Slay the Armour Sage

5,100 years.

The middle layer of the realm.

Today, the Zhang Family blew the suona horn to send off the second patriarch of the Zhang Family.

The only Nascent Soul realm cultivator of the current Zhang Family has just passed away. It was simply because his longevity had reached its end. The Zhang Family took it as a mix of sadness and joy. The suona horn was blown loudly.

But now the Zhang Family is facing another problem.

That is, there is no Nascent Soul realm cultivator in the main family who can take charge independently.

The current leader of the Zhang Family is still Zhang Guang, who is at the eighth layer of the Falling Sea realm. Below him is the family leader, Zhang Feiyu.

Further down, there are a few Nascent Soul realm cultivators from the attached sects, and they have established soul pacts so there is no need to worry about rebellion. But after all, they are not from the Zhang Family's own bloodline, so they cannot be fully trusted.

Above, there is also the transcendent existence, Water Immortal Qiu Yi. However, the relationship between Qiu Yi and the Zhang Family has always been ambiguous, especially increasingly cold in the past hundred years. Even if the Zhang Family wanted to curry favor, Qiu Yi would not give them the opportunity.

Looking further out, there is Triumphant Mountain. Although Triumphant Mountain is on good terms with the Zhang Family, addressing each other as brother sects, there are too many uncertainties between cultivators. Everyone puts their own interests first. Perhaps today they call you brother, but stab you in the back tomorrow.

The Zhang Family needs a Nascent Soul realm cultivator who can take charge of the situation.

The problem lies in whether they should concentrate resources to nurture the prodigy Zhang Guang, or help the family leader Zhang Feiyu reach the Nascent Soul realm first.

Ever since Chen Xia passed the position of family leader to Zhang Feiyu, the entire Zhang Family has not been united. There is a lot of strife between the elders, who have split into several factions. Zhang Feiyu, whose strength is inadequate, can only waver between these factions, feeling quite troubled.

It seems that the Zhang Family has returned to 5,000 years ago, but there are also many more fallback plans compared to the past.

The death of the second patriarch signifies that the Zhang Family is destined to enter the next phase—

The struggle for power and profit.

After Chen Xia became the chief, many semi-Saints and Saints came to bow in respect, all of them bringing gifts. But Chen Xia did not accept any gifts, and casually chatted with the visiting semi-Saints and Saints for a few sentences.

Apart from these mountain-bowing Saints, the most frequent visitors were Wang Yangzi and Wu Saint. Qiu Yi would also occasionally come.

The four of them would play chess, chat, and occasionally discuss some insights about cultivation.

It was naturally extremely beneficial for Qiu Yi, a Nascent Soul realm cultivator, to be able to listen to the Saints discuss their insights and humbly ask them questions.

When it was Chen Xia’s turn to speak as the chief of the Saint Hall, he shared his own insights:

“Anyway, just fight. Don’t be afraid. Crossing one or two realms is nothing. Three or four realms is just right for training. Five or six realms can only be said to exercise the muscles and bones.”

Upon hearing this, Wu Saint frowned. So this is how prodigies fight?

It was a bit beyond his imagination.

“How many realms have you crossed at most?” Wu Saint asked curiously.

Chen Xia counted with his fingers and shook his head slightly. “Hard to say.”

Wang Yangzi nodded at the side. Indeed, it was hard to say. After all, he had chased and fought against the Dao Ancestor, so who could accurately count how many realms he had crossed?

Wu Saint sighed and shook his head in admiration. “You must have crossed eight or nine realms. I’m truly awed and convinced by you. No wonder you were able to accomplish four Saint paths. I’m full of admiration.”

Chen Xia did not say much because his Falling Sea realm was different from others’. His realm level could not rise any further, but his spiritual power reserves kept increasing. It was as if only his ability to utilize the small world methods of the Nascent Soul realm was limited, but his combat power kept improving.

Wang Yangzi also did not say much, afraid that speaking out would damage the Dao hearts of others.

Qiu Yi’s green eyes widened. She thought about what crossing seven or eight realms signified, and her mouth eventually opened wide in disbelief. She felt it was simply inconceivable and incomprehensible.

But when it came to Chen Xia, it also seemed rather reasonable.

That’s just how he was. No matter where, he would shine brilliantly. From a Falling Sea realm in Qing Province until now as the Saint Hall’s chief, he did not give Qiu Yi even a tiny moment to catch up.

As a result, after 8,000 years, Qiu Yi could still only look up to him. Up until now, she could still only look up to him from below.

She had always been chasing, desperately chasing, always feeling that perhaps she was about to touch it, about to be able to smile and say to him playfully—

“Look, I’m almost catching up to you now.”

But the dream would be broken whenever they met.

Qiu Yi understood that she would never catch up to Chen Xia in her life. That was why when they met, she would ask that line, “I’ve now refined 13 Dao chapters, that’s pretty good right?”

Because that was the only thing related to cultivation that she could say to Chen Xia.

Like a child showing off her childhood toys after growing up.

8,000 years of chasing.

