Chapter 317: Beheading

In the Hall of Utmost Virtue

Numerous True Persons of the Tongshan lineage gathered together.

Two of the second-generation ancestors also arrived, while another was wandering in the void beyond the realm and projected a wisp of divine sense to join the gathering.

The Tongshan Dao lineage originally had twelve second-generation disciples, three of whom perished in the ancient war.

Nine second-generation ancestors remained.

Of these nine second-generation ancestors, five had ascended thousands of years ago, becoming the solid backing of the Tongshan Dao lineage beyond the realm.

Two others were roaming the void beyond the realm.

Among them, two guarded the Tongshan Dao lineage: one was the Zi Dian Ancestor, the other the Qing Yuan Ancestor.

The third-generation disciples were numerous, traceable back to ten thousand years; some had followed their masters to ascend, while others wandered beyond the realm.

The second-generation ancestor of the Slay Demon lineage was named Chu Fa Zhenren, currently wandering beyond the realm, and this time he projected an incarnation to join the gathering.

The second-generation ancestor currently overseeing the Tongshan Dao lineage is Daoist Jue Ming under the Qing Yuan Ancestor.

This is a third-generation ancestor.

His attainment of the Dao predates Slay Demon True Lord by far; his cultivation spans tens of thousands of years, making him a true living fossil.

"Steady and solemn"!

At this moment he sat upon the main seat in the Hall of Utmost Virtue, his countenance calm, allowing the many Tongshan Daoists to deliberate.

Soon after, Zi Dian Ancestor let out a cold snort.

Upon hearing his voice, the many Tongshan cultivators engaged in heated discussion immediately fell silent, their gazes turning toward him.

At this moment, Daoist Jue Ming's face showed a hint of a smile, his gaze toward Zi Dian Ancestor as he spoke.

"I do not know what thoughts Zi Dian Uncle-Master holds?"

Zi Dian Ancestor's gaze swept over the crowd, and he spoke calmly.

"Our Tongshan lineage bears a blood feud with the Jun King; back then, we twelve master-brothers lost our second and third elder brothers in the ancient war, which is tantamount to perishing at Jun's hand!"

"Whether his true form returns or merely his remnant spirit, this debt must be repaid!"

Among the eight lineages, many True Persons hearing this nodded silently to themselves.

Compared to other lineages worrying that Qian Gan would use the Jun King's golden person to let the Sacred King hold court, the Tongshan Dao lineage was not particularly concerned.

How could the Sacred King be so easily born?

In the view of the Tongshan cultivators, Qian Hai True Lord at most used the Jun King's golden person to gain some advantage for himself, seeking a prospect of ascending to the celestial gates.

What the Tongshan Dao lineage truly worries about is Qian Hai True Lord summoning the Jun King's remnant spirit, fearing the risk of inviting a wolf into the house.

Should such an ancient god-demon remnant spirit return, resurrection would be but a step away.

Yet the Tongshan Dao lineage does not fear the Jun King's resurrection.

The Tongshan Dao lineage's inheritance is ancient; even the founding ancestor, Great Yu King, is but a trifle, and the second-generation ancestors are not stagnant—they have long since accomplished their Dao.

Even if the Jun King were to return in his prime state and meet the Tongshan Dao lineage, it would be a gift to them, at most costing a little effort.

But to annihilate the enemy in his budding state is naturally the most effortless.

Daoist Jue Ming nodded and said.

"Uncle-Master Zi Dian's words are exactly the meaning of my master and myself; since Jun has already perished, there is no need for him to return!"

His gaze swept over the seated Daoists, then lingered on Slay Demon True Lord as he smiled and said.

"Slay Demon Junior Sister, shall I leave this to you?"

Many True Persons also turned their gazes toward her; Slay Demon True Lord smiled faintly.

"Good, then I shall make the move!"

This she had actually anticipated long ago, after all, Zhang Jian remains within Qian Gan.

If entrusted to other Tongshan Dao lineage members, should they fail to coordinate, conflict might arise with the Slay Demon lineage, and she would naturally not allow anyone to affect Zhang Jian's prospects.

By her taking the lead, she can decide for herself, which is indeed better.

