Ten Suns in the Sky

After pondering for a moment in the dream, Zhao Xing formed an initial idea.

"If I reported the tenth gate directly, I simply couldn't bear such immense karma."

"Within the Heavenly Gate, I used the grotto heaven as my foundation to cast Heaven's Mandate Profound Concealment, removing myself from the chessboard. If I reported it directly, it would be equivalent to entering the game again."

"An ant had appeared on the chessboard and changed the course of the game. That would certainly draw attention."

"To me, it would not be merit, but disaster."

"But if it were Old Liu and the forces behind him, perhaps they could bear it. If this happened, he would certainly earn merit, and his official career would proceed even more smoothly. Perhaps in this life, he could become Grand Agriculture Official earlier."

Liu Tianning was now his backer. If his backer was strong, that meant Zhao Xing was strong. That was where the benefit of doing this lay.

The downside was that he might draw the attention of experts from the sects, the Southern Barbarians, and the imperial court.

After thinking for a long time, Zhao Xing still decided to do it. Three main reasons drove him to this decision.

"First, the Heaven's Mandate Profound Concealment cast with the grotto heaven as its foundation did not merely take effect during that period. Throughout the entire matter, I did not exist. I had been removed from it."

"Second, what I actually knew was only that mysterious palace. Everything else was guessed, including the Profound Heaven Sect and Liang King's later schemes. I did not calculate those things; they were merely guesses about the future, not facts."

"In other words, if I reported it, the karma would be limited to that 'mysterious palace.' Whatever was calculated afterward would be Rahu King and the others' business. They would bear it."

"Third, this was the Origin Energy Era, not the spiritual energy era of later generations. Methods of karmic deduction were not so mystical. Even the Creation Disc made mistakes in its deductions. It had calculated the outcome of the Pacifying Barbarians War incorrectly."

More than two months ago, Zhao Xing had only just obtained the advancement of Five Finger Heavenly Mandate, and his understanding of fate-related spells had not been deep enough. Now, after consuming many spiritual essences, especially Dragon Whale Spiritual Elegance, he had gained a deeper level of insight.

After careful consideration, Zhao Xing decided to flap his wings from outside the chessboard.

"The mysterious palace is in the south, near Scarlet Lake. How can I make Liu Tianning discover that mysterious palace by accident?"

When Zhao Xing woke from his sleep, he was somewhat dazed. The lingering aftereffects of the dream kept urging him to sleep in Old Liu's Ten Thousand Laws Palace.

"It must have been a decision I made while browsing the Memory Palace."

After giving it some thought, Zhao Xing headed to the Ten Thousand Laws Palace. He had intended to go there anyway to study the Straw Man Art under Liu Tianning.

He arrived at the Ten Thousand Laws Palace.

The palace was once again as it had always been, with numerous clones each going about their own tasks.

Zhao Xing could sense that Liu Tianning's Fate Soul power had been dispersed into countless threads.

"Senior Brother." Ji Zixuan greeted him at the entrance.

"Mm." Zhao Xing nodded and walked straight inside.

"Senior Brother, Lord Liu and Teacher are touring the garden. It seems inconvenient to disturb them," Ji Zixuan said. He thought Zhao Xing had come to see Liu Tianning's main body.

"It doesn't matter. I'm only here to cultivate," Zhao Xing said.

"Senior Brother, why not stay in the room beside mine?" Ji Zixuan invited him. "Whenever I step outside, Lord Liu is everywhere... If Senior Brother is nearby, I'll feel much safer."

Zhao Xing chuckled. "You still haven't gotten used to it?"

Ji Zixuan shook his head.

Old Master Zhao wanted to scare him, so he deliberately twisted his facial muscles and said in a sinister tone, "Hehehe... How do you know I'm not a Straw Man Clone right now?"

"Ah—" Ji Zixuan was startled at the sight of Zhao Xing's ferocious face and instinctively backed away two steps.

Seeing that his prank had succeeded, Zhao Xing returned to normal and strode away.

Scaring the future Phantom Assassin—if this had been his previous life, it would have been worth bragging about to his brothers.

After settling into the Ten Thousand Laws Palace, Zhao Xing immediately went to sleep.

Once he entered the dream, he understood why he had come here.

"So I didn't come here to sleep. I came to make Old Liu dream of that place."

"That's easy enough."

With his Fate Soul at the fifth rank and his cultivation of Great Dream Spring and Autumn, Zhao Xing could not yet Dream Walk into others' dreams to kill them.

However, he already possessed the ability to make people dream.

Targeting Liu Tianning's main body directly would be rather difficult, but he had so many clones, and the soul power of some was relatively weak.

Zhao Xing packaged scene after scene together and cast his spell upon Liu Tianning's first clone.

On the first day, Zhao Xing merely made one of Old Liu's clones dream of the area around Scarlet Lake in the south.

On the second day, he added another scene, making Old Liu dream of a barren mountain a hundred li from Scarlet Lake.

On the third day, the dreams became clearer. He began dreaming of abnormal fluctuations in the Earth Vein. In the scene stood an ancient Earth Palace.

This continued for five days.

Liu Tianning's main body came to the courtyard next to Zhao Xing's.

He looked at the scholarly clone dressed in a long robe and fell into thought.

"Retrieve!"

Liu Tianning dissolved the clone, returning its soul power to his main body.

Afterward, he went to Zhao Xing's courtyard and inspected his disciple's cultivation. Then he left as though nothing had happened.

"No reaction? Old Liu was affected by an invisible spell. Even a Heart's Blood Surge had been ignored?"

"That made sense. There were already several thousand people exploring the Scarlet Lake region, and that place just happened to have a Forget Sorrow Stele set up there."

"A scheme laid out over many years really was meticulous."

In the dream, Zhao Xing sighed.

First, if someone explored it accidentally, those with low cultivation simply could not discover the tenth gate.

Second, even if they went there, they would easily overlook that place.

The imperial court had even set up a Forget Sorrow Stele there. If someone truly noticed something suspicious, they would be blocked by the imperial court's own methods.

Those with high cultivation would not go there at all, because the area designated by the Military Realm had an upper limit on entering a ranked realm.

"Looks like interfering with this matter won't be easy."

"Too much force won't work, but too little will have no effect."

"Do all that man can and leave the rest to fate." Zhao Xing shook his head. "I've done everything I can within my abilities. I'll make Old Liu dream for a few more days."

Deep in the distant Southern Wilderness, a convoy of war chariots traveled across a flat wasteland.

The sky was blue, while gale winds raged in the air. The thick layer of gale winds was a terrifying bluish gray, hanging only a hundred meters above the ground.

"Neigh!" Dozens of White Bone Golden Toe beasts pulled a row of prison carts forged from black steel swiftly across the wasteland.

Two squads of humans with golden wings and silver-white hair carefully observed their surroundings.

They were an escort unit from the Golden Feather Royal Court, transporting the Great Zhou prisoners imprisoned behind them.

Whoosh~

All of a sudden, a small squad appeared ahead of the convoy and blocked their path.

"Who goes there?!"

The leader of the Golden Feather Clan guards immediately bellowed and spread his wings.

However, before he could assume a combat stance, a force bound him, and he lost consciousness.

The entire convoy, including the White Bone Golden Toe beasts pulling the carts, fell unconscious.

Crack~

The long prison cart door opened, and a blood-red figure slipped inside.

Inside one of the single-person cells, a sixth-rank Great Zhou military officer had iron hooks pierced through his shoulder blades, while chains bound his hands and feet.

Bang~ The door was broken open, and the blood-red figure appeared in the cell.

