Xuanjian Xianzu

Chapter 1340 Response
The wind howled through the void, and the supernatural colors flashed by at lightning speed. Soon, the shadow of the real world appeared, and the earth veins stretched forward, with cities scattered across the land along the veins.

The county town beneath their feet is called "Chefu," stretching endlessly. It doesn't seem particularly remarkable, and the Purple Mansion Grand Array is also weak, yet it faintly connects to the void, seemingly possessing a rather unique and wondrous aspect.

Looking up and gazing north, one can see six radiant beams of light reaching the heavens within the territory of the Yan Kingdom, stretching like city walls and completely blocking out this area.

The eerie light flickered for a moment, revealing an old face. Its gaze shifted, filled with suspicion. Seemingly noticing the King of Wei's gaze, Wu Miao whispered:

“King Wei, this place is the [Chefu County], and to the north is the [Youfang Six Cities].

He said:

"Back then... when Zhao and Yan were locked in a stalemate and the situation was unstable, the powerful families of Chuncheng, fearing that the Yan Kingdom would advance south, recommended Long Kang Youfang, a true man of the Long Kang clan, to come to this place. He built six cities, stretching like a dragon, to defend against the Yan people..."

"But later, the Great Zhao was embroiled in internal strife, and its border defenses were breached. These six cities were handed over to the Yan Kingdom and have stood there ever since..."

He didn't seem regretful; instead, he smiled and said:
"Fortunately, it was lost, otherwise it would have been really difficult for us to pass through here."

Qiao Wenliu raised his head and casually said:
"After the loss of the six cities, the borders were in turmoil. Chuncheng then sent the Pang Clan Master Pang Zhan to repair the various prefectures of Chefu. He used the 'Boundless Water and Fire' technique of the 'True Qi' path, connecting various formations to suppress the Great Void..."

"In this way, the southward journey of Buddhist cultivators will be restricted. When the great formation is activated, even immortal cultivators passing through this area will have to move as slowly as a tortoise to avoid revealing their whereabouts..."

"A rare sight indeed."

Li Zhouwei had some understanding of the situation before he arrived, but he was unaware of the history. He slowly withdrew his gaze, remaining noncommittal.

"After so many years of development, the Yan Kingdom is no weakling. These six cities are strategically located... If one day they were to conquer the eastern lands, it would be like having Yan strangle us... That would be a real headache."

But that's not what we should be worrying about right now. Li Zhouwei turned his gaze to Chefu County, secretly used the Chayou technique to assess the situation, and then turned back to say:

"Who is guarding this place? Why is there no formation as you mentioned?"

Qiao Wenliu smiled and said:
"King Wei, you may not know this... For over two hundred years, the situation has been stable. There have been no major wars between Yan and Zhao. The Great Sheep Mountain has become increasingly involved in worldly affairs, and the Buddhist and Taoist sects of the Great Desire Sect have expanded their influence. As a result, no one has bothered to activate this great formation—after all, keeping it open for a long time not only consumes resources but also makes cultivation troublesome, even for those in the Great Void Realm..."

"As for the guards here..."

Qiao Wenliu pondered with some doubt, and Wu Miao quickly said:

"He is a young general whom Master Qiao is not familiar with. His surname is Bian, given name Fan, and he is originally a cultivator from the south. He is the adopted son of Master Lü An..."

He was slightly uneasy, raised his eyebrows to look at the three of them, and said:
"This man is utterly loyal to the Lü family and has always been diligent in his duties. If the King of Wei is so inclined, he may bypass this area and proceed westward first..."

Upon hearing this, Liu Changdie immediately frowned and said:
"If we cross this place and continue westward, and a great battle breaks out, the celestial phenomena will change, and the True Man here will know. Once the great formation is activated, the void will stagnate, wouldn't that cut off our retreat?"

Wu Miao just gave an awkward smile, while Li Zhouwei waved his hand and laughed:

“Master Wu, go down and visit him. Tell him that you have come on behalf of an old friend from Xiangcheng and ask him to come out of the city and surrender.”

Entering another's formation alone is an extremely dangerous thing. The man's thin face froze slightly, and his heart sank. Fortunately, he did not hesitate at all. He respectfully bowed and immediately rode the wind down!

