Chapter 707: Where is Nan Yang? I Am Protecting the Scriptures (Happy New Year, Great Ones)

Perhaps these prodigies had not concerned themselves with worldly affairs for many years, or perhaps, given their status and cultivation, they simply did not need to care about others' opinions.

Thus, those thoughts were written plainly on their faces.

The expressions of the several Peak Masters of Shenxu immediately changed; among them, Daoist Qianfeng raised an eyebrow: "If it is merely a matter of the Scripture Robbery, it is not strictly necessary for Yan Shidi Tian Dan to intervene. We..."

They must know that regarding the matter of Taixu Danhuang slaying the Green Luan, the Shenxu Mountain actually knew no more than outsiders, to the extent that up to now, they still harbored the notion of being made a scapegoat.

If Yan Shidi Tian Dan were truly peerless in the world, suppressing all fourth-rank peers of the same realm, the various Peak Masters would likely not be moved by the thoughts of these few people; but unfortunately, what these few guessed was very likely true, which made it somewhat unbearable.

"Silence."

Daoist Jin Lei glanced casually, then raised his palm again to invite this group of prodigies into the peak to rest and recuperate: "If you wish to seek out my Yan Shidi Tian Dan, you may go to the Fifth Peak. The junior Ye Lan has a good relationship with him; ask her about anything."

"Thank you for your hospitality."

The prodigies clasped their hands in return; they happened to need a quiet place to discuss great matters, so they no longer declined and flew straight into the Dan Peak.

"Senior Brother, why do you stop me?"

Once there were no outsiders present, Daoist Qianfeng clenched his fist with some grievance: "This is merely bringing shame upon the reputation of our Shenxu Mountain for no reason. It is true that Yan Shidi Tian Dan is young, but we are not embroidered pillows. It is just a matter of robbing scriptures; who would fear that group of thieving monks?"

His cultivation was two thousand three hundred tribulations; although not as high as these prodigies, he was much older, possessed numerous techniques and magical treasures, and had rich experience in magical combat. If they truly fought, he would not necessarily lose to them.

"Show off."

Daoist Jin Lei looked at him indifferently. Since Mu Yang and his father had not yet returned and were completely out of contact, this had already confirmed his thoughts in his heart.

Tian Dan was absolutely not the junior these people imagined; at the very least, he was a prodigy no worse than those present.

Looking again at the attitude of their Master when he last awoke, he was surely determined to promote Tian Dan. In that case, how could this group of them snatch the spotlight from the other party? They must keep a low profile, work silently, and do their utmost to assist.

"Even if we do not intervene, we must at least go and take a look."

Daoist Jinxue stood up, which was rare; such a major event had not occurred in the Immortal Sects for a long time.

According to common sense, for a calamity involving the entire world, the Ancestor of one's own lineage should have come forward to manage the situation long ago; unfortunately, their Master was different from other Great Luo Immortal Venerables, sleeping for long periods and not concerning himself with worldly affairs.

If they also stood aside with folded arms, then Shenxu Mountain would truly be completely excluded.

By the time the order of heaven and earth was re-established, they would likely be left far behind by the immortal lineages of their fellow disciples.

Hearing this, Daoist Jin Lei no longer objected, nodding slightly: "Very well."

During the discussion among the many Peak Masters.

The Dan Peak above was also quite lively.

These prodigies looked at Ye Lan without any sense of contempt; the other party had been famous in the Sanxian Sect long ago as a third-generation disciple and was highly regarded, but later, for some unknown reason, she gradually disappeared from sight.

Now, she had even lost her position as a Peak Master of Shenxu Mountain.

If this great calamity had been delayed by a few hundred years, until this young girl reached the fourth rank, with her talent she would not be lower than two thousand five hundred tribulations and would also be qualified to walk side by side with them.

Unfortunately, there are no ifs in the world.

One step late, every step late.

The fact that the other party failed to catch this final moment meant she was fated to miss the great calamity and would henceforth blend into the crowd.

"Why has Taixu Danhuang not returned?"

"..."

Ye Lan fell silent for a moment; when she received the letter from the mountain, she had not thought at all about notifying Shen Yi.

