A hundred thousand Dao Foundation cultivators marching together to the northern frontier—such a massive movement caused a sensation not only within Qingming, but also drew the eyes of major external powers. Even Northern Liao slowed its offensive, shifting to fortifying defensive redoubts in case a hundred thousand Dao Foundation cultivators suddenly materialized before them.
Yet after these hundred thousand Dao Foundation cultivators took root at the ancestral mountain, there was no further commotion. Daily, they merely operated the Four Symbols Time-Sharing Grand Array.
At this point, with both the World Refining Grand Array and a hundred thousand Dao Foundation cultivators present in the Lu clan's ancestral lands, karma was twisted beyond recognition. No matter how formidable an almighty being might be, deducing what was taking place inside the ancestral lands was virtually impossible.
To figure out what Wei Yuan was doing, one could only rely on the most primitive methods—such as coming in person to take a look, or sending people over to observe.
The stir Wei Yuan caused was truly too vast, so the various factions did not hesitate to activate deep-cover agents long embedded in the ranks to transmit intelligence. Consequently, during the first few days after arriving at the ancestral mountain, nearly a hundred template Dao Foundation cultivators either went missing without a trace or met sudden, violent deaths.
With template Dao Foundation cultivators suddenly suffering casualties in concentrated numbers, news spread, and the cultivators grew somewhat uneasy. However, Sun Yu, who had led them here, immediately dispatched attractive male and female disciples into the ranks of the template Dao Foundation cultivators to preach that everyone who met with mishap was a spy from the various aristocratic clans, long since possessed and manipulated via puppet secret arts. When necessary, these spies would discard their mortal vessels to flee with the intelligence using a speck of origin soul, so those who died had only gotten their just deserts.
Once this was explained, the template Dao Foundation cultivators settled down. They knew very well what they were worth; it was completely not worth an adversary using such high-level methods on them.
Having finally soothed morale, Wei Yuan naturally took the matter very seriously. He mobilized several thousand more template Dao Foundation cultivators to fill the gaps first, and then laid down an interim version of the Great Array of the Zhou Celestial Stars, placing the interior and exterior of the ancestral lands under complete surveillance.
Afterward, Wei Yuan retreated back into the ancestral lands, continuing to dig for treasure with peace of mind.
...
High above in Immortal Heaven, a small, limpid spring suddenly appeared. Soon after, several towering figures manifested one by one, walking over at an unhurried pace to stand beside the immortal spring.
Each figure was exceedingly blurred—not only were their features indiscernible, but it was hard to even say whether they truly existed in this space.
At that moment, one figure spoke: "This Winding Stream and Floating Cups Immortal Spring can warp and confound time and karma. I had only heard of it in the past; seeing it today, it truly lives up to its reputation!"
A figure beside the immortal spring replied, "Since you know of this spring, you should also know that we who appear here right now are not necessarily truly in this place, nor are we necessarily at this point in time. Perhaps we come from the past, or perhaps from the future. Thus, none of you need worry about leaks, nor should you contemplate settling any grudges here."
"Yet if that is the case, we do not even know each other's identities. How are we to discuss matters of great import?"
The person beside the immortal spring chuckled and said, "The major affairs have already been decided; there is nothing much left to discuss now. As for identities, the immortal spring belongs to me. It is enough that you know I am the Venerable Master. There is no need to know anyone else's identity."
The others raised no objections and stood quietly by the spring.
The spring was exceedingly wondrous. Small streams of water spouted out of nowhere, transforming into countless crystalline droplets. Illuminated by heavenly light from an unknown source, they radiated a dazzling brilliance that washed over the figures, giving even these immortals the sensation of drifting with the tide.
When struck by the spring's radiant gleam, one experienced slight displacements in time and Immortal Heaven. Aside from the master of the immortal spring, no one could accurately pinpoint their own location, much less attack an adversary. When unable to determine even one's own coordinates, how could one ascertain the position of another?
Only then did the group abandon other thoughts and focus on the purpose of this gathering.
The Venerable Master said slowly, "Wei Yuan is currently digging up the roots of the Ganzhou Lu clan. How should we respond?"
A shrill voice came from one figure: "He is flanked and guarded by a hundred thousand Dao Foundation cultivators. Who could have imagined such a thing would one day come to pass? If Xu Shuhe were still alive, he would have been well-suited to sweep away those hundred thousand Dao Foundation cultivators."
