What exactly was Young Master Lu planning?

  Heavenly Mechanic Pigeons streaked across the world, spreading the message. The entire cultivation realm erupted in fervor.

  Countless reclusive cultivators emerged from their hidden paradises and headed for the Eastern Ocean.

  The sea was packed with cultivators.

  After years of peace and prosperity, the Five Phoenixes had birthed countless new practitioners.

  The giant whale broke through the dense fog, carrying the massive immortal island on its back.

  Origin qi roared and cascaded down like waterfalls, creating earth-shaking noise.

  All the cultivators fell silent, breathing rapidly as they stared at the island—the island of White Jade Capital.

  Young Master Lu had appeared.

  Atop the White Jade Capital pavilion, he leaned against the railing, calmly surveying every gathered cultivator.

  His fingers tapped lightly on the armrest of his wheelchair.

  Lu Ping’an smiled. The reason he had summoned the world’s cultivators was simple.

  As the saying goes: the best way to grow stronger is through battle.

  Since that great war, the Five Phoenixes had known peace. Minor skirmishes between factions occurred, but true life-or-death battles were rare.

  Steady cultivation could produce experts, but it was too slow.

  Lu Ping’an had no idea when the mysterious imperial weapon in the Void Heaven would emerge. Once it did, the upper realms would never sit idly by.

  When that happened, the Five Phoenixes—the only High Martial world born from the Void Heaven—would become the primary target.

  They could be occupied, controlled, or even casually erased.

  During this time, under the acceleration of the time array…

  Ten years had passed in a flash.

  Gongshu Yu and Aru had remained on the island, researching a weapon of terrifying destructive power.

  Especially after Lu Ping’an provided the effects of the “Stabilize” inscription, Gongshu Yu’s research had begun to show breakthroughs.

  But beyond creating deterrent weapons, Lu Ping’an’s main goal was still to strengthen the Five Phoenixes—to increase his own spiritual energy reserves and advance his Dao Intent.

  Thus, within the preaching platform, he had spent time crafting a secret realm.

  A secret realm of time reversal.

  Using the “Approach” inscription and the power of time, he had extracted the invasion war from the upper realms and turned it into a secret realm.

  Calling it a secret realm was one way to put it—in Lu Ping’an’s understanding, it was essentially an instance dungeon.

  However, he had removed his own influence from that battle, ensuring his presence would not alter the course of events.

  He wanted the world to experience true desperation and hopelessness.

  Human potential is boundless. In dire adversity, people can achieve breakthroughs unimaginable in ordinary times.

  As for the mysterious training slots…

  Lu Ping’an planned to select a few individuals and send them to Blood Fiend Heaven and Yuan Magnet Heaven—to settle accounts on behalf of the Five Phoenixes.

  As the Great Venerable had said:

  It’s not that there will be no reckoning… only that the time has not yet come.

  Withdrawing his thoughts, Lu Ping’an looked out over the vast sea.

  “Is everyone here?”

  Seated on the Thousand-Bladed Chair, he scanned the crowd and asked.

  Then he smiled lightly.

  He raised a hand. A silver blade detached from the chair and floated above his palm, wrapped in powerful qi.

  With a gentle flick of his finger…

  The blade shot forth, plunging into the sea.

  BOOM!

  Waves surged dozens of zhang high.

  Then the water suddenly drained away.

  A massive mirror-like gate appeared—ten zhang tall, reflecting rainbow light, framed in ancient bronze.

  “Those at Yang Spirit realm and above may enter this mirror. Beyond it lies the secret realm…”

  Lu Ping’an said.

  “Your performance inside will be scored.”

  “The top sixteen scorers will receive the mysterious training slots.”

  The moment he finished speaking, the crowd exploded.

  Wasn’t this just making them compete against each other?

  Many were stunned.

  The cultivators of the Five Phoenixes had truly never had a proper ranking contest.

  No one knew who was truly stronger.

  Was this the moment it would finally be decided?

  On the other side, Lü Mudui in flowing white robes spoke.

  His hoarse, aged voice echoed over the sea.

  “By the Young Master’s command, this old man has brought paper and brush. Based on the secret realm scores, I shall… create a ranking list.”

  The moment he spoke, everyone’s breathing grew rapid once more.

  Though these cultivators had long transcended worldly fame and fortune…

  That was only relative to mortals.

