Chapter 439: Dragon-Tiger Mountain Strikes Against Heavens! (Part 2)

Chapter 439: Dragon-Tiger Mountain Strikes Against Heavens! (Part 2)

Nine Songs - Lord of the East.

If Li Tianqing's cultivation strength was similar to Li Yuanheng's, then invoking a Solar Deity Grand Array to counter the Lightless Gu would be most appropriate.

But Li Jin couldn't cooperate with him.

Li Tianqing had grown up in the human realm, living under the sun.

For Li Jin and Li Yuanheng, sunlight was their enemy.

The Underground World, where the sun never shone, was their paradise.

In the Grand Invocation Arrays practiced by the Great Shamanic Dancers of the Nine Li, there was no invocation to summon the Solar Deity.

Facing the threat of the Lightless Gu, Li Tianqing remained calm and decisively parted ways with Li Jin, changing his tactic.

The Nine Songs - Lord of the East array unfolded in the dim Underground World.

In this world where the sun never shone, it was as if the sun was rising at that moment.

The brilliant and majestic light of the sun flowed, counteracting the devouring effect of the Lightless Gu, just as Li Yuanheng had anticipated.

Li Tianqing's change to the Nine Songs - Lord of the East array not only left Li Jin unable to cooperate but also made him feel uncomfortable, forcing him to retreat.

Li Yuanheng also disliked sunlight.

Fortunately, his superior realm allowed him to withstand the Lightless Gu, which wasn't completely negated by the Nine Songs - Lord of the East, giving him some respite.

Li Yuanheng didn't focus his efforts on the Lightless Gu; instead, he immediately switched to the Time Gu.

Compared to the most exquisite Month Gu of the Human Gu Masters, the Time Gu of the Nine Li was more suited to the fierce close-quarters combat style of the Nine Li people.

At this moment, Li Yuanheng seemed to transform into a massive Gu insect, his movement speed extremely fast.

In the perception of Li Tianqing and Li Jin, the flow of time around their opponent seemed out of sync with theirs, as if they were much slower than Li Yuanheng.

Li Yuanheng utilized the Time Gu to accelerate himself and slow down his opponents as he closed in on Li Tianqing.

At the same time, mysterious streams of energy gathered around him, secretly condensing into a seemingly illusory embryonic form.

This was a mystical ability that only Gu Masters of the Nine Heavens with the complete Five Transformations could attain.

Reversal of Life, Shamanic Gu Embryo.

Although Gu Masters at the Eighth Heaven already possessed soul-stealing techniques, they mostly relied on exploiting vulnerabilities or overpowering their opponents.

The Shamanic Gu Embryo, however, could forcibly parasitize an opponent of similar cultivation, directly competing for their soul, and allowing the user to be reborn at their peak strength.

To counter this technique, one needed a specific divine ability; otherwise, it was nearly impossible to defend against, making it almost flawless aside from the inability to use it consecutively for a certain period.

Li Yuanheng was worried that other Great Tang experts would enter the Underground World to provide support, so he didn't intend to prolong the fight with his current opponents. He had prepared a ruthless move to end the battle quickly from the start.

However, at this moment, he noticed another change in Li Tianqing's Ghost God Grand Array.

Time and space seemed to distort at that instant.

The dazzling sunlight transformed into a graceful and vibrant green light, soaring into the sky.

At that moment, it was as if he was gazing upon the human sky.

In the heavens above, a majestic figure appeared.

Under the gaze of this figure, Li Yuanheng felt the effects of his Time Gu fading and weakening.

Li Tianqing's dance movements were ancient and profound, seemingly slow yet fast.

Even with Li Yuanheng's cultivation, he felt his heart stirring.

The majestic and illusory deity in the green sky seemed like the ruler of the heavens, with control over time and space.

Li Tianqing stood firmly, his palms spread apart, and from his mouth came ancient syllables that reverberated:

"...East... Imperial... Great... One!"

