“I used to think that you succeeded in slaying your master by forging an alliance with the Buddhist sect, advancing step by step, conquering each stronghold, riding the tide of fortune.”
With every sentence Xu Pingfeng spoke, a thread of blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. His injuries were grave, yet his expression was bold and unrestrained.
Some words had been bottled up inside him for over twenty years, some plans endured with painstaking forbearance for more than two decades. Today, he was determined to say them all.
“But if you carefully analyse and review the process of Wuzong’s rebellion, it is actually easy to deduce some things that were out of the ordinary. For example…”
Xu Pingfeng’s gaze suddenly became sharp:
“At the outset of Wuzong’s rebellion, why was the First Generation caught completely off guard? Even if slaying one’s master is the destiny of Arcanists, is killing one’s disciple not also destiny? There was no reason for the First Generation to allow Wuzong to rebel, nor to let you, Teacher, to advance to Master of Heaven’s Mandate and take his place.
“A dignified first rank Arcanist, unable to perceive his disciple’s actions, how laughable. The reason, as Baidi has just stated, is that you are the Gatekeeper, you used some method to obscure the First Generation’s ability to see the future.
“Am I right, Teacher?”
The Jianzheng held his shepherd’s whip, slowly regulating his breathing, his expression indifferent as he looked at Xu Pingfeng.
“The Gatekeeper is not the key point,” Xu Pingfeng shook his head.
“The key point is the method you used to interfere with the First Generation’s foresight. It was precisely this method that allowed you to successfully blind him, so that he could not foresee his own end. That is why you managed to catch him unprepared.”
Heilian sneered, playing the supporting role:
“Oh? Then, as someone who is not the Gatekeeper, how would you deal with the Jianzheng who is a Master of Heaven’s Mandate?”
Xu Pingfeng shook his head:
“I am not the Gatekeeper. I could not, at second rank, deal with a Master of Heaven’s Mandate. Only a Master of Heaven’s Mandate can contend with a Master of Heaven’s Mandate.”
At this point, the circle beneath Xu Pingfeng’s feet suddenly expanded, creating a vast grand formation with a diameter of several dozen li, which encompassed all the beyond-mortal figures present.
As the formation spread, the brocade pouch at Xu Pingfeng’s waist opened, and streams of light flew out, dancing over everyone’s heads. They were all bronze objects.
They shared the same aura and base colour, as if parts of some enormous magical artefact.
A circular disc inscribed with the taiji fish was the first to stabilise, hovering motionlessly in the air. Immediately afterwards, using it as the core, the other components were drawn together. With a series of clacking sounds, they arranged and assembled themselves.
Meanwhile, Agaruka Bodhisattva performed an incantation in perfect synchrony, sealing the space with the Immovable Lord Dharma Aspect to prevent the Jianzheng from using teleportation, thereby buying time for the parts to merge.
The Jianzheng’s perpetually indifferent expression finally changed, showing a hint of surprise.
During this process, Xu Pingfeng sighed and said:
“It was not that I sought out that line from five hundred years ago, but that they found me. They hid themselves so well that the court could not find them for five centuries. How could I possibly locate them and form an alliance in such a short time?
“The ones who came to me were the descendants of the First Generation Jianzheng’s second disciple. Teacher, do you remember that I once asked you how to advance to first rank? You told me the truth.
“In fact, by then, I had already learnt the truth from the Arcanists of Qianlong City’s line. But I was still unwilling to fall out with you, so I chose to enter officialdom, to attempt reaching the peak as Prime Minister, to unite the empire’s fortune.
“I believed that as long as I expanded the Great Feng’s territories, annexed the Northern Yao Barbarians and parts of the Church of the Warlock God’s domain, the Central Plains would have enough fortune to support two Masters of Heaven’s Mandate.
“But before I could even begin my attempt, I failed. Yuanjing’s oppression, the assaults from the cliques, these shattered the Xu Clique… Why didn’t you help me? If you had helped me back then, the Great Feng would not have ended up where it is today. Teacher Jianzheng, it was you who pushed me towards the line from five hundred years ago.”
Recalling the past, Xu Pingfeng sighed. By now, there was no longer any resentment, only these words, buried in his heart for years, which, if not spoken today, might never be said.
“So I chose to ally with the line from five hundred years ago, and what they offered me was this…”
Xu Pingfeng pointed at the magical artefact overhead. At that moment, the bronze parts had just finished assembling.
