Chapter 237: Body Integration Move, "San Qing Mei Shi"!

Chapter 237: Body Integration Move, "San Qing Mei Shi"!

"Well, not exactly."

The Dao Sect's leader couldn't help but let a smile creep onto his face. He took a sip of tea to appear less provocative and then coughed lightly, "It's just an illusion of prosperity. It's all false."

"In reality, not many Spirit Stones have fallen into the hands of the Dao Sect."

"Is that so?"

The Master of the Heavenly Axe Sect looked at the Dao Sect's leader with a hint of resentment and croaked, "Your sect's expansion is getting a bit out of hand. Can you really afford to support so many disciples?"

"That's why I said, all the Spirit Stones are spent here."

"Let's not talk about that. Seriously, can you really help us out?"

"This..."

The Dao Sect's leader hesitated, "The thing is, our Dao Sect primarily sells Array Disks. We can use the reputation of seniors like you to expand our influence. As the gentleman said, we already have our own products, but your Heavenly Axe Sect doesn't have any products. Your main source of profit isn't from selling products, so how can we help you?"

"You can't possibly sell axes, can you?"

"Why not?" The Master of the Heavenly Axe Sect grew anxious, "Axes are great! You can chop wood and people with them. Who knows, maybe the senior relied on chopping wood to make a living in his early days!"

"Impossible."

The Dao Sect's leader rolled his eyes in annoyance, "Do you think a person of the senior's caliber would chop wood? Even in his early days, he wouldn't have done that. More likely, he was born amidst heavenly anomalies, with nine five-clawed golden dragons swirling in the sky, announcing his birth to the world."

The Master of the Heavenly Axe Sect was about to retort when he suddenly realized something and blurted out, "You just said... gentleman?"

"Please."

At that moment, the Dao Sect's leader respectfully invited Liu Zide into the guest hall and personally served him tea before taking a seat. He looked at the Master of the Heavenly Axe Sect with a hint of pride and arrogance, and introduced, "Let me formally introduce you to this gentleman. His name is Liu Zide."

"He is an outer disciple of the Mock Heaven Sect and was specifically sent by the senior to guide me."

"Recently, all external affairs of the Dao Sect have been personally planned and arranged by this gentleman."

The Master of the Heavenly Axe Sect was slightly taken aback, and then he stood up solemnly and faced Liu Zide, "Greetings, gentleman."

Recently, he had heard from an old friend about Liu Zide from the Mock Heaven Sect. His friend had said he'd never heard of the man, so he didn't pay much attention to it. But he never expected that all the recent arrangements of the Dao Sect were actually the work of this man.

This was truly shocking.

It was common knowledge that the Dao Sect's reputation in the entire Profound Heaven State had grown to an incredible extent. Even top-tier sects would have to strain themselves to produce a million Spirit Stones at once; it wasn't a joke.

Moreover, the Dao Sect was raking in millions of Spirit Stones with every move. It was truly awe-inspiring.

And to think that such grand plans were devised by this unknown person. He considered himself quite familiar with the Mock Heaven Sect, but he had never heard of this individual. It was surprising that someone so inconspicuous in the Mock Heaven Sect possessed such capabilities.

Indeed—

The Mock Heaven Sect produces no unknowns!

"Hmm."

Liu Zide also stood up as a sign of respect and then sat down again, speaking in a calm and collected tone, "The reason this matter has progressed smoothly is mainly because it received the approval of the sect leader."

"Moreover, we are still in the second phase, and it hasn't completely ended. Only one-third of it has been executed."

"All I can say is that, up until now, there haven't been any major setbacks. No one knows how it will develop in the future."

"However, I can share with your sect a way for you to also benefit from this."

As soon as Liu Zide finished speaking, the Master of the Heavenly Axe Sect's eyes lit up. He leaned forward slightly, his voice trembling with excitement, "Please, gentleman, tell us!"

This time, he had come with a crucial mission.

Although the Dao Sect's leader seemed to be making a fortune, he was a bit envious, but he hadn't planned to inquire about it. After all, he knew that the Dao Sect's actions were likely approved by the senior during their previous discussion. That's why they dared to take such bold steps.

If he went to ask about it now,

It would seem like he didn't know his place.

