The next day.
Red Cloud Main Hall. Cultivators were jam-packed within, bustling about their respective business, without the drink and merriment of yesterday. There was now a sort of seriousness, as if facing a great enemy.
Su Xing and Wu Siyou stayed far apart from the crowd. They leaned in front of a stone pillar, their cold eyes observing.
"Elder Sister Siyou, it seems you did not sleep well last night." Zheng Yanran wore that Golden Cup Chrysanthemum dress, yawning.
As far as Star Generals were concerned, things like sleep were not essential. It was just that staying in a room with a man for the first time made Wu Siyou appear comparatively worn out. Su Xing's energy, on the other hand, was exceptionally good. This guy was a person ready to adapt to the situation. His unexpectedly destroying that fraudulent Long Aotian last night made Su Xing receive a great bumper harvest, and he had forgotten about Wu Siyou's affairs. Now it seemed that Su Xing's great vitality and Wu Siyou's unbearable exhaustion made Fang Xin'gu and Zheng Yanran show ambiguous yet knowing smiles.
By Wu Siyou's personality, she naturally disdained to explain anything.
Not long after, the noisy hall slowly went silent. Before the person even came, a powerful imposing aura made the entire hall's air seemingly freeze. Everyone was as if they had been stuffed in the mouths with something. They saw from the main hall's passage, eight silhouettes slowly walked over. The posture of these men and women were superb, their temperaments extraordinary. Each and every movement had a sort of fearful pressure, and all the Galaxy Stage Cultivators present tingled in the back, as if they were sitting on needles.
These eight people were, astonishingly, the Ancestral Masters of the Azure Dragon Territory's Ten Great Sects!
Wu Siyou specifically glanced at Su Xing's reaction. The latter narrowed his eyes, a somewhat deep and immeasurable gaze.
"Such an incredible imposing air. Are those the monster level Ancestral Masters of the Ten Great Sects?" Fang Xin'gu swallowed.
Among these eight, Su Xing was somewhat or very familiar with: the True Immortals Hall's Xuan Zhenzi, Lifeless Hall's Ancestor Longevity, and Gong Caiwei's master, the Queen Lady of Ice. For the four others, besides the Red Lotus Fairy that he saw once at Long Blood Stronghold, there were three he was more unfamiliar with.
"That one with the Green Leaf Robes is Daoist Master Qing Lian,1 the Taiyi Sword Sect's Ancestral Master. That is Ancestor Qianli of the Blooming Water Sword Sect, that is the Shifting Flower Sword Sect's Lingbo Fairy,2 and…the Supervoid Stage Enviless of the East!" Fang Xin'gu introduced them in a low voice.
Su Xing secretly nodded his head.
These eight had joined forces to chase him, but all of them gathering at once right now at Red Cloud Hall was actually somewhat strange. Holy Mother Qi Xia was also present. She waved her hand, and the hall's main doors were tightly shut. The multicolored lights vanished, and the air was heavy. The cultivators were in a fit of restlessness.
"I am Enviless of the East. Today's invitation hereto is because I have something I wish to consult with everyone." That distinguished and elegant man, that giant among men, began to speak.
"Senior Enviless' cultivation is exceptional. What can we juniors do?" Only an outstanding talent could recognize current trends.3 Everyone present were Galaxy Stage cultivators, having seen gales and billows. Seeing eight Great Cultivators mobilize, their brief confusion immediately settled.
The one who posed the question was a tough and stocky tall man, draped in a bear pelt vest. His forehead was full, his eyes were sharp, and he was at Galaxy Late Stage. To be able to be the first to ask a question in the face of the pressure of eight Great Cultivators, this made Su Xing unable to but take a closer look.
"Everyone here is but an elite of the Azure Dragon Territory!" Enviless of the East sat upon a jade chair, his hand rhythmically tapping.
"This is naturally so!"
How could the others dare say no when they saw this Enviless of the East's self-confident situation.
"Very good. Your Servant has not made an error in judgment. Everyone is of a generation with great aspirations!" Enviless of the East smiled.
"May I ask just what matter Senior has? Is it the Purple Thunder Monster?" A female cultivator courteously asked.
Ancestor Qianli made a gloomy smile: "That Purple Thunder Monster must die, without doubt, but This Ancestor alone is sufficient to handle him. Why would we need to call upon you youngsters."
The female cultivator went back in embarrassment.
