The call from the soft, feminine voice was like a venomous snake hissing. Lin Fan had hung up decisively, but the greed and menace in those words still hung over the apartment like a dark cloud, dispelling the faint, unreal joy that had come with the arrival of a vast fortune.
Lin Fan gripped his phone, his knuckles paling slightly with the force of his hold. His expression grave, he looked at Tong Tian and Nüwa.
"Again?" Tong Tian didn't even bother to turn around. He kept his eyes on the computer screen, his tone tinged with irritation at the interruption, as if to say, Another ant making noise. But the sword intent around him had grown more condensed, showing that he wasn't entirely unconcerned.
Nüwa gently set down the fresh lump of clay she had just begun shaping. Her compassionate, clear eyes seemed able to see through the walls and gaze into the distance. She furrowed her brows slightly. "This time, the intent behind their probing is different from that of the officials before, and different again from that of the merchant who sought my art. Their hearts... are utterly clouded. Their greed burns fiercely, and there is a faint aura of bloodshed and malice about them. They are no virtuous people."
Even under the suppression of heaven and earth, a Sage's spiritual perception of good and evil, fortune and misfortune, far surpassed that of ordinary people.
"They mentioned Goddess Nüwa's 'power of creation,' and... they seemed to know the exact amount Zhou Wenyuan paid." Lin Fan spoke in a low voice, alarm bells ringing in his mind. Their information network was so well-connected that their influence was probably far greater than Zhou Wenyuan's. They might even have no fear of official connections.
"Clowns. They're not worth a second thought." Tong Tian snorted. "If they dare reach out their claws, I'll cut them off."
His response was always simple and direct, brimming with the absolute confidence that came from overwhelming power.
Nüwa turned to Lin Fan and said gently, "Lin Fan, wealth can stir the heart, but it can also invite calamity. This matter arose because of my creations. I've brought you trouble."
"Please don't say that, Your Ladyship." Lin Fan hurriedly shook his head. "I chose this path, so these troubles were to be expected. We just need to be even more careful."
He took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down. Fear and anxiety wouldn't solve anything; they could only deal with the problem proactively. Their opponents were in the dark, while they were exposed. For now, all they could do was strengthen their defenses, improve themselves, and make good use of the resources at their disposal.
He carefully put away the priceless bank card and property documents. They were more than just wealth; in the future, they might also serve as bargaining chips in a crisis—or... as bait?
Over the next few days, a tense feeling of an approaching storm hung over the apartment.
Tong Tian still seemed absorbed in the internet, but the range and intensity of his spiritual awareness had clearly increased. His cold sword intent was like an invisible radar, scanning for anything unusual within several hundred meters over and over again. He even began deliberately guiding Lin Fan to try using his mind to communicate with the spatial Dao patterns contained in the Cracked Wooden Tablet, which differed slightly from those of this world. Lin Fan couldn't even get started, but the process itself was excellent training for his mental strength.
Nüwa remained immersed in creation, but her work began to change in subtle ways. She no longer shaped only peaceful, adorable creatures. From time to time, she molded ornaments and objects that looked ancient and simple, yet seemed to carry an unspoken sense of protection or warning: a small clay shield carved with mysterious cloud patterns, a pendant shaped like an eye, as if it could see through illusions. She placed these little objects casually in various corners of the room. Their auras connected faintly with the "breath soil" and the other statues, adding a subtle, restrained layer of protective power to the peaceful Daoist sanctuary that was the apartment.
Lin Fan trained even harder. Under the combined pressure and the influence of Nüwa's sanctuary, his Supreme Clarity Heart-Cleansing Mantra progressed rapidly. He could now enter a deep state of stillness with relative consistency, and his mental strength was like an iron billet repeatedly hammered into shape, becoming purer and more concentrated. His connection to that seed of sword intent had also strengthened a little. He still couldn't activate it, but sometimes, when he was meditating, he could vaguely "see" a cold, razor-sharp glimmer floating in his sea of consciousness, as if it could cut through anything.
As for Gong Gong, he continued playing the role of the "human weapon" at the "Power King" club, eating well, drinking well, and enjoying his daily exercise. Manager Wang protected him carefully, turning away all outside challengers and interview requests and allowing him to remain the club's ultimate "nuclear weapon." To some extent, this kept more needless trouble from reaching Gong Gong directly.
However, the eye of the storm seemed to be shifting toward Nüwa.
When Zhou Wenyuan visited again, his expression was even more respectful, but a lingering worry creased his brow.
"Master, Mr. Lin," Zhou Wenyuan said after greeting them. His tone was cautious. "Things... have been unsettled in certain circles lately."
