Chapter 332: Imitation Sacred Artifact
On the front side of the Myriad Stone Mountain Range, a chaotic battle was on the verge of breaking out.
Hundreds of Elders from the Three Great Immortal Sects rose into the air, and the roaring immortal light intertwined at this moment into a vast sea of light, pressing down with a thunderous roar.
Burning heavenly fire and vast lightning instantly stirred up a strong wind, causing the clouds to change color.
In the mountains and forests, countless evilized demon people who had come over the mountains suddenly swung their claws, first unfolding like long lines tearing through the Void Realm, then suddenly propping up in front of the cliff, and with a boom, they clashed with those Immortal Sect Elders.
The Six Great Immortal Sects originally intended to encircle them, but during the encirclement, they discovered they had underestimated the enemy, so they detoured and regrouped.
However, the location where they regrouped was actually part of their campaign plan.
The seven ruins that had been opened were, when viewed from east to west, basically located along a strip.
The Six Great Immortal Sects gathered here precisely to traverse westward from this point, tear open this strip, and then control these seven ruins amidst the tide.
However, this idea certainly couldn't be hidden from others; those Millennium Sects hiding in the ruins and causing trouble could easily figure out their purpose with a little thought, so it was not surprising that the Immortal Sect Disciples would encounter a fierce siege here again.
“This is the first time I’ve seen the locations of the ruins on a map; so this is how they’re distributed.”
“It’s the distribution of the Lasting Peace Race Imperial Tombs.”
“?”
On the north side of the Myriad Stone Mountain Range, the Tianshu Academy One line was traversing the mountains.
Here, Ji You held the map given by Qin Rong, and after observing it for a long time, he gained a clearer understanding of the relative positions of the ruins.
This kind of interlinked, equally spaced distribution was clearly not arbitrary, and facts proved that his feeling was indeed correct.
“Back then, the imperial palaces of the Lasting Peace Race were built between Qing Province and Liang Province, radiating to the surrounding five provinces.”
“The largest of those ruins are actually the Lasting Peace Race’ imperial tombs. These imperial tombs were built during the period when the Lasting Peace Race still ruled all races, and they naturally echoed each other, suppressing the five provinces of the Central Plains.”
“After the Primordial War, the Lasting Peace Race’ power waned, and the dying Lasting Peace Race entered the imperial tombs one after another, which then became the ruins we see today.”
Ji You turned to look at Qin Rong: “What about the other smaller ones?”
Qin Rong waved his hand, sending the pouncing Evil Seed flying with a thunderous shock, and said, “They are the tombs of the Lasting Peace Race’ common people. When the war ended, many Human Race forces were very interested in these tombs. The ruined remains of the ruins you saw in the Qingyun World were forcibly breached by external forces, but the imperial tombs have remained inaccessible for thousands of years.”
“So what they were doing was actually grave robbing.”
“You could say that.”
As they spoke, the Tianshu Academy had already caught sight of the Myriad Stone Mountain Range, where heavenly light exploded in all directions and sand flew wildly.
Collapsed mountain peaks hung upside down, and the ground was covered with ravines and pits carved out by powerful Qi, causing the mountains to tremble and wail continuously.
At this moment, the surging tide of corpses, like a cage, roared ferociously, constantly tightening around the mountain.
Leading the tide of corpses were still those battle-hardened Dead Servants, and their numbers were even greater than during the previous ambush.
Seeing the great tide pressing down, both the Sects and Disciples in the mountain range felt an immense pressure, so they desperately tried to block the tide outwards.
For a time, Sword Qi and blade light constantly flickered.
But Evil Seeds, after all, are not afraid of death, and with their hard bodies, they don't dodge at all. When the ones in front die, the ones behind immediately step on their remains and rush forward again.
In a short moment, countless Immortal Sect Disciples were steadily pushed back during the collision.
However, at this moment, a large bronze cauldron with thick ears, folded rim, and four legs roared over, its fierce aura causing everyone's hearts to tremble.
This cauldron seemed to be cast as a whole, with seamless sides. Its four corners, the middle of the upper and lower edges, and the upper part of its legs were all adorned with flanges, and its form was massive, majestic, and solemn.
