Chapter 436
"Senior Sister, we have the Qingjing Bamboo. Can we take them down?"
(End of this chapter)
**Chapter 356: Who Betrayed Us? You Should Have Said So Earlier!**
As soon as Zhang Shijie returned to the Jiushan Realm, she received a transmission from Zheng Fa.
She scrutinized Zheng Fa from head to toe. They knew each other too well; Zheng Fa could even read a hint of doubt in her eyes—was this really the timid junior brother she remembered?
Zheng Fa had always been cautious, preferring to underestimate his opponents and avoid seeking glory for himself. But now, he boldly mentioned four Huashen (Transcendence) cultivators, a tone that was indeed different from before.
"The situation with Cheng Kong is uncertain," he continued, keeping his voice low to avoid causing panic. "Right now, the only reliable Huashen we have are you and me. We can't count on Tongming to come to our aid..."
Zhang Shijie’s expression grew even more perplexed.
"With the endless Lei Yin Temple and the seven great saints of the demon clan..." Zheng Fa only needed to say two sentences for Zhang Shijie to understand immediately. She nodded repeatedly, her expression hard to describe.
Based on past experiences, it seemed that the Xuanwei Realm had a custom of betraying allies!
With the arrival of the endless Lei Yin Temple and the emergence of the seven great saints, it was a clash of titans, each testing the limits of their camaraderie.
This made Zheng Fa's trust in these people plummet.
Not to mention whether Tongming and the others would make every effort to assist; even if they did, who could say if that unfamiliar Huashen was friend or foe?
"But we can't just stand by. At the very least, we must prevent the Great Freedom Demon Ancestor from being resurrected."
Now that they had the Qingjing Bamboo, its effectiveness was still uncertain. Would it be enough to stop the Demon Ancestor?
The most reliable option was to keep this group of demons at sea, preventing them from refining the Blood Slaughter Flag.
From the Demon Ancestor's influence, dealing with four Huashen was certainly easier than facing one Great Freedom Demon Ancestor.
Zhang Shijie thought for a moment and nodded discreetly. This was the cautiousness of her junior brother—not the kind that paralyzed action out of fear, but one that considered potential negative factors and chose the least risky plan.
She replied, "We only have two chances!"
Zheng Fa understood immediately. The Qingjing Bamboo was a rare treasure, and since Zhang Shijie had only recently acquired this spiritual root, using it twice would likely be the limit.
"Killing all four is a bit difficult," Zheng Fa said. "But if we can take down two, with the strength of the two of us, it’s not impossible to hold off the other two."
Zhang Shijie looked at the four demon Huashen and proposed another idea: "Two is doable, but it would be best to kill three. Facing two Huashen would still be a bit challenging for us."
Zheng Fa believed they could hold off two based on their previous battle against Chen Jun. Although they no longer had their master and the celestial formation, they now had the Qingjing Bamboo. He thought that their strength against these demons, who practiced the Great Freedom Demon Sect's methods, would only increase.
But Zhang Shijie... clearly wanted to aim higher.
She added, "Ideally, we should do this within the Jiushan Realm..."
"Draw them into the Jiushan Realm?"
Indeed, the power of the Sun and Moon Bell was different inside the realm compared to outside.
Outside, the Sun and Moon Bell could only summon a thunder pool, which was useful against those below the Yuanying (Nascent Soul) stage, but for Huashen... as seen last time, while there were limitations, it was hard to deliver a fatal blow.
But inside the realm... the Blood River Ancestor had a significant say.
Zheng Fa heard Zhang Shijie's voice again: "If we can avoid exposing the Qingjing Bamboo, we should."
Upon hearing this, Zheng Fa slowly nodded and turned his gaze to the Blood River Ancestor beside him.
The Blood River Ancestor's face showed a hint of confusion.
...
It wasn't just the Blood River Ancestor who felt lost.
In the distance, within the Seven Dragon Vast Sea Formation, Ming De, the head elder, along with six Huashen, was struggling blindly through the sea.
Ming De's white hair was tossed about by the water, occasionally slapping against his face, but he paid it no mind. His eyes glimmered with golden light as he scanned the rocky caves around him, not willing to miss a single corner.
The others, including Xie Qingxue, were in the same boat.
But everyone knew that inside, he was the most anxious.
They were at the bottom of the sea, with no light above them, and the dark, heavy water pressed down on their hearts.
He felt anxious, but even more so, guilty.
The main reason they were trapped in this formation was his obsession with hunting down Qin Mu, an obsession that had been exploited by that wicked disciple, leading to their current predicament.
