Embers of Sword

Chapter 744 Offering help in times of need, adding fuel to the fire

"The entire demon kingdom is marching south... their hearts are not united..."

Xie Xuanyi gazed at the snow-capped mountains in the distance and found it somewhat amusing.

There is no problem with the inference of the law of control.

The reason why the attack at Jiayong Pass was hastily ended was because Tianhuang Palace did not have first-hand intelligence on "Shifang City".

The human heart is the most difficult thing in the world to control.

It's actually quite reasonable that the Heavenly Phoenix Palace and the Great Ape Mountain aren't working together. After all, the Demon Kingdom is now relatively peaceful and stable, and even if these Great Venerables desperately try to conquer the Northern Prefecture, they can't change the situation... The spiritual energy of heaven and earth is scarce now, and the Northern Territory is no different from ruins. Just this situation alone is completely different from what it was 60 years ago.

Even if we take a step back and consider only the point of "working together," isn't it possible that Da Chu and Da Li are facing the demon tide together, each with their own ulterior motives?

“I heard from them that you and the Holy Prince stopped fighting halfway through.”

The law master suddenly spoke up: "What kind of person is the Holy Prince?"

"This is the strongest opponent I have ever faced."

Xie Xuanyi thought for a moment and said seriously, "If I hadn't comprehended the 'Way of Life,' I might not be his match."

"You speak so highly of him?"

Zhao Tongtian frowned and asked in a deep voice, "How does the Holy Prince compare to 'Cui Zhen' from half a year ago?"

"Different."

Xie Xuanyi shook his head: "Judging from the methods Cui Zhen has shown, he has already cultivated for two lifetimes. If he were still in his first life, Cui Zhen might not be a match for the Holy Prince... Moreover, in the battle half a year ago, I only experienced Cui Zhen's 'Yin Turbid Dao Realm'. In a single Dao Realm, this guy is no match for the Holy Prince."

The path of battle is righteous and awe-inspiring, unstoppable.

His own Dao of Annihilation was completely suppressed... If it were Cui Zhen, his "Yin Turbid Dao" would only be suppressed even more miserably!
Over the past thousand years, there have been very few reincarnations who have reached the level of Cui Zhen, but there have been some.

However, it is much more difficult to cultivate to the level of a Holy Prince in one lifetime!
"You finally tossed a green bamboo slip to the Holy Prince..."

Zhao Tongtian thought for a moment, then asked, "What is the Qingjian?"

The Master of Laws looked at Xie Xuanyi with a hint of curiosity in his eyes.

These two, fighting halfway through, were actually able to stop... Just now, I heard Xie Xuanyi's evaluation of the Holy Prince. His evaluation was so high, and there was no hatred in his tone. It was more like a sense of mutual respect.

"The green bamboo slip contains intelligence about Cui Zhen."

Xie Xuanyi smiled and said, "I am in Da Chu and it is inconvenient for me to go north to cause trouble for Cui Zhen. But I can't let him live so comfortably."

Someone needs to know about Cui Zhen.

The Holy Prince is the best candidate.

Having just completed his advancement in cultivating the Great Dao of Battle, the Holy Prince's chest was now filled with the fire of battle. He was eager to find an enemy worthy of his status and worth fighting!
Xie Xuanyi's blue slip provided him with just such an opponent.

If I'm not mistaken, this "Cui Zhen" in the Demon Kingdom lives an extremely low-key life, almost living in anonymity. This guy is certainly not a kind person. He hides his identity like this, probably waiting for the two Great Daos to condense together before stirring up trouble... But now that this Azure Scroll has been sent out, Cui Zhen's good days are coming to an end!
The demon kingdom has been spreading rumors that it possesses the "Fountain of Immortality," hasn't it?
The Battle of Jiayong Pass and the Battle of Zhenhaitai.

