Chapter 627 The Era of Expansion, First Entry into the Jade Pool
The phrase "Though far away, we will surely punish them" may sound arrogant to others, but considering the fate of the Heaven-Shaking Demon Emperor, the Peacock Emperor and others had no choice but to believe it.
Senior Sister Zhang's figure was very illusory. In reality, she was not so bold as to leave Haori Base and chase after several Golden Immortals to this place. Instead, she was projected here through the Thick Earth Magnetic Array.
She still looked somewhat dissatisfied.
To be honest, if possible, she really wanted to keep all these people in front of her.
The problem is that they were able to kill the Heaven-Shaking Demon Emperor because they opened up the Xuanwei Sea. The Sun-Shooting Army needs the detection data of the Thick Earth Magnetic Array to achieve merit. The current detection range of the Thick Earth Magnetic Array only covers the Xuanwei Sea and a part of the North Sea.
If the Heaven-Shaking Demon Emperor had run any further, he really wouldn't have been able to shoot him.
On the other hand, the Sun-Shooting Army was really exhausted. Even after consuming a huge amount of spirit stones and with the help of the Golden Sun Burning Heaven Formation, their spiritual energy had not recovered after shooting three arrows. They might be able to shoot one or two more arrows, but if they couldn't kill a Golden Immortal, it wouldn't be of much use.
Therefore, Senior Sister Zhang looked at Emperor Peacock and the others with a hint of regret in her eyes.
Seeing her expression, the Peacock Emperor and his companions panicked—this woman really wanted to kill them all!
The Peacock Emperor and the Jade Pool Blissful Maiden exchanged a glance, seemingly knowing that the Nine Mountains Sect and they were already enemies. There was no point in saying more, so the two of them retreated swiftly without uttering a word, heading towards the Western Continent.
But the Supreme Daoist Xuan Chengzi and others were dumbfounded.
He wanted to leave too... but the Supreme Dao was in the Eastern Continent!
If he wants to go home, he has to pass through the Xuanwei Sea.
After passing through the Xuanwei Sea, one must pass under the flying arrows from the Nine Mountains Sect.
What should we do?
Senior Sister Zhang watched the Peacock Emperor and his companion leave, her eyes still filled with murderous intent. She seemed to be thinking of the people from the Supreme Dao again, and squinted at Xuan Chengzi and the others.
She had not yet attained the Dao fruit, but the three disciples of the Supreme Dao felt somewhat nervous when she glanced at them.
"Does the Supreme Dao also intend to be an enemy of my Nine Mountains Sect?"
Senior Sister Zhang said slowly.
Xuan Chengzi forced a smile and said, "My Taishangdao and the Jiushan Sect have always been on good terms, so how could we be enemies with the Jiushan Sect?"
"real?"
“Of course!” Xuan Chengzi nodded repeatedly, and said, “We have come here only to borrow your sect’s precious land to return to our sect.”
Senior Sister Zhang nodded slowly, seemingly believing her.
"The Supreme Dao is unwilling to be an enemy of my Nine Mountains Sect?"
"I have absolutely no such intention!"
"If that's the case, how come I heard that a few days ago, my Nine Mountains Sect's caravan was driven out of the country by the Supreme Dao, and the disciples of the Supreme Dao are no longer coming to my Nine Mountains Sect to trade? Rumor has it that some people in the Supreme Dao are very hostile to my Nine Mountains Sect?" Senior Sister Zhang's eyes were half-smiling, and she said quietly, "What do you mean, not even a single pill is allowed to be sold to my Nine Mountains Sect?"
Xuan Chengzi's face turned pale and then red, and he stammered, "Hospitality? Who's hostile? I'm afraid the disciples have misunderstood!"
"In that case, can my Nine Mountains Sect purchase the pills from the Supreme Dao?"
"Of course!"
"Can the goods of my Nine Mountains Sect be sold in the Supreme Dao?"
"Absolutely no obstacles."
