63: Chapter 63 The Old Drunkard

High above Tianshui City, in the layer of astral winds.

The wind blades here were sharp enough to shred a Soul Transformation Stage Cultivator into pieces. However, at this moment, all the wind blades vanished silently as they approached a certain area.

Ripples like those on water appeared in the Void Realm, and a shriveled old man wearing tattered Daoist robes manifested.

The old man held a wine gourd in his hand, his hair a messy tangle like a street beggar. He took a swig of wine, his cloudy eyes fixed on Tianshui City below.

"Gu Family... Ye Family..."

The old man let out a wine-scented burp and smacked his lips.

"This old man has slept for eight thousand years. As soon as I open my eyes, all sorts of monsters and demons have crawled out."

He extended a withered finger and drew a circle in the Void Realm. A wisp of residual Ancient Desolate Devilish Qi was gathered by him, swirling twice around his fingertip.

"A pure Ancient Desolate Magic Body. This Physique has been extinct since the Ancient Era. That Ye Family behind this kid has some tricks up their sleeve."

The old man looked toward the direction of the Central Region.

"That old fellow Xia Cangyuan from the Great Xia Dynasty actually forced his way out of seclusion for a junior. The taste of a backlash from the Heavenly Dao is not pleasant."

The old man shook his head and hung the gourd back on his waist.

"First the Gu Family, then the Ye Family. One is plotting in the Central Region, while the other is causing chaos in the Eastern Region. This chessboard is getting more and more interesting."

He turned around and took a single step, already a hundred miles away.

"This old man needs to head to the Central Region to have a look. I wonder if that Heavenly Secrets Pavilion can calculate how much longer it will take to finish this pot of wine."

Central Region, Star-Plucking Tower.

Gu Sheng looked at the light screen, his fingers tapping on the armrest.

The System's notification sound was crisp.

[Host, with your talent for directing and acting in your own plays, it's a pity you don't perform in the theater. That old man from the Penglai Sword Sect was completely fooled by you.]

Gu Sheng picked up his teacup. "The highest Realm of lying is nine parts truth and one part falsehood. Ye Yuan's Ancient Desolate Magic Body is real, the Silver Flood Dragons are real, and my hatred for the Gu Family... my acting was also very real. They will fill in the rest of the plot themselves."

Gu Sheng set down his teacup and walked to the window.

Heavenly Saint City was as bustling as ever. The coronation ceremony for the new Great Xia Emperor was about to be held, and various forces were converging here.

Gu Sheng unfolded his folding fan. "Where is Su Qianxue now?"

[She has already left the Hundred Thousand Mountains. She encountered quite a bit of trouble along the way. People from the Taichu Holy Land have already set their sights on her.]

Gu Sheng laughed out loud.

"The news I released should have spread by now. The nine heavens and ten earths demon subduing seal, a damaged Imperial Weapon. This bait is big enough; let's see if those old fellows from the Taichu Holy Land have the life to swallow it."

Gu Sheng closed his folding fan.

"Make a bigger scene in Tianshui City. The more chaotic the situation in the Eastern Region, the easier it will be to handle things here in the Central Region."

Inside Tianshui City, the bronze war chariot stopped in front of the city's most luxurious Haiyue Inn.

The shopkeeper came out to greet them, stumbling and trembling. Three Soul Transformation Stage Silver Flood Dragons were staring at him with cold, vertical pupils.

"Prepare the best guest room for this seat." Ye Yuan casually threw a Storage Pouch full of Top-Grade Spirit Stones into the shopkeeper's arms. "Feed these three loaches with hundred-year-old ice fish from the deep sea outside the city. If a single scale is missing, this seat will tear down your inn."

The shopkeeper nodded repeatedly and arranged for the workers to attend to those three living ancestors.

Ye Yuan stepped into the inn's lobby. The originally noisy Loose Cultivators instantly fell silent, lowering their heads to pretend to drink, not even daring to breathe loudly.

