He repeated himself twice, but Ji Tongzhou seemed not to hear. Immortal Cui Xuan looked back and saw the boy standing there, lost in a daze, his entire spirit no longer present in his body.
It was just the death of an elder from the Xuan Sect. Why would a disciple of the Hua Sect be so affected?
Immortal Cui Xuan fell into deep thought. Everyone knew Xuan Shanzi was from the royal family of Yue Kingdom. Although the young man before him looked soul-lost, his bearing was still noticeably different from ordinary people. Could they be from the same clan?
Black fire raged around them, and he couldn’t help but inwardly marvel: the Xuan Hua Fire was indeed incomparable to ordinary flames. For Ji Tongzhou to possess such an unpredictable black treasure at such a young age, he must have great hidden worries in his heart.
He bowed his head in thought for a moment, intending to say something more, but at this time, the Qiongqi beast trapped in the spiritual net was forced into a desperate situation. Its struggles became increasingly frantic, and its body grew larger and larger. He could no longer afford to think of anything else and focused entirely on replenishing the spiritual net. Even he hadn’t encountered such a troublesome fierce beast before. How many years had it been hiding in the East Sea? Could it be that it had undergone the tempering of celestial thunder and sea of fire, making it so difficult to deal with?
Various restraining methods were avoided by it, and Master Zheng Xu left Wuyue Palace with Qin Yangling. Only his Yin Yang Catastrophe Mirror could still have some effect here. Could it be that this junior immortal was so angry about a disciple that he disregarded even the Sea Calamity?
Immortal Cui Xuan suddenly snorted, leaping up. His wide robe began to flutter loudly due to the surge of spiritual energy throughout his body. The crowd of immortals felt the overwhelming and endless spiritual energy emanating from him, realizing that this elder immortal was about to use a powerful immortal technique. They immediately stepped back in reverence.
A dazzling golden light suddenly flickered around the Qiongqi, but it quickly changed into a blinding fire light, which gradually transformed into a soft, clear blue water light. The immortals watched as the colors of the profound Five Elements Immortal Technique changed endlessly at the edge of the East Sea, sometimes thick, sometimes thin, sometimes urgent, sometimes slow. These incredible complex changes were simply mesmerizing.
Suddenly, all those diverse colors and changes stopped, turning into a huge golden wall, trapping the Qiongqi within. Its miserable howls quieted down in an instant, and the thunderclouds also ceased their crackling explosions.
“… Is this the Forest Law?” someone asked softly and fearfully. The next moment, all the immortals at the edge of the East Sea were in an uproar. This was indeed the Forest Law that only the Qingcheng immortals of Wuyue Palace could use five hundred years ago! In the world within that golden wall, time could rewind to the beginning or instantly flow to the end. No matter how earth-shattering the immortal or fierce beast, they were powerless against the eternal flow of time.
Back then, it was because the two-night demons were trapped by the Forest Law for a moment that one of them could have its horn cut off by the Qingcheng immortal. After Qingcheng left, no one could use this technique again. Unexpectedly, after five hundred years, this legendary immortal technique appeared once more, and again it was an immortal from Wuyue Palace!
Immortal Cui Xuan’s expression was not too good. The Forest Law had taken a great toll on him. His palms closed slightly, then opened again. The huge golden wall suddenly disappeared, and the Qiongqi fierce beast that had caused so many immortals such headaches was now just a pile of white bones. Time had passed unknowingly, and with a sea breeze, this huge pile of bones turned to ash in an instant, scattering into the seawater.
Everyone was shocked by what they had witnessed. The coastline, which had been in an uproar moments ago, was now silent again. Everyone looked at Immortal Cui Xuan. Sweat dripped down his aged face, and when he fell back onto the sandy ground, he stumbled, nearly falling flat on his face. But no one would laugh at him for this; instead, they revered him even more.
Immortal Shou Zhong chuckled, “I was worried you wouldn’t be able to release it successfully. I didn’t expect it to work this time.”
Immortal Cui Xuan’s voice was extremely weak: “There’s only one Qingcheng. If everyone could use this technique smoothly, where would the brilliance come from?”
He took out the short sword that had broken into two pieces from his sleeve and looked at it for a moment. If the Forest Law could restore this divine weapon to its original state, perhaps all the mysteries that worried him could be solved. But while time could be reversed, life could not be brought back, and neither could the spirit of the weapon. With constant hidden worries in his heart, he was helpless.