It was a huge circular disc, the taiji fish at its core. The patterns at the rim included the five elements, the eight trigrams, flora and fauna, mountains and rivers, sun and moon, and scenes of the ancestors worshipping heaven and earth.
It was as if the entire history of humanity was engraved on it.
Buzz! The artefact, once reassembled, rapidly expanded to a monstrous size, some ten li in diameter, perfectly matching the formation beneath Xu Pingfeng’s feet.
The bronze artefact rotated clockwise. The circle beneath Xu Pingfeng’s feet rotated in reverse.
In an instant, everyone sensed a strange power enveloping the area. Immediately after, they lost all perception of the outside world, as if they were in another dimension, cut off from the Central Plains and heavens.
The Jianzheng’s aura plummeted, his connection to the outside world severed, bereft of the blessing that the power of the all living beings gave him.
“As expected, only a Master of Heaven’s Mandate can deal with a Master of Heaven’s Mandate!”
Seeing the Jianzheng lose the power of the all living beings, Xu Pingfeng’s lips curled into a cold smile and he tutted.
This artefact was left behind by the first generation Jianzheng and it had two functions, both designed to counter the authority of a Master of Heaven’s Mandate.
A Master of Heaven’s Mandate could manipulate the power of the masses on their home ground, making them invincible among those of the same rank. It required several first rank cultivators working together to challenge them.
The artefact’s first function was to block the power of the all living beings; a Master of Heaven’s Mandate, caught within, would be cut off from the outside world.
Of course, there was a time limit.
The second was a passive function: it could not be divined, nor could it be spied upon.
Put simply, the Jianzheng would be unable to perceive its existence when peering into the future.
This was the exclusive authority of a Master of Heaven’s Mandate.
If there were two Masters of Heaven’s Mandate in the world, neither would be able to see the other when divining the future because they possessed identical powers.
“I suspect that the Gatekeeper’s ability included part of the authority of a Master of Heaven’s Mandate. Back then, Teacher, did you use a similar method to evade the First Generation’s vision of the future?” Xu Pingfeng said with a smile,
“You can see into the future, so if you knew there was absolutely no escaping death in this battle, you would naturally make the appropriate arrangements to foil our plot. If I want to kill you, I must blind you to the future.
“This was exactly how you dealt with the First Generation, and it is my trump card. Without it, how could I dare rebel?”
Daoist Heilian snorted coldly and spat:
“If he had not had sufficient bargaining chips, why would I ever have allied with him?”
He flaunted his malice and triumph, making no attempt to hide the ugly side of human nature.
Xu Pingfeng coughed again, wiped the blood from his mouth, and said:
“Back then, you backed Wuzong’s rebellion and allied with the Buddhist sect. The First Generation, seeing that the trend was hopeless and knowing that you, Jianzheng, would one day become a first rank Arcanist, understood that only a Master of Heaven’s Mandate could challenge another. For later generations to replace you would be far too difficult.
“So, at that time, he began to consider how to kill you and lay the groundwork for the revival of the line from five hundred years ago.
“He left behind two things: one, this magical artefact forged with the power of a Master of Heaven’s Mandate. The First Generation hid it in a false tomb of Emperor Gaozu and instructed his descendants to guard the great tomb and wait for an opportunity.”
The First Generation Jianzheng was as old as the dynasty itself, so naturally, he would not have a tomb. The so-called great tomb watched over by the Chai family was in fact a fake tomb of Emperor Gaozu.
From ancient times, emperors have never had only one tomb. Besides the real tomb, there were always several decoy tombs to mislead outsiders, basic imperial practice.
The one assigned to supervise the royal tombs was, of course, the Sitianjian.
“The First Generation was meticulous. He did not tell the second disciple’s lineage about the existence of this artefact, nor did he inform the royal line of five hundred years ago. He merely said: When a second rank Arcanist appears who wishes to replace the Jianzheng, take him to seek out the Chai family.
“However, human hearts are the most unpredictable. The later generations of the Chai family could not endure poverty and loneliness, ignored the ancestral injunctions and abandoned their duty as tomb keepers, returning to secular life.
“It happened that I was establishing Tianjigong and planting spies throughout the Central Plains, searching for people surnamed Chai all over the empire. After almost ten years, I finally found the Chai family in Xiangzhou.”
