A clap of thunder accompanied by a bolt of lightning ripped through the sky over Yangzhou, and immediately following, rain poured down in torrents. The sky of Yangzhou instantly turned gray behind a sheet of white rain. The streets of Yangzhou town also suddenly became chillingly deserted. The rain grew heavier by the minute, and no one knew when it would stop. In the twilight rain, the only thing people could do was shut their doors to escape the fierce gusts of wind.
Before the sun could sink below the western horizon, the city of Yangzhou had already grown chillingly silent. It hastily shed its bustling, metropolitan character to quickly don a cloak of quietude in the twilight rain. That desolate silence was occasionally shattered by the rumbling of thunder and bolts of lightning ripping through the air.
The rain only began to ease when Yangzhou lit its lamps, strings of lanterns swaying back and forth, flickering in the freezing night wind. Every house was barred and bolted; even the famous pleasure houses of Yangzhou did not care to welcome overnight guests. The city of Yangzhou seemed to be sinking into a silent slumber.
If the city of Yangzhou was the epitome of silence, then fifty miles away, in a pine forest named Shangyuan Pavilion where the Grand Headquarters of the Yi Shen Sect was located, things were entirely different. Rows of lanterns hung along endless corridors, leading to a grand hall constructed to resemble the watchful eyes of the night, guarding the dignity of this heretical sacred ground.
Although the rain still blanketed the entire landscape, in the vast courtyard of over ten acres in front of the Grand Headquarters, the disciples of the Yi Shen Sect, clad in neat martial attire, still stood drenched in the rain, demonstrating the strict discipline of the sect's rules and the severity of their Sect Leader.
Inside the Grand Headquarters, the Sect Leader of the Yi Shen Sect, dressed in long robes of Hangzhou brocade, sat majestically upon a vermilion and gold-gilded throne, a tiger-skin rug beneath his feet. The Sect Leader's piercing eyes shone brightly, revealing an extraordinary and supreme inner strength.
Sitting beside the Sect Leader of the Yi Shen Sect was a scholar in his early fifties, possessing an elegant and dignified demeanor. His countenance bore stern and majestic features, yet carried a hint of mystery. He was someone known to everyone in the Jianghu: the "Iron Fan Crouching Dragon," Mister Zhuge Shangguan.
The gaze of the Iron Fan Crouching Dragon seemed lost in some distant realm, rather than truly present in his current reality. Flanking the left and right sides of the Yi Shen Sect Leader were two rows of top-tier masters of the Yi Shen Sect, ranked according to the color of their robes:
white, blue, yellow, red, and finally, the black-robed disciples who had to endure the rain outside the Grand Headquarters.
Iron Fan Crouching Dragon Zhuge Shangguan looked at the Yi Shen Sect Leader and said calmly:
“Sect Leader, for what reason have you summoned this old man from his quiet chamber to witness this?”
The Yi Shen Sect Leader, Qiu Tianren, stroked his beard and replied to Zhuge Shangguan:
“Today is the fifteenth day of the month, the night of the full moon. According to our sect's custom, it is the time to rectify our precepts.”
“Therefore, this seat has invited you out here to witness this as an honored guest.”
“Does the Sect Leader still spare a thought for an old scholar confined to a quiet chamber?”
“This seat would not dare to consider you a prisoner of our sect. Even if you are bound hand and foot in the quiet chamber, you are still the ‘Iron Fan Crouching Dragon,’ Mister Zhuge Shangguan.”
Zhuge Shangguan stroked his beard and smiled faintly:
“This old man believes there is no need for the Sect Leader to display his power before me.”
Qiu Tianren, the Yi Shen Cult Leader, cast a brief, pitying glance at Zhuge Shangguan, but then calmly replied:
“How would this seat dare to presume to understand the profound mysteries of heaven and earth? If Mister would bestow further guidance, it would be like adding wings to a tiger and claws to a dragon; the martial world would soon be united under one rule.”
“The Tongtian Scripture and the iron fan—this old man has long forgotten them, and has no idea where they are.”
“This seat knew all too well that Mister would say that. But let us set aside the private matters between this seat and Mister for now, and turn our attention to tonight’s trial.”
“This old man does not know if he has any interest in it.”
