Chapter 273: What Do You Mean the Immortal Gate Is Attacking?

The sensation of traversing the void was far from pleasant.

It felt like his body had been flattened, forcibly crammed into a palm-sized tin, and violently shaken up and down. It brought on an intense wave of nausea and agonizing pain.

But Wang Ping soon lost the capacity to care about that.

Before him lay a vast expanse of deep space. Stars flickered all around, rushing closer at unimaginable speeds. In this moment, distance had lost all meaning.

Then he saw it.

A boundless, magnificent glow stretched across the stars of the Cosmos. Radiant with twenty-four distinct colors, it sat directly in his path, blocking his way.

At first, Wang Ping wasn't particularly concerned. He naturally guessed that a True Person had the power to sever the void and stop him from directly crossing into the Brahma Nation. But if they had a True Person, didn't he have one too? The Mysterious Wood Qi Daoist Master would surely step in to help him now.

However, as the radiant glow drew closer and closer, Wang Ping began to panic.

No one stepped in.

The Xun Trigram did not appear. The howling gales from before did not sweep through Cosmic Deep Space. Instead, he just kept hurtling straight toward the multicolored glow.

Wait, where were his teammates?

Wang Ping's pupils shrank. This turn of events was completely beyond his expectations. Had the Mysterious Wood Qi Daoist Master been beaten so badly that he didn't even have the strength left to strike?

Hurry up and save me!

"Boom!"

A heavy, resonant Daoist chime answered his plea. A blinding flash of blazing white lightning followed, instantly illuminating the pitch-black deep space.

Who was this now?

Having learned from his previous experiences, Wang Ping played it smart this time. He sealed his divine sense and relied solely on his physical eyes, sparing himself from the shockwaves of the clash between True Persons.

Because of this, he could not perceive the profound mysteries of their techniques.

Still, just looking at the spectacle was enough to hazard a guess. The light of the lightning likely belonged to heavenly yang wood. Even if it wasn't yin wood, it ultimately still counted as wood qi.

"Someone from the Immortal Prescription Courtyard?"

"Strange. That means there are clearly two wood qi True Persons willing to help me, so why did only one trade blows with Daoist Master Hanguang Danyang just now..."

In a fraction of a second, before Wang Ping had time to ponder further, the lightning tore through the multicolored glow, carving out a path for his traversal. He hurriedly followed, instantly breaking free of the radiant blockade. What entered his vision next was a square-shaped world resting in deep space, looking exactly like a dining table.

The Brahma Nation, the Eight Treasure Table!

"I'm here!"

...

Bliss Immortal Peak, Sun and Moon Lake.

"Boom!"

Almost at the exact moment Wang Ping's figure entered the Eight Treasure Table, the previously composed Mingyou abruptly stood up, stirring up sweeping waves across the tranquil lake.

"The Immortal Prescription Courtyard... Is it the True Person backing Xianfu? This is a joke! They are completely disregarding the greater good of the Immortal Gate and the Immortal-Brahma Sword Battle!"

Mingyou's expression darkened with intense gloom.

Mingyou had to admit that both of Wang Ping's choices had wildly exceeded his expectations. The first time, he had leaped completely off the chessboard, forcing a True Person to intervene.

Now, for his second move, he was trying to leap off the True Person's chessboard as well!

However, what Mingyou found hardest to swallow was that as he replayed the events in his mind, he realized Wang Ping's approach was actually correct. There truly was a sliver of a chance!

'He is triggering the immortal-Brahma showdown ahead of time. No wonder the people from the Immortal Prescription Courtyard helped him. If he succeeds, it will undoubtedly benefit Xianfu. Even if he fails, the karmic toll of the wood qi plundering lifespans will vanish and the wood qi will be returned. That would still be a boon for the Supreme True Lord of the Immortal Prescription Courtyard. Either way, they have nothing to lose...'

Unbelievable!

To think that a lowly cultivator at the Tribulation Transcending Second Layer could perfectly read the Immortal Prescription Courtyard's intentions. He shouldn't know anything about the Wood Qi True Lord!

'No, he must know.'

Mingyou shook his head. Without knowing enough hidden secrets and possessing pristine judgment, no one would dare to attempt such a stunt. The question was, where did he get his information?

