Simultaneously traversing: traversing countless heavens

Chapter 93 The victor reigns supreme, the loser submits.

Deep within the main hall of the Reverse Life Gate, the air was thick with the scent of sandalwood, yet it couldn't suppress the oppressive atmosphere of an impending storm.

"If it's difficult, should we just give up?"

Zhou Yi's voice was not loud, but it was like a nail, chiseling into the stagnant air.

He turned around and looked at Si Chong and Cheng Zhen, who were still about to speak, his gaze as calm as a deep pool.

"My mind is made up, there's no need to persuade me further."

At this extraordinary moment when extraordinary people from all over the world have gathered at the mountain gate, how could he not understand the worries of these two masters? They were simply afraid that the Reverse Life Sect would be the first to crash into the cliff, and that this thousand-year-old lineage would be swept into an irreversible torrent because of his own thoughts.

"Throughout history," the Taoist priest seemed to tremble slightly, his voice low and sorrowful, "how many heroes and valiant men of the past willingly served as vanguards for their kings, only to meet their demise without a proper burial, their efforts ultimately futile! How many sects, filled with sorrowful aspirations, wishing to support the imperial court and save the common people, ended up—utterly destroyed, their lineages collapsing!"

Chengzhen stood to the side, slowly closing his eyes, as if unable to bear the sound, only managing to squeeze out those blood-stained names through his teeth: "—The Taiping Dao, the Shenxiao Sect—the lessons of the past are still vivid in our minds, the bloodstains are not yet dry! Zhouyi, do you still want to gamble?"

The hall fell silent for a moment, with only the faint sounds of noise from the distant square coming through the window, as if through a thick layer of glass.

The Book of Changes did not provide an answer.

He stood up straight and steadily carried the ancient and heavy sword case on his back.

The action interrupted all the remaining admonitions.

Needless to say.

Just then, the palace door was gently pushed open.

Zuo Ruotong, who had been waiting outside to greet the leaders of various sects, entered with the young Lu Jin. A ray of light from outside streamed in as the door opened, illuminating the dust motes floating in the air.

Zuo Ruotong's gaze immediately fell on the tall figure who had changed into the pure white Daoist robe of the Reverse Life Sect. He did not look at the worried eyes of Chong and Chengzhen, nor did he say any words of comfort or advice.

He simply stepped forward, came to Zhou Yi, reached out, and slowly and delicately smoothed out a barely perceptible wrinkle on his shoulder collar, and straightened the collar even more neatly.

The movements were gentle, just like an elder seeing off a younger person on a long journey.

Only then did Zuo Ruotong slightly raise her face.

He suddenly became somewhat dazed. Without realizing it, the child was already more than half a head taller than him, and he had to look up to see his face clearly.

He gazed at his disciple's profile, which had lost its last trace of youthful immaturity and possessed a deep, sculpted look, and finally raised his hand to pat his shoulder heavily.

What came from the palm was the solidified flesh and bone like a mountain, and also the scorching lava about to erupt.

"Go." Zuo Ruotong's voice was steady, carrying a sense of relief and pride that came after everything had settled. "Everyone is here. Go do what you need to do."

"Regardless of success or failure," he paused, then spoke each word clearly as a vow, "from now on, the entire Reverse Life Sect, even for thousands of years, will only be proud of you."

Finally, he gazed into Zhou Yi's eyes, as if trying to convey his strength and conviction through his gaze: "Remember, you—you were never alone."

Zhou Yi's Adam's apple twitched slightly, and he nodded emphatically.

He didn't speak, but that deep nod conveyed a thousand words of gratitude.

Finally, he looked around at everyone in the hall—his teachers, his fellow disciples—his gaze sweeping over each face as if he wanted to etch them into his heart.

Without further hesitation, he turned around, stepped out of the palace gate.

The figure suddenly disappeared into the dazzling sunlight outside the door, like a drop of water merging into a boiling ocean.

The square was already teeming with people, and the sound of their voices was faintly like a surging tide.

People of all kinds of attire and temperament gathered here, sizing each other up, talking in hushed tones, the air thick with curiosity, suspicion, wariness, and a hint of barely perceptible excitement.

