Chapter 700 Zhongmiao Temple
Zhongmiao Temple is located in Qiaoshan, on the western outskirts of Xiaoyaojing.
Beneath the mountains in the western suburbs lie rare metal veins, forming the "Golden Realm" terrain west of Xiaoyaojing.
The mountains are not desolate. At their foot are many outer towns and villages, and within the mountains are numerous mansions, estates, and palaces built by high-ranking officials and nobles. At the mountaintops are arrayed altars that protect the capital.
The convoy marched on, crushing the void.
Li Weiyi and Nangong's carriage was in front, the Shengchao's carriage was in the middle, and Lu Jingchen's carriage was behind.
Hearing the news, more and more young martial artists from various habitats came, some riding exotic beasts, others arriving in jade carriages, all eager to join the fun.
"Li Weiyi", "Mo Duanfeng" and "Xue Ding" are all extremely famous. Unfortunately, most martial artists in the Longevity Realm have never seen them and have no concrete concept of the top experts of the ninth generation of Longevity Realm.
In most environments, reaching the third realm within a hundred years of age makes one a prominent figure. Reaching the fourth realm and becoming a Great Immortal is already an unattainable goal.
The sky gradually brightened.
The snow fell heavier and heavier.
The Qiaoshan Mountain is over a thousand feet high, covering an area of hundreds of miles.
Amidst the heavy snow, the cold wind howled, and the mountains were pristine white. From the mountainside to the summit, one could see temples, pagodas, vermilion halls, and stone carvings scattered about.
Flocks of strange beasts and birds flew above the trees of the surrounding mountains, making "caw caw" sounds.
These are the mounts and demon servants kept here by the various extraordinary families of Xiaoyaojing.
Xue Ding and Guo Ju arrived at the foot of the mountain ahead of the others.
Suddenly, clouds and mist rose from the mountains, quickly obscuring the view, and Qiaoshan disappeared from sight. The inscribed stone cliff of "Zhongmiao Temple" and the stone steps of the mountain gate were half hidden, and there was not a single gatekeeper in sight.
"Wenren Tinghai, what kind of skill is it to activate an array and hide? Guo Ju, the newly appointed top scholar of the Holy Dynasty, has come to challenge you."
Guo refused to integrate his magical energy into his voice and unleash sonic magic.
Instantly, the mountains trembled.
The snow on the mountaintop fell like crushed white clouds.
In the depths of Qiaoshan Mountain, Wenren Tinghai's laughter echoed in a spiral: "The formation was activated to prevent you reckless madmen from damaging the pagodas and ancient halls in the temples. You'd better know when to back down and get out of here. If you really venture into the mountains, you'll be walking into a trap."
Guo Ju said, "I have come here sincerely for the challenge. If you, Wenren Tanhua, are afraid of losing, you can simply refuse. In that case, the head of the Earthly Ranking will naturally place me ahead of you. What is the meaning of your strong hostility?"
Li Weiyi and Nangong's carriage reached the foot of Qiaoshan Mountain and stopped by a mountain stream with babbling water and rising mist.
The surrounding area was a wide, flat square, covered in white snow and ice.
Inside the car, Li Weiyi's voice rang out: "Wenren Tanhua's move is called retreating to advance."
"It seems like they're activating a formation to keep us out of the mountains, but in reality, they're waiting for us to launch a strong attack."
"In this way, he will have the moral high ground. At that time, even if we depose the top scholar and the third-ranking scholar of the Holy Dynasty, or the prince of the Wing Dynasty, it will be our own fault, and we will not be able to get any justice."
Guo Ju's expression changed slightly, and he quickly asked Li Weiyi via telepathy, "What do we do now? Wenren Tinghai's move is truly brilliant, much more insidious than letting us in directly! If we retreat now, we will lose face, and the loss will be enormous."
Li Weiyi stepped out of the car, wearing the Blood-Soaked Demon Armor underneath and the purple governor's robe on top, looking heroic and proud.
Looking at the stone cliff engraved with the three characters "Zhongmiao Temple", he sneered, his voice booming: "You lost three Blood Floating Demon Armors, Wenren Tinghai, you haven't had a good time lately, have you? If you want to retrieve them, come down the mountain to see me."
Halfway up the mountain, outside the vermilion Thousand-Headed Buddha Hall, dozens of powerful cultivators from the Demon Kingdom's Longevity Realm gathered, along with some demon cultivators and beautiful nuns.
