When "God" Decides To Start Over

"The ghostly sword in this painting seems a bit eerie," Li Xiu remarked, looking at the sword in the painting.

"Of course it's eerie. This painting was ripped from the execution platform in front of the Heavenly Gate," Old Dao chuckled.

"Heavenly Gate? What's that place?" Li Xiu thought for a moment, as if he had never heard of such a name.

"The Heavenly Gate is a Trial Gate, where mysterious things abound. If you encounter a demonic spirit there in your lifetime, it means your ancestors must've wronged people for eight generations, and you're destined to have bad luck in this life."

"What sort of demonic spirits are that sinister?" Li Xiu asked curiously.

"You still have a long way to go; knowing won't help you anyway. It's the kind of demonic spirit that makes you wish you were dead the moment you see it. In that place of the Heavenly Gate, any demonic spirit is of that caliber; no one can stop them," Old Dao's eyes seemed to glaze over, as if trapped in a memory.

"Aren't they just some demonic spirits? They only hide in the Land of Trial. If they come out, they would've been finished off by Magic Armor Masters by now," Li Xiu said.

"You're still too young," Old Dao sneered coldly, "Magic Armor Masters? They're nothing compared to those demonic spirits. The high status of Magic Armor Masters now is just because the truly fearsome demonic spirits haven't stormed out of the Trial Gate. Those that have come out are just trash that doesn't even count as small fry."

"Let's put it this way: things were better in the past. If it weren't for the Longevity Sect holding the front line these years, guarding the Trial Gate, the world would've been in chaos long ago. Kid, you've got decent talent. If you get the chance, you can join the Longevity Sect and take a look. With your talent, you should have the opportunity to come in contact with those things."

With these words, Old Dao sighed, "Forget it, let's not talk about this. Let's get back to the Heavenly Gate. The Land of Trial of that gate is incredibly bizarre. Once inside, there's another door, as massive as a mountain, practically endless. The door is tightly shut, and in front of it stands an execution platform with a stone tablet, and this painting hangs on that tablet."

"Sounds like this painting has quite a history. Are you really going to give it to me?" Li Xiu asked in surprise.

The two had only met recently and didn't have any life-and-death bond. Why was Old Dao suddenly giving him something so precious? This made Li Xiu a bit suspicious of Old Dao's intentions.

"Don't overthink it. The painting is real, but it's just a replica. The original is not with me," Old Dao said with a grin.

"So it's a replica. Where's the original painting then?" Li Xiu asked curiously.

"Still hanging on the execution platform in front of the Heavenly Gate. Back then, when we took the painting down, it nearly caused a catastrophe. We were fortunate to hang it back in time to avoid any major trouble. But ever since then, things have been unstable near the Heavenly Gate," Old Dao sighed again, "At the time, we had several replicas made, and this is one of them. My swordsmanship was deduced from this painting. However, having seen the original myself, just looking at this replica without having seen the original is much less effective."

"Better than nothing. I'll gratefully accept it then, thanks," Li Xiu appreciated the painting for a moment before folding the paper and tucking it into his backpack.

The paper was very special; it had almost been squeezed into a paper ball in Old Dao's arms, yet it appeared unwrinkled when opened, so there was no worry about it being damaged.

While the two were talking, Chu Jun and the other three had just about finished all the tasks Old Dao had assigned.

After all, with two Trial Takers and two Magic Armor Masters working, they were not to be compared with ordinary people.

"Your people are quite good. Two S-Class Magic Armor Masters are impressive, and those two Trial Takers aren't bad either," Old Dao commented, glancing at Chu Jun and the others.

"They're alright," Li Xiu replied offhandedly.

"If you continue developing like this, sooner or later, those Commanders will set their sights on you. If you plan to join the Longevity Sect in the future, I have some advice for you," Old Dao pondered for a moment before continuing, "Join the red, not the black, and don't entangle with any vice presidents."

"What do you mean by 'join the red, not the black'?" Li Xiu had a vague feeling something was amiss.

"When the Longevity Sect invites you to join, there are two types of invitation cards. A red card means inviting you to be a regular member, while a black card means inviting you to be a super member," Old Dao explained.

"Isn't being a super member better? Sounds like better treatment and more power. Why join the red, not the black?" Li Xiu, who received a Black Card from the Red Sand City Lord, asked.

"Regular members don't get great treatment and have little power within the sect. But there's a perk to being a regular member—you don't have to be on duty, while super members do," Old Dao chuckled.

"What does being on duty entail?" Li Xiu knew it probably wasn't as simple as it seemed.

"Being on duty means when it's your turn, you have to guard the Trial Gate. If any demonic spirits rush out from within, you're the first line of defense," Old Dao said, taking a sip of tea, moistening his throat before continuing, "As for why not to get involved with those vice presidents, it's not something I can say. You'll have to figure it out yourself once you join the sect."

"What if I've already received a black invitation card?" Although Li Xiu wasn't afraid to guard the Trial Gate, he still wanted to be clear about the situation.