“They’re all in my Hidden Dragon Legion.” Appearing to see Xu Yangyi’s mood, Chu Zhaonan said straightforwardly, “Mingshui Province’s Branchmaster Thousandedge has received the Black Kill Order.”

The Black Kill Order!

Xu Yangyi’s gaze suddenly glimmered. Naturally he knew what this was, but he never expected by any stretch that it was actually this!

The Black Kill Order. Any traitorous cultivator and any cultivator of any race who abandoned the Grand Dao would be listed on the Black Kill Order. It could be said the Black Kill Order was the highest ranking! It was also the list of the most evil and terrible figures!

It had no conflict with the Heavenly Demon Ranking. The Heavenly Demon Ranking was arranged by strength, however, the bounty behind it was published from the Black Kill Order! Any cultivator on the Black Kill Order wouldn’t know rest until death, an indefinite period without limit!

“Who issued it?” Xu Yangyi clenched his teeth, calmed his mood, and asked heavily.

Chu Zhaonan looked at the starlight in the sky and said after ages, “Brother Xu, don’t you know… besides the CSIB, there’s one other way to issue the Black Kill Order…”

Xu Yangyi extinguished his cigarette butt between his fingers and looked at Chu Zhaonan, his gaze like a sword. “Through the name of a Core Formation cultivator?”

Chu Zhaonan pursed his lips and nodded.

Everything became clear… As if a streak of light had flashed through Xu Yangyi’s mind, all connected together.

It was no wonder Chu Zhaonan was urgently searching for him.

No surprise the government had erased his existence.

No mystery that Thousandedge had taken action.

No question that even in death, the three scouts dared not speak of their orders.

There was a Core Formation master, the world’s apex, who had issued a Black Kill Order to the entire cultivation world! Kill on sight! If he’s alive, I want to see a person! If he’s dead, I want to see a corpse!

“Who is it?” Xu Yangyi vanquished the killing intent that surfaced in his heart and asked coldly.

“Daomaster Floatingcloud.” Chu Zhaonan looked straight into his eyes. “This time, Daomaster Floatingcloud only issued it to the disciples of his sect. Altogether, it’s three branch masters of the Featherwood Guard, five branch masters of Heavens Law, a deputy minister of a CSIB branch, and a regional chairman of the Bountiful Treasures Pavilion. They… are all Foundation Establishment Seniors. Among them, Senior Primejewel of the Bountiful Treasures Pavilion is already at the Great Circle of Foundation Establishment.” [1]

“Presently, the Vermilion Snow Incident still hasn’t been settled. But once a few years pass, after waiting on the incident, its influence has continued to die down…” He didn’t continue speaking and shifted topics. “These years have been nothing more than the blink of an eye for cultivators of our generation.”

Xu Yangyi shut his eyes. The pursuit of ten Foundation Establishment cultivators and one Core Formation cultivator! However, the next words caused him to open his eyes.

“Because you possess an Emperor Armament in your hands.” Chu Zhaonan looked at his watch and said faster, “Brother Xu, besides these people, no one else knows you’ve been named on the Black Kill Order! This warrant isn’t in other regions. After you came out from the spatial crack, it was the best result for you to be in Mingshui Province. Even if Thousandedge wishes to kill you, I’ve already requested the Cultivation Court’s personnel to keep an eye out in Panshan City. As long as he’s not scared of falling out of grace and ruining his future prospects, this place is temporarily secure.”

He looked deeply at Xu Yangyi. “But… this safety isn’t for long. The exchange of benefits between Core Formation masters isn’t something we can participate in. Brother Xu, your time… is pretty tight.”

Xu Yangyi’s gaze glimmered. Only after a while did he say, “You know about the Emperor Armament?”

“On that day, Heavens Law recorded all video.” Chu Zhaonan looked at his watch. “Not good, I’ve stayed here for a long time. Perhaps I’ve drawn Thousandedge’s suspicions. I have to leave. Brother Xu, Daomaster Floatingcloud still won’t risk taking brazen action against you for now. He doesn’t want the other Dao Masters to know you have an Emperor Armament. You must grasp certainty in these times!”