"It's out! It's out!"

Those with sharp eyes immediately gasped, and countless gazes instantly focused on the white figure slowly emerging from the stone steps of the main hall.

"Does anyone recognize this senior brother?" Feng Ping of the Huode Sect, quick-witted by nature, nudged Xu Xin of the Tang Sect beside him with his elbow and whispered, "I've heard rumors that the one stirring up trouble and gathering heroes this time isn't the Left Sect Leader, but this guy inside—"

Xu Xin crossed his arms, raised an eyebrow upon hearing this, and his sharp gaze swept over the unfamiliar young face on the steps. He curled his lip and said, "Never heard of this person in the circle. What qualifications does he have to make all the sects in the world, including us, travel thousands of miles to come here? Just because he is a top disciple of the Reverse Life Sect?"

"snort!"

A clear, cold snort came from the side, full of disdain.

Everyone turned to look and saw that it was the young manager of the Jianghu Inn, who was known for his excellent information.

Shopkeeper Liu adjusted his glasses, his gaze sweeping over Xu Xin from behind the lenses, his tone resolute: "Qualifications? If he isn't qualified, then no one in this world is!"

"Oh?" Feng Ping's eyes lit up, and he immediately took half a step closer. "Does Manager Liu know this senior brother's background?"

This question immediately attracted the attention of many people around.

At this moment, those gathered nearby were mostly the young elites of various sects: Zhou Sheng of Wudang stroked his chin thoughtfully; the two brothers from Longhu Mountain, Zhang Zhiwei looked indifferent, while Zhang Huaiyi had bright eyes; Fang Ying from Tengshan, several elites from Tangmen, Zheng Zibu from Shangqing Sect, and Gu Master Feng Tianyang from Liangshan—all turned their gazes over.

Manager Liu, sensing the gazes around him, didn't keep them in suspense and spoke in a deep voice, deliberately making each word clear: "If I were to say who I have seen and heard of in my life, in the martial world and in the imperial court, the person I admire most is him. If he ranks second, no one would dare to claim first."

He paused briefly, then, meeting the astonished gazes of the crowd, slowly uttered the name: "His name is Zhou Yi."

"Perhaps within our circle of extraordinary individuals, he is not well-known and keeps a low profile. But do you all know that in the bustling, corrupt world of mortals, his name is truly legendary!"

His gaze swept over the young, arrogant faces, and he said, enunciating each word clearly: "These are true titans capable of maneuvering across the world's territories, qualified to sit firmly in the top three! They are figures who can stir up the political landscape and command the attention of all factions!"

"Even now," he lowered his voice, making it all the more impactful, "countless people in the imperial court and the military still recommend him to be the Grand Marshal of the Three Armies, commanding the entire nation's forces, rather than—"

Now, that braised egg vendor on stage.

"hiss--!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a collective gasp of shock erupted from all around.

Many young disciples had disbelief written all over their faces, while top figures such as Zhou Sheng and Zhang Zhiwei also had surprise and deep thought in their eyes.

The weight this name carried clearly far exceeded their initial expectations. The atmosphere in the square, because of these few words, quietly became even more unpredictable and treacherous.

Down the mountain, along the tree-lined path, lies a completely different scene.

The Quanxing masters, some standing and some leaning, were casually gathered together, which was out of place with the orderly and solemn atmosphere on the mountain.

"Sect Leader," Yuan Jingui squinted, strolling over to Wugensheng, who was sitting on the bluestone, his voice carrying its usual sarcastic tone, "we at least accepted the invitation; we're guests in name only." This Sanyi Sect—

"Tsk, now that it's called the Reverse Life Gate, how can they leave guests stranded at the foot of the mountain, exposed to the wind, without even a guide? This has truly broadened our horizons."

He drawled, "Isn't this—a blatant disrespect for you, and for our entire sect?"

Wugensheng sat there listlessly, as if he were sitting on a soft brocade couch instead of rough stones.

He glanced at Yuan Jingui, a half-smile playing on his lips, already thoroughly familiar with this guy's tactics of stirring up trouble.