……

Vehicle width.

Above the Xuan Hall, a tall table stood, gleaming with divine light. A man sat to the side, his figure robust and unrestrained, one leg propped on the table and the other on the side, holding a glass of fine wine in his hand, his gaze deep and thoughtful.

With his other hand resting on the table, he held a letter, its gold lettering gleaming. He pondered for a long time before finally putting down his cup, standing up, and pacing back and forth in the hall.

'Father said...King Wei...'

The border criminal is only 130 years old, but he is already a True Person with two supernatural powers. His talent is extremely high, otherwise he would not have been adopted as a son by the prestigious Lü family. His body is covered in a bright red light, which is actually the rare "Hengzhu" supernatural power.

He examined the letter from beginning to end, then with a flick of his wrist, burned it to ashes. He lowered his gaze, silently gritting his teeth.

"King Wei...Mingyang..."

His hands were clenched like iron fists. Suddenly seeing people come up and kneel before the main hall, he exclaimed in shock:

"My lord! My lord! There are people outside!"

"Oh?"

The border guard squinted and said:

"Which fellow Daoist is it?"

The man, clearly terrified, stammered:
"It's... a real person, radiating an eerie aura, claiming to be an old friend from Daixiang City... Lord Yao..."

The border guard glared at him, and the man immediately trembled with fear. With a determined look, he finally said:

"We need an lord to come out and subdue them..."

A moment of silence fell over the hall. The border guard's expression froze, then transformed into boundless rage as he roared:
"How dare you! You dare to humiliate me, Master Lü, like this!"

He grabbed the black sword from the main seat and stormed out, startling those around him into kneeling. Immediately, they saw his eldest son, Bian Han, step forward and kneel, exclaiming in horror:
"Father! That King Wei has already reached the Great Perfection realm. It is absolutely not advisable to go into battle lightly, lest we fall into their ambush!"

The border guard sneered:
"How could I not know? The Chariot Formation obeys my commands, and with the support of the Great Void, I can advance and retreat freely. Grand Master Long Kang is rushing from Jiao Mountain. As long as I lure him here, I will surely avenge the humiliation of Xiangcheng..."

Bian Han immediately rolled up her sleeves, looked up at her father, and seeing his righteous indignation and unwavering expression, she understood and wept:

"The Lü family has been disgraced; I dare not offer any advice!"

The border guard immediately leaped into the air, activating the entire grand formation. He then emerged from the void and saw a figure standing ominously in the darkness, most likely Qiao Sanyi. Without hesitation, he unleashed his supernatural power, its light illuminating the sky, and cursed:
"You scoundrel."

"Full of space!"
Then, blood-red light shimmered and crimson flames surged. Combined with the Void Lockdown, the eerie light froze in mid-air for a moment, enveloping the area like a dark, blood-fire domain, before crashing down upon the person before them.

Wu Temple was greatly alarmed!

He knew that this King Wei had never been defeated, and suspected that there was a change in the situation. Although he was very afraid of death and was ready to use his supernatural powers at any time, he did not expect that this mysterious formation would suddenly be activated and, together with the sudden emergence of supernatural powers, immediately pin him to death.

The border guards treated him like Qiao Sanyi, knowing the danger and that Shaoyin controlled water and fire. Fearing they wouldn't do their best, they unleashed a supernatural power that scorched Wu Temple, making it burn like fire. Wu Temple cried out in pain as the supernatural power immediately turned back.

"The Room of Inquiry"!
He intended to flee, but then he heard the burly man before him suddenly change color, activate his supernatural powers, and urgently say:
"Fellow Daoist, wait a moment! Where is the King of Wei?"

Wu Miao's "Jueyin" supernatural power had only escaped halfway when he suddenly heard the voice of this supernatural power. He was caught between a rock and a hard place, his heart aching with unease, yet he could only stop and say:

"Fellow Daoist Bian..."

The border guard said urgently:
"I have long heard of King Wei's benevolent reputation. My father sent a letter yesterday. Now that the heavens are at work, there may be reinforcements from the west. I will immediately send you all over there in secret. I urge King Wei to hurry west and catch him off guard!"

"what?"

