Chapter 159: The beginning of the catastrophe, the fight, the challenge

Regardless, the once prosperous Central and Southern Demon Cult eventually declined, saving the Xuanwei Cult the trouble of opening up the Zhaoyue Villa.

“Although there are still some remnants of evil magic in the southeast of Zhaoyue, all the masters of the Three Mountains and Five Peaks are here, and we have the help of Kunwu’s true teachings, so there is nothing to worry about.” Lord Jiyun, one of the five elders, interjected lightly.

Upon hearing this, everyone at the table nodded in agreement; ever since the green-robed old demon was killed, the so-called Central and Southern Demon Cult would naturally disappear into thin air and there was nothing to worry about.

“According to what Senior Brother Lingji (Mr. Jiyun) said, that means we can start from Central and South China first?” Xue Lingche asked.

After all, everything is difficult at the beginning, so you can just pick the softest persimmon first.

After we have dealt with Central and South, we will then deal with the old demon Huanyue in the west.

As soon as the words fell, the expressions of the five elders including Red Bearded Immortal changed slightly: “No!”

“Huh? Why not?” All the Kunwu disciples were puzzled.

“You Taoist priests may not know that although the Green Robe Man has been killed, there is still a master in Zhongnan. This man has profound magical powers and Taoism, and it is difficult to guess what he is like.” Master Jiyun explained.

“Could it be the senior from Jin’ao Island?” A beautiful lady with a graceful figure and golden hairpins asked at the table.

This person is a Qi-refining practitioner from Chaoyin Cave in Taiyue Ridge; she is nicknamed the Golden Hairpin Saint Lady and has a great reputation in Taoism, known for her dancing skills and her social savvy.

The Golden Hairpin Saint Lady has an old relationship with the Five Elders, and this time she came to help as invited.

“Jin’ao Island? Where did this force come from…” Xue Lingche and others looked around in confusion and shook their heads. They had never heard of the reputation of these scattered and side sects.

“It is said that in the unfathomable Black Water Lake, there is a fairy island, drifting with the waves, named Jin’ao. On the island lives a great fairy, named Master Biyou, also known as Master Tongtian. The master has more than ten disciples, all of whom have great magical powers and extraordinary martial arts.” The Golden Hairpin Saint explained to everyone.

Xue Lingche and the others heard the true rumors of Kunwu; they did not comment on it. Compared with these individual people, their vision was much higher.

What great immortal ancestor; no matter how great he is, he is not greater than the founder of Xuanwei Sect.

Although he felt unhappy, he did not show it and just nodded.

“But Central and South still have to be conquered; are we just going to leave it alone?” Gu Lingmiao asked.

True Man Chi Ran shook his head and said, “As far as I know, although most of the disciples of the Jin’ao Island lineage are from the demon tribe, they believe in living in seclusion. As long as we defeat Huan Yue, it will not be difficult to negotiate with Jin’ao and promise them benefits to let them agree to open a government.”

They, the Five Elders of Yangu, are closer to Zhongnan; thank you for the information.

Although the identity of the master of Jin’ao Island is mysterious and his strength is unfathomable, he has always kept his distance from the surrounding forces.

The main trouble in opening a government is obstacles; and the old demon Huanyue is the biggest obstacle.

As long as the old demon Huanyue is eliminated, the situation will be settled. We can then negotiate or plan the boundaries with Jin’ao Island, or perhaps use benefits to make Jin’ao Island agree to allow Kunwu to open a government.

“In addition, there is another reason. That is, the Black Water Dragon Ao Jiang has also tried to seize Zhaoyue many times. But if there are forces from Jin’ao Island in Black Water, the Black Water Dragon will be more or less concerned.”

Lord Jiyun smiled and twirled his beard: “In this way, Jin’ao Island and Black Water Dragon Palace can check and balance each other; only then can we deal with Li Yuze’s demon tribe with peace of mind.”

“Yeah, that makes sense.” Xue Lingche and others agreed upon hearing this; it would be best if the task could be completed with less trouble.

