NOVPUB"How could I always walk by the river and not stay on guard," the little acolyte sneered.
"You go ahead," Xu Zimei turned to King Qinyou and said.
King Qinyou gave the little acolyte a stern look.
The aura of the Immortal Ascension Boundary burst forth from his body.
A vast sweep of Immortal Might permeated the surroundings.
He grabbed the cage bars with both hands and, with a forceful twist, he wrenched a large gap in the iron cage, made of Heavenly Gang and Earth Sha Stone, in an instant.
"How is this possible, a powerhouse Stepping into Immortality," the little acolyte’s face turned ashen, and with a cry of alarm, he attempted to flee.
King Qinyou slammed down with a palm, pinning him in place, so he couldn’t move an inch.
Seeing Xu Zimei stepping out of the cage, the little acolyte was scared stiff.
"Should I kill him or not?" King Qinyou asked indifferently.
"No, let him taste what it feels like for others," Xu Zimei shook his head and said.
He released all the members of the Sword Twilight Sect from their cages, then threw the little acolyate in alone.
King Qinyou sealed the exit completely.
"Make sure to stay alive," Xu Zimei said with a smile, addressing the little acolyte.
"To die a lonely and desolate death in this darkness."
With a wave of his right hand, he extinguished all the lights on the wall, plunging the inside into darkness.
As the stone wall door slowly closed, the desperate howls of the little acolyte came from within.
After exiting the secret passage and coming outside, Xu Zimei looked at the deranged man.
"My name is Fan Shaoyang," the man began, "Thank you."
"That’s not what I want to know," Xu Zimei replied coolly.
Fan Shaoyang nodded slightly.
He picked up a knife and tore open his own arm.
Embedded within the flesh of the arm as if it had grown together with the blood and tissue, was a shard.
Fan Shaoyang extracted the shard, blood flowing uncontrollably from the wound.
Drenching his entire person in red.
Xu Zimei took the shard, feeling the familiar presence upon it.
There were a total of five pieces of the True Divine Sword, and Xu Zimei had already obtained two.
This third piece was indeed a part of the sword’s grid.
Xu Zimei wiped the fresh blood off the piece, then placed it together with the other shards into the True Fate World.
After bidding farewell to Fan Shaoyang, he and King Qinyou went back to their respective rooms.
The people from the Sword Twilight Sect had suffered a great shock, and it was uncertain how many would recover.
These concerns were irrelevant to Xu Zimei, who only felt a moment of reflection on the nature of the human heart.
Although he never considered himself to be a good person,
at least he had been forthright in many things, with a clear conscience.
...
A silent night passed,
The next day, Xu Zimei, still in deep slumber, was awakened by a roaring sound and the noisy commotion of the crowd in the street.
He slowly opened his eyes and made his way to the window.
Looking down, he saw a dense crowd gathered below the street.
And suspended in mid-air, an immense battle cruiser was stationed there.
The warship occupied half the firmament, looking incredibly imposing.
Stepping out of his room, at this moment, King Qinyou was sitting near the window in the Buddhist dining area,
also looking up at the warship in the sky.
"What’s going on?" Xu Zimei asked as he approached.
"It seems like the people from the Immortal Mortal Sect have arrived," King Qinyou replied.
The Immortal Mortal Sect, this Imperial Rule Immortal Sect located in the Central Continent.
It had reached its zenith under the leadership of the Mortal Great Emperor.
Previously, when Xu Zimei was at the Heaven Expanse Holy Mountain, he had encountered Elder Yunfan from the Immortal Mortal Sect.
"What are they doing here?" Xu Zimei stroked his chin, pondering with interest.
Up in the sky, the wind rose and the clouds churned.
The colossal battle cruiser generated endless gusts, thundering magnificently overhead.
The warship was pure white, enveloped by immortal mist.
As the warship descended slowly, the surrounding space shattered amidst thunderous roars.
This grand spectacle shook the entire Buddhist Rites City.
The warship stopped near the city, choosing not to force its way in.
Three figures were seen emerging slowly from the warship, stepping into the air and descending.
Although Buddhist Rites City is a gathering place for both Mahayana and Theravada Buddhism,
it does not lack a true ruler in the open.
The Buddha Hall is the authoritative power of this city.
They are akin to the City Lord Mansion of other cities, with a different name.
The authorities within the Buddha Hall are referred to as Buddha Lords.
Each generation of the Buddha Lord is elected fairly from among both Mahayana and Theravada Buddhists.
And most importantly, the Buddha Lord only maintains the order of the city,
without getting involved in the discussions of Mahayana and Theravada Buddhist Law.
...
As the three figures from the warship descended slowly,
the people of the Buddha Hall instantly dispersed the crowd in the streets, clearing a vacant area for them.
Thereupon, a man dressed in a golden monk’s robe, wrapped in a dark yellow kasaya, walked out slowly.
This man’s skin was somewhat dark, his eyes lively and piercing.
He had a benevolent appearance, with particularly large earlobes that seemed as if they might fall off.
Moreover, he had long hair that was naturally curly, coiled atop his head.
Xu Zimei looked out the window towards the front, noting that there were only three people from the Immortal Mortal Sect.
A youth, a woman, and an old man.
The old man was likely one of the Immortal Mortal Sect Elders, with strength close to that of the Saint Vein Realm.
As for the man and the woman, they were both at the initial stages of the Emperor Pulse.
Such ages and cultivations would qualify them as Saint Heirs or Saintesses in any Sect Gate.
It seemed the Buddha Lord of Buddhist Rites City and these few individuals were already acquainted.
Xu Zimei couldn’t hear what they were saying, only watching as they headed straight towards the Buddha Hall.
"There must be no mistakes in this matter, nor any unnecessary factors," King Qinyou said plainly.
"Could it be that the Immortal Mortal Sect also intends to get involved?" Xu Zimei chuckled.
After breakfast, the two left Buddhist Rites City and headed straight for Wuhua Mountain.
...
As the core and most famous high mountain of the Eastern Continent,
Wuhua Mountain had a very long history.
Despite its steep terrain, the scenery was breathtakingly beautiful.
Green mountains and clear waters, the lush foliage of trees layered upon one another.
Looking up from the base of the mountain, the entirety of it was imposing and majestic.
This involuntarily reminded Xu Zimei of a poem.
How majestic is the Tai Mount? The green of Qilu is unending,
Creation has favored its beauty, yin and yang divide light from dawn,
Heaving my chest, I create clouds with breath, my eyes open, and birds homeward turn.
I shall top the utmost peak, and all other mountains look small.
Atop Wuhua Mountain lay Wuhua Temple,
a temple whose reputation outshone even Wuhua Mountain itself.
Within the temple were thirty-six heavenly caves, and every spring, the temple gates would fling open,
allowing all visitors to come and see.
To reach the summit, there were no shortcuts, only the winding stairs leading ever upward from the mountain’s base.
Flying up through the air was not permitted; this was the sole requirement of Wuhua Mountain.
Xu Zimei and Qin Feng stepped onto the stairs.
With spiritual energy surging around them, they sped towards the top.
Surrounded by the steep mountainside, the staircase was covered with withered yellow leaves.
