Chapter 14

The fierce wind and waves finally subsided.

Xu Muyang’s spiritual energy disappeared, and he fell heavily to the ground.

After the brilliance, an endless downpour of spiritual rain fell from the sky, a manifestation of all the spiritual energy he had absorbed returning to nature.

When a cultivator perishes, a hundred spirits are born.

When a cultivator is born, a hundred spirits perish.

This is an eternal truth in the world of cultivation.

The relationship between the world of cultivation and the natural world is like that between day and night, a cycle of life and death, an endless loop.

Whenever a cultivator dies, it means the birth of a sacred land of spiritual light on the continent. Similarly, whenever a powerful cultivator rises, it inevitably involves the consumption of vast resources, and even the disappearance of countless mountains and rivers.

However, for Xu Ruogu, spiritual energy can be recycled, but lost lives can never return. The spiritual rain fell on him, on his shoulders, on his face, soaking him, turning into tears that streamed down.

"Brother..." Xu Ruogu wept silently.

"Damn it!" Shi Wunian roared in anger.

Xu Muyang’s heavenly heart explosion, though it did not cause him much harm under the protection of the Qiankun Hood, severely humiliated his dignity, as if slapping him hard in the face.

So what if he is a Zifu True Lord?

Xu Muyang could still make you come up empty-handed.

In the next moment, He Chong rushed out, searching through Xu Muyang’s body, but found nothing.

His face turned deathly pale, and he looked back at Shi Wunian, stammering, "Wish Lord... the Armament Mirror is not on him..."

Shi Wunian drew a sharp breath.

He had come here to retrieve the Armament Mirror, never considering that it might not be on Xu Muyang.

After all, this was a rare treasure, the key to activating the great array. No one would part with it for a moment once they had it in their hands. It was only now, when Xu Muyang mentioned it, that he realized he might have made a big mistake.

Xu Muyang’s words were not false; half a year was enough time for him to do many things!

"Search! This is the foundation of the Heavenly God Palace’s prosperity. We must find the Armament Mirror, even if we have to search the heavens and the earth!" Shi Wunian shouted in a desperate, shrill voice, his face twisted in a terrifying manner.

Following his cry, He Chong rushed into the ruins, frantically searching.

He, a dignified Tianxin Realm True Man, now rummaged through the ruins like a mole, completely disregarding his image, but even so, where could he find it?

Seeing He Chong search the entire ruins without finding the Armament Mirror, the killing intent in Shi Wunian’s eyes grew heavier.

He turned and glared at Xu Ruogu, "Your good third brother!"

Xu Ruogu was shocked, knowing that Xu Muyang had thoroughly enraged this Wish Lord Wunian. He quickly lowered his head and said, "Wish Lord, please understand, this has nothing to do with the Xu family! I, Xu Ruogu, am willing to represent the Xu family and mobilize all our resources to find the Armament Mirror!"

"Find? How?"

Xu Ruogu took a deep breath and replied, "I know my third brother. If he said he had made arrangements, the Armament Mirror is likely not here. However, when I entered, I noticed that the courtyard was clean, as if someone had been maintaining it regularly. My third brother is usually careless about his living environment, except for his clothes. Especially in such a difficult time, he would have no interest in tidying the courtyard. It must be someone else responsible for the cleanliness. Also, I saw four dishes on the stone table. My third brother has never been interested in worldly food, so these dishes must have been for someone else. Although he cleared away the bowls and chopsticks, I can tell he wasn’t alone here before."

"You mean..."

"He must have given the Armament Mirror to someone else!" Xu Ruogu answered firmly. "If we find this person, we can recover the Armament Mirror. Since the dishes were recently prepared, this person must have left not long ago. If we can identify who this person is, we can certainly get back what the Heavenly God Palace wants..."

Shi Wunian’s eyes lit up, "He Chong, immediately investigate who Xu Muyang has been with recently."

