The words of the white-robed Cultivator confirmed some of Xu Qi’an’s suspicions. In the Cultivator system, the third rank was called “Heaven’s Secrets Master”, but no one knew what the second and first ranks were called.
In the current Nine Provinces, apart from the founder of the Cultivator system and the current Overseer, no one knew what the first and second ranks of Cultivators were. Even direct disciples like Yang Qianhuan, the master of exaggeration, were completely unaware.
One could imagine that the first and second ranks of the Cultivator system held enormous secrets.
When the Buddhist delegation arrived in the capital, during a casual conversation with Wei Yuan, Xu Qi’an learned that the Buddhist sect and the current Overseer played crucial roles in Emperor Wuzong’s usurpation of the throne. They had orchestrated the downfall of the first Overseer.
Later, when rescuing Lina in the underground palace, he met a wild Cultivator named Gongyang Su, who revealed that the first and second ranks of Cultivators hid great secrets.
Since then, Xu Qi’an had suspected that the Overseer’s betrayal of his master was likely related to the ranks.
“It seems you already had some ideas,” the white-robed Cultivator observed Xu Qi’an for a moment, then said leisurely.
My idea is that the second rank of Cultivators is called “Wicked Disciple” and the first rank is called “Master Slayer”… Xu Qi’an thought sarcastically but didn’t dare to say it aloud. He remained silent.
The white-robed Cultivator observed Zhao Shou’s desperate attempts to break the formation while saying, “The second rank of Cultivators is called ‘Qi Practitioner’.”
A large question mark flashed in Xu Qi’an’s mind. This was somewhat unexpected. To be honest, the name “Qi Practitioner” seemed rather ordinary and unimpressive, not matching the status of a second-rank Cultivator.
Then he heard the white-robed Cultivator laugh and say, “The ‘Qi’ of fate and fortune.”
Fate and fortune… Do Qi Practitioners cultivate fate and fortune?!
Xu Qi’an’s pupils contracted slightly. He felt a sudden clarity but also new confusion.
The clarity came from understanding why the first Overseer could steal the national fortune of Great Shang and refine it within his body – this was the authority of a second-rank Qi Practitioner.
The confusion was not understanding how this related to the Overseer betraying his master.
“What does this have to do with the Overseer betraying you?” he frankly asked his question.
The white-robed Cultivator didn’t answer him, but instead opened his sachet again. At the same time, Xu Qi’an heard Zhao Shou say in a deep voice:
“Formation-setting is forbidden here.”
In his low, deep voice, there seemed to be a terrible power, as if the rules of heaven and earth changed because of it.
Those formations that had invoked the power of heaven and earth, using the energy of the five elements to kill Zhao Shou, silently dissipated.
Well done! Xu Qi’an inwardly cheered.
The two sides were at a stalemate. Zhao Shou had perfectly held off the first Overseer. He just needed to wait for the veteran Transcendent Saren Agu to be driven away by the current Overseer to be saved.
Seeing the formation broken, the white-robed Cultivator calmly summoned a magical treasure from the opened sachet. It was a small, exquisite Eight Trigrams copper plate.
The Eight Trigrams copper plate spun as it rose into the sky, condensing above Zhao Shou’s head. A misty, clear light showered down, and a large Eight Trigrams formation enveloped Zhao Shou, trapping him once again.
“You might as well try to forbid the use of magical artifacts here,” the white-robed Cultivator said with a smile. “That way, your Saint’s Confucian Cap can’t be used, and I can take the opportunity to kill you.”
Zhao Shou remained silent. The backlash from his words becoming law didn’t allow him to repeatedly modify the rules of heaven and earth.
Pay-to-win players deserve to die… Xu Qi’an cursed inwardly. The glimmer of hope that had just arisen instantly vanished.
At first glance, the Cultivator system didn’t seem to have strong offensive power, but with their expertise in formations and artifact refinement, as long as they had enough time and resources, they could engage in pay-to-win tactics.
If their combat power wasn’t enough, they could make up for it with magical artifacts.
It was simply disgusting.
After throwing out the Eight Trigrams copper plate, the white-robed Cultivator leisurely said, “The first-rank Cultivator is called ‘Heaven’s Mandate’.”
After a pause, he said in a deep voice, “To know Heaven’s Mandate!”
