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

Xue Jin moved swiftly, appearing beside him in an instant and reaching out to support him. Her fingers briefly examined Jiang Xuan's wrist pulse, and Xue Jin's brow furrowed.

"Your life is almost over, and this wound on your chest... if it had been a little later, even a god couldn't have saved you. You've gone way too far, kid."

He shook his head, picked up the unconscious Jiang Xuan, glanced at the red fur ball Qiuqiu in his arms who was curiously examining him, a strange light flashed in his eyes, and then he didn't linger. With a flicker of his figure, he disappeared into the vast rainy night with Jiang Xuan and Qiuqiu.

……

The torrential rain gradually subsided, and a faint glimmer of dawn appeared on the eastern horizon, with a few remaining stars dotting the fading night sky.

Biguang Pavilion is a quiet courtyard pavilion.

Qi Xiaokong, the actual person in charge of Biguang Pavilion, was sitting alone on a stone bench, pouring himself a drink.

He had a refined appearance, but his eyes exuded an air of authority.

An old servant came silently from behind him, bowed and whispered.

"Master, the operation... should be over. News has come in that the poor young man has been killed."

Qi Xiaokong paused slightly in his hand holding the wine glass, but did not turn around. He simply gave a faint "hmm," as if this outcome was already within his expectations.

However, just then, a slightly hurried sound of footsteps approached from afar. The old servant who had left earlier returned, carrying something in his hand, his expression showing an unprecedented solemnity and... surprise.

"Sect Master..."

The old servant's voice was somewhat hoarse as he presented something to Qi Xiaokong with both hands.

It was not an ordinary letter or jade slip, but a postcard. The postcard was entirely black, made of some unknown material, and was cold to the touch. On the cover of the postcard, there was no text, only an image of a flower—the flower was strangely shaped, its petals like those carved from black obsidian, and in the dim light of the day, it faintly flowed with a deep, dark luster.

The moment Qi Xiaokong saw the flower, his previously calm expression froze! He abruptly put down his wine glass, snatched the invitation, and flipped it open.

The post contained only one line of calligraphy, bold and vigorous, yet exuding an endless chill.

"That concludes tonight's events."

There was no signature, no threatening words, but these few simple words, along with the black obsidian flower pattern, made Qi Xiaokong, the master of the Azure Light Pavilion, turn extremely ugly instantly, his eyes filled with disbelief, shock, and deep fear!
"The Obsidian Scroll...it's actually the Obsidian Scroll!"

His hand holding the post trembled slightly, almost uncontrollably.

"That kid... how could he possibly..."

He suddenly looked up, his gaze sharp as a knife as he shot at the old servant, his voice filled with suppressed anger.

"Where is Qi Yunxiao?! Didn't he swear that Jiang Xuan was just a poor boy with no background?! How do you explain the Obsidian Scroll?!"

Before he could finish speaking, Qi Tianxing's panicked voice came from outside the pavilion.

"Father! Father! Something terrible has happened! The operation has failed! Jiang Xuan... he's not dead! He..."

Qi Tianxing rushed into the pavilion in a disheveled state. Before he could finish speaking, he saw the black invitation in his father's hand and his father's gloomy face, which looked like it was about to drip water. The rest of his words caught in his throat, and his face turned deathly pale.

"waste!"

Qi Xiaokong suddenly stood up and slapped Qi Tianxing hard across the face, causing him to stagger backward and blood to spill from the corner of his mouth.

"Look at the good stuff you've done!"

Qi Xiaokong slammed the Obsidian Scroll in his hand down in front of Qi Tianxing, his voice as cold as ice.

"From today onwards, you are not allowed to cause any trouble for that Jiang Xuan! Do you hear me?! Anyone who disobeys will be expelled from the family!"

After saying that, he no longer looked at Qi Tianxing, who was slumped on the ground and ashen-faced. He turned around and left, his back view carrying an indescribable solemnity and... a trace of barely perceptible fear.

The entire Biguang Pavilion was plunged into an unprecedented state of panic and oppression because of this sudden Obsidian Scroll.

……

Almost simultaneously, the desks of the Yuan family, the Zheng family, and all the other leaders of the dozen or so factions who participated in last night's siege in Yanxia City received the same type of invitation card, branded with an obsidian flower pattern. Without exception, the message was the same: "Tonight's events are over."

The powerful figures who held sway over Yanxia City reacted exactly like Qi Xiaokong the moment they saw the post! First came shock and disbelief, followed by deep fear and unease!

