Xianye

Chapter 516 Immortal Banquet
The sky was ablaze with light, and the clouds collapsed.

It was clearly noon, but suddenly a cold wind swept out and spread, making people shiver. It was as if they were bathed in cold water, and their hair stood on end!

As Chen Heng's gaze swept across the area, he saw a huge bluebird and a flying yaksha fighting fiercely in the distance.

Both sides revealed their true forms, each a hundred feet tall, and every move they made caused the heavens to change color and the sky to roar!

Just as Chen Heng was gazing at the sky, Yu Tan, who was standing next to him, quickly came over, greeted him, and then bowed to Yin Quan in greeting.

It was he who had just delivered the letter to Chen Heng.

Faced with Chen Heng's question, Yu Tan was indeed somewhat bewildered. He scratched his head and replied:
"To be honest, I don't know why these two had a conflict. I've been making talismans in my room lately, and I was feeling a bit bored, so I suddenly thought of coming out for some fresh air. I didn't expect to stumble upon this scene."

By the time I arrived, the two were already fighting. As for the background...

Yin Quan shrugged and spread his hands casually, saying:

"Like this junior brother Yu, I also rushed here upon hearing the news."

However, these two are quite impressive. One is a disciple of Chiming who has achieved the first rank of Dan Cheng, and the other is a disciple of Huzhao who is known for his magical combat skills. It is not bad that we were able to see a bit of their abilities before the tournament.

To be honest, Brother Chen, I am not like you. I am neither a first-grade Golden Core cultivator nor do I have the confidence to defeat Gu Yi in a battle of magic.

"In this Dan Yuan Tournament, I'll be content as long as I'm not the first one eliminated. If I'm lucky enough to make it into the top ten and receive the Dan Yuan blessing, my master will be overjoyed and bestow upon me a generous reward!"

Yu Tan, who was standing to the side, nodded repeatedly upon hearing this, clearly agreeing wholeheartedly.

Those who can participate in the Dan Yuan Conference are naturally top-tier Golden Core cultivators and outstanding talents from various sects!

However, there are always stronger opponents.

The saying that mountains, though majestic, are still inferior to the imposing and towering peaks that reach the heavens is precisely the point.

Although Yin Quan was already considered extraordinary among the immortals in the universe.

However, among the Dan Yuan True Persons, he was not particularly outstanding, and his methods were somewhat inferior.

Yu Tan had little contact with Yin Quan, but today he saw that Yin Quan was so straightforward and frank, without any regard for his status.

Yu Tan also felt a desire to make friends with Yin Quan, and he and Yin Quan began to chat.

"The reason these two are fighting is because thirty years ago, they bumped into each other in the Wonderful Spirit Mansion deep in the North Sea, and then fought several times for a Myriad Dragon Banner."

However, just as Yu Tan and Yin Quan were getting into a lively conversation, a voice suddenly rang out.

Chen Heng turned his gaze and saw Yin Ruohua chuckling and speaking in the misty light not far away.

Yin Wuji, standing beside her, gazed at the sky, lost in thought, and remained silent.

"I'm sure Master Chen knows my confidante's temperament. Although she only entered Yingjichuan today, she will naturally not be able to resist taking action when she sees her enemy of thirty years right in front of her."

Yin Ruohua blinked and looked at Chen Heng, a hint of sarcasm in her voice:
"Why don't you, Master Chen, go up and persuade Gu Yi to calm down?"
"I don't have that ability, but Master Chen is different. You know, Gu Yi has mentioned you quite a bit in her daily life."

"Shouldn't be a good word either?" Chen Heng said.

Yin Ruohua smiled radiantly, but did not reply for a moment.

At that moment, perhaps sensing the prolonged stalemate, a hint of coldness flashed in Gu Yi's eyes.

She secretly made a hand seal, first flicking her wrist to throw out a hundred or so streaks of emerald fire, which blasted the sky with a loud rumble.

What you could see was filled with light and flames, like a sea and a tide, so bright that it was hard to open your eyes!
Amidst this chaotic and turbulent scene, a glimmer of light suddenly slipped from her sleeve, gently disappearing into the stream of flames and vanishing in the blink of an eye.

Only a handful of people were able to keenly observe this scene and feel something amiss.

Most of the others covered their faces with their sleeves or hurriedly used their magic to protect their eyes in order to resist the intense light, and had no time to do anything else.

"Dragon-trapping nails?"

Yin Wuji's mind raced, and the name immediately popped into his head.

In the blink of an eye, Gu Yi used her supernatural powers to hold Wei Lingjiang back.

That ray of light also pierced through layers of void, and with unpredictable speed, it stabbed fiercely into Qingzhi's abdomen!

Ding--

Unexpectedly, just as the wisp of cold light was about to touch the green branch's body, a thin, almost invisible sword aura also jumped out at the right moment, barely knocking the wisp of cold light away.

In the blink of an eye, the cold light and sword energy had clashed dozens of times, the sharp and piercing sound of metal striking metal echoing throughout the valley!
As the sword energy slowly dissipated, the wisp of cold light revealed its true form.

