Xiuxian: I studied abroad in modern times

Chapter 605 Ready for Battle, Great Luo Dharma Assembly

Nine Mountains Boundary.

Xie Qingxue walked into Yan Wushuang's courtyard.

Yan Wushuang was sitting on a stone bench in the courtyard, with the Zhuxian Sword lying across the stone table in front of him. His gaze was fixed on the void, as if he were thinking about something. His upper body was motionless, but his hand kept stroking the hilt of the Zhuxian Sword.

"Junior brother?"

Xie Qingxue stood at the courtyard gate for a long time before calling out softly.

Yan Wushuang was startled, looked up, turned to Xie Qingxue, and called out, "Senior Sister? Is there something you need me for?"

Xie Qingxue did not answer the question. Instead, she walked into the courtyard and looked down at the Zhuxian Sword, her expression showing a rare hesitation.

"Senior sister? What happened?"

"Have you heard?" Xie Qingxue raised her head and looked at Yan Wushuang. "About the Creation Demon Ancestor."

"The sect has urgently summoned the Heavenly River Legion. They've already told us that the Creation Demon Ancestor is likely to invade our territory." Yan Wushuang nodded. "The Creation Demon Ancestor is a Golden Immortal. The Heavenly River Legion has been training for a thousand days, and this is the time to use their troops."

"We've been raising this army for a thousand days... Our sect has truly sacrificed a great deal for the Heavenly River Legion."

Xie Qingxue sighed.

As a high-ranking member of the sect, Zheng Fa would not hide anything from her. Xie Qingxue naturally knew that in order to upgrade the Zhuxian Sword Formation, the sect had practically gone bankrupt, even squandering the entire fortune of Haori Mountain, before they succeeded.

Now, looking at the resources of the Nine Mountains, apart from the Heavenly River Legion, there is no other means to fight against a Golden Immortal. Logically and emotionally, the Heavenly River Legion should be at the forefront.

As the master of the Zhuxian Sword, Yan Wushuang naturally understood this principle.

"Junior brother, Elder Han and I are thinking of having you... temporarily step down from your position as the master of the Zhuxian Sword."

Yan Wushuang's eyes widened as she looked at Xie Qingxue. Xie Qingxue turned her gaze away and looked into the distance: "It's not something you can say for sure. I'll go talk to Zheng Fa. I'll do it for you..."

"Senior Sister!" Yan Wushuang suddenly stood up, her voice rising sharply, "How can I stay in the Nine Mountains Sect if you continue like this?"

Xie Qingxue knew her idea was flawed, but she insisted, "The Immortal Slaughtering Sword Formation has just been upgraded. Who knows how powerful it is? Can it even contend with a Golden Immortal?"

"..."

“Junior brother, besides Master, there are only the three of us left in the Tianhe Sect.” Xie Qingxue turned to stare at Yan Wushuang, her expression revealing a hidden tenderness. “I have watched you grow up since you were a child, and I really don’t want you to take risks… I also know the ‘Zhuxian Sword Manual’ and have also refined the ‘Huangting Scripture’. My cultivation is also higher than yours, so I have a better chance of success than you. It will also be a help to the Zhuxian Sword Formation.”

Yan Wushuang lowered her head, seemingly unwilling, yet unsure of what to say.

Xie Qingxue's expression softened further. She reached out and tapped the Zhuxian Sword, her voice becoming even gentler: "Junior Brother..."

"If it were you, senior sister, would you run away?"

Yan Wushuang suddenly spoke, her voice muffled.

Xie Qingxue frowned and looked at her junior brother.

Yan Wushuang suddenly raised her head, stared at her, and asked again, "Senior Sister, can you dodge?"

Xie Qingxue, under Yan Wushuang's intense gaze, surprisingly remained silent in front of this junior brother.

“There are only four of us left in the Tianhe Sect.” Yan Wushuang looked up at the sky, as if searching for something. “If I run away when I encounter danger, what will my fellow disciples in the Jiushan Sect think of me? What will they think of the Tianhe Sect?”