Senior Sister Zhang seemed satisfied and nodded her chin at Xuan Chengzi: "In that case, my Nine Mountains Sect will not take action against the fellow Daoists of the Supreme Dao."
Xuan Chengzi cupped his hands in greeting, his expression kind and even somewhat humble, and led the disciples of the Supreme Dao away into the distance.
As they disappeared at the edge of the horizon, a voice finally reached Senior Sister Zhang's ears: "The Supreme Dao is not to be trusted. This Xuan Chengzi has no good intentions."
“I know.” Senior Sister Zhang nodded to Lord Shuyu. “He is probably coveting the Primordial Purple Qi. Junior Brother means that we should leave the Supreme Dao alone for now.”
"What did the sect leader say?"
“Hmm.” Senior Sister Zhang explained, “According to Junior Brother’s observations at Leiyin Temple, there should be a lot of divisions within the Supreme Dao. Xuan Chengzi hates Jiuyou and is loyal to Leiyin, but there is also a force that hates Buddhism. They may not want to befriend us, but they certainly won’t follow Lu Yao’s lead.”
“This Xuan Chengzi, who seems respectful to Lu Yao, is actually at odds with Lei Yin, and his true intention is still to prioritize the interests of the Supreme Dao.”
Lord Shuyulong fell into thought.
“I also want to show them what I’m made of. But even if the Sun-Shooting Army could hit the Supreme Dao, with the Dao Venerable of the Supreme Dao, it would be difficult for them to achieve anything.” Senior Sister Zhang sighed. “On the other hand, Junior Brother said that if we force them, the Supreme Dao might really unite as one. We wouldn’t be able to withstand nine Golden Immortals. It’s better to let them argue amongst themselves.”
That's absolutely right.
"Most importantly, our greatest enemy is Leiyin Temple, so we shouldn't make too many enemies." Senior Sister Zhang sighed, seemingly trying to convince herself, "Our main strategic objective during this period isn't exactly the right one either."
"Strategic objectives?"
Senior Sister Zhang lowered her eyes slightly, looking at the ocean beneath her feet, a half-smile on her face: "Our Nine Mountains Sect has fired three arrows, consuming so many resources, we should at least have some spoils of war."
"Spoils of war..."
Senior Sister Zhang squinted and looked down at the ocean beneath her feet: "If you come out now, I might spare your life."
"Otherwise..."
Before she could finish speaking, a figure appeared on the sea with a bitter expression; it was none other than the Azure Sea Dragon King.
He shrank his neck, on the verge of tears. The Peacock Emperor and the other man could return to Leiyin Temple, but how could he leave the North Sea?
To be honest, he felt a chill run down his spine when he saw Zhang Wuyi. A Golden Immortal! A Golden Immortal had died right before his eyes!
He died in Beihai!
Seeing him with his head down, not daring to look directly at the two of them, the Dragon Lord Shuyu sneered, "Shuyu, you're not going to say anything? You were calling me 'Shuyu, the lowly servant' so loudly just now."
"Dragon Lord..."
"I dare not accept such praise."
"Xiao Long has been bewitched..."
Senior Sister Zhang waved her hand and said, "Offer up the North Sea Suppressing Seal and surrender to the Nine Mountains, and I will spare your life and allow your family to be reunited."
The Azure Sea Dragon King's expression shifted for a long time before he finally dared not refuse and said, "Yes!"
Lord Shuyulong understood: "Does the sect have designs on the Northern Continent?"
Senior Sister Zhang smiled gently.
...
"Now that Leiyin Temple has locked itself off in the Western Continent and the Supreme Dao is internally unstable, this is a window of opportunity to conquer the Northern Continent." In the Hao Ri Base, Jian Daoshen spoke eloquently, as if he had a plan all along.
Senior Sister Zhang, the Heavenly Emperor, Uncle Pang, Yun Wuji, and the others stood aside listening.
"Judging from what Lu Yao said, the Primordial Purple Qi actually requires the unification of heaven and earth. Lu Yao's route is the Golden Immortals' discussion of matters. This route is the fastest and the easiest."
