Divine Illumination Scripture Obtained!

Wang Xuan's words, "I won't die," were like a spark, igniting the greed hidden within the deathly silent crowd.

It was unclear who first let out a howl, shattering the suffocating stillness.

"He's injured! His chest is still bleeding; he can't hold on much longer!"

"That strike from the Blood Blade Ancestor went deep! Charge, brothers! Seize Ding Dian, take the Divine Illumination Scripture! Wealth is right before our eyes!"

"Strike while he's down! Eight hundred taels of gold and Mid-Grade Martial Arts—if we miss this chance, we'll never get another!"

The Martial Artists, who had been terrified by Wang Xuan just moments ago, caught sight of the gruesome blood-soaked hole in his chest and his face, pale from blood loss. Their greed instantly overwhelmed their fear.

Without anyone leading, dozens of people with bloodshot eyes roared, brandishing their blades and swords as they swarmed forward once more, their eyes filled with the madness of plunder.

Ding Dian's expression shifted abruptly. He clenched his fists, preparing to step forward to assist, but Wang Xuan shoved him firmly behind his back.

"Stay back. Don't get in the way." Wang Xuan's voice was hoarse yet cold, devoid of any unnecessary emotion. Even as the wound in his chest throbbed with pain, the killing intent in his eyes did not diminish in the slightest.

In an instant, two of the foremost martial experts reached him. One held a pair of Judge's Pens, their cold light flickering as he aimed directly for Wang Xuan's eyes; the other wielded a Ghost-Head Blade, swinging with heavy, crushing force toward his waist, clearly intending to exploit his injury to inflict a fatal blow.

Wang Xuan's gaze sharpened, his killing intent surging. Though heavily wounded, he was still more than capable of dealing with these clowns. He suddenly activated his Wild Goose Movement Technique, his body sliding sideways like a ghost. He narrowly avoided the tips of the Judge's Pens and the sweep of the Ghost-Head Blade, his movements fluid and without a hint of hesitation.

Before the two could react, Wang Xuan gripped the blood-stained blade he had just drawn in his right hand and slashed horizontally, not even shifting his gaze. The man with the Judge's Pens felt a flash of red before his eyes and a bone-chilling cold across his neck. A second later, he watched helplessly as his own headless body, still maintaining its forward momentum, crashed to the ground.

Thud!

The head hit the floor, and blood sprayed out, staining the bluestone tiles beneath their feet.

The other man was so terrified that his soul seemed to flee his body. Daring not to fight any longer, he turned to flee.

Wang Xuan would not give him the chance. He splayed the fingers of his left hand and unleashed the massive palm force of the Great Monument-Breaking Hand without a moment's hesitation.

The man took the strike squarely in the back. He flew backward like a discarded sack for seven or eight yards, slamming heavily into the brick wall of the Death Prison with a dull, thunderous sound. He then slid down limply, his chest caved in, his breath cut off instantly—he was dead beyond any doubt.

The scene fell into a deathly silence once more.

Wang Xuan held the dripping blade, his cold gaze sweeping over the remaining people who were still stirring, his tone flat yet carrying a bone-chilling pressure: "Who else wants to try?"

His voice was not loud, even carrying a hint of hoarseness, but combined with the unhealed wound on his chest, the blood-dripping Demonic Blade in his hand, and the two fresh corpses on the ground, his deterrent power was absolute.

The crowd that had just been shouting for blood instantly withered. They shrank their necks and retreated, none daring to take another step forward. With his absolute strength, Wang Xuan suppressed every spark of resistance.

Wang Xuan stopped wasting words. He turned and walked quickly to the side of the Blood Blade Ancestor's corpse. The Old Devil was long dead; his skull was caved in, and red and white matter had congealed on his monk's robes.

He crouched down and quickly searched the bright yellow robes. Soon, he felt a hard object. He pulled it out to find a yellowed, thread-bound booklet with three gruesome characters written in cinnabar on the cover: Blood Blade Scripture.

"Let's go!" Wang Xuan grabbed Ding Dian's wrist, gave a low shout, and unleashed his Water-Skipping Technique to its full extent. His figure became like a wisp of smoke as he dashed toward the west side of the Prefecture Office, where he had previously hidden Ling Shuanghua.

The two vanished into the complex web of streets in an instant, leaving behind a scene of carnage and a group of Martial Artists and Players staring at each other in utter terror.

Outside Jingzhou City, at Ten-Mile Slope.

