"Now let us discuss your matter," Immortal Zhao Li said.
Wei Yuan's expression turned solemn. "The Northern Liao's Wise King of the Left took action in person, attempting to pinpoint and assassinate Xiaoyu. This is rather abnormal."
"Indeed, highly abnormal," Immortal Zhao Li nodded.
"So, has everyone who joined my Palace of Grand Beginning been abandoned by the aristocratic families?"
Immortal Zhao Li replied slowly, "'Abandoned' might be going too far. It is simply that things will no longer be as they once were—standing shoulder to shoulder, assisting one another, with every nearby immortal coming to the rescue the moment one person is in peril."
The aristocratic families were bound together like branches of the same tree, and the most crucial principle of their alliance had always been the special protective measures afforded to their core direct-line geniuses.
Whenever foreign races encountered these core prodigies, they generally prioritized capturing them alive.
First, capturing them alive could yield an immense ransom. Second, killing them would provoke collective vengeance from all the families' immortals. Even uninvolved immortal patriarchs from other families would watch for opportunities to strike down young alien talents in retaliation.
Bao Yun, Xiaoyu, and Xu Henshui were precisely this caliber of direct-line prodigy. In the past, if the Wise King of the Left had launched an ambush—whether he succeeded in slaying Xiaoyu or not—the immortals of the various families would have taken action, openly or in secret, taking turns challenging the Wise King of the Left until the debt was settled in full, with interest.
Yet this time, even the Xiao family's immortals made no move whatsoever. This was what made Wei Yuan sense something amiss, prompting him to seek Immortal Zhao Li for confirmation at the earliest opportunity. And upon asking, there truly was a problem.
Wei Yuan frowned. "When did this begin, and how did it come to pass?"
Immortal Zhao Li sighed. "Ever since the moment you slew Lu Changhe, it has been this way. It simply remained unapparent because the disciples of each family were watched over by their own immortals, and Qingming had not fought any major battles for a time. This is not a formal pact, but rather an unspoken consensus. Moreover, it is not executed thoroughly. Take me, for instance—within my sight, I will certainly help whenever help is due."
"Then who else still stands on my side?"
"Work hard, and the Bao Family Old Ancestress will stand by you. In addition, Xu Youyi can count as half a supporter."
"Xu Youyi?" That was entirely outside Wei Yuan's expectations.
Immortal Zhao Li said, "Her Xu family made its fortune through the Dao of Alchemy, and they naturally believe harmony breeds wealth. While she has a bit of an abrasive temper, she is not the sort of person who fails to see the greater trend. The Xu family sits right on your doorstep; she has no desire to become the second Lu Changhe."
Wei Yuan pondered for a moment before asking, "Are there any other reasons?"
"Of course there are, but I cannot speak of them right now."
"Not even here?"
Immortal Zhao Li nodded.
Wei Yuan pressed no further. Bowing respectfully, he departed the small courtyard. A moment later, he arrived at Immortal Monarch Yanshi's courtyard, knocked on the door as usual, and stepped inside.
Cradling the ancestral immortal sword, Immortal Monarch Yanshi was sipping tea. Seeing Wei Yuan visit, he seemed mildly surprised and gestured for Wei Yuan to take a seat.
After a cup of tea had been finished, Yanshi scrutinized Wei Yuan from head to toe. "When you arrived this time, I didn't sense your presence at all. Have you acquired a new divine ability?"
Wei Yuan said, "I just drank an infusion of Yaochen Jade Leaf at Immortal Zhao Li's residence and formed a—"
Before Wei Yuan could even name the divine ability, the teacup in Yanshi's hand shattered.
Meeting Wei Yuan's astonished gaze, Yanshi forced a smile. "It's nothing, keep talking! Don't mind it, it's merely a leaf of Yao—er, merely that tea, nothing more."
Curiosity immediately welled up within Wei Yuan. Was there a story behind this?
Yet Immortal Monarch Yanshi refused to utter another word about it, so Wei Yuan got straight to the point and recounted what had happened to Xiaoyu. Yanshi pondered, "Given that old codger of the Xiao family's temper, if he encountered such an outrage, he should have charged into the Northern Liao alone long ago. Yet now he acts as though nothing has occurred, showing patience to rival a tortoise. That is completely wrong—there must be a conspiracy afoot!"
Yanshi deliberated for a long while without reaching a conclusion. Casting his thoughts across all his acquaintances, he realized he didn't really have many immortal friends to speak of, so he could only say, "I cannot quite make sense of this either. How about I find someone to ask?"
Wei Yuan said, "Forget it, Grandmaster, you don't need to ask. I already understand the gist of it. So the present reality is that the Xiao family's immortals will not stick their necks out for Xiaoyu, nor will any of the other families' immortals lend a hand. Is that correct?"
Yanshi pinched his fingers in divination, then nodded. "That should indeed be the case."
"Is it targeted at the Palace of Grand Beginning, or at Qingming?"
Yanshi answered slowly, "Both, but more likely aimed at Qingming."
Wei Yuan nodded. "Good, knowing this much is enough. Since the aristocratic families do not intend to manage this matter, I will! I only need Grandmaster to do me a favor."
"Speak! Do you want me to have a go at the Wise King of the Left?" A glimmer of murderous intent surfaced in Yanshi's eyes.
Wei Yuan said, "Not just you—both of us. Issue a challenge to the Wise King of the Left for a fair contest of magical arts."
"Fine. How do we fight?"
"When immortals duel, they naturally contest grotto-heavens. Then I will disguise myself as one of your grotto-heavens, just like back then."
Yanshi was taken aback. "You can still pass yourself off as an ordinary grotto-heaven?"
Wei Yuan said, "Guaranteed!"
