In the night fog, the experts within the earthen city progressed from their initial astonishment to utter daze. Everyone was dumbfounded—did that bunch of old geezers have any idea what they were doing?
Lurking in the snow, the Dog Sword Immortal stared blankly and muttered under its breath, "This efficiency... unbelievable!"
Earlier, seeing the patriarchs of Night Province undertaking massive construction with fiery fervor and hearing that they had already been toiling away for dozens of days, it had assumed this sort of cave would be extraordinarily difficult to excavate.
Yet as soon as it gave them the coordinates, the bunch of old geezers studied them carefully and dug straight through that very same day!
What astounding, miraculous speed.
So before this, had they just been slacking off and dragging their feet? When the need arose, they could actually pull it off in a single step!
A peculiar look surfaced in the dog's eyes as it stroked its translucent-green bamboo sword, remaining on high alert toward that "steaming hot," freshly baked "Heavenly Immortal Cave."
Then it turned its gaze toward the earthen city. Today, it was bustling with excitement; several Earth Immortals from beyond the territory had arrived together to pay a visit to Night Province.
Furthermore, beings from the heavens had been startled, descending from above the nine heavens upon several auspicious clouds into the earthen city.
In a flash of lightning, the Dog Sword Immortal realized that the patriarchs of Night Province had deliberately picked this time and place. This bunch of pitch-black old schemers had purposefully chosen this exact moment to "open the door."
The minds of the earthen city's upper echelons churned violently. Just as they had guessed that a lingering Heavenly Immortal barely clinging to life might be behind the eight bell tolls, helping erase traces for the "Blazing Sun"—
In the blink of an eye, it had been confirmed?!
In truth, Earth Immortal Mu Qinghe and the others hadn't wanted to verify whether any such Heavenly Immortal existed in the first place; they had no desire to provoke such a dying entity right now.
Yet the patriarchs of Night Province had directly excavated this terrifying monster right in front of them!
The earthen city's leaders cursed fiercely in their hearts. Were it not for considerations of status and dignity, they would have burst into foul-mouthed tirades long ago.
Were those old geezers insane? Blindly courting disaster again and pulling off an outrageous act that infuriated both gods and mortals!
The several Earth Immortals who had traveled from afar to visit the earthen city all grew tense, feeling thoroughly daunted. They truly hadn't expected to encounter something like this—how could it be such a dreadful coincidence?
Without a doubt, their view of Night Province's patriarchs had taken a sharp turn for the worse!
"That decaying aura is thick enough to solidify. Their bodies are ruined, their cultivation severely degraded, and their strength heavily compromised. They won't be stronger than us, and they are on the verge of death."
"Indeed, no need to fear. Within the territories touched by Yujing, true Heavenly Gods and Heavenly Immortals have long ceased to exist. At most, they are at the consummate Earth Immortal level!"
Inside the earthen city, the upper echelons exchanged rapid communications.
Under the night fog, white snow blanketed the ground. The cave before the Fire Spring was enormous—not deep this time, but extraordinarily wide, offering a direct view of the scenery on the other side.
In the past, the patriarchs of Night Province dug tunnels, but this time they had opened a grand gate.
In the world behind the gate, a crystal-clear lake rippled gently. Teeming with vibrant vitality, immortal lotuses swayed, showering splendid immortal light, while beneath the waters swam a white dragon.
And deep within the divine lake, white mist drifted over a serene island, thick with profound Dao rhythms. Cross-legged atop two Dao platforms sat two hazy silhouettes—decaying and decrepit, yet thoroughly intimidating.
They were two decrepit old men, looking as though they could breathe their last at any second.
Without question, they had once been true higher deities—Heavenly Gods!
Now, however, severe problems plagued them both.
The abrupt opening of this "gateway" caused them to open their turbid old eyes, both feeling that this was... utterly preposterous!
Did these latecomers actually open a blind box right onto their heads?
"Heaven has shown mercy! We have found our founding patriarchs!" On Night Province's side, several patriarchs cried out loudly.
