Great Red Immortal Sect

Chapter 549 Li Zhuo
Taixu, Thunder Department.

The golden smoke from countless incense sticks permeated the void like a surging river, eventually converging at the massive, dark thunder seal, which was the size of a mountain, and was then poured onto the numerous illusory images on the seal.

The divine lightning, as solid as metal, shot out in the darkness, leaving trails of golden arcs before dispersing and transforming into countless glittering golden stars.

The 【Shu Di Shang Fa Yin】suspends here, and endless divine thunder envelops this seal. The three realms are engraved on it: the Heavenly Palace, the Human World, and the Underworld. It shows the comings and goings of immortals and saints, the prayers of all people, and the scenes of ghosts sinking into the abyss.

This seal was originally one of the core magical treasures of the Dou Shu Academy. Later, it was transformed by the Xuan Shu Immortal Path into the purest immortal artifact.

Now that it has fallen into the hands of the Great Li Thunder Department, it has been refined by a lot of incense offerings and merits, and its appearance has changed drastically.

Surrounded by numerous celestial soldiers in the void, all of whom had entered the divine path and entrusted their lives to this thunder seal, their cultivation levels ranging from Qi Refining to Foundation Establishment.

The light of thunder and lightning shifted, and wind and thunder surged high in the void. A divine general clad in azure divine armor looked down at the scenery below, his gaze deep and his face cold and stern, his eyes like knives.

It was none other than the True Man Zhuo Xie of the Shangxiao Sect, a big figure in the Thunder Department. In terms of reputation, he was even more renowned than Wei Hua, after all, it was he who had slain the Demon Xiang Qingzhuan.

He stood with his hands behind his back, looking at the Thunder Seal from afar. He saw that it was connected to a bright yellow aura of prosperity, gathering divine power, which was ultimately bestowed upon a young man.

This person possessed a refined and noble demeanor, with an otherworldly appearance. He held a blue-gold Heavenly Net Umbrella, and the rolling divine power empowered him, causing his aura to rise rapidly. He gradually approached the Purple Mansion from the peak of the Foundation Establishment stage, with thunder surging and flames rising around him.

"The promotion is complete."

Zhuoxie's voice was solemn as he finalized the matter.

A wry smile played on the young man's lips as he rode the wind forward and respectfully said:

“Master, your disciple has now entered the path of the gods.”

"Qinglang, do you have any questions about the sect's arrangements?"

Zhuo Xie's tone was devoid of emotion, neither joy nor sorrow, but Lin Qiulang's expression changed slightly, his brows furrowed, and he said solemnly:
"Our sect will surely have someone to undertake matters of the divine path. If Master can give up his future to pursue it, why can't I? Besides, being promoted makes it easier to break through to the Purple Mansion realm, and it's more carefree than Foundation Establishment right now. How can this not be a good thing?"

Qinglang is currently in the state of a god, similar to a Purple Mansion who has cultivated the Li Huo Divine Power. Although it is still not as profound as a proper divine power, its magical power and life status have reached the Purple Mansion level.

With the wondrous presence of Lu Qi, it did not hinder his breakthrough to the Purple Mansion realm; in fact, the breakthrough nature of Li Huo could accelerate his progress, which was truly a gift from the True Lord.

He spoke of ease and benefits, but the feeling of entrusting one's life to the Thunder Department, which is not one's own, is not pleasant. Even if one's cultivation level increases in the future, one can only continue to scheme on the path of gods and will never be able to obtain the true path.

Zhuoxie sighed, then said:
"The Great Li Divine Path mainly consists of the paths of mountains and rivers, thunder and lightning, and fortune and misfortune. The rest are just supplementary. The True Lord used the [Divine Ritual Seal] of the path of Lu Qi to activate the Li Fire, and with the White Society taking over, the Divine Path was able to be supported."

"This method relies more on destiny. The more you fight in the war against Liao, the more benefits you will receive. Even without seeking divine intervention, you will achieve great things in your future reincarnations, carrying this karma with you."

Qinglang listened silently. He was originally from the main branch of the Lin family, and his decision to join the path of the gods was due to the circumstances of the time.

Shangxiao had always supported the establishment of the Thunder Department, and even took the initiative to send many cultivators from the sect to enter the path of divinity. In fact, many of the current divine positions in the Thunder Department were determined by the sect's True Person Jiang Li back then, and only now has it been realized.

