Chapter 948: Summoning the Demigod, Killing the Small Receiver?

Yunlun Mountains, the First Dragon Vein.

Unlike many trial participants who were drawn by the torrent of treasures and descended the mountain to seek them out and exchange for points, Jiang Xian, however, consistently remained at the First Dragon Vein. Even with strong suggestions from those below, he never went down the mountain.

No one knew the reason for Jiang Xian's actions, and rumors circulated among his mountain-guarding subordinates. They whispered that Young Master Jiang had been intimidated by Young Master Xu Deyan in the previous battle and was now acting timidly. However, this rumor was suppressed with great force before it could truly spread. This, of course, was Jiang Xian's doing.

Atop the mountain range, having dismissed his attendants, Jiang Xian stood alone on a massive boulder, gazing at the vast distance with a hint of anxiety in his eyes.

"It's been over ten days..." he murmured to himself, unsure of what he was pondering.

For others, the Royal City Trial might be a great opportunity, but for Jiang Xian, it was dispensable. Even if he fought to the very end, secured a spot in the top thirty-six on the leaderboard, and smoothly entered the Sacred Palace Trial, none of it truly mattered. The Semi-Saint Jiang Clan's unique heritage, frankly, was not much inferior to any lineage within the Sacred Palace. In fact, for members of the Jiang Clan, their own heritage was even more suitable for them. Jiang Xian, one could say, had no real need to participate in this Royal City Trial.

However, ever since he encountered Yan Wang in the Sky-Praying Forest of the Eastern Heavenly Royal City and had his pair of "Three-Aversion Pupils" dug out, the tasks given by his clan afterward began to change. Before he had the "Three-Aversion Pupils," his mission was to work with the "Sky-Knowing Pearl" to search for more Tear Family Children. After losing them, his mission became to enter the Royal City Trial, follow all trial rules, prioritize his own safety, and await "the turning point."

"The turning point..." Jiang Xian didn't even know when he was supposed to wait until.

Before the second round of the Royal City Trial, after witnessing the "special physiques" of Young Master Xu and the young girl Mu Xiaogong beside him, Jiang Xian realized that the waters of the Yunlun Mountains ran far too deep! Here, the more one tried to stir up trouble, the more tragic the eventual outcome might be. Thus, at the start of the Nine Dragon Veins competition, he established his defense on the mountain, transforming his subordinates into a network of hidden agents, spreading them out to gather intelligence as their primary goal, abandoning any desire for direct combat.

"Young Master Jiang."

As he was lost in thought, a subordinate approached from further up the mountain and spoke respectfully.

"Speak." Jiang Xian pinched his brow, knowing that new intelligence had arrived.

Just recently, he had gathered intelligence through his hidden agents that a high-ranking official from the Sacred God Palace had perished in the Yunlun Mountains. After relaying the message to his clan through special channels and getting confirmation, he learned it was Yi, the Chief of the Anomaly Division, who had died there. This terrified Jiang Xian! For a distinguished Chief of the Anomaly Division to die in the Yunlun Mountains—he simply didn't know what expression to make in response.

Earlier, when Saints battled fiercely high above the Yunlun Mountains, he had also gathered intelligence and verified it with his clan, receiving news that Ba Zun'an, the Chief of the Sacred Slaves, was secretly manipulating the situation. This made Jiang Xian extremely anxious! Even a Saint battle had occurred, yet the "turning point" his clan spoke of had not arrived. If he waited any longer, Jiang Xian feared he might not even be able to leave the Yunlun Mountains!

The subordinate stood respectfully to one side, waiting until Young Master Jiang's gaze fell upon him before reporting solemnly: "Reporting to Young Master Jiang, our hidden agents have detected that many Enforcers have gathered near the Ninth Dragon Vein. Even Sword Immortal Rao has stopped guarding the Void Island Rift and is personally leading a team there. Accompanying them are Wang Dachui, the Chief of the Physique Division, as well as other Dao-Severing and Throne realm experts. Furthermore, Teng Shanhai, the Chief of the War Division, is still in front of the Void Island Rift. His subordinates have already assembled thirteen Void-level experts eager to earn merit for opportunities."

Jiang Xian's mouth twitched upon hearing this. Rao Yaoyao plus Wang Dachui—who were they going after with that combination? Teng Shanhai now had thirteen Void-level experts as subordinates. If this force also entered the fray, then whoever they targeted in the Yunlun Mountains would surely die?

"What about the others?" Jiang Xian asked, calming his mind.

The subordinate respectfully replied, "According to a message from the clan, Yu Lingdi, the Chief of the Spirit Division, is suspected to be trapped on Void Island. Chief of the Dark Division, Ye Xiao, remains out of contact, but 'Three Incense Sticks' has issued a black gold bounty, which likely means Ye Xiao has begun to act. Currently, from the five regions of the continent, there are already no fewer than two dozen gold-medal bounty hunters heading towards the Eastern Heaven Realm."

"Two dozen?" Jiang Xian's eyebrow twitched.

"These are just those openly identified and currently on the move," the subordinate explained. "More assassins are expected to arrive later."