  They were still human—cultivators with human emotions and desires.

  A ranking list meant glory.

  How could they not be moved?

  “Enter the mirror.”

  Lu Ping’an’s voice drifted down from the pavilion.

  BOOM!

  As soon as he spoke…

  The sea exploded. Thousands of cultivators surged forward like a tidal wave, streaking toward the towering mirror!

  Yang Spirit experts laughed heartily, eyes blazing with fighting spirit and pride.

  Like shooting stars, they stepped across the void and plunged into the ancient mirror.

  The mirror’s surface rippled like water, and their figures vanished one by one.

  Overlord, axe and shield on his back, radiated battle intent.

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  His gaze swept across Tang Yimo, Jiang Li, and the others.

  He threw his head back and roared with laughter, full of vigor.

  “The top spot on this list belongs to me, Xiang Shaoyun!”

  Overlord stepped forward, each footfall making the sea tremble.

  “That remains to be seen.”

  Tang Yimo tightened the white cloth around his fists and spoke calmly.

  His bones cracked as he charged toward the mirror.

  Du Longyang, Ye Shoudao, and the others laughed heartily—such a chance to compete was rare and exhilarating!

  Xue Tao, clad in silver armor, followed respectfully behind Jiang Li and entered the mirror.

  The watching cultivators stared intently.

  Many were below Yang Spirit, but they were just as eager.

  Watching Yang Spirit experts and above enter the mirror secret realm, their hearts raced in sync.

  “Young Master, Jing Yue has gone in.”

  Jing Yue said.

  With a flutter of her white dress, she headed for the mirror.

  Yi Yue emerged from the shadows, bid Lu Ping’an farewell, and followed Jing Yue.

  Ni Yu, excited, black cauldron on her back and Little Yinglong on her head, prepared to charge.

  But the moment her short legs moved, an invisible hand of spiritual qi yanked her back.

  “What are you rushing in for? Have you finished your new pill homework?”

  …

  Tang Yimo passed through the ancient mirror.

  He felt an odd energy envelop his entire body.

  Origin power… and the power of time!

  Suddenly, he opened his eyes.

  He found himself standing on the blood-colored battlefield.

  A bleak wind blew, chilling his skin.

  He was stunned, shocked, confused…

  Then he felt an icy killing intent that made the hairs on his neck stand on end—along with a terribly familiar atmosphere!

  He looked around and saw the furious Great Xuan iron cavalry, Jiang Li, and the others.

  He looked up.

  Beyond the Five Phoenixes, a massive round furnace hovered, radiating terrifying dao and principle.

  The rules of the Void Heaven were completely suppressed by this furnace.

  “This… this secret realm… it’s time reversal? We’re back in that war?!”

  Tang Yimo’s entire body tensed!

  The thunderous sound of iron hooves filled the air.

  At the edge of the Void Heaven, powerful upper-realm cavalry wearing bronze masks charged forward, cold and merciless.

  Tang Yimo’s body began to tremble.

  Not from fear—from excitement!

  “Fight!”

  Tang Yimo ripped off the white cloth binding his fists.

  BOOM!

  Ten thousand upper-realm foot soldiers charged, long halberds sweeping out with terrifying sharpness.

  In the normal timeline, Young Master Lu would have appeared, the River of Time would have flowed, and the entire army would have been erased in an instant.

  But this time…

  Young Master Lu did not appear!

  Tang Yimo understood what this secret realm was truly testing.

  “What would have happened in that battle… without Young Master Lu?”

  Tang Yimo stood still.

  Then he took a deep breath.

  Vital blood surged within him.

  First meridian, second, third…

  He opened meridians in rapid succession.

  Demonic qi rose like black clouds as he charged into the ten thousand halberd-wielding soldiers!

  Like a primordial beast!

  One punch exploded outward.

  Tang Yimo left afterimages as he tore into the enemy ranks.

  Against these Distraction-realm soldiers from the upper realms—equipped with top-tier gear, disciplined like steel, and forged with iron will—Tang Yimo quickly felt the strain.

  He could not erase them with a single thought like Young Master Lu.

  He could not sacrifice himself like Qi Liujia, activating the Myriad Pattern Cauldron to annihilate ninety thousand troops.

  All he could do was fight hand-to-hand, flesh against flesh!