The scene here was several times more tragic than the one at the city's Death Prison.

Above and below the slope, the area was densely packed with people—or, more accurately, densely packed with corpses, along with a few survivors gasping for breath and wailing in agony on the ground. Blood had dyed the yellow earth a dark red, and the thick, inescapable stench of iron filled the air, enough to make one retch.

Severed limbs were scattered everywhere, and broken blades, spears, and swords were stuck in the piles of bodies like a bizarre, withered forest.

Most of the corpses wore the uniforms of government soldiers, but even more were Players dressed in ragged clothing. Many of them were missing limbs, lying in pools of blood and wailing, their eyes filled with fear and numbness.

"It hurts too much... I can't take it anymore. Brother, give me a blade and let me exit the Plot World!" A Player with a gaping wound in his abdomen, his intestines exposed, was pale as paper. He trembled from blood loss, his voice so weak it was barely audible.

A nearby Player, who was rummaging through corpses for loot, had a face splattered with blood and a numb expression. He casually picked up a wooden spear and expressionlessly thrust it into the other man's throat. After a muffled sound, the wailing Player instantly lost his breath, while the first player remained unmoved, continuing to search the next corpse.

At the top of the slope stood two men. One wore brocade robes and had a cold, stern face—this was Yu Qingtian. The other wore white, his aura as deep and heavy as an abyss—this was Shen Chenzhou.

Both stood with their hands behind their backs, coldly overlooking the sea of corpses and the battlefield below. There was not a ripple of emotion on their faces, as if the slaughter before them were merely the struggle of ants.

"Brother Shen, after this battle, we are short on expendable manpower," Yu Qingtian said calmly, his tone devoid of pity, reflecting only the indifference of someone whose "tools" had been exhausted.

Shen Chenzhou curled his lips into a cold arc, his response: "If we don't have enough, we can just recruit more. Outside the Heavens Tower, they don't even have the qualifications to be expendable. Here, being able to trade their lives for a few scraps of profit is already their good fortune."

Two hours ago, at the foot of Ten-Mile Slope, an army of over ten thousand Players had gathered. Most had signed a Servant Contract, bribed by the Royal Clan with a bit of Basic Martial Arts and silver, and they had charged like a tidal wave, wave after wave, against the thousands of government soldiers brought by Ling Tuisi.

The soldiers were initially able to hold their formation, but the Players were fearless, charging one after another, trampling over the corpses of their comrades. To the Players, death simply meant exiting the Plot World, but for the soldiers, death meant truly returning to the underworld.

The outcome of this lopsided, dimension-crushing battle had been decided long ago. After more than half of the soldiers were slaughtered, they completely collapsed and scattered in a frantic attempt to flee, only to find themselves surrounded on all sides by even more Players, with no way to escape.

In the end, all thousands of soldiers were slaughtered, with not a single survivor. Ling Tuisi was dragged before Shen Chenzhou and Yu Qingtian by a few Player squad leaders like a dead dog.

The once-majestic Prefect of Jingzhou now had his official hat askew, his robes torn, and his face bruised and battered. He looked utterly wretched, possessing not a shred of the dignity of an imperial official.

His knees went weak, and he collapsed to the ground, kowtowing like a machine, his voice trembling: "Good heroes! Spare me! I have money, I have the secret to the treasure, the Secret of the Linked Cities! I will tell you everything, just spare my life!"

This money-grubbing, cunning, and vicious Coffin-Nailing Prefect had long since been terrified out of his wits by the horrors of the battlefield. Faced with death, he abandoned the Secret of the Linked Cities—the thing he valued most—without hesitation, begging only to survive.

Shen Chenzhou didn't even lift his eyelids. He spoke coldly to the Player leader beside him: "Too much time has been wasted. If not for this old dog, we would have already completed the Main Quest. Drag him away and slice him up."

"Yes, Guild Leader!" The Player leader responded, stepping forward to hoist the limp Ling Tuisi and drag him down the slope.

If you can't find the book by its title, try searching for the author; perhaps the name has been changed!

Upon hearing this, Ling Tuisi's eyes rolled back, and he fainted from sheer terror. But to the Players acting on orders, fainting didn't stop the clock; they dragged him away just like a dead dog.

Only then did Yu Qingtian turn to look toward Jingzhou City, his eyes as cold as ice: "News from the city—that 'Skull-Crushing Hand' Wang Xuan killed the Blood Blade Ancestor and rescued Ding Dian."

