Back on the first-floor sofa, Elder Lin’s mouth was hanging open slightly with a look of astonishment over his face.
He was a little too stunned to react.
Such cultivation was possible?
Ascending just because one wanted to?
Nonetheless, before he could compose himself from the shock, he heard footsteps from the stairs—Jiang He was already coming downstairs.
“Brother Jiang He,” he could not help exclaim at that, “Why… are you coming down already?”
“I’m done ascending.”
Old Lin did a double take and asked, “You’ve just ascended, shouldn’t you stabilize your cultivation?”
Even so, he regretted almost as soon as he asked that.
Stabilize, my foot!
Jiang He’s aura went as deep as the oceans. Was there even a sign of the shakiness of a recent ascension?
In return, Jiang He smiled. “Brother Lin, you wouldn’t know this, but though I’ve only started practicing martial arts recently, my depth is strong. That is why I would have a fractional improvement after each ascension and I don’t have to out of my way to stabilize my cultivation.”
At the same time, Jiang He also thought to himself, ‘I’m full-fledged right after I ascend, so it more or less counts as a fractional improvement, right?’
After all, major improvement went leaping up to Yuan Spirit right away.
On the other hand, Long Mountain Lin was wondering if could Jiang He have reached Void-tier right after ascending?
No way, he has now assumed the immortal path, and I’m not sure how their tiers are categorized…
Still, he asked about it after hesitating for a while, while Jiang He smiled. “Actually, I’m not sure how cultivators are categorized back in the Era of Qi Refinists, although I myself had made a detailed tier-list.”
“I divide it into Qi Refinist, Golden Pellet, True Child, Yuan Spirit, Convergence, Weathering Retribution, Mastery…”
Jiang He paused at that, gasping in surprise, “Huh… have I categorized the tiers too simply? Shouldn’t I add a ‘Rising Flight’ after Mastery, a level that could shatter space and rise to the immortal realm…”
Long Mountain Lin blinked.
What the hell.
You are categorizing that stuff by yourself?
Don’t you have information about it from what you inherited?
And was this not already simplest?
Most importantly, why are you adding another tier on a whim?
***
Meanwhile, overseas, Lin Tianzheng had been kneeling in front of a heritage site for a long time.
“Master, the Sky Demons are coming and Hua Nation is in danger. Please help us, Master!”
“Master…”
Even so, there was no response from within the heritage site.
But Lin Tianzheng did not give up and continued to plead for assistance over two days and one night. Finally, around noon on the second of November, his satellite phone suddenly started ringing and his face fell after he answered it and heard what the other end said.
A long silence followed.
Then, Lin Tianzheng said hoarsely, “I understand. I’ll head to Lingzhou City right away.”
Hanging up, Lin Tianzheng pleaded loudly once again, “Master, the Stargate is forming soon and the Sky Demon legion would descend upon Earth latest by tomorrow. Please, Master, give Hua Nation a hand.”
With that, he stopped asking.
He kept kneeling quietly for another half an hour before the heritage site.
After that, he rose to his feet and offered the heritage site a fist-palm salute. Then, his aura stirred and the mana in his body rapidly faded.
He crippled the mana he cultivated.
Being a Void-tier elite but only reaching tier-nine as a Qi Refinists, his combat ability was not affected at all despite the crippling. His spirit surged as he erased all his memories about the cultivation of the Penglai Immortal Sect, saying, “If this is how it is, I’m cutting all ties with the Penglai Sect.”
Whoosh!
He took to the air without turning back.
***
At Mount Kunlun, Wang Hou was sitting quietly outside without saying a word.
He had received word that the Stargate was taking shape.
Hence, he quietly looked on for a long while before suddenly smiling and turned to fly away.
A Yuan Spirit clone abruptly appeared on the peak of Mount Kun’lun once he left.
It was a white-haired elder in Daoist robes, staring at the direction where Wang Hou left for a long time before sighing softly, “True Habitant, are we really not helping?”
“The Sky Demons… are they not one of the hundred races back then?”
“Though the Sky Demons were rock-bottom among them, Hua Nation cannot stop them even now.”
There was flashing ripple atop of Mount Kunlun then, caused by the movement of a great array.
The array itself was incredibly massive and covered all of Mount Kunlun, inside of which was dense sagely mist. Further inside, a pavilion stood and a voice spoke calmly, “The time isn’t right.”
There was nothing else spoken after that.
***
In the grand temple constantly shrouded in darkness at the Tantra Sect.
A candle flame abruptly ignited, dispelling all darkness as a shriveled figure stepped out of the temple.
He was wearing a tattered tunic and monk robes, and the muscles exposed over his right arm were withered.
His visage was elderly, his eyes turbid and his back hunched. Not only did he appear to have one foot in the grave but he actually had one foot in the grave.
