Chapter 520: Seeking a Person

Just now, all the cultivators had witnessed the scene of Chen Heng fighting fiercely against the crowd.

Now that the dust had finally settled, even though some of them had vaguely anticipated this outcome in their hearts, they could not conceal their astonishment, and expressions of shock inevitably flowed across their faces, as if they had witnessed something utterly inconceivable.

In an instant, all manner of sounds erupted within Ying Ying Jichuan, noisy and chaotic, filling the ears without cease!

"Seven superior-grade Jin Dan, three types of supreme great divine abilities, yet he could win a single battle and claim them; such means truly deserve the description 'outstanding'!"

At this moment, Qi Shang's attention was also slightly drawn back.

He shook his head slightly, composed himself a little, set aside the matters of the Zhengxu Dao Court for now, and teased the Fuchan Fuchan Laozu beside him, who was beside himself with joy:

"However, there is one thing I do not understand: this Chen Heng is clearly of Yu Yu Yuchen's lineage from the Eastern Prefecture, not a disciple of your Great Talisman Palace, so why are you so overjoyed at his victory?"

Fuchan Fuchan Laozu shook his head and swayed his body, saying:

"You do not know; when this lad was still an unnamed rogue cultivator, I already had a friendship with him, and I have always regarded him as a kind and dear junior.

Since he has hope of winning and claiming the championship, how could I not be delighted?"

"Winning and claiming the championship?"

Qi Shang repeated these words once more, neither affirming nor denying them.

"Whether this junior of yours can win and claim the championship, I dare not assert, but regarding the mystery hidden within that disciple of the Blood River, I seem to have vaguely discerned a few clues."

After a moment, Qi Shang's voice suddenly rang out again.

Following Qi Shang's line of sight, Fuchan Fuchan Laozu saw that within the Huang Lao She Ji Diagram, Lu Rong was engaged in a fierce battle against Tang Xue Xuan of the Jiuzhen Sect and the two veteran Jin Dan, Yin Jing and Chang Chang Qingjue.

This person had not even released his Blood Spirit Child, nor did he use any Dharma treasures; relying solely on his exquisite and proficient Blood River divine abilities, he easily suppressed both Tang and Chang.

Judging by the expression on Lu Rong's face, he clearly treated this as a mere pastime, handling it with utmost ease.

And although Tang Xue Xuan, as a high disciple of the Jiuzhen Sect, had already deployed his formation diagram, borrowing the power of heaven and earth's creation, and furthermore had Chang Chang Qingjue assisting him from the side, he was still firmly suppressed by Lu Rong, finding no opportunity to turn the tide.

"What is the mystery hidden within Lu Rong?"

Fuchan Fuchan Laozu scratched his head, asking in doubt.

"The mystery within him is that Garura from Bai Shui who calls himself Elder Qi.

You also know that after I attained the Dao, I once fought a chance battle with Elder Qi; although I struck his left wing with that 'Fist Within the Body,' my indestructible body was likewise injured by Elder Qi."

Qi Shang fixed his gaze upon Lu Rong, a bright light flashing and vanishing in his eyes, clear as sulfur flame:

"Therefore, regarding the qi mechanism on that old Garura, I am clearer about it than ordinary people, and I also suspect that this Garura may not be his true form, but merely an incarnation deliberately severed to deceive the eyes of others.

His true body should be some ancient great demon existing within Bai Shui...

It could be Yin Xutu, or Xi Shen, or Hou Lady Yue; even that famously renowned Zeng Shang Man is highly possible!"

Regarding this matter, Fuchan Fuchan Laozu had actually heard Qi Shang speak of it before.

It was precisely because his indestructible body was injured by Elder Qi, and later his Dao Fruit was damaged during an expedition beyond the heavens, that Qi Shang ultimately chose that Mi Fa from Xiangjin Mountain, and then, to facilitate his cultivation, specifically came to the Earth Abyss of Xudu Xudu Tianyu.

As for Elder Qi...

"Do you mean that Lu Rong once met that Elder Qi from Bai Shui and gained some benefit from him?" Fuchan Fuchan Laozu pondered slightly before asking.

"Perhaps it was not an ordinary benefit; otherwise, I would not have such a strong sensation."

Qi Shang shook his head, saying:

"Although I have some enmity with that Elder Qi, I have never dared to underestimate his divine abilities and mighty power.

To speak frankly, the fact that Lu Rong would be favored by Elder Qi is truly somewhat beyond my expectations.