“The Overseer’s maneuvering and secret plotting are all based on the authority of ‘Heaven’s Mandate’, but Heaven’s Mandate has an extremely significant drawback. The Overseer can only plot in secret, unable to intervene directly or reveal heaven’s secrets.
“Let me give you an example. If he knew I was going to ambush you today, he couldn’t tell you directly. He couldn’t directly help you, only assist you through some indirect means. For instance, sealing the demon monk Shen Shu within your body.
“That’s exactly what he did. However, in this world, all things are mutually generative and mutually restrictive. I may not have a way to deal with Shen Shu, but others can subdue him.”
Xu Qi’an nodded, “This reminds me of the divination techniques of shamans.”
The white-robed Cultivator smiled and nodded, “The Cultivator system indeed originated from the shaman system.”
“But what does this have to do with the Overseer betraying his master?” Xu Qi’an asked.
Hearing this, the white-robed Cultivator sighed, “The condition for a Qi Practitioner to advance to Heaven’s Mandate is: to refine the fate and fortune of a nation. You might not understand if I put it this way.”
You’re looking down on whom… Xu Qi’an nodded, “Indeed, it’s not easy to understand.”
The white-robed Cultivator patiently explained, “Let me put it in a way that’s easier to understand. Supporting a person of heavenly mandate to ascend the throne and establish a dynasty – this is the key for a second-rank Qi Practitioner to advance to first-rank Heaven’s Mandate.”
Boom!
It was as if a thunderbolt had exploded by his ear, making Xu Qi’an’s scalp tingle.
All the mysteries were solved.
This was why the Overseer had chosen to help Emperor Wuzong back then, joining forces with the Buddhist sect to betray his teacher.
The Overseer had successfully advanced to the first rank by supporting Emperor Wuzong’s ascension.
And the first Overseer, having lost his “nation”, had fallen from first rank to second rank.
No wonder Cultivators needed to be affiliated with the imperial court. Because a dynasty ruling over the Central Plains was the foundation of Cultivators.
That’s why the first Overseer had said that if the current Overseer killed Jeanne d’Arc, he would be destroying his foundation. Killing me would only result in backlash from fate and fortune, not destroying his foundation.
“Can’t they choose a prince from an existing dynasty and support him to ascend the throne?” Xu Qi’an probed.
The white-robed Cultivator shook his head, “That’s not enough for a Qi Practitioner to advance.”
… Xu Qi’an remained silent for a long time, but still couldn’t help asking, “Were you out of your mind back then? Why did you take on disciples?”
Working hard to teach disciples, just for them to backstab you?
The white-robed Cultivator remained silent as he drove the eighth and ninth golden nails into Xu Qi’an’s body. With this, all the nails were embedded.
Shen Shu was completely sealed.
“…”
Xu Qi’an wanted to slap himself if his hands could move.
The white-robed Cultivator sighed, “Because the succession of dynasties is a natural law that no one can prevent. The destruction of a dynasty inevitably accompanies the fall of an Overseer.
“That’s why we need to take on disciples. Without disciples, the Cultivator system would become dust in history. Come to think of it, it was fortunate that Wuzong usurped the throne back then. Although the royal family changed to a different lineage, Great Shang was still Great Shang.
“Therefore, I only fell in rank, rather than dying and my path being destroyed.”
So, being constantly betrayed by disciples is a fate that the Cultivator system must bear? Xu Qi’an’s expression was strange as he said, “You’re trying to support that lineage from back then to reclaim the throne, so you can return to the first rank?”
“That’s obvious,” the white-robed Cultivator nodded.
Xu Qi’an said word by word, “Then, the current Overseer would fall back to the second rank and begin his new round of master-betrayal plans?”
The master-disciple relationship becomes an endless cycle.
The white-robed Cultivator glanced at him, his tone suddenly turning cold, “Do you have any last words?”
… Xu Qi’an remained silent.
The white-robed Cultivator reached out and found the Earth Book fragment in Xu Qi’an’s bosom, gently wiping it.
Xu Qi’an felt a sharp pain in his brain, knowing that his “master-servant relationship” with the Earth Book fragment had been severed. His heart instantly sank.
The white-robed Cultivator tilted the jade stone mirror, pouring out a long sword that emitted a faint glow, as clear as water.
Then, he stuffed the Earth Book fragment back into Xu Qi’an’s bosom.
