The Heavens: A Qing, the Yue Girl at the beginning

"To advance to the ninth realm, one needs to draw upon the power of the vast void and weave a net of the Great Dao... But where is the best place to 'cast the net'?"

Zhao Qing pondered silently and quickly came to an answer: "The stellar force field is too strong, like the sun nearby, violent and scorching. The magic net will be torn and twisted before it is even formed, and its foundation will be unstable. But if we stay away from the stars and delve into the cold, desolate depths of the void..."

She then shook her head slightly, “The vital energy is as thin as smoke, and the laws are obscure and difficult to find. Casting a net is easy, but pulling it in is difficult! The net is spread for thousands of miles, but the ‘catch’ is very small, like trying to scoop water vapor from an endless desert… It can take thousands or even tens of thousands of years!”

"The original source of consciousness in the process of transformation is like a candle flickering in the wind. How can it endure such a long and lonely period of time? If it is not careful, its consciousness will collapse, and thousands of years of hard work will turn into a dream."

"Therefore, the 'net' should not be too close to the stars, nor too far away; it is best to be at the edge of the planetary rings."

If one is completely separated from the stars, it is like a sword blank separated from the furnace; it will always be a half-finished product and will never reach perfection.

"But why would it risk such dangers, instead of cultivating and consolidating its power in the relatively safer star field, to come to Earth and intrude into this 'owned' world?"

According to her reliable deductions, the strength or activity level of a celestial will depends not only on the size of the planet itself, but also on whether its core is cooling and the level of geological activity. Obviously, the celestial will of Mars and the Moon is far weaker than that of Earth, and the difference is enormous.

Surely it's not like they see humanity's immense potential for growth and want to nip their future enemies in the bud, eliminating potential threats? Doesn't that seem a bit... misguided?

Zhao Qing's mind raced, recalling the scattered fragments she had just captured:

Thousands of years ago, when the life form made of purple jade wood had recovered and grown to a size of ten thousand feet, coiled in the orbit of the icy satellite, absorbing starlight, a command suddenly descended from the distant mother planet, traversing endless void, carrying an unquestionable will…

“Life stars…will…not born flawless…have ‘flaws’…tainted by the ‘emotions’ that give rise to all things…”

"You can... deceive! You can... seduce!"

"To cause him to...reincarnate!"

"Seize his position! Take advantage of his weakness!"

The information was vague and fragmented, carrying an unimaginable air of taboo, yet Zhao Qing immediately understood:

Ordinary stars, their will is like cold rock, following the unchanging trajectory and laws of time, without emotion or desire, without filth or purity. Although they have the instinct to seek advantage and avoid harm and to strengthen themselves, they are almost like AI, making any decision based on data statistics and probability.

Unlike the stars of life, which give birth to all things and nourish all living beings, their original will has long been imbued with the joys and sorrows, loves and hates of living beings over endless years, just as pure jade has been stained with impurities, giving birth to the unique "emotions" belonging to "life".

The word "emotion" itself represents a flaw!

When one uses "Star Guide", even those distant "heartless" stars will be deceived and tricked, projecting their power-carrying intentions onto flying swords or other objects.

"Sentient" stars are undoubtedly more easily deceived and misled, leading them to engage in highly irrational and risky behaviors...

For example... let the "Heavenly Dao," which governs the stellar force field, choose to reincarnate? To be reborn into the mortal world as a "human"!
Thinking of this, she couldn't help but feel a slight tremor in her heart, as if she could see at least a dozen peak beings who had already entered the realm of immortality, joining forces to set up an earth-shattering chess game that spanned the starry sea and traversed the ages.

They plotted and schemed meticulously, all to undermine the foundation of the star's will and plunder its vast origin!
If successful, the "Heavenly Way" will be deprived of its position, leaving it internally vulnerable, and the power of the Stars' will to protect itself will be greatly reduced! It will also create an unprecedented "loophole" out of thin air—an opportunity for a successor to seize the throne and take its place!
This "elixir of immortality" from outer space was the vanguard of that earth-shattering scheme! It carried out a mission, transforming into a meteor to infiltrate this world, solely to carry out the act of stealing the heavens and earth at the moment when the will of the stars was reincarnated and its power was at its weakest!

However, something clearly went wrong during this time.

It failed to wait for the weakened period after the Star Will successfully reincarnated, and was instead counterattacked by the Star Will's backup plan, some unknown protective mechanism, with overwhelming force!

Only this broken core of the silver star remains, telling a story of resentment in the cycle of birth and death.