Immortal Cui Xuan glanced at Ji Tongzhou again. The child was still standing there in a daze, clearly not having noticed everything that had just happened. He pondered for a moment, having already made up his mind, and immediately said, “You, a junior disciple, shouldn’t stay at the East Sea at this time. Why don’t you come with me first…”
Before he could finish speaking, Ji Tongzhou suddenly swayed and collapsed to the ground, having fainted from extreme anger and sorrow.
Why? Why did they suddenly bring him to the East Sea? Elder Xuan Shan, who hadn’t left Star Zheng Hall since being injured, why did he suddenly come out? Wasn’t it good to stay in Star Zheng Hall?
Give him some time, don’t let everything turn to ashes so quickly, don’t deprive him of all hope in an instant. Let him achieve an immortal body, he will work harder than anyone else to cultivate and protect the fragile country in his hands.
In the main hall of Star Zheng Hall, countless elders were discussing the disturbance in the East Sea. This time, the Sea Faction had sent a request for help, and unexpectedly, Elder Xuan Shan of the Xuan Sect, who usually kept to himself within the sect, volunteered to go to the East Sea. Who knew that once he left, there would be no word back about the situation? Instead, spies from other sects reported that the fierce beast Qiongqi had appeared in the East Sea, causing great headaches for many immortals.
“A fierce beast is formed once every few hundred years from the condensation of fierce qi. This Qiongqi has been hiding in the East Sea for thousands of years, it must be extremely powerful,” an elder shook his head and sighed.
Another elder worried, “Xuan Shan was injured by chaos years ago, and his cultivation has never recovered. This time he insisted on showing off by going to the East Sea, and there’s been no word back. Who knows how things are now.”
The elders discussed back and forth. Wu Zhengzi stood with his hands behind his back, his expression very serious. He had a bad feeling.
Suddenly, there was a commotion outside the hall. Ji Tongzhou’s hoarse voice shouted frantically, “Let me in! Master! Master! Please save Elder Xuan Shanzi!”
As soon as these words were spoken, the hall was in an uproar. The next moment, Ji Tongzhou stumbled in, carrying a blood-soaked corpse. His face was pale, with tear stains crisscrossing his cheeks. Since Wu Zhengzi had taken him as a disciple, he had never seen him look so distraught and desperate. Moreover, the corpse in his arms was Xuan Shanzi. He immediately said in shock, “Don’t panic, speak slowly!”
Ji Tongzhou seemed not to hear, only trembling as he said, “Please save him! He was ambushed by those elders from the Dragon Naming Sect, Zong Li, and others, and is bleeding profusely!”
The elders were even more shocked. In an instant, the great hall was in chaos. Some elders came forward to examine Xuan Shanzi’s corpse, and indeed, his wounds were not caused by beasts, but rather by magical weapons. This child was traumatized and still couldn’t believe he was dead. Many people knew about the conflicts between the Dragon Naming Sect and the Yue Kingdom royal family, but they never thought they would be so bold as to attack an elder of the Xuan Sect. This generation’s Xuan Sect elder died abruptly and miserably.
With the Sea Calamity approaching, the Dragon Naming Sect knew how to choose their timing to cause trouble. At this moment, the major immortal sects wouldn’t bother with such private grudges and enmities. If their Star Zheng Hall got entangled in this private feud, it would only give others something to criticize. Even if they wanted to unite to isolate the Dragon Naming Sect, that would have to wait until long after the Sea Calamity.
Ji Tongzhou tightly grasped Wu Zhengzi’s sleeve, looking at him with a frenzied and pleading gaze, tears flowing like a spring: “Master, please help your disciple… save Elder Xuan Shanzi!”
Wu Zhengzi sighed deeply, helping him up and leading him out of the hall. He said in a low voice, “The dead cannot be brought back to life. Elder Xuan Shan has already ascended. You need to calm down.”
Ji Tongzhou said hoarsely, “The Dragon Naming Sect…”
Wu Zhengzi interrupted him: “I know what you want to say. Currently, there are many complicated matters, and we can’t attend to so much at once. Whatever grudges there are, they can only be discussed after the Sea Calamity ends.”
