Chapter 679: My Master Is Coming—You Are All Ants

In the heavenly immortal palace, the Qingluan Imperial Residence.

The palace interior was eerily empty, with only two people seated opposite each other.

"These are all the individuals who appeared during Master Qibao's sermon. My subordinates tracked down many attendees and expended great magic power to reconstruct the entire scene. There may be some omissions—I'll have them continue investigating. General, please take a look first."

Hong Jing extended his hand and slowly unrolled a scroll upon the table.

The scroll depicted countless figures, lifelike and vivid.

Know that the Bodhisattva's sermon was an extremely solemn occasion; aside from the Puti Sect disciples, who among the others would dare to paint or sketch such a grand event?

To reconstruct the scene so completely in such a short time, relying solely on the eyewitness accounts of the cultivators, not only demonstrates the formidable strength of the Heavenly Soldiers and Generals, but also reveals just how deeply Hong Jing cares about this matter.

Primarily because of Qingluan's absurd actions toward that Bima Wen.

It had finally made Hong Jing fully understand the man's character, and the importance of that purple-bearded white dragon.

A fifth-rank immortal seal—even most noble-born immortals could only dream of obtaining one. Yet now, merely due to a faint suspicion, seeking to verify something, he had granted it to a newly ascended Merit Immortal.

Of course, Gan Qing had indeed earned merit, but this also revealed that Qingluan did not greatly value such external trappings, nor did he intend to build his own personal faction.

Otherwise, just this single act alone would have been enough to disillusion his longtime subordinates.

If that's the case…

Hong Jing finally felt moved: if he could cultivate goodwill with Qingluan, even if the latter couldn't promote him to fifth-rank General, there were still many vacant positions under his command—positions he could strive to secure for his own sect's junior disciples.

Thinking bigger, he might even gain control of a powerful force within the Immortal Court that served a fourth-rank General.

"…"

Qingluan silently cast his gaze downward, taking in every shifting, vast figure within the scroll without missing a single one.

As the Bodhisattva opened his eyes and the Buddha light first appeared, one distinguished figure after another emerged.

Until golden radiance scattered across the heavens, and a graceful shadow descended upon the mountain peak.

"Under General Qingluan Xuanwei, Princess Ziling and my colleagues have come here on behalf of my master to observe the ceremony. We pay our respects to Master Qibao."

When the familiar voice echoed in his ear, Qingluan's eyes, once as still as an ancient well, flickered imperceptibly.

He said nothing, merely continued watching.

After Princess Ziling and the Lion-Tiger Great Demon, two more arrived—a young man and woman from the Shenxu Immortal Gate, seated at the foremost position.

"Those who might pose a threat to them are probably just these."

The rest of the proceedings grew somewhat tedious, for as an Immortal General of the Sanxian Sect, neither Hong Jing nor Qingluan had any use for the Puti Sect's methods.

"Here's the issue: I've examined this several times. Neither Princess Zi Ling nor my unworthy mount have shown any sign of anomaly, indicating none of these people are known to them—no old grudges exist."

"If there must be any dispute, it's only this one, named Ye Lan, the Shenxu Shanfeng Master, who forced Princess Zi Ling to yield her seat."

"But Zi Ling is a sensible girl; even in the mortal realm, she never caused trouble for the General, and she obediently yielded the seat. Even if the Shenxu Mountain is arrogant, it wouldn't go so far as…"

As Hong Jing explained, he subtly complimented her twice, without trace.

When all had gathered, the hidden struggle between the imperial court and the Bodhisattva ensued, until Princess Ziling rose and departed from He Mountain.

"General, observe how cautious she was—she couldn't possibly have been accidentally harmed in this conflict."

Hong Jing sighed and pointed again: "The only anomaly is that after Princess Zi Ling left, Ye Lan of Shenxu Mountain also departed from He Mountain, while her junior brother remained seated—this is strange."

"But this alone proves nothing. Princess Zi Ling hails from the remote outskirts of Hongze; since ascending, she rarely descends to the mortal realm. Ye Lan, you know, has been a Shenxu Mountain disciple since childhood—they had no opportunity to ever meet, let alone form any connection."

