“Yashan, Jian Chou…”

The murmuring voice carried a flavor that seemed both amazed and wary, yet also hostile, spilling from thin lips.

Originally, handsome features were marred by that blood-red scar extending downward from his brow center, combined with the increasingly heavy gloom and oppression about him. This young man in dark red robes standing among the crowd made people feel even more fearful.

Zhang Sui stood behind the Fengmo Sword Sect crowd, silently watching this youth.

As someone with mediocre talent who had cultivated for thirty to fifty years and only just touched the threshold of Golden Core, Zhang Sui could only look up to all geniuses. But this “Junior Brother Xiahou’s” strength came so unexpectedly that everyone was shocked, even unable to fathom it.

After four years in seclusion, emerging once to defeat all fellow disciples within the sect, he left behind a legend in the entire Fengmo Sword Sect that no one of the new generation could match.

Young, gloomy, seemingly polite, but so powerful as to be cold.

Today, Zhilin Sou ranking him first in this Left Three Thousand Small Gathering wasn’t without reason. It was just that the Fengmo Sword Sect was in the remote northwest corner of the Central Domain, quite isolated, so news didn’t spread quickly. Combined with Fengmo Sword Sect’s deliberate information blockade, only Zhilin Sou, with his vast divine abilities, could learn a thing or two, leading to the current ranking.

However…

Many people, seeing him ranked first, didn’t necessarily acknowledge his first-place strength.

His throat suddenly felt bitter.

Zhang Sui didn’t speak, only following the gaze of Xiahou She, who was surrounded by everyone, toward Jian Chou on the Heaven-Reaching Platform.

Jian Chou sat quietly in place.

Below, there might be countless restless cultivators, yet not one rushed up to strike down Jian Chou at this moment.

“Incompetent trash…”

Mocking words came from Xiahou She’s mouth, yet carried a kind of peace.

Anyone with sense could see that the current Jian Chou was nearly exhausted and could be brought down with three punches and two kicks.

It was just that after bringing down Jian Chou, one might not necessarily keep the Heaven-Reaching Platform position.

He looked deeply at Jian Chou, his eyes carrying indescribable curiosity: When would her axe appear?

Lowering his eyelids, Xiahou She glanced around. Among all those currently on the Heaven-Reaching Platforms, not one could draw his attention anymore. Since no one was challenging Jian Chou, he decided not to stay either and turned to leave.

The Fengmo Sword Sect crowd still wanted to observe for a while and didn’t plan to leave, so they only bid farewell to Xiahou She.

Unexpectedly, at this moment, exclamations arose from many cultivators around.

“Heavens!”

“The handbook changed!”

“Are you crazy?”

“Is Zhilin Sou’s brain damaged?”

“Damn… am I blind or what?”

…

A chorus of disbelief.

What happened?

All those without the “One Person Platform Handbook” knew the rankings had probably been modified, but didn’t know exactly how.

Xiahou She, about to leave, also stopped in his tracks and looked over.

At the foot of Kunwu Mountain, it was originally a sea of people, with countless gathering around each Heaven-Reaching Platform as centers.

Below the southern third Heaven-Reaching Platform, many had dispersed after the battle ended, but since there had been so many spectators before, even after this long dispersal, it wasn’t empty. Some simply sat down cross-legged on the spot, seemingly curious about Jian Chou’s next opponent and deciding not to leave.

Thus, the moment the “One Person Platform Handbook” was modified, an exclamation below the Heaven-Reaching Platform immediately drew countless discussions.

Countless cultivators hurriedly opened their small booklets, clicking on the rankings, and immediately, the first page appeared—the top ten rankings!

The first line—

“First, Yashan Jian Chou!”

“Unlimited potential, unlimited combat power, unpredictable!”

What kind of joke was this?!

Glowing light, transparent with jade-like quality, as if carved in the void.

Everyone stared wide-eyed, their eyeballs nearly falling to the ground!

If they remembered correctly, this originally talented Yashan Senior Sister was only ranked one hundredth, right? At that time, she was still everyone’s laughingstock. How could Zhilin Sou change his mind so quickly after this battle, changing rankings on a whim?

Fine if he changed it—after all, although this battle might not show both fighters’ full strength, it could reveal the tip of the iceberg.

But!

