Chapter 1019: Holy Emperor Golden Edict

“Ahahaha, brilliant!”

“This is truly spectacular! Absolutely amazing!”

On the Ginyin Ya ruins, Shuigui used the base of his palm to adjust the half-golden beast mask on his face, staring fixedly at the void ahead.

Though there was nothing in front of him, he acted as if he were watching a mundane theatrical performance, laughing so hard he slapped his thigh repeatedly.

In fact, the depths of Ginyin Ya did not contain a true deep sea.

This entire deep sea domain was Shuigui's territory.

Well…

Using the term "domain" didn't quite fit.

Because, strictly speaking, Shuigui's domain had merged with the inner world of the Yu Hai Shen Ji, forming something like a heter-dimensional space.

Naturally, as the lord of this deep sea domain, Shuigui could see anything happening inside with a single glance.

Right now, he was watching the confrontation between Huang Quan, Tianren Wushuai, and the Jiang Shi Bansheng, while also observing the scene at the Void Gate, where Xu Xiaoshou had lured the avatar of Jiang Buyi, leaving him utterly bewildered as he faced Rao Yaoyao and the others.

“Too brilliant!”

Shuigui couldn't suppress the smile on his face, shaking his head in admiration.

He had used the Hai Shen Zhu with the Tian Dao Backtracking method of concealing the heavens to lure the true bodies of Jiang Buyi and Huang Quan into the sea, thinking this scheme was incredibly clever and masterful.

But he only wanted Jiang Buyi's head.

Unexpectedly, Xu Xiaoshou's counter-move targeted the entire Jiang Shi Bansheng clan.

By using the words of Dao Qiong Cang's disciple Situ Yongren, they accused Jiang Buyi of plotting for the Sheng Di position, then unjustly slapped that charge onto Rao Yaoyao, the current representative of the Sheng Di family Rao clan…

How could Jiang Buyi clear his name from this?

Even if he had a hundred tongues and could make flowers bloom from his words,

Situ Yongren, for his own survival and interests, would never let Jiang Buyi live.

And when all this reached Rao Yaoyao's ears,

How could the Sheng Di family Rao clan tolerate a potential threat like the Jiang Shi Bansheng clan scheming for their power?

It was like a mute eating bitter herbs—unable to voice the suffering…

Nothing more fitting!

“This kid is ruthless!”

Shuigui praised endlessly.

He truly hadn't expected that letting Xu Xiaoshou into the deep sea would lead to so many twists. Now, he was thoroughly satisfied with the boy.

This was exactly as Ba Zun An had specifically instructed—a chess piece that must be moved, whether necessary or not, to change positions.

No need for the player to scheme much.

Once activated, the piece would move on its own and often, by sheer chance, bring about unexpected and exciting outcomes.

—Simply perfect!

“Cough, cough… What's making you so joyful?”

Just as he was getting excited, a weak cough came from behind.

Shuigui turned his head and saw a middle-aged man in poor condition, supported by an elderly man with a small axe at his waist, slowly approaching.

The middle-aged man had strong facial features and an impressive appearance.

Unfortunately, he only had eight fingers on his hands, a sword scar on his neck, and his eyes were dull and yellow, like someone in decline, creating a contradictory image.

Young yet old…

Vibrant yet frail…

In his hand, he carried a golden scroll radiating extraordinary Sheng force, which was the only bright spot about him.

“Ba Zun An?”

Shuigui stared for a moment, his eyebrows raising high.

He glanced at Cen Qiaofu, who was supporting Ba Zun An, nodded slightly in greeting, and asked, “What brings you here?”

“I haven't seen you this happy in a long time.”

Ba Zun An smiled as he approached, raising his arm to signal he didn't need help anymore.

After stepping out of the spatial fragments, the path was smooth, and he wasn't so weak as to trip on flat ground.

“Your people are incredibly useful.”

Shuigui thought of Xu Xiaoshou, his lips curving upward involuntarily. “The surprises he brings are no small matter.”

“That goes without saying.”

Ba Zun An smiled in agreement.

Xu Xiaoshou was indeed useful; otherwise, he wouldn't throw the boy into the storm's center every time.

No need for detailed instructions—just give a final direction, and the guy was like a stirrer, shaping the vortex exactly as desired.

Though he didn't know what Xu Xiaoshou had done in the deep sea,

Seeing Shuigui like this… Ba Zun An was sure the boy had stirred up trouble again.

“Your condition seems even worse.”

Shuigui watched Ba Zun An approach step by step, his brows furrowing deeper.

As the former Eighth Sword Immortal, if not for knowing the real person, Shuigui wouldn't believe that legendary figure could decline day by day to this state.

Look at him!

In terms of cultivation, Ba Zun An was probably only at the Lian Ling Three Realm now.

This was almost no different from an ordinary person!

Give an ordinary person a sword, and they might succeed in assassinating a sleeping Ba Zun An… Unbelievable!