Another person said coldly, "Do not forget the World Refining Grand Array. There are a full twelve Scenery Commands inside it! Add to that the fact that Wei Yuan himself is no pushover—if Xu Shuhe went alone, going ten times would likely mean dying ten times."
The minds of the immortals were as swift as lightning; in an instant, countless exchanges flashed between them, yet back-and-forth discussion yielded no conclusion. Wei Yuan's turtle shell was simply too thick, and it was hardly an inanimate target; if one went to strike it, there was always the risk of being bitten back. Wei Yuan held far too much human luck in his grasp, and suffering a bite from him would be disastrous.
Moreover, regardless of their rank, immortals cherished their reputations and cultivation. None was willing to lift a finger against those template Dao Foundation cultivators.
If a finger descended, who knew how many Dao Foundation cultivators would be blasted to death? None of them was the Liuli Immortal Lord; how could they withstand the karmic backlash from so many cultivators?
The last person suddenly spoke: "From what I observe, Wei Yuan is merely an irritable, impulsive man fond of grandiose achievements. A hundred thousand Dao Foundation cultivators—how many great undertakings could they accomplish, yet he uses them simply to safeguard himself? If that is not a reckless waste of heaven's gifts, what is?
"In my view, we can maintain constant pressure on him and stir up trouble from time to time, keeping him perpetually on edge so that he dares not let these hundred thousand Dao Foundation cultivators leave, and perhaps even forcing him to bring over even more of them. Doing so amounts to constantly bleeding Qingming. Though Qingming's growth currently flourishes like the midday sun, going against the natural order too often will inevitably bring about its decline."
Another immortal sighed and said, "Those remnants of otherworldly realms—we have all visited them and extracted many lingering memories of beings from beyond. It is not as if we have never captured transmigrators either; quite a few were genuinely talented, yet we let them go lightly.
"Who could have imagined that holding a mere unlearned Xu Wenwu, with only a handful of experiences from otherworldly realms, would allow Wei Yuan to accomplish something of this magnitude?"
The Venerable Master said slowly, "Wei Yuan has grand ambitions but meager talent, delights in showing off, and his arithmetic is inferior even to my mount's. What great wisdom could he possibly possess? In my view, the crux still lies in that Qingming boundary stone. As for who refined that stone, I haven't the slightest clue. Even after searching every immortal text, not a trace of a record can be found.
"Whoever could refine the Qingming Immortal Stone must possess world-shaking divine powers, likely standing shoulder to shoulder with the Martial Ancestor and myself. Yet how could such an almighty being leave behind not the slightest trace?"
Someone suddenly asked, "Could it still be the Martial Ancestor's doing?"
The Venerable Master was silent for a moment before saying, "That fellow has been dead for so long, yet the arrangements he left behind emerge one after another, as if without end. Only by uniting our efforts can we break the cage and attain unfettered freedom. We had best unite our wills; a single careless misstep could overturn our boat."
After another moment of silence, someone asked, "Wei Yuan has now become the linchpin of the overall situation. How exactly should we deal with him?"
The immortals lapsed into silence once more. An aged voice sighed, "This is truly an unprecedented situation! Alas, the youth lacks martial virtue—how can anyone act like this?"
One immortal suddenly suggested, "Since we cannot touch Wei Yuan for now, why not make a move against his wife and children?"
The moment these words were spoken, the hearts of the immortals stirred.
Someone chuckled: "Wei Yuan is an old fox, cunning and hard to handle, but surely he cannot protect his wife and children on all sides? That is his soft underbelly. We need only dispatch one or two capable subordinates to lie in wait, then strike with thunderous force when the timing is right. It is guaranteed to shatter his Dao heart!"
"Wei Yuan seems to have a son who has already fallen into the hands of the Pure Land, yet he appeared largely unperturbed."
"The man is cold and unfeeling by nature, but he is a lecher! Striking at his romantic beauties will certainly hit the mark! Along the way, we can also strike a blow against that little thief, Bai Kaishui!"
The immortals all deemed the plan feasible. With their scheme settled, they dispersed to make their respective arrangements.
