Jiangning Commandery, Yicheng.
“Master, you found him?” Teng Qingshan displayed a rare flicker of joy.
“Yes.” Zhuge Yuanhong also let out a deep sigh, gazing at the blood-red setting sun in the west. “After searching for three or four days, checking where the explosive roars occurred in our Jiangning Commandery on the twenty-second, we finally pinpointed it. Someone in a manor down the mountain from Dayan Mountain claimed to have heard the boom and terrible howls. I dispatched men into Dayan Mountain, and they found my Martial Ancestor’s remains.”
“To survive in the mountains for three or four days without being eaten by beasts is a miracle, a blessing from heaven,” Zhuge Yuanhong remarked with emotion.
But Zhuge Yuanhong was unaware…
That day, the demon dragon ‘Zixi’ had surfaced in that area, letting out a furious roar and leaving behind an incredibly dense demonic aura. This lingering aura prevented ordinary beasts from daring to approach, thus preserving Elder Wu’s body.
“Elder Wu’s funeral?” Teng Qingshan looked towards Zhuge Yuanhong.
“The funeral will have to be kept quiet,” Zhuge Yuanhong said with a wry smile. “My Martial Ancestor has no living relatives left… Alas, his only great-grandson died senselessly after a fight over a woman. That loss struck the Martial Ancestor deeply.”
“From then on, the Martial Ancestor often lost himself in various historical romances. Yet, it was bizarre—the Martial Ancestor, already at the Innate Golden Core level, broke through to the Void Realm while engrossed in those novels.”
“Even after reaching the Void Realm, he remained incredibly low-key, mostly staying within the Martial Pavilion… When I first reached the Innate level, the sect hailed me as a genius, and it was the Martial Ancestor himself who guided me. Though he was my Martial Ancestor, he was practically my master.” Zhuge Yuanhong’s eyes glistened faintly with unshed tears.
If Zhuge Yuanhong achieved what he had, Elder Wu deserved no small credit.
“Master,” Teng Qingshan sighed internally.
Suddenly—
“Bang!” “Bang!” “Bang!” A series of urgent, sharp knocks hammered against the door, abruptly shattering the quiet atmosphere—the sound felt like heavy sledgehammers striking their hearts.
“Hmm?” Both Teng Qingshan and Zhuge Yuanhong’s expressions shifted slightly.
The household servants would never dare knock with such urgency.
“Sect Master, Sect Master, open the door quickly, quickly!” an anxious voice shouted from outside.
“I’ll get it,” Teng Qingshan immediately moved to the courtyard gate, slid back the bolt, and as he opened it, a sturdy man in plain clothes, with thick brows and large eyes, rushed into the courtyard without sparing Teng Qingshan a formal greeting.
“What is happening?” Zhuge Yuanhong stood up.
“Sect Master,” the man gasped urgently, “News just arrived from the sect! The Qinghu Island garrisons in the south, north, and west borders of our Jiangning Commandery have all set out and are marching toward Jiangning Commandery City!”
Boom!
Zhuge Yuanhong and Teng Qingshan both felt as if lightning had struck their minds; they were stunned. Although Teng Qingshan and Zhuge Yuanhong had anticipated this possibility… the reality of it happening was something neither could accept. If Qinghu Island launched this war, the Guiyuan Sect might very well be finished!
A thousand years of foundation, wiped out.
“They have finally come,” Zhuge Yuanhong calmed himself, a cold glint flashing in his eyes. “You may go now.” With a wave of his hand, the man, though anxious, respectfully retreated.
Only Zhuge Yuanhong and Teng Qingshan remained in the courtyard.
“Master,” Teng Qingshan said, looking at Zhuge Yuanhong.
“This Blind Swordsaint truly intends to crush our Guiyuan Sect in one decisive blow,” Zhuge Yuanhong decided almost instantly. He turned to Teng Qingshan. “Qingshan, you should appear as a friend of the Guiyuan Sect when they arrive, to see if it might make the Blind Swordsaint hesitate. As for me… I must return now.”
