Just as Jiang Wang surmised, Zhang Linchuan held certain insights into the current state of the White Bone Venerable God.

Born of the White Bone Path, proficient in its methods, and having later seized the White Bone Sacred Body, casting aside the divine ability that linked Yin and Yang to compile the “Scripture of No Birth” and forge his own Profound Arts – his breadth of vision was far from ordinary. He possessed a rough understanding of the Netherworld’s state.

A few years prior, when the Tribulation of No Birth befell grass and tree, he had suddenly felt a sense of release, finally gaining complete control over the White Bone Sacred Body. This had led him to speculate on the White Bone Venerable God’s current situation. However, due to his karmic entanglement with the Venerable God, he dared not venture into the Netherworld himself for verification. Over the ensuing years, as his cultivation steadily rose and the World of No Birth continuously expanded, he repeatedly attempted to infiltrate and seize the White Bone Venerable God’s divine authority, yet met with no resistance.

He became convinced that the White Bone Venerable God had either perished due to some unforeseen calamity, or had fundamentally resolved the hidden threat of the Heavenly Will, completing the final step and successfully reincarnated into the mortal realm. Regardless of the possibility, the White Bone Venerable God would find it exceedingly difficult to influence the Netherworld in the short term. Thus, Lu Yan’s entry into the Netherworld to seek the soul of his deceased wife was not inherently perilous.

However, after the extermination of the No Birth Sect, he still desired to send Lu Yan into the Netherworld to probe once more, confirming the White Bone Venerable God’s absence. More importantly, he intended to use the tens of thousands of departed souls from Late Sang Town to set a trap, luring the Eastern Master of the Dragon Tiger Altar, or some other true person or even true monarch of the divination path from the Wei State, to assist him in probing the White Bone Venerable God’s foundation once more. He dared to scheme against deities, but he would never underestimate existences beyond the peak.

He understood that even those in the position of a Venerable God could err. This was because their opponents often resided above the peak themselves, and the White Bone Venerable God was even more so locked in conflict with the Will of the Mortal Realm. This was the very premise upon which he dared to scheme against the divine.

But while the White Bone Venerable God possessed the latitude for error, he did not.

Only when absolute certainty of success was guaranteed would he preserve the possibility of entering the Netherworld himself. The killing of an Inner Mansion cultivator in the Wild Man Forest had thereby ruined a favorable situation. Now, standing against the world, as Dan State had declared, it was a “destined dead end.”

On one hand, he exhausted his lifelong wisdom, seeking a path forward in this desperate situation. On the other hand, he prepared his final retreat. If all his endeavors in the mortal realm failed, he would be forced to enter the Netherworld and tread the path of a Netherworld deity.

Should all his struggles in the mortal realm ultimately yield victory, he would then emulate the White Bone Venerable God, fighting and striving within the Netherworld before orchestrating a return to the mortal realm to achieve divinity. This final retreat required absolute safety before commencement, hence his repeated probes.

The scheme in Late Sang Town ultimately came to naught. The Eastern Master of the Dragon Tiger Altar personally intervened, yet stirred not a ripple in the river of fate. Jiang Wang, who had relentlessly pursued him, merely circled through the Wei State and departed. The departed souls he sent to the Netherworld entered the Source Pool without causing any disturbance. He thus confirmed once more that the White Bone Venerable God had either left the Netherworld, or had already descended to the mortal realm!

Therefore, after slaying that Wei State general, he skillfully employed the divine ability of Qian Kun Lock, borrowing the path of the Netherworld, arriving in Cui State without attracting the notice of either gods or ghosts.

Due to his innate caution, he still did not formally enter the Netherworld, but risked immense danger, traversing the gap between the Netherworld and the mortal realm, evading the world-shadows that could devour and assimilate one at any moment, successfully resisting the “Other Shore.” Even so, it was the closest his true self had ever come to the Netherworld.

