Daze Main Peak.
Because a large number of Shengyun Sect disciples were trapped at South Mountain, the defensive force around the Demon-Smiting Grand Formation was no longer composed of just their own sect's disciples. The Li family's cultivators had likewise come out in full force.
"Elder!"
Zhu Qingfeng hurried back once more to report, "Something terrible has happened—this time something truly terrible has happened!"
"Cultivation requires composure. Why are you panicking like this?"
Shouzhongzi interrupted him and soothed him, "Speak slowly. What is the situation in Dusk Valley?"
"The outer perimeter is full of Seven Kill Sect devil cultivators. This disciple had no way to get close to Dusk Valley, but—but I saw devil cultivators carrying out slaughter in other parts of Northern Yang Dao, then collecting the blood of living people. It is definitely a blood sacrifice!"
Zhu Qingfeng stammered, "It might even be related to the righteous-devil war at the border. It must have been planned for a long time!"
Shouzhongzi said calmly, "How many devil cultivators are there?"
"They cover the sky and blanket the earth—people everywhere!"
Zhu Qingfeng spoke vaguely, making it impossible to discern the true situation clearly.
"Elder Shouzhongzi!"
Only then did a white-haired old man rush back. "There really is a huge problem, but it is not aimed at us. A great number of devil cultivators have appeared in Northern Yang Dao, carrying out blood sacrifices under the banner of the Seven Kill Sect!
"Among those devil cultivators are even people from several great families!
"With the current situation, relying only on the manpower of the Northern Yang Dao Demon-Suppression Bureau and Ronghua City, I'm afraid it is already impossible to contain it."
Shouzhongzi pondered, then said, "The demonic scum of the Corpse Refining Sect used to refine corpses through similar blood sacrifices many years ago. What evil art is the Seven Kill Sect refining this time? In the three realms and six paths, the problem lies precisely with these ill-intentioned people."
"What about Dafeng Mountain? Is there any news?"
"Not yet."
Li family ancestor Li Sheng said heavily, "If Elder still refuses to act, I fear those disciples are doomed..."
The Li family's most talented younger generation were all disciples under the Shengyun Sect. Now that all of them were trapped at Dafeng Mountain, how could he possibly stand by and do nothing?
"Yes, they cannot be left unsaved."
Shouzhongzi sighed faintly.
This was over 100 disciples. If they all died here, then not only would the sect master and supreme elders be enraged, even he, this old relic, would probably be too ashamed to return.
But the Demon-Smiting Grand Formation...
Rumble—
While Shouzhongzi was still weighing things cautiously, seven-colored auspicious light suddenly lit up in the heavens ahead, and auspicious anomalies blanketed heaven and earth.
"Hiss?"
"What is going on?"
"Such an anomaly..."
Li Sheng was dumbstruck. "Could it be the emergence of a 4th-tier treasure, or even an ancient treasure?! Wait—that is the direction of Dusk Valley, isn't it?"
Shouzhongzi, who had remained as unmoving as a mountain all this time, abruptly rose to his feet the moment the heaven-and-earth anomaly appeared, and his expression turned extremely complicated.
This kind of auspicious sign...
It was definitely not merely 4th-tier!
It would not take long before all the high-realm cultivators in the Dao regions surrounding Northern Yang Dao sent people here!
What was that thing?
At the location of Dusk Valley.
Could it be...
Was the Divine Wood Spirit Liquid only a smokescreen, and the Bai family was actually hiding something even more precious?
Lost in thought, he watched as the auspicious signs in heaven and earth briefly appeared and then dispersed, leaving only a streak of spiritual light heading southward, precisely in the direction of Dafeng Mountain.
"Now it seems..."
Shouzhongzi muttered to himself, "The Seven Kill Sect's blood sacrifice is also very likely related to this treasure. No, I cannot keep watching like this any longer.
"Li Sheng!
"You stay here and keep watch. I'll go and return shortly!"
"Elder, rest assured."
Li Sheng said firmly, "Although I, Li Sheng, have no hope of Core Formation, with the Mirror Moon Sword Art, I can still bear the title of being unmatched beneath Golden Core in Northern Yang Dao. I will definitely guard the Demon-Smiting Grand Formation with my life."
"It had better be so."
Shouzhongzi cast one last glance at the Demon-Smiting Grand Formation, then turned into a streak of light and soared into the sky, vanishing in the blink of an eye.
Of course he knew that by leaving like this, there was a high chance he had fallen for a tactic of luring the tiger from the mountain, and that someone would head straight for Daze Main Peak.
Yet the Demon-Smiting Grand Formation could not be interrupted...
So be it!
Better that than having more than 100 disciples all die at Dafeng Mountain.
After all, even if they took Eastern Divine Continent, it would not become the territory of the Shengyun Sect alone. Most of the 36 immortal sects had contributed to this Demon-Smiting Grand Formation, and when the time came, another round of open and hidden strife would be unavoidable.
"And in addition, waiting for the ancestral vein to revive would take as little as several decades or as long as several centuries. In the end, who profits the most will still depend on what the Heavenly Sect says.
