The Seven Provinces Alliance army broke through Martial God Pass. Within just three moves, Wu Man'er of Qingxiao Sect slew the demon general Chang Wu and shattered the city gates. The news spread across the world, and the people of all nine provinces finally saw the light of hope.
However, even after breaching Martial God Pass, the Seven Provinces army didn't press forward recklessly. They were repeatedly blocked by the imperial army, forced into brutal battles one after another. Yet their advance never ceased—they drew closer to Zhenyang Imperial City with every passing day.
Meanwhile, the martial world was shaken to its core. The Three Imperial Sects had joined forces with the Bureau of Martial Prohibition to launch a sudden attack on Qingxiao Sect. The revelation left countless sects dumbfounded—many saw it as the ultimate disgrace. It was also a clear sign that the imperial court intended to seize control over the martial world itself.
Before the outrage even had time to settle, another shocking piece of news struck the land like an earthquake—Taiwu Sect and the Liyin Sect had been completely annihilated by a Qingxiao Sect force led by Xu Ning.
The tides of the world were shifting violently, and the martial world had entered an age of unprecedented change.
Both Taiwu Sect and Liyin Sect ranked among the top five sects under heaven. Apart from the twin holy lands of the North and South, the Three Imperial Sects had dominated the martial world with the backing of the imperial court.
And now—just thirty-one people had wiped out two of those sects. The martial world trembled, and whispers arose: Just how strong is Qingxiao Sect?
Before Xu Ning and her group even returned, the news of Taiwu Sect and Liyin Sect's destruction had already reached Qingxiao Mountain. Every disciple was electrified. Xu Ning's name now outshone every other rising star of the generation.
At the construction site of the Beast Subjugation Hall on Qingxiao Mountain, Li Qingqiu and Li Sijin stood side by side, watching their disciples at work.
"If Third Senior Brother hears about this," Li Sijin said, laughing excitedly, "he'll definitely be upset. He'll think it should've been his turn to shine."
Her relationship with Xu Ning was especially close—more like sisters than fellow disciples. She'd long noticed the unspoken rivalry between Xu Ning and Jiang Zhaoxia.
Li Qingqiu shot her a glance. "Stop thinking that way about your Third Brother. He's not that petty."
Li Sijin clearly didn't believe it. She started listing, one by one, all of Jiang Zhaoxia's petty habits since childhood.
"Oh, right, Senior Brother," she said curiously, "how did news about the Three Imperial Sects attacking us spread so fast? I heard even the pilgrims on the mountain are talking about it. It's like the entire world already knows."
Li Qingqiu's eyes moved toward Cheng Xiu and Cheng San, who were working diligently nearby. "Of course someone helped spread it," he said. "You can thank your Second Brother and Hall Master Zhu."
"So that's the power of the great families, huh…"
Li Sijin grew thoughtful. As the Hall Master of the Cultivation Hall, she'd been courted by many noble clans before but found their flattery tedious and had always kept her distance. Now, however, she was starting to see things differently.
Among the Seven Halls, hers had the slowest growth. If not for overseeing the sect's core martial arts and the Scripture Repository, even she might have admitted that her hall served little purpose. Her experiments with spiritual plants were still ongoing, with no practical results yet.
Li Qingqiu looked over at her and said, "Don't overthink it. Your spiritual plants are the key to the sect's future. As for politics, you don't need to get involved. Not every hall must build its own family network."
Relieved, Li Sijin sighed. "I did manage to grow a spiritual plant once—but later found out it was just a spirit-rich weed. Completely useless."
"Take your time," Li Qingqiu said gently. "I already gave you a batch of medicinal herbs. If you can transform those into true spiritual plants, and later refine them into pills using the Chenhui Orchid, the benefits to Qingxiao Sect will be beyond anything we can imagine. Your contributions would be carved into stone for generations."
