Beginning the Reckoning

["Delaying the onset of old age..."]

[You were secretly astonished to hear this.]

[When cultivators grew old, their qi and blood declined, leaving them unable to maintain their peak condition. This was practically common knowledge in the cultivation world.]

[You had heard that certain incomparably precious natural treasures could delay the onset of old age.]

[But such treasures were beyond the reach of not only Qi Refining Stage cultivators, but even Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators.]

[Delaying old age through a cultivation art... you had never heard of such a thing.]

[Of course, this might simply have been because the circles you moved in were too low-level.]

[At your current level, you were qualified to learn some secrets concerning foundation establishment, but anything higher was beyond your reach.]

[After all, the strongest cultivators you could befriend were only at the foundation establishment early or middle stage, and even that was thanks to your status as a High-Grade Pill Master.]

[For someone who was merely a late Qi refining period cultivator, it was difficult to build connections with Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators through personal strength alone.]

["Master, what other benefits does the Mountain Sea Art I cultivate offer?"]

[Noticing that the Mountain Sea Ring Artifact Spirit seemed to be in a good mood, you probed further.]

[Until now, you had only known that the mountain-sea mana condensed through the Mountain Sea Art could easily carry you through the mana trial, one of the Three Foundation Establishment Trials.]

[And you had just learned that cultivating the Mountain Sea Art could delay the onset of old age.]

["What benefits?"]

[The Mountain Sea Ring Artifact Spirit pondered for a while before continuing, "This was the foundational cultivation art of the Mountain Sea lineage in ancient times. If you can cultivate it to core formation, you will be able to condense a mountain sea Dao body and stand proudly above your peers..."]

["Back then, if not for..."]

[The Mountain Sea Ring Artifact Spirit suddenly stopped and changed the subject. "Boy, being qualified to cultivate such a supreme art in this lifetime is already enough for you to laugh up your sleeve..."]

[Next, the Mountain Sea Ring Artifact Spirit focused on foundation establishment.]

["At the Qi Refining Stage, the Mountain Sea Art can delay old age by roughly twenty years. You still have plenty of time to attempt foundation establishment."]

["If circumstances permit, prepare a Foundation Establishment Pill."]

["Also, before attempting foundation establishment, cultivate the Mountain-Sea Body Refinement Art to the third layer."]

[The Mountain Sea Ring Artifact Spirit's aged voice rang out.]

[The first layer of the Mountain-Sea Body Refinement Art was comparable to the early Qi refining period, the second to the middle Qi refining period, and the third to the late Qi refining period.]

[Over the years, you had also been practicing the Mountain-Sea Body Refinement Art and had already reached its second layer.]

[You were not far from the third layer.]

[Of course, your rapid progress did not mean you possessed talent for body refinement.]

[Instead, Qi Condensation had nourished it in turn.]

[Mountain sea mana was dense and pure. It could also nourish the flesh, greatly accelerating your cultivation of the Mountain-Sea Body Refinement Art.]

[The Mountain Sea Art and the Mountain-Sea Body Refinement Art shared the same origin to begin with.]

[The Mountain Sea Ring Artifact Spirit wanted you to cultivate the Mountain-Sea Body Refinement Art to the third layer to ensure you could safely pass the qi-blood trial, one of the Three Foundation Establishment Trials.]

[The three trials Qi Refining Stage cultivators faced when attempting to enter the Foundation Establishment Realm were the qi-blood trial, the mana trial, and the divine sense trial.]

[In the fifty-ninth year, you were seventy-four. Dachun, who had already reached his twilight years, came to see you.]

[Dachun was more than a decade older than you. He was now in his nineties and nearing the end of his lifespan.]

[Body refinement could not prolong one's lifespan. In truth, Qi Condensation did not extend life very noticeably at the Qi Refining Stage either.]

["I can no longer protect you, young master. I would like to go down the mountain and wander around."]

[Dachun showed every sign of old age as he tentatively made his request.]

[Looking at the man who had followed you for most of his life, you were filled with countless emotions.]

[You knew very well that Dachun did not truly want to wander down the mountain. He was afraid of dying before your eyes.]

[His reason for going down the mountain was to find a burial place for himself, then quietly pass away.]

["I'll go with you."]

[After some thought, you spoke.]

[You had already reached the ninth layer of Qi refining and could advance no further. If the Mountain Sea Ring Artifact Spirit had not advised you to cultivate the Mountain-Sea Body Refinement Art to the third layer, you would probably already have been considering foundation establishment.]

[Cultivating only the Mountain-Sea Body Refinement Art did not demand much of your surroundings.]

[You accompanied Dachun out of the Market District and down Black Mountain.]

