Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
White Jade City Tianji Pavilion issued another Tianji Order.
The Tianji Order was given out. It said that White Jade City had opened up the Book House that had thousands upon thousands of books related to cultivation, but they would only be open for a month.
In an instant, the entire world was in an uproar.
Hordes of cultivators had left their own territory, and they all rushed over to Beiluo.
In a heavenly abode in South County, there was a small building.
In the small building was someone dressed in a blue shirt who had his sleeves rolled up as he worked on a painting. The brush in his hand flitted across the paper, and an extremely vivid, lifelike painting appeared on the paper.
That was a ferocious tiger—a ferocious, ink-black tiger—that followed the surge of Spirit Qi.
The man in the blue shirt flicked the brush forward suddenly, and the tiger seemed to leave the confines of the paper. As if it had turned into a real tiger, it dashed about quickly in the empty space in front of the building and howled…
On the other side of the building, a young lady with a red cloak draped over her shoulders was also painting. She sat in a bamboo chair, hunched over. She held a fine brush that she maneuvered with ease, gently moving it about the paper; she was painting this in the gongbi style. There were mountains and rivers in her painting, and one could almost hear the waters rushing.
After the sun set.
The two of them finally finished the cultivation of their paintings.
“Young Master Lu has opened up the Book House, which contains thousands of books related to cultivation. Let’s head down to Beiluo. I’m rather curious about books on cultivators,” Sima Qingshan said to An Miaoyu as he finished up his work and washed his hands.
An Miaoyu pursed her lips and blew on the ink that covered the scroll as if intent on drying the ink this way.
“You mean cultivation can be made into a book?” An Miaoyu curiously asked as she blew on the paper.
“Cultivation is also a field of study. Of course, it can be turned into books. Besides, during the era of the Hundred Schools of Philosophy, many cultivators wrote down their understanding of their own ideas as a way of recording them,” Sima Qingshan explained.
An Miaoyu did not really understand.
“Just as well. Hey, Miaoyu, you’ve already reached the pinnacle of the Qi Core Realm, and it’s a good time to explore the Trial Pagoda to consolidate your cultivation. While you’re there, you can also try to break through to the Internal Organs Realm,” Sima Qingshan spoke as he wiped the water stains off his hands.
Upon hearing that, An Miaoyu seemed to turn serious. She nodded somberly.
In the heavenly abode, the scenery was absolutely breathtaking.
The man in blue heaved up his bookcase on his back, while the girl draped her red cloak across hers and held up an umbrella. She unfurled a scroll, and the small building was contained within their scroll.
The two of them made their way down the mountain and toward the Dragon Gate.
It was not just Sima Qingshan and An Miaoyu—even Tang Yimo and his people who were sitting in the forbidden area had felt that this was no regular incident.
Young Master Lu was opening up the Book House, and he was opening it up to the cultivators in the world for a month.
Not a single person hesitated—they all rushed toward Beiluo.
They did not think that this would be a trap of sorts. After all, if Lu Fan wanted to kill them, he did not have to go through all this trouble.
Many cultivators rushed toward Beiluo.
And now, because of the changes in Heaven and Earth, the earth had stretched to becoming more and more expansive, and the journey was becoming even longer.
Those who had the power of the Dragon Gate would be able to reach Beiluo quicker.
And the cultivators without would have to walk farther.
Beneath Beiluo Peak.
A bamboo hat sitting on his head, Mo Beike was clutching onto his wooden crutch.
He lifted his head, and his heavy eyelids trembled.
In this period of time, he had interviewed countless powerful cultivators and invited quite a number of them to the Great Xuan Dynasty Academy as instructors.
And now, Mo Beike had his sights set on White Jade City, Beiluo.
If he could invite a White Jade City cultivator to teach at the Great Xuan Dynasty Academy, then it would definitely have a profound impact on the academy.
The timing was great. Mo Beike would tend to this issue after rushing over to Young Master Lu’s opening of the Book House.
Suddenly.
White Jade City of Beiluo had become the focus of all the cultivators in the world.
Countless cultivators had rushed over from all over the world, and powerful people had stepped out one by one from the Dragon Gates.