After Xie Xuanyi emerged from seclusion, he fought two battles in quick succession… Both the Heavenly Phoenix Palace and Great Ape Mountain “measured” his strength. At least from these two battles, Xie Xuanyi did not reveal the existence of the “Fountain of Immortality.” Given the suspicious nature of the demon kingdom's powerful cultivators, these two battles didn't necessarily mean anything; suspicion still existed. However, from this day forward, their list of suspected individuals would gain one more person.

That was Cui Zhen.

Cui Zhen is the reincarnation of the Great Venerable Mo Zhen, and like himself, he possesses the Fountain of Immortality!
Xie Xuanyi gave this green slip only to the Holy Prince.

But it was seen by "the people of the world".

The news that the Holy Prince had obtained the human Qingjian would soon spread... and countless eyes would be watching him. If he wanted to find Cui Zhen, the Heavenly Phoenix Palace would follow suit. In addition, the Five-Colored City, the Eclipse Swamp, the Howling Wind Valley... all the major holy lands of the Demon Kingdom would send powerful figures to follow him out of "curiosity".

Xie Xuanyi briefly explained his thoughts.

"..."

Zhao Tongtian listened to the whole thing with a strange expression, then slowly moved his head and looked at his proud nephew with an inscrutable look.

"Uncle Attorney Zhang, why are you looking at me like that?"

Xie Xuanyi touched his cheek, feeling somewhat embarrassed.

“I told Qi Lie from a young age that I should spend less time with you.”

The law master said, "Back then, I only thought you were unruly and disobedient... I never imagined that your nature also revealed a hint of meanness..."

"..."

Xie Xuanyi was speechless.

"However, I am very pleased."

The Master of Laws changed the subject and said in a broad voice, "Your actions are quite reminiscent of my senior brother's back then."

"What did Master do back then?" Xie Xuanyi blinked and asked curiously.

Zhang Lu smiled faintly and said, "Your master went north to pursue a traitor of the human race and killed a great venerable of the demon kingdom along the way... You should have heard about this."

Xie Xuanyi had heard of this story long ago.

At that time, the Civil War was at its most intense and fiercest stage...

Because of the Fountain of Immortality, the several great lords of the Demon Kingdom grew stronger with each battle, causing the morale of the human army to collapse, and even leading to the defection of some of their "top combatants".

Master's journey north that time directly turned the tide of the battle!

This event had a huge impact on the course of the war.

Before heading north, the Demon Kingdom's Grand Venerable was still clamoring, causing panic among the people of the Northern Great Wall.

Since then, no Yang Shen Realm defector has ever appeared in Da Chu.

Because everyone knows that the Sword Palace Master has the ability to hunt down enemies across thousands of miles and escape unscathed!
For a great cultivator at this level, sacrificing reputation for immortality could very well be severed by Zhao Chunyang's sword, which would be a terrible loss.

"Your master challenged the Palace Master of the Heavenly Phoenix Palace to a duel on the northern border."

Zhao Tongtian paused for a moment and said, "Palace Master Tianhuang accepted the challenge... but your master did not."

"...?"

Xie Xuanyi was taken aback.

"The northern border is too vast. Even for a Yang God Realm cultivator, it would take time to traverse the void... No one expected that your master's announcement of the challenge was simply a cover-up."

Zhao Tongtian couldn't help but sneer, "The Heavenly Phoenix Palace has made ample preparations for this battle. The Grand Palace Master is not one for fair competition; he has long since laid a trap, just waiting for Zhao Chunyang to appear. For the Heavenly Phoenix Palace, making thorough preparations in advance is always a good thing!"

Zhao Chunyang took the initiative to invite him.

If he dares not enter the pass, dares not go to war, then his reputation as the leader of the Sword Palace will be completely destroyed overnight, and he will become a laughing stock of the world.

If he were to appear in person, it would play right into the hands of the Grand Palace Master of the Heavenly Phoenix Palace, and he would fall into their trap.

"Both of these options seem like dead ends."