"The Obsidian Scroll...it's actually the Obsidian Sanctuary!"

"That Jiang Xuan... he's no ordinary poor scholar! Behind him stands a colossal force lurking in the shadows of the empire!"

"It's over... We actually provoked such a being..."

"Quickly! Pass down the order! All actions targeting Jiang Xuan must cease immediately! No one is to mention last night's events again!"

Panic spread like a plague within these powerful families.

All their previous anger, resentment, and murderous intent vanished before the Obsidian Decree, which represented absolute power and will. All that remained was boundless fear and relief—relief that Jiang Xuan was still alive! Otherwise, they would likely have faced a devastating blow!

Inside the city lord's mansion, Liu Wujun looked at the information presented by his subordinates regarding the Obsidian Token and the reactions of various families. He remained silent for a long time before finally letting out a complex sigh.

"Sigh... treating a young man who might be connected to the Obsidian Sanctuary as an ordinary poor kid... these fools have really brought this upon themselves..."

Yanxia Academy, Dean's Quiet Room.

Wei Lingzhen and Du Dongtu sat facing each other, with a briefing about the Obsidian Scroll on the table.

Du Dongtu stroked his chin and grinned.

"Hey, this is getting interesting."

That kid didn't die, and he even invoked the banner of the Obsidian Sanctuary. It seems those powerful families have really messed with them this time; they're in for a rough time."

Wei Lingzhen gently brushed away the steam from the teacup and said calmly.

"He's alive and has demonstrated enough value and... background, which changes many things. At least, no one in Yanxia City will dare to touch him for the time being. It's just a pity that after this incident, it will be difficult for him to smoothly enter the military system."

Du Dongtu shrugged indifferently.

"Anything is fine as long as it teaches those arrogant guys a lesson."

Meanwhile, in a separate courtyard of the Wen clan in Yanxia City.

Wen Mingxiu, a rising star among the younger generation of the Wen family, was listening to his confidant report on the thrilling battle of the previous night and the "Obsidian Post" incident that shook the entire city this morning.

When she heard that the Wen family had avoided a huge trouble because of her caution and her cousin Wen Qingshan's warning, she was stunned and almost dropped the teacup in her hand.

The image of the poor boy who calmly defeated his opponent in the academy competition reappeared in her mind, stirring up a storm in her heart.

"He...he's not just someone who came from the Bloodthirsty Camp...backed by him...the Obsidian Sanctuary is actually standing?!"

Wen Mingxiu muttered to herself, her face filled with lingering fear and an indescribable complex emotion. She finally understood the true weight of her cousin Wen Qingshan's words, "This child is extraordinary and should not be easily made an enemy."

……

Listening to the Rain Pavilion, in that quiet and elegant room.

"Zheng——!"

A piercing snap rang out, and one of the strings on the guqin broke abruptly, bringing the originally desolate and melancholic music to an abrupt end.

Tingyu looked at the slightly trembling broken string, remained silent for a moment, gently removed her hand from the zither, and let out a low sigh that was hard to decipher.

"Canxue... actually failed."

Moreover, he was defeated by a mere youth at the Qi Refining Realm... truly unexpected.

Outside the private room, the voice of the ever-respectful servant came, carrying an unprecedented solemnity.

"OP, I just received confirmed news. Gray Sable's Qi Sea was destroyed, his cultivation was completely ruined, and he has become a mortal. Ghost Moon's left leg was pierced, but she narrowly escaped death. According to her, she didn't even realize how her opponent attacked her."

As for Lord Canxue… her left arm was severely injured, and a strange spirit arrow pierced her left chest, just an inch from her heart; her injuries were extremely serious.

The servant's voice was dry and incredulous.

"The three of them... were all defeated by Jiang Xuan. Such an outcome is truly... unbelievable."

Tingyu slowly stood up, walked to the window, looked at the gradually subsiding downpour and the whitening sky outside, her tone still calm, but with a touch of depth.

"The mission failed. But at least everyone survived."

The servant outside the door paused for a moment, seemingly making up his mind, before adding something.

"There's one more thing... Ghost Moon brought back a message. When she was evacuating, she vaguely sensed the aura of a master hidden in the shadows. The master did not stop her, but only transmitted four words in a distant voice—'Cangshan Muxue'."

"Twilight Blood on the Green Mountains?"

Upon hearing these four words, Tingyu's usually calm and composed mind was finally stirred up by a monstrous wave! He turned around abruptly, and for the first time, his usually serene face revealed an expression of extreme shock. Instantly, images of a hellish scene of mountains of corpses, seas of blood, and fields of white bones flashed through his mind—the darkest and bloodiest legend of the empire!