It seemed that sensing his self-reproach, Cheng Kong transmitted, "Head Elder, although we are trapped, our lives are not in danger. Besides, who would have thought that the Youming Immortal would have such a formation and be willing to sacrifice their life to set it up?"
"He practices demonic methods and has a chance of resurrection, unlike us. This is already a lot to bear; that wicked disciple is cunning and resourceful." Ming De shook his head, not comforted by Cheng Kong's words. "If only I had listened to you and brought Zheng Fa along... things wouldn't have turned out this way."
Cheng Kong was taken aback; he hadn't expected the head elder to start reflecting at this point.
"How ironic... I used to look down on Zheng Fa, but now I have to hope he can hold off the demons."
"If he can't..." Ming De glanced at the others around him, "I would be the sinner who harmed you and my fellow Daoists!"
Cheng Kong pursed his lips, unable to find any words of comfort.
At this moment, they were safe, but who knew when they would be able to escape? If it took too long, they might emerge to find the Great Freedom Demon Ancestor waiting right outside...
Their sect had hidden cards... but he didn't!
Just thinking about it made Cheng Kong's scalp tingle. He focused his spirit, searching the seabed for plants and fish, especially in the shadows, where he would probe repeatedly.
The Huashen from the Yaochi had mentioned a silver lining: the Youming Immortal's life was tied to the formation, making movement difficult.
But that was the only good news; everything else was bad:
The seawater was infused with the spiritual power of an ancient formation, greatly reducing the range of their spiritual senses to less than one ten-thousandth of what it used to be.
And this formation spanned at least a thousand miles; for six people to search every inch would be incredibly time-consuming.
Moreover, they couldn't afford to be careless—demonic methods were adept at hiding in the dark, and the seabed was a realm of shadows. The Youming Immortal could be lurking in any shadow.
They not only had to move slowly but also couldn't stray too far apart, lest they fall into the Youming Immortal's trap.
Xie Qingxue and the others understood the urgency of the situation and were searching everywhere, but their brows were furrowed with frustration.
Compared to the others, Xie Qingxue felt an extra layer of worry. She gazed toward the gathering of demonic energy. Although she couldn't see what was happening there, the overwhelming aura of the four demon Huashen made her acutely aware of their strength.
She couldn't help but wonder... could the Jiushan Realm hold off these powerful demons and save the ordinary people of Donghai County, as well as her junior brother?
...
At this moment, Yan Wushuang was in a state of panic.
Zheng Fa had scattered them to other islands, leaving only himself, Zhang Shijie, and the Blood River Ancestor on Tiangong Island.
With no time to explain, the disciples of Jiushan Sect naturally didn't understand why, but the atmosphere made it clear to everyone that they were preparing for an enemy invasion of the Jiushan Realm.
Yan Wushuang took a deep breath, his broad sword flying into his hand, his brow furrowed as if deep in thought.
Not just him; several Yuanying cultivators also wore serious expressions as they looked toward Tiangong Island.
On Tiangong Island, Zheng Fa and Zhang Shijie exchanged glances and nodded at each other.
The Blood River Ancestor beside them looked conflicted, as if hesitating.
Zhang Shijie leaped into the air, exiting the Jiushan Realm, and Zheng Fa's voice followed her:
"Senior Sister, this is too risky. Just give it up! Whether it's the Blood Slaughter Flag or the resurrection of the Demon Ancestor, or even the Xuanwei Realm, none of it is worth your life. If it comes to the worst, I can always seek refuge with the Taishang Dao!"
She smiled slightly, the Jiushan Seal above her head glowing even brighter, landing before the demon army.
Behind her was the vast thunder pool formed by the Sun and Moon Bell.
"Just you alone?"
Seeing her standing in their way, the green-faced Huashen among the demons asked.
Zhang Shijie remained silent, seemingly unimpressed.
The mountains and rivers' imprint above her head revealed nine towering peaks, blocking the path of countless demons.
Her imposing aura was overwhelming, and it was only at this moment that the green-faced Huashen realized she was a Yuanying!
"You, a mere Yuanying, dare to stand in our way?"
"A Yuanying is more than enough to deal with you."
Zhang Shijie finally spoke, her tone flat and devoid of emotion, as if stating an undeniable truth.
The green-faced Huashen could still endure, but the three Huashen beside him were visibly angered—comparing the strength of Huashen and Yuanying was like comparing heaven and earth. This Yuanying female cultivator was not only provoking the Huashen but also challenging all four of them.
It was infuriating.
Zhang Shijie, however, seemed oblivious to their anger and continued, "As long as I am here, you shall not step beyond this thunder pool."
Her tone remained calm, but the implication was even more infuriating.
The green-faced Huashen could barely contain himself, his face turning an even deeper shade of green.
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