Chapter 399: Plan and Recruitment, Meng Wu and Hongshan Emperor's Doubts

After having a good laugh and venting some anger, with emotions momentarily released, it was time to get back to business. One couldn't always be caught in a fit of impotent rage, wasting emotions on pointless matters. Waiting idly for death was never Zhao Xing's style.

Zhao Xing took a deep breath, then looked at Qing Yuzi, who was clutching the ancient sword beside him. "Old Qing, can you say something? I'm the only one playing in this high-stakes game, and it's killing me. Stop pretending to be dead, okay? You must be a big shot. Otherwise, how could the Dongyan Ancient Clan have misjudged? There are so many people in the world who use the Daoist name Qing Yuzi. My impersonation of your name to sign a karmic contract with the Dongyan Ancient Clan couldn't possibly have dragged you into this for no reason. We're in this together now. You can't just hand me the holy grail; at least hint at what other tricks you have up your sleeve."

If Qing Yuzi's corpse was seeking this ancient sword to unseal it, and assuming this was the Dongyan Ancient Clan's doing, then Qing Yuzi shouldn't have been the one to seek it; Zhao Xing should have been doing the work himself. After all, he was the one who forged the karmic contract with the Dongyan Elder Council, and he was the one who used the Starfire channel to send the Qing Yu token. Could a mere impersonation successfully confuse them? That's impossible! If that were true, the Dongyan Ancient Clan's Fate Officials and Historians might as well eat dirt.

Therefore, Zhao Xing deduced that something must have interfered with the Dongyan Ancient Clan's plan. Currently, besides the Xuanling History Book: Time Page, the only special items on Zhao Xing were Qing Yuzi's corpse and the holy artifact. He certainly had reason to suspect Qing Yuzi. However, Qing Yuzi simply remained still with his eyes closed.

"Fine, if you won't speak, then I will."

"Let's first calculate the Dongyan Ancient Clan's resurrection cost." Zhao Xing now needed an external force to intervene, but how powerful did this force need to be? He couldn't just fantasize or guess wildly. Instead, he decided to calculate what he needed to break out of this situation, based on the Dongyan Ancient Clan's resurrection cost.

Zhao Xing began organizing his thoughts. He could roughly estimate it, because he had experienced the Scholar's Divine Advent version and had even made a quick fortune during the first phase, 'Divine Preliminaries,' before escaping. Furthermore, the other four players also had dealings with Zhao Xing. Three of them had profited and escaped during the second phase. The last one, strong in his own right and a hero among players, was only brought down by his greed, as he ambitiously sought to achieve godhood in one fell swoop. Both god-making and resurrection involved costs, which could serve as a reference.

"First, consider the regional cost, which is the cost of 'spiritual energy origin'." "The resurrection of a divine being cannot be separated from the origin of spiritual energy. The 'spirit' and 'spirit' of a single Yuanhai Ancient Kingdom unit are simply not enough." "At least 1 to 3 additional divine artifacts containing spiritual energy origin would be needed." "As for the 'people,' meaning the 'spirits' of living beings, sacrifices relying solely on small fry won't work; there must be quality." "Reincarnation Realm cultivators are the best resources, as they are the closest to the Divine Realm."

Referring to the Scholar's Divine Advent version, the cost of creating a god reached five thousand Reincarnation Realm cultivators. But that was the scholar organization's god-making; the current situation is primarily resurrection through sacrifice, so this number would need to be higher. Regardless of quality for now, at the very least, it would probably require thirty thousand Reincarnation Realm cultivators. The scholars' god-making involved collective enlightenment; this was resurrection. If 'resurrection' and 'enlightenment' were both paths to godhood, then the scholars' method was more efficient and wasted fewer resources. Zhao Xing considered a sixfold increase to be reasonable.

"So, about 30,000 people. Even if there's some error, it's not important. Old Qing, do you agree?" Qing Yuzi remained motionless. Zhao Xing nodded, taking his silence as agreement.

"How could the small Yuanhai Ancient Kingdom gather so many Reincarnation Realm cultivators? Even if the Dongyan Ancient Clan wanted to sacrifice themselves, they probably wouldn't have that many." Zhao Xing continued, "The only opportunity to gather such a number of powerful individuals would be the Spirit Domain Dharma Assembly." If the Spirit Domain Dharma Assembly were held in the Yuanhai Ancient Kingdom, there would be no need to find ways to gather people; they would naturally come to the Yuanhai Ancient Kingdom.

"The Barren Domain Ancient Kingdom Alliance has a hundred thousand ancient kingdoms. The Spirit Domain Dharma Assembly concerns their survival environment, so gathering over thirty thousand Reincarnation Realm cultivators would be more than enough." The core of the Spirit Domain Dharma Assembly was the survival of the Xuanling Starfield. Sending low-level participants would be useless and lead nowhere in discussions. Naturally, only the rulers of ancient kingdoms or Reincarnation Realm cultivators would be qualified to participate in the discourse.

