Chapter 324: "Are you mocking me?"

Chapter 324: "Are you mocking me?"

"Hmm?"

Just as Chen Qiu was teleported to the Greenstone Square, he steadied himself and noticed the two people originally on the square, a man and a woman. The woman was none other than the daughter of the Bai family's patriarch, and she spoke calmly.

"Do you know me?"

"Who are you?"

At the fourth checkpoint, they didn't stay in their own Greenstone Square but were teleported to someone else's square. This team on the square consisted of only these two people.

"Who am I?"

Jian Bu Ping, who was standing in place, couldn't help but feel a mix of anger and amusement as he drew his sword from his chest and pointed it at the Bai family's daughter beside him, "I've kidnapped your woman for so long, and you don't even know who I am?!"

"Fine, I'll tell you, my name is Jian Bu Ping!"

"Are you even a man?"

"Your woman has been kidnapped, and you're not here to rescue her?"

"Even if she's not your woman, she's still your friend. If your friend was kidnapped, could you really just ignore it?"

". . ."

Standing next to Chen Qiu, Ba Dan narrowed his eyes slightly and whispered, "Senior, this person gives me a strong sense of threat. His strength is unfathomable."

Although both of them were at the peak of the Celestial Immortal stage, there were still differences in power at this level. At the very least, he could clearly sense that his strength alone might not be a match for this person.

Fortunately, fighting was not allowed during the checkpoint, or it would likely have been a fierce battle.

"Oh."

Chen Qiu nodded calmly, his gaze shifting to the Bai family's daughter standing next to Jian Bu Ping. He remained silent, but in reality, he had recognized this person the moment he saw her. He was just pretending not to know.

Jian Bu Ping.

This person's corpse was still in his arms.

He was aware that the Bai family's daughter had been kidnapped, and he had promised the Bai family's patriarch that he would try to rescue her. However, the truth was that he was no match for Jian Bu Ping, and he couldn't possibly return the corpse to him. So, even after arriving at the Ascension Assembly, he hadn't proactively approached Jian Bu Ping.

In his heart, he had already accepted that the Bai family's daughter was as good as dead.

There was no other way.

If he returned the corpse to Jian Bu Ping, more people would die, including himself. With the enmity between Jian Bu Ping and the Mock Heaven Sect, the first person to die would be him, Chen Qiu.

"Hey."

As if reading Chen Qiu's thoughts, Jian Bu Ping, who had been furious a moment ago, sheathed his sword and laughed, "We can talk about the corpse later. I haven't even decided if I want it or not. It's quite a headache."

"But since you went there, you should have learned a lot, right?"

"Do you want to know how long until the Great Cataclysm Day?"

"I'll tell you."

"One year."

"In one year, the Great Cataclysm Day will arrive. How do you plan to deal with it?"

One year? Chen Qiu's expression changed slightly upon hearing this. In just one year, the Heavenly Dao would awaken, which was much sooner than he had expected. In that time, his strength wouldn't change significantly, making it impossible for him to prepare adequately.

The only option left for him was to hide in the Mock Heaven Palace and wait for the next awakening of the Heavenly Dao.

It might be a bit humiliating.

But it was the only solution.

Jian Bu Ping, who had been carefully observing Chen Qiu's expressions, burst into laughter when he saw a subtle twitch on Chen Qiu's face, "Hahaha, you're such a cute kid! We're enemies now, yet you believe everything I say?"

"If there's only one year left, do you think I'd still have the mind to participate in this Ascension Assembly?"

"There's still a millennium."

"In a thousand years, the Great Cataclysm Day will arrive."

"As of now, I haven't decided how to face this Great Cataclysm Day. So, I'll leave that corpse with you for now. I'm not in a hurry to get it back. I'll return this young lady to the Bai family after the Ascension Assembly concludes."

"As for you..."

"I thought you were the reincarnated patriarch of the Mock Heaven Sect, that old demon. But now it seems that old demon is truly dead, and you're not him."

"If it were him, he would have laughed with me just now."

"He had a great sense of humor."

"You're too serious."

At this point, Jian Bu Ping's expression became a bit dazed as he muttered, "Yes, even that old demon is dead. Who else is still alive? Only me... Only I'm still alive. How many more will die in this Great Cataclysm Day..."

