Chapter 489: 488. The Heavenly Punishment Takes Shape (Part 1)

Chapter 489: 488. The Heavenly Punishment Takes Shape (Part 1)





Mo Rigen rode on the back of his Azure Dragon Galebeast.

He was a Ride Mastery Martial Saint who specialized in mounted combat, and in terms of speed and agility, he was exceptional among martial cultivators of the same realm.

Especially in long-distance raids or breakthroughs, he could be considered the best among cultivators of the same realm.

Even among the Great Enlightenment Sages of the Taoist Alchemy Sect who had cultivated the Vast Earth Aura and reached the Third Layer of the Ninth Level of Heaven, few dared to claim that they could surpass Mo Rigen in terms of agility and movement.

Among the Taoist experts present, the only one who made Mo Rigen feel apprehensive was Shen Xi, the Southern Jin Mountain Gate Sect Leader, who had reached the Fifth Layer Perfection of the Ninth Level of Heaven, the Five Qi Ascend to Immortality, and achieved Lesser Freedom as a scattered immortal.

Mo Rigen couldn't guarantee that he could surpass Shen Xi in speed without having achieved immortality.

Another Great Enlightenment Sage who would make Mo Rigen more cautious was Chu Kun of the Taoist Talisman Sect, whose Great Enlightenment Realm could capture Mo Rigen's attention.

If he were to be caught by Chu Kun's realm, it would be uncertain if Mo Rigen could escape.

Shen Xi was not one to pick fights, and at this moment, he had no intention of making a move. Chu Kun, who had come along, also didn't plan to compete in everything.

Among the rest, even facing Mu Chunyang, the Zhen Wu Temple Master who had also reached the Fifth Layer Perfection of the Ninth Level of Heaven and the Five Qi Ascend to Origin, Mo Rigen didn't feel completely hopeless.

If he couldn't win, he could still consider fleeing.

But all of this was based on the premise of a one-on-one fight.

Currently, Mu Chunyang, Zhu Junjie, and others had surrounded them in layers, leaving no chance for Mo Rigen to escape.

With so many top experts quietly closing in for the encirclement, and Mo Rigen failing to detect them in time to make a breakthrough, his fate for the day was sealed.

Shen Xi stood guard on the outskirts without moving. Zhang Taogang and Chen Lingfeng, the Great Enlightenment Sages of the Taoist Alchemy Sect, combined their souls with their treasures and fought from the side, while Mu Chunyang personally joined the battle for a swift resolution.

The Eighth and Seventh Level of Heaven cultivators who came with them joined forces with the Song Dynasty remnants and began sweeping through Luoyang, clearing out the Blue Wolf Khanate cultivators under Mo Rigen's command.

On one hand, the Song Dynasty was restoring Luoyang.

On the other hand, they were clearing out the various letters and items of the Blue Wolf Khanate here, sorting through them to further search for clues about Zhuo Lige Tu.

"It's a pity that Zhuo Lige Tu's closed-door cultivation ground is not here," Zhu Junjie said with regret.

By his side was Fei Zhengfu, the Song Dynasty Secretary of Military Affairs, who had just wiped the blood off his sword and sheathed it.

Fei Zhengfu looked at Luoyang with a slightly complex expression.

With Luoyang restored and the grassland tribes suffering heavy losses, the Taoist experts were almost in a position to sweep through them.

The other Song Dynasty remnants had different opinions about this.

Overall, everyone was happy, feeling that the clouds had finally parted and good times were coming after the bad.

But some people still felt uneasy.

If the Taoist experts could truly eliminate the threats of the Golden Khanate and the Blue Wolf Khanate and restore the country, it would be a good thing.

However, the question of whose country it would be afterward would be difficult to answer.

"Grand Tutor Zhu..." Fei Zhengfu looked around and, seeing no Taoist experts nearby, his face turned deep with worry.

Zhu Junjie's expression remained calm. "You and I have known each other for many years, and we have experienced much together as ministers. Feel free to speak your mind."

Fei Zhengfu nodded and said in a low voice, "Inviting the gods is easy, but sending them away is difficult. What can we do?"

Zhu Junjie replied, "The Tang Emperor and the Thunder Master are no ordinary people, and the current situation of the Han and the two Jin Dynasties is proof enough."

"Grand Tutor Zhu speaks the truth."

