Chapter 332: Today, I Shall Flatten the Penglai Sect’s Island!
“Elder Nine Dragons’ soul plate has shattered!”
In the Throne of Requiem of the Penglai Sect, the disciples on duty paled in shock. Someone soon pa.s.sed the word to the Hermit of Forgotten Love, who was still hunting Jiang He, which prompted a look of fury on the hermit’s face. Clenching his teeth, he greeted, “Jiang He, that mad dog! I shall tear out his flesh and crush his bones!”
After cursing for a while, he sought out the Thousand Sword Daoist—it was difficult for the latter to divine where Jiang He was, but tracking the aura of the True Habitant of Nine Dragons was much simpler.
Soon, many figures arrived on the island.
Multiple divine minds interweaved and extended but found nothing at all, before various G.o.dly powers erupted and blew up the entire island.
***
Over the distant horizon, Jiang He’s farm had a.s.sumed the form of a white cloud hovering up in the skies.
As he watched what happened below, Jiang He could not help inhaling sharply.
“Gasp!”
“That bunch is so cruel!”
“It’s lucky I escaped early. Wouldn’t I get blown out of hiding by their wild bombardment if I had remained there?”
With that done, Jiang He ignored the cultivators from the Penglai Sect and the Ten Thousand Swords Sect.
Those people were now wildly searching the seas several thousand miles around the island, but never once took a look at the skies. In fact, Jiang He did not go out of his own way to control the white cloud that his farm had transformed into but instead allow it to drift along with the wind, since the average cultivator would not notice anything if they were not paying attention.
In the meantime, Jiang He seized the moment to cultivate.
One spirit condensation pellet after another was reduced to trash, while his Yuan Spirit strengthened rapidly.
A thought suddenly occurred to Jiang He then...
If each secluded immortal sect was willing to consume spirit condensation pellets, would they not be able to rapidly develop large groups of full-fledged Yuan Spirit cultivators?
Even so, Jiang He did not count in the value of the spirit condensation pellets.
Five hundred of those pellets were worth one premium-grade soul item.
And ever since he had begun cultivating as a novice Yuan Spirit, he had consumed more than 5,000 spirit condensation pellets.
Even so, he would still need up to 3,000 spirit condensation pellets at least.
That would make it almost eight thousand spirit condensation pellets used, which was worth sixteen premium-grade soul time...
And which immortal sect could afford to be so extravagant?
Moreover, brewing spirit condensation pellets would take time.
Even with enough spirit condensation pellets, developing a full-fledged Yuan Spirit cultivator could not be done in a year or so— that was why no cultivator from the immortal sects could cultivate so rapidly like Jiang He.
Time pa.s.sed.
Soon, it was next morning.
Boom!
Suddenly, Jiang He’s aura strengthened incredibly.
His mystic energy had also increased wildly as the Yuan Qi inside his farm surged towards him. At the same time, his Yuan Spirit was strengthening swiftly, reaching up to nine feet and nine inches in a single stroke.
More time pa.s.sed.
Jiang He then opened his eyes and exhaled a long turbid breath, sighting, “Half a month has pa.s.sed since the fifth of November and I’ve finally cultivated up from novice Yuan Spirit to full-fledged Yuan Spirit.”
Rising to his feet and waving his hand, he then said, “Sora, Boa, prepare breakfast. There’s still things to do after I eat.”
The two maids hence went to work at the Chinese-style standing at a corner of the farm.
Soon, the rice aroma of Dragontooth Rice porridge began to waft, and the little steamed buns wrapped over eggplant and water serpent meat was cooked.
Meanwhile, Jiang He took a bath and headed downstairs.
The reason he would take a bath early in the morning was because he had been too busy to bathe over the last few days, and he would still have to suffer eighty-one hours of heavenly retribution. When that happens, he would have to survive through heavenly thunderbolts while pitting wits and strength against the Penglai Sect, leaving him with no time for a bath.
As Jiang He ate breakfast, the many elites of the Penglai Sect and the Ten Thousand Swords Sect were all looking grim!
They still could not find Jiang He...
Even though both immortal sects had joined hands against a mere commoner cultivator and even mobilized two of their Sufferance-tier elites, they could not find a thing even after hunting him for such a long time, and were also inflicted with severe casualties.
Moreover, they even noticed that other secluded immortal sects, demonic sects, and ancient daemon cultivators were nearby, enjoying the show.
“No! If this continues, the reputation of the Penglai Sect and the Ten Thousand Swords Sect would hit rock-bottom. Who would bother to join us when we open our doors once Chaos arrives?”
Inside the Penglai Sect, one of their Sufferance-tier elites had a dark look on his face.
The many Sufferance-tier elites cultivating in seclusion had been startled by Jiang He.
As they spoke, there was no concealment of accusation in their voice, leaving the Penglai Sect chieftain quiet... he had no idea what he should say.
To tell the truth, he really did not expect such an outcome.
A commoner cultivator, stirring such tremendous waves?
The argument lasted a long time at the great temple.
