Chapter 1: The Sword Cultivator Ahead of You, You

The Taixuan Realm, Central Continent, Jianzhou.

Today is an ideal day for seclusion, emerging from seclusion into the world, refining talismans, and cultivating techniques.

In the sky, colored streaks of light moved back and forth along designated flight paths for Foundation Establishment cultivators.

Each streak represented a cultivator of at least mid-Foundation Establishment, capable of flight via a spiritual artifact.

Though this era now allows mass production of large passenger magic treasures, most cultivators still prefer this ancient method of artifact flight, with sword cultivators being the most numerous—hence this sword flight route was created.

Originally, it was just an ordinary day.

But soon, a dull gray-white light suddenly intruded from outside the designated zone.

It moved at an extreme speed, far beyond Foundation Establishment levels.

Its dim gray aura seemed to conceal its presence.

It traveled against the flow among countless white streaks for a long time, yet not a single cultivator noticed.

Until it passed the toll checkpoint of the cultivator highway.

The large spiritual energy detection system suddenly activated.

Didi-di!

The shrill alarm jolted the route administrator, who had been dozing in a reclining chair—he leapt up in alarm.

“What the hell!”

The technical effect from Lingyin Workshop was this good—it struck straight into your soul.

It sharpened your mind, guaranteed to wake you up no matter how deep you slept!

He quickly glanced at the screen beside him.

“Fuck me! Speeding and going the wrong way—who the fuck has the balls to be this reckless?!”

He immediately grabbed the identity badge on the desk and pinned it to his chest.

【Name: Zhang Xiu】

【Cultivation Base: Golden Core Mid-Stage】

【Employee ID: 9527】

He pushed open the door and formed a hand seal with two fingers.

A dark red, ancient longsword flew out from its sheath on the wall.

Zhang Xiu stepped onto the blade and casually shut the door behind him.

With the gradual maturation of anti-gravity technology, toll checkpoints could now remain suspended at sufficient height at low cost.

Hum~ Start at gear five!

Instantly, a surge of spiritual pressure whipped up a gust of wind where he stood.

A red streak slashed across the sky, chasing after the gray-white light.

“Who the fuck is speeding and going the wrong way—do you want to die?!”

“If I catch you, I’ll beat the shit out of you, you little brat!”

Zhang Xiu cursed as he chased after it.

But half a minute later, watching the gray-white sword light vanish from his spiritual energy detector, Zhang Xiu fell silent.

This was his standard Golden Core mid-stage speed! Logically, he was a full major realm higher—how could he not even see a shadow? He chased longer, still saw nothing—not even a hair.

Clearly, this person was no mere Golden Core.

Which elder had let their guard down and come to harass Foundation Establishment cultivators on this route? Didn’t they fear getting caught?

And Pianpian I had to be the one to run into them. “...”

Zhang Xiu stopped chasing and pulled out his communicator.

He reported the incident to his superior.

He received an instant reply: return to base, reinforcements would be dispatched.

He was also told that the authorities had been alerted.

Phew~ This probably wasn’t his problem anymore.

Zhang Xiu stared at the screen a while longer before stepping back onto his sword and returning.

…………

Meanwhile, inside the gray-white aura.

Xu Xing maintained his Concealment Technique, frowning as he observed the Foundation Establishment cultivators flying past him.

Why does it feel like the entire world changed while I was in seclusion?

Their attire… resembles what I wore before I was reincarnated.

The more he looked, the more confused he became—could the two worlds have merged during his seclusion? Or had there been a technological explosion? He tore his gaze away from a young girl riding a sword in denim shorts, exposing her pale legs.

Something unimaginable had clearly happened in this world. Before his seclusion, such attire would never have appeared in broad daylight.

Hmm… unless you counted the Hehuan Sect.

“Sword cultivator ahead! You’re speeding! Pull over and stop for inspection! Show your sword flight permit!” A rough voice came from behind.

Huh?!

This familiar sensation… plus the Lingyin Workshop’s sonic technique.

Xu Xing paused, glancing back.

He saw a black flying shuttle carrying a bearded middle-aged man rapidly approaching him.

When did Lingyin Workshop start hiring men?! But his Nascent Soul cultivation…

At his age, that’s still decent.

Should he stop? After a brief hesitation, Xu Xing slightly increased his spiritual output.

Hum~ The gray-white sword light flared brightly, its speed surging several orders of magnitude—violent air currents churned, even catching the attention of nearby Foundation Establishment cultivators.

“Holy shit!”

Who the hell is that?

The man on the shuttle stared at the feedback data on his spiritual energy detector and came to a halt.

He watched helplessly as the sword light vanished into the horizon, too terrified to pursue further.

A Void-Transcending Grand Master! Which ancient elder had just emerged from seclusion—and I ran into him?!

Only those above Void-Transcending would seal themselves away for centuries, even millennia.

Having missed the Great Reform Era, they had no understanding of the rules of this new age.

May the Holy Emperor protect me—please let this ancient not be a demonic cultivator!

As he prayed inwardly, he pulled out a talisman.

Void-Transcending Transmission Talisman! Extremely rare—only for dire emergencies.

He engraved the situation into it with his spiritual sense, then released it.

In a flash of spiritual light, the talisman vanished.

Next, he needed to calm the Foundation Establishment cultivators here and arrange their evacuation.

If that had truly been a demonic Void-Transcending Grand Master, this wouldn’t be a joke.

…………

On the other side, Xu Xing had arrived above a city.

Skyscrapers stood in dense rows.

Many vehicles resembling “cars” moved back and forth along wide, flat roads.

Yet they were powered by a hybrid of electricity and spiritual energy.

What was this? Modernized cultivation? The familiar yet alien scene left him dazed.

What the hell had happened during my seclusion?

After observing for a while, Xu Xing landed beside the road and dispelled his concealment aura.

Simultaneously, his black narrow-sleeved robe automatically transformed into an ordinary white shirt and casual pants.

Wait—this road surface seems…

He crouched down and reached out to touch it.

It was made of crushed spirit stones drained of spiritual energy.

And deep beneath lay a foundation array, its spiritual power equivalent to the total magic power of a Nascent Soul cultivator.

Xu Xing raised his head, his spiritual sense spreading across the entire city.

Three hundred and sixty-five array foundations, interconnected, forming a vast, intricate array capable of covering the whole city.

When fully activated, its destructive power even surpassed that of a typical Soul Transformation cultivator.

“Impressive.”

The array’s structure was exquisitely crafted—even by Xu Xing’s standards, he could find few flaws.

But if faced with a master arrayist of profound skill…

He retracted his spiritual sense, stood up, and walked straight into the city.

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(End of Chapter)