On the shores of the Eastern Sea.
Upon a seemingly ordinary island, generations of fishermen lived their lives. Yet none of those mortals knew the island served another purpose: as an 'anchor point' for the Plains of Luye.
Several similar 'anchor points' were scattered across Beihuang, serving as conduits for the master of Luye to maintain contact with the outside world. Naturally, these anchor points could be relocated anytime, anywhere.
At this moment, Luye hovered directly above the island.
Yet even if immortal cultivators passed through, all they would see was the blazing sun, white clouds, and the azure sky, unable to detect anything out of the ordinary.
Beneath the blazing sun, several phantoms quietly flew over the island.
The avatar took the lead, pinching an incantation gesture with one hand and sending it into the void. In the next breath, subtle ripples of light and shadow flickered before vanishing instantly, leaving not a trace of disturbance behind.
The clear sky remained unchanged, void of human figures.
Before the stone stele marking the entrance of Luye, several silhouettes emerged and strode forward into the sanctuary.
Sensing that the grand formation had been disturbed, those inside reacted as three figures swooped down from the mountain peaks on either flank. Each bore the Dark Moon Seal on their forehead, and all possessed Nascent Soul stage cultivation—none other than the Dark Moon Guards, famed throughout the outside world.
"Who goes there?!"
The leader was a dark-faced man who barked fiercely, though his expression was rife with shock and suspicion.
Hearing the shout, the avatar looked over and thought to himself that news of Su Zinan's demise had evidently not yet reached Luye. However, there were more than three Dark Moon Guards; others had been operating outside on Su Zinan's orders, and upon learning of his death, they had likely fled, having no reason to ever return voluntarily.
"What a heavy stench of rouge and powder!"
Ghost Mother did not spare the three a glance. Her gaze swept past the sea of flowers toward the depths of the Plains of Luye, a meaningful smile curling upon her lips.
In the heart of the flower sea, women emerged one after another from among the pavilions and courtyards. Every single one possessed breathtaking beauty, a feast for the eyes; in just a few short decades, Su Zinan had gathered yet another flock of flower-like maidens.
The avatar also saw the flock of fluttering beauties and could not help but frown.
Ghost Mother had made rudimentary repairs to the demonic banner and trapped Su Zinan's Nascent Soul alive, through which they had already learned of the conditions within Luye. Only now, witnessing it firsthand, did they realize just how depraved Su Zinan's conduct truly was.
And this was not even all of them.
Some believed their paramour had returned and were meticulously dressing and grooming themselves.
"Ah!"
Amid shrill screams, before the three Dark Moon Guards could even reach the avatar, they tumbled to the ground like rolling gourds, their faces twisted in agony and terror.
Ever since Old Demon Lu ascended, the only one capable of manipulating the Dark Moon Seal and controlling them was their 'master,' Su Zinan!
Why could this person...?
Hearing the screams, turmoil erupted in the abode as the women turned pale with fright.
The paramour they eagerly awaited had not returned. Instead, several uninvited guests had barged into Luye, capable not only of opening the grand formation but also of subjugating the Dark Moon Guards. The shrewder ones among them already sensed what had transpired, their faces overcome with sheer dread.
The avatar flashed forward before the Dark Moon Guards and said in a grave voice, "Su Zinan has committed countless evils and has already been executed! Considering you were merely accomplices acting under duress, I may spare your lives! However, though you are exempt from death, you shall not escape punishment! Henceforth, you shall obey this old man's orders without slack. Those who achieve great merits will not only have their Dark Moon Seals lifted and be granted their freedom, but will also receive handsome rewards!"
As the avatar's tone shifted, the three Dark Moon Guards experienced a violent rollercoaster of emotions. Drenched in cold sweat, their terror eventually gave way to overwhelming joy, and they scrambled to kowtow before their new master.
It was not that they were swayed by the avatar's lofty promises; they were simply overjoyed to have preserved their lives.
How could anyone of unyielding integrity and fierce pride ever endure being enslaved by the Dark Moon Seal?
These Dark Moon Guards thoroughly understood the wisdom of adaptability; so long as they could stay alive, serving one master was no different from serving another.
