Ninth In the World

It only took a few moments before loud laughter rang from the entrance of the Ocean Monarch Palace. A short man with pockmarks on his face and some tattoos on his arms appeared at the sect’s entrance. He landed on the ground and immediately cupped his fists. Then, he laughed and said, “The Ocean Monarch Palace is honored by your appearance and gracious presence. I’m Ao Qianren, the Grand Elder of the Ocean Monarch Palace. Welcome, Sect Master Di. Welcome, welcome...”

He said “welcome” three times in one go, as if he was trying to express his enthusiasm and the Ocean Monarch Palace’s hospitality. However, Di Jiu could hear that his tone was a little forced and reluctant.

He was not bothered by this. He simply did not want to be used by Di Feixue, but that did not mean that he was afraid of the Ocean Monarch Palace.

“Thank you, Elder Ao.” Di Jiu cupped his fists and bowed before stepping into the gates of the Teleportation Array without hesitation.

Di Jiu felt some suction as he landed on the ground. When the real Ocean Monarch Palace appeared before his eyes, the sect’s aura surged like furious waves. Stone steps made of benthic jade led all the way to the Ocean Monarch Palace’s entrance.

He sensed some dense water-element Spirit Qi, which made him curse the daring founder of the Ocean Monarch Palace. The founder had managed to find a treasured land and build a sect there.

Throughout the entire journey, Ao Qianren talked about the Ocean Monarch Palace’s history and mentioned some rumors about the Vast Sea. Di Jiu listened to him distractedly.

Ao Qianren felt incensed and uneasy, as he did not know what Di Jiu’s intentions were for coming.

The Sect Master of the Ocean Monarch Palace, Ao Huang, had indeed wanted to plot against Di Jiu in the past. However, that was no longer the case. Ao Huang was already dead, so this matter should be put to rest.

Half an hour later, thanks to Ao Qianren’s guidance, Di Jiu arrived at the guest hall of the Ocean Monarch Palace. The three men sitting in the guest hall stood up when they saw Di Jiu enter. They cupped their fists and greeted him.

Di Jiu’s Spiritual Force scanned the area briefly and sensed that there was a level-nine trap killing array set up outside this guest hall. There was also a third-stage True Form Realm elder here, who had introduced himself as Ao Junhua earlier. The other two men were Life Tribulation Realm cultivators. Every member of the Ocean Monarch Palace seemed to be ill at ease and wary about Di Jiu’s visit.

After sitting down and taking a sip of tea, Di Jiu got straight to the point. “I just ended my seclusion and heard that Daoist Ao Huang of the Ocean Monarch Palace met his doom. I actually came here to express my belated condolences. Daoist Ao Huang had attended the Galaxy Master Sect’s opening ceremony to celebrate. It is indeed saddening and unexpected that he is no longer alive.”

The two Grand Elders and the two Inner Sect Elders of the Ocean Monarch Palace looked at each other, confused as to what Di Jiu was implying.

Di Jiu was not expecting to obtain the Ocean Monarch Palace’s friendship. After he said that, his tone changed. “I heard that, following the death of Daoist Ao Huang, the killer framed me for his murder. Hence, I had no choice but to come forth and prove my innocence. If I had killed a Sect Master, I would have admitted it. I never once thought of proving my innocence about the deaths of the Sect Masters of the Genesis Sect and the Mirage Sword Sect. My only thought was to exterminate the two sects. However, I had nothing to do with Daoist Ao Huang’s death. Ever since I saved Sect Master Yan Xueyi and Sect Master Shen Feng at the Desert River Forbidden Zone, I’ve been in seclusion in the Galaxy Master Sect. I only heard the news regarding Daoist Ao Huang’s death after I ended my seclusion.”

“But the Sect Master carved out the word ‘Di’ when he met his doom,” said an Elder immediately.

“How dare you lie!” Ao Qianren hollered.

