Chapter 670: Gods Plotting Immortals

Chapter 670: A Divine Schemer, An Immortal Plotter

What is an immortal?

One who dwells above the mountains.

But as Zhang Xiji’s supremely overbearing voice rang out, “immortal” was no longer a game of character dissection in the mind, but a scene truly unfolding before Li Jun and the others.

A massive mountain shifted sideways from the horizon, its heavy shadow inch by inch devouring the deathly silent Fuliang City.

At the mountain’s peak, a purple-robed Daoist with white hair and a youthful face stood with his hands behind his back, treading the void.

A suffocating sense of pressure bore down from all sides, weighing on Li Jun far more heavily than before.

Though uncertain whether the Zhang Xiji who now appeared was his true body or merely another clone, one thing was undeniable: his strength was far more formidable than that previous spiritual form.

The fleeing Celestial Track Star halted, as if finally finding its anchor, expressing its jubilation with flickering sword light.

“I didn’t expect this thing to still exist…”

The stunned voice of Lord Horse-Face came from Li Jun’s sole eye, sounding behind him.

“Lord Ma, you know what this thing is?”

With his red hair draped over his shoulders, Zou Sijiu turned his head back and asked in astonishment.

“Kunlun, the central core of the Dao Sequence Celestial Track Stars. Put simply, it is the most powerful Celestial Track Star of them all.”

Lord Horse-Face paused, as if recalling some long-buried memories, clicking his tongue in wonder.

“Legend has it that during the old-new conflict in the Dao Sequence back in the day, this thing was shattered into pieces by a single sword strike from Zhang Zhenren of Mount Wudang. Seems now that old bastard Zhang Xiji sure could endure—he was almost killed back then and never even brought this thing out.”

Zou Sijiu rolled his eyes. “You’ve said so much, Lord Ma, but why don’t you just tell us outright how fierce this thing really is?”

“You ask me, but who do I ask? This Dao Ancestor artifact never appeared during the ‘Partition of Martial Arts Under Heaven’ either; no one knows exactly how great its power is.”

Lord Horse-Face’s voice turned low. “So we’d all best be careful.”

No sooner had these words fallen than the mountain finally ceased its lateral movement.

The incense within the palace complex on the mountain burned vigorously, converging into a vast mist that poured down along the rocks and spread like a waterfall.

At the highest point, a mechanical lotus of intricate construction, its entire body inscribed with cyan Daoist patterns, slowly unfurled.

Its petals spun gently, as if possessed of a strange allure that firmly seized everyone’s gaze. The sound of Daoist scriptures chanted throughout the sky echoed everywhere, captivating the soul.

“Ugh…”

Zou Sijiu let out a muffled groan, his face pale and his spirit wilted. Had Lord Horse-Face not been quick enough to grab the back of his collar, he would have likely pitched headlong to the ground.

In Fuliang City, those believers who should have been sleeping in their dreams abruptly awoke, completely breaking free of Zou Sijiu’s control, and began kowtowing continuously toward the ‘Kunlun’ above.

As specks of light representing pure faith flew from their foreheads, the faces of these Dragon-Tiger disciples rapidly withered amid ecstatic cries, turning in an instant into hideous dried corpses.

Purple radiance gathered at the lotus’s heart, and a powerful tremor surged through Li Jun’s heart.

“Get back!”

The collapsing-force energy within Li Jun burst forth instantly, surging tumultuously, sending everyone around him flying.

Then a chilling, thunderous boom exploded between heaven and earth, as if someone had slammed a heavy hammer against Li Jun’s eardrums, piercing agony shooting through his skull.

Before the ringing in his ears could subside, a dazzling, brilliant white light filled Li Jun’s vision.

Boom!

Li Jun felt as though he were trapped amidst a violent, raging storm, or as if thousands of hands were shoving him from all sides. Even he could not control his body for a time and was smashed into the ground.

The rampaging shockwave continued for what seemed an eternity. Only when the blazing light that had blinded his eyes began to fade did Li Jun realize he stood in an open wilderness, his view unobstructed, able to easily see the distant horizon.

This small city in the northeast of Jiangxi Province had been completely erased.

Heaven could not bear the sight, so it sent down a torrential downpour, as if deceiving itself, trying to blend the blood and mud on the ground into one color.

Filthy water surged, floating charred corpses barely recognizable as human. A torrent of black debris washed out with the water, threads of blood tangled within, and in the blink of an eye, the water had risen past Li Jun’s ankles.

In the distance, Chen Qisheng knelt on one knee, his armor in tatters, his exposed skin flayed raw as if by sharp blades, dripping with blood.

Zou Sijiu, shielded by Lord Horse-Face, seemed unharmed on the surface, except his red hair had quietly reverted to black, his eyes tightly shut, locked in unconsciousness.

Li Jun breathed a slight sigh of relief, then looked up, a vast expanse of cyan light filling his sight.

Amid the interwoven wind and rain, the entire sky was turned into a glittering, translucent glass mirror by the light emanating from the giant lotus.

A ring of colossal flying swords arrayed behind the lotus spun slowly, their points aimed toward the ground, their immensely condensed sword aura poised to strike.

