Chapter 683
The other five members of the transformation stage were oblivious to his rudeness, instead falling into a long silence. After a while, the elder who had previously reprimanded Ming De spoke with a long sigh, “This Zheng Mengzhu... he... he...”
He stammered over the word “he,” seemingly at a loss for how to describe Zheng Fa.
Finally, he closed his mouth.
Ming De understood that this silence was laced with a certain respect for Zheng Fa.
Just moments ago, this senior brother, a mere transformation stage cultivator, had dared to comment on Zheng Fa, his words tinged with a hint of arrogance from his lofty background, mixed with condescension and even disrespect.
Now, after Zheng Fa had obliterated Luo Sanxian with a single sword strike, even this distant senior brother felt a twinge of fear, wary of the repercussions of his words.
It was one thing for Zheng Fa to defeat Luo Sanxian.
It was another to dare to kill a Dao fruit cultivator from the five sects.
The impact of this event on the five sect cultivators was even greater than on the onlooking Xuanwei cultivators!
After a moment, the elder seemed to realize that his earlier display had been too unseemly; his face flushed slightly as he suddenly said, “That sword strike was indeed bold, but how will he respond to the wrath of Yun Zhenxian?”
Upon hearing this, Ming De pursed his lips, his heart sinking again.
Among the Dao fruit cultivators of Haori Mountain, Luo Sanxian was the weakest.
Yun Zhenxian, however, was a formidable opponent.
Now, it seemed Zheng Fa had exhausted his spiritual energy and would have to face Yun Zhenxian’s retaliation, putting him in an even more precarious position.
He looked at the light screen and saw Zheng Fa gazing up at the sky, his demeanor not one of fear but rather engaged in quiet conversation with Zhang Wuyi beside him, gesturing animatedly as if discussing something.
...
Gazing at the unremarkable sky, Zheng Fa turned to his senior sister Zhang and said, “It seems Luo Sanxian isn’t completely dead.”
This was easy to ascertain; a comparison with the Great Freedom Demon Ancestor made it clear:
When the Great Freedom Demon Ancestor died, the heavens and earth were filled with strange phenomena, as if the world was mourning his passing.
Now, with Luo Sanxian’s demise, the sky showed no signs of change.
Surely, the four sects couldn’t be so heinous as to be scorned by heaven and earth.
The most reasonable conclusion was that the Great Freedom Demon Ancestor was truly dead, while Luo Sanxian still had a chance of survival.
Zhang Wuyi nodded repeatedly and asked, “But that raises another question... why did the Great Freedom Demon Ancestor die?”
Behind them, the reappeared Xie Qingxue listened to their conversation, feeling both curious and somewhat incredulous:
What question? Are we holding a seminar now?
What time is it!
Isn’t the pressing issue Yun Zhenxian?
Zheng Fa glanced at her, seemingly sensing her urgency. Instead of rushing, he chuckled softly, responding to his senior sister while also explaining to Xie Qingxue:
“If Luo Sanxian isn’t dead, there are two possibilities:”
“One, the Jiu You Demon Ancestor is too powerful; we can’t kill Dao fruit cultivators, but he can.”
“The other is because of the disciples of Haori Mountain.”
“I suspect both possibilities are true.”
Xie Qingxue was momentarily stunned, processing Zheng Fa’s words before saying, “So, it’s thanks to the disciples of the Luo clan from Haori Mountain that Luo Sanxian can be revived?”
“And he might even quickly regain his strength.”
Xie Qingxue nodded, “If that’s the case, the near annihilation of the Great Freedom Demon Sect really left the Great Freedom Demon Ancestor with no way out.”
Zheng Fa suddenly laughed, “I’ve always thought the Great Freedom Demon Ancestor was a bit too unlucky.”
“...What do you mean by unlucky?”
“When the underground cavern exploded, revealing the Great Freedom Secret Realm... it was a bit of a coincidence.”
Xie Qingxue was left speechless, murmuring, “Jiu You Demon Ancestor?”
“Maybe yes, maybe no,” Zheng Fa shook his head, “I just have this feeling that the Great Freedom Demon Ancestor was being pushed step by step, forced to emerge prematurely.”
Xie Qingxue nodded silently, feeling that Zheng Fa’s reasoning made sense. At this point, aside from the Jiu You Demon Ancestor, the other demon ancestors were still hiding, clearly observing the situation.
After a moment of thought, she urged, “What good does it do to talk about this now? Is the Jiu You Demon Ancestor going to jump in and help us fight against Yun Zhenxian from Haori Mountain?”
Zhang Wuyi also looked at Zheng Fa, her eyes filled with confusion.
“This indicates that for any Dao fruit cultivator, the audience is extremely important.”
“So?”
Zheng Fa gazed toward the distant sea of clouds, where a towering figure loomed closer.
“Senior sister, consider the current situation at Haori Mountain.”
“Consider what?”
“I suspect there are no Dao fruit cultivators present at Haori Mountain right now.”
“Ah?”