In this Dan Yuan Grand Assembly, he will surely be a major variable, contending for supremacy with that Chen Heng!"

Hearing this, Fuchan Fuchan Laozu was slightly surprised.

Just as Fuchan Fuchan Laozu focused his spirit to examine Lu Rong, frowning in silence, Qi Shang turned his gaze toward Prince Ji Xiu of the Dao Court, his eyes flashing slightly with an expression that was rather complex and indescribable.

In the past, the ancient Dao Court was infinitely powerful; even those lofty immortals, Buddhas, and divine saints had to bow their heads and bend their knees before this colossal entity, not daring to oppose it excessively.

Leaving aside other matters, just the casting of the "Earth Gate Golden Chapter" alone was deeply terrifying and awe-inspiring, causing the great orthodoxies of the myriad heavens and universes to remain wary of it to this day.

Not to mention the "Book of Natural Heaven," which had not yet been implemented but died in the womb due to the sudden collapse of the Dao Court—

To this day, except for a small number of old ministers from the old faction, no one wishes to see the Dao Court revived, and Qi Shang is naturally one of them.

In fact, under overt and covert suppression, the Dao Court's prestige has indeed declined day by day, long losing its former stature.

Even the current Heavenly Emperor, Ji Liu Huan, after several attempts, seems to have lost the heart to revitalize, remaining quietly in the deep palace and ignoring external affairs for many years.

However, today...

"Ever since that Great Immortal Yang Yin of the Jiuzhen Sect, in a fit of rage, boldly struck out the Southern Heavenly Gate, relations between the Bapailiu Sect and the Zhengxu Dao Court have grown completely cold,

but today, it seems these two parties have reached some kind of agreement and actually intend to reconcile?"

Qi Shang secretly felt a chill, and alarm bells rang loudly in his heart.

After pondering for a while, his thoughts turning over several times, and seeing that Fuchan Fuchan Laozu's gaze still remained fixed on Lu Rong, Qi Shang found it somewhat amusing, shook his head, and his thoughts drifted to another matter.

Currently, the Bapailiu Sect and the Dao Court showing intentions to reconcile, while not considered good news for many great orthodoxies, especially for Zhu Jing and Wu Liuli Tian,

could, however, be counted as a piece of fortunate karma for those Dan Yuan True Persons within the Huang Lao She Ji Diagram.

In such a situation, under such a grand trend—

The champion of this Dan Yuan session will inevitably be the focus of everyone's attention, carrying significance far from ordinary, and will attract the notice of those few old ministers from the old faction!

And in order to win the hearts of the Bapailiu Sect, the Dao Court might bestow Xue Xuan Gong and marvelous treasures upon the Dan Yuan champion, along with various benefits, to commend his Mei Mei Gongxing.

For any Daoist True Person, being able to enter the sight of those few old ministers from the old faction ahead of time and receiving commendation from the Dao Court is a heavenly opportunity of immense magnitude, with value difficult to estimate!

"The world says heroes create the times, and the times are indeed solid, but does not the rise of heroes stem from the formation of the times?"

Qi Shang suddenly sighed softly, remarking with emotion:

"A person may have ambitions soaring to the heavens, but without luck, they cannot succeed on their own...

With such an era of great contention before us, among the Jin Dan of Xudu, whoever can claim the championship of this Dan Yuan session will be equivalent to having walked a portion of the path ahead.

Such a fortunate karma, upon whose house will the flower fall?"

Just as Qi Shang sighed sincerely and the various cultivators harbored their own thoughts.

Similarly within Ying Ying Jichuan's domain, after exchanging a glance, the Ninth Imperial Prince, Prince Ji Xiu, and Seeing Yin Jun fell momentarily silent.

"Truly, seeing is believing; having witnessed this scene with my own eyes, I finally understand why Fifth Brother values this True Person Chen so highly."

After a moment, Prince Ji Xiu broke the silence; he chuckled and said:

"What is Mr.'s opinion?"

Seeing Yin Jun did not rush to answer; he merely let his gaze drift outside the hall, sweeping one by one over the great orthodox sects: Water and Land Tiangong, the Yuanzai Liu Huan clan, the Lidu Sect, and the Suspended Dao Field.

