The Forbidden Path to Immortality - Chapter 187

Chapter 4: Flying News

When a typically serious person lets out a joke, there are usually two outcomes: either the whole room bursts into laughter, or the atmosphere becomes completely silent.

This was the latter scenario.

Li Douliang wasn’t the serious, old-fashioned type. He was ambitious, magnanimous, and unconcerned with trivial matters. But that didn’t mean he was reckless or full of nonsense.

On the contrary, he was meticulous and cautious with his words. He was always careful with his words, and they always hit the mark.

He was renowned in the Tongxuan realm for both his cultivation and his character. Precisely because of his reputation, his abrupt remarks were all the more startling.

However, this had another benefit: the stark contrast made the other sect leaders instinctively ponder the underlying meaning of his words.

At this moment, Luo Qichang glanced around coldly and said in a low voice, “That’s right. Even if this calamity cloud wasn’t caused by Gu Yin, it must be related to her. Regardless, instead of trying to maneuver here, we should break through the formation and finish them with a single strike!” Anyone

who didn’t understand Li Douliang’s intentions at this point was undoubtedly playing dumb.

However, this argument was too weak to convince everyone. The Lord of the Endless Underworld was the first to object, “Easier said than done. You’re going to clear a path? You’ve provoked the heavenly calamity thunder. You, the mighty Sword Emperor, are not afraid of death, but my men, pitiful for you, are they going to be buried with you?”

It was a reasonable excuse, but Luo Qichang refused to buy it. His eyebrows raised at the words, as if he was ready to draw his sword and kill him if he disagreed.

However, the Lord of the Endless Underworld wasn’t alone either. The demonic Li Tian, who was watching with a smile, interjected, “After all, it all comes down to the calamity cloud itself. We’re all cultivators, and we know each other well. Sect Leader Li, you’re asking us to risk the destruction of our foundations, which is a bit unreasonable.”

Similar to the situation of the Great Sun Dharma Master, Li Tian’s One Peck of Rice Sect relied on offerings from the human world, even having its headquarters in the mortal realm. This meant less conflict with the loose cultivator alliance. Furthermore, this person was clearly not as immersed in the drama as the fake monk, so it was only natural for him to focus on protecting himself at this juncture.

Consequently, his opinion wasn’t taken seriously. Luo Qichang glanced at him and didn’t bother to acknowledge him.

At this time, Li Douliang smiled and said, “As for the changes in the calamity cloud, I have asked fellow Taoists from Wuliangtian Sect to send a message to Shuijing Sect. I think there will be news soon.”

“Shuijing Sect?”

There was more sarcasm than surprise in the voice of Wujiming Lord. “By the time the communication flying sword goes back and forth, I’m afraid the calamity cloud will be blown away by the sea breeze.”

Li Douliang just smiled and said nothing more. On the side, Luo Qichang was even reluctant to sneer: “What a coincidence, my daughter is on the island right now. She is carrying that hanging silk flying ring. Her spiritual thoughts can reach thousands of miles away. It only takes a moment. Master Wuji doesn’t need to worry too much.”

Li Xun saw these sect masters coming and going, slowly pointing out the situation. He thought the process was quite interesting, so he didn’t care about the intentional or unintentional neglect of the sect masters and watched with relish.

At that moment, someone approached him and whispered in his ear, “Fellow Daoist Li, was the man you just clashed with from the Ancient Yin faction?”

It was the self-familiar Su Huaiyu who spoke. He had truly become attached to Li Xun, his demeanor so unprepossessing that one might have mistaken their relationship for a life-or-death bond.

Li Xun glanced at him, only to see a solemn expression on his face. Then, he realized that Qing Yin’s masterful “Great Void Primordial Light” had stunned the Luoyu Sect leader, renowned for his stealthy assassinations.

It was difficult to analyze his own thoughts in such a hurry, so Li Xun could only respond with a distant smile, “It’s an old enemy. His cultivation is quite impressive, but he’s not from the Ancient Yin faction.”

