Shengui Changsheng: Start from Zhenwuwei and add some points to cultivate immortality

The entire canyon suddenly collapsed!

Fu Shaoping plunged into a blood-red battlefield. The setting sun was like blood, and the mountains and fields were littered with corpses dressed in the attire of various dynasties. He stepped onto the soft, blood-soaked earth, each step sinking half a foot into piles of rotting flesh. In the distance, countless puppets were assembling some kind of enormous bronze instrument, and in the empty space at the center of the instrument, Nangong Wan's token was clearly embedded!

“Those are disciples of the Xuantian Sect who were massacred by the Demonic Sect twenty years ago,” he muttered to himself, when suddenly a cold hand grabbed his ankle.

Nangong Wan stood in a void, surrounded by floating fragments of memories. She saw her younger self, sword in hand, standing at the inn's entrance; she saw Fu Shaoping lying in a pool of blood, reaching out to her; she saw Chu Canglan handing her a blood-stained token in the rainy night, "So we were already..."

Lin Yu found himself in a pure white space. Countless bronze gears slowly rotated above his head, and a bronze mirror floated in the center of the gears. However, the reflection in the mirror was not his face, but the distorted face of the Right Envoy of the Demonic Sect! "The spacetime anchor... so I am the one."

As the last piece of rubble fell, the canyon returned to calm. The Shadowmoon Sect leader, clutching half a token, stood on the ruins, a strange smile suddenly spreading across his face. "Thanks to Mr. Chu Canglan's self-sacrifice," he said, turning to the surviving elders of the Demonic Sect, "we can now activate the grand formation."

However, the anticipated cataclysmic change in the world did not occur.

"Strange." The elder frowned, looking at the stone platform. "Where's the token?"

They then realized that the crimson token that should have been embedded in the array's core had vanished. In its place were three slowly closing spatial rifts—from which faint sounds of clashing swords, piercing needles, and a familiar chuckle could be heard: "Want to use our power? You'll have to ask us first!"

The leader of the Shadow Moon Sect's expression changed drastically: "They've traveled through time?! Impossible! There's no Heavenly Profound Jade."

Suddenly, the token in his hand burst forth with a blinding red light. The runes on the stone platform lit up on their own, projecting a complete star map onto the ground—nine points of light were slowly illuminating, and the location of the first point of light was none other than the canyon where they were currently standing!

"No!!!" The leader's scream was drowned out by the deafening roar. The ground began to tear apart, and countless bronze golems burst forth from the earth, but all of them turned and rushed towards the Shadow Moon Sect members!

Fu Shaoping crawled out of the scorched earth, clutching the intact blood-red token tightly in his hand. Nangong Wan and Lin Yu walked in from either side, the three of them exchanged a smile, and simultaneously inserted the token into the groove of the stone platform.

Contrary to expectations, there was no dazzling light, only a gentle breeze rustling through the ruins. When they looked up again, Chu Canglan was sitting on the roof of the inn, carrying two wine jugs.

“You’re finally back.” He shook the wine jug. “Try it; this was brewed with moonlight collected from a rift in time.”

Fu Shaoping raised an eyebrow: "So all of this..."

"This is the final test of the Heavenly Profound Jade." Chu Canglan tilted his head back and took a swig of wine. "It has chosen those who can see through the essence of time." He suddenly lowered his voice, "But the real battle has only just begun—the Shadow Moon Sect's lair is located at the ninth dot marked on the star chart."

Nangong Wan gripped the hilt of his sword tightly: "When do we set off?"

Chu Canglan revealed a mysterious smile: "Now, why don't you try this Moonlight Wine first?"

The moment the wine touched their throats, the three suddenly saw countless future scenes flash before their eyes—they would clash with the demonic cult in different timelines, lose comrades, and gain new power. But in the end, they would all return to this night, raising their glasses together under the moonlight.

Fu Shaoping, Nangong Wan, and Lin Yu stood under the eaves of the inn, the night breeze carrying the scent of wine and the fragrance of grass. Chu Canglan's figure had vanished without a trace, leaving only three empty wine jugs gleaming faintly in the moonlight.

