Chapter 213

Along the way, you surveyed the flourishing scene of the Sea of Blood: market towns stood along the shore, groups of cultivators dwelt in the towns, stretching along the Sea of Blood.

In your broad view, the shores of the Sea of Blood had become a realm utterly unlike the Dharma-ending age: here mortals were few, cultivators many, yet they still lived just like ordinary people.

Cultivators replaced mortals, spirit stones replaced money; the wealthy bought houses and land, the poor slept rough on the streets, merchants set up stalls, farmed and raised livestock… Consequently, this place bore no resemblance to a cave-paradise: there was no immortal aura within, but rather a strong air of mortal bustle.

In social structure, they also converged with the mundane: there were husband-and-wife families, the four occupations of scholars, farmers, artisans, merchants; children happily romped about, gradually growing up…

When the children grew into youths, each would seek work; those with poor spiritual roots often took lowly jobs—reclaiming land to plant spiritual herbs, husbandry of spiritual beasts, rough processing in workshops, freelance work… Apart from having a little cultivation, they were hardly different from ordinary mortals in the mundane world.

Those with excellent spiritual roots, however, are recruited by the various sects and clans of the market towns, where they are intensively trained for use in the sects' and clans' struggles for power and profit… If they are truly outstanding among people, they can gradually grow into wielders of authority, even attaining immortality and longevity.

After becoming immortals, they receive a summoning order from the superior market town: either go to a major market town to pursue further study, or, by command, establish a new market town to expand the civilization of the Sea of Blood!

In short, this peculiar civilization rooted in spirit‑stone resources is utterly unlike the outside cave‑paradises, and also incompatible with your Heavenly Court system; outsiders find it ever more strange the more they look.

You have seen much and thought much: this place flourishes, even surpassing Zhongzhou; it can be called a model of the immortal path!

If we view the current immortal‑path pattern of the wilderness from the standpoint of immortal‑path civilization, then the orthodox and demonic ways of the Four Wastelands are undoubtedly the most trashy "man‑eating heretical paths", while the Zhongzhou model is comparatively respectable and humane—still a "man‑eating heretical path".

Only the Sea of Blood model counts as relatively proper transmission of the immortal path; even though it too is a "man‑eating heretical path", at least on the surface everything appears normal…

What? You say the Heavenly Court is also proper?

Uh… don't joke, the Heavenly Court's immortal‑path transmission has been severed by your own hands—mortals are forbidden to cultivate, cultivators are mere consumables, true immortals are free beasts of burden… Under your brainwashing rule, the Heavenly Court cannot be called a model of the immortal path; at best it has nothing to do with the immortal‑path transmission…

You are a "demon emperor", and the Heavenly Court is likewise a "demon court"; the purpose of your establishing the Heavenly Court was to go forth and exterminate the immortal path!

……

After a long time, you found the meeting place mentioned in the letter.

This is the largest, most prosperous market town in the Sea of Blood; if ordinary market towns are mainly inhabited by low‑level cultivators, then the residents here are chiefly immortals!

Indeed, the average resident here is a true immortal, with heavenly immortals not uncommon and mystic immortals occasionally passing by… You stand in the city, dazed, looking around, inexplicably feeling as if you are not at all in the Dharma‑ending age.

Is it the Dharma-ending age? Indeed it is!

At this moment you deeply sensed something called "foundation": this Sea of Blood civilization system is absolutely not simple; the hidden power‑holder, even if not the genuine Jin Bing, is certainly an old hand…

After some thought, you chose to be cautious, suppressing your golden‑immortal aura down to the level of a mystic immortal, so as not to invite unnecessary trouble.

Having made that preparation, you then proceeded toward the market town's core, revealing your mystic‑immortal cultivation and your identity as the Heavenly Emperor, and finally produced the letter from "Jin Bing".

Upon seeing an outsider mystic immortal arrive, the market town's administrators were shocked; together with the letter, they dared not neglect it and hurriedly reported upward…

You were soon respectfully escorted into the town lord's office, awaiting an audience with the town lord "Jin Bing".

……

Standing in the study said to belong exclusively to Jin Bing, Xue Xuan looked around with curiosity.

What one sees is that the décor is plain; besides the essential desk, chair, and similar furnishings, there is no extra decoration—the whole study is deliberately unremarkable; not to speak of a power‑holder among immortals, even a modestly wealthy mortal household would not use such a shabby study design.

Yet this instead accords with the legendary frugal aura of the Golden Heavenly Emperor.

Even though Xue Xuan does not believe this town lord is truly Jin Bing, it does not stop him from thinking the person is not bad—at least they play the part convincingly!

Of course, just how convincing they are remains to be seen after a personal interaction…

After waiting only a short while, Xue Xuan saw a figure approaching from outside the door in the distance:

The visitor wore a yellow robe, matching the Golden Heavenly Emperor's legendary Golden Flood Dragon lineage.

Their appearance was also quite young, matching the legendary youthful image perfectly.

