Chapter 693 - 640: Rescue
It was unbelievable that Jiang Yuebai, a Mid-Stage Nascent Soul Cultivator, was to act as a protector for a Divinity Transformation Cultivator. However, Jiang Yuebai’s confident demeanor left Ding Lanzhi with no room to refuse.
Undergoing a Divinity Transformation was exceptionally dangerous, and Ding Lanzhi was worried something might happen to Jiang Yuebai.
"Then...I’ll take you there, and you can tell me about the things related to Jingshan over the years on the way."
Xie Tianbao was undergoing Divinity Transformation, and with Ding Lanzhi stationed at home, she now had to personally escort Jiang Yuebai to the North Sea Outer Sea, ensuring discreet orders were given to maintain confidentiality.
Jiang Yuebai took the opportunity to ask Ding Lanzhi to have the Mountain and Sea Building in Baipu Domain help her find Lv Ying.
After arranging everything, Ding Lanzhi set off immediately. Jiang Yuebai was originally preparing to continue using the Cloud-Breaking Charge to travel, but Ding Lanzhi assured her it was unnecessary, as they would directly head to the Fang Family’s territory to use the Transmission Array.
After Fang Ruyan became the Fang Clan Leader, she spent massive resources and time repairing the ancient Transmission Array left in the Fang Family territory to connect it with the North Sea’s ancient Transmission Array, facilitating travel between the North Sea Feiyan Pavilion and Kongfang City.
As Jiang Yuebai followed Ding Lanzhi into the Fang Family territory, she noticed a peculiar atmosphere within the clan. The male and female cultivators were gathered separately, with mutual hostility and avoidance.
"Aunt, what exactly happened with the Fang Family?"
On the way, Jiang Yuebai secretly communicated with Ding Lanzhi through voice transmission.
Ding Lanzhi sighed helplessly and replied through voice transmission, "About more than twenty years ago, the Pavilion Master was maliciously poisoned with an extremely poisonous cold toxin, causing her Cultivation to regress continuously. Meanwhile, the older generation of the Fang Family somehow brought back several illegitimate children possessing the Giant Barbarian Bloodline."
"Since then, the Fang Family split into two factions. One supported the Pavilion Master, modeling after the Feiyan Pavilion, focusing only on training women. The other, led by the Fang Family elders, concentrated on training those illegitimate children to revive the Giant Barbarian Fang Family’s reputation."
"And because the Pavilion Master couldn’t eliminate the cold toxin, she remained secluded, unable to manage much, leaving only a few confidants to support her with difficulty. As a result, the current Fang Family is a complete mess. Similarly, the foundational male authority of the Kong Family has also been shaken."
Jiang Yuebai understood. The Supreme Elder had mentioned Fang Ruyan’s situation to her once or twice, and she knew both Feiyan Pavilion Master Fang Ruyan and Shen Jinghao sought to carve out opportunities for women in the world.
Mr. Shen, during his time in the Mortal World, Yun Country, had secured some official positions for women. In Fang Family, however, Fang Ruyan faced constant obstacles.
She was poisoned, and anyone could deduce it was the machinations of those old guys in the Fang Family.
The Supreme Elder even claimed the Feiyan Pavilion Master was ruthless, but Jiang Yuebai thought her not ruthless enough, or else others would not exploit the opportunity.
However, the current Fang Family was focused on developing itself and likely wouldn’t have much effort to impede the Heavenly Interference Sect.
If the Fang Family from the Upper Realm intervened, only the Feiyan Pavilion would be willing to suppress the Fang Family in the Earth Spiritual Realm.
Jiang Yuebai quickly conceived a plan.
"Aunt, after True Monarch Tianbao’s Tribulation Crossing is completed, can I meet the Feiyan Pavilion Master? Anan is also her disciple, so I should visit on Anan’s behalf; perhaps I have a way to rid her of the cold toxin."
Ding Lanzhi frowned, studying Jiang Yuebai. Perceiving Jiang Yuebai’s intentions, she appeared worried.
"Alright, I’ll try, but the Pavilion Master may not necessarily see you. The Transmission Array is here."
Using the Transmission Array, the two arrived directly at the North Sea Biya Island. Jiang Yuebai wasted no time, summoning the Cloud-Breaking Charge to carry Ding Lanzhi towards the outer sea.
*
At that time, deep within the North Sea.
Xie Guihong, now at Early-Stage Nascent Soul, personally led the Mountain and Sea Building’s most elite Golden Core Stage protectors, along with two Nascent Soul Stage female cultivators invited from Feiyan Pavilion, to guard the Seven Stars Island on the boundary between the outer and inner sea.
This small archipelago was the same Jiang Yuebai stayed at when she came to the North Sea with Zhao Fuyi for demon hunting years ago. Back then, she had become the Island Master of the Eight Diagram Island behind the archipelago.
On the beach, Xie Guihong looked anxiously towards the outer sea.
"It’s been over half a year, and still no signs?"
Old Xie Family servant Luoo Tingzong was equally worried. "The Old Ancestor’s Divinity Transformation is indeed exceptionally challenging this time; let’s wait a bit longer."
This was Xie Tianbao’s third attempt at Divinity Transformation. As the saying goes, ’The first attempt is done in one go, the second weakens, the third is exhausted,’ so breaking through the final barrier was bound to be arduous, with a longer time required to gather momentum.
At that moment, the weather shifted dramatically in the outer sea. Gale-force winds howled, and the entire sky was shrouded in dark clouds, resembling the end of the world.
