Chapter 1070: Landing

The Great Void trembled as blue and black colors intertwined.

Since receiving the favor of the cultivators from Dayang Mountain, Mount Dayuanguangyin had transformed completely. Countless temples clung to the mountain. The most famous peak, Driller's Peak, which pointed skyward like a knife, had been carved with countless Mahayana Buddhist images, overseeing the land from above, gazing down impassively.

Numerous monks in meditation robes were on the mountain, bowing with clasped hands, their expressions serious and dignified. Additionally, large golden figures gathered in one spot, whispering:

“We heard… Yang Ruiyi has reached the heart of Duxian territory…”

“Isn’t Lord Guangchan blocking him there!”

The speaker was a house-sized, white-skinned Lianmin. It looked fierce, with a profound aura. The Lianmin on the other side chuckled:

“You overestimate him and underestimate Exiled Qi. I doubt he can stop them.”

“Or perhaps he won’t even try to stop them!”

The figures whispered among themselves, clearly having some understanding of the situation. They felt lingering trepidation:

“Do they still dare? The Five-Eyed are still boiling in Dayang Mountain’s bronze cauldron… Dayang Mountain’s resolve this time cannot be overlooked!”

As they muttered amongst themselves, the light from the zenith suddenly dimmed. The Lianmin lifted its head in alarm, frozen in place.

Blue-black light surged freely through the air, tearing open the pitch-black Great Void. A massive bronze chariot moved through the sky, as if escorted by ten thousand ghosts, creating an eerie atmosphere!

This palace was not taller than any golden effigy, yet it caused heaven and earth to lose their luster, and myriad Buddhist cultivators were shaken. The dark curtains slowly parted, and a man in black robes descended the steps, quietly gazing down.

It was Yang Ruiyi, who had been missing!

The man stood with clasped hands, sensing the subtle shifts in the Great Void. He performed a quick calculation with his fingers, and his mind cleared:

‘The cultivators of Lotus Temple, swayed by the dissenting intentions of the Lotus World Master, refused to serve Dayang Mountain. Zhang Yun was also a two-faced character, but he wouldn’t ruin things; it’s all in the past.’

Without a moment’s hesitation, he pulled an object from the palace, stumbling. It was, surprisingly, a small calf. It had no fur, being entirely made of mud, yet it trembled on its two legs like a living creature, following behind him.

“Although Qi Lanyan is a petty coward, he obtained a Heavenly Element opportunity. He won't fail to understand the situation when he copies it, but who knows if the Heavenly Element is truly inaccurate? Even Heavenly Element has fallen into Exiled Qi, so what can those who received the Heavenly Element accomplish?”

His brows lowered, and a hint of coldness appeared in his eyes. He then boldly stepped onto the mountain range!

“Even if they understand, how much ability or will do they have to change anything!”

The hand holding the rope suddenly released its grip. The mud ox immediately plummeted into the mountains like a bird with broken wings, generating countless strong winds as it fell.

The wind was grayish-white, twisting and swirling together, as if blowing from an unfathomable abyss. It was as heavy as snow, causing the Great Void to ripple continuously, gradually breaking and fragmenting, and pulling one or two Lianmin who had just entered the Great Void down with it.

‘It’s over!’

The light pink radiance on the mountain suddenly flared, revealing it to be the mountain’s protective formation!

Yet, to the cultivators’ terrified expressions, the solitary falling black object encountered no resistance, drifting down.

This pink light was ridiculously fragile; rather than being like rice paper, it seemed to not exist at all!

Buddhist cultivators, who normally cultivated within the Buddhist Land, had neither the need nor the ability to establish formations. While they had some expertise in forming arrays to draw upon the Buddhist Land, establishing defensive formations was pure chaos for them. How could they compare to immortal cultivators who maintained divine powers and protected their Purple Mansion lineages!

The Lianmin looked as if they had seen ghosts. Not one of them dared to resist. Each one sprinted desperately in all directions to escape, but then a crisp sound echoed through the Vast Void, resonating in everyone’s ears.

“Boom!”

