Chapter 198: Wen Wu Qing (Minister of Letters and Arms) of the Wu Kingdom Arrives with Congratulations.

[Host has slain the Black Lotus Sect's Saint Son—Ji Wuming: Qi and Blood +50, Sword Energy +50, Sword Intent +50.]

[Host has slain a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator—Cui Renwang: Qi and Blood +150, Sword Energy +150, Sword Intent +150. The host may choose one skill to evolve between "Blood Qi Frenzy" and "Dao Pattern Eye."]

[Host forced a breakthrough in life-and-death combat, demonstrating commendable courage: awarded Qian Yuan Mirror.]

[Qian Yuan Mirror: When this mirror reflects a cultivator, it reveals one of their immediate weaknesses. Usable once per day per cultivator. As long as their health bar is exposed, even a god can be slain!]

[Host gained insight into swordsmanship amidst life-and-death combat: awarded White Azure Sharpening Stone.]

[White Azure Sharpening Stone: Forged from primordial chaos-era black iron, it can nourish all celestial swords and can be used repeatedly until worn out.]

The system's voice disappeared, and with a single thought, a mirror and a stone appeared in Xu Ming's hands.

The mirror looked no different from an ordinary silver mirror, except for the Taiji Yin-Yang symbol engraved on its frame.

As for the sharpening stone, it was roughly 30 centimeters long, 15 centimeters wide, and 15 centimeters tall.

Truth be told, Xu Ming felt the system had shortchanged him a bit. How many times could this sharpening stone actually be used? Wasn't it too small? But when he thought about the fact that it could even sharpen celestial swords, he decided it wasn't worth complaining.

After storing these two priceless treasures, Xu Ming hesitated.

Dao Pattern Eye or Blood Qi Frenzy?

Which of these two techniques should he evolve?

Both were crucial tools for killing enemies and were equally important.

After careful consideration, Xu Ming finally chose to evolve Dao Pattern Eye.

The main reason for his decision was the memory of his recent battle. Ji Wuming had thrown out a scroll, and from it emerged a woman who executed a single sword strike. Xu Ming had been unable to replicate that technique, and the missed opportunity still bothered him—it felt like losing a fortune.

While evolving Dao Pattern Eye didn't guarantee that he could copy a similar strike in the future, it would at least reduce the number of techniques he might miss out on.

As soon as Xu Ming made his decision, a searing pain engulfed his eyes.

Xu Ming gritted his teeth, barely suppressing the urge to cry out.

After ten breaths, the pain subsided, and Xu Ming opened his eyes. The flow of spiritual energy in the air became significantly clearer to him.

As for other changes, they would only become apparent in actual combat.

Xu Ming closed his eyes again, turning his focus inward to examine his body.

Thankfully, his foundation was intact. Despite the fierce battle he had endured, he was far from severely injured.

However, Xu Ming noticed a subtle instability in his Heroic Soul Realm (Martial Artist) and Sea Observation Realm (Cultivator).

Compared to ordinary martial artists and cultivators, his realms were still exceptionally solid. It was no wonder the doctor hadn't noticed anything unusual.

But Xu Ming knew his own body better than anyone else. Compared to the rock-solid foundation he had before, his current state felt shaky. His Sea Observation and Heroic Soul Realms were far from satisfactory.

Consolidation.

The word suddenly surfaced in Xu Ming's mind.

He had to stabilize and solidify his realms.

But his current situation was akin to building a skyscraper on an incomplete foundation. No matter how much he patched it, there would always be flaws.

Unless… he tore it all down and rebuilt it from scratch.

Destroying his Heroic Soul and Sea Observation Realms and starting over would allow him to create a flawless foundation.

But the problem was, this method was incredibly dangerous. A single misstep could result in irreparable damage to his foundation, and he might never advance in those realms again.

"One step at a time," Xu Ming murmured to himself.

Xu Ming sighed inwardly.

He decided to first see how much he could stabilize his realm and explore potential remedies. If all else failed, then he'd address the problem head-on.

As for whether he regretted his earlier decision? Definitely not.

If he hadn't forcibly broken through back then, he'd already be dead and wouldn't even have the chance to try fixing his cultivation base now.

---

The Next Morning

Xu Ming had just begun absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth when Yue Lou arrived to fetch him.

"Xu Gongzi (Young Master), it's time for us to leave," Yue Lou said.

"Mm."

Xu Ming nodded and took Shen Shengsheng along with him.

They boarded a small boat, sleek and streamlined like a flat canoe, which then took to the skies, heading toward Tianxuan Sect.

"There's no need to be overly tense, Gongzi. If we encounter any unreasonable people, I'll handle it. You don't need to engage with them," Yue Lou said, worried that Xu Ming might be nervous, and tried to reassure him.

Xu Ming simply smiled and nodded without saying much.

If they did encounter unreasonable people, ignoring them likely wouldn't be enough. He suspected a few fights might be unavoidable.

---

One Incense Stick's Time Later

Xu Ming spotted a vast landscape of ethereal mist ahead. Rising from the clouds were towering spirit peaks, where cranes soared, dragons inhaled and exhaled spiritual essence, and azure birds played merrily. Elegant buildings dotted the mountain slopes, blending harmoniously with their surroundings.

From a distance, it looked like a paradise.

Xu Ming knew they had arrived at Tianxuan Sect.

During the Zixia Grand Ceremony, no flying artifacts were permitted to ascend within the sect's boundaries. All cultivators were required to proceed on foot. Thus, Xu Ming and his group disembarked from their flying boat and began their journey from the mountain's base.

At the sect's entrance, two male disciples stood guard.

"What brings you here, fellow Daoists?" one of the disciples asked.

Yue Lou retrieved her identification token and replied calmly, "I am Yue Lou, an inner disciple of Yiquan Peak. These two are guests of 'Uncle' (Shishu) Qin, invited to attend the Zixia Grand Ceremony."

The two gatekeeping disciples exchanged glances before bowing slightly toward Xu Ming.

"Forgive us for asking, but may we know your name, sir? And do you have an invitation letter?"

Xu Ming shook his head. "My surname is Xu, given name Ming. I hail from Wu Kingdom, Wudu. I do not have an invitation."

"Xu Ming…"

The disciples felt the name sounded familiar at first, but a moment later, realization struck.

Xu Ming? That Xu Ming?!

For an ordinary guest, having an inner disciple vouch for them and providing a name was typically sufficient—an invitation wasn't strictly necessary.

But this wasn't just any guest. The name Xu Ming made things far more complicated.

"What's this? Are you saying we can't go in?" Yue Lou frowned. "Leaving a guest waiting at the gates—this is how Tianxuan Sect treats its visitors?"

"Senior Sister Yue, please understand," one of the disciples said apologetically. "With the Zixia Grand Ceremony underway, we must exercise extra caution. Please wait for a moment while we report this matter."

As outer disciples, they didn't dare offend an inner disciple like Yue Lou.

However, they also couldn't afford to defy orders from above.

"You—!" Yue Lou looked ready to lose her temper, but Xu Ming stopped her.

There was no point in getting angry with these two outer disciples.

Xu Ming stepped forward, clasped his hands in greeting, and handed over a jade token.

"In that case, I would trouble the two of you to pass along a message. Tell them that Xu Ming, Wen Wu Qing (Minister of Letters and Arms) of the Wu Kingdom, has arrived with his congratulations."