The cultivators hurriedly looked up and saw a precious nail, about the length of a little finger, pure white like jade, adorned with patterns of jade branches and green leaves, silently hanging in the air.

It clearly looks like a precious treasure, yet it inexplicably exudes a fierce and destructive aura that is difficult to conceal and indescribable!
"Dragon-trapping Nails?!"

Qingzhi cried out in surprise.

At this moment, she quickly spread her wings and knocked the flying yaksha that was fighting with her off balance. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Qingzhi also quickly shrank her body and flew to Chen Heng's shoulder to land.

"Witch! Witch!"

After regaining her composure, Qingzhi looked up at the sky and began to curse loudly:
"You're so wicked! All I did was steal the Ten Thousand Dragon Banner from you back in Miaoyi Cave, and you're going to do this to me? Come on, come on, come closer and let's have a fight!"

Dragon-trapping Nail -

Although this item is merely a formidable weapon for cultivators, it is a type of secret treasure most detested by innate deities like Qingzhi. If we trace its origins, we can roughly go back to the beginning of the universe.

That was shortly after the ancient sages descended from the void, after they created the world and gave birth to all living beings.

Because the Great Dao and the Heavenly Numbers are only roughly revealed, the order of Heaven and Earth is incomplete.

Innate deities and monsters such as the True Dragon, Taotie, Qilin, and Bluebird were not bound by the bloodline restrictions they are subject to now, and could freely reproduce and expand their races.

However, over millions of years, the number of these innate gods and monsters has become so enormous that it is astonishing.

Many of these gods and monsters were inherently violent, fond of devouring the heavens and the earth and consuming blood, squeezing out all the spirits of the universe to the point of near extinction.

This tragic situation was later referred to as the calamity of the drowning of the Dharma.

It wasn't until Emperor Taishi emerged and took over the reins of governance from the slumbering ancient sages that this calamity finally came to an end.

The Supreme Heavenly Emperor, who personally founded the Dao Court and was hailed as the First Emperor of the Creation, first slew several powerful and extraordinary progenitor gods and monsters, and then began to promote the evolution of the Great Dao order.

Since then, apart from true dragons, all gods and monsters have had difficulty producing offspring and have been subject to a mysterious constraint.

Even a true dragon's ability to reproduce is greatly diminished compared to before the Fa Yan Rebellion...

Legend has it that Emperor Taishi once used a divine cone to personally kill the Dragon Ancestor deep within the Guixu Ruins.

As for the Dragon-Trapping Nail, it was created by later immortals and gods when they observed the wounds on the Dragon Ancestor's corpse!
This artifact is extremely effective against innate gods and monsters. Once struck by the Dragon-Trapping Nail, a god or monster will have about 30% of its strength worn away, making it difficult to break free.

The Dragon-Trapping Nails also come in different grades. For example, Chen Heng once seized a Dragon-Trapping Nail from Gu Yi in the border region, but compared to the one in front of him, it was like a small fry compared to a big fish.

Just now, Qingzhi was tightly entangled by the flying yaksha and had no time to spare.

Although she sensed something was amiss at the last moment, Qingzhi didn't think of it because the Dragon-Trapping Nail had a blinding effect, and she still wanted to withstand it with her own body.

Now that she understood, Qingzhi was also somewhat scared and annoyed.

Even though she is now a deity equivalent to the Nascent Soul realm, if she were pierced by the Dragon-Trapping Nail, her bones would become soft and weak. And the Flying Yaksha would obviously not give her a chance to pull out the Dragon-Trapping Nail, and would definitely take this opportunity to strike her with heavy blows.

Thus.

If you lose face, things will inevitably get ugly...

However, Gu Yi did not respond to Qingzhi's questioning.

She simply looked at Chen Heng, a hint of confusion and surprise unconsciously showing in her eyes.

A surge of anger rose within him inexplicably, his expression suddenly turned cold, and he remained silent.

"This is going to be interesting. Judging from the hand seals Wei Lingjiang made just now, he clearly intended to use Chi Ming's Returning Light Technique to block the Dragon-Trapping Nail. Who would have thought that Chen Heng would suddenly make a move and block it with his sword light?"

Yin Ruohua's beautiful eyes were shining when Yin Wuji suddenly transmitted his voice:
"This bluebird may have great spiritual power, but it lacks the ability to adapt to combat. Otherwise, how could we have such a good show to watch today?"

I originally thought Chen Heng was a cold-hearted and detached person, but I never expected him to have this kind of relationship with Jiang, the commander of the Chiming Guard. I said... how about we take a gamble?

Upon hearing this, Yin Ruohua became interested and replied telepathically, "What are we betting on? What are we betting on?"

"Let's bet on who Chen Heng will side with if these two start fighting again later."

"Isn't that a bad idea? Xiao Gu and I are very good friends..."

Yin Ruohua hesitated for a moment, then said excitedly:
"Then I'll bet on Gu Yi!"

Just as the two were exchanging words, Gu Yi inexplicably stopped, and Wei Lingjiang also stopped drawing his sword.

The atmosphere in the room suddenly became strange, and there was a moment of silence.

"..."

