A Chilly Spring

Chen Xia was not an expert in the art of Go, and after playing the game for tens of thousands of years, to say he couldn't play was a lie, but it was true that he liked to play recklessly.

However, this did not mean his Go skills were good. In fact, he was truly a poor player; playing a lot didn't necessarily make one a master.

But he did know how to start with a bold move, which was his signature unorthodox opening.

So, how does one even comprehend such a move as a Dao?

It couldn't be that he would actually create a space and then "beat someone's mother," could it?

Hmm...

It didn't seem impossible, but it was certainly questionable from a moral standpoint, and it was unclear whether it would enhance his opponent's strength or his own.

Chen Xia again fell into deep thought, trying to figure out how to comprehend a fifth Dao. It wasn't easy.

His puppet body, having been with him for a long time, naturally perceived Chen Xia's dilemma and approached him, its stiff voice speaking gently.

"There's no need to rush into comprehending the fifth Dao. Your previous four Daos are already quite formidable. The fifth Dao can be developed further with more time. Compared to the fifth Dao, becoming a Great Emperor would significantly boost your combat power."

"How do I become a Great Emperor?" Chen Xia asked with curiosity.

The puppet body replied, "Below the Great Emperor level, it's about comprehending Daos. To become a Great Emperor, however, one must validate the Daos. To become a Great Emperor, you need to validate four Daos. You already have the seeds of validation for the Way of the Sword and Time Dao. For the Way of the Sword, you just need to become unbeatable among contemporary sword practitioners. As for Time Dao, you need to deepen your connection with The River of Time. I’ve heard that in ancient times, the first Time Great Emperor was half The River of Time itself."

"What's difficult is your Dragon ancestor Dao and Thunder Dao. With the current decline of dragon species in the world, it's rare to see even one dragon species become a Great Emperor, let alone one who claims the Dragon ancestor Dao."

"And then there's Thunder Dao. An ordinary Thunder Dao is already occupied by a Great Emperor. The only Thunder Dao you can validate is the Heavenly Thunder Dao. It's powerful, yes, but it's also exceptionally difficult to validate. Throughout history, only two practitioners have managed to validate it."

Chen Xia slumped back onto his rocking chair, looking up and saying, "So, what do you suggest I do?"

"You need a stroke of luck," the puppet body replied, then pointed to East Jia State, continuing, "East Jia State is your chance. It's a primordial land of extreme heights. Once you claim it and merge with it, your Dragon ancestor Dao and Heavenly Thunder Dao might both come within reach."

"That means I have to wait around?" Chen Xia frowned, asking back.

"I have a technique that can create a quasi-Great Emperor, but the timing isn't right yet. More preparation is needed," the puppet body responded.

Seeing that it wouldn't disclose further details, Chen Xia shook his head and went back to contemplating his bold opening move.

It just seemed more promising.

Treasure Ring Scale State had become territory of the Divine Realm, and the original Immortal Realm practitioners naturally had no say anymore. Some Immortal Sects without principles were eager to gain favor by doing whatever it took to please the Divine Realm practitioners.

Anything from magic treasures, Divine techniques, to elixirs—if they could give, they gave. Among them were even elixirs that Chen Xia had once supported the Treasure Ring Scale State with.

The Divine Realm practitioners, tasting the benefits, grew even more demanding, even creating ranking lists to categorize the Immortal Sects.

There were four lists: Heaven, Earth, Human, and Beast. Those who provided lavish gifts were placed in the Heaven and Earth lists, receiving preferential treatment from the Divine Realm. Those who offered few gifts but showed servile attitudes could be included in the Human list.

Those who offered neither gifts nor a submissive attitude were labeled as part of the Beast list.

And Fuyao Immortal Sect was on the Beast list, which meant they received special attention from the Divine Realm practitioners. A Divine Realm quasi-Great Emperor came directly to their doorstep, without any preamble, covering the entire Fuyao Immortal Sect with a grand divine technique. With an arrogant demeanor, he declared:

"You have thirty breaths. The leader of Fuyao Immortal Sect, come out, or else I will destroy the entire Fuyao Immortal Sect."

After saying this, he stood in the sky, waiting calmly with an air of superiority, as if destroying Fuyao Immortal Sect was a trivial matter to him.

Only ten breaths passed before Great Sage Chen Xi arrived, asking the Divine Realm quasi-Great Emperor in the sky:

"May I ask, what is your purpose here?"

"Are we friends?" The Divine Realm quasi-Great Emperor, Hu Jiao, raised an eyebrow, his lips curling into a mocking smile as he asked, enunciating each word:

"I am Hu Jiao, a quasi-Great Emperor of the Divine Realm. Who do you think you are to call me a friend? You can call me sir, master, or elder—but to address me as a peer? You’re not worthy."

Great Sage Chen Xi lowered her head, her eyes flashing with intense killing intent, but she quickly suppressed it, not letting any of it escape. She exhaled deeply, her voice trembling as she asked Hu Jiao:

"May I ask, elder, what brings you to Fuyao Immortal Sect?"

"The reason is simple; you know it well," Hu Jiao said, boredly picking at his nails, not even glancing at Great Sage Chen Xi, his disdain clear.

"I hear that Fuyao Immortal Sect treats Divine Realm practitioners with hostility, refusing even to offer tributes. Do you think this is still your former Immortal Realm territory and are you planning a rebellion?"

Great Sage Chen Xi lowered her voice to explain, "Fuyao Immortal Sect wouldn't dare act so audaciously. It's just that the sect is truly poor and can't afford to offer tributes, so..."

"Can't afford?" Hu Jiao's face was filled with mockery. "If you can't afford it, then there's no point in keeping your sect running. Disband it in a few days; it's better than being poor and hindering other practitioners' cultivation."

Great Sage Chen Xi took another deep breath, her eyes sharper as she asked Hu Jiao:

"Are you really not giving Fuyao Immortal Sect a way out?"

Hu Jiao crossed his arms, his face full of derision, retorting, "And what if I don't? Never mind your Fuyao Immortal Sect—even the Eighth Mountain would fall apart if it dared not pay me my dues!"

"I'll give you three months to hand over all the tributes you owe. If even a fraction is missing by then, your Fuyao Immortal Sect can forget about existing. Understand?"

Great Sage Chen Xi's expression was deeply sullen, her eyes fixed on Hu Jiao. After a moment, she seemed to have exhausted all her strength and wearily replied:

"Fine."

This was the helplessness of Fuyao Immortal Sect and the plight of Treasure Ring Scale State.

In the current situation, Immortal Realm practitioners had to be a step below Divine Realm practitioners, with no other choice.

She had thought of seeking help from Medicine Ancestor, knowing that it was Chen Xia, someone she had met briefly in the Great Death Realm and knew had a deep connection with Xu Zhen.

However, after news spread that the Lord of the Divine Realm had severely injured Medicine Ancestor, she gave up on that idea.

Currently, though life was hard and they were bullied, at least Fuyao Immortal Sect could survive.

But once they were connected to Medicine Ancestor and caught the attention of the Lord of the Divine Realm, what would happen to Fuyao Immortal Sect in Treasure Ring Scale State? Great Sage Chen Xi didn't even dare to imagine.

She licked her dried lips, which had gone parched from tension, and forced a bitter smile, murmuring softly:

"Endure, endure. After this winter passes, perhaps spring will come soon."

But after winter...

There might also be a bitter cold spring.

Good night.