Chapter 2129: The Tide Rises

**Wuxia Xianxia**

At the edge of the defiled lands, the tainted aura had receded by several thousand miles compared to its peak. Several elders of the Changyou tribe, leading their clan's experts, were stationed here as ordered. They gazed at the vast expanse of exposed sea, not daring to act rashly. Changes in the tainted aura could incite ferocity in fierce beasts. Although it was rare for these beasts to burst out from the defiled lands, they could not afford to be unprepared.

Among the crowd, a blue-haired man stared northward.

“Tenth Elder, there's no need to worry,” a cultivator in green armor beside him said, gloating. “Those outsiders are too busy with their own affairs; how could they possibly spare forces to contend for the Azure Spirit Qi?”

“It's still better to be cautious. More than half of our clan's experts are also tied up in the battlefield…”

The blue-haired man was indeed the Tenth Elder of the Changyou tribe. He turned his gaze towards the depths of the defiled lands. “In a few more days, the tainted aura will recede to its designated position, yet the Patriarch still hasn't issued any orders. Some time ago, the Young Patriarch sent word that the Patriarch was severely wounded and had returned to the Sacred Lake to heal. I wonder how serious his injuries are.”

“If the Patriarch could come in person, it would undoubtedly be foolproof,” the green-armored cultivator said.

“Indeed!” The Tenth Elder nodded slightly. An expert at the second stage of the Void Realm, even wounded, was not someone a first-stage Void Realm cultivator could challenge.

As they spoke, the Tenth Elder's expression suddenly shifted. He took out a jade token, sensed it for a moment, and then said solemnly, “The Patriarch's decree commands us to immediately collect the Azure Spirit Qi once it appears, without too many reservations!”

Directly north of the Changyou tribe's hiding place, another group of people was concealed. These were experts from the Profound Heaven Palace, sent by Tong Lingyu, but their numbers and strength were inferior to the Changyou tribe. The Profound Heaven Palace had vast resources and could construct many altars, yet it was extremely difficult for them to spare these personnel. Even before encountering their opponents, they knew they were at a disadvantage. Fortunately, their Palace Lord didn't have high expectations for them; they merely needed to do their best.

Unbeknownst to everyone, a subtle aura was hidden behind them.

Qin Sang's Dharma Idol was concealed in the clouds, and the auras of the Changyou tribe cultivators were perfectly clear to his senses. He did not make a move, but waited to see if Patriarch Min Zhuo would appear. Min Zhuo's injuries were inflicted by Qin Sang himself, and they should be severe, unless Min Zhuo possessed a sacred healing medicine. Qin Sang waited patiently until now. The Changyou tribe experts showed no anomalies, and there was no trace of Min Zhuo's aura. As the tainted aura was about to recede to its designated position, Min Zhuo's whereabouts remained unknown. If Min Zhuo did not show up, it would suggest that Qin Sang's inference about the Azure Spirit Qi might be incorrect.

At this very moment, ripples occasionally appeared on the sea surface near a distant reef. Once in a while, a fish would poke its head out of the water, its eyes bright and lively, glancing towards the location of the Profound Heaven Palace cultivators before sinking back underwater, swimming around the reef like an ordinary fish. The swimming fish was secretly controlled by Min Zhuo. His true self was hidden further away, a lotus leaf hovering above his head, silently observing the movements of the Profound Heaven Palace cultivators. The lotus leaf was emerald green, as large as a cattail fan, capable of concealing one's figure and aura. After multiple encounters, Min Zhuo knew that Qin Sang possessed a profound detection method, and he had taken double precautions for this. Little did he know, Qin Sang had not brought the Heavenly Eye Butterfly. The upcoming battle might be the most crucial, and the Heavenly Eye Butterfly was needed to assist his true self. Min Zhuo and Qin Sang were both searching for each other, yet neither could sense the other's presence, so neither dared to act rashly.

