Chapter 1771: All Pieces Fall Into Place (III)

Shanji.

Wind and clouds gathered overhead as water and fire pressed against one another. A gray haze hung over the plains, leaving everything dim and devoid of light. The glow of the grand formation stood before them like glazed crystal, yet brought not the slightest sense of security. A man stood motionless among the mountains, his head lowered.

He was tall, with gaunt cheeks. Even with his head bowed, there was still something dark and brooding about his expression. He stood there alone, holding a jade flask as though he had merely come to refill the tea. It was none other than Kong Xiaxiang, gate master of the Profound Peak Gate.

Beside him, sitting by a jade-like table giving off a white glow, Kong Tingyun gazed into the distant sky at the shifting wind and clouds without saying a word. A pale-white jade pendant rested on the table, brightening and dimming, then dimming and brightening again.

Even though the fighting in the southern sky was fierce, churning without end like flood dragons amid the clouds, and the jade pendant had signaled her again and again, her expression did not change in the slightest.

Kong Xiaxiang, however, gritted his teeth. After hesitating for a long time, he finally said softly, "Daoist Master... Up there..."

Kong Tingyun remained silent. Her gaze was not directed toward the sky. Instead, it passed through the dense layers of forest and settled on the stone steps winding through the mountain. Kong Tingyun's eyes gradually turned cold, and her expression grew increasingly indifferent.

A blue-robed youth was walking up the mountain. Lively eyes twinkled in a relaxed expression as he strolled with his hands clasped behind his back, a smile on his face.

But the instant that face entered Kong Xiaxiang's sight, he froze. The middle-aged man began trembling uncontrollably, and faint sloshing sounds came from the jade flask in his hand. Fear and hatred, impossible to suppress, flashed like lightning from his eyes.

It was Daoist Master Yehui, Bai Ziyu.

The Daoist Master strolled over as casually as though walking through his own courtyard. He glanced at Kong Tingyun, then naturally shifted his gaze to Kong Xiaxiang's face and suddenly broke into a smile.

For an instant, Kong Xiaxiang felt dazed. Before him stood the chief culprit behind the collapse of the Profound Peak Gate, the Daoist Master who had slaughtered more Kong Family disciples than anyone else. The hatred in his heart was almost impossible to contain, yet reason told him that he still had to keep his expression under control. He could only lower his eyes with a strained expression, but how could that possibly fool Yehui?

Seeing him lower his head, a trace of mockery appeared on the Daoist Master's face. "Fellow Daoist, you certainly seem at ease. The fighting outside is shaking heaven and earth, yet here you sit entirely untroubled."

Yehui was the Profound Peak Gate's greatest enemy, so naturally Kong Tingyun showed him not the slightest warmth.

But Yehui merely smiled and said, "Fellow Daoist Kong, I am acting under orders from the Pavilion of Profound Order. I ask that you join me in taking action to resolve this crisis and resume the attack on Yufu."

Kong Tingyun swept him with a cold glance and replied, "Fellow Daoist may deal with it yourself."

Kong Tingyun was no fool. Gongsun Bei and Helian Wujiang were already fighting outside, and Murong Yan was there as well. There was no need for her, Kong Tingyun, to intervene.

But the southern side now regarded her as a thorn in their flesh. If she rashly left the mountain and there was an ambush waiting, it would surely be aimed at her! Yehui was clearly hoping she would leave the mountain. His talk of orders from the Pavilion of Profound Order was merely a pretext to test her while harboring harmful intentions!

Thus, she remained unmoved and sat quietly on the mountain. Yehui nodded in interest. Of course he understood that the enmity between their two sides could no longer be resolved. Gathering his sleeves, he turned to leave, thinking calmly, In the end, only one of us can survive. I would like to see how you struggle to stay alive once the conflict between north and south is over and the Pavilion of Profound Order casts you aside like a worn-out shoe...

He then rose into the air and stepped into the great void. Before long, he saw water and fire surging violently, Jade True manifesting, and flickering Purple Essence rising through the air. Gongsun Bei, wielding a crimson axe, and Liu Bai, now the Protector-General of Stillness Sea, were still locked in fierce battle, stirring up endless waves!

Among all the kings, only the King of Wei was subject to the fewest restraints. His domain was practically a state within the state; it had become a land untouched by Cultivation and Martiality. The other kings were all subject to strict control and received considerable attention from Cultivation and Martiality, while the office of Protector-General was comparable to that of a great general.

This former Daoist Master Zhusheng, now the Protector-General of Stillness Sea, held an important post in the Song court, donned armor and commanded troops, and enjoyed the powerful favor of the Star of Cultivation and Martiality. He was already completely different from before!

He stood high in the sky, the great banners behind him whipping freely in the wind, arrayed into water and fire. The surging light of Cultivation and Martiality pouring down from the heavens transformed into the mystics of True Essence and empowered his dharma body, leaving Gongsun Bei looking solemn.

