Lian Que carefully stored away his Life-Bound Tablet, saying nothing else, simply asking: "What weapon do you use?"
Jiang Wang had somehow lost his long sword inside the Celestial Residence Secret Realm, and his hands happened to be empty. Besides, the Lian clan of Chiyang County sounded quite formidable in weapon forging.
So he didn't stand on ceremony and replied directly: "A sword."
Lian Que nodded: "I'll go back first to prepare the materials. Whenever you have time, come to Nanyao City anytime and I'll forge a sword for you."
With that, he turned and left, as decisive as could be.
In truth, he could have left right after exiting the Celestial Residence Secret Realm, but realizing his Life-Bound Tablet was missing, he had waited by Full Moon Pool.
The moment Lian Que left, Wang Yiwu stepped out from the Moon Gate.
In fact, most of the people who hadn't left yet were waiting for his news.
Counting Lian Que and Fourteen, eight people out of the fifty who entered the Celestial Residence Secret Realm had survived.
Some rejoiced, others grieved.
The Moon Gate plunged back into the water and vanished.
The night sky was bright with moonlight and sparse stars, but the surface of Full Moon Pool no longer reflected the moon's image.
Wang Yiwu stepped out of the Moon Gate and walked straight up to Chongxuan Sheng: "You were lucky."
"So were you," Chongxuan Sheng said with a beaming smile. "Otherwise how could you have seized a divine skill opportunity just like me?"
Listening to his tone from the side, Jiang Wang suddenly thought of a phrase — a dagger hidden behind a smile.
Chongxuan Sheng perhaps couldn't beat Wang Yiwu in combat, but in verbal sparring, he undoubtedly had the overwhelming advantage.
Wang Yiwu's gaze shifted, sweeping over Jiang Wang, Li Longchuan, and Xu Xiangqian one by one.
"You all did well. I'll remember that."
As for Zhang Yong, who had only displayed Cycle realm cultivation, he was ignored entirely.
In truth, Zhang Yong's success made many people reconsider the dangers of the Celestial Residence Secret Realm. They began to think that perhaps in this realm, luck was more important than strength.
Xu Xiangqian scratched his head in confusion: "If you're sick, go to East King Valley for treatment. What does that have to do with me?"
He hailed from Qingya Academy and wasn't even from the State of Qi, so he feared Wang Yiwu not at all. He also lacked reverence for the God of War of Great Qi behind him.
"He means..." Chongxuan Sheng, at a moment like this, simply couldn't resist showing off his eloquence: "Although none of us remember what happened, if the four of us hadn't joined forces inside the Celestial Residence Secret Realm, there's no way I could have seized that opportunity in front of him. I might not even have made it out alive."
Though Wang Yiwu indeed harbored that sentiment, some things could maintain peace as long as they went unsaid — once spoken, they inevitably sparked conflict.
Because some cultivators didn't merely represent themselves; to a certain extent, they also represented the honor of the families behind them.
Li Longchuan said coldly: "Wang Yiwu, you're too arrogant!"
Wang Yiwu offered no explanation — that was precisely what he meant. A bit of dissatisfaction from these people was nothing he couldn't handle.
He simply said to Chongxuan Sheng: "Chongxuan Sheng, you'd best quit while you're ahead. You should know that an Inner Palace realm divine skill isn't really all that impressive."
"Brother Wang, this is already the second time you've tried to talk me out of it. It's pointless to keep at it." Chongxuan Sheng remained all smiles, looking completely harmless. "Why don't you go back and try persuading my elder brother instead? Perhaps he'll listen to you."
The elder brother Chongxuan Sheng spoke of was naturally Chongxuan Zun.
Wang Yiwu said nothing more and turned to leave.
He realized that perhaps one punch from him could blow this fat man to pieces ten times over, but in a battle of words, he could never be the opponent.
But the other party was a direct descendant of the Chongxuan clan — not someone he could simply blow to pieces at will.
...
The moment Wang Yiwu left, Chongxuan Sheng immediately seized the opportunity, cupping his fists toward the group: "Thank you all for your help in the Celestial Residence Secret Realm!"
He seemed to have completely forgotten how wary he had been of Li Longchuan before entering the Celestial Residence Secret Realm.
He was far more considerate of personal relationships than Wang Yiwu had been, not even forgetting to thank Zhang Yong.
No one knew what had transpired inside the Celestial Residence Secret Realm, but making friends never hurt. Especially when these "friends" could already be expected to attain divine skills.
Li Longchuan had no interest in interfering with the Chongxuan clan's internal power struggles. He simply smiled upon hearing this and said nothing.
