Xuanjian Xianzu

Chapter 1348 The Transformation
"he…"

The great master appeared in the sky, his voice resounding in all directions, causing the various supernatural powers fighting in mid-air to come to an abrupt halt. Several of the supernatural powers raised their heads in a daze, and the Qi family master who was fighting Liu Changdie changed color abruptly.

"Why so fast!"

This man, named Qi Lanjing, was also the head of the Qi family's Purple Mansion currently stationed in Yincheng. He already knew what kind of trouble his cousin had gotten into outside, and his heart trembled with fear. He immediately wanted to run away, but knew it was too late. He gritted his teeth and hesitated, even the Shaoyin light flickering in the sky stopped. Then, with a soft sigh, Yu Heng, the He Shui cultivator and Yu Xixin's nephew, bowed his head and knelt on the ground, expressionless, and said:

"I am willing to die for the King of Wei!"

In that instant, all eyes were on Qi Lanjing, whose face was a mixture of paleness and ashen color. He could only lower his head and bow down to the Master Yu.

Only then did they hear the King of Wei in the air say:

"No need to be formal."

In an instant, the flames in the sky dissipated, and the various colors on the great formation dimmed. Everyone was either saddened or delighted, but they all stepped aside. Only Qiao Wenliu raised his head and squinted his eyes.

'Yu Xixin… what do you mean by this!'

It should be noted that although Yu Xixin is not as good as Long Kangyao, he is still a Grand Master of Gu County. Although his "Purple Qi" is not strong, his "Dao Shi Zhao" is well-known... How long have the two been fighting in mid-air? Have they even exchanged fifty blows?

Li Zhouwei is indeed formidable, but to say that he could drive Yu Xixin to the brink of defeat in fifty rounds is almost impossible!
'Could it be... that Yu Xixin already intends to surrender?'

But if that were the case, Qiao Wenliu would feel somewhat displeased.

"Since you intend to surrender, why hold out for two more hours? A hasty surrender after an angry outburst would have been more dignified for both sides. We gave him so many opportunities beforehand, yet he insisted on holding out for two more hours before hastily surrendering. He'll lose face, and we'll miss our chance. To preserve appearances, we're even sacrificing our own reputation!"

It's important to understand that two hours is a very long time—the reinforcements from Chuncheng didn't even need two hours to arrive. Perhaps Long Kangyao, out of fear of his injuries or because he thought Yan Kingdom would intervene, did indeed go south…

'But what if they come? They almost ruined my plans!'

His thirst for revenge was intense, and his actions were even more urgent than those of the King of Wei. These past two hours had been agonizing, filled with constant vigilance against reinforcements. Yet, he was also quick-witted and somewhat arrogant, making him difficult for ordinary people to subdue. When this temperament took hold, even though Yu Xixin was a Great Master with an excellent reputation, he showed him no respect whatsoever. With a cold laugh, he stepped forward to greet him, saying:

"You are indeed compliant with good advice. Congratulations, Master Yu! Please activate the grand formation and welcome the King inside."

Yu Xixin suffered a swift defeat overnight, and his treasures were damaged. His heart was filled with bitterness. This inexplicable sarcasm only intensified his resentment, which simmered with anger. However, being more composed, he swallowed his anger and remained silent, neither retorting nor showing any anger, simply smiling:

"Yes, it's not appropriate to say more in public, please!"

Then, with a flash of golden light, the magnificent city finally unveiled itself. As the Great Master took out a token that looked like a golden sword from his sleeve and handed it to Liu Changdie, the magnificent northern city finally changed hands!
Purple clouds spread out like steps, and a rich spiritual energy rushed towards them. Even Li Zhouwei was secretly amazed. Several figures with supernatural powers had already appeared gracefully in the Xuan Hall high above, where they saw Qiao Wenliu looking deeply moved, and solemnly saying:
"Great Master! How stubbornly the city was defended, and how swiftly it surrendered. It is truly an unpredictable fate."

These words made Li Zhouwei frown, his golden eyes sweeping over him. In response, Yu Xixin narrowed her eyes and smiled:

"Have you not heard the saying, 'True immortals and cultivators must remove their crowns and trim their feathers'? Under the Heavenly Gate, even the True Purple Ones cannot escape. Emperor Wei exterminated the True Immortals and wiped out all lineages to prove the Emperor's boundless power. Since there is a story of a True Lord, is it not only natural that I was defeated by Mingyang?"

Everyone present was well-versed in the classics and possessed profound Taoist skills. His words were not without basis. Li Zhouwei and Yu Xixin understood this the most deeply. During the battle, Mingyang Divine Power struck at their weak points almost everywhere!
Li Zhouwei, having overheard these few words, had already discerned Qiao Wenliu's displeasure. He said softly:
"I possess the righteous weapon of the Bright Yang, capable of annihilating ghosts and gods. Master Yu does not wish for a mutually destructive conflict, nor for the suffering of countless lives to be lost..."

Only after the King of Wei personally explained and saved his face did Yu Xixin's mood calm down considerably. Qiao Wenliu nodded reluctantly, his anger finally dissipating, and said no more.

