Chapter 696: Impending Chaos
Chapter 696: Impending Chaos
Three Realms Mountain.
Inside a colossal palace.
The super teleportation array, connecting to the Celestial Brahma Domain, suddenly erupted with a roar, then instantly lost all its light.
“This. . . ”
The cultivators on guard were greatly alarmed. After repeated adjustments, they had to admit the reality: “The super teleportation array has failed. . . Dammit, quickly notify the army. ”
“No need, this Venerable One already knows. ”
A golden light flashed, and a young monk with rosy lips and white teeth appeared at the edge of the super teleportation array.
He looked only fifteen or sixteen years old, dressed in a Vajra monastic robe, with twelve Buddhist tonsure scars gleaming golden on his head.
The group of cultivators bowed in unison.
This young monk appeared to be merely an ordinary novice, but in reality, he was 'Jin Gangzi', one of the Human Race Five Sons, the leader of the Buddhist sect in the Earthly Immortal World. His 'Vajra Body' cultivation had long since reached an inconceivable realm, perhaps even making him the Human Race's foremost body cultivator!
“A demon race spy infiltrated the Celestial Brahma Domain and seized the opportunity to destroy the super teleportation array. . . even stirring up persistent void storms, obstructing our reconstruction. . . ”
Jin Gangzi pressed his palms together, speaking unhurriedly.
“The demon race. . . ”
The cultivators gnashed their teeth in hatred.
Although the two sides hadn't engaged in a full-scale war, infiltration and sabotage by spies were daily occurrences.
They hadn't expected such a massive disturbance to be caused by an oversight this time!
—The selection of a super teleportation array's site was an extremely cautious matter, requiring the measurement of spatial nodes and multi-faceted investigation.
Throughout the Celestial Brahma Domain, there were only a handful of suitable locations for its establishment.
The reason for choosing Celestial Brahma City was, of course, that the other few locations were more troublesome, plagued by malevolent entities that were difficult to eradicate.
Such eerie phenomena were like natural occurrences; even if temporarily eliminated, they were difficult to completely eradicate.
Upon hearing this, the faces of the other cultivators instantly changed.
The terrifying resources required to construct a super teleportation array were one thing, but now persistent void storms had been stirred up, rendering that spatial node half-crippled. Wouldn't the reclamation army be in trouble?
“The current plan is to simultaneously repair the teleportation array and evacuate from the Blazing Fire Domain? ”
An elderly formation master stepped forward and bowed: “Please rest assured, Commander, we will exert our full efforts to repair it. . . but we will also need the cooperation of the cultivators on the other side. ”
“Evacuate? ”
Jin Gangzi smiled faintly: “If I were to carry the ‘Sumeru Realm’, I could indeed withdraw most of the cultivators from the Blazing Fire Domain, but the grand reclamation plan would inevitably be ruined. . . This is what the demon race desires. The matter of reclamation must not be delayed. . . Furthermore, there are still demon race spies lurking among our human race, and this time, they have finally revealed their true colors. We cannot let them escape. . . ”
“Spies? ”
The group of cultivators exchanged glances, their expressions changing instantly.
Suddenly, one cultivator, without a word, instantly burned an ancient talisman from his sleeve.
It transformed into a sanguine rainbow, tearing through the air and fleeing, its momentum utterly terrifying.
In a few flashes, it flew out of the teleportation hall.
Such an eerie escape speed, even a Void Amalgamation cultivator might not be able to intercept it. . .
But the next instant, that sanguine rainbow tearing through the void was struck down by a golden light.
Upon closer inspection, it was revealed that the golden light was a Buddhist bead, inscribed with countless Sanskrit secret glyphs.
“It’s Daoist Luo? ”
“Impossible! ”
Watching the figure within the sanguine escaping light, many cultivators were astonished.
Jin Gangzi, however, smiled, still looking at the assembled cultivators: “Indeed, it’s a ‘six-tailed bewitching fox’. Did you think that by bewildering Daoist Luo and making him a scapegoat, you could cover your escape? You truly underestimate this Venerable One. . . ”
Among the many cultivators, an elder’s face revealed a look of horror.
