A child was cracking stones outside the town of Tile Mountain.
Since the stone Buddha collapsed and the Lanke Temple was destroyed that year, the Yue Laan Hungry Ghost Festival had never convened again. There were naturally few tourists coming to the town of Tile Mountain and the stone pond on the street had already dried up.
Nowadays, people made a living mainly by repairing the Lanke Temple. They lived a good life thanks to the generous monks. Stones found everywhere in the mountains and valleys became the most handy toys for children. They were also the best source of finance because the stone’s material was good and could be carved into a variety of small Buddha statues to sell for money.
According to what his mother had asked, the child wanted to break the two stones along the grain. However, since it was his first time doing this, he did not know how to do it well and failed to do so even though he tried long and hard.
He wiped his nose constantly while he kept on crushing the stones until his nails started to bleed.
A scholar in a cotton jacket appeared beside him with a blood stain on his left shoulder.
The scholar looked at the boy and went over to give him a hand. He had such an extraordinary strength that each stone was divided in half after they collided in the air.
The child was very happy. He thanked the scholar and wanted to be his student.
The scholar smiled and disappeared.
Moments later, a Taoist in indigo appeared outside the town.
He also smiled and disappeared after greeting the boy.
The boy looked at the four stones in his arms and felt confused. Then he turned and walked to the town.
The sound of the bell reverberated through Chaoyang City.
The sound came from the Imperial Palace, not the White Tower Temple; the death knell signified the death of His Majesty.
There was an old woman sitting on a stool by the roadside, making shoe soles. On hearing the bell, she rubbed her milky eyes and mumbled, “What’s wrong again? What’s wrong?”
A scholar appeared in front of the old woman and politely asked, “Can you mend my torn cotton jacket?”
The old woman looked at the hole in the left shoulder of his cotton-padded jacket and the blood on it, and said angrily, “Where did you fight? You’re young and should learn to behave.”
After the cotton jacket was mended, the scholar left.
Moments later, a Taoist in indigo appeared before the old woman.
The old woman looked at the tear in the lower hem of his black clothes, and refused him by waving her hand, “The material is too good for me to mend.”
The Taoist in indigo took his leave once more.
The West-Hill Divine Palace’s army had already gone north.
The Peach Mountain was quiet and lonesome today, with only two or three priests strolling in it.
The scholar appeared before the Divine Hall and then left.
The Taoist in indigo soon appeared and left again.
On this late autumn day, the scholar and the Taoist in indigo had trodden the mortal world on foot.
One person followed the other.
Moving ten thousand miles in a moment; this was the Limitless State.
Every time he appeared, the wound on the scholar’s shoulder would become more serious.
But the Taoist in indigo remained well.
It was on a nameless island deep in the South Sea.
On the white beach there was a short wooden stick, half of which had been buried in the sand.
It was actually unusual though it looked like a very common wooden stick.
It was left here, plain and common, because its master had left the mortal world.
The scholar appeared on the beach and bent down to pick up the stick.
Soon after, the Taoist in indigo showed up as well. He reached his hand towards the blue sea.
A sword flew from the sea and landed on his hand.
“After walking for so long, are you tired?” The Taoist asked.
“I’m still young compared with you.” Eldest Brother responded.
Then he asked, “Aren’t you tired?”
“I’m fast,” the Taoist in indigo answered.
“You are really fast.” Eldest Brother said, “I wouldn’t know what to do if I had not found the stick.”
The Taoist said, “Even though you’ve found the Headmaster’s stick, you can hold on for no more than seven days.”
Eldest Brother looked at him and said, “Even one day is better.”
The Taoist in indigo said, “Since it’s destined, why bother to struggle?”
Eldest Brother replied, “Nothing is destined in the world. No one knows what will happen in seven days.”
Seven days would be enough for the Tang’s military to defeat the invading enemy of the Yuelun Kingdom, for Ning Que to master the God-stunning Array of Chang’an, and for the Academy to do many things.
The Taoist in indigo said, “In seven days, the Academy would no longer exist.”
Eldest Brother said, “While our teacher is fighting in the sky, we will not let this happen.”
The Hierarch of the West-Hill Divine Palace had gone to the Academy in person. According to Haotian Taoism’s prediction, the Academy did not have the ability to change the tide. However, the calm expression of Eldest Brother seemed to indicate something unexpected.
The Taoist in indigo said after a short moment of hesitation, “You should know what is the real target of Haotian Taoism.”
The army of the West-Hill Divine Palace was in the south of Tang Empire, in Qinghe County outside the Verdant Canyon.
Eldest Brother said calmly, “I’m not as good as Jun Mo, so I’m here.”
It was clear that Jun Mo was there.
The Taoist in indigo said, “You are too modest. Jun Mo has unlimited potential. I can’t even predict what he could achieve on the battlefield. But you are still the most powerful Eldest Brother in the Academy with the highest state. You remain the biggest threat to Haotian Taoism, so I’m here to watch you.”
