“Don’t move!” said Wen Fei. 

But it was too late. 

There was a certain danger in sending your consciousness out where your senses couldn’t reach. You would be in for it if you were caught by a malicious master. Half-immortals and established foundations would often have misgivings. But for an ascended spirit, all the mortal world’s continents and seas were theirs to stroll through at will. There weren’t so many “malicious masters” out there. 

Except in a situation like the South Sea’s chaotic battle, where he had known very well that Xuanwu and Lingyun’s Cauldron of Nine Dragons were nearby, Xi Ping never had any misgivings. In eight years, he had gotten used to running rampant through the human world. This instance could serve as a lesson to him. 

In the dark, his extended consciousness was like a frail kite. It enraged the Territory Map. A savage gale that seemed to come from the wild past came out of nowhere to attack him. Xi Ping was caught off guard. The out-flung thread of his consciousness was pulverized. 

His vision darkened; even his gaze lost focus. He folded like an empty shell. 

Next to him, Pang Jian had just woken up after taking the elixir. He was still confused. His reactions were a little slower than normal. He only caught Xi Ping by the hair. 

Wen Fei’s scalp tightened. He looked away, simply unable to stand the sight. 

Fortunately, before he was sucked into the Territory Map, Xi Ping had gone a round against the Heartless Lotus; his consciousness had been so badly shredded by that baldy that it had gone numb. He recovered in time, before General Commander Pang’s talons could pluck him a bald spot. His consciousness, spread throughout the surrounding reincarnation wood trees, speedily returned to hold up his body. He narrowly managed to plant his heels in the ground. Inclining in the direction of Pang Jian’s tug, he turned a half circle like an awl and fell to one knee with a thump. 

Wen Fei, afraid that others would be as rash as him, impatiently opened his mouth to give a warning: “D-don’t l-let out your con-consciousness here!” 

Xi Ping’s temples felt as though someone had crashed a pair of bronze cymbals on them. The veins on his forehead stood out. He felt that his brains had turned spindle-shaped. The blow from the Territory Map was comparable to the Heartless Lotus shredding his consciousness. 

But for the moment, he had no attention to spare for anything else—in order to handle Zhuoming, his consciousness had been hidden all over the place. There was still a portion in the reincarnation wood trees in the outside world; and just now, he had discovered that he could still contact those portions of his consciousness. It was only that something divided the worlds inside and outside the Territory Map. The responses lagged heavily, and his consciousness couldn’t enter and leave freely; he also couldn’t swap his body with the reincarnation wood trees outside. 

But it was still enough. 

Ning’an Province’s outlying counties had reincarnation wood. Enduring a splitting headache, Xi Ping sent his thread of consciousness on the outside through countless reincarnation wood trees and ended up at the place where Ning’an’s vein of the earth had cracked. 

NIng’an was too close to Jinping. The local Heaven’s Design Pavilion branch was basically Jinping’s rearguard. If anything happened, they would immediately be transferred to the capital. Ning’an had currently become a blind spot. 

There was a waterway running through the little town. The residences were all clustered along the banks. Under the riverbed, a black shadow was seeping out of the vein of the earth, which was cracking bit by bit, greedily spreading through the river within the town. The land of both banks was like melting wax, softening and being absorbed by the black dragon shadow. 

Like a miser seeing a bank note fall into the fire and finding no tools to hand, Xi Ping’s first reaction was to reach out his hand to scoop. 

Outside the Territory Map, the reincarnation wood trees growing along the riverbanks all fell towards the crack. Perhaps because he was inside the Territory Map himself, just like when he had obtained the Territory Map rubbing, Xi Ping could use the reincarnation wood trees on the outside to touch the Territory Map. 

The reincarnation wood trees’ suddenly growing branches rapidly sketched a stream of talismans and stopped the constantly falling people and things. 

