Each of the nine dragon maidens possesses extraordinary abilities.

"You have no idea how terrifying the Four Gods are. I admit, you are very capable, arrogance. With only a faint connection to the Holy Emperor, you embarked on the path of cultivation with devout faith, formed the Seven Deadly Sins, and spread your influence throughout the Nine Provinces. But so what? The Four Gods don't care. As long as their plan succeeds, all living beings in the world will be reborn into their four separate small worlds—a world of slaughter, decay, deceit, and depravity. Should such a world exist?" Lu Yueyuan said, "I don't have the absolute certainty to stop all of this, but I must push all the conditions to 100%. Therefore, I cannot do it without the Holy Emperor, and therefore, the Holy Emperor chose me. Do you understand?"

"But we can help you too..." the arrogant man said weakly.

“The only person who can help me is you. I didn’t lie to you when I said we were in the same boat,” Lu Yueyuan said. “But now is not the time. You need to give me more trust, and you also need to grow faster yourself.”

"I... I will definitely try my best!" Arrogance clenched his fist. "I never expected you to do something like this... Don't worry, from now on, I will never question your decisions again!"

"Thank you." Lu Yueyuan smiled and nodded.

“I…I have another question,” arrogance asked. “Why do you insist on becoming partners with jealousy?”

"Is it because I'm a pervert? They say even heroes can't resist the charms of a beautiful woman. It's normal to be jealous of such a pretty girl. Look at her, she's very pretty. Her figure isn't perfect, but it has room for development. And her feet are beautiful. She's perfect from head to toe. Once she reaches the Dao Realm, her appearance will most likely be fixed here. I'm also someone who values ​​appearance. Why not find a good-looking partner?" As Lu Yueyuan spoke, he took out a talisman from his storage ring and threw it to her.

“I didn’t leave you in Youzhou just to watch the show. You still have to do some things for me. I’m giving you the talismans for self-defense,” Lu Yueyuan said. “Don’t let me down.”

"Okay." He nodded arrogantly.

Arrogance finally left. Lu Yueyuan inspected the immortal ship's condition, and Mo Zhiyan descended from above: "I didn't expect you to have a chivalrous heart. Are you planning to save the world?"

"No, I just wanted her to behave herself. I really envy her; a false goal of saving the world can get her so excited. I feel like I'm past that age," Lu Yueyuan said. "When did you arrive? Weren't you just comforting someone who's jealous?"

Mo Zhiyan said, "I've been here since you first mentioned the Four Gods Project. That child doesn't like me; she threw my peach away."

“Then let’s leave it to Arrogance. She’s good with kids anyway,” Lu Yueyuan said. “Let’s pack up and head out.”

"So anxious? Have you understood the current situation in Qingzhou?" Mo Zhiyan asked.

“The situation is worse than I thought. Qing Zaishan’s goal is probably not the earth veins. That guy’s ambition is bigger than I imagined. If it’s really as I guessed, then we’re in big trouble. We have to set off immediately,” Lu Yueyuan said.

"Your preparations... sigh, I'm not sure if they can resolve the issue of your soul being affected by Qing Zaishan. I still think you should be cautious."

Lu Yueyuan gently touched the scabbard at his waist: "The world prefers the brave. If you are always cautious and conservative, you will regret it when you miss the opportunity. As long as you are prepared to die, being brave is not a big deal."

Meanwhile, the Langya Gang was in complete chaos.

They were isolated in a strange space, the outside world shrouded in mist. All the assembled expedition teams were lost in the mist, and every now and then, the figures of the dead would appear within it. The people in the Langya Gang's pavilion were discussing what to do. Finally, they all placed their trusting gazes on Jing Xingzhou. During this time, Lord Hengjun had finally begun to show some divine qualities, and coupled with Jing Xingzhou's telepathic message during the Qingzhou crisis, their trust in him had skyrocketed. Surely, the divine representative would have a way to deal with this?

Haha, no.

Jing Xingzhou had lost contact with Lord Hengjun, a bizarre situation that was unprecedented. But what made him despair was that Wen Ciji was not here; she had been isolated from the outside world, and Qingyi was now beside him.

