I became an immortal in the mountains

Chapter 760: None of My Business?

The group of cultivators sized up Gu Yuanqing several times before calmly withdrawing their gazes, though their true thoughts remained unknown.

Having undergone a great cultivation of the Chaos Heaven and received a recommendation from the Spirit Venerable, he is naturally qualified to join the Elders' Council.

The so-called Council of Elders is actually the place where the Alliance of the Extinction Alliance makes decisions on how to deal with matters outside the realm.

In a real battle between the two sides, the main force to deal with the Heavenly Demon is the Undying Chaos. If they don't join in, do they expect to be at your command?

The Spirit Venerable pointed to the stone statue on the left and said, "Choose one of these seven stone statues, fellow Daoist. Then leave your divine soul imprint in the Myriad Manifestations Mystic Light Mirror and collect a wisp of the mirror's mystic light. In the future, you can send your spirit here."

Gu Yuanqing landed on the last statue on the side of the righteous sects and casually said, "Then this one will do. I am new here and not familiar with the battlefield outside the domain. I am just listening in this time."

As the words were spoken, Gu Yuanqing lightly leaped and stood on the stone statue. He extended his divine sense and could feel that the stone statue beneath his feet and the suspended mirror were one and the same.

As the energy entered, the mirror light shone down. Gu Yuanqing left a wisp of his divine soul imprint within it, and then extracted a wisp of energy from the mirror light, hiding it in an unimportant acupoint.

Lingzun and Jishan also darted out and landed on the stone statue.

This place forbids spiritual energy and supernatural powers, but it cannot forbid the power of the physical body.

Once everything was ready, Gu Yuanqing began to observe the people around him, matching them with the great cultivators from various sects based on their individual characteristics.

The righteous and evil sects are arranged on the left and right respectively. Including myself, there are currently nine people from the righteous sects and eight people from the evil sects. However, some of the empty stone statues are obviously occupied.

Most of these cultivators came only in partial form, their auras concealed, making it difficult to discern whether they were at the Undying Chaos Realm or the Shattered Heaven Realm. However, there is no doubt that those who could be ranked here could be considered top cultivators in the cultivation world.

Moreover, not all the immortal beings in the world are here. Within the major sects, there may be hidden masters. For example, in the Spirit Treasure Holy Land, it is said that there may be two immortal beings, but only one Spirit Venerable came here.

A sect's true strength cannot be fully revealed, and its apparent power often differs greatly from its actual strength. After all, cultivators at the Chaotic Heaven level have extremely long lifespans, and with the addition of secret techniques, no one knows whether a sect might have a previous master who has extended their lifespan in slumber.

After a short wait, cultivators from both the righteous and evil paths arrived one after another. The Evil Lord arrived last, and his gaze immediately fell on Gu Yuanqing.

Gu Yuanqing also looked over, their eyes met, but they looked away in an instant.

By this time, a total of twenty-five people had appeared among the thirty-six stone statues.

The Spirit Lord opened his eyes and slowly spoke: "Now that everyone is here, let's get down to business. Outside the spatial rift, the extraterrestrial demons are increasing in number. In the past six months, there have been repeated demonic disasters in the Xuanqiong Realm. The Sky Patrol Department has already detected the auras of six Chaotic Undying level demons outside the rift. If we leave them unattended, they will inevitably become a major threat if they continue to accumulate. Therefore, I believe that the original plan should be brought forward."

Those present were all at the pinnacle of the cultivation world, and upon hearing this, most remained calm. While the six Undying Chaotic Heavenly Demons were indeed a terrifying force, they were not enough to shake the solid defenses that the Xuanqiong Realm had built up over many years, much less to make these old monsters pale in comparison.

On the opposite side, the evil lord shrouded in shadow let out a hoarse, low laugh, and continued, "Fellow Daoist Lingbao, I naturally agree with your words. Since we're moving this plan forward, we need to decide on the assassination strategy. Who will be the vanguard, who will provide support, who will lead the attack, and who will cover the rear—we still need to..."

