Chapter 488: When Have We Ever Fought Such a Well-Resourced War? (Part 2)

Chapter 488: When Have We Ever Fought Such a Well-Resourced War? (Part 2)

If there were any hidden dangers, they would come from the Shaman King Huangfu Qi and the Shaman True Jia Xianting, who had once left the Ling Mountain.

But Jia Xianting was already dead.

As for the Immortal Realm cultivators, Lei Jun, Zhang Wantong, and Zhao Chanyang were keeping an eye on them.

Therefore, considering the need to work together, Mu Chunyang also temporarily left the human realm of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms.

Coincidentally, Zhou Pu's Later Han had just conquered the Southern Chu region and was currently in a period of recuperation and development.

Thus, when Qi Yicheng came from the former Song Dynasty's human realm, he did so alone for the sake of secrecy.

But when he returned, he would bring a large group with him.

Chu Kun would also join them later.

In Penglai, Lei Jun asked Chu Kun, "Third Senior Brother, after reaching the Ninth Level of Heaven, have you decided on your third innate divine ability?"

Chu Kun smiled, "Senior Brother, to be honest, I already have some ideas, but I need more accumulation and organization.

Although I don't want to admit it, practical experience is very useful in some situations, and it's inevitable."

Tang Xiaotang laughed beside him, "I thought you've changed your mind and are willing to go to the battlefield. No wonder."

Chu Kun sighed, "Yes."

Tang Xiaotang rubbed her hands together, "Good, I'll go too!"

She didn't plan to go directly.

Instead, she wanted to find an opportunity to "honorably" deal with Zheng Chen of the Great Song's Purity Yang Palace.

"Little Senior Sister, have you made progress in pushing open the Immortal Realm?" Lei Jun asked.

Tang Xiaotang replied, "I've gained some confidence. It's better to accumulate more and wait for the Heavenly Gorge Tribulation to pass. Accumulate and then strike."

Chu Kun was surprised by her words, feeling that her statement was quite different from her usual character.

Lei Jun understood, "At the age of ninety-nine or a hundred?"

Tang Xiaotang waved her hand, "In two years, when I'm ninety-nine, that's fine. It shouldn't be too late."

Chu Kun finally understood.

Well, it's about having a sense of ceremony."

This seemed to match Tang Xiaotang's thoughts.

Anyway, in terms of cultivation years, even Zhao Chanyang has been surpassed by Lei Jun, so Tang Zhenren didn't think much about it.

If the overall situation was not favorable, she would have the motivation to take action, but since the situation was relatively stable, it was fine as it was.

Chu Kun curiously asked, "Senior Sister, after ascending to the Immortal Realm, can you cultivate two immortal secrets simultaneously?"

Tang Xiaotang laughed, "Of course."

She remembered something and turned to Lei Jun, "What's your current situation?"

Lei Jun replied, "I'm continuing to refine the fusion of the Yellow and Black Heavens, studying the Three Caves and Three Heavens Supreme Dragon Tiger Immortal Formation, and nurturing and refining my own treasures."

He stretched out his hand and drew a Taiji diagram in front of him, "From the Seventh to the Ninth Level of Heaven in the Cave Deity realm, through the Yin-Yang Immortal Body, I have the hope of cultivating an additional divine ability in each major realm.

But after reaching the Immortal Realm, which is the Cave Profound realm, the Immortal Body's foundation focuses more on daily cultivation itself and can no longer support an additional immortal secret.

If I can achieve the Taiji Dao Body, I might have the hope of cultivating an additional immortal secret in each major realm during the Cave Profound period."

Tang Xiaotang asked, "I heard that Gaotian Sui is a Taisu Dao Body?"

Lei Jun confirmed, "Yes, that's right. Apart from that High Sky Lord, Tang Huang should be the most outstanding Confucian root and talent in the Wenqu Star Illumination, but it's unclear if this was the case during the time of Tianrui Jushi He Ying."

Tang Xiaotang patted Chu Kun's shoulder, "If Gaotian Sui passes away, your Heavenly River Immortal Body might have a chance to take over."