A prolonged ox bellow, echoing across the sky, resonated continuously. Where the mud ox landed, a spot of brownish-yellow light first appeared, then spread like a storm throughout the entire mountain range!

The revered statues, carved as reliefs into the mountainside, quickly blurred, collapsing into rolling earth that showered down. All buildings transformed into yellowish-brown brick and mud. The Buddhist cultivators—running, kneeling, wailing—froze in place, turning into mud statues one after another, which then quickly blurred and disintegrated into fertile soil.

Amidst the chaos and collapse, the white-bodied Lianmin felt a terrifying aura from behind and was utterly bewildered.

This fallen spiritual object, of unknown nature, had locked him in place, rendering him unable to move. It also severed the Great Void… Even though this power could not easily kill him, if Yang Ruiyi descended, he would most likely face certain death.

The Lianmin instantly froze in place, its mind a complete blank.

‘How could Yang Ruiyi be here!’

‘And by what right is he here!’

He truly could not comprehend the actions of this Great General of Song—Mount Dayuanguangyin was indeed empty and undefended at this moment, but so what? Was he killing the two or three Lianmin and the numerous low-cultivation monks stationed on the mountain merely for vengeance?

‘Many True Lords of Great Song are in Shanjie. If he kills us, then what? The people of Western Shu are in Longdi, and the Golden Feather Sect is aligned with Shu, watching the tigers fight from the mountains. How will he, alone, defend against the numerous Mahayana and even Zhixuan cultivators who will rush back? With just Guangchan to stop the likes of Li Ximing? Won’t he have to retreat empty-handed?’

‘Is it merely for revenge!’

“Rumble!”

He had no time to ponder. This suffering spiritual mountain was slowly rising amidst tremors. Its previously low-lying parts continuously swelled, forming hills. The boundless primordium magnetic force that had always flowed through the mountain ceased its movement. The entire mountain dimmed. The primordium magnetic force in every inch of its ley lines began to tremble. Rolling air currents shifted, and streams of golden malevolence surprisingly emerged from cracks in the rocks.

These surging golden malevolent energies rushed towards the sky, transforming into ethereal white mist. Yang Ruiyi still stood before the bronze chariot, his back to Mount Dayuanguangyin, which now resembled a living hell.

This Great General of Song did not descend to eliminate the Lianmin, who were immobilized by the Light of Xuantu. Instead, he stood quietly atop the palace, placed his hands on the bronze doors, and gently pushed.

“Creak…”

The ancient doors instantly opened. The white mist floating between heaven and earth frantically surged into the grand hall, creating a terrifying vortex in the sky. White dew, condensed from golden malevolence, rapidly slid off the bronze surfaces within the hall. Yang Ruiyi stood silently before the palace doors, his expression unreadable.

Moon-Gazing Lake.

The sky was dim, with thick purple light lingering between heaven and earth. Dark blue and light blue flames rose into the air. The boundless colors of water and fire spanned the heavens and earth, causing the exquisite pagoda above to creak and groan.

Li Ximing stood pale-faced in the air, with faint golden wounds across his body emitting a soft glow. His internal divine powers ebbed and flowed like tides, and the light in his hand burned fiercely.

He quietly tightened his sleeves, coughed once, and began to assess.

‘Thanks to the Purple Seat, Mu Lingge…’

Although Tinglan saved him from peril, it was truly regrettable that Guangchan had deployed the White Cicada, having already made two preparations. While Li Ximing was preoccupied, Guangchan's main body had seized the opportunity to break through the barrier and escape beneath the Huai River Scroll.

‘If only they had arrived a stick of incense earlier… With the Purple Seat, Mu Lingge, combined with the Huai River Scroll, Guangchan would surely have been suppressed! Now Sima Yuanli himself can’t hold on…’

Even having missed that move, Tinglan and he, combining their efforts with the Supreme Minister Pot and the Purple Seat, Mu Lingge, were still at a disadvantage against this person. Moreover, that pagoda was no ordinary object; the injuries it inflicted on Li Ximing’s Dharma body were like a gangrene. If not for his Avatar of Separate Spirit having diverted thirty percent of the damage, Li Ximing’s situation would have been even more precarious.