After the Sea Calamity ends? At that time, it would be enough for Wu Gou to destroy a country without the protection of immortals. By then, it would be too late to talk about private grudges!
But what could he do now? Return to Yue Kingdom and fight to the death for it? Or beg his master for help? He stared blankly at Wu Zhengzi. Wu Zhengzi frowned slightly and said calmly, “No country can remain strong forever. Rise and fall are perfectly normal. You should broaden your perspective. Regarding Elder Xuan Shan’s matter, one day our Star Zheng Hall will surely seek justice from the Dragon Naming Sect. You should go now. This is not a place you can casually enter. Go back and calm down properly.”
Ji Tongzhou didn’t speak, still staring blankly at his master, his only and last hope.
The immortals didn’t care about the national grudges and family feuds of the mortal world. If even Wu Zhengzi wouldn’t help, let alone that unreliable Master Su Quan. In this vast world, he was so lonely and helpless. It turned out he was this powerless.
Ji Tongzhou suddenly burst into loud, harsh laughter. Wu Zhengzi sternly said, “Tongzhou! I don’t know why Elder Xuan Shan wanted to give you such a strong dose of medicine, but too much stimulation can turn into poison! Your obsession is too deep! Think carefully for yourself!”
Wu Zhengzi was naturally very clear about the entanglements between the Dragon Naming Sect, Wu Gou, and Yue Kingdom. Xuan Shanzi’s injuries had finally healed with the help of Jun Zhongnan, but the heavy thoughts of those injured years became a factor hindering the recovery of his cultivation. Cultivators often encounter such painful situations; the more one cares about something, the harder it is to achieve it completely. Going against heaven’s will is precisely like this.
After realizing everything had reached a dead end, Xuan Shanzi’s focus shifted to Ji Tongzhou. The fact that this child had the Xuan Hua Fire didn’t seem to surprise him too much. When he wanted to give Ji Tongzhou a hand, this immortal from the same clan was thinking of pushing him into a deeper sea of fire.
Yes, Ji Tongzhou had never truly suffered any hardships. He worried about Yue Kingdom day and night, but with Xuan Shanzi still around, he always relied on him. Even the Xuan Hua Fire was probably born out of a moment of confusion and inability to resolve his emotions. When he grew older and his heart knot untied, this fire might very well leave him.
Xuan Shanzi’s words at the time still echoed in his ears: “Tongzhou is a fierce beast that can never be satiated. He must be kept hungry to remain fierce. With me around, he never truly understands hunger, and his initial enthusiasm for cultivation will eventually become confused.”
“I don’t have much time left, and I will eventually become like Zhen Yunzi,” Xuan Shanzi said self-mockingly. “By then, if he doesn’t succeed, and I don’t succeed, it will truly be a hopeless situation. Now, with the Sea Calamity approaching, it’s a perfect opportunity. Since he has produced the Xuan Hua Fire, he cannot go through life smoothly. This is his fate. He must be broken before he can be rebuilt. Unfortunately, I’m afraid I won’t see what he becomes in the future.”
With Xuan Shanzi having brought things to such a state, how could Wu Zhengzi pull this child back from the sea of fire of heart demons? The footsteps behind him were chaotic, and the spiritual energy fluctuations gradually faded away with the piercing laughter. He could only sigh deeply.
Ji Tongzhou fumbled in his bosom and took out a summoning talisman. In his haze, Immortal Cui Xuan’s words still echoed in his ears: “Protecting a single Yue Kingdom is not a difficult task.”
Ji Tongzhou stared blankly at the summoning talisman. He thought of everything in Yue Kingdom: the white hair at his royal brother’s temples and the tears in his eyes, the prosperity and glory of Duantu, standing on the highest tower of the imperial palace, overlooking the endless mountains and waters in the distance, those lands and rivers that belonged to him, the reverence and trust and expectations, the eternal obedience, every day full of vigor and vitality.
He wanted to live on, he wanted to live to see it for thousands of years, his boundless rivers and mountains, full of spirit and vitality.
As spiritual energy flowed, the summoning talisman was activated. Ji Tongzhou’s vision blurred, and he found himself on top of a solitary peak. On the peak, an elderly immortal was looking at him with blazing eyes.
Ji Tongzhou, expressionless, said softly, “I know everything about Jiang Lifei. Only I know. Lend me ten years. I want to take revenge with my own hands.”