“Guru…”
The many disciples welcomed him outside the temple, just as there were others dissuading him—Corban, the monk with an iron staff knelt on the ground, saying, “Master, I am willing to leave the mountain in your stead.”
The shriveled elder walked up and stroked Corban’s huge bald head.
He then looked at the many lamas around him, saying, “Hear my call, disciples of Tantra!”
Every disciple looked solemn at that as the shriveled old man somberly said, “Our sect has guarded the Tantra Realm for over a thousand years and our ancestral master had even used his body to seal the Stargate. Remember, this gateway is not to open as long as the Tantra Sect is not gone!”
Every Tantra Sect disciple answered affirmatively, while the shriveled old man’s body released frightening Blood Qi, his elderly face reverting to youthfulness and his skinny body instantly turning robust.
“Guru…”
The many Tantra Sect disciples were kneeling, some wailing while others appeared grieving.
They knew that guru was holding back his final talents.
His youthful state allowed him to maintain his peak fighting ability, but regardless of the outcome, the guru would die in three days.
In his youth form, the guru had shoulder-length black hair and he tore off his monk robes before putting on a set a white robe that he got from his Spatial Ring. He even took out a fan, and appeared quietly handsome and elegant.
As he left, stepping up on the air, his voice echoed beside the ears of the many Tantra Sect disciples. “Remember, do not seek my reincarnation. I have lived for three lifetimes and almost 800 years, and am still a body pure Yang even now.”
He had left behind all shackles in that very instant.
***
At the same time, at the ancient Shaolin Temple, a Buddhist radiance shone as an old monk wearing a kasaya descended form the mountain, shippala in hand.
Likewise, an old Daoist stood atop a blue snake as they headed toward Lingzhou City.
Up on Mount Wudang, another sloppy old Daoist leapt off the mountain and left, stepping upon blue clouds.
At the Yellow Emperor’s tomb, an elderly man stepped out of his Secret Realm, treading upon the yellow ground as he headed for Lingzhou City every step of the way.
***
Meanwhile, Jiang He had quietly flown into the clouds above his own yard.
Refining his many swords, he hid himself in the Stargate that was about to form. Then, summoning a cloud with a wave of his hand, he sat cross-legged beside it and took out a pinch of purple-golden sunflower seeds, munching on them.
After ascending to True Child and cultivating the Sword Array of Five Elements and Six Pulses, Jiang He made the perfect-plan:
He would be waiting for the trap to be sprung!
1
Back on the first-floor sofa, Elder Lin’s mouth was hanging open slightly with a look of astonishment over his face.
He was a little too stunned to react.
Such cultivation was possible?
Ascending just because one wanted to?
Nonetheless, before he could compose himself from the shock, he heard footsteps from the stairs—Jiang He was already coming downstairs.
“Brother Jiang He,” he could not help exclaim at that, “Why… are you coming down already?”
“I’m done ascending.”
Old Lin did a double take and asked, “You’ve just ascended, shouldn’t you stabilize your cultivation?”
Even so, he regretted almost as soon as he asked that.
Stabilize, my foot!
Jiang He’s aura went as deep as the oceans. Was there even a sign of the shakiness of a recent ascension?
In return, Jiang He smiled. “Brother Lin, you wouldn’t know this, but though I’ve only started practicing martial arts recently, my depth is strong. That is why I would have a fractional improvement after each ascension and I don’t have to out of my way to stabilize my cultivation.”
At the same time, Jiang He also thought to himself, ‘I’m full-fledged right after I ascend, so it more or less counts as a fractional improvement, right?’
After all, major improvement went leaping up to Yuan Spirit right away.
On the other hand, Long Mountain Lin was wondering if could Jiang He have reached Void-tier right after ascending?
No way, he has now assumed the immortal path, and I’m not sure how their tiers are categorized…
Still, he asked about it after hesitating for a while, while Jiang He smiled. “Actually, I’m not sure how cultivators are categorized back in the Era of Qi Refinists, although I myself had made a detailed tier-list.”
“I divide it into Qi Refinist, Golden Pellet, True Child, Yuan Spirit, Convergence, Weathering Retribution, Mastery…”
Jiang He paused at that, gasping in surprise, “Huh… have I categorized the tiers too simply? Shouldn’t I add a ‘Rising Flight’ after Mastery, a level that could shatter space and rise to the immortal realm…”
Long Mountain Lin blinked.
What the hell.
You are categorizing that stuff by yourself?
Don’t you have information about it from what you inherited?
And was this not already simplest?
Most importantly, why are you adding another tier on a whim?
***
Meanwhile, overseas, Lin Tianzheng had been kneeling in front of a heritage site for a long time.
“Master, the Sky Demons are coming and Hua Nation is in danger. Please help us, Master!”
“Master…”
Even so, there was no response from within the heritage site.
