Chapter 1371: Risky Military Maneuvers with Waning Momentum, Openly Repairing the Plank Road While Secretly Attacking Chencang

Boom!

Dark tribulation clouds gathered above the skies of Gong Yang Shan.

The entrance to the Si Xiang Secret Realm had just closed, and the guardians from the various major forces were starting to mingle, networking left and right.

Their disciples had entered the secret realm.

Those left behind were now participating in a high-level gathering.

Few people wanted to miss this exchange event among the top figures of the Five Domains, which could last up to a full month.

Some even pulled out tables, chairs, wine, and meat from their spatial rings, clearly prepared in advance to host guests from all directions.

Right there on Gong Yang Shan, they would feast for a full month.

Afterward, when their disciples emerged, any grudges of life and death would be settled separately.

But all these preparations were abruptly interrupted by the sudden appearance of the tribulation clouds and thunder.

From the heavens above, pressing down...

From the spatial rifts that had suddenly torn open in the Si Xiang Secret Realm...

"Ban Sheng pressure?!"

The high-level figures from the major forces looked up in alarm, their eyes filled with terror.

Even with their limited experience, having lived for so many years, they had heard tales of what was called "sealing saint."

The scene unfolding at Gong Yang Shan was exactly like the long-absent moment of sealing saint on the Sheng Shen Continent.

"Sacred Palace envoy! What on earth is going on?"

"How can someone be sealing saint inside the Si Xiang Secret Realm? How are we supposed to conduct the trial now?"

Someone quickly turned to the late-arriving Sacred Palace envoy, Hua Luo, and pointed at the vanished entrance to the Si Xiang Secret Realm, growing frantic.

Wasn't this just a waste?

It was just a group of innate rookies. Undergoing trials so close to a saint tribulation, they could be caught in the fallout at any moment and perish without a trace!

Hua Luo was stunned, staring blankly at the saint tribulation in the sky, her eyes unfocused.

She was just a Sacred Palace envoy, not some all-knowing expert.

How was she supposed to know that as soon as the spatial passage to the Si Xiang Secret Realm closed, someone inside would start sealing saint?

It couldn't be...

"Someone must have suppressed their realm to an extreme level, and now it's been released, leaping from innate straight to Ban Sheng?" Hua Luo ventured her guess.

"That's ridiculous!"

"I know my own child's talents. If they could do that, why come to Gong Yang Shan? We could just create our own trial secret realm!"

The scene erupted into chaos.

Some people quickly sought shelter from the saint tribulation to avoid being targeted.

The Sacred Palace staff began evacuating the crowd, ushering everyone out of the tribulation's coverage area.

Hua Luo carried her large alchemy cauldron, but she felt her idea might actually be possible.

These ordinary folks had no clue what true genius looked like.

Perhaps there was an absolute dark horse emerging in the Si Xiang Secret Realm?

For example, if Xu Shi Bo had entered, he might pull off something like this.

Gong Yang Shan, the land of miracles!

Gui Zhe Sheng Shan.

Wei An had barely left the Sheng Huan Hall when he received a flood of messages.

Most of the content was fairly straightforward, though it basically meant the sky was falling.

But tucked among them was this absurd piece of news:

"Wei Da Shu, we might have struck gold. A trial participant entered the Si Xiang Secret Realm and immediately started sealing saint."

What nonsense—a trial participant sealing saint on the spot!

Wei An nearly lost his composure from anxiety and wanted to message back to yell.

But when he saw the sender was from the Jin Zhao lineage's current troublemaker, he suddenly understood why such a message existed.

The Jin Zhao lineage's minds might have been fried by the white flames, yet they always produced eccentrics who could come up with ideas like this—it wasn't surprising.

Wei An turned around and unleashed his full fury on the sacred mountain:

"Dao Qiong Cang, is this what you call giving it your all?"

"The trial has just begun, and not only are you endangering our people, you're trying to destroy the entire Si Xiang Secret Realm!"

In Sheng Huan Hall, seated at the head, Dao Qiong Cang stroked his communicator and glanced at the chessboard in front of him. He listened calmly to the reports from the Tian Zu members, then methodically answered and issued instructions one by one before finally looking up:

"Stay calm."

"Fine." To Wei An's surprise, he actually managed to compose himself. After sitting down, seeing that this person still had the leisure to play chess only fueled his anger more. "Then tell me, what's the situation now?"

"As you can see, the sacred slave Cen Qiao Fu has appeared in front of the Xuan Wu Jin Ta and begun sealing saint."

Wei An suppressed the urge to punch this flashy old Daoist's head and asked, "How do you plan to handle it?"