Xu Pingfeng paused, studying the Jianzheng’s expression in hopes of catching a look of shock or panic, but he was disappointed. The Jianzheng’s face remained as impassive as ever.
“With someone like you who could divine Heaven’s secrets, I imagine you had already seen through life and death. It was disciple who got carried away.” Xu Pingfeng let out a soft sigh and continued,
“The second thing is actually the fortune of the nation.
“Using a war to shake the Great Feng’s fortune, then stealing it by secret arts, storing it in a vessel with royal blood, slowly refining it, and so strengthening the Qi of the Qianlong City bloodline.
“For this plan, first there must be a war sweeping across the entire continent of Jiuzhou, on a grand enough scale, one which concerned the very survival of a nation, otherwise it would be impossible to shake the Great Feng’s fortune. Thus came the battle of Shanhai Pass, twenty-one years ago.
“Next, Xu Qi’an, the vessel with royal blood, was born.”
That bloodline from five hundred years ago was also of the imperial family, and could seize the current Great Feng’s Qi.
If it had been just some bandit power, they could only have waited until the Great Feng rotted to the bone, until the dynasty’s mandate ended, before overturning the Great Feng and establishing a new dynasty.
“Of course, this part of the plan failed. I have still not managed to reclaim the national fortune on Xu Qi’an. Fortunately, from the very beginning, I had always prepared for two outcomes: disperse the Dragon Qi and hasten the Great Feng’s decline.
“As one rises, another falls, the result is the same.”
Xu Pingfeng smiled and said, “Such is the Master of Heaven’s Mandate, even if dead for five hundred years, he is still playing in the game.”
After five hundred years of biding its time, the killing game finally bared its fangs.
“This bastard, dead five hundred years and still here to cause me trouble!”
With a twitch of the wrist, the Jianzheng cracked the God-beating Whip, which lashed toward Xu Pingfeng, ignoring all distance.
Layers of defensive matrix glimmered in front of Xu Pingfeng, and simultaneously, he used a summoning slip to “call” upon Agaruka Bodhisattva.
Bang, bang, bang… The formations shattered one after another, and the God-beating Whip struck Agaruka Bodhisattva’s chest, leaving shallow whip marks.
The God-beating Whip was a tremendous threat to Xu Pingfeng and Heilian, but against Agaruka, it was not powerful enough.
It was not that the God-beating Whip lacked status; among all the magic treasures and divine weapons in Jiuzhou, not a single one could truly threaten Agaruka Bodhisattva, not even the Sovereign Sword.
In this Jiuzhou where all Beyond-rank powers were sealed, perhaps only a true first rank martial artist could suppress him.
The Jianzheng clearly anticipated this. As he whipped, he simultaneously tossed the Disc of Heaven’s Secrets into the sky.
The Disc of Heaven’s Secrets whirled with a “whoosh,” aiming to “stamp” upon the taiji fish at the bronze magic tool’s core.
As a Master of Heaven’s Mandate, he could not possibly be at a loss against a magic artefact. So long as the Disc of Heaven’s Secrets could merge with the bronze artifact, the Jianzheng was confident he could make it collapse in a short time.
And he would depart this “world.”
At that moment, between the taiji fish and the Disc of Heaven’s Secrets, a mass of black, viscous liquid appeared.
It unfurled like a curtain, and the Disc of Heaven’s Secrets plunged into it.
“Ah…”
A heart-rending shriek issued from Heilian.
He instantly reverted to human form, writhing in agony, black viscous smoke hissing from his body.
The Disc of Heaven’s Secrets was tainted with a deep, inky blackness, lost its spirit, and fell powerlessly.
Xu Pingfeng immediately said,
“Agaruka, time is short, don’t worry about me.”
In this carefully prepared killing game, each participant had their own role. Daoist Heilian’s task was to corrode the Jianzheng’s magic tools, including but not limited to the God-beating Whip and the Disc of Heaven’s Secrets.
Magic tools were among an arcanist’s greatest strengths, but Heilian’s power of corruption could nullify all spirituality.
Agaruka Bodhisattva’s task was to face the Jianzheng head-on, hold him down, and occupy the first rank arcanist.
They had survived the heroic soul of the Confucian Sage. Now came the crucial, decisive moment.
If they could not destroy the Jianzheng in this battle, all would be lost.
Agaruka Bodhisattva charged out, leaving after-images trailing in the clouds, and formed seals with the Immovable Lord Dharma Aspect, sealing the surrounding space so that the Jianzheng could not teleport away.