At the same time, while his essence had yet to be emptied, Xi Ping made the reincarnation wood trees in the corresponding place inside the Territory Map grow wildly, connecting to the ones outside that had lain down and been caught in the hole in the vein of the earth. The reincarnation wood trees inside and outside of the Territory Map swiftly interwove, weaving a big, tangled and complicated net with an array plaited into it—he had picked it up while the walkers in the mortal world were repairing the Dragon Vein. 

The Territory Map, which had pulverized his consciousness earlier, erupted into fury. The force of collapsing mountains and overturning seas crashed against the thicket. Xi Ping felt that his brains were about to spurt out of his ears. His consciousness shouted to the dumbstruck mortals, “Move it!” 

Gritting his teeth, he forced the tree branches down, blocking the hole. Whether the array had been drawn correctly or not, he had no energy left to fix it. He could only plaster it inside and out several times over, making a hideous “patch” over the vein of the earth. 

Xi Ping’s eyes hurt as though they had been stabbed. Blood dyed the hair at his temples. Bai Ling held him up. 

The hole in Ning’an’s vein of the earth was only a small crack, covering less than one li, but Xi Ping’s essence, which had emptied out nearly half the Kaiming Department’s reserves of spiritual stones, was once again in a critical state—with an ascended spirit’s essence, it was possible to guard one’s spiritual eyes while using spiritual energy and keep the contaminated spiritual energy inside the Territory Map from entering one’s body. But once the essence was used up…

Bai Ling quickly pulled out a handful of spiritual stones, but the moment the spiritual stones left his mustard seed, they turned to dust—the spiritual energy in a spiritual stone would disperse throughout the surroundings. This Territory Map was a bottomless whirlpool, greedily swallowing spiritual energy from the outside world. 

“Spiritual stones are n-n-no good.” Wen Fei quickly took a handful of objects, each the size of a walnut and with a glossy surface, from his mustard seed. It wasn’t clear whether they were metal or stone. He stuffed them into Xi Ping’s hand. “Take for yourself!” 

Xi Ping’s senses had nearly gone out of commission from the Territory Map’s attack. He didn’t take a close look at what the things were. He only felt that each “walnut” contained about as much spiritual energy as an established foundation’s essence. He instinctively probed them with his consciousness and drained the “clean” spiritual energy inside. 

Though for an ascended spirit, this bit of spiritual energy was like putting out a fire with a cup of water, at least it let him catch his breath and protect his spiritual eyes. 

The drained “walnuts” fell to the ground, becoming an inauspicious slate grey. Next to him, Pang Jian was stunned. “Are those…silk dragon hearts?” 

The silk dragon heart was the most valuable material that went into the established foundation pill. Probably the only person on earth who could fish up a handful at a time was the master of Rosy Cloud Peak. This thing could repeatedly absorb the surrounding spiritual energy and store it long term. It was like a portable cultivator’s essence. 

Many years ago, Pang Jian had gone south to the Land of Turmoil with a young man who understood nothing. The two of them had been as bad as each other, their minds filling with evil designs at the sight of riches. They had plotted to go to the spiritual beast pasture in Southern Shu’s encampment to poach a silk dragon. 

That young master who had grown up in the lap of luxury had said he didn’t want the heart; he only wanted a bit of the silk dragon’s horn…because a silk dragon horn could treat dim sight disease. He had been viciously ridiculed by Pang Jian. 

Later, during the events of the East Sea, he and his things had disappeared together amid the vast waters. That segment of rather hard-won silk dragon horn had fallen into the Resurrection Vortex as well; no one had wanted it anymore. 

Now, this was all like something from a past life. 

Pang Jian automatically stepped forward to pick up the silk dragon hearts and was blocked by a wave of Wen Fei’s sleeve. 

“Don’t.” Very determined to save face, Wen Fei kept his voice very slow, doing his best to only say each syllable once. “When the silk dragon…heart is empty, it…sucks in nearby spiritual energy, it’s…hss…already…contaminated.” 