He took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the turmoil in his heart, and his voice regained its calmness, yet carried an undeniable determination.

"Issue my order: all missions involving Jiang Xuan are permanently cancelled! From this day forward, no one in Tingyu Tower shall have any further contact with this man, nor shall they accept any commissions related to him!"

He paused, then emphasized each word carefully.

"This person is not someone that our Listening Rain Pavilion can touch!"

Yes, OP!

Although the servants outside the door were filled with doubt and shock, they dared not disobey Tingyu's orders in the slightest. They respectfully responded and quickly left.

……

Inside that magnificent palace in the western district of Yanxia City.

Yao Susu and Lian Fei were anxiously awaiting news; the atmosphere inside the hall was so oppressive that it was hard to breathe.

"It's already dawn! Why haven't we heard any news yet?"

Lian Fei paced back and forth impatiently, his face filled with impatience and a hint of unease.

"Susu, are you sure everything's going smoothly at Tingyu Tower? That's ten thousand gold coins! What if that kid gets away again..."

Yao Susu sat on the soft couch, and although she was also anxious, she still tried to remain calm and reassured him.

"Brother Lianfei, please calm down. The reputation of Tingyu Tower is beyond question. Since they have accepted the mission, they will definitely complete it."

Moreover, with so many forces joining forces to besiege him last night, even if Jiang Xuan had three heads and six arms, he would have no chance of survival! How could a poor peasant like him possibly turn the world upside down?

Her words still carried a deep-seated contempt for those from poor families.

However, no sooner had she finished speaking than the palace doors were suddenly pushed open from the outside!

A chilling pressure instantly enveloped the entire hall, causing Yao Susu and Lian Fei to freeze as if they had fallen into an ice cave!

Yao Tuohai strode in, his face ashen, his eyes terrifyingly gloomy, and the oppressive aura emanating from him made the temperature in the hall seem to drop several degrees.

This great cultivator at the Cave Heaven Realm was clearly in a state of extreme anger.

"Father...Father?"

Yao Susu was so frightened that she stood up from the soft couch, her voice trembling. Lian Fei was even more terrified, not daring to breathe.

Yao Tuohai's cold gaze swept over the two of them, finally landing on Lian Fei, his voice devoid of any emotion.

"From today onwards, you two will stay in Yanxia City! You are not allowed to step out of the city again! And you are not allowed to care about anything related to Jiang Xuan!"

Upon hearing this, Yao Susu and Lian Fei turned deathly pale.

Although they didn't know exactly what had happened, they realized from Yao Tuohai's unprecedentedly stern attitude and words that something terrible had happened! And it was something terribly bad!

Yao Tuohai did not mention that he had been blocked by Xue Jin last night and might have even suffered a hidden loss, which was a disgrace to him.

He simply stared at Lian Fei and said coldly.

"Lian Fei, if you still want revenge, then pass this year's provincial examination! Crush him fair and square within the rules of the empire! If you dare to use these underhanded methods again and bring trouble to the family, I will be the first to cripple you!"

Lian Fei's face turned ashen, and his body trembled uncontrollably. Yao Tuohai's words undoubtedly confirmed one thing—Jiang Xuan was not dead! Not only was he not dead, but he had probably caused extremely serious consequences, even making his uncle, a Cave Heaven Realm expert, feel troubled and wary!
Yao Susu was filled with fear and disbelief.

Her father was a Grand Master of the Cave Heaven Realm! He was a big shot even in the Forbidden City! Even he personally took action, yet he still couldn't defeat Jiang Xuan? Just what kind of terrifying existence stood behind that kid?! The thought of how she had previously schemed to kill Jiang Xuan sent a chill down her spine.

……

The dawn completely tore through the darkness of night. The air in Yanxia City was fresh after the rain, and the sunlight dispelled the gloom of the past few days.

However, in stark contrast to the bright weather, there was an unusual calm in the city.

The streets and alleys were bustling with traffic, and the cries of vendors continued as before, as if the bloody and violent chase that swept the entire city the night before had never happened.

But all the cultivators who knew about it or vaguely sensed some rumors felt a strange sense of oppression and unease.

It's too quiet! No news has leaked out about the outcome of last night's operation! Whether it's the powerful families or the clans and gangs of the cultivators and retainers who participated in the attack, everyone remains eerily silent. It's as if an invisible, powerful force has forcibly suppressed all ripples. (End of Chapter)