Chapter 1159: Qing Grade

Tuoba Ci was filled with deep apprehension, but the Sui Qi in his hand did not pause. He looked at True Lord Chang Yun, who held a precious saber, slowly exhaled, and asked:"Friend Zhang, you and I are both descendants of True Monarchs. Caught in this predicament, why must we press so hard?" A hint of apprehension flickered in his eyes.

Zhang Yun's divine power and cultivation were not shallow even among those in the Mid Purple Mansion stage; he was merely on par with Tuoba Ci. Tuoba Ci, who practiced the unpredictable Sui Qi tradition, could handle anyone and should have found it easy to escape. Yet Zhang Yun's spiritual treasure, the 'Gold Scepter of Seizing Void and Daunting,' was quite formidable, highly skilled at trapping opponents. It was evident he had prepared well in advance!

'Even if Li Zhouwei has some capacity to act, his divine power and magical energy are now limited... The real trouble is Cheng Jiuwen!' The middle-aged man stood by the Gate of Heaven, sword in hand, constantly guarding against any attempt to harm Li Zhouwei. But Tuoba Ci remained vigilant: 'The Sword Sect has deep foundations; even a cultivator in the Early Purple Mansion stage should be approached with caution!'

Though this True Lord of the Tuoba family humbled himself, True Lord Chang Yun showed no hint of a smile. He said indifferently: "The Tuoba clan is merely a secondary name. If you consider yourself a descendant of a True Monarch, then in the chaos of Jianghuai, there would be countless such descendants; it's nothing special.""Friend, if you wish to leave, you may do so by shattering your seal."

At these words, Tuoba Ci's expression darkened dramatically. Zhang Yun's meaning was crystal clear: how could the Tuoba family, whose Great Liang had fallen and whose True Monarch had perished, be equated with the ascendant Zhang family as descendants of True Monarchs! Instantly, the True Lord of the Tuoba family's face changed, and he gritted his teeth, saying: "Changing names, hiding your true identity, falsely claiming a heritage, submitting to others' ways, yet you dare to mock me!"

Zhang Yun's gaze flickered slightly, showing a moment of disbelief before swiftly transforming into amusement. He stared coldly at Tuoba Ci: "Those are not words for you to utter." Tuoba Ci responded with a cold laugh, humiliation churning within him. He said no more as colors of profound yellow condensed, gathering continuously in the air. Rich, dark patterns swiftly covered his body, and Sui Qi surged forth.

Zhang Yun had already risen, summoning golden malevolent energy. The white umbrella in his hand spun across the sky, blocking the surging Sui Qi one by one. Their gazes met for only a fleeting moment before something dazzling erupted into the sky on the other side: "Boom!" Another venerable being perished!

Tuoba Ci pulled back and rose, a great light shining from his glabella. He gritted his teeth firmly, resolutely responding to the Imperial Seal in mid-air. As tiny, snow-white cracks appeared, the pale white light curtain finally trembled, and Sui Qi enveloped the sky! This Sui Qi was quite peculiar: it turned gold into fire upon contact, transformed Yang into Yin upon seeing light, and was vast and immense, blocking all cultivators one by one. The ivory treasure scepter floating in the air trembled uncontrollably, finally losing its light and falling!

Seeing Tuoba Ci play his trump card, Zhang Yun showed no intention of keeping his promise. Instead, with a radiant smile, he took a narrow-necked, dark greenish bottle with a golden base and wooden body from his sleeve and pointed it towards the sky. Tuoba Ci was already enveloped by the vast colors of profound yellow, yet he still saw Zhang Yun's actions clearly. His heart was greatly shaken, and he shouted: "Zhang Yun... you!" Zhang Yun's expression remained unchanged. He abruptly activated the treasure, and in an instant, the Sui Qi across the entire sky began to flow, cascading down like a celestial river into the bottle's mouth. Even more terrifying, all the treasures on his person began to tremble, surging and swaying as if attempting to break free, resisting his divine power and trying to flee into the bottle!

Tuoba Ci was both shocked and enraged. Finally, he discerned an inexplicable killing intent in Zhang Yun's smiling face. He planted his long halberd, bracing himself in mid-air, but the halberd's shaft began to bend under the intense pull.'What enmity do I have with him!' It wasn't that he couldn't defeat this person, but the man before him clearly intended to stall him. Cheng Jiuwen and Li Zhouwei had already arrived; what about later? What if the Sword Immortal of the Dui Jin path came next! And yet, his opponent was threatening him with all his treasures; how could Tuoba Ci possibly abandon them?

Seeing the anger deepen in Tuoba Ci's brow, Zhang Yun, instead of being surprised, chuckled. However, he then noticed the Great Void suddenly tremble as a figure emerged. The man, dressed in black, possessed vast divine power, with four streams of Sui Qi divine power gathering behind him. His lean, cold, and stern face bore a calm expression, and his gaze silently fell upon Zhang Yun's face. For a moment, heaven and earth fell silent. The continuously leaking Sui Qi solidified, and the trembling spiritual artifacts steadied themselves. Zhang Yun's expression remained unchanged as he smiled and said: "So, the Great True Lord has arrived!" It was none other than Tuoba Qiye, who had arrived to provide support! This direct descendant of the Jin Yi tradition showed no fear; instead, he looked at the sky with a smile and said: "What does the Great True Lord mean? In this situation, even if I killed him, you couldn't find fault with me..." Tuoba Qiye said nothing, giving him a deep, angry look. He swept up his junior and headed north. Zhang Yun, however, ceased his actions, watching them disappear with an increasingly cold gaze.

