Chapter 1397
Ancestors
Chapter 1397 Ancestors
"This is the land of Shu..."
The distant light was dazzling, and the light and shadow of the array were projected onto his face. Qiao Wenliu looked up and couldn't help but ponder to himself.
'This is truly a formidable formation… It's often said that the geomantic veins of Sichuan are unique, and several passes here are among the best in the world. It's truly remarkable!'
Qiao Wenliu accompanied Mingyang south, and he was already feeling quite at ease. Not only was he of a higher status, but he also knew that going down to war would mean he could fill his own pockets. How could he not be pleased?
As a result, he took in disciples and transformed himself into half a member of the Li family. This time, his desire to plunder faded. He stroked his chin and pondered:
'I've been watching these direct descendants of the Li family arrive one after another, none of them particularly powerful. If there's any benefit to be had, I might as well let them share it. As for me, I'll take some of the Three Yin items back with me… and I still need to prepare some gifts for the apprenticeship…'
This was a real headache for him. When he sought a master in the desert, he should have shown his sincerity. But he suddenly learned that he had used up all his savings in his past pursuit of Taoism and was now penniless, not knowing what to take out.
'He's quite a figure on the lake, he's seen all sorts of unusual things, so we can't let him be too inconspicuous and let him have been my disciple for nothing…'
After pondering for a long time, the Lesser Yin True Man's eyes lit up:
'I've heard that the boy doesn't have a wife or concubines yet. Now that we've broken in, we can kidnap a few beautiful women from Sichuan, preferably from noble families, and bring them back to him.'
This battle of wits in the desert lasted a long time. He inquired about the news and heard about the so-called Nine Clans of Old Wu and the Four Gates of the Former State, and he memorized them all:
"We don't need the Li family of Tanshan. We should strive for perfection in life and work. This brings the total to twelve. His Purple Mansion is not yet complete, so it's best not to engage in large-scale battles that would deplete his vital energy. Twelve is just right; it's auspicious."
Lost in thought, he stood guard before the Mingyang Hall, when he saw rolling yellow sand, like mist and illusion, and a person emerged from it, holding a long sword.
Just then, this man walked all the way to the edge of the desert, holding his sword upside down, his eyes fixed on the grand hall on the ceiling, and he said in a voice as loud as thunder:
"Please enlighten me, Your Majesty!"
Qiao Wenliu frowned and asked:
"Who is that person?"
Cui Jueyin, standing to the side, gazed into the distance, a hint of envy flashing in her eyes, and said:
"That is Master Wu Rong, a guest of Chang Huai. I've heard that he cultivates the unique 'Jade True' lineage of Chang Huai, and is a dignified Master!"
Although cultivators from the north came south one by one, and even Sima Yuanli came, there was still only one Grand True Person, Li Zhouwei. Now that he stepped out, no one dared to respond.
Qiao Wenliu looked around and saw no one. The hall remained quiet, and his temper flared immediately. He sneered:
"A rogue cultivator dares to ask the King of Wei for guidance! Let me, Qiao, have a go at you!"
He rose into the air, riding on the light of the Lesser Yin, his radiance dazzling, and immediately engaged in battle with the Great Immortal.
Qiao Wenliu's divine abilities were extremely high, and his Lesser Yin Divine Power, "Taichong Guan," was very powerful, often enabling him to escape. Although Wu Rong cultivated the Jade True Realm, he wielded a knife and was killed, so he was blocked for a time.
The roar of battle in the sky was deafening. This scene, however, took on a different meaning in the eyes of the cultivators on the pass. Qingji, leaning against the city wall, turned around and said coldly:
"Mingyang has been besieging and attacking for half a year now, but I haven't shown myself for quite some time. Now is the time to test them. Is there any other True Person willing to go out and give it a try?"
Upon hearing this, a hush fell over the surroundings.
Li Zhouwei had been surrounding them for a while without making a move. Of course, he was not capable of taking Wuchuan from the two Great Masters, but that did not mean that the Western Shu side had a great advantage... On the contrary, if one of the Great Masters went out now, it would be to test Mingyang's edge!
