Chapter 1803: Precious Treasure Returns

They rested briefly here, adjusted their formations, and recovered from the dizziness and discomfort caused by the rough teleportation. After that, they would be ready to attack.

With practice, and having gained experience commanding the Illusionary Sect, He Lingchuan now had a deeper understanding of the cultivators' characteristics. He immediately organized them into three teams and launched a three-pronged attack.

To be honest, the average cultivation level of Illusionary Sect cultivators was far higher than that of Heavenly Palace soldiers, a disparity that couldn't be overcome by the miscellaneous elemental power within the Heavenly Palace ranks. To counter them, the Heavenly Palace army relied on formations, golden-armored divine generals, and the great demons and cultivators recruited by Miaozhantian. However, the most crucial factor was always the commanders' leadership.

Bai Ziqi commanded three contingents of troops, each from one of the three nations of the Glimmering Gold Plains. Each contingent included its own soldiers and officers, led by battle-hardened commanders. They were naturally capable of independent command, and each army possessed its unique battle formations.

In contrast, the Illusionary Sect forces lacked strict discipline. They were primarily led into battle by the peak masters, and from top to bottom, they lacked battlefield experience, frequently missing strategic opportunities and becoming trapped in enemy formations.

Xiao Wencheng was well aware of his side's shortcomings, which was why he invited He Lingchuan to serve as the command center.

Indeed, as soon as He Lingchuan took command, the Illusionary Sect forces gained a central pillar. They advanced and retreated with purpose, and their offense and defense were well-calibrated. Bai Ziqi feigned two attacks and twice offered weaknesses to the Illusionary Sect forces, but He Lingchuan saw through both, immediately suppressing the Illusionary Sect's eagerness to charge in.

Yes, ever since He Lingchuan took command of the Illusionary Sect forces, this ground battle had essentially become a contest of military strategy between him and Bai Ziqi.

Bai Ziqi had left a deep impression on He Lingchuan in Beijia. After He Lingchuan caused havoc in the Heavenly Palace and escaped from Lingxu City, he had commissioned Li Qingge to gather information on Bai Ziqi. Only then did he learn that although Bai Ziqi came from a prestigious family, he had a difficult childhood. He joined the military in his youth, fought victorious battles, and earned military merits. It was these accomplishments that later led to his recommendation as a lamp-bearer in the Heavenly Palace, thus beginning his meteoric rise.

In other words, Bai Ziqi also had his own insights into battlefield warfare. It was simply that Beijia had so many fierce generals that there was usually no need for him, a Duyun Emissary, to personally lead battles.

He Lingchuan's command of battles was never rigid, often displaying strokes of genius; Bai Ziqi's fighting style, however, was characterized by his unique impenetrability.

In today's battle, he was very clear about his duty: he did not seek victory, but steadfast defense.

Under his command, the Heavenly Palace forces fully retracted. Battle formations, magical artifacts, and great demons cooperated seamlessly, protecting Miaozhantian in the center as if with an impenetrable iron barrel.

He Lingchuan chose to conduct more probes and refused Granny Zhu's request to personally enter the fray.

The Queen of the Underworld Spiders had fully recovered from her injuries and felt an itch to fight upon seeing the grand battle. However, He Lingchuan did not want her to go to the front lines again. For one, the Illusionary Sect had lost the Haoyuan Golden Mirror, meaning Granny Zhu could not be teleported to him at any time. Moreover, He Lingchuan did not entirely trust Xiao Wencheng, who was nearby.

While helping the Illusionary Sect, he also had to be wary of Qianhuan.

He naturally had to keep a powerful combatant like Granny Zhu by his side.

Dong Rui was complaining, "The Undefeated Ridge on this sandbox is too small; I can't even see people's faces clearly!"

Although a magnifying glass could be used, it was nowhere near as convenient as the previous Haoyuan Golden Mirror.

That mirror could zoom in and out, display specific areas, and even rewind live footage. It was fully functional, far surpassing what a sandbox could offer.