He no longer hesitated, his entire being vanishing instantly, as if teleporting.
“The Great Void Teleportation Talisman, even for a Void Amalgamation cultivator, is a rare life-saving item. ”
Seeing this, Jin Gangzi nodded slightly: “This treasure possesses an extremely high void-tier, and ordinary void-sealing treasures and formations would struggle to block it. Alas. . . how could it escape this Venerable One’s ‘Five-Fingers Mountain’ secret art? ”
He slowly extended his right hand.
This hand was as white as jade, with a faint golden glow radiating from its surface.
Then. . . it was as if it were the Five-Fingers Mountain itself, encompassing a mustard seed within a Sumeru, extending into the void.
A white light flashed.
Jin Gangzi raised his five fingers, cradling a six-tailed white fox in his palm. The white fox whined and whimpered, seemingly begging for mercy, yet also cursing something. . .
Upon seeing this scene, the cultivators present felt their scalps tingle, yet also a surge of excitement in their hearts.
The Commander’s divine ability had become even more unfathomable!
“Congratulations, Commander, for capturing the spy. ”
The elderly formation master who had spoken earlier bowed first: “Might the destruction of this teleportation array have been a bait? Do we still need to continue repairing this array? ”
“It was not a bait. This Venerable One was briefly careless earlier, allowing this fox to leak many pieces of information. . . Now, there are many matters that require rectification. ”
Jin Gangzi sighed: “As for the cultivators in the Celestial Brahma Domain, they can only hold out for a while. . . The teleportation array was never capable of transporting so many personnel anyway. Order them to stand firm and await reinforcements that will eventually come from the Blazing Fire Domain. . . ”
“Understood! ”
The many formation masters strictly obeyed.
Super teleportation arrays differ from ordinary ones; not only is finding spatial nodes troublesome, but it's also difficult to transport many people at once.
If they were to also carry spatial treasures, concealing even more people, the consumption would only increase exponentially.
Mass-transferring populations via super teleportation arrays is quite unrealistic.
Instead, for top cultivators, it is relatively more convenient to use spatial treasures to carry tens or hundreds of thousands of people in a flying migration.
The low-stage cultivators who previously reinforced the Celestial Brahma Domain entered via this method.
Otherwise, the harsh environment along the way would be enough to kill seventy to eighty percent of these low-stage cultivators—and that's even with the protection of Void Amalgamation cultivators.
...
Celestial Brahma Domain.
Fang Xi concluded his gathering with his friends and returned to his immortal cave, preparing to cultivate.
‘My magical power accumulation, in these few days, can reach the Divine Transformation Perfected stage. . . ’
‘Then, I can break through to the Return to Void realm. ’
‘My main body won’t go to Three Realms Mountain, but this place is no longer Three Realms Mountain. . . It can certainly lend me a hand. ’
Fang Xi's External Avatar returned to his immortal cave and saw a sound transmission talisman dangling outside the formation array.
He reached out to take it, his expression showing a hint of impatience.
This sound transmission talisman was sent by a Divine Transformation cultivator.
When Fang Xi announced that he had grasped connections by analogy, finally breaking through his bottleneck, and his cultivation began to advance by leaps and bounds once more, it naturally attracted many attempts at recruitment.
While it was fine to refuse many of these forces once, there were still a few that had a rather persistent quality to them.
This particular one was the most annoying.
‘Fu Wu'er of the ‘Three Greens Workshop’. . . ’
Fang Xi pondered secretly.
This Divine Transformation cultivator was a native of the Earthly Immortal World, later joined the Celestial Brahma Army, and had already reached the late-stage Divine Transformation cultivation.
The Three Greens Workshop was also a Return to Void realm force; though not as powerful as the Heavenly Charm Sect, it was still decent.
What truly made Fang Xi feel uneasy was that, while this faction appeared to have little connection to the branch led by Daoist Gu and Commander Tang, their attitude towards him was somewhat problematic.
