https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-220-Offending-a-Taoist-and-Trying-to-Escape-/12587016/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-222-Nine-Radiant-Guards-Dragon-and-Tiger-Falu/12587018/
Chapter 221: A New Clue About the Celestial Master's Robe
Chapter 221: A New Clue About the Celestial Master's Robe
Yang Tai, the Grand Young Master, maintained a calm demeanor, but his heart was far from serene.
The unexpected turn of events in Zhu'an Canyon had caused his sacrificial ritual to fail, and the encounter with Wei Ancheng, the Master of the Blood River, at Mien Long Lake only added to his woes.
Yuan Shanji and Xiong Gang, the two formidable warriors, shared Yang Tai's glum mood, looking as if they had swallowed a fly.
However, Yuan Shanji had no choice but to halt his escape and turn back to engage San Lu and Li Tianqing, delaying them at Mien Long Lake. After all, they were formidable foes that concerned him directly.
At this moment, the opportunity to turn the tables on San Lu, even if it meant being manipulated by Wei Ancheng, was something Yuan Shanji was willing to embrace.
Xiong Gang could only bow his head to the Blood River Master, a figure he had never truly respected, and cooperate with him. Otherwise, he knew that such a golden opportunity might never present itself again.
Wei Ancheng's message was conveyed in a surprisingly peaceful tone, devoid of the expected assertiveness. Nevertheless, his manner of commanding and unifying the powers of all sides filled Yang Tai with a mix of resignation and resentment.
The descendants of the Sui dynasty had worked tirelessly for many years, across multiple generations, expending immense effort and risking their very foundation to achieve the current results of altering the earth veins of the Southern Wasteland and establishing a new country with a prosperous destiny to rival that of the Central Plains and the Great Tang in the north.
If not for these efforts, Yang Yuqi, Yang Tai, and the others would not have found themselves in such a predicament, entangled in Wei Ancheng's schemes.
Without the actions of the Sui descendants to disturb the earth veins, Wei Ancheng's ambition to unify the Southern Wasteland could have been left unchecked, serving as a convenient distraction for external forces.
The Sui descendants could have quietly developed their strength, biding their time and observing the changes from the sidelines.
However, having secretly manipulated the earth veins for so long, they naturally did not wish to attract too much attention.
And yet, in recent years, news of the activities of the Sheng Kang royal bloodline in the southwest had emerged, drawing even more attention from Shu Mountain and the Tang imperial family, who sent people through the southwest into the Southern Wasteland.
...But those weren't their people from the Sui dynasty descendants!
That damn Wei Ancheng, with his long-held ambitions!
Later, Yang Yuqi did manage to expose Wei Ancheng's background through the Jinzhou Ye clan, diverting more external attention to him. But the influx of powerful warriors from the Central Plains had already caused chaos in the Southern Wasteland, leading to many situations spiraling out of control for the Sui descendants.
Now, much of the decision-making power rested in Wei Ancheng's hands.
Upon arriving near Mien Long Lake, Wei Ancheng contacted Yang Yuqi in Yang Tai's presence, saying, "At this critical juncture, we should unite and work together in harmony. Only then will there be hope for the revival of the imperial family. I humbly request the Crown Prince's assistance."
Wei Ancheng's words were polite, and he did not make things difficult for Yang Tai. Instead, he instructed him to stay away from Mien Long Lake, which would soon become a battleground.
After a brief silence, Yang Yuqi replied calmly, "Wei, you speak with reason."
After leaving Mien Long Lake, Yang Tai hurried to meet his father, Yang Yuqi.
Accompanying Yang Yuqi was Gao Pu, the elder of Jin Cheng Zhai.
The two of them would change their route and head north to intercept a formidable foe—the commander of the Great Tang Shence Army, General Shangguan Yunbo, who was heading south with the divine Daoist soldier, the Pacifying Barbarian Golden Lance.
Speaking of which, Yang Tai was also aware that the reason General Shangguan Yunbo had personally led many experts from the Shangguan clan to the Southern Wasteland was because of the loss of his most valued nephew, Shangguan Peng, in this very region.
