Chapter 32: Meeting in the Galaxy

As with every previous day, he successfully completed his meridian-clearing cultivation, then mobilized his newly born Dao Yuan to reposition it within the Tongtian Palace, bringing himself one step closer to foundation establishment.

After finishing his meridian-clearing cultivation, Jiang Wang did not rest. Instead, sitting at his desk by the light of an oil lamp, he began transcribing the *Great Supreme Scripture of Purple Void Profundity*.

Since only the two siblings lived there—residing in the main house—they had converted the southern room directly into a study.

His senior brothers had long since warned him about Xiao Tiemian’s ruthlessness, so Jiang Wang’s attitude toward transcription was upright and meticulous. The importance of courses teaching Daoist techniques went without saying; missing even a single class was a massive loss. Thus, Jiang Wang tried to transcribe as quickly and as well as possible.

Until...

"Brother, what are you doing?"

Jiang An'an had slipped into the study at some unknown moment, her large, dark eyes wide with curiosity.

"..." Jiang Wang said, "Practicing calligraphy."

"Why the sudden urge to practice calligraphy?"

Jiang Wang said solemnly, "As the saying goes, 'the handwriting reflects the person.' By observing calligraphy, one can discern sincerity from falsehood. The teachers must have taught you this, right? Practicing calligraphy is very important; An'an must remember to practice often too."

"Then how much longer do you have to practice..."

"...Quite a long time," Jiang Wang said. "Go to sleep for now."

"Oh..."

"What is it? Is something wrong?"

"No, nothing..."

Turning to leave the study, Jiang An'an let out a sigh like a little adult.

*Stinky old man, making me copy so many words. Now the study is occupied too; where am I supposed to go to copy?*

It wasn't that the study couldn't accommodate both her and Jiang Wang, but rather, she didn't want her brother to know she had been punished with transcription.

After thinking for a moment, Jiang An'an moved a small stool into the bedroom, laid out her paper and brush, and began transcribing while squatting in front of the stool.

"Heaven is dark, Earth is yellow; the Universe is vast and primordial; the sun and moon wax and wane; the stars and constellations are spread out..."

She glanced back at the study; the lamp was still lit. *Mm, keep transcribing...*

...

The moon was high in the sky. Jiang Wang rubbed his wrists, blew dry the ink, extinguished the oil lamp, and rose to return to the bedroom. Even with his physical strength and speed, he was still far from a hundred repetitions, but he had more important matters to attend to at this moment.

Because tonight was the fifteenth of the ninth month—the Blessed Land Challenge Day in the Illusory Realm of Taixu.

When he returned to the bedroom, An'an had already fallen asleep. Jiang Wang tucked her in and then lay back on his own bed.

The silver moon mark on his palm appeared and began to grow warm. Jiang Wang closed his eyes, and his divine sense entered the Illusory Realm of Taixu.

The ink characters on the sundial had changed: 【The Master of the Green Jade Altar has confirmed a challenge. The challenge will begin in one quarter.】

The Master of the Green Jade Altar had finally decided to challenge him!

Seeing these words, Jiang Wang felt a sense of urgency as time waited for no one, but also a slight sense of relief, as if a boot had finally landed.

On the passing fifteenth of the eighth month, the Master of the Green Jade Altar had also chosen to forfeit. It seemed the shadow left by Zuo Guanglie in the past had been too heavy. However, this also indicated that in this round of challenge, following multiple forfeits, the opponent was determined to win.

Jiang Wang did nothing unnecessary; he simply cleared his mind and silently waited for the time to arrive.

When the sundial finally changed, a circular jade-colored stone platform beneath Jiang Wang rose simultaneously, lifting him away from the Dongzhen Ruins Blessed Land and flying into the brilliant galaxy.

The design of this platform was simple, devoid of any decoration, yet it naturally possessed a circulating ancient aura. The surface was mottled with traces—blade marks, sword marks, burn marks, scorch marks... too many to count, carrying a powerful, murderous atmosphere.

Jiang Wang understood that this was his Duel Platform. Since obtaining the Void Key and entering the Illusory Realm of Taixu, he had never used the Duel Platform. Firstly, because he knew that with his current strength, he would likely only be slaughtered without any real training effect in the Illusory Realm; secondly... because every time he mobilized the Duel Platform, it cost ten points of Merit.

Aside from the natural production of the Blessed Land, Jiang Wang could not gain any benefits from the Duel Platform, so he was loath to consume his Merit. Especially after experiencing the power of the *Purple Qi from the East Sword Technique*, he knew even more how precious Merit was.

Before long, Jiang Wang could see a Duel 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 within the galaxy and collided.

Two small platforms merged into one large one. Jiang Wang and his opponent stood on opposite sides of the Duel Platform. This merged and expanded platform was no different from before, only larger in scale. By estimation, it was a hundred meters in diameter; Jiang Wang knew that this was the true battlefield.