‘Too eager for success. . . Could they be spies for another force, or perhaps even a contingency plan of Long Qingzi? ’
‘Long Qingzi certainly wouldn’t let go of subsequent ascended cultivators. Even if his dog died, he’d just get a new one. . . ’
Bearing such concerns, Fang Xi naturally wouldn't accept the recruitment of any force.
Especially those with a hint of persistent harassment.
Six Paths Demonic Flames ignited in his hand, turning the sound transmission talisman to ash. Simultaneously, he sent back an extremely resolute letter, rejecting Fu Wu'er’s proposal.
...
Inside the immortal cave.
Fang Xi sat cross-legged on a meditation mat, his entire body emanating a chilling demonic aura.
Innumerable tendrils of pure black demonic energy converged, forming a tall demonic silhouette behind him.
At the same time, dark currents of qi materialized, crystalline in appearance, covering his body and forming a natural set of armor!
From the most crucial breastplate, armguards, kneepads, and iron boots. . . to the final ferocious faceguard, it was truly complete!
“Finally. . . ”
Fang Xi exhaled a long breath: “Divine Transformation Perfected. . . achieved! ”
For him, achieving Divine Transformation Perfected was essentially equivalent to becoming more than half a Return to Void cultivator!
“Next, I’ll make a concerted effort to break through to the Return to Void realm. . . ”
“It’s just that the progress seems a bit too fast. The means by which I obtained the Return to Void opportunity could easily attract covetous gazes. . . After all, I’m just an ascended cultivator without any background. . . However, once I achieve Return to Void, I’ll have enough strength to protect my own little secrets, as Void Amalgamation cultivators might not even deign to look at opportunities for achieving Return to Void. . . ”
Currently, within the Celestial Brahma Domain, the strongest cultivators are naturally the Void Amalgamation cultivators.
Within the Celestial Brahma Army, there were several Void Amalgamation-level high-ranking members.
Of the human race’s ninety-nine domains, each had at least one Void Amalgamation cultivator, and only the peak existences among Void Amalgamation cultivators were qualified to contend for the position of ‘Human Race Five Sons’!
After confirming that his magical power was perfectly harmonized and he hadn't been subjected to any inexplicable attractions, Fang Xi calmly emerged from seclusion.
He planned to choose a secluded location to undergo his tribulation and achieve Return to Void.
Just as he was about to fly out of Black Rock Market, a streak of light flew over, revealing the figure of a dark-robed cultivator with slanted eyes.
“So it’s Daoist Fu. . . ”
Fang Xi's expression remained unchanged upon seeing him: “What can I do for you, Daoist Fu? ”
“Daoist Fang, you’ve repeatedly refused my Three Greens Workshop. Are you perhaps disrespecting Elder Long, who stands behind my Three Greens Workshop? ”
Fu Wu'er snorted coldly, his tone carrying a hint of coercion.
‘This isn’t normal. . . Divine Transformation cultivators don’t act like this, unless it’s intentional, or their cultivation technique has caused them to suffer qi deviation. ’
Fang Xi looked at Fu Wu'er, who seemed to harbor a deep grudge against him, a flicker of vigilance in his heart, yet a smile on his face: “Daoist, your words are a bit too much. I am merely accustomed to being a free and unfettered rogue cultivator, unwilling to join any faction. . . As for how you report to Elder Long, that is your own business. However. . . two of my friends are disciples of the Heavenly Charm Sect. ”
Fu Wu'er’s expression froze, then turned somewhat grim.
Even without mentioning the Heavenly Charm Sector, the small group was formed by Fang Xi, Xu Qingzi, Kuang Tao, and others were quite well-known among ascended cultivators.
If he hadn't been prompted by someone, he would absolutely not have wanted to provoke the other party, but at this moment, it was unavoidable.
Just as he was about to utter some more harsh words, suddenly. . .
Clang!
Clang-clang!
Piercing bell chimes rang out, audible far and wide throughout Black Rock Market.