Li Yuanheng's heart sank as his ominous premonition came true.

The Great Tang's long-lost most powerful Ghost God Dance had reappeared.

Even though it was in the Underground World and not the human realm, its vast and profound power remained unchanged.

Surpassing top-tier arrays like the Nine Songs - Lord of the East and Nine Songs - Great Controller of Fate, it was the number one Ghost God Grand Array throughout history.

Nine Songs - Eastern Emperor!

This descendant of the Xuanyuan had actually cultivated the Eastern Emperor's array... even Li Yuanheng's heart and spirit were shaken by this realization.

With the incredible speed he had gained from the Time Gu, if Li Tianqing had truly improvised this counter, he wouldn't have been able to keep up even with the boost from the Mask of Fangxiang.

However, from the start, the Nine Songs - Lord of the East had been a feint.

This was Li Tianqing's true killing move.

Under the Nine Songs - Eastern Emperor, time and space in this area of the Underground World seemed distorted, allowing Li Tianqing to act after Li Yuanheng but arrive first, covering him.

At the same time, another array quietly descended, merging with the Nine Songs - Eastern Emperor.

Nine Li - Chiyou.

Although it wasn't as harmonious as the previous Nine Songs - Lord of Clouds and Nine Li - Fengbo, the two grand arrays still intertwined.

The might of a billion soldiers surged, as if Li Jin, the God of War, had returned, his spear pointed directly at Li Yuanheng.

Li Yuanheng's prepared Shamanic Gu Embryo happened to encounter one of its most effective divine abilities.

Under the radiance of the heavenly deity, the Eastern Emperor array froze the Shamanic Gu Embryo, rendering it useless.

Li Yuanheng, who had transformed into a giant Gu insect, was instantly pierced through the lower half of his body by Li Jin's spear.

The void within the grand array further distorted, crushing his upper body.

Li Yuanheng was forced to use a backup Gu insect to be reborn elsewhere.

Due to the time and space-distorting effects of the Nine Songs - Eastern Emperor, even his rebirth was not smooth, causing severe damage to his vital energy.

At this moment, he could only be glad that Li Tianqing and Li Jin were not Fifth Layer Nine Heavens Shamanic Grand Masters and didn't know the Human God Invocation; otherwise, they would have pursued him without delay.

Even so, Li Yuanheng had no choice but to immediately retreat and flee.

Li Tianqing and Li Jin had already caught up.

Amidst the unexpected turn of events, the former ruler of the Underground World, despite his reluctance, had to admit that the current priority was no longer about retaking the Underground World but about leaving this place.

..................

In the present Han Dynasty, after Lei Jun used the Yin-Yang God-Splitting Aurora to kill Chen Yi, his attention returned to the present.

In the Great Tang Dynasty, the power of the Yin-Yang Celestial Punishment Treasure Mirror had been exhausted.

As for the situation in the Great Han Dynasty, it was gradually becoming clear.

Han Crown Prince Xiang Jing, unwilling to be a vessel for the Kongsang Witch King, acted.

Relying solely on himself, even with the added might of his nation's fortune, he couldn't resist the Kongsang Witch King, who had the advantage of striking first.

Just like Han Emperor Xiang Chengyuan.

Moreover, Xiang Jing's ambition was not small.

He also intended to take advantage of the Kongsang Witch King's ritual to gain an opportunity to ascend to the immortal realm.

For this, he needed another source of support.

"Little Senior Sister, have the people in Chang'an seen Han Crown Prince Xiang Jing and Pan Hailin of the Great Han's Dragon-Tiger Mountain publicly appear together?"

Lei Jun transmitted his voice and asked, "Tang Xiaotang?"

It took a while for Tang Xiaotang to reply, "...Seems like it's not?"

There was none before.

This time, during the great battle in Chang'an, Han Crown Prince Xiang Jing was the first to invade, but he "fell" into the black mist, after which Pan Hailin appeared.

