Chapter 874

So-called balance.

When one's strength is insufficient, they are like grass on a wall, swaying both ways.

When one's strength is sufficient.

Just like the Qinglian Observatory, appearing detached from the mortal world and untainted by worldly affairs, yet in secret they stir up clouds and rain, forcibly interfering with the situation of the Bai Lian Palace, Hong Lian Temple, and the Sui Dynasty court according to their own interests.

As for the Qinglian Observatory, without a doubt, a relatively weak Feng Rong, combined with numerous mountain strongholds, and with their fundamental cultivation scripture already problematic, the righteous aura has turned into the 'false gentleman's qi' of the Bai Lian Palace, which better serves their interests.

"So, no matter what, you must protect Feng Rong?" Wu Tie sneered: "Feng Rong, have you heard clearly? You think you deserve the throne just because you're weak!"

Feng Rong was tightly protected inside by the jade-disc spiritual light emitted from the white pagoda; seeing that Blood Prison and Pei Feng could not shake this jade light, Feng Rong's expression improved greatly. Upon hearing Wu Tie's words, Feng Rong's expression instantly turned extremely grim.

He knew that after he ascended the throne, the Faceless Buddha of the Hong Lian Temple had once left the mountain gate in frustration, intending to come to Sui Du to cause him trouble.

He also knew that the Qinglian Observatory, which had little prior dealings with him, suddenly dispatched unfathomable mountain guardians, together with the mysterious experts sent by Wa Qingluan, heavily injuring the Faceless Buddha, forcing the Hong Lian Temple to feign deafness and dumbness.

He had always believed that he was the true divine emperor ordained by Heaven's mandate.

But the truth is such humiliation and disgrace—the Qinglian Observatory helped him only because he was inferior to Feng Shang. Since being inferior to Feng Shang made him easier to influence and control, the Qinglian Observatory chose to assist him.

"This bunch... damn old Taoists." Feng Rong cursed in his heart the smelly old Taoists of the Hong Lian Temple, then with a smiling face, dignified and composed, he waved his hand: "Wu Tie, don't sow discord here; the Qinglian Observatory's loyalty to me, and my trust in the Qinglian Observatory, is not something you can stir up."

Shaking his head, Feng Rong pointed at Wu Tie and laughed: "You are an enemy of my Sui Dynasty... you come from that Three Kingdoms continent, and you want to overthrow my Sui Dynasty."

Feng Rong pointed to Feng Xiao and Xiahou Wuming, then laughed at the civil and military officials in Feng Xiao's camp: "Gentlemen, perhaps you don't know the origins of this Wu Tie? His name is Wu Tie, and he is the lord of that Three Kingdoms Continent."

"Our Sui Dynasty wishes to annex the Three Kingdoms Continent and seize their people. Gentlemen, please use your brains—Wu Tie, as a ruler of a nation, what is he doing coming to the Sui Dynasty? Harboring ulterior motives, a wolf's ambition... Would you collaborate with him? Can you face the ancestors of the Sui Dynasty?"

The civil and military officials of the Sui Dynasty felt a sudden turmoil in their hearts.

Wu Tie actually has such an identity?

But after they looked at Wu Tie and then at Feng Rong, the civil and military officials immediately, as if having swallowed a weight, firmly and gritting their teeth, stood beside Feng Xiao.

Compared to the scheming Wu Tie, you, this wanton-killing divine emperor, are even more terrifying.

For the sake of one's own life and property, and for the life-and-death honor of so many relatives, even if Wu Tie intended to bring disaster upon the Sui Dynasty, he would still be more endearing than you, this divine emperor who constantly holds a blade to the officials' necks.

Wu Tie's Thunderbolt Seal heavily pressed down on the white jade pagoda sacrificed by the Drunken Buddha.

With a tremendous boom, the white jade pagoda violently trembled; the Drunken Buddha's body swayed, and his complexion flashed between green and red.

Wu Tie also felt a tremendous backlash surge, his five viscera and six bowels faintly churning.

