Xianye

Chapter 523 Color Change
The one forced to reveal its true form by the sword light was a majestic Yin deity wearing a Heavenly Ding Crown, a sash around its neck, and golden armor, crimson robes, and green shoes.

This Yin spirit was 37 feet tall, with a black snake under each of its feet.

Despite its towering stature, its body was extremely shriveled, resembling a dried-up corpse, exuding a chilling and awe-inspiring presence.

Chen Heng's sword strike had cleaved its golden armor, leaving it with visible bone, almost completely exposed.

But as the black snake beneath the Yin God's feet exhaled thick black mist, in the blink of an eye, the Yin God had moved several miles away before the next round of sword light arrived.

When it reappeared, not only were its injuries fully healed, but its armor was also completely intact.

He held a life-throwing wheel in his left hand and a life-preserving whip in his right, his face revealing boundless murderous intent, making him extremely fierce!

As if aware of Chen Heng's formidable swordsmanship, the Yin spirit dared not confront Chen Heng head-on. Instead, it rode its snake into the air and flew swiftly towards the several Dan Yuan True Persons in the distance, not wanting to linger by Chen Heng's side for even a moment longer.

"The Long-Handed Owl God General?"

Chen Heng didn't chase after him; his eyes flickered, and the name popped into his mind.

Outside the Imperial Map of the State, the cultivators were greatly astonished upon seeing the appearance of this Yin God.

So they all reminded their companions to pay attention to other places on the Huanglao Sheji Map and head towards Liusha Mountain. There was a lot of discussion and a lively atmosphere.

"Iron Mountain is located in the mysterious center, the void and the secret hub, and is ruled by the Ming Department's Dongming Zongling Hall Yao Dawang. It is the framework of Yin and Yang, and the gateway between the upper and lower realms."

The Iron Mountain range stretches for hundreds of millions of miles, encompassing the vast universe and capable of accommodating countless beings, like dust hidden in the void.

Within the mountain are six palaces, each ruled by a deity with various iron-encircled guardians, including the Disaster-Dispelling Spirit King, the Great God of Rushing Void, the Evil-Breaking Heavenly Dragon, the Immortal-Guiding Vajra, and various birds and beasts, to assist in the Xuan government.

As for the Long-Handed Sovereign General, he is one of the types of Great Gods of the Void...

At this moment, Qi Shang shifted his gaze from Lü Rong to Liu Shan.

He remained silent for a moment before turning to Ancestor Fu Can:

"As you and I both know, without the Iron Enclosure Seal, even if we capture all the Iron Enclosure Gods or obtain their refining methods, we will find it difficult to preserve them for three days. After three days, all that will remain is a pile of scrap iron."

After the collapse of the Dao Court, the Great King Yao of the Lingtang Sect went into seclusion and has not been heard from since. The Black Obsidian Heavenly Lord and more than half of the Ten Killing Generals have also perished.

Of the nine Iron Mountain ranges, three were destroyed in plunder, and the remaining six were seized by various powerful figures.

Ancestor Fu Can scratched his head: "Old Qi, what's the purpose of you suddenly bringing this up?"

"We've been friends for years, tell me the truth."

Qi Shang rarely appeared solemn:

"The fact that the Venerable Master Su Xiao was able to hide safely in the Imperial Altar Map must be due to the Iron Enclosure and the Imperial Axe."

You—no, it should be "you all"—

"Which Iron Mountain do you eight factions and six sects actually occupy?"

Iron Mountain is not only a passage connecting the mortal realm with the underworld, but it also contains another kind of divine mystery. Otherwise, the Daoist court would not have specially hidden heavy troops to guard it back then.

The rumors about the eight sects and six factions controlling the Iron Mountain have never ceased throughout the universe.

However, since no concrete evidence could be found, it remained just a rumor over the years.

But today, under the watchful eyes of everyone, the Eight Schools and Six Sects have brought out a Long-Wayed Fiend God.

This is tantamount to a direct declaration—

That rumor is true, it really happened!