Yanshi made a snap decision. "Good! I will arrange the battle at once! But that cunning old fox of a Wise King will inevitably invite other immortals to back him up in secret. The way I see it, half the grotto-heavens that old bastard brings might well be borrowed!"
"Why don't you borrow a few as well?"
Yanshi tapped his finger lightly against the tabletop. "That old bastard will borrow, and he certainly knows I would too. So I truly must borrow several. Yet Northern Liao possesses numerous immortals, whereas our Palace of Grand Beginning has no external aid, so he will be certain I cannot borrow many. Yes, he will definitely come to this fight!"
Undaunted, Wei Yuan said in a heavy voice, "Splendid! The more he borrows, the better—we can strike him all the harder! Let him learn the true cost of making a move against Xiaoyu!"
"You would rather stir up a war between immortals just to stand up for Xiaoyu?"
"Yes!" Wei Yuan answered without the slightest hesitation.
Without another question, Yanshi dipped his finger into a splash of tea and flicked it. The water droplet transformed into a white eagle, soaring into the Immortal Heaven, carrying the challenge to the Wise King of the Left.
A short while later, the white eagle flew back onto Yanshi's hand, dissolving into a stream of information. Yanshi announced, "The Wise King of the Left has replied. He agrees to a fair battle with the Immortal Heaven as witness. It will be a battle of grotto-heavens, but each side may only bring nine. For that old scoundrel to agree so readily, he must believe he holds victory well in hand, aiming to deal me a vicious blow."
***
Atop a snow-capped mountain peak in the northern domains, the Wise King of the Left stood at the entrance of a great hall, personally welcoming inside a man whose upper body was half-bare, his exposed skin painted with vibrant ritual pigments.
Once seated inside, the Wise King dismissed the singing girls and dancers before saying, "For the Guru to emerge from seclusion and act so decisively is truly extraordinary. Just as expected, Yanshi's vital qi was drawn, and he has issued a challenge. With the Guru's aid, this battle will surely be a grand victory!"
The Guru was of towering stature, wearing a necklace strung with miniature exotic beasts and heavenly birds around his neck. Hearing this, he chuckled. "Upon emerging, I heard that Yanshi has caused us plenty of trouble over the years. What he relies upon is nothing more than his twelve immortal-grade grotto-heavens. Once you shatter nine of them this time, he will fade into the ordinary ranks, no longer posing any threat."
The Wise King praised, "With the Guru's support, this battle is certain to succeed. Yet there is one matter I do not fully understand: since the Guru has left seclusion, why not arrange a grand engagement instead of capping the limit at nine grotto-heavens?"
The Guru said, "The Palace of Grand Beginning is an isolated island among humanity. How many grotto-heavens could Yanshi possibly borrow? Were there no restrictions, he would face certain catastrophe, so how would he ever agree to come? That is why I set the limit at nine and swore by the Immortal Heaven to a fair contest. Only in this way could I lure him onto the hook."
A broad smile spread across the Wise King's face. "Guru, I still harbor a sliver of worry. With nine grotto-heavens... are we guaranteed victory?"
The Guru sneered. "This seat was in seclusion for a thousand years, finally forging three Supreme Huntian Dharma Gods! Even our sect's founding patriarch only carried four Dharma Gods at his side in his prime, yet he dominated the entire grasslands! Now I lend you one Dharma God, the 'Heavenly Bone,' which can effortlessly annihilate four or five immortal-grade grotto-heavens. This single Heavenly Bone alone is far stronger than the Little State Preceptor; what more could you desire?
"When the time comes, the Heavenly Bone will hold off five of Yanshi's grotto-heavens. With eight of yours against his remaining four, could you still fail to destroy him?"
The Wise King's spirits soared. Rising, he offered a deep bow. "If this great enmity can be avenged, the three thousand li of oasis at the foot of the snow mountains and beside Crescent Lake shall henceforth be an offering to the Esoteric Brahma!"
A smile finally graced the Guru's face, and he raised his wine cup, draining it in one gulp.
***
Inside the small courtyard, Yanshi paced back and forth, muttering to himself, "That old bastard the Wise King has little genuine skill, yet an abundance of scheming tricks. For him to suddenly propose such terms, there must be a trap!"
"Could it be a karmic luck angling through heavenly secrets?"
Yanshi froze. Sensing carefully, his expression turned exceedingly grim. "I didn't feel the slightest pull of angling at all—there truly is a massive problem!"
"Then how should we respond?"
Yanshi suddenly let out a cold laugh. "Soldiers come, generals block; water rises, earth dams! If he dares contest grotto-heavens with me, could I possibly fear him? A fair fight it shall be!"
"Does Immortal Monarch Zhu Yan have any formidable grotto-heavens?"
Yanshi immediately shook his head. "That fellow cultivates the dharma physique; his grotto-heavens are mere decorations. Hmm, your seven grotto-heavens each possess unique features and could prove remarkably useful. Let me consider which eight grotto-heavens to choose, and combine them with yours to produce a wondrous effect—"
At this moment, a thought struck Wei Yuan. "How could your disciple possess seven grotto-heavens? Plainly, I have only one."
Yanshi promptly shook his head. "You cannot fool anyone with that!"
Wei Yuan's eyes turned profound and abyssal. His voice fell low, resonating with the reverberations of the Great Dao's silk-threaded notes: "Your disciple has not yet ascended to immortality, and therefore possesses only one grotto-heaven: the Flourishing of the Many Realms."
Within his sea of consciousness, that Yaochen Jade Leaf suddenly dissolved into ten thousand motes of sparkling light. An invisible mist enveloped the exterior of the Flourishing of the Many Realms, fusing everything into a seamless whole.
At this moment, in the eyes of Heaven and Earth, it was a single grotto-heaven.
Chapter 1280