Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
The Holy Zhi Palace was in Zhongzhou City, and with the Village Chief’s speed they made it back in there in a short period of time.
The huge sword returned, and descended towards Holy Sage Pavilionl, following which a voice swept out through the palace, “All disciples, prepare for war.”
The voice was solemn, and suddenly everyone throughout the palace felt their hearts tremble.
What had happened on the trip to the Imperial Mausoleum?
Yang Xiao and the others’ figures flashed as they went to make their arrangements. Soon everyone in the palace knew what had happened, and they were all astonished.
Lord Ye Futian had slain four Sages in one battle, including the Great Zhou Sacred King’s son Zhou Huang.
The Halberd of Time and Space, the number three divine implement on the Nine States Divine Implement Ranking, was in his hands.
He had helped Huang Jiuge obtain his ancestors’ inheritance. Huang Xi had died in battle.
Each piece of news was just as shocking. At the Imperial Mausoleum, all of the Nine States had been their enemy, and Ye Futian had led the people of the palace to attack them.
Everyone was kicking themselves that they hadn’t been there to witness it personally.
Ye Futian and the other wounded were recovering in Holy Sage Pavilion. The Undying Old Man came to visit them and give them medicine, and they all recovered very quickly.
Ye Futian had the World Tree life spirit, and so he recovered the fastest. Although his injuries had been severe, he was able to Holy Sage Pavilion very quickly.
Somewhere in the Holy Zhi Palace, three people were cultivating quietly. It was Liu Zixuan and the other two from the Endless Sea. They looked up and saw a figure coming. It was Ye Futian.
Just now they had heard the news from the other people in the palace. Ye Futian had finally obtained the Halberd of Time and Space.
“You can leave,” Ye Futian said to them.
Liu Zixuan looked at him. Even in the palace she was still an outstanding beauty, but in Cliff State City she had been the most beautiful woman, and had been extraordinarily talented, someone who Saints regarded highly.
“Can I stay in the palace to cultivate?” She bit her lip as she asked this.
Even though they had not been allowed to leave the palace during this time, they found it a much better place for cultivation than Cliff State City. Even Ocean King Palace did not have as good an environment for cultivation.
A strange look came over Ye Futian’s face. He said, “Right now the palace is facing a dire situation, and it is very possible that we will be destroyed. Are you not afraid of death?”
Liu Zixuan shook her head. “Where can a cultivator find an absolutely safe place? I am willing to face this war alongside the palace. But afterwards, I hope that I will no longer be under house arrest, but a part of the palace.”
Ye Futian looked at Liu Zixuan’s exquisite features. She was indeed a very assertive woman. The Liu clan must be very strong in Cliff State City to raise an outstanding woman like this.
“Fine.” He nodded. “What about Liu Yu and Liu Han?”
“Brother Ye, I will also continue cultivating in the palace.” Liu Yu and Ye Futian’s relationship was actually quite good, as Ye Futian had taken care of her during the journey to the Lost Ruins.
“I will follow my sister,” said Liu Han.
“Go back,” said Liu Zixuan to Liu Han. “Our family doesn’t know if we are alive or dead. Go back and tell them everything. If I die, the family should know where.”
“Sister.” Liu Han looked at her.
“Do as I say.” Liu Zixuan stared at him until Liu Han nodded slightly and said, “Alright.”
Ye Futian looked at the three of them and said, “This is your own decision.”
On saying this, he left, and flew into the air above the Holy Zhi Palace.
A line of figures flashed into the sky. Yang Xiao, Sword Demon, You Chi and other cultivators appeared beside Ye Futian. You Chi said, “Futian, I fear that a fierce battle is coming.”
“Mm.” Ye Futian nodded. Everyone could see that clearly.
Not long ago in the Imperial Mausoleum they had forced their opponents to let them go.
But if their opponents had pressed the attack, it was not certain that those holy lands who had spoken up for them would have gotten involved.
Their enemies, the Hall of Holy Light, Xihua Sacred Mountain, and the Great Zhou Sacred Dynasty, would doubtless go to war with them.
Ye Futian looked down at the palace and said, “Will the terrain around the palace affect our matrices?”
“A little bit.” Yang Xiao nodded. “Our matrices will have to bypass some places.”
“Mm.” Ye Futian nodded slightly, then said, “All disciples of the palace, hear my orders: everyone stop cultivating immediately and head to the palace.”
His voice rolled out through the entire Holy Zhi Palace. Everyone looked up at him and stopped their cultivation and flashed towards the main palace.
“Village Chief,” shouted Ye Futian in another direction.
A sword flashed through the air, and the Village Chief appeared before Ye Futian.
“Once all the disciples are in the main palace, level the rest of it,” said Ye Futian.
Everyone trembled at these words. Would he really level the rest of the palace?
There were many hidden places in the palace, many of them left behind by their ancestors, and there were ruins scattered throughout, many of which were good places for cultivation.
And now Ye Futian had ordered for it all to be demolished.