He… gave it back to me?!
Xu Qi’an stared at him blankly. So, he had only taken out his own Moon Shadow Sword?
This sword was a trophy obtained after killing Ji Qian.
Its quality was no worse than his Taiping Blade, but it hadn’t developed a spirit, so it couldn’t be ranked among the world’s supreme divine weapons.
“Do you know the true essence of a fourth-rank Formation Master?” the white-robed Cultivator held the Moon Shadow Sword and turned his head, smiling at Xu Qi’an.
Without waiting for Xu Qi’an to speak, he continued:
“Formations are the rules of heaven and earth. Otherwise, how could they summon wind, rain, thunder, and lightning? How could they borrow the power of heaven and earth? So, as long as I have time, I can comprehend the rules of heaven and earth modified by the Confucians, and thus break them.”
As he spoke, his palm brushed over the Moon Shadow Sword, wiping out a series of distorted and profound incantations.
Xu Qi’an instinctively closed his eyes. Directly looking at these incantations would cause negative effects like headaches and dizziness, similar to the feeling of looking directly at that dragon tooth.
The white-robed Cultivator raised the Moon Shadow Sword and gently slashed down. Principal Zhao Shou’s “Drawing Ground as Prison” instantly shattered.
He told me so much, not wasting time, but comprehending the rules of this world… Xu Qi’an realized, suddenly feeling immense pressure.
How terrifying the Overseer was, that’s how terrifying the first Overseer was.
Fighting against such a person left too little room for error and too much pressure.
In comparison, the half-mad Jeanne d’Arc was much easier to deal with.
The white-robed Cultivator leisurely put away the Moon Shadow Sword, not even looking at Zhao Shou whose expression had slightly changed. He maintained that calm and carefree tone, saying:
“Ah, I almost forgot one thing. I still need to shield your Heaven’s Secrets.”
In the face of Xu Qi’an’s pale complexion, he slowly said:
“In Sword Province, you connected with that old ancestor of the Martial Arts Alliance, right? A martial artist at the brink of second rank, with combat power even stronger than Zhao Shou.
“But a martial artist is just a martial artist, not difficult to deal with. I just need to shield you, and he will forget your existence.”
Xu Qi’an’s face turned ugly, beads of cold sweat forming on his forehead. He silently opened his mouth but could no longer speak.
The white-robed Cultivator raised his hand and gently wiped towards him.
In the unseen realm, it was as if something had been obscured.
The white-robed Cultivator grabbed Xu Qi’an’s shoulder and said, “Let’s go!”
The two immediately vanished.
The rule against teleportation had also been broken by him.
…
On the official road, Xu Pingzhi, who had been galloping on horseback, suddenly showed a confused expression. He pulled the reins, looking around, not knowing what he was going to do.
“Why am I here? What am I going to do?” he muttered to himself.
Just as he was confused, a shout came from behind: “Lord Xu, where are you going?”
Xu Pingzhi looked back and saw Zhang Shen from Cloud Deer Academy coming on the wind.
“I… I don’t know what I’m going to do…” Xu Pingzhi answered in bewilderment.
Zhang Shen said helplessly, “What’s wrong with you, suddenly acting like you’ve gone mad? Your wife and daughter are waiting for you to return to the academy.”
Xu Pingzhi frowned, then had a sudden realization. That’s right because his nephew had died in battle in Cloud Province, he had been depressed day after day. His daughter Ling Yue was even more grief-stricken, crying all day long.
His young daughter Xu Lingyin often woke up crying at night, calling for her big brother. Sometimes at the dinner table, when she remembered her big brother, she would turn her sorrow into appetite, eating five big bowls in a row.
Therefore, he resigned from his position as centurion of the Imperial Blade Guards, planning to take his wife and daughters to settle in Sword Province.
Thinking of this, Xu Pingzhi’s expression turned gloomy. He sighed and said:
“I’m sorry, ever since Ning Yan died in battle in Cloud Province, I’ve been mentally unstable from time to time, doing inexplicable things.”
Ning Yan? Who’s that…
Zhang Shen was stunned for a moment and asked, “Who is Ning Yan?”
Xu Pingzhi showed a sorrowful expression: “He’s my nephew, so young, yet died in battle in Cloud Province.”
Zhang Shen nodded.
