Chapter 421 - 379: Champion Scholar of the Demon Dao

Wuji Holy Sect, Upper Layer of the Taixu Mirror Heaven.

Here, there was neither light nor darkness, neither sound nor silence. Only a pool of ink-black water rested quietly in the center of the cavern.

Its surface was as smooth as a mirror, yet it reflected nothing, as if it were a boundary connecting existence and nothingness.

The True Monarch of No Dao Extreme Law sat cross-legged, hovering three feet above the pool. He wore a simple black robe, his face as cold and hard as ten-thousand-year-old frosted iron.

His eyes were half-closed, and not a single trace of his aura leaked out.

It was as if he had merged with this absolutely dead, silent space, becoming a piece of bedrock devoid of all warmth.

"A counterattack on Central Earth..."

The low voice rippled through the absolute silence like a stone cast into a deep pool, yet it failed to stir the slightest ripple.

Wu Dao True Monarch slowly opened his eyes a crack. Deep within his frozen pupils, endless Dao Principle runes flowed, born and then extinguished.

He raised his right hand, his five fingers spreading apart. His fingertips naturally formed an ancient and profound Finger Technique.

This was a seal he had created through his comprehension of the Great Dao of "All Laws Return to Nothingness."

It could trace the river of cause and effect upstream, allowing him a glimpse, a mere sliver, of the myriad possibilities of the future.

While not as meticulously detailed as the divinations of True Monarchs who specialized in such arts, its strength lay in cutting directly to the essence, revealing the grand trajectory of events.

The moment the Finger Technique was formed—

a faint, silent ripple spread across the mirror-smooth surface of the pool.

Beneath the ripple, the once-empty surface of the water began to show countless fine points of light, lines, and blurry images.

It was a projection of the Sea of Cause and Effect within the pool.

The fate-lines of the Northwest Four Sects, the brilliant glow from the gates of the Central Earth Righteous Dao, the mysterious blue river of the Overseas Dragon Race, and even some obscure, unclear undercurrents from deeper still...

all manifested in an abstract yet essential form, intertwining, clashing, devouring, and merging with one another.

Wu Dao True Monarch’s gaze fell upon the intersection of the causal lines representing the "Northwest Four Sects" and the "Central Earth Righteous Dao."

That place should have been a chaotic scene of raging war and clashing fates.

However, at this moment—

"Hmm?"

An almost imperceptible frown creased Wu Dao True Monarch’s cold, hard brow.

In the pool’s projection, where the intersection of causal lines should have been clearly visible, a thick fog had materialized out of thin air!

The fog was gray and heavy. It was not smoke, nor was it mist, and it shifted and changed endlessly.

It spawned from the void and spread rapidly, enveloping, concealing, and distorting all the causal lines representing the Northwest and Central Earth.

Deep within the fog, one could vaguely discern the winding silhouette of a dragon, a flash of sword light, the flickering of a Buddha Seal, and even the glimmer of older, more abstruse totems... yet none of it could be seen clearly, as if viewed through a thousand layers of gauze.

Wu Dao True Monarch released a sliver of Dao Power from his fingertips. The Seal Technique flashed with light.

The fog in the pool’s projection rippled slightly.

But that was all.

The fog was unbelievably heavy. Even when he used a Secret Skill, fueled by the immense power of a True Monarch, he could only make it fluctuate slightly. He couldn’t disperse even a shred of it, let alone glimpse the truth behind the haze.

’Someone has obscured the workings of heaven and the threads of causality...’

Wu Dao True Monarch slowly withdrew the seal, the light in his eyes flowing like a current.

This was no ordinary disturbance of fate, nor was it the work of a single True Monarch.

The "texture" of this fog—that heavy, substantial feeling, as if it were an amalgamation of multiple supreme wills.

The distinct Dao Rhymes of dragons, swords, buddhas, and shamans that faintly appeared within its transformations...

"This is not the work of one person,"

Wu Dao True Monarch murmured, his voice echoing in the dead, silent cavern.

The True Monarchs of the Northwest Three Sects, the Overseas Dragon Race, and perhaps even deeper, more hidden existences...

...had joined forces to roil the river of cause and effect, collectively obscuring the future path of this "counterattack on Central Earth."

The fog filled the sky, so thick that not even a True Monarch could see the path ahead.

What did this mean?

It meant this counterattack was not merely about "seizing territory in Central Earth."

It meant that beneath the surface, a deeper undercurrent was surging.

It meant... variables.