Going directly from one hundred to one—wasn’t that a bit too much?

Did that old man eat the last “hundred”?!

You’re ranking backwards, aren’t you?!!

Everyone looked on, simply unable to accept it.

But continuing to look down, the originally dark horse Fengmo Sword Sect’s Xiahou She had now become second, Wuyi Sect’s Young Master Ruhua third. Others moved down one position, except for the originally fifth-ranked Baiyue Valley’s medicine woman, Lu Xiangleng, who had somehow dropped out of the top ten and couldn’t even be found in the first few pages.

Those ranked fifth and below hadn’t moved.

This was truly dizzying. Lu Xiangleng was a championship favorite, yet she vanished from the rankings in a blink. Since others hadn’t moved, it showed Zhilin Sou was indeed serious.

This ranking was the genuine latest ranking!

That is to say, in Zhilin Sou’s mind, Yashan’s Jian Chou was this Left Three Thousand Small Gathering’s choice to ascend the One Person Platform alone!

For a moment, everyone was speechless.

“…How is this possible?!”

In another corner, Xu Lan’er looked at the freshly released rankings. The light red teardrop mole at her eye corner couldn’t help but tremble a few times from extreme anger and incomprehension.

One hundredth—Jian Chou was originally one hundredth!

Had Zhilin Sou’s old eyes grown dim?

Even if Jian Chou defeated Kunwu’s Xie Ding, at most, she could only rank third. How could she crush Wuyi Sect’s Young Master Ruhua and that mysterious Fengmo Sword Sect’s Xiahou She? Everyone could see that the current Jian Chou was only at Foundation Establishment peak, not yet Golden Core. How could she skip two minor realms and press above so many masters?

Jian Chou’s name hung high at the top of the first page, while her name, Xu Lan’er’s, was first on the second page.

Two “firsts,” yet worlds apart!

That mortal enemy who had just been left far behind was now like climbing a heavenly ladder, instantly stepping on her head and hanging high in first place?

Zhilin Sou must be crazy!

Gripping the “One Person Platform Handbook” tightly, Xu Lan’er’s body trembled slightly.

Boundless resentment accumulated in her heart.

A jade-white palm suddenly fell on her shoulder, bringing a sense of peace.

Xu Lan’er was surprised for a moment, looking back: “Master?”

The one approaching was Jianzhu Sect’s extremely beautiful sect leader Zhuxin. Deep purple head veil adorned her hair, making her truly appear as the ethereal “Fairy Zhuxin” of legend.

Smiling slightly at Xu Lan’er, Zhuxin also glanced at Jian Chou, who still sat calmly meditating on the Heaven-Reaching Platform. She showed no reaction, seemingly oblivious to the surrounding world’s noise and boiling.

“Calm your mind.”

Calm down?

How could she calm down?

Xu Lan’er’s overly forceful fingers nearly tore the booklet.

Looking at Zhuxin, her eyes showed confusion.

Zhuxin glanced around and said, “Higher rankings seem good, but it’s lonely at the top. How many eyes are secretly watching her? You’re so far from her ranking yet feel this way—what about those closer? There are still two days, and the Small Gathering has many more rounds. Who knows who’ll laugh last? Lan’er, why worry?”

Those closer…

A flash of insight crossed Xu Lan’er’s mind, and she suddenly understood Zhuxin’s meaning.

Jian Chou had only defeated third-ranked Xie Ding, yet was directly ranked first by Zhilin Sou, with unclear reasoning—only vague “unlimited potential, unlimited combat power.”

Who would believe it?

Who would accept it?

Nearly everyone ahead was Golden Core stage. A Foundation Establishment stage ranked ahead—wouldn’t that make all the world’s talented laugh their teeth off?

Naturally, people would want to test whether Jian Chou’s first place was genuine.

In the Left Three Thousand Small Gathering, how could the first place, this thorn in everyone’s side, have it easy?

Xu Lan’er’s face gradually showed a smile, finally becoming peaceful. She bowed to Zhuxin: “Master’s consideration is thorough. This disciple was rash and thoughtless.”

Zhuxin smiled and nodded.

The master and disciple stood almost shoulder to shoulder, with the rest of the Jianzhu Sect behind them.

Young girl Jiang Ling had now grown graceful and elegant, still appearing somewhat silent and timid. Hearing Zhuxin and Xu Lan’er speak, she only buried her head deeper.

