Xu Chui trembled violently, his whole body taut as he fought the instinct to kneel before the brilliant radiance blazing atop the cliff peak. "Who are you bowing to!? Have you forgotten the monsters earlier? Are you waiting for your death?"
Fortunately, several Intent Proficiency experts—less easily blinded by awe—pulled him back to his senses, helping rally the sect disciples and push onward, away from Twin Eagle City.
As they hurried through the canyon, they passed hunters and farmers along the road. Young men and women, their eyes red and swollen, tears streaking their cheeks. Instead of driving them off, Xu Chui motioned for them to join the fleeing group.
They ran until the canyon opened into a wide plain. Only then did the towering streak of light on the horizon slowly fade.
"Alright, this place is safe," Li Shunxi called out, his voice rough with fatigue.
"Halt!" Lu Sheng raised a hand, and the entire company staggered to a stop.
The moment their feet ceased moving, many collapsed onto the grass, legs buckling from exhaustion. Behind them, the hunters and farmers wept openly—yet none offered a prayer.
Lu Sheng turned, gaze drawn to the last remnants of the dissipating white light. In his mind rose the memory of the inferno that had swallowed Nine Links City.
‘This… this is far stronger than the fire from the Scarlet Dragon Tribulation. Is this the true might of a Divine Weapon?’
As he studied the fading column of radiance, countless tangled thoughts stirred within him.
Li Shunxi guided his horse closer. Like Lu Sheng, he stared toward the distant beam. Bai Qiuling sat before him on the saddle, her face streaked with tears.
"That's the power of a Devil Blade…" Li Shunxi murmured. "Divine Weapons and Devil Blades choose their own masters. Bai Zhenming held that evil jade for years, dreaming of becoming its Divine Weapon Master. But it never acknowledged him. Someone activated it behind his back, undoing everything he worked for… and in the process, destroying Twin Eagle City in a single night."
"You mean even if you obtain a Divine Weapon or Devil Blade, you still might not become its master?" Lu Sheng asked, curiosity ignited.
"This is a secret of the Noble Families," Li Shunxi whispered. Only the two of them were close enough to hear. To a friend who had aided him time and time again, he held nothing back.
"There’s nothing I’ll hide from you. To master a Divine Weapon or Devil Blade, there are only two conditions—Ritual Offering, and being chosen by it. Those who are not recognized can never become a Divine Weapon Master, nor wield its power."
"How can one be chosen then?" Lu Sheng asked again, his expression darkening.
"Very simple. First, one must share a similar personality and attribute. Second, one must devote oneself entirely to the Divine Weapon or Devil Blade, placing its demands above all else," Li Shunxi replied helplessly.
Silence fell between them.
Lu Sheng had once imagined seizing a Divine Weapon by force and bending its power to his will. Now, that notion crumbled like ash.
‘Devote oneself entirely? You’ve got to be kidding me.’
"How do you know so much?" Lu Sheng asked, studying Li Shunxi as though seeing him anew.
"Because…" Li Shunxi touched his chest. "Although I’m not a Divine Weapon Master, I am a bearer of a Divine Weapon." A faint, bitter smile tugged at his lips.
Without waiting for Lu Sheng to speak, he continued in a low, weary voice,
"The Jade of Secrets I carry is the ancestral Divine Weapon of the Liu Family in Yun Province, inherited by Liu Qin and Liu Caiyun. It holds the power of prediction and foresight. Through it, I’ve learned many things that others never will."
Lu Sheng was quiet for a moment. "Aren’t you afraid I might rob you of it?"
Li Shunxi shook his head.
"Firstly, I trust Brother Lu’s character. Secondly…" He hesitated, then sighed. "The Jade of Secrets has no physical form. Ashoka Manor has hunted it for years, yet unless the bearer willingly transfers it, they cannot claim it. And even then, the price of using it is too steep. That’s why what they truly seek is to use the Jade of Secrets to locate the Spirit Giant Blood."
