The Heavens: Man Covers the Heavens, Refines Treasures to Become an Emperor

Old Eagle, along with several others, was setting up spirit array foundation stones at key nodes throughout the peak.

In addition, more than fifty new servants were recruited, who, under Xiao Ke's supervision, were responsible for the daily chores and repairs within the peak.

Although the entire Xixin Peak is still dilapidated, it has already shown a vibrant vitality and signs of resurgence.

In the quiet room, Jiang Xuan devoted himself to studying the mysteries of the "Heavenly Origin Blade Technique" and the "Nine Collapses of Heaven and Earth," attempting to integrate his various insights and transform them into his own true combat power.

Just as he was immersed in the essence of martial arts, Jiang Zhong's respectful voice came from outside the door.

"Young Master, Young Master Shi Yu has sent someone with an invitation."

Jiang Xuan composed himself, opened the door, and accepted the gold-embossed invitation.

A quick glance at the message revealed that Shi Yu had invited him to a gathering at Qianjin Yixiaolou that evening to reunite with several of his former comrades from the Bloodthirsty Camp.

After a moment's thought, he said to Jiang Zhong.

"Reply to the messenger that I will keep the appointment on time. Uncle Zhong, go and make preparations. You and Mr. Zhu will come with me tonight."

"Old slave understands."

Jiang Zhong bowed and withdrew.

As evening approached, Jiang Xuan was preparing to head down the mountain when he heard hurried footsteps and angry shouts outside the hall.

"My lord! My lord! You must do me justice!"

Ci Xue rushed over, his face full of heartache and anger, pointing towards the back mountain.

"Those brats sent by the Jiang clan of Beiguang! They've gone too far! They actually dared to ruin the sixteen 'Butterfly Blood Flower' seedlings that I just planted! Those were rare spiritual seeds that I went to great lengths to obtain!"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Xuan's eyes instantly turned cold. He had heard of the Butterfly Blood Flower; it was a top-quality medicine for healing and detoxification, and extremely difficult to cultivate.

More importantly, he had clearly established a rule that damage to public property within the peak was strictly prohibited, especially the herb garden!

He had already turned a blind eye to these people drinking and gambling a few days ago, but they unexpectedly escalated their behavior!

"lead the way."

Jiang Xuan's voice was calm, yet carried a chill.

The group soon arrived at a clear stream behind the mountain.

There were more than a dozen young men dressed in the attire of the Beiguang Jiang clan, sitting together drinking and playing around.

The ground was littered with cups and plates, and a medicinal herb garden next to it was trampled beyond recognition. A few broken seedlings were mixed in with the soil, which were the sixteen Butterfly Blood Flowers.

Upon seeing Jiang Xuan and Ci Xue arrive, these disciples merely glanced at them lazily.

He didn't get up, his face showing the languor of someone still hungover and a hint of indifference.

One of the leading youths even laughed drunkenly.

"Oh, it's Young Master Jiang Xuan and Mr. Ci Xue? What, would you like to have a drink too?"

Their attitude was contemptuous and disrespectful.

Jiang Xuan's gaze swept over the destroyed herb garden, then turned to the group of spoiled young masters, and anger surged within him.

Without uttering a single word, he suddenly moved!
"Oh!"

Everyone only saw a blur before their eyes, and the leading youth's chest caved in. He screamed and flew backward, crashing heavily into the stream, splashing a large amount of water, and immediately lost consciousness!

The sudden turn of events left everyone stunned!
The remaining disciples instantly sobered up and looked in horror at Jiang Xuan, who stood there like a god of death.

"Are the rules I set up just for show?"

Jiang Xuan's voice was icy, and the pressure of his Spirit Sea Realm swept out like a tidal wave!

"Puff! Puff!"

The remaining disciples felt an irresistible force pressing down on them, their legs went weak, and they all knelt down on the ground, their faces pale, their bodies trembling, unable to even lift their heads!
"Jiang Zhong."

Jiang Xuan said calmly.

"The old slave is here."

"Assign these reckless fools to the servant team and make them do the dirtiest and hardest work. We'll talk about discipline when they learn it. If anyone is outwardly compliant but inwardly defiant, hand them over to Xiao Ke for punishment."

"Yes!"

Jiang Zhong agreed, his cold gaze sweeping over the kneeling disciples.

Seeing this, Ci Xue's anger subsided considerably.

He cupped his hands in a respectful gesture to Jiang Xuan.

"Thank you, my lord, for upholding justice for me!"

He then turned and left to continue tending his herb garden.

After dealing with this incident, Jiang Xuan led Jiang Zhong and Zhu Laosan down the mountain and rode in a precious carriage to Qianjin Yixiao Tower.

The imperial carriage traveled along the bustling streets of the Forbidden City, with dazzling lights and throngs of people outside the windows.