In the senior's eyes, he might be seen as someone who was greedy for a small advantage and not loyal to the alliance. That wouldn't leave a good impression, but he had no other choice. As the Dao Sect's influence grew, the elders of the Heavenly Axe Sect had been urging him to find out more.

"Alright."

Liu Zide nodded slightly, his eyes narrowing as he spoke in a steady voice, "The situation is like this. We..."

His voice, devoid of any emotion, echoed in the guest hall. It sounded like a teacher's voice in a private school, but it didn't make the leaders of the Heavenly Axe Sect and the Dao Sect drowsy. Instead, they both listened attentively with serious expressions.

He did indeed need a large number of people.

Since the Heavenly Axe Sect had approached them and was an ally of the Mock Heaven Sect, with considerable strength and being a top-tier sect in the Profound Heaven State, they were the perfect choice.

The Vast Continent consisted of twelve states.

One of the states bordering the Profound Heaven State was called the Pingxi State. At this time, nearly a hundred days had passed since the competition for the Twelve Thrones.

Currently, the throne of the Pingxi State was in the hands of a Fusion Mid-stage powerhouse.

He had been sitting on the throne for over thirty days, and no one had challenged him. It seemed that if nothing unexpected happened, this Fusion Mid-stage powerhouse would firmly secure the position of the Pingxi King and hold it for a year, participating in the competition for the Sole Monarch.

At this moment, people in many cities within the Pingxi State were discussing this Fusion Mid-stage powerhouse.

This Fusion Mid-stage powerhouse was originally the elder of a top-tier sect in the Pingxi State. Now that he had become the Pingxi King, the disciples of his sect had been keeping a low profile, staying within their sect and not causing any trouble. It seemed they were waiting for their elder to firmly establish his rule before making any moves.

The name of this faction is "Taiping Fu".

At this moment—

In a secret chamber within Taiping Fu, an old man with white hair and a weathered face paced back and forth, his expression filled with worry. He was the old ancestor of Taiping Fu and the current Pingxi King.

If all went according to plan, there shouldn't be anyone coveting his Pingxi Kingship after the last battle.

But the problem arose here!

The last time, he had acted on impulse. In a moment of heated passion, with an overwhelming surge of luck, he suddenly felt an intense desire to show off. And so, he went to reclaim the Pingxi Kingship.

However, he regretted it afterward.

He regretted it so much that his insides turned green.

Family matters should stay within the family. Although he had intimidated many with his previous battle, the competition for the Sole Monarch was inevitable. His strength was undoubtedly inferior to others vying for the throne, and he would surely meet a tragic end.

He wanted to pass on the kingship, but it could only be transferred to another after his death.

He was indeed a mid-stage Body Fusion powerhouse.

But his strength was truly hard to gauge.

Then, the white-haired old man stopped in the secret chamber, his face contorted with a mix of dismay and complexity as he gazed at the entry names engraved on the surface of his Dantian.

His entry set was quite rare, "Life Gambit for Immortality"!

"Fragile Life" + "Fate in My Hands" + "Other Shore Blossom" + "Strength and Weakness" + "Misfortune to Fortune" + "Death to Life" + "Alchemy Sage" + "Single-minded Towards Dao" + "Invite the Guest into the Trap" + "Free Man"

He had a total of seventeen entries, and these ten entries formed his primary combat power. The remaining seven entries were either auxiliary or useless.

These ten entries had one thing in common.

They all provided random combat power.

Moreover, they could only be randomly obtained upon breaking through a major realm, choosing from three entries. There were no entry jade slips, making it as difficult as ascending to heaven to gather such a set of entries.

As for how he managed to gather them, that's a long story.

Just as he was about to break through to the Qi Condensation Stage, he obtained a gray entry called "Free Man". Over the years, he had discreetly inquired about this gray entry and found that only two people possessed it, while others did not.

It was an extremely rare gray entry.

"Entry Name": Free Man.

"Entry Rank": Gray.

"Entry Effect": All your random combat power entries will receive double the effect, whether it's amplification or weakening.

That was two thousand years ago.

Back then, he was an unknown servant disciple in a sect. With this awakened entry, he had no chance of staying in the sect. It was only because his parents were former outer disciples who had sacrificed for the sect that he was reluctantly kept and given the position of a servant disciple.

Although he lacked cultivation resources, at least he wasn't a wandering cultivator.