Qingyi was also unlucky. She came to help get things, but she didn't expect that as soon as she entered, she would be isolated and lose contact with her master, the Hermit Hermit.

The Langya Gang is currently in disarray, maintained only by Jing Xingzhou's personal prestige. Once everyone realizes that even the gods cannot be contacted, chaos will likely erupt on the spot.

“Qingyi, your master is the strongest fighter in Qingzhou. You’ve been learning from her for so long, you must have a way, right?” In the garden pavilion on the top floor, Jing Xingzhou squatted down in front of Qingyi and asked with a solemn expression.

Qingyi was on the verge of tears. Don't put your hopes on her! How long had she been studying with the Hermit Hermit? And it wasn't even a matter of learning; she was practically useless in combat. As for talismans and formations, she'd only scratched the surface. Asking her to take on such a major responsibility was asking too much.

"I... let me think... We still have quite a few one-time use talismans, including some high-level ones, and there's also a protective formation here, so we can hold out for a while." Qingyi was forced into deep thought by Jing Xingzhou. "Now there are more and more figures in the mist outside; they might launch an attack at any moment..."

“Yes, what should we do?” Jing Xingzhou asked.

"Let's arm them first. Organize all those who can absorb spiritual energy together, and distribute magic tools, talismans, pills, and the like... The grand formation here was personally constructed by Master, so it should be very safe."

"Then who will maintain the great formation?"

"Brother, don't you know nothing?" The man in green was on the verge of tears: "I... I'll try. I... I can't construct Master's grand formation, but I should be able to keep it running..."

Probably.

“I just took stock, and we should be able to arm everyone,” Jing Xingzhou said. “But the spiritual energy here is getting thinner and thinner. I estimate that in the end, we will only be able to rely on talismans, pills, and large formations.”

"The main problem is the grand formation," the woman in green said despairingly. "Once the formation is broken, we'll have no way to fight back."

"I am, after all, the leader of the number one gang in Qingzhou," Jing Xingzhou sneered. "Do you think I really have no trump cards up my sleeve?"

He patted the stone table, channeling his spiritual energy into it. Suddenly, the waterfall behind him opened, revealing a colossal mechanical construct standing there. It was crafted entirely from mithril, with small spiritual arrays engraved on various parts of its body. It was covered in immortal runes, had a pair of enormous bull horns, and countless offensive magical artifacts mounted on the horns.

Qingyi immediately breathed a sigh of relief; Jing Xingzhou was still reliable: "Is it the Mohist war machine?"

"That's right. This was the pinnacle of the Mo family back then, but it was smashed by a guardian of the Nine Peaks Sect who happened to be passing by. Our people secretly brought it back and kept modifying it until it became what it is now."

"It looks impressive." Qingyi didn't know much about weapon crafting, especially the techniques of the Mo family, but judging from the aura emanating from this war machine, it seemed quite reliable.

The two of them walked together to the war machine. Qingyi looked at it from left to right. Well, she couldn't understand it. The small arrays inside were designed in a series of interconnected steps, which was quite complicated.

Jing Xingzhou stood with his hands behind his back, looking up at the war machine: "I am a peace-loving person and hate fighting. I have always only thought about doing business, so no matter how urgent the situation, I have never used this trump card."

"Why weren't we used when the agents invaded before?" Qingyi asked, puzzled. "The situation was quite urgent that time, wasn't it?"

“Of course.” Jing Xingzhou nodded.

"How do I start this thing?" Qingyi asked, stroking it. Suddenly, she didn't hear an answer. She turned her head and saw Jing Xingzhou standing there silently. In an instant, she understood.

Jing Xingzhou smiled awkwardly: "Have you figured out how this thing is supposed to move?"

What could she possibly see?! Qingyi's heart was filled with despair again, a despair not only for the war machine, but also for Jing Xingzhou.

She thought her master was already unreliable, but she didn't expect Jing Xingzhou to be even more unreliable.

She couldn't help but think of Lu Yueyuan.

"The activation mechanism is inside the formation; I need to study it." Qingyi took a deep breath. She felt she couldn't rely on these guys anymore, or she would really die here.

