Lingyuan Immortal

Chapter 914 Sharing Weal and Woe
Deep in the sea of ​​clouds, thousands of miles away from Chuntao Mountain, a magnificent ship with carved beams and painted rafters hovers in the air.

The ship's hull shimmered with an emerald glow, and a ethereal mist swirled around the portholes like a dragon. Delicate celestial music flowed from beneath the glazed eaves, bathing the entire sky in a scene reminiscent of a fairyland.

Before long, a dark streak of light suddenly appeared from beyond the sky and instantly solidified into a figure three zhang away from the treasure ship.

The newcomer's dark robe billowed like night mist, obscuring his features, but his aura of Daoism was evident throughout, clearly indicating that he was a Daoist True Lord with profound cultivation.

Perhaps sensing the energy of the treasure ship's barrier, the jade palace lanterns hanging from the eaves suddenly brightened, and the cloud-patterned barrier rippled out like water, revealing a gilded cabin door carved with phoenix and dragon motifs.

Without hesitation, the True Lord in the black robe calmly stepped inside.

Before long, they moved into the inner cabin of the treasure ship. Looking up, they saw flowing cloud curtains trailing to the ground, and eighteen maids in snow-white gauze skirts, their feet treading on cloud-patterned shoes, swirling on the green jade bricks to the clear sound of the konghou (a type of harp).

The maids playing the zither on either side wore vermilion flower ornaments on their foreheads. When their fair hands plucked the strings, the silk strings vibrated with a clear, melodious sound like shattered jade falling onto a plate.

On the gilded table, a thousand-year-old red fruit glistened with dew, while the fine wine in the amber vessel shimmered with a moon-like luster.

Deep within the upper curtains, the winged man leaned lazily against a warm jade couch.

He rested his chin on one arm, closed his eyes slightly, and tapped his knees lightly with the sound of the zither. He seemed to be immersed in the song and dance before him, but in reality, his consciousness had already transformed into invisible threads, which were wrapped around the surging energy of heaven and earth in Chuntao Mountain.

"Brother Yu is in high spirits."

The True Lord in black robes suddenly spoke, breaking the chorus of music that filled the room.

The winged man smiled, opened his eyes, sat up straight, and then raised his head to signal. Immediately, all the fairy maidens in the courtyard transformed into crane feathers and disappeared into the flowing clouds.

"Stealing half a day of leisure from a busy life... Fellow Daoist, you're a little late."

He gestured with his hand, indicating, "Sit down."

The True Lord in the black robe didn't stand on ceremony. He walked over and sat down, then smiled self-deprecatingly and said in a low voice, "I am different from Brother Yu... so naturally I have to be more cautious."

His words were vague, but the winged man understood what he meant. He shook his head and smiled, saying nothing more, and turned his gaze to the depths of the sea of ​​clouds: "The battle at Spring Peach Mountain is in full swing. Fellow Daoist, wouldn't you like to enjoy it?"

The True Lord in the black robe did not respond, but his divine sense had already transformed into a gentle breeze and swept away thousands of miles away.

At this moment, Chen Mu had already confronted the Golden Shadow True Monarch. The overwhelming power behind him surpassed the might of heaven and earth, forcing the Golden Shadow True Monarch to resort to his Dao Fruit in response.

"I've heard a little about Jin Ying. He's said to be one of the few immortal talents in Lingzhu Mountain who manifested a Dao Fruit at the initial stage of the Dao Inquiry Realm. He's even been hailed by some as one of the Thirteen True Lords of Lingzhu Mountain, meaning he's the number one immortal talent outside of the Twelve Famous Sects..."

The winged man spoke eloquently, his expression quite excited: "To be able to force this person to reveal his Dao Fruit, this foreign True Monarch is indeed extraordinary."

The True Lord in black robes nodded secretly. This person from abroad had paid an exorbitant price for the "Blue Duck" egg and possessed such formidable strength; it seemed as if heaven had specially sent them the best candidate...

A slight thought crossed his mind, and he decided to agree to the winged man's suggestion: "Brother Yu, are you prepared afterwards—"

Before he could finish speaking, a bronze tripod with three legs and two handles suddenly appeared in his consciousness.

