Chapter 239: The Situation

Xuanhe Zhenren and Xuanfeng Zhenren looked over the Jade Slip separately, exchanged a glance, and nodded slightly. Then, Xuanhe Zhenren guided it with his Divine Sense, and the Jade Slip landed before Yao Yuzhu, saying:

"Keep this Jade Slip safe for now. After you finish packing, take a few junior brothers and sisters to set off first tomorrow. Once you arrive at the station, you can prepare some living quarters first; other matters can be arranged slowly later!"

Second Senior Sister Yao Yuzhu hurriedly put away the Jade Slip, stood up, and bowed, saying: "This disciple obeys!"

"Hmm, you may all disperse for now. Remember, do not spread word of this matter!"

"This disciple obeys!"

Several disciples hurriedly stood up, performed a formal bow, and then exited the great hall together.

Xuanfeng Zhenren sighed and said: "What must come will come, but I did not expect the situation to deteriorate so quickly!"

Xuanhe Zhenren gave a bitter smile: "I had thought that after reaching the Golden Core, my wishes would be fulfilled, and I could focus on refining pills and teaching disciples to carry forward the sect. I never imagined that in the blink of an eye, the mountain gate would be at risk. I truly do not know when this Nether Beast disaster will end?"

Xuanfeng Zhenren shook his head and said: "An end is likely extremely difficult. It would be fortunate to preserve the mountain gate's heritage during this great calamity. It is a pity that Chen'er is gone; otherwise, if all those secret manuals and techniques he brought back from Yuqing Hall could be kept, even if the foundation were lost, the Taiyuan Sect could still develop rapidly in the future!"

"Sigh~" Xuanhe Zhenren also sighed blankly, stood up, and said: "It is only a pity that Chen'er lacked the fortune. Alas, you and I shall bear more of this. This time, even if I have to risk these old bones, I must try my best to ensure the safety of the mountain gate; otherwise, how could I face the ancestors of past generations!"

Xuanfeng Zhenren stood up as well and said: "Since Senior Brother Xuan Chen has already made arrangements, why must you be like this? This matter is no longer something we Danyuan Realm cultivators can control. Calling it a mantis trying to stop a chariot is an understatement. I only hope the situation does not collapse too quickly; otherwise, the hundreds of cultivators at the two arrays will likely suffer heavy casualties!"

The two Danyuan Realm cultivators sighed and lamented, feeling deeply that the situation was rotting beyond their control.

Meanwhile, other small and medium Immortal Sects and rogue cultivators were still in the dark. While fighting the Nether Beasts fiercely within the two arrays, they were still fantasizing that the several True Monarchs would all return, perhaps turning the situation around quickly, stabilizing the two arrays completely, and restoring them to how they were before.

……

Ming Kingdom, Taiyuan Commandery.

Here lies Yulong Mountain, the location of the Ming Kingdom's number one Immortal Sect, Lingyun Hall.

Lingyun Hall and Yuqing Hall are ranked at the top of the Immortal Sects in the Ming and Song kingdoms. Their strength is formidable, both having Spirit Realm Great Cultivators sitting in command, along with several Danyuan Realm Elders and thousands of disciples under their banners.

Yulong Mountain spans a thousand miles in all directions, and it is likewise filled with palaces and Daoist temples shimmering with spiritual light everywhere. On the highest Lingyun Peak, from the mountainside to the summit, the immortal light is even more brilliant. Half of the mountain peak hangs above the sea of clouds, with immortal birds dancing and auspicious beasts running, dreamlike and illusory, just like an Immortal's residence.

Between the vast mountain ridges and the sea of clouds, shadows of Immortals riding Magic Treasures or traveling on spirit birds pass by from time to time, truly carefree and unrestrained.

However, in a majestic hall shimmering with spiritual light at the mountain's summit, the atmosphere is entirely solemn.

Inside the great hall, a total of six Great Cultivators are sitting cross-legged. Although immortal tea swirling with Spirit Qi is placed on the jade tables in front of everyone, each person is silent, and no one has the leisure to drink tea.

The two elders in the center, wearing grey robes and holding horsetail whisks and ruyi, with silver-white hair and beards, have peaceful expressions and eyes slightly closed.

The one on the right is the Supreme Great Elder of the Great Song's strongest sect, Yuqing Hall, True Monarch Chixia.

