Wielding the Thunders Across Two Worlds

That afternoon, streaks of light came streaking in from every direction.

The next morning, over a dozen streaks of light launched from Daluo Palace. The multicolored Escape Lights—purple, cyan, white, and red—merged into a single line, becoming a rainbow thousands of feet long as it flew straight south.

The rainbow crossed Wuya Ridge and passed over Yazhou Prefecture. Wherever it went, the Demons and Ghosts dwelling among the mountains, rivers, and towns trembled in fear, completely concealing their auras and not daring to emerge.

「Southernmost Yazhou, Jing’an Snow God Mountain.」

A woman in white stood on a cliffside platform, watching the distant, thousand-foot rainbow. It deliberately skirted the Divine Mountain, yet made no effort to conceal its aura, and she couldn’t help but marvel at the sight.

Xue Yining said from beside the woman, "Those are the people from Daluo Palace."

"It seems someone in the Southern Border has provoked them," the white-robed woman said.

"I wonder who it could be," Xue Yining asked.

"It can only be one of those few factions that are always sneaking into the Central Plains." The white-robed woman shook her head, then changed the subject. "Is Bingbing still with that Fang Zhanqing?"

Xue Yining cupped her hands. "They witnessed Yun Fei’ang being besieged and killed at Daluo Palace. Afterward, they left the mountain and returned to Yazhou."

The white-robed woman nodded. "Prepare some gifts. When the Daluo Palace contingent returns, we will go and make a marriage proposal."

A glint appeared in Xue Yining’s eyes as she bowed and assented.

...

Upon entering the Southern Border, the group concealed their Escape Lights.

It wasn’t that they were afraid of anyone; the main concern was preventing the Chi Wang Ancestor from being alerted to their arrival.

’Yes, that’s the reason.’

However, even though they had concealed their auras and Escape Lights, the group’s anger grew as they flew onward, scanning the lands below with their Divine Sense.

Taoist Yi Hong’s eyes narrowed, a cold glint in them.

Taoist Jing Feng let out a sinister cackle, his face twisting into a ferocious expression.

Taoist Shen Hao’s white eyebrows bristled, his expression stern and solemn.

Though the other old Daoists showed no emotion, their blank expressions alone were enough to send a chill down the spine of anyone who knew them.

The reason was simple: the people of the Southern Border lived far worse lives than those in the Central Plains.

Dressed in rags, they lived in self-sufficient stockades, surviving by gathering, fishing, and hunting. A full belly was a rare luxury.

The Southern Border had few plains, making cultivation extremely difficult. The mountain folk rarely gathered in large numbers and were scattered across the land. Large stockades of ten thousand were only found in prime locations with a water source and a nearby valley; most were villages of a thousand, or even small hamlets of a hundred.

Some Demons and Ghosts that required Incense would offer a modicum of protection to the people in their domain. Others simply left them to their fate, occasionally hunting them for a snack or to use in Refining Treasures.

But that wasn’t what angered them the most.

As they neared Red Moon Valley, it became clear that the people in many of the villages were actually being raised like livestock!

Their self-sufficient stockades and difficult struggle for survival were merely a facade. In truth, they were treated as food for the mountain wolves and Wolf Demons—even used as live training dummies for wolf cubs.

The group witnessed it with their own eyes: three hunters were coordinating in the mountains, about to capture a wolf cub, when a Wolf Demon spewed a blast of icy wind. It blew two of the hunters away, then magically seized the third. The demon tore off the man’s thigh to give to the cub and feasted on the rest itself.

"We do not interfere with the evolution of the Celestial Dao, nor do we meddle in the contests of nature," Taoist Yan Song said coolly. "But for those who have already transcended, yet remain insatiably greedy and perpetrate endless evil, their actions defy the Celestial Dao itself."

Taoist Ming Yu nodded. "Then we shall enact justice on Heaven’s behalf and set things right."

"Indeed."

"Exactly."

The old Daoists all voiced their agreement. Taoist Yuan He made a Sword Pointing gesture, and a nearly invisible flash of golden light vanished as quickly as it appeared.

The next moment, the Wolf Demon that had been tearing into its bloody meal froze. A flicker of confusion crossed its eyes before its massive head detached from its body, blood fountaining from its neck.

The cub, its intelligence not yet awakened, was terrified to see the big gray wolf that always protected it suddenly beheaded. It let out a frightened yelp, turned, and fled.

...