"The Dongyan Ancient Clan intends to trap and kill all Reincarnation Realm cultivators participating in the Spirit Domain Dharma Assembly in one fell swoop—what an outrageous act..." "With only a few hundred years left until the assembly, it means that various places within the Yuanhai Ancient Kingdom are likely already rigged with major traps." "And to be able to trap and kill so many Reincarnation Realm cultivators, at least one supremely powerful divine artifact, or multiple lesser divine artifacts, would be required."

"The Xuanling History Book: Time Page is a divine artifact, but the page I possess belongs to the Xuanling History Book: Ten Tables. While its time-tracing auxiliary function is powerful, it has little combat capability." "The Dongyan Ancient Clan must possess the Xuanling History Book: Biographies, or even a page from the Xuanling History Book: Annals. This would allow them to summon the phantom of an ancient god and eradicate all Reincarnation Realm cultivators." "If the Dongyan Ancient Clan only had one page, this plan wouldn't work."

"After the killing, the sacrificial process would begin. This would again require divine artifacts; a Reincarnation Altar wouldn't suffice. It would have to be a complete 'New God Altar' or a partial 'Ancient God Altar'." The classification of divine beings can be divided into Ancient Gods and New Gods. New Gods are consistently those who achieved divinity post-birth, while Ancient Gods are the legendary naturally born deities. The Five Emperors' Coin of the Xuanling Starfield features five emperors who are 'New Gods,' achieving godhood through cultivation, possessing a complete path to divinity. Ancient Gods, on the other hand, are deities born inherently.

"A Divine Altar, Divine Relics, and Divine Offerings (the offerings would also include the spiritual energy and living beings of the entire Yuanhai Ancient Kingdom territory)." "Additionally, there would need to be a Fate Master's divine artifact to lock down heavenly secrets. Oh, a Priest's would also work; I recall a divine artifact called the Spirit Sacrifice Tablet that served this function." "Historian, Fate Master, Priest—combined, at least nine types of divine artifacts." The three divine artifacts of the Historian: World-Mending Pen, Preaching Book, and Grand Historian's Crown. The three divine artifacts of the Priest: Ancient God Altar (replaceable by a New God Altar), Divine Relics (such as the remnant true body of the Void Ancestor), and Offerings (35,000 Reincarnation Realm cultivators, along with the spiritual energy and living beings of the entire Yuanhai Ancient Kingdom). Fate Officials had many divine artifacts, and Zhao Xing couldn't guess which specific ones, but he estimated at least three would be needed, as Fate Master spells also had three major systems: predicting the future, predetermined karma, and sealing heavenly secrets.

"Add one more spiritual energy divine artifact, and that's at least ten. There would only be more, not fewer." "Regardless of whether they succeed, these are likely the 'material costs' of the Dongyan Ancient Clan's resurrection plan."

"What about the human cost?" Zhao Xing's eyebrow twitched. "If a Divine Realm cultivator is involved in this, then I shouldn't even bother thinking; I should just try to commit suicide and see if I can resurrect and start over." "However, that possibility is minuscule." Why was Zhao Xing so certain? Because in his previous life, he had reached the point of attempting to break into the Divine Realm, yet he had never encountered a 'Divine Realm' cultivator in the Xuanling Starfield. Were there Divine Realm cultivators in the Xuanling Starfield? The answer was yes. Among the super-powers, only the Barren Domain Ancient Kingdom Alliance lacked them. The Primordial Hills, Origin Heaven Palace, Crimson Star Empire, and Samsara Divine Palace all had them. Zhao Xing hadn't seen them, but since everyone said they existed, then they did. It's just that Divine Realm cultivators have transcended the material world and are simply not seen. It was like how a third-rank official within the Great Zhou Empire couldn't meet Zhao Xing, the legendary Grand Minister of Agriculture, yet such a person undeniably existed and was the subject of countless legends.

"Based on my understanding of this world, I can first set an upper limit: there is no other Divine Realm cultivator involved in this matter." Zhao Xing counted on his fingers. "The Dongyan Ancient Clan is trying to resurrect a divine being precisely because they don't have one. If they did, they could establish a super-power and negotiate with the Samsara Divine Palace. This is also the foundation for ensuring the Dongyan Ancient Clan's continued survival after the resurrection." If the resurrection succeeded, the Dongyan Ancient Clan, even after sacrificing over thirty thousand Reincarnation Realm cultivators, would fear nothing. This was because a divine being had the capital to negotiate. Resurrecting a god was difficult, but killing a god was also difficult! As long as the resurrected divine being of the Dongyan Ancient Clan was willing to pay a price, it would be better for the super-powers to erase history and make everyone forget about the incident, rather than try to kill a divine being. That's how it is for winners and losers; who cares about the vengeful spirits of the Yuanhai Ancient Kingdom?

