Chapter 232: The Beginning of the Great War

The attendant soon brought the wine over. Ruan Xing picked up the wine cup and took a sip; the clear, cold Spirit Qi was refreshing, with a faint fruity fragrance, tasting much the same as what she had drunk in Nanzhou.

A middle-aged man at the next table raised his wine cup to signal her, and Ruan Xing raised her cup in return; the two toasted each other from afar.

The man smiled and said, "Is the Fairy also here in Dayu City for travel?"

"Yes, just out for a stroll," Ruan Xing replied, "You two, however, do not seem like you are here for travel."

Mo Cijun looked sickly, as if he would faint after walking two steps.

The man said with a look of shame, "Pardon the sight; I am Cheng Zhishu, and this is my disciple, Mo Cijun. This time, it is merely to bring my disciple home."

Ruan Xing understood in her heart.

Mo Cijun had been imprisoned for nearly a year; many people likely thought he had already died in the Northern Territory. Since Xie Yao had suddenly let him return, Wanbao Tower would certainly not send just anyone to pick him up.

Since this person claimed to be Mo Cijun's master, there was an eighty percent chance he was that mysterious Building Master.

It was just unexpected that his appearance was so ordinary.

It was also possible he had used some Magic Art or Dharma Artifact to conceal his appearance.

For such a powerhouse who had lived for thousands of years to suddenly strike up a conversation with her in a small street shop... Ruan Xing did not believe the other party was kindly and amiably looking for someone to chat with.

She just did not know what the other party actually wanted to do.

Although she had instigated Xie Yao to release Mo Cijun out of her own selfish motives, it could be considered indirectly saving Mo Cijun, and she felt she had already done her utmost for Wanbao Tower.

Unless the other party was a member of the Hidden Sect.

As these thoughts swirled, Ruan Xing let out an "oh."

Cheng Zhishu continued, "The Fairy does not seem surprised... My disciple's name might not have been famous throughout the world before, but after the events of last year, anyone who hasn't heard of Third Floor Master Mo could be considered ill-informed. Perhaps the Fairy pays no attention to the shifting winds and clouds of the Cultivation world? May I ask for the Fairy's name?"

Ruan Xing paused, stroked the wine cup in her hand, lowered her eyes, and said, "Fellow Daoist, you may call me Ruan Xing."

A flash of surprise crossed Mo Cijun's weak face.

This was nothing like the Ruan Xing he had seen before; was she really the same person? Cheng Zhishu, however, laughed heartily, "So it is the Three Lives Fairy in person. The Fairy truly does not change her name when she goes out, nor her surname when she sits."

... How did even Cheng Zhishu know this title of hers?

Ruan Xing complained silently to herself.

But there was a reason she gave her real name.

Since Cheng Zhishu had taken the initiative to talk to her, he likely already knew her identity, so she might as well be straightforward.

Secondly, she was going to use this identity to crash the party in Dongzhou next month, so there was no need to hide it now.

"I presume you are the elusive Building Master. Why be so polite with me? After all, I am an alchemist who has signed a Contract with Wanbao Tower, so I count as half one of your own, right?" Ruan Xing smiled.

Cheng Zhishu said calmly, "Indeed. However, Wanbao Tower is already failing to live up to its name, and the Contract between the Fairy and Wanbao Tower will automatically become void in a month. Will the Fairy do us the honor of attending the final auction of Wanbao Tower then?"

"Naturally I will go. The Building Master has already sent me an invitation, so how could I refuse?"

"Then we shall await the Fairy at Wanbao Tower."

Cheng Zhishu tilted his wine cup to signal Ruan Xing, toasted her once more, and then left with Mo Cijun.

Ruan Xing looked at the vibrant, mouth-watering dishes on the table, but found them tasteless.

She felt she had been seen through by Cheng Zhishu, but the other party had not made a move, and she could not guess his purpose.

After the two had walked away.