Xie Qingxue was stunned.

"Won't they think that we have not only betrayed our ancestor, but also lost his courage?"

"..."

“Senior sister, even if only one of us is left, we are still the Tianhe Sect, and also the successors of our founder. I don’t want to lose face. Otherwise, even if I survive, the Tianhe Sect will truly perish.”

Xie Qingxue remained silent for a long time before letting out a long sigh: "I watched you grow up, but I never expected that you... are actually a descendant of the patriarch."

"It was you, senior sister, who taught me."

Yan Wushuang knew that Xie Qingxue had been persuaded, and he laughed. Seeing that there was still worry on Xie Qingxue's face, he comforted her, "Senior Sister, don't worry. This time, the Zhuxian Sword Formation has been upgraded, and its strength has greatly increased. If the Creation Demon Ancestor comes, it will be a good opportunity to test the power of the sword formation!"

He spoke with absolute certainty, and Xie Qingxue could only nod in agreement. But Yan Wushuang then said:

"Senior sister, actually I'm still hoping he'll come."

"what?"

"Back then, during the chaos in the Heavenly River, although the Creation Demon Ancestor was merely a pawn, he was still culpable. I think..." Yan Wushuang gripped the Zhuxian Sword tightly, "together with the Heavenly River Legion, we can use the sword formation left by our ancestor to seek justice for the Heavenly River Sect of that time."

At this point, the veins on Yan Wushuang's hands bulged: "I'm waiting for him to come!"

But the Daoist of Creation did not come.

……

Haori Mountain.

"Shi Nandang is Zheng Fa?" Yun Zhenxian's mouth dropped open. Yes, he certainly doubted Shi Nandang's identity, but Shi Nandang was actually Zheng Fa?
He really didn't expect it.

Seeing the certainty on the face of the Daoist of Creation, Immortal Yun smiled wryly and said, "I have dealt with him several times, and I have not seen any flaws in his scheme."

The Daoist of Creation nodded slightly: "Don't even mention you, none of us could have seen it. He knows an extremely sophisticated transformation technique, even more powerful than the White Bone from back then."

"The Law of Change..."

Yun Zhenxian's expression shifted, as if he had thought of something. He frowned and asked again, "What about the White Bone and the Gu God Ancestor?"

"died."

"died?!"

"Where is the Golden-Winged Roc, the White Lotus Ancestor? And my Lu Clan's disciples?"

"All dead."

The Creation Daoist was already frustrated after losing the Primordial Purple Qi. He also didn't think much of True Immortal Yun and the others, so he didn't bother to hide it and simply said, "None of them survived!"

"May I ask, Master, were they killed by Zheng Fa...?"

"Him? He's nothing but a coward who only knows how to hide!"

"Yes Yes!"

Yun Zhenxian lowered his head and quickly agreed.

He pondered for a moment, then spoke again: "Ancestor, Zheng Fa's methods are so strange, he may still have trump cards. He is on good terms with Taishangdao and Yaochi, so he may have reinforcements. Even if we want to counterattack Jiushan Sect, we should plan carefully."

The Daoist of Creation frowned.

Clearly, despite his disdain for Zheng Fa, he was actually quite wary of him.

"What do you think?"

"Why not send a message to Leiyin Temple?"

"Absolutely not!" Daoist Creation resolutely refused. "Wouldn't that just make Fellow Daoist Lu Yao blame us for our incompetence?"

Yun Zhenxian lowered his head even further and said, "Then what do you think, Ancestor..."

“You’re right to be cautious. Here’s what we’ll do: you go to the Supreme Dao to gather some intelligence, and while you’re at it, send someone to check out the area around the Nine Mountains Realm…”

The Creation Daoist seemed to think that Yun Zhenxian's caution was very reasonable. After thinking for a moment, he said, "The main thing is to find out whether the Supreme Dao and Yaochi have any assistance in going to the Nine Mountains Realm."

"Yes!"

