Half a month later.
"Sister Pingping, I'm sorry, I failed your expectations."
"But rest assured, I now have the means to protect myself; not just anyone can bully me anymore."
"Today may be the last time I break through in your presence."
"I am going to live in a big city and won't be coming back here very often..."
Sunlight spilled across.
"Seventh Realm — Full Moon"
"Foundation Establishment Late Stage!"
Zhu Wu cupped his fists toward the stone platform.
Mobei City.
The City Lord's Mansion had sent a letter annulling the engagement on the grounds that Young Master Li had acted improperly toward the young lady in the secret realm.
Young Master Li had already lost half his life, and upon hearing of the annulment, the sudden surge of rage and despair had left him bedridden for over half a month.
Word was that the Li Family had put out the word that as soon as Young Master Li recovered, he would come to the house to carry out the marriage.
Zhou Rui's master hailed from a major sect in the capital, but seemed to have little say in the matter.
The City Lord's Mansion was about to face a calamity.
However, this was not something Zhu Wu cared about.
Zhu Wu had simply noticed that the City Lord's Mansion had posted quite a few tasks with rather tempting rewards.
At the city gate.
Quite a few people had seen Zhu Wu before.
Zhu Wu had no choice but to find a mask and trim off the bottom half to wear, as wearing a full-face mask was not allowed inside the city.
"What is your name? Where are you from? What are you here to do?" The guards stopped Zhu Wu.
"Ping Lija, Moonfall City, here to treat the sick," Zhu Wu replied.
"Do you have any identification?"
"No, I grew up in the mountains since I was a child. I met an injured rogue cultivator who mentioned that there was a patient here with a high reward, so I came."
"Why the mask? Can you take it off?" the guard asked.
"Yes."
"Full Moon!"
"Alright, registration complete. This is your temporary identity pass. You must come here to register once a month, no later than three months at the most, or you will be arrested as an illegal alien."
The guard handed over a jade plaque with the name just carved into it.
"Little brother, need a guide?" A rogue cultivator saw that Ping Lija appeared to be a newcomer to Mobei City and stepped forward to ask.
"No—how many spirit stones to the City Lord's Mansion?" Ping Lija was about to refuse, but thought better of it; since he was acting as a newcomer, he might as well play dumb.
"The City Lord's Mansion? Just head straight, make a left at the front, walk two intersections to the main street, and follow it to the end."
"Are there any other places you want to go? Places ordinary people can't find—I can show you around," the rogue cultivator said.
"Thanks, but no need, I'm only going to the City Lord's Mansion." Ping Lija gave a slight bow to the rogue cultivator and turned to walk away.
"Wearing a mask, going to the City Lord's Mansion?..." The rogue cultivator muttered to himself and shook his head.
One of the tasks from the City Lord's Mansion:
A steward in the mansion had been infected with the poison of a Ninth-Layer monster beast, the Azure-Scaled Dragon, and a cure was being sought with a reward of three medium-grade spirit stones.
The *Essential Compendium of Materia Medica* happened to have similar records, so Ping Lija decided to give it a try.
The steward verified Ping Lija's identity and then led him to a side courtyard.
A steward sat in a pavilion, playing chess with an elder at the Nascent Soul Middle Stage.
"Elder Xie, this little immortal says he is here to treat Steward Wang."
"Very well, you may step down," said Elder Xie of the Nascent Soul Middle Stage.
A wave of true qi rushed toward his face.
Ping Lija circulated his true qi to neutralize it.
"Pardon me, little brother, things have been unsettled in the estate lately. I was just checking to see if you truly have the skill to heal," Elder Xie said with a smile.
"What grade is your wood spiritual root?"
"Fifth grade," Ping Lija recalled his testing at the Bright Moon Sect.
"Ah, then why are you so confident?"
"I just happened to come across similar records."
"Then come and have a try."
Steward Wang rolled up his sleeve.
There were quite a few traces of previous treatments.
"Many people have tried, but it cannot be completely eradicated. After being cured for two or three days, it relapses," Steward Wang explained.
Ping Lija channeled his true qi, placed his fingers on the wrist, and then drove his true qi to circulate through Steward Wang's entire body.
The treatment was not difficult.
Yet Ping Lija could not figure out why it kept relapsing.
Ping Lija had a hypothesis, but was unsure whether to try it.
Using the unity of the five-element true qi combined with healing arts might completely eradicate it.
But doing so would expose his trump card. Were three medium-grade spirit stones worth it?