His words comforted her. But her work was far more than just cultivating spiritual plants—she also oversaw the Earth Talisman Codex. The Spirit Eagle Talismans she developed held great tactical value, and many disciples in the Cultivation Hall were now studying them with promising results.
If Zhang Yuchun was Qingxiao Sect's administrative pillar, then Li Sijin was its technical mind. Even if she lacked political skills, it didn't diminish Li Qingqiu's trust in her one bit.
In fact, her disinterest in politics was, in his eyes, a blessing.
Every word of praise from Li Qingqiu made Li Sijin's blood stir with pride. She suddenly wanted to run straight back to her fields to experiment more.
But just then, Li Qingqiu's expression changed. He turned his head toward the distance, his brows furrowing slightly.
He sensed a strange aura—something dark, cold, and bloodthirsty. It was unlike anything he'd felt before. Evil, deathly, and suffocatingly heavy—it reminded him of the legendary Nine Nether Underworld. It was as though the gates of the underworld had been thrown open.
"That direction… it's toward Zhenyang Imperial City…"
Li Qingqiu's gaze hardened.
'Could something have happened there?'
By his estimation, Xu Ning and the others had been away for nearly two months now. They should be on their way back soon.
Still uneasy, he decided to send Xiao Ba to find Xu Ning, Li Sifeng, and Wu Man'er—to check on their safety.
Xiao Ba wasn't just fast; its vision far surpassed that of most cultivators, and it could track spiritual traces from great distances. For searching and reconnaissance, it was far more efficient than Li Qingqiu himself.
"All right, get back to work," Li Qingqiu said, then turned and left.
Li Sijin was still lost in the bright future he'd painted for her and didn't notice the shadow that had crossed his face.
…
As dusk approached, a group of Qingxiao Sect disciples led by Xu Ning advanced along a riverbank. Li Sifeng, Wu Man'er, and Zhang Yu were with her. Most of the group looked exhausted and hollow-eyed.
Li Sifeng, carrying the Emperor Xuan Sword on his back, turned to glance at the distant mountains. The ridges rose like an endless wall, blocking the sky ahead.
They had already left Zhongtian Prefecture behind, yet the brutal battle from two days ago still haunted his mind.
"Stop looking back," Xu Ning said quietly. "We couldn't save them. And besides, not everyone will die—no matter what the Emperor does, many of them will still find a way to escape alive."
Zhang Yu walked up to Li Sifeng, patted his shoulder, and sighed softly.
Li Sifeng turned to look at him, then the two continued walking side by side.
After a while, Li Sifeng couldn't help but ask, "What do you think the world's going to become now?"
Zhang Yu's expression grew heavy. "I don't know. In all of history, there's never been an emperor like this—nor anything like what's happening now. We'll just have to return and wait for the Sect Master's orders."
Li Sifeng nodded slightly, his gaze shifting toward Xu Ning, who was leading the group at the front. He was just about to quicken his pace when he suddenly noticed a figure walking toward them.
Not just him—everyone saw it.
A man in black robes approached from the riverbank. In one hand, he held a horsetail whisk; a long sword hung from his waist. His beard was long and flowing, his hat tall and proper, his brows sharp, and his eyes cold. The wind from the river blew against his robes, making him seem like an unsheathed sword whose edge could not be hidden.
Xu Ning's expression didn't change at all, but the disciples could feel it—this man was no ordinary wanderer.
When the distance between them closed to less than five zhang, the black-robed Daoist stopped and asked, "May I ask, are you all coming from Zhenyang?"
Xu Ning stopped as well. "Yes. You're heading to Zhenyang Imperial City?"
"I am a Daoist of Fengxia Mountain in South Chu. My Dao name is Baishu. You may call me Daoist Baishu," the man said calmly. "Judging by your attire, you're martial cultivators—and perhaps soldiers too. Could you tell me what's happening in Zhenyang right now?"
Xu Ning studied him carefully but didn't reply right away.
