All sleepiness vanished, and everyone gathered in the Heaven-rank room where Lin Zhao was located.
Chi Zhongyu sat cross-legged on the bed, quietly tending to his injuries.
"It seems Xu Beilin is determined to take first place in the Ascension Platform."
Yu Wan Ning, arms crossed, leaned against the doorframe, gazing at the moonlight. She glanced at Lin Zhao and said softly, "Your actions in the capital were not clean enough. You only managed to prune the forces around Emperor Xu Chen, but you overlooked the eldest prince. This Xu Beilin is ambitious and will not be content to live in obscurity."
Chu Xian Tong wet her red lips but remained silent.
Lin Zhao sat on the railing, frowning as he looked at Chi Zhongyu recuperating in the room. "In tomorrow's Ascension Platform Grand Competition, Chi Zhongyu is seriously injured. His combat power can practically be ignored. Now, only the three of us are capable of fighting."
"Mm."
Chu Xian Tong nodded. "Lin Zhao, you... want to take first place?"
"No."
Lin Zhao shook his head and chuckled. "Actually, I have no interest in first place. The so-called Ascension Platform Grand Competition is merely a setup by Wu Yuan Zi. In my eyes, even Xu Beilin is not a worthy opponent. Only Wu Yuan Zi is the true enemy. I really want to know what Wu Yuan Zi has been plotting by orchestrating this Ascension Platform for so many years."
"Wu Yuan Zi's identity is extremely mysterious."
Yu Wan Ning frowned. "There were rumors that Wu Yuan Zi, like you, is also a banished immortal, but Wu Yuan Zi's realm is higher, completely beyond this world. Therefore, only he could have painted that spirited Hundred Beauties painting, and only Wu Yuan Zi could appear and disappear unpredictably across this world, making all the cultivators in this world yearn for him."
Chi Zhongyu opened his eyes. "Lin Zhao, in tomorrow's battle, I can probably maintain about fifty percent of my combat strength. If you need me for anything, just say the word. I, Chi Zhongyu, no longer seek the top three spots in the Ascension Platform, I only seek to bring justice to this world."
"Mm."
Lin Zhao nodded. "Similarly, what I seek is this justice."
Yu Wan Ning's delicate brows furrowed slightly.
Lin Zhao saw her thoughts and said, "Miss Yu, I know what you're thinking. You certainly don't want to give up the spot in the top three in the world, do you? You're thinking that if you can ascend, perhaps you can still offer some assistance to the ancient Shu Kingdom, and perhaps after ascending, you can return with a higher realm to defend the ancient Shu Kingdom?"
Yu Wan Ning was slightly taken aback. "Lin Zhao, I..."
"It's human nature."
Lin Zhao smiled kindly. "However, your perspective is still a bit narrow. Listen to my advice, and don't dwell on the top three spots in the world anymore. They may not be real. Perhaps it's all a trap set by Wu Yuan Zi from the very beginning."
"Mm."
Yu Wan Ning nodded and said softly, "I'll listen to you. Whatever you decide to do tomorrow, I will stand by your side!"
"Thank you!"
Lin Zhao nodded gently, then looked at Chu Xian Tong. "Chu Xian Tong, what do you say?"
Chu Xian Tong said decisively, "I'll go with you."
"Good!"
Lin Zhao gazed at the distant mountains and said softly, "In tomorrow's battle, we won't aim for the top three. We only seek to eliminate Wu Yuan Zi and bring clarity and righteousness to this Hundred Flowers Realm. I don't know the specifics yet; we'll take it one step at a time. You three must ensure you can protect yourselves before helping me. Otherwise, don't help. I don't want to lose your lives because of my own affairs. I cannot bear such karma."
Yu Wan Ning smiled. "Don't worry, we'll make our own decisions about how we act. We'll bear the consequences of life and death ourselves."
"Mm."
Lin Zhao looked at Yu Wan Ning and deeply felt that this young female martial artist had an excellent state of mind, perhaps even stronger than Chu Yu at the mountain peak villa. It was no wonder she became the female martial god of the ancient Shu Kingdom at such a young age and could manage the affairs of a nation.
...
The next day, morning.
Clouds enshrouded the entire Lingze Mountain. After a rather lavish breakfast, Lin Zhao, Chi Zhongyu, and Chu Xian Tong ascended on their swords and headed straight for the Ascension Platform. Yu Wan Ning, hands behind her back, rode the wind through the clouds, displaying the demeanor of a master martial artist. The four figures pierced through the mist, each landing on a mountain peak not far from the Ascension Platform, awaiting its opening.
Soon, a streak of sword light appeared in the distance, transforming into Xu Beilin's figure. A cruel smile played on his lips, followed by a group of accompanying cultivators and some earth masters in black robes, their gazes exceptionally sinister.
A while later, an old man in a gray robe arrived, riding the wind and landing on a mountain peak. It was Qin Fei, the ancestor of the Crimson Cloud Sect. From afar, Qin Fei glanced at Lin Zhao and let out a scoff. He never expected that the person he once pursued would be the legendary banished immortal, nor that Lin Zhao would join forces with the female martial god of the ancient Shu Kingdom, putting him, a cultivator from the mountains of the ancient Shu Kingdom, in an extremely awkward position. Even more awkward was that just as Qin Fei had decided to lead Mount Cuiwei to defect to the Xu Dynasty, Grand Tutor Zhao Qian was killed in the capital by Lin Zhao and his companions. This left the Crimson Cloud Sect with no choice but to continue observing.
Lin Zhao also looked at Qin Fei, harboring extreme killing intent towards this ancestor of the Crimson Cloud Sect.
