Longzang

Chapter 131 Third Sister Teaches Her Son
The three of them silently returned to their domain.

Only a few members of the Wu Clan escaped; the entire force was wiped out. However, their mission was to alter the heavens and earth, seal the immortal swords, and render all immortal sword-type magical artifacts unable to function properly—a mission they had already accomplished. As for how long this alteration would last, it depended on whether the Wu Clan would continue to offer sacrifices. If they were willing to invest heavily, even sealing off thousands of miles could potentially last three to five years.

Back in the realm, Bao Yun was the first to break the silence: "I just arrived and don't quite understand the battle situation yet. What happened in that battle just now? Did the Witch Clan seal the Immortal Sword?"

Xiaoyu was furious again when this was mentioned.

Wei Yuan finally had a chance to change the subject, so he quickly snapped out of his mental blank and gave a brief explanation.

The Wu Clan's intervention to alter the heavens and earth and seal the Dao Foundation came at a far greater cost than this troop of soldiers. This troop of soldiers was merely there to unleash their prepared spells, test the strength of the other side, and see if they could establish a camp there. Therefore, eliminating this Wu Clan troop was just the beginning of the battle, a mere appetizer; the real battle was yet to come.

Wei Yuan's original intention was to trick the Witch Clan into revealing their ability to alter the heavens and earth and seal the immortal sword, in order to gain Xiao Yu's assistance. Now, he has achieved his goal. The Witch Clan paid a huge price, yet it had no effect on Wei Yuan's strength whatsoever; they have essentially lost the first round.

Wei Yuan hadn't expected Xiao Yu to be the first to arrive. Since she'd already come along, he figured he might as well make use of her; since Xiao Yu had walked right into his trap, Wei Yuan naturally wouldn't be polite.

After all, Xiaoyu used to carry Daoji around in front of Wei Yuan every day, and Wei Yuan didn't even realize it. Thinking back to that time, Wei Yuan felt like a fool, even though Xiaoyu seemed even more like a fool back then.

So Wei Yuan coaxed and provoked Xiao Yu into facing off against the witch clan who could seal the immortal sword.

In truth, the Wu Clan's military strategy wasn't wrong. If Wei Yuan's Dao Foundation truly consisted of a hundred immortal swords, then even with Xiao Yu's help, they wouldn't be a match for this Wu Clan team after the immortal swords were sealed, and would have had to retreat back to their realm. Unfortunately, Wei Yuan not only didn't have an immortal sword Dao Foundation, but he also cultivated a wondrous treasure tree, greatly increasing the power of his manifestation of thousands of miles of rivers and mountains. As a result, he annihilated an entire battalion of Wu warriors with overwhelming force.

After the Immortal Sword was sealed, Xiao Yu's strength was greatly reduced, but it did not have a significant impact on the overall battle. The Witch Clan's alteration of heaven and earth could only affect areas outside the boundary. Within the boundary, the effect was greatly reduced, only suppressing one-tenth of the Heavenly Dao Foundation and only half of the Immortal Foundation, which was equivalent to no effect at all.

The Azure Netherworld is expanding extremely rapidly, so it is sufficient to have Xiaoyu stationed there.

After briefly explaining the current battle situation, Wei Yuan asked about Xiao Yu and Bao Yun's experiences during their trip.

When Wei Yuan's distress message arrived at Taichu Palace, Xiao Yu was not at the palace gates but was training in the western border region of Zhao, which was also the traditional sphere of influence of the Xiao family. However, all the major clans had their own communication systems. After Wei Yuan's distress message reached Taichu Palace, it was immediately relayed back to the Xiao family and then eventually reached Xiao Yu. At this point, less than an hour had passed since Wei Yuan's message was sent back to Taichu Palace.

Xiaoyu's location at the time was also on the western border, in the southeast of Ningxi, not far away.