“But our Nine Mountains Sect is different. We are destined to stand on the opposite side of most Dao Fruits.”
Everyone nodded silently.
Leaving aside the differences in their philosophies.
Just considering the relationship between the Nine Mountains Sect and the Nine Nether Emperor, it would be enough to offend most of the Dao Fruits.
Sometimes, when you choose your friends, you choose your enemies.
“The Pure Land of Leiyin Temple still exists. As long as it is restored, it will still be extremely tempting to Golden Immortals,” Jian Daoshen analyzed. “We must accumulate enough territory, resources and strength during this period to deal with Leiyin Temple.”
He paused, then said, "After the main body survives the Five Decays of Heaven and Man, the more people he receives, the faster he will cultivate."
Yun Wuji agreed, "That's right. The stronger the Nine Mountains Sect is now, the greater the help it will be to the sect leader."
After listening to what Jian Daoshen said, Senior Sister Zhang continued, "Besides that, there is another reason, which is the issue of income."
Everyone then looked at Senior Sister Zhang.
The plan to conquer the Northern Continent was proposed by Senior Sister Zhang and Jian Daoshen together.
At the highest level of the Nine Mountains Sect, there were originally only two radical factions—Master Huang and his disciple, Senior Sister Zhang.
After the appearance of the Kendo Body, the radical faction gained another major figure.
This strategic plan also signifies that the Nine Mountains Sect has completely shifted its focus and is moving towards expansion.
"We are currently losing money by occupying Haori Mountain." As the chief financial officer of the Nine Mountains Sect, Senior Sister Zhang spoke eloquently, "Most of the land on Haori Mountain has been polluted by the Gu God. Not only is it not productive, but it also needs pollution control. It will not bring much contribution to the sect for several years."
"We originally obtained the treasure trove of Haori Mountain, but most of it was used to refine the Immortal Slaughtering Sword Formation, and another 90% was used up in this operation of the Golden Sun Burning Heaven Formation."
Uncle Pang frowned: "The maritime trade routes are cut off again."
"That's the biggest problem," Senior Sister Zhang nodded slowly. "The successive battles have taken a toll on the sect, and the income from the maritime trade routes is almost nonexistent. Meanwhile, the disciples' cultivation levels are still improving, and their numbers are increasing."
Upon hearing Senior Sister Zhang's words, the others frowned, realizing that the sect's financial situation was indeed not good.
"You're placing your hopes on the North Continent?"
“Yes, since the trade routes to the Western Continent are cut off, then we should head north… The Northern Continent has cultivators and resources. Even if we don’t occupy it, we can still make up for some of the losses in the trade routes.”
Everyone understood.
Kendo Shin and Senior Sister Zhang have different starting points.
The essence of the sword path is to occupy the Northern Continent and expand the sphere of influence of the Nine Mountains Sect.
Senior Sister Zhang was thinking about how to increase the income of the Nine Mountains Sect. Trade was an option, and occupation was also a possibility.
Seeing that everyone was thinking, Senior Sister Zhang continued, "Of course, this is just a hypothesis... We know too little about the Northern Continent. Only by sorting out the Northern Sea and collecting more information about the Northern Continent can we make a decision and avoid losing money."
Losing money fighting Haori Mountain is fine; as long as Haori Mountain survives, the Nine Mountains Sect will perish.
When it comes to attacking the Northern Continent, the Nine Mountains Sect still has to consider the economic implications and cannot expand blindly; their plans are still in their early stages.
Uncle Pang stroked his chin and suddenly laughed: "As we're talking, we've almost forgotten that there are still four Golden Immortals in the Northern Continent. Nephew, do you think they're dead?"
The three reclusive immortals and the Peacock Emperor all wield power in the Northern Continent, but when Senior Sister Zhang mentioned this matter just now, she only talked about the costs and benefits and didn't mention these four people at all, as if they didn't exist.
Senior Sister Zhang glanced at the Sun-Shooting Divine Bow on Yun Wuji's back, but didn't say anything, which made everyone laugh.
