Opportunity

Xu Lanshan looked at the entrance to the secret realm, lost in thought. The green-eyed woman who had just walked past her had given her an extremely strange feeling; by all appearances, she was merely an ordinary Dharma Idol cultivator. Yet how could an ordinary Dharma Idol cultivator meet the Immortal Ancestor at will, while leaving Xu Lanshan to wait outside first? At the thought of Xu Wangu's youthful, boyish appearance, seemingly as innocent and detached as a child, Xu Lanshan shuddered inexplicably, her body beginning to tremble slightly despite herself. Just as she was struggling to control her instinctive dread, Xu Lanshan's pupils suddenly contracted. She saw a bald, green-eyed woman approach from outside, walk right past her, and step directly into the secret realm! The two green-eyed women, one after the other, were completely identical; even with Xu Lanshan's cultivation, she could not tell the slightest difference between them! Relying purely on her instincts as a sword cultivator, Xu Lanshan intuited that one of them had to be an illusion, but as to which was an illusion and which was real, she was utterly unable to discern. Xu Lanshan suddenly recalled a fragment she had read in a damaged classic in her earlier years. It was said that certain mighty figures possessed a divine ability that allowed them to walk the world through different avatars. All the avatars performed the exact same task, yet they did so in different times; each avatar had no connection to the others, and their karmas were entirely distinct. Even if another great power sought to strike using arts of karma, they would have to locate the true body before they could hit their mark. When she first read the description of this divine ability back then, Xu Lanshan had marveled that within the Immortal Heavens, wonders truly abounded, and the abilities of almighty beings were terrifying indeed. Such a miraculous technique was something she could never have imagined even in her wildest daydreams; she had never expected to witness it with her own eyes today. As for that damaged ancient text from all those years ago, she had never been able to find it again. The volume was made of rare, ordinary mortal paper, and even its cover had decayed to tatters; one could only faintly make out the words "Ten Thousand Something Something Sword." Inside, only a bit of the overarching summary remained, while the pages detailing the actual sword techniques had rotted away into mere slivers of binding. Yet on the strength of those few summary pages alone, Xu Lanshan's attainments in the sword had advanced by leaps and bounds, quickly making her the most dazzling genius of her generation. She gazed toward the entrance of the secret realm, subconsciously wondering what they were discussing inside. In the heart of the secret realm, a beam of celestial light fell from above, illuminating an area of several fathoms. At the center of the beam of light, Xu Wangu—with the appearance of a youth, clad in voluminous robes with wide sleeves—reclined against a crag. A clear brook flowed past him, its murmuring waters echoing gently with an intrinsic elegance. Yet within this realm, that elegance was continually tinged with a sinister evil. Out of the darkness, the green-eyed woman walked forward with measured steps. Though she walked through pitch darkness, her entire form shone with its own luminescence, appearing completely out of place in this domain, yet no one could tell where the light originated. Coming before Xu Wangu, she stopped just outside the beam of celestial light and said, "This place is quite nice, but do you intend to stay here forever?" Xu Wangu stretched lazily. His exquisite, androgynous face turned toward Qingtong as he smiled and said, "Here I can evade heavenly disasters and avoid karma, so why go outside? There is plenty of room here—do you want to come inside and hide?" The green-eyed woman remained standing beyond the celestial light and said, "The great tribulation approaches. Hiding here is fine, but it is tantamount to placing your fate in the hands of others. When the tribulation arrives and the variables are settled, the outcome will no longer be yours to decide, no matter what it may be..." Xu Wangu sighed. "Isn't it just like rolling dice? Fate is decreed by Heaven, and if you gamble, you must accept your losses. It is enough for me to place bets on the periphery; there is no need to throw myself into the board and fight to the death. Look at Pei Tinghai—he insisted on entering the game himself, and in the end, his body died and his Dao was extinguished. Though the pieces he placed cast long echoes and it is far too early to declare