Chapter 355: Water Mansion Immortal Officer

Azure Pool Sect.

Azure Pool Peak was shrouded in clouds and mist. From the cave dwellings on the mountain, wisps of azure mist curled upwards. In the center stood a large, dark gold bell, intricately patterned. It was only rung when a True Immortal perished or a new Sect Leader ascended.

Chi Zhiyun hastily landed on the peak, followed by a group of Foundation Establishment cultivators. As soon as he touched down, a tall young man greeted him with clasped hands.

"Sect Leader Senior Brother!"

"He Jing."

Chi Zhiyun impatiently waved his hand, not stopping. He took two strides into the stone cave and asked, "What's happened?!"

"The flame is dim and has turned bright white. The lamp oil is rising, and the nine patterns on the lamp are dimming and then brightening again. We've never seen anything like this before."

Ning Hejing's voice was low. Chi Zhiyun's expression grew increasingly grim as he listened, and he said in a somber tone, "Bright white... How is that possible!"

He waved his subordinates away and took two steps into the depths of the cave dwelling. At the head of the chamber, several soul lamps rested on carved wooden lotus seats, burning quietly.

The carved seats were made of Soul-listening Mulberry Wood, which could discern fortune and misfortune, was immune to the five elements, and feared only lightning. The lamp oil was made from Nine-Refined Essences. Though once a rare treasure, it was no longer very precious in the current era.

Chi Zhiyun fixed his gaze upon them. The flame of True Immortal Buzi's lamp had indeed shrunk significantly. It had also changed from light gray to bright white, and the patterns on the lamp base flickered between light and shadow.

Only Chi Zhiyun and Ning Hejing were in the cave, both with grim expressions. Ning Hejing said in a low voice, "I've already inquired. The True Immortal left the sect a while ago without leaving any message."

Chi Buzi was Chi Zhiyun's great-great-grandfather. Chi Zhiyun's lineage was the maternal clan of Ning Hejing's branch. They had grown up together, their interests closely intertwined, making them as close as brothers.

As soon as Chi Zhiyun took over as Sect Leader, Ning Hejing immediately became the Peak Master of Yuanxing Peak, commanding great prestige within the sect. Now that something had happened to Chi Buzi, it was natural for Ning Hejing to look troubled.

"Do True Immortals Yuanwu and Yuanxiu know about this?!" Chi Zhiyun blurted it out almost instinctively. Ning Hejing shook his head and replied, "Don't worry, Clan Brother. I immediately sealed off the news. The two disciples guarding this place are our own people; they absolutely won't leak the information. Currently, only True Immortal Yuansu knows about this."

"Good." Chi Zhiyun praised him and speculated in a low voice, "Demonic cultivators are now rampant everywhere. Without Elder Xishang, it's probably impossible to keep them contained. Xiao Chuting is trapped in the East Sea. The True Immortal must have gone to find him."

Chi Zhiyun rested his hand on the edge of the table and tapped it somewhat irritably. He said in a deep voice, "Could it be Zhang Tianyuan? What madness has seized his Golden Feather Sect! Aren't they afraid of ruining things?!"

"Not necessarily!"

A clear voice echoed within the cave dwelling. Both Chi Zhiyun and Ning Hejing's expressions relaxed, and they respectfully stepped back. "Welcome, True Immortal."

True Immortal Yuansu was also dressed in azure robes. His robes, however, were somewhat looser. A small white seal hung from his waist. His face was slightly round, and he said softly, "Zhang Qiushui of the Golden Feather Sect has already cultivated the Life Dao Divine Ability, 'Washing Away Lead with Essence'. He can also draw out these demonic cultivators... It's just not as convenient as Elder Xishang or Ru Zhongzhuo."

"The True Sovereign's affairs are paramount. They would never rely solely on the three of us."

Chi Zhiyun and Ning Hejing respectfully lowered their heads. True Immortal Yuansu continued, "However, without five or six Purple Mansion cultivators, it would be absolutely impossible to detain Buzi. Zhang Tianyuan couldn't arrange such a formation. At most, he could cause Buzi some minor trouble."

True Immortal Yuansu showed no trace of worry and said with a smile, "Buzi is truly just like my Senior Brother was in life. He has now broken through to the mid-Purple Mansion stage. For decades, he's been arrogant and conceited, and inherently greedy... Though he's clever, it's rare for him to suffer a setback. It's nothing serious!"

Chi Zhiyun and Ning Hejing dared not interject. They could only pretend not to hear him, cowering like quails. After a long while, one of them finally spoke, "True Immortal, why not try a divination..."

Only because True Immortal Yuansu was the most gentle did Chi Zhiyun and Ning Hejing dare to ask. True Immortal Yuansu pursed his lips and replied, "He is cautious and leaves no traces in the Grand Void. His cultivation is also high. I'm a Divine Ability Purple Mansion cultivator, not a Destiny Mahārāja; what could I use to divine?" He shook his head and made a joke, "If he were dead and his divine abilities dissipated, then I might be able to divine it."

