Minglong

Chapter 297 Mountain and Sea Dragon's Roar
Thunderclouds flashed in the distant sky, and the light of Buddha and the light of swords converged at the edge of the wasteland, occasionally accompanied by deafening roars.
Boom——

The mountains had become deathly silent.

The half-black, half-white Yin-Yang Ruler hovered in the air, and the ten miles below it were all turned into a dead land where the energy of heaven and earth was solidified.

Wei Wuyi's muscles bulged as he pressed forward, wielding two gleaming longswords. It was as if he were walking through an invisible swamp, each step requiring immense effort, and his heart was filled with astonishment.

After all, to control the power of heaven and earth to such a degree, even with the assistance of the Yin-Yang Ruler, one must achieve the unity of the three elements of earth, wood, and fire, which is to enter the sixth realm of immortality, 'Hun Yuan'.

He was at the peak of the fifth realm and had a half-demon body, so he had been wondering why he couldn't kill Lu Wuzhen. Now he realized that this stinking Taoist priest had been pretending to be weak and hadn't shown his true strength at all.

Lu Wuzhen was a top student and a bookworm since childhood. He had no interest in anything outside of cultivation and the righteous path. The fact that he could hone his cultivation to this level while in charge of the Imperial Observatory is worthy of his impression of his classmate.

But what about the monk Wuxin?

Of the four roommates back then, Monk Wuxin was the most dull-witted. Apart from honestly chanting sutras, he had no other distinguishing features. For the past hundred years, he had been bullied by Lu Wuzhen and had never caused any trouble. Logically speaking, he shouldn't be more powerful than him.

But that hundred-foot-tall Buddha was clearly a 'formless Dharma body,' and looked no less impressive than Lu Wuzhen.

He practiced his martial arts diligently for a hundred years, but failed to comprehend his own path. He thought that others were in the same boat, but in the end, he discovered that of the four successors who were most expected to succeed him in the Southern Dynasty, he was the only one stuck below the peak, while the others had already taken over the mantle of their elders. How could anyone accept this?
Wei Wuyi didn't understand why this was the case, but he knew he wouldn't live past today.

Even if Lu Wuzhen were to make an exception and let him go, his lifelong pride in martial arts would prevent him from living as a laughingstock.

But before that, he has to kill one more person!

Wei Wuyi didn't care how talented Xie Jinhuan was, but he couldn't tolerate the deception he had just suffered!
He genuinely believed Ye Sheng had arrived, and felt that even if he could die by Ye Sheng's sword or say a few words to Ye Sheng, he would have no regrets in this life.

But Xie Jinhuan gave him hope, only to plunge him into the deepest despair, making him realize that Ye Sheng didn't care about him as much as he had imagined.

Or perhaps Ye Sheng cared about the younger generation he had once mentored, but the righteous path did not show favoritism. Everything had to be considered from the perspective of the continuation of the common people. Once someone stood on the opposite side, they were no longer on the same path. No matter how much regret Ye Sheng felt, as the pillar of the righteous path, all he could say was, "If it's going to rain, it'll rain; if a mother wants to remarry, she'll remarry. Let it be..."

This is how the righteous path should be. Wei Wuyi actually understood that Ye Sheng would not come out for him, but Xie Jinhuan should not have lied to him!
This shameless brat must die...

Wei Wuyi has not given up struggling even now, taking step by step toward the edge of the domain, supported entirely by the raging fire in his heart.

But a moment had passed, and even if Xie Jinhuan was just an ordinary first-rank cultivator, unless he was brain-dead, he should have disappeared by now. Wei Wuyi thought there was no more chance.

But after stumbling along for an unknown amount of time, when he finally reached the edge of the Yin-Yang Ruler's cover, he suddenly noticed a figure on the southern hillside covered with sword marks.

?

Wei Wuyi stopped abruptly and looked up. He could see a desiccated corpse lying on the snow slope. He could roughly recognize it as Yang Qing from the Jingzhou Gang. The withered face stared unblinkingly at the body in front of him, and one could still vaguely sense the fear and shock he had felt in life.

Three feet away, a white-robed man stood still with two weapons hanging from his waist. His body was faintly steaming with energy, and silver light and bloodlust emanated from him. He had his back to him and did not react at all.

"Gurgle—!"

The large black eagle, crouching nearby, had already spotted him with its naked eye. It frantically pulled at the hem of his robe, trying to warn its master to run away quickly, but the figure remained unresponsive.

?

Although Wei Wuyi had doubts, Xie Jinhuan's self-destructive act of waiting here undoubtedly gave him an opportunity to vent his anger. He immediately pressed forward with all his might, approaching the edge of the boundary, which was only a few dozen feet away, and roared:
"Young Xie, do you dare to fight this old man..."