"Spirit Giant Blood?" Lu Sheng echoed, another unfamiliar term passing his lips.
If Li Shunxi was telling the truth about the Divine Weapon and Devil Blade choosing their masters, then Lu Sheng knew—without question—that such power would never acknowledge him.
After all, his appearance in this world—and the Modifier—were secrets he could never allow to surface. If exposed, who knew how a Divine Weapon or Devil Blade with its own will might respond?
This realization shattered any lingering hope of rising through the world’s orthodox path.
The path of a Divine Weapon Master was the most revered, the most established route toward advancement and transformation. Yet for Lu Sheng, it was a road forever sealed. Though he had prepared himself since the beginning to rely solely on his own strength, a quiet sense of desolation still crept through him when the truth settled in.
"Let’s talk more when we’re back." Li Shunxi’s voice was subdued as he gently comforted Bai Qiuling in his arms.
With Li Shunxi’s guidance, the company from Crimson Whale Sect avoided numerous hazards and made swift progress back toward the Northern Lands.
Lu Sheng had nearly been killed by Ashoka Manor without ever facing them directly. Had he not escaped Twin Eagle City before its catastrophic destruction, the outcome would have been unimaginable. He knew well that he lacked the strength to withstand such apocalyptic force. And now, having killed one of Ashoka Manor’s experts—another Officiator, according to Li Shunxi—he had earned their enmity.
Once he returned to the Northern Lands, he immediately sent a letter to Shangyang Jiuli, summarizing the events of his journey.
He omitted any mention of Li Shunxi and the Officiator he had slain, but detailed the explosion of the evil jade and the affair involving the Ten Spears of the Evil Jade Crystal. The incident was too large to stay hidden; the Shangyang Family would certainly obtain intelligence through other channels. If he reported it first, he stood to gain favor.
As expected, Shangyang Jiuli’s reply arrived swiftly. Regarding Ashoka Manor, she instructed Lu Sheng to act as he saw fit. She herself was about to enter solitary cultivation and was not to be disturbed. She also requested several miscellaneous materials and medicinal herbs.
Truthfully, this was the response Lu Sheng had hoped for.
Shangyang Jiuli’s innate talent and cultivation strength were nothing short of terrifying. At such a young age, she had already awakened her bloodline and reached the pinnacle of the Bind realm—the Seven-Vein level. Her secluded cultivation this time was surely for the purpose of breaking through the Bind realm entirely and stepping into the next stage.
When that moment arrived, it would no longer matter whether Shangyang Jiuli herself could contend with Ashoka Manor; the Shangyang Family behind her would grant her status, authority, and boundless resources.
Upon returning to the sect, Lu Sheng devoted all his effort to gathering the resources and medicinal herbs she had requested—amounting to several million taels of silver—and delivered them to Shangyang Jiuli’s hidden chambers. In doing so, he had nearly exhausted all the sect’s reserves. Only after completing this did he begin arranging lodging for the pair, including Li Shunxi.
…………
In the Sect Master’s secret chamber aboard the Crimson Whale, Lu Sheng and Li Shunxi sat facing one another. Beside them, Bai Qiuling remained silent, her expression shadowed. The entire chamber held only the three of them. A newly placed table stood between them, bearing three cups of steaming fruit tea.
The oil lamps along the stone walls cast a soft, wavering yellow glow, painting their silhouettes in warm flickers.
“Brother Lu, if not for you, Qiuling and I would never have escaped Twin Eagle City with our lives, much less without crippling injuries.” Li Shunxi raised his cup with solemn gratitude. “You’ve saved me again and again. I, Li Shunxi, have no means to repay such kindness. I’ll substitute tea for wine—bottoms up!” He drained his cup in one motion.
Lu Sheng lifted his own cup in response.
