The warrior maiden Zhou Haijing, her body forged in the fires of godhood through the most rigorous physical cultivation, ascended. The Dao itself paved her path to the heavens, radiating an aura of invincibility unseen in the mortal realm.

The entity known as Xian, suspended in the air, flicked a sleeve. A battle poised to rend the very fabric of existence was imminent. With that flick, she dispelled the cosmic magic woven within her sleeve, hurling Yin Ji and Yin Miao from the sanctuary into a swirling vortex of time itself.

Whether Chen Ping’an would discover their trail and pluck them from the temporal currents was a concern Xian could ill afford. Should she fall here, their fates were as good as sealed. Only by returning to the Middle Earth Divine Continent could they hope to grasp a sliver of survival.

Her very essence, tied as it was to the spectral realm, weighed her down. The approach of the Dragon Boat Festival heralded a surge of solar energy, and the unyielding sun of the mortal world blazed overhead, an insurmountable obstacle.

Within the confines of Treasure Bottle Continent, the terrain itself favored the Dali Dynasty. Beyond the ghostly domain she had conjured from her own silken tresses, Chen Ping’an had forged a domain of sword-qi from his two soul-bound blades, “Caged Bird” and “Moon in the Well.” Within this miniature world dwelled nearly a million phantom blades, each born from a single, original strike.

And further still, a martial mountain, manifested into being, threatened to drag portions of “Xian” within its stony embrace, for she, undeniably, possessed the heart of a warrior. Her knowledge was a chaotic tapestry, woven from more than three thousand years of accumulated power. Some might say she even surpassed Chen Ping’an, whose path was still young. No amount of borrowed skill could match the “ready-made” collection Xian possessed – countless spells, martial arts, and enchanted talismans, all ripe for the plucking. Yet, she had not foreseen Chen Ping’an’s successful usurpation, his seizure of the mountain’s peak. Her martial prowess, once an asset, had become a liability.

Furthest out, the celestial sword “Northern Dipper,” accompanied by the nine cloud-sea vortexes adorning Treasure Bottle Continent’s sky, rotated slowly, their points ever directed at Xian.

Finally, there was the matter of “humanity,” embodied by the spirited young woman. Her warrior’s fist, her mastery of the Five Thunders Righteous Art, and her host of other techniques, were particularly effective against denizens of the spectral plane, causing Xian considerable unease.

Beset by disadvantages in cosmic timing, terrestrial advantage, and the weight of humanity, Xian seemed to rely solely on her “Fourteenth Realm” status, a power attained after a tempestuous period of enlightenment.

A flicker of regret crossed her mind. Bai Ye, indeed, was a formidable opponent, deserving of the meticulous machinations of the wildlands.

The foreign cultivators of the Great World of Splendor were, perhaps, unaware of the true strength residing within the Dali Dynasty’s Earthly Branches: young warriors capable of transforming adversity into equilibrium. From that balanced state, they could experiment, learn, and accumulate the slightest advantages. Over time, this relentless accumulation would grant the Dali Earthly Branches an unassailable lead, culminating in the utter annihilation of their enemies.

Their only limitation, perhaps, was their unsuitability for battlefields beyond Treasure Bottle Continent.

The two apparitions stood eye to eye, their power evenly matched. Zhou Haijing lunged, her spear nearly piercing Xian’s heart.

A dazzling array of colors erupted in the sky, a tempestuous confluence of honed blades and the passage of eons. It was a vision of breathtaking brilliance.

Xian’s pupils constricted. Such speed? Such defiance of the river of time? Was Zhou Haijing, in that moment, as swift as a flying sword, her velocity nearing that of the ancient blades that first plummeted from the sky?

In an instant, Xian had contracted space, fleeing to a distant point. Zhou Haijing, with a flick of her wrist, twisted the spear, ensnaring the previously invisible silken threads. The runes etched upon the weapon flared, forcing the strands into visibility. Zhou Haijing yanked, and the air split with the sound of tearing silk, as countless threads disintegrated into ashen motes.

Clad in resplendent armor, Zhou Haijing lightly shook her spear, scattering the encroaching dust of annihilation. “Dare you be distracted when facing such an enemy?” she asked, her voice unwavering.

