The sudden reversal of the situation left countless onlookers dumbfounded.
The war between the Great Xuan Divine Dynasty and the cult engulfed the cultivation world.
Jiang Li emerged from the ancient tomb, silver armor ringing, the thunder of hooves echoing as if from the depths of eternity.
He had not appeared at the Human Emperor’s funeral. The world assumed he was in death seclusion. Even the cult let down its guard.
Yet no one expected—
Jiang Li had been waiting. Waiting for the cult. Waiting for Liu Yuanhao.
Even when the Human Emperor he had served so closely passed away and was entombed in the imperial mausoleum, Jiang Li remained unmoved.
What kind of resolve was that?
Rumble!
The western lands shook as though mountains collapsed and seas overturned.
One hundred iron riders—Jiang Li’s soldiers, each at Infant Transformation realm—charged from the ancient tomb like a crimson tide.
A blood-colored war god coalesced around Jiang Li. The Dao of Military Formations blazed in glory!
The cult’s headquarters in the west was trampled flat by Jiang Li’s army.
Cult experts tried to flee. They had developed in hiding for a century—yet they could not escape the Human Emperor’s calculations!
That day, blood dyed the western lands red.
The cult crumbled.
Liu Yuanhao roared in fury. His black robes tore apart. No longer hiding his power—
Yang God nine steps. Half-step Grandmaster!
Terrifying half-Grandmaster aura exploded, as though he alone could turn the tide.
Jiang Li’s face was expressionless, silver armor dazzling under the sun.
Liu Yuanhao had reached half-Grandmaster.
Yet Jiang Li feared him not. He thrust his silver spear straight at Liu Yuanhao.
Pfft!
One clash.
Liu Yuanhao was sent flying, carving a deep trench through the earth.
He was stunned!
Grandmaster!
Jiang Li had achieved Spirit Unity—true Grandmaster realm!
And with the Dao of Military Formations—how could Liu Yuanhao fight?
Liu Yuanhao was decisive. He turned and fled without hesitation. He was used to running anyway.
“I skipped even His Majesty’s funeral just to wait for you. Did you think I’d let you escape?”
Jiang Li’s voice was ice.
Step by step, he rose into the air.
Grandmaster primordial spirit power surged like a terrifying storm, crushing mountains and shattering stone.
Liu Yuanhao turned back. His eyes turned pitch black. Eerie flames danced.
His body became a skeleton, flesh seemingly burned away by the flames.
The flames formed a giant skull, radiating cold Dao Intent, and charged at Jiang Li.
Half-Grandmaster Liu Yuanhao could easily slay the Silver Wolf King.
But against a true Grandmaster like Jiang Li—his fate was the same as the wolf’s.
Pfft!
Jiang Li’s spear stabbed down from the heavens.
It pierced Liu Yuanhao’s brow in an instant.
Liu Yuanhao arched in extreme unwillingness, head thrown back, spear through his forehead, pinning him to the ground.
His primordial spirit surged upward—only to be shattered by Jiang Li’s spirit pressure.
A wretched scream echoed across the western lands, filled with Liu Yuanhao’s boundless resentment.
Rumble!
From the direction of the Nine Hells Secret Realm,
Cold chains clanked.
A powerful suction erupted. Liu Yuanhao’s twisted soul was dragged away by that force.
Not just him—all the souls of the slain cult experts and Madden Kingdom warriors across the west were pulled toward the Nine Hells.
Jiang Li stood motionless, silver armor stained with blood.
Liu Yuanhao was finally dead.
The cult had always been the dynasty’s greatest threat.
A mortal enemy—unlike any sect.
Jiang Li’s emotions were complex.
He closed his eyes.
He had fulfilled the Human Emperor’s trust.
Yet strangely, he felt… empty.
In the endless desert,
The Demon Monkey King sat upon the ground. Blood dripped from his cold iron staff.
At its tip hung the torn corpse of the Madden King…
Fur whipping in the sandstorm, the Monkey King gazed into the distance.
…
Cult destroyed. Madden Kingdom shattered.
In the capital, the new emperor received the news and exhaled deeply.
He sat upon his chair and laughed.
Then his laughter faded, and sorrow crept in.
He had once believed he could be a good Human Emperor.
