Chapter 485

During your recovery, you didn't rest properly or heal—you went to take the license exam for sword-riding passenger service…

Lin Xuanxuan, raised in Jishigu, felt deeply uncomfortable hearing this.

She saw Zhang Yunlu steadying the stiff-bodied Chi Jiuyu, then raised her hand and gestured.

Zhum~!

A long sword, as clear and crystalline as ice, shot out from its scabbard, circled once, then grew with the wind—within moments, it had become a massive blade the size of a door, hovering before the three of them.

Then, she frightened Chi Jiuyu again with the word "Master," before hoisting her onto her back and leaping onto the sword's surface.

She casually reached back and pulled Lin Xuanxuan along: "Let's go."

I didn't even drink, I could've gone back on my own…

But after glancing at the hovering sword, she ultimately said nothing.

Just try it! I've never tried it before!

She lightly leapt onto Zhang Yunlu's back—the broad sword surface could easily hold several people, and standing on it felt utterly stable, as if standing on flat ground.

Xiao Zhang's sword-riding foundation is still solid!

"Let's go, let's go!"

Then, she felt her body sink slightly—but the sensation vanished quickly.

A specially constructed magic power field had appeared atop the sword.

Within this magic power field, no matter the sword's flight angle, those standing on it felt no sensation of weightlessness.

Looking to either side, she saw the scenery on both flanks rushing backward at high speed.

Sword-riding passenger service is now a highly popular business.

After all, many cultivators once dreamed as children of becoming elegant, free-spirited sword cultivators.

But most, due to their own innate limitations, ended up becoming other types of cultivators—after all, non-high-level sword cultivators find it hard to get jobs…

Cough! Cough!

In short, many people want to make up for that regret and experience what it's like to ride a sword as a sword cultivator.

Plus, sword cultivators' travel speed is truly fast, and far more agile than large passenger magical devices.

Thus, sword-riding passenger service was born.

Later, under the Xiang Jianzong's promotion, it rapidly developed and matured, solving employment problems for many low- and even mid-level sword cultivators.

Lin Xuanxuan tugged at Zhang Yunlu's sleeve, glanced downward, then looked up.

"Xiao Zhang, are you planning to keep taking more exams?"

Jin Dan cultivators can only obtain the most basic sword-riding passenger service license.

Further licenses require a Higher Realm.

Sword-riding passenger service has developed into a highly refined industry by now.

Above Jin Dan, some elite sword cultivators can even let passengers experience "Sword Light Transforms into Rainbow," or even "Sword and Person United!"

Not to mention the Void Return sword cultivators in the stars, who possess "Jump"-level sword arts—sword light sweeping across multiple planets, truly human starships.

Though less comfortable than the Long Xiang Qing Tian Sect's "Diamond Body Sub-Jump Passenger Transport," their speed is superior!

"I don't know. I just took it on a whim."

"True, you are the disciple of the Xiang Jianzong…"

Suddenly!

Chi Jiuyu, half-asleep on Zhang Yunlu's back, suddenly lifted her head:

"Master!"

"…."

How terrified is Sister Jiuyu of the Xiang Jianzong…

"I won't learn alchemy!"

Hm?

She saw Chi Jiuyu, eyes glazed from drunkenness, stare blankly ahead for a long while after saying that.

Suddenly, she raised her hand and spoke with grave seriousness:

"Pass those four ahead!"

Then she collapsed again.

Lin Xuanxuan blinked, puzzled, but turned her head to look.

She saw only two people ahead, riding swords.

Hmm…

She mistook two for four—she's really drunk.

"Xiao Zhang, where did that liquor come from?"

Two small cups got two Soul Transformation cultivators completely drunk—Sister Jiuyu's jar of wine is definitely no ordinary thing!

She'd been mysteriously secretive, saying she'd reveal it only at the end.

"That liquor…" Zhang Yunlu hesitated slightly, "was given to me by my Uncle."

As for the trivial detail that the liquor was brought back by Uncle from the Hehuan Sect—that doesn't need to be mentioned!

Uncle?

Lin Xuanxuan was stunned!

Isn't that the Xiang Jianzong?!

So it was the Xiang Jianzong's liquor—no wonder it got Sister Jiuyu and that fairy drunk like this!

Wait!

The wine given by the Ancestor of Swords—I had actually refused it when I was about to pour it for myself?!

Thinking of this, his heart filled instantly with regret.

Even if I didn't drink it, I could've taken it back to study it!

He glanced at Jiuyu Ye Shijie, passed out behind Xiao Zhang's back.