Hearing this, Xiao Wencheng glanced at He Lingchuan, remembering that it was this man who had taken the Haoyuan Golden Mirror.

But even if it could be retrieved, the precious mirror probably wouldn't be able to reconnect with Qianhuan's laws immediately.

No sooner had Dong Rui finished speaking than the divine bone necklace He Lingchuan wore on his chest began to subtly vibrate.

It didn't heat up, only trembled slightly. He Lingchuan could feel that this time it wasn't because it had found something good to devour, but rather—

It wanted to throw something out!

He Lingchuan also sensed what that something was, and countless thoughts immediately spun in his mind.

Should he take it out?

What would be the consequences if he did?

In the space of a few breaths, he had repeatedly pondered and weighed the pros and cons, then made a decision:

Do it.

The benefits outweighed the risks.

He took four large steps back, and with a raised hand, under the bewildered gazes of others, he threw something out.

It was round and gleaming, and familiar to everyone present.

Xiao Wencheng was greatly astonished, "The Haoyuan Golden Mirror? Island Master He, what are you doing?"

Yes. What He Lingchuan threw out was still this mirror, over ten feet tall and round as a full moon!

How did this man suddenly release the mirror?

Xiao Wencheng immediately noticed that the originally cracked and damaged mirror surface was now smooth, flat, and without a single blemish!

This mirror was originally "grown" onto the laws of the Illusionary Realm. He Lingchuan had somehow forcibly detached it, causing the mirror surface to crack. How could it have been restored in less than three hours?

Without immense divine power, this would be utterly impossible.

The Grand Square Gourd was always silent, and He Lingchuan couldn't fully comprehend it. But when he reached out and pressed his hand on the mirror, a flash of understanding passed through his mind:

So that's how it is.

The original Haoyuan Golden Mirror had been rebellious, even trying to pull He Lingchuan back into itself.

Yet now, when he touched the mirror again, the feedback he received was extraordinarily docile and intimate, even with a touch of inexplicable familiarity.

This was similar to how He Lingchuan felt the morning after the Asura Armor was devoured by the Grand Square Gourd and he acquired the Roaring Dragon Armor.

Both familiar and unfamiliar, yet completely responsive to his will.

What had this mirror experienced inside the Grand Square Gourd? Had it also been thoroughly refined by the Chaos in the Red Sea?

However, last time, after the Grand Square Gourd devoured the Asura Armor, it took an entire night to reshape it into the Roaring Dragon Armor. This time, it regurgitated the Haoyuan Golden Mirror twice as fast. Was it because the Grand Square Gourd itself was improving, or was the Haoyuan Golden Mirror simply not as difficult to handle as the Asura Armor?

He Lingchuan patted the mirror, then turned to speak toward the inside of the hall, "This treasure is still the most convenient to use, don't you agree, Immortal Venerable?"

He skipped over Xiao Wencheng and directly addressed the true power behind the scenes.

Qianhuan's voice echoed in both their ears: "Are you going to return this mirror?"

"How could I be so generous?" He Lingchuan chuckled, confirming that Qianhuan could indeed hear every word in the secret chamber. "The mirror is still mine, but I'm lending it to your sect for now. You'll have to return it to me later."

Hearing this, Xiao Wencheng unconsciously touched his nose.

If the Immortal Venerable wished to reactivate the Haoyuan Golden Mirror, he would need to integrate it into the laws of this world. The prerequisite for this was for the mirror to recognize Qianhuan as its master again.

Was He Lingchuan unaware of this?

No, he could repair the Haoyuan Golden Mirror; he was certainly not that naive.

Among those capable of dealing with a True Immortal face-to-face like this, not one was an ordinary mortal in terms of intellect.

The only explanation was that He Lingchuan was certain Qianhuan would not keep the mirror for himself.

Would not, or could not?

What Xiao Wencheng could figure out, Qianhuan naturally wouldn't miss. But He said no more, only addressing He Lingchuan:

"Embed the mirror into the wall."