Their face faintly bore dignity; one could tell they had long held a high position, yet they lacked the aloofness that keeps people at arm's length, instead giving an inexplicable sense of closeness…

They pretty much matched the legendary image of the Golden Heavenly Emperor in every way—except for cultivation: they are not a true immortal but a mystic immortal!

All in all, this person gave Xue Xuan a good first impression; whether or not they are truly Jin Bing, at least they cosplay the role convincingly.

"I am Jin Bing."

The visitor laughed and said:

"Are you the reincarnation of Xuandu?"

After carefully examining this "Jin Bing", and under their astonished gaze, you bluntly demanded: Who exactly are you?

"Of course I am Jin Bing!"

They sighed helplessly; it seems they are often doubted.

Seeing that you still did not believe their identity, Jin Bing had no choice but to recount their past story: in their youth they loafed about the Eastern Sea, then chanced upon Nüwa creating humans; by fortunate coincidence they became the great chieftain of humanity, subsequently established an egalitarian Heavenly Court, successively defeated the twelve tribes of the Wu Clan and the Supreme Heavenly Court, and finally accepted the abdication of Di Jun, ascending the throne as emperor…

They related it with vivid color; these ancient myths, familiar to you, gained many details in their telling, and the plot became more lively and vivid—just listening, one could almost sense the inherent mythic aura!

But you did not want to hear these tired old tales.

So you directly asked about the truth of the Heavenly Court's downfall: "If you are Jin Bing, then tell me the cause of the Heavenly Court's demise."

"Ah, this question again…"

Jin Bing sighed, helplessly telling you: "I don't know… because by then I had already stepped down; everything was under Xuandu's charge. When Xuandu arrives later, you can ask them yourself."

"Alright, I'll change the question."

You immediately asked another question: "What happened to the Six Sages?"

"Well… I'm not a sage, how would I know about sage matters?"

Jin Bing sighed again, indicating they could not answer.

You laughed then: "Fine, I'll try another."

"Why do you say one cannot break through to golden immortal?"

This question Jin Bing could finally answer: "Because there will be a heavenly tribulation; nowadays the laws between heaven and earth have already changed, mystic immortal is already the limit—if one breaks through to golden immortal, the tribulation will immediately descend, striking the breaker down to annihilation of body and soul, and they will fall to heaven!"

You smirked: "Really? I don't believe it! Unless you demonstrate it for me right now!"

Jin Bing: ……

"Junior!"

Jin Bing's face darkened: "Jesting needs a limit; with a matter of life and death, how can one try it at will? Anyway, I won't deceive you."

Speaking thus, they began to educate you as an elder, telling you to respect your elders and love the young, and so on…

You kept smiling throughout.

Finally, seeing that you are truly an indestructible copper pea, he could only sigh: 'Well then, since you have cultivated to the Profound Immortal realm outside, you must have consumed countless mortal souls... Killing lives and harming lives like this, your karmic guilt is indeed heavy.'

Come here, I'll purify you; from now on, your karmic guilt will be wiped clean!

You: ……

You're saying my line!

You couldn't hold back then...

Ding! Faced with this crucial turning point, you couldn't help but want to save... You choose (?)

A: Directly turn against him, kill this poor-acting fake Jin Bing! B: No rush, play along with him!

Saving again...

Having seen Xue Xuan's proficient moves many times, Zhao Si can't be bothered to criticize anymore, because having a protagonist who understands the game and actively cooperates with him is actually a good thing.

As for whether this Jin Bing is real or fake... Zhao Si can only say, this Jin Bing has zero 'gold' content!

Although his outward appearance etc. is similar to Jin Bing's, he clearly does not match Jin Bing's character setting in the information domain.

The news of the Heavenly Court's destruction and the Six Saints' disappearance is of major magnitude, yet he, as an absolute high-ranking figure of the Primordial, actually claimed ignorance!

Then, that so-called 'purification'—its rhetoric cannot be said to be unrelated to what Xue Xuan used when brainwashing people; it can only be said to be exactly the same...

So, this Jin Bing can basically be confirmed as a pirated copy, not much different from that previous Xuan Du.

If Zhao Si's guess is correct, he should have already set up a trap, preparing to capture Xue Xuan; this communication and visitation incident is likely eight out of ten his lure to bait Xue Xuan.

But the problem is, now no one knows what Jin Bing's purpose is in luring Xue Xuan; moreover, he is not exactly the same as the previous Xuan Du—Xuan Du was merely a clueless fame-stealing fool, whereas this Jin Bing clearly knows something...

Then let's rush in first, use violence to break through the trap set by this pirated Jin Bing, see what tricks he has, and after gaining the information advantage, we can reopen and put on a show with him...

Having made up his mind, Zhao Si immediately issued an order:

"Choose A!"

You chose option A, directly turned against him and killed this poor-acting fake Jin Bing!

Great minds think alike!

You immediately snorted coldly, and a palm infused with Golden Immortal power reached out to grab him.

"You actually have Golden Immortal cultivation!"

In Jin Bing's shocked and dismayed gaze, you seized him in one grab!

In an instant, refined!

……

(End of chapter)