The Earth Phase Token

Outside Hong City. The old monk and the woman traveled north, crossing the waters to arrive near Hong City. As they drew near, the woman sensed something. Her expression shifted slightly, and she dropped down to the summit of a mountain below. Her foot tapped down lightly, sending tremors through the mountain and tumbling loose rocks down its slopes as her true essence vibrated through the void. "Get out here!" *Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!* Several streaks of escaping light shot out from the shadows in an instant. To think there were people hiding in these desolate, wild hills. Among them, a green streak and a black streak possessed the strongest auras and fastest speeds, their momentum exceptionally fierce. At the same time, a rough, thunderous shout rang from within the black light: "Who dares disturb me—" The clamor cut off abruptly. The person inside the black light sounded as if their throat had been seized. "Saint King!" A delighted cry sounded from the green light as it rushed up the peak, revealing a figure in green armor who prostrated in grand obeisance. "Subordinate pays respects to the Saint King!" The black light followed close behind, resolving into a burly, black-robed man. Catching the faint smile on the woman's face, the brute was seized with unease and quickly followed the green-armored figure in saluting. "Subordinate was insolent! I beg the Saint King to mete out punishment!" They were both demons. The clothing and armor on the green-armored figure and the burly man were clearly wondrous treasures capable of concealing their identities well. The other demons all carried varying degrees of demon qi. The woman was none other than the current demon Saint King, master of the Eastern Sea's Saint King Palace—Saint King Qinghu! The old monk was the Buddhist Deity Transformation cultivator Saint Huiguang, who had already stepped ahead into Hong City. Saint King Qinghu asked, "The humans are holding a grand assembly. What fun are you joining here?" "Reporting to the Saint King, we had not seen you return for so long and feared for Your Highness's safety, so we searched all the way here from the Eastern Sea. We learned that human assemblies traditionally involve manifestations of Deity Transformation cultivators, and thought there might be news of Your Highness..." Halfway through, the green-armored figure was interrupted by Saint King Qinghu's cold snort. "Having confirmed that I and the human Deity Transformation cultivators were missing, you felt bold enough to divide the Saint King Palace, didn't you?" "Subordinate would never dare!" The green-armored figure and the burly man turned pale with fright and loudly protested their innocence. Quick-witted, the green-armored demon pleaded repeatedly, "May the Saint King see clearly! Subordinate is utterly loyal to the Saint King! It is only because that rascal Longjing saw that Your Highness was absent and secretly colluded with Liuzu, plotting treason, that subordinate had no choice but to seal the Saint King Palace and flee here." Saint King Qinghu had only meant to warn them, not truly punish them. She asked, "In the years I have been away, have there been any major events?" "Two hundred years ago, that rascal Longjing began stirring up trouble. Several fellows of the Shapeshifting stage were ambushed and vanished without a trace, their remains never found; most likely, he struck them down with lethal intent. A hundred years ago, he even personally led his troops past the Saint King Palace—a crime of utmost disrespect! "One hundred and thirty years ago, the seventh-grade Jade Spirit Bamboo bloomed, and subordinate has already suppressed the news..." The green-armored figure listed what had occurred over the years one by one. Saint King Qinghu was somewhat absentminded. With the demonic voice of the Heavenly Dao refusing to fade, ascension was becoming a mere pipe dream. In the mortal world, nothing was more important than this, so little else could stir any ripple within her. Yet when the green-armored figure mentioned one particular matter, Saint King Qinghu's expression shifted drastically. "What did you say? Ferocious beasts?" Seeing that the Saint King was entirely unaware of the ferocious beasts, the green-armored demon was greatly surprised. Ferocious beasts roamed the Storm Belt, possessing strength of at least the Deity Transformation level—and there was more than one. Every few decades, or even as short as a few years, one would pass near Zhongzhou. The Storm Belt now was countless times more dangerous than before. At least among Nascent Soul cultivators, the matter of the ferocious beasts was common knowledge. In the past, Nascent Soul cultivators occasionally ventured outside the barrier to explore the Storm Belt. With good luck, they might stumble upon opportunities or uncover ancient relics. Now, almost no one dared go out; crossing paths with a ferocious beast meant certain death without a grave. The only silver lining was that the barrier around Zhongzhou seemed to possess some sort of power that these ferocious beasts feared or loathed, preventing them from drawing close. Inside the barrier, it remained safe. *The Saint King actually did not know of the ferocious beasts? Could she really have been trapped somewhere?