'It has to be the Ever-Suppressing Six Harmonies Cauldron.'

A brilliant spark illuminated his thoughts. Mingyou finally realized where Wang Ping had gotten his information, but he could only shake his head in helpless resignation, sighing that he had been outplayed by a single move.

Regardless, the man had already crossed over.

Just as Wang Ping had predicted, the moment he made his move, every Qi Refining practitioner whose lifespan had been extended because of him would be forced to act as well. They absolutely could not sit idly by and watch their lifespans slip away again.

This was especially true for the Qi Refining practitioners who were already nearing the end of their days.

People like him.

"Never mind. He's just a pawn who pulled a few cheap, underhanded tricks. Ultimately, it means nothing aside from being a slight annoyance..."

Mingyou let out a long breath, his expression softening.

"...Fuck!"

The next second, his composure finally snapping into a low, angry curse, Mingyou vanished from the spot and shot through the void in pursuit of Wang Ping.

...

The Brahma Nation's Eight Treasure Table, the Heavenly Demon Royal Court.

By now, the royal tent that once stood at the heart of the Royal Court had long since been replaced by a towering Ancient Chan Forest Monastery. Countless monks bustled back and forth through its halls.

Inside the Mahavira Hall at the very center of the monastery, towering golden figures stood in all four corners. They held no distinction between master and servant, symbolizing the equality of all living beings. From time to time, one of these golden statues would reach out and casually devour a demon citizen who had come to worship below. This drew waves of envious stares from the surrounding crowd.

After all, this was the Venerable personally presiding over their reincarnation.

As long as they endured this suffering and proved to be a delicious morsel for the Venerable, they might just be reborn in the Brahma Nation in their next life. From then on, they would enjoy eternal bliss and never suffer again.

Thus, faced with this bloody and eerie spectacle, not a single demon citizen showed an ounce of fear. Instead, they scrambled over one another, eager to offer themselves up like ingredients rushing onto a dining table.

"How is the situation?"

Wu Chi snatched up the plumpest demon citizen he could find. His gold-cast teeth crunched straight through the creature's waist. As he gorged himself on the bloody meal, he glanced at Jin Hai sitting beside him.

"Still no news."

Jin Hai shook his head, refraining from delivering the sentient beings like the others. A spike of anxiety pierced his heart. "Something isn't right. I suspect Luan Phoenix Khan has met with an accident."

"So what if he did?"

On the other side, Suoze, an incredibly picky eater who strictly consumed human brains, shook his head. "If something really happened, we just follow the five-step protocol. It won't be a problem."

The Immortal Gate employed a four-step protocol to handle various crises, and the Brahma Nation naturally had one of its own. Moreover, to highlight their superiority over the Immortal Gate, the Brahma Nation used a five-step protocol.

Simply put, it governed how Brahma cultivators handled emergencies. Over in the Immortal Gate, their method was to conceal everything through layers of bureaucracy, constantly burying the truth. As long as it went undiscovered, there was no problem. When the lid could no longer be kept on, they would just calmly accept their punishment. The Brahma Nation scoffed at this approach.

In contrast, the Brahma Nation never buried anything.

On the contrary, the moment a problem occurred, they tackled it immediately. Of course, they didn't tackle the problem itself; they tackled the impending issue of who would take the blame.

Step one: keep it confidential for security reasons.

Step two: cite budget cuts and system overload.

Step three: declare the experiment incredibly valuable and worth the cost.

Step four: claim crucial information was only discovered after the fact.

Step five: announce that the personal error has already been dealt with.

Depending on the severity of the crisis, responsibility was delegated downward layer by layer. While it might not wash one's hands completely clean, it guaranteed they could step away spotless, bearing neither merit nor blame.

What? What about the problem itself?

That didn't matter. The Brahma Nation was massive; a few minor issues wouldn't bring it down. The only thing that truly mattered was ensuring one's own cultivation path wasn't jeopardized. That was the absolute top priority.

Because of this mindset, even after hearing Jin Hai's suspicion that Luan Phoenix Khan had met with an accident, everyone remained perfectly relaxed. At worst, an ingredient in the Eight Treasure Table had died. Whether he lived or died was irrelevant—they certainly weren't the ones dying. Was the Immortal Gate going to mobilize their entire force and boldly invade over something like this?

