Chapter 437: The Fourth Layer of the Ninefold Heaven, Haoling Qi (Part 2)

Chapter 437: The Fourth Layer of the Ninefold Heaven, Haoling Qi (Part 2)

Even the Buddhist sect, Suomi Baobu, sent their cultivator, Nobu Shangren, who had achieved the Nine Layers of the Buddha's Dharma body, to join the fray.

Their opponents were equally relentless.

With the reappearance of Jue Xiang, the abbot of Dakuang Temple, another monk, Jue Fa, also emerged. Rumored to have the potential to attain the Nine Layers alongside Chen Lingfeng and Pan Hailin, Jue Fa reappeared in the human realm, and true to the rumors, he had reached the Great Extinction realm of the Nine Layers.

Xiang Jing and his companions returned to aid Chang'an, relentlessly pursuing and attacking the Great Han cultivators, forcing them to fight on two fronts.

In recent years, the surge of spiritual energy in the Great Han realm had fostered the rise of numerous powerful cultivators.

However, the bloody battle in Guanzhong devoured even those who were meant to reign supreme.

The most attention-grabbing figures were still the father-son pair: the Great Han Emperor Xiang Chengyuan and the Crown Prince Xiang Jing.

"Among those from Kongsang who have appeared alongside Dakuang Temple is a Great Witch at the fifth layer of the Nine Layers, named Yun Qingyan," Lei Jun provided an update. "He practices the Divine Dance technique of the Witch Clan. He excels in stationary battles and can effortlessly face multiple opponents. With the instability in the nation's fortune brought about by the Crown Prince's journey to Chang'an, it will be challenging to suppress him."

The three top experts of the Great Han Dynasty were Emperor Xiang Chengyuan, Crown Prince Xiang Jing, and Wang Xu, the Master of Dongyang Mountain.

Now, with the Crown Prince standing alone against the Emperor, the outcome seemed predictable.

"Master Dongyang isn't here either..." Chu Kun whispered.

Lei Jun maintained his calm. "Fortunately, there appears to be an internal struggle among the Great Witches of Kongsang, which is why the Crown Prince is still able to lead his forces closer to Chang'an."

Wang Guyuan inquired, "Is it between Tianjing and Diguo?"

Lei Jun nodded slightly.

Chu Kun asked, "Who's in the right and who's in the wrong? Or do they have their own agendas?"

Lei Jun replied, "The one who ambushed Xiao Tang's junior sister is from Diguo, and the one aiding Emperor Xiang Chengyuan is also from Diguo, but we shouldn't jump to conclusions just yet."

Although Tang Xiaotang felt inclined to seek trouble with the people of Kongsang's Diguo, both Lei Jun and Xu Yuanzhen weren't in a hurry to leave.

After Lei Jun persuaded Tang Xiaotang once more, he departed to inspect the four directions of the Great Tang human realm.

He wasn't alone; Zhang Hui also returned from Datong. Although he didn't immediately go to the imperial capital Luoyang, he, too, began to travel across the human realm.

Later, after Lei Jun had made a full circle, he returned to the ancestral court of Longhushan.

As the war in the Great Han human realm intensified, Lei Jun remained calm and composed, focusing on cultivating his Hao Ling Qi and studying various Daoist techniques.

This included the Dou Mu Si Sheng Fa Lu and the Wen Yi Mi Tian Fa Lu that he had come across through Ma Zongxiang, an elder from the Great Han Longhushan sect.

Although the techniques differed significantly from the traditions of the Great Tang Longhushan sect, Lei Jun's profound understanding allowed him to quickly grasp their intricacies.

Over the years, as he repeatedly pondered and studied these techniques, he gained a deeper insight into the Great Han Longhushan sect and developed new perspectives on his abilities.

Day by day, he quietly cultivated, and time passed.

News continued to arrive from the Great Han human realm.

The battles grew increasingly intense.

Not only were there casualties among the upper three-layer cultivators, but there were also reports of deaths among the Nine Layers cultivators.

The elderly master of the Yang family of Guanzhong, one of the twelve aristocratic families and a longtime pillar of the Great Han Dynasty, had perished.

The other side wasn't faring much better either. Soon, news arrived that a Great Witch of the Nine Layers from Kongsang, Lian Jing, had suffered a severe injury and perished.