  Pfft!

  He fought like a madman, blood boiling.

  One Distraction-realm soldier after another exploded into bloody mist under his fists.

  Each kill caused the number “1” to flash in the air.

  BOOM!

  When he killed his hundredth soldier, the upper-realm archers moved.

  They drew their bows. Arrows blotted out the sky.

  Tang Yimo’s pupils contracted. Immense pressure bore down.

  He roared.

  Breaking free from the infantry, he opened two more meridians—entering the Five Meridians realm!

  He became a black blur, too fast to track, dodging through the rain of arrows.

  He even stepped on the arrows themselves, advancing relentlessly!

  Roar!

  Tang Yimo burst through the arrow storm, body twisting mid-air. With a beast-like roar, he unleashed a punch shrouded in demonic qi that covered the heavens.

  With unstoppable force, he smashed into the archers.

  When he killed his hundredth archer…

  The thunder of hooves shook the earth. The upper-realm cavalry charged!

  An ocean of cavalry thundered forth. Though composed entirely of Distraction-realm cultivators, the pressure they exerted rivaled a Tribulation Transcendence expert!

  Yet Tang Yimo did not dodge. Demonic qi soared skyward, forming armor around him.

  Like a ferocious beast, he charged straight into the cavalry!

  …

  It wasn’t just Tang Yimo.

  Every expert who entered the mirror faced the same scene.

  Without Young Master Lu’s intervention, they faced the full onslaught of the upper-realm army.

  Above the vast sea…

  The wind suddenly died.

  Though separated by the mirror, everyone seemed to feel the terrifying killing intent permeating heaven and earth.

  Faint echoes of battle cries reached their ears.

  What was happening behind the mirror?

  What kind of secret realm was it?

  Many itched with curiosity but could not enter.

  The ancient tomb.

  Atop the city walls.

  The skeletal Gu Mangran sat cross-legged, his eyes reflecting the mirror.

  Unlike the others, he could see through it.

  He saw Tang Yimo drenched in blood.

  He saw Jing Yue’s white dress dyed crimson.

  He saw Overlord remove his own head, becoming a god-demon that carved a path of destruction.

  “This secret realm… actually reverses time and recreates that war…”

  “War truly is the fastest way to grow stronger.”

  Gu Mangran couldn’t help but admire Lu Ping’an.

  Only someone who controlled the “Approach” inscription could do something like this within the River of Time.

  Gu Mangran suddenly wanted to laugh.

  If the upper realms knew their army had been turned into a training tool for Five Phoenixes cultivators, they would probably cough up blood in rage.

  …

  Lu Ping’an watched quietly.

  He wanted to see how far these people could go in that terrible war without his influence.

  To his surprise…

  Their performances exceeded his expectations.

  Scenes flickered within the mirror.

  Sima Qingshan, face filled with grief, robes soaked in blood. Around him, the corpses of Five Phoenixes cultivators fell. He watched his disciple An Miaoyu cut in half by an enemy blade.

  He could barely tell reality from the secret realm.

  Without Young Master Lu, the Five Phoenixes truly couldn’t hold!

  The tragic scenes assaulted his mind.

  He gripped his brush, using blood as ink, painting with desperate strokes.

  This painting drained his very soul.

  “Kill!”

  When the scroll was complete…

  The usually refined Sima Qingshan roared in fury!

  BOOM!

  Ten thousand foot soldiers were swallowed by his painting.

  At the same moment, the bottleneck that had trapped him for so long shattered!

  Creation Venerable—achieved!

  Yet there was no joy on his face. Even knowing it was only the secret realm, his eyes burned with killing intent, pain, and sorrow.

  His brush swept horizontally!

  Ten thousand soldiers within the painting were gradually torn apart, reduced to bloody pulp.

  …

  Kong Nanfei sat high in the sky, radiating boundless righteous qi. His words thundered, forcing ten thousand soldiers to retreat.

  Confucian robes stained with blood, he faced death without fear.

  In that moment, he seemed to understand the mindset of the Master who once stood outside Dongyang City and repelled ten thousand troops with a single shout.

  Kong Nanfei recited the Song of Righteousness.

  Then he laughed heartily.

  His mind cleared—a single thought propelled him into the Creation Venerable realm!