As he spoke, he felt a wave of discomfort return. He looked closer to see the cause, but someone was looking over at him from the other side. He calmly glanced back, and upon connecting with the man’s mind, his brow furrowed.

It was clearly Qingming who was looking at Li Xun. Earlier, during his fierce battle with Qingyin at sea, Li Xun hadn’t deliberately avoided others, but he had never expected so many people to be so distracted, staring at him intently.

Su Huaiyu was clearly dissatisfied with Li Xun’s brief answer and wanted to ask more, but at that moment, a slight fluctuation in the void energy suddenly appeared.

For a moment, Li Xun thought someone had accidentally triggered the lightning and fire, but then he dismissed the idea because, right before everyone’s eyes, a shadow gradually solidified, eventually transforming into a nearly lifelike figure.

“Fellow Daoists, are you all well?”

a clear and elegant voice echoed, clearly heard by all the cultivators. For a moment, many were stunned. Beside Li Xun, Su Huaiyu’s attention was completely drawn to him, and he whispered, “Mr. Shui Jing!” The person

before him was indeed Mr. Shui Jing. Of course, this wasn’t a real person, but a projection created using the Shui Jing Sect’s unparalleled Shui Jing technique.

Li Xun noticed that, influenced by the chaotic energy of the outside world, the projection rippled with subtle waves, as if a stone had been thrown and was about to vanish.

Mr. Shui Jing’s call echoed in the air. The ingenuity of these Shui Jing Sect secret techniques lies in their bidirectional transmission of information, with virtually no distance restrictions. Of course, the cost involved was considerable.

“Time is of the essence, so I’ll keep this brief.” Mr. Shui Jing’s tone was unusual, raising the tension.

“Regarding the matter of the three sects… I beg Brother Qi Wu Dao, Brother Li Dao, and Brother Tian He Dao to accept my condolences. This news is indeed correct. Just half a quarter of an hour ago, our sect took in a group of surviving disciples from the City That Never Sleeps. The news we received from the Yan Xing Sect is that Zhaoyang Lake and Youshan have indeed fallen. It is unclear how many survivors there are. I have asked the Yan Xing Sect to send follow-up information as soon as possible. Perhaps we will know more details then.”

As soon as these words were spoken, a few more sighs were heard from the crowd. Li Dongjue was the most emotional, his eyes tightly closed, but tears were already flowing. Tian He’s teeth were chattering. If it weren’t for Mr. Dayan holding him down, he would have rushed out to seek revenge and die. And Qi Wu Dao Ren, like a dead tree, continued to sit cross-legged in the void, silent.

Mr. Shuijing didn’t dwell on this topic, quickly turning to the situation in the East China Sea. “Currently, the flow of the Heaven’s Heart is complex and chaotic. Even with our sect’s Chetian Shuijing, we still struggle to discern clearly. Especially over the East China Sea, calamity clouds have suddenly appeared, a phenomenon rarely seen in this world’s eons…”

Mr. Shuijing set the tone for the current situation, then added, “Without seeking to understand too deeply, let us examine the cause and effect. The elders of our sect unanimously believe that the source of this chaos lies one hundred and eighty years ago, at the beginning of the forty-nine calamities.”

Forty-nine calamities!

Without needing to consider anything else, these four words alone struck fear into the hearts of the surrounding sect leaders. However, as Mr. Shuijing had said, the forty-nine calamities had passed nearly two hundred years ago. How could they be connected to the calamity clouds now hovering over the East China Sea?

Mr. Shui Jing did not have a definite answer to this. He could only say, “The Shui Jing Tian Xin technique of our sect is not omnipotent, especially when it comes to events related to the great catastrophe of heaven and earth, there are many obstacles…”

In fact, he did not need to say it, as people from various sects around him had also seen that Mr. Shui Jing’s originally black hair was now slightly spotted, and it was obvious that he had consumed a huge amount of energy and sheer vitality.

