Sunken-Sand Fort

With a soft crack.

The bottleneck between Qi Refining, Sixth-Layer Peak and Qi Refining, Seventh Layer shattered outright beneath the impact of that immense spiritual energy.

The black pool within his dantian abruptly expanded to nearly twice its size, faint starlight seemingly flickering at its bottom.

A surge of Dharma power far more robust than before coursed endlessly through his body.

He had reached Qi Refining, Seventh Layer.

Shen Qingzhou slowly opened his eyes and exhaled a breath of turbid air tinged with pale blue water vapor.

He did not immediately emerge from seclusion. Instead, he sat quietly at the bottom of the lake for three days, stabilizing his sharply increased cultivation and familiarizing himself with the changes brought by the Late Qi Refining Stage.

The Mid-Grade Dharma Artifact Ripple-Pattern Sword hummed in his hand, and the power of its Abyss-Hiding Sword Qi rose with the tide.

Three days later, Shen Qingzhou broke through the water. After getting his bearings, he turned into a streak of water-shadow and headed for the rendezvous point designated by the sect mission.

This was a small town beside the official road north of Azure Mountain.

The town was not large, yet it was rather bustling because it served as a transit point for disciples of the Profound Heaven Sect traveling outside.

At the eastern end of town stood a separate courtyard, with a plaque of the Profound Heaven Sect hanging over its entrance. It specifically provided flying demon beasts for disciples.

When Shen Qingzhou arrived, a massive azure eagle was already resting in the courtyard.

The eagle was enormous, with a wingspan of more than ten zhang. Its feathers gleamed with luster; clearly, it was a first-rank upper-grade demon beast with extraordinary bloodline.

An outer sect steward was waiting respectfully nearby, while someone already stood before the giant eagle with his back to Shen Qingzhou.

The youth stood tall and straight, dressed in a moon-white Daoist robe.

That familiar aura made Shen Qingzhou pause, unable to stop himself from raising a brow.

As if sensing someone's arrival, the man slowly turned around.

"Well, if it isn't an acquaintance."

The moment their eyes met, the surroundings fell silent.

Shen Qingzhou wore an odd expression as his thoughts raced.

The newcomer was actually Lu Chen.

The Blackwater Marsh garrison mission had gone unattended for years. Why was this man here?

Was it a coincidence, or had he deliberately lain in ambush here over his defeat at the Sword-Inquiry Platform a year ago?

To Shen Qingzhou's surprise, Lu Chen showed no hostility.

That face, usually devoid of expression, instead carried a trace of indescribable awkwardness.

"Junior Brother Shen."

Lu Chen took the initiative to speak, breaking the awkward silence.

"Senior Brother Lu."

Shen Qingzhou replied calmly, then continued.

"I never expected to meet Senior Brother here. What a coincidence."

"It isn't a coincidence."

Lu Chen's answer was so direct that even Shen Qingzhou froze for a moment.

"I checked the Steward Hall records and learned that you had accepted this mission, so I accepted it as well."

Shen Qingzhou was completely speechless now.

He had considered countless possibilities—an ambush, a vendetta—but this was the one reason he had never imagined.

What exactly did this man want?

Had he decided that if he could not beat him, he would join him? Or did he intend to reclaim his honor during this mission?

Seeing Shen Qingzhou's strange expression, Lu Chen seemed to feel that his own actions were somewhat difficult to explain.

He was silent for a while before stiffly adding,

"I lost that battle at the Sword-Inquiry Platform."

"So, what do you want?"

Lu Chen stared at him and spoke word by word.

"So I want to see with my own eyes how the person who defeated me cultivates."

He did not say he wished to seek guidance or learn. He merely declared his purpose in this obsessive manner.

He had not come for revenge. He had come to seek the Dao.

He regarded his Dao rival as a great mountain on the road of cultivation that he had to climb over.

"Ha."

For a moment, Shen Qingzhou did not know what reaction to make.

This man was a martial fanatic through and through.

The crushing defeat a year ago had not broken his Dao heart. Instead, it had stirred within him a stubborn desire to investigate.

He wanted to remain at Shen Qingzhou's side, observe and study him, then ultimately surpass him.

It sounded somewhat absurd, yet it also made perfect sense.

This was indeed the sort of thing someone as proud as Lu Chen would do.

"Senior Brothers, it's getting late. We should be setting out."

Seeing how strange the atmosphere was, the outer sect steward hurriedly offered a cautious reminder.

Shen Qingzhou withdrew from his thoughts. He glanced at Lu Chen but said nothing, merely nodding before leaping onto the eagle's back.

Lu Chen also silently jumped up, landing at the other end of the eagle's back. Several zhang apart, he sat cross-legged and regulated his breathing.

Then came a piercing eagle cry.

The azure giant eagle abruptly beat its wings, whipping up a gale before shooting into the sky.

On the immense eagle's back, the two sat at opposite ends, neither saying a word.

They should have been mortal enemies locked in a needle-point clash, yet now they traveled together in bizarre fashion, flying toward the Northern Wastes.