Having said this, with a grave look, he turned to Xi Ping, “Xi Shiyong, can’t…can’t you be more like your shi…shifu? D-do you think y-you’re the Southern Sage?” 

“I’m not,” Xi Ping mumbled almost inaudibly. “Thank you… I’m not—and neither are Lin Zongyi or Her Highness Princess Duanrui.” 

All the walkers in the mortal world, hearing him actually refer to the Dignitary of Rule High Elder by name, collectively drew in a breath. 

“Stop hissing, if calling his name could summon him, I’d sit here yelling ‘Lin Zongyi’ ten thousand times, yell it until he wanted to change his name.” Xi Ping tilted his head to wipe the blood from his ears and heretically said, “Let me give you all some news that may or may not be good. The Dignitary of Rule and the Dignitary of Rites have both reached Jinping.” 

When he had been repairing the vein of the earth, though he knew perfectly well that he shouldn’t waste his strength, he had still been unable to restrain himself from looking towards Jinping—his consciousness had lingered for a moment in the flowerpot at the Marquis Manor. 

A number of houses and courtyard walls in Dangui Lane had collapsed; everything was in disarray. A group of half-immortals, along with Xi Yue, were collecting someone’s corpse. But the Marquis was still sitting safe and sound at the gate. Xi Ping felt his father’s warm palm on the reincarnation wood tree and halfway relaxed; he meant to leave, but he heard that his dad seemed to be…talking to san-ge. 

From the point of view of the reincarnation wood, he couldn’t see Zhou Ying. In the confusion, Xi Ping’s mind was shaken. He instinctively followed the Marquis’s gaze towards the sky. But that look didn’t find Zhou Ying. Instead, through the chaos before those mortal eyes, he had seen Lin Zongyi and Duanrui in desperate straits. 

The elders had come in time. Didn’t that mean Jinping was secure and someone would take care of the Territory Map? 

Before the others could feel pleased, they saw that the expression on Xi Ping’s pale face wasn’t right. 

“Viscount, what’s wrong?” said Bai Ling. 

Xi Ping, leaning on Bai Ling, straightened up with difficulty. “I think that good-for-nothing Lin Zongyi…” 

Pang Jian was shocked. “Xi Shiyong!” 

Wen Fei seemed to have gotten stuck: “B-b-be c-c-care…” 

“…doesn’t seem to be a match for the Territory Map,” Xi Ping finished. 

Everyone instantly went silent. 

It was well known that the Dignitary of Fate High Elder controlled the Sea of Stars, the Dignitary of Rites took care of the daily tasks of the thirty-six peaks, and the Dignitary of Rule, apart from being taciturn, had once been the Southern Sage’s head disciple—and was now the foremost among Xuanyin’s shed skins. 

In the current age, apart from Sanyue’s Xiang Rong and Kunlun’s Sect Leader, who was supreme in the way of the sword, there were few people to rival him. 

If even Lin Zongyi couldn’t take care of the Territory Map…

Xi Ping looked up at Wen Fei. “Wen-shishu, Princess Duanrui isn’t a shed skin yet. If we can’t rely on Lin Zongyi, what else can we do?” 

Wen Fei automatically glanced towards the center of Xi Ping’s brow, then quickly averted his gaze. With a bitter smile, he said, “The Territory Map’s seal is broken. Any rub-rubbing is…useless. What—what else can we do?” 

Xi Ping immediately understood what he had left unsaid—if Lin Zongyi couldn’t do it, then Xuanyin’s only hope for taking care of the Territory Map had to fall on Zhi Xiu. 

The moment the Silver Moon had swept through Jinping City and the Territory Map’s seal had broken, the heavenly might oppressing Zhi Xiu had abruptly lightened. 

Xuanyin’s thirty-six peaks were shaking. The wrathful “heavenly might” had begun to focus all its strength outward, seeming to weaken moment by moment. Not long after, it had had no more attention to spare for him. It disappeared entirely. 

