Chapter Thirty-Four: Jade Capital

Leaving the Mist of Obsession behind, Weak Water no longer posed any obstacle.

As they neared the riverbank, they saw someone dumping refuse at the edge. Upon closer inspection, it became clear that it was not refuse, but corpses. The person disposing of them spotted Xu Zhong and his companions and hurriedly called out to those behind him.

“The guests have arrived! Hurry, play the suona, dance!”

Suddenly, the notes of the suona, mingled with the sounds of silk and bamboo, echoed chaotically yet with a certain melodiousness. Several female demons danced on the riverbank, and as they moved, celestial blossoms rained down in dazzling profusion.

Four true dragons drew a fragrant carriage that descended slowly from the heavens.

“Honored guests, I have awaited you here for a long time,” said an elderly man with silver hair and a stooped figure, gazing at Xu Zhong and the others aboard the boat.

“The master of Jade Capital has ordered us to welcome you.” The old man gestured to the fragrant carriage behind him. “Please, take your seats.”

“Then we shall follow your lead,” Jiang Xuanyi said, taking Xu Zhong’s hand. With one stride, they mounted the carriage.

The four dragons began to move, gliding through the clouds toward the World Tree.

Below the carriage stretched a vast, unbroken plain. At that moment, the exiles scattered across the grassland lifted their heads. Though Xu Zhong could not see them, he watched a divine eagle swoop down, and after a while, it flew toward a distant stony nest with the corpse of a cultivator in its talons.

This eagle was not alone. From time to time, other birds would dive to hunt.

“The old, the useless ones in Jade Capital, all leave of their own accord, giving their chance at survival to the young and able, choosing to fend for themselves on this plain,” the old man explained, seeing Xu Zhong’s gaze fixed upon them.

“We call this expanse the Grassland of Bewilderment.” His eyes shone with longing as he looked toward the plain. “It is another of our sacred places, unique to the realm of Dragon Metropolis, within the Underworld City. Perhaps one day, I too will walk upon that grassland.”

“If it is a sacred place, why name it after confusion?” Xu Zhong wondered silently, but voiced nothing.

The fragrant carriage pressed onward, and the silhouette of Jade Capital gradually emerged. Countless external realms were flattened and laid beneath the World Tree, forming cities both ancient and new.

This was the birth and death of external realms. External realms could perish. When an external realm died, its city would collapse and fade away. To maintain balance, for every destroyed realm, a new one would fill its place.

This was no mere speculation but a reality.

Xu Zhong watched as a city crumbled; its immortal aura faded, wind, fire, thunder, and lightning dissipated, the heavens fell, the stars dimmed, the earth collapsed, and the city was swallowed.

Thus a void appeared in Jade Capital.

A deity descended from the tree’s crown, extended a hand to steady the void, and drew a new external realm from the Five Luminaries. Behind the deity emerged a divine tortoise, which bore the realm toward the hole.

The realm settled into the void.

The deity spread the realm like a scroll, moved a city within, and blew a breath into it. Countless inhabitants were swept into the city by that breath.

Thus, a dead land was revived.

“Resources limit capacity. No wonder Jade Capital has the tradition of the useless departing for the Grassland of Bewilderment,” Xu Zhong mused.

“Hail to the Ancestor of Qiao!” The old man bowed to the deity, and those behind him knelt, chanting the ancestor’s name.

Qiao was one of the three corpses of the human spirit.

“This must be the Lower Corpse Qiao, one of the Dragon Emperor’s three corpses,” Jiang Xuanyi called out.

The old man was instantly enraged, shouting in rebuke.

But the moment he opened his mouth, his head exploded.

It was not Jiang Xuanyi who struck, but the Ancestor of Qiao.

“We have been awaiting you, heir of the True Martial Emperor,” the ancestor said with a smile, guiding them. “Come with me.”

Jiang Xuanyi departed, leaving Xu Zhong behind.

The World Tree’s crown held another world: the abode of the gods.

Jiang Xuanyi left Xu Zhong, perhaps fearing that any action atop the tree would leave him unable to protect him.

Led by a servant, Xu Zhong entered the human city beneath the World Tree’s crown—the place closest to the tree, where one could overlook all of Jade Capital.

The servant assigned him a chamber.

Xu Zhong refused the attendant maidens, disliking the feeling of being waited upon.

As he closed the door to rest, the Yuanyang Sword hovered above him, its hilt manifesting a dragon’s head. The azure dragon spoke in a deep, resonant voice. “Boy, you’d better prepare yourself!”

“Prepare? Prepare for what?” Xu Zhong was bewildered.

“To be beaten!” the dragon replied with satisfaction.

“What do you mean?”

“Why do you think Jiang Xuanyi came to Dragon Metropolis?” he asked.

Xu Zhong pondered. “The Dragon Vein!”

“I’ve seen it—the World Tree is rooted atop the Dragon Vein.”

Xu Zhong’s brow furrowed.

If Jiang Xuanyi were to take the Dragon Vein, he would be uprooting Jade Capital’s foundation.

The gods living within would never allow it.

Whatever their reasons, they had established a unique sanctuary centered on the World Tree, even hunting other creatures in Dragon Metropolis to maintain its stability. How could they stand by while Jiang Xuanyi dug up the Dragon Vein?

