Chapter 3184: Illusion Shows Its Power

In a secret chamber within the Cangyuan Mountain Range, Wang Qingcheng sat cross-legged on a yellow prayer mat. His eyes were slightly closed and his complexion was rosy. He had been in the Integration Stage for several decades and had remained in the Cangyuan Mountain Range for two reasons: to cultivate himself and to protect Wang Yulan, allowing her to peacefully attempt to break through to the Void Refinement Stage.

A sound transmission talisman flew in. Wang Qingcheng seemed to sense it; the yellow glow around his body dissipated, and he opened his eyes, which faintly gleamed with a sharp light.

He opened his mouth and spat out a yellow light, striking the talisman. The talisman spontaneously ignited, and Sun Yuejiao's urgent voice came through: "Husband, something terrible has happened! True Monarch Nine Swords' meditation cave, the Nine Swords Pagoda, has appeared. Our clansmen are fighting with the disciples of the Coldflame Sect, and we urgently need reinforcements."

Wang Qingcheng's expression darkened. He quickly walked out and saw Sun Yuejiao looking anxious.

Sun Yuejiao briefly explained what had happened. The clansmen had reported the situation through various channels, but it was unclear who had obtained True Monarch Nine Swords' legacy.

If they went to provide support, it would be problematic if a powerful enemy attacked the Cangyuan Mountain Range and something happened to Wang Yulan. However, if they didn't send reinforcements, the clan would likely suffer heavy losses.

"I'll go there immediately," Wang Qingcheng instructed. "Wife, you stay here and strengthen the defenses of the Cangyuan Mountain Range. Go and invite your cousin and his wife to Cangyuan Mountain Range. Don't mention our conflict with the Coldflame Sect for now. Before I return, don't let them leave Cangyuan Mountain Range."

If Zhenhai Palace directly intervened, even if they obtained True Monarch Nine Swords' legacy, Zhenhai Palace would certainly claim the lion's share. If Zhenhai Palace didn't intervene, and something happened to the Cangyuan Mountain Range or an accident befell Wang Yulan, Wang Qingcheng would have no way to explain it to Wang Ruyan.

Inviting a Void Refinement cultivator from Zhenhai Palace as a guest to the Cangyuan Mountain Range would surely deter any enemies from opportunistically attacking the area.

If they obtained True Monarch Nine Swords' legacy, they wouldn't need to hand it over to Zhenhai Palace. After all, True Monarch Nine Swords was only an Integration Stage cultivator. Even if an affiliated force of the Wang family obtained a Void Refinement cultivator's legacy, the Wang family wouldn't interfere unless they were directly involved.

If the Coldflame Sect obtained True Monarch Nine Swords' legacy, they could then report it to Zhenhai Palace and request their intervention. This strategy would strengthen the defenses of the Cangyuan Mountain Range and allow them to seek assistance from Zhenhai Palace at any time, killing several birds with one stone.

Sun Yuejiao agreed; this was not difficult for her.

Wang Qingcheng gave a few more instructions, then summoned a yellow-glowing flying boat and stepped aboard.

He formed a hand seal, and the yellow flying boat immediately emitted a brilliant yellow light, soaring into the sky and leaving the Cangyuan Mountain Range. Sun Yuejiao dispatched someone to invite Sun Yueshuo and He Yuyao.

Sun Yueshuo and He Yuyao were stationed at a branch stronghold not far from the Cangyuan Mountain Range.

Almost simultaneously, the Wang family and the Coldflame Sect frequently mobilized their forces, heading towards the Qinghong Mountain Range. Their movements were too conspicuous to escape the notice of other factions.

Other forces, having somehow received news that True Monarch Nine Swords' meditation cave had appeared in the Qinghong Mountain Range, dispatched many high-level cultivators there. Some went to watch the spectacle, while others sought to fish in troubled waters.

In a continuous expanse of verdant mountains, a thick silver lightning bolt illuminated the depths of the range, standing out conspicuously. The ground trembled slightly.

Deep within the mountains, the ground was riddled with large, smoke-emitting craters, and numerous broken green vines were visible.

Liu Yao stood on a low earthen mound, her face slightly pale. In the distance, a massive silver lightning ball pulsed.

Lightning techniques possessed immense destructive power, and Wang Mousen was no match for her. However, Wang Mousen was skilled in various wood-elemental divine abilities and did not confront Liu Yao directly but instead entangled her.

It was not easy for Liu Yao to kill Wang Mousen, and he clung to her relentlessly, preventing her escape.

