Chapter 1516: Inch by Inch

For those within the City of Redemption, this day was truly filled with twists and turns.Some, in broad daylight, brazenly challenged the City of Redemption's rules. Some descended from the heavens, commencing a battle of Divine Presence.The uninvited guest was a heaven's favorite from the State of Dan, a Divine Presence cultivator who had once ascended the Guan He Platform.And the Divine Presence expert standing on the side of the City of Redemption, clad in the garments of a Sin Guard, was none other than Zhu Weiming, who had been missing for over a year and was renowned throughout the City of Redemption!Before they could even ponder the implications of this matter for the City of Redemption, and how the State of Zhuang would react...Zhu Weiming had already dusted off his hands and left. Claiming he was to wander the world with that Jiang Wang, and henceforth be unconcerned with the City of Redemption...Was he trying to fool ghosts?Yet sometimes, it is simply thus. You know he is deceiving, he knows he is deceiving, but he proceeds with the deception nonetheless. And having thus deceived, the City of Redemption could then face the State of Zhuang's quibbles with righteous indignation.Unless the State of Zhuang was prepared to erase the City of Redemption from the map, how could they truly come and ransack the city from top to bottom?However, everyone also believed that even if Zhu Weiming's words before his departure were a deception, he would at least hide outside for ten days or half a month, only returning after the commotion had subsided.After all, in this central region of the Western Borders, the State of Zhuang was now a powerful nation that could not be ignored. And Zhuang Gaoxian was a sovereign not to be underestimated by anyone.Even if it were merely a pretense, it should at least be performed with some sincerity.No one had anticipated that Zhu Weiming, having not even been outside the city for two hours in total, would quietly sneak back in.And at this very moment, he was hiding on the sixth floor of the tallest building in the City of Redemption, together with another enemy of the State of Zhuang, Jiang Wang, leisurely observing Xiao Shu's journey to breakthrough.In broad daylight, to begin assaulting the Divine Presence realm from a cultivation level of Five Mansions Perfection, and to do so within forty days.Such an event was exceedingly rare, and they were greatly anticipating the outcome.Throughout history, from ancient times to the present, it is vast and profound. The Eight Wilds and Six Unions, the world is so immense. As geniuses who had already shone brightly along their paths, these two upon the Prisoner Tower were not averse to witnessing the brilliance of others.Precisely because they both possessed sufficient confidence, they were more willing to live in an era where stars shone brightly. Eagles soar through the vast sky, fish glide in shallow waters, all beings compete for freedom in the frost-covered heavens.Only by contending with the radiance of stars can one's own brilliance be fully displayed. Only by contending with the strong to become stronger can one embody the demeanor of a heaven's favorite.The vast sixth floor currently contained only two people.Compared to the somewhat stylish arrangements on the fourth floor, the sixth floor was entirely adorned with jade. Green jade, white jade, red jade, purple jade, blue jade... carved into large chairs, etched into corridor pillars, with dangling pearl curtains and slender vases standing tall.Furthermore, array patterns were inscribed, gathering rich Heaven and Earth Vitality to this place. The array patterns themselves were also aesthetically pleasing, integrated seamlessly with the surrounding environment.It was truly a place most suitable for cultivators to reside.And indeed, it was not a place that ordinary people could enter.Jiang Wang was at this moment seated properly on a jade cushion, near the window, holding the Historical Saber: Chiseling the Sea, Volume Thirty-One, his mouth muttering words, occasionally glancing into the distance to observe Xiao Shu, who was seated cross-legged on the great street.The intricately carved jade windows on this sixth floor were themselves Dharma artifacts. From here, one could see outside, but from outside, one could not see in."Junior Brother Jiang," Zhu Weiming suddenly leaned over and said, "You said you still had some small