With a wave of He Lingchuan's hand, the Haoyuan Golden Mirror ascended to the wall, responding to his will like an extension of his arm and proving exceptionally obedient.

The stone wall suddenly softened, enveloping the mirror's frame like a swamp.

Now, from He Lingchuan's perspective, the Haoyuan Golden Mirror was integrated into the entire stone wall, its frame imperceptible to the touch.

Several blue lights flashed across the mirror's surface.

But he was not flustered in the slightest. Since it was a product of the Grand Square Gourd, its quality was undoubtedly guaranteed.

Besides, there was no point in panicking.

After the mirror was on the wall, True Immortal Qianhuan remained silent for a long time.

He Lingchuan knew he would surely re-examine the mirror to find out what He Lingchuan had done to it.

The Soul-Stealing Mirror scoffed in his embrace: "Old geezer, my master kindly helped, and you still covet his supreme treasure? Bah, shameless! Even if you dig this stone chamber down, you won't get this foolish mirror back... right?"

He Lingchuan smiled.

The recent communication with the Haoyuan Golden Mirror gave him an inexplicable surge of confidence. This was because the mirror's intrinsic spirit was still intact, not extinguished. He didn't know how the Grand Square Gourd had persuaded it to surrender, making it wholeheartedly embrace the Gourd.

The communication methods of these non-human entities were beyond his comprehension. But He Lingchuan knew at least one thing: this time, it would not be easy to make the Haoyuan Golden Mirror betray again.

During the waiting period, He Lingchuan continued to command the Illusionary Sect's battle as usual and engaged Bai Ziqi in several more rounds of strategic maneuvering.

He could understand Qianhuan's concern, because allowing another's magical artifact to connect to one's own underlying laws was an extremely risky endeavor—especially if He couldn't make the Haoyuan Golden Mirror recognize Him as its master again.

But he didn't think Qianhuan would refuse. Qianhuan understood better than he how much convenience the Haoyuan Golden Mirror could provide for the war. Only after losing it did He realize its value. Although Qianhuan had made many modifications to the sandbox, using it was still frustrating and far inferior to the Haoyuan Golden Mirror.

The function of this supreme treasure was not easily replaced. Although Qianhuan possessed greater control over this world, in His struggle with Miaozhantian, He also hoped the Haoyuan Golden Mirror could return to the field, at least to save Him more power!

In this war where losing was not an option, every additional advantage for their side was invaluable.

Furthermore, He Lingchuan believed the timing of the Grand Square Gourd returning the Haoyuan Golden Mirror was impeccable.

Most of Qianhuan's energy and attention were consumed in His struggle with Miaozhantian; a confrontation of this magnitude did not allow for much distraction.

Even a tenth of His attention on the Haoyuan Golden Mirror would be considerable. And He Lingchuan was very confident that the Haoyuan Golden Mirror, reset by the Grand Square Gourd, would not be easily deciphered!

Just as He Lingchuan's companions trusted him, he also had great confidence in the Grand Square Gourd.

Noticing Qianhuan's lack of response, Granny Zhu transmitted a message to He Lingchuan:

"Is this old fellow up to something mischievous? Be careful!"

It wasn't foolish; it knew that few of these ancient beings were truly good.

He Lingchuan blinked.

Qianhuan was doing more than just harboring ill intentions.

Precisely because His understanding of the world and its laws far surpassed that of mortals, He was more likely to link He Lingchuan with the Grand Square Gourd. Given He Lingchuan's cultivation, experience, and age, he wasn't qualified to modify the Haoyuan Golden Mirror; it must have been the power behind him that acted.

So what He now wanted to figure out was probably what the Grand Square Gourd had done to the Haoyuan Golden Mirror!

This research required full dedication; a slight lack of care could lead to getting trapped, unable to extricate oneself. Qianhuan had already suffered a loss with the Grand Divination Pearl, so at this moment, how could He dare to divert so much energy?

Just then, a sudden change occurred within the sandbox!