Chapter 214
Chapter 214
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 0
Chapter Title: Chongguang's Reincarnations
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"You say this is Chongguang's reincarnation?"
In the grand hall of Qing Kingdom, King Qing's face was iron-gray as he stared at the child before him—fair-skinned and rosy-cheeked, looking about seven or eight years old.
"You dare fool me?"
"Your Majesty."
The eunuch responsible for reporting the news hurriedly replied:
"This child may look large, but he was actually born only eight days ago. Moreover, he possesses divine anomalies far beyond ordinary mortals."
"This is only eight days old!?"
King Qing's expression grew even more dubious. Upon hearing the eunuch claim the child possessed divine anomalies, he immediately glanced at Zhong Xin beside him. Zhong Xin got the message.
In the next instant, the top scholar extended a finger without hesitation. Official qi gathered at his fingertip, condensing into a sharp arrow that shot straight toward the child.
To everyone's surprise, however, the arrow struck the child without so much as scratching his skin!
"This is... [Immortal Evergreen]!"
Zhong Xin's gaze sharpened:
"A-wood severed at the roots and stripped of branches turns to dead wood. Tempered by the stagnant waters of rivers, ponds, and marshes, dead wood merges with dead water to form [Immortal Evergreen]."
"This should be an innate divine ability from the [Covered Lamp Fire] lineage!"
"It governs longevity and indestructibility—a supreme art for protecting body and Dao."
King Qing looked pleasantly surprised:
"So you're saying this truly is Chongguang? He just hasn't broken through the fetal enigma yet and only has this one innate divine ability for protection?"
"On this matter, Your Majesty, this subject is merely mortal flesh and blood. I truly cannot discern it."
Zhong Xin looked troubled as he replied:
"In my eyes, this is just an ordinary infant. The soul shows no anomalies—only some inexplicable divine abilities."
King Qing shook his head. He pointed at the child:
"True or false, kill him!"
The words had barely fallen when several eunuchs advanced.
[Immortal Evergreen] was formidable, but this was merely an infant with scant magic power.
Thus, the eunuchs simply conjured two orbs of spirit fire with their magic and hurled them in. Before long, they reduced it to a pile of ashes.
King Qing stepped forward for a close inspection of the remains, confirming the infant was truly dead.
But before he could exhale in relief—
"Report!"
Another armored soldier dashed in from outside the hall and knelt, proclaiming loudly:
"Your Majesty, the scouts dispatched to various regions have all reported back. Three more Chongguangs discovered!"
"..."
King Qing nearly laughed from sheer fury.
Three more Chongguangs? Why not say the entire Primal Saint Sect reincarnated into my humble Qing Kingdom? What fortune for Qing Kingdom!
Moments later, three more infants were brought forth.
Zhong Xin examined each one in turn, then shook his head:
"Same as the last—each bears only a single innate divine ability from the [Covered Lamp Fire] lineage."
"[Yin Dragon Water], [Fear of Felling], [Rigid Flame Furnace]..."
Zhong Xin spoke cautiously, then shook his head again:
"Your Majesty, this subject's learning is limited. I fear I cannot identify them accurately. Please summon others to verify."
King Qing had already intended as much. He nodded approval at once and summoned several senior ministers from the Imperial Academy to assess the infants.
The result matched Zhong Xin's—the infants showed no signs of reincarnation, though their divine abilities were genuine.
Just then, another soldier reported: yet another anomalous infant.
"A fifth?" King Qing was stunned.
This infant bore [Immortal Evergreen] as well! But the one with [Immortal Evergreen] had surely been burned to ash!
"How can this be?"
King Qing could scarcely believe his eyes.
Finally, an old minister stepped forward gravely:
"Your Majesty, I sense there's profundity to this affair."
"I know damn well there's profundity to it! The question is, what?" King Qing snapped, losing composure.
After all, the promise of finally locating Chongguang's reincarnation body had ended in this—a false dawn. The emotional rollercoaster left him struggling for control.
