Chapter 391: Your backup plan, a battle across three thousand years

"What, what is that!"

"Mount Zhongnan? How could the Great Sui's Mount Zhongnan appear above Bianjing?"

Xie Yuan stood on the top of the Invitation Immortal Tower, his gaze burning as he looked at the towering mountain shadow in the night sky.

The snow on its peak did not melt, and the Daoist temple on it appeared vaguely; this was clearly Mount Zhongnan ten thousand miles away, yet it hung upside down above Bianjing like a mirage.

"Xie Yuan! Where are you going?" Xie Qiyue shouted from behind.

Xie Yuan rushed down the stairs without looking back: "I'm going to find Brother Guan! Don't you worry about it!"

"Do you know where they are?" Xie Qiyue chased a few steps, her skirt fluttering.

Xie Yuan's voice came from the stairwell: "Did you see the bright light on the Zhishui just now?"

"Brother Guan should be there!"

Xie Qiyue stood still, looking at Xie Yuan's retreating back, her eyes filled with grievance: "Fourth Cousin, look at Xie Yuan..."

Zhang Yunzhi gently stroked Xie Qiyue's shoulder: "Let him go."

She looked at the anomaly in the night sky, thoughtful, "However, he said he was going to find Young Master Guan..."

Beside them, Xue Hong looked at Xie Qiyue's concern for Xie Yuan with a complex expression.

He looked up at the glazed light cover shrouding Bianjing, as well as the upside-down Mount Zhongnan shadow, and muttered:

"Tonight in Bianjing, I fear the sky is going to change."

Li Shuwan leaned against the railing, her gaze shifting between the third and fourth floors.

Those big figures who usually called the wind and rain were indifferent at this moment, turning a blind eye to the anomaly above Bianjing.

Unless...

She looked toward the fourth floor, where Prime Minister Su and the Third Senior were sitting.

With these two here, who would dare to act rashly?

The Flower Banquet had almost all the famous figures of the Nine Great Surnames gathered together, and suddenly such a big thing happened.

Did Prime Minister Su and the Third Senior anticipate this long ago!

Xie Qiyue looked down from the window, only to see the area around the Flower Banquet pitch black.

Armored soldiers stood in formation like a forest, and behind them were the figures of cultivators with deep auras.

In the corners, the dark guards of the Demon-Slaying Division with black clothes and red fish patterns stood, their baleful energy pressing.

Unknown when, the troops of the Demon-Slaying Division, the Imperial Guards, the Imperial Secret Service, and the Divine Hidden had surrounded the Invitation Immortal Tower tightly.

The guests in the building were all solemn, and the oppressive atmosphere of "the mountain is about to collapse before the wind and rain" permeated the air.

On the four-sided stage, Su Shishi's last dance had ended.

Just waiting for the Flower Banquet's Flower Queen to be announced.

The people on both sides of the Zhishui River had also gradually quieted down from their originally thunderous cheers.

A strange and uneasy atmosphere permeated the Flower Banquet.

The army outside had long since blocked the entrances and exits on both sides, and the people looked at each other, seemingly terrified.

Only children rode on their parents' shoulders, their eyes curious as they looked at the reflection in the sky.

However, at this moment!

The Invitation Immortal Tower had been guarded by the Mirror-Hanging Division, and a majestic voice came from the fourth floor:

"By the order of Prime Minister Su and the Third Senior, the Invitation Immortal Tower is sealed immediately; no one is allowed to enter or leave!"

Li Shuwan and several young ladies looked at each other, all seeing unease in each other's eyes.

Outside the window, the sky!

Under the bright moon, the shadow of Mount Zhongnan became increasingly solid, as if it were about to crush the entire Bianjing.

Just then!

A sword light soaring into the sky rose like a comet, the red firelight following the horizon straight into the clouds, as if it were about to tear heaven and earth apart.

The majestic sword intent came from the direction of the Academy.

The Third Senior stood on the fourth floor, looking at that sword light, a painful and regretful expression slowly appearing on his face.

"Yu Shixiong, how could it come to this!"