Mr. Shuijing didn’t seem particularly concerned, simply addressing the matter at hand: “Our sect’s elders have deliberated and concluded that one or more individuals of great supernatural power, during the Forty-Ninth Tribulation, employed methods to obscure the will of Heaven, or perhaps even employed the art of ‘mistaking the tribulation’, to escape divine wrath. However, their magic has recently failed, and those who were supposed to experience the tribulation have reappeared in the East China Sea, triggering the sudden onset of the tribulation.”

Was he implying that the tribulation clouds over the East China Sea were the aftermath of the Forty-Ninth Tribulation?

When this realization reached everyone, everyone’s heart skipped a beat, and a momentary, suffocating silence descended upon the sea.

Li Xun, lacking a direct understanding of the Forty-Ninth Tribulation, was the first to regain consciousness. Gazing at the faces of the others, he saw a gloomy, fearful expression on their faces. Such expressions hardly resembled the demeanor of a master who ruled this world.

He shook his head, realizing that his own experiences were ultimately limited. He decided to stop worrying and instead began to consider the situation from Mr. Shuijing’s perspective.

When it comes to those with great supernatural powers, Gu Yin’s faction is in no shortage.

Whether it’s Yao Feng, Qing Luan, Gu Yin in his prime, or even Yu San Ren before his death, all possess such qualifications. Moreover, consider the impending heavenly tribulation, Yao Feng pregnant, and Yu San Ren unable to rise. They all have a desire to survive the tribulation and are in dire need of risky means, so they have reason to act.

However, if they were to return in this way, Yao Feng and Yu San Ren would be ruled out, leaving Qing Luan and Gu Yin as the most likely suspects, which aligns with the current situation in the East China Sea.

However, there’s one undeniable flaw in Mr. Shui Jing’s reasoning: how to explain Gu Yin’s “coincidence” in exploiting this natural tribulation?

“Exploit” is too light a word; “use” is more appropriate. Did Gu Yin possess the ability to manipulate the natural tribulation? Such a great supernatural power, capable of seizing the very will of heaven and earth, as far as he knew… At this thought, Li Xun’s heart suddenly turned cold.

At this moment, the various sect leaders calmed down one by one, their faces solemn, clearly screening potential candidates. Li Xun’s gaze swept across their faces, unwavering, stopping only on Qingming’s, where it remained motionless.

Qingming, caught in deep thought, was noticeably slow to react. Even Li Xun’s intense provocation didn’t immediately alert him, but the more intense the response, the more intense the subsequent reaction.

In Li Xun’s view, this de facto Grandmaster suddenly looked up and made eye contact, completely reversing the situation from before.

Li Xun made no attempt to avoid him, staring intently at him.

Initially, Qingming couldn’t understand Li Xun’s thoughts, but as he heard the so-called “great masters” of various sects, both large and small, speak of themselves, his expression gradually changed, his brow furrowing ever tighter until it formed a knot.

As Li Xun watched his expression shift, his heart tightened, his heartbeat becoming more distinct.

Yes, speaking of those with great supernatural powers, who in the entire Tongxuan Realm could be more qualified than Zhong Yin before and after the forty-ninth calamity?

The reason why the cultivators of various sects have not thought of this now is because Zhong Yin’s glorious image of slaying demons and eliminating evil for thousands of years has obscured their presence.

But Li Xun is different. He understands Zhong Yin’s true face better than anyone else. Moreover, the suspected bone and meridian heart-opening technique on Gu Yin has always been like a thorn in his heart.

If we continue to deduce according to this line of thought, does it have an explanation?

And then there is that Qing Yin slave girl…

Li Xun’s thoughts suddenly broke. It was not because he was unable to concentrate, but at this moment, the spiritual perception network that was unintentionally opened swept across a sharp reaction. After a sudden chill, he turned his gaze, but could not find the familiar figure across the crowd.

“Qing Yin!”

