With a single stride, Jiang Wang set foot upon the weathered traces of the Lun Jian Tai. As ten points of merit dissipated, the Lun Jian Tai surged upward, ascending directly into the starry river!

This was Jiang Wang’s first time challenging within the blessed land, stepping onto the Lun Jian Tai outside. In the strict sense, it was his first time seeking an opponent within this Taixu Illusion Realm.

That long-lost gentle voice resounded: “The journey of the Lun Jian Tai has begun. Please inscribe your name and open the Lun Jian rankings.”

A sheet of white paper appeared from nowhere, suspended before him, accompanied by a writing brush.

The paper was light and thin, yet remained motionless despite a gentle breeze.

With the mysterious nature of the Taixu Illusion Realm, knowing one’s own name was effortless. Yet, this voice did not directly employ his name, but required Jiang Wang to inscribe it himself.

Furthermore, recalling Zuo Guanglie’s demise and the Qingyu Altar Master’s continued reverence, delaying his challenge for a long time, it became clear that in the Taixu Illusion Realm, Zuo Guanglie held another layer of identity.

Upon this thought, Jiang Wang picked up the pen and wrote—Dugu Wudi.

This was certainly not his usual style. Had it been Huang A-Zhan or Du Ye-Hu, such a name would be entirely plausible. The former was habitually boastful, while the latter was innately aggressive and battle-hungry.

However, Jiang Wang believed such a name would better stimulate his opponent’s fighting spirit. Had he not consumed merit to utilize the Lun Jian Tai precisely for the sake of battle?

“Dugu Wudi has not yet entered the Wandering Pulse top hundred, thus no ranking is displayed. Conceal appearance?”

Jiang Wang chose yes without hesitation. Was adopting a false name not for the purpose of concealment?

He then discovered another ten points of merit had been deducted… Fortunately, this should not be a one-time expenditure.

Matching nine-grade Lun Jian Tai opponents…

Matching successful!

Jiang Wang’s senses returned, and he found himself in a square room, with a ceiling overhead, walls on all four sides, and no door or window. The ground was flat, visibility open, and at a glance, there was nothing hidden.

Across from him, a Daoist priest, round and corpulent in both face and body, was slowly opening his eyes.

“Dugu Wudi?” As he frowned, the upper half of his ample face seemed to sink in. “Such an arrogant name, yet an ordinary appearance. Seems like an expert.”

After the concealing process of the Taixu Illusion Realm, Jiang Wang’s face had clearly been adjusted to be quite handsome, almost comparable to Zhao Ru-Cheng. Yet, he only received an ordinary evaluation.

Jiang Wang also saw the name of his first opponent in the Taixu Illusion Realm—Zhen Wudi!

This name caused his eyelids to twitch. It felt as if he was being targeted. What did this mean? Could it be that his Dugu Wudi was merely a false invincible?

Jiang Wang’s magical instrument, the long sword, was projected into his hand, but it lacked the ability to release golden light arrows as in reality. The complete manifestation of external objects required the consumption of merit, which was currently not worthwhile for Jiang Wang.

“Then come on!”

While Zhen Wudi was still speaking his lines, Jiang Wang’s sword light moved, and he lunged forward with explosive force.

His sword technique had initially been honed through combat. Always seizing the initiative and occupying the central line, he naturally would not waste time.

From the initial outer sect sword technique, to becoming the top scholar of the first year in the three cities’ discourse, and sweeping through Wangjiang City with a single sword, all these experiences had instilled in him great confidence. His own momentum was slowly cultivating.

This sword, like a wandering dragon startling the heavens, was as agile as lightning.

“Good thief!” Zhen Wudi managed to rebuke amidst his busy movements, pressing a single hand forward. A rotating shield of water waves appeared horizontally before him, precisely blocking the sword tip!

“Ambushing me!” He shouted again.

With a slanted chop of his fat hand, a fiery blade fiercely cut out.

Simultaneously, vines sprung from beneath, directly entangling Jiang Wang.

Wandering Pulse realm cultivators fundamentally could not engrave instant-cast Dao techniques. To unleash so many attacks in almost the same instant indicated that this fatty had already prepared the seals. Yet, he was still furiously accusing Jiang Wang of ambushing him here.

But to be fair, his mastery of Dao techniques could be described as precise and ingenious.

Jiang Wang felt a surge of excitement. In the Fenglin City Dao Academy, he fundamentally could not encounter such opponents. They were either too strong, spanning several realms, or too weak, unable to withstand a single blow. It was fundamentally difficult to experience the joy of battle.

His heart was surging, yet his hand was as steady as iron cast. With superb control, he touched the water wave shield with the sword and then retracted it, not sinking deep into the shield and becoming entangled by the rotating waves.