Wu Dao True Monarch remained silent, staring at the swirling gray fog in the pool that refused to dissipate.

After a long while, the corners of his mouth slowly pulled back, revealing a faint but bone-chillingly cold smile.

"Good,"

he said softly, as if in admiration.

"It seems the stagnant waters of Profound Yellow..."

"...are about to be stirred up again."

As his voice faded, he raised his head. His gaze seemed to pierce through layers of mountain rock and endless void, landing on the location of Taixu Hall.

"Qi Yun."

The call was plain and simple, yet it was empowered by the immense might of a True Monarch, ignoring all barriers of time and space.

...

In Taixu Hall, upon the cloud throne.

Qi Yun sat with his eyes closed in concentration, his fingertips tapping lightly on the armrest as he deduced the various chain reactions that might follow the departure of the Northwest Three Sects’ envoys.

Suddenly hearing the call, he snapped his eyes open.

The space before him distorted slightly, and a figure in a black robe slowly stepped out of the void. It was a projection of Wu Dao True Monarch’s will.

"True Monarch." Qi Yun rose and cupped his hands in a salute.

The projection of Wu Dao True Monarch stood with his hands behind his back. His gaze fell upon Qi Yun, his eyes betraying no emotion.

"You are already aware of what the Cyan Sect, Fengduo, and the Yellow Springs Netherworld have requested."

"Yes."

"What are your thoughts?"

Qi Yun pondered for a moment before looking up.

"The Three Sects wish to borrow the Dragon Race’s power to counterattack Central Earth. On the surface, it seems to be mutually beneficial, but in truth, each harbors their own ulterior motives."

"The Cyan Sect has a long-standing grudge with the Sword Pavilion and wishes to replace it. Fengduo has never given up its ambitions for the imperial throne of Central Earth. And the Yellow Springs Netherworld... I fear its aims are even deeper."

"As for the Dragon Race, besides washing away their shame, they likely have other plans."

Wu Dao True Monarch nodded slightly.

"Your assessment is accurate. However, a great tide is rising. Those who ride it will prosper."

He paused, his voice flat yet decisive.

"Receive my decree."

"The Wuji Holy Sect agrees to ally with the Three Sects and counterattack Central Earth."

Qi Yun’s expression remained unchanged. "This disciple accepts the order."

"Furthermore—" Wu Dao True Monarch’s tone shifted, a cold glint flashing in his eyes. "Tell the Three Sects that for this counterattack, the Northwest must follow the ancient precedent."

He looked at Qi Yun, speaking one word at a time.

"Our Holy Sect shall be the Champion Scholar of the Demon Dao."

"All coordination and strategic decisions must be primarily guided by the Holy Sect’s counsel."

"If the Three Sects have other intentions, or if they feign compliance..."

Wu Dao True Monarch’s voice remained flat, but the surrounding temperature plummeted.

"...then all deals are off."

A sharp glint flashed in Qi Yun’s eyes as he bowed and replied.

"This disciple understands. The position of Champion Scholar of the Demon Dao concerns the ten-thousand-year prestige of our Holy Sect and the post-war distribution of spoils. We cannot afford to lose it."

The projection of Wu Dao True Monarch nodded slightly and seemed about to dissipate, but then it suddenly froze in place.

After a moment of silence, he spoke again, his voice still flat.

"If this venture succeeds, the assault on Central Earth will require a capable person to command the front lines."

His gaze fell on Qi Yun’s face.

"Have Black Mountain go as well."

As soon as these words were spoken, the air in the hall seemed to freeze for an instant.

Qi Yun’s expression, however, did not waver. It was as if he had long expected this. A gentle smile even appeared at the corners of his mouth as he turned and cupped his hands.

"I will follow all of the True Monarch’s arrangements."

"Martial Uncle Black Mountain’s Cultivation is profound and he is deeply experienced. With him overseeing the front lines and coordinating the war effort, he will surely stabilize our army’s morale and intimidate the rabble."

"This disciple will personally go to the Silent Demon Cave later to deliver the True Monarch’s decree and request that Martial Uncle come out of seclusion."

His attitude was deferential, his words impeccable. No fault could be found.

Wu Dao True Monarch gave him a deep look, said nothing more, and his projection slowly faded, disappearing without a trace.

Silence returned to Taixu Hall.

Qi Yun stood alone before the cloud throne, his gaze fixed on the roiling sea of clouds outside the hall. The gentle smile in his eyes gradually settled, becoming as deep and bottomless as a dark pool.

