Chapter 1258: The Crystal Vein Dispute
Chapter 1258: The Crystal Vein Dispute
The handwriting was a chaotic scrawl, marred by entire passages that had been aggressively crossed out and redacted.
Nevertheless, Sun Erlang could still decipher the gist of it.
The immortal dynasty ruled by the Tai Xuan Immortal Emperor grew mightier by the day, with an endless stream of talented and extraordinary individuals emerging from its ranks. In the conflicts against the other two nations, it consistently emerged victorious.
The Teacher of Heaven and Earth and the Supreme Sage of Humanity had no choice but to join forces to resist the overwhelming power of Tai Xuan...
This plot was clearly not what the author had originally intended to write.
Not only was the prose and choice of words considerably weaker than before, but the very attitude of the writing felt perfunctory. Perhaps unable to bear it any longer, the author had abandoned the story before reaching its conclusion, choosing instead to spend his days drowning his sorrows in drink, lost in a stupor.
Sun Erlang was not surprised by this outcome.
In the Sage Dynasty of Great Qi, the symbolism surrounding the Tai Xuan Immortal Emperor was too closely aligned with that of the Faceless Sage Emperor. Even the slightest setback for the character in the story would result in the author facing a torrent of public condemnation. Under such real-world pressure, the Tai Xuan Immortal Emperor could only ever enjoy smooth sailing in the narrative. Over time, his power naturally eclipsed that of the other two sages by a vast margin.
With a thought, he sent a sliver of his divine sense into the writer's sea of consciousness.
Before long, amidst the jumble of chaotic thoughts, he found the content related to the "Romance of the Three Partitions of Xuanhuang."
It had to be said, the writer was, after all, a native son of the Sage Dynasty. Having bathed in the Sage Emperor's grace for years, a deep-seated reverence for him was embedded in his subconscious. In his intended ending, the Tai Xuan Immortal Emperor still overcame countless difficulties, eventually suppressing the other two sages and unifying the Xuanhuang Realm.
But that path was paved with failure and frustration; at one point, the emperor was even pushed into a desperate corner, his life hanging by a thread.
Sun Erlang had to admit that compared to the revised version he had seen in reality, the author's initial plot was far more dramatic and captivating.
"A good story needs its twists and turns; a flat narrative is as dull as a featureless plain. In comparison, the published version was as tasteless as chewing wax."
Although Sun Erlang thought this, the book's content ultimately involved his master, so he didn't dare make any decisions on his own.
He flashed back to the Sage Emperor's throne and reported the matter to Li Ping.
It was a trivial affair, yet for some reason, it caused the Sage Emperor to fall silent for a long time.
"The Tai Xuan Immortal Emperor is me. The Supreme Sage of Humanity is me. And the Teacher of Heaven and Earth is also me."
Finally, the Sage Emperor slowly uttered a sentence that echoed through the cold, empty throne room.
Sun Erlang was stunned for a moment, then understanding dawned on him.
He departed with a joyful expression on his face.
However, Li Ping's state of mind, typically unshakeable by external forces, was stirred by this incident, creating ripples that refused to calm.
He was beginning to understand, perhaps, why the Dharma Spreader had withdrawn from the world and vanished from the public eye after founding the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance.
...
The Hongze Realm.
Zhang Ming, the Golden Core cultivator from the Sage Dynasty of Great Qi tasked with guarding this realm, suddenly received a report from his subordinate.
It seemed some uninvited guests from the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance had infiltrated this small world.
"Three Nascent Souls and seven Golden Cores."
Zhang Ming's brow furrowed tightly.
Although he had immediately sent a request for reinforcements to the Sage Dynasty, the thought of the massive Clear Void Flowing Crystal vein they had just discovered here made the knot of anxiety in his stomach tighten.
"This Hongze Realm isn't large, and the aura of the Clear Void Flowing Crystal is quite distinct. Even with the formation talismans I've used for concealment, I doubt we can evade their detection for long."
"It seems this battle is unavoidable."
Zhang Ming quickly assessed the forces at his disposal.
Including himself, he had a mere five Golden Core cultivators in total.
The disparity in strength was immense; defeat was almost certain.
If he chose to retreat, the Sage Dynasty wouldn't impose too harsh a punishment.
However, the pride of a soldier of Great Qi made it impossible for Zhang Ming to retreat without even the courage to fight.
Zhang Ming acted decisively, immediately activating his only Sky Concealing Talisman.
As its name suggested, the Sky Concealing Talisman could obscure the secrets of the heavens.
It was common knowledge that when a cultivator in the Xuanhuang Realm fell, a celestial phenomenon would appear in the sky. The life of the fallen cultivator, and even the specific manner of their death, would be displayed in vivid detail across the celestial canopy.
Under normal circumstances, this was fine. But in a life-and-death struggle like today's, any casualty on either side would be instantly broadcast, greatly increasing the difficulty of battle.