Chu Kun smiled bitterly, "It's not even a shadow yet. It's not like someone can automatically fill the vacancy after Gaotian Sui's death!

I'm already very happy to have achieved the Heavenly River Immortal Body. I'll just quietly cultivate and gradually improve."

Lei Jun nodded, "Yes, going with the flow is good."

Chu Kun curiously asked, "Senior Brother, what is the Cave Profound realm like?"

Lei Jun explained, "It's a stage in our cultivation path, just like the Cave Deity realm.

If the Cave Deity realm is the path to heaven, the beginning of transforming into the universe, then the Cave Profound realm is the continuation of that transformation, becoming even more vast and detailed, until we truly become a universe of chaos.

Therefore, the Dao Body has the Profound Wall, and the three levels of the Cave Profound realm are also called the Three Profound Walls."

The first realm is the Tian Shi Yuan, where Zhou Tian Dao Ren and Yu Shuo once resided, and where Quan Yuan Qi and I are currently located."

The second realm above is Tai Wei Yuan.

And the third realm is Zi Wei Yuan.

Since ancient times, very few have been able to attain such realms.

The last two to achieve the Three Heavens' Profound Realm were Gao Tian Sui and Zhuang Zheng.

"The three realms of the Dongxuan, compared to the previous Dongshen's Eightfold Heaven and Ninth Heaven, have less obvious internal sub-divisions."

Lei Jun spoke, "It's more like the Sixth Heaven of Dongshen's Dao Yin and the Seventh Heaven of Tongtian, where each is a single, vast realm.

Rather than being specific stages or platforms, they are more like paths we silently tread upon until we finally reach a new heavenly chasm and calamity.

Of course, there are still differences in the cultivation and abilities of those who have just embarked on the path and those who are about to reach its end, but it's not as distinct as the layers in the Eighth and Ninth Heavens of Dongshen.

From the outside, or in terms of practical combat methods, the main difference is that our divine abilities and techniques will undergo more changes."

Chu Kun listened with a serene mind.

Then, he suddenly snapped out of his reverie and glanced back and forth between Lei Jun and Tang Xiaotang, "Is it like your Yin-Yang Shenxiao Aurora, Nine Heavens Yingyuan Five Thunder True Method, or even the Thunder Emperor's True Form, and Little Senior Sister's Pure Yang Vessel and the Combined Attack of the Dragon and Tiger?"

Lei Jun replied, "Not entirely, but that's a good way to understand it."

Indeed, few could achieve this, requiring an extremely profound foundation and innate talent... Chu Kun thought to himself.

As he pondered his third life-bound divine ability, he wondered if it would reveal a glimpse of its potential.

Tang Xiaotang, on the other hand, was contemplating something else, "Luosigao, Ban Shuang, Chi Yin, and Wu Hong, they're all gone, right? Oh, and now we should add Yu Shuo, and Chen Da Dao barely counts as half."

Lei Jun nodded, "According to the current situation, that's correct."

Emperor Zhang Wantong of the Tang Dynasty had provided Lei Jun and the others with eleven names—the once-sealed Celestial Palace experts in the Pure Sky, all renowned and recorded in history as great immortals.

But after thousands of years, even with Gao Tian Sui and Ran Qiao maintaining the balance, only seven remained.

Yu Shuo had just emerged from seclusion when Lei Jun struck him down in Penglai.

Chen Da Dao, on the other hand, was exiled by Wang Guiyuan using the Wujian technique.

"We still can't be careless. The remaining five are not to be underestimated."

Lei Jun shook his head, "Although Wang Dian Chen and Quan Yuan Qi are both at the first level of the Immortal Realm, it's best to consider Wang Dian Chen as a second-level Immortal Realm Shaman King.

As for Quan Yuan Qi, like Yu Shuo and Zhou Tian Dao Ren, he is a convert to our Taoist Talismanic tradition, but his background is different. He was originally a high-level expert from the pre-divided Shushan Sect.