Shen Chenzhou raised an eyebrow, a rare hint of surprise in his tone: "Oh? He has some skill, then. That Old Devil, the Blood Blade Ancestor, had the cultivation of the Post-Heaven Eighth Layer; his kung fu is not weak."

"The dignity of the Royal Clan must not be profaned," Yu Qingtian said, his voice cold and brooking no argument. "Gather the men. We enter the city immediately."

Shen Chenzhou was noncommittal, saying indifferently, "It doesn't matter. He won't be able to run for long." To them, treasures and divine arts were of no consequence; once they returned to the Origin Earth Star, they could have as many as they wanted. What they truly cared about was completing the main quest and securing the final rating.

Inside Jingzhou City, in a remote, dilapidated courtyard.

Wang Xuan brought Ding Dian with him, his figure light as he vaulted over the low wall and landed in the weed-choked yard. There was only one crumbling tile-roofed house in the courtyard; Wang Xuan walked straight toward it and pushed open the creaking wooden door.

Inside, Ling Shuanghua was still lying on a crude wooden cot, unconscious.

As soon as Ding Dian entered, his gaze locked onto her. He rushed to the bedside in a few strides, his hands trembling as he reached out to touch her cheek, yet he hesitated, terrified of disturbing her, his movements cautious and delicate.

"Shuanghua... Shuanghua!" His voice was hoarse, carrying an unconcealable sob.

Perhaps hearing the familiar call, Ling Shuanghua's long eyelashes fluttered slightly, and she slowly opened her eyes.

When she saw the face she had dreamed of day and night, weathered by hardship, tears instantly welled up in her eyes and slid down her cheeks.

"Brother Ding... is it really you?" Her voice was weak, yet filled with incredulous joy.

"It's me, Shuanghua, it's me!" Ding Dian gripped her hands tightly. This tough man, who had endured brutal torture in the death prison without ever yielding, could not stop his tears from flowing now. "You're safe... thank goodness, as long as you're safe..."

Wang Xuan leaned against the doorframe, watching this tender scene of reunion with cold indifference, his face devoid of expression. Once their emotions had settled slightly, he spoke, his tone crisp and direct, without a hint of hesitation: "I've rescued her for you. Now, it's time to fulfill your promise."

Ding Dian's body stiffened. He patted Ling Shuanghua's hand gently to reassure her, then turned to face Wang Xuan. His expression was complex—gratitude, vigilance, and a trace of indescribable helplessness.

"Brother Wang, words cannot express my gratitude." Ding Dian cupped his fists in a formal salute, his tone solemn. "But if you want the Divine Illumination Scripture, I must know: what do you intend to do with it?"

Wang Xuan was blunt, hiding nothing: "Become stronger, survive, and kill those who deserve to die."

Ding Dian stared at him intently, his tone stern: "The Divine Illumination Scripture is a foundational internal art of the orthodox sects. By sitting in divine illumination, one's internal energy becomes inexhaustible, and it even possesses the power to bring the dead back to life. I absolutely do not want it to fall into the hands of someone with malicious intent, to wreak havoc on the Jianghu."

Wang Xuan let out a scoff, his smile cold and mocking: "Hero Ding, do you think the current Jianghu still distinguishes between righteous and evil? The Four Wonders of the South are hypocrites, Ling Tuisi is as venomous as a scorpion, and the Blood Blade Ancestor is a mass murderer. Those so-called 'heroes' outside would draw their blades on total strangers for the sake of gold or martial arts." He pointed to the scar on his own chest, his tone sharp. "This is the Jianghu you speak of. With the Divine Illumination Scripture in your hands, you couldn't even protect yourself or the one you love. Give it to me, and I can at least guarantee that you two will remain alive and together until the day I die."

These words were harsh, yet they struck at the heart of the matter—they were all facts.

Wang Xuan had abducted Ding Dian in full view of everyone; regardless of the truth, the entire Jianghu would believe that both the Divine Illumination Scripture and the Secret of the Linked Cities were in his possession.

Ding Dian fell silent. He recalled the torture in the death prison, the suffering Ling Shuanghua had endured over the years, and the greedy faces of the martial artists he had seen earlier. The struggle in his heart gradually dissipated.

The young man before him was ruthless and decisive, yet he kept his word. He had saved him, and he had saved Shuanghua. Furthermore, he had witnessed Wang Xuan's strength in killing the Blood Blade Ancestor firsthand. He himself was currently severely wounded; if Wang Xuan wanted to take it by force, he would have no power to resist.