"If more than 100 disciples all die, it is extremely likely that the Shengyun Sect will suffer a generational gap in its disciples. By that time, even if they seize the ancestral vein, I fear there may be no share left for the Shengyun Sect."
"On the contrary, that auspicious treasure seems anything but ordinary. If it can be obtained, then for the Shengyun Sect, it may bring greater benefits than the ancestral vein itself!
"As for the Demon-Smiting Grand Formation, if it is destroyed, then so be it!
"After all, the ancient remnant treasure was found by the Shengyun Sect in the first place. The other sects would not dare say a word of protest."
After weighing it again and again, Shouzhongzi's choice became even firmer. He formed a spell with one hand. The only sound left in his ears was the rush of wind, while the scenery beneath his feet flashed by.
Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment cultivators flew on swords, but Golden Core cultivators rode clouds and mist directly, and their speed was faster by an unknown amount.
Before long, he arrived at his destination—Dafeng Mountain!
Wearing a pure white daoist robe, Shouzhongzi stood on a mass of clouds and mist, looking down from the sky at the mountain peak. What he saw was boundless fog filling the forest below.
"The Nine-Palace Bewildering Formation."
Though he was not especially proficient in formations, he still quickly recognized some of its workings. He then took out a handful of black studs from his robes, muttered an incantation under his breath, and swept out his hand.
36 black studs, like stars filling the sky, radiated glittering golden light and carried tiny runes too small to be seen with the naked eye as they smashed toward the ground.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—
What looked like a soft drizzle of attacks caused the entire Dafeng Mountain to shake without end. The Nine-Palace Bewildering Formation covering its surface began to collapse and disintegrate!
Inside the Nine-Palace Bewildering Formation.
Qi Cheng, who was holding a formation flag, sensed the abnormality immediately. But on the surface he remained calm and said evenly to the Tianyong City commandants, "His Majesty's plan of luring the tiger from the mountain has already succeeded. That Shouzhongzi is already before us.
"The Nine-Palace Bewildering Formation will not hold much longer. Once the formation breaks, everyone scatter and flee. If you can leave this place alive, return to the mortal world and hide. Wait for orders, then regroup.
"Do you all understand?"
Most of them were still only Qi Refining cultivators. Even if they stayed behind, they would not be enough to fill a Golden Core expert's teeth. Naturally, if even one more could survive, that would be one more saved.
"Rest assured, Lord Qi, we understand!"
The commandants hidden within the formation all answered in turn.
They also knew very clearly that this time they were serving as "bait," with a slim chance of survival. But they understood even more clearly that if this was not done, all of Eastern Divine Continent would be doomed.
Though these people were now cultivators, their cultivation was still shallow and they were still young. Most of them had not severed themselves from mortal ties, and still had family within the Divine Continent.
Even for the sake of their loved ones, this was worth doing.
"You kid are something else."
Wang Zhi clicked his tongue in praise of Qi Cheng. "Not that old, yet you can stay calm in the face of danger just like Old Xu. When the time comes, you leave first. I'll cover your rear."
Rumble—
Before he had even finished speaking, the Nine-Palace Bewildering Formation could no longer hold and collapsed completely, as if a fierce gale had swept through and blown away all the fog.
"Elder? Elder Shouzhongzi has come!"
Pang Jingxuan was overjoyed.
"Elder?"
Peng Rui, however, immediately warned, "Elder, return to Daze Main Peak at once! This is very likely a plan to lure the tiger from the mountain!"
"Heh, you brat."
Shouzhongzi shook his head helplessly. "If you were truly worried about the Demon-Smiting Grand Formation, you should not have hidden it from me and run here."
"I..."
Peng Rui said ashamedly, "This disciple only wished too eagerly for revenge."
"Enough!"
Shouzhongzi cut him off. "First clean up these devil cultivators."
Without the protection of the Bewildering Formation, all the Tianyong City commandants were exposed.
Their task was already complete, and they immediately began retreating according to the original plan, only—
How could it be that easy!
Above the clouds, bladeless sword-edges appeared one after another behind Shouzhongzi. He waved his hand lightly, and the dense sword-edges swarmed toward the ground like locusts. They cut through people as easily as chopping melons and vegetables, and wherever they passed, blood flowed like rivers...
"Ah!"
"Save me, save me!"
"I've repaid His Majesty's cultivation—"
For a time, screams rang out everywhere and wails covered the land.
The Shengyun Sect disciples who had previously been trapped also began their frenzied retaliation.
"Go!"
Clang!
Wang Zhi split open a flying sword from a Foundation Establishment cultivator with a single slash, shielding Qi Cheng behind him as he urged, "Why the hell aren't you leaving yet, you brat?!"
"General Wang?"
Qi Cheng wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. "You are now a Duke of the State, and also His Majesty's senior brother. How can I let you cover the rear?"
As Wang Zhi fought off the Shengyun Sect disciples, he cursed loudly, "You brat are a talent. It'd be a waste if you died. Stop the damn nonsense and get out. Otherwise both of us will die here!"
