Chapter 423 ·True Monarchs Gather
Chapter 423: True Monarchs Gather
‘Dao… Dao Child?’
As the Spirit Boat gradually drew closer, when Bai Zhi’s Divine Sense clearly saw the figures aboard the boat, her breathing suddenly caught.
Although she had only met the Dao Child a handful of times, those few words of guidance from back then had already left an extremely deep impression on Bai Zhi, making her wish she could enter the Dao Child’s tutelage.
Unfortunately, dreams were beautiful, but reality was cruel. A Foundation Establishment cultivator of ordinary aptitude like her perhaps would not even qualify as a nominal disciple in the Dao Child’s eyes.
‘What is going on? The Dao Child is actually personally responsible for receiving us!’
Wang Hao froze for a moment. The dissatisfaction hidden in his heart instantly vanished, replaced by excitement and disbelief.
Previously, when he sent a message to Deputy Lineage Master Shu, he had only wanted Elder Shu’s support.
For example, changing locations to carry out the sect mission, or transferring away Zhou Tianyu, who had constantly and deliberately made things difficult for the Beast-Taming Lineage, thereby fighting for a place to receive the sect’s Golden Palace Pill.
But who would have thought that someone like him would actually be worthy of having the Dao Child personally come to receive them.
Recalling the rumors within the sect, Wang Hao and Bai Zhi exchanged a glance and immediately tried to salute.
If they could gain the Dao Child’s appreciation through this mission, perhaps they might, like Deputy Lineage Master Shu, be bestowed a Golden Palace Pill and open the Heaven-Reaching Path toward the Golden Core.
‘Alright, there is no need for formalities!’
As Chen Beiwu’s voice rang out, Wang Hao and Bai Zhi stiffened. Their waists, which had been about to bend, were suddenly supported by an invisible force.
‘So this is the Dao Child’s strength?’
Wang Hao and Bai Zhi both revealed expressions of reverence.
Rumors had circulated within the sect that the reason the Dao Child had remained in seclusion for many years, without even having time to participate in the Three-Realm War on the front lines, was precisely to form a Nascent Soul and attain the Dao as a True Monarch.
No sect elder or disciple dared object to this.
After all, no matter how powerful a Golden Core prodigy might be, they still could not suppress an entire region like a Nascent Soul True Monarch.
Moreover, before entering seclusion, the Dao Child had already assisted Clarifying Abyss True Monarch in suppressing and killing three hundred Dao Soldiers of the Scarlet Yang Sect and its Three Great Scarlet Yang Generals, an utterly terrifying battle achievement.
Suddenly, Bai Zhi keenly sensed that something was wrong and looked toward Mo Li, who stood frozen in place.
She saw that beneath Mo Li’s veil, her lips were slightly parted, while both hands hanging at her sides were tightly clenched, her knuckles turning white. Even her shoulders were trembling slightly.
Seeing this, Bai Zhi froze briefly, then a trace of empathy and realization arose in her heart.
That made sense. How could a mere unaffiliated Foundation Establishment cultivator have the fortune to meet a great figure like the Dao Child.
Even setting aside talent, cultivation, and status, merely the Dao Child’s outstanding appearance like a banished immortal and his transcendent bearing—what Foundation Establishment female cultivator in the Earth Proliferation Territory could see him without having her heart race and her mind captivated?
“Long time no see. What, you don’t recognize me anymore?”
Chen Beiwu smiled slightly at Mo Li, his voice easygoing.
Hearing this, Wang Hao and Bai Zhi’s hearts jolted. They followed Chen Beiwu’s gaze toward Mo Li, both somewhat dumbfounded.
No way. The Dao Child actually knew this utterly ordinary Foundation Establishment female cultivator?
Could it be that the Dao Child had not come for the sect mission this time, but specifically for Mo Li!
‘This woman actually hid herself so deeply!’
Wang Hao took a deep breath and mentally reviewed his previous words and actions.
Had he said anything inappropriate before? Should he find an opportunity to privately apologize?
Bai Zhi, however, revealed delight in her eyes.
In order to preserve the transport squad’s combat strength as much as possible, she and Wang Hao had played the good and bad roles respectively.
But from beginning to end, she had never offended Mo Li. She had even proactively shown goodwill and given her two bottles of recovery pills, which could be considered leaving behind a small measure of friendship.
“Immortal Master.”
Mo Li gave a slight bow and revealed a smile that came from the bottom of her heart.
Chen Beiwu nodded and did not stop Mo Li from bowing. His gaze shifted toward Wang Hao：“Your left arm?”