“Master, you cannot go back.”
Teng Qingshan said solemnly, “It’s useless even if you return… If the Guiyuan Sect falls, the Blind Swordsaint will certainly kill you. That would be walking to your death! But if you stay away… you will undoubtedly reach the Void Realm someday.” Teng Qingshan did not believe his master couldn't see this far ahead.
“No,” Zhuge Yuanhong shook his head gently, looking at Teng Qingshan. “Qingshan, I am the Sect Master of the Guiyuan Sect!”
“When our Guiyuan Sect faces such a disaster, others can flee, but I cannot.”
“As the great army of Qinghu Island presses down, and our Guiyuan Sect disciples fight bravely to the death, what will they think if they suddenly realize their Sect Master has fled and is not in Jiangning Commandery City? Will they still have the heart to fight? They would be deeply disheartened,” Zhuge Yuanhong stated gravely.
As he spoke, Zhuge Yuanhong looked at Teng Qingshan. “Moreover, the future of the Guiyuan Sect rests not with me, Zhuge Yuanhong, but with you, Teng Qingshan!”
“No, no…”
Teng Qingshan frowned, his mind racing.
“Don’t stop me,” Zhuge Yuanhong declared, turning to walk outside.
“Master!” Teng Qingshan’s figure flashed, blocking the way, staring intently at Zhuge Yuanhong. “Qinghu Island’s advance is a catastrophe for our Guiyuan Sect. But—we still have a lifeline. The Blind Swordsaint might indeed fear my presence, and we have another hope.”
“Another hope?” Zhuge Yuanhong was startled.
“Yes, the Celestial God Palace,” Teng Qingshan replied.
“The Celestial God Palace?” Zhuge Yuanhong frowned slightly. “Qingshan, you intend to…” Zhuge Yuanhong knew Teng Qingshan had some ties to the Celestial God Palace.
“It’s evening now, I will make a trip to Qingzhou immediately,” Teng Qingshan said quickly. “If the Celestial God Palace assists, our Guiyuan Sect can certainly survive this calamity. Yes, Master, I am leaving now.”
Time was critical, and Teng Qingshan departed instantly on the Six-Legged Saber Cicada.
Whoosh!
The Six-Legged Saber Cicada shot into the sky, its speed so incredible that an ordinary person would only perceive a blur.
Yangzhou was two thousand li from Qingzhou, and reaching ‘Huyue Commandery City’ in Qingzhou was nearly three thousand li.
Darkness had fallen.
Above the clouds, the Six-Legged Saber Cicada was enveloped in golden flame light. With Teng Qingshan’s aid, its speed now far surpassed even that of a Azure Luan. It tore through the world at a terrifying pace, rushing towards Huyue Commandery City.
“If Xiaoqing comes, Xiaoqing and I together would be enough to frighten Qinghu Island into inaction.”
“If the Six-Legged Saber Cicada breaks through to the Void Realm, that alone could deter Qinghu Island.”
“If Master can make that final breakthrough to the Void Realm, and we join forces—two Void Realm experts in the Guiyuan Sect could also secure our survival,” Teng Qingshan watched the endless stars in the sky, yet his heart was filled with anxiety. These were all mere ‘ifs.’ Breaking through to the Void Realm was immensely difficult for both the Six-Legged Saber Cicada and Master Zhuge Yuanhong.
That single step separated them from heaven and earth.
Many people remained trapped at that boundary for ages.
“Down,” under Teng Qingshan’s guidance, the Six-Legged Saber Cicada dove through the clouds. Teng Qingshan clearly saw the boundless land below—cities and villages.
After the time it takes to brew a pot of tea, Teng Qingshan spotted Huyue Commandery City.
……
In Huyue Commandery City, the central headquarters of the Snow Lotus Sect was located within a lavish mansion—Li Jun’s residence.
Li Jun was alone in her study. Two personal guards stood outside the door.
“Hmm, it seems this attempt to attack Youzhou and destroy ‘Hongtian City’ will be incredibly difficult,” Li Jun murmured, examining the intelligence report just delivered.