This truly made Li Ximing wonder:

‘How did this Guangchan acquire such immense power!’

Tinglan, however, showed no surprise. She merely raised the grayish-white Supreme Minister Pot in silence, using boundless water and fire to interfere with the Light of the Buddhist Land. Seeing Li Ximing’s uneasy expression, she hastily said:

“Zhaojing, be careful. Guangchan is the Lord of the Golden Land; he’s not easy to deal with…”

Li Ximing, enduring the Dharma injuries on his body, cast a doubtful look. Tinglan gritted her teeth and said:

“He dares not absorb the Purple Seat, Mu Lingge. Be careful not to be absorbed by his magic…”

The two stood beneath the divine light. A gigantic human head hung in the air, its cavernous mouth wide open. The clawing, scuttling white cicada had already darted out of its mouth and was perched on the face, casting a massive shadow on the ground. Its six white articulated limbs trembled slightly, and its compound eyes glowed brightly.

The purple palace at the zenith streamed with light. Five multicolored purple clouds, varying in depth, circled the Purple Palace, falling one by one. The White Cicada flapped its wings several times, but its energy and divine powers were stripped away one by one by the purple qi, making it unable to ascend.

The White Cicada, though facing the heavenly sun, was suppressed by the Purple Pavilion, appearing utterly frustrated. Guangchan’s pupils, hidden beneath the cicada’s wings, gradually darkened, filled with ruthless coldness.

‘The Purple Seat, Mu Lingge… it’s that Tinglan from Purple Smoke Blessed Land…’

Guangchan knew the reputation of the Purple Seat, Mu Lingge. Most cultivators from Purple Smoke Blessed Land were not skilled in combat, but back then, this object, in Zimu’s hands, had suppressed numerous demons; it was truly formidable!

‘Although this female cultivator is not even comparable to Zilin, the Purple Seat, Mu Lingge, after being refined and sealed by Zimu, is no longer what it once was. There might even be a hidden trump card within it!’

His mood grew increasingly grim, bordering on hatred:

‘Qing Jifang… outwardly fierce but inwardly timid, talks much but achieves little, mean and ungrateful, shameless and quick to make empty promises. Tuoba Lan’s words were spot on. How did he have the audacity to attack the Song State? Naturally, he let this female cultivator through!’

Even knowing that Qing Jifang always spoke carelessly, Guangchan couldn’t help but feel a touch of disappointment at this moment, pondering in secret:

‘If we keep fighting… is it still worth it…?’

The White Cicada restlessly fluttered its scale-like wings, revealing its master’s hesitation. The stern glint in Guangchan’s golden eyes grew more intense.

‘The Precious Tooth Golden Land is within me. If I absolutely had to kill Li Ximing, it’s not impossible at the cost of sacrificing the Golden Land; there's even a ninety percent chance… But doing so would involve too great a sacrifice; not only would the Precious Tooth be lost, but there would certainly be a huge disturbance… and it would inevitably offend the Underworld.’

Guangchan understood that the South might not necessarily care about Li Ximing’s life or death, but the conflict between North and South was in a delicate balance. Sacrificing the Precious Tooth to eliminate Li Ximing would not just mean removing a nascent Purple Mansion cultivator, but the fall of the entire Tingzhou!

What was even more difficult was that if Li Zhouwei disregarded his injuries and emerged from seclusion early to save Li Ximing, all the sacrifices Guangchan made would be in vain, serving as a tool for others’ probing… This was the true reason for his hesitation!

‘Everyone in the Dharma Realm is watching my mistakes. Is this action worth it? Although I seized an advantageous early opportunity, sacrificing a Golden Land cannot be used as a mere pawn.’

His heart grew increasingly heavy. Before he could make a decision, he paused slightly, and as he lifted his sleeve, he saw the jade bracelet on his wrist faintly glowing. His heart pounded:

‘Mount Dayuanguangyin?’

