Xu Chu was riding the black horse in the snow.
It took him longer to go back to the capital city from Yuanchi City because of the snow.
A serious expression was etched on Xu Chu’s face. He got to know how dreadful Tantai Xuan was for the first time.
He was resilient and could stand what ordinary people could not. Why would Xu Chu not be afraid of such a person?
He was even cool with giving away the Immortal encounter he had got…
This was not something ordinary people would do. That was an Immortal encounter, an opportunity to reach higher achievements.
People would typically be on cloud nine if they could get an Immortal encounter. They would absolutely treat it like a treasure and try their best to keep it, maybe even at the cost of their lives. After all, numerous people either got injured or died just so they could get an Immortal encounter.
Therefore, Tantai Xuan’s generosity really shocked Xu Chu.
Gazing at the magnificent Zijin Palace on horseback, Xu Chu breathed out slowly.
He rode the horse into the capital city and entered the Imperial City from the main avenue.
Before Zijin Palace.
Sitting on the threshold in an imposing manner, the Overlord watched the snowflakes dancing in the distance. No one knew what he was thinking.
The Overlord had been staying in Zijin Palace since he had captured the Imperial City.
He did not go and see Luo Mingsang. He had been pretending he was busy to avoid her.
Luo Mingsang did not come to see him, either.
Shaking his head, the Overlord rubbed his temples.
Xu Chu was back.
He went into the Imperial City quickly and then came to Zijin Palace right away.
Xu Chu was surprised to see the Overlord sitting on the threshold. Didn’t the Overlord prepare any banquet?
He must have guessed Tantai Xuan would not come to Zijin Palace.
Looking at Xu Chu, the Overlord said with a smile, “You are back.”
Xu Chu bowed slightly. He took out half of Tantai Xuan’s Golden Dragon Seal from his front pocket.
“Overlord, the Lord of Beixuan refused to come to the banquet. I mentioned to him that the Overlord liked the Golden Dragon Seal a lot, so the Lord of Beixuan let me bring the seal back for the Overlord to appreciate,” Xu Chu said.
The Overlord did not look like he was stunned.
Mo Beike was there, so Tantai Xuan certainly would not come to the banquet.
However, he was a little surprised that Xu Chu brought the Golden Dragon Seal back. He could hardly believe Tantai Xuan was so generous.
He took the seal Xu Chu had handed to him. It felt warm and smooth in his hand. A golden dragon was carved on it, but the dragon was not complete.
The Overlord took out his Golden Dragon Seal.
And then he placed them together.
The two seals made up one whole seal. Apparently, they used to be a whole, but someone cut the seal in half.
Dragon Qi surged out of the Overlord’s body and surrounded the complete Golden Dragon Seal.
The golden dragon on it seemed to be on the verge of coming to life.
However, it eventually quieted down.
“It doesn’t work?”
The Overlord split the seal again, frowning.
Was it because the other half of the seal did not belong to him?
The Overlord wondered.
“Lord…”
Bowing next to him, Xu Chu looked like he was struggling. He had something to say, but he did not know whether it was appropriate to say it.
“The Lord of Beixuan is quite resilient. He is not simple. Lord, you must be wary of him,” Xu Chu said.
“I think we’d better eliminate the Great Xuan before it becomes stronger,” continued Xu Chu seriously.
He was really earnest and serious.
He was afraid of Tantai Xuan indeed.
Xu Chu would be happy to have a leader like Tantai Xuan, but since the latter was the enemy’s leader, it was really a nightmare for him. He just could not feel at ease.
Holding the Golden Dragon Seal in hand, the Overlord blinked. He seemed to have been persuaded by Xu Chu.
However, staring at the Golden Dragon Seal, he shook his head.
The appearance of the Golden Dragon Seal really seemed weird to him. He wondered whether there was someone in the dark.
If he really eliminated the Great Xuan’s army, would the person behind the Golden Dragon Seal intervene?
It seemed easy for the Overlord to kill Tantai Xuan or eliminate the Great Xuan.
But in fact, it was not so simple.
And…
There was Tang Xiansheng.
Tang Xiansheng from South County was on the Great Xuan’s side. If South County fought with the Great Xuan together, the Overlord would really feel threatened.
Although South County did not declare independence to establish a country, it was literally not very different from an independent country.
And South County’s fighting power was actually not weak, because they had Tang Yimo.
The Overlord had expected those aristocratic families to pledge allegiance to him after he had occupied the capital city. However…
The aristocratic families and powerhouses from all counties were still observing the situation. They had not decided which one to side with between the Great Xuan and Western Liang.