First, the other party was refining pills, and it was inappropriate to disturb him; second, she knew better than anyone that Shen Yi and the Puti Sect had a great grudge, and Shenxu Laozu might not truly treat Shen Yi well, so the other party had no reason to fight for Shenxu Mountain.

Furthermore, given her own uncle's identity as an official of the imperial court's Zhan Yao Si, regarding this Scripture Robbery matter, the imperial court would most likely have to rely on this Nan Yang General to act.

"My uncle is wandering the immortal wilds, seeking heavenly and earthly treasures to refine pills; it is truly impossible to contact him." She clasped her hands and replied respectfully.

"Hiss, almost forgot."

Perhaps this person was famous for slaying the Green Luan.

Only then did everyone realize that for Taixu Danhuang, the Dao of Pills was his main profession, while magical combat was merely a secondary pursuit.

Whether true or false, it was at least a plausible reason, not enough to let the Puti Sect look down upon the Sanxian Sect.

"Enough, enough."

Someone waved his hand and turned to ask: "How much longer until Daoist Lady Tiandong arrives?"

A neighboring prodigy shook his head helplessly: "Baohua Xianzi said she is unwilling to get involved in these matters; if she has time later, she might come over to take a look."

"This..." Everyone's faces changed abruptly.

They must know that although they now looked confident, the Great Arhats specifically chosen by the Puti Sect were each cultivating a top-ten fruit position, and when they reached the fourth rank, they had taken a very extraordinary path.

Moreover, there was the Great Ming King who subdued dragons and tigers, whose depth was unknown.

If he could be entrusted with the task of the Jin Chan Luo Han, he could not possibly be any worse.

Now, Taixu Danhuang does not appear, and Lady Lady Tiandong Xianzi has politely refused.

Relying solely on themselves, their chances of victory were not high.

Usually, each one's show of force overshadowed the heavens; yet when it truly came time to fight, they all shrank their heads back in.

"Heh, she is quite clever."

Xuanwu of Mount Tianwu suddenly sneered, instantly understanding the thoughts of Lady Lady Tiandong Xianzi: "She wants to eat the fruit of this great calamity but is unwilling to soil her pure hands."

If everyone acted like her, where would there be any so-called great calamity?

Unfortunately, I do not need such empty fame; relying solely on the Dao Sword at my waist, I can slaughter through the world's cultivators, demons, and monsters, absorb the red dust's fortune, ascend to the third rank, and seize the supreme position of the world's Immortal Emperor!

"No need to wait any longer."

Daoist Xuanwu turned and left the mountain-top courtyard, heading straight west.

Those who are bound and restricted will ultimately achieve nothing.

First, slay the Arhats outside the Divine Dynasty; unify the young prodigies of the Immortal Sects; then drive great demons to invade the Divine Dynasty, letting ten million living beings die first; finally, use the Dao Sword to protect the four Dazhou and swallow the imperial qi of that ignorant red dust.

Such a simple matter, why make it so complicated?

"..."

The remaining heavenly geniuses fell silent, each with their own thoughts.

Some were worried, while others were dissatisfied with Xuan Wu's presumptuous stance of taking the lead; after all, they had only taken a few more steps within the fourth-rank realm. Once they truly entered the third rank, who was stronger and who was weaker remained to be seen.

But regardless, to intercept this great Buddhist scripture, they could only rely on the other party now.

Thinking thus, the crowd followed closely behind and swept out of Shenxu Mountain together.

Divine Dynasty, Da Nanzhou.

A solemn voice came from within the hall.

"We must block them outside the Twenty-Seven Prefectures!" Several titled generals looked out of the hall, filled with indignation.

They could not interfere with matters in the other three great continents, but that group of Arhats absolutely could not enter Da Nanzhou. If that great sedan chair for transmitting the Dharma truly traversed the Southern Continent, causing the imperial qi to tremble, it would only make it increasingly difficult for Zhan Yao Si and the imperial court to conduct their affairs, plunging them into an unspeakable passive position.

"Who will go to block them?"

