Simultaneously traversing: the pinnacle of all realms

After finishing the breathing exercises, the sky was already beginning to lighten with the first hint of dawn.

The morning mist in the bamboo forest hadn't yet dissipated, and the stream outside the stilted house flowed gently, as if nothing had happened. Lu Ze sat cross-legged on the straw mat, slowly opening his eyes. His amber pupils contracted in the morning light, readjusting to the brightness of the world.

He looked down at his hands.

There was a thin callus on the tiger's mouth, left from years of holding a knife. Although he wasn't a master, it was enough to protect himself in the martial arts world—but in this world, whether it was enough was another matter.

I got up to wash up, and the cold water splashed on my face, which made me more awake. I even wiped the antlers on my head.

Lu Ze gathered his hair and tied it casually behind his head with a strip of cloth, revealing his pointed ears. He took the knife that had been with him for many years from the wall and slung it at his waist.

Although he wasn't good with swords, having a weapon to protect himself while traveling the martial arts world was still a good thing.

This knife, Lu Ze now calls it the Deer-Slaying Knife.

The knife wasn't long; the blade had been worn narrower and the edge gleamed. A deep scratch ran across the scabbard—a mark left when he encountered a wild boar in the woods as a child. He had run fast, and the boar had chased him for three miles before he escaped by climbing a tree.

Looking back now, the wild boar was probably just startled and didn't really want to chase him.

But he ran really fast; after all, he was a deer.

Lu Ze stepped out of the stilted house and took a deep breath of the mountain air. Birds were chirping merrily in the bamboo forest, and in the distance, the mountains were layered with greenery and shrouded in mist, as if someone had casually smeared a few strokes of light ink on rice paper.

The scenery is beautiful, but people can't live just by looking at the scenery.

In the world of Rainbow Cat and Blue Rabbit, perhaps because it's a children's cartoon, most people are kind.

But some people are a menace just by being alive.

Some people shouldn't die, and some people should die sooner; it's better for everyone that way.

Jade Toad Palace.

He pulled a crumpled piece of paper from his pocket, on which was the information he had gathered—the Jade Toad Palace was located in western Hunan, and its master, Lan Tu, was said to be the most beautiful woman in the martial arts world, highly skilled in martial arts and adept at swordsmanship.

Recently, news has been released that a martial arts contest will be held in the palace to find a husband.

The marriage proposal was a pretense; the real purpose was to cover up the healing of Rainbow Cat, the master of the Long Rainbow Sword. He remembered these plot points, but remembering them was one thing, and how to actually carry them out was another.

Lu Ze tore the note to shreds and threw it into the woods. He gathered his money, locked the door, and headed south along the mountain path.

-

After walking for two days, the mountain path gradually widened, turning from a narrow, winding trail into a dirt road wide enough for horse-drawn carriages.

I happened to come across a tea stall by the roadside, with a few tables set up rather haphazardly. A fat, bear-faced man was sitting there, with a stack of empty bowls in front of him and another bowl in his hand, gulping down the contents of his mouth.

The man was enormous, sitting there like a small mountain. He wore a short blue cloth coat with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, revealing his two thick, strong arms. A bronze staff was tucked into his waistband, its tip polished to a gleaming shine.

Lu Ze sat down at the table next to him and ordered a bowl of tea.

"Shopkeeper, another bowl of wine!" The man slammed the bowl on the table, his voice booming like thunder.

The tea stall owner, like an old ape, hopped over to refill the bowl. The man finished his drink in one gulp, wiped his mouth, and then noticed Lu Ze beside him. He looked Lu Ze up and down, his gaze lingering for a moment on the knife at Lu Ze's waist, before he grinned.

"Young man, are you already venturing into the martial world alone, walking mountain paths?"

Lu Ze tilted his head, as if asking, "How did you know?"

Although Lu Ze spends most of his time in the forest, he feels that he is quite like a江湖人 (jianghu person, a person of the martial arts world).

"You've got some nerve," the man said, putting down his bowl without explaining. "This area has been rather unsafe lately. Members of the Demonic Cult are roaming around, specifically targeting lone individuals like you."

"Thanks for reminding me," Lu Ze said.

Seeing his indifferent reaction, the man didn't mind. He drank another bowl by himself, then slammed a small piece of silver on the table: "Waiter, the wine is due! And the tea for that young man!" He turned to Lu Ze, "Where are you going? If it's on your way, can we ride together?"

Lu Ze thought for a moment and then said truthfully, "Xiangxi, Tianmen Mountain."

"Hey!" the man slapped his thigh. "What a coincidence, I'm also going to western Hunan. Ever heard of Jade Toad Palace?"

Lu Ze looked at him and nodded.

"A martial arts contest to find a husband! The most beautiful woman in the martial arts world!" The man's eyes lit up. "Although I, Da Ben, am not exactly a prodigy, I have at least practiced martial arts for a few years. I'll go join in the fun; what if I catch someone's eye?"

Lu Ze remained silent for a moment.

A Mercedes-Benz.

He recognized the name; no wonder it looked familiar.