The Jianzheng caught the Disc of Heaven’s Secrets, brilliant light rising from his palm to refine and cleanse the corrupting power.
At the same time, he raised his right hand holding the God-beating Whip and summoned a hexagonal barrier in front of him.
Bang! Agaruka’s headless corpse struck the barrier with a straight punch, causing the Jianzheng’s body to tremble.
Both sides’ conditions had deteriorated greatly. If Agaruka had been in full form, this punch could have sent the Jianzheng flying.
Bang, bang, bang… Countless phantom fists rained down on the hexagonal barrier, causing it to shed innumerable sparks.
Once the barrier broke, as the Jianzheng slid backwards, he lashed out again with Sarun Agu’s Shepherd’s Whip.
But this time, the target was not Agaruka, but Xu Pingfeng.
The latter immediately retreated to the edge of this “world,” but, isolated from the outside, he could not leave the domain covered by the bronze artifact.
And the God-beating Whip ignored all distance.
Crack!
Xu Pingfeng’s flesh was whipped open, torn, his primordial spirit knocked from his body, screaming in pain.
There were two ways for the Jianzheng to break this situation: one, kill Xu Pingfeng, so the circle would fail and shorten the effective time of the bronze artifact.
Two, refine away the corruption on the Disc of Heaven’s Secrets and use it against the bronze artifact, likewise hastening the collapse of this treasure left by the first generation.
“Puff!”
Agaruka Bodhisattva’s fist took the opportunity to punch through the Jianzheng’s chest, the fist emerging from his back.
At this moment, another Jianzheng rose from above his head, holding the Shepherd’s Whip, and lashed at Xu Pingfeng.
He had abandoned his physical body, his primordial spirit departing, pursuing his eldest disciple without mercy.
Agaruka indeed pulled his fist back to protect Xu Pingfeng, forming seals with both hands with the Immovable Lord Dharma Aspect, blocking between them to take the blow for Xu Pingfeng.
The Jianzheng’s primordial spirit immediately sank back and re-entered his body, letting out a laugh.
The corruption on the Disc of Heaven’s Secrets had already been refined clean.
Earlier, he could have used the Shepherd’s Whip to break Agaruka’s spatial restraints, but at such close range, even if he freed the surrounding space, he would have been deeply wounded by Agaruka in the next instant.
And unable to leave this “world,” if he had suffered such a blow, he would surely lose.
Therefore, he had lashed at Xu Pingfeng, even at the cost of Agaruka’s counterattack, then his primordial spirit emerged for a second blow.
The Jianzheng had predicted Agaruka would save Xu Pingfeng because the Buddhist sect was not good at dealing with primordial spirits; among all the great paths, only the Daoists and warlocks excelled at handling them.
Since complete annihilation of the primordial spirit could not be achieved quickly, Agaruka’s only choice was to preserve Xu Pingfeng and prevent the bronze artifact from collapsing prematurely.
In fact, this was a deliberate misdirection by the Jianzheng, his real method of breaking the game was to kill Xu Pingfeng.
The real key lay with the Disc of Heaven’s Secrets, but he had misled Agaruka, making him think that restoring the Disc of Heaven’s Secrets’s utility still required time.
As for his physical body, since his wayward disciple Song Qing had mastered the art of bodily reconstruction, he could just borrow a lotus seed from Xu Qi’an afterwards and “be reborn.” Of course, if he escaped in time, using an arcanist’s arts to revive this body from death and rotted flesh would not be difficult.
As his enemies were not around, the Jianzheng once again tossed the Disc of Heaven’s Secrets into the air.
The Disc of Heaven’s Secrets whirled and transformed into a clear light, stamping into the taiji fish at the bronze artifact’s core.
“Clack, clack, clack…”
The bronze artifact halted, its interlocking parts began to disengage, and it looked as if it was about to fall apart.
At that moment, everyone present felt the binding force on this place begin to loosen, and the world of Jiuzhou drew ever “closer.”
The next instant, a curved spear smashed through space, disregarding distance, and pierced the Jianzheng from behind.
This spear seemed gold, seemed jade, seemed bone, seemed stone, none could tell its true material.
The Jianzheng slowly lowered his head, staring at the spear jutting from his chest, his pupils contracting.
“Heh!”
A low chuckle came from behind. A twisted figure took shape, coming into focus, not Baidi, but an inky black monster. Its form was more spirit than flesh, clearly a primordial spirit, not a body.
