"Dying with open eyes is fitting."
Ning Xunqiu felt pleased.
The Martial Artists and Grandmasters of Jin Country disregarded martial ethics. It's one thing to gang up on the few, but they all prefer sneak attacks. He's fallen twice in the books.
Evidently, being able to shoot an arrow into the knee of a Sword Demon who cultivated the "Carefree Wanderings" realm of "White Clouds Drifting Leisurely" must involve the means of a Cultivator.
Ning Xunqiu reminded himself not to be reckless, then silently tagged Jin Country people in his mind as those to avoid; in reality, if encountered... no, he should never say a single word to them.
It's better not to show himself, lest he fall into their trap.
Jin Country people are too despicable.
"Golden Talisman? Cool Jade Stone? Was Jin Country really blessed with Cultivation Treasures? I wonder if there is a Cultivator overseeing them, can a random talisman suppress me, an Innate Martial Artist? Am I really that impressive?"
"The attributes of a Cultivator are indeed exaggerated, are Martial Artists in Qingxu Realm so lacking in stature?"
Ning Xunqiu sighed helplessly and continued to look through "Celestial Derivation Volume" to find ways to respond.
[I didn't assassinate Emperor Jin Jiang Hong; instead, I chose to probe Emperor Jin Jiang Hong.]
[I stealthily placed Wei Xin's head on his Dragon Chariot, and while Emperor Jin Jiang Hong was resting with closed eyes, he was completely unaware; he's really just a Third Realm Martial Artist.]
[Emperor Jin Jiang Hong smelled the stench of blood, opened his eyes, saw Wei Xin's head beside him, and his heart shuddered. He recalled the ghostly legends of Yu Country and remembered Ning Xunqiu, who broke through above Grandmaster at the age of thirty, his face alternated between dark and light.]
[He understood this as a warning and chose to leave as if nothing happened.]
[Three days later, Jin Country's renowned general Wei Xin, worn out from work, faced an explosion of hidden injuries, and died on the road, posthumously titled Marquis Zhongwu.]
[I took the Golden Talisman and Jade Stone back to Cyan Mountain. After some study, I activated the Jade Stone with Inner Qi and drove the Golden Talisman, a giant golden light emerged, split the Golden Summit like cutting tofu at my whim.]
[…]
[This power... I held the dimming Golden Talisman, looked at the collapsing Golden Summit, and my mind was struck with deafening silence.]
[Just needing the Third Realm of Martial Arts, using Inner Qi to trigger the Jade Stone to display such Divine Techniques? The Golden Talisman is merely dim and close to breaking, seems it can still be activated once more.]
[Is this what the power of a Cultivator is?]
[I was deeply shocked and started research intensely as if possessed.]
[Activating the Golden Talisman, the Cool Qi in the Jade Stone surprisingly wasn't consumed much, it's just an ignition process? I named the Cool Qi as "Spiritual Qi."]
[I tried to draw a strand of "Spiritual Qi" into the body; after multiple attempts, the body couldn't store it. However, the body of my junior sister could remain a little "Spiritual Qi" after several attempts.]
[Physique? Spirit Root?]
[I realized this, awakened from my obsession, and handed the Jade Stone to my junior sister Gao Fei Xue for use. I documented my junior sister's cultivation experiences daily.]
[My junior sister Gao Fei Xue refined "Spiritual Qi," significantly enhancing her internal Qi quality. In merely three months, she surpassed my strength as an Innate Martial Artist.
After all, "Human Qi" cannot compare to "Heaven and Earth Qi."]
[If my junior sister cannot cultivate, she will eventually depart from me; she has the potential for Cultivation, and I am delighted in my heart.]
[The good times weren't long.]
[A year later, the Jade Stone dimmed and turned to ash stone, cracking open. My junior sister Gao Fei Xue's progress halted, and I let her continue cultivating, but her internal "Spiritual Qi" began to dissipate continuously.]
[I don't know the reason, but I can guess perhaps this place is a "Land of No Spirit." Immortals are like big fish; tides rise and fall in seven countries without water sources needed by big fish, they naturally cannot survive.]
[My junior sister Gao Fei Xue learned she couldn't cultivate, yet she smiled, stating she only needs to break through to Innate Realm; we can accompany each other for life, I was greatly touched, and spent a good time entwined with my junior sister.]
[Afterward, we stayed at the Purple Mist Peak, brewing tea and discussing martial arts, indifferent to worldly matters, truly living like Immortals.]
[At forty, ten years later I progressed no further, "Above Innate" remains elusive, it seems the world has a barrier, preventing one from stepping into that realm.]
[My junior sister Gao Fei Xue suggested traveling the mountains and rivers for opportunities, I was restless after being still for so long. At this time, only junior sister Ah Qing, daughter Ning Yu, and eldest son Ning Yun were left at Cyan Mountain.]
[Earlier, Zhao Ping mastered "Cross Seven Swords·Wind Character Sword," Zhang Han mastered "Cross and Vertical Seven Swords·Thunder Sword." One night, they unexpectedly left a letter and departed down the mountain.]
[Under my and my wife's guidance, Ning Yu and Ning Yun broke through the Inner Qi Realm early, having achieved Minor Success in "White Clouds Drifting Leisurely," each mastering "Cross and Vertical Sword," they could each hold their own, and together their swords could not be challenged by any Grandmaster.]
