“Is now the time to talk about this?!”

Jian Xingzhi felt his divine sense being forcibly dragged away by Qin Wanwan’s formation, circulating and transforming into spiritual power that rushed back to wash through his spiritual roots. He grew anxious too, “Stop your formation!”

The Jishan secret technique could expand spiritual roots based on sea of consciousness strength, allowing people to absorb large amounts of spiritual power in a short time for rapid advancement.

But this method only suited those below Golden Core stage, because this formation only had a beginning, no end.

The spiritual roots would expand to match the corresponding divine sense strength and naturally stop. Therefore, only those below Golden Core stage with weak divine sense were suitable.

She had originally thought that even if Jian Zhiyan had some fortuitous encounters, his body was ultimately a mortal’s—how strong could it be? Who knew there was actually such an ancient monster living inside!

As soon as Jian Xingzhi shouted, she panicked too, “This formation can only stop when your spiritual roots match your divine sense strength. It can’t stop now! Think of something quickly!”

“Qin Wan!” Jian Xingzhi simply wanted to strangle her, “You want me dead!”

“If you don’t think of something, you really will die!”

Qin Wanwan was speaking the truth.

With Jian Xingzhi’s divine sense strength, matching spiritual roots to this kind of divine sense strength was simply not something an ordinary person’s body could withstand.

Spiritual energy swirled and surged from all around. The entire mountain range was alarmed, birds took flight, the ground trembled like an earthquake, startling everyone around into screaming.

Spiritual energy rapidly rushed into Jian Xingzhi’s body, expanding his spiritual roots. Jian Xingzhi endured severe pain. Seeing he was about to exceed what his body could bear,

He grabbed Qin Wanwan’s hand. Before Qin Wanwan could react, their fingers were forced to interlock. In an instant, rough spiritual power surged from Jian Xingzhi’s body. Qin Wanwan cried out in pain, “Holy shit!”

With that, she tried to shake off Jian Xingzhi. Jian Xingzhi held her tightly, “Give me some time, I’ll break this formation.”

“Hurry up!” Qin Wanwan felt spiritual energy rampaging and forcing open her spiritual roots, hurting so much she cried.

Their movements alarmed those around them, but those mortal women had no idea what was causing the earthquake. They just screamed and ran outside.

The overseer sensed the direction of the spiritual energy and rushed in with his men. Seeing women scattering in panic, he cursed, “Don’t run! Whoever runs dies!”

With that, he raised his blade to strike. Jian Xingzhi raised his hand and sent a wave of sword energy slashing over. The blade-wielding overseer instantly died. Jian Xingzhi sent another gust of sword wind to the other side, and the people hanging from the cave ceiling fell like rain. Most of these people were cultivators Qianliu had captured. After recovering for a moment, they realized what was happening and immediately flipped up to fight the soldiers pouring in through the cave entrance.

After rescuing people, Jian Xingzhi quickly pulled his hand back and interlocked his ten fingers with Qin Wanwan’s. Spiritual power circulated through both their bodies’ spiritual roots. Cold sweat poured down Jian Xingzhi’s head like rain.

This leveling secret technique was created by Qin Wanwan’s mother, Shangsui. Shangsui was already a legendary figure in the heavenly realm. The formation she created—Jian Xingzhi studied it carefully for a long time before finally seeing through it.

At this time, Qin Wanwan was in so much pain she was nearly unconscious, crying out, “Jian Zhiyan, I can’t take it anymore!”

“Don’t panic.”

Jian Xingzhi closed his eyes, “Circulate your spiritual energy, follow me.”

With that, he led Qin Wanwan in circulating the spiritual power within their bodies, gathering it toward their spiritual platforms. He began reciting the formation-breaking incantation from the heavenly realm, both hands forming seals with Qin Wanwan in midair.

As soon as Qin Wanwan heard him recite the incantation, she knew what he was doing. Her hands coordinated with him with perfect synchronization.

“Spiritual platform clear and bright, I alone am supreme. Supreme good punishes evil, orders issued must be followed. Heaven and earth assist me, to spy upon the cosmos. Seek the source and draw from the root, ten thousand formations return to one.” With that, both extended their index and middle fingers together, standing them upright against each other’s foreheads, and simultaneously shouted, “Break!”

In an instant, spiritual power exploded between their brows. The massive wave shocked Jian Xingzhi and Qin Wanwan, sending them flying in opposite directions. Jian Xingzhi grabbed Qin Wanwan. Before Qin Wanwan could react, he forcefully flung her, sending her straight toward Qianliu’s direction!

