Chapter 1162 (2): Handwriting on the Blue Sky

Chapter 1162 (2): Handwriting on the Blue Sky

Zheng Juzhong did not rush to take back the White Emperor City that had been reduced to ruins. Wu Shuangjiang, just in case, still brought out the few remaining stacks of talismans to reinforce the Purple Forbidden Enclosure star chart. Chen Ping'an stood suspended in midair, exhibiting a profound and mysterious celestial posture, with the flying sword Qingping circling around him, protecting its master.

The handle of the Big Dipper star chart still pointed toward that lifeless white skeleton, and the tip of the flying sword Big Dipper trembled slightly.

Ning Yao flew on her sword from the side of the tilted heavenly pillar to the formation map.

Wu Shuangjiang asked with a smile, "The general situation is settled—cleaning up the battlefield?"

Zheng Juzhong replied, "Wait until Chen Ping'an gathers his spirit back to unity first."

Wu Shuangjiang nodded. "True. This kid likes to divide the spoils on the spot, loves counting money the most, and tallying up his assets."

They could be considered allies who had conquered a kingdom together.

Wu Shuangjiang had "usurped" the throne, replacing Jiang She to sit in the seat of the Martial Ancestor, helping him set up a new faction in the Azure Mirror World, recruit troops and horses, gather more martial souls and heroic spirits, and establish an orthodox lineage that could stand against the Haoran Martial Sect.

Chen Ping'an had "seized the name." Simply put, the one who had "stricken Jiang She's name from the Great Way," the one who had beheaded Jiang She in formation, was Chen Ping'an, who was now the nominal Great Way orthodox lineage of the Martial Sect. This young Hidden Officer was the new Martial Ancestor on the surface, fitting the word "orthodox."

This meant that Wu Shuangjiang would next have to discuss a major deal with Chen Ping'an. He needed a more solid "legitimacy." As for what he and Sui Chu Palace would have to pay, it was nothing more than one party setting a sky-high price and the other bargaining on the ground. If they couldn't reach an agreement, Wu Shuangjiang's layout in the Azure Mirror World would not be greatly affected, but for Palace Master Wu, who had a "cleanliness fetish," his Dao heart would ultimately feel extremely awkward.

Zheng Juzhong had gained the substance; Jiang She's ten thousand years of accumulated Martial Sect Dao power all belonged to him.

As for the ownership of Jiang She's five shares of martial fortune, it had long been decided: three shares to Zheng Juzhong, two shares to Wu Shuangjiang.

A man's name is like a tree's shadow. Even with the dust settled, Jiang Shangzhen still couldn't believe that the three of them had actually joined forces to behead Jiang She in formation—a fourth-ranked figure from the ancient human world?

Cui Dongshan let out a long breath, as if relieved of a heavy burden, but most of his attention was still on the white skeleton that had not turned into ashes.

The thick heavenly and earthly spiritual energy, flowing like liquid mercury, began to gather gradually, eventually following some invisible "water veins" and floating suspended between the blue sky and yellow earth.

They were like five rivers suspended above the ground. The river water showed five colors, clearly matching the five elements.

These were the celestial omens created after Wu Shuangjiang's more than a hundred dharma artifacts and 560,000 talismans had all shattered.

Jiang Shangzhen exclaimed in admiration, "This is the first time I've seen such rivers. If it rained, it would really be raining money."

Cui Dongshan raised his chin. "What's really valuable is lying on the ground."

In addition, there was a considerable number of colorful glazed fragments scattered across the earth, dazzling and gleaming brilliantly.

These were time-space omens caused by Chen Ping'an and Jiang She's martial practice, Wu Shuangjiang and Jiang She's dharma combat, and the seven sword lights from beyond the heavens breaking and cutting through the Great Way barriers. Like "big fish" stunned by a sluice gate bursting, they were extraordinarily precious, far surpassing gold essence coins. Besides relying on luck to fish such items out of the River of Time, there was another way: the remains of Great Ascension and Fourteen-verse Great Cultivators' forced dissolution. In a sense, these were physical manifestations of a great cultivator's "Dao fruit."

Cui Dongshan estimated, "Large and small, more than thirty pieces. When gathered together, they could fill a small winnowing basket."