Throughout the foot of Kunwu’s main peak, news of this latest ranking had completely spread.

Everyone was discussing why Jian Chou deserved first place. Of course, “Xiahou She,” who had also been mysteriously ranked first before, was also questioned whether he, too, had been randomly ranked.

Naturally, what drew even more attention was medicine woman Lu Xiangleng.

Someone searched thoroughly down the pages and finally found her name on the sixth page: Baiyue Valley’s Lu Xiangleng, ranked fifty-eighth.

Thus, various rumors about the medicine woman also became rampant.

However, Jian Chou knew nothing of all this.

The sun, illuminating all of Shijiu Zhou, quickly began its western descent.

Strand by strand of spiritual qi gathered into Jian Chou’s brow center ancestral aperture. Blazing starlight gradually spread to her body’s acupoints, slowly filling the previously dried Tianyuan.

The feeling of Foundation Establishment’s peak gradually returned.

Her cultivation had vaguely reached a bottleneck. Just breaking through a tiny bit more would allow her to enter the next stage.

But that tiny bit had become an insurmountable chasm.

Under the abundant spiritual qi, Jian Chou felt like soaking in hot spring water, warmth pervading her limbs and bones.

Her consciousness seemed to sink as well, arriving in brilliant starry skies. Vaguely, clouds of stars swept past her eyes. Jian Chou wanted to reach out and touch them, but discovered something like gauze, a membrane, a strange barrier between them…

No matter how she tried, she seemed unable to shake it.

Vaguely, she felt something was just slightly missing.

Just a little bit, and she could break through all these barriers and touch the world beyond.

…

Exactly what was it?

Such contemplation finally made her long, thick eyelashes tremble as she opened her eyes.

The red sun, like fire, sank westward. At the edge of the azure sky, layer upon layer of golden flames seemed to ignite, brilliant to the extreme.

This day was about to end.

Around the other one hundred nineteen Heaven-Reaching Platforms, some had finished battles while others were in their final struggles of the day, appearing exhausted. People near and far discussed the continuously occurring battles, with few noticing that Jian Chou had opened her eyes.

Except for…

A young man is eating a melon, standing very close in front.

Crunch, crunch…

Snow-white teeth closed, and red, sweet melon flesh immediately entered his mouth.

Sunset’s glow fell on his wheat-colored skin, giving a healthy, vital feeling. Animal hide vest wrapped his not particularly strong body, yet it emanated abundant vigor.

He held a huge watermelon in both hands, ridiculously large.

What a great place to eat melon!

After finishing a bite of watermelon, he satisfactorily wiped the watermelon seeds from his face. His white teeth showed in a smile brighter than clouds on the horizon. His gaze naturally lifted and immediately met a pair of dark, calm eyes.

“Wah!”

In that instant, the youth unhesitatingly cried out, nearly scared into dropping his unfinished watermelon and sitting on the ground.

She opened her eyes!

Jian Chou had been silently watching him for a while, just hadn’t expected him to suddenly yell like this. She was nearly startled by him and didn’t know what to say, so she inexplicably smiled.

Looking around, many people heard the youth’s cry and all looked over.

Jian Chou, who had meditated on the Heaven-Reaching Platform all day, now had brilliant divine light in her eyes, giving the feeling that her spirit and energy had reached perfect peak.

During this time, no one had challenged her.

So much so that throughout the remaining daylight, a strange sight appeared: other Heaven-Reaching Platforms fought fiercely, while only Jian Chou’s area was deathly quiet, seemingly becoming a forbidden zone in this selection.

At this moment, everyone looking at Jian Chou had indescribably complex expressions.

Jian Chou didn’t yet know where this complexity came from, and then saw the youth below. After initial shock, he had unhesitatingly hugged his unfinished watermelon and yelled: “I I I I I was just looking for a good feng shui place to eat melon, I didn’t want to challenge you, I I I I I will immediately change places to eat!”

Before his words finished, the youth’s two sturdy legs had become spinning wheels. With fleet feet, he directly ran away holding the big watermelon.

“…”

Hey!

Did I say I wanted to fight you?!

Jian Chou felt quite speechless inside, even beginning to doubt what kind of fierce, evil face she had.

