Mysteries of Immortal Puppet Master - Chapter 1345 - 529: National Seal Strike (2)
“Master Zhong Dao, we will report truthfully to the Sect Leader.” The leader of the elite cultivators spoke with a firm tone.
Zhong Dao turned his back on them and replied indifferently, “Go ahead.”
Huazhang Country.
The main hall of the Imperial Ancestral Temple was brightly lit.
“Poof!” The Huazhang Country Lord suddenly spat out a mouthful of fresh blood and collapsed onto the ground.
Crash.
The incense burner shattered into several pieces, scattering the ashes of sandalwood incense everywhere.
Han Song was already sitting on the ground, his breath weak. His literary energy was severely overdrawn, and his heart spirit excessively consumed.
Zheng Jing had long been unconscious, curled up at the foot of the altar, his complexion ashen gray, his breathing so weak it was almost imperceptible.
Wang Shu leaned against the wall, his face like gold paper, his limbs limp. His eyes were half-open and half-closed, pupils dilated, ready to faint at any moment.
The Huazhang Country Lord was in the best condition among them.
His chest heaved violently, each breath carrying a metallic blood stench.
He looked up at the Golden Seal Jade Book.
The sixty-two pages of the Jade Plate had already closed, the words “Hua Zhang Jade Scroll” on the cover glowing faintly. But, compared to before, that glow was much dimmer.
What was shocking was a crack had appeared at the bottom of the Jade Scroll’s cover.
Although as thin as a hair, the crack appeared clear and ugly to the Huazhang Country Lord’s eyes.
The Huazhang Country Lord stared at that crack, his eyes full of pain.
“My Lord.” Han Song struggled to speak, his voice hoarse and barely audible, “Their Qi Fortune… is stronger than we expected… I beseech you, My Lord… to hold your hand…”
After a pause, Han Song continued with difficulty, “Once we’ve recovered… we’ll conduct a larger national ritual… gather more Great Scholars… unite the power of the entire nation…”
“It’s too late,” the Huazhang Country Lord interrupted him.
Han Song was stunned.
The Huazhang Country Lord spoke slowly, “I can sense… our Qi Fortune’s landing point is already gone.”
Han Song’s complexion changed drastically.
To make an analogy, a dispute over Qi Fortune is akin to a battle between two armies. Losing the Qi Fortune’s landing point is as if the entire array line and even the main city no longer exist. What then can be used to fight the enemy?
The Huazhang Country Lord stared intently at the Golden Seal Jade Book, “We still have one last chance for a strike.”
Although the Qi Fortune’s landing point was lost, due to the recent intense Qi Fortune confrontation, the Qi Fortune bodies of both sides remain entangled. This level of entanglement will rapidly diminish with the passage of time.
The Huazhang Country Lord raised his hand and took something from his waist.
It was a square jade seal, three inches by three inches, entirely cyan-green, exuding a gentle glow. The knob of the seal was carved with a coiled dragon — the Huazhang National Seal.
Han Song’s pupils constricted sharply, struggling to sit up, but he was powerless: “My Lord…”
The Huazhang Country Lord raised his hand, signaling him to remain silent.
Wang Shu’s raspy voice came, “My Lord, the King’s Seal must not be lightly used! If it fails, the nation’s foundation will be shaken! Please reconsider, My Lord!”
The Huazhang Country Lord simply closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
It was time for him to make his decision.
When he opened his eyes again, they were filled with resoluteness!
He raised his hand, holding the King’s Seal high.
The small jade seal radiated a gentle light under the flames, a light that was soft and firm, like Huazhang Country’s millennia-old literary vein, like the painstaking efforts of countless Confucian Cultivators, like the wisdom of past sages.
A dragon’s roar sounded!
In the next moment, the coiled dragon on the King’s Seal came to life, transforming into a brilliant stream of dragon-shaped light.
The stream of light poured directly into the Golden Seal Jade Book.
The Golden Seal Jade Book trembled violently, simultaneously opening its sixty-two pages. The words on each page glowed and burned.
Boom!
A fierce wave of Qi erupted from the center of the Golden Seal Jade Book, sweeping outwards.
A towering column of light burst through the hall ceiling, soaring into the sky, attracting the attention of countless people in the Royal Capital.
Han Song, Zheng Jing, Wang Shu were thrown by the wave and collided against the corners, fainting instantly.
Only the Huazhang Country Lord stood still before the altar. His clothes were shredded by the wave, his face was marked with cuts from flying debris, his body trembled violently.