It had the body of a sheep, covered with plate-like keratin, and a face eerily similar to a human, with two rows of eyes on its cheeks and six long, twisted sharp horns growing from its head.
The curved spear pierced through the Jianzheng, turning pure black, greedily absorbing everything around it, even the light, even the Jianzheng.
The Jianzheng’s body disintegrated inch by inch, dissolving into motes of light, merging with the spear, being devoured by it.
“The Gatekeeper’s spirit essence, I’ll help myself!”
The monster, with sheep’s body and human face, stretched out its long tongue and licked its lips.
This “spear” was one of the six long horns on top of his head, condensed from Desolation’s innate divine powers. It could devour all things, and in ancient times, even the mightiest gods and demons had suffered greatly before it.
He had returned to the mainland of Jiuzhou in the body of “Baidi”, originally intending to use this false body to probe the Daoist Venerable, concealing his true identity.
Even though he made inquiries from many sources and learned that the Daoist Venerable might have fallen, he still stayed vigilant, continuing to plot as Baidi regarding the Gatekeeper.
After all, if his true form returned to the mainland of Jiuzhou, it would likely bring about additional variables, such as the Daoist Venerable’s hidden contingencies, or perhaps the western one might not take action at all.
“Heh!” Xu Pingfeng also started laughing.
“Hehehe…” Daoist Heilian, seeing this, forced down his burning pain and laughed smugly and wildly:
“With you gone today, the Great Feng is doomed! Blame Xu Qi’an for this, if he hadn’t meddled, I wouldn’t have intervened in this battle.”
Agaruka Bodhisattva exhaled and pressed his palms together:
“Amitabha, five hundred years ago, the Buddhist Sect helped you ascend to become a Master of Heaven’s Mandate. Five hundred years later, the Buddhist Sect supports your disciple in becoming a Master of Heaven’s Mandate. This is the cycle of cause and effect.”
He felt no delight, only a certain sentimentality.
The Jianzheng slowly bowed his head, looking down on the mortal world. He saw Songshan County turned into a sea of fire, he saw the banners of Yunzhou raised atop the walls of Wan Commandery, he saw Sun Xuanji operating the artillery platform, howling like the wind, struggling desperately under the pursuit of powerful enemies.
He withdrew his gaze, swept it across the three people and one beast present, and closed his eyes.
At last, his body was completely dissolved, swallowed up by the curved spear.
With the Jianzheng’s disappearance, the entirety of Qingzhou was suddenly swept into turmoil. Clouds rolled in thick, lightning wove through them. One moment it was broad daylight, the next, the world plunged into darkness.
A dreadful phenomenon of nature, darkness descended.
“Baidi” opened his mouth lined with interlocking fangs and swallowed the curved spear.
He immediately let out a “hmm”: “I can’t refine it…”
Xu Pingfeng laughed and said, “While the Great Feng still stands, the Jianzheng cannot die.”
Agaruka Bodhisattva added,
“Back then, we paid a great price to seal away the first Jianzheng. After that, Wuzong ascended the throne, the dynasty changed hands, and he took the opportunity to refine the national fortune and became the Master of Heaven’s Mandate. Only then did he finish off the first Jianzheng completely, scattering his soul.”
Xu Pingfeng’s grin widened as he said,
“Just seal the Jianzheng in the spear for now. After we overthrow the Great Feng, we can refine him at our leisure. But, we will still need your assistance for this.”
Since you’ve boarded the ship, don’t think you can disembark.
“Baidi” pondered for a moment.
“Very well, but I must first return this item overseas.”
He was not at ease leaving the Gatekeeper on the mainland of Jiuzhou, fearing unforeseen incidents. Only by sending it back to his main body could he guarantee nothing would go wrong.
…
At the Provincial Administration Office, Yang Gong strode quickly out of the main hall and looked up at the sky in the courtyard, seeing the dome above thick with dark clouds and flashes of lightning.
As a fourth-rank Confucian, what he saw in his eyes was the national fortune dissipating, ebbing away.
As a Provincial Administrator, what he felt at that moment was a heart-piercing, bone-chilling terror.
Yang Gong’s pupils contracted, a suspicion fermenting in his heart, bringing a trembling to both his body and soul.
“Heaven has changed…”
He muttered.
…
Songshan County.