Di Jiu, who did not take heed of this carefully choreographed act between the two men, said, “If I had killed him, Ao Huang would not have been able to send back any message, let alone be able to take out a jade slip. This message was evidently an intentional act on the culprit’s part, whose purpose was to make the Ocean Monarch Palace suspect me.”

The few Ocean Monarch Palace Elders fell silent. Di Jiu, who did not care if they believed him or not, added, “The reason I came forth to prove my innocence is not because I’m afraid of the Ocean Monarch Palace. It’s because I do not wish to be plotted against by a woman.”

“Plotted against by a woman?” Ao Junhua, who did not quite understand what Di Jiu meant, looked at Di Jiu with a baffled expression.

“I know who killed Daoist Ao Huang,” Di Jiu said calmly.

“Who was it?” asked all the Elders simultaneously. They wouldn’t dare take revenge if Di Jiu had killed Ao Huang. However, if Di Jiu was not the culprit, the Ocean Monarch Palace would have nothing to fear.

“It was Di Feixue from the Small Central World who killed Ao Huang. If my theory is correct, she and her father must be the culprits.”

Then, Di Jiu stood up. “If you want to take revenge, I hope that the other members of the Di Family will not be implicated. My blood relations in the Small Central World’s Di Family might be insignificant, but we are still considered part of the same bloodline. My speech ends here. Farewell.”

Di Jiu turned around and left without any hesitation, ignoring Ao Qianren’s pleas for him to stay. He had gone there solely to say these few sentences. Whether the Ocean Monarch Palace believed him or not meant nothing to him.

...

“What does everyone think of Sect Master Di’s words?” asked Ao Qianren immediately once he returned to the guest hall after sending Di Jiu off.

“I think that Young Master Red Embellishment was telling the truth.” It was Ao Junhua who spoke up.

Before anyone could ask why, Ao Junhua explained, “Considering Di Jiu’s position and identity, there is absolutely no reason why he would make this trip down here to deceive us. Like he said, he would definitely not conceal the fact that he killed the Sect Master if he was truly the killer. There would be no need for him to do so. I heard that the reason the Genesis Sect and the Mirage Sword Sect survived is because the disciple of the Virtuous Nirvana Sect intervened. Our Sect Master and Di Jiu had no significant conflict of interest, which means that Di Jiu would not kill him if his wrath wasn’t incurred.”

A seventh-stage Life Tribulation Realm Elder piped up, “I agree with Elder Junhua. Young Master Red Embellishment is too arrogant to lie about such a matter. Di Feixue is a little mysterious. She broke the Five Continent Dao Pagoda’s record and ascended to the 108th level. The Sect Master had always coveted the Five Continent Dao Disc and could have shadowed Di Feixue after she ascended to the 108th level. This woman is scheming, and so is her father, Di Caishang. It is not impossible that the two of them would plot against the Sect Master.”

Ao Qianren said slowly, “You are right. I am certain that Young Master Red Embellishment was telling the truth. He was angry with Di Feixue for using him. He is not someone who would take anything lying down after all.”

...

Huan Mingzi and Xian Ze were already waiting at the sect’s entrance when Di Jiu returned to the sect. The moment Di Jiu returned, Huan Mingzi immediately said, “Di Jiu, head quickly to the True Dominion with Xian Ze. Leave this place to me.”

“Aren’t you following me to the True Dominion, Senior Huan?” Di Jiu asked doubtfully.

Huan Mingzi shook his head. “My current lifespan might be even longer than yours. Hence, it would be best for me to stay back at the Galaxy Master Sect. If we all left, the strongest cultivator of the sect would be Geng Ji, whose cultivation level is only at the late-stage Life Tribulation Realm.”

Although everything else was left unsaid, Di Jiu understood what Huan Mingzi meant. He was saying that if all the experts of the Galaxy Master Sect left, it was highly probable that the newly-established Galaxy Master Sect would fall apart once more.

