CHAPTER 218: CHAPTER 179 THE TREND OF THE WORLD, RAISE AN ARM AND CALL! [SEEKING RECOMMENDATION TICKETS!]

The mighty Yangtze River flows eastward, its waves washing away all heroes.

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It is said that the great movements of the world follow the cycle: long divided, it must unite; long united, it must divide.

In the primordial era of chaos and ignorance, tribes governed their own realms. Until Emperor Yong emerged like a comet, unifying the world and carving out the Lingnan Three States.

After Emperor Yong’s ascension, the world plunged into turmoil once again.

Another thousand years passed. The Sword Ancestor of Taixu split the Qinling Mountains with a single stroke, creating the Lingbei Four States and reuniting the land.

Yet, after Emperor Yong and the Sword Ancestor, even mighty powers like the Founder of Sun-shooting Divine Mountain, the Northwest King "First Divine Shooter Through the Ages" Li Guang, and the Xingyi Sect’s Founder, the Northeast King "Xingyi Taizong" Lu Fanchen, could only conquer the Lingbei Four States but failed to cross the Qinling Mountains. After mere centuries, the realm shattered and fragmented again.

An era of disorder was hard to end.

Two hundred years ago.

The Taixu Sword Sect, the Five Cloud Sect, and the Spring Silkworm Sect divided the fourteen counties of Yuezhou.

Sixty years later, the Taixu Sword Sect and Five Cloud Sect joined forces to annihilate the Spring Silkworm Sect. The Taixu Sword Sect gained dominion over two counties; the Five Cloud Sect secured four counties.

After another thirty years.

The Five Cloud Sect, wielding elite forces from ten counties, launched a stunning surprise attack on the Taixu Four Counties.

In this epic battle, the Taixu Sword Sect, aided by twelve Void Realm Demon Beasts, annihilated six of the Five Cloud Sect’s Void Realm elites, routed the 100,000-strong Cangya Army, swept through the Five Cloud Sect’s ten counties, and unified Yuezhou.

The world was shaken.

The rise of the Taixu Sword Sect was unstoppable, like a bamboo splitting the heavens.

But this was not the only such occurrence.

In neighboring Qizhou to the west of Yuezhou, the Golden Wild Goose Sect’s patriarch, Zhangsun Wenqing, broke through to the Void Nether Realm. Leading eleven Void masters from his sect and an army of one million, he crushed the sect’s rival of five centuries, "Liangyi Mountain," thus unifying Qizhou.

This accomplishment came just months after the Taixu Sword Sect unified Yuezhou.

From that moment.

The Seven States of Central Earth saw the rise of seven remaining dominant sects, namely—

The Sun-shooting Divine Mountain in the northwest Yunzhou.

The Xingyi Sect in the northeast Xuzhou.

The Golden Wild Goose Sect in western Qizhou.

The Taixu Sword Sect in central Yuezhou.

The Taixuan Temple in southwestern Gai State.

The Great Sun Vajra Temple in southern Zhanzhou.

The Imperial Heaven City of Yong State in the southeast.

Though these seven states now seemed stable and unified within, beneath the surface, dark undercurrents surged, chaos was imminent.

Qizhou’s newfound stability was fraught with internal challenges and rebuilding efforts.

In Yunzhou, the Sun-shooting Divine Mountain’s contemporary strongest, "Star-splitting Arrow" Li Qian, riding the Thunder Divine Eagle, issued a challenge to Qizhou’s Golden Wild Goose Sect Patriarch, "Heaven Capturing Saber" Zhangsun Wenqing.

This battle shook the heavens and the earth.

It ended with Zhangsun Wenqing losing by half a move, turning to flee.

However, both Void Nether experts displayed extraordinary prowess in that clash.

The first, "Star-splitting Arrow" Li Qian, demonstrated archery capable of shattering mountain peaks and severing rivers. The second, "Heaven Capturing Saber" Zhangsun Wenqing, wielded a domineering saber technique, brimming with hatred for the heavens and earth; his saber aura could even take on the form of a dragon, as though embodying the soul of a cloud dragon.