* The green-armored demon wondered inwardly, though he would not dare pry into the Saint King's experiences. "More than two hundred years ago, someone spotted a ferocious beast for the first time, and more appeared subsequently. Their strength is terrifying beyond measure. Reckless fools from both human and demon races have lost their lives trying to spy on them. Their origins are unknown, their nature is inherently frenzied, and they possess no reason whatsoever..." With a solemn countenance, the woman pondered for a moment, then abruptly leaped into the air and flew toward Hong City. The green-armored demon and the burly man exchanged a glance, ordered the demons to stay behind on standby, and hurried after the Saint King. Within Hong City, human experts gathered in great numbers; they hadn't dared approach before, but with their Saint King returned, they had nothing to fear. Soon. Saint King Qinghu flew above Hong City. Her gaze swept over the city, and she darted toward a small, verdant mountain in the north. The mountain was lush with dense woods and slender bamboo, with a temple faintly visible within. Before they could even draw near, hurried warning bells chimed from the mountain. "Who is it!" In an instant, dozens of monks flew out, on high alert. At that moment, the voice of Master Xingji, abbot of Ganlu Zen Monastery, drifted out from the temple: "Do not be rude! Junior Brother Xingzhen, invite the benefactors into the mountain." "Yes!" A monk with a youthful appearance stepped forth from the crowd, signaled his disciples to open the formation, and chanted a Buddhist proclamation: "Benefactors, my senior brother invites you inside!" Saint King Qinghu had no intention of stopping anyway. She barged straight through into the temple, drawing deep frowns from the monks. Inside the temple. Though Master Xingji held the esteemed position of abbot, he could only stand respectfully in the lower seat, speaking softly to the old monk. Seeing Saint King Qinghu barge in, he fell silent. Saint King Qinghu spoke without courtesy, "Old monk, do you know about the rampage of the ferocious beasts?" Saint Huiguang nodded. "I only just learned of it." Pausing, Saint Huiguang said to Master Xingji and the two demons, "You may withdraw." This was something he and Saint King Qinghu had agreed upon long ago. The matter of the demonic voice of the Heavenly Dao could not be leaked for now, or it would inevitably plunge the cultivation world into panic and throw the realm into chaos. For the vast majority of cultivators, ascension was out of reach, yet it served as an ultimate goal. Now, setting aside ascension, under the influence of the demonic voice of the Heavenly Dao, the inner demon tribulation during breakthroughs would surely be extraordinarily horrific; they likely wouldn't even be able to overcome that hurdle. With the immortal path severed and their only hope dashed, immortality unachievable, what else was left to pursue? In despair, there was no guaranteeing they would not do something mad. "The rampage of the ferocious beasts occurred after the demonic voice of the Heavenly Dao appeared!" Saint King Qinghu said in a deep voice, "Guixu is the nest of the ferocious beasts and the location of the Door of Waymarks. The ferocious beasts used to roam only near Guixu. For them to suddenly scatter and flee means an upheaval must have struck Guixu! The source of the demonic voice might be in Guixu, and the ascension of the Immortal Palace was merely a trigger!" "This poor monk shares the same suspicion," Saint Huiguang agreed. Saint King Qinghu acted decisively. "In that case, the priorities are self-evident. We must head out to sea immediately to make preparations to hunt the beasts! Year after year, madness is accumulating within our bodies, and the influence of the demonic voice grows stronger. Sooner or later, we will lose control. I have no wish to become a complete madwoman! Hunting the beasts should aim at capturing one alive. Though their