Sunset’s afterglow stretched her slender shadow long behind her.

The shadows of the one hundred twenty Heaven-Reaching Platforms were also cast onto the ground, forming magnificent shadows.

When the red sun sank west and finally sank into the Western Sea, atop Kunwu’s main peak, slow drumbeats spread across the wilderness.

“Dong, dong, dong, dong…”

One beat, one beat.

Like striking people’s hearts, matching their hot blood, drumming together.

The first day finally ended at this moment.

“Ahhh!”

Excited people couldn’t help cheering, directly flying down from Heaven-Reaching Platforms.

A day of battle became harder to sustain toward the end, and night was their precious recovery time!

In an instant, countless figures flew down in the sunset’s final brilliant glow, scattering in all directions!

Perhaps to see friends, returning to their sects, finding solitude for cultivation…

All spectators previously gathered at the mountain’s foot also dispersed in all directions, quickly becoming desolate.

Jian Chou stood on the Heaven-Reaching Platform, watching the red sun fall into the sea and the crescent moon gradually hang over treetops.

“Tap, tap.”

Light footsteps came from the distant forest without any concealment. Jian Chou immediately looked over.

Black robes with dark gold patterns were somewhat unclear in this mixture of day and night darkness.

Qu Zhengfeng’s figure seemed to separate from thick black shadows, then regroup into a person.

If he concealed his footsteps, Jian Chou certainly couldn’t detect him.

One step, two steps…

Soon, Qu Zhengfeng reached the foot of this Heaven-Reaching Platform, looking up at Jian Chou’s figure with a slight smile: “Junior Sister now stands alone at the top, ready to ascend heaven and climb the One Person Platform. Congratulations.”

Standing alone at the top?

Jian Chou didn’t know the reason behind this, only thinking Qu Zhengfeng’s words carried boundless sarcasm. She didn’t respond, directly flying down on the wind, her garments fluttering.

With a “whoosh,” Little Marten sprang from somewhere, landing on Jian Chou’s shoulder at this moment.

Jian Chou landed, not very surprised. Seeing Little Marten holding a few pine nuts in its paws, she just thought it had activated another “marten personality” and didn’t mind.

Her gaze fell on Qu Zhengfeng before her. Jian Chou bowed: “Greetings, Senior Brother Qu. But there’s nothing worth congratulating, is there?”

“After your battle with Young Master Xie, Zhilin Sou created a new edition of the ‘One Person Platform Handbook.’ You’re ranked first.”

Qu Zhengfeng’s tone was flat as he informed Jian Chou of this fact.

Jian Chou was surprised: “First?”

That old man…

Could he be the “mentally deficient” that Qian Que had cursed before?

She was about to laugh and not mind much, but the next moment, she seemed to think of something. Her slight smile gradually sank and disappeared.

Seeing her expression, Qu Zhengfeng knew her quick mind had already guessed.

Being ranked first—how could that be easy?

Who knew if he had tricked Zhilin Sou this time, or if Zhilin Sou had tricked him?

Probably half and half.

Early fame wasn’t necessarily bad.

Qu Zhengfeng didn’t much care and had no intention of pointing out how to solve the coming troubles, only saying: “Junior Sister seems close to forming her Golden Core.”

Close?

Jian Chou wasn’t sure if she was or wasn’t.

It was just…

She had only felt that vague barrier during her recent cultivation. As for being close to the Golden Core formation?

Jian Chou shook her head: “Always seems something’s missing, probably lacking that final kick.”

When this kick would come, heaven knew.

His gaze circled Jian Chou’s face. Qu Zhengfeng seemed to want to say something, but strangely stopped.

But Jian Chou seemed to see what he was thinking: “I’ve completed the Black Wind Bone Marking. Seven and a half tenths of my bones are carved with Black Wind patterns. I wonder, how much has Senior Brother Qu accomplished in bone marking?”

Both practicing Human Weapon cultivation methods, both cultivating in Black Wind Cave, even both stopping at that 1,300 feet—how much had Qu Zhengfeng completed?

This question carried a provocative flavor.

Qu Zhengfeng’s lips curled, eyes narrowing in a slight smile: “Does Junior Sister know I might break your neck next moment?”

“When I first became master’s disciple and asked master about his battle disc size, when master said ‘over one zhang and one cun,’ his expression was exactly like yours now, Senior Brother.”