By the time the cub scrambled into the woods and found its pack, the old Daoists had already arrived above Red Moon Valley.

"Time to form the array." Taoist Yi Hong patted his gourd and drew his Cyan Dragon Crescent Saber.

Taoist Yan Song looked at Yunyang. "For this Nine Palace Eight Trigrams Array, you’ll be the core in the Central Palace. You need to pull your weight."

Yunyang was speechless. "I’m just here to strengthen the connections between everyone. You don’t have to make it sound so terrifying."

The old Daoists roared with laughter.

The next moment, someone in Red Moon Valley sensed the Daoists’ presence. A pillar of scarlet Demon Qi shot into the sky. "Who goes there?"

"The ones who’ve come to collect you!" Taoist Yi Hong roared.

The old Daoists revealed themselves, took their positions, summoned their Magical Treasures, and began to lay the array.

Taoist Yu Zhang summoned the Celestial Pig Ruler and took the Qian Position.

Taoist Jing Feng manifested five Taoist Divine Prisons, the White Bone Lamp suspended in mid-air, and took the Kun Position.

Taoist Qingyuan traced a Tai Chi Diagram with his longsword and took the Kan Position.

Taoist Shen Hao transformed the Flowing Gold Fire Bell into a blazing sun and took the Li Position.

Taoist Yan Song fanned his Taiyi Fan and took the Xun Position.

Taoist Yi Hong brandished the Cyan Dragon Crescent Saber and took the Dui Position.

Taoist Yan Ling summoned a Seven-Treasure Jade Ruyi and took the Gen Position.

Taoist Ming Yu’s Thunderwood Sword conjured Five-Colored Thunderclouds as he took the Zhen Position.

Yunyang took his place in the Central Palace. With a horizontal sweep of his longsword, he manifested the Eight Immortals Dharma Aspect. Each Immortal took a position on one of the trigrams, aiding the interaction between the Eight Gates of the Eight Trigrams Array and the circulation of the Five Elements.

Meanwhile, the seven other old Daoists laid out a Yin Yang Five Elements Array.

Taoist Yuan He activated his Pure Yang Flying Sword, representing Metal.

Taoist Ming Chong unleashed his Thunder Technique, representing Wood.

Taoist Qingwei’s Technique, embodying Tai Chi’s Softness and Strength, represented Water.

Taoist Jing Chun took out a Fire Prison True Talisman, while Taoist Yan Qi performed the Five Elements Great Evasion. While not a perfect combination, Taoist Sect cultivation encompasses all Five Elements, so taking the positions for Fire and Earth presented no issue.

Finally, the Dragon Gate’s Double Assassins, Taoist Jing Hong and Taoist Jing Fa, channeled the Yin Yang Qi.

Seven old Daoists with profound Dao Practice formed a single Yin Yang Five Elements Array.

This array was not created by Gu Zhao but was the crystallization of the old Daoists’ own efforts. It still used the circulation of the Five Elements as its outward form and the harmony of Yin and Yang as its foundation.

Yin Yang Qi, the Dragon and Tiger intertwined.

The Five Directions, Five Elements, Five Viscera, and Five Qi.

These were the fundamentals of Taoist Sect cultivation, and the old Daoists’ understanding of them was in no way inferior to Gu Zhao’s. An array created from their own core techniques was naturally no slouch.

The next moment, the Qi Mechanisms of the Yin Yang Five Elements Array and the Nine Palace Eight Trigrams Array linked together.

Both arrays incorporated the Five Directions and Five Elements. Once their Qi Mechanisms connected, they remained distinct yet formed a seamless whole. Though different, they shared a common foundation. They appeared to be two separate arrays, yet functioned as one grand formation.

The combination of the Yin Yang Five Elements Array and the Nine Palace Eight Trigrams Array created a synergy where the whole was far greater than the sum of its parts. Its power and versatility surpassed even a Nine Palace Eight Trigrams Array with two masters assigned to each of the Eight Gates!

"Perfect!" Taoist Yan Song chuckled, looking down below.

The column of scarlet, ferocious Demon Qi that had just shot into the sky suddenly faltered, then abruptly withdrew.

Then, a young man dressed in red suddenly appeared in the sky above Red Moon Valley. His face was as handsome as polished jade, but his eyes were as cold as ice. He cupped his hands in a very polite gesture.

"I am Li Chiwang. Might I ask where you have all come from? Perhaps there has been some misunderstanding?"