“How did you get to Daosheng Heaven? I couldn’t find you anywhere. And where’s Second Brother?”
“He has his own business. I’d love to have a long chat with you, but now’s not the time.”
“Why not?”
Deep in the bamboo forest, Ji Yang swiftly pushed Nan Yan out of a maze formation. With practiced ease, he raised his right hand, concealing her behind layers of illusory bamboo leaves, as if hiding her from prying eyes.
“You should head back now. Oh, and don’t worry about Song Zhu. I’ve sent him elsewhere.”
Confused, Nan Yan asked, “Then why are you staying here?”
“I’m catching up with old friends. Go on ahead. When the time is right, I’ll find you.”
After Nan Yan’s bewildered departure, Ji Yang turned his gaze to the other side of the bamboo grove. Through the dappled shadows, a sword beam shot towards him, accompanied by an angry shout.
“Heaven-Circling Chant!”
Ji Yang casually broke off a bamboo branch and responded with the same technique: “Heaven-Circling Chant.”
The two identical techniques collided with tremendous force. What should have been an earth-shattering impact was instead contained within the small bamboo grove, dissipating with the fine mist falling from the leaves.
In the rain, Mo Xingzhen’s usually cheerful young face was clouded with fury and sorrow. Years of confusion and misunderstanding crystallized into a single, anguished question:
“Why?!”
…Why are you still alive but haven’t returned? Why are you operating in secret? Why did you betray Daosheng Heaven?
Ji Yang leaned against an old bamboo stalk and said, “You already know the answer, don’t you?”
“Master’s kindness to us is as vast as a mountain. You…” Mo Xingzhen’s voice trailed off as if recalling something. His grip on his sword loosened as he asked shakily, “Those junior disciples who disappeared from the sect over twenty years ago… did you kill them?”
Ji Yang studied Mo Xingzhen’s expression, seeming to see through his thoughts and predict his actions upon learning the truth.
After a moment, he replied, “Yes, I killed them.”
“You’re lying! We grew up together. I know you!” Mo Xingzhen remembered the rumors that circulated in Daosheng Heaven around the time of Ji Yang’s incident. They claimed that Xuanzai’s top disciple had attempted to alter the Daoist classics, establish heretical teachings to overthrow Daosheng Heaven and persuade young peers to join him. When his efforts failed, Ji Yang and those disciples vanished overnight.
Over the years, Mo Xingzhen wasn’t foolish. He had noticed some clues, but out of respect for their master, he refused to believe them.
Ji Yang said, “If you don’t believe I did it, who do you suspect? Do you think our master has become… increasingly corrupted by mortal desires over the years?”
Mo Xingzhen, as if drained of all strength, gritted his teeth and said, “…I won’t allow you to slander Master.”
Ji Yang pushed aside some bamboo branches and replied, “Indeed. In this world, a master can be guilty of crimes, but never of mistakes. As long as Daosheng Heaven stands, he will always be right.”
“Senior Brother,” Mo Xingzhen called out the title after so many years, his heart a tumult of emotions. “If there’s any misunderstanding, can’t you stay and talk it out with Master? See if there’s any room for resolution?”
“Room for resolution?” Ji Yang turned to leave the bamboo grove, his voice devoid of hope. “Master doesn’t even give himself any leeway. Where would he find room for others? This turmoil doesn’t concern you. Just take care of yourself.”
With these words and a flutter of bamboo leaves, Ji Yang vanished into the forest.
“Senior Brother!” Mo Xingzhen called out, trying to detain him, but the surrounding area fell eerily silent, all traces of ghostly energy disappearing in an instant.
He leaned weakly against a bamboo stalk, his gaze unfocused. “Master, what’s going on here…”
The next day, in front of the Myriad Treasures Pavilion in Daosheng Heaven, imperial scions from various states gathered.
“Where’s Mo Xingzhen?” someone asked.
A disciple greeted them, explaining, “Senior Brother Mo encountered a barrier in his cultivation last night. We’ll be hosting you today. Please, imperial scions, proceed to the pavilion.”
Daosheng Heaven, responsible for cultivators’ education, allowed imperial scions to choose an object of destiny before each Mountain and Sea Prohibition as a gesture of encouragement.
Like other buildings, the Myriad Treasures Pavilion appeared modest from the outside but was surprisingly spacious within. It resembled a treasure pagoda with square spiral staircases leading to stone chambers on each floor, all filled with dazzling treasures.
The disciples handed each imperial scion a silver-white talisman, instructing, “The treasures in the chambers are protected by barriers of four grades: purple, blue, green, and white. You must break the barrier with spiritual power or spells to claim a treasure. This talisman can open one blue-barrier treasure in addition to those you can unlock with your abilities.”