Organizing his thoughts, Zhao Xing returned to calculating the human cost: "The Dongyan Ancient Clan would need at least ten individuals to wield 'divine artifacts,' and these ten must be highly experienced Reincarnation Realm cultivators." "Even if they haven't experienced hundreds of reincarnations, they should have gone through at least ten." "To be safe, and considering they'll be doing other things, this number would at least double, requiring twenty to thirty seasoned Reincarnation Realm cultivators." After calculating the costs, Zhao Xing's heart sank by half. Ten divine artifacts, twenty to thirty seasoned Reincarnation Realm cultivators... Could he truly escape from such a situation?

Just then, Qing Yuzi, who had been completely still, suddenly began to tremble violently. The Reincarnation Ancient Sword in his hand hummed incessantly, and the light from the Xuanling History Book: Time Page also trembled along with it. Qing Yuzi held the Reincarnation Dharma Sword, seemingly wanting to step out of the Time Page's range. This sight made Zhao Xing frown. Was Old Qing scared too? Where was he going?

"You..." Just as Zhao Xing was about to speak, he saw Qing Yuzi thrust the ancient sword forward, but his head twisted backward, and at the same time, his eyes opened. His eyes had originally been clouded with death qi, but at that moment, a sliver of clarity flashed within them. Something seemed to flash and vanish in his pupils. Zhao Xing caught it. It was unmistakably a line of text, written in the Great Zhou script of the Xuanhuang Realm: "Find another sacrificial holy artifact, and send me to the altar."

Zhao Xing shook his head, finding that Qing Yuzi had closed his eyes again, as if everything that had just happened was an illusion. He watched Qing Yuzi's corpse with a mix of surprise and uncertainty. He had initially carried a dead teammate with him, who was not only useless but also a burdensome liability. But now, this dead teammate had manifested?

"I've calculated all this for you, and you finally gave me some credit..." Zhao Xing murmured to himself. He wasn't bored enough to talk to a corpse and calculate resurrection costs... Ultimately, he wanted to test Qing Yuzi and figure out what was really going on. Now that the calculations were done, Qing Yuzi had finally given a hint. Did this mean that Qing Yuzi now regarded him as a cooperative 'partner' rather than just a pawn?

"Your audacity is truly immense, old man. To dare to enter such a situation, borrowing others' momentum to strengthen yourself..." Yes, it wasn't for resurrection, but to enhance his power! Thinking carefully, if Qing Yuzi had awakened his reincarnation memories back then, he would have actively schemed against the Dongyan Ancient Clan, not sought resurrection. He intended to drain the Dongyan Ancient Clan's blood and grow stronger from yet another reincarnation!

"And you claimed to be unlucky; you're utterly audacious... I really fell for your elaborate scheme, causing the spiritual energy to recover ahead of time." Zhao Xing cursed inwardly. He was now convinced that Old Qing had interfered in many matters. However, upon closer thought, he felt a sense of admiration. Few Reincarnation Realm cultivators dared to act in such a manner. Qing Yuzi was treating the Dongyan Ancient Clan as leeks, intending to harvest them!

"You're incredible!" Zhao Xing gave a thumbs-up.

"Since you've given me nine holy grails, I'll play this round with you." Zhao Xing looked at Qing Yuzi, a surge of boldness rising in his chest. "Isn't it just a game of 'Qing Yu Cards'? If you dare to wager your Reincarnation True Spirit and place the choice in my hands, what do I have to fear? At least you're in front now; the Dongyan Ancient Clan is confused by you. My risk is relatively smaller. Let's do this, brother! If you win, you'll advance further. If I win, I just want my life back. You can just repay me ten or eight favors whenever you like in the future." The universe was never short of audacious cultivators! Succeed and become a legend, advancing further; fail and it's fate! Qing Yuzi had already risked exposure to give him a hint; what did Zhao Xing have to fear? If a fellow Daoist invites with their life, I, too, do not fear life or death!

"At least now he's not a dead teammate, but a half-dead teammate." After dispelling the fear in his heart, Zhao Xing rested for a while and began making plans in his mind.

"First, I need to be clear: Old Qing and I have both similar and different goals." "He wants to steal the Reincarnation True Spirit, perhaps even advance the power of divine artifacts. I'm just an Origin Realm cultivator, and I merely want to live." "In this game, not losing is winning!"