He told Lin Fan and Nüwa that ever since word had spread in a small circle about the three "sacred treasures" changing hands for sky-high prices, the number of people asking him about "Master Nüwa" had suddenly increased. Among them were some with backgrounds so powerful that even he feared them. Some were fairly polite, simply hoping to meet the master and acquire one of her creations. But others spoke with unquestionable force, even hinting at threats. They wanted to "invite" the master over as a "guest," or simply demand her contact information.
"I'm useless. I've done my best to handle things, but I'm afraid... you can't keep something like this under wraps forever." Zhou Wenyuan gave a bitter smile. "The existence of Master Nüwa, and the miraculous nature of your creations, have already caught the attention of certain... truly powerful figures. Their influence is far beyond anything I could imagine."
Lin Fan understood. The call from that soft, feminine voice had probably come from one of those powerful groups, which had lost patience and decided to approach them directly.
"Do you know who they are?" Lin Fan asked.
Zhou Wenyuan hesitated, then lowered his voice. "I wouldn't dare name them specifically. But among them are ancient families with long-standing legacies overseas, international conglomerates that control enormous amounts of capital, and perhaps... even special departments at the national level. Their interest in the master's 'power of creation' is probably about far more than art collecting or health and wellness..."
His hint was unmistakable. Nüwa's power to turn stone into gold and the rotten into the miraculous, perhaps even containing the secrets of life itself, would drive any ambitious person mad with desire.
After listening, Nüwa remained calm, though a faint trace of pity passed through her eyes. "All living beings suffer, bound by their desires. Yet to coerce others with strength and oppress them with power is a low path, far removed from the Great Dao."
She seemed unconcerned about her own safety. What worried her more was the strife and calamity that might come from such greed.
Zhou Wenyuan continued, "Still, it's not all bad news. A highly respected elder found me through several layers of connections and expressed a wish to visit the master. He's extremely influential both at home and abroad, an upright man with an excellent reputation. He's mainly fascinated by the 'Dao' and 'artistic conception' in the master's creations and hopes to discuss them with her. He has no other intentions. I thought perhaps... meeting him might not be a bad idea?"
He was considering Nüwa's best interests. Better to proactively befriend a genuine ally with influence and principles than to wait for a pack of wolves to set their sights on her.
Lin Fan looked at Nüwa.
She gave a slight nod. "If he sincerely seeks the Dao, there's no harm in exchanging a few words."
She wasn't opposed to speaking with ordinary people, provided they approached her with sincerity.
Zhou Wenyuan breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Master! I'll make the arrangements right away and ensure the meeting is quiet and orderly."
Just as Zhou Wenyuan was preparing to take his leave and arrange the meeting with the highly respected elder, Tong Tian, who had been silent until then, suddenly spoke. Still facing away from them, he seemed to be looking beyond the computer screen, toward a distant void.
"Tell those people they may meet my junior sister, but only if they follow my rules."
Zhou Wenyuan and Lin Fan both froze.
"Senior, what do you mean?" Lin Fan asked.
Tong Tian slowly turned around. In his deep, abyss-like eyes, galaxies seemed to swirl as sword shadows appeared and vanished. He looked at Nüwa, his tone carrying an unquestionable resolve. "My junior sister's Dao is to create for all living beings. How could the vulgar desires of ordinary people be allowed to insult her? Since we can't avoid this, there's no need to keep avoiding it. Rather than wait for evil spirits to spy on us from the shadows, we should set a threshold and wait for those 'destined' to come."
He paused, then stated his "rules":
"Three days from now, at quarter past noon, at Cloud Gazing Platform on West Mountain. My junior sister will leave a new creation there. Anyone who wishes to meet her must come and observe it. Only those who can stand within three feet of it for the time it takes an incense stick to burn, without retreating, will earn the chance to speak with my junior sister from behind a screen."
"Remember: stand within three feet and don't retreat for the time it takes an incense stick to burn."
His words were calm, yet landed like a thunderclap!
Setting a threshold! A public challenge!
This was no longer a quiet, private exchange. It was an almost domineering way of announcing their presence to everyone coveting Nüwa and drawing an invisible boundary!
Stand within three feet for the time it took an incense stick to burn without retreating? It sounded simple enough. But Lin Fan and Zhou Wenyuan both understood: the immense Dao rhythm and vitality in Goddess Nüwa's creations could shake an ordinary person's spirit just by being near them. Those with impure hearts and chaotic thoughts might not even be able to approach, let alone stand within three feet for that long! This was clearly a test—a trial of character and destiny!
A look of surprise flashed through Nüwa's eyes. Then she understood and approved. She nodded gently. "My senior brother's method is excellent. It can filter out the impure and keep the pure, saving us a great deal of trouble."
Zhou Wenyuan was both shocked and delighted. He was shocked because this move would undoubtedly put Master Nüwa in the spotlight. But he was delighted because, this way, the evil spirits would be unable to hide, while those truly destined to meet the master would get their chance! It was a stroke of genius!