Three days later, the tainted aura receded significantly once more. At this point, Min Zhuo received a talismanic message. After reading the contents of the message, Min Zhuo let out a long breath, a triumphant smile spreading across his face. “Finally, they've made their move! Fortunately, I didn't miss this opportune moment!” The message stated that after a period of recuperation, King Lu had issued a decree, preparing to deploy troops once again. This time, all divisions were mobilized, creating a more formidable presence than ever before! Min Zhuo had been waiting for this day, and the prolonged lack of news had made him somewhat anxious. He had willingly risked great danger, sitting at the core of the formation, partly to create an opportunity for his escape, and partly to use himself as bait to further advance the war. As it turned out, he succeeded. King Lu's fierce assault would be able to tie down all the experts from the Storm Realm on the battlefield.

However, he still did not reveal himself. He put away the talismanic message, looked towards the depths of the defiled lands, calculated with his fingers, and thought, “The Azure Spirit Qi should be appearing soon.”

Two more days passed like this. The tainted aura receded further and further, and the seawater in the depths appeared increasingly profound, as if an bottomless abyss existed beneath it. Confirming there were no signs of fierce beasts, the Tenth Elder led the clan's experts, slowly approaching the edge of the tainted aura. The Profound Heaven Palace cultivators also cautiously moved towards that location.

On the evening of the very next day, Qin Sang, who had been silently searching for Min Zhuo, subtly narrowed his eyes and suddenly turned his head to look towards the Sin River. He saw grayish-white mist churning in the sky, and between two streams of this mist, a wisp of azure-green light suddenly flashed. The azure-green light was very faint and fleeting, yet it was strikingly conspicuous within the tainted aura, resembling a small, agile spirit fish, its blue scales shimmering with pure radiance as it swam unusually nimbly within the tainted aura.

“The Azure Spirit Qi has appeared!”

The Changyou tribe experts stirred, their eyes flashing with greed.

“Min Ying, Old Seven…” The Tenth Elder's expression was alert. He looked around and quickly called out several names, “You few, go capture this wisp of Azure Spirit Qi.”

“Yes, sir!”

Immediately, several individuals stepped forward, rushing into the tainted aura like hungry tigers pouncing on prey. The Azure Spirit Qi was agile and elusive, like a living creature, constantly changing direction. This was a wondrous aura, and ordinary sealing methods were ineffective against it. Moreover, its flight speed was extremely fast, making it impossible to lock onto with divine sense; one false move and it could vanish without a trace. However, over the years, they had already devised an effective method for collecting it.

The group quickly surrounded the Azure Spirit Qi. One person took out a jade bottle, aiming its mouth at the Azure Spirit Qi, while the others formed a formation, cooperating to cast a forbidden spell. The mouth of the jade bottle glowed with a faint white light, and a suction force erupted, enveloping the Azure Spirit Qi. The Azure Spirit Qi swayed violently, but unfortunately, it could not escape the suction. It was gradually drawn in and finally absorbed into the jade bottle.

*Snap!*

The person immediately sealed the bottle's mouth, still not daring to slacken, quickly forming hand seals one after another. Before long, the violently shaking jade bottle completely stabilized. The bottle emitted an azure glow, like the purest precious jade. One could see a wisp of hair-thin azure aura continuously swirling inside the jade bottle. They circled around again but found no other Azure Spirit Qi. They were not anxious, as the appearance of Azure Spirit Qi was erratic; sometimes one would appear after a long interval, and sometimes a dozen would fly out at once, causing a flurry of activity.

At this moment, the Tenth Elder also brought his people forward.

“To have a wisp of Azure Spirit Qi fly out so quickly, this time is surely going to be a great harvest,” the cultivator holding the jade bottle said excitedly.

“It seems those outsiders don't dare to contend with us. In any case, our harvest will be greater than before,” someone sneered.

The cultivator holding the jade bottle's expression sobered. “Have their traces been discovered?”