victory or defeat, he will never live to see that day." The green-eyed woman studied Xu Wangu closely, then suddenly asked, "Have you still not sent out the Sword of Ten Thousand Generations and Autumns?" Xu Wangu's smile stiffened slightly before he replied, "There are still two stances left; who knows when the right moment will come. Fortunately, the most lethal killing stance has already been given away. Otherwise, I wouldn't be able to hide here in peace—I would have had to go out and seek an opening myself." "With two stances remaining, your days can hardly be peaceful." Xu Wangu said, "Didn't I already place a bet through your hands? That wager turned out well. Even if things are a bit unsettled, I might just weather it through. Entering the game alongside you, on the other hand, would surely mean certain death." The green-eyed woman frowned slightly. "For old times' sake, even if you do not intend to help me, I can help you one last time. Since you have placed a bet, why not raise your stake?" Xu Wangu pondered in silence for a long while before speaking: "The tree that rises above the forest is the first to be battered by the wind. Previously, I laid down moves spanning thousands of miles without anyone noticing. If I act rashly now, I fear others will detect it." The green-eyed woman said, "Living here all this time indeed keeps you free of karma, but it also leaves you blind to affairs under heaven. The hidden moves of all factions are beginning to surface; even a Buddha Child has descended into the world. Those marginal pieces of yours are likely something no one has time to bother with anymore." Xu Wangu sat up straight, lightly tapping the jade ruyi against his palm, and said slowly, "Among the Seven Clans and Thirteen Prominent Families, this useless body of mine is undeniably at the very bottom. For you to even bother with me, it seems your recent circumstances must be dire indeed. "This Buddha Child who arrived this time... is he very formidable?" The green-eyed woman sighed softly and said, "He was originally the one meant to answer the tribulation, but his destiny was seized ahead of time, and only afterwards was he enlightened into a Buddha Child mid-journey. What do you think?" Xu Wangu's expression grew serious. "Was his seized destiny the cause, or was being enlightened mid-journey the cause?" The green-eyed woman shook her head. "The one behind this possesses unfathomable strength; the cause and effect are truly impossible to disentangle." Xu Wangu hesitated a moment before making up his mind, gritting his teeth. "Had it not been for your help back then, I would have become a pile of dried bones long ago. What harm is there in placing this bet?" A faint smile finally appeared on the green-eyed woman's face. "Your change of mind has finally shown me a glimmer of hope. I shall take my leave now. Until we meet again after the tribulation." "Fellow Daoist, wait!" The youthful Xu Wangu leaped down from the rock and walked to the edge of the circle of light. After a momentary hesitation, he handed the jade ruyi in his hand to the green-eyed woman, saying, "Keep this for now; it might prove of some use." The green-eyed woman did not take it, saying, "This is your dharma body from your previous life. If it falls into the hands of an enemy, do you no longer care for your life?" Xu Wangu smiled. "Surviving ignobly like this, living a bit longer or shorter makes little difference. It would be better to keep one more fellow Daoist alive in the world, someone who might drop by occasionally to reminisce." The green-eyed woman finally accepted the jade ruyi, bowed to Xu Wangu, and turned to leave. Outside the secret realm, Xu Lanshan received word and stepped inside. Within the secret realm lay total darkness and silence, so quiet that one could hear the rush of blood and the beat of one's own heart. Even as a Scenery Command sword cultivator, she could not endure such an environment for long. After walking for an unknown span, when her heartbeat already roared like thunder, Xu Lanshan's vision brightened, and she finally stepped into a patch of light. Seeing the boy on the crag, Xu Lanshan shuddered slightly, gripped by the deepest terror. Yet even beneath the sway of that emotion, she still noticed that the jade ruyi in his hand was gone. Her instincts told her it was likely related to that green-eyed woman whom she had seen enter, but never exit. The youth showed a trace of weariness between his brows and said, "I am somewhat fatigued today. Let us begin early." Xu Lanshan gritted her teeth, turned around, closed her eyes, and stripped off all her clothing. The youth came up behind her and pressed a single finger