Eldest Brother said, “You are also the greatest threat to the Tang Empire, so I have been waiting for you to come. Moreover, your state is far above mine. So I can say the Academy has the advantage.”
Surpassing the Five States did not mean being invincible. For instance, cultivators of Haotian Initiation could have almost matchless power after being infused with Haotian Divine Light. However, they were not necessarily able to endure the siege of the world.
Only the Limitless State was inscrutable. A general thousands of kilometers away could be beheaded. On the battlefield, it was the most horrifying and unpredictable means.
The Taoist in indigo said, “I can ignore you.”
A rare expression of confidence emerged on Eldest Brother’s face. He said, “You cannot.”
The Taoist asked, “Why do you say this?”
Eldest Brother looked at him and said earnestly, “I’ve learned how to fight. If you didn’t come to watch me, I could kill a lot of people, such as the Divine Priest of Judgment, the Great Divine Priest of Revelation, and Ye Su. Except for Liu Bai and the Hierarch, I have the confidence to kill all the others.”
The Taoist in indigo said, “I can also kill many.”
Eldest Brother shook his head and said, “You know very well that you can’t kill the people in Chang’an City or in the Academy. Then the war will mean nothing.”
The Taoist in indigo said, “I told you that you could hang on for no more than seven days. I can kill at will by then.”
Eldest Brother replied, “I also told you that nothing is destined in the world and no one knows what will happen in seven days.”
The scenery at the back of the mountain of the Academy turned into a fake picture. Everything in it seemed to be moving, but was actually motionless, like the lines on the chessboard that were changing all the time but in fact remained regular and still.
In the black-and-white Weiqi world, the camp of two sides gradually melted and solidified. Then a large blank appeared in the middle. On the edge of the blank, a fierce and brave soldier collapsed to one side.
The proud man in the middle of the chessboard was covered in dust all over. The chariot behind him had been too badly damaged to move forward, leaving only a deep rut.
The scenery gradually came back to life. The silver stream falling between the cliffs in the distance roared when it collided with the pool water. Trees all over the mountains and plains straightened again.
The dozens of West-Hill Divine Guards beside the chariot had long been dead, their body covered in countless dense lines. However, the figure on the chariot was still tall. He broke through the game without any damage.
In a forest at the back of the mountain, a little white wolf curled up in a cave, licking its injured forelimbs, looking distressed and pitiful. The silk quilt in the cave had become bloody.
By the stream behind the smithy, the big white goose was still sitting on the top of the waterwheel, with its neck curved skyward. However, it did not sing as usual, but looked rather angry and unwilling. Gradually, the white feathers on its abdomen were dyed red with blood.
The old yellow bull on the distant meadow looked increasingly tired and old.
The chessboard under the pine tree on the cliff side had broken into numerous pieces. Fifth Brother and Eighth Brother looked at those pieces and fell into a long silence. Blood dripped from their lips, evidence of their heavy internal injuries.
They looked at each other silently and saw the faint regret in each other’s eyes.
They should not have dedicated half of their life to the chessboard for the sake of interest. If they had learned some fighting skills from their teacher, would the old Taoist behave so rampantly?
The Hierarch Lord burst out laughing.
As the layers of gauze curtain in the chariot quivered, a gust of wind suddenly rose from the mountains, whistling through the pine forest. The drifting clouds in the sky crashed into a waterfall in the distance, breaking into threads.
His laughter was extremely heroic and arrogant.
Kill Xu Shi first, then destroy the Academy, and finally break into Chang’an. The Tang Empire would no longer exist!
There was no doubt that this would be the peak of his life.
But at this time, someone appeared in the mist of the mountainside.
It was Yu Lian, the Academy Third Sister.
She walked slowly along the mountain path.
Yu Lian looked petite and comely, but gentle and inwardly mature.
She looked like a young girl who knew nothing about world affairs.
However, you would find her sophisticated if you looked into her eyes.
Looking at her strolling on the mountain path, the Hierarch Lord gradually stopped laughing.
“Mr. Third, I know you are something. Seethrough Realm was only a means to deceive the world. You can ascend to the Knowing Destiny State whenever you want. So don’t try to cast a mist before my eyes.”
Yu Lian did not speak but kept going. With the ups and downs of her steps, something extraordinary happened.
Her black long hair gradually fell below her waist.
But it was not the hair that was growing, but her becoming shorter!
She walked on the mountain path and became shorter with each step. Her young face became even more childish until she finally looked like a girl of 12 or 13.
At the same time, her aura was also improving. As the Hierarch had said, she surpassed Seethrough Realm easily and then ascended to the Knowing Destiny State.
Looking at Yu Lian’s change through the gauze curtains, the Hierarch said calmly, “I said…”
His voice suddenly stopped.
Then he furrowed his brows.
Because after reaching the Knowing Destiny State, Yu Lian’s aura did not stop rising.
As she roamed on the mountain path, she soon reached the Peak of the Knowing Destiny State from the Seethrough Realm.