"Now, I need to use the Time Page and the Reincarnation Ancient Sword to find another holy artifact and send Qing Yuzi into the Dongyan Ancient Clan's altar... This must be the Dongyan Ancient Clan's plan, and also why Qing Yuzi came from thousands of miles away: to reunite the existing holy artifact with the original one, or to fuse them." As for divine offerings, the more the merrier, naturally. Didn't the Dongyan Ancient Clan always want this ancient sword? "Then I'll return it to you! This old master is kind-hearted; I'll even throw in Qing Yuzi as a bonus gift package!" "Until the holy artifacts complete their fusion, Qing Yuzi and I should both be safe." "Up to the point of sending him into the altar, it doesn't matter whether Qing Yuzi is a Reincarnation Realm cultivator after resurrection or not." "If he is, that's certainly good; I'll gain a great favor from a Reincarnation Realm cultivator. If not, I never really expected him to save me anyway." "At this point, all I need to consider is survival."

"Now that the costs have been calculated, it's time to find external help," Zhao Xing mused. "I'm not trying to be a savior and protect the Yuanhai Ancient Kingdom, nor am I trying to destroy the Dongyan Ancient Clan's plan. I just want to survive, so I don't need such exaggerated external assistance." What kind of person could pull him out of this? Divine Realm cultivators certainly could, but the problem was he couldn't find them or persuade them. Reincarnation Realm combatants could also work; he could find them and potentially persuade them.

"I can only borrow from the future," Zhao Xing thought to himself. "I can find the Reincarnation Realm powerhouses from the Crimson Star Empire and Primordial Hills whom I knew in my previous life." Individual names appeared in his mind; these were publicly known Reincarnation Realm powerhouses, characters Zhao Xing was familiar with from his past life. "But these powerhouses aren't as easily swayed as Yun Tiandao was. I don't have much capital to mobilize them." It was impossible that those Reincarnation Realm cultivators, like Old Yun back then, had an Emperor Xia and his Dao companion imprisoned by a Dao Domain Realm cultivator from the Cangyue Demonic Kingdom, which could be used as bait. Now, Zhao Xing didn't know these people, and their cultivation realms were too far apart. Rashly trying to lure in a big shot would very likely be a dead end! Back then, Yun Tiandao was at the Dao-Establishing Realm, Ji Che was at the Dao-Establishing Realm, and he was at the Rule Realm. Even if he couldn't lure them, his life safety was guaranteed! But now it wouldn't work. The power gap was too immense. If a Reincarnation Realm cultivator became curious, wouldn't it be more appealing to simply capture him and torture him? Why would they listen to him? Therefore, when analyzing, Zhao Xing used the Thousand Illusions Tree as an analogy, fearing that he would jump from one fire pit into another.

Zhao Xing waved his hand, writing down professions: "Starfield Historian, Fate Master, Priest, Physician, Qi Sect, Sword Sect, Heavenly Farmer, Self-Farmer, Earth Farmer, Mech Warrior, Dao Soldier Flow, Forging Flow, Scholar..." Each profession name represented a Reincarnation Realm cultivator, specifically those Zhao Xing knew well and with whom he had previously cultivated very high favorability. While looking at these profession names, Zhao Xing also thought of 'reporting.' But he immediately extinguished that thought. Reporting to major powers like the Samsara Divine Palace or Origin Heaven Palace would definitely not work. If it were just a group of Dao Domain Realm cultivators trying to resurrect a Reincarnation Realm cultivator, Lord Zhao might still hold out hope for reporting. But if it was a group of Reincarnation Realm cultivators trying to resurrect a Divine Realm cultivator, it would be utterly impossible. The moment he initiated such an action, the Dongyan Ancient Clan's Elder Council would immediately know. Putting aside everything else, a Reincarnation Realm historian could simply wield their brush and write one line: "Zhao Xing suddenly died." Before he could even contact someone from the Samsara Divine Palace, he'd be dead.

'Seasoned Reincarnator'! Once his identity, entirely based on the Dongyan Ancient Clan's imagination, lost its deterrence, the Dongyan Ancient Clan would crush him, an Origin Realm cultivator, as easily as playing a game. Even if he contacted someone, for argument's sake, the Samsara Divine Palace had lost the Divine Evolution Stele, hadn't it? How did they lose it? There were internal problems! That's why there were internal investigations! Would he report, only to be dealt with himself before finding someone who could solve the problem? The Crimson Star Empire wouldn't be implicated with the Dongyan Ancient Clan, but they were far away and might not care. The Primordial Hills and Origin Heaven Palace operated on the same principle; their purpose wasn't to maintain cosmic balance.

"Therefore, the timing for me to summon people must be just right. Not too early, or I might be sacrificed. Not too late, or I'll be dead." "I must seize the perfect moment." Zhao Xing thought for a moment and grabbed the Time Page in his hand. He couldn't just promise things when facing Reincarnation Realm cultivators; he needed this item as leverage. Reincarnation Dao Soldiers could also serve as leverage, but the problem was he didn't have any.