Intricate divine patterns were carved around the cauldron's body, and within them, a vast immortal light surged like a tide.
With a thunderous crash, the bronze cauldron slammed into the massive tide of corpses, its powerful aura instantly grinding the front-row Evil Seeds into a sky full of black ash.
At this moment, a man with sword-like eyebrows and starry eyes stepped through the air, reaching out to support the giant cauldron, standing proudly in the air, causing everyone's eyes to widen.
That was Shang Xiyao, the Saint of the Asked the Dao Sect, and the bronze cauldron he held in his hand was an imitation of the Asked the Dao Sect's teaching Immortal Cauldron.
Although it was an imitation, it had been passed down through generations and nurtured for many years by the Origin of a Sacred Artifact as a personal Magical Artifact, used by successive Sect Masters in their youth, its power was extraordinary.
With one cauldron strike, the western tide of corpses was instantly breached by more than half.
And Shang Xiyao showed no signs of breathlessness, still hovering indifferently in the air, a powerful aura roaring through the sky.
The collapse of the western tide of corpses also instantly relieved the pressure on the Lingjian Mountain Disciples next to the Asked the Dao Sect Disciples. Countless Sword Qi slashed through the air, reaching the azure sky, and the surrounding tide of corpses trembled wildly.
On the other side, Huo Xinghong, the Saint of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion, also leaped into the air, holding an octagonal heavenly bell to forcefully tear open the tide of corpses.
At the same time, Chen Luo of the Chen Clan, with the assistance of his Elder sister Chen Xi, sacrificed a white jade Dao tablet, forcefully breaking through the encirclement with magnificent immortal intent.
“Brother Shang.”
“Brother Huo, long time no see, how have you been?”
Huo Xinghong held the heavenly bell and looked at him: “Didn’t we just meet at the Youxian Assembly? What do you mean ‘long time’?”
Shang Xiyao raised an eyebrow and chuckled: “After years of secluded cultivation, I always say this whenever I meet people. It’s become a habit now.”
The Chen Clan siblings also arrived, holding the white jade Dao tablet, and nodded to them. The four of them, with every gesture, already possessed an unparalleled immortal demeanor.
Seeing this scene, many Immortal Sect Disciples and Sect children felt their hearts pound, wishing they were one of them, able to exchange nods at this very moment.
Then the four attacked together, leading the Disciples of the various Great Immortal Sects to directly break through the tide of corpses.
The bronze Immortal Cauldron fell several times, carrying immortal light like divine punishment, crushing a large area upon landing, its powerful offensive like a mountain pressing down, preventing the breached tide of corpses from re-forming.
“As expected of the Asked the Dao Sect Saint, his power is heaven-reaching, and his demeanor is incredibly handsome and majestic.”
“You haven’t seen him before?”
“I only knew before that he had a soft spot for our Master Jian and would be our Lingjian Mountain’s son-in-law in the future, but I had never seen him in person. Seeing him today, they seem quite well-matched.”
Amidst the collapsing tide of corpses, the Lingjian Mountain Disciples watched this scene from afar, subconsciously beginning to discuss animatedly.
Their Dao field was not far from the Asked the Dao Sect, and they had been in frequent contact over the years, so for some Lingjian Mountain Disciples, the Asked the Dao Sect was not considered an outsider.
In fact, due to the efforts of the Xuanjian Peak Master over the years, many Lingjian Mountain and Asked the Dao Sect Disciples had become Dao Companions, maintaining an intimate relationship.
Even Ding Yao, the personal maid of their own Master Jian, was a staunch supporter of the Lingjian Mountain and Asked the Dao Sect forming marriage alliances.
However, hearing her fellow Disciples praise Shang Xiyao as if he were one of their own, Ding Yao remained silent.
You're still thinking about marriage, but Master Jian is already thinking about having babies.
Also silent were some of the Lingjian Mountain Core Disciples.
While marriages in the Qingyun World indeed emphasized matching families, Master Jian had always disliked other Sect forces interfering with Lingjian Mountain. If she were to choose a son-in-law, she might not necessarily choose from among the direct Disciples.