"Just like Dragon-Slaying Stone, they are priceless and unavailable—good things that money can't buy."

Jiang Shangzhen was also a bit tempted. "And they're worth more than Dragon-Slaying Stone. After all, only sword cultivators can use Dragon-Slaying Stone, but these items have many uses—cultivators can use them, and mountain and river spirits can too."

He remembered that when Du Mao's Great Way collapsed and Zuo You delivered a sword to dissolve him, such items had appeared. In the Vase Bottle Continent, there had been a big fight, and only after Heavenly Lord Qi Zhen of the Shen Gao Sect and Xun Yuan negotiated privately did they avoid a harmful dharma sparring session.

Dragon descendants could eat the snake gallstones unique to the Li Zhu Cave Heaven to increase their Dao power and enhance their cultivation.

For mountain and river spirits, whether officially recognized by the court or from local shrines, these items were the ultimate tonic in the world, something they wouldn't even dare dream of.

The Martial Sect's First Ancestor had accumulated ten thousand years of Dao power. His cultivation realm should have been something ethereal and intangible, but Jiang She's Dao power was so vast and concentrated that between the five "main color of the five elements" spiritual energy rivers, two strange black and white rainbows appeared, with ripples slowly spreading.

On the battlefield outside White Emperor City, a spear named Broken Formation remained intact.

This divine weapon had once been enshrined in the Lotus Spirit Temple built on the "mountain peak" at the bottom of a great river in the Yu Fu dynasty of Yong Province in the Azure Mirror World.

Jiang Shangzhen felt a pang of sympathy. Speaking of external things, this Martial Sect First Ancestor was truly poor.

Probably ten thousand years ago, this man had simply climbed to heaven with just his fists and a single spear?

Throughout this carefully ambushed and meticulously planned siege, Jiang She's yin spirit had never returned to its place.

Jiang Shangzhen was startled, barely restraining himself from drawing his sword to kill... a ghost?

Jiang She still wasn't dead through and through? His ghost was lingering?!

Damn it! Admiration was one thing, but Jiang Shangzhen didn't want Jiang She to turn the tables on him, reversing the outcome. How many villains in stories ended up like that?

However, seeing that Zheng Juzhong and the others looked normal, without any sign of strangeness, he relaxed.

Then, within the upright, crystalline white skeleton, specks of golden light lit up, eventually restoring Jiang She's complete appearance.

The beheading in formation was real, and the local dissolution was even more real. It wasn't the kind of escape from tribulation that sword cultivator Huang Zhen pursued—seeking life in death, seeking great freedom.

Jiang She's current state of existence was no longer his true body. The residual soul was similar to a Yang Spirit, somewhere between a spirit and a ghost.

Jiang She relied solely on a single thought of obsession from his Dao heart and residual true spirit to reappear in the world—truly like a lifetime had passed.

Jiang She was expressionless.

Wu Shuangjiang asked curiously, "Senior, when facing death, why didn't you fight for your life? At least strive for a faint chance of survival? Instead, you just endured the sword light?"

Jiang She had no choice but to receive the sword. That was unavoidable. But to say that Jiang She could only use his physical body to withstand the sword light, unable to execute more means—that didn't match this Martial Ancestor's temperament, nor did it align with his true strength.

If Jiang She, knowing he was doomed, chose to smash the pot and break the jar, dragging everyone down with him, the situation would have been very tricky.

Of course, the final result wouldn't have changed, but their side's losses would have been much greater. For example, Zheng Juzhong would have had to continue acting to prevent Jiang She from forcibly dragging that Fiery Star toward the human world, and also to prevent Jiang She from blowing up his own primordial spirit in a last-ditch effort. Wu Shuangjiang's Great Way foundation would have been damaged even more. Cui Dongshan and Jiang Shangzhen, besides presiding over and operating the formation, might have had to pay a great deal of their vitality, consuming their life spans, and transfer it to Chen Ping'an to support his delivery of the complete "Annotated Death" sword strike.

Chen Ping'an's fourth destined flying sword, "Big Dipper," had a high threshold for offering the sword to kill enemies.

It was believed that Ning Yao also needed to deliver the final sword, symbolizing the manifestation of the Five-Colored World's Great Way.

