Longzang

Chapter 870 A Choice of the Time (Part 2) (A long chapter wishing the Dean of the Golden Alliance Yin-Yang Harmony Research Institute a happy birthday)
"Fine, I won't let you see it clearly, you'll never give up your wicked intentions." The little girl waved her hands, and another scene appeared in front of Wei Yuan.

In the video, a group of people are kneeling and worshipping a statue.

The top of the statue was covered with moss, but no one had cleaned it, which showed that the number of believers was not large and they were not very dedicated.

Wei Yuan looked at the statue and felt that it looked familiar. Then he suddenly remembered that this was the statue of the Creator Immortal he stood in the Azure Netherworld.
Seeing the few dozen people kneeling and worshipping in front of the statue, Wei Yuan was immediately furious. How could he have so few followers?

When did this happen? Have mortals become so devoid of reverence? It seems only thunder and torrential rain can teach them a lesson and make them face reality!

And there's even moss growing on the statue of the Creator Immortal?!

Although the appearance of moss was a great thing, Wei Yuan didn't want it to grow on his shoulders. Luckily, it didn't grow on his head, otherwise it would have brought several bolts of lightning to the mortal realm.

The statue of the Creator Immortal doesn't actually resemble Wei Yuan at all, but what the statue looks like doesn't affect people's worship.

Wei Yuan was getting angry when a group of people suddenly rushed over. The leader pointed at the statue of the Creator Immortal and shouted, "Someone here is impersonating the Creator Immortal! How dare they! Today I'll show you the power of the real Immortal!"

As he spoke, the man rushed to the statue and suddenly splashed a large basin of black dog blood onto it!

Wei Yuan suddenly felt his vision blur, as the part of his divine consciousness originating from the mundane world had been severed.

Wei Yuanshi was incredulous: "These are also your people?"

"He is not actually human, but a shaman who looks like a human. He infiltrated the Azure Netherworld to commit suicide, and was successfully reincarnated in the human world. Over the years, more than 500 such shamans have been tried, and only a few dozen have succeeded."

Wei Yuan was taken aback. He had initially thought it was a good thing that the Wu and Liao tribes had been reincarnated in the mortal world. Little did he know that long ago, he had fallen into the schemes of the immortals and been mixed in with their sand.

Wei Yuan smiled wryly and said, "Senior's plan is truly far-sighted, I admire it. However, this alone is still not enough."

"Don't rush, keep watching."

The image shifted, revealing a human girl holding a crudely carved stone toad. Upon seeing this stone toad, Wei Yuan's eyes deepened.

Earlier, some mortals unearthed this stone toad from the ground and regarded it as a celestial omen. They gathered a group of people, worshipped the toad as their master, and shouted the slogan "The Immortal Heaven is dead, the Toad Heaven shall rise," attempting to replace Wei Yuan.

When Wei Yuan saw it, he just sneered. These mortals could never know about Wei Yuan's birth as a toad back then. They thought that kicking out the Creator Immortal Venerable would really change the world above their heads.

The enormous statues they worshipped were carved by ordinary people themselves later; the real stone toad was only the size of a palm, a naturally formed creature born from the mundane world.

This stone toad is definitely not ordinary, so how did it end up in the hands of this little girl?

The little girl suddenly smiled at Wei Yuan and started digging in the ground, seemingly intending to bury the stone toad. For some reason, seeing her do this, Wei Yuan suddenly felt inexplicably uneasy.

The little girl, amidst the everyday life, ignored Wei Yuan and continued digging the hole.

Suddenly, a group of people ran over, carrying something wrapped in a black cloth. When they saw the little girl, they were also taken aback, stopped and asked, "What are you doing digging for things here?"

The little girl said, "I'm going to bury something. Did you dig anything up?"

The leading man lifted a corner of the black cloth, revealing a one-eyed stone figure, and said, "I accidentally dug this up. Little girl, this is a sacred place; things often come out here. Don't bury things randomly!"

The little girl pointed to the stone toad and said, "I'll bury something very, very small."

The man glanced at the stone toad, nodded, and then hurriedly left with the others.

The little girl waited until they were far away before picking up the stone toad, stretching out her arms, and then letting go. The stone toad landed perfectly in the pit.

Wei Yuan felt as if a thin veil had been draped over his upper body, severing his last connection with the mundane world.

In Moon Lake, the little girl asked, "Can we go now?"

Wei Yuan didn't turn around, but he knew the toad behind him was gone. He still shook his head and said, "It's still not enough."

The little girl sneered, "Are you lying to me?"

Wei Yuan said, "Whether it's a lie or not, Senior, you'll know once you take a look."

The little girl stepped in front of Wei Yuan, slowly extended her hand, and stared into his eyes.

Wei Yuan remained calm and composed, showing no sign of panic or wavering.

……

Above the celestial realm.

Immortal Lord Yan Shi gently flicked his immortal sword, but the three immortals in front of him all took a step back, seemingly not intending to fight to the death.