Before long, the silver lightning dissipated, leaving a smoke-emitting crater on the ground. Wang Mousen's trace was nowhere to be found.

"Hmph, you were quick to flee," Liu Yao scoffed coldly. "A moment longer, and your life would have been forfeit."

Countless silver electrical arcs erupted from her body, transforming into a silver lightning bolt that vanished from sight.

A moment later, a dazzling green light emanated from a certain green vine, revealing Wang Mousen's figure. His face was pale, appearing as if his magical power had been excessively depleted.

A hint of mockery played on his lips. He had been ordered to entangle Liu Yao; otherwise, it wouldn't have been so easy for Liu Yao to pursue Wang Yangsheng and Liu Yushuang.

A brilliant green light burst forth from Wang Mousen's body, transforming into specks of green light that vanished.

In a dense peach blossom forest, numerous peach trees were broken in half, and the ground was pockmarked with craters. Several dim spiritual treasures and some red dragon scales were visible.

A ball of silver lightning lit up, revealing Liu Yao's figure.

She gazed at the ravaged ground, her delicate eyebrows furrowed in a frown.

A piercing sound of tearing air rang out, followed by intense tremors in the ground. In the distance, dust billowed.

Liu Yao looked towards the source of the sound. Before she had flown much further, she saw Wang Yangsheng and Liu Yushuang flying towards her. Their faces were pale, their left arms missing, and they appeared to be severely injured.

Liu Yao's expression turned cold, and she was about to strike them down.

A hazy yellow blade qi swept out, quickly catching up to Wang Yangsheng and Liu Yushuang.

Two screams rang out as the yellow blade qi swept past Wang Yangsheng and Liu Yushuang's bodies. Countless drops of blood rained down. The moment their two miniature Nascent Souls left their bodies, they showed a look of madness, rapidly swelled, their forms exploding in size. Two dazzling spiritual lights shot up into the sky, leveling a large area. Shockwaves rolled, and dust filled the air.

Wang Mengshan flew out from the dust, his body covered in blood, and a horrifying bloody hole in his right shoulder.

"Madam Liu," Wang Mengshan gasped, his voice weak, "Fellow Daoist Sun and the others were killed. Those two possessed incredibly powerful divine abilities, but thankfully, I managed to eliminate them."

"Thank you, Fellow Daoist Wang," Liu Yao said gratefully. "I told you I would reward you handsomely if you helped me kill them. What about their belongings? Did you find the Nine Swords Token?"

Wang Mengshan took out a golden storage ring and tossed it to Liu Yao.

Liu Yao's divine sense swept over it, and a flicker of surprise appeared in her eyes. She took out the Nine Swords Token and tried to return the storage ring to Wang Mengshan, but he refused. "Madam Liu, please keep it! If you hadn't entangled the core disciples of the Wang family, I wouldn't have been able to eliminate them. I'll need your continued support in the future. If the Wang family finds out I killed their core clansmen, I'll be in terrible trouble."

Wang Yangsheng and Liu Yushuang possessed considerable divine abilities; otherwise, they couldn't have killed five Void Refinement cultivators. They must have been core members of the Wang family.

Wang Mengshan's explanation was quite plausible.

Liu Yao nodded and, without further formality, accepted the storage ring.

"Let's go to the Nine Swords Pagoda!" Liu Yao declared. "I hope we can obtain True Monarch Nine Swords' legacy."

Liu Yao waved her hand and followed Wang Mengshan back the way they came.

Ten thousand feet beneath the ground, Wang Mengli, Wang Yangsheng, Liu Yushuang, and Wang Zhongchen stood in a cave about a hundred zhang in size. Runes flickered on the cave walls, emitting strong restrictive fluctuations.

Wang Mengli and Wang Zhongchen had originally intended to help Wang Mengshan resolve a problem. Upon learning that the Wang family's disciples were fighting with the Coldflame Sect over True Monarch Nine Swords' legacy and needed reinforcements, they temporarily changed their objective and hurried to provide support. Unexpectedly, Wang Mengshan also came along.

If it weren't to cover Wang Mengshan, Wang Mengli would have already killed Liu Yao.

If all the Coldflame Sect's experts were dead, and only Wang Mengshan survived, it would be difficult not to arouse suspicion. Wang Mengli had used an illusion spell to make Liu Yao mistakenly believe that Wang Mengshan had killed Wang Yangsheng and Liu Yushuang, thereby instantly making Wang Mengshan Liu Yao's benefactor.

As long as Liu Yao was alive, she could testify that Wang Mengshan had eliminated the Wang family's core disciples.