Snow continued to fall on that day, as large snowflakes swirled in the air all over.
Holding the two Golden Dragon Seals, the Overlord looked up at the sky.
The Great Zhou had been eliminated, but this power struggle was becoming more and more intense.
******
South County learned the outcome of the war against the Great Zhou in the capital city very quickly.
Of course, besides this news…
The news of the Trial Pagoda of White Jade City also drew a lot of attention. A place that could help people go beyond their limits?
Many cultivators in the Jianghu were stunned.
They cared more about things related to cultivation than the ongoing power struggle.
White Jade City was obviously an authority. And the Trial Pagoda launched by White Jade City seemed to be unusual.
Tang Yimo was sitting in the hall.
Carrying the bookcase on his back, Sima Qingshan was followed by An Miaoyu, the female apprentice he had found by accident.
“Brother Qingshan, are you leaving?” Tang Yimo asked.
He got to his feet as soon as he saw Sima Qingshan carrying the bookcase. He was a little surprised.
Sima Qingshan smiled. “All feasts must come to an end. It’s time for me to go on traveling the world. As Young Master Lu from White Jade City had said, the Dao of painting lies in experiences. I need to visit more places to see and paint more things.”
“Besides, I’m interested in the Trial Pagoda mentioned in White Jade City’s Tianji Order. I want to take my chances and try there. My cultivation has been stuck lately. Maybe I can realize a breakthrough there,” Sima Qingshan explained.
Tang Yimo did not try to persuade him to stay.
Sima Qingshan’s cultivation was different from his indeed. What Sima Qingshan needed was to gain insights from life. He might have a moment of clarity from a single painting and then greatly improve.
Tang Yimo was interested in White Jade City’s Trial Pagoda as well.
It could help people go beyond their limits. Tang Yimo wondered whether the pagoda could help him go beyond his limits too.
“I’m leaving.”
“Brother Tang, see you.”
Sima Qingshan cupped his hands.
Behind him, An Miaoyu, with a red cloak draped over her shoulders, slightly bowed.
Then, the two left Tang Manor shoulder to shoulder, with An Miaoyu holding an umbrella since it was drizzling outside. Soon enough, the two disappeared in the rain.
Standing at the door with his hands behind his back, Tang Yimo was lost in his thoughts.
Sima Qingshan left Tang Manor with An Miaoyu. They kept going south after leaving Nanjiang City.
They arrived in Nanjin City.
Nanjin City was as beautiful as always. Everything looked a little blurry in the rain. Despite the many baptisms of fire it had gone through, Nanjin City had not changed even a little bit.
This was a city full of history and stories.
Holding the umbrella, An Miaoyu was looking at the ancient city, which stood there like a muscular man full of wounds.
“Master, is this your hometown?”
Pressing her lip into a thin line, An Miaoyu was curious and looked forward to visiting the city.
Sima Qingshan smiled. He led An Miaoyu into Nanjin City. The soldiers from South Manor Army who were guarding the gate smiled at the sight of Sima Qingshan. They certainly knew him.
After all, they had fought together.
Many people greeted Sima Qingshan after they had gone into the city. Nanjin City looked a little bit desolate when it was raining.
Rainwater had gathered into puddles on the flagstone-paved road.
Walking with An Miaoyu, Sima Qingshan ran into many old acquaintances on the way, and he greeted all of them.
However, some of his old acquaintances were still living here, while others had already passed away.
The city was still suffering from the aftermath of the cruel war.
Following Sima Qingshan, An Miaoyu walked unhurriedly.
Sima Qingshan visited every corner of Nanjin City, of which he kept many memories.
Then, he took An Miaoyu to a mountain behind Nanjin City, which was neither too high nor too low. He stood by the cliff, which overlooked the whole of Nanjin City.
He could even see the desolate battlefield beyond Nanjin City if he looked into the distance.
“Miaoyu, do you really not regret joining Hua Sect?” he asked in a low voice.
Sima Qingshan stood by the cliff. The azure robe he was wearing was blowing in the wind.
Behind him, holding the umbrella and with the red cloak draped over her shoulders, An Miaoyu felt the drizzle and the breeze.
An Miaoyu’s fair-skinned face seemed to be windburn.
“No, I don’t regret.”
“Hua Sect is good.”
Sima Qingshan smiled.
He took a scroll out of the bookcase and unfolded it. While the scroll floated in the air, he took a brush pen. An Miaoyu had prepared the ink for him.
Sima Qingshan started to paint. The ink spread across the scroll like raindrops.
