Great Red Immortal Sect

Chapter 686 Long Decision
West of Baihe.

The earth was pale, with jagged rocks scattered everywhere.

Towering mountains stretch across the landscape, with a chilling silvery-gray light flowing between their peaks. The howling wind occasionally blows away large sections of the silvery mountain walls, revealing the riddled and cratered interior of the mountains.

The White Ravine, which serves as the entrance to the desolate capital, lies to the east of this ridge. In comparison, the White Ravine, which stretches for thousands of miles, is merely a part of the end of this giant ridge.

Before the mountains, there seemed to be another vast, arid swamp, stretching for thousands of miles. During the drought, it was covered with countless cracks in the ground, and large areas of rocky beaches surrounded the swamp.

Within the vast void, a faint light flickered, transforming into wisps of ethereal, dark blue-black demonic clouds that concealed the figures of the group, making them difficult for outsiders to spot.

Gusts of wind, sharp as swords, swept out, and the demonic clouds dispersed, revealing a majestic and awe-inspiring black tiger. Three people sat on its broad, palace-like back.

"This is the Changjue Ridge. Heading west, past the boundless wilderness and desert, and across the Heli Abyss, you will see the Kunlun Immortal Mountain."

At this moment, Nan Wang was making hand seals, his supernatural powers were subtly activated, and a demonic light that seemed to shift between true and false surged around him.

"The mountains are empty, the earth is corroded by gold, the water is dried up, and the barren land is exposed. This is a sign of the fall of the Dui metal. It is so vast that it must be of the first level of the Golden Elixir."

Wei Shuang's voice was deep and somber, indicating that something was amiss.

Upon entering this place, he noticed that the wounds on his swords were spreading, and even the [Frosty Steps] technique was not enough to heal them.

"Indeed, a great master of the Duijin lineage perished here in the past."

Nan Wang rode his black tiger out of the void and led the group to the top of Changjue Ridge, looking down at the streaks of silver-gray light.

"It must have been after the fall of the Zhou dynasty that the great war between immortals and demons led to the demise of this lord."

Xu Xuan stood on the cloud, his heart stirring. He remembered what Nan Wang had just said: if they crossed Changjue Ridge and headed west, they could reach Heli.

What is Heli? It is the Abyss of the Weak Water, the place where the Heavenly Dark Dragon Lord perished, precisely after the fall of the Zhou Dynasty.

"A war between immortals and demons?"

His gaze sharpened slightly as he looked toward the westernmost point, but he couldn't discern anything.

"Exactly."

Nan Wang's tone turned slightly somber as he continued:
"When the Great Zhou Dynasty fell, the rites and teachings were no longer in order, so each family had its own ideas. Immortals and demons clashed and fought on Kunlun Mountain. Even Nascent Soul cultivators made their moves, and many Golden Core cultivators perished."

"If I'm not mistaken, it should be the incarnation of the ancient [Changjue] True Lord. He is the successor of the Xiyuan Great Dao and the Golden Virtue Sword Immortal. His most famous achievement is slaying the Changsu Demon Lord."

Upon hearing this, Xu Xuan was somewhat moved. If that were the case, the current Yi Wood should be extremely afraid of Dui Metal and swords.

Dui metal is a tool for breaking and destroying, representing ruthlessness and severance. It is metal of judgment and separation. In the sky it is the autumn wind, and on the ground it is hard and salty. It probably has the extreme restraint on Yi wood.

The main material of the [Dan Ting] in Xu Xuan's hand is the Dui Jin She Lei (a type of lightning), but unfortunately he has never faced a cultivator of the Yi Mu (wood) path before, otherwise he could test its edge.

"To the west lies Heli, said to be the place where an ancient dragon king perished, and it was also during this great battle."

He inquired about this matter, intending to speculate on the cause of death of the Heavenly Darkness Dragon Lord.

If Tianming may have died at the hands of Yuanhan and Changsu, then how did the remaining Tianhui Dragon Lord perish? At that time, Mingze had already withdrawn from the South China Sea. If he had chosen to live in seclusion, he might have had a chance of survival.

"But... [the darkest hour]? This matter..."

Wei Shuang, standing to the side, spoke up, her expression appearing somewhat strange.

"So it was the Ren Water Dragon Lord. I've only heard that Mingze was originally in the South Sea. How could he have perished in this northwestern land?"

