Chapter 284

Chapter 284: Things Have Changed

In the Dalong Sect, each member had their own place, and while things generally went smoothly, any incident could cause widespread chaos.

The Jade Symbol Sect, being near the coast and neighboring the Three Sects and Four Sects, stood a real chance of being swallowed by their alliances. However, no matter how splendid the plan was, issues would still arise. The disciples and elders who went to attack the Jade Symbol Sect returned with only a few survivors, while the rest of the cultivators perished alongside Linggui City.

The entire city had turned into a ghost town. News from the Haotu Sect confirmed it was pointless to expect these people to return; prepare for their funerals now!

How harsh was reality? Even harsher things awaited. With the Three Sects and Four Sects losing half of their strength, what right did they have to occupy such vast territory? Moreover, there was also the territory of the Jade Symbol Sect and Linggui City. Outside sects, seeing an opportunity, immediately began to invade.

Initially, the collaboration of the Three Sects and Four Sects allowed them to remain active, but unexpectedly, within just six months, the Flying Kite Sect was breached by outside forces. Afterward, they all quieted down, seeking alliances and appeasements, bowing in submission while still unable to evade disaster.

The cultivation world in Dalong was chaotic. Every time there were significant upheavals, the Buddhist sect preferred to close their gates, letting the outside sects fight each other first, and waiting to pick up the leftovers once the dust settled.

However, this time avoiding involvement was not so easy.

Among the Three Sects and Four Sects, the Purple Gray Sect had ties to Lingyun Temple in Yunzhou. Lingyun Temple, thinking itself superior, believed their words held sway, only to find that those sects disregarded them and destroyed the Purple Gray Sect regardless.

This angered Lingyun Temple, prompting them to invite powerful Buddhist masters to bolster their strength, leading to an even more chaotic situation. Cultivators frequently clashed using spells, swords, treasures, and alchemy, resulting in disputes everywhere.

Amidst this turmoil, Luo Chongba and Shen Shancai thrived, using Fusu City as a base, colluding with government officials, and befriending wealthy landowners and merchants, forming a large network.

Lieutenant Liu communicated, “Mu Qianyun has waited for half a year, praying for our master while searching for her family. Luo Chongba is befriending the powerful, and Shen Shancai has gone to Linggui City to engage in the soul salt business. The two are secretly cultivating an army in Tianlai City and Fusu City. By the way, the master has tasked me with keeping an eye on ghost bridegroom Guo Junan and ghost bride Cheng Yuyan; they previously appeared once but have since vanished.”

“The changes are so significant!”

Li Hui pondered, feeling a wave of emotions. After a moment, he said, “Luo Chongba and Shen Shancai have their own destinies, which are not closely linked to mine. Wherever they go to fashion golden bodies for Master Yingjun, it leaves a connection behind. Now they are in high spirits and can suppress grievances and anger, but who knows what will happen in the future! Now I present you a choice: you can either step away from Guangxiao Temple or stay by their side to serve. The decision is wholly yours.”

“Liu Yong wishes to follow the master,” Lieutenant Liu immediately knelt toward Giant Shell City.

“Good, I will give you some time to deal with matters, to dissolve all your accumulations and revert to the form of a heroic spirit,” Li Hui carefully instructed. “After that, I will bring you to my side, and if there are other heroic spirits who wish to follow, they may come along. Remember, once you take this step, there is no turning back!”

“Liu Yong acknowledges the command!”

As soon as the words left Li Hui’s mouth, twenty-eight talisman flags burst apart, and he erased key markers from the map for Yin Wind Gorge, Tianlai City, and Fusu City, leaving only Shanghe Village and Chuxia Mountain.

“Ting-ting-ting…” The bell chimed lightly as Song Zining entered and inquired, “Young Master, what are your orders?”

“Inform everyone to prepare for departure.”

“Yes.”

