Chapter Thirteen: The Supreme Magical Artifact of Ultimate Survival

The other layer of space was even more extraordinary—not only could it store living things, but it could also remain completely hidden. Anyone below the rank of Martial Lord wouldn’t even sense its existence, but how many Martial Lords could there be in this world? More importantly, it could be activated by a password or a subtle action. There were five slots for passwords and five for actions. For instance, if one action was set to rolling your eyes clockwise three times, and you were lying in bed with someone sneaking up on you while you couldn’t resist or reveal you’d awakened, simply rolling your eyes three times would make you vanish on the spot, transporting you into that hidden space.

Of course, this example wasn’t entirely accurate—you might wake up every day finding yourself in the space instead. With Zhang Ning’s status, the Grand Free Heaven Demon Sect would be thrown into chaos! If you stocked the space with supplies, you could survive in hiding for ages. Ten such actions or passwords could be set, meaning you had ten ways to escape instantly from mortal danger!

Zhang Ning was utterly in awe.

Though the design came from a Grandmaster of artifact forging—his own master—Zhang Ning suspected the inspiration must have come from that so-called Eldest Senior Brother! Such an extreme instinct for self-preservation couldn’t possibly be understood by someone from this world, where martial might ruled and men lived for pride alone.

To Zhang Ning’s surprise, this space was rarely used because it wasn’t suited for urgent, life-or-death battles. Outside of combat, the princes had never let themselves fall into such peril, which meant Zhang Ning could still use this as a secret trump card. The thought filled him with delight.

Just then, Yu Zhong said, “It’s said the Venerable One will also craft a unique divine weapon for each prince, but…”

“I get it,” Zhang Ning rolled his eyes, “He’s gone into seclusion again, hasn’t he?”

Zhang Ning was thoroughly resigned to this Demon Lord. It was said he’d previously vanished into seclusion just as silently. Even when he’d taken Zhang Ning as his disciple, it had been ambiguous—Zhang Ning thought he was being abducted, or just questioned for information.

If not for all that happened afterward, who would’ve guessed this great figure intended to take him as a disciple? Such an enigmatic personality was truly... Zhang Ning thought he ought to be the male lead in a Korean drama, creating episode after episode of misunderstandings out of thin air.

Luckily, Zhang Ning wasn’t greedy; he wasn’t fixated on acquiring that divine weapon for now. After dismissing Yu Zhong, he intended to return to his room and study the other treasures in his storage bag.

However, Zhang Ning forgot something. The second item on Yu Zhong’s memo: preparations for recruiting disciples.

It’s clear that what you forget once is easy to forget again.

In North Firmament City—

A major event had occurred! An entire clan had vanished overnight! It was the Lingxiao Clan, a top-tier second-class family under the protection of a Martial Emperor. On the very day of the incident, it was rumored that the local governor’s daughter had died suddenly of illness; her family, stricken with grief, returned at once to the capital of the Great Qian Dynasty.

Such events, unfolding in just a few days, cast a shadow over everyone’s hearts, but on this day, something truly blocked out the sun.

A colossal, boat-shaped magical artifact appeared, so grand it rivaled nature’s own wonders—it was the Great-Bellied Boat of the Grand Free Heaven Demon Sect.

Recruiting disciples with the Great-Bellied Boat had special meaning. Its landing spot was never fixed. Though an upper-grade artifact, it wasn’t famed for speed—after all, it needed to give all potential talents a chance to catch up, but it was not slow either. This was a test: were the disciples truly devoted to joining the Grand Free Heaven Demon Sect? This method, akin to a military march, was designed to find out.

One would expect such strictness to drive away proud, gifted individuals, but the Grand Free Heaven Demon Sect treated its disciples so generously. For instance, when it came to elixirs, many inner disciples of other sects had never seen a single pill, yet the Myriad Forms Demon Lord was not only a supreme grandmaster of arrays and charms, but also of forging and alchemy, his knowledge spanning all ages. There was a saying that the Myriad Forms Demon Lord monopolized half the knowledge of the Azure Sky Realm—something even his fiercest critics could not deny.

So, whenever recruitment began, hopeful candidates—and often their elders and entire families—would pursue the Great-Bellied Boat relentlessly. Wherever it stopped, crowds flocked in joy to take part in the selection.

The city closest to North Firmament—

In West Fortune City—

Within the Su Family—

“The matter with the Lingxiao Clan—the Fifth Prince acted too rashly! I hear the Fifth Prince is quite young, his foundations the weakest, but that’s all the more reason not to be hasty! Still, the Fifth Prince might yet have a chance; youth does not preclude great achievement. Isn’t it the same here in the Su Family?” A handsome young gentleman, lightly waving a feather fan, spoke.

Around him stood other well-dressed young men, their presence commanding respect. They nodded in agreement from time to time, showering him with subtle flattery.

The gentleman basked in their admiration while secretly glancing at another young man who happened to be passing by—his household’s cousin, Su Huaqin, who had once met Zhang Ning in Ten Thousand Umbrella Demon City.

Su Huaqin greeted them with courteous grace, but showed no sign of wanting to converse, his steps seemingly slow but actually swift as he passed through the pavilion.

The handsome gentleman regretted missing another opportunity to speak with Su Huaqin, unaware that Su Huaqin was inwardly cursing him.

Su Huaqin knew well why these people performed for his benefit, behaving obsequiously—they all knew he was the youngest legitimate son of the Su family patriarch.

Unlike his sickly, reclusive elder brother, Su Huaqin was gifted and steady. For reasons unknown, many elders and juniors in the clan considered him more suited to be the next family head, certain that he and his brother were destined to contend for leadership. They flocked to support him, hoping to help him ascend, which exasperated him to no end.

Su Huaqin knew his elder brother was no ordinary man. Back when their elder brother’s mother was alive, she held their father firmly in her grasp. If she hadn’t died of illness, Su Huaqin’s own mother would never have risen to her position, nor would he have become a legitimate heir. Su Huaqin had no faith in love—it was all a matter of skill and strategy. If even a secluded matron could wield such power, how could his brother be simple?

When he first became a legitimate son, he expected his brother to make things difficult for him. But to his surprise, his brother magnanimously handed over many family affairs to him and his mother, remaining in his own quarters and rarely appearing in public. Outsiders thought his brother was frail, but Su Huaqin had seen him up close—his brother’s face was always ruddy and healthy, with no trace of illness at all!