Chapter 279 - 305: Qin Wuliang, Immortal Dynasty’s Dragon Qi, Golden Radiance Mountain, It’s Him?

After Xiao Yu had departed, the Leader of the Gui Chen Sect seemed to sense something. His gaze shifted upward, toward the sky above the Cloud Sea.

The void trembled, and ripples spread to reveal a stern, humorless face.

The face, clearly formed from the gathered light and shadows of heaven and earth, looked exceptionally profound and humorless.

"You intend to kill my Daoists?"

At the same time, a majestic voice as vast as the Star Sea transformed into a black canopy that shrouded the sky above the Gui Chen Sect.

Xiao Yu, who had just reached the courtyard, heard the voice and looked up.

His pupils shrank at the sight of the face.

"Qin Wuliang!"

Qin Wuliang. A Ghost God of ten thousand years, master of Da Yu’s Daoist Mansion. Legend had it that he was a Little Ghost personally enlightened by the Netherworld Venerable Master, and also one of the Nine Sovereigns of the Netherworld.

Many years ago, he had even been granted an audience with Emperor Yu. He was now the world’s number one Ghost God!

"A life for a life. It is the cycle of karma, and it is perfectly fair."

The Leader of the Gui Chen Sect spoke calmly, his tone unhurried.

"They’re just a few stray souls, clinging to a pathetic existence through their Divine Positions and Incense. The price should be a hundred of them for one of mine. Out of respect for you, I’ll make it fifty for one. Do you have a problem with that?"

BOOM!

Thunder seemed to roar from the heavens. The thousand-mile Cloud Sea churned and shattered, revealing a brilliant golden sun!

Within the Gui Chen Sect, countless cultivators were startled awake and looked up at the sky.

In Yu Province, before the Gui Dao Mansion where incense smoke hung thick.

Several officers in Star Robes shot to their feet. They took a few steps forward, pulled out gleaming golden paper from within their robes, and shouted in loud, clear voices:

"By His Majesty’s decree, you will not act presumptuously!"

ROAR!

Immediately after, a world-shaking dragon’s cry resounded in the ears of countless people within the Immortal City of Yu Province.

A colossal wave of destiny surged as Dragon Qi pierced the Nine Heavens, its might pressing down on all the Ten Thousand Spirits of the world!

"Qin Wuliang, Elder Gui Chen..."

Atop the Thirty-Three-Layered Buddha Tower in the Wansheng Institute, the silent Rebirth Buddha Venerable opened his eyes once more.

His gaze was restrained, yet a golden glint flickered within it.

Faintly, he could perceive things invisible to ordinary people.

It was a Destiny Immortal Dragon, stretching across the entirety of Yu Province for untold thousands of miles. Its roar shook the heavens, and its presence was overwhelmingly majestic.

It was the culmination of the Dayu Immortal Dynasty’s boundless destiny, a symbol of the nation’s fate.

"The Immortal Dynasty’s Dragon Qi!"

Qin Wuliang’s expression changed, and he instantly retracted his imposing aura. His gaze, however, remained fixed on the Leader of the Gui Chen Sect.

"Elder Gui Chen, do you dare fight me in the Outer Realm?"

A cold look appeared on the Leader of the Gui Chen Sect’s face as he listened to Qin Wuliang’s challenge:

"Do you think I’m afraid of you?"

"You’re wrong. I’m afraid that if I’m not careful, I might accidentally kill you!"

Anger flashed in the eyes of the Leader of the Gui Chen Sect.

’Before the Rebirth Buddha Venerable rose to prominence, he and Qin Wuliang had already been fighting for thousands of years. In fact, Qin Wuliang was the very reason he hadn’t left his small courtyard for so long.’

’In all the world, not a single Daoist who held a Divine Position could match Qin Wuliang.’

’The man was just one step away from reaching the level of the two Netherworld Venerables.’

’He had long wanted to eliminate such a terrifying expert, who resided so close to the Gui Chen Sect.’

’But the Yin Department Ghost Gods had not been completely wiped out, and there were still far too many Daoists in the world. If he provoked a backlash, the consequences would be unimaginable.’

’On top of that, three of the Nine Sovereigns of the Netherworld were still alive.’

’Killing other Daoists was one thing, but Qin Wuliang had once been a Little Ghost under the Netherworld Venerable Master. Attacking him would likely draw out the two Venerable Guardians.’