Wu Miao's expression was strange. He could only endure the pain, extinguish the flames on his face, and said:
"We've already gone... Where are you, fellow Daoist?"

The border guard said urgently:
"I will activate the great formation to isolate the two places, blocking people from all sides for the King of Wei, and confusing the public in preparation for any unforeseen events!"

Wu Miao understood, and for a moment felt a pang of sympathy. He couldn't help but say:
Why did you hit me again?

The border guard, not understanding where the word "again" came from, was momentarily taken aback and could only explain:

"The city has many spies; without a grand display, how could they deceive everyone... 'Manyin' possesses the ability to conceal secrets, covering the entire sky, which is why such whispers can occur..."

Wu Miao could only remain silent, raise his hand, bow, and quietly transform into a ray of light, disappearing into the void. Sure enough, he saw that a long road had been cleared in the void, and the King of Wei stood with his hands behind his back, a slight smile on his face.

"King Wei, you are wise..."

Without saying much, the group silently traversed the void, rapidly heading west. Liu Changdie secretly used his supernatural powers to send a message:
"We must inform Lu Fu of his release, but we must also be careful. If this person is plotting a counter-espionage, and he leaves no way out when we retreat, we will surely be in big trouble!"

Liu Changdie's considerations were not without merit, but even without investigating You, Li Zhouwei would surely have had some doubts. However, now that he had even read through Lü An's letters to the border guards, he naturally knew what was going on. After pondering for a while, he nodded to himself:

'Border offender…'

He had thought there was no opportunity to take advantage of Chefu County and had originally planned to take a detour. However, now that he knew the background of the supernatural being guarding the place, he immediately used [Cha You] and made a decision.

'This is a pleasant surprise…'

He began to think:

'In this way... it's not just a matter of maneuvering; with this great formation behind us... we can truly try to gain something.'

He spent many days maneuvering in the north, and although the surrender was the same, the cultivation methods were completely different.

'Tang and Zhou surrendered to the government due to the political situation, yet they remain resentful and cannot be given important responsibilities. Qiao Wenliu surrendered out of pride and self-interest, which is why he was able to fight on all fronts. Wu Miao has no one to rely on but to surrender to me in order to join the Xuanliu faction and become my persuader…'

Who is the border offender?
As an adopted son, the fact that he was able to receive the news early on and join Li Zhouwei's ranks as if it were a pledge of allegiance means that he must be one of the most core people in the Lü family. His status is arguably even higher than that of the people around him. With his connections, even if Li Zhouwei eventually leaves, the Lü family can at most just laugh it off, and no one can do anything to him!
That is why he could act recklessly without considering the consequences, and instead of leaving with Li Zhouwei, he openly and legitimately cut off one side!
Once this person defectes and takes up a position at the carriage, as long as the Lü family doesn't show up, they can hold their ground and refuse to come out, leaving the Zifu people with no choice but to take a detour.

"Even if a Grand Master comes and tries to capture him, he must first dismantle this fortification—Chefu is a crucial stronghold for Chuncheng in Gu County to defend against the north. Once it's destroyed, if Yan Xiu marches south and millions of people fall, no one can bear the responsibility!"

If the border guards stubbornly refuse to move, Zhu Shentong will surely call on Lü An first. This father and son will work together, and as long as they are willing to delay for him, who knows how long they will drag it out!

'The situation changes like lightning; since that's the case, we can try to overturn the original arrangements…'

Everyone knows about the feud between Li Zhouwei and the Qi family. Li Zhouwei originally intended to take advantage of this, planning to bypass Chefu, conquer several counties, and feign an attack on the Qi family. Li Zhouwei was certain that there would be a Great Master lying in ambush in the Qi family's Yincheng. He had no intention of conquering it at all, but only wanted to leave halfway and leave this group of people behind in the north.

"But... as long as... the people in the south linger long enough before the train..."

His eyes gradually brightened:
"Yincheng...it's not impossible to turn this charade into a real attack and take it down..."

The border guards have set up a trap to lure the enemy. Yincheng will most likely send reinforcements, or at least send someone to check. If that Grand Master is too aggressive and comes in person, Li Zhouwei and his three companions will surround him and force him to retreat.