against the skin of her back. Xu Lanshan froze rigid, but an involuntary, agonized scream tore from her throat! Boundless sword qi surged into her body, carving through countless tissues and sinews before brutally stitching them back together. The sword qi pouring from Xu Wangu's fingertip was endless, virtually grinding her innards to pulp before reassembling them anew. Xu Wangu withdrew his finger. Sword qi continued to roam all across Xu Lanshan's skin, only dissipating slowly after a long while. After another long span, Xu Lanshan struggled to her feet, several new sword patterns marked upon her body. Xu Wangu examined them carefully before saying, "Today's progress is quite good; there has been steady improvement. In another ten years, I will have finished sculpting you into an innate sword physique, and you will be able to inherit one stance of the Sword of Ten Thousand Generations and Autumns." "The Sword of Ten Thousand Generations and Autumns?" Xu Lanshan shuddered. The name suddenly resonated with the myriad sword scars within her body. Xu Wangu looked thoroughly exhausted now as he said slowly, "Your natural aptitude is slightly lacking; originally, you were incapable of inheriting my Sword of Ten Thousand Generations and Autumns. That is why I had no choice but to use this method to forcefully forge an innate sword physique for you. Once the sword physique reaches completion, you should be able to inherit one stance. As for whether you can use this single sword technique to ascend to the immortal gate in the future, that will depend on your fortune." Xu Lanshan was both astonished and overjoyed; this was the first time she had learned the true reason. All the agony she had endured over the past years seemed, at this moment, entirely worthwhile. After bowing, she withdrew from the secret realm. On her flight back to her dwelling, Xu Lanshan suddenly sensed many covert yet malicious gazes. She knew very well that her current condition was poor and her aura feeble; every time she emerged from the secret realm it was like this, and gods knew what rumors had spread about her long ago. Naturally, none of the clansmen dared speak the Immortal Ancestor's name, but they had no such scruples when speaking of Xu Lanshan. Yet emerging this time, Xu Lanshan discovered that her bodily perception and divine sense had heightened significantly—doubtless because her innate sword physique had achieved minor completion. Consequently, she had detected many gazes she had previously been unable to notice. Keeping her expression neutral, Xu Lanshan committed each of these gazes to memory before returning to her dwelling to enter secluded cultivation. When her sword physique reached major completion and she formally inherited the Sword of Ten Thousand Generations and Autumns, that would be the time for her revenge. Right at that moment, an invisible speck of starlight rose from within the secret realm and vanished, entirely unnoticed throughout. In Qingming, Wei Yuan presided over the Hall of Mountains and Rivers, coordinating the progress of various construction projects and resolving all matters in real time. Just then, a report bypassed countless engineering budgets and appeared directly before him. Wei Yuan opened it and saw what was written inside: the Xu family youths of New City were pregnant once again, and on an unprecedented scale. Not only were of-age women in the city pregnant, but even women serving in the military were carrying children. Wei Yuan immediately ordered all pregnant women sent back to New City without delay. At the same time, he extended his divine sense over New City to inspect the condition of the Xu family youths. Not long before, the Xu family youths had just given birth to a new batch of children, who had devoured and absorbed one another several times until only ten thousand or so infants remained. Yet this time was different: none of the pregnant women showed signs of that mutual devouring and absorption. If all these children were born, the number of Xu family youths would surpass six hundred thousand! After inspecting them, Wei Yuan understood the situation. He then bestowed karmic luck upon all the pregnant women, casting down over a dozen strands of human luck onto each so they would not need to devour one another. Wei Yuan knew very well that some immortal had activated a backup measure. However, an increase in the number of Xu family youths brought Wei Yuan only advantages and no downsides. Furthermore, after being blessed with human luck, even the progenitor at the source of their bloodline would be unable to control them. In truth, these Xu family youths had long since become people of Qingming.