As on every day prior, he smoothly completed his Meridian冲脈 cultivation, then urged the nascent Dao Essence道元 to properly align within his Heavenly Palace通天宮, bringing himself a step closer to Foundation Establishment奠基.

Having finished his Meridian冲脈 cultivation, Jiang Wang姜望 did not rest. Instead, he sat at his desk under the oil lamp and began meticulously transcribing the *Purple Void Sublime Supreme Scripture*《紫虚高妙太上经》.

Since only the two siblings lived there, they occupied the main house正房, and thus directly converted the south room南房 into a study.

The senior brothers師兄們 had long warned of Xiao Tiemian’s蕭鐵面 callousness, so Jiang Wang姜望’s attitude toward transcribing was very earnest and meticulous. The importance of the Dao technique and skill courses was self-evident; missing even one class would be a significant loss. Therefore, Jiang Wang姜望 tried to transcribe both quickly and well.

Until…

“Gege哥哥, what are you doing?”

Jiang An’an姜安安 had snuck into the study unnoticed, her large, dark eyes乌溜溜大眼睛 filled with curiosity.

“…” Jiang Wang姜望 said, “Practicing calligraphy.”

“Why are you suddenly practicing calligraphy?”

Jiang Wang姜望 replied solemnly, “As the saying goes, ‘Calligraphy reflects the person.’ Through calligraphy, one can discern sincerity and falsehood. These gentlemen先生 have all taught this, right? Practicing calligraphy is very important. An’an安安 must remember to practice diligently as well.”

“How long will you have to practice for…”

“…A very long time.” Jiang Wang姜望 said, “You should go to sleep first tonight.”

“Oh…”

“What’s wrong? Is something the matter?”

“No, nothing…”

Turning and leaving the study, Jiang An’an姜安安 sighed like a little adult小大人似的.

*That smelly old man臭老头*, punishing me to copy so many characters. Now the study is occupied too, where am I supposed to copy?

It wasn’t that the study couldn’t accommodate both her and Jiang Wang姜望, it was just that she didn’t want her brother哥哥 to know that she had been punished to copy.

Jiang An’an姜安安 thought for a moment, then carried a small stool to the bedroom, spread out paper and brush, and squatted in front of the stool, beginning to copy on her own.

“Heaven and Earth Xuan Huang天地玄黄, Universe Primeval Wilderness宇宙洪荒, Sun and Moon Wax and Wane日月盈昃, Constellations Ranked in Rows辰宿列张…”

She glanced toward the study. The light was still on. *Hmm, continue copying…*

…

The moon hung high in the sky. Jiang Wang姜望 rubbed his wrist, blew the ink dry, extinguished the oil lamp, and returned to the bedroom. Even with his physical strength and speed, he was far from having copied it a hundred times, but he had more important matters to attend to at this moment.

Because tonight was the fifteenth of September, the day for the Blessed Land福地 challenge within the Illusionary Grand Void太虚幻境.

When he returned to the bedroom, An’an安安 had already fallen asleep. Jiang Wang姜望 tucked her blanket in, then lay down on his own bed.

The silver moon印记 mark on his palm appeared, beginning to heat up. Jiang Wang姜望 closed his eyes. His divine sense神识 had entered the Illusionary Grand Void太虚幻境.

The ink characters on the sundial had changed: 【Lord of Azure Jade Altar青玉坛之主 has confirmed the challenge. The challenge will begin in a quarter of an hour.】

The Lord of Azure Jade Altar青玉坛主人 has finally decided to challenge!

Seeing this line of text, Jiang Wang姜望 felt both a sense of urgency and a sense of relief that the other shoe had finally dropped.

On the fifteenth of August that had already passed, the Lord of Azure Jade Altar青玉坛主人 had also chosen to abstain, seemingly because the shadow cast by Zuo Guanglie左光烈 in the past had been too great. But this also meant that this round of challenges, after multiple abstentions, his opponent was determined to win.

Jiang Wang姜望 did not do anything extra. He only cleared his mind and silently waited for the time to arrive.

When the sundial finally changed, a circular, jade-colored stone platform simultaneously rose beneath Jiang Wang姜望, then lifted Jiang Wang姜望 away from the Cave True Ruins Blessed Land洞真墟福地, flying into the brilliant starry sky.

This stone platform was simple in design, without any decoration, but it naturally emanated an ancient aura. The surface of the platform was mottled with traces, blade marks, sword marks, scorch marks, burn marks…countless, and it possessed a strong, solemn aura.

Jiang Wang姜望 understood that this was his Sword Debate Platform論劍台. Since obtaining the Void Key虛鑰 and entering the Illusionary Grand Void太虚幻境, he had never used the Sword Debate Platform論劍台. Firstly, because he knew that with his current strength, he would likely only be subjected to abuse within the Illusionary Grand Void太虚幻境, gaining no training effect at all. Secondly…because each activation of the Sword Debate Platform論劍台 consumed ten units of Merit功.

Apart from the natural output of the Blessed Land福地, he could not obtain any benefits on the Sword Debate Platform論劍台, so he was even more reluctant to waste any. Especially after experiencing the power of the Purple Qi East Arrival Sword Art紫气东来剑诀, he knew even more the value of Merit功.

Before long, Jiang Wang姜望 could see another Sword Debate Platform論劍台 of the same design flying towards him from the depths of the starry sky, with a black-clad figure standing on it. The two Sword Debate Platforms論劍台 accelerated instantly in the starry sky, colliding with each other.

