Chapter 774: I

“Return to Elder Tianwu, my senior and junior brothers have been dispatched on official business and have not yet returned.”

Master Qianfeng adjusted his composure slightly and replied directly: “You’ve come back—surely you have another matter to convey?”

“...”

Upon hearing this reply, Elder Tianwu did not refute him, but smiled with deep meaning.

Since arriving at Shenxu Mountain, he had sensed something was amiss.

After all, that old worm had lowly origins and usually hid within the Tai Xu Realm, refusing to discuss the Dao with fellow sect members—who could not see the shame in his heart?

If it were another elder, they might still cling to their dignity and refuse to fawn over the White Crane Child from the North Zhou, but how could this old worm dare to put on airs before him?

Yet he had let the White Crane Child wait idle on Shenxu Mountain for so long.

Elder Tianwu himself had no interest in such trivial matters, but this old worm had just provoked him—the Qing Luan disciple he had favored, though she had not fulfilled the great tribulation, had already secured her footing in the Immortal Court after years of cultivation at Tianwu Mountain, accumulating a sterling reputation; the bestowal of a third-rank official position was now certain.

When that time came, mutual support between heaven and earth would leave Tianwu Mountain with a safe retreat.

Yet such a fine disciple was simply sacrificed as a stepping stone for Shenxu Mountain, and afterward, not even an explanation was offered.

Then don’t blame Elder Tianwu for forgetting any sense of sect kinship.

Ha—if that old worm had truly fallen into slumber, fine; but to claim he was teaching great doctrines within the Tai Xu Realm and thus neglected the White Crane Child from the North Zhou? Try fooling a ghost!

If he truly had such backbone, Shenxu Mountain wouldn’t be in its current state of closed doors and decay, with none of its eight disciples having made a name for themselves in the mortal world.

During these days spent here, Elder Tianwu had long noticed the strange expressions of Shenxu’s disciples—each pretending calmness, their faces plainly written with guilt.

What were they guilty of?

Elder Tianwu didn’t know, but he knew the old worm’s refusal to appear meant he was hiding something—especially after this absurd move of passing down the succession to a young disciple. Only by meeting Shenxu’s old master could everything be explained.

If there truly was some unspeakable trickery here, one so grave it required hiding from the emissary of the North Zhou...

Tsk tsk.

Elder Tianwu had no objection to reclaiming the Nine Solar Flags for the White Crane Child—and taking a little revenge along the way.

“Nothing to convey.”

He waved his hand dismissively: “I haven’t seen your master in many years—I merely wish to catch up. Please have him come out.”

“This...”

Master Qianfeng hesitated a moment, glanced back at his fellow disciples, and whispered: “Master is currently transmitting the Dharma to the Dan Huang, and has returned to the Tai Xu Realm—he simply cannot spare himself.”

Before he finished speaking, Elder Tianwu swept his sleeve and cut him off: “Do you think I’ve never trained disciples? Transmitting the Dharma isn’t something that can be rushed in a single day or night. Since he’s transmitting the Dharma, he hasn’t fallen into slumber—go tell him: I give him time to settle his affairs. I’ll wait right here on Shenxu Mountain!”

The old man’s aggressive words left all Shenxu disciples in silence.

Yet he gave them no further chance to refuse—he burst out of the cave with a loud, echoing laugh.

Among the eight peaks, several peak masters gathered together, their faces grim.

“This is pure bullying!”

“How insolent!”

As they spoke, they turned to gaze beyond the peak—only to see, beside the towering main peak of Shenxu, an enormous tree had suddenly sprouted, its roots plunged deep into the azure sea, its top lost to the heavens.

To erect such a display within another elder’s cultivation grounds...

“Arrogant and overbearing” could not even describe it—Elder Tianwu clearly regarded Shenxu Mountain as nothing at all.

“...”

Master Qianfeng, usually blunt, did not join in the curses; instead, he lowered his head in worry.

Elder Tianwu was indeed hot-tempered, but not to this extreme. His outrageous behavior must mean he had guessed Shenxu Mountain was hiding something.

The more Shenxu yielded, the more certain he would become of that suspicion.

Who would have thought that after barely fooling the White Crane Immortal from the North Zhou, they’d now been targeted by this old devil?

“No profit, no early rise—he’s clearly come for the Nine Solar Flags.”

Master Qianfeng sighed.

If Elder Tianwu learned that Shenxu’s old master had already perished, given his current posture, he’d certainly be branded a traitor who betrayed his master and destroyed his sect.

At that point, the other immortal sects of the South Zhou rising against Shenxu would be the least of their worries—perhaps even the North Zhou would take notice.