Wu Tie's expression unchanged, he formed seals with both hands, urging the Thunderbolt Seal to descend slowly.

The white jade pagoda gradually, under the pressure of the Thunderbolt Seal, lowered bit by bit toward the ground; the white light like jade discs emitted from the pagoda was likewise worn away bit by bit by the Thunderbolt Seal, while strands of lightning light gradually infiltrated the jade-disc white light.

The Drunken Buddha's expression changed.

Wu Tie then laughed.

It is obvious that both the Drunken Buddha and Wu Tie have touched the mysteries above the divine realm, and everyone can unleash power nearly at the venerable level.

Yet, being similarly stuck at the bottleneck of the half-step venerable level, due to differences in their foundations, the strength displayed by Wu Tie and the Drunken Buddha is vastly different.

Wu Tie, while dividing his attention to control the Grand Dao Crucible refining the three Grand Dao Seals of the Soft Water Monster Venerable, and simultaneously manipulating the black sword to frenziedly attack the White Mushroom Monster Venerable and the Taishan Hanging Venerable, despite multitasking, still suppressed the Drunken Buddha.

"Drunken Buddha Daoist, you are not capable." Wu Tie laughed, as an intangible time ripple spread from within him, the spacetime around the Drunken Buddha suddenly twisted, the flow of time becoming extremely erratic—sometimes fast, sometimes slow, sometimes reversing……

As soon as the Primordial Crown made a move, it immediately threw the Drunken Buddha's qi into disarray; he widened his eyes in shock, the spiritual light on the white jade pagoda scattered in chaos, his body swayed, and he immediately spat out blood repeatedly.

With a 'crack', the Thunderbolt Seal dropped several feet, the white jade pagoda shook wildly, and its entire spiritual light was compressed, shrinking by three feet.

Protected by the white jade pagoda, Feng Rong's expression became tumultuous; he hoarsely shouted: "Drunken Buddha Daoist, Drunken Buddha Daoist, guard the emperor, guard the emperor! As long as you keep me safe and sound, I will enshrine the Qinglian Observatory as the foremost of the three state-protecting divine sects, prioritizing all resources for it!"

The Drunken Buddha remained silent; he needed no promise from Feng Rong, for the Qinglian Observatory has always been the foremost among the three state-protecting divine sects.

Bai Suzhen, standing behind Feng Rong, looked at him with deep resentment—this is his own nephew, after all, hehe.

Wu Tie's right hand slowly pressed down, the Thunderbolt Seal shining ever more brilliantly, countless strands of lightning and electric light burst forth, frenetically lashing the white jade pagoda, suppressing it until its light vanished completely, and the flashing runes on its body grew dim.

Pei Feng and Blood Prison also attacked with all their might from the side, but their strength was clearly far inferior to that of Wu Tie and the Drunken Buddha; no matter how the annihilation divine light and apocalyptic demonic flames made the white jade pagoda's brilliance flicker, they in fact caused no hindrance to the Drunken Buddha.

Wu Tie said in a deep voice: "Pei Feng, Blood Prison, come to my side to guard the Dharma... hehe, once the Drunken Buddha appears, the old Daoists of the Qinglian Observatory probably can't help but intervene."

Pei Feng and Blood Prison exchanged a glance; Blood Prison gritted her teeth, the huge phantom peacock in the blood light behind her let out an angry cry to the heavens, then turned and walked over, joining Pei Feng at Wu Tie's side, like two guardian deities standing left and right to protect him.

The two understood perfectly that the so-called guarding the Dharma was actually to protect them.

At this level of combat, a difference of one tier is like a difference between the ends of the earth; there is simply no room for them to intervene.

No matter how much Blood Prison wants to slay Feng Rong, as a demon king capable of surviving in the Western Demon Kingdom's law-of-the-jungle environment, and even living quite comfortably, Blood Prison may sometimes be impulsive, but she is not lacking in wisdom or survival instinct.

Xiahou Wuming let out a long sigh from afar: "Wu Tie, and also, Drunken Buddha Daoist..."