"The ways of heaven..." Dao Qiong Cang lifted an eyelid, instinctively about to say it, but paused when he saw Wei An's furious expression. Still, he said it anyway: "Cannot be revealed."

Wei An shot to his feet, and the chair behind him exploded into dust in an instant.

He had a good temper, but that didn't mean he had no temper at all.

In the vast Sheng Huan Hall, with the Ban Sheng's rage, the tables and chairs trembled in an instant.

Under the sacred pressure, even the black cloth on Ai Cang Sheng's lap rippled.

But this was Sheng Huan Hall, the discussion hall of Gui Zhe Sheng Shan, handling all matters big and small across the Five Domains.

No matter how strong the Ban Sheng pressure was, it couldn't shatter the hall's pillars or disrupt the heavenly mechanisms array here.

The foundations of Sheng Huan Hall remained utterly still, steadier than Dao Qiong Cang's hand holding the chess piece.

Dao Qiong Cang simply listened quietly as Wei An finished, smiled faintly, and placed his piece without adding a single extra word of explanation.

Wei An stared at him deeply, let out a long sigh, and ultimately chose to trust him.

"You'd better have calculated everything perfectly..." He turned and left, vanishing in a single step.

"Will he take action?" Ai Cang Sheng asked, gazing into the distance with an unchanging expression.

"No, he's just going to protect the Sacred Palace's trial participants. How could he be used by me?"

"Is Cen Qiao Fu sealing saint using Yan Lao's Ban Sheng position?"

"No, that was used by Yu Mo. His should come from Jiang Bu Yi."

"What a generous gift." Ai Cang Sheng remarked in admiration.

After a pause, he spoke again, this time with a hint of curiosity: "Ba Zun An is being unusually decisive, which is unexpected. It seems he knows the initiative isn't in his hands this time... Did you anticipate that too?"

"No, I didn't plan ahead for anything."

Dao Qiong Cang picked up another piece and placed it firmly on the board before looking up with a smile at Ai Cang Sheng:

"But in a game of chess, how it's played and who plays whom should follow its fixed patterns and outcomes."

"Fate only offers two paths for life: 'steady victory' and 'unconventional triumph'."

"I'm not afraid of surprise moves; I'm afraid of situations where the assured win isn't mine."

With a crisp click, the white piece landed on the board, its sound echoing in the empty, quiet Sheng Huan Hall:

"Soldiers take risky paths, their momentum like thunder."

"The weak show exhaustion in appearance, but their force is already waning."

"Ai Cang Sheng, your turn."

Boom!

The saint tribulation pierced through the shattered sky of the Si Xiang Secret Realm and struck toward the distant Xuan Wu vein.

This was the first thunder tribulation.

In terms of intensity, it wasn't as powerful as the supreme saint tribulation of the water ghost on Void Island, but it was still a saint tribulation.

It enveloped the entire Xuan Wu vein.

Even the neighboring areas of the other three veins were affected.

—Those innate-level trial participants, right after entering, were they about to die?

"This is insane!"

Xu Xiao gazed toward the north in shock and disbelief, unable to accept that one of his own was undergoing this tribulation.

But Cen Qiao Fu's sealing saint dao sound was unmistakable.

Just from hearing it once and sensing the imagery, Xu Xiao felt as if he had witnessed the southern domain's old woodcutter's lifetime of chopping wood, sudden enlightenment, and overnight sealing as a saint.

Upon closer reflection, Cen Qiao Fu's life seemed like one that no ordinary person could replicate.

He had achieved enlightenment through chopping wood.

He spent most of his life experiencing the mortal world.

In return, when enlightenment struck, he soared directly from the Houtian refining spirit realm to the Wang Zuo Dao realm, even severing his nine deaths thunder tribulation and his own dao in the process.

In terms of time, it was similar to how a typical genius would take to reach the dao-severing realm.

But the process was incomparable!

In a way, Cen Qiao Fu's experiences weren't inferior to the legend of "three breaths to innate, three years to sword immortal."

Yet, like that unnamed sword immortal, everyone around Ba Zun An seemed overshadowed.

No matter how talented or outstanding they were, compared to the bright moon, they were mere fireflies—forever insignificant.

However, at a specific moment, in a particular spot, when the light focused solely on one person...

That's when the world would suddenly realize: Oh? So this is also a remarkable figure?

"Not every Tai Xu can seal as a saint..."

Xu Xiao carefully reviewed the eleven members of the nine sacred slaves.

He realized that indeed, only Cen Qiao Fu could obtain a Ban Sheng position on Void Island and seal as a saint right away.