Mo Cijun asked Cheng Zhishu impatiently, "Her transformation technique is mysterious and unpredictable. Master, you have never met her, so how did you recognize her at once?"

"I did not recognize her. Before she announced her name, I did not know who she was," Cheng Zhishu said faintly, "I only saw the Heavenly Dao upon her."

"Is it related to the Heavenly Dao Order?" Mo Cijun asked.

Cheng Zhishu stopped, his expression becoming somewhat stern, and he said sharply, "The matter of the Heavenly Dao Order has nothing to do with you. I hope you will not make me repeat it a third time."

Mo Cijun lowered his head powerlessly, "Yes, I understand."

"Your task is complete," Cheng Zhishu's expression softened slightly, "I will find you some rare treasures to repair your Spirit Bone. Even if it cannot be completely repaired, it will stabilize your current realm so it does not fall."

Whether his cultivation could be stabilized or his Spirit Bone repaired, Mo Cijun actually no longer cared.

If he had truly cared, he would have long since defected to Xie Yao and spouted nonsense, and would not have persisted for so long.

It was just that he felt his master did not seem very happy about his return.

Time soon arrived at one month later.

Dongzhou, Canghai City.

The auction at Wanbao Tower was being prepared in full swing, and sects and factions of all sizes from the four states had sent their representatives.

This was a grand scene rarely seen in thousands of years, with so many high-level Cultivators gathered in one place.

Wanbao Tower had even slightly altered the architectural layout of its original headquarters, just to make it more comfortable for the eyes.

Ruan Xing brought several Puppets whose appearances she had changed with the Illusion Technique to act as her accompanying disciples, took the invitation Wanbao Tower had sent to the Fengling Yueying Sect, and successfully entered Wanbao Tower.

Wanbao Tower had divided different living areas and box seats according to the comprehensive strength and scale of the sects. Based on the status of the Fengling Yueying Sect, she was almost at the edge, but due to her personal strength, or perhaps because of other thoughts Cheng Zhishu had, her seat was actually in the middle section.

The first day of the auction began.

Mo Cijun seemed to have recovered his health; he flew onto the high platform in the center, gave an opening speech with a rosy complexion, and then other handsome Cultivators with good eloquence came up to introduce the auction items.

The auction items were all backlogged stock from the Wanbao Tower warehouse, all dumped out at once, which made them seem plentiful and affordable; among them were even many Five-grade Pills that Ruan Xing had refined previously.

But these sect representatives were not here to stock up; only a few people placed bids, and the auction process proceeded very quickly.

An Elder from a small sect nearby could not help but yawn and muttered in a low voice, "Is it really just an auction?"

They all knew the news of Mo Cijun returning from the Northern Territory, so they had been even more eager to attend the auction.

Who knew, they had seen the person, but he had not said a single word about the Northern Territory.

Some of the people attending the auction were there for matters related to Mo Cijun and the Northern Territory, while others were there for the ownership of Wanbao Tower at the end of the auction—Wanbao Tower was a golden goose that laid eggs.

And there were some who were likely just there to join in the fun and broaden their horizons.

Ruan Xing chuckled and chatted with the Elder, "What else did you think it was?"

"Shouldn't he at least talk about the heroic deeds of Third Floor Master Mo in the Northern Territory?" The Elder scratched the back of his head, "Moreover, the Building Master previously wanted to auction off the ownership of Wanbao Tower because Third Floor Master Mo would likely die in the Northern Territory. Now that Third Floor Master Mo has returned, the Building Master has no intention of retracting this decision. Is he really going to hand over Wanbao Tower to others?"

He clicked his tongue twice; although he lacked the qualifications to participate in the competition, being able to witness the power shifts of Wanbao Tower firsthand could be considered seeing a spectacle.

"Perhaps there are other good shows to watch; won't we know by the day after tomorrow?" Ruan Xing said.

The auction lasts for three days in total; if there is anything truly significant, it will likely be mentioned on the third day.

