https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-437-The-Fourth-Layer-of-the-Ninefold-Heaven-Haoling-Qi-Part-2-/12602384/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-438-Lei-Jun-s-Heavenly-Punishment-Part-2-/12602390/
Chapter 438: Lei Jun's Heavenly Punishment! (Part 1)
Chapter 438: Lei Jun's Heavenly Punishment! (Part 1)
Peng You Shan's heart was fraught with hesitation.
However, the changing times called for him to make a decisive judgment.
As one of the top experts under the Wu Wang, surpassing even Yun Qingyan, his current solitary presence away from the main group was undoubtedly a huge waste.
Especially with Wang Xu of Dongyang Mountain still nowhere to be seen, and Tang Xiaotang rampaging without restraint, this wastefulness seemed even more... stupid, stiff, and foolish.
He resembled a foolish bird forever waiting for food, standing idly by.
Chen Mingxu stood behind Peng You Shan and could understand the hesitation in his heart.
"According to Wang Xu's personality, he wouldn't intentionally hide and wait for the opportune moment, would he?" Peng You Shan asked, more like musing to himself than questioning Chen Mingxu.
Chen Mingxu replied softly, "I'm just afraid that he might also be caught up in some unexpected situation, hence the delay, but..."
What if Wang Xu of Dongyang Mountain arrived soon after?
"It's almost midnight, the final moment is upon us. I can't wait any longer," Peng You Shan decided.
He took out a bone that resembled crystal, with subtle green light flowing within:
"Take this treasure with you to Longmen and wait. If there are any changes, use this treasure to assist Long Feng and resist Wang Xu of Dongyang Mountain. Protect him and invite the Wu Wang to descend."
"Yes," Chen Mingxu replied.
Peng You Shan immediately set off for Chang'an.
He couldn't afford to sit idly by any longer.
There was already a top expert in Kongsang, comparable to him and Yun Qingyan—Ke Lang.
But now, with the sudden addition of Tang Xiaotang, one wrong move could cause the situation in Chang'an to collapse before midnight.
In the sky above Chang'an, the capital of the Great Han Empire, shrouded in black mist, a golden divine ship plowed through the heavy waves, sailing forward.
Tang Xiaotang wore the Tian Shi robe, with the nine lights of Hun Dong flowing together, holding the Tian Shi sword in her hand. Purple and golden lights intertwined, resembling both sword light and thunder, constantly slashing downwards.
The Ghost God Sacrifice Array, laid out by Yun Qingyan, a fifth-layer Wu Wu of the Nine Heavens in the Shen Wu, was repeatedly broken.
Yun Qingyan himself rushed forward, directly engaging in close combat with Tang Xiaotang, blocking the path of the divine ship.
Yun Qingyan, a fifth-layer Wu Wu of the Nine Heavens in the Shen Wu, had reached the pinnacle of this realm. The biggest change compared to other Shen Wu Wu Wus was that his means of infusing the Great Wu into the tiniest of spaces had reached a miraculous level, with the array engraved upon his very being. Wherever he went, the Ghost God Sacrifice Array unfolded.
In a sense, it could even be called a Human Array.
Hence, it was named the Human God Sacrifice.
Although his mobility was still somewhat limited, Yun Qingyan's every step was carefully calculated, and his presence was like a moving fortress.
The mask of the Simian covered his face, obscuring his true expressions, and his eyes shone with an unusual light, as if countless array patterns were empowering him.
The power of the array manifested a primordial god projection, which now seemed to merge with Yun Qingyan himself, standing amidst the heavy black mist, halting the advance of Tang Xiaotang's Pure Yang Divine Ship.
Tang Xiaotang's expression remained unchanged as she suddenly pointed at Yun Qingyan.
The primordial god projection, formed by the power of Yun Qingyan's array, suddenly wobbled.
A small dot appeared on his chest.
There was nothing in the small dot, only emptiness, as if everything tangible and intangible had been erased.
Then, the seemingly insignificant small dot began to expand outward, quickly growing larger.
It was as if an invisible force, centered on this dot, was rapidly expanding outward, clearing everything around it.
Thus, the huge primordial god projection seemed to have a gaping hole in its chest, and the hole continued to expand.
During the expansion, there was no sign of collision or destruction.
Or perhaps, this invisible force destroyed the body of the primordial god projection with ease, encountering no resistance whatsoever.