Xu Xuan looked at Wei Shuang with a puzzled expression, but a thought stirred within him. It seemed that Wei Shuang knew something.

"It was likely suppressed and killed by a True Lord of the Earth element, but the specifics are unknown."

Wei Shuang sighed and continued:

"This Heavenly Obscurity Dragon Lord wields immense power, almost reaching a high rank. He even sought the Dao in the Taiyin Immortal Court, a lineage of the Daoist tradition, and his abilities are considerable. Ren is cold water, which could have been used to mobilize my cold Yin energy, but now there are few great figures in this path, and its power is not considered high."

The most favored water element for the Cold Yin is Ren water, which can be used to create icy lakes and cold marshes. The next best is Gui water, which can transform wind, snow, frost, and hail. However, both of these water virtues are currently deficient, which indirectly affects the cultivators of the Cold Yin lineage.

Xu Xuan silently pondered what Wei Shuang had said. If Tian Hui was indeed killed by the Earth element, which Earth element would it be? He asked Tian Tuo in his mind, but the old demon was also completely clueless and did not know.

'It seems I should go to Dongyuan and ask Guangze when I have some free time.'

He cared about this because Mu Yu was there. After all, his daughter cultivated the Great Dao of Heavenly Obscurity, so he naturally wanted to understand the deeds of this Dragon Lord.

The group of people were now traveling along the long, steep ridge, crossing the dried-up marshland, and soon reached the middle of the White Ravine.

The hills and valleys are scattered, and the hot springs are boiling.

The pure white, watery aura rose and swirled, like mist and clouds, yet it was incredibly hot. Just being near this area made the bodies of the group feel as if they were being burned by fire.

Wei Shuang activated her supernatural powers, causing wind and snow to swirl and barely manage to freeze the patches of hot steam into frost. However, after a short while, torrents of hot steam surged from the valley again.

"If the Taiyin were in power, the cold Yin, with a bit of the cold moon's energy, could restrain this transformation into water. However, since ancient times, the Taiyin has lost its position, and the fire element has flourished. The power of this transformation into water has also increased dramatically, and it is no longer subject to the control of the cold energy."

He felt a pang of regret. If Taiyin were still around, water would be most vulnerable to the freezing cold of Yin, but now the situation had reversed.

"The interactions of different lineages are not fixed; it's enough to quell this heat." Nan Wang's gaze shifted slightly as he looked into the valley, saying only:

"Now we just need to wait for Master Fuyun to make a move, stop that great master of the discipline path, and distract the demons, so that we can attack from the west."

He unleashed beams of illusory demonic light, enveloping the group. Within his body, a celestial talisman exerted its power, urging the heavens and earth to gradually dissipate the cultivators' energy, causing them to vanish as if it were some kind of illusion.

【Destroy Illusion True】

This supernatural power is a technique of the Dao of Qi, which is said to be able to examine one's Daoist practice, trigger calamities, and transform the real into the false and the substantial into the intangible. Once activated, it can cause heavenly demons to seize one's soul and earthly demons to seize one's body.

With the Heavenly Talisman at hand, the effect was even more miraculous, causing the aura of the group to gradually fade away, and all the strange phenomena around them to disappear.

There was a moment of silence, with only the sound of the wind remaining.

In the distant southeast sky, streaks of water and fire gradually rose, magnificent and chaotic. Pale white light shot into the sky, surging into the narrow valley like a vast ocean.

The world was filled with an extremely pure sense of destruction and devastation. The pale Yin light was like a curtain that covered the sky and the sun, and beneath this curtain, streams of water and fire of various colors rose up.

The water-like light that had been resisting vanished instantly, while the fire behind surged forward, heading towards the ravine.

A figure slowly emerged from the light of the flames, dressed in a white robe, with an arrogant expression. In his hand was a small platinum sword, about an arm's length long. The area around the blade seemed to be endless void and darkness, with only the two characters "定枢" (Ding Shu) engraved on it.

【The Ultimate Yin-Fixing Sword】

Countless golden precepts soared into the sky from the valley, with a single lamp burning eerily within. Behind that lamp stood an old monk draped in a black and gold-embroidered robe, his body emaciated and almost devoid of flesh.

He opened his eyes, his expression strange, and his lips slightly parted:

"The Treasure of Lesser Yin".