At that moment, Zhang Yu stepped forward to stand beside her. "Fengxia Mountain of South Chu—one of the Two Saints of the Martial World?" he asked curiously.
The other True Disciples all stopped, their gazes fixed on the Daoist.
In response, Daoist Baishu shook his head modestly. "That's just an empty title people of the martial world gave us. Fengxia Mountain is merely a place of quiet cultivation, with few disciples. It can hardly be called a sacred ground of the martial world."
Li Sifeng stepped closer. "Two Saints of the Martial World? Sounds like quite a grand title."
Zhang Yu nodded and said, "In today's martial world, the title of the Two Saints isn't widely known anymore. But forty years ago—before the imperial court established the Three Imperial Sects—the names of the Twin Saints of North and South resounded across all nine provinces. Fengxia Mountain has existed for over a thousand years. It has produced imperial advisors and generals who ended great wars. They follow the belief that 'man conquers heaven,' entering the Dao through martial cultivation. My master once told me that he held Fengxia Mountain in the highest respect."
Hearing the praise, Daoist Baishu didn't seem proud. He merely shook his head lightly and said again, "Those are just empty words. Could you now tell me, what has become of Zhenyang?"
Zhang Yu's face darkened. He gritted his teeth. "Daoist, don't go to Zhenyang Imperial City. That place is swarming with demons. The Emperor commands countless demonic soldiers. They're rounding up civilians everywhere. The Seven Provinces Allied Army has been crushed. The generals are fleeing in all directions. If you go to Zhenyang now, you'll probably end up captured by the Bureau of Martial Prohibition—and turned into medicine."
At those words, the disciples all remembered the horrors they'd witnessed two days earlier. Their faces turned pale, and fear flickered in their eyes.
Those shadowy figures on the battlefield, moving like vengeful ghosts, still haunted their minds, leaving a chill deep in their bones.
Daoist Baishu, however, showed no sign of fear. His face remained calm as he murmured, "So the thousand-year calamity of mankind has finally come. I understand. Thank you all."
With that, he stepped aside, passing Xu Ning and the others, and continued walking toward Zhenyang.
Xu Ning tilted her head slightly, watching him from the corner of her eye. "Your martial arts are strong," she said, "but not as strong as Xuan Gong's—and nowhere near the Emperor's. He commands tens of thousands of demonic soldiers. If you go there, it won't change anything. In fact, your power might only feed his ambition."
Daoist Baishu didn't respond. He kept walking forward, his steps firm, his back straight.
The thirty True Disciples watched him go, each feeling a strange, indescribable mix of emotions.
No one knew whether the man simply didn't believe them—or whether he'd already made peace with dying.
"Is he the only one from Fengxia Mountain?" Li Sifeng asked Zhang Yu quietly.
Zhang Yu's expression turned grave. "Of course not. But for someone to descend the mountain and try to save the world… he must be one of their strongest."
Li Sifeng shook his head. "His martial arts are good, yes—but only good."
"Let's keep moving," Xu Ning said flatly, taking the lead once more.
The others followed.
Suddenly—
A sharp cry echoed from the skies above.
Xu Ning looked up, her brow slightly raised.
One of the disciples exclaimed, "That's the Sect Master's spirit eagle!"
Everyone turned their eyes skyward. High above them, Xiao Ba circled majestically, its black feathers glinting in the fading light.
Even Daoist Baishu turned to look. He saw the enormous black eagle soaring through the air and heard the Qingxiao Sect disciples calling out in awe.
'To raise such a spiritual creature… their Sect Master must truly be extraordinary,' he thought. 'What a remarkable man. A pity I won't live long enough to meet him.'
He glanced one last time before turning away, walking in the opposite direction of Qingxiao Sect's group.
The river crashed against its banks. Dust and wind swept across the barren plain.
From Xiao Ba's view above the clouds, Daoist Baishu's figure looked impossibly small—so small that even the world itself seemed unable to hold a trace of him.