“Before, my fellow apprentices and I went to Liyue Country for reconnaissance. We had a fight with the old demon Huanyue and killed several evil spirits. When Senior Brother Ji used his magical powers, the old demon was so scared that he ran away. I couldn’t stand it.” Dong Lingshan laughed contemptuously.

It was before that King Huanyue was ambushed in Liyue Kingdom; it was Lingqian, Lingmiao and others who were the ones who attacked.

After fighting for only a few rounds, he killed all the evil spirits that were accompanying him. A divine light flashed from his Linggan acupoint and broke Huanyue’s magical eye power, frightening him so much that he ran away.

If it weren’t for the pitch black darkness and the evil fog, everyone would have been afraid that there were a lot of monsters in the demon’s lair ahead; they would have to chase them down and kill the old monster Huanyue.

Even so, the reputation of Kunwu Zhenchuan was made known by this battle.

“There are many masters in the demon’s lair. We were caught off guard last time. Besides, we are outnumbered against a small number, so we must not underestimate the enemy.” Ling Qian seemed very humble.

“Hmph, if the old demon hadn’t run fast last time, I would have made him take a hit from my Heavenly Mang Divine Needle.” Dong Lingshan didn’t care.

Years have passed; his magical powers and skills are no longer what they used to be.

He has already refined the magical Sky-Eye Needle to the point where it appears and disappears unpredictably, and in an instant, it can strike across a distance of thousands of feet.

Thousands of tiny needles are imperceptible, but once they touch someone’s skin, they will penetrate into their heart and control their life and death across thousands or tens of thousands of miles.

In addition, after he received the true teachings, he learned many magical techniques to dispel evil from his master.

Ling Shan thought to himself that his strength was now several times greater than before.

Not only Lingshan; these top peers; especially those who swallowed the fairy apricot.

To forge a wonderful foundation for Taoism, each and every magic power is condensed to the extreme, the foundation is solid, and the power of Taoism is powerful.

Not to mention ordinary Qi-refining practitioners; even ordinary profound masters can be contended with by them.

“In that case, I think we shouldn’t wait until the Lantern Festival. We should directly issue a challenge tomorrow, inviting the demons from Boyue Villa to fight. The winner will stay and the loser will retreat.” Pei Lingming said impatiently.

The last time he ambushed the old demon Huanyue, he was only trying out his skills and killed two evil monsters; before he could satisfy himself, Huanyue fled in panic.

Since then, the old demon Huanyue had only dared to hide in Li Yuze’s demon nest and had not found any ambush opportunities, which made him increasingly anxious.

“Brother Pei is right. Instead of waiting for the evil spirits to come and destroy the peace of our immortal residence during the Lantern Festival, why don’t we set up a battle formation with those evil spirits and have a good fight with them.” Even Xue Lingjue agreed.

This caused the banquet goers who came to support to cheer, and the morale was boosted.

Some people even threatened to go directly to the door and destroy the demon’s nest.

When Red Bearded Immortal saw this, he felt excited but also a little worried. However, he knew that at this moment, he must not go against the morale of the people.

So he coughed, suppressed the noisy voices, stood up and said, “Ahem, fellow Taoists, listen to my arrangements.”

As the leader in charge of the talisman, as soon as he stood up, dozens of people at the table around him also stood up. Even Ling Che and other Kunwu disciples had to stand up after seeing this.

The scene fell into silence, and everyone turned their eyes to the Red Bearded Immortal.

“It’s not that I don’t want to attack Huanglong directly; but there are too many demon soldiers in the demon’s nest, and there are layers of mechanisms and restrictions, as well as hidden weapons and horses. If I go in rashly, I’m afraid it will harm my fellow Taoists, which makes me feel uneasy.” True Man Red Beard said slowly.

Those who attended the banquet included a dozen of Kunwu’s new generation’s top disciples Ling Miao, Ling Che and others, as well as dozens of well-known Qigong practitioners from the three mountains and five peaks.