Yet since ascending, he had nearly brought the dynasty to ruin.
Had it not been for his father’s countless contingencies—he would have been overwhelmed. The dynasty might have fractured, the people displaced and suffering.
Snow fell silently.
New emperor Dantai He dismissed his attendants. In loose robes, barefoot, he walked the palace halls step by step.
He was imitating his father’s anxious pacing—countless nights the Human Emperor had walked thus, worrying for the realm.
Dantai He walked and walked…
His eyes gradually hardened with resolve.
He understood the weight on his shoulders.
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He resolved to spend his life being a good Human Emperor.
…
Nine Hells Secret Realm.
Liu Yuanhao’s soul drifted in a daze.
He was dead. Finally dead.
Looking back on his life—so absurd, so meaningless.
He drifted and drifted, until he saw countless souls walking a great path.
Sunlight bathed the path.
Elders laughed with joy. Maidens blushed shyly. Scholars brimmed with spirit—all in their finest state, full of life.
Liu Yuanhao landed on the path.
His sinister appearance was gone. The path was like a mirror—he saw himself as the carefree youth he once was.
“When one dies, they walk to the underworld alone on the Yin-Yang Path.”
His heart trembled.
On this path, one walked in their most dignified form, savoring the final splendor of life.
“So my happiest time… was when I was young.”
Liu Yuanhao’s emotions were complex.
Then he adjusted his mindset and walked toward the end of the path.
At the end stood a city.
Upon its walls sat a tall figure on a throne, holding a ledger.
The youthful Liu Yuanhao looked curiously at the seated figure—then froze.
“Hu… Human Emperor?!”
Dantai Xuan!
How could Liu Yuanhao not recognize him?
Nearly a century of enmity—how could he forget that face?
Especially now—Dantai Xuan appeared as he had at the founding of the divine dynasty, full of heroic spirit.
Dantai Xuan smiled faintly at Liu Yuanhao.
He opened the ledger.
“Liu Yuanhao, though you were the cult leader, you committed no great evil in life. You merely sought to restore Great Zhou—our ideals clashed.”
“Now that I govern the Nine Hells and judge good and evil, I offer you two paths…”
“One: sever your cultivation, erase your memories, reincarnate.”
“Two: you opposed me in life. Serve me in death.”
Dantai Xuan held the ledger and spoke.
“Which do you choose?”
His words boomed with overwhelming pressure.
Liu Yuanhao’s heart was endlessly complex.
He looked at Dantai Xuan and sighed.
Ruler of the mortal world in life, lord of the ghost prisons in death.
After a long while,
Liu Yuanhao laughed.
He chose the first path—sever cultivation, erase memories, reincarnate as a mortal.
He could have served Dantai Xuan and lingered as a ghost cultivator.
But for once… Liu Yuanhao chose pride.
Perhaps he was tired of the path of cultivation.
Reborn as a mortal—it wasn’t bad.
Liu Yuanhao entered the city.
Beigong seized his soul, severed his cultivation, erased his memories, and cast him into reincarnation.
…
Origin Lake, Lake Heart Island.
Liu Yuanhao’s death surprised Lu Fan.
As the first cultivator to comprehend Dao Intent to fall, his death drew Lu Fan’s attention.
Dantai Xuan offering Liu Yuanhao two paths—and Liu Yuanhao choosing reincarnation as a mortal—shocked Lu Fan even more.
When a cultivator who comprehended Dao Intent dies, does their Dao Intent vanish?
With a thought, the system panel appeared.
*Host:* Lu Fan
*Title:* Qi Refiner (Permanent)
*Qi Refinement Level:* 6
*Spiritual Energy Reserves:* 9,999,999 / 10,000,000 strands
*Primordial Spirit Power:* 99 yuan
*Chaos Power:* 39 he
*World Rating:* Five Phoenixes Small World [High Martial]
*Mystic Qi Refinement:* 9,999,999 / 9,976,889 strands
*Glory Quest:* Active
Lu Fan looked at the panel and exhaled softly.
“Chaos Power still 39 he. This means Liu Yuanhao’s death did not remove the Dao Intent etched into the Five Phoenixes’ origin…”
Lu Fan pondered, relieved.