"Okay, then I'll leave it to you." Jing Xingzhou agreed with a smile.

"Otherwise, I'll leave it to you..." Qingyi sighed. She used her spiritual energy to fly up and observe it little by little. These great formations were not only interconnected, but also related to the Immortal Diagram, and there were some words faintly visible inside. Qingyi knocked on it curiously, and she heard an echo coming from inside, like the echo of the universe.

Chapter 118: Ji Cheng's Love (5k)

"What a strange sound. Is this thing hollow?" Qingyi observed the direction of the Immortal Diagram.

These immortal images seem to be connected to separate grand arrays, but no, that's not accurate. Logically speaking, two-dimensional patterns shouldn't be connected to three-dimensional things, since they're not in the same dimension.

“It’s not hollow. This thing was taken apart when it was first brought back, and this was reassembled according to the marks left after it was disassembled,” Jing Xingzhou said.

"Can't you start the one you reassembled?" asked the woman in green.

"Because all the key lies in the Immortal Diagram and those formations. Simply piecing together external objects results in a bunch of dead things. In fact, when we disassembled it, those formations didn't disintegrate. They were restrained by spiritual energy, and we could only disassemble a certain distance. I asked Lord Hengjun before, and he said that the most likely way to operate this thing is divine power."

“So, it’s related to the gods,” said the woman in green.

“You are a descendant of the divine messenger, perhaps you can see something?” Jing Xingzhou said.

“I can hear different sounds. I don’t know if you can hear them. Listen, here, here, and here, it’s a hollow echo, a whimpering sound. Ah… I can’t really describe this sound.”

"All I can hear is the sound of something being knocked on," Jing Xingzhou shook his head.

“Sound changes, strange. Isn’t this thing inanimate? Why does the sound of knocking have fluctuations… I can understand the meaning of sound, though: destruction, rebirth, construction… oh, and reincarnation. There’s always a response when you knock on it, as if something is responding to me.” Qingyi took a deep breath. “How strange.”

Are you alright?

"I'm fine, but it's still difficult for you to get me to start it. Although I can understand the sounds, I can't understand the patterns... I have no idea what these immortal diagrams mean. Are there any books explaining the Mohist immortal diagrams? If I can compare them with the sounds, I might be able to figure something out."

“Yes.” Jing Xingzhou nodded, taking out a large number of books and talismans containing information about the Immortal Diagram from his storage ring.

"There are so many, I probably won't have time to read them all," Qingyi sighed. "I still need to try to activate the great formation, so I shouldn't count on using this as a trump card."

Jing Xingzhou said, "Don't worry, I'm just trying this as a last resort. My real trump card is the talismans that Lord Hengjun left me, which contain the divine power He has been cultivating."

Qingyi breathed a sigh of relief: "So you had this kind of thing. You should have said so earlier. I knew that Lord Hengjun would protect you. After all, the gods care most about their agents."

“Yes.” Jing Xingzhou nodded. The feelings of the gods towards their agents are extreme and uncontrollable. This does not even depend on the agent himself. Everyone thinks that the reason why an agent can be an agent is because he is devout enough, but this understanding is wrong. An agent can become an agent because of the gods’ favor and protection. The gods’ love for you has nothing to do with you.

Buzz!

The space trembled violently, and the figure of the immortal ship kept disappearing and reappearing, as if it had been covered with a thick layer of mosaic. Lu Yueyuan only felt this extreme sense of spatial detachment when he entered the Netherworld Sea.

He stood at the bow of the ship, confirming that the immortal vessel had forcibly entered Qingzhou territory. "The effects of power shouldn't be so complex and unpredictable. If history is related to space, then it shouldn't affect the soul. Of course, we can't rule out the possibility that its nature is complex and unpredictable, such as [fate], but history shouldn't be like this. Qing Zaishan has at least isolated two states, Youzhou and Qingzhou. Under the influence of that ancient bell, Youzhou has become a place where entry is permitted but exit is not. And Qingzhou..." He gazed into the distance, the entire landscape becoming a series of mosaics, even the power of the Holy Emperor couldn't reveal the truth. "I can't sense the slightest trace of living beings."