The Great Zhou officer, his face covered in stubble and his hair disheveled, showed no reaction. He still hung his head as though dead.

At the sight, Blood Spirit Venerable sent a streak of red light into the officer's body.

After a brief struggle, the officer's clothes burst apart. The muscles on his stomach squirmed, revealing a blurry human face.

Blood Spirit Venerable cupped his hands. "Greetings, Your Highness."

"Blood Spirit Child." The face squirmed. "This king has arrived. Now it is time for you to show your sincerity."

"Rest assured, Your Highness." Blood Spirit Child smiled. "I will bring this fragment of your soul back to the sect and preserve a True Spirit Fire Seed for Your Highness."

"What this king asks is what intentions you have toward Ten Suns Grotto Heaven," Prince Liang Ji Mingxian said calmly.

"Everything is proceeding according to plan," Blood Spirit Child said. "Once the matter is done, we ask Your Highness to act and interfere with the operation of the Creation Disc."

"The Creation Disc is controlled by the Fate Officials of the imperial clan. How do you know this king has such ability?"

Blood Spirit Child smiled. "In the development of Nine Heavens Responding Origin Prefecture, Your Highness should be credited with the foremost achievement. Though we were at a disadvantage in the clash of heavenly mysteries, we still learned that Your Highness had been controlling Creation back then."

When Liang King remained silent, Blood Spirit Child added, "In the third year of the Renovation Era Calendar, your elder brother secretly appointed you as a Fate Official."

"In the fifteenth year of the Renovation Era Calendar, Your Highness incorporated the Creation Disc into your Life Palace and successfully refined it."

"Afterward, Your Highness endured a hundred years of backlash from the artifact, suffering day and night. You also took overall command of Yingyuan Prefecture's military and political affairs. Only then did the imperial court finally achieve the unparalleled feat of Nine Heavens Responding Origin Prefecture."

Seeing Liang King remain silent, Blood Spirit Child continued provoking him. "But when the cunning rabbit dies, the hunting hounds are cooked; when the birds are gone, the good bow is stored away."

"Suppressing noble families, reforming the army's flaws, reducing the enfeoffment system, and implementing the Yin Spirit system. He made Your Highness do so many things, yet in the end, the blade still fell upon Your Highness's head."

"At the end of the Renovation Era Calendar, the Creation Disc was forcibly stripped from Your Highness's Life Palace and jointly controlled by eighty-one Fate Officials of the Heavenly Mystery Hall. It was equivalent to making Your Highness endure another century of pain."

"Your Highness's benevolence is rare in this world. Your elder brother's coldheartedness is equally rare."

"Enough!" the human face shouted. "This king agreeing to trade with you does not mean you are qualified to meddle in this king's family affairs!"

Blood Spirit Child knew that Liang King had not yet made up his mind. He quickly cupped his hands. "Please calm your anger, Your Highness. I spoke out of turn. I will bring you back to the sect at once and complete the transaction."

With a sweep of his hand, Blood Spirit Child snapped the chains binding the military officer.

Whoosh~

A gust of Yin Wind swept past, and the entire escort convoy—men and beasts alike—had their souls scattered. They turned to dust as though they had never existed.

On July 10th, Zhao Xing had already decided to give up interfering in the matter of Ten Suns Grotto Heaven.

Liu Tianning seemed to have ignored this "dream revelation."

He planned to leave the Ten Thousand Laws Palace and keep an eye on Old Chen, Long Xiao, Xia Jing, and the others.

Zhao Xing himself had taken a rest, but those people were still exploring outside.

Xia Jing and Ji Ziyun in particular had great households and powerful estates. What they had obtained might be enough for themselves, but they still wanted to secure benefits for their family forces.

After waking, however, Zhao Xing discovered a Liu Tianning standing outside his courtyard gate.

He did not think much of it at first, since Liu Tianning occasionally came to inspect his cultivation.

However, Liu Tianning seemed somewhat different these past few days.

"Have you been dreaming recently?"

"What does Teacher mean?" Zhao Xing was taken aback.

"After consuming the Dragon Whale Heart, I have dreamed repeatedly," Liu Tianning said. "It seems this land is giving me a revelation, making me vaguely feel that something major is about to happen."

"What revelation did Teacher dream of?"

"Scarlet Lake." Liu Tianning chose his words carefully. "And some other things."

"This disciple has dreamed of Midnight Sea several times, but I did not feel it was any specific revelation." Zhao Xing shook his head. "Perhaps the Dragon Whale received the world's fortune, and Ten Suns Grotto Heaven only favors Teacher. Or perhaps this disciple's realm is too low, and my Fate Soul is not as keen as Teacher's."

Liu Tianning nodded slightly. "I intend to make a trip to Scarlet Lake. There may be a great opportunity there. Do you wish to come along?"

Zhao Xing initially wanted to agree, but at that moment, the seal in the Memory Palace within his sea of consciousness was triggered.

"This disciple has advanced too quickly and seeks nothing more. I only wish to consolidate my realm."

"I can send a clone to follow Teacher and broaden its horizons, but my main body will not go."

"That is fine." Liu Tianning said, "I need to make some preparations. I plan to depart seven days from now, at the third quarter of the Xu Hour at night. If you wish to go, do not miss the time."

"Yes."

Watching Liu Tianning leave, Zhao Xing closed his eyes.

"Old Liu is finally going. I wonder whether this trip will bring fortune or disaster. His strength should be enough to handle many troubles. Even if the Ten Suns were in the Sky, it probably would not harm him."

Although fifth-rank cultivators could very likely die under Ten Suns in the Sky, Liu Tianning was no ordinary fifth rank.

With Duckweed protecting him, Liu Tianning could travel freely beyond Yang City's boundaries even under Ten Suns in the Sky.

Even so, Zhao Xing remained worried that Liu Tianning was venturing too deeply into danger.

If he chose to explore the mysterious palace rather than immediately report it to Rahu King, who knew what arrangements lay within the palace?

Thus, Zhao Xing chose to send out a clone to follow Liu Tianning. He could not let Liu Tianning take all the risks alone.

"Old Liu, don't be rash. If you discover anything unusual, report it immediately," Zhao Xing muttered inwardly before opening his eyes.

His main body returned to Eighteen Locust Willow Courtyard. Zhao Xing sat on the steps, discussing matters with Chen Shijie and Long Xiao.

"Meow~" At that moment, the Mountain Cat chased an Azure-Eyed Dragon Lion through the courtyard, meowing excitedly.

"Have you heard? The imperial court seems to be planning to drill troops again," Chen Shijie said.

"When did that news come out?" Though Zhao Xing knew that would be the outcome, he still pretended to be surprised.

"The news emerged in early July, but it isn't confirmed yet," Chen Shijie said. "The Marquis told me as well. He said it was possible."

"What do you think?" Zhao Xing asked.

"Of course we should go to the battlefield and earn merit!" Long Xiao waved his fist. "My strength has increased greatly now. If I return to the battlefield, perhaps I can advance to fifth rank next year, and afterward be granted the title of Martial Marquis!"

"It isn't a question of whether we want to," Chen Shijie said. "We are all at the peak of sixth rank, and we all hold sixth-rank official ranks. If war breaks out, we will certainly be sent to the battlefield."

"Yeah." Zhao Xing sighed. "The army isn't a place where one can come and go freely."

"Why are you sighing?" Long Xiao asked. "Isn't this a good thing? We'll have more battle merits to earn."

"Have neither of you considered the fact that the Southern Barbarians have never been conquered in history?" Zhao Xing said. "If we push farther ahead, I don't think there will be so many easy victories."

