Shushan Earthly Immortal

Chapter 399 Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.

Xiao's expression immediately changed when he saw the three people who were just moments before locked in a tense standoff suddenly all looking at him.

"True Xiamanri!"

Zhou Qingyun made the first move, her Azure Sword transforming into a wisp of azure light that swept across the area.

Xiao was prepared, originally intending to launch a sneak attack, but now he used it to retaliate. He raised his hand and shot out a flying feather from between his fingers.

This demon ancestor was incredibly skilled. As soon as the flying feather was released, seeing Qingxia rushing towards him, he tore through the void and vanished without a trace. When he reappeared, he was already behind Qingxia. This is like a wave crashing down on you; to confront it head-on or leap across it is reckless. The best course of action is to dive to the bottom of the wave and nimbly dodge it.

However, as the Azure Immortal Sword swept across the sky, the flying feathers were able to cut through the void under the sword light, causing the immortal sword to miss its target. This was a testament to the profound cultivation of the Demon Ancestor.

The feathers burst forth from the air, and when the sunlight shone on them, the feathers were extremely smooth, their satin-like texture reflecting a mesmerizing shimmer, especially the white edges of the feathers, which emitted a ring of silver light that was extremely dazzling.

But in that instant, when he looked again, he realized that there was not just a single feather in the sky, but countless feather swords flying like snowflakes, dazzling like silver foil, and rushing like a torrential rain, all striking Zhou Qingyun.

Zhou Qingyun's expression remained unchanged as he changed his sword technique.

"The morning breeze brings the dawn!"

Then, Qingxia, who had pounced forward, turned and spun back, her speed as fast as the dawn breaking through the sky. Any flying feathers caught by Qingxia were instantly burned to nothingness by her sword energy.

This offensive and defensive maneuver demonstrates Zhou Qingyun's remarkable progress in sword control and the Way of Sword Clouds.

Seeing the feathers flying everywhere, Cheng Xinzhan naturally wouldn't stand idly by. He rode his lion and strode up to Zhou Qingyun. With a flick of his left hand, he produced a jade cauldron the size of a teacup, filled with clear water. He extended his right middle finger, dipped the tip lightly into the jade cauldron, then flipped it over, flicking it as if to flick his thumb and middle finger together.

"call out!"

Clear water shot out like a celestial maiden scattering flowers, bursting into a cloud of mist, which shone with a rainbow in the sunlight.

"Flood!"

He changed his hand gestures again, forming a mudra and chanting a spell towards a cloud of mist in the sky.

"boom--"

The mist seemed to transform into a celestial spring, a dome-shaped waterfall, with torrents of white water gushing out like an avalanche, as powerful as a mountain torrent.

The water surged and flew, striking the oncoming feathers and drifting catkins, with a faint dragon's roar.

This jade cauldron contains magical water that Cheng Xinzhan refined by combining the Xuan Yuan Heavy Water of Poyang Lake with the "Angry Water Dragon King's Evil Spirit".

The raging waters of the Milky Way couldn't destroy the flying feathers, but they did clog the void, causing the feathers to slow down drastically after entering the water. At this moment, the azure clouds behind had already surged forward, evaporating the Milky Way and the flying feathers in it, forming a damp rain cloud.

At this moment, Zhong Yuanjue, who had been standing at the back for two full beats, racked his brains in that short time, but found that he couldn't find even a single reason not to make a move. With Yan Renying's example still fresh in his mind, he didn't want to push Zhou Qingyun, the master of the Azure Chain, too far, so he could only sigh inwardly and join the battle.

Before entering the fourth realm, he was stationed at Lingyun Sword Pavilion, fighting against the Miao Jiang Demonic Sect, and naturally harbored deep hatred for Wumeng Mountain. However, facing a demonic giant like the Demon Ancestor, he, as a mere third-realm cultivator, rarely had the opportunity to confront him directly. And after finally stepping into the fourth realm, he was immediately transferred back to Mount Emei, and they never fought again.

