Xuanjian Xianzu

Chapter 1268 Marching Troops
"King Wei!"

Jia Zan lowered his head and dared not say a word. The colors in the distance were rapidly approaching, but what was overhead was a shimmering, soft light, like a mysterious staircase that descended and transformed into an elegant young man with a black ruler and ink brush at his waist.

It was Cui Jueyin!
Following closely behind him was a pale white mass, accompanied by the sounds of clashing swords and spears. It was like white vapor, yet also burned and pulsed like flames, transforming into a middle-aged man who moved with the speed of the wind. He knelt on one knee, offered a salute, and said in unison:
"I've met the king!"

Cheng Qian was a step behind Kuang Hong, still dressed in white, appearing humble and silent. Only after he landed did Liu Changdie, dressed in a brocade fur coat, and Lin Chensheng, dressed in black, appear behind him.

Li Zhouwei's troops were undoubtedly united in their efforts during this campaign, but a subtle hierarchy could be discerned. Cui Jueyin was the first to join the Li family, and his surname alone was enough to make him stand out among the others, suggesting that he had the intention of commanding them.

Kuang Hong, who personally received Li Zhouwei's order, was almost on par with him, and the fighting spirit in his eyes was the most obvious.

Cheng Qian, another of the six prominent families of Guanzhong, was much more low-key. In terms of closeness, he was far inferior to Cui Jueyin; in terms of background, Kuang Hong was far superior; and even in a contest of magic, this "full-level alchemist" was extremely embarrassed...

Liu Changdie and Lin Chensheng, one a senior figure and the other a person sent on a mission, followed behind as if to hold the fort. All of this was noticed by Jia Zan, which secretly alarmed him.

Although the few who came didn't seem to possess particularly powerful supernatural abilities, they were only from Xiangxiang! Ruzhou was still embroiled in a major battle, and their supernatural abilities were quite earth-shattering, so there was likely more than one mid-stage Purple Mansion cultivator!
Before he could even assess the powerful figures before him, the King of Wei beside him turned around, glanced at him, and said:
"Open the formation."

Even though he had expected it, when those two words reached his ears, Jia Zan still broke out in a cold sweat, his teeth clenched, and for a moment he couldn't utter a word.

Jia Zan surrendered in an instant precisely because he saw the situation clearly. But just as much as he did, he also had a clearer understanding of the situation he was facing. How had his Jia family managed to get by all these years?
It boils down to two things—personal relationships and face. As long as the Jia family remains in Luoyang, even if they decline day by day, with their abundant resources, they can still try to conquer the Purple Mansion!
But if the Jia family doesn't give face to the mountain, then they can forget about any favors! In terms of clan, the best thing Jia Zan can do is to die here so that the Purple Mansion Formation in Xiangxiang is not lost immediately, then Xiangxiang will not be completely lost!
'When some high-ranking official heard about it later, he sighed a few times, and centuries of wealth and power were restored.'

Is it worth it?

The price was the fall of Jia Zan and the rising stars of the Wei family. In such a chaotic era, could two families without a Purple Mansion really survive on someone else's territory with just a few sighs?

More importantly... surrendering without a fight is a great disgrace now, and there is no turning back!

The person who came was Li Zhouwei, not Yang Ruiyi!

But in that brief moment of hesitation, a strong sense of crisis surged into Jia Zan's heart. He saw those golden eyes gradually narrow, and he bowed deeply, casting a spell to illuminate two jade talismans, which he then presented to Li Zhouwei, his brows lowered.

"Reporting to the King of Wei, the spirit arrays of the Jia and Wei families can be activated with these two talismans!"

Upon hearing this, Kuang Hong's eyes lit up, and Li Zhouwei slowly turned his gaze and nodded, saying:
“Jueyin”.

All of them were at the Purple Mansion level, and none of the True Persons present knew the importance of the two Purple Mansion formations in Xiangxiang—taking these two formations would eliminate any worries and truly give them the possibility of defending this place, which was worlds apart from not taking them!

Yang Ruiyi and Li Zhouwei set the policy of "plundering". They never thought they could definitely take Xiangxiang. Their initial goal was to defeat the entire territory and then conquer it piecemeal. Li Zhouwei came secretly and suppressed Lü Fu. His initial goal was to try his luck and see if he could be used to open the two great formations!
It's certainly a great thing that Jia Zan is willing to take the initiative to back down!

Cui Jueyin immediately stepped forward and gently took it. Li Zhouwei's plan changed instantly. He helped the person in front of him up and smiled:

"Did Master Jia come from Yinling?"

Jia Zan, that old rascal, was very shrewd. He quickly raised his hand and said:
"Yes...yes! Master Xuanwei is in seclusion and has not yet emerged from the mountain!"

Li Zhouwei glanced at him with interest, then turned around. Another idea had already formed in his mind, and he commanded:

"Chengqian and Jueyin, you two take the talismans and go to take over the two great formations. Hold the rear and observe the situation before taking action!"