Yang Mingli sat quietly behind the desk. Though he seemed to ask a question, there was not a single ripple in those cloudy eyes; he had no intention of receiving an answer, and it felt more like a mockery.

The many titled generals all stepped forward together, words of accepting the order nearly slipping out, but upon meeting the eyes of Lord Yang, they suddenly remembered something and all fell into hesitation.

The Puti Sect's mission to transmit the Dharma was known not only to the Immortal Gates, the imperial court, and the common people, but also to that group of demons and monsters.

Anyone who was not a Bai Chi could guess that although the imperial court could not refuse, it would surely find a way to sabotage the matter.

But precisely because of this, the internal defenses were empty, presenting a perfect opportunity to attack!

Previously at Songfeng Prefecture, the demon race seemed to have suffered heavy losses, but with eight fourth-rank demon immortals, when divided among the three great demon families, each side lost fewer than three, far from a state of rout.

Organizing another similar attack was certainly no problem.

Moreover, having learned from the previous experience, the great demons would never again throw all their powerful ones into a single prefecture; they would surely split up and scatter, breaking through from all directions.

"To take a step back ten thousand paces."

Yang Mingli reached out and flipped through the Immortal List: "Once you leave the Divine Dynasty, without the imperial qi to suppress you, in front of those heavenly geniuses and high-rank Arhats, can you still truly be considered fourth-rank cultivators?"

"..."

Everyone's faces changed again, helplessness mixed with a touch of bitterness.

Who was like Lord Yang? In such a situation, he was actually crushing his own people's morale; it was truly detestable!

"I will go."

Just then, Lady Lady Feng Xi slowly rose and walked towards the hall's exit.

As a third-rank powerhouse, dealing with a group of high-rank Arhats and Taiyi Zhenxian was completely more than enough.

Yang Mingli did not even lift an eyelid: "If you want to go, I will not stop you; I just want to remind you that there are many people outside waiting for you."

Those Bodhisattvas and Great Luo Immortal Venerables, and even figures like the Southern Emperor, perhaps held themselves too high in status to easily take risks.

But if the opportunity was right, and with no damage to themselves, being able to slay a third-rank powerhouse of the Divine Dynasty, they probably would not mind making a move.

It could even be said that if Lady Lady Feng Xi died, the cost would be no different from the Puti Sect successfully transmitting the Dharma.

"After you die, with Yan Lanting severely injured, only I will be left to guard Da Nanzhou... very well, let's see how far we can go."

Yang Mingli finally mocked without concealment, though the object of his mockery seemed to include himself as well.

Not only did his subordinates dislike him, but he also disliked his own habit of overthinking.

He wanted to think everything through clearly in advance, wishing to calculate every single step ahead, but the more he thought, the more he felt there was no chance of victory.

It would be better to be like Feng and Yan, simply throwing caution to the wind and playing a gamble, losing both Da Nanzhou and their lives, which would at least be a relief.

"Then what should be done?"

The titled generals looked at each other, suddenly remembering something, and turned to look at Lord Feng: "Nanyang!"

Lady Lady Feng Xi felt the gaze coming from behind but did not turn back; a touch of emotion gradually welled up on her graceful face.

In such a situation, though fraught with extreme danger, there was actually only one person who could break the deadlock.

General Wushan sighed: "Lord Feng tried long ago. Back then, I returned to Jin Guang Prefecture, and Ye Lan was called back by Shenxu Mountain. Only General Nanyang remained at Jianyang Prefecture refining pills, but by the time I returned to find him, he was already gone, busy with something unknown, and we simply could not reach him."

"..."

Yang Mingli slowly closed the Immortal Register in his hand. Since Lady Lady Feng Xi was willing to volunteer without mentioning Nanyang, he had probably already guessed.

According to the rules, a titled general leaving without notice and suddenly losing contact was a grave crime.

Furthermore, using common sense, the other party likely anticipated this matter but was unwilling to take the risk, so they quietly left to temporarily avoid the storm.

Yang Mingli was unwilling to treat that young man with such malicious speculation and simply became too lazy to think further.

After all...

