Chapter 279 : Reminder
Chapter 279: Reminder
Inside the quiet chamber, a middle-aged Daoist with an immortal bearing sat cross-legged upon a meditation cushion, motionless and devoid of any sign of life—only an empty body remained.
That Daoist was none other than the current Celestial Master, a man who held an exalted position within the Great Jin Dynasty.
“Master’s Yang Spirit has left his body!”
The three young Daoists from the Celestial Master’s Residence rushed in hastily. Upon seeing the middle-aged Daoist’s condition, one of them blurted it out without thinking.
These three were the Celestial Master’s personal disciples. Upon hearing that their master was in trouble, they had been terrified and had rushed over immediately.
Now that they saw it was merely the Yang Spirit departing from the body, they all sighed in relief, though secretly they ridiculed the palace attendants for their ignorance—did they not even recognize what a Yang Spirit Leaving the Body looked like?
In truth, it wasn’t really the palace attendants’ fault. The path of cultivation had long since declined over the past few millennia, and only a handful of true Yang Spirit masters existed in the world. Who could possibly know that a cultivator’s body would appear lifeless after the Yang Spirit left it?
“Yang Spirit leaving the body?”
The accompanying palace attendant’s expression changed slightly. “But this is the imperial palace, a place of utmost importance. Where has the Celestial Master’s Yang Spirit gone?”
“This—”
The outspoken young disciple froze.
Never mind that he didn’t know—even if he did, how could he possibly reveal it?
To have the Yang Spirit leave the body while within the royal palace was a serious taboo. The matter could be either trivial or grave—certainly not something to be spoken of lightly.
Another disciple, slightly older, glared at his junior and said sternly, “Honored Sir, I fear Master has encountered some unexpected situation. You must know, the Yang Spirit is the very foundation of a cultivator’s being. It cannot suffer the slightest harm. If not forced by necessity, Master would never have his Yang Spirit depart his body so easily.”
The palace attendant did not pursue the matter further but instead spoke of something even more urgent. “Little Celestial Masters, since the Celestial Master’s Yang Spirit has departed, chaos has broken out within the Tower of Merits…”
He explained how the trial participants within the tower had perished yet could not leave, then added anxiously, “Now all those dukes and marquises outside are demanding answers from His Majesty. Please, think of a way to resolve this.”
The three Daoists exchanged glances and shook their heads. “Only Master can control the Tower of Merits. We have no means to intervene. We can only wait for Master’s Yang Spirit to return.”
“This… sigh…”
The palace attendant could only sigh helplessly, dragging one of the young Daoists with him to report back to the Emperor.
The remaining two stayed behind to guard their master, driving everyone else out of the chamber.
When only the two of them remained, they began communicating through sound transmission.
【Strange. Why would Master’s Yang Spirit leave the body at such a time?】
【Indeed. Even the trial of the Night Banquet of the Ghost Festival has been left unattended.】
【Unfortunately, all our Martial Uncles are away, and only we juniors remain. We cannot control the Tower of Merits.】
【I have a bad feeling… I fear something terrible may happen.】
【Senior Brother, could this be related to the recent opening of “Qingwei Heaven”?】
【Perhaps. Junior Brother, stay here and guard Master. I’ll enter the Tower of Merits and have a look. Those participating in the trial are all of noble birth. If anything happens to them, our Celestial Master Residence won’t be able to bear the blame.】
【Then please be careful, Senior Brother.】
【Alright.】
After speaking, that Daoist immediately had his Yin Spirit leave his body, using a secret art to enter the Tower of Merits.
——
“Trying to steal my kill?”
Chen Ming saw that Ling Qingying’s killing speed surpassed his own. He almost unleashed a slash of sword intent toward her but managed to restrain himself.
Now wasn’t the time for such petty rivalry.
Clearing the stage came first.
Ling Qingying’s strength was indeed astonishing—her swordsmanship seemed born purely for slaughter. Each stroke cut down swathes of foes, her efficiency terrifyingly high.
Working together, the two turned the battle into a one-sided massacre.
More than two thousand enemies—they fought for over an hour before all were slain.
Chen Ming had consumed nearly all his energy, his internal force reduced to less than forty percent.
Instinctively, he reached into his robes—but found nothing.
Ling Qingying noticed his movement and sneered. “Haven’t you realized yet? Right now, you’re only a projection of your consciousness. Aside from your weapon, nothing else can be brought in. Thinking of using pills to restore energy? How wishful.”
“Forgot.”
Chen Ming chuckled, then asked a key question. “Then where are our real bodies now?”
“Curious, are you? Simply chant silently in your mind that you wish to return, and you’ll go back.”
“……”
Such an important rule, and no one had told him!
Chen Ming now suspected whether Gu Haochuan even wanted him to perform well and win the Heavenly Residence Quota.
Ling Qingying added coldly, “Of course, you can also end yourself if you wish.”
Chen Ming realized that though she appeared aloof, she actually talked quite a lot—especially when it came to mocking others. The contrast between her public and private demeanor was surprisingly big.
