“Do you know where Sa-ren-gao-wa is now?” Meng Qi asked thoughtfully.
Agula shook his head in bewilderment, “How could I possibly know…”
Meng Qi felt slightly disappointed. If Sa-ren-gao-wa were nearby, with the Tianzun backing him, he could eliminate this potential threat in advance.
Although Jie Sha Daoist had saved his life, he couldn’t just let her kill him without resistance, could he?
Since there was no opportunity now, he would continue wandering the martial arts world, concealing his trail, and wait until two or three years later when he attained Master-level strength. Then he wouldn’t fear enemies like Jie Sha and the old man Ku.
He asked a few more questions about Sa-ren-gao-wa, but Agula kept shaking his head, claiming complete ignorance, only sighing repeatedly about how he had boarded the bandit ship of Sha Lang Hui and couldn’t get off now.
Seeing this, Meng Qi changed the subject casually, “Batou is dead.”
Agula’s face showed panic again, “I know.”
“Then do you know he was killed by a Shaman?” Meng Qi smiled, watching his eyes.
Agula shivered, fear intensifying, “I know…”
“Then why was he killed?” Meng Qi asked as if he already knew everything.
Agula looked at Meng Qi in terror, shaking his head violently, “I don’t know, I don’t know! I only received orders from Sha Lang Hui to conduct a transaction with a team secretly engaged in north-south trade, and found out several Golden Tent Shamans were mixed in.”
“Afterwards, Batou followed one merchant out of the city and ended up dying outside. What exactly he found out, I have absolutely no idea.”
Golden Tent Shamans? Meng Qi slightly furrowed his brow. They were the direct subordinates of Gurdo, the Great Khan of the grasslands, the most unique faction among the Shamans. Although nominally part of the Eternal Faith, they took orders solely from the Golden Tent Khan.
Was Cao Family collaborating with Gurdo on something?
After thoroughly questioning him, Meng Qi comforted Agula a bit, promising to help him fake his death and escape to the Jin Kingdom to get away from Sha Lang Hui.
After seeing Agula off, two figures instantly appeared in the room—none other than Lingbao Tianzun and Jiang Zhiwei.
“The Cao family’s methods of securing internal loyalty are quite adept. The family head’s legitimate son is already a Master and currently stationed in Changle, with no signs of internal strife. What exactly are they collaborating with the grasslands on…” Lingbao Tianzun dismissed the possibility of someone within the Cao family colluding with external enemies to plot against the family head’s position.”
With two Golden Tent Shamans dead without evidence, it was impossible to confront a top-tier aristocratic family over this matter.
Jiang Zhiwei thought for a moment and said, “Regardless of what they’re planning, it won’t affect our goal. At most, we can use this as a false objective to confuse and mobilize the Cao Family.”
Her words were like her sword techniques—no matter how many variations or embellishments, they always pierced straight to the vital point.
“Exactly,” Meng Qi nodded with a smile. “Our ‘true objective’ can be framed as striking against the Cao Family and exposing their collusion with the grasslands. This way, they’ll have no choice but to believe it. Please, Tianzun, wear an unmarked mask at that time and employ Lingbao Tianzun’s martial arts techniques. Those in the know will recognize it as Lingbao Tianzun, while those unaware will assume it’s either your elder self or Master Lu secretly testing their defenses—making them feel guilty and react in confusion.”
“Good.” Lingbao Tianzun nodded in agreement. After a moment’s thought, he added, “Let’s wait a few days until the Master guarding the Immortal Lake becomes Cao Feiyue before taking action. She’s from the legitimate lineage and should know about the collusion with the grasslands. Only then can we more easily trick her into opening the ‘gate.'”
If the Master inside the Immortal Lake didn’t know about this, she would suspect a ‘crisis’ within the family, thus revealing the flaw.
Meng Qi chuckled, “That’s even better. Anyway, I still need to observe Cao Tai. I can’t leave any obvious flaws for others to see through at a glance.”
As dusk approached, at the Feng Xiao Pavilion in the southern part of the city.
When Meng Qi and Jiang Zhiwei arrived, Cao Xianzhi had already been waiting for quite some time. Standing with his hands behind his back, his face was handsome and his demeanor calm and steady.