Upon receiving Wei Yuan's message, Xiao Yu was greatly surprised. She never expected that after several years of silence, when faced with a life-or-death crisis, Wei Yuan would first look for her! Xiao Yu was deeply moved and immediately abandoned everything to travel thousands of miles to help him, even putting aside her grudge from the martial arts test.

Upon receiving the letter, Xiaoyu immediately set off, even having an elder from her family stationed in the area escort her for part of the journey. She then repelled the border guards of the Witch Clan and entered the Witch Domain without rest. Her Immortal Sword, the Great Sun, was also incredibly fast, allowing her to arrive first. Because of the rush, Xiaoyu hadn't even had time to pack any luggage, and didn't even have a drop of water on hand.

Xiao Yu never expected that after crossing countless mountains and rivers and breaking through several interception lines of the Wu Clan, she would arrive and, before she could even reminisce about their past friendship, witness Wei Yuan's treachery.

Moreover, Wei Yuan didn't just call her; he also called Bao Yun! Although calling Bao Yun was reasonable and Xiao Yu could accept it, there was still a sense of frustration, like "I offered my heart to the bright moon, but the bright moon shone on the ditch."

Xiao Yu possessed a strong inner strength, and for the time being, she buried all of this deep within her heart, turning it into a seed of revenge, preparing to unleash it at the right time in the future.

Xiaoyu felt that with just the three of them, it wasn't entirely impossible to hold onto this land, though they might have to ask their family for some support. The thought of fighting alongside Baoyun and Weiyuan, battling the Wu Clan to the death, filled Xiaoyu with anticipation, and she decided to temporarily set aside her hatred for Weiyuan.

Fortunately, Wei Yuan's many evil deeds will inevitably lead to his downfall. Didn't he just use the Wonderful Tree right in front of Bao Yun? Xiao Yu wanted to see how he would end up.

Bao Yun's experience was similar to Xiao Yu's. Wei Yuan's distress message arrived at Tai Chu Palace and reached her within about an hour. Bao Yun set off immediately. The Seven Wonders Tree possessed many wondrous properties, such as isolating space and divine sense, so although she encountered some dangers along the way, Bao Yun quietly passed through them without causing any trouble. Therefore, although she traveled a much farther distance than Xiao Yu, she arrived almost simultaneously.

Hearing that Bao Yun arrived not long after Xiao Yu, Wei Yuan broke out in a cold sweat again.

After they finished talking, Xiaoyu asked, "Where are we staying?"

Wei Yuan's mind was still mostly blank at the moment, and he casually said, "Choose whatever you like."

Xiao Yu looked around and couldn't see a single house with a roof. The seed of revenge almost sprouted on the spot.

Seeing that Xiaoyu's expression was off, Wei Yuan realized what was going on and quickly said, "This place has been abandoned for several years. I erected the boundary stone less than two days ago. It has been besieged by the Wu Clan and I haven't had time to build a house."

"It's alright, I can find a place to meditate myself." What Xiaoyu valued wasn't actually those mundane pleasures. The spiritual energy within the Azure Netherworld was abundant, although not as good as the Azure Void Valley, it was still more than enough.

Xiaoyu looked around and saw the main peak. Although the summit was not large, it was more than enough for three people to live in. Moreover, the peak was solitary, aloof, and stood out from the crowd, which suited Xiaoyu's taste perfectly.

Just then, Wei Yuan suddenly sensed that someone else had entered the realm, and this person was extremely fast, arriving in front of him in the blink of an eye!

Wei Yuan was overjoyed and immediately bowed, saying, "Greetings, Teacher!"

The newcomer was Zhang Sheng, but his left sleeve was torn, with bloodstains still visible at the opening, and the wound hadn't even been bandaged. The fact that Zhang Sheng could be injured showed that the interceptor was no ordinary person.

Zhang Sheng paid no attention to his injuries. When he entered the realm, he had already seen the thousands of witch corpses laid out in the morgue, as well as the witch camp that had just been wiped out, so he had a good idea of ​​the current battle situation.