"You'll die when the Great Cataclysm Day arrives."

"Others may escape, but the Mock Heaven Sect will surely perish."

Just then—

The fourth checkpoint was activated, and when Jian Bu Ping saw the content of the checkpoint, he grinned and took a seat at the table that had risen from the ground, "Alright, enough talk. I'll play this round with you."

"Let's see what the current patriarch of the Mock Heaven Sect is capable of."

The fourth checkpoint involved a common game in casinos.

Each person had a dice cup containing six dice. When the checkpoint began, they started shaking their dice cups and stopped after three breaths.

The representatives of both teams then checked the dice in their cups.

The dice calling began.

For example, three fours, four fives, five sixes, etc. The dice with a single pip were jokers and could replace any other dice.

The next player had to call a higher number than the previous player.

This continued until one side "opened their hand."

After opening their hand, if the total pips on the twelve dice of both sides did not reach the number called, the opening side won. Otherwise, the non-opening side won.

The rules were simple.

One round decided the winner.

Jian Bu Ping took his seat at the gambling table first and vigorously shook his dice cup, stopping only after three breaths. He looked at Chen Qiu with anticipation, "Back then, that old demon from your Mock Heaven Sect was quite skilled at this game. Although I always suspected he was cheating, I never caught him."

"But over the years, my skills have improved significantly.

"Let's see if you can beat me."

". "

Chen Qiu remained silent for a moment before sitting at the gambling table, shaking the dice cup in his hand for three breaths. Only then did he look at the numbers on the dice in his cup. The six dice were quietly placed in their original positions, each showing a single dot.

"You first."

"Alright!" Jiang Buying's face was filled with a smile, but deep in his eyes, there was a hint of battle intent. He took a deep breath before grinning, "Four threes!"

Back then, when he played this game, he had never won against the old monster of the Mock Heaven Sect. It had become an obsession in his heart. Now, if he could beat the current sect leader of the Mock Heaven Sect, he would also be able to let go of the obsession in his heart.

Four threes.

This was actually a rather bold call, as there were only two people and a total of 12 dice. The probability of getting four threes was not high.

"Five threes."

Chen Qiu's expression remained calm.

"Tsk." Jiang Buying suddenly grinned, "Six threes."

"Seven threes." Chen Qiu followed suit without expression.

"Is that all you know how to do? Call out threes?" Jiang Buying was momentarily amused, "Come on, I only have one three. Don't you think I have a lot of threes? I'm just misleading you to think I have many threes."

Chen Qiu sighed softly and lifted the lid of his dice cup. All six dice inside showed a single dot, forming a 'leper dice.'

"Actually, calling any number is fine. It's just that you seem to like calling out threes, so I went along with it."

-

"The Great Team wins the fourth challenge, and the small team representatives obtain a strand of Human Pride Fortune."

"The outstanding performer, Chen Qiu, will additionally obtain a strand of Human Pride Fortune."

". "

Jiang Buying looked at the six dice in Chen Qiu's cup, each showing a single dot, and compared it to his own set, which had one of each number from one to six, forming a perfect straight. He stood frozen in place for a long time before suddenly laughing again.

"It seems you and that monster have similar dice."

"You both like to cheat."

"I never cheat." Chen Qiu shook his head.

"Yes, he said the same thing."

Jiang Buying silently stood up, tossed the dice cup onto the table, and stretched lazily, "Well, if you can go to the Twelfth Rank Immortal Plane within a thousand years and are willing to stand up, then this time, we can be on the same side."

"Do you understand what I mean?"

"I understand."

Chen Qiu nodded slightly, "These years, I couldn't bear the fact that I had become a Celestial Path Lackey, witnessing the deaths of my friends and family. For the past three million years, I've lived in pain, so this time, I'm prepared to atone for my sins by dying."

"But because of my innate fear of death, I haven't decided whether to face death calmly yet."

"That's why you haven't decided whether to reclaim your body."

"Once you reclaim your body, your strength will recover to near its peak. At that time, you'll have only two choices: death or becoming a lackey again. But if you don't reclaim your body, with your current cultivation, you won't be involved in the Great Cataclysm Day a thousand years later. You can live freely for many more years until your time comes."