Below the Nine Layers, the number of casualties was even greater.

The battle between the two sides was reaching its climax.

For the Great Han, the royal army led by Crown Prince Xiang Jing managed to get closer to the capital, Chang'an.

A fierce battle ensued as they confronted the black fog looming over the city.

The black fog continued to spread, engulfing not only Chang'an but also the surrounding areas of Guanzhong.

Due to the obstruction of the black fog, many local messages from the battlefield were lost.

Crown Prince Xiang Jing and the other Great Han experts, including Chen Lingfeng, Nobu Shangren, and Ye Zhao, lost contact and went missing.

In the sky above Chang'an, a shadowy figure loomed within the black fog, and an eerie, domineering red light flickered within.

Rumors spread that the Witch King of Kongsang was about to descend upon the human realm.

When the devastating news arrived, it shocked the world and threw the Great Han Dynasty into disarray.

Fortunately, at that moment, a significant event occurred in the Great Han human realm.

The Great Han Longhushan had reappeared!

In the airspace above the former site of Longhushan in Xinzhou, the heavens and the earth suddenly trembled.

A crack opened in the clouds, and a dazzling light measuring thousands of feet descended upon the mountain range.

Within the mountain range, there was originally a missing peak, which happened to be the location of the main peak.

And now, as the light fell, a faint shadow began to appear in the vacant space.

The majestic main peak of Longhushan reappeared on the land of the Great Han Dynasty.

Within the Heavenly Master's Mansion on the mountain, the Great Han Heavenly Master, Ji Daocheng, clad in a nine-colored Daoist robe, stood on the Dragon and Tiger Sect Altar.

Beside him was Jiang Nan, who had come from Kunlun.

"Master, let's begin," Jiang Nan spoke.

Although Ji Daocheng's cultivation was inferior to Jiang Nan's, he responded respectfully, "Yes."

Jiang Nan returned the salute.

Eleven magical amulets rose and fell beside them, emitting a captivating radiance.

The Dragon and Tiger Sect Altar itself also burst forth with a dazzling light, which condensed into a thick beam that shot straight up into the sky and disappeared into the clouds.

Outside the main altar, Fu Yizhou and the other elders of the Great Han Longhushan led their disciples and sat together, chanting Daoist scriptures.

From the distant north, Pan Hailin, who had not participated in the battle until now, finally arrived in Guanzhong and requested assistance from the other Great Han cultivators: "I'm late, not because I fear death, but because I'm here to guide our sect's ancestor to descend upon the human realm. Fellow Daoist friends, please lend your strength to Longhushan!"

Although he didn't unleash his Great Vehicle Dao Domain, his body was surrounded by flowing spiritual power, and a large number of talismans quickly formed a three-layered altar.

Pan Hailin sat on the altar, and immediately, a guiding light descended from the heavens and connected with the altar.

From Kunlun's Zhou Tian Laozu to the Dragon and Tiger Hall of the Dahann Dragon and Tiger Mountain's ancestral court, and extending far away to the remote Guanzhong region, the spiritual radiance formed a linked path, penetrating the north and south.

With the transmission of the spiritual light, Pan Hailin quickly took out one of the twelve Dahann Dragon and Tiger Mountain's treasure talismans that he carried with him and threw it into the altar.

In an instant, within the radiance, there seemed to be a vague silhouette of a Taoist, appearing and disappearing, with the sound of a yellow bell reverberating in all directions, unceasing to the ear.

The voice of this Taoist adopted an opposing stance, comparable to a sharp needle confronting the illusionary form of the Great Witch. This prevented her from consolidating the dark fog over Chang'an City.

Whether it was the Kongsang Witch King or the Zhou Tian Laozu of Dragon and Tiger Mountain, neither had left their respective Kunlun and Kongsang realms at the moment. Both sides employed their clever schemes, manifesting their powers in the current Han world and engaging in a distant confrontation.

Due to the presence of Zhou Tian Laozu, the Kongsang Witch King had always been unable to achieve his goal of obtaining a suitable vessel to truly descend upon the mortal realm.

Although the Dahann Dragon and Tiger Mountain lineage had been hidden for many years, their emergence now displayed their might and turned the tide, obstructing the evil witches.

