Netherworld Painted Skin Scroll

Chapter 321

The scenery outside the Taiyi Hall of the Shangchi School is beautiful. In this early autumn, opening all the doors of the hall reveals the Heavenly Pool outside—a lake of calm, turquoise water. The surrounding mountains, which are emerald green and deep green in spring and summer, have turned golden yellow now, and were even frosted this morning, as if they had prematurely turned white.

The bright sun shone high in the sky, and the sky was a clear blue, making it seem like a vast lake reflecting the smaller lake below, which was quite a sight.

However, the three people sitting in the hall at this moment—Shangchi Sect Master Li Yin, Shendao Sect Master Zheng Jingxi, and Qingpu Sect Master Tong Xu—had no interest in appreciating the strange scenery. Instead, they sat upright in their seats, each looking at the teacups in front of them with slightly rising steam, without saying a word, their expressions very solemn.

Just a short while ago, it seemed as if a second sun had appeared in the sky, followed by two strikes from the Heaven-Piercing Sword, which caused the entire protective mountain array to flash with mysterious light and the Taiyi Palace to rumble loudly!
Elder Xie of the Shangchi Sect has been down the mountain for more than 25 minutes and has not yet returned. Both the Divine Blade Sect Master Zheng Jingxi and the Qingpu Sect Master Tong Xu are getting impatient.

This impatience wasn't directed at Li Wuxiang down the mountain—they hadn't met or fought him, but they knew what had happened on Mount Dajie. Regardless of whether it was the Sword Sect boasting or not, the Sword Sect's Nascent Soul cultivator was none other than Baili Jianxian, and none of them would be foolish enough to go down the mountain and test their skills against such a person.

Their impatience was directed at Li Yin, the patriarch of Shangchi.

Tong Xu glanced at Zheng Jingxi and, seeing him sitting with Li Yin, couldn't help but ask, "Sect Leader Li, are you still able to sit still?"

Li Yin was a man who looked to be in his forties, dressed in a black silk outfit. He didn't look like a Taoist priest, but rather more like a warrior who had laid down his armor. His appearance also resembled that of a warrior—his cheeks had a rough, ruddy complexion from spending so much time atop Dapan Mountain. He had a thick beard, thick, dark eyebrows, and a broad face. If Li Wuxiang saw him, the first name that would pop into his mind would be Zhang Fei.

After hearing Tong Xu's words, he raised his hand and waved it, saying, "Let's wait and see, just in case."

The Qingpu Sect Leader, Tong Xu, was a woman, appearing to be in her thirties. She was beautiful, with a shapely figure and bright, sparkling eyes. At this moment, however, those eyes narrowed: "I'm not trying to criticize you, Sect Leader Li, but can you really just wait around like this? Didn't you hear who called out? Li Wuxiang! Don't you know his reputation? Do you think waiting will solve anything? Zheng Jingxi, aren't you going to say a word? You want to wait too?"

If Li Wuxiang were to see Zheng Jingxi, the leader of the Divine Blade Sect, his appearance would immediately bring to mind Guan Yu. However, he had a pale face and larger eyes, which meant he lacked the dignified and solemn aura of a martial saint when seated.

He parted his lips slightly: "Since we're here at the Shangchi Dojo, then we'll do as Sect Leader Li says."

"You guys are something else." Tong Xu pushed the table and stood up. "Then you can wait and see. I don't want to wait anymore. Li Yin, open the formation. I'm going back. Let's talk another day."

Li Yin sighed, "He's right outside, how can I open the formation? In the past few days, I don't know how many birds flew away and how many fish went missing in order to bring you in. What's your rush? Elder Xie is my martial uncle, it's better for him to step in than for me, the sect leader."

"Besides, only three people from our Shangchi Sect went to the Great Calamity Alliance meeting, and they all died there. No matter how domineering the Sword Sect is, they can't hold us hostage, right? Their people went there too! Whatever happened there, it was Elder Sun who died and made his own decisions. What does it have to do with me?"

Tong Xu sneered, "You really know how to comfort yourself."

Li Yin frowned: "What are you talking about? Let me tell you, this Li Wuxiang is most likely poor and lacking in resources. Haven't you heard that he monopolized all the treasures of the Tianxin Sect on Jade Wheel Mountain? Having tasted the sweetness of success, he's now using Mei Qiulu's name to go around begging for money. Why do I say this? If it weren't for this, why would he come to Dapan Mountain? This is called picking on the weak; people like this are less likely to resort to force."

Tong Xu had always known that Li Yin was just like his martial uncle, a little better, but not much better. But today she really saw something new – even when disaster was imminent, he could still talk to himself like this, as if he actually believed it.

She didn't want to waste any more words and started to walk out of the hall. As an outsider, she couldn't leave without Li Yin opening the great formation, and she couldn't force her way out, but at least she could find a secluded place—if that Li Wuxiang was really angered by Li Yin, that coward, and attacked, she could avoid trouble.