"I understand! I'll spread the news... 'accidentally'!" Zhou Wenyuan said excitedly. He could already picture the extraordinary gathering at Cloud Gazing Platform on West Mountain three days later!
The news grew wings. Through Zhou Wenyuan's discreet and efficient channels, it quickly reached every group paying attention to "Master Nüwa."
All the forces with undercurrents swirling around them were thrown off balance by this sudden "invitation," which carried a strong note of provocation and selection.
Some scoffed, calling it a publicity stunt.
Some were wary, suspecting a trap.
But many more, especially those who considered themselves strong-willed and backed by powerful connections, were eager to try. A new creation? Standing within three feet of it for the time it took an incense stick to burn? What could be difficult about that? They wanted to see for themselves what tricks this "Master Nüwa," whose reputation had grown to mythic proportions, actually had up her sleeve!
The official Dragon Group naturally received the news at once.
Chen Jing studied the intelligence report, her brows tightly furrowed. "Cloud Gazing Platform on West Mountain? A public challenge? What are they trying to do? Draw everyone's fire and then wipe them all out? Or... do they have some other plan?"
She felt that things were slipping completely out of control. The existence in the "containment facility" had begun shifting from passive defense to active planning! That was no good sign!
"Orders! Raise security around Cloud Gazing Platform on West Mountain to the highest level three days from now! Mobilize every available monitoring device! I want to know who shows up—and... what this so-called 'new creation' actually is!" Chen Jing ordered gravely.
Meanwhile, the person behind the soft, feminine voice that had threatened Lin Fan over the phone let out a low, delighted laugh upon hearing the news.
"Interesting... very interesting! They've decided to show themselves? Good. That saves us the trouble. Send word down the chain. Prepare according to plan. The 'Dark Shadow' team is to stand by. I want to see if this 'Master Nüwa's' creation can really withstand... our 'methods.'"
Three days passed in the blink of an eye.
The sky was clear, and a gentle breeze swept through the air.
Cloud Gazing Platform on West Mountain was an open observation deck in the suburbs, with few visitors compared to other places. But today, it felt strikingly different.
The area around the platform seemed no different from usual, but anyone who looked closely would notice figures hiding in the shadows. They wore ordinary clothes, but had keen eyes and a steely air as they watched their surroundings carefully. More surveillance points were hidden in the forests farther away.
At the platform entrance, Zhou Wenyuan personally waited with several capable assistants—though it might have been more accurate to say he was screening the visitors. He didn't stop anyone from going up. He simply watched each newcomer with a smile.
There weren't many visitors, but every one of them had an imposing air. Some were elderly, plainly dressed but with wise eyes; some were wealthy middle-aged men with commanding presences and entourages in tow; some were martial artists in training clothes, their auras steady; and even two monks in robes, prayer beads in hand... Clearly, everyone who had heard the news and dared to come was either a leading figure in their field or backed by a powerful organization.
Lin Fan had come too. He stood in a relatively secluded corner of the platform, watching the situation nervously. Tong Tian and Nüwa weren't there in person. As planned, Zhou Wenyuan would bring out Nüwa's new creation at exactly quarter past noon and place it in the center of the platform.
Time passed second by second. The atmosphere on the platform was tense and strange. People sized one another up and whispered, their eyes repeatedly drifting toward the empty space in the center.
Quarter past noon arrived.
Zhou Wenyuan took a deep breath, walked to the center of the platform, and cupped his hands toward the crowd. "Thank you all for coming. Master Nüwa was unable to attend in person, but she has left a new creation here. The master said that anyone who can stand within three feet of it for the time it takes an incense stick to burn without retreating will have the opportunity to speak with her from behind a screen."
With that, he carefully took an object from the brocade box held by an assistant behind him and gently placed it on a prepared white marble pedestal in the center of the platform.
When the object was fully revealed, everyone froze. A moment later, an uncontrollable wave of gasps and... commotion broke out!
It wasn't the clay sculpture or ink painting everyone had expected. It was a... miniature "city," meticulously crafted from clay of many different colors!
A miniature landscape of a modern city, filled with life and the bustle of everyday existence, yet faintly suffused with an indescribable Dao rhythm!
There were skyscrapers, busy roads, parks and green spaces, children playing, and pedestrians hurrying by... Every detail looked lifelike, and every scene carried a unique sense of "vitality" and "order"! It didn't seem like an inanimate object at all, but a living, breathing, condensed scroll of civilization!
Even more astonishingly, the miniature "city" sat on a slowly rotating "base" made of transparent clay. Clouds seemed to drift within it, and starlight shimmered, making the entire "city" look as though it were suspended among the clouds—both real and dreamlike!
