Unsheathed

The emperor of the Great Li Empire ascended the final step before striding onto the altar, after which his body vanished from sight.

This was a stone altar that was only as large as a drying field used by farmers. Looking at it from afar from where Song Changjing and the two chief eunuchs were standing, it looked as if there were nothing on the stone altar. However, what the emperor saw was completely different.

There was a towering building that measured dozens of meters in height before him, and this wasn’t some ordinary wooden building that could be seen anywhere in the capital of the empire. Instead, this was a building that had been constructed from an unfathomable amount of carved white jade.

Outside the ground level, there hung a plaque with three large golden characters — White Jade Capital[1].

The door of the building slowly opened. The emperor walked inside, only to see a hovering greatsword that was shrouded in furiously circulating arcs of snow-white lightning. In fact, the entire ground floor was permeated with thin arcs of crackling lightning. The emperor ignored these arcs of lighting that were imbued with fierce sword intent as he strode forward toward the stairs. Like the officials in the imperial court seeing their emperor, the arcs of lightning all flashed aside to create a path for him.

It was a similar sight on the second floor, with only a single flying sword hovering in the middle of the room. In contrast to the wide blade of the greatsword on the ground floor, however, this flying sword was glittering and translucent green in color, with its blade as slender as a willow leaf in early spring. It was as if the emerald green water of a stream were serenely rippling through the room.

The emperor continued to ascend the building. Compared to the remarkable sights on the first two floors, it initially appeared as if there were nothing special about the third floor. There was no hovering greatsword exuding an astonishing aura, nor was there a peculiar atmosphere that could nurture a sword. However, the emperor who hadn’t slowed down on the first two floors paused for a slight moment when he entered the third floor. He squinted his eyes and carefully observed the surroundings. After a while, he chuckled softly and said, “Found you.”

He walked to a nearby wall and leaned slightly forward. What appeared in his sight was a mini flying sword that was as small as an embroidery needle. Surprisingly, this sword had a pale gray scabbard even though it was so minuscule. There were two characters engraved on the scabbard — Pillar Rock[2].

This small mundane-looking sword had a grand and exaggerated name that seemingly defied its size.

On the fourth floor, there hovered an ancient longsword whose blade was covered in talismans and seals. On the fifth floor, there was a shockingly large greatsword that was as long as the emperor was tall. The characters “Mountain Suppressing” were engraved on its body.

The emperor continued to ascend the building, eventually coming to a stop when he reached the 10th floor. There was an old man and two young children standing in the room. The old man’s face was yellowish black, with his skin also filled with wrinkles. He was tall and burly, and he was dressed in white robes and wearing a tall crown. Inside his profound eyes, there rapidly circulated a purple Qi that others could see with their naked eyes.

There was a young boy and young girl standing beside the old man, and they were surprisingly the young master and maidservant from Jewel Small World, Song Jixin and Zhi Gui. The young boy was dressed in brocade robes and wearing a jade belt, and it was clear that he was already one of the most elegant and distinguished youths in the Great Li Empire. The only imperfection was the earthen-yellow four-legged snake that lay sprawled on his shoulder. This ruined his appearance a little. Upon closer inspection, however, one could fortunately see a bump on its forehead that signified impending brilliance.

Zhi Gui had seemingly grown an inch or so taller compared to before, with her appearance also becoming more beautiful. She was glowing with radiance, and she gave one a mystical feeling as if they were after enjoying the cool rain after a long drought.

The old man was standing in front of a window on the 10th floor, and he was pointing at someplace in the capital as he taught the young boy and answered his questions. Upon noticing the arrival of the emperor, the old man merely nodded in greeting. However, the emperor didn’t appear offended at all.

He walked up to Song Jixin and reached over to pat his head, yet the young boy subtly turned his body to avoid the man’s hand. The emperor’s expression remained calm as he retracted his hand and asked with a smile, “Song Mu, you’ve studied the Qi observing technique with Mr. Lu for a while already. Have you found the formation eye of the capital’s Mountain and River Formation yet?”

The young boy’s expression was cold, and there was a hint of estrangement in his voice as he replied stiffly, “Not yet.”