Regardless, the Dahann Dynasty from top to bottom heaved a collective sigh of relief, feeling more assured.

A stalemate ensued above Chang'an, with both sides locked in a tug-of-war.

At the same time, a master of the Witch Clan quietly opened a spacetime portal connecting the current Han world to the Great Tang world.

As soon as the portal opened, it was detected by the Great Tang cultivators.

On Dragon and Tiger Mountain, as Lei Jun received this news, the glowing sphere in his mind also flashed simultaneously, and words appeared:

【Ritual Sacrifice of the Myriad Spirits, Heaven and Earth Conjoin the Dragon.】

Following this, four fortune slips appeared:

【Top-grade Fortune: At midnight, travel to the Great River Dragon Gate of the Current Han World. There is an opportunity to obtain a second-rate expandable opportunity. There is no risk at present, but there may be some hidden dangers later that should be handled with caution. Great Fortune!】

【Upper-Middle Fortune: At midnight, travel to Chang'an in the Current Han World. There is an opportunity to obtain a fourth-rate opportunity. There will be some ups and downs, but no subsequent hidden dangers. Good Fortune.】

【Middle Fortune: At midnight, travel to Huaying in the Current Han World. There is an opportunity to obtain a fifth-rate opportunity, but there may be dangers. Neutral.】

【Middle Fortune: At midnight, remain in areas outside the Great River Dragon Gate, Chang'an, and Huaying in the Current Han World. There will be no additional gains or losses. Neutral.】

Oh?

Top-grade fortune, a second-rate expandable opportunity?

This is indeed very good. However, the news coming from the Current Han World did not mention anything unusual about the Great River Dragon Gate.

It seems that this matter will indeed develop further.

The phrase "Ritual Sacrifice of the Myriad Spirits" likely originates from the methods of the Witch Clan.

The situation in Chang'an seems manageable, while Huaying presents a higher risk.

However, although it was previously Emperor Xiang Chengyuan's temporary palace, we don't need to rush to a conclusion about Huaying just yet... Lei Jun's thoughts raced.

As he pondered, he waved the letter in his hand towards Xu Yuanzhen and Tang Xiaotang, who were by his side:

"They're inviting us over to drag down Dragon and Tiger Mountain."

Xu Yuanzhen said nonchalantly, "We'll see what happens when we get there."

Tang Xiaotang, on the other hand, rubbed her fists eagerly: "Whether it's Dragon and Tiger Mountain or Kongsang Di Du, I'm very interested. None of them are getting away this time!"

Lei Jun turned to Yuan Mobai and Wang Guyuan on the side and said, "Master, Senior Brother, please take care of the sect's ancestral court."

Wang Guyuan smiled bitterly, while Yuan Mobai maintained his usual calm expression, smiling gently: "Palace Master, please take care as well. The same goes for Junior Sisters Yuanzhen and Xiaotang."

Lei Jun replied respectfully, "Disciple will keep Master's teachings in mind."

Xu Yuanzhen and Tang Xiaotang descended the mountain openly and then traveled through the newly opened spacetime portal connecting the Current Han World and the Great Tang World.

Lei Jun, on the other hand, maintained the pretense of remaining in the mountains.

Empress Zhang Wantong had left the Great Tang World and disappeared to cultivate in seclusion.

Lei Jun's presence as the human world's anchor could deter many with sinister intentions.

Of course, his cover might be blown.

But if he could buy some time, that would be good enough.

Lei Jun bid farewell to Xu Yuanzhen and Tang Xiaotang and headed north to the borderlands. Using the spacetime portal he had previously opened with the help of the Dongyang Jade Pendant, he concealed his presence and quietly arrived in the Current Han World.

As soon as he crossed over, Lei Jun used the Heaven-Seeing and Earth-Hearing Talisman to listen in on his junior sister Tang Xiaotang's complaints.

She and Xu Yuanzhen had just passed through the newly opened spacetime portal when they were stopped.

Fortunately, the ones who stopped them were not enemies but had some prior contact with the Great Tang Dragon and Tiger Mountain.

It was Deng Lai, the former Palace Master of Pure Yang Palace in the Dahann Dynasty.

With the opening of the spacetime portal, Deng Lai had come specifically to welcome the cultivators from the Great Tang's cultivation world.