Before long, Li Hui arrived at the Beast Tamers Guild on Pearl Street, where the shop had ready eighteen giant cranes. Si Ma Suiyun and two crew members had been waiting for some time. Upon seeing Li Hui, they clasped their fists and said, “Young Master, the three of us have decided to travel along the coastline, looking for opportunities to visit the mightiest country on the continent. We hope to part ways today, but wish to reunite in the future.”

After arriving in Giant Shell City, Si Ma Suiyun had already begun preparing for his journey. Li Hui nodded, “I know your ambitions are extraordinary. Thank you for your assistance when the experts from the Hongmo Sect attempted to hunt us down. I’ve asked Qiniang to prepare a gift for you, to present it at our farewell. The mightiest nation on the Wutu Continent is the Great Xia, and the strongest sect is the Jin Tian Sect. I will visit the Great Xia Jin Tian Sect, and when we meet again, we shall drink and celebrate.”

“Si Ma will certainly do his utmost to accompany you!” Si Ma Suiyun returned a bow, sincerely looking forward to their future reunion.

“Let’s go!” With a wave of his hand, everyone took off.

The giant cranes cried out, their wings flapping, creating strong winds; their wings were covered in talismans, subtly forming a complex talisman array.

“Whoosh…” With powerful gusts, all eighteen cranes took to the sky.

Flying in a straight line through space, they quickly approached Yin Wind Gorge, where temples had been constructed, and several villages had emerged, vastly different from before.

“Yin Wind Gorge has become bustling; being a crucial pass, it may flourish,” Li Hui increasingly missed the folks at Chuxia Mountain. His initial intention for entering the Jade Symbol Sect was to seek opportunities for everyone; he wondered how his sister-in-law and elder brother were faring now.

A light green glow rose, blocking the fierce winds that rushed toward them.

With the enhancement of the talisman array, the cranes’ speed increased tenfold, causing them to become quite disoriented and frightened, continuously squawking until they were secured with the Eagle Eye Ascending talisman, finally calming down.

Leaving Giant Shell City at noon, they reached Shanghe Village before night fell. In the past, they would have taken much longer; the cranes began to spiral downwards.

Li Hui fixed his gaze downward and couldn’t help but frown. The village was eerily silent, as if shrouded in an unshakeable shadow.

“This is bad; something has happened!” He plummeted straight down from the sky, crashing into Uncle Sun Zhengyang’s courtyard. He found the house intact, with no signs of magical battle, but it felt extremely cold.

“Is someone trying to gather or confuse souls?”

“Heavenly and Earthly Arrays; capturing shadows and binding energy.” Li Hui waved his hand, and chilling energy surged in from all directions, gathering in his palm to form a misty scepter. He stepped on the Seven Stars and softly chanted, “As you wish, as you wish; seek and explore!”

The misty scepter hissed and shot out.

Li Hui swiftly chased after it, penetrating through the forest and leaping over streams, quickly plunging into the mountains. After turning several bends, he saw a heap of bones, with Uncle Sun sitting beneath a dead tree, his head down.

“You came just in time, kid; this Soul Gathering Banner still needs many souls.” A sharp female voice echoed in his mind, trying to hypnotize and control the elegantly dressed youth.

“Missing souls? Very well, I’ll extract your souls to refine within it,” Li Hui’s eyes flared with anger as he reached for the dead tree.

“Waaah…”

The sound of wind and cranes echoed as Sun Zhengyang suddenly stood up, revealing the old man was pierced with many thin branches, as if manipulated by the dead tree, striking towards Li Hui.

“Show your true form!”

“Boom…” With golden light swirling and the sound of mantras resonating, nine large golden lotuses spun under Li Hui’s feet, the sacred chants reverberating in the air.

The Hell Not Empty Spell, the Fundamental Nectar Chant, the Vajra Armor Chant, and the Diamond Zen Staff Chant erupted simultaneously. The Buddhist light illuminated a radius of one hundred zhang, rendering the Demons and Specters without a place to hide.

The dead tree screamed and attempted to abandon Sun Zhengyang to flee. A golden hand grabbed it, swiftly tossing out a green-eyed woman.