The Eight Aspect Worlds

The Great Shang Empire stretched forty thousand li from north to south and fifty thousand li from east to west, a kingdom of unimaginable vastness. Its capital, Yin Du, was naturally a city of majestic proportions. Not only did it gather more than half the empire's wealth, it also housed half its greatest aristocratic clans.

Yin Du was one of the ten most famous cities in the world. With a population of several million within and without its walls, it was truly a colossal metropolis.

Xiao Chen had already spent half a month in Yin Du, yet he had not exhausted the city's wonders. The prosperous capital boasted countless famed sites, divine relics, and mysterious ancient ruins.

As for places of pleasure and entertainment, they were too numerous to count: gold-wasting dens, pleasure palaces, beast-fighting arenas, gourmet halls... Often a single trade would cluster together, occupying several streets.

And all were of the highest quality. For instance:

The Flowing Waters Beast-Fighting Palace was renowned across the world. It had been built when the Great Shang Empire was founded, a legacy stretching back thousands of years. Legend said its first master had been a beast god.

Flowing Cloud Gambling City, likewise several millennia old, was another must-visit destination. Its stakes were said to be so enormous that even Deathless Longevity experts had gambled their life-bound artifacts there.

The main halls of the Sunken-Fish-Sinking-Goose Palace and the Drunken Beauty Palace were located in Yin Du; the halls in Heavenly Emperor City were mere branch establishments. The Flower Emperor and Flower Queen, whose beauty conquered the world, resided in Yin Du. A single brief appearance at the branch halls in Heavenly Emperor City had caused an immense uproar.

The Sea-and-Moon Garden, a blend of elegance and grandeur...

And more, far more.

Melodious bell tones drifted through the air; the soft chanting of Buddhist sutras rose from Yellow Dragon Temple, a thousand-year-old monastery within Yin Du. Daily, the incense smoke curled thickly as if in a Pure Land of bliss.

Xiao Chen had not come to burn incense or worship. He bypassed the contiguous temple halls and made his way to the rear mountain.

The rear mountain was filled with birdsong and fragrant flowers, a scene of exquisite beauty—but such sights were not rare in a city as vast as Yin Du. Many historical sites nestled among mountains and waters, like realms of immortals. What drew Xiao Chen here was the tradition that Ancestral God Fuxi himself had carved a diagram of the Eight Trigrams on this spot.

This was no secret; every cultivator in Yin Du knew of it. Through the ages, many practitioners had gained insights here.

He climbed a stone mountain some three hundred meters high. At its flat summit, a block of cyan stone stood tall and majestic. It emanated a subtle spiritual energy from within its archaic simplicity—the longer one gazed, the more extraordinary it seemed. As time passed, it even grew indistinct, as if the cyan boulder had merged into heaven and earth itself, becoming one with the Dao, radiating an ineffable numinous charm.

Xiao Chen marveled inwardly. Truly an extraordinary object.

Unmoved by the wondrous scene, he strode directly forward, leaped atop the cyan boulder, and regarded it with an ordinary heart. He did not revere it simply because it bore the markings of an Ancestral God.

The ancient carved lines, though weathered by endless ages, were still clearly visible. They connected heaven and earth, the Eight Trigrams calculating all under heaven. From these traces, one could imagine Fuxi sitting cross-legged here in ages past.

The Eight Trigrams: Qian represented Heaven, Kun represented Earth, Kan represented Water, Li represented Fire, Zhen represented Thunder, Gen represented Mountains, Xun represented Wind, Dui represented Marshes.

Xiao Chen sat on the cyan stone, tracing the carved lines with his fingers, following the path Fuxi's fingertip had once traced.

Many had gained insights here, though each person's enlightenment differed.

Xiao Chen's mind drifted. He stroked the trigram marks again and again. Gradually, the scene before him blurred. An empty void vast as the sea stretched before him, as if he had arrived in another space. The stone mountain, the cyan boulder, the flowers and grass, Yellow Dragon Temple, the evening glow—all vanished. Xiao Chen sat motionless, nearly petrified.

Night fell, starlight spilling down.

Xiao Chen remained utterly still, lost in an illusory realm of emptiness. He only knew to advance, ever forward, but could find no way out. Then, a streak of light tore through the void. The Eight Trigram diagram appeared on the vast heavens above, and he snapped awake, looking up at the boundless sky.

The eight symbols—Qian, Kun, Kan, Li, Zhen, Gen, Xun, Dui—connected to eight portals, appearing eerily in the sky. Xiao Chen was astonished. It felt as if the eight doors led to eight worlds. He did not rush toward them, but quietly observed from below.

