Chapter 684: Insight

"It's fine. Just a minor injury," the Hemp-Clothed Elder said haltingly. He waved a hand as he coughed up blood, looking thoroughly battered.

"Thank you for saving me, Daoist Brother." Xu Yinglong gripped the Sword of the Three Sovereigns backhandedly, his face full of guilt and frustration. "It's all because that Gao Jian is so insidious and crafty! He was playing the pig to eat the tiger, scheming against us all!"

"We were outmatched. There's nothing more to say." The Hemp-Clothed Elder picked up his Golden Bell from the mud and hung it back at his waist. "There's a wicked nature to this Gao Jian. We underestimated him."

He paused to catch his breath, the wrinkles on his face seeming to deepen. "I advise everyone to stop holding back. This boy is far from simple. Be careful, or we'll end up capsizing a boat in a drainage ditch."

Leng Qingxuan's Master also walked over to support the Hemp-Clothed Elder. "Why do you say that, Daoist Brother?"

The old man pondered for a moment. "Ever since we began sealing the mountain, nothing has gone smoothly. Logically speaking, we are following the will of heaven and hold the advantage in both timing and numbers. We should have caught him easily. But the truth is, we have been at a disadvantage this entire time. Don't try to deny it."

"We simply underestimated our enemy. This man is skilled at hiding his true strength, and his schemes run deep!" Ye Qingqiu on the ritual altar controlled the Ten Directions Annihilation Grand Formation, firing out talismans like a madman.

"It's not that he excels at hiding his strength. Rather, I feel there's something bizarre about this entire situation." The Hemp-Clothed Elder gave a bitter smile. "When a formation is first set up, its foundation is unstable, making it easiest to break. Since Gao Jian can control the Ten Directions Ghost Refining Grand Formation, he must be well aware of this. When you sealed the mountain and laid out your formation, you caused a massive commotion. If he had directly summoned the Yin soldiers to aid him right then, your Ten Directions Annihilation Grand Formation would never have been able to complete the Ten-Revolution Divine Ability."

"So you're saying he's just toying with us? He deliberately wants a head-on confrontation to see who wins?" Xu Yinglong had perhaps just regained his soul, and his mind was still sluggish. "If he could run, why didn't he? Is he planning to turn the tables and slaughter us all? That's far too arrogant!"

"You misunderstand me." The old man shook his head. "He is clearly stalling for time. He's gradually strengthening his grand formation just to create a situation where we are evenly matched."

Ye Qingqiu grew displeased upon hearing the Hemp-Clothed Elder's words. He had always been a proud man. "Old sir, please don't boost others' morale while diminishing our own. As the one presiding over the grand formation, I can clearly sense that he is at the end of his rope. He is constantly on the verge of collapse. He is definitely not faking it."

"Whether he's faking it or not is no longer important. What matters is that we must figure out why he stayed behind. What is his goal in stalling for time?" The old man sighed. "He chose not to flee initially when he had the chance, opting to stay here instead. He might not even take our grand formation seriously. Keep a close eye out. This boy might know a secret passage leading to the outside."

"There's no need to worry, Daoist Brother." The one who spoke was the Qingcheng Taoist Priest. With a flip of his palm, he produced a smaller Compass. Right now, the golden needle on the Compass was pointing straight toward the main hall of the Three Yin Sect. "Daoist Master Xu Yan has planted a Qingcheng Dao Talisman on this man. As long as that talisman remains, he cannot escape."

The Hemp-Clothed Elder nodded after hearing this, but a moment later, his expression drastically changed. "Oh no! I know why he's stalling for time! This boy is probably trying to use the Three Yin Sect Grand Formation to refine the Dao Talisman inside his body! That's the only logical explanation for why he would risk his life to stay here and buy time!"

The Hemp-Clothed Elder didn't deliberately lower his voice. Having broken free of the Mind-Bewildering Curse, I used Breath Listening and managed to barely hear him. 'Age breeds cunning. This old Taoist is truly a difficult opponent to deal with!'