The jade seal slowly fell into the Huazhang Country Lord’s hand.
But his gaze was fixed, staring at the Golden Seal Jade Book.
He awaited.
Awaiting the final result of this Qi Fortune confrontation.
Flying Cloud Country, outside the Myriad Images Sect.
Xiao Juxia, flying swiftly in the sky, suddenly changed his expression as his spiritual mechanism was triggered.
“Something extremely crucial must have happened!”
He felt a strong premonition and subconsciously wanted to perform a calculation.
But in the next moment, he stopped this dangerous action.
“Too dangerous!”
“If I calculate abruptly now, it’s akin to observing the Qi Fortune dispute, which will surely implicate my personal Qi Fortune. I might become that pathetic little fish affected by the fire at the city gate.”
“But…”
Xiao Juxia thought of another possibility — perhaps the Qi Fortune confrontation had ended, requiring him to clean up?
If that were the case, then if he calculated now, he could immediately seize the initiative and advantage!
Xiao Juxia paused mid-air, a cloud drifting over to cover his figure.
For a moment, he was engulfed in hesitation.
Cloud Cover Peak.
The Heavenly Cloud Cover still hung above the nine-tiered White Jade Altar, its nine layers slowly rotating, with colorful clouds streaming endlessly.
Dong Chen sat cross-legged, his face pale, his breath weak. His left arm remained wrapped in bandages, his sunken chest stabilized by elixir pills, but each breath still brought a faint pain.
Wei Ji, Tuoba Huang, Wang Yu, and others sat exhausted around, some controlling their breath, some healing their wounds, some still fainting.
A group of elite cultivators swiftly approached from the direction of the Cloud Prison.
“Salute the Sect Master!” The leader kneeled, clasping his fists in greeting.
Dong Chen opened his eyes and looked at him.
The leader of the elite cultivators had a livid complexion and solemnly reported the events, detailing everything.
Dong Chen frowned slightly, “Spatial rift?”
The leader nodded, “According to the guards’ report, Song Taosheng infiltrated Cloud Prison intending to assassinate Qin De. All five Death Soldiers he brought perished, and he himself fell in battle with Qin De. Qin De… escaped.”
“Escaping alongside were over twenty Demon Cultivators, including Withered Bone Old Demon, Eagle Claw Butcher, Copper Head Tuo, Ghost-faced Scholar, and Charm Demon.”
“In my opinion, if Master Zhong Dao had promptly intervened…”
Dong Chen shook his head, interrupting, “I understand.”
“You’re dismissed to stand by.”
The middle-aged cultivator opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but seeing Dong Chen had already closed his eyes, evidently unwilling to discuss further, he had no choice but to salute and lead the team of elite cultivators away.
A moment later.
The secluded mountain path of Cloud Cover Peak.
The team of elite cultivators were descending the mountain quickly, each face showing dissatisfaction.
“Just like that?” a young cultivator couldn’t help but say, “The Sect Master didn’t even ask a single question?”
Another cultivator grumbled, “Over twenty prisoners escaped from Cloud Prison, what a scandal! Especially during the Feiyun Conference! Yet Sect Master dismissed us just like that?”
The third cultivator speculated, “Could it be the Sect Leader also fears Master Zhong Dao?”
The leader finally lost patience, “That’s enough.”
All became silent.
The leader stopped and turned to glance in the direction of Yunding Peak. There, the seven-colored glow of the Heavenly Cloud Cover still faintly swirled but was much dimmer than usual.
“The Sect Master has his considerations,” he said slowly, “We are mere subordinates, not meant to speak too much.”
He sighed lightly, “Let’s go. Sect Master wants us to stand by, so we stand by. Other matters are not for us to worry about.”
Cloud Cover Peak summit.
Tuoba Huang glanced at Dong Chen, “Sect Leader.”
Dong Chen shook his head, interrupting, “Don’t rush, and don’t underestimate Zhong Dao.”
“For now, the priority is to assist the Heavenly Cloud Cover, continue to stabilize the Qi Fortune!”
“This time, our collective effort has ultimately turned the tide and secured victory. But still, caution is imperative, as the opponent still has a chance for one more strike.”
Tuoba Huang disregarded, “The opponent won’t be foolish enough to believe that one last strike can overturn the outcome, right?”
Wei Ji spoke coldly, “Perhaps the opponent wants to gamble once more?”
Dong Chen slowly closed his eyes.
That small gesture, seen by the others, immediately silenced them.