The Penglai Sect chieftain then spoke, “Dear Supreme Venerable Elder, now that our two sects are rallying our forces to hunt down Jiang He, we have become a joke to many other immortal sects, demonic sects, and ancient daemon cultivators. If this continues and we still could not apprehend him, where could we show our faces?”
“I suggest activating the Clear Sky Mirror to find that brat!”
“Moreover, the Penglai Sect could use this chance to reveal ourselves ahead of schedule!”
“I’ve sent someone to ask around. Jiang He is now a lynchpin and the divine guardian of the Hua Nation, and honored as their number one elite. If we kill him, our reputation would definitely be greatly boosted among the commoners.”
“But...”
An elder said hesitantly, “Chieftain, Jiang He holds a strong reputation among the commoners. Wouldn’t killing him invoke the hatred of the ma.s.ses?”
“Chaos is at hand, and only the strongest stand tall.” The Penglai Sect chieftain replied flatly. “The commoners need the protection of the strong if they want to survive. Would they still hate us if our Penglai Sect is willing to shelter them?”
One of the Sufferance-tier Supreme Venerable Elders slammed his hand on the table then and exclaimed, “Very well! Bring out the Clear Sky Mirror!”
The Clear Sky Mirror was a treasure of the Penglai Sect far superior to most premium-grade sage items, reaching the level of demi-immortal item, and was wielded by the White Brows Daoist, a Mahayana-tier elite.
In no time at all, the Penglai Sect chieftain and several Sufferance-tier elites arrived before a pair of tightly shut doors. They kowtowed before the temple and stated their business.
Soon, the doors of the temple opened on their own and an ancient mirror flew out.
It was made of special material that at once resembled gold and jade but were actually neither, and weighing over 3,000 catties. Tadpole scripts, as well as the pictures of cloudy dragons and mystical birds, were inscribed on the back of the mirror, with the sculpting appearing to float out. However, it felt flat and smooth if touched, which made it truly unique.
When seen from the front, the Clear Sky Mirror seemed to emanate a blurred radiance, though anyone looking closer would find that their vision extended further the more they looked. It was as if there was a rain of flowers behind the mirror and golden fields of twilight clouds, within which water, wind, fire, and clouds wafted and alternated volatilely.
The Penglai Sect chieftain held the Clear Sky Mirror and kowtowed in thanks.
After that, he summoned every elder and elite of the Penglai Sect who were in pursuit of Jiang He.
The Thousand Sword Daoist of the Ten Thousand Swords Sect followed even though he was left confused.
He could not help feeling stunned when he learned that the Penglai Sect was about to use the Clear Sky Mirror and would reveal themselves ahead of schedule. “The main immortal sects and demonic sects did not reveal themselves because the time isn’t right, and they would definitely cause an uproar if they revealed themselves ahead of time.”
“Your Ten Thousand Swords Sect could reveal yourself if you want to.”
The Penglai Sect chieftain said then. “Chaos is coming, and my sect is merely mustering our strength before the storm, and planning ahead of time... Supreme Venerable Elders and fellow elders, today we shall open our array, and the Penglai Sect will return to this world!
The many Supreme Venerable Elders and elders all agreed and stepped out of the great temple. They watched as light flow out of the vast Secret Realm, and then moved at once, mystic energy surging as the Secret Realm extending several hundred miles around Penglai Sect quaked endlessly.
Up on the cloud outside, Jiang He had just finished breakfast and stepped out of his farm to find that the seas beneath was suddenly rising. Waves over hundreds of feet high were churning, building up to a tsunami that stretched over several hundred kilometers, an utterly horrific sight that surged across every direction.
Gasp!
Jiang He inhaled sharply and could not help exclaiming, “Such a tidal wave would destroy any land a thousand kilometers away... luckily, the Hua Nation’s coastline is around two hundred kilometers from here and the waves would not reach it.”
So the Hua Nation was fine, but the island nation...
As a matter of fact, the Secret Realm of the Penglai Sect was hidden beneath one of the island nation’s islands, which had already been struck by a ma.s.sive disaster when Lin Tianzheng fought the Nine-Headed Serpent Emperor. Now, the tsunami would undoubtedly end the island nation with a total wipeout.
Even so, Jiang He could not bother about that much.
He saw then that a colossal immortal island was rising from the sea.
It was several hundred kilometers wide and covered in a radiant array that kept seawater away.
Thick mist covered the island itself, and there were various buildings that stood beside forests with ancient, towering trees, on top of which spirit animals like divine cranes hovered.
“Is that...”
“The Penglai Sect?”
Jiang He did a double take.
What the heck?
The Penglai Sect was going to reveal themselves already?
Of course, that was not the most important part... as his farm flowed along the wind as a white cloud, it ended right above the Penglai Sect through coincidence—it was basically destined, indicating that there was a grand karmic connection between him and the Penglai Sect.
“Right now, I have eighteen Five Thunder Talismans and almost 900 Doom Shrooms. Could I flatten the Penglai Sect if I threw everything out at once?”
A thought occurred to Jiang He then, but then he thought, “I’m afraid that it would be difficult. A secluded immortal sect like the Penglai Sect would definitely have a powerful mountain guarding array, and the 900 Doom Shrooms would not detonate to maximum effect even if I were to throw them now.”