Although Xu Xinnian was his student, he didn’t have much interaction with the Xu family. This time, he was entrusted by his student Xu Cijiu to escort the Xu family to settle in Sword Province.
…
In the outskirts of the capital.
Chu Yuanzhen sat cross-legged on the sword ridge, tears streaming down his face, saying:
“The emperor is without virtue, bringing disaster to the country and its people. Fortunately, there was a great expert to eliminate evil and protect the Way. Otherwise, our Great Shang’s six hundred years of foundation would have been destroyed at the hands of an unwise ruler.”
Master Hengyuan put his palms together: “Amitabha. It’s a pity that the great expert came and went without a trace, leaving no name, just departing with his righteousness, deeply concealing his merits and fame.”
Li Miaochen stood on her flying sword, her heroic brows furrowed tightly. She inexplicably felt a sense of unease, as if she had lost something important.
Lina touched her belly and said, “Now that it’s over, I should return to Cloud Deer Academy. The Xu family is waiting for me.”
As she said this, she suddenly frowned, unable to remember for a moment why she was staying with the Xu family.
A few seconds later, she had a sudden realization. That’s right, after coming to the capital, she accidentally met the Xu family’s young lady, Xu Lingyin, discovering this extraordinary young genius from the vast sea of people. So she took her as a disciple, teaching her cultivation.
…
In the palace, Shaoyin Palace.
Lin’an was frantically searching for something in the study, her movements rough, books were thrown about carelessly, vases shattering on the ground with a “crash”.
“Your Highness, Your Highness, what are you looking for?” Her maid was greatly alarmed.
Lin’an stopped, standing in bewilderment, tears flooding her fair cheeks. She choked out:
“I, I’ve forgotten something important…”
The two maids looked at each other in confusion, completely unable to understand what the Second Princess was saying.
At one point, Lin’an saw a chessboard among the scattered books, saw the scattered chess pieces.
She still couldn’t remember what she had forgotten, but instinctively felt that this chess set was important. She crouched down, tightly hugging the chessboard, tears falling like rain.
On the chessboard, in black ink written:
Chu River Han Border!
…
In another part of the palace.
The Fourth Prince said in a deep voice: “Huai Qing, Father Emperor has passed away. The Crown Prince has finally reached his goal, but I can’t accept it…”
After Wei Yuan’s death, he lost his biggest support and had no chance of defeating the legitimate Crown Prince.
That mysterious expert killing Father Emperor would inevitably cause turmoil in the court. At this critical juncture, the ministers would support the Crown Prince’s immediate ascension to stabilize the situation.
The Fourth Prince felt his future was bleak.
At this moment, he noticed that his usually resourceful sister Huai Qing was staring blankly, her eyes showing sorrow.
“Huai Qing, I know Father Emperor’s death has deeply saddened you, but Father Emperor was without virtue, which angered that world-class expert into taking action.”
The Fourth Prince said in a deep voice: “Now is not the time for sorrow. As long as the Crown Prince doesn’t ascend the throne, we still have a chance. You must help your brother.”
Huai Qing gently cupped her heart.
It hurt so much, her heart hurt so much as if something was missing.
…
In a small courtyard.
Mu Nanzhi sat on the roof, resting her chin on her hand, contemplating life.
The courtyard gate was pushed open, and Aunt Zhang rushed in, shouting:
“Miss Mu, what are you doing sitting on the roof?”
Mu Nanzhi didn’t answer, looking down at her, saying softly: “Aunt Zhang, what’s wrong…”
As soon as she spoke, she realized her voice was wrong, very nasal.
Aunt Zhang said urgently: “The neighbors are all saying the capital is doomed! Even the emperor has been killed. They’re planning to flee the capital. Are you going? Call your husband to come along…”
Aunt Zhang suddenly stopped talking, looking at her with a strange expression: “Miss Mu, why are you crying?”
Mu Nanzhi was stunned, touched her face, and found it full of tears.
“My, my husband is dead,” she said sorrowfully.
“What? When did this happen?” Aunt Zhang was greatly shocked.
She cried: “I don’t know, I, I’ve forgotten…”
…
Somewhere on the outskirts of the capital.
Luo Yuheng held a sword in one hand and supported her forehead with the other. Her face showed slight pain.
“Xu, Xu Qi’an, Xu Qi’an…”
She struggled desperately against something but still couldn’t prevent the forgetting of certain information.