After converting from Taoist alchemy to our Taoist Talismanic tradition, he still retains many Taoist alchemy techniques. We can't confirm if he has a Mixed Yuan Immortal Body, but at the very least, he has a dual-attribute sacred body and an extremely high level of insight."

Tang Xiaotang clicked his tongue, "White Truth is truly not good at managing his own sect!"

Lei Jun said, "Compared to the previous Li Shushan Ji Yao, Quan Yuan Qi now clearly dislikes Zhou Tian Dao Ren and Ran Qiao even more."

The latter two's dislike stems more from personal grudges.

"Forget it, I'll go to the Song Realm first." Tang Xiaotang stood up and left.

Chu Kun also bid farewell to Lei Jun.

The two of them left Penglai, passed through the Earth Sea, and headed towards the Song Realm.

Meanwhile, in the Ming Realm...

Meng Shaoji held a letter as he came to see Xiao Chunhui.

Xiao Chunhui took the letter and quietly read it.

Meng Shaoji stood by his side, quietly observing his expression.

Some time ago, Mr. Xiao had received a letter, and after reading it, his expression... How should one describe it? It was complex and subtle.

Meng Shaoji had rarely seen such an expression in his life, and he never expected to see such complexity on Mr. Xiao's usually calm face.

His concern was evident.

Xiao Chunhui naturally noticed and smiled slightly at Meng Shaoji, indicating that everything was fine. Meng Shaoji quickly averted his gaze.

"My cultivation of Qi is still not enough..." Xiao Chunhui sighed to himself.

When he received the letter from his sister, Xiao Xueling, he rarely showed any signs of distraction.

Meng Shaoji, who was watching him, was concerned, but Xiao Chunhui didn't want to say too much.

He couldn't very well tell Meng Shaoji that, after more than seventy years, his father, who had abandoned his children and faked his death to enter seclusion, had now sent a letter.

If Mr. Xiao was truly cold-hearted, Xiao Chunhui wouldn't have minded.

But the grudges between their parents were indeed an old account that was difficult to settle.

Xiao Yumen did indeed dislike the other members of the Xiao clan.

But he had no intention of purging his own family.

To say that his second wife was the sole reason for the near-extinction of the Xiao clan was an exaggeration, but she was indeed one of the participants.

That was why Xiao Yumen left without saying goodbye, and Xiao Chunhui held no grudges.

If he had to say something, Xiao Erlang and Xiao Sanniang were more concerned about their older brother, Xiao Hang's, feelings at this moment.

By now, Xiao Chunhui's thoughts had returned to calmness.

He was carefully considering the contents of the letter he had just received.

"Send it back to the Tang Dynasty as soon as possible." Xiao Chunhui put away the letter and handed it to Meng Shaoji, "The Ming Dynasty court shows signs of playing with fire."

Meng Shaoji spoke softly, "They're eager for someone to ascend to immortality, but they might just end up burning themselves."

Xiao Chunhui silently nodded.

Meng Shaoji bowed to him and immediately left to deliver the letter.

On the other side, someone quietly returned to the Ming Realm from the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms.

Luohai walked through the wilderness, carefully observing his surroundings before stopping to rest.

"Senior, we're back in the Ming Realm," Luohai said quietly.

The voice of the Pixiu Demon Saint echoed, "Head north, but don't approach Kong Sang too closely. Find a place in the north to settle down and wait for the right opportunity."

This time, when he went to the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms, he didn't make any big moves; he only instructed Luohai to wander around.

Following a special rhythm, even though the human realm's early integration was interrupted, he had already gained some benefits in the process.

Utilizing the innate talents of the Pixiu, he had gained precious insights.

Although his harvest was not abundant, it was already invaluable.

At this moment, with the ever-changing situation, he also needed to make corresponding arrangements.

Luohai had spent most of his time in the north when he was in the army, and after faking his death to escape, returning to the north now was indeed risky.

But after these years of dedicated cultivation and tempering, his willpower was also far beyond that of ordinary people.

