Chapter 1672: Longshan Hermit

Before Nantian Pass, the two Heavenly Masters deployed their troops, their armies' formations shifting rapidly, breaking through opposing formations with both strategy and brute force.

Shang Pingyin and Meng Yungui were both masters of divination and formation, and this clash would reveal their respective strengths and weaknesses.

Shang Pingyin achieved fame very early, his reputation rising in the early years of the Dragon Han era. Even before Dao Ancestor created macroscopic divination, Shang Pingyin had already made minor achievements in the art. At the time, he was also researching macroscopic divination, but his progress was slower than Dao Ancestor's because he diverted his attention to studying formations and military deployment.

Later, when Dao Ancestor perfected macroscopic divination, Shang Pingyin was surpassed.

He was also a genius, becoming the Heavenly Court's foremost Heavenly Master through his mastery of formations and divination. All formation diagrams for the Heavenly Court armies were deeply connected to him.

However, during the separation of the Dragon Han, he personally led an army to prevent Northern Emperor Xuanwu's Celestial Palace from leaving the Heavenly Court, but he suffered a devastating defeat. He was vanquished by Lone Dragon Mountain using a formation woven with the Azure Heaven Canopy of Glazed Glass.

That defeat was absolute and complete. Shang Pingyin's Dao heart was damaged, leaving him disheartened for hundreds of thousands of years as he pondered how to break the Azure Heaven Canopy of Glazed Glass formation.

It wasn't until Yue Tingge rose and broke the Azure Heaven Canopy of Glazed Glass formation that Shang Pingyin emerged from the shadow, only to then enter Yue Tingge's shadow.

After Yue Tingge was trapped in the Primordial Void, Shang Pingyin once again became the Heavenly Court's foremost Heavenly Master. However, at this time, Meng Yungui rose, threatening his position.

Meng Yungui never revealed his true strength, always concealing his wisdom and power. Yet, judging by his military deployments and the fact that Celestial Venerable often sought his counsel, Meng Yungui's wisdom was actually superior to Shang Pingyin's!

However, the two had never directly competed before. The battle for Nantian Pass was their first direct confrontation.

Meng Yungui had the advantage of terrain, while Shang Pingyin had the advantage in military strength.

The army under his command was the Divine Martial Second Guard, one of the Heavenly Court's Ten Guards. Having experienced numerous battles, the Divine Martial Second Guard were the most outstanding among the demigods; any one of them could become a leader in Meng Yungui's Feathered Transformation Camp!

When the Divine Martial Second Guard's formation was activated, they could even contend with a Celestial Venerable!

However, clashing with a second-tier divine-demon army like the Feathered Transformation Camp, the Divine Martial Second Guard's formation power could not be fully unleashed. The Feathered Transformation Camp's formations were like needles finding seams, piercing into the Divine Martial Second Guard's array, preventing its operation and making the formation diagrams difficult to execute.

Every variation of the Divine Martial Second Guard's formation was countered by the Feathered Transformation Camp.

Shang Pingyin excelled at direct, frontal assaults and siege warfare. Against an opponent like Meng Yungui, he found it difficult to utilize his full capabilities. However, the Divine Martial Second Guard's strength was simply too formidable; in a pure battle of attrition, Meng Yungui could not match him!

This was the grand trend that Shang Pingyin spoke of.

As long as the Feathered Transformation Camp's soldiers continued to suffer casualties, he would still emerge victorious!

At this moment, Meng Yungui suddenly stood up, floated down from the city tower, and horizontally cut into the Feathered Transformation Camp's formation diagram.

Shang Pingyin laughed heartily and shook his head. "How foolish for a commander to personally enter the formation? By entering the formation, you become a mere piece within it, unable to oversee the entire situation or make tactical changes at will. Meng Yungui, your greatest strength lies in formation changes, yet now you abandon this advantage to become a mere brave warrior. You are unworthy of being a Heavenly Master!"

He immediately manipulated the Divine Martial Second Guard's formation diagram, intending to trap and eliminate the Feathered Transformation Camp with formation changes. However, the Feathered Transformation Camp's formation also changed simultaneously, firmly controlling the Divine Martial Second Guard's diagram and making it difficult for them to shift arrays!

Even if Shang Pingyin forcibly changed the formation, he would immediately be countered by the Feathered Transformation Camp!

Meng Yungui was also a grand master of the Emperor's Throne realm, moving through the formation diagram like a fish in water. He slew the Divine Martial Second Guard's generals, inflicting casualties upon them!

"Something is wrong. He is inside the formation, unable to oversee the entire situation. How can he discern my formation changes?"

Shang Pingyin's expression darkened as he thought, "Moreover, how can he, being inside the formation, command all the Feathered Transformation Camp soldiers as if they were extensions of his own arms? Wait, it's Yankang's Three Primordial Spirit Convergence Art!"

