Translator: Sparrow Translations Editor: Sparrow Translations
Guo Zonghuang’s huge figure stepped on void space and he stood his ground with pride. His eyes sparkled like electricity as he stared at the elder.
Qin Pengan said, “Senior Guo, he revealed his evil scheme when he tried to capture me just now. They want to steal our sect’s foundational mantra, the Heavenly Classic of the Way’s Virtue!”
Guo Zonghuang turned infuriated as he heard Qin Pengan’s words. His gaze became piercing. While he didn’t make a move yet, his energy was already bursting, and the undulations of his powers became extremely ferocious.
The Celestial Sect of Wonders’ disciples were already widely recognized to be beyond their peers in the same level in terms of cultivation speed.
This wasn’t just a reputation that Lin Feng built on his own. In the entire journey, Xiao Yan, Zhu Yi and the rest of the first-generation disciples, Tang Jun, Han Yang, Zhou Yuncong and the rest of the second-generation disciples as well as Guo Zonghuang and the rest of the third-generation disciples built this reputation up together.
The Great Void Sect’s mantras had always been known to be the most outstanding in the Divine Lands, but even they had to admit their inferiority in front of the Celestial Sect of Wonders’ mantras.
Since a long time ago, there had been people in the Divine Lands who tried to steal the Celestial Sect of Wonders’ orthodox lineal mantras.
But there existed a problem. Non-Successive Disciples couldn’t learn the Heavenly Classic of the Way’s Virtues, while Successive Disciples cultivated the Heavenly Classic of the Way’s Virtues step-by-step. They didn’t cultivate everything at one shot.
This wasn’t just a situation peculiar to the Celestial Sect of Wonders. This was how most other sects operated.
If someone tried to capture junior disciples from the Celestial Sect of Wonders that were below the Advanced Aurous Core Stage, they could only obtain the first chapter of the Heavenly Classic of the Way’s Virtue, the Great Celestial Way of the Eight Trigrams.
While obtaining the Great Celestial Way of the Eight Trigrams was very valuable, it would also incur the Celestial Sect of Wonders’ wrath. The perpetrators would then be inflicted with serious punishment by the Celestial Sect of Wonders.
While the Great Celestial Way of the Eight Trigrams was good, one still had to have a life in order to enjoy its contents.
One might even want to go one level higher and capture Celestial Sect disciples of higher masteries and who possessed the Four Appearances Heaven-Cleaving Script. The first problem he might encounter was the pure difficulty in capturing such disciples, since their masteries were higher. The second problem was that these disciples were usually left with seals and markings that Lin Feng created specially for them.
Capturing them would most certainly alarm Lin Feng himself. When the Golden Cicada Master captured Zhou Yuncong in the past, Lin Feng chased him across the entire Barren Expanses. The existence of such a precedent would likely deter anyone with the intention of capturing Celestial Sect disciples who might potentially be marked.
As for Lin Feng’s Immortal Soul Stage Immediate Disciples, it was even more out of the question.
When it came to the lower-level disciples, they were unlikely to be marked by Lin Feng. Rather, it was Xiao Yan and the rest who were responsible for them. Even so, they were characters that shouldn’t be messed with easily.
Not only could these seals and markings point out one’s accurate location, it could also prevent the hostiles from making any progress in intruding into the captured disciple’s soul.
With Xiao Yan and the others’ current masteries, Vipralopa Stage cultivators would be needed to overcome the seals and markings. At the very least, the other party had to be of the same masteries as them.
If Lin Feng was the one who placed the seals and markings himself, even Vipralopa Stage cultivators would not be able to overcome them.
It’s very rare to have anyone in the Divine Lands who could overcome these markings. Furthermore, the Celestial Sect of Wonders would knock on their doors the moment they attempted anything furtive.
Without the entire lineal mantra, no outsiders could possibly supersede the Celestial Sect of Wonders’ cultivators. They still had to face the immense pressure exerted on them by the Celestial Sect of Wonders.