And in such an outrageous, dominant manner—directly under the nose of the Sheng Shen Hall.

Undoubtedly, this was a blatant shield!

Xu Xiao wasn't sure if it was his words to Li Fu Gui that had taken effect, or if Ba Zun An had intended this all along.

But if earlier he had been caught off guard by Dao Qiong Cang's timing and felt lost upon entering the Si Xiang Secret Realm, not knowing where to start...

Now, everything was clear.

"Thunderous strike!"

Ba Zun An had made the decision for him.

The rest was straightforward—just find the sacred beast Qilin and complete the communication.

Of course, that was a covert operation.

The overt one—advancing on the Ran Ming ruins—still needed to proceed simultaneously.

Otherwise, with that flashy old Daoist's abilities, if he discovered Cen Qiao Fu was sealing saint in the Si Xiang Secret Realm and yet no Xu Xiao appeared at the Ran Ming ruins...

Was Xu Xiao asleep?

He must be somewhere else, causing even bigger trouble!

"Damn, this is wild!"

The little white marten crawled out from his chest, staring at the saint tribulation on the horizon, still shaken.

Void Island at least had some buffer; here in the Si Xiang Secret Realm, they jumped straight into the final showdown?

"Where's the Ran Ming ruins?" Xu Xiao pulled out the little white marten.

"At the edge of the Qing Long vein."

"Where the Qing Long vein borders the other three veins, there's a place called 'Black Water Stream'."

"It's an abyss, shrouded in black mist year-round. Go down a thousand zhang, pass through the black water barrier, and you'll find the Ran Ming ruins."

"You know about the Dead Sea, right?"

"Yeah." Xu Xiao nodded.

The little white marten shuddered before continuing:

"The black water in Black Water Stream is said to connect to the powers in the Sacred Palace's Sheng Xuan Gate, with a forbidden barrier similar to the Dead Sea."

"You can think of it as... um, how to put it..."

"No need to describe it; I get it." Xu Xiao said gravely, a sense of unease rising in his heart.

Wasn't this just like the deep sea under Gu Yin Cliff?

Only this time, the roles were reversed—the Sheng Shen Hall was in control and could deploy forbidden barriers like those on Void Island's inner island.

The key to breaking through lay in whether the sacred slaves and other dark forces could move freely after entering Black Water Stream.

But this time, there was no secondary gate!

"Sheng Xuan Gate..."

Xu Xiao was familiar with the term.

He recalled Ye Xiao Tian's words on Gu Yin Cliff.

On the Sheng Shen Continent, as far as he knew, there were only three places with forbidden barriers: the Dead Sea, Sheng Xuan Gate, and Void Island's inner island.

Sheng Xuan Gate wasn't new to Xu Xiao; he could roughly imagine its appearance.

After all, Tian Sang Spirit Palace's Tian Xuan Gate was modeled after it, crafted with the efforts of two of the Sacred Palace's Four Sons—Ye Xiao Tian, master of spatial mysteries, and Qiao Qian, the mad array master.

"Forbidden barriers are a real pain!"

As he pondered, Mo Mo parted her red lips, and Feng Yu Jin's voice emerged before Yin Yin could relay it: "This emperor hates forbidden barriers. Can we just drag it out and fight?"

Xu Xiao turned to look, impressed by her audacity: "What do you mean?"

"Pull the entire Ran Ming ruins out, along with Black Water Stream, and then act." Mo Mo translated. "Otherwise, that flashy... that hall master might cause problems."

The little white marten turned with a face full of shock.

Is this a plan I get to hear? I wouldn't even dare think of it!

Xu Xiao, however, pondered it thoughtfully.

The might of a Sheng Di was terrifying, as seen when the demon emperor Black Dragon on Void Island lifted the Nether Ghost City and shattered the Abyss.

Feng Yu Jin's words weren't impossible; with some planning, it might work.

"No problem, I have the Zhan Shen Order."

The little white marten saw Xu Xiao hesitate and quickly explained: "Holding the Zhan Shen Order is like inheriting the Ran Ming will. It won't be affected by the Black Water Stream's forbidden barrier—that's one reason I could sneak out back then."

Xu Xiao took a deep breath. There's that too?

He thought of the Zhan Shen Officer's so-called "Zhan Shen power," which could surpass ancestral source power and extinguish it.

A mere forbidden barrier probably meant nothing to that Zhan Shen Officer.

"The world is full of wonders." Mo Mo sighed softly; she was taken aback, always learning from Xu Xiao that the heavens stretched higher and the earth broader.

"Where's the Zhan Shen Order?" Mo Mo asked next, clearly relaying Feng Yu Jin's question.