“In fact, because the Dao Intent is etched into the origin, the Five Phoenixes may birth new cultivators who comprehend Liu Yuanhao’s Dao Intent in the future…”
He murmured.
Withdrawing his gaze from the panel, Lu Fan’s expression remained calm.
Even seeing 9,999,999 strands of spiritual energy, his heart was unmoved.
In truth, he had reached this number ten years ago—like a bottleneck.
Normally, he should have broken through to Qi Refinement Level 7.
Yet this time, he was stuck.
After long study, Lu Fan concluded it was likely because his Mystic Qi Refinement had not fully tempered all his spiritual energy, or perhaps due to the system upgrade.
“This Young Master… has finally hit a bottleneck.”
Lu Fan sighed, but felt a spark of excitement.
If there were no bottlenecks, how dull would cultivation be?
His spiritual energy reserves were capped, yet still accumulated beyond the counter. How much exactly, Lu Fan wasn’t sure—over the past century, the Five Phoenixes had produced countless experts, feeding him immense spiritual energy.
Once he broke through, all accumulated energy would flood in.
But another issue troubled him—his primordial spirit power had stagnated for years.
How to breakthrough? Lu Fan was puzzled.
Both spiritual energy and primordial spirit seemed bottlenecked.
Yet he had a faint hunch…
The Five Phoenixes… might soon face another tribulation.
…
Jiangnan, misty with spring rain.
A small city in Southern Commandery.
Mist tore apart.
Qi Liujia in plain robes landed on the street. Mortals bustled around, unaware of him.
His primordial spirit stirred, guiding him forward.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
In an ordinary blacksmith shop, clear hammering rang out.
A’lu, shirtless, hammered red-hot ore.
His bronze skin glistened with sweat. Sparks flew with each strike.
It was precious ore. A’lu used no spiritual energy—only raw physical strength, swinging the heavy hammer in thousand-fold tempering.
Inside, a diminutive elder dozed in a rocking chair to the rhythmic hammering.
Feeling Qi Liujia’s powerful primordial spirit, Gongshu Yu opened his eyes.
“Senior Qi.”
A’lu stopped, wiped sweat, and grinned with bright teeth.
Qi Liujia nodded warmly, then looked at Gongshu Yu.
For the artifact forging competition, the only one the Five Phoenixes could field with confidence was Gongshu Yu—former master of the Refining Pavilion under Young Master Lu.
Qi Liujia stated his purpose.
Gongshu Yu smiled and waved a hand.
“This old man is too old. Let A’lu go.”
Qi Liujia was taken aback, turning to the honest-looking A’lu.
A’lu was equally shocked.
His honest face flushed red, at a loss.
“Master…”
“What are you shouting for? Compete well. Don’t disgrace the Five Phoenixes—or I’ll break your legs.”
Gongshu Yu said sternly, hands behind his back.
A’lu fell silent, feeling immense pressure.
He had forged for years but never competed. He had no idea how he measured up.
But since his master said so, A’lu resolved to give his all and not shame his master or the Five Phoenixes!
Qi Liujia laughed, chatted briefly with Gongshu Yu, then took A’lu and departed.
Beyond the profession side-competitions, the Heavenly Grand Tournament included individual and team battles—three slots for individual, five per team.
Specific participants were less important than strength.
Victory or defeat affected the world’s origin Dao Intent.
Every world would field their strongest.
Qi Liujia visited Martial Emperor City, Heavenly Void Palace, Absolute Blade Gate, and Qiannu Palace.
He met Du Longyang and the others who had secluded themselves for years.
He explained the gravity of the coming tournament.
For a time, Qi Liujia traveled the Five Phoenixes, speaking in detail with many cultivators.
The current Five Phoenixes had no shortage of Grandmasters.
Du Longyang, Ye Shoudao, Young Master Tianxu, Ni Chunqiu—the original four.
Plus Overlord, Nie Changqing, and many who had quietly achieved Grandmaster realm.
Finally, Qi Liujia settled on the first roster.
…
After much travel, Qi Liujia brought A’lu to Lake Heart Island.
Lu Fan played chess alone atop White Jade Capital’s pavilion.
Seeing the white-robed figure, Qi Liujia’s aged eyes flickered.
