Chapter 819: The Grand Scheme (Bonus Chapter, Seeking Monthly Tickets)
Chapter 819: The Grand Scheme (Bonus Chapter, Seeking Monthly Tickets)
A flash of green light.
From Fang Xi flying out of the formation, to resolving the Moon Gazing Race Integration cultivator within a few moves, capturing their Nascent Soul, and incidentally heavily injuring another hidden Integration cultivator before returning – the entire process took but a few breaths. It was as swift as a pouncing rabbit or a swooping hawk, incredibly fast.
"This. . . is this really the Grand Elder?"
Upon witnessing this scene, Liang Ru Long's face flushed crimson.
He frequently mingled on the Three Realms Mountain and had seen Fang Xi suppress the two Integration cultivators of the Purple Robe Tower. He had heard legends that the Grand Elder's divine abilities and magic power were no less than those of an ordinary mid-stage Integration cultivator.
But the opposing Moon Gazing Race Integration cultivator was at the peak of the mid-stage Integration realm, and even a commanding general of an army!
To be so easily captured during a military standoff—didn't that signify that the Grand Elder's magic power and divine abilities could already rival a late-stage Integration cultivator?
Even among the Human, Demon, and Yao races, late-stage Integration cultivators were exceedingly rare. They even had a high probability of competing for the positions of the Seven Sages of the Demon Race, the Six Kings of the Demon Race, and the Human Race Five Sons! For example, a certain Senior Divine Diviner. . .
Given it was wartime, everything was kept simple.
"Uncle-Master. . ."
Shui Lingxin gazed at Fang Xi, her beautiful eyes filled with nothing but concern.
As for Yunxi Xianzi, Madam Baolian, and the other Return to Void cultivators, they were filled with joyous surprise.
In a chaotic era, with such a powerful expert protecting them, their chances of survival were greatly increased!
Rumble!
At this moment, within the talisman array that Fang Xi had casually cast, the numerous talismans exhausted their spiritual power. With a flash of light, they turned to ash.
The lightning dissipated, revealing a Jiuchi race individual.
Her body was covered in scorched wounds, her head a chaotic mess. She suddenly roared, transforming into a female cultivator clad in red armor.
"Issue the order! Retreat the army!"
She swept her gaze over the Nine Bends Yellow River Three Flowers Immortal Array, her brows furrowed with dread, and issued her command fiercely.
The various alien races looked at each other in dismay, but the Moon Gazing Race Integration cultivator who commanded this grand army had his physical form destroyed and his Nascent Soul captured.
It was only natural for Lian Hongshang to take over.
They glared unwillingly at the grand formation, letting out roars, but ultimately retreated in helplessness.
"Quite intelligent!"
Seeing this, Fang Xi couldn't help but inwardly praise them.
Although these alien allied forces could not break through the Nine Bends Yellow River Three Flowers Immortal Array, they could consume its power.
And if numerous Return to Void and Soul Transformation cultivators were to form an army formation and concentrate their attacks, even he wouldn't want to meet it head-on.
Although he could occasionally rush out of the formation to suppress and kill enemies by relying on the array's power, taking such risks repeatedly was not something he desired.
Now that the Integration cultivator chose to retreat, it was convenient for both sides.
"However, the Jiuchi race?"
Thinking of the opponent's appearance just now, Fang Xi felt a touch of regret.
He should have targeted this woman from the start, captured her, and studied her thoroughly.
After all, this was a major race daring to contend with humans, demons, and yao!
Her body structure might hold some special characteristics.
...
Inside the quiet chamber.
Fang Xi sat cross-legged, miniature formation flags and disks arranged in the Eight Trigrams positions before him, rising in pillars of light.
From these light pillars, chains extended, locking a cerulean Nascent Soul within the formation.
This Nascent Soul was naturally that of the Moon Gazing Race Integration cultivator.
Within his eyes, green and yellow colors flashed alternately. After prolonged consumption of the 'Thousand-Eyed Bird's Pupil', Fang Xi's 'Withered Glory Illusion Pupils' had advanced incredibly rapidly.
By now, they could even momentarily freeze a mid-stage Integration cultivator during battle, causing inner demons to arise and creating opportunities for him.
Now, when used, it caused the Nascent Soul's spirit to become hazy, making soul-searching easier!