"Bang!"
Wenren Tinghai punched a pillar, regretting his decision to remain silent in the Immortal Forest of Night Demon City. He should have just confronted them directly back then.
Three Blood Floating Pagoda Demon Armors were lost, and three top masters were killed.
If the Demon Kingdom hadn't been in dire need of manpower, he might have faced some kind of punishment.
Two days ago, Wenren Moqing personally ordered that the three sets of demonic armor must be retrieved.
Wenren Tinghai took a deep breath, regained his composure, and condensed a massive figure from the clouds, looking down at the foot of the mountain: "Li Weiyi, this third-ranked scholar has opened the formation. Do you really dare to enter the mountain?"
At the foot of the mountain.
Mo Duanfeng threw Ye Tianchen and Uncle Fang off the carriage, then jumped down himself. He looked up and shouted, "Wenren Tinghai, how dare you! You actually dared to kill the Holy Chief of Shaoyang Division! Don't you know that Li Weiyi is a member of the Sentinel Spirit Army? He killed the true disciple of Taiyin Sect and many Taiyin Envoys and Marquises of the Deceased Spirits, making great contributions to the human race, yet he almost died at the hands of a villain like you. Do you even deserve to be a disciple of the Emperor?"
Wenren Tinghai assumed that Mo Duanfeng was referring to the underground of the East Sea and the ancient kingdom of the Ruins of Time, and said indifferently, "The top scholar of the Holy Dynasty has no evidence and yet speaks nonsense, which is truly laughable."
Then he added, "Even if we are to hold someone accountable, it should be my Demon Kingdom that holds Li Weiyi accountable. Why did you steal the millennium-old elixir from my border army's expert in the Ancient Kingdom of Time Ruins? Why did you kill him without cause?"
"Your Sentinel Army is protecting the human race, but aren't the border soldiers also protecting the human race?"
Mo Duanfeng said, "I don't have time to settle old scores with you today. Let's just talk about the assassination outside the Immortal Forest of Night Demon City. Why did you order Ye Tianchen and Uncle Fang to kill Li Weiyi?"
Upon hearing this, Wenren Tinghai paused for a moment, then his expression changed drastically.
He was immediately met with the gazes of many cultivators from the Twin Demon Kingdoms, some surprised, some horrified.
"Mo Duanfeng, don't slander me. I never gave such an order."
Wenren Tinghai could no longer remain calm. After a moment of contemplation, he immediately led his men down the mountain.
He sensed danger.
If this matter is not handled properly, it could be disastrous.
Both Ye Tianchen and Uncle Fang had their cultivation sealed and their bodies immobilized by talismans, making it difficult for them to even blink.
They were completely shaved, wearing only two loose robes, and felt a deep sense of dread. They knew that after this incident, even if Li Weiyi let them go, the Wenren family would hunt them down to the ends of the earth.
This fate was even worse than that of the traitor "Shen Jian".
A moment later.
Wenren Tinghai appeared at the mountain gate of Zhongmiao Temple.
Behind him, in the thin mist, stood several powerful figures. Half of them were young, ethereal nuns, each with stunning beauty, their brows radiant with light, and dressed primarily in white and yellow Buddhist robes.
Xue Ding took out a scroll of psychic energy diagrams he had prepared beforehand and infused it with magical energy. The figures of Ye Tianchen and Uncle Fang emerged from the scrolls and were projected onto the clouds, their voices echoing through the air.
"It was Wenren Tinghai who made us do this. Killing Li Weiyi will bring us an enormous benefit."
He said, "You all wore masks and hid your identities, so no one knows it was you who did it."
"Wenren Tinghai said that he has a powerful backer and wants to kill Li Weiyi before the battle for immortality begins."
...
Those who came to join the fun were almost all martial artists at the Longevity Realm. And those who could cultivate to the Longevity Realm were all exceptional individuals.
They were all stunned; they all understood what this meant.
If this is confirmed, Wenren Tinghai will undoubtedly die.
Even Wenren Moqing will be implicated.
Wenren Tinghai's face was pale as he stared intently at Ye Tianchen and Uncle Fang. Seeing that they were immobilized by the talisman and unable to speak, he turned to Xue Ding and said, "You're framing them. If you have the ability, break the seal on them and we'll confront each other."
"Are you trying to kill me to silence me?"