Having subdued the Dark Moon Guards with ease, the avatar nodded in satisfaction. The Dark Moon Guards were all Nascent Soul experts; now that he had capable hands at his disposal, he would no longer need to attend to every trivial matter personally.
As for those women...
The avatar waved a hand, and Shen Chen stepped forward briskly.
"Wipe all their memories and resettle them properly."
Shen Chen had not yet figured out how to instruct the two little tykes when he received a new assignment. Daring not object, he accepted the order and departed. Fortunately, the avatar had instructed the Dark Moon Guards to accompany him.
Seeing three Nascent Soul experts submissive and obedient before him, following his every instruction, the trace of grievance in Shen Chen's heart vanished without a trace.
Next, following his own temperament, the avatar thoroughly purged the foul, disordered cultivation grounds. He carved out several new cave abodes, allocating one to Ghost Mother to settle Yagu and setting aside places for the disciples to cultivate.
Before long, Luye trembled gently, ascended high into the clouds, and drifted into Beihuang, vanishing without a trace.
Inside a cave abode, the avatar sat cross-legged beside an ice bed, watching Ghost Mother channel the power of divine glyphs with her fingers, tracing them over Yagu as a peculiar power seeped into her.
Ghost Mother had performed this secret conditioning art many times already, and Yagu's condition was improving by the day.
Watching Yagu's tightly shut eyes, the avatar hesitated before asking, "When will she be able to wake up?"
When they first met Ghost Mother, a single casting of the secret art had allowed Yagu to speak and respond to them.
Yet after so much time had passed, she remained in a deep slumber, showing no signs of awakening.
Ghost Mother glanced at Yagu, then at him, snapping bluntly, "What is the hurry? Do you think this palace mistress would harm her? In the future, she will be my benefactor for ascension as well as my beloved disciple. Naturally, I must use the finest secret arts to nurse her back, ensuring nothing goes awry. With only Qi Refining stage cultivation, she slept for five hundred years—do you think recovering is that simple? Until her realm matches that lazy silkworm, the later she wakes, the better it is for her! Or perhaps you'd like to try?"
The avatar silently withdrew from the cave abode.
Before long, Ghost Mother came out. "Let her rest quietly for a while. It works out well—we can retrieve your true self to heal his injuries, and I can gather the materials I need along the way."
Ghost Mother had already gathered all the spiritual materials needed to lay down the Void Crossing Grand Formation. However, due to Yagu's unique condition, an extra layer of preparations was necessary. Fortunately, while these items were rare, they were not one-of-a-kind supreme treasures.
Back then, in order to refine the Three Corpses God-Perishing Banner, Su Zinan had thoroughly scouted the treasuries of numerous sects and powers, which spared them the trouble of searching far and wide.
The avatar gazed at Ghost Mother until her smile faded, then suddenly asked, "Senior's lifespan... is not infinite either, is it?"
Throughout this period, Ghost Mother's words and actions had always carried an urgency, as though something was driving her to race against time.
Though he knew little of the Witch Clan, he could still sense something amiss.
Ghost Mother fell silent, unwilling to explain further, and said in a heavy voice, "If the memory etched deep in my heart is not mistaken, and the Upper Realm's guidance remains intact, everything should proceed smoothly without issue. Even if the ascension fails, I will honor my promise to awaken her and pass on my legacy. On that point, you need not worry."
An hour later, two figures flew away from Luye, heading south to rendezvous with Qin Sang's true self.
They did not travel in a straight line, intentionally taking detours to 'pay visits' to certain sects and factions.
Traveling alongside her, the avatar truly witnessed Ghost Mother's methods.
Back then, Elder Wu and the Dark Moon Guards under Su Zinan's command had plundered and extorted to gather materials for refining the banner, leaving the targeted factions angry but too terrified to speak out.
Ghost Mother, on the other hand, simply 'helped herself.' The victims were often completely oblivious, only discovering they had been robbed when taking inventory of their treasuries.
Even on the rare occasion when a restriction was accidentally triggered, no one could keep Ghost Mother from leaving.
The avatar never even had an opportunity to lend a hand, thoroughly awestruck by what he saw.
With their escapades, yet another layer of chaos was added to a cultivation world already rife with upheavals.
Those top sects could not be bothered with such trivial matters at the moment.
