Leaving the Blue Cliff Academy, Jiang Wang’s face was utterly devoid of expression. That villainous rogue, Mo Ci, truly possessed no good heart. What “helping you verify yourself” doggerel? He had been entirely subjected to Mo Ci’s live teaching! Each academy disciple who came forward would engage in a pre-battle strategy discussion, receive in-battle pointers at any moment, and undergo a detailed post-battle summary. This entire process had utterly laid bare Jiang Wang’s every move.

He had clearly come to seek a sword challenge, to spar with a strong cultivator of the same realm, to verify their respective attainments, and to pursue the ultimate intent of the Outer Building realm. Yet, in the end, he had been used as a living sandbag for the Blue Cliff Academy disciples! Seventeen teaching battles, oh, seventeen of them! The fighting had been painstakingly detailed, leaving him utterly exhausted, body and mind. Especially during the bouts, Mo Ci would frequently call a halt, then launch into a torrent of commentary before ordering the battle to resume. In the post-battle summaries, he would even pull Jiang Wang over to explain personally, “See, if he had done this and this at that moment, you would have been subjected to this and this…” and so on.

Jiang Wang felt as though he were a puppet crafted by the Mo School. No, even worse than a puppet! At least a puppet required monetary investment! He, on the other hand, had been delivered to their doorstep for a hard lesson, allowing the academy disciples to “broaden their horizons,” and he was even expected to be grateful! He was just short of having to pay for the “self-verification” expense…

Though it was true that these seventeen battles had been overwhelming victories, each one a crushing defeat for his opponents. Though the Outer Building disciples of the Blue Cliff Academy each possessed their own unique style, and he couldn’t say he’d gained absolutely nothing from the battles. Though he had left a considerable reputation at the Blue Cliff Academy… Jiang Wang felt no joy of victory, only the bitterness of exploitation.

It was too bitter. This trip to the Blue Cliff Academy had left him feeling like an old ox – eating grass and selling blood.

It wasn’t until Jiang Wang hastily bade farewell and fled like a refugee that he suddenly realized: he had come to the Blue Cliff Academy this time and hadn’t even taken a single sip of water. He had purely come to make a contribution!

Who said the Blue Cliff Academy was free-spirited and natural? What had given him the illusion that Xu Xiang Qian’s senior brother could actually be an honest person? Xu Xiang Qian plucks hair from the goose’s head, and Mo Ci squeezes things dry of all their utility. They were birds of a feather; how else would they have ended up together?

Detestable! Hateful!

As Jiang Wang digested the several Blue Cliff sword techniques he had stealthily learned during the exchanges, disassembling the usable parts and integrating them into the Human Path sword style… he seethed with indignation. With the resentment towards the unscrupulous disciples of the Blue Cliff Academy fueling him, he once again set forth.

He headed directly northeast, straight towards East King Valley. There were, of course, many countries and sects along this path, but none were worth his further delay.

East King Valley was located further east of Broken Soul Gorge. While its fame was illustrious, those outside the sect had little understanding of its actual location. This was due to its remote position and the confluence of poisonous substances and miasma that permeated the area, making it treacherous for ordinary folk to approach. The cultivators of East King Valley themselves were not particularly ostentatious; or perhaps, to dilute the sense of opposition from Qi Country, they had deliberately maintained a low profile in recent years. Instead, some of their affiliated sects frequently made their presence known outside the valley.

Within the region controlled by East King Valley, there were also many common people living. With the miasma locking the area for thousands of miles, it had effectively become its own domain. However, the common folk within East King Valley’s dominion were not permitted to migrate outwards. Even East King Valley’s own contact with the outside world was mostly conducted through Shen Country or other affiliated sects. Of course, without the protection of supernatural power, ordinary people had little ability to migrate anyway. None of the believers within Hanging Temple’s territory, for instance, wanted to migrate to other countries. Many ordinary common people ended their lives confined to the vicinity of their birth village, with many never even leaving their hamlet in their lifetime. It was just that East King Valley’s control was perhaps more stringent… and thus it was.

