Chapter 672
It was clear that Shi Nandang's expression was filled with anticipation, as if he were already calculating the rewards that might come his way.
Zheng Fa sensed this and realized that Shi Nandang actually had some goodwill towards him.
Today, handing over the authority of the Chongxuan Sect to the Eighth Elder was also to spare himself the difficulty, letting the Eighth Elder take on the role of the villain. In a way, it was quite considerate of him.
Zheng Fa's consciousness swept over the fake Xian Sword in his storage bag.
Though this person wasn't exactly a good man, he was indeed treating Zheng Fa quite well and could empathize with his predicament.
It felt a bit hard to let him bear this heavy burden...
Mainly because this burden was too great, and Zheng Fa feared he might not be able to handle it.
After all, Shi Nandang was merely at the Transformation stage. If he were to ruin the Xian Sword, the Haori Mountain would surely send someone to investigate.
At that point, it would be troublesome if any issues were uncovered.
Just then, a communication talisman suddenly flew in from afar, landing directly in Shi Nandang's hand.
Within Zheng Fa, the Zao Hua Yu Tie was also vibrating violently, as if someone were sending him an urgent message.
Diving into the Zao Hua Yu Tie, he saw that the sender was actually the Ming De Headmaster of the Taishang Dao, who had sent Zheng Fa eight or nine spiritual messages in quick succession.
"The Tianhe Sect is in turmoil; Master Yan has suddenly dismissed all disciples below the Transformation stage."
"The Tianhe Sect's territory seems to be sealed off by a powerful entity; our informants in Taishang Dao have lost contact."
"The Luo Sanxian from Haori Mountain has emerged, seemingly heading towards the Hundred Immortals Alliance. Be cautious!"
"…"
Reading the warnings from the Ming De Headmaster, Zheng Fa took a deep breath, feeling a sense of clarity in his heart:
Although the two from the Nine Nether Demon Ancestor had previously acted without a trace, Shi Nandang had mentioned to him earlier that both Taishang Dao and Tianhe Sect were showing signs of movement. It seemed that among the Five Sects, there were spies lurking, already sensing something amiss.
Now that Master Yan was truly taking action, Taishang Dao and Haori Mountain had noticed it almost immediately.
In fact, Haori Mountain's response was remarkably swift; the Luo Sanxian, who had been present at the Five Sects Dharma Assembly, was heading directly towards the Hundred Immortals Alliance—this indicated that Haori Mountain held a significant wariness towards Tianhe Sect, not unlike their attitude towards the Jiushan Sect.
Zheng Fa looked up at Shi Nandang, only to find him with a stunned expression, tinged with an unmistakable sorrow and anger.
Noticing Zheng Fa's gaze, Shi Nandang forced a bitter smile, his earlier excitement completely gone, and simply said, "It seems we won't be reaping any rewards from this."
Others couldn't understand, but Zheng Fa did.
The Luo Sanxian was likely here for the Xian Sword.
Seeing Shi Nandang's dejected face, Zheng Fa felt a sense of fortune for him—Luo Sanxian was clearly here to help him shoulder the blame!
To be fair, the higher-ups of Haori Mountain were quite considerate.
---
**Chapter 471: Two Great Arrays, Unfazed in Crisis**
Luo Sanxian arrived quickly, and not only was he fast, but he also made quite the entrance.
Zheng Fa stood atop the Divine Fire Mountain, gazing up at the sky alongside Shi Nandang and the others.
Above them, five crimson dragons with four claws soared through the air, riding the winds with a majestic presence that weighed heavily on everyone's hearts.
These five crimson dragons were all at the Transformation stage.
Yet, their mouths and noses were bound with reins, which were tied to a golden bridle.
The five reins converged in the hands of a young-looking cultivator, who was also a Transformation stage master, standing at the front of a four-wheeled carriage adorned with a canopy, resembling a charioteer.
Under the canopy, Luo Sanxian sat cross-legged, palms facing the heavens, eyes closed in meditation, seemingly lost in a trance.
The last time Zheng Fa had seen this Luo Sanxian, he hadn't made such a grand entrance.
Luo Sanxian's ostentatious arrival in the Hundred Immortals Alliance territory signified one thing—Haori Mountain had deemed the alliance's pact with the Six Sects no longer necessary.
The reason was clear: the upheaval in Tianhe Sect had prepared Haori Mountain for a battle over Dao fruits.
As Mu Qingyan had said, the downfall of Tianhe Sect would likely result from a brutal conflict.
Zheng Fa felt increasingly vigilant; Haori Mountain's rapid response revealed that they did not feel secure but were instead always on guard.
"Welcome, Ancestor!"
As he pondered the future changes in the situation, he heard Shi Nandang shout loudly. Zheng Fa, standing among the crowd, bowed his head in unison, watching as the claws of the crimson dragons landed before them, stirring up a whirlwind of dust.
After a while, they finally heard Luo Sanxian's emotionless voice: "No need for such formalities."
