Chapter 676
"In the vast expanse of the Haori Mountain, an era of research culminated in the forging of a true immortal-grade Xianjian (仙剑, ""sword of immortality"")—the Xianjian of Entrapment—at the cost of countless spirit stones...
Not to mention the chaotic state of the spiritual veins on Haori Mountain.
The losses incurred were such that even as one of the Five Sects, Haori Mountain felt a pang of pain.
Messages poured in like raindrops from the direction of Haori Mountain—some for Luo Sanxian (罗散仙), some for Shi Nandang (石难当), and even the young man who had driven the carriage received dozens of them.
It wasn't just the three of them; other transformation-stage and nascent soul cultivators on the mountain also received numerous messages.
With such a significant upheaval at Haori Mountain, it was only natural for others to come and inquire about the situation.
Yet, none of those present could clarify the circumstances; their minds were clouded, lost in confusion.
""This formation has issues,"" Luo Sanxian said darkly, his voice cold.
Everyone exchanged glances, taken aback, as Luo Sanxian continued, ""The damage should have been to the spiritual veins of the Hundred Immortals Alliance... but now, most of the affected veins are within our Haori Mountain territory.""
He pinched a message talisman, his tone growing colder still: ""Preliminary estimates indicate that about twenty percent of our spiritual veins have been destroyed—this is a heavy loss.""
Shi Nandang felt a tightening in his chest upon hearing this. Though it was only twenty percent, the area affected was twice that of the Hundred Immortals Alliance. The spiritual veins drained by the grand formation exceeded previous estimates by a factor of two.
The reasons behind this were beyond his comprehension:
Haori Mountain sought only a Xianjian of Entrapment that they could control.
However, Zheng Fa (郑法), with his perfectionist nature, demanded a complete and uncompromised true immortal-grade Xianjian—he didn't care if this pursuit consumed more spiritual veins, as it wasn't his Hundred Immortals Alliance that would suffer.
""But... Master, didn't you check the grand formation before?"" Shi Nandang asked nervously.
On one hand, he was genuinely puzzled.
On the other, he wanted to remind Luo Sanxian that the formation was intact when he handed it over!
You approved it!
This matter has nothing to do with us!
Luo Sanxian paused, seemingly at a loss for words. He furrowed his brow and glanced at Shi Nandang and the other three, shaking his head lightly.
""You four were indeed not within the formation...""
Shi Nandang let out a sigh of relief.
Luo Sanxian turned his suspicious gaze toward the seven transformation-stage cultivators before him.
""Saint Ancestor! I...""
The young man who had driven the carriage felt uneasy and called out.
Luo Sanxian remained silent, simply gesturing downward with his five fingers.
A hemispherical light shield appeared.
The five red dragons that had previously pulled the carriage roared skyward, intertwining around the shield, chasing each other in a frenzy.
The shield, accompanied by the sound of dragon roars, descended, enclosing the six transformation-stage cultivators operating the formation.
The young man who had driven the carriage felt relieved, knowing that his Saint Ancestor still trusted him.
Luo Sanxian seemed to recall something, turning to the bewildered Eighth Elder on the mountainside. He pointed, and a red dragon flew out, snatching the elder and tossing him into the shield.
In an instant, aside from Zheng Fa and the young man, all cultivators above the nascent soul stage on Shenhuo Mountain were captured by Luo Sanxian.
Shi Nandang's face tightened, clearly anxious.
Luo Sanxian shot him a glance, then said, ""The Xianjian of Entrapment has been destroyed, and I cannot escape responsibility. I must return to explain this to the sect.""
""They will also face inquiries from the sect to uncover the truth.""
""You four are not deeply involved in this matter, but someone from the sect will certainly come to ask about your experiences. Just tell the truth.""
Shi Nandang immediately understood Luo Sanxian's intent.
The stakes were too high this time; even Luo Sanxian didn't dare to claim he could shoulder the blame. He had doubts, and capturing these individuals served two purposes: to deflect responsibility and to uncover the truth.
Moreover, the four of them were at a distance from Shenhuo Mountain, which significantly reduced their suspicion.
Realizing this, Shi Nandang slowly lowered his head, clenching his fists, as if lamenting the loss of the Xianjian.
Zheng Fa watched coldly from the side, a hint of worry in his eyes:
Shi Nandang had narrowly escaped this disaster; if he laughed now, it would be hard to explain.
Fortunately, Shi Nandang, valued by the Lu clan, had cultivated his composure to a profound level and managed to suppress his urge to laugh.
However, the young man who had driven the carriage, lacking experience, felt a sense of ease after being spared by Luo Sanxian and asked, ""Saint Ancestor, are we still going to Jiushan Sect?""
Luo Sanxian's expression stiffened, and he looked down at the Xianjian of Entrapment in his hand, remaining silent for a long time.