Benevolent Heart Hall was, of course, a great sect of the world. Yi Tang’s reputation was quite useful here. Jiang Wang took out Yi Tang’s recommendation letter, and suddenly more than a dozen people surrounded him. Each bore a drawn saber or sword, brimming with enthusiasm. They offered greetings with utmost sincerity and earnestly invited him to partake in several cups of leftover wine.

Jiang Wang tactfully declined, indicating that he had come upon Yi Tang’s recommendation and carried a mission, unable to delay for feasting. He expressed his heartfelt appreciation for their kind intentions. Simultaneously, he advised the younger ones not to drink alcohol and reiterated that he was there to seek their elder…

In short, after a round of cordial exchange, a large group of people “escorted” him step by step to find Xie Jun Meng—the first person of East King Valley’s Outer Building realm specifically mentioned in Yi Tang’s letter to visit.

This was a remarkably handsome young man, though his complexion was somewhat pale, hinting at a slight sickly disposition. When Jiang Wang saw him, he had just emerged from a dark, black cellar. He wore a green robe, his long hair hung loose, and in his hand, he clutched a constantly writhing double-headed strange snake, lifting it up to examine its scales under the sunlight. Those fine scales were black, and when flipped, they revealed dense snowy waves. The large group escorting Jiang Wang all remained silent. Jiang Wang thus also remained silent.

Xie Jun Meng indulged in a leisurely examination for a while, then casually tossed the strange snake back into the cellar. Only then did he smile at Jiang Wang, “Been waiting long! Heard you were looking for me?”

Jiang Wang repeated the familiar refrain, “I have long admired…”

“What’s your relationship with Yi Tang?” Xie Jun Meng directly cut him off, then raised a hand and waved outwards, saying to the others, “You all may withdraw first.” The large, dark mass of East King Valley disciples, without a word of dissent, dispersed in a dark mass.

This was a person of extremely dominant personality, and his temper was likely not good. Jiang Wang made a judgment in his heart, while saying with his mouth, “We are acquainted.”

Xie Jun Meng laughed, his smile inexplicably carrying a hint of coldness, “How, not enemies, eh?”

“Hahaha, you could say that.” Jiang Wang made an effort to lighten the atmosphere, hoping to steer the conversation towards sparring later. “Brother Yi actually said his recommendation letter might cause me trouble, but I feel that East King Valley is a great sect of the world, and Brother Xie, as a true heir of a famous sect, surely wouldn’t vent anger on me. In fact, I came here…”

Xie Jun Meng nodded, indulging himself by saying, “Since he would have such a reminder, then he can be considered a friend.” He paused. “Ha! This fellow is so idle, still casually writing a letter to bother me. Just right, I have newly researched a type of poison. Using you to test it on him, isn’t it suitable?”

The more he spoke, the more pleased he seemed with his idea. He looked at Jiang Wang and said, “Don’t be nervous. I will leave you enough time to rush back to Benevolent Heart Hall. As the world’s second medical sect, their medical skills are quite good!” As he spoke, he lifted a finger and pointed it at Jiang Wang. “But it’s best not to struggle, oh, otherwise if I mess up the dosage… you will die very ugly.”

As his words fell, his fingertip instantly spurted out a wisp of black smoke, which formed a line and shot towards Jiang Wang with unparalleled swiftness and ferocity! He had utterly disregarded any pleasantries and immediately used Jiang Wang to test a poison.

At this moment, Jiang Wang wore his hat and raincoat. His appearance was concealed, and he spoke no unnecessary words. In an instant, he unleashed his momentum, his eyes turning a fiery red-gold. Dry Yang Red Pupils, triggering Samadhi True Fire!

Indeed, there was no need for further words. Whether Benevolent Heart Hall or East King Valley was the world’s foremost medical sect had no bearing on him. Xie Jun Meng’s casual use of people for poison testing naturally angered him to some extent. However, initiating battle in this manner, under these circumstances, was more in line with his true intent than a proper spar, and it was more suitable for verifying his cultivation. He had nothing to say; his response was the battle itself.