Boom——

The killing intent had just begun when the sky suddenly tore open, and a bolt of lightning flashed across it!
Then, the winds swept through and the clouds gathered, with dark clouds carrying rolling thunder, rapidly condensing in the sky!
woohoo-

Amidst the howling wind, the Yin-Yang Ruler began to tremble violently, causing the ten-mile-long area it sealed off to shake. It seemed that what was being sealed off was no longer just a martial artist, but rather a demon god trying its best to break free of its prison!

Wei Wuyi stopped abruptly, thinking that Xie Jinhuan had broken through the realm with demonic and evil techniques, but this scene was too big. Breaking through the sixth realm was not like this. Xie Jinhuan could only break through the fourth realm at most. He couldn't possibly break through the seventh realm directly and establish a sect and become the patriarch.

Realizing the situation was beyond his comprehension, Wei Wuyi quickly shifted his gaze back to the young man in white robes, only to find that the other had already turned around.

Although his figure was tall and his face was still handsome, his eyes, which were as calm as a cold pool, were no longer as calm as before. A sense of madness surged from the inside out, and his silver eyes contained a pair of dark pupils, like a dragon descending to earth!

? !
Wei Wuyi's eyes were like a tiger's, and he was originally invincible. But when he saw those eyes, it was like a mouse encountering a cat. No matter how big the difference in their size was, the suppression of bloodline originating from ancient times was enough to make his body stiffen instantly!

But what shocked him even more was yet to come.

As the crazed eyes looked over, the hands that were originally hanging down revealed layers of silver scales, mixed with dark red blood, like blood scales.

The bones and muscles were also changing, making soft 'crackling' sounds, and gradually the originally proper white robe was torn apart, as if something inside was about to break out of its cocoon!

"This……"

Having spent his life cultivating the Dao, Wei Wuyi was quite familiar with the methods of evil and heretical sects. Judging from the situation, he knew that Xie Jinhuan was practicing "martial arts and demonic cultivation together." The demonic path had taken the lead and touched upon "heart-devouring." However, he had killed too many people in a short period of time and did not have time to stabilize his mind, which led to him being devoured by desire and completely losing control, thus beginning to transform into a demon.

Normally, demons transform into whatever they eat, relying on plundering their own kind to cultivate. In the end, they will only become extremely ferocious, without any obvious physical deformities.

However, Xie Jinhuan's transformation was clearly not a simple transformation into a demon. It seemed to be similar to his, possessing an abnormal bloodline that was forcibly activated by blood energy, causing him to begin to revert to his ancestral state.

But what ancestry is being returned to?

According to his understanding, the bloodlines grafted onto Crown Prince Zhao De and He Can were all taken from spirits of mountains and lakes. The bloodline in He Can was taken from a black dragon, but the bloodline was too strong and suppressed human growth, resulting in him being born a waste.

The commotion Xie Jinhuan caused in the heavens was far beyond what the Xuan Jiao could match. It didn't even seem like a human transforming into a demon; it was more like a demon giant taking human form, infiltrating the human ranks, and unexpectedly revealing his true form...

Wei Wuyi's eyes widened in disbelief, but after observing for only a moment, his gaze turned to horror, and he slowly raised his eyes.

Kakaka~
Amidst the sounds of collapsing rocks, Wei Wuyi's figure was gradually enveloped in shadow until it covered the entire mountaintop. Then, an indescribable, powerful pressure emanated from the wind and rain:
"howl--!"

The roar of the Azure Dragon seemed to originate from beyond the heavens, instantly silencing the thousands of miles of mountains and rivers...
-
The thunderclouds dispersed, and the Buddha's light vanished. The once snow-covered wasteland had been transformed into a barren landscape crisscrossed with sword marks. A cold wind swept through the air, carrying dust that swirled around the black and white Taoist robes and tattered cassocks.

The monk Wuxin, leaning on his staff, gazed at the distant eastern sky, a hint of worry in his eyes.

"Empty clouds, empty cranes, empty body, idly fishing for cloud light, forgetting worldly dust... Now it seems that this Taoist Kongkong is not as detached from worldly affairs as rumored."

Lu Wuzhen's Taoist robe was still intact, but the Bagua plate in his hand was shattered, a sword wound was left on his right shoulder, and the white light sphere floating behind him like a halo had dimmed a bit.

However, Lu Wuzhen had no time to pay attention to the damage at this moment.

Before coming to besiege the enemy's stronghold and attack reinforcements, Lu Wuzhen had considered the possible opponents. Based on the possibility of them betraying the righteous path, he speculated that the person coming might be Yang Huaxian, Shang Lianbi, or Sikong Lao'er.

Yang Huaxian is a well-known leader of the demonic sects, while the latter two have not publicly defected and are currently considered leaders of the righteous sects, so the possibility of them jumping out is not high.

But to Lu Wuzhen's utter surprise, the last person to appear was actually the old demon of the Hidden Immortal Sect.

The Hidden Immortal Sect emphasizes seclusion and quiet cultivation. It has many highly skilled individuals, but they generally do not show their true faces. The current "Taoist Kongkong" has only appeared twice in history: once during the chaos of the Witchcraft Sect, when he joined forces with the righteous path to wipe out the Corpse Ancestor, and once before the Jiazi year when he seized the Xuanwu Divine Gift.