Seeing Shi Wunian’s approval, Xu Ruogu finally breathed a sigh of relief, secretly thinking: Brother, I have ultimately betrayed your efforts.

In Xu Muyang’s eyes, everyone in the Heavenly God Palace was untrustworthy. Despite Shi Wunian’s repeated assurances that he had no intention of killing, who knew if he was telling the truth? Perhaps it was just to pacify the Xu family. Once the Armament Mirror was in hand, he might start a massacre. Since the Xu family was involved, even if they didn’t know all the details, they knew it was a significant matter, and there was a risk of being eliminated.

But if the Heavenly God Palace didn’t get the Armament Mirror, there would be no reason to eliminate them, and the additional threat of a leak would ensure the Xu family’s safety.

However, this was just Xu Muyang’s perspective. He had dealt with people from the Heavenly God Palace who had ulterior motives during the array-breaking, and his perspective made it impossible for him to trust anyone from the Heavenly God Palace.

Xu Ruogu, however, thought differently.

Regardless, the Xu family was one of the four major clans in Moqiu, with a prominent status, high prestige, and extensive connections throughout the country. If the Heavenly God Palace eliminated the Xu family, it would cause significant unrest in Moqiu, with far-reaching consequences and potential internal strife. The Heavenly God Palace, though powerful, was rooted in Moqiu, relying on ordinary people and a large number of common cultivators to maintain its extraordinary status. They wouldn’t easily do something that would disrupt their own foundation. Killing Xu Muyang would only affect the Xu family, but eliminating the Xu family would affect the entire country, a completely different matter.

Therefore, Xu Ruogu firmly believed that even if the Heavenly God Palace recovered the Armament Mirror, they wouldn’t truly eliminate the Xu family. Instead, they might use the opportunity to curry favor and offer some benefits to the Xu family, mending their relationship.

This wasn’t impossible, after all, Xu Muyang wasn’t killed by the Heavenly God Palace but committed suicide, which was more acceptable to the Xu family.

On the other hand, if they failed to recover the Armament Mirror, the Heavenly God Palace, harboring resentment, might secretly suppress the Xu family, causing it to fall from its peak, decline, and eventually fade away, a more likely outcome than the entire family being wiped out.

The dead consider survival, but the living must consider how to live better and ensure the family’s glory continues.

Therefore, he was more willing to help Shi Wunian recover the Armament Mirror and seek forgiveness.

These two brothers had fundamentally different views on the same matter.

Xu Muyang’s personality was somewhat extreme, while Xu Ruogu was much more steady. However, Xu Muyang deeply understood the importance of the Armament Mirror, while Xu Ruogu was completely unaware.

It was impossible to determine who was more accurate until the events unfolded.

Just as he was thinking, a loud roar suddenly came from the horizon: "Who is releasing spiritual power here, disturbing the world? Does the Washing Moon Sect have no one to stop this?"

"The Washing Moon Sect is here!" He Chong shouted.

Shi Wunian, however, snorted, "He Chong, do your job. Xu Ruogu, come with me to greet them. I want to see what the Washing Moon Sect can do to us."

In the remote areas of Qiongzhou, even if the Washing Moon Sect sent someone to take charge, it wouldn’t be a major figure. As long as the high-ranking members of the Washing Moon Sect didn’t come, who could stop him, Shi Wunian?

At that moment, several figures flew from a distance. The leader was a man in a black robe with a long beard, sharp eyes, and a long sword on his back.

Seeing Shi Wunian from a distance, he was about to shout, but suddenly felt a tremor in his heart. He rubbed his eyes and looked closely, then was greatly startled, falling from the air. He clasped his hands and called out, "Nan Baicheng of the Washing Moon Sect greets Great Wish Lord Wunian. I did not know of your arrival, please forgive me!"

Shi Wunian glanced at Nan Baicheng, "You have some knowledge, young man."