Watching the commandants die one after another before his eyes, Qi Cheng knew rationally that he could not keep arguing. Gritting his teeth, he turned and dragged along the young eunuch who was still fighting desperately with others. "Dongfang, go, hurry!"
The slaughter was still ongoing.
For a Golden Core cultivator, dealing with them truly took no effort at all.
At that very moment, as Shouzhongzi controlled his magic weapon to harvest lives, he also spread out his divine sense, searching for traces of the treasure.
"That's not right...
"I clearly saw the seven-colored auspicious light vanish here, so where did it go?
"Hm?"
As he carefully searched for clues, he suddenly noticed movement behind him. "More people have arrived."
Hall Master Cao Dongjun of the Seven Kill Sect sped through the air. Beside him was a freak that looked neither wholly human nor wholly dragon, none other than the head of the Bai family.
Not long ago, after shaking off the man in white robes, he had successfully approached Bai Liangbi and completely refined him into a dragon puppet. Then he had hurried here without pause, only to discover that the phenomenon of the Imperial Heaven Living Earth had disappeared.
Meanwhile, it seemed a chaotic battle was taking place on Dafeng Mountain.
"Shengyun Sect?"
Cao Dongjun recognized one group at once as Shengyun Sect disciples. As for the other group, he guessed they were either from the Zhuxian Sect or from that Great Han.
He had not expected it.
The Han Dynasty had actually cultivated such a large batch of cultivators as well, and this had happened in barely a dozen years.
Buzz—
In the instant he lost focus, an incomparably dense killing intent suddenly surged from ahead. Cao Dongjun looked up and saw countless silver-bright blades merging together into a hiltless sword-edge, then turning into a streak of golden light that tore through the air straight at him.
"Dragon puppet!!!"
He roared.
The dragon puppet beside him flashed forward and blocked in front of its master. Baleful qi coiled around its entire body as it crossed both arms to defend. Its Golden Body was activated, and the whole figure resembled a statue of a dragon god!
Rumble—
The two collided, stirring up terrifying mana shockwaves. The sound alone directly shook ordinary living creatures within several miles to death, while more than half of Dafeng Mountain collapsed on the spot.
Shouzhongzi recalled his sword-edge, while "Bai Liangbi" crashed heavily to the ground.
In that exchange, the two had come out evenly matched.
"A Golden Body martial artist?"
Shouzhongzi was slightly surprised as he looked at the Golden Body martial cultivator on the ground, whose eyes were vacant like a wild beast's. "No, this should be some kind of puppet refined through demonic arts. That blood sacrifice in Northern Yang Dao—was it your doing?"
"Shouzhongzi?"
Cao Dongjun did not answer the question. Hiding behind the dragon puppet, he gnashed his teeth and said, "So that's why the living earth vanished without a trace. It turns out you old thing intercepted it halfway!"
"What did you say? Living earth?!"
Shouzhongzi rapidly searched through his memory for the term, and his pupils trembled accordingly. "Are you talking about the Houtu Living Earth, or the Imperial Heaven Living Earth?!"
"Quit pretending to be stupid with me!"
Cao Dongjun's eyes were bloodshot with fury. "Shouzhongzi, whether you can beat this dragon puppet of mine aside, hand over the living earth now and I'll spare your worthless life!"
They had lurked in Northern Yang Dao and plotted for so many years. Now that success was finally within reach, how could it possibly end up in someone else's hands?
"Whether this puppet of yours can defeat me, we can set aside for now."
Shouzhongzi said, "But I also came here searching for the treasure, and I have not seen the 'living earth' you speak of."
"Hahahaha—"
Hearing that, Cao Dongjun let out a cold laugh. "Shouzhongzi! Do you take me for a 3-year-old child, so easy to fool?!"
As for the matter of the living earth—
How could the Shengyun Sect possibly hold onto such a thing?
Even if they obtained it, they absolutely could not admit it.
"Since you refuse to hand it over, then I'll just have to send you on your way!"
Cao Dongjun knew that the matter of the living earth could no longer be concealed.
But matters had already reached this point, so the only thing he could do was seize it first and speak later.
Bai Liangbi, like a divine statue, carried rolling baleful qi as he smashed forward like a meteor fallen from the heavens.
"Heh..."
At that instant, Shouzhongzi suddenly understood the whole chain of events and could not help but let out a self-mocking cold laugh.
Not only had he fallen for a feint that he had had no choice but to answer, he had also fallen for a scheme of borrowing a knife to kill.
What a plan!
Whoever was hiding in the dark had, without anyone noticing, lured away a Golden Core cultivator like him.
The only question was whether the one who had laid out this scheme was someone from the Zhuxian Sect, or Chen Lei, the Tianwu Emperor of Eastern Divine Continent.
"Cunning and treacherous, truly cunning and treacherous!"
There was no time left to think. Shouzhongzi had no choice but to control his natal magic weapon and meet the heavy strike of the clay-molded Golden Body puppet, while sighing inwardly.
A Golden Body martial artist—and a puppet at that.
Today, I'm afraid I'm going to suffer a loss.