https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-258-Turning-Him-Into-an-Idiot-Part-1-/12587100/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-259-Elder-Ye-Moquan-s-Unspeakable-Secret-Part-1-/12587102/
Chapter 258: Turning Him Into an Idiot! (Part 2)
Chapter 258: Turning Him Into an Idiot! (Part 2)
However, if he could personally kill another Ninth Heaven realm expert, then this trip would truly be a huge success.
With the Li Heng spear in hand and no apparent injuries, Xu Yuanzhen.
Without the Yi Xing Seal but heavily injured, Ye Moquan.
There was no difficulty at all in choosing between these two targets.
Improving himself was the most important thing to Wei Ancheng.
As for the personal grudge between him and Ye Moquan, it wasn't his main concern.
"But, speaking of which, the injury that Senior Sister inflicted on Ye Moquan seemed a little unusual."
Tang Xiaotang said, "I just exchanged a move with him and it felt a bit strange. Let me try again."
Her voice trailed off after that.
Upon hearing this, Lei Jun decided not to get any closer to the heart of the Ye Clan's ancestral land.
The situation there had already been resolved, and both Xu Yuanzhen and Tang Xiaotang were no longer there.
If it were another time, he might have considered whether there were any spoils of war to be had, like when the Lin Clan's ancestral land in Jiangzhou was broken and they were able to scavenge some treasures.
But after hearing Tang Xiaotang's description and sensing the flow of spiritual energy in the area, Lei Jun knew that Ye Moquan had prepared for the worst-case scenario from the very beginning.
When the ancestral land was deliberately destroyed, it ended up being completely obliterated, an even more tragic fate than being "trampled by barbarians."
Even if the earthquake stopped and the storm subsided, the former site of the Ye Clan's ancestral land was essentially reduced to flat ground.
That was why, from the very beginning, not a single member of the Ye Clan could be seen inside or outside the ancestral mansion, as they had all been evacuated beforehand.
The clan's heirloom, the Yi Xing Seal, had also been taken away from the ancestral mansion.
Even the Ye Clan's ancestral hall had likely been secretly moved to another location.
Now, the Ye Clan's cultural legacy in Jinzhou, just like the Lin Clan's in Youzhou, had been destroyed.
Although Ye Moquan was still alive, the future of the Ye Clan in Jinzhou suddenly became uncertain.
Fortunately, the situation for the Ye Clan's former clan head wasn't as bad as it could have been.
North of Jinzhou, in the Yunzhou region where Xuan Tian Temple was located, although the area was no longer peaceful due to the internal strife within Xuan Tian Temple, Ye Moquan could at least breathe a sigh of relief once he entered there.
The Yi Xing Seal was waiting for him there.
With the clan's heirloom in hand and Xu Yuanzhen and the Li Heng spear not pursuing him, Ye Moquan had the confidence to face his pursuers.
Tang Xiaotang and Wei Ancheng were also wary of each other.
Amidst the three-way battle, they headed east, away from Yunzhou.
In the end, Ye Moquan took refuge in Youzhou.
He didn't go to the Lin Clan's ancestral land in Youzhou.
Instead, he visited another prominent family in Youzhou as a guest.
The second most powerful expert in the royal family of the Great Tang.
The King of Zhao, Zhang Teng.
Although the Zhao Kingdom wasn't as historically significant as the Lin Clan's ancestral land in Youzhou, as the first line of defense for the Great Tang Dynasty in the northern border regions, it had always been a key focus, serving to deter demons and restrain the Lin Clan of Youzhou.
It was more like a royal city than a mansion.
One of the three greatest martial artifacts of the Tang imperial family, the Towning World Blade, was also located there.
Ye Moquan, along with the Yi Xing Seal, took refuge in this place, and Wei Ancheng and Tang Xiaotang, suspicious of each other, would not join forces to attack.
Knowing the difficulty of the situation, Wei Ancheng chose to retreat, while Tang Xiaotang lingered in Youzhou for some time.
It was only when urgent messages arrived from the Tian Master Mansion and the Tang imperial family that they decided to leave:
"In the Guanlong region, the Pure Yang Palace has been invaded by a powerful demon!" exclaimed Lei Jun, who had also received the news.
