Chapter 668: Sacrifice for the Way

Chapter 668: Sacrificing Oneself for the Dao

A Honghu had sneaked into his own sanctuary, bewitching believers and spreading rumors?!

Having fully heard Tang Daocheng's words, Dong Qiaozi's lips, which had been constantly opening and closing, froze instantly, his face turning deathly pale.

Involving the venerable name of Zhang Tianshi, this matter could be great or small; once Tang Daocheng solidifies this charge, the fate awaiting him would be worse than death.

The cruelty of the methods used by these Dao enforcers rivals, if not surpasses, that of the Jinyiwei of old.

“Master Tang, I… I know nothing of what you say; I am being wronged!”

Dong Qiaozi strained against the hand gripping his throat, finally managing to pry open a sliver, and with all his strength managed to utter a complete sentence.

“Whether you are framed or not, an interrogating Dao enforcer will come to ask you in due time. If you wish to lessen your guilt, lead this poor Daoist to the secret chamber you use to connect with those forbidden caverns.”

“No problem, disciple will certainly…”

Dong Qiaozi stammered, his words unfinished, when a tremendous explosion suddenly rang out from the second floor of the sanctuary.

Boom!

The entire sanctuary trembled as if mountains were shaking; countless believers immersed in reincarnation were instantly severed from their link to the caverns.

The violent backlash of forced awakening felt like blades and axes striking the body; believers collapsed onto their mats, twitching incessantly, emitting heart‑rending wails.

A scalding sea of fire surged down the stairs; Dong Qiaozi, whose throat was gripped by Tang Daocheng, struggled desperately but could not escape his control, becoming a living shield planted straight before him.

“Ah!!”

Tang Daocheng flung aside the burning torch that was Dong Qiaozi, turned to his underlings and bellowed, “Seize them!”

Outside the sanctuary’s gate lay a scene of utter chaos.

Tang Daocheng, bursting out in a frantic sprint, caught only a fleeting, indistinct silhouette before it vanished into the labyrinthine alleys north of Fuliang.

“Pursue!”

Tang Daocheng without hesitation unleashed a wind talisman, winds swirling around him as he shot forward.

The Heavenly Master’s Bureau’s wanted notice clearly stated that a registered member of the Honghu could be exchanged for a lifetime of reincarnation in the highest Longhu Cavern; such value made it impossible for Tang Daocheng to let go.

Tang Daocheng darted through the maze‑like lanes at breakneck speed, soon shaking off several of his followers without a trace.

Eager for merit, he could not afford to linger on trifles, doggedly pursuing the faint trace his wind talisman had picked up.

After the time it takes to finish a cup of tea, Tang Daocheng finally caught up with the fleeing Honghu, yet the sight that met his eyes left him frozen on the spot.

He saw that the Honghu was no longer a living person but a corpse twisted in a bizarre, eerie death.

The body slumped kneeling, features grotesque, yet bore no obvious wounds, no blood or signs of battle around it—only a pair of eyes filled with an indescribable terror.

“Old Zou, your craftsmanship isn’t up to par—how is it that the moment we stepped into Fuliang, these lackeys caught our scent and came swarming?”

A teasing laugh rang out abruptly from the end of the alley.

Tang Daocheng stared in disbelief, only to see a man in black martial attire appear before him out of nowhere.

Or perhaps the man had been standing there all along, and Tang Daocheng had simply overlooked him unconsciously.

How could this be?

“It must be pure coincidence; otherwise Longhu Mountain would have sent a Dao Eighth to greet us—wouldn’t that be looking down on people too much?”

Tang Daocheng blinked blankly, still trying to grasp what had happened, when suddenly beside the black‑clad figure appeared a young man dressed in barbarian garb, his hair styled in a strange fashion.

“Why not just cast a hexagram?”

His vision flickered, and another sword‑bearing Daoist materialized out of thin air before him.

“Can you stop mocking others’ shortcomings? My grandfather Zou’s divinations may be inaccurate, but heavenly will must not be profaned—do you understand?”

The man whose hair was flipped flat against his scalp rolled his eyes in irritation, brushed his hands over his temples, and finally fixed his gaze on Tang Daocheng.

With just a glance, Tang Daocheng felt the world spin; his surroundings were instantly replaced by an endless ocean, a deafening roar filling his mind as a towering wave rose before him, poised to crush him.

Boom!

Tang Daocheng’s knees hit the ground with a soft “plop,” he lifted his face to the sky, and a swath of dark, deathly black swiftly engulfed his vision.

Before his vision faded completely into darkness, he saw the heavens ablaze with stars, their light spreading at an unimaginable speed.

Thick pillars of light descended from the sky, blanketing a radius of a hundred zhang, bathing the northern part of Fuliang in a brilliance like daytime.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

A blinding white flash flared and vanished, followed by orange‑red flames whose violent aftershocks razed half the district to flat ground.

In the midst of the huge crater, Li Qian waved his hand to dispel the rising smoke, then lifted his gaze to the distant projectiles shooting forth, hovering in midair.