Chi Zhiyun and Ning Hejing exchanged glances, clearly not finding it amusing. Yuansu shrugged, made a gesture in the air before him, and stepped into the Grand Void. His voice still gently echoed, "Most likely, he was ambushed while rescuing Xiao Chuting in the East Sea. I'll make a trip to the East Sea."

Lu Jiangxian's divine sense was even more terrifying than he had imagined. It plunged into the sea of consciousness in one fell swoop, and Chi Buzi's soul was utterly disoriented. Coming from an Immortal Sect, Chi Buzi was highly knowledgeable; how could he not recognize that he had provoked a high-level cultivator?

Immediately, his spiritual sense stirred. As if activating a secret art, it condensed into a ball, and he cried out, "I am a disciple of True Sovereign Lushui Wuyuan Fuyu. May I know which senior is before me? If I have offended you, please forgive me!"

Chi Buzi, being a cunning individual of several hundred years, was not startled by Lu Jiangxian's overwhelming aura. After a careful scrutiny, he saw that Lu Jiangxian was strong on the outside but weak within. If Lu Jiangxian's essence hadn't been exceptionally high, Chi Buzi wouldn't have been afraid at all.

He politely uttered a sentence and pondered to himself, 'This old fellow seems to be an ancient cultivator who has fallen into extreme destitution... If I could kill him, the spoils would undoubtedly allow my clan to soar like dragons.'

Lu Jiangxian, however, remained silent. His divine sense swept through, crushing everything in its path. Although Chi Buzi's spiritual sense was inferior, he excelled in sheer volume and stubbornly resisted, continuing to demand, "May I ask, Senior, which path of Golden Nature do you cultivate?"

No matter how Chi Buzi questioned him, Lu Jiangxian remained silent, relentlessly pursuing and attacking. Chi Buzi had not expected Lu Jiangxian's divine sense to be so indestructible, and he suffered continuous defeats.

After a full stick of incense had burned, Chi Buzi began to feel slightly anxious. "Senior, please be warned... I have left my name with the True Sovereign. Should anything happen to me, it would be a major matter that would alarm the True Sovereign!"

Lu Jiangxian ignored him, continued his fierce assault for a while, and finally seized him in his grasp, letting out a slight sigh of relief. 'If this were in the Mirror World, annihilating him would be a matter of a single thought. But within his Sun-Ascension Palace, it still takes this long...'

Watching the struggling Chi Buzi, Lu Jiangxian slowly made up his mind. He then intended to read Chi Buzi's memories, following the backlash of the Fangyin Nine-Peaks Heart-Inquiry Method. As this thought just arose, Lu Jiangxian felt a sense of unease again. A clear pool vaguely appeared before his eyes, and he was immediately startled. "Right, there's also Lushui!"

This was Chi Buzi's sea of consciousness, not his own Mirror World. If he were to read Chi Buzi's memories, it would definitely alarm the True Sovereign of the Azure Pool Sect...

'I can't kill him...' He secretly pondered, 'Since I can't erase his memories, I'll just plant a sorcery spell in his spiritual sense!'

Lu Jiangxian waved his hand, congealing dense moonlight essence. He set up a backlash-monitoring sorcery spell and painstakingly took out a string of talismanic Qi. 'I'll tie you to my rogue ship! To prevent you from running off and complaining to Lushui!'

After preparing a series of contingencies, ensuring that a potential outburst would utterly destroy the fellow's soul, Lu Jiangxian had a sudden inspiration, activated his divine sense, and retrieved an item. This item was a part extracted from Jinlian Mahārāja's soul. It had long been refined countless times by Lu Jiangxian's moonlight essence, becoming gleaming white and completely blank.

A bold idea arose in Lu Jiangxian's mind. He even grew a little excited, secretly thinking, 'Why not... use a substitute... and create one of my own people...' After a careful thought, Lu Jiangxian still shook his head. Chi Buzi was, after all, Lushui's person. If he couldn't match up upon returning to the sect, problems would inevitably arise, and then he himself would be in trouble.

'Then I'll settle for the next best thing and create a fellow Daoist for him!'

So he picked up the orb of light and injected a large series of fabricated memories into it. He also inserted memories of a Celestial Court and various Celestial Immortals, combining them with his past life memories, then checked it thoroughly. He then likewise modified the sorcery spell in Chi Buzi's Sun-Ascension Palace and transferred it to the soul transformed from Jinlian Mahārāja. He reviewed it once and was extremely satisfied. "This way, it's seamless."

On Lijing Mountain.

The continuous blood and tears on Chi Buzi's body usually made crisp tapping and rustling sounds. Now, they abruptly ceased, and the void became extremely quiet, so much so that a needle drop could be heard.

"Hmm..." True Immortal Buzi pushed the door open and stepped out. He swayed forward a step, a strange, light smile on his face. He propped himself against the doorframe with one hand and brought his other foot out.

'Buzi.'

The azure-robed True Immortal stepped forward. His eyes were tightly shut, but the blood and tears had stopped. Buzi let out a long breath, and somewhat stiffly turned his head towards the Li family members.