There are no less than tens of thousands of demon soldiers in the demon’s nest. Once they form a formation and draw in the energy of the stars and gods, all other methods will be changed and they will be able to kill.

Once trapped in the formation, the disciples of Kunwu are fine; they all have protective spells or life-saving techniques taught by their teachers.

As for those individual Qi-refining practitioners, if they encounter a life-and-death crisis, they may very likely lose their lives in the demon’s nest.

This was also the main reason why, during the months of confrontation, although the Huanyue side suffered repeated defeats and fell into a disadvantage, the Yangu side did not take advantage of the victory to pursue and attack them.

“Well, Brother Qin, why do you have to say that? Since we dare to come to help, we are ready to fight with the evil spirits.”

“We absorb the spirit of heaven and earth and gather the essence of the sun and the moon. Since we are said to have attained the Tao, we have no reason to fear life and death. Our rise and fall are all determined by fate, not by humans.” The white-haired Taoist laughed wantonly as sword energy swirled between his fingers.

Most of these independent people have achieved their success through self-study and self-cultivation.

They are very different from the disciples of the great religions who come from a family background. Compared with the disciples of the great religions who value profit over righteousness and love life and hate death.

The independent cultivators are more like heroes full of the spirit of the underworld.

Therefore, the Five Elders came to help with just a summons and without any promise of benefits or favors. They gathered from thousands of miles away.

In the void, there is a trace of calamity aura that is invisible to the naked eye.

The morale of everyone at the banquet was rising. The Taoists bared their teeth, their eyes flashed with ferocity, their weapons rubbed against each other, and their murderous intent soared into the sky, as if they were trapped in a demonic barrier.

“You Taoists are so righteous, how can I, Qin Miao, sacrifice your lives for the sake of my own family’s selfish plans?”

As the Red Bearded Immortal spoke, he raised his cup and toasted everyone. Then he said, “It is too risky to charge directly into the demon’s lair. Let’s issue a challenge to King Huanyue first. We will set up our formation tomorrow and fight at the Collapse Ridge.”

“Okay!” Everyone drank the wine in their glasses.

Lord Jiyun, one of the five elders, put down his cup and gritted his teeth and said, “In this case, to be on the safe side, I will go to the demon’s nest and deliver a challenge.”

Before he finished speaking, Chen Hai stepped out from under the reed shed and said with a smile, “It’s just a trivial matter. Why bother Brother Lingji? I’ll do it.”

“Yes, Junior Brother Chen Lingkun has extraordinary swordsmanship, and he also has the ability to escape and leap with the sword, so he will be the right person for the job.” All the true disciples of Kunwu recommended him.

Especially Wen Lingyang, Ling Che, Ling Shan and others have the most say.

Back then in Zhongzhou, so many of them surrounded Chen Hai, but they were unable to capture him. He played a trick on them and escaped with his sword skills.

This shows his superb swordsmanship.

Now they are back in the same camp; all past grudges are now just a joke; but they still admire Chen Hai’s strength from the bottom of their hearts.

“Fellow Daoist Chen, you beheaded a demon with your sword last time, and you haven’t rested yet since you came back. How can I trouble you again? Let me go.” Lord Jiyun shook his head.

After that, he continued, “Besides, when two mortal armies fight, they don’t kill the messengers. I’m just delivering a letter of war, so how can there be any danger?”

“That being said, the old demon Huanyue is cunning and changeable. In the demon’s nest, there are many cruel and brutal creatures. I’m afraid that if the Taoist priest goes there alone, he will be humiliated.” Lingmiao and others shook their heads.

There is definitely no danger to life.

But humiliation is certain.

Among the five elders, Master Jiyun has attained enlightenment the longest and is also a highly respected senior in the cultivation world. There is no need for him to go in person to deliver a letter.

What are the Kunwu Immortals doing here?
It is because the five elders are highly respected and have great fortune, so they came here to protect them and open up their government.