He never left his name, only a poem, so he was known as "Kongkong Daoren" (Empty-Empty Taoist). His cave dwelling is said to be Kongyu Temple in Wu'ai Mountain.

In terms of strength and seniority, this person is a standard leader of the righteous path. He knows an ancient 'sword cultivation' secret technique that has been lost for who knows how long. He is unique and has a very high level of prestige. Logically speaking, he should not be involved in the conflicts outside the mountain. Even if he is involved, he should not stand on the opposite side of the righteous path.

But this person did indeed appear just now, and even when Lu Wuzhen and Monk Wuxin joined forces, they didn't gain any advantage.

At this moment, Lu Wuzhen stared in the direction where the figure disappeared, his brows furrowed, and said:
"The fact that Daoist Kongkong was able to snatch the Xuanwu Divine Gift sixty years ago can only mean that his lifespan was coming to an end and he did not want to die peacefully, so he risked everything to seek a chance to survive. Like Yang Huaxian, this person's whereabouts are unpredictable, and he will be difficult to deal with in the future."

The monk Wuxin, leaning on his staff, calmly said:
"It's better to uncover their identities than to remain submerged and then suddenly stab the righteous path in the back when something goes wrong."

Lu Wuzhen was about to respond when he suddenly frowned and turned to look at the mountains to the south:

"What the hell?"

The monk Wuxin also sensed the terrifying bloodlust and oppressive aura emanating from the mountains. He turned around and saw that the stars and moon in the sky were still there, but a dark cloud had appeared among the mountains.

Beneath the dark clouds, thunder roared and torrential rain poured down. Behind the mountain ridge, silver scales could be seen faintly, as if something was moving behind the mountain, but the ridge obscured the view.

"I don't know, but it's probably not a good sign."

The monk Wuxin flashed and flew alongside Lu Wuzhen. In the blink of an eye, they had crossed a hundred miles of mountains and fields and arrived outside the thunderclouds.

Rumble…

The Yin-Yang Ruler remained suspended beneath the thunderclouds, covering an area of ​​ten miles in radius. Water droplets falling from the sky stopped abruptly upon entering the area, gradually forming a giant semi-circular rain cover.

The hillsides along the edge of the rain shelter were already a mess.

Wei Wuyi was still locked under the Yin-Yang Ruler. His imposing figure held two swords, and there were three claw marks on his chest. He looked up at the sky with a look of horror that went deep into his bones.

The sky was covered with thunderclouds, and the scene resembled that of Mount Zihui on the night of the ninth day of the eighth lunar month.

Each bolt of lightning tore through the sea of ​​clouds, revealing a massive black shadow moving within. Its breath transformed into a gale, its pulse into muffled thunder, its head visible but its tail hard to discern. It simultaneously unleashed terrifying bloodlust and divine might upon the earth, causing everyone to feel an inhuman pressure originating from ancient times!
Oh my god...

Lu Wuzhen's eyes were filled with shock. Even after serving as a supervisor his entire life, he had never heard of such a scene before. He looked down at Wei Wuyi in the distance:

"What kind of monster have you summoned? Do you want to destroy the world?"

Wei Wuyi opened his mouth to try to speak, but under the suppression of the Yin-Yang Ruler, even opening his mouth was very slow, and the sound waves were visibly transmitted inch by inch. It could only be deduced from the shape of his mouth that he was speaking:
"Hurry up and destroy this great demon!"

The monk Wuxin also wanted to subdue the demon, but he was not the Arhat who subdued dragons. He was unsure whether Buddhism could suppress such a divine object that could cause celestial phenomena. Just as he was about to try, he noticed a red light shooting from the horizon.

Sa——

The red light shot down from the northern horizon, and upon reaching the thunderclouds, it transformed into a red umbrella that blotted out the sky.

Golden dragons coiled around the red umbrella, covering the entire mountain range, suppressing all energy, and even stopping the flashing lightning.

Then a figure clad in golden armor appeared outside the thunderclouds, hands on hips, and said:

Wow, what a big show!

?

Lu Wuzhen immediately stood at attention, looking up at the sky with a sense of relief:

"Senior Qixia?! You've come at the perfect time. What is this? I've never seen it in a book before..."

Even the monk Wuxin, when facing the old Taoist sect leader, toned down his air of authority.
"I've never heard my elders mention where this thing came from."

Master Qixia, clad in golden armor, his snow-white hair billowing in the air, waved his hand, seeing that the two juniors below did not know, and said:

"You are all too young. Knowing too much is not good for you. Go back first. You can leave this to me."

"..."

Lu Wuzhen felt that at around 120 years old, he was indeed still young. Since his elders didn't say anything, he didn't ask any more questions. After bowing to the monk Wuxin, they left the mountains where thunderclouds were swirling...

(End of this chapter)