Chapter 691: Who Dares Make a Move?

Several Celestial Masters shouted their demands, but only the crash of waves against the shore echoed across the river.

"Are you provoking us?" Ye Qingqiu coughed up a mouthful of river water. His talismans were soaked through. If the Hemp-Clothed Elder hadn't held him back, this Celestial Master of Profound Truth's direct lineage would have likely lost control and fought the person on the boat to the death.

"We asked you a question! Don't push your luck!" Xu Yinglong gripped the Sword of the Three Sovereigns in one hand and slashed at a nearby wooden plank. A cold gleam flashed, and the wood snapped in two!

The cut was perfectly clean, not even disrupting the wood's grain. Chopping through a plank was easy, but achieving such precision required an exceptionally sharp weapon and immense skill from the swordsman.

Xu Yinglong's temper was volatile, but his swordsmanship was truly exceptional, worthy of a grandmaster.

The small boat floated quietly on the water, surrounded by debris from the smashed altar. Offering tables, deity statues, and sacrifices had all tumbled into the river, leaving a complete mess.

"Do you have some history with the Three Yin Sect, Daoist friend? Did you come for that ghost sect?" Leng Qingxuan's Master only spoke up now. For the sake of the Five Great Upper Sects' pride, he practically forced himself to step forward.

The lone boat drifted slowly through the altar's wreckage. Strangely, while the river churned and surged violently behind it, the water immediately surrounding the small craft seemed suppressed by some unseen force, resting unbelievably calm.

"You won't answer a single question. It seems you look down on us completely." Ye Qingqiu laughed coldly and turned to the others. "Everyone, they've already brought the fight to our doorstep. Do you really think this can be resolved peacefully?"

He shook off the Hemp-Clothed Elder's hand. "Bowing and scraping will only make this evil cultivator look down on us more. Besides, since when did the Five Great Upper Sects sink to the point of groveling?"

The figure inside the lone boat remained silent. Driven to laughter by sheer anger, Ye Qingqiu pointed at the vessel. "No matter where you come from or what sect you belong to, if you don't give us a proper explanation, don't even think about leaving today!"

Rage burned in his heart, yet the person in the lone boat seemed to deem him unworthy of conversation.

The slight made the arrogant Ye Qingqiu grind his teeth in hatred, but he was out of good options.

"Step back." Ultimately, it was the Hemp-Clothed Elder who stepped forward. He stood by the river and cupped his hands toward the lone boat. "Celestial Master, you have traveled far, surely for a reason. Please tell us what it is; perhaps we can even assist you."

The Hemp-Clothed Elder was the oldest and held the highest seniority among them, yet right now, he acted the most respectful.

A moment later, a voice finally drifted from the lone boat, sounding as if the person were talking to themselves.

"That's right. This is where the Incense-Swallowing Silkworm pointed."

It was the exact same voice that had echoed across the river moments ago. Hearing it up close made it clearer; the voice carried a unique power, as heavy as a mountain.

Far away in the main hall of the Three Yin Sect, I also heard the voice. 'Is it Daoist master Wan? I never heard him speak in the livestream, but judging by his phrasing, it really does sound like him.'

Before I could confirm the newcomer's identity, Elder Chen lost his patience outside the array. He seemed to know exactly how terrifying this person was. His hands formed seals behind his back, and the face growing on the back of his head began silently chanting incantations.

The altar blocking the northern life gate of the Three Yin Sect had been smashed, but the talismans and Command Flags covering the mountain remained. Although the Ten Directions Annihilation Grand Formation had been affected, it could still operate normally. With Elder Chen secretly manipulating the bloodstained Yang Qi, my situation hadn't improved; instead, it grew increasingly perilous.

Elder Chen's Fate Ghost roamed underground, destroying the foundation of the Ten Directions Ghost Refining Grand Formation. The Yang Qi bore down from above, and with Elder Chen staring me down, I didn't even have a chance to use a Realm-Breaking Talisman.

