Xie Lian stepped between the two of them and said, “I still think we could sit down and have a good talk first. Look at this child, doesn’t he look a lot like…”
Jun Wu smiled and said, "Looks like your son, right?"
“…Ha, haha, hahahahaha…”
Xie Lian laughed dryly for a moment and said, "How do you know what I'm going to say?"
Jun Wu finally tore his gaze from Hua Cheng, patted Xie Lian's shoulder gently, and without a word, turned back to the table and sat down. Xie Lian knew this meant there would be no direct confrontation for the time being, and he couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
He had seen with his own eyes how terrifying Jun Wu could be when he drew his sword if he had the intention to kill someone. No matter what, Xie Lian didn't want Hua Cheng to have the chance to face him head-on.
However, Hua Cheng's gaze remained unmoved, its hostility unwavering. Jun Wu pushed aside the three cups of tea one by one, saying, "While this isn't the first time I've met you, it is the first time we've been so close, and the atmosphere so peaceful. How about some tea instead of wine to smooth things over?"
Xie Lian coughed lightly and put on his clothes as naturally as possible. As he put on his boots, he asked, "Emperor, how is the situation in Heaven now?"
“…”
Jun Wu put down his teacup, looked out the window at the bright moon, and sighed, "Don't mention it."
Xie Lian: “…Okay. Let’s not talk about it.”
It seems that things are really bad. Jun Wu turned around and said seriously, "I was just kidding. I have to mention it even if I don't want to. Xianle, put your little friend down first and come with me for a while."
I guess there's something he can't explain in front of others. Xie Lian was about to respond when he heard Hua Cheng say leisurely behind him, "You've been in Heaven right now, and the chaos is undeniable. It's no secret. Even the little ghosts in the streets and villages know that the myriad ghosts gathered this time are unstoppable, and they're crowing with excitement. Why bother going out to talk about it?"
He also got out of bed and leisurely walked to the table. He picked up the teacup and played with it for a while, but seemed to have no interest in drinking the tea in the cup. After a while, the three of them sat at the table. Although Hua Cheng was in a different form at this time, his expression and demeanor always made people forget this matter. Jun Wu said gently, "It's true that nothing can be hidden from you, Your Excellency."
After all, it was Jun Wu who poured the tea, so he had to give him some respect. Xie Lian drank it anyway, saying, "Isn't there still some time before Tonglu Mountain officially opens and closes? Has it been confirmed?"
Although Feng Xin had mentioned it, Xie Lian felt it was somewhat exaggerated and not so certain. Jun Wu, however, said, "It truly cannot be stopped."
Hua Chengdao said, "I think your original plan was to send all the Martial Gods to completely block the passage to Tonglu Mountain as you did in the past, and stop them on the way. But Mu Qing broke out of the prison and escaped, and his whereabouts are unknown. This instantly opened up a huge gap in the south."
Xie Lian asked, “Has Feng Xin returned to Xianjing? How is he? Did he say anything?”
Jun Wu said, "He went back. It wasn't going well. Nanyang came back injured and hurriedly reported the truth, asking me to order all priests not to kill the female ghost Lan Chang and her son. He wanted to leave after reporting, but his injuries were serious and his right hand could barely move, so I detained him in Xianjing to recuperate. As a result, the defenses of the southern defenses were completely broken."
If it were anything else, like someone needed to slay demons and steal elixirs, Xie Lian would have immediately volunteered. However, leading troops and defending the path wasn't something one could do alone. One person could defeat a vast army, but they couldn't defend against it. Xie Lian had long understood that leading troops wasn't his forte, and it would be better to let someone truly skilled do it than to force himself on. So, he didn't offer himself, but simply asked, "Is there no other Martial God who could take over?"