Wei Yin practiced ancient Buddhist teachings, attained Maha, and reached the third level. He was only one step away from the so-called "non-retrogressive stage," and in terms of logic, he could even rival the peak of the Purple Palace.

But a real battle of wits is a completely different matter.

The spells and magical artifacts of the Buddhist cultivators are mostly inferior to those of the same level of immortals, lagging behind in almost every aspect. They are only ahead in the cultivation of their nature, but their nature is mostly used for seeking the Dharma and cultivating themselves, and has little to do with fighting.

As a direct descendant of Mu Wushan, the opponent's cultivation lineage is skilled in direct combat with True Qi, and he is even a prominent figure in this world, which is enough to make him a late-stage Purple Mansion cultivator.

And that sword, the [Sword of Ultimate Yin].
How could Wei Yin not have heard of the great name of this spirit sword? You must know that Feng Yandu was pierced through the body by a single sword, and that was Xuan blood with perfect blood qi!

'If I go all out, I can defeat him. However, it's difficult to find the right balance.'

He dared not harbor any intention of killing Fu Yun, after all, the Discipline Path could not afford to offend Mu Wushan. Right now, he had come to Baihe to help, to repay the karmic debt owed to the Discipline Path for pleasure, which was in the right. But if he really caused any harm...
Therefore, Wei Yin was actually resisting the Lesser Yin Spirit Sword with his hands tied, and could only struggle to hold on, forcibly using his own million precepts to wear down the opponent's power.

A pale radiance completely enveloped the entrance area of ​​the White Ravine, dissipating into water and causing the fire to rise.

To the west of the white ravine, almost bathed in light.

"Lesser Yin governs water and fire. This water that gives birth to life cannot withstand the Yin that brings about destruction. Now we'll see what methods the fear of the Discipline Path has."

"We're ready to make our move!"

Nan Wang's gaze sharpened, and he looked towards the direction of the ravine. He withdrew his supernatural powers, and the black fire eye pattern between his eyebrows began to surge rapidly.

[Mahakala Destroys Light!]
The sixth-grade technique, which combines fire and vital energy, is nurtured between the eyebrows. It is used to accumulate the "Indestructible Fire" in daily life, and is unleashed through this Heavenly Eye when facing an enemy.

It should be known that the Fire is most adept at breaking formations. Now, with the obstruction and destruction of the Qi, it instantly overturned the hills on the west side of the valley. The original scorching white vapor also dissipated, leaving only a sky full of gray mist.

Tian Tuo spoke at this moment, showing a slight sense of vigilance:
"Be careful, there's a late-stage Purple Mansion cultivator hiding here."

Xu Xuan looked ahead, his expression slightly somber.

The white, watery light shone again, surging and filling the valley. From within it, a woman dressed in a white dress and wearing a veil slowly emerged. It was none other than Zhi Xi, whose injuries had almost completely healed.

She seemed to have anticipated this, her expression calm as she stood in the way, with two people stepping out behind her and standing in two rows on either side.

First, a burly man stepped forward, carrying a long sword, with shaved hair and a long braid hanging down. He wore a bright gold robe and gazed at the approaching figure, with streaks of golden divine lightning transforming into swords beside him.

The True Man of Xunya, Xiao Xueya.

Then, a noblewoman emerged, holding a black plate and wearing a long, iron-gray dress, surrounded by strange phenomena such as grasslands, deserts, and sacred mountains.

These three are all of the same bloodline of the Xiao Liao imperial family, so it is reasonable for them to join forces at this time.

Zhixi then turned her gaze to the front, her eyes remaining extremely calm and devoid of any emotion, and said softly:

"Senior, please make your move. I am heading south and will surely help you destroy the Taiping Bandit Mountain."

A gentle autumn breeze began to blow in the sky, and a grayish-white golden light appeared from nowhere, filling the space. Rhomboid and square gold inlay patterns spread outward from the void, and the golden energy condensed, transforming into sharp blades.

"Let's make this clear first, it doesn't matter who we kill, it's all settled."

A cold male voice rang out, and a figure dressed in a gray robe slowly appeared in the light, with sharp eyebrows and eyes, and a sword rack made of black and red spirit wood on his back.

There were six swords on the sword rack, and the aura of metal filled the world. The aura of the late stage of the Purple Mansion realm was revealed. The autumn wind blew by, making this place even colder.

(End of this chapter)