Before the Hemp-Clothed Elder could finish, the Qingcheng Taoist Priest gave a faint smile. "Rest assured, Daoist Brother. The talisman inside Gao Jian's body fuses Yin and Yang. It was originally meant to be used against the Ghost Mother. Once it enters the body, removing it is nearly impossible. It requires the simultaneous collision of earthly Yin and heavenly Yang Qi to dissolve it. Look at this place—there is only Yin energy inside the grand formation. Although Yang Qi fills the sky outside, does Gao Jian dare to step out?"

Noticing that the Hemp-Clothed Elder was still worried, Leng Qingxuan's Master also walked over. "Daoist Brother, set your mind at ease. That Gao Jian cannot run away."

As he spoke, he pulled a small figure woven from straw out of his sleeve. It was three cun and three li tall. Strangely enough, what bound the straw together were not strings, but exceedingly fine strands of hair. "My disciple once picked up some of Gao Jian's hair, and that very hair is now woven into this Straw Figure. Hair is the remainder of blood and the bloom of the kidneys. After refining it with our Maoshan secret arts, we can use the hair to pinpoint his approximate location and determine whether he is dead or alive. However, this art cannot be sustained for very long. Within three days of the hair leaving his flesh, if the Straw Figure were to unravel for no reason, it would mean the hair's owner's body died and his Dao dissolved. After three days, the connection between the hair and the original flesh and blood will sever, rendering this art useless."

After Leng Qingxuan's Master spoke, the several sect cultivators didn't react much. In contrast, cold sweat broke out on my forehead as I stood far away within the grand formation. 'That Straw Figure can last for three days? And when did Leng Qingxuan get his hands on my hair?'

If my body hadn't just recovered, allowing me to vaguely hear the voice of Daoist Priest Mei by using Breath Listening, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

'These sect cultivators have too many tricks up their sleeves; they're impossible to defend against!' I pulled myself together. Multitasking, I manipulated the Ten Directions Talisman Order while using Judging Eye to watch the sect cultivators' every move.

"Since you all came prepared, there's nothing more for me to say." The Hemp-Clothed Elder wiped the dirt off his Golden Bell and shook it, yet it failed to produce that soul-captivating chime. Looking closer, he realized the clapper inside the Golden Bell had gone missing. "Nothing is going our way. Did we do something wrong? Misfortune strikes at every turn, and even the will of heaven no longer aids us."

After saying this, the old man glanced at Elder Chen and the Man in the Suit. Those two had shown no intention of intervening from beginning to end. With a slightly displeased expression, he asked in a deep voice, "You two traveled all this way. You couldn't have just come to watch a show, right?"

"You must be joking, Daoist Brother." Elder Chen cupped his hands. Tall and speaking with extraordinary elegance, his very words carried a convincing aura. "I didn't mean to stand idly by. It's just that my Daoist heart is unsettled. I keep feeling that something terrible is about to happen. I'm sure you all share a similar feeling?"

"Can you find the source of this unease?" The Hemp-Clothed Elder looked at Elder Chen. His response was tantamount to acknowledging Elder Chen's words; he too vaguely sensed that a disaster was approaching.

"You are all figures with hands and eyes reaching the sky. Why deceive yourselves? The source of that disaster is right in front of us." Elder Chen pointed toward the center of the Ten Directions Ghost Refining Grand Formation. "Every shift and change revolves around Gao Jian. He is the cause of this looming catastrophe."

"Then why do I feel that this ominous sensation comes from Jiangcheng?" Leng Qingxuan's Master held the Straw Doll and summoned his captive ghost to fend off the Yin soldiers. Only by joining forces with the Qingcheng Taoist Priest was he able to stabilize the situation.

"Gao Jian is the cause, and Jiangcheng is the effect. If there were no cause—the siege on Gao Jian—there would be no resulting disaster in Jiangcheng."