At this point, he made up his mind to join the battle, intending to turn this battle into his moment of fame, so he went all out from the start.

He rapidly formed hand seals in front of his chest, changing them like a revolving lantern, while chanting incantations. Then, he joined his hands together, pointed at the flying sword, and shouted...

"disease!"

A golden light burst forth from his fingertips and landed on the golden dragon-like sword light.

The sword light blazed brightly, its cry like a dragon's roar, then it exploded, splitting into eight, transforming into eight distinct golden dragons, each radiating a sharp sword light, roaring as they flew towards Xiao Youshi.

Xiao Shiyou naturally recognized this move. He was in charge of Miaobei, while Zhong Yuanjue had been stationed in Shunan for over ten years, and the two had met many times. Although he usually fought directly with Shui Jingzi, with Zhong Yuanjue mostly providing support, Zhong Yuanjue was still one of the Seven Immortals of Flying Truth, and could not be regarded as an ordinary person in the third realm, especially a rare figure like Zhong Yuanjue who cultivated both Buddhism and Taoism, whose combat power was even more outstanding.

He knew that the flying sword in Zhong Yuanjue's hand was called the "Heavenly Dragon Subduing Demon Sword," a precious sword personally forged by Qi Shuming, whose power was far from ordinary. So he was wondering just now what kind of treasure the flying sword in Cheng Xinzhan's hand was, that it could be clashed head-on with the "Heavenly Dragon Subduing Demon Sword" without being at a disadvantage at all.

As for the attack coming at him, he was familiar with it. It was called "Heavenly Dragon Fighting the Roc". The sword speed was extremely fast and it could lock down the void and surround and attack from all directions. It was a unique move that was specifically designed to counter birds. However, it was also a killing move that consumed a lot of mana. He didn't expect him to use it right away.

Seeing this move again now, he felt that it was indeed very different from the move Zhong Yuanjue had used when he was in the third realm, and it could be described as magnificent.

Xiao sometimes had thoughts of leaving.

Of course, it wasn't that he was afraid. Although the three people before him were not unknown, they were ultimately of low cultivation level and had not cultivated for long enough to pose any threat to him. However, Xiao knew it was unlikely that he could gain anything by fighting three against one. In that case, it would be a meaningless battle.

He was invited by the Green Robe to stay in northern Miao territory and guard the Wumeng Mountains, which would be a great achievement. What kind of nonsense is it to fight in southern Yunnan? At his level and age, he would definitely not do any thankless work anymore.

Then, the demon ancestor summoned a large bell, a bronze bell half-hidden and half-revealed by a dark, demonic mist. The bell was engraved with rough lines, depicting a soaring dragon. This dragon was quite strange; it had a dragon's body, claws, and tail, but also the head of an owl and a pair of enormous wings.

After the demon bell was summoned, it rang without being struck, and then rings of dark light rippled from the bell, spreading through the void. These ripples seemed to materialize, striking the golden dragon that had surrounded them from all directions.

The ripples were truly magical, transforming the void into a boiling cauldron. The moment the golden dragon entered, it thrashed and twisted in the air like a scalded insect or snake. But the golden dragon, being formed from a sword, possessed its own ferocity. Provoked, it didn't flee; instead, it burrowed even deeper. However, the dark light was mysterious, resembling a viscous swamp, causing the golden dragon's speed to slow down instantly, and even further.

Zhong Yuanjue's expression was solemn. When he fought this demon before, he was standing behind his senior brother Shui Jingzi and thought that the name of the Demon Ancestor was nothing special. But now that they were facing each other head-on, he immediately felt the overwhelming power of the demon.

He certainly wouldn't allow himself to show weakness in the first battle, so he used his profound skills again, summoning a silver flying wheel and throwing it at Xiao Youshi.