When they reached a relatively wide intersection, a loud clashing sound and commotion suddenly came from ahead, causing a traffic jam.

Jiang Xuan frowned slightly and scanned the surroundings with his divine sense.

In the middle of the street, two groups of people were facing off.

One of them was Jiang Xuefeng, who was pale, had blood at the corner of his mouth, and was breathing unsteadily!
On the other side was a young man dressed in a magnificent brocade robe, with an arrogant face, holding a golden seal, followed by several imposing attendants.

The young man holding the seal looked arrogant, pointing at Jiang Xuefeng with the golden seal in his hand and sneer.

"Jiang Xuefeng, your Jiang family is indeed getting worse with each generation!"
"With your meager skills, you dare call yourself a genius? You couldn't even withstand one of my 'Golden Light Seals' attacks! You're utterly useless! It seems your Jiang family isn't far from its complete downfall!"

Jiang Xuefeng trembled with rage, but his injuries prevented him from refuting the accusations, and his eyes were filled with humiliation.

"Hmph! I'm too lazy to waste words with you. Today I'll cripple you and show you the consequences of offending me, Hua Wuhen!"

The young man named Hua Wuhen had a ruthless look in his eyes, and the golden seal in his hand once again emitted a dazzling light.

A powerful binding force enveloped Jiang Xuefeng, and it looked like it was about to kill him!
Although there were many onlookers, no one dared to step forward to stop them.

Because Hua Wuhen came from the Hua family, which was a well-known and powerful family in the Forbidden City.

At this critical moment——

"stop!"

A cold shout rang out like a thunderclap!
A figure in a green robe appeared instantly in the arena, blocking Jiang Xuefeng's path!
It was Jiang Xuan!

He didn't even glance at the golden light seal that was suppressing him; he simply threw a punch casually!
There was no spiritual light shining on the fist, but it carried a terrifying will to destroy everything!
"Boom!"

The seemingly invincible golden seal shattered the moment it made contact with the fist, dissipating into countless golden specks of light! "What?!"

Hua Wuhen's pupils shrank sharply, his face filled with disbelief!
His family heirloom was destroyed with a single punch?!
"Who are you? How dare you meddle in the affairs of the Hua family?!"

Hua Wuhen was both shocked and furious, and shouted sharply.

Jiang Xuan ignored him completely, turned his gaze to the still-shaken Jiang Xuefeng, and nodded slightly as a greeting.

Then, his cold gaze swept over Hua Wuhen.

"It's not up to an outsider like you to judge the Jiang family."

Who gave you the guts to commit violence in the street?

Hua Wuhen felt a chill run down her spine when she saw Jiang Xuan's gaze.

But relying on his family background, he remained defiant.

"You little brat, you're asking for it! Get him!"

Several of his followers immediately rushed forward; each of them was at the Spirit Sea Realm!
Jiang Xuan snorted coldly, his body motionless, but he pointed his fingers like a knife and slashed through the air!
"The Nine Collapses of Heaven" - The Great Phoenix Collapse!

An invisible, sharp energy swept out like a phoenix spreading its wings!

The Spirit Sea Realm followers who rushed forward screamed and flew backward, spitting out blood, and instantly lost their fighting ability!

Hua Wuhen was so frightened that he turned around and tried to run away.

"Did I let you go?"

Jiang Xuan's voice was indifferent as he unleashed a palm strike from a distance!
"Snapped!"

A crisp slap rang out!
Hua Wuhen was sent flying in a spinning motion, his mouth full of teeth mixed with blood, before crashing heavily to the ground.

He tried to struggle, but Jiang Xuan took a step forward and was already in front of him, stepping on his chest as if he were an ant.

"Remember, the person who hit you is called Jiang Xuan, the master of Xixin Peak."

Jiang Xuan looked down from his high vantage point, his voice carrying throughout the entire street.

"If you dare to insult the Jiang family again, I'll beat you up every time I see you! Get out!"

After saying that, he kicked Hua Wuhen so hard that he rolled far away.

Upon seeing this, Hua Wuhen's entourage scrambled to help their unconscious master up and fled in panic, not daring to utter a single harsh word.

Jiang Xuan then turned around, looked at Jiang Xuefeng with a complicated expression, and said calmly.

"Are you still able to walk? Want to grab a drink together?"

Jiang Xuefeng nodded.

Jiang Xuan said no more, gestured to Jiang Zhong and Zhu Laosan, and then led Jiang Xuefeng toward the Qianjin Yixiao Tower.

The rain poured down relentlessly, shrouding the entire city of Yanxia in a misty haze. In the east of the city, the Guanchao Pavilion stood majestically, a thousand feet tall, like a silent giant, nestled against the mountain and beside the water, overlooking the small part of the city below, its lights dimmed in the rain. Inside the pavilion, however, was a completely different scene from the torrential downpour outside.