Where his gaze fell, flames ignited. That attacking wisp of black smoke, still in mid-flight, was already consumed by fire, emitting a strange, sizzling sound, as if it were a group of extremely fine living creatures! But it was immediately reduced to ash. His eye contained nothingness.

Xie Jun Meng’s eyebrows shot up, and he said coldly, “You are in great trouble!” His voice at this moment possessed a strange rhythm, like the sound of a flute, but one that played an annoying tune. Behind him, large swathes of black fog suddenly surged forth, steaming and spreading. Within the black fog, twisted fog snakes formed one by one. Like coiled snakes in bloom, they opened up behind him and surrounded his body, all rushing towards Jiang Wang. Some bared fangs, others flicked their tongues, forming various malevolent shapes. Before this, the fishy smell had already arrived!

And Jiang Wang directly sealed his sense of smell, taking a step forward! As he stepped, flame flowers blossomed everywhere, and flame sparrows filled the sky. A magnificent realm of fire unfolded around his body, leaving no gaps in all directions. He knew well that defending against East King Valley’s methods of using poison was like trying to build a wall that could never be breached, so his first step was to isolate himself, ensuring he didn’t capsize in the ditch. Then, his gaze shifted, his eyes leading the red fire, igniting those attacking fog snakes one by one. The fog snakes burned into fire snakes, the air filled with the strange sizzling sound.

Within the world of fire, Jiang Wang’s red pupils shifted slightly, already looking towards Xie Jun Meng. Thus, ignite! As the Samadhi True Fire fell upon Xie Jun Meng’s body, he had already used his own line of sight to connect with Xie Jun Meng’s line of sight. In an instant, he triggered a soul struggle!

An outer struggle for a single breath, a soul’s thousand years. In the soul world, the diagram obtained from Great Chu’s Xiang Clan, ‘Single Rider Breaking the Array’, quickly unfolded. There seemed to be war drums rising, there seemed to be sounds of killing. Jiang Wang’s hat and raincoat figure were imprinted upon it, and with this as a bridge, he immediately killed into Xie Jun Meng’s Heaven Palace! At the same time as his soul manifestation attacked.

Hiss, hiss, hiss, hiss, hiss, hiss. Countless hidden soul snakes also drilled into the Heaven Palace. The hidden snakes within the soul world mirrored the fog snakes outside the body! And the soul flame sparrows flew beneath the dome of this Heaven Palace. Chirping and crying, they pecked and shattered the local source of power. In an extremely short interval, Jiang Wang had already completed a comprehensive invasion on the soul level!

Xie Jun Meng within his Heaven Palace, standing at this moment on the head of a colossal green-eyed toad, wore an expression of considerable surprise: “Who gave you the courage to dare kill into my Heaven Palace?” As he spoke, he bent his middle finger and flicked it forward. The soul power diffused before his body instantly condensed, gathering into a silver needle that shot forth like lightning, piercing the air abruptly. This was a soul needle with faint silver light shimmering around its tip and tail, and clearly possessing three bright light nodes along its body. Its speed was not fast; in the soul world, it could even be considered slow. But the sharp whistle it emitted was like a ghost’s cry.

The truly terrifying aspect was… the moment it appeared, whether the various malevolent shapes, the wandering hidden soul snakes everywhere, or the soul flame sparrows flying across the sky, all momentarily stopped, unable to move! The fierce soul invasion, before this needle, became a static picture. Even Jiang Wang, holding the sword spirit manifested by Longxiangsi, felt his soul condensed body stiffen, trapped and locked by an invisible power, this body burdened by shackles, difficult to break free. It was very obvious that in this soul struggle, Jiang Wang had met his match. Xie Jun Meng’s exquisite use of the soul was no less than his own, perhaps even surpassing it. Neither side had been aware of the other’s hidden cards beforehand, and in the increasingly intense exchange of moves, the battle had gradually escalated to a climax. This was the unpredictable nature of battle, and also its wondrous aspect.

