Chapter 1 Nightfall

In the darkness, winds howled, and the changes in the magnetic field caused a shift in the celestial phenomena that spread across the globe. In a mere half hour, meteorological agencies around the world were alarmed.

Weather warnings were issued nationwide, signaling an approaching storm.

That night, few people in Treasure Island, or even the entire Great Xuan, could sleep soundly. Under a tremendous sense of oppression, as if the sky were pressing down, only dreamwalkers could find peace.

Most found sleep elusive, watching the world outside their windows with surprise or worry.

Beneath the lightning and thunder, and the dark clouds obscuring the sky, no one saw the ‘Otherworld Gate’ pierced by Wang Quan Jian, emitting a faint, eerie light.

.......

Three red suns hung in the sky, illuminating the world.

The weather was perfect on this day, the very day Wang Quan Dao opened its gates.

Before the Sword Unbinding Stone, the vast, level plaza was packed with people. Martial artists from all corners of the land gathered here, quietly waiting.

Countless people were gathered, yet there wasn't a single sound of disorder on the plaza.

All eyes were fixed on the young Daoist priest standing on the high platform in the center of the plaza, holding a sword, filled with deep reverence.

The weather hadn't been so good originally, but this youth had wielded his sword to guide an array, dispersing the dark clouds and revealing the sun.

Manipulating celestial phenomena was one of the hallmarks of a Divine Meridian master.

Even now, Divine Meridian masters were undoubtedly powerful figures.

Not to mention, this one could also command arrays, a clear indication that he practiced the ‘Heaven-Man Qi Observation Technique’.

"The Qi Observation Technique should have three aspects: observing stars for the celestial aspect, observing earth veins and feng shui for the terrestrial aspect, and fortune-telling for the human aspect. Only by uniting the three can one cultivate my Wang Quan Dao's ‘Heaven-Man Qi Observation Technique’..."

The youth sheathed his sword and spoke softly, "If you have the opportunity to enter my Wang Quan Dao, you too will have the chance to learn the ‘Heaven-Man Qi Observation Technique’."

The youth was concise, without lengthy speeches, directly announcing the start: "The Ancestor once said to teach all without discrimination. Regardless of gender, age, whether you possess martial arts skills, or from which country you hail, all are welcome to enter Wang Quan."

His voice was not loud, yet it clearly resonated in everyone's ears.

Buzz~

As his voice fell, visible streams of light rose from the peak of Wang Quan Mountain, over three thousand *zhang* high.

These streams of light intertwined and flowed down, spreading from the mountain peak, down the mountain paths, to the foot of the mountain, vaguely outlining a massive gate with an aura as profound as the starry sky.

"Those with wavering hearts, unstable intentions, evildoers, and those with wicked thoughts, do not enter this gate."

The youth's sleeves fluttered as he announced loudly, "Those who reach the mountain peak shall be considered disciples of my Wang Quan Dao!"

Entering Wang Quan Dao was truly entering.

Entering through this gate, known as the ‘Southern Heavenly Gate’.

Of course, after entering, they would still have to complete five years of study in the ‘Heart Questioning Hall’. Any misstep would result in expulsion.

"There are so many people..."

At the end of the mountain path, Chu Fan stood shoulder to shoulder with Feng Mingtao and others, looking at the ant-like crowds below, muttering to himself.

Wang Quan Dao opened its gates on a small scale every five years, and on a large scale every ten years. Over the past three thousand years, the eighth day of the eleventh month had become the grandest festival in the world.

It was said to be the birthdate of the Wang Quan Ancestor.

"Too bad, this day is destined to be a day of bloodshed."

Feng Mingtao's burly figure was quite conspicuous among the disciples. He and Chu Fan had entered the sect in the same batch.

Wang Quan Dao took the principle of ‘judging actions, not intentions’ to the extreme. Evil thoughts could still be changed, but misdeeds were unforgivable.

Even disciples who had already entered the sect had to go up and down the mountain every day, and evil deeds would not escape the sword hanging three feet above their heads.

There was no such thing as redeeming oneself through good deeds, nor any concept of a momentary lapse.

