Chapter 363
Chapter 363
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ace
Chapter: ?
Chapter Title: Into the Southern Frontier
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Several days later, Southern Frontier.
Lu Yang transformed into a streak of sword light, hurtling forward at full speed. Yet just as he entered the Southern Frontier, he came to an abrupt halt. He withdrew his sword light and stood amid the clouds, peering into the distance.
The next moment, a jade slip appeared in his hand.
The jade slip had been bestowed by Perfected Being Demon-Quelling. Aside from intelligence on the Perfected Beings of the Ten Thousand Poison Sect, it contained another piece of information he prized greatly:
*To think I'd searched high and low to no avail, only for it to fall into my lap without effort!*
The Ten Thousand Poison Sect of the Southern Frontier actually held clues to [Xin Gold]!
*Within the Ten Thousand Poison Sect lies a sacred pool that gathers moonlight, condensing it into [Imperial Fluid]. Accumulate a bottleful, refine it further, and it becomes [Xin Gold].*
Unbelievable!
*The pool is called [Moon Worshipping]. The Ten Thousand Poison Sect nurtured it for years with secret arts, succeeding only a dozen years ago. It is a superior feng shui treasure land!*
At this, Lu Yang's eyes lit up.
*This Ten Thousand Poison Sect... they've sealed their own doom!*
Such a feng shui treasure land belonged only to the virtuous—and surveying the world, he, as Heaven's beloved immortal spirit, was naturally the rightful claimant!
He had lost hope of acquiring gold within sixty years because nurturing an immortal spirit took far too long, with the final step demanding painstaking, gradual effort and offering no shortcuts. But with a feng shui treasure land to aid it, the nurturing speed would surge dramatically!
*That said... I must still plan this carefully.*
After all, the Southern Frontier differed utterly from the Northern Frontier.
The Ten Thousand Poison Sect was far shrewder than the Divine Martial Sect, which the Sword Pavilion had duped into folly—lured by promises, they foolishly founded their sect in the north.
The Ten Thousand Poison Sect placed no faith in the Saint Sect.
Thus, beyond the Saint Sect, they had secretly secured another patron—which explained their far superior development compared to the Divine Martial Sect.
That patron was none other than the Dao Court!
Boom!
As Lu Yang pondered, roiling black light erupted from the distant clouds. The vast white expanse instantly darkened into oppressive storm clouds, blanketing the sky as they bore down.
At the heart of the churning black clouds loomed a grand military formation. Tents bristled with spear and blade; countless soldiers manned their posts, their auras interlinked to seal the heavens and lock the earth—like a towering city wall barring Lu Yang's path into the Southern Frontier. A massive banner fluttered amid the array, emblazoned with two bold characters:
[Town South].
Beneath the banner, a dragon horse pawed the air. Astride it sat a martial figure, a long spear trailing behind him in a blazing furrow of flame.
Poised in the clouds, he threw back his head and bellowed with laughter.
“I wonder which Sword Pavilion Perfected Being graces us!”
*[Prince Who Pacifies the South] Wu Tai'an*
The jade slip had detailed the Dao Court's Southern Frontier deployments. This [Prince Who Pacifies the South] was no trifling foe—a true direct descendant of the Heavenly Wu line.
In the Dao Court, bloodlines held tangible might.
Many Dao Court officials might feign their realms, their power lagging behind fellow cultivators at the same level. But not the imperial clan.
Every Dao Court royal cultivated their innate nature, treating rank as mere ornament.
Take this [Prince Who Pacifies the South]: as a Dao Court prince, he stood at peak Foundation Establishment. Even stripped of title, his cultivation remained late Foundation Establishment!
*If anything, on par with the old Suo Huan.*
Yet Lu Yang felt scant fear. This was still Jiangnan territory. The Dao Court would have to lose its mind to strike him down here.
“I am Minghe, dispatched to the Southern Frontier on my master's orders.”
Lu Yang stood in the clouds and saluted.
“Might I ask why [Prince Who Pacifies the South] blocks the way here? Could it be collusion with the Ten Thousand Poison Sect?”
*As expected of a Sword Pavilion lunatic!*
The Prince Who Pacifies the South cursed silently, his smile unwavering.
“Young friend, you misunderstand. This king holds this post to ward off the Southern Frontier's demonic cults”—a bald-faced lie.
The entire Dao Court knew the truth. Whether the Prince Who Pacifies the South garrisoned here or courted the Ten Thousand Poison Sect in secret, their true target was the Sword Pavilion.
Everyone knew the Sword Pavilion's ways.
Fail to guard against them, and one day they'd storm Jiangdong, rampage through Dao Court lands, and claim it all as universal salvation!
As the pair conversed...
Far off on a distant mountain peak, two more cultivators gazed toward Lu Yang, their auras likewise at Foundation Establishment.
Their features were profoundly strange.
One seemed handsome at first glance—yet when his lips parted, no tongue or teeth showed, only the savage head of a Gu worm.
His companion was stranger still: a flat expanse of skin for a face, devoid of features or orifices, cradling a human-faced Gu worm in his palm, fused flesh to flesh. All speech and spellwork emanated from that palm-borne insect.
Their very visages marked them as Ten Thousand Poison Sect Perfected Beings.
One was [Huigu (Cicada)], the other [Longwu (Dragon Centipede)].
“That’s the man—Yaning Xiao?”
Longwu Perfected Being spoke first.
“Our Sword Pavilion mole reports he's fresh to Foundation Establishment, but a sword cultivator of uncommon prowess.”
“Think the Prince Who Pacifies the South can stop him?”
Huigu Perfected Being shook his head.
“The Dao Court won't antagonize the Sword Pavilion. Unless the Holy Sect abandons the Southern Frontier outright, they won't lift a finger.”
“Then what?”
Longwu Perfected Being scowled.
“The [Moon-Worshipping Sacred Pool] has finally formed. [Ten Thousand Calamities Gu] refining nears completion—we can't abandon it.”
At that, the Gu worm in Huigu Perfected Being's palm shrieked, his tone sharpening with venom.
“Hesitate, and chaos follows. He's only newly Foundation Establishment. Together, we seize him—no killing needed. Just trap him for a year or two.”
“Sound reasoning!”
Longwu Perfected Being nodded, grinning.
“We're both mid Foundation Establishment. A fresh-faced junior should pose no trouble.”
Meanwhile, in the distant sky, the Prince Who Pacifies the South parted his ranks.
“Since young friend heads to the Southern Frontier, this king won't detain you. But beware—poor hills, foul waters, demonic lands abound.”
“My thanks for the warning, Your Highness.”
Lu Yang saluted, watching the military formation withdraw.
*This prince... harbors ill intent! Flaunting his presence exposed my trail, ruining any chance of stealth.*
No matter.
He'd never intended stealth anyway.
Now a late Foundation Establishment sword master, he feared no True Lord—and no peak Foundation Establishment foe!
*Besides, it's just an avatar. What's to fear?*
*Time to whet the blade!*
In the next instant, Lu Yang surged forth on sword light, brazenly plunging into the Southern Frontier. Longwu and Huigu Perfected Beings paled at the sight.
“Insolent fool!”
They had banked on Lu Yang sneaking in, planning to shadow him, lure him deep, then veil the heavens in some forsaken spot and bind him.
Instead, he charged openly, scorning all concealment!