Li Zhouwei was in high spirits. He had saved the great formation and gained the help of the Great Master. The mountain that had been weighing on his heart for days had finally collapsed, and he felt completely relieved.

Why did Li Zhouwei venture deep into enemy territory alone? Wasn't it to gather surrendered generals and seize the strategic city? What could be more precious than a Great Master?

Although Yu Xixin is not very good at fighting, he is still a Great True Person. If his supernatural powers and spells were not suppressed by Li Zhouwei, he would not be able to defeat him quickly. If he has such a person on his side, who can temporarily block another Great True Person for him, Li Zhouwei will have much more room to maneuver!

After all, the number of people that Gu County can mobilize at the moment is only a handful!

Not to mention this city of Yin—its earth veins are incredibly powerful, it is the place where Emperor Zhao fell, and its grand formation is intact. If it were in our hands, it would be an excellent trump card.

As his thoughts deepened, he took his seat in the main position, only to find that a celestial being had turned around and abruptly knelt before him, bowing and paying respects, his body drenched in cold sweat, and said:
"King Wei! The Qi family is guilty!"

It was Qi Lanjing!
These words silenced the hall. The other masters were not surprised, knowing that this calamity was inevitable, and remained silent. Only Yu Xixin hesitated to speak, her eyes showing slight worry.

Seeing the King of Wei above raise his eyebrows, he said:

"What's the crime?"

"The matter of Yangfeng... is the fault of my Qi family, and I, as his elder brother... failed to discipline him!"

The answer was obvious to everyone. Qi Lanjing bowed again and whispered:

“My father was a proud man who perished while seeking the Dao, leaving behind only my father’s brothers. Among his sons, my father loved him the most. Back then, he defied all objections and chose him to go into the mountains to cultivate his qi. Later, my father also perished, and my uncle took over the decision.”

"Unexpectedly, after ten years of being frustrated and depressed, he refused to bow his head when he saw my uncle. My uncle, who already resented him for wasting his opportunity, ignored him completely. He, in turn, arrogantly went to Guanhua Temple and never approached him again..."

"Later, after he became a Purple Mansion cultivator, he became somewhat closer to his family again... but ultimately, estrangement outweighed affection..."

Suddenly implicated, he must have felt extremely aggrieved. He never mentioned Qi Lanyan's name from beginning to end, his tone filled with resentment. He simply lowered his head and whispered:

"I never imagined that Yang Feng would be so eager to die, so recklessly disgracing the Mingyang Emperor! When the news came back then, everyone in my prefecture gritted their teeth, hating his recklessness and misleading people. I beg...King Wei, considering that the Qi family is not deeply involved, please show mercy...Lan Jing is willing to accept any punishment in exchange for the peace of this city!"

After saying this, he fell silent and waited quietly. The person above, however, remained silent, watching him intently. After a long while, the person finally spoke calmly:
"I will not let personal matters interfere with public interests."

These words, spoken with resounding force, instantly dissolved the tense atmosphere in the hall. The kneeling immortal also felt a great weight lifted from his shoulders, but then heard the King of Wei continue:

"Furthermore, I have never held a grudge against him. Fellow Daoist Yangfeng... is a courageous and talented man. If he had not died, Xianggu would not have been in such a state today."

The hall fell silent for a moment. Qi Lanjing was somewhat incredulous, and the other supernatural beings were even more surprised. Only Yu Xixin stroked his beard and nodded slightly.

Qi Lanyan's name resounded throughout the north and south, but his reputation was not good in either region. Many sects in the south suffered from his wars, including the Taiyang sect and the Song Dynasty, which suffered considerable losses and were naturally quite hated.

In the north, this man who once controlled the Jianghuai region and restrained the Yang and Song dynasties did not receive any praise. The northern officials under his command hated him for making a mountain out of a molehill and for being too oppressive. The Buddhist monks who were summoned to the south did not gain much benefit either. Instead, they made excuses and blamed him for the misdeeds.

The two most crucial defeats, the fall of Guangchan, directly led to the Great Mu Dharma Realm breaking with the Tao Clan, the Battle of Xianhu harmed the Helian Clan and the ruler of the Tiefu Kingdom, and this Yangfeng Zhenren even gave his own life in that small lake that led into the sea.

Regardless, this man had caused Li Zhouwei considerable trouble. When Qi Lanyan was around, he had severely injured Li Zhouwei at least several times, causing Wangyue Lake to waver!
Li Zhouwei's words were not an exaggeration. If Qi Lanyan had not perished, he would certainly have been able to unify Luoxia and would never have allowed such a breakthrough to fall into Li Zhouwei's hands!
'He can at least keep me from becoming a Great Master.'

In comparison, Qi Lanjing was clearly inferior. He exuded the leisurely air of a pampered cultivator from Chuncheng, listening to profound discussions. Although he could achieve the Purple Mansion realm, his Dao heart must be as firm as a mountain, but he was ultimately no match for Qi Lanyan.