******
The little Responsive Dragon flew out.
He flew right at the withered vines, his body suddenly growing into a hulking mass. Although the little Responsive Dragon had not yet stepped into the Heavenly Lock Realm—which was something that he had to do but had not done yet seeing how lazy he was—he was a powerful heavenly dragon descendant type, so his power was not something to laugh at.
Cross-level battles were no issue at all.
The little Responsive Dragon’s body grew akin to a small hill, his wings looking like they could cover the entire sky when they unfurled.
He slammed a foot down, and countless withered vines snapped.
But there were still quite a lot of withered vines shooting forth from the dense forest in the valley.
Zhu Long was planning to make a move.
But she was stopped by the tiny Lu Fan on her shoulder.
“That little rascal doesn’t have that much fighting experience. Now’s a good time to train him a little,” Lu Fan said.
Zhu Long nodded slightly in acknowledgment with her eyes shut, her eyelashes fluttering a little.
The little Responsive Dragon was very excited. His yellow scales gave off an honorable aura. With a smack of its foot, the air seemed to crackle.
The withered vines fell apart to no end, falling down ceaselessly.
Though its body was massive, the little Responsive Dragon was rather agile.
With its massive body, the little Responsive Dragon dodged several withered vines that tore through the heavy layers of defense. Then the little Responsive Dragon completely opened its wings and shot toward the sky.
After a while, water Spirit Qi gathered in his mouth.
When he spat out the Spirit Qi, jets of water that were usually nourishing had become very sharp in this instance.
The jets of waters had turned into daggers of ice in the sky, piercing and then trapping the withered vines to the ground. No matter how much the withered vines struggled, they could not escape the bind.
The little Responsive Dragon was very proud of himself.
Its wings beat, and it looked into the valley, flying right toward it and charging in.
Boom!
Suddenly.
Countless withered vines morphed into a single fist and smashed into the little Responsive Dragon’s body.
The little Responsive Dragon’s colossal body was actually sent flying back and crashing into the surface of the valley like a ball, sliding far out.
Zhu Long’s eyelashes fluttered as she watched the battle from a distance.
Tiny Lu Fan could not help but raise an eyebrow.
Deep in the valley, there was a shrill, explosive sound.
The sound lingered, and the mountains were blown open, an explosive sound ringing as if a rock had been detonated.
The little Responsive Dragon climbed up from the ground. He bared his teeth, and a terrifying aura was rolling off of him.
He…was angry!
His tail swept the group violently, and then he charged forward toward the valley yet again.
Countless withered vines started gathering again.
And they turned into a fist, striking him once more.
The little Responsive Dragon was sent flying once again, smashing heavily into the ground and skidding some distance back.
He had been viciously hit in the same spot in the same manner.
Zhu Long said nothing. Even Tiny Lu Fan could not help but put his head in his hands.
The little Responsive Dragon came back to his senses. This was not a viable option for this battle. He opened his mouth and spat out a current of water, one that leaped forward and surged as it rushed into the valley to collide into the fist of withered vines.
The innumerable vines dispersed, charging toward the little Responsive Dragon through the water current, like little snakes, at the speed of light.
In an instant, the little Responsive Dragon was restrained.
Bit by bit, he was dragged into the valley.
The little Responsive Dragon still looked ferocious and savage.
And very quickly, he panicked.
He turned to look in the direction of Zhu Long and tiny Lu Fan, whines spilling out of his mouth.
“He’ll probably work on improving himself after this lesson. He probably won’t be thinking of spraying pigeons with water anymore, right?”
Lu Fan laughed at the sight of the little Responsive Dragon suffering a setback.
Zhu Long leaned forward slightly in a bow and then shot off.
Tiny Lu Fan sat cross-legged where he was, unmoving.
He cast a glance back. There was an experienced existence heading toward him at this moment.
This was normal, as well. If such an uproar would have gone unnoticed by the head of the Supreme Knife School, then something was up with his capabilities.
Tiny Lu Fan drifted and drifted, suspended in the air, blocking the way in front of the valley.
This battle could be considered training for Zhu Long and the little Responsive Dragon.
