Chapter 291 - 116: Huaisheng Daoist, Human-shaped Fruit, Struggle for Incense

From the eaves, the old, white-haired Daoist watched this scene unfold. A trace of melancholy appeared on his face, his eyes filled with sadness, and he bowed slightly.

"Thank you, Second Master Kui, for still taking pity on all living things..."

One after another, Demon Fiends from high in the sky, from mid-air, from the ground, and from the distance were all sucked in.

No matter how savage the Evil Ghosts or Demon Fiends, all were violently swallowed by the giant, black maw.

It looked as if it intended to swallow every last Demon Fiend in a single gulp.

"AAAHHH!!"

Countless Demon Fiends instinctively let out wails of terror, but they were utterly unable to resist, with no means of defense.

But in the next moment, the massive ghostly face in the sky suddenly snapped its mouth shut.

In an instant, it vanished without a trace.

"Huh?"

The old, white-haired Daoist’s heart skipped a beat. He looked up to see that all the Demon Fiends in the air had vanished. In their place was a group of disheveled Daoists, looking as if they had just woken from a dream.

"Second Master!"

The first Daoist who had chosen to become a Demon immediately fell to his knees, tears streaming uncontrollably as his face trembled.

"Why did you go to the trouble of saving us?"

The Netherworld had long-established rules: the Yin Department Ghost Gods would not harm commoners, and the Seven Lords of Netherworld would not harm Daoists like them who had received Divine Positions.

Many of the surviving Daoists wept in silence.

Having lost the protection of the Power of Incense and the boons of their Divine Positions, they had now reverted to ordinary Daoists with little time left to live.

The old, white-haired Daoist was also visibly moved. He then sighed with melancholy.

"If only the Netherworld Venerable Master were still here... If only the Monarchs were still here."

"How wonderful that would be. But alas, the world is ever-changing..."

It was all in the past, leaving only memories. Those days would never return.

His name was Huaisheng. He was a disciple of the Netherworld Daoist Temple and the chosen successor to the lineage personally established by the Netherworld Venerable Master within the borders of the Dayu Immortal Dynasty.

Unfortunately, after the Netherworld Venerable Master vanished, his connection to the Netherworld had gradually faded.

If the connection remained, he could even borrow the power of the Seven Lords of Netherworld and rival a Feathered expert.

But now, he no longer possessed that ability.

"Tragic, truly lamentable..."

As his sighs faded into the distance, Huaisheng Daoist, bathed in the moonlight, drank his wine and sang aloud:

"Heaven and Earth are ruthless; all life is suffering. The curse of longevity brings hardship to the mortal world. When the day of the Night Parade of Hundred Demons arrives, how many will die a tragic death, and how many will sing with joy in their hearts...?"

WHOOSH!

The night wind howled, sweeping across the land.

Mu Yu, who had been rushing around the city saving people, finally breathed a sigh of relief. His entire body nearly collapsed to the ground.

He had come to Ping’an County simply to deliver a token to his master; he never imagined he would get caught up in something like this.

After all, he had only cultivated to the Dao Palace Realm. Yet the Demon Fiends he encountered in Ping’an County were all former Daoists of the Dragon Mansion Realm and Nine Tribulations Realm!

’How could I not be scared?’

’There’s the aura of survivors over there...’

After a moment’s rest, Mu Yu sensed the aura of the living and immediately dashed off in that direction.

...

「Yu Province, within the Immortal Dynasty Capital City.」

Deep within a magnificent, golden hall.

"What is the situation in Ping’an County?"

A middle-aged man in a purple robe, seated upon a deep-purple Jade Chair, asked with an indifferent expression.

"Reporting to the Director, Lord Chen has already taken his men to handle the matter. He reports that the situation is stable and Ping’an County can be rebuilt in less than two days."

A man in green robes standing below in the hall replied.

"Mm."

The purple-robed man seated above nodded slightly.

Just then, a white-browed elder in the hall frowned and said, "Lord Director, the Daoists of Gui Dao Mansion have been fighting with the members of the Gui Chen Sect. This time, it resulted in casualties among the people of our Da Yu. Shouldn’t we knock some sense into them?"