Recalling the past, Zhao Tongtian said softly, "At that time, I tried to dissuade my senior brother from acting rashly... I suppose the spies and informants of the Demon Kingdom who were lying in ambush at the Great Wall in the North were also closely monitoring his movements. Everyone saw the scene of my senior brother leaving the Great Wall and going alone to the snowy mountains of the Demon Kingdom to fight, but no one expected that he would not choose either of these two paths."

The Heavenly Phoenix Palace has laid a net that can trap you from heaven to earth.

But Zhao Chunyang didn't take a single step inside.

His invitation was precisely to get straight to the point.

"On that day, my senior brother stepped into the demon kingdom, fought across three thousand miles in a single day, and killed the traitors and the Great Venerable of the Demon Kingdom in the Eclipse Great Swamp."

Zhao Tongtian lowered his voice and said, "This move caught the Heavenly Phoenix Palace off guard... It's just a pity that Senior Brother's return journey was blocked..."

This should have been a perfect feint.

However, because of the "Holy Empress," Zhao Chunyang was ambushed and killed on his return journey.

Although the ambush was thwarted, it ultimately sowed the seeds of future trouble.

After this great battle, the Sword Palace demonstrated its formidable power, and Zhao Chunyang began a long period of seclusion in the Lotus Forbidden Land. During this time, he only made one public appearance when he besieged and killed the Great Venerable Mo Zhen.

"My senior brother told me that the sword of a sword cultivator is not in its form, but in its heart."

Zhao Tongtian narrowed his eyes and said in a complicated voice, "Some things are not hard to understand. But this principle... is not something everyone can put into practice." His sword, his path, are the same as Jin'ao Peak's.

Straight and sharp.

Better to break than bend.

He always taught his disciples in this way.

But my senior brother is different.

Zhao Chunyang's "Dao" is no longer confined to the "sword." This leader of the Sword Palace has long since achieved transcendence in various senses.

A ray of dawn broke through the dark clouds and fell.

The long night is almost over.

The two, uncle and nephew, stood on the city wall, bathed in the warm breeze, looking at each other in silence for a long time.

After a long time.

Zhao Tongtian spoke again, letting out a soft sigh with a complex meaning: "Xuanyi...you didn't come to Zhenhaitai just to see the sea view like that silly boy before, did you?"

Earlier, when he reprimanded Chu Guo.

Zhang Lu had already vaguely guessed what was going on.

Although Chu Guo is young, his arrival at Zhenhaitai must have been at the behest of Chen Jingxuan.

Zhao Tongtian's feelings for Chen Jingxuan, this younger generation, went beyond mere simple admiration.

This is a "genius national advisor" who surpassed his master Yan Xin at a young age.

In a sense.

This is a "monster" that appears only once every thousand years, just like its own Xuan Yi.

Zhao Tongtian knew that the beast tide at Zhenhaitai, the martial law at the City Lord's Mansion, and everything that happened tonight... must all be part of Chen Jingxuan's plan.

That's the case.

Xie Xuanyi's arrival was also part of the plan.

The plan will continue after daybreak.

It's obvious... Zhenhaitai won't be Xie Xuanyi's final stop.

“I want to go a little further ‘over there’.”

Xie Xuanyi stretched out his finger and pointed to the east.

Zhenhaitai is the easternmost line of the Great Wall in the northern border of Da Chu, adjacent to the North Sea. For ordinary people, this "sea area" is almost insurmountable, but as long as one cultivates to the Qi Control Realm and ascends into the sky on a flying sword, one will find that after slightly rounding a "gap" and traveling eight hundred miles east, one can see a piece of land protruding like the mouth of a treasure bottle.

That is the "Suspended Bottle Pass" on the northern border of the country.

The terrain of Da Chu is located in the northwest, while the Li Kingdom is located in the southeast.

Thanks to its advantageous terrain, Da Chu has consistently maintained a superior position over Li Kingdom over the years. However, it has also suffered from this terrain. Whenever the demon kingdom invades from the south, Da Chu's northern border is always the first to suffer. After all, Xuanping Pass is easy to defend but difficult to attack, and Li Kingdom's Chongzhou is much smaller than Beijun. Even if it is conquered with great difficulty, it is only a piece of chicken rib.