The reason was obvious—Dragon and Tiger Mountain of the Dahann Dynasty was currently one of the main forces in the Dahann cultivation world resisting the Witch Clan of Kongsang.

Deng Lai and the other Dahann cultivators truly hoped that the Heavenly Master's Mansion of Dragon and Tiger Mountain would not come into conflict with Dragon and Tiger Mountain at this critical juncture.

Seeing that it was Xu Yuanzhen and Tang Xiaotang who had come, but not the most level-headed and rational Heavenly Master Lei Jun, Deng Lai's heart sank.

Fortunately, Xu Yuanzhen seemed amenable to negotiation, saying that she would first observe the situation from the outskirts of Dragon and Tiger Mountain.

Although Deng Lai was still worried, he could only try to mediate the situation from the sidelines.

Seeing this, Tang Xiaotang decided to go to the Dahann capital, Chang'an, on her own.

After all, she had more than one objective for this trip, and she could start by looking for trouble with the Kongsang Di Du lineage.

Deng Lai could only feel helpless about this and contacted Chang'an, hoping that the situation would not deteriorate.

Lei Jun, cloaked in his Taqing Bajing Treasure Cape, moved inconspicuously and leisurely headed north alone.

He first arrived at the Great River Dragon Gate and inspected the area.

On the surface, there was nothing unusual.

However, the flow of the earth's veins seemed peculiar.

It seemed that the starting point of the related sacrificial ritual was not here, and this place was more likely to be the endpoint of the changes that would occur later.

According to the fortune slip, the relevant time was midnight, and it was almost that time, but there was still a little time left.

Therefore, Lei Jun rotated the Yuqing Zhoutian Law Mirror to observe the direction of Chang'an, where Tang Xiaotang was headed.

The silhouettes of Zhou Tian Lao Zu and the Kun Sang Witch King clashed fiercely.

Even though they were mere silhouettes, with their attention focused on each other, Lei Jun's mirror light did not directly target them.

Elsewhere, the most critical locations were the imperial palace within Chang'an City and the altar created by Pan Hailin of the Great Han Dragon-Tiger Mountain outside the city.

Unfortunately, the swirling black mist hindered Lei Jun's vision.

Chen Lingfeng and the other cultivators worked hard to buy time and space for Pan Hailin while protecting his altar of initiation.

Pan Hailin focused on maintaining the altar, but his expression suddenly changed, and he started coughing up blood from his mouth and nose.

Chen Lingfeng and the others were startled, then realized with shock, "The Human Aura Array?!"

This was a mysterious technique mastered by the Heavenly Dance lineage of the Nine Heavens Gods at the fifth layer of the Nine Heavens.

Just like how he had previously contained the immense within the minuscule, using the face of the Square-faced General, his own heart, eyes, and bones to carry the divine dance sacrificial array, the Human Aura Array utilized one's breath through the mouth and nose to carry the power of the array.

At this moment, the array seemed to transform into an extremely minuscule form, almost like a speck of dust, infiltrating the opponent's body through their breath, before unleashing the power of the grand array to inflict harm.

There were many constraints to this technique, but once successful, the results were often astonishing.

Especially now, with Pan Hailin channeling most of his spiritual power into maintaining the altar and the ritual, he was severely injured on the spot.

The one from the Kun Sang Witch Gate who possessed this ability was none other than Yun Qingyan, a great witch who had perfected the fifth layer of the Nine Heavens.

The black mist enveloped Pan Hailin, swallowing his body and dragging him into Chang'an City.

But Pan Hailin gritted his teeth, his hands continuously changing seals, using numerous talismans to continue empowering the altar.

Even though his body had disappeared, the altar remained standing.

The other Great Han cultivators were shocked by this turn of events, their eyes widening in horror. They rushed over but failed to rescue Pan Hailin in time. However, they managed to protect the altar, ensuring it didn't fall.

At that moment, a golden light appeared in the distance.

In the blink of an eye, it was as if the clouds had parted to reveal the sun, and the golden light dispelled the surrounding black mist, revealing the figure of a tall woman—Tang Xiaotang.

She glanced at the opposing silhouettes and scoffed, "Fakes. Their roots aren't even here."