"That is true." The Elder nodded, deeply agreeing.

Other small Sects on the sidelines had begun picking up leftover auction items; one shouldn't come on this trip for nothing, after all.

Ruan Xing had already seen these auction items once in her Simulation; there was nothing good on the first day, and the high-level Dharma Artifacts of the second day were somewhat interesting, but none compared to the White Jade Sword and Sumeru Mirror. At this moment, Ruan Xing had little interest, so she quietly left the venue to walk around outside.

Unexpectedly, there was a pleasant surprise.

She saw from afar that Mo Cijun was also not inside the venue, but had gone up to the octagonal pavilion of the Alchemy Pavilion, blowing in the wind and lost in thought.

He looked dejected.

Ruan Xing's heart stirred, and she used Instant Movement to appear beside Mo Cijun, "What are you doing here?"

Mo Cijun was startled; seeing it was Ruan Xing when he turned his head, he breathed a sigh of relief, "Why did you come over?"

"Bored, out for a stroll." Ruan Xing rested her hand on the railing, squinting her eyes leisurely, taking in the scenery below the pavilion, "Have you recovered your health? Waving a fan and blowing in the cold wind in the middle of the night."

The hand Mo Cijun used to wave his fan froze.

This was just his habitual action.

Yet, he still felt a trace of embarrassment from Ruan Xing's unintentional remark, and he smiled reluctantly, "No matter what, I am a Spirit Transformation True Monarch; could I really be blown ill by a bit of cold wind?"

"The spring chill in the third month, the residual snow is melting; your Spiritual Power is depleted, how could it not be cold?" Ruan Xing curled her lip, "I'm just concerned about you; if you had listened to me back then and not gone to the Northern Territory, you wouldn't be suffering this hardship and pain now."

She had indeed tried to persuade Mo Cijun after she simulated the results back then, but he simply wouldn't listen.

Mo Cijun was stunned, his gaze flickering; the fingers gripping the fan handle tightened slightly, his fingertips turning white.

"I couldn't not go." He laughed at himself, "But I would like to ask you for a favor."

"What favor?"

"Use your transformation technique to turn me into someone else." Mo Cijun used the Water Mirror Technique to reveal that person's appearance to Ruan Xing.

Ruan Xing was quite happy to do such a small favor while she was at it, but she also wanted to collect a little reward.

"I can, but correspondingly, you must also do me a favor," Ruan Xing said.

"Name it."

"I haven't thought of it yet." Ruan Xing reached out and brushed her hand across Mo Cijun's face. "This appearance can be maintained for about three hours."

"That is enough." Mo Cijun hesitated, "If this is a transaction, I cannot do anything that betrays my master."

"Rest assured, I am not that heartless." Ruan Xing smiled.

Mo Cijun glanced at her, then turned and went down the pavilion.

The night was deep, and today's auction had ended.

The Cultivators walked out of the venue one after another, some of them jubilant and holding their heads high.

Items that were usually worth a thousand gold were now being brought out by Wanbao Tower as if they were being sold wholesale; the Cultivators, whose minds were purely focused on procurement, began to calculate how to distribute these resources after returning to their Sects.

Ruan Xing leaned on the railing watching them, taking the time to summon back the Puppet she had transformed into a disciple.

Yet in her heart, she was thinking that before coming to the auction, she had already tested it once using the Real-scene Simulation, and there were basically no problems.

However, in reality, the variable of Mo Cijun had appeared; although the source was her sudden whim to go out for a stroll, it ultimately had subsequent effects.

She could not afford to let her guard down.

Ruan Xing thought for a moment and opened the Real-scene Simulation.

She turned and went down the pavilion.

The second day of the auction proceeded as usual. But Ruan Xing knew that at this time, Xie Yao had already begun her formal plan to invade the Central Province.

In a certain place in Fengtian City of the Central Province, Demon Cultivators were emerging in an endless stream.