Originally, the array that Yun Qingyan had empowered upon his heart, with each beat, seemed to draw endless energy, and even if it was destroyed, it would quickly recover its vigor and vitality, with vibrant spiritual power and blood intertwining and flowing through the four directions of the grand array, causing the Ghost God Sacrifice Array to revive.
But at this moment, Yun Qingyan's grand array was blasted open by Tang Xiaotang's invisible force, and he was unable to manifest the form of Jiu Ge·Yun Zhong Jun for a time, his divine might of the past no longer present.
Surprised, he quickly attempted to activate another Ghost God Sacrifice Array.
However, Tang Xiaotang, empowered by the Zhao Yuan Pearl, immediately followed up with another sword strike.
Yun Qingyan was finally forced to retreat.
At the same time, he realized that not only had his direct confrontation with Tang Xiaotang been thwarted, but the ambush he had set up in secret had also failed to work.
As he deployed the Human God Sacrifice Array, the Human Ambiance Array was also taking effect.
Like microscopic fine dust, the tiny array patterns interwove with the spiritual energy of the surroundings, drifting towards Tang Xiaotang.
With the Mo Tian Xin Fa Xiang above her head, Tang Xiaotang perceived the subtle signs long before.
She did not change her aggressive approach of directly breaking Yun Qingyan's Jiu Ge·Yun Zhong Jun array, and a seemingly illusory energy flow spread around her body.
Upon contact with this illusory energy, Yun Qingyan's Human Ambiance Array was frozen in mid-air, unable to continue spreading.
It was unable to get close to Tang Xiaotang herself, nor could it threaten those nearby.
"... Primordial Qi, Primordial Dao Body!"
This scene shocked many of those present.
Not only did Yun Qingyan sense it, but those with extensive knowledge like Chen Lingfeng and Ye Zhao also realized, "She... is not only a Pure Yang Xian Body, but also the legendary Primordial Dao Body?!”
"She is a Pure Yang Xian Body, and also a Primordial Dao Body."
Amidst Tang Xiaotang's loud laughter, she stood at the bow of the Pure Yang Divine Ship, cleaving through the heavy black mist and arrays before her, continuing forward.
Yun Qingyan had no choice but to retreat.
Without his Ghost God Sacrifice Array to restrict her, the Great Vehicle Daoist monks of the Taoist Talisman Sect could deploy their Great Vehicle Dao Scenes, and there was a possibility that he would be captured.
With Tang Xiaotang as the spearhead, the Great Han monks flanked her on both sides and behind, together piercing towards the heart of Chang'an.
Near the Great River Dragon Gate, Lei Jun observed Tang Xiaotang's mighty display through the Yu Qing Zhou Tian Fa Jing, and he couldn't help but smile.
Just as he had mentioned earlier in their casual conversation.
The spectacle of a technique is only one aspect of its appeal; when used against a formidable foe, it can showcase its power by sending them flying and causing the very earth to shatter.
Tang Xiaotang's 'Tai Chu Yuan Jun Fa Xiang' is the perfect illustration of this concept.
At first glance, it appears effortless, yet with a single strike, it overwhelms all opposition, leaving none capable of standing against it. Undoubtedly, it is the most formidable 'Fa Tian Xiang Di' of the Heavenly Master's Mansion in the Dragon-Tiger Mountain lineage at present. Whether it is the 'Jiu Tian Lei Zu Fa Xiang' produced by the Thunder Law Heavenly Script, or any other technique, their might pales in comparison.
Of course, this is assuming that Tang Xiaotang herself is the one wielding it.
As time progresses, her constant refinement and mastery of the 'Tai Chu Zhao Yuan Fa Lu' and 'Tai Chu Yuan Jun Fa Xiang' have made them increasingly formidable.
Not to mention the might of a single 'Fa Xiang', when it comes to instantaneous destructive power, even the combined might of Dragon-Tiger Mountain may not be as formidable as Tang Xiaotang's 'Zhao Yuan Zhu' in a head-on assault.
To a certain extent, this technique is like an explosive that detonates from within, making it an extremely powerful tool for breaking through defenses.
Just as Tang Xiaotang's Pure Yang Body is rarely matched in history, so too is her mastery of the extremely rare 'Tai Chu Dao Ti' root bone, which she has honed to an unparalleled level, bringing out its full potential.