"That's also why you haven't come to find me for so long."

He had stayed in Zhongzhou City for three days, and during that time, Jiang Buying hadn't sent anyone to contact him. Jiang Buying hadn't decided whether to reclaim his body either.

At this moment, that body had become a hot potato.

Even Jiang Buying wasn't sure if he should reclaim it.

". "

The smile on Jiang Buying's face gradually faded, and after a long time, he calmly said, "That's right, but what you said isn't very pleasant to hear. It's as annoying as that old monster from the Mock Heaven Sect. If he had respected me a little back then, I wouldn't have become a Celestial Path Lackey."

"But he didn't care at all whether I became a Celestial Path Lackey. It's as if even if I did, it wouldn't affect him in the slightest."

"You said..."

"Doesn't this attitude easily provoke people?"

"Did you affect him later?" Chen Qiu asked softly.

"No." Jiang Buying shook his head.

Just as Jiang Buying was about to say something more, a powerful suction force enveloped him, along with the announcement that all small teams had passed the fourth challenge. He looked up at Chen Qiu one last time and laughed again.

"It did affect him after all. After all, it wasted quite a few Immortal Slaying Talismans from the Mock Heaven Sect. I may not be the strongest, but I'm not that easy to kill either."

"You seem more approachable than that old monster. At least for now, I find you tolerable."

"Just a bit weak."

"If you can become strong enough within this thousand years, then this time, I won't hide. Of course, the prerequisite is that you can withstand the flag. It's impossible for me to hold the flag, I've never held a flag before, and I don't look like flag-bearing material either."

Amidst the muttering, Jiang Buying and the two were teleported to the audience seats.

Chen Qiu and his group remained on the Greenstone Square, and another small team had already been teleported there.

"Senior."

Badan cautiously approached, hesitating, "That day, you mentioned the Great Cataclysm Day a thousand years later..."

He felt like he had unintentionally heard a lot of incredible things. From their conversation, this man, who gave him a strong sense of threat, had already lived for at least three million years, and it seemed that every three million years, there would be a Great Cataclysm Day.

No wonder.

No wonder the history of the Tide Immortal Plane only recorded three million years and didn't have any more ancient records.

Moreover, when this senior was talking with that man, he had mentioned the Twelfth Rank Immortal Plane several times. The Tide Immortal Plane was only a Fifth Rank Immortal Plane, and Badan had never even dreamed of going to the Twelfth Rank Immortal Plane in his life, let alone dared to hope for it. It felt too distant for him.

"It's nothing."

Chen Qiu shook his head and didn't elaborate further. The matter was too complicated to explain, and he was too lazy to do so. Even if he did explain, it wouldn't make a difference to the outcome of this Great Cataclysm Day for Badan and the others in the Tide Immortal Plane.

The Fifth Rank Immortal Realm was nothing compared to the Twelfth Rank Immortal Realm.

For the first time, he clearly understood that the Heavenly Dao would officially awaken in a thousand years. He didn't fully trust Jiang Buying, but he also didn't think the other party had any reason to deceive him on this matter.

Moreover, this was something he could easily investigate if he looked into it carefully.

It wasn't a particularly secretive matter.

A thousand years.

He breathed a sigh of relief in his heart. A thousand years was more than enough time, and during this period, he could accomplish many things and strengthen his power to an adequate level.

Just then—

The fifth round officially began.

At this moment, Jiang Buying, sitting in the audience, turned his gaze to Chen Qiu's combat display. He sat silently in his chair, his face calm, but his heart was in turmoil, like a tsunami had been unleashed within him.

He had been hesitating about what identity to assume when facing the great cataclysm a thousand years later.

But the moment he saw Chen Qiu, he made his choice.

This time, he wouldn't be a lackey anymore.

He saw a glimmer of hope for victory, and perhaps the world's order would undergo a dramatic change during this great cataclysm.

All because he discovered that Chen Qiu was not under the control of the Heavenly Dao; he had escaped from the Celestial Prison.

This meant that the old, immortal founder of the Mock Heaven Sect had succeeded in his Reincarnation Plan. That old man had actually sent all his descendants into the Celestial Prison, and one of them had managed to escape, no longer bound by the Heavenly Dao.