It was precisely because of this that Wang Quan Dao had stood firm for three thousand years, always holding the reins of the righteous path, unchallenged.

He still remembered the rivers of blood before the ‘Southern Heavenly Gate’ on the day he entered the sect, the screams that kept him awake for days.

Yet, even so, there were always those who harbored illusions.

Every time the gates were opened on a large scale, many people were left dead before Wang Quan Mountain.

Today would be no exception.

"I wonder how many dreamwalkers there are among this batch."

Chu Fan used sound transmission to speak directly to Feng Mingtao alone.

Compared to the chaos of three thousand three hundred years ago, the world was now at peace, and there were few major conflicts, whether in the martial world or the realm.

Wang Quan Dao, with its swords hanging over the world, had almost no rivals.

Wang Quan Dao was the preferred choice for all dreamwalkers.

"There will be quite a few."

Feng Mingtao shook his head inwardly, "This task is too boring. I heard that a Wang Quan sword has appeared in Youzhou. Wouldn't it be better to go take a look than to stand guard here?"

Not everyone liked standing guard. Feng Mingtao disliked the task, but he had no choice in the matter.

"It's good that you're not going. Many dreamwalkers are gathering in Youzhou. I don't know how many people will die. We almost fell last time. Although you have to die twice to lose the qualification to enter the 'Dream', you still have to be careful."

Chu Fan sighed.

Wang Quan Dao hung swords over the world, maintaining the laws of various countries, but bloodshed was inevitable.

He and Feng Mingtao had also been ambushed once, by that ‘Truman’ group. That time, more than half of the thirty-plus dreamwalker team was killed, and they had barely escaped with their lives.

"'Truman'!"

Mentioning this, Feng Mingtao's face darkened, "I will avenge that sooner or later!"

"It's hard to say. According to news from Baihu, that ‘Truman’ has joined a secluded sect called ‘Six Hells’. Although that sect is not well-known, it has been around for over three thousand years, and its Battle Demon Heart Sutra is not inferior to the many true inheritances of my Wang Quan Dao..."

Chu Fan shook his head, not optimistic.

It was said that ‘Truman’ had already reached Divine Transformation in the Xuan Star realm, and in the Dream, he had cultivated Yin-Yang Limitless for five years, only one step away from reaching the ninth level of Heavenly Man.

His Battle Demon Heart Sutra was earth-shattering, and the Special Affairs Bureau's several organized encirclements had been easily escaped.

Unless they could enter the core of Wang Quan Dao and learn the true inheritance of Wang Quan Dao.

Feng Mingtao was speechless.

Although the true inheritance of Wang Quan Dao was open to all disciples, the entry threshold was extremely high. To cultivate the Heaven-Man Qi Observation Technique and Wang Quan Suppressing Mountain Sword in just five years?

The difficulty was immense.

At least among all the current dreamwalkers, only ‘Truman’ had truly mastered Heavenly Man-level martial arts, and that seemed to be because he had obtained the teachings of an old demon.

Just like in Xuan Star, many textbooks were available for everyone to learn, but only a very few truly succeeded.

"It's Senior Brother Zhang!"

"Senior Brother Zhang is back!"

As the two were conversing through sound transmission, they suddenly heard a commotion from below the mountain, and several Wang Quan Dao disciples beside them exclaimed.

"Which Senior Brother Zhang?"

Chu Fan snapped back to reality, startled by the commotion below.

"Of course, it's Senior Brother Zhang Hongfei. His return this time, could it be to bring back the current Sword Master of my Wang Quan Dao?"

Several Wang Quan Dao disciples were very excited, wishing they could go down the mountain immediately.

Feng Mingtao and Chu Fan were both shocked. They leaped up and headed down the mountain amid the shouts of the other disciples.

Both of them had tempered the Qi meridians of their hands and feet, and their speed was extremely fast. In a few moments, they had reached the middle of the mountain path and looked down.

They saw a blue-robed swordsman leading a child by the hand on a path cleared by the crowd below, slowly walking towards the mountain gate.

"Junior Brother Zhang?"