“The Heavenly Sound Bell is warning. . . Anyone who has not arrived at the Commander’s immortal cave to receive orders after eighty-one chimes will be severely punished! ”
Fang Xi and Fu Wu'er’s expressions instantly changed. They exchanged a glance and flew directly towards the core of the market.
The Return to Void cultivator currently stationed at Black Rock Market, whose alias was ‘Yuan Yin Shangren’, had an extremely elegant immortal cave residence, complete with pavilions, terraces, and towers, as well as a spiritual pond several mu in size, filled with various colored lotus flowers.
These lotus flowers were also spirit plants, blooming perpetually and emitting a scent that cleared the mind and calmed the spirit.
‘These lotus flowers in the pond subtly conceal a formation array. . . ’
Fang Xi landed at the edge of the lotus pond, hands clasped behind his back, admiring the scenery and thinking to himself.
At this moment, the bell had only chimed over forty times, and Yuan Yin Shangren had yet to appear.
The group of Divine Transformation officers, however, arrived one after another.
“Daoist Fang! ”
A voice as gentle as jade rang out.
A young scholar, stepping on an ancient book, drifted over and landed beside Fang Xi. It was the scholarly Yi, with whom he had previously discussed the reclamation of the Thunder Marsh Great Wilderness.
Fang Xi actually didn't think much of this person, finding him a bit indecisive, unlike the decisive Daoist Xie who had left to refine pills after a disagreement.
But at this moment, it was inappropriate to strike someone who presented a smiling face, so he cupped his hands and said: “Daoist Yi. . . ”
“I heard Daoist Fang is being pestered by Fu Wu'er? The Three Greens Workshop is truly not a good place. It’s said that the Return to Void Grand Cultivator behind them is advanced in age and recently suffered severe injuries in an operation, and is now frantically pressuring the cultivators below to buy rare spirit pills to save their lives. . . ”
The scholarly Yi held a folding fan, with a demeanor that suggested he was commenting on grand affairs: “Their conduct is too ugly; Daoist, you must be extremely careful. . . ”
“Thank you for the reminder, Daoist. ”
Fang Xi sincerely thanked him, even though he had never intended to join anyway. . .
“Actually, Daoist, if you don’t wish to be continually pestered, why not genuinely join the Celestial Brahma Army? Yuan Yin Shangren, who is currently here, is a direct lineage Return to Void cultivator of the Celestial Brahma Army. With the protection of such an esteemed individual, your and my safety can be guaranteed. . . ”
The scholarly Yi said warmly.
“Thank you, Daoist Yi, I will give it careful consideration. . . ”
Fang Xi smiled faintly. This scholarly Yi had ultimately chosen to fully integrate into the Celestial Brahma Army, and his decision to serve in the military was entirely understandable.
Just as he was considering how to politely decline, Kuang Tao Layman and others also arrived.
He naturally stepped forward to chat, leaving the scholarly Yi neglected to the side.
Clang-clang!
The bell chimes grew more urgent.
Not long after, the eighty-one chimes were completed, and dozens of Divine Transformation officers already stood in the courtyard.
This force was already enough to obliterate any sect in the lower realms.
Yet, for the Celestial Brahma Army, it was merely the backbone of a single branch.
Clang!
Accompanied by the strike of a gong, the immortal cave's gate swung open, and a female cultivator walked out.
This woman was clad in palace attire, tall in stature, but her skin had a bronze hue, with faint runes flickering across it, clearly indicating she had cultivated some formidable body cultivation technique.
“News from Celestial Brahma City. . . ”
Yuan Yin Shangren surveyed the area, confirming that all Divine Transformation officers were present, and finally spoke.
Her voice was hoarse and unpleasant, and the news she brought was anything but good: “. . . The city has been attacked by a Void Amalgamation demon cultivator, the grand formation has been damaged, the super teleportation array destroyed, and the Void Amalgamation cultivator stationed there is suspected to be severely injured and requires secluded cultivation for recovery. . . ”
As soon as these words were uttered, it was as if a thunderbolt had struck, shaking the very earth.
The expressions of many Divine Transformation cultivators turned deathly pale!