After all, Hong Jing was a legitimate fifth-rank Immortal General, with keen observational skills.

From their expressions upon meeting, it was clear they had never known each other.

"…"

Qingluan acted as if he heard nothing, still fixed on the scroll.

He was utterly unaffected by Hong Jing's words; his gaze had remained fixed all along on the young man in the dark robe.

After a long while, he slowly lifted his head, his voice calm: "The founding ancestor of Shenxu Mountain's Dan Peak is not Ye Lan—it is Shen Yi. Why is she seated in the foremost position?"

Regarding Bihai's matter, Gan Qing was assassinated by Bai Yu Immortal, aided by a senior of Shenxu Mountain.

If I recall correctly, that person was Shen Yi.

What had previously been an incomprehensible tangle now seemed to have a faint thread of logic.

"You say this boy is the Shenxu Shanfeng Master? Of the same generation as you and me?"

Hong Jing froze, then redirected his gaze back to the man he had previously ignored: "So why?"

"I don't know," Qingluan shook his head seriously, softly: "But disguising one's identity is always a sign of ill intent."

"But that doesn't necessarily involve Princess Zi Ling," Hong Jing smirked. Shenxu Mountain is no minor force; to approach them with such a flimsy pretext for questioning would likely earn no response from their Peak Masters.

Moreover… even granting the extreme possibility that Shenxu Mountain was responsible, would Qingluan really risk a feud with them over a single mount?

If the man surnamed Shen could allow Ye Lan to sit in the foremost seat without objection, it suggests their relationship is close.

If Qingluan accuses Ye Lan, how could Shen Yi, as Peak Master, ignore it? That's impossible—there is no such tradition in the Sanxian Sect. He would surely step forward to protect this girl.

Then, a clash between the top disciples of two great immortal sects over a single mount would become a public laughingstock.

"The Great Calamity is coming, Brother Qingluan—be cautious!"

Seeing Qingluan's demeanor soften today, Hong Jing seized the opportunity, subtly changing his tone.

The so-called rebirth of heaven and earth, the turning of sun and moon.

Whenever the Great Calamity descends, it is both disaster for the world and opportunity for cultivators.

Hence, both of them find the conflict between the Puti Sect and the Divine Dynasty unremarkable—it is precisely a sign of the Calamity's onset, merely a small ripple before the vast ocean of chaos surges forth.

The Immortal Court's tacit approval is the invisible hand pushing this tide.

And Qingluan, as a renowned top disciple of the Sanxian Sect, will inevitably enter the Calamity firsthand once it erupts, to seize the elusive opportunity.

At such a moment, when all is uncertain, how could one afford to alienate another great immortal sect within the same teaching?

If the other sect learned that he had instigated this matter, Hong Jing's spine chilled.

"I understand."

Qingluan raised her eyes to look outside the hall, slightly extended her palm, and a streak of divine light swept out: "Dispatch the Qianqing Immortal General, who descends to the mortal realm by imperial decree of the Immortal Court, bringing five hundred soldiers and officers to aid the Zhengshen in subduing demons."

The moment these words fell, Hongjing's eyes had already gone wide.

One must understand that the term "Zhengshen" is not a casual form of address — they are the gods and demons born at the dawn of heaven and earth, each possessing extraordinary divine powers and the ability to be reborn from a single drop of blood, representing the order of the Great Dao and the might of the Immortal Court.

What they guard are the greatest evils of the world.

Immortal officials and generals from the other two sects normally avoid them like the plague — who would personally send their own subordinates there!

Is this to get to the truth of the matter, to the point of disregarding even one's own reputation?

"Huff…"

Hongjing slowly withdrew her palm, looking over with a hint of wariness.

The importance of that purple-maned white dragon was likely even greater than she had imagined.

……

Dananzhou, beyond the Divine Dynasty, Jiming Mountain.

Taking this mountain as the boundary, to the east lay the Xishan Prefecture, under the jurisdiction of the imperial court; to the west lay the Eight Extremes Valley, overrun by demons and evils.

