The former Grand State Master was Zhou Zhongyong, and the Second State Master was Nalan De. The original plan was for Nalan De to ascend, but inexplicably, the mantle fell to Zhuo Lingyun.
Zhuo Lingyun himself found his ascension utterly baffling.
At that time, the Great Yong State was fractured, controlled by several simmering factions.
Yet, Zhuo Lingyun’s own strength barely reached the peak of the second layer of the Hun Dong Realm, and without any significant backing, he couldn't immediately suppress these competing powers. For a time, the surface of the Great Yong State remained perfectly tranquil, with everyone deferring to the current Grand State Master, Zhuo Lingyun. But beneath that veneer, internal strife raged fiercely, and Zhuo Lingyun only held a slight advantage.
What had just transpired? A person who seemed to be nearing the World Realm was addressing Zhuo Lingyun as "Martial Uncle Zhuo" with profound deference.
Could it be that Zhuo Lingyun was not as unsupported as everyone assumed?
Setting aside others, even those factions within the Great Yong State who believed they had powerful patrons within the Central Heavenly Dynasty could hardly boast of a backer this formidable.
Consequently, these factions instantly felt a degree of apprehension toward Zhuo Lingyun. He already held a slight lead; now, with the belief that he possessed a patron approaching the World Realm, their fear deepened. This development granted Zhuo Lingyun an excellent chance to finally unify the various factions of the Great Yong State and seize absolute control of its authority.
Zhuo Lingyun, leveraging the momentum gained from Lu Yuan’s brief visit, prepared to return and consolidate his hold over the Great Yong State.
But at that very instant, Lu Yuan suddenly doubled back.
“Martial Uncle Zhuo,” Lu Yuan called out from a distance.
Lu Yuan’s reappearance shocked the hearts of those nearby who still harbored dissent toward Zhuo Lingyun.
Why had Lu Yuan returned? The reason was surprisingly simple. Lu Yuan wished to learn more quickly about the situation at Mount Hua. Then, he considered that since Zhuo Lingyun currently presided over the southern territories, he should know what had transpired at Mount Hua. Thus, Lu Yuan swiftly turned back, paid his respects to Zhuo Lingyun once more, and immediately inquired.
“Mount Hua, you say.” Zhuo Lingyun paused in contemplation. “Indeed, a major event has unfolded in your region recently.”
“Does the Great Yuan Nation know about it?” Zhuo Lingyun continued. “Yan Cangtian, from years past, once journeyed to the Great Yuan Nation. This was before he ever went to the Central Heavenly Dynasty. At that time, in the Great Yuan Nation, he fought three against one, clashing with the Three Grandmasters of the Great Yuan Nation: the Tian Yuan Grandmaster of the Esoteric Sect, Grandmaster Ouyang of the Ten Thousand Snake Manor, and Grandmaster Mo Jia of the Great Snow Mountain Lan Tuo Temple.”
Lu Yuan was certainly aware of this. Yan Cangtian’s battle back then was widely regarded as a near-mythical event, still praised nearly a millennium later.
In that era, in that specific region encompassing the Great Qin, Great Jin, and Great Yuan, the most famous individual was unequivocally Yan Cangtian. While Yan Cangtian was not overly remarkable in the Central Heavenly Dynasty, he was a millennium-old legend in a remote corner of the Southern Territory.
Zhuo Lingyun stated, “The issue arose precisely from that incident. With that single battle, Yan Cangtian instantly established himself as the millennial legend of the Southern Territory’s frontier. However, the prestige of the Great Yuan Nation’s Three Grandmasters was utterly shattered in a single day. Of the three, Grandmaster Mo Jia of the Great Snow Mountain Lan Tuo Temple suffered grievous wounds in that conflict. Shortly thereafter, plagued by lingering illness and injury, he seldom appeared in public again. The Tian Yuan Grandmaster managed the Great Yuan Nation’s governance and was always the veteran figure dealing with the Great Yuan Nation’s conflicts. As for Grandmaster Ouyang of the Ten Thousand Snake Manor, he simply vanished from sight.”