Shangguan Peng had fallen at the hands of Yang Yuqi and Gao Pu.
Under normal circumstances, Yang Yuqi would not have easily made a move that could bring about unstable troubles in the future.
The decision to target Shangguan Peng was twofold: firstly, Gao Pu urgently needed to recast his evil soul, and the walking corpse had become increasingly indiscriminate in its hunger. Secondly, it was also done with future plans for Wei Ancheng in mind.
However, it was clear that Wei Ancheng had his own plans as well.
Of course, he was not afraid of battle.
But he had to be the one calling the shots!
With most of the sacrificial ritual destroyed, Yang Yuqi had already lost much and had little left to lose.
If it were anyone else, they could have simply stormed off, refusing to play by Wei Ancheng's rules.
But he couldn't.
He was of the direct bloodline of Sheng Kang, carrying the heavy responsibility of one day restoring the glory of the Sui dynasty and challenging the fake Tang dynasty in the north once more.
He could plot and plan in the shadows, quietly accumulating strength, but he could not afford to remain hidden and avoid the light.
Especially now, with the presence of Wei Ancheng, whose branch was already stronger than theirs.
"I only regret that the sacrificial ritual was not completed," Yang Tai said shamefully to his father, Yang Yuqi. "Although we managed to preserve some of the dragon's eyes, most of the other treasures and materials were destroyed."
Yang Yuqi remained calm, saying, "Those who aspire to great things must be resilient and unwavering. The current turmoil is but a minor setback."
He instructed Yang Tai to leave, and then he set off north with Gao Pu, the elder of Jin Cheng Zhai, and their trusted followers.
Despite his foul mood, Yang Tai's innate composure kept his expression neutral as he made his way to another stronghold of the Sui dynasty descendants, Jin Xi Zhang.
"Your Highness, the Young Master!"
The troops stationed at Jin Xi Zhang greeted Yang Tai respectfully and ushered him into the camp.
Yang Tai maintained his usual stoic expression, his innate aura commanding respect. "We'll start packing up and preparing to move from this place as well."
The followers were already prepared for this, and they responded with a respectful, "Yes, Young Master."
Yang Tai nodded, about to take a step forward when he suddenly sensed something amiss. "...What's going on?"
He seemed to perceive strands of primal magnetic force converging, which had nothing to do with the earth vein ritual being performed at Jin Xi Zhang...
"Bang...Pa!"
Just as Yang Tai became alert, a stick suddenly appeared behind him.
An extremely large stick.
It was pitch-black with blood-red streaks on its surface, over three feet in length, thick at one end and thin at the other.
As the stick swung through the air, sparks of lightning seemed to crackle around it, creating a snapping sound.
By the time Yang Tai noticed it, the stick was about to hit his head.
At that moment, the cultural aura on his body stirred, and a mass of dark ink automatically appeared, forming a passage of text that acted as a barrier, protecting Yang Tai and blocking the stick from hitting him.
But in an instant, the ink characters were completely scattered.
Having operated in the bloody and chaotic South Wilderness for many years, Yang Tai was quick to react even in a sudden ambush. Without drawing his sword to counterattack, he slid forward first.
The fact that the attacker could sneak up on him silently indicated that they were no ordinary foe. In such a situation, it was best to create some distance between them... Yang Tai's thoughts flashed through his mind.
As the cultural aura around his body surged, it somehow resembled the flow of earth vein energy, forming a mighty river.
At that moment, Yang Tai was like a rider on the wind and waves, instantly sliding away along the river of cultural aura.
This was a mysterious technique of the Confucian Six Heavens cultivators, known as the Gentleman's Awareness of Peril, allowing them to avoid danger.
However...
Yang Tai found that his body only swayed slightly, unable to move away.
At his feet, strands of white light, like vines, bound him to the spot.
The source of the white light was a strange flag fluttering in the wind.
Yang Tai's heart sank, and the long sword at his waist automatically unsheathed, emitting a dragon's roar. A torrent of noble energy transformed into a flowing river...
"Dong!"