Xu Xiao instinctively reached into his Apricot Realm to grab it, but a sudden sense of unease hit him.

He paused. "Why do I have a bad premonition?"

"What kind of premonition?" Mo Mo and Han Ye asked simultaneously; by now, even Feng Yu Jin didn't dare underestimate Xu Xiao's abilities.

"I can't say..." Xu Xiao frowned, but finding no clear thought, he handed the half-person-tall Zhan Shen Order to Mo Mo:

"You take this. Forbidden barriers barely affect me; my abilities override them."

"If you hold the Zhan Shen Order, Dao Hall Master might trace it back to you—they have one too, and heavenly mechanisms are treacherously unpredictable."

"This mission is extremely dangerous. If necessary, Feng Yu Jin, keep a close eye and don't hold back. If you encounter a Ban Sheng, kill them on the spot. If you can't, don't get bogged down, got it?"

Feng Yu Jin's scoff came through: "Let's hope this isn't a curse."

Mo Mo hugged the half-person-tall Zhan Shen Order, making her figure seem even more delicate.

How can this be called a Zhan Shen Order? More like a Zhan Shen Shield... she muttered silently, then examined the token.

The Zhan Shen Order was massive but otherwise unremarkable—just an ordinary object with spiritual energy.

It seemed to be tilting slightly toward a certain direction?

"Xiao Han, what about me... I mean, what about Xiao Han?" The little white marten asked pitifully.

"You'll have to work hard. If danger comes, run if you can; if not, find me, but you need to lead the way." As Xu Xiao spoke, his second true body manifested beside him.

He was decisive, sensing time was tight, so he followed his instincts and quickly assigned tasks:

"Jin Ren—that is, my clone—you'll go with Xiao Han and Mo Mo to the Ran Ming ruins."

"I'll handle something else on my own. If needed, I'll ask Xiao Han through Jin Ren..."

"Just call me Xiao Han." The little white marten raised a paw weakly.

"Alright, just answer when Xiao Han is asked."

"Remember, if anything goes wrong, or if someone gets held up and it's serious enough that even Feng Yu Jin can't handle it, Jin Ren will do everything to protect you."

"But even if he has to self-destruct, don't look back, don't worry about him, understand?"

Xu Xiao directed the last part at Mo Mo.

Mo Mo was stunned, then said, "Mm," and glanced away toward the other Xu Xiao.

Jin Ren was no longer in guardian attire.

He was now dressed as the sacred slave Xu Xiao, meant to draw attention. He tilted his head and looked back at Mo Mo.

Mo Mo quickly averted her gaze as if shocked.

"Ah."

A sigh suddenly escaped from within her body.

"Let's go."

Xu Xiao waved his hand, and a spatial dao disk spun under Jin Ren's feet, carrying them away.

One teleportation after another.

Without knowing the exact spatial nodes of Black Water Stream, they had to rely on Xiao Han's guidance.

During the final spatial shift, time seemed to glitch.

Mo Mo and Feng Yu Jin landed first, heading toward Black Water Stream, while Jin Ren suddenly asked Xiao Han:

"Where's the Qilin?"

Xiao Han froze, mouth agape as if confirming something, then remembered Xu Xiao's instructions and hurriedly replied:

"In the Zhu Que vein, under the Zhu Que Jin Ta."

"That's where I sensed its aura, but it ignored me. Xu Xiao... good luck."

By the end, Xiao Han's voice was trembling, barely forming words.

See? I knew it wasn't that simple!

Back when I escaped Void Island's inner island with ten thousand void crystals, the mission seemed normal, but who could've guessed my life would nearly end?

The Si Xiang Secret Realm isn't just about the Ran Ming ruins.

Xu Xiao's real task is to find that Qilin—what's he up to?

Doesn't matter...

Another Sheng Di game?!

"Zhu Que vein, Zhu Que Jin Ta?"

Xu Xiao's true body landed in this wilderness, deducing through spatial nodes that he was in the western part of the Si Xiang Secret Realm.

It was enormous—several dozen times larger than Yun Lun Mountains.

The west should be the Bai Hu vein, so the Zhu Que vein would be southeast.

"Does that flashy old Daoist really not know where the Qilin is?"

"If not, then who is guarding the Zhu Que Jin Ta?"

A surprised voice came through the Tian Zu communicator:

"Number one array eye, Ao Sheng's clone is in position. That female voice appeared again; she said..."

"'I have sensed the Zhan Shen Order's location,' and 'I have locked onto the Zhan Shen Order's location'."

"The target has appeared. What's next?"