He had never imagined that this plan would succeed.

But now it seemed that Chen Qiu was the biggest variable. Being free from the control of the Heavenly Dao meant that when it awakened, Chen Qiu could face it with his peak strength, although the odds of victory were still slim.

After all, the power of the codex entries and the Heavenly Dao Entry Set originated from the Heavenly Dao itself.

Even if one could freely control the power of the entries they possessed, it was only a fraction of the power taken from the Heavenly Dao, and it couldn't possibly match the full might of the Heavenly Dao.

However, at least there was a glimmer of resistance, unlike during the great cataclysm three thousand years ago when there was no ability to resist at all.

Even the mighty Mock Heaven Sect had crumbled instantly, and if it hadn't been for the immortal founder, the sect would have been annihilated in an instant.

With even a sliver of resistance, there was a chance of victory.

At this moment—

From start to finish, the Miss Bai family, who had been quiet, suddenly spoke softly, "You're all so amazing, worrying about the safety of several continents."

"Are you mocking us?"

Jiang Buying furrowed his brows slightly.

"No."

Miss Bai shook her head, "What I mean is, if you're so powerful, why did you have to kidnap me, a weak woman from a Third Rank Continent?"

Jiang Buying rolled his eyes in annoyance, "After the Ascension Assembly, I'll send you back. Do you even know who I am? It's an honor for someone from a Third Rank Continent to be kidnapped by me."

"If it weren't for Chen Qiu..."

"You would never have the chance to sit here and talk to me in this lifetime."

"I wouldn't have given you a second glance."

The fifth round consisted of two corridors made of seawater.

The seawater was not ordinary; it was 'Dead Water,' an extremely rare type found in the depths of the ocean. Once this water touched the skin, one would feel incredibly heavy and unable to move.

Even an Immortal Human, when diving in the sea, would face certain death if entangled by this Dead Water, with no chance of escape.

Only those at the Earth Immortal Stage or above, after summoning their mounts, could survive.

The two seawater corridors were entirely composed of Dead Water, stretching for hundreds of zhang, and even a Peak Heaven Immortal would find it extremely challenging to pass through, even with all their abilities.

The rules were simple.

As before, the teams would send out five representatives each, and the team with the shortest completion time would win.

Their opponents were the Sea Clan.

Obviously, the Sea Clan had a significant advantage in this round, as they were born in the ocean and had more exposure to Dead Water than other creatures on land. Their chances of winning were almost infinite.

However, Badan's face remained calm, and he silently turned to look at Chen Qiu.

As expected, in the next moment—

Under the guidance of the seniors, five disciples of the Mock Heaven Sect stepped forward. When these disciples revealed their unique identities, they effortlessly secured an overwhelming victory.

"Sea Immortal": Capable of controlling seawater.

Badan looked at the Sea Clan members, who were filled with disbelief, and shrugged silently. He was used to this, especially when he heard that the outstanding performer in this round was a senior. He nodded, as it was only natural.

What, you ask, how could the seniors be the best performers without even participating?

Good question.

He didn't know the answer.

But he was certain that he could follow the seniors and walk through this secret realm with ease.

In the subsequent rounds, they continued to dominate effortlessly, and each opponent theoretically had a significant advantage, perfectly suited for the challenges of each round.

Then, amid their excitement, the seniors sent out five disciples with unique identities, easily winning the round.

Even the ninth round was effortlessly cleared.

The 'Great Team' became the only team to pass the ninth round, gaining priority in the upcoming 'Masked Banquet.'

At this moment, all the teams had regrouped at the vast greenstone square where they had started, preparing to enter the upcoming banquet.

At this very moment, almost everyone's complex gazes were directed towards Badan and his group. The reason was simple: many had realized that there were only 45 special identities in the Ascension Assembly, and astonishingly, all 45 of them were in Badan's team.

Could this be explained by luck?

It was clearly cheating.

But the stage was already over, and there was no point in discussing it further. Moreover, the previous nine stages were merely entertainment stages, not significant opportunities. This "Masked Banquet" was the first major opportunity.

And those special identities became useless after the stage ended.

Just then—

Above the greenstone square, a joss stick suddenly appeared out of thin air. It was evident that when this joss stick burned out, the Masked Banquet would commence.

