Just like every day before, he successfully completed his pulse-cleansing cultivation, then guided the newly generated Dao energy to its proper position in his Tongtian Palace, bringing himself one step closer to laying his foundation.
After finishing his pulse-cleansing, Jiang Wang did not rest. Instead, he sat at his desk by the light of an oil lamp and began to transcribe the *Supreme Scripture of Purple Void Sublimity*.
Because only the two siblings lived there, and they occupied the main room, they had converted the south room into a study.
His senior brothers had long warned him about Xiao Tiemian’s lack of leniency, so Jiang Wang’s attitude toward the transcription was earnest and meticulous. The importance of the courses teaching Daoist techniques went without saying; missing even a single session would be a huge loss. Thus, Jiang Wang tried his best to transcribe as quickly and as well as he could.
Until…
“Brother, what are you doing?”
Jiang An’an had snuck into the study at some point, her large, dark, glistening eyes filled with curiosity.
“…” Jiang Wang said, “Practicing calligraphy.”
“Why are you suddenly practicing calligraphy?”
Jiang Wang said solemnly, “As the saying goes, the handwriting reveals the person. By looking at one’s writing, one can discern sincerity or deceit. The teachers have taught you this, haven’t they? Practicing calligraphy is very important; An’an, you must remember to practice often as well.”
“Then how much longer do you have to practice…”
“……Quite a while.” Jiang Wang said, “You go to sleep first today.”
“Oh…”
“What’s wrong? Is something the matter?”
“No, nothing…”
Turning to leave the study, Jiang An’an sighed like a little adult.
That stinky old man, punishing me by making me copy so many characters. Now the study is occupied too; where am I supposed to copy them?
It wasn’t that the study couldn’t fit both her and Jiang Wang; it was just that she didn’t want her brother to know she had been punished with copying.
Jiang An’an thought for a moment, moved a small stool into her bedroom, took out paper and brush, laid them out, and crouched in front of the stool to start copying.
“Heaven and Earth are dark and yellow, the universe is vast and desolate, the sun and moon wax and wane, the stars are spread out…”
She turned her head to glance at the study; the light was still on. *Hmm, keep copying…*
……
The moon was high in the sky. Jiang Wang rubbed his wrists, blew the ink dry, extinguished the oil lamp, and rose to return to his bedroom. Even with his stamina and speed, he was still far from finishing a hundred repetitions, but he had more important things to do right now.
Because tonight was the fifteenth of September, the day for challenges in the Tai Xu Illusionary Realm.
When he returned to the bedroom, An’an was already asleep. Jiang Wang tucked the blanket in for her, then lay back on his own bed.
The silver moon mark on his palm appeared and began to heat up. Jiang Wang closed his eyes, his consciousness entering the Tai Xu Illusionary Realm.
The ink characters on the sundial had changed: 【The Master of the Azure Jade Altar has confirmed the challenge. The challenge will begin in one quarter of an hour.】
The master of the Azure Jade Altar had finally decided to challenge him!
Seeing this line, Jiang Wang felt both the urgency of the moment and a sense of relief, as if a shoe he had been waiting to drop had finally fallen.
On the fifteenth of August, the master of the Azure Jade Altar had also chosen to forfeit. It seemed that the shadow Zuo Guanglie had cast over them in the past was too heavy. But this also meant that in this round of challenges, after forfeiting multiple times, the opponent was determined to win.
Jiang Wang did nothing else; he simply cleared his mind and waited silently for the time to arrive.
When the sundial finally changed, a circular jade-colored stone platform rose beneath Jiang Wang, lifting him out of the Dongzhen Ruins Blessed Land and flying into the brilliant galaxy.
The platform was simple in design, without any decoration, yet it naturally exuded an ancient aura. The surface was mottled with marks—sword slashes, blade cuts, scorch marks, burn marks… countless in number, carrying a strong, murderous aura.
Jiang Wang understood that this was his own Sword Discussion Platform. Ever since he obtained the Void Key and entered the Tai Xu Illusionary Realm, he had never used the platform. Firstly, he knew that with his current strength, he would likely be slaughtered without any training benefit; secondly… because every time he activated the platform, it cost ten points of Merit.
Aside from the natural output of his Blessed Land, Jiang Wang could not gain any profit from the Sword Discussion Platform, so he was reluctant to spend the points. Especially after experiencing the power of the *Purple Qi Coming from the East* sword technique, he knew how precious Merit was.
Before long, Jiang Wang could see a platform of the same design flying toward him from the depths of the galaxy, with a figure in fluttering black robes standing upon it. The two platforms accelerated instantly in the galaxy and collided.
The two small platforms merged into one large one. Jiang Wang and his opponent stood on opposite sides. This merged, expanded platform was no different from before, only larger. Estimating it to be a hundred meters across, Jiang Wang knew this was the true arena.
