Simultaneous time travel, starting from Little Li Flying Dagger

"B-Big brother, do you think your Divine Blade Slash can...can achieve this effect?"

"Compared to Chuk, who is stronger?"

After a long while, watching Chuk's figure disappear into the distance, Bai Tianyong said awkwardly.

He could tell that Chu Ke's smashing of the inn was no ordinary feat, but his elder brother was always proud. Would he admit that he was inferior to Chu Ke?

Bai Tianyong was somewhat expectant.

"..."

Bai Tianyu was speechless, and it looked like several black lines were about to appear on his forehead.

Bai Tianyong, that idiot, has such a low level of martial arts skill that he could only watch Chu Ke's attack with amusement.

However, Bai Tianyu himself had already slightly grasped the mysterious 'realm of gods and Buddhas' and could vaguely discern some of its secrets.

In a duel between top experts like myself, our cultivation levels are generally evenly matched. Who wins or loses depends entirely on the level of our current state of mind and the depth of our understanding.

For example, if one were facing the leader of a demonic sect and was at the brink of death, with the intent to kill at its peak, it wouldn't be impossible for one to cleave the inn in two with a divine blade.

To put it more simply, if someone were to harm Lin Shiyin and then fight Li Xunhuan, even if the top two weapons on the list, Tianji Laoren and Shangguan Jin Hong, joined forces, they would probably be no match for Little Li's Flying Dagger.

But under normal circumstances, Shangguan Jin Hong alone could beat Li Xunhuan so badly that he wouldn't even have a chance to throw a flying knife.

This is the difference in mindset, but Chuck...

He could shatter an inn with a single palm strike while in a calm state of mind; Bai Tianyu believed that no one else in the world could do such a feat of internal strength.

Could there be a realm above 'gods and Buddhas'? Bai Tianyu only regretted that he had not yet fully entered this realm and could not comprehend its entirety. If Shangguan or Li Xunhuan were here, they might have different feelings.

"Big brother, why aren't you saying anything?"

"Who's stronger?"

Bai Tianyong was still asking questions.

With a loud "bang!", Bai Tianyong flew straight up onto the ruins.

On the other side, Bai Tianyu withdrew his feet and said calmly:

"From today onwards, you are not allowed to step out of the Divine Blade Hall. We'll talk again when you can force me to draw my sword."

Bai Tianyong, standing atop the ruins: "..."

.............

Guandong Border City, located near Shanhaiguan, bordering Hebei and Liaoning provinces, is a hub for the martial arts world and caravans outside the pass, the stronghold of the Divine Blade Hall, and also the place where Li Xunhuan met Bai Tianyu ten years ago when he left the pass.

This place cannot compare to the prosperity of Baoding, nor does it possess the wealth of the Central Plains, but it is nonetheless bustling with activity. Martial arts practitioners come and go, swordsmen and chivalrous figures abound, and the air is thick with the spirit of the martial world. The reason is simple...

Just because...

Outside the city lies the territory of the Demonic Cult.

Years ago, Chai Yuguan, using the alias "Wan Jia Sheng Fo" (a legendary Buddhist monk), and his wife, Fairy Yunmeng, devised a scheme, using the "Invincible Treasure Mirror" as bait to kill all the heroes of the world.

He then proclaimed himself "King of Joy," and his power dominated the martial arts world. He even defeated the Demonic Sect in one fell swoop, forcing it to withdraw from the Central Plains.

The Demonic Sect retreated for decades.

Countless martial arts practitioners came to the border town, hoping to witness the former evil sect that had plagued the martial arts world and enslaved all sides. Some even wanted to destroy the evil sect, a dying camel, so that they could become famous and become the ruler of the world.

Inside an inn, Chu Ke sighed.

After so many days, I can finally drink in peace.

Recalling how the foolish Bai Yong had ambushed him a few days ago, ruining his mood, Chuk subconsciously glanced around the inn.

