Splitting the Heave

Shang Jian wanted to go through the formalities of congratulating Shang Xia for his successful breakthrough to the Martial Extermination Realm. However, Shang Xia surprised him by getting straight to the point the moment he returned.

After learning what had happened, Shang Xia heaved a sigh of relief.  

Shang Jian couldn’t get rid of the curiosity in his heart and he asked casually, “Why is your Third Aunt looking for you so urgently anyway?”

Shang Xia wasn’t too sure either and he raised an eyebrow slightly while replying, “It might be related to the appearance of a secret region. She might have noticed signs of its reappearance, hence the rush.” 

“Oh.” Shang Jian gasped before revealing an envious look. “Opportunities in secret regions tend to be amazing. If you run into any of them when exploring the secret region, make full use of it.” 

“Oh? Second Uncle, do you have experience entering one?” Shang Xia asked.

A look of melancholy appeared on Shang Jian’s face and he sighed, “Back when I was wandering the world, I chanced upon a broken secret region. God knows how many people have already explored the place and all the good stuff had already been taken away. Luckily, I noticed a rank two sword inheritance carved on a cliff face covered in vines. There was also a corresponding rank two advancement formula beside it. At this moment, your cousins are practicing that sword inheritance.” 

Shang Xia nodded slightly before asking, “Speaking of them, did they undergo a smooth breakthrough?” 

A brilliant smile lit up Shang Jian’s face when he thought about the two of them. “The process was a little risky, but the two of them were pretty lucky. They managed to enter the Martial Intent Realm and complete their first divine sense transformation.” 

“That’s great! Congratulations on their breakthrough. Now, our Shang Clan has two more Martial Intent Realm cultivators. We’re slowly growing stronger.” Shang Xia laughed.

Waving his hands casually, Shang Jian muttered, “The two of them are barely passable when compared to the true geniuses of the Tongyou Institution, much less yourself. There’s nothing much to celebrate.” 

Shang Xia clearly didn’t know how to continue the conversation from that point and he forced a smile before changing the topic. “Oh right, Second Uncle, when do you plan on entering the Martial Extermination Realm?” 

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The expression on Shang Jian’s face turned serious and he sighed, “I’m thinking of holding it off for a little more. Your Grandpa Bo and Grandpa Ke aren’t in the clan right now and you’re planning to head down south to the Taiyang Mountains. There has to be someone managing the clan’s affairs.” 

With a frown on his face, Shang Xia whispered in a low voice, “Second Uncle, you need to enter the Martial Extermination Realm as soon as possible.” 

Staring at him in shock, Shang Jian became even more serious. “Little Xia, did you know something we don’t?” 

“I can’t be sure, but you should prepare to enter the Martial Extermination Realm as soon as you can. You will be able to react to anything that might happen when we’re gone.” Shang Xia explained.

Without waiting for Shang Jian to respond, Shang Xia continued, “Aunt Xi is probably going to leave seclusion soon. The battlefield between the two worlds is pretty calm at the moment and there’s no point for her to remain on the Observation Peak. You should get her to manage the clan while you focus on breaking through.” 

“Alright.” Shang Jian was a resolute person. Shang Xia’s reminder couldn’t be more obvious and he quickly made the decision. Slamming the side of his fist down on his open palm, he cried, “Alright, I’ll notify Shang Xi to return once she exits seclusion.” 

When he was done, he wrote another message and sent out another transmission talisman towards the battlefield between the two worlds. He asked Shang Xia another question while sending out the talisman. “When do you plan to leave anyway?” 

“Right now!” 

Raising his head in shock, Shang Jian gasped, “Is it really that urgent?” 

Shang Xia chuckled before explaining, “Third Aunt told me to make a trip down to Changfeng City before heading for the Taihang Mountains. I might remain there for some time before heading south.” 

“Changfeng City? Isn’t that your territory?” Shang Jian thought out loud.

“What are you talking about? I don’t own Changfeng City!” Shang Xia wanted to explain, but he was quickly interrupted.