Xue Ding immediately put away the Lingguang Scroll and hid it in the ancestral field.
Mo Duanfeng was furious: "Wenren Tinghai, how can you still deny it? Who is behind this? Is it Wenren Moqing, Qu Moxiang, or some Grand Elder of Zhongmiao Temple, or the Temple Master?"
From within the Zhongmiao Nunnery, a melodious female voice pierced through the clouds and mist: "If you juniors want to fight, please go elsewhere. This nunnery will not interfere in this matter."
The sound made everyone present feel a sharp pain in their eardrums and internal organs, demonstrating his profound cultivation. This was used to intimidate Li Weiyi, Mo Duanfeng, and Xue Ding, warning them not to implicate the Zhongmiao Nunnery.
Chang Yuqing stood in the distant snow forest, hidden in the clouds and mist, her beautiful figure appearing and disappearing, and whispered, "This way of breaking the deadlock is not bad. As long as we force Wenren Tinghai out of Zhongmiao Temple, we will have won the first round. Now, we have a chance of winning."
Such tactics may be intimidating and sufficient to deal with Wenren Tinghai, but they are not suitable for use in the imperial court.
"Stop fighting at Zhongmiao Temple! If you want to break this deadlock, just take back Ye Tianchen and Uncle Fang."
Wenren Tinghai received the abbess's message and felt depressed and unwilling.
They originally held the upper hand and were preparing to use this opportunity to teach Mo Duanfeng and Xue Ding a lesson. As for Li Weiyi, he couldn't be killed, but his fighting spirit and mental fortitude had to be broken, preferably leaving him devastated.
Now, all advantages have been lost, and the initiative has turned into a passive one.
Even the abbess of Zhongmiao Temple avoided suspicion and ordered him to leave.
"Amitabha!"
Seeing that Wenren Tinghai was no match for the three opponents, Shan Xianzhi stepped forward and said, "This humble monk will go and talk to them!"
“I will go with the master,” Wenren Tinghai said.
While Xue Ding and Mo Duanfeng were exchanging blows, Li Weiyi secretly observed the various figures gathering behind him and discovered some cultivators whose strengths were difficult to discern.
One of the young men, carrying a wooden sword and wearing a Taoist robe with the symbol of Tai Chi Bagua, was particularly striking.
Other cultivators came in groups of three or five, riding in carriages or on beasts, but he alone came on foot. More importantly, his entire body's magical energy was concealed, giving the impression of hiding skill in clumsiness and returning to simplicity.
"Nangong, have the cultivators of the Ancient Time Clan keep an eye on the crowd. The Demon Kingdom might have planted experts among them to catch us off guard. Especially that Taoist priest carrying the wooden sword," Li Weiyi transmitted telepathically.
"Whoosh! Whoosh!"
Shan Xianzhi and Wenren Tinghai emerged from the array's mist and appeared opposite Mo Duanfeng and Xue Ding.
Shan Xianzhi, with only a thin layer of hair, dressed in simple clothes and shoes, clasped his hands together and spoke first: "If you wanted to kill Benefactor Li, with the talent of a top scholar, you wouldn't do it so crudely. If this were true, Ye Tianchen and Uncle Fang would have been silenced long ago and wouldn't be alive now. The confession obtained through torture cannot withstand scrutiny."
Li Weiyi gestured for Nangong to protect Ye Tianchen and Uncle Fang, then walked over and said, "Master, you may not know this, but Wenren Tanhua is usually quite rough around the edges and not as wise as you think..."
"Li Weiyi, what the hell do you want? Just say it, and I'll play along." Wenren Tinghai was truly enraged and couldn't help but swear.
Li Weiyi said, "Hand over the other six people who tried to kill me that night."
“Without the assassination attempt, I, the third-ranked scholar, would never have handed them over to you.” As Wenren Tinghai said this, he made a “go” gesture with two fingers behind his back.
"Whoosh!"
Above the mountain gate of Zhongmiao Temple, a ball of crimson fire broke through the clouds and shot straight toward Ye Tianchen and Fang Shu.
In the firelight, there was Chi Yuan with outstretched wings.
"Master, help me hold them back. We must rescue Ye Tianchen and Uncle Fang first."
"boom!"
Wenren Tinghai stomped his foot on the ground, and his magical energy surged out dozens of feet away, condensing into the "Black and White Boundary".
(End of this chapter)
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