Jian Chou was extremely calm, looking at Qu Zhengfeng.

“…”

At this moment, Qu Zhengfeng was stunned, then couldn’t help but throw back his head and laugh loudly.

“Hahaha, hahaha, so in Junior Sister’s mind, I’m in the same category as that old fool master…”

Pretty much.

Anyway, both seemed quite unreliable.

Jian Chou was now certain that Qu Zhengfeng’s completion on the fifth level of Human Weapon was not as high as hers. This made her mood somewhat better.

After a long time, Qu Zhengfeng finished laughing.

When he calmed down, Jian Chou asked: “There’s something I’ve wanted to ask but couldn’t find Senior Brother these past days. Since I see you now, please enlighten me.”

“You want to ask about Xie Buchen?”

Qu Zhengfeng slightly raised an eyebrow. Just seeing Jian Chou’s expression, he knew what she wanted to ask.

Jian Chou’s eyes showed complete calm, unsurprised that he guessed this.

“I heard he’s currently trapped in Qingfeng Nunnery’s hidden realm. How exactly did Senior Brother handle this?”

Sparing Xie Buchen’s life might be true, but who knew about the future?

Qu Zhengfeng looked at her with narrowed eyes, staring at her pale neck, contemplating the possibility of actually breaking it.

Junior Sister wasn’t cute at all. What use was there for the master to take her in?

Facing Jian Chou’s calm gaze, Qu Zhengfeng equally calmly replied: “Won’t die, can’t get out anytime soon either. I’m only curious—when I mentioned Yashan’s Senior Sister, he never mentioned your name, seemingly obsessed with cultivation and ignoring outside affairs. It seems he truly has a significant entanglement with Junior Sister.”

This wasn’t Qu Zhengfeng’s first suspicion.

Jian Chou fell silent momentarily, not speaking.

The moon was round.

Across the vast Western Sea, on the isolated island in the mortal world, night had already deepened.

In Qingfeng Nunnery’s hidden realm, beneath that vast expanse of Gobi rocks, empty and desolate wind blew over every stone.

Yellow sand everywhere.

“Rumble.”

The massive stone blocks that had been still for who knows how long suddenly trembled, as if something beneath them had moved.

This was a broken, hidden realm, a dangerous, hidden realm, also a vast hidden realm.

Self-contained space, self-contained world.

Only the laws of heaven and earth were the same as outside.

Strand after strand of spiritual qi wandered over the huge, broken chessboard, wandered through wilderness and forests, wandered in those vast expanses of void… The moment the rocks in the central Gobi trembled, all wandering spiritual qi seemed attracted by something, pausing momentarily.

Then, a magnificent spectacle unfolded in this uninhabited, hidden realm!

After pausing, the spiritual qi seemed attracted by something, trembling lightly, then suddenly reversing its original wandering direction, mixing in streams of wind like tail flames of shooting stars, brilliantly dazzling!

Stream after stream of glowing spiritual qi from all corners of Qingfeng Nunnery’s hidden realm, from all directions, gathered beneath the rocks!

They desperately squeezed through every gap in the rocks, like hundreds of rivers returning to sea, rushing toward that dried body buried in sunless darkness!

Splash…

Yellow sand, clearly Gobi, so parched that not a blade of grass could grow.

Yet in the air, there was distinctly the sound of flowing water.

Spiritual qi became substantial, gathering into a long river, all rushing toward those rocks!

Bit by bit of brilliant stardust flickered in the rock crevices.

Wild wind surged, and a corner of a blood-stained sleeve buried under yellow sand was exposed again. Despite being covered in dust, it couldn’t hide the scholarly elegance emanating from those five fingers.

The withered five fingers were already like dry branches.

Now, with wild wind and spiritual qi surging, they suddenly moved again.

A massive battle disc three zhang in circumference finally penetrated the broken rocks’ obstruction, slowly rotating in this uninhabited hidden realm.

Stardust at the Tianyuan position continuously increased. When silver light reached its most brilliant, a hint of golden color vaguely appeared…

Outside Qingfeng Nunnery’s hidden realm gates.

On the semicircular platform, Zhao Zhuo turned to leave with his sword, but suddenly felt a strange fluctuation.