This battle not only gave the Nine Mountains Sect a period of development, but more importantly, it changed the sect's mentality—Golden Immortals? It's not like they haven't killed them before!
...
While Haori Base was filled with laughter, Leiyin Temple remained completely silent.
Looking at the Peacock Emperor and the Blissful Maiden before him, Lu Yao lowered his eyes, seemingly unsure of what to say.
After a long silence, he finally spoke: "Hantian, is he dead?"
It seems they don't quite believe what they're hearing.
The Peacock Emperor lowered his head, his voice low: "Die right before our eyes, with that Golden Sun Burning Heaven Formation..."
"Golden Sun Burning Heaven Formation..." Lu Yao closed his eyes slightly, his heart filled with complex emotions. The Golden Sun Burning Heaven Formation was created by him, but this formation had never had such power in his hands.
Who could have imagined that one of his most trusted lieutenants would die under this formation!
"We dared not linger and had no choice but to return..."
"It's none of your business." Lu Yao waved his hand, showing his understanding. "With Hantian dead, it's good that the two of you can protect yourselves."
A hint of gratitude appeared on the faces of the Peacock Emperor and the Blissful Maiden.
"However, the Nine Mountains Sect has become a major threat."
The golden immortals in the hall remained silent.
Lu Yao pondered for a moment, then said, "The best course of action now is to restore the Pure Land so that we can free up our resources and unite with other Golden Immortals. Until then, you must be careful of the Nine Mountains Sect, and it's best not to go there."
"yes!"
Upon hearing this, the faces of the Golden Immortals in the hall darkened even further.
Seeing their grim expressions, Lu Yao said, "With the Great Vajra Dharma Realm here, we don't need to worry about the Sun-Shooting Divine Bow in the Western Continent."
Upon hearing these words, the Eastern Lapis Lazuli Buddha felt not comfort but rather a pang of sorrow and desolation.
When did Leiyin Temple and its Golden Immortals have to become turtles to save their lives?
He looked around and unconsciously murmured:
"Not long..."
“Just a few days ago, this place was full of golden immortals.”
"The Pure Land remains intact."
"Nowadays..."
His words echoed lonely in the main hall, and no one responded.
The Lapis Lazuli Buddha, unwilling to give up, finally spoke up: "World Honored One, are we just going to let this go like this?"
Lu Yao's eyes were also cold: "We can't let Zheng Fa escape."
He looked at the Celestial Maiden of Bliss and asked, "How is it going at Yaochi?"
"It's all under control."
...
Zheng Fa had actually arrived at Yaochi half a month earlier.
The scenery of Yaochi is extremely unique and quite different from other places.
What impressed him most along the way was the vegetation coverage of Yaochi.
Whether it's Jiushan Sect, Haori Mountain, or Leiyin Temple, although there are plants on the land, the cities and villages are still built on open land, mainly plains.
The edge of Yaochi is alright; it's farmland, villages, and cities.
But the closer he got to the center of Yaochi, the more he felt that Yaochi seemed to be built in a forest.
The houses are mostly made of wood, with two or three stories on stilts, and are built on one or two huge ancient trees as foundations.
The forest is rich in spiritual energy, dotted with rivers and laden with fruit.
The medicinal herbs grew freely at my feet.
A fawn suddenly leaped across in front of "Zheng Fa," startling a small squirrel-like creature that fell from a branch, still clutching a fruit tightly in its paws.
Zheng Fa reached out his left hand and caught the little squirrel. The little creature was not afraid of people. Seeing that he was safe and sound, it stretched out its paw, held the fruit, and handed it to Zheng Fa, as if to express its gratitude.
Zheng Fa raised his right hand, and with the little guy looking at him with a pained expression, he took the fruit, looked at it, and prepared to put it in his mouth.
"Sect Leader Zheng seems quite leisurely."
A voice sounded from behind him. Zheng Fa seemed unsurprised. He took a bite of the fruit before turning to look at Ni Chang Yuan Jun.
(End of this chapter)
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