Next, Pan Hailin established his divine ritual, invoking the projection of the Prime Elder to confront the projection of the Sorcerer King in Chang'an. Afterward, to protect the ritual altar, he also "fell" into the black mist covering the city.

Then, as the battle in Chang'an intensified, Han Crown Prince Xiang Jing quietly left and went to Hua Yin Palace to finalize the ritual arrangements.

But in the end, he did not appear as expected at the Great River Dragon Gate, where the Kunlun Sect awaited him, and has been missing ever since.

Needless to say, there is another ritual being conducted in secret elsewhere.

This is the Taoist method passed down from the Prime Elder, an ancient lineage of the Fulu School.

"He cultivates both witchcraft and Taoism?" Tang Xiaotang was surprised. "Only the Taiyi Body can pull that off, right? It's unlikely for the Hybrid Immortal Body, isn't it?"

Lei Jun said, "It should be difficult under normal circumstances, but with the foundation of the Hybrid Immortal Body, one can't rule out the possibility of an exception. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to deceive the Sorcerer King of Kongsang. Even so, if he could deceive Kongsang, the first credit would go to Kunlun."

The Sorcerer King of Kongsang used Han Emperor Xiang Chengyuan as a front, openly building a road while secretly advancing his agenda, installing Han Crown Prince Xiang Jing as the true vessel, and deceiving the rest of the Great Han Dynasty.

But unfortunately, his field ended up benefiting someone else.

Prime Elder aimed to hijack the opportunity for powerful beings from the Sorcerer King of Kongsang's fairyland to descend upon the mortal realm and walk among humans.

However, the Taoist ritual differs from the witchcraft ritual; he doesn't need to possess Xiang Jing's body.

On the contrary, Xiang Jing can gain an even better opportunity from this.

Both sides can be said to have taken what they needed.

With the shift in the ritual, the Sorcerer King of Kongsang has suffered a significant setback, and Prime Elder has taken the lead.

...Will there be any other unforeseen changes? Lei Jun reviewed the fortunes that had flown out of the light sphere earlier.

If it was the old ancestor of Great Han's Longhu Mountain who gained the opportunity to move freely among humans, then the resulting danger would definitely surpass a medium-level fortune that could be offset by a fifth-grade opportunity.

Then...

As Lei Jun scanned the surroundings with his Jade Clear Heaven-Surrounding Dharma Mirror, he quickly headed south to the Longhu Mountain ancestor's court in Xinzhou, within the mortal realm of the Han Dynasty.

........................................

In the mortal realm of the Tang Dynasty, Qin Caimei, as the representative of Longhu Mountain, had previously been instructed by the sect master, Lei Jun, to cooperate with the Shu Mountain cultivators.

At this moment, she was with the master of the Ziwai Sword, Xie Yini.

Qin Caimei heard the transmission from the ancestral court and breathed a sigh of relief. "Zhang Shibo is safe and has returned to the mansion."

Xie Yini said, "That's a relief."

Qin Caimei was considering whether she should return to the mountain when she suddenly heard a female voice that only she could hear:

"Don't be hasty."

Qin Caimei was taken aback, but she didn't dare to ask anything in front of Xie Yini.

The woman continued, "In the mortal realm of the Han Dynasty, we're at a critical juncture..."

Qin Caimei was only curious about the first half of the woman's sentence, but the latter half made her want to jump:

"I'll lend a hand as well."

Qin Caimei didn't understand how the woman intended to help, but she saw Xie Yini's expression change suddenly.

A purple sword light suddenly detached itself from Xie Yini and flew up into the sky like starlight.

"...Ziwai Sword?!" Qin Caimei and Xie Yini were equally shocked.

After her initial surprise, Xie Yini regained her composure and looked around.

She could clearly sense that it was her senior from Shu Mountain who was wielding the Ziwai Sword.