’And until his plan succeeded, those two were among the top five people he wanted to avoid at all costs.’

"Kill me? HAHA! Elder Gui Chen, you must still be dreaming!"

The Cloud Sea churned, and heaven and earth roared!

A terrifying wave of sound spread in all directions, piercing through the void to ring in the ears of every member of the Gui Chen Sect.

"Elder Gui Chen!"

"If you kill one of my Daoists, I will kill ten of your Gui Chen disciples!"

As his voice faded, the colossal, world-shaking face was engulfed by a boundless torrent of air and slowly dissipated.

...

The Desolate Province was situated on the borders of the Dayu Immortal Dynasty. Though it was filled with mountains and rivers, places worthy of being called an Immortal Mountain and Spiritual Land were rare.

As a result, few powerful experts chose to cultivate in seclusion here.

Three thousand miles north of the Desolate Province lay the Luochuan Mountain Range, which stretched for tens of thousands of miles from east to west.

Although the mountain range was home to numerous Demon Beasts and lurking malevolent entities, the Heaven and Earth Essence Qi there was exceptionally dense, making it one of the most concentrated areas in the entire Desolate Province.

For this very reason, some experts had carved out their own cave abodes or even established sects in the area.

Golden Radiance Mountain was one such place.

Golden Radiance Mountain was located in the center of the Luochuan Mountain Range. As a local sect of the Desolate Province, it had a legacy stretching back ten thousand years and was quite powerful.

However, the sect’s grounds were shrouded in a profound Array. Even on the rare occasion a Hunter or mountain dweller wandered inside, they would usually just walk in circles a few times before finding their way out again.

Thus, while legends of Immortals on Golden Radiance Mountain persisted, no one had ever truly found the place.

"COUGH COUGH!"

At that moment, from a wooden building perched on a summit among the gleaming golden mountains, came the sound of coughing.

Linjiang Daoist emerged from his secluded meditation and walked out of his retreat.

With every step, he coughed, and with every cough, a plume of black mist escaped his lips.

By the time he stepped out of the wooden building, he had coughed hundreds of times, leaving his throat dry and hoarse.

"Master! You’re alright?"

Outside the wooden building, the Nianxin Daoist Child, who was sitting cross-legged on the grass reading a book, looked up.

He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that Linjiang Daoist’s face, though still pale, was no longer veiled in shadow.

During his trip to the Yinfu Store, Linjiang Daoist had nearly died. He had barely managed to escape, and only by taking one of Golden Radiance Mountain’s Treasure Pills in time was he able to save his life.

After several more days of recuperation, he had finally regained some of his vitality.

"Alright? Things are far from alright!"

Linjiang Daoist sighed, his face etched with sorrow.

"The Netherworld is no place to be trifled with. Even with the Yinfu Store’s help, it’s incredibly difficult to venture deep inside."

"Sigh... and I lost the few special Magical Artifacts our ancestors left behind..."

’His end was already near. Even though he had been lucky enough to escape the Netherworld, he only had a few years left to live.’

’On top of that, he had lost many of the powerful Magical Artifacts passed down by his ancestors.’

’It was a devastating loss!’

’But one question still lingered in his mind.’

’He had been on the verge of being devoured by that Netherworld Great Demon.’

’But as the Great Demon approached, it seemed to sense some kind of presence and suddenly retreated at high speed.’

’No, it didn’t just retreat—it fled as if it had gone mad!’

’As if it had sensed the most terrifying thing in existence.’

"As long as you’re safe, that’s what matters. Let’s just not go to the Netherworld anymore!"

The Nianxin Daoist Child put down the Daoist Scripture in his hands and offered a word of comfort.

’He, too, felt a lingering fear.’

’He had been terrified that night when he saw Linjiang Daoist flee back to the mountain. The old Daoist had nearly been corroded into an Evil Ghost by the Nether Qi.’

"Even if I wanted to go, there’s no way now."

Linjiang Daoist took a few steps, then sat cross-legged on the ground and sighed.

’The Netherworld wasn’t a place one could visit at will. He had relied on the Yinfu Store to open a gateway there.’

’Having failed this time, he wouldn’t get another chance.’

The Nianxin Daoist Child fell silent.

At his age, he naturally couldn’t comprehend Linjiang Daoist’s fear of death.

There is a great terror that lies between life and death; a single errant thought can lead to utter disaster.