Li Xun almost roared, but soon he calmed down. Thanks to the Bone Meridians Heart-Opening Technique, he could use the Blood God’s method in his current state, and his sense of the pulse of life was as sharp as ever.

Qing Yin had indeed returned to the East China Sea!

What exactly was her connection to the current situation?

Li Xun locked onto Qing Yin’s movement trajectory, and his mind was working at an unprecedented speed. The vague connection between Zhong Yin, Qing Yin, and Gu Yin was like a web woven by a poisonous spider, enveloping him. The more he struggled, the tighter and more tangled it became! Li Xun felt that his mind was gradually losing its balance. The question about Qing Yin seemed to be more complicated than he had imagined.

Just as this thought arose, his mind felt a chill, and he felt as if a sharp blade was slicing the wind in front of him. He was startled, and when he regained his composure, the sense of Qing Yin had disappeared again.

That bitch…

Li Xun hadn’t expected Qing Yin to find a way to counter his sensory capture so quickly. With a highly targeted move, she’d broken free from his grip. This also proved that capturing her again in the vast East China Sea would be far more difficult than before.

Li Xun was truly beginning to fret. At that moment, his gaze unconsciously flickered to Qing Ming, but she wasn’t looking at him. Instead, she tilted her head, as if trying to discern the approaching, yet hazy, future through the swirling dark clouds.

For a moment, Li Xun’s mind felt as if struck by something, and his mind was momentarily lost.

When he recovered, a sharp voice echoed in his ears: “Can’t you see what’s possible and what’s not? We cultivators have always only avoided calamities. When they’re unavoidable, we face them head-on, but we never seek our own demise!”

This was Li Tian Yao Dao’s second remark. Hearing the name of the Forty-Nine Tribulations, he was truly nervous.

There were many others who shared his thoughts. In Li Xun’s opinion, regardless of whether they were good or evil, these individuals overwhelmingly predominated. However, while those like Li Tian could express their intention to retreat directly, the righteous cultivators were more cautious.

Someone spoke first, and then someone else followed suit. Surprisingly, the next person to speak was the old demon Chu Chen, whose status was far superior to Li Tian’s. His words brought the chaotic scene to a state of stillness.

“According to Mr. Shui Jing, this calamity could be the aftermath of the forty-ninth calamity. Since it’s an aftermath, it’s different from the true forty-ninth calamity. At the very least, it seems unlikely that it would last for so long… But is that so?”

He addressed Mr. Shui Jing, who nodded in agreement.

Chu Chen’s rosy face etched a faint smile as he spoke slowly, “I deeply admire Gu Yin’s magical skills. However, these kinds of skills are only used once, not again. They might be used today, but not tomorrow. Therefore, it’s best for us to avoid his attack for now. Once the calamity clouds dissipate, the Loose Cultivator Alliance’s momentum is shattered, and the various sects join forces to strike back, what else can Gu Yin do?”

“Sect Master Chu hits the nail on the head!”

“I think that’s a good point.”

“To retreat in order to advance is the wisest move.”

As Chu Chen finished speaking, the Endless Underworld Lord and others chimed in, instantly bolstering the retreating faction.

Li Xun could clearly see that not only the evil sects, but also the leaders of the righteous sects, like Ling Fengzi, Mister Dayan, and Master Xuanhua, were also tempted.

Qi Wu, Li Dongjue, and Tianhe, who had just experienced the devastation of their foundations, remained silent.

However, the three men’s expressions differed. Li Dongjue’s mind was wavering, clearly lacking confidence in the situation, showing signs of being swayed by Chu Chen and the others. Tianhe’s expression was indignant, on the verge of losing his composure. Meanwhile, Qi Wu Dao Ren remained seated with his eyes closed, seemingly still reeling from the thunderstorm. He remained indifferent to external matters, his apathy chilling.

At this point, Li Douliang, who had remained silent for a long time, spoke, but evaded the central topic, asking Ramash, “Brother Mosh, have you determined the extent of the calamity cloud?”