Though called a valley, it had long since become a world of its own, with numerous demon forces dwelling together, faintly showing a trend of coalescing into a demon kingdom.

Jiming Mountain ranked among the Eight Extremes, being the place in the valley closest to the mortal realm; great demons did not dare approach, fearing they would become a thorn in the Immortal Court's eye, but there were also not a few demons who had had their fill of the valley's hardships and would occasionally attempt to break through the checkpoint to enjoy the mortal world's prosperity.

At this moment it was precisely noon.

A towering figure came from the foot of the mountain, steps steady, body bathed in blood, adding a few touches of baleful aura to that resplendent form.

A full five hundred soldiers and officers waited at the mountaintop, their expressions all complicated and unspeakable.

Apart from the heavenly soldiers and generals Lady Qinghua had brought from the Immortal Court, an even more towering figure stood at the mountaintop — at a rough glance, no less than thirty zhang tall.

Before it, even Lady Qinghua's Golden Body dharma-phase appeared petite.

Only, it was not in the form of a Golden Body, but rather more like a mortal-world statue — its whole body a riot of colors, as if painted with lacquer, with a green face and fangs; while terrifying in appearance, its entire being brimmed with a dense, solemn majesty.

"……"

Lady Qinghua was momentarily stunned, then cupped her fist in salute: "This subordinate, Qianqing, a from-fifth-rank Immortal General under Lord Qingluan Xuanwei, humbly welcomes the Star Lord on inspection."

The one in charge of the Eight Extremes Valley was a divine general, one of the Great White Star Lords of the heavens, presiding over slaughter and warfare, named General Qi Feng, holding a from-third-rank position.

"Mm."

General Qi Feng gave a flat response; those naturally baleful eyes swept over the crowd, then finally settled back on Lady Qinghua, lingering a moment on the bloodstains on her body, his tone giving away neither pleasure nor displeasure: "Qingluan sent you?"

"Yes." Lady Qinghua maintained her cupped-fist posture.

"Having them stand up here like wooden stakes while you alone slay demons — is that your idea?" General Qi Feng raised an eyebrow.

Lady Qinghua nodded, neither servile nor overbearing: "Yes."

"What's your reasoning?" General Qi Feng did not get angry, and continued to ask.

"There's no particular reasoning. It's just that after this subordinate made a rough survey, I felt this place was far too perilous, and it wasn't within their duties…" Before Lady Qinghua could finish, she was cut off by the Star Lord.

"You feel you've offended someone, been banished here, and dragged them down with you — and you feel guilty about it?" A glint of deeper meaning appeared in General Qi Feng's terrifying eyes.

Unexpectedly, Lady Qinghua's expression remained calm, and she cleanly denied this notion: "This subordinate does not consider this any kind of banishment, nor do I feel guilty. I simply believe they would be of no use here. Rather than sending them to their deaths for nothing, it's better to leave them here, so that if any problems are discovered, they can promptly relay the news to the various Zhengshen."

She couldn't exactly tell the other party outright that she wanted to earn more demon-lifespans for her master — besides, what she had said was indeed the truth.

At some unknown point, Lady Qinghua, in both her actions and her speech, had begun to resemble that young man in black robes more and more.

What she had not noticed was that, the instant those words fell.

The expressions of the surrounding heavenly soldiers and generals had grown considerably more complicated.

To put it bluntly, when they had received this transfer order, almost everyone had been cursing up a storm in their hearts.

As troops under General Qingluan, how could they fail to see that this Qianqing Immortal General was no "current favorite" — they themselves had simply been dragged down with her.

But at least she had secured a from-fifth-rank immortal register for herself; they, on the other hand, not only had to come here and suffer, with their lives in peril, but gained not the slightest benefit.

Yet once they truly arrived at Jiming Mountain, everything Qianqing Immortal General had done and how she had behaved was laid bare before everyone's eyes.

Subduing demons alone, one person holding the line at this checkpoint.

Even now, before a from-third-rank Zhengshen, this Immortal General had not uttered a word of complaint against Lord Qingluan, and had even deliberately used such words to cleanly wash away all responsibility from them.