Seeing Wei Yuan, Zhang Sheng felt quite emotional. The little boy from back then had grown up so much in the blink of an eye, and had caused such a big mess so soon after being sent out to fly solo. If he were to gain more experience in a few years, Zhang Sheng wasn't sure if he could still handle the situation.

But what if the Witch Clan is powerful right now? As the master, I must naturally bear the consequences of my disciple's actions. That's what Master Fenhai said to Zhang Sheng back then.

However, in recent years, Fenhai has stopped mentioning this phrase. There's no other reason than that he can no longer bear the karma associated with Zhang Sheng. Not to mention Zhang Sheng, he can't even bear Wei Yuan's karma.

Zhang Sheng patted Wei Yuan on the shoulder, helped him up, and said softly, "Don't be afraid, your master has arrived. No matter how many Wu tribes come, we will kill them all."

Zhang Sheng untied the bag on his back and poured out more than ten magic swords, saying calmly, "Look, each of these swords of mine has quite a history."

Having learned from the battle in the northern frontier, Zhang Sheng no longer carries only one sword when he travels. This time, on his westward journey, he collected over ten high-grade magic swords, intending to make a big splash. However, these magic swords were clearly the work of the Azure Sky Palace; after all, all ten of them combined were worth less than Xiao Yu's single scabbard.

Looking at these magic swords, Wei Yuan's eyelids twitched, but he didn't dare to speak.

Xiao Yu, standing nearby, hesitated, not expecting Wei Yuan to have called Zhang Sheng as well. His disappointment deepened. However, considering that Zhang Sheng was Wei Yuan's master and the Tianqing Palace lineage was notoriously protective of its own, Xiao Yu knew that even if Wei Yuan hadn't called Zhang Sheng, he would likely have come anyway. So, Xiao Yu held back and didn't take advantage of Wei Yuan's misfortune.

Just then, a somewhat languid voice sounded from the side: "Don't you feel that something is wrong with the world around us? It's like the world has been altered."

Upon hearing this voice, Wei Yuan trembled all over.

Xiao Yu's eyelids twitched as she looked at Ji Liuli, who had appeared out of nowhere. The last vestige of goodwill she had for Wei Yuan vanished completely. It turned out she wasn't the only one; she was just the first to arrive!

Just how many people did Wei Yuan call?!
Reminded by Ji Liuli, Zhang Sheng investigated and his expression changed slightly. He frowned and said, "It seems to be a sealed immortal sword. Yuan'er, what's going on?"

Wei Yuan remained expressionless and said, "Just now, a battalion of witch soldiers attacked. As soon as they arrived, they cast spells that could alter the heavens and earth and seal the immortal sword. They must have been prepared."

Zhang Sheng knew that altering the heavens and earth was no small spell; it required at least a high-ranking shaman to perform and the blood sacrifice of a thousand people to unleash. The human and shaman races had fought for hundreds of thousands of years, and the altering the heavens and earth spell had been used countless times.

But before Zhang Shengren even arrived, the Witch Clan had already arranged to seal the Immortal Sword.

After careful consideration, Zhang Sheng's expression turned unusually solemn. He said, "My fourth immortal sword is nearing completion, and I already have one foot in the heavens and earth. Even ordinary True Monarchs cannot fathom my karma. For the Witch Clan to have foreseen my arrival and preemptively sealed my immortal sword to block my path, there must be a powerful figure in charge! This battle will likely be difficult; we must be cautious." Ji Liuli also looked solemn and said, "No wonder the palace has increased the merits here by 30%. How many life-saving measures have you prepared?"

"I do not have."

"It's okay, I prepared two sets, I'll give you one in a bit."

“Alright.” Zhang Sheng didn’t refuse and accepted it readily. This was a battlefield, and the Witch Clan had a powerful figure in charge. Their methods were too strong for them to easily withstand, so they needed to have a way to protect themselves.

Ji Liuli added, "Let's hold out for a few days. I'll send a message to the patriarch now and see if he can come over, or at least change our luck."

