196: Chapter 196 News Leaked: The Heavenly River Sword Sect Has a Great Opportunity

Central Province, Zifu Holy Land.

This was a celestial palace floating above the Nine Heavens, adorned with thousands of auspicious auras and tens of thousands of rainbows. In the past, it was one of the most solemn and majestic centers of power in the entire Cultivation World.

But today, the Deacon Elder in charge of guarding the "Soul Hall" was facing the greatest crisis of his career.

He knelt tremblingly before the Zifu Holy Lord, his forehead pressed against the cold jade floor, cold sweat pooling into a small puddle.

"Ho... Holy Lord..."

The Elder's voice carried a sob.

"The Soul Lamps of the Saint and Saintess... have undergone a strange change."

Upon the high throne, the Zifu Holy Lord, Ji Wudao, abruptly opened his eyes, two beams of Purple Zenith Divine Light instantly piercing through the Void Realm.

"Extinguished?"

His voice was calm, yet it contained a thunderous rage on the verge of erupting.

Xiao Tianjiao was the Qilin Child of this generation, and Ji Qingyue possessed the rare "Immaculate Immortal Body." If these two fell in that remote little Sect, he, Ji Wudao, would surely make the entire Eastern Wasteland be buried with them.

"No... not extinguished..."

The Elder swallowed hard, his expression becoming extremely bizarre, as if he had seen a ghost.

"But... they've gone mad."

"Mad?"

Ji Wudao's brow furrowed. With a flash of his body, he instantly appeared before the Soul Lamp stand.

He saw the purple-gold Soul Lamp representing Xiao Tianjiao; at this moment, the flame was not burning steadily as usual.

That wisp of flame was... twitching.

One moment it stretched into a perfectly straight line, the next it shrank into a singularity, and then it dispersed into a blurry cloud (a probability cloud).

Moreover, the flame was flickering rhythmically. If an expert were present, they would find that the flickering frequency perfectly matched a sine wave.

"This is..."

Ji Wudao was stunned.

He had lived for three thousand years and had never seen such a Soul Lamp state.

"Is this flame... dancing?"

He looked at Ji Qingyue's Soul Lamp next to it.

It was even more outrageous.

The originally pure purple flame had actually turned into a weird pink color.

Furthermore, bubbles popped out from the flame from time to time, making "gurgle gurgle" sounds and emitting a... sweet and sour scent similar to fermentation (the smell of hyaluronic acid fermentation).

"And Elder Zhao Wuji's Soul Lamp..."

The Deacon Elder pointed to the flickering lamp in the corner.

Zhao Wuji's flame was extremely weak and pressed very flat, as if crushed into the dirt by some heavy object, exuding a sense of suffocating despair as if he had lost all will to live.

"What on earth is going on?"

Ji Wudao's Face was grim.

"Didn't they go to subdue the Heavenly River Sword Sect? Could they have encountered an expert's battle? Fallen under some evil sorcery?"

Just then, a secret guard in charge of intelligence appeared like a phantom.

"Reporting to the Holy Lord! News has arrived from the Heavenly River Sword Sect."

"According to reports from our scouts in the Eastern Wasteland, three days ago, the Saint descended upon Tianhe driving the Nine Dragon Chariot, and a brief conflict subsequently broke out."

"And then..."

"Then what?"

"Then... the Saint and Saintess never came out again."

The secret guard lowered his head, his voice somewhat hesitant.

"However, according to observations by nearby Loose Cultivators, no large-scale slaughter broke out inside the Heavenly River Sword Sect. Instead... whenever the night is deep and quiet, the Saint's shrill screams can be heard, shouting mad things like 'wave function' and 'I won't do the problems.'"

"As for the Saintess... she seems to be performing Alchemy, and pink smoke often wafts over Tianhe."

Ji Wudao fell silent.

He stroked his beard, a sharp light flashing in his eyes as his brain began to race with assumptions.

Screams? Not doing problems?

This sounds like some extremely cruel mental tempering.

Pink smoke? Alchemy?

Could they be refining some kind of ancient Divine Pill?

