Seeking Fortune and Avoiding Misfortune: Starting from the Celestial Master’s Mansion
Chapter 370: Fighting into the underworld

Ji Yao departed with the Ten-Thousand Souls Banner.

Li Linxue, meanwhile, turned to look at the other cultivators from Inner Shushan by her side. Her gaze landed on a middle-aged Daoist:

“Changpeng, the Sect Master is temporarily handing the Whitebone Divine Vessel over to you. From here on, you’ll act on your own—hunt down or capture powerful great demons and collect their souls and flesh.”

The middle-aged Daoist, named Lu Changpeng, responded promptly, “Yes, Martial Aunt.”

He looked scholarly and refined, his features sharp and clear. Though dressed in the same plain robes and straw sandals as the rest of the Inner Shushan cultivators, he resembled a Confucian scholar more than a high-ranking Daoist.

Still, in the current Yellow Springs, ever since Ding Chuan’s fall, he was ranked fourth among the Inner Shushan powerhouses—just beneath Ji Yao, Li Linxue, and Tian Lingfeng—with a cultivation level of Eighth Heaven, complete stage of Immortal Wandering.

Over the last one or two centuries, thanks to many gains from the Song Mortal Realm, the Inner Shushan line in the Yellow Springs had entered a period of growth.

Aside from the Whitebone Divine Vessel and the Heavenly Bird and Earth Beast Mirror—two powerful treasures that had been successfully refined—both Daoist Kang An and Tian Lingfeng had advanced to the Ninth Heaven Great Ascension Realm.

In fact, one Inner Shushan elder at the peak of the Eighth Heaven had perished attempting the tribulation crossing into the Ninth.

Even so, both Ding Chuan and Lu Changpeng had been storing up their strength, preparing for the final Heavenly Chasm Tribulation.

Unfortunately, during their last expedition to the Tang Mortal Realm, both suffered heavy setbacks.

Inner Shushan lost numerous high-ranking elders and Middle Three Heavens cultivators.

Worse yet, they lost Daoist Kang An—who had already reached the Ninth Heaven—and Ding Chuan, who was at the peak of the Eighth.

Though they later replenished some strength from the Song Realm, recovering a bit of spiritual energy and repairing damaged treasures, not even ten years had passed. The newer generation of cultivators hadn’t grown strong enough to fill the gaps, leaving the current Inner Shushan forces notably thinner.

Lu Changpeng had remained behind in the Yellow Springs last time. This time, he came with Ji Yao and Li Linxue to the Tang Mortal Realm.

“Stay alert,” Li Linxue reminded. “The disturbance in the Yellow Springs earlier—its cause still remains unclear.”

Lu Changpeng bowed slightly. “Understood, Martial Aunt.”

With him at the helm, the enormous Whitebone Divine Vessel seemed to vanish into nothingness as it quietly separated from the Inner Shushan group and moved independently.

Li Linxue led the others forward at a steady pace, inching closer to Tang territory, nearing densely populated areas.

Though she held the Yellow Springs Sword, she made no direct move toward the Shushan Sect’s mountaintop headquarters at Xiaoding.

As the Supreme Elder of Inner Shushan, she quietly took the central position, anchoring the rest.

The others fanned out, each searching for mortals to seize.

Li Linxue’s presence seemed like a deliberate display—meant to draw the attention of Tang cultivators.

She was clearly covering for Ji Yao and Lu Changpeng.

Lu Changpeng, meanwhile, steered the Whitebone Divine Vessel away from Tang territory, aiming for powerful demon clans in the mortal regions of Tang.

Though the Heavenly Bird and Earth Beast Mirror had already been initially refined, enhancing its power would require stockpiling more resources.

Just like the Ten-Thousand Souls Banner needed wicked human souls, the mirror required powerful beasts or spirit beasts.

Right now, outside Tang’s borders, Inner Shushan had better chances.

Within Tang territory, the real draw was the so-called "Ghost King" Zong Han’s mention of newly built ranches and forests in the northern frontiers—where exotic techniques were used to raise many beasts.

