Great Red Immortal Sect

Chapter 742 Liaowei
Liaodong, Shengjing Road, Dadu.

The three weeks of continuous rain finally stopped and the sky cleared, but the heavy, iron-gray clouds lingered and did not dissipate, so little sunlight fell into the capital.

The city gate, forged from fine iron, swung open with a loud creak that made one's teeth ache. The guards on both sides knelt down to greet the carriage that was entering the city.

A yellow and white carriage, surrounded by rosy clouds, slowly traveled along the long road, pulled by six extremely magical male horses. The driver was a stone figure, its body dark yellow and its divine light gleaming.

Behind the carriage was a large procession, a long line, with flags flying, bearing the character "Wei".

Ordinary people were rarely seen in the city; most were nobles from various tribes or descendants of previous generations, and most of them possessed cultivation. At this moment, they all avoided the carriage.

The carriage curtain was slightly lifted, and a young man in a brown, elegant robe peeked out. He had an otherworldly air about him and looked around the not-so-ancient capital city with a slightly scrutinizing air.

He sat back down, pulled back the carriage curtain, and returned to his seat, his eyes seeming to hold a hint of dissatisfaction.

His aura seemed to have just broken through to supernatural powers and was still unstable. Brownish-yellow earth radiance swirled around him, transforming into various strange phenomena such as imperial palaces, divine temples, and immortal mountains.

"This place, with the sea to the north and mountains to the south, is indeed a place for maintaining the status quo. However, it has missed the opportunity to expand southward and lacks the ambition to unify the world. What does Your Majesty think?"

Sitting before him was a handsome young man with striking features and a composed demeanor. He wore a dark yellow royal robe embroidered with ferocious beasts, and a long, golden brush hung diagonally from the sash at his waist.

It was Tuoba Jue, the King of Wei, personally appointed by the Emperor, who represented the Tuoba clan in governing the Yuan region in the eastern part of Shengjing Road. His territory was vast and contained blessed lands.

This King of Wei was not old, just over two hundred years old, but he had already achieved perfect cultivation, possessing all five methods, and was still following the orthodox path of the state, which could be traced back to the Yin Dynasty.

"The Xiao family never had the ambition to unify the world. The so-called Ling Sa, the way of the barbarians, means to live in the wrong, the evil, and the different, and not to live in the orthodox way."

Tuoba Jue continued in a leisurely tone:

"Throughout history, it has always been extremely taboo for foreign tribes to enter the Central Plains. Without support, it is impossible to succeed. Back then, our tribe was able to move south and relocate the capital from Shengle to Luoyang only with the help of Jitu."

He looked at the boy in front of him, his gaze slightly somber.

"The fundamental purpose of the Xiao family's establishment of the state was to control the Central Plains and prevent the emergence of another figure who could unify the world after the end of the Fengtian era. Now, all the families in Liaodong are waiting for the best price to sell, just to see what benefits they can get later. The only ones who really want to go south are those monks."

The young man smiled slightly, a strange light appearing in his eyes, and said:
"Your Majesty, I have heard that Emperor Li, who is disgusted with the world, has driven out these Buddhist and Taoist sects that were originally in the Central Plains. If they really attack, those of the [Cultivation of Knowledge], [Discipline], and [Worldly Wisdom] can still go to Mount Sumeru to take refuge, but only [Rebirth] will have to stay here, which will be a great suffering."

He is the newly promoted Purple Mansion of the Tuoba clan, named Tuoba Lin, with the Daoist name [Dai Lin], and has achieved a Wu Earth supernatural power [Chao Xuan Palace]. Now, he has entered the capital as a close minister of the Wei King of the clan.

"The prosperity of the Pure Land also has powerful figures supporting it. The one at Tianye Temple in Sumeru is one such figure. Didn't our dynasty try to suppress him once before, but ultimately gave up?"

Tuoba Jue spoke in a somber tone, mentioning these old stories.

The Northern Wei dynasty had many entanglements with Buddhism and Taoism, from initially seeking help from the south to later turning against them after taking control of the Central Plains. The most important of these entanglements was the shared practice of seeking rebirth in the Pure Land.