Zhang Yong seemed quite reserved and unaccustomed to such occasions, merely stammering: "What help could I have been? I probably relied entirely on all of you."
"No need to be modest," said Xu Xiangqian, who had absolutely no idea whether he'd helped or not, but was brazenly shameless about it.
As long as there were thanks, compliments, and praise to be had, he'd take them all.
Jiang Wang stood nearby, saying nothing. But he knew he must have fought inside the Celestial Residence Secret Realm, for his sword was gone.
Through a thousand mountains, his sword had never left his hand — inside the Celestial Residence Secret Realm, even less so.
Traversing ten thousand miles, he had comprehended three rudimentary sword forms. The Sword of the Sun, Moon, and Stars; the Sword of Mountains, Rivers, and Streams; the Sword of the Vast Sea of Humanity.
Only at the moment of striking did they achieve completion.
This was his greatest trump card.
Unfortunately, his body's memories had been erased as well, and he didn't now know which sword he had struck.
The Celestial Residence Secret Realm had drawn its curtains. The group chatted idly for a while, then dispersed in all directions.
The grand gathering of the Celestial Residence Secret Realm, held once every twelve years, had come to its close.
Chongxuan Sheng turned back and called: "Fourteen, let's go!"
Fourteen, clad head to toe in armor, silently followed behind him.
Jiang Wang walked alongside them. He had never heard Fourteen speak a single word, yet somehow felt that these two had an incredibly harmonious aura about them.
"We grew up together in split-crotch pants!" Noticing Jiang Wang's gaze, Chongxuan Sheng said with a hearty laugh.
No wonder he didn't treat Fourteen as a mere death warrior.
Two companions who had grown up together — one became a noble young master of a prestigious clan, the other a personal death warrior. It was hard not to lament the turns of fate.
But who was to say that wasn't simply how fate worked?
Walking out of Full Moon Pool, they were surprised to see Zhang Yong surrounded by a crowd of people talking to him, looking thoroughly flustered.
Chongxuan Sheng chuckled and explained: "They're fighting over talent."
Though Wang Yiwu had earlier said that an Inner Palace realm divine skill wasn't all that impressive — and perhaps he truly had the arrogance to say so — a future Inner Palace realm powerhouse was nonetheless enough to set various factions scrambling.
The reason everyone surrounded Zhang Yong wasn't that they weren't interested in the others, but simply because they knew their limitations.
Xu Xiangqian belonged to Qingya Academy. Li Longchuan hailed from the Li clan of Stone Gate. Wang Yiwu was the God of War's disciple. Chongxuan Sheng was a disciple of the Chongxuan clan. And Jiang Wang had been personally invited by him, naturally assumed to belong to the Chongxuan clan as well.
None of them could be contested.
Only Zhang Yong — though his ancestors had once been distinguished — belonged to the long-declined Fengxian Zhang clan. There was still plenty of room to vie for him.
Watching him fumble about helplessly, Jiang Wang called out: "Zhang Yong! Still waiting for us?"
Chongxuan Sheng, the shrewd one, immediately played along, slinging an arm around Zhang Yong's shoulders: "I told you to wait inside, but you had to come out and wait. Come on, let's go — the food and wine will get cold!"
Zhang Yong was thus dumbfoundedly "rescued" from the crowd by the two of them.
After walking for a stretch through the streets of Celestial Residence City, Zhang Yong hemmed and hawed: "That is, I... don't want to join another family..."
Before he could finish, he lowered his head first, looking very apologetic.
Chongxuan Sheng burst out laughing. Perhaps because he himself was so brazenly shameless, he greatly appreciated those who had a sense of propriety: "We were intimate comrades-in-arms inside the Celestial Residence Secret Realm. Surely our relationship can't be reduced to mere recruitment, can it?"
"No, that's not what I meant..."
"Alright then, I won't keep you for drinks." Chongxuan Sheng knew when to stop, patting Zhang Yong on the shoulder: "Hurry on back. The folks at home must be waiting for you to return in glory!"
Zhang Yong was still hemming and hawing there.
Jiang Wang said teasingly: "Better run quick, or that bunch will come drag you off again!"
At these words, Zhang Yong didn't even bother with a proper goodbye and bolted off in a flash.
It was precisely because there were so many brazenly shameless people in this world that the shy and introverted ones sometimes appeared rather endearing.
For some reason, though, watching Zhang Yong's retreating figure, Jiang Wang suddenly felt a sense of familiarity.
He just couldn't place where it came from.