Below the mountain, the youth presiding over the recruitment frowned upon seeing the blue-robed swordsman, "Who injured you?"

"Senior Brother Lin need not worry. It's just that I killed too many people and strained my Qi."

Zhang Hongfei coughed lightly, a smile appearing on his pale face, "Fortunately, I was not disgraced and brought back the future Sword Master of our sect."

The child was about six or seven years old and seemed nervous, perhaps because he had never seen so many people before.

"Good child, what is your name?"

The youth descended from the high platform, affectionately touching the child's chubby cheeks, and was about to take out a greeting gift.

Suddenly, he felt a jolt and looked up.

He saw a cloud cluster in the sky suddenly explode. A figure leaped down from the sky, letting out a long roar in mid-air:

"Attack!"

*Zheng zheng zheng zheng~~~*

The moment the voice echoed, clusters of sword light suddenly bloomed from the crowd, carrying wind and thunder, and a chilling, fierce killing intent.

They struck towards Zhang Hongfei and the child from all directions.

Even faster than the swords and blades was the overbearing fist imprint descending from the sky.

The moment the fist imprint was unleashed, the air in mid-air boiled and exploded. The extremely powerful fist intent, like a tangible force, spanned hundreds of *zhang* and slammed down fiercely.

Its target was not Zhang Hongfei, but the entire plaza!

Thousands of meters away, a gale had already risen below Wang Quan Mountain. The scattered energy was as sharp as a knife, causing everyone to retreat.

His Divine Intent was tyrannical, openly displayed before everyone. If you dared to dodge, everyone else would die!

"Audacious!"

Zhang Hongfei's face darkened. He hadn't expected anyone to dare to be so presumptuous at the foot of Wang Quan Mountain, and his heart instantly flared with anger.

*Buzz~*

Without any visible movement, a sword light as nimble as a swimming dragon had already soared into the air, pulling out hundreds of sharp, screeching sounds of airflow.

It met the mountain-shaking punch head-on.

"'Truman'!"

Chu Fan, who had just stepped down the mountain path, felt the familiar fist intent and his face changed drastically, "This group actually dares to covet the Wang Quan sword?!"

"They're courting death!"

Feng Mingtao was also shocked.

Wang Quan Dao was extremely powerful, with Divine Meridian masters as numerous as hairs. Not to mention that ‘Truman’ hadn't reached the ninth level of Heavenly Man, even if he had reached the peak of Heavenly Man, seeking trouble would be akin to seeking death.

"No, he, he really wants to die!"

Chu Fan's eyelids twitched wildly.

Were dreamwalkers afraid of death?

Of course, they were, but dreamwalkers who had the chance to start over and two chances to avoid death were, in some ways, the most terrifying suicide squad in the world.

Like now.

Boom!

Amidst the ringing of swords, the sound of a protective Qi exploding resounded through the sky.

Countless people on the plaza paled in horror.

They saw the man descend from the sky, his fist imprint slamming down, completely ignoring Zhang Hongfei's heaven-cleaving sword. Even though his protective Qi was shattered by the sword, he didn't defend himself.

Forcibly enduring the sword light like a prison, he slammed a heavy punch towards another Wang Quan Dao master rushing to meet him.

"A madman?!"

Zhang Hongfei hadn't expected a great master who had condensed the Divine Meridian to be so reckless, ignoring life and death, and he was shocked.

Moreover, the many masters who had roared out from the crowd were also launching suicidal attacks on his junior brother, as if they didn't value their lives.

Where did so many madmen come from?

"Since you want to die, I'll grant your wish!"

With a thought, Zhang Hongfei turned his long sword, tearing apart the remaining protective Qi of the attacker with a twist, severing his entire arm.

The remaining momentum continued towards his neck!

You won't dodge when I chop off your arm, so what if I chop off your head?

"Hmm?!"

In the next moment, the cold expression on Zhang Hongfei's face finally changed.

The attacker actually ignored his beheading sword and slammed a fist on Senior Brother Lin's protective Qi, exchanging death for injury?

*Chih~*

Sword light like a bolt of lightning decapitated the head, along with the spurting blood column.

