Immortal Road.

A few days later.

A message suddenly spread among the lower ranks of the five armies of the Celestial Envoy camp.

"Hey, did you guys know? The hidden figures who helped the Black Lotus Cult have been exposed. Many of them are powerful rogue cultivators in this world. I really don't understand why they dare to defy the world and aid and abet evil!"

"Oh? Helping the Black Lotus Sect now is destined to fail, a complete waste of effort. What are they after?"

"How could we possibly understand the thoughts of such important figures? Perhaps the reward offered by Fairy Qinglian is generous. People will die for wealth, just as birds will die for food!"

"Tell me quickly, who are they?"

"There are many: Beihai Wu'anguo, Yangzhi Qinglingchun, Quchang Huanlin Sanren, Xinyong Ailian Jushi, and Luxi Xun Gu Jiaozhu."

We are all cultivators who enjoy discussing those high-ranking figures during breaks in battle; it is one of the few pastimes we have after facing death.

The list released this time mostly consists of unknown rogue cultivators or old relics who are slightly famous in certain regions. It was specially selected by You Meiji and Chi Hong to highlight Lin Shan!
The term "Master of Seeking the Ancients" has been trending in the cultivation world multiple times in the past two years, and many people are familiar with it.

Compared to that group of quiet, low-key, and unknown rogue cultivators, Lin Shan stood out conspicuously!
Soon, stirred up by an invisible hand and deliberately provoked behind the scenes, it attracted the attention of most people.

"The Seeking Ancient Master? I remember him. He once rose steadily in the newly released list of Nascent Soul experts by the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion in the Kaiyuan Realm. After conquering Penglai and retreating unscathed, he jumped to twenty-first place, making him an absolute powerhouse in this world!"

"Hehe, not only that, if he hadn't just broken through to become a Nascent Soul not long ago, and his realm was only at the early stage of Nascent Soul, his ranking would be several places higher."

"What? They're ranked close to the top twenty in the cultivation world, and they're all incredibly talented geniuses. It's said they all have the potential to ascend to the Immortal Realm, making them the ultimate immortal prodigies! Why would such people be so foolish as to join a heretical cult and ruin their future?"

"Who knows? Maybe they offended Penglai and couldn't make a living there, so they sought refuge with Fairy Qinglian?"

"It is said that this person has also infiltrated and controlled the Ghost Valley Holy Land and the Star Palace Hundred Clans, harboring immense ambitions and schemes. Not only has he sided with the Black Lotus Cult, but he is also entangled with the demon race, the sea race, and even the hellish demon race."

"Hiss~ So it seems the Ancient Seeking Cult Leader really isn't a good person!"

These rumors spread rapidly throughout the five regions and even spread wildly on the mainland.

Lin Shan himself was stunned when he heard this!
The Sea Clan's Venerable Yushe was quite puzzled, not understanding why they were suddenly being targeted here. They had been keeping a low profile lately, following the lead of Layman Jinglian.

"Sect Leader Lin, why didn't you tell me that you used Yuan Nian to place bets on both sides with Fairy Qinglian? What if we ran into each other on the battlefield? Wouldn't that be like the flood washing away the Dragon King's temple?"

"Ahem, don't worry, we won't run into each other."

Lin Shan couldn't understand it either. Although he was jumping around between the two sides, he didn't actually jump around at all in reality. He was just slacking off on both sides, so it was really unfair that he was being targeted.

He had a plan in mind beforehand: if Yuan Nian went to Qinglian Fairy's side, the Devouring Soul Prison would definitely be exposed, and after a while, some of his fellow cultivators in the Immortal Envoy camp would definitely be able to recognize it.

However, everyone is working for their own boss, and everyone is just doing their job for money, so no one will take it too seriously.

But this time the movement was very large, spreading widely among the lower classes and even being spread across the mainland. It used the current prestige of the Pure Lotus Hermit to incite hatred for his defection to the Black Lotus Sect!
Justice and evil, who can say for sure?
Whether the Black Lotus Cult is destroyed or not has nothing to do with him, who is just coasting along.