As she spoke, anomalies manifested around Xian. Golden vortexes, shaped like jujube pits, materialized in the air, like the divine eyes of ancient gods scrutinizing the ghostly being.

Xian shattered a blazing sun with a clenched fist and batted away a fiery river with a sweep of her sleeve. She strode towards Zhou Haijing, crushing a white-robed sword immortal who had lunged from a golden vortex.

Suddenly, Xian’s seemingly casual gait stuttered. The very fabric of existence seemed to form a barrier, sparks flying from Xian’s face. Her silken hair transformed into a swarm of flying swords, scraping against the unseen barrier like a blade across glass.

Zhou Haijing smirked. “Perish!”

Xian remained frozen. Zhou Haijing, however, moved with increased speed, driving her spear through Xian’s neck. Lifting the iron steed, she tossed Xian’s form into the air.

The instant the spear pierced the ghostly neck, thunder, fist intent, and solar essence erupted from the wound, like a mountain laden with fireworks suddenly ignited in a cataclysmic explosion.

Xian, her neck shattered, the hovering head remained impassive, staring coldly at Zhou Haijing.

A single vertical eye, like that of an ancient high god, opened upon Zhou Haijing’s forehead. A beam of golden light erupted, obliterating Xian’s face. The beam continued, striking the heavens with such force that the interwoven silken threads, the true and terrible nature of the sky, were revealed.

Headed Xian avoided the twelve flying ribbons which sought to impale her, and then turned incorporeal and fled away. She reformed again on the horizon, her hand conjuring a new head, which she affixed to her shoulders. She cracked her neck.

Zhou Haijing narrowed her eyes. “The light of the Grand Dao of Treasure Bottle Continent will not tolerate the rampant depravity of ghosts!”

Xian laughed, a humorless sound. “What does a little girl know of Dao, of ghosts?”

With a gesture, Zhou Haijing summoned Mount Tongbai, folding it into a talisman wreathed in violet energy.

Clutching the talisman between two fingers, Zhou Haijing roared, “Banish ghost!”

Xian’s spectral body, cleaved in two by the talisman’s edge, fell. Xian continually reformed in various locations, only to be repeatedly severed by the implacable talisman.

A thrust of the spear shattered the phantom Xian, scattering her essence throughout the heavens, where it sought to rejoin the writhing silken sky.

Zhou Haijing’s apparition merely exhaled, conjuring a mighty river to wash away the last vestiges of Xian.

Zhou Haijing cocked her head, seemingly contemplating a way to exploit the flaws in Xian’s power. Tangling with her was exhausting. It would be better to do this once and do this right.

The spear hurtled forward, sheathed in thunder and lightning. Xian tried to grasp the spearhead, but her hand passed straight through it.

Yet, in that same moment, her silken hair, an ocean of black snakes, engulfed Zhou Haijing.

In the blink of an eye, the Grand Dao’s imprisonment shattered, and Zhou Haijing stood, unfazed, though her resplendent armor now showed signs of damage. She scanned her surroundings, searching for the spectral being’s residual traces. She looked up to the sky and released beams of golden light which cut apart everything above.

The flying sword “Ballad” ceaselessly drew upon the spirit and malicious energy of the world, while the flying sword “Firefall” transmuted the commingled ghostly and spectral energies into pure, serene qi.

Even if she could not slay the spectral being outright, she could bleed it out. When Xian’s spiritual power was depleted, her Fourteenth Realm power would avail her nothing.

Light erupted from all directions. Zhou Haijing and Xian unleashed their powers.

Standing at the entrance of his cavern, Yuan Huajing remained silent, his spirit shaken. He had never imagined that the Earthly Branches could slay an enemy so thoroughly.

Gai Yan still knelt within her boudoir, her beautiful eyes glimmering. Alas, the figure in blue robes was nowhere to be seen. That Chen was a true genius.

Han Zhoujin was clearly astonished. A Daoist mountain could be used in this way? The palaces and structures were runes? The purple energies the cloud script?

—

Beyond the formation of the Dali Earthly Branches, the five sacred mountains of Treasure Bottle Continent appeared, their golden effigies manifesting in the shrines, presiding over the lands and rivers.

