Heaven Dou City.
Inside Li Zhexian's courtyard.
Chen Xin, Dugu Bo, and the others had originally been busy helping with the relocation of the Wind Sword Sect, yet today all of them were gathered here.
Beneath the Four-Seasons Plum Tree—
Ning Fengzhi lifted a cup and sipped lightly, smiling as he said:
"Bibi Dong sent us invitations as well."
"Though… they were issued in the name of Spirit Hall.
The handwriting is stiff—likely written by a bishop on her behalf."
"Zhexian, it seems in Bibi Dong's eyes, you are more worthy of her 'attention' than the rest of us."
Chen Xin, Gu Rong, Dugu Bo, and Feng Bailong all nodded in amusement, their eyes carrying a trace of teasing.
Li Zhexian gave a helpless laugh.
"Seniors, please stop making fun of me."
"Bibi Dong wishing to kill me is the only part that's true."
After a few rounds of drinking—
Gu Rong's coarse voice cut straight to the point:
"Well then?"
"The invitation has arrived."
"Are we going or not?"
Ning Fengzhi turned toward Li Zhexian, smiling:
"Zhexian, what do you think?"
Chen Xin, Dugu Bo, and the others also looked at him.
Li Zhexian naturally understood.
The seniors were intentionally evaluating his judgment regarding the larger political situation.
He thought for a moment, then answered firmly:
"We're not going."
"Our relationship with Spirit Hall is already irreparably broken. There is no need to put on polite appearances."
"For now, all we must do is sharpen our blades, raise our troops, and quietly wait for Spirit Hall—or rather, the Spirit Empire—to make its move."
"When the war begins… that will be the day I settle life and death with Bibi Dong."
"Oh?"
Ning Fengzhi and Chen Xin nodded at the first half of his reasoning.
But when Li Zhexian stated with certainty that Bibi Dong would start a war—
Everyone exchanged looks.
Their expressions became solemn.
"Zhexian, are you so certain Bibi Dong will march on Heaven Dou?"
Ning Fengzhi asked seriously.
He knew that once the Spirit Empire was founded, Bibi Dong would undoubtedly act.
But Spirit Hall had suffered repeated setbacks, and now Heaven Dou had the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, and the Wind Sword Sect joining hands.
Even with Spirit Hall's power, they should have concerns.
Chen Xin, Dugu Bo, and the others shared the same doubts, watching Li Zhexian with heavy expressions.
"She will."
Li Zhexian did not hesitate.
In the original timeline—
Even without fully passing the Rakshasa God's Eighth Trial perfectly,
Bibi Dong still could not restrain her ambition to conquer the continent.
And in this life—
She had severed all emotional bonds and completed the Eighth Trial flawlessly.
This meant she would only be more brutal, more decisive, and more ruthless.
However…
There was one thing Li Zhexian could not yet determine.
"With the three great clans united under Heaven Dou… and if we can request Senior Snow Empress' aid…"
"Even if the Worship Hall reveals itself, we might still be able to fight."
"So what hidden cards does Bibi Dong still possess?"
After discussion, they all decided not to attend Bibi Dong's invitation.
Then, after chatting briefly, they each went back to their respective duties.
The Wind Sword Sect's relocation was not yet complete, so Chen Xin and Dugu Bo had to continue assisting.
Ning Fengzhi and Yu Yuanzhen, though somewhat uncertain of Li Zhexian's prediction, still returned to their sects to make early preparations.
If war truly approached—
Even preparing a year in advance would not be too much.
Forming battle formations, forging equipment—everything required time.
...
After seeing the seniors off—
Li Zhexian lay back in the reclining chair beneath the plum tree, enjoying a rare moment of peace.
He knew—
Such tranquility wouldn't last long.
He reached up and brushed the branches.
From the almost-bald plum tree—plucked bare mostly thanks to Huo Wu—
a plump purplish-red fruit dropped into his hand.
He took a bite.
The sweet fragrance filled the air.
Above him, plum blossoms gave off their faint scent.