Before he could finish speaking, the Spirit Lord calmly interrupted him, his tone leaving no room for doubt: "Naturally, we will proceed according to the original plan!"

Zhao Shengbing, seated at the Holy Heaven Sect seat, snorted coldly, his face grim. "Spiritual Venerable, it's not that I'm making excuses! One of my avatars was destroyed in the Spirit Realm. The one who did it was this Fellow Daoist Gu!" His gaze was sharp as a knife as he looked at Gu Yuanqing, who sat calmly. "With my avatar destroyed and my soul affected, my strength has indeed suffered a considerable loss. If I were to act as the vanguard now, it might jeopardize the important matter. Therefore, Spiritual Venerable, please reconsider with everyone."

Upon hearing this, the atmosphere in the room subtly changed, and many sects realized that what Gu Yuanqing had been referring to earlier was this matter.

This gave everyone a new understanding of Gu Yuanqing's strength. Zhao Shengbing was no ordinary person; he was ranked among the top among the Undying Chaos Realm. Even though what was killed was an avatar, it was enough to show that Gu Yuanqing was extraordinary.

Li Youhe, the Undying Grandmaster of the Netherworld Sect, suddenly said in a sinister tone, "Oh? Fellow Daoist Saint Weapon suffered such losses? In that case, the position of vanguard needs to be reconsidered. I think that the Qingping Dao Palace has been in seclusion for tens of thousands of years, and the Four Phases Sword of Calamity Suppression is originally designed to counter Heavenly Demons. Fellow Daoist Gu is even more unfathomable. Now that we have this opportunity, why not take this chance to invite Fellow Daoist Gu to be the vanguard? This would allow us to witness the swordsmanship of the Qingping Dao Palace. At the same time, the emergence of the successor of the Heavenly Sword Elder would greatly boost the morale of our sects in the Spirit Realm. Wouldn't that be a win-win situation?"

This was clearly an attempt to push Gu Yuanqing into the most dangerous situation; the two of them were working together in unison, indicating they had been prepared for this.

Upon hearing this, Gu Yuanqing slightly raised his eyelids and looked at Li Youhe. It was obvious that the Netherworld Sect and the Holy Heaven Sect had a tacit understanding to push him to the most dangerous place. Their intentions were self-evident.

The heretical sect immediately burst into laughter: "Excellent! We have long admired the legacy of the Heavenly Sword Elder. If we could see him recreate his former glory in the battlefield beyond the realm, it would be a great event."

Ji Shan frowned and said, "That's not right. Fellow Daoist Gu is new here and not familiar with us. This time, it should have been your evil sects that took the lead. Even if the sect leader of the Holy Heaven Sect is unable to take action, it should have been your other sects that stepped up."

The vanguard is not just the vanguard; it involves a series of events that follow. The battles in the outer realms are extremely dangerous, with countless demons. Even if one is immortal, there is still a risk of death. Therefore, it is best to travel together with people who can trust each other.

The Evil Lord suddenly spoke up: "Fellow Daoist Ji, you're wrong. On this battlefield outside the realm, there is only the Tribulation Control Alliance, not any righteous or evil paths."

A heretical cultivator crossed his arms and sneered, "It seems that the so-called righteous sects do not consider us as their own."

The Spirit Lord frowned and said, "Everyone, now is not the time to talk about these things. We should focus on the bigger picture."

Zhao Shengbing of the Holy Heaven Sect coldly said, "Spiritual Venerable, since we, the righteous and the evil, have formed an alliance, everything should be done according to the rules. Gu Yuanqing's attack on my Holy Heaven Sect in the cultivation world is a violation of the rules, which caused me to lose an avatar and suffer a great loss of strength. Both morally and logically, he should bear the responsibility of being the vanguard. Fellow Daoists, do you think what I say makes sense?"

“That makes sense. Hey, aren’t righteous sects always talking about rules? Why aren’t they following the rules now?” said a heretical cultivator.

Immediately, others chimed in with laughter, as if they wanted to stir up trouble.