But getting there would mean crossing nearly the entire Tang realm.

Even though Lu Changpeng could keep the vessel relatively hidden, the trip would still be risky—not aligned with Inner Shushan’s current plans.

So instead, he stayed near the snowy plateaus or Southern Wasteland, hunting powerful demons.

Ironically, this lightened the pressure on Tang’s borders—at least temporarily.

But for Inner Shushan in the Yellow Springs, the top priority was still building up their own power.

If the Heavenly Bird and Earth Beast Mirror could fully unleash its potential, Inner Shushan would gain far greater room to maneuver.

Though Ninth Heaven powerhouse Li Linxue had not marched on Xiaoding with a large force, their strategy was precise and methodical—slowly encroaching on the surrounding population.

Naturally, the Tang Imperial Court responded.

In the capital of Luoyang, the Crown Prince, acting as regent, issued orders to major nearby cities.

Fang Jingsheng, the head of the Fang Clan in Jingxiang, personally took action, leading many clan elites southwest.

As Inner Shushan hadn’t assaulted Shushan directly, the sect took the initiative instead.

Elder Xu Duan, now advanced in years, remained behind at Xiaoding, while Sect Master Zhang Taigang led the mission himself. The new dual swordmasters of the Purple-Green Twin Swords, Ji Chuan and Xie Yiying, accompanied him.

In the eastern region of Xiaoxiang, Prince Xiang Zhang Luo led his forces westward.

To ensure nothing went wrong, the Xiao Clan of Longxi sent Clan Head Xiao Hang—wielding the mighty Righteous Sword—to reinforce both the Fang Clan and Shushan Sect.

His absence left the snowfields and western regions vulnerable, prompting the Tang Court to dispatch others to hold the line.

After the grueling battles with the Lone Eagle Khanate and the Vajra Division of Mount Sumeru, the Tang Dynasty badly needed to recover its strength.

As a result, every side was stretched thin.

The capital quickly sent word to Daoist Tang, the Imperial Protector, who was deep in the Eastern Sea, asking her to return after defeating the Sea King Ju.

Though only Li Linxue had appeared, the world now knew Yellow Springs Inner Shushan had more than one Daoist Ninth Heaven powerhouse—and Sect Master Ji Yao was even stronger than her. The Tang court couldn’t afford to be careless.

They also sent envoys to Mount Longhu to check on Tianshi Lei Jun’s condition.

Still recovering with the aid of the Heavenly Book’s dark side, Lei Jun maintained a weak, depleted appearance while receiving the court emissaries.

Meanwhile, in Qianzhou of southern Shu, Tang cultivators once again clashed with Inner Shushan’s forces.

Though Shushan and Inner Shushan were old enemies—and this time, Sect Master Zhang Taigang led the troops—the battlefield’s true lead belonged to the Jingxiang Fang Clan patriarch, Ninth Heaven Confucian scholar Fang Jingsheng.

He’d often voiced concern about Yellow Springs activity. Now that it had reappeared, the Fang Clan didn’t hesitate.

At the Tang court’s order, the Fang Clan mobilized swiftly.

Aside from Patriarch Fang Jingsheng, many clan experts joined the battle—showing their full strength as a great family.

Though Elder Fang Huansheng remained to guard the ancestral estate, and the eldest son Fang Zhu stayed in the capital, the Fang Clan was still formidable.

Among them were Elder Fang Shihan, an elder from the same generation as Fang Hezhou;

Fang Shantong, the clan’s Third Gentleman;

Lady Ye Yue, wife of Fang Shantong and from the Ye Clan of Qingzhou;

Fang Fei, the Fifth Lady and one of the most outstanding female scholars of her generation;

And the Sixth Gentleman Fang Du.

They led other elders and disciples of all ages to face the Inner Shushan heretics head-on.

But once battle began, the first thing that caught their attention wasn’t the Inner Shushan cultivators.

It was the disciples of the Tang Shushan Sect.

A faint golden light flickered before them, radiating pure Yang energy that immediately suppressed the usual Yellow Springs deathly aura.