"No Fate Masters. This profession can see the future, and if I summon people anonymously, I'm afraid Fate Masters would become suspicious." "No Priests either. After this incident, Priests are likely to be completely suppressed. Summoning them would tie me to their karma, and they'd become the bottom of the barrel in the next version. What would I need Priests for then...?" "Forgers among the Artificers can also be excluded; their combat power isn't high." "Dao Soldier stream? Array Master? That's good, they can teleport, making escape fast and effective. Include them!" "Qi Sect? Get one. How could I not want a top-tier workhorse?" "Farmers? The Egoist faction is out; their personalities are a bit strange. The Heavenly Time faction is too aloof. The Earth Advantage faction is more dependable..." Zhao Xing began deleting profession names one by one. The grand Xuanling History Book: Time Page, used for fishing, how could it only hook one person? He needed to gather at least a Reincarnation Team!

"The plan is tentatively established." Zhao Xing rubbed his temples: "The Dongyan Ancient Clan wants to use the Spirit Domain Dharma Assembly to feed their god. Well, grandpa will prepare some more heavy-duty dishes for you."

In the year 1483 of the Eocene era, after returning to the Tiger Head Star Continent, Zhao Xing remained in Wuling Marquis Mansion and did not go out. In the entire Marquis Mansion, he was accompanied only by Ji Si and a mechanical cat.

"Grand Minister of Agriculture, are we returning to the Yuanhai Ancient Kingdom?" Ji Si asked.

"Yes," Zhao Xing nodded. "The Spirit Domain Dharma Assembly is about to begin, and powerful cultivators will gather. Let's go join the fun; maybe, like Old Yun, we'll find a big shot to be our master." Although Zhao Xing's actions conflicted with those of the Great Zhou, Ji Si wouldn't ask why. He merely responded to Zhao Xing's words: "Although there will be many powerful cultivators, I'm afraid we won't be able to meet them." Although Zhao Xing held the title of Marquis of Wuling, he had only recently become a marquis. Aside from Du Yun, Cen Qionghua, and Le Yao... the aristocratic circles of the Yuanhai Ancient Kingdom had no idea who he was. Ji Si was even less noteworthy; he was currently just a 'citizen.'

"I may not have the qualifications, but someone does," Zhao Xing said. "Have you heard of Marquis Yuetan?"

"I have," Ji Si nodded. "Although he's a marquis, he has profound foundations. I heard their family is an elder-level family that holds 'founding shares'." Marquis Yuetan Lu Ting was also a Life-Death Dao Domain Realm cultivator. It was said that his family still had a living Reincarnation Realm ancestor. When the Yuanhai Kingdom's lord first established the kingdom, he gathered a group of friends to conquer territory, and the ancestor of Marquis Yuetan was one of them. The Lu family now only had one Marquis Yuetan, which was quite low-key, but many industries in the Yuanhai Ancient Kingdom were controlled by their family.

"I know the daughter of the current Marquis Yuetan; I was once her guest elder," Zhao Xing said. "Attending the Dharma Assembly to join the fun shouldn't be difficult."

Why not look for Du Yun? Mainly because Du Yun was too conspicuous. His identity from the Origin Heaven Palace was not only famous in the Yuanhai Ancient Kingdom but also held a certain reputation elsewhere. Zhao Xing also didn't want to get involved with the Purple God Mansion again, lest he be noticed by the Samsara Divine Palace's enforcers.

"I received a favor from her before, so this time I'll take some gifts to visit. Go help me prepare them."

"I see, I'll go do it now," Ji Si suddenly understood. Little did he know that the 'gift' Zhao Xing was bringing was so enormous.

Seeing Ji Si go to prepare, Zhao Xing continued to look at the map of the Yuanhai Ancient Kingdom alone. Ji Si had 5 billion Crimson Star coins, which Yun Tiandao had left for him. Since Ji Si was there, he naturally didn't have to do the miscellaneous tasks himself.

"Yun Tiandao has become a disciple of Duke Ruohai. Old Yun is doing quite well now; he's a military man, far stronger than a marquis like me who rose by grave-digging." "If there's somewhere I need to go, I can also look for him." Could Yun Tiandao save him? Zhao Xing wasn't sure, but he tried to keep people close. If he was saved, it meant those around him would also be saved.

"Duke Ruohai will also emerge from seclusion when the Dharma Assembly begins and accept Yun Tiandao as his formal disciple. If I bring Old Yun close, it will mean that at some point, Duke Ruohai's attention will be drawn to me, adding another Reincarnation Realm combatant to my side," Zhao Xing thought to himself. Regardless of what this person would do, before death arrived, any person knew to save themselves! Reincarnation Realm grandmasters were like ambulances; as long as he had many ambulances nearby, he could get into any one of them. As for whether it would incur dissatisfaction from the big shots... that was certain. With so many powerful cultivators gathering around Zhao Xing, anyone would notice something was amiss. But by the time they realized everything, there would be no time to think of anything else. They were all going to die anyway; who cared who called the ambulance? Just run first.