The old man smiled and said, “How can one master the art of geomancy so easily? However, Song Mu can already be regarded as outstanding, and he’s no less skillful than the young prodigies in the other great continents. Most importantly, his momentum is extremely strong because he’s adept in both arithmetic and divination. This will allow him to achieve twice the results with half the effort. Just how lofty are Luan Juzi’s[3] expectations? Yet, even he uttered words of praise for Song Mu, praising him as alike Hulian[4].”

The emperor laughed heartily and remarked, “He’s my son, after all.”

The maidservant Zhi Gui subtly took a few steps back, wrinkling her nose and sniffing the air.

The emperor turned to her and scolded with a chuckle, “Why you little thief, you’re truly not holding back.”

The young girl looked at him with a baffled and innocent expression. The emperor pointed at her and said in amusement, “Return what you borrowed on time, and you may borrow again next time. Don’t just take without giving. Otherwise, be careful that I send you back to the Dragon Locking Well. In fact, the immortal sect, the Palace of Eternal Spring, that’s located closest to the capital also has a well. If it comes it, I can force you to relocate into that well.”

These were mere words of jest by the emperor, yet they caused the color to immediately drain from Zhi Gui’s face. She hurriedly opened her dainty mouth and exhaled wisps of golden-yellow breath. Like small golden snakes, these wisps of breath quickly attached themself to the dragon pattern on the emperor’s brilliant yellow robes. They joyfully swam through the threads of the exquisite dragon robe, and they were much like fish that had finally returned to water. The dragon robe fluttered slightly, releasing pulses of colorful light. In fact, splashes of water genuinely danced around the bottom hem of the dragon robe.

The emperor laughed heartily and remarked, “How did you dare to lose your temper at Mr. Qi time and time again with such a timid nature?”

There was dejection on Zhi Gui’s face, and she shuffled over to gaze out another window. Her gaze continued southward, passing the tall buildings, exiting the palace, and leaving the capital. She tried to gaze at her hometown that lay in the distant south.

She didn’t like this place very much, the capital of the Great Li Empire that was called Dragon Rising City.

The emperor’s expression became serious, and he asked the old man, “Is Luan Juzi truly confident that he can add a 13th floor to this White Jade Capital?”

“If not, then why did Luan Changye even come to the Great Li Empire?” the white-robed old man who was brimming with immortal Qi replied in a solemn voice.

The emperor nodded and rested his palms on the window sill. Gazing at the prosperous capital, he said in self-ridicule, “Very well then. Even though I’m regarded as a prudent emperor by the imperial officials, even being ridiculed as a frugal housewife by the other emperors and rulers in Eastern Treasured Vial Continent, I’m still ultimately willing to spend money where it’s needed. In fact, I’d even be willing to smash my pots and pans to sell the scrapped iron for money.”

Mr. Lu smiled knowingly and remarked with emotion, “After working diligently and conscientiously for hundreds of years, all of the wealth that the Song Clan has obtained from managing Jewel Small World has now been dumped into developing this White Jade Capital. If this is still regarded as stingy and frugal… then it would be impossible to find a generous ruler in Eastern Treasured Vial Continent.”

“Even though this will make me seem the complete opposite of carefree, I still have to confirm something with Mr. Lu one final time,” the emperor said. “As long as our opponent is located to the north of Lake View Academy in Eastern Treasured Vial Continent, then this building will only need to unleash 10 swords to deal with a 10th Tier cultivator who dares to challenge the Great Li Empire. An 11th Tier cultivator will face 11 swords, and a 12th Tier cultivator will face all 12 swords from the building — is this enough to instantly kill them from tens of thousands of kilometers away?!”

The old man was filled with soaring pride as he replied, “In this measly Eastern Treasured Vial Continent? There’s no doubt about it!”

However, he added, “Judging by his aura, and combining this with the information from the intelligence reports, that saber-wielding man with the bamboo hat is definitely a Qi refiner at the Upper Five Tiers. It’s most likely that he’s at the 11th Tier. However, it’s also possible that he’s at the 12th Tier. At the end of the day, he’s still too far away from here, and he’s also suppressed his aura on purpose. As such, my understanding of him is still a little fuzzy even though I’ve performed astrological divination and can observe him using the mystical distance observation power.”

The old man casually flicked his sleeves in a smooth motion and chuckled, “But let me say this first. The White Jade Capital currently has 12 floors in total, with each floor containing one flying sword. Even though they contain profound power and lethality, enough to deter all cultivators in the continent, each sword that’s unleashed will imply a colossal expenditure. I know that the Great Li Empire had just conquered the wealthy Lu Empire to the north. However, if we unleash all 12 swords at once, it will be nothing but a vain ambition if we want to unleash them again within 20 years. Of course, this is unless Your Majesty is willing to pay the price of the flying swords being obliterated.”