“As soon as Daomaster Floatingcloud’s benefits exchange is completed, that’ll be the time when all of humanity’s cultivators erase your mark…” Before he finished speaking, he took a key and stuffed it in Xu Yangyi’s hand. “Later on, there’ll be someone waiting for you. Take the thing in your hand and use this key to open it. Lastly… never ever tell anyone you have an Emperor Armament.”

“I must go.” Chu Zhaonan stood up and passed over a cell phone. “I’ve paid back what I owed you. In the future…” He paused and said seriously, “I WILL meet you.” He extended his fist.

“Of course.” In the air, the duo’s fists silently bumped.

“Vermilion Snow…” In the next second, they said the same name simultaneously, yet at the same time they held their tongues.

After a brief moment, Xu Yangyi gazed at the other resolutely. “Leave her to me.”

“I promised Firecloud, that I, Xu Yangyi, for the rest of my days, shall behead this demon.”

Chu Zhaonan nodded, and Xu Yangyi tossed him a pendant. “Find the woman in this photograph for me.”

“Your lover?” Chu Zhaonan tucked the photo into his pocket.

“No.” Xu Yangyi shook his head. “Just a promise.”

Even though Chu Zhaonan left, Xu Yangyi didn’t depart. Their meeting was too abrupt but tremendously important as well. He needed time to arrange his thoughts.

He took drags of his cigarette over and over, and the farming path became covered with cigarette butts. Eventually, he raised his head, looking at the stars in the sky. Despite the night wind blowing through his hair, he murmured, “Because of Heavens Law’s recording, a Core Formation master’s desires were roused. As for the Unrivaled Beneath the Heavens Arena established by Daomaster Floatingcloud, he was most certainly the first to arrive at the scene, so he issued me a kill order.”

“It’s not just this, though… It’s very possible that all of Heavens Law’s avatar’s data was intercepted by him.”

“Emperor Armament… In the end, what are you? You can actually draw Daomaster Floatingcloud’s kind of status to personally get rid of me?” He grew silent, and an impatience appeared by the utmost chance within his heart. Nonetheless, it swiftly abated.

“Soon… I’ll know about your true identity…” He took a deep drag of his cigarette and narrowed his eyes at the smoke that scattered in the wind’s wake. “Master Decrypter Jadewave, huh? Don’t disappoint me.” He continued to gather his thoughts.

He thought of why Chu Zhaonan had found him. Listening to Chu Zhaonan’s goodwill, he and Thousandedge were already considered at arms against each other. However, the cultivation world couldn’t get involved with local government affairs. That was to say...

If Thousandedge wanted to transfer the entirety of Mingshui Province’s surveillance, he would have to go through the consent of Chu Zhaonan’s old man!

“Chu Tianyi…” In his mind, a fairly lucid silhouette emerged, and he laughed. The person who had obstructed his advancement back then should’ve been him… and yet, he held no great hatred towards Chu Tianyi. On the contrary, he was respectful.

A mortal, an ordinary person, in a situation of several thousand Qi Condensation cultivators fleeing in chaos, was able to stand together besides the other Foundation Establishment cultivators with his strength that couldn’t even truss a chicken, directly in the face of life or death. Not to speak whether he was right or wrong in the fierce protection of his heir, this unswerving cardinal righteousness garnered Xu Yangyi’s considerable admiration.

Because of Chu Zhaonan’s father who was taught by Chu Tianyi, by all rights, Thousandedge was rejected.

And so… as Xu Yangyi left the city walls, perhaps he’d been discovered by the Chu Clan who was strictly paying attention to each stirring of water in Mingshui Province. He dimly remembered the words he once heard Hu Jiaojiao and the rest say. Her big brother was hurrying on his way. Xu Yangyi pondered this; it was Chu Zhaonan coming at that time. Although this outing possessed a few minor twists and turns, it was connected to his own true foundation, allowing him to understand his situation. This significance wasn’t the slightest bit minor in comparison to decrypting the small box!