However, due to the instigation of some people, who dug up his past affairs and even brought up the fact that he had served as the Black Lotus Envoy during the Foundation Establishment stage of the Great Song Dynasty, his reputation in the cultivation world plummeted!

Isn't it only natural that a heretical cultivator who was once a disciple of the Black Lotus Cult would return to the Black Lotus Cult after reaching the Nascent Soul stage?

Even he himself felt that he was an utterly wicked demon when he heard it.

"What are you two whispering about, fellow Daoists?"

When Lord Shouzhuo returned, he saw the two of them looking worried and casually asked them what had happened.

After spending these days together, the three of them gradually became more comfortable with each other. Shouzhuo Shenjun went from placing small bets at the beginning to later attracting tens of thousands of disciples from the Taixuan Holy Land!

Clearly moved by Layman Jinglian's conditions, he resolved to give his full support.

Lin Shan and Venerable Yu She exchanged a glance, and casually asked what outsiders would think.

Have you heard about the recent Black Lotus Cult's foreign aid list?

Lord Shouzhuo nodded naturally and found a place to sit down.

"I've heard about it. I've met several of them before. I knew Fairy Qinglian wouldn't just sit here and wait to die. She's indeed invited quite a few fellow cultivators at the Nascent Soul stage. However, she hasn't released the real big fish yet. It seems that only the Ancient Seeking Sect Master is a formidable opponent."

He smiled and then shook his head.

"This is clearly the rhythm of the Penglai Holy Land. If the Ancient Seeking Sect Leader has a grudge against anyone, it must be Penglai without a doubt. Only Penglai has the motive and the ability to do so!"

Ok?
Upon hearing this, the two immediately felt that it made a lot of sense. In their impression, the Holy Lord of Penglai should be a descendant of Zang Yan from ten thousand years ago, constantly resorting to underhanded tricks, just like the things they had done.

"But everyone isn't stupid. The leader of the Ancient Search Sect is no ordinary person. Who would bother to go up there for no reason? This is just an avatar. There's no need to fight it if we can beat it. Killing it will only invite retaliation. If we get killed in return, we'll have nowhere to seek justice. What's the point?"

Lord Shouzhuo didn't take it seriously, treating it as just a joke.

From his perspective, the revelation of the identity of the Ancient Seeking Cult Leader was not a big deal, and he wouldn't bother to join in the fun anyway.

If you actually encounter them on the battlefield, you might have to avoid them!
This was also the thought of most of the Nascent Soul stage cultivators and great supernatural beings who participated in the battle. Few were willing to go and really fight to the death. Even the True Monarch Shouzhuo could guess that it was Penglai Holy Land that was behind it. Others might be able to guess it as well.

Lin Shan and Venerable Yu She both agreed and breathed a sigh of relief upon learning of the idea.

It seems the media campaign is very aggressive, but not many people are taking it seriously, and there are mostly just onlookers. It probably won't amount to much.

a few days later.

The Pure Lotus Hermit led his army to conquer the gateway to the Dian Kingdom. From here, he officially swept away the peripheral forces of the Black Lotus Sect and began to penetrate deep into the sect!
This level of factional conflict is unlikely to be resolved in a single battle.

The main problem is that as long as both sides have high-level combat power, they cannot advance quickly. To completely eradicate the Black Lotus Cult's tentacles hidden in the cultivation world and among the common people, they have to rely on sheer numbers.

The mobility of Nascent Soul stage cultivators is undeniable; they can break through the void and leave at any time. Capturing the leader is unrealistic; the only option is to use overwhelming force to compel Fairy Qinglian to join the group.

Without power and the support of the Black Lotus Sect, Fairy Qinglian is a toothless tiger. If she cannot kill Pure Lotus Hermit in the future, she will not be able to ascend safely.