“That is...” Fang Shantong exchanged a glance with his wife Ye Yue.

From a distance, Fang Du’s voice reached their ears: “It should be the rumored Pure Yang artifact created with help from the Tianshi Mansion and the Pure Yang Palace—specifically to counter the Yellow Springs heretics.”

Inner Shushan cultivators were equally shocked.

Among them was Yuhui, a standout sword cultivator and personal disciple of the late Elder Ding Chuan.

His life-bound artifact, the Flying Soul Sword, was sharp and deadly, having reaped countless souls.

Years ago, he had come to the Tang Realm with Ding Chuan, but left early—missing the devastating battle in Nanzhao.

That clash deeply concerned Inner Shushan for multiple reasons: the Tang Court’s rapid response, the strength of the Vajra Division monks—even though they suffered losses—and the terrifying might of Daoist Tang Xiaotang, who wounded Ji Yao and damaged the Divine Vessel.

But the Shushan branch of Tang? Inner Shushan didn’t think highly of them.

Sure, they had the powerful Purple-Green Twin Swords, but during the early war, Yuhui had clashed with their disciples and found their techniques impressive yet vulnerable to his death aura.

He had even wounded one using his Flying Soul Sword while invading their soul with dark energy—only barely stopped by the timely arrival of reinforcements.

But now, facing another Shushan disciple, the artifact they wielded gave off faint golden flames, suppressing his sword’s energy.

This wasn’t just any flame—Yuhui recognized it: Pure Yang True Fire.

This wasn’t something Tang Shushan Sect had ever shown before.

Did the Pure Yang Palace lend their power? What price had Tang Shushan paid to earn it?

Yuhui’s thoughts raced. He tried to merge his soul with his Flying Soul Sword and escape—but the golden flames had already expanded into a net, closing in on the sword from all directions.

“Whoosh...”

Elder Qin Baisheng from Tang Shushan exhaled deeply.

He had only recently broken into the Sixth Heaven.

The artifact—Pure Yang Seven-Treasure Pouch—was his newly refined life-bound artifact.

If not for that, he wouldn’t have had the confidence to trap the fearsome sword before him.

As Pure Yang True Fire spread, the sword’s deadly aura was smothered. Yet, even inside the golden net, it remained razor-sharp—its connection to Yuhui's soul making it struggle fiercely.

Qin Baisheng didn’t relax; instead, he focused even harder.

Unlike Yuhui, he couldn’t fully merge his soul into the artifact. Refining cultivators weren’t like those from the Alchemical Sect—whose Yang Spirits could do so safely.

He had to stay vigilant, fully controlling the pouch to suppress the sword.

The golden net closed tighter. Pure Yang flames burned against the Flying Soul Sword, making it tremble midair, sometimes even pause.

Elsewhere on the battlefield, Pure Yang artifacts crafted by Sixth Heaven cultivators were already making Yellow Springs heretics extremely uncomfortable.

Closer to the center, the situation grew more intense.

A glowing golden orb hovered in midair, its light nearly blinding to most Inner Shushan cultivators.

Under that golden light, even Eighth Heaven elder Daoist Feimo instinctively tried to shield his eyes.

His nine Soul-Entrapping Lotus Beads—usually invisible and able to snatch enemy souls—were now fully exposed and immobilized.

The source of the golden light: a delicate, palm-sized seal, burning with Pure Yang True Fire.

The artifact: Pure Yang Golden Seal—the second life-bound artifact of Sect Master Zhang Taigang, finally completed after years at the Eighth Heaven.

His first artifact, the Emei Golden Seal, hovered nearby—growing massive in an instant and slamming down toward Daoist Feimo like a mountain.

Feimo’s heart sank. He saw golden flames flickering all around.

Still, he didn’t hesitate. He summoned another artifact—his Nine Springs Green Lotus Banner.

Nine illusory green lotuses bloomed midair, each surrounded by winding waters of the Forgotten River.

The banner spread like a cold, haunting painting, shielding him from the descending Emei Golden Seal.