Chen Ping’an, recently appointed National Preceptor of Dali, had issued a decree commanding them to encircle and intercept a spectral being, ensuring it would not escape Treasure Bottle Continent.

Ordinarily, their mobilization required the Jade Seal of the Emperor to hold legitimacy. But no one dared to invoke such a thing.

Night wanderer Wei Bo of Mount Beiyue wore snow-white robes with golden earrings.

The deity Ghu Tao of Mount Shen Shen was a relative newcomer to the Dali bureaucracy. He was elevated to the rank of a deity on account of the patching of the mountain, and in a short amount of time, the number of mountains had increased such that Mount Shen Shen was amongst the new mountains, allowing Ghu Tao to be revered. He wore dark robes and rarely mingled with other deities.

Clad in purple robes, Jin Qing of Mount Zhongyue asked solemnly “Why did the Dali Emperor suddenly die? And how did he become declared an enemy?”

Wei Bo laughed “Why do you ask so many questions? You simply need to heed the commands of the court.”

“Did Zhou Hu teach you to simply obey? Or is this a trick from Chen Ping’an?” Jin Qing scoffed.

Wei Bo smiled “You seem agitated. Did you eat gunpowder before this?”

“Once the war begins, what will happen with the battle with the barbarian? Our Dali calvary is strong, but their soldiers are also fearsome. Many will die. I can’t claim to understand the forms of two worlds, but I know the duty to one’s king. Do I have to tell you, Lord Wei?” Jin Qing said irritably.

Wei Bo nodded to the various restricted lights and said “If you wish to know, simply ask the national preceptor.”

Even the five lords could not see what went on within. They could only see glimmers of swords and ghostly energies.

Jin Qing angrily said “Are you deliberately acting dense? Is Dali acting on impulse or is there a plan? If it is the former, we should plan our movements with the barbarians. If it is the latter, you and I can go to the emperor’s study and assist in the strategy.”

“You’re being nonsensical. Chen has told us to only handle our parts and leave the other matters alone. Simply protect the borders. “Wei Bo said, smiling.

Compared to the tensions between the northern and central mountains, the other deities appeared more idle.

Dongyue Shen Jun Rong Mon wore golden armor and a long sword. The officials trusted him the most.

“Old Tong, is this what they call Chen Ping’an the first one to take his position?” Rong Mon laughed.

“Hm.” Tong Wen Chang said.

Huai Lu of Mount Luan held a jade tablet. Although petite and slender, her demeanor was resolute.

“Chen’s actions suit my tastes. Some people should not be coddled.” Huai Lu nodded.

Tong Wen Chang said “You can’t do anything about it.”

Seeing this, Rong Mon asked “Is there something wrong with Mount Luujiao?”

He glared at Chang Fenghang of Mount Luojiao, who had the same position as Mount Luan.

“Internal matters are not for display. The Chen Court has recorded everything. You and Chen Ping’an are friends, so why don’t you simply ask him?” Tong Wen Chang responded.

“You’re one to talk. The last time we asked him he refused. But you’re now good friends with him?” Rong Mon said.

“Don’t you blame me because he didn’t tell me when Chen Jianxian disguised himself as a fortune teller.” Huai Lu complained.

“I suppose it would have been nice to chat. And offer some advice?” Huai Lu laughed.

Tong Wen Chang simply said “Look at who his Dao Partner is.”

“You should only admire him a little.” Tong Wen Chang warned.

Fan Junmao wore a jade tag and carried a large bow, forged from the ancient moon.

“Should the Dali Song restore the southern shrines?” Huai Lu asked.

Fan Junmao shook her head “Don’t know, don’t care. I am annoyed by the night banquet.”

“You always say that Chen Ping’an has many faces and is handsome. Were you not deceived?” Huai Lu asked.

“When I was sailing north and he was sailing south, we met. I have no reason to trick you.” Fan Junmao said.

“Makes sense, but Ning Yao has high standards.” Huai Lu nodded.

“It is.” Fan Junmao said.

The three water deities – Yang Haa, Cao Yong, and Cen Wenqian – were outsiders to the mountain deities.

Jin Qing’s expression shifted, and his golden eyes shone “Not good! The ghost has built a strange bridge.”

The other four deities acknowledged this as well, and immediately commanded all the local temples to seal off all routes.