Su Jing also had a complex expression, his eyes filled with melancholy and emotion, saying in a low voice:

"Is this the clarity of Heaven's will? Did that person calculate today's situation long ago?"

He looked up at the sky, his tone carrying a touch of respect: "Borrowing Yu Shixiong's sword to split the God-Startling Array..."

However!

The blue glazed cover split by the sword light, like broken porcelain, although it cracked a gap, quickly began to heal.

The Third Senior frowned, "Even Yu Shixiong's sword cannot cut it open?"

Just at this moment!

In the Xie Mansion on Changning Street, a sharp sword intent suddenly burst forth, shooting straight into the nine heavens!

That sword intent was like a dragon leaving the sea, instantly merging into the bright sword light from the direction of the Academy.

The two sword intents merged, and heaven and earth trembled!

A low voice muttered, but like a great bell, it resounded through heaven and earth:

"Slay!"

The gap in the blue glazed cover expanded abruptly, as if torn by an invisible force, and could no longer heal.

"It's the Second Senior!"

At the Flower Banquet, the crowd exclaimed, restless.

That Second Senior, who had been seriously ill in bed for many years, had actually slashed out a world-startling sword at this moment!

Su Jing looked at the blue glazed cover that could no longer be maintained, but there was not a trace of relief in his eyes.

Although the God-Startling Array was broken, the Master still stood tall.

The Master was still the number one in the world!

"Even if the Second Senior holds the sword, he is not the Master's opponent."

Su Jing muttered in a low voice, his tone carrying a touch of helplessness and sadness.

"Moreover, the Second Senior slashing out this sword, I fear he is already at the end of his rope..."

He looked up at the direction of Mount Zhongnan, his eyes full of solemnity.

"The Master is invincible under heaven, and the Great Senior and the others are still in danger."

"The outcome... is hard to change, or perhaps that person still has some other backup plan!"

"I really can't think of anyone in the world who can trade with the Master."

The Third Senior stood at the high point of the Academy, looking at the increasingly towering Mount Zhongnan after breaking the God-Startling Array, a complex look flashing in his eyes.

He said in a low voice: "The Master is invincible in the world, which does not mean he is the strongest in history."

Before the words fell, a distant bell rang suddenly from the peak of Mount Zhongnan.

That bell sound seemed to come from the ancient past.

～

～

The Master withdrew his gaze and looked at Xie Guan, his eyes ancient and waveless, as if nothing in the world could shake his mind.

He spoke indifferently, his voice calm but carrying a trace of coldness that was hard to detect:

"Is this your backup plan? This time, I miscalculated."

He paused slightly, his tone carrying a touch of emotion:

"I didn't expect the Second, in his current state, to still be able to slash out such a sword."

Dong Cheng smiled suddenly, his smile carrying a touch of sarcasm, "But so what? Even if you cut open the God-Startling Array, you cannot leave now."

He pointed to the sky, his tone carrying a touch of pride.

"Didn't you notice? The God-Startling Array above Bianjing has long since completely combined with the Great Array of the Capital Road."

Hearing this, Lu Chen frowned slightly and looked up at the sky.

He saw that the broken blue glazed cover, although cracked, had not dissipated, but instead merged with the Great Array of the Capital Road, forming an even larger array barrier.

He tried to end 【Personal Participation】 but seemed still unable to do so.

Ending personal participation seemed only possible by defeating the Master.

Lu Chen listened to the Master's words and nodded slightly, but did not respond.

His gaze passed over the Master and looked at the Mount Zhongnan approaching Bianjing like a dark cloud pressing on the city.

Lu Chen already understood—why choosing 【Personal Participation】 would be beneficial to the future.

Every choice was like a pebble thrown into a lake, stirring up layers of ripples, finally converging into the current situation, a monstrous wave.

He had to admit that the word "immortal" mentioned by the Master indeed had its reasons.

Immortals act without leaving traces, and can choose the good and follow it.

All are in line with Heaven's will, seemingly easy, but actually hidden with mystery.

Playing a world-startling chess move!

The Demon Master and others had already retreated before Lu Chen, the four of them all seriously injured, their auras weak.

