Seven Luminaries and Four Residues

A colossal meteor fell from the sky, and Liu Yunshen's group of five were scared out of their wits!

In an instant, white light surged, and the world rippled!

It was as if an invisible giant hand had pressed the pause button. Birds froze in midair, and the stream's waves stilled!

The townspeople transformed into countless streaks of light and leaped several miles north of the city—appearing beside Liu Yunshen's group of five!

The colossal meteor slammed down, kicking up towering clouds of dust and razing that small county town of several thousand people to the ground!

"What! What is going on?! How did I suddenly get here?!" The city gate commandant was terrified. The townspeople were utterly bewildered. The only thing they shared was the fear written across every face!

"Young hero, my cousin's home is five li ahead. Once we get there, we can have a proper talk!"

Blacksmith Tan and his party shook off their terrified, stunned fellow townspeople and finally reached his brother's home before nightfall.

"Young hero, the situation is extremely unfavorable for you. If I am not mistaken, within three days, wanted posters for your arrest will cover the entire Great Zhou Dynasty."

Blacksmith Tan's younger brother, Tan An, was also an outer disciple of a small sect within the Zhou Kingdom. His cultivation was at the third stage of the first realm of Qi Refinement, yet as he stared deeply at the youth before him, he could not discern his cultivation at all!

"Ever since my father abandoned my mother and me, my mother had painstakingly raised me alone. To let me study, she even moved house three times. Then, a few days ago, she could not bear to watch cruel officials oppress the villagers, so she... was beaten alive by those beasts!"

Liu Yunshen recounted it calmly, and the atmosphere grew rather oppressive.

"The Great Zhou truly is rotten to the core!" Blacksmith Tan said furiously.

"If not for my sect being here, I would have left long ago!" Tan An sighed.

Tan Cuicui stared at the scar on Liu Yunshen's cheek, which was growing fainter and fainter, and asked in surprise, "Brother Liu, how is your injury healing so quickly? Is this the ability of a Qi Refiner?"

"I do not know either!" Liu Yunshen touched his cheek. The wound he had cut open that morning was nearly healed by the hour of the Rooster. He could not help giving a bitter smile. "It seems that if I enter the city tomorrow or the day after, I will have to mutilate myself again!"

"There is no need for such trouble!" Tan An rose with a laugh, then returned a moment later. "Young hero, take this with you."

"This is... a human-skin mask!" Liu Yunshen said with a surprised, bitter smile. "Why make it seem like I'm some notorious bandit?"

"Heh heh! These days, the shady deeds committed by sects are probably three parts worse than those of bandits and thieves! Like that colossal meteor today!" Tan An swept his gaze over the group, his eyes dark as he looked toward the county town destroyed by the giant stone.

"Heaven and earth will always have justice! Just like this time—ultimately, some mighty expert of profound virtue took action and saved the people of this entire county!" Blacksmith Tan said indignantly.

Liu Yunshen sighed. Thinking of his master again, he pressed on, "Senior Tan An, did you mean that some sects secretly commit evil deeds?"

"Young hero, did your master ever tell you that the spiritual qi of this world is now nearly exhausted?" Tan An looked at him intently.

Liu Yunshen was puzzled. "What does that have to do with the colossal meteor?"

"Ancient cultivators relied on the Ancient Immortal Scripture, absorbing vast amounts of heaven-and-earth spiritual qi to gather immense pill power. Medieval cultivators relied on heavenly treasures and earthly resources; those with sufficient talent, diligence, and virtue could likewise ascend to the lofty rank of Heavenly Immortal. But now..."

Tan An took a drink of wine and sneered. "Spiritual qi is insufficient, and more than half the heavenly treasures and earthly resources have been depleted. Some wicked cultivators are stuck at the great barrier of Earth Immortal, afraid they will never achieve the Golden Core Great Dao, so they risk everything!"

Liu Yunshen flew into a rage. "But man-made disasters cannot produce heavenly treasures or earthly resources. What are these wicked cultivators after?"

"I do not know the answer to that question either, young hero..."

Tan An's eyes were filled with helplessness. "But what my brother said just now was right. Great Zhou is no longer a place where heroes can dwell. Dragons and snakes coil across the imperial court. Evil flood dragons run rampant among the villages, and the people cannot survive!"

"This junior is dull-witted, so may I ask, Senior, where should I go now? An enemy nation, perhaps..." Liu Yunshen asked softly.

Blacksmith Tan and Tan An nodded. "Exactly!"

"In today's world, apart from the four great nations—Zhou, Qin, Han, and Chu—there are also seven great sects. The ones most hostile toward our Great Zhou are Qin and Han. As for Chu Kingdom, a foolish ruler holds the throne, so it is no different." Tan An listed them as easily as treasures from his own home, explaining in detail.

"And what are the seven great sects?"