Shang Jian couldn’t help but ask, “Aren’t you in a hurry to head down south? Why do you need to stay in the city anyway?” 

Without a change in expression, Shang Xia muttered, “Third Aunt wants me to visit Hai Min and Yuanyuan while I’m there.” 

…

Shang Jian might be exaggerating slightly when he said that Changfeng City was Shang Xia’s territory, but he wasn’t exactly wrong. After all, Shang Xia wasn’t the temporary city lord there for nothing.

He might have locked himself up in the city lord manor back then to focus on crafting rank three talismans, but he made arrangements to leave behind a portion of men he trusted.

The power he left behind could be considered a part of the Shang Clan’s hidden strength, but it belonged to Shang Xia exclusively.

With his current status, Shang Xia was capable of setting up his own forces. 

Currently, the person in charge of the Changfeng City was Bu Jingshuang. He might be stationed in the city, but he was considered a core part of the Tongyou Institution’s strength. He was definitely involved in the Tongyou Institution’s plans. 

As the Changfeng City Lord position held too much of a strategic advantage, especially considering what Yang Hu pulled previously, Bu Jingshuang’s takeover of the position came as no surprise to the others.

…

When Shang Xia returned to the Changfeng City and met with Bu Jingshuang, he discovered that the old expert had already reached the second layer of the Martial Extermination Realm. Speaking of Bu Jingshuang, Shang Xia had a lot of respect for the old expert. He was Kou Chongxue’s sworn brother like Shang Lubing, but had infiltrated the Rose Party for more than 20 years. 

Bu Jingshuang was similarly surprised to see Shang Xia. Seeing the strange light under Shang Xia’s feet as he descended into the City Lord Manor, Bu Jingshuang revealed a complicated expression before sighing softly, “You… You already entered the Martial Extermination Realm?!” 

“Mister Bu, you don’t sound like you’re congratulating me. Hehe, you’re losing your demeanor as my senior…” Shang Xia chuckled.

“Demeanor your ass!” Bu Jingshuang snapped before shooting Shang Xia with another question. “Your extermination origin seems a little chaotic… Which extermination origin did you refine exactly?” 

With a helpless smile, Shang Xia revealed the truth. “I refined the Four Seasons Extermination Origins to enter the Martial Extermination Realm….”

Widening his eyes in horror, he pointed at Shang Xia before snapping angrily, “You… You… Did no one try to stop you from doing that?! What the hell… Where were your Grandfather and Shang Ke when you made your preparations to break through?! Wasn’t Kou Chongxue aware of the matter?! There are so many Martial Extermination Realm experts from the institution and no one attempted to stop you from acting so recklessly…” 

“Didn’t I succeed?” Shang Xia muttered under his breath.

“Yeah, you did, but what if you failed?!” Bu JIngshuang berated Shang Xia before finally changing his tune. “Well, this is incredible. You actually managed to succeed! Are you trying to create your own path of cultivation? Hm… Were they using you as a lab rat to see if it was possible?” 

Shang Xia couldn’t care less if they were making use of him. With the Crimson Soul Tablet, the risk of his breakthrough was minimized. However, he could tell that Bu Jingshuang was really concerned for him and he knew it would be rude for him to brush the man off however he liked. A smile reappeared on his face and he explained, “Rest assured I made adequate preparations before my attempt to break through. Both the clan and the institution provided me with life-saving treasures. Fortunately, my luck didn’t let me down and I managed a smooth breakthrough.” 

Shooting Shang Xia a deep gaze, Bu Jingshuang sighed, “Alright, as long as you know what you’re doing…” At the end of the day, he was a Martial Extermination Realm expert. It didn’t take long for him to regain his composure. He eventually continued, “Damn kid, why did you come over to Changfeng City anyway?” 

“Haha, I’m just passing by. I’ll stay for a few days before heading down south to the Taihang Mountains.” Shang Xia replied.

“Taihang?” Bu Jingshuang seemed to have thought of something. “Are you going to look for Third Sister Hai?” 

“Yeah!” Shang Xia laughed. 

