Beidou Headquarters
Nangong Xuan leaned against a stone table in the courtyard, idly twirling the skull artifact seized from the terrorists—the Skull of the Divine.
Behind him, Yang He stood in silence.
The courtyard was otherwise empty.
After a long pause, Nangong Xuan set down the skull and turned to Yang He. “How’s the cleanup going?”
“The scene has been cleared, and the victims have been properly taken care of. We’re currently contacting their families.”
“Good.” Nangong Xuan nodded, a cold glint flashing in his eyes. “Have we found the mastermind?”
Yang He’s expression darkened. “Not yet. But according to reliable intel, this incident may involve multiple factions—including some domestic ones.”
“Compile a list of suspects as soon as possible. I’ll pay them a personal visit.”
“Yes, sir.” Yang He bowed and left.
Alone in the courtyard, Nangong Xuan rose from the stone bench and paced slowly, eventually stopping by the garden.
He pulled out his phone, where an unread message waited.
Good Son: “Confirmed—the Skull of the Divine originates from an African tribal relic. It’s a rare Rule-type artifact. Details are in the file. Read it yourself.”
He opened the attachment. The description of the Skull of the Divine was brief:
[Skull of the Divine]
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Type: Rule-class artifact.
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Effect: Can target one individual at a time, forcibly lowering their rank by one tier. Effect is absolute.
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Limitations: Requires extremely high mental fortitude from the user. Slight missteps may result in backlash.
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Countermeasures: Can be lifted by the user, killing the user, or waiting out the duration.
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Notes: Originally discovered by local tribes, later acquired by the Ten Thousand Beasts Alliance until today.
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Rating: ★★★★
“The Ten Thousand Beasts Alliance, huh…” Nangong Xuan’s eyes narrowed, his robes fluttering despite the absence of wind.
The Scripture Pavilion
When Su Mo arrived at the courtyard housing the Scripture Pavilion, all his expectations were instantly met.
Yes. This is exactly how I imagined it!
A three-story classical pavilion stood before him, its wind chimes tinkling softly in the breeze.
The surrounding courtyard was spacious, complete with ponds and gardens. Though devoid of extravagant decorations, its understated elegance made it all the more enchanting.
As he approached the pavilion, a faint, scholarly fragrance teased his senses, stirring an inexplicable urge to study.
Tsk tsk tsk… If schools were built like this, would students ever slack off?
The ancients really knew how to do things right.
After verifying his identity, Su Mo received a white jade token inscribed with the character “人” (Human) in clerical script.
“The first floor is the Human-tier section. Once you’ve chosen a text, take it to a cultivation chamber for study. Remember—each token grants you one selection, and it cannot be changed afterward,” the elderly pavilion overseer instructed.
“Thank you!” Su Mo pocketed the token and stepped inside.
The first floor was vast, its shelves brimming with texts. To aid navigation, a digital catalog system was provided.
Now that’s modern convenience!
He first searched for cultivation manuals, only to find fewer than a hundred officially recognized versions.
Next, he looked up combat techniques.
The selection here was far more extensive—over ten thousand options available at the Human-tier alone, spanning offense, defense, support, and utility categories.
After some thought, he filtered the offensive techniques by rating, immediately selecting three stars—the highest his clearance allowed.
A second later, the search results left him dumbfounded.
Just… one?
A single technique cover sat alone on the screen, looking pitifully isolated.
He clicked for details.
[Mountain-Sea Fist]
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Rating: ★★★
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Description: “Mastery grants the power to move mountains and part seas—though the path is arduous. (Want to know more? Just tap! :))”
Su Mo hesitated, then tapped—only for the system to instantly register his selection.
Su Mo: (ﾟДﾟ;)ﾉ
That’s it?!
I just clicked a button! How is that confirmation?!
He stared at the screen in disbelief, now displaying the book’s location.
Somehow, he suspected this Mountain-Sea Fist wasn’t as straightforward as it seemed. Why else would it be the only three-star technique available at his clearance?
Please don’t let this be a scam…
Arriving at the designated shelf, he inserted his jade token into a slot. A compartment popped open, revealing the manual.
Su Mo flipped it open, hoping for a proper introduction—only to find none.
So the digital description was just added later?
(－‸ლ)
The preface contained just one line:
“Badass, but hard to control!”
Su Mo’s confidence wavered.
Please don’t be incomprehensible…
Fortunately, the actual content was rigorous and well-structured—so much so that it felt wildly inconsistent with the preface’s tone.
Following instructions, he claimed an empty cultivation chamber and began studying.
The first sentence read:
“With vast Snow Mountains and boundless Qi Sea, gather the might of mountains and seas into a single fist—to shatter all things.”
The surface meaning was clear: to learn this technique, one needed at least Snow Mountain Realm (C-rank) cultivation—otherwise, channeling “mountain-sea force” was impossible.
Su Mo’s face stiffened.
So I picked a technique I can’t even use?!
Grudgingly, he read on—and found solace in the second paragraph:
“Those without a Qi Sea and Snow Mountains may still learn this art, but usage requires a companion’s presence.”
The first half brought relief. The second half spiked his blood pressure.
What kind of rule is this?! I need a babysitter to use my own technique?!
This feels like those “minors must be supervised while gaming” disclaimers.
Reading this manual was an emotional rollercoaster.
Three Days Later
Su Mo set down the book, now with a deeper understanding of Mountain-Sea Fist—not just in theory, but through repeated trial and error.
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Focus: Concentrate fully, attuning to the state of his Qi Core and spirals.
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Draw Qi: Slowly reverse the spirals, extracting spiritual energy from the core while gradually accelerating.
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Comprehend: Mentally trace the energy’s flow, linking all pathways into a single point—then find an outlet…
Yes. That’s it. I can feel it!
Su Mo’s eyes snapped open, now entirely white. His aura surged to its peak.
“MOUNTAIN-SEA FIST—BREAK!”
BOOM!
A deafening explosion later, the chamber’s wall now featured a two-meter-wide hole.
On the other side, a bewildered woman blinked at the destruction.
“Girl, what in tarnation are ya doin’?!”