Zhuge Shangguan looked absentmindedly out the main door and said indifferently:
“Having been confined in the Cult Leader’s quiet chamber for so many days, this old man feels his mind is very tranquil and has no desire to witness the chaotic bustle of the martial world.”
“Ah... why does Mister say such a thing? If Mister does not care about that bustle, then you would be showing far too much disrespect to this seat.”
“How would this old man dare to disrespect the Yi Shen Cult Leader? After all, whether this old man lives or dies is entirely in the Cult Leader’s hands.”
“How could this seat have the heart to take the life of such a rare talent of the world? For every day Mister stays in the quiet chamber of the Yi Shen Cult, Qiu Tianren must perform a ceremony to thank heaven and earth. If Mister stays in the quiet chamber for a month, this seat will fast and purify himself for three days.”
“Then how long has this old man been here?”
“Exactly one year.”
“And yet, this old man thought it had been exactly one day. When the mind is tranquil and freed from worldly impurities, one can forget even the passage of time in one’s own life.”
“Did Mister realize this within this seat’s quiet chamber?”
“This old man does not even know where it was anymore.”
The Yi Shen Cult Leader stroked his beard and smiled faintly. He looked down at the cult disciples standing below, then lightly raised his hand to give a signal.
Two sharp spiked platforms were carried out and placed right in the middle of the Great Hall of the headquarters.
The Yi Shen Cult Leader reached to the side, drew a golden command token, and placed it onto the rack in front of him.
Immediately following the action of the Yi Shen Cult Leader Qiu Tianren, two great experts from the yellow-robed group darted out. Both glided and leaped onto the two spiked platforms. Although they stood upon sharp, iron-tipped spikes, their stances remained incredibly stable.
The two men faced each other, staring straight ahead. Their eyes blazed with fierce killing intent, even though they both belonged to the same group of yellow-robed messengers.
A gong was struck.
Clang...
As soon as the reverberation died down, the two yellow-robed experts simultaneously tapped the tips of their boots lightly against the spikes, gliding forward to clash directly. In unison, they unleashed thunderous palm strikes aimed straight at one another.
Normally in a duel, one would attack while the other evaded, but this was a trial of verification. According to the rules, neither opponent was allowed to dodge; they had to meet each other head-on and block directly, deciding victory or defeat in a single stance, a single palm strike, using their raw internal energy.
The outcome would be decided immediately after their palms clashed. As they collided, their hands locked together, turning the fight into a contest of internal strength.
As the two opponents turned the trial into a contest of internal strength, their bodies slowly descended back onto the spiked platforms. Even as they fought, both had to divide their energy to keep the spikes from piercing through the soles of their shoes. They did not fear their opponent, but they feared the deadly sharp spikes beneath them.
Sweat began to drench both of their faces.
One of them let out a roar:
“Ah!”
He surged his internal energy, just as a spike pierced through the sole of his shoe.
Pressed by his opponent’s surging internal energy, the other man was forced to increase his own strength.
Both were now plunged into a precarious life-or-death struggle.
The two yellow-robed masters were plunged straight down onto the bed of spikes like two banana trees, driven by the very force of their mutual attacks.
Both met an identical death. They thrashed on the bed of spikes like skewered fish, their mouths letting out horrific screams.
Qiu Tianren, the Cult Leader of the Di Shen Sect, turned to Iron Fan Crouching Dragon, Mister Zhuge Shangguan, and said:
"These two have not yet attained the pinnacle realm of the Plum Blossom Pillars."
Zhuge Shangguan replied:
"It was their destiny to die like this. They brought about a death destined for them."
"Was it not according to the rules of the trial?"
"All rules and regulations are set by the Cult Leader. Those men willingly handed their lives over to your harsh laws."
"Since they are disciples of the Di Shen Sect, they cannot defy the rules I have established. The Di Shen Sect does not accept disciples who cling to life and fear death. Everyone must forge ahead for the sake of our sect."
Zhuge Shangguan flatly replied to the Di Shen Cult Leader:
"Any tyranny will ultimately end with the consequences of that very tyranny. The Cult Leader has his rules, but there are also the laws of heaven and earth."
Qiu Tianren glared at Iron Fan Crouching Dragon, then looked back at the disciples. For some unknown reason, he unconsciously let out a sigh.
Sweeping his burning gaze over the disciples, the Di Shen Cult Leader looked back at Zhuge Shangguan and said slowly:
"According to your prophecy, I shall halt the martial arts trial and proceed to the main part of today's ceremony."