Having cast aside the divine ability Qian Kun Lock for so many years, possessing the ability to move freely between the mortal realm and the Netherworld, he had never once touched the Netherworld, nor even approached it. All because of his dread towards the White Bone Venerable God. The reason for setting his sights on the Bai Clan after the Wei State, “the Bai Clan appearing grand but internally lax,” was only a secondary consideration. No matter how lax, a vigilant nation was always more difficult to maneuver within. In terms of the probability of success, he would have preferred to choose Yue State.

But Cui State possessed an irreplaceable element that held immense attraction for him. The earlier uproar surrounding the “Human Pill Incident” had revealed to him that the Bai Clan, this nation, was riddled with holes, harboring profound underlying issues.

Others naturally felt that the No Birth Sect committed all manner of evils, and that refining humans into pills was not surprising. The former White Bone Path had even set precedents.

But he, the Founder of the No Birth Sect, knew his own affairs. The premise of refining human pills was that one must know how to refine pills. Within the No Birth Sect, from top to bottom, there was fundamentally not a single talent specialized in this path. Cui State’s personal conclusion on this matter, the capture and slaying of the No Birth Sect’s Dharma King, meant Zhang Linchuan naturally had to seek answers from him and seize the opportunity to act. Only Zhang Linchuan himself had not anticipated the terrifying extent to which the problems hidden within the Bai Clan had accumulated, capable of collapsing at any moment.

Had he known sooner, his primary energy initially would have been focused on Cui State. This nation possessed a deep foundation and astonishing wealth, having historically produced quite a few true monarchs. He could have greatly renewed the old ways here.

Opening a new heaven, as a lord of revival, transforming the Bai Clan into a divine nation…

Alas… as of today, only a sigh of pity remains.

Of course, Zhang Linchuan would not allow himself too much time for regret; he only considered how to maximize the utilization of these secrets. Thus, he decisively detonated this matter, releasing the Bai Clan’s deer, luring the world to pursue it! This immense piece of fat meat, he had not yet tasted.

And the slaying of Dan State, Zhang Jing, the extermination of the Bai Clan’s foremost prominent family, the detonation of the Bai Clan’s decades-old tumor… originally destined to face the life-and-death crisis of the third tribulation, yet because of the Bai Clan’s sudden collapse, it quietly passed. The main executor of the tribulation, who acted as the Heavenly Will, found it difficult to protect himself, and the “tribulation” naturally dispersed without root.

This process of attracting tribulation and dissolving tribulation granted Zhang Linchuan a further understanding of the word “tribulation,” of the so-called “Heavenly Will.” While the Bai Clan’s tribulation, possessing heavenly timing, geographical advantages, and human harmony, had deep roots and was difficult to replicate, it was not entirely without future reference.

At the time when the surrounding powerhouses swarmed towards the Bai Clan, Zhang Linchuan quietly and silently departed, crossing the valley plain, detouring around the Chu border, changing his path… to Yue State.

Yue State was a good place, with advantageous mountains and rivers, and abundant resources. The court situation was stable, the administration clear, and it was supported by the Evening Drum Academy and the Southern Dipper Hall, allowing it to sleep soundly beside strong Chu. Investigating its historical causes and effects, it also possessed a myriad of connections to the strange and dangerous Fallen Immortal Forest. That is to say, in this place, unexpected harvests were possible. At the same time, Yue State had no True Monarch powerhouse sitting in town.

The strongest hidden prime minister within the nation, Gao Zheng, was also only in the Cave True realm. Yue State’s ruler, Wen Jing You, was also only a contemporary true person. And he, Zhang Linchuan, possessed considerable experience at the true person level, and even richer experience in dealing with true persons.

In other words, stirring up wind and rain within Yue State territory allowed him to be more unrestrained. As long as he avoided the peak of the hidden prime minister and the Yue King’s palace, he could make the momentum even greater. Killing to achieve dao was not what he sought, but at a time like this, killing ten thousand or tens of thousands of people to enrich the World of No Birth a bit was not impossible.

Finally, welcoming the pursuit of the one acclaimed as Yue State’s foremost hidden prime minister in history, and using this heroic figure to pass his fourth tribulation, could also be said to be… the last tribulation. Yes, he had never considered the path of slowly traversing the nine tribulations. That way was too slow, too safe. For him, time was precious!