A moment later, a man in a short shirt broke through the clouds and landed on a mountain peak. It was Zhou Jin, a martial artist of the Cloudy Travel realm, ranked sixth on the Ten Great Experts list. Beside him, a flash of spiritual light appeared, and a woman in a white dress materialized. It was Han Xi, a Nascent Soul realm spirit cultivator, ranked seventh on the list, and Zhou Jin's Taoist companion.
Close behind, three more figures appeared consecutively: Wang Yan, a Cloudy Travel realm martial artist; Lin Chong, a Nascent Soul realm spirit cultivator; and Luo Wanqiu, a Nascent Soul realm spirit cultivator, all of them masters from the Ten Great Experts list. With Lin Zhao included, all eleven of the Hundred Flowers Realm's Ten Great Experts were now present.
...
"Buzz—"
Suddenly, the mountains in the Lingze Mountain area trembled violently. Streams of mountain and water restrictions rose from the ground, and in an instant, the area around the Ascension Platform was sealed off. Simultaneously, the Ascension Platform buzzed and rotated, its previously suspended bridgehead turning eastward. Then, a dazzling golden light appeared in the sky, and the Heavenly Gate opened. The mechanisms within the Ascension Platform hummed, and the surface restrictions and formations flickered with brilliance. The entire Ascension Platform seemed to come alive, filled with spirituality.
Thus, the Ascension Platform officially opened.
In the sky, vast amounts of destiny poured into the human world from the Heavenly Gate, and the boundary between the two worlds began to connect. Under the influx of abundant destiny, Yu Wan Ning's delicate body trembled. She realized that the long-awaited bottleneck had loosened. In that instant, she possessed the ability to break through. With just a thought, she could probably enter the much-coveted next realm, the Sea-stepping realm, the legendary ultimate realm for martial artists!
"Don't rush."
Lin Zhao also realized what was happening and slowly shook his head at Yu Wan Ning, signaling her not to rush to break through. Exposing her strength too early might not be a good thing.
Chi Zhongyu's sword eyebrows were tightly knitted. Although he was seriously injured, his foundation in the way of the sword was solid. After being immersed in abundant destiny, his realm's bottleneck also loosened. At this moment, stepping into the Star River realm was also just a matter of a thought for him. However, his mind was more meticulous. There was no need. Lin Zhao's cultivation foundation was even deeper; if he wasn't breaking through, why should he be in a hurry?
Lin Zhao felt a little awkward. What breakthrough was he talking about? He was originally from the human world. Even with the dense destiny in the human world, he couldn't break through, let alone in the Hundred Flowers Realm with its sparser destiny. Moreover, Lin Zhao had long realized that his breakthrough constraints and bottlenecks were more firmly entrenched. To break through, he would need an ordeal similar to the Heart-Questioning Bureau in Furong Prefecture on his southward journey, or it would be impossible.
"Heaven aids me!"
In the distance, Xu Beilin let out a long cry, his body spewing sword light. He greedily absorbed the sword dao destiny from the mountains and rivers, instantly becoming a great sword immortal of the tenth realm. His gaze was arrogant as he looked at Yu Wan Ning, Lin Zhao, Chi Zhongyu, and Chu Xian Tong, his killing intent intensifying.
"Clang!"
Suddenly, a ethereal bell chime echoed through the heavens and earth. Following that, streams of enfeoffment text appeared in the sky. The Ascension Platform had opened, and the Ten Great Experts were about to begin their martial competition. Those ranked lower defeating those ranked higher would automatically change their rankings. In other words, whoever could kill Xu Beilin with a single sword strike would immediately become the number one.
...
After waiting for a while, Lin Zhao patiently refrained from letting Yu Wan Ning, Chu Xian Tong, and the others act. He was waiting for Wu Yuan Zi to appear. Without Wu Yuan Zi's presence, all fighting would be meaningless.
"Miss Yu Wan Ning."
Zhou Jin, in the wind, cupped his fists towards Yu Wan Ning. He then nodded and smiled at Lin Zhao, Chi Zhongyu, and Chu Xian Tong. "I have a suggestion. Instead of people ranked lower fighting amongst themselves, why don't we take advantage of everyone's current strength and kill Xu Beilin, this Star River realm expert?"
"Oh?"
Yu Wan Ning smiled. "Does fellow daoist Zhou Jin intend to make the first move?"
"Indeed."
Zhou Jin said with a smile, "It's fine if Miss Yu Wan Ning is unwilling to lend a hand. Just don't cause any unnecessary trouble."
"Alright."
Lin Zhao nodded. "You two fight to your heart's content. We'll be spectators."
"Good, thank you!"
...
Zhou Jin leaped up and gracefully landed on the Ascension Platform. Following him, his Taoist companion Han Xi, and another Cloudy Travel realm martial artist, Wang Yan, also landed on the Ascension Platform. The three of them then looked at Xu Beilin, the foremost expert of the current era.
"Heh!"
Xu Beilin's lips curled with arrogance. He lightly touched his thumb, drawing his sword an inch out, and chuckled. "Do you think three ninth-realm experts combined can contend with me, a tenth-realm expert? Zhou Jin, I thought you were a wise man, but I didn't expect you to be so foolish, utterly foolish!"
"Come down and die!"
Zhou Jin raised his eyebrows, his body flowing with fist intent, and coldly sneered, "Your Xu family dynasty has committed countless evils. If I can kill you with one punch, it would be acting on behalf of heaven!"
"With you?!"
Xu Beilin leaped up. The moment his sword was unsheathed, it was already accompanied by soaring sword light, slashing towards Zhou Jin's head. Simultaneously, dense and fine sword qi pressed down on the other two. From the Sword Lake, two flying swords silently flew out, one heading straight for Zhou Jin's back, the other for Han Xi's throat.