A red dragon leaped from the surface of the shield, lunging at the young man and covering his mouth before tossing him into the shield.
Luo Sanxian seemed to realize something and said no more to Shi Nandang and the others. His figure shot out of Shenhuo Mountain, clearly heading in a direction that was not toward the Hundred Immortals Alliance.
...
Watching Luo Sanxian's retreating figure, the crowd atop the mountain fell silent for a long time. Finally, Shi Nandang broke the silence, saying, ""That Luo clan transformation-stage cultivator really doesn't understand the saying 'trouble comes from the mouth.' If the Xianjian of Entrapment were in good condition, he might have dared to go to Jiushan Sect... But now that the Xianjian is in this state, how could he still ask that question? Isn't that putting Luo Sanxian in a difficult position?""
It was clear that even though he had narrowly escaped a calamity, he still harbored some resentment toward Luo Sanxian and the young man.
""Master... what are we to do now?"" The head of the Chongxuan Sect looked at Shi Nandang with a worried expression, his face filled with bitterness.
Shi Nandang's smile gradually turned to bitterness as he shook his head slightly.
""I thought this would be a merit, but I never expected such a turn of events."" He said to the three, ""I suspect the sect won't let this matter slide easily.""
This was also the concern of the head of the Chongxuan Sect.
Although their suspicion was light, the loss of a true immortal treasure was too significant. Someone had to take responsibility, and Haori Mountain would surely send someone to investigate further.
""Now, my merit for being granted a surname is gone, and for you Chongxuan Sect, returning to the sect seems difficult. We are truly in the same boat.""
The head of the Chongxuan Sect's expression grew even more bitter.
This was also his worry.
Haori Mountain had taken an interest in the Chongxuan Sect solely due to its geographical location; ultimately, their sect was not something Haori Mountain valued.
Now that the Xianjian of Entrapment had encountered problems, with nearly all the spiritual veins near Haori Mountain severed, the situation for the Chongxuan Sect had become dire—
Not to mention that Haori Mountain might abandon the Chongxuan Sect; even if they didn't want to, it would now be much more troublesome for the Chongxuan Sect to establish contact with Haori Mountain.
Let alone the powerful figures of Haori Mountain, who, upon seeing them, would likely think of the Xianjian of Entrapment—what a headache that would be.
The head of the Chongxuan Sect reflected on the fact that with this group of incompetent individuals, he didn't want them either.
""Master, even if you are not a direct descendant of the Lu clan, you are still a disciple of Haori Mountain. But what about us?"" His voice was almost mournful. ""Now we have no way back to the mountain and must face the retaliation of the Hundred Immortals Alliance...""
Shi Nandang had merely lost his future.
For the Chongxuan Sect, they might lose their lives.
The head of the Chongxuan Sect looked at the empty Chongxuan Sect, filled with sorrow, and then gazed in the direction Luo Sanxian had departed, his voice dropping slightly, ""Did you see how quickly Luo Sanxian ran away...?""
""Bi Xia, don't you think so?""
""Bi Xia?""
He turned to the Ninth Elder, only to find her lost in thought, seemingly unconcerned.
Seeing the head of the Chongxuan Sect looking at her, the Ninth Elder realized she had become somewhat careless due to Luo Sanxian's departure. She quickly shifted her gaze to Zheng Fa.
Zheng Fa could certainly sense the tension and apology in the Ninth Elder's eyes.
But to be honest, he didn't mind much.
At this moment, the identity of Li Hao (李浩) had lost its significance:
He had donned the guise of Li Hao solely for the Xianjian of Entrapment, and now that the Xianjian was safely within his consciousness, continuing to pretend held little meaning.
He nodded gently at the Ninth Elder, signaling that everything was fine.
The Ninth Elder was taken aback, then seemed to understand Zheng Fa's thoughts, and couldn't help but smile in relief.
Shi Nandang and the others were not fools; in this situation, how could they not see the problem?
""You... you guys?""
The head of the Chongxuan Sect's voice trembled, as if he had come to a realization.
Shi Nandang's eyes widened in disbelief.
But before him, Li Hao was radiating golden light, and as the glow faded, a face he was all too familiar with emerged.
""Zheng Fa!"" Shi Nandang shot up ten feet into the air, ""So it was you!""
""No wonder!""
""No wonder the formation had issues!""
Not only Shi Nandang, but even the head of the Chongxuan Sect began to grasp part of the truth.
Before Shi Nandang could finish his sentence, he stepped onto a cloud, seemingly wanting to flee.
But as he turned, he saw a familiar, pitch-black Xianjian blocking his path.
""The Xianjian of Entrapment!""
As the murderous intent of the Xianjian was unleashed, Shi Nandang's face turned pale, and he plummeted to the ground without any power to resist.
The head of the Chongxuan Sect, witnessing this scene, felt his knees weaken, collapsing to the ground, unable to move."
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