'Not everyone is Wu Qiang, who received favors from your father…'
Seeing that everyone around him was silent, Qingji sneered and said:
"With Master Pingyan here, what is there to worry about—Master Sun!"
He glanced at Shen Sou and casually said:
"Your ancestor has been captured by Mingyang, which is a grave crime. Instead of making progress, you are cowering and hesitating. When will we be able to rescue your ancestor? There is no need to worry about your life. You may go now!"
'Why don't you go yourself?'
Shen Sou cursed inwardly, but on the surface, he bowed down with a face full of shame, turned to Ping Yan, and said:
"The General is absolutely right! My ancestor is still in Mingyang's hands. At this moment, Mingyang is recklessly advancing deep into the desert, which is a critical situation. I beg the Great Master to consider my ancestor's diligence and rescue him with me!"
His words were clearly an attempt to protect himself and shift the blame, yet he offered both praise and entreaties, which Qingji found reasonable, and he said:
"In that case, Master Pingyan...please give it a try!"
Ping Yan, standing atop the pass, had grown increasingly suspicious of Mingyang's prolonged reluctance to attack. However, upon hearing this, he had a different thought:
'Mingyang's prolonged siege has failed, and he's probably considering retreating. I heard from the people of Dongtian that there should have been casualties in the desert, which is why Mingyang came in such a rage. Now things are much better, and that old bastard Shan Yin has been captured again. Who knows what he'll do about the losses? So the Qilin has retreated...'
This immediately made her very annoyed.
"That won't do. We can't let this fool go back alive. Even if he's wrong in a thousand ways, he's still a member of the Qing clan. It wouldn't look good for us to do it ourselves, or for the Shu Emperor to kill him; it would just be disheartening."
'How about we devise a plan where Shen Sou kills a real person, then provoke Mingyang, putting him in a difficult position where he has no intention of backing down!'
So he nodded with a smile and said calmly:
"I will accompany you, fellow Daoists. Let us join forces to save Fellow Daoist Shan Yin. This is our only chance!"
Pingyan's words carried a completely different weight than Qingji's. The assembled masters in the hall immediately felt more confident, nodded repeatedly, and went out one after another.
Shen Sou was just saying it; he had already given up on the idea of rescuing his ancestor from Ming Yang. Caught off guard, he was suddenly filled with joy and hurriedly chased after him, only to have a talisman slipped to his hand. Ping Yan whispered in his ear and chuckled:
"It's up to you now!"
Shen Sou's mindset was completely different now. He immediately rode the wind and went out. When he arrived at the desert, he found that the scenery was very different.
The supernatural powers that Li Shi used to chase them to this place were not particularly powerful; most of them were at the early stage of the Purple Mansion realm. Cui Jueyin, Yang Xuancai, and others could only barely hold them off in the air. Qiao Wenliu had already been completely suppressed by Wu Gan, and Qiu Shenshi had held off the unknown Jueyin rogue cultivator. Standing in this sky, he really didn't have any decent opponents!
He merely sneered, seeing the blue-robed immortal rushing towards him in his imposing blue palanquin, blocking his path, Shen Sou coldly said:
"The Azure Sword has arrived!"
Sima Yuanli remained calm.
Shen Sou and he could be considered to be of the same generation, but on the path of cultivation, Shen Sou had always been ahead of him. At that time, the only one who could surpass Sima Yuanli was Jian Yuan.
But without sword intent, it is ultimately just a side path. His cultivation is not as good as Shen Sou's, and "Zhengmu" is far less easy to achieve than "Jimu". Now, this "Qinghu Sword" is less about reminiscing and more about mocking him for practicing swordsmanship for many years, only to find that he has no skill to use now!
Sima Yuanli knew perfectly well what was going on, but said casually:
"Fellow Daoist flatters me... My uncle was unfortunately captured. He was an old friend from back then. May I convey a few words of concern?"
Shen Sou's expression changed slightly. He activated his divine power, and a torrent of spiritual energy flowed forth, like a vast and boundless forest, enveloping the person before him. He said:
"Watch your life!"
Sima Yuanli laughed and said:
"I'm afraid that once the palace doors open, you two will be summoned to meet!"