These two titanic figures, with their peerless abilities and godlike powers, left the realm’s Void experts in awe of the Void Nether Realm’s might.

Not long after this battle.

The Xingyi Sect’s patriarch in Xuzhou, "Endless Skyborne Clouds" Zheng Qianling, unwilling to be left behind, issued a bold challenge, inviting a duel with the Taixu Sword Sect’s mighty warriors at White Horse Lake, the border between the two states.

The Taixu Sword Sect did not respond.

He challenged again; still no response.

On the third occasion, a silence persisted.

Enraged, Zheng Qianling personally marched to the city gates, calling out for battle, only to be soundly defeated by fourteen Void Realm Demon Beasts within Pengshan City, fleeing in disgrace.

From that point onward, Yuezhou and Xuzhou, Taixu and Xingyi, bore an abiding grudge.

Time passed.

In the blink of an eye, over a hundred years had gone by. The world descended further into chaos, marked by an unending procession of powerful figures and ceaseless strife. Dozens of Void Realm experts emerged to dominate the Seven States.

The Taixu Sword Sect’s "Poison Dragon" Li Qingshan began to make his name known.

Powerful figures contended.

The seven sects clashed in martial exhibitions.

The entire Central Earth descended into utter chaos, with death and destruction beyond measure.

Sometimes war, sometimes peace.

One by one, even those unparalleled figures of the past could not withstand the passage of time, as their brilliance dimmed and they slowly withered.

Figures like "Star-splitting Arrow" Li Qian, "Heaven Capturing Saber" Zhangsun Wenqing, and "Endless Skyborne Clouds" Zheng Qianling, legendary Void Nether experts who had dazzled the world for decades, eventually disappeared without a trace.

Generation after generation, new talents rose as old stars faded.

...

"In this generation, the Xingyi Sect’s foremost warrior is named ’Lu Zheng,’ known as ’Sealing the Four Seas.’ He is a descendant of the Northeast King Lu Fanchen, mastering the Three Body Style derived from Xingyi Fist to profound levels. He has comprehended the path of life and death—one punch for life, one punch for death—achieving the indestructible state of the God Realm, rivaling Void Nether experts without an inch of inferiority."

"The Taixuan Temple’s champion of this era is named ’Liuyangzi,’ called the ’Rock Sword.’ Specializing in the Earth Element Sword Technique, his defenses are as unyielding as a rock, and he too stands at the Void Nether Realm."

"The Great Sun Vajra Temple’s strongest, under the Dharma name ’Yuanjue,’ is known as the ’Golden Light Bodhisattva.’ His body is imperviously cross-trained, gleaming with golden light. His signature technique, the ’Bodhisattva Seal,’ suppresses all directions, also placing him within the Void Nether Realm."

"The foremost warrior of the Guu Family in Imperial Heaven City of Yong State is named ’Guu Haizhen,’ renowned as ’As He Pleases.’ He has perfected the ’Twelve Forms’ and ’Five Forms Fist’ of Xingyi Fist to unparalleled levels. His fist techniques are ferocious, and his spear techniques are no less remarkable."

In Yuezhou’s Pengshan City.

Chen Jichuan, Wang Yan, and Li Qingshan gathered, listening as the latter recounted the top masters from Central Earth’s Seven States.

Xingyi Sect’s "Sealing the Four Seas" Lu Zheng.

Taixuan Temple’s "Rock Sword" Liuyangzi.

The Vajra Temple’s "Golden Light Bodhisattva" Yuanjue.

Imperial Heaven City’s "As He Pleases" Guu Haizhen.

These were the strongest figures of four of the sects.

In addition.

There were Sun-shooting Divine Mountain’s "Ding Jiangshan" Li Rong, the Golden Wild Goose Sect’s "One Strike City" Wei Hong, along with Chen Jichuan, Wang Yan, and the "Five Elements Spear" Li Qingshan standing before them!

