*Clang! Clang! Clang!*

Qin Zhizhen flickered in and out of existence, unleashing a torrent of lethal slashes. The blue-robed figure, though repeatedly forced back by Qin Zhizhen’s relentless assault, nonetheless maintained an air of effortless grace, moving with startling agility. He traversed the empty air as if strolling through a serene garden.

Qin Zhizhen undeniably held the initiative, yet he found himself unable to inflict significant harm! Furthermore, as his attacks grew more frequent, he felt Jiang Wang’s parries becoming increasingly precise. It was as if Jiang Wang’s blue-edged blade anticipated the arrival of Qin Zhizhen’s long blade, meeting it just as it struck.

Despite being in his peak state, bathed in the brilliance of the Five Mansions, and capable of traversing empty space, Qin Zhizhen found himself unable to gain a decisive advantage!

In Qin Zhizhen’s estimation, Jiang Wang lived up to his illustrious reputation, strong and peerless. In the eyes of the spectators, these two were truly peerless prodigies, locked in a magnificent contest.

However, the difficulty Jiang Wang faced was a burden he bore alone. Who else in this world, at the same cultivation realm, could stand against Qin Zhizhen without feeling immense pressure?

Their battle was a tempest of rapidly shifting offense and defense, a whirlwind of momentum that flipped and twisted in an instant, changing ten thousand times in a blink.

But the flow of time marched on. The “Ten Thousand Saints’ Convergence” had already held for sixteen breaths. This meant… the limit of the Sound-Hearing Immortal State was nigh.

This near-immortal Dao technique, a complex fusion of the mysterious sound perception from the Primordial Chaos space and the Sound-Hearing Immortal Canon inherited from the Ten Thousand Immortals Palace, was too intricate in its mechanism. Though inscribed upon his Inner Mansion, it could not be used repeatedly. Even if he cast aside all else and focused entirely on its restoration, it would require at least an incense stick’s worth of time before he could activate it again.

An incense stick’s time, though seemingly brief in normal circumstances, was enough for several thousand life-and-death situations to unfold in a battle between peak prodigies. And without the amplification of the Sound-Hearing Immortal State, his sword techniques would struggle to match Qin Zhizhen’s blade arts, let alone swiftly capture the elusive Qin Zhizhen who moved through empty space.

Yet, Jiang Wang’s expression remained serene, his eyes calm. Looking at this blue-robed figure pressing forward with his sword, people couldn’t help but feel a profound sense: Nothing, it seemed, could not be overcome by him. Nothing could halt his advance.

Seventeenth breath.

Anxiety, anticipation, torment, and pain… this prolonged waiting! The spectators felt their hearts clawed with impatience, and Qin Zhizhen had yet to reappear. He was hidden within empty space, his whereabouts unknown.

Jiang Wang’s robes fluttered as he held his sword, scanning his surroundings. Though his opponent was unseen, he could not afford to relax.

Eighteenth breath.

Jiang Wang suddenly flicked his long sword and declared loudly in the air, “Qi has the eight sounds of famous tea! Please, noble sir, partake!”

His left hand pressed down.

Time flowed to the nineteenth breath of the Sound-Hearing Immortal State.

*Jiu jiu jiu jiu, jiu jiu jiu jiu!*

Flame sparrows circled and ascended with a collective cry. Then came the sounds of the qin, the bell, the pipa… the eight sounds played in concert, creating a sonic tide akin to a surging sea.

Jiang Wang’s original Eight Sounds Burning Sea technique thus unfolded across the martial arena. This technique, refined by the integration of the eight sounds of exquisite tea and the resonant harmony of the sea tide, and further corrected within the Sound-Hearing Immortal State, was not merely powerful. Its very sound, its voice, was like the celestial music flowing into one’s ears, bringing joy and delight, a wonder beyond words.

Those from Qi looked on, their heads held high, their chests puffed out with pride. The eight sounds of Qi’s renowned tea – a source of honor for the people of Qi!

For Jiang Wang, the consideration in this battle was strategic. Should he use the Eight Sounds Burning Sea to temporarily replace the spread of his Fire Realm? Or should he use this widespread attack to limit Qin Zhizhen’s elusive Refining Empty divine ability?

For Qin Zhizhen to attack, he would first have to traverse this sea of fire. Even a single thread of delay, sometimes, was enough to change the trajectory of victory and defeat. By this means, Jiang Wang sought to compensate for the diminishing power of the Sound-Hearing Immortal State. A battle was never a one-person game.