His White Bone Sacred Body was repelled by the Will of the Mortal Realm, he himself was repelled by the major forces of the Mortal Realm, and time was even less his friend! Not only because his lifespan had been significantly cut short by the fierce slaughter, but also because his great enemy of life and death was Qi Wu An, Marquis Jiang Wang, who stood in brilliant radiance and had single-handedly exterminated the No Birth Sect!

During these days of being hunted by the world, he appeared to be leisurely strolling through courtyards, talking and laughing, playing with the world’s heroes in his palm. In reality, every step he took was on a knife’s edge, every moment touched upon life and death.

If the people of Jing State had merely dispatched a contemporary true person, if Wu Xun or the Eastern Master of Late Sang Town had taken a second look at Tan Wen Qi, if that one true person of the Bai Clan had paid attention to Dan State that night… the outcome would have been completely different. He continuously created movements, continuously stirred up larger whirlpools, continuously revealed his cards… in the fear of others, he was also very subtly, step by step, walking towards death! The Founder of the No Birth Sect walked in the deep night; when he held no more secrets from the world, he would be exposed by the fierce sun and perish. This was the so-called “destiny” he perceived. Past “causes” desired to snatch this kind of “fruit.”

He, of course, would not admit it.

The reason for saying that Yue State was his fourth tribulation, and also his last tribulation, was because, after passing three tribulations, he had to use the divine ability of Seven Souls Substituting Life, simultaneously employing six different identities to pass the life-and-death tribulation! The fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth… these six tribulations would occur at the same time.

Only when the six tribulations were passed simultaneously, and the six bodies united, could he thoroughly restore his true god position, and even further, resolve the hidden threat of the Heavenly Will, open the path of the Yang God, and gaze upon the scenery beyond the peak. Gui Shi, this immense and unparalleled spectacle, would attract the gaze of the entire world for him.

And he, at the time when various powerhouses sat and divided the spoils, dividing this fat deer of Cui State, would also alone face that final life-and-death choice. Defeat meant losing everything in the mortal realm entirely; success meant a single step ascension to heaven. He himself had said in the Scripture of No Birth, “All living beings pity me, I pity all living beings.” Ferrying others and ferrying oneself was precisely the conduct of the Great Dao.

Thus, just as he and the powerhouses divided and devoured the convenience of the Bai Clan, this world should naturally grant him a convenience for passing the tribulation. This was the so-called “Blessing of No Birth.”

Theoretically speaking, the difficulty of passing the tribulation in Yue State was smaller compared to in Wei State and Cui State. His choice was also motivated by the important reason that simultaneously passing six tribulations itself brought him immense pressure. Thus, he proactively lowered the challenge difficulty for his true self’s tribulation.

Simultaneously using six identities, stirring up trouble in six different places, and welcoming killing tribulations, could also be completely called the biggest challenge he had faced in his life. He faced this moment with great composure. Yue State’s capital was named “Will Kei.”

And Yue State’s most famous city was “Lang Ball.” Lang signifying “beautiful jade,” while which referred to “ivory.”

This city of jade and ivory was naturally rich and magnificent, yet also warm and peaceful. Its wealth was renowned throughout the entire Southern Domain. The Zhang Patrol of Lang Ball was Yue State’s first-class prominent family.

The Zhang Patrol family master, Cui Bang Fu, always known for his broad benevolence, had been in a very poor mood recently. Those accustomed to freeloading dared not approach his residence to seek misfortune.

Informed people naturally understood. It was because the Zhang Patrol’s contemporary heaven’s pride, the Bai family’s world son Bai Yu Xia, who had once ascended the View River Terrace and on whom the family had pinned great hopes, had unexpectedly left without a word after being challenged by an unknown wild man.

He had only left a letter, a few short words, stating that he would wander the world with his sword.