Jun Wu said, "The other Martial Gods already have their own territories and missions to attend to, and are too busy to take care of themselves. Originally, there was Pei Su in Mingguang Palace who could have been borrowed, but he's long been exiled. As for Qiying, like you, he's a madman who likes to conquer the world alone, doing whatever he wants. Furthermore, his whereabouts are unknown, and the kid never listens to spirits. Furthermore, Lingwen Palace has lost its chief priest and has temporarily changed hands. The other Literary Gods are good at writing and enjoying romance, but they can't follow orders or make decisions. These past few days..."
Hearing this, it seemed that the Heavenly Court was about to be paralyzed in the next few days. Xie Lian felt that the tragedy was unbearable and suddenly felt sympathy. He said, "I remember you said that even if we couldn't stop it, there would still be a way to remedy it. How can we remedy it?"
Hua Cheng said, "Remedy? It's suicide, right?"
Jun Wu glanced at him and sighed, "I've also said that I don't want to go that far unless it's absolutely necessary."
Xie Lian’s heart stirred, and he asked, “Could it be…?”
Jun Wu said slowly, "That's right. Now, the only way to remedy the situation is to send a Martial God to blend in with the myriad ghosts gathered in Tonglu Mountain."
Since we can't stop the fight from starting, we must ensure that the fight continues to the end, leaving no one alive!
Xie Lian folded his hands over his sleeves, frowning slightly. He said, “I’m not very familiar with Tonglu Mountain, and I don’t quite understand its rules. So, what should I do? Should I kill all the thousands of demons and monsters there one by one?”
But this was nearly impossible. To infiltrate Tonglu Mountain, one had to conceal their identity and not bring too many helpers. Otherwise, once the demons discovered one or more priests had sneaked in, they would inevitably attack them. Tonglu Mountain was a place of extreme demonic inferno, and the priests' magical powers would be severely restricted there, definitely even more restricted than in the Black Water Devil Cave.
Jun Wu said, "No, it doesn't need to be such a big project."
Hua Cheng said, "I'm familiar with Tonglu Mountain. Brother, look outside."
Following his guidance, Xie Lian looked out the window. Just below the window was a large expanse of land, planted with onions, grass, and flowers. In the corner, there was a small flowerpot. Hua Cheng climbed up the window lattice, pointed at the flowerpot, and said, "In the center of Tonglu Mountain, there's a massive 'copper furnace.'"
As soon as he finished speaking, the small flowerpot suddenly fell over, rolled to the center of the ground, and then stood up automatically. Then, with it as the center, the originally flat ground around it bulged, gradually forming a series of small mounds of earth with different heights.
Hua Chengdao said, "Bronze Furnace is surrounded by mountains on all sides. This entire area is the territory of the Copper Furnace Mountains, and it's at least as wide as seven cities."
Xie Lian was so intrigued by what he saw that he leaped lightly and flipped out the window. Standing among the small mounds of earth, he truly felt like a giant overlooking the vast land below.
Hua Chengdao: "Ten thousand ghosts are fighting, starting from the outermost edge of the mountains and constantly approaching the 'copper furnace' in the center."
He waved his hand casually, and many smaller objects on the ground began to stir. Xie Lian half-knelt to take a closer look, only to discover that it was actually a multitude of weeds and small leaves twisting and turning, like tiny figures moving among the mountains. He said, "So, the closer you get to this 'copper furnace' in the center, the stronger the ghosts you encounter?"
Hua Chengdao: "Yes. Because the weak weeds were all killed on the periphery."
He waved his hand again, and a gust of wind swept past, sweeping away the weeds. The bare little mounds of earth became lonely and pitiful. Suddenly, the small flowerpot in the center emitted bursts of red light, and it really looked like a small, red-hot copper furnace. Xie Lian stared at it and found that a small red flower and a few inconspicuous weeds had jumped onto the small flowerpot and were circling around the edge of the flowerpot, like a few little people dancing. The little red flower danced the most wildly. Hua Cheng also half-knelt beside him and said, "In the end, only a few ghosts can enter the interior of the 'copper furnace'. Then, the 'copper furnace' will close."