And the one on the left is the Supreme Great Elder of the Ming Kingdom's highest-cultivated sect, Lingyun Hall, True Monarch Mingyi.

The remaining four are three men and one woman.

Two are the True Monarchs Baiyunzi and Yuyangzi of Yuqing Hall. The remaining elder with crane-like hair and a youthful face is True Monarch Guangyun, the Supreme Elder of the Ming Kingdom's third-largest Immortal Sect, Ziyang Sect. The only beautiful female cultivator with a full head of dark hair, looking like a young matron, is True Monarch Huiyue, the Supreme Elder of the Ming Kingdom's second-ranked Immortal Sect, Tianyue Dao Academy.

The six Great Cultivators are gathered in one hall, but they are not drinking tea or discussing the Dao.

Because the news coming from the Dongwu Kingdom is shocking, the several Great Cultivators have no choice but to gather together to discuss countermeasures.

After a long silence, True Monarch Mingyi spoke: "The situation in the Eastern Wasteland and Dongwu is rotting to this extent, and several Daoist Friends have suffered heavy injuries. We must suppress the second Black Wind Rift as soon as possible to free up our hands to go and provide aid. Otherwise, the longer it drags on, the more chaotic the situation will become. Once the Eastern Wasteland and the Wu Kingdom's Immortal World cannot resist and abandon everything completely, I fear all the kingdoms in the entire Southeast Shenzhou region will fall, and we will have no power to turn things around."

True Monarch Guangyun gave a bitter smile: "Senior's words are reasonable, but the second set of Array Flags is not yet finished. I fear that laying the array in a rush will lead to mishaps. Once the Array loses control, the energy and time spent on remedies later will be even greater. Therefore, this humble practitioner of the Dao believes this matter still requires deliberation."

True Monarch Baiyun nodded: "Daoist Brother Guangyun speaks reasonably. We have been preparing for this matter for several months; we must not be overly hasty."

True Monarch Yuyang frowned: "Taiwuzi is currently beaten into a state of confusion, and the two True Monarchs of the Eastern Wasteland and Wu Kingdom are also not lightly injured. Now, Dongwu must already be in a state of chaos. Yesterday, the disciples guarding the border sent word that a large number of mutated Nether Beasts have rushed into the Great Song territory, destroying several cities in succession and causing countless mortal casualties. These mutated Nether Beasts no longer need to rely on Black Mist to hide or recover their bodies; they can keep growing stronger just by devouring humans and livestock. This has brought unprecedented pressure to our defenses. Therefore, we absolutely cannot drag this out any longer on the Ming Kingdom side. I suggest laying the array in advance to suppress the second rift and arranging reinforcements for the Wu Kingdom. At the very least, we must hold the Great Song territory to ensure our foundation is not lost."

True Monarch Chixia opened his eyes slightly and nodded: "Correct, that is exactly it. We cannot wait any longer. Although this set of Array Flags is not yet fully refined, it only lacks one Wind Flag. If we could have a Wind-type Magic Treasure of the fourth grade or higher to act as the Array Eye, the array could actually be successfully deployed. It would have some flaws, but it would not have much impact for the time being. After we free up our hands later, we can replace and reinforce it."

In an instant, the heavy atmosphere in the great hall eased up quite a bit.

However, True Monarch Mingyi had a trace of worry on his face and frowned slightly: "Fourth or fifth-grade Magic Treasures are easy to come by, but Wind-type ones are extremely rare. In the Immortal Sects of our Ming Kingdom territory, there are no Spirit Transformation Realm cultivators who specialize in Wind-type Magic Spells. I fear this matter is somewhat difficult to handle."

The expressions of the others changed slightly, as if they were all pondering where to find such a suitable Magic Treasure.

In the silence, True Monarch Guangyun reminded them: "This humble practitioner of the Dao has heard that Xuanchenzi of the Taiyuan Sect specializes in Wind-type Magic Spells and possessed formidable strength just after reaching the Spirit Transformation. Perhaps he has this treasure on hand. Why don't we send a joint letter to borrow it for a while?"

True Monarch Chixia's eyebrows twitched slightly, and Baiyunzi and Yuyangzi also exchanged a slight glance.

"Why? Could it be that Xuanchenzi does not have it?" True Monarch Guangyun asked with a face full of confusion.