Both sides are friendly forces, especially the Qinglian Observatory, which, after Xiahou Wuming secretly laid traps, specially invited the demon-subduing reinforcements.

Now that the two friendly armies have clashed, this, this, this...

The situation is so chaotic that Xiahou Wuming also feels a sense of turmoil.

"Blood Prison owes a favor to Pei Feng, and Feng Rong bears a grudge against Blood Prison... Blood Prison wants to kill Feng Rong, so I'll help her kill." Wu Tie looked at the Drunken Buddha, saying word by word: "Grudges have origins, debts have creditors; the heavenly way cycles, retribution is inevitable, right?"

The Drunken Buddha smiled and said, "Martial King, in this world, where is there still any heavenly way's cycle? Where is there still any just retribution?"

Shaking his head, the Drunken Buddha pointed at the demons and monsters surrounded on all sides, currently under frenzied siege, and laughed: "If there were still heavenly way and heavenly principle, they would have long been exterminated."

The Drunken Buddha drew a jade sword over a foot long from his sleeve, rubbed it in his hand for a moment, and said in a deep voice: "As a monk, saying this is a bit excessive… but in this world, the strong prevail and the weak perish."

With a swing of his right hand, the jade sword came down heavily on Wu Tie.

With a piercing "creak," a harsh, ear-splitting sound of tearing space rang out; a blade of blinding, crystalline, translucent sword light, as solid as substance, ripped through the void and instantly appeared before Wu Tie.

Wu Tie smiled slightly, slapped with his left hand the Myriad Transformation Tribulation Hand, and with a "pop" shattered the sword light into fragments.

The Drunken Buddha laughed and shook his head: "Martial King is truly mischievous, using the methods of my Azure Lotus Observatory to ruin my Azure Lotus Observatory's plans… this is a bit excessive."

The Drunken Buddha laughed, and then three more sword lights came down.

Each sword light was simple and unadorned, appearing clean and pure, like a ladle of clear water, with no strange mysticism.

Looking closely, one could see that each sword light was a nearly formed Dao imprint seal, inside countless patterns winding about, countless talismanic lines interlaced, and furthermore endless profound Dao rhythms swirling and flowing.

Like Wu Tie's Thunderbolt Imprint Seal, this sword light was only one step away from fully condensing into form.

This Drunken Buddha's attainment in the Way of the Sword can be called supreme.

Wu Tie laughed: "Good, no need for your Qinglian Observatory's methods."

Wu Tie raised his head and puffed his chest, facing the three sword lights, when he heard three loud "dong-dong-dang" sounds, the armor on his chest shattered, revealing a chest white as jade. Three thumb-sized depressions appeared in his chest, and the three sword lights shattered upon striking his chest.

Drunken Buddha's palm twitched; despite his Dao-heart cultivation having reached an extraordinarily profound level, he was still startled badly by Wu Tie's display.

With his fleshly body, he forcibly blocked his strongest attack, and his skin suffered not the slightest damage—only his flesh sank a bit at the point of contact… What a monstrous fleshly body!

"Are you still human?" Drunken Buddha couldn't control the turmoil in his mind and let out a hysterical roar.

"Of course, I am the purest of peoples!" Wu Tie burst out laughing: "As a pure-blooded descendant of the Wu and Wa clans, you dare say I'm not human? You, do you want to provoke all the Wu and Wa peoples under heaven?"

Wu Tie casually put a big label on Drunken Buddha.

Although this charge is useless, using it to disgust people is still quite effective—because Drunken Buddha, and the Qinglian Observatory's style of jumping out to stir things up for the sake of their own interests' balance, makes him feel a bit disgusted.

Especially, Qingfeng appearing on the Three Kingdoms Continent, and Drunken Buddha's so-called "balance," Wu Tie felt it wasn't that simple.

There were unclear parts in Drunken Buddha's words; Wu Tie felt he had been schemed against, and that feeling was unpleasant.

Drunken Buddha gave a cold snort.

He too was genuinely disgusted by Wu Tie.

The name of the Wu clan, the might of the Wa clan—these are recorded in the Qinglian Observatory's canon.