Jiang He kept watching the ma.s.sive island rising from the depths of the ocean, and eventually made his decision.
He would stick to his previous plan.
Set up a vast array.
Keep the Penglai Sect’s island sealed.
After that, he would provoke the Penglai Sect cultivators. If they opened the array to come after him, he would seize the chance and throw all 900 Doom Shrooms and eighteen Five Thunder Talismans inside, blowing them upside down!
“Still, I will need a backup plan.”
“If I can’t throw the 900 Doom Shrooms and eighteen Five Thunder Talismans inside, I will cultivate up to Sufferance and take on my heavenly retributions right above their heads. I don’t believe they’ll be able to maintain their composure at that point.”
With that in mind, Jiang He hence took out every array board and array flag, along with every last spirit stone aside from the 38,000 superior-grade spirit stones!
“The array I’ve set up around my house did not need many every array boards or array flags, and just a few dozen thousands of inferior-grade spirit stones, but Sufferance-tier without three retributions would have a hard time breaking my array. With so many resources thrown out now, not even full-fledged Sufferance cultivators or even Mahayana cultivators would break my array!”
Watching as half of the Penglai Island breached the water then, Jiang He gritted his teeth and flung his hands...
Swish!
Streaks of flashes flew out and tons of Orirocks, array boards and array flags build up a great array that instantly encircled the area several hundred miles around the Penglai Sect island!
The first array, the Great Nine Heavens Array of Dragon Sealing, formed instalty!
Then came the second, the Nine Heavens Thunderflame Array!
Illusory array, Ten Thousand Phenomenon Array!
Guarding array, the Earthen Black Tortoise Array!
All four arrays materialized in the matter of several breaths.
***
Inside the Penglai Sect, the many elders, Supreme Venerable Elders, and disciples were commanding their arrays to levitate the island, the excitement and thrill on their faces hardly concealed.
One of the Supreme Venerable Elders, who was over two thousand years old, laughed wildly as he looked skyward, tears welling in his eyes as he exclaimed, “Haha! This day has finally come! I’ve confined myself for over two thousand years, but my Penglai Sect once again reveals itself to the world and open its gates!”
“Soon, we shall regain our former glory... eh?”
The Supreme Venerable Elder eyes narrowed as he exclaimed in surprise then, “What is that?”
He saw a white cloud hanging over the horizon, on top of which stood an unreasonably handsome youth.
The youth then threw out veins of flashes...
And then...
Oom!
An array so ma.s.sive that it covered the entire Penglai Island instantly materialized.
The Supreme Venerable Elder, having confined himself for centuries, was left baffled and asked, “Who is that person casting an array? Why would he lay it outside our Penglai Sect?”
Nearby, Cloudy Sky Fairy Child’s beautiful gaze widened, having a nagging feeling that the array was especially familiar. That was when a flash of inspiration came and she recalled the array he saw at Jiang He’s house, and she promptly cried out, “It’s Jiang He...”
Kaboom!
The seas roared.
The Penglai Island had finally rose above the seas.
Even so, Jiang He’s fourfold arrays had completely surrounded it as well.
Up above the white cloud, Jiang He strode out into the array he had set out and looked beneath to find another array. That was the mountain-guarding array the Penglai Sect set up themselves that shielded their entire island.
Meanwhile, multiple figures had taken to the skies, looking up at Jiang He in anger from behind their array.
“You really want to die, Jiang He?”
“Heh.”
Jiang He sneered flatly. “Could you kill me even if I wanted to die?”
“A mere commoner cultivator and a Yuan Spirit-intermediate daring to mouth such insolence?” Cloudy Sky Fairy Child retorted coquettishly.
“Yuan Spirit-intermediate?”
Sneering, Jiang He’s figure trembled then as he released his full-fledged Yuan Spirit aura, the silhouette of his nine-foot and nine-inch Yuan Spirit manifesting behind him as he sneered. “Open your doggone eyes and see. I’m a full-fledged Yuan Spirit!”
In that very moment, Jiang He was exceedingly smug as he laughed out loud, “Isn’t Penglai Sect trying to kill me? Now, I have come to resolve all differences.”
“Give up on hunting me and swear not to try anything against me, and pay several thousands of superior-grade spirit stones in compensation for my mental toll. Do that, and I won’t force you to take further responsibility.”
“Otherwise...”
Jiang He invoked the Mosquito Cutter.
Immortal light was blazing over the Mosquito Cutter. The ripples of immortal power rippled, causing everyone in the Penglai Sect to hold their breaths. Even their two Mahayana-tier cultivators opened their eyes, their eyes piercing through the air to look upon the sword.
An immortal weapon?
Jiang He actually had one?
In fact, it was not only the Penglai Sect. In the distance, the faces of the many elites twitched even though they were merely there to enjoy the show, their eyes alit with greed.
Meanwhile, Mosquito Cutter in hand, Jiang He declared at the top of his voice, “Or I will flatten the Penglai Sect!”