Nan Baicheng smiled, "Great Wish Lord, your divine appearance is well-known. I, Nan Baicheng, am the head of the Anyang Prefecture branch of the Washing Moon Sect. I have the honor of seeing the Great Wish Lord’s image in the Ten Thousand Immortal Spectrum, and I have not offended you."

This so-called Ten Thousand Immortal Spectrum was essentially a protective charm for cultivators.

The world of cultivation was full of peculiar individuals, some of whom loved to play the role of mortals. If someone unknowingly offended a powerful cultivator, it could mean certain death.

No one knew when they might encounter such a person, so someone created this spectrum, which included images of Tianxin Realm True Men and True Lords from various regions for identification.

Of course, the Ten Thousand Immortal Spectrum couldn’t possibly include all powerful figures, and some were skilled at disguise, but it was better than nothing.

Over time, the Ten Thousand Immortal Spectrum gained another function: ranking cultivators. It included lists like the New Talent List and the True Lord List, essentially dividing them by strength.

The Immortal Platform Realm was not ranked, partly because there were few of them, and partly because immortals couldn’t be casually categorized by mortals. Offending an immortal could lead to a tragic end.

Shi Wunian was one of the four divine lords of the Heavenly God Palace, famous for his early achievements and formidable reputation in the world of cultivation. His image was included in the Ten Thousand Immortal Spectrum, and he never bothered with disguises, so Nan Baicheng recognized him immediately.

As for Xu Ruogu and He Chong, their images were in the spectrum, but their rankings were low, and the drawings were poor, so Nan Baicheng didn’t recognize them. Even if he had, they wouldn’t have mattered in the presence of a great figure like Shi Wunian.

Nan Baicheng was the head of the Anyang Prefecture branch, though he held no official power, he was a Ling Master at the Hundred Refinements stage of the Transcendent Realm. Local officials and cultivators all treated him with great respect, calling him Master.

But now, seeing Shi Wunian, he was like a mouse in front of a cat, too terrified to make a sound, and the people behind him were equally speechless, unsure of the other party’s identity.

They didn’t even have the right to see the Ten Thousand Immortal Spectrum.

Nan Baicheng stepped forward and bowed, "I did not know why Great Wish Lord Wunian would visit this small place in Qiongzhou. If there is anything you need, I will do my best to assist you."

Shi Wunian snorted, "It’s not necessary. We are here to handle some matters. You should leave."

Nan Baicheng’s face turned awkward.

But after a moment’s thought, he clasped his hands and said, "Great Wish Lord, that’s not right. This is the territory of the Washing Moon Sect, and we are the hosts. You, though a Zifu True Lord, are a guest. How can a guest ask the host to leave?"

"What did you say?" Shi Wunian’s eyes glowed with divine light, staring at Nan Baicheng, and an invisible spiritual pressure pinned him down, making him feel as if a mountain was pressing on his shoulders, unable to move.

He struggled to respond, "Great Wish Lord, I cannot stop you from doing what you need to do, but I have the responsibility to monitor the area. Please understand."

He was terrified when he first saw Shi Wunian, but quickly regained his composure. Before coming, he had seen the surge of spiritual energy from a distance, knowing it was likely a problem beyond his capabilities. He had already crushed a communication token to alert the sect. Upon recognizing Shi Wunian, he crushed another urgent token, which could also convey a brief message. In a hurry, he only managed to write "Wish Lord arrived" on a piece of paper in his sleeve, but the Washing Moon Sect would understand.

The reinforcements from the Washing Moon Sect were already on their way, and his job was to keep the other party here until they arrived.

If Shi Wunian dismissed him with a word, and the reinforcements saw it, his future in the Washing Moon Sect would be bleak.

On the other hand, if he could withstand Shi Wunian’s pressure and delay him, he would have done a great service to the sect.

He couldn’t resist Shi Wunian for even a second, but this was the Washing Moon Sect’s territory. If Shi Wunian killed someone from the Washing Moon Sect here, it would be a direct insult. As long as he wasn’t insane, he wouldn’t do it.

Nan Baicheng was taking a risk, but he was willing to gamble.