This senior brother of the sect leader, who is always meticulous and shrewd as a ghost, will certainly not overlook this point.

……

Bei Chu, Yuan Chi Pass

This is the Bei Chu ancient pass, also the final barrier of Guangyuan City; passing through here allows one to overlook the entire Guangyuan City, taking in the newly risen metropolis of Bei Chu, which has stood for hundreds of years.

Before Yuan Chi Pass, at this moment armies gathered like clouds, over a million troops assembled here, the blood-killing aura surging to the heavens, permeating the firmament.

The thick blood-killing aura coiled upon the earth, causing even many accomplished cultivators of exalted spirits to change color.

Under such a shroud of killing aura, fierce blood energy surging to the heavens, the fierce blood energy river opposing them—even these immortals who have attained longevity find their spirit circulation impaired, their mana severely suppressed.

Many mighty techniques cannot be unleashed at all!

As long as the elite troops within the formation shout in unison, they can disperse the power of the techniques.

In the great camp, Qian Hai True Lord also observed the qi, his gaze sweeping over the majestic divine pass, his eyes rippling.

Yuan Chi Pass has already gathered many Bei Chu cultivators, their foundations fully revealed; there are two cultivators whose Dao cultivation fears not to be inferior to him, likely the two great True Persons long worshipped by the Bei Chu generations.

Qian Hai True Lord did not take these two to heart at this moment.

These two merely cause him to divert a bit of his attention.

This is still considering that they can summon dragon qi!

The Bei Chu dragon vein remains above normal levels; if fully unleashed, it would still cause him some disturbance, possibly affecting progress.

"If Dao Brother Dong Shen were here, it would save much trouble!"

Qian Hai True Lord could not help but silently think this in his heart.

But the Dong Shen Church Ancestor has been held back, also in the deep wilderness contending for Qian Gan, doing his utmost to detain the exalted ones in the sacred mountains and holy lands.

These years, had it not been for the Dong Shen Church Ancestor working behind the scenes, Qian Gan might not have persisted to this day, and the Jun King's golden person might not have been successfully refined.

Gan Hai Zhenjun shook off some distracting thoughts in his mind, a chill flashing in his eyes as his gaze fell upon the depths of Guangyuan City.

Capture the bandit by capturing their leader first.

This principle is known to others, and Gan Hai Zhenjun is also aware of it.

Actually, his main target should be the Northern Chu Dragon Vein.

However, the Northern Chu Dragon Vein must not come to harm, so for now the target is only the Northern Chu Emperor.

"But this could also be a deadly trap..."

Gan Hai Zhenjun's eyes flickered, yet he still decided to give it a try.

He believed that the strong cultivators of other immortal sect lineages would not react so quickly, and even if there were an ambush, their strength would likely be insufficient.

That is his opportunity!

The moment is now ripe; even if he fails, it will not affect the subsequent siege army, and might even create an opportunity for An Ruoming!

With a flash of thought, Gan Hai Zhenjun merely sent a message to Chaomu, then vanished into the army.

Meanwhile, on the other side, Chaomu felt his scalp go numb.

A Son of Heaven possesses dragon aura protecting his body, with a hundred gods attending his carriage—how could he be so easily killed?

In his view, Gan Hai Zhenjun's action is too reckless.

In this confrontation, Great Qian has already gained the upper hand; there is no need to take such a perilous risk.

As long as they steadily attack and break through Yuanchi Pass, they will soon be able to devour Northern Chu.

……

Not long after, Zhang Jian, far away in Haojing City, suddenly felt a stir in his heart; though his gaze reached only so far, he saw in the depths of the north, and above the heavens, the stars shifting and turning, karmic fire blazing, spreading toward the direction where the Northern Chu capital lay.

A dragon aura of crimson hue suddenly let out a mournful cry, and he saw an imperial star begin to tremble, on the verge of falling.

Simultaneously, boundless and vast qi mechanism flowed from above Guangyuan City, like a massive stone dropped into a calm lake, stirring up boundless waves.

"This is..."

Zhang Jian's eyes flickered—this was someone attempting to assassinate the imperial carriage.