And this needle of Xie Jun Meng was named Fix Soul. One of the East King Twelve Needles, Fix Soul! Its name was fitting, and it was indeed so. A single needle descending could fix the soul and kill the soul; gods and ghosts alike would be shackled. Jiang Wang’s soul-condensed body was not only forbidden by an invisible power. Every inch of it could feel a strong stabbing pain! As if thousands upon thousands of sharp needles were stabbing him all over, bringing a pain that almost exceeded the limit of endurance! His soul almost wanted to collapse.

However, in the next moment, light erupted from Jiang Wang’s entire body! His soul manifestation emitted a blazing, sun-like radiance. This body glowed red, for a time radiating ten thousand zhang of light. It illuminated Xie Jun Meng’s Heaven Palace, filling the room with brilliance. His body transformed into a fierce sun, as if recreating a mythical scene, the sun falling to the mortal world, thus heralding the end. That insistent Fix Soul Needle, which had come to fix all, was directly shattered and sent flying. The fierce sun, bathed in flames, directly targeted Xie Jun Meng. For a moment, host and guest reversed roles, attack and defense positions shifted.

This was a change in the mortal world. Soul killing technique, Fall West! At the same time, the soul flame sparrows and hidden soul snakes that had invaded this Heaven Palace also regained their freedom. They seemed to possess a will of their own here, even freer than Xie Jun Meng’s green-eyed toad. In a frenzy of tearing and biting, they then violently exploded one after another, each explosion occurring at key nodes where soul power gathered, emitting earth-shattering sounds within the Heaven Palace. Although Jiang Wang’s own soul techniques were not as exquisite as the East King Valley’s world-class needle methods, passed down for millions of years, his soul strength, tempered by the Red Makeup Mirror, was beyond comparison to Xie Jun Meng’s. In a situation where he held no advantage in techniques, he did not hesitate to expend several times the amount of soul power to counter-kill Xie Jun Meng’s soul, instantly overturning the Fix Soul Needle! The green-eyed toad upon which Xie Jun Meng stood, his path’s true spirit, almost lost its footing under such vibrations. His always confident eyes finally revealed a flicker of fear.

“Yi Tang’s soul couldn’t possibly be this strong! Just who are you?!”

Surprise was certainly real, but fear was impossible. The surprise in his eyes leaped out, transforming from this emotion into a single flying needle carrying five-colored flowing light, like a dream, like an illusion. Among the world-shocking East King Twelve Needles, there were three specifically targeting the soul: Fix Soul, Suppress Soul, and Startle Dream. The Fix Soul Needle had already been overturned. In front of Jiang Wang’s formidable soul power, the Suppress Soul Needle would also have difficulty playing a role. Thus, this needle was Startle Dream! It was like a dream rolling in, a dream that intoxicates, a dream that causes one to sink, a dream from which one does not want to escape. In the long, lonely night, it offers brief solace and a moment of peace.

And then, a single needle breaks it! The bombing of the sparrows all over the sky seemed to fall silent. The tearing and biting of the hidden snakes everywhere seemed to stop. That blazing, magnificent sun seemed never to have risen. This Heaven Palace, belonging to Xie Jun Meng, seemed always so peaceful.

In this soul-world killing. Xie Jun Meng had already awakened from the Startle Dream, completely escaping his difficult soul situation. Jiang Wang’s vast soul power retreated like a tide, seeming never to have appeared. Judging by the result, this soul-level contest should have been a loss for Jiang Wang. Because his soul had been significantly depleted, yet he had gained no merit in return. But with his soul power far surpassing Xie Jun Meng’s, this degree of consumption did not fundamentally affect the battle. It was nothing more than the flowers not blooming here, but elsewhere they would blossom.