The sound of the grand formation's nodes shattering constantly echoed in my ears. The active nodes on the Ten Directions Talisman Order dwindled, most of them fading into a dull gloom.

I didn't know what time it was anymore. Looking up, I could only see oppressive dark clouds and bloodstained Yang Qi. They sank closer and closer, hovering so low it felt like I could touch them just by reaching out.

"Die! Take your secrets and turn to ash!"

The Ten Directions Ghost Refining Grand Formation had reached its absolute limit. Originally covering the entire Three Yin Sect, the grand array was now compressed to a tenth of its size. The Yin energy of the ley lines and the Yang Qi seeping from Jiangcheng's dragon vein were locked in a final struggle. No matter which side won, I would be crushed in the middle.

The clash between Yin and Yang was just like what Wang Shi had suffered inside the ley line—an agony worse than death by a thousand cuts.

I had no way out. My only hope now lay with that small boat to the north!

"Just die quietly!" The face on the back of Elder Chen's head contorted completely. Whatever he did, a massive boom suddenly echoed from within the Three Yin Sect's ley lines. The core of the Ten Directions Ghost Refining Grand Formation had been destroyed!

"Not good!" The Ten Directions Ghost Refining Grand Formation began to collapse rapidly. Hovering between life and death, sheer survival instinct drove me to make the only correct decision.

I hurled the bag of Chinese medicine toward the edge of the grand formation, scattering the powder everywhere. Then, I shouted at the top of my lungs toward the north of the Three Yin Sect: "Daoist master! I'm over here!"

The collision of Yin and Yang energies left my voice distorted. The people outside the array had very different reactions upon hearing it.

Elder Chen sped up his hand seals. Desperate to eliminate me as quickly as possible, he didn't even bother hiding his actions anymore.

In the distance, the sect cultivators reacted to my shout as if facing a mortal enemy.

"You really are in league with that little thief!" Xu Yinglong held the Sword of the Three Sovereigns, his eyes bloodshot. "I knew a punk with such mediocre skills couldn't possibly kill the second-generation disciples of my Golden Mountain Sect! So he had an old monster like you backing him up all along!"

"Daoist friend Yinglong, do not speak recklessly. The matter hasn't been investigated clearly yet."

The Hemp-Clothed Elder tried to stop him but failed. Beside him, Ye Qingqiu marched toward the lone boat. "Gao Jian trapped and killed the disciples of our Five Great Upper Sects—his sins are unforgivable! I don't care which sect you belong to, get off that boat and explain yourself! Otherwise, you are his accomplice!"

"Daoist friend, did you truly come to help Gao Jian? That man is sinister and cunning, harboring a demonic nature. You have likely been deceived." A Qingcheng Taoist Priest tried to keep the situation from escalating. "There must be some misunderstanding here. We should all calm down..."

While the sect cultivators were speaking, Elder Chen remained silent, frantically driving the Yang Qi. Sensing that the situation was about to change, he seized every second to put me to death.

I didn't know what had gone wrong with the core node of the Ten Directions Ghost Refining Grand Formation. The malevolent yin energy could no longer resist the endless stream of bloodstained Yang Qi. Watching the Yang Qi barrel toward me, I made my final desperate gamble, pinning all my hopes on Daoist master Wan.

"Daoist master, we made a bet back in the hospital—save me!" If it weren't a matter of life and death, I would never have dragged Daoist master Wan into this mess, but I had truly been pushed to a dead end.

"A bet?" The person in the small boat heard my voice and seemed to suddenly remember something. Soon, a burst of hearty laughter rang out from the vessel.

"Could it be you came to interfere just to keep a promise?" Unable to discern the meaning behind that laughter, the Hemp-Clothed Elder probed gently, "If that is truly the case, there's absolutely no need. Gao Jian has committed heinous crimes! He trapped and killed all the disciples of the Golden Mountain Sect, is directly linked to the deaths of several Celestial Masters, and offended all Five Great Upper Sects at once! I hope you reconsider, Daoist friend. Sticking your neck out for a man like this isn't worth it!"

