104: Chapter 104 Nine Heavens Immortal Realm

Southern Border.

Hundred Thousand Mountains.

The outskirts of Baicao Valley.

Su Qianxue stood by the medicinal fields, looking at the distant mountain range.

A squad of Great Xia's Black Armor Army patrolled the valley entrance.

Jian Wuji, leading several Disciples from the Sword Burial Abyss, squatted at the mine entrance chewing on dry rations.

"Valley Master," a mountain-guarding Disciple ran over, "a message came from the Yao Race territory. The Yao Emperor has returned, and his expression is very grim. Word is he suffered a setback at the auction."

Su Qianxue nodded.

Danqingzi spoke from within the ring.

"Girl, the Yao Emperor failed to buy the Enlightenment Tea Leaves, so his cultivation cannot achieve a Breakthrough. The Yao Race of the Hundred Thousand Mountains will surely look for a place to vent their frustration. Baicao Valley will be the first to bear the brunt. We must make plans early."

Su Qianxue gripped the longsword at her waist.

"Baicao Valley is now Great Xia's medicine storehouse. If the Yao Race dares to come, we'll make sure they never leave."

Just as she finished speaking, a deafening beast roar echoed from the horizon.

A massive avian creature crossed the mountain range, diving straight toward Baicao Valley.

A Creation Realm Great Yao.

Jian Wuji tossed aside his dry rations and lifted his precept-breaking blade.

"Work's here. Brothers, grab your gear!"

The Sword Cultivators of the Sword Burial Abyss charged forward with howling cries.

These people had been squeezed so hard by the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion that they were itching for a place to vent their anger.

Before the avian creature could even get close to the valley, it was hacked into pieces by a dozen streaks of Sword Qi.

A rain of blood splattered outside the medicinal fields.

Su Qianxue looked at the bird feathers covering the ground and pushed her half-drawn sword back into its scabbard.

With these free thugs around, Baicao Valley was safer than an iron fortress.

Great Xia Imperial Palace.

Side Hall.

Ji Ruxue toyed with the kunlun mirror in her hand.

The cracks on the mirror's surface had already been repaired by the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion, and a warm luster flowed over it.

Xia Qingyue walked in wearing golden armor.

"Ruxue. News from the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion. The Nether Ancestor won the Heaven-Swallowing Demonic Art. I'm afraid a Great Devil Head is about to emerge in the Western Barrens."

Ji Ruxue placed the bronze mirror on the table.

"No matter how strong a Demonic Technique is, it depends on who is practicing it. The Nether Ancestor's Heart-Nature is too poor; he won't be able to suppress the Heaven-Swallowing Demonic Art. Sooner or later, he will suffer a backlash from the technique."

Xia Qingyue sat down beside her.

"Heavenly Saint City now gathers the world's Luck. Great Xia has benefited from the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion's presence, and our national strength is flourishing. But I always feel that these peaceful days won't last long."

Ji Ruxue looked up out of the window.

"In the struggle of the Great Era, where can peace be found?"

She stood up.

"I am going into seclusion to charge for the Dao Integration Realm. Please look after Great Xia's defenses."

Xia Qingyue nodded.

Heavenly Saint City.

Night fell.

Gu Sheng sat on the top floor of the Star-Plucking Tower, flipping through the intelligence sent by Su Jiuer.

Ye Yuan of the Eastern Territory had already set off for the Southern Border.

The Nether Ancestor of the Western Barrens had sealed his mountain for seclusion.

The Ancient Corpse of the Northern Plains had returned to Heaven Burial Island, showing no further movement.

The Three-Life Ancient Buddha of the Great Leiyin Temple was preaching in the back mountains, his Sanskrit chants echoing through half of the Western Barrens.

Everything was proceeding step by step.

Gu Sheng closed the intelligence report.

A red warning popped up on the System interface.

[Warning. Upper Realm Laws have detected Lower Realm anomalies. The spatial barrier is loosening.]

Gu Sheng raised an eyebrow.

"Those fellows in the Upper Realm still haven't given up?"

The System replied.

[The Host severed the wrist of an Upper Realm powerhouse. Karma has been established. The Upper Realm is searching for spatial coordinates, preparing to forcibly open a realm-crossing passage.]

Gu Sheng smiled.

He stood up and stretched lazily.

"Opening a realm-crossing passage? Fine by me."

He walked to the window and looked at the starlit sky.

"In the struggle of the Great Era, what's the fun in only fighting in the Lower Realm? Since the Upper Realm wants to come down and play, then let's open the passage completely."

Gu Sheng tapped on the window frame.