Zhao Qing's gaze was deep, his thoughts wandering between the vast starry sky and the heroes of the mortal world: Logically speaking, the time when this meteorite descended upon the ancestral mountain should have been later than the occurrence of that reincarnation...

So, who exactly is that "spiritual embryo" chosen by the will of the stars, who was reincarnated carrying a part of its origin?

Without a doubt, this person must be an exceptionally talented individual with extraordinary luck, a peerless genius with a great chance of reaching the ninth realm.

The will of the stars is not so easily fooled; it is an overly emotional entity.

Since it chose to reincarnate, it must be completely different from the "love-struck" characters in fantasy romance dramas. It must have been a well-thought-out plan to use this "spiritual embryo" to carry out a plan that, while fraught with danger, would be of great benefit to itself.

A colossal gamble that could determine the fate of all living beings on this star and whether the "Heavenly Way" could be upgraded and evolved!

Ding Ning? Jiang Yan, the Ancestor of Witches? The founder of the Lingxu Sword Sect? Or perhaps... the Nether Emperor who has indeed cultivated to the Ninth Realm?

For beings who are immortal and live as long as the sun, moon, and stars, "reincarnation" is not limited to the short lifespan of "mortals" at all. Instead, it can go through ten or a hundred reincarnations until the goal is achieved!

To learn more precise details, we would probably have to start with the ancient records that involve "extraterrestrial demons" and "extraterrestrial evil gods" and explore the long-standing plans of these nine realms in the history of this world. In Zhao Qing's opinion, those who understand the "Dao of Heaven" or the will of Earth best are often its enemies.

"Boo! Hah! Hah!"

His thoughts were interrupted by the noise coming from the well. Several stone fragments, accompanied by a strong wind, whistled down. It seemed to be only ten or so feet away, but in fact it was more than a thousand feet away. Zhao Qing raised his head slightly, and with his left hand, his five fingers, as if playing a zither, gently pinched and pulled at the void!
In an instant, the space between them seemed to be compressed and folded by an invisible hand! The stone shard's descent was accelerated a thousandfold, transforming into several blurry gray shadows, which she instantly and steadily caught in her palm. On it were engraved several lines of tiny characters:

"Zhan Mohe has been captured. Due to Yelü Canglang's rescue, his arms had to be severed... He is currently being held in the hall for interrogation."

Tang Xin, who was already considered to be at the half-step eighth realm, also cultivated the Wind Sword and Thunder Blade. Her speed and movement techniques were rare among those of the same level. Although Zhan Mohe had the strength of a seventh-level superior, he had been hiding in the pile of bones for half a day and was in poor condition. He also did not expect the enemy's sudden attack and was captured on the spot, unable to escape.

"If we can awaken Tuoba Wuchou, who was the marshal of the Tianliang Army hundreds of years ago, an invincible powerhouse in his time, and also suspected to be a descendant of the You Dynasty's King of Xun, we should be able to obtain a lot of information, right?"

"It's hard to say that this meteorite just happened to fall here at Zushan. Perhaps... as the nameless ancient book described, there was some kind of sacrificial summoning ritual?"

Zhao Qing was filled with many thoughts, but he did not immediately get up and return to the hall, nor did he rashly try to take away the "elixir of immortality".

With a slight movement of her gaze, she pierced through the golden pagoda that appeared to be three people tall, and indeed was that tall, but once you got close, you could sense that it was over a hundred feet long, and saw a seven-colored flower.

Colorful flowers grow on a pure white pebble, without a single root or leaf, yet they grow extremely beautifully, as if they have just received rain and dew.

Unlike the giant purple jade tree that grew from the crack in Tuoba Wuchou's back and survived by relying on the medicinal power fused with the former, this should be a spiritual plant that has truly reached the eighth realm, and it can probably kill ordinary eighth realm cultivators, possessing incredible mysteries.

No one knows how the people of Tianliang obtained and cultivated it, but in this era where rare spiritual herbs at the seventh level have long since disappeared and are no longer seen, the value of this flower is beyond question.

……

Almost at the same moment, thousands of miles away in Baiyang Gorge, a sense of impending doom filled the air.

On the rugged mountain path on the outskirts, several corpses dressed in coarse cloth lay on the ground, their faces filled with terror. Bloodstains meandered between the cold stone steps, not yet completely congealed, staining the withered grass by the roadside red.

Xue Wangxu sat cross-legged on a futon in the highest Taoist temple, closed his eyes and regulated his breathing, his energy as deep and still as a mountain.