Aah~

There's no chance now—looks like I'll just have to ask Jiuyu Ye Shijie for some later…

In just a few short sentences, the three had ridden their swords to the floating continent where the Xiang Jianzong's inner sect lay.

A patrol artifact passed by, paused briefly, then swiftly flew away after confirming the sword riders held the proper credentials.

…………

Meanwhile.

A thread of Du Ruoheng's spirit, passing through the Immortal Net, arrived via consciousness projection above the Xiang Phase Realm.

It was a most peculiar perspective.

The world's rules were no longer ethereal and elusive—they became tangible and visible; every change within the world could be seen at a single glance.

He could also see the threads of the Immortal Net, dense as woven silk, penetrating every corner of the Xiang Phase Realm.

Of course, he was not the only one who had come.

As soon as he entered the Xiang Phase Realm, he sensed several familiar consciousnesses lingering above it.

Besides that old fool Cheng Junming, Qin Wei the sycophant, there was Old Guo of the Divine Mechanism Alchemy Pavilion, Li Wanwan of the Ling Yin Fang, and Chang Yue of the Ji Shi Valley.

"Du Brother has arrived too," Cheng Junming noticed first. "You won't back out of our bet, I hope?"

"..."

During the grand competition, Shen Qingqing had subtly tricked Lin Changsheng, and the two had made a bet—a father-son wager…

"Hmph! The outcome isn't decided yet—what talk of reneging?"

"Old Du, you're wrong here—you must accept your loss," Qin Wei added.

"Shut up, sycophant!"

"You…! No manners!"

Considering Chang Yue was present, Qin Wei swallowed his anger.

"Enough, enough—let's first see what needs adjusting in the Xiang Phase Realm," Li Wanwan interjected. "The Ancestor's task can't be taken lightly."

Then, Chang Yue, who had said little until now, spoke up:

"Let's wait a bit—Shen Sister should arrive soon."

After all, this was a shared task—they must discuss it together.

Besides, this matter was Shen Qingjun's idea—shouldn't she bear more responsibility?!

Thus.

While waiting, the group observed the state of the Xiang Phase Realm.

Their own Dao-Union realm allowed them to adapt swiftly to this peculiar perspective.

The sect leaders first focused on the nine Divine Position holders.

If comparing combat strength after assuming the Divine Positions, Mu Yong was unquestionably first.

With memories of his past-life Void-Return, and being the world's chosen "Savior Reborn," he was innately close to the world's rules—no one could match him in this regard.

His selection was partly due to his identity as a "Reborn."

Yet precisely because of his past-life Void-Return memories, his thinking and cognition were somewhat limited.

Thus, in developing the Divine Position and expanding its authority concepts, he lagged behind the other holders.

Know this: the Divine Path system formed by the "Ten Thousand Phenomena Divine Edict" is entirely different from the traditional Immortal Path, and vastly distinct from the "Primordial Gods" whose rules are concretized.

The strength of its divine power depends entirely on the authority itself.

That is, the broader the concept covered by the Divine Position's authority, the stronger the divine power.

Then, how does one expand one's Divine Position authority?

Only one method—

Bestow Divine Positions!

For example, bestowing a River God over a river basin.

Initially, the River God's authority relates only to the river itself—abundant water means strong divine power; scarce water means weak divine power.

But if people migrate to live beside the river, build temples, and worship the River God, praying for protection and blessings,

Then the River God's authority gains concepts like "protection" and "blessing," and his divine power increases accordingly.

How much it increases depends on how vigorous the incense offerings are.

And under the convergence of countless rivers, the Emperor-level deity, as the overarching concept, gains an unimaginable boost.

Primordial existence had no form or name—but human words and deeds bestowed upon it "concepts."

Deities govern authority, weave heaven and earth, oversee all things.

Yet fundamentally, the authority deities govern is merely the concretization of human cognition.

Thus, the saying "gods are born from humans."

The original nine Divine Positions of the Xiang Phase Realm initially represented single, pure concepts, entirely independent of one another, so their divine powers were perfectly equal.

But as each Divine Position holder later established their divine system, their authority concepts began to conflict.

The one whose authority covered more concepts grew stronger.

The one whose authority covered fewer concepts gradually weakened.

If Mu Yong, who feared losing his divine power and refused to bestow Divine Positions, still fails to react in time…

Once the authority of the other divine seat holders covers more and more, the 'Water' divine seat might fall in grade as well.

emm……

Though whether he can even keep his own divine seat is still up in the air.

Among all the divine seat holders, his merit ranks second to last, yet his misdeeds rank third.