Just as Jiang Wang unleashed the Eight Sounds Burning Sea, Qin Zhizhen’s figure reappeared. At that moment, the Eight Sounds Burning Sea was rapidly expanding outwards from Jiang Wang. Qin Zhizhen stood at the edge of the martial arena, separated from Jiang Wang by the swiftly expanding sea of flames, confronting him.

Within him, the Five Lights of the Mansions blazed with resplendent glory. This scene mirrored the first descent of the Fire Realm – Jiang Wang unleashing a wide-area Dao technique, Qin Zhizhen leaping from empty space, choosing to widen the distance.

Their battle seemed to be a constant replay of scenes. In a sense, both were firmly executing their own battle strategies. This was a comprehensive clash of will, power, and wisdom.

Facing the sweeping sea of flames and the sonic tide, Qin Zhizhen held his long blade erect, bolstered by the power of the Five Mansions. With a single vertical chop! He cleaved through the flame sea and the sonic tide, the Eight Sounds Burning Sea parting before him.

And he said slowly, “The sounds of heaven are pleasant to the ear, truly broadening the heart and soothing the spirit.” His voice was firm, a declaration of settled intent, irreversible. His two hands gripped the handle, moving the blade to his left abdomen, the long blade pointing diagonally forward. He continued, “This one also possesses a blade, please, Noble Sir, appreciate it!”

He seemed to be in his original spot, yet not entirely so. His hand seemed to move, yet not entirely so. But the blade light was already unleashed, the blade cry already ascended. Dark black blade edges, in an instant, chopped out from all sides, completely engulfing Jiang Wang!

This was… the Refining Empty Eight Extremes Blade!

This blade technique was Qin Zhizhen’s creation, born from his fusion of the Refining Empty divine ability. Though it still fell short of the Three Worlds Asura Blade, because it was his own creation, he understood it more profoundly and wielded it more freely. At this moment, powered by the Five Mansions’ brilliance, its performance in battle was flawless.

He had constantly moved through empty space, initiating multiple attacks on Jiang Wang. Though he had yet to secure a kill, he had thoroughly familiarized himself with the empty space of this martial arena, establishing a connection that allowed him, at this critical juncture, to unleash the Refining Empty Eight Extremes Blade! Its principle was still advancement through empty space, but by familiarizing himself with this empty space, he had maximized its speed.

Looking up, the person was far away, yet the blade was already upon him, as if traversing spatial distance itself. It was simply a divine blade technique! This was the killing blow Qin Zhizhen had prepared!

Terrifying blade light overturned like rain. Dark black blade edges rolled in from all sides, like encroaching night. And Jiang Wang was already enveloped in that nocturnal darkness!

Could a single person oppose the long night? How could he not be defeated?

At this very moment, a blue-edged blade appeared. A bright moon born within the long night. Sword light burst forth in an instant!

The blue-robed Jiang Wang stood alone, waving his sword like a solitary dancer. With a single sword, he summoned the dawn within the long night!

But only…

*Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Chi! Clang! Clang!*

Eight sounds echoed in quick succession! To be precise, seven sounds of blade against sword, and one sound of cold steel slicing through flesh.

Qin Zhizhen held his long blade, standing in his original spot, his black martial robes rustling. Separated by the tide of flames, the sea of fire, he confronted Jiang Wang. And Jiang Wang stood with his sword, a diagonal wound across his chest, deep enough to reveal bone, fresh blood flowing down, covering the “red plum blossom” Zhao Ru Cheng had left on this blue robe the first time.

Unlike the worry etched on the faces of many spectators, Jiang Wang himself seemed oblivious to the pain, completely unaware. He still gripped his sword tightly, his serene gaze fixed on Qin Zhizhen.

A light smile played on his lips as he said, “Good blade!” His left hand turned slightly on the long Xiang Si blade. “Please, try it again!”

The Refining Empty Eight Extremes Blade, in that instant, struck with eight blows. This person was struck by one blade. And this single blade was further weakened, far from fatal. This could absolutely not satisfy Qin Zhizhen! His Refining Empty Eight Extremes Blade, which had appeared out of empty space, had felled countless enemies. When had it ever been so easily blocked? What’s more, he had unleashed it in his Five Mansions’ peak state!

Could this person’s sword techniques truly penetrate the divine? He refused to believe it!

“Indeed, as I wished!”

