Great Red Immortal Sect

Chapter 367 Matchup
Taixu.

The incense smoke and golden aura stretched endlessly, cascading like a waterfall. Above the layers of incense smoke and golden aura, boundless thunder roared and leaped through the clouds.

Above the Dou Shu punishment seal, on the Xuan Platform formed by condensed thunder, the two stood silently, their divine powers shining brightly, the Xuan Platform filled with blue and silver colors, and no one could see them.

Zhuoxie spoke in a flat tone, as if he were asking a trivial question, but the hidden meaning behind it was not so simple.

Xu Xuan's gaze was calm as he activated his divine power. A flash of tribulation light appeared, and sword intent arose. It was the sword path of the [Tribulation Technique] lineage, a true inheritance of the ancient Thunder Palace, guaranteed by the Shengyuan Immortal Stele of Taiping Mountain that records the sword lineage.

"By slashing with the intent of the Robbery Sword, I can see that Greed and Evil, who cultivate blood qi and belong to the demonic path, cannot take away my name and form."

Upon hearing this, Zhuoxie's face trembled slightly with the light of lightning, as if he were looking at him, and he laughed:

"I see. Sword immortals are rare indeed, especially those of the Thunder God lineage. It is only natural that you possess such wondrous abilities, given that you carry the destiny of the Thunder Palace and belong to the Bureau of Calamity."

"I came to ask Judge Lei this time only to see how to deal with the Six Desires Demon Form. My tribe's [Li Zu] was stripped of his true name and face by Huan Yu back then."

Zhuoxie paced slowly, his armor clanging together with a clear, melodious sound.

"The methods of the Great Delight Demon Land are wicked and strange, and its demonic forms are even more difficult to kill. Now, we don't know where Greed, Evil and Desire have gone."

Xu Xuan's tone became slightly more serious. These two demonic figures were being suppressed within the Dao Realm. He wondered if the one in the Demon Realm had sensed them.

"That's natural. These people are driven by the six desires, and their lives are entrusted to the demonic land. Our department suppresses their emotional entanglements, and we truly rely on the [Battle Pivot Punishment Seal] to do so."

Zhuo Xie waved his sleeve, and the Thunderous Platform rose. The two of them could now see the entire black thunder seal. It was this magic weapon that supported the entire Great Li Thunder Department.

"Lei Pan's Taoist magic can be traced back to the lineage of the Sijie Prefecture, which is quite rare. The last time he appeared in the world was when he was the Shangjian True Lord of the North Sea."

Zhuoxie seemed to be referring to something, and chuckled softly.

"Among the sword immortals of this era, the most practice thunder magic is quite numerous, though I wonder why. The Dragon King of the South Sea, Mingdu, is from Renze and is a direct descendant of the Golden Core cultivators. He practices Zhen Thunder. I wonder if the Thunder Judge has heard of him?"

Upon hearing Zhuoxie mention the dragon's body, Xu Xuan's heart stirred slightly, but his expression remained unchanged, and he simply replied:

“It is rare for demons to cultivate sword intent, so I have naturally heard of it.”

Zhuoxie nodded slightly and continued:
"There have been sword immortals of the demonic type, but none of them were of noble blood. They were of mortal blood. Not to mention those of the dragon scale and phoenix types, even those of noble blood had many wondrous talents and abilities. Weaponry skills were just an extra. They still practiced their own bloodline."

"We humans alone have no sharp claws or teeth, no heavy scales or thick armor, so we naturally need to use weapons."

Zhuoxie sighed, then looked at Xu Xuan, his tone growing increasingly somber.

"Let's not even mention the Dragon King of Mingze. Lei Pan has also cultivated supernatural powers. I wonder what he thinks of the Heavenly Pivot Sword Immortal of the North?"

"This person is extraordinary." Xu Xuan thought to himself, recalling the scene from that day, "I wonder what his identity is, that he travels to and from the Thunder Tribe of Li Liao, issuing orders that all the gods must obey?"

When Zhuoxie saw Xu Xuan ask about this matter, it seemed to be exactly what he wanted. At this moment, the black lightning seal surged with thunder and the might of heaven swept across the void.

