A gentle breeze blew across the lake.
Lu Fan leaned on the back of the wheelchair and held the bronze wine cup in one hand. He swirled the green plum wine in his cup and effused a strong aroma.
The system page popped up in front of Lu Fan’s eyes.
The long-quiet quest bar was blinking as if it was calling for Lu Fan.
“Do I have a new quest?”
Lu Fan’s eyes flickered with curiosity.
His consciousness set off.
Lu Fan immersed himself in the quest bar.
[“The main quest: Transform the Wuhuang Continent into the Wuhuang Universe (the quest had been accepted). Current rate of progress: Low Level Martial World (Quest Rating is not activated).”]
[“Quest instruction: The world is on the verge of transformation. The age of cultivators has started. Vigorous debates and clash of ideas are necessary.”]
[“Side quest 1: Achieve the Contention of the Hundred Schools of Thought of cultivators (Current rate of progress: Not activated).”]
[“Side quest 2: Compile the great Dao of the Hundred Schools of Thought into the Plane’s Origin and create the Natural Law (Current rate of progress: Not activated).”]
Lines of system message rolled in front of Lu Fan’s eyes.
Lu Fan squinted.
Besides the old main quest he was already familiar with, there were also two side quests that he had not seen for a long time.
However, both side quests seemed so abstract to Lu Fan that he didn’t know where to begin.
The first side quest—achieve the Contention of the Hundred Schools of Thought—was easy to say yet hard to do.
After all, the Contention of the Hundred Schools of Thought entailed the clash of ideas. The Contention of the Hundred Schools of Thought of cultivators was not different.
It was not easy for Lu Fan to control thoughts.
People could only comprehend many things on their own.
Nevertheless, Lu Fan was not completely clueless about this quest.
The second side quest gave Lu Fan a quite headache.
“Compile the great Dao of the Hundred Schools of Thought into the Plane’s Origin and create the Natural Law?”
Lu Fan inhaled a deep breath.
This quest sounded quite daunting.
Use the great Dao of the Hundred Schools of Thought to create the Natural Law?
Lu Fan gave careful thought to it. He had some knowledge of the Origin. After all, he coalesced the Origin, and he knew better than to underestimate the frightening power of the Origin.
Lu Fan also understood the purpose of the quest to some extent.
Compiling the great Dao of the Hundred Schools of Thought into the Plane’s Origin meant blazing a trail for the cultivators in the future to follow. Eventually, they would be able to break their own paths.
Lu Fan’s eyes brightened up. He remembered the thunder bead he put at the bottom of the Beiluo Lake.
It was the Natural Law Thunder Calamity from the Peak Mid Level Martial World when Lu Fan was experiencing the Natural Law Thunder Calamity. It had a direct connection with the Origin of the Natural Law.
Therefore, Lu Fan might have more ideas if he started with that Natural Law Thunder Calamity.
He exited the system page.
Lu Fan stared at the white snowscape.
The wine in the bronze wine cup was cold already.
It almost froze in the cup.
Lu Fan raised his hand, and then a ball of white flame suddenly appeared, burning on top of his palm. The wine started warming up again as the bronze cup was placed above the burning flame.
The flame was not the Dead Spirit Fire, but an upgraded version of the Pseudo Heavenly Fire of Heaven and Earth that Lu Fan created based on the Dead Spirit Fire.
Although it was not pure Heavenly Fire of Heaven and Earth, it was more powerful than the Dead Spirit Fire.
The Dead Spirit Fire was not the formidable Heavenly Fire of Heaven and Earth anyway.
Based on Lu Fan’s deduction, the real Heavenly Fire of Heaven and Earth could burn down a whole world with a tiny spark.
The Dead Spirit Fire could never compete with the real Heavenly Fire of Heaven and Earth in terms of the wildness and instability.