The Bai family was a household that valued rules above all else. Bai Ping Fu had named his beloved son Bai Yu You Xia with the hope that he would be a perfect person without flaws, using “having flaws” to seek “no flaws.” Not only in cultivation, not only in realm, but also in zither, chess, calligraphy, painting, character, morals, how he treated people and things… in all aspects, he had to be impeccable. And Bai Yu Xia’s sudden departure, clearly abandoning his heavy family responsibilities, was an irresponsible act.

Bai Ping Fu had publicly reprimanded him several times, swearing that upon Bai Yu Xia’s return, he would certainly teach him a lesson to make him remember. He even wanted to punish the boy by sending him to guard the Fallen Immortal Forest at night. But Bai Yu Xia had wandered and wandered for several months without any news, almost as if he had no intention of returning…

Bai Ping Fu had already silently lowered the level of reward several times in his heart. At most, when that mischievous boy returned, he would only put on a show. But no matter his attitude, he didn’t even receive a family letter. Regarding that unfilial son, he was already deeply disappointed and fundamentally unwilling to care anymore. However, thinking of his responsibility as the family head to care for his successor, he reluctantly sent out several waves of subordinates, quietly leaving the country to seek the person and “Tell him to die outside and not return!”

This day, as usual, after a big quarrel with his nagging old wife, Bai Ping Fu angrily walked into the study and never came out again… The Zhang Patrol family master’s study.

On that top-quality Flowing Cloud Flying Spring chair, the refined face of Bai Ping Fu, with eyes closed, sat upright. His hair was not a single strand out of place, his posture as solemn as ever… just as it had been in life.

Zhang Linchuan unhurriedly washed a hand, drying it with a handkerchief he carried. Then he slowly walked to the bookshelf and selected his spoils.

It had to be said that a prominent family master like Cui Bang Fu, a senior Divine Arrival, still possessed considerable strength. In order to avoid causing any major disturbance, he had exerted quite a bit of effort. He knew that killing Bai Yu Xia first before coming here would definitely have been much safer.

However, Cui Bang Fu’s strength, accumulated over time, was still inferior to that of a rare talent like Dan State.

In the old residence of the Zhang family in the Bai Clan, he had first quietly unfolded the World of No Birth, then used the divine ability of Rebirth to plant an evil seed. Even so, Dan State had managed to wound his left palm… and he had finally recovered using the Zhang family’s pills.

Of course, the premise for him being injured and feeling troubled was that he had to control the battlefield and prevent the disturbance from spreading. Otherwise, if he had piled Dan State and Cui Bang Fu together, he could have killed them both without harm.

The vision of one who had once ascended to true godhood was not comparable to that of a mere false god.

Now, Bai Ping Fu’s divine soul was “under trial” in the World of No Birth; after the trial, it would be “digested.”

He had to carefully sort through everything he had gained from Bai Ping Fu to see how to perfectly stir up the fourth tribulation and also see if better opportunities existed in Yue State. While waiting for the digestion, he decided to read a bit.

As a sect master, his own upper limit determined the sect’s upper limit. Although he had compiled the “Scripture of No Birth,” disseminated it to hundreds of thousands, and integrated the roles of god lord, path lord, and sect master into one, he himself was clear that it was only a temporary path, not an eternal classic. If he could not extensively draw upon the strengths of various schools, if he could not maintain continuous progress, the “Scripture of No Birth” would lose the meaning of spreading the dao.

Although the sect had now perished, his demands on himself could not be relaxed. The Zhang Patrol of Lang Ring presumably possessed tastes that were not vulgar.

He stood directly before the bookshelf, quietly flipping through a book titled “Records of the West Journey.” This book deconstructed illusory myths, which was quite interesting. And the sunlight spilling from the skylight simultaneously bathed the two figures, one standing and one sitting. One alive, one dead.

Both belonged to the intensity within this painting.

But a voice, perhaps one could call it abrupt, broke this intense scene without any sense of tact. “I say, are you really just here to read books? Aren’t you planning to do something else? I’ve been waiting forever!” Zhang Linchuan raised an eyebrow in surprise, tilting his head to see a strange, ancient youth in stiff clothes, who had appeared in the room at some unknown point, curiously sizing him up.