Besides Lin Feng, only a few others in the sect had the complete version of the Heavenly Classic of the Way’s Virtue. Even if one paid a huge price and obtained the complete version of it, he would be unable to increase his powers to a level that’s comparable to the Celestial Sect of Wonders in the short-term. Before he could even manage to do so, he would have been exterminated by the Celestial Sect of Wonders.
The Celestial Sect of Wonders had always paid very close attention in the protection of its disciples and lineal mantra. For those who tried to take the risk against the Celestial Sect of Wonders, they were only welcomed with one ending – utter failure.
Guo Zonghuang stared at the elder and shouted in his deep voice, “Are you here because Liang Pan and Zhu Hongwu instructed you?”
The other party wasn’t the Emperor of the Dead’s descendant or a Buddhist, thus Guo Zonghuang could conclude that the bunch of invaders were here under Liang Pan and Zhu Hongwu’s instructions.
The both of them had escaped from the Divine Lands and hid in the Ying Sea after they were pursued by the Celestial Sect of Wonders.
With the deep enmity and immense pressure on them, they no longer had any misgivings and were willing to engage in the most daring of activities.
The elder’s expression turned gloomy as the fog behind him scattered. A few other Nascent Soul Stage cultivators appeared behind him.
These Nascent Soul Stage cultivators all had extraordinary powers. One of them was an Advanced Nascent Soul Stage Grandmaster, who stared at Guo Zonghuang with a gaze that contained a slight look of approval amidst a dominant greed.
The elder greeted the bunch of them as they appeared, “This person has too many powerful Nascent Soul Stage magic items with him. I couldn’t stop him in the nick of time.”
The Advanced Nascent Soul Stage Grandmaster gestured, “No worries. I will deal with him personally. Our time is tight and there’s no longer room for any delays.”
Guo Zonghuang’s heart fluttered and he saw Grandmaster Huang Yang being pestered by another Advanced Nascent Soul Stage cultivator. There was someone else who tried to snatch his Virtual Cloud Pearl too.
He wasn’t fearful and looked at the Advanced Nascent Soul Stage Grandmaster, “Heaven’s Gate mantra…you’re from the East Heaven’s Gate?”
“You have a rather ken eye, but I have no time to play with you.” The East Heaven’s Gate cultivator cut the gibberish and extended his hand. Streaks of clear air gathered before descending towards Guo Zonghuang and Qin Pengan.
However, a powerful force was drummed up outside of the fog formation. This force tore apart the dense layer of fog. Zhao Huan wielded the Heavenly Fury Spear and tore void space apart. He came before everyone along with a benevolent-looking and smiley elder. It was the Great Qin Empire’s Vivant Joy Holy Man.
The East Heaven’s Gate cultivator sighed and retracted his attack against Guo Zonghuang and Qin Pengan. He revealed his Cosmic Form directly, before Zhao Huan’s spear had struck towards him. This strike almost destroyed his Cosmic form.
However, Zhao Huan ceased action after this strike. The Vivant Joy Holy Man creased his brows and looked at the earth beneath him.
The fog around everyone dispersed. Following that was an even greater force that surged out. Streaks of green radiances intersected in the Heavens and Earth, forming an even more powerful formation.
Zhao Huan and the Vivant Joy Holy Man had a slight sensation when they arrived here. The both of them furrowed their brows as this formation was initiated.
This formation seemed very similar to the Heaven’s Gate Celestial Sky Formation. However, it appeared to be a slightly inferior version of it. It was modified slightly – a work of the East Heaven’s Gate.
Zhao Huan and the Vivant Joy Holy Man stared at each other. The enemy laid a double ambush.
It seemed like their target weren’t Guo Zonghuang and Grandmaster Huang Yang, but the two of them.
While this was the case, a formation wasn’t sufficient for them to complete their task.