"Clang!"

The crisp sound of the jade cup colliding with the table shattered the clouds. The True Lord in black robes suddenly stood up, the jade table rattling as his sleeve swept across it.

The winged man also widened his eyes, but he was much better than the former. He even suddenly smiled, a subtle curve appearing at the corner of his mouth: "This person's Dao Fruit... does have quite the aura of your clan."

The cultivator in the black robe remained silent, but his mind was in turmoil.

Water-element True Lord, Ze Ding Dao Fruit, a person from outside the country...

A sudden inspiration struck him, and he remembered where Liang Chong had sought the Dao.

"Eastern Capital!"

All these factors combined suggest that this person is clearly the cause of the undercurrents within the clan some time ago!
"The person Young Master Li was searching for unexpectedly arrived at Guixu..."

The cultivator in the black robe suddenly darkened his eyes, his gaze flickering uncertainly, making it impossible to discern his thoughts...

……

At the summit of Chuntao Mountain, the moment the bronze cauldron turned towards Wu Songfu, a deafening roar that seemed to overturn the four seas resounded throughout the world.

A pale blue halo suddenly appeared among the undulating mountains. It wasn't a spiritual light, but rather millions of water droplets seeping from the surface of every rock.

The spectators were horrified to discover that even the spiritual liquid in their natal magic weapons was trembling, and the blood surging in their veins was making strange, undulating sounds.

Crystal-clear threads began to fall from the entire sky, and the forcibly torn clouds instantly condensed into water crystals. Moreover, each time the tripod lightly tapped the void, the golden river beneath Wu Songfu's feet dissipated by three-tenths.

The Golden Shadow True Monarch's expression finally changed. The gilded marks that had fallen off suddenly swelled up like the sun, and thousands of golden threads suddenly turned back, spreading wildly in all directions.

"Cangming."

Chen Mu uttered a soft Dao, and the cauldron's ears resonated with three dragon roars.

When the first sound rang out, the phantom image of the vast blue waves of the East China Sea stretched across the sky, with a sea patrol general holding a halberd standing on the crest of the wave. The second sound surged, and the roar of the Milky Way collapsing condensed into a tangible sound wave, shaking the mountains and making them tremble.

When the third dragon roar cleaved through the clouds, everyone was shocked to realize that what blotted out the sky was not an illusion at all. The gushing water from the mouth of the cauldron was actually the Xuanming Heavy Water from the depths of the Guixu, millions of miles away!

Wu Songfu's thousands of golden threads instantly collapsed by half. Those natal mystic shadows that were said to be able to penetrate reality and illusion were now like seaweed hitting a reef, annihilated inch by inch in the purest water-based path.

The remaining golden threads frantically gathered together, but before the manifested true form could form any hand seals, the protective golden light was shattered by the torrent carrying immense power.

The most terrifying thing is still the water flow itself. The seemingly clear, glassy waves are actually the condensation of the Pure Source True Water. Wherever it passes, even space itself shows strange ripples distorted by the water pressure.

Among the spectators, a Nascent Soul cultivator was accidentally hit by the aftershocks, and his natal Nascent Soul even oozed a few drops of water, a sign that his Dao Foundation had been soaked by the water!

Wu Songfu repeatedly brandished the Golden Mark, generating strands of golden ethereal energy, attempting to replicate his previous feat of annihilating the torrent.

But that golden light, which once contained boundless energy, is now like a firefly falling into the deep sea, leaving only a few faint remnants.

Every time the golden mark cuts through a wave crest, ten even more powerful torrents gush out from the mouth of the cauldron.

Even the crowd vaguely saw various strange phenomena appearing in the vast water curtain: the Great Chinese Toon Tree was uprooted by the giant waves, the tortoise feet supporting the sky were floating in the whirlpool, and even the legendary Sea-Stabilizing Needle that guarded the four seas was rusted into mud under the scouring of the water.

This is not real, but rather an illusion created by the accumulation of water to its maximum extent, thus affecting the heavens and earth...