Xian Ze, who was standing beside him, spoke up. “Senior Brother Huan has already informed me of his plans. I would be able to help out to the best of my abilities if I went to the Immortal World. Senior Brother Huan is right. Not all the True Form cultivators of the Galaxy Master Sect should leave.”

“I’m still around. Once I return from the True Dominion, I will definitely be coming back to the Galaxy Master Sect,” said Di Jiu.

Huan Mingzi chuckled. “Di Jiu, how many years have passed? You’re already at the True Form Realm. Even if you’re still at the Galaxy Master Sect, you might not be around for a longer time than me. If you’re able to attain the first place this time, you should head over to the Immortal World with Xian Ze. If you’re not able to, you do not need to come back to the Small Central World. Stay in the True Dominion and cultivate until you reach the Domain Realm before you make any further plans.”

“That’s right. Sect Master, Senior Huan has already said that a sect cannot always be protected if it wishes to grow and flourish. The Galaxy Master Sect is newly-established, so it will definitely gain many experiences. The sect will be able to attain greater heights only after it has experienced and survived many tribulations,” said Wei Shanshan as she stepped forward.

Other than Geng Ji, Di Di and Yu Jie, who had headed out to put themselves to the test, everyone that Di Jiu knew had gathered here.

Di Jiu’s original intention had been to head to the True Dominion with Huan Mingzi and Xian Ze before participating in the True Dominion Genius Tournament. Once he obtained a slot to head to the Immortal World, he would give it to Xian Ze and Huan Mingzi, while he would return to the Small Central World.

The main reason he would return to the Small Central World was because the Galaxy Master Sect was newly-established and lacked a solid foundation. Thus, it could easily be exterminated. After hearing what Huan Mingzi had said, Di Jiu agreed with him. If he truly was to develop the sect with the mindset he had, the sect would lack the drive to reach greater heights even if it flourished. Huan Mingzi would be better at developing a sect than him. Furthermore, Mo Yuxuan had promised him that the Galaxy Master Sect would not encounter any calamities for 100 years.

After these 100 years, a batch of True Form Realm experts should be born by relying on the resources he had left behind at the Galaxy Master Sect.

As he thought of this, Di Jiu took out a ring and gave it to Huan Mingzi. Then, he said through a voice transmission, “Senior Huan, this ring contains eight True Vine Elixirs and some elixirs that can be used to break through to the Life Tribulation Realm and the Ekayāna Tripod Realm. There are 20 high-grade Spirit Veins and 20 supreme-grade Spirit Veins inside. Please help me deliver the two rings within to Geng Ji and Di Di. After I leave, you will be in charge of the Galaxy Master Sect.”

“What?” Huan Mingzi’s hand shook so much that he almost dropped the ring onto the floor.

He was still looking at the ring in disbelief and clutching it tightly even while Di Jiu and Xian Ze bade him farewell and left. Although he had once been the Pavilion Lord of the Prophecy Pavilion, he had never seen or possessed so many quality items.

...

Meanwhile, inside a cave abode with dense Spirit Qi in the Small Central World, Di Feixue let out a breath and stood up. She had finally attained the second-stage True Form Realm before the True Dominion Genius Tournament began.

Her gaze landed on where the Galaxy Master Sect was in the distance. “Coward,” she murmured with a mocking expression.

In her opinion, Di Jiu was a coward. After making use of Di Jiu, she had thought that he would use Huan Mingzi to kill the Sect Masters of the five large sects. She had never expected that Di Jiu would be so useless as to only kill Xiao Wu. In addition, it was still unclear whether Xiao Wu’s death had been related to Di Jiu.

Ao Huang, the Ocean Monarch Palace’s Sect Master, had gone to the Galaxy Master Sect and left unscathed. She had even had to personally take action before she could kill Ao Huang.

Unfortunately, she did not have much time left. Otherwise, she would have attempted to finish off Yan Xueyi and Shen Feng. However, she could only head over to the True Dominion Genius to participate in the tournament now.