“I said I'd handle things here, but if you insist on getting involved personally, you might drop dead soon.”

Shuigui said with a smile.

“I don't distrust you.”

Ba Zun An could hear the underlying meaning and replied with a touch of teasing, “It's just that you've taken all the spotlight in this matter. If I don't show my face, people might forget about Ba Zun An entirely.”

Shuigui: “…”

Even if the current generation forgets the Sword God Gu Lou Ying, they probably won't forget you, Ba Zun An!

Ba Zun An didn't dwell on it. He gestured toward the vast sea of clouds over the cliffs and praised, “Look at this! The Ginyin Ya game has trapped all the major Taixu from the Five Domains. I hear even a Bansheng went down there?”

“Hmm.”

Shuigui nodded with a smirk. “So?”

“What a brilliant scheme!”

Ba Zun An sighed deeply. “Once this gets out, your name, Shuigui, will spread across the four seas and be on everyone's lips.”

“Fame…”

Shuigui shook his head. “What's the use of that for me?”

Ba Zun An disagreed: “Even famous swords need fame to nourish them. The path to Cheng Sheng also requires the boost of reputation and faith.”

Shuigui chuckled but didn't respond.

Ba Zun An suddenly grew quiet, staring at the half-golden beast mask on the face in front of him, and said with a smile:

“Though, you really don't need that fame.

“When the mask comes off, the true name of the Sheng Nu Shuigui will be known to all.

“If we're talking about the next person in the world to achieve Cheng Sheng on the spot… It has to be you!”

Shuigui fell silent, gazing out at the sea of clouds on the cliffs, seeing only vast emptiness.

He touched the half-golden beast mask on his face, thinking to himself that this mask hid far more than just the identity of Sheng Nu Shuigui.

“The road ahead is still so distant…”

The two stood together, looking at the sea of clouds on the cliffs, both falling into silence.

Beside them,

What a pair of flatterers, each giving colorful compliments so skillfully… Cen Qiaofu, still wrapped in bandages, thought to himself, then stepped forward to join them, gazing at the sea of clouds on the cliffs, wanting to add to the flattery fest.

“Why not include this old man?”

He paused with a smile, stroking his beard smugly. “Cheng Sheng requires insight, and if we're talking about insight, who dares claim first if this old man says second?”

On the Ginyin Ya ruins, Ba Zun An and Shuigui burst out laughing at his words.

“Indeed, you're one of them.”

The world often treated the legend of “a woodcutter in the South Domain who could sever the Dao in one night” as mere after-dinner myth.

But these two knew…

It was all true.

He had comprehended the Great Dao through chopping wood, breaking through the Houtian, Xiantian, Zongshi, Wangzuo Dao realms in one night, severing his past mortal path to enter the Lian Ling world.

What an extraordinary figure!

With Cen Qiaofu joining in, the two stopped their mutual praise, realizing their earlier words were a bit embarrassing.

Without turning his head, Shuigui asked, “What’s the matter?”

Ba Zun An gestured to the golden scroll in his hand, his gaze still fixed on the sea of clouds below, as if trying to see something.

Shuigui's attention was drawn back to it.

This golden scroll was eye-catching, its intense Sheng force marking it as no ordinary item.

Even with the aura of the Sheng Di Long Lin present, Shuigui sensed a Sheng Di will from the scroll that was no less powerful.

“Sheng Di Jin Zhao?”

Shuigui asked, tilting his head.

“Yes.”

Ba Zun An nodded.

“What does it say? Nothing like ‘By heaven's mandate, the emperor decrees,’ I hope?”

Shuigui's lips curled up teasingly.

He knew Ba Zun An wasn't purely from the Lian Ling world; in the past, he was a mundane mortal who had even gone to the capital for exams, hoping to pass the imperial examinations and become an official.

Given his personality and now holding this “Sheng Di Jin Zhao,” it was likely he could write something that would shock the Lian Ling world.

“It’s not that shallow…”

Ba Zun An laughed at the remark, his gaze still on the sea of clouds below, and asked, “How’s the situation down there?”

“Chaotic.”

Shuigui replied, “But everyone who should be there is, and even some who shouldn’t. The timing's right—the Void Gate could open anytime.”

Ba Zun An nodded, stepped back, shifted his gaze, and looked toward the distant Dong Tian Wang City, where the Sky City was almost entirely emerging from the spatial fragments.

“In that case…

“Let’s not wait. Start now!”

His tone turned serious as he shook the Sheng Di Jin Zhao open.

Shuigui stood solemnly, his gaze also turning to the distant Sky City, knowing something major was about to happen.

But from the corner of his eye, he saw Ba Zun An's weakened body struggling slightly under the scroll's pressure, and he said helplessly, “How about I do it?”

“You can't.”