Suddenly, his gentle yet profound eyes snapped open, two sharp, almost tangible gazes piercing through the mountain mist.

"Dead...dead!"

A piercing, distorted scream, like a chicken being choked, shattered the tranquility of the mountains.

"They're right outside the mountain gate! It's...it's those newcomers!"

"So much blood... How could this happen?!" "It was fine just now!" The chaotic footsteps and terrified whispers quickly approached from afar.

“It’s Liu Laoliu and his gang from the woodcutter’s guild down the mountain… They delivered firewood a few days ago…” The Baiyangdong student who arrived upon hearing the news turned pale, filled with shock and doubt, his voice trembling repeatedly: “And Wang Ermazi… They… They’re all lying there!”

"Nonsense! Murder and frame-up? Do you think I'm dead?! Senior brother, you are in charge of restraining the disciples of the sect. No one is allowed to leave the sect without permission, and no one is allowed to speak recklessly! We'll discuss everything when I return!"

Xue Wangxu frowned, his face frosty, and spoke to Du Qingjiao, who was equally angry, on another fuming ...

They disappeared before Du Qingjiao's eyes, vanished into the white clouds that weighed down on the Taoist temple.

The powerful true essence of the seventh realm master surged, carrying his body like an arrow released from a bow, soaring over the lush forest below.

In the blink of an eye, they had traversed more than ten miles and landed in front of the vanguard of the Qimen Army, which was advancing up the winding mountain road and was about to reach the scene of the incident at the gorge!
A dark mass of Qin soldiers, clad in heavy armor and armed with weapons, numbering about six or seven hundred, stood like an iron wall. Their long halberds formed a forest, their cold light reflecting off the pale sun, exuding an aura of iron-blooded ruthlessness.

A large banner with the character "Liang" fluttered in the north wind.

Leading the group was a general with weathered eyes, gray hair, deep wrinkles, and a sparse beard on his chin covered in white frost. He was quite old, but his radiant complexion naturally revealed his identity as a cultivator. He was Zhou Jianlin, one of Liang Lian's deputy generals, a veteran of many frontier battles.

He was riding on a black-scaled horse, holding a telescope, observing the movements of Baiyang Gorge from afar, waiting for the right moment to launch an attack. However, he did not expect that a white figure, like a solitary peak descending from the heavens, would hover steadily in mid-air several feet in front of the army formation!

His hair and beard were all white, and his clothes fluttered in the wind, giving him an air of otherworldly elegance.

"Master Xue?!"

With his cultivation at the mid-stage of the sixth realm, Zhou Jianlin could sense the terrifying power of the old man before him more acutely than ordinary soldiers. Knowing that the old man's intentions were not good, he forced himself to remain calm, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword.
"Our army is ordered to patrol Beijiang Mountain, check for spies, eliminate traitors, and maintain the new administration! What are you trying to do by trespassing into our ranks without cause? Get out of the way immediately! Don't make things difficult for yourself!"

He deliberately emphasized the words "spy" and "traitor".

Xue Wangxu seemed not to hear his warning, nor to see the hundreds of menacing soldiers behind Zhou Jianlin.

Instead, they turned their gaze to the bend in the mountain road further back, where dozens of bronze chariots gleamed with a chilling light, sensing the hidden aura within through layers of Taotie runes.

"Where is Liang Lian?" he asked calmly, his voice instantly drowning out the howling mountain wind and the low neighing of horses in the army: "Tell him to come out and see me! I have something to discuss with you, all bystanders, step aside!"

While a seventh-realm grandmaster is indeed powerful, addressing the commander-in-chief by his given name and treating the other soldiers as if they were nothing is almost a provocation!

Zhou Jianlin's face instantly turned ashen. He shouted angrily, but dared not move rashly: "Insolence! How dare you inquire about the General's whereabouts! Xue Wangxu, step back immediately! Delaying military operations and obstructing the inspection are serious crimes! Don't think that just because you have high cultivation, you can..."

"Then what?"

Xue Wangxu's gaze fell on him again, and the White Ram Sword flew out from his waist and landed in his left hand. Then, a muffled boom sounded in the sky above, as if a giant mountain had appeared, but it did not collapse down. Instead, it condensed into the horns of a white ram and rose up along the ground.

"you……"

Zhou Jianlin looked terrified and couldn't control himself at all. He and his horse floated up and flew higher and higher, soon far exceeding the height of the roadside pavilion. Then it was the turn of the other cavalry and armored soldiers, row after row, like kites, completely powerless to resist.