Qianliu was wearing armor. Qin Wanwan slammed into it with a “clang,” directly pressing Qianliu onto the bed. Qin Wanwan vomited a mouthful of blood. Not daring to stay, she immediately flipped over, drew her sword, and without hesitation wildly stabbed Qianliu several times!

Meanwhile, the instant Jian Xingzhi landed, he propped himself up with one hand, did a backflip in midair pulling a long sword from a corpse’s waist, spun it in his hand, and when landing, he slit a man’s throat. Then he raised his sword and turned, blocking in front of Qin Wanwan.

The scene instantly descended into chaos. Seeing the two attack, soldiers swarmed in. The leader saw Qianliu fallen on the bed and shouted, “Lord Qianliu!”

Then, ignoring the others, they surrounded the two tightly.

The hand holding Jian Xingzhi’s sword was trembling, blood flowing from minor wounds on his hand.

He tried hard to suppress the spiritual power circulating in his body. He clearly felt he was about to break through to Golden Core, but if he broke through now, when heavenly thunder descended, ordinary people here would inevitably be implicated.

Qin Wanwan wasn’t much better off than him. She also felt spiritual power surging and gathering in her abdomen. She raised her head to glance at Jian Xingzhi blocking in front of her with his sword, speaking hoarsely, “Jian Zhiyan…”

Jian Xingzhi closed his eyes. He took a deep breath, then suddenly moved. With one hand he snatched the treasure Qianmian from Qianliu’s chest, with the other he grabbed Qin Wanwan and shouted, “Go!”

As his words fell, Jian Xingzhi gripped his sword in a reverse hold and swept horizontally. Qin Wanwan leaped from above and jumped out!

Jian Xingzhi killed his way through, creating a path, and closely followed. He grabbed Qin Wanwan and ran wildly all the way toward the cave exit.

At that very moment, a figure in purple robes flew in on a sword, long hair tied high, features hard as if carved. Qin Wanwan looked up at that person flying in on a sword. He looked down with an indifferent glance at the two fleeing through the tunnel, his gaze crossing with Qin Wanwan’s.

The mountain around them trembled, outside heavenly thunder roared. From when the purple-robed cultivator entered the tunnel, pursuing soldiers gradually lessened. Only seeing soldiers chasing and blocking from ahead, Qin Wanwan was about to act when she saw Jian Xingzhi’s sword—short and fast—slaughter a bloody path with extremely beautiful form.

These soldiers couldn’t even delay them for a moment. Qin Wanwan was only half a step slower than him, yet felt as if running through an empty corridor.

She glanced at him sideways. The youth in red robes with long hair, blood staining his face, light falling in his eyes. He didn’t look at her, but the hand holding hers was steady enough to set her heart at ease.

The two rushed out of the cave all the way. The entrance had already been raised a section by the shaking. The two leaped together and landed on the platform below. Qin Wanwan could no longer hold on, spiritual energy in her body instantly condensed. At that very moment, the first thunderclap crashed down!

Qin Wanwan screamed “Ahhh!” and was pulled by someone in the thunder to sit down, their hand pressing against her palm.

The instant their palms connected, the pain brought by the thunder lightened considerably.

Jian Xingzhi’s voice sounded, clear and cold with some comfort, “Now you and I have both reached the Core Formation period. The tribulation comes hastily—I shall assist you. Close your eyes and concentrate, circulate your true energy, draw the thunder into your body to temper bones and forge muscles. If you feel it’s too painful, recite the *Purity and Stillness Scripture* with me.”

Qin Wanwan listened to Jian Xingzhi’s words, her whole person trembling slightly from the pain brought by the thunder.

The hand of the man pressed against hers was cold and steady, as if this heavenly tribulation had no effect on him whatsoever.

His voice had a youth’s clarity, yet mixed with the calm serenity that only comes from having lived through years, “…As for the Dao: there is purity and turbidity, movement and stillness; heaven is pure, earth is turbid; heaven moves, earth is still… The pure is the source of the turbid, the moving is the foundation of the still. If people can maintain constant purity and stillness, heaven and earth will all return…” (Note 1)

Following his scripture recitation, the pain inexplicably lessened. Qin Wanwan propped herself up to concentrate and draw energy, following Jian Xingzhi’s true energy, drawing the thunder through the eight extraordinary meridians, returning to the golden core.

During this process, the green dragon core in her body grew smaller and smaller, while the thunder grew larger and larger.

But Qin Wanwan was already completely unaware. Only Jian Xingzhi’s voice remained in her ears, like a kind of guidance, directing her through this great tribulation.