During this journey, fresh news constantly arrived from the Central Plains, most of it concerning the immortal estate of the Wuxiang Immortal Sect.
This Ullambana Assembly was likely the most overlooked throughout all past Zhongyuan Dharma Assemblies.
Regardless of how the Jinyu Sect felt about hosting the Zhongyuan Dharma Assembly, the entire cultivation world's attention had been drawn to the two southern and barbarian prefectures. The Wuxiang Immortal Sect estate and the myriad factions drawn into the fray formed an intricate, bewildering web, giving rise to an ominous sense that a storm was brewing.
After the upheaval, eminent monks of the Ganlu Zen Monastery turned out in full force to lay down a relocation formation, shifting the estate to the Ghost Rock Plateau at the junction of the Central Plains, Man Prefecture, and Nan Prefecture before its grand formations completely collapsed.
Some speculated that Ganlu Zen Monastery intended to turn the estate into a branch temple or subordinate abbey, but there was no definitive word on what Saint Huiguang planned to do with it.
The cultivation world continued to refer to it as the Wuxiang Immortal Sect estate.
Without a doubt, the Buddhist faction had become the master of the estate, emerging as the biggest winner of this battle.
By contrast, within the Daoist faction, True Monarch Danyu was missing, Daoist Zilei had perished while forcefully attempting his heavenly tribulation, and the Bajing Abbey had suffered heavy losses, giving rise to widespread conspiracy theories throughout the cultivation world.
However, when Sect Master Yu of Tianhao Tower arrived at the Ghost Rock Plateau, and with Daoist Hegao alongside several masters of Bajing Abbey remaining with the Buddhist faction, the convergence of the Buddhist, Demonic, and Daoist schools shattered these conspiracy rumors.
Furthermore, the Saint King of the demon race also remained at the estate without departing.
The other factions grew restless, desperate to uncover what they were discussing. Astute individuals already foresaw that the structure of the cultivation world, stable for so long, might soon undergo another seismic shift.
Qin Sang cared nothing about this.
How the situation in Zhongzhou shifted had little to do with him; what he cared about was Mo Xingdao's movements.
The avatar was too conspicuous to appear openly, so Ghost Mother gathered information on his behalf, though she only managed to glean some ambiguous rumors.
By now, the identities of the cultivators involved in the immortal estate's emergence had largely been uncovered, and their movements naturally drew the attention of all.
The movements of figures like Old Demon Fan and Daoist Hegao were easy to trace.
Mo Xingdao was a lone wolf, leaving no trace of information, and it was unknown how Saint Huiguang ultimately dealt with him.
Qin Sang and Mo Xingdao had agreed to meet in Beihuang after escaping. Naturally, Qin Sang wished to complete the trade as quickly as possible to prevent unforeseen complications, but he wondered if Mo Xingdao feared that he would cooperate with the two races' Deity Transformation cultivators to lure the puppet out, and thus refused to commit.
The problem was that Qin Sang had been targeted by the Azure Fox Saint King; harbor suspicions though he might, he dared not show himself now.
*We'll see after I make contact with Mo Xingdao...* the avatar thought to himself.
Their southward journey went quite smoothly.
Deliberately skirting around Ganlu Zen Monastery and the Ghost Rock Plateau, they entered Man Prefecture, arrived at Cave Master Qiling's cave abode, and met with Liuli and his true self.
...
The Ghost Rock Plateau.
The plateau was desolate, littered with grotesque, colossal boulders. Seen at night, they resembled countless sinister, menacing spectral silhouettes prowling in the dark, from which the plateau derived its name.
Since the Wuxiang Immortal Sect estate had been relocated here, the once-deserted plateau saw a sudden influx of travelers coming and going, with Buddhist monks being the most common sight.
By this time, the turmoil within the estate had largely settled.
The disordered formations and restrictions had been cleared away for the most part.
Apart from Mount Dishou, which had been destroyed when the Five Elements Divine Restriction erupted, other areas were preserved in their original state—though of course, the treasures and ancient texts inside had already been swept clean.
All that remained were several dark zones in the northern reaches of the estate, formerly the forbidden grounds of the Wuxiang Immortal Sect and the most perilous places in the entire ruins.