Zhuoxie's gaze shifted, and his tone grew slightly somber:

"The [Changwu Ancient City] needs to be located on the frontier, and twelve array points need to be established. My department is responsible for three of them: [Xishan], [Baihe], and [Qinghu]. Qinghu is located north of Tianshui, outside the Six Prefectures, and it happens to be close to Judge Xu Lei. You should take this decree with you and go there with Xi Wuyai to inform him of this matter."

"At that time, we can simply follow the orders of the King of Arashiyama. He has been fighting for many years and has his own plans."

"Yes."

Qinglang respectfully responded, listened to his master's instructions for a few more minutes, then took his leave and headed towards the edge of this divine realm, where he happened to see heavy crimson lightning rolling around.

The newcomer was a robust man, clad in a crimson armor embroidered with lightning dragons, exuding an imposing aura; he was none other than Xi Wuyai.

This dragon had already received its orders and was waiting here. Now, seeing its fellow cultivator arrive, a smile appeared on its face, and it called out from afar:

"Envoy Lin."

"So it's Fellow Daoist Wuya."

When Qinglang saw the newcomer, his expression changed slightly. He was about to work with this dragon, so he needed to figure out his temperament.

Xi Wuyai was also promoted. Now, in addition to the [Bridge of Crossing Extremes] that he had cultivated, he could also activate several of the Divine Powers of Separation Fire. Coupled with the physique of a dragon seed, he was even stronger than ordinary dual supernatural powers.

He was born in Liyang Heaven and was the only remaining Western Yang Dragon in the world. He was originally of the True Fire type, but now he has transformed into Spirit Thunder. He was exposed to a red light while in the womb, which caused his blood to change.

The man and the dragon, each with their own thoughts, walked along the void towards the crimson clouds. Before long, they saw the mountain gate.

Qinglang took the first step forward, emerging from the void and unleashing his aura. Immediately, a burst of divine light emanated from the mountain gate before him, and the flames of Bing fire surged forth.

"Which fellow Daoist has come to my mountain gate?"

A golden-red flame streaked across the sky, and a young man in black robes appeared instantly, speaking to her from afar. His supernatural aura was still unstable, suggesting that he had only recently broken through.

Qinglang's gaze shifted slightly. Before coming, he had carefully read the records about this Xu Leipan and knew that there were still people in his sect in seclusion. Now, seeing that they had already broken through, he realized that they had already done so.

'Two Purple Mansions.'

He came from a major sect, and if he hadn't been waiting for the Divine Path, he would have broken through long ago. But this sect in front of him was originally a small sect, yet it had produced two people with supernatural powers, which was truly astonishing.

"I am Qinglang, the Thunder God Envoy. I am here by order of the Thunder Department to consult with the Tribulation-Slaying Thunder Judge on matters concerning me." Qinglang stated his reasoning calmly.

Liu Xiaowen nodded slightly, about to speak, when he saw lightning flash before his eyes and a Taoist priest in a silver robe blocking his way.

"What brings you two Thunder Envoys to my mountain gate?"

Xu Xuan immediately sent a message to Liu Xiaowen, telling him to leave first and that he would deal with the newcomers.

"My name is Qinglang, a disciple of Shangxiao. Today I have come to discuss border defense matters with your esteemed temple."

Qinglang then unleashed the divine decree surrounded by azure lightning, but the person before him remained unmoved. Instead, his gaze sharpened, and his aura grew even more intense, startling Xi Wuyai, who was standing nearby in the void, out of his room. Seeing this, Xi Wuyai could only force a smile and say:

"Master Xu."

Xu Xuan nodded slightly, a silver current flickering in his pupils, his gaze like a sharp celestial blade pressed against one's heart.

He said slowly:

“Qinglang Lei Shi is mistaken. I belong to the Thunder Department, and at most, I am accompanied by the divine guards and heavenly soldiers in the temple. Now that I have resigned from my position as the head of the temple, the affairs of the Thunder Department have nothing to do with the rest of my temple.”

These words subtly distanced him from the sect, indicating that he did not intend to drag the entire sect into the Thunder Department. This was also the reason why he had previously appointed Liu Xiaowen as the abbot.