This item is called "Taibai Farong," a treasure forged from the "Taibai Xubing Gang" energy combined with various Western metals. Many years ago, Xun Lan of Emei obtained a rare "Taibai Xubing Gang" and used it as a base to forge two weapons. One is this "Taibai Farong," which was bestowed upon Zhong Yuanjue. The other is "Taibai Zhirui," which was given to Li Yingqiong, whose flying sword had been stolen. Both are incomparably sharp and deadly treasures.

"Qingyun, draw your sword and destroy the bell!" At the same time, Zhong Yuanjue shouted, firmly believing that no matter how powerful the demon bell was, it couldn't withstand the "Azure Rope" head-on. Once the demon was distracted, his golden sword and silver wheel could injure the enemy and achieve merit.

Without him saying a word, Zhou Qingyun naturally wouldn't stand idly by. He changed his sword technique, and the scattered azure clouds condensed into a dazzling azure rainbow, shooting straight at the demon bell.

But at this moment, the dark ripples were still spreading and were about to hit people, so Cheng Xinzhan summoned a green umbrella and covered himself and Zhou Qingyun's heads. As for Zhong Yuanjue, he naturally ignored him.

Seeing the relentless onslaught, Xiao Shiyou simply smiled, used his precious bell to temporarily slow the Eight Dragons Sword Light, and then summoned his feather fan, forcefully fanning it to the northeast, stirring up a yellowish sandstorm.

The sandstorm blew towards the golden dragon in the northeast, immediately dimming the sword energy and shrinking it into a small ball.

"You people bully the old with the young and the few with the many; you are not honorable. I'm leaving!"

Xiao sometimes laughed loudly, then disappeared into the sand and dust, fleeing northeast. The silver wheel and the blue rainbow that came later could not catch up with him at all.

Cheng Xinzhan watched the demon's retreating figure with a solemn expression. He thought to himself that this Wumeng Demon Ancestor was truly extraordinary. That fan contained the essence of earth, water, wind, and fire; it had just used water and wind to break his own fire waterfall, and now it was using earth and wind to suppress Zhong Yuanjue's flying sword, all with apparent effortlessness. Furthermore, the demon bell and the flying feather hidden weapon demonstrated this demon's exceptional mastery of void magic.

This is only the power of this demon's magical artifacts; its close-combat advantage as a dragon-like species hasn't even been revealed yet. We'll have to be careful when we encounter it again.

"Attack Ailao Mountain and force him to return!"

Zhong Yuanjue sensed the damage to his flying sword and saw the demons running so fast that even his magic weapon couldn't catch up. He was furious. But then a brilliant idea struck him. He shouted and, without even putting away his magic weapon, rode his golden sword and silver wheel straight towards Mount Ailao.

The person who was just dawdling has now become the most enthusiastic.

"Hurry up and catch up, then continue setting the mountain on fire!"

Zhong Yuanjue took the lead and turned back to urge him on.

The first half of the sentence was addressed to both of them, while the second half was clearly directed at Cheng Xinzhan.

Cheng Xinzhan smiled upon hearing this, wondering why Zhong Yuanjue was so confident. Whether he could force the Demon Ancestor back was uncertain, and even if he did, how could two fourth-realm demons possibly defeat him? But if the Demon Ancestor was also cautious and didn't return, then taking Ailao Mountain today would not be a bad thing.

Thinking this, he ignored Zhong Yuanjue's shouts and flew after him.

Zhou Qingyun followed closely behind.

At this moment, in the Ailao Mountains, Mu Longzhang, who had just breathed a sigh of relief, saw Cheng Xinzhan return with two Emei disciples, one named Brahma Flying Light and the other Qing Suo Sword. His heart immediately leaped into his throat again, and he shouted loudly once more.

"Brother! Help! Don't leave!"