"Can King Tianji be utilized?" Zhao Xing pondered. King Tianji was also very famous, and he had worked under him before. Could he find a way to mobilize him? "Forget it. I only know Lei Yunde under his command. King Tianji probably doesn't even remember me. It's too late to build a relationship now." Zhao Xing temporarily dismissed this idea. Unless a good opportunity arose, he didn't want to create any more complications. After all, he was currently walking a tightrope; one wrong gust of wind could kill him.

"Ji Si, I have some things for you to do. After you finish buying the gifts, prepare several Time Letters for me..." Zhao Xing transmitted his voice.

"Understood," Ji Si nodded.

After arranging things with Ji Si, Zhao Xing took out a portrait and lit it. *Puff*

The portrait depicted a man embroidered in ancient ceremonial robes adorned with insect and beast totems, a jade emperor's crown on his head, his expression domineering, like an emperor. "Something wrong?" The portrait in the flames seemed to come alive, speaking human words.

"White Ram, I'd like to use Starfire's information channels to send some things," Zhao Xing explained his purpose.

"To where?"

"Domestically. How much money will be enough?" White Ram didn't react immediately, only realizing later that Zhao Xing's "domestically" referred to 'Crimson Star.'

"It depends on what you're sending, to whom, and the delivery method," White Ram said. "If you're just sending some local specialties to people in Great Zhou, don't mention money. I'll have Chen Xuan deliver them; he's heading back home soon."

"Alright," Zhao Xing nodded. Contacting Starfire had no other meaning than to strengthen connections and make them 'ambulances'. If he survived, he still intended to go to the Crimson Star Empire, and only super-powers had the ability to intervene immediately.

"Why are you transferring money to me? Didn't we agree it was free?" White Ram was puzzled by the extra thirty million Crimson Star coins in his account.

"It's my private matter, after all," Zhao Xing chuckled. "It's normal for me to donate some funds."

"You..." White Ram chuckled and ultimately accepted. With a few hundred years left, Zhao Xing's priority now was to solidify his relationship with Starfire, especially since Jing Yan had left. The Starfire connection couldn't rely solely on past goodwill. It was crucial for him, as an 'informant,' to occasionally make his presence felt within the organization. Furthermore, this was also a way to save Starfire itself. If something happened, Starfire's superiors would definitely demand answers. With this level of favorability, he could bypass a lot of convoluted procedures and verification issues.

"Brother Du, I've come to bid farewell." Zhao Xing arrived at Huangsha Mansion to see Du Yun. The principle was the same as with Starfire: Zhao Xing also needed to maintain his favorability with Du Yun, and even find a way to involve the Origin Heaven Palace slightly.

"Are you going to the Crimson Star Empire?" Du Yun asked.

"No," Zhao Xing shook his head. "I plan to return to the Yuanhai Ancient Kingdom to join the Dharma Assembly."

"Oh," Du Yun nodded.

"Besides that, I have another matter to trouble you with, Brother Du."

"Tell me."

"Last time, Brother Du introduced the Origin Heaven Palace's artificer, 'Zhan Ze.' I wonder if he typically takes external commissions for artifact refining?"

"What do you want to refine?" Du Yun asked.

"Materials for refining a Giant Sun Avatar, and a few other minor requests," Zhao Xing said. "If your senior brother is willing to send an avatar over, the price for five hundred years would be about 5 billion Crimson Star coins." "If not, then consider it unsaid."

"5 billion? Hahaha, you've overestimated the current market," Du Yun laughed heartily. "If my senior brother's true body were to mobilize, it would certainly be very expensive. But if it's just an artifact-refining avatar mobilizing, earning 5 billion Crimson Star coins in five hundred years—he wouldn't be able to find such a good deal anywhere else!" Members of the Origin Heaven Palace also needed to make a living. Zhan Ze was at the Yin-Yang Dao Domain Realm, and his avatar would at most be at the Five Elements Dao Domain Realm. Earning 5 billion Crimson Star coins in five hundred years at the Five Elements Dao Domain Realm? That was a huge order!

"In my opinion, you don't need that much at all. Two or three billion would be about right," Du Yun said. He actively helped haggle the price down. After all, he couldn't treat Zhao Xing as a fool. A Yin-Yang level magic talisman cost 1 billion at most, so hiring a Five Elements level avatar for five hundred years certainly wouldn't need 5 billion.