Qinglang, who was standing to the side, realized what was happening and immediately understood, and quickly said:

"That's natural. I'm here today only to ask Judge Lei for help; it has nothing to do with the Daoist tradition."

Xu Xuan's expression softened considerably. He accepted the imperial edict, glanced at it briefly, and then frowned.

"Qinghu, the key point of the Changwu Ancient City formation? Is this a plan to recapture the six prefectures, and even launch a further northward attack to wage war against the Liao people?"

"Exactly."

Qinglang's gaze was intense as she continued:
"Now that the nature of the Baishe has been restored and transformed into a deity, as long as the [Changwu Ancient City] is located on the frontier, it can stop the Liao people from invading. Based on this, we can advance northward."

"This matter must be accomplished. Even if it comes at a great cost, the Di family, as well as Shangxiao and Taizhen, will all contribute. Right now, we still need Judge Lei's help at Qinghu."

Xu Xuan pondered silently. The defense of the border was closely related to the safety of his sect, so he naturally couldn't sit idly by. But if he were asked to exert himself so easily...
He raised an eyebrow, looked over, and simply said:
"I would like to go, but my mountain gate has been harmed by others, so I dare not leave."

These words were pointed, causing Qinglang's expression to change slightly, while she inwardly cursed:

'The Qi family and Fu Chen are both troublesome characters; they want my Lei tribe to pay for it.'

His gaze sharpened slightly, and his tone became more serious:

“Since the Sword Immortal is a member of my Thunder Department, he is fighting on the front lines, so naturally we cannot allow others to bully him. If he leaves, he can hang the [Kui Zhen Tian Yin Drum] high on the mountain gate.”

"If anyone dares to offend the Sword Immortal Mountain, it is tantamount to offending the dignity of my Thunder Department, and we will certainly not let them off lightly."

Xu Xuan nodded slightly, raised his hand and took out the Thunder Drum, which he then offered as a sacrifice to the great formation.

As a divine artifact, this thing is activated by faith power and its power is constant. When Xing Fang leads a group of heavenly soldiers to activate it, it also has the killing power of Vajra. However, it can only be activated within the great formation by relying on the Heavenly Thunder Shrine.

Once they leave the Thunder Shrine and exit the formation, if they were to collide with the Purple Mansion, the person urging them would likely perish instantly, as they have no means of protection.

In comparison, the aura emanating from this Azure Thunder Envoy is more noteworthy. He has already been promoted and is firmly standing at the first level of the Purple Mansion realm. Although he is not as powerful as a supernatural being, he is much stronger than the likes of Vajra of Wish Power.

'Even a figure from the highest heavens has been promoted.'

Xu Xuan was slightly puzzled. He had met this Thunder Envoy before. According to the other party's cultivation level, he could have broken through to the Purple Mansion long ago. But now he has been promoted, as if he is going to take the Divine Path.

"This matter is being coordinated by Prince Song Shugong of Lanshan. We will need to recover all the lands of the six prefectures before we can attack Qinghu. This lake is full of spiritual energy. It originally belonged to Dali, but it was occupied by the Liao people and is now under strict guard."

Qinglang's gaze darkened, and he continued:
"After ten days, please go to the Six Prefectures, and we will wait for you at the Lanshan Prince's Mansion."

"it is good."

Xu Xuan's tone was decisive, and he immediately agreed.

After speaking, Qinglang led Xi Wuyai to take their leave, broke through the void, and headed straight north, presumably to meet with the King of Lanshan.

As Xu Xuan watched the figures of the two Thunder Envoys dissipate into the void, a thought stirred within him.

'The Changwu Ancient City Wall—this magical artifact was originally used by the Xia and Yan dynasties to defend their territories. It seems they intend to use this city to launch a counterattack to the north.'

Although there haven't been any major battles in Liaodong over the years, there have been constant minor skirmishes, with Liaodong mainly making concessions. Now, it can be said that they have truly begun their counterattack.

Regardless, there are many demons in Northern Liao, and some will inevitably run into his sword, which will greatly benefit their cultivation of the [Extinction of Life] technique.

Xu Xuan looked north, where he could see the rolling yellow sands of the border. Now he only needed to make arrangements at the gate before he could leave and truly draw his sword.

(End of this chapter)