Just like a Dharma protector; and at the same time, borrowing the good fortune and luck from the Five Elders to accumulate his own good fortune and luck in order to cope with the great catastrophe that is about to begin.

“In my opinion, why don’t we go together to deliver the letter.” Pei Lingming had a unique idea and suggested that the dozen or so disciples of Kunwu go together to deliver the letter.

In this case, if the demons dare to humiliate them, they will just fight directly.

Even if the demons take action, they are not afraid.

It was a good opportunity to kill all the evil spirits, cut off their heads and return to the mountain to claim credit.

“That’s not necessary. We’re just delivering a letter. If we send too many people, it will make our Xuanmen sect look petty and too cowardly.” Chen Hai frowned and shook his head.

After advancing to the true teachings, his magic power increased steadily, and after swallowing the fairy apricot, his basic Taoist power became extremely solid.

He gradually refined the sword skills that Ji Yuan had taught him.

Now he can fly a thousand feet with his sword.

So he thought that even if he couldn’t win, he could just run away.

Moreover, there are actually no good players among the monster clan, except for the old monster Huanyue.

Including the so-called young generation of the demon race and Prince Huang Ling, none of them was worthy of his attention.

That’s why Chen Hai took the initiative to volunteer. His fellow disciples also knew his abilities, so they didn’t object.

“What Daoyou Lingmiao and Daoyou Lingming said makes sense.”

Ji Lingqian pondered for a moment and said, “In this case, fellow Daoists Lingji, Lingming, and Lingkun, the three of you will go together. What do you think?”

“Okay, I have no objection.” Lingming was the first to agree.

When Lord Jiyun saw this, he frowned but didn’t say much.

Upon seeing this, Chi Ran Zhenren wrote a letter of challenge, pressed a seal on it, and handed it to the three people: “You three Taoist friends, there is no need to fight those monsters when you go there. There are mainly two purposes.”

“First, let’s take a look at the good players in the demon race and the specific situation in the demon nest.”

“Secondly, we must encourage that old demon Huanyue to bring only the core demon clan members to fight at Daotu Ridge tomorrow. This is very important.”

The three Jiyun lords clasped their fists and said, “Yes.”

“Okay, there is no time to lose, you three should go now. The rest of you should adjust your breathing now. I and my fellow Taoists from Kunwu will meet you five hundred miles northwest of Liyue Country.” instructed True Man Chiran.

The plan of the Yan Gu side is to avoid the demon clan’s lair of Li Yuze, which is full of demon soldiers.

Invite the old demon Huanyue and the prince Huang Ling to the Daotu Ridge to fight, and then everyone will fight against each other.

First kill the leaders including the old demon Huanyue, and then head towards the demon’s nest.

In this case, there are only demon soldiers left in the demon nest, and there is no powerful leader, so it will not be difficult to break it.

Otherwise, it will be very difficult to fight.

If we attack the demon’s nest by force, once the demon soldiers form a formation, the star-level evil spirits will be able to sweep across the place at will, and all the Taoist figures will have to retreat, and many people will inevitably be killed.

If too many of the new disciples that Kunwu has worked so hard to train are killed, it will be difficult for the Five Elders of Yangu to survive in the future.

Therefore, Lord Jiyun and others were not at ease letting Chen Hai go alone.

You also have to find an old hand to find out the situation in the demon clan’s lair.

Chen Hai’s swordsmanship is very good, but he has too little experience in the martial arts world and is far inferior to Lord Jiyun.

This time, the purpose is not only to send a challenge; the most important thing is how to provoke the old demon Huanyue to accept the challenge, which is the main purpose.

So just let Lingming and Chen Hai, who are good at fighting, go with Lord Jiyun.

In this way, there will not be too many people, nor too few, and they can take care of each other; in case of any changes, the three of them can work together to delay some time in the demon’s nest.

Wait for the Red Bearded Immortal, Ling Miao, Ling Che and others to come and rescue them.

(End of this chapter)