Qin Zhizhen uttered only this single sentence before his horizontal and vertical blades plunged into empty space, unleashing another tempest of mad wind and sudden rain. Refining Empty Eight Extremes!

And this time…

*Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!*

Jiang Wang was like a helpless green leaf, drifting amidst the mad wind and sudden rain. But after the mad wind ceased, and the sudden rain stopped, the green leaf remained as before.

Qin Zhizhen couldn’t help but cast a glance at the drifting Jiang Wang, shock difficult to conceal in his pupils. This time, his Refining Empty Eight Extremes Blade, so elusive, so unpredictable, had been received with every single strike! Every blade had returned without merit!

How was this possible?!

Qin Zhizhen’s Refining Empty Eight Extremes Blade, why was it so easily blocked? He would probably never know the reason. Because Jiang Wang had no intention of allowing him to realize his miscalculation.

The strength of the Refining Empty Eight Extremes Blade lay in its elusiveness, its ability to appear from empty space, to cross spatial distance. It was undoubtedly a top-tier blade technique. But similar attacks, Jiang Wang had already encountered. Meeting it today was not a surprise.

That was back in the Maze World, when he had faced the Sea Clan expert, Yu Siqing, and his Cleaving Empty divine ability. That innate divine ability, “ignoring distance, crossing space to attack,” was faster and more sudden than the Refining Empty Eight Extremes Blade. Because Qin Zhizhen’s blade still needed to traverse a segment of empty space, while Yu Siqing’s attack did not.

At that time, facing Yu Siqing, Jiang Wang relied on anticipation. The first time he was nearly killed, the second time he was still injured, the third time he could already avoid it… finally killing Yu Siqing in the Boundary River.

The longer a battle continued, the more he understood his opponent, the richer his “knowledge,” the more precise his predictions. And he and Qin Zhizhen had already clashed blade against sword thousands of times!

Qin Zhizhen’s greatest error was perhaps in slowly and leisurely finishing his battle with Bei Gong Ke of the Yong Dynasty in front of Jiang Wang, using it to build momentum. Their battle, from the moment of that dialogue during the Selection Trials, had already begun. Qin Zhizhen, at that moment, had begun to establish his momentum. And how could Jiang Wang not have begun to study him at that very same time?

Not only Qin Zhizhen. Every prodigy on this world’s platform, Jiang Wang had seriously observed. He had watched field after field, studied move after move, all to augment his own “knowledge.” And Qin Zhizhen, to create an invincible momentum, had given Bei Gong Ke ample time to display his skills – wasn’t that simultaneously giving Jiang Wang ample time to understand?

From the moment both stepped onto the martial arena until now, for nineteen breaths within the Sound-Hearing Immortal State, Jiang Wang had not wasted a single breath. Within the realm of sound, he had collected all the sounds related to Qin Zhizhen, missing none!

Why was it that Qin Zhizhen, in his Five Mansions peak state traversing empty space, had every single blade strike blocked? It was simply because of this. Now, though the Sound-Hearing Immortal State receded, his “knowledge” was once again replenished.

Truthfully, his “knowledge” of Qin Zhizhen was far richer than his initial “knowledge” of Yu Siqing. Especially concerning blade techniques! Qin Zhizhen’s most formidable technique, the Three Worlds Asura Blade, had already been broken by him. While that was primarily due to the counter-effect of the “controlled” deviant divine ability, that clash had allowed Jiang Wang to thoroughly understand the state of Qin Zhizhen’s most powerful blade technique.

The battle had reached this point, and he was already intimately familiar with Qin Zhizhen’s blade! The greatest strength of the Refining Empty Eight Extremes Blade lay in its elusiveness, its unpredictability. But if its point of arrival could be predicted, for Jiang Wang, this blade was merely ordinary!

“Truly a good blade technique!”

Amidst the sighs of the onlookers, Jiang Wang lightly waved a sword flower. He had no intention of explaining Qin Zhizhen’s shock, only saying, “Again!”

At that moment, the Eight Sounds Burning Sea still flowed and rolled across the field. With Jiang Wang’s wave of his sword, sword qi leapt up and became a flower, which was then seized by a flame sparrow’s beak.

Flame sparrows pecked at sword flowers. Then a second, a third… One by one, semi-transparent sword qi flowers rose around the blue-robed young man, and one by one, fiery red flame sparrows danced to peck at them.

Flame sparrows pecking at sword flowers, flying up with Jiang Wang at the center. In an instant, they filled the entire field of vision!