[Occasionally, rogue cultivators prowled near the Market District, but you avoided them all in time.]

[Your current strength had almost reached the pinnacle of the Qi Refining Stage.]

[You wandered with Dachun for more than half a year before eventually returning to the foot of Black Mountain.]

["Young master, I think this place is quite nice."]

[Dachun stopped before a small hill, his back hunched.]

[From here, one could look up and see Black Mountain's summit directly, where the Market Ward stood.]

[You froze slightly. In the first simulation, Dachun's grave had also been here.]

[Countless thoughts ran through your mind. Compared with the first simulation, Dachun had lived nearly ten years longer in this one.]

[Yet in the first simulation, Dachun had married and had children. In this simulation, he had remained alone to this day in order to protect you.]

[Over the past several decades, you had considered helping Dachun start a family, but he had always refused.]

[Half a day later, Dachun closed his eyes.]

[You raised your hand, dug a pit, and buried Dachun within it.]

[Then you carved out a stone marker and inscribed, "Here lies Zhou Dachun."]

[Finally, at the bottom, you added, "Erected by Zhou Qing."]

[In this simulation, you had used the alias King Lin in public. No one knew who Zhou Qing was.]

["Dachun..."]

[Standing before Dachun's gravestone, you murmured to yourself, "In this world, only I remain..."]

[More than twenty years ago, you had sensed through a bloodline secret art that your closest relatives had passed away one after another.]

[Of the Zhou family, which had once enjoyed illustrious glory in the Qian Kingdom for generations, only you remained.]

[You stood before Dachun's grave for a long time before finally taking out a black mask.]

[You slowly put on the black mask. Your aura began to shift faintly as the Mountain Sea Art circulated rapidly. Your long hair fell loose, and invisible spiritual pressure, like mountains and seas, spread in every direction.]

[Your figure vanished from the spot as you approached a gathering place of rogue cultivators in the distance.]

[Over the past few years, many rogue cultivators had gathered around Black Mountain's Market Ward. They were merely waiting for Market Master Ouyang Shen to pass away in meditation before swarming in and carving up the market.]

[In a certain

valley, more than ten rogue cultivators had gathered.]

[Most of these rogue cultivators were in the middle Qi refining period. Three were in the late Qi refining period, and their leader had even reached the eighth layer of Qi refining.]

[Just then...]

[The leader, a Rogue Cultivator at the eighth layer of Qi Refining, sensed something, and his expression shifted slightly.]

[Immediately afterward, a mana aura and spiritual pressure like mountains and seas swept toward them.]

[The rogue cultivators saw that a man wearing a black mask was already standing at the valley's entrance.]

[The aura emanating from the Black-masked Man was terrifying, faintly surpassing the limits of the Qi Refining Stage. His spiritual pressure, like mountains and seas, left the middle Qi refining period rogue cultivators struggling to breathe.]

["Foundation Establishment Realm? No, Qi refining perfection?"]

[The leader, a Rogue Cultivator at the eighth layer of Qi Refining, looked uncertain and alarmed. Only True Disciples of major sects or cultivators who had encountered extraordinary opportunities could attain such powerful Qi refining perfection.]

["Obey, or die."]

[The Black-masked Man's tone was cold.]

["Fellow Daoist, aren't you being a little..."]

[The leader, a Rogue Cultivator at the eighth layer of Qi Refining, frowned.]

[The next instant, the Black-masked Man extended his right hand. A Black Little Mountain appeared out of thin air and smashed toward the rogue cultivator at the eighth layer of Qi refining.]

[The Black Little Mountain erupted with an incomparably heavy aura, like a towering mountain a thousand zhang high crashing down.]

["A High-Grade Magic Tool..."]

[The rogue cultivator at the eighth layer of Qi refining trembled in terror. He unleashed several methods in succession, but the Black Little Mountain smashed them all to pieces. He watched as he, too, was about to be crushed into pulp.]

[The Black Little Mountain suddenly stopped.]

[The rogue cultivator at the eighth layer of Qi refining heard those familiar words once more.]

["Obey, or die."]

["I'll obey! I'll obey!"]

[The rogue cultivator at the eighth layer of Qi refining answered immediately.]

[Only Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators could normally wield High-Grade Magic Tools.]

[The mana of this man wearing a black mask surpassed ordinary Qi refining perfection in quality, allowing him to activate a High-Grade Magic Tool to some extent.]

[Under such circumstances, facing rogue cultivators like them in the middle and late Qi refining periods was nothing short of an attack from a higher dimension.]

[You swept your gaze over the other dozen or so rogue cultivators and said expressionlessly, "I want you to make a trip to the mortal world and slaughter the Qian Kingdom's imperial family to the last person."]