But with the Sky Concealing Talisman, the situation could be turned around, even transformed into a tactical advantage.
The Sky Concealing Talisman not only masked the death phenomena of cultivators but could also accurately distinguish between friend and foe, treating them differently.
When his side killed an enemy cultivator, no phenomenon would manifest. But if one of his own was slain, the celestial sign would appear as usual, serving as a warning.
Though he didn't know the exact principle behind the talisman's effect, there was no doubt that this single talisman could tip the scales of victory, if only slightly.
"This talisman alone is not enough."
Zhang Ming then looked at a small, white jade arrow in his possession.
"A pity. With our team's qualifications, we can only apply for one Army Destroying Arrow per mission."
"If only I could get more of these, I wouldn't fear these Nascent Soul cultivators, or even a Soul Transformation expert for that matter."
The Army Destroying Arrow was a weakened version of the Sage Dynasty's Sky Patrolling Arrow.
Though weakened, it could still inflict devastating damage on cultivators at or below the Nascent Soul realm.
It also came with tracking and aura-locking functions; once targeted, there was absolutely no escape.
"I only have one. It must be used to maximum effect."
Soon, a plan formed in Zhang Ming's mind.
"Fu Ge!"
"At your command!" a Golden Core cultivator in the middle stage, clad in earth-yellow robes, responded immediately.
"Use the Flowing Stream Talisman to move these Clear Void Flowing Crystals to this location underground," Zhang Ming instructed, marking a specific spot on a map.
Fu Ge accepted the storage ring Zhang Ming handed him without the slightest hesitation.
With a flash of yellow light, he vanished into the ground.
The storage ring contained all the crystals they had mined so far, just a small fraction of the entire massive vein.
But if it were detonated and its energy specially guided, the diffusing aura would be more than enough to attract the attention of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance cultivators on the surface.
"Bing San!"
"Set up obstructive formations along the path. Remember, don't make it too easy for them, but don't deploy any of the major killing arrays."
A middle-aged man with a sallow complexion acknowledged the order and departed.
...
Zhang Ming methodically completed the deployment of his forces in a short time.
However, even though each of his men possessed unique skills, they were still stretched thin in the face of an absolute disparity in power.
The plan went awry at the very first step.
The cultivators from the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance were no fools. The man responsible for luring them to the ambush point was named Qiu Di.
Within their small team, he was particularly renowned for his escape arts.
Unexpectedly, just as he made contact, before he could even execute his technique, he was trapped by a Dharma domain cast by a white-robed man from the Alliance party.
The Dharma domain was peculiar, not manifesting in any specific form. It simply projected a circle of white light that suppressed Qiu Di completely.
After trying various methods and seeing that escape was hopeless...
Qiu Di chose a grim and resolute path: he self-detonated, ending his own life.
Feeling the life aura of his subordinate vanish, Zhang Ming's heart clenched, and his fists tightened.
The cultivators from the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance, for their part, clearly hadn't expected their opponent to be so fierce. To commit suicide at the first disagreement.
The atmosphere instantly turned bizarre.
"Wait, Brother Lin Bai, something isn't right!"
After a moment, one of them realized.
"Why is there no death phenomenon?"
"Is it a feigned death?"
"Doesn't seem like it. His soul was completely annihilated."
Lin Bai's expression grew serious as he looked up at the sky.
A moment later, his face darkened. "Be careful. Someone has concealed the secrets of the heavens."
Although he gave this warning, the others, far from being afraid, became extremely excited.
"Concealing the heavens' secrets? In such an unremarkable little world, they're using such methods. It seems there's a secret here!"
"We've come up empty in so many places. It's finally time for a real harvest."
"Even if it isn't Clear Void Flowing Crystal, if we can uncover the secret of this place, this trip might not be a waste after all."
...
As the group was discussing, they suddenly felt a faint tremor in the earth.
At the same time, a familiar aura wafted up from beneath the ground.
"This is..."
The group froze collectively for a moment.
Then, disbelief flooded their faces. "It really is Clear Void Flowing Crystal?"
In their senses, besides the spreading aura of the crystals, there also seemed to be several figures rapidly flying away from the source of the underground tremor.
"They saw they couldn't hide it anymore and are trying to escape?"
That was their subconscious thought.
Although they were eager to investigate immediately, they still retained a degree of caution. They didn't act rashly, instead turning to look at Lin Bai.
Lin Bai pondered for a moment before making a quick decision.
"We split up. Brother Qian, you take three men and pursue those fleeing cultivators. The rest of you, with me."
Without further ado, four members of the Alliance party broke off and gave chase toward the horizon.
Lin Bai, meanwhile, led the remaining team toward the source of the Clear Void Flowing Crystal's aura underground.
Along the way, they encountered a few obstructive formations.
But they were easily dismantled.
"These formations were laid by a Nascent Soul array master at the very least."