Giant hundred-foot waves, teeming with countless sea monsters, surged towards the Seven Stars Islands.
Xie Guihong trembled all over. "Didn’t the outer sea’s Xun Wind just pass? Why is it coming again, out of schedule?"
Luoo Tingzong calculated with his fingers and exclaimed in shock, "That’s a mishap; indeed, the outer sea’s Xun Wind will occur twice this month!"
Xie Guihong’s expression darkened immediately. He hurriedly instructed others to prepare to resist the ocean’s Beast Tide and notify the Feiyan Pavilion’s cultivators to activate the Island Protection Great Array.
Cultivators below Nascent Soul had no means to withstand the Xun Wind, and even Nascent Soul Cultivators could be severely harmed by it.
"Damn it, my father must not undergo Tribulation Crossing at this time, or else..."
Rumble!
Before Xie Guihong finished speaking, a dull thunder abruptly echoed across the heavens and earth, two majestic, tree-like lightning bolts simultaneously streaking from the dark clouds in both directions over the outer sea.
One bolt was right near the location where Xie Tianbao was undergoing his tribulation, while the other, not far away, bore the grandeur of Divinity Transformation.
Xie Guihong: ...
Rumble...!
The brewing tribulation thunder flashed once more, and to his shock, the bolt rapidly closed in on where Xie Tianbao was situated!
"Who is this now? How can two Divinity Transformations clash together?" Xie Guihong was about to go mad.
His father, Xie Tianbao, was surely being targeted by the Heavenly Dao. Before, when that brat Xie Jingshan was still around, it could be blamed on him. But now, it was purely the Heavenly Dao’s doing.
"Could it be the Three Elements Sect’s doing? Ever since that Water Python transformed into a Winged Dragon and ascended, any demon beast undergoing Divinity Transformation now... could be the Primordial Demonic Dragon!"
Luo Tingzong felt a chill in his heart, as tribulation thunder for demon beasts was much stronger than that for humans. If the two tribulations combined, with Xie Tianbao’s current capabilities, he would be unable to withstand it, no amount of magic treasures could hold it off!
But the Xun Wind and the Beast Tide were already close; they were helpless against it.
"Everyone, prepare!"
The waves surged, ten thousand beasts roared, and the guards on the beach from the Mountain and Sea Building were all pale with lingering fear.
Even the two Nascent Soul Cultivators from the Feiyan Pavilion responsible for arraying were on edge. This Beast Tide was even greater than when they encountered the Xun Wind previously, and among them, there were many Beast Kings of Golden Core Stage, surely fleeing in panic from the tribulation thunder.
Boom, boom, boom!
The Beast Tide violently crashed onto the Seven Stars Islands, and a fierce battle immediately erupted on both sides. Xie Guihong led the Mountain and Sea Building’s guards at the forefront, dropping Heavenly Thunder Pearls like there was no tomorrow.
Demon beasts naturally feared lightning, but these beasts were different; they charged unstopped by blood and death, heedless of the chaos caused by the exploding Heavenly Thunder Pearls among them, fearlessly pressing forward.
The Island Protection Great Array suddenly experienced increased pressure, trembling violently.
"These beasts have been given Blood Boiling Powder!"
"It must be the doing of the Three Elements Sect!"
"This won’t hold up, we should retreat, Family Head!"
The guard leader fought bloodied and shouted to Xie Guihong.
Xie Guihong looked towards the joined tribulation clouds, an astounding force of ten thousand jins terrifying and overwhelming. If they retreated now, wouldn’t that be exactly what the Three Elements Sect wanted?
Yet his father’s tribulation was vital, as were the lives of the Mountain and Sea Building’s guards.
The fierce Beast Tide broke through the layers of defenses, reaching the Island Protection Great Array, and some guards had already fallen, shedding blood into the sea.
At that moment, white feathers began appearing out of nowhere, floating down.
Roar!!
A dragon’s cry soared to the sky, a shocking power sweeping across, causing those beasts amped by Blood Boiling Powder to suddenly be struck down.
Xie Guihong witnessed a spectacular scene; over the howling sea, all demon beasts fell in droves, none able to stand against that oppressive force.
The drifting white feathers rotated and gathered over the Beast Tide, as a white-robed woman with white hair descended from within, standing loftily in mid-air, receiving the bow of ten thousand beasts.
On the Seven Stars Islands, all who witnessed this sight were astounded beyond belief.
Xie Guihong and Luo Tingzong instantly recognized the person, left in speechless shock, "Jiang..."
"Is that not the legendary True Monarch Wangshu from the Heavenly Interence Sect!!"
In everyone’s knowledge, Jiang Yuebai was still a Golden Core Master. Seeing her suddenly—after reportedly being in seclusion for years—was already astonishing, but to now see her cultivation shocked them beyond measure.
Everyone marveled at how remarkable she was, having single-handedly changed the cultivation practices of the entire Cultivation Realm, and in just a few years, she had reached Mid-Stage Nascent Soul!!
Unbelievable!!
Jiang Yuebai paid no mind to the gazes of those around her, slightly lifting the umbrella to nod at Xie Guihong.
"Uncle Xie, I apologize for arriving late. Aunt is still in the rear and I request you go assist her. Leave everything else to me!"
As her words fell, Jiang Yuebai flicked her hand, releasing an overwhelming and domineering Candle Dragon power, causing all beasts to tremble, not daring to defy!
"Whoever drove you here, now get back to where you came from in the name of this True Monarch!"