Chapter 164 - 163: Tai Xu

Chapter 164: Chapter 163: Tai Xu

Deep within the clouds, where the mountains touched the heavens.

Countless piercing whistles echoed through the sky as hundreds of figures rode the wind. Golden light blotted out the sun, and auspicious clouds spread far and wide in a magnificent display of power.

Chen Qingyang observed them carefully. The Foundation Establishment Masters were nowhere in sight; leading the charge were seventeen cultivators at the Half-Step Foundation Establishment level.

He sent his Conscious Fish to approach them stealthily, and even the Half-Step Foundation Establishment Cultivators failed to notice. This was thanks to his enhanced Essence and his significant progress in the Great Soul Scripture.

Behind the Half-Step Foundation Establishment cultivators, the Tai Xu Sect disciples were arranged in descending order of their cultivation. Liu Tao and the three hundred others followed, each holding a Jade Talisman used to power the array.

According to Liu Tao, the array was called the Profound Armor Five Elements. The three hundred disciples were split into five teams of sixty. The formation’s structure was based on esoteric principles aligned with the Five Elements—Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth—making its permutations incredibly complex.

Once unleashed, it would generate an immense force. The key to the array lay in the Jade Talismans, also known as Profound Armor Five Elements Orders, which had been specially brought from the Sect for this mission.

Everyone else had been assigned to a team, with only Chen Qingyang hanging back at the very rear. His Conscious Fish roamed in every direction, giving him a clear view for miles around, but he had yet to find anything of note.

They had set out at dawn, traveling to the banks of the Great River before turning to follow its course westward. They journeyed for nearly two hours through terrain with mountains on one side and the river on the other.

Though the main group had yet to arrive, Chen Qingyang’s Conscious Fish already saw what lay ahead. Waves of radiant light pulsed in the distance, and Sword Qi danced through the air. The mountains and fields were covered with black Soul Banners. At the very center stood a stone pillar as thick as a tower, covered in inscriptions. Its Qi Mechanism was connected to the Soul Banners; the Yu Xiao Demon Sect had laid a formidable array.

The leaders halted the group a safe distance away. The entire contingent hovered in midair, assuming their battle formations.

The Demon Crowd on the other side sensed the Daoist Sect’s arrival. From the ground, hundreds of streams of Profound Light shot skyward as they raised their Soul Banners, a forest of flags that seemed to blot out the sun.

Where their Qi Mechanisms linked, killing intent billowed through the air, coalescing into clouds that resembled Profound Jade and amplifying their fearsome presence.

"Activate the array!"

A Half-Step Foundation Establishment senior brother at the front bellowed the command. In response, dozens of streams of radiant light rose from the rear, gathering in midair and forming a Yin Yang Eight Trigrams pattern that enveloped them. Golden light flashed and a cool breeze swirled, shrouding them in clouds and mist until they looked like beings descended from the heavens.

It was a standoff, diamond cut diamond. A battle could break out at any moment.

Chen Qingyang then saw five figures materialize above the Demon Sect’s formation, appearing as if from thin air. ’These must be the Demon Sect Masters,’ he thought.

In response, four Xuanwei Masters appeared on the Tai Xu Sect’s side. Chen Qingyang glanced over but didn’t recognize any of them.

"Senior Brother Yu, we meet again!"

The speaker was a gray-robed elder from the Tai Xu Sect. His features were indistinct, as if concealed within a shroud of mist.

Ever cautious, Chen Qingyang had already recalled his Conscious Fish. Everything he was witnessing now was with his own eyes.

The man who stepped forward from the Demon Sect was young and tall, dressed in an azure long-robe, and carried a scholarly air.

"Junior Brother Zhu, meeting again under these circumstances means this will be a fight to the death!"

’So he’s the Xuanwei Master, Zhu Qi,’ Chen Qingyang realized. ’It seems he’s the leader of these Masters, too.’

"Senior Brother Yu, you’re being unreasonable. The Cyan Nether Sword Embryo was left behind by a disciple of our Tai Xu Sect. Furthermore, this area is northeast of the Great River, which places it within Tai Xu Sect territory. Why not lay down our arms and make peace? It would be best if you just withdrew now."