Jiang She was too lazy to answer such a question and said self-deprecatingly, "Caught in an ambush just like this, it seems I'm still a step behind Zhou Mi."

A snow-white figure holding a long sword fell from the sky like a snowflake, swaying and floating down into the ruins of White Emperor City, returning to its true body.

Zheng Juzhong asked directly, "What was the result?"

Chen Ping'an grinned. "Caught Zhou Mi off guard. Clean and neat—a sword through his skull. Too bad I couldn't twist Zhou Mi's head off."

"They say it'll keep Zhou Mi quiet for two or three hundred years."

"Some of his hidden methods in Haoran and the Barbaric were also traced. They'll be wiped out soon."

Zheng Juzhong asked, "For example?"

Chen Ping'an's face darkened. "For example, his closed-door disciple Zhou Qinggao and the disciple Liu Bai, who wore that Fish-Tail Cave Heaven dharma robe. Zhou Mi had planted foreshadowing in both of them. They seem to have been discarded when Zhou Mi cut off his three corpses, similar to immortal molts. Separately, they show nothing. If they were gathered together in the future, they might aim for the Fifteenth Realm, or become a kind of ferry for Zhou Mi to return to the human world. Anyway, now it's all irrelevant."

Zheng Juzhong asked again, "The price."

Chen Ping'an was silent for a moment, then smiled. "It's acceptable, within expectations."

Saying this, Chen Ping'an looked at Jiang She and moved his lips. It seemed the words were all in the simple, rustic dialect of a small town.

During his seclusion at the Immortal Realm layer, the refinement of objects was a top priority. It was meant to pave the way for his path to Great Ascension and also foreshadow that the moment he broke through, he would be "setting aside his identity as a sword cultivator, yet still one of the strongest Ascending cultivators in the human world." So he had initially planned to fill all his qi mansions with large and medium smelted destined objects. Chen Ping'an had been extremely confident about this, determined to achieve an unprecedented feat, thinking about how he would arrange things in future dharma combat and sword challenges... But all that effort had come to nothing.

Inside his personal small heaven and earth, they had been forcibly beaten into a chaotic mass. Sounded impressive, didn't it? Chen Ping'an couldn't help it; he pointed at Jiang She's nose from afar and started cursing loudly.

Jiang She was unmoved. He endured it again and again, but for some reason, he finally didn't curse back.

Wrapping things up, Cui Dongshan and Jiang Shangzhen pretended not to hear anything and began to retract and withdraw the formations and small heavens. Outside the Willow Shade and Ancient Ba Forest, there was also a star constellation map, a Mountain-Searching Formation, and so on, and also a scroll of sword immortals enshrined in a temple atop Gathering Spirit Peak.

Jiang She's expression was intriguing.

Can't out-curse my master, so you bully me because I'm easygoing, huh? Cui Dongshan said indignantly, "What are you looking at? Eyeing the loot, harboring ill intentions, killing for treasure?"

Jiang She clicked his tongue. "Not high in realm, all flash and frills, but plenty of tricks. Made me lose focus two or three times."

Cui Dongshan was momentarily speechless. He wanted to jump and curse, but felt his skill was inferior to his master's, so he could only blame Jiang Shangzhen. "And Chief Zhou here gets to rest on his laurels again."

The implicated Chief Zhou wasn't annoyed at all. His brother's complaints were nothing but a few appetizers with wine.

Jiang Shangzhen laughed heartily. "Looks like I'm a lucky general. Throughout history, those who achieve great feats always have one or two such figures by their side."

Zheng Juzhong said, "I've already sent a message to the Night Boat. Since the opportunity is rare, Chen Ping'an, Jiang She, why don't we chat a bit more?"

Wu Shuangjiang laughed. "Let's chat while we take care of business. No conflict."

Chen Ping'an looked around. The more he looked, the worse his mood got. The esteemed Martial Sect First Ancestor, after dissolving, had left behind no heavy treasures?

A cyan-robed Chen Ping'an, a white-robed Chen Ping'an, and a Chen Ping'an in a bright red dharma robe—three figures wavered unsteadily, suddenly separating, then overlapping.

Ning Yao was worried. "What's going on?"