“He is the chosen one of the divine thunder, and is destined to achieve great things in the future. But how can he possibly subdue the Divine Path of Li Liao? The Great Li also has such a person, not to mention you Golden Core cultivators.”

Zhuoxie's voice grew louder, and he said arrogantly:

"Not to mention the Imperial family, even my sect has recently taken in a direct descendant, so the Dao rank of this Tian Shu is not lacking."

Upon hearing this, Xu Xuan felt a growing sense of unease. The more he listened, the more it sounded like Tian Tuo. This old demon was currently at Qingchen Reef. Judging from Zhuo Xie's attitude, what kind of person did he take him for?

"Even if he truly attained the Golden Core stage, it would still be difficult for the divine paths of the two countries to bow down. Ultimately, it's because of his background."

Thunder roared and raged through the void. Zhuo Xie unleashed his divine powers, and the wind and rain shifted, obscuring the figures of the two.

As Xu Xuan listened, he felt that what was about to be said might be the real reason why Zhuo Xie met him today, and also the reason why the Da Li Thunder Department was so friendly to him, and even tolerated the various strange things about him.

Azure thunder filled the Xuantai platform, birds sang, talismans hung in the sky, and thunder bells appeared, vibrating with the wind and rain, producing a clear sound.

Zhuo Xie looked at Xu Xuan and spoke in a deep voice:
"The Northern Heavenly Pivot is the path of the Lesser Yin Realm. This path is overseen by immortals and ruled by Heavenly Lords, making it the first-class lineage of the world."

"The Lesser Yin walks the path, receiving the decrees of the Dao realm, overseeing the divine way, and there are those who are dissatisfied even in Liaodong."

Xu Xuan had already guessed this, and now that Zhuo Xie confirmed it, his mind raced. He recalled what he had seen in the cave heaven in the past: the Lesser Yin Path was to reopen a realm and control the thunder, also to facilitate the return of the Thunder Palace Immortal Lord.

"Since it is such a lineage of immortals, why is it not manifest, and why is there no renowned figure of yours?"

As he asked the question, he was filled with doubt. If it was such a lineage, it must have a wide reach and a far-reaching reputation, yet most cultivators had never heard of it and wondered what secrets it held.

"This path resides high in the Immortal Realm; naturally, its affairs will not be widely known." Zhuoxie activated his divine power, seemingly concealing something. "Even those at the Golden Core stage rarely make a move, for they must avoid Heavenly Aversion, let alone immortals." "Heavenly Aversion?"

Xu Xuan's heart stirred. He had never heard of such a thing before. Only a True Person from a Celestial Sect like this could discuss the secrets of the Golden Core.

“Times have changed. In ancient times, when the ancestral energy descended into the world and the divine manifestation occurred, it was naturally able to withstand the torment of you great men.”

“This world is like a boat, traveling between the Great Void and the Great Luo. You True Lords take this boat as your guiding light, with half of your body in the mortal world and half in the Great Luo, existing between the two.”

“In ancient times, it was a large, wide-sailed ship. True Lords and even Immortals could board it. Now, it is just a small boat and cannot withstand the intervention of a great man. If there is too much interference, Heaven will be disgusted and even the Golden Core will be in danger of decaying.”

Zhuo Xie's discussion of the Daoist doctrines resolved Xu Xuan's doubts. Since the founding of the Song Dynasty, he had never heard of a True Lord taking action in the mortal world; most of the manifestations were spiritual omens and strange phenomena.

"I am telling you all this today because I want to inform Judge Lei that the True Lords will not personally intervene. This is where the Purple Mansion comes in to handle things, and that is why the Northern Heavenly Pivot was created."

"You cultivate the Thunder God and possess sword intent, which subtly aligns you with that Heavenly Pivot. You can then fulfill the wishes of all cultivators and smoothly progress in your cultivation."

Xu Xuan understood. If what Zhuo Xie said was true, this was indeed a path. If the Golden Core cultivator couldn't participate, he would have to face the Heavenly Pivot Sword Immortal. The stronger his power, the more the cultivators of Dali would naturally help him if he could contend with him.

"If I can take this a step further, I will naturally not back down."