“That hound’s nose is still as keen as ever. But why does this cannon’s power seem to weaken the more it fires?”

In midair, Chen Qisheng stood treading the wind, while Zou Jiujiu crouched upon his flying sword, both faces etched with confusion.

“Could it be that the Eastern Institute’s research on the celestial tracks has grown outdated? Otherwise, how could they be spotted the moment they showed themselves? No, that can’t be right—this device is something the Mo sect tinkered with; where would the New Dao Order get the ability to improve it?”

During his time at the Eastern Institute, Zou Jiujiu not only studied subjects related to his own sequence, but also meticulously reviewed every document concerning the New Dao Order, including how to conceal oneself from the celestial tracks’ surveillance.

Moreover, Li Qian’s “Conceal Heaven” ability inherently masks one’s whereabouts; logically, those celestial tracks hanging over Jiangxi Province should never detect them.

Yet now Longhu Mountain accurately predicted their entry into Jiangxi from Fuliang, leaving Zou Jiujiu feeling quite astonished.

“Could it be that Longhu Mountain has genuinely improved their celestial‑track technology, or is someone else leaking information to them?”

Just as Zou Jiujiu was silently speculating, the assembled ranks of Longhu Mountain’s Dao sequence shifted, parting to left and right to reveal a banner bearing the golden seal characters: “Imperial Summon of Myriad Gods.”

A round‑faced Daoist stood beneath the banner, head bowed, looking down into the pit at Li Qian, his eyes full of contempt.

“Li Qian, you may be the exalted Lord of the Heavenly Gate, yet you resort to such base, underhanded infiltration—truly laughable to the extreme.”

“A new face, huh? Is it that the Zhang clan themselves dare not show their faces, so they toss you out as a human shield?”

Li Qian sized up his opponent and asked with a smile, “Daoist, may I have your esteemed name?”

“Longhu Dao State, Liang Gongming!”

“Your surname is Liang, then.”

Li Qian bent his knees slightly, smiling, “So the one who struck thunder in the Zhenru Pavilion was you, then?”

Boom!

Within the deep pit, dust and earth rose, and a black‑red bolt of lightning shot skyward.

The fist’s impact burst forth lightning, its crushing force driving straight toward the stern ranks of the Longhu disciples.

Thud!

A resonant boom like a struck bell echoed across the heavens.

An invisible wall woven from spiritual thought coalesced before the formation, violently colliding with the surging, sweeping force.

Fierce winds gusted, fist‑images howled, and the entire Longhu formation was shoved sideways by Li Qian alone.

At that moment, a thunderbolt as thick as a water bucket, azure and brilliant, split down again—its roar terrifying, yet it merely gouged another deep pit into the already scorched ground.

Li Qian had already withdrawn at the first glimmer of starlight, easily dodging this concentrated barrage.

Splash! Splatter.

The sound of rolling waves arose from nowhere, a vicious dream unfurled silently, enveloping the entire Dao order.

Hum.

Standing beneath the command banner, Liang Gongming raised his hand and issued an order; a sheet of black talisman flashing with eerie, ghostly light was promptly cast aloft, its dim radiance suffusing the bodies of all Dragon and Tiger disciples, as if laying a barrier that staved off the dream’s erosion of their minds.

These wholly black soul‑fixing talismans are the hallmark of Mao Shan, possessing a potent restraining power over the Yin‑Yang order.

Although the order that raised the talismans was not strong in strength, its sheer numbers managed to steadfastly block Zou Jiujiu’s dream‑pull.

Kill!

Dozens of true martial heroic spirits launched themselves forward, colliding with a squadron that had broken formation, their armored Dao order clashing in fierce melee.

These implements, somewhat resembling the black armor, are in fact the exclusive art of Gezao Mountain—the Four‑Beast Dao Armor.

Though the nine divisions of Longhu Mountain had been utterly depleted, after the unification of the ‘Four Mountains and One Palace’ the sect’s strength did not wane but rose.

Under the central coordination of Liang Gongming, who wielded the command banner, the elite forces found themselves exchanging blows with Li Jun and his companions.

“But, Liang Gongming, you’ve laid bare all your trump cards the moment you stepped forward, while the opposition hasn’t even warmed up yet. If you keep fighting like this, what will you have left to stop Li Jun?”

Somewhere in Fu Liang City, where Zhang Chongcheng ought not to have been, he gazed upon the churning mass of light that continually burst with deafening roars, muttering to himself.

“Are you loyal or treacherous?”

Under the bright victorious moon’s stars, the true martial heroic spirits grew ever clearer in visage, invincibly valiant, their bodies entwined with azure‑violet Dao sigils, bare‑handed they snapped weapon after weapon in twain.

Clad in the Four‑Beast Dao Armor, the new Dao order blazed with arrogant fervor; behind their visored helms, their eyes smoldered with a bone‑deep grudge, echoing the ancient clash of old and new, now replayed this very night.