Ba Zun An shook his head in refusal, first taking a pill, which changed his aura slightly, giving him a fleeting sense of vigor.

Then, he extended his index finger, lightly tapped it against his lips and teeth, drawing blood.

He pressed the blood-tipped finger heavily onto the Sheng Di Jin Zhao, his aura sharpening like a sword rushing toward the sky.

In that moment, he straightened his chest, his presence towering as if even the heavens couldn't suppress him.

With the blood finger, he began to write slowly on the Jin Zhao:

“Sheng Mi… Yin Shi… Qian Qian Nian…”

At this historic moment, how could Shuigui and Cen Qiaofu miss it?

Both stepped forward, eyes fixed on the Sheng Di Jin Zhao, reading the ancient characters formed from the dragon-like, phoenix-dancing blood strokes.

But the next second,

The intense Sheng Di force from the Jin Zhao made blood tears flow from their eyes.

“Pfft!”

Cen Qiaofu spat blood, his face pale with shock.

“Cough, cough!”

Shuigui coughed heavily, wiping his hand and realizing blood was flowing from all seven orifices.

The two dared not look further.

This Sheng Di Jin Zhao was too powerful!

It was undoubtedly a concentration of centuries of power from multiple Sheng Di of the Void Island.

For mortals, gazing upon it was like blasphemy!

—But not for Ba Zun An.

He stared intently at the Jin Zhao, using his mortal body to write with his blood finger on this Sheng Di treasure.

In that instant, Shuigui suddenly understood why Ba Zun An had said earlier that he couldn't do it.

Because, as the Zun of the black and white pulses, there was only one.

Even if the Sheng Di Jin Zhao's power was immense, above all the Sheng Di of Void Island, there was still this one person holding them down!

In the world, only he could, with a body not yet at Sheng level, inscribe words on this Sheng Di Jin Zhao!

“Buzz—”

As each ancient character formed on the Ginyin Ya ruins, the Sheng Di Jin Zhao erupted with surging power, pushing Shuigui and Cen Qiaofu away, like an emperor's procession where commoners must not approach.

At the same time, from the nearby underbrush,

Rustling sounds emerged as a one-armed, lame old man, carrying a large peach wood box and holding a paper crane in his palm, walked along muttering to himself:

“Shifu's location, why can't I lock onto it suddenly?

“Isn't it said that with this seeking paper crane, no matter the corner of the world, I can find someone?”

Xiu Yuan Ke sighed.

He had been delayed near Dong Tian Wang City by a few gold-tier Hunter Order assassins, and now he had lost track of his shifu's steps.

They had agreed to wait for him…

Suddenly!

Xiu Yuan Ke stopped, spotting three figures on the distant cliff.

The one in the lead stood out.

From the side, Xiu Yuan Ke could see the eight fingers slowly moving on the golden scroll, and upon closer inspection, the person writing had a clear sword scar on his neck…

“Shifu!”

Xiu Yuan Ke exclaimed in delight.

Wasn't this exactly how his shifu disguised himself as Ba Zun An?

Hmm, where's the sack?

That didn't matter!

What mattered was that Xiu Yuan Ke, after searching so long, had finally found his shifu Xiao Kongdong. He lunged forward, tears in his eyes.

“Shifu, I've been looking for you so hard—what are you doin—”

Before he could finish,

Xiu Yuan Ke's rushing figure halted in mid-air, as if hitting a barrier, then plummeted and slammed into the ground with a thud.

Shuigui and Cen Qiaofu had noticed this uninvited guest and turned to look simultaneously.

“What the hell?”

Xiu Yuan Ke was stunned.

He didn't recognize the guy with the golden beast mask.

But Cen Qiaofu's appearance…

I know this one!

Staring at the small axe at the other's waist, Xiu Yuan Ke glanced at his own and suddenly understood, bursting into tears:

“Shifu, I was just a step late—how could you find my replacement?

“This isn't right!”

Cen Qiaofu: ???

Shuigui: ???

Who was this sudden intruder?

What did he mean?

To prevent any accidents, Shuigui waved his hand, treating the one-armed lame old man as a stowaway and trapping him in a water sphere on the spot.

Amid this critical moment of inscribing the Sheng Di Jin Zhao, no disruptions could be allowed.

“Let me go, let me go!”

Xiu Yuan Ke thrashed wildly in the water sphere.

But these were his shifu's helpers, so he had to save face and couldn't just draw his sword to break free.

However, seeing that “Cen Qiaofu” staring at him blankly…

Xiu Yuan Ke panicked.

“What are you looking at, you replacement!

“If I hadn't been late, do you think shifu would have chosen you?”

In the water sphere, Xiu Yuan Ke wiped his face haphazardly, instantly transforming to look like Cen Qiaofu. He raised the small axe at his waist high and boasted:

“See clearly? I'm the real Cen Qiaofu! You can leave shifu now!

“Want to usurp my position? Get in line!”