Among them, the one most seriously injured was not Lu Hua, who had the lowest cultivation, but the Demon Master, who had unfathomable demonic arts and was proficient in the secret arts of the nine lineages of the Demon Sect.

Xu Jiangxian had just executed the Heavenly Demon Disintegration Great Art and had his heart crushed by the Master; if it weren't for Master Lianchi using the Nine-Turn Buddha Heart Pill to continue his life, he would have long since been unable to support himself.

Even so!

His face was still as pale as paper, his aura chaotic, as if he could fall at any time.

The Great Senior had half of his body almost destroyed, blood staining his robes, yet he still struggled to stand, his eyes full of determination.

Master Lianchi's blood and energy were both depleted, his cultivation had fallen below the Eighth Realm, his face gray and defeated, as if he had instantly aged dozens of years.

Lu Hua's left leg was pierced with a large hole, blood gurgling out, staining the bluestone slabs beneath her feet.

She gritted her teeth and struggled to support herself, cold sweat seeping from her forehead, yet she still refused to fall.

The four had used all their means, yet they still couldn't hurt the Master in the slightest.

The Master stood before the crowd, his expression indifferent, his eyes like ants.

The four were already unable to fight again!

The Demon Master looked up at the Master, his eyes cold, but also with a kind of despair.

The Master was truly too strong; even the thought of defeating him was hard to raise.

Such a blow made this Demon Master, who ran rampant in the world, feel decadent in his heart.

Master Lianchi pressed his palms together and chanted in a low voice: "Amitabha... everything is cause and effect."

The Great Senior's expression was weary, his eyes dim, as if he had exhausted all his mental strength.

Lu Hua, however, looked up at the Mount Zhongnan illusion in the sky, her gaze locked tightly on that Daoist temple.

He frowned slightly, secretly feeling that this Mount Zhongnan in the illusion was slightly different from the one in his impression.

The mountain was more towering, the Daoist temple more magnificent, and its momentum more prosperous.

The illusion of Mount Zhongnan changed again!

Everyone stared without blinking, holding their breath, as if even their breathing had stopped.

The life and death of the four were all tied to this rapidly changing situation.

Above Mount Zhongnan in the sky, from within the crack that had been slashed open.

A shimmering light shone out, reflecting on the field, and the illusory figure could be seen vaguely.

It was a middle-aged man with slightly gray temples and a somewhat weary face, with a pair of bright eyes, walking out with a calm pace.

"Shaobao!"

"Senior Uncle!"

However, with the appearance of the middle-aged man, the pressure between heaven and earth became increasingly intense.

Lu Hua's pupils shrank, and a monstrous wave surged in her heart.

She was all too familiar with this face—it was the portrait that had been enshrined in the very center of the Grandmaster Hall since she was a child doing her homework, surrounded by incense smoke.

"Grandmaster Lu Chen!"

Lu Hua blurted out, her voice carrying uncontrollable excitement and awe.

The portrait of Grandmaster Lu Chen had circulated for a thousand years, and when later disciples ascended, they all considered not knowing the true face of the Grandmaster as unfilial.

That portrait had always been placed in the center of the Grandmaster Hall, receiving the incense of past disciples, yet no one had ever seen his true face.

Hearing this, a flash of surprise appeared in the Master's eyes.

Although this human figure could not descend into this world, Lu Hua had never seen such temperament in her life, and she no longer hesitated in her heart.

Lu Hua had already bowed respectfully, "Lu Hua, an unfilial disciple of the Yun generation of Mount Zhongnan, of the Three Truths lineage, greets Grandmaster Lu Chen."

That human figure seemed to nod gently through the unreachable past, his voice soft.

"Guard virtue, revere use, fortune, one clear season ancestor true, nurture plain, guard firm will, void spirit wisdom industry cloud."

A voice of some emotion, "Time flies, a hundred generations have passed, the Three Truths still exist."

The Demon Master and Lianchi's faces could no longer hide their shock.

Three Truths Lu Chen!

That Prince of Yan from three thousand years ago.

How is this possible!

The Great Senior also bowed respectfully, "Xu Xian greets Grandmaster!"

The Demon Master and Lianchi were still in shock.