More importantly, they had participated in the operation to encircle the Bu family in the Dongping Mountain Range and had seen Master Jian take Ji You away, and they had heard the phrase “family matter,” so they naturally understood the complexity of the situation.
Sometimes, people can't help but talk about things. As the tide of corpses was broken through by those direct Disciple Saints, the people of the Three Great Immortal Sects soon saw a group of white-robed figures descending.
Their immortal robes were embroidered with book patterns, and the fabric's subtle patterns were also similar to those designs; it was the Tianshu Academy One line.
After looking around for a while, Ding Yao and Zhuo Wanqiu’s gazes suddenly settled, as if they had found their anchor, and they relaxed instantly.
In times of chaos, what Immortal Sects feared most was instability within the mountain. As a spiritual symbol, their Master Jian needed to guard Lingjian Mountain and did not come along for the campaign.
They lacked a backbone, and having witnessed too much death on this journey, their hearts had been constantly uneasy until they saw another backbone, which finally put them at ease.
“We’ve arrived…”
Having traveled a thousand miles, constantly fighting along the way, the Tianshu Academy Disciples instantly breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing the Disciples of the other Immortal Sects.
Even Zhengxin Fairy and Yang Shu Immortal Venerable relaxed a bit, their tired shoulders involuntarily slumping.
Ji You was walking at the front, looking at the demon people fiercely fighting with the Elders amidst the constantly shattering heavenly light ahead, his expression slightly solemn: “We are temporarily safe, but we must quickly recover our Qi. We are not here to watch the show; we are here to kill our way in.”
The battle ahead was still ongoing; countless Elders were battling the demon people. All they could do was recover to their peak state as quickly as possible, and then, once the Immortal Sect powerhouses tore open the front line, they would charge in.
In fact, the Disciples of the other Immortal Sects were also desperately absorbing Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi at this moment, replenishing their Spirit Origin.
“Let’s go to the west side. It’s quieter and has an open view.”
Cao Jinsong pointed to a side of the ridge, a place that had not been damaged by the fierce battle.
Ji You nodded, then followed them.
The Lu Family Sisters used a light breeze to clear away the grit, and as they sat down, they all rubbed their bottoms in unison, their expressions showing a hint of hesitation.
Having been hit a few times on this journey, they were all a bit afraid to sit down easily.
And as they hesitated, they found that even Wen Zhengxin, who was as serious and responsible as a Senior Sister, was gently rubbing her bottom, causing their expressions to subtly change.
As for Ji You, he had just lifted his robe, preparing to sit down, when he saw two familiar figures emerge from the broken trees all over the ground.
Amidst the roaring of spells raging across the sky, he paused slightly, then headed towards the thicket.
Ding Yao and Zhuo Wanqiu had left the hillside where the Lingjian Mountain Disciples were located when they saw him arrive; now, in the thicket, their eyes brightened as they looked at him, “Young Master.”
“Are you hurt?”
Ding Yao shook her head after hearing this: “We came with the Second Young Miss, along with Senior Brother Gongshu and the others. Although we encountered an ambush, the two of us are fine.”
Ji You glanced at them, then raised his head: “The tsundere didn’t come with you?”
“Master Jian is the wielder of the artifact; in these chaotic times, she needs to guard the Dao field. However, she asked us to bring a letter, requesting that Young Master open it personally.”
Zhuo Wanqiu smoothly took over the conversation, simultaneously pulling a letter from her sleeve.
Ji You reached out and took the letter, opened it, and after a couple of glances, his mouth twitched.
The two girls were a bit curious and couldn’t help but stand on their tiptoes to look. They found that the letter contained no text, but rather a drawing of a stick figure swinging a sword and piercing another stick figure.
That girl, at such a critical moment, sending a letter all this way, and it’s still this thing.
Zhuo Wanqiu and Ding Yao were also stunned, thinking that their Master Jian was becoming more and more mischievous.
Ji You folded the drawing in his hand and put it into his sleeve: “The tsundere always felt that the ruins harbored disaster. Why was the one controlled by Lingjian Mountain also opened?”
