Chapter 652
But the problem is, to achieve all this, he didn't need to rely on the Tongjian.
The Tongjian was merely a vessel. With the strength and hidden influence of the Jiuyou Mozu, publishing it in physical form, or even distributing a copy to every practitioner in the Xuanwei realm, was not an impossible task.
Unless this Mozu was mentally unstable, there had to be another motive.
Xie Qingxue stared at the two figures on the screen, her mouth agape as she looked at her master in the projection.
She saw Master Yan gazing at Zheng Fa with a look of surprise, seemingly taken aback that Zheng Fa had so easily discerned the Mozu's intentions.
Xie Qingxue gently released her grip on the Qingping Sword, feeling a bit disheartened. It wasn't hard to think of these things; the challenge lay in maintaining such clarity of thought under the pressure of the Mozu's intimidation.
She herself had been swayed by the Mozu's fearsome reputation, her mind in disarray, losing the ability to think calmly.
In contrast, Zheng Fa, though always cautious, seemed unfazed by the terrifying name of the Jiuyou Mozu, his mind remaining clear.
The Jiuyou Mozu regarded Zheng Fa for a long moment before slowly saying, "You have much more brains than Tianhe."
I have more brains...
Before Zheng Fa could respond, the Mozu repeated, "This Tongjian is a fine treasure, unique in the Xuanwei realm."
Zheng Fa was momentarily stunned by this statement, and then he realized that the Jiuyou Mozu had made his intentions clear from the start: the Tongjian!
Or rather, the internet platform behind the Tongjian!
The matter of the book might just be a test from this ancient Mozu—he wanted to see how many cultivators the Tongjian could attract.
Zheng Fa frowned. He truly hadn't expected the Jiuyou Mozu to see the potential of the Tongjian so quickly.
And to come knocking on his door.
This person was far too perceptive.
This made him even more vigilant; the Tongjian was related to the Zao Hua Yu Tie, belonging to his life’s treasure. Moreover, he understood better than the Jiuyou Mozu what the Tongjian represented for the future.
"I'm not interested in who the Tongjian belongs to." Seemingly sensing Zheng Fa's wariness, the Mozu was surprisingly candid, "I just want to use the Tongjian to accomplish something."
Accomplish something?
Zheng Fa nodded slightly, waiting for the Jiuyou Mozu to continue.
"This matter is very important to me, and I can agree to some conditions."
It seemed that the Mozu realized Zheng Fa had seen through his cards, or perhaps he genuinely valued the Tongjian. At this moment, the Jiuyou Mozu was almost straightforward, even proactively proposing a deal.
"What conditions?"
The Jiuyou Mozu spoke with confidence: "Just name it."
Zheng Fa's mind raced: "Senior, could you destroy Haori Mountain?"
"…"
The Jiuyou Mozu in the projection fell silent, while Master Yan suddenly lowered his head, politely shaking in the corner.
"I can't destroy it... Haori Mountain is the overlord of the Divine Path Era."
The Mozu's tone carried a hint of regret.
Zheng Fa's pupils dilated slightly.
This was quite explosive.
The Jiuyou Mozu glanced at him: "Haori Mountain and Yaoci are both forces that existed during the Divine Path Era... In fact, some Mozus have intricate ties with Haori Mountain."
At this point, he sighed softly: "I only learned this later."
Zheng Fa pondered for a moment.
He knew that Haori Mountain had some connections with the demonic sects.
Now it seemed that Haori Mountain was even older than the Mozu.
Zheng Fa was aware that the Xuanwei realm had previously experienced five eras:
The first two eras left little information, the third was the Divine Path Era, the fourth was the Demonic Sect Era, and the fifth was what Zheng Fa referred to as the Tianhe Era.
"Divine Path overlord?"
Zheng Fa murmured, feeling as if a storm was brewing in his heart.
The history of Xuanwei had always been shrouded in mist due to the Tianhe Zun's influence, unknown to ordinary people.
The Jiuyou Mozu's words provided him with a window into this history.
But he hadn't expected that Haori Mountain's origins were even more formidable than he had imagined.
"Have you never considered what it means for the Dao Fruit to be immortal?"
The Jiuyou Mozu seemed to feel it wasn't enough, speaking with a hint of cold mockery.
Zheng Fa's tone turned serious: "The strong remain strong."
The Jiuyou Mozu chuckled, and for a moment, no one spoke, the atmosphere growing heavier.
The immortality of the Dao Fruit, combined with the unbroken lineage, meant that every Dao Fruit outside of the Tianhe Sect would become their foundation.
Yet, ironically, every one of them was an enemy of the four sects.
"As far as I know, the Taishang Dao and Leiyin Temple rose during the second era. What exactly happened during that era, I cannot say for certain."