On the other side of the gateway, the two decrepit figures riddled with grave physical afflictions remained expressionless. In truth, neither possessed any confidence either, for catching sight of the earthen city made them think they had been targeted by the people of Yujing!
They were shocked and filled with suspicion, at one point even contemplating flight out of fear of being locked down by Yujing.
Both understood their current state: they had once been Heavenly Gods, but now they were far from what they had been in the past. In their twilight years, they were no stronger than Earth Immortals.
The two could not fathom why this crowd of latecomers appeared so thrilled, looking as though they had arrived to pay homage to them.
Suppressing their agitated emotions, they kept silent and watched quietly to see how things unfolded.
"Could you truly be Patriarch Yuheng and Patriarch Moyuan?" Someone from Night Province's side called out the past titles of these two decaying Heavenly Gods.
Moreover, among the patriarchs on Night Province's side, someone standing before the gateway immediately reached in and plucked rare immortal lotuses from the lake!
"Patriarchs! The lineage you left behind has fallen upon hard times by our generation. No matter how desperately we strive, none of us can become a seven-sun stacker. It was only by accidentally perusing the ancient texts you left that we found our way here..."
Yuheng and Moyuan were filled with doubt. What was going on? Had their lineage really survived to this day without dying out? Were these their descendants?
However, even the two of them hadn't been seven-sun stackers back in the day. It was only after ascending to the heavens and encountering other opportunities that they ultimately became Heavenly Gods.
Their faces twitched. These latecomers were brazen indeed, plundering the rare lotus seedpods in the lake right in front of their faces and making off with them on the spot!
Had it been anyone else, who would dare act so insolently here!
Though these immortal lotuses were of little use to them now, out in the wider world, they were still rare and precious medicinal treasures.
In fact, back in the earthen city, the eyes of many turned blood-red with envy. Those were immortal lotuses cultivated by Heavenly Gods! The seedpods gleamed with a golden hue, and the lotus seeds inside were clearly ripe.
Whether one wished to become a seven-sun stacker or advance into an Earth Immortal, both paths were exceptionally difficult and required various precious medicines for support.
And golden lotus seedpods served as one of the primary ingredients for concocting a certain breakthrough elixir!
"May we take some dragon blood to save lives?" The patriarchs of Night Province spoke the humblest words, presenting an image of utter modesty, yet their actions were brazenly audacious.
They made a move against the white creature in the lake and successfully harvested a portion of dragon blood. It was a white flood dragon that had consumed plenty of golden lotus seedpods.
Yuheng and Moyuan maintained expressionless faces, their minds thoroughly scrambled. These latecomers were truly outrageous—professing respect with their lips while boldly harvesting medicine with their hands. It made the two wonder whether their eyes were playing tricks on them or if these people had gone stark mad.
"Roar—" The white flood dragon roared in fury, its cry shaking heaven and earth.
The two decaying Heavenly Gods darkened their faces and barked, "Impudent!"
They had reached the limit of their endurance. They had never seen people so split-minded, whose words and deeds were in complete contradiction.
The patriarchs of Night Province immediately begged forgiveness with utmost deference, retreating... and retreating further!
Then, they stepped right into the earthen city.
Even the Dog Sword Immortal stared in stunned disbelief. It had even brought Liu Mo's Black-White Mountains and Rivers Diagram, having promised that if necessary, it would unleash this lethal trump card.
Yet it hadn't even been needed.
The patriarchs of Night Province hadn't crossed the Heavenly Gods' bottom line, quitting while they were ahead.
"Senior Mu, Heavenly Envoy, we've come to claim our bounty! The two deities behind that gateway are Number Seven and Number Eight, wanted by Yujing!"
The patriarchs of Night Province secretly sent voice transmissions to Mu Qinghe and the envoy from Sky City. This was classified intelligence provided by the Dog Sword Immortal, completely reliable.
"What?" The envoy was shocked.