But after taking only two steps, he saw Xie Qi, an elder of the Shangchi Sect, rushing back.

This old bitter gourd always had a furrowed brow, but now his brows relaxed a bit. He spoke up when he was still three steps away from the door, "Sect Master, we're leaving, we're leaving, sigh!"

Li Yinteng suddenly stood up, making the chair creak as he jumped up: "Gone?! Really gone?! How did you leave? Come, come, Uncle-Master, please sit down!"

He led Xie Qi to the fourth chair at the square table, stood up and patted Xie Qi on the back: "Come, Uncle-Master, have some tea. What's wrong?"

Xie Qi took a sip of tea to compose himself. He seemed about to speak, but then, as if unsure what to say, he raised his hand and took another sip of tea. Li Yin grew impatient: "Uncle-Master, say something!"

"Oh, sigh, sigh, this..." Xie Qi took another sip of tea and finally spoke, "Well, this is how it is. I gave him some Fuyuan Baosheng Pills and a piece of Xijin Silk, and then he left, sigh."

Tong Xu was stunned, exchanging bewildered glances with Zheng Jingxi. Li Yin was also stunned, then burst into laughter after a moment: "What did I say? Did I say something wrong? Sect Leader Tong, you women are just so impatient! If I were here today, I'm afraid you'd bring trouble to the mountain! Hahaha! Just kidding, don't be angry, come, sit down, let's continue our conversation—Elder Xie—"

Xie Qi hurriedly said, "Huh?"

"I still have matters to discuss with the two sect leaders, Elder, you should go ahead and attend to your business."

Xie Qi quickly stood up: "Ah, okay, I'll be going now."

He hurried out the door, nearly tripping over the threshold. Just then, Tong Xu called out to him, "Elder Xie, please wait?"

Xie Qi only turned halfway around, his steps never faltering: "Alas, my alchemy room still has a furnace burning, I can't keep it, I can't keep it, alas!"

Tong Xu quickly pressed on, "Elder Xie, what did Li Wuxiang say down at the foot of the mountain?"

"Oh dear, he just said he wanted to visit, but I tried to dissuade him, saying there were birds and fish on the mountain and he couldn't go. I also gave him some gifts, and then he left. I never expected this..." Xie Qi said as he walked, turning and leaving before finishing his sentence.

Since this happened at another sect, Tong Xu couldn't very well forcefully stop him. Watching Xie Qi leave the courtyard, she turned and frowned: "He just left like that? Is this how the Sword Sect behaves? And why did he call himself the Sword Sect Master?"

Li Yin leaned back in his chair: "Have you forgotten? The Sword Sect is part of the Taiyi Sect! Now that the Taiyi Sect has killed the Descended Spirit God, the next step is naturally for Taiyi to unify the world. Mei Qiulu, the sect leader, will naturally become the Sword Sect's sect leader and give the position to her little grand-disciple." Tong Xu still frowned and shook his head: "Don't you think your martial uncle is in a panic?"

Li Yin waved his hand: "Alright, you're all gone, why think about these things? What could an old man like Xie Qi possibly be thinking? He's shy! It's because the two of you are here! Sit down, let's continue—you see, these are turbulent times. Today a swordsman has come, and maybe tomorrow an immortal from the Blood God Cult will arrive. We have to come up with a plan today, it's not right to keep dragging this on. Let's continue, what do you think?"

Tong Xu glanced outside the door again, then finally sat down and said sarcastically, "Sect Leader Li now realizes that dragging this out won't work."

Li Yin didn't take it to heart, saying only, "That's different. Just now, one person came, and one person's matter is a small matter. These past few days, we've been discussing matters concerning three sects, which is a big matter. Those who achieve great things don't concern themselves with trifles, so why waste time on trivial matters? Where were we just now?"

"Oh, speaking of that cultivation technique. The Blood God Sect's technique claims to quickly transform Golden Core cultivators into Nascent Soul cultivators, and quickly transform Nascent Soul cultivators into Yang Spirit cultivators. Our three families have been friends for many years, so I'll be frank: the reason we don't cultivate into Yang Spirit cultivators is because we're afraid, right? If something bad happens during the tribulation, then all our cultivation will have been for nothing, won't it?"

Tong Xu said with a forced smile, "Sect Leader Li, your cultivation level isn't high enough to consider whether or not to undergo tribulation, is it?"

“Hey, that’s why I said you’re short-sighted. A man who doesn’t plan for the future will have trouble in the present! How can we not think about this? Now the Blood God Sect is saying they can produce a Yang God without having to undergo tribulation. This is being spread like wildfire. What do you think, should we send someone to ask them?”

Tong Xu and Zheng Jingxi exchanged another glance. Li Yin continued talking to himself, "To be honest, Mei Qiulu is really meddling. The True Lord of Fate, after all, is one of the thirty-six patriarchs. If she descended to earth, you could say ordinary people were unlucky, maybe. But what can a Yang God like her, and us Nascent Soul cultivators, do? Even spirits need offerings, and if they need offerings, they need worship. We sect leaders and patriarchs, aren't we still sitting comfortably? What's the point of her showing off? Maybe she was sent down by the Great Emperor Taiyi. Sigh, speaking of the Great Emperor Taiyi, so many years have passed—"

He spoke differently from Xie Qi; once he started talking, he would never stop.