Daoist Zaohua waved his hand, signaling Yun Zhenxian to step back. Yun Zhenxian respectfully bowed his head and retreated from the Three Palaces. After walking quite a distance, he clenched his fist.

He raised his head, first glancing at the Golden Summit of Haori with a very unpleasant expression, then at the Three Palaces, his face darkening even further.

After thinking for a moment, Yun Zhenxian did nothing but first send out a communication talisman.

After a while, Yun Fan arrived at Yun Zhenxian's residence and respectfully greeted, "Ancestor?"

“I remember that a few days ago, the Lu clan went to Qianqi Peak to allocate supplies?”

"Yes." Yunfan was a little confused. "Didn't you, Master, agree to that?" "What did they take?"

"..."

Yunfan looked somewhat troubled.

"You are the master of Thousand Peaks, how could you not know what they took?"

“Holy Ancestor, if you ask me what they didn’t take, I do know.”

Yun Fan's answer enraged Yun Zhenxian, causing his face to flush red.

Seeing his expression, Yunfan was even more puzzled and asked, "Aren't those resources for setting up formations within the sect?"

"A formation?" Yun Zhenxian looked up at the mountain peak in the distance marked with a formation and gritted his teeth, saying, "They are from the Nine Mountains Sect!"

"Nine Mountain Sect!?"

"And there's Shi Nandang!" Yun Zhenxian wasn't stupid to begin with, and now that the cause and effect were connected, he naturally understood many things. "He's Zheng Fa in disguise!"

Yunfan was speechless: "Stone Ancestor?"

"You still call him Stone Ancestor?"

Yunfan slowly closed his mouth, his expression still one of disbelief, and asked, "Ancestor..."

"That's what the Daoist of Creation told me. Judging from his expression, it didn't seem like he was lying."

Upon hearing this, Yun Fan's face immediately turned ashen, and he was filled with doubt: "Those Lu people?"

"I don't know who is real and who is fake, but they certainly didn't use all the money they took from my Haori Mountain treasure vault for setting up the formation... They might even have tampered with this Golden Sun Burning Heaven Formation."

Yunfan felt a chill run through him, and asked again, "Then, Ancestor, how can you be so sure I'm not...?"

Yun Zhenxian glanced at him and said, "You're too biased towards Shi Nandang... Besides, if you were him, why would they need to forge my order?"

"Why..."

"Their main objective is the Golden Sun Burning Heaven Formation!" Yun Zhenxian seemed to have truly understood. "Only the Lu Clan can access this formation."

Yunfan understood what was going on. After thinking for a moment, he asked, "Ancestor, why not tell the Creation Ancestor about this?"

Yun Zhenxian's expression became even more bitter, the bitterness reaching deep into her heart.

"The Daoist of Creation is not to be trusted."

"..."

"The White Bone Demon Ancestor, the Gu God, and even the White Lotus Ancestor, as well as several Lu Clan elders in the sect, were probably all killed by him!"

Yunfan's eyes widened.

"This……"

“I guessed.” Yun Zhenxian gripped the armrest of the chair. “But one thing I’m certain of is that he has definitely betrayed the Ancestral Master! Otherwise, why wouldn’t he dare to send a message to Leiyin Temple?”

"..."

Yunfan had a pretty good grasp of the current situation.

"Our Haori Mountain has countless spies from the Nine Mountains Sect, and even the Golden Immortal traitor, the Creation Demon Ancestor?"

Yun Zhenxian nodded silently.

"Master, what should we do?"

Yunfan panicked now.

"I've managed to stabilize the situation for now," Yun Zhenxian said through gritted teeth. "With him here, those people from the Nine Mountains Sect won't dare to act recklessly. I can take this opportunity to reorganize the great formation, at least to prevent it from falling into the hands of the Nine Mountains Sect."

"As for the Daoist of Creation, once I take control of the great formation, I will have a way to deal with him."

Yunfan understood. The patriarch was preparing to take a risk, using the power of the Creation Daoist to suppress the Nine Mountains Sect's spies within the sect, while also guarding against the Creation Daoist.

