Chapter 681
He stood beneath the soaring auspices of the auspicious clouds, the crimson sun god suddenly radiating a blinding light that enveloped his form.
Under the vast sky, his body appeared both solid and ethereal, a delicate balance of the two, yet it seemed to contain an unparalleled majesty, evoking a strong sense of contradiction.
Five red dragons coiled at his feet, twisting and turning, raising their heads, exhaling, and stirring up fierce winds.
This wind swept across the heavens and the earth, causing wide lakes to dry up in the blink of an eye, and lush greenery to turn to ash in an instant.
Luo Sanxian extended a finger, and with a point at the five red dragons, their bodies swelled dramatically. The reins reappeared at their mouths, and five golden reins emerged, gathering behind them into a dazzling orb of golden light.
As the golden light dissipated, a war chariot appeared beneath Luo Sanxian, a hundred times more magnificent than before.
At the center of the chariot's canopy was emblazoned a blood-red sun, and along the edges bloomed countless dark red flames.
The chariot was entirely crimson, as if forged from the most ancient and precious celestial copper, radiating a golden brilliance that illuminated the vast sky.
Zheng Fa Xin thought to himself how decisively this man acted, and he couldn't help but feel a sense of caution. He knew quite a bit about Haori Mountain and understood that their cultivation methods were closely tied to celestial phenomena, fire, and the great sun.
For instance, this Luo Sanxian's fundamental technique was called the "Six Dragons Circling the Heavens," which seemed to follow the path of supreme yang, mastering the rotation of the great sun and the changes in weather.
It was rumored that once Luo Sanxian condensed the sixth red dragon, he would achieve true immortality.
If one were to speak of it, this technique bore some resemblance to the Fusang tree, but while the Fusang tree focused on nurturing vitality, this technique emphasized mastering celestial phenomena.
Standing beside Zheng Fa was Senior Sister Zhang, holding a piece of Qingjing bamboo.
Behind them stood Xie Qingxue and the Grandmaster of Jiushan, side by side.
Zheng Fa held the "Qingping Sword," subtly protecting the Grandmaster of Jiushan.
Among the four, both he and Senior Sister Zhang possessed protective treasures, while Xie Qingxue's "true form" could be said to be the Qingping Sword, which was also extraordinary. Only the Grandmaster of Jiushan, a transformation stage cultivator, was quite serious and found himself in a perilous situation here.
The "Qingping Sword" trembled slightly in his hand, as if excited, but Zheng Fa remained calm, waiting.
Although the Xianjian was fundamentally a true immortal treasure, stronger than the Luo Sanxian before him, he had forged a deep connection with it to fully master it, which naturally made the sword obedient.
However, at the same time, every move of the Xianjian would also affect him as its master.
Thus, when the Xianjian was drawn, his spiritual power and soul would also be consumed.
Even though the consumption might be less than one percent, Zheng Fa felt too weak. According to his experiments, drawing the sword once would nearly deplete his spiritual power at the Nascent Soul stage.
This was perhaps the so-called balance of gain and loss, the way of heaven. Zheng Fa had no regrets; to obtain a treasure like the Xianjian, the faster, the better.
Therefore, he needed to wait for the right moment.
Seemingly sensing his caution and hesitation, Luo Sanxian relaxed his expression slightly and suddenly laughed, "I thought you would be the next Tianhe, but it seems you are not."
Zheng Fa frowned slightly but did not respond.
"When Tianhe entered our four sects' sights, he was already nearly unstoppable, almost overshadowing Xuanwei," Luo Sanxian continued, "and you, today, will die here."
Knowing that Luo Sanxian aimed to undermine his mental state, Zheng Fa ignored the words, his "Qingping Sword" glowing ever brighter, competing with the golden radiance of the chariot opposite, dividing the sky into two.
"Very well," Luo Sanxian noted his indifference, nodding without disappointment, and looked downwards. "Today, through you and the Jiushan Sect, let the cultivators of Xuanwei understand that our Haori Mountain cannot be defied."
His gaze swept over the thousands of cultivators below.
They dared not approach but were unwilling to retreat, hiding far away, gazing up at the five figures.
Zheng Fa glanced down as well, feeling somewhat speechless:
He saw many cultivators holding communication devices, seemingly video chatting with friends from various places, while others shouted excitedly, their expressions exuberant.
This was likely the first live broadcast of a Dao Fruit battle in the Xuanwei realm...
...
At the Taishang Dao, in the waterside pavilion of Tianchi Peak.
Six transformation stage cultivators gathered, watching the light screen in the center of the room. Clearly, the broadcaster did not dare to get too close, and the screen did not clearly show Luo Sanxian and Zheng Fa.