The lotuses, layered with the Soul-Entrapping Beads, turned even deadlier.

But once hit by the Pure Yang light, the black lotus seeds became fully visible—no longer able to hide.

And Feimo’s case wasn’t even the worst.

Because the Purple-Green Twin Swords had been unleashed.

Wielded by Ji Chuan and Xie Yiying—both Seventh Heaven sword cultivators—they were devastating to anyone below the Ninth Heaven, especially those lacking void-traveling abilities.

A female Daoist from Inner Shushan watched the swords streak through the air with wide eyes.

As the first to make contact with the Tang Mortal Realm and the first to engage with the Shushan Sect of the Tang Dynasty, Cao Heng—successor of the Inner Shushan of the Yellow Springs—felt a vague sense that everything had changed.

Her master, An Zhiyu, had gone missing during the decisive battle in Nanzhao. The Inner Shushan branch had all but confirmed her death.

As An Zhiyu’s disciple, Cao Heng had spent the past years cultivating tirelessly day and night. She finally achieved the Upper Three Heavens realm and became one of the High-Ranking Elders of the Inner Shushan.

Yet now, following Ji Yao, Li Linxue, and the others back to the mortal realm—to the Tang Dynasty, and even the Tang’s Shushan Sect—it all felt unfamiliar.

As these thoughts swirled, Cao Heng extended her arms outward, looking almost as if she were surrendering herself to execution.

Clad in the simple robes and straw sandals typical of a Shushan cultivator, she also wore a plain Daoist robe that suddenly began to flicker with a faint, cold light. Then, a colorless mist spread from it—like the waters of the River of Forgetfulness.

The mist quietly unfurled, trying to envelop the Shushan Sect disciples who lacked Pure Yang artifacts for protection.

But then, a sudden clap of thunder split the air.

A bolt of fierce, masculine golden lightning crashed down from the sky, instantly dispersing the mist.

This was the River of Forgetfulness Wide Sleeves, Cao Heng’s newly refined life-bound artifact since ascending to the Seventh Heaven Realm. At this moment, it was fully activated but left her relatively defenseless.

When the masculine thunderbolt struck, it almost tore her plain Daoist robe apart on the spot.

Since her life-bound artifact was intimately connected to her Qi flow, Cao Heng’s body trembled violently, and she nearly plunged from the sky.

As the thunderbolt slowed slightly, Cao Heng caught sight of the source—it was a flying sword.

“Its power is still clearly inferior to the Pure Yang Celestial Thunder used by the Tang State Preceptor, even at the same realm,”

remarked Xie Yiying, a newly promoted Seventh Heaven High-Ranking Elder of the Shushan Sect. Even as she spoke, her own life-bound artifact, the Pure Yang Raging Thunder Sword, continued its pursuit of Cao Heng.

But her real focus was elsewhere.

She was currently wielding the Shushan Sect's treasured sword—the Purple Star Sword.

Standing beside Ji Chuan, the two simultaneously controlled their swords—one blue, one purple—radiant streaks of sword light that assisted their Sect Leader Senior Brother Zhang Taigang in fighting the Eighth Heaven Inner Shushan Elder, Daoist Feimo.

Daoist Feimo cautiously wielded the Nether Spring Green Lotus Banner, avoiding direct clashes with the Tang’s Twin Swords of Purple and Green, instead relying on Yellow Springs water and illusory lotuses to fight evasively, barely managing to stall the dazzling sword light.

Lotus after lotus was cut down. Stream after stream of water was severed.

Daoist Feimo appeared quite battered.

But rather than continue his stalemate with Zhang Taigang, he was actually preparing a more ferocious counterattack.

After all, both Ji Chuan and Xie Yiying were only in the Seventh Heaven Realm, their foundations still relatively shallow, and their swords externally wielded, making them appear somewhat reckless.

Thus, while stalling the Twin Swords with his banner, Daoist Feimo secretly activated the Lotus Heart Soul-Entrapping Pearl, rendering it invisible and moving it stealthily toward Ji Chuan and Xie Yiying.