Only after a long while did Seeing Yin Jun nod slightly, remarking thoughtfully:

"He can be called a talent of fine quality; at the Jin Dan Yi Jing realm, I would absolutely find it impossible to achieve what he has done. No wonder that Master Master Tongxuan, a Dao Lord, took him as a disciple. In my view, Chen Heng possesses something of the bearing of that Mountain Lord of Fenggang!"

Hearing this, Prince Ji Xiu could not help but glance at Seeing Yin Jun again:

"Mr. indeed holds True Person Chen in extremely high regard."

The Mountain Lord of Fenggang was named Wang Wang Qizhen; he had once been the Dao Son of a great orthodox sect in one region of Xuyu Heaven, but because he was personally recruited by Ji Liu Huan before the latter ascended the throne, and since their ambitions and spirits matched, he entered the service of the Dao Court.

For someone of his background, a member of a sect yet serving the Dao Court, the situation was exactly the same as that of the Dao Court's high ministers Bai Bai Qiancheng and Chunyu Chunyu Tan Yao; furthermore, since Wang Wang Qizhen himself possessed extraordinary talent, even looking across the vast expanse of Xuyu Heaven, he was for a time the foremost figure of the Dao.

Therefore, although factional strife within the Zhengxu Dao Court was fierce, under the protection of people like Bai Bai Qiancheng and Chunyu Chunyu Tan Yao, Wang Wang Qizhen was never embroiled in any turbulent waves.

Moreover, Ji Liu Huan trusted Wang Wang Qizhen with his whole heart, even granting him the Fenggang Mountain within his own fief—a place of extraordinary significance to him—as a Dao field for Wang Wang Qizhen to dwell in.

If only Wang Wang Qizhen had not met with calamity and died so suddenly.

Within Zhengxu Heaven, everyone believed that, given time, Wang Wang Qizhen would certainly have ascended to a higher realm, becoming another pillar of the Dao Court after Bai Bai Qiancheng!

Thus, when Seeing Yin Jun said that Chen Heng resembled Wang Wang Qizhen, this was by no means an insult, but rather a compliment of the highest order.

"However, speaking of which..."

Seeing Yin Jun suddenly changed the subject, looking straight at Prince Ji Xiu, and spoke earnestly:

"It is like a famous sword lying before one; if not taken, it will merely benefit others.

After this campaign, coupled with the various victories achieved earlier, Chen Heng has already made a name for himself across the myriad heavens and universes under the watchful eyes of all, regardless of whether he ultimately wins first place in the Pill and Yuan competition.

If we wish to recruit him, we must act quickly; otherwise, not only will those few families within the Dao Court strike first, but figures like Liu Huan Zuan and Xiong Yan of the Water and Land Tiangong will likely intervene as well."

Although the Zhengxu Dao Court is currently governed by the Ji clan, large and small factions have never ceased to exist; open struggles and hidden plots have led to endless disputes.

Among them, the three most powerful families—Yu, Si, and Xia—are outwardly harmonious with the Ji clan but inwardly discordant, constantly dreaming of the day they might reclaim the reins of governing the world, ensuring that the position of Heavenly Emperor is not monopolized by the Ji clan.

To speak of it, everyone here is a descendant of the Ancient Heavenly Emperors.

Regarding status, the Ji clan and the three families of Yu, Si, and Xia are actually equal, making it difficult to distinguish any hierarchy of high or low, noble or humble.

Even though the Ji clan is currently powerful, given such circumstances, those three families naturally would not be willing to obey orders blindly.

For any deliberation proposed by the Ji clan, they will inevitably find ways to interfere; Prince Ji Xiu had long anticipated this.

But Seeing Yin Jun specifically brought up Liu Huan Zuan and Xiong Yan of the Water and Land Tiangong...

Prince Ji Xiu frowned slightly, then also looked toward the distance at that golden-robed man with a fine beard and an eight-year-old child seated high in a dragon carriage.

At this moment, Yu Yu Huangshang of the Xiantianmo Sect and Zhou Fuqie of the Zhongyi faction happened to confront each other; although no Bronze Fish had yet emerged, since these two had already been somewhat at odds before, they would naturally clash now.

Such a situation inevitably drew the attention of outsiders, and Liu Huan Zuan and Xiong Yan were no exceptions.

Noticing Prince Ji Xiu's gaze, Liu Huan Zuan and Xiong Yan both turned their heads to look back.

The former wore a smile that did not reach his eyes.

The latter, however, nodded amicably and even performed a highly respectful bow, though what he truly thought in his heart was difficult for outsiders to fathom.