Baiyunzi shook his head slightly: "Xuanchenzi has only reached Spirit Transformation for a year. I imagine he could not have successfully refined a fourth-grade Magic Treasure so quickly, and it has to be Wind-type. Even Spirit Materials are hard to find, let alone that even if he had one, he is responsible for guarding the two arrays at Black Wind Ridge and still needs a powerful treasure for self-protection. I think we should look elsewhere for this matter!"

True Monarch Mingyi, however, suddenly asked: "The technique that Daoist Brother Chixia took away last time was likely for the Taiyuan Sect, right?"

True Monarch Chixia nodded slightly: "Correct!"

True Monarch Mingyi then said: "The Taiyuan Sect is a rising star, and their strength is a bit lacking, so it is reasonable to take care of and cultivate them more. But this matter concerns the safety of both the immortal and mortal worlds in the Southeast Shenzhou region. If he truly has it, this humble Daoist believes we must prioritize the overall situation."

True Monarch Chixia nodded: "How does Daoist Brother think we should proceed?"

True Monarch Mingyi said: "Naturally, we should borrow it for a few days. If we request it jointly as the six of us, I believe he will not refuse!"

True Monarch Chixia pondered for a moment and said: "Let us follow Daoist Brother Mingyi's words."

True Monarch Mingyi breathed a sigh of relief and said: "Good, then this humble Daoist will draft the letter, and you Daoist Friends shall list your names!"

As he spoke, True Monarch Mingyi pinched a spell with one hand and grabbed into the air. Immediately, a ball of red fire whirlwind appeared out of thin air, quickly condensing into a five-inch red small sword. After concentrating for a moment, the writing was finished. The several True Monarchs simultaneously released a wisp of Divine Sense, leaving their Soul imprints within the small sword.

True Monarch Mingyi let go, a ball of green light exploded in front of the small sword, and a crimson ray of light submerged into the green light and disappeared. The great hall instantly returned to tranquility.

"Daoist Brother Mingyi's Lihuo Xunfeng Technique has already reached great completion. It seems your cultivation has improved quite a bit recently!" True Monarch Chixia said with a surprised expression.

"Haha, Daoist Brother Chixia is too kind. Recently, Soul Beads have been plentiful, and my cultivation has indeed made small progress, but it cannot yet be called great completion. Wind and fire produce thunder; if thunder appears, then this technique can be considered great completion. However, I imagine that time is not far off!" True Monarch Mingyi laughed heartily.

The remaining four Spirit Transformation True Monarchs could only bow and offer congratulations with faces full of envy.

At their level of cultivation, every step of progress is actually an achievement accumulated over a long period. On the path of cultivation, unless one has immense fortune and encounters, one can only rely on the slow grinding of the Soul and the tempering of Spirit Qi, eventually climbing step by step toward the True Immortal Realm of immortality.

Therefore, every small bit of progress is actually hard-won, consuming a vast amount of time and energy, in addition to many immortal herbs and Spirit Medicines that are hard to find in the world.

In fact, in the last year, because of the massive appearance of Soul Beasts and the acquisition of a large number of Soul Beads, the strength of all Spirit Realm Great Cultivators has increased significantly.

It is just that compared to the explosive situation where low-level cultivators of the Kaiyuan Realm and Zhenyuan Realm can make great strides or even advance in three to five months, this growth appears as slow as a snail.

Fortunately, Spirit Realm Great Cultivators all have a thousand-year lifespan, so they are not in a hurry. As long as they obtain Soul Beads to absorb year-round, this cultivation progress is actually not slow. A small improvement in one or two years, and perhaps a major improvement can be accumulated in eight or ten years. If one can advance once in a hundred years, that is already a breakthrough speed of a thousand miles a day.

Therefore, regarding the matter of Black Mist eroding the human world and Soul Beasts sweeping through both the immortal and mortal worlds, the group of Great Cultivators does not feel it is entirely a bad thing.

To them, it is even a peerless opportunity they might never encounter in their entire lives.

At present, their goal is to control the Nether Beasts so they do not completely lose control, to stabilize the situation as much as possible, and then to treat the Nether Beasts as a resource to be harvested year-round, absolutely not to exterminate them.

Or perhaps they lacked the ability to wipe them out completely, and instead dragged things out as much as possible until the Nether Rift was thoroughly sealed by those high and mighty True Immortals, using this opportunity to rapidly acquire a large number of Soul Beads to improve their cultivation as much as they could.

(End of this chapter)