbfounded.

Where the hell did this idiot come from?

The cultivator opposite was simply shocked by such shameless words, almost ignoring the man’s self-introduction just now. He instinctively sneered contemptuously: “Just because you say borrow, I should lend? Where would I put my face?”

“Face?”

The male cultivator calling himself “Young Master Ruhua” seemed confused for a moment, also pondering this question.

Finally, he showed the cultivator a charming smile: “Face? Of course it goes on the ground.”

“What?!”

The cultivator was stunned, his scalp instantly tingling!

Whoosh!

Suddenly, brilliant flowers filled his vision—a wide sleeve was sweeping over!

In this moment, he felt like a small boat in an angry sea, completely powerless!

“Bang!”

No resistance whatsoever!

This cultivator was directly swept down by the sleeve, falling heavily to the ground, face-first!

“Poof!”

A mouthful of fresh blood spurted out.

This cultivator finally managed to turn over, tremblingly raising his hand, a flash of inspiration in his mind, suddenly realizing what he had missed!

His horrified gaze gained a trace of understanding—

“Ru, Ruhua…”

One Person Platform Notes, ranked third!

Wuyi Sect, Young Master Ruhua!

Boom…

The surrounding crowd immediately erupted.

Overwhelming discussion arose.

It had long been rumored that Wuyi Sect’s Young Master Ruhua was an unparalleled oddity in recent years. People had thought it was just exaggerated talk, but unexpectedly he truly lived up to his reputation!

Jian Chou, still in cultivation, slightly raised her eyebrows and opened her eyes.

Wuyi Sect, Young Master Ruhua?

Her gaze fell on that stunningly beautiful figure below. His seemingly casual stance and gorgeous appearance concealed seemingly boundless power within. Ranked in the top three—how could he be ordinary?

Although…

His attire was indeed quite strange.

A trace of wariness appeared in Jian Chou’s eyes.

Below, Young Master Ruhua seemed very satisfied with the effect of his actions.

However, he didn’t care much about it.

This was only the first Heaven Connecting Platform after all…

Time for verification.

He turned his head to look at the second eastern Heaven Connecting Platform closest to him, where a female cultivator stood.

Young Master Ruhua smiled slightly, his words almost unchanged: “This fairy, will you lend your Heaven Connecting Platform or not?”

Hearing this, the female cultivator’s face immediately turned ashen, her body trembling continuously.

Seeing this from above, Jian Chou couldn’t help but sigh slightly in her heart.

Young Master Ruhua…

Looking at this appearance, he was probably indeed the Young Master Ruhua from Black Wind Cave.

However, his earlier move was too fast and his opponent too weak to be a match, so she only saw his terrifying strength but hadn’t seen any specific abilities.

She wondered what would happen this time.

Jian Chou couldn’t help but pay attention.

Another top-ten ranked figure making a move, and such an oddity at that, so arrogant—this truly opened everyone’s eyes.

The foot of Kunwu Mountain became even more boiling.

However, none of the commotion below reached the lofty Celestial Hall above.

Hengxu Zhenren stood before the Zhou Tian Star Chart, waiting.

Footsteps echoed in the hall, soon approaching.

“Cough cough.”

Two coughs, carrying a strange guilty conscience.

Fudao Shanren’s voice came from behind him.

“Well… Old Monster Hengxu, you summoned me here—is there some important matter to discuss?”

Hengxu Zhenren looked at the mercury-colored light wandering aimlessly on the Zhou Tian Star Chart. Hearing the voice, he finally turned around to see Fudao Shanren holding a chicken leg, his eyes darting about.

For a moment, his gaze deepened somewhat, but he temporarily said nothing.

He had Wu Duan summon Fudao up here, yet now he remained silent without uttering a word.

Fudao Shanren watched for a long time, becoming somewhat anxious: “Didn’t you have something to discuss? Damn it, why aren’t you talking? If you won’t talk, I’m going down to watch the excitement!”

“Your proud disciple’s battle just now…”

Hengxu Zhenren’s face showed no expression, only a strange calmness.

“Fine, fine, I should have known you were such a petty person!”

Hearing this opening, Fudao Shanren’s head immediately swelled.