"Yaoci and Haori Mountain stood in opposition during the Divine Path Era. Although other practitioners had their own Dao achievers, they were powerless to confront the two."
"Could you not do anything about it, Senior?"
Zheng Fa asked in surprise.
The Jiuyou Mozu looked at Zheng Fa and chuckled lightly: "Are you referring to my killing of the Tianzun?"
"Yes."
In Zheng Fa's view, the Jiuyou Mozu could single-handedly kill the Tianzun, which meant he must have been quite powerful during the Divine Path Era.
"My lineage is special, and the Tianzun was already insane at that time; the treasured Sun and Moon Bell had been damaged." The Jiuyou Mozu replied nonchalantly, "At that time, I had just entered the realm of scattered immortals and could not challenge Haori Mountain."
"When I achieved my Dao Fruit, the Divine Path Era was already nearing its end."
"What about Haori Mountain and Yaoci?"
Zheng Fa was even more astonished; how could these two sects allow the Mozu to achieve his Dao?
Suddenly, the Mozu pointed upward.
"Beyond the heavens?"
Zheng Fa was taken aback again.
"In the Xuanwei realm, there is a separation between immortals and mortals."
Zheng Fa recalled that invisible barrier.
"Above scattered immortals, unless during a great calamity, one cannot enter Xuanwei." The Jiuyou Mozu spoke softly, "Even those above the transformation of gods must pay a great price, risking the loss of their true nature."
Zheng Fa's heart suddenly understood.
So this was the reason why the transformation of gods had been delayed for so long.
He then asked, "Isn't this a protection for the practitioners of Xuanwei? Why did the Tianhe Zun take such drastic measures back then?"
The Jiuyou Mozu fell silent for a long time.
"Why Tianhe acted as he did back then... I do not know." His words were light and quick, seemingly brushing over the topic, not wanting to elaborate. Yet the next sentence left Zheng Fa even more astonished: "But this separation between immortals and mortals, while protective, has also become a cage for the practitioners of Xuanwei."
Zheng Fa couldn't help but ask, "Why do you say that, Senior?"
The Jiuyou Mozu looked at Zheng Fa, his gaze sharp: "Because the Dao Fruit is immortal."
Hearing this, Zheng Fa felt puzzled, still unable to grasp the intricacies of the situation.
But the Jiuyou Mozu continued, "These matters are still too distant for you... You only need to know that what I want to do will not bring harm to you or to Xuanwei."
Seeing the annoyance in his eyes, Zheng Fa understood that the Mozu was unwilling to elaborate further, so he decided to drop the subject.
After thinking for a moment, Zheng Fa suddenly asked, "Is what you want to do related to the Tianhe Sect?"
The Jiuyou Mozu glanced at Master Yan behind him and nodded slightly.
"Then why... is the Tianhe Sect still at peace?"
To be honest, this matter was urgent for Zheng Fa.
No matter what the Mozu intended to do, it was irrelevant now; as long as he could confront Haori Mountain, Zheng Fa wouldn't mind lending a hand.
Most importantly, let the two of you fight it out!
"I'm waiting for you."
"Huh?"
"He said..." The Jiuyou Mozu pointed at Master Yan, speaking without reservation, "It’s best if you and Haori Mountain get into a fight."
Looking at Master Yan, who wore a somewhat awkward smile in the projection, Zheng Fa fell into deep thought:
You're also waiting for me to draw fire?
What a backstabber!
Your son is still in my hands!
But then again, Master Yan probably had even less confidence than I do... after all, he had already lost his son.
Xie Qingxue observed the expressions of Zheng Fa and her master, both of whom were silent, feeling a bit awkward.
Zheng Fa, however, smiled and said, "I want to act quickly too, but there's one thing I need to resolve first; otherwise, I fear I won't be able to help."
Master Yan immediately grew anxious and asked, "What is it?"
"The Xian Trap Sword."
"…"
Zheng Fa looked at the two, his gaze intense:
"May I ask, what methods are there to completely control the Xian Trap Sword?"
"You two... wouldn’t want us to be wiped out by Haori Mountain in a single day, would you?"
Inside the projection, Master Yan and the Jiuyou Mozu exchanged glances, while outside, Xie Qingxue looked at Zheng Fa with awe—could this really be used as leverage?
As the projection faded from the hall, Master Yan turned to the Jiuyou Mozu, his expression puzzled: "You seem overly generous towards Zheng Fa... some of those secret methods, even I haven't heard of."
The Jiuyou Mozu rubbed the Tongjian in his hands, his eyes brightening: "The Tongjian is a fine treasure."
Master Yan's gaze fell on the Tongjian, growing even more confused, but he understood—if the Jiuyou Mozu was being so generous, it was either because he truly didn't want Zheng Fa to get into trouble or he didn't want the Tongjian to lose its effectiveness.
But why did this Mozu value the Tongjian so highly?
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