The entire martial arena, beneath, surged with a sea of fire, within which flowed a tide of sound. Above, flame sparrows pecking at sword flowers danced and flew. This scene was like a dream, an illusion, making people feel as if they were witnessing spring!

In the spectators’ seats, Wen Tinglan, whose mind was entirely focused on Yan Fu, couldn’t help but exclaim in surprise, “Twenty-Four Solar Terms Sword?” In these past few days, though not intimate friends with Zishu, she had become somewhat familiar.

Zishu stared blankly at the martial arena, saying dazedly, “Not exactly.”

Though only similar in spirit, it was already a display of heaven-bestowed talent!

Jing Zhi’s initial blossoming of peach, Qing Ming’s initial blossoming of paulownia. Yin Wenhua’s peach sword flowers and paulownia sword flowers, Jiang Wang had all witnessed. His imitation of these sword flowers only captured a five-part resemblance, naturally far from the Twenty-Four Solar Terms Sword. But he had created a separate Dao technique, fusing it with flame sparrows pecking at the flowers.

Performing sword qi into flowers, and having flame sparrows peck at them. This style, fusing sword technique with Dao technique, was already stunning. Using sword flowers to replace flame flowers, its might thus surged!

Those who did not witness it firsthand would find it difficult to imagine the spectacle of this scene. Flame sparrows pecking at sword flowers in the air, flying towards Qin Zhizhen. Flame sparrows concealing fire, sword flowers containing sharp edges. The sea of fire on the ground rolled with a tide of sound, splitting open and recombining.

This combined assault sweeping across the martial arena created a suffocating sense of oppression! In an instant, heaven and earth seemed to press in!

Facing this sudden assault, Qin Zhizhen’s body turned, stepping into empty space. He finally abandoned the attempt to test the Refining Empty Eight Extremes Blade again. Once more, he was forced back!

He had displayed two top-tier blade techniques, yet twice he had been forced into empty space. The blade techniques he was so proud of, those a step above the absolute peak in this realm, were completely ineffective against Jiang Wang!

This battle, fought to this point, left no one in doubt of Jiang Wang’s strength. But on the other hand, the terror of the Refining Empty divine ability had also been fully displayed. After extinguishing the Fire Realm, Qin Zhizhen could be said to be free to advance or retreat, holding complete initiative. At the slightest disadvantage, he would escape into empty space, and whenever an opportunity arose, he would leap out to fight and kill.

Precisely because Qin Zhizhen held the initiative in this way, it highlighted Jiang Wang’s terrifying nature even more!

Simultaneously… all the powerful beings paying attention to this battle would surely ponder these questions:

Since the battle began, how long had Qin Zhizhen spent traversing empty space? To what extent had his Refining Empty divine ability been developed? How much had he consumed in the constant use until now? How much reserve space did he still have? How much longer could the light of his Refining Empty divine ability shine?

And concerning these questions, Qin Zhizhen and Jiang Wang, within the battle itself, naturally wouldn’t miss them.

As soon as Qin Zhizhen disappeared, Jiang Wang immediately urged the Eight Sounds Burning Sea, completely spreading it across the martial arena. Simultaneously, he controlled the flame sparrows pecking at sword flowers, scattering them everywhere, forming a vast net. This “net formation” of sword flowers and flame sparrows drew inspiration from the Sea Clan army’s attempts to capture and kill him in the Maze World. Almost every sword flower flame sparrow had the maximum contact with other sword flower flame sparrows. Any attack encountered in any location could be supported in the fastest possible time.

In the spectators’ seats, Gan Chang’an frowned, silent. This Jiang Wang from Qi was simply like the most experienced Dao hunter. Facing the Refining Empty divine ability, though clearly not holding the initiative, he could calmly set traps, responding to heavenly timing with earthly advantage, often arriving first though setting off later, appearing instead to hold the complete upper hand! Truly terrifying battle talent.

He shouldn’t delay any longer… he thought.

Powerful judgments were often similar.

Almost at the same moment Gan Chang’an had his thought, a black, gloomy door appeared opposite Jiang Wang in the martial arena. Gloomy black light covered a three-step radius in front of this door, forming a fan-shaped black shadow.

Qin Zhizhen, wearing black martial robes, holding a black horizontal and vertical blade, stepped out from the midst of this black, gloomy door. His method of emerging from empty space this time was so different!