Emperor Taizu of Northern Wei, Tuoba Yuanye, once killed the incarnation of the Venerable Tianchan Miaokong, forcing this Buddhist and Taoist sect to retreat to the harsh northern lands and shrink back to the Pure Land. Until the fall of Northern Wei, this sect rapidly expanded again.

"I've heard that Wang Sheng is now frequently traveling to mysterious places, probably to discuss future matters. I think that even if he doesn't die out, his fate will be extremely tragic."

Tuoba Lin spoke with a hint of schadenfreude as he recounted the recent events surrounding his passing.

“Our Tuoba clan is of the Daoist origin and belongs to the Earth element, so we have many ways out, which even the Yelü clan cannot compare to. I think this clan is probably doomed.”

The change of dynasties was not a big deal for a family like his. The Emperor Li could not possibly have really wiped out the Northern Immortal Path. He would probably only have dealt with Xiao Liao and Yelü.

At the end of the reign, many foreign tribes rebelled, and the Yelü tribe, which was originally weak, only occupied the bitterly cold land near the North Sea and established the state of Dan, which was far inferior to the other tribes.

At that time, their descendants were a branch of the Shulu clan, which was a vassal. However, it was from this lineage that a cultivator who had reached the Lingsa perfection was produced. He achieved enlightenment in one go, changed his surname to Xiao, and thus became an imperial clan.

Currently, the military and political power in the court is still held by the Yelü nobles, and even half of the religious positions in the Nian Kingdom are held by this family. In contrast, the Xiao family, as the imperial family, is much more low-key! Even the newly enthroned Liao emperor rarely appears in public and lives in seclusion.

"Although the fire of Li is strong, it is trapped in death and abandonment; Ling Sa's position is biased, making it difficult to establish an imperial dynasty."

Tuoba Jue spoke softly, his gaze seemingly piercing through the carriage and looking straight into the far distance.

"After the Battle of Langshan in Zhongjing, the Xiao clan's decline is inevitable, and the Song dynasty is also in danger. Our clan should wait patiently for the earth element to flourish so that we can seize the opportunity."

He had a very clear understanding of the situation. Whether it was Liao or Li, although they were currently fighting fiercely, the future world probably would not belong to either of them.

His greatest advantage is his lifespan, which allows him to patiently wait for the changing times and pursue the Dao.

"Although the imperial family has issued an order, our clan must not become too deeply involved in this war."

Tuoba Jue's tone was slightly somber. The imperial family he was referring to was not the Ling Sa Emperor, but the imperial family that had ascended the throne a few years ago. It was the emperor's eldest son, the Lingming King Xiao Xian, who ascended the throne at almost the same time as Tian Chi from the Li Kingdom.

The Emperor had three sons: Xiao Ling, also known as Lingyou; Xiao Xian, who ascended the throne; and Xiao Jun, known as Lingchi, who advocated war abroad. This Xiao Xian was extremely mysterious; despite being on the throne for many years, Tuoba Jue had never met him once. Today, as he entered the capital, he could finally see what kind of person Xiao Xian was.

The carriage stopped; it was nearing the imperial palace.

Tuoba Jue alighted from his carriage, instructed the people behind him to wait, and then followed his attendants along the road into the palace. In a short while, they arrived at the depths of the imperial palace.

"Announce that King Tuoba Jue of Wei shall advance."

The envoy in blue read out the imperial decree, which allowed Tuoba Jue to enter the palace. He saw that the walls were brightly lit, and iron-gray clouds rolled and changed. On both sides, there were courtiers kneeling in worship.

On the highest throne, there was another man with a cold face and a tall and imposing figure, wearing a black imperial robe with patterns of myriad evil beasts.

"Tuoba Jue greets Your Majesty."

He bowed respectfully. As a great cultivator who had perfected the Five Laws, he was entitled to be exempt from kneeling. Otherwise, even with his status as a member of the Tuoba clan, he would still have to kneel and pay his respects when meeting the imperial family.

"With Wolf Mountain breached and Zhongjing about to fall, what are the thoughts of the King of Wei after his battle with the immortals of Li Kingdom there?"