Ye Yuan walked to a window seat on the second floor and ordered a pot of spiritual wine.

He looked at the bustling street outside the window, calculating his next move. Since the Penglai Sword Sect had already sent the news back, the major forces in the Eastern Region would soon take action.

The Dragon Clan, the Sword Sect, plus those old monsters who lived in seclusion.

Tianshui City, second floor of the Haiyue Inn.

Ye Yuan toyed with the wine cup in his hand. The clear liquid reflected his dark purple pupils.

The long street outside was crowded with people, and Cultivators of all kinds were hurrying along, yet their gazes would always drift toward the inn's backyard, intentionally or not. Those three Silver Flood Dragons were lying by the pond, devouring hundred-year-old ice fish, the cold light reflected from their scales ensuring no one dared approach within a hundred feet.

"The Penglai Sword Sect is moving quite fast." Ye Yuan downed the wine in his cup in one gulp.

At the end of the long street, three sword lights streaked through the air and landed steadily in front of the inn.

The leader was a middle-aged Sword Cultivator in green robes, carrying a sword case on his back. He did not fly but instead walked into the inn.

Li Qingfeng followed behind, half a step back.

The Loose Cultivators in the inn's lobby gasped and began paying their bills to flee.

Sect Master of the Penglai Sword Sect, Chu Kuangren. At the He Dao Great Perfection, he was the publicly acknowledged leader of the sword path in the Eastern Region.

Chu Kuangren looked up toward the second floor, his voice steady. "Chu Kuangren of the Penglai Sword Sect is here to pay a visit to the Divine Son of the Ye Family."

Ye Yuan leaned back in his chair without moving. "Come up."

Chu Kuangren climbed the stairs. When he reached the table, he didn't stand on ceremony and pulled out a chair to sit down.

Li Qingfeng stood to the side, eyes downcast in meditation.

"Fellow Daoist Ye." Chu Kuangren looked at Ye Yuan, his gaze sweeping over the Devilish Qi swirling around him. "I heard from Li Qingfeng that the Ye Family has an old grudge with the Gu Family of the Central Region?"

"It's more than an old grudge." Ye Yuan poured another cup of wine. "It's a blood feud. Back then, when the Heavenly Dao collapsed, that pack of rats from the Gu Family hid in their turtle shells and dumped the mess onto the Ye Family. This debt must be settled."

Chu Kuangren tapped his finger on the table. "The Gu Family is currently at the height of its power in the Central Region. Even the Great Xia Dynasty has suffered at their hands. Fellow Daoist Ye, as you are alone in the Eastern Region, how do you plan to settle this debt?"

"Alone?" Ye Yuan laughed, his voice raspy. "Sect Master Chu, why do you think that old loach from the East Sea Dragon Palace obediently handed over three Atavistic Silver Flood Dragons?"

Chu Kuangren's pupils narrowed slightly.

"The shackles of the Heavenly Dao are loosening." Ye Yuan lowered his voice. "In the struggle of the great era, those who strike first are often the ones who die fastest. The Gu Family jumped out impatiently; do they really think this world is still the same as in the ancient times? It's time to muddy the waters of the Eastern Region."

Chu Kuangren was silent for a long while. As a Sect Master, he naturally considered much more than Li Qingfeng.

The emergence of Hidden Families, the movements of the Dragon Clan, and the chaos in the Central Region—all these clues linked together signaled an unprecedented storm.

"What do you want, Fellow Daoist Ye?" Chu Kuangren asked directly.

"The resources of the Eastern Region." Ye Yuan held up a finger. "The Ye Family needs a foothold. The Penglai Sword Sect is the local power; cooperation will only benefit you."

"The conditions?"

"Help me find a few people." Ye Yuan threw a Jade Slip from his Storage Pouch. "There are several names on this. Find them, and the Ye Family will ensure that the Penglai Sword Sect's legacy remains intact during this great era."

Chu Kuangren took the Jade Slip and extended his Divine Sense into it.