Smoke of gunpowder rose in various parts of the city, with the defenders and Yunzhou troops fighting fiercely through the streets and alleys.
Corpses of the Heart Gu flying beasts had fallen on the city walls, on rooftops, sprawled across the streets.
Not long before, Songshan County had faced the main force of the Vermilion Bird Army, led by a fourth-rank great Yao, the Vermilion Bird herself.
The flying beast corps from the Heart Gu tribe could not withstand an expert of that calibre. Three hundred flying beasts were slaughtered by half in an instant, their massive black-scaled bodies crashing into the city.
Having lost control of the skies, Songshan County’s defenders could no longer endure the bombardment from above. The gates were breached, and street fighting broke out.
The clash between the two armies affected the commoners in the city, as smoke rose throughout.
At this moment, the sky darkened at an unnatural speed, black clouds seeming to press down atop their heads, bringing a suffocating sense of oppression.
On both sides, the defenders unconsciously eased their fighting, stayed vigilant, and looked up at the sky.
Miao Youfang cut down his foe with a sabre, shielded Xu Xinnian as they retreated, and also glanced up,
“Is it about to rain?”
For some reason, his heart thudded uneasily.
Xu Xinnian also gazed upward, lost for words.
Outside the city, the Song River surged, pounding against the banks and splashing great waves, then roaring south-east, as if weeping in sorrow, as if shouting in anger.
…
Teacher Jianzheng… On the artillery platform, Sun Xuanji looked up, his body stiffened, unable to breathe, and he stared dully at the darkened sky. Suddenly, he felt an uncontrollable, sharp terror and panic pierce him.
…
The Capital, imperial palace.
On his brocaded couch, Emperor Yongxing, who was having a noon nap, suddenly jolted awake with a strangled scream as he clutched his chest.
His right hand gripped his chest tightly, his face deathly pale, features contorted:
“The pain is killing us…”
The attendant Zhao Xuanzhen rushed over in panic:
“Your Majesty, what’s the matter? Quick, fetch the imperial physician!”
“Out of my way!”
Yongxing Emperor pushed him aside with effort, howling, “Go, go find the Jianzheng, bring the Jianzheng.”
He did not know why he wanted to find the Jianzheng, but instinct compelled him to see him at once.
The nation is in peril, fortune’s warning!
At that moment, all members of the imperial family and Grandmasters in the capital felt a lurch in their hearts, the intensity varying according to their connection with the nation’s fortune.
…
Inside the Stupa tower, flying towards Qingzhou, Xu Qi’an’s face suddenly turned pale. He grabbed at his chest, collapsed weakly, curling in on himself.
Agonising pain racked his entire body, piercing through his soul, leaving him nearly unable to breathe.
Cold sweat burst forth like a flood, instantly soaking his clothes.
“Xu- Xu Ningyan… what’s wrong?”
Beside him, Mu Nanzhi was startled, caught off guard by panic.
After a while, the pain eased a little, but Xu Qi’an’s face was still terribly grim. He forced out, word by word:
“The Jianzheng… the Jianzheng is gone…”
With half the nation’s fortune within him, he knew the Jianzheng’s fate as if by intuition.
…
The Sitianjian, underground.
Song Qing opened the sluice gate, the iron door slowly rising.
Holding a scroll, he walked down the stairs, along a dark corridor, arriving at Zhong Li’s secluded chamber.
“Junior Sister Zhong, I’ve found the book you wanted.”
Song Qing placed the book in front of Zhong Li.
Zhong Li stretched out her pale hand from under her burlap robe, taking the brown-covered book, and complained,
“Why did it take so many days.”
Song Qing looked a little embarrassed:
“I’ve just been so busy lately. You know how it is when I get engrossed in alchemical experiments, I neglect to eat or sleep. The fact I remembered your request at all is already quite something.”
Zhong Li replied “Oh”, directing her gaze onto the brown book, whose cover bore no title.
It was the Jianzheng’s handwritten manuscript, recording his process, experience, and insights in crafting magical artefacts, along with descriptions of the effects of those artefacts.
The disciples had always disliked this battered old book, much like primary school children never bothered with calculus. Only Song Qing would occasionally flip through it.
Zhong Li turned the pages and found the detailed description of the “Fate-Disrupting Hammer”.
”…When fortune rests upon the body, strike and give enlightenment!”
Zhong Li stared at this final line, falling into deep thought.
Suddenly, both she and Song Qing felt a sharp pain in their chests.
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