“So,” Nangong Wan sheathed his sword, the warmth of the battle still lingering on his fingertips, “where do we go next?”

Fu Shaoping gazed at the distant mountain outlines, a slight smile playing on his lips: "The Shadow Moon Sect's lair is at the ninth point of light—since the Heavenly Profound Jade has chosen us, we can't let it down."

Lin Yu took out a yellowed map from his pocket and traced the route marked by the stars with his fingertips: "The ninth point of light is in 'Luoyue City' on the banks of the Canglan River. Legend has it that it was once the core stronghold of the Demonic Sect for refining puppets."

Nangong Wan suddenly chuckled: "Luoyue City... I heard my master mention it when I was a child. The lantern festival there is very lively."

Fu Shaoping raised an eyebrow: "The Lantern Festival?"

“Yes, every year on the fifteenth of July, the entire river is filled with lotus lanterns, and it is said that wishes made there are especially effective.” She paused, her eyes flashing slightly, “But now that I think about it, it’s ironic that the Demonic Sect chose such a place to hide.”

Lin Yu folded the map neatly: "So, are we going to destroy their lair, or are we going to release lanterns?"

Fu Shaoping laughed: "Of course, we'll dismantle the old nest while setting off lanterns—it's the martial arts world, there has to be a sense of ritual."

As night fell, thousands of lotus lanterns floated on the river in Falling Moon City, their candlelight reflecting on the water like a flowing galaxy. The crowds thronged, laughter and chatter filling the air; no one would suspect that remnants of the demonic cult lurked beneath this bustling scene.

Fu Shaoping leaned against the railing of the restaurant, his fingertips tracing the wine glass: "The intelligence was correct, the people from the Shadow Moon Sect are at the underground altar."

With a flash of silver light from Nangong Wan's fingertips, three silver needles were embedded in the crack in the wall: "The core mechanism controlled by the puppet is in the center of the altar. As long as we destroy it, the remaining minions are nothing to worry about."

Lin Yu slid a bronze gear out of his sleeve: "Chu Canglan gave it to me, saying it can interfere with the puppet's movements—but this thing looks like a toy."

Fu Shaoping took the gear and weighed it in his palm: "The Demonic Sect's mechanical arts have always been unpredictable, so be careful."

Just as the three were about to make their move, a commotion suddenly broke out.

"Get out of the way! The horse is spooked!"

A startled white horse neighed and charged into the crowd, knocking over vendors and heading straight for the riverbank. Nangong Wan flashed forward, her longsword drawn, and precisely severed the reins. The white horse reared up, but she firmly brought it down just before it could collide with the children.

The crowd erupted in gasps and cheers.

Fu Shaoping watched from afar and suddenly whispered, "You're still such a busybody."

Nangong Wan sheathed her sword and glanced at him: "Aren't you the same?"

Lin Yu laughed and said, "Let's go. If we drag this out any longer, the puppet will wake up."

**Underground Altar**
Amidst the roar of the turning mechanisms, the three moved like ghosts. Fu Shaoping's blade cleaved through the darkness, Nangong Wan's silver needles sealed the puppet's joints, and Lin Yu's gears precisely engaged in the gaps between the mechanical gears.

"boom--!"

The core device at the center of the altar exploded, and countless puppets froze in place before collapsing to the ground with a thud.

As the smoke cleared, a man in black robes slowly emerged, his voice hoarse and cold beneath the mask: "You thought... this was the end?"

Fu Shaoping sneered: "Are all the people from the Shadow Moon Sect so long-winded?"

Swords clashed, silver needles pierced the air, gears spun—the battle was about to begin.

The man in black robes slowly raised his hand, his eyes beneath the mask glowing with an eerie purple light: "What you destroyed was merely the shell of a puppet... The true 'Lord of Shadowmoon' has never shown himself!"