But before it could get close, a golden light flared.

A flying sword wreathed in golden flames burst forth, circling Ji Chuan and Xie Yiying in a blur, scattering streams of fire into a burning cloud in the air.

Though the Lotus Heart Soul-Entrapping Pearl wasn’t afraid of the fire cloud and continued its advance, it was now visible.

In that instant, the Purple Star Sword turned, its elegant and agile blade swirling like stardust, preventing the pearl from approaching any further.

Meanwhile, the blue sword light, powerful and fierce, continued to slash at Daoist Feimo.

“Good thing we prepared for this,” said Xie Yiying.

Ji Chuan withdrew his Pure Yang Flowing Fire Sword, adding, “Splitting focus makes it harder to control the Azure Abyss Sword.”

Xie Yiying nodded. “Same here.”

These two had recently risen among the Shushan Sect’s ranks. Upon reaching the Seventh Heaven Realm, they began refining their first life-bound artifacts just in time for this clash with Inner Shushan.

They coordinated their refinement: Ji Chuan took the Azure Abyss Sword, powerful and fierce, and forged his artifact to complement it—the balanced Pure Yang Flowing Fire Sword.

Xie Yiying wielded the Purple Star Sword, graceful and nimble, and forged her artifact as its counterpart—the fierce and dominating Pure Yang Raging Thunder Sword.

This allowed them to act both independently and in tandem, enabling seamless variation in combat styles.

With this synergy, they suppressed Daoist Feimo while still having energy to spare for other Inner Shushan cultivators.

Once their fellow disciples took over the battle with Feimo, Zhang Taigang was freed to join Ji Dongquan (Ji Chuan’s father) and other elders. They centered themselves in silence and jointly began to activate numerous Pure Yang-infused artifacts.

“Hm?”

Li Linxue, the Supreme Elder of Inner Shushan, furrowed her brow.

As a Ninth Heaven Third Layer Daoist Alchemy Sect High Immortal, she wielded the Inner Shushan's most fearsome treasure—the Yellow Springs Sword—making her unquestionably the strongest on this battlefield.

Though Fang Jingsheng, the Ninth Heaven Grand Scholar of the Tang, was highly cultivated, he hadn’t brought the Fang Clan’s ancestral treasure, the Spring and Autumn Brush.

Xiao Hang, young lord of the Longxi Xiao Clan, had brought the Righteous Sword, but he was still only at the Eighth Heaven Realm.

So, they were forced to join forces to contend with Li Linxue.

But this cultivator, who had already mastered the Vast Qi, one of the Five Energies Converging to the Origin, could traverse the land as if distance didn’t exist. With the Yellow Springs Sword in hand, her speed and agility were unmatched.

Though outnumbered, she still maintained the upper hand.

Li Linxue hadn’t expected the Tang Shushan disciples to wield so many Pure Yang artifacts, and was even more surprised that the Tianshi Mansion and Pure Yang Palace had taught techniques to Zhang Taigang and Xie Yiying. She began to wonder—how many benefits had the Tang’s Shushan Sect surrendered to the Alchemical and Talismanic Sacred Lands of the mortal realm?

“You disgrace Shushan,” Li Linxue said coldly.

As she spoke, she swept the Yellow Springs Sword forward.

Its killing aura and deathly energy vastly surpassed other tools like the Soul-Severing Sword or River of Forgetfulness Wide Sleeves.

The heavy, oppressive death aura overwhelmed even the Pure Yang firelight flickering in the air.

Pure Yang fire wasn’t as explosive as sunlight or stars, but it was purer and longer-lasting.

Though it looked like dying embers in the wind, it refused to extinguish.

Still, as the deathly aura thickened beyond a certain threshold, even Pure Yang true fire could be drowned.

Zhang Taigang and the others didn’t stop. One by one, they unleashed wave after wave of ordinary Pure Yang-infused artifacts.

These weren’t life-bound artifacts, which evolved alongside a cultivator’s realm, but mass-producible tools that depended only on resources and time.