As he spoke, a sharp glint flashed in his eyes.

He had long coveted the Incense accumulated by both Gui Dao Mansion and the Gui Chen Sect.

’If I use this opportunity to put them in their place, the rewards might be substantial.’

"Pay it no mind."

Unexpectedly, however, the purple-robed man spoke nonchalantly.

Before the others in the hall could even react, the middle-aged man in purple had dissolved into a wisp of violet smoke and vanished without a trace.

He left the others in the hall behind, each with a different, thoughtful expression on their face.

...

「Gui Chen Sect Headquarters.」

Xiao Yu’s expression was quite grim.

The incident in Ping’an County was not unique. In several other provincial counties, and even in the Outer Realm, entire groups of Gui Chen Sect members had been annihilated.

In fact, it wasn’t just members of the Gui Chen Sect. Some of the Evil Dao and Demonic Cultivators invited to assist had also been completely wiped out.

In truth, most of the Major Sects within the Dayu Immortal Dynasty were watching coldly from the sidelines. Some wanted to see both sides fail spectacularly, others were simply enjoying the show, and still others were itching to swoop in and profit from the conflict.

Some sects had even begun to make their own subtle moves.

The Wansheng Institute, for example.

Snapping out of his thoughts, Xiao Yu set off, striding toward a small courtyard in the center of the headquarters.

In front of the humble courtyard, the Leader of the Gui Chen Sect was holding a watering pot, tending to some Spiritual Medicine. He was so meticulous that he looked less like a Sect Leader and more like a servant boy tasked with watering flowers.

He didn’t even seem to notice Xiao Yu’s arrival.

For a Feathered Transformation Great Power with such powerful Divine Thoughts, this was almost inconceivable. It was also a clear indication that, even now, he had not completely suppressed Qin Wuliang.

"Is something on your mind?"

After a moment, the Leader of the Gui Chen Sect set down his watering pot, rose slowly, and glanced at Xiao Yu.

His expression was normal, as if he felt no anxiety over the loss of a Dao body or the string of bad news he’d received.

Recalling the news he had just received, Xiao Yu took a deep breath and bowed slightly.

"Sect Leader! That old bald donkey from the Wansheng Institute was actually persuaded by those damn Daoists! He wants to engage you in Magical Combat in half a month to decide the fate of the Incense from the Thirteen Provinces of the World!"

If the Rebirth Buddha Venerable of the Wansheng Institute were to win this battle, the Gui Chen Sect would have to hand over all the Incense it had accumulated throughout the Thirteen Provinces of the World.

Likewise, if the Rebirth Buddha Venerable were to lose, the Wansheng Institute would have to give all the Incense it had accumulated over the years to the Gui Chen Sect.

These rules for the Magical Combat seemed fair on the surface, but in reality, the Wansheng Institute’s total accumulated Incense was likely less than half of what the Gui Chen Sect possessed.

The Leader of the Gui Chen Sect said, his gaze dark, "That old bald donkey’s plan is quite ambitious. And he certainly knows how to pick his moment."

"However, for that old bald donkey to dare make such a move, it seems his Cultivation Technique is about to reach completion."

"But, in half a month, you say?"

"What a coincidence..."

"Sect Leader, you mean...!"

Upon hearing this, a look of delighted surprise flashed in Xiao Yu’s eyes.

"Recall our sect’s disciples and call a temporary truce. Also, inform the Major Sects that in half a month, they may come to the Capital City to spectate."

The Leader of the Gui Chen Sect stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his gaze cold.

"It’s time to put an end to all of this!"

"You mean..."

Xiao Yu was visibly shaken. Then, his expression turned solemn. "Yes, sir!"

With that, he quickly excused himself.

The Leader of the Gui Chen Sect picked up the watering pot again. Drop by drop, a crystalline liquid condensed from the purest Power of Incense—the Incense Liquid—sprinkled from the spout.