Chen Ping'an said softly, "It's nothing. My Dao heart was drawn too far. Like a person who's had too much to drink—the aftereffect is a bit strong, unsteady on my feet, dizzy in the eyes. It'll be fine in a moment."

Jiang She was silent for a moment, then asked, "Zheng Juzhong, if you and I fought one-on-one, holding nothing back, what would be the odds?"

"One of us dies, the other lives."

Zheng Juzhong said, "But the price would be heavy."

Jiang She rubbed his chin. "What about ten thousand years ago, before I was jointly beheaded, at my true peak?"

Zheng Juzhong said, "I would probably have become your chief strategist."

Jiang She laughed heartily, feeling a bit better. He crossed his arms. "If I had both you and Embroidered Tiger to assist me, my hegemony could be achieved."

Jiang Shangzhen muttered quietly, "With me, I could do it too."

Jiang She cursed, "You little brat, you just had to be surnamed Jiang. In this sparring match, you were the most disgusting presence."

Jiang Shangzhen was overjoyed at this, smugly turning to Cui Dongshan. "Hey, he's getting agitated, getting agitated."

Cui Dongshan said irritably, "Look at you, showing off."

Jiang She glanced at Chen Ping'an, whose "dharma body was unstable," and laughed. "The three teachings' patriarchs all made a move, plus the Temple of Ascension at its peak strength, forcibly delivering a sword and stabbing Zhou Mi. That sword was extremely insidious. Essentially, they joined forces with the three teachings' patriarchs to gift Zhou Mi a lot of 'humanity' and 'human nature,' and he couldn't refuse it. That made his pure divinity stained by the mortal world, no longer pure. Zhou Mi's new status as the Lord of the Heavenly Court became illegitimate. Next, he would have to untangle it strand by strand. Even the name 'Chen Ping'an' might become a Great Way taboo for Zhou Mi for the next few hundred years. Not bad—this trip to heaven to deliver the sword was not wasted effort."

"It's already an enormous stroke of luck that this kid's physical body and soul didn't shatter on the spot and turn to ashes."

"Ultimately, he hasn't broken into the Eleventh Realm; his physique isn't tough enough. Otherwise, Zhou Mi would be quiet for more than two or three hundred years."

Zheng Juzhong's expression was normal.

This was the kind of means that Cui Chan's junior brother should have.

Wu Shuangjiang was filled with emotion.

The key point was that neither the three teachings' patriarchs nor the temporarily ascended Zhici, plus Chen Ping'an, had any prior planning among themselves.

Chen Ping'an said, "Why don't you go again?"

Jiang She was about to speak.

Ning Yao squinted. "Jiang She, try saying one more word."

Jiang She raised his hands, indicating that the young couple could continue their sweet talk.

The one with the strongest killing intent was Ning Yao.

Even clues that Jiang She had noticed: Chen Ping'an had persuaded her twice, and it seemed even Zheng Juzhong had persuaded her once.

If the Barbaric Lord were also a woman, that would be interesting.

Zheng Juzhong suddenly said, "That Zhou Qinggao is also a woman, I think."

The former leader of the Jia Shen Tent, a low-realm blind cultivator in wooden clogs.

Later, Zhou Mi's closed-door disciple in the Barbaric, given a name, stepping from the Willow Sinew Realm into Jade Firmament in one go. After that, Immortal, Great Ascension—as easy as taking something out of a bag.

Jiang Shangzhen was utterly puzzled. If Mountain Lord Chen had done his utmost, offering the Big Dipper to behead Jiang She, why didn't Zheng Juzhong and Wu Shuangjiang finish him off completely? Why leave such a hidden danger? Weren't they afraid that Jiang She's Great Way would rise from the ashes?

If Jiang She was the kind of hero in history who died and that was that, it would be fine, but Jiang She was a true hero. Such a figure would stir up huge waves given the slightest chance.

Zheng Juzhong opened his mouth and asked, "Over at True Martial Mountain, how much of the Dragon Spine Mountain Whetstone are they planning to give as a congratulatory gift for you becoming the Great Li National Teacher?"

Chen Ping'an said, "They gave the remaining forty percent. The mountain lord's daughter, Song Jing, is a sword cultivator. She has a single-character flying sword that can cut Dragon-Slaying Stone, so she can also handle sword forging. The conditions put forward by True Martial Mountain aren't really conditions."

