Quinn Shepherd hesitated. Rescuing his teacher, the Woodcutter Sage, was certainly important, but joining forces with Hugh No-Return to seek out Xushenghua, and together pioneering a method to merge divine treasuries and ascend straight to the Heaven Palace, seemed even more intriguing and meaningful.
Besides, the Woodcutter Sage was, after all, a Yao Platform-realm deity. Soaking in a stinking ditch for a year or two probably wouldn't kill him. There was really no need to rush.
Still, as the Woodcutter Sage’s disciple, Quinn couldn’t just leave his teacher stewing in a filthy ditch. Letting him soak there really wouldn’t do.
However, even with Old Ox lending a hand, there was no way they could take on an Emperor’s Throne powerhouse.
The Old Farmer was an Emperor’s Throne-realm powerhouse, and one who had entered the Dao through martial arts. From Lingxiao to the Emperor’s Throne, there was an insurmountable gulf. Even King Shakra Buddha was only at the Lingxiao realm, yet he still shamelessly begged the Great Brahma King Buddha for the true scripture. That showed just how difficult it was to reach the Emperor’s Throne.
As Quinn wavered, the Old Farmer suddenly stepped down from the Emperor’s Throne, walked out from the Lingxiao Hall to the front door. His face, deeply furrowed like a field plowed by an iron plow, was etched with years of hardship. He said, “Sam Oxley, they’ve already passed the trial.”
Old Ox was taken aback. He quickly said, “Master, they haven’t even cleared my test, let alone yours. Why do you say they’ve passed?”
The Old Farmer descended the steps of the Lingxiao Hall. Old Ox immediately dropped to his front hooves, transforming back into an ox and following behind. The Old Farmer shook his head and said, “The purpose of War-Ox Palace’s trial was to help the children comprehend entering the Dao through martial arts, to figure out a path that could leap past the Divine Bridge realm and ascend straight to the Heaven Palace—a ray of hope for future generations. I once thought that if someone could defeat me, they’d be able to open that road.”
He walked down, calling Quinn Shepherd and Hugh No-Return over, sizing them up. The simple, weathered face—like land furrowed by a plow—broke into a smile. He said, “But just now I realized, I already managed to leap straight to the Heaven Palace without the Divine Bridge. I was the first to lose that realm. I never read many books—my path isn’t one others can follow.”
Quinn Shepherd and Hugh No-Return were both shaken to the core, staring at him in disbelief.
Who could possibly sever the Divine Bridge of the Warfist Celestial Teacher?
Since the Warfist Celestial Teacher managed to reach the divine realm despite missing an entire cultivation stage, why didn’t he teach his method to the people of War-Ox Realm?
Yet the thirty-six war gods of Jade Capital City showed not the slightest surprise—they clearly already knew this about the Old Farmer.
“I just realized—what I can do, not everyone else can.”
The Old Farmer said, “I devoted my whole life to martial arts. There’s nothing else in my heart—pure sincerity, a child’s spirit. I have marvelous techniques and secrets, but others can’t learn them, can’t master them, and can’t ascend to the Heaven Palace as I did. Even if Hugh No-Return cultivates to my level and ascends, he’ll just be walking the same lonely road. His method still won’t let the masses of War-Ox Realm reach the Heaven Palace. The Woodcutter was right—this isn’t the way to solve War-Ox Palace’s problem.”
He twitched at the corner of his eye, glanced at Quinn, and went on, “The Woodcutter came to me and said the reformers of Everpeace have a way to solve War-Ox Palace’s dilemma. I didn’t believe it at first, but now I do. The Woodcutter’s not entirely useless—he did take on a good disciple… Hugh No-Return, you may leave War-Ox Realm now.”
A sliver of hope rose in Quinn’s heart. He quickly asked, “Then, Celestial Teacher, can I finally fish my teacher out of the ditch?”
The Old Farmer’s face darkened, the lines on his face like soil plowed a hundred times by Old Ox—no trace of a smile, only deep furrows. “I don’t babble nonsense like the Woodcutter, talking as lightly as passing wind. I mean what I say. I told you: whoever tries to fish him out will take three punches from me. If you want to pull him out, you’ll take three punches!”
Quinn jumped in fright as the Old Farmer raised his rough fist, the full martial might of a peak powerhouse on display, and swung at Quinn.
Thud.