  …

  Within Bai Qingniao’s mind, the Nine Phoenixes Scripture spun wildly.

  The next instant, seas of fire rose and fell, turning the sky into a blazing inferno.

  Little Phoenix One through Little Phoenix Nine—nine fire phoenixes soared.

  Though not true phoenixes!

  Their circling dance suppressed the upper realm’s hundred-thousand-strong Distraction-realm army!

  Bai Qingniao was dazed.

  So… she was this strong.

  BOOM!

  An Immortal Transformation expert struck with thunderous might.

  Little Phoenix Nine let out a mournful cry, feathers falling as it was smashed by a single palm.

  Bai Qingniao’s eyes instantly turned red.

  Little Phoenix Nine was so cute—how could they do that?!

  She felt the Nine Phoenixes Scripture spinning beyond her control. Brilliant flames erupted from her body.

  The next moment…

  Little Phoenix One through Eight all began to transform…

  …

  Lu Ping’an’s fingers tapped lightly on the wheelchair armrest.

  His eyes were calm, even cold and merciless.

  He felt ruthless—for making these people relive such a war, forcing them to feel despair and helplessness once more.

  But the results were undeniable.

  In the face of absolute desperation, many displayed resilience that astonished even him.

  Countless people made massive breakthroughs on the battlefield!

  Comfort and ease corrode the will.

  The Five Phoenixes could not yet afford comfort.

  And Lu Ping’an was genuinely surprised.

  In that original war, how many breakthroughs and heroic moments had his intervention suppressed?

  They were capable of this much!

  Suddenly…

  Waves rose on the sea.

  Ripples spread across the massive mirror.

  A Yang Spirit expert stumbled out, eyes bloodshot.

  He looked back. His score appeared on the mirror: 10 points.

  His eyes red, he laughed maniacally.

  “Hahaha! That bastard really died! Even if I had to self-detonate, I’d drag you down with me!”

  The Yang Spirit expert laughed like a madman, completely abandoning dignity.

  Lu Ping’an sent down strands of origin qi, calming his frenzied emotions.

  Many onlookers exchanged confused glances.

  But the murderous aura radiating from this expert made one thing clear—the secret realm behind the mirror was no ordinary place.

  As the first Yang Spirit emerged…

  More and more followed.

  Without exception, every one of them was emotionally unstable—some threw their heads back and laughed, others knelt on the sea and sobbed through gritted teeth.

  Lu Ping’an sent down origin qi to soothe them all. Only then did they gradually recover.

  The spectators felt chills down their spines.

  What exactly had they experienced…

  To need such calming?

  Their minds seemed on the verge of collapse!

  Lü Mudui sighed deeply and began recording names and scores on profound yellow paper.

  Ordinary Yang Spirit cultivators scored between 5 and 10 points.

  A few exceptional ones exceeded 10, but not by much.

  Finally, someone emerged.

  Xue Tao in silver armor walked out in a daze.

  He sat heavily on the ground, silent.

  His score appeared: 101 points.

  The highest so far. Gasps rang out—ninth-step Yang Spirit Xue Tao had taken the final step and achieved Body Integration!

  Many wanted to congratulate him, but his icy gaze killed all desire to speak.

  More and more Yang Spirit experts emerged.

  Many had broken through to Body Integration within the realm.

  Yet none showed joy at their breakthroughs.

  Lü Mudui recorded solemnly.

  Figures continued to walk out. Lu Ping’an flicked his fingers, sending down origin qi to stabilize their emotions.

  Nie Shuang emerged—the renowned Sacred Physique of Nie was now well-known in the cultivation world.

  Behind him came Tang Guo, Meng Haoran, Zhao Zixu, and others.

  Then Du Longyang, Ye Shoudao, and the rest.

  Sima Qingshan, Kong Nanfei, and Bai Qingniao also appeared.

  Many stared in shock.

  Their scores were terrifying—completely crushing ordinary Yang Spirit cultivators.

  When Tang Yimo, Overlord, Nie Changqing, and others stepped out…

  The crowd erupted in uproar.

  Overlord’s aura had grown even more terrifying—he had broken through!

  Shattering his shackles, he had stepped into the Creation Venerable realm!

  But when Lu Jiulian emerged in fluttering blue lotus robes…

  His score appeared on the mirror…

  In that instant…

  The entire sea fell deathly silent.