Zheng Juzhong said, "Later, you can have Song Jing become Lu Zhi's disciple."

Chen Ping'an nodded. That was feasible.

Zheng Juzhong suggested, "If Ning Yao has no objection, the Golden Li dharma robe on her can be given to a girl with the alias Cheng Sancai. This can cut off a red dust karmic tie. She is the only dragon descendant to survive the Dragon Trench. If she is willing to go to Fallen Mountain, then it's fine—it would be a merging of immortal opportunities. But if she has already become Lu Zhi's disciple, there's no need to keep entangling."

Ning Yao smiled. "It's a small matter. After leaving here, I can personally make a trip to the Dragon Elephant Sword Sect and then return to the Five-Colored World."

Chen Ping'an hesitated for a moment, then said softly, "You can remind her that what I said back then still stands."

Ning Yao nodded in agreement.

Zheng Juzhong asked, "Chen Ping'an, have you smelted that ancient bow into your destined object?"

Chen Ping'an shook his head. "I'm still keeping it. Currently placed in the Fu Yao Lu Daoist field. I dare not easily smelt it, afraid of falling into a trap."

On that Night Boat in the Tiao Mu City, Chen Ping'an had obtained an ancient bow named "Cloud Dream Long Pine" from a bearded man with the alias Zhang San. It was a physical object, but its rank could not be determined. The old chief had visited Fallen Mountain before but hadn't revealed any heavenly secrets for Chen Ping'an.

Zheng Juzhong said, "The Suspended Bow Blessed Land that the Wen Temple gave to the Dragon Elephant Sword Sect hides a secret. There is an untouched ancient cave heaven site. The Cloud Dream Long Bow is the only key to open the site."

Jiang She said, "That is also a divine weapon with considerable killing power. Its rank is lower than Broken Formation but higher than Inspection."

This old item from an old friend had been lost in the human world for a long time. Unexpectedly, it had fallen into Chen Ping'an's hands.

In ancient times, an old friend had drawn this bow and shot down several Ascending Realm great demons high in the sky.

Jiang She smiled. "If you could smelt it..."

Chen Ping'an immediately blurted out a three-character curse.

Right now, he hated hearing the word "smelt" more than anything.

Jiang Shangzhen wanted to say something but held back. He always felt that the mountain lord, who had gone to heaven and returned to the human world, was a bit unfamiliar.

Hey, unfamiliar? That way, Mr. Xiao Mo, you wouldn't be embarrassed to compete with me for the chief position anymore, right?

Huh. The promised vice mountain lord? Next time in the Ji Se Peak Ancestral Hall meeting, should I bring it up?

Cui Dongshan sent a mental message to explain: "Master's Dao heart is unstable right now, so his temper is a bit irritable. Joy, anger, sorrow, happiness—all very clear."

Zheng Juzhong said, "Later, you can use the opportunity of gifting the ancient bow to discuss something with Qi Tingji, like having him become the city lord of Ascension City, a position that has been vacant. But the prerequisite is that the Dragon Elephant Sword Sect must become a subordinate sect of Fallen Mountain."

Chen Ping'an didn't say anything.

Cui Dongshan's eyes lit up. Was that feasible? Although the Dragon Elephant Sword Sect had only been founded for a few years, its foundation was not thin at all!

Jiang Shangzhen sucked in a cold breath. Mr. Zheng's move was vicious enough. Qi Tingji, who likes to compete with the Hidden Officer for sword immortals and intercept private swords from the Sword Qi Great Wall, right?

Ning Yao said, "I have no objection."

Although Qi Tingji had a lot of selfish motives, it depended on who you compared him to.

Zheng Juzhong continued, "This is a good choice for both Ning Yao and Ascension City. After Chen Xi's reincarnation, his nature has subtly changed. Besides wanting to merge with the Dao and become a Fourteen-verse pure sword cultivator, he also wants to be alone, wandering the world with his sword—it's a scholar's nature at work. He was trapped on the Sword Qi Great Wall for too many years, and he is Chen Qingdu's descendant. He desperately wants a vast sky to be himself. Moreover, in this life, Chen Ji, once he becomes Fourteen-verse, whether he sits in the Ancestral Hall chair or not makes little difference to Ascension City."