Figures moved in and out, each possessing formidable auras. Judging by their attire, they included not only eminent Buddhist monks but also experts from Tianhao Tower and Bajing Abbey.
The former site of Mount Dishou.
The severed mountain had been leveled, its peak flattened into a terrace where earth was transfigured into stone to construct a temple.
Saint Huiguang and the Azure Fox Saint King meditated in seclusion within the temple. Without permission, even Master Xingji, Sect Master Yu, and Daoist Hegao dared not approach.
Besides the two Deity Transformation cultivators, an unexpected person was also inside the temple—Mo Xingdao.
Inside a quiet room, an altar had been erected at some point.
Anyone familiar with karma oaths would instantly recognize the altar's purpose at a glance.
Standing before the altar, Mo Xingdao strictly observed the ritual and swore the oath to the letter.
Both Saint Huiguang and the Azure Fox Saint King stood by. They were the overseers, yet they were also swearers of the oath.
Saint Huiguang held his palms together, twirling Buddhist prayer beads.
The Azure Fox Saint King, meanwhile, wore an impatient expression.
"The oath is complete. Whatever secret Your Seniors hold that cannot be spoken of, can you inform Mo now?" Mo Xingdao asked, his voice dry.
Anyone in his position would have to endure terrifying pressure.
Following the battle to subdue the demon, he had received special scrutiny from the two races' Deity Transformation cultivators, with Saint Huiguang personally asking him to stay. During this period, even when the Deity Transformation cultivators were absent, eminent monks of the Ganlu Zen Monastery shadowed him closely. From beginning to end, he had not been granted the slightest chance to step half a pace outside the estate.
Considering Qin Sang's fate, how could he not have wild thoughts?
His puppet was still lying in wait outside.
With the puppet holding the Lingxi Immortal Fruit, Mo Xingdao had originally thought he would have to surrender this treasure to preserve his life. To his surprise, Saint Huiguang had never once mentioned the matter from start to finish, seemingly completely unconcerned with it.
If not for the Lingxi Immortal Fruit, why single him out to stay behind?
Mo Xingdao had racked his brain in vain.
Only today, when the two Deity Transformation cultivators finally summoned him, did Mo Xingdao feel a sense of relief—whether he lived or died, there would at last be a resolution.
Yet what Mo Xingdao never could have anticipated was that the two Deity Transformation cultivators would erect an altar before him, requiring him first to swear an oath of secrecy. An inner demon oath was not enough; it had to be reinforced by a karma oath.
"Do you know why Zilei perished during his inner demon tribulation? And why the ancient demon went mad?" Saint Huiguang's eyes shone brightly as he posed two questions first.
Mo Xingdao's heart gave a violent jolt.
Daoist Zilei's failure in crossing the tribulation was the most lamentable tragedy; no one would ever believe his Dao heart or temperament had been lacking.
Sensing that he was about to touch upon the greatest secret, Mo Xingdao's mouth parted slightly. For a moment he was stunned, not knowing where even to begin asking.
Saint Huiguang did not keep him in suspense, recounting the matter of the Demonic Voice of the Heavenly Dao in full detail, including their encounters in the Immortal Palace and the Wuwang Hall. The narrative was crystal clear, corroborated by the Azure Fox Saint King.
The more Mo Xingdao listened, the more shaken he became. Even with his formidable mental fortitude, he could no longer keep his composure.
After a long silence, Mo Xingdao struggled to accept this reality.
He was unwilling to believe that after pursuing the Dao painstakingly for so many years, standing just one step away from the transcendence of the Deity Transformation stage, the Demonic Voice of the Heavenly Dao would suddenly bar the way, turning a breakthrough into nothing less than courting death.
Yet the two Deity Transformation cultivators had also sworn an oath, and coupled with the facts, he had no choice but to believe it.
"Why..."
Mo Xingdao was somewhat bewildered, unable to understand. "Why tell me this?"
Saint Huiguang and the Azure Fox Saint King exchanged a glance, and Saint Huiguang said in a deep voice, "We need a puppet. A puppet at the Deity Transformation stage, to coordinate with us in controlling the Five Elements Crown and crossing eastward into Guixu."
Chapter 1694