By this time, Xiao Youshi had already gone far away, but as the saying goes, experience is the best teacher. As he flew northeast, he threw out his feather fan. After leaving its master, the fan transformed into a four-colored owl with long horns, flying towards the Ailao Mountains, carrying Xiao Youshi's message.
"My dear brother, I'll lend you this treasure for now; it'll ensure your safety. But if you're relying on flowers and plants to protect your home, you should think about how to protect yourself from metal and fire!"

"Thank you, brother! I understand!"

Mu Longzhang was overjoyed and rode his avatar down the mountain to receive the feather fan. After obtaining it, he immediately returned to the mountain and activated the great formation again.

Relieved, Mu Longzhang thought to himself, "Of course I know that a wooden formation should defend against metal and fire. In the Five Elements, metal overcomes wood, and there are so many Xuanmen swordsmen coming and going in the southwest. My Golden Scale Vine is indestructible, specifically for defending against metal. However, metal is also overcome by fire, and wood is damaged by fire. I hadn't considered the fire defense aspect enough, which is why I suffered such a great loss today."

However, the Ailao Mountains are damp and cold, which is inherently detrimental to fire, so they are not afraid of ordinary flames. Moreover, when they set up the formation, how could they have imagined that one day such fierce flames would come knocking on their door?
Nine kinds of fierce and evil spirits combined with fire, I've never heard of such a thing before!
Mu Longzhang felt wronged, but he was still grateful for Xiao Youshi's kindness, thinking that he really needed to consider fire prevention. At the same time, he was also marveling at the extraordinary demeanor of this Demon Ancestor, who was able to lend out such a treasure. He himself would never have done so. He was indeed a figure from the previous era, no wonder he was treated as an honored guest by the Green Robe.

From afar, Cheng Xinzhan saw the Poison Dragon Venerable receive the feather fan and heard the Demon Ancestor's words. He sighed inwardly at Xiao Shiyou's truly remarkable character, then turned and left—he never fought meaningless battles.

He had just turned around when he brushed past Zhou Qingyun, who was right behind him, and their eyes met.

Cheng Xinzhan nodded in acknowledgment and then left.

"You coward! You deserted your post! You're not worth discussing strategy with!"

Behind him came Zhong Yuanjue's angry rebuke.

The Taoist priest turned a deaf ear.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Ten days later.

Cheng Xinzhan, the true form of the deity, resided in Wuliang Mountain and secretly dispatched a bamboo-bodied individual to leave the mountain and return to the East.

He transformed into a figure and used wind magic to escape into the void, whipping the wind as his horse, galloping all the way back to Yuzhang. However, he did not return to Sanqing Mountain, but instead climbed Sanyuan Mountain and went to Wanshou Palace.

Since Master Baoyuan was stationed in the East Sea, it was Vice Master Zhenchang who received Cheng Xinzhan. He led Cheng Xinzhan to the Ancestral Hall to take a seat.

"What brings you to this day, sir?"

Master Zhenchang asked with a smile, a hint of surprise in his heart. This Master Yingchen had been traveling far and wide, spreading the Daoist teachings, and it had been some time since he had visited Wanshou Palace. His last visit was to invite the Jingming Sect to participate in the construction of the Dragon Spine Road and the establishment of their sect overseas. Now, taking advantage of the opportunity to lead the sect in an overseas region, the sect had established a branch on Panlong Island at the end of the Dragon Spine Road, renaming Panlong Island Dongji Island and establishing the Dongji Sect, meaning the easternmost of all the righteous sects, standing out from the crowd—a very auspicious meaning. The entire sect was very happy. He wondered what good news the Master would bring this time.

Given Cheng Xinzhan's current relationship with the Jingming Sect, there was no need for pleasantries or formalities. He went straight to the point and said...
"I previously consulted the Papal Codex, and if the record is correct, the Lushan School, transmitted by the True Lord, is known as 'Building Altars by the Water, Purifying the Land for Tomorrow,' and is particularly skilled at eliminating spirits and slaying evil ghosts?"

　I was held up by something today, sorry.

　　Requesting monthly votes and recommendations! Comments and messages are welcome!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)