But in that brief moment of hesitation, the large stick struck again, this time hitting Yang Tai squarely on the back of his head.
"Damn..."
Yang Tai's vision darkened, stars dancing before his eyes. His body softened involuntarily, and the frustration and depression of recent days finally erupted. He lost his usual composure and cursed aloud.
His attendants and the Sui Dynasty retainers and youngsters nearby were startled by the sudden appearance of the tall Daoist priest behind Yang Tai. They snapped back to their senses and rushed forward.
Leijun held the Upper Clarity Golden Bamboo, which had grown significantly after absorbing the blood of the Kui Niu. His demeanor was calm and unhurried.
By his side, pitch-black yin thunder appeared, sweeping towards the surrounding people.
The black thunderous water spread out, covering a vast area, instantly turning the valley of Jin Xi Zhang into a black thunder pool. Many of the Sui Dynasty cultivators were engulfed by the dark thunderous water.
The people guarding the ritual below the mountain were alerted. They sent some to investigate while urgently contacting the outside world.
Leijun remained calm and even had the leisure to comment, "They're not as good as the people from the Star Dragon Abyss. It seems that after consecutive losses, they're starting to run short on manpower here as well."
Although the Sui Dynasty retainers and youngsters had been operating here for many years, the environment they were in was harsh and dangerous, making it difficult to accumulate resources and even harder to replenish their numbers in a short time.
The guards at Jin Xi Zhang were indeed not as strong as those at the Star Dragon Abyss, but they were alert. Their first reaction was to try to contact the outside world.
However, something was wrong.
The ritual here had not yet collapsed, and although the earth vein spirit energy was fluctuating, it had not reached the point of complete chaos that would disrupt the exchange of energy between the inside and outside. In theory, some means of communication should still be functional.
The person in charge unfurled a scroll, but the pages were blank.
He tried to write on it, utilizing this scroll to send a message.
This was a mysterious method of the Confucianists to communicate remotely, known as "Seeing Words as a Face." At least a cultivator of the Middle Three Heavens was required to use it.
However, at this moment, the ink on the book page failed to solidify, unable to truly form tangible words, resulting only in a blur.
It seemed that...
The enemy had sealed and cut them off from the outside?
Could the attacker be an expert from the Upper Three Heavens?!
The person in charge felt his heart sink to the bottom of a valley.
"Although there was some suspicion of reinventing the wheel earlier, with too few Confucian methods of communication at hand, it's fortunate that the effects are still there. However, further improvements are still needed." Leijun nodded slightly and first pasted a Thunderous Might Talisman on Yang Tai's forehead.
It was a basic spirit talisman, a Binding Talisman, not Leijun's signature technique. It couldn't improve along with Leijun like the Riding the Wind Talisman, the Divine Strike Talisman, and the Yin Five Thunderous Righteous Law Talisman.
Although Leijun, a cultivator of the Six Heavens, could create top-quality Binding Talismans and top-quality Seal Talismans, using them on Yang Tai, who was also at the Six Heavens, was a bit of a stretch.
Lei Jun pasted a Thunderous Might Talisman on Yang Tai's forehead.
The Thunderous Might Talisman did not have the function of immobilization or sealing.
However, if Yang Tai dared to move recklessly, this top-quality talisman would easily blow his head to pieces and then some.
Yang Tai immediately let go.
Although he was seeing stars and his head was spinning, he subconsciously produced a scroll in his hand.
This scroll was also meant for communication.
Moreover, its effects far surpassed those of the others.
Although Yang Yuqi had refrained from personally drawing scrolls for his two sons to conceal his whereabouts, Yang Tai's unique status meant that there were other Upper Three Heavens Confucianists who had drawn scrolls for him, making it convenient for him to seek help in times of crisis.
At this moment, there were indeed words appearing on the surface of the scroll in Yang Tai's hand.
However, as the cultural aura emanating from the scroll rose above the Jin Xi Zhang valley, it was blocked by an invisible force.
