In Kunlun, the Queen Mother of the West sat presiding over the Jade Pool. Suddenly, from afar, she saw glaring, brilliant cave-heavens spinning across the sky, piercing through to the Immortal Realm.
She looked somewhat dazed, laughed self-deprecatingly, and murmured softly, "For a moment, I thought I had returned to the era of the ten cave-heavens back then... Perhaps it is because I miss that time too dearly that I am having hallucinations..."
Those ten cave-heavens moved across the sky, heading in this direction.
The Queen Mother of the West gazed toward the ten cave-heavens, filled with doubt and astonishment.
From within the Pantheon Palace, a rather displeased voice called out, "Queen Mother of the West, with distinguished guests present, isn't looking around everywhere a bit lacking in courtesy?"
The Queen Mother of the West withdrew her gaze, though the shock in her eyes was still hard to hide. She smiled and said, "Do not take offense, Immortal King Lan. Reminiscing about the past, I lost myself for a moment. Where were we just now?"
Inside the Pantheon Hall, the Queen Mother of the West and a female immortal sat in the host seats. Seated in the guest places were Immortal King Lan Chengye from the Immortal Court of the Immortal Realm, tasked with guarding the West Heavenly Gate, and beside him sat another person named Perfected Thousand Illusions, who oversaw the prohibitions of the Immortal Court's East Gate.
Lan Chengye looked somewhat sullen as he spoke: "Just now, we were saying that if the Queen Mother of the West is willing to lead the gods of Kunlun to submit to the Immortal Court, when the Heavenly Dao is reorganized in the future, the Heavenly Dao world will be entirely yours, Niangniang."
The Queen Mother of the West glanced outside at the ten cave-heavens and saw they were drawing closer and closer. Surprised in her heart, she smiled and replied, "Immortal King Lan's words are rather peculiar. The Heavenly Dao world was originally created by your Immortal Court to control the mortal realms, held securely in the hands of the Immortal Realm. Why do you speak of reorganizing the Heavenly Dao and distributing the Heavenly Dao world in the future?"
Lan Chengye chuckled. "Niangniang is a person of rare wisdom; you should know that this Three Realms tide is no small matter. It presents an opportunity for a great purge across the Immortal Realm. This great purge is not only for mortal powers, but also for factions within the Immortal Realm itself."
Perfected Thousand Illusions added, "Niangniang, back then, the Heavenly Venerable purged Kunlun and eradicated the gods of Kunlun solely to grasp supreme power. Yet with him commanding the Heavenly Dao, there are those in the Immortal Realm who are equally dissatisfied. This Three Realms tide will be an ideal moment to topple the Heavenly Venerable and seize control of the Heavenly Dao world."
Lan Chengye said, "If Niangniang turns to my master, you can take charge of the Heavenly Dao world in the future. The Heavenly Venerable destroyed Kunlun, making him your sworn enemy; by joining forces with my master, you can avenge that grudge. My master asks only for Niangniang's loyalty—isn't this a perfect arrangement for both sides?"
The Queen Mother of the West cast a glance at the female immortal, then mused aloud, "You mean for me to lead the gods and pledge allegiance to your master? Yet neither of you has mentioned who your master is."
Lan Chengye smiled. "My master is a divine diviner who plans without flaw. My master said that a distinguished guest surnamed Xu and named Ying would arrive at Kunlun today."
The moment he said this, the female immortal's aura wavered slightly, and she looked outside.
A youth's voice drifted in from the distance: "The scion of the Xu family from Yuxu Peak comes to pay respects to the Queen Mother of the West."
Hearing that voice, Perfected Thousand Illusions groaned inwardly and whispered to Lan Chengye, "Why didn't you mention earlier that the visitor is Xu Ying?"
Surprised, Lan Chengye replied via voice transmission, "What is so special about this Xu Ying?"
Perfected Thousand Illusions lowered his voice. "It was running into him that made me lose the Returning Dao Jade Platter to his hands! Master calculated everything, yet misjudged only him—he failed to predict that Xu Ying would hide inside the jade platter, which caused our efforts in Weixu to fall short at the final step!"
Lan Chengye laughed. "No matter. Xu Ying's arrival is within Master's expectations."