At this moment, outside the soul world, Samadhi True Fire had already climbed over Xie Jun Meng’s entire body. The fire’s momentum was fierce, and in the blink of an eye, it had burned him out, turning him into a block of charcoal that fell. As it fell, the charcoal was also consumed by fire. Of course, Xie Jun Meng was not a wood demon transformed, so this block of charcoal was naturally not him. The Xie Jun Meng here was no longer present; the true Xie Jun Meng emerged like spring grass breaking through soil, drilling out in a path of green light. After ‘Replacing the Plum with the Peach’, it was another year of spring grass being born.

As the green light moved, the green-robed figure raised a hand and pressed down. Thousands upon thousands of strands of green light suddenly seemed to gain sentience, stabbing directly into the fire realm and instantly invading! His green light was a power of “birth,” yet within the vigorous life, a faint killing intent surged. Terrible poison was contained within it, growing within it. The green light invaded the burning fire world. Continuously being burned while also continuously growing. It seemed endless, it seemed never to exhaust. It would dye the flame sparrows green, it would soak the flame flowers. With terrible tenacity, it spread within this red fire world, crazily altering everything it contacted. It would pave red into green.

Between Jiang Wang’s chest and abdomen, the Five Mansions Wheel opened, blazing light shining together, already presenting the Heaven Mansion body! Under such a state, the Dry Yang Red Pupils were already activated. His left hand formed the Bi Fang Seal, and the divine bird of the fire realm roamed with a single foot. The Samadhi True Fire, originally just a seed of this realm’s fire, instantly spread throughout the fire realm, replacing the Dao technique’s fire, becoming the backdrop of this fire realm! Samadhi True Fire was far from comparable to ordinary fire. One who understood its three flavors would then be consumed by it.

In almost the blink of an eye, the green light within the fire realm was already exhausted. However, at the same time, within Xie Jun Meng’s eyes, a wisp of crazy killing intent suddenly flashed! This wisp of killing intent was very vivid, very concrete. As if it possessed its own spirituality, it suddenly leaped out and swept across. This needle had no form, but through Xie Jun Meng’s line of sight, it instantly killed to Jiang Wang’s front. Without any other actions, Jiang Wang’s Dry Yang Red Pupils already felt a sense of tearing pain!

This was not the end. By now, Xie Jun Meng would not feel that he could resolve his opponent with a single needle. He simultaneously bit his tongue tip, spitting out a line of tongue-tip blood. The thin, faint blood silk was also a needle, shuttling through heaven and earth, also tearing and killing myriad things. The needle had not yet arrived, but Jiang Wang’s blood already began to heat up, his blood vessels gradually scorching and rolling, his vitality gradually dimming, his Qi weakening, his strength draining… his body’s Qi and blood seemed to be on the verge of exhaustion!

Amidst such a terrifying offensive, Xie Jun Meng’s hands were also not idle. He lifted his right index finger, pointing remotely towards Jiang Wang’s heart position. There was no needle shadow, no law mark to be seen, but Jiang Wang’s heart began to ache from that moment on, began to convulse, producing a sense of cracking inch by inch, as if it wanted to shatter! Xie Jun Meng’s right little finger also flicked up, like a spirit snake emerging from a hole, too fast, too sudden, too accurate. Nothing was seen in his vision, only that lightning-like strike, a snake’s kiss. When its fangs appeared, it was a needle hanging on to life! Since ancient times, killing has not ceased; life and death depend on each other; medicine and poison are not divided.

Xie Jun Meng’s left thumb simultaneously pressed forward, as if pressing a hand seal, pressing remotely towards Jiang Wang’s brow. Firm, powerful, it penetrated a certain authority. As this one finger pressed down, it seemed to sign a contract of life and death, to order an unalterable death decree, pulling and involving the rules of life and death! When there was indeed no life!

Crack Eye! Burn Blood! Shatter Heart! Hang Life! Shift Life!