"Who are they... planning to kill?"

"The Sacred Slave, Xu Xiaoshou!"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Xian heavily closed his eyes. What in the world was going on? The Sacred Slave Xu Xiaoshou, a mere Master realm cultivator, had the Dark Division dispatching over a dozen gold-medal bounty hunters to kill him? By this logic, did Yi die at Xu Xiaoshou's hands?

"Have you thoroughly investigated the circumstances of Yi's death?" Jiang Xian continued, following his train of thought.

"No," the subordinate shook his head decisively. "Even the Sacred God Palace hasn't fully understood the situation. Even if we have internal contacts, we can't get that information."

Jiang Xian fell silent. That Sacred Slave Xu Xiaoshou was truly audacious, daring to kill anyone... The Chief of the Anomaly Division—even if he offered his head for Jiang Xian to chop off right now, Jiang Xian wouldn't dare strike! Because Jiang Xian knew how much trouble would be unleashed if that head were severed.

"Are there any other messages?"

"Yes." The subordinate nodded, pulled a sealed letter from his robe, and presented it, saying, "A letter from Senior Jiang Chaotian for Young Master Jiang."

A letter... Jiang Xian took the letter, an inexplicable dread rising in his heart. A strange letter arriving at this moment gave him a bad premonition.

"If there's nothing else, you may withdraw for now." Dismissing his subordinate, Jiang Xian broke the wax seal, took out the letter, and unfolded it.

There were no words on the letter, only an incredibly intricate array pattern that made one dizzy to look at. "An array?" Jiang Xian searched up and down, but found no other text or explanation. Just then, a faint sense of summoning emanated from the array on the letter. Jiang Xian, understanding instinctively, pricked his fingertip and let a drop of blood fall onto it. The array pattern glowed brightly, then transformed into a spatial portal, from which the familiar face of Jiang Chaotian emerged.

"This?" Jiang Xian was greatly startled. He scrutinized Jiang Chaotian, noticing that the Dao-Severing guard's aura was completely unmasked. He asked in disbelief, "How dare you openly enter the Yunlun Mountains?"

Jiang Chaotian was in a hurry, his face pale and bruised, as if he hadn't rested well or had been profoundly shocked by some important news, his emotions entirely unsettled. He explained in fragments, "There's not much time left... Young Master Jiang, the time has come. Rao Yaoyao is now leading a large force towards Solitary Sound Cliff. The defenses of the Yunlun Mountains have loosened, and our clan's Semi-Saint is interfering with the Yun Realm World, so they won't detect me."

Jiang Xian remained silent. A Jiang Clan Semi-Saint personally interfering with the Yun Realm World's perception for you, Jiang Chaotian, are you dreaming? He didn't voice his inner doubts, but calmly asked, "So, what brings you here?"

Jiang Chaotian took a deep breath: "To summon a Semi-Saint!"

"What?" Jiang Xian stumbled back instantly, almost thinking he had misheard, and asked in a fearful voice, "Summon a Semi-Saint? A Semi-Saint from where?"

"Our clan's Semi-Saint!" Jiang Chaotian added.

"The Semi-Saint personally arriving, or... a Semi-Saint avatar, a Semi-Saint's will descending, or a Saintly statue?" Jiang Xian tilted his head, his voice dropping with each question, trying to align himself with Jiang Chaotian's frequency and attempting to downplay the dangerous implications of this conversation.

"The Semi-Saint personally arriving!" Jiang Chaotian, however, unceremoniously gave him the most terrifying answer.

"Why?" Jiang Xian's eyes widened. A hundred thousand questions flooded his mind, and for a long time, he couldn't comprehend why a Semi-Saint would be summoned so abruptly. Was something major about to happen in the Yunlun Mountains again? Last time, his clan's Semi-Saint missed the Saint battle. Was their Semi-Saint now planning to come and fight, just to show off? To act so childishly—his clan's Semi-Saint would never! The Yunlun Mountains must have a major pitfall waiting, a secret I haven't uncovered...

"What's the purpose?" Jiang Xian asked in a low voice. Surely, summoning a Semi-Saint wasn't just to kill that Sacred Slave Xu Xiaoshou, was it?

Jiang Chaotian didn't answer this time. Half-dazed, half-speculating, he raised his eyes and stared at Jiang Xian's ordinary mortal eyes, which were set within his Saintly physique. In the Sky-Praying Forest, Young Master Jiang lost his "Three-Aversion Pupils," and even when near death, no rescue arrived except for him. At that time, Jiang Qi had made a very bold guess. But then, Jiang Chaotian had considered Jiang Qi's idea too dangerous and somewhat impractical. Now it seemed... If it wasn't to cast bait, why would Young Master Jiang have needed to travel so far from the Northern Region to the Eastern Heavenly Royal City? If it wasn't to reel in the net, why would Young Master Jiang have needed to participate in the Royal City Trial and urgently await the turning point here?

After a prolonged silence, Jiang Xian looked at Jiang Chaotian's gaze, seemingly understanding something, and heavily closed his eyes. So, I was just a pawn... He didn't ask further questions, because when it concerned a Semi-Saint, it was no longer something he could be involved in.