Before he finished speaking, the walls surrounding the altar suddenly cracked open, and dozens of bronze puppets burst from the ground, their joints creaking with a sickening metallic scraping sound. Even more bizarrely, eerie green flames flickered in the puppets' eye sockets, clearly controlled by some kind of dark magic. Fu Shaoping twirled his blade, the reflection of the surging puppets on the surface: "Looks like I'll have to show my true skills tonight."

A flash of silver light appeared at Nangong Wan's fingertips as three silver needles shot out and precisely pierced the joints of the front row of puppets: "Be careful, these puppets are more agile than the previous ones!"

Lin Yu quickly threw the bronze gear towards the center of the altar: "This thing Chu Canglan gave me is finally somewhat useful!"

The gears spun faster in the air, and the instant they embedded themselves into the altar, all the puppets froze, their joints emitting a piercing grinding sound. However, the black-robed man laughed maniacally: "Too late! The Lord of Shadowmoon has awakened—"

The ground suddenly shook violently, and a non-human roar came from the depths of the altar.

**Boom!**
A deep abyss split open in the center of the altar, and a figure slowly rose from the dark mist—a giant pieced together from countless bronze fragments, its eyes burning with purple flames, each step causing the ground to crack.

Fu Shaoping's pupils shrank: "What the hell is this thing?!"

Nangong Wan's expression turned solemn: "It's the Shadow Moon Sect's ultimate puppet—the 'Myriad Manifestations Furnace'! Legend has it that it can devour all metals and turn them into its own!"

Lin Yu gritted his teeth: "Chu Canglan never mentioned this thing..."

The man in black removed his mask, revealing a face covered in eerie runes: "Now, feel the wrath of the Lord of Shadowmoon!"

The **All-Encompassing Forge** roared to the sky, its massive arm slashing out, sending a rain of bronze fragments from the entire altar hurtling towards the three!
**On the river**
The lanterns continued to float, and laughter filled the air. However, a dark figure quietly slipped away from the crowd, clutching a blood-stained fragment of a token in his hand—the "mission complete" signal from a Shadowmoon Sect spy.

**Inn roof**
Chu Canglan leaned lazily against the railing, the wine jug in his hand tilting slightly, moonlight shattering into silver flakes at his fingertips: "Looks like they've run into trouble..."

He suddenly chuckled softly, and his figure vanished like smoke.
-
Deep within the altar
The battle has reached a fever pitch.

Fu Shaoping's blade cleaved through the bronze fragments, only to see the fragments twist and reform in mid-air, transforming into sharp blades that retaliated! Nangong Wan's silver needles were engulfed by purple flames, emitting a piercing melting sound. Lin Yu's gears were crushed by the giant arm, metal fragments scattering in all directions.

"Damn it!" Fu Shaoping gritted his teeth and retreated. "This thing is impossible to kill!"

The man in black robes laughed wildly: "The Lord of Shadowmoon possesses an immortal body; you are but mortals, how can you possibly contend with him?!"

Just then, a soft laugh suddenly came from the abyss—

"Immortal? Ridiculous."

A figure slowly emerged from the darkness, the moonlight illuminating his face—it was Chu Canglan, who should have been drinking at the inn!

The man in black robes' expression changed drastically: "You... how could you—"

Chu Canglan shook the wine pot: "I said that the Heavenly Profound Jade has chosen someone who can see through the essence of time." He suddenly opened his robe, revealing a jade pendant of the same origin as the token in Fu Shaoping's hand. "And time... can be reversed."

boom--!
The All-Encompassing Forge suddenly emitted a piercing metallic groan, its movements beginning to reverse eerily. Fragments fell from the sky, piecing themselves back into the altar's mechanical gears. The man in black robes was horrified to discover that his own body was also disintegrating in the reverse flow of time!
"No! This is impossible—" His roar was swallowed by the ripples of spacetime distortion, and he finally turned into a dried-up corpse and collapsed to the ground.
-
Chu Canglan put away the wine jug and glanced at the three dumbfounded people: "Now, do you believe that I am 'the person chosen by the Heavenly Profound Jade'?"