[Furthermore, Junior Sister Ah Qing possesses the highest comprehension. She has achieved great success in cultivating the Seven Swords of Cross and Vertical·Spirit Sword, and has reached the realm of Grandmaster. Occupying the danger of Cyan Mountain, in all of Jianghu, besides me and my junior sister, we have no rivals.]
[My junior sister and I advised our children and then descended the mountain together, meeting our younger sister in White Cloud City. Seeing her married with children, living happily, we began to travel the world.]
[Upon leaving the territory of White Cloud City, along the way we saw the starving, buried in the sandy houses, a scene of utter decay. Although Jin Country has unified the world without war, the common people have not become better off.]
[I was somewhat puzzled, but then learned the reason from a Jianghu person.
Emperor Jin Jiang Hong possessed exceptional talent, having unified the world for fifty-eight years. This year, at the age of sixty-eight, it is considered longevity in an era when the average age is twenty, yet he remains unsatisfied, obsessed with immortality.]
In the past, during his inspection of the world, he went to Vast Sea Land to build a great ship named Ascension Tower, wishing to venture overseas in search of Immortal Island, hoping for an Immortal to grant him the Elixir of Immortality.]
[He conscripted thirty million laborers from Six Kingdoms, and three years ago, finally completed the ship and set sail. Yet countless laborers died of exhaustion, and according to tales, the waters of the Vast Sea Land are littered with white bones, resembling hell on earth.]
[This year, the old lands of Yu Country, Qi Country, and Southern Country suffered drought and locusts, crops yielded nothing, and Jin Country remained indifferent, taxes unrelenting, resulting in countless deaths from starvation.]
[Junior Sister Gao Fei Xue felt compassionate and asked me to heal the sick and help the people.
Our footprints spanned Six Kingdoms, and our reputation gradually spread. We left behind hybrid seeds, teaching people how to eliminate the locust plague, find water sources, and drill deep wells to combat drought, among other things, saving countless lives.
Due to one in blue and one in white, one woman and one man, with blue robes slaying evil and advocating goodness, and white robes healing and saving lives.]
[People call us the Green Sky and White Cloud Great Compassion and Great Mercy World-saving Double Immortals.]
[But the more places Junior Sister Gao Fei Xue went to save, the more people starved to death. In Jin Country, there are twelve rebellious kings gaining momentum, raising armies again, yet they were gradually defeated by the strong army led by Li Ji's son, with thirty thousand beheaded, forming a mound of skulls.
For this accomplishment, the Li Family was bestowed titles of marquis for three generations, creating a celebrated tale of one family and three marquises.]
[Junior Sister turned back, passing the villages she once aided, now in ruins, overgrown with grass taller than a person, devoid of children playing or smoke rising.]
[Indeed, white bones exposed in the wild, a vast land without the crowing of chickens.]
[Junior Sister Gao Fei Xue, facing this world, finally felt despair.]
[Junior Sister asked me: How can this world be resolved?]
[Very simple.]
[I drew the "White Cloud Sword" that had always been an ornament at my waist, and together with her, cut a path into Jin Country's Chang'an Hall. We are already in the Innate Realm, how can a mere three thousand Armored Warriors stop us?]
["In the sky, the White Jade Capital, twelve towers and five cities, Immortals stroke my hair, knot it and bestow immortality." My white robe fluttered, walking on air, chanting softly.
At that moment, Emperor Jin Jiang Hong was covered in white hair, his skin sagging, his face filled with age spots, his teeth fallen. Seeing me still youthful after decades, he asked if I had become Immortal.
He pleaded for me to extend his life.]
[I walked towards him step by step in mid-air.
"Alas, how could a generation's emperor end up like this."
As I spoke, I reached out to touch his head, and then seized the moment to decapitate him swiftly, rushing forward to rummage through the corpse, extracting a Golden Talisman and a palm-sized Jade Pearl from the Dragon Robe.]
[Then, taking his head, I walked on air under everyone's gaze, directed at Chang'an Hall, using my full strength to wield the Seven Swords of Cross and Vertical, slashing out a massive sword beam, splitting Chang'an Hall in half like a chasm.]
[Everyone was stunned like wooden chickens.]
["Emperor's descendants of Jin Country, if you repeat such misdeeds, like this hall, consider yourselves forewarned." Leaving behind a sentence, I pulled the astonished Junior Sister and swiftly fled.]
[Soon after, Emperor Ren Jiang You ascended the throne, promulgating new laws and benevolent governance, granting amnesty across the land, halting unnecessary labor everywhere, and sending ministers to aid disaster relief, leaving the common people confused but joyfully crying and cheering.]
[Although Jin Country attempted to suppress the information, it couldn't be hidden from those with intentions.]
[Yet the Jin Country royal family has yet to bring Immortal's Treasure and trouble me at Cyan Mountain, possibly believing me to be an Immortal or an Immortal Disciple?
I held a long sword, sitting alone atop White Cloud Peak on Cyan Mountain, witnessing the morning light breaking through the endless night.]
[One person suppressing one nation, one sword bringing peace.]
The people of the world honored me as—White Cloud Sword Saint.]
...