His face changed drastically.

Among Yankang's reforms, there was a cultivation technique called the Three Primordial Spirit Convergence Art, the most wondrous battle technique, allowing for the swiftest deployment of troops.

Back in the Primordial Void, Emperor Yanfeng and Yankang Imperial Preceptor Jiang Baigui, one disguised as a monk and the other as a Daoist, led the Carefree Village army. They clashed with the Heavenly Court army multiple times, slaying countless enemies, leaving the Heavenly Court's Four Heavenly Masters and Four Heavenly Kings extremely vexed.

Ultimately, it was Meng Yungui who saw through their disguises. He broke Emperor Yanfeng's grand formation and pursued him for tens of thousands of miles, nearly slaying the bald monk.

At that time, Meng Yungui was able to break the formation by sending spies to Yankang to secretly learn the Three Primordial Spirit Convergence Art, thus discovering the method to counter it!

Clearly, Meng Yungui had not only deciphered the Three Primordial Spirit Convergence Art but had also learned it himself!

"I don't know the cultivation method for the Three Primordial Spirit Convergence Art, so I can't counter it directly. But Meng Yungui's ability to grasp the overall situation means he must have scouts outside, observing the battle!"

Shang Pingyin, exceptionally clever, immediately looked around, his gaze falling upon an oval, convex mirror hanging before Nantian Pass.

Shang Pingyin raised his hand, drew his divine bow, and shot an arrow; the mirror instantly shattered into dust.

He sighed in relief, but upon changing his formation again, he was still countered by Meng Yungui.

Shang Pingyin frowned, continued to scan his surroundings, then suddenly drew his bow again, extinguishing a sun in the sky!

As the sun extinguished, the sky grew dim and unclear. Shang Pingyin looked again, only to see that his formation was still suppressed by Meng Yungui.

"He still has other scouts!"

Shang Pingyin pointed a finger at his glabella, where a vertical eye opened. He looked into a tributary of the Celestial River, then stomped his right foot heavily. The river water churned, and large silver fish flew out of it!

Shang Pingyin shot down all the silver fish. They exploded into countless parts, revealing that they were crafted from divine gold and iron, serving as Meng Yungui's scouts!

"There are still other scouts!"

The vertical eye on Shang Pingyin's glabella radiated dazzling light. He let out a fierce roar, pushing the divine eye's power to its limit, piercing through the void, revealing mirrors hanging high in the void surrounding Nantian Pass!

Shang Pingyin shot down these mirrors. Then he looked down, seeing giant demon god eyeballs in Youdu, refined into treasures, eerily watching the scene.

"Meng Yungui, you truly are a formidable opponent!"

Shang Pingyin's right index finger swiftly moved through the air, drawing a Youdu Grand Dao talisman. He imprinted it onto his divine bow, then drew the bow and shot arrows, destroying the demon god eyes.

Now that all of Meng Yungui's arrangements had been removed, Shang Pingyin could finally relax.

At this moment, a grey cloud suddenly rose from within the pass. The cloud contained countless strange insects with large heads, small bodies, and numerous compound eyes. They buzzed as they flew, their compound eyes reflecting the battlefield situation with perfect clarity.

Shang Pingyin opened his mouth and spat out divine fire, incinerating all the strange insects.

Meng Yungui sighed inwardly. He had too little time and too few troops, unable to prepare more countermeasures. If he had been given time to calmly set up, he could have definitely made it impossible for Shang Pingyin to break through.

Now that he had lost control of the overall situation, continuing to resist would inevitably lead to the complete annihilation of his army.

Meng Yungui personally covered the retreat towards the fortress. Shang Pingyin pursued relentlessly, chasing them all the way to the base of the fortress. Suddenly, countless banners fluttered within the pass, and the formations were impeccably ordered.

Shang Pingyin was startled. He hastily ordered his army to halt to prevent any unforeseen circumstances, allowing Meng Yungui to seize the opportunity to enter the city.

"How many people did Meng Yungui lead to Nantian this time?" Shang Pingyin called someone over and asked.

The soldier replied, "Heavenly Master, Meng Yungui led a hundred thousand soldiers from the Feathered Transformation Camp this time. He brought no other armies."

"This pass is an empty city!"

Shang Pingyin's eyes lit up, and he sternly commanded, "Attack the city!"

The seemingly majestic Nantian Pass collapsed with a roar under the Divine Martial Second Guard's assault!

Inside the city, Meng Yungui sighed and cried, "Fight as you retreat! Defend Nantian to the death!"

The Feathered Transformation Camp soldiers fought valiantly, but facing the formidable might of the Divine Martial Second Guard, their casualties mounted, and one by one, familiar figures fell around Meng Yungui.