Gu Yuanqing said calmly, "Fellow Daoist Zhao, you were the one who crossed realms to fight back then. What? You've lost a battle, and you've lost all sense of shame?"

"Gu Yuanqing, don't think that just because you defeated one of my avatars, you can be so arrogant in front of me!" Zhao Shengbing's eyes flashed with killing intent.

Gu Yuanqing smiled calmly: "Alright, since you all talk about rules, then I, Gu, will also talk about this matter. Before I came to the Xuanqiong Realm, I passed through the Lingxu Sect and happened to witness an incident. When Li Miaoxuan of the Lingxu Sect was undergoing the Chaos Tribulation, a Chaos cultivator actually disregarded the alliance between the righteous and the evil and attacked her. I wonder if my two fellow Daoists from the Taiyin Palace and the Youming Sect have heard of this matter?"

After the words were spoken, a moment of silence fell over the room.

The Lord of Taiyin Palace said in an icy voice, "What do you mean by that, Fellow Daoist Gu?" "What do you think?" Gu Yuanqing said calmly.

Li Youhe of the Netherworld Sect sneered: "Without evidence, you can always find a pretext to accuse someone. I heard that the one who attacked the Spirit Ruins Sect was from the Heavenly Demon Sect! If we're talking about something, shouldn't the Heavenly Demon Sword in the hands of the Heavenly Demon Sect Leader have come from the Qingping Dao Palace? Fellow Daoist Gu, are you perhaps afraid to take on the vanguard role, so you're just spouting nonsense to divert attention? Or are you the thief crying 'stop thief'?"

"A certificate?" Gu Yuanqing's lips curled into a barely perceptible smile, and he flicked his sleeve lightly.

pat!

An antique-looking storage bag and a token engraved with a ghostly moon totem, exuding an eerie aura, were casually tossed onto the white jade floor in the center of the main hall.

The two characters "Taiyin" on the token were crystal clear, surrounded by a unique mark of sect magic power, making it extremely difficult to imitate.

Furthermore, the storage bag still retained a faint trace of Daoist charm and bloody scent emanating from the fallen Chaos cultivator.

"The one who attacked the Lingxu Sect has already been killed by me, Gu. This is his relic."

Gu Yuanqing's tone remained calm.

"I am very curious as to why the Chaos-Heaven cultivators of the Taiyin Palace would collude with the experts of the Youming Sect to violate the alliance. If I hadn't happened to pass by, the Lingxu Sect would likely have suffered considerable losses. Shouldn't the Taiyin Palace and the Youming Sect give an explanation to the Lingxu Sect and the Yujie Alliance for this matter?"

Upon seeing the token, the square fell silent once more.

The cultivators from the heretical sects frowned slightly. Some things are done in private, but it's a different story once someone catches them doing something wrong.

Li Youhe remained silent, cursing inwardly: "The fools of Taiyin Palace, if they're going to make a move, why are they carrying these status items with them?"
The Lord of Taiyin Palace's face grew even more somber, and he said coldly, "This token is indeed an item of our palace. There are indeed several tokens that have been lost outside the palace. They must have been hidden by someone to frame us. This has nothing to do with our Taiyin Palace itself."

"What a convenient excuse, 'it has nothing to do with me'? Does the Palace Master think he can shirk responsibility with just this one sentence? Let me ask you, did you even believe it when you said that? Or do you think all the great cultivators in the Tribulation Control Alliance are fools?"

The Heavenly Lord Xuanji of the Heavenly Dao Palace suddenly spoke up: "Lord Taiyin, you shall take on the responsibility of being the vanguard this time!"

The evil lord remained silent, his gaze flickering uncertainly in the shadows.

The Spirit Venerable's gaze also fell on the Lord of the Taiyin Palace. The sect token is one of the most important tokens of a sect, and the Taiyin Palace's Taiyin token is only in the hands of cultivators at the Huntian level. Who would believe that it was lost outside?