The five-pronged encirclement tactic is showing initial success, like a large net tightening its grip, creating a sense of oppression that makes it hard to breathe. As the pressure intensifies, it puts immense psychological pressure on the enemy.

When the third battle began, Fairy Qinglian resolutely chose to concentrate her main force for a targeted surprise attack!
This time, her target was no longer the Sacred Land of Vastness, but the central route where the Pure Lotus Hermit was located!

In the past, when kings did not meet, the Azure Lotus Fairy would intentionally avoid it, and they would not fight until the very last moment, hoping to expand their advantage through early operations.

But when they realized this tactic wasn't working, they decisively changed their strategy and launched a surprise attack.

When the majority of the Black Lotus Cult's fighting force appeared, displaying an aura several times greater than their own, the Immortal Envoy's camp was thrown into chaos!
Without hesitation, Fairy Qinglian stepped forward to restrain Layman Jinglian, and her men suddenly launched a surprise attack! In the past, when all sides were in danger, Layman Jinglian would rush around to put out fires. But no one expected that Layman Jinglian's middle lane would fall into a disadvantage, being outnumbered by the Black Lotus Sect. With other lanes being restrained, it was difficult for her to react to the danger here.

Even if he suspected something was amiss, he didn't have the courage to disregard his men and come here to wander around.

A golden road unfolded in the sky, its powerful divine energy carrying a hint of immortal mystery. Each strike contained profound truths, as heavy as Mount Tai yet as light as a feather, shattering one spatial rift after another.

No one could intervene in the battle between Fairy Qinglian and Hermit Jinglian. Even though the other party was still in the Nascent Soul stage, he still had the combat experience of a True Immortal. Many of his actions were forward-looking. How could a cultivator of the same realm be a match for an immortal?

Close combat also began below.

Lin Shan, Venerable Yu She, and True Lord Shou Zhuo huddled together, watching the enemy's torrent rush past, and stood back to back to resist it.

"Fellow Daoist, you're still distracted at a time like this! Focus!"

Seeing that Lin Shan was distracted, his gaze fixed on the sky as he watched the duel between the two immortal figures, Lord Shouzhuo couldn't help but speak up to remind him.

Venerable Yushe also secretly sent a telepathic message to him.

"Is your Yuan Nian avatar on the other side?"

"No."

Lin Shan gave a casual reply, his attention still focused on the top of his head. He had benefited greatly from observing the clash between the immortals, and he dealt with the Nascent Soul stage cultivator rushing towards him with ease.

The Annihilation Avatar has a variety of methods, and the Yin-Yang Annihilation Bow was reforged by the Black Skull Demon Lord, so outsiders basically have no way of knowing his identity. Therefore, he can easily act freely and move forward with ease.

Four Nascent Soul stage cultivators suddenly appeared on the other side, all of them being Yuan Nian incarnations. It seemed they were also ganging up on the three of them and attacking them.

Shouzhuo Zhenjun was anxious because the disciples of the Taixuan Holy Land were being attacked by the Black Lotus Sect army, but he was unable to spare any attention and was instead being overwhelmed by his peers.

Not long after, a scream was heard!
It turned out that a powerful cultivator from the Immortal Envoy camp was no match for the opponent and was killed by a Nascent Soul stage cultivator. His true body perished and his blood splattered across the sky, instantly inspiring all the cultivators in the Black Lotus camp.

Following their numerical advantage, the army below suffered a crushing defeat, with high-ranking officers falling one after another, yet reinforcements were nowhere to be seen.

The figure of the Pure Lotus Hermit appeared and disappeared, locked in a fierce battle with the Azure Lotus Fairy.

As the two fought fiercely, they were suddenly enveloped in a halo of light and disappeared. A vast ripple flashed in the void, and only the exclamation of the Pure Lotus Hermit could be heard from afar.

"This is a domain? You haven't recovered to the Void Realm yet, so you can't see into the origin of the void and obtain authorization. Furthermore, the lower realm doesn't have unique materials. How can you possibly cultivate a domain?"