He was brimming with confidence.
A moment later, Xu Ying walked in from outside. Seeing the crowd inside the hall, he was slightly taken aback.
The Queen Mother of the West smiled and said, "The scion of the Xu family has traveled from afar. Having guests here, I was unable to come out to receive you; please forgive me."
Xu Ying's gaze landed upon the female immortal, then shifted from her face toward Lan Chengye and the others. He smiled and said, "May I ask who this distinguished guest is?"
Perfected Thousand Illusions hurriedly said, "Xu Ying, this is Immortal King Lan Chengye, Director of Imperial Prohibitions for the West Heavenly Gate!"
Xu Ying's eyes flickered, immediately understanding their purpose. He turned to the Queen Mother of the West. "Niangniang died at the hands of the Immortal Court last time, and now you intend to join hands with the Immortal Court again?"
The Queen Mother of the West laughed. "Scion of the Xu family, do not mock me. Last time, it was the Heavenly Venerable who ordered the destruction of my Kunlun. This time, Immortal King Lan comes with plans to topple the Heavenly Venerable and has promised me the Heavenly Dao world."
Xu Ying gave an "oh" and asked in surprise, "Could it be that the eradication of Kunlun was not carried out under instructions from the Immortal Court?"
With those words, the Queen Mother of the West had nothing to say.
Lan Chengye smiled. "Celestial Venerable Xu truly lives up to his reputation as the foremost figure of the Dou Department; your words strike straight to the heart of the matter. The eradication of Kunlun was indeed related to the Immortal Court. Without the Immortal Court's tacit approval, the Heavenly Venerable would never have dared destroy Kunlun."
The Queen Mother of the West frowned slightly.
Lan Chengye said solemnly, "Eradicating Kunlun was the inevitable trend of history. All the immortal Dao under heaven belongs to the Immortal Court; only the divine Dao remained held in the grasp of gods such as those of Kunlun and the Netherworld. This power pertains to the rise and fall of the Immortal Realm. If someone wields it, they can govern whether an immortal can ascend; therefore, it had to be held in the grasp of the Immortal Realm. The gods of Kunlun, the Netherworld, and elsewhere were born from the worship of living beings and were difficult to control. Thus, the Immortal Realm had to construct another Heavenly Dao world no matter what, keeping the Heavenly Dao under its own command. Consequently, when the Heavenly Venerable proposed establishing a Heavenly Dao world, no one in the Immortal Court opposed it."
Xu Ying raised an eyebrow and was about to speak, but Lan Chengye anticipated him and continued, "However, only after the Heavenly Venerable eliminated the gods did the Immortal Court realize that the one controlling the Heavenly Dao world was not the Immortal Court, but the Heavenly Venerable himself. Over all these years, he used the Heavenly Dao world to control tribulation transcendence and ascension, treating it as an instrument to recruit his own cronies. Rather than allowing the Heavenly Dao world to remain in the hands of an ambitious schemer like him, it would be better placed back in the hands of the gods. For this reason, my master wishes to let Kunlun take charge of the Heavenly Dao world."
He laid everything bare and clearly explained his intentions, which moved the Queen Mother of the West considerably.
Yet Kunlun did not belong to the Queen Mother of the West alone. Yuzhu Peak and Yuxu Peak were sister peaks of Kunlun, and Xu Ying was the master of Yuxu Peak.
"Scion of the Xu family, what do you think?" the Queen Mother of the West inquired.
Xu Ying remained noncommittal.
Lan Chengye smiled and said, "Celestial Venerable Xu should know that my master is a divine diviner of the Immortal Realm whose predictive calculations are peerless under heaven. Take, for instance, your purpose in coming to Kunlun. He told me the result of his deduction."
Xu Ying's eyes glinted. "What was my purpose in coming here?"
Lan Chengye said, "Celestial Venerable Xu came to Kunlun to meet Immortal Monarch Zitong and ask whether Yuan Weiyang is still there."
The moment he uttered those words, a pair of wistful eyes settled upon Xu Ying.
Meeting that gaze, Xu Ying saw the face of Yuan Weiyang, yet he could clearly see that the woman beneath those eyes was not Yuan Weiyang.