"System. Five million destiny points. Exchange for the full version of the Zhou Tian Star Array."

[Command confirmed. Deducting five million destiny points. Zhou Tian Star Array (Full Version) issued.]

A Formation Plate covered in stellar trajectories landed in Gu Sheng's hand.

The number one killing Formation of ancient times.

It could even strangle a Great Emperor.

Gu Sheng tossed the Formation Plate into the air.

The Formation Plate transformed into specks of starlight, merging into Heavenly Saint City's protective Formation.

The Laws of the entire city shifted instantly.

"Come then," Gu Sheng looked at the night sky, "it's time to expand the leek fields of the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion."

The tide of the Golden Great Era had finally met its true storm.

The chessboard was flipped.

This time, the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion would be the player.

Scheming against the Upper Realm itself.

The sea breeze of the Eastern Territory blew through Tianshui City. The yellow sands of the Western Barrens buried white bones. The Demonic Qi of the Southern Border surged into the sky. The ice and snow of the Northern Plains covered the tombs of ancient emperors.

The world was in chaos.

Gu Sheng fanned his folding fan and turned back into the inner room.

Sleep.

There were still accounts to check tomorrow.

Earning Spirit Stones was more important than cultivating immortality.

In the early morning, while the bluestone paths of Heavenly Saint City were still damp with dew, the sound of an abacus had already been clicking on the top floor of the Star-Plucking Tower for half an hour.

Gu Sheng fiddled with a red sandalwood abacus, a foot-high stack of ledgers piled beside him.

"Seventy-eight million Top-Grade Spirit Stones, twenty-two Saint Weapons, fifteen Spiritual Vein deeds, plus various Heaven And Earth Treasures." Gu Sheng set the brush on its stand, "This haul wasn't bad."

Su Jiuer walked in carrying hot porridge and placed it by the desk.

"Pavilion Master, quite a few Loose Cultivators in the city packed their bags and fled overnight." Su Jiuer served a bowl of porridge, "They say a killing Formation is hanging over Heavenly Saint City, and they feel a chill on their necks even when turning over in their sleep at night."

Gu Sheng took a sip of the porridge.

After the Zhou Tian Star Array was laid, the starlight was hidden within the runes of the city's protective Formation. Ordinary Cultivators couldn't see the clues; they only felt that the Spiritual Qi in the city was so thick it could practically drip. However, old monsters with cultivation at the Creation Realm or above could clearly sense the strangling power swirling overhead.

That was a Formation that could grind even a Great Emperor into powder.

"Let them run." Gu Sheng picked up a steamed bun, "In a few days when the people from the Upper Realm attack, they'll have to buy tickets to come back for refuge."

In his mind, the System's text popped up.

[Host, with the way you're calculating, even the Immortal Venerables of the Upper Realm will have to pay you a toll.]

Gu Sheng ignored it.

Upper Realm.

Nine Heavens Immortal Domain, Golden Scale Palace.

The grand hall was carved from a single piece of Immortal Spirit Jade. Living True Dragons coiled around the jade pillars.

The atmosphere in the hall had dropped to freezing point.

Golden Scale Immortal Venerable sat in the main seat, his right wrist severed cleanly. No blood flowed from the stump; instead, a layer of white Sword Qi lingered there. That Sword Qi was extremely stubborn; no matter how he channeled his Immortal Essence, he could not disperse it.

Jiang Taixu's strike had severed not just the Physical Body, but also Karma.

"There is a living Great Emperor in the Lower Realm." Golden Scale Immortal Venerable gritted his teeth, his voice echoing in the hollow hall.

Sitting below him, the Nine Nether Devil Emperor toyed with the wine cup in his hand. His projection had suffered a backlash from the Heavenly Dao Laws in the Western Barrens, and his true body had also sustained a slight injury.

"The Great Era has begun, and the Heavenly Dao is restructuring. It's not strange for the Lower Realm to be able to accommodate a Great Emperor." The Nine Nether Devil Emperor tilted his head back and drained the wine, "But they absolutely should not have taken this Emperor's Legacy and severed your hand."

Golden Scale Immortal Venerable snorted coldly.

"The coordinates for the realm-crossing passage have been locked." Golden Scale Immortal Venerable waved his left hand, and a water mirror appeared in the center of the hall, reflecting the silhouette of Heavenly Saint City. "In three days, the passage will be opened. This Venerable will ensure that not even a chicken or dog remains in this so-called Heavenly Secrets Pavilion."

The Nine Nether Devil Emperor set down his wine cup.

"Then we shall join forces. This Emperor wants to see just how tough the bones of that man named Gu in the Lower Realm really are."