The audience area was completely silent, a stark contrast to the earth-shaking fluctuations outside the great formation.

Looking at the increasingly weakened Golden Shadow True Monarch in the arena, Li Dan and the others turned ashen-faced, and the elders of the Sun clan wished they could just leave right then and there.

However, the water outside had already connected heaven and earth, and if he went out rashly, he might be forced to get involved. So he could only endure the amused looks from some people and try to minimize his presence.

In contrast to their silence, Xuanji Zi's eyes darted around, glancing at Li Dan, then at Chen Mu, and occasionally at his only son, Yu Xin, as if he were lost in thought...

"boom--"

With a deafening roar, as the last golden light vanished, the main peak of Spring Peach Mountain suddenly shrank by three inches. It wasn't a collapse, but rather the sheer weight of water pressing it into the earth's veins!

Wu Songfu's face was as pale as paper. He knelt on the waterlogged ground, his hair-binding jade crown already shattered.

He mustered his last bit of strength, gazing at the bronze cauldron still slowly rotating above Chen Mu's head. For some reason, he suddenly had a feeling that what he had just fought against was not a cultivator, but rather the ceaseless flow of the water veins of heaven and earth itself, which had existed since the primordial era...

As Chen Mu absorbed the cauldron into his body, a sudden downpour occurred on Chuntao Mountain. The raindrops condensed into tiny cauldron patterns in mid-air, and bloomed into water lilies when they landed.

Despite the great array blocking their way, everyone was still surprised to find their clothes completely soaked. Only then did they realize that it wasn't rain at all, but rather the spiritual energy of heaven and earth permeated with Daoist principles.

Water was still dripping from the eaves of the pavilion, and many cultivators rose up, all looking up at the figure in white robes in the sea of ​​clouds.

In a daze, they seemed to see a long ink painting scroll slowly unfolding before their eyes, on which an immortal stood with his hands behind his back in the vastness, and the rivers and mountains of ten thousand miles trembled within his sleeves...

……

"Fellow Daoist, fellow Daoist?"

The winged man called out softly several times, finally pulling the black-robed cultivator back from his daze.

He lowered his eyes and stroked the dark patterns on his cuffs, seemingly casually probing, "Fellow Daoist, this person... could he possibly have some connection with your clan?"

The True Lord in black robes moved his wide sleeves slightly, his eyes as calm as still water: "Brother Yu, why do you ask such a question?"

The winged man thought to himself that the other party was asking a question he already knew the answer to, so he smiled but did not answer.

He changed the subject, casting his gaze into the depths of the sea of ​​clouds, and said, "Fellow Daoist, you have also seen that this person's strength is no less than ours, and he is also from outside the country. He is the best candidate for our plan. I want to invite him to join the army. What do you think, Fellow Daoist?"

The True Lord in the Black Robe had actually already agreed, but he was so shocked by Chen Mu's Ze Ding Dao Fruit that he delayed going over there.

"Young Master Li...the main clan..."

He sneered inwardly, but did not intend to reveal the matter. He nodded and replied, "Brother Yu has keen insight, but this person is ultimately not familiar with us. How does Brother Yu plan to invite him?"

The winged man laughed loudly: "The one who bid on the 'Blue Duck's' eggs, why bother with any other methods? Just be straightforward..."

……

Three days later, the magical duel took place at Chuntao Mountain.

In front of the Lingxin Hall in the Wu clan's territory, several streaks of light tore through the clouds and arrived at the jade steps in front of the hall in an instant.

When the light faded, the faces of Li Dan and the elders of the Sun clan were revealed.

The Wu clan chief, dressed in black robes and wearing a jade crown, took the initiative to greet them and invited them into the hall for further discussion.

After everyone had taken their seats, a thoughtful person asked Li Dan, "Clan Chief Li, why is Fellow Daoist Xuanji nowhere to be seen?"

Li Dan sneered inwardly. Now you're calling yourselves fellow Daoists? Did you ever think highly of Xuanji before?
He shook his head: "I don't know."