Facing the fierce high-altitude winds rushing at him, Shen Qingzhou's vigilance gradually faded, replaced by an absurd feeling that left him not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

He had never expected to gain such an unexpected companion right from the start.

It seemed this journey to Blackwater Marsh would not be boring after all.

The azure giant eagle let out a long cry, then folded its wings and began circling downward.

From high above, Blackwater Marsh below stretched as far as the eye could see.

Vast swathes of inky-green stagnant water were divided into countless patches by bizarre trees and rotting waterweed, while dense miasma rolled across the surface.

The miasma condensed into grayish-white fog, blanketing everything beneath it.

"What a strange sight."

Shen Qingzhou sighed inwardly. It was his first time seeing such a bizarre and boundless landscape.

Yet it possessed a unique beauty of its own.

As the giant eagle continued descending, the outline of a fort built upon high ground gradually emerged through the mist.

The fort's walls were tall, entirely constructed from massive blackish-brown stones.

Above its gates hung a battered wooden plaque, and the three words "Sunken-Sand Fort" had nearly become illegible.

This was one of the Profound Heaven Sect's garrisons in Blackwater Marsh.

The azure giant eagle landed steadily in an open space, its wings stirring up a cloud of flying dust.

An outer sect steward had already been waiting there. He first led the giant eagle aside to rest, then bowed to the two of them.

"Senior Brothers, you must have had a tiring journey. Senior Brother Xu is already waiting in the main hall."

Shen Qingzhou and Lu Chen followed the steward across the open space to a stone house in the center.

Before they even entered, a heavy smell of alcohol mixed with damp mildew drifted out.

The room was dimly lit. A young man in inner sect robes lounged crookedly in a reclining chair.

He held a brown gourd covered in cracks, taking one gulp of wine after another.

His hair was a tangled mess, and his face was covered in unkempt stubble.

Could this be a drunkard?

This man was Xu Zhaoye, the disciple stationed here, with cultivation at Qi Refining, Eighth Layer.

Hearing footsteps outside, Xu Zhaoye lazily lifted his eyelids.

His clouded gaze swept over the two of them. Then he took another gulp of wine and let out a loud belch.

"These are the newcomers? One at Qi Refining, Seventh Layer, and one at Qi Refining, Fifth Layer. Our sect really has fewer and fewer capable people these days."

He muttered softly, yet every word reached their ears with perfect clarity.

At those words, Lu Chen's brow immediately furrowed.

Shen Qingzhou, however, remained composed and calmly cupped his hands.

"Sword-Coming Peak, Shen Qingzhou."

"Wèi Earth, Lu Chen."

Lu Chen's voice sounded somewhat stiff.

"Oh, so you're from Sword-Coming Peak."

Xu Zhaoye seemed to perk up slightly. Swaying, he sat up from the reclining chair and casually set the wine gourd aside.

"One Kan Water and one Wèi Earth. Two fellows who clash like water and soil have actually come together. Now this is interesting."

He grinned and chuckled twice, then rummaged through a pile of miscellaneous items beside him.

At last, he pulled out a yellowed beast-hide map and casually tossed it toward them.

"There. That's a rough map of Blackwater Marsh. Take it and look for yourselves."

"The lodging is to the east. Find an empty room and stay there. As for rules, the rule here is that there are no rules. Freely do as you please."

After saying that, he lay back down, picked up the wine gourd again, and closed his eyes, clearly assuming the posture of someone seeing guests out.

His neglectful attitude was enough to make not only Lu Chen but even the steward who had led them there feel awkward.

With a dark expression, Lu Chen stepped forward and spoke in a low voice.

"Senior Brother Xu, we have come to stand guard here under the sect's orders. Please inform us of the situation in this place, as well as the duties we are expected to fulfill."

This time, Xu Zhaoye did not even open his eyes. He waved a hand in irritation.

"What duties? Your duty is not to disgrace the sect. All the details are marked on the map, so look for yourselves. Stop bothering me."

"What kind of person are you?"

Lu Chen was so angered that he nearly could not catch his breath, and the aura around him grew heavy.

He was, after all, a genius of the Wèi Earth lineage. When had he ever suffered such dismissive treatment?

This Xu Zhaoye was clearly brushing them off.

"Senior Brother Lu, forget it."

Shen Qingzhou swiftly pressed a hand onto Lu Chen's shoulder and shook his head at him.

He could clearly sense that although Xu Zhaoye appeared lazy and loose, the spiritual force around his body was complete and full.

This man was absolutely not as dispirited as he appeared.

This fellow is definitely no harmless character, Shen Qingzhou judged inwardly.

He was different from Su Yu's sort of languor. This appearance of his seemed more like something deliberately put on.

More importantly, there seemed to be a faint killing intent lingering around him.

Perhaps he was not truly lazy. Perhaps he simply did not want to concern himself with matters, or perhaps he felt there was no need to.

Lu Chen's chest rose and fell with anger, but he ultimately suppressed his temper.

In the end, he merely snorted coldly, shook off Shen Qingzhou's hand, and turned to leave.