Chapter 773: Beizhou Bestows Treasures

Upon hearing this.

The Elder of Mount Tianwu hesitated, for being caught speaking ill of someone behind their back was inevitably awkward.

But soon, he sneered: “Hmph! If you’re awake, why not come out? Do you expect us to come fetch you ourselves?”

“What an air of superiority!”

“Elder Tianwu, please don’t be angered—my master is hindered by a cultivation barrier and cannot come to greet you. Please, follow us.”

Master Jin Xue quickly took the lead, respectfully guiding everyone out of the hall.

“We’ve gathered here today to hear the sect’s decree. Tianwu, stop making baseless trouble.”

It was Elder Yu Chi who rose first, gently reprimanding Elder Tianwu.

The Three Immortals Sect has always been weak in Dananzhou; Nan Xumí never regarded us as worthy of notice, and made no place for us in the grand design of this tribulation.

Now that a decree has come from Beizhou, perhaps there’s still a chance—if we turn on each other now, Dananzhou will truly be devoured whole by Nan Xumí.

“Pfft.”

Elder Tianwu curled his lip; he’d merely seized the moment to stir trouble to ease his earlier embarrassment, and now that a ladder had been offered, he gladly climbed down.

The other elders all smiled knowingly—they were well aware of his longstanding feud with Shen Xu Mountain.

After all, his favored disciple, Qing Luan, had been slain by a disciple of Shen Xu Mountain.

But matters of urgency came first; everything else could wait.

“Please, Master He Xian, come to Shen Xu Mountain for a discussion.”

Master Jin Xue stepped outside the hall and bowed deeply toward the cloud-capped peak.

White clouds parted, revealing a slender figure.

It appeared to be nothing more than an ordinary crane, utterly devoid of divine aura, yet astonishingly beautiful and clean.

So clean that… even amid an immortal mountain, it gave the impression of a refined scholar from the city accidentally stepping into muddy countryside fields.

The other elders nodded slightly toward it, a token of respect, yet none spoke to it.

Primarily because their statuses were awkwardly mismatched.

In cultivation base, all were ranked as Third Rank Great Luo Immortal Lords; in status, they were genuine disciples of the Three Immortals Sect, while it was merely a servant under a Great Immortal.

Its master, True Person Qing Guang Cave, was a Second Rank Hunyuan Great Luo Golden Immortal—his stature was too exalted to be disrespected.

Yet to force these lords of immortal sects to kowtow and fawn over a mere servant? They all felt deeply odd about it.

The white crane seemed unconcerned.

It held a small golden-silk pouch in its beak; upon hearing the request, it spread its wings slightly and floated gently onto the main peak of Shen Xu Mountain, encircled by eight other peaks.

“Ladies and gentlemen, please enter.”

The peak masters led the way through long corridors to a alchemy chamber, before a sealed vermilion door.

Once the elders had taken their positions.

They quietly stepped back, their earlier reverence and smiles vanishing instantly—now they all looked tense, palms slick with sweat, silent as they stared at Master Qian Feng.

The Elder of Shen Xu Mountain had already perished in Jianyang Prefecture.

With so many senior disciples gathered here, and the He Xian Master from Beizhou himself present, trying to deceive them was harder than ascending to heaven.

If the truth came out, we have no path today but to die on Shen Xu Mountain.

“...”

Qian Feng forced calm, yet his palms inside his sleeves were clenched tight.

He cast a bitter smile toward his junior disciples.

That voice had instructed him thus—he could only obey. As for what the voice intended, how could he possibly know?

“Enough of this charade. We’ve come here in person—do you still intend to play the mystic?”

Elder Tianwu frowned, staring at the vermilion door, and swept his sleeve with force.

In the next instant, gray mist coalesced, and a clear voice emerged from within.

“I dare not. I merely heard there was urgent business to discuss, so I remained silent, listening respectfully to the Immortal Master’s decree.”

The words were harmless, even humble—but every face in the room changed at once.

That voice was unmistakably young—how could it be that old worm?

Master Qian Feng and the peak masters trembled.

They had never imagined their new elder would refuse even to disguise his voice.

While the other elders remained silent, Elder Tianwu no longer looked at the vermilion door—he turned to the peak masters and said coldly: “Who is inside?”

“It’s...”

Master Qian Feng opened his mouth, sweat already beading on his brow.

Though he held the cultivation of a Fourth Rank Taiyi True Immortal, he now felt as if daggers pricked his back—fearing one wrong word would see his body shredded to dust.