While the two sat face-to-face on flat ground jointly enduring the tribulation, Heaven Sword Sect’s people evacuated everyone from Qianliu’s cave.

The tribulation of the two was too great. Heaven Sword Sect could only have their top experts form a formation at the entrance, while other disciples led people away from a more distant exit behind the cave. After everyone left, Nanfeng returned to the entrance and respectfully saluted the purple-robed cultivator forming the formation to block heavenly thunder for ordinary people, “Daojun Xie, Young Daojun Zhu has already evacuated all mortals. You can rest too.”

Hearing this, the purple-robed cultivator withdrew his hand. The barrier slowly disappeared, and the aura of heavenly thunder came rushing over. Nanfeng was so frightened on the spot he knelt on the ground, trembling all over.

The purple-robed cultivator looked up at the heavenly tribulation, “Eighty-one heavenly thunders. If they can form cores, they will be Heaven-rank ninth-grade golden cores.”

With that, he turned to look at the kneeling Nanfeng, “Your master, what sect and school?”

Nanfeng trembled, “I… I don’t know either.”

The purple-robed cultivator said nothing. He didn’t make things difficult for Nanfeng. With a flick of his robes, he sat cross-legged on the ground, and under this heavenly thunder’s oppressive pressure, closed his eyes and entered meditation.

Thunder crashed down one strike after another. Qin Wanwan didn’t know how long had passed. She felt her entire person had been struck numb. Not until spiritual rain fell on her did she slowly open her eyes to see that the person across from her had also been struck completely charred.

Jian Xingzhi slowly opened his eyes. The spiritual rain washed away the impurities on both their bodies, and Qin Wanwan’s clear features emerged bit by bit across from him.

At that very moment, golden light simultaneously rose from both their bodies, then instantly subsided. Then just after subsiding, it lit up again, lit up and subsided again, over and over, like some bratty kid turning the lights on and off repeatedly.

The light turned on, the light turned off.

The light turned on again, the light turned off again.

As the lights switched on and off, the two seemed to compete, their pressure auras releasing outward layer by layer. Everyone felt their transformation.

Qi Refining first stage, Qi Refining second stage, Qi Refining third stage… Qi Refining ninth stage!

Foundation Establishment first stage, Foundation Establishment second stage, Foundation Establishment third stage… Foundation Establishment ninth stage!

Until finally, spiritual energy in their abdomens condensed into cores. Behind Qin Wanwan came a dragon’s roar. Two golden lights shot straight into the sky.

Heaven-rank ninth-grade golden cores, formed!

“They’re Heaven-rank ninth-grade golden cores!”

The spiritual rain extended for a hundred li. The intent of the Heavenly Dao contained within was perceived by the masses. People from various sects and schools came out to watch this spiritual rain, hearts filled with envy.

“These Heaven-rank ninth-grade golden cores—in five hundred years, the Three Sects and Four Cities have only produced four: Wenxin Sect’s Shen Zhiming, Le City’s Young Master Jun Shu, Heaven Sword Sect’s Xie Gutang, and that person from Wuxiang Sect…”

The speaker’s tone lowered when mentioning that person from Wuxiang Sect, then thought of today’s spiritual rain, “Today I wonder which sect is so fortunate to have birthed such geniuses!”

Everyone discussed animatedly, while the two geniuses sat on the ground, looking at each other face-to-face, eyes wide, not saying a word.

Both had changed their clothes with spells the moment they woke up. Their previous clothes had been struck by lightning into rags. Qin Wanwan wore a pink dress, Jian Xingzhi wore blue robes. After staring at each other for a moment, Jian Xingzhi finally spoke, “First find a place to stay, we’ll talk slowly.”

Qin Wanwan nodded, thinking that made sense too.

They patted the mud from their hands and stood up. Just as they stood, they saw a figure in purple robes suddenly appear before them.

Qin Wanwan instinctively retreated behind Jian Xingzhi. Jian Xingzhi habitually stepped forward to block her, then both remembered their identities and quickly switched positions. Qin Wanwan stepped forward, Jian Xingzhi knowingly stepped back.

The purple-robed cultivator watched them go back and forth like this. After a moment, he spoke, “Are you done positioning yourselves?”

“Done.”

Qin Wanwan nodded, somewhat nervous, “What business does Fellow Daoist have?”

This person’s aura was too imposing. She didn’t know why, but she had the feeling of facing a lower-spec version of Jian Xingzhi.

But even a lower-spec Jian Xingzhi was a big shot she couldn’t provoke. That kind of person like Jian Xingzhi—even one-tenth of him standing before her made her want to break down.