Fu Shaoping rubbed his temples: "So what just now was... time reversal?"

"To be precise, it's 'altering a local timeline'," Chu Canglan smiled. "But don't worry, your combat experience still exists—it's just that the people of Shadowmoon Sect won't have the chance to relive it."

Nangong Wan suddenly frowned: "Wait, if time can be altered... what about the memories we've experienced?"

Chu Canglan's smile faded slightly: "This is the test of the Heavenly Profound Jade—it selects not only warriors, but also those who can bear the truth."

Lin Yu scratched his head: "So... what should we do now?"

Chu Canglan gazed at the lanterns floating on the river and said softly, "Although the Shadow Moon Sect's lair has been destroyed, its remnants still exist. And the real secret..." He pointed to the eight unlit points of light on the star map, "is still waiting for you ahead."

Fu Shaoping raised an eyebrow: "So you're going to have to keep 'working overtime'?"

"What man in the martial world doesn't work overtime?" Chu Canglan tilted his head back and drank the last sip of wine, his figure gradually blending into the moonlight. "But at least... the moonlight is beautiful tonight."

The waning moon had not yet set, and the east was already tinged with the pale light of dawn. On the ruins of the altar, bronze gears and fragments gleamed coldly in the morning light. Fu Shaoping leaned against his sword, watching the fading shadows of lanterns on the distant river, and suddenly spoke: "That guy Chu Canglan, he just left like that."

Nangong Wan wiped the blade of his sword, a slight smile playing on his lips: "At least he left a message—'The real secret lies ahead.'"

Lin Yu unfolded the star map, his fingertip tracing the eight unlit points of light: "Nine anchor points, and we've only solved the first one. At this rate, we'll probably have to travel across most of the martial world."

Fu Shaoping suddenly frowned: "Wait, have you noticed..." He pointed to the edge of the crack in the altar, "the runes engraved on these bronze fragments are exactly the same as the gear pattern that Chu Canglan gave us."

The three crouched down for a closer look, and sure enough, it was so. Nangong Wan's eyes narrowed: "What does this mean?"

"This means that the puppetry techniques of the Shadow Moon Sect... may have originated from the derivative technology of the Heavenly Profound Jade." Fu Shaoping said in a deep voice, "Or the other way around—the power of the Heavenly Profound Jade was originally stolen by the Shadow Moon Sect."

Lin Yu gasped, "Then Chu Canglan is..."

"Watch your words." Nangong Wan suddenly grabbed his shoulder. "Someone's coming."
-
**Luoyue City - Market Streets**
Before the morning mist had dissipated, a troop of soldiers was searching house to house for "suspicious individuals." The leading general held a portrait, which clearly depicted the faces of Fu Shaoping and his two companions.

"General, after the altar exploded last night, witnesses said that three swordsmen went east of the city."

The general sneered, "Remnants of the Demonic Cult, they can't escape. Search them!"
-
**Abandoned Taoist Temple in the Suburbs**
Fu Shaoping pushed open the rotten wooden door, and amidst the rising dust, the three of them took temporary shelter in a secret chamber behind the statue. Lin Yu peered through the crack and observed the outside: "The soldiers are conducting door-to-door searches; we need to leave as soon as possible."

Nangong Wan suddenly pressed his hand to his chest, his brows furrowing slightly: "Something's not right..."

Fu Shaoping noticed something was wrong: "What's wrong?"

"During the battle just now, I think I was grazed by the puppet's purple flames." She unbuttoned her sleeve, revealing a purplish-black burn mark on her arm. "This poison... is spreading."

Lin Yu took out silver needles from his medicine pouch: "Let me see."

The moment the needle pierced the skin, it turned black at a visible speed. Lin Yu's expression changed drastically: "It's the Shadow Moon Sect's 'Bone-Corroding Poison'! It corrodes the meridians; if we don't detoxify it quickly..."

Fu Shaoping drew his sword and chopped down a wooden stake: "Let's leave this place first and find somewhere to heal our wounds." (End of Chapter)