The man opposite him had a graceful demeanor. He shook his head gently. "No, no. It was your Daoist Sect that acted in bad faith first, using a sneak attack to steal the Cyan Nether Sword Embryo. You not only disrupted the fortune of this entire province, but you also tried to keep it all for yourselves. And now you want to make peace? Junior Brother Zhu, that doesn’t seem right, does it?"

Hearing this, Chen Qingyang suddenly recalled what Lu Qingyu had said.

’He said the Tai Xu Sect took a huge risk by taking the Cyan Nether Sword Embryo. Don’t tell me it was key to the balance of power between the Daoist and Demon sects? So the Tai Xu Sect was the one that actually upset the balance, and the Demon Sect is just reacting to their move.’

"Heh heh." Zhu Qi chuckled, his expression benevolent, like that of a wise elder.

"You can’t put it that way, Senior Brother Yu. You must understand that everything the Tai Xu Sect does is for the sake of the common people of this province. If we can successfully nurture this Golden Core, we can fight for more opportunities at the Eternal Life Assembly. We might not even be confined to this single province forever. That is the true grand plan!"

"Haha!" The man opposite him burst into laughter, not from arrogance, but from sheer exasperation at Zhu Qi’s words.

"Today, I’ve finally understood the true meaning of the name Tai Xu. It was clearly your own sect’s internal power struggle that ruined the Great Dao of one of your True Monarchs, creating an imbalance in our covert strength. To make up for it quickly, you set your sights on the Cyan Nether Sword Embryo, not caring that you would disrupt the fortune of this entire province. And now..."

"...Heh, you truly have a talent for twisting the truth. I shouldn’t be wasting my breath on you. In any case, the Cyan Nether Sword Embryo emerges today, and my Holy Sect is determined to have it!"

His words were a clear dismissal. The man half-closed his eyes, no longer deigning to look at Zhu Qi.

The voices of the two Masters were clear and resonant, carrying easily across the distance for Chen Qingyang to hear. ’Compared to the hypocrisy of the Tai Xu Sect,’ he mused, ’the Demon Sect seems far more genuine.’

Zhu Qi put on a regretful expression and exchanged a look with the other Masters beside him. "Very well. We shall settle this with a fight."

Then, his voice boomed over the heads of his disciples. "Disciples of the Tai Xu Sect, hear my command! Today, you face the Demon Sect and must fight to the death! Deserters will be executed without mercy! Those who fight relentlessly will be greatly rewarded!"

His tone had shifted, revealing his ruthless and decisive nature.

Once the Master gave the order, the Half-Step Foundation Establishment disciples began to move. All the disciples deployed their arrays: the Three Talents, the Seven Stars, the Nine Luminaries, the Twenty-Four Festival Monarchs... and even the three-hundred-person Profound Armor Five Elements formation.

The voice of the Demon Sect’s Senior Brother Yu rang out once more. "So much for the Tai Xu Sect! All that talk about making peace, when you were hiding your killing moves all along. Junior Brothers, allow me to go test this old Zhu Qi!"

The moment he finished speaking, he was in front of Zhu Qi. With a thrust of his palms, he summoned a Soul Banner that materialized in the air. A baleful green light blotted out the sky, instantly enveloping all four of the Tai Xu Sect’s Foundation Establishment Masters.

’Netherworld!’

Chen Qingyang recognized the origin of the man’s technique the moment he saw it.

A flash of gold suddenly erupted from within the green light. It was a Flying Sword, now grown to an enormous size. It slashed down, instantly tearing the baleful mist apart.

Seeing this, the Demon Sect Master cried out, "A fine Magical Artifact!"

Master Zhu Qi glanced back. "Proceed as planned."

With that said, he engaged the Demon Sect Master in single combat. Behind them, the disciples of the Demon Sect charged, kicking off a massive battle of soldiers against soldiers and generals against generals. Liu Tao shot Chen Qingyang a final glance before diving into the fray.

Chen Qingyang gave her a slight nod and retreated a little farther, releasing his Conscious Fish to see if he could find any opportunities.

The destructive power of a battle between cultivators was immense, especially the duel between the two Foundation Establishment Masters in the sky. They unleashed technique after technique and one Magical Treasure after another in a dazzling, overwhelming display.

Wherever the Soul Banner swept, the earth was left barren. When the Flying Sword slashed down, a mountain peak instantly split apart, leaving a deep chasm. Their techniques were astonishing. Even from such a great distance, Chen Qingyang could feel the shockwaves from their powerful Qi Mechanisms.