Though they had incorporated teachings from Tang Xiaotang and Lü Jinduan, their foundation was still shallow.

They couldn’t yet match Tang Xiaotang or the true disciples of Pure Yang Palace.

So they forged a different path—mass production.

The many artifacts formed a massive formation, radiating soft golden light, like a sea of stars.

Within this golden starsea, only Li Linxue could move freely. The other Inner Shushan cultivators struggled like they were mired in mud.

Li Linxue frowned. One swing of her sword tore through the formation—but fresh stars quickly filled the gap.

As she split her attention to aid her allies, Fang Jingsheng’s “Nation and World” technique nearly trapped her.

At the same time, Xiao Hang’s Righteous Sword surrounded her like moving mountain ranges.

Li Linxue’s frown deepened.

The situation was beginning to slip from her control.

The top experts of the Fang Clan of Jingxiang—Fang Shihan, Fang Shantong, and Fang Du—exchanged glances.

They had heard rumors that the Shushan Sect was incorporating Pure Yang variations into their artifact crafting, possibly from the Tianshi Mansion or Pure Yang Palace.

But even knowing that, they hadn’t expected the Shushan Sect’s production scale to be this massive.

Their forging of Pure Yang artifacts was clearly meant for combating Inner Shushan's evil cultivators, so the Fang Clan didn’t see it as a threat.

But now it was evident—the unity among the Three Great Daoist Sacred Lands of the Tang was much deeper than anticipated...

Fang Clan members made mental notes.

Meanwhile, the Inner Shushan cultivators were bogged down in bitter combat.

Li Linxue destroyed numerous Tang Shushan artifacts.

But Zhang Taigang’s formation seemed inexhaustible.

That couldn’t be possible... or could it?

Li Linxue’s sharp senses caught it—a steady stream of artifacts was being transported from Xiaoding, the Shushan Sect's mountaintop, to the southern battlefield.

Clearly, Xiaoding wasn’t just sitting on a stockpile.

Artisans were likely crafting new tools day and night.

To someone of Li Linxue’s level, any single artifact was insignificant.

But in such numbers? In such a short time?

Expressionless, she realized this setup wasn’t meant for Ji Yao. It was meant specifically for her.

They were exploiting her lack of mastery over the Fourth Layer of the Ninth Heaven—Spirit-Mind Qi.

Had she achieved that, she could’ve swept these tools away with a single thought.

Technically, the formation couldn’t truly trap her.

But if she broke out, she’d be abandoning Feimo and Cao Heng to their fate.

Li Linxue was cold-blooded, but it hadn’t come to the point where she’d sacrifice comrades.

So she held her position, maintaining the formation’s doorway, while contacting Inner Shushan Sect Leader Ji Yao and Lu Changpeng, who was currently crossing the snow plains aboard the Whitebone Divine Ark.

Lu Changpeng responded first.

After understanding the situation, he and Li Linxue agreed—not to reinforce the southern battlefield directly, but to strike at Xiaoding, the Shushan Sect’s mountaintop stronghold.

Though they had agreed earlier not to attack the Shushan Sect outright, to avoid becoming a public enemy, this situation was different.

Lu Changpeng chose to cut off the source.

He was nearly certain: the Tang Shushan’s bizarre mass forging was tied to a single treasure—the Southern Bright Fire Cauldron.

At present, the Tang Shushan's Pure Yang artifacts were still in their infancy.

But if things continued, the situation could spiral out of control.

Lu Changpeng immediately steered the Whitebone Divine Ark eastward and arrived at Xiaoding.

At this moment, the skies above Xiaoding were entirely shrouded in the fiery glow of the Southern Bright Fire Cauldron.

Flames surged upward, forming what looked like a massive dome of light.

Beneath this dome, faint golden sparks of Pure Yang True Flame flickered, densely scattered across all directions of Xiaoding.

But now, the colossal Whitebone Divine Ark appeared in the sky above Xiaoding.

Lu Changpeng didn’t bother with pleasantries. He used the Divine Ark to suppress the Southern Bright Fire Cauldron while simultaneously unveiling his life-bound artifact—the Nether Moon Mirror.