The time of an incense stick passed.
"Little brother, are you confident?" Elder Xie asked with a smile.
"I have a hypothesis, but I'm not certain," Ping Lija replied.
"Might I hear it?" Elder Xie asked.
"If there were someone with a Wood Spirit Body or a four-element spiritual root whose four-element true qi united, they might be able to eradicate it completely," Ping Lija replied.
"I've heard that in ancient times there were many high-level cultivators with four spiritual roots. Even if any exist today, they likely cannot even reach the Foundation Establishment Stage, let alone master healing arts," Elder Xie said leisurely, staring at Ping Lija.
Elder Xie knew a thing or two about ancient matters.
Anyone at the Nascent Soul Stage was bound to come into contact with such lore, since many technique inheritances originated from antiquity.
"Where does little brother hail from, and under what master did you study? Might it be convenient to share?" Elder Xie asked.
"Moonfall City, no master, I just happened upon a bit of fortune by chance," Ping Lija replied.
"If it is inconvenient for little brother to say, then so be it. However, I imagine little brother must have a way. Do you have a place to stay tonight? If not, you may temporarily lodge in the estate, so as to make treatment more convenient for you," Elder Xie asked again.
"Then I shall impose upon you." Ping Lija had originally intended to find some random inn outside, but considering that places with many people were bound to be mixed company, staying in the City Lord's Mansion would be much quieter.
"Very well."
"Steward Chen..." Elder Xie projected his true qi into the distance.
A moment later, Steward Chen came running over.
"Steward Chen, arrange a guest room for this little brother and prepare dinner," Elder Xie instructed Steward Chen.
"Steward Wang, let us continue," he said, turning back to Steward Wang and placing a stone on the chessboard.
"Little brother, do you play chess? If you are interested, how about a match with me?" Taking advantage of the time Steward Wang was pondering his move, Elder Xie spoke to Ping Lija again.
"I don't play..."
"I see. Then go get some rest; you must be tired today. We can trouble you with this tomorrow, shall we? The guest room is on the right; you'll see it as you go," Elder Xie asked.
"Mm, that's fine."
"What do you think, Elder Xie?" Steward Wang dropped a piece.
"What did Steward Wang notice this time?" Elder Xie placed his stone.
"He's hiding something, but he doesn't look like an enemy of the City Lord's Mansion." Steward Wang studied the chessboard, placed a piece, and said, "He might just have four spiritual roots. Otherwise, he wouldn't have said that."
"Why not a Wood Spirit Body? Nowadays, we never hear of a Foundation Establishment four-spiritual-root cultivator this young."
"My ability is to see constitutions. Are you doubting me?"
"I'm not doubting you, but what if he can conceal his constitution?"
"Impossible. As soon as his true qi entered my body, I knew. Still, it is rather strange... he seems somewhat connected to the eldest miss..." Steward Wang paused, holding a game piece in his hand.
The next day, in the side courtyard.
As soon as Ping Lija stepped through the door, he saw Zhou Rui.
Elder Xie and Steward Wang were still playing chess.
"Zhu Wu? Is that you!" Zhou Rui glanced over and quickly recognized that Ping Lija was Zhu Wu.
"Uh..." Zhu Wu was trying to figure out what to say.
"It's so good to see you. I heard about what happened... your dantian..." Zhou Rui stared worriedly at Zhu Wu's lower abdomen.
"How did you recognize me?" Zhu Wu countered.
"You pighead, you... forget it, I'd recognize you even if you were turned to ash." Zhou Rui looked slightly peeved.
"Then... what are you going to do next?" Zhu Wu asked.
"What else can I do? Why do you think there have been so many tasks from the City Lord's Mansion lately?" Zhou Rui asked in turn.
"My dad plans to send me to the capital to lie low and avoid the storm. Posting tasks recently is just to screen for suitable guards," Zhou Rui explained.
The capital was the metropolis of the entire Profound Nether Continent, about the size of twenty large cities combined.
"So Steward Wang's poison is also...?" Zhu Wu's eyes suddenly cleared.
"Of course."
"I knew it. The poison clearly wasn't that difficult."
"How did your dantian recover?" Zhou Rui asked.
"Our elder did a little trickery," Zhu Wu replied.
"No wonder you disguised yourself as someone else."
A brief silence followed.
"Would you like to come with me to the capital?" Zhou Rui asked, as if having made up her mind.
"I'm only at the Foundation Establishment Stage; it wouldn't be appropriate to go to the capital," Zhu Wu thought to himself.