And atop the mountain peak, the purple-robed Zhang Xiji looked down, his gaze meeting Li Jun’s.

There was no disdain, contempt, scorn, or any such emotion. What Li Jun saw in those eyes was only a frigid, extreme indifference.

Those who dwell in the mountains are not necessarily immortals.

But an immortal among men is certain to have shed all humanity.

A fire blazed in Li Jun’s heart. He heard the shrill buzz of blood surging within his body, like scalding oil dousing the flame in his heart, stirring wild rage high and turbulent.

He took a deep breath, filling his body with a gale, and the foul air in his chest grew even more violent and ferocious.

“Old Zhang, don’t blame me for not cooperating, but the moment I see these pretentious immortals, I can’t help wanting to drag them down from the sky and grind their bones to dust…”

Li Jun said in his heart, then exhaled a heavy breath, as if finally cutting loose.

“Lord Ma!”

“Hmm?”

Li Jun said with a hearty laugh, “It’s been a while since I heard your tune, hasn’t it?”

“Quite a while.”

Far off, Lord Horse-Face caught his meaning and couldn’t help laughing aloud as well. He raised his hand and tossed the unconscious Zou Sijiu toward Chen Qisheng.

“That’s it! Let them play their mind games while we play with our fists. Take life and death lightly, and if it doesn’t sit well, then fight—that’s what we father and son should be doing!”

Li Jun raised an eyebrow and grinned, “Then let’s go?”

“Go!”

Boom!

The ground trembled, lightning shot skyward!

Thump!

Thump! Thump!

Thump! Thump! Thump!

Fiery drumbeats chased close behind, stirring the valor in Li Jun’s bones. The zither’s twanging, like snapping strings, overpowered the roar of the rain. The flame in his chest exploded, flooding his blood and his eyes, seething in rebellion!

A suit of dark-gold demon armor arrived tardily but first; the armor plate over the chest opened wide and swallowed Li Jun’s body whole!

The warrior donned his helm and mail, a red eye set in his forehead, dragging a ten-foot ghost-head saber behind him, the blade wrapped in rolling black flames!

“Command!”

Zhang Xiji raised his hand and pressed down, as if intending to seize the vicious evil demon before him with a single hand.

The circling star sword formation high above rained down pillars of light, all hurtling toward Li Jun.

The armor flaps behind Li Jun flared open, spewing scorching air currents. The black-red lightning coiling around his body crackled and snapped. His right arm, like a crouching ferocious tiger, hoisted the ghost-headed long blade and cleaved without pause toward the sword light charging at him.

Like a hot knife cutting through cold oil, it cleanly split the sword light in two, utterly unable to hinder Li Jun in the slightest.

Zhang Xiji's face was expressionless as he suddenly clenched his outstretched hand.

The revolving Star Sword Array halted abruptly. One of the swords suddenly trembled, flame light spraying from its hilt as it broke free from the formation and plunged blade-first toward the ground!

"Kid, try out Lord Ma's new toy. It packs a hell of a punch!"

A bold voice rang from the crimson eye. Li Jun heard a continuous clatter by his ear as the armor flaps on his back suddenly split open. Ribs of bone armor sprang out, interlocking and combining, and in the blink of an eye formed a ferocious great spear.

Clang!

The ghost-headed broadsword flew from his hand, howling as it spun, and slammed into a streaking sword light, exploding it.

Li Jun's free right hand reached behind him. The moment he grasped the spear handle, a familiar sensation of perfect control arose naturally.

Without needing Lord Ma's guidance, Li Jun instantly understood how to operate it. He aimed the fist-thick muzzle at the falling form of the star itself.

Li Jun pulled the trigger without hesitation. The surging sharp energy within his body was instantly drained completely.

Boom!

The gunshot roared like a cannon. Intense black light condensed into a single line, piercing straight through that Dao Ancestor's artifact falling from the sky, about to tear the earth apart.

Boom!

A magnificent sea of fire exploded in midair, clearly visible even from a hundred miles away.

The cold night wind was baked into a warm current by the searing heat, wafting over to gently brush against Zhang Chongcheng's face.

"To have come this far, will you still not show yourself? Yan Dongqing, were the words you spoke to me before merely a deception?"

Before Zhang Xiji had manifested with his spiritual body, Zhang Chongcheng had already quietly distanced himself from Fuliang City.

Though he was now far away, those eyes glinting with an eerie green could still see everything in the city with perfect clarity.

He saw the boundless sword light and the bodies strewn across the ground. He saw the hatred on Chen Qisheng's face, the fury in Li Jun's eyes, the faint, ambiguous smile at the corner of Liang Gongming's mouth.

The only thing he dared not look at was the lofty figure of Zhang Xiji.

Not to mention looking—just the thought of that name sent an uncontrollable wave of boundless terror surging through Zhang Chongcheng's heart.

It was precisely this terror that drove him to risk appearing here today.

His gaze darted back and forth. Suddenly, Zhang Chongcheng’s tightly knit brow abruptly relaxed, as if he had finally seen the figure he had been waiting for.

