Volume 1 Volume 6 Chapter 12

Volume 6 Chapter 12: The Final Battle Begins, Journey to the Southern Wasteland, the Change of Ronghua (Part 2)

"Creeeak…"

In the calm and empty hall, the sound of the door opening echoed.

The hall was completely empty, with only two rows of chairs arranged on either side, likely a place for the masters to hold discussions. Besides that, there was nothing else; it seemed no one was there.

Zhang Xusheng was not in a hurry; he leisurely walked to the nearest chair and sat down, closing his eyes to rest.

After a moment, a monk and a scholar suddenly appeared silently in the great hall. Their faces were serious as they looked at Zhang Xusheng in front of them. After a while, they seemed to remember something and their faces showed a mix of shock and fear.

The two masters left to guard "Ronghua Mountain" were Scholar Buxing from the "Xingyin Sect" and Master Tianhan from the "Mercy Cloud Temple." Officially, they stayed at "Ronghua Mountain" to protect the main base of the Righteous Alliance from possible enemy attacks, but in reality, they were guarding something very important that meant much more to the masters than the safety of "Ronghua Mountain" itself.

Because of this, the two masters guarding here were naturally strong in their skills. In fact, Scholar Buxing and Master Tianhan’s abilities were among the best in the Righteous Alliance, only below the top three, Immortal Zizhen, Li Fulu, and Mr. Liu, having already reached the peak of the Astral Projection Stage.

However, just now, when Zhang Xusheng entered the hall, if it weren’t for the sound of the door opening, the two would not have noticed his arrival at all. Even now, as Zhang Xusheng silently sat in front of them, if they closed their eyes, they would still think there was no one there.

"Are you Taoist Friend Zhang, Zhang Xusheng? I wonder what brings you to visit us at the Righteous Alliance?"

Knowing that their abilities were far from the almost legendary Zhang Xusheng, Scholar Buxing and Master Tianhan felt troubled. After exchanging a glance, they felt they had to speak first.

When Scholar Buxing spoke, he emphasized the words "Righteous Alliance" heavily, meaning to remind Zhang Xusheng that there were many masters within the Righteous Alliance and that they were powerful, advising him not to act recklessly.

Hearing Scholar Buxing’s words, Zhang Xusheng slowly opened his eyes, a smirk appearing on his lips. He gently asked, "Taoist Friend Zhang? Since when did two esteemed masters of the Righteous Alliance start to call me a friend? Shouldn’t you two want to crush me to dust to repay the world instead?"

After hearing Zhang Xusheng’s teasing, Scholar Buxing felt embarrassed and didn’t know how to respond, but Master Tianhan spoke up, "Although your reputation is not good, we have rarely heard of you committing any evil acts in recent years. Since the establishment of the Righteous Alliance, you have not targeted us, so if you come without ill intentions, we are naturally willing to befriend you."

Zhang Xusheng’s face wore a more pronounced mocking smile as he chuckled and said, "I have done many things over the years, and quite a few against the Righteous Alliance, but you two seem completely unaware. However, to be fair, the Righteous Alliance should really thank me."

"What do you mean by that, my Taoist friend?"

In front of Zhang Xusheng, Scholar Buxing and Master Tianhan, though they hated his actions, had something important to protect at that moment. They were not his match, so they could only respond politely, even if it was frustrating.

Zhang Xusheng smiled slightly but suddenly asked, "The ‘Four Spirit Sky Map’ must have been refined with the help of you two and the other friends from the Righteous Alliance, right?"

As Zhang Xusheng’s words echoed, Scholar Buxing and Master Tianhan shuddered, instinctively taking three steps back, their faces filled with caution as they stared at Zhang Xusheng, ready to act at any moment.

The "Four Spirit Sky Map" is an ancient treasure created from the Original Souls of the four great Mythical Beasts: the Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise, along with many precious materials. It was a final precaution taken by the Righteous Alliance for something that will happen in the near future. The two stayed at the "Ronghua Mountain Peak" to guard this matter, unaware of how Zhang Xusheng obtained the knowledge.

"You two don’t need to be nervous or confused. To be honest, it was my suggestion to refine the ‘Four Spirit Sky Map.’" After a pause, Zhang Xusheng asked, "Over the years, did you not find it strange? Li Xuhan has guarded Jiuhua Mountain for many years, rarely coming out. How did he know so much about the ‘Dark’ organization right before his death? He even knew all the secrets of the ‘Dark’ organization and its ultimate purpose of controlling the chaos for thousands of years, and shared it with you?"

"What do you mean by that, my Taoist friend?"

Scholar Buxing suppressed his shock and slowly asked.