The emperor nodded in understanding.

“Luan Juzi is still yet to complete the 13th floor of the White Jade Capital,” Song Jixin suddenly interjected. “What will we do if that uninvited guest provoking the Great Li Empire is a 13th Tier cultivator?”

The emperor remained silent with a smile on his face.

Meanwhile, Mr. Lu roared with laughter and explained in a gentle voice, “A 13th Tier cultivator? Such individuals are as rare as phoenix feathers and qilin horns even in my hometown, the largest continent in the world. Moreover… No, these divine secrets can’t be revealed. You simply need to know that even Ruan Qiong, an 11th Tier cultivator from Wind Snow Temple, is powerful enough to found a sect on his own. Keep in mind that the title of ‘sect’ is something that carries a lot of weight — only forces with cultivators at the Upper Five Tiers can refer to themselves as sects. Otherwise, even if one transgresses etiquette, the stubborn old men from the Confucian Sect will still glower at them in anger.”

“Even though Ruan Qiong is resolute when it comes to dealing with matters, and even though has a bit of a short temper, making him appear unreasonable and leading to numerous criticisms from immortals in the empire, his personality is indeed a great fit for my empire,” the emperor added slowly. “As such, I’m naturally willing to treat him with respect and courtesy. Not only will the Great Li Empire welcome such cultivators, but as the ruler of the empire, I’m even willing to deal with them on equal footing. In any case, those who sit on the throne all understand the simple concept of buying a horse carcass with a thousand taels of silver[5].”

Song Jixin refused to relent, and he repeated, “What if it’s a 13th Tier cultivator?”

The old man smiled and shook his head.

The final two tiers of the Upper Five Tiers had already been lost to time. Thus, the legendary 13th Tier was regarded as the most lofty and powerful in the world.

Such profound individuals weren’t recorded in any of the mortal empires’ classics or secret documents. In fact, even the powerful immortal sects carefully avoided any mention of them.

The old man was only able to piece together some scattered pieces of information from his elders and gain a crude understanding of the situation because he was born in one of the top-notch clans in the world and was once a brilliant prodigy in his continent. He was most likely not too far away from the truth.

The Ascension Tier of the Upper Five Tiers was already the pinnacle tier in the “world”, similar to how the 10th Tier was the genuine End Tier for pure martial artists — no visible path lay beyond this tier. Moreover, one would draw the attention of the illusory and mystical Heavenly Dao once they advanced to this tier, and they would be ruled as a great criminal who had stolen from the foundation of heaven and earth. Heaven and earth wouldn’t tolerate the existence of such people, and they would insist on wiping them from the face of the world. Thus, Qi refiners at the Ascension Tier would be even more reclusive than gods and immortals and those at the 10th Tier. Otherwise, heaven and earth might genuinely force them to

As for where they ascended, and regarding what would happen to their physical body and soul at that time, Mr. Lu didn’t have a single clue. He surmised to himself that this was perhaps linked to the Divine Dao that had already collapsed long ago.

The emperor lowered his head slightly, looking at the face of the young boy which still appeared a little childish. “What if?” he retorted.

“Yes, what if!” Song Jixin replied with a nod.

The emperor retracted his gaze and chuckled, “If you’ve truly jinxed the situation… then so be it.”

The young boy didn’t hide his sneer. He didn’t take the emperor’s words seriously at all. Even though he was the revered emperor of the Great Li Empire, the largest empire in Eastern Treasured Vial Continent, and even though countless people viewed him as someone with wild ambitions to conquer the south, the young boy had already set foot on the path of cultivation now, and the two elders teaching him were already the most top-notch cultivators in the world. Moreover, he had also smoothly obtained the great fated opportunity that was the White Jade Capital. As such, he was increasingly aware of just how incredibly dangerous a 13th Tier cultivator was to a nation or a sect.

The emperor’s gaze was gentle as he looked at the young boy, and he continued softly, “It was by relying on this ‘what if’ that the forefathers of our empire were able to shake their identity as subordinates to the Lu Empire and rise to become what we are today. Not only have we conquered the Lu Empire now, but we’re even about to march toward Great Sui Nation with the entire force of our empire. Our chance of victory is extremely high. Once we succeed, there’ll be no more threat to our rear. At that time, we can march south without worry, and it’s certain that the early stages of our expedition will be a resounding success.