But the celestial phenomena in the sky, the six dragons circling the chariot, and the brilliance of the immortal sword in Zheng Fa's hand still made the transformation stage cultivators present feel tense.
The head of Mingde sat at the top, a hint of worry in his brow.
To his right sat Cheng Kong and Tong Ming.
To his left were an elder and two middle-aged transformation stage cultivators from Taishang Dao.
At this moment, the elder spoke up, "This communication device is quite interesting."
The five of Mingde nodded, their eyes reflecting curiosity.
"What a pity for the Jiushan Sect; it seems they are in trouble," the elder continued, "I wonder if this device will still be so useful in the future."
Mingde couldn't help but retort, "I know Zheng Fa a bit; since he dares to pursue, he must have some confidence."
The elder shook his head, a light smile on his lips. "You don't know Luo Sanxian's character."
"Hmm?"
"This man is always cautious, never risking his life; he must have a backup plan."
Mingde was taken aback, unable to refute.
This elder was one of the oldest transformation stage cultivators in Taishang Dao, with vast experience, and there was no need for him to deceive.
The elder added, "What a pity."
"What a pity for what?"
"Since this era began, only this Zheng Alliance Leader has dared to draw his sword against the four sects... what a pity."
Mingde furrowed his brow, fully aware that the elder clearly held little hope for Zheng Fa.
Seeing the worry on his face, the elder chuckled, "I know you and Zheng Fa have always been on good terms, but don't forget the teachings of our ancestors."
Mingde pressed his lips together, after a moment he whispered, "I remember."
The elder nodded slightly, "The ancestor of Xuanding once said, when the two tigers of Haori Mountain and Jiushan Sect fight, whoever dies is good for our Taishang Dao."
"Don't let personal ties disrupt the greater picture."
Mingde's voice dropped even lower, "Understood."
Seeing that he did not refute, the elder gave him face and did not say more, but turned his gaze back to the light screen, softly murmuring, "What a pity."
...
Those who cared more about the outcome of this battle than Mingde and the others were naturally from the Jiushan Sect.
Within the Jiushan realm, on University Island, Qiu Xian Island, and even on Wanjian Island, disciples gathered in groups, discussing fervently and exchanging the information they had received.
Shi Nandang walked past a group of disciples with Elder Jiu and the Grandmaster of Chongxuan, overhearing their discussions:
"The Grandmaster has caught up with that Haori Mountain's Dao Fruit."
"Have they started fighting?"
"I'm asking!"
Then someone spoke with a hint of timidity, "Brothers, what if the Grandmaster loses?"
"How could the Grandmaster possibly lose?"
"But... that's Haori Mountain after all."
As soon as this was said, the group of disciples fell silent.
Shi Nandang couldn't help but smile slightly.
Then one disciple declared loudly:
"If the Grandmaster wins, our Jiushan Sect will surely have a bright future."
"If something goes wrong, then death is all that awaits; do you still have any second thoughts? Spineless!"
The disciple who had asked earlier seemed a bit anxious: "Who said I'm spineless? I'm just worried about the Grandmaster!"
"Brothers, let's not ruin the harmony," someone advised. "The Grandmaster is Jiushan, and Jiushan is the Grandmaster. If the Grandmaster is gone, Jiushan will never be the same."
Another added, "I come from the Qingmu Sect, and while I can't compare in loyalty to you brothers, I understand the goodness of Jiushan. If Jiushan were to disappear... honestly, being in those Xuanwei sects would be worse than death for me."
Shi Nandang listened, his gaze drifting, and he turned to look at that disciple, who appeared somewhat weathered, yet his eyes were sincere, as if his words came from the heart.
Looking back at the group of disciples, some of them likely had never been in other sects, their expressions puzzled.
But five or six disciples nodded gently, as if they strongly agreed with this sentiment.
Shi Nandang glanced at the group, suppressing the odd feelings in his heart, and led the two back to their courtyard.
To speak of it, Zheng Fa and the Jiushan Sect had treated them well, even extending a degree of courtesy:
Aside from being unable to leave the Jiushan realm, unable to communicate with the outside world, and restricted from entering certain highly confidential places, there were almost no other limitations.
There was even a separate courtyard for Chongxuan and the others to reside in.
Compared to the assembly line life at the peak of Shenhuo Mountain, they were living quite comfortably now.
Of course, this courtesy was primarily extended to Elder Jiu Bixia, who resided in the main courtyard with her disciples, while Shi Nandang and the former Grandmaster of Chongxuan stayed in the side courtyard.
Shi Nandang felt somewhat uneasy.
As he entered the courtyard, he turned his head and saw the two behind him wearing different expressions.
The Grandmaster of Chongxuan looked more curious.
In contrast, Elder Jiu Bixia wore an unmistakable look of concern.
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