Although Tuoba Ci was rescued, his expression was utterly humiliated. He took a pill, gritted his teeth, and said: "Zhang Yun is completely deranged. If not for your intervention, Master..." Now in the Great Void, Tuoba Qiye's expression was equally grim. He didn't answer his son but turned north and bowed deeply, saying: "Thank you, Senior, for allowing us passage!"

Only then did Tuoba Ci notice an old man stroking his beard not far away, a gourd accompanying him. The sight was incredibly familiar; it was none other than Wang Ziya of the Spiritual Treasure tradition! Tuoba Ci had witnessed this man's power before and was deeply shaken. Hearing that it was he who had allowed them passage, he quickly said: "This junior will forever remember your kindness, Master!""You are too kind!" Wang Ziya's smile was subtle, his expression faint as he said: "I still have an unfinished mission, which is why I am lingering here; it's not strictly to oversee the situation. Both of you, esteemed nobles, speak too highly... It's just that..." His gaze held a hint of probing as he added: "I observe that this Prince... is not very careful with his words."

The grimness on Tuoba Qiye's face was clearly for this reason. Upon hearing these words, fear rose in his heart. He raised his hand and slapped his son harshly across the face, causing Tuoba Ci's expression to twitch in alarm. Tuoba Ci bowed his head in apology, as the Great True Lord said coldly: "What were you arguing with him about!" His cold voice, tinged with anger, wavered slightly: "Changing names, submitting to others' ways... are those words for you to utter! You endlessly look down on Qi Lanyan... Ask him if he dares to mention such things!" Tuoba Ci was somewhat dazed but remained silently frowning. Tuoba Qiye let out a deep sigh, summoned his divine power to shroud their surroundings, and said: "That Master of Jin Yu controls Dui Geng, manipulating both forms of metal. Affairs like changing names and surnames to establish a lineage... you... you..." Tuoba Ci stood stunned, while Tuoba Qiye's voice lowered suddenly, his tone deep and his divine power concealing their words: "Setting aside the name he changed long ago, after this Master's reincarnation, why did he change his generational name to 'Tai' and his title to 'Yuan'? Which sect's generational character is 'Tai'? Whether it's wishful thinking or not, He refers to the Master of the Sun as 'Senior' rather than 'Master'!" Tuoba Ci's original intention was to mock Zhang Yun, but he never imagined his words would touch upon that particular individual. He finally understood the coldness in Zhang Yun's eyes and was left utterly dumbfounded by the information he received, saying: "How... how could that be!" What does this mean! This True Monarch's title, Tai Yuan, is certainly known throughout the realm, but Tuoba Ci would never in a million years associate this generational character with the Qing Xuan Dao tradition! Even if it were wishful thinking, it would still be the will of a True Monarch-level being!

"How could that be?" Tuoba Qiye's gaze became complex, and Wang Ziya, realizing Tuoba Ci had genuinely spoken out of ignorance, smiled and shook his head: "Ignorance is no sin... That one likely won't mind, but His great name and abilities are renowned even within the Cave Heaven, as I've heard..." The gazes of the Tuoba father and son fell upon him simultaneously. They saw the successor of the Spiritual Treasure tradition filled with emotion as he slowly said: "As the saying goes..."

"Speak not of the sovereign's hidden calendar,For the Three Profound Dao paths gather beneath one eaves.To seek the Yin's essence, one must hasten to the moon;Yu Yi's grace is hard to attain, yet red virtue persists.Dan Han rushes to the hall, to heed the words of Wutu;The two Lü once resided before the golden lock.In former years, all immortal arts were fully learned—This morning, from a new pavilion, one bows before the green steps!"

Both men fell into contemplation. Seeing Wang Ziya make a gesture of farewell, he then walked away, stepping into the Great Void. Tuoba Qiye returned the bow, waiting for the lingering echoes of the other to vanish into the Great Void. He then flew somberly forward until he was far from Jianghuai, the coldness on his face slowly fading. Only then did he regretfully turn his head and say: "Who knows how many Masters were watching Jianghuai just now! Fortunately... fortunately, you truly didn't know!" "It's no wonder you didn't know... Few people alive today do... If I hadn't followed the Substitute King to the north and met some direct descendants, I probably wouldn't know the secrets either!"

Tuoba Ci stood blankly for a while, his eyes filled with contemplation. He felt a chill rise through his body as he asked: "Is it because of this incident that he harbored killing intent towards me?" Tuoba Qiye pondered for a moment before replying: "He figured you didn't have a death wish like that. Even he wouldn't dare to openly state these matters; he was merely taking advantage of the situation. Jianghuai is not Great Zhao. Although our family was once the lord of the Central Plains, in the Zhang family's eyes, we are now just a barbarian clan in decline. What's wrong with killing you to claim merit?" Tuoba Ci choked upon hearing this: "That's all?" Tuoba Qiye gritted his teeth: "That Zhang Yun doesn't even fear me! In his eyes, unless the Substitute King, whose divine powers are perfected, is present, you are merely another Helian Wujiang!"