Most importantly, although Xiao Tianjiao's Soul Lamp had a bizarre form, its fluctuation of vitality had become more active than ever before, even exuding an aura of... Epiphany.

It was as if he had seen through some great barrier of the Dao and was reconstructing his Dao Heart.

"Could it be..."

Ji Wudao suddenly slapped his thigh, a light of pleasant surprise erupting in his eyes.

"The Heavenly River Sword Sect... is not some barbaric place at all!"

"A Legacy Secret Realm of an ancient Immortal is hidden there!"

"Tianjiao and Qingyue are trapped in the Secret Realm, undergoing the Immortal's trials!"

"That flickering flame is clearly the comprehension of the 'Dao of Transformation'! That pink pill Qi is clearly the 'Dao of Creation'!"

"An Opportunity! A heaven-sent Opportunity!"

Ji Wudao trembled with excitement.

"No wonder that Li Mo has remained obscure; he turns out to be a hidden Dao Protector!"

"Pass down my orders!"

Ji Wudao made a prompt decision.

"Seal off the news! We must not let other Holy Lands know the secret of the Heavenly River Sword Sect!"

"Send another team of elites... no, send several Elders with the highest Comprehension Ability, in disguise, to infiltrate the Heavenly River Sword Sect!"

"Since it's a Legacy, my Zifu Holy Land shall claim it exclusively!"

...

However.

There are no walls in the Cultivation World that do not leak air.

Especially when a behemoth like the Zifu Holy Land makes a move, countless eyes are watching.

Ten Thousand Beasts Sect, Beast Taming Hall.

"What? The Purple Mansion Holy Son is stuck in the Heavenly River Sword Sect? And his Soul Lamp shows he's having an Epiphany?"

The Sect Master of the Ten Thousand Beasts Sect stroked the head of the white tiger beneath him and sneered.

"That old fox Ji Wudao wants to swallow the Opportunity alone? In his dreams!"

"Order 'Thousand-Faced Fox' to lead a team to the Heavenly River Sword Sect to scout them out. I heard there's someone named Fatty Pig Intestine there who raises Spirit Beasts well; go poach him while you're at it."

Star Pavilion, Star Gazing Platform.

"The constellations are in chaos..."

The Star Pavilion Master observed the celestial phenomena at night, his brow furrowed.

"In the direction of the Eastern Wasteland, a strange power is rising. That power does not belong to the Five Elements, nor does it enter Reincarnation; it exudes a sense of... cold, absolute rationality."

"That is the radiance of 'Truth'."

"Quick! Send True Disciples down the mountain! We must find out exactly what that Legacy is!"

Loose Cultivator Alliance, Black Market.

An eye-popping piece of gossip was spreading at viral speed:

《Shocking! Purple Mansion Holy Son Imprisoned in Tianhe, Why the Day and Night Screaming?》

《Tianhe Old Ancestor Suspected to be Reincarnation of an Ancient Immortal Emperor, Mastering a Shortcut to Ascension!》

《Just Enter the Heavenly River Sword Sect to Gain a 'Great Opportunity', One Look and You'll Have an Epiphany!》

For a moment, the entire Cultivation World was boiling.

Countless Cultivators harboring dreams (and greed) began to converge toward that remote little Sect in the Eastern Wasteland.

Some disguised themselves as beggars, some as merchants, and some even dressed themselves up as ignorant youths wanting to join the Sect.

They had only one goal:

Infiltrate Tianhe and seize the Opportunity!

...

Heavenly River Sword Sect, outside the mountain gate.

The mountain gate, which used to be deserted, was now seeing long queues.

These people weren't serious students coming to enroll (what serious person would come to such a madhouse?), but undercover agents and scouts sent by various forces.

In the crowd, a grey-robed youth with an unremarkable Face—the kind that would be impossible to find once lost in a crowd—was squinting his eyes and sizing up his surroundings.

He was the **"Thousand-Faced Divine Thief" Star Plucker**.

The top stealth master in the Cultivation World, it was rumored he had even slipped into the treasuries of Holy Lands and made off with the Holy Lord's undergarments (though that was a rumor). This time, he was commissioned by a certain powerhouse for a heavy sum to steal the "Core Legacy" of the Heavenly River Sword Sect.