“The family head has rejected your proposal,” he said slowly. “However, since I concealed your identities, he hasn’t yet guessed that the treasure vault might be located in one of several forbidden places.”
Meng Qi nodded, “Then we’ll have to rely on our own abilities.”
This was exactly what he had expected.
Cao Xianzhi remained silent for a moment, looking at Meng Qi and Jiang Zhiwei before sighing, “By leaking the information about the treasure vault to the Cao Family besides cooperation, you should also have done so out of camaraderie. I truly feel undeserving of this, but I can at least warn you about one thing.”
“What is it?” Meng Qi asked solemnly.
Cao Xianzhi took a deep breath, “Back then, what the Cao Family discovered in the icy eye of the Immortal Lake wasn’t just one Immortal’s remains, but two.”
“Two?” Both Meng Qi and Jiang Zhiwei’s expressions turned grave.
…
Several days later, Lingbao Tianzun noticed Cao Feiyue landing on the island. Under heavy protective arrays and formations, she entered the depths of the eternal ice, leaving him no opportunity to act.
A moment later, the Master originally on duty inside swiftly departed. The entire process was controlled by someone operating the formation, leaving no flaws. Even if Lingbao Tianzun attempted to capture the departing Master, he couldn’t penetrate the “Ice Gate” in time.
He nodded slightly, flew back to the inn, and retrieved a small flag carved with bizarre patterns. Each pattern resembled an eye.
“This is the Microcosm Universe Flag. This old Daoist crafted it based on my supernatural abilities and insights gained while cultivating the ‘Primordial Unity into Three Pure Ones’ technique. It allows a clone to briefly possess the strength of the original body, or the original body to gain special abilities of the clone. However, it’s limited to one use only.” Lingbao Tianzun explained, handing the Microcosm Universe Flag to Meng Qi.
Since Meng Qi wanted to comprehend the Seven Heavens Severing Sword, he would inevitably have to pay a price!
After speaking, he also handed Jiang Zhiwei a formation diagram and a talisman, “This is a failed attempt at crafting the ‘Chu Xian Sword Formation’ diagram. It can only deal with Masters below the Master level. You can use it to temporarily trap top experts from the Ice and Fire Valley.”
“This is the ‘Top-grade Obscuring Talisman,’ which will help you infiltrate the outer layer of forbidden techniques.”
Crafting divine artifacts at the Six Realms Wheel Master’s place also required specific tasks, just not as difficult as direct exchanges. Lingbao Tianzun wasn’t in a hurry to seek help from the Six Realms, as crafting the formation diagram itself was also a process of deepening his understanding of formations.
…
In the early winter north, night came early. Deep within a valley covered in ice and snow, a patch of deep blue flame quietly burned, defying natural laws.
The valley was set with forbidden techniques, guarded by Cao family’s top expert, Cao Fei, and several disciples fully focused on forging weapons using the deep blue flame.
The Ice Polar Fire—legendary flame said to be used for forging divine weapons. Not only did it not emit heat, but it absorbed heat, creating icy scenes. The Cao family had accidentally discovered a patch of Ice Polar Fire in this valley. Although it hadn’t yet reached the level required for forging divine weapons, it was close. Thus, they “domesticated” it to prevent outsiders from ruining it, reserving it exclusively for family disciples.
Cao Fei was short and sturdy, calm in demeanor, sitting near the Ice Polar Fire with his eyes half-closed, unaffected by the crackling sounds of the flames.
Suddenly, his expression changed. He grabbed the air, and a violent wind howled from the sky, forming a whirlwind that forced out a pale green figure.
Someone had infiltrated the Ice and Fire Valley! Fortunately, the inner layer of the forbidden technique had detected it!
The pale green figure was indeed Jiang Zhiwei, wearing an expressionless mask, calmly swinging her sword.
The sword light was emerald, like a cold moon covering the earth, rushing forth with a swooshing sound, filling the sky, making the blue sky seem even clearer.
Before the sword even arrived, Cao Fei felt piercing coldness—not just from the temperature, but also from the sword intent!