Those two decaying Heavenly Gods were actually wanted fugitives from back then?
In truth, they held tremendous dread toward Heavenly Gods and had no desire to pursue the matter. However, now that Night Province's patriarchs had blown the whistle, failing to act would leave them bearing grave responsibility!
Back then, when certain beings fled Yujing, the authorities above turned a blind eye, mounting no pursuit. Especially in the last few centuries, dictated by the overarching climate, Earth Immortals were the ceiling. Even as representatives of orthodox authority, there was no need to hunt Heavenly God- or Heavenly Immortal-level fugitives—that was simply seeking death.
Yet Number Seven and Number Eight were different. During their escape, they had committed bloody massacres and made off with "secret objects," and higher authorities had explicitly commanded their capture.
The earthen city's leaders felt the maneuvers of Night Province's patriarchs were downright slick and outrageous!
Mu Qinghe, the envoy, and the others all felt forced into apprehending the culprits. Given a choice, they truly didn't want to mess with those two. Even if their lifespans were nearing their end and their life force was depleted, they had once been Heavenly Gods after all; who knew what horrifying methods they might still possess?
"Report this above!" Mu Qinghe said secretly.
This matter could not be concealed. With that bunch of old geezers from Night Province having pointed it out directly, they could not pretend nothing had happened.
The envoy personally addressed the several Earth Immortals from beyond the territory: "Fellow Daoists, those two committed bloody crimes in Yujing. Please assist us in making a move together. Rest assured, those two wanted criminals possess only Earth Immortal-level cultivation now; they are no longer Heavenly Gods!"
Mu Qinghe also chimed in, "If you wish to take another step forward, perhaps you might find hope upon those two!"
Hearing this, the expressions of the several Earth Immortals instantly shifted.
Meanwhile, the two decaying Heavenly Gods were also feigning composure.
In reality, both sides were wary of each other, like beating a wolf with a hemp stalk—terrified at both ends.
"Cast aside your doubts! If their cultivation were still profound, they would have turned their palms and suppressed us long ago!" Having spoken, the envoy secretly ordered his subordinates to immediately ascend to the heavens and summon reinforcements!
An auspicious cloud shot into the sky, tearing through the night fog as it returned to the city above the nine heavens.
"Heh, the earthen city, Sky City, Yujing... Long time no see. A faded memory indeed!" the decaying Heavenly God spoke, realizing the other side was about to make a move.
The two no longer pretended to be calm. One of them slowly raised a hand and pressed it toward the outside world—a massive, bluish-black hand that seemed eager to detonate the entire earthen city.
Indeed, high in the air, thick clouds blasted apart; one could well imagine the force behind this strike!
"Damn it!"
At this moment, no matter how reluctant the several Earth Immortals from the Eastern Lands, the West Sea, and elsewhere were, they struck out alongside the envoy and Mu Qinghe—all for self-preservation!
Immortal arts bloomed in resplendent brilliance. Inside the earthen city, dense symbols mirrored the starry expanse, illuminating the night sky bright as day as they expanded outward from the city!
Simultaneously, immortal swords, golden hand seals, phoenix seal script, and more shot forth in unison, collectively blasting against the Heavenly God's giant hand.
With a tremendous boom, although the bluish-black hand blasted apart the dark clouds filling the sky, it failed to wipe out the earthen city. Instead, the combined strike of several Earth Immortals battered it until it dimmed.
"I told you, they are far past their former glory. Now, they are merely Earth Gods!" the envoy shouted, bolstering morale.
Boom!
The bluish-black hand withdrew and crushed the gateway with a single palm, destroying this passage.
Whether it was Mu Qinghe, the two envoys, or the Earth Immortals from beyond the territory, all let out a long sigh of relief. Now that a legitimate excuse had presented itself, who would want to risk their life?
An Earth Immortal spoke up: "There's nothing we can do about this. The passage is destroyed and cannot be reopened in the short term. Let us wait for reinforcements before deciding."