The trigrams blurred, returning to their primordial state, then began to operate from the very beginning until they became clear once more. From non-being to being, from being to non-being—thus they evolved. Xiao Chen watched motionlessly.

All this could only be described as profound and all-encompassing. The more he watched, the more complex and mysterious it became. The Eight Trigrams contained the ultimate principles of heaven and earth—the condensed Dao of Ancestral God Fuxi.

Not until dawn broke did Xiao Chen withdraw from the illusion.

The mountain was still the mountain, the water still the water, the cyan stone still the cyan stone.

What had changed was Xiao Chen's spiritual state. He felt his divine sense had become more refined. From the evolution of the trigrams, he had glimpsed a thread of the Ancestral God's Daomark. That night was of immense significance to him.

Legend had it that many cultivators had gained great insights here. Xiao Chen now deeply believed it. He had been profoundly inspired.

He leaped down from the cyan boulder and stood on the stone mountain, his hands tracing the trajectory of the trigrams. This was his own enlightenment, vastly different from the original meaning of the Eight Trigrams. Heaven, Earth, Water, Fire, Thunder, Mountain, Wind, Marsh—the eight aspects manifested continuously around him. At last, eight illusory worlds seemed to coil around him.

The more he practiced, the more enlightenment he gained. Eventually, a hazy glow enveloped the entire mountaintop.

A divine art!

Xiao Chen was astonished to realize that the eight aspects of the trigrams were evolving into a divine art, potentially granting him a great new power.

Sun rose and set. Xiao Chen sat cross-legged on the stone mountain for three days. Heaven, Earth, Water, Fire, Thunder, Mountain, Wind, Marsh—the eight aspects truly seemed like eight different worlds, gradually shifting from illusion to reality, appearing around him.

On the third night, Xiao Chen opened his eyes. The trigram marks had been completely erased from his heart; what remained were the Eight Aspect Worlds.

Like fleeting light and shadows, Xiao Chen vanished from the stone mountain in an instant—then abruptly reappeared on the bustling streets of Yin Du. The "Eight Aspect Worlds" divine art had just taken form; its power was still unknown, but his speed had increased beyond imagination. The Eight Aspect Worlds seemed to connect real space. He merely needed to step within the eight illusory worlds, as if leaping and flying through the real sky. It was ultimate speed!

This unimaginable divine art was utterly different from Fuxi's Dao. It was a flash of inspiration in Xiao Chen's mind, finally evolving into his own "Dao" and achieving a new divine art of unfathomable might. Now, without the Undying Wings, he could leap through the void.

Xiao Chen walked lightly, leaping through the air at extreme speed. The Eight Aspect Worlds, a divine art of inconceivable power, was only just formed. Already it was a rare, exclusive talent superior to most innate abilities!

Night in Yin Du was a blaze of brilliant lights. Flowing Cloud Gambling City, the Sunken-Fish-Sinking-Goose Palace, the Drunken Beauty Palace... it was a time of decadent indulgence, of songs and whispers.

Xiao Chen returned to his inn and continued his contemplation, sinking into an empty spiritual state.

It was said there was a divine art called the Six Paths of Reincarnation, whose power when cultivated to the extreme was unimaginable. Xiao Chen harbored an ambition: to make the Eight Aspect Worlds surpass the Six Paths of Reincarnation.

Dawn. A ray of sunlight streamed into Yin Du. A new day began.

Today was different from other days. The streets were noticeably more crowded with young people. Many talented scholars and beautiful ladies were hurrying toward the Sea-and-Moon Garden, afraid that if they were late, there would be no seats.

The Sea-and-Moon Garden was a landscape of poetic charm. Its Moon Lake was famous throughout the world. To visit Yin Du without seeing the moon over Moon Lake was like coming in vain.

Today, the Great Shang Empire's Third Princess, whose beauty rivaled nations, would host a Scholar's Sword Tea Gathering at the Sea-and-Moon Garden, inviting all the talents of Yin Du. Many noble ladies would also attend, making the gathering especially eye-catching.

Everyone knew that the kingdom-toppling Third Princess was personally recruiting talents for the Great Shang Empire. Whether one sought fame or wished to show off one's skills before others, all flocked to it.

By early morning, the Sea-and-Moon Garden was already packed with people. Fortunately, the garden was vast, with many scenic spots, enough to accommodate the crowd.

Yin Du gathered half of the Great Shang Empire's major aristocratic clans. Naturally, the young masters of these clans would not miss such an opportunity. Except for young generals stationed elsewhere, nearly every young noble in the capital had come.