Lan Chengye smiled. "Immortal Monarch Zitong can answer Celestial Venerable Xu, but my master has already calculated the outcome. Does Celestial Venerable Xu wish to hear Immortal Monarch Zitong's own answer, or my master's deduction?"
Xu Ying fixed his gaze on the female immortal's face and asked, "Is Yuan Weiyang still there?"
The fairy looked calm, her voice gentle and soft as she whispered, "She is still here. She is a segment of memory across my thousands of reincarnations, and this memory has not vanished."
Having said this, she hesitated, then asked, "Is Xu Ying still there?"
Xu Ying relaxed slightly and smiled. "I am Xu Ying."
A trace of disappointment flashed across the fairy's face, and she fell silent.
*You are not him.* She did not say those words aloud.
The person she was waiting for was not the Xu Ying before her eyes.
Xu Ying looked toward Lan Chengye with a strange expression. "What else did your master say?"
Lan Chengye smiled faintly. "My master also said that to test whether he truly is a divine diviner, you will make a move against me. You intend to defeat me to force my master to show himself. Meanwhile, I need only smile and stroll leisurely forward, following Master's instructions, to easily pluck away the nine great treasures behind your back."
He smiled faintly. "When that happens, you will be utterly convinced of my master's supremacy."
Xu Ying chuckled. "The last time I fought an Immortal King was two years ago. Nowadays, even ordinary Immortal Monarchs might not be my match."
Lan Chengye said leisurely, "When it comes to divine calculation in the Immortal Court, my master is number one under heaven."
A murderous glint surfaced in Xu Ying's eyes.
Seeing that fierce look, Perfected Thousand Illusions was startled and swallowed nervously, crying out inwardly, *That Xu bastard is going to kill again!*
He was no stranger to Xu Ying. During their first encounter, Xu Ying had been terrifyingly savage, chasing him across world after world with ruthless ferocity that had given him recurring nightmares.
Now that a murderous glint had appeared in Xu Ying's eyes once more, he could not help but break into a cold sweat on Lan Chengye's behalf.
Lan Chengye chuckled. "Every single thought in your mind has already been calculated by my master. No matter how you strike, to Master, it is already predestined. I can evade it with ease."
Xu Ying was filled with murderous intent, yet his tone remained airy: "Is that so? Your master has certainly pinned me down and calculated everything about me, hasn't he?"
Lan Chengye appeared completely composed. Even though the aura currently emanating from Xu Ying far surpassed his own, he still smiled calmly and said, "Indeed. My master knows everything about you like the back of his hand."
Xu Ying's heart stirred. The nine great magic treasures manifested behind him, from the Five Sacred Immortal Mountains to the Yujing Immortal City, complete in every way. He said grimly, "Six hundred thousand years ago, your master already calculated today's scene. Heh heh, what an exquisite scheme!"
Lan Chengye was bewildered, not understanding why he suddenly brought up six hundred thousand years ago. He smiled and said, "Naturally, my master possesses miraculous foresight—"
Xu Ying said indifferently, "Of course he possesses miraculous foresight. His layout was so meticulous—hiding the comprehension method of the ten cave-heavens with the Monster Ancestor, passing down the ancestral method of the six secret depositories to my Xu family ancestor, sacrificing one thing for another by substituting the Taiyi Inborn Technique for my Xu family's Yuxu Palace heritage. He orchestrated everything with such precision, and now he sent you here to defeat me with his divine calculations. Heh heh, to reel me in under his banner and wait for this leek to ripen before harvesting me!"
Lan Chengye was dumbfounded, growing somewhat panicked inside: *Wait a moment, is the person he's talking about really my master?*
Although his master was also capable of marvelous calculations, he did not seem to be the same divine diviner Xu Ying was describing!
Xu Ying's expression darkened, and he sneered, "Your master has calculated quite well, but I would like to see whether he truly plans without flaw!"
He struck suddenly, roaring, "Come! Pluck the treasures from behind my head!"
With this move, Xu Ying directly unleashed the technique of his first life: Reversing Qiankun!
Instantly, heaven and earth inverted inside the Pantheon Palace, the cosmos turned topsy-turvy, and space twisted. As Xu Ying spread his fingers, everything plummeted toward his palm!