Zhuo Wanqiu couldn’t help but sigh after hearing this: “Since the Youxian Assembly, the Elders in the Sect have been restless about the ruins. Although Tianjian Peak and Xuanjian Peak are at odds, they still stood together when facing the Immortal edge and jointly opened the ruins, bypassing Master Jian.”
“Were there any casualties?”
“None.”
Ji You was a bit surprised: “Not even one?”
Zhuo Wanqiu nodded and said: “Although Master Jian turned a blind eye to this matter, appearing to outsiders as helpless acquiescence, in reality, on the day the ruins opened, she personally invited two Old Ancestors from Xuanjian Peak to secretly follow, and when the tide erupted, they brought our Sect members back.”
Yan Shuyi never believed that the Immortal fate within the ruins would lead to a good outcome, but since she couldn’t stop the joint decision of the two peaks, she could only remain silent.
Even when a large number of Lingjian Mountain Disciples left the mountain, she merely watched with a cold and beautiful gaze from above the clouds.
But in reality, she had made quite a few arrangements.
And now it seems, everyone else was deceived, even he had relaxed his guard at the Youxian Assembly, only she remained clear-headed.
A figure with a calm expression, as if contemplating the world, couldn't help but appear in Ji You's mind. He wondered how this intelligent Young Master Jian had been deceived by Yuan Caiwei in the first place.
“How are the people from Ji Village doing on your Lingjian Mountain?”
“They’re all doing well. Qiu Ru is cultivating the Dao of the Sword with the Elders in the mountain, and Young Miss Wei Rui often goes to Cloud Top Heavenly Palace to chat with Master Jian. It’s just that Young Master Kuang is a bit restless, trying to return to the capital several times. Oh, and there’s also Chen Fuzi.”
Ji You raised his eyes slightly: “What happened to Chen Fuzi?”
Zhuo Wanqiu pursed her lips: “Master Jian instructed them not to wander around freely, fearing they might cause trouble for Young Master, but Chen Fuzi wasn’t very obedient.
Not only did he wander everywhere, but he also went down the mountain to buy wine. But he didn’t drink it; he just smelled it and that was it.”
“Chen Fuzi used to be the laziest in Feng Province; he really changed his habits after moving to a new place.”
“Boom!!!”
With a loud explosion, the attention of the three was instantly drawn to the front mountain.
The heavens and earth trembled, and a violent pressure swept over like a raging wave. Everyone who had been sitting in meditation and adjusting their breath was startled awake, feeling as if a colossal rock was pressing on their chests, making even breathing difficult.
Upper Five Realms Perfection cultivators had made their move, and not just one.
Looking up, several figures ascended into the Void Realm, their bodies radiating Dao rhyme, resonating with the heavens and earth.
The Palace Master of Tianshu Academy, the Pavilion Master of Mountain and Sea Pavilion, and a host of figures from Asked the Dao Sect, Chen Clan, Xuan Yuan Immortal Mansion, and others, their every step changed the wind and clouds, causing the vast Void Realm to rumble as if unable to bear the weight.
Sleeves fluttered, and light splashed, constantly interweaving Yin and Yang Qi.
In an instant, several immortal lights converged, forming golden discs, one after another, which, with the flow of immortal light, crashed into the dense forest of the Myriad Stone Mountain Range.
Those demonic beings with Spirit Roaming Realm combat power grimaced and struggled to resist with their claws, their bodies constantly swaying with Evil Qi, but in an instant, they were still fiercely sent flying.
The Elders who had just been fighting them immediately pursued, spells roaring in their palms, constantly slaying the Evil Seeds that rushed out from the dark mountain forest.
Seeing this, the people on the mountain continuously shattered Spirit Stones and consumed Medicinal Pills, accelerating their recovery speed.
However, their location was not a safe place; at this moment, a black tide rose again from below the mountain.
The previously scattered Evil Seeds struggled back, densely packed like an ant swarm, surging up the mountain ridge, their limbs overlapping and colliding, emitting horrifying shrieks.