But she herself was already an Eighth Heaven sword cultivator who had bonded with the Ziwai Sword for a long time.

Even a Ninth Heaven realm senior from Shu Mountain wouldn't be able to take the Ziwai Sword directly from her without her noticing.

It was just that Chen Donglou's cultivation gave people a sense of unfathomable depth, making it difficult to gauge his true strength.

"Senior Chen?" Xie Yini looked around but didn't see Chen Donglou appear or hear him speak.

The Ziwai Sword rose into the sky, shining like a bright star.

A voice emanated from the sword, "Old friend, it's been a while."

In that moment, the Ziwai Sword seemed to have a life of its own, vibrating with joy and excitement.

The next moment, with a light laugh from the woman, the purple sword light flashed and disappeared into the sky over the Tang Dynasty.

Shangguan Yunbo was guarding the newly opened gateway to the mortal realm of the Han Dynasty when he suddenly saw a purple light flash and leave the Tang Dynasty, rushing into the gateway.

He was stunned as well. "Is that the Ziwai Sword of Shu Mountain?"

In the mortal realm of the Han Dynasty, in the Guanzhong region.

The high-achieving elder of Great Han's Shu Mountain, He Yuhang, accompanied the sect master, Chen Lingfeng, in a fierce battle against the demon monks of Dakuji Temple and the Sorcerer King of Kongsang.

However, the situation was changing so rapidly that he could barely keep up.

He Yuhang could only vaguely discern that, at the moment, it seemed the ancestor of Great Han's Longhu Mountain was gaining the upper hand.

The Sorcerer King of Kongsang was furious and launched a series of counterattacks, no longer appearing as calm and confident as before.

...I suppose the current situation isn't too bad, He Yuhang thought, just as his life-bound treasure, the Ka-Ming Sword, suddenly went out of control.

Although He Yuhang quickly stabilized the Ka-Ming Sword, the sudden change startled him.

Before He Yuhang could figure out what had happened to his sword, he suddenly saw a purple light shining in the night sky above.

It was like the stars themselves.

Or like a sword light descending from the heavens.

In the next moment, not only He Yuhang but everyone present was stunned as they watched a purple light flash across the sky, slicing through the projections of the Sorcerer King of Kongsang and Prime Elder in midair!

The sword light didn't stop, continuing to fly away and disappearing in an instant.

However, in the eyes of the Great Han cultivators and the Sorcerer King of Kongsang, the world seemed to undergo a profound transformation.

Inside Kongsang, a massive sword mark appeared on the crystal bone tower, shattering it instantly.

Within the Yu Yu Tian Dao Palace in Kunlun, a huge crack also appeared on the pill furnace in front of Prime Elder, who was shaken, his body trembling uncontrollably.

His pill furnace wasn't for refining pills.

On the contrary, it was used to reverse the process, turning previously prepared pills back into basic spiritual energy and primordial energy.

This reversal process constituted a ritual, outsmarting the Sorcerer King of Kongsang.

But now, someone had ruined his plans.

The situation on the Sorcerer King of Kongsang's side must be dire.

In the Guanzhong region, only the projections of the two fairyland powerhouses were present, so even if the ritual altar and ritual were destroyed and their projections eliminated, it wouldn't cause them any direct harm.

But the person who made the move was obviously well-prepared, taking advantage of the critical moment of their ritual confrontation to deal a heavy blow, injuring both of them and causing their rituals to fail completely!

Such a method was rarely seen even among fairyland cultivators.

"White Brows!"

Zhou Tian Laozu no longer paid attention to the mortal realm and suddenly looked up, gazing at the Great Red Heaven's Daoist Palace, which was situated in Kunlun but had long been without a master.

"What a bold move and excellent foresight. At this most critical juncture, you've dealt me the heaviest blow!"

…………………

The Purple Micro Sword slashed across the sky and returned to the mortal realm of the Great Tang Dynasty, back to Mount Shu in the Great Tang, and back to Xie Yiying's side.

