Chapter 1004: Qing Gao Lou Is Bustling (2nd of 2 Updates, Requesting Moon Tickets)

Settling his thoughts, Fang Yue increased the emphasis on cultivation, continuing to multitask.

After reaching the ninth layer of the Void Ice Heart Method, the two forces splitting from within grew stronger in synchrony as they spiraled upward.

At the peak of the ninth layer, the two forces began to merge, entwining like twin dragons vying for a pearl, burning his lifespan madly to fuel their union, until they fully fused into a single whole.

At that moment, Fang Yue suddenly perked up, halting his movements instantly, setting his tail aside; the next instant, all his energy was violently drawn into cultivation.

On his skin's surface, frost rapidly formed with crackling sounds, freezing him into an ice statue.

"Ye Ge?!"

His tail cried out, but the voice could no longer reach Fang Yue's ears.

Within inner vision.

Fang Yue discovered his inner vision was a tiny, spherical structure no larger than a ping-pong ball.

The sphere's surface bore a black-and-white Taiji pattern, faintly visible like a fixed emblem.

Inside the sphere lay a mountain of ice.

At the peak of the ice mountain rested a flower bud, tightly closed and waiting to bloom.

The bud had no fixed color, shifting with changes in light.

Sometimes it turned utterly black, radiating dark light.

Sometimes it blazed with blinding white radiance.

Occasionally it transformed into an ice flower, frozen in place, endlessly changing.

Among these phenomena, the one most tightly linked to him was unmistakably the small ice mountain.

Almost instantly following his will, the ice mountain would shift accordingly, fully obedient, while the other phenomena ignored his commands entirely.

Neither the black-and-white polar light on the surface nor the shifting bud interacted with him in any way.

Fang Yue felt frustrated—he could sense that the two forces refusing his command were, in truth, the most powerful within him.

Yet regardless, having cultivated the ice mountain meant the tenth layer of the Void Ice Sword Scripture had been successfully achieved!

Withdrawing from inner vision.

Crackling.

The frost on Fang Yue's body shattered and fell away, his entire being suffused with ultimate power.

Void Ice Sword Scripture, Tenth Layer—achieved!

System Prompt: Congratulations, player 【Yese Liming】, 【Void Ice Sword Scripture】 has advanced to Tenth Layer. Reward: Spirit Value +45, Comprehension +50, Lifespan +400 years.

The system notification sounded, summoning the attribute list.

Name: Yese Liming.

Spirit Value: 150.

Weird Power: 150.

Comprehension: 600.

Talent: Night's Breath 【??? Rank】.

Weird Gift: Stilled World, Weird Ring, Weird Mill.

Technique: Void Ice Sword Scripture 【Tenth Layer】.

Lifespan: 2000 years.

His strength had risen another level!

"Ye Ge, are you alright? You seem stronger now?" his tail asked, concerned.

"Good. The technique I cultivated just achieved a breakthrough."

Breakthrough?

His tail's expression turned strange.

【Monster! Monster! He raised his technique's level while traveling?! Is he even human??】

Not only his tail found this absurd—even Qi Ba Jiu Daren found it unacceptable.

How monstrous must one be to suddenly break through a technique's level while doing something as ordinary as eating or drinking?

Under his tail's strange gaze, Fang Yue had already resumed traveling with her, heading toward Qing Gao Lou.

Boom!

Thunder roared again within the Black Cloud, illuminating Jingcheng.

On the rooftop of Qing Gao Lou, Feng Wang held Huang Hou, looking down from above.

Below, besides Fang Yue and his tail, numerous teams surged toward Qing Gao Lou like an ant colony, gradually converging into a dense mass.

Leading them all was unmistakably a man wearing a bull-headed mask.

"Interesting. He dares to return and challenge us again," Huang Hou giggled, covering her mouth.

"Merely ants. The only thing that truly matters is one thing."

"Don't worry—it has already completed the 'array.' Only one final step remains. Our dream is about to come true!"

"Not our dream… but Elder Mo's lifelong aspiration!"

Feng Wang corrected the "error" with a slightly solemn tone, then gazed at the towering Spirit Tree illuminated by thunder, a faint smile appearing.

Finally… after all these years, Master's 【Mo Immortal Array】 will be completed.

Master, I prove to you—your theory was never wrong!

…

Beneath Qing Gao Lou, a vast crowd was converging.

Leading them was none other than Niuzuo, former First Seat of the Phoenix Organization's Twelve Seats.

After fleeing Juan Niao Lou, he had gathered Ming and the "Seventh Prince," recruiting all the Seventh Prince's former factions.

Niu Zuo knew where the true seventh prince was—most likely hiding somewhere in the underground passage, too afraid to show himself.

After all, he had already lost in the battle at the Imperial Palace.

Thinking of this, Niu Zuo sneered coldly.

If the true seventh prince had been willing to cooperate properly, he never would have ended up in such a predicament; but as for what had happened inside the Imperial Palace, Niu Zuo knew only limited details, and had no idea how the first prince had defeated the seventh prince.

But that didn't stop him from using the fake seventh prince, Captain Wu, to raise a banner and rally those who were still undecided.

Niu Zuo had the slogan; Captain Wu had the identity; and with You Xingchen testifying, Captain Wu's claim as the legitimate heir to the seventh prince was barely questioned.

Under the slogan of awakening the imperial bloodline, after leaving Juan Niao Lou, his forces grew larger and larger.

When Ming succeeded in persuading Nian Tianjiao to return and convince the Nian family Elder to emerge from seclusion, Niu Zuo knew it was time to return and attack the Phoenix Organization.

"I will avenge Huang Er!"

Niu Zuo clenched his fists and ordered the remaining members of the four great families to return and persuade their Elders to emerge.

The result was that only the Blue Division's Wu Family agreed to return and seek approval—and successfully convinced their Elder to emerge.

As for the Purple Hall, there was complete silence—no follow-up at all, not even the Purple Hall members sent to seek approval returned to the ranks.

Niu Zuo made an immediate decision: he abandoned any hope of support from the Purple Hall line and chose to attack the Phoenix Organization with his current forces.

"Five Elders from the Blue Division's Wu Family—all Rain Grade Peak experts! Two Elders from the Red Division's Nian Family—one Rain Grade Peak, one slightly stronger than a standard Rain Grade expert. Add in the awakened Captain Wu, half a Rain Grade expert—and together, that's 7.5 Rain Grade experts!"

This number gave Niu Zuo ample confidence and resolve!

Although some questioned why Niu Zuo chose to attack the Phoenix Organization instead of hunting down the Wu Yu clan's anomalies and rescuing more civilians.

But under Niu Zuo's slogan and Captain Wu's support, they all silently accepted the order.

"The black clouds in the sky, those Wu Yu clan anomalies—they were all summoned by the Phoenix Organization! They all obey the orders of Feng Wang and Huang Hou, which is why they massacred Jingcheng! Even that sky-piercing spirit tree, visible only during thunderstorms, is the work of the Phoenix Organization!"

"That's why I defected from the Phoenix Organization—I couldn't bear their horrific crimes!"

"If we want to survive, if we want to save Jingcheng, while the Emperor and the clan Elders of the four great families are absent, only by uniting to overthrow Feng Wang and Huang Hou can we truly stop this tragedy in Jingcheng and save the world!"

Captain Wu was somewhat dissatisfied with Niu Zuo's rhetoric, but thinking of Fang Yue's death, and of An Dong'er and You Sisi, he understood he had to rely on these people's strength to achieve anything.

"If only I were stronger, innocent people wouldn't have had to die!"

Clenching his fists, Captain Wu endured the torment of his conscience.

(End of Chapter)