He remembered feeling despair when he saw his awakened entry; it was utterly useless. It was even worse than a Woodcutting Holy Body, which could at least help him chop wood faster. This completely useless gray entry had almost cut off his path to immortality.

But he didn't give up.

Instead, he silently persevered. Finally, after four long years, he was about to break through to the Foundation Establishment Stage. It was a hard-earned breakthrough, as he was naturally timid and dared not venture into Heavenly Dao Mystic Realms or hunt down demonic beasts.

His parents had died at the hands of demonic beasts, so he had a psychological shadow regarding them.

He stubbornly stayed within the sect, gradually raising his cultivation to the Foundation Establishment Stage.

It is common knowledge!

The first entry obtained in the Qi Condensation Stage is not chosen by the cultivator. The real opportunity lies in the three-choice entry upon breaking through to the Foundation Establishment Stage. As long as one randomly obtains a sufficiently excellent entry, they can soar to great heights.

Just before breaking through to the Foundation Establishment Stage, he had a fortuitous encounter in the sect's rear mountain. He recalled lying in a bamboo forest, daydreaming, when he suddenly noticed seven-colored snowflakes falling before his eyes.

He didn't know what was happening.

His body was completely paralyzed, and he could only watch as a fairy in white gauze descended from the sky. Although he couldn't see her face, he was certain that she possessed peerless beauty and was a genuine fairy, unlike any mortal.

The fairy headed straight for him.

And she forced herself upon him.

She left behind a message.

"This favor was originally meant for your ancestor, but since he has passed away, you are his only descendant. So, this favor shall be bestowed upon you on his behalf. From now on, I and your lineage are free from cause and effect."

He didn't understand.

He didn't understand why the fairy repaid the favor in such a simple and brutal manner.

But as the seven-colored snowflakes dissipated, and the fairy disappeared, he suddenly discovered two new entries above his Dantian.

"Entry Name": Fairy's First Night.

"Entry Rank": Red.

"Entry Description": You will be blessed with good luck until your death.

"Entry Name": God's Hand.

"Entry Rank": Purple.

"Entry Effect": The next time you choose from three entries, it will randomly select one that aligns with your heart's desire, depending on the difficulty of your thoughts. The lower the difficulty, the more the entry will match your thoughts.

These two entries appeared directly above his Dantian, and when he saw them, he was stunned.

A red entry!

It was a top-tier entry, second only to golden and seven-colored entries!

Moreover, its effect was incredibly powerful, ensuring he would be blessed with good luck, although he wasn't sure how far this luck would extend. Still, it was undoubtedly impressive.

As he was about to break through to the Foundation Establishment stage, he used the "God's Hand" entry, hoping to obtain three entries related to random combat power.

And so, these were the three entries he obtained:

1. Entry Name: Fragile Life

Entry Rank: Green

Entry Effect: Each month, you can throw a token. If it lands face up, your lifespan increases by one year, and your spell power doubles. If it lands face down, the opposite occurs.

2. Entry Name: Strength and Weakness

Entry Rank: Blue

Entry Effect: Your spell power randomly fluctuates between a sixfold increase and a one-tenth reduction daily.

3. Entry Name: Death to Life

Entry Rank: Green

Entry Effect: Whenever you take damage, your spell power randomly fluctuates between a threefold increase and a three-tenth reduction.

These were the three entries he obtained upon breaking through to the Foundation Establishment stage.

He chose the second entry, "Strength and Weakness."

With the luck-enhancing entry "Fairy's First Night," he was truly formidable at that time. Almost every day, his spell power increased sixfold, and he had just broken through to the Foundation Establishment stage, mastering only the Lightning Summoning Technique. He began to dominate the Heavenly Dao Mystic Realm.

The difference in spell power between the first and fourth layers of the Foundation Establishment stage was significant. With a sixfold increase in spell power and minimal spirit qi consumption, he had more than enough to be arrogant.

After visiting several Heavenly Dao Mystic Realms, he obtained two Medium Rank Heavenly Dao Retrace Tokens, allowing him to also select the other two entries he had previously passed on. From then on, his rise was unstoppable, and he became the center of attention.

Before breaking through to the Golden Core stage, he encountered another opportunity that granted him an additional three-choice entry. During this opportunity, he once again drew the purple entry "God's Hand" while at the Foundation Establishment stage.