Nodding slightly, Bu Jingshuang added, “The situation in the Taihang Mountains is extremely complex. There are all sorts of people gathered there. Thieves, bandits, wandering cultivators, criminals… They’re made up of people of the You, Ji, Bing, Yan, and even the Si Continent. There’s practically no orderly force in the Taihang Mountains. In fact, there’s only one rule there and that’s the survival of the fittest. The biggest fists win.” 

Speaking up to that point, Bu Jingshuang paused for a moment before examining Shang Xia from head to toe. “I guess you won’t be bullied by anyone now that you’re in the Martial Extermination Realm. With the help of Third Sister Hai who has already established herself there, you should be fine. However, there’s one thing you should be concerned with…” He turned serious all of a sudden before adding, “Cultivation isn’t everything there. Most of the people there are extremely crafty. They’re no strangers to coming up with insidious plans to triumph over experts stronger than themselves. You cannot be careless, even for a moment!” 

…

By the time Shang Xia left the City Lord Manor, he gained a much better understanding of the Taihang Mountains. 

When he returned to a small courtyard in the north of the city, he noticed a little girl who was close to 6 years old skipping down the street. 

A look of confusion flashed across Yuanyuan’s eyes before she recalled the person in front of her. “Tasty… Tasty Uncle!” 

She couldn’t forget how Shang Xia brought her little snacks every time she saw him. 

Chuckling under his breath, Shang Xia handed a bag of candied yam to the little girl. “You can’t call me Tasty Uncle anymore. You can call me ‘Uncle ‘in the future.”

Holding the bag, Yuanyuan turned around and ran back into the courtyard happily. Shang Xia heard her cute little cries even before he stepped into the entrance. “Mommy, Tasty Uncle is back!” 

Shang Xia couldn’t help but burst out laughing as he entered the courtyard he left close to 2 years ago. 

Hai Min leaned on the doorframe beside the entrance as a gentle smile crossed her face. She looked at Shang Xia who had barely stepped into the entrance and said, “Are you finally coming back?”

“I’ll be here for a little while…” Shang Xia chuckled. The moment he entered the courtyard, a tranquil feeling filled his heart. 

“When are you leaving?” Hai MIn whispered.

“I’ll stay for 3 to 5 days this time!” 

Nodding calmly, Hai Min turned to walk away. “I’ll start making dinner then.” 

“... Alright.” 

Their short conversation didn’t seem awkward in the slightest. Instead, a sense of harmony and peace was felt through the courtyard. 

…

In the dead of night, the soft autumn rain drizzled softly on the lands. It paved the way for a beautiful morning that was about to come. As the first rays of light flooded the earth, a refreshing breeze blew through the lands.

After eating breakfast, Hai Yuanyuan ran out of the courtyard to play as Hai Min tidied up the courtyard.

Shang Xia looked at the elegant figure whose movements resembled butterflies dancing in the courtyard with a soft smile playing on his lips. “I saw you training Yuanyuan in the morning.” 

Turning to glance at him, Hai Min didn’t stop what she was doing as a gentle smile formed on her face. “That’s right.” 

“Have you thought of Yuanyuan’s future?” 

Pausing to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ears, Hai Min whispered, “I’ll just send her over to the Tongyou Institution when she’s of age. She can learn from the teachers and instructors there.” 

Shang Xia thought for a second before bringing up an almost absurd suggestion. “Why don’t you let her follow in my footsteps?” 

A complicated light flashed through Hai Min’s eyes as she turned to look at Shang Xia. She started to turn serious before a brilliant smile lit up her face. “Sure!” 

Only after entering the Martial Extermination Realm would one dare to declare that they had pioneered their own path of cultivation in the Azure Origin World. 

Settling the matter of Yuanyuan’s cultivation in the future, Shang Xia returned to the quiet little room he used in the past.

Talisman brush, talisman paper, talisman ink…

With everything in place, Shang Xia felt that he was ready to craft his first rank four talisman, the Golden Sun Inferno Talisman! He felt a mysterious sensation washing over him as he seemed to fuse with the world around him. In that state, he felt invincible!