He looked back at the disciples mysteriously, solemnly enunciating each word:
"The Heaven-Praying Ceremony of our Di Shen Sect."
The gong-striker struck three times in rapid succession, the sound incredibly harsh.
Clang... Clang... Clang...
The sound of the gong was cold and eerie. Along with it, a grinding noise echoed as the floor of the Great Headquarters slowly parted, revealing a magnificent shrine below.
A single glance at the statue of the Di Shen revealed a divine majesty that could frighten one's soul away. It was a statue of a Yaksha demon crafted from black stone, over ten feet tall, depicted in a seated position with both hands resting on its thighs. Its eye sockets were set with two night-blood pearls that emitted a deep red glow. Beneath the lower section of the Di Shen statue was the head of a fanged python, looking extremely fierce, though its ferocity served only to enhance the ultimate malice of the Di Shen's face.
In front of the Di Shen statue was an incense burner, thick with rising agarwood smoke. Standing in attendance on both sides of the statue were two rows of maidservants, numbering over twenty. All wore identical robes of sheer white silk, through which the light from the wall torches shone, accentuating the exquisite contours of their natural beauty.
The atmosphere of the Great Headquarters suddenly became solemn and incredibly mystical.
The disciples prostrated themselves in unison, pressing their faces to the ground to show their ultimate reverence.
While the disciples showed their devotion to the Di Shen statue, Iron Fan Crouching Dragon let out a sigh, then focused his sharp gaze to examine the statue.
The Di Shen Cult Leader stole a glance at Zhuge Shangguan, then slowly rose from his throne, walking with measured steps toward the stone steps leading down to the Di Shen statue.
Upon arriving before the Di Shen statue, Cult Leader Qiu Tianren bowed respectfully three times, and then took the golden crown adorned with countless luminous pearls from the statue's hand and placed it on his own head. Now, the Di Shen Cult Leader looked more like a sorcerer than anything else.
He spread his arms wide and said in a loud voice:
– O Patron Master of our sect. All your followers offer unto you the sacred tribute that we have painstakingly sought. May the Patron Master accept it and grant the Yi Shen Cult glorious prosperity. The Yi Shen Cult shall become the pillar of heaven in the Central Plains martial arts world.
Having said those words, the Yi Shen Cult Leader muttered under his breath as if reciting a prayer. At this moment, his countenance appeared incredibly strange and mystical.
He finished his recitation and turned around. The Yi Shen Cult Leader's eyes, already bright, now shone even brighter, as if intending to pin his divine gaze directly onto the face of the Iron Fan Crouching Dragon, Zhuge Shangguan.
Observing the Yi Shen Cult Leader, it seemed as though the old man wished to use the divine majesty of his gaze—which had just absorbed power from the statue of the Yi Shen—to suppress the authority of the Iron Fan Crouching Dragon, Zhuge Shangguan. Facing the burning, murderous gaze that revealed the absolute power of a Cult Leader, Mister Zhuge Shangguan responded with an exceptionally gentle yet cold look.
Was it by chance or by design that the two locked eyes?
Even though his life was in the hands of the Yi Shen Cult Leader, the Iron Fan Crouching Dragon remained completely indifferent to the formidable power of his opponent's divine gaze.
After the time it took for a cup of tea to cool, the Yi Shen Cult Leader, Qiu Tianren, finally spoke in a loud voice:
– Sacrifice to the god.
His command echoed, drawing out like a chant from the ghostly depths of Avici hell.
A door on the side of the Yi Shen statue opened. Two maidservants dressed in flowing robes led out a mature woman of breathtaking beauty. She wore only a thin silk shawl draped loosely over her shoulders, covering her private parts while leaving other areas exposed, embodying the alluring charm of an exquisite beauty.
The woman's countenance was highly unusual, bearing the expression of someone whose mind had been stripped away, living in an illusory realm. The appearance of this mature woman caused the expression of the Iron Fan Crouching Dragon, Zhuge Shangguan, to suddenly harden.
Mister Iron Fan Crouching Dragon muttered under his breath:
– Yihua Palace Mistress, Meng Tianqiao.
With those words, Mister Iron Fan Crouching Dragon made a move to stand up, but upon meeting the gaze of the Yi Shen Cult Leader, he immediately abandoned the idea and instead began counting on his fingers to divine her fate.