"So be it. Life and death are dictated by fate, and I am limited by my natural talent. The path to eternal life cannot be forced."

Linjiang Daoist put the matter out of his mind and looked at the Nianxin Daoist Child.

"I have about ten years of life left."

"In these ten years, I will teach you all of Golden Radiance Mountain’s Cultivation Techniques and Magic Techniques. You must study diligently and master them as quickly as you can."

"Master..."

The Nianxin Daoist Child’s heart trembled.

’He’s arranging his final affairs.’

"Our Golden Radiance Mountain has never taken on many disciples. Before you, I had two others, but fate played a cruel trick, and one of them passed away."

"The one who remains is your Second Senior Brother. He left many years ago and should be in the Immortal Dynasty Capital City now."

Linjiang Daoist said slowly.

Golden Radiance Mountain could be considered a Major Sect of considerable prestige, yet he had taken on very few disciples.

"Second Senior Brother? I’ve never heard you mention him before."

The Nianxin Daoist Child said, surprised.

"Hmph! He’s a wretched creature. There’s no point in even talking about him."

"That beast was bewitched by the Wansheng Institute! He took advantage of his talent and the special care I gave him, yet he still stole my Pill Furnace! He’s also the one who caused your First Senior Brother’s death!"

Linjiang Daoist’s face darkened.

"Remember this: after that wretched creature entered the Wansheng Institute, he changed his name to Hui De. If you ever meet him, stay far away and be very careful."

"Hui De?"

The Nianxin Daoist Child silently committed the name to memory.

"Don’t even think about revenge. That wretch’s talent is considerable, and now that he’s in the Wansheng Institute, he may have already broken through to the Void Realm. You are no match for him."

Linjiang Daoist waved his hand with a sorrowful sigh.

"I was at fault this time. I lost the ancestral Magical Artifact that should have been passed down to you. After I die, you should leave the mountain."

"Once you enter the secular world, you must remember to stay true to yourself. Do not let desire cloud your Heart Spirit. I do not want to see you become like Hui De."

"After you’ve gained experience in the secular world, return here. Seal the mountain and focus on your cultivation."

"And don’t worry. With the protective Array our ancestors laid down, not even an ordinary Void Realm master could break in..."

"Ma... Master!"

Just then, the Nianxin Daoist Child leaped to his feet, his voice turning sharp.

"It broke! It’s broken!"

"Why are you so jumpy! What broke?"

Linjiang Daoist frowned and turned to look.

One look, and he practically jumped ten feet in the air!

His eyes widened as he exclaimed:

"My... my Grand Array!!"

The layers of clouds and mist swirling around Golden Radiance Mountain began to dissipate.

Outside, dozens of majestic mountains of varying heights began to tremble in unison!

RUMBLE!!

The peaks swayed and the earth cracked. Fissures spread across the ground as dust and smoke billowed out.

"I..."

Linjiang Daoist roared, his eyes blazing with fury:

"Insolent fiend! Who dares to break Golden Radiance Mountain’s Grand Array!?"

The words had barely left his lips when he saw a man in green robes walking on air, holding an ordinary Iron Sword that had just slashed through the Grand Array.

"This is..."

Upon seeing the Iron Sword, Linjiang Daoist’s heart sank.

From the Iron Sword, he sensed an extremely dangerous aura.

Ethereal, lofty, mysterious, powerful.

Unfathomable!

It was this very wisp of aura that had shattered the Grand Array in an instant.

"Lijiang Master, this humble Daoist has come uninvited. I pray the True Master will forgive my intrusion!"

Tianyangzi held the Iron Sword and bowed slightly in salute.

"Who are you?"

Linjiang Daoist’s brow furrowed.

He shot a wary glance at the Iron Sword and did not act rashly.

"True Master, please observe!"

Tianyangzi said no more, simply raising the Iron Sword high.

HUM!!

The next moment, the Iron Sword hummed and trembled, unleashing a surging golden radiance.

Then, the dazzling golden radiance converged into a vivid, lifelike image.

Within the image...

A bright moon hung high in the sky, adorned with twinkling stars.

Darkness fell, and a sudden gale kicked up.

Between heaven and earth, a young man in white robes sat in the very center, completely dominating Linjiang Daoist’s vision.

As he gazed upon this person, Linjiang Daoist’s body trembled violently.

"It’s him!?"