Zhi Xiu went to his knees, leaning on Zhaoting. The cold sweat on his back had frozen long ago. He was like an ice sculpture. Ringing echoed in his ears. For a time, he could hear nothing. 

Echoing repeatedly was Xi Ping’s cry coming across the vast distance: “I’m begging you.” 

The Dignitary of Fate High Elder was outside Flying Jade Peak. Zhi Xiu’s consciousness was being pushed and pulled repeatedly. He was exhausted. 

The heavenly might that had wished to force him to bend his head had dispersed, but Zhi Xiu knew that this was no good omen. It was likely that the spiritual mountains were too busy to deal with him. 

In a rare occurrence, Zhi Xiu took out a pill—sword cultivators didn’t like to borrow external force. Though all the medicine Wen Fei had made for him was of the gentle strengthening and healing type and didn’t even count as “external force,” he had always thought that injury and illness were a part of cultivating the way of the sword. 

But now he no longer cared about “cultivating.” Rosy Cloud Peak’s elixirs were the best on earth. As soon as the pill slid down his throat, Zh Xiu’s mind cleared. His meridians, which had nearly tied themselves into knots, immediately smoothed out. He caught his breath and split off a sliver of his consciousness to go to the shard of Zhaoting. 

But he couldn’t make contact—he could clearly feel that the shard of Zhaoting was still there, but something seemed to be obstructing his consciousness. 

Zhi Xiu’s pupils contracted slightly: what had happened? 

Then he heard the Dignitary of Fate Elder’s voice come to him on the wind and snow. “Jingzhai, the Territory Map’s seal has broken, the Dignitary of Rule cannot handle it. He just sent word. I can no longer stay here with you.” 

The Territory Map’s seal was broken…

A cloud flitted by, driven by a wild wind. The shadow of the lofty mountain moved rapidly, covering the Dignitary of Fate High Elder entirely. 

“But I fear that there is no help for it. Only the consciousness of a full moon sage could suppress it.” Zhang Jue sighed softly and closed his eyes. When he spoke, it was unclear whose voice came from him: “In Jinping City, nearly all the established foundation disciples have been sucked into the Territory Map… I do not know how long we can hold fast. If the Territory Map escapes, the thirty-six peaks will collapse. I am afraid…that I ought to bid you farewell.” 

Having said this, Zhang Jue’s figure flashed, and he flitted towards Jinping…practically somewhat flurried. 

Zhi Xiu’s gaze fell on the struggling birch sapling. In this brief span of time, the little sapling that had been repeatedly broken had once again put forth new shoots, just like grass after a brush fire. Beneath the flourishing life force that had been repeatedly honed, a spiritual light closely connected to yet also repelled by the Xuanyin Mountains glimmered on the branches and leaves, unwilling to submit. 

Zhi Xiu touched a leaf with his consciousness. The spiritual light on the leaf echoed his consciousness. He sighed. 

Zhaoting’s light flashed as it finally sliced towards that small sapling. 

Just then, a wooden amulet passed through the mountain seal, meeting no resistance, just in time to shield the sapling from Zhaoting’s blow. The amulet, sliced in half, gave a miserable wail, nearly shaking the accumulated snow off the sword platform. “Lin—Chi! Did I dig up your fucking ancestral graves?!” 

Zhi Xiu: “…” 

There was only one person apart from the master of Flying Jade Peak who could be allowed in by the mountain seal. 

“What kind of way is that to talk, fiend?” Zhi Xiu raised a hand to summon the reincarnation wood Zhaoting had sliced apart into his palm. His scarred hands were still shaking. “Where are you?” 

“Inside that big worm’s…that damn Territory Map’s belly. There’s not much of my consciousness left outside, if you break it I won’t be able to contact you. Take it easy, shifu.” 

As he’d thought—Zhi Xiu’s hand tightened. 