All of it would disappear.
But no one objected. At this moment, no one could doubt Ye Futian’s position within the palace.
Previously, he had entered the palace on the basis of nobility, and everyone had assisted him and had high hopes for him. But now he had brought two Saints to the palace and led them on an attack against the Zhisheng Cliffs. He now stood at the highest point just below the Saint Plane.
Ye Futian had become the symbol of the Holy Zhi Palace.
He was even symbolic of the whole Barren State.
Whenever the Barren State was mentioned, the first thing that anyone would think of was its Palace Lord, Ye Futian.
A group of figures flashed over as more of the elders arrived. After hearing Ye Futian’s decision, they merely sighed to themselves and looked at the palace as if they could not bear to part with it.
Not long after, an incomparable storm of Sword Qi appeared in the palace like a giant sword, flattening the earth. The buildings, mountains and ruins were crushed into dust.
The disciples of the palace looked on from above with unease in their hearts.
Before long, everything except for the main palace had been flattened.
And, of course, Sage Hall was still there.
“Lord Yang, please lead the disciples to work even harder,” Ye Futian said to Yang Xiao. He nodded, and led some men down to the ground to begin preparations for the matrices.
“Send this order throughout the Barren State. As Palace Lord of the Holy Zhi Palace, I call upon all swords in the Barren State of the Sage level or higher,” continued Ye Futian.
“Do we need so many swords?” asked You Chi. He had brought many ritual implements from Alchemy City, as well as many swords.
“Yes, and Uncle is also forging more swords. Have the people of the palace go out to collect materials. When I activated the Sword Matrix of the Void at Nether Sword Mound, I couldn’t control it, but I remembered some things. I can carve out a sword matrix,” said Ye Futian.
He had studied matrices at Chess Saint Villa, and had consolidated his studies at Nether Sword Mound. Now that he had reached the Sage level he could carve out his own sword matrix.
“Okay, we will do this.” You Chi nodded. Sword Demon, Xu Shang and some others left to make ready for this.
Soon the news spread all around the Barren State.
Ye Futian was calling all the swords in the Barren State.
For a time, countless cultivators set out towards the Holy Zhi Palace.
……….
The news did not only sweep through the Barren State, but through every part of the Nine States as the cultivators returned home.
But the places that were shaken the most fiercely were the Hall of Holy Light, Xihua Sacred Mountain, and the Great Zhou Sacred Dynasty.
At the Hall of Holy Light, Saint Ji sent out an order, summoning the top forces from the area to launch an attack on the Barren State.
At Xihua Sacred Mountain, the order was given for all forces under their jurisdiction to gather together at the mountain.
Obviously, after the events at the Imperial Mausoleum, both the Hall of Holy Light and Xihua Sacred Mountain were paying close attention to the Barren State. And they were not simply summoning their forces for an attack, they were convening their holy lands.
For a time, there was a terrible storm in Qi State and the Eastern State.
It seemed that the Holy Zhi Palace would not be able to escape disaster.
In the past, who would have thought that sending a punitive expedition against the declining Barren State would have required such care?
Only a few years before, it had only taken Kong Yao and a few other cultivators to ravage the Barren State.
………
In Jixia Palace in Qi State two figures were playing chess. One was wearing white clothes and playing as white, while the other was wearing black and also playing as black.
Both of them looked quite extraordinary. Behind the handsome white robed youth sat a gentle woman quietly watching the game.
“Brother, your heart doesn’t seem to be in the game.” The black robed figure smiled slightly as he moved his piece, then looked up at the white robed figure.
The white robed youth stared at the board, then smiled as he moved a piece. “I’ve lost three games in a row.”
“Is it because of the news from the Barren State?”
The white robed figure smiled at him and said, “If I was a piece in this game, I’ve already been taken off the board. Why worry about it?”
“Why has this piece been removed?” said the man in black with a smile.
“Naturally, it was in order to join a better game,” answered the white robed youth.
“In that case, if the new game really is better, then this piece has a reason for being. At the very least, making the decision to be removed in order to change games is not altogether blameless, but is at least forgivable,” said the figure in black.
On hearing this, the white robed youth trembled slightly. He looked at the figure in front of him, then turned and left.
He had changed games?
Since he had left, the Barren State’s game had changed indeed.
After the white robed youth left, another person came in. It was the number three person at the Nine States Forum at Xihua Sacred Mountain, Zhuge Yi.
“Did you intend to provoke Brother Bai?” asked Zhuge Yi.
“Brother Bai’s talent is outstanding, but he has demons that he needs to face. He is like a dead chess piece,” said the man in black.
“But isn’t it dangerous to let him go?”
“There is no making without breaking. To seek the Great Path, one’s heart must be without lack. If he does not take this step, then he will be lacking something, and it will be impossible for him to take the next step,” said the man in black. Zhuge Yi nodded gently.
The man in white returned to his residence and sat in front of an old tree for three days. He cultivated until he broke through his level, and then turned and left the palace!