"That's too risky..."

Yunfan said with deep concern.

"Therefore, I need you to secretly send a message to Leiyin Temple!" Yun Zhenxian instructed, "Inform the Holy Ancestor about everything at Haori Mountain, and have him send someone over!"

After hearing Yun Zhenxian's arrangements, Yun Fan felt a little relieved.

Yun Zhenxian waved his hand and said, "Go down. Remember, don't alert the enemy."

"Yes!"

……

Just as Yunfan was thinking about how to find an opportunity to inform Leiyin Temple, Leiyin Temple underwent an unexpected change.

A figure enveloped in Buddhist light soared into the sky from the Western Continent, transforming into a small golden bean in the azure sky.

On the western continent, the chanting of Buddhist prayers was uniform, and the Buddhist light emanating from that person shone brightly, like a surging tide, sweeping across the entire Xuanwei sky from west to east.

The overwhelming golden light could be seen throughout the Nine Mountains Realm, Haori Mountain, and even the Underworld.

A voice rang out from within the Buddha's light.

“I am Lu Yao, the Buddha of Mahayana Buddhism.”

The sound pierced through all the heavens and worlds, and even Zheng Fa in the modern world could hear it.

He stood up, gazed at the sky, puzzled, and listened carefully to Lu Yao's words.

"The appearance of the Primordial Purple Qi in the world today is an opportunity for a major upheaval in the fate of the human race. However, the mystery of the Purple Qi has already been revealed—only when the human race is united and the world is in harmony can we obtain its blessings."

Lu Yao's tone was gentle, grand, and domineering.

Zheng Fa frowned, looking at the Primordial Purple Qi in the sun, thinking to himself that Lu Yao's understanding of the Primordial Purple Qi was much deeper than he had thought.

"Although my knowledge is limited, I am willing to do my part for the sake of the human race," Lu Yao said slowly. "I intend to convene the Great Luo Dharma Assembly, invite all Dao Fruits from all over the world, and jointly discuss the foundation of the human race for all ages, re-establish the order of heaven and earth, and forge an eternal great harmony."

The Great Luo Dharma Assembly?

Lu Yao has been preparing for so long, just for this?
Zheng Fa was somewhat enlightened, but even more puzzled—Lu Yao's idea was easy to guess; it was probably to unify all cultivators in the world.

This Lu Yao has a much deeper understanding of the Primordial Purple Qi than I do.

What puzzled Zheng Fa even more was, what gave Lu Yao the confidence to do so?

Behind the Supreme Dao is the Dao Venerable.

Not to mention that the Nine Nether Emperors of the Underworld are his mortal enemies.

But what he could understand was that Lu Yao's ambition, or vision, was greater than he had imagined.

No wonder he wasn't so concerned about who possessed the Primordial Purple Qi.

To some extent, once he unified the Immortal Path, it wouldn't matter to him who possessed the Primordial Purple Qi.

"Lu Yao, what's going on..." Old Man Bai hurried over and asked Zheng Fa, "What are you going to do?"

"Let's wait and see." Zheng Fa pondered for a moment, then shook his head and said, "Lu Yao's path first requires him to subdue all the immortals in the world. Let's see how the various sects of Xuanwei respond."

The old man nodded slowly.

Lu Yao has great ambitions, and naturally faces many difficulties. The biggest problem is why the various factions listen to him.
If the Great Luo Dharma Assembly succeeds, it will indeed be difficult for Zheng Fa to protect the Primordial Purple Qi—with his current strength, he will have no way to deal with the Dao Fruits of the world.

The problem is that the contradictions within Xuanwei have a long history and are even deeply entrenched. What gives Lu Yao the confidence to do so?

Zheng Fa and Old Man Bai exchanged a glance, but another worry arose in their hearts:
Lu Yao is a very shrewd person. He usually acts in the shadows. He would not be so ostentatious if he did not have absolute certainty.

(End of this chapter)