The distant void space broke apart and a human figure appeared. It was a lady in her 20s and she had a graceful look on her face.
It was Zhao Huan, Guo Zonghuang and the others’ first time seeing this lady, but those who had seen the light projection image before could tell that she was the East Heaven’s Gate leader right now. She was Shao Qingcheng.
Her father, Shao Dongtian, established the East Heaven’s Gate by himself. After reaching the Immortal Soul Third Level, he was captured by Lin Feng at Mount Kunlun during the Anti-Celestial Sect War and thrown into the Heavenly Gods-Sealing Banner. The East Heaven’s Gate Mahayana level magic treasure, the Xuan Haven Seal, also landed in the control of the Celestial Sect of Wonders.
Even the East Heaven’s Gate foundation overseas was swept by Lin Feng. The Great Zhou Empire managed to redeem it after that following some efforts, but Shao Dongtian and the East Sea Holy Man weren’t released.
Shao Qingcheng only managed to avert the disaster as she remained in Tianjing. But it was already a catastrophe for her and the East Heaven’s Gate. While the East Heaven’s Gate existed in name, it had lost most of its power and had become a puppet of the Great Zhou Empire.
Now that Liang Pan and Zhu Hongwu had escaped, Shao Qingcheng had no choice but to follow them. However, she didn’t enter the Ying Sea immediately. She came to the Divine Lands to set up an ambush first in preparation for this moment.
Although the Arctic State and Great Zhou Empire didn’t have any other Celestial Sect of Wonders cultivator and Zhu Yi, Shi Tianhao, Yue Hongyan and Li Yuanfang all chased into the Ying Sea, time was still very limited for Shao Qingcheng. She didn’t to end the battle quickly, otherwise disaster would follow.
What left Zhao Huan and the Vivant Joy Holy Man bothered was that Shao Qingcheng had formed her virtual entity.
Zhao Huan looked at Shao Qingcheng and said peacefully, “Second Senior Uncle once said that you managed to cultivate the Heaven’s Gate lineal mantra completely and you’ll have a huge chance of forming the virtual entity directly. If this is the case, I assume that Lady Shao in the Marquis of Xuanji’s residence no longer exists?”
Shao Qing looked at Zhao Huan and her gaze turned serious.
She never regarded Zhu Yi at all in the past and only felt that he was only surviving because he was under Lin Feng’s protection. She only realized how strong Zhu Yi was after suffering under him during the Scramble for the Ying Sea many years ago.
Shao Qingcheng still felt very confused as she saw Zhu Yi’s junior remaining fearless even when he was in front of her.
The East Heaven’s Gate kept a low profile in the East Sea and developed silently. It was waiting for its opportunity to do something shocking. But now that everything was set and done, the East Heaven’s Gate had become a thing of the past even if Shao Qingcheng managed to form the virtual entity.
Even Liang Pan and Zhu Hongwu that it had relied on had met their downfall and had to retreat into the Ying Sea.
Zhu Hongwu, who was once so powerful and superior to Shao Dongtian, was also defeated by Zhu Yi.
Things changed in the world. As the situation changed quickly, Shao Qingcheng started to develop feelings of desperation and desolation even though she had always been an arrogant individual.
However, she calmed herself down quickly and looked at Zhao Huan. She said indifferently, “You’re not comparable to Zhou Yuncong. Let’s hope Lin Feng didn’t leave a marking on you. If it’s only Zhu Yi and the other first-generation disciples, His Majesty and the Imperial Palace of Emperor Tai should still be able to take care of them.”
From the start, Liang Pan’s target was either Zhao Huan or Ke Jing. Besides the Great Celestial Way of the Eight Trigrams, they also inherited the Four Appearances Heaven-Cleaving Script. They were also not very eye-catching among the second-generation Successive Disciples and Lin Feng was unlikely to have taken notice of them.
Liang Pan no longer had any misgivings given that the situation couldn’t be any further worse for him.