Suddenly, a disciple hurried to the hall’s entrance, bowing: “Elders, Miss Ye has returned!”

“Lan’er?”

Master Jinxue paused, then rose. Since their trip to Jianyang Prefecture and what they had witnessed that night, Ye Lan’s status within the sect was no longer that of an ordinary third-generation disciple—she had surpassed even the former, nominal peak master.

The other peak masters also shed their elder pretenses, rising one after another to go out and see what was happening.

But before they could leave the hall, their bodies shook violently.

Feeling the terrifying surge of spiritual energy, Master Qianfeng turned in fury toward the main peak of Shenxu—and there, the towering tree had slightly bowed, its branches filled with a hundred birds swirling upward, their wind currents nearly engulfing hundreds of surrounding peaks.

“I’ve waited here for you so long—and still you refuse to show yourself.”

“Do you look down on me?”

“Shenxu, you old demon worm—you’ve grown bold!”

The cries of the hundred birds coalesced into a deep voice, its forced anger obvious to even the dimmest mind—this elder had abandoned even the pretense of concealment.

“If so, I’ll tear apart your peak and see what tricks you’re hiding inside.”

As he spoke, the spectral forms of a hundred divine birds scattered rapidly, their vast wings flapping—Shenxu Mountain trembled violently.

“Elder Tianwu, you dare attack a fellow sect member—do you fear retribution from our sect?!”

Master Jinxue was pushed back step by step by the surging spiritual pressure, forced to shout in fury.

Yet her words, before that towering tree, rang hollow and powerless.

“...”

Elder Tianwu didn’t even deign to look at her—he fixed his gaze on the towering peak.

He had dared to cause chaos before the hall of the Southern Sumeru Bodhisattva—what did he fear from a demon worm? More importantly, if this Shenxu old demon dared not appear now, the implication was clear: the Nine Solar Flags were likely his.

At that moment, from within the Shenxu main peak—where even the peak masters could not approach—there walked steadily upward a tall figure.

“Lan’er?”

Master Qianfeng noticed the figure, his face filled with astonishment.

The other peak masters also froze.

Until Ye Lan finally reached the summit—her face weary yet utterly calm—she gripped her sword hilt with one hand, let the other hang naturally, and gave a slight nod toward the great tree, a gesture of respect.

“Elder Tianwu, please return.”

“...”

Elder Tianwu fell silent for a moment, then the entire tree shuddered violently as he sneered: “Good, good, good! Even Tian Danzi was tolerable—but now you send a third-generation brat to speak to me? Shenxu Mountain has truly grown mighty!”

In an instant, the hundred birds spread their wings.

An invisible tidal wave surged toward Ye Lan.

Seeing this, all the peak masters paled, pupils shrinking—but before they could cry out, they saw Ye Lan standing calmly in place, the spiritual wind capable of destroying a Tai Yi True Immortal’s body merely ruffling her hair.

Elder Tianwu himself seemed momentarily stunned.

Ye Lan did not adjust her disheveled hair—she simply clasped her hands respectfully: “Please, Elder, return.”

Her clear voice echoed across the heavens.

To Elder Tianwu’s ears, it was like a slap across the face. He sneered coldly: “If you beg, beg properly.”

This girl did have something strange about her—but now that he’d finally caught Shenxu Mountain in a lie, sending a mere brat to bluff him with empty words? How presumptuous.

Never mind the rest—the Nine Solar Flags must be handed over.

At this, Ye Lan exhaled softly and released her clasped hands: “I am not begging.”

“Then what are you doing?” Elder Tianwu once again summoned tribulation energy—this time, far more potent than before.

Under his gaze, Ye Lan lifted her head slightly, her voice quiet but clear: “I am saving your life.”

At these words, not only Elder Tianwu, but even the Shenxu peak masters could hardly believe their ears.

Across the entire South Zhou, save for the monks of the Southern Sumeru, few could even conceive of taking Elder Tianwu’s life—and even then, it would take immense effort.

Moreover, he had just acquired the Fire Dragon Chariot, his power having surged again.

Yet Ye Lan’s expression was utterly serious—as if stating an undeniable fact.

Elder Tianwu nearly laughed again: “Then I should thank you? But no need.”

He stopped laughing—the tribulation energy across the sky erupted fully.

Ye Lan stood silently within the vortex of tribulation energy, unmoved, and gave one final, deep look at the great tree—as if gazing at a dead man—then turned without another word and walked down the mountain.

Master Shen’s current condition makes it truly unwise to invite more trouble, especially meaningless conflict like this.

But given his nature, he has already endured to his limit.