"Hmph, you lackey of the Heavenly Court, how could you possibly know my methods! If I hadn't perished back then, a newcomer like you who has just joined the ranks of immortals wouldn't even have the right to see me!"

There was nothing above their heads, and they could see nothing, but they could hear the two people talking in the void and violently clashing and fighting.

Everyone below was shocked. This was a domain?

Caught in the middle of it all, unable to find a way out, even though it's so close, it feels like we're forever separated, and there's nothing I can do to help!

No matter how fierce the fighting inside was, it was completely undetectable to the outside world, which was indeed a sign of the Void Realm.

"What nonsense are you spouting, you mere heretic cultist? In your previous life, you were no more than as strong as me. You just relied on your sister's status to bully others. I, on the other hand, climbed up to the ranks of immortals through my own abilities. What right do you have to be so arrogant?"

"Hehehe, in the immortal realm, the most important thing is background. You know that yourself, otherwise you wouldn't have chosen to be a dog of the Heavenly Court. The gap between you and me is predetermined. If I hadn't died, I would have left you far behind sooner or later. We are fundamentally different kinds of people."

"Hmph! Anyone can talk big. As long as I complete this mission and return, I can also advance further and serve in the Heavenly Palace. My future will be limitless."

"That will have to wait until you can complete it. If you can't break free from my domain, then just sit back and watch as I break through one of your armies today. When the five-pronged encirclement collapses, what tricks will you have left to use?"

"It's just a rudimentary territory; do you really think it can hold me back forever?"

Suddenly, the voice of Layman Jinglian disappeared.

Then, it never appeared again.

The battle below continued. The Black Lotus Sect, outnumbered, gradually increased their advantage by killing more and more people. The number of Nascent Soul stage cultivators facing Lin Shan and his companions had increased to six, and the pressure on them suddenly increased dramatically!
"Sect Leader Lin, should I use the Heaven-Reaching Spiritual Treasure? Let's..."

A ruthless glint appeared in Venerable Yu She's eyes, which surprised Lin Shan slightly.

"You brought the Heaven-Reaching Spiritual Treasure with you?"

"Hmm, the Void Silver Scale Armor, it's better to be prepared."

"No, are you serious?"

Everyone is taking a moderate risk, sending a Yuan Nian avatar to play with the two immortal big shots. Who wins or loses is not important; it's just a gamble.

Winning means huge profits, losing means small losses.

You've brought all those magical treasures, aren't you afraid of ending up with nothing? I really don't know what to say to you.

He thought about it and realized that with Layman Jinglian missing, this road didn't look like it could last much longer, so he decided to retreat first.

"Then you lead the way, let's just run!"

The two of them consulted the God of Shouzhuo, who said he had no objections. Without saying another word, they made a quick getaway!
As the Nascent Soul stage cultivators withdrew, the army below also suffered a crushing defeat, and after waiting for reinforcements for a long time, it finally disintegrated.

Lin Shan's Yuan Nian incarnation in the Black Lotus Sect was still sent to You Meiji's command, and all four guardians led their teams to meet the various forces.

Without exception, all four attacks were feints, and none of them could be defeated!

After the four holy lands saw through their true intentions, they launched a fierce counterattack and relentlessly pursued them, driving them into a panic!

As Lin Shan was retreating with the main force, he suddenly felt a chill run through his body and knew something was wrong.

The next moment, dark clouds suddenly appeared overhead, and ancient seal characters flew in from nowhere, swirling wildly around him, shrinking tighter and tighter.

"Hahaha, where do you think you're going, you traitor? Surrender now!"

The Lord of Righteousness's loud laughter rang out, his clear and powerful voice piercing through heaven and earth, carrying a captivating aura of righteousness.

Lin Shan opened his eyes wide as he watched a massive brush, seemingly reaching the heavens and the earth, descend from the sky.

"A Heaven-Reaching Spiritual Treasure???" (End of Chapter)