These were the greatest figures of this era, the Seven States and Seven Great Sects’ top warriors.

All were of the Void Nether or God Realm.

"Senior Brother, barely over three hundred years of age, has already attained the mid-stage of the Void Nether Realm. In the next two hundred years, he may very well become the fifth Supreme of the Seven States!"

Chen Jichuan eyed the robed grandmaster Li Qingshan and said so aloud.

When Chen joined the Taixu Sword Sect, Li Qingshan was the sect’s leading prodigy.

Soon after, he was eclipsed by Chen and Wang Yan, but he continued cultivating quietly and reservedly. Without attracting attention, he broke into the Void Realm at barely eighty years of age.

Two hundred years later, he achieved the mid-stage Void Nether Realm, the equivalent of the Eighth Qi Refining Layer.

In terms of cultivation.

At this moment, he surpassed Chen Jichuan.

In a head-to-head clash, Chen would not necessarily best this battle-hardened senior brother.

Yet.

Were Chen Jichuan granted time to cast spells and incantations.

Supported by his seventeen Qi Refining-tier refined corpses and forty-nine paper men, plus numerous Five Ghosts Yin Soldiers.

Not even ten Li Qingshans would suffice.

The Qinling World boasted flourishing martial arts and numerous experts, yet its mysterious methods paled compared to the Jade Spring World and Da Liang World.

Chen Jichuan, embodying the essence of multiple worlds, crushed his peers effortlessly.

Nonetheless, pure power aside.

Li Qingshan’s raw talent remained unequaled in Chen’s eyes.

"To become a Supreme is but a distant dream."

"Yet with the Undying Grass gifted by you, I’ve gained an additional two hundred years of lifespan beyond the typical Void Nether expert. It might not be impossible to aspire to levels once reached by the Northeast and Northwest Kings."

Li Qingshan, humble without pretension, exchanged candid words with Chen Jichuan.

Since his ascension to the Void Realm over two centuries ago.

He managed internal affairs, while Chen Jichuan advanced externally.

Though their bond wasn’t as deep as the legendary "Taixu Three Heroes" or the famed "Unrivaled Storm and Wind," the mutual reliance between them far surpassed that of ordinary comrades.

Li Qingshan oversaw the Taixu Sword Sect.

Chen Jichuan roamed the lands, collecting Sword Steles while delivering Void Demon Beasts to the sect in steady streams.

Taixu Sword Sect’s ability to sweep Yuezhou and withstand Xuzhou’s Xingyi Sect pressures relied heavily on its stable foundation.

And, above all, on the Void Demon Beasts guarding each county and city, allowing the Taixu Sword Sect to survive its vulnerable period.

Now.

"Excluding the three of us, the sect currently has three more Void Realm members and one God Realm member. Among them, Shen Lang boasts the greatest talent—though not the first into the Void Realm, he has overtaken his peers as the first to reach the Void Entry stage. At under a hundred and fifty years old, he has already reached mid-stage Void Entry."

Li Qingshan briefed Chen Jichuan on the broader state of Central Earth and the internal situation of the Taixu Sword Sect.

No longer confined to Pengshan County as it was two hundred years prior, the Taixu Sword Sect now dominated Yuezhou. With fourteen counties and a population of billions, its number of talents was simply staggering.

Shen Lang and three others rose from these countless prodigies, reaching the Void Realm and God Realm. They benefited from guidance by Li Qingshan and the steady supply of pills provided by Chen Jichuan.

From these, Shen Lang stood out in particular.

Only in his mid-140s, he had already reached mid-stage Void Entry.

Even rivaling Li Qingshan himself.

Even Wang Yan was dimmed in comparison.

"Three Void Realms, one God Realm."

"Add to that the seventeen Void Demon Beasts you’ve tamed over the years, our Taixu Sword Sect’s top-level strength is undoubtedly among the top of the Seven Sects."

"Including you and me at the Void Nether Realm, and the Great Sun Golden Peng Bird you just returned with, that’s three Void Nether combatants."