Even if it is truly lost abroad, and someone uses this decree to cause trouble, your Taiyin Palace will still be held responsible!
The Lord of Taiyin Palace stared at Gu Yuanqing for a long time, then swept his gaze across the faces of the righteous and evil figures. Suddenly, he raised his hand and grabbed the Taiyin Token and the storage bag, saying expressionlessly, "Fine! Since you don't believe me, I have nothing more to say! The Taiyin Token was lost, and I was framed. My Taiyin Sect admits defeat. I, Taiyin Palace, will take on this vanguard role!"

But he immediately changed the subject, his gaze turning cold as he stared at Gu Yuanqing: "The Spirit Venerable has nominated you as an elder of the Tribulation Control Alliance, but you have yet to achieve any merit. It would be difficult for other fellow Daoists to accept this position so soon after arriving at the extraterrestrial battlefield. Why not join the expedition together this time, so that you can also showcase the splendor of the Qingping Dao Palace? What do you think, fellow Daoist?"

All eyes instantly focused on Gu Yuanqing.

Gu Yuanqing remained calm, as if he had expected this. He glanced at the Lord of Taiyin Palace and the great cultivators from both the righteous and evil paths, and calmly said, "Of course it's possible. I, Gu, also wanted to see the extraterrestrial demons and kill some to refine pills."

Gu Yuanqing's quick agreement surprised the Lord of Taiyin Palace, raising his assessment of Gu Yuanqing's strength to a new level.

The Spirit Lord said, "Now that the vanguard has been decided, let's also decide on the other aspects."

……

Slaying the Heavenly Demon is not something that a few powerful cultivators who are destined to die cannot accomplish by simply rushing out.

The Heavenly Demons are not fools; they don't swarm around people and fight them. On the contrary, they are extremely intelligent and cunning, knowing how to avoid their strengths and strike when they are weak.

Seeing that something was wrong, they immediately fled. Without a proper plan, the final result would most likely be futile, returning empty-handed, or even being taken advantage of and attacked into the Xuanqiong Realm.

From stealth, patrolling and locating, luring the enemy, launching surprise attacks, using magic arrays to imprison them, to patrolling and providing support, and even the final retreat, all plans need to be perfected. If you fail the first time, they will be on guard and won't give you another chance.

Furthermore, if another powerful cultivator of the Chaos Immortal realm were to be surrounded and devoured by the Heavenly Demons, there might be another Heavenly Demon at the level of a Void Immortal in the future.

Gu Yuanqing wasn't good at these things, so he just listened quietly from the side.

The Four Symbols Sword of the Qingping Dao Palace is the most effective against the Heavenly Demon, so Gu Yuanqing is one of the main attackers. This position requires facing the Undying Heavenly Demon directly, which is extremely dangerous. Of course, it is much safer than the role of the vanguard bait.

The departure date was set for after March.

The entire Xuanqiong Realm appeared to be no different from before, but a tense atmosphere had secretly developed.

The Lingbao Palace was even busier, refining array artifacts day and night.

The Sky Patrol Division continuously approached the vicinity of the spatial rift to investigate the movements of the Heavenly Demons at the Chaotic Heaven level and above.

Wanfashu allocated resources, from elixirs, talismans, magic treasures, and array devices, all resources were tilted towards this expedition.

The Demon Suppression Palace was also making preparations in secret. All the major cities began to look for loopholes and check for hidden dangers. They also intensified their efforts to eliminate the wandering demons that had broken into the vicinity of the Xuanqiong Realm.

Ji Shan will also be going this time. He is proficient in array formations, and his duty is to imprison and trap the Undying Heavenly Demon to prevent it from escaping. Over the years, he has participated in many battles to kill Heavenly Demons, so he is very familiar with the process and the dangers involved.

Gu Yuanqing was also familiarizing himself with the plan, and if he encountered anything unclear, he would ask Lingzun or Jishan for advice.

The Undying Demon of Chaos is not to be underestimated. Even though he is confident in his strength, he still dares not be careless. After all, if he were so easy to deal with, he would not have been taken so seriously by the great cultivators of both the righteous and evil paths!

(End of this chapter)