Long Xiao laughed. "What are you afraid of? You're the Yuan Rang Marquis. You won't need to charge at the front lines."

"We'll see when the time comes," Zhao Xing said.

"Meowww~" The Mountain Cat cried out as two Azure-Eyed Dragon Lions chased after it.

"Aotian, what are you afraid of? Fight them!" Long Xiao encouraged the Mountain Cat.

"Meow~" Aotian Meow cried back.

I'm afraid of hurting my master's mounts.

"Don't be afraid. Hit them," Zhao Xing said with a smile.

Encouraged, the Mountain Cat immediately spun around.

Whoosh~

He locked the Azure-Eyed Dragon Lions' necks with both claws and hurled them down hard.

Bang! Bang!

The two Azure-Eyed Dragon Lions, each four meters tall, were slammed into the ground, their limbs flung skyward as they lay stiff and flat.

"Oho, mighty indeed~" Long Xiao burst into laughter.

The two Azure-Eyed Dragon Lions struggled back to their feet.

Mountain Cat jumped onto one of their backs, stood tall with his head raised, and let out a meow.

The Dragon Lion beneath his feet obediently followed his command, chasing after the other Azure-Eyed Dragon Lion as they began playing again.

The three watched the cat and two lions frolic for a while before Zhao Xing clapped his hands.

"Old Chen, Long Xiao, don't go out these next few days. Spar with me. It's been a while since I had a real fight. I'm almost forgetting how a Military Sima Nong fights."

"If you want to train, just go to Nine Sections Dojo," Long Xiao said. "There are plenty of people there."

"Among Sixth Rank cultivators, how many can still be my opponents?" Zhao Xing smiled. "I can't be bothered to fight for rankings. If my ranking is too low, I won't get matched against any real experts."

"You two are much more suitable."

"Fine," Long Xiao said. "I don't have anywhere I need to go anyway. Why not cancel Old Chen's quota and mine? Don't let them sit there wasting space. You can sell them to someone else."

Zhao Xing was the Deputy Head of the Team. He could kick all the Senior Explorers out of the group and strip them of their qualifications.

The vacant quotas could naturally be sold to others.

"That's true," Chen Shijie said. "Ever since the Midnight Sea's spiritual essence eruption, outsiders have become increasingly eager to get in. Even a mid-level Explorer quota has been bid up to the astronomical price of five million points!"

"And even then, you can't buy one without connections," Long Xiao said with a laugh. "It's absurd."

"It is absurd." Zhao Xing nodded.

His current merit rank was Level Six. Combined with the basic salary of a Sixth Rank official, he received roughly three hundred and fifty thousand points a year.

Great Zhou's basic salaries were very low. Of those three hundred and fifty thousand points, the basic salary did not even amount to fifty thousand. The rest came entirely from his merit rank.

A mid-level Explorer quota had been bid up to five million points! That was equivalent to more than ten years of Zhao Xing's income. Of course it was absurd!

As for Senior Explorer quotas, no one even named a price, because no one would trade them for money.

Would anyone holding a Senior Explorer quota be short on money?

"You say that, but we really are short on money. All our previous preparations emptied us out," Zhao Xing said with a smile. "Unfortunately, my teacher won't let me sell points. I can only use them to earn favors. Otherwise, selling a Senior Explorer quota would fetch at least a hundred million points."

"That's why it would be a good thing if the imperial court kept drilling troops," Long Xiao said, bringing the topic back around. "Merit ranks aren't easy to raise under normal circumstances. If we can climb a few more levels this time and become like Tian Hou's ancestor, then we could lie around doing nothing and still receive twelve million points a year."

"Keep dreaming." Chen Shijie sneered. "Tian Taigong reached Merit Rank Forty-Five. You and I are only Level Six. Want to rise that high? You'd have to become a Duke of the State."

"Even a Duke of the State might not have a merit rank as high as Tian Taigong's. This isn't the era of the Grand Ancestor anymore," Zhao Xing said.

The Jing Emperor was famously stingy! Reaching Merit Rank Forty-Five was harder than ascending to heaven.

After all, even being granted a kingship did not necessarily mean having a merit rank as high as Tian Taigong's!

At Merit Rank Forty-Five, he was only four ranks away from the maximum of Forty-Nine.

Tian Taigong had retreated at the height of his success. After the founding of the nation, he held no power and gave up much of his territory, wanting only to live as a wealthy old man.

Moreover, the rewards for each rank back then had not been as generous as they were now. Only after the nation grew prosperous did they gradually increase.

"What a pity they can't be inherited after death," Long Xiao said.

"If merit ranks could be inherited, Great Zhou's treasury couldn't possibly sustain them," Zhao Xing said. "The point of merit ranks is that the longer you live, the greater your returns. But after Rank Thirty, those in power generally aren't given additional merit ranks. Idle officials receive them more often instead."

"Officials can't be too wealthy. If they're too wealthy, they won't want to be officials," Chen Shijie said, nodding. "That's the logic."

On July 17, Liu Tianning's Ten Thousand Laws Tower Ship set sail.

Zhao Xing sent one of his clones aboard.

His true body remained in Eighteen Locust Willow Courtyard, sparring with Long Xiao and Chen Shijie.

Just in case, Zhao Xing revoked the two men's Senior Explorer quotas and exchanged them for favors.

Twelve favors were now counted under Zhao Xing's name, while Liu Tianning distributed the rest.

The exploration group's thirty quotas remained full.

Only Chen Shijie and Long Xiao were no longer among them.

As for Xia Jing and Ji Ziyun, the two still occupied quotas and operated outside.

Zhao Xing had no way to persuade them to quit while they were ahead.

Their quotas had not been given to them for free. They had been obtained through deals with the family powers behind Xia Jing and Ji Ziyun.

To take the quotas back now and tell them to quit while they were ahead would be equivalent to breaking the agreement.

I can only wait until more people enter and the fighting becomes fiercer, then try to persuade them again, Zhao Xing thought.

"Haha, got you! Old Chen and I are joining forces, and you still dared let your mind wander?!"

"Take my fist!"

Long Xiao suddenly appeared before Zhao Xing and ruthlessly drove a fist into his chest.

Golden light rose from Zhao Xing's body. He was knocked backward, yet remained completely unharmed as he disappeared into Mist Concealment.

"Damn it, this kid vanished again!" Long Xiao shook out his fist. "How did his body become so tough?"

While they sparred here, one of Zhao Xing's Straw Man Clones stood beside Liu Tianning aboard the Ten Thousand Laws Tower Ship.

In half a day, they reached Scarlet Lake in the south.

Only master and disciple were aboard the tower ship. No one else had come with them.

Zhao Xing did not speak throughout the journey, merely waiting for Liu Tianning to act on his own.

On July 18, the Ten Thousand Laws Tower Ship arrived at the Lake Heart Island region of Scarlet Lake.

On July 21, after searching fruitlessly for three days, Liu Tianning steered the tower ship away.

They came to the Pine Smoke Bay region on Scarlet Lake's outskirts.

On July 22, they changed locations again.

During this time, Liu Tianning also passed through Red Wood Forest, the surface region where the mysterious palace was located.

However, a Forget Sorrow Stele had been placed there, so he did not enter and merely passed by.

Zhao Xing watched Liu Tianning wander back and forth without reacting.

He had resolved to do only this much. Whether it would work depended on fate.

Time reached July 28.

Having searched without results all this time, Liu Tianning stood aboard the Ten Thousand Laws Tower Ship with a frown.