Zhang Sheng glanced at Wei Yuan, then said to Ji Liuli, "Then I'll leave it to you."

Seeing Zhang Shengji's unusually serious demeanor as he plotted to save his life, Xiaoyu couldn't bear it any longer. She snorted and said, "It seems that the Witch Clan's sealing of the Immortal Sword was not due to a powerful figure's calculation, but rather a man-made accident."

"What do you mean by 'human error'?" Zhang Sheng asked.

Xiao Yu said, "Just look at how many immortal swords your disciple has, and you'll know."

Zhang Sheng had a vague sense of unease and said to Wei Yuan, "You've also cultivated a celestial sword? Manifest it for your master to see."

Wei Yuan remained expressionless as he materialized a magical sword, the Pseudo-Sun.

Zhang Sheng's eyebrows shot up, and he retorted, "You call this a celestial sword? It doesn't even deserve to be called an Earth-rank sword! What's the point of forging something like this? Do you think the path to immortality is too easy and life is too boring?"

Wei Yuan lowered his head and remained silent.

Xiao Yu said quietly from the side, "It seems that Junior Brother Wei has more than one immortal sword."

"Oh? Are there any more? Let them all out and let us see." Zhang Sheng's expression softened somewhat.

It seems my disciple has a good comprehension ability, able to comprehend different immortal swords, even if they are of lower grade, it is still not easy. Moreover, Wei Yuan already possesses the vast land and rivers, yet still wants to comprehend more immortal swords, probably because he admires me and wants to try to walk the path of his master.

Zhang Sheng thought to himself, "It seems I need to find some time to give Wei Yuan a good talking-to. He shouldn't always be trying to imitate his master; it's most important that he forges his own path..."

As Zhang Sheng was still pondering how to further educate his disciples, suddenly hundreds of immortal swords appeared before his eyes, piling up on the ground with a clatter. Upon closer inspection, Zhang Sheng realized that every single one of them was a fake sun.

Ji Liuli patted Zhang Sheng on the shoulder and said, "Let's clean house!"

Both were incredibly intelligent. With Xiaoyu's reminder and after looking at the pile of immortal swords, they immediately understood that Wei Yuan must have provoked the Witch Clan with a hundred immortal swords, which was why the Witch Clan had targeted immortal swords for the seal. Wei Yuan didn't cultivate immortal swords, so he was unaffected; it only blocked Zhang Sheng's path.

At this moment, Bao Yun said, "Junior Brother Wei respects his teacher and values ​​the Way, so it's only right. It wasn't intentional."

This was the first thing she said after she arrived.

Zhang Sheng stared blankly at Wei Yuan. Wei Yuan, however, kept his eyes fixed on the ground in front of him, refusing to make eye contact.

Zhang Sheng didn't react. He pointed towards the summit and said calmly, "I'll be waiting for you up there. I'll give you a moment to come up and think of your explanation. Once you've decided, come find me."

After saying this, Zhang Sheng stepped into the air and reached the summit of the main peak in just a few steps.

Bao Yun remained silent and followed Zhang Sheng away.

Ji Liuli wasn't in a hurry. He paused for a moment on Yun Feifei and Xu Wan'er in the distance, and said to Wei Yuan, "The little guy has grown up. He's already so good at having fun after not seeing him for so long. Anyway, we still have some time. I'll wander around and see what else is fun."

Xiao Yu, clutching the immortal sword, glanced indifferently at Wei Yuan before heading towards the summit.

A moment later.

Wei Yuan climbed to the summit of the main peak and saw three auras emanating from the only relatively intact room. Each aura possessed its own unique grandeur and magnificence. Xiao Yu stood on the edge of the cliff, sword in hand, gazing at the distant sea of ​​clouds.

Wei Yuan really wanted to kick Xiao Yu down.

Upon seeing Wei Yuan arrive, Xiao Yu remained silent, only gesturing towards the house. Once wasn't enough; she came several times in a row, making Wei Yuan grit his teeth, wishing he could cast a curse on him, causing half his face to twitch every day from then on.