In the world of cultivation, many were willing to risk their lives for their future.

"Are you saying you must monitor me?"

Nan Baicheng smiled, "Great Wish Lord, you misunderstand. You are a guest from afar, and I only wish to fulfill my duties as a host. No matter what, our Anyang branch is a local power. If you need to handle anything, please let me know, and I will do my best to assist."

The other cultivators also understood and bowed, "We are willing to assist the Great Wish Lord!"

Shi Wunian couldn’t let them help him find Tang Jie. Once found, they might lock him up and interrogate him first.

Anything that could make a True Lord move was no small matter!

He was about to say it wasn’t necessary, but Nan Baicheng’s eyes darted to the ruins. After a quick glance, he said sternly, "Qinan, find out who lived here before."

Hearing this, Shi Wunian knew it was bad. With the Washing Moon Sect’s familiarity with the area, they would soon uncover everything, and he had the urge to kill to silence them. But he realized Nan Baicheng had already sent the message, and killing them here would not erase the information.

Frustrated, he could only curse Xu Muyang for causing him more trouble even in death.

There were many ways to commit suicide, but he chose to explode his heavenly heart, likely to draw the Washing Moon Sect into the matter.

Nan Baicheng, unaware of the impending danger, saw a cultivator quickly retreat and return with a book. After a quick search, he said, "Found it. Six months ago, this residence was sold to a young man from out of town."

"Out of town youth?" Shi Wunian’s eyes glowed with divine light, "What’s his name?"

The cultivator was about to answer, but Nan Baicheng was quicker, snatching the book and destroying it without looking.

"You..." Shi Wunian was furious, about to attack, but Nan Baicheng placed his hand on the cultivator’s forehead, his spiritual energy ready, and shouted, "Great Wish Lord, since you are here, you can’t just leave. If word gets out that the Washing Moon Sect didn’t even greet you, it would be a great loss of face. As for the information about the residence’s owner, it’s a small matter. If you stay, the Washing Moon Sect will gladly provide it."

If Shi Wunian refused, Nan Baicheng would immediately kill the cultivator, making a decisive move.

Shi Wunian laughed coldly, "Do you think this will work on me?"

"Of course not. A Zifu True Lord, with divine will and boundless power, can do anything. My petty tricks can’t stop you," Nan Baicheng smiled.

Only then did everyone realize they were facing a Zifu Realm expert, and they all froze in fear.

Nan Baicheng continued, "But it’s easy for you to kill me, but hard to stop me. You didn’t come here to kill people from the Washing Moon Sect, did you?"

Shi Wunian hesitated.

The six major sects were not on good terms, often having hidden conflicts, but they never openly fought. Provoking each other publicly was something they avoided, as it would only anger their opponents without any benefit.

Nan Baicheng continued, "Please stay a moment, Great Wish Lord."

Shi Wunian snorted, "Good boy! It’s been many years since I’ve seen such a brave young man. The Washing Moon Sect is truly producing talented individuals. But unfortunately, your knowledge is still shallow."

As he spoke, he raised his hand slightly.

Nan Baicheng’s face turned ashen, thinking Shi Wunian might really risk a feud with the Washing Moon Sect to kill him.

But unexpectedly, Shi Wunian pointed at the empty space in front of him, and the book he had shattered with a palm strike reassembled and flew into his hand, even stopping at the same page.

"This is... the Return to Origin Technique?" Nan Baicheng exclaimed.

"No, it’s the Dao of Time. The Return to Origin Technique can restore things to their original state, but it requires prior knowledge of the object. The Dao of Time, however, can simply revert the target to a previous state," Shi Wunian smiled.

"Dao... Dao Tian Zun?" Nan Baicheng was shocked.

True Lords and Dao Tian Zuns, though both in the Zifu Realm, had differences.

Techniques, spells, abilities, and Dao were the four manifestations of a cultivator’s power. Only those who mastered Dao could be called Dao Tian