"Speak according to your strength," Xue Wangxu smiled without the slightest anger, finishing the sentence for the other party: "I came to spar with General Liang Lian. You are merely at the sixth realm, so why did you come to stop me? You only make a fool of yourself!"

"I've heard that General Liang has mastered the 'Limitless Sword Body,' and his martial fame has spread far and wide. Today, he secretly visited Baiyang Gorge. I suppose he has heard of my humble swordsmanship and has come to offer some guidance? Such a kind offer, how could I refuse to see him? It's a good opportunity to learn a few moves from him."

"How dare you!" Zhou Jianlin, who had just struggled free from the sword's momentum and landed from the height, almost thought he had misheard: "Xue Wangxu! Have you lost your mind?! Do you really think military orders can't control you? Asking for a lesson? You think you're worthy to challenge the General..."

"Whether someone is a good match or not, you'll only know after you've fought them."

Xue Wangxu interrupted his roar again, "As for you all..."

His gaze swept over Zhou Jianlin and the army behind him once more, and his words were thunderous: "If you're afraid—you, him, and all of you... come at me all at once, it's fine!"

"Wow——!"

The Qimen army formation on the mountain path instantly erupted into chaos! Shock, anger, and disbelief spread like wildfire!
Arrogant! Utterly arrogant! How dare a cave master from a second- or third-rate sect in the mountains utter such arrogant words! In an instant, powerful bows and crossbows, talismanic weapons and war chariots, all kinds of killing methods were ready to be unleashed!

The dust drifting in the wind seemed to fear this invisible confrontation and quietly came to a standstill.

On the distant cliffs, several crows that had been roosting there were startled by the soaring aura of killing intent. They cried out and took flight in fright, their black feathers scattering against the gray sky.

"Patrols and suppression of traitors are the duties of the soldiers. Does General Liang really need to do all the military affairs himself, without even having time to spar with others?"

Xue Wangxu raised his white eyebrows slightly, his gaze still calmly fixed on the depths of the chariot formation, his tone tinged with amusement: "Or is it that... General Liang, with his high position and great power, has been recuperating in Changling for many years, and now even this old sword in my hand is filled with fear, and dares not fight?"

His voice suddenly rose, booming like thunder: "Liang Lian! I, Xue Wangxu, hereby—volunteer for battle!"

Once the word "please" was uttered, there was no longer any room for politeness; his fighting spirit erupted like wildfire!

As long as he can hold the line here, the Qimen Army will be unable to openly "discover" the deliberately fabricated scenes of death and injury, and will be unable to immediately use this as an excuse to launch an attack.

With only his sword, he formed an invisible barrier, effectively blocking the opponent's attempt to frame him! He temporarily diverted the imminent massacre into a "personal challenge," buying precious time for the sect to respond!
"As you wish!" A cold, indifferent sound, like the scraping of metal, finally rang out from the depths of the last large chariot, carrying a hint of barely perceptible mockery.

The heavy car door slid open slowly inward.

A figure stepped out from within.

He was of ordinary build and wore no heavy armor, but his resolute face and straight back were enough to remind anyone of an unyielding iron mountain and an indomitable will.

It was Liang Lian, the former commander of the fierce Northern Army, who had been demoted but still held considerable military power.

Black military boots pounded steadily on the ground, sending up plumes of black soil that seemed to bloom like black lotuses along the way.

With each step, an invisible, heavy pressure seemed to spread out, knocking away and dissolving Xue Wangxu's pervasive, chilling sword intent.

Waving for Zhou Jianlin and the others to step back to avoid accidentally injuring his subordinates, Liang Lian strode forward, nodded at Xue Wangxu, and said indifferently, "I accept your challenge."

He continued walking steadily for several dozen feet, then calmly extended his right hand.

A deafening explosion resounded throughout the heavens and earth.

An extremely pure aura of one's natal essence filled the senses of many people.

A dark light, as if extending from his arm, emanated outwards, eventually forming a straight, jet-black broadsword. One half of the blade was a deep, rich color, like the dark, unpolished stone on a riverbank, while the other half rippled like countless turbid waves surging.

He held his sword across his chest and said coldly, "Please."

……

Several miles away, atop a pine tree, Zheng Bainiao, now dressed in an earth-yellow robe, squinted, gazing at the dense thicket of black bamboo surrounding him, and a sword-wielding youth approaching from afar. (End of Chapter)