This creation was no longer simply peaceful or lively. It embodied Nüwa's deeper understanding and interpretation of "creation," "civilization," and "the myriad forms of life"! The complexity and vastness of its Dao rhythm far surpassed those of her previous creations!
"This piece is called the Mortal Realm." Zhou Wenyuan announced solemnly, lighting a slender incense stick and placing it in front of the pedestal.
"Begin."
When he finished speaking, an eerie silence fell over the platform.
Everyone had been stunned by the miniature city called the Mortal Realm! It was too lifelike, too vast, and too mysterious! The immense Dao rhythm seemed to encompass the joys and sorrows of countless living beings, as well as the rise and fall of civilizations. It made everyone's soul tremble!
Some with weaker wills felt dizzy just looking at the city, as if their consciousness were about to be drawn into the ceaseless whirl of mortal life contained within that tiny space. They instinctively backed away a few steps, their faces pale.
Others, confident in their strong will or harboring special intentions, began moving forward, attempting to cross the three-foot boundary.
But the moment they stepped within three feet—
Everything changed!
It wasn't that some invisible wall blocked them. It was as if they had stepped into another world!
The din of a city seemed to ring in their ears. The joys and sorrows, desires and struggles of countless living beings surged against their minds like a tide! This was more than vitality—it was an immersion in the mortal world, stretching endlessly in every direction! A revelation of tangled cause and effect!
The wealthy man with the commanding presence had taken only three steps when his expression changed dramatically. He seemed to see all the deceit and treachery from his years in business, as well as the rivals who had gone bankrupt and jumped to their deaths because of his decisions... His inner demons rose, and cold sweat streamed down his face. He stumbled back out, gasping for breath.
The martial artist with the steady aura had taken five steps when he felt the "calm mind" he'd cultivated for years crumple like paper before the surging force of the mortal world. His blood and energy roiled within him, and he nearly suffered a cultivation deviation. He recoiled in alarm.
The two monks chanted Buddhist prayers as they approached the edge of the three-foot boundary. They held on for a dozen seconds or so, but ultimately retreated as well, their expressions grave and hands pressed together in prayer. "The karma of the mortal world is as deep and vast as the sea. Amitabha..."
The incense stick burned slowly.
Not a single person on the platform could truly enter the central area within three feet, let alone stand there for the time it took the incense stick to burn!
Everyone stared at the Mortal Realm, slowly rotating and radiating boundless Dao rhythm. Their eyes were filled with awe, disbelief, and... a hint of fear!
How could this be an artwork? It was clearly a great formation for testing the Dao heart!
Zhou Wenyuan watched the incense stick nearly burn out, then looked at the "elite" on the platform, all in disarray, not one of whom had passed. His reverence for Master Nüwa reached new heights.
Watching from the corner, Lin Fan was also swept up in excitement. He was standing some distance away, but could still faintly sense the immense aura emanating from the Mortal Realm. His understanding of Goddess Nüwa's creative power deepened.
It seemed no one would be fortunate enough to speak with the goddess today.
But just as the incense stick was about to burn down to its end, its ash poised to fall—
A slightly stooped figure in an old, faded Zhongshan suit appeared silently at the edge of the platform. No one knew when he had arrived.
It was the mysterious, amnesiac old man staying at the small hotel!
His eyes were still cloudy, and his face weathered, as if he had simply wandered here by chance.
His appearance drew little attention. Everyone was focused on the Mortal Realm and those who had failed.
The old man looked blankly at the Mortal Realm in the center of the platform, then at the incense stick about to go out. He tilted his head, seeming a little confused.
Then, under the astonished gazes of everyone present—including Chen Jing's team, hidden nearby, and those with ulterior motives—he walked forward as if out for a stroll, his steps unsteady but natural. He crossed the three-foot boundary, one step at a time.
He didn't pause! He showed no discomfort! He wasn't affected at all!
He walked easily, as if strolling through his own backyard, stopping just a foot from the Mortal Realm. He curiously studied the miniature city. A faint, barely perceptible light seemed to flicker in his cloudy eyes.
He lifted his head and looked into the void, as if gazing through time and space. Then, in a voice only he could hear, he murmured:
"This Dao... feels familiar... protection..."
Then he simply stood there, in the heart of the vast Dao rhythm of the mortal world, within the three-foot boundary where countless elites had failed. He seemed entirely out of place—and yet as though he had always belonged there.
At that very moment, the incense stick burned through its final ember, turning into a wisp of smoke that slowly drifted away.
Zhou Wenyuan stood dumbstruck.
Lin Fan's pupils contracted.
The hearts of all those watching from the shadows shook violently!
This old man who looked like a vagrant... had he actually done it?!
Before you continue