"Once this great master retreats, Yincheng will surely fall into my hands!"

His gaze grew increasingly profound. The supernatural powers of the group in the void gradually dimmed, but their speed did not decrease in the slightest. They sped westward, with various scenes constantly passing by the earth. Li Zhouwei remained standing with his hands behind his back, slowly closing his eyes.

The range of [Cha You] was extremely large. In just a moment, he vaguely sensed the figure rushing towards him from afar, which had already traveled more than half the distance!
'You arrived so quickly?'

Li Zhouwei suddenly understood.

'Looks like they rushed over here when the incident happened at Kakuyama!'

This person was dressed in red, was quite old, and had a fierce fire element aura around him that seemed to be about to soar into the sky. His face was solemn, and it was clear that he was a highly skilled cultivator. He was riding on the flames as he drifted over.

Looking at this person's appearance, he actually bears a resemblance to Qi Lanyan from back then, only he is older and shows signs of aging.

'The Qi family…'

This scene, reflected in Li Zhouwei's eyes, made him pause slightly.

There's nothing special about him; he's just a master of two supernatural powers.

His eyes held no disgust for the Qi family, nor any other emotion, only a fleeting hint of regret, and he sighed inwardly:

"They're quite cautious, only sending a member of the Qi family... Although Ying Huo is fast, this person's cultivation is really not high. It seems he's not here to provide reinforcements, but rather to enter Chefu before me, seize power from the border guards, and let this Qi family member, who is bound to be my enemy, take charge!"

In Cha You's vision, this person had already seen the celestial phenomenon in the east. Startled, he stopped abruptly and gazed into the distance, seemingly using some kind of pupil technique.

'Alright... if we can't capture Yincheng, then I'll strike at its root!'

The situation changed rapidly, and the plans shifted accordingly, leaving no room for others to speculate. In a flash, Li Zhouwei's expression changed slightly. He raised his hand with lightning speed, pulled up his sleeve, and actually took off the black robe with gold patterns on it. Under the stunned gazes of everyone, he handed it to Liu Changdie!

The King of Wei spoke quickly and urgently:
"Master Yuanbian, you are beyond the comprehension of all cultivators and practitioners, and you have also cultivated the Qi and Ku paths, keeping your abilities hidden. Wait a moment, then put on my robes, take the [Huaijiang Map], secretly illuminate the heavens, and swiftly head west, straight to Yincheng!"

Liu Changdie was puzzled and could only hurriedly take it, listening to Li Zhouwei say:

"Someone will see you on the road. If they dare not stop you, stop eighty li away from Yincheng and wait for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn. During this time, if anyone in Yincheng goes out, you must immediately use your supernatural powers to escape back here as fast as possible!"

Liu Changdie nodded solemnly. Li Zhouwei waited a moment, then deliberately rose up in the sunlight, pretending to be disturbed by the great array of the carts.

The sky is wide open!

In that instant, amidst the brilliant sunlight, he indeed felt the gaze upon him. As if sensing something, he raised his head and glanced coldly into the distance—a glance so ghostly that it made the distant flames tremble for a moment, their hearts pounding with fear, and they turned and fled!
"go!"

He gave a low shout, and Liu Changdie noticed his solemn expression. Without hesitation, he activated his supernatural power, and his aura became deep and profound. Riding on the light of the sky, he hurriedly headed west!

Li Zhouwei watched the light and flames dissipate on the horizon, but sighed inwardly:

'It's a pity Wan'er isn't here. If she had her transformation skills, this plan would be flawless... Right now... we can only gamble that this guy is scared out of his wits and won't turn around to fight!'

Liu Changdie's move was merely intended to confuse the Grand Master of Yincheng; if it worked, great, but if not, so be it. Li Zhouwei stopped thinking about it, looked around, and said in a low voice:

"Jiaoshan is the place of the twelve families. The Buddhist monks are greedy, but the Buddhist monks are radiant and cannot be violated. They will dissipate at the slightest touch. There must be a great master coming to suppress them. Now that he sees the imposing power of the carriage, he must be approaching from the south to the north, trying to trap us in a corner. Everyone, follow me back the way we came and go to the carriage. With the help of the great formation, we will intercept this person!"