The circling sword flowers and flame sparrows around him dived towards him almost instantly, forming an attacking formation. And Qin Zhizhen simply stood at the threshold of the door, standing within that fan-shaped shadow, motionless. He didn’t even glance at Jiang Wang from a distance, simply closing his eyes.

Something terrifying happened.

Those gorgeous yet ferocious, diving sword flowers and flame sparrows, one after another, upon colliding with Qin Zhizhen’s vicinity, suddenly vanished! Not even a sound, not a trace could be seen! The sword qi was no more, the flames ceased to exist.

At the same time, the sea of flames and tide of sound that had spread across the entire martial arena rolled away, seeking to extinguish Qin Zhizhen. Yet they seemed to flow into that shadow. They simply couldn’t get close to Qin Zhizhen’s body!

Jiang Wang’s perception was crystal clear: the power of his sword techniques and Dao techniques was surging into that black, gloomy door, fundamentally not engaging in any collision. Qin Zhizhen was clearly just standing there, but the damage was being borne by that door.

What was this door? What kind of power was this?

Within Qi’s intelligence collection, there was absolutely no information related to it. This was the time when battle talent was most tested.

Jiang Wang did not rashly advance again. Instead, he immediately controlled the power of the Eight Sounds Burning Sea and the sword flower flame sparrows, leading but not unleashing, holding his sword and waiting silently.

His wait did not last too long.

A whimpering wind suddenly arose in the arena. From behind Qin Zhizhen, from within that black, gloomy door, floated out two teams of armored, spear-wielding spectral beings. They filed out from either side of Qin Zhizhen, spectral qi swirling around them. They wore broken armor, as if “revived” from some ancient battlefield. The long spears in their hands were still sharp, glowing with a dark, bright light.

In these spectral beings, Jiang Wang felt the aura of the Underworld, yet not entirely belonging to the Underworld. Having had experience dealing with the White Bone Evil God, he was not unfamiliar with the power of the Underworld. Was this divine ability Qin Zhizhen was now displaying capable of summoning spectral beings?

The Door of the Underworld?

Jiang Wang could simultaneously feel that the heaven and earth of this martial arena were indeed undergoing a subtle shift in aura. Slow, but it was happening. Qin Zhizhen’s divine ability could still alter the environment, making the battlefield more…

He rapidly captured information, analyzed the situation, supplementing his “knowledge.”

At this moment, on the vast martial arena, the sea of flames still surged, the sword flower flame sparrows still danced. That black, gloomy door, and the fan-shaped shadow in front of it, were like isolated islands in the sea. Within the sea of flames and the tide of sound, scattered “waves” would occasionally surge in, only to be instantly swallowed by the black, gloomy door.

Qin Zhizhen, his double pupils tightly closed, stood in the midst of this “isolated island.”

Maintaining the Eight Sounds Burning Sea and the sword flower flame sparrows continued to consume Jiang Wang’s terrifying Dao Yuan reserves. But this was a necessary consumption. He had to use these powers to create a sufficient buffer zone for himself, avoiding being caught off guard by a killing blow similar to Dou Zhao’s Heaven-Man Five Decays. Fortunately, Qin Zhizhen was consuming even more of his divine ability power. His person was in the Five Mansions peak state again, traversing empty space again, and at this moment displaying this divine ability… his consumption would only be more terrifying.

Battle was a confrontation of force, but also a contest of wisdom. Between them, there was continuous limitation, weakening, guessing, and targeting. Burning the limits of will and power, contesting the final outcome.

Qin Zhizhen would of course not engage in unwise consumption.

Only to see that after the two teams of spectral soldiers floated out of the black, gloomy door, they held their long spears and rushed towards Jiang Wang silently, without a sound.

But contrary to the scene many people imagined, these two teams of fiercely momentum-filled spectral soldiers were almost instantly swallowed by the surrounding sea of fire and tide of sound as soon as they rushed out of the black fan-shaped shadow. Qin Zhizhen’s carefully brewed killing move was unexpectedly this weak?

Only Jiang Wang, on the field, his eyes slightly narrowed. He didn’t feel that these two teams of spectral soldiers were weak at all, after all, the consumption of the Eight Sounds Burning Sea was clear only to him. But seriously speaking, spectral soldiers of this level indeed shouldn’t appear in a battle of this caliber.

Where there is abnormality, there must be a demon! No matter how people speculated, Qin Zhizhen always kept his eyes closed and remained motionless, silent like a dark reef.