His Fate Soul had already reached the late Fourth Grade and was only one step away from the Third-Rank Yuan Soul Realm.

He had consumed many treasures that enhanced the Fate Soul and carried numerous soul-type Divine Soldiers, including quite a few of Seventh Order.

If this Grotto Heaven truly had a revelation for him, and he had reached the scene from his dream, he should have noticed something.

So why had he found nothing?

Liu Tianning took out the Earth Mirror.

Inside the Hundred Soldiers Pagoda.

"Buzz~"

Liu Tianning's phantom appeared in Rahu Palace.

"Greetings, Rahu King."

"Tianning, what is it?" Rahu King looked at Liu Tianning.

Liu Tianning would not come to perform empty formalities, such as paying him a visit for no reason.

Luo Hou did not like that sort of thing either. Thus, whenever he sought Liu Tianning or Liu Tianning sought him, it was always to discuss business.

"Rahu King, I request the temporary shutdown of the Forget-Worry Grand Formation and the Primordial Sealing Great Array in sixteen locations, including Red Pine Forest, Seven Split Valley, Windless Island, and Yaoguang Island," Liu Tianning said.

"What is your purpose?" Rahu King asked.

"After consuming the spiritual essence of the Giant Whale Heart, I received some revelations. It seems something significant may happen," Liu Tianning said. "I wish to conduct a detailed investigation of these places."

Rahu King pondered for a moment. "Wait here."

"Yes."

Rahu King closed his eyes. Soon afterward, at the highest level of the Hundred Soldiers Pagoda, he consulted with the Heaven Derivation King.

"The Giant Whale Heart is indeed extraordinary," Heaven Derivation King said. "Dragon Whales seize the creation of heaven and earth. He consumed a Dragon Whale Heart, and his Fate Soul is strong. His Earth Soul may commune with heaven and earth, producing certain karmic sensations."

"But Zhao Xing consumed one too. Does he have the same premonition?"

"Liu Tianning did not mention it, so likely not," Rahu King said. "Zhao Xing's realm is probably insufficient. His Fate Soul is far weaker than Liu Tianning's, and he has not cultivated the Derivation God Art."

The Derivation God Art was a top-tier secret art!

The previous person to master it had been the Heaven Derivation King.

Heaven Derivation King had cultivated it to the second level while at Third Grade, yet Liu Tianning had cultivated the first level while only at Fifth Grade.

In terms of talent, Liu Tianning was still slightly stronger.

Because of this, Heaven Derivation King attached great importance to Liu Tianning's ideas.

Though he did not protect Liu Tianning as much as Rahu King did, he could still be considered one of Liu Tianning's powerful backers.

"Do as he says and suspend the Forget-Worry Grand Formation and Primordial Sealing Great Array first," Heaven Derivation King said. "But it would be best not to stop them for too long, lest people become dissatisfied."

On July 28, in the Southern Wilderness.

Inside a temple, the statue of the Blood Spirit Venerable came alive once more.

However, this time his aura was somewhat unstable.

"Why is it more difficult than expected? And there are more variables... The price I must pay to activate the Profound Heaven Realm Breaking Array has also increased."

Within the Ten Suns Earth Palace stood a statue of an Ancient God.

Long ago, before the Ten Suns Grotto Heaven fell into Great Zhou's hands, one of the Blood Spirit Venerable's clones had remained inside, though it had always been dormant.

Now, he needed to activate the Profound Heaven Realm Breaking Array, first carry out a Wall Breaker, then awaken his clone, and finally activate the arrangements within.

The difficulty was now far greater than he had expected.

After calculating with his fingers, he still failed to divine anything.

"Has the difficulty of opening the passage increased?"

That guess was plausible as well. The Grotto Heaven had advanced, causing the Boundary Wall to fluctuate along with it.

Sometimes it was stronger, sometimes weaker.

Opening a passage was not so easy for him either.

That was why the Blood Spirit Venerable had originally planned to act at the start of September. It would have been easier for him to enter then, and the price his sect needed to pay would have been somewhat lower.

"Unexpected variables have arisen just before the operation." Blood Spirit Venerable pondered. "I must prepare early and improve the odds of success."

The temple had been built on a mountain.

Below it, more than a hundred thousand believers recited scriptures and prayed toward the temple. Specks of golden light flowed into the Blood Spirit Venerable's body.

"Dragon Yangzi." Blood Spirit Venerable transmitted his voice to a location within the temple.

"Venerable." Dragon Yang Daoist immediately ran over, falling respectfully to his knees.

"Go to the Holy Light Royal Court again and demand five thousand boys and girls. Send them into the blood pool. Remember, they must not be older than nine."

"Also demand ninety-nine thousand, nine hundred and ninety-nine Yin souls who died in Yin years and Yin months."

"Remember, these Yin souls must reach the Eighth-Rank Yin Soul Realm," Blood Spirit Venerable said indifferently.

Dragon Yang Daoist raised his head. "Venerable, I fear the Holy Light Royal Court will not agree."

"You need only make the demand," Blood Spirit Venerable said coldly. "Remember to screen them carefully, and be quick."

"If anything goes wrong, even death will be a luxury for you."

Dragon Yang Daoist's heart trembled. He hurriedly agreed, "Yes, Venerable."

After absorbing another wave of golden light, the Blood Spirit Venerable in the temple turned back into a statue.

July 29.

The rules in more than a dozen regions near Scarlet Lake suddenly changed.

"Strange. Why were they changed just like that? The Forget-Worry Grand Formation's effect is gone?"

On Lake Heart Island, Xia Jing and Ji Ziyun were looking at the information within the Earth Mirror.

It was an announcement from the Military Realm.

Sixteen regions, including Yaoguang Island and Red Pine Forest, had suddenly lost their forget-worry effects.

"I was just thinking of going to those places to show what I can do." Xia Jing frowned. Since no one would remember, he would not need to fear offending anyone inside.

At present, Xia Jing and Ji Ziyun's power could be described as enormous!

Because he was in Liu Tianning's group, over the past three-plus months, he had either won people over, obtained quotas through other means, or formed alliances and partnerships.

The force he could mobilize now included more than sixty-five Fifth Grade cultivators alone!

And that was counting only people!

In truth, most wealthy factions bought Mechanism Puppets as bodyguards.

For example, when Ji Ye had been in the Midnight Sea, he did not have many people with him, but he possessed two or three hundred Mechanism Puppets with Fifth Grade combat power!

Now that Xia Jing and Ji Ziyun had risen to prominence, their force was no less formidable.

This was also why Xia Jing and Ji Ziyun could not extricate themselves.

He had already been pushed into this position.

There was a whole group of people under him. If he managed things well, he could naturally maintain these networks and reap endless benefits in the future.

If he quit now, the consequences would affect more than himself. They would affect both the Xia Hou family and Pingyang Prince's family.

"Cousin." At that moment, Ji Ziyun entered the main tent. "Did you see the news?"

"I saw it," Xia Jing said. "I don't know why this change happened."

"I heard that Liu Tianning's Ten Thousand Laws Tower Ship arrived near Scarlet Lake and hasn't left. Could this be connected to him?" Ji Ziyun speculated. "Could there be another great opportunity like the one at Midnight Sea?"

"If that were true, there's no reason Zhao Xing wouldn't tell me." Xia Jing was somewhat puzzled.

He had confidence in the friendship between himself and Zhao Xing.

Even if it was inconvenient for Zhao Xing to let him share in the gains, he should at least have informed him of such a sudden change.

