Chapter 383
“Do you expect me to abandon you, a junior?” Uncle Pang muttered, raising his eyes to look at Zheng Fa. “Let’s not talk about anything else; without the Jiushan Realm, where can our Jiushan Sect go now?”
Zheng Fa fell silent.
His meaning was clear: he hoped the disciples of Jiushan Sect could find another way to survive. This wasn’t due to an overly strong sense of sacrifice on his part; rather, most disciples were of little use in such conflicts.
Zheng Fa had always been a rather pessimistic person, prone to preparing for the worst.
At present, the worst-case scenario was that the Demon Ancestor would come knocking, breaking through the barriers of the Jiushan Realm and killing Zheng Fa.
If that were to happen, Zheng Fa hoped that the disciples of Jiushan could carry on some of his thoughts and ideals…
But Uncle Pang was right.
The Jiushan Sect had already lost its base; if they left the Jiushan Realm now, how was that any different from being a dead sect?
Seeing Zheng Fa’s silence, the elder chuckled and suddenly patted his shoulder.
“Master?”
“I’ve known for a long time that among my three disciples, you’re the one most likely to stir up trouble.”
“…”
“But I, Yuan, have never given up on my disciples.”
Zheng Fa fell silent. Uncle Pang beside him curled his lip and muttered, “Now that’s what a master should look like.”
After this exchange, Zheng Fa also felt that withdrawing most of the sect from the Jiushan Realm was not a wise decision.
However, the idea of leaving a root for the Jiushan Sect still seemed feasible to him.
“Master, I was thinking, if most of the disciples can’t leave, why not secretly arrange for some elite disciples to escape?”
The elder and Uncle Pang exchanged glances and nodded in agreement.
They didn’t want to leave, but on the other hand, they also wanted to ensure the Jiushan Sect had a legacy.
“Elite disciples? Let’s go with Qian Yuan; I’ll think about the others.”
Uncle Pang pondered for a moment and settled on his choice.
It was evident that in recent times, Zhou Qian Yuan had made a good impression on him, likely having truly received Uncle Pang’s genuine teachings.
Now, he was the first to come to mind.
“Isn’t it just you among my disciples?”
The elder looked at Zheng Fa, somewhat speechless.
But Uncle Huang’s expression was even more incredulous—she glanced at Sister Zhang, then at Zheng Fa, opened her mouth, and closed it again, looking as if she didn’t want to speak.
Zheng Fa turned to Sister Zhang beside him.
He didn’t say anything either.
Mainly because he didn’t dare to… Sister Zhang’s gaze seemed to challenge him to speak.
After thinking for a moment, he added, “Let’s pick some disciples with lower cultivation levels. I can ask Fairy Xiao for protection; that should still be feasible.”
“Lower cultivation… but good performance?” Sister Zhang nodded.
“Yes, the essence of our Jiushan Realm’s legacy lies in this knowledge system; cultivation isn’t that important—these disciples are inconspicuous yet can carry on the ideals of Jiushan.”
The elder and the others fell into contemplation, seemingly considering who would be more suitable.
Zheng Fa was also mentally calculating. Zhou Qian Yuan was one; he embodied the talismanic principles of Uncle Pang, himself, and even Sister Zhang. Qian Zhenren could also be included; though his cultivation wasn’t high, he was the foremost expert in agriculture within Jiushan Sect. The rest would need further deliberation.
However, there was one person Zheng Fa was determined to include on the list—his own sister.
Zheng Fa’s desire to let some disciples leave was, in fact, driven by a bit of selfishness…
After some discussion, Zheng Fa took out a communication talisman and wrote about the impending arrival of the Great Freedom Demon Ancestor.
The talisman flashed and flew out of the Jiushan Realm, traversing mountains and rivers, heading towards Cheng Kong Shangren.
At that moment, Cheng Kong Shangren was sitting atop a mass of azure clouds, gazing into the distance towards Chen Jun, his expression filled with confusion and unease.
Beside him stood Tong Ming Shangren, who also wore a helpless expression:
He had been accompanying Cheng Kong Shangren here for half a month.
“Master… what secrets does Chen Jun hold?”
“How would I know?”
Cheng Kong Shangren murmured softly, not even glancing at Tong Ming Shangren, his gaze fixed ahead.
The sky ahead was stained crimson, and beneath the red clouds, the grass and trees were withered, devoid of any signs of life.
“Did you hear that?”
Cheng Kong Shangren suddenly asked.
“Hear?” Tong Ming Shangren tilted his head, straining to listen, but eventually shook his head. “I can’t hear anything.”
“I can’t hear anything either.” To his surprise, Cheng Kong Shangren’s expression darkened further. “Both of us are at the Transformation Stage… not hearing any sounds is quite strange, isn’t it?”
Tong Ming Shangren opened his mouth, looking towards Chen Jun, his face showing a hint of disbelief. “Are you saying… everyone is dead?”