Due to the special rules of the Tai Xu Illusionary Realm, Jiang Wang could not see his opponent’s appearance. But he heard his opponent’s voice.
“Since my crushing defeat at your hands last time, I have spent a full half-year preparing for this battle!” the master of the Azure Jade Altar said. “I have finally mastered a remnant move of the ancient Gentleman’s Nine Swords. Please, have a taste!”
The Gentleman’s Nine Swords from ancient times? It sounded very strong… A disciple of the Confucian school?
Thinking this, Jiang Wang secretly channeled his True Energy, preparing to respond. The True Energy consumed in the Tai Xu Illusionary Realm was not real, so he dared to fight with all his might. The *Purple Qi Coming from the East* sword technique was an extraordinary sword manual; only when infused with abundant True Energy could it truly unleash its power.
Therefore, he would now display his strongest state, one that had never been seen by anyone before.
“As Heaven maintains vigor through movement, a gentleman should strive for self-improvement!”
Then, Jiang Wang heard the master of the Azure Jade Altar recite these words softly.
And then he saw a sword—a sword that looked ordinary, completely unremarkable. It simply moved forward, forward. There was a mountain in front, and it pierced through the mountain; there was a river in front, and it severed the river. In front was the vast, boundless sky, and it pierced straight into the sky!
It was indomitable; it was unstoppable.
Breaking stone, felling forests, slaying demons, purging evil… This sword struck at everything that obstructed it, no matter what it was!
Jiang Wang was still gripping his sword, the Dao energy accumulated in his Tongtian Palace surging and boiling, the killing techniques of the *Purple Qi Coming from the East* almost becoming instinct. But that sword had already pierced his heart.
He had died in battle.
The master of the Azure Jade Altar looked at the suddenly empty platform, stunned. He had considerable confidence in the Gentleman’s Nine Swords, which had been lost in the long river of history, but he also remembered how powerful his opponent was.
Yet this battle was a complete crushing, a clean sweep.
He had won.
The master of the Azure Jade Altar—no, now the master of the Dongzhen Ruins. The new owner of Blessed Land Twenty-Three stood on the platform, his heart surging with emotion.
Meanwhile, Jiang Wang, who had descended back to the Azure Jade Altar, had already accepted the fact of his defeat.
According to the rules for Merit production in the top thirty-six Blessed Lands, there was an increment of one hundred points of Merit for each level. This month, he would only receive 1,750 points of Merit, a full one hundred points less.
The Blessed Lands in the Tai Xu Illusionary Realm were merely names and had nothing to do with the actual Blessed Lands in the real world. Therefore, from the Dongzhen Ruins to the Azure Jade Altar, the environment had not changed; it remained a dreamy space filled with immortal energy, even the sundial was the same. The only thing that changed was the Merit production.
Jiang Wang thought for a moment and silently summoned the Dao-Derivation Platform.
His 1,850 points of Merit from August remained untouched, and adding the 1,750 points from September, he had a total of 3,600 points. Jiang Wang invested all of this Merit into the *Purple Qi Coming from the East* sword technique, initiating a deduction.
The shock brought by the ancient Gentleman’s Nine Swords was too great; it was a sword technique he had no way to resist. He hadn’t even had a sliver of a chance, so he needed a stronger sword manual. Even if it meant exhausting everything he currently had.
The jade book on the green bamboo desk shifted slightly, then suddenly stopped. A line of ink appeared on the jade book: 【The current sword technique has reached the limit of the first-level Dao-Derivation Platform and cannot be further deduced. Remaining Merit: 3,590 points.】
Jiang Wang’s eyelid twitched. This lousy Dao-Derivation Platform—it hadn’t finished the deduction, yet it still deducted ten points of Merit!
It turned out that the Dao-Derivation Platform’s deduction of techniques could not be infinitely elevated; it had its own inherent foundation and limits. Furthermore, different levels of the Dao-Derivation Platform had different limits for exploration.
And the *Purple Qi Coming from the East* sword technique was already a deduction based on secular martial arts; it had already reached its peak. Unless the Dao-Derivation Platform was upgraded, it could not improve further.
Jiang Wang had no stronger moves, and he had no desire to return to the Sword Discussion Platform to be abused, so he collected his thoughts slightly and exited the Tai Xu Illusionary Realm.
But regardless, he had lost 110 points of Merit for nothing this month.
Thinking of this, Jiang Wang let out a deep sigh.
“Brother, what are you doing?” Jiang An’an’s voice rang out in the room, sounding very concerned. He didn’t know if she had woken up in the middle of the night or if she hadn’t been asleep at all.
Jiang Wang said irritably, “I’m staying up late; I’ll call you when I’m done.”
In the darkness, Jiang An’an’s eyes lit up instantly. “Is it delicious?”