"So, Guild Leader Yan, you are indeed a man of your word!"

Zhang Chongcheng smiled in satisfaction. Without lingering, he decisively flicked his sleeve and turned.

Just as he took a step, a voice, unexpected by everyone, rang out in Fuliang City.

"Heavenly Master, let it end here. Yan Dongqing is not worth such a massive expenditure of your effort!"

The shout was faint within the battlefield, which was like a cauldron of boiling water, yet it seemed possessed of supreme Dharma power, halting the sword light in the sky and restraining the warriors' hands and feet. The relentless, life-or-death slaughter came to a stop.

"What the hell is this supposed to be now?"

Chen Qisheng’s lips twitched. His bewildered gaze fell upon the figure standing tall and unwavering amidst the wind and rain.

"Li Jun, your attack on the Dragon Tiger Dao Nation today is nothing more than wanting to kill me and vent the anger in your chest, isn't it?"

Yan Dongqing’s white robes were as pure as snow. His black hair was meticulously bound in a blue crown. His brows and eyes were filled with righteousness.

"I am here now. If you are willing to stop here and cease slaughtering innocent citizens of the Dao Nation, then I will give you this life of mine!"

Whoosh!

Two figures appeared in front of Yan Dongqing almost simultaneously. The sharp shriek of torn air followed only belatedly.

The Celestial had finally landed, standing toe-to-toe with the Martial Artist!

Boom!

Two phantom fists collided head-on. The ground within a radius of three zhang instantly cracked and sank several inches.

Li Jun’s figure slid backward, carving a shallow trench with his feet. The armor flaps covering his right fist were shattered.

Zhang Xiji’s face still held that stiff, apathetic expression as he drifted down beside Yan Dongqing, merely hiding the right fist he had swapped with Li Jun within his sleeve and tucking it behind his back.

"Yan Dongqing, what do you mean by this?"

His divine sense coalesced into a hand, seizing Yan Dongqing's body and hoisting it high.

Frost gathered in Zhang Xiji’s eyes. "You had better give this Heavenly Master a reasonable explanation."

"Reasonable? If I told you that all of this is related to the Yellow Millet Dream, would you still find it unreasonable?"

Within the government office of Jinling City, Yang Baize stared at the projection of Fuliang City, his face full of confusion.

"Back when the Yellow Millet Dream was first completed, it was brutally carved up by various factions. The Zhu family, wanting to monopolize the authority, only got a pitiful two-tenths, losing everything, yet they had to grind their teeth and swallow the blood, daring not to covet any more."

"The Yin Yang Sequence got one-tenth; it now appears to be in the hands of that 'Divine Lord' of the Eastern Palace. The Mo Sequence's one-tenth is temporarily unknown which branch academy hides it, but I suspect it's very likely with that Bright Ghost called Lord Ma."

"The Dharma Sequence got their one-tenth, and that was only because the Grand Secretary himself helped them from behind to ensure the Great Ming Code retained a sliver of deterrence; otherwise, they wouldn't have gotten a scrap."

Liu Jinxun, seated calmly in his chair, said flatly, "Our Confucian Sequence took two-tenths for ourselves. As for the remaining three-tenths, they are all in Zhang Xiji's hands now."

"Sir, what does what you've said have to do with Yan Dongqing?"

Yang Baize still didn't understand.

Liu Jinxun didn't answer directly, instead asking, "Baize, what kind of person do you think Yan Dongqing is?"

"A selfish gambler!"

Yang Baize replied without hesitation. "So there's no way he'd be willing to sacrifice himself for the life or death of others. Otherwise, he wouldn't have betrayed the Spring and Autumn Society from the start. His sudden appearance now must have some other purpose!"

"Then what do you think his purpose is?"

Yang Baize’s brows furrowed tightly. After a moment of deliberation, he said, "Could it be to fake his death and escape?"

Liu Jinxun nodded, then continued, "And how would he fake his death, and from whose hands is he trying to escape?"

Yang Baize pressed his lips together. Thoughts churned in his mind, layer upon layer of doubt.

As a member of the Confucian Sequence, Yan Dongqing, by all common sense, had no means of returning from the dead.

And in front of someone like Zhang Xiji, a Sequence Two, what method of faking death could possibly fool his eyes?

Unless he had outside help, and yet, the question remained: who had the ability to bewilder a Sequence Two?

The only possibility was that the person helping Yan Dongqing was also a Sequence Two.

Who could it be?

Suddenly, two words leaped unbidden into Yang Baize's mind: Authority.

A feeling of clarity, of parting the clouds to see the sun, instantly filled Yang Baize's heart. Everything became clear!

"Faking death through the hands of the Eastern Palace to escape from Zhang Xiji!"

But no sooner had these words left his mouth than his brow, just eased, furrowed once more. He pressed on, "But wouldn't Zhang Xiji see through the peculiarities?"

"Because there is someone who doesn't want him to see clearly."

"Who?"

Liu Jinxun seemed to recall a matter that was both exceedingly amusing and utterly absurd; shaking his head, he said with a laugh, "It is none other than that Huangliang whom he regarded as a servant!"