It irrigated the branches and leaves, flowing over cyan fruits that resembled human faces, each with a full set of features.

After being doused with the Incense Liquid, the humanoid fruits emitted a faint glow that quickly subsided.

’I never would have thought that the Incense born from conflict, death, and fear would be the purest. How interesting.’

’It seems I was mistaken before.’

The Leader of the Gui Chen Sect gently caressed one of the humanoid fruits, muttering to himself.

’When we meet again, I hope you all won’t be too surprised...’

’Netherworld... Venerable Bai You...’

’And, Su Bai!’

...

Time flew by like a gurgling stream. In the blink of an eye, ten days had passed.

WHOOSH!

A fierce wind whipped up great drifts of snow, sending them surging toward the heavens like a galloping Dragon. The flurry would scatter in all directions one moment, only to shatter and fall to the ground the next.

The commotion was so great that many hibernating beasts were unable to rest.

The Daoists, on the other hand, had far fewer worries now that the fighting had ceased.

Their daily lives consisted of little more than running errands for Su Bai, traveling the Thirteen Provinces of the World to trade the Cyan Wood Longevity Technique for Incense with other Daoists.

They had little else to do.

Each day, they would gather to discuss the scriptures and debate the Dao.

The Cyan Wood Longevity Technique that Su Bai had bestowed upon them freed them from their dependence on Incense. As long as they cultivated it to the level of Perfection, they could extend their lives by thirty-six hundred years.

But reaching Perfection was no easy task; it required them to debate their own theories and share their insights.

During this period, they didn’t have to concern themselves with worldly matters, worry about Demon Fiends harming people, fret over Incense and Candle Power, or fear the threat of the Gui Chen Sect.

Life was much more pleasant than before.

Aside from the occasional peals of thunder and violent fluctuations that emanated from Su Bai’s residence in the mountains, everything was quiet and serene.

On this particular day, a number of Daoists were gathered in Chen Tianhua’s Gui Dao Mansion. The tea on the red stove had not yet come to a boil when a deafening RUMBLE rolled in from the sky.

The snow accumulated on the mountain peaks was instantly blasted away, cascading down with a great WHOOSH.

A golden gale once again began to howl from all directions.

The watching Daoists were secretly alarmed. Although they had grown accustomed to such fluctuations over the past few days, they still couldn’t remain calm.

The aura was too intense, and the unseen pressure grew ever stronger, making their Heart Spirits tremble as if they were plunging into an abyss.

However, while Chen Tianhua and the others were secretly astonished, they did not let it show.

At one point, a middle-aged Daoist leaped to his feet, nearly bolting for the door. When he reached the entrance of the cave mansion, he realized the group of Daoists beside him hadn’t moved an inch, and couldn’t help but give an embarrassed, sheepish smile.

"Brother Li, there’s no need to panic. This is just our senior deducing a Cultivation Technique. You’ll get used to it."

Chen Tianhua and the others said comfortingly with a smile.

This Daoist was from the border of Desolate Province and had only just arrived today.

He wasn’t the only one; many of the Daoists in the cave mansion were from the borders of Desolate Province, or even from beyond it.

These people had been drawn here by the Longevity Technique, making a special trip to offer their Incense in exchange for the Life Extension Method.

"The senior’s divine might is unfathomable. It’s truly difficult for us to endure."

Daoist Li gave a wry smile and carefully sat back down.

Although he had yet to meet the senior, just hearing his fellow Daoists speak of him had already filled his heart with awe.

Since ancient times, Longevity Techniques have always been an extremely special and rare type among the countless Cultivation Techniques.

If an ordinary person were to obtain one by some stroke of fortune, they would cherish it and hide it away. Who would ever actively share it with others?

This fact alone indirectly highlighted the senior’s immense power and Extraordinary nature.

The group hadn’t been talking for long when a silvery-white stream of air came whistling in.

Mu Guihai stepped into the cave mansion, his expression grave.

The group of Daoists quickly rose to greet him.

Mu Guihai waved his hand, his expression solemn. "The situation is even more serious than we imagined!"