"Young hero, do you know that all four great nations have cultivators who safeguard the nation? Their cultivation is unfathomable. It is said that Great Zhou's guardian has already lived for more than two hundred and eighty years!"

"An Earth Immortal?!"

"Exactly!" Tan An took a sip of tea. "As for the seven great sects, their number of Earth Immortal cultivators is no fewer than that of the four great nations! Take Sakyamuni Temple, for example. It was originally a religion from the west. Though it has been Sinicized over the past thousand years, its cultivation methods remain entirely different from the Daoist sects of the Central Plains! This sect is currently the strongest, yet it never interferes in the disputes of the various nations!"

"The second is Vast Sea Academy, located in the Western Regions!" A look of yearning appeared on Tan An's face.

Blacksmith Tan was greatly puzzled. "Second brother, why does that name sound like some bookworm academy?"

"It is no wonder you do not know, Brother. Vast Sea Academy is said to have been passed down for several thousand years. Its history is extraordinarily ancient and its foundations immensely profound, yet it is extremely low-key and mysterious. Because it is located in the Western Regions, it never involves itself in the disputes of the Central Plains when the people live in peace and the realm is united. But once war breaks out and the world falls into chaos, the academy's seven pavilion masters gather in the Central Plains, support the true ruler chosen by Heaven's mandate, and pacify the realm!"

Flames rose in Tan An's eyes, and Blacksmith Tan's blood also boiled as he listened. "Good heavens! You've made even Old Tan here want to leave the mountains and assist this wise ruler!"

"What is the third great sect?" Liu Yunshen asked.

"The third sect is called the Myriad Swords Sect. This sect alone has three Sword Immortal cultivators at the great perfection of Earth Immortal, while Human Immortal cultivators who have reached the limit of the Qi Refining stage are countless. Several thousand years ago, most members of this sect were upright people. But now..." Regret appeared on Tan An's face.

"I know the fourth sect. It is most likely the chief culprit behind this meteor disaster!" Blacksmith Tan snorted.

Tan An nodded. "Exactly—the Demon Sect! Young hero, if you encounter anyone from this sect, regardless of gender, young or old, kill them on sight! Do not hesitate!"

"This..." Liu Yunshen was stunned.

"The Demon Sect most enjoys taking human form. What appears to be a young girl may in truth be a hundred-year-old crone; what appears to be a child may actually be a demon that has drunk the fresh blood of countless people!"

Liu Yunshen's expression grew grave, and he nodded faintly.

"There is no use saying too much today. Young hero, just remember those four sects. Beyond them, there is another sect. Our sect's records contain very little about it. It seems to be called the Nine Bestowals Sect." Tan An frowned in thought.

Blacksmith Tan laughed heartily. "You can tell from the name that it's no good!"

"That is hard to say. Even if a name sounds righteous, those within may not all be gentlemen!" Tan An shook his head and smiled. "Young hero, rest for the night. We can make plans tomorrow!"

Liu Yunshen shook his head. "Thank you for your kindness, Senior, but I have already imposed on you for far too long and truly feel ashamed. Besides, my two brothers are currently missing. Every day I delay, the chances of finding them lessen by a fraction."

"If that is the case..." Tan An took a porcelain bottle from his robes. "Take this with you. If you suffer injury, poisoning, or encounter a hurdle you cannot cross, it may offer some help."

"Thank—" Liu Yunshen had just begun to express his gratitude when Tan An hurriedly pulled him up and actually bent his knees slightly, smiling. "If Your Excellency someday intends to contend for the Central Plains, do not, under any circumstances, forget this humble minister's service today!"

Liu Yunshen laughed loudly. "Senior jests. This junior would never dare forget!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Tan Cuicui egged them on from the side.

Everyone burst into laughter.

That night, the Tan brothers escorted him several li. As they watched Liu Yunshen disappear deep into the mountains, their expressions were especially complicated!

"Second brother, what happened to you today?"

"This child has a peculiar fate and was born with double pupils. One day, his nobility will be beyond words!!" Tan An gazed at the heavens, observing carefully. "Purple Qi, Lunar Bane, Rahu, and Ketu—they actually correspond to Han, Qin, Zhou, and Chu respectively!"

"If you acted a little less like a charlatan, Second Brother, your cultivation might be even higher!" Blacksmith Tan laughed. Tan An did not argue. After watching the celestial phenomena for a long while, he suddenly asked, "Brother, have you let your cultivation fall aside all these years?"

"My cultivation has long stagnated, but my skill in forging weapons and armor is three parts better than when I was in the sect!" Blacksmith Tan said, smiling as he stroked his beard.

"Excellent! Brother, make some preparations. In a few days, I will introduce you to a sect elder!"

"In such a hurry?" Blacksmith Tan cried out in surprise.

"It is not I who am in a hurry!" Tan An shook his head. "It is this Eastern Ancient Continent that is about to see the skies change!"