Fei Zhengfu nodded first but then continued, "However, not all Taoist experts may be the same. If the Taoist community as a whole becomes dominant and their incense offerings flourish, it will undoubtedly influence the court in the future."

His gaze turned to the distance. "I've heard that the Mu Temple Master of Zhen Wu Temple is actively spreading the incense offerings of Zhen Wu Temple in various realms."

Zhu Junjie remained calm. "In this situation, only by strengthening ourselves can we resolve it. Otherwise, with the barbarians rampaging and the country in ruins, what can we do? Now that we have the assistance of the Taoist elders, even if something happens in the future, the reason lies in our previous failure to revive the country."

Upon hearing this, Fei Zhengfu nodded silently.

Although Zhu Junjie had refuted Fei Zhengfu, his gaze into the distance also lacked focus.

His current thoughts were on the impending convergence of the realms.

At that time, what kind of scene would the realms become?

Would the Song Dynasty continue to exist in a corner, or would it be completely wiped out?

Was the current seemingly good fortune just a fleeting glimmer before the end?

If not for the convergence of the realms and the interactions between them, there would be no hope for the Song Dynasty to regain its territory today.

But with the convergence approaching, would this hope disappear in an instant?

Zhu Junjie sighed softly.

Fortunately, even if the Thunder Master ascended to the immortal realm and left the mortal world, he still cared for the common people.

If the people of the Song Dynasty could live in peace, the fate of the Song Dynasty's royal family was not as important...

To be fair, over the years, Zhu Junjie had protected the Song Dynasty's descendants and lived with them for a long time, and they had developed a bond through shared hardships.

But there were often incidents of internal strife and division within the Song Dynasty remnants as soon as they caught a glimpse of hope.

After experiencing these ups and downs several times, Zhu Junjie felt a sense of gloom in his heart.

Now that the convergence of the realms was near, and China could expel the barbarians and restore the country, he felt a slight sense of relief in his heart.

However, Zhu Junjie would not express these feelings in front of the other Song Dynasty remnants.

"Grand Tutor Zhu, Senior Brother Qi and Elder Chu from Longhu Mountain are asking for you," said a Taoist priest wearing a black and white robe as he approached Zhu Junjie and bowed.

Zhu Junjie nodded. "Thank you, Chai Daochang. I'll be right there."

As he spoke, he glanced at the Taoist across from him.

The Taoist was named Chai Bin, a member of the Song Dynasty royal family who had entered the Pure Yang Palace for cultivation.

Currently, Chai Bin was the second-best cultivation talent among the younger generation of the Pure Yang Palace, second only to Qi Yicheng.

His master was the previous generation's elder of the Pure Yang Palace, who was currently competing with Qi Yicheng for the position of the new sect leader of the Pure Yang Palace.

However, everyone knew that the decision largely depended on the meaning of the Supreme Elder, Zheng Chen.

It might even be influenced by the Dragon Tiger Mountain Celestial Master Mansion.

The current Celestial Master had stated that he had no intention of interfering in the internal affairs of the various sects, but if the Pure Yang Palace produced a sect leader candidate who had a grudge with the Dragon Tiger Mountain Celestial Master Mansion, no one in the palace would support that person.

When the Dragon Tiger Mountain Celestial Master Mansion itself had already become a towering presence, connecting the heavens and covering the mortal realm, even if it did nothing, it might still influence every aspect of its surroundings.

According to the information Zhu Junjie received, when the Great Han Dynasty in the mortal realm decided on the new crown prince and the new emperor, Prince Xiang Sheng of Qin managed to surpass Prince Xiang Zhen of Jin, and the reason for this was the outcome of the competition between the Dragon Tiger Mountain Celestial Master Mansion and the Vajra World of the Western Regions' Buddhist sect.

Zhu Junjie took the lead, with Chai Bin following behind him.

Zhu Tai Fu didn't turn back to look at the other person, but a thought flashed through his mind:

The other person was from the Song Dynasty's imperial clan, and what was on his mind at the moment? Chai Bin quietly followed behind Zhu Junjie.

Zhu Tai Fu's thoughts were unclear to him.

He had made up his mind to maintain a good relationship with this Zhu Tai Fu.

The reason was not that Zhu Tai Fu was the most prominent minister of the Song Dynasty at present.

But rather...