The Tenth Elder nodded. “The outsiders sent only a few experts, who only dare to observe from a distance. For now, there's no need to pay them any mind. Proceed!” Everyone immediately advanced deeper into the tainted aura.

Outside, the cultivators of Profound Heaven Palace dared not openly contend with their enemies. They could only watch helplessly as the first wisp of Azure Spirit Qi was collected. After a period of waiting, they cautiously moved closer.

Qin Sang, far away in the sky, observed everything. His gaze passed over the Changyou tribe cultivators, focusing on the source of the Azure Spirit Qi. When the first wisp of Azure Spirit Qi emerged, he sensed a peculiar fluctuation; the tainted aura clearly vibrated. The vibration originated precisely from the place he had wanted to enter years ago but had ultimately hesitated to approach. By conventional understanding, the Sin River was receding, and the tainted aura there should have become thinner. However, that specific location showed no obvious change; it remained as gloomy as ever, like a condensed, unyielding dark cloud.

At the same time, Qin Sang sensed that as the tainted aura receded, the power that had once unsettled him and filled him with immense dread was gradually waning. This decline was occurring naturally, without triggering any backlash. Once it weakened to a certain extent, the threat to intruders would also greatly diminish, effectively opening the gates of this place to outsiders. Of course, this was only true for Void Refinement cultivators. In the eyes of Soul Transformation cultivators, it remained an extremely dangerous place. The Changyou tribe experts dared not approach too closely; they could only guard the periphery, waiting for the Azure Spirit Qi to float out on its own, retreating a considerable distance with each tremor to avoid its impact.

After some time, with another tremor, an azure glow finally reappeared. The Tenth Elder and his group reacted extremely quickly, capturing this wisp of Azure Spirit Qi. As time passed, tremors occurred frequently, and Azure Spirit Qi would drift out from time to time, while the Profound Heaven Palace cultivators could only watch from afar. Until a thunderous tremor caused several streaks of azure light to suddenly appear. Although the Tenth Elder and his group moved quickly, one still escaped. The Profound Heaven Palace cultivators, who had previously only been able to watch, their eyes almost red with frustration, immediately made a move and collected it.

“You seek death!” A Changyou tribe member roared furiously, about to attack, but was stopped by the Tenth Elder's outstretched hand.

“Collecting the Azure Spirit Qi is paramount. We'll settle accounts with them later!” the Tenth Elder said coldly.

Thus, in this 'peaceful' manner, more and more Azure Spirit Qi drifted out, with the vast majority falling into the hands of the Changyou tribe.

Outside the Sin River, Min Zhuo was silently counting the frequency of the tremors, seemingly calculating something, and still not making a move. It wasn't that he was overly cautious; although he had a wax figure to take his injuries, clashing with a powerful enemy and sustaining new wounds would accelerate the wax figure's burning. He had to be cautious to avoid falling into such a precarious situation. After waiting for so long with no anomalies, and knowing that collecting Mount Daiyu Immortal Mountain would also take time, Min Zhuo realized it was time to make his move. He quietly left his hiding place, the lotus leaf above his head, and approached the source of the Azure Spirit Qi.

Not long after he entered the tainted aura, Qin Sang's heart stirred slightly, detecting a trace of anomaly. Subsequently, Min Zhuo arrived at the source of the Azure Spirit Qi and, taking advantage of a tremor's eruption, flashed inside without alerting anyone. Soon after, Qin Sang arrived quietly. Gazing at the spot where Min Zhuo had vanished, the Azure Phoenix Dharma Idol's eyes gleamed. This was a test of patience, and clearly, he had won. However, who the ultimate winner would be remained unknown. After a moment of contemplation, the Azure Phoenix Dharma Idol also submerged itself.

***

**Western Lands**

King Lu's Imperial Carriage.

After the Grand Elder and the Young Master had conversed, the Young Master had remained in seclusion within the Imperial Carriage, never leaving its side. On this day, King Lu, the Grand Elder, and all the strong cultivators emerged from their seclusion; a major battle was set for tonight.