Due to the special rules of the Illusory Realm of Taixu, Jiang Wang could not see his opponent's appearance clearly. However, he heard the opponent's voice.

"Since my crushing defeat at your hands last time, I have prepared for this battle for a full half-year!" the Master of the Green Jade Altar said. "I have finally mastered a remnant move of the Ancient Gentleman's Nine Swords. Please, test me!"

*The Ancient Gentleman's Nine Swords? Sounds very strong... A disciple of the Confucian Sect?*

As Jiang Wang thought this, he secretly circulated his true essence, preparing to respond. The true essence consumed in the Illusory Realm of Taixu was not real, so he dared to fight with his full strength. The *Purple Qi from the East Sword Technique* was itself a transcendent sword manual; only under the infusion of abundant true essence could it truly exert its power.

Therefore, what he was about to display was his strongest state, one never before shown to others.

"As Heaven moves with vigor, so must the gentleman constantly strive for self-improvement!"

Then, Jiang Wang heard the Master of the Green Jade Altar recite this line softly.

And then, he saw a sword—a sword that looked ordinary and entirely unremarkable. It simply went forward, and forward. There was a mountain ahead; it pierced the mountain. There was a river ahead; it cut the river. Ahead was the vast, boundless sky; it pierced the sky as well!

It was unyielding; it was relentless.

Breaking stone, felling forests, slaying demons, vanquishing evil... this sword thrust at everything that stood in its way, no matter what it was!

Jiang Wang was still holding his sword, the Dao Yuan accumulated in the Tongtian Palace was boiling and surging, and the killing technique of the *Purple Qi from the East Sword Technique* had almost become instinctual. But that sword had already pierced his heart.

He had fallen in battle.

The Master of the Green Jade Altar stared at the suddenly empty Duel Platform, momentarily stunned. He had considerable confidence in the Gentleman's Nine Swords, which had been lost to the river of history, but he also remembered how powerful his opponent had been.

But this battle had been a complete crushing, a total sweep.

He had won.

The Master of the Green Jade Altar—no, now the Master of the Dongzhen Ruins, the new master of Blessed Land Twenty-Three—stood stunned on the Duel Platform, his heart racing with emotion.

As for Jiang Wang, who had descended back to the Green Jade Altar, he had already accepted the fact of his defeat.

According to the Merit production rules of the top thirty-six Blessed Lands, there was an increase of one hundred points per level. This month, he would only harvest one thousand seven hundred and fifty points of Merit, exactly one hundred points less than expected.

The Blessed Lands in the Illusory Realm of Taixu were merely a designation and had nothing to do with the real Blessed Lands in the mortal world. Therefore, from the Dongzhen Ruins to the Green Jade Altar, the environment did not change; it remained a dreamlike space filled with immortal mist, and even the sundial was the same. The only change was the Merit production.

After a moment of thought, Jiang Wang silently summoned the Dao Evolution Platform.

His one thousand eight hundred and fifty points of Merit from August remained untouched, and adding the one thousand seven hundred and fifty points produced in September, he had a total of three thousand six hundred points of Merit. Jiang Wang invested all of this Merit into the *Purple Qi from the East Sword Technique* to initiate deduction.

The shock brought by those Ancient Gentleman's Nine Swords was too great; it was a swordsmanship he simply had no way to resist. There wasn't even a sliver of a chance, so he required a stronger sword manual. Even if it meant exhausting everything he currently possessed.

The jade book on the green bamboo desk shifted slightly and then suddenly stopped. Then, a line of ink appeared on the jade book: 【The current sword technique has reached the limit of the Dao Evolution Platform's first layer; deduction is impossible. Remaining Merit: 3,590 points.】

Jiang Wang's eyelid twitched. This damn Dao Evolution Platform—it hadn't even finished the deduction, yet it still deducted ten points of Merit!

It turned out that the Dao Evolution Platform's deduction of techniques and Daoist arts could not be raised infinitely; it had its own inherent foundation and limits. Furthermore, different levels of the Dao Evolution Platform could explore different limits.

And since the *Purple Qi from the East Sword Technique* was itself a deduction based on secular martial arts, it had already reached its peak. Unless the Dao Evolution Platform was upgraded, no further progress could be made.

Jiang Wang had no more powerful moves, and he had no intention of going back to the Duel Platform to be slaughtered again. Thus, after composing himself slightly, he exited the Illusory Realm of Taixu.

But regardless, he had lost one hundred and ten 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. It was unclear if she had woken up in the middle of the night or if she hadn't been asleep to begin with.

Jiang Wang said irritably, "I'm staying up late. I'll call you when it's done."

In the darkness, Jiang An'an's eyes instantly lit up. "Is it delicious?"