Xie Yao's main target for the attack was Xianyuan City; the Xuanbing Sect had already sent a portion of its high-level Cultivators to the Chongshan Secret Realm, and two Peak Masters had been sent to Canghai City in Dongzhou. The Xuanbing Sect now only had half of its Spirit Transformation Cultivators left; if Xie Yao could not take it down within a day, she would truly have wasted the good environment she had created.

Ruan Xing looked at Qingyuan Daojun and Peak Master Cheng sitting at the very front of the venue, her gaze sinking slightly.

Northern Territory Underground Palace.

Vines slithered on the ground, lifting Xie Yao's body; she raised her hand to flip the dome of the Underground Palace, and countless vines dragged at the stone walls of the palace, instantly turning the place into a complete ruin.

A huge sound resounded through the Northern Territory; it seemed as if even the ground was shaking.

A Xuanbing Sect Cultivator stationed in Wuxu City hurriedly grabbed the door frame to steady himself and said to his companion beside him, "Did you hear any sound just now?"

"Seems like there was a little, coming from the Northern Territory." The companion shrugged, "Probably those Demon Cultivators, short-tempered, fighting again. The Peak Masters haven't come out of the Secret Realm yet, so we just need to guard Wuxu City well; why bother with those Demon Cultivators?"

"That's right, as long as we don't leave Wuxu City, what does it matter to us if the Demon Cultivators fight?" The stationed Cultivator nodded and said.

Xie Yao's pressure of the Return to Ruins Stage spread out without any restraint.

The Demon Cultivators gathered spontaneously, lining up loosely in front of the Underground Palace gate, silently expressing their submission to the Saint Demon Lord.

Demon Lord Cheng Huan and Demon Lord Chen Xin also arrived with their respective subordinates.

Chuan Nu stood to the side with his arms crossed, while Shui Linglong and Xie Huai were behind Xie Yao.

The Northern Territory didn't look large, but when truly gathered, there were hundreds of thousands of Demon Cultivators, dense like ants, crowded together.

Seeing that the people had almost all arrived, Xie Yao waved her hand again, instantly severing all the vines beneath her!

A violent, bloody scent began to permeate the air.

The bloody wounds left after severing the vines healed rapidly.

Xie Yao reached back expressionlessly, and Xie Huai handed over the Sui Spirit Pearl.

Looking around, Xie Yao said, "My Demonic Path Cultivators, today we shall use the blood of the Immortal Sect to wash away the thousand-year shame of the Demon Cultivators! Do you dare to join me in invading the Central Province!"

In the silence, a feminine, beautiful man parted his red lips slightly and said loudly, "Invade the Central Province, kill all the Immortal Cultivators!"

Immediately, heaven-shaking shouts rose in unison! "Invade the Central Province!!"

"Kill all the Immortal Cultivators!!"

Demon Cultivators are not people who control their emotions to begin with, and the words of Xie Yao and Demon Lord Cheng Huan stirred up their ferocity.

Among the Demon Cultivators present, which one has not tasted the bitterness of being suppressed by Immortal Cultivators?

Staying in the godforsaken Northern Territory, living a life of precariousness, even the lowest-grade Pill of the Immortal Sects is a scarce resource in the Northern Territory.

Even those Demon Cultivators who do not hate the Immortal Sects have greed growing in their hearts; so what if the Immortal Sects are high and mighty? They just want to slaughter and plunder! Demon Lord Chen Xin looked with a strange expression at Demon Lord Cheng Huan, who had shouted first; the latter pursed her lips and smiled, "What is it? Surprised?"

"I just didn't expect that you hate them even more than the Demon Cultivators do."

"Ha, don't talk about you, even I didn't expect it myself."

Thinking of the impending slaughter, Demon Lord Cheng Huan could not help but excitedly lick her lips.

Xie Yao looked at everything before her with satisfaction, her hands crossed, and the Sui Spirit Pearl spun around in front of her chest, opening a gate fifty meters wide and eighty meters high.