On a green mountain beside the Imperial Carriage, Yuan Miao stood atop the peak, secretly worried. Qin Sang and the Storm Realm had managed to hold on for so long and fight back and forth with King Lu, which truly exceeded his expectations. Yet, he knew very well that King Lu's side had not yet used their full strength. In this battle, the Grand Elder was about to make his move, and Yuan Miao wondered what the outcome would be.

In front of the Imperial Carriage, dark clouds obscured the sky, and armies like ants stood in strict formation, their imposing aura reaching the heavens. Lord Mo Shan and Shi Mu, among others, saluted King Lu, then dispersed into their respective formations to practice their arrays. In the clear pool, Lu Gan's expression was solemn. The technique of the Profound Earth Yellow Scroll had been exposed once, and the upcoming major battle would also be a test for him.

In front of the Imperial Carriage, the Grand Elder and the Young Master stood on either side of King Lu, one to his left, one to his right. Once the army had assembled, the Grand Elder bowed respectfully. “The hour has come, your subordinate takes his leave!”

“May the Grand Elder break the powerful enemy and return triumphantly. This king awaits the Grand Elder's good news here!” King Lu said solemnly.

A spiritual light appeared on the Grand Elder's brow. The light landed and transformed into a nine-colored spirit deer. It appeared to be just a fawn, with two small antlers on its head and large, blinking eyes that made it seem lively and adorable. It was hard to imagine that the Grand Elder's spirit beast would take such a form. The spirit deer stretched, then lay down on the grass, burying its head into its chest and falling into a deep sleep.

“I humbly request Your Majesty to look after your subordinate's companion beast,” the Grand Elder said.

“Rest assured, Grand Elder,” King Lu said, impassively positioning himself between the spirit deer and the Young Master.

The Young Master remarked meaningfully, “I wonder what kind of companion beast this spirit deer is; I've never heard of such a thing. As expected, the Grand Elder possesses profound heritage! However, I never imagined that someone of the Grand Elder's power would be so cautious. It's truly a pity not to witness the Grand Elder fighting with full might!”

“Caution is advisable.” The Grand Elder said faintly. His figure flickered, appearing at the front of the formation. He gazed deeply at the battlefield on the horizon and roared an order like thunder. “Advance!”

***

**Qingyang Temple**

Qin Sang sat cross-legged atop the altar. The moment King Lu deployed his troops, a warning message arrived. Instantly, Qin Sang abruptly opened his eyes, which burst forth with brilliant light.

“It's time…” Qin Sang murmured to himself, his fingers twitching slightly. The lightning altar beneath him rumbled, echoing through the mountain-protecting formation. He raised both hands and formed a hand seal; the thunder grew louder. As more and more hand seals were executed, the lightning altar radiated dazzling bolts of lightning, enveloping Qingyang Temple in a blinding silver light, making it impossible to see with the naked eye.

Inside the lightning altar, an azure light suddenly appeared, revealing an azure 'lightning paper' — precisely the Thunder Sacrifice Oath Scroll forged from Azure Phoenix True Lightning! The Thunder Sacrifice Oath Scroll slowly rotated, initially appearing ethereal and indistinct, then gradually solidifying. During this process, Qin Sang's expression showed no significant change, but outside the main altar, Su Nü, Zhu Que, and Si Lu, who were stationed at the three core sub-altars, all felt immense pressure. Accompanying this pressure was excitement. During this time, they had witnessed the power of the lightning altar, but they all knew that Qin Sang had not yet unleashed his full strength; he was still holding back.

Finally, they would witness the true might of the lightning altar!

At this moment, Qin Sang's will was transmitted. Without hesitation, the three immediately focused their minds, entered a state of meditation, and, following Qin Sang's will, silently chanted incantations to activate the power of their altars. The decree was then conveyed layer by layer through the altar formations.