Even a great family in a large city like Young Master Li's couldn't handle things, and going to the capital where Nascent Soul experts were everywhere would leave him with zero path of survival.
"Young Master Li won't let you go. If you don't go to the capital, what are your plans?" Zhou Rui asked.
"Didn't you guys post so many tasks? I plan to take them one by one first." Zhu Wu paused, then said, "Maybe once I finish the tasks, I'll reach the Golden Core Stage, and then I won't have to be afraid of Young Master Li."
"Then you still have to come with me to the capital," Zhou Rui said with a smile. "Our task was precisely to screen for guards, and you've passed."
"Right, Steward Wang? Elder Xie?" Zhou Rui said to the two men playing chess.
"Shoo, shoo, shoo. Go chat in your courtyard and stop disturbing our game," Elder Xie said, casually tossing over three spirit stones.
Zhu Wu did not agree immediately.
Returning to the guest room and lying on the bed, Zhu Wu pondered.
Zhou Rui had a master; even if she couldn't be protected indefinitely, buying some time wouldn't be too difficult.
If he went alone, he would have no one to rely on and every step would be fraught with hardship.
"I still need to address the root cause... But since I can't deal with Young Master Li and the others just yet, I might as well make the most of the City Lord's Mansion's deep pockets to train and temper myself as soon as possible."
Having made up his mind, Zhu Wu accepted a few tasks involving the exploration of ruins.
"Going during the day is too conspicuous. I'll set out at night." Back in the guest room, Zhu Wu first absorbed some spirit stones to cultivate.
At the doorway, Zhou Rui seemed to have stood there for a long time.
"I'm going with you."
"Rest assured, I'm only going to train; I won't snatch anything from you." Zhou Rui smiled.
"Are you sure? If we run into danger, I won't be able to protect you." Zhu Wu did not give a clear refusal.
"Who's protecting whom is yet to be decided. I'll be at the Golden Core Late Stage soon enough," Zhou Rui said.
"Is your dad okay with this?" Zhu Wu thought for a moment and asked.
"Of course. He can't beat Young Master Li's family, but he can beat you." Zhou Rui burst out laughing.
"Uh... alright then." Perhaps due to the dual cultivation they had shared, Zhu Wu felt a sense of familiarity toward Zhou Rui that was different from that of an older sister.
In the Mobei Ruins, besides some ancient cities buried underground, secret realms would also appear irregularly within the ruin's boundaries—said to be the handiwork of ancient immortals.
For Zhu Wu to elevate his realm, his best option was to try his luck there, because it was impossible to break through in ordinary places.
Aside from a few obvious major secret realms that were basically monopolized by sects, general minor secret realms rarely saw cultivators from major sects; they were mostly contested by rogue cultivators.
One of the tasks Zhu Wu accepted was to explore a three-tiered pagoda.
The pagoda could not be destroyed; not even a scratch could be left upon it.
The pagoda was named the *Ninth Layer Tower*, written in ancient characters.
Yet in truth, there were only three tiers, and once one reached the second tier, it was impossible to enter any further.
There were no mechanism-like devices inside the pagoda, nor any hidden spatial entrances.
A waning half-moon hung in the sky, casting a hazy shadow of the pagoda.
Zhu Wu and Zhou Rui walked around the pagoda for a while.
The exterior was hexagonal, looking just like an ordinary small pagoda.
Entering the interior, there was nothing save for the spiral staircase in the middle.
Ascending to the second tier, no entrance to the third tier could be seen.
"How about we cultivate here? Maybe we can discover something once we circulate our true qi," Zhou Rui suggested.
"Mm, we can try."
The two immediately sat cross-legged to circulate their breath, after which their true qi overflowed, filling the pagoda.
The time of half an incense stick passed. There was no change whatsoever.
"How about... dual cultivation?" Zhou Rui's cheeks flushed slightly as she spoke softly.
Zhu Wu recalled the sensation of dual cultivation in the secret realm last time and felt his heart flutter a little.
A lone man and woman sharing a room—if they didn't do something, would they even be human!
"Mm." Estimating there were still three hours until dawn, the timing was just right.
Another half- incense stick of time passed, and their true qi began to merge.
An hour passed, their true qi circulating through each other's bodies like electricity and fire, leaving them numb and feverish all over. Their dantians both expanded, and their cores grew solid.
Another hour passed, until they were utterly exhausted. Their true qi had grown as weak as threads, and cultivation was no longer effective.