The patriarchs of Night Province chimed in, "Actually, there's another path that can be opened at any time. We dug two gateways in total."
At that moment, whether Mu Qinghe or anyone else, their faces turned completely dark. Were these old geezers sick in the head?!
Expressionless, the envoy said, "Then we must trouble you to... open it."
For there were strict orders from above: if Number Seven and Number Eight were discovered, they had to be pursued and killed. The "secret objects" they took were far too extraordinary and had to be recovered.
The several Earth Immortals regretted ever coming to Night Province, their faces thoroughly unsightly.
Without a doubt, the reputation of Night Province's patriarchs had plummeted markedly once more!
Even though Mu Qinghe was born in Night Province, her emotions roiled violently right now.
Tracing things back thoroughly, her descendants might even be among them, counting them as her own people. Even so, she had half a mind to slap them across the face.
However, she knew full well that this bunch of old geezers from Night Province had confidence and were not easily provoked. They possessed a forbidden relic—the Heaven-Anchoring Divine Stakes, which could potentially slay an Earth Immortal!
The patriarchs of Night Province nimbly opened the second gateway.
Taking a deep breath, the envoy said, "Pursue them! They're merely Earth Gods. If we take them down, it will be a monumental achievement, yielding immense, sky-shattering fortune!"
Boom!
Deep inside this gateway, tremendous commotion erupted—a fight had clearly broken out. The two decaying Heavenly Gods had not completely gotten away yet.
Soon, high in the pitch-black celestial vault, a beam of light pierced the cloud layer and fell into the earthen city. Reinforcements had arrived, striding across the gateway to apprehend the culprits directly.
In the distance, the Dog Sword Immortal muttered to itself, "Mm, it seems there truly are no Heavenly Immortals in this era. The highest among those arriving from Sky City are merely at the consummate Earth Immortal realm."
Then its eyes went wide. It discovered that the bunch of old geezers from Night Province had reopened yet another gateway and quietly slipped through!
"You guys are the real dogs!" the Dog Sword Immortal remarked.
Inside the earthen city, everyone looked at each other in dismay upon witnessing this scene.
A grandmaster from Night Province explained, "The patriarchs went to cut off their retreat! Rest assured!"
Several people badly wanted to say: Rest assured my ass!
To one side of the gateway into which the Earth Immortals had charged, the Dog Sword Immortal poked its head in and observed carefully, discovering that the combatants had already moved far away.
Many people have two sides to them, and dogs are no exception.
At this moment, the Dog Sword Immortal's eyes turned profound as it stared deep into the gateway.
Coming here to deliver a message to Night Province's patriarchs and give them coordinates had only been secondary.
Right now, it was an observer, solemn as never before, scrutinizing and evaluating the strength of those beings from the heavens.
"It seems Yujing hasn't truly revived. It hasn't cast down the light of true tribulation to slay enemies, and its Dao chains remain dormant. Mm, Old Liu won't need to relocate in the near future; perhaps he can endure through this."
Its primary purpose on this trip was to test the heavens' response.
Two decaying Heavenly Gods had been dug up; even after using these two gods as chum, terrifying Yujing made no move whatsoever.
The Dog Sword Immortal melted into the snow. It didn't dare cross the gateway, fearing there might be something wrong with the portal those old geezers had excavated.
The earthen city was in chaos. People's hearts could not be at peace—they were excited, yet uneasy. In this era, within the lands touched by Yujing, decaying Heavenly Gods actually still existed! It was truly terrifying, leaving them utterly shaken.
At Black-White Mountain, Liu Mo suddenly snapped awake from his dazed state of turbid old eyes. Beneath the black-white tree, he abruptly rose to his feet, two terrifying beams of divine light shooting from his eyes straight into the night sky, tearing through the celestial vault!
At this moment, the speech sparrow and the red squirrel up in the Black-White Twin Trees nearly wet themselves in terror.
With a whoosh, Liu Mo soared straight into the nine heavens!
Chapter 396