The "little figures" jumped and fell into the pit, quickly buried in the dark mud. Hua Cheng continued, "Within the next 49 days, a ghost must break through this 'copper furnace.'"
The small flowerpot trembled violently, and suddenly burst into a dazzling red light, and with a "bang", a wave of flying soil exploded.
With this earth-shattering birth, the little red flower leaped from the soil, holding up its two leaves, as if shouting into the wind, demonstrating its strength to the world. Seeing this, Xie Lian couldn't help but burst out laughing.
However, perhaps because it was so happy, the little red flower slipped on the edge of the pot and was about to fall. Xie Lian quickly reached out and gently caught it, cradling it in his palms. The little red flower seemed a little dizzy from the fall. It shook its head and looked up at the person who caught it. Xie Lian wiped the dirt from his hair and said, "This one is the new generation of Ghost King born in Tonglu Mountain?"
Hua Cheng nodded and said, "Exactly. The previous battle between tens of thousands of ghosts was a process of continuous strengthening of strength, which is essential. If the ghosts that entered the 'copper furnace' were not strong enough and could not break through the furnace, they would be suffocated inside, burned to ashes, and become nutrients for others."
He stood up and said to Jun Wu in the room, "Your method is nothing more than exterminating the elites and leaving weeds. There are only so many with the potential to become Ghost Kings. I have personally eliminated them. The remaining weak ones will not be able to break out even if they enter the 'Bronze Furnace'. If they can't pass that level, they still won't be recognized as Ghost Kings."
Xie Lian nodded and said, "It sounds feasible, but I wonder how it would be done? Has anyone tried it before?"
Jun Wu also walked to the window and said, "I don't know. I've never tried it. I always stopped them before they gathered."
Hua Cheng crossed his arms and said, "I'm afraid that's not feasible. Fighting under such conditions would be tantamount to suicide. I suggest that you, who came up with this brilliant and heroic idea, go ahead and do it yourself."
Jun Wu said calmly, "That's exactly what I meant."
Xie Lian was startled and asked, “Emperor?”
Jun Wu said, "Xianle, I have come down to earth for this very reason. I am going to Tonglu Mountain. Please return to Heaven and take care of all my affairs for me temporarily."
Xie Lian lowered his hand, then stood up suddenly, saying, "How can this be possible? Let me take over temporarily? Don't be ridiculous. No one will obey me."
Jun Wu smiled and said, "Then this is a good opportunity to make them obey you."
Xie Lian rubbed his brows and said, "Emperor, this time, I truly cannot agree with you. This is too absurd. To use a rather inappropriate analogy from the mortal world, the emperor can personally lead an army, but have you ever heard of an emperor going undercover to assassinate someone? The reason why Xianjing can float in the sky is entirely because of you. Everything that other priests cannot control, you take care of. When you are there, the sky does not fall. When you are not there, the sky really does fall."
Jun Wu, however, said with his hands behind his back, "Xianle, the truth is, there's no one in this world whose absence would bring the world to an end. Once you get used to it, you'll find that you can still live without anyone, and there will always be new people to replace the old. If the Ghost King appears, and another Blood Rain Scholar or Black Water Sinking Boat appears, it wouldn't be a big deal. But if another White Clothes Disaster appears, the world will be in chaos."
He looked directly into Xie Lian's eyes and said, "You've seen with your own eyes how difficult it is to kill a 'Jue' like him. There's no other way except for me to go."
Xie Lian knew that Jun Wu wasn't being conceited. Even he, at his weakest, trapped among countless demons, couldn't guarantee the ability to accurately single out the most powerful ones and slay or subdue them one by one. Only Jun Wu had the best chance. But if he left, it might take ten years. What would happen to the outside world? What about the Heavenly Palace?
At this moment, Hua Cheng said, "Who said there is no other way?"
The author has something to say: There are a lot of familiar people in Tonglu Mountain (you have all seen them!) ~ We have to eliminate all the seed players ~ (Hey, why does it seem like the competition is shady?
Heat it in the stove and the flowers will grow.
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