Reluctantly, the two withdrew their hands.
"Golden Core Late Stage."
Zhou Rui had broken through.
Zhu Wu had also made progress, but had not broken through.
"Breakthrough?" Zhu Wu suddenly thought of a note in the *Yin-Yang Canon of the Six Harmonies*.
"Heaven's timing alters the rules, Earth's advantage alters space, human harmony alters each other. The dual realms of Heaven and Earth, the dual realms of Heaven and Man, the dual realms of Earth and Man. The triple realm of Heaven, Earth, and Man, combined through the Ninefold Triple Union, allows one to ascend to the Nine Heavens."
"Ninefold? The Ninth Layer Tower?"
"Three tiers, Heaven, Earth, and Man?"
Zhu Wu felt a sudden flash of insight; he circulated his true qi and carefully observed his surroundings.
"If the three tiers of the Ninth Layer Tower represent Heaven, Earth, and Man, then the third tier is Heaven, the second tier is Man, and the first tier is Earth. The lack of an entrance on the third tier would make sense then."
"The question is how to achieve the triple union?"
Another note from the *Yin-Yang Canon of the Six Harmonies*:
"Heaven is time, Earth is domain, Man is technique. Releasing the correct technique within the temporal gaps of a domain can be called a triple union."
"A domain is generally something one can only cultivate after reaching the Deity Transformation Stage. Could it be that only cultivators at the Deity Transformation Stage can ascend to the third floor?" Zhu Wu thought, spreading his true qi to wrap around the entire Ninth Layer Tower.
"Wait, my true qi can wrap around the Ninth Layer Tower, so within the range of my true qi, is it nearly equivalent to a domain?"
"And what is a temporal gap? The time between casting two techniques? No... rules... each other..."
For some reason, Zhu Wu thought of the sensation just now during dual cultivation when their true qi entered each other. "Right, that's the gap! That is, the time difference when both parties initiate their true qi!"
"Then what is the correct technique?"
Zhu Wu currently possessed Supreme Thunder, Annihilating Myriad Thunders, Thousand Wounds in One, the *Essential Compendium of Materia Medica*, as well as Illusion Technique and footwork.
"Pagoda... Thunder... Let's give it a try," Zhu Wu thought to himself, once again uniting his true qi to envelop the Ninth Layer Tower, and then summoning the Supreme Thunder.
"Crack! Crack!"
The lightning struck the Ninth Layer Tower, causing it to vibrate.
"Not enough... Rui, wrap your true qi around the entire tower, then try using your strongest attack."
"What did you discover?" Zhou Rui began circulating her true qi without waiting for Zhu Wu's reply.
"Seven Absolute Swords!"
"Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack!..."
Aside from vibrating violently, the Ninth Layer Tower even began to sway.
"It seems that's not enough. Let's do it together," Zhu Wu said.
"Annihilating Myriad Thunders!"
"Seven Absolute Swords!"
"Ah!..."
In an instant, the world spun round and round.
Recovering their senses, the two found that the sky had turned pale, and the stars in the sky were gradually fading.
"Huh? Where is this? What happened to the Ninth Layer Tower?"
The two looked at each other in dismay, gazing around their surroundings.
"This is the exact spot where the Ninth Layer Tower was; the marks on the edge are still here."
"The tower seems to have vanished. We've come out."
The two carefully confirmed it—this was indeed the location of the tower.
"Do you know where the tower went?" Zhou Rui asked.
"I have no idea. Let's circulate our true qi and see."
The two released their true qi, but the surroundings were completely empty.
"What's the next task? Let's check the others first," Zhou Rui asked with some curiosity.
Although the disappearance of the tower was rather unexpected, they couldn't just wait here forever.
"Let me check. It's an abandoned spiritual vein toward the northeast. There seems to be a sign of recovering spirit qi, and we need to confirm it," Zhu Wu said.
"Then let's go. If more people show up later, it might become inconvenient," Zhou Rui said, seemingly deep in thought.
The spiritual vein was deeply hidden in the mountains, and one needed to enter and inspect it through several caves.
In a normal mountainous region with a spiritual vein, every single cave would exude spirit qi comparable to a small spirit stone mine like the Zhu Family's in Moonfall City.
The mountain range was rather vast, and Zhu Wu had no way to confirm the exact location.
The range of his true qi coverage was limited, making it impossible to scan a large area.
This was within the ruins; there were no vast forests, only rolling mounds covered in dense weeds.