unfinished matters. Could it be reciting this?""Haha! How could it be!" Jiang Wang laughed heartily, "Who could force me to recite books?"Zhu Weiming thought about it and agreed, casually remarking, "I see you're quite diligent.""As the saying goes, 'By observing history, one can know gains and losses.' This junior brother is very fond of reading history!" Jiang Wang's eyes sparkled, "Does Senior Brother like it?""Hmm." Zhu Weiming subtly moved back a bit, "Perhaps, maybe... a little.""This junior brother here has a set...""Hey, look at Xiao Shu!" Zhu Weiming suddenly leaned forward excitedly.Jiang Wang also turned his head to look.Only to see on the distant long street, Xiao Shu sitting alone, as still as a clay sculpture, yet with purple qi rising from his face.That tiny star in the distance had been shining for several hours, still illuminating from afar in the starry sky.Given Xiao Shu's state of Five Mansions Perfection, establishing the first star mansion should not have taken so long... No matter how meticulously crafted, by now he should have already erected the outline, and the starlight should have already receded.Ordinary cultivators first erect the outline of the star mansion, establishing it firmly in the depths of the starry sky, and only then do they meticulously refine it during the long hours of cultivation.Like Chongxuan Zun back then at the Jixia Academy, where he could establish it as soon as he said it, and it was complete upon establishment, that was an exceedingly rare occurrence, a special case belonging to geniuses.And with Xiao Shu's innate talent, even if he couldn't be like Chongxuan Zun, he shouldn't be slower than ordinary cultivators, especially given his pressing time."He just consumed a pill, I wonder what kind of pill it was," Zhu Weiming said.Watching the purple qi rising from Xiao Shu's face, Jiang Wang mused, "Since Xiao Shu thought of utilizing the City of Redemption to buy himself time to assault the Divine Presence realm, he shouldn't be completely unprepared... Perhaps he has another approach."They watched for a while longer.There were no new changes from Xiao Shu's side. The starlight in the sky remained, he remained seated, and the purple qi on his face also remained.Compared to the restless onlookers, he was exceptionally calm."This is only the first day," Zhu Weiming withdrew his gaze and said to Jiang Wang, "You seem to know a lot about this Xiao Shu?""I only heard it through hearsay." Jiang Wang did indeed know something, and thus said, "The art of alchemy is the foundation of the State of Dan; looking throughout the world, none can surpass it. The elixirs produced by the State of Dan have always been synonymous with quality, their prices always 10% higher than comparable elixirs of the same rank. And the Yuan Shi Alchemy Convention is the highest grand assembly of the State of Dan for domestic cultivators; each time it is held, at least one supreme-grade elixir is presented to encourage the nation's geniuses.""At the Yuan Shi Alchemy Convention ten years ago, there was a Heavenly Yuan Great Pill. Xiao Shu was first in all the various trials before the convention. However, that Heavenly Yuan Great Pill was given to someone else in the end. This current Yuan Shi Alchemy Convention, on the other hand, has a Six Senses Pill, said to be able to help cultivators condense spiritual sense.Originally, with Xiao Shu's performance, this Six Senses Pill should have been his for the taking; no one in the entire State of Dan was qualified to compete with him. But this current Yuan Shi Alchemy Convention secretly promised it to someone else. The high-ranking official of the State of Dan presiding over the convention said things like considering the overall situation, and advised Xiao Shu to wait another ten years...Xiao Shu adopted a firm stance, stating that he would definitely compete, and by participating in the Mountain and Sea Realm trial, he aimed to win more leverage for himself.But in this Mountain and Sea Realm trial, he gained nothing.After losing a large amount of resources and having his Divine Soul Source reduced by 30%, upon returning to the State of Dan, he was directly stripped of the资格 to participate in this Yuan Shi Alchemy Convention, not even having the right to compete...""Presumably, this is why he stole the elixir and left.""Of course, what I've told you is information that Guang Shu gathered from various sources and pieced