Seeing Zheng Jingxi nod slightly, Tong Xu coughed to interrupt Li Yin: "Stop for a moment, you're spitting everywhere. Listen to me first."

“Junior Brother Zheng and I do know a bit about the inside story. We didn’t know what you were planning when we came up here a few days ago, but now that Swordsman is here, and you didn’t invite him up, let’s just get straight to the point—”

“We cannot practice the Blood God Sect’s techniques. A Pill Immortal came to our Qingpu Mountain before—the same immortal from the Blood God Sect you mentioned—and Junior Brother Zheng and I witnessed his methods before we came up the mountain. How should I put it? It’s about making people of the same cultivation level unite their form and spirit.”

Li Yin was taken aback: "You've met before?"

Both of them nodded slightly.

Li Yin slammed his fist on the table: "Fine! Our three families have been friends for so many years, and you've been keeping this from me these past few days?"

Tong Xu narrowed his handsome eyes again: "Li Yin, don't we know you? You're not even as bold as that old bitter gourd from your clan. Would we dare to tell you something like this so casually?"

Li Yin glared at her, and she glared back at him. After a couple of breaths, Li Yin gave in and waved his hand: "I don't argue with women. You don't know what it means to be bold or cowardly, and you don't even know what it means to be mature and composed. Okay, so what's going on? Unity of form and spirit? What does that mean?"

Tong Xu pursed his lips and described the appearance of the corpse demon in detail.

Li Yin was so shocked that he leaned back: "What kind of Pill Immortal or Infant Immortal is this? Isn't this a monster? Can we still make our own decisions?"

Tong Xu sneered: "I knew you'd make such a fuss. But do you know which of your statements I was planning to tell you?"

"—You say that we sect leaders will continue to sit comfortably. What you say makes sense; the Blood God Sect thinks the same way. They told us that we don't need the entire sect to submit; just one person is enough. For example, if our three sects only have Nascent Soul cultivation, then we can send one Nascent Soul cultivator, one Golden Core cultivator, and one hundred Qi Refining disciples, each carrying their own magical artifacts. These people can go to the Blood God Sect to become Nascent Soul Immortals, Golden Core Immortals, and Qi Refining Immortals. As for us, we'll remain ourselves, each managing our own sect's affairs, and we won't need to take orders from them."

"Goodness gracious! This is even more domineering than the Sword Sect! At least the Sword Sect wants money, but the Blood God Sect wants lives!" Li Yin slammed his fist on the table again and shouted, "Then what benefits will they give us?"

Tong Xu laughed: "He said we can cultivate the orthodox methods of our sect. Below the level of True Immortal, the Blood God can help us avoid the calamity."

Li Yin frowned suspiciously: "Avoided the calamity? I'm telling you, you two have been cultivating for quite some time now. You actually believe that you can avoid the calamity?"

Tong Xu nodded: "We didn't believe it at first either. But the Danxian who came to Qingpu Mountain before was originally just a Qi Refining Immortal. After he told me this, he borrowed a disciple from our sect to complete the last of the thirty-six missing pieces. Their Blood God Sect's cultivation method, after completing the missing piece, will allow one to cultivate to the current perfect realm, which is the peak of Qi Refining. But then he became a Danxian—in front of me, there was no Golden Core Tribulation."

"No matter how strange their cultivation methods are, I can still tell if they're at the Golden Core stage—and they really are." Tong Xu looked at Zheng Jingxi, "Junior Brother Zheng, you saw them too, didn't you?"

Zheng Jingxi nodded slightly: "Junior Sister Tong is right. I saw it."

Li Yin frowned and thought for a while: "If this is true, I mean if it is true—what if they ask us for more people next time? This is what I mean by 'He who does not plan for the future will have trouble in the present.' This time they asked for about a hundred people, what if they ask for more next time?"

Tong Xu smiled and said, "Li Yin, why don't you think about the bigger picture? You have to choose between the Blood God Sect and the Taiyi Sect. The Blood God Sect needs people right now, which would benefit us. What do you think the Taiyi Sect wants?"

She pointed towards the door: "You can eat and drink here entirely thanks to the mountain-protecting formation. Our mountain-protecting formation is all refined with treasures of the town. The Taiyi Sect knows that the Blood God Sect wants the original artifacts, true artifacts, and treasures, so they will want to seize these things for themselves—one is to slowly erode your flesh, and the other is to immediately take your entire fortune. Which do you think is better?"

Li Yin frowned and remained silent.

Before Tong Xu could speak, a loud shout came from the courtyard gate: "Sect Master! Sect Master! Li Jianbai is plotting a rebellion! Li Jianbai is plotting a rebellion! Sect Master!"

(End of this chapter)