nature is frenzied, we might be able to glean memory fragments from them to learn what transpired in Guixu. I will send someone back to the palace right away to retrieve the palace-guarding formation banners. Old monk, do not distract yourself with this grand assembly. Once we capture a beast, I will help you clean up the small fry." ... On the other side. Traveling day and night, Qin Sang crossed the six prefectures of Jiangzuo and arrived in Nanzhou. Returning to Nanzhou, Qin Sang was familiar with the roads and headed straight for the Taiyue Sect. As he drew near the Taiyue Sect, Qin Sang concealed his presence and approached cautiously from the shadows. There were no unusual signs along the way. None of the various factions showed signs of mobilizing forces; the eyes of the Zhongzhou cultivation world were entirely drawn away by the Ullambana Festival. Qin Sang's greatest concern was Eight Views Abbey. For now, he had not spotted any movement from Daoist Zilei, and he didn't know how many experts Eight Views Abbey had brought this time. The Taiyue Sect's mountain gate was located in Mount Taiyue, in northern Nanzhou. The scenery here was splendid—unlike the south, which was rife with poisonous miasma, it was only slightly inferior to the six prefectures of Jiangzuo. Most of Nanzhou's sects and factions were concentrated here. Mount Taiyue boasted treacherous terrain and abundant spiritual energy free of miasma, making it an ideal place for cultivation. The mountain range stretched continuously for tens of thousands of li. The Taiyue Sect occupied only some of the spiritual peaks, but the entire range fell within their sphere of influence; only sects subordinate to the Taiyue Sect were permitted to establish themselves in Mount Taiyue. Qin Sang infiltrated Mount Taiyue without encountering any resistance. The Taiyue Sect seemed unaware that anyone was plotting against them. The sect's disciples remained carefree. Qin Sang ran into several groups of Taiyue Sect disciples—some visiting relatives and friends, others traveling for training. *It seems the Gu God Cult hasn't made a move yet.* Qin Sang quietly appeared atop a barren peak, looking toward the Taiyue Sect. After some thought, he chose not to advance further. Instead, he excavated a cave dwelling on the spot to lie low. When the Wuxiang Immortal Sect emerged, the commotion would inevitably be massive and impossible to conceal; otherwise, the Gu God Cult wouldn't have insisted on waiting for the Ullambana Festival. He would certainly be able to sense it from here. Getting too close risked his movements being uncovered by either side. He had no grievances with Eight Views Abbey or the Gu God Cult. With the situation unclear, he did not want to take sides so early. Having excavated the cave dwelling and carefully concealed it, Qin Sang awakened the Heavenly Eye Butterfly to keep watch while he continued exploring the Sun God Tree. ... Somewhere. It appeared to be an underground cavern. The cavern was dim. Shadowy figures clustered inside, each possessing a formidable aura, yet crowded together, they appeared inconspicuous. Deep inside the cavern stood a jade wall. The jade wall emanated a faint glow, its surface rippling like water as light fluctuated across it, while its interior was filled with a chaotic scene that could not be seen clearly. At this moment, two people stood before the jade wall, intently watching it, quietly waiting for something. One of them was the abbey dean of Eight Views Abbey, Daoist Zilei. The other was not a Daoist. He wore a dark yellow mountain-patterned robe and looked to be around forty years old, with a resolute face and spirited tiger eyes, naturally dignified without anger. He was the contemporary sect master of the Taiyue Sect, Yue Lingtian! The leaders of these two major sects were actually not in Jinyu Province at this moment, hiding instead within this cramped underground cavern! An oppressive silence hung between them. Calculating the time, Yue Lingtian could not help but ask, "Why is there still no news from Hegao?" "No need to rush." Daoist Zilei remained calm and patient. "According to the intelligence we gathered, breaking the great formation of the Wuxiang Immortal Sect requires the Five Phase Tokens. The more tokens missing, the greater the difficulty, and the higher the price to pay. Most critically, the speed of breaking the formation will also slow down. The longer it drags on, the more experts will be drawn in. Junior Brother Hegao infiltrated the Gu God Cult holding the Earth Phase Token. Even if the remnants of the Wuxiang Immortal Sect suspect him, they will certainly wait until after