“Thank you for your concern, Dao Child. This disciple previously encountered a Blood Fortune Sect True Disciple while transporting supplies and luckily escaped with my life. The price was losing one arm.” Wang Hao hurriedly replied.
For Foundation Establishment cultivators, a severed arm did not count as a serious injury. At most, it affected the display of combat strength.
The sect had plenty of Second-Tier top-grade Spiritual Pills and Third-Tier Treasure Pills capable of treating external injuries and regenerating severed limbs.
It was simply that, in order to compete for a Golden Palace Pill, Wang Hao had been unwilling to spend the Battle Merit he had accumulated over many years to exchange for pills and treatment.
“So that’s how it was.” Chen Beiwu’s gaze turned toward Bai Zhi：“Was the scar at the corner of your right eye also caused by a sect mission?”
Bai Zhi nodded, not daring to explain the exact cause of the injury in front of Chen Beiwu.
“Since you were injured because of sect missions, then naturally the sect should be responsible for your injuries.”
A faint light flashed from Chen Beiwu’s Storage Ring, and he tossed out two jade bottles.
“Many thanks for the Dao Child’s reward.” The two instinctively reached out and caught them.
“Take them.”
As soon as Chen Beiwu finished speaking, the two did not hesitate and tilted their heads back, pouring the pills into their mouths.
“Sizzle sizzle sizzle!”
In merely an instant, the flesh, tendons, and bones at Wang Hao’s severed left arm began growing at a speed visible to the naked eye.
Several breaths later, a completely intact new left arm filled the previously empty sleeve.
Bai Zhi was the same. She only felt warmth spread through the wound at the corner of her eye, then the scar faded, flesh healed, her skin returned to its original state, and even her cultivation improved somewhat.
The two had rosy complexions and instinctively wanted to bow in thanks, but Chen Beiwu stopped them again with his thought.
“Come aboard. We can talk slowly.” Chen Beiwu looked toward Mo Li.
Mo Li pursed her lips and slightly nodded.
She had originally had many things she wanted to tell the Immortal Master, but after truly meeting him again, she suddenly did not know where to begin.
Especially now, when she had personally witnessed the Immortal Master casually bestow two pills and completely heal the injuries of two peak Foundation Establishment cultivators, even regenerating a severed limb.
The three boarded the Spirit Boat, and the atmosphere became somewhat silent.
There was no other reason. Although the title Immortal Master sounded relatively distant, before knowing the exact relationship between Mo Li and the Dao Child, neither Wang Hao nor Bai Zhi dared speak too much, afraid that one wrong sentence might bring disaster.
Mo Li, meanwhile, felt as though she were dreaming. Because the disparity in status between them was simply too great, she did not know how to begin a conversation.
After all, no matter how limited her horizons were, it was impossible for her not to know the name of Mirror Moon Dao Child Chen Ziang.
“You all need to be careful. This river ahead won’t be easy to cross.” Chen Beiwu raised an eyebrow.
“Won’t be easy to cross? Dao Child, you mean rogue cultivators are hiding in the Blood-Weeping River in ambush!” Bai Zhi’s expression changed slightly.
Wang Hao remained calm. The Dao Child was the number one Golden Core of the Earth Proliferation Territory, and the Blood-Weeping River was within the sect’s territory. The probability of a Nascent Soul True Monarch from a Demonic Sect appearing could be said to be negligible.
With the Dao Child here presiding over matters, unless a Demonic Sect Nascent Soul True Monarch personally descended, they would undoubtedly remain safe and sound.
“Boom!”
At that moment, the surface of the Blood-Weeping River suddenly collapsed inward, forming a gigantic dark-red vortex.
Immediately afterward, a shrill screech rang out. As the vortex exploded with a boom, the entire Blood-Weeping River seemed to come alive.
Viscous dark-red river water continuously surged into blood waves hundreds of zhang high. Then the blood waves rapidly spread, almost instantly forming a vast formation that enveloped heaven and earth.
“Dao Child, please be careful. There is an ambush. This is a Third-Tier Blood Dao trapping and killing grand formation, the Myriad Filth Soul-Locking Blood River Formation!”
Wang Hao’s pupils abruptly contracted. He instinctively circulated his Mana to protect himself and looked toward Chen Beiwu.
He had fought on the front lines of Mirror-Sky City and personally witnessed the terrifying might of this Third-Tier Treasure Formation.
Clearly, before they crossed the river, the Blood Fortune Sect’s Demonic Cultivators had already laid down a grand formation in the Blood-Weeping River, specifically waiting for them to walk into the trap.
But since the Dao Child had been able to issue a warning in advance, it meant he was confident in dealing with it.