He leaped high, avoiding the fiery blade. At the same time, he returned his sword to cut the attacking entangling vines.

But he quickly realized something was wrong.

His sword was too heavy!

Only a drop of water stained the sword tip, but that drop of water seemed to weigh a thousand catties, dragging him straight down.

The fatty laughed heartily: “You think this is a water wave shield? This is a heavy water shield, little thief!”

The entangling vines had already made contact with Jiang Wang. He also flung out two fiery blades, which crossed and exploded before him, both aiming to kill Jiang Wang and prevent any opportunity for counterattack.

Those ten fat fingers pinched seals like flying, as if mocking the name of invincible.

Jiang Wang exerted force and shook, the sword tip breaking off, carrying that drop of heavy water away. As he fell, his body suddenly rolled with purple qi, surging forth with a roar. In an instant, he swept away the two fiery blades and lunged straight towards Zhen Wudi!

This was the strongest killing method of the Purple Qi East Coming Sword Art.

Boom!

The purple qi dispersed, and in its original place was only Jiang Wang’s figure, gripping his sword.

What he had pierced through with the Purple Qi East Coming was only an illusion!

And fully nine vine snakes had already intertwined and arrived, forming a temporary cage to trap Jiang Wang.

Jiang Wang reached out and pressed the just-completed flame bomb onto the vine cage, blasting out a hole. Because his body was within the cage, there was no way to avoid it, and his left hand was also blasted, dripping with fresh blood.

But Jiang Wang’s expression remained unchanged. He simply unfurled his long sword and intended to drill out from the hole.

However…

From this hole, one could clearly see the dense array of wind blades suspended and floating outside the cage.

Zhen Wudi stood outside the cage, maintaining a sufficient distance from Jiang Wang, and wiped his sweat, saying: “So close, I was almost overturned by you.”

His mouth spoke thus, yet his hand made a wave.

Countless wind blades instantly cut Jiang Wang to pieces.

…

Lost!

Jiang Wang returned to the blessed land, still somewhat dazed.

The opponent was too strong!

Heavy water shield, fire blade, entangling vine, illusion technique, vine snakes, wind blades. The nine vine snakes even formed a cage. Among these, illusion technique was already rare, and the heavy water shield was a Dao technique Jiang Wang had never even heard of.

He had mastered so many kinds of Dao techniques, and utilized them precisely and wonderfully.

Unlike Sun Xiao-Yan’s pure and honest approach, this Zhen Wudi, the fatty, seemed foolish, yet in reality, he was always controlling the rhythm of the battle. In that fight just now, every step Jiang Wang took was within his calculations.

As Jiang Wang reviewed the entire process at this moment, he truly could not find a single point of victory.

On the sundial, the number representing merit was already 3360 points. Activating the Lun Jian Tai consumed ten points, concealing his appearance consumed ten points, and defeat in battle lost ten points.

One battle had cost him thirty points of merit. One must know that the ranking in the East Sea Mountain blessed land only produced one hundred points of merit each month. With Jiang Wang’s current strength, he likely could not hold the East Sea Mountain blessed land.

Just at this moment, a plump paper crane, seemingly emerging from nowhere, swayed and flew to Jiang Wang.

Jiang Wang subconsciously caught it, and the paper crane unfolded in his hand, becoming a letter:

“Brother Dugu, greetings. Regarding our recent battle, your younger brother has been contemplating it endlessly. Your strength, younger brother admires like a lofty mountain. Fortunately, I managed to win one battle, but victory is not to be feared. I humbly request another battle to correct your prestige.”

What sort of nonsense was this? Jiang Wang glanced at the signature and indeed saw the three large characters: Zhen Wudi.

Even this person’s paper cranes were plumper than others.

However, this set of rhetoric, no matter how he looked at it, seemed to be an attempt to “brush merit” off Jiang Wang.

The merit consumption of the Lun Jian Tai was borne by the loser, so in the battle just now, Jiang Wang suffered a heavy loss, while Zhen Wudi actually earned ten points of merit.

Jiang Wang only regretted that he was not Huang A-Zhan; his scolding skills were lacking and he could not scold him to his satisfaction.

At this moment, another plump paper crane swayed and flew over.

Jiang Wang took it and looked, and it was indeed that Zhen Wudi again, just with a different approach—

“Frankly speaking, Brother Dugu. I rarely encounter such evenly matched opponents. I have benefited greatly, truly benefited greatly! I have no time today, but another battle next time would also be fine. Come, feel free to reply to my flying crane for future contact!”

Generally, words following “frankly speaking” are not very frank…

Jiang Wang’s face twitched. He picked up the paper and pen and replied: “Contact again.”

Then, he felt the Silver Moon mark in his heart and left the Taixu Illusion Realm.

Fatty. Just you wait.