The training room was pitch black, with countless heavenly patterns shining on the wall. On the desk, a young man and woman were smiling as they held hands. The smaller hand was holding on to the bigger hand, dipping a brush in ink and writing on a Blank Book. The tip of the brush flew across the pages, each stroke forming a blue heavenly pattern on the book. As the heavenly patterns merged, it seemed like an ocean was being placed on the small desk.
“Big brother, concentrate. This is the first time I’m trying the Oceanspirit Tome, and I have no confidence in it.” Feiling was entirely focused on inscribing the heavenly pattern tome. Her pupils looked like blue sapphires with the blue fluorescent light reflecting in her eyes.
“You’re not confident? And you still can talk with me?” Tianming smiled. In the entire process, he only needed to maintain the supply of saint ki while Feiling controlled his hand.
“I can divide my mind.” Feiling smiled cheekily. She had been studying the Oceanspirit Book for half a month, and she already knew it well.
“Naughty girl.” Tianming smiled. “This Oceanspirit Tome might only be a one star heavenly pattern tome, but it’s a great help to me. I can release seawater in large amounts. Although the seawater is all created by heavenly patterns, there’s no difference in battle. As long as there’s a sea, Lan Huang will become stronger. Ying Huo can fly in the sky, and the seawater also further empowers Meow Meow’s lightning. This Oceanspirit Tome is perfect for me. It’ll allow me to forcibly change the battlefield in any place.” After Lan Huang was born, Tianming obtained the Primordial Terraqua Physique and wasn’t afraid of the sea.
“Yeah. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have looked into the Oceanspirit Tome,” Feiling smiled.
“Ling’er, have you thought about trying a two star heavenly pattern tome? The Goldspear Tome that Wei Wushang used was a two star heavenly pattern tome,” asked Tianming.
“I did, but it’s a little too much for me right now. I’m still making progressive improvements. Two star heavenly pattern tomes are just too difficult for me right now. The Southsky Barrier is a two star heavenly pattern barrier, and if I could inscribe a two star heavenly pattern tome, I should be able to create a similar barrier as well,” said Feiling.
“You’re saying that Wei Wushang nearly used the Southsky Barrier just to cripple me?”
“Big Brother, you’re wrong about that. If we don’t include the azure dragon pulses, the Southsky Barrier isn’t as valuable as a Goldspear Tome,” replied Feiling.
“Holy shit. Being a patternscribe is a real moneymaker. The saint crystals we earned from the Mountshield Tomes are almost all used up, and the same goes for the tomes. Let’s make some money for Feng and me to go into seclusion in the Spiritual Convergence,” said Tianming.
“Alright! Ling’er has to work hard for my boyfriend.”
“It feels great to have someone supporting you,” Tianming sighed. Patternscribes have been a wealthy profession since ancient times, but their cultivation wasn’t much faster than others. That’s because it takes a lot of time to study a heavenly pattern tome, which slows down their cultivation.
Ling’er was a top genius in the field, and even she had to spend a lot of time studying, to say nothing of beginners. That was also the reason patternscribes were rare. There were many benefits, but it was tough getting through the beginner stage.
On the other hand, Tianming’s strength was in his cultivation, and if he took up too much time to study heavenly patterns, he might fail to break his Aeonic Grandbane. He would die if he failed, even if he managed to become a patternscribe. But with Ling’er inscribing the heavenly pattern tomes, it was different. In the process of helping her with her inscriptions, he could slowly pick it up from her. With her guiding his hands, he would eventually learn how to inscribe a Mountshield Tome and grow more proficient in it. That way, he wouldn’t have to spend too much time on becoming a patternscribe and could focus on his cultivation.
My training as a patternscribe might progress slowly, but it’ll still be faster than others, Tianming pondered. In a nutshell, everything was going well for him.
……
“Big brother, did you sense it?” Feiling suddenly asked when she was two-thirds of the way done with the Oceanspirit Tome.
“You mean the Decimo Dao Palace?”
“Yeah.”
“After I defeated Wei Wushang, there seems to be rumors that the Decimo Dao Palace is trying to regain control of the six halls. It’s equivalent to pitting themselves against the other powers in the Divine Capital. Honestly, this is a good opportunity, because the Theocrats have never been this weak in the past thousands of years. As long as Dongyang Ling doesn’t show up, the new autarch won’t make any moves,” said Tianming.
“And you represent the new power in this power struggle, rushing at the forefront. The elders are using you to test the reactions of every power in the Divine Capital,” said Feiling.
“Ling’er is pretty smart.” Tianming smiled.
“But if that’s the case, don’t you feel like you’re being used?” Feiling asked.
“You can’t think of it that way. Based on my relationship with the Decimo Dao Palace, it’s better to say that we have a common interest,” said Tianming.
“What do you mean?”
“My father is the enemy of the Theocracy, Li Muyang. I might even have been killed, if it weren’t for the sudden passing of the previous Primeval Autarch. Either that, or I’d be used as bait to lure my father over. So I have a bone to pick with them, right?” Tianming asked.