The talented youths accompanying the imperial scions could participate but without talismans. If they couldn’t claim a treasure within an hour, they had to give up.
“I’ve heard the legendary Mirror of Reversed Reincarnation is enshrined on the top floor. Can we take that ultimate treasure too?” someone asked.
Everyone looked interested, but the Daosheng Heaven disciples smiled nonchalantly. “The Mirror of Reversed Reincarnation is indeed on the top floor, without any protective barrier. Anyone can view it. However, this supreme treasure was obtained by the Dao Venerable from beyond the void. He only used it once, and no one since has been able to activate it.”
Yuan Ang, the imperial scion of Wu State, said eagerly, “That’s right. It was by observing the future in this mirror that the Dao Venerable identified the weak points in our realm’s barrier. This allowed the Five Venerables to join forces and successfully ascend. What a monumental achievement!”
Beside him, Lu Sheng, the imperial scion of You State, sneered, “What are you thinking? If the Daosheng Heaven masters could use this mirror after all these years, they would have done so already. How could it be our turn? We only have an hour, so let’s hurry and claim our treasures.”
The disciples brought an incense burner, and as soon as the incense was lit, everyone rushed upstairs.
“Yan, hey Yan…” Mu Zhanting didn’t hurry off. Instead, he approached the expressionless Nan Yan. “Don’t ignore me. I was just worried when I saw you leave with that ill-intentioned bastard Song Zhu in the middle of the night.”
Nan Yan rubbed her face tiredly and said, “This poor nun’s Buddhist heart is steadfast and won’t be swayed by worldly affairs. Our sibling bond is over. Now, I have only one wish.”
Mu Zhanting asked, “What wish?”
Nan Yan replied grimly, “I hope to find a poison in the Myriad Treasures Pavilion that can make people mute. I’ll bring you a midnight snack tonight.”
Mu Zhanting was left speechless.
As they argued, sounds of combat echoed from a stone chamber above. Amidst flashes of white light, a cultivator from Shen State emerged, cradling a blue, icy dagger.
“A high-grade magical weapon? This dagger must be the best for the early Foundation Establishment stage. If this is the quality of white-barrier items, imagine what’s behind the blue and purple barriers…”
Everyone looked excited. Mu Zhanting, trying to salvage their sibling relationship, eagerly offered, “Which one do you want? I’ll help you get it.”
Someone nearby scoffed, “If an outsider helps, the barrier doubles in strength. It’s best to rely on your abilities.”
Nan Yan glanced at the situation upstairs and confirmed this. “Don’t worry about me. I’ll just wander around.”
Helpless, Mu Zhanting could only join the other Chen State cultivators, leaving Nan Yan to slowly ascend the stairs alone.
The blue and purple lights became more prominent higher up, so most people headed directly to the upper levels of the Myriad Treasures Pavilion. Nan Yan tried entering a room containing a low-grade spiritual fan. She attacked the green barrier for a while, realizing it would take nearly an hour to break through—too time-consuming for a treasure she didn’t particularly need.
Abandoning the attempt, she followed others to the top floor. Soon, she spotted a chamber radiating intense purple light, its treasure’s glow nearly spilling out.
Two groups surrounded this chamber: Yun Nian from Shen State and Yuan Ang from Wu State.
A Shen State cultivator angrily protested, “We got here first! What right do you have to ask us to leave?”
Yuan Ang, already at odds with Yun Nian, retorted sharply, “You’ve been attacking for half an incense stick’s time, and the barrier hasn’t even weakened by a tenth. Instead of wasting time, why not let me try?”
Nan Yan’s spiritual sense revealed the object of their dispute: a jade slip containing the first chapter of Daosheng Heaven’s core technique, the Dao Sky Heart Sutra.
Onlookers expressed envy: “The first chapter of the Dao Sky Heart Sutra could serve as the foundation for a major sect. Daosheng Heaven is generous!”
“Any other Stateal ruler would give up territory for this technique!”
“Among all cultivation paths, Confucian cultivation is the most versatile. If the Yun family’s heir gives this up, it’d be like cutting off his flesh.”
Yun Nian, visibly conflicted, said, “I’d like to use my barrier-breaking talisman. Please, Brother Yuan, allow me a moment.”
Yuan Ang sneered, “This purple light isn’t like the simple spiritual barriers below. It’s formed from a ghost swamp spirit turtle’s refined soul, with unparalleled defense. Only my Yuan Magnetic Holy Light can break through such evil. If you want it, Shen State’s two high-grade spirit veins in the northern plains would make a fair trade. I’ll be waiting in Wu State for the Yun family to make a sincere offer.”