This Secret Realm passage was not her limit, but she had to maintain the passage for too long, so this way it would not consume too much of her magic power.

"Charge with the Saint Demon Lord!" Demon Lord Cheng Huan let out a strange cry and was the first to fly into the gate.

Xie Yao also entered it, and the other Demon Cultivators swarmed up like a plague of locusts, squeezing into the gate.

The internal space behind the gate was like a fairyland paradise, with all kinds of low-grade spiritual plants everywhere, making the Demon Cultivators' eyes turn red, and they couldn't help but spit, "This is the Secret Realm of the Immortal Cultivators? They have been living such good lives for so many years!"

If Ruan Xing were still here, she would probably be able to recognize that this was the Jin Tai Secret Realm that Xie Huai had snatched away using some unknown method.

The Demon Cultivators were somewhat restless, wishing they could dig up all the topsoil here.

However, under the pressure of Xie Yao, they were all forced to hold back.

Xie Yao did not close the gate behind her.

Instead, she closed her eyes to sense the direction, and at a distance of less than one hundred meters from the gate, she opened another small gate.

With thick fog swirling, Xie Yao pointed to the fog-like gate and said, "That place is Fengtian City in the Central Province."

Demon Lord Cheng Huan did not hesitate to be the first to rush forward once again.

A dense crowd of Demon Cultivators came in from one gate and went out from another.

The Jin Tai Secret Realm became their transit station.

This was the good method Xie Yao had thought of decades ago.

Without needing a Teleportation Array, a large force could reach the enemy's rear directly and penetrate deep into their territory.

It only required the use of this Sui Spirit Pearl in her hand.

This is a good thing; it is just a pity that the Qintai Family did not know how to use it, wasting it for so many years.

In the peaceful and prosperous Fengtian City, the cackling Demon Cultivators suddenly broke in; they destroyed and looted unscrupulously, slaughtering every Cultivator they saw, and fighting over the spoils on their bodies.

Even those Cultivators with stronger strength were scared out of their wits by the locust-like behavior of the Demon Cultivators, and instead of resisting, they set up their Flying Swords and fled the city.

However, Xie Yao would not give them any chance to escape and report the news.

Demon Lord Chen Xin floated in the air, his eyes flashing with golden light, and illusions appeared frequently throughout Fengtian City, as if it had become a ghost maze; no living creature could get out alive.

Demon Lord Cheng Huan asked him with great interest, "It's been a long time since you've attacked with all your might so heartily, right?"

Demon Lord Chen Xin had no time to pay attention to her, and only after a while did he answer slowly: "This is just a small city, there are no high-level Cultivators, just a few ants at the Golden Core Stage; why go to such great lengths? When the Saint Demon Lord said to change the target and swap Nanzhou for the Central Province, you chose this place as the first stop; what was the intention?"

"No intention, just because I'm happy," Demon Lord Cheng Huan laughed. "Fengtian City, well, it's too lively, I don't like it; let's make it a bit quieter."

It only took half an hour, and even before the Demon Cultivators shuttling between the two gates had all arrived, Fengtian City had already completely fallen.

Demon Lord Cheng Huan said excitedly, "Next stop, Xianyuan City, charge!"

Demon Lord Chen Xin dispelled the illusion, and the dense crowd of Demon Cultivators rushed toward the direction of Xianyuan City.

On the other side of the gate, the somewhat restless Xie Huai stood up, wanting to enter the gate.

Shui Linglong hurriedly stopped him, "The Saint Demon Lord did not ask you to go together."

"Get lost!" Xie Huai exuded low pressure from his whole body. "She is using the Secret Realm I snatched back, yet she won't let me participate; what kind of logic is this!"

Shui Linglong looked at Chuan Nu with a pleading gaze, "Elder Chuan Nu... please help me persuade the Palace Prince."