But Lin Tianzheng did not give up and continued to plead for assistance over two days and one night. Finally, around noon on the second of November, his satellite phone suddenly started ringing and his face fell after he answered it and heard what the other end said.
A long silence followed.
Then, Lin Tianzheng said hoarsely, “I understand. I’ll head to Lingzhou City right away.”
Hanging up, Lin Tianzheng pleaded loudly once again, “Master, the Stargate is forming soon and the Sky Demon legion would descend upon Earth latest by tomorrow. Please, Master, give Hua Nation a hand.”
With that, he stopped asking.
He kept kneeling quietly for another half an hour before the heritage site.
After that, he rose to his feet and offered the heritage site a fist-palm salute. Then, his aura stirred and the mana in his body rapidly faded.
He crippled the mana he cultivated.
Being a Void-tier elite but only reaching tier-nine as a Qi Refinists, his combat ability was not affected at all despite the crippling. His spirit surged as he erased all his memories about the cultivation of the Penglai Immortal Sect, saying, “If this is how it is, I’m cutting all ties with the Penglai Sect.”
Whoosh!
He took to the air without turning back.
***
At Mount Kunlun, Wang Hou was sitting quietly outside without saying a word.
He had received word that the Stargate was taking shape.
Hence, he quietly looked on for a long while before suddenly smiling and turned to fly away.
A Yuan Spirit clone abruptly appeared on the peak of Mount Kun’lun once he left.
It was a white-haired elder in Daoist robes, staring at the direction where Wang Hou left for a long time before sighing softly, “True Habitant, are we really not helping?”
“The Sky Demons… are they not one of the hundred races back then?”
“Though the Sky Demons were rock-bottom among them, Hua Nation cannot stop them even now.”
There was flashing ripple atop of Mount Kunlun then, caused by the movement of a great array.
The array itself was incredibly massive and covered all of Mount Kunlun, inside of which was dense sagely mist. Further inside, a pavilion stood and a voice spoke calmly, “The time isn’t right.”
There was nothing else spoken after that.
***
In the grand temple constantly shrouded in darkness at the Tantra Sect.
A candle flame abruptly ignited, dispelling all darkness as a shriveled figure stepped out of the temple.
He was wearing a tattered tunic and monk robes, and the muscles exposed over his right arm were withered.
His visage was elderly, his eyes turbid and his back hunched. Not only did he appear to have one foot in the grave but he actually had one foot in the grave.
“Guru…”
The many disciples welcomed him outside the temple, just as there were others dissuading him—Corban, the monk with an iron staff knelt on the ground, saying, “Master, I am willing to leave the mountain in your stead.”
The shriveled elder walked up and stroked Corban’s huge bald head.
He then looked at the many lamas around him, saying, “Hear my call, disciples of Tantra!”
Every disciple looked solemn at that as the shriveled old man somberly said, “Our sect has guarded the Tantra Realm for over a thousand years and our ancestral master had even used his body to seal the Stargate. Remember, this gateway is not to open as long as the Tantra Sect is not gone!”
Every Tantra Sect disciple answered affirmatively, while the shriveled old man’s body released frightening Blood Qi, his elderly face reverting to youthfulness and his skinny body instantly turning robust.
“Guru…”
The many Tantra Sect disciples were kneeling, some wailing while others appeared grieving.
They knew that guru was holding back his final talents.
His youthful state allowed him to maintain his peak fighting ability, but regardless of the outcome, the guru would die in three days.
In his youth form, the guru had shoulder-length black hair and he tore off his monk robes before putting on a set a white robe that he got from his Spatial Ring. He even took out a fan, and appeared quietly handsome and elegant.
As he left, stepping up on the air, his voice echoed beside the ears of the many Tantra Sect disciples. “Remember, do not seek my reincarnation. I have lived for three lifetimes and almost 800 years, and am still a body pure Yang even now.”
He had left behind all shackles in that very instant.
***
At the same time, at the ancient Shaolin Temple, a Buddhist radiance shone as an old monk wearing a kasaya descended form the mountain, shippala in hand.
Likewise, an old Daoist stood atop a blue snake as they headed toward Lingzhou City.
Up on Mount Wudang, another sloppy old Daoist leapt off the mountain and left, stepping upon blue clouds.
At the Yellow Emperor’s tomb, an elderly man stepped out of his Secret Realm, treading upon the yellow ground as he headed for Lingzhou City every step of the way.
***
Meanwhile, Jiang He had quietly flown into the clouds above his own yard.
Refining his many swords, he hid himself in the Stargate that was about to form. Then, summoning a cloud with a wave of his hand, he sat cross-legged beside it and took out a pinch of purple-golden sunflower seeds, munching on them.
After ascending to True Child and cultivating the Sword Array of Five Elements and Six Pulses, Jiang He made the perfect-plan:
He would be waiting for the trap to be sprung!
1