"Thank you, Brother Du," Zhao Xing cupped his hands. Another ambulance! He couldn't have Du Yun follow him, but he could establish a clear connection with the Origin Heaven Palace near him. In this kind of high-stakes game, an avatar and the true body are equally effective! When Zhan Ze's avatar arrived, if he didn't want to die, he'd have to frantically call for rescue. His call for rescue wouldn't just save himself; it would also save Du Yun. As for whether Zhan Ze would resent him? First, given Zhan Ze's cultivation realm, he wouldn't even be qualified to know everything afterward. With all related history erased, who would remember this? Even if he knew, it wouldn't be his place to harbor resentment. With so many Reincarnation Realm cultivators mobilized by Zhao Xing, little Zhan Ze wouldn't even register!

"Then I shall take my leave." Zhao Xing cupped his hands.

By the year 1486 of the Eocene era, Zhao Xing still hadn't returned to the territory of the Yuanhai Ancient Kingdom. At this time, another small incident suddenly occurred: Qing Yuzi's junior brother, Zhaoyuan Zi, actually sent a notification that someone had come to Qingyu Star to find him. Upon asking, he found out it was Naland and Nalanda, the uncle and nephew he had met at Starfall Pass in the Great Ye Dynasty, who had come looking for him with the token Zhao Xing had given them.

"Interesting," Zhao Xing couldn't help but click his tongue when he saw this message. "Karma from a thousand years ago is coming knocking now." What seemed like a small matter—just a past promise—was precisely how karma from individual small events could accumulate into major karma! "Seeing the big picture from the small, an invisible force is preventing me from leaving the Yuanhai Ancient Kingdom. I wonder what else will happen." Zhao Xing didn't go back to meet them at all; he simply gave a sum of money to send Naland and Nalanda away, settling the karma.

Then in 1488, Le Yao and Cen Qionghua suddenly offended a Great Divine Ability Realm cultivator, and this news reached him through Yu Tianqing. "Zhao Xing, Le Yao and Huazi have been detained." "When did this happen? I heard they've been imprisoned for ten years, and I'm only finding out now."

"I know," Zhao Xing nodded. "Don't worry about this matter."

"Okay."

Ending the communication, Zhao Xing's eyes couldn't help but turn slightly cold. Another matter was demanding his attention, and these events were occurring too frequently! "If I didn't have the Thousand Illusions Tree now, and didn't know Du Yun or Lu Yuehan, and didn't have so much money, any random event would drain most of my energy to deal with it in the Yuanhai Ancient Kingdom." "However, now I just need to spend a little money. I still cannot enter the Yuanhai Ancient Kingdom's territory." Zhao Xing was exceptionally cold-hearted, not considering whether things would further deteriorate. Even if Yun Tiandao immediately reported a life-or-death crisis, he wouldn't plan to save him. Because he was now the chess player, not a chess piece; he had to follow his own steps. If he lived, anything was possible, and there would be opportunities to salvage everything. If he died, everything would be empty, and he wouldn't be able to save anything!

"Kill, kill, kill! No one shall disturb my will!" In the underground space, blood-red blades appeared in Zhao Xing's eyes, the Time Page floated above his head, and Qing Yuzi stood to his left, clutching the ancient sword. Qing Yuzi's Yin energy intensified. Zhao Xing sharply turned his head and bellowed, "Old Qing, don't rush me either! I know what I'm doing!"

Qing Yuzi: "..."

"Greed arising from unceasing dharmas is called wholesome desire." "Within the mental factor of desire, there are wholesome desires and unwholesome desires." "Greed for worldly dharmas is a cause and condition for transmigration, and also for degradation; the Reincarnation True Spirit will be weakened by it." "The second kind is the righteous dharma I propagate, which is wholesome desire, capable of avoiding the calamities of transmigration."

Inside a sun star in the Eris Star System of the Crimson Star Empire, a colossal giant stood naked, radiating golden light. His name was Mont Wu, a Reincarnation Realm cultivator of the Crimson Star Empire and warden of the Imperial Heavy Prison. On his right hand was an ancient black ring with star patterns. This ring was the renowned Erliangpo, said to be capable of imprisoning even Reincarnation Realm cultivators! At this moment, Mont Wu's consciousness entered the ring, and he was in an elegant room, listening to a bald man speak. The bald man was named Wu Tian, only at the Dao Domain Realm, yet Mont Wu, a Reincarnation Realm cultivator, was listening to Wu Tian preach, which was highly unusual.

"Wu Tian, I see your ability to mislead people is rather ordinary," Mont Wu chuckled lightly. "I don't think what you're saying is correct, and I have no intention of releasing you."

The handsome bald man smiled slightly, "Brother Mont, do you still remember how you were when you first met me? You sneered, completely dismissive."

"Yet now you can sit and chat with me for hundreds of years."

Mont Wu said blandly, "I'm just bored, that's all."