The East King Twelve Needles, all exhausting the principles of heaven and earth. Xie Jun Meng continuously sent out five needles, each more ferocious than the last, swearing to kill the enemy here, to wipe away all of his opponent’s life. These five needles each possessed killing power and were mutually connected. Like a tide surging, like a sea rushing. East King Valley’s glorious inheritance of how many years was, at this moment, truly displayed before Jiang Wang without reservation. The foremost person beneath the gods among the world’s great sect, East King Valley, truly displayed his unrestrained killing power.

The fire realm covering Jiang Wang’s body, even with the full addition of Samadhi True Fire to support it, collapsed in an instant. The Bi Fang divine bird’s spiritual image also returned with this realm, fragmenting and shattering. But amidst this kind of collapse, the person within the fire realm was still advancing. Amidst this kind of shattering and extinction of myriad things, a path of sword light flashed!

It was too magnificent! It was a path of advancement, it was not bending in adversity, it was speaking out and having to practice, it was sincere to this heart, it was in that confused puzzle, persisting forward to pursue the answer to life. The answer to life could not be sought outside. Each person could only ask themselves. His person and his sword advanced together. He himself was the character “person.” A person cloaked in wind and bathed in fire. A person cloaked in thorns and cutting through thorns. Not absolutely perfect, doing many foolish things, but an absolutely real person. His sword’s left stroke and right stroke also wrote a large character “person.” This sword was this heart, and this heart was this person. After heaven collapsed and earth was destroyed, the character “person” again opened heaven!

What of the chaos of ten thousand worlds? What of the end of ten thousand laws? This person was also “person,” and this sword was also “person.” The Crack Eye needle, this sword received it. The Burn Blood needle, this sword received it. The Shatter Heart needle, this sword received it. The Hang Life needle, this sword received it. The Shift Life needle, this sword also received it! This single strike of the “person” character sword truly embodied Jiang Wang’s life from his birth to this moment. The power of the entire collapsing fire world was all mixed within this unmatched sword momentum, vast and forward-driving, utterly sweeping everything flat! Only the sound of five crisp rings was heard. Amidst the sharp whistle of opening heaven and splitting earth, so powerless. Then, silence again!

The collapsing fire world disappeared, the sword intent that roared like a dragon hid away. This heaven and earth, self-destroyed and then reborn, was clear and fresh. The green-robed Xie Jun Meng stood frozen in place, his face only a pale blank. A drop of cold sweat fell from his forehead. Jiang Wang held his sword, the tip just stopping in front of Xie Jun Meng’s throat. Beneath his low-hanging hat, Jiang Wang’s face was hidden behind a cloth. But the coldness in his eyes was so clear.

“A good, good disciple of a famous sect, acting in a manner like a side door, a left path, truly regrettable!”

Before that drop of cold sweat fell. The cold light had already passed. Jiang Wang sheathed his sword. Only a single sound of regret, no other words. Thus, he turned his body.

Behind him, Xie Jun Meng bit his teeth and asked, “I wanted to kill you, why did this one sword of yours not stab down?”

Jiang Wang did not turn back, leaving a flat voice, also like his sword, engraved in Xie Jun Meng’s mind—

“Those who should be spared, are spared.”

That hat-and-raincoat figure walked alone towards the outside. A bit lonely, a bit solitary, a bit free and easy. Just as it is said—

“The wondrous secrets of Rotten Ke are divine, one game lasting several springs. Emerging from the cave without a matching hand, those who should be spared, are spared!”

(PS: The original author of this poem is an unnamed Daoist.)

(Yesterday, a reader informed me that someone is impersonating me in some writing groups, charging money to guide new writers. Here, I ask everyone to be vigilant. I am aware of my lack of ability to teach writing, and I have never believed that writing can be taught. I do not participate in any writing groups, nor in any author groups outside of those organized by editors. I have no time, and I will certainly not charge money to teach people. Please, aspiring writers, by no means be deceived. The work of writing is simply to read more, think more, write more, and polish more. Beyond that, it all depends on talent. Ten out of eleven who sell writing classes are swindlers. Do not pay money! Do not pay money! Do not pay money!)