Ramash smiled and replied, “It’s around three to five thousand miles away. It’s quite a strong presence, and it’s still expanding.”

“Three to five thousand miles, traversing east and west, fighting and retreating, it’ll only take an hour at most. If I’m determined to escape, what can the Loose Cultivator Alliance do to me? Instead, we’re hesitant, allowing the calamity cloud to expand its reach. We’re truly trapped here!”

Li Tianyaodao was undoubtedly the most determined to retreat, eager to interrupt him. But as he finished speaking, someone sneered, “An hour is enough time for those mad dogs outside to tear you to pieces.”

As he spoke, a light explosion echoed through the air, followed by a loud yet slow voice: “It’s Fairy Butterfly. Excuse me.”

The ripples in the air rippled, and Shui Dielan’s figure silently appeared beside Li Xun, following these slight ripples.

She smiled at Li Xun, then shouted back, “Toothless tiger, never again tell me I know you. You’re the only one in the world who’s so naive and foolish as a vegetarian!”

The other person simply chuckled and remained silent.

The target of Shui Dielan’s ridicule was, naturally, Bancheng, a lay Buddhist from the Xiji Zen Sect. This lay Buddhist had not participated in the discussions with the sect leader. Instead, he and Liu Yunzi from the Xumiao Sect served as a stabilizing force among the surrounding cultivators, resisting the relentless onslaught of the Loose Cultivator Alliance.

The demon woman’s infiltration, concealed by illusion, had deceived others, but not this Winged Flying Tiger, also one of the Seven Demons of the Universe. Their auras collided, and an instinctive clash erupted.

Fortunately, everyone knew of her relationship with Li Xun, and given Shui Dielan’s unpredictable aura, and Bancheng’s long history of Buddhist practice, his powerful demonic powers lacked any hint of hostility, preventing further disaster.

The sudden incident undoubtedly eased the tense atmosphere at the scene. Unfortunately, Shui Dielan was never a living Bodhisattva who would save people in distress. She was still talking and laughing a moment ago, but she returned to her old ways in the next moment, with a look of sneer on her face: “What do you mean by retreating to advance? It’s just to flatter yourselves and find excuses for shrinking and protecting yourself. It’s a pity that you guys have been discussing seriously for so long, but you are all still far away from the topic and no one has got to the point.”

The sharp eyes cast from all sides were so fierce that even Li Xun who was standing next to her felt a little headache, but Shui Dielan didn’t care at all and continued. He continued, “Do you truly not understand, or are you feigning ignorance? Who has the upper hand in this situation? Do you truly have the power to choose, or are you simply waiting for Gu Yin to grant you this favor?”

A barrage of questions erupted, leaving the sect leaders stunned. Then, perhaps Gu Yin, hearing Shui Dielan’s taunts from afar, the roar of killing erupted from all directions. The rumbling of the earth’s energy couldn’t drown out the chorus of killing shouts from a hundred thousand independent cultivators. The two waves merged, and the East China Sea beneath them began a second wave of trembling and groaning.

The surging waves, nearly ten feet high, proved powerless against the sect leaders, yet everyone’s expressions were grimacing.

In the blink of an eye, the surrounding cultivators’ lines suddenly shrunk inward, so dramatically that it almost looked as if they were about to be crushed into a pulp!

At that moment, a series of painful groans and cries merged, leaving no one able to tell how many of their own cultivators had been killed or wounded in that instant.

The previously stable front was now shaky, and beneath the overwhelming waves, it seemed as if it would be swamped by the sea at any moment.

“Move! Move now!”

shouted a hot-tempered monk nearby. This was probably the most realistic and urgent call.

The eyes of the inner circle monks met slightly, and then Ling Fengzi stood up, his usual humorous expression gone, and said sternly: “The difference in numbers is so great, how can we lose our only mobility? Everyone, make a decision!”