Xiao Xian, sitting on the throne, spoke calmly. He had already reached the peak of the Purple Mansion realm and was also a member of the Spiritual Saint path. He had spent the first half of his life cultivating in the cave heaven and rarely appeared in the world. Now that he had ascended the throne, he did not like to show himself and lived deep in the palace.

"With the combined efforts of Tai Zhen and Hei Sha, it would be difficult for Shi Mo alone to defeat them."

Tuoba Jue's words were merciless. Although there were many demon-exorcising monks in the Northern Liao, few were truly willing to contribute. They were merely seeking rebirth and pleasure.

Xiao Liao's background is far inferior to that of Li Song. The Song family is backed by the top lineages of Nanli and Heisha, who can mobilize high-level cultivators to take action at any time.

"Indeed, relying solely on the Demon Release technique is insufficient to stop it."

The new Liao emperor spoke in a slightly cold tone, continuing:

"I have summoned you here today for one thing: before the fall of Xieqiu, Zhongjing must not be completely destroyed. This matter will be overseen by you and Etu."

As his voice fell, a monk in a sand-yellow robe suddenly appeared from the shadows at the edge of the hall, his yellow eyes gleaming as he looked over.

"If Xieqiu is breached, and Leyu wants to retreat, then there's no need to worry about Zhongjing anymore; everyone can just retreat and defend Yuanjing!"
-
The Broken Hill, the Hall of the Heavenly Wolf.

The doors were tightly shut, the blood and qi were dissipated, and inside the hall, a man dressed in white and gold armor was meditating, breathing slowly, his aura already adjusted to its peak.

Numerous mysteries resonated within his body. He cultivated the [Subduing Profound Heaven Blood Dao Scripture], which did not rely on mystical phenomena. The method to attain enlightenment was to directly question the Golden Position with one's life force, uniting blood and qi to achieve advancement.

He had already mastered this technique to perfection, and could be considered a master of profound enlightenment, but his Taoist methods were extremely incompatible with the current Blood Qi Demonic Path.

Feng Yan silently looked inward, and the churning blood energy within his inner vision transformed into a divine power, its mystical form changing, suppressed by the mystical spear, its demonic nature restrained.

There is only one blood qi divine power: the [Origin Blood Pact].

This supernatural power was something he acquired after perfecting his ancient cultivation methods. It did not benefit his cultivation at all; on the contrary, he had to constantly suppress it to avoid demonic influence.

Blood Qi degenerated into demonic ways in a very early era, hence the supernatural powers were all deeply demonic, with no concept of the righteous path. Among them, the [Original Blood Pact] is the most crucial, and one can inquire about the Golden Position.

He also had many doubts in his heart. After all, this method of seeking gold was too peculiar. It was a supernatural power combined with ancient methods, and he also had to deal with the demonic nature of blood qi.

Even if it fails, I can still start from scratch and create a chance to change things.

Feng Yan's thoughts began to stir. Within his body was a unique bloodstone, covered in ink, manifesting various strange phenomena, and subtly echoing the power of heaven and earth.

The item sent by the Blessed Land of White Paper was indeed extraordinary, turning his chances of obtaining gold from certain death to a glimmer of hope, but this was only from his perspective.

Perhaps in the eyes of that Tao Youshi, and even the higher-ups behind him, even if they gave up this item, seeking the blood essence would inevitably lead to death.

However, he couldn't worry about these things right now, as Yueyu had already urged him several times to discuss the defense of Xieqiu.

Although he was a demonic figure, he didn't actually have much entanglement with Yue Yu. He was merely a figurehead, representing the will of the Xiao Liao imperial family.

He also had some doubts about the purpose of this demonic land. If the Buddhist monks were going south to spread their teachings or to suppress the immortal cultivators, then they had no choice but to resist the Li Kingdom.

The desire for cola doesn't actually have many direct motivations.

At least this path does not require much vow power. Although there are Buddhist practitioners, there are no Vajra Bodhi or similar paths. The upper-level figures still cultivate the immortal path, but this path has made great contributions to resisting the Li Kingdom.

'If the hill falls, the desolate capital will also fall, and it's likely the army won't be able to hold out for long.'

(End of this chapter)