Chapter Twenty-Eight: Gathering Storms

The position of Army Sima was equivalent to that of a military strategist. Upon hearing this, Zhang Xiao quickly shook his head. Although he had agreed to Wang Jian's request, it was only because he needed to travel and was willing to lend a hand to Wang Ben. However, taking up an official military post like Army Sima was out of the question—he neither wanted the job nor was suited for it. Seeing Zhang Xiao’s resolute refusal, Wang Jian could only drop the matter, unaware that Bai Qi, standing nearby, was already laughing inwardly. Even when the First Emperor of Qin had offered Zhang Xiao the post of military marquis over an entire region, he had declined—why would he be interested in a mere Army Sima? After discussing a few matters with Bai Qi and Wang Jian, the two generals took their leave; after all, both commanded hundreds of thousands of troops and couldn't be away from their camps for long. Zhang Xiao made no attempt to detain them. After seeing them off, he sat quietly in the pavilion, lost in thought. He raised his hand before his eyes and watched as patches of scales rapidly grew across his palm. In a blink, both his hands had become monstrous claws, covered in crimson scales, with nails extending a full foot in length. With a light swipe of his claws across the stone table before him, they sank in effortlessly, noiselessly, with Zhang Xiao feeling no resistance at all.

“Young master, the old master couldn’t transform his body at will when not fully transformed, but how—!” Now that Bai Qi and Wang Jian were gone, Ziyan appeared at Zhang Xiao’s side, exclaiming in surprise at the sight before her. With a mere thought, Zhang Xiao caused the scales to vanish, and his arms reverted to normal in an instant. Reflecting on Ziyan's words, Zhang Xiao mused that he seemed to have stumbled upon a new transformation while cultivating the Crimson-blood Black Tortoise Armor. He peered inward at his dantian, where, aside from a golden core the size of an infant’s fist, the Five-Colored Cloud Banner and the Crystal Demon-slaying Staff floated above it, being nurtured. The Heavenly Melody Bell and the Buddha’s Golden Wheel, however, resided in his sea of consciousness alongside his avatar. There was no trace of the Crimson-blood Black Tortoise Armor. Glancing down at the armor fused with his body, identical to the Crimson-blood Black Tortoise Armor, Zhang Xiao couldn’t help but smile wryly. His meddling had fused the armor with his very flesh—whether this was a blessing or a curse, he could not say.

“Yaner, is that old monster in the Xuantian Grotto still alive?” With his strength now greatly increased, Zhang Xiao was itching to find a worthy opponent. Although Ziyan was not physically present in the Xuantian Grotto, she could sense everything within it, and was well aware of Minel’s condition. “Young master, that old monster is still trapped within a formation, barely holding on. She’s almost out of strength. Shall we go back now and finish her off? And now that you’ve mastered the first transformation of the Sevenfold Xuantian Arts, you can enter the Treasure Pavilion, the Medicine Garden, and the Elixir Vault.” Zhang Xiao felt tempted by Ziyan’s words, but he shook his head. Getting there was easy, but how would he return? Karosius, that old monster, had left behind methods for cultivating spatial magic, but Zhang Xiao had yet to find time to study them. If he went now, returning would be a problem. With this thought, Zhang Xiao could only shake his head and say, “Let’s not rush. I’ll decide after I’ve studied Karosius’s spatial magic in detail.”

Three days later, Zhang Xiao received the military command allowing him to travel, relieving him from the need to report to camp for the time being. With the order in hand, he went to the barracks to bid farewell to Bai Qi, for their friendship was genuine—he couldn’t just leave without a word. As for the First Emperor, that was another matter. With his current rank and title, he probably wouldn’t even be allowed into the palace. Leaving Luoyang, Zhang Xiao’s figure transformed into a streak of light, shooting westward. Although every major city had its own teleportation array, Zhang Xiao’s main purpose this time was to journey and experience the land, so he had no interest in instantly arriving at his destination. Since the great transformation of the world, the land and mountains had become unrecognizable, rendering all maps useless. Everywhere he looked, there were endless forests and mountains. He flew for a full month before finally coming upon a village.

“Come, take a look! Top-grade materials and superb spiritual artifacts for sale!” The village bustled with the cries of hawkers. Zhang Xiao hid his aura, concealing his cultivation at the early Golden Core stage—enough to avoid contempt, but not so high as to draw undue attention. With the Heaven-concealing Ring in his possession, no one could discern his true strength, only sense that he was an early Golden Core master. “Fortune’s Teahouse”—a retro-style teahouse appeared before him. After flying for so long, Zhang Xiao was feeling tired. Seeing that the teahouse was busy, he decided to go in, rest his feet, and perhaps hear some local news. “Welcome, honored guest!” The waiter hurried over. Though Zhang Xiao wore a simple blue robe, his bearing could not be concealed. He tossed a jade coin to the waiter and said, “A pot of your finest tea and some snacks, please.” He then took a seat. The waiter was quick; before long, tea and refreshments were served.