"From nothing comes something; if it happens once, it will happen again," Wu Tian smiled.

Mont Wu didn't refute him, instead turning to another matter: "Can you still suppress the demonic creature within you? If you can't, you should say so early; I don't want you to die by my hand."

"It's just a minor matter."

"I have a guest, so let's end our conversation here for now." Mont Wu stood up, his consciousness returning to his body, and his main body on the sun star opened its eyes. Outside the star, another Dao Domain Realm martial artist appeared; it was Mont Wu's great-grandson, Meng Ye.

"Great-grandfather, I've encountered something strange recently," Meng Ye said. "Someone threw a letter into my mansion, saying they had a message for you, Great-grandfather." Mont Wu listened quietly. "I investigated, but I couldn't find out who did it. It's only suspected that someone from the Shadow Sanctuary delivered it."

"What did the letter say?" Mont Wu asked casually.

"I couldn't understand it," Meng Ye shook his head. "But I was afraid it might spoil your important matters, Great-grandfather, so I came to deliver the letter."

"Bring it here."

"Yes." Mont Wu took it and glanced at it, then a flicker of surprise appeared in his eyes. The letter contained a series of patterns and codes, and it ignited upon being opened.

"Hmm? 'Bonefire Script'?" "Didn't the Tinder Minor World already collapse twenty epochs ago?" In one of his lives, he had reincarnated in the Tinder Minor World, and it was there that his golden body underwent another transformation. "Only I know about that place. How could it be related to the Shadow Sanctuary?" Mont Wu recalled memories, a trace of doubt also accompanying them. Nevertheless, he instinctively began to trace the patterns on it and move various symbols. A moment later, the patterns became orderly, and then a flame reflected in Mont Wu's eyes. Within the raging flames, there was an ancient greatsword, its patterns coalescing into the form of a Void Ancestor's golden body.

"Hmm? Could this be..." Mont Wu frowned. But before he could examine it closely, the greatsword vanished, and then the flames formed a line of text:

Old friend, if you wish to obtain the Void Ancestor's relic, please come to the Yuanhai Ancient Kingdom to meet me — Emperor Tianning

"Old friend? Emperor Tianning?" Mont Wu was startled. "Do I have a friend reincarnated in the Yuanhai Ancient Kingdom? Why don't I know about this?" Mont Wu fell into deep thought.

Primordial Hills, Hongshan Continent. The Hongshan Continent had a radius of only five kilometers, yet its terrestrial vein hierarchy was incredibly powerful, causing everything within 30 star sectors to be absent, as it would absorb everything, even light. On this smooth and flat continent sat a white-haired old man dressed in an earthy yellow dharma robe.

"Emperor Hongshan, Emperor Hongshan!" The ground suddenly cracked open in a square, revealing a line of small characters. The script seemed difficult to preserve. Emperor Hongshan lightly flicked his finger, and the small patch of ground stabilized, the writing gradually becoming clear. After reading the characters left on it, Emperor Hongshan frowned. "Who is summoning me in this manner? I distinctly remember not having given my Earth Communication Secret Art to a seventeenth person."

The 'Earth Communication Secret Art' was a method of transmitting messages through terrestrial veins. It was a spell of the Earth Advantage Farmer faction, not a rare one. Throughout the universe, there were star continents and realm stars everywhere. By moving seven realm stars or seven star continents and adjusting seven terrestrial veins, ultra-long-distance communication could be achieved. The frequencies of terrestrial vein fluctuations had countless combinations. Emperor Hongshan's private Earth Communication Secret Seal had never been given to a seventeenth person. With Emperor Hongshan's ability to control terrestrial veins, he could receive information from more than half of the Xuanling Starfield and half of the ancient kingdoms. If his private Earth Communication Secret Seal were known, his mind would be disturbed by countless messages every day! Normally, Emperor Hongshan also closed most information reception channels, keeping only a few more private ones open. Unexpectedly, today he received a communication from a stranger, and it used a very private method of his.

"Who leaked it? It shouldn't be possible. Those old fellows wouldn't play such a trick on me..." "The message was sent thirty-nine years ago, originating from the Yuanhai Ancient Kingdom? Hmm, it must have come from a certain orbital continent." Emperor Hongshan thought for a moment and began contacting the fourteen other individuals who knew his private Earth Communication Secret Seal for confirmation. The other two were in reincarnation. The final answer from the fourteen was that they had not contacted him.

"Could this Emperor Tianning be those two friends of mine? No, why would he use the alias Emperor Tianning?" "Is he afraid of being found by enemies?" Pondering deeply, Emperor Hongshan couldn't make sense of it.

"Never mind. The Yuanhai Ancient Kingdom is holding a Dharma Assembly. I've been in seclusion for so long, so I might as well go join the fun and see who this Emperor Tianning really is."