The Wu clan is elusive and unpredictable, seemingly leaving no bloodline trace within the Sui dynasty's interior, but the Wa clan… the Qinglian Observatory clearly knows the Wa clan's power and foundation, knowing that the entire Sui dynasty actually lies under the Wa clan's influence.

So Drunken Buddha quickly dropped the topic: "My poor choice of words, King Wu, don't blame me. However, Feng Rong is after all the divine emperor of the Sui dynasty; even if he erred, naturally the subjects of the world could impeach him, the Feng clan could punish him; even if he were deposed and imprisoned, that would be an internal affair of the Sui dynasty, what does it have to do with King Wu?"

Drunken Buddha took a deep breath, shook his hand and sent out nine sword lights; at the same time he bit his tongue tip, spitting a drop of essence blood onto the white jade pagoda. Instantly the pagoda's light blazed, he bore the Thunderbolt Seal, raising it three feet high against its weight.

Wu Tie let the sword lights hack at his body.

Having achieved the Chaos Bone, his cultivation surged forward, his fleshly body reaching a level of absurd toughness; whether nine sword lights or ninety thousand, they could not inflict the slightest damage on Wu Tie's terrifyingly strong physique.

The sword lights shattered, and Wu Tie suddenly opened his mouth and drew a deep breath.

Heaven and earth's primal energy surged in, rapidly replenishing more than half of his expended mana; Wu Tie formed seals with both hands, and the Thunderbolt Seal once again pressed the white jade pagoda down slowly.

Drunken Buddha's complexion turned pallid, his body trembling slightly; he had indeed been pushed to the limit by Wu Tie.

He shouted loudly: "Moreover, how dare the Wu King collude with demon country demonesses to assassinate the divine emperor?"

Drunken Buddha's words resonated with many of the Sui dynasty's lords and prefects present.

Many lords and prefects who remained loyal to the Sui dynasty felt a heat in their chests, wanting to speak up or act.

But upon suddenly seeing Wu Tie in command of the Thunderbolt Seal, and recalling how Feng Rong had lately gone on a killing spree, exterminating the nine clans of civil and military officials and aristocratic clans without distinction, those lords and prefects snorted coldly and shrank back.

Loyal and steadfast, loyalty is commendable—but it also depends on whom one's loyalty is directed toward!

As for Feng Rong… forget it!

The entire court of civil and military officials has now completely abandoned Feng Rong.

One is Feng Rong's own deeds, which have broken their hearts; another is that Feng Rong provoked a mighty being like Wu Tie—heh, he probably won't survive this trial, a former divine emperor destined to die—who would still take him seriously?

Wu Tie sneered; black sword qi from all over the sky flew back rapidly, condensing before him into the black sword's true form.

The black sword trembled slightly, emitting a faint sword hum.

The sword tip pointed at Drunken Buddha's heart, ready to strike with full force at any moment.

Drunken Buddha's expression shifted slightly; he raised his head and let out a long sigh: "The Dao rises one foot, the demon rises ten feet; when the Dao wanes, the demon waxes. Please, venerable masters, act to subdue the demon."

In the high sky, a mass of azure clouds appeared out of nowhere.

Upon the clouds, three small Daoist palaces, each only a few zhang in size, slowly rose.

Three old Daoists with white hair, white brows, and white beards, their complexions ruddy like infants but their aura withered and ancient, tottered out of the palaces. They stood on the azure clouds, lowered their heads to look down at Wu Tie, gave a light sigh, and then pointed casually.

Three thunder seals whistled down.

The aura of each of the three thunder seals matched that of the thunder seal Wu Tie had condensed.

Again, three old Daoists at the half-step venerable level.

However, the thunder seals released by these three Daoists formed a strange Three Talents array between the three seals, boosting the seals' power by more than double out of thin air.

Wu Tie instantly felt his whole body sink; he, Blood Prison, and Yi Feng could no longer stay airborne, and were forced to crash to the ground.

With three loud booms, Wu Tie, Yi Feng, and Blood Prison smashed three huge pits into the ground.