“Someone called Nanfeng went to Heaven Sword Sect asking for help, saying you captured Qianliu and wanted Heaven Sword Sect to assist.”

The purple-robed cultivator’s tone held no ripples, flatly narrating what had occurred, “So I came.”

“So it’s a fellow daoist from Heaven Sword Sect,” Qin Wanwan remembered her previous instructions to Nanfeng and quickly bowed, “Pleased to meet you. This one is Li Si, and this is my…”

“Elder brother.”

Jian Xingzhi answered from behind, “Zhang San.”

Hearing this, the purple-robed cultivator frowned, “You’re siblings, why different surnames?”

“I follow my father.” Jian Xingzhi spoke very quickly. Qin Wanwan smiled with difficulty, “I follow my mother.”

The purple-robed cultivator nodded, not intending to say more, only making a simple introduction, “Heaven Sword Sect, Xie Gutang.”

This name sounded somewhat familiar. Qin Wanwan glanced at Jian Xingzhi. Jian Xingzhi looked toward Immortal-Seeking Town’s direction before remembering.

When Jian Xingzhi had smashed that plaque before, it seemed this Xie Gutang had mentioned it. He seemed to be the previous Sword Trial Conference champion?

“You’re here to participate in the Sword Trial Conference, right?” Xie Gutang didn’t say much more, taking out a booklet from his sleeve, “What sect and school?”

“Wandering cultivator.”

Qin Wanwan continued lying. Xie Gutang’s movement paused. In that very instant, without even seeing how he moved, the long sword in his hand had already been unsheathed and slashed over.

But though his movement was fast, Jian Xingzhi’s was faster. In a split second, the two had already exchanged over a dozen moves.

Xie Gutang quietly looked at Jian Xingzhi steadily blocking his sword outside, his voice stable, “I have cultivated the sword for one hundred twenty years and am familiar with swordsmanship from all sects under heaven. What sect and school are you from? I have never seen it before.”

“Does Heaven Sword Sect require having seen someone’s sect before they can participate in the Sword Trial Conference?”

Qin Wanwan spoke with a smile. Xie Gutang paused and slowly replied, “No.”

“Then I killed Qianliu. He’s on Heaven Sword Sect’s wanted list. According to the rules, I can participate in the Sword Trial Conference now, correct?”

“Yes.” Xie Gutang couldn’t deny it. Qin Wanwan stepped forward, using both hands to clamp Xie Gutang’s sword and gently move it aside.

“Then whether you’ve seen what sect and school I’m from—what relevance does it have to my participating in the Sword Trial Conference?”

Xie Gutang was at a loss for words. After a moment, he sheathed his sword and notebook, turned and walked forward, “Follow me.”

Heaven Sword Sect arranged lodging for everyone who passed through to the Sword Trial Conference. Qin Wanwan killed Qianliu, which not only counted as completing the mission but completing it excellently. So she didn’t stay in an inn at the mountain base with other conference attendees. Instead, she was arranged in guest quarters on Heaven Sword Sect’s mountain.

The guest quarters were a courtyard house. Xie Gutang led them into the courtyard and pointed to two adjoining rooms, “You divide them up. When the Sword Trial Conference starts, you’ll be informed.”

“Many thanks, Daojun.”

Qin Wanwan smiled and bowed. Xie Gutang nodded, didn’t say much more, and turned to leave.

After Xie Gutang left, Qin Wanwan turned to look at Jian Xingzhi, “Chat in the room?”

Jian Xingzhi nodded. He didn’t know why, but his heart felt a bit panicked.

The two entered the room together. Sitting on opposite sides of a table, they each chatted with their own systems.

“How should I start?” Qin Wanwan asked 38. “I can’t let him know my identity, right?”

“Correct,” 38 spoke. “You should try your best to prevent him from discovering your identity.”

“What if he discovers it?”

“Well then…” 38 was somewhat troubled, “that’s something that can’t be helped, but you can’t admit it.”

“What if she figures it out herself?”

Jian Xingzhi frowned, asking 666, “She’s already discovered I’m not Jian Zhiyan.”

“If she discovers it herself, it won’t count as your responsibility. Actually, if she can discover it on her own, it’ll be even better for you.”

“How so?”

“According to the rules, judging whether you’re OOC mainly depends on whether it conforms to logic, conforms to this world’s people’s expectations of you. If ‘Qin Wan’ can find reasonable logic for your strength and some behaviors, you can grow stronger within logically expected parameters.”