Once they returned to Beiluo, he would have to teach the little Responsive Dragon a lesson properly; otherwise, he would really be raising a foolish dragon.
Rumble!
Zhu Long was quick. Although her eyes were shut, she could still detect what was going on around her.
Withered vines shot out toward her.
Zhu Long’s body spun up in the air quickly, slicing apart the numerous withered vines.
She landed on the ground and raised an arm, pressing down with it slowly.
As if there was an overwhelming power, the numerous withered vines cracked under the pressure.
The ones holding the little Responsive Dragon down had blown apart. His body had shrunk and beat his wings, flying off hastily…
To hide behind Zhu Long.
The withered vines extended, and the entire valley seemed like it was covered in an ocean of sprawling vines.
In the next moment.
The vines turned into a human face.
Upon closer inspection, one would realize that the fact was actually…Li Sansi.
In the gloomy caves of the valley.
Li Sansi stared in disbelief at the sight of Zhu Long being surrounded by vines.
The sound of an ice-cold feminine laughter lingered in his ears.
“Unbelievable… This young lady’s foundation is much, much firmer than yours. If I had met her earlier…and possessed her, then going through calamities to ascend to the heaven wouldn’t be an issue at all, let alone the Nascent Soul Realm!”
The lady’s voice was not only extremely pleased but also puzzled.
It was a pity that she had already chosen to possess Li Sansi and so could not possess the young woman right in front of them.
Since she could not…then she would ruin the young lady!
This lady was only at the Golden Elixir Realm. With enough time, she would eventually cross into the Nascent Soul Realm, and that would pose a real problem.
Boom!
From within the dark valley.
The entire valley trembled.
“What are you doing?” Li Sansi growled lowly.
“To kill her.” The woman’s chilling voice crackled in Li Sansi’s ears.
After that, Li Sansi realized the woman was controlling his body. Numerous vines had shot out of his body and rushed out of the valley.
Zhu Long had her eyes shut. She was expressionless as she stared at Li Sansi’s face made out of numerous vines.
With her legs slightly bent, she leaped out.
Boom!
The vines burst apart.
There was a shrill, desolate cry coming from the valley.
A figure glided over quickly to collide into Zhu Long.
Tiny Lu Fan was floating in the air as he looked on from a distance, and he could not help but raise his eyebrows.
“Li Sansi?”
“He’d really been possessed, huh…”
The figure that had charged out was no other than Li Sansi. The clothes on his body were reduced to tatters, completely enveloped by the vines that were spreading across his body. The vines were sturdy like a metal blade, and there was the clinking of metal that rang out every time they collided.
“An aura that has the power of the Origin…”
Tiny Lu Fan felt that this was a little strange. No wonder she had possessed Li Sansi. This woman, when she had been alive, was likely powerful enough that her cultivation was at the Nascent Soul Realm or the Soul Transformation Realm, not unlike people such as Du Longyang.
There was something wicked about Li Sansi’s countenance. It was as if he could not recognize Zhu Long, and his entire being was covered in armor. His face also seemed rather bloated and warped.
At this moment, Li Sansi did not seem human, but he did not seem undead either.
And yet his aura was becoming increasingly powerful.
The little Responsive Dragon landed on Zhu Long’s shoulder, posing menacingly. He did not slack off this time.
Zhu Long, on the other hand, was rather passive.
Though her eyes were still shut, she could feel Li Sansi’s icy gaze on her.
It was like he was looking at his prey.
In the far distance.
Tiny Lu Fan said, floating in the air, “Let’s get this over and done with.”
Beneath him, Zhu Long heard him and nodded his head slightly in acknowledgment, because she had also felt the extremely powerful aura behind her.
“A quick round… What bold words…”
Li Sansi, who had become rather strange, opened his mouth shrilly.
In the next instance, his two palms that had completely turned into vines smacked down violently.
The ground started quaking.
The countless vines shot out of the ground, out of the mud, and right toward the sky, interweaving into one another.
The canopy of vines trapped Zhu Long and the little Responsive Dragon within.
The vines turned into a square cage, not a single blind spot to it at all.
