Chapter 412: Teacher, I Have Not Slacked Off

Mist covered the mountain forest.Inside the thatched hut, a crimson gem lamp shone eternally bright.Zen Master Guanyun, in a red robe, walked to the wooden door. Just like that afternoon three thousand years ago, her expression was serious, her face unaged, her youth undiminished, as she looked at Taishi Cong, who had returned from playing. However, in her hand was not a disciplinary ruler, but the Void-Calming Sword.

Taishi Gong stood at the picket fence gate, his eyes blurred with tears. He cried out hoarsely and tremblingly, "Teacher, have you come to take me away? At the end of my life, it's truly a joy that you are here to pick me up.""Only a thousand years have passed, yet how did you become so old? You haven't been practicing diligently all these years, have you?" Zen Master Guanyun felt the profound passage of time in her heart.

Taishi Gong closed his eyes, wiped away his tears, and his face was wreathed in smiles. His heart finally accepted the reality before him. The woman from all those years ago had returned; she was not a figment of his imagination.

Master Zhuo and Yao Qingxuan drove back to the Transcendence Manor.The formation's light barrier closed again."Thump!"A bulging black cloth bag made of special material was thrown from the car, landing heavily on the ground. The bag's surface was covered in soft scales, crafted from a demon king's hide. It was not only tough and unbreakable but also capable of isolating internal and external energies and perceptions.

Yao Qingxuan, disguised as a man, stepped out of the car and looked at Elder Aoshan and Li Weiyi, who were quickly approaching. Her eyes were sharp and almost reproachful as she said, "Why did you come back? Lingxiao City is more dangerous now than ever."Master Zhuo, dressed as a coachman, also frowned.

"I'll explain to you later."Li Weiyi asked, "Who's in the bag?"Yao Qingxuan replied, "The Song family patriarch, Song Yulou."

"What?"Li Weiyi couldn't believe they were so audacious. He quickly knelt down, untied the ropes and runes at the bag's opening, and released the handsome man who was sealed and bound inside.It really was Song Yulou!

Song Yulou was conscious but his eyes were quite dazed, unable to speak, his gaze sweeping over the four people in the courtyard. Upon seeing Li Weiyi, he sighed faintly in relief. The battle at the Six Thoughts Zen Temple had revealed Li Weiyi's character and responsibility to many. Even Immortality Realm giants would feel a sense of admiration for such a person, as they themselves might not be able to achieve the same.

"You two, one is an elder, and the other has lived for centuries. How can you act so radically and wildly? Is Song Yulou someone you can just capture casually?"Li Weiyi quickly looked outside the door, then up at the sky. He constantly felt as if the place was about to be surrounded by the imperial army. He also felt that the Third Palace Lord might, at any moment, send down a beam of light from a formation, leveling the entire Transcendence Manor.

Yao Qingxuan was very calm: "With the Vermilion Gate's defeat, the enemy will act within ten days, or even sooner. Song Yulou has long been controlled by the Rice Cult and holds an extremely important position. He must be eliminated immediately.""We must force the enemy to act prematurely within three days, no matter the cost.""Only by disrupting the enemy's rhythm will they pay the greatest price."Yao Qingxuan's strategy perfectly aligned with Zen Master Guanyun's thinking.

Song Yulou sat on the ground, all his limbs bound, his eyes sharp, shaking his head vigorously.Li Weiyi glanced at Song Yulou, recalling his desperate battle with the Demonic Child on Fuzhou Plain. Although he had long suspected him, he always felt that Song Yulou shouldn't be someone blinded by hatred, unable to distinguish priorities, or discern right from wrong. A 60-year-old martial cultivator in the Immortality Realm was absolutely an exceptional talent."Let him speak and see what he has to say," Li Weiyi said.

"Whoosh!"Master Zhuo, seated in the carriage, pointed a finger from a distance. A spiritual light struck Song Yulou's neck. Song Yulou fell to the ground, finally able to speak. He cried out, "I did indeed have contact with the evil cult, but it was merely a ruse, a pretense of being controlled by them. I wanted to know their true objective. Only by understanding the enemy will I know when to counterattack and strike them hard.""I reported this matter to the King of the West Sea long ago. If you confirm it, you'll naturally clear my name."

Master Zhuo sneered, "The King of the West Sea is far away in Shenming Pass. How could we possibly reach him in time?"

Yao Qingxuan took out a book and threw it to Li Weiyi: "This was found on him. Fortunately, we acted in time. According to his route at the time, he was likely heading to the Six Thoughts Zen Temple."Song Yulou looked bewildered. He tried to recall carefully but couldn't remember anything that happened after nightfall, not even how he was captured. His memory seemed to have a gap of several hours.

Li Weiyi opened the book and meticulously flipped through it, instantly holding his breath, his pupils contracting violently. Inside, there were drawings of the locations of various formation hubs and their array patterns across the Cloud Heaven Immortal Plains. There were even array patterns for the Great Array Beyond the Ninth Heaven.

