Guo Luming pondered for a moment, then slowly said, "According to your description, this Wu Bao’Er is likely from the Python God Sect of the Far West Wilderness."
"Python God Sect?"
"That’s right. In the Far West Wilderness, there are many mysterious tribes. Unlike us Martial Artists, who gain power through self-cultivation, they believe in various Divine Spirits and can obtain formidable power from them. The Python God Sect is just one among them. As far as I know, there are also the Bear God Sect, the Tiger God Sect, and others."
Zhao Ya was astonished and finally couldn’t help but ask, "Are there really Divine Spirits in this world?"
Guo Luming shook his head, "I don’t know."
Then, looking at Zhao Ya, who hesitated to speak, Guo Luming smiled and said, "I know what you want to say. If there are no Divine Spirits, then how do these tribes who believe in them gain power, right."
Zhao Ya nodded.
He indeed had this doubt.
Because earlier, when fighting against Wu Bao’Er, regardless of her aura, the True Power she displayed, or even her appearance, they all transformed to resemble a giant python.
How could this be explained by common sense?
Guo Luming said blandly, "Actually, it’s not difficult to understand, and you can even find an explanation within yourself."
"Previously, when you meditated and envisioned in front of the Cliff Dragon Painting, you merged with the millennia-accumulated will contained within, thus opening your Ren and Du Meridians. The principle is the same as their belief in Divine Spirits."
Zhao Ya realized, "You mean, whether it’s the Python God Sect or the Bear God Sect, what they worship is not actually Divine Spirits, but some kind of will?"
"Exactly." Guo Luming nodded approvingly.
"As the saying goes, ’What you constantly think about will have an echo.’ When a person sincerely envisions, their spiritual power is very strong. So when many people’s powers gather together, a grand will eventually coalesces."
Saying this, Guo Luming looked out at the silent and speechless Cliff Dragon.
"But this kind of will has no self-awareness, so it has nothing to do with the Divine Spirits understood by secular people."
Zhao Ya suddenly understood, deeply admiring Guo Luming’s insight.
The bigshot who often hid in the Library, rarely interfering with external affairs, was indeed Zhao Ya’s greatest gain after coming to the Beyond the World.
At this moment, someone came to inform Zhao Ya that Shen Yunshen was ready and asked him to go over quickly.
Zhao Ya dared not delay, hastily bidding farewell.
"Elder Guo..."
Guo Luming waved his hand, indicating Zhao Ya to speak no more and leave quickly.
Zhao Ya nodded and then turned to leave.
Guo Luming stood by the window, silently watching.
When Zhao Ya joined up with Shen Yunshen and others and walked out of the temple, thunder rolled across the distant sky.
This was the first thunderclap since spring began, marking the awakening of all things and the budding of vegetation.
"Go, Azure Dragon Temple has indeed been silent too long. So much so that even a place like Separation Tower dares to provoke us. Hopefully, your battle can restore the prestige of Azure Dragon Temple and deter those petty knaves."
Guo Luming murmured to himself, his eyes gleaming, reflecting the gigantic dragon carving, craving to fly from the cliff, as if a colossal dragon overlooking the world.
-----------------
Grand Elder Guan Xuejiang indeed made a great sacrifice this time, genuinely angered by Separation Tower. Not only did he provide ten elders in the Meridian Opening Realm for Shen Yunshen’s command at once, but he also directly issued a notice for all Azure Dragon Temple’s subordinate forces to fully cooperate.
Moreover, Guan Xuejiang also issued a Jianghu Order, offering rewards for any clues related to Separation Tower.
For a time, the entire Beyond the World was shaken.
Because no one knew what Azure Dragon Temple, silent for so long, intended with such a significant move.
Only after news about Zhao Ya spread did people suddenly understand, though some still harbored doubts.
For merely a disciple in the Meridian Opening Realm, clearing out Separation Tower, a rising fame over the past decade, at any cost—was it really worth it?
However, the details of the matter soon emerged.
Upon hearing that Zhao Ya had opened his Ren and Du Meridians due to a significant opportunity, many were green with envy.
Damn it, comparing yourself to others can truly be maddening.
Some struggled desperately without opening the Ren and Du Meridians, yet he achieved it just by meditating—where could you find justice in that?
But some found the matter rather complex.
Some sharp-minded individuals vaguely guessed something but dared not comment recklessly.
Shen Yunshen didn’t care about any of that.
For nearly twenty years, he had hidden in the Sect Contribution Department, drinking daily, feeling like he was turning moldy.
Finally having a chance to gallop through Jianghu again, his excitement was beyond words.
So after descending the mountain with his people, he immediately began looking for clues about Separation Tower.
Although Azure Dragon Temple indeed declined significantly in recent years, a starved camel is still larger than a horse.
Especially this time, many saw the Grand Elder’s resolve, no longer daring to be lax as before.
Under the joint efforts to gather intelligence, clues about the Separation Tower began to gradually emerge.
Especially in recent years, the Separation Tower has made many enemies, and taking advantage of this opportunity, some people with grudges against the Separation Tower kept providing information.
Soon, intelligence about a secret base of the Separation Tower appeared before Shen Yunshen and the others.
