Chapter 458 - 9: Army at Baiyun Peak
BANG!
"Du Huating, the Song Clan is about to make their move! How much longer is Chang Wudao going to take? Is he going to wait until we’re all dead before he breaks through?"
Inside the discussion hall on Baiyun Peak, Qiu Tianyang’s face was beet red. He roared at Du Huating, who sat calmly in the head seat, his usual composure completely gone.
The others also wore grim expressions. News that the Song Clan was preparing for war had arrived long ago, but Chang Wudao, their last hope, had shown no signs of activity. They were growing restless.
Du Huating remained placid, not at all angered by Qiu Tianyang’s insolence. He said calmly, "Is this how frightened you all become the moment the Song Clan makes a move?
We had an agreement: hold out for half a year. Once that time is up, if the Sect Leader still hasn’t broken through, you are all free to do as you please.
Everyone was unanimous in this decision. I even opened the Sect Treasure Vault to help you all improve your strength. It’s only been three months. Are you all going back on your word now?"
At these words, no matter how thick-skinned those present were, they couldn’t help but look embarrassed. After all, you don’t bite the hand that feeds you.
Seeing this, a middle-aged Cultivator quickly stood up to smooth things over. "Grand Elder, it’s not that we want to go back on our word. It’s mainly that the disciples below are growing panicked. Strange rumors have been spreading recently, and morale has taken a huge hit. We had no other choice but to ask."
"Exactly. The people are restless, and we’re struggling to keep them in line."
"We need a concrete plan! What are we going to do?"
"If it comes to it, let’s just retreat. The world is vast; there’s always a place for us."
Everyone started talking at once. For a moment, the discussion hall was as noisy as a flock of ducks.
"I understand all of your concerns. You may now go back and tell the disciples that the Lieyang Sect has already dispatched a support team, personally led by the Purple Mansion Great Cultivator, He Tai.
I kept this from you before because I was afraid a leak would alert the Song Clan. I ask you all to ensure your disciples keep this secret. We mustn’t alert the enemy." Du Huating’s admonishing gaze swept over the crowd, lingering for a moment on Yu Cheng Mountain before quickly and discreetly moving on.
Hearing this news, everyone’s spirits were instantly lifted, dispelling their earlier dejection. They knew the Lieyang Sect wouldn’t pass up such a golden opportunity.
"Senior He Tai is coming personally? Then we can be confident in this battle!"
"Excellent. I’ll go reassure my disciples right away."
The crowd quickly dispersed. Liu Ruowei, sitting at the far end, gave Du Huating a worried glance. She pursed her lips but ultimately didn’t voice the doubts in her heart, turning instead to leave the discussion hall.
The hall became vast and empty. Du Huating sat alone, feeling an endless chill envelop him. He instinctively tightened his robes, but the bone-deep cold clung to him like a maggot on a corpse, relentless and piercing.
...
"In the beginning, from Chaos, the realms of real and illusory were divided. Heaven and Earth were established, giving rise to three thousand Great Daos. Yin and Yang are the very motion of the Dao, and all things in the world follow this path..."
Song Changsheng sat cross-legged on the Tai Chi Diagram, his Divine Thought withdrawn, his breathing steady. Every muscle in his body was more relaxed than ever before.
Behind him hung a scroll with a peculiar symbol painted on it—the very character for "Dao" he had seen when he boldly used his Eye of Truth to peer into the Celestial Dao.
Ever since that day, the character had lingered in his mind. He had finally written it down and hung it in his room.
Strangely enough, ever since he hung up the scroll, when combined with the mysterious Tai Chi Diagram, Song Changsheng found he could achieve complete relaxation every time he cultivated, doubling his results with half the effort.
He was currently cultivating the Purple Mansion Enlightenment Chapter, a text related to the Yin Yang Profound Flower Scripture. It was an insight he had gained from the Daoist Scripture after his breakthrough to Foundation Establishment Great Perfection.
It contained profound insights into the "Dao," and Song Changsheng’s progress had been rapid ever since he began studying it.
However, he had also encountered many bottlenecks along the way. Whenever this happened, he would inexplicably recall the words his "bargain" master, the Heaven-Supporting Sword Immortal, had spoken to him in that "dream."
And soon after, he would break through the bottleneck.
Only then did Song Changsheng realize what an incredible opportunity the Heaven-Supporting Sword Immortal had left him, and he cherished it dearly.
After completing a Grand Circulation, Song Changsheng slowly exhaled a breath of impure air, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes.
Achieving enlightenment was normally an extremely mentally taxing affair, yet every time Song Changsheng finished cultivating, he felt clear-headed and refreshed, his entire body at ease. There was no sense of fatigue, saving him a great deal of time he would have otherwise spent composing his mind.
A sweep of his Divine Sense revealed a spy from the Wind Language Hall standing outside his courtyard. The man was holding a Jade Scroll, clearly with new intelligence. It must not have been urgent, as the spy hadn’t disturbed him.
Song Changsheng waved his sleeve, and a surge of Spiritual Force blew open the doors. He asked in a calm voice, "What is the intelligence about?"
The spy hastily bowed and replied, "Reporting to the Young Clan Leader, it came from the Second Elder."
"Is there a new development from Fifth Uncle?" Song Changsheng’s brow furrowed slightly. With a flick of his hand, the Jade Scroll in the spy’s hands flew into his own.
Telekinesis. It was just a minor trick for a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, but the spy outside the door watched with great envy.
After reading the information recorded in the Jade Scroll, Song Changsheng frowned and fell into deep thought.
The Jade Scroll contained the latest intelligence from Yu Cheng Mountain regarding a high-level meeting at the Martial Spirit Sect.
’He Tai is going to get involved personally?’