The room was filled with the clamor of voices, and all the people coming and going carried swords and knives, each exuding a menacing aura; the entire room was filled with江湖客 (jianghu ke, martial arts practitioners).

Well, they probably don't know each other.

However, as Chuk picked up his glass, a loud "snap" of a gavel struck, startling him so much that he almost lost his grip on the glass and spilled the wine.

Turning my head, I saw an old man in a blue cloth robe sitting at a table by the window, smoking a pipe with his eyes closed.

Beside him was a very young woman with two long braids and a pair of big, dark, bright eyes that seemed capable of stealing a man's soul with a single glance.

She was the one who struck the gavel just now.

The old man in the blue robe coughed a few times, tapped his pipe on the table, and said, "Hong'er, is it time?"

Her large eyes were scanning the inn, seemingly searching for any interesting people or things, as she replied:

"The time has come, the time has come."

The old man lifted the lid of the teacup, blew on the tea leaves, took a sip, and said loudly:

"The third-ranked scholar mistakenly entered the execution ground, and Chuk rode alone for a thousand miles."

His opening two sentences immediately attracted the attention of everyone in the inn.

The old storyteller glanced around and asked, "Do you all know who these two people I'm talking about are?"

The girl with the braids knew, of course, that he wasn't really asking her a question; he just needed someone to continue the conversation.

He then tossed his two long braids and shook his head, saying:

"Who are these two? I don't think I've ever heard of them."

The old storyteller chuckled and said, "Then you are truly ignorant. These two are indeed very famous these days."

"The third-ranked scholar was a scion of a family that had produced seven Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations) across three generations. In his generation, the three men—father and sons—were even more remarkable."

"Is it that amazing?" the girl with braids asked, her eyes full of curiosity.

"The two brothers took the imperial examination every few years, and both achieved the rank of Tan Hua (third-place scholar), making three Tan Hua from one family!"

"You said it couldn't be done?"

The girl with the braid exclaimed in surprise, "Are their family members some kind of literary genius reincarnation? They're so incredibly lucky!"

The old storyteller nodded, then shook his head.

What is honey to you is poison to me. To others it may seem like a great honor to the family, but the old scholar doesn't think that way at all.

"Seeing that his two sons both ranked third in the imperial examinations but none of them could become the top scholar, the old third-ranked scholar was disappointed and passed away less than two years later. Two years later, the eldest third-ranked scholar, Li, also died of an incurable disease."

"This young scholar, Li, was disheartened and simply resigned from his official post, spending his time at home entertaining guests."

The old storyteller finished his tale in one breath and then took a few more sips of tea.

"That old geezer must be crazy! He's already third in the imperial examinations, isn't that good enough? Why does he have to fight for the top spot? He deserves to die!"

"Yes! Yes! That old bastard deserved to die. So greedy, he deserved to never enjoy life!"

"..."

The martial arts practitioners listening below were all puzzled, and then loudly cursed the old scholar for being insatiably greedy.

The air was filled with foul language.

Just as they were getting into the swing of their tirade, a man was slamming his fist on the table, spitting as he spoke, when suddenly a soft "whoosh" was heard, and a flash of lightning streaked past his eyes.

His cursing stopped abruptly, followed by a strange "hehe" sound coming from his throat. Looking down, he saw that half of his tongue had fallen into his wine glass.

"I'm afraid you don't know."

"The Li family and my Ding family have been on good terms for generations. If anyone dares to speak ill of us, it won't just be their tongue that gets cut off!"

All eyes were on him.

A woman in white, her hair tied with a jade crown, stood before them. Her features were clear and sharp, devoid of any trace of makeup, yet she possessed an indescribable, commanding aura of heroism.

Especially the hand holding the sword hilt, with its distinct knuckles, clearly indicates someone who has practiced swordsmanship for many years.

"Master, please skip over the story of the third-ranked scholar and tell me the story of Chuk."

Then, the woman in white wiped her sword and looked at the storyteller as if nothing had happened.