He cultivated the Righteous Wood, and although his supernatural powers were slightly inferior, he was not easily defeated by the Gathering Wood. He also had many treasures on him. The two fought for a while, but he could not defeat him for a while, which made Taixu Zhongpingyan's face darken.
'He was born a coward!'
So he patted his sleeve, took out a treasure shaped like an umbrella, opened it in his hand, and gently tossed it out.
【Xuanhua Zhutu Dang】.
Suddenly, a fierce wind arose, and dust fell like rain, landing precisely in the desert. The perfect storm of weather and terrain created a sudden and oppressive atmosphere, making it impossible to see anything but one's own hand in front of one's face. Only large and small rocks, as hard as soybeans, came crashing down, each one as hard as metal, making a loud noise all around.
The fierce wind threw the east side into chaos, and then beams of golden, thunderous light fell down. Sima Yuanli was hit by three of them, and his usually proud and solid wood was completely neutralized, almost causing him to vomit blood.
Seeing this opportunity, Shen Sou realized that the Great Master was helping him. He scanned the surroundings, his hand already tightly gripping the talisman, and immediately focused on Cui Jueyin and Qiu Wanyi, who were fighting the closest two people to him.
But he wasn't stupid:
"Mingyang's power is overwhelming. Just by looking at this Cui's surname, I know he's one of his confidants. If I kill him casually, I might not survive!"
Now everyone understands very well that they have offended that King Wei. Ping Yan may be able to protect them this time, but there will always be a time when he can't. So they are more restrained, but they dare not harm Sima Yuanli, a former official of Jianghuai. So they can only turn to the other side and attack that unknown rogue cultivator.
This person was from Wu Temple.
He was originally a rogue cultivator from the north, relying on connections to make a living in Gu County. He had no background, and now that he had gone through this ordeal, he certainly didn't dare to stay in the north. When the south needed people, he was the first to come down, which is why he arrived earlier.
He was locked in a fierce battle with Master Qiu Shenshi, but was temporarily at a disadvantage. He managed to escape by relying on the unpredictable nature of Jueyin, but Shen Sou suddenly looked at him and he knew that something bad had happened.
'I have no grudge against this guy, why did he hit me!'
Unexpectedly, the talisman was brought out by Ping Yan from the cave. Changhuai Mountain has a great lineage in the art of talismans, and it was a good treasure. Before he could react, he felt a burst of golden fire in front of him, and he spat out blood. His face was covered with silver light. Qiu Shenshi, who was beside him, saw this opportunity and could not let it go easily.
In an instant, a massive, pure white mountain pressed down on him, closing in from both sides as if locking him onto a small, treacherous mountain path. Qiu Shenshi then activated his ultimate technique, which he had obtained from Chang Huai:
[Zhengxuan Fengyu True Light]!
This beam of light was fierce and ruthless. It was personally taught by Qing Tang back then. Wu Temple did not have a protective stone to prevent injury. His own spiritual artifact was locked. When the talisman hit him, his chest burned, his eyes could not be opened, and his spiritual sense could not be activated. When he reached out to touch it, he found that his heart and lungs had been ripped open. His supernatural powers were greatly reduced, with both real and illusory abilities intertwined.
Shen Sou and Yuan Shi had already closed in on them!
"not good!"
He felt cold from head to toe, but then he heard a sound of blood being spat out in mid-air. A bluish light had already enveloped his body, forcibly pulling him backward and escaping from the perilous situation!
It was Qiao Wenliu.
This real person was quite temperamental. Even though he was beaten so badly by the great real person above that his face was already pale, he still disregarded his own precarious situation and stepped in to help. But as a result, Wu Rong drew his sword expressionlessly and stood up, which instead forced him into a desperate situation!
Wu Miao caught his breath and recovered. He didn't have time to thank Qiao Wenliu. He activated the "Questioning Chamber" to try to escape. He had only taken a few steps when the small umbrella-like spiritual treasure in the sky shone brightly. Pieces of light fell down and knocked him out of his supernatural power!