“Yeah.”
“Also, because of my mother, I have a blood relationship with the Li Saint Clan, my foster father, and Qingyu. That implicates us because of the relationship between our first ancestor and the Decimo Dao Palace. My foster father is now involved with the Decimo Dao Palace, not to mention that I’m part of that same palace. So everyone values me as much as my foster father, right?”
“Yeah.” Feiling nodded.
“Then there’s something that you need to think through about this. The Theocrats already wanted to kill me, so the Decimo Dao Palace will do their best to protect me, not to mention that there’s also Big Sister Bai and so many friends here. Even Feng has a grudge against the Theocrats. There’s only one way out for me: fighting the Theocracy with the Decimo Dao Palace as my backing. I don’t need to be concerned if they’re using me because we’re just helping each other,” Tianming explained.
“I think it’s because you can’t forget Big Sister Bai, right?” Feiling pouted.
Tianming was speechless.
“I’m just messing with you!”
“Haha.”
Under the joyous atmosphere, the Oceanspirit Tome was finally completed. Next up would be the hugging and sleeping session.
“You’re not allowed to take the Grand-Orient Sword to bed.”
“Okay!”
“Ling’er, there’s actually one important goal for me to be doing all this.”
“What is it?” Feiling asked.
“I want to know if he’s really a cruel person who killed his lover, as the rumors say. I’ve risen to fame here, and sooner or later he’ll come to hear my name. Then, maybe he’ll come and tell me everything. But if he doesn’t come, then I want to ask the Theocracy’s core figures about the truth! But that requires the Decimo Dao Palace to possess the strength to suppress the Theocrats. This is actually my greatest objective in the Divine Capital,” said Tianming.
“You’re talking about your father, Li Muyang?”
“That’s right.”
“Big brother, you’re really someone who works hard for your goals.”
“You’re flattering me too much.”
“But.…”
“But what?”
“C-can you take the Grand-Orient Sword away when you’re saying such emotional words?”
In the end, Tianming could only perform a tactical suppression on his ‘sword’.
…….
The streets along the Romance River were decorated with colors and flowers. In this place, the Azure Pavilion might not be the biggest, but it was definitely the most elegant. There were rumors that the beauties in the Azure Pavilion weren’t from lowly births. All of them were proficient in poetry, singing, and dancing; there were many talented and famous artists gathered here.
In the Azure Pavilion, the ladies only sold art, and nothing else. In the indulgent lifestyle of the Divine Capital, the Azure Pavilion could be considered pure. The young masters didn’t frequent this place, and there would only be one thing that would get them to visit: if women were coming with them.
Seven ladies were dancing elegantly on the stage in plain clothes in a tasteful and spacious room, with others playing the zither, flute, and singing on the side. The beauties here were all stunning, and the music built up the atmosphere nicely.
Beneath the stage were seven youths of both genders with delicacies on their table. The wine was made with spirit herbs, while the dishes were made from demon beasts’ meat. However, these people weren’t enjoying the food or the performance much, but only talking among themselves.
Although Jiang Yu was seated in the chief seat, he was only drinking and didn’t talk much. For someone who called himself ‘Young Master Yu’ in the Divine Capital, his clothes looked sloppy compared to his friends’.
“Jiang Yu, why have you been looking so depressed lately? Are you afraid that Li Tianming will take your position in the ranking?” said a youth dressed in black, with beasts embroidered on his clothes. He was tall and lean, with a pair of narrowed eyes and a high nose. He looked a lot more ferocious than Jiang Yu; his name was Jiang Chengfeng.
Naturally, he had only recently changed his surname . His grandfather was currently in charge of the fifteenth bloodline, as he was the fifteenth son of Autarch Qian and the Death Hall’s Hall King. His grandfather had a similar status to Jiang Yu’s grandmother, Jiang Jianying.
“That’s not it.” Jiang Yu shook his head.
“Big Brother Jiang Yu, you must be thinking about girls, right? Why don’t you show us the ‘Impeccable Beauty’? I heard you painted Yuyao, Yufei, and Yutong in it. They want to see how you painted them.” The one who said that was a youth by the name of Jiang Junhe, who was very handsome. He was the great-grandson of the eighteenth bloodline, and his grandfather was also one of the Hall Kings in the Decimo Dao Palace—the East Hall King.
There were three other girls in the room, disguised as men. But honestly speaking, anyone could tell that they were all women with a glance. But they only disguised themselves a little so they wouldn’t be so eye-catching in the Romance River. They had a love and hate relationship with the ‘Impeccable Beauty’, afraid that they would appear ugly in the portrait.
Jiang Yufei and Jiang Yutong were twins, and looked exactly the same except for their temperament. The other one was named Gusu Yuyao. She was from the Dazzling Pavilion. She was rather mysterious in the dao palace, as she was rarely seen. She was aloof, and her reputation was even higher than the twins beside her. Jiang Yu had once admired them, especially Gusu Yuyao. But when he heard what was said on that rainy day, his gaze was now indifferent as he looked at the three ladies.