".

Chen Qiu, who was among the crowd, silently counted his rewards. Although it was after the entertainment stages, the rewards were still impressive, especially the ninth stage's reward, which turned out to be a "Supreme Cultivation Card"!

It could directly increase one's cultivation progress by 40%.

As he was the most outstanding performer, he was given an extra card.

Without hesitation, he immediately used both cultivation cards, bringing his cultivation to—

-

"Cultivation": Tribulation Crossing Layer 7 (80.5%).

-

Don't underestimate the 80% cultivation progress; for him, it was exactly what he needed. Aside from other factors, the journey from Tribulation Crossing Layer 7 to the peak of Celestial Immortal was a long one. Moreover, even reaching the peak of Celestial Immortal cultivation wouldn't allow him to face the Heavenly Dao directly.

At this moment—

High above the greenstone square, a young girl, hidden in the sky, was quietly communicating with the young man below: "How is it? Are you satisfied, Senior?"

She was drenched in sweat, exhausted like never before.

In the past, hosting secret realms was as simple as randomizing everything, but this time, she had to personally select each option, which was quite tiring!

To ensure that the senior won in a satisfying manner, she intentionally chose opponents with significant advantages in this stage, so that when the senior used his special identity to win, it would feel even more exhilarating.

This would also highlight the effectiveness of the special identity.

And, of course, it would emphasize her role.

However, these manipulations were mentally exhausting, leaving her breathless.

"I'm satisfied."

The young man cautiously glanced in Chen Qiu's direction and then continued his conversation with the secret realm's Artifact Spirit: "Keep it up like this, and there shouldn't be any problems. As soon as this is over, I'll take you away from here immediately."

"Yes!"

The young girl on the greenstone square, upon hearing this, nodded excitedly, her face beaming with enthusiasm. She felt a surge of energy as this was the first time she had encountered someone like herself. The sense of trust when communicating with a fellow spirit filled her with excitement.

About half an hour later, the joss stick above the greenstone square had burned out, signaling the official start of the Masked Banquet.

The entire greenstone square suddenly began to spin rapidly, and then, in an instant, it shot off into the distance at an incredible speed.

It happened in the blink of an eye.

The crowd on the greenstone square realized that the pitch-black shroud enveloping the square had, at some point, transformed into blindingly bright light. The square had stopped choosing and was now hurtling through an endless sea of blinding light at an astonishing speed!

The destination was unknown.

Nor was it clear where they were.

Even without a reference point, it was challenging to determine if the square was moving or stationary due to the high speed.

".

Unlike the rest of the crowd's restlessness and commotion, Chen Qiu silently observed the scene before him. He knew this place well; it was the Void.

Turning around, he could see the shrinking patch of pitch-black darkness, which was the Heavenly Dao Shackles of the Tide Immortal Plane.

They had returned to the Void.

Apparently, the Ascension Assembly secret realm was also located deep within the Void.

In theory, he could even see his Cao Tian Palace in the Void, but it was just a theory. Although both were in the Void, there was no way to determine the distance between them.

However, at this moment, he couldn't sense the Cao Tian Palace, indicating that it was still quite far away.

"Huff"

At this very moment—

In a neglected corner, the Seventh Prince was curled up in a cave within a cliff, his body bruised and battered, gritting his teeth as he listened to the footsteps and countless angry shouts above.

He tried his best to remain silent.

The cloak he wore protected him from being detected by spiritual senses.

Before his master left, he had given him a Telepathy Stone, to be used in case of life-threatening danger. However, after trying to contact his master several times without success, he realized he was on his own.

His current location was the Mysterious Heaven State in the Vast Continent. He had obtained a Supreme Treasure in a secret realm, which had aroused the jealousy of his companions. His companion was smart enough not to act directly but instead reported it to his family, who sent people to take action.

He wasn't surprised by his companion's betrayal; such things were common.

The only thing that made him feel slightly bitter was that the Supreme Treasure was of great use to his master. He didn't mind dying, but if the treasure was taken away, he would die with regret.

But since he couldn't contact his master, and he couldn't hide here for long, he would soon be discovered. All he could do was leave it to fate.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end