Phoenix Spirit Fan, Divine Weapon

Lu Li was slightly taken aback.

"A large carriage? How large was it, and what did those people look like?"

Liu Yueling thought for a moment before describing it.

"That large carriage didn't need horses or livestock to pull it. It could move on its own. There were many people beside it, but they weren't real people—they were paper people."

"Paper people? Could it be Thousand Theater?"

That thought surfaced in Lu Li's mind.

In the martial world of the Jing Dynasty, martial arts flourished and countless factions existed. Generally speaking, gangs such as the Beggar Gang, Horse Gang, and Boatmen Gang, which roamed the land, had the widest reach and deepest foundations. One could encounter them in nearly every sizable prefectural city.

Yet there were also some highly skilled eccentrics whose actions were neither wholly righteous nor wicked, impossible to fathom. Thousand Theater was one of them.

Thousand Theater could be seen as a moving fortress, its structure supported by Paper Effigy Art as it traveled through the martial world. It sought neither fame nor profit, but whenever it encountered someone it favored, it would forcibly invite them onto its carriage for a fight.

Such a match would not take a life, but merely test one's capabilities.

Afterward, Thousand Theater would generally have that person kill someone on its behalf. If they succeeded, they would be rewarded with precious pills, cultivation techniques, and the like, then sent to kill another person, one after another without end.

At first glance, it seemed like it was guiding someone through trials and tempering them. Yet sometimes, it would abruptly stop and vanish without a trace.

No one knew what Thousand Theater's purpose was.

But Lu Li knew that it was an inheritance left behind by the previous master of the Phoenix Spirit Fan. Its purpose was to roam the martial world in search of a master for the divine weapon.

"Phoenix Spirit Fan... eighth on the Divine Weapon Ranking. Once the fan was raised, fierce winds would sweep forth, capable of splitting gold and shattering stone. If one's inner energy was sufficient, it could even turn lakes and seas upside down."

Information about the Phoenix Spirit Fan rose in Lu Li's mind, but he knew full well that with his current cultivation, he was utterly unqualified to come into contact with a divine weapon.

Heavenly Profound Divine Weapons were hot potatoes. They were treasures Merging Cavern coveted greatly. For someone at Meridian Opening to wield a divine weapon was like a waiter carrying gold through a bustling market.

Besides, the Phoenix Spirit Fan was hardly easy to obtain.

If Thousand Theater chose someone, it would make them continuously kill opponents a level stronger than themselves—fighting above their realm and overcoming stronger foes.

Once they had grown enough to qualify as a divine weapon master, Thousand Theater would gather all the candidates together and determine a true inheritor.

"Why is Thousand Theater nearby?"

The thought flashed through his mind. Lu Li's gaze darkened as he looked at Liu Yueling and asked,

"Can you determine how far that strange carriage is from us?"

Seeing Lu Li's grave expression, Liu Yueling immediately nodded. "I'll try."

With that, she raised a hand, and Ground Owl immediately flapped its wings again, circling high in the sky.

Lu Li opened the map, preparing to take another route. For now, he had no desire to become entangled with Thousand Theater.

By the time Lu Li had replanned their route, Ground Owl had flown back. Liu Yueling said,

"Brother Li, Little Gray saw that strange carriage. It's only half a forest away from us."

Half a forest?

Lu Li immediately understood the distance. Without wasting time, he extinguished the campfire, brought Liu Yueling into the carriage, and cracked the whip, sending the horses racing in another direction.

Thousand Theater posed no danger to one's life and could even be considered a small opportunity.

But reality differed from a game. There was no guarantee that accidents would not happen, and Lu Li had never been in the habit of entrusting his safety to luck.

He was now at the Fourth Layer of Meridian Opening. It was not a good time to deal with them.

Just as Lu Li drove the carriage all the way to the foot of the mountain, Liu Yueling suddenly said,

"Brother Li, they came straight down from the mountain."

Upon hearing this, Lu Li turned around and heard a thunderous crash from the slope.

He looked over and saw a huge carriage, seemingly made entirely of white paper and draped in white sails, sliding down the slope. Its direction of descent was straight toward him.

Ground Owl circled overhead.

Lu Li could not help but grit his teeth. The carriage he was driving clearly could not compare to the other side's sheer downward speed.

Rumble!

In the blink of an eye, Thousand Theater crashed down before the carriage, sending dust flying everywhere.

The carriage jolted violently, and the horses were startled as well. Lu Li forcibly yanked the reins and brought them to a stop.

At the same time, several figures emerged from the Thousand Theater before them. Their lightness skills were exceptional, and each held a length of white cloth. In an instant, they surrounded the carriage.

They intended to seal Lu Li and the carriage inside together.

"So they've set their sights on me..."

Lu Li watched quietly and understood. He looked at Ground Owl in the sky, then pulled Liu Yueling from the carriage and hurled her into the air.

Ground Owl swooped down and caught Liu Yueling steadily.

"Brother Li!"

Liu Yueling was frantic, tears filling her eyes.

"Don't worry. I'll be fine. Find somewhere safe and wait for me."

As soon as the words fell, the white sailcloth completely sealed off the area around the carriage. Everything turned white, and Lu Li saw gears turning within Thousand Theater. Then, in the blink of an eye, a stage was erected.

"Please, young master, step onto the stage and put on a performance."

A grating, affected voice rang out, as though a eunuch were squeezing his throat. Lu Li frowned as an eerie chill washed over him.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

The sound of objects cutting through the air rang out. Lu Li glanced aside as wooden spikes shot toward him. His body moved, and he leaped onto the stage. The carriage where he had been standing was instantly pierced through.

Only the horses were unharmed. However, their legs seemed to be bound by extremely fine threads, leaving them unable to move.

Taking in the scene before him, Lu Li placed his right hand on the saber at his waist and slowly drew it.

Three "uncanny" figures stood above the stage, and Lu Li narrowed his eyes at them.

They were three paper people, seemingly weightless as they floated in midair. Their expressions were lifelike, no different from real people, making them difficult to distinguish.

Anyone else might truly have been fooled. After all, flying through the air was a legendary immortal technique. Even experts of the Divine Intent Realm could not fly.

But Lu Li knew the truth. These "three people" were paper effigies. True flight was something only possible at the Outer Scenery Realm of the Demon Martial Path.

These three paper figures were merely being manipulated by people behind Thousand Theater.

"Bone age around twenty. Fifth Layer of Meridian Opening... average."

The paper figure on the stage spoke. It was shaped like a woman of breathtaking beauty and seductive charm. Allurement flickered in her shifting eyes, and her gaze at Lu Li seemed filled with limpid autumn water.

"Calm in the face of danger. Protected a little girl... superior."

The other two paper figures spoke in turn. One resembled a stern, burly man, while the other resembled a kindly old man.

"Ninth-ranked treasure artifact. Master of Xuandu... excellent."

As the three statements fell, Lu Li understood why they had targeted him.

It was because of the Xuandu in his hand.

Since Thousand Theater sought the master of a divine weapon, it naturally would not grant qualifications to every martial wanderer it encountered.

With Heavenly Profound Divine Weapons absent, treasure artifacts were the most sought-after treasures in the martial world. If one could not even wield a treasure artifact, then there was no point in speaking of wielding a divine weapon.

"The show has begun. Please enter the stage, young master."

The beautiful woman spoke. Lu Li raised his eyes slightly, and the sound of a gong reached his ears. In an instant, a young man with an ancient, weathered face sprang onto the stage.

Lu Li could sense that the young man was not alive, but made of paper. Yet a dense wave of inner energy radiated from him.

"Cultivation at the First Layer of Meridian Opening?"