They had been utterly and completely trapped within the space…
An exaggerated, strange smile unfurled on Li Sansi’s face.
His hands of vines pressed down endlessly.
And the vine cage shrank, and shrank, and shrank endlessly…
As if it would crush Zhu Long and the little Responsive Dragon alive.
“Enough!” Li Sansi’s voice rang in his head as he howled.
But he felt extremely powerless like he did not even have the strength to resist.
He could only watch as Zhu Long was trapped.
Suddenly.
A beam of light shot out from the vine cage that had been firmly sealed.
If there was a first beam, then there would be a second beam.
The cage shook a little. In the next moment, it exploded violently. An overwhelming amount of power rolled off of it, and the explosive sound rang out nonstop.
The vines that were sturdier than metal had, in this instant, been thoroughly torn asunder from the explosion.
Li Sansi’s hands had been pressed firmly onto the ground, but his smile froze on his face…
Only to see, in the center of that cage, the young lady’s eyelashes fluttering minutely, her eyes opening slowly.
She opened her eyes…
The young lady’s eyes were open—one of them black, the other white.
Boom!
It was like a terrifyingly oppressive power had destroyed everything around them.
The possessed Li Sansi clapped his palms together fiercely.
The ground exploded.
Vine after vine were stacked in front of him.
They had transformed into a sturdy door.
But this door of vines could not hold its own. Zhu Long, with her eyes open, had triggered a terrifying power and started blowing the door up.
“Break the Golden Elixir! Hurry up and do it!”
The shrill voice of the lady was ringing in Li Sansi’s head.
Li Sansi froze, and then there was a maniacal smile on his face.
“To hell with that!”
Li Sansi could not help but laugh.
If this woman wanted him to break the Golden Elixir, then she would have to integrate enough of his soul, but…
Li Sansi was actually fighting back with all he had now, his resistance unprecedentedly intense, making it impossible for the woman to integrate his soul.
Boom!
The vines that covered Li Sansi’s entire body had been completely sapped of their power by the beam of light.
Explosions rang out, one after the other.
The vines were blown to pieces.
When the light disappeared…
Li Sansi’s battered body fell to the ground.
Zhu Long caught her breath and then shut her eyes again.
The little Responsive Dragon was perched on her shoulder, stunned…
So…so powerful!
Tiny Lu Fan was shocked as well. With Zhu Long’s transformation, her Pupil Technique had become much more terrifying as well.
This technique was the theurgy of legends, one belonging specifically to Zhu Long’s life, if Zhu Long really grew.
Perhaps she would open her eyes, and black and white would invert, as would the sun and the moon.
Zhu Long closed her eyes. She walked to stop in front of Li Sansi, whose body was smoking.
She reached out a hand…
And pinched Li Sansi’s head. Just like this, she dragged him over toward Lu Fan.
Tiny Lu Fan floated over.
As if he could feel the intense war waging in Li Sansi’s head, tiny Lu Fan raised a hand and knocked on the other’s head.
“Behave yourself.”
Instantly, the woman in his head stopped struggling…
Because that woman could feel that the guy tapping on Li Sansi’s head could invade at any time to destroy her.
With tiny Lu Fan’s little tap, a formation lingered around Li Sansi’s head.
Binds confined the woman in his head, and Li Sansi had passed out completely.
“Let’s go,” tiny Lu Fan said as he glanced beyond the valley.
Zhu Long nodded in acknowledgment. She had also felt the terrifying aura that was making its way over quickly. She grabbed Li Sansi’s head and dragged it out of the valley quickly.
Suddenly!
A powerful aura swept out!
“Stop there!”
“Leave that man behind!”
A loud voice roared, and then there was a bout of terrifying knife spirit.
Razor-sharp knife spirit, like it was going to cut through air.
Some distance away, a blade descended abruptly, and the valley was almost cut in half.
Zhu Long frowned. She felt the pressure.
However…
The illusion of a chessboard suddenly appeared around them without her knowing.
The sound of Go pieces being placed on the board rang out.
Clack.
The knife spirit that had cut within the range of the chessboard had shattered in an instant, just like this, with the placement of the Go piece.