"And many of the patterns are ones I've never seen before. Interesting..."
The group grew even more excited.
They soon reached their destination.
A massive cavern left behind by an explosion, where fragments of Clear Void Flowing Crystal were still faintly visible.
"Damn it! So ruthless! They actually destroyed it!"
"What a waste! The price of a fist-sized crystal has already shot up to fifty thousand contribution points! And you can't even find any for sale!"
"There are still some fragments! Quick, pick them up, don't let them go to waste!"
...
Originally, the Alliance group had maintained some semblance of order.
But upon seeing the ground littered with fragments of Clear Void Flowing Crystal, their greed was stoked, and they could no longer restrain themselves.
They scrambled over one another, flying into the depths of the cavern.
Although Lin Bai was also tempted, his habitual caution made him scan his surroundings first.
Seeing no apparent danger, he too flew inside.
"Strange. This doesn't look like the original underground vein. Could it be their collection and storage warehouse..."
As Lin Bai picked up a small crystal fragment, this thought surfaced in his mind.
Just then, his expression changed abruptly.
A small white jade arrow, appearing from nowhere, shot silently from the subterranean darkness, hurtling toward the cultivators in the cavern.
"Watch out!" Lin Bai shouted instinctively.
He fully unleashed his Dharma domain and deployed hundreds of banner flags to shield himself.
However, the white jade arrow was even faster than he had anticipated.
A blindingly brilliant sphere of light was born underground.
In an instant, it engulfed all the cultivators within the cavern.
Their Dharma domains dissipated along with them, vanishing completely.
Not far away, watching the demise of the Alliance cultivators, Zhang Ming felt not a single ripple of emotion.
"Brother Qiu Di, may you find peace on your journey."
Without lingering, Zhang Ming hurried toward his other subordinates who were acting as decoys.
Compared to his own situation, their plight was truly tragic.
Without a great weapon like the Army Destroying Arrow, they could only rely on minor tricks to delay their pursuers. They were soon overtaken by the Alliance members.
And thrown into a bitter fight.
By the time Zhang Ming and his reinforcements arrived, only two of his men were left, struggling desperately to hold on.
The Alliance cultivator surnamed Qian was still trying to persuade them: "Fellow Daoists, why must you suffer so? They are merely worldly possessions, how can they compare to your own lives? We have absolutely no intention of taking your lives..."
Despite his words, the intensity of his attacks did not diminish in the slightest.
The armor on Zhang Ming's body erupted in a crimson glow.
He transformed into a crimson streak, shooting straight toward the cultivator surnamed Qian.
"Brother Qian, look out!"
After all, the gap in their power was too great. Even with the enhancement of his protective armor, it was not enough to bridge the chasm between the Golden Core and Nascent Soul realms.
His opponent managed to dodge.
The surprise attack failed, and he was heavily wounded in return.
The light from his armor dimmed abruptly.
"Eh? What kind of protective artifact is this? It took a full-force blow from me and doesn't even have a crack?"
The cultivator surnamed Qian's tone was one of surprise, tinged with a hint of greed.
"It seems our fate is to die here."
Zhang Ming thought to himself.
But he had no regrets.
He had bought so much time; reinforcements from the Sage Dynasty would surely arrive soon.
The Sage Dynasty would be able to reoccupy this place before the massive Clear Void Flowing Crystal vein was discovered by the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance.
"After my death, my family will be proud of me."
"Perhaps I might even receive a personal commendation from the Sage Emperor."
A profound calm settled over Zhang Ming. Gazing at the Alliance cultivators before him, he uttered a single, chilling command: "Burning Soul!"
Hearing the order, his few remaining subordinates acted without hesitation.
As their souls ignited, their once-fading auras suddenly flared with renewed intensity.
"Are you insane?!" the Alliance cultivators shrieked in utter disbelief.
They had no reason to go head-to-head with these men who were determined to die.
Even with their overwhelming strength, the Alliance cultivators prioritized avoiding injury, focusing on defense and evasion.
The enhancement effect from Burning Soul slowly faded.
Zhang Ming and his men had finally reached the end of their lives.
Just before his consciousness dissolved, Zhang Ming thought he saw a familiar figure.
"Young General Sun?"
A sense of peace washed over Zhang Ming.
Boundless golden light enveloped him.
He seemed to see the great Faceless Sage Emperor upon a swirling river of stars.
...
Sun Erlang gathered the remnant thoughts of Zhang Ming and his men, then turned his gaze upon the members of the Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance.
An infinite killing intent instantly enveloped them.
A few moments later, the Alliance cultivators had joined the brave warriors of the Sage Dynasty in death.
Sun Erlang's gaze shifted to the silent sky, and a thought crossed his mind.
He pointed a finger toward the heavens.
The celestial phenomena of their deaths slowly materialized.
But they were a complete fabrication, a narrative entirely contrary to the truth.
(End of Chapter)
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