Chapter 741
At the very least, he needed to clarify Lu Yao's situation, even to determine how much longer this person would need.
He glanced back at the San Sheng Dian, recalling what Shi Nandang had said. Behind the snow-capped peaks lay a forbidden area of Haori Mountain, rumored to be connected to Lu Yao.
But Zheng Fa had no idea how to enter.
After pondering for a long time without any leads, he turned around, and his gaze fell into the air.
Thirteen members of the Luo clan stood suspended, their eyes fixed on Zheng Fa, cold and piercing.
Behind them, members of the Lu and Yun clans were also watching.
All eyes were on Zheng Fa.
It was absurd; the Luo clan was not only seeking revenge but doing so with great fanfare, calling upon friends and allies.
The arrogance of the three clans left Zheng Fa utterly shocked.
He stole a glance at the closed doors behind him, noticing that Yun Zhenxian in the hall seemed completely oblivious to the scene outside.
At the entrance of the three palaces, Zheng Fa stood alone, facing over a dozen Luo clan cultivators.
...
Inside the hall.
A Yun clan cultivator stepped out from the side of the high platform, seemingly aware of Zheng Fa's predicament outside. He respectfully asked, "Holy Ancestor, did you leave Shi Nandang behind to strike at the Luo clan? To prevent them from resurrecting Luo Zushi?"
This person was likely a trusted aide, as Yun Zhenxian began to explain, "Earlier, this group hinted that I was stalling... Shi Nandang's arrival is quite timely."
The man nodded and smiled, "We fear not Luo Zushi, but the First Ancestor. If the Yun clan intervenes, it could stir up trouble."
Yun Zhenxian fell silent for a moment, then smiled, "Does Shi Nandang have a grudge against my Yun clan?"
"Just a delusion; I didn't realize he had such courage."
"Not only is he unrelated to my Yun clan, but he is also originally from the Lu clan. The First Ancestor... no wonder I." Yun Zhenxian said softly, "Luo Shizi is tired as well; let him rest for a couple more days."
"Then why allow them to seek revenge on Shi Nandang?"
Yun Zhenxian chuckled lightly, glancing at Zheng Fa through the palace door, "This man has no sense of hierarchy left in him for the sake of survival; his death would be of no consequence."
"But if he is killed by the Luo clan, wouldn't that ruin your grand plans, Holy Ancestor?"
"Better if he dies."
...
Absurd.
Was Yun Zhenxian really waiting for this group to kill him, only to then enforce the law impartially?
"Shi Nandang, you slander the Holy Ancestor!" The elder in the hall looked down at Zheng Fa, shouting, his voice echoing throughout the mountainside, "Such a crime deserves death!"
Many disciples of Haori Mountain were drawn by this voice, flying over to watch from a distance.
Zheng Fa glanced around.
His gaze passed over a somewhat familiar face:
It was Shi Nandang's master—an elite of the Lu clan, at the level of corpse dissolution.
The master looked back at him, his gaze distant.
"Are you not going to save your disciple?"
"He doesn't even bear the surname Lu." Shi Nandang's master replied, "Even if he did, to criticize Luo Zushi is a death sentence."
Hearing this, Zheng Fa couldn't help but scoff inwardly.
The cultivators of Haori Mountain could see clearly.
Given Shi Nandang's status, offending Luo Sanxian was a direct challenge to the Haori Mountain system, enough to place Zheng Fa in opposition to the three clans.
Including the Lu clan.
In the distance, there were also some Haori Mountain disciples who were not part of the three clans; they lacked the qualifications to enter the three palaces and naturally had no idea what was happening.
Zheng Fa withdrew his gaze and looked up at the elder of the Luo clan.
The elder spoke again, "Hand over the soul seal, and I will spare your life."
Are you referring to Shi Nandang's soul seal?
To be honest, he actually had it...
It seemed the Luo clan wasn't foolish; they knew that killing Shi Nandang could lead to future troubles.
"Which of my words is false?" Zheng Fa replied, "The Xian Sword was indeed ruined by Luo Zushi!"
"Even if Luo Zushi were to be resurrected, he wouldn't dare deny it!"
His voice was loud enough for not only the Luo clan cultivators to hear but also the distant Haori disciples, who listened intently.
"Still daring to slander the Holy Ancestor!"
The elder roared, his body radiating a crimson light, revealing his Yang Spirit.
His Yang Spirit wielded a divine fire pearl, with fire serpents swirling around it, crackling in the air.
As the implicit leader of the Luo clan, the elder was naturally formidable, having reached the final step before Dao Fruit, at the corpse dissolution level.
"I remember, Shi Nandang is still at the transformation stage, right?" A Lu clan cultivator beside Shi Nandang's master spoke up.
Shi Nandang's master nodded.
"Then why would he dare provoke the Luo clan?"