Highly unlikely!

"By the way, Senior Brother Jin Hai." Nurong turned to him, her pale, tender chest bouncing slightly as she offered a seductive smile. "I heard you paid a visit to the Immortal Gate recently."

"And even traded blows with a true transmission disciple of the Immortal Gate."

"The higher-ups are incredibly pleased with you. They said that thanks to you, everyone's lifespan has increased... I wonder, what tremendous feat did Senior Brother accomplish?"

"Oh, that..."

At the mention of his greatest achievement to date, a proud smile spread across Jin Hai's face. "The short version is that I recruited an undercover mole within the Immortal Gate."

"He's a rather exceptional seed for Brahma cultivation. It's a shame we ran into a mishap the last time we made contact. Still, Master told me that his situation within the Immortal Gate is pretty dire. Sooner or later, a day will come when he needs our help. Given enough time, I should be able to persuade him to abandon his wicked ways and fully convert to our Brahma Nation."

Hearing this, the assembled cultivators nodded in agreement.

After all, in the eyes of Brahma cultivators, their superiority over the Immortal Gate was beyond question. An impenetrable force like the Brahma Nation was naturally bound to attract immortal gate cultivators seeking conversion.

"Speaking of which," Wu Chi mumbled through a mouthful of flesh, raising his head. "The superior stationed above me this time happens to be a Qi Refining practitioner who defected from the Immortal Gate."

"Oh? Is that so?"

This sparked a wave of curious questions from the group. They didn't manage to pry any crucial details out of him, however. They only learned that the superior's dharma name was Xianming.

With that, everyone turned their attention back to Jin Hai.

"Since Senior Brother has such a valuable mole, you'll have to pull your weight in the upcoming Immortal-Brahma Sword Battle," Nurong said with a light chuckle. "At the very least, you could secure a massive commendation for the rest of us."

"Indeed."

Suoze readily agreed. "For instance, we could set up an ambush ahead of time and have your mole lure them straight into it. We could wipe them all out in one fell swoop."

"It'd be best if we could bag a true transmission disciple at the Tribulation Transcending Third Layer."

"Right. If we kill a true transmission disciple of the Immortal Gate, it will certainly be a massive accomplishment. We might even earn bonus points on the Buddhist examination... Hmm? Did something just cross over?"

Suddenly, a collective sensation rippled through the gathered Brahma Cultivators.

Jin Hai, in particular, bolted upright from his glittering golden lotus platform with a look of pure elation. "It's the Frontier-Expanding Void-Crossing Ship! Luanfeng has returned already—"

His words broke off, and his smile froze in place.

Wait, something was wrong!

If Luan Phoenix Khan was piloting the Frontier-Expanding Void-Crossing Ship, Jin Hai would have sensed his presence long before this. The feedback washing over him right now felt completely foreign...

'...Oh no!'

"Boom!"

A torrential surge of golden light immediately shattered the void. The towering treasure ship sailed through the rift, rapidly shrinking in size as an inexplicably cheerful figure leaped out.

"Martial Uncle, I've missed you to death!"

Wang Ping waved enthusiastically, his face plastered with a massive grin. "I brought you some intelligence!"

'Intelligence...'

Jin Hai's brain ground to an absolute halt. He couldn't process what was happening. His mole had suddenly crossed over from the Immortal Gate?

And he'd brought intelligence?

"What intelligence?" Jin Hai asked.

Wang Ping's grin only grew wider. He shot Jin Hai a spirited thumbs up and jabbed it emphatically over his shoulder. "The Immortal Gate is attacking!"

What did he mean the Immortal Gate was attacking?

The sword battle hadn't even started yet. Was the Immortal Gate trying to strike first and start a war?

Jin Hai immediately went on high alert and pressed for answers. "How many are there? What are their cultivation levels? When do they plan to attack?"

Wang Ping looked at him with utmost sincerity. "I don't know exactly how many. As for their cultivation levels, the highest are True Persons, the middle ranks are Qi Refining practitioners, and the weakest among them are at the Tribulation Transcending Third Layer."

"As for when? Right now!"

Jin Hai was speechless. "..."

Huh?