"This is the Heavenly River Sword Sect?"

Star Plucker muttered to himself.

The scene before him left even this well-traveled divine thief somewhat dazed.

The mountain gate was no longer a traditional archway.

Instead, it had been transformed into a massive, metallic... security gate.

The doorframe was embedded with various flashing crystals (sensors), and on both sides stood two rows of guarding Disciples wearing strange rubber suits and holding black short sticks (stun guns).

Most absurdly, a Big Yellow Dog wearing glasses was crouching at the entrance.

This dog's gaze was too sharp.

Star Plucker just made eye contact with it and felt as if even the color of his underwear was about to be seen through.

"This dog... is a bit wicked."

Star Plucker lowered the brim of his hat and activated his unique technique, the 【Turtle Breath Art】, suppressing his heartbeat, breathing, and spiritual energy fluctuations to the level of a Mortal.

His current identity was a Mortal youth who admired the Way of the Sword and had come to join the Sect.

"This should be fine now, right?"

The queue moved slowly forward.

Finally, it was Star Plucker's turn.

"Name?"

The one in charge of registration was a Disciple with a haggard Face and heavy dark circles under his eyes (having just stayed up all night to finish a thesis on "Probability Theory").

"This humble one is... Long Aotian." Star Plucker gave a fake name, a simple and honest smile on his Face, "Living by the Eastern Sea, I have yearned for the Way of the Sword since childhood..."

"Alright, alright, stop reciting your lines."

The Disciple interrupted him impatiently and handed over a piece of paper.

"Fill out the form."

Star Plucker was stunned and looked at the paper.

He originally thought it was a "Background Check," but instead it said:

【Heavenly River Sword Sect Admission IQ Screening Paper (Audition Version)】

Question 1: There is a monkey riding on a tree and a monkey on the ground. How many monkeys are there in total? (Please answer from the perspectives of philosophy, biology, and quantum superposition)

Question 2: If two people fall into the water at the same time, one is your Dao Companion and the other is your Heart Demon. Given the density of water is ρ and the gravitational acceleration is g, who sinks faster? (Assuming the Heart Demon has no physical form)

"..."

Star Plucker held the pen, his hand shaking.

What the hell kind of questions are these?

I'm here to learn from a master, not to take the imperial exams!

And what kind of monkey is this quantum superposition? A new species?

"Um... Immortal Master."

Star Plucker asked cautiously, "I'm illiterate, can I... just test my Spiritual Root?"

"Illiterate?"

The registration Disciple looked up, staring at him as if he were trash.

"What are you doing at the Heavenly River Sword Sect if you're illiterate? To be used as fertilizer?"

"Even the ones chopping vegetables in our kitchen have to memorize 'Euclid's Elements'."

"However..."

The Disciple sized up Star Plucker, "You have a striking skeletal structure; you're suitable to go to... the **'Human Biomechanics Lab'** to be a strike resistance tester (punching bag)."

"Willing to go? Room and board included, and you can enjoy free 'electrotherapy' every day."

Star Plucker's mouth twitched.

A punching bag? Does a grand divine thief like me have no Face?

"Woof!"

Just then, the Big Yellow Dog next to them barked.

It walked up to Star Plucker, its nose twitching twice.

Star Plucker's heart tightened.

Was he discovered?

Impossible! Even the Soul Transformation Stage couldn't see through his 【Turtle Breath Art】!

The Big Yellow Dog circled him twice, then extended a paw and patted the Storage Pouch at his waist.

Hidden there were his tools of the trade—a set of universal lockpicks.

"Woof woof. (Metal objects, didn't pass security.)"

The Big Yellow Dog adjusted its glasses and turned to look at the registration Disciple.

"Oh, possession of illicit metal."

The registration Disciple picked up a large seal and slammed a red stamp onto Star Plucker's form:

【Dangerous Element】.

"Take him away."

The Disciple waved his hand.

"Send him to the 'Magnetic Field Control Department' and let Senior Brother Ye Guyun see if he can 'suck' the metal out of him."