Two small platforms combined into one large platform. Jiang Wang姜望 and his opponent stood on opposite sides of the Sword Debate Platform論劍台. This merged and expanded Sword Debate Platform論劍台 was no different from before, only larger. By visual estimation, it was about a hundred meters in circumference. Jiang Wang姜望 knew that this was the true arena.

Because of the special rules of the Illusionary Grand Void太虚幻境, Jiang Wang姜望 could not see his opponent’s appearance clearly. But he heard his opponent’s voice.

“Since my crushing defeat at your hands last time, I have prepared for this battle for a full six months!” the Lord of Azure Jade Altar青玉坛主人 said. “I have finally mastered a fragment of the Ancient Gentleman’s Nine Swords远古之时君子九剑. Please, have a taste!”

*The Ancient Gentleman’s Nine Swords远古之时君子九剑? Sounds very strong… A Confucian disciple儒门弟子?*

Thinking this, Jiang Wang姜望 had already secretly circulated his True Essence真元, preparing to respond. The True Essence真元 consumed in the Illusionary Grand Void太虚幻境 was not real, so he dared to fight with all his strength. The Purple Qi East Arrival Sword Art紫气东来剑诀 was already an extraordinary sword scripture超凡剑典. Only with the infusion of abundant True Essence真元 could its true power be unleashed.

Therefore, what he would display next was the strongest state he had never shown before.

“Heaven’s movement is ever vigorous; the superior man strives for self-improvement!天行健，君子以自强不息！”

Then, Jiang Wang姜望 heard the Lord of Azure Jade Altar青玉坛主人 chant this softly.

Then he saw a sword, an ordinary-looking sword with no special features. It simply went forward, forward. If there was a mountain in front, it pierced through the mountain. If there was a river in front, it cut the river. If there was a vast and boundless sky in front, it would stab straight into the sky!

It was unyielding. It was indomitable.

Breaking stones, felling forests, slaying demons, exterminating evil… This sword pierced everything that obstructed it, no matter what it was!

Jiang Wang姜望 was still holding his sword. The Dao Essence道元 accumulated in his Heavenly Palace通天宮 was boiling and surging. The killing moves of the Purple Qi East Arrival Sword Art紫气东来剑诀 had almost become ingrained in his instinct. But that sword had already pierced into his heart.

He was already dead.

The Lord of Azure Jade Altar青玉坛主人 looked at the suddenly empty Sword Debate Platform論劍台 and was stunned. He had considerable confidence in the Gentleman’s Nine Swords君子九剑, lost in the long river of history, but he also remembered how powerful his opponent was.

But this battle was a complete and utter steamroll.

He had won.

The Lord of Azure Jade Altar青玉坛之主, no, the current Master of the Cave True Ruins洞真墟之主, the new owner of the twenty-third Blessed Land福地, stood dumbfounded on the Sword Debate Platform論劍台, his heart surging.

As for Jiang Wang姜望, who had been demoted to Azure Jade Altar青玉坛, he had already accepted the fact of his defeat.

According to the rules of the thirty-six upper Blessed Lands福地, each level increased the Merit功 output by one hundred points. This month, he would only reap one thousand seven hundred and fifty points of Merit功, a full one hundred points less.

The Blessed Lands福地 in the Illusionary Grand Void太虚幻境 were only nominal, unrelated to the real Blessed Lands福地 in the mortal world. Therefore, from Cave True Ruins洞真墟 to Azure Jade Altar青玉坛, the environment had not changed. It was still a dreamlike space filled with immortal Qi仙气, even the sundial was the same. The only thing that had changed was the Merit功 output.

Jiang Wang姜望 thought for a moment, then silently summoned the Evolution Stage演道台.

He had not touched his one thousand eight hundred and fifty points of Merit功 from August. Adding the one thousand seven hundred and fifty points of Merit功 produced in September, he had accumulated a total of three thousand six hundred points of Merit功. Jiang Wang姜望 invested all of these Merit功 into the Purple Qi East Arrival Sword Art紫气东来剑诀, initiating evolution.

The jade book on the bamboo table changed slightly, then suddenly stopped. Then, a line of ink characters appeared on the jade book: 【Current sword art has reached the limit of the First-Level Evolution Stage演道台 and cannot be evolved further. Remaining Merit功: Three thousand five hundred and ninety points.】

Jiang Wang姜望’s eyelids twitched. *This damn Evolution Stage演道台, it didn’t complete the evolution, yet it still deducted ten points of Merit功!*

It turned out that the Evolution Stage’s演道台 evolution of Cultivation Methods and Dao Techniques was not infinitely scalable, but had its inherent foundation and limits. Furthermore, Evolution Stages演道台 of different levels could explore different limits.

The Purple Qi East Arrival Sword Art紫气东来剑诀 was evolved from a worldly martial art, and had reached its peak. Unless the Evolution Stage演道台 was upgraded, it could not improve further.

Jiang Wang姜望 had no more powerful techniques, and he had no intention of going back to the Sword Debate Platform論劍台 to get beat up again. So, he composed himself slightly and exited the Illusionary Grand Void太虚幻境.

But no matter what, he had lost one hundred and ten points of Merit功 this month for nothing.

Thinking of this, Jiang Wang姜望 sighed deeply.

“Ge, what are you doing?” Jiang An’an姜安安’s voice rang out in the room, sounding very concerned. He didn’t know if she had woken up in the middle of the night, or if she hadn’t been asleep at all.

Jiang Wang姜望 said in a bad mood, “I’m staying up late. I’ll call you when I’m done.”

In the darkness, Jiang An’an姜安安’s eyes lit up. “Is it tasty?”