"What's the rush?" he said lazily, even letting out a small yawn. "Me? I'm got a heavy bottom and a solid foundation. Only when the master personally came down the mountain to invite me, this honored guest, could I even move my nest."

He tilted his head to look at Yuan Jingui, a hint of mockery in his eyes: "Brother Yuan, if you're getting impatient and your legs are nimble, why don't you go up first? While you're at it, you can also check things out for everyone, see just how many 'gods' have been summoned by the Reverse Life Sect's invitation, and how many of them are truly skilled fighters."

"Hehe—" Yuan Jingui chuckled twice and rubbed his hands together. "It's true that you, Sect Leader, are very thoughtful and composed."

He was met with a rebuff, and his eyes darted around, his gaze falling on Li Muxuan, who stood silently behind Wugensheng, looking somewhat absent-minded.

Yuan Jingui immediately put on a familiar smile, took a few steps over, and warmly put his arm around Li Muxuan's shoulder: "Oh! Isn't this Brother Li? It's been a long time! I heard that you and our sect leader were secretly plotting something very important the other day?"

He lowered his voice and winked, "So, how did it go? Did it work out?"

Li Muxuan looked up at him, slowly shook his head, his eyes still lingering with the shock of what he had seen that day, a shock that had not yet dissipated, as if his soul was still wandering in that incredible scene, not yet fully returned to its place.

Yuan Jingui's lips twitched, and his instigating rhetoric had already undergone a transformation on the tip of his tongue, all happening in that instant.

There was no sound of wind, no halo, and not even the slightest violent fluctuation of Qi.

Yuan Jingui felt that the surrounding scenery—the rough rocks of the mountain path, the sparse light and shadow in the forest, and the different expressions of his companions—suddenly blurred, melted, and flowed away, like an ink painting soaked in water.

His senses went blank for a brief moment, as if he had stepped into thin air and fallen into a silent abyss.

When the heart-pounding feeling of weightlessness disappeared and he regained a solid touch under his feet, the scene before him had completely changed.

No longer is it a windswept countryside, but a spacious courtyard paved with bluestone slabs, solemn and dignified.

The majestic Reverse Life Gate Hall stood silently in front of him, its heavy wooden doors and flying eaves exuding an invisible pressure.

"this----?!"

He wasn't the only one who was shocked.

The Quanxing disciples, who were originally scattered throughout the mountain path, whether it was the sect leader Wugensheng sitting on the stone at the front as if he were detached from the matter, or those who were whispering and watching with their arms crossed, were now like chess pieces being brushed by an invisible hand on a chessboard. They all appeared in this unfamiliar courtyard without missing a single one.

What's even more chilling is the change in the overall situation.

The various righteous people who were originally waiting, talking, or watching warily in the courtyard seemed to be gently pushed aside by a gentle yet irresistible giant hand, and appeared as a whole on the left side of the courtyard, in an orderly manner, even maintaining their original relative positions.

The members of Quanxing were "placed" on the right, like a mirror image.

The original boundaries of the courtyard seemed like an illusion; the courtyard was now several times larger, easily accommodating the two groups of people who should have been at each other's throats but were now equally shocked and bewildered.

All these changes happened in an instant shorter than a breath, eerily quiet and eerily unsettling.

"Ho—"

Someone gasped, their voice unusually clear in the deathly silence.

In the next instant, countless surprised, horrified, and incredulous gazes rapidly exchanged between the righteous and the evil sides.

The young disciple's face turned pale, and he instinctively gripped his weapon tighter; many highly skilled sect leaders and renowned figures, who dominated their respective regions, suddenly felt their pupils shrink and a chill run down their spines.

Completely powerless to resist!

Of the nearly one thousand people present, not one was able to sense it beforehand, and not one was able to make any effective response during the process!

How to avoid making people's hearts jump.

Just moments ago, the two sides, righteous and evil, were locked in a tense standoff and wary of each other. Now, their clear-cut hostility has been temporarily overshadowed by a greater and more primal fear.