“Because of this, I’ve never felt aversion toward the phrase ‘what if’. In fact, I keep telling myself that those who have the right to enter the history books as talented and exceptional rulers are all people who were able to crush the advantageous ‘what ifs’ of their enemies. At the very least, they were able to withstand these ‘what ifs’.”

The emperor’s expression was leisurely, and he told the young boy, “Song Mu, this is the disposition and manner that the mighty ruler of a nation should possess.”

In the end, he smiled and said, “Song Yuzhang should have taught you these principles a long time ago. However, he simply didn’t dare to.”

Song Jixin’s expression was somber.

The emperor didn’t pay any heed to the small knot in the young boy’s heart, and he gazed up at the sky and remarked, “Majestic White Jade Capital in the heavens, within it twelve towers and five cities lie[6]. I truly wonder just how majestic the genuine White Jade Capital in the heavens is…”

He bent his index finger and lightly knocked the young boy’s head. Song Jixin wasn’t able to dodge in time, and this caused a slightly furious expression to flare across his face. The man laughed in amusement. Not worried that there were two outsiders present, he directly revealed, “Your mother has higher hopes for your younger brother. However, I have higher hopes for you. Even vicious tigers don’t cannibalize their own offspring, yet women… Truly, the most vicious thing in the world is a woman’s heart.”

There was sadness in his voice as he murmured to himself, “Sinister purple usurping bright red[7].”

However, a smile quickly grew on his face, and he said, “I feel guilty for my treatment of Mr. Qi. It was the Great Li Empire that failed him. However, it’s very good that you’re his disciple.”

After trying to find the right words for half a day, Song Jixin finally changed the topic and asked, “Since you’re the emperor of the Great Li Empire, why don’t you refer to yourself as ‘I who lack virtue’[8]?”

The emperor lightly placed his hand on the young boy’s shoulder and explained, “Others have viewed the Great Li Empire as a land of barbarians for almost a thousand years. By not using this esteemed title, I’m hoping to remind myself to introspect and not forget this burning humiliation!”

Song Jixin faltered upon hearing this.

The emperor retracted his hand with an amused chuckle and said, “I’m kidding. I simply dislike the inauspicious connotation of that title.”

“He’s here!” the old man with the tall crown suddenly roared.

“He didn’t flee in the face of encirclement, and he chose to charge toward the capital instead?” the emperor asked.

The old man was deeply shaken as he widened his eyes and peered out the window toward the south. His voice quivered as he announced, “10th Tier, 11th Tier, 12th Tier! He’s already at the pinnacle of the 12th Tier!”

However, the emperor’s expression was calm as he ordered, “Song Mu, it’s your turn to act.”

Song Jixin took a deep breath before turning around to face the south. He formed seals with his hands and declared through gritted teeth, “I, Song Mu! By royal decree of the emperor of the Great Li Empire, I hereby command the 12 formal gods guarding the fortunes of the lands to accept these swords!”

Winds howled and clouds swirled above the capital as a burst of sword qi instantly erupted from the lofty tower.

The flying sword on the ground floor was the first to unleash arcs of lightning through the air, causing countless people in the capital to look up in fear and astonishment.

A short moment later, the second flying sword flew out from the tower.

Then the third sword…

…And eventually the 12th sword.

However, half of the flying swords didn’t fly directly south to meet the enemy. Instead, they chose to fly in three other directions.

Moreover, the flying swords all grew to a humongous size immediately after leaving the White Jade Capital. After soaring out of the capital, they further grew explosively to a colossal size. Even the mini flying sword that was as slender as a willow leaf transformed into a gigantic flying sword that measured almost 50 meters in length after flying 50 kilometers from the capital.

With this tower that emulated the towers in the heavenly White Jade Capital as the center, numerous gods heeded the command from all directions, revealing their majestic godly bodies as they did so. Atop the Southern Mountain in the southernmost region of the Great Li Empire, a formal god whose godly body measured 300 meters in length stood tall and raised his arms, roaring, “The Southern Mountain accepts the command and sword!”