Tang Xiaotang paid no heed to the altar Pan Hailin had left behind, which brought relief to the group of Great Han cultivators.

She sensed the aura of the great witches present and quickly located the person she was looking for from the Earthly Capital.

Chen Lingfeng and Ye Zhao were startled once more.

Amidst the internal strife within the Kun Sang Witch Gate, they had a great witch aiding them.

But the opponent Tang Xiaotang was targeting was clearly the one assisting the Great Han cultivators and preventing the Witch King's descent.

Had Tang Xiaotang made a mistake?

Or did these witches also harbor ill intentions?

"Hmm? That's odd..."

The tall woman paused in mid-air, looking left and right, a doubtful expression on her face.

Above her head appeared the Eye of Heaven's Heart, resembling a pair of gigantic eyes.

After scanning the surroundings, Tang Xiaotang furrowed her brows, "Which one of you is from Sky Capital, and who's from Earthly Capital?"

One of the heirs of the Kun Sang Earthly Capital lineage spoke up.

But before he could finish, Tang Xiaotang, who was standing in mid-air, had already made her move, and the golden light of the Pure Yang Sea swept across the area.

"Never mind, I'll just trust myself."

As Tang Xiaotang spoke, she had already engaged Yun Qingyan of the Kun Sang Sky Capital!

Both friend and foe were equally shocked.

Although they were now fighting a common enemy, Chen Lingfeng, Ye Zhao, and the other Great Han cultivators were even more perplexed.

After all, this was a favorable development... right?

Chen Lingfeng, Ye Zhao, and the others steadied their minds. While some of them protected the altar, the rest followed the golden light that was rushing towards Chang'an City.

In a region far from Chang'an, on the outskirts of the city, another top great witch from the Kun Sang Sky Capital, Peng Youshan, stood silently in the wilderness.

Behind him was another great witch, Chen Mingxu, whose eyes had turned completely white.

A moment later, his eyes returned to normal, and he reported to Peng Youshan:

"The actions of the Great Tang Dragon-Tiger Mountain cultivators are completely unpredictable. Xu Yuanzhen is guarding the perimeter of the Great Han Dragon-Tiger Mountain without making any moves. It's unclear what she's planning.

Tang Xiaotang didn't attack the people from Earthly Capital but instead targeted us from Sky Capital.

As for the Great Tang Celestial Master, Lei Jun, he doesn't seem to have come to this world and might still be in Great Tang."

Peng Youshan nodded slightly, remaining silent.

Chen Mingxu's face showed his anxiety, but he stopped short of saying something.

Peng Youshan knew what he wanted to say.

It would have been fine if the Great Tang Dragon-Tiger Mountain hadn't hindered the Great Han Dragon-Tiger Mountain.

This development was the best-case scenario, and even if it hadn't happened, it wouldn't have been unexpected or unacceptable.

But Tang Xiaotang's choice had brought great trouble to the Kun Sang Sky Capital.

Her strength was formidable, and the difference between having her as an ally or an enemy was like the difference between heaven and earth, directly affecting their plans for Chang'an.

It would have been better if she had stayed in Great Tang instead of being here now.

However, Peng Youshan also had his concerns.

Dongyang Man, Wang Xu.

He was also an opponent they had to be cautious of.

To be precise, according to their original plan, this person was supposed to be their most likely opponent.

Peng Youshan appeared to be a bystander, but he had been searching for Dongyang Man, Wang Xu, on the outskirts of Chang'an this whole time.

Both of them were great witches who had perfected the fifth layer of the Nine Heavens, and his strength was even slightly superior to Yun Qingyan's.

It was a waste to leave him idle like this.

But if they could find Wang Xu, it would be worth it.

In the past, he had already ruined one of their king's plans. This time, they must ensure that nothing similar happens again!

But they waited and waited, and Wang Xu still didn't appear.

Was their opponent not in the Han world?

That didn't make sense.

Of course, if he truly wasn't here, that would be for the best.

Right now, they had to deal with the unexpected situation caused by Tang Xiaotang, and Peng Youshan, their reserve, had to step in.

But what if Wang Xu was also waiting for a critical moment to make his move?

Peng Youshan looked around at the surrounding night, feeling a chill despite being a great witch, an unusual sensation brought on by the darkness and the unknown.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end