"It's said that there was a traitor in the Pure Yang Palace," Yuan Mobai said slowly. "Zhuque Elder, Wang Xuan, temporarily there is no further concrete information, and the reason is also unknown."
Zhuque Elder, Wang Xuan... Lei Jun fell into deep thought.
The Pure Yang Palace was a sacred site of the Dan Ding Sect, one of the most prominent sects in Taoism, and in the past 100 to 200 years, it had even shown signs of becoming the first sacred site of Taoism and perhaps even the first sect of the Great Tang Dynasty.
In addition to the Ninth Heaven Grand Masters, the palace also housed numerous Dan Ding Sect experts.
However, during the Western Regions Demon Rebellion ten years ago, the Pure Yang Palace suffered heavy losses, and even the Palace Master, Huang Xuanpu, had to retreat to the mountains for many years to recuperate, which halted the palace's momentum and led to a low profile in recent years.
According to the Pure Yang Palace's tradition, four grand elders—Qinglong, Baihu, Zhuque, and Xuanwu—are appointed to assist the Palace Master, with Zhuque Elder Wang Xuan being one of them.
And now, one of the four grand elders, Zhuque Elder Wang Xuan, had allegedly colluded with demons, destroying the foundation of his own sect?
"Master, what is the situation over there now?"
Yuan Mobai replied, "Huang Laozhen is critically injured and has even been unable to manage affairs for a while. Many people in the Pure Yang Palace have perished, including Gu Daoxiong, and the number of injured is countless."
Lei Jun listened quietly.
The "Gu Daoxiong" mentioned by Yuan Mobai was the current Xuanwu Elder of the Pure Yang Palace.
And now, he had perished.
Zhuque and Xuanwu, one a traitor and the other deceased.
The rest were also heavily injured and suffered numerous casualties.
Following the Western Regions Demon Rebellion, the Pure Yang Palace had suffered another heavy blow!
"Almost all the powerful demons from the Northern Border have gathered. Moreover, they crossed the Great River without anyone noticing, on a large scale," Yuan Mobai said gravely.
"There must be someone from the Tang Dynasty, the human race, secretly assisting them," Lei Jun added.
The Great River, the Great Jiang, and other inland natural barriers are all important parts of the mountain and river spirit qi network. The richness and volatility of the spirit qi there are far beyond that of ordinary places.
Therefore, for powerful demons who cultivate demonic qi and evil miasma, it is much more difficult to cross natural barriers like the Great River than it is for humans or spirit beasts who cultivate spirit qi.
Even if some top-tier demons could cross these barriers, they would surely make a lot of noise in the process.
And now, numerous mid-to-low-level demons have quietly crossed the Great River without a trace, wreaking havoc in Guanlong. This is even more unusual.
There must be someone from the human race secretly assisting them.
At the moment, the blame undoubtedly falls on Wang Xuan, the Zhuque Elder of the Pure Yang Palace.
However, even with his high position in the Pure Yang Palace, it would be difficult for him to secretly gather so many resources without anyone noticing.
Even if Wang Xuan truly betrayed the Pure Yang Palace, Lei Jun suspected that the current Four Surnames and Five Families of the Tang Dynasty were the real culprits.
The reason they chose this time was because of Xu Yuanzhen's challenge to Ye Moquan.
It was unusual for the powerful demons from the Northern Border to gather together and not act independently. Instead, they chose to bypass Jinzhou and Youzhou and specifically target the Guanlong region, which is close to the Northwest.
Lei Jun did not believe that Ye Moquan, Ye Yan, and Lin Xuan had no communication with the demons.
However, their actions were all behind the scenes. You scratch my back, I'll scratch yours. Ye Moquan and Lin Xuan would not openly collude with the demons to deal with a common enemy.
On the one hand, they didn't fully trust the demons.
On the other hand, unless absolutely necessary, they wouldn't set a precedent, at least not by taking the first step, as it could lead to an uncontrollable situation.
Although the appearance of the Thousand-Petaled Butterfly King in Jinzhou was a backup plan of Ye Moquan, he still wouldn't openly collaborate with the demon on the surface.