Lu Fan hadn’t thought of a name for the flame in his palm. He didn’t want to put any effort into naming it. He only planned to give this flame to Ni Yu as a gift to make elixirs after she tempered all five internal organs.
For now, he would just use the flame to warm up his wine.
Lu Fan smiled.
He took a sip of the green plum wine in the bronze cup and watched the little Responsive Dragon on the lake playing and spraying water at the Tianji Pigeon.
The morning chrysanthemum and peach blossoms were blooming on the island. Meanwhile, the bamboo forest rustled in the breeze.
It was quite pleasant.
******
Li Sansi took flight and left the battlefield.
He returned to the black ox. Wearing a crane cloak, Mo Ju had been waiting for him.
Li Sansi leaned against the black ox and pressed on his chest…
“Daoist Priest Li… Are you okay?” Mo Ju asked as he looked at Li Sansi.
Li Sansi’s Daoist robe had been torn apart. Pouting, he scowled at Mo Ju and patted the black ox, gesturing he was all right.
Mo Ju nodded slightly.
He then stepped back, cupped one hand in the other before his chest, and bowed at Li Sansi.
“Thank you, Daoist Priest Li, for your help. The Great Xuan will always remember your kindness today,” Mo Ju said earnestly.
Mo Ju was serious and solemn. Compared with Li Sansi fighting against the Overlord for the Great Xuan, Mo Ju delivering liquor to Buzhou Peak was too trivial to mention.
Li Sansi waved his hand and put on his usual face.
“Daoist Priest Li, North County has two Dragon Gates—one at Buzhou Peak and the other one at Wentian Peak of Tai Mountains.”
“The Lord of Beixuan wants to build the Great Xuan Dynasty Academy at the foot of Tai Mountains. Would Daoist Priest Li be interested in leading the Great Xuan Dynasty Academy and teaching the younger generation of the Great Xuan about cultivation?”
“Of course, the Great Xuan will not treat you unfairly. In the future…the main gate of Buzhou Peak will be opened for you throughout the year. You can even visit the Dragon Gate in Tai Mountains anytime you want,” Mo Ju asked.
Li Sansi squeezed a smile and continued to wave his hand.
Mo Ju was bewildered for a moment. Then, he seemed to understand something and said, “I will leave you here for now and wait for your reply.”
Mo Ju turned around and left in long strides, his crane cloak flapping in the wind.
After seeing Mo Ju leaving out of the corner of his eyes…
Li Sansi opened his mouth and coughed for a while. Blood poured out of his mouth and stained the snow on the ground.
“He’s finally gone…”
Li Sansi collapsed on the ground.
He panted for breath.
“The Overlord is stronger now… He tempered all five internal organs and almost killed me.”
Li Sansi let out a breath. He didn’t anticipate that the Overlord would finish tempering all five internal organs. As the first person who entered the Internal Organs Realm, Li Sansi barely tempered three internal organs at the moment.
“I need to put more effort into cultivation… Otherwise, they will surpass me one by one.”
Li Sansi stood up and climbed on the black ox.
He disappeared in the forest.
******
The battle between the Great Xuan and Western Liang ended as the Great Xuan beat a hasty retreat.
Nonetheless, even the battle was brutal, though it was not a complete loss for the Great Xuan.
After all, Western Liang had top cultivators like the Overlord who could withstand tens of thousands of soldiers alone.
It was already an accomplishment that the Great Xuan wasn’t annihilated.
The battle determined the state of affairs in the near future.
The Great Xuan and Western Liang wouldn’t be fighting for now. The two sides might call a temporary truce.
Li Sansi sent a signal by showing up and defending the Great Xuan against the Overlord.
The Great Xuan also had a cultivator in the Internal Organs Realm.
The result of the war was not easy to predict anymore.
The aristocratic families finally chose sides after waiting for a long time.
After all, they would alienate both sides if they hesitated any longer. The Great Xuan and Western Liang would also have time to crack down on them during the truce.