Lu Chen smiled indifferently, his gaze passing over the crowd and looking at the Master.

The Master's expression was gloomy, then he hooked a mocking smile, looking up at Lu Chen, his tone full of disdain and arrogance:

"You can only rely on the power of this world... I didn't expect you to actually invite Lu Chen. However, so what?"

His voice was low and cold, carrying unquestionable confidence: "In the six thousand years since spiritual energy disappeared, I have considered myself invincible for fifteen hundred years. Even if Lu Yu, who three thousand years ago was called invincible under heaven and of whom it was said 'the thousand mountains are not as high as this one,' were reborn, he would not be my enemy."

Pausing, he stared directly at Lu Chen: "Even if you, Lu Shen Zhou, were resurrected, I would have the confidence to defeat you. Moreover, you are not a person of this world, coming across three thousand years..."

Hearing this, Lu Chen merely smiled indifferently, nostalgia flowing in his eyes: "If Brother Yu were still here, let alone living for fifteen hundred years, I fear he wouldn't even have lasted a cycle of sixty years of demon-slaying."

The Master's face grew increasingly iron-blue, "I didn't expect the dignified Three Truths Grandmaster to also speak nonsense. Three thousand years ago, spiritual energy had just recovered; the Great Grandmasters of that time, I fear, could not be compared to the Upper Three Realms of martial arts today!"

Lu Chen smiled indifferently and asked back: "Is that so?"

Hearing this, the Demon Master and others woke up like a dream.

Three thousand years ago, spiritual energy first appeared; the Great Grandmasters of that time, compared to the Upper Three Realms of today, were probably still lacking.

Not to mention the method of Primordial Spirit cultivation that arose later.

Although Lu Chen was famous in this world, compared to the Master who had reached the peak in both martial arts and Primordial Spirit, and had undergone five corpse-dissections, he was probably still lacking.

Lu Hua did not have this thought; as a later disciple of the Three Truths Sect, she felt infinite reverence for this Grandmaster who laid the foundation for the Three Truths lineage.

The Master seemed not to want to say more and said coldly: "The play is over, it's time to end this!"

"Just by relying on Lu Chen, you want to suppress me?" 【39

Behind him emerged the phantom of a massive Bodhi tree, its branches lush and its shadow dancing.

Within the Bodhi tree, the phantom of a Buddha appeared and disappeared, his features solemn, as if overlooking all living beings.

Seeing this, Lianchi's pupils shrank, and a monstrous wave surged in his heart.

He recognized this technique—it was the non-transferable secret of the East Saint Sect: The Scripture of Wisdom at the Root of All Phenomena.

"Observing three thousand phenomena like the lines in one's palm, breaking eighty thousand barriers like dust in a mirror."

Lianchi murmured in a low voice, his tone filled with unconcealable shock.

This technique was based on the Prajna wisdom of Buddhism, with "sitting in oblivion and having no self" as the method; the practitioner must first sever the three poisons of greed, anger, and ignorance before they could condense the Bodhi tree of wisdom within their sea of consciousness.

For every inch the branches and leaves of the Bodhi tree grew, one could analyze the essence of a martial art; when cultivated to perfection, one could merge all martial arts under heaven, returning all phenomena to one!

And the Bodhi tree behind the Master was already lush and full, with far more than three thousand techniques!

Every leaf shimmered with a different light, as if carrying the essence of a peerless martial art.

Seeing this, the Demon Master was also shaken to the core, his eyes filled with horror.

He never imagined that the Master's fundamental technique was not Confucian, demonic, or Daoist, but rooted in Buddhism!

"So that's how it is..."

The Demon Master murmured, "The Master built his foundation on Buddhism and merged three thousand techniques; no wonder he could be invincible under heaven... Is there anyone left in this world who can defeat him?"

Lu Chen watched this scene, his eyes remaining as calm as water, and he said slowly:

"If Brother Yu were here, he would surely feel great joy, sparring with the world's experts and defeating all enemies under heaven—that was his very source of pleasure."

He turned his gaze to the Bodhi tree behind the Master and continued:

"Unfortunately, separated by three thousand years, I can only strike one blow."

(End of chapter)