Fortunately, the clear voice from the gray mist spoke again.

“My Dao name is Tian Dan.”

Normally, a second-generation disciple newly initiated would be too insignificant for these immortal lords to remember.

But this one was an exception.

Before the words had fully faded, Elder Yu Chi lifted his eyelids: “The Great Immortal of the Shen Xu Elixir?”

Among all the young generation of Dananzhou, his mystery surpassed all others—even surpassing the Bodhi Sect’s Dragon Subduing and Tiger Taming Great Ming Wang, for the latter had at least appeared beyond the Beiliu River, while this one had merely summoned a single Shen Xu Realm.

The white crane, whose head had been slightly raised, now lowered it again, set down the golden-silk pouch, and calmly preened its feathers.

“You, a mere junior, are mocking us?”

Elder Tianwu’s voice grew low, his eyes flicking over the shifting expressions of the Shen Xu disciples, then turning back, his demeanor once again brimming with malice.

Everyone knew his disciple Qing Luan had died at the hands of this Great Immortal of the Shen Xu Elixir.

“The Shen Xu lineage now belongs to me. Calling me ‘mere junior’ may not be appropriate?”

The young voice spoke calmly, showing no trace of guilt, and the earlier humility in his tone had faded further.

Hearing this, the other elders frowned.

The transmission of an immortal lineage was a known concept—but it had never occurred.

Before this tribulation, few who reached the Third Rank ever perished.

“Transferred?”

Elder Tianwu grinned, suddenly barking: “You say it’s transferred? Who gave you that right?”

“You insolent brat!”

“Come out and speak to me like a proper disciple!”

Clearly, this elder was using his disciple’s death as an excuse—but no one intervened, for they too wanted to know what had truly happened at Shen Xu Mountain.

As he spoke, Elder Tianwu extended his right hand—his five fingers curled, his entire arm stretching like a rainbow, plunging straight into the gray mist.

Seeing this, several peak masters turned pale with shock.

For without entering the Shen Xu Realm, in raw, direct combat, even Shen Yi himself—or the late Elder of Shen Xu—could not match Elder Tianwu.

And if Shen Yi revealed his Bodhisattva techniques, with so many Three Immortals Sect elders present, even saying he had a one-in-ten chance of survival would be optimistic.

In an instant.

Elder Tianwu’s hand had seized something within—and he sneered, yanking violently outward.

At that moment, a wild gray mist slithered up his arm like a venomous snake, lashing him like a whip.

Crack—

The sharp sound made Elder Tianwu’s face twitch; though the blow couldn’t injure him, it was enough to force him back.

He swiftly retracted his arm, glaring at the vermilion door.

Immediately, a hoarse, vicious laugh echoed from the mist: “Do you, Tianwu Mountain, dare meddle in Shen Xu Mountain’s affairs? When I, your elder, wish to pass down my immortal legacy, must I first ask your permission, you old corpse?”

The familiar voice rang out.

The peak masters turned deathly pale, their eyes filled with horror.

Who else could it be, besides their deceased master?

“...”

Through Elder Tianwu’s attack, even through the mist, the elders now sensed two unmistakable auras: one, the late Elder of Shen Xu, just half a step from the Six-Six Transformation.

The other was far weaker, yet still reached the Third Rank—like one who had just seized ten strands of primordial essence and barely woven them into a Dao Fruit.

The Great Immortal of the Shen Xu Elixir, who vanished beyond the Beiliu River, had now reappeared—having already attained the Great Luo Dao Fruit!

How long had passed since he slew Qing Luan and rose to fame?

No wonder the old worm of Shen Xu was willing to pass on his position as sect lord—he likely hoped to ride this youth’s momentum and climb higher still amid the tribulation.

Instantly, envy surfaced on every elder’s face.

“He Xian Master, please understand—my disciple has just broken through and still needs to contemplate the Shen Xu Realm. If he emerges now, it may harm his cultivation.” The Elder of Shen Xu added politely to the white crane.

“No matter.”

The white crane stopped preening, its eyes sweeping over them all, speaking coolly: “If your squabbling is done, may I now speak of the matter at hand?”

Elder Tianwu clutched his arm; though he wished to argue further, under the crane’s gaze, he felt an inexplicable pressure.

He hesitated a moment: “Immortal Master, please proceed.”

At this, the white crane spoke slowly, its demeanor transforming entirely—no longer languid, but mimicking another’s tone: “Our sect has neglected Dananzhou for years, never interfering. But now the tribulation has begun; I assume Nan Xumí will not permit you to intervene.”