The demon king served more as a disruptor.
Even in Ye Moquan's injured state, the Thousand-Petaled Butterfly King was still a potential enemy who could take advantage of his weakness.
Most powerful demons possess considerable intelligence, but they are also known for their wild and ruthless nature, and they can turn on their allies in an instant.
"There's news from the Ye Clan Master in Qingzhou and the Old Duke of Chu in Suzhou," Yuan Mobai continued. "The Ye Clan Master is currently in the Inner Sea Bay of Youzhou, while the Old Duke of Chu remains in Suzhou, guarding against more demons from the East Sea."
As the Northern Border demons wreaked havoc in Guanlong, the Thousand-Petaled Butterfly King, an East Sea demon, appeared in Jinzhou.
Other East Sea demons were frequently spotted near the coast, seemingly preparing for something.
Meanwhile, another powerful demon equivalent to a human Ninth Heaven expert, the Sea King Chrysanthemum, had recovered from his injuries but had not shown himself.
On the surface, it made sense for Ye Yan and Chu Xiuyuan to be vigilant against a potential invasion from the East Sea.
With the Lin Clan's ancestral land in Youzhou destroyed, they no longer had a stronghold to defend.
Naturally, the responsibility of guarding the Inner Sea Bay between Youzhou and Qingzhou fell on Ye Yan's shoulders, while also helping to guard against threats from the North.
As Ye Yan headed north, the East Sea coastline stretched for miles, making defense difficult. With Chu Xiuyuan in Suzhou, guarding the south and the north, who could argue against it?
But all of this assumed that there would be an invasion from the east.
Ye Yan and Chu Xiuyuan took the initiative to defend their territories, and even if the Tang imperial family gave them an edict, they wouldn't be able to do much.
The demon race was not a monolithic group, and it was difficult to unite them to follow orders strictly. Otherwise, Lei Jun would suspect that some East Sea demons had already sneaked inland with the help of certain individuals.
To the east, it was all just a facade.
Unless Ye Yan and Chu Xiuyuan both departed from the eastern coastal areas.
In that case, it would be the Sea King Chrysanthemum's turn to lead a group of powerful sea demons ashore to wreak havoc.
"The Sea King Chrysanthemum is indeed formidable, single-handedly 'restraining' two of our human race's Ninth Heaven masters." Lei Jun commented casually.
This time, Master Yuan Mobai did not admonish his disciple to watch his tongue, but simply said, "The Imperial Divine Strategy Army in the capital is fully prepared but has not yet received orders to leave. It seems the court is observing the situation in the east and west.
However, with the crisis in Guanzhong, the Emperor has ordered the Jingxiang Fang Tribe and the Shu Mountain Sect to send their top experts north to reinforce the local royal clan and the Pure Yang Palace, stabilizing the situation."
During the previous Western Regions Demon Rebellion, the Xiao Clan outside Long Province suffered devastating losses, and even now, they would not be able to provide much assistance to the Pure Yang Palace.
Fortunately, both the Shu Mountain Sect and the Jingxiang Fang Tribe showed their commitment by immediately gathering their best experts to head towards Guanlong to offer aid.
The Jingxiang Fang Tribe, in particular, was led by Fang Huansheng, the eldest master of the Fang family, who was in charge during the tribe leader's seclusion. This demonstrated their utmost importance to the situation.
Lei Jun: "In that case, the southwest border of the Tang Empire will be vulnerable."
The good news is that it's worth taking a risk.
During the previous major upheaval in the Western Regions, the human cultivation world suffered tremendous losses, resulting in a costly victory.
A bitter victory is still a victory.
For the various demon clans west of the Tang Empire, a loss is still a loss, and they suffered even more severe casualties.
After that battle, the top demons in the Western Regions were almost wiped out, and it would take them at least a decade to recover.
Currently, the most formidable demon clan in the western regions is located in the Snowy Highlands, and their numbers are few.
Ironically, this demon clan has an extremely hostile relationship with the powerful demon clans south of the Tang Empire, and they often inflict heavy casualties on each other.