Just as he wondered about it—

"Buzz~"

Xia Jing and Ji Ziyun's Earth Mirrors rang at the same time.

"It's Zhao Xing."

"We were just talking about him, and now he's sent a message." Xia Jing smiled.

"Little cousin, you take it." Ji Ziyun said.

"Brother Xia, Brother Ji." Zhao Xing's projection appeared within the main tent. "Have you received the news from the Military Realm?"

"We have." Xia Jing nodded. "Is this related to Lord Liu?"

"Yes." Zhao Xing nodded. "I only just found out myself. My teacher didn't tell me the reason."

Zhao Xing had not known that Liu Tianning had informed Rahu King.

Old Liu could not possibly tell him everything.

So he had received the news at the same time as Xia Jing.

However, Zhao Xing had guessed at once that Liu Tianning was behind it. Only he could persuade the Three Kings to change the rules of the game.

"Is there some great opportunity? We won't be eating fish again this time, will we?" Xia Jing joked. Scarlet Lake really did have fish.

"Only one of my incarnations is accompanying him." Zhao Xing said. "I don't know the specifics either."

"However, my teacher doesn't seem to be looking for treasure, nor did he tell my true body to come. So I advise you: if you're about done, it'd be best to leave Scarlet Lake."

With Liu Tianning stirring things up like this, Zhao Xing took the opportunity to persuade Xia Jing and Ji Ziyun to make a run for it.

Ji Ziyun seemed somewhat hesitant. "If we leave now, we'll have to give up the territory we just took."

"Besides, my cousin and I only just managed to gather this group of people..."

Xia Jing was equally reluctant.

He had already heard that the Pacifying Barbarians War would soon enter its troop-training phase again.

This group of people he had gathered would be very useful afterward.

The Heir Apparent had great ambitions. He wanted to seize the momentum and be invested as a Martial Marquis!

"If it really comes down to it, you can return to Yang City and observe the situation first." For Xia Jing's fate, Zhao Xing still offered one more word of advice.

Even that extra advice carried no small risk.

After hesitating for a long while, Xia Jing said, "Then one of us will go back first and find out what's happening."

Ji Ziyun said, "Qilin Child, you go back. I'll hold down the fort here."

"That works." Xia Jing looked at Zhao Xing's expression but could not read anything from it. "Brother Zhao, where is your true body in Yang City?"

"Eighteen Locust Willow Courtyard." Zhao Xing said. "Long Xiao, Chen Shijie, and I are sparring and cultivating. If you return to Yang City, come find me. Tell us what you know as well."

Zhao Xing wanted to use this opportunity to delay Xia Jing's departure a little longer.

There was nothing else he could do.

"All right." Xia Jing grinned. "My experiences at Scarlet Lake these days have been quite exciting too. When I get back, I'll tell you all about how I displayed my might!"

"Hahaha, we'll be waiting."

July 30th, July 31st, August 1st.

Liu Tianning searched continuously throughout those three days.

At first, he had only over three thousand Dharma bodies. By the end, the number had risen to over nine thousand!

Liu Tianning's figure could be seen in nearly every area of Scarlet Lake!

For a time, a large number of exploration envoys flooded into the Scarlet Lake region.

They all wanted to see what Liu Tianning was searching for.

Liu Tianning ignored them and simply continued acting on his own.

August 2nd.

Liu Tianning recalled all of his Dharma bodies.

Because he had found the place.

"Escape~"

Liu Tianning tunneled underground. Quite a few people were searching through this stretch of Red Wood Forest as well.

However, none of them dared approach the area where the Ten Thousand Laws Tower Ship was stationed. Fortunately, Red Wood Forest was vast, so everyone else searched elsewhere.

Also on August 2nd, Zhao Xing, who was in Locust Willow Courtyard, suddenly felt a jolt in his heart.

Smack! As he descended the steps, the muscles in his legs suddenly twitched. He crashed headfirst into a stone pillar in front of him.

The stone shattered, and Zhao Xing's forehead reddened slightly.

"What's wrong with you? How can you fall just from walking?" Xia Jing had just finished sparring with Long Xiao and happened to witness the scene.

"It's nothing. Training probably wore me out, and I wasn't paying attention." Zhao Xing waved him off and walked straight into his room.

He had barely sat down when the house began to shake. The bed frame snapped, and sharp spikes pierced Zhao Xing's body.

Zhao Xing fell silent as he looked at the spikes stuck in him.

He was about to start having bad luck.

He opened his panel and looked.

Sure enough, his luck level had changed.

Luck: Derivation Three (Temporary)

"Luck at Evolution Five directly fell to Derivation Three."

Zhao Xing sighed. No matter how careful he had been or how secretive his methods, he had ultimately been affected!

"Falling from Evolution Five to Derivation Three proves that I successfully changed other people's fates—Chen Shijie, Long Xiao, perhaps Xia Jing and Liu Tianning as well..."

"The Path of Luck is profoundly mysterious. Perhaps Ten Suns in the Sky was not the Profound Heaven Sect's doing at all. The Profound Heaven Sect merely gave it a push."

"My luck did not decrease because of the Profound Heaven Sect or the imperial court, but because of... Ten Suns Grotto Heaven."

"Ten Suns in the Sky was supposed to happen. Who knew how many people were meant to die in that disaster? Yet I interfered with fate, which was equivalent to defying the heavenly laws of the grotto heaven... Now, the backlash has come."

Zhao Xing seemed to gain some understanding.

For the next period of time, he would probably become very unlucky!

"Those in the Heavenly Luck Realm and Fate Palace Realm can likewise see their own futures and even alter the fates of others."

"But they rarely do so. Interference comes at a price."

"The imperial court is also extremely cautious when promoting those with turbulent destinies and meager luck."

"When advancing from Fourth Grade to Third Grade, they even send Fate Officials specifically to observe the official."

"If someone is inherently ill-fated and weak in luck, forcibly promoting them is an act against heaven."

"The gains and losses of luck must remain balanced. One cannot commit acts against heaven on a large scale. Small numbers and low realms are fine, but when the numbers are great and the realms are high—especially with high-rank promotions—one must be exceedingly cautious."

"That is why many people in history clearly rendered great merit yet still struggled to receive investiture."

Zhao Xing cultivated the Five Finger Heavenly Mandate, and within the Heavenly Gate, he had briefly merged with the spirit of the grotto heaven. Now, as he closed his eyes and recalled everything, his understanding of fate, heavenly secrets, and deduction deepened further.

"Since I'm starting to have bad luck, it proves Chen Shijie will definitely survive."

"Old Chen, this investment of yours wasn't a loss. I ate a few of your pears in Gucheng back then, and now I'm taking the hit for your fate." Zhao Xing sighed in his dream.

Over the next few days, Zhao Xing's bad luck gradually increased.

Getting choked while eating, having food stuck between his teeth when drinking cold water, tripping while walking—such things were not even worth mentioning.

More seriously, his perception of heaven and earth became hazy, as if mist had formed on glass.

"I've been covered by an Obstruction of Knowledge and Perception. Not only has my cultivation made no progress, I can't even fully unleash the power of my spells."

"If a fight broke out now, I'd be completely screwed."

Zhao Xing sighed.

At this point, his Ten Thousand Laws Straw Puppet incarnation had already collapsed.

There was no reason for it. An error had suddenly appeared in the spell, making the straw puppet impossible to maintain.

The incarnation aboard the Ten Thousand Laws Tower Ship automatically disintegrated.

Fortunately, when the first straw puppet collapsed, Zhao Xing recalled the Fate Souls within his other straw puppets.