As he had said, they were destined to lose, with no hope of victory. Even though he had long anticipated this outcome, witnessing it firsthand still filled his heart with sorrow.

The power of the Divine Martial Second Guard's battle formation gradually erupted, growing stronger with each passing moment. Each attack caused hundreds of people to fall around him. Wherever the battle formation passed, mountains toppled, the sky shattered, and the sun and moon lost their light!

Through these days of fierce fighting, Shang Pingyin had fully exploited the Divine Martial Second Guard's advantages.

As demigods, their physical bodies were formidable, and they fought tirelessly. Coupled with the Divine Martial Second Guard's highly cultivated soldiers, they had already worn down the Feathered Transformation Camp.

If the battle continued, the Feathered Transformation Camp, along with Meng Yungui, would certainly face complete annihilation!

Finally, the Divine Martial Second Guard's formation diagram was pushed to its limit. Waves of Emperor's might surged from the formation, rising to the heavens, as if numerous celestial palaces had merged to form the Grand Heavenly Court array of eighteen palaces.

Meng Yungui's face was pale. This was the formation diagram that the four Heavenly Masters had jointly created, and among them, he had contributed the most, designing over half of its structure.

In the battle to pursue Carefree Village, he had used this formation to overpower Lang Wo, slaying countless Carefree Village soldiers, which forced the four Heavenly Masters of Carefree Village to unite in order to withstand the Heavenly Court's assault.

Yet this time, he and his Imperial Guard would be annihilated by a weapon he himself designed!

He looked back at Nantian, his heart lost. "I shouldn't have listened to Yu Chenzi, I shouldn't have listened to Celestial Venerable Mu. Dreams, heh heh..."

He suddenly became invigorated, all his magic power erupting. Enveloping the remaining Feathered Transformation Camp soldiers, he sternly asked, "Brothers, are you willing to die with me?"

"This is our fortune!"

Laughter echoed, and within the formation, divine light shot skyward as figures stood by his side, charging towards the Divine Martial Second Guard!

Seeing this, Shang Pingyin shook his head. "Overestimating themselves."

The two grand formations collided, and the Feathered Transformation Camp was about to be completely overwhelmed. Suddenly, an incredibly thick jade pillar descended from the sky, spinning. It slammed into the center of the two formations with a thud, sending earth and rocks flying in all directions!

Beneath the jade pillar, a burly man with a dragon's head and a turtle's back forcefully spun it. The Twenty-Eight Heavens immediately roared and expanded, and countless powerful treasures appeared within them. The treasures radiated brilliant light, breaking through the Divine Martial Second Guard's formation and sending a hundred thousand divine-demon soldiers flying!

The Twenty-Eight Heavens intertwined and shifted in sequence, drawing Meng Yungui and the surviving Feathered Transformation Camp soldiers into them. Meng Yungui and the others found themselves unable to resist, landing upon various powerful treasures, filled with shock and uncertainty.

They had thought they were surely doomed, but unexpectedly, they were not only spared but rescued.

"Fortunately, we weren't too late."

A familiar voice entered Shang Pingyin's ears. Shang Pingyin's face changed drastically, and he hastily looked towards the sound, seeing a youth with a qilin's head and a human body standing atop the jade pillar and the Twenty-Eight Heavens, his robes fluttering.

"Lone Dragon Mountain!" Shang Pingyin blurted out.

"Indeed, it is I, Long."

Long Qilin stood at the highest point, looking at Shang Pingyin from afar, and smiled. "Shang Pingyin, after a separation of six hundred thousand years, we meet again."

The Heavenly Court army marched majestically towards the Primordial World. The Celestial River's waters ahead were already flowing downstream, entering the Primordial World.

Suddenly, the Bureau of Heavenly Supervision rushed to report: "Your Majesty, there is an anomaly in Nantian. The stars are shaking, the Celestial River is trembling, and heavens are forming, resembling the anomaly of the Azure Heaven Canopy of Glazed Glass, the world's foremost treasure."

Heavenly Emperor Hao pondered for a moment and said, "The Azure Heaven Canopy of Glazed Glass has been refined by Celestial Venerable Mu in the Great Black Mountain of the Ancestral Court for decades. It's no longer what it once was, nor can it be considered the world's foremost treasure; countless treasures now surpass its power. However, if the Azure Heaven Canopy of Glazed Glass arrives in Nantian, Shang Pingyin might not be able to withstand it. Issue my command: have Northern Heavenly King Yiluo and Third Heavenly Master Bai Yuqiong take the Nantian Gate to Nantian and suppress Meng Yungui and the rebels."

He thought for a moment, then added, "Instruct Yiluo to be wary of Bai Yuqiong. If she makes any unusual moves, activate the Nantian Gate to directly suppress and kill her. You may leave."