Although it is not as enticing as consuming human cultivators and spiritual beings, which attracts almost every powerful demon, there is still bloodshed and brutality among the demon clans.
It is precisely because of the constant battles between the top demon clans southwest of the Tang Empire that the southwestern border has been relatively peaceful in recent years, and even the Southern Wasteland has enjoyed a few years of tranquility, with fewer demon incursions than before.
"The Vajra Temple is also in chaos, having been attacked by the Great Empty Temple, and is currently in disarray," Yuan Mobai said.
He seemed to understand Lei Jun's thoughts and directly stated, "My current information channels have been cut off and have not yet been restored. I only know that the Vajra Temple has undergone a major upheaval, and the surrounding spiritual energy flow is behaving strangely."
Ending his conversation with his master, Yuan Mobai, Lei Jun fell into deep thought.
He was currently in the southeastern mountainous region of the Ye Clan's ancestral land, in the area known as Duanlong Gorge, as mentioned by the middle-grade lottery ticket.
According to the information he had gathered, the middle-grade lottery ticket in the northeast mountainous region of Tianle Mountain was the Worry-Free Tribulation set up by Ye Moquan, with Ye Han assisting in its management.
The other two lower-grade lottery tickets, based on their directions, should correspond to Wei Ancheng and the Thousand-Petaled Butterfly King respectively.
After examining the area around Duanlong Gorge, Lei Jun discovered that there had been a ritual performed there as well.
It seemed to be a secret technique passed down in the Jinzhou Ye Clan, known as the 'Tongpan Tribulation' or the 'Nationwide Tribulation'.
Its purpose was to probe and restrict the flow of earth vein spiritual energy, specifically targeting the current Empress.
However, with the destruction of the Jinzhou Ye Clan's ancestral land, Duanlong Gorge had lost its value.
The Ye Clan members in charge of this area were efficient, and upon sensing the disturbance at their ancestral land, they did not linger but immediately evacuated the area.
When Lei Jun arrived, the place was already deserted.
Although he didn't know what the five-star opportunity mentioned by the middle-grade lottery ticket would be, Lei Jun didn't force the issue.
He had come to this place to collect more scrolls and spiritual objects related to the Jinzhou Ye Clan.
Even the slightest remaining clues would be of great help.
The more information he gathered, the more comprehensive his future research would be.
………………
Zhao Wangfu, Youzhou.
Ye Moquan, the clan leader of the Jinzhou Ye Clan, stood in a side room, watching a tall man with the appearance of a forty-year-old leaving.
This man was none other than Zhao Wang Zhang Teng.
Despite his youthful appearance, he was a veteran royal family member who had been famous for many years and was a son of Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty.
In the past, one of the main functions of the Zhao Wangfu in Youzhou was to keep a watchful eye on the Lin Clan in Youzhou.
However, times have changed.
Now, the Lin Clan of Youzhou and the Jinzhou Ye Clan have joined forces with the Zhao Wangfu.
To some extent, Zhao Wang Zhang Teng was even a more trustworthy ally than Ye Moquan and Lin Xuan.
As long as Zhang Teng still had his eyes on the throne, he and Ye Moquan, Lin Xuan, and others would have a basis for cooperation.
Ye Yan was currently on the seaside of Youzhou.
Ye Moquan unfolded a piece of paper and prepared to write a letter to him.
However, as he held the brush, the old man's hand suddenly froze in mid-air.
His mind went blank.
What was I about to write?
After a moment of pause, Ye Moquan regained his senses.
He looked at the blank paper before him and then at the brush in his hand, his expression filled with shock.
Ye Moquan forcibly calmed himself and then began to test his abilities.
He knew the reason for this sudden lapse; it was due to the attack by Xu Yuanzhen during the final moments of the battle in Jinzhou.
If she had been willing to risk injury, she could have killed him on the spot.
However, she chose not to.
Her attack had affected his soul, leaving a mark that was difficult to erase and would continue to fester.
An attack on the soul would result in a rapid decline in his cognitive and memory abilities! While it might not be noticeable at the moment, the deterioration would accelerate over time.
He would eventually become like a senile old man...
PS: 8k chapter
(End of Chapter)
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