‘How is that possible?!’

Guangchan felt a chill rush to his mind, growing secretly alarmed:

‘Trouble!’

Behind Guangchan was the Great Mu Dharma Realm, which was Dayang Mountain, currently involved in the Jiangbei affair… It was precisely because of this that Guangchan could disregard Qi Lanyan’s orders and proceed south on his own!

The act of probing Wei Nie itself aligned with Dayang Mountain’s interests. Even if Yang Ruiyi pierced through Jiangbei and besieged Zhixuan榭, Dayang Mountain would quietly watch the spectacle, feign punishment, and then nonchalantly protect him.

But if something happened to Mount Dayuanguangyin, then Zhixuan榭 and Qi Lanyan would be the ones watching the show!

‘How could he have reached Mount Dayuanguangyin!’

Guangchan, being from the Dharma Realm, how could he not know what those figures above Dayang Mountain were! Those individuals were accustomed to being superior. Even if going south was in Dayang Mountain's interest and an unspoken understanding, if something happened to Mount Dayuanguangyin, they would become furious and feign ignorance, and by God, they would still throw him out to take the blame!

The massive White Cicada immediately vibrated its wings. Guangchan’s mountain-sized golden human head roared, damaging his cultivation, golden blood glittering from his mouth. Auspicious multi-colored qi swirled from the zenith. A colossal temple—manifested and crashed towards the Purple Seat, Mu Lingge, and the Heaven-Greeting Gate!

“Rumble!”

Tinglan’s face paled. With a raised spell-seal, the five purple lights within the pavilion converged, forcefully stabilizing the spiritual treasure. Li Ximing, however, was in much greater pain, faint blood visible at his mouth, yet without relaxing in the slightest, he immediately raised a hand and whispered:

“He’s leaving!”

Tinglan gasped and nodded, turning sideways to say:

“Don’t stop him…”

Li Ximing actually no longer had the ability to stop him. The Avatar of Separate Spirit in his sleeve was constantly shaking, having reached its limit. Holding him back might not bring much benefit, and it might even destroy this treasure.

He merely swallowed the blood in his mouth, watching the colorful light gradually dissipate from the sky and vanish from his sight. He clenched his jaw, feeling a sense of disorientation:

‘The days when Moon-Gazing Lake was at their mercy… I wonder how much longer…’

He quietly floated down from the pavilion. Sima Yuanli had already approached, gathering his robes. Without the protection of the Huai River Scroll, he was struggling to hold on. Half of his face was engulfed in golden flames, revealing charred flesh and white bone. On his neck, six neat holes hissed with smoke.

Li Ximing cupped his hands in greeting, then took a spiritual pill from his sleeve and offered it to him. Sima Yuanli hastily took it without a word, using a green gourd to pour water and carefully extinguish the flames on his face.

He temporarily stabilized the injuries on his face, and then, gritting his teeth, said:

“I hope Zhaojing will not forget Lord Yang’s entrustment!”

Li Ximing was speechless for a moment. After standing for a brief second, he turned to look at Tinglan. The woman in purple, showing no surprise, bowed to him with cupped hands, her expression complex:

“Tinglan has received orders to proceed North together!”

Li Ximing was momentarily stunned, and said with some disbelief:

“The Lord is actually so confident about the western front that he’s not leaving a single person!”

Sima Yuanli shook his head and replied:

“Zhaojing, rest assured. The Great General promised… once Guangchan retreats, we will immediately head North. The master of the Great Desert is, after all, a Golden Path lineage; Western Shu cannot possibly invade!”

Sima Yuanli clearly did not know the reason, yet he still hesitated before speaking, urgently persuading in a low voice:

“There is a great formation here—the opportunity in the North must not be delayed!”

Li Ximing was not reluctant to head North, but the lack of guards at the lake made him uneasy. However, firstly, he had already given his word, and the timing could not be missed. Secondly, he still had some trust in the Yang family. Thus, he could only command the Radiant Profound Purple Grand Formation, watched the purple light rumble forth from beneath his feet, and decisively said:

“Go!”