At this moment, a scholar emerged from the void, exuding a righteous aura, and said in a deep voice: "Yan Shi, why be so tense? It will only damage our harmony."

Upon seeing the newcomer, Yan Shi's expression hardened, and he said slowly, "Master Gu? Why did you come here instead of managing the Four Saints Academy? You are highly respected, but if you are also involved in today's events, then it seems that even the last immortal sword of the Ancestral Master could not be saved."

Mr. Gu has only been in charge of the Four Saints Academy for a hundred years, but he has been an immortal for more than three thousand years. He is an immortal from the founding period of the Great Tang Dynasty. In terms of pure immortal power, he can steadily suppress Yan Shi.

Master Gu said, "Not only am I here today, but several other fellow immortals have also come. You have only just ascended to immortality, and there are some things I haven't had a chance to tell you yet, so I'll take this opportunity to tell you today."

Yan Shi calmed down and said, "The mere existence of Wei Yuan has alarmed so many immortals. This is truly a grand event that the Immortal Heaven has not seen in a long time. Which True Immortals have arrived? Why don't you show yourselves?"

Three more figures appeared: a middle-aged man dressed in royal robes; a dignified old man; and a cultivator with handsome features whose gender was difficult to discern.

Yan Shi looked them over one by one and sneered, "The Li family of Southern Qi, the Bao family of Wu Yue, and the Xiao family—half of the prominent families have arrived. Well done! And then add the Four Saints Academy. Heh, are you all trying to tell me that this is the overall situation in the human world?"

Mr. Gu said, "Please calm down. Let me explain the reason for this matter to you. It's not too late to make a decision after you know the whole story."

"Alright, go ahead." Mr. Gu frowned slightly. As a junior in the Immortal Realm, Yan Shi's words lacked respect, which displeased him greatly.

But after glancing at the immortal sword in Yan Shi's hand, he suppressed his temper and said, "This time, Wei Yuan privately established the Yellow Springs Grotto-heaven, severing the cycle of reincarnation in one region and causing a flaw in the Heavenly Dao of the Ancestral Witches. The Witch Clan's intention is that if we can abandon Wei Yuan, then in return, the First Heavenly Witch General will step in to help us break the Martial Ancestor's trap."

Yan Shi was taken aback and said, "The Witch Clan can break the Martial Ancestor's trap?"

"It is impossible to completely solve it, but it will take a big step forward, so that what the Martial Ancestor left behind is no longer an unsolvable problem."

Yan Shi snorted and said, "You actually believe what the Witch Clan says?"

"This is an oath made by the Ancestral Witch with her own Heavenly Dao, and it cannot be faked. The First Heavenly Witch fought with the Martial Ancestor for hundreds of years and knows the Martial Ancestor's methods better than anyone. With her intervention, she will surely leave a flaw in this seemingly unsolvable situation!"

Master Gu's voice carried a hint of earnestness: "The scheme laid out by the Martial Ancestor is too ruthless and vicious, cutting off all escape routes and encompassing the entire human world, leaving not even a single person to escape. What kind of logic is this? For us, Yan Shi is the difference between having hope and not having hope! Otherwise, what do you think could alarm so many fellow immortals?"

Yan Shi looked around and said, "The Sword Palace didn't come, nor did the Great Treasure Flower Pure Land. Instead, the Four Saints Academy, which shouldn't have come at all, did."

Mr. Gu frowned and said, "Why shouldn't my Four Saints Academy come?"

"I, Yan Shi, am but a wandering scholar, unrestrained, and it is one thing for me to want to break the deadlock. But you, Master Gu, are a scholar! The Martial Ancestor enfeoffed nine kingdoms, making him the universally acknowledged ruler of the world. Now you want to break the Martial Ancestor's deadlock, but where is the 'ruler' in the 'Heaven, Earth, Ruler, Parents, Teacher' system? And how should the 'loyalty' in 'loyalty and filial piety' be written?"

Mr. Gu said calmly, "The people are the most important, the state is next, and the ruler is the least important."

Yan Shi sneered: "When you need them, it's all about 'Heaven, Earth, Ruler, Parents, and Teacher,' but when you don't, it's all about 'The Ruler is the least important.' Scholars are really good with their words; they can say whatever they want."

Mr. Gu replied frankly, "Who gave me the pen?"

Yan Shi sighed, looked at the man in royal robes, and said, "Li Daoyan, your Southern Qi throne has remained untouched through tribulations, all thanks to the Martial Ancestor. Why are you here too?"

Dressed in royal robes, Li Daoyan said calmly, "I have worked diligently to govern the country. I dare not say that I am comparable to the founding emperor of the Great Tang Dynasty, but I am not far off. However, as long as the Martial Ancestor's regime is not broken and the thrones of the Nine Kingdoms remain unchanged, at most the territory will be a little more or less. What is the point? Those who hold the throne cannot live forever. Generation after generation, there are countless incompetent and foolish people who have managed to seize high positions."

