Chapter 176: Chapter 176: The Coming Storm

On Immortal Peach Mountain.

Li Ping flew back toward his cave abode at a steady, unhurried pace. Along the way, he contemplated whether there were any issues with his recent words and actions.

Previously, through people like Zhang Tie, Gumu Sheng, and Yu Menghan, he had pieced together the basic cause and development of the conflict between the Immortal City and the Purple Cloud Sect.

According to public information, the general outline of events was as follows.

Twenty-eight years ago, the Immortal City was hit by a beast tide. Just as it was on the brink of collapse, Huang Yunzi arrived to provide support. Together, they killed a Tier Three Demon Beast and drove the beast tide away.

To show his gratitude for the assistance, Fenglan Master arranged a marriage contract between Huang Yan and Dai Sangyu with him.

But after Dai Sangyu reached the Core Formation Stage, she chose to break the engagement and refused to marry Huang Yan. This led to Purple Cloud Valley blockading the Immortal City.

Seeing the situation between the two sides grow dangerously tense and on the verge of open conflict, the leader of the Daoist Guardian Alliance, Xiao Changkong, personally came to the Immortal City to mediate.

Out of respect for him... or rather, intimidated by his immense prestige, Huang Yunzi had no choice but to agree to the mediation.

The final result was that the Immortal City conceded certain benefits, and Meng Qingyi was to marry in Dai Sangyu’s place.

’The Meng family is surely furious that Meng Qingyi was forced to marry,’ Li Ping thought. ’But by the same token, Huang Yunzi must have been extremely reluctant to accept the mediation.’

’In terms of actual benefits, a Core Formation Stage daughter-in-law was swapped for one at the Foundation Establishment Stage. It’s like planning to marry a pair of eighteen-year-old twin sisters, only to have them replaced with a thirty-six-year-old woman. Who could possibly be happy about that?’

’Furthermore, for a Core Formation power like Purple Cloud Valley, the broken engagement was a complete and utter humiliation.’

’If word got out, it would seriously damage their Sect’s reputation.’

’Huang Yunzi is a dignified Late-stage Core Formation Cultivator. How could he save face when a marriage contract he personally arranged was so brazenly torn up?’

’Five years ago, under pressure from the Daoist Guardian Alliance, Huang Yunzi was forced to compromise.’

’So now, with the Daoist Guardian Alliance facing unprecedented pressure from war and unable to intervene, what choice will he make?’

’The Meng family is being suppressed by Dai Sangyu, their interests have been severely damaged, and they might even face complete decline after she takes over as the master of the Immortal City. If given the chance, how will they react?’

Li Ping eagerly awaited the answer.

In all of this, he had no direct involvement. He had simply passed on a rumor he’d "heard" in Jixia to the Meng family’s old ancestor.

Of course, this was just a casual move on his part. It would be no great loss if it didn’t bear fruit.

However, what Li Ping didn’t know was that the conflict between Purple Cloud Valley and Fenglan Immortal City was not as simple as a single marriage contract, nor was a Core Formation Female Cultivator all that Purple Cloud Valley had lost.

Soon, Li Ping returned to his cave abode on Immortal Peach Mountain.

Pushing all miscellaneous matters from his mind, he summoned his puppet and ordered it to tidy up the Spiritual Land, the pond, and other areas of his cave abode. Li Ping himself entered the Alchemy Room and began cultivating while practicing alchemy.

...

Over a vast, desolate desert.

Two streaks of Escape Light, one in front of the other, were locked in a chase.

Inside the azure Escape Light at the front, the Celestial Travel Sect’s Foundation Establishment Cultivator, You Zichong, wore a grave expression, glancing back from time to time at the Tuluo Cultivator pursuing him.

When Tianshang Immortal City was filled with related rumors, he was dispatched by the upper echelons of the Celestial Travel Sect to the great desert to gather intelligence. After several days, the information he’d gathered was this:

The rumors were completely true. The six super-tribes of the Tuluo People had already joined forces and were marching south.

