Chapter 748
“Exactly! We can't give this stone a chance to win over the disciples at the gate,” the Yun clan cultivator spoke confidently. “Once the matters of the Tianhe Sect are settled and Master Luo is revived, we can just sit back and watch the tigers fight.”
Hearing this, Yun Zhenxian chuckled, “That’s a good plan.”
As Zheng Fa entered the three palaces, he felt a twinge of frustration.
He had spent enough time at Haori Mountain.
The refining techniques he had stealthily brought back were mostly sorted out, thanks to the help of the disciples from Haori Mountain on Qian Ding Peak.
What remained was either of little value or too difficult, and not many at Haori Mountain could comprehend them.
In his view, he had nearly stripped Haori Mountain bare.
As for competing with Yun Zhenxian for resources… he didn’t really lack them.
The spiritual materials and medicines earned from the trade routes in the Eastern Continent were simply too abundant, making the frugal Zheng Fa feel a bit extravagant, looking down on the meager offerings of Haori Mountain.
After all, the wealth of Haori Mountain had almost been squandered by Lu Yao.
Especially now that Haori Mountain's business was suffering from the impact of the Jiushan Sect, with its spiritual veins damaged and its resources pitifully scarce.
It had even made Yun Zhenxian consider scraping the bottom of the barrel at the Tianhe Sect.
Zheng Fa also wanted to go to the Tianhe Sect, but this matter still required Yun Zhenxian's word.
“I’ll set off for the Tianhe Sect soon. You should come with me…”
“Understood, Master!”
As if a pillow had been delivered to him just as he was feeling sleepy, Zheng Fa quickly replied.
Yun Zhenxian was taken aback, looking at the genuine joy on Zheng Fa's face, puzzled.
Wasn’t this person trying to win hearts?
Why give up so easily?
Watching Zheng Fa leave in high spirits, Yun Zhenxian fell silent for a long time before suddenly speaking, “He… just wants to teach the disciples a lesson, doesn’t he?”
The Yun clan cultivator grimaced, “It seems so. This person doesn’t seem to have thought that much.”
The two fell silent for a while, merely watching Zheng Fa’s retreating figure.
They both felt that his back was growing larger.
And they were becoming smaller.
---
**Chapter 509: Gathering at Tianhe, All-Knowing**
Yun Zhenxian was not just bringing Zheng Fa to the Tianhe Sect; there were over a thousand cultivators in total, most of whom were above the Yuanying stage, with the lowest being at the Jindan stage.
Thus, the scene of their departure was quite grand:
A thousand war chariots soared through the sky, flames swirling beneath them, trailing a sea of crimson clouds.
Zheng Fa leaned against one of the chariots, and with a flick of his consciousness, he realized that this chariot was a magical artifact, boasting remarkable speed and defensive capabilities.
On the market, it would be quite valuable; at least the Jiushan Sect wouldn’t have the financial means for such a thing.
It seemed that while Haori Mountain's income had sharply declined, its foundation was still substantial. Moreover, this sect was adept at crafting magical artifacts, and these chariots must have been accumulated over many years.
Now, Yun Zhenxian had brought them all out, making Zheng Fa a bit envious.
He couldn’t help but glance at a nearby chariot.
Given Zheng Fa's current status at Haori Mountain, he was practically the second-in-command.
On this trip to the Tianhe Sect, his chariot was positioned right at the front of the formation, next to Yun Zhenxian.
Zheng Fa couldn’t shake the feeling that Yun Zhenxian’s gaze had been particularly complex when he looked at him a few days ago.
But it seemed to have improved in the past couple of days.
Even though this magical chariot was incredibly fast, it took them several months to finally cross the borders of Haori Mountain and the Tianhe Sect.
Zheng Fa suddenly saw Yun Zhenxian wave his hand, and the chariot shook, landing on a cloud of fire.
Thousands of fiery clouds connected, creating an overwhelming aura that was almost suffocating.
Seemingly catching the doubt in Zheng Fa's eyes, Yun Zhenxian explained, “There may be disciples of the Jiuyou Demon Sect on the Tianhe Sect's side; we must be cautious.”
Zheng Fa nodded.
“We can’t let the Taishang Dao underestimate us either.”
Underestimate?
Zheng Fa suddenly understood the meaning behind this: this journey was naturally to deal with the Jiuyou Demon Ancestor.
But on another level, the hidden conflicts among the four sects were rife with intrigue.
And now that Haori Mountain was at its weakest, it needed to bolster its image, exaggerating its strength to avoid being looked down upon.
No wonder everything felt so extravagant.
After another month, Zheng Fa suddenly felt a sharp pain in his soul, and he looked up to see the sky ahead shifting ominously, an ancient black-and-white formation flickering in and out of view among the clouds.
They had arrived at the Tianhe Sect.
Although he had seen the Tianhe Sect from afar before, witnessing it up close now brought a different sensation.
It was hard to describe.
If he had to find a word to encapsulate it, the most accurate would probably be—fear.