Ancestor Fu Can shook his head, pondered for a moment, and then told his old friend the truth:

"Actually, I shouldn't be saying this to you, but since those people brought up this divine general at the Pill Gathering, there's no point in hiding it from them."

"That's right, we have indeed occupied one of the Iron Mountain Ranges, but not one of the other six."

"What does this mean?" Qi Shang vaguely guessed what it meant, but still asked.

"There are nine Iron Mountain ranges in this world. Everyone knows that three of them were completely destroyed by calamity. Is that really true?"

Qi Shang's expression changed:

"So that's how it is. Back when they rebelled against Heaven, it was said that those people were the first to destroy the three Iron Mountain Ranges, disrupting the order of the Netherworld, and that your Eight Sects and Six Schools intervened to protect one of them? However..."

"It's not the complete Iron Enclosure Mountain, but it's barely enough," Elder Fu Can explained briefly.

Although Qi Shang still had some questions, he didn't want to pry further, so he simply sighed.
"You eight sects and six factions have been making a fortune in silence for years, but today you suddenly reveal your wealth to the public. It seems that it has something to do with that Ninth Prince Ji Xiu of the Dao Court."
What kind of alliance will the Eight Schools and Six Sects reach with the Zhengxu Dao Court this time?
"And by exposing Iron Mountain to the public, what benefits do you hope to gain?"

These words touched upon the secrets of the Eight Schools and Six Sects and the Zhengxu Dao Court, so Qi Shang did not expect Ancestor Fu Can to answer them for him.

“Old friend, you hold a high position in Xiangjin Mountain, I don’t believe you can’t see the current situation clearly.”

The Yuanzai clan and the Sansheng clan plotted to attack Yu; Wuxiang's Lucun led a western expedition; Jile and Wuliangguang engaged in a struggle between gradual and sudden enlightenment; the Taichang dragons sought to reclaim their ancestral property; and there was also the crucial matter of the Fasheng Heaven…

Although the old ancestor Fu Can reeked of alcohol, his eyes showed no trace of drunkenness at this moment; instead, they were remarkably clear and bright.

"If a great calamity were to occur and the world were to be turned upside down, who could remain unscathed?"

The world is bustling with activity, all driven by profit... but ultimately, it all boils down to nothing more than the struggle for survival!

Qi Shang remained silent.

After a long while, he simply nodded slowly.

At the same moment, inside the main hall of that flying palace.

Ji Xiu and Yin Jun exchanged a glance.

The former remained calm and composed, as if he had expected this scene, while the latter's eyes gleamed, as if he was genuinely surprised.

"It seems the rumors are true. Even the Chief Fa Su Xiao Divine General has appeared here. The Eight Sects and Six Schools have indeed obtained an Iron Enclosure Mountain..." Yin Jun sighed, his thoughts were truly complicated.

"I wonder how fierce that ancient battle must have been? The Eight Sects and Six Clans certainly have some depth!" Ji Xiu exclaimed.

"Your Highness?"

"Although the actions of the Eight Sects and Six Schools are intended to gain more benefits in the later negotiations, if we think about it the other way around, doesn't it also mean that the Eight Sects and Six Schools intend to form an alliance with the Dao Court?"

Ji Xiu smiled:
"If the two sides can truly join hands again, the stronger the foundation of the Eight Sects and Six Schools will be, and the more at ease we should feel!"

Seeing Ji Xiu's open-mindedness, Yin Jun didn't know what to say and could only swallow the words back down his throat.

"This signing of the contract and the establishment of the alliance is quite complicated. I'm not afraid to admit it, Mr. Yin, but how can a mere prince like me truly act on behalf of the Dao Court?"
"Xiu is nothing more than a pawn. My father sent me here only to sound out the intentions of the Eight Schools and Six Sects."

Ji Xiu made no attempt to hide anything, and openly spread her hands:
"Whether it succeeds or fails, the outcome is far beyond my control. Since that's the case, why bother worrying about nothing?"

"Your Highness underestimates yourself too much." Yin Jun smiled wryly. "Actually, given Your Highness's status, that—"

"Although I am not in a position to make decisions for the Dao Court, I have come to Xudu not just to be a spectator, but because of the hardships I have endured."