Li Yuanjiao felt his legs go numb, the hair on his body stood on end, and a chill rose from his back. At this moment, Buzi's face was divided by his eyebrows. Half of his face was smooth and clean, with distinct features, while the other half was twisted upwards, covered in fine, dense white fuzz. The muscles on his face twitched slightly, and his ears were thin and long, drooping down. His eyelids twitched and slowly opened, but there was nothing inside. Only two dark, empty holes on his face. His empty eye sockets were riddled with green veins, and his reddish-purple eyelids strained to stay open.

"G-greetings, True Immortal!" Li Yuanjiao's hoarse voice echoed in the courtyard. Buzi stared blankly at him, and only after several breaths did he speak, "What True Immortal! I am an Immortal Official of the Dangjiang Creek Water Palace, under the Celestial Lord... What era is this? Where is the Celestial Court? Which water palace is the nearest?..."

"After painstakingly waiting for a Purple Mansion body, why is it still a damn demonic cultivator! In this current era, can demonic cultivators also brazenly run wild?"

The Li family members stared blankly at him. Chi Buzi took a closer look and impatiently spoke, "Have you all received talismans? Which sect's disciples are you?"

Li Yuanjiao's mind was still trying to comprehend True Immortal Buzi's words. When Buzi reached this point, he suddenly took a step back and said in a low voice, "No, I must still find a water palace and reclaim my immortal position!" After saying that, he shouted, "You few little Daoists, quickly open this broken formation, lest this Immortal Lord shatters it with a single palm, and leaves you all wailing everywhere!"

Li Yuanjiao looked at his appearance, and a sudden shock gripped his heart. 'Chi Buzi... he might have been possessed by some Golden Nature entity! This Golden Nature fiend keeps mentioning "water palaces," who knows how many ages old this monster is... No wonder... no wonder Chi Buzi was in such a sorry state,'

'But why doesn't this fiend traverse the Grand Void...'

Since Chi Buzi was possessed, Li Yuanjiao wished this harbinger of disaster would leave as soon as possible. He quickly opened the grand formation, revealing the pitch-black night sky.

"Good! You little Daoist are quite sensible!" The Golden Nature fiend was immediately overjoyed and soared away like a meteor on the wind, leaving behind a hearty laugh: "If you come to my Dangjiang Creek Water Palace in the future, I will certainly record a merit for you all!"

Only then did Chi Buzi ride the wind and leave the Li family. After flying south for a while, Lu Jiangxian's residual power gradually dissipated. His expression grew increasingly strange. He suddenly stopped and shouted in a deep voice, "What Golden Nature fiend is this!"

No sooner had he spoken, he erupted in fury and slapped himself across the face again. With astonishing force, he cursed, "How dare you! This Daoist Lord is an Immortal Official of the Dangjiang Creek Water Palace, what fiend!"

Chi Buzi was already greatly alarmed. He raised his hand to cover his Sun-Ascension Palace, but his hand stopped halfway, suspended in mid-air, as if it were wrestling with some invisible force. "I am a disciple of True Sovereign Lushui, you fiend... Stop this! I will find you a good physical body!"

"Physical body? I insist on *this* one!" The soul concocted by Lu Jiangxian retained remnants of Jinlian Mahārāja's personality, which was one of fearing nothing short of global chaos. It immediately began to curse loudly, its words quite unpleasant.

But Chi Buzi ignored it completely, his expression unchanged. He simply controlled his hand, moving it little by little towards his Sun-Ascension Palace. After all, he was the original owner of the body and a Purple Mansion cultivator, so he slowly gained the upper hand.

Seeing that the Immortal Official of the Dangjiang Creek Water Palace was losing ground, it sneered, and a brightly glowing sorcery mark suddenly appeared within Chi Buzi's soul. 'Try moving again! At worst, I'll detonate this spell and escape with Golden Nature. What will you do then!'

Chi Buzi lowered his head in disbelief and murmured, "How is this possible!"

'Why not? What do you think I was doing when I controlled your body earlier? Feel free to try; will you eradicate me faster, or will I detonate this formation faster!' The Immortal Official, believing itself to be a remnant of Golden Nature, grew complacent, following the fabricated memories from Lu Jiangxian. It no longer controlled Chi Buzi, letting him collapse by the stream, and chattered, 'I've been waiting for decades in that Daoist's mind, and finally lured you here with that Lunar Moonlight Essence! It's a pity you're a demonic cultivator... Why can't you demonic cultivators hide properly instead of wandering around, searching for death as if you're not dying fast enough!'

'I won't pursue your demonic cultivation. As long as you take me to a water palace and send me to the Celestial Court, I won't bother you... Perhaps I can even petition the Celestial Court to give you a chance at survival.'

Chi Buzi was instantly enraged and amused. His spiritual sense sank into his Sun-Ascension Palace, and he cursed at the glowing white circle, "What old thing! What Celestial Court! What water palace! You're spouting ancient tales I've never heard of! What era is this now? Fool! Fool!"

He cursed irritably for a few moments, then suddenly froze. A wave of greed abruptly surged within him. Within the glowing circle before him, several objects floated, resembling neither talismans nor magical scripts. They shimmered with a soft gray light, and a sweet scent, entangled with destiny, vital energy, and incense, wafted towards him.

'What... what is this!'