But at the same time, a muffled roar resounded.

Senior Brother Lin hadn't expected his junior brother to not even block for a moment. Caught off guard, his protective Qi was broken.

He flew out, spitting blood.

But his long sword flew, like thousands of silver threads falling down, killing dozens of suicide attackers who rushed out of the crowd as he flew.

For a moment, the air was filled with a bloody stench, and the plaza was flowing with blood.

"Sword Master!"

Zhang Hongfei was shocked, his eyes widening in fury.

The moment Senior Brother Lin was knocked back, a figure like a ghost darted out from the crowd, opening his arms like an eagle pouncing on its prey, clamping the child under his arm.

In an instant, he had rushed out hundreds of *zhang*, pulling out a sky full of ghostly shadows, about to flee!

"Hahaha!"

Seeing that the ghostly shadow had succeeded, many people who had jumped out all laughed loudly, rushing towards Zhang Hongfei as if they had no fear at all, directly activating life-risking secret techniques.

The attackers were all people who had at least condensed several Qi meridians, and there were even a few who had formed Qi pulses. Under such a large-scale assault of 'suicide soldiers'.

Even though Zhang Hongfei and his junior brother had truly ignited their anger, it still took them a full three breaths to kill all the attackers.

And in those three breaths, the figure had already fled dozens of *li* away.

The person who attacked was also a Divine Meridian master!

"Daring to cause trouble on Wang Quan Mountain, you're courting death!"

The moment the ghostly shadow fled, cold shouts came from the peak of Wang Quan Mountain, and then, one after another, sword lights pierced through the air, chasing after the ghostly shadow.

"You can't escape!"

Zhang Hongfei's face was livid. He let out a low roar, his Qi surging like a burning fire, and chased after him.

*Huff~*

Senior Brother Lin, however, leaped and landed on the high platform, his face as cold as frost as he scanned the chaotic plaza. No one knew how many suicide soldiers there were among the thousands of people.

Even the most elite Eastern and Western Depots of the imperial court couldn't ferret them out one by one.

But for Wang Quan Dao, it wasn't that difficult.

He raised his long sword, his aura icy, "Now, everyone, go up the mountain!"

Suicide soldiers could not pass through the ‘Southern Heavenly Gate’!

He had truly been provoked!

"Truman, is he dead like this?"

Looking at the chaotic plaza, looking at the headless corpse in the pool of blood, Feng Mingtao was a little dazed.

"This, Wang Quan Dao is actually ignoring it?"

Chu Fan was also a little dazed.

Apart from some disciples swarming out, why hadn't any of the old guys from the mountain come out?

Could it be that all the ninth-level Heavenly Man experts of Wang Quan Dao had gone into secluded cultivation?

That was impossible...

*Rumble!*

But in the next moment, an earth-shattering roar erupted from behind Wang Quan Mountain.

The ferocity of this sonic wave instantly cleared thousands of *li* of air currents. The enormous sound caused over a thousand people in the plaza below to faint without a sound.

Even more people were stunned, their eyes blackened, and blood flowed from their seven orifices!

"Pfft!"

Feng Mingtao and Chu Fan coughed up blood, turning back in horror.

They saw the air currents sweeping across the sky, and the void shattered like multiple pieces of ice, with thousands of twisted, hideous faces filling the entire sky:

"Where are you?"

"Evil spawn, cease your rampage!"

On the peak of Wang Quan Mountain, a clear and loud shout rang out.

Then, sword lights intertwined, turning into a sword dragon spanning hundreds of *li*, slashing towards the broken void.

Towards those thousands of twisted, ugly faces.

*Rumble!*

Earth-shattering!

Under the terrifying collision, the earth and void within hundreds of *li* centered on Wang Quan Mountain trembled wildly.

The clouds in the sky shattered, the mountains on the earth collapsed, and countless plants, rocks, and sand flew in all directions under the beating of tornadoes.

*Boom!*

Amidst the earth-shattering collision, countless cold and resentful voices merged into one, echoing in the ears of countless people in the Wang Quan Mountains and many cities in Fengzhou:

"It's my turn!"