together. It may not necessarily be the truth of the matter."Upon hearing this, Zhu Weiming nodded slightly: "No wonder I felt you had sympathy for him.""Rather than sympathy, it's more like resonance," Jiang Wang said. "Those in power acting arbitrarily and trampling on rules is also the reason we are sitting here today.""The State of Dan is cutting off its own future," Zhu Weiming said, stroking his chin. "That a person like Zhang Xun would also be so short-sighted is something I did not expect.""The Zhang family is the largest noble clan in the State of Dan. That Heavenly Yuan Great Pill ten years ago was also consumed by Zhang Xun's younger brother, Zhang Jing. That he is where he is today does not represent him, Zhang Xun, as an individual. As the largest beneficiary, sitting in his current position, he must do something for the forces behind him..." Jiang Wang stopped here. "I'm just analyzing casually, it doesn't necessarily hold water.""When you say that, I understand. Your analysis is very reasonable!" Zhu Weiming nodded in agreement, "You didn't read history for nothing!"Jiang Wang glanced at him: "By the way, Senior Brother Zhu, I heard that from the fifth floor of this Prisoner Tower upwards, only the Sin Sovereign himself can enter. Not only can Senior Brother enter and exit freely, but you can even bring this junior brother along... It seems Senior Brother has a very high position within the City of Redemption!""Mainly for concealment," Zhu Weiming said calmly. "It's not very safe for us two wanted criminals to hide elsewhere after all.""Senior Brother, there is a word I don't know whether to speak or not.""Speak."Jiang Wang reminded him casually, "Well, I'm not a wanted criminal. The State of Zhuang doesn't have the guts to openly issue a warrant for a third-rank official of the State of Qi."Zhu Weiming: ...At this moment, a cold voice came from the doorway: "Lianheng, Jiang Wang actually dares to show himself in the City of Redemption, openly provoking the relationship between our City of Redemption and the State of Zhuang. Issue a command to the entire city to apprehend this person!"Huang Jinmo, dressed in black elegant robes, walked in, put away the sound transmission box in his hand, and glanced at Jiang Wang indifferently: "Now you are."Jiang Wang: ...The sixth floor had a total of twenty-four windows, each with a different carving. In front of the two windows that directly overlooked Xiao Shu sat Jiang Wang and Zhu Weiming respectively.Huang Jinmo leisurely walked in, sat down on a large chair made of black jade, and raised a hand to the two: "You two continue chatting, don't mind me."Jiang Wang looked at Zhu Weiming, and Zhu Weiming looked at Jiang Wang.Neither of them spoke.Then, with perfect understanding, they both fixed their eyes on their noses, their noses on their hearts, and began to cultivate their arts.Time sometimes passes very slowly, such as when Huang Jinmo is sitting right beside you.Jiang Wang was completely unable to leisurely recite books, observe Xiao Shu, and chat with Zhu Weiming at the same time.He could only sit with all five centers facing the sky, his spirit submerged in his Five Mansions, concentrating wholeheartedly on cultivating.Fortunately, there is such a thing as cultivation in this world, simple, pure, and fulfilling.Every drop of effort will be preserved in time.After who knows how long, when Jiang Wang came to his senses, the sky had already darkened, and both Zhu Weiming and Huang Jinmo were gone.The vast room was empty.He turned his head to look out the window. Under the night sky, Xiao Shu still sat alone, the purple qi surrounding his face making him particularly conspicuous in the night.Zhu Weiming had already issued a warning, and no one in the entire City of Redemption who wasn't blind would dare to disturb him.From Zhang Xun's appearance until now, Xiao Shu had maintained sufficient composure and was sufficiently tranquil.He must have thought deeply and thoroughly before making such a risky choice.But is merely this enough to leap into the Divine Presence realm?This was the question lingering in everyone's hearts.The point of starlight in the sky reflecting Xiao Shu remained clear, and among the myriad stars, it still appeared solitary.Jiang Wang withdrew his gaze, manifested his Divine Soul Star Mansion, and continued his cultivation.He had now established two star mansions in the distant starry sky. One was located at the