With a crackling sound, the mosaic below Qingzhou flickered with white dots from time to time, like an old television set.

Mo Zhiyan stood weakly by the boat, the wind blowing through her hair.

“The curse in your bloodline has been removed. Now you can’t sense your sisters, and they can’t sense you either,” Lu Yueyuan said.

"...I just wanted to try it out, sigh...I still can't believe Qing Zai Shan would do this. She's clearly the least troublesome among us," Mo Zhiyan said. "She goes to bed on time, and aside from Sixth Sister, she doesn't talk to anyone else without permission. Her maid handles many things for her. When the Four Gods asked us to launch our big plan, I reminded her, and she said she'd be careful. I was happy she came to me, but..."

“She, like her powers, is elusive,” Lu Yueyuan said.

Suddenly, a scream came from somewhere on the immortal ship, originating from Lu Yueyuan's room. He instantly rushed over and found Jealousy rolling out of the closet. She was hoarse and trembling; the spatial teleportation had displaced her soul. Lu Yueyuan picked her up and used magic to calm her down, and she gradually recovered.

“She sneaked up here. It’s okay, I’ll talk to her,” Lu Yueyuan said to Mo Zhiyan, who had rushed over and was standing at the door. “Close the door for me.”

“Violence is not allowed,” Mo Zhiyan said, then walked out and closed the door.

Jealousy sat on his bed, barefoot, swinging it around the edge, head drooping.

"Impressive skills. I checked so many times and couldn't find anything." Lu Yueyuan's eyes turned golden as he looked her up and down, finally stopping at her fair feet. "How did you do that? I'm sure you were with Arrogance before you left."

“...It’s an Immortal Diagram. I drew an Immortal Diagram on a small mechanical artifact and put it in your wardrobe.” Jealousy showed Lu Yueyuan a pattern on her foot. “As long as the same Immortal Diagram is engraved and spiritual energy is input into it, I can switch places with that mechanical artifact.”

Lu Yueyuan squatted down, holding her foot in his hands to examine it closely. The bone and flesh were well-proportioned, the foot long and slender, and the instep was as white as freshly peeled lychee flesh, translucent with a layer of shimmering light. The pattern was a blood-red halo with intricate black lines, and on such a beautiful instep, the halo resembled a blood-red full moon.

"The Immortal Diagram... I never imagined your understanding of it was so profound." Lu Yueyuan stroked the patterned area with emotion. "...If new things exist in the mortal world, the gears of Heaven's craftsmanship will never cease. Most Mohist disciples only need to memorize the hymns praising the immortality of Heaven's craftsmanship and learn the pattern of the Immortal Diagram; they don't understand its true meaning at all. The Immortal Diagram is the language of the [Universe]. Up and down, the four directions, are called the universe; past and present are called time. Heaven's craftsmanship is the god of nature, and its naturalness comes from the universe. To truly understand the mysteries of the Immortal Diagram, one must immerse oneself in the Way of the Universe for a long time, or master the relevant powers." Lu Yueyuan looked at him with envy, "You were so amazing before?"

"...You're exaggerating. I'm not that good. I've already said that compared to body tempering, weapon forging, talisman cultivation, etc., I still prefer drawing immortal diagrams. Besides, I don't understand the relevant principles; I just know that doing it is enough."

Lu Yueyuan nodded: "Alright, I'll believe you for now. What are you doing following me?"

“I’m your Daoist partner! Didn’t you confess your love to me? Since we’re Daoist partners, we should be together.” Jealousy didn’t shy away from Lu Yueyuan’s eyes, and said with a sob in her voice, “But you make me feel like you’re playing games. In the Phantom Gathering, you were lying and deceiving me. You didn’t even say we were Daoist partners. You treated me like a mechanical creation, leaving me in Youzhou.” As she spoke, tears fell in a patter, landing on Lu Yueyuan’s hands that were holding her feet.

"This is about risking your life, not eloping with another woman." Lu Yueyuan admired the foot in his palm, a flawless piece of white jade, which could be considered top-grade even after repeated rubbing. "I can't possibly take you with me when we die, can I?"

“You’re a child, I know that. You just want to have a grand moment of martyrdom!” Jealousy suddenly shouted excitedly.