"We truly admire you for valuing loyalty and righteousness, Daoist friend. But ignoring right and wrong to protect an evil demon just for a single promise will be extremely detrimental to your own cultivation." The Qingcheng Taoist Priest echoed the Hemp-Clothed Elder, hoping to change the mind of the person in the boat and stop him from interfering.

As soon as I heard the sect cultivators' words, I instantly knew things were taking a turn for the worse. They were telling the truth. Daoist master Wan was merely a viewer in my livestream; there was no reason for him to offend the Five Great Upper Sects for my sake.

Surviving in the gloomy, filthy corners of the city, I knew better than most that promises were often just empty words.

The drawn-out laughter from the boat slowly died down. Thinking they had a chance to persuade him, the sect cultivators used even fiercer rhetoric to denounce my crimes.

"Daoist friend, there is simply no need for you to save him. By showing up here, you have already done more than enough."

"Gao Jian is locked in a battle to the death with our Five Great Upper Sects. If you intervene, have you thought through the consequences?" Ye Qingqiu's tone softened slightly. "In today's world, I doubt there is a single sect capable of withstanding the wrath of the Five Great Upper Sects."

"We're advising you against this for your own good. Just moments ago, Gao Jian admitted it himself—he practices the Dao of Fate. He is a Fate Usurper! If you tie yourself to him, you will become the enemy of the entire cultivation world!"

Hearing Xu Yinglong's last remark, my face instantly dimmed. I knew perfectly well what a Fate Usurper represented in the eyes of cultivators.

"That's right, I am a Fate Usurper. I defy heaven's will and am destined to walk alone." A bitter smile surfaced on my face. I had already given up the struggle. After a long internal conflict, I finally shouted toward the boat, "Daoist master, I lied to you before. I hope you won't blame me. I've been in your care all this time, and I've long wanted to thank you to your face. If it weren't for your help, I probably would have died at Xinhu High School a few weeks ago."

Cupping my hands together, I earnestly bowed toward the boat.

The grand formation collapsed, the Yin soldiers wailed, and the sky-filling Yang Qi swept over me.

"The Ten Directions Ghost Refining Grand Formation is breaking! Quick! Enter the array and capture Gao Jian alive!" The sect's Celestial Masters had been entirely focused on the boat; turning back, they finally realized the Ten Directions Ghost Refining Grand Formation was rapidly collapsing.

"Take him down! Grab this little thief—I'm going to use him as a sacrifice for my dead disciples!"

The Celestial Masters turned and charged. Elder Chen, the closest to me, cast his final spell, preparing to let the Yang Qi devour me completely.

Everything was spiraling out of my control. My mind was completely blank. Maintaining my bowing posture, I gave up the struggle.

"You certainly took some effort to find." The voice rang out from the lone boat as a middle-aged Daoist priest—draped in a white robe, imposing in stature, and striking in appearance—stepped to the bow. "So what if he walks the crooked path of demons? So what if he trapped and killed the Five Great Upper Sects? Even if you are a Fate Usurper, so what!"

Before his voice even faded, the charging sect cultivators froze like stone, whipping their heads back to look at him in disbelief.

"Crazy, you're absolutely crazy!"

"Daoist friend, he is a Fate Usurper! Are you going to defy heaven itself for his sake?"

"Ignore this madman. Let's capture Gao Jian first!"

Gripping their talismans and sharp swords, the sect cultivators hadn't even taken a single step.

The vast river suddenly began to churn. A heaven-shaking aura erupted from the white-robed Daoist priest. A fierce glint flashed through his eyes, and a smile played on his lips. "Don't fear ten thousand, fear the one in ten thousand. Who among you dares to lay a finger on Wan Yi's friend?"