Chapter 1148: Rising to Dress

The night at Guanhe Platform was bustling.

Too many stories resided here, too much history.

Only the hearts with nowhere to settle were scattered among the clouds, quietly flowing away with the long river.

"Sugar figures, sugar figures for sale! Shall I make one for you?"

"Xiao Wang, your father was a good man. The year before last, I owed him two herbs, and he never asked for them back. I never had the face to visit, and I didn't expect... what a pity!"

"Come, come, hot mutton soup, fragrant white-cut mutton!"

Jiang Wang felt his spirit light, yet also distant.

"Senior Brother Jiang, hehe, I wanted to ask you about swordsmanship!"

"Not bad, Junior Brother Jiang, you have quite the demeanor I had back then."

"Jiang Wang! Since you've entered our academy, remember to be diligent and hardworking. Your future is tied to the well-being of countless common people!"

His soul drifted, not knowing where it roamed.

"Third Brother! Let's go drinking together!"

"Third Brother, you should rest. I'll call you tomorrow."

Rumble.

It sounded like thunder.

Before his eyes, the earth cracked, lava surged, houses collapsed, and people fled.

Cries, shouts, resentment.

"Third Brother!"

"Third Brother!"

"Jiang Wang!"

Jiang Wang jolted awake, looking around. He was still on his bed, no one else in the room.

It was just a dream.

It had been a long, long time since he had dreamed.

Almost every night was spent in cultivation.

Tonight should have been no exception.

But thinking of participating in the main competition tomorrow, vying for the title of the world's foremost cultivator, he allowed himself to relax and get a good night's sleep.

He just didn't expect...

Even for just one night, he couldn't escape.

He stood on the Platform of All Under Heaven, watching others challenge the Red Lotus with their swords, lamenting the pain of self-infliction.

He himself, wasn't he also moving forward burdened?

The night was still deep outside the window, not yet dawn.

Jiang Wang simply gave up sleeping, put on his robe, and picked up the sword leaning against the bed.

The sword sheath, made of Divine Dragon Wood, felt warm to the touch. Its grain was long familiar to his hand, which brought him some reassurance.

He held the sword and walked out, into the courtyard.

The bright moon hung high in the night sky, casting down a cool, frosty light.

With countries gathered, the night at Guanhe Platform was naturally not too quiet. Those noblemen had plenty of amusements to find. But the restrictions in the courtyard blocked out the noise.

Jiang Wang had no intention of going anywhere else. He stopped after a few steps, standing in the center of the courtyard.

Looking up at the moon, it seemed vaguely like the one in his dream.

The bright moon remained as before, but the people of the past were gone.

Perhaps someone sighed, but it must have been in the dream.

Jiang Wang was silent at this moment.

He held the ink-colored sword hilt and drew out a ray of frosty light.

The frosty light danced under the moonlight, neither sharp nor showing any power. All the killing intent and sword energy were contained within the sword, and the sound was also extinguished.

But it was beautiful.

The person was like a startled swan coming and going, the sword like a sinuous dragon.

A figure in a green robe wielded a sword, dancing silently alone under the moon.

Those turbulent, restless emotions gradually subsided.

The moonlight nurtured him, and the night soothed him.

It was with this moonlight and night that he had spent countless difficult nights.

Purple Qi Coming from the East Sword Scripture.

Heaven, Earth, and Man Three Swords.

And then the Human Dao Sword Forms.

An old general in his twilight years, a single sword like the setting sun's pursuit.

A single sword sweeping across, like a famous scholar down on his luck, writing freely. Ten years of hardship, using life and death to hook vengeance.

The sword lifted, youthful arrogance. The sword flying得意 (freely and proudly), returning with ease.

The person like drifting duckweed, a single sword severing an unwilling self.

Finally, looking up at the moon, the sword fell with thoughts of longing, and was thus fixed.

This sword form, 'Thought of Longing,' had not been used since Dong Ah's death.

Jiang Wang returned the sword to its sheath, ending this impressionistic painting.

The Immortal State of Sound Annihilation extinguished all sound, and he had no intention of disturbing anyone.

Inspired to dance the sword under the moon, he returned the sword when the inspiration waned.

It was indeed not time to rest. He thought.

He returned to his room alone and resumed his cultivation, as if nothing had happened.

The same moonlight shone in front of a small building not far from the courtyard.

At the window on the second floor, Cao Jie stood with his hands behind his back.

As the strong cultivator leading the team this time, his residence was very close to the three participating prodigies. This was both to provide protection and to facilitate guidance at any time. In addition to dealing with their own cultivation issues, the opinion of a contemporary True Person regarding opponents who had already displayed their strength was also quite valuable.

Although Jiang Wang deliberately extinguished the sound, the scene of him dancing with his sword under the moon did not escape his eyes.

Nor could it.

Tomorrow was the main competition for the Inner Mansion stage, and he was naturally very concerned about Jiang Wang's state.

In the Outer Tower stage competition, although Chong Xuanzun could be called dazzling, he ultimately failed to win the top spot and display the national banner.

Ji Zhaonan was of course also supremely talented, but this time the State of Jing had too much confidence and too strong a momentum...

After all, it was the oldest and strongest country in the world.

No matter how confident he was in Ji Zhaonan, he couldn't underestimate the powerful Jing.

Calculated, it was Jiang Wang who had a greater chance of winning the top spot.

"Speaking of which, has the last spot in the Inner Mansion stage been decided?" Cao Jie, still looking at that courtyard, suddenly asked.

From the shadow behind him, a voice said, "Bai Yuxia of the State of Yue."

As many people had anticipated beforehand, it was indeed Bai Yuxia who secured the last spot in the main competition.

The result seemed unchanged, but in this process, the confident and high-spirited image of the Yue people was established. For Bai Yuxia himself, it was undoubtedly a kind of fulfillment.

Of course, with Cao Jie's deliberate emphasis, the Yue State prodigy advancing to the main competition in this way only served to highlight the embarrassment of the Xia State prodigies.

"Is there still no specific news about that Tai Yu?" Cao Jie asked again.

"Your subordinate is incompetent," the voice in the shadow said.

Cao Jie raised his hand: "It is not your fault."

After a pause, he said, "Let's see what the State of Jing is hiding. The problem this time is huge."

He took a final look at the small courtyard where Jiang Wang resided, and reached out to close the window.

In the dark room, he said, "Now go do something..."

The moonlight was generous to everyone.

Whether you were in the Inner Mansion or the Cave True stage.

Whether you were Jiang Wang, or perhaps...

Lin Zhenren.

In the courtyard belonging to the State of Zhuang.

Under the moonlight, Du Ruhui casually demonstrated a Dao technique: "If Huang Su attacked you with this technique, how would you respond?"

Lin Zhenren thought seriously before saying, "I would first use the art of wall flow to deflect the force..."

"No," Du Ruhui shook his head: "I want your first reaction."

"I would avoid it," Lin Zhenren said.

"This is also not the best option," Du Ruhui explained in detail: "Because of the special nature of this technique, you should..."

Almost every strong cultivator leading a team to the Yellow River Meeting wouldn't mind guiding their own prodigy.

But probably no one would be as detailed as Du Ruhui...

Accompanied by the dignity of a Prime Minister.

From Bei Gongke of the State of Yong, Huang Su of the State of Liang, Xie Ai of the State of Xue, to Dong Guo Bao of the State of Wei, and Jiang Shaohua of the State of Shen.

Analyzing all possible opponents, one by one.

Practically teaching Lin Zhenren hand-in-hand how to deal with battles, perfecting different response plans...

Unknowingly, the eastern sky was already turning white.