Chapter 148 - 92: Uprooting a Mountain to Subdue Moyun

Chapter 148: Chapter 92: Uprooting a Mountain to Subdue Moyun

Upon first arriving in the Celestial Waterfall Realm, Xuzhuang had discovered that he could use the Water Escape Skill within the realm’s peculiar, cloudy skies. He could travel incredibly fast; if he wished, crossing an entire province would take very little effort.

However, since Zeng Quanfeng and Daoist Zhang were with him, Xuzhuang had to hold back. The three of them flew for about an hour. The land below had clearly left the bustling regions behind, and the surrounding countryside grew increasingly desolate.

Xuzhuang’s expression shifted. He sent a voice transmission, asking, "My two nephews, we’re not far from central Yunlan. Why is it so desolate here?"

Daoist Zhang sighed. "You may not be aware, Junior Martial Uncle, but the True Form Temple has been in decline for the past century. Our ranks have been shrinking, not growing, to the point where we can no longer even fully manage to bring rain to all our lands."

Xuzhuang’s brow furrowed slightly, his understanding of True Form Temple’s dire situation deepening. After pondering for a few moments, he fell silent and continued flying with Zeng Quanfeng and Daoist Zhang. Another hour and a half passed before Zeng Quanfeng suddenly shouted, "We’re here!" and began his descent from the clouds.

Xuzhuang called out, "Nephew Zeng, wait a moment."

But Zeng Quanfeng, in his haste, didn’t hear him and continued his rapid descent. Xuzhuang raised an eyebrow slightly. He suddenly reached out his hand and made a gentle grasping motion. An immense, invisible force materialized, seizing Zeng Quanfeng in mid-air.

Suddenly restrained by a terrifying surge of Magical Power, Zeng Quanfeng was horrified. Just as he was about to struggle, he felt the frightening force vanish in an instant. Then, Xuzhuang’s calm voice drifted over. "Don’t be in such a rush, Nephew."

Zeng Quanfeng quietly swallowed and flew back to Xuzhuang’s side, unable to hide the look of shock in his eyes. He managed a stiff salute and asked, "Junior Martial Uncle, what did you have in mind?"

Xuzhuang simply gave a slight nod, saying nothing more as he narrowed his eyes.

Looking down from the sky, the scenery below was rather strange. This region, on the border of the two provinces, received very little of the Celestial Waterfall Blessings. The ground was somewhat dry and cracked, with sparse vegetation, and it grew even more arid toward the very edge.

This was especially apparent on the Yunlan side of the border. In contrast, the small patch of land where the two provinces converged showed some signs of life. Lianyun Mountain stood right in the middle of this area, its foothills extending into the territory of Canglan Province.

On the Canglan Province side of Lianyun Mountain, a line of Flying Boats stretched out. War chariots hovered in the air, banners fluttered, and Dao Soldiers stood in formation. Clad in armor, they held spears and halberds, carried bows, and wore quivers on their backs, presenting a truly imposing sight.

Seeing this military presence, the True Form Temple disciples stationed in Lianyun Mountain were clearly flustered. They gathered their own disciples and Dao Soldiers, climbed to a higher vantage point, and stared across at the Moyun Sect’s army from a distance.

Xuzhuang hadn’t been observing for long when drums and horns suddenly blared from within the army. A man climbed onto a war chariot and shouted, "You brats from the True Form Temple, have you informed your masters yet? Still loitering here! If you don’t withdraw from Lianyun Mountain within a day, don’t blame the Moyun Sect for being merciless when you fall to our blades!"

Zeng Quanfeng’s brow furrowed in anger, but he held himself back, remembering that Xuzhuang and Daoist Zhang were beside him.

The man shouted a few more challenges. The patience of those in Lianyun Mountain seemed to wear thin. Someone suddenly stepped forward and yelled coldly, "You shameless scoundrel! You dream of invading our Yunlan territory and snatching a celestial treasure! How could the True Form Temple possibly let you have your way!"

The challenger roared with laughter, shaking his head smugly. "Wrong, wrong. It is your True Form Temple that is truly shameless!" His voice suddenly turned sharp. "Lianyun Mountain straddles two provinces. It is a borderland! By what right does your True Form Temple brazenly mine and excavate here?"

"For the sake of peace between the two provinces, my Moyun Sect advises you all to leave at once! Return tranquility to Lianyun Mountain and restore peace to our lands!"

Zeng Quanfeng’s fists clenched as he listened. He glanced back, only to see Xuzhuang standing with his chin in his hand, eyes half-closed, seemingly lost in thought.

Seeing this, Zeng Quanfeng could only suppress his anger. He listened as they traded a few more rounds of insults below. Finally, the man from the Moyun Sect sneered and shouted, "No matter what, if you don’t withdraw from Lianyun Mountain within one day, we will attack! You’d best consider the consequences!"

At this, Zeng Quanfeng could no longer contain his fury. He turned and called out, "Junior Martial Uncle Xu!"

Xuzhuang seemed to snap out of a trance. He nodded and replied, "Nephew Zeng."

Zeng Quanfeng said, "Junior Martial Uncle Xu, what should we do? Have you made a decision?"

Xuzhuang said thoughtfully, "I have a rough idea."

Daoist Zhang stroked his long beard and asked calmly, "Please share it with us, Junior Martial Uncle. This humble nephew may be able to provide some useful context."

Zeng Quanfeng added eagerly, "That’s right! What brilliant plan do you have, Junior Martial Uncle?"

Xuzhuang asked slowly, "Nephew Zhang, what is the sect’s current strength, exactly? Could you explain it to me in detail?"

Daoist Zhang gave a bitter smile. "Right now, besides myself and Junior Brother Zeng, the sect has only one Middle-Grade Golden Core Cultivator, six Low-Grade Golden Core Cultivators, and only a few dozen Refining Cultivators..."

Hearing this, Xuzhuang’s brow furrowed deeply. He couldn’t help but ask, "How did things get so dire?"

Daoist Zhang sighed. "The True Form Temple’s weakness has been building for a long time. The Divine Flow Sect and the Moyun Sect are constantly using underhanded means to poach disciples from Yunlan Province. As a result, our numbers have been shrinking instead of growing for the last century."

Xuzhuang mused, "In that case, it would indeed be unwise to rush into a fight."

All Daoist Zhang could do was give a bitter smile.

Zeng Quanfeng’s heart sank. He knew they were speaking the truth, but a feeling of bitter resentment welled up inside him. He thought dejectedly, ’If Junior Brother Meng hadn’t suddenly disappeared... With a Nascent Soul Venerable overseeing the sect, the Moyun Sect would never dare to be this aggressive.’

Xuzhuang thought to himself, ’The power gap between the True Form Temple and the Moyun Sect is too vast. A dozen or so Middle and Low-Grade Golden Core Cultivators are nothing to me, but they have a Nascent Soul Venerable on their side. I wonder how high his cultivation is? It’s best to be cautious...’

But simply backing down was not in Xuzhuang’s nature. As he looked down at Lianyun Mountain, an idea suddenly came to him. He considered it carefully, then thought to himself, ’This could work. It would also be a way to show them what I can do and intimidate the Moyun Sect.’