Chapter 273 - 151: The Mountains as Pawns to Lock the Spirit; the Demon Lord as a Blade to Face the Daoist

Chapter 273: Chapter 151: The Mountains as Pawns to Lock the Spirit; the Demon Lord as a Blade to Face the Daoist

Although the altar’s purpose was to block the telluric energy, it also served as a conduit, locking down the direction of the earth veins. If his palm were to strike, he feared it would not only destroy the altar but also sunder the earth veins of Languan Mountain and the surrounding ranges, turning the land into a barren wasteland like the Western Continent.

Though Xuzhuang was a man of decisive action, he was unwilling to commit such an act against the natural order unless he had no other choice.

And so, Xuzhuang changed his Divine Technique. He abandoned the palm strike of the Innate Tai Su Qi Grand Capture, instead gently enveloping the Magical Sword and pulling lightly!

RUMBLE!

Chang Chunzi, waiting alone on Languan Mountain, was already on edge. He suddenly felt the ground shake and the mountains sway, nearly stumbling to the ground. Fortunately, he reacted in time and steadied himself, only then realizing that all of Languan Mountain, and even the nearby ranges, had begun to tremble.

Chang Chunzi’s expression changed. ’Could the Venerable have run into those Demon Sect fiends underground?’ he wondered.

Just as worry took hold, he noticed that the tremors didn’t escalate. Instead, they maintained a steady, gentle shaking. It didn’t seem like mighty experts were clashing with their techniques deep underground. Only then did he breathe a sigh of relief. He remained on high alert, continuing his watch over the hole in the ground.

Deep within the mountain, Xuzhuang remained unflinching in the face of the tremors. He maintained his Divine Technique, which had already pulled the Magical Sword half a foot out of the altar. It continued to rise slowly and steadily.

Despite his relaxed expression, pulling out this Magical Sword was, in truth, a constant struggle against the surrounding earth veins. It was a feat far more difficult than uprooting mountains and shifting peaks.

No wonder the altar was left unguarded. Perhaps the Demon Sect was short-staffed, but even so, an ordinary person would have been unable to ruin their arrangement.

After a full ten minutes, Xuzhuang finally extracted the Magical Sword from the altar. He had impressively used his own Magical Power to wear down the telluric energy accumulated in the surrounding earth veins. Although this method also caused great harm to the spiritual vitality of the nearby mountains, the earth veins themselves remained intact. With time, they could recover, thus avoiding the fate of becoming a barren wasteland.

The moment the Magical Sword was free, the tremors in the mountains ceased. In their place, a thread of Spiritual Qi and life force began to emerge. Though extremely faint, it was a clear sign that the blockage of the earth veins had been broken. Only then did Xuzhuang withdraw the Innate Tai Su Qi Grand Capture and cast a calm glance at the surrounding pillars carved with demonic visages.

Having ruined the Demon Sect’s meticulous preparations, he expected they would no longer tolerate his presence. Xuzhuang smiled, flicked his sleeves, and reactivated his Escape Technique, retracing his steps back the way he came.

—

Not long after escaping from Xuzhuang, Venerable Lengshan was still reeling from the shock, yet a sliver of wild joy bloomed in his heart. Though he didn’t know Xuzhuang’s origins, he had memorized the man’s face and figured that would be enough to complete his task.

His Daoist companion and disciples were beyond saving, which was a pity, but he was not yet halfway through his lifespan and still had a long future ahead. Right now, his heart held only relief. He hastily took flight, soaring over range after range of mountains until he reached a verdant peak where the two stylistically distinct Demon Sect Saint Children were still waiting.

Venerable Lengshan landed. Seeing Chi Ming and Shao Ying turn their gazes on him, he dropped to his knees on some strange impulse and said respectfully, "This humble one greets the two Saint Children."

At his words, Chi Ming remained expressionless, but Shao Ying offered a faint smile. "You certainly work fast. Did you find out that person’s identity?"

Venerable Lengshan hurriedly replied, "This humble one had no way of learning the specifics of his identity, but I have memorized his appearance."

Shao Ying’s brow twitched slightly. His smile vanished. "In that case, show me what he looks like."

Venerable Lengshan hastily half-rose and pointed a finger in the air. As a cultivator who had reached the Nascent Soul realm, creating an image with Magical Power was a simple matter for him. He easily conjured an image of Xuzhuang, perfect in every detail from his face to his attire.

Upon seeing the image, Chi Ming also glanced over, raising an eyebrow slightly. Shao Ying, however, narrowed his eyes and muttered, "So it’s him."

Seeing that Shao Ying seemed to know Xuzhuang’s identity, Venerable Lengshan breathed a sigh of relief. He cupped his hands and said, "Saint Child, this humble one has delivered the information. May I ask you to remove the restrictive spell now?"

"Oh?" Shao Ying chuckled softly. "But the task I gave you was to find out this person’s identity. It seems you’ve failed to do that."

"What?" Venerable Lengshan’s face changed. His mind raced, but he didn’t dare argue. He quickly pleaded, "Saint Child, spare me! This humble one is willing to serve you with the loyalty of a dog or a horse—"

Shao Ying’s expression went blank. He shook his head, then suddenly pointed a finger. Venerable Lengshan instantly exploded into a turbid mist of blood and qi. With a soft inhale, Shao Ying drew the mist into a single thread that flowed into his nostrils.

A rosy flush appeared on Shao Ying’s face. He closed his eyes as if savoring the sensation, clicked his tongue twice, and then remarked, "His foundation wasn’t half-bad."

Chi Ming, who had been watching from the side, sneered. "What a sanctimonious, treacherous hypocrite."

"Are you suggesting my Demon Intent Sect is some orthodox and righteous school?" Shao Ying asked with feigned confusion, then laughed. "Besides, he was the one who tried to be clever and failed to complete his task. You can’t say I’m the one who went back on my word."

Chi Ming didn’t respond, changing the subject instead. "You recognized that man. What’s his identity?"

A genuine look of surprise appeared on Shao Ying’s face. He laughed. "Born of Chengxuan, a flawless form descends; a thousand years of immortal grace, a singular, wondrous Daoist. You don’t even recognize a man described by such verses? Aren’t you afraid you’ll die by their kind’s hands one day?"

"Oh, so that’s Xuzhuang," Chi Ming said, his face impassive. "What ’thousand years of immortal grace’? He’s just a puppet the three major sects pushed out to keep up appearances. After him, didn’t the Spirit Treasure Sect also trot out some ’Zaidaizi’?" Despite his words, a faint glint of excitement appeared in Chi Ming’s eyes.