"Let her play with the Heavenly Master's Robe and Sword. As long as she can stop the descent of the Kong Sang Witch King, it's fine." Master Xu Yuanzhen said nonchalantly after listening to Lei Jun's introduction to the situation in Chang'an via the Sound Transmission of the Jade Clear Cyclic Heaven Law Mirror.
Lei Jun asked, "What about you, Senior Sister?"
Xu Yuanzhen seemed to laugh, "I think I know why they sealed the mountain as soon as I arrived."
"How so?" Lei Jun inquired.
Xu Yuanzhen explained, "Through the Dragon-Tiger Mountain Altar here, I can roughly observe Kunlun and the situation of that so-called senior ancestor of Dragon-Tiger Mountain."
Lei Jun nodded slightly as he listened.
However, Xu Yuanzhen's next words took him by surprise, "His foundation is not from the Daoist Talisman Sect at all. In my opinion, it has nothing to do with the Daoist tradition."
This news was somewhat unexpected to Lei Jun, "He's not a Daoist cultivator?"
Xu Yuanzhen continued, "Through certain means, he transformed his original foundation into that of the Daoist Talisman Sect. While it can be considered a loophole and not a violation of the 'body and law as one' principle, it is similar to the conversion technique used by the Buddhist Hand Seal."
Without entering Kunlun and directly facing the Cyclic Heaven Ancestor, she couldn't see through his true foundation.
However, with her prior arrangements and the current situation, she was able to work backwards from the Dragon-Tiger Mountain lineage of the Great Han and soon made a discovery.
"Similar to the situation with Sumeru, huh?" Lei Jun said, coming back to his senses.
It seemed that the Great Han Dragon-Tiger Mountain Ancestor had voluntarily, or perhaps intentionally, transformed his lineage.
Like the conversion technique used by the Sumeru Buddhists, it was an extremely rare exception, made possible by a rare and precious treasure.
Considering the relationship between the ancient Talisman Sect and the Celestial Palace, Lei Jun asked, "Is it related to the Ancient Celestial Palace or its former subordinates?"
Xu Yuanzhen replied, "I can only be sure after direct contact, but I suspect it is highly likely."
Lei Jun pondered for a moment, "Even so, it shouldn't be enough for them to be irreconcilable with our sect..."
Xu Yuanzhen chuckled, "Then it suggests that there's something else hidden beneath the surface."
She wasn't in a hurry to take action, not because of Deng Lai, but because of the Cyclic Heaven Ancestor and the rare appearance of the Great Han Dragon-Tiger Mountain, as well as the plans of the Kong Sang Witch Sect.
The ancestor might have noble intentions, defending the mortal realm and preventing the descent of the Kong Sang Witch King, or he might have his own agenda regarding Kong Sang.
Given this situation, it was worth observing for the time being.
Lei Jun calculated the time.
Midnight was approaching.
The Jade Clear Cyclic Heaven Law Mirror surveyed the four directions.
The mirror light traveled from the Great River Dragon Gate westward, first reaching Huaying, which was mentioned in another sign.
Surprisingly, a large amount of black qi was also rising from that location.
Within the black qi, a red light flickered, exuding a dense and bloody murderous aura.
Han Emperor Xiang Chengyuan had returned to Chang'an, his identity exposed, triggering a nationwide effort to aid the king. A great battle unfolded inside and outside the city.
His original residence, the Huaying Palace, was now abandoned.
However, it seemed that there was another secret hidden there.
Although the black mist made it difficult for Lei Jun to see clearly, the current situation allowed him to gradually piece together the outline of the Kong Sang Witch Sect's plan.
Lei Jun's eyebrows twitched slightly.
This ritual required a certain amount of slaughter.
To some extent, it needed high-quality slaughter, or in other words, high-quality living souls.
In other words, the blood and souls of cultivators with mid to high levels of cultivation.
However, due to the previous interference of Dongyang Shanren Wang Xu and the potential interference from Sumeru, Kunlun, and the Great Tang, the Kong Sang Witch Sect was being extremely cautious this time.
No wonder they had secretly supported and cultivated the Great Empty Temple as a hidden pawn.
Destruction and slaughter were commonplace for the Great Empty Temple.
However, a few years ago, Lei Jun, in the guise of Dongyang Shanren Wang Xu, had crushed the Great Empty Temple, delaying this calamity once more.
But overall, it didn't affect the plans of the Kong Sang Witch Sect.
They had taken the field themselves, and this time, they had successfully achieved their expected goal.