Whoosh!
A streak of rainbow light pierced through the study door, landing inside the room.
“Who goes there!” The two guards at the entrance turned sharply, spotting the figure who had suddenly appeared in the study, and immediately shouted sternly.
“Quick, quick.”
Numerous guards from the mansion heard the sharp shouts and rushed toward the study.
Upon seeing the newcomer, Li Jun’s face lit up with surprise and delight. She waved her hand, ordering the guards: “All of you, leave. Do not let anyone disturb us.”
“Yes.”
The two guards finally recognized the man who had once lived in the mansion—the husband of their acting Sect Master—and their faces flushed slightly as they withdrew and closed the study door.
“Qingshan, why have you rushed over at this hour?” Li Jun asked, smiling as she walked over and linked her arm with Teng Qingshan’s.
“I have something urgent,” Teng Qingshan said, his brow furrowed with worry. “Xiao Jun… this afternoon, the three garrisons of Qinghu Island on the Jiangning border have already deployed and are advancing toward Jiangning Commandery City. Moreover… just a few days ago, Elder Wu, whom I discussed with you, was killed by the Blind Swordsaint of Qinghu Island using a Void Realm demon beast in a joint attack.”
“What? This…” Li Jun was also greatly startled by the news.
Elder Wu’s death—even the Celestial God Palace had not received word of it.
“How could this happen?” Li Jun was truly shocked.
“Xiao Jun, the Guiyuan Sect is in grave danger now… and whether I alone can threaten Qinghu Island this time remains uncertain,” Teng Qingshan worried. “Furthermore, if Qinghu Island takes precautions and disperses their elite forces away from the island, I won’t even have a chance for retaliation.”
Li Jun nodded slightly.
“Qingshan, what do you plan to do?” Li Jun inquired.
“Can you contact the Celestial God Palace?” Teng Qingshan asked. “Tell them the situation… say that if the entire Yangzhou region becomes a unified bloc, it will make it ten times harder for the Celestial God Palace to eventually seize Yangzhou. Ask them to send one Void Realm expert to lend a hand.”
“That is quite possible.”
Li Jun nodded. “This time, our Celestial God Palace’s attempt to take ‘Hongtian City’ in northeastern Youzhou has bogged us down. I suspect the Palace Master would rather not find herself in a similar quagmire in Yangzhou later.”
“Bogged down?” Teng Qingshan frowned.
“Yes,” Li Jun confirmed. “The Celestial God Palace spent a century infiltrating Qingzhou, establishing numerous hidden factions. That’s why unifying Qingzhou was quick. But attacking Youzhou this time… it’s problematic. Hongtian City learned from the ‘Xiaoyao Palace’ incident and has unified Youzhou using extremely ruthless tactics.”
“They are not engaging our Celestial God Palace head-on! Firstly, Hongtian City has broken its elite troops into small units, leading vast numbers of smaller armies of several thousand men each, operating like wild wolves, constantly harassing our main forces through sneak attacks.”
“Secondly, Hongtian City has issued bounties across Youzhou, recruiting soldiers from everywhere. Anyone who joins their ranks and kills one Celestial God Palace soldier is rewarded with five hundred taels of silver!”
“Five hundred taels of silver! Such a high reward for one kill is enough to drive every bandit and ruffian in Youzhou into a frenzy.”
“Instantly, hundreds, even thousands, of scattered forces have appeared across Youzhou—the largest being perhaps twenty or thirty thousand soldiers, the smallest maybe just a thousand. Relying on their familiarity with the terrain, they attack our Celestial God Palace army using every method: traps, ambushes, poison…” Li Jun managed a wry smile. “Although the Celestial God Palace has Void Realm experts, what can a few of them do against an endless, oceanic swarm of omnipresent small armies?”
“Sigh… Our Celestial God Palace forces are deeply mired in Youzhou. The trouble is huge.”
“Therefore, the Palace Master might agree to send a Void Realm expert to aid the Guiyuan Sect,” Li Jun concluded with a nod.