After a while, from behind him, two figures, one black and one white, floated out. One was clad entirely in white, with a smiling face, tall and thin body, pale complexion, a long tongue hanging out, and a pointed official hat on his head inscribed with the words “First Sight Brings Wealth.” One was clad entirely in black, with a ferocious face, wide and fat body, a small black face, and four words on his official hat: “World Peace.”

One held foot shackles, one held handcuffs. They possessed immense momentum, their dignity palpable. Their bodies were devoid of spectral qi, instead harboring a hidden divine fragrance!

The Black and White Impermanence of myth and legend! They were also among the most frequently manifested deities during the era of the great prosperity of the Divine Path.

Zhao Wuyan in the spectators’ seat couldn’t help but exclaim, “This is the Hall of Yanluo!” Qin Zhizhen, from the beginning of the battle until now, had repeatedly moved back and forth through empty space. He had originally been operating this hall! The top-tier divine ability, the Hall of Yanluo, was rarely seen in the world. She had only flipped through similar records in ancient texts at the Dragon Gate Library.

This exclamation was naturally buried outside the field, unable to reach the martial arena. Any factor influencing the fairness of the battle would be wiped away by the battle’s host, Yu Xi.

But Jiang Wang, on the field, also felt that unusual meaning from the appearance of the Black and White Impermanence. These Black and White Impermanence were clearly much stronger than those two teams of spectral soldiers. If so, what was the meaning of those two teams of spectral soldiers’ appearance?

Perhaps… they were precisely fulfilling certain requirements for the Black and White Impermanence to appear! Qin Zhizhen keeping his eyes closed and motionless was perhaps operating something within empty space…

He couldn’t wait any longer! Jiang Wang immediately made a judgment in his heart.

People only saw that behind Qin Zhizhen, as soon as the Black and White Impermanence appeared, they immediately flew out of the shadow in front of the gloomy black door, colliding into the sea of flames. And with a grasp of Jiang Wang’s left hand, the sea of flames and tide of sound instantly flowed back, absorbed into his body. The flame sparrows all over the sky scattered into fire essence, leaving only one after another flame flower, floating in the air. With a sweep of his right hand holding the sword, the sword flowers all over the sky also scattered, floating.

In an instant, heaven and earth became empty.

Most of the spectators did not understand. Facing the Black and White Impermanence stepping out of the gloomy black door, Jiang Wang unexpectedly didn’t seek to strangle them, instead scattering his area-of-effect Dao techniques. What was the reason?

But by now, not many people would doubt Jiang Wang’s choice. After all, Jiang Wang had long since proven himself. They would only think that they were where they hadn’t considered enough, where they had missed something.

In the preparation area of the Mu Kingdom, facing Cang Ming who was hidden under a hood and always meditating, suddenly said, “This is more interesting.” What did he see? The thin little Liang next to him didn’t speak, only looking towards the martial arena with more serious eyes.

The sword flower flame sparrows scattered, the sea of fire and tide of sound disappeared. The Black and White Impermanence, having already walked out of the gloomy black door, did not stop for a moment.

But they saw the tall, thin Black Impermanence, with his long tongue hanging out, fling his hand-held foot shackles. The black foot shackles emitting a gloomy cold qi howled out, extending infinitely in the air, heading straight towards Jiang Wang. And the short, fat White Impermanence twisted his hands together, separating the pair of handcuffs and grasping them as a pair of knuckle dusters.

*Dong dong dong!*

His footsteps rapidly pounded on the ground, rushing directly towards Jiang Wang.

(Yesterday eight thousand words, today one hundred thousand words. Originally wanted to split into two thousand words, because the seven-day eight-thousand-word goal was very tiring, and every two thousand words gathered was two thousand. But I didn’t want to destroy the reading experience. So, it’s like this. I myself am describing a vast world, and I should also know that in a real world, there will be all sorts of people. For example, you only write five chapters, and they just relentlessly criticize you. When your results are poor, they say your results prove you’re rubbish. When your results are better, they say the data is all fake, all your league masters are your own… It looks as if they have a blood feud with you, but in fact, you have never known them. This world, there will simply be all sorts of people. Some people hurt you, and some people heal you. I think I need to slowly get used to it. If I get defensive, they will be happier. Causing quick pain to an enemy who is already in pain is unwise. I will walk alongside the people who like this book. Let’s see how I give the Yellow River Meeting a brilliant ending! Strive for eight thousand words tomorrow. Of course, I’ll do my best to write, it’s not certain I can do it.)