Tantai Xuan and the Overlord both came from aristocratic families. They knew perfectly well about the influence of aristocratic families. They would never allow such risks to undermine the stability of their countries.
Therefore, the aristocratic families had to pick a side. Otherwise, they would be dealt with as an enemy.
There was a long ridge between North County and West County.
It was called the Yellow Sky Ridge.
The aristocratic families on the west side of the ridge supported Western Liang, and the ones on the north side supported the Great Xuan.
South County also openly endorsed the Great Xuan. Therefore, the Great Xuan and Western Liang were now locked in a stalemate.
With support from South County, Western Liang could hardly defeat the Great Xuan.
Tang Xiansheng sent the South Manor Army to be stationed in the Great Xuan. The war between Western Liang and the Great Xuan was almost impossible to continue for now.
The world enjoyed a rare time of peace.
But the world was divided into two.
The Great Xuan and Western Liang controlled each one.
South County was not so much different from an independent, small country.
Even so, Western Liang rightfully occupied the capital city of the Great Zhou and had slightly more supporters than the Great Xuan.
The world was stable for now. Nevertheless…there was a deep undercurrent surging in the society.
In the meantime, the Great Xuan, Western Liang, and West County all started to train cultivators as fast as possible.
They all understood the importance of cultivators.
******
Carrying the sword box, Ximen Xianzhi left Zhongnan Mountain and headed north.
Hua Dongliu, the Sword Saint, advised him to challenge more powerful fighters and refine his own sword spirit. Ximen Xianzhi thought he had a good point.
He had been staying on top of the mountain and being secluded from the real world for three years.
It was time for him to come out and explore the world.
Fortunately, it was a rare peaceful time because of the truce between the Great Xuan and Western Liang.
Ximen Xianzhi walked on the state highway, which was covered in thick snow. He walked at a leisurely pace and tried to comprehend his own sword spirit in the meantime.
He raised his hand and crushed a snowflake. Even the stream of light was twisted by such force.
Suddenly…
Ximen Xianzhi lifted his head and looked into the distance.
There was a group of refugees heading south. Ximen Xianzhi had encountered several groups like this on his way.
After all, it was not strange to have refugees in light of the war going on in the capital city.
Em?
All of a sudden, Ximen Xianzhi’s eyes focused on one person in the refugee group.
He seemed familiar.
Ximen Xianzhi moved nimbly across the snow and appeared next to the person.
“Fortunate-telling with trigrams.”
Ximen Xianzhi read the four words on the banner hanging from a bamboo stick and was struck by the sense of confidence.
Ximen Xianzhi looked at him and said, “Brother Mo, we haven’t seen each other in three years. You changed your profession to fortune-telling indeed…”
Mo Tianyu was walking among other refugees. He was startled by the person who suddenly blocked his way and raised his head in surprise.
“Sword Sect… Oh no, I should call it Sword Pavilion now. The head of the Seven Heroes of Sword Pavilion… Ximen Xianzhi.”
Mo Tianyu started to laugh.
He was an old acquaintance.
He had known Ximen Xianzhi for quite some time. He followed the Master to the Sword Sect and got acquainted with Ximen Xianzhi a long time ago.
As the head of the Seven Heroes of Sword Sect, Ximen Xianzhi was daring and high-spirited back in the days, almost at the same level as the Overlord and Li Sansi.
Unfortunately, after three years of seclusion, people almost forgot about him.
It was astonishing that Ximen Xianzhi went down the mountain now.
Time had changed indeed.
Even Ximen Xianzhi came out of seclusion.
“Brother Mo liked to tell fortune back then. Even though you were a disciple of the Master, you were still obsessed with the Dao of hexagram. Now your wish finally came true.”
Ximen Xianzhi smiled.
Mo Tianyu’s face stiffened with a touch of sorrow.
“If the Master didn’t die on the battlefield, I would be more than willing to keep the Master company…” Mo Tianyu said.