Even if General Nanyang left the Divine Dynasty directly and never returned, he was still a great merit-holder who once defended Songfeng Prefecture and had been utterly loyal to the Divine Dynasty.

"Everyone disperse, that's all."

Yang Mingli waved his hand casually, leaned back into his chair, and began to feign sleep with his eyes closed.

Only the twilight aura on his body suddenly grew much heavier, as if he were a dying person.

"Not going to do anything?" Lady Lady Feng Xi turned to look back.

"Cannot do anything," Yang Mingli replied calmly. One who eats the ruler's salary must bear the ruler's worries, but the tasks the Human Emperor must undertake are too great; I truly do not have that ability. At worst, I will return a life to the imperial court, defending the Southern Continent to the death, holding out as long as possible.

"Is there still a turning point?" Lady Lady Feng Xi took a deep breath.

"Yes."

Yang Mingli turned his head, looking weary: "The Sanxian Sect will not sit idly by and watch this happen; let them fight it out."

Matters of the Divine Dynasty ultimately could only place all hope on outsiders, and these outsiders were enemies rather than friends.

How great a blow this complete powerlessness, unable to intervene at all, was for a third-rank powerhouse, was self-evident.

He was truly a bit tired.

West of Da Nanzhou, outside the Divine Dynasty.

From that Mount Sumeru, from the boundless earth, a colossal object that could block the sky and obscure the sun slowly rose into view.

It was about four thousand zhang long and two thousand zhang wide, divided into three tiers.

The lowest tier was a nine-colored lotus throne; the middle tier was a floating painting of seven seas and seven mountains; the topmost tier was a treasure pagoda, within whose spire lay a small box, radiating ten thousand zhang of rosy light, drawing the attention of the entire world.

Rather than calling it a lotus throne palanquin, it looked more like a small city.

And this object was being carried forward, supported by four towering figures.

On the left were two white elephants treading upon mountains and rivers; on the right were two green lions with fierce, snarling faces.

Seated upon the elephants and lions were four equally towering Luo Han Golden Bodies; they stretched out their arms and, forming four corners, forcibly lifted this lotus throne palanquin.

These beasts were not demonic mounts, nor even living creatures; they were the materialized forms of their Great Fruit Attainments.

And in front of the palanquin, four figures were likewise arranged in formation.

A Suanni led the way, followed by a running wolf.

Another four Great Fruit Arhats sat with arms crossed, their calm gazes fixed straight ahead.

As they moved forward, every step their mounts took covered a distance of a thousand zhang.

Thus, they advanced steadily toward the front.

Only after crossing the mountain ranges and the great river, when the ground beneath them gradually turned into a desolate wasteland, did they stop in unison, as if waiting for something.

Not long after, a streak of golden light descended from the sky.

It crashed down onto the palanquin with a boom.

The arriving figure stood as tall as a great mountain; dragon and lion heads swayed upon his shoulders, and from between his muscular back, four arms protruded slightly, each palm seeming to contain the divine power to cleave open heaven and earth.

He sat cross-legged beneath the treasure pagoda, amidst the seven layers of mountains and seven layers of seas.

His palms rested quietly and flat upon his knees.

Merely sitting there, he exuded a majestic aura that could swallow mountains and rivers, causing evil spirits to retreat!

The eight Great Fruit Arhats looked on in unison; upon sensing that immense karmic tribulation force, the doubt in their eyes instantly vanished.

With this Golden Body presiding, how could He Chou fail to tread across the Four Continents and let the Buddha's voice of the Puti Sect resound throughout the Divine Dynasty!

"We pay our respects to the Great Ming King who subdues dragons and tigers!"

The white elephants and vicious lions knelt, bending their knees; the Suanni and the running wolf all turned back; the eight Great Fruit Arhats, without exception, pressed their palms together and bowed in worship toward the figure above.

"..."

The Great Ming King said nothing, gazing only toward the top of the treasure pagoda.

Indeed, his guess was correct; to reflect upon the world, a fake could not accomplish it. Judging by this Buddha light, the scripture within must be the true sutra without a doubt.

(End of this chapter)