Sima Yuanli had already arrived injured, but he only managed to hold off Qiu Shenshi behind him. Shen Sou laughed and stepped forward. Just as he drew his sword, he saw a familiar dark green light flash before his eyes and exploded with a loud bang!
The old man in red stepped out, gritting his teeth!
Dan Yin!
'Ancestor!'
The moment Shen Sou saw that familiar figure, all his movements stopped abruptly, his eyes flashing with surprise and joy, and his lips trembling.
Unexpectedly, the great master in front of him completely ignored him and slapped him hard across the face!
"puff!"
The attack, "Falcon's Perch," came too suddenly and too quickly, catching Shen Sou completely off guard. He coughed up a mouthful of blood, his head snapping back to the side, nearly being twisted off. Sharp bone spurs burst from both sides of his neck, and a lump of air lodged in his throat. In that instant, his mind cleared, and he cried out in horror:
"My lord! It's me!"
In an instant, the entire sky fell silent.
The cultivators knew, of course, that the old master had been captured by the King of Wei, but they didn't know his exact condition. In any case, he should have been able to hold on for a few days inside the man's magical treasure...
Gu Youke persisted for so long!
Who would have thought that in the blink of an eye, this old master would stand on the other side of the lake? Shangguan Mi would still be concerned about not drawing his sword against his former master, but this old man seemed to care completely and was so ruthless in his attack, as if he wanted to kill his own family!
'A dignified Grand Master, how could he be so shameless!'
Dan Yin, however, was thick-skinned and didn't care about the surprised and contemptuous looks. Instead, he stretched his limbs, as if feeling the supernatural power returning to his body, and the look in his eyes slowly turned gloomy.
"That's exactly what I'm going to do!"
'If I don't beat you up, how will I explain this to the Qingji side!'
The gloom in Shan Yin's eyes was almost dripping with hatred. He seemed to be barely restraining himself as he withdrew his hand and kicked him off the sky. His fierce gaze turned to Qiu Shenshi.
Don't be fooled by Shan Yin's willingness to kneel before Li Zhouwei; he actually played a crucial role in the calamity. This old man was extremely tyrannical in the Shu Kingdom, and just one glance from him terrified Qiu Shenshi!
'How did he get better! How did he surrender! That old bastard is utterly shameless!'
Without hesitation, he unleashed all his supernatural powers, not even having time to retrieve his magical artifacts, and turned to retreat like a shooting star. Dan Yin, however, did not pursue him, understanding what was most important at this moment. He leaped into the air and shouted:
"Fellow Daoist Wu Rong! This old man has come to meet you!"
The Jade True Giant Mountain that Wu Rong had built in the sky was suddenly lifted up. Qiao Wenliu, pale-faced, fled at top speed, feeling somewhat fortunate. He exchanged a brief glance with Shan Yin, but the meaning was already self-evident.
Even though they were enemies just days before, the Lesser Yin Immortal brushed past him without any hindrance, riding the wind to protect Wu Miao, who was flying backwards in mid-air coughing up blood. Only then did he hear a roar that resounded through the sky:
"You old beast! You've ruined my plans time and time again! I'll never forgive you!"
But it was ShenSou that straightened its head and took off again!
The cultivator named Ji Mu was incredibly resilient. After a brief respite, his injuries appeared to have healed considerably. His face was filled with anger and malice as he stared intently at the Great Master Ji Mu in mid-air!
The old beast he was talking about was actually Shan Yin!
This resounding sound cut off the surrounding sarcastic and mocking voices. Even Sima Yuanli, who was all smiles and ready to make sarcastic remarks, was stunned and didn't know what to say!
'This child is teachable!'
On the surface, Shan Yin completely ignored him, but inwardly he nodded, and upon closer examination, he felt a strange ache in his teeth.
'You brat…didn't you go a bit too far with your insults…Fine, you've got a personal grudge to settle!'
He knew, of course, that his actions in the desert were indeed reckless, but no one expected Mingyang to return so early. Shan Yin was not ashamed of surrendering—no matter how domineering Li Zhouwei was, he was still more reasonable than Qingji Fang!
He only chuckled coldly three times and casually cursed:
"You little beast! You dare to be irreconcilable enemies with your ancestors?"