Relying on this entry, he obtained three more entries related to random combat power upon reaching the Golden Core stage.

Using a High Rank Heavenly Dao Retrace Token, he selected all three entries.

Now, he had six entries related to random combat power, and under the influence of "Fairy's First Night," these entries were almost always in their maximum state. He also obtained a vast amount of cultivation resources from the prize pool in the Heavenly Hall of Pingxi Province, but this attracted a lot of attention and led to many assassination attempts.

Thus, he began his journey of escape.

In the Heavenly Hall's prize pool, he also obtained the entry "Divine Hand." When he broke through to the Nascent Soul stage, he once again relied on this entry and randomly obtained three more entries related to random combat power.

Using the Ultimate Rank Heavenly Dao Retrace Token, he successfully acquired all three of these random combat power entries.

After that, he became the center of attention in the entire Pingxi Province.

Upon reaching the Nascent Soul stage, he dominated with the power of the initial Nascent Soul stage, easily overpowering those at the peak of the Nascent Soul stage. Within the entire realm, there was no one who could match him. From the moment he entered the Nascent Soul stage, he was invincible, and his path to the Fusion Mid-stage was exceptionally smooth.

However, for the next few hundred years, he had not taken any action and remained in Taiping Fu, focusing on his cultivation.

Because—

He suddenly discovered a terrifying fact: his "Fairy's First Night" entry effect had ceased to function!

This was a devastating blow to him.

The effect of the "Fairy's First Night" entry clearly stated that he would be permanently blessed by good luck until his death. Now, it seemed more likely that the effect would last until the fairy's death.

Well.

The fairy had died, and the "Fairy's First Night" entry effect was useless.

With a plethora of random combat power entries, he fell into silence.

As a result, his combat power fluctuated wildly from day to day.

Today, within the Body Fusion stage, I am invincible, and all living beings are but ants.

Tomorrow, it's just a boring fight, and harmony is the main theme.

It's unmanageable.

For this reason, he had not taken action in a long time, instead hiding in the secret room of Taiping Fu, focusing on his cultivation. But just a few days ago, last month, he suddenly discovered that all his combat power entries had randomly increased, reaching their maximum state!

Especially with the effect of the "Free Man" entry, his enhanced state received a double boost! His combat power soared!

On that day, he suddenly felt a surge of excitement. Coincidentally, two Fusion Peak powerhouses were fighting near his Taiping Fu, vying for the title of "Pingxi King." His clan members watched cautiously, fearing they might be affected.

When they saw him emerge from seclusion, the younger generation also turned their attention to him.

At that moment, he felt a sudden surge of pride.

He let out a cold snort, and spirit qi surged out. With a cold and merciless expression, he said, "I have no intention of competing for the so-called Pingxi King title, but your recklessness near my Taiping Fu is a blatant disregard for me, Qin."

"Do you think you're invincible just because you're at the Fusion Peak?"

"In my eyes, you're nothing more than ants."

Immediately after.

With a Body Fusion move, "San Qing Mei Shi," he instantly turned the two Fusion Peak powerhouses into ashes!

Thus!

He successfully claimed the title of Pingxi King and became the undisputed strongest in Pingxi Province, instantly becoming famous. The forces behind the two Fusion Peak powerhouses sent a large amount of cultivation resources as compensation, seeking his forgiveness.

And his reputation once again echoed throughout Pingxi Province.

Everyone was discussing, and it turned out that the old ancestor from Taiping Fu, who was only at the mid-stage of Body Fusion, was actually a hidden powerful being. It seemed that this person was destined to be the sole monarch of this vast continent.

After all, even a powerhouse at the peak of Body Fusion would not be able to kill two peak Body Fusion powerhouses with a single strike.

And that old ancestor Qin was only at the mid-stage of Body Fusion in terms of cultivation. If he were to break through to the late-stage or the peak of Body Fusion, he would be even more formidable!

In the secret chamber of Taiping Fu, this white-haired, aged elder paced back and forth in the room, his mind filled with unease.

In his extreme agitation, he couldn't help but slap himself three times.

He was well aware of why he had suddenly lost control of his emotions and wanted to act tough that day. Perhaps it was because he had suppressed his emotions for so long, and when he finally had the chance to be the strongest, he couldn't hold back. He had rushed forward at the time.

To be honest.