Upon confirming this, he had hastily turned back to return to the Yan Kingdom. But unexpectedly, during his investigation, he was discovered by a Foundation Establishment Cultivator of the Tuluo People and had been relentlessly pursued ever since.

Although he was confident he could defeat the Tuluo Foundation Establishment Cultivator, he had no intention of stopping to fight. His mission was not to kill the enemy, but to deliver the intelligence.

’We’re both Foundation Establishment Cultivators, and his Dharma Artifact is mediocre. He shouldn’t be able to catch me. I can save the Minor Shift Talisman.’ Comparing their speeds, You Zichong couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief.

But at that very moment, he was startled to see a golden stream of light shoot past the Tuluo Foundation Establishment Cultivator at a terrifying speed, closing in on him.

"A Core Formation Cultivator!"

Horrified, You Zichong no longer cared about saving it. He immediately pulled out the Minor Shift Talisman and crushed it. After a strange spatial fluctuation, his figure vanished into the void.

Almost the instant after he was teleported away, a bald figure in magnificent golden robes streaked across the sky, stopping where You Zichong had vanished. He frowned. "A Minor Shift Talisman!"

A Minor Shift Talisman could instantly and randomly teleport a cultivator forty to fifty li away, a distance that already exceeded the range of a Core Formation Cultivator’s Divine Sense.

This meant... he had lost him.

Just then, the Tuluo Foundation Establishment Cultivator caught up and called out respectfully, "High Priest!"

The High Priest nodded. "Never mind that man. Order our people to increase their speed and conquer the Yan Kingdom in one fell swoop!"

"Yes!"

...

「Donghua Mountain, Jixia City.」

A meeting was being held here. In attendance were the Core Formation Cultivators of Jixia, as well as Late-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivators such as Xiao Yunzhi.

Xiao Changkong stood at the head of the hall, his expression grave. "The cultivators sent to gather intelligence in the territories of the four Demon Dao sects have returned. Just as the rumors described, the four Demon Dao sects have mobilized on a massive scale and are prepared to re-enter the Yuan Kingdom to provoke a great war at any moment!"

When the dozens of cultivators seated below heard this news directly from Xiao Changkong, an uproar immediately followed.

Someone asked, "Senior Xiao, are the reports of the four Demon Dao sects joining forces with the Tuluo People true?"

If it were just an invasion by the four Demon Dao sects, the Daoist Guardian Alliance would not be worried. They had repelled one of their offensives before, and they could repel a second.

The four Demon Dao sects couldn’t dream of setting a single foot past the Qi Kingdom.

But if the Tuluo People truly were to march south in force, the strength of the Yan and Liang Kingdoms alone would be completely insufficient to stop them.

And if they had to focus all their efforts on fending off the Demon Dao sects’ invasion, they wouldn’t be able to spare any manpower to support the Yan and Liang Kingdoms.

"Although we have no definitive intelligence, I estimate the news is true." Xiao Changkong’s expression remained unchanged, but his voice was grave. "During this time, I’ve received messages from the Celestial Travel Sect and the Qixia Sect. The same rumors have appeared there, and they began circulating even earlier than they did here."

"Clearly, someone is deliberately warning us, allowing us to prepare for war in advance."

"We should thank this person. Otherwise, I’m afraid we would all still be in the dark!"

Xiao Changkong’s gaze swept over everyone present. "Fighting alone, the Yan and Liang Kingdoms are no match for the six great tribes of the Tuluo People. Therefore, we must mobilize the forces of the other kingdoms."

The others all nodded in profound agreement with his words.

Xiao Changkong quickly laid out the war deployments. "This battle concerns the very survival of the Righteous Dao in the Western Wilderness; we cannot be careless. Here, against the four Demon Dao sects, the Qi Kingdom, the Yuan Kingdom, and our allies from the other six eastern kingdoms will hold the line for now! For the Yan Kingdom front, we must ask Huang Yunzi to lead the cultivators from the five kingdoms of the Western Realm, including the Yue Kingdom, to provide support. As for the Liang Kingdom, we must ask Chi Xiaozi to lead the cultivators from eight kingdoms, including the Yun and Jiang Kingdoms, to provide support!"