The two agreed in unison and rode away on the wind. Li Zhouwei immediately turned to Yin Juexi and whispered:
"Juexi and Yuanbian, you two should immediately ride the wind and head to Boye to see if you can break through the Qiao family's formation. If you can, all the better. If not, stay here and guard the Zanmen Gate to guard against reinforcements from the Northern Zhao Guanzhong region!"

The two immediately stepped into the void. Li Zhouwei finally looked at Lin Chensheng, who was at the very end, and whispered:
"There is still no news from Ruzhou. Master Changyun is truly skilled, having already kept those two families here. I urge Master Jingjiao to head southwest and keep an eye on Xiaoshi Mountain, and be wary of Western Shu launching a surprise attack on Xiangxiang."

After saying this, he secretly activated his divine channel, avoiding Jia Zan beside him:

"The True Man can move westwards a bit. If he sees the divine power of Zanmen and Boye suddenly rise, with light and flames soaring into the sky, he can immediately head north to aid Kuang Hong!"

Lin Chengsheng nodded calmly and went about his business. Jia Zan, having overheard this, grew anxious.

'Where is Yinling? Why isn't the Tao family being cared for!'

The old master was filled with fear and apprehension. He was somewhat resentful that the Tao family was sitting on the sidelines watching the fight, and he also knew that the Tao family's reputation was much greater than his own. He wished that Li Zhouwei would take down the Tao family immediately and make those other masters also surrender to the south.

'If we ever get investigated... at least there'll be someone with a big name to take the fall!'

Seeing that Li Zhouwei made no move against Tao, he felt a vague unease. He glanced at the gleaming Heavenly Gate beneath his feet, hesitated for a moment, and then understood:

'This Lu Fu is not someone to be trifled with!'

Lu Fuxiu has now left the old place, and we don't know his current condition. But even if he is seriously injured, who can suppress him except Li Zhouwei? Others may not know, but Jia Zan knows Lu Fuxiu's temperament. Out of pride or the dignity of the Lu family, he will never surrender!
'Unless you kill them on the spot!'

But who is Lu Fu? He is a member of the Lu clan of Chuncheng, Gu County, and his clan is registered in Gu County. The claim that he is a descendant of the two Lu clans is not just a casual remark.

Although the two Lü brothers failed to attain enlightenment, as disciples of Lingbao Xuxiang Zhenjun, they had many senior and junior brothers, disciples and grand-disciples in the Tongxuan and Qingxuan paths due to their cultivation path. These people later became prominent figures!

Lü Fu's status is far beyond that of Jia Zan. If he were killed, it would offend countless people. Not only would Gu County definitely send people to deal with him, but the powerful families in Luoyang would not dare to, and could not, subdue Li Zhouwei!

He secretly devised a plan, and suddenly his mind cleared. He had found his way out and said urgently:
"The Lü family is a powerful clan. If the King of Wei were to kill them, it would surely deter all discerning people in the land from welcoming them. I, Jia, am willing to escort them to Gu County... and persuade them through intermediaries, which will surely earn the Lü family immense gratitude..."

A golden opportunity!

Jia Zan was extremely excited at this moment—if he could obtain this pretext, the reason for his surrender could be concealed, and he would instead become a great hero who protected the descendants of the Lü family and helped them return home!

But under his slightly doubtful gaze, the King of Wei did not answer. Instead, he reached into his sleeve and took something out of his cuff.

It was a brown urn that resembled wood but was not.

The heavenly gate suddenly rose, and the golden light below surged violently, as if trying to sense the void and escape. With a gentle command, the King of Wei tossed the object high into the air, and it swelled in the wind, its dark mouth radiating intense colorful light.

"go with!"

[Heaven-nurtured urn].

Lu Fu had been suppressed by him for a long time, and his supernatural powers had been broken several times. He was seriously injured and powerless to resist. After being enveloped by this colorful light, he finally turned into a golden light and was taken into the spiritual treasure.

This person's supernatural powers were already quite strong, but he had just encountered Li Zhouwei, who was also the strongest cultivator imprisoned by the Heavenly Nurturing Jar so far. The magical treasure shook violently for a moment, absorbing a massive amount of supernatural power and magic, and settled in his palm.

Jia Zan fell silent, his joy turning to bitterness. Li Zhouwei then looked at the real man from Luoyang, lost in thought.

He absolutely could not allow Jia Zan, this local bully, to stay in Xiangxiang, nor could he let him go with any side of the army—most of the supernatural beings he led were at the early stage of the Purple Mansion realm, and they couldn't suppress the people in front of him at all. If something happened, who knew what this old man was thinking?
He simply smiled and said:

"I would be grateful if you would accompany me, Master."

Jia Zan stared blankly at him, but he had already been swept into the sky by the light of the heavens and was traveling away at an extremely fast speed. He used his supernatural powers to cover it up and sped northward!
This completely baffled the old man. He stared blankly at the scenery below, his brows furrowed.

Where are we going?