A beam of light shot down from the Divine Ark, blasting toward the peak of Shushan.

Elder Xu Duan, who was guarding Xiaoding, took control of the Southern Bright Fire Cauldron to face Lu Changpeng in battle.

Neither of these powerful artifacts were purely made for killing.

But in comparison, the Whitebone Divine Ark excelled more in combat arts.

Lu Changpeng, at the peak of the Eighth Heaven Realm and in the prime of his strength, also held a clear edge over Xu Duan.

Together with the Divine Ark, he quickly gained the upper hand.

Unexpectedly, just then, purple thunder-light erupted from numerous talismans surrounding Xiaoding.

Lu Changpeng stared in near disbelief as a massive Talisman Decree rose into the air above Xiaoding.

Around it, countless talismans responded, forming a graceful talisman array centered on that decree.

The array conjured none other than the Nine Heavens Divine Thunder—a sacred technique belonging exclusively to the Tianshi Mansion of Mount Longhu, the ancestral holy land of the Talismanic Branch of Daoism.

The Divine Thunder blasted skyward, slamming into the Whitebone Divine Ark!

From the Cauldron, the Southern Bright Fire erupted in a burst and merged with the Divine Thunder.

Under the woven assault of thunder and flame, the Whitebone Divine Ark was struck backward in retreat.

“…You're offering a Talisman Decree from the Talismanic Branch?!”

Lu Changpeng, a high-ranking master of Inner Shushan, had sharp eyes. He quickly understood the situation, and that realization almost made him choke with rage.

He calmed his breath, intending to push the Divine Ark further to force a showdown.

Just then, a flying sword message arrived.

After reading it, Lu Changpeng’s expression changed drastically:

...The Yellow Springs... had been attacked?!

---

Atop Mount Longhu, inside the Tianshi Mansion.

After debriefing Yuan Mobai, Wang Guiyuan, and Chu Kun, Lei Jun quietly left the mountain.

He had just received the latest intelligence:

Little Senior Sister Tang Xiaotang had returned from the Eastern Sea.

Her interest in the Shushan evil cultivators hiding in the Yellow Springs surpassed even her obsession with the Sea King Ju.

Once back on land, Tang Xiaotang quickly made progress.

She had a head-on encounter with Ji Yao, the sect master of Inner Shushan.

Present at the scene was also Elder Ye Dongming of the Shushan Sect under the Great Tang.

After a fierce battle, Tang Xiaotang rescued Ye Dongming.

However, the Shushan Sect’s supreme treasure Qingxiao Hall, which had just reappeared from the Earth Vein, ended up in Ji Yao’s hands.

Tang Xiaotang naturally wouldn’t let that go.

She was currently in pursuit of Ji Yao.

Upon learning of the sudden turn of events, Lei Jun pondered briefly before deciding to secretly descend the mountain and meet up with Tang Xiaotang to act together.

He quietly departed.

His Immortal Seed shimmered with purple light, swirling with the Seven-Star Sword.

The figure of Lei Jun, the Tianshi of Mount Longhu, vanished.

In his place stood a Shushan cultivator dressed in plain robes and straw sandals, no Daoist crown, long hair loose and wild.

Disguised as Chen Donglou, Lei Jun headed west.

But what happened next caught him off guard.

The Shushan forces in the Yellow Springs… had voluntarily pulled back.

Ji Yao teamed up with the Whitebone Divine Ark, regrouped with Li Linxue and others, and all retreated back into the Yellow Springs.

They got Qingxiao Hall and decided to quit while they were ahead?

Or was there another reason?

“Chase them!” Tang Xiaotang gritted her teeth. “This time, I’m going down there myself!”

Xiao Xueting and Fang Jingsheng exchanged glances. “Could it be a trap?”

As everyone remained uncertain, a voice echoed in midair:

“Even if it is a trap—we’ll crush it.”

Zhang Taigang and the other Shushan cultivators immediately bowed:

“Uncle Chen!”