As Zhang Xiao swept the teahouse with his spiritual sense, he immediately sensed something amiss—there were over a dozen Golden Core experts here, in what was clearly a remote mountain village. Why so many experts gathered in such a place? Before he could ponder further, another group entered the teahouse, all dressed in black robes with silver swords embroidered on their sleeves. Zhang Xiao’s eyes narrowed—Shushan Sword Sect! And inner disciples at that. Since the founding of the nation, many of the top sects had been drafted into military service, leaving few behind, especially inner disciples, who rarely ventured out. Yet here was a whole group. Zhang Xiao beckoned the waiter over, slipping him ten jade coins. “Brother, what’s going on here lately? Why is it so lively?”

The waiter grinned. “Honored guest, you may not know—since the great transformation, the moon’s been huge every night, and the moonlight all gathers on the peak outside the village. It’s a beautiful sight, and people say there’s treasure there, so more and more are coming. All these folks are here seeking treasure.” Treasure hunting! Zhang Xiao smiled to himself—not surprising, but the mention of the moonlight intrigued him. After the waiter left, several more people filtered in, and the mood grew tense. There simply weren’t enough seats for so many; this small teahouse had never seen such a crowd. Most of those present were Golden Core masters, and none wished to share a table with strangers. The waiters were run off their feet, and even the owner came out to help. At that moment, yet another large group entered, each exuding a sinister aura. The owner hurried forward, smiling obsequiously, “Gentlemen, I’m afraid there are no more seats. Perhaps you could—” Crack!

Before the owner could finish, one of the newcomers slapped him, sending him flying. Though the owner was a peak Foundation Establishment cultivator, the newcomers were all Golden Core experts; a single slap left the owner unable to rise. The leader sneered, “Hmph, and what are you, to try and turn away disciples of the Nine Fiends Palace?” At the mention of the Nine Fiends Palace, many in the room turned pale. Of the four great demonic sects, the Myriad Demon Sect and Heaven Demon Pavilion were somewhat restrained, but the Five Venoms Sect and Nine Fiends Palace were notorious for their ruthlessness and arrogance, producing endless numbers of formidable experts. Even the strongest of the righteous sects, Mount Mao, was reluctant to provoke them lightly.

“Well, well! I was wondering who was making such a fuss—so it’s the Nine Fiends Palace! Ha ha ha!” A young man stood up with a cold sneer. The Nine Fiends disciples’ expressions changed, their murderous intent surging as they confronted him. “Hmph! Others may fear you, but I, Tian Feng, do not!” With a shout, his aura exploded, suppressing the Nine Fiends disciples so they could barely breathe. “Tian Feng? So even Shushan’s Tian Feng is here!” The crowd was visibly shaken. Zhang Xiao was surprised too. After the Grand Sect Tournament, many prodigies had emerged from the various sects, some nearly matching the new sect leaders in strength. The young man before him was one such prodigy; late-stage Golden Core cultivation made him stand out among the crowd. Behind him, several Shushan disciples drew their flying swords, glaring at the Nine Fiends disciples.

“Amitabha! Benefactors, please calm yourselves. If you fight here and disturb the authorities, it will bring trouble.” Sensing the rising tension, a Shaolin monk stepped forward. Zhang Xiao’s eyes narrowed—this monk was nearly at the Monk Realm, likely stronger than even a late-stage Golden Core. Many present recognized that this monk was no ordinary figure. Seeing this, both Tian Feng and the Nine Fiends group backed down. The Nine Fiends leader smiled at the monk. “Venerable monk, we’ll give you this face. Since there are no seats, we’ll find another place. Let’s go.” With that, the group left, and the storm passed. Yet the crowd’s faces showed a mix of shock, disappointment, and envy—all of which Zhang Xiao took in silently.

Tian Feng stood and cupped his hands to the room. “All present are of the righteous path. With the Nine Fiends Palace so arrogant, this treasure hunt will not be without incident. Why don’t we form an alliance?” His words struck a chord with many. Zhang Xiao, however, only smiled coldly to himself. Fine words, but clearly he was trying to gather support in case of retaliation from the Nine Fiends. Zhang Xiao had no interest in such schemes. Tossing a few jade coins onto the table, he rose to leave.

That’s the third update for today. There will be another after dinner. Please show your support with a favorite or a red ticket!