A figure shuttled and leaped through Immortal Heaven, gliding like a swimming fish skimming through water waves, gradually drawing nearer to present time.
Suddenly, he let out a cry of alarm as his figure rapidly blurred! A jade pendant radiating dark red demonic light flew out from nowhere, hurtling straight toward his sea of consciousness!
Ambushed so abruptly, the immortal was fortunate not to have fully entered the present time yet. He immediately executed a sharp turn with all his might, attempting to flee into another timeline. Yet at that very moment, a clear, bright laugh rang out: "Detonate!"
The jade pendant suddenly exploded!
How terrifying was the detonation of an immortal treasure? Boundless demonic light directly shredded time and space across a vast expanse, blasting that figure out of the other timeline and tumbling him back into the present era.
Shocked and furious, the immortal suffered a partial dissipation of his body. From this single blow alone, he was heavily wounded, his immortal physique shaken to its very foundation. Nevertheless, his features and form remained an indistinct blur, evidently shielded by another secret treasure that concealed his identity and karma.
From the void walked out a handsome Daoist, his eyes shining bright as morning stars.
The blurred immortal gritted his teeth. "Zhu Yan! You are utterly shameless!"
The handsome Daoist chuckled. "Yo, you actually recognize me? Since you recognize me, you should know that I have always been shameless. Did that blow feel good just now? I detonated an immortal treasure from the Third Generation Palace Master; if it didn't blow away nearly half your life, how could it do justice to such a potent treasure?"
"Bah! What immortal treasure—that was clearly a demonic artifact! That old bastard Su Chan committed every evil deed imaginable back then..." The immortal cursed several times before fuming, "You and I have no grievances between us. Why ambush me here, and with such vicious force? Are you trying to kill me?"
Zhu Yan admitted frankly, "That's right!"
The immortal laughed in sheer exasperation. "The reason? You don't even know who I am, yet you seek my death?"
Zhu Yan laughed. "When my Palace of Grand Beginning acts, why would we need a reason?
"Very well, if you insist on an explanation, I'll spell it out for you. Over the next hundred years, I will remain lurking in Immortal Heaven. As long as someone is unfamiliar to me, or skulking around unwilling to reveal their true face, I just might launch an ambush against them. Anyone who dies by my hand can only blame their bad luck.
"In any case, I have only just attained immortality. I am young and can well afford to spend a few centuries of lifespan. The palace has plenty of immortal treasures too—Elder Su Chan alone left behind a dozen or so. I will detonate them one by one; I'm bound to blow up a few unlucky bastards."
Overcome with shock and fury, the immortal gritted his teeth. "You... you are utterly deranged!"
Zhu Yan laughed heartily. "You're only realizing that now? Did you just meet me today? Back then, you lot should have spared no expense to put an end to me before I attained immortality! You failed to kill me back then, so now you're the ones who will die! If you regret it, it's too late!"
The immortal gave Zhu Yan a deep look, turned, and left. Zhu Yan did not pursue. Instead, he pulled out a pouch, drew out another black-qi-wreathed immortal treasure, weighed it in his hand, and vanished from the spot.
...
Within Qingming, in an unspeakable space, four Daoists sat facing each other, each pointing a finger toward a mass of primal chaos qi in the center.
This place was neither real nor illusory, neither past nor future, nor was it the present. It was not within the six realms, having leaped beyond karma.
The mass of primal chaos qi churned incessantly, gradually revealing a speck of purple hue.
The four Daoists suddenly ceased their efforts and opened their eyes at the same time.
Among them, three were old, middle-aged, and young Daoists respectively. The fourth, clad in a Daoist robe, was Zhang Sheng.
Zhang Sheng appeared lost in thought, calculating silently with his fingers. The old, middle-aged, and young Daoists exchanged glances and pointed their fingers at Zhang Sheng in unison. Instantly, like a flash of lightning through his heart, Zhang Sheng grasped much of what was transpiring.
The three Daoists spoke in unison, "Fellow Daoist may attend to your affairs first. Once you have settled your mundane matters, returning to refine this primordial qi will not be too late."
Zhang Sheng nodded, stroking a long lock of hair by his temple. Sword qi surged within his pupils as he said slowly, "I have already kept quite a low profile, yet someone actually dares to pluck my tiger whiskers?"
Chapter 1182