Song Yulou asked, "What is that?"Li Weiyi walked over and opened a page to show him: "The ink is fresh! The Lintai Junior Minister is responsible for inspecting the various formation hubs, so it's not surprising you could get the array patterns. But how did you copy the array patterns for the Great Array Beyond the Ninth Heaven? Isn't the Third Palace Lord at the top of Lintai Mountain?""This is..." Song Yulou's eyes focused. After seeing the content in the book, his scalp tingled and a chill ran down his spine: "The Third Palace Lord is locked in a magical duel with the Demonic Realm Crown Prince and cannot be distracted at all. All matters were handed over to us.""Of the 180 formation hubs in the Cloud Heaven Immortal Plains, Lintai and the city defense camps managed by the Taishi family each oversee half. At Lintai, the information is very detailed. I had viewed it long ago, but just never organized it.""As for the Great Array Beyond the Ninth Heaven's array patterns, Lintai actually only has half. Many spirit seers learn it, each mastering a part, independently. This is to ensure that if a major change occurs, everyone can assist the Third Palace Lord in activating the formation together.""This is too detailed... And why is it in my handwriting? I never copied these things."Song Yulou was utterly confused, gritting his teeth, almost pleading: "Li Weiyi, something big is about to happen in Lingxiao City! I must see the Third Palace Lord immediately. I know there's definitely something wrong with me, but I swear, by the honor of the West Sea King's Mansion, I will never betray the imperial court, nor betray humanity."

Taishi Ancestral Manor, Thatched Hut.Taishi Gong sat properly on a wooden stool, hands clasped around the head of his staff, looking at the red-robed woman under the lamp opposite him: "Teacher, I haven't been negligent! A thousand years ago, when the Netherworld spread everywhere, during that overwhelming catastrophe, my physical body was almost crippled, and my spirit suffered severe damage. Since then, my cultivation progress has been very slow."Zen Master Guanyun said, "For now, don't tell anyone about my return."Taishi Gong nodded, seeing that Zen Master Guanyun's state was unusual: "Teacher, something big might happen in the Cloud Heaven Immortal Plains.""How can you tell?" Zen Master Guanyun asked.

Taishi Gong said, "Many things are too strange.""In the Eastern Region, the Dragon Gate and the Three-Island Barbarian Pirates are tying up Duke of the East Sea and the Thunder Sky Sect. Also, the transcendents of the Demon Race are causing chaos in Liangzhou, clearly intending to keep me in the Eastern Region.""In the Southern Region, it's already clear: the evil cult is cultivating Yin Corpses and Rice with secret arts underground in Fuzhou. The Zuoqiu Family and the Jiang family are currently immobilized.""In the Northern Region, after Xuejian Tangting crossed the Misty Grasslands and took Fengzhou, that old fellow from the Chen family can't escape and must be watched there.""As for the Western Region, there's no need to say more; it's already on the verge of collapse. The Second Palace Lord and Cao Caishen departed today, rushing to Shenming Pass.""All transcendents, armies, and Immortality Realm experts have been drawn away and pinned down. Lingxiao City now only has the Great Palace Lord, who is confined to her palace, the Blood-Robed Steward Ye Xuanming, and the Third Palace Lord.""Currently, all of the Third Palace Lord's energy is tied up by the Demonic Realm Crown Prince, who is in the Six Thoughts Zen Temple. The two are in an aerial standoff, their intentions intertwined, fully alert, making it impossible for her to attend to matters within the city.""Ye Xuanming must guard the inner treasury and national treasury. How can he supervise the entire city?""The transcendents of Lilongshu and the Divine Dark Family vanished from the Six Thoughts Zen Temple, hiding in the shadows. No one knows when or where they will appear to inflict the most fatal damage on Lingxiao City.""Furthermore, the evil cult must also have transcendents who have entered the city.""At least ten factions are involved from the Ghost City and Bone Mansion in the Netherworld of the Departed. Conservatively, at least ten deceased spirits at the transcendent level will take action. Most likely, some old monsters have already entered the city.""How can Ye Xuanming alone monitor multiple transcendents?""Everyone believes the Demonic Realm Crown Prince appeared to tie down the court's transcendents in Lingxiao City, leaving them no time to attend to the Western Region. But is it truly impossible for the enemy to attack Lingxiao City? How much deterrence does the Great Palace Lord still possess?""Teacher, have you gone to see her?"

Zen Master Guanyun said, "Don't hold any hope for her side. Cong'er, the battle of Cloud Heaven Immortal Plains, if nothing unexpected happens, will erupt the day after tomorrow. I want to ignite the flames of war ahead of time. Will you join me, your master, in a battle with no chance of victory?"Taishi Gong, despite knowing the danger, had secretly returned to Lingxiao City, already showing his stance. He smiled, unafraid and calm: "I originally thought this would be a tragic, isolated struggle, a painful, unwilling fight before death. But if I can face it by my teacher's side, it seems less painful, as if I've returned to my youth, full of fighting spirit and anticipation."

Zen Master Guanyun said, "Secretly summon Huo Di from the East Sea and Chen Su from the Chen family back.""What about the Second Palace Lord, Cao Caishen, and Song Yanxian?" Taishi Gong asked.Zen Master Guanyun said, "Let those three guard the Western Region! Lingxiao City has made too many mistakes over the years and has long lost the people's favor. I see no possibility of saving it; if it's meant to fall, then let it fall. But while the imperial court may perish, humanity must not. You and I, master and disciple, will be here in the Cloud Heaven Immortal Plains to give Lingxiao City a dignified end, repaying the suffering inflicted upon the people of the world over the past decade or so."