Yin Feng and his companions were busy greeting various aristocratic youths while scanning the crowd for Xiao Chen. But the sun had climbed high, and the Scholar's Sword Tea Gathering was about to begin, yet they still could not find Xiao Chen.

"Brother Yin, you keep looking around, and your lackeys all have shifty eyes—are you looking for someone? Need me to lend you a divine hound? Haha…"

A burly young man with a scar on his face walked over, laughing loudly. Behind him followed several other aristocratic youths. Clearly, this group was hostile to Yin Feng and his friends.

"Bo Shi, don't provoke us! We'll make you pay one day!" A man behind Yin Feng replied angrily.

"Haha… You? Train a few more years first." The youth called Bo Shi had a sharp, predatory gaze. The scar on his face gave him an especially fierce quality.

Watching Bo Shi lead his group away, Yin Feng clenched his fists. The aristocratic youths behind him were also indignant. One of them cursed: "That arrogant baldy!"

Bo Shi was considered a top young expert in Yin Du, one whom few among the noble youths dared to provoke. He was a tyrant of the capital. He had an older brother by one year, who had been taken away by a Buddhist monk shortly after birth. As a result, Bo Shi had earned the nickname "Second Monk." Over time, those who hated him called him "Baldy Number Two" behind his back.

Waiting until the end, they still did not see Xiao Chen arrive. Yin Feng and the others were deeply disappointed. They really could not understand why this young man was so indifferent. Was this gathering not worth his attention? Was this the nature of true experts?

They saw Yan Qingcheng, Qilao, Yu Wenfeng, A Shui, A Bing, and Huo Diao enter, but in their eyes, those two great beauties were less compelling than Xiao Chen.

"Sigh, let's go. Today we'll likely have to watch Baldy Number Two and his bunch show off again."

Disappointed, they walked into the Sea-and-Moon Garden.

Xiao Chen had nearly forgotten about today's Scholar's Sword Tea Gathering. For him, it was inconsequential. He had emerged from the Pure Land and wished to wander the world, training his heart amid the mortal dust. He had no intention of serving any nation.

He spent the entire morning immersed in the Eight Aspect Worlds. By late morning, he leisurely left the inn, ate something, and strolled through the streets.

Only near noon did he recall what Yin Feng had said—that there would be a grand gathering today, where the outstanding youth of Yin Du would meet at the Sea-and-Moon Garden.

Wanting to see the depth of the capital's young experts, Xiao Chen unhurriedly made his way to the Sea-and-Moon Garden.

No one stopped him; the garden was open to everyone today. Passing through a rose garden, crossing a stone forest, climbing two low hills, traversing a gorge, entering a meadow of fragrant grass, and walking another two li, Xiao Chen finally arrived at the shores of Moon Lake.

The Sea-and-Moon Garden occupied an enormous area—an unimaginable luxury within the confines of Yin Du, where land was worth its weight in gold. Xiao Chen could not help but be astonished.

By the shore of Moon Lake, several thousand people had gathered, all seated on the ground. Xiao Chen did not push forward; he sat down far in the back. From here, he could barely see the scene within, let alone the kingdom-toppling Third Princess.

Talented men and beautiful women composing poems and painting—he had interest in watching, but no desire to compete. Cultivator duels—he was willing to observe, not to participate. He had come purely as a spectator.

Just then, Xiao Chen spotted a familiar figure. A golden form was running and jumping by the lake. Though far from the crowd, Xiao Chen recognized it at once: it was Gold, the descendant of a Heavenly God who had appeared in the Southern Wastes beast tournament!

Three years had passed, and it had not grown much taller. But now, more than a dozen golden figures surrounded it—was that not its Nine Lives Undying Body? Not only had it recovered, but it had increased the number of its bodies.

Then Xiao Chen saw a Five-Colored Peacock King fluttering gracefully not far away.

"Why are they here?" Xiao Chen was puzzled.

The two sacred beast kings seemed to sense him. They both stared at Xiao Chen with perplexed expressions.

At that moment, commotion erupted from the front of the crowd. Then Xiao Chen heard Yu Wenfeng's furious voice.

"You insult the Southern Wastes…"

A fight had already broken out inside. Xiao Chen quickly stood and walked forward.

From a distance, he saw Yu Wenfeng covered in blood, trembling as he pointed at a group of youths ahead, shouting: "People have no noble or base birth! You think too highly of yourselves, looking down on the Southern Wastes. One day, the heroes of the Southern Wastes will defeat every young expert in Yin Du! We are not the ones looking at the sky from the bottom of a well—you are! You will reap what you sow!"