...

North Sea Dragon Palace, Mysterious Blue Dao Realm.

The supreme draconic might that filled Heaven and Earth and froze existence itself, the terrifying pressure that seemed poised to completely erase Nether Spring from the very plane of "existence," upon reaching a certain critical point—

—suddenly vanished.

As if it had never been there at all.

The darkness receded, colors returned, and his senses were restored.

Nether Spring’s eyes snapped open. He found himself still standing in the center of the Mysterious Blue Dao Realm. Beneath his feet was nothingness, and before him was the Profound Ice Throne, upon which the North Sea Dragon Lord remained seated.

It was as if the world-destroying power from a moment ago had all been an illusion.

But the absolute terror of having his soul nearly crushed and his existence nearly erased was branded deep into Nether Spring’s Divine Soul, cold and real.

"HAAH—!"

He instinctively took a deep, almost greedy breath, like a drowning man finally breaking the surface of the water, reborn.

His chest heaved violently. The Blood Sea around him churned and roiled uncontrollably, and the nine thousand eight hundred Blood God Children within it shrieked and wailed.

In that instant, they had almost been completely erased on a "conceptual" level by that supreme pressure.

Cold sweat silently trickled down from his temples.

It was not fear, but the instinctive trembling of a life form in the presence of a higher-level existence.

He slowly raised his head. A golden-red light flickered violently in the depths of his blood-red pupils before he forcibly suppressed all fluctuations, returning them to an icy calm.

Looking at the Dragon Monarch on the throne, Nether Spring spoke, his voice tinged with an almost imperceptible rasp.

"Just now..."

Before he could finish, the Dragon Monarch’s indifferent gaze swept over him.

Those eyes were as deep as an abyss, reflecting the passage of untold ages, yet they held not the slightest ripple. It was as if the earth-shattering event from moments ago was, to him, no more than brushing away a speck of dust.

"Just now what?"

the Dragon Monarch asked, his voice calm and placid.

Nether Spring’s blood-red pupils contracted slightly.

He saw the fleeting, unquestionable divine light deep within the Dragon Monarch’s eyes.

It was a warning, and even more so... a gag order.

’Some things, even if you see them and experience them, you must pretend you never did.’

’After all, the answer has already been given to you.’

’And for some existences, even merely mentioning their name or inquiring about their state is enough to invite utter annihilation.’

Nether Spring fell silent for a breath.

Then, the corners of his mouth slowly curled up, and that familiar smile, tinged with malevolence and amusement, reappeared.

"It’s nothing."

He changed his tune with utter naturalness, as if his earlier loss of composure had never happened.

"Perhaps this Water Element Dao Realm is too profound, and this junior’s Heart and Spirit was momentarily dazed. I’ve made a fool of myself before the Dragon Monarch."

The Dragon Monarch gave him a deep look but did not comment.

After a moment, he slowly sat up straight, his fingers tapping lightly on the armrest of the throne, producing a crisp sound like the clinking of ice and jade.

"You were just..."

He seemed to be recalling, his tone casual.

"...saying you wanted to ask me something?"

Nether Spring’s thoughts raced.

’The matter of the Ancestral Dragon has clearly become a forbidden topic. It cannot be mentioned again.’

’But Qi Yun’s schemes run deep. Since he sent me here, it can’t have been just to ask a single question and then leave it at that, owing a favor.’

Sure enough, just as he was pondering how to salvage the situation, deep within his Purple Mansion, the wisp of a Heart and Spirit imprint connecting him to Qi Yun’s true self stirred slightly.

Qi Yun’s voice, crossing the endless void, sounded directly in his Heart and Spirit, short and clear.

A bloody glint flashed in Nether Spring’s eyes, and the smile on his face widened.

He looked up at the Dragon Monarch, his blood-red pupils glinting with the shrewdness of a merchant, yet also carrying the unique unscrupulousness of the Demon Dao.

"In response to the Dragon Monarch,"

He cupped his hands, but his posture was not at all humble.

"The question I asked just now was merely a message I was relaying for someone else."

"Now that the message has been delivered, the answer is no longer important."

"However, this junior has another piece of business I would like to discuss with the Dragon Race."

"Oh?" The North Sea Dragon Lord’s eyebrow raised slightly, as if he had some interest. "What business?"

Nether Spring grinned, baring his stark white teeth.

"I wonder if the Dragon Race... might be interested in getting in on the action and playing a bigger game?"

...