As soon as Elder Chen finished speaking, Xu Yinglong gave a cold snort. "Are you trying to persuade us to give up? Then who will pay the blood debt of my Jinshan Sect's second-generation disciples? And who will answer for the lives of Daoist Master Xu and Daoist Master Liu of the Five Great Upper Sects?"

"A blood debt doesn't necessarily have to be paid in blood. The deaths of my Xiao Zhuang Taoist Temple's disciples are also inextricably linked to this man, but one must always prioritize the bigger picture." Elder Chen's voice was unhurried and calm, as if he hadn't taken Xu Yinglong's words to heart at all.

His indifferent attitude infuriated Xu Yinglong even more. He tightened his grip on the Sword of the Three Sovereigns, his knuckles cracking.

"Daoist Friend Chen, your Xiao Zhuang Taoist Temple lives in seclusion, disconnected from the world. Your nature is cold and distant, so you might not care about the deaths of your disciples, but our Five Great Upper Sects are different." Ye Qingqiu on the ritual altar spoke up. "The Five Great Upper Sects serve as the banner of Daoism. What we represent is not our own dignity, but the righteous energy of heaven and earth. We cannot lose, and we absolutely cannot be defeated!"

After he said this, Leng Qingxuan's Master and the Qingcheng Taoist Priest also nodded gently. The Five Great Upper Sects represented absolute authority, brooking no provocation.

"I understand." Elder Chen sighed. He glanced at the Man in the Suit beside him, wanting to say something, but ultimately held his tongue. They stood on different sides; saying more would be useless.

"Are you two Daoist Friends still not going to make a move?" Xu Yinglong asked coldly. Even though his soul had only just returned to its place, he raised his sword and charged back into the fray.

"Cultivators should align with the will of heaven, yet you are all acting against it. You are being swayed by the obsession in your hearts. You have strayed onto the wrong Dao." Judging solely by Elder Chen's usual words, one could never associate this man with a Fate Usurper. Every sentence he spoke defended the will of heaven. Among everyone present, I was probably the only one who knew his true background.

"The Dao is in one's own heart. I only seek a clear conscience." The Hemp-Clothed Elder shifted his gaze away from Elder Chen. Brushing the dust off his clothes, he took out his Golden Bell and walked toward the Yin soldiers.

Upon hearing the Hemp-Clothed Elder's final words, a sharp glint flashed through Elder Chen's eyes, though he quickly concealed it. Looking as if he had no other choice, he finally decided to strike.

Inside the grand formation, I also grew tense. Elder Chen was connected to the Two-Faced Buddha, and he was destined to be my enemy in the future. Now was the perfect time to see what he was truly capable of.

Elder Chen didn't charge forward like Xu Yinglong and the Hemp-Clothed Elder. He took a few symbolic steps toward the Three Yin Sect and came to a halt while still several meters away from the Ten Directions Ghost Refining Grand Formation.

'What in the world is he doing?' I watched Elder Chen's movements and slowly frowned. For a spell to unleash its power, it typically required corresponding hand seals and incantations. Yet, Elder Chen made no hand gestures at all. His lips merely twitched as he silently chanted something. Immediately after, the Yin soldiers within ten meters of him began to flee backward. The scene was identical to when the Hemp-Clothed Elder's three souls had just entered the divine statue, using divine might to intimidate the ghosts.

'How did he do that?' I was astonished. The Hemp-Clothed Elder had gone through the trouble of chanting spells and burning incense, expending a great deal of effort to pull it off. But Elder Chen simply muttered a few incantations in silence, and the Yin soldiers started scattering.

'Incredible. This man is terrifying.' My eyelids twitched incessantly. Soon, an even worse development occurred. The Fate Ghost transmitted a sliver of information: just a moment ago, deep within the earth veins, someone had seemed to be fighting it for control over the Yin soldiers!