Yet Lan Chengye passed effortlessly through the chaotic space, arriving behind him and reaching for the Yujing Immortal City, shouting, "Xu Ying, this will be the first treasure I pluck!"
Lan Chengye felt reassured. The move Xu Ying executed was identical to what his master had told him. His master had instructed him on how Xu Ying would strike, how he would step, and how to avoid Xu Ying's attack so that he could pluck Xu Ying's nine great magic treasures completely unscathed.
Now, the Yujing Immortal City was right before his eyes!
Lan Chengye reached out to grab it, but his fingers missed the Yujing Immortal City by a single inch, failing to seize it. He was momentarily startled.
Before he had time to dwell on it, Xu Ying's second move had already arrived. This technique came from the Shangqing Great Cavern True Scripture, named the Shangqing Eight Scenes. It consisted of eight seal techniques, each representing a scene, making eight scenes in total.
Yet Lan Chengye evaded all eight seal techniques with absolute ease.
Lan Chengye reached toward the Third Heavenly Pass behind Xu Ying, but his hand still missed by half a foot, failing to catch it.
Xu Ying's third move transformed into the Eight Desolations Sun Refining Furnace, intending to draw him into the furnace. Yet Lan Chengye broke through the divine furnace, arrived behind Xu Ying, and reached toward the Divine Bridge—only to miss again by a few inches, failing to grasp it.
Both of them grew somewhat flustered.
Xu Ying altered his technique once more, transforming it into a martial arts divine ability and striking out with a move named Other Shore, but Lan Chengye still dodged it easily.
Lan Chengye reached for the Jade Pool behind Xu Ying's head, coming within a hair's breadth of seizing it.
Xu Ying switched to the Nine Heavens Ten Earths Demon-Breaking Secret Art, overturning nine heavens to crush down, yet it proved utterly useless against Lan Chengye!
As if anticipating every move, Lan Chengye slipped between the techniques as though walking through an empty realm, reaching for Xu Ying's Twelve-Storyed Mansions.
*If he can pluck my magic treasures, he can take my life!* Cold sweat rolled down Xu Ying's forehead.
Lan Chengye's forehead was also drenched in cold sweat. His hand brushed against the Twelve-Storyed Mansions, but failed to pull them down. He groaned inwardly, *Master foresaw it, but did not foresee it entirely! This person has stepped outside Master's divine calculation!*
Desperation gave rise to ferocity in Xu Ying's heart. He abruptly activated the Taiyi Divine Bridge, thinking to himself, *If you can even predict this move, then I accept my defeat wholeheartedly. You can take this Taiyi Cave Abyss and this life of mine!*
The moment the Taiyi Divine Bridge appeared, it unified Taiji and Wuji, suppressing all manner of divine abilities and Dao techniques!
This move was the strongest technique Xu Ying had comprehended on his own. If Lan Chengye could still stroll casually through the power of this strike, he would surrender on the spot!
Suddenly, as if his invulnerable body had been shattered, Lan Chengye was crushed flat against the ground by the Taiyi Divine Bridge, coughing up large mouthfuls of blood.
"Xu Ying is committing murder!" Perfected Thousand Illusions shrieked and fled in panic, scrambling toward the exit.
He had long been terrified out of his wits by Xu Ying. Seeing Lan Chengye fall, he feared Xu Ying would come to slaughter him and bolted without hesitation.
Xu Ying let out a breath of relief, wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, and thought, *Finally, at last there was one move he failed to calculate!*
A wave of lingering fear swept through him, alongside a prickle of bewilderment: *A powerhouse capable of plotting against me couldn't possibly possess only this much ability, could he?*
At the same time, in the Eastern King Residence of the Immortal Court, an elegant and noble man rose abruptly to his feet, a look of shock and uncertainty spreading across his face.
"To think there was something about Xu Ying that I miscalculated!"
Just as Xu Ying was about to obliterate Lan Chengye on the spot, Lan Chengye suddenly shouted, "Wait! Celestial Venerable Xu, my master wishes to see you! My master is none other than the Crown Prince of the Immortal Court, His Highness the Eastern King!"
Chapter 507