“I doubt you’d let those monks seize all of Dananzhou.”

“Yet your strength is too weak to be of real use.”

“Thus, I bestow upon you several magic treasures—not expecting great deeds, but merely that you leave your names in the mortal world.”

Hearing the assessment of their low power, many elder ancestors were clearly displeased.

But remembering the one behind the white crane, none dared to refute it; instead, their thoughts turned entirely to the golden-threaded pouch.

The magic treasure bestowed by the Chaos Great Luo Golden Immortal was truly coveted.

“The Master’s intent is that the conquest of Nanzhou be handled entirely by Nan Xumí, but after the fall of the continent, we dare not let those monks take sole charge of purging the demons.”

“Strive with all your might—the Three Immortals Sect will not forget you.”

The white crane reverted to its earlier languid posture, pecked open the golden-threaded pouch, and in the next instant, several streaks of light shot forth.

“Tianwu, bestow the Fire Dragon Chariot.”

“Yuchi, bestow the Ten-Li Crimson Scented Silk.”

“Shenxu, bestow the Nine Radiance Flag.”

“...”

As each streak of light approached, all present seized them in their palms.

After a brief sense of the potent tribulation energy within, even Tianwu fell silent, carefully attuning himself; after a moment, he swallowed hard.

Merely from this chariot alone, even if I truly completed the Six-Six Transformations, I might not escape alive.

This is the depth of Beizhou’s resources!

No wonder the white crane never held us in any regard from the start.

“Deeply contemplate these, master their use—Nanzhou’s fall cannot be far off.”

After giving his instructions, the white crane spread its wings once more and departed without a trace.

It did not understand the current situation in Dazhou, but it knew well the strength and nature of Nan Xumí’s monks; with the Divine Court’s power, holding out this long was already the limit.

The many elder ancestors watched the white crane depart, and only then did they sincerely bow.

Immediately after, they all rushed toward the outer reaches of Shenxu Mountain, eager to return to their own immortal sects and master these newly acquired magic treasures.

Before the vermilion gate, only their own group remained.

Even the most defiant Thousand Wind Daoist was trembling, leaning unconsciously against the stone wall, his face drawn: “Elder, you nearly scared us to death.”

He still could not fathom how they had “summoned” the long-dead Shenxu Elder to deceive them.

“...”

In the gray mist, Shen Yi sat cross-legged, beside him the six-winged soul worm.

He had originally been utterly at a loss.

Only after learning from Thousand Wind that no Chaos Great Luo Golden Immortal had personally come to Beizhou did he finally exhale in relief.

He seized the opportunity to stage a performance using the volatile, vengeful Tianwu Elder, diverting their attention to the Shenxu Mountain’s immortal lineage inheritance, rather than demanding to see the Shenxu Elder’s actual body.

After all, though he could use Shenxu methods to deceive third-rank cultivators—as the Thousand-Foot Crow Dragon had deceived the Southern Emperor—this was no demon lair; such a ruse would be like covering one’s ears while stealing a bell.

Fortunately, the effect was quite good.

Shen Yi exhaled gently, gazing at the nine small flags slowly hovering in his palm.

He had now infiltrated three major forces.

He had taken much imperial qi from the Divine Court, gained substantial rewards from the Bodhi Sect, but from the Three Immortals Sect, aside from plucking a few hairs from the Shenxu Elder, he had obtained nothing else.

Who would have thought this single visit would yield such a treasure?

With this in hand, his confidence against the Southern Emperor would be strengthened considerably.

All that remained was to spend time mastering it.

Thinking of this, Shen Yi finally allowed a faint smile to touch his face.

But just then—

Outside the gray mist, inside the stone hall—

Thousand Wind Daoist and the other peak masters suddenly grew alert, simultaneously forcing themselves upright.

They exchanged glances and all moved toward the entrance of the alchemy stone hall.

In the next instant, a familiar figure returned.

It was none other than Tianwu Elder.

He slowly reentered the stone hall, his gaze sweeping over them—and over the vermilion gate, now calm again as the gray mist had faded.

Tianwu Elder suddenly smiled: “I almost forgot—I meant to ask earlier.”

“Please, Elder, speak plainly.”

Thousand Wind Daoist stepped forward, his expression calm despite sensing something amiss.

“I wish to ask: after all this time, where is your Golden Thunder Senior Brother?”

“If I recall correctly, there was also someone named... Muyang?”

“...”

With just those two sentences, Thousand Wind Daoist’s back was drenched in cold sweat.

(End of Chapter)