As Yun Nian hesitated about using a secret technique, he noticed Nan Yan watching from across the stairs. He called out, “Sister Zhenyuan, your Buddhist cultivation can counter most demons and spirits. Could you help? I’ll reward you generously!”
Nan Yan responded with surprise, “Me?”
Meanwhile, at the Demon Sealing Formation in the North Sea of Yin State:
Night patrol cultivators flew over the surging waves, pausing at a distant whale-like cry.
After listening for a while, one complained, “They howl night after night. If they’re so capable, why not break through the Demon Sealing Formation? They’re just disturbing our rest.”
Another suggested, “Should we use the demon-detecting bell to check if any creatures have escaped?”
“No need. It hasn’t happened in decades. Even if some Qi Condensation or Foundation Establishment minor demons escape, they’re not worth mentioning. Let’s go back for a drink. My Dao partner just sent some spirit wine last month.”
The patrollers laughed, but as they were about to leave, someone’s demon-detecting bell suddenly rang violently.
“A demon’s coming!”
Alert, they drew their weapons and scanned the area. At the sea cliff stood a young man wrapped in a snow-white fur coat, exuding demon energy at the late Foundation Establishment stage.
The patrollers surrounded him: “What demon cultivator dares to lurk near the Demon Sealing Formation? Come with us to verify your identity!”
After a pause, the man coldly uttered two words: “Get lost.”
Enraged, the patrollers attacked, thinking they could overpower him despite his strength. However, they only struck an afterimage. In the next moment, the man appeared behind each of them.
“You…”
Blood spilled swiftly that night. Yan Qie tossed the severely wounded, near-death cultivators onto the cliff, took their tokens, and combined them with the pass he’d borrowed from Si State. He threw them above the Demon Sealing Formation.
Soon, the formation opened a door. As he entered, unlike his previous solitary visit, countless demon eyes like fireflies lingered beneath the vast sea’s surface, seemingly welcoming him.
“Welcome… Young Master of the Celestial Fox Clan.”
Without hesitation, Yan Qie walked into the sea. Addressing the mysterious eyes in the deep, he said, “I wish to see the Ancestral Spirit.”
The surrounding fierce demons emitted harsh laughter:
“He reeks of humans! How dare he seek an audience with the Ancestral Spirit?”
“I’ve eaten plenty of whelps like him. Why not keep him here?”
“You’d have to catch his true form first… I envy the Nightmare Fox’s ability to create illusory bodies at will.”
“If he’s a demon, why not bring some live humans as gifts? Oh, when can we taste human flesh again…”
Amidst the cackling, a voice from the abyss resonated:
“Silence.”
In the deep sea, as if some monster observing the human realm was coiled there, a massive light fissure opened in the deepest part after Yan Qie spoke. The fissure gradually expanded, illuminating the demon nation’s subjects who had been suppressed at the sea bottom for a millennium.
That light fissure was the enormous eye of an indescribably massive demon!
“Nightmare Fox… a noble descendant of the demon nation, what good news do you bring the Ancestral Spirit?”
Expressionless, Yan Qie gazed at the myriad demon clan shadows in the darkness and said, “I request the Ancestral Spirit to unlock the Celestial Fox Clan’s seal.”
The Ancestral Spirit in the darkness suddenly let out a cold laugh, silencing all demons: “You only want to take your Celestial Fox Clan? Without the demon nation’s protection, how could the human realm accommodate you?”
Yan Qie replied, “Let’s cut to the chase. What does the Ancestral Spirit want?”
As all demons watched with excited eyes, the Ancestral Spirit cackled and said:
“I’ll grant you a Myriad Demon Banner to command the demons remaining in the human realm. When you destroy Demon Sealing Mountain and help the demon nation counterattack the human world… you’ll be the next Demon Emperor.”
Purple demonic light seeped from Yan Qie’s pupils. The demon nation’s demand didn’t surprise him. He said, “Demon Sealing Mountain was established by Daosheng Heaven with generations of effort. Destroying it is no easy task. If the Ancestral Spirit protects all demons, why be so stingy?”
The entire demon sea churned, and countless hatreds and grudges instantly ignited.
“Daosheng Heaven… Yes, Daosheng Heaven! Even more hateful than the Red Emperor! Kill them! Kill them all!”
The Ancestral Spirit’s enormous eye suddenly expanded, its pupil contracting to a line. Then it said, “I’ll also grant you ancient demon blood to help gradually awaken your Nightmare Fox bloodline to the Ancestral Spirit realm. The moment Demon Sealing Mountain breaks, your Celestial Fox Clan will be freed first!”
Satisfaction flickered in Yan Qie’s eyes. He bowed deeply, “Thank you, Ancestral Spirit. This junior… will not fail in this mission.”