A huge crystal chandelier hung from the dome, emitting a soft yet bright light that illuminated the spacious hall as if it were daytime. On either side of the precious sandalwood table sat cultivators dressed in magnificent robes, their auras ranging from profound to flamboyant.

They came from more than a dozen prominent forces in Yanxia City, dressed in fine clothes, with various jade rings on their well-maintained hands, exuding an air of pampered luxury.

At this moment, however, this group of people lost their usual composure, and their arguing was incessant, almost drowning out the thunder outside the window.

"Is it really worth making such a big fuss over dealing with a mere junior at the Gang Realm, a poor and rootless fellow? If word gets out, people will laugh their heads off, saying that the powerful families of Yanxia City have no one to rely on but to bully the weak?"

A representative from the Li family, sporting a goatee, waved his arms, his face full of disapproval.

No sooner had he finished speaking than a fat man across from him, dressed in a robe embroidered with gold ingot patterns, snorted coldly. He was a representative of the city's wealthy merchants' alliance, and his surname was Qian. Fat Qian slammed his hand on the table, making the cups and saucers rattle.

"Brother Li, you're mistaken! We must make an example of them! These poor kids, relying on their talent and the convenience of the empire's ridiculous selection system, are all arrogant and dare to look down on us. If we don't suppress them severely, are we going to wait until they become powerful enough to ride roughshod over us?"

"Mr. Qian makes it sound so easy!"

On the other side, a middle-aged man with a refined appearance and dressed in a scholar's robe spoke in a deep voice. He was a representative of the Wang family, a scholarly family in the city.

"Don't forget, Jiang Xuan has already registered for this year's provincial examination! In name, he's already a member of the imperial selection system! If we openly surround and kill him, what will the imperial high command think? After that tragedy a hundred years ago, how much has the empire protected its selection system? Don't you all know? If we get burned, who can bear the consequences?"

Mentioning the events of a century ago, many people present changed their expressions slightly. It was in the early days of the empire's establishment that a powerful family in a certain region carried out a horrific massacre to suppress talented individuals from humble backgrounds. This enraged the empire, which dispatched an iron-blooded legion to purge almost all the powerful families involved in the massacre, leaving rivers of blood flowing.

Since then, the empire has placed great importance on "fair selection," at least on the surface.

The argument escalated, with some advocating for a low-key approach, others insisting on a high-profile deterrent, and still others worried about the empire's possible reaction.

Amidst the chaotic scene, the person at the head of the table on the east side maintained a lazy demeanor, as if everything around him was irrelevant.

He looked to be about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, with a handsome face, but with a lingering air of languor and indifference between his brows. He was wearing a magnificent robe unique to the Biguang Pavilion, embroidered with flowing cloud and blue wave patterns.

He was Qi Tianxing, the cousin of the young master of Biguang Pavilion and the nominal person in charge of this operation against Jiang Xuan.

Qi Tianxing leaned back in his soft chair, his fingers tapping unconsciously on the smooth tabletop, his gaze unfocused, seemingly lost in thought. To him, these people arguing heatedly were nothing more than mouthpieces sent by various factions; none of the real decision-makers had come.

Arguing here is pointless and a waste of breath.

Finally, when he heard people starting to dredge up old grievances and accuse each other of the other's disgraceful past actions, Qi Tianxing could no longer tolerate it.

With a "smack," he slammed his hand onto the sandalwood wooden table.

The sound wasn't loud, but it was exceptionally clear, carrying an undeniable force that instantly drowned out all the noise.

The hall fell silent, and everyone's eyes were fixed on Qi Tianxing.

Qi Tianxing slowly sat up straight, his lazy gaze sweeping over everyone present, a mocking smile curving his lips.

"Have you had enough of the quarrel?"

His voice was flat, yet carried a chill.

"Have you all forgotten why you are sitting here today? You represent your families, sects, and chambers of commerce, that's right."

But your duty is to come and listen, to see, and then to take back everything that happened here tonight, exactly as it is, and tell it to those who truly have the power to make decisions.

Instead of having you arbitrarily express your opinions and debate these meaningless things!

He paused, his tone becoming even colder.

"What? Do you think my Biguang Pavilion's operation is not up to par, or do you think I, Qitianxing, am not qualified to sit here and preside over the overall situation? If you feel that your status has been wronged, the door is right over there. You can leave now, and I will not stop you."

These words were like cold water poured into a hot oil pan, but no one dared to actually cause an uproar.

Everyone looked as if they had been choked, their faces turning pale and then red.

Qi Tianxing's words were merciless, directly exposing their lack of core decision-making power. This embarrassed these usually influential figures, leaving them speechless and unable to refute him. After all, the Biguang Pavilion wielded immense power in Yanxia City, second only to the City Lord's Mansion, and Qi Tianxing himself was a direct descendant of the Biguang Pavilion, holding a prestigious position. (End of Chapter)