It was said that Zhu Junjie had a private relationship with the previous Tang and Lei Celestial Masters of Dragon Tiger Mountain Celestial Master Mansion.

In the mortal realm of the former Song Dynasty, this was almost a unique case.

Although Qi Yicheng represented the Purity Yang Palace of the Song Dynasty to meet with the Celestial Master, it was still more of an official matter.

Chai Bin could see clearly that even when Qi Yicheng contacted the Celestial Master's Mansion before going to the Tang Dynasty, it was done through Zhu Junjie as an intermediary.

As for the influence of the Taoist sect's prosperity on the Song imperial succession, Chai Bin wasn't concerned about it.

He had already made up his mind to cultivate deeply within the Purity Yang Palace of the Song Dynasty and the Taoist sect.

On the one hand, his personal talent was mainly manifested in the Taoist tradition rather than in literary or martial arts.

On the other hand, and more importantly, if the mortal and immortal realms were to merge, he couldn't see any possibility of the Song Dynasty competing with the Tang Dynasty.

If there were any other unexpected events, he would rather not mention it. Even after surrendering, there was no guarantee of becoming a wealthy and noble duke.

But by cultivating deeply within the Taoist sect, he would be closely following the Dragon Tiger Mountain Celestial Master Mansion.

In the future, with the overall prosperity of the Taoist sect, their status in the mortal realm's imperial court would be extremely transcendent.

If Chai Bin had any regrets, it was that he had entered the Purity Yang Palace instead of Dragon Tiger Mountain.

However, now that things had come to this point, he would never try to change his sect. He would only continue to cultivate in the Purity Yang Palace.

But at the same time, he would make more efforts to get closer to Dragon Tiger Mountain.

Although Qi Yicheng was a step ahead, Chai Bin didn't feel discouraged. He quietly accumulated his strength.

With many Taoist experts joining forces, they were like a mighty flood, unstoppable and sweeping away everything in their path.

Following the possible direction of Zhu Lige Tu's seclusion, they took down one stronghold after another.

Soon, even the former capital of the Golden Khanate, was captured by Mu Chunyang and the others.

However, they still hadn't found Zhu Lige Tu's seclusion location.

"The characteristics of the Ride Mastery Martial Arts cultivation dictate that he must choose a suitable location to maximize the gathering of his subordinates' morale. It's impossible for him to quietly practice in some remote wilderness."

Chu Kun analyzed, "Either he went south, to the vicinity of the closed Kongsang Gateway, where the remnants of the Golden Khanate are currently located."

After these years of development, the Ride Mastery Martial Arts cultivation had gradually begun to take root in the mortal realm of the Tang Dynasty, so the Tang cultivators could make a rough guess about Zhu Lige Tu's current situation.

Zhu Junjie and the other Song cultivators had been dealing with them for many years and had some understanding: "Apart from that, there are also possibilities of going north or west."

Going north leads to the far north, where the Great Wilderness Gate is located.

However, when they initially fought for the gate, the Golden Khanate was faster, and currently, the area is occupied by the Golden Khanate.

Going west leads to the main area of activity for the Blue Wolf Khanate, where their former capital is located.

"Let's go south first." Mu Chunyang said, "Although the Kongsang Gateway is over there, it has remained closed since its previous closure. If we go there this time, we can take the opportunity to restore the Jiangnan region of this mortal realm."

As for the risks involved, everyone looked to Chu Kun at this moment.

Chu Kun nodded, "The Sect Master is paying close attention to the movements in Kongsang."

Zhu Junjie and the others heaved a sigh of relief.

The group immediately headed south.

The Kongsang Gateway remained closed.

In the Jiangnan region, although there were many Golden Khanate experts, the top Martial Saint, Harita Na, was not present.

This unusual situation immediately made Zhu Junjie and the others realize something:

The Golden Khanate and the Blue Wolf Khanate had joined forces.

The relationship between the two khanates had not been harmonious, and they often fought.

In the past, when Golden Khan Ang Qin Fu went into seclusion, the Blue Wolf Khanate and the White Deer Khanate had even joined forces to attack the capital of the Golden Khanate.

Now that the Golden Khanate had lost its advantage, it had never bowed down to the Blue Wolf Khanate before.

The sudden emergence of this unusual situation indicated that the Kongsang Buddhist sect had intervened.

Furthermore, it was not just a message conveyed from a distance; it was likely that some influential figures had quietly come to the mortal realm through special channels to personally oversee and mediate the situation.