“That Grandmaster Ouyang disappeared for almost a thousand years. Everyone assumed he was practically dead, but they were utterly wrong. He had been hiding in a secluded corner, cultivating in seclusion. The strength he wields now upon emerging is astonishing—the peak of the fourth layer of the Hun Dong Realm. Who knows what miraculous fortune he encountered? One step further in cultivation, and he would enter the Central Heavenly Dynasty, or perhaps shatter the void to enter the Lost Land.”
“So, naturally, he’s become insufferably arrogant.”
“He was humiliated by Yan Cangtian at Mount Hua in the past, so revenge is inevitable. Moreover, his ambition is not limited to attacking Mount Hua; he is pursuing a grander scheme. He intends to force all sects and powers from the neighboring nations—Great Qin and Great Jin—to submit to him. He seeks to unify those three nations.”
“Originally, Brother Zhou entrusted me with the care of Mount Hua, but my strength is no match for this Grandmaster Ouyang.”
So that was the situation. Lu Yuan finally understood what had happened.
It turned out that the current crisis stemmed from the Great Yuan Nation’s Three Grandmasters, whom Yan Cangtian had defeated long ago. Lu Yuan had long heard of these renowned figures, but he hadn't expected to confront one of them now.
“I see. Thank you for informing me. I shall depart immediately.”
Lu Yuan shot off like lightning.
The Central Heavenly Dynasty was vast beyond measure, hence its abundance of teleportation arrays. However, in the Outer Regions, such arrays were few and far between; travel primarily depended on one’s own flight speed. Fortunately, Lu Yuan’s pace was swift now. After a brief period, he finally returned to Mount Hua.
Returning to Mount Hua filled him with a rush of emotion.
Mount Hua was quite lively at this moment.
How should one describe this scene?
Lu Yuan had encountered countless intense situations in the Central Heavenly Dynasty, but Mount Hua had certainly not been idle. After Lu Yuan slew Ren Du and eliminated the rival Nine Flower Mountain, the Mount Hua Sect had enjoyed a period of immense glory, dominating the region. Of course, due to Lu Yuan’s absence, the sect’s overall strength hadn't peaked; the strongest among them was only at the sixth layer of the Da Dao Realm. Indeed, the current acting sect masters were the Daoist Master Yuanyang and the Daoist Master Zixia, both at the sixth layer of the Da Dao Realm.
Regardless, Mount Hua was growing stronger incrementally, essentially free from external threats.
But at this juncture, a powerful new force suddenly appeared: the Ten Thousand Snake Manor from the Great Yuan Nation. It was rumored that Grandmaster Ouyang, Yan Cangtian’s old adversary, had re-emerged. Among the Great Yuan Nation’s Three Grandmasters back then, Grandmaster Ouyang Wang was the strongest, and now, after nearly a thousand years in seclusion, his reappearance had propelled his power to a terrifying level.
Upon emerging, Ouyang Wang immediately stormed Mount Hua seeking vengeance. He was poised to destroy Mount Hua then and there, but at that critical moment, a streak of sword energy descended from the void, blocking Ouyang Wang’s assault.
This sword energy was left behind by Zhou Qingxuan before he ascended to the Lost Land.
Naturally, Zhou Qingxuan hadn't left behind any overly excessive power; the Three Void Swords were designed to withstand three calamities befalling Mount Hua.
Currently, Ouyang Wang stood at the peak of the fourth layer of the Hun Dong Realm. Blocked by the first of the Three Void Swords, he was utterly prevented from penetrating Mount Hua’s defenses, forcing him, the first intended target of destruction, to retreat empty-handed. However, Ouyang Wang was sharp enough to recognize that there were three distinct sword energies in total—
They could precisely block him three times, meaning they would last exactly three months.