“It’s of no use knowing it now.”

Shui Dielan’s beautiful voice said the swear words, and there was a special taste. She was always unreasonable and didn’t care about right or wrong, and would stab anyone she saw: “While you were arguing, Gu Yin had already set up the formation, and took advantage of the Nine Netherworlds’ earth energy spraying and the floating of the surrounding spiritual veins and acupoints to set up the Three Thousand Gangsha Hunyi Formation, gathering the power of 100,000 monks, as if it were one. The eighteen formation eyes and seventy-two life and death gates, you just have to break them slowly.”

Now, the monks of various sects were even more stunned, and Li Xun was also shocked, but he soon realized something was wrong.

No one knew the level of this forbidden technique idiot Shui Dielan better than he did. She probably wouldn’t even recognize the extremely obscure “Three Thousand Gangsha Humming Sphere Formation,” let alone the simplest Five Elements Formation.

But where did she learn such impressive vocabulary and terminology?

There must be something fishy going on!

Before Li Xun could figure it out, the scene erupted in chaos. No one would have thought Shui Dielan would fabricate such a thing. In this moment of looming thunderclouds, with vital energy in disarray, perceptions failing, and communication between inside and outside the body stagnating, the information brought to both Mr. Shui Jing and Shui Dielan from the outside world became their only available reference. The resulting impact was unimaginable under normal circumstances.

“A Three Thousand Gangsha Hunyi Formation?” As a master of forbidden techniques, Xuanhua Zhenren was undoubtedly the most qualified among the cultivators present. He didn’t doubt Shui Dielan’s intelligence at all. He simply took a deep breath and said, “A hundred thousand independent cultivators deploying this formation could reach the limit of nine layers and thirteen tiers. At that point, the formation’s core wouldn’t be eighteen, but thirty-six. The formation would be like a sphere, with seemingly endless barriers to life and death… Breaking through it all in one go would be incredibly difficult!”

“If you hesitate any longer, are you really seeking death here?” Li

Tianyaodao had spoken far too much today, and this time, he had definitely struck a chord with the vast majority of those present.

The turmoil in hearts at this moment was beyond the reach of so-called self-control or morality.

Li Xun had no doubt that if anyone retreated first, this short-lived Nineteen Sects Alliance would disintegrate.

Furthermore, if this temporary front could be “restored to mobility” as promised, the alliance’s collapse would be imminent.

“Brother Moshi!”

This time it was Venerable Qixiu who spoke. His dark face was expressionless, but his eyes, emerald green and cold, showed a clear decision. Addressing Ramash was merely a matter of courtesy.

As the Western Union’s second-highest Grandmaster after Ramash, his statement was enough to finalize the situation.

At that moment, Ramash suddenly raised his hand, silencing Qixiu’s next words. Simultaneously, on the other side, Li Douliang straightened his back. The combined actions of the two most powerful masters from both the righteous and evil sects were a truly eye-catching display.

For a moment, all the cultivators fell silent, leaving only the roaring cries of killing and the roaring roars that surged past.

But amidst the deafening sound, the cultivators, with their sharp ears and eyes, and their uncanny sensitivity to the flow of heaven and earth’s vital energy, still caught another ominous shrill note.

A thin film, after holding on for quite a long time, finally cracked a small gap!

“Remember, I said, Gu Yin will not give you a chance.”

Shui Dielan’s cold laugh sounded again, and that tone seemed to ring a death knell. At the same time, she pulled Li Xun, and the two flew back together.

At this time, the image of Mr. Shui Jing, who had been forgotten for a long time, suddenly showed a huge fluctuation. Mr. Shui Jing’s voice came again, but it was out of tune because of the violent shock of his vitality: “The great catastrophe is coming from the sky, and you must make the decision to face it, and burn your boats…”

The voice stopped abruptly, and the image disappeared immediately.

Almost mixed with the end of the words, Ramash and Li Douliang shouted at the same time: “Disperse!”