"Ning Yao doesn't care about fame, and Chen Ji also believes Qi Tingji can be a good city lord. As for Qi Tingji himself, he values achievements more; he was born to love power. Chen Ping'an has never dared to let the Sword Qi Great Wall become his own. If Qi Tingji takes over Ascension City, you only need to be a shadow hidden officer, essentially responsible for supervising Qi Tingji alone."

"In a brand-new Five-Colored World, Ning Yao is the foremost person. Qi Tingji cannot take it away and dare not fight for it. In his heart, it is a fly in the ointment, but settling for the next best—becoming the most powerful person in that world—is still a considerable temptation. Currently, Qi Tingji has not yet attempted to merge with the Dao, so he likely won't agree immediately. But you can let him consider it as a backup plan."

"You can also say one thing to him: 'Ning Yao is a sword cultivator.' Qi Tingji is a smart man; he will understand."

In the future, if Ning Yao's realm advances further, she might not be bound to the Five-Colored World, and then Qi Tingji would be the true foremost person.

Ning Yao was free. Her only concern was Chen Ping'an.

Jiang She shook his head. "Even if she becomes the first Fifteenth-verse pure sword cultivator in the world, she may not be able to escape the dilemma of the three teachings' patriarchs..."

Zheng Juzhong laughed. "Qi Tingji is a gambler. The word 'may not' is the biggest bet in the world."

Cui Dongshan nodded. "Fortune comes with risk. And such staggering fortune—few people are even qualified to sit at the gambling table. Opportunities others can only dream of. Qi Tingji will indeed be tempted."

Jiang She couldn't help but curse a swear word.

Damn it, Zheng Juzhong. With just a few casual words here, he had decided the fate of Qi Tingji, the Dragon Elephant Sword Sect, Ascension City, and the Five-Colored World?

Jiang Shangzhen asked, "What if Qi Tingji breaks into the Fourteen-verse in the Haoran World? Wouldn't Mr. Zheng's plan be all empty talk?"

Zheng Juzhong was silent for a moment, then had to explain one extra sentence, "I can make him fail his Dao-union once or twice."

Jiang She rubbed his forehead.

Ning Yao shook her head. "Mr. Zheng, I appreciate the thought, but there's no need for that."

Zheng Juzhong smiled. "With Qi Tingji's current Dao heart, it's hard to find a sword path in the Haoran World, unless he is willing to fight for his life in the Barbaric."

Jiang Shangzhen asked, "When the Five-Colored World opens again, why doesn't Qi Tingji simply take the entire Dragon Elephant Sword Sect there? At worst, he could create another subordinate sect in the Haoran World. That way, Qi Tingji could watch the situation in the Five-Colored World. Why be so urgent about merging with the Dao..."

Cui Dongshan interrupted Jiang Shangzhen and shook his head. "Don't forget, Qi Tingji is also an old sword immortal who carved words on the city wall. Now new Fourteen-verses are popping up one after another. How can Qi Tingji, with his immense pride, have no thoughts? He will definitely try to merge with the Dao."

Jiang She inexplicably said something nice. "Jiang Shangzhen, you are very clever."

Jiang Shangzhen was flattered. "Senior, what do you mean? Elaborate a bit?!"

Cui Dongshan said slyly, "He's just comparatively clever compared to us."

Jiang Shangzhen slapped his knee. "Yes! Great wisdom appears foolish!"

But Jiang She didn't sound sarcastic. "You are indeed a promising talent."

Jiang Shangzhen felt a bit uneasy. Could it be that the Martial Ancestor had seen through his intention to completely eradicate him? Was he deliberately blocking his mouth with some light, free compliments?

Jiang She smiled warmly. "I'll give you a Dao opportunity face to face. Do you dare to accept it?"

Jiang Shangzhen asked cautiously, "Could it be that I really am your descendant?"

Cui Dongshan rubbed his forehead, exasperated. "Chief Zhou, did you forget that Jiang She and Five Words had only one daughter, and she didn't marry or have a Dao partner?"

Jiang Shangzhen was full of doubt and muttered to himself, "Could I be a martial arts genius delayed by cultivation?"