“Why speak like that, Brother Li? From the moment we met, we understood each other. That night at the Song Manor, we talked until dawn and became brothers in all but name. If trouble comes for you, how could I possibly stand aside?” He set his cup down, his expression steady. “Don’t bring this up again. Instead, tell me about the Jade of Secrets and this Spirit Giant Blood you mentioned.”
Li Shunxi nodded. He closed his eyes briefly, then opened them with renewed clarity.
“Since we’re safe here, I will hide nothing from you, Brother Lu.” He gathered his thoughts before continuing. “The Jade of Secrets is the supreme Divine Weapon of Liu Qin and Liu Caiyun’s Liu Family. Because it has no physical form, it cannot be taken—master or no master. That’s why Ashoka Manor has been unable to seize it despite all their efforts. So they turned their attention to another item: Spirit Giant Blood.”
“As the name suggests, Spirit Giant Blood allows one’s spirit to swell and grow immense. Ashoka Manor is built upon demons and devils—beings whose essence is spiritual. Spirit Giant Blood can greatly increase their success rate and reduce failures when advancing in cultivation. It’s useless to mortals like us, but to demons and devils above the Bind realm, it’s a priceless elixir.”
“Above the realm of Bind!?” Lu Sheng’s eyes sharpened. “The realm above Bind is…?”
“It’s Snake,” Li Shunxi replied solemnly. “The Manor Lord of Ashoka Manor is at that level. The Heads of the major Noble Families are as well.” Seeing the seriousness on Lu Sheng’s face, he paused, giving him a moment to absorb the revelation before continuing.
“Experts who have stepped into the Snake realm include the Noble Family Heads, the District Mistress of Scarlet District, the Manor Lord of Ashoka Manor… and perhaps a few more. In the entire Northern Lands, there are no more than five such existences. Even in the Central Plains—ten times more populous—the number still doesn’t exceed two digits.”
“So what you’re saying is… experts of this realm are essentially qualified to establish their own sects or manors, and even among Noblemen, they are considered lords of their territories?” Lu Sheng asked, his understanding deepening.
“You can put it that way. Even among the major Noble Families, those who reach this realm are exceedingly rare.” Li Shunxi nodded.
Silence settled over the chamber, heavy and brief.
A moment later, Lu Sheng asked, “What are your plans from here on out?”
“I’ll continue searching for bearers of Spirit Giant Blood. The Manor Lord of Ashoka Manor is nearing the end of his lifespan. Without Spirit Giant Blood to break through, he will wither and die. That is why they’re becoming increasingly desperate for people like Bai Qiuling. So…”
“So you plan to find all bearers of Spirit Giant Blood and hide them away before Ashoka Manor can seize them?” Lu Sheng finished for him.
“That’s right. I possess a method to neutralize the Spirit Giant Blood constitution.” Li Shunxi’s gaze hardened, hatred simmering beneath it. “My entire family perished at the hands of Ashoka Manor. So did Qiuling’s. Our hatred for them reaches beyond the heavens. One day, I will erase that faction completely.”
“Oh, and the Scarlet District is actually allied with Ashoka Manor. You should be careful,” Lu Sheng reminded him.
“I know. Don’t worry, Brother Lu.” Li Shunxi reached into his waist pouch, withdrew a folded piece of paper, and handed it to Lu Sheng.
“Although I don’t know why you want martial arts manuals, the Martial League is overflowing with them. With the League Master missing and the entire organization in chaos, nothing is stopping you from leading your men in and claiming part of their strength for yourself.”
“Besides that, since you’ve killed Ashoka Manor’s Officiator, let’s hope the Scarlet District doesn’t learn of it. But if they do…” Li Shunxi let the words trail off before continuing quietly. “Brother Lu can go to the Central Plains and seek out a place called Green Freedom Valley.”
Lu Sheng accepted the paper he handed over. It was a map.
“This depicts the terrain surrounding the Martial League’s headquarters,” Li Shunxi whispered. “By following it, Brother Lu will be able to locate the valley where they hide.”
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