Sure enough, under Wang Hao’s gaze, the Dao Child’s expression remained calm from beginning to end.
Instead, Wang Hao, Bai Zhi, and Mo Li all trembled. The circulation of Mana within their bodies abruptly became sluggish, the color drained from their faces, and they turned deathly pale.
Before the Myriad Filth Soul-Locking Blood River Formation, Foundation Establishment cultivators like them were as weak as ants and utterly incapable of resisting.
‘Fall back. This is not a battle you should participate in.’
Chen Beiwu’s thought stirred slightly, and an invisible Mana barrier instantly protected the three.
In an instant, their rapid breathing quickly stabilized.
Wang Hao and Bai Zhi looked nervously toward Chen Beiwu.
The Myriad Filth Soul-Locking Blood River Formation was extraordinary and had to be arranged in advance.
Logically speaking, dealing with Foundation Establishment cultivators like them would never require the Blood Fortune Sect to make such a grand display and deliberately set up a certain-kill trap.
So the answer was simple. The Demonic Sect’s target was not them at all, but the Dao Child responsible for receiving the mission handoff.
Then came the question. The Dao Child was the number one Golden Core of the Earth Proliferation Territory. If the Blood Fortune Sect dared act against the Dao Child, did that not mean a Demonic Sect Nascent Soul True Monarch would descend today?
Mo Li also thought of this and looked toward Chen Beiwu with worry in her eyes.
“Clap!”
“Clap!”
“Clap!”
As applause rang out, an ordinary-looking young man entered everyone’s sight, followed by nine peak Foundation Establishment cultivators.
“As expected of the Mirror Moon Dao Child whose name has spread throughout the Earth Proliferation Territory. You actually saw through the Myriad Filth Soul-Locking Blood River Formation and discovered our whereabouts.” Shan Junjie could not conceal the surprise in his eyes.
As bait, he should not have acted ahead of time.
But Chen Ziang’s sudden appearance had caused his master to decisively alter the sect’s plan.
There was no other reason. Chen Ziang was the youngest Golden Core True Person the Mirror Moon Sect had produced in ten thousand years. His combat strength was unfathomable, he was also the number one Golden Core of the Earth Proliferation Territory, and he could even resonate with the Mirror Moon Sect’s foundations.
Without question, once such a peerless prodigy successfully attained the Dao as a True Monarch, he would absolutely become a nightmare for the Three Great Demonic Sects of the Western Proliferation Territory.
If he could assist his master in killing the Mirror Moon Dao Child here, he would absolutely obtain heaven-shaking Battle Merit!
“Oh, since you know it’s me, why aren’t you running?” Chen Beiwu said with interest.
Hearing such matter-of-fact words, Shan Junjie slightly furrowed his brows, then relaxed them.
Forget it. No matter how talented Chen Ziang was, why should he care about the barking of a dying dog?
Thinking this, Shan Junjie formed hand seals and activated the Myriad Filth Soul-Locking Blood River Formation.
Even the Eight Wastelands Sect’s Dao Child had not been Chen Ziang’s match. Naturally, he would not foolishly step forward to duel with techniques. He only needed to attract the other party’s attention.
The next instant, behind Shan Junjie, a pink paw pad appeared without the slightest warning.
So fast!
Even though Shan Junjie’s cultivation had reached perfected Golden Core and he had forged the prototype of a Purple Mansion Yang Spirit, even with all his Divine Sense fully extended, he still could not capture the movement trajectory of that fox paw.
“Boom!”
The Great Void-Rending Claw descended. Shan Junjie only felt an incomparably strange force of the void invade his body, frantically eroding his meridians, True Qi, and physical body. Even the Earthly Sha Golden Core within his dantian Qi Sea let out an unwilling wail.
‘Can’t block it!’
‘Completely can’t block it!’
Shan Junjie’s body trembled as blood sprayed out. A hole was forcibly gouged through his dantian by the pink fox paw, and unwillingness appeared across his face.
He clearly carried numerous Third-Tier defensive Magical Treasures and Treasure Talismans, so why had not a single one activated automatically?
But no matter how unwilling Shan Junjie was, he could not stop his Three Souls and Seven Spirits from being annihilated by the corrosion of the Void Dao, completely losing all vitality.
“Ying?”（That’s it?）
Zhi Ling glanced at the Immortal Golden Core on her paw, surprise appearing in her eyes.
He could not even withstand one swipe from her, yet with strength like this, he still dared chatter endlessly in front of Beiwu?
“It’s over, little fellow!”
At the very instant Shan Junjie fell, Blood Marrow True Monarch, who had been hidden in the shadows, flicked his finger.