The remaining 11 formal gods also revealed their titanic Dao Manifestations as they stood up in the various regions of the Great Li Empire and accepted the flying swords from the White Jade Capital. They then strode through the air, with each stride carrying them dozens of kilometers.

All of them were targeting the burst of light that was soaring through the sky from the south to the north.

The formal god of the Southern Mountain was the first to step forward to meet the enemy.

A deafening explosion suddenly rang out.

The Dao Manifestation of the formal god shattered along with his flying sword.

Inside the capital, an astonished sigh traveled out from the top level of the White Jade Capital. This was a sigh filled with puzzlement and helplessness.

“Impossible… Impossible…” the old man with the tall hat murmured.

On the 10th floor, blood seeped from the corners of Song Jixin’s mouth.

The emperor furrowed his brows.

Only Zhi Gui looked around everywhere as she heartlessly leaned against the windowsill.

The second formal god suffered much the same fate, with their godly body collapsing with a loud explosion.

Every so often, a thunderous boom would reverberate throughout the entire Great Li Empire.

Song Jixin was in a dire state, with blood streaming from all of his orifices. His expression was twisted, yet he still forcefully stopped his mind from wavering.

When the sixth explosion ripped through the air in the distance…

The old man on the top level smiled bitterly and murmured, “I’m truly frightened of you now. This old man will make way for you, okay?”

The Dao Manifestations of the six formal gods that were initially standing in a line from north to south started to move to the left and right, opening up a path for the soaring burst of light.

As if unsatisfied, the burst of light paused for a moment as it considered whether it should attack the remaining formal gods. However, it quickly abandoned this idea and continued to soar forward.

In the end, the figure charged into the capital of the Great Li Empire and landed in front of the altar that carried the concealed White Jade Capital.

Beads of sweat had already formed on Song Changjing’s forehead. However, he still stood before the man who had landed from the sky and blocked his path.

A smile quickly appeared on his face, and he felt like he would have no regrets even if he were to die after a hearty battle with this man. His life would have been worthwhile!

An ordinary-looking man stood on the plaza where the altar was located. However, wraps that could assist one in traversing the mountain paths were still comically wrapped around his lower legs, and there was also a broken bamboo saber in his hand. He turned around to glance at the top of the city wall, and he couldn’t help but grunt in slight puzzlement. Only after this did he turn to glance at Song Changjing, the 10th Tier martial artist. He nodded lightly, and there was a look of approval on his face. In the end, he looked up at the peak of the tower that held hidden mystical abilities.

He tossed his bamboo saber aside and lightly stomped his feet, instantly forcing the White Jade Capital to show its true appearance.

He drew Auspicious Talisman from its scabbard and casually raised it into the air. With the tip of the blade pointing at the tower, he announced loudly, “The five of you in the tower, which one of you is the emperor of the Great Li Empire? I’m in a rush, so hurry up and get yourself out here to kowtow and apologize! I’ll count from 10! 10!

“One!”

After directly jumping from 10 to one, the man ferociously slashed down at the stone altar and lofty tower.

1. White Jade Capital (白玉京) can mean vague and mythical. It symbolizes the fact that cultivators can also become immortals, and it can also be used to refer to the residence of the Heavenly Emperor. The term appears in one of Li Bai’s (extremely famous Chinese poet) poems. ☜

2. Pillar rock (砥柱 Dizhu) refers to a rock that sits in the turbulent Yellow River. It can be used to symbolize someone who’s resilient and capable of becoming an organization’s pillar. ☜

3. Juzi (巨子) is not his actual name. It is a title that refers to the leader of the Mohist teaching. ☜

4. Hulian (瑚琏) is a sacrificial vessel used to hold Chinese sorghum in ancestral temples. It can be used to symbolize a talented person of a high caliber. ☜

5. This is a reference to a story that Guo Wei told King Zhao of the State of Yan. It symbolizes the fact that one will naturally be willing to go to great lengths for a person or thing if they’re willing to do so for a dead or inferior equivalent. ☜

6. An excerpt from Li Bai’s poem, 经乱离后天恩流夜郎忆旧游书怀. ☜

7. In ancient times, Chinese people viewed purple as a color that represented disorder and bright red as a color that represented righteousness. Thus, purple usurping red represents evil overcoming good. ☜

8. This is referring to the title 寡人, a humble pronoun used by emperors in ancient China. It literally means someone who is lacking virtue (寡德). ☜