Accompanied by chanting, two streaks of green and yellow light rushed into the Nascent Soul's eyes, causing an intense look of pain to distort its face.
An Integration cultivator's Nascent Soul was already semi-materialized. If Fang Xi's divine consciousness hadn't been powerful enough, and he hadn't used various means to weaken this Integration Nascent Soul's spirit, soul-searching would indeed have been difficult.
Even now, he felt it was exceptionally arduous, only able to glean some fragmented information.
"The Moon Gazing Race actually has a Mahayana cultivator? Although she's on the Three Realms Mountain battlefield, I just eliminated an excellent clan member at the peak of mid-stage Integration. Perhaps that Mahayana cultivator will remember me. It seems after this, I can't leave the formation."
Fang Xi had long been accustomed to this.
As early as the Qi Refinement and Foundation Establishment stages, he liked to settle in one place, protected by a grand formation, quietly grovelling to develop.
Even now, this sentiment remained unchanged!
"The Moon Gazing Race. . . can easily refine the power of moon essence to cultivate. If it were night, this Integration cultivator's divine abilities and magic power would have surged even more. . . It was also her being too careless, not choosing a more advantageous night. Otherwise, it would have taken me more effort to subdue her."
"Among the alien armies invading the Celestial Brahma Domain this time, the Moon Gazing Race is the main force, and their Grand Commander is a late-stage Integration Moon Gazing Race cultivator. . . If this alien were also taken down, there would be a 30% chance of the alien alliance retreating, and a 70% chance of them deploying Mahayana combat power. . ."
"And among our human race, the three Mahayana cultivators have been severely injured, making it difficult for them to fully recover within a millennium. . . I'm afraid it will be hard to resist."
Although there were still Mahayana cultivators in seclusion among the human race, the same applied to the Yao and Jiuchi races!
In the worst-case scenario, perhaps both sides had already secretly clashed.
Looking at the current battle situation, it seemed both the human and demon races had suffered some losses. After all, apart from the fallen Purple Splendor Demonic Ancestor, two Demonic Ancestors of the demon race and three Mahayana cultivators of the human race were all heavily wounded.
If not for the extreme difficulty in distinguishing life and death between Mahayana cultivators, perhaps several more would have perished last time.
Given this, in terms of Mahayana strength comparison, the human and demon races had already fallen to a disadvantage.
This manifested on the battlefield as being only able to passively defend.
With numerous intelligence channels, and a clearer understanding of the war situation, Fang Xi immediately decided on a strategy of hunkering down and not going out.
He would be foolish to go and kill that late-stage Integration Moon Gazing Race cultivator, to be the lone standout when both the human and demon races were in decline.
That would be a path to death!
"Even if I were to turn the tide, there are better ways!"
Fang Xi secretly observed his Earthly Immortal Spiritual Realm, noting that it had expanded further, and the Myriad Wood Mother Qi was thriving, gathering into a cloud of green.
"It will be soon. In just over a hundred years. . . I should be able to attempt a breakthrough to mid-stage Integration."
"Within a millennium, Mahayana is within reach!"
"To seek ephemeral fame by fighting battles now would be truly unwise. . . I am the true grand scheme of the human race! Just let me endure for a millennium! Once I achieve Mahayana, everything can be salvaged!"
Fang Xi was utterly confident about this.
With the human race's territory and strategic depth, enduring for a millennium was quite simple.
A decisive battle between such super-races could easily last thousands or even tens of thousands of years.
Furthermore, he did not believe that the human race's hidden reserves were merely these.
There must be a few more trump cards.
"One must believe in the wisdom of others. . . I am not a genius or the protagonist. . . The beings of the Earthly Immortal World will find their own way."
"After a millennium, if the human race cannot be saved, I will come and reclaim the old mountains and rivers myself."
Fang Xi closed his eyes, beginning to remotely sense the Divine Dao world.
A century had passed in a flash, but surely that much time was enough for things to conclude in the Divine Dao world?
...
The Divine Dao world.
Twenty years had flown by in a hurry.
Twenty years can turn a child into an adult, a middle-aged person into an elder, and a region can experience prosperity and decline. . .
For Gan Yu, twenty years was enough time for him to quietly study, pass the 'Recommended Scholar' examination, then travel to the capital for the imperial examination, and subsequently pass as an Imperial Scholar.