"I, Lan Jing, am willing to die for King Wei!"

Qi Lanjing didn't care about any of that. He just breathed a sigh of relief, stood up, raised his head, apologized, and withdrew. Qiao Wenliu, who had been anxiously waiting for this long, could no longer contain himself. He stepped forward and whispered:
"We have wasted a lot of time here, but now that we have finally captured the place, we should make plans immediately!"

He pondered:
"Now... Chuncheng must have received the news long ago, and someone will surely arrive soon..."

Yu Xixin had been listening quietly the whole time, then suddenly said:

"Even if someone comes... it's impossible to take Yincheng."

These words made all the powerful figures nod in agreement. Even Li Zhouwei and his group had gone all out and it took them two hours to take this place. Now that they were defending the city, Yu Xixin had surrendered. How many people would it take to take back Chuncheng?
Qiao Wenliu said coldly:
"I'm afraid... Long Kangyao has disappeared and has already gone to Juancheng!"

Clearly, Master Qiao's worries were not unfounded. Li Zhouwei left Juancheng, leaving Li Jiangqian and others to guard it. If Long Kangyao were to launch a full-scale attack and encircle the city, Master Qiao's stronghold might not last long!

Before they could speak, the King of Wei raised his eyebrows, and immediately, all the supernatural beings sensed this and looked up together, gazing south:

Then they saw faint firelight on the southern horizon, as if the fire god was angry. Rolling black smoke was mixed in, as if there was endless killing intent. Even though there were only two small red and black patches on the horizon, they could not escape the eyes of the supernatural beings!

Li Zhouwei suddenly stood up, stared for a long time, and listened to Qiao Wenliu's doubtful question:
"It's... Rao Shan!"

Raoshan is the southern gateway to Gujun and the place where Long Kangyao was originally stationed. Back then, Li Zhouwei set off from Juancheng, bypassing Raoshan, and went straight to Jiaoshan, the eastern gateway, to capture Wen Daoping alive!
Long Kangyao was thus forced to leave Raoshan, first heading east and then north in pursuit. In the Battle of Chefu, Li Zhouwei had already captured the northern gateway, but unexpectedly, Gu County was on fire in its own backyard...

He gazed southward, watching the endless entanglement of black and red, and Wu Miao was slightly surprised:
"'Yang Huo'! It's Long Kangyao! He... has returned to Raoshan!"

"No wonder!"

All the supernatural beings were taken aback, and Yu Xixin gritted her teeth as her doubts finally became clear.

"No wonder...no wonder I waited for two whole hours and didn't see a single person..."

Li Zhouwei knew that Long Kangyao was heading south, otherwise he wouldn't have dared to attack Yincheng so brazenly. But now he understood why, and his brows furrowed.

"Black aura... is it the primordial energy of exile? Yang Ruiyi?"

"How can it be…"

Indeed, this great general of the Song Dynasty is fully capable of restraining Long Kangyao, and he is stationed in the south, occupying a significant portion of Lotus Temple's territory. His location also allows him to reach Raoshan the fastest…

Logically speaking, Yang Ruiyi had already reached a tacit understanding with him. The Yang family would no longer offend the northern families and would only maintain a way out for him. They would never rashly stand up for Li Zhouwei!

However, Yu Xixin and the others beside him were completely unaware of the inside story and sighed greatly. Qiao Wenliu stepped forward and exclaimed happily:
"So it's General Yang! King Wei... we can attack... Chuncheng!"

Li Zhouwei's eyes lit up as well—no matter what happened in the south, the arrival of a great master and the inability of another great master to be in two places at once were both extremely valuable opportunities!
However, upon meeting Qiao Wenliu's bright gaze, Li Zhouwei slowly turned his head and looked westward.

He started from Juancheng, first going south, then east, and then north, which means he has already circled the entire Gu County. Now, starting from Yincheng, heading southwest, he will open up several places and arrive at his origin, Juancheng, which is guarded by Li Jiangqian and others!

'My forces are insufficient; instead of plundering their territory, I should strike at their vitals! Rather than penetrating deep into Chuncheng and provoking the other factions, I should take this Great Master… straight to the Yun and Pu passes outside Juancheng…'

He stood up without hesitation, even though he was extremely concerned about that fragment. He still abandoned the seemingly tempting option of going deep into Chuncheng, and even the pass of Yincheng, which he had obtained with great difficulty, seemed insignificant.

"If we can coordinate an attack from within and without, and decisively break through the two passes, then Chuncheng will fall on all sides, morale will collapse, and our advance or retreat will be entirely up to us!"

He didn't even have the leisure to examine this famous city where the Zhao Emperor had fallen; without pausing for a moment, his gaze swept over the crowd, and he gave the order:

"Transform into a real person!"

Liu Changdie immediately bowed, staring intently at him. Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Li Zhouwei decisively said:

"You will remain in this city alone, awaiting orders, and be prepared to abandon it at any time. Yu Xixin and Qiao Wenliu will each lead their troops and follow me out of the city... rush westward to relieve the siege!"

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