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Chapter 40 - Chapter 40 · Doubt and Social Death

After the collapse of the Wind Prison Stone Forest, the group pressed on.

Beyond the stone gate lay a vast hall of stone. Across the ceiling, countless star-like runes flickered, as if silently watching.

Cultivators knelt everywhere, weeping as they chanted "Sacred Words" again and again.

But at last—someone could no longer hold back.

A young cultivator in blue armor, his eyes conflicted and his voice trembling, spoke:

"I… I have a question."

All heads whipped toward him at once. The air froze solid.

The young man swallowed hard but forced himself to continue:

"The Heavenly Emperor… does he truly understand cultivation? He seems to just speak casually, act casually, and the dungeon responds… But I've never seen him circulate energy, condense spirit power, or display any technique…"

The words detonated like thunder.

Countless eyes shrank in horror, faces turning pale.

"Insolence!"

"This is slander against the Heavenly Emperor!"

"Are you seeking death?!"

Luo Xingyun screamed himself hoarse:

"Silence! This is the Heavenly Emperor testing you! It's a trial of your loyalty! And you dare to defame the Sacred Words?!"

The crowd seethed, voices rising in fury to condemn the youth.

But suddenly—Su Wanci's voice cut through:

"Wait."

Her gaze was cold as she looked at the young man, a faint flicker of approval in her eyes.

"What you said… is not without merit."

The hall erupted in shocked cries.

"I have observed for long," Su Wanci said, clutching the shattered fragments of her array disk. Her voice rang firm:

"He bears no trace of cultivation. No fluctuation of spirit power. Not a breath of technique or energy. I suspect… he does not understand cultivation at all!"

The hall fell into silence.

Then—rage exploded.

"Blasphemy!"

"She dares question the Heavenly Emperor!"

"The Heavenly Emperor is all-capable!"

Luo Xingyun was already sobbing himself raw:

"This is deliberate! The Heavenly Emperor chooses to appear as a mortal, to test if we can pierce the illusion! It is Sacred Word! Sacred Word supreme!"

At that moment, Ji Canglan was seated on the stone steps, gnawing on a grilled fish.

He blinked in confusion. "What are you all shouting about? Cultivation? I don't know a thing about that. All I know is… when you fish, the ones swimming against the current are always fattest."

BOOM!!!

The entire stone hall roared. The runes blazed wildly. The heavens themselves etched eight characters into the sky:

[Sacred Word: Cultivation against the current, only then can one reach the supreme境]

Every cultivator broke down in tears, roaring as one:

"Sacred Words supreme! The Heavenly Emperor has revealed the true essence of cultivation!"

The blue-armored youth who had spoken fell pale to the ground, trembling as he kowtowed.

"Disciple was ignorant! Disciple deserves death! Sacred Word of the counter-current… disciple swears eternal devotion!"

Su Wanci stood in shock, the fragments of her disk slipping from her fingers and clattering to the ground.

Her lips turned white, her voice hoarse:

"…He was clearly just talking about fish."

But no one heard her.

Luo Xingyun was already on the floor, scribbling furiously:

"Sacred Word Forty—The Dao is counter-current, cultivation supreme境!"

On the wall, light shimmered, inscribing new text:

[Native Authority: Unlock Progress 35%]

The chamber thundered with sobs and chants.

Su Wanci's mind shook violently, her fingertips numb, her composure collapsing.

Her eyes locked on Ji Canglan's back, whispering:

"…Is he the mad one… or is the entire world insane?"

Meanwhile, Ji Canglan slapped his stomach with a satisfied burp.

"Man, I'm stuffed. Let's move on, see if there's another pond with new fish inside."

BOOM—

The stone gate ahead opened of its own accord, starlight flooding the corridor as though answering his words.

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