"there……"

Zhao Tongtian paused for a moment, slowly moved his head, and then frowned even more deeply.

"Are you going to leave the country?"

He could hardly believe it.

With the North-South war raging and the situation so tense, why would Chen Jingxuan send Xie Xuanyi away from his own country to the enemy?

Over the past six months, several powerful figures from the Demon Kingdom have made their appearances.

After the Battle of Shifang City...

The various holy lands of Da Chu are discussing overnight which Yang God to send to assist Yuwen Bo in guarding the western front.

In this situation, Xie Xuanyi should be stationed at the border. With such a "Yang God-level" combatant present, the pressure on the western front would be greatly reduced.

"Yes."

Xie Xuanyi smiled and said, "There's an extraordinary strategist overseeing things in the Demon Kingdom. That guy is very capable; he's probably in charge of both Jiayong Pass and Zhenhai Terrace."

"So, what does this have to do with Li Guo?"

Zhao Tongtian was even more confused.

"Actually, at first, I didn't quite understand the reason either. But what the Master said earlier enlightened me."

Xie Xuanyi calmly said, "The Heavenly Phoenix Palace and the Great Ape Mountain are wary of each other and have developed a rift. This southward war is completely different from the war of drinking poison back then... With the Demon Kingdom's holy lands lacking unity, the beast tide's impact is difficult to sustain for long. Under these circumstances, if the Demon Kingdom wants to achieve results, it must be quick, accurate, and ruthless. It must take a bite out of the meat first, no matter what."

"what do you mean……"

Zhao Tongtian's eyes lit up; he had already guessed Xie Xuanyi's meaning.

"good."

Xie Xuanyi lowered his eyes and said, "In the past six months, the Northern Great Wall has withstood 131 waves of demon tides. That guy has already fought Chen Jingxuan over a hundred times. He knows better than anyone that Da Chu is not an easy piece of meat to chew..."

This way.

That piece of "chicken rib"—tasteless yet too precious to discard—became the only food the demon kingdom could actually eat.

"Is the Suspended Bottle Pass of the Demon Kingdom the real target of this southward expedition?"

Zhao Tongtian narrowed his eyes and subconsciously said, "Now that we've guessed the intentions of that player from the Demon Kingdom... why not go with the flow and observe how things unfold?"

Da Chu needs to rest now.

The cessation of the demonic tide is a good thing.

As for leaving the country.

Although Li Guo and Da Chu have ceased hostilities in recent years, their true intentions are clear to everyone. If the demonic tide were to overwhelm Xuanping Pass, Chen Chong's inability to attend to external affairs might actually be a good thing for Da Chu.

"..."

Xie Xuanyi remained silent.

"Xuanping Pass is merely the first border fortress on the northern border of the country."

Zhao Tongtian fell into thought, muttering to himself, "Even if we lose Xuanping Pass, this battle is still ongoing. I understand the principle of 'if the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold,' but there's really no need to 'offer help in times of need' right now..."

Halfway through.

Zhang Lu was startled: "Wait, Chen Jingxuan wants you to leave the country, surely it's not to 'add fuel to the fire'?"

"Adding fuel to the fire...Are we that kind of people?"

Xie Xuanyi couldn't help but laugh.

"That's probably it."

Upon hearing this, the law master couldn't help but mutter a curse in his heart.

"actually……"

Xie Xuanyi rested his chin on his hand and gazed into the distance, his eyes looking beyond the mountains and the sea.

He said meaningfully, "Whether or not the Suspended Bottle Pass is lost or not is both important and unimportant."

What nonsense! I don't understand a word of it.

Zhang Lu was even more bewildered: "Is it important, and yet it's not important?"

"That depends on whose Suspended Bottle Pass it is."

Xie Xuanyi said softly but earnestly, "After fighting for so many years, it should finally come to a stop... This time, when I go to Li Kingdom, I will both offer timely help and add fuel to the fire."

(End of this chapter)