His voice was calm and steady, clearly stating his position. Zhuoxie nodded slightly and simply said:

“The ancient cultivation methods of the Thunder Palace are different from those of the Golden Core Dao lineage. If you want to learn about the Thunder God's power, you might as well go and see the few families that have inherited the Thunder Palace’s legacy, such as the Xuan Shu Immortal Dao, which all have the Thunder God's power.

"Besides the Qilin, the [Beginning One] Immortal Path also has this path."

"Haiichi?"

Xu Xuan thought of this immortal sect, which was one of the seven sects of Li Kingdom. It seemed to be extremely reclusive and truly did not interfere in worldly affairs, leaving no trace of itself.

"Indeed, this path is secluded from the world. However, the grotto-heaven is located above Dali, and no one has emerged in hundreds of years. Only when Dali was first established did a Purple Mansion being sent to offer congratulations."

"If you wish to see this immortal path, you still need to borrow the name of the Imperial Family. Otherwise, to request She Lei, you can only seek out the Qilin of Kunlun. Such demons will not give humans a friendly look."

Upon hearing this, Xu Xuan's mind stirred slightly, and he understood that the meaning of Shangxiao and even the Great Li Immortal Path was that he should become the one to withstand the Heavenly Pivot Sword, and then he could protect his path.

In the end, it's still just a business deal.

"Thank you for your guidance, divine general."

Xu Xuan agreed. At this moment, Zhuo Xie had already dispelled his supernatural powers and seemed unwilling to discuss the affairs of the lords any further. The Thunder Platform then descended.

"The demonic path of Liaodong and the divine thunder of Tian Shu will require a lot of help from the sword immortal in the future. It would be better to break through as soon as possible after returning this time."

Zhuoxie's voice became more sincere, but Xu Xuan remembered something else and asked:
"We wish to open a branch in the Western Sea, but it is too far-fetched and we have no foothold. I wonder if we could ask the Shangxiao Immortal Sect to make the connection?"

"The Western Sea?" Zhuo Xie's voice sounded slightly surprised upon hearing this, but he did not ask why Xu Xuan had gone there. "My Daoist Master Zhouyou happened to be stationed in the Western Sea. He has recently returned and is currently leaving the country."

"If Judge Lei wants to send someone to the Western Sea, I will tell him to come to your mountain gate and lead the person to my Shangxiao Thunder Gathering Ground to find a sacred site."

"Thank you, senior." Xu Xuan's eyes lit up with joy. It was exactly what he wanted to be brought to Qingchen Reef. "Then I will return to the mountain and wait for Fellow Daoist Zhouyou to visit."

With nothing else to do, Zhuoxie nodded, and the two took their leave. Xu Xuan then transformed into a streak of lightning and sped along the incense-lined path, disappearing in an instant.

On the Xuantai platform, only Zhuoxie remained. At this moment, divine lightning dissipated, and a golden body of divine lightning manifested from behind. It was none other than the Divine General Weihua. He had been there from beginning to end, quietly watching everything.

"Well, can you tell who's behind him?"

Wei Hua's voice was old, but Zhuo Xie shook his head and said only:
"Who would have thought that such a blessing would come to someone for no reason? Especially one from the Thunder Palace, who is not some reincarnated being. There must be some powerful figure who has used their abilities, but we don't know who it is."

"Huan Yu's plan to cause trouble on the border of Xining this time is to target Zhi Xing of Wuxiang Temple. Perhaps it is because of the Taiyue Wangchun Terrace that he was lured there to try to possess him."

"It's just unclear whether this is the intention of the Liao imperial family, or..."

Zhuoxie didn't continue speaking, but Master Weihua, standing to the side, understood his meaning and simply sighed:
"No matter what, the Six Desires Demon Form will try to possess him. This person's value is no less than that of Taiyin Heng'e. Now that he has escaped from the [Other-Transformation Freedom Wonderful Method], he must be protected by a great person."

"The shrine is inherently rife with conflict, so using it to suppress Tian Shu is the most suitable approach. Otherwise, once that person in Liaodi gains power, who can stop him?"

"A sword has two edges; it can hurt others, but it can also hurt the user."

Zhuo Xie shook his head and looked in the direction Xu Xuan had left, where he could see faint silver lightning emanating from the void.

(End of this chapter)