By this point, he was in his middle years, his face like jade, with three flowing whiskers, appearing quite elegant and extraordinary.
Inside his residence.
Gan Yu stood beneath a peach blossom tree, his expression lost in thought.
Seeing this peach tree, he thought of his teacher.
"Twenty years have passed so quietly, I wonder where Teacher Fang has gone?"
Gan Yu was immensely grateful to that Teacher Fang. After passing the preliminary examination years ago and diligently studying for three more years to become a 'Recommended Scholar', he moved his family into the county town to properly care for his aging mother.
At the same time, he secretly inquired about 'Teacher Fang's' background.
But the information he received made his heart tremble.
That 'Teacher Fang' apparently had no origin or background, as if he had suddenly sprung from a rock!
This made Gan Yu anxious and uneasy for a time, a feeling that only gradually subsided after several years.
As a 'Recommended Scholar', he now held a genuine official title and enjoyed a comfortable life. He therefore completely abandoned farming and focused solely on his studies.
Finally, five years later, he traveled to the capital with several of his 'Recommended Scholar' friends for the imperial examination, and successfully became an Imperial Scholar!
Alas, the Dao Court had too many redundant officials; Imperial Scholars from several previous examinations were still waiting in line for official appointments.
Anything in abundance loses its value, and Imperial Scholars were no exception.
He languished in the capital for several years, finally returning to his hometown to open a private school, taking pleasure in teaching.
In the blink of an eye, another ten-plus years passed, and he was now complete with wives, concubines, and children.
However, when he thought of the Divine Dao at night, he always felt a sense of torment.
As an Imperial Scholar, he had been granted the Ninth Rank 'Supreme Dao Court Merit Official Register', and already possessed martial arts and Daoist magic, capable of single-handedly roaming the world with a sword.
But without a divine position, after a century, he would ultimately turn to yellow earth!
If not for the Dao Court's conferment, that wisp of Yin soul would have to go to the Underworld!
Therefore, so many Imperial Scholars painstakingly schemed, willing to even serve as a divine official in a City God Temple.
Gan Yu, however, had no such connections or background, and could only continue to languish.
"No wonder those scholars eagerly formed societies and sought patrons. . . Although it seemed fawning, what they were truly contending for was the Grand Dao of Longevity."
Gan Yu gave a bitter laugh.
He once had an opportunity, but as a young man, he couldn't endure the humiliation. Now, thinking back, he felt quite regretful.
As he was contemplating, Gan Yu's expression suddenly changed.
He formed a hand seal, and a brilliant light flashed in his eyes, revealing a cloud of white mist descending, from which emerged a divine official.
Although the official wore the black uniform of a minor government clerk, his face bore ghostly patterns, and his magic power was far stronger than his own, which was merely from a Daoist register.
"Greetings, Day Patrol God!"
Gan Yu was momentarily stunned upon seeing this divine official, then immediately bowed in salute.
To him, such matters were now commonplace, and he handled interactions with considerable grace.
"Lord Gan. . ."
The Day Patrol God returned the bow, for Gan Yu also held an official title and was not an outsider. "The City God has sent me to inform you that in a moment, a heavenly messenger will descend to proclaim an imperial decree. Please make preparations swiftly."
The Day Patrol God said with a beaming smile.
Gan Yu understood immediately, knowing it was good news.
'How could a mere Ninth Rank rogue official like me be charged by an imperial decree? Besides, this Day Patrol God's attitude is extremely good, could it be. . . '
Gan Yu's heart pounded: "I've been selected for an official position? !"
(Note: The term "Recommended Scholar" and "Imperial Scholar" are English equivalents used to convey the meaning of "talent" and "Jinshi" as traditional Chinese examination ranks, which are closer to titles than just "talent" or "graduate". )
(Note: "Myriad Wood Mother Qi" is a literal translation of "Myriad Wood Mother Qi". It is not in the glossary, so I've kept a direct translation that conveys its meaning. )
(Note: "Nine Ranks Official System" is mentioned in the gloss as a system; here, "Nine Ranks" is "Ninth Rank", which is consistent with that system. "Supreme Dao Court Merit Official Register" is kept as a specific title: "Ninth Rank'supreme Dao Court Merit Official Register'". )
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