"The Golden Khanate won't retreat indefinitely. They won't easily give up the Great Wilderness as their last resort. Judging from this, Zhu Lige Tu is most likely in the western grasslands, and the Kongsang Buddhist sect has persuaded Golden Khan Harita Na and others to help him guard the gate." Chu Kun speculated.

Except for Zhu Junjie, the other Song remnants stayed in the Jiangnan region to handle the aftermath and clean up.

The Taoist experts headed northwest.

In the former capital of the Blue Wolf Khanate, on the vast grasslands, Hasen, the head of the Vajra World Lotus Division, remained calm and composed.

They had already received news from the Central Plains.

What was destined to come would eventually arrive.

But even if they had detected it in advance, they couldn't easily act on it at this time.

After the deaths of Golden Khan Ang Qin Fu and his Demon Tiger Arata, the current de facto top expert of the Golden Khanate, Harita Na, also sat there expressionless, her eyes closed as she rested.

Across from her was another female expert of a different ethnicity, the Martial Saint Haorihua of the Blue Wolf Khanate.

In the previous war between the Blue Wolf Khanate, the White Deer Khanate, and the Golden Khanate, both sides had suffered losses.

Although the Blue Wolf Khanate wasn't directly swept away by Ang Qin Fu, who had ascended to the Martial Immortal realm, their losses were still significant.

Now that Mo Rigen had also died, the Blue Wolf Khanate's top experts were also few.

Although Haorihua didn't trust Harita Na, she had no other choice at the moment but to believe in the arrangements made by the Kongsang Buddhist sect.

In the distant sky, a reddish-gold light suddenly appeared.

Then, like a golden sun, it quickly crossed the sky and arrived above this grassland.

In the bright and radiant sunlight, a middle-aged Taoist, dressed in a simple white robe, stood out.

When Harita Na, Haorihua, and Hasen saw him, they all felt a sense of unfamiliarity.

But with the recent news, they quickly associated it with one person.

Rarely seen in the mortal world, the rumored master of Kunwu Sect, located on one of the Nine Heavens, Kunlun Mountain, Zhang Haipeng, who had already reached the Fourth Layer Realm of the Ninth Level of Heaven and was on the verge of Five Qi Ascend to Origin.

Arriving together with Zhang Haipeng, there were also several other high-level Taoists occupying different directions.

The group looked down.

Below them was an endless, vast grassland dotted with numerous tents, all appearing rather ordinary.

However, this particular tent was where numerous top experts had gathered, including Harita Na, Hasen, the Dantang Ascetic, and Haorihua.

Inside and outside the tent, there was no news of the whereabouts of Zhuo Lige Tu of the Blue Wolf Khanate, nor was his famous mount, the Demon Wolf Borite Chena, whose strength was equivalent to a Ninth Level of Heaven cultivator of the human race.

Suddenly, a voice sounded, "Underground."

Haorihua's eyes flashed.

She looked up, but no one was speaking nearby, yet in the sky, a transparent figure seemed to appear and disappear.

Beside this figure stood the Southern Jin Shushan Sect Leader, Shen Xi, nodding slightly, "Not bad, we've found the right place, but it's quite deep."

The figure beside her gradually solidified, revealing the form of the True Martial Monarch, Mu Chunyang.

But it wasn't Mu Chunyang himself; it was his Nascent Soul, which had left his body.

"Thanks for your hard work, Fellow Daoist Shen." Mu Chunyang nodded to Shen Xi, then his Nascent Soul flew back into his physical body. He then clapped his hands towards the grassland.

Instantly, an immense and heavy True Martial Heavy Water appeared, continuously flooding this area of the grassland.

The seemingly ordinary grassland suddenly became turbulent, and golden Buddhist lights lit up in all directions, forming a Dharma seal barrier.

Mu Chunyang's expression remained unchanged as the True Martial Heavy Water continued to freeze and saturate the Buddhist lights.

The other Taoist cultivators around also began to take action.

Harita Na, Haorihua, and the Vajra World Lotus Division Master, Hasen, hurriedly stepped forward to stop them.

Golden light flashed, and Zhang Haipeng descended from the sky like a great sun, covering Harita Na with a palm strike.

Harita Na dodged with incredible speed.