A moment later, his expression changed drastically.

The names on the Jade Slip were all old monsters from Eastern Region legends who had long since disappeared; some he had only ever seen in his Sect's ancient records.

"Fellow Daoist Ye, this deal is too big." Chu Kuangren put away the Jade Slip.

"Only big deals satisfy a big appetite." Ye Yuan stood up. "Sect Master Chu, take your time to consider. I will stay in Tianshui City for three days. After three days, I will head to the Central Region."

Central Region, Luoxia Mountains.

Su Qianxue traveled on the wind.

After leaving the Hundred Thousand Mountains, she intentionally bypassed several major cities, choosing remote routes instead.

The black wooden box in her arms felt as heavy as a thousand tons.

Gu Sheng's words still rang in her ears. The nine heavens and ten earths demon subduing seal, a damaged Imperial Weapon. If this thing were to see the light of day, the entire Central Region would descend into madness.

"Girl, stop!" Danqingzi's urgent warning came from the ring.

Su Qianxue's figure came to a sudden halt, landing on a mountain ridge.

Ahead, the sea of clouds churned, and several figures blocked her path.

Four Nascent Soul Great Perfection Cultivators and one Early Stage Soul Transformation Cultivator.

They wore uniform moon-white Daoist robes with the totem of the Taichu Holy Land embroidered on their cuffs.

The leading Soul Transformation Stage elder, holding a horsetail whisk, blocked her way. "Miss Su, where are you going in such a hurry?"

Su Qianxue gripped the long sword at her waist. "Why are people from the Taichu Holy Land stopping me, a Disciple of Baicao Valley?"

"The new Valley Master of Baicao Valley, carrying a precious treasure from the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion to the Great Xia Imperial City—this news has spread throughout the Central Region." The elder flicked his whisk. "The Holy Lord has ordered that Miss Su be invited to the Taichu Holy Land as a guest."

"A guest?" Su Qianxue sneered. "A guest through forced buying and selling?"

"Miss Su, don't refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit." The elder's gaze turned cold. "Hand over the wooden box, and I will leave your corpse intact."

Su Qianxue wasted no words; her long sword left its sheath.

The Taiyi Divine Needles transformed into a sky full of golden light, piercing toward the five people.

"Form the Formation!" the elder shouted.

The four Nascent Soul Cultivators quickly dispersed, occupying the four directions. A green light screen rose, trapping Su Qianxue in the center.

Taichu Immortal-Trapping Formation.

Su Qianxue's Sword Qi struck the light screen, only causing a few ripples.

"Girl, this Formation is not simple; it's a secret technique of the Taichu Holy Land. With your Early Stage Soul Transformation cultivation, you can't break it," Danqingzi said anxiously.

Su Qianxue bit the tip of her tongue and spat a mouthful of essence blood onto the blade of her sword.

The sword light surged, transforming into a frost dragon that crashed into the light screen.

The elder snorted coldly and waved his whisk, a blinding white light striking the frost dragon's head.

The dragon dissipated, and Su Qianxue stumbled back several steps, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth.

"Stubborn." The elder stepped into the Formation, his withered hand clawing toward the wooden box in Su Qianxue's arms.

Just as his hand was about to touch the wooden box.

The Formation patterns on the surface of the wooden box lit up.

An ancient, vast wave carrying an aura of destruction soared into the sky.

Before the elder's hand could even touch the box, it was shattered to pieces by this wave.

He let out a miserable scream and retreated thirty meters.

"What is this thing!" The elder looked at his bare wrist, his face filled with horror.

Outside the Formation, the four Nascent Soul Cultivators were pressed to the ground by this wave, bleeding from their seven orifices.

Holding the wooden box, Su Qianxue also suffered a backlash, her internal organs churning.

"Imperial Might..." Danqingzi's voice trembled. "This is the aura of an Imperial Weapon! That lunatic from the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion actually let you, a Soul Transformation Cultivator, walk around openly with an Imperial Weapon!"