core concept of the Jade Balance star, externally manifesting as a green treasure pagoda. The other was situated in the central position of the Alkaid star concept, externally manifesting as a simple, ancient five-sided small building.Both star mansions were seven stories tall, conforming to the number of the Seven Stars.The Jade Balance Star Mansion had the foundation laid by Master Guan Yan, and after a long period of meticulous refinement, it was quite complete. The Alkaid Star Mansion, under the guidance of Duke Huai, also had very appropriate carvings.Of course, cultivation is a matter of long duration, and there is always room for refinement of the star mansions.It is simply a matter of advancing one step at a time without end, effort not wasted will eventually reach the sea.As Jiang Wang's partial Divine Soul had just manifested within the Jade Balance Star Mansion, the old dragon of the Forest Sea, suppressed at the base, sensed his presence.Scales flared all over its body, and it writhed violently, causing the chains to rattle, constantly striking the stone wall with its dragon horns.Alas, the means left behind by the Jade Balance Star Lord were indestructible; no matter how it struggled, there would be no substantive change.Jiang Wang landed on the bottom floor of the star mansion, lowered his head, and looked through the gradually transparent stone slab at the old dragon struggling in the stone prison, his face devoid of expression."Little Brother Jiang! Little Brother Jiang!"Jiang Wang hadn't descended in a manifested Divine Soul for a long time; mostly he would remotely sense the star mansion and utilize star power in the real world to refine and cultivate.The old dragon of the Forest Sea, who had accumulated enthusiasm for a long time, was exceedingly fervent: "During this time, I have pondered day and night, searched through my memories, and recalled many useful pieces of information. I have a colossal secret to tell you!"It roared excitedly, "It concerns the most core secret of this world, it concerns whether you will be able to achieve the Dao and become a true immortal in this era!"These words were too enticing!No cultivator would not be curious about the core secrets of the world, and no cultivator would not anticipate the possibility of achieving the Dao.But Jiang Wang merely tapped the stone slab with his boot, causing the transparent part to return to its stone state, slowly cutting off the old dragon's vision."Perhaps another time, I'm a little busy right now."Leaving behind only these bland words, with a thought, he had already left the Jade Balance Star Mansion and arrived in the Alkaid Star Mansion.As for the so-called most core secret of this world, the so-called opportunity to achieve the Dao...To say he wasn't tempted at all was impossible.But Jiang Wang did not at all believe that he currently had the qualifications to explore such secrets.He had not even achieved Divine Presence yet, considering the Grotto-heaven realm was truly somewhat distant.He firmly walked forward according to his own pace, not intending to rush the time for Divine Presence, nor did he harbor hopes of achieving instant success.Of course, the character of the old dragon of the Forest Sea was also completely unreliable.With the old dragon's cunning and deep planning, since it was willing to bring up such a topic, who knows how many more intentions were waiting.Jiang Wang did not intend to challenge his own willpower, nor did he intend to engage in a battle of wits with a prisoner. He simply ignored it, giving the old dragon a little more time to gain a deeper understanding of reality, and also allowing himself to become a little calmer.He had a broad and smooth path, so he should just stride forward. If he insisted on taking a narrow and winding path, he might get lost at some point.Alkaid is also called Wu Qu, belonging to Yin Metal in the Five Elements and Yin-Yang, and is the Sixth Star of the Big Dipper in the starry sky.Compared to the concept of Jade Balance, it was indeed sharper.Jiang Wang manifested his Divine Soul and sat cross-legged respectfully in this five-sided small building. He calmed his mind, and then drew the starlight like a sword!In the depths of this distant starry sky.Sword light flew around the building, star essence like fireflies.Beautiful, yet unknown to anyone.Beautiful, yet solitary.But solitude is an indispensable scenery on the path of cultivation.