It did feel good at the time.

The incredulous and shocked expressions of the clan elders and family heads, the admiration, yearning, and pride in the eyes of the younger generation, and the awe-inspiring atmosphere that enveloped the entire Pingxi Province as he announced his acquisition of the Heavenly Dao Decree, declaring himself the Pingxi King.

And those two top-tier forces that had ignored them in the past were now personally killed by him. They even offered him heavy gifts and humbly pleaded for his mercy, adding to the discussions throughout Pingxi Province about him. Some envied, some admired, and some revered him.

"Experience is indeed the best teacher."

"No wonder he was the unparalleled Earthly Pride a thousand years ago. I thought that his silence in recent years meant his fall, but it turns out he had renounced the mortal world and didn't want to be entangled with trivial matters."

"Indeed, if it weren't for those two peak Body Fusion powerhouses disturbing his seclusion, this predecessor probably wouldn't have cared at all. A mere Pingxi King is beneath his notice."

"This is what it truly means to transcend the mortal world and become a free man. He is not blinded by personal gain but instead dedicates himself to cultivating the Great Dao in his heart. This is how one should live!"

"I've interacted with people from Taiping Fu, and none of them were as arrogant and domineering. With such a powerful old ancestor in their family, they conducted themselves with humility, unlike the disciples of other top-tier forces. This is what a true legacy is about—not just passing down family power but also manners and etiquette."

All of this felt so satisfying.

He hadn't felt this good in a long time. During those days, he maintained a serious demeanor outside, but in the secret chamber, he was overjoyed. Previously, he had been in seclusion most of the time, rarely leaving the secret chamber to move within the family.

But during those days, he would occasionally walk around the family with his hands behind his back, his face expressionless.

Feeling the long-lost gazes of the younger generation.

He once again found the surging emotions of his youth.

It felt great.

But... as the emotions passed, reality made him suddenly snap back to his senses.

The white-haired, aged elder took a deep breath, his face grim as he sat on the bench, gazing at the entries embedded within his Dantian.

Among his ten random combat power entries, only two were enhancements, while the rest were weaknesses.

Even under the effect of the 'Free Man' gray entry, it was still a double weakness!

He highly doubted whether his Body Fusion kill move, 'San Qing Mei Shi,' could even kill a cultivator at the initial stage of Essence Condensation, let alone with so many weaknesses. He felt like even killing a chicken would be difficult!

If he were to participate in the battle for the sole monarch after the continental constraints were lifted, with his current state, it would be akin to seeking death.

There was no other path to take.

Unless... unless... unless his fortune suddenly skyrocketed, and all the random combat power entries turned out to be positive enhancements, and they were all maxed out. In that case, he would not only have the confidence to survive but also dare to challenge the odds, facing eleven opponents alone, and claiming the title of the sole monarch!

However, after losing the 'Fairy's First Night' entry, his luck plummeted. He had waited for a full century to finally encounter a situation where all the random combat power entries were maxed out.

After all, some entries were randomized annually.

If this year's entry is randomized to a negative effect, even if the other entries are randomized to positive effects, it's still impossible to max them out.

In other words—

There were only two paths before him!

The first path.

To obtain Earthly Pride's Fortune, or to find treasures like the 'Thread of Earthly Pride's Fortune Jade Slip' that can enhance one's fortune, but the timing of using them is difficult to grasp.

After all, he had entries that were randomized annually, daily, monthly, and weekly.

He didn't know when the continental constraints would be lifted, and unless he had multiple entries, it would be challenging to achieve a state where all entries were positively enhanced.

This path was almost completely blocked.

He was well aware of how difficult it was to obtain Earthly Pride's Fortune, and even if he had a thread of it, it would be like a drop in the bucket for him, barely making a difference.

So, there was only the second path to take.

Without endangering his life, he could voluntarily give up the position of Pingxi King or surrender during the battle for the sole monarch, ensuring his survival.

Although it was a bit humiliating, at least he could live on.

Therefore, he carefully read through the information on the Heavenly Dao Decree from a hundred days ago, hoping to find some hidden information that could save his life.

But...

The more he read, the more agitated he became, and he couldn't help but slap himself three times again in the secret chamber, filled with regret.

Why did he put on that tough act back then?

What should he do now?

He had truly become a 'Life Gambit for Immortality'!

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end