"Wait! You can't do this! I'm a Law-abiding citizen!"

Star Plucker was about to resist when the black sticks (stun guns) in the hands of the guarding Disciples on both sides poked him directly.

"Zzzzt—!!!"

A tooth-aching sound of electric current.

Star Plucker's eyes rolled back, his hair stood on end, and he collapsed, foaming at the mouth.

A second before passing out, only one thought remained in his mind:

What the hell kind of lightning spell is this? It doesn't need an incantation?!

...

Meanwhile, on the top floor of the Scripture Pavilion.

Li Mo stood before a massive floor-to-ceiling window, looking down at the bustling mountain gate below.

In his hand was a thermos filled with goji berries, and the System interface unfolded before his eyes.

【Detected a large number of unidentified personnel infiltrating.】

【Identification: Ten Thousand Beasts Sect scouts, Star Pavilion moles, Loose Cultivator Alliance assassins...】

【Threat Level: Medium (mostly Golden Core Stage, a few Nascent Soul Stage suppressing their cultivation).】

"Squeak. (Boss, so many fat sheep have come.)"

Squeak lay on the windowsill, holding an abacus, grinning from ear to ear.

"Just from registration fees, we've collected thirty thousand Spirit Stones today. These people are really rich."

"Naturally."

Li Mo took a sip of tea, his lips curling into a "capitalist" smile.

"This is called the **'prelude to paying for knowledge'**."

"Don't they want to come and steal our techniques? Don't they want to find an Opportunity?"

"Grant them their wish."

Li Mo turned around and looked at the bookshelves behind him.

They were already filled with the "new textbooks" the Disciples had rushed to produce over the last few days.

《Principles of Electromagnetism》, 《Fundamentals of Chemical Engineering》, 《Biological Anatomy》, Elementary Programming (Formation Version)》.

"Pass down the order."

"The cram school is starting an 'Open Day' event."

"All the scouts who infiltrated don't need to be captured or killed."

"Herd them all into 'Lecture Hall One'."

"Let Xiao Tianjiao give them their first lesson."

"I've already thought of the topic."

Li Mo picked up a pen and wrote a line of large characters on the small blackboard:

【Public Lecture Topic: On the 'Dark Forest' Law of the Cultivation World and the Possibility of a Dual-Vector Foil Strike】

"I want to make this group of self-righteous smart people thoroughly understand this afternoon..."

"What is called—the despair of IQ."

...

Half an hour later.

Heavenly River Sword Sect, Lecture Hall One.

Hundreds of disguised "moles" were forced into this spacious and bright hall.

They looked at each other, their eyes full of vigilance and exchange.

"You came too?"

"Shh, wait and see. Let's see what medicine this Heavenly River Sword Sect is selling."

"I heard there's an ancient Legacy here; if it's true later, everyone fight for it with their own skills!"

Just as the crowd was rubbing their hands and preparing for a big fight.

"Clang."

The doors closed.

The curtains were drawn.

The entire classroom fell into pitch darkness.

Immediately following.

A bright light hit the podium.

A man wearing a tattered rubber suit, with messy hair and eyes that were terrifyingly fanatical, slowly walked out.

Behind him followed a Big Yellow Dog holding a scalpel, its gaze cold.

"Hello, everyone."

Xiao Tianjiao (current Physics Teaching Assistant) revealed a creepy smile.

He picked up a piece of chalk, turned around, and drew a massive circle on the blackboard.

"I am the Purple Mansion Holy Son, Xiao Tianjiao."

"But I prefer you to call me—Physics Apprentice."

"Today, we won't talk about Daoist methods, nor will we talk about longevity."

"We're going to talk about..."

Xiao Tianjiao suddenly turned his head, his eyes fixed on the group of lambs to be slaughtered below the podium.

"If you were stuffed into an absolutely smooth sphere."

"How would you... calculate yourself out?"

The moles below: "???"

A premonition called "ominous" instantly enveloped the entire hall.

They suddenly realized.

This so-called "Great Opportunity"...

Might be a pit—one that was going to burn their brains dry.