Hearing the words of the Pixiu Demon Saint, Luohai nodded firmly and rested for a moment before setting off again.

Meanwhile, Deng Lai, the leader of the Pure Yang Palace in the Han Dynasty, had selected suitable high-level elders and favored disciples to accompany him on his return to the Song Realm.

Similar matters, whether concerning Lei Jun or Deng Lai, were not deliberately hidden.

When the current Han Emperor Xiang Sheng received the news, he made no other comments, only wished Deng Lai, Chen Lingfeng, and others success, and expressed his hope to invite Kunwu Sect’s Zhang Sect Leader to Chang’an as a guest in the future.

Fang Junmei, Wang Buchang, Li Feiyang, Li Tingyu, and others fell silent upon hearing the news.

Without considering the Immortal Immortal Zhao Chanyang, the gathering of experts from various Daoist sects of the Han Dynasty did not yet exert significant pressure on the other regions of the Han Daoist community.

Although the Eastern Yang Mountain's King Xu was nowhere to be found, Wang Buchang had already begun to advance towards the Ninth Level of Heaven realm, and Li Feiyang had long become a Great Scholar of the Han Empire.

The current Han Emperor Xiang Sheng, after combining the Son of Heaven's Imperial Art, successfully overcame the heavenly tribulation from the Eighth to the Ninth Level of Heaven a few years ago.

Currently, the Han Daoist community only had two Great True Transcendents of the Ninth Level of Heaven: Zhang Haipeng and Chen Lingfeng.

However, if experts from other human realms were to gather, that would be a different matter.

Even excluding the Celestial Master's Mansion of Longhu Mountain, it would still be a formidable force.

"The Daoist community is now quite united, at least for the moment," Fang Junmei said slowly. "They have a transcendent leader who is far ahead of others, cares for each sect, and has few personal desires, thus enabling coordination among all parties."

"Even so, it's not easy," Li Feiyang, the highest-cultivated among them, said. "Kong Sang once had a Shaman King presiding over it, divided into the Heavenly Capital and Earthly Capital lineages. There was a human realm called the Song Realm, where the Golden Khan Ang Qin Fu achieved the rank of Martial Immortal, but he could only command the so-called Golden Khanate, without other tribes like the Gray Wolves and White Deer submitting to him.

"Earlier, the Western Buddhist Sect of Sumi, now Kong Sang, had the Five Realms of the Vajra World in its prime, with a multitude of experts. However, they were all part of the hand seal lineage, their thoughts and studies entirely derived from the Venerable Wisdom's lineage, all being his disciples and granddisciples, unlike the current Daoist community's three lineages and various sects, which are so united."

Li Tingyu, who had already led another branch of the Li family to establish a separate lineage, said softly, "Not to mention the Sichuan Sect’s Chen Sect Leader, even Pure Yang Palace’s Deng Sect Leader, who has not yet reached the Ninth Level of Heaven, remains the pillar of his sect. Now, he is traveling far beyond the Han Empire for the sake of another sect’s affairs."

She glanced at Li Feiyang beside her.

Even with the Li family lineage already beginning to diverge, the importance of Li Feiyang, a Ninth Level of Heaven Great Scholar, was undeniable.

If he were to fall, especially outside the Han Empire, it would have a significant impact on the various branches of the Li family, at least for now. For the branch he belonged to, it would be a seismic event.

Wang Buchang said calmly, "That's why it's necessary to work together, for safety. As for the dangers of war and potential casualties, it's something that Deng Sect Leader and others might have anticipated. They still insist on this, likely because the current leader of the Daoist community is the Celestial Master of Longhu Mountain."

Fang Junmei, Li Feiyang, and Li Tingyu all nodded slightly.

After a moment, Li Feiyang said, "The leaders of the Daoist community are no different. The earliest few Celestial Masters were like this. However, with the reopening of Pure Sky, the return of the Remnant Celestial Palace, the presence of High Sky Lord and True Lord Ge, and the brilliant talent of Kunwu Sect’s True Lord Zhao, everyone is hesitant to openly voice their thoughts."