the Wuxiang Immortal Sect opens to make a move." Yue Lingtian grunted in acknowledgment. "I'm just worried that Qishen might make some slip-up at the assembly. That old bald donkey has profound Buddhist knowledge and can see right into people's hearts. I fear Junior Brother Qishen's cultivation is too shallow and he'll be seen through." "Junior Brother and the others took the Cloud Mirage Vestment, and their cultivation realm is no lower than ours. As long as they speak and act cautiously and do not fight anyone, they should not be exposed. Once we enter the Wuxiang Immortal Sect, even if they are exposed, it won't affect the overall situation." Daoist Zilei had clearly planned everything out long ago, calculating every step. "It's a pity Junior Brother Qishen and the others had to go to Jinyu Province. Our manpower here is somewhat lacking. How confident are you in taking down the remnants of the Wuxiang Immortal Sect, Daoist Brother?" Yue Lingtian counted on his fingers. "Since the great formation is to be activated using the five immortal tokens, excluding Hegao, it requires at least four Great Cultivators. If there aren't enough tokens, even more people will be needed. 'A centipede dies but never falls down'—it truly is a profound saying. So many years after the Wuxiang Immortal Sect was annihilated, they can still assemble such a powerful force! News from Jinyu Province says that Su Zinan doesn't seem to have appeared there. And then there is Mo Xingdao, the foremost rogue cultivator of the Northern Barrens, who is inseparable from Su Zinan. I fear those two have also been roped in by the Gu God Cult." Daoist Zilei calmly replied that it was no matter. "Our goal this time is not to eradicate the remnants of the Wuxiang Immortal Sect. That should have been the duty of both Buddhist and Daoist sects; there is no need for us to shoulder it alone." Yue Lingtian looked thoughtful and did not pursue the matter further. Before his voice died away. The jade wall suddenly flickered. Halos of light flowed inward, outlining a hazy silhouette—a Daoist nun. "Greetings, Sect Master Senior Brother! Sect Master Yue!" The female cultivator was Eight Views Abbey's sole female late Nascent Soul cultivator, Daoist title Suxia. Daoist Suxia's voice sounded somewhat ethereal as it reached everyone's ears. "Senior Brother Hegao sent word. They have set out and infiltrated the Taiyue Sect. They are currently secretly laying down formations to seal off the sect." "Is the Wuxiang Immortal Sect truly inside my sect's mountain gate?" Though Yue Lingtian had anticipated this, receiving confirmation still astonished him greatly. He pressed immediately, "Which peak?" "It is not yet clear. However, the remnants of the Wuxiang Immortal Sect went to Tenglong Cliff first," the female cultivator replied. "Sect Master Senior Brother, you may set out as well." "Tenglong Cliff!" Yue Lingtian's eyes widened in sheer disbelief. "I have cultivated at Tenglong Cliff for hundreds of years, yet I never felt anything unusual!" Not just him. Tenglong Cliff had been the cultivation ground for successive sect masters of the Taiyue Sect, and the entire sect had been kept completely in the dark. Daoist Zilei's expression remained unchanged as he asked, "Besides the remnants of the Wuxiang Immortal Sect, who else is there?" Daoist Suxia said, "Su Zinan and Mo Xingdao are both present; neither hid their identity. However, there are no Dark Moon Guards by Su Zinan's side. From this, we can deduce that the remnants of the Wuxiang Immortal Sect did not disclose secrets to him beforehand. They suspect one another and are hardly a unified front; this can be exploited." This news was within expectations. Daoist Zilei was not surprised and nodded. "Anyone else?" "There is also a Great Cultivator of unknown origin." Daoist Suxia paused before adding, "It is said this person is also an inheritor of the Wuxiang Immortal Sect, but he does not possess any of the Five Phase Tokens. Senior brother says the Gu God Cult has only gathered two: Metal and Wood. Counting senior brother's Earth Phase Token, there are only three!" "They're still missing Water and Fire!" Daoist Zilei came to a sudden realization. "The cult master of the Gu God Cult collected treasures of the five elements everywhere precisely to refine treasures to make up for the missing tokens... Has junior brother still not discerned his true identity?" Daoist Suxia gently shook her head. "Senior brother is still not certain. However, in his view, the vast amount of resources this person can mobilize proves he is definitely not a rogue cultivator. He must hold a high position in some sect."