Mister Iron Fan Crouching Dragon let out a sigh, looking at the Yihua Palace Mistress, Meng Tianqiao.
While Zhuge Shangguan was calculating, the Yi Shen Cult Leader wore a faint, knowing smile.
The two maidservants led the Yihua Palace Mistress to the front of the Yi Shen statue, then stepped back to join the two rows of waiting maidservants.
Qiu Tianren stepped in front of Meng Tianqiao.
He spoke in a clear, loud voice, as if deliberately intending for Zhuge Shangguan to hear:
– Madam Meng, Palace Mistress of Yihua Palace, do you agree to offer your body and heart to our Patron Master, the Yi Shen?
Meng Tianqiao nodded blankly. She mumbled as if chanting a mantra:
– Yi Shen, our Patron Master… Yi Shen, our Patron Master… Yi Shen, our Patron Master…
Qiu Tianren raised both hands before Meng Tianqiao's face as if casting a spell and bestowing a blessing, then said solemnly:
– Leaving this realm behind, do you believe, Madam Meng, that you will find glorious prosperity in another?
Meng Tianqiao nodded again. She spread her arms wide, like the most devout disciple longing to offer her body to the statue of the Yi Shen.
Qiu Tianren asked again:
– Madam Meng, do you have no regrets?
– No regrets.
– Do you offer your body to the Patron Master Yi Shen with all your sincerity and devotion?
– With sincerity and devotion.
The Yi Shen Cult Leader looked back at the statue of the Yi Shen, raising his voice to pronounce each word clearly:
“I report to the Primordial Master, please accept the mortal body of Meng Tianqiao in the devout reverence of your Yi Shen disciples.”
Immediately following Qiu Tianren's words, a low, eerie rumbling sound emanated from the mouth of the stone serpent carved into the statue's abdomen. Right after those eerie sounds, a bright green flame burst forth, illuminating the entire Grand Hall of the Yi Shen Sect.
The sight was both miraculous and demonic.
The disciples chanted in unison:
“Yi Shen has manifested… Yi Shen has manifested!”
Along with their chants, they repeatedly slapped their hands against the floor. The entire Yi Shen congregation seemed to whip themselves into a frenzy.
While the Yi Shen disciples continuously chanted and beat their hands against the floor to show their devotion to the black stone Yi Shen Primordial Master, the old Sect Leader slowly extended his right hand and placed it gently on the right shoulder of Yihua Palace Mistress Meng Tianqiao. The Yi Shen Sect Leader's gaze was fixed intently on Meng Tianqiao's face. With a swift, decisive motion, he ripped away the silk cloth loosely draped over the body of the Yihua Palace Mistress.
Meng Tianqiao's exquisite body was fully revealed before the eyes of the Yi Shen Sect Leader.
Despite standing naked before the eyes of so many Yi Shen disciples, Meng Tianqiao showed not the slightest hint of shame, her vacant gaze remaining fixed on the statue. It was unclear whether she still possessed her senses; all that could be seen was that her entire focus was directed toward the black stone statue of Yi Shen.
Once again, the right hand of Yi Shen Sect Leader Qiu Tianren reached out, slowly placing itself over the vital heart acupoint of Yihua Palace Mistress Meng Tianqiao.
He flashed a smile, then suddenly turned to look back at the Iron Fan Crouching Dragon, Mister Zhuge Shangguan.
This time, Zhuge Shangguan could no longer restrain himself. He sprang to his feet and roared:
“Don't!...”
Before the word "don't" could even fade from the lips of the Iron Fan Crouching Dragon, the Yi Shen Sect Leader's claw technique had already pierced through Meng Tianqiao's skin, which was as white and smooth as pomelo blossoms. When he withdrew his hand, the Yihua Palace Mistress's bright red heart was clutched firmly in Qiu Tianren's grasp.
He raised his hand straight above his head and said solemnly:
“I report to the Yi Shen Primordial Master, this is the pure heart offered to you by your disciples.”
Despite having her heart gouged out, Meng Tianqiao still stood motionless, her mouth never ceasing to mutter:
“Yi Shen Primordial Master… Yi Shen Primordial Master…”
The two palace maids from earlier stepped forward to support her, leading her straight to the serpent's tongue and laying her down upon it.