However, when he turned to look into the tightly closed hidden realm gates, there was no trace.

Having come to this isolated island for several days, he had tried countless methods, but due to the hidden realm’s severe damage, it could no longer bear high-level cultivators’ pressure. At least Nascent Soul stage cultivators couldn’t enter.

The message had been reported to Junior Brother Wu Duan. Zhao Zhuo thought he should return too.

A trace of doubt in his eyes was finally suppressed by Zhao Zhuo.

He directly transformed into flowing light, rushing out of the hidden realm.

A brilliant starry sky suddenly appeared before him.

Seven or eight stars beyond the sky, two or three points of rain before the mountain.

The mortal world was also stunningly beautiful.

Zhao Zhuo sighed deeply, looking back once at this mortal world where reincarnation still existed, finally plunging back into the vast sea and disappearing.

Night grew deeper.

In the mortal world, thousands of households closed their doors.

In the Great Xia’s capital, everything was solemn. Outside the Court of Judicial Review, outside the imperial prison, over ten common people knelt and prostrated, weeping and pleading: “Injustice! Lord Zhang is wronged! Heavens, please open your eyes—why won’t you give him a way to live!”

…

Outside the government office, heavily armored soldiers maintained stern faces, even sneering at these bitter pleas.

Cruel official Zhang Tang would be executed tomorrow—a matter of great satisfaction. Only these foolish people would think that doing those few small things made him a good official.

Since ancient times, when a ruler wants a minister to die, the minister must die.

Moreover, this was Zhang Tang.

A small square window cast bright moonlight.

Heavy official robes were removed, replaced by blood-stained prison clothes.

Zhang Tang sat withered in this narrow imperial prison, in the place where he had tortured countless prisoners. His bare feet were already abraded with terrible, bloody marks from heavy iron chains. The cangue around his neck was so heavy he could hardly lift his head.

Yet he still stiffened his neck, sitting upright in this cell.

Looking up at the window, Zhang Tang showed no fear of tomorrow’s approaching death.

Those plaintive cries also reached his ears, but couldn’t create the slightest ripple in his heart’s stagnant waters.

A deep vertical line between his brows added an inviolable dignity to his current state.

When he died, court and country would cheer.

Even countless people of the Great Xia would clap in celebration.

When this moon set and a new dawn rose from the east, his head would roll on the execution platform with three feet of splashing blood.

Autumn deep.

Tomorrow, everything would end.

Zhang Tang slowly lowered his eyes and closed them.

But for the cultivators of the Central Domain’s Left Three Thousand in Shijiu Zhou, they wished tonight could be longer and tomorrow arrive later.

Once day broke and bells rang, another round of even crueler battles would begin.

Below the one hundred twenty Heaven-Reaching Platforms, Jian Chou stood beneath her original platform, facing Qu Zhengfeng.

She had been silent for a long time, only saying one sentence: “Enemy.”

No answer, no confirmation, but also no denial—just saying: Enemy.

Qu Zhengfeng suddenly shook his head and laughed, turning to leave.

Talking with Senior Sister Jian Chou was always both interesting and uninteresting.

Jian Chou watched his tall, departing figure, standing in place without moving. Thinking of her fifth-level Human Weapon cultivation, thinking of that struggle atop the sword sheath…

A strong fighting spirit suddenly surged in her mind.

In that moment, Jian Chou suddenly called out loudly: “After the Small Gathering, would Senior Brother Qu be willing to battle me?”

Footsteps stopped.

Qu Zhengfeng seemed to want to turn back but didn’t, only glancing at the surrounding thick darkness, at Kunwu’s majestic shadow under moonlight. His tone carried indescribable coldness.

“Willing.”

Only one word: Willing!

Having said this, Qu Zhengfeng lifted his feet and left, quickly disappearing from Jian Chou’s sight.

A wind blew, leaving no trace.

Jian Chou stood in place, carefully pondering this word “willing,” yet vaguely sensed something strange about it, though she couldn’t say what.

Looking back at the Heaven-Reaching Platform suspended thirty zhang above ground, moonlight shone down with thick shadows below.

Still a few hours until dawn, yet she didn’t want to leave at all.

Tomorrow, what kind of opponents would she encounter?

Jian Chou didn’t know.

All who come are my enemies—I’ll fight them all with one force!