He looked around. The golden light had yet to appear, and they hadn’t entered the next stage. “We’ve cleared this round, haven’t we? Why isn’t there any response?”
Ling Qingying replied, “From the fourth level onward, all trial-takers appear within the same scene. We must wait—after all, not everyone possesses our level of strength.”
That one word “we” signified that she already acknowledged Chen Ming as her equal.
“I see.”
There was nothing to do but wait.
Chen Ming sat down on a clean spot and closed his eyes to rest.
Suddenly, Ling Qingying asked, “I’ve heard about your situation. Tell me, does that person know about it?”
Chen Ming knew she was referring to his affair with Xia Mudan and said nothing.
Was this kind of topic appropriate here?
Ever since entering the Tower of Merits, he’d felt as though he was being watched.
“I heard you already have someone you like—she—”
“Miss Ling.”
Chen Ming couldn’t take it anymore and cut her off. “If you’re that bored, we can have a spar instead.”
Rather than having his privacy probed.
Ling Qingying finally went quiet.
After a while, she muttered softly, “…Does Fairy Su’s Tribulation of Love have anything to do with you?”
“……”
Who would’ve thought—this supposedly cold beauty was actually so gossipy in private. Truly unbearable.
——
Another hour passed before the golden light finally reappeared.
Ahead, a massive military command tent materialized. In the center stood a sand table filled with flags.
Everyone present wore battle armor. Chen Ming found himself clad in the uniform of a Second Grade Chariot General.
Beside him stood Ling Qingying, also wearing Second Grade armor.
Her face was cold again, the picture of icy detachment—completely different from her nosy self moments earlier.
Aside from her, there were seven or eight others present.
That meant only about ten people had reached the fourth stage—an elimination rate of nearly ninety percent.
In other words, the five Heavenly Residence Quotas would be contested among these ten.
Ten to five—the odds looked promising to everyone.
Wang Jinhu and Duan Sijue were naturally among them, while the others were also of Second Grade cultivation, though far less famous or strong than those three.
“Gentlemen.”
At that moment, a man clad in First Grade General armor stepped forward and spoke.
Chen Ming observed that the man looked no older than thirty—shockingly young. Which historical general was this? he wondered.
At the founding of the Great Jin, the realm had been filled with brilliant generals, but for someone so young to hold a First Grade title—surely a name recorded in history.
Everyone grew solemn.
The young general then said, “There has been an unexpected situation in this Ghost Festival Night Banquet trial. I have come specifically to remind you.”
His words left everyone stunned.
Chen Ming nearly lost his composure—Did the GM just personally descend?
Wang Jinhu reacted first, asking, “And who might you be, sir?”
“Seventh disciple under the Celestial Master, Liang Guangyu. Greetings, noble young masters.” The youthful First Grade general introduced himself.
“I’ll be brief. Due to unforeseen circumstances, if you die in this trial, you will not be able to return to reality for the time being. Whether irreversible harm will occur afterward is still unknown. I came merely to warn you—do you still wish to continue?”
Wang Jinhu didn’t hesitate. “Of course! Anyone who wishes to withdraw may do so, but this Heavenly Residence Quota—I am determined to claim it.”
Duan Sijue asked, “Brother Liang, if we withdraw now, can you guarantee we’ll return safely to reality?”
Liang Guangyu was momentarily stunned before shaking his head honestly. “That…I cannot say for sure.”
“Then that settles it.”
“I’ll continue.”
“Of course I’ll go on.”
“……”
One after another, everyone expressed their resolve—no one wished to withdraw.
The Heavenly Residence Quota was far too precious. Having come this far, who would turn back now?
Seeing this, Liang Guangyu said nothing further. “Very well. Then continue.”
His appearance shifted into that of a man in his forties or fifties—the true image of the general.
——
The fourth stage was a large-scale battle. Each participant commanded a force of a thousand men, tasked with leading their troops against the Wei army.
It was an open-field war—the enemy numbered in the tens of thousands.
Whoever survived the longest and slew the most foes would gain the greatest merit.
This stage tested not only individual strength but also command ability.
Most participants came from noble families steeped in military tradition; tactics and formations were standard education to them. Now that they had a chance to command troops, they were eager to prove themselves.
Chen Ming, however, had never studied military strategy. Still, as a modern man—he might not have eaten pork, but he’d certainly seen pigs run. A battle? How hard could it be?
After accepting the task, he and the other nine left the command tent for their respective camps.
Just as he was getting acquainted with his subordinates, several terrifying auras erupted skyward.
“This is… a battle formation?”
Sensing it briefly, he realized that Wang Jinhu and the others had already formed their formations and begun their assault.
“Crap.”
This world’s art of war wasn’t the same as Earth’s.
Here, military formations and command techniques were genuine martial methods—something Earth’s tactics couldn’t replicate.
Standing before his troops, Chen Ming and his soldiers stared blankly at each other.
He wanted to ask—If I start learning now, will it be too late?