Weighing the pros and cons, Ding Dian took a deep breath, as if making a lifelong decision: "Fine! I, Ding Dian, keep my word. You saved me and Shuanghua from our plight, so I will pass on the incantations of the Divine Illumination Scripture to you!"

He walked up to Wang Xuan and lowered his voice, reciting the introductory mental cultivation method, the circulation paths, and the key acupoints of the Divine Illumination Scripture, word by word, with absolute clarity.

Wang Xuan listened intently, memorizing every detail. As Ding Dian spoke, many of the doubts he had regarding internal cultivation suddenly cleared up. This Divine Illumination Scripture was truly worthy of its reputation.

"The Dao gives birth to one, one gives birth to two. The Divine Illumination begins, sitting in divine illumination, holding to the one. Gather the primordial pure energy, store it in the dantian, circulate it through the Ren and Du meridians, penetrate the Baihui, open the Yongquan, guide the pure energy to nourish the organs, transform the primordial qi to strengthen the bones, let the qi and meridians connect, and unify the spirit and qi."

The incantation was short, yet every word was a gem, containing profound Daoist mysteries. After Ding Dian finished the last sentence, he solemnly cautioned: "The incantation has been passed to you. As for... the Secret of the Linked Cities, very well, I shall give that to you as well."

The Secret of the Linked Cities was not a martial arts manual. Although the Iron-Boned Ink Crocodile Mei Niansheng had a set of Tang Poetry Sword Technique, it was actually worthless; he had taught it to his three disciples, and none of them had achieved anything with it. The secret was merely a set of numerical codes paired with the [Selected Tang Poetry] collection, such as four, fifty-one, thirty-three, twenty-eight, which ultimately revealed: West of Jiangling City, the Buddha statue in the main hall of Tianning Temple, bow before it with piety, pray for spiritual guidance, and the Tathagata will grant blessings, leading to the ultimate bliss!

That was all the information there was.

[Side Quest: Secret of the Linked Cities Treasure has been completed]

[Congratulations to the Player, you have obtained the Secret of the Linked Cities. You must carry the [Selected Tang Poetry] to Tianning Temple to unlock the treasure!]

[Congratulations to the Player, your clearance rating has increased!]

[Side Quest: Peerless Divine Art Divine Illumination Art]

[Congratulations to the Player for rescuing Ding Dian, you have obtained the Divine Illumination Art.]

[Congratulations to the Player, your clearance rating has increased!]

[Congratulations to the Player for completing the first stage of the main quest 'Ascent to the Martial Peak': Jianghu Strife!]

[Congratulations to the Player, your clearance rating has increased!]

[World Announcement: Main quest 'Ascent to the Martial Peak' has entered the second stage: Dominate the Martial World]

[Reputation System error, &# ...The method of completing the quest has been changed. The first to step into the Xiantian realm will complete all main quests, and the plot world will end in one month!]

A series of prompts and world announcements echoed in his mind. Wang Xuan was almost overwhelmed by the influx of information. After opening his panel and sorting through the data, he finally understood: the Treasure of Emperor Liang Yuan at Tianning Temple previously required completing side quests to obtain the key "Secret of the Linked Cities" and the "Selected Tang Poetry" to unlock. Now that he had completed this side quest, the eligibility to unlock it was locked directly to him. This meant that even if all the other players lived at Tianning Temple, they wouldn't find a trace of the treasure.

As for the failure of the Reputation System to activate, he actually felt it was a good thing. With the Divine Illumination Art in hand, he could use One-Click Max and then speed-run the plot quest, saving himself a lot of trouble.

Once Wang Xuan regained his composure, he skipped the pleasantries. He walked to the window, glanced at the dim sky outside, and said with a grave tone: "We cannot stay here long. Ling Tuisi is likely unable to protect himself, but there are too many people in the city looking for you. Find a safe place to hide as soon as possible; I will draw their attention away."

Having said that, he didn't linger. With a flash, he exited the ruined house and vanished into the night, leaving behind only a swift afterimage.

Inside the house, Ding Dian and Ling Shuanghua embraced tightly. The joy of surviving the ordeal and the uncertainty of the future intertwined, filling the dilapidated room.

Meanwhile, Wang Xuan, carrying the Blood Blade Scripture and the incantations for the Divine Illumination Scripture as if holding two balls of fire capable of shaking the Jianghu, quickly disappeared into the intricate alleys of Jingzhou City. In the next moment, he would effectively end the competition.