Everyone's attention was involuntarily drawn to the same focal point—the end of the several stone steps in front of the main hall.

A white figure stood there quietly.

"listen to me."

The Book of Changes spoke.

His voice wasn't loud, yet it strangely suppressed all the subtle disturbances, reaching everyone's ears clearly and steadily, as if resonating directly in their hearts.

"Gentlemen, I am Zhou Yi." His gaze swept calmly over the dark mass of people below, as if he saw everyone, yet also seemed to transcend them all.

"Just as some of you have guessed, it is not my teacher who truly wants to see you. It was I who sent the invitation and spearheaded this meeting."

"Among those present, some have heard of my name in the newspapers, some have heard tales of me in the martial arts world, and some only learn of my existence today. None of these matters."

He paused, his tone still calm, yet revealing an undeniable certainty, "Because from today onward, you will truly know me, know who I really am, and—what I intend to do."

He took a small half-step forward, a subtle movement that made everyone's heartstrings tighten.

"I have invited extraordinary individuals from all over the world to gather here for one purpose only."

He paused slightly, as if to give the word its weight.

"I wish to become your common leader."

The words fell like a boulder thrown into a lake, stirring up a storm in the hearts of countless people. But on the surface, the courtyard became even quieter, as if even breathing was being choked.

"Unify the righteous and the evil, gather the power of a thousand sects and a hundred schools, and bring them all to my use." His words were clear and even frank, yet every word was chilling. "You will become the sword in my hand, pointing where I wish to go, and accomplishing what I wish to achieve."

A suppressed uproar finally rose uncontrollably, but it was immediately suppressed by an even stronger sense of surprise and anticipation for what would follow.

"Arrogance? Conceit? Delusions?" Zhou Yi seemed to hear the unspoken questions. He shook his head slightly, his tone even carrying a hint of understanding in his indifference.

"Think what you will. I am unwilling and disdainful of using the grand principles of national crisis and the devastation of our country to bind you. You are all highly skilled and proud individuals, heroes who are invincible and talents who can withstand ten thousand men."

Empty talk about lofty ideals only invites ridicule.

As he spoke, he untied the ancient sword case that he had always carried on his back, held it in one hand, and then, "Thump!!!"

A deafening roar, so deep it seemed to shake the very earth, exploded out!

The moment the bottom of the sword case touched the stone steps beneath his feet, an invisible ripple, not a physical thing but a heavy "feeling," suddenly spread out, causing those nearby to instinctively take a half-step back, their blood churning.

Then, something even more horrifying happened!

Starting from where he stood, the stone steps several meters high beneath his feet, along with the majestic main hall of the Reverse Life Sect behind them, began to rise with a rumble!

It's not a crack, not a collapse, but a holistic, stable, and solemn rise!

The earth did not tremble violently, and the bricks and stones fit together perfectly, as if the building had grown out of the ever-rising base.

In the blink of an eye, Zhou Yi stood atop a solitary peak that towered over everyone else, his white Taoist robe fluttering in the rising wind, as if a god had descended to earth to look down upon all living beings.

He looked down at the crowd below, now appearing tiny, his voice still steady, but imbued with a thunderous majesty by his height, rolling down: "In that case, let us cast aside all grand pronouncements and return to the most primal and direct principle—using the methods that we, the Extraordinary Ones, excel at."

"The strong rule, and the victor reigns supreme."

"Today, I will stand here alone and face all the heroes of the world."

"If you can defeat me, or exhaust me, then all my words today will be nothing but a joke, and I, Zhou Yi, will be at your mercy. If I am fortunate enough to win—"

His gaze was like lightning, sweeping over every face that was angry, horrified, or solemn.

"The victor is king, the loser submits."

The last word fell like the final gavel of judgment, striking the heavens and the earth.

He stood alone on the high platform.

Beneath the high platform, all beings are silent.

An invisible fighting spirit and immense pressure gathered and collided wildly in the air above the courtyard, which had expanded several times over.

The voice of the Book of Changes rang out clearly once more, echoing in everyone's ears and hearts: "Everyone..."

"What do you think?"

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