"White Tiger City?"
Zhao Ya was taken aback.
"Oh? You know this place?" Shen Yunshen asked upon noticing his reaction.
Zhao Ya nodded, "Of course I know it. The first city I settled in when I first arrived in the Beyond the World place was this White Tiger City. I didn’t expect the Separation Tower to have a base there. Didn’t the White Tiger Hall notice this?"
"Haha, how could they not notice! But this intelligence says the White Tiger Hall is unaware of this matter. Do they think I’m a fool?" Shen Yunshen sneered and then waved his hand.
"Whether they know or not, let’s first annihilate this base, then follow the trail and uproot the entire Separation Tower to bring them to justice."
Everyone had no objections, so the group immediately headed towards White Tiger City.
Meanwhile, in a secluded corner somewhere,
Liu Ming, with a gloomy face, threw the secret message in his hand into the fire basin.
Wu Bao’Er, who was lying in bed nursing her injuries, couldn’t help but ask, "Is it a message from the Tower?"
"Yes, the elders in the Tower are questioning us about how big a mess we’ve caused to make the Azure Dragon Temple go to such great lengths."
"Damn it, these old geezers are happy to make money when they have us working for them, but once something happens, they’re eager to distance themselves." Wu Bao’Er also burst into anger.
But this movement tugged at the wound on her left abdomen, causing her to inhale sharply in pain and lay back down.
Seeing this, Liu Ming hurriedly went up to check, and after finding nothing unusual about the wound, he was finally relieved. Then he said somewhat apologetically,
"This is all my fault. If I hadn’t been greedy for money and taken on Xia Jiye’s task, you wouldn’t have suffered such an injury."
"Alright, stop pretending to be innocent now. It’s only Xia Jiye’s faulty information and our unpreparedness that are to blame. Who knew that kid not only was in the Meridian Opening but also incredibly formidable?" Wu Bao’Er said, pursing her lips.
"Even your Witch Snake True Power couldn’t hold him, so why does the rumor say that kid stumbled into the Meridian Opening by luck?" Liu Ming asked, puzzled.
"Bullshit, you’re listening to the nonsense from outside. That kid is extremely sly; the rumors must have been spread by him to hide his true strength."
Wu Bao’Er was obviously very angry at her partner’s doubts.
Assassins in the Separation Tower rarely act alone and usually work in pairs.
One is responsible for accepting tasks, inquiring about prices, gathering intelligence, and other miscellaneous duties, while the other mainly handles the assassination.
Don’t underestimate the person handling the miscellaneous duties, because this requires not only connections but also an extremely strong ability to gather intelligence.
After all, there are many tasks where even the employer doesn’t know the exact location of their target, and this is when intelligence gathering is needed.
In contrast, despite the person handling the assassination undertaking more risk, they benefit from simplicity without needing to rack their brains.
Wu Bao’Er and Liu Ming were such a pair.
Since Wu Bao’Er left the wilderness jungle of the Far West and entered the Beyond the World place to join the Separation Tower three years ago, they became partners.
In these three years, they both highly appreciated each other’s work abilities.
Liu Ming admired Wu Bao’Er’s ability to disguise murders as accidental deaths.
Wu Bao’Er was also very reassured by Liu Ming’s meticulous mind.
In the past three years, they’ve taken on numerous tasks, and not a single one has failed, making them the most high-profile pair in the Separation Tower in the past three years.
But to their surprise, they capsized this time and stirred up big trouble.
Wu Bao’Er was evidently very concerned about Liu Ming’s doubts about her.
"I’m telling you, that kid’s martial arts are top-tier, and his Lightweight Body Technique is extremely strong. Even when I used the Witch Snake Illusion Realm, I couldn’t handle him; instead, I almost got counter-killed by him."
"With such formidable strength, he continues to conceal himself under the name of a Fifth Realm Martial Artist. You can imagine how terrifyingly calm and composed he is."
"With such a person, do you think he would tell the truth? Who would believe the nonsense about stumbling into the Meridian Opening by luck? Whoever believes it is dead!"
Seeing the obviously agitated Wu Bao’Er, Liu Ming also realized his tone was unpleasant earlier, so he hurriedly nodded in agreement.
"I understand now; this was my mistake, and I won’t take on his tasks again in the future."
"What else did the Tower say?" Wu Bao’Er asked after calming down a little.
"Nothing much, just to stay hidden. The Azure Dragon Temple will certainly conduct a massive manhunt in the Beyond the World place for now, and we’re the top priorities, so we can’t lower our guard."
Wu Bao’Er frowned, then looked up at Liu Ming.
"Does anyone know about this hiding spot we’re in now?"
Liu Ming smiled, "I know what you’re thinking. Don’t worry; I received that secret message after sending out information from a different hiding spot, so this place is absolutely hidden, with no one else knowing."
"That’s good to hear. Those old folks from the Tower are capable of anything. If they’re coerced by the Azure Dragon Temple into selling us out, then we’re done for." Wu Bao’Er exhaled deeply.
"It looks like we can’t take on tasks involving the disciples of major sects anymore. If we run into another hornet’s nest, we’re both done for." Liu Ming also expressed his lingering fears.