"He was destined to die."
"True."
The Lu clan cultivator looked at Shi Nandang with a hint of pity.
...
Zheng Fa's thoughts stirred, and golden light erupted from his body, revealing his own Yang Spirit.
His Yang Spirit had taken on a new form:
Surrounded by nine luminous orbs, it was the secret transmission of Haori Mountain's Nine Yao Yang Spirit.
Not only that, but he also held a wooden longbow.
Transforming into Shi Nandang, Zheng Fa naturally changed his techniques and even his life-bound treasure.
"Corpse dissolution?"
Shi Nandang's master whispered, clearly astonished.
"No wonder he has such courage." The earlier speaking Lu clan cultivator said after a long silence, "What a pity."
No one expected that Shi Nandang was actually at the corpse dissolution level!
With Shi Nandang's cultivation, had he not committed any crimes, being granted the title of Lu clan elite would have posed no obstacles.
But from the moment the Xian Sword was destroyed, Shi Nandang was doomed to be excluded from the Lu clan.
"Your vision, I can't tell if it's good or bad."
Upon hearing this, Shi Nandang's master wore a complex expression, but after glancing at the Luo clan members, he shook his head.
...
Inside the hall, the Yun clan member was momentarily stunned, then turned to Yun Zhenxian, saying, "Holy Ancestor, is Shi Nandang really at the corpse dissolution level?"
Yun Zhenxian's lips curled slightly, as if he had already seen through it: "He has some talent."
"Then he..."
"Are there not enough corpse dissolution cultivators in the Luo clan?" Yun Zhenxian countered.
"You're right, Holy Ancestor."
The Yun clan member understood immediately; the Holy Ancestor still did not hold Zheng Fa in high regard.
He thought for a moment and then smiled, "This is a good thing; the stronger Shi Nandang becomes, the more trouble he will bring to the Lu clan."
...
"Is this your reliance?" The elder's fire dragon on the divine fire pearl faltered, then he laughed, "Do you think..."
"You're quite talkative."
Zheng Fa muttered softly, as the Nine Yao Yang Spirit stretched its arms, drawing the longbow to form a golden arrow, aimed at the elder, and shot it out fiercely.
"You're asking for death!"
The elder's pearl shot forward, wrapped in fire serpents, charging straight at Zheng Fa.
The golden arrow and the pearl collided violently in mid-air.
Bang!
Everyone watched in shock as the fire serpents wrapped around the pearl wailed, as if encountering a natural enemy, and began to fall towards the ground.
Zheng Fa's golden arrow, however, maintained its momentum, shooting straight for the elder's chest.
The elder had not anticipated the power of this golden arrow; it had knocked down his life-bound treasure in one shot, leaving him momentarily stunned. By the time he reacted and tried to dodge, it was too late. The arrow pierced through his shoulder, sending him crashing onto the golden jade steps.
Lying on the ground, he felt a sudden stillness around him, his vision blurred.
Only the sound of footsteps grew closer. Turning his head, he saw a pair of boots slowly entering his line of sight.
He tilted his head slightly and saw Shi Nandang, whom he had looked down upon earlier, standing on a higher step, looking down at him.
"Lu clan elite?" Zheng Fa's tone held little hatred, even a hint of disdain was absent; it was more like a lament.
But the faces of all three clans turned red and pale in turn.
The onlooking cultivators, however, were wide-eyed, yet dared not speak.
Everyone watched as Shi Nandang, a non-member of the three clans, stood proudly before a Lu clan elite, shaking their spirits.
This scene had played out countless times in the history of Haori Mountain.
Yet today, the roles of the standing person and the one lying on the ground had been reversed.
...
Inside the hall.
Yun Zhenxian suddenly stood up, his brow furrowed.
"Holy Ancestor?" The Yun clan cultivator asked in surprise, "Why is Shi Nandang so powerful?"
Yun Zhenxian stared intently at Zheng Fa, his expression a mix of confusion and doubt.
Clearly, he had not anticipated this turn of events.
"Will the Luo clan dare to act now?"
The Yun clan cultivator murmured.
Yun Zhenxian remained silent.
They wouldn't dare.
Zheng Fa's arrow had severely injured that Luo clan corpse dissolution cultivator, leaving the others in disarray:
Though they had more than one corpse dissolution cultivator, their highest was still at that level.
Now that Zheng Fa had wounded a corpse dissolution cultivator with a single arrow, they were at a loss regarding his strength, naturally feeling apprehensive.
It should be noted that Zheng Fa's primordial spirit technique had drawn heavily from the "Chixiao Yuce," making him quite familiar with the Nine Yao Yang Spirit.
More importantly, Shi Nandang's setting sun bow was almost considered a standard life-bound treasure of Haori Mountain—typically made from Haori mulberry wood.
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