“I only know it’s not a good sign.” Cheng Kong Shangren said softly, “At least three Transformation Stage cultivators gathered in this small Chen Jun… why do you think they haven’t attacked the Hundred Immortals Alliance?”
“…” Is our Hundred Immortals Alliance doomed?
But Tong Ming Shangren quickly grasped Cheng Kong Shangren’s meaning:
With these Transformation Stage cultivators, the Great Freedom Demon Sect could have easily wiped out the Hundred Immortals Alliance; even if Cheng Kong Shangren himself had come, he wouldn’t have been able to stop it.
Yet, they hadn’t made a move…
This could only mean they had something more important to attend to.
The more crucial this matter was to the Great Freedom Demon Sect, the more dangerous it was for the Taishang Dao.
“Then… should we investigate Chen Jun?”
“What if it’s a trap?”
Cheng Kong Shangren shot him a look, seemingly finding him foolish.
“…”
Tong Ming Shangren was at a loss; ultimately, it came down to their lack of information about Chen Jun, leaving them unsure of what to do.
But… they dared not leave, nor could they dare to enter.
How long would they have to stand here?
Just as the two hesitated, Zheng Fa’s communication talisman flew in, landing in Cheng Kong Shangren’s hand.
Cheng Kong Shangren probed his consciousness into the talisman, and his expression changed rapidly—first joy, then shock, and finally fear.
“Master?”
Tong Ming Shangren couldn’t help but ask upon seeing him like this.
“Zheng Fa sent word that he has discovered what the Great Freedom Demon Sect is doing in Chen Jun…”
“He?” Tong Ming Shangren’s eyes widened, seemingly unable to comprehend. “How could he, thousands of miles away, know?”
Cheng Kong Shangren fell silent.
He was puzzled too—this should be a secret of the Great Freedom Demon Sect; how did Zheng Fa manage to uncover it so easily?
Thinking back on how he had stood here for half a month…
Suddenly, he felt a bit aggrieved.
“What is the Great Freedom Demon Sect doing in Chen Jun?”
Tong Ming Shangren asked again.
“Summoning the Great Freedom Demon Ancestor…”
“!!!”
Tong Ming Shangren could no longer sit still; he stared at Chen Jun, his voice trembling. “The Great Freedom… Demon Ancestor?”
Cheng Kong Shangren, however, had no time to pay him any mind. A seven-colored radiance surged from his body, forcing Tong Ming Shangren to avert his gaze.
When he opened his eyes again, Cheng Kong Shangren had transformed—his eyes shone like gold, clad in a golden robe, with a golden auspicious cloud atop his head, looking less like a person and more like a divine being descending to the world.
“Master?”
Cheng Kong Shangren glanced at him and said, “You stay here.”
With that, he grasped the Qingjing Bamboo and transformed into a beam of golden light, soaring into the blood-red sky.
…
Three days later, Tong Ming Shangren finally saw the golden light return, as Cheng Kong Shangren landed before him, his complexion a mix of gold and purple, seemingly gravely injured.
“Run!”
Before Tong Ming Shangren could speak, Cheng Kong Shangren shouted, and he understood immediately, leading Cheng Kong Shangren to flee.
Moments later, several shadowy figures of demon gods rushed towards them from Chen Jun. It seemed they were too fast, and these figures let out unwilling howls—these howls echoed in Tong Ming Shangren’s ears, causing his mind to waver and his spirit to plummet.
Cheng Kong Shangren shook the Qingjing Bamboo in his hand, and only then did Tong Ming Shangren regain his clarity, though he couldn’t help but feel a lingering fear.
The two returned to Tong Ming Mountain, finally feeling a bit at ease.
Tong Ming Shangren looked at Cheng Kong Shangren, noticing the dark red hue on his face growing more pronounced, as if he had sustained injuries.
“Master?”
He asked with some concern.
“It’s nothing.” Cheng Kong Shangren tapped the Qingjing Bamboo, and the bamboo leaves began to sway gently, releasing a refreshing breeze that caressed his cheek.
Tong Ming Shangren watched in astonishment as Cheng Kong Shangren seemed to recover completely—this was in just a few breaths!
He felt envious, his gaze falling on the Qingjing Bamboo, only to discover a clue:
A quarter of the branches and leaves of the Qingjing Bamboo had already shown signs of withering.
“This…”
“There are five Transformation Stage cultivators from the Great Freedom Demon Sect in Chen Jun…” Cheng Kong Shangren said, “They… are refining the Five Directions Blood Fiend Banner.”
“The Five Directions Blood Fiend Banner?”
“This is one of the highest techniques of the Great Freedom Demon Sect—using the Five Directions Blood Fiend Banner to form a formation can condense the true body of a Demon Ancestor and summon the Demon Ancestor to descend.”
It was clear that Cheng Kong Shangren was well-informed about the Great Freedom Demon Sect.
“Is… what Zheng Fa said true?”
“Fortunately, he informed me; otherwise, I wouldn’t have been able to stop it in time…”
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