Upon arriving here, he felt an instinctive dread of death rising from within.
The distant Tianhe Sect was silent, the empty mountains standing still beneath the Zhusian formation.
Under the flickering light of the sky, the mountain ridges curved like the spine of a ferocious beast, lying in wait as if ready to pounce.
Even the gentle breeze in the valley seemed to carry a thick aura of killing intent, chilling to the bone.
“Do you feel it?”
“Hmm?”
Zheng Fa turned to look at Yun Zhenxian, who spoke.
“The Four Swords of Zhusian.” Yun Zhenxian gazed at the formation, his tone devoid of any fluctuation, which only made Zheng Fa feel colder. “If they are truly refined…”
“It’s not just you; we would die too.”
Zheng Fa understood perfectly well that “we” referred to the Dao Fruit cultivators.
The Four Swords of Zhusian made even a Dao Fruit cultivator like Yun Zhenxian feel fear.
With an enemy like the Jiuyou Demon Ancestor wielding such a powerful treasure, how could the four sects sleep soundly?
Zheng Fa took a deep breath, feeling the sharpness of the air in his nostrils.
As the group from Haori Mountain descended from the clouds, they saw Xuan Ding Zhenxian standing at the camp gate with the Dao Fruit cultivators from the three sects.
“Brother Xuan Ding, Master Ni Chang, Master Zhi Tong.”
Yun Zhenxian led Zheng Fa and the others forward to greet them.
“Master Yun, we’ve been waiting for quite some time,” Xuan Ding did not speak, but it was Master Zhi Tong who smiled and said.
Zheng Fa observed from the side, finding the scene quite interesting: although everyone was on the verge of conflict, they appeared cordial on the surface, even wearing friendly expressions.
“The affairs of the sect are busy, and Master Luo has yet to be revived,” Yun Zhenxian said apologetically. “I truly cannot spare the time.”
Master Zhi Tong nodded lightly, suddenly fixing his gaze on Zheng Fa’s face, curious, “And who might this be?”
It was clear to everyone that Zheng Fa held a particularly special status among the Haori Mountain group:
He was only half a step behind Yun Zhenxian, and the disciples of Haori Mountain, even the Yun clan cultivators, dared not surpass him.
“Shi Nandan, I have yet to meet all of you Dao Fruit cultivators,” Zheng Fa quickly stepped forward to pay his respects.
Master Zhi Tong’s eyes grew even more curious, “Your surname is Shi?”
He seemed to know a great deal about Haori Mountain; upon hearing Zheng Fa’s surname, he immediately understood that he was not a disciple of the three clans.
Yet it was evident that Zheng Fa held considerable influence at Haori Mountain, which puzzled him.
“Yes, Shi,” Zheng Fa didn’t speak, but Yun Zhenxian’s reply was laden with meaning, “In the future, you’ll see more disciples with the surname Shi at Haori Mountain, and you’ll get used to it.”
As soon as he said this, even Xuan Ding Zhenxian, who had been silent, showed a slight change in expression, looking at Zheng Fa with renewed interest.
Who wouldn’t understand the implication of those words?
Yun Zhenxian had such confidence in this Shi Nandan?
Zheng Fa shot a glance at Yun Zhenxian, feeling speechless inside:
So, I’m just a part of your show of strength?
---
After exchanging pleasantries, Li Sanxian finally spoke, “Please allow the disciples of Haori Mountain to rest for a moment; Master Yun will discuss matters in the main tent.”
Yun Zhenxian nodded and turned to a nearby Yun clan cultivator, “You take them down to settle in.”
Then he turned back to Zheng Fa, “You come with me.”
Everyone was even more surprised.
It’s important to note that only Dao Fruit cultivators could enter the main tent, where discussions were highly confidential.
No matter how talented Shi Nandan was or how high he might rise in the future, he was not qualified at this moment.
Under the scrutinizing gazes of others, Zheng Fa lowered his head in silence, simply following a few people into the camp.
As soon as he crossed the camp gate, he felt a change.
The heavy killing intent emanating from the Zhusian formation vanished, replaced by a force that firmly locked onto him.
Master Ni Chang had once explained that this was a formation used to monitor the camp.
On one hand, it could prevent incursions from the Jiuyou Demon Sect.
On the other hand, it was used to lock onto and monitor the cultivators within the camp.
Even Dao Fruit cultivators could not escape this kind of scrutiny.
If he hadn’t followed Yun Zhenxian, Zheng Fa feared he wouldn’t have been able to blend into this camp.
The six of them entered the main tent together, and the atmosphere became somewhat awkward. Xuan Ding and the others all looked at Zheng Fa:
The cultivation level Zheng Fa displayed was too out of place compared to the others in the tent.
It made them feel strange.
“Please forgive me, everyone. Haori Mountain is currently stretched thin; although we have the protection of the formations in the mountain, I fear I must return occasionally,” Yun Zhenxian spoke, “to prevent any disturbances.”
Xuan Ding and the others nodded, likely aware of Haori Mountain’s current manpower shortage.
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