Indeed, Luo Xia possesses abundant spiritual energy, and its speed in the Void Realm is far slower than that of flying in the mortal world. However, flying in the mortal world involves the rolling flames of supernatural powers, and 'Mingyang' is not a lineage that excels at concealment. Even if they use supernatural powers to cover it up, it can only deceive the eyes of Foundation Establishment cultivators. In the eyes of those in the Purple Mansion Realm, it is perfectly clear!
But the King of Wei, unhurried and calm, said softly:
"What is the origin of the Jia and Wei families?"

Jia Zan whispered:
"The Jia family ancestor... had a single character, Ping, who cultivated under the tutelage of the disciple of Guanhua Zhenjun, Yichuan Zhenren, and later entered Tongxuan Palace, thus establishing the Jia family. His son, Tianchen Daogui... has long since declined."

He turned his head and said, with a hint of probing:
"On the contrary, the Wei family's ancestors were actually disciples of the Guanhua Tianlou Dao. Later, a very famous great cultivator named Wei Kan emerged from them. He was also a genius of the Wuguang Dao Gui."

This name sounded familiar; Li Zhouwei had heard it before. It belonged to a figure from the time of Zhao Lizong, a monk who debated the Dharma. The demon from the Western Sea had mentioned it before. Li Zhouwei's expression changed:

"Sunset Glow?"

"Yes…"

Jia Zan sighed:

"But King Wei also knows that it is too difficult for the Purple Mansion to have offspring, especially for those who are focused on cultivation. The Wei family is already sparsely populated, and as the only direct descendant without a son, he naturally falls behind."

He gradually felt a bitter taste in his mouth and said:
"The Luoxia aristocratic family... The King of Wei sounds prestigious, but it's not the era of the Xuan-ruled world. As long as there is no True Lord, it will still be desolate. My father was qualified to go to the cave heaven to seek the Dao, but he was released because he was not qualified enough. I was born when he passed through Zanmen, so he named me [Zan]. But in my hands, the Jia family is not even qualified to try to enter the cave heaven."

As he observed the King of Wei's expression, tears streamed down his face, and he said:
"A junior member of the Wei family is currently in seclusion, attempting to break through to the Purple Mansion realm. I risked my life to come south, hoping that King Wei would not attack the great formation and ruin his cultivation... Now, I also do not wish for King Wei to rashly return to Song, causing Xiangxiang to suffer from the flames of war again..."

A resolute glint appeared in the old man's eyes as he said:
"If King Wei can achieve his great goal, I, Jia, am willing to give up my pride and assist Your Majesty in pacifying Luoyang. I have no other request!"

The person in front of him looked at him with a smile and said softly:

"Is this true?"

Li Zhouwei smiled, a rare occurrence, but Jia Zan sensed something amiss. However, the words had already been spoken, so he immediately nodded solemnly. The King of Wei said:
"I'm afraid you won't dare to do it."

Jia Zan felt a chill in his heart, but he dared not ask any questions. He could only silently lower his head and endure it, feeling the intense light and flames brush past him. Before long, the landscape of Yinling quickly appeared.

Li Zhouwei didn't stop at all, and just flew past, heading north. He boldly leaped over the two patrolling spiritual senses below and continued northward!

The two spiritual senses lingered for a while before disappearing. Jia Zan watched as the landscape beneath his feet changed continuously, and seemed to realize something. He raised his sleeve, wiped his forehead, and looked anxious.

He was also a clever man. Earlier, he thought that Li Zhouwei was testing the Tao family, but as soon as he passed Yinling, he immediately realized the truth.

What lies further north?

The northern gateway to Luoyang, the Liangchuan of the Ju clan.

There stands the only majestic mountain in Luoyang, a strategically vital location in the overall situation—[Liangchuan Mountain]!
The Ju family's mountain separates the two places. Its shape is like a halberd, and its spiritual energy and earth veins are thick and solid. A few counties beyond this mountain is the Great Mu Dharma Realm!
If this pass were the border between two countries, it would surely be garrisoned with a large number of troops and guarded by several supernatural beings or even great immortals... Even though it is now deep in the heartland, due to its rich spiritual energy, the cultivation conditions for the geniuses of the Ju family are even better than those of the Tao family!
When Li Zhouwei came here, the entire Luoyang and even the entire Northern Zhao were completely unprepared. They never expected that Xiangxiang would surrender so quickly, that the Tao family would stay at home, and that Li Zhouwei would go all the way into Zhao territory and kill his way to this place!
'The Ju clan's True Immortals were killed by the Murong family while vying for treasures in Wanling Heaven… they long ago lost their Purple Mansions, meaning… this majestic mountain… currently has not even a single True Immortal stationed here!'

Jia Zan understood the key point:
'Even without anyone stationed there, there's the vast county of Mianchi beyond the mountains. Even if the immortals there don't belong to Luoyang, as such a strategic location, it can't be taken in a short time, even without an immortal guarding it. Once attacked by supernatural forces, they will surely come to its aid…'

Li Zhouwei's intention in bringing him here is quite obvious.

Jia Zan's heart sank into endless ice. He tucked his hands into his sleeves, gripping them tighter and tighter until they turned pale.

'He wants me... to lure them away from here, and seize Liangchuan without bloodshed!'