"Master Chen?" Xie Yiying scanned his surroundings, puzzled.

Qin Cawei opened her mouth, but no sound came out.

She heard that woman's voice again in her ear: "From now on, it's up to Dragon and Tiger Mountain to handle the situation. I hope your fellow disciples won't fault me for meddling."

Qin Cawei smiled bitterly.

It was fine when the disturbance was small, but with such a huge commotion this time, should she report it to her sect or not?

Although Lei Jun couldn't hear the conversation between Qin Cawei and the other person, he saw the Purple Micro Sword piercing the heavens and knew that Qin Cawei was currently at Mount Shu. He could guess who had made the move.

However, this confusing situation might have been orchestrated by Elder Chen Donglou of the Great Tang Shu Mountain Sect.

After all, Lei Tianshi had borrowed Elder Chen's identity for an extended period, and many things had been done in his name.

Now, would he have to bear the blame for someone else?

Lei Jun, who was gradually approaching Great Han's Dragon and Tiger Mountain, felt a mix of emotions at this thought.

On the other hand, Xu Yuanzhen's transmission came through with a hint of laughter: "Very good. This turn of events is not entirely within my expectations, but I like it."

Lei Jun: "The Purple Micro Sword has returned to the mortal realm of the Great Tang. There may be further developments later, but the chances are slim."

Xu Yuanzhen: "The changes have come to an end. We've watched the show long enough. It's time for us to start playing."

Lei Jun's Jade Clarity Heaven's Law Mirror swept its light across the area.

He saw that Great Han's Dragon and Tiger Mountain, which had been illuminated by light, making the surrounding mountains seem to transition from night to day, was now shrouded in a pitch-black thundercloud that blotted out the sun.

The dark clouds were heavy and dense, blocking out all light as they enveloped Great Han's Dragon and Tiger Mountain, causing the radiant light to dim instantly.

In the next moment, Lei Jun saw a gap open in the center of the dark clouds.

Threads of clear light shone from within, converging into a single beam that seemed to pierce through the darkness.

One ray reached downward, connecting to the foundation of Great Han's Dragon and Tiger Mountain's ancestral court.

The other ray ascended, reaching straight up into the heavens.

That beam of clear light did not enter the Taiqing Duren Cave Heaven above Great Han's Dragon and Tiger Mountain but continued upward, reaching the distant and ethereal sky canopy above.

It pointed toward the legendary Kunlun.

The clear light was not created by the cultivators of Great Han's Dragon and Tiger Mountain piercing through the dark clouds but was emitted by the clouds themselves.

A woman, clad in a purple robe with a black cape draped over her shoulders, stood with her hands behind her back. Her appearance was that of a young girl, but her skin was pale, and her eyes were cold. She was currently standing within the clear light.

Her expression, rarely seen, exuded a look of contentment and anticipation as her figure automatically rose within the beam of light that reached toward the sky.

It was Xu Yuanzhen.

Her target was not Great Han's Dragon and Tiger Mountain, nor was it the Taiqing Duren Cave Heaven.

At least, those were not her primary objectives.

The place she intended to go was Kunlun.

At the point where the clear light ended in the sky canopy, the radiance seemed to sway slightly.

Below, the Dragon and Tiger Altar of Great Han's Dragon and Tiger Mountain also trembled.

Xu Yuanzhen, standing within the swaying light, remained calm and collected, neither speeding up nor slowing down her ascent.

She flipped her palm, and a jade seal suddenly appeared in her hand.

However, it was not the Heaven's Master Seal passed down by the Dragon and Tiger Mountain lineage.

It was the Seal of the Heavens that Lei Jun had lent her.

Xu Yuanzhen tilted her head slightly, pointing the Seal of the Heavens upward, directly at the endpoint of the clear light.

The disturbance there immediately calmed down.