Sometimes, Qi Liujia felt Young Master Lu was very lonely—as though he did not belong to this world.
A gentle breeze blew.
Peach blossoms danced.
Ning Zhao emerged from the wind in flowing white, leading Qi Liujia up the pavilion.
“Young Master.”
Qi Liujia bowed.
“Roster decided?”
Lu Fan held a piece, frowning at the board.
Qi Liujia smiled.
“All are Spirit Unity Grandmasters.”
He handed over a golden silk list.
Lu Fan took it and unfolded it.
The first representatives of the Five Phoenixes:
*Individual Battle:* Xiang Shaoyun, Tang Yimo, Lu Jiulian
*Team Battle:* Du Longyang, Ye Shoudao, Young Master Tianxu, Ni Chunqiu, Jiang Li
Lu Fan raised a brow.
The list was both surprising and expected.
“Acceptable.”
He folded the silk and tossed it back to Qi Liujia.
…
Beyond the Nihility,
Terrifying rumbles began to echo.
To enter the Nihility, one had to pass through Pingyang Heaven.
At the border between Pingyang Heaven and the Nihility, countless terrifying auras gathered.
Ancient warships crossed the void, shaking space itself.
Though the ten-year deadline had not yet arrived, many experts had already come.
The Upper Realm designating the Nihility as the tournament venue had drawn immense attention.
The Nihility—a forbidden land of terror. The primordial war had seen ancient Great Emperors and countless experts fall there.
For eons, the Upper Realm had ignored the Nihility. Many powers treated it as ruins.
Yet now the grandest event of the Nine Heavens would be held there.
Many sharp-minded experts suspected the Nihility’s secrets were about to surface.
The land where an ancient Great Emperor fell, the battlefield of that cataclysm—suddenly the center of attention.
And the Five Phoenixes Small World—the only High Martial within the Nihility—entered the sights of High Martial worlds across the Nine Heavens.
Saint Lord Qingling smiled as he watched a warship vanish into the void, then his smile faded.
“The Heavenly Grand Tournament has not yet begun, but the profession side-competitions are already drawing countless eyes… The Five Phoenixes has truly become the center of the storm.”
Saint Lord Qingling took a deep breath.
Yet thinking of that white-robed, wheelchair-bound, rather short-tempered Saint Lord Lu… he had a feeling things might become very interesting.
Buzz…
Suddenly,
Within Pingyang Heaven,
A terrifying aura erupted.
From the Little Thunder Buddha World,
Buddhist light illuminated the heavens. A giant lotus sped forth, space rippling violently.
At one point in Pingyang Heaven,
Spatial array patterns suddenly crisscrossed.
Nearby Low and Mid Martial worlds were shredded by the terrifying spatial fluctuations. Wretched screams rang out.
Saint Lord Qingling’s expression changed drastically.
Not just him—nearly every High Martial sacred land and expert rushing to Pingyang Heaven looked horrified.
They dared not breathe.
A spatial array formed in Pingyang Heaven.
An ancient warship radiating primordial aura slowly emerged.
“Emissaries of the Upper Realm!”
Saint Lord Qingling’s heart jolted.
Figures stepped from the warship, shrouded in mysterious energy—faces and forms unseen.
Boom!
The Great Venerable of the Little Thunder Buddha World arrived seated upon a lotus, solemn and majestic.
He bowed respectfully toward the ancient warship.
A terrifying being seemed to recline within. Primordial spirits clashed across heaven and earth as the Great Venerable conversed with the entity.
Many hearts raced.
To make the Great Venerable of a High Martial Buddha World so reverent…
Were there… true Immortals aboard that ancient warship?!
Yet many also understood—with the Upper Realm emissaries’ arrival, the prelude to the Heavenly Grand Tournament had begun.
Rumble!
The Great Venerable sat solemnly upon his lotus.
He watched the ancient warship crush the void, spatial array patterns crisscrossing, charging into the Nihility.
Clang!
Countless rules of the Nihility turned into sharp blades.
They slashed against the warship’s surface—but left it unscathed.
Spatial fluctuations rippled.
In a few flashes, the warship surpassed countless others traversing the Nihility.
It appeared above the Five Phoenixes.
Like a god high above, looking down upon ants.