Seeing that Yin Jun was reverting to his old ways, Ji Xiu quickly changed the subject and interrupted him.

"Is it to recruit retainers for the Fifth Prince?"

Seeing Ji Xiu's enigmatic demeanor, Yin Jun felt somewhat helpless and sighed inwardly.

"Mr. Yin is indeed incredibly insightful!"

Ji Xiu laughed loudly. He looked at the Imperial Map of the State and its people stretching across the sky, his gaze deepening slightly, and said softly:

"However, if the Dao Court can truly reach an alliance with the Eight Sects and Six Schools, then we will likely have to deal with these Dan Yuan True Persons in the future. They are all outstanding individuals among the Eight Sects and Six Schools, and the pillars of each sect in the future."

With such a group of talented individuals gathered together, who will be able to overpower the competition and claim the title?
This Dan Yuan Assembly is no ordinary event, especially at this time. It's likely that many important officials of the Dao Court will turn their attention to the Dan Yuan champion.

They wanted to deduce the current standing of the younger generation of the Eight Schools and Six Sects from the leader's example!

Upon hearing this, Yin Jun's expression turned inexplicably solemn, as if he had remembered something, and he slowly nodded. Just as Yin Jun's thoughts wandered off somewhere, Ji Xiu's gaze fell on Chen Heng in the Imperial Map, and Ji Yang's instructions to her before her departure resurfaced in her mind.

His expression became slightly more serious, and he lightly tapped the green table beside him with his fingers.

"Fifth brother, you insisted on recording the name of this Master Chen in the 'Book of the Upper Universe' and spared no effort to do so, but in the end you still got stuck in front of Father Emperor."

"After all that effort, what exactly did you discover?"

Ji Xiu thought to herself.

……

……

While outside, discussions raged and everyone harbored their own thoughts, a fierce battle was raging at Liusha Mountain.

All sorts of supernatural powers appeared, causing the yellow sand to swirl and the earth to shake!

Although the powerful and mighty General Su Xiao just now seemed to have the ability to fight against the crowd, he was actually just relying on his speed to show off his useless power.

Since it had taken the initiative to provoke them, the Dan Yuan True Persons in the arena were too lazy to fight it one-on-one anymore. Instead, they all attacked at once, determined to quickly take down this Iron Enclosure God with overwhelming force and then break through the last layer of seal!
As Yuan Fayan unleashed his magical power, the already surging Primordial Heavy Water in the sky became even more turbulent. With a single sweep, it sent the Yin God tumbling head over heels from the clouds.

As the Yin spirit straightened up, another sword light slashed towards it, forcing it to raise its weapon and fight against the flying sword.

"Still trying to pull these kinds of tricks?"

Pei Hanzhang, who was in the distance, shook his head slightly and raised two fingers together. The Yin spirit, who was about to make a hand seal to escape, suddenly froze, as if struck by lightning, and stood motionless in place.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, the silver ring that Tian Fang had summoned also arrived.

When this object reached the face of the Yin God, it flashed with light and then split into two, each encircling the two black snakes at the Yin God's feet and strangling their necks.

I wonder what mystical properties this silver ring holds.

With just one set, the two black snakes immediately became weak, as if all their energy had been drained, and even raising their heads and blinking became extremely difficult.

These two black snakes are a great asset to the Yin God. Without their help, the Yin God would find it difficult to recover from his injuries and replenish his vital energy.

Tian Fang's actions effectively severed one of the Yin spirit's arms, leaving it with no way out.

After throwing out his magic weapon, Tian Fang didn't bother to see how the Yin God would respond. He simply smiled at Wang Xiu, who was not far away, and remarked:
"It's actually the Iron Enclosure God! What a grand gesture!"

Wang Xiu did not answer, but focused his gaze on the Yin God puppet named Changfa Suxiao, and then shifted his gaze to Chen Heng.

His sleeves moved without wind, swaying gently as if something inside was stretching its limbs and gradually coming to life.

"Brother Wang?" Tian Fang seemed to be thinking.

"That's certainly a very generous gesture!"

After a long while, Wang Xiu finally came to his senses and shook his head in response.