Rather than let Hengxu beat around the bush here, he thought it better to admit it directly: “Isn’t it just damaging some of your Kunwu’s flowers and grass? Is it worth being so stingy? Your Kunwu is a great sect of thousands of years after all, not like my Yashan with sparse members and poverty that makes us ring like empty bells…”

Hengxu Zhenren still only looked at him without speaking.

Seeing this, Fudao Shanren’s scalp tingled, quickly waving his hands: “Fine, fine, wasn’t I just joking? Our Yashan is wealthy—one weapon vault equals half the Central Region—but if you want to use this reason to fleece us, I tell you, even if I let you fleece me considering our friendship, that bastard Zheng Yao won’t agree! He’s the Yashan sect master now, quite impressive. So about compensation, you need to negotiate with him…”

Rambling on and on.

Fudao Shanren talked about everything, with just one meaning: anyway, I have no money, and even if Yashan has money, that’s Zheng Yao’s decision—don’t blame me!

“Fudao.”

Hengxu Zhenren stood in place without moving a step, only speaking lightly, interrupting his words.

Fudao Shanren sighed, his head swelling: “Speak then, how much compensation?”

“What about the Heaven-Flipping Seal?”

“…”

In an instant, all of Fudao Shanren’s movements froze.

Heaven-Flipping Seal.

These three words from Hengxu Zhenren’s mouth truly had the impact of thunder.

He stiffly raised his head, his gaze falling on this person who had been Kunwu’s leader for six hundred years—still rigid, stern, harsh, carrying Kunwu’s inherent sense of rules.

Hengxu Zhenren’s face still showed no expression.

Two years ago, when Qingfeng Nunnery’s hidden realm had heaven-shaking anomalies, no powerful cultivator in Shijiu Zhou didn’t take notice, yet none could grasp the true essence of that dao seal. If he remembered correctly, the message for Fudao was opened in the back mountain of Qingfeng Nunnery.

So…

“When the dao seal came into the world, both you and your disciple were present. She even achieved the dao seal through chance and the advantage of her Heavenly Void Body. Though its power is insufficient, its momentum is terrifying. Yet until today, I, Hengxu, knew nothing of this.”

Knew nothing.

Four words representing many things.

Fudao Shanren said nothing.

Hengxu Zhenren’s expression remained calm: “After questioning the heart comes cultivating the heart, yet your cultivation has been retreating step by step. You deliberately concealed your disciple’s Heaven-Flipping Dao Seal matter, completely disregarding the covenant among various sects of Shijiu Zhou regarding Qingfeng Nunnery’s hidden realm. Even if Yashan is a sect revered by all in the Central Region and Shijiu Zhou, and has the Extreme Region…”

“So what?”

Fudao Shanren suddenly interrupted him.

Hengxu Zhenren stopped, no longer speaking, only watching him with that calm yet unfathomable gaze.

At this moment, Fudao Shanren’s face also showed no expression.

“In this world, only my disciple has the Heavenly Void Body. Others’ covetousness is useless. If anyone in Shijiu Zhou objects to my methods, they’re welcome to come to my Yashan and draw swords!”

Welcome to come to my Yashan and draw swords!

How arrogant!

Hengxu Zhenren thought of the Northern and Southern Regions, remaining silent for a long time, finally saying: “You still bear grudges about that past incident.”

“Hahaha…”

Fudao Shanren suddenly burst into laughter, as if hearing some joke.

He shook his head, unable to suppress the sense of absurdity rising from his heart. He pulled out his chicken leg with one hand and patted Hengxu’s shoulder with the other.

“Six hundred years, six hundred years!”

“Hahaha, Hengxu ah Hengxu, have you spent these six hundred years living in fear?”

“How could I be such a petty person? Merely a thousand human lives—how could my Yashan haggle with your Kunwu over such trifles! Hahaha, don’t fear, don’t fear…”

Merely a thousand human lives—how could my Yashan haggle with your Kunwu over such trifles!

One sentence shook the clouds and sky.

Amid the great laughter, Fudao Shanren withdrew his palm, his figure gradually fading away.

Thus, in this lofty, cold Celestial Hall, only Hengxu Zhenren remained, standing alone.

Brilliant light projected from the boundless horizon, enveloping his figure in a halo of light, leaving only a blurred shadow with an indiscernible expression.