The roar of the surging tide grew ever fiercer, the dream’s might incessantly invading the waking world. The incessantly trembling spirit seals resembled lighthouses on the verge of toppling, guiding the souls lost in the dark sea back to their course.

“Huu”

Liang Gongming had never imagined that a single breath could wield such power, as if a primordial beast were swallowing ten thousand miles.

Consumed by despair, he commanded the banner; countless divine thoughts surged forth from the heads of those around him, coalescing into a mighty force that forged a wall reaching to the heavens.

His fists, interlocked, dragged forth violent black‑red thunder, hammering repeatedly against that wall of divine thought.

Crack!

The barrier between mortal warrior and celestial being was shattered by an irresistible force, torn apart like rotten wood.

The sweeping aftermath blew Liang Gongming’s topknot asunder, his disheveled strands hanging before his pallid face.

The great banner snapped in the wind, its pole swaying incessantly.

A single point of collapse triggered an instantaneous chain reaction, leaving Liang Gongming no time to respond.

Clang!

The youthful Daoist, helmet and armor donned, turned into a silver‑white streak, ravaging the battlefield of old versus new, scattering shattered Four‑Beast Dao Armor alongside severed limbs.

The hovering spirit seals dimmed, fine cracks spreading rapidly across their surfaces, erupting one after another into balls of flame.

Bereft of guidance, the souls could no longer stave off the dream’s intrusion; the once black‑and‑white pupils of this Dao order were stained by the nether sea, a ‘Zou’ character slowly rising from their depths.

In but an instant, the evenly matched stalwart resistance collapsed into an irretrievable rout.

A one‑sided slaughter loomed on the brink of eruption.

Liang Gongming’s eyes filled with sorrow; he glanced around at the chaos, resignedly closed his lids, and drew a deep breath.

The next moment, the Daoist’s reopened eyes flashed with decisive, icy light.

He gripped backward the Dao Ancestor’s implement of extraordinary significance from Qingcheng Mountain, once used by his Liang ancestors as a weight‑suppressing talisman; his expression resolute, he stepped forward, extended his arm, and hurled it fiercely toward the figure engulfed in black‑red thunder.

The staff cleaved the firmament; the banner face inscribed with ‘Summon Myriad Gods’ exploded outward, like the fiery tail of a flying sword, its speed surging to lightning swiftness.

Even more vexing was the clinging, bone‑like lock‑on sensation, which left Li Jun, who had perfected the Eight‑Direction Thunderbolt technique, feeling utterly unable to evade.

Since avoidance is impossible, then not avoiding is the way!

Li Jun bellowed a roar, clenched his fist, and met the incoming implement head‑on, blade against blade!

The staff shattered inch by inch before the fist’s edge, without a heaven‑shaking boom, yet a storm that pierced straight to the soul swept in all directions.

The true martial heroic spirits uttered a reluctant snort, dispersing into wisps of azure true qi that returned to Chen Qisheng’s body.

The dream‑net that ensnared souls lay shattered; the eyes of the Dragon and Tiger order regained their lucidity, every face etched with lingering dread.

Li Jun’s right hand dripped with blood, his figure recoiling tens of zhang.

At the brink of life and death, Liang Gongming detonated the ancestral Dao Ancestor’s artifact of Qingcheng Mountain, successfully thwarting the imminent one‑sided massacre.

The proficiency point already poised at his lips was snatched away forcibly; the fire burning in Li Jun’s chest scorched his viscera to a searing heat.

“Come on, let this old Daoist see just how formidable the lone martial order that runs rampant across the world truly is!”

Having once passed before the Gates of Ghosts, the Dragon and Tiger order fled in haste, while Liang Gongming, alone, stood before Li Jun, hair and beard bristling, resolved to die.

The new Dao order—Li Jun had seen far too many, and slain far too many.

There are plenty of the cunning and deceitful, even more who cling to life and fear death, and of course he has also encountered those who faced death with equanimity.

Yet a self‑sacrificing new Dao order such as Liang Gongming’s—this was the first time he had encountered it.

“Since you possess such courage, why then do you serve the Zhang family as a dog?”

“Li Jun, it is not only you who fears neither life nor death; I, Liang Gongming, can likewise lay down my life for the Dao!”

Liang Gongming, his voice fervent, declared: “The sects atop the mountains cling to their old ways, lost in internal strife; over the dispute of the Dao’s transmission, countless have slain each other—thousands, tens of thousands. I, Liang Gongming, have abandoned Qingcheng not to grudgingly survive, but because only a Daoist nation is the true future of my new Dao order.”

Liang Gongming’s brows and eyes wild, he roared angrily: “As long as my Dao flourishes, though I die, I shall endure!”

His deafening, awakening shout echoed through the night sky, the exhilarated, uplifted Dao heart shining forth to illuminate heaven and earth.

“Well said, Gongming; your words utterly capture the heart of the Heavenly Master!”

An aged voice drifted down from the firmament above.

In the utterly ruined Fu Liang City, a dense spray of purple points suddenly blazed forth, gathering like a sea and drifting upward to the heavens.