He had not lost too much soul power.

That night, Zhao Xing entered the dream once more, intending to do nothing at all.

He even stopped absorbing the heaven-and-earth essence.

He was afraid of Going Berserk.

Yet just as the final strand of soul power returned, his Fate Soul stirred. It actually began instinctively attempting to break through his physical realm.

It was heading toward a breakthrough into the Pure Yuan Realm!

Old Master Zhao was utterly speechless.

Why was it trying to break through at a time like this? It was purely because of his bad luck.

At this time, Liu Tianning was getting closer and closer to the mysterious palace.

His luck had temporarily dropped to Derivation One!

"What a sin."

Zhao Xing wailed.

Without a doubt, the breakthrough failed.

Fortunately, with the protection of the Soul Armor and the Dragon Soul Jade given by Youruo Princess, his failed breakthrough merely turned him into a fat man, just like Long Xiao had become before.

"Derivation One, don't keep dropping." Zhao Xing prayed. "If it drops any further, I'll really be in for terrible luck."

If it fell into the negatives, there would be signs of true Great Misfortune.

The kind where you sat at home and disaster fell from the sky.

For all he knew, the Skyfire Path might change course and send several blasts straight at Old Master Zhao.

On August 5th, Zhao Xing still remained at temporary Derivation One.

The only people who noticed his misfortune were Xia Jing, Chen Shijie, and the others.

But something like this would not trigger any other abnormalities.

Because Sixth Rank was normally around Derivation Two or Derivation Three.

And luck fluctuated.

The luck of those exploring beyond Yang City also fluctuated. Zhao Xing's condition was truly nothing unusual.

There were even exploration envoys at Derivation Three who died in the wilderness!

Even if it continued dropping, as long as nothing absurd happened—such as the Skyfire Path changing course specifically to blast him—

No one would grow suspicious.

Of course, if such a thing really happened, with lightning specifically striking Old Master Zhao in Yang City, he probably would not be able to hide it anymore.

"Zhao Xing." That day, Gao Ming suddenly sent a message. "The Azure Nether Pearls you asked me to stockpile last time have crashed in price. What do we do now? Should we sell?"

"Sell." Zhao Xing replied immediately.

At a time like this, even losing money meant nothing to Old Master Zhao.

If spending money could avert disaster, he would welcome it!

"All right, brother, I'll sell them for you. Sigh, I stocked up on some myself. This time, it's really been miserable."

"Clear Secluded Lake suddenly produced a large batch of pearls, so everyone's dumping them. We're losing at least forty percent. Damn it, the Military Realm doesn't even regulate this... Half a year's work for nothing."

Gao Ming cursed under his breath. Was it easy for him to make deliveries riding a Bamboo Horse?

Zhao Xing felt somewhat embarrassed as well. He guessed he had dragged Gao Ming down with him.

But there was no way to say such things now. He could only compensate Gao Ming later.

Gao Ming had barely finished speaking when Chen Shijie shouted from outside again.

"Zhao Xing, the Water Immortals, Azure Sea Cloud Vines, and Fish Devouring Grass we kept before have all died. Not a single seedling survived."

When they had returned from Midnight Sea, quite a few seedlings had still remained.

Sixth-tier seedlings were quite rare, so naturally they had raised them.

After two months, the seedlings had withered one after another recently.

"Dead is dead." Zhao Xing said. "Those three kinds of seedlings were delicate to begin with."

"Take Mountain Cat farther away. Don't let it get near me."

"Oh, all right... Bang!"

Chen Shijie fell silent.

He had tripped too.

Zhao Xing refused to visit him, and every time he entered the dream, he began having nightmares.

His Fate Soul remained in a constant state of uneasy vigilance. Whenever he entered the dream, he would see strange nightmare scenes.

"I died so horribly!"

"Killing me wasn't enough for you—you even killed all my descendants!"

"Why are you so cruel?!"

In the dream, turtle after turtle crawled to Zhao Xing's bedside. But their faces were savage, and their bloody maws were filled with jagged, interlocking teeth. They were utterly terrifying.

"What a sin..."

With a thought, a huge cleaver appeared in dream-Zhao Xing's hand.

The turtles: "..."

"I slaughtered too many turtles. My Fate Soul became contaminated by the resentment of turtlekind."

"I couldn't detect it before, but now is the perfect time to clear it out."

How could a mere illusion shake Old Master Zhao's mind?

The cleaver swung down without hesitation, and Old Master Zhao began slaughtering turtles in his dream once again.

On August 13th, Liu Tianning finally discovered the tenth entrance to Ten Suns Grotto Heaven.

Deep underground, he saw a vague, mysterious palace in the distance!

At the same time, a statue within the mysterious palace began to tremble.

Far away in the Southern Wilderness, Blood Spirit Venerable's expression changed drastically.

"How could someone have discovered the Profound Heaven Great Array?!"

"Even if he saw it, he shouldn't have been able to remember it. The court's current Forget-Worry Grand Formation was passed down from our sect. Who is this person?!"

Blood Spirit Venerable pinched his fingers, intending to divine Liu Tianning's existence.

His fingers suddenly exploded.

Amid spraying blood, he saw the shocked expression on Liu Tianning's face underground.

Blood Spirit Venerable immediately memorized his face and learned Liu Tianning's precise location.

At the same time, the statue in the palace came to life.

It charged at Liu Tianning.

He had to kill Liu Tianning quickly before Liu Tianning left. Otherwise, he would have to immediately activate Ten Suns in the Sky.

"Whoosh—"

A streak of blood flashed out from the mysterious palace. It was the Blood Spirit Needle Zhao Xing recognized.

Back in Gucheng, one of the Guardians had used this move against him.

On the battlefield, when he passed through Chen Lu's city in the Sea Pacifying Army, he had also seen similar methods.

The Blood Kui contaminated divine statues and turned people into puppets.

However, Blood Spirit Venerable's needle was clearly far more powerful.

Even underground, it passed through the soil as though nothing stood in its way, shooting straight toward Liu Tianning.

If the needle entered his body, he could control Liu Tianning and buy himself a few more days.

He could not kill him. If an official like Liu Tianning died for no reason, his Fate Soul would enter the Yin Realm and likely be summoned for questioning by its guards immediately.

Even converting him into a Yin God Body would not delay things for long.

So he could only control him!

"Pfft—"

Liu Tianning was indeed struck by the needle.

Yet he was unaffected and rapidly rose upward.

Because the Blood Spirit Needle had pierced Duckweed rather than his flesh.

"Seventh Order Duckweed..." Blood Spirit Venerable understood that he could not capture Liu Tianning.

"He had been planning this since the Renovation Era Calendar. Profound Heaven Earth Palace, Ten Suns Sun Crown, countless yin souls and the power of faith, then over two hundred years spent maneuvering every side until Great Zhou successfully seized Ten Suns Grotto Heaven... Who would have thought that, at the final step, Liu Tianning would stumble upon it?"

Blood Spirit Venerable sighed.

The Profound Heaven Sect had many arrangements targeting Great Zhou, but Ten Suns Grotto Heaven was one of the more important schemes.

As one of the sect's few resident Venerable-level elders in the secular world, he voiced the same sigh as Zhao Xing at that moment. "Fate is unpredictable; Heaven's designs are impossible to foresee!"

"Since I cannot see it through to completion, I can only do my utmost and leave the rest to fate."

Blood Spirit Venerable no longer hesitated and returned to the interior of Profound Heaven Earth Palace.

Scarlet Lake, Red Pine Forest.

Liu Tianning shot out of the ground. There was a charred patch on his chest.