The disciples chanted their prayers without ceasing:
“The Primordial Master has manifested… The Primordial Master has manifested!”
The serpent's tongue slowly retracted, carrying away Meng Tianqiao's insensate body. As the serpent's mouth closed, the heart in Qiu Tianren's hand suddenly burst into flames.
Qiu Tianren swept his gaze over the disciples and said solemnly:
“The Yi Shen Primordial Master has accepted the pure offering of his disciples. The Primordial Master shall bestow his grace and supreme power upon the Yi Shen Sect, so that his disciples may flourish and expand our glory throughout this realm.”
The disciples slapped their hands in unison, chanting resoundingly:
“The Primordial Master has manifested… The Primordial Master has manifested!”
Waiting until the hall had completely quieted down, Yi Shen Sect Leader Qiu Tianren removed his golden crown, placed it into the hand of the Yi Shen statue, and then leisurely stepped back up.
Once he was seated upon his throne, the floor of the Grand Hall closed back up, concealing the sacrificial chamber below.
The congregation turned toward the Yi Shen Sect Leader, performing a grand prostration and chanting together:
“Supreme Sect Leader!”
While the cultists showed their devotion to the Cult Leader, Qiu Tianren looked over at Master Zhuge Shangguan, the Iron Fan Sleeping Dragon, and said softly:
"There will be many more such sacrificial rituals if you do not hand over the Tongtian Book to me."
"I already knew that Yihua Palace Mistress Meng Tianqiao would suffer this fate, losing both her heart and her body. Qiankun is indeed harsh toward mortals."
Qiu Tianren frowned:
"Since you foresaw it, why were you so panicked when I took the pure heart of the Yihua Palace Mistress?"
"Defying destiny is truly difficult."
"If I have the Tongtian Book, I will overturn Qiankun."
The Iron Fan Sleeping Dragon, Zhuge Shangguan, slowly stood up and looked at the Di Shen Cult Leader:
"Cult Leader, walk outside with me."
As Zhuge Shangguan spoke, he walked straight toward the gates of the Grand Headquarters. Qiu Tianren also quickened his pace to walk beside him. The cultists standing outside the Grand Headquarters, upon seeing Qiu Tianren, immediately fell to their knees in unison, heedless of the puddles beneath their feet.
The Iron Fan Sleeping Dragon looked up at the sky. He said solemnly:
"Humans absorb the essence of the Five Elements in heaven and earth to form their hearts. But no matter how ambitious or domineering that heart is in wanting to alter the Five Elements, it still cannot escape being bound by them."
Zhuge Shangguan looked at the sky, then turned back to the Di Shen Cult Leader, Qiu Tianren.
Seeing Zhuge Shangguan looking at him with the eyes of a sage, Qiu Tianren blurted out:
"What did you see in the transformation of Qiankun, Master?"
Zhuge Shangguan smiled faintly and spoke slowly, as if chanting:
"He who holds the Heaven-Measuring Ruler
Shall measure all things, past and present, inside and out,
Fathom life and death, gain and loss,
And grasp all of the present and the future."
Qiu Tianren's thick brows furrowed deeply at Zhuge Shangguan's words. He hesitated for a moment, then asked:
"What do you mean by that, Master?"
"There will be someone who thoroughly understands the heavenly roots. At that time, your destiny star, Cult Leader, will vanish. The transformation of Qiankun is destined to be so; even if that black stone statue of the Di Shen possesses great power, it cannot defy this transformation."
Having said this, the Iron Fan Sleeping Dragon, Zhuge Shangguan, clasped his hands in a salute to the Di Shen Cult Leader:
"May I return to my quiet chamber?"
"Can you tell me who the one who understands the heavenly roots is, old Master?"
"Heaven's secrets must not be revealed. Farewell!"
Master Iron Fan Sleeping Dragon turned on his heel and calmly walked back to his quiet chamber, completely indifferent to the powerful Di Shen Cult Leader, who could have taken his life with a mere wave of his hand as easily as reaching into a pocket.
Qiu Tianren stared at the back of Master Iron Fan Sleeping Dragon until his figure vanished into the darkness of the night, before muttering to himself:
"Zhuge Shangguan... I can make you a permanently sleeping dragon in this realm, once I find out who understands the Tongtian Book."