But then he heard this unruly disciple, as if he were stupid and had no idea what kind of deathtrap he’d wound up in, give three rather light-hearted laughs. “You know, it brought this on itself, daring to swallow me. This little master’s going to make sure all its guts run today.” 

“Who are you calling yourself a master in front of? I’ve really spoiled you. Your manners get worse and worse,” Zhi Xiu interrupted him in exasperation. “Shiyong, listen to me…” 

“La-la-la, I’m not listening. Heh, why don’t you work on that big worm instead, tell it to have a nice long chat with the Latent Cultivation Temple, the north slope, the Sanyue Mountains, and the Lingyun Mountains.” 

“…Impertinent,” said Zhi Xiu. 

“Shifu,” Xi Ping said, suddenly becoming serious, “do you know about how, years ago, my old dad wanted to rebel and run away to Northern Li on account of my aunt and unborn san-ge?” 

The Zhou family’s demon-raising plot had come to nothing. For Zhi Xiu, belonging to the lineage of the Dignitary of Fate, the schemes of the mortals connected to it were apparent at a glance. All he’d had to do was take one look at the Sea of Stars. 

“Yes.” 

“My dad regrets up to this day that he didn’t persist back then. He’s always thought that even if san-ge died in the womb, he would still have been better off than he has been living this life. If he’d succeeded back then, everything would be different now,” Xi Ping said. “I used to think that the old fellow was right, but lately I’ve suddenly had some different thoughts about it…” 

Far underground, Xi Ping, sealed into the Territory Map, as he talked to Zhi Xiu, was using his drop of consciousness on the outside to send all the people he knew in circles. 

First he needed spiritual energy. It was the same for Xi Ping and Wen Fei—an ascended spirit’s essence couldn’t be restored with a few silk dragon hearts. If there was another small crack in the veins of the earth anywhere and they had no spiritual energy to restore themselves with, never mind the established foundations, even the two of them would be drained dry. 

If a spiritual stone was taken out here, its spiritual energy would immediately be snatched away by the Territory Map. The only thing they could use was the silk dragon heart, like a cultivator’s “portable essence.” 

Xi Ping had quickly contacted Lin Chi through the reincarnation wood. When he had asked him to deliver the reincarnation wood amulet to Flying Jade Peak, he had also taken the opportunity to loot next-door Rosy Cloud Peak, turning up all the silk dragon hearts stuffed full of spiritual energy that the master of Rosy Cloud Peak had stored up. Lin Chi’s consciousness, carrying a large quantity of silk dragon hearts, was brought into the Law Breaker’s space by Xi Ping—Xi Ping had tried it out; the Law Breaker could actually penetrate the Territory Map. 

When the first silk dragon heart lit up the Territory Map, a crowd of veteran walkers in the mortal world nearly burst into tears of joy. 

In Tao County, in the Land of Turmoil, in the South Sea Hidden Realm…even in the Sanyue Mountains, everyone who held a reincarnation wood amulet heard Tai Sui’s voice. 

“Everyone,” said Tai Sui, “this time, I need you to give me a hand.” 

Xi Ping raised the tinderbox in his hand, sending the manmade flame far out into the Territory Map. He said to Zhi Xiu, “…If my san-ge hadn’t happened to pry open the Impassable Sea, the Zhou family’s demon-raising plot might have succeeded by now, and Great Wan would have been destroyed fourteen years ago. I don’t suppose that demon would have paid any attention to national boundaries or ethnicities, and he wouldn’t have needed any papers to cross a border. The world would have collapsed into its state before the Great War of Gods and Demons. 

“Isn’t the current situation much better than a life and death struggle like that?

“Shifu, don’t you think that the hidden bones coming to me was actually because heaven couldn’t stand to see all life extinguished and was leaving a gleam of hope for survival?” Xi Ping said softly. “What do stars know of destiny? They can’t even explain Detailed Account of Meridians.”