The Floating Vine Armor wriggled and spat out the Blood Spirit Needle.

Liu Tianning paid no attention to Duckweed. He immediately pulled a command token from his robes and crushed it.

Liu Tianning, Inspector of the Military Realm Inspection Department, issued a Level One alert!

Ten Suns Grotto Heaven had been invaded by an external enemy!

"Buzz—"

Inside the Hundred Soldiers Pagoda, Rahu King and Heaven Derivation King suddenly felt their eyelids twitch.

Fifth-rank inspectors rarely had the authority to issue a Level One alert.

But Liu Tianning happened to be one of them.

In an instant, Rahu King, Heaven Derivation King, and Ling De King were all alerted.

"An external enemy invasion? And a Level One alert? How is that possible?!" Ling De King was stunned.

It was not impossible for external enemies to enter Ten Suns Grotto Heaven. Historically, low-rank cultivators had entered Military Realm grotto heavens before.

But this was a Level One alert. It proved that a high-rank enemy had infiltrated it!

How great a price would have to be paid to infiltrate here?

How difficult would that be?!

"Did Liu Tianning make a mistake?!" Ling De King's voice trembled. "We have guarded the Hundred Soldiers Pagoda for twelve years. Could we possibly not know if a high-rank enemy entered through the nine great gateways?"

If that were the case, the three kings would be guilty of severe dereliction of duty. Even if they did not die, they would lose a layer of skin!

"Ling De King, immediately issue a Military Realm warning. Have everyone evacuate the Scarlet Lake region!"

"Whoosh—"

While he was speaking, Rahu King had already vanished from the Hundred Soldiers Pagoda.

He left only those words for Ling De King.

Heaven Derivation King, meanwhile, headed to another level of the Hundred Soldiers Pagoda.

On that level was a replica of the Creation Disc.

Even as a replica, it occupied an entire floor. Countless golden threads crisscrossed and stretched across the Creation Disc, constantly performing deductions.

At the four directions around the Creation Disc replica sat eight gaunt-faced old men.

They had been seated there for more than two hundred years!

"A high-rank enemy has appeared at Scarlet Lake. Quickly verify their intentions! Report any results!"

Heaven Derivation King shouted.

The eight guardians immediately opened their eyes. Their eyes held no emotion whatsoever. Even upon hearing such shocking news, they showed not the slightest fluctuation.

After receiving Heaven Derivation King's command, they all extended their hands.

"Buzz—"

Golden light intertwined across the Creation Disc, and the full map of Ten Suns Grotto Heaven immediately appeared above it.

Threads extended continuously, each one producing an image.

But whenever a result was about to appear, the thread snapped.

It was as though an invisible force were preventing it.

At the same time.

Within the Blood Spirit Temple of the Southern Wilderness.

"Gurgle... gurgle..."

Deep underground, a blood pool spanning seven or eight mu and over ten meters deep suddenly began to dry up rapidly.

Above the blood pool, countless blood threads were similarly twisting and stirring.

At the center of the blood pool stood another statue, though this one was very small.

Around the blood pool sat forty-nine old men wearing Daoist robes.

They had already been sitting here for more than two hundred years!

"Gurgle... gurgle..."

The blood pool dried up faster and faster, while the statue of the Profound Heaven Emperor at its center began to emit a faint, ghostly glow.

Blood Spirit Venerable watched the scene, a trace of ruthlessness flashing through his eyes.

"Profound Heaven is limitless, yin and yang reverse! Ten Suns in the Sky, rise!"

The blood pool instantly dried to the bottom.

Forty-eight of the old men instantly became withered skeletons.

The statue of the Profound Heaven Emperor shone brilliantly.

At the same time, inside Profound Heaven Earth Palace in Ten Suns Grotto Heaven.

There was an identical arrangement to the one beneath the temple in the Southern Wilderness.

Except there was no one around the blood pool here.

The blood pool was also dry, and at its center was not a statue of the Profound Heaven Emperor, but Blood Spirit Venerable's own avatar.

But after the Southern Wilderness temple activated.

"Gurgle—"

Blood suddenly surged from the dry pool.

It quickly filled the pool.

Blood Spirit Venerable now wore a Limitless Daoist Robe and the Ten Suns Sun Crown.

He silently watched the blood flow climb over his body, his gaze gradually turning cold and indifferent.

"Mortals who steal fire... die!"

Warning! All personnel, immediately withdraw from Scarlet Lake!

Warning! All personnel, immediately withdraw from Scarlet Lake!

On the night of August 13, everyone at Scarlet Lake received an order from the Military Realm to forcibly withdraw from the Scarlet Lake region.

In less than half an hour, Rahu King appeared above Scarlet Lake.

Liu Tianning had not left either. He released all ten thousand of his avatars, driving people out of the Scarlet Lake region everywhere.

Scarlet Lake.

The moment Rahu King arrived, he immediately asked, "Where?"

"Underground, fifteen thousand seven hundred chi!"

"Return to Yang City immediately."

With that said.

Whoosh—

Rahu King plunged underground like a cannonball.

At Eighteen Locust Willow Courtyard, Zhao Xing discovered that his panel was jumping wildly.

One moment it jumped to Derivation One, the next it reset to zero, then negative numbers suddenly appeared.

Occasionally, it returned to above Derivation One.

It was practically dancing back and forth between fortune and calamity.

"Hiss..." Zhao Xing felt somewhat panicked as well.

He raised his head and looked at the sky.

Yes, he could see the starry sky from inside his house now, because the roof had long since collapsed.

"Five Directional True Lords, gods from every road, Ten Thousand Mile Thunder Pool and Skyfire Path, please don't change course, please don't change course... This little one won't dare again. Please don't strike me."

What nonsense about my fate is mine, not Heaven's? Old Master Zhao only begged Heaven not to mess with him.

Time passed as Zhao Xing kept staring overhead to see whether dark clouds would drift over.

Logically, with the Ministry of Agriculture regulating the weather above Yang City, the night sky should have been cloudless.

Yet gusts of astral wind and misty clouds still blew in.

Zhao Xing's heart skipped a beat, but seeing that they covered a vast area rather than only Eighteen Locust Willow Courtyard, he relaxed again.

At the same time, at the Yang City Ministry of Agriculture.

Mei Zhiru, Fan Zhaoli, Lu Bang, Tian Yan, Ge Jinsong, Cheng Qingming, Gong Tiansi, Li Yuanzhen, Wei Yuan... countless Ministers of Agriculture were awakened.

They swiftly acted to stabilize Yang City's weather.

One Solar Terms Decree after another hung high in the sky.

The ground of Yang City, which had just been shaking, returned to calm.

"This is bad, this is bad! Something huge is really about to happen!" Chen Shijie, Xia Jing, and Long Xiao ignored Zhao Xing's instructions and rushed in as well.

"The Military Realm's restrictions have changed three times in a single moment. First came the Level One alert at Scarlet Lake, and then Yang City issued a Level One celestial phenomenon alert!"

"Now, the warning range has actually spread to the entirety of Ten Suns Grotto Heaven!"

"Zhao Xing, did you know all along what was going to happen?" Xia Jing stared fixedly at Zhao Xing.

"I don't know." Zhao Xing shook his head. "I did indeed calculate something, but I suffered a backlash. I already told you the reason."

"Ten Suns Grotto Heaven once experienced Five Suns in the Sky. This time, such a drastic change has happened in the grotto heaven, yet it has not appeared even once. Could it finally be happening now?" Chen Shijie guessed.