Ximen Xianzhi paused for a moment. His lips twitched slightly.
“Brother Mo, I’m sorry…”
The world really changed a great deal with the rise of cultivators and the fall of the Hundred Schools of Philosophy.
Ximen Xianzhi seemed to have missed a lot during his seclusion.
Mo Tianyu forced a smile and wiped off the sadness on his face. He stared at Ximen Xianzhi with curiosity and asked, “Where are you going, Brother Ximen?”
“I have met the bottleneck in my cultivation. I want to go north and challenge more powerful fighters…” Ximen Xianzhi answered earnestly.
Going north?
Challenging powerful fighters?
Mo Tianyu was in a daze.
“I heard the Young Master Lu of Beiluo is the best cultivator in the world. I want to challenge him,” Ximen Xianzhi said.
An unparalleled sense of confidence radiated from him.
Mo Tianyu’s lips twitched. The fake mustache on his upper lip almost fell off. Where did his confidence come from?
Mo Tianyu gestured and said sincerely, “Then…I wish Brother Ximen…a smooth journey.”
Ximen Xianzhi smiled. With his inquisitive eyes, he looked at Mo Tianyu, who dressed like a penniless peasant.
“What does Brother Mo plan on doing?” Ximen Xianzhi asked with a smile.
“Me? I’m going to visit the mountains and lakes on foot. See the world and improve my skills in trigrams reading,” Mo Tianyu answered.
“Oh?”
“That needs quite some determination.” Ximen Xianzhi’s face turned solemn.
It was a big wide world. Among all the people who wanted to travel around, how many of them actually had the will power to go through?
After all, people were attached to other things. It would be extremely hard to travel the world free from emotional and physical attachments.
“Brother Mo, it’s such a rare coincidence to meet you today. Can I ask you to tell my fortune?”
“I still remember that you wanted to tell my fortune back in the days. But we never got the chance.”
Ximen Xianzhi smiled, reminiscing about the past.
Mo Tianyu’s eyes brightened up.
He sized Ximen Xianzhi up and down.
Initially, he didn’t want to bother to tell Ximen Xianzhi’s fortune since he was on his way to challenge Lu Fan.
However…
It was hard to turn down his request made with such warm-heartedness.
He would do it as best as he could.
“Then I will read a trigram for Brother Ximen.”
Mo Tianyu chuckled.
He stuck the bamboo cane into the snow.
Then, he held three powerful copper coins with his hand. His fingers pinched the coins and formed seals.
He finally threw the coins up.
The three copper coins spun rapidly in the air and fell on the snow.
“Congratulations, Brother Ximen.”
“The hexagram shows that you will have good fortune on your challenge. Great fortune!”
Mo Tianyu put back the coins and laughed heartily.
Ximen Xianzhi cheered up.
“Oh? For real?”
“I heard the Young Master Lu of Beiluo is unrivaled.”
Mo Tianyu put back the coins and tapped Ximen Xianzhi on his shoulder and said, “Please believe me. I’m a professional fortune-teller!”
“The hexagram gave a promising sign… Rest assured, Brother Ximen, you will be fine for this challenge.”
“Be bold and daring!” Mo Tianyu said.
Then, he grabbed the bamboo cane with the banner hanging on top and hooted with laughter.
He walked past Ximen Xianzhi and blended in the group of refugees. Briskly, he strode away.
Ximen Xianzhi breathed in deeply. Looking at Mo Tianyu’s receding figure, his eyes flickered with admiration.
Mo Tianyu had become more and more sophisticated and mysterious in the past three years.
He could vaguely feel the energy on the three copper coins.
A person as powerful as Mo Tianyu must be able to tell his fortune accurately.
Ximen Xianzhi gestured respectfully at Mo Tianyu’s back.
He then turned around.
He felt spirited and fearless.
His target: Beiluo, Lu Ping’an!
…