Seeing Ye Lan turn away,

Elder Tianwu made no move to stop—he let the immense tribulation energy spread, engulfing not only the other eight peaks, but also hundreds of outer sect peaks surrounding them.

Where was the dignity of an immortal sect master? If others saw this, they’d surely call him a demon.

This devastating power could truly fall—or merely serve as a threat.

The question was: could the one hidden within the Tai Xu Realm afford to gamble?

Elder Tianwu looked again at the towering peak—and a quiet joy began to rise within him.

For a wisp of gray mist had quietly spread, soon covering half the sky.

The figure emerging from the heavens exceeded Elder Tianwu’s expectations—after all, the one who had earned the reputation of Tai Xu Dan Huang looked to be nothing more than a green, unripe boy.

His pale face still bore the faintest trace of childishness.

And yet this mere youth dared to look down upon him with such condescension.

"The Ancestor doesn't want to see someone as insignificant as you."

The Ancestor of Tianwu still hadn't withdrawn the tribulation force; since the other party had chosen to appear, his goal had already been eight-tenths achieved.

Upon seeing Shen Yi appear, the various peak masters did not relax in the slightest.

If they did not see the Divine Void Ancestor today, the Ancestor of Tianwu would never let this go.

"Who do you wish to see?" Shen Yi asked calmly.

"Naturally, your Ancestor," the Ancestor of Tianwu sneered. By now, he had fully confirmed that the Divine Void Mountain harbored some secret.

He hadn't expected this young man to show no sign of being exposed at his weakest point.

He merely hung in the sky, silent for a moment in thought.

"Very well."

Shen Yi gave a slight nod, looked again, and spoke without a trace of emotion: "I'll take you to meet it."

"..."

The Ancestor of Tianwu was slow to react—until he sensed the chilling killing intent settling upon him, then he suddenly bowed low in sudden realization.

All his lingering doubts instantly found explanation.

Why had the Divine Void Ancestor not appeared yet? Probably because he could no longer manifest in this world.

"You..."

"You..." The Ancestor of Tianwu suddenly burst into his loudest, coarsest laughter, exclaiming in delight: "Thank heaven I returned! Otherwise, I'd never have known my Three Immortal Sect produced such traitors who kill their masters and betray their ancestors!"

"You've killed your own master—and now you're turning on your own uncle!"

"Good nephew! Good nephew!"

After laughing, the Ancestor of Tianwu suddenly snarled: "I won't deny you a chance. Let me see the despicable methods you used on your master."

As he spoke, a streak of light shot from his body—it was the majestic Fire Dragon Chariot.

Before even moving, he assumed a posture of disdain, as if unwilling to use such an artifact against an opponent.

"Faking nobility!"

The Daoist of Thousand Winds immediately sneered: "You're just afraid of the Nine Radiance Flags!"

The Ancestor of Tianwu knew full well that the Alchemy Emperor's third-rank Dao Fruit was still in its early stages—his cultivation base couldn't match his own. If both sides summoned the artifacts granted by the Northern Zhou, the individual's realm would no longer matter; victory would hinge entirely on the mutual constraints between the artifacts.

This man didn't understand the Nine Radiance Flags, so he hoped this display would coax the arrogant young man into abandoning his own artifact.

Put bluntly, if the Alchemy Emperor refused to let go of the Nine Radiance Flags, this old devil would have no choice but to quickly recall his Fire Dragon Chariot.

What no one expected was:

The Divine Void Alchemy Emperor, famed for his ruthless decisiveness, showed not the slightest hesitation—he simply flicked his sleeve, and the nine small flags transformed into streaks of light, hovering alongside the Fire Dragon Chariot.

"Lan'er, this!"

The Daoist of Thousand Winds was genuinely stunned—he'd already warned him, yet Shen Yi had still fallen for the old man's trick.

He could only turn his gaze toward Ye Lan beside him.

"..."

Ye Lan stood silently in place, offering no word of counsel, her eyes filled with awe as she gazed at the heavens.

The next instant, with a blaze of radiant light and the sky and earth turning golden,

a colossal Bodhisattva manifestation suddenly appeared, towering over heaven and earth, its four arms extended behind it, the artifacts in its hands seeming to contain the power of the cosmos.

As the massive luminous wheel slowly rose, deep Buddhist chants echoed across the azure sea.

Ye Lan's memories of the people's fervent discussions finally aligned with the majestic golden form before her, and she closed her eyes in perfect satisfaction.

The other peak masters stood frozen in stunned silence.

The tribulation force radiating from that Bodhisattva manifestation far surpassed the overwhelming power of the Wutong Giant Tree.

It was cultivation nearing the perfect completion of the Nine-Nine Transformations!

(End of Chapter)