“But they don’t even know why Jiang Xuanyi is here!” Xu Zhong countered.

“That’s irrelevant,” the dragon shook its head. “Whether they’re good or evil, Jiang Xuanyi is prepared to break with them.”

“And we are his allies. Tell me, do you think we’ll escape unscathed?”

Xu Zhong nodded, stunned.

“What should we do then?” he asked.

“Do nothing for now,” the dragon advised gravely. “Just follow my lead; I can still get you out safely.”

Xu Zhong nodded, but his mind was spinning. “The Yuanyang Sword returned to Dragon Metropolis to find its master—it said it wanted to bring me to the World Tree.”

“Then its master must be in Jade Capital. But once inside, its urgency faded. Something’s amiss.”

His dark eyes turned. “I can’t trust it entirely, nor can I entirely distrust it.”

“Jiang Xuanyi is too dangerous. Following him is not a wise choice.”

His thoughts whirled as he lay on the bed, pretending to sleep.

“If only Bai Zhaoju were here—following her would be much safer.”

Of all these people, Xu Zhong trusted Bai Zhaoju most.

“I wonder if Situ Nan knows I’m in Jade Capital!” Xu Zhong sighed.

Situ Nan had told him to stay put, but the Yuanyang Sword swept him into the World Tree. Would Situ Nan come after him?

Xu Zhong’s mind raced, unable to settle.

Suddenly, an urgent knocking sounded at the door.

“Come out!”

“Come out!”

...

The voices were loud but clear—they wanted him to leave.

The dragon smiled. “Seems they think you’re Jiang Xuanyi’s disciple and want to probe Jiang Xuanyi’s secrets by dealing with you.”

Xu Zhong understood.

Cultivation methods are interpreted differently by each practitioner, but spell techniques are fixed.

To defeat someone, one can analyze their spell techniques, search for flaws, trace them back to uncover weaknesses in their cultivation and vulnerabilities.

If Xu Zhong really were Jiang Xuanyi’s disciple, his techniques would reveal the secrets of Jiang Xuanyi’s arts.

Xu Zhong opened the door.

Outside stood a group of young people, similar in age and cultivation to him.

The one who had knocked was about to speak when Xu Zhong raised his sword.

In an instant, his blade flashed forth, cold light sparking as thousands of sword rays soared skyward. With a single strike, he sent the youth flying, his body riddled with wounds from the sword’s energy, blood spraying everywhere.

“When others come prepared, the only way to respond is to strike first, breaking their rhythm.”

Xu Zhong had made up his mind as soon as he opened the door.

Meanwhile, another reacted swiftly, leaping into action.

Such quick reflexes told Xu Zhong that this was the leader of the group; subduing him would intimidate the rest.

The youth unleashed a spell, striking with his palm.

Xu Zhong met the attack; both stepped back five paces, neither prevailing.

They stood, then engaged again.

Boom!

At the instant sword and palm collided, their moves shifted through twelve variations. Xu Zhong thrust twelve times; his opponent struck twelve palms.

The tranquil courtyard was now swept by fierce winds, stirring layers of fallen leaves and dust.

Xu Zhong released his sword intent, sending beams of sword light from his weapon. Countless starlight fell from above, all refined into sword energy, so that the entire courtyard was filled with nothing but sword energy.

His opponent countered with martial skills, palms and seals changing endlessly, wind roaring, emitting dragon cries. A true dragon coiled about him, his blood manifesting as its form.

Their exchange was swift, colliding and separating, their garments billowing, spells unleashed in profusion.

Xu Zhong used more than just his sword.

He cast flames, suppressed energy, sprayed and shaped it, wielding a succession of spell techniques, each countered by his adversary.

After a moment, the opponent let out a roar.

Infused with spiritual energy and masculine force, the roar stirred ripples in the void, but Xu Zhong’s sword tip pierced it, splitting it apart, and sword energy burst forth in hundreds and thousands of blossoms.

Finally, after over three hundred exchanges, they separated.

Xu Zhong’s sword pierced the opponent’s head.

His skull exploded like a watermelon, blood, bone, and brain matter scattering in a grisly mess.

Xu Zhong sat on the threshold, panting heavily, then suddenly vomited blood.

“He was fierce, but I am fiercer,” he said, spitting more blood. “Any others who wish to try?”

“He’s at his limit—watch me kill him!” someone called.

The moment he spoke, his head fell to the ground.

A flash of white light swept by, returned to the gourd, sword energy spewing from its mouth like a serpent’s tongue.

Silence descended.

“If you dare not strike, then leave!” Xu Zhong thundered.

The crowd shuffled away.

Once everyone had left, Xu Zhong collapsed to the ground.

“He really is at his limit; as soon as we left, he showed his true colors.”

Another leapt out, delighted, ready to attack.

But then Xu Zhong suddenly sat up, exhaling sharply.

A stream of energy shot from his mouth and nose, piercing the would-be thief.

The corpse fell, and any lingering ambitions were scattered as the crowd fled.

Xu Zhong fell again.

But this time, he was truly down.

He crawled back to bed, took out several blood jades, and swallowed them whole.