Zhang Haipeng didn't pursue her, and the fierce golden flames burning on his body began to attack the Buddhist light barrier.

Harita Na's figure flashed and disappeared, reappearing behind Zhang Haipeng.

Zhang Haipeng stood firmly, his body unmoving, and the Taoist martial arts and golden flames surrounded him, blocking attacks from all directions while continuing to burn the Buddhist light barrier.

The founding ancestor of the Kunwu Sect had never formally entered the Purity Yang Palace, but he had listened to the teachings of the high-level cultivators there.

Since then, relying on the teachings of the sect's ancestors, they had constantly refined and innovated, gradually developing the current Kunwu Sect's style. After further refinement by Zhao Chanyang, it became a sacred land.

Therefore, while their internal cultivation path was that of the authentic Taoist Alchemy Sect, their external combat techniques and abilities were quite different from the Purity Yang Palace's traditions.

They didn't possess the cultivation method of the Pure Yang True Flame.

However, through continuous cultivation in Kunlun Mountain, they had gradually explored another type of fire technique.

The Solar True Flame.

The mysteries within it had similarities to Lei Jun's Heavenly Star True Flame and the innate divine ability of the Golden Crow Clan in Canghuan.

Apart from that, when Zhang Haipeng made his move, his strength was not as profound as the Pure Yang Palace's direct transmission, and his changes were not as agile as the Pure Yang Palace's direct transmission.

His advantage lay in his entire body, which seemed to emanate a faint metallic glow.

Every movement he made exuded a sharp and cutting edge.

The Great Enlightenment Elixir he cultivated seemed not to be a harmonious blend of the five elements but rather had distinct edges and corners.

It was filled with aggressiveness and destructiveness.

Among the five elements of creation, the power of metal and fire was extremely abundant in Zhang Haipeng and the other Kunwu Sect disciples.

If the Pure Yang Palace's orthodox Dan Ding lineage, including the True Martial Monastery and the Three Springs Palace, were like a furnace, then Zhang Haipeng and the other Kunwu Sect disciples were more like divine weapons forged from their own bodies.

Harita Na of the Golden Khanate had also frequently clashed with the Taoist Alchemy Sect's experts in the past. She had even directly fought with the former Palace Master of the Great Song's Pure Yang Palace, Li Hang, and had extensive combat experience. However, she was surprised by the sharpness of Zhang Haipeng's counterattack.

Aside from her obvious speed advantage and her ability to advance and retreat freely, Harita Na felt that Zhang Haipeng's endurance was undoubtedly stronger if they continued to fight.

In other situations, she wouldn't need to engage in a prolonged battle with him; she could easily employ guerrilla tactics.

But at this moment, Zhang Haipeng's Solar True Flame was continuously burning the Buddhist light barrier.

Harita Na of the Golden Khanate had no intention of fighting for the Blue Wolf Khanate's Zhuo Lige Tu, but the current situation had already turned dire.

She looked around and saw that Haorihua, Hasen, and the others were also in a difficult situation.

The Taoist cultivators had not divided their forces, and the concentration of top experts was overwhelming.

Just then, the ground beneath the grassland suddenly split open, and a large amount of invisible Wrathful Fire appeared, burning fiercely and spreading in all directions, even surging towards the sky.

Wherever the Wrathful Fire of the Great King reached, it first enveloped the Great Han Shushan Sect Leader, Chen Lingfeng.

Chen Lingfeng, who was originally riding the Nine Heavens Yuan Yang Ruler, was now surrounded by the Wrathful Fire, and before he could dodge, the fire had sealed off the four directions of space.

So, he quickly summoned a defensive treasure he had refined in the Upper Three Heavens, the Brilliant Sun Dharma Robe.

The Brilliant Sun Dharma Robe, primarily used for defense, now shone brightly, blocking the dangers from all directions and protecting Chen Lingfeng at its center.

However, the Wrathful Fire was invisible and colorless, yet it was fierce and violent, silently burning away even the sunlight and continuing to approach Chen Lingfeng.

At this moment, a point appeared in the void.

The blue crystal ice gathered and concentrated at this point, piercing through the sealed void from the outside.

The Great Tang Shushan Sect Leader, Zhang Taogang, arrived with the Northern Abyss Spear.

Although the blue ice crystal was also burned by the Wrathful Fire, it managed to hold on for a while due to its concentration at a single point.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end