The Western Wilderness’s Righteous Dao did not have many Late-stage Core Formation Cultivators. Besides Xiao Changkong, there were only four others.

They were Huang Yunzi of Purple Cloud Valley, Chi Xiaozi of the Crimson Flame Sect, You Yuzi of the Celestial Travel Sect, and Xiao Changkong’s junior brother, Qiu Changfeng.

According to Xiao Changkong’s arrangements, the northern battlefield would have three Late-stage Core Formation Cultivators presiding over it, supplemented by more than ten other Core Formation Cultivators. This would be enough to resist the Tuluo People’s offensive.

After all, the Tuluo People’s forces were not as vast as those of the four Demon Dao sects. Moreover, the four Demon Dao sects hailed from the Great Zhou, and the methods of their high-tier cultivators were far beyond anything the Tuluo cultivators could compare to.

Meanwhile, the pressure of resisting the four Demon Dao sects fell almost entirely on the Academy Palace. This was undoubtedly the toughest nut to crack in this war.

But as the greatest faction in the Western Wilderness and the pillar of the Righteous Dao, if not them, then who?

The other cultivators of the Academy Palace had no objections to Xiao Changkong’s arrangements.

The meeting soon concluded. Envoys departed from Donghua Mountain for the Crimson Flame Sect and Purple Cloud Valley, carrying with them the Daoist Guardian Alliance’s arrangements for the war.

...

「Purple Cloud Valley.」

Huang Yunzi was receiving the old ancestor of the Meng family, who had arrived travel-worn from the Immortal City. The old ancestor had come to Purple Cloud Valley on the pretext of discussing the wedding between Huang Yan and Meng Qingyi.

Ordinarily, a mere Late-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator like him was not qualified to be received by Huang Yunzi.

However, the Meng family’s old ancestor was decisive. He offered a generous sum of Spirit Stones to bribe the Huang family’s Clan Leader and was finally granted an opportunity to meet Huang Yunzi.

"Greetings, Senior Huang!" Upon meeting him, the Meng family’s old ancestor immediately bowed respectfully.

Huang Yunzi nodded, pleased with the old ancestor’s deferential attitude. He said lightly, "I hear you wished to see me. What is it?"

Thinking of what he was about to do, a look of conflict appeared on the old ancestor’s face, but it vanished just as quickly, replaced by a calm and frank expression.

He said respectfully, "I have come into possession of some grave news, and I came specifically to inform you, Senior."

"Oh? What news?" Huang Yunzi’s expression turned intrigued.

The Meng family’s old ancestor stood in the hall and recounted, word for word, the news Li Ping had told him.

"What? The four Demon Dao sects have joined forces with the Tuluo People? How is that possible?" Huang Yunzi couldn’t sit still. He shot to his feet.

His expression was grave. "Where did you hear this news?"

The Meng family’s old ancestor naturally didn’t hide anything, stating that a good friend of his had heard it upon returning from Jixia and that the news would likely spread far and wide before long.

Huang Yunzi nodded thoughtfully. "Bai Yurong sent you to inform me, I presume."

Hearing this, the Meng family’s old ancestor gritted his teeth and replied, "Fenglan Master does not know of this matter. The moment I learned the news, I came to seek an audience with you, Senior."

"Bai Yurong doesn’t know?" Huang Yunzi was taken aback for a moment. Then, his gaze toward the Meng family’s old ancestor became playful.

’This man is an Immortal City cultivator, yet after obtaining such crucial intelligence, he didn’t inform the master of the Immortal City first. Instead, he traveled a great distance to inform me. Now this is interesting.’

As a Late-stage Core Formation Cultivator, Huang Yunzi had no intention of beating around the bush with a Foundation Establishment Stage cultivator. He looked at the Meng family’s old ancestor and said directly, "Speak. Why did you come to me first?"

The Meng family’s old ancestor looked up at Huang Yunzi.

The next moment, he dropped to his knees. "I implore you to support me, Senior!"

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.