"……"

Youyun Mountain let out a long breath. As a subordinate who had followed Qianqing since the time of Venerable Bihai, he now truly felt he had the luck of a dog — to have encountered such a superior.

As for Shi Yong, he frowned slightly, sensing something was not quite right.

General Qingluan had wanted to test this Bimawen, but judging by the way things were going, how had she really let this person start winning people over?

"You certainly don't mince your words." General Qi Feng finally waved his hand: "I don't care what you're thinking, whether you've offended someone, or how you arrange your subordinates. Since you've come to the Eight Extremes Valley, then do the job properly."

"If nothing goes wrong, promotion and ennoblement await, and your troubles will resolve themselves."

"If something does go wrong, you'd best bind yourself and let them escort you back up to the heavens for execution — don't make us do it."

The seemingly harsh words, however, did not make the surrounding heavenly soldiers and generals feel fear. On the contrary, including Shi Yong, looks of astonishment welled up in their eyes.

As everyone knew, the greatest trait of the Zhengshen Sect's followers was being strictly impartial and incorruptible — to put it unkindly, utterly devoid of human feeling.

But just now, this Star Lord had said something about "troubles resolving themselves" — clearly he was concerned about Qianqing Immortal General's personal affairs!

"Of course, if there's some major problem you truly cannot handle, you may speak plainly."

General Qi Feng looked down with an indifferent gaze.

Worthy of one who had ascended through merit — this little Immortal General from the heavens was indeed not bad.

But while temperament was certainly important, in a perilous place like the Eight Extremes Valley, the most important thing was still ability.

Hearing this, Youyun Mountain had already stepped forward.

Before coming, he had already done his homework: Star Lord inspections all had fixed dates. Not only did one's own people know these dates, but over the years the demons had also been able to roughly figure them out.

In other words, if one wanted to break through this checkpoint, then the period after each Star Lord inspection was completed was the best opportunity!

Don't be fooled by the fact that General Qianqing could now hold Jiming Mountain by herself alone.

The five most notorious great demons of this place have yet to show themselves even now.

Compared to merit, bowing one's head to the Star Lords at a time like this may be a bit shameful, but at least it won't cost one's life.

"This subordinate understands."

Yet Lady Qinghua's earnest words left Youyun Mountain rooted to the spot.

This is... taking the matter on?

Hearing this, General Qi Feng took one last long look at that Golden Body dharma-form, said nothing more, turned his vast, towering body, stamped hard upon Yu Shan's peak, and his boundless aura swept out savagely in all directions as his entire figure vanished from the spot in an instant.

Leaving behind only a host of celestial soldiers and generals exchanging uneasy glances.

They stared blankly at General Ganqing's back, and the surge of emotion that had just risen in their hearts was strangled into nothing in an instant.

Sure enough, rivers and mountains are easy to change but a man's nature is hard to shift — this my lord, even after having suffered a great loss, still has that bit of merit on his mind, exactly the same as when Venerable Bihai was around!

"Just where does that confidence come from?"

Even Youyun Mountain, who had the best feelings toward Lady Qinghua, couldn't help clenching his teeth at this moment, sighing helplessly in his heart.

Others might not know, but could these people not know?

A fifth-rank celestial seal is, at most, equivalent to a mid-level Taiyi Immortal; placed elsewhere it might awe the four directions, but at Cockcrow Mountain it's utterly insufficient — if two or three great demons joined forces to attack, even with all the Immortal Court's many methods, they would be hard-pressed to withstand even a single strike.

Other celestial generals, apart from their great seals, also possessed considerable personal strength.

But General Ganqing... who didn't know that without that great seal, she was nothing more than a merit-cultivating bitter-cultivator at the Dao Merging realm — not even having entered the Heavenly realm, not even reaching ninth rank!

"..."

Lady Qinghua stood with her hands at her sides, ignoring the many gazes cast from behind.

In her mind now, only that familiar, clear voice echoed.

"I'm close, on the way, wait for me."

That single short sentence added a few shades of an imperious air to the gaze with which she looked down upon the mountain below.

My lord arrives — who dares be reckless?

(End of chapter)