The mountain regions rang with the sound of chanting and singing.

A river turned golden.

A mountain appeared, covered in paper money.

After that, Chen, clad in blue, shattered the bridge, forcing the ghost to retreat.

The local deities were astonished. Could a purely martial divine be so strong?

Jin Qing was relieved. He was glad he was not responsible for the failure of the operation.

None of the deities asked what happened. After all, Chen was now the national preceptor,

The deities were able to view the battlefield to some extent.

“Even with everyone together, there is not one above the fifth layer. How can we endure against a fourteenth?” Huai Lu asked.

Fan Junmao simply said “Chen’s mastery in these is rare in the world. There is nothing to be surprised about.”

However, she determined to visit Chen and ask what occurred.

Wei Bo glanced at Jin Qing.

Before Chen officially took his position, many of the local deities did not get along.

The current success was beyond expectations.

“Was it Chen Ping’an who helped establish relationships with the scholars?” Jin Qing asked.

Tong Wen Chang smiled “It’s not as if Chen simply submitted a list and forced everyone to sign it, right?”

“I am sure he did.” Fan Junmao said.

Fu Dechong treasured the Dao scriptures. He was amazed that Chen and Lu had similar lives.

The deities could sense the power that emanated from the battlefield.

“Everyone, get ready to see something amazing.” Wei Bo said.

Resisting the terror, Jin Qing said “Make sure you do not get destroyed. Continue reinforcing the array, and seek to borrow energies from the mountains.”

“Whether it be a turtle shell or a steel cage, we must capture this ghost.” Tong Wen Chang nodded.

Fan Junmao was worried. She felt as though something was off.

The ghost seemed to be in a weird tug of war. As though one half of it was being dragged by its hatred and the other by some kind of attraction.

And the Dali combined its energies and powers and bestowed them all on this Zhou Hai Jing.

Fan Junmao had a feeling about something.

—

Yin Ji tried to hide from the battlefield. It was a deserted island. He desperately wanted to be back in the capital.

Chen approached, and the crown prince grew afraid. He cried “Are you the demon of debt collection!”

Chen asked “Is this Old Dragon City?”

The handsome Yin Ji walked towards Chen and said “Do you know how much grief you have given others? You come from no grand lineage, and yet here you stand.”

“Are you speaking your last words?” Chen responded.

“The result is still not determined.” Yin Ji shook his head.

“Do you think the celestial official from White Jade will save you? He cannot even help Xian, so what will he do for you? Does he truly think he is invincible?” Chen said.

Yin Ji looked at Yin Miao.

Chen said “Let’s talk. How did this all begin?”

“Tell him everything. Perhaps he can be merciful.” Yin Ji laughed.

Despite becoming a ghost, Yin Miao was forced to wear his “clothing.” He said nothing.

He had long been recognized as a talent in Dao cultivation, even dreaming of traveling to the capital.

The halls and structures he saw were something not of the mortal world.

And then, the celestial official approached. He said that he would lead Yin Miao to ascend.

Yin Miao asked where this place was. The official said that even a demon would not dare trespass.

The official said that Yin Miao had a destiny, and that human kings were nothing more than “sons of heaven.”

Yin Miao was moved. If he were to become an immortal, the rules would not bind him.

The official said that he needed to accumulate virtue by helping someone achieve godhood.

“Who?” Yin Miao asked.

“The person in Treasure Bottle Continent!” The official responded.

Yin Ji grew impatient with Yin Miao’s silence and rebuked him “Speak.”

“Chen has an unstable Dao Heart. Can you believe he can be manipulated by a mere servant?” Yin Miao finally responded.

“Do you truly think that I will let you go if you say some words?” Chen laughed.

Chen shook his head “Don’t copy Wang Jaa. The things in you are too deeply engraved.”

“Great matters do not move him. One can become too jaded.” Yin Ji slowly said.

“We can only start from small matters.” Yin Ji said.

“Makes sense.” Chen nodded.

Yin Ji continued “I once witnessed a rock splitter using iron nails. That deeply moved me.”

“You can see a large thing from small matter. You are smart.” Chen laughed.

“They are powerless to imitate the Earth Branch.” Yin Ji said.