At this moment, the Yin God in the arena was finding it increasingly difficult to hold on.

Even the Dan Yuan True Persons who besieged him did not use their true abilities.

But in the face of such an offensive, there are probably few people in the world who can truly withstand it, and they often end up with a miserable defeat and death.

Soon, as Guo Shaomi unleashed a golden flower and struck, the Yin spirit, though it managed to grab the Life-Preserving Whip to block in front of its chest, was still sent flying, its bones broken and tendons snapped.

After it got up, there was a cracking sound, and the life-saving whip that had just stopped Jin Hua suddenly broke into several pieces, and many cracks appeared on its armor.

Jin Hua not only injured the body and soul, but also deliberately targeted magical artifacts.

Since the appearance of the Yin God, Xie Tan, who had been observing the situation with composure, no longer wanted to watch the spectacle.

With a flick of his wrist, a pair of golden dragon-sparrow halberds flew out, tearing the Yin spirit to shreds. Then, they burrowed into the sand flow, severing the last layer of seal!

"It's this?"

He saw a crack appear in the belly of the quicksand mountain, and dust and smoke scattered. In a moment, dozens of spiritual lights flew out, six of which came straight towards him.

Xie Tan took it and saw that the spiritual light contained a book on circulating qi and several talismans for preserving life and prolonging life.

Although not the most precious, it is still quite extraordinary for someone of Xie Tan's status.

As for the others, they all benefited to varying degrees; none of them came away empty-handed.

Although the lockdown has been lifted, the atmosphere is not relaxed at all; on the contrary, it is even more oppressive and heavy.

It seems like a storm is brewing, making it inexplicably hard to breathe!
"Is this the beginning of a fight?"

Shen Xingcui held his sword in his hand, and with a hint of anticipation on his face, he spoke a few words to Yuan Fayan.

"Hey, General Changfa Suxiao, you've really broadened your horizons today!"

In the ensuing silence, Wang Xiu suddenly burst into laughter, looking directly at Chen Heng:

"I wonder what Master Chen's plans are for later?"

Chen Heng, intrigued, countered with a question:

"What are Master Wang's intentions?"

"I have already witnessed the power of Master Chen's supernatural abilities firsthand. If it were not absolutely necessary, I would really not want to confront him right now."

Wang Xiu stroked his beard and smiled modestly:
"I'm sure we'll have another chance to meet in the future, so let's take our leave now."

After speaking, Wang Xiu looked at Xie Tan.

Xie Tan remained noncommittal, his gaze deep and unfathomable.

Seeing this, Shen Xingcui knew that the situation had changed, and couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.

However, before he could even fly up into the clouds and exhale, he had already called out to Yuan Fayan.

Suddenly, the sound of zithers, like gold and jade, arose, coming from afar and approaching with the wind, washing over us like a tide.

In an instant, a wondrous sight appeared in the sky.

Dozens of miles away, amidst the misty incense smoke and auspicious light, a bronze fish, its entire body cast in bronze and holding a fire bell in its mouth, was swimming nimbly.

Behind the bronze fish trailed a long, shimmering ribbon of light, like a silken brocade, slowly gliding over the mountain peaks...

"Fire Bell Bronze Fish?"

All the cultivators present were astonished upon seeing this.

But at almost the same moment, a sword light suddenly shot out.

With a deafening roar, clouds and mist billowed into the sky, echoing across the heavens!
"What?! How dare he?!"

Wang Xiu finally frowned, a look of surprise and disbelief appearing on his face for the first time.

Amidst the swirling winds, atop the pristine blue sky, a young Taoist priest in black robes and a golden crown was seen sheathing his sword.

Between his fingers was only a struggling bronze fish carrying a bell.

"The Firebell Bronze Fish, so this is what it looks like?"

Chen Heng muttered to himself, then lifted his eyelids and slowly surveyed the area below the clouds, saying only in a calm voice:

"Now that I wish to take this item, anyone who has objections is welcome to step forward and fight!"

Upon hearing this, all the Dan Yuan True Persons present changed color, and were all taken aback.

(End of this chapter)