From another perspective, the bloodshed of the Great Empty Temple's Jue Xiang, Jue Fa, and others also conformed to the expectations of the Kong Sang Witch Sect.
The bloody battle in Chang'an was merely a venue for their witch ritual to gather blood qi.
The true ritual was taking place in the Huaying Palace.
But the focal point of this ritual was not in Huaying, but...
Lei Jun turned his head to look at the Great River Dragon Gate area where he was located.
He could feel that as the earth veins trembled, the spiritual energy of the heavens and the earth in this place became more turbulent, gradually revealing its extraordinariness.
The already raging Great River waters became even more turbulent and turbulent.
Lei Jun controlled the mirror light of the Jade Clear Cyclic Heaven Law Mirror to continue westward, once again illuminating Chang'an.
In Chang'an, the Kong Sang Great Witch could no longer hold out.
Tang Xiaotang took the lead, breaking into the range of the imperial palace, followed closely by a group of Great Han cultivators.
However, they were unable to find Han Emperor Xiang Chengyuan there.
In the sky above Chang'an, the shadows of the Kong Sang Witch King and the Cyclic Heaven Ancestor continued to fight.
But Han Emperor Xiang Chengyuan, the vessel of the Witch King, had already disappeared.
In his place stood a not-too-tall bone pagoda, composed of numerous bones, each one crystal clear and translucent like crystal.
Within the Crystal Bone Tower, a figure appeared faintly. It was the soul of Emperor Han, Xiang Chengyuan.
"...This doesn't seem like the preparation for a vessel of the Witch King," Lei Jun observed.
Instead, it seemed more like a part of the ritual, with his soul being offered as a sacrifice, just like the others.
Tang Xiatang, with her exceptional insight and perception, was also stunned when she saw the soul of Emperor Han, seemingly in a deep slumber, and the Crystal Bone Tower that had formed from his body. "You're not the vessel of the Witch King?" she asked, surprised.
Upon hearing this, Chen Lingfeng, Ye Zhao, and Noble Monk, the masters of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism, were equally shocked.
Koreng, the leader of the Kongsang Ditu lineage and a peerless Grand Witch of the Ninth Heaven like Yun Qingyan, suddenly shouted in a loud voice, "Where is Xiang Jing?"
Everyone present looked around in the four directions of Chang'an.
The eldest son of the Han Emperor, Xiang Jing, who had been the first to enter Chang'an City, was nowhere to be seen.
High in the sky, the phantom of the Kongsang Witch King seemed to merge with the firmament, forming a face that was expressionless and silent.
However, everyone present felt the silent mockery emanating from it.
The phantom of the Old Ancestor of the Zhou Heaven was unable to leave as his radiance was drawing power from the law altar below.
Lei Jun, observing this scene through the Jade Clarity Heaven Surrounding Magic Mirror, shook his head slightly as he looked at the silent Han Emperor, Xiang Chengyuan.
The Kongsang Witch King was, after all, an existence beyond the Ninth Heaven.
Although the Dongyang Mountain Man, Wang Xu, had previously ruined their plans, causing the Kongsang Witch King to be unable to descend upon the mortal realm through the Han Emperor, the Han Emperor had never escaped their control.
Once the time was right, the Kongsang Witch King would act, and Xiang Chengyuan would immediately fall back under their manipulation.
However, the Kongsang Witch King already had a better and more suitable vessel in the mortal realm.
The Crown Prince of the Great Han Dynasty.
Xiang Jing!
He was the true representative that the Kongsang Witch King and the Tianjing lineage had been secretly supporting all along.
Lei Jun strongly suspected that the so-called Great Witch Long Feng, who had been appearing in Guanzhong, was actually Xiang Jing.
Sometimes, it was hard to believe that they were not from the same family, as they shared similar interests and talents.
Xiang Chengyuan and his son, Xiang Jing, were both extraordinarily gifted, and even their specialties were the same.
Their forte was not in literature or martial arts but in the Taoist traditions of the Witch Gate.
While it was rare for a father and son to both be geniuses, they were like dragons giving birth to dragons and phoenixes giving birth to phoenixes in the history of the cultivation world.
However, it was also because of this that the Kongsang Witch King was given an opportunity.
Under the guise of imperial authority, they were able to hide their true natures from the outside world.
Originally, it would have been impossible for Crown Prince Xiang Jing to hide anything from Emperor Xiang Chengyuan.