“With the super teleportation array destroyed, how are we to return? ”
Layman Kuang Tao clamored.
“Damn it. . . Even the Void Amalgamation cultivator is heavily wounded. Could the demon race be planning to restart the war? ”
Xu Qingzi also murmured.
“The grand formation shattered? ”
Fang Xi also spoke: “Could it be that the formation array covering almost the entire Celestial Brahma Domain has been damaged? Wouldn't that mean that in the future, there’s a high possibility of Return to Void or even Void Amalgamation primordial savage beasts and malevolent entities migrating in from the outside? ”
Compared to the super teleportation array, he placed more importance on the formation array protecting the Celestial Brahma Domain.
After all, only if this formation array continued to operate, coupled with their best efforts to clear the Celestial Brahma Domain, would the dangers within the domain gradually diminish, eventually transforming into a human paradise.
But if the grand formation was damaged, no matter how many savage beasts they killed, a single large migration of savage beasts from the wilderness could cause all their previous efforts to go to waste.
Yuan Yin Shangren scanned the circle, seeing the Divine Transformation cultivators filled with panic, and couldn't help but smile bitterly in her heart.
When she had just received this news, her shock was actually no less than theirs.
Now, however, she wore a cold expression, and the terrifying pressure of a Return to Void cultivator descended, causing the area to fall silent.
“I can answer all of your questions, one by one. . . ”
Yuan Yin Shangren glanced at Kuang Tao Layman: “First, with the super teleportation array destroyed, we are temporarily unable to return. Even cultivators who, according to previous agreements, have reached a certain number of reclamation years and merits and can be arranged to return, will not be able to leave. . . Unless, you choose to traverse the ‘Heavenly Desolation Desert’ of the ‘Blazing Fire Domain’. . . ”
Upon hearing this, Kuang Tao Layman and the others’ expressions have slightly changed.
The fearsome reputation of that Heavenly Desolation Desert was well-known to them; only Void Amalgamation cultivators had the confidence to traverse it.
Beyond that, Return to Void cultivators would face a ninety percent chance of death, and as for Divine Transformation cultivators? They would basically face certain death!
In fact, they weren't even very confident about traveling from Black Rock Market to the edge of the Heavenly Desolation Desert.
This was an entire domain, and an undeveloped one at that!
Divine Transformation cultivators might be able to traverse within a human domain, but in such a wilderness, they might encounter a primordial savage beast before even reaching the desert, leading to their entire group being wiped out. . .
“. . . Therefore, we can only stand firm and await reinforcements. ”
Yuan Yin Shangren said: “The good news is. . . the demon race hasn't started a full-scale war, only sabotage. . . And even if they did, since we’re stuck here, we won’t be going to the Three Realms Mountain battlefield anymore. ”
As soon as these words were spoken, Yunxi Xianzi and Liu Xu exchanged bewildered glances.
If the war between the three races flared up again, the fate of Divine Transformation cultivators would indeed be unpredictable.
In comparison, reclaiming land in the Celestial Brahma Domain seemed like a good thing?
In truth, this place was also extremely dangerous, not to mention that support and communication had now been cut off.
Realistically speaking, it seemed it wouldn’t be much better, would it?
Yuan Yin Shangren swept her gaze over Fang Xi: “Due to the demon race’s sudden attack, the formation array guarding this domain is indeed damaged. Currently, Celestial Brahma City is attempting repairs. . . But before that, a large influx of savage beasts is unavoidable. . . Now, all of you must be prepared to use Black Rock Market as your stronghold and stand firm awaiting reinforcements! Below, I shall begin assigning tasks. . . ”
As soon as these words were uttered, all the Divine Transformation cultivators’ expressions changed dramatically!
...
Several hours later.
Fang Xi walked out of Yuan Yin Shangren’s immortal cave, letting out a sigh.
Once this matter came to light, it naturally caused widespread panic.
However, since Yuan Yin Shangren, the cultivator tasked with guarding this place, had given her assurance, they could only temporarily believe her.