Zheng Fa straightened up and looked at Luo Sanxian, who was now gazing at the Xian Sword hidden within the mountain's belly, his eyes filled with delight.
"Well done." After a moment, he turned to Shi Nandang, nodding slightly in praise, "Entrusting the matters of the Chongxuan Sect to you was not a mistake; you've saved us ten years."
Shi Nandang lowered his head again, respectfully saying, "This is not solely my achievement; the support from the sect has been immense."
Luo Sanxian's smile deepened significantly: "You've worked hard for ten years; take a break for two days."
The summit of Divine Fire Mountain fell silent.
Zheng Fa sensed something was off and glanced at Shi Nandang and the others.
Shi Nandang seemed to want to look up but restrained himself, staring at the ground instead, saying, "Then what about the Heavenly Spirit Great Array…"
Luo Sanxian pointed at the young charioteer, still smiling, "Let this useless one handle it."
The mountaintop grew even quieter.
Everyone secretly observed Shi Nandang and Luo Sanxian.
Luo Sanxian continued to smile, his gaze towards Shi Nandang filled with kindness.
Shi Nandang kept his head down, the veins on his fists bulging from within his sleeves.
The charioteer wore a slight smile, giving Shi Nandang a subtle nod, tinged with arrogance.
Zheng Fa thought to himself that he was finally witnessing the true connections at play; no wonder Shi Nandang had that expression when he received the communication talisman—it was like working on an assembly line for ten years without rest, afraid to even take a break, only to find that the rewards were snatched away by the manager's nephew.
Shi Nandang didn't explode; he must have cultivated his temper well.
After glancing at the young man, Zheng Fa began to understand:
While the three clans of Haori Mountain appeared united outwardly, there were many disputes among them internally.
The Lu, Yun, and Luo clans each had their own interests.
Shi Nandang belonged to the Lu clan, while the person brought by Luo Sanxian was undoubtedly from the Luo clan.
If it were any other matter, Luo Sanxian might not have gone this far.
However, refining the Xian Sword was a long-held aspiration of Haori Mountain, a significant achievement, and with their generosity, the rewards would surely be substantial.
Luo Sanxian himself might not care for it.
But letting his favored clansman take the credit was just a matter of a word.
"Ancestor, this senior brother is new and may not be familiar with the array, which could jeopardize the sect…"
It was clear that Shi Nandang still wanted to resist.
Yet Luo Sanxian seemed somewhat impatient, frowning as he said, "The sect has already decided that I will be in charge of the Xian Sword from now on."
"…Yes!"
Once those words were spoken, Shi Nandang had nothing more to say—the sword belonged to Luo Sanxian; he could let whoever he wanted refine it.
Yet traces of unwillingness still lingered on his face.
Zheng Fa thought to himself that the other two ancestors of Haori Mountain were quite generous, simply handing over the Xian Sword.
Luo Sanxian sneered, "Don't think I've gained an advantage; once the Xian Sword is refined, I will head straight to Jiushan Sect and have a showdown with Zheng Fa."
Zheng Fa's eyes widened slightly.
What does this have to do with Jiushan Sect?
Even Shi Nandang suddenly looked up, confusion etched on his face.
Luo Sanxian glanced at him and shook his head, "With the changes in Tianhe, your Master Yun has already gone to Tianhe Sect, but Jiushan Sect cannot be taken lightly."
"Ancestor, are you suggesting…?"
"It’s best to eliminate this potential threat."
"…"
Wait, what did Jiushan Sect do to make Haori Mountain hold such a grudge?
Zheng Fa hadn't expected that with the troubles in Tianhe Sect, Haori Mountain's plan was to swiftly eliminate Jiushan.
Moreover, Luo Sanxian only mentioned the whereabouts of Master Yun, without mentioning the location of the Lu clan's Holy Ancestor.
This was what truly worried Zheng Fa.
"Ancestor, Jiushan Sect is not to be trifled with; that Great Freedom Demon Ancestor…"
Luo Sanxian spoke with confidence, "The Great Freedom Demon Ancestor had just been revived, and the Demon Emperor had yet to be established; the Great Freedom Demon Cult was nearly annihilated, and its strength is far weaker than mine."
"Previously, we were wary of Jiushan Zheng Fa because we couldn't understand how he managed to kill the Great Freedom Demon Ancestor."
"But with the Xian Sword in hand, I have nothing to fear."
Shi Nandang also looked at the Xian Sword, curious, "Can the Xian Sword really defeat Jiushan Sect?"
"Zheng Fa killed a Demon Ancestor, but this Xian Sword has killed a True Immortal."
Shi Nandang's expression towards the Xian Sword suddenly shifted, now filled with a hint of reverence.
"It has killed a True Immortal?"
Upon hearing this, Elder Jiu in the crowd glanced at Zheng Fa, concern evident in his eyes.
Yet Zheng Fa, while listening, nodded repeatedly, his expression towards the Xian Sword filled with admiration, showing no signs of fear.
Elder Jiu was momentarily taken aback, then he let out a quiet sigh of relief.
Table of Contents