"I abandoned the throne to cultivate immortality, and in less than five hundred years, I became an immortal, didn't I? If it weren't for the Martial Ancestor's machinations, I might have unified the world long ago; now it wouldn't be the Great Tang, but the Great Xia. You say the Martial Ancestor was a ruler, but how did the Great Tang dynasty come to be? Didn't it also seize power from the previous dynasty?"

Yan Shi was taken aback and said, "Wait, if you were to unify the world, shouldn't the name of your country be Great Qi?"

"Qi was given by the Martial Ancestor; it was a title for a household servant."

Yan Shi nodded.

Master Gu said, "Now that you understand the whole story, do you still want to stop me? After abandoning Wei Yuan, everything in Qingming will remain unchanged, except for sealing the Yellow Springs Cave. In addition, you can choose one junior disciple from each of the families present to join the Taichu Palace. Is this compensation satisfactory? If it is still not enough, then I can donate my own path to the Taichu Palace and add a library to the Taichu Palace."

Yan Shi suddenly asked, "What exactly is the scheme of the Martial Ancestor?"

Master Gu was stunned, as were all the immortals present.

After a moment, Li Daoyan sighed and said with a bitter smile, "This scheme completely severs cause and effect, making it intangible and unknowable. The moment the scheme was completed, all of us fellow cultivators from the same period completely forgot about it. We couldn't recall a single word of the details. Even if we only knew a few words, we wouldn't be in such despair after a thousand years."

From that moment on, we immortals were bound to this world, never to be freed. If it weren't for the Witch Clan's request, who knows how much longer we would have remained trapped in this predicament.

Master Gu said slowly, "Yan Shi, now you know the cause and effect. As long as you step back into the courtyard, the promise you just made will stand, and you can choose any of the cultivation seeds from each family."

Yan Shi gently stroked the immortal sword in his hand, and the immortals were momentarily stunned before their eyes, only to find that the immortal sword in Yan Shi's hand had actually turned into two!
The immortals paled in shock!

Immortal Lord Yan Shi's long hair rose without wind as he said in a deep voice, "I don't care about the big picture, nor do I care about what's more important! We cultivators should only strive for self-improvement and not rely on external help! Anyone who wants to break the deadlock can try to do so with their own abilities, and I, Yan Shi, will not stop them. But if you want to use Wei Yuan to exchange for a chance to break the deadlock, don't even think about it!"
"You only know that the Witch Clan is ferocious, but today I'll show you that I, Yan Shi, can also slay immortals!"

Mr. Gu sighed, "Then there's nothing we can do. It's all up to fate. One of the two immortal swords is for me, right? I'd also like to experience the charisma of the founder of the first immortal sect."

"Wait!" A white-haired, frail old lady suddenly appeared.

Upon seeing the old lady, the dignified man from the Bao family was greatly alarmed and hurriedly went to support her, saying, "Grandmother, why have you come? You cannot leave seclusion now!"

The old woman suddenly swung her cane and struck the man on the head! The man was instantly torn to pieces, but he quickly pieced himself back together, though his breathing inevitably weakened.

He dared not resist and said, "Grand Ancestor, please calm down and let's talk this out. If you want to discipline someone, I'll do it myself. Don't waste your immortal power!"

The old woman said, "If I hadn't come out, you would have messed things up again! Martial Ancestor is incredibly talented. Why are you getting involved in his scheme? Do you think you're so great that you can challenge Martial Ancestor? Why are you sticking your neck out? Even if the sky falls, there are still the Six Families to hold it up."

Besides, Wei Yuan is Yun's husband, which means he's my Bao family's grandson-in-law. What makes you think you can do this? Wasn't giving away the Azure Sky Immortal Lord back then enough? Now you want to give away the Cloud Immortal Lord too?
"Yan Shi, aren't you right?"

Immortal Lord Yan Shi was also incredulous, constantly calculating the age and seniority of this ancestor of the Bao family in his mind. To be honest, even Immortal Lord Qing Kong back then would probably have had to call her ancestor. If she hadn't suddenly appeared today, he would have thought she had already passed away.

When the old lady asked him about it, Yan Shi suddenly realized that this ancestor of the Bao family seemed to be on his side.

Yan Shi replied without hesitation, "That's exactly right."

The old lady immediately beamed and said, "If you put it that way, then my trip wasn't in vain! This treasure has been with me for over seven thousand years. It's barely comparable to the First Heavenly Witch. I'll use it to change the fate of my descendants."

She took off a jade bracelet from her wrist and tossed it into the void.

The man from the Bao family was extremely anxious. He only had time to cry out, "Ancestor, this is unacceptable!" before he could only watch as the world's most prized treasure vanished into the void.

However, at that moment, a sudden change occurred. All the immortals present instantly sensed that Wei Yuan had actually gotten up on his own and followed Kaguya away!

Cui Zhengxing breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Thank goodness, it was exile rather than annihilation. This celestial artifact is indeed..."

He stopped abruptly halfway through his sentence.

Actually, there was a very slight time difference just now; Wei Yuan was banished first, and the immortal treasure Taixu Xuanji Ring disappeared into the void afterward.

　Update tomorrow morning at 12 o'clock.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)