An extremely vast primal magnetic force enveloped the entire Jin Xi Zhang mountain range at this moment, covering the vast area and completely isolating communication methods such as the Thousand-Mile Sound Transmission Talisman and the See Words as a Face technique.
Some of the Sui Dynasty retainers and youngsters, seeing that the situation was hopeless, had no choice but to flee.
After all, there were many of them, and the area of Jin Xi Zhang was not small. With everyone scattering in different directions, it seemed impossible for Leijun to keep an eye on everyone at the same time.
However, at this moment, the mountain ranges lit up with one puff of white light after another.
One after another, strange flags fluttered in the wind, extending countless white silk threads like lifelike vines.
Leijun waved his hand, and the Yuan Magnetic Entangling Dragon Flag that had previously bound Yang Tai flew back into his hand.
Then, Leijun casually threw it out again.
With the addition of the eleven flags that had been set up beforehand, a total of twelve Yuan Magnetic Entangling Dragon Flags formed a profound formation, with surging primal magnetic force and countless white light vines entangling the entire Jin Xi Zhang, sealing off the entire mountain range.
The Two-Yin Primal Magnetic Dragon Locking Formation.
Leijun had previously used this formation to cover Jin Xi Zhang, isolating all communication to and from the area.
Now, under his command, the formation not only sealed off the mountain range but also began to automatically capture those who were trying to escape in different directions.
No one present could escape this place.
At this moment, Yang Tai dared not move recklessly and stared fixedly at Leijun for a long time before speaking, "Elder Lei from the Celestial Master's Mansion of Longhu Mountain?"
Leijun had no intention of conversing with his opponent; the reason he had chosen to attack up close instead of sending a Yuan Magnetic Sword Pill from a distance was to avoid damaging the Confucian Epistemology Box that Yang Tai carried with him.
It would be difficult to forcibly dismantle the Epistemology Box, and one would also have to be wary of any hidden mechanisms within.
If it had been any other time, Leijun would have had to be more cautious.
But now...
He extended his hand, palm open, and waved it in front of the Epistemology Box.
Although he had not yet fully grasped the hidden side of the Celestial Text, strands of shadows seeped out from it.
As the shadows touched the Epistemology Box, it immediately loosened.
Lei Jun did not want to risk damaging the Epistemology Box, so he did not attempt to carefully erase the hidden marks left by others while keeping the object intact. Therefore, he was not greedy.
Aside from this item, he did not take anything else from Yang Tai.
All he wanted was one thing.
Indeed, it was a radiant nine-colored glow.
A nine-colored glow that originated from the Celestial Master's Mansion's treasure, the Celestial Master's Robe.
Yang Tai truly did not disappoint.
He did indeed possess a clue related to the Celestial Master's Robe.
On the other hand, the Dragon-Pointing Jade that Yang Tai had valued previously was not here; it had been given to his father, Yang Yuqi.
Leijun did not pay much attention to this and was already content with obtaining a new clue about the Celestial Master's Robe.
"It is heartbreaking that the Celestial Master's Robe has been lost. I also hope that it can return to Longhu Mountain as soon as possible," Leijun said.
At this moment, Yang Tai actually calmed down, his expression relaxed, and his tone peaceful, "Elder Lei, not only today, but in the future, we can also continue to cooperate. There is no grudge between us. In the past, when my Great Sui and your esteemed Dragon Tiger Mountain interacted, we also got along well."
Leijun glanced at him.
The brocade-clad young master remained calm and collected in the face of danger, speaking with ease and poise.
Except for the spirit talisman stuck on his forehead...
"The Tang imperial family only views your Dragon Tiger Mountain and other Taoist sacred sites as tools for their use," Yang Tai said, steadying his mind. "Even if we cannot cooperate, we can still not be enemies. Taking a step back, with us around, the Blood River Sect will always have some restraints, won't they?"
Leijun nodded first, then shook his head, "Perhaps you are right, but these matters have to be discussed with your father, the Sheng Kang Crown Prince, and have little to do with you."
As he finished speaking, the Thunderous Might Talisman exploded with boundless thunder, engulfing Yang Tai.
(End of Chapter)
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