"Over there..." Zhou Rui pointed at a mound and said.
"How did you figure that out?"
"A feeling, much like when I first saw you."
"The effect of your spirit body?"
"Probably."
Moving a few rocks aside, they revealed a cave entrance.
A chilly gust of wind rushed out from within.
The cave was small, winding steeply downward, yet it seemed very long.
The two gathered true qi at their fingertips and kept walking inward.
Many places could only accommodate a single person passing through.
The deeper they went, the heavier the coldness became.
Water droplets seeped from the cave walls, slowly dripping down.
Fortunately, the ground was uneven, so they wouldn't slip.
After about an hour, they seemed to have reached the bottom. The space here was slightly larger, able to hold a dozen people or so.
The two released their true qi to sense their surroundings.
There was some spirit qi, but not much.
Aside from the chill, Zhu Wu felt nothing else.
Zhou Rui seemed to sense something, but could not confirm it.
Some stones on the cave wall seemed to show signs of crystallization.
"This looks like it will turn into spirit stones in the future," Zhou Rui pointed and said.
"Does that mean the spiritual vein here is recovering?" Zhu Wu asked.
"You could say that. But judging by this state, it will take at least another hundred years," Zhou Rui said.
"That's fine. Can this task be considered complete now?" Zhu Wu asked.
"What's the next task?"
"Pulling the sword from the stone," Zhu Wu replied.
"Ah? A place called Sword-Falling Manor?" Zhou Rui was somewhat surprised.
"Yes, you know it?"
"Of course, I've been there."
"You pulled it?"
"No. There is no sword in the stone at all," Zhou Rui explained.
"Then why is there still this task?"
"That's why I find it strange."
"Could it be like the Ninth Layer Tower—it suddenly disappears and then reappears at some point?" Zhu Wu thought for a moment and said.
"After what happened last night, coming to think of it, that really is possible. Let's go take a look," Zhou Rui said, turning to walk out of the cave.
Right back in the cave they had just left, a blurry figure stood out: "Almost got found out. That little girl has quite good aptitude..."
Sword-Falling Manor.
Four or five unacquainted rogue cultivators were meditating there.
It was said that the sword cultivators of Sword-Falling Manor had once dominated the Profound Nether Continent.
Some sword cultivators reportedly gained enlightenment through the traces left behind by past practitioners of Sword-Falling Manor, allowing them to make breakthroughs or refine their swordsmanship.
Sword cultivation was simple to enter and required few resources, so rogue cultivators frequently visited this place.
The place rumored to have the sword in the stone.
There truly was a sword, but at a glance it looked like it had been inserted by later generations; the overall appearance was very new, and it was so loose that even an ordinary person could pick it up.
"Pull it out, stick it back in. Pull it out, stick it back in."
"Could we have gotten it wrong?" Zhou Rui was also skeptical.
"Let's go look around other places as well," Zhu Wu thought that since they were already here, they might as well look around.
"A single thought raises the sword, like wind and rain; a single thought drops the sword, like thunder and lightning. When the sword rises, gentlemen nod; when the sword falls, demons lose their heads. Thoughts arise from the heart, and intent shifts with the heart. A sword following one's heart can sever the vault of heaven..."
"Is this some kind of swordsmanship?"
Zhu Wu was not a sword cultivator and failed to comprehend the information conveyed by those sword marks.
Zhou Rui spent two hours observing several spots, gaining quite a bit of enlightenment, and her *Seven Absolute Swords* improved further.
Night had fallen.
Half a moon rose into the air.
Rogue cultivators came and went without disturbing one another.
The sword in the stone seemed to emit a chill. The sword's shadow merged into the stone hole, as if they were one.
Zhu Wu walked forward to pull the sword.
"Hm?" The sword body swayed slightly, yet was not pulled out: "You want to try?"
Zhou Rui walked forward and reached out to pull it.
"Hm?"
Circulating her true qi, she exerted force once more. Though the sword rocked, it could not be pulled out.
"How strange, it was fine during the day, but at night it can't be pulled out. I've never heard anyone mention this before," Zhou Rui said in puzzlement.
"Hmm... Well, anyway, can this be considered completing the task? We just report that it can be pulled out during the day and cannot be pulled out at night." Zhu Wu had his own thoughts, but prioritized getting the task done.
"I suppose so. Then... shall we head back?" Zhou Rui asked.
"Mm, let's head back and take on other tasks," Zhu Wu said happily, feeling as though a mountain of spirit stones was just within reach.