"True Person Chen belongs to Yu Yu Yuchen; if the Dao Court were to step forward to recruit him, that would be barely justifiable, yet Mr. Yin specifically mentioned Liu Huan Zuan and Xiong Yan.

At first I did not understand, but after pondering it carefully, I have gained some clarity."

With a thoughtful expression, Prince Ji Xiu withdrew his gaze, then smiled and said:

"Is Mr. Yin worried that those three families of the Dao Court and other powers will use marriage alliances to win over True Person Chen? After all, Lords Liu Huan and Xiong have frequently employed such methods in the past."

"Exactly so!"

Seeing Yin Jun stated solemnly:

"The supreme method of recruiting worthies prioritizes shared ideals and collaborating on grand strategies; the Mountain Lord of Fenggang and those several high ministers are examples of this.

As for marital alliances, although they are secondary, they are still a sound approach."

Hearing this, Prince Ji Xiu hesitated for a moment, then smiled bitterly:

"Although I act on Fifth Brother's orders and bear the responsibility of recruiting talents, a matter of such magnitude is truly something neither I nor Fifth Brother can decide on our own.

An ordinary woman would likely fail to catch the eye of that True Person Chen.

But if we were to betroth a noble daughter of the Ji clan, or even my own sister, to him, this matter would absolutely require Your Majesty's approval; furthermore..."

Recalling the scene a few days ago in the Forty-Nine Lu-Shou Palace where he saw Gu Yi and Wei Wei Lingjiang at odds, Prince Ji Xiu shook his head inwardly; his gaze paused briefly on Zhou Fuqie and Yu Yu Huangshang, then shifted to Chen Heng:

"I fear that even a noble daughter of the Ji clan would hardly win Chen Heng's special regard...

And speaking of which, this Pill and Yuan Grand Assembly coincides with a time when both sides are mending relations; even several veteran ministers have stirred up some interest. In this era of great contention, undercurrents are gradually surging.

The winner of this Pill and Yuan competition will likely become a figure too hot to handle!"

The wind and smoke were bleak; heaven and earth were yellow and desolate.

Two days later, within the Huang Lao She Ji Map, Chen Heng, feeling that his vital energy had largely recovered, woke from meditation and halted his Mei Mei Gongxing.

"Driving it away is easy; killing it is difficult..."

Chen Heng slowly rose to his feet; he surveyed the shattered and crumbling landscape below the clouds, recalled the earlier battle of techniques, and after a brief contemplation, merely sighed thus.

Since this is the case, if he wishes to deal with Chen Bai without revealing his trump card, the Tai Yi Shen Lei, before the final decisive victory, the best method is to seek out that person.

In any case, now that he possesses a Fire Bell Bronze Fish, he can calmly sit back and watch the struggle unfold.

Once this thought arose, Chen Heng did not hesitate; he immediately shook his wide sleeve, transformed into a streak of sword light, pierced the sky, and vanished in the blink of an eye.

And within the Huang Lao She Ji Map, in the fleeting passage of time, another two days and nights passed.

On this day.

Across a vast, mist-shrouded marsh.

Yin Yin Ruohua retrieved the several magical treasures she had previously unleashed, forcibly suppressing the strange qi surging unrestingly within her chest and abdomen.

Her cheeks instantly flushed crimson as blood, resembling ten thousand peach blossoms in full bloom, their color brilliantly vivid.

"I have finally won; Le Zhai actually reserved this move specifically, making him truly difficult to deal with. Had I not prepared means of self-protection beforehand, I would surely have suffered a severe loss; even in victory, my foundational energy would be greatly injured.

I do not know if I can safeguard this Bronze Fish for three days? It is better to seek out my elder brother immediately; with him present, I would not fear even facing ruthless villains like Zhou Fu and Chen Heng..."

Yin Yin Ruohua murmured softly.

But just as she reached out to take the Fire Bell Bronze Fish, a streak of sword light suddenly shot forth from the distant sky, tearing through the vast azure firmament; within what seemed like a few breaths, it arrived before her eyes.

Yin Yin Ruohua's expression stiffened; hundreds of blood rainbows swiftly erupted from behind her, charging forward defiantly to meet it.

When the blood rainbows were explosively shattered, and she clearly saw the figure stepping out from within the sword light.

Yin Yin Ruohua's bright eyes constricted; she stumbled back two steps, her jade-like countenance changing involuntarily.

"How could it be you?!"

She cried out involuntarily.