All problems concluded here. There was only a single question, the most grave and seemingly the most difficult to come to a decision, across from him.

“Do I leave?” Xu Yangyi took a deep drag of his cigarette. He hesitated for a brief moment, however, it was a mere two minutes. His gaze had already turned staunch. His hesitation wasn’t whether to abandon humanity. To pragmatists, there was no letting go or not, only if something was useful!

Xu Yangyi’s hesitation was whether or not to leave Daomaster Floatingcloud with a vestige worthy of remembrance for an entire lifetime before he acted!

The heavens never severed a man's path. Even if it was the secret Black Kill Order of a Core Formation master, and even if he was only at Qi Condensation at the moment, he also possessed a unique superiority!

Fear.

Fear regarding the Emperor Armament. The fear of the Emperor Armament harbored on his person! This was his greatest support right now!

Daomaster Floatingcloud… before settling the checks and balances of the other powers against him, he wouldn’t dare to pierce the heavens with this matter because he himself desired to wield the Emperor Armament as its sole controller!

The words Chu Zhaonan had were quite interesting… Xu Yangyi narrowed his eyes. “Apart from these people, no one knows that you’ve been named on the Black Kill Order. Your warrant isn’t in other regions.”

In the midst of this… so long as he was courageous enough, his operating space was in fact incredibly great! If successful, there was a chance that he would be immediately put on the entire nation’s wanted list! His bounty so high that it would even render one speechless!

That however… was truly an audacity that shrouded the heavens! As this thought arose, it could be no longer settled. In his mind, it rolled like a wave of fire. He almost didn’t give any further consideration and immediately cemented this thought.

If you shall be so heartless, then I won’t speak of any civility at all. He was silent. Within his mind, an insane scheme began to build up to completion bit by bit.

“You’ll regret it…” After ages, Xu Yangyi sneered as he stood up. “Even if I’m going to run, the item promised to me that year should be factored as well.”

“That—with my status as the human cultivator Xu Yangyi—is an item that I seized which should belong to me.”

No worries… There was still enough time. Presently, even a minute couldn’t be squandered, but… a minute couldn’t be rushed! A single misstep, errors at each pace. The more flustered he was, the greater the chance a result wouldn’t be attained!

Success taken from the details, riches and honor sought amidst danger. This plan was going to be a walk on a fearless, insane, extremely careful, and difficult path. Any fraction of a deviation, and he could possibly fall off this tightrope.

“Right now…” He looked at the night sky dotted with a multitude of stars, and said icily, “the true identity of the Emperor Armament is the locus of all of my plans.”

“Floatingcloud knows, but I don’t. With the enemy in the darkness and myself in the light, this is the strategist’s main fear. Everything must be known about what the Emperor Armament is first.”

“Floatingcloud, you face me, an insignificant Qi Condensation cultivator, but you lack the great courage to risk killing first and asking questions later. A benefit that stirs the entire pool with a single ripple, eh…” Xu Yangyi sneered at this and whistled towards the sky. “I consider you important.”

Finished speaking these words, he freely returned to the highway. Arriving at the side of his car—the other car had already left—he discovered there were two more people. It wasn’t Hu Jiaojiao, but rather the young man who had left earliest.

“Mr. Xu.” An enthusiastic expression covered the young man’s face, and he approached and grasped Xu Yangyi’s hand, firmly shaking it. “I’ve long since heard Boss Chu mention you. It is today that we meet each other at last. I didn’t expect that even in front of me I wouldn’t recognize you. I must apologize for this matter first of all. I enabled Hu Jiaojiao to make a mess of things… I truly am embarrassed. In the future, Mr. Xu’s business is I, Zhao Yuanjing’s, business.”

“You are?” Xu Yangyi laughed. These people should’ve been Chu Zhaonan’s acquaintances. By the look of things, Chu Zhaonan had talked to these people as he departed.

1. Primejewel. I am unsure if this is a Daoist title or actually a name. But I will just roll with this for now. The entire Chinese word is also considered a “gold or silver ingot”.