Sima Qingshan gazed at Nanjin City in the rain.
Then he picked up the brush pen to start painting.
However, he was not painting Nanjin City, but a plain house with banana trees before it standing quietly in the rain.
When the painting had been completed…
Sima Qingshan added something to the house.
It was a plaque.
Written on the plaque were the words “Ink House of Hua Sect.”
An Miaoyu was instantly impressed. Sima Qingshan smiled.
With a shake of his hand…
And the scroll shook like a bolt of silk with a rustling sound.
Then An Miaoyu saw a black house sit on the mountain.
“From today onward, this is the main gate of Hua Sect.”
Sima Qingshan looked at An Miaoyu.
“Hopefully you won’t dislike it because it doesn’t look fancy. After all, your master is poor…”
An Miaoyu smiled with her lips closed.
“This one is included in the painting scrolls. You are in charge of keeping them from now on,” Sima Qingshan added.
He waved his hand.
And the black house turned into a painting scroll again. He folded it and handed it to An Miaoyu.
An Miaoyu took it. She took out a cloth cover for scrolls and put the scroll inside it. Carrying it on her back, she smiled with her lips closed.
The two went down the mountain silently.
They walked onto the flagstone-paved main avenue, on which rain was pitter-pattering.
“Master, where are we going next?”
“Miaoyu, have you ever heard about the number one cultivator power in the world?”
“White Jade City?”
“Exactly. We are going to White Jade City next. We are going to that Trial Pagoda.”
“All right.”
******
Outside Beiluo City.
Two people trekked across the endless plain covered by snow.
Jiang Li’s bamboo hat kept the snow away from his face and shoulders. Gazing at Beiluo City that seemed to be shrouded in some immortal energy, he took a deep breath.
This was his first trip to Beiluo City.
But Beiluo was not strange to Chi Lian, who was next to him, because she had been here before.
The two left two long tracks behind them. Soon enough, they reached Beiluo City.
Luo Cheng, who was guarding the city gate, was astonished at the sight of Chi Lian and Jiang Li. He told his subordinates to open the city gate.
When Jiang Li stepped inside the city gates, for the first time, he saw the prosperous Beiluo City.
Traffic was heavy in Beiluo City, with street vendors peddling and the aroma of delicious food wafting the air, and other noises and smells lingered in the city.
Jiang Li could not help but exclaim this was really a pure land guarded by White Jade City.
Gazing at the magnificent white jade pagoda that soared into the clouds, he felt so pressured that he seemed like he would go crazy.
He was a little frightened by the white jade tower.
Lu Fan sensed Jiang Li and Chi Lian’s arrival as soon as they went into the city.
Lu Fan did not tell Luo Cheng to take Jiang Li to Lake Island. Instead, he was just drinking by himself while setting up a strategy on the chessboard.
Jiang Li’s arrival did not draw any attention.
He was the influential Military God outside, but in Beiluo City, he was just an average person.
With one hand cupping his chin, Lu Fan was placing chess pieces on the chessboard with the other hand.
He had an influence.
That was the influence of chess.
Setting up the Mortal World Strategy was more complicated than the previous two strategies. It felt as if all aspects of the human world were included in the Mortal World Strategy.
When all of the chess pieces had been placed…
Lu Fan leaned on the back of the Thousand Blades Chair.
He was drinking from the bronze liquor cup.
In the Trial Pagoda, everyone was cultivating hard.
Kong Nanfei went into the Trial Pagoda as well after he finished writing the Song of Righteousness Qi. He still had the chance to challenge the fifth floor.
However, due to the peculiarity of Kong Nanfei’s cultivation method, he would probably give up producing elemental Spirit Qi. The Righteousness Qi was actually a type of element itself.
So he actually could skip the process to comprehend elemental Spirit Qi.
Therefore, Lu Fan was kind of looking forward to Kong Nanfei’s achievement. He wondered whether the latter could take advantage of this chance to achieve the breakthrough to Heavenly Lock Realm.
Who would become the first cultivator to achieve the Heavenly Lock Realm?
Lu Fan was really looking forward to it.
Leaning on the back of the wheelchair…
Gazing at the snowflakes dancing in the sky, Lu Fan squinted.
He shifted his consciousness.
The system page instantly popped up before him.
He shifted his eyes to the mysterious Natural Law Thunder Calamity Experience Reward.
Then, he looked up at the Dao Impartment Platform, which seemed to be covered in dust since he had not used it for a long time.
[Refined Qi Level 4.]
It was time to recruit more people to the Dao Impartment Platform.