The once dignified overlord of the Central Plains, a descendant of the Great Liang Emperor, had fallen to such a state. Tuoba Qiye's face was grim, his blood felt like ice, but he realized that continuing to discuss this issue would only put their family in greater danger. He then said: "Let's not discuss that for now..." The Great True Lord then changed the subject, full of doubt and even incredulity, as he asked: "What exactly happened on Lake Xian! How could Qi Lanyan possibly die!" At these words, Tuoba Ci gnashed his teeth: "Qi Lanyan... truly useless!" He recounted the events on the lake, listening to which Tuoba Qiye's expression shifted several times. Upon hearing that the King of Wei could still act to resist the enemy despite enduring the Qingya Wutu disaster, he murmured in shock: "No wonder!"

The pink light in the sky continuously undulated as sandstorms poured down. Large and small pieces of glazed glass mixed with crystals fell, stirring up gusts of strong wind across the ground. Li Zhouwei withdrew his halberd, swallowing the blood that welled into his mouth once more. His fingers slowly tightened into a fist, emotions churning and surging within him. Yet, inwardly, he was perfectly calm, murmuring coldly: 'In former years, all immortal arts were fully learned—this morn, at the green steps, one bows at the pavilion's new seat.'

The Qingya Wutu disaster had caused Li Zhouwei to almost entirely lose his senses, his spiritual consciousness confined to his immediate surroundings, as if he had become blind... Yet, precisely because of this, while feigning unawareness, he was almost simultaneously constantly sensing Zha You! Just now, the words of the Tuoba father and son and Wang Ziya had almost entirely registered in his mind. While those two dared not speak much in the Great Void, mostly keeping their thoughts to themselves, Li Zhouwei almost simultaneously made connections: 'Jin Yi, Shang Qing...' 'Shang Qing cultivates in reclusion, Jin Yi resides outside in the mountains...' 'Jin Yi is not Shang Qing's mundane Daoist lineage, but rather two parallel Dao paths.' When he had gone to the West Sea years ago to capture the Demon King, Li Zhouwei had heard a particular saying: 'The clan that Tong Xuan's chief disciple, Shang Qing, sought to attach to year after year, the Immortal Lord that Great Liang worshipped for generations...' This almost confirmed the True Monarch's origin: he himself was of the bloodline of a great Tong Xuan figure, yet it was highly probable that after reincarnation, he received guidance from a figure of the Qing Xuan Dao tradition, perhaps even becoming a disciple under Qing Xuan, and most likely not of the Sun Dao tradition! And such a figure still retained the title of Tai Yuan to this day! Once this title was linked to Qing Xuan, the elusive relationship between the Jin Yi Dao tradition and Luoxia Wuguang gained a touch of clarity, and the close ties between the Jin Yu Sect and the Yue Kingdom's cultivation world became even more distinct! 'No wonder this "Golden Virtue Evergreen Tree"... holds such a high position among all True Monarchs, and even within the Cave Heavens!'

His heart quickly calmed down, and he buried these thoughts deep within his consciousness. He looked at the sandstorm at his feet with a touch of regret. 'Alas... Tuoba Ci broke the spiritual treasure that sealed heaven and earth, allowing the remaining venerable beings to escape... Otherwise, there could have been even greater gains.' Nevertheless, the current gains were by no means small. He had disregarded his severe internal injuries and rushed to this place both for immortal merits and for this grand display of power. And, of course, there were other significant gains. He turned his head, identifying with some difficulty for a moment, confirming that the Black Tiger had been suppressed by the combined power of the Gate of Heaven and the Huai River Map, unable to move under the vast heavenly light. 'At least... this Talisman Qi is now in hand!'

His colorful eyes gazed downwards. It took him a while to come back to his senses before he turned to the other side, only then discerning that True Lord Chang Yun had arrived before him. Zhang Yun gave him a complex glance, observing the shocking wounds on his body. He raised his head, startled, and whispered: "Your humble servant Chang Yun greets the King of Wei!""Friend, you have upheld righteousness and dispelled evil, assisting us in reclaiming Jianghuai. You shall be rewarded." Although the Zhang family did not possess the Clear Jade Flower Branch, as a direct descendant of the Jin Yi tradition, how could Zhang Yun be ignorant of the power of the Qingya Wutu disaster! His heart was filled with complex emotions: 'Although Qi Lanyan's divine power was mediocre, he was ultimately a Guan Hua disciple. A single flash from the Clear Jade Flower Branch would have affected even his most powerful eyes... outwardly strong, but inwardly probably almost hollowed out.' This calamity would only intensify. It was already remarkably rare for Li Zhouwei to still be standing there. Zhang Yun was terrified that something might suddenly happen to him, so he hesitated and said: "I implore the King of Wei... to return and cease hostilities!"