Zhang Xusheng seemed a bit proud and patiently replied, "Everyone believes that when I attacked Jiuhua back then, it was to take back my heart and wipe out the Jiuhua line. But no one knows that my attack on Jiuhua was not only to reclaim my heart, but also to reveal the secrets of the ‘Underworld’ organization to you unknowingly. Even the creation of the ‘Four Spirit Sky Map’ to deal with the ‘Underworld’ organization’s final plan was my suggestion."

At his words, the room fell silent in shock. No one expected that the most powerful force ever gathered by the righteous path—the Righteous Alliance—was actually indirectly promoted by Zhang Xusheng and his wicked companions, becoming unwittingly a pawn in Zhang Xusheng’s hands.

"So, you want to use the strength of the Righteous Alliance to deal with the ‘Underworld’ organization?"

Feeling used is a terrible feeling, especially for these proud masters. Scholar Buxing spoke again, this time with hate in his words.

But Zhang Xusheng shook his head and said calmly, "The ‘Underworld’ organization is my target. I do not need to borrow your strength to fight them. All I want is the ‘Four Spirit Sky Map’. You know that I cannot deal with those four beasts alone, so I must ask all of you for help."

"So, the final goal of the ‘Underworld’ organization isn’t real?"

Compared to Scholar Buxing, Master Tianhan remained calm and asked a key question.

"The matters of the ‘Underworld’ organization are true. I do not dare to underestimate you all, dear friends. If I do not reveal some truths, how can I make you all bite the bait?" After a pause, Zhang Xusheng suddenly changed his tone. His expression turned cold as he said lightly, "The ‘Four Spirit Sky Map’ should be nourishing in the ‘spiritual spring’ and entering its final stage, right? I have a superb ‘spiritual spring’ with abundant Spirit Qi. Why not move the ‘Four Spirit Sky Map’ there?"

As he spoke, Zhang Xusheng turned his gaze towards the back hall that was separated by a wall.

Seeing Zhang Xusheng’s gaze shift, Master Tianhan and Scholar Buxing suddenly appeared in the center between Zhang Xusheng and the inner hall, blocking his path. Their powerful Spirit Qi surged around them, gathering their imposing presence, pressing toward Zhang Xusheng. Wherever they went, chairs shattered, and the ground cracked.

Beneath "Ronghua Mountain," as the two masters unleashed their power, all the cultivators left in the Righteous Alliance felt a shudder in their bodies. It was as if their organs and minds had been struck by a giant hammer, causing their faces to turn pale and blood to spill. They looked in horror at the peak of "Ronghua Mountain," unsure of what was happening but too afraid to come closer.

However, facing the combined might of the two masters, Zhang Xusheng remained unfazed, only shaking his head in regret and sighing, "Why do some people always like to make pointless efforts? I will reveal the matters of the ‘Ming’ organization to the Righteous Alliance, spare the lives of the two Taoist friends, and in return, the Righteous Alliance can lend me the ‘Four Spirit Sky Map’ for a while. That should clear our debts, right?"

As Zhang Xusheng spoke, Master Tianhan and Scholar Buxing could no longer hold back. Bright lights burst from their bodies as they unleashed their magical powers toward Zhang Xusheng.

Scholar Buxing waved his hands, and the clear daylight atop "Ronghua Mountain" instantly turned into a pitch-black night, where one could not see their own fingers. The grand hall where everyone stood suddenly disappeared into darkness. Then, as Scholar Buxing pointed, bright, flickering stars ignited wherever his fingers touched. Moments later, the dark sky was filled with stars, and the once-grand hall transformed into a stunning starry sky, with everyone standing amidst the stars, above and below, surrounded by twinkling lights.

At that moment, Master Tianhan spoke a strong Buddhist chant. In the dark night, countless "卐" symbols slowly showed up, faint but gently spinning. As Master Tianhan kept chanting, many visions appeared behind him, images of Buddhas and Arhats; some gave off a powerful presence, while others radiated a fierce intent. Beneath the dark night sky, among the shimmering golden light, the pressure felt even more immense.

On the other side, when the night sky suddenly replaced the sunlight, Zhang Xusheng felt his senses sharply restricted. In the endless starry sky, each star seemed to contain boundless mysterious energy, ready to unleash a thunderous strike from all around him, leaving him nowhere to hide.

Master Tianhan’s skills were even more astonishing. As the phantom of the floating Buddha appeared, endless Buddhist chants filled the night sky. Within this sound, Zhang Xusheng felt the Spirit Qi flowing inside him slow to a crawl, and his fighting spirit began to dissipate. More terrifyingly, the Buddhas and Arhats behind Master Tianhan, though they seemed to be mere illusions, radiated a powerful aura, indicating their formidable combat abilities. Thousands of phantoms appeared, each seemingly a clone of Master Tianhan, full of immense power.

Zhang Xusheng silently sighed. There was no false name behind their fame; the strength of these two masters was indeed beyond that of ordinary masters. To defeat them, he must reveal his true abilities.

With a sigh of deep thought, Zhang Xusheng finally took action.