Chuan Nu glanced at them, stepped forward two steps to block Xie Huai, and said, "You come with me, we will enter last."

He was following Xie Yao's orders to cover the rear; after all the Demon Cultivators following Xie Yao had entered the gate, he was to kill those who fled the battle, and then enter the gate himself.

However, he was also responsible for Xie Huai's safety.

So he could only let Xie Huai wait with him.

Hearing Chuan Nu's words, Xie Huai's irritable mood calmed down slightly.

"Fine, then we wait."

Anyway, there were not many Demon Cultivators left.

Two-thirds had already entered in the previous half hour.

When no one was entering the gate on this side anymore, the figures of Chuan Nu, Xie Huai, and Shui Linglong appeared in the Jin Tai Secret Realm.

Xie Yao closed the gate connecting to the Northern Territory, exited from the light orb emitting mist, and arrived in Fengtian City.

At this moment, Fengtian City was already a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood.

Xie Huai felt slightly uncomfortable looking at the scene before him.

Xie Yao glanced at him lightly and said, "Don't you want to participate? Come, follow me to the Xuanbing Sect, and kill every Immortal Cultivator you see."

In her eyes were the one hundred and eighty mountain peaks looming in the clouds and mist, the Xianyuan City surrounded by the peaks, and the two precarious islands above the top of Xianyuan City.

They were Tianxin Island and the Floating Island.

"I have finally... arrived..." A trace of exhaustion flashed across Xie Yao's face.

There was still some distance from Fengtian City to Xianyuan City.

The Demon Cultivators on the ground still needed to run or fly for a while.

But Xie Yao, Demon Lord Cheng Huan, and the others had already arrived.

The large group of Demon Cultivators moving together looked imposing, and soon attracted the attention of some Cultivators.

"A rainbow piercing the sun in broad daylight, demonic energy soaring to the sky, an ominous sign." Qingmeng True Monarch looked at the sky, his expression grave.

The disciple Zhou Miaoyu, who was serving nearby, said with concern, "Master, you were already injured by the backlash from forcibly observing the fate disk earlier; since your wounds have not fully healed, please do not look at it again."

Lin Wenxi, however, acted as if he had not heard, taking out the Bagua Disk on his own, pinching his fingers to recite an incantation, but he spat out a large mouthful of blood halfway through his chanting.

"Master!" Zhou Miaoyu exclaimed, hurriedly stepping forward to wipe the blood staining his chin and clothes.

Lin Wenxi pushed her away, running out the door with a frantic expression and staggering steps, "Quick, Demon Cultivators are invading! Activate the Mountain Protection Array!"

As a Peak Master, his Sect Jade Token could directly notify and control it, but just as he pulled out the Sect Jade Token, a vine suddenly burst out from the ground, knocking the jade token away and wrapping around his wrist; the barbs on the vine pierced into his skin, seemingly consciously devouring the blood from his body.

"Realizing it now is too late." The figure of Xie Yao appeared before him; she wore a black dress, her long legs swaying as she walked up, the breeze stirred her hair, and cyan smoke rose gracefully from the hem of her long skirt.

The Spiritual Power on Lin Wenxi's body surged, and he swung his arm fiercely, intending to tear the vine to shreds, but he had already shown signs of Qi deviation from the earlier backlash and was wounded, and this vine was no ordinary vine, so naturally, it could not be easily shattered as he had hoped.

Another vine coiled up, binding his legs.

Zhou Miaoyu, who had rushed to catch up, saw the scene before her and, disregarding her own safety, drew her Sword to cut the vines, "Master, be careful, I'm here to help you!"

But her cultivation was only at the Golden Core Late Stage, which was nothing more than a mayfly trying to topple a tree in front of Xie Yao.

She flicked her finger, and a vine pierced through the center of Zhou Miaoyu's brow; Zhou Miaoyu's anxious and panicked expression froze, and she fell backward.

Lin Wenxi was furious, "How dare you kill my disciple!"

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