Liu Bai cultivated the [Jade True] Dao, which was exceptionally compatible with [True Essence]. He was also a cultivator who had attained three divine abilities and practiced the Sword Dao. With the mystics of True Essence empowering him, his might was truly astonishing! Not only did he steadily suppress Gongsun Bei, he even had time to intervene and restrain Helian Wujiang. If not for him, the minor cultivators of the south could never have contained the Buddhist cultivators of Shanji!

Nearby, Murong Yan and Ning Wan were locked in a fierce battle. This Valley Water cultivator clearly surpassed Ning Wan in strength, but Ning Wan not only held that terrifying frost blade in her arms, she was also surrounded by formation flags resembling white sparrows. Although the Formation Dao genius could not defeat him, her ever-changing array of formations firmly kept him tied down.

Whenever Murong Yan tried to break through, Ning Wan would immediately grip the Frosty Absolute Sword, forcing him to behave himself at once. After seeing the situation clearly, he simply went along with it and began dragging the fight out halfheartedly.

Even with Gongsun Bei's extraordinary strength, he could not help cursing inwardly, If the [Radiant Light Separate Rite Treasure Platform] had not been taken back, how could they possibly be allowed to run rampant here?!

Although Gongsun Bei was extremely powerful, he was poorly equipped, unlike Tinglan and Ning Wan, who were both heirs of the Supreme Yang Dao lineage. Liu Bai had also acquired an extraordinarily mysterious jade ring, leaving Gongsun Bei unable to bring his full strength to bear and deeply frustrated.

Yet even so, the southern side's position was becoming increasingly precarious. The most dangerous front was against Helian Wujiang and Helian Wumeng. Lingu Lanying and Daoist Master Wenqing had only recently advanced to the Purple Mansion Realm, yet the battle-hardened Helian Wumeng alone was enough to tie both of them down.

Daoist Master Xianyao, who had rushed over from the sea, was faring even worse against Helian Wujiang, being driven back again and again with a pale face and finding himself in dire straits. If Liu Bai had not occasionally come to their aid, their battle line would have collapsed long ago!

Even though they had barely managed to stabilize the situation, they were no longer in any position to besiege Shanji. They had already been forced back tens of kilometers into Yufu Prefecture!

Yet at precisely this moment, a dense white radiance emerged between heaven and earth as scattered purple rain drifted through the air. The youth arrived bearing the light, a smile on his face, his voice resounding throughout the great void, "[Eastern Feather Mountain]!"

The enormous white mountain abruptly moved, rumbling as it emerged from the great void. Ning Wan sharply raised her head, and her heart instantly turned cold.

Yehui is here...

The current situation was already fraught with danger. How could they possibly withstand the sudden intervention of a mid-stage Purple Mansion Realm cultivator?!

What is more... Ch'i Lanyan is still nowhere to be seen. Now that Yehui has arrived, how could Ch'i Lanyan possibly be far away?

She had only taken a single step back when Murong Yan suddenly attacked. The human skin that had concealed him for so long abruptly fell away, and the light of [Valley Water] surged forth, sweeping aside the surrounding restraints of cold qi as it rushed straight toward her face.

Clearly, although Murong Yan had been watching the situation and keeping his stance deliberately ambiguous, the moment he saw Yehui make a move, he concluded that reinforcements from the Pavilion of Profound Order had arrived. He immediately attacked to pin Ning Wan down, hoping to secure an even greater victory.

Ning Wan's expression turned solemn. She decisively placed one hand on the longsword and drew it in a flash!

The sword was black and white, engraved with patterns of Supreme Yin ascending through the firmament. It had a short hilt and a long blade, bearing the image of heaven and earth joining in harmony. The [Frosty Absolute Sword] erupted with power, its brilliant, star-like blade pointing straight toward the heavens!

Clang!

The [Frosty Absolute Sword] was not a pure spirit sword, but a sword meant for casting spells and invoking curses. Billowing frost and snow surged toward him, and Murong Yan's expression changed drastically. In an instant, all of his divine abilities contracted inward as dark gray light enveloped his body.

[Dawnless Deceit]!

Yet as all of his divine abilities contracted and turned into a painted skin that fell away, the longsword shot into the sky, transforming into a pure white radiance that pierced heaven and earth before crashing into the massive flying mountain surging toward them.

Boom!

Pale-white currents of air came crashing down like falling boulders. The light of frost and snow, condensed to its utmost limit, had turned a ghastly white, faintly mixed with streaks of dark light that had changed color under extreme compression. In an instant, the enormous flying mountain was split cleanly in two and reduced to drifting ash by a single strike!

The terrifying light of frost and snow even made Gongsun Bei and Liu Bai turn to look, surprise showing on both their faces.

The [Frosty Absolute Sword]... truly lives up to its reputation...

But as the pale-faced Ning Wan came to a halt in midair, there was nothing behind the flying mountain. Yehui's figure had dispersed like the wind, then silently emerged behind the purple-robed woman who was struggling to hold off Helian Wumeng's weapon.