Jiang She reminded, "Make a quick decision. Miss it, and it's gone."

Zheng Juzhong said, "Chen Ping'an, have Xiao Mo send a message to the old chief. Whether he takes back Bi Xiao Mountain or gives it to Tian Yao Township, it counts as giving Liu Tui a peace of mind."

Chen Ping'an asked with a smile, "Is that Bi Xiao Mountain really the former Luo Bao Shoal?"

Zheng Juzhong nodded. "If Gu Can hadn't chosen Quan Jiao Mountain, the White Emperor City subordinate sect would have been built on Bi Xiao Mountain."

Cui Dongshan clicked his tongue. "Liu Tui's little scheme of climbing the high branch—I think it's in jeopardy."

It was easy to understand. According to the old chief's usual temper, if Tian Yao Township started repairing Bi Xiao Mountain after the war, he would probably be willing to give it to Liu Tui. If they hesitated, wavering and not yet started repairing, he would definitely make them return it to its original owner.

Earlier, the old chief had turned a blind eye and let Bi Xiao Mountain be. If Liu Tui and Tian Yao Township took advantage but didn't push their luck, it would be fine.

If the old chief nodded and handed Bi Xiao Mountain to Tian Yao Township, in the mountain world, it would mean that the Cave Dwelling Lord Bi Xiao acknowledged the inheritance of this lineage. If it succeeded, Liu Tui would not only have climbed a wealthy relative but would have elevated his entire sect to the level of a subordinate temple of the Observation Dao Temple.

Wu Shuangjiang sent a mental message: "As for Yao Qing of the Green Spirit Dynasty, you have to convince him yourself."

Ascending Realm cultivators are easy to fool, but Fourteen-verses are hard to deceive.

Especially, this Elegant Phase had too much caution toward him and Sui Chu Palace.

Zheng Juzhong smiled. "I've long wanted to meet this fellow Daoist who is a step behind."

Chen Ping'an said, "You two divide the spoils first."

I'll just watch.

Wu Shuangjiang shook his sleeves and collected the five spiritual energy rivers into them. Then he manifested a towering dharma image with dim armor colors, swallowing the vast heavenly and earthly spiritual energy like a whale.

Zheng Juzhong made no move. Jiang She's ten thousand years of Dao power were already inside his own belly, so there was no need for unnecessary actions.

Wu Shuangjiang's dharma image then condensed the two shares of martial fortune into two balls of light. One was patted into his head, the other into his heart. The colorful armor instantly lit up the battlefield.

Zheng Juzhong moved his mind slightly, and the remaining three shares of martial fortune flew toward Wu Shuangjiang's colorful armor dharma image.

At the same time, the spear Broken Formation shot out like an arrow, placed by Wu Shuangjiang's dharma image on the General Platform atop his purple-gold crown.

Wu Shuangjiang asked with a smile, "What does Mr. Zheng mean by this?"

In that case, our Hidden Officer Chen, who exerted the most effort and lost the most in his Great Way, would truly end up with nothing but an "empty name"?

Zheng Juzhong remained silent.

Chen Ping'an also said nothing.

Jiang She sat cross-legged, laughing heartily, but did not use words to sting someone's heart.

Wu Shuangjiang looked at Zheng Juzhong, who instead asked Chen Ping'an, "Let Wu Shuangjiang write history?"

Chen Ping'an said, "Fine."

Wu Shuangjiang nodded solemnly, put his two fingers together, and with his finger as a brush, wrote a passage on the blue sky.

Jiang Shangzhen looked up at those letters, seemingly carved like cliff inscriptions into the blue sky, his heart surging, his face flushed.

A true man should be like this!

"Wu Shuangjiang, a Martial Sect cultivator of Sui Chu Palace in the Azure Mirror World, leading the Sword Qi Great Wall Hidden Officer Chen Ping'an and White Emperor City's Zheng Juzhong, on the ninth day of the twelfth month of the Jia Chen year of the Bai Yu Jing calendar, the Gan Zhou Yuan Ding first year, jointly beheaded the Martial Sect First Ancestor Jiang She in formation on the Night Boat of the Haoran World. Wu Shuangjiang writes this proclamation by hand to announce to Heaven and Earth."