It was not for her to catch up with Chen Xia, but for her to recognize the gap.

Qiu Yi understood, and she would accept it.

Just as 8,000 years ago when Chen Xia departed, she could only watch powerlessly, and obtained the sea's answer.

But the sea cannot speak.

Such a fool.

5,400 years ago.

In the early morning, Chen Xia got up and tidied his green robe before going out to tidy old Zhang’s grave while the sky was still dim. Then he waited for the sun to rise slowly before striding out the door.

Outside the door, a tall figure had long been waiting. He came up beside Chen Xia and smiled, saying:

“Let’s go.”

The two began ascending towards the heavens.

"I’ve waited for so long, today is finally the day," said Chen Xia softly.

“The plan for now is to ignore everything else and just slay Saint Jia,” Wang Yangzi replied.

“Alright, let’s kill off the one leading everything first. I don’t want to worry about the rest too much. But this Saint Jia must pay Ma Xiaohong back her life.”

“Heh heh, I also have some grudges against him. It’s just right to settle it together with you today.”

The two went straight up into the sky, evading the detection of all the Saints, and arrived at the upper layer of the realm at dawn.

Then, in three breaths, they reached the mountain gate of Armor Wood Residence and still had not alerted anyone.

Greyish colors enveloped an area of a thousand miles, forming a small, self-contained heaven and earth. The flying birds and beasts, mountains and rivers within it did not move.

Chen Xia and Wang Yangzi strode right in.

Noon.

The grey colors retreated.

Wang Yangzi drew his sword and strode out. The sword had three inches of blood on it. With that one sword, he beheaded Saint Jia and flattened half the mountain of Armor Wood Residence along with it.

The green-robed figure followed behind him and walked out calmly. Beside him spun a trace of faint red—his flying sword, constantly circling around him.

Behind him.

The remains of Saint Jia tumbled down from the mountain peak. His severed head dropped to the ground, eyes widened in an expression of shock and horror.

Chen Xia stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Wang Yangzi again as they headed back together.

The two had set off at dawn, killed a Saint at noon, and returned home in the evening.

It was like doing something trivial not even worth mentioning.

The next day.

The death of Saint Jia shocked the entire upper layer of the realm.

The killer of Saint Jia shocked them even more.

The Saint Hall’s Chief—Chen Xia!

For a time, no cultivator dared to speak, afraid of getting involved in this conflict and provoking Chen Xia’s attention.

Even Saint Jia had been slain. They, as Nascent Soul realm cultivators, could be casually pinched to death by him.

The two Great Saints of the Saint Hall did not make a move. An eerie atmosphere enveloped the upper layer of the realm for a time.

A Saint had died, but no one dared to make a sound, as if the death was not that of a Saint but some low-level cultivator.

It was said that until now, the corpse of Saint Jia still lay under the mountain where he died. Not even his home sect dared to retrieve the body.

Until three months later.

The 17 Saints of the Saint Hall jointly submitted a report, requesting the two Great Saints to ask Chief Chen for an explanation, no matter if real or fake, but at least to convince everyone.

Great Saint Boiling Water agreed to their request and went to visit Chen Xia’s hut for the first time.

At that time, Chen Xia was still trimming the branches and leaves of medicinal herbs. Without turning his head, he called out, “Please come in.”

Boiling Water Great Saint entered and said to Chen Xia, "The Saints are dissatisfied and want you to provide an explanation for killing Saint Jia."

"As chief, you should naturally adhere more closely to customs and rules, at least on the surface."

He was also somewhat troubled. Although Saint Jia had died, he certainly could not blame Chen Xia. After all, from his investigation, he knew that there was originally deep enmity between Chen Xia and Saint Jia.

"Is retaliation an acceptable explanation?" Chen Xia cut off an overly long branch and asked back.

"You need to personally explain it clearly to everyone."

"I'm not eloquent with words," Chen Xia shook his head.

"Alas, you shouldn't have killed him like that. The Heavenly Rain Realm is about to go to war with the Realm Domain soon, and a Jia Saint's battle prowess would not be insignificant. Moreover, the minds of other saints would also become unsettled." Boiling Water Great Saint said helplessly.

"It matters not," Chen Xia waved his hand and snipped off the last bit of foliage before turning around nonchalantly, "If anyone is dissatisfied, tell them to come find me. I will reason with them face to face."

Boiling Water Great Saint shook his head, not knowing what else to say, and could only remark: "Don't continue acting this way in the future."

He turned and left.

Inside the hut, Chen Xia stood alone and lightly beckoned with his hand.

At this time, his heart was clear as a tranquil pond.

The surface of his heart lake stirred up minor ripples, unable to disturb his serenity.

Five thousand four hundred years.

It was recorded in the Realm Domain's history books.

On one day, Chen Chief beheaded a Jia Saint. He left in the morning and returned late in the evening, killing the Jia Saint at Armor Wood Residence. The head fell to the ground, and the blood was still hot the next day. It shocked the world and frightened common customs, becoming the seventh of the Realm Domain's Ten Great Wondrous Tales.