However, Xiang Chengyuan himself had skeletons in his closet, and due to the aftermath of the earlier crisis, he had severe sequelae and often stayed in the depths of the palace, even leaving Chang'an.
Moreover, it seemed that he had always been under the control of the Kongsang Witch King, who would not allow him to notice anything amiss with Xiang Jing.
As for the Kongsang Ditu people who assisted Emperor Han Xiang Chengyuan, seeing the shocked and surprised expressions on Koreng and the others' faces, it seemed unlikely that they were colluding with Kongsang Tianjing.
The Witch King had indeed failed to completely dominate Kongsang, hence the existence of the Kongsang Ditu lineage, which was like a rebel force.
However, the secret arts of the Witch Gate were mysterious, and over the years, the Kongsang Ditu lineage had also been gradually eroded by the Witch King.
Koreng arranged for Chen Xiao and others to assist Emperor Han Xiang Chengyuan, and the Witch King simply turned a blind eye to it.
Moreover, there were also insiders among the Kongsang Ditu lineage who were under the control of the Witch King and acted as his spies, ambushing Tang Xiatang in the world of the Former Song Dynasty.
Unfortunately, the Witch King had also underestimated Tang Xiatang's extraordinary talent and insight into good and evil.
When Tang Xiatang arrived in Chang'an, she had not yet fully distinguished between Koreng and Yun Qingyan, who were from Tianjing and Ditu respectively.
However, she could tell who harbored ill intentions towards her, even if they hid it well and did not consider her their primary enemy.
Nevertheless, for the Kongsang Witch King, it was not a big deal.
The ritual had already begun, and the foundation had been laid.
"It's the Hua Yin Palace!" Koreng took a deep breath. "It might already be too late!"
After entering Chang'an, Crown Prince Xiang Jing had disappeared and was now on his way to the Hua Yin Palace through a secret passage.
He was the true master and establisher of the ritual.
Destroying the Crystal Bone Tower now might save Xiang Chengyuan's life, but his essence, which had been drained by the ritual, could not be recovered, and it would be difficult to stop the ritual from continuing.
Tang Xiatang's eyebrows twitched, and she turned to head east.
However, another Grand Witch of the Kongsang Tianjing lineage, a peerless master of the Fifth Layer of the Ninth Heaven, Peng You Shan, had also arrived in Chang'an.
Putting aside his wariness of the Dongyang Mountain Man, Wang Xu, Peng You Shan had rushed over to join Yun Qingyan and the other Kongsang Tianjing masters. It seemed that they intended to intercept Tang Xiatang and the others from heading to Hua Yin.
Tang Xiatang, who had been coldly smiling, suddenly showed a look of surprise again.
However, she did not say much and merely looked at Peng You Shan, Yun Qingyan, and the others, her cold smile returning.
Lei Jun's voice sounded in her ear, low and calm. "Just be careful, little senior sister."
Hua Yin was the starting point of the ritual, but it was not the real hub. Instead, it was a place where blood and qi converged, and it had already accumulated a vast amount of murderous aura.
With Lei Jun and Tang Xiatang's cultivation and strength, venturing into the core area might still pose a risk.
This was probably the danger mentioned in the fortune about Hua Yin.
Although Tang Xiatang's heavenly heart and divine law were profound, and she would be able to see through Peng You Shan and Yun Qingyan's plan of fighting and retreating as they headed towards Hua Yin, intending to harm the Great Han cultivators once more, Lei Jun still reminded her beforehand. He mentioned that according to his observations through the Jade Clarity Heaven Surrounding Magic Mirror, there was something amiss in Hua Yin.
With this information, Tang Xiatang could turn the tables on Peng You Shan and Yun Qingyan, using their plan to her advantage and finding an opportunity to strike them hard along the way.
However...
Lei Jun observed the surroundings through the Jade Clarity Heaven Surrounding Magic Mirror.
According to the fortunes, on this trip... it seemed like the Kongsang Witch King would not be able to succeed?
Lei Jun's trip to the Great River Dragon Gate might be able to intercept Crown Prince Xiang Jing and disrupt the final formation of their ritual.
But if he had chosen another fortune, according to the text of the fortunes, it seemed that there would not be a risk of the Kongsang Witch King descending directly either?
This Celestial Realm expert posed a threat far greater than what was mentioned in the fortune slip, a mere fifth-grade opportunity, if he could truly move about freely in the mortal realm.
(End of Chapter)
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