Dali’s strength cannot compare to Great Song.

Chen laughed “Instead you have someone like Yin Miao?”

“Are you finally finished?” Yin Miao raged,

Yin Ji sighed. Could Chen see into Yin Miao’s mind?

Chen muttered “You guys are putting on an act. It looks like you can’t hide your dream of becoming immortal.”

“Soul transfer requires skills to fool White Jade. Even more so, Great Song. “I need to make sure everything is ready.

“Are you sure you are still Yin Ji?” Chen asked.

“Chen, don’t use such shoddy tricks. It is an advantage that I am not a Dao practitioner. I have no Dao heart to be disturbed.” Yin Ji responded.

“Do you know what the Dali prison holds?” Chen asked.

“Are you kidding me? Xian is a fourteenth layer! ” Yin Ji laughed.

“Did you first contact her when the Pearl was destroyed?” Chen asked.

Yin Ji fell silent.

“Tsai is a follower. He is signing his death warrant.” Chen said.

“What does that mean?” Yin Ji asked.

“Have you read the historical records? Did you see the word ‘Celestial Judgement’?” Chen asked.

Yin Ji shook his head “I have heard of Heaven’s Hate. Which seems to be worse than tribulations.”

“The source of the three thousand year sword was in the accumulation of Heaven’s Hate. A single phrase infuriated Xian.”

“She came to the human world when the Pearl was shattered. “Chen said.

“Before, I was confused why Wang Huai did not go to the barbarian lands, but it seems as though she sensed the evil in Xian.”

“Xian is the Dao manifestation of Heaven’s Judgement.” Chen concluded.

Yin Ji sighed “Without a powerful background, you can gain freedom, but you can also become adrift.”

Yin Miao, who heard nothing they said, cried “The tides have turned! You cannot possibly kill a fourteenth layer ghost!”

Yin Miao fell to his knees and kowtowed, shattering his skull. He had died a second death.

Yin Ji, who was no longer worried about Yin Miao’s soul, looked up. He could now understand Xian’s actions, she was a collection of all the souls that had died in vain.

“Chen, you are getting desperate. That’s normal, given your enemy. I deeply respect you. ”

The blue clad sword cultivator spread his hands, and brought forth the Blades of Justice.

He strode out of the palace.

The sword realm of the caged bird and moon in the well crushed the realm of the ghost, like the clash of tides.

His form shattered Xian’s Dao realm.

The seven clouds on the sky merged into one, and the sword of the north poured forth its energy on Earth.

Chen went to Xian’s domain.

His body transformed into that of a divine, and a manifestation towered in the skies, with one golden eye and a face that was half light and half dark.

The cacophony of sounds was silenced.

Xian was looking at Dao.

Yin Miao sought release.

Yin Miao did not speak the truth, but it was true that Xian had suffered for three thousand years and desired release.

The path before Treasure Bottle Continent was simple. Either Xian ate Wang Hhuai and entered the realm of the fifteenth, or Wang Huai ate her and restarted the cycle.

In that situation, Xian simply laughed and said “You are so pitiful.”

The blades of Justice came down, as the swords of the light were about to be unleashed on Earth.

Xian decided to scatter her power on the Dali Dynasty and Treasure Bottle Continent.

The sword of the dipper pierced the wave and cut off Xian’s head, dividing the ghost’s huge manifestation in half.

The area was trapped within the caged bird world, and the swords cut apart the wave into thin streams, which were held by one sword, while the other sword engraved the character for “Thunder Pool” to imprison the energy within.

All that was left was the ghost’s form, which drifted through the air like silk.

“I failed after all.” She sighed.

Another sword came.

It sliced!

Only light was left in the heavens.

On the palace above, the Emperor was entranced.

He saw the beauty of Xian’s death. Yin Ji’s expression was broken, and he wondered how they could protect Treasure Bottle from the backlash of a heavenly judgement, even though they were capable of slaying a demon? He would be forever the sinner who caused Treasure Bottle Continent to sink into the ghost realm!

Zhou Hai Jing collapsed to the earth, using her spear to support herself. Her armor was tattered, and bones showed on her arms and face.

She exhaled, and all the energies returned to the masters of the Dali.

It was as though after experiencing a great tribulation.