"Enough to capture any state!"

Li Qingshan turned to Chen Jichuan, smiling as he spoke.

The Sword Ancestor had founded the Lingbei Four States; the Taixu Sword Sect had once unified all seven of the Qinling’s north and south states, an unparalleled glory. Since then, successive generations of the Taixu Sword Sect sought to restore that past splendor, aspiring to once more unite the Seven States.

But over millennia, the Taixu Sword Sect had only grown weaker.

At its lowest point, the sect struggled to survive with just a single city.

But in the last three centuries, it had resurged.

Under the leadership of Chen Jichuan and Li Qingshan, the dream of uniting the Seven States once again seemed within reach.

Li Qingshan burned with anticipation.

Chen Jichuan, by contrast, had little personal interest, though his ambition to reclaim the Sword Ancestor’s legacy, as well as the inheritances left by Emperor Yong, the Taixuan Immortal, and the Three Treasures Arhat, to aid his own cultivation, necessarily entailed confronting the other Four Great Sects.

And sweeping the realm along the way wouldn’t be too troublesome.

"If Senior Brother harbors such grand aspirations, I’ll certainly lend my strength."

"In my Western Sea Sword Tower, I still have two Void Realm disciples. I’ve already instructed them to gather three hundred Innate-level experts from the tower and bring them to Yuezhou for reinforcement. Joining them are eight Void Entry friends I’ve made over the years in the Western Sea."

Chen Jichuan laid out his plans to Li Qingshan.

Two Void Realms.

Eight Void Entry masters.

Three hundred Innate-level cultivators.

Li Qingshan was taken aback. He knew his junior brother had spent two hundred years in the Western Sea, recovering several Sword Steles and building an immense reputation. But he hadn’t imagined such influence or connections.

Three hundred Innate cultivators were not worth discussing.

Two Void Realm disciples were also nothing to remark upon.

But eight Void Entry masters? If all appeared at the Taixu Sword Sect, it would cause an earthquake across the land, shaking all corners.

"Across the vast Western Sea, it seems there are few Void Entry masters who aren’t among them."

"Junior Brother truly has a wide circle of friends!"

Li Qingshan marveled in his heart, while lauding his junior brother aloud.

Wang Yan chuckled quietly from the side.

As someone who followed her Junior Master closely, she understood better than anyone that Chen Jichuan’s title of "widely connected" was well earned. Not only was he an adept teacher, but he also forged ties across all regions.

His disciples and friends sprawled across the Western Sea.

Within the Western Sea.

At the mention of the "Sword Tower Master," who wouldn’t immediately straighten their backs and raise their thumbs in reverence?

This time, inviting friends to Central Earth, he didn’t even bother with Void Entry cultivators—he merely called upon eight Void Entry masters.

"The Western Sea has more strong individuals than just these."

Chen Jichuan shook his head.

The Western Sea stretched endlessly, housing countless strong figures.

Of those he interacted with, perhaps seven or eight out of ten had crossed his path.

Among them.

Of those who were friendly to him, only two to three out of ten were amicable.

Another three to five out of ten were enemies who had long since been turned into refined corpses.

The seventeen refined corpses alone represented seventeen Void Entry masters.

Taking into account those who had been "phased out," the number of Void Entry masters who had perished at Chen Jichuan’s hands easily exceeded twenty to thirty.

But there was no need to disclose such things.

It served no purpose.

...

"When Junior Brother raises his arm, mighty figures gather."

"It seems you’ve long had an eye on unifying the world."

Li Qingshan, misunderstanding Chen Jichuan’s true motivations, observed the preparations and allies his junior brother had gathered and concluded they shared the same goal.

Laughing heartily, he proclaimed.

"The time has come."

"It’s time to put an end to the realm’s chaos and restore peace to the people!"

Chen Jichuan didn’t deny it; he merely sighed softly.

Beside him.

Wang Yan and Li Qingshan, hearing that soft sigh, suddenly felt a surge of heroic sentiment within their hearts.

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