Clearly, the hot-tempered Yu Wenfeng had once again fought a great battle with the noble youths of Yin Du—and suffered a crushing defeat, mercilessly humiliated.

Xiao Chen was silent.

Yu Wenfeng was a tragic expert. Once one of the four strongmen of the Southern Wastes, he had been soundly defeated by Xiao Chen at the Ninth Heaven. After training to great power, he came to Yin Du, only to lose again at the Spirit-Treasury Fifth Heaven to a Fourth Heaven cultivator's nether flame. Now, another crushing defeat. It was not that his cultivation was weak, but that his opponents were more terrifying one after another.

Boisterous laughter rang out: "Haha… that's the funniest joke I've ever heard. Fine, I'll spare your life today as an exception. I'll give you a chance—come find me in Yin Du for revenge. Remember, my name is Bo Shi."

"His name is Baldy Number Two!" someone shouted from the crowd, stirring up trouble.

"Haha…" Everyone roared with laughter.

In the distance, many palace maids also covered their mouths, giggling. That area was the seat of the Great Shang Empire's Third Princess and the beauties of Yin Du.

Bo Shi was furious. The scar on his face twitched violently. His eyes emitted a terrifying light, instantly silencing everyone present.

"Hmph, it's not that I look down on the Southern Wastes. Among your young generation, there truly isn't a single expert worth my time." Ignoring the livid Yu Wenfeng, Bo Shi returned to his seat.

Yan Qingcheng and Qilao stepped forward to support Yu Wenfeng, helping him back to his seat.

"One of the Twin Pearls of the Southern Wastes, Yan Qingcheng—truly a peerless beauty…"

"Haha… the beauties of the Southern Wastes live up to their reputation. Miss Qingcheng, this way, please. The men of Great Shang are all heroes; surely your true match awaits here."

The noble youths of Yin Du laughed without restraint.

No matter how it was seen, Yan Qingcheng, Qilao, and Yu Wenfeng all came from the Southern Wastes. At this moment, they shared a common grievance, all burning with indignation.

"I will remember today's disgrace! My defeat lies in lacking a suitable beast soul to match the Ten Thousand Beasts Demonic Art. Once I find the right beast soul, I will come to Yin Du and wash away this shame!" Yu Wenfeng was shaking with fury. He silently vowed to journey deep into the barbarian mountains and obtain an ancient beast soul.

Although he was not a barbarian, the Ten Thousand Beasts Demonic Art he cultivated also required a powerful beast soul as its crucible. If he could find an ancient beast king soul as his vessel, his cultivation would become far more terrifying than it was now. After all, the Ten Thousand Beasts Demonic Art had once shaken the world.

"Haha… Brother Bo Shi said he wouldn't kill you, but with those harsh words just now, I don't intend to let you go. Let me send this Southern Wastes savage on his way. It's not that I fear your revenge—I just can't be bothered to strike again later."

A noble youth of Yin Du stepped forward with a laugh, his face full of mockery.

But his laughter stopped abruptly. A flash of sword light. His head flew sideways. Blood sprayed. The corpse toppled to the ground.

Everyone was astonished, and the gathering fell into chaos.

Several noble youths shot to their feet. One of them strode into the center and roared: "Who is it? Show yourself! Striking from behind—come out and fight!"

"Pfft!"

Blood splattered. That noble youth, too, was beheaded by a sword light. His corpse fell.

"Idiot. My sword alone is enough for this field. If I were present in person, you wouldn't even be able to block it!" A cold voice rang out in the arena, but only an iron sword floated at the center.

"Who are you?"

Several Yin Du noble youths stared warily, scanning the crowd.

Even Bo Shi, who had just returned to his seat, had put away his smile. He stood up, sensing that this must be a top young expert. A flying sword art capable of killing unseen at this level—this was a formidable opponent.

In the distance, Yin Feng and a few other noble youths were also watching intently. But they did not look worried, since this person was clearly targeting Bo Shi's group.

Everyone was searching for the master of the iron sword.

Even the Great Shang Empire's Third Princess was alarmed. She and several stunning beauties watched from afar.

"Who are you really? Come out and face me!"

"I am the Southern Wastes savage you speak of. But I want to return your words to you: you look at the sky from the bottom of a well, knowing neither the height of heaven nor the depth of earth!"

An ice-cold voice echoed by Moon Lake.

"Haha…" Bo Shi laughed angrily. "I admit you are an expert, perhaps a match for me. But I am not the strongest young expert in Yin Du. In our eyes, the Southern Wastes truly amount to nothing!"