At this moment, the Eight-Prism Heavenly Bell, the White Jade Dao Stele, and the Bronze Immortal Cauldron simultaneously ascended into the sky.
Huo Xingzhong sacrificed the Heavenly Bell, causing it to crash down, its body radiating golden light, crushing hundreds of Evil Seeds into a pulp.
On the other side, the Chen Clan’s twin direct Disciples also sacrificed the Dao Stele, which crashed down between the black tides, its inscriptions flowing and shattering an area ten zhang in radius.
The Saint of Asked the Dao Sect also reappeared on the mountain peak, the bronze cauldron roaring continuously, bringing a swaying aura that once again annihilated a section, leaving everyone trembling with shock.
However, only the front rows of the Evil Seeds were crushed; the remaining ones still shrieked and surged up the mountain.
Yu!
With a trembling sound, the Bronze Cauldron high in the sky emitted a metallic clang, and a burst of immortal light instantly shot out from within the cauldron, falling down.
As a result, its form expanded several times, crushing a swath of Evil Seeds.
Seeing this, even Huo Xingzhong and Chen Luo and Chen Xi couldn't help but turn their gaze.
These Evil Seeds climbing the mountain were merely the most ordinary batch, far less terrifying than those with crimson eyes.
With a Sacred Artifact suppressing them, even basic methods could prevent this tide of corpses from causing trouble; there was no need to employ such means.
After all, there were still unknown numbers of even more powerful demonic beings within the ruins, and excessive consumption at this time was actually unwise.
However, as direct Disciples, they could understand why Shang Xiyao acted in such a manner.
The Sacred Artifact had not been shown to the public for hundreds of years, and its deterrent power was gradually fading. Especially with those millennium Sects causing such a great disaster, and almost entrapping them last night, the damage to the prestige of the Immortal Sects was immense.
Shang Xiyao’s actions were to display the Immortal Might in front of his Disciples and the surrounding Sects, to consolidate the transcendent status of the Immortal Sect.
Most importantly, at this time of power transition, Shang Xiyao also needed to establish his authority to ensure a smooth succession, and although the timing here was not ideal, it was the best stage.
“Boom!!!”
Amidst the deafening explosion of Qi, Shang Xiyao coldly waved his hand, and the enormous Bronze Cauldron pressed down again.
The cliff in front cracked in response, spiderweb-like fissures instantly spreading for dozens of zhang. A group of Evil Seeds didn’t even have time to scream before they exploded into clumps of black ash beneath the cauldron.
As expected, with these two moves, the Disciples of Asked the Dao Sect and some Sects from Yu Province immediately became much more respectful.
Even those unrelated to Asked the Dao Sect couldn't help but stare at that figure with the immortal demeanor.
The direct Disciples of the Sect Master in the great Immortal Sects are equivalent to the spiritual leaders of the young generation. Now, displaying immortal might when disaster strikes naturally has an extraordinary significance.
At this moment, someone turned to look south, which was where the Xuan Yuan Immortal Mansion Disciples were located.
Upon seeing this scene, the Xuan Yuan Disciples averted their eyes, their expressions particularly complex.
Their Saint had killed the Sect Master’s son and daughter, causing chaos in the world, which at this very moment seemed like a hellish joke.
Similarly, Tianshu Academy, which had never appointed a direct Disciple of the Sect Master, couldn't help but be scrutinized by others.
Ji You, hidden among the trees, did not notice their gaze. Instead, he continuously watched as the Upper Five Realms Perfection mighty figures advanced, while simultaneously opening all the Qi apertures around his body. The surrounding Spiritual Qi began to continuously enter his body, preparing to head towards the ruins.
The combat power displayed by those millennium Sects, after years of planning, was indeed terrifying. But how could the Six Great Immortal Sects, who had governed Qingyun World for so many years, be mere pushovers?
Last night, everyone was ambushed at their weakest, which led to heavy losses, but now they had gained the upper hand.
But Ji You still didn't understand what their true trump card was.
The Seven Great Immortal Sects held Sacred Artifacts, suppressing the world. With them causing such a mess, where did their chances of victory come from?
(Please give monthly votes — orz)