Yin Quan and Yu Tan, who were standing next to Chen Heng, exchanged a surprised glance, both somewhat taken aback.

But at that moment, a voice suddenly rang out.

Zhou Fuga, who was originally sitting cross-legged on a hexagonal cloud raft, suddenly stood up.

His mind seemed to be affected by Chen Heng's sword aura; his eyes flashed with a sharp light, he drew his sword, and stared directly at Chen Heng, saying:
"Excellent swordsmanship! How about we have a duel?"

The sound reverberated across the sky, with an unparalleled sharpness shooting out, as if it would pulverize the stone and shatter the mountain peaks beneath the clouds!
"I've said it before: the people of the Zhongyi Sword Sect are a bunch of idiots, utterly boring..."

Yin Wuji shrugged at Yin Ruohua, paused, and then transmitted a message telepathically:
"See, isn't this just spoiling the fun?"

Before Chen Heng could reply, Gu Yi suddenly let out a slight, cold laugh.

Her gaze lingered on the bluebird on Chen Heng's left shoulder for a moment, then fell on Wei Lingjiang's face, as if lost in thought.

"If you want the Dragon-Trapping Nail, I'll give it to you. Didn't I give you one back in the borderlands? And when we met again at the Ganliu Herb Garden, did I ever ask for it back?"

A moment later, Gu Yi merely raised the corners of her lips mischievously, her eyes soft and bright:

"Chen Heng, is this how you treat me?"

Upon hearing this, Qingzhi, who was initially furious, immediately fell silent.

She was speechless for a moment, as if her neck had been suddenly grabbed. She looked at Chen Heng, then at Gu Yi, her eyes wide open.

Gu Yi smiled inwardly after keenly noticing the fleeting look in Wei Lingjiang's eyes.

She also felt a strange sense of pride that she couldn't quite explain. After that, she didn't say much, but turned around and suddenly rode away in a flash of light.

"..."

Wei Lingjiang lowered her eyelids slightly and did not speak.

The atmosphere in the room became even more subtle at this moment, and even Zhou Fujia, who had been standing up, frowned.

He seemed to know that now was not the time for a magical battle, so he flicked the cloud raft and rode away on the wind.

"No, I thought these two would continue to fight. Is Gu Yi using a strategic retreat as a way to advance?"

Yin Wuji, who had been quite interested, suddenly sighed.

He saw that Chen Heng and Wei Lingjiang looked normal, but after bowing to each other, they went their separate ways.

Except for the bluebird, which was still somewhat bewildered, everything was as usual.

"However, today's trip was not in vain," Yin Wuji said.

As he spoke, not far away, an elderly man with a slightly raised forehead and a smiling face nodded repeatedly, seemingly agreeing wholeheartedly.

"May I ask who you are, sir?"

Yin Wuji found the old man unfamiliar and couldn't help but ask him a question.

You'll find out soon enough.

The white-haired old man stroked his beard and chuckled, "But you lad, you're quite engrossed in watching others' spectacle today. Who knows, others might be watching your spectacle in the future? Perhaps your sister will be there too; that would be interesting."

Yin Wuji frowned upon hearing this. He was about to speak when the white-haired old man vanished in an instant, making Yin Wuji seem to vaguely guess what was going on.

"Have you lost your mind? What do I have to do with Chen Heng!" Seeing Yin Wuji turn his gaze away suspiciously, Yin Ruohua sneered, her face expressionless.

"Too."

Yin Wuji nodded slowly, then added another instruction:
"Later at the Dan Yuan Conference, treat Chen Heng the same way you would Zhou Fujia. If you see these two, run away!"

"..."

Yin Ruohua was too lazy to pay him any more attention.

Time flies by.

In the blink of an eye, the judges of the Dan Yuan Assembly and the elders presiding over various sects all gathered in Ying Jichuan.

On the eve of the opening ceremony, the Old Immortal of the North Pole specially hosted a celestial banquet to entertain the many attendees and the various Dan Yuan True Persons.

"The Water and Land Palace of the Blissful Heaven, the Suspended Dojo of the True Martial Heaven, and the Huan clan of the three great clans of Elephant Mountain and Yuanzai Heaven, as well as the Yan clan below, the Lidu Sect of Xuyan Heaven, the Old Ancestor of Yangling, and the Duke of Xiangtai..."

Why would a powerful force from the Lower Realm of Ghosts send an envoy? Is it because they sense the impending change in the political landscape and want to forge an alliance in the mortal world?

At this moment, in the Forty-Nine Longevity Palace of the Northern Immortal, the Old Ancestor Fu Can squatted on Chen Heng's shoulder, pointing and gesturing to the many powerful beings who had come to observe the ceremony.

Suddenly, the old ancestor Fu Shen saw a figure that surprised him, and he paused in his speech.

"A member of the Zhengxu Ji clan?"

Chen Heng looked at the man in the distance who bore a resemblance to the Fifth Prince Ji Yang, and was slightly surprised.

"That's not right. Why would the Dao Court send an envoy to observe the ceremony, and even send a prince? How come I didn't know about this?"

Ancestor Fu Can scratched his head:

"This hasn't happened in years, it's really strange!"

(End of this chapter)