What was happening with Zhou Tian Laozu in Kunlun remained a mystery to the outside world.

However, the hearts of Ji Daocheng and the others below on Great Han's Dragon and Tiger Mountain shook simultaneously.

Ji Daocheng also discovered that the earth below was shining with even brighter light, forming what seemed to be a massive talisman.

With Great Han's Dragon and Tiger Mountain as its center, Ji Daocheng was completely unable to control it.

The spiritual energy of the earth veins underwent a tremendous change.

Ji Daocheng's heart trembled, and he looked up.

Above Xu Yuanzhen's head, the Heavenly Scriptures of the Three Caverns of Heaven, Earth, and Man appeared together.

However, as the radiance flowed and turned, it manifested entirely differently from usual.

The principles and realms within seemed to have been completely inverted.

In Kunlun, Zhou Tian Laozu was far from comfortable.

He felt no better than when he was struck by that sword earlier.

At least then, he had the Dan Furnace to shield him.

Now, the power of the Seal of the Heavens was fully exerted upon him.

His communication with the spiritual energy of heaven and earth was actually impeded.

Xu Yuanzhen, who was floating in the mortal realm, used the power of the inverted thunder law, heavenly script, and talisman to guide the Seal of the Heavens.

With the inverted fire law, earthly script, and talisman, she guided the changing earth veins' spiritual energy.

And with the inverted life law, human script, and talisman, she guided the law sword that had suddenly appeared in her hand.

Below, in Great Han's Dragon and Tiger Mountain, the Great Han Tian Shi, Ji Daocheng, wore a solemn expression.

When the sudden change occurred earlier, he had only been concerned that Great Han's Dragon and Tiger Mountain would be unable to escape into the Taiqing Duren Cave Heaven again.

He worried that the other party might use this as bait to lure Zhou Tian Laozu to forcefully descend into the mortal realm, causing the dao essence and immortal energy to scatter and dissipate, and then engage in a decisive battle in the mortal realm.

Who would have thought that Xu Yuanzhen had no such intentions at all?

She literally wanted to ascend to the heavens!

Although Xu Yuanzhen was powerful, Ji Daocheng felt more shocked and angry than fearful when he saw her daring to enter Kunlun.

Zhou Tian Laozu's ritual had failed, but that only made it inconvenient for him to descend to the mortal realm.

In Kunlun, it was an entirely different situation.

However, with the appearance of these strange phenomena, Ji Daocheng suddenly felt uneasy.

He quickly took charge of the Dragon and Tiger Altar's grand formation on Great Han's Dragon and Tiger Mountain, ordering the formation to operate at full power.

However, at this moment, twelve pillars of light suddenly rose directly from the ground surrounding the ancestral court of Great Han's Dragon and Tiger Mountain.

These pillars of light did not shoot straight up into the sky but converged together at a central point.

They gathered at the most critical location of the Dragon and Tiger Mountain lineage.

The Dragon and Tiger Altar.

Ji Daocheng, who was inside the altar, felt the entire platform shake, and the radiance dimmed.

"Although it's not as grand as the Wanfa Altar, it'll suffice in a pinch."

A tall and sturdy young Taoist priest, wearing the Yuan Shi crown and a nine-colored robe with a white jade seal hanging from his waist, appeared at the entrance of Great Han's Dragon and Tiger Mountain with a casual expression.

When Ji Daocheng sensed his presence and looked over, his pupils suddenly contracted.

Lei Jun, the Tian Shi of the Great Tang Dragon and Tiger Mountain.

The white jade seal at Lei Jun's waist shone brilliantly, causing Ji Daocheng to feel dazzled.

Xu Yuanzhen, who was above, looked down at Lei Jun below.

Lei Jun waved at her.

Xu Yuanzhen retracted her gaze, holding the long sword upside down as her figure continued to rise and disappeared at the endpoint of the sky canopy's clear light.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end