“Me?” Lu Yueyuan was taken aback, then smiled helplessly. “Arrogant always says I have an old man’s air about me, and besides, I’m very afraid of dying.”

Jealousy looked at him with teary eyes and said seriously, "Yes, of course you're afraid of dying, because you're afraid of dying in obscurity. What you want is martyrdom, a grand martyrdom that everyone will admire. So you're just a child. Only a child would fantasize about dying as bravely as a hero. You never thought about being my partner. You're lying to me."

“Hmm…that’s hard to argue with, but everyone wants to die for their cause.” Lu Yueyuan’s hand slid over Jealous’s instep. He was so dazed that he couldn’t appreciate it anymore. “In this world, cultivators each have their own path. If they have to die, then it’s best to die for their cause, because the path they walk is their everything.”

"I know, but you can't do this. I love you... I love you no matter what... Let go of my foot, I won't let you touch it anymore, I'll only let my partner touch it." Jealousy sobbed softly.

“We are now Daoist partners, there’s no doubt about it. After we’ve settled things in Qingzhou, we’ll hold a grand ceremony.” Lu Yueyuan put her feet down. “If you want to come along, then come along. I’m not blaming you.”

"I blame you? You shouldn't have blamed me in the first place." Jealousy raised her foot and kicked Lu Yueyuan hard.

Qingzhou.

Ji Cheng said he tore through space and broke in.

She sensed Qing Zaishan's exact location and landed in that direction, but all around her was a blurry mosaic. This was no problem for her; it was just a matter of one punch. She unleashed her punch, and the earth and mountains trembled. The mosaic dissipated, revealing a town, but there wasn't a single living person in sight. Countless shadows roamed the area.

Tap tap, footsteps echoed at the end of the street. Ji Cheng sensed that Qing Zai Shan was there, and she rushed over instantly.

Qing Zaishan's voice rang in her ear: "Second sister, what are you doing here?"

Ji Cheng angrily rebuked, "What tricks are you playing?"

Qing Zaishan's voice rang out softly: "This has nothing to do with you, Second Sister. Qingzhou and Youzhou are not in your plans."

Ji Cheng sneered, "You've got quite the nerve. Do you want to make enemies of everyone?"

Qing Zaishan chuckled softly. Ji Cheng said it felt strange; in his memory, Qing Zaishan's personality had never been like this.

She chuckled softly, "Is something like this something to be afraid of?"

Then, her voice kept overlapping, coming from all directions: "It's not so much you, Second Sister, who came here for the answer, is it?"

That's true, otherwise Ji Cheng wouldn't have come. What does it matter to her whether Qing Zai Shan lives or dies? She asked, "What's going on with your records?"

Qing Zaishan asked, "Didn't you see everything?"

Ji Cheng was furious: "What did I see? I could never become a Daoist partner with anyone. What nonsense are you writing?"

Qing Zai Shan's voice disappeared. Ji Cheng stretched out her hand, and a large hand of spiritual energy pressed down on the entire street behind her, but it was not real. Qing Zai Shan, who was originally there, seemed to have disappeared.

For a moment, Ji Cheng felt helpless; she couldn't find a way to exert her strength.

Ji Cheng was furious. She decided to destroy this place, to destroy all space here, and to turn it into nothingness.

The phantom of a monster appeared behind her, but suddenly she heard laughter, and the laughter was her own.

"What!?" She stood there stunned, and saw someone running towards her with a smile at the end of the street ruins. It was her.

The man stood at the other end of the street; he was her partner, her lover.

If one day, at the end of the world, we come to this street and walk it one last time from beginning to end, you stand at one end and I run towards you from the other, embracing you at the moment of the end, then you will become my grave and I will become your mound.

What? Could she really say such strange words? How could such bizarre words come from her mouth? She stared blankly as she ran to the end of the road, embraced the man, and then the blazing sun burned in the sky, and the shadows of the four gods grinned gleefully.

Everything was dissipating, Ji Cheng said, as a thick fog rose around them.

Enveloped in mist, she even saw herself, naked, kissing the man's forehead, "My one and only." Then the man returned a passionate kiss.