Yet what filled Li Zhexian's mind—
Was the path ahead.
"After Bibi Dong establishes her empire… she won't start the war immediately."
"Since she wishes to maintain a glorious image for herself and the Spirit Empire, she must fabricate some so-called 'righteous cause' before she sends her troops."
"These days…"
"My swordsmanship has slowed; the ninth form of the Qinglian Sword Song shows no signs of progress."
"So I might as well focus entirely on raising my Spirit Power—
And try to break through level 70 and become a Spirit Saint before the war begins."
He had not forgotten his promise with the Skydream Silk Worm.
"If my guess is right, because of my influence, the Skydream Silk Worm may emerge much earlier."
"And if my seventh Spirit Ring … is that million-year Spirit Beast, the Skydream Silk Worm…"
Even someone like Li Zhexian, whose sword-heart was pure as still water—
Could not help feeling stirred at the thought.
The Spirit Saint realm was a major dividing line in the Spirit Master system.
Regardless of what Spirit Beast it was or how old—
the seventh Spirit Ring always granted only one ability:
Martial Soul True Body.
The higher the age of the seventh ring, the stronger the True Body, and the greater the long-term benefits to a Spirit Master's cultivation.
"For a spirit beast like the Skydream Ice Worm—vast in cultivation but not particularly powerful in bloodline—"
"Becoming my seventh ring and forming a million-year Martial Soul True Body might be the most optimal way to enhance my strength."
"When that time comes…"
"I'll have an unprecedented Martial Soul True Body."
"And my Qinglian Sword will become even sharper—invincible."
Just as Li Zhexian's mind drifted—
A familiar aura slipped quietly into the courtyard.
He didn't open his eyes.
But the corner of his lips lifted slightly.
"Guess who I am?"
A pair of soft hands gently covered his eyes.
Zhu Zhuqing deliberately changed her voice, playful and sweet.
Li Zhexian's smile deepened.
He reached back, swept his arm, and pulled the girl into his embrace.
"Ah!"
Zhu Zhuqing gave a light gasp, but naturally leaned into his chest, arms around his waist, looking up with a sweet smile.
"Why aren't you with Xiao Wu and Rongrong?"
Li Zhexian stroked her long hair and asked with a laugh.
Zhu Zhuqing whispered:
"They were cultivating so seriously…
they didn't notice me, so I slipped away."
A streak of golden light shot into Heaven Dou City, heading straight toward Li Zhexian's courtyard.
About a hundred meters away, Qian Renxue folded her wings and landed.
Her heart was both tense and expectant as she walked toward the familiar courtyard gate.
As she approached, she saw the door slightly ajar.
Through the opening—
She saw the two figures leaning together under the plum tree.
Qian Renxue's fingers trembled.
Her Spirit Power fluctuated slightly, nudging the door open a bit more with a soft sound.
The two inside looked up at the same time.
Qian Renxue panicked and quickly said:
"I'm sorry… I might have come at the wrong time."
Zhu Zhuqing jumped like a startled little cat, flustered and anxious:
"Xue'er, you… you…"
Li Zhexian helplessly reached out—
Both arms open.
He smiled at Qian Renxue:
"No, Xue'er—
you came at exactly the right time."
Moments later—
Li Zhexian reclined on the chair.
Zhu Zhuqing rested shy-faced in his left arm; Qian Renxue leaned pink-cheeked in his right.
Plum fragrance lingered.
Time flowed quietly.
...
After returning to his clan, Yu Yuanzhen moved with thunderous efficiency—issuing order after order, rapidly arranging preparations for war.
Until night fell—
He stood with hands clasped behind his back in his study, gaze fixed on a scroll painting titled Old Dragon Emerging from the Thunderclouds.
From within his pale hair, faint arcs of lightning flickered unconsciously.
And in the painting, the old dragon's vertical pupils seemed to glow with thunder—responding to the lightning coiling around him.
Upon reaching the Titled Douluo realm—
Every single one of them was a peerless figure who had walked through countless thorns.
Naturally, each had developed a cultivation method perfectly suited for themselves…