Even in the wilderness, for a Return to Void cultivator to lead dozens of Divine Transformation cultivators and establish a temporary base, the problem. . . wasn’t too great.
‘Alright. . . actually, the problem is quite significant. . . ’
‘Generally speaking, only by reaching the Void Amalgamation realm can one have some confidence in traversing the wilderness, and even then, they usually don't dare to go too deep. . . ’
‘Now, we are essentially an isolated army in a colony, with our connection to the mainland severed. . . If the time is short, it might be fine, but once a long period passes, who knows how many devils and monsters will emerge. . . ’
Fang Xi silently complained, and before he knew it, he had walked to the outer city, which was the perimeter of the market.
Here, at least tens of thousands of low-stage cultivators lived!
For them, this matter was the true catastrophic disaster!
In front of a shop.
“Quick, quick, go grab spirit rice. . . ”
A group of Qi Refinement cultivators swarmed in, showing a tendency to evolve into a riot.
“Everyone, everyone. . . No sales today. ”
The shopkeeper, his face filled with bitterness, blocked the storefront.
“Damn it. . . The bell chimed eighty-one times; anyone with eyes knows something big is about to happen. How dare you hoard goods. . . ”
A green-clad man roared angrily. He was a Foundation Establishment cultivator, and the giant hammer spirit artifact in his hand was about to strike out.
“The Celestial Brahma Army is here! ”
At the crucial moment, someone shouted, and the group of rogue cultivators scattered like birds and beasts.
Wherever Fang Xi passed, most of the shops he saw were being frantically bought out.
Although many rogue cultivators didn't know the latest intelligence, they could guess some things, and frantically buying daily necessities and cultivation resources became an instinct.
After all, most were Qi Refinement cultivators, unable to achieve prolonged abstention from food.
Moreover, they also needed to purchase many defensive items. . .
‘Actually, for this reclamation, many low-stage materials were prepared, especially spirit rice seeds. . . ’
‘Although not many spirit fields have been reclaimed outside the market, if they were uniformly managed, allocated, and rationed. . . they should largely be able to meet the demand. ’
‘But in reality, it definitely won’t be enough. . . ’
During this high-level cultivators’ meeting, he hadn’t heard any arrangements about stabilizing low-stage cultivators, strongly implying an intention to let them fend for themselves.
And rogue cultivators were also a resourceful bunch; even if the environment was extremely harsh, a portion of them would likely survive in the end.
However, the process would often be incredibly brutal!
‘Divine Transformation and Return to Void cultivators are already living day by day, who would have time to care about you. . . ’
Watching the rogue cultivators by the roadside making way and bowing respectfully, Fang Xi sighed inwardly.
‘What’s more, at this point, there might even be those preparing to severely exploit the rogue cultivators. . . After all, cultivators are inherently selfish. . . ’
...
After observing the chaos in the market, Fang Xi returned to his immortal cave.
Regardless, the Celestial Brahma Army’s structure was still intact for now, and it could temporarily suppress the situation, so the problem wasn’t too big; no major disorder would erupt.
Killing a few troublesome rogue cultivators and displaying their heads as a warning for a period would restore calm to the market.
What he truly needed to consider was his own situation.
‘Now, with the Celestial Brahma Domain’s connection to the outside severed and Void Amalgamation cultivators heavily wounded. . . a state of great chaos, it seems to be an opportune moment for my advancement? ’
‘If I advance now, at most Yuan Yin Shangren might covet something, but she’s just a Return to Void cultivator. . . Once I achieve Return to Void, how could she dare to make a fuss? ’
‘Moreover, amidst great chaos, there are also immense opportunities hidden. . . ’
‘In the future, if I say the opportunity for my Return to Void advancement came from here, no one will be able to say anything. . . ’
Fang Xi’s calculations were complete; he immediately prepared to advance to Return to Void!
Just then, he sensed a change in his immortal cave’s restrictions, and couldn’t help but smile faintly in a bitter manner.
Although he had decided to advance to Return to Void, these fellow Divine Transformation cultivators kept coming to connect and gather. . . he still had to deal with them for a bit. . .
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