"I believe these are decoys."
"These infants all possess [Covered Lamp Fire] lineage innate divine abilities, yet none bear a natal divine ability. That's the key."
"They exist only to shield the true Chongguang reincarnation!"
"Thus, until the real Chongguang is found, killing these infants is meaningless. Whether slain or spared, they'll simply possess new vessels..."
"Useless! All of you, useless!"
King Qing raged, waving dismissively:
"...Zhong, my dear minister, I'm weary. Henceforth, handle this entirely yourself. Be decisive."
The unspoken order: kill them all!
Better to slay in error than spare the guilty!
Zhong Xin bowed without hesitation:
"As you decree."
At that instant, a third soldier burst frantically into the hall, irking King Qing:
"Another infant? Henceforth, such matters—"
Before he finished, the soldier's panicked cry rang through the hall.
"The Demon Sect advances south!"
【Qing Kingdom】, beyond Dragon-Slicing Pass.
"This place is named Dragon-Slicing Pass for it divides Qing Kingdom from northern Jiangbei—one barrier cleaving their spiritual qi flows in twain."
"The qi within the pass is wholly bound by Dao Court edicts, every mote belonging to the Dao Court. Below Foundation Establishment, none can wield divine abilities or spells inside. Our sole path into Qing Kingdom is to shatter Dragon-Slicing Pass and break the Dao Court's qi monopoly."
Before the majestic barrier stood Perfected Being Yin Shan, Hanxiang, and a heroic woman shoulder to shoulder.
Beneath them swarmed cultivators like ants—disciples summoned from northern sects, spanning mid Qi Refining to great perfection.
They each piloted escape lights, hurtling toward Dragon-Slicing Pass.
Atop the pass, defending troops met them head-on. The forces clashed, blood staining the earth below.
"Daoist Yin Shan, what use are these Qi Refining disciples?"
Hanxiang could not refrain from asking:
"Dragon-Slicing Pass's array demands Foundation Establishment Perfected Ones to breach. These Qi Refining folk are mere fodder..."
Perfected Being Yin Shan glanced at her faintly:
"Fellow Daoist, your vision lacks breadth."
"Though mere Qi Refining, they serve a purpose. Before battle, I distributed cultivation spirit pills to every Qi Refining disciple."
"Each pill bore added catalysts—retaining cultivation efficacy while infusing blood-filth qi. Should they perish at Dragon-Slicing Pass, their dying blood-qi merges with the spirit veins, polluting the qi and indirectly eroding the pass's spirit-vein array."
Scarce had he spoken when Dragon-Slicing Pass quaked violently.
Polluted qi caused the array—once fluid—to stutter faintly.
To Foundation Establishment senses, flaws bloomed endlessly.
Perfected Being Yin Shan nodded:
"See? Useful now, aren't they?"
Hanxiang: "..."
The next instant, Perfected Being Yin Shan turned to Hanxiang and the heroic woman:
"Fellow Daoist Hanxiang, Fellow Daoist Yu Chan—this assault demands our full might."
The pair nodded assent.
Yet before advancing, Yu Chan—the so-called heroic woman—scanned her surroundings, missing Lu Yang's form. Her fine brows furrowed.
High in the firmament, Perfected Being Yin Shan stood hands clasped behind.
He cradled a black mountain-shaped treasure. Channeling magic power, he hurled it skyward—it instantly became a true vast peak!
"Boom!"
The mountain slammed down, pulverizing Dragon-Slicing Pass. Earth and peaks trembled; qi beyond the pass roiled wildly. The array's glows flickered erratically.
With qi defiled, its power waned sharply. Against Yin Shan's sweeping blows, collapse loomed.
Yet then—
"Hold firm! No panic!"
Amid void ripples, a stalwart figure materialized atop the pass walls, instantly steadying the array.
None other than Zhong Xin—fresh from emergency summons, void-shifted back!
"..."
Their gazes clashed next—Zhong Xin's and Perfected Being Yin Shan's—brimming with murderous intent.