Looking at the three magnificent and grand auras above the room, Wei Yuan took a deep breath and slowly walked over.

At that moment, he suddenly remembered a story he knew from his childhood, first told by Zhang Sheng. There was a famous scene in the story called "Three Heroes Battle Lü Bu." Wei Yuan felt a striking resemblance between this scene and his current situation; he was Lü Bu, the one who would fight the three heroes, invincible and domineering over the world!

With this thought, Wei Yuan felt a surge of heroic spirit and quickened his pace.

However, recently Wei Yuan has been setting up feng shui formations to counter his enemies, and his own mastery of feng shui has advanced by leaps and bounds. For example, his innovative use of a feng shui formation layered with a purification spirit formation was how he managed to block the Great Witch's Blood Curse. At this moment, Wei Yuan's heart suddenly skipped a beat as he remembered something: the Three Heroes fought Lü Bu, and Lü Bu lost! This was not a good omen!
Wei Yuan slowed his pace by another three points.

However, Wei Yuan quickly reconsidered. He had no chance against the three people inside; he wouldn't even be able to put up a fight. Whether he stuck his neck out or not, the outcome was the same, so he might as well be courageous. Like encountering a tiger in the wilderness, all he needed to do was stand tall, face the enemy head-on, and die with dignity!
Wei Yuan strode to the front of the house, pushed the door open gently, and then slowly closed it.

The inside and outside of the door are now separated.

Suddenly, a nine-tiered pagoda appeared in the sky, its magnificent appearance awe-inspiring. Divine beasts crouched on the eaves of each level, and each of the eight corners was adorned with precious objects such as bells, chimes, and jingles. As soon as this pagoda appeared, the heavens and earth seemed to freeze, and all demons were suppressed.

The Nine-Story Demon-Suppressing Pagoda!
This was the first time Xiao Yu had ever seen the Demon Suppression Tower materialize. He was standing outside when even his Immortal Sword and Great Sun were sluggish and malfunctioning. One could only imagine what it would feel like to be trapped inside the tower.

But that wasn't all. A magnificent tree appeared atop the tower, its countless ribbons of light hanging down, isolating the inner and outer worlds. Even if a powerful being were to calculate the cause and effect and try to rescue someone from afar, it would be extremely difficult to break through the tree's barrier unless they were absolutely certain of this location.

But it's not over yet.

Four immortal swords descended from the sky, landing around the pagoda and guarding the four directions. Xiao Yu, being a cultivator of immortal swords, naturally recognized the other three and knew their power. However, the sword in the north, appearing and disappearing intermittently, with only a fleeting shadow, sent a shiver down Xiao Yu's spine.

Moreover, the four immortal swords form their own world and are linked together as one. Xiao Yu intuitively felt that as long as someone dared to enter, they would be attacked by all four immortal swords at the same time, and the power would not be as simple as the sum of their parts.

Xiao Yu figured that if she used her body to wield the sword, three of her could fight the other three immortal swords to a standstill. But against the sword shadow to the north, she would probably need two of herself to fight together. And if the four swords formed a sword formation, even ten Xiao Yus entering the formation would be a one-way trip.

With the Nine-Layered Pagoda sealed off, the Seven Mysterious Trees blocking reinforcements, and the Four Immortal Swords forming a deadly array, Wei Yuan has no chance of escape!
Xiao Yu's lips curled up, unable to suppress his smile. He hadn't expected schadenfreude to feel so pleasant; he even felt like humming a little tune!

Xiao Yu suddenly felt a sense of familiarity with the scene before him, as if he were recalling something. He racked his brains and finally remembered a storybook he had read. Xiao Yu had been training in the Western Regions for the past few years and had read quite a few storybooks. Of course, he wasn't reading the ones from the Lying Flat Inn. One famous storybook had a chapter that seemed somewhat relevant to the scene before him. The title of that chapter was:

Third Sister teaches her son.

(End of this chapter)