Xie Qingxue was taken aback, and even Zhang Wuyi stared wide-eyed, though she began to calculate with the innate Eight Trigrams in her hands.
Moments later, Zhang Wuyi looked at Zheng Fa, her eyes filled with astonishment:
“I can sense some truths; Haori Mountain indeed has no Dao fruit cultivators!”
Xie Qingxue was even more puzzled and asked Zheng Fa, “How do you know?”
“I guessed it; honestly, I wasn’t very sure.”
“You can guess that?”
“It’s simple. Yun Zhenxian came from Tianhe Sect.” Zheng Fa shook his head, “How far is Tianhe Sect from here? Yun Zhenxian must have rushed here with all his might and hasn’t arrived yet.”
“And Haori Mountain is much closer. If the ancestor of the Lu clan were present, why would they send for Yun Zhenxian from so far away?”
Xie Qingxue was momentarily stunned, thinking Zheng Fa’s reaction was incredibly quick.
“So you’re going to take action?”
Zheng Fa nodded gently.
Zhang Wuyi had calculated that with the Xianxian Sword in hand, he certainly couldn’t deal with a true immortal, but with the method of transformation and the Fusang wood, his chances of escape were quite high.
If they added Zhang Wuyi’s Qingjing Bamboo and the innate Eight Trigrams...
Even if it came down to the wire, Xie Qingxue and the Qingping Sword could join in.
Winning... well, that was still unlikely, but the odds of survival were decent.
However, if Yun Zhenxian teamed up with Luo Sanxian, it would be a different story. If those two attacked together, they wouldn’t even have a place to run.
Thus, when Yun Zhenxian ordered him to stand down, Zheng Fa not only didn’t back down but boldly drew his sword, aiming to eliminate one of the opponent’s major forces first.
Zhang Wuyi understood: “Luo Sanxian’s revival likely requires some time. If that ancestor of the Lu clan isn’t present, then Haori Mountain right now...”
Xie Qingxue’s eyes lit up: “Only one true immortal remains!”
She then asked, puzzled, “Where did that ancestor of the Lu clan go?”
“I don’t know. Perhaps he was delayed by the turmoil at Tianhe Sect, or maybe because of that... what was it called, the Heavenly Fetal Membrane, hasn’t descended yet... Regardless, this is our opportunity.”
Xie Qingxue nodded repeatedly, then looked at Zheng Fa, her eyes unconsciously filled with admiration:
It wasn’t just because he had slain Luo Sanxian; after all, that was the power of the Xianxian Sword, not Zheng Fa’s.
But to react so quickly in such a short time and find this fleeting glimmer of hope was truly remarkable.
Yun Zhenxian’s impending arrival was originally a trump card for Luo Sanxian, putting immense pressure on the Jiushan Sect.
Yet Zheng Fa had caught a glimpse of Haori Mountain’s vulnerabilities and had boldly taken action.
At this point, the game had finally been revitalized by Zheng Fa.
Even the Jiushan Ancestor behind them wore an expression that clearly read: “He can fight!”
...
The figure of Yun Zhenxian above the sea of clouds gradually became clearer, his yang spirit glowing with a bluish hue, holding a cloud-like scepter, his gaze flickering with cold light.
Seeing Zheng Fa’s depleted spiritual energy, a look of delight crossed his face, and his speed increased even more.
Zheng Fa noted that this person was not slow at all.
Tianhe Sect was far from Jiushan Sect, and given Zheng Fa’s abilities, crossing that distance would take considerable time.
Yet this Yun Zhenxian was not much slower than him.
Aside from strength, it was likely due to urgency.
“Ancestor!”
“Understood!” The Jiushan Ancestor’s tone was strained, tinged with reluctance, but there was no delay. With a shake of his body in mid-air, he transformed into the True Form Symbol of Mountains and Rivers.
Endurance had always been an unspoken pain in Zheng Fa’s heart.
Since the beginning with the Five Elements Divine Light, the method of transformation, the True Sun Fire, and even the Fusang wood, all were excellent resources, but each one drained Zheng Fa’s spiritual energy like a ravenous beast.
Especially after acquiring the Xianxian Sword, he had developed a severe case of endurance anxiety.
Fortunately, he had brought the Jiushan Ancestor along.
Each of the three he brought had their own usefulness.
Zhang Wuyi was exceptional; the power of the Qingjing Bamboo was remarkable, and the innate Eight Trigrams had provided them with countless advantages.
Xie Qingxue was mainly there to conceal the Xianxian Sword, but when it came down to a life-or-death situation, she could summon the true Qingping Sword to strike hard at the enemy.
That was their final trump card.
As for the Jiushan Ancestor, his function was quite singular—he was a power bank!
Zheng Fa activated the Heavenly Furnace, drawing the vast spiritual energy from the True Form Symbol of Mountains and Rivers into his body.
The previously waning aura around him surged dramatically, and in less than a breath, he had fully regained his former state.
The once imposing Yun Zhenxian slowed down, and in his cold, indifferent eyes, a flicker of surprise emerged, clearly not expecting Zheng Fa to have such a move.
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