"That's possible." Zhao Xing said, "And its level might be even higher."

With matters having reached this point, everyone knew something was wrong. Zhao Xing no longer had any reservations and said whatever he wanted.

"Otherwise, they would not have issued such a warning."

Xia Jing said anxiously, "Even higher? Could there be another Ten Suns in the Sky? But didn't the Military Realm Ministry of Agriculture already announce that, after the grotto heaven's advancement, Ten Suns in the Sky would no longer appear?"

"I already said I don't know." Zhao Xing smiled bitterly. "Is this the kind of thing a mere Sixth Rank like me could know?"

"Heir Apparent, don't get worked up." Chen Shijie soothed him. "Brother Ji will be fine."

"Right. Brother Ji is already on his way back. As long as he enters Yang City, even Ten Suns in the Sky won't reach Yang City," Long Xiao added.

"I hope not." Xia Jing nodded. After all, Ten Suns in the Sky was far too rare. It had only appeared once, and that had been quite a long time ago.

However, even a weaker version of it would be terrifying.

Xia Jing anxiously paced back and forth, while Zhao Xing bared his teeth in pain. "Brother, you stepped on my foot."

"Oh, sorry." Xia Jing hurriedly drew back his foot, only to bump into a nail behind him.

Xia Jing turned to look at the bent nail, but as he turned, Long Xiao's sword cut him.

The nail was nothing, but Long Xiao's sword had genuinely injured him.

Long Xiao was startled and immediately sheathed his sword. He had been practicing just moments ago, then rushed in and forgotten to put it away.

The moment he did so, the sword light suddenly went out of control and slashed Chen Shijie across the thigh.

"What are you doing?!" Chen Shijie stared in shock.

"I..." Long Xiao was dumbfounded too.

"Hiss—" Xia Jing came to his senses and sucked in a cold breath. "We've become unlucky too. This disaster is no small matter."

"Don't move!" Zhao Xing shouted. "Stay put, stand where you are, and guard your minds."

Their fortune grades were all quite high. If unlucky incidents kept occurring, there was only one explanation: they had entered a Dangerous Place!

"Wait. We'll wait in Yang City." Zhao Xing looked up at the sky and muttered, "We'll soon find out what level this disaster is."

Rahu King had already arrived in the underground space. From afar, he saw the golden palace ahead.

Boom!

He drew his bow and loosed an arrow!

An enormous arrow of vital energy formed in an instant, carrying the power of the Earth Vein as it crashed toward the palace.

Golden light flickered, and the barrier shook.

"Hahahaha! Rahu King, I have long admired your name!"

Laughter rang out from within the palace.

"Blood Spirit Child, it's you!" Rahu King's expression darkened. He repeated the maneuver and continued firing!

"It's useless, Rahu King." Blood Spirit Venerable smiled. "Your attacks are impressive among second rank, but you would still need one hundred and thirty-six arrows to break this barrier."

"Even if you kill me, you won't be able to change anything."

Rahu King ignored him and simply continued drawing and firing.

The moment he condensed and fired one arrow, smashing it against the barrier, he immediately drew his bow again and pulled back the second.

Blood Spirit Venerable could no longer smile.

He had lied to Rahu King, merely hoping to buy some time.

At this moment, seven blazing suns had appeared behind him. Every additional quarter-hour he delayed would increase the power of Ten Suns in the Sky by another degree.

Unfortunately, Rahu King did not fall for it.

He did not even care to ask why Blood Spirit Venerable was here, nor what he intended to do.

This man possessed an unwavering will and clear goals. Among the many kings of Great Zhou, Rahu King was one of the cultivators sects found most troublesome.

Boom boom boom boom boom boom boom boom!

Rahu King fired arrow after arrow.

By the forty-eighth arrow, cracks had begun appearing in the barrier.

Blood Spirit Venerable stopped wasting words. The blazing suns behind him increased to nine.

Just as the tenth blazing sun appeared—

Rahu King had also drawn his bow for the eighty-first time.

Boom!

The barrier shattered.

The eighty-second arrow instantly pierced through Blood Spirit Venerable's body.

"What a pity..."

Blood Spirit Venerable looked at the gaping hole in his body.

Then he looked at the light illuminating the Ten Suns Sun Crown.

He let out a soft sigh.

"Explode!"

Blood Spirit Venerable's entire body exploded, merging into the Ten Suns Sun Crown.

Buzzz—

The flashing Ten Suns Sun Crown swiftly sank underground.

Whoosh—

Rahu King flashed over and reached out to seize it.

Bang!

The sun crown exploded in his grasp.

"Did I succeed?" Joy appeared on Rahu King's face.

But in the next moment, his expression changed drastically.

A pillar of light shot skyward above the palace, rapidly passing through layer after layer of earth before vanishing from sight.

At the cost of this avatar, Blood Spirit Venerable had ultimately deceived him.

The real Ten Suns Sun Crown had been placed atop the palace all along!

"Damnable demon!"

Rahu King was furious beyond measure.

But at that moment, the earth began to tremble, and the palace started to collapse.

The entire Earth Vein boiled like a cauldron over fire.

Rumble—

Even Rahu King was shaken by this power. He swiftly left the depths underground and returned to the sky.

Night suddenly turned into day.

In every direction—east, south, west, and north—within Ten Suns Grotto Heaven, flying stars began to brighten.

As though they had been summoned.

At Eighteen Locust Willow Courtyard, Zhao Xing saw the suddenly brightened starry sky. He also saw his fortune grade stabilize and gradually return to Evolution Five, and he instantly flew onto the roof.

"One, two, three... seven, eight, nine."

Zhao Xing counted the stars that were constantly brightening in the sky.

He counted all the way to nine.

"Nine Suns in the Sky? Has the history of Ten Suns Grotto Heaven changed?" Zhao Xing stared intently.

The flying stars quickly grew larger. Not only had the sky turned into day, it was also becoming hotter and hotter.

Buzzz, buzzz, buzzz—

Warnings from the Earth Mirror shook nonstop. Cries of alarm came from every direction.

"Oh heavens—nine flying stars! It's Nine Suns in the Sky!"

"Brother, Brother, hurry and run back!"

"It's over. More than ten years of construction at our Ministry of Agriculture will be destroyed in a single day."

"All Celestial Timing Academy personnel, immediately proceed to the Boundary Marker!"

"Level-nine upheaval on Earth Fire Plain! Retreat! Retreat!"

"The Skyfire Path's range has expanded—expanded a hundredfold! Its power is lethal to fifth rank!"

Every monitoring agency of the Yang City Ministry of Agriculture had completely erupted into chaos.

What was despairing was that they had no way to respond effectively.

Because in less than the time it took for an incense stick to burn, the sky had become completely bright!

The nine flying stars had completely transformed into enormous suns!

Zhao Xing activated the Heaven's Eye Art and stared directly at the suns. After watching for a moment, his heart sank.

Ten. He had discovered ten flying stars.

The despairing moment arrived an hour later.

Though the tenth flying star came slowly, it still transformed into a blazing sun, scorching everything!

Jingxin Calendar, eighteenth year, eighth month, thirteenth day. Ten Suns Grotto Heaven turned to daylight at the seventh quarter of the Rat Hour.

At the first quarter of the Chou Hour, the tenth flying star appeared.

At the start of the Yin Hour, Ten Suns in the Sky.

To boost the average subscriptions a bit, the coming daily releases will each be one large combined chapter, so there won't be any annoying cliffhangers separated by several hours.

That's all for today. I'll try to start keeping normal hours.

Tomorrow or the day after, this volume will probably end.