“Biyue Xiqing Tian? Biyue Sword Sect!” Cao Fei’s heart trembled. Without hesitation, he summoned an Immortal image surrounded by lightning around his body, activated the Ice Polar Fire, and struck with one palm, unleashing thunder and fire together, extinguishing the sword qi and swallowing the moonlight.
As he struck, he naturally recalled the family head’s warning—there was a secret vault somewhere in the family, needing protection from intrusions!
Was she here for that? Just as this thought surfaced, he saw the pale green figure wearing a cold mask throw out an ancient formation diagram.
Instantly, sword intent pierced the sky, black, white, green, and red like four dragons roaring and swirling, shattering everything in their path.
Cao Fei was shocked and immediately activated the Ice and Fire Valley formation, barely managing to block the attack.
“What a terrifying formation diagram! I can’t hold out for long. I must use secret techniques to request help from the family!” He made his decision.
In the ancestral mansion of the Cao Family in Peijing,
A Master received the family head’s command, mounted a light beam, and flew out through the formation.
Just as he was about to leave the briefly opened formation, a figure suddenly appeared high above. Neither tall nor thin, he looked ancient and ethereal, with black hair pinned with a wooden hairpin, wearing a water-blue Taoist robe, and an eerie mask with no facial features.
In his hand, he held a long sword emitting a greenish glow, leisurely slashing downward.
The sword light divided, subdivided, and continued dividing. This Master felt as though this single slash had manifested thousands, tens of thousands, even countless variations, each influencing and continuing to evolve, seemingly generating infinite changes without any discernible pattern.
The sword light continuously absorbed surrounding forces, kept dividing, evolving, making the Master feel cold, as if his very being would be absorbed into the sword light, becoming part of countless variations.
Chaos intensified, seemingly irreversible, until the end of the universe, all forces being absorbed, leaving only chaos. The Cao family Master felt as if his own flesh and blood would join this chaotic procession.
Sensations faded, heavenly forces vanished, everything heading toward the ultimate chaos—the eternal silence.
The Sword of Destruction!
If this sword stroke hadn’t mainly targeted the Peijing Formation, this Master felt he would already be dead!
The Peijing Formation’s power was absorbed, and his own state was thrown into chaos. If it weren’t for Cao Xianzhi noticing in time and fully activating the formation, the sword stroke might have shattered it completely!
Now, the inside and outside were completely cut off!
On the core island of the Immortal Lake,
Disciples guarding the outer perimeter saw strange lights rising in Peijing from afar, feeling puzzled and uncertain.
At that moment, a figure flew down in an irregular trajectory and with a slap, fell in front of these disciples.
“Tai Ge!” one disciple blurted out, recognizing Cao Tai, his face covered in blood, his body broken.
“Qiu… qiu yuan (request… help)… cao yuan (grassland)… shi (matter)… bai lu (exposed)… fa shen (Dharma Body)… lai xi (coming)!” “Cao Tai” struggled painfully.
“What?” The guarding disciples were completely at a loss.
With a slap, “Cao Tai” hit the ground headfirst, blood pouring from his seven orifices, exhaling his last breath.
“Tai Ge!” Several disciples rushed forward to check, finding Cao Tai undeniably dead, showing signs of panic.
Soon, after receiving family teachings, they regained composure and sent one of them in a hurry toward the “gate” at the depths of the eternal ice.
…
In the ancestral mansion of the Cao Family in Peijing,
The family head held a long ruler condensed from purple lightning, ready to strike.
His face, full of wrinkles, showed suspicion and anger as he couldn’t help but look toward the other two people in the room.
One was a refined middle-aged man, wearing a wide robe, his hair pinned with a wooden hairpin, his posture graceful, his features extraordinarily handsome, possessing a demon-like charm, his black hair showing no gray.
The other was as still as deep waters and as imposing as mountains, with sword-like eyebrows and star-like eyes, a high-bridged nose, handsome features, but thin lips revealing a hint of coldness, his eyes devoid of emotion, mature and ruthless.
The Demon Sage Han Guang and the Mad King Gao Lan!
The two shining stars of their era!
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