"Prepare the ritual!"

***

The Yunlun Mountains, outlying area.

Outside the Royal City Trial's designated zone, amidst the clang and clatter of metal, a bearded, eight-fingered uncle carried a large sack. He lightly extended his hand and touched the void space in front of him.

"Buzz!" A mysterious ripple spread, and a semi-transparent barrier wall materialized from the emptiness before him, faintly revealing the uninvited guest standing beyond it.

"Is this the 'Yun Realm World'..." The slovenly uncle pondered, glancing behind him, seemingly waiting for someone. But after a long wait, the anticipated figure didn't appear. He then shook his head slightly, chuckling softly as he muttered, "Unreliable as expected..."

Without further hesitation, the slovenly uncle brought two fingers together and swiped in front of him, creating a spatial rift. He stepped inside. The next second, a gap opened in the barrier wall, and his figure thus passed through the Celestial Mechanism World, entering the Royal City Trial zone.

Pulling out a map, the slovenly uncle pinpointed his location and gazed in the direction of the Ninth Dragon Vein. With just a distant glance, he could already discern many familiar auras.

"Quite lively..." After uttering a sigh, the uncle didn't linger. He swung his arms, holding the sack, and began to sprint across the mountainous terrain without any regard for his image, the clang and clatter of metal echoing in all directions.

Soon, his figure vanished into the wilderness.

***

Not long after.

"Caw—" A crow's caw echoed through the desolate mountain forest.

Where the slovenly uncle had entered the mountain, a shadowy figure descended. Even with ample sunlight, this figure remained dim and emitted no trace of a living person's scent, like a corpse. The black figure was draped in a dark feathered cloak, its frame broad and its stature immense. Perched on its shoulder was a three-legged black owl, its eyes as dark as ink, like the descent of the Grim Reaper, observing the human world with cold indifference.

"Ba Zun'an?" Ye Xiao, for the first time since losing contact, formally appeared in the Yunlun Mountains, murmuring without a hint of emotion. Her face was shrouded in darkness, making her emotions unreadable.

"Very well, let them all come. The more, the better!" After a long pause, the colossal black figure moved forward, pursuing the traces of the distant person across the vast wilderness, a touch of desolation in its stride.

***

Atop the Yunlun Mountains, on the main seat of the Yun Realm.

Yu Zhiwen now had only a colossal spirit mirror before her, reflecting the two confronting parties at Solitary Sound Cliff. There, many focal points that would undoubtedly ignite a terrifying storm were present: The Sacred Slave Xu Xiaoshou, Sacred Palace's Ye Xiaotian, the Red-Clothed Enforcer Lord Rao Yaoyao, the Chief of the Physique Division Wang Dachui...

Yu Zhiwen leaned forward, her starry eyes fixed on the mirror's reflection of that long-unseen, familiar yet somewhat strange face. "You, how could you appear here..."

Yu Zhiwen found it hard to believe that Xu Xiaoshou, who had been hidden for so long, would unexpectedly expose his whereabouts and be directly apprehended by Sword Immortal Rao and a large contingent of forces. There was almost no chance of escape! One of the Seven Sword Immortals, plus Wang Dachui, the Chief of the Physique Division—without prior preparation, how could a mere Master realm junior possibly escape... survive? This wasn't the setup for Yi's death; there was no prior ambush, no preparations made in advance...

Wait! My stance is with the Sacred God Palace...

Yu Zhiwen suddenly realized. She quickly straightened her leaning posture, annoyed, and slapped her forehead, not understanding why she was worrying about that heinous Sacred Slave Xu Xiaoshou. This was the person who killed the Chief of the Anomaly Division! Although, she had long disliked Senior Yi's behavior—always cross-dressing and acting like a little loli. Hmm, but if things turned hostile like this, it would be utterly impossible to bring Xu Xiaoshou back to the Sacred God Palace's side... Xu Xiaoshou was truly a genius... What a pity...

Yu Zhiwen was filled with regret. She felt she was still caught up in her past naive thoughts. She kept telling herself that Xu Xiaoshou was now on a different path, and she shouldn't harbor any improper... well, fantasies. Yet, seeing the tense and anxious situation depicted in the spirit mirror, Yu Zhiwen involuntarily clenched her fists, her heart tightening.

"Just capture him alive..." She was incredibly nervous, murmuring softly.

Just then, a voice suddenly sounded from behind her: "Why not just kill him directly?"

"That might not be good..." Yu Zhiwen responded unconsciously. At the main seat of the spirit mirror, protected by the strongest Celestial Mechanism Array, no outsider could possibly enter. Only Rao Yaoyao and she could pass through normally, so Yu Zhiwen had no guard up whatsoever.

However, after half a sentence, Yu Zhiwen suddenly realized something was wrong. The voice from behind her was clearly a male voice! A male voice—how could he have gotten in? Sword Immortal Rao was right there in the spirit mirror's image. The only male who could possibly break the Celestial Mechanism Array was Situ Yongren, but Situ Yongren's voice wasn't like this!

Yu Zhiwen spun around in horror.