Therefore, Ouyang Wang was in no rush. After three months, he could destroy Mount Hua.
Consequently, Ouyang Wang shifted his focus to subjugating the surrounding sects and powers.
This current upheaval was even greater than the crisis caused by Ren Du in the past; it was a disruption of heaven and earth.
Regardless of other locations, right here at Mount Hua, a faint sword light enveloped the entire mountain. Ouyang Wang had attacked twice; this was the second streak of sword energy. The second energy would likely be exhausted within three days, leaving only the final streak, which could sustain them for perhaps another month at most.
Protected by Zhou Qingxuan’s sword energy, Mount Hua was safe.
But being safe was one thing; the people of Mount Hua could not venture out. The exterior was blockaded by forces from the Great Snow Mountain Lan Tuo Temple of the Great Yuan Nation. The leader on the Lan Tuo Temple side was the former Grandmaster Mo Jia. Grandmaster Mo Jia’s thousand-year injuries had mostly healed, and with recent assistance from Ouyang Wang, his strength had advanced to the Half-step Hun Dong Realm.
It must be remembered that Grandmaster Mo Jia was an eminent figure in his time; receiving aid to advance further was hardly surprising.
“People of Mount Hua, listen! Humbly surrendering to our Great Yuan Nation and the Ten Thousand Snake Manor is your only path to survival.”
“You have witnessed Grandmaster Ouyang’s might—a power nearly capable of shattering the void, comparable to Yan Cangtian, who ascended decades ago!” Grandmaster Mo Jia spoke with considerable confidence. In this domain, those who could ascend or shatter the void were all figures of immense legend.
The former Yan Cangtian commanded dread, and now Ouyang Wang could inspire the same terror.
“Do not cling to the delusion that your Sect Master, Lu Yuan, will return to save you. Setting aside the fact that Lu Yuan is currently in the Central Heavenly Dynasty, he only managed a strength of the first layer of the Hun Dong Realm when he previously left the Central Heavenly Dynasty. In just a few years, how much could his strength have possibly increased?”
“Your Mount Hua is doomed, and your Great Jin must submit to Great Yao.”
“The centuries-long hegemony struggle between the Jin and Yuan nations is about to draw its final symbol. The truth is, our Great Yuan has won, and your Great Jin has lost.”
Protected within the sword energy, the people of Mount Hua dared not step outside. To do so meant death; they dared not venture out.
The opposing Grandmaster Mo Jia was too formidable!
The situation was dire for Mount Hua.
However, everyone on Mount Hua trusted that Lu Yuan would return.
“Even if Lu Yuan returns, he won’t be able to defeat Grandmaster Ouyang,” Grandmaster Mo Jia sneered. As a Grandmaster himself, Mo Jia possessed a certain composure, but the crowd surrounding him lacked such refinement. Despite the Lan Tuo Temple being composed of monks, these monks acted like ravenous specters preying on desire. Their eyes blazed with lust upon seeing the women of Mount Hua, their mouths spewing obscenities incessantly.
Grandmaster Mo Jia did not issue a reprimand; this was a deliberate tactic to provoke the people of Mount Hua into coming out so they could be captured one by one.
“Truly audacious! They dare to storm our Mount Hua!” A voice suddenly rang out directly in front of Grandmaster Mo Jia.
This voice sounded vaguely familiar to some within Mount Hua.
Grandmaster Mo Jia was jolted, for he sensed an aura akin to that of a Buddha.
Mo Jia was a man of the Buddhist path, currently at the Arhat realm. His lifelong aspiration was to reach the Bodhisattva realm; the Buddha realm was too lofty, something he dared not even dream of. But now, instinctively, he felt that the aura of the newcomer was impossibly high, like that of a Buddha.
Who could this be?
(—Two chapters today. Within the near future, either a clone or a sword intent from Yan Cangtian or Zhou Qingxuan will descend from the Lost Land for some fun. Which one will make an appearance?)