"Perhaps... it's coming soon," Fang Junmei said, looking in the direction where the portals of the Tang and Han human realms connected.

...

While Fang Junmei, Wang Buchang, and others discussed the matter, the Daoist community's experts began to gather in the former Song human realm.

Elder Zheng, the Grand Elder of Pure Yang Palace, finally emerged from seclusion.

He joined Zhu Junjie, heading to welcome Mu Chunyang and others.

When everyone had gathered, Zhu Junjie felt a sudden urge to cry.

Chen Xi, the Ninth Level of Heaven, Fifth Layer, Five Qi Ascended Immortal, the leader of the Sichuan Sect in Nan Jin.

Mu Chunyang, the Ninth Level of Heaven, Fifth Layer, Five Qi Reaching Origin, the leader of True Martial Temple.

Zhang Haipeng, the Ninth Level of Heaven, Fourth Layer, the leader of Kunwu Sect.

Chen Lingfeng, the Ninth Level of Heaven, Second Layer, the leader of the Han Sichuan Sect.

Chu Kun, the Ninth Level of Heaven, First Layer, an elder of the Longhu Mountain Celestial Master's Mansion.

Zhang Taigang, the Ninth Level of Heaven, First Layer, the leader of the Tang Sichuan Sect.

Yue Xiling, the Ninth Level of Heaven, First Layer, an elder of the Tang Pure Yang Palace.

Adding Zheng Chen and Zhu Junjie himself, when had the remnants of the Song Dynasty ever fought such a well-equipped battle?

To be fair, compared to when the barbarian tribes first entered the human realm and when the Vajra World's Five Realms were at their peak, the current convergence of the Daoist community still falls short.

However, on one hand, the other side has accumulated strength over many years, and on the other, the top experts of the Longhu Mountain Celestial Master's Mansion, besides Chu Kun, have not arrived.

On the opposite side, the Golden Khanate, the Gray Wolf Khanate, and even the Lotus Realm of the Vajra World, are no longer as powerful as they once were.

This shift in balance truly made Zhu Junjie feel as if a new era had begun.

"I have just come out of seclusion and have limited knowledge of the current situation. What is the specific situation now?" Zheng Chen asked, particularly about the Gray Wolf Khanate.

Zhu Junjie composed himself and said solemnly, "It is rumored that the leader of the Gray Wolves, Zhuoligetu, once visited Kong Sang to meet the Venerable Wisdom. After returning, his whereabouts became unknown, but his forces have finally taken over the former capital of the Golden Barbarians."

Zheng Chen understood: "Like Ang Qin Fu, he is trying to push open the Immortal Gate to achieve the rank of Martial Immortal."

Zhu Junjie continued, "Initially, when Ang Qin Fu ascended, did the Venerable Wisdom assist him?" Chu Kun asked, "Can he create multiple Martial Immortals?"

Mu Chunyang replied, "It seems there are indeed mysterious means, but it's not easy. Otherwise, there would have been actions after Ang Qin Fu's death."

"Zhuoligetu is also wary of being disturbed during his seclusion, like Ang Qin Fu was," Zhu Junjie explained. "Therefore, he has set up multiple ruses in various places. We cannot yet confirm if he is in the capital."

Zheng Chen said, "No matter. We will find him."

Chen Xi added, "Although time is a concern, we arrived early. We must continue to work together, not divide our forces, and methodically search each known location."

"Feigning weakness to hide strength, and vice versa," Chu Kun pondered. "We should not overlook the Golden Khanate or even the desolate wastelands of the Great Wasteland. Since the Venerable Wisdom and Kong Sang's Buddhist community are mediating, Zhuoligetu might choose these places for seclusion."

Zhu Junjie's spirits lifted, "Please follow me, everyone!"

That day, in the important city of Luoyang, Mo Rigen, the Ninth Level of Heaven Martial Sage and a general of the Gray Wolf Khanate, stood with a face as black as iron, his gaze sweeping over the many Great True Transcendents of the Ninth Level of Heaven surrounding him in multiple layers.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end