The disciples engaged in battle were either protected by formations or had extremely high cultivation. No matter how he looked, Chen Qingyang couldn’t find an opportunity to pick off a straggler. He had no choice but to turn his gaze skyward and carefully observe the two Masters.

At the height of the battle, the Demon Sect Master planted his Soul Banner upright in the air. He formed another hand seal, and a mass of black qi began to swirl in the sky. From within the dark vortex, a single, enormous vertical eye materialized.

It was kaleidoscopic, wreathed in Profound Qi that burned like flames, adding to its bizarre and unsettling appearance.

Chen Qingyang recognized it: the Eye of Mo Luo. It was an incredibly profound and strange technique. Seeing it, Master Zhu Qi didn’t dare show the slightest negligence. He held his sword before him with both hands and drew a Talisman in the air.

The roars of a tiger and a dragon suddenly echoed. Brilliant golden light erupted, forming two giant phantoms—a dragon to the left and a tiger to the right—which stared down the Eye of Demon Luo.

The two Masters were truly deadlocked, with no clear winner in sight. Both the Daoist and Demon sects had come prepared; it seemed a victor would not be decided any time soon.

But just then, the array the Demon Sect had laid across the battlefield activated. The ground trembled as it was enveloped in Profound Light. Dust and debris filled the air, blurring everyone’s vision.

Chen Qingyang immediately felt as if the space around him had been sealed, restricting his movements. In contrast, the Demon Sect Disciples seemed completely unaffected; in fact, their attacks grew even more ferocious.

The Daoist Sect’s lines began to break. Under the assault of hundreds of Demon Sect Disciples, Liu Tao’s three-hundred-person Profound Armor Five Elements Formation was instantly on the verge of collapse.

An unaccounted-for Half-Step Foundation Establishment Cultivator from the Demon Sect appeared. He wielded a Giant Seal as his Magical Treasure and brought it crashing down on the three-hundred-person formation. RUMBLE! The array shattered, and nearly everyone within it was grievously wounded.

Chen Qingyang didn’t dare to delay, immediately charging toward Liu Tao. The Demon Sect Disciples had abandoned their formations and were now hunting down the scattered disciples of the Daoist Sect.

The battle had suddenly become completely one-sided.

This was especially true for Liu Tao. Few had managed to group up with her, and she was isolated, hunted by two cultivators of the Essence Condensation Realm.

Just as she thought there was no escape, the head of one of her pursuers flew from his shoulders in a spray of blood. It was Chen Qingyang.

The other Demon Sect Disciple was horrified and turned to flee, but a sharp pain lanced through his mind. By the time he recovered, a sword was already at his throat.

After killing the two of them, he had gained 3,046 Immortal Seedlings.

With both sides’ formations in chaos, Chen Qingyang had the perfect opportunity. He was about to raise his sword to kill again when he saw a cultivator of the Essence Condensation Third Realm charging toward him.

A moment ago, Daoist Sect disciples of the same realm had been trying to corner him. But this Demon Sect cultivator was incredibly strong, and with the aid of the array, he had quickly slaughtered his opponents. Now he was hunting lower-level Daoist Sect disciples and had just targeted the isolated pair of Chen Qingyang and Liu Tao.

’Perfect timing,’ Chen Qingyang thought. ’I can harvest some more Immortal Seedlings.’

"Senior Sister, get behind me!"

Just as he was about to channel Sword Qi into his Qianxue Sword, the man suddenly stopped a hundred feet away. His expression froze, and for a long moment, he didn’t move.

Then, the man’s lips split into a bizarre grin. Just as a horrifying realization dawned on Chen Qingyang, he watched the man’s flesh and skin rapidly collapse inward until only a sheet of human skin remained. A small flame touched it, instantly burning it to ash.

A mass of black energy flowed out from the skin and was absorbed by a figure. It was none other than Zhang Jiu.

"Greetings, Senior Brother!"

Chen Qingyang read his lips. Then he watched as Zhang Jiu pulled the same trick again, killing another member of their sect.

’It seems he finds those who practice demonic techniques to be even more nourishing.’

’In the few short days since I last saw him, he’s already reached the Essence Condensation Third Realm.’