The man's face darkened, and he coldly snorted, "He must have joined that foreign True Monarch's sect. Such an opportunist, don't let me find an opportunity, or I will definitely deal with him severely..."

No one responded. After a long silence, the Liu clan leader, dressed in a blue robe and with a short beard, frowned and sighed deeply, "I originally wanted to divide up the Liang clan's assets, but I never expected to gain nothing and instead suffer such a great loss!"

These words made the already heavy atmosphere even more stagnant. The people present looked grim, their eyes flickering, and it was unclear what they were thinking.

At this moment, the head of the Sun clan echoed, "I told you long ago not to be so hasty, but you all just wouldn't listen."

"This time it's relatively good; we only lost one peak, Zhuxia Peak. If Liang Chong himself returns, we'll all suffer heavy losses..."

Li Dan suddenly chuckled: "Clan Chief Sun must have misremembered. The stakes aren't just limited to my Li Clan's Zhuxia Peak."

As soon as he finished speaking, the Sun clan chief's face suddenly darkened: "What do you mean by that, Clan Chief Li?"

"When the bet was made at Chuntao Mountain that day, Clan Chief Sun was also present, so he should know that I made a bet with that foreign True Monarch that it would be one battle against one peak."

Li Dan said in a deep voice, "Now that we have lost both battles, how can it be that only my Li family's Zhuxia Peak remains?"

Upon hearing this, the Wu clan chief slowly spoke up: "Then, according to what the Li clan chief said, my Wu clan must also give up a peak?"

"Brother Wu, you've misunderstood."

Li Dan stood up and bowed respectfully: "When Fellow Daoist Jin Ying went into battle that day, he said something very true: the four clans that formed an alliance should naturally share weal and woe."

"Moreover, Brother Jin Ying risked his life to fight for us, so how can we let the Wu family bear the burden alone?"

He spoke with righteous indignation, then looked at the Sun and Liu families: "Gentlemen, please tell me, is there anything inappropriate in what I said?"

The leaders of the Sun and Liu families turned pale and ashen; how could they not understand the hidden meaning in Li Dan's words?
This is clearly an attempt to leverage the Wu family's influence to distribute the burden of losing the gambling match equally among everyone.

Although there was an alliance beforehand, human nature is ultimately unable to escape the tendency to seek profit and avoid harm. When it comes to sharing the benefits, there is no dissent, but when it comes to cutting flesh and removing sores, even breathing is painful.

Thinking of this, Clan Chief Sun sneered: "Clan Chief Li is truly cunning. This bet was originally your decision, but in the end, you've made us..."

Before he could finish speaking, he was interrupted by the Wu clan chief: "We did not object back then, but now that we're already involved, saying more would only damage our relationship..."

The Sun clan leader choked up, looking at the Wu clan leader who was echoing Li Dan, and suddenly realized that the situation in the room had changed.

These two companies probably colluded beforehand because of their defeat...

The Liu clan leader's eye twitched, and he gave Li Dan a deep look, realizing that he had underestimated this fellow practitioner.

His eyes flickered, and he suddenly asked, "Does the promise of Spring Peach Mountain still count?"

If Chuntao Mountain can be used as a wager, half of the loss can be avoided.

Li Dan remained unmoved and said in a deep voice, "Since the duel ended, Xuanjizi has not shown up again. Don't you two understand?"

Xuanjizi wasn't stupid. Since he hadn't participated and had offended Li Dan because of Yu Xin, he naturally wouldn't consider their interests anymore.

Sun and Liu's expressions darkened again. After a moment of thought, they said in a low voice, "Then are we really going to have to give up two Dao Peaks?"

While such losses may not cripple them, they are fundamental and cannot be measured by simple resources alone.
Just as they were feeling heartbroken, Li Dan suddenly said, "That's not entirely true..."

Sun and Liu's eyes suddenly flashed: "Where should it be?"

"Master Chen is ultimately a cultivator from abroad, so how could he possibly establish a sect here like us?"

Li Dan's gaze was enigmatic, but his words were direct: "If we can persuade fellow Daoists from the twelve prestigious sects to mediate, it might be possible to change the stakes of this bet..."

……

(End of this chapter)