The young master of Benlei Manor wields a bronze staff, and while he claims to use the Benlei Staff Technique, it is actually the Benlei Sword Technique. He is also the current master of the Benlei Sword.

He is generous and righteous, but he is addicted to drinking and gambling, and sometimes his brain doesn't work very well—of course, this assessment might be impolite, so Lu Ze didn't say it out loud.

"Let's go together then," Lu Ze said.

Da Ben stood up, slung the copper rod over his shoulder, and patted Lu Ze on the shoulder with his other hand: "Don't worry, follow me, I'll keep you safe."

Lu Ze felt a thud on his shoulder from the pat, but he followed without changing his expression.

-

The two sat by the roadside to rest at night.

Da Ben took out two pieces of dry rations from his bundle, gave one to Lu Ze, and ate the other himself. He shook his empty wine gourd with a helpless expression, leaned against the tree trunk, and looked up at the starry sky.

"What do you think the Blue Rabbit Palace Master looks like?" Da Ben suddenly asked.

"have no idea."

"I heard she looks like a fairy and is also highly skilled in martial arts." Da Ben's tone carried a pure longing, not like lust for beauty, but more like the curiosity of a martial artist for a master. "Her swordsmanship is first-rate, and her sword energy is said to be able to make snow fall in June and freeze water into ice."

Lu Ze took a bite of the dry rations and chewed slowly.

He remembered what Da Ben said, but it was something he had seen in his previous life, so he couldn't recall the details clearly.

Ice Soul Sword Master, one of the Seven Swords.

Blue Rabbit publicly set up the challenge not to find a husband, but to attract the attention of Pig Wujie, the master of the Demonic Church, and to cover up her real target.

Rainbow Sword Master, Rainbow Cat.

Based on the timeline, Rainbow Cat should be in the Jade Toad Palace right now, suffering from a deadly poison and healing his wounds. White Cat has already passed the Rainbow Sword to him, and White Cat himself…

Lu Ze paused for a moment as he chewed the dry food.

The white cat is probably gone by now.

With the Seven Heroes gone, the older generation of sword masters either dead or scattered, and the Demonic Cult, led by Black Heart Tiger, was at its zenith, leaving everyone in the martial world in fear. The combined power of the Seven Swords was the only force capable of confronting Black Heart Tiger, but the Seven Swords were scattered in various places, and some didn't even know they were his successors.

Blue Rabbit is gambling.

She gambled that she could hold out until Rainbow Cat recovered, that the other sword masters would hear the news and come to her aid, and that this scattered group could be reunited.

"Young man," the Mercedes' voice interrupted his thoughts, "why aren't you saying anything? Are you tired?"

"I'm thinking about something," Lu Ze said.

"What are you thinking about?"

"The matter of wanting to have a martial arts competition."

Da Ben laughed and said, "Why think so much? Just go up and fight! If we win, it's a bonus; if we lose, it's not shameful."

Looking at his innocent face, Lu Ze suddenly realized that this kind of person was probably the most likely to survive to the end. Not because he was so capable, but because he didn't dwell on things.

"That's right." Lu Ze smiled, a rare occurrence for him.

-

The two traveled along the road for two days, and the journey was peaceful. Da Ben was a talkative man, and his mouth never stopped the whole way, talking about everything from martial arts anecdotes to local delicacies, from weapon rankings to which restaurant had the most authentic Daughter's Red wine.

Lu Ze would occasionally respond, but most of the time he just listened.

On the evening of the third day, they finally arrived at the territory of the Jade Toad Palace.

From afar, a palace stands against the mountain, with upturned eaves, white walls, and black tiles, looking quite beautiful in the twilight.

Lu Ze's gaze fell on the tightly closed gate of the Jade Toad Palace. Above the gate hung a plaque with the three large characters "Jade Toad Palace" written in elegant strokes, as if written by a woman.

His attention was not on the plaque.

He was observing the hidden sentries on the mountain.

There are some in the east corner tower, some in the bamboo grove on the west, and countless more hidden in the side rooms on both sides of the main road. Some of these people are well hidden, but most make no attempt to conceal themselves.

The rhythm of their steps doesn't lie—they're all trained fighters, and their martial arts skills are quite good.

This is not the level of security one would expect at a palace gate for a celebratory occasion.

Da Ben clearly sensed something was wrong, and lowered his voice a few decibels: "Something's not right here."

"Um."

"Do you think something happened?"

Lu Ze thought for a moment, then didn't answer. He knew, but he couldn't say it directly; even if he did, Da Ben wouldn't believe him. He was just an insignificant nobody passing by, joining in the fun, and shouldn't know too much.

"Forget it," Da Ben slammed the copper rod on the ground, creating a shallow crater. "Let's go see what's going on!"

Lu Ze followed behind him, heading towards the Jade Toad Palace.

Just then, the figures in black jumped out, "Wait! The Demonic Sect has sealed off the mountain! No one is allowed up the mountain without the sect leader's order!"

The Mercedes-Benz, its face contorted with anger, exclaimed, "You...!"

The minor leader of the Demonic Cult ignored him and interrupted, "The Demonic Cult's Pig Hall Master has ordered the Demonic Cult to seal off the mountain! You two—please return!"