"The divine lineages contend…"

Cheng Junming performed a brief divination and quickly calculated the optimal form for the Xuan Realm's divine dao system.

"There should be two Sovereign Lords, three True Lords, and four Heavenly Lords."

The original nine divine seats still place too heavy a burden on the Xuan Realm itself.

So when the divine lineages' contention reaches its final stage, only two divine seats need to retain their grade; the rest must all be struck down in grade.

At that time, the two Sovereign Lords would be equivalent to Return-to-Void Perfection, the three True Lords would be Return-to-Void Early Stage, and as for the four Heavenly Lords…

Then they could only be Soul Transformation.

Only this way can it be ensured that the divine dao does not monopolize everything, leaving some room for advancement for the immortal dao.

After all, the ultimate goal is Return-to-Void Ascension cultivators with perfected merit and fruition; of course one cannot let the immortal dao simply vanish from the Xuan Realm…

"When an Ascender is born, a certain reward can also be granted to the world itself…"

Qin Wei added a sentence, then suddenly recalled that the current Ascension Platform seemed to already have such a mechanism, and simply said no more.

Damn!

That was a pointless remark.

Fortunately, no one noticed his slip of the tongue; everyone else had their attention drawn to the arriving consciousness projection.

"Sorry I'm late."

The Sect Master of the Zong Sect, Shen Qingjun, had arrived.

"Actually, you needn't wait for me. Decide among yourselves."

Everyone: "……"

Sounds nice, but wasn't this matter proposed by you?!

And now you want to push the whole thing onto us?

That's a bit much!

It was Li Wanwan, whose cultivated dao was rather special, who sensed something amiss:

"Sister Qingjun… are you preparing to break through to Tongxuan?"

Her voice, tinged with surprise and doubt, reached their ears, causing everyone to pause involuntarily!

"Mm."

And Shen Qingjun's faint reply was like a heavy hammer striking everyone's hearts; even her true body in the Tai Xuan Realm couldn't help but catch her breath!

"Afterwards I will handle the handover matters properly; such affairs should be left to the newly appointed Sect Master."

The Sect Master's handover would still take some time.

No!

Clearly you were the one who proposed this matter, yet now you've already prepared to run off?

For a moment, the crowd exchanged glances in silence.

"Then congratulations, Sister Qingjun!"

"May you attain Tongxuan, Daoist friend."

"Congratulations, Daoist friend."

……

After all, they were all members of the same workhorse group chat, even if they usually badmouthed one another quite a bit.

But at a moment like this, everyone still offered their sincere blessings.

At the same time, they couldn't help feeling a touch of emotion…

First there was the Xiang Jianzong's first Sword Master who comprehended the Dao Extremity and entered closed-door cultivation to prove immortality, and now even among their own generation, someone had begun attempting to advance to Tongxuan.

And calculating the time, she should be the youngest cultivator in all history to reach this step.

Of course, that excludes Saint Emperor Yuan.

That one needs no mention.

The most dazzling figure in a thousand years—achieving Cave Truth in just over thirteen hundred years—simply a cheat, no comparison possible.

If he hadn't suddenly vanished, he might truly have comprehended the Dao Extremity in the future and broken through the immortal gate.

……

……

Early morning.

Xiang Jianzong inner sect, Chi Jiuyu's cave abode.

A ray of sunlight slipped through the gap in the curtains and projected inward, shining into the bedroom.

"Mm…"

Lying in bed, hugging a shark plushie, Chi Jiuyu furrowed her brow, then flipped over to face the other side.

After a few minutes, the shark plushie in her arms was casually tossed onto the floor, and she lay sprawled on her back, limbs akimbo.

She slept straight through until noon like that.

She began groping around beside her, seemingly trying to find the shark plushie she'd been hugging earlier.

Naturally, she didn't find it.

So she had no choice but to sit up, rub her eyes, and gaze blankly ahead.

Through the large hole in the wall ahead of the bed leg, she could see the empty living room.

Her custom-made sofa, coffee table, the limited-edition gaming console she had barely managed to secure, and the wall-full of game controllers meant to tempt Yue Ling—all were gone.

In an instant, she was fully awake!

Fuck!

My home has been robbed!

This was her first thought.

No, this is the Inner Sect of the Xiang Jianzong!

No thief, no matter how bold, would dare break in here to steal.

So… what exactly happened?

She was truly baffled now.

No good, she had to ask someone!

Recovering her wits, she began searching for her phone.

It wasn't on either side of the bed, nor under the pillow.

Only after extending her divine sense did she finally find her phone beneath the bed, and she also picked up the shark plushie lying on the floor. (End of Chapter)