Hearing this, Jian Xingzhi roughly understood, “That means, for example, if I’m at Foundation Establishment stage, and she expects I should be Foundation Establishment stage plus immortal realm techniques, the scope I can display is within this range? If she expects I’m the strongest in the immortal realm, the level I can display goes even higher?”

“Correct. However, her expectations are just one evaluation criterion. Most important is not interfering with the plot she needs to follow, and secondly satisfying the balanced expectations of everyone. If you want to truly display your abilities, you still need to cultivate, let this world’s body have a reasonable behavioral foundation, try your best not to let people discover the fact that you transmigrated.”

“What if she discovers it?”

“You still have to deny it.”

“What if I implicitly admit it?”

666 fell silent. After a while, it reminded Jian Xingzhi, “Then it depends on her comprehension.”

After chatting separately with their own systems, both had formulated a plan in their minds.

Jian Xingzhi looked at Qin Wanwan. Qin Wanwan also looked at Jian Xingzhi. After staring at each other for a moment, Jian Xingzhi asked her, “Want some water?”

Qin Wanwan quickly poured tea for Jian Xingzhi and handed it to him, “Drink.”

For a moment, Jian Xingzhi couldn’t tell whether Qin Wanwan was saying she would drink, or telling him to drink.

He accepted the water. After thinking for a moment, he slowly spoke, “Actually, I know all about your situation.”

“Your situation…” Qin Wanwan thought about it, “I estimate I know about it too.”

“I hope you can know.” Jian Xingzhi hinted, “That way it’ll be more convenient for me.”

“Then I’ll ask?”

Qin Wanwan spoke tentatively. Jian Xingzhi nodded.

“Can you tell me the truth? If yes, speak. If no, stay silent.”

Jian Xingzhi remained silent.

Qin Wanwan nodded, “Then do you want to tell me the truth? If yes, don’t speak.”

Jian Xingzhi continued his silence.

Qin Wanwan understood. Jian Xingzhi probably had restrictions like her.

Qin Wanwan thought left and right, “Let me tell you a story.”

Jian Xingzhi looked up at her. Qin Wanwan thought carefully, “There was a little cat. One day, she suddenly discovered she had entered a book. The little cat acquired a little fairy, managing this and that. Then she met a little dog. The little dog kept following her. What do you think the reason was?”

“Because the little dog also has a little fairy.”

Jian Xingzhi heard Qin Wanwan’s implicit reference and immediately understood Qin Wanwan’s situation.

Qin Wanwan nodded, thinking indeed it was so.

“Is the little dog a dog from inside the book?”

“It’s not.”

Qin Wanwan understood. The person before her wasn’t Jian Zhiyan at all, but someone like her who came with a system to do missions.

“The little fairy told the little cat to cultivate into an immortal,” Qin Wanwan continued questioning. “What did the little fairy tell the little dog to do?”

“Help the little cat cultivate into an immortal.”

Qin Wanwan nodded. Seemed they were friends, not enemies.

“Then I wonder…” Qin Wanwan gestured slightly, “what level of little dog is it? Divine Transformation? Tribulation Crossing?”

Hearing this, Jian Xingzhi tilted his head slightly back, his face showing disdain, “This dog has long since ascended. Among all the immortals in the heavenly realm, not one can match it.”

Qin Wanwan: “…”

Brag, brag to your heart’s content.

What the heavenly realm was like—did she not know?

Qin Wanwan maintained her smile, “May I know this dog’s true name?”

In an instant, Jian Xingzhi fell into silence.

666 reminded him, “Master, actually… our system is still quite humane and can understand. Don’t go too far…”

Jian Xingzhi didn’t speak. His mood was very low.

He suddenly realized that this Qin Wan was also going to ascend. If he let Qin Wan know who he was, if in the future she went around publicizing his experiences in the cultivation world, he found it difficult to accept.

He wanted to quietly get through this low point in his life.

He didn’t want anyone in the heavenly realm to know that he also had times when he was someone else’s male concubine, wore bright pink clothes, and chased after people shouting for help.

“Jian Zhiyan?” Qin Wanwan reminded him, “What do you think this little dog should be called?”

“He’s called…” Jian Xingzhi raised his head, looking toward the window. Recalling the time when he was still ‘Suiheng Zhenjun,’ that period of youthful arrogance and unbridled willfulness, he suddenly felt somewhat heartsore. He spoke in a low voice, “Long Aotian.”

Author’s Note: 38: “A little cat who wants to ascend, a little dog named Long Aotian actively helping the little cat ascend—your story is quite positive and uplifting.”

Note 1: Excerpt from the *Purity and Stillness Scripture*