A drop of blood compressed to the extreme, dark as ink, crossed space and instantly appeared within three chi of Chen Beiwu.
The timing of this strike was vicious, its method bizarre, and combined with the Blood Demon Seal Mystical Ability from the Blood Marrow Demon-Planting Great Art for a surprise attack, even a mid-stage Nascent Soul True Monarch would suffer greatly if caught unprepared.
Much less Chen Ziang, a mere Golden Core True Person!
As long as this strike succeeded and smoothly killed Mirror Moon Dao Child Chen Ziang, allowing him to obtain rewards from Blood Demon True Venerable and the Eight Wastelands Sect, then a mere Golden Core disciple dying was simply dying.
The demonic path was merciless. Shan Junjie being able to create an opportunity for him to unleash a fatal strike meant that the several hundred years he had spent nurturing him had not been wasted.
However, just as the blood droplet was about to touch Chen Beiwu’s protective True Qi, the latter’s figure suddenly blurred in an instant, then immediately became clear again.
‘That is a Nascent Soul True Monarch’s teleportation Mystical Ability!’
Blood Marrow True Monarch’s pupils contracted. Beneath his sleeves, his hands instinctively clenched, revealing the turmoil in his heart.
As far as he knew, Chen Ziang had entered the Mirror Moon Sect at sixteen years old, and only eighty-two years had passed since then.
‘A Nascent Soul True Monarch under a hundred years old!’
Upon reaching this conclusion, an unbelievable sense of absurdity surged through Blood Marrow True Monarch’s heart.
No wonder Blood Demon True Venerable was so wary of Chen Ziang!
No wonder the Eight Wastelands Sect’s Divine Transformation True Venerable was willing to pay a tremendous price and launch the Three-Realm War solely to take Chen Ziang’s life!
A cultivation prodigy as inconceivable as Chen Ziang, if allowed to continue growing, would probably become another Zhu Wuya.
No, compared to Zhu Wuya, this child’s future was limitless. Perhaps he even had hopes of breaking free from the shackles of the Earth Proliferation Territory and challenging Divine Transformation!
At this thought, pure killing intent arose within Blood Marrow True Monarch’s heart.
Since he had already acted, formed karma with Chen Ziang, and discovered that the other party was such a monstrous prodigy, then he had to spare no cost and completely strangle him to death here.
Otherwise, if this child escaped today, he would inevitably become a grave future threat to the Blood Fortune Sect.
Thus, Blood Marrow True Monarch raised both hands and rapidly formed seals.
With his mid-stage Nascent Soul strength, he had complete confidence in defeating Chen Ziang, fifty percent confidence in severely injuring him, and twenty percent confidence in suppressing and killing him.
But to prevent any accident, he prepared to activate the hidden measure left behind by the sect in advance, even if it meant the sect’s plan failed.
At the same time, Wang Hao and Bai Zhi also sensed that something was wrong.
Although that blood droplet had come quickly and vanished quickly, the terrifying pressure contained within it instinctively reminded them of the supreme Nascent Soul True Monarchs of the sect.
“Dao Child, run quickly! A Demonic Sect True Monarch has descended!” Bai Zhi cried out in alarm.
Hearing this, Chen Beiwu’s expression did not change. Instead, Wang Hao and Mo Li’s expressions changed slightly as they looked toward Bai Zhi in disbelief.
Especially Mo Li. Her gaze toward Bai Zhi even carried a trace of killing intent.
If Bai Zhi truly wanted the Dao Child to escape, she should not have shouted at this moment and drawn the Demonic Sect True Monarch’s attention.
“Trying to escape? Impossible!”
Sure enough, Blood Marrow True Monarch’s voice spread throughout the entire Blood-Weeping River：“Even if you, Chen Ziang, possess heaven-defying talent and have attained the Dao as a True Monarch, you will still die by my hand today.”
“Oh, relying on you, Yun Xi, alone, you dare boast so shamelessly before my sect’s Dao Child.”
Before the voice even finished, two figures stepped through space. As spatial ripples surged, they slowly appeared atop the Spirit Boat.
One had silver-white hair, while the other wore her cloud-like hair in a high bun. They were none other than Suspended Mirror True Monarch Zhu Jinglong and Clarifying Abyss True Monarch Xin Yu.
Zhu Jinglong calmly said：“Yun Xi, Junior Sister and I have been waiting for you for a long time. Today is the day you die.”
“The day I die? Indeed! This is the will of heaven, and also a demonic tribulation. With only the two of you, you still cannot protect Chen Ziang!”
Blood Marrow True Monarch threw his head back and laughed loudly, showing no surprise whatsoever at the appearance of Suspended Mirror True Monarch and the other.