"This situation is this." The Lingbo Fairy of the Shifting Flower Sword Sect wearing a blue long skirted gown glanced at everyone: "We have just learned that the 'Ten Thousand Year Gu' of Falling Dragon Mountain's Lady Snake Scorpion is already about to be born…"
"What? The Ten Thousand Year Gu??"
"Is it truly the Ten Thousand Year Gu?"
"That is certainly a fearsome animal from Prehistory."
All of the cultivators erupted, each and everyone feeling alarm. A Gu of more than a thousand years was a fearsome beast, and five thousand years was an absolutely fearsome beast. Ten thousand years? Perhaps Transforming Star of Annihilation Grade Star Cultivators would be forced to deliberate for a while.
"No wonder the Five Poisons Mountain was that strict. This Lady Snake Scorpion's ambitions are truly not small." Su Xing clicked his tongue.
Should she refine a Ten Thousand Year Gu, the Star Duels would be entirely in her control.
"Is there any way this is wrong?" The previous big man said doubtfully.
"Hmph, could it be that you suspect we would deceive you juniors?" Ancestor Qianli coldly smiled. His imposing air made the big man overflow with cold sweat.
"I do not dare!"
"Since it is the Ten Thousand Year Gu, just what can we do?" A cultivator was confused.
"By the powers of the Seniors, to kill the Ten Thousand Year Gu still is not very easy."
"Right."
Everyone nodded in agreement.
Holy Mother Qi Xia at this time said: "By means of us eight, indeed we can break through, but that Roc Demon King planned ten years ahead, laying down a forbiddance on Five Poisons Mountain. These forbiddances and mechanisms are layered, and furthermore, the Demi Soldiers and Demi Kings of Five Poisons Mountain are numerous. Relying solely on eight cultivators is still somewhat weak. In order to prevent side issues from arising, that is why we need everyone to work together for a common purpose."
"En, because the Roc Demon King was injured by my attack, this time is a great opportunity." Enviless of the East faintly said.
Hearing his words, everyone trembled.
Su Xing felt this man was honestly shameless, unexpectedly saying it was he who inflicted the injuries. However, this formlessly gave all the cultivators present an increase in irresistible pressure.
"We are Scattered Stars that consider the whole world as home. I fear this sort of matter is difficult to undertake. Since this concerns the fate of the Azure Dragon Territory, Seniors' disciples and that Emperor Liang will be more willing to fight than us Scattered Star Cultivators."
This sentence spoke out everyone's thoughts. That appearance clearly said, Your fucking Azure Dragon Territory has the millions of disciples of the famous Ten Great Sects, Galaxy Stages in the thousands, yet you seeking us Scattered Star Cultivators clearly shows you have ill intentions.
"This is a choice for lack of a better option. To order our disciples to come now is too late. Secondly, it will cause alarm in the other three powers of the Vermilion Bird Territory. If another Azure Dragon War were to erupt, could it be that everyone wishes to see that?!" Enviless of the East downplayed things with a smile. He practically was the chief-like existence among the eight Great Cultivators. The others said not a word, allowing Enviless of the East to become the lead role for everyone present.
Enviless of the East's words had reason and justification, they were sincere and natural. Although everyone knew he more or less had evil designs, they nevertheless were incapable of refuting him.
Everyone looked at each other, secretly regretting they had entered this Feast at Hongmen.
"Those that are higher up are more likely to speak pretty words." Zheng Yanran giggled, somewhat disdainful: "They obviously know the dangers of Five Poisons Mountain and do not wish to let their own disciples suffer casualties. They want to send us Scattered Star Cultivators to our deaths."
"Do not speak nonsense." Fang Xin'gu covered Zheng Yanran's mouth in fright.
"How do you see this?"Wu Siyou asked.
"What Zheng Yanran said was correct. Their sect's Star Masters have not appeared, so evidently, this Five Poisons Mountain is absolutely deadly." Su Xing said. "I actually want to see how he executes this."
A moment later, Enviless of the East rose, his figure just like a large mountain, and everyone went mute.
The corner of Enviless of the East's mouth was slightly scornful, coldly saying: "As for the reason why we have appeared, everyone presumably knows that we have also come for that Purple Thunder Monster. With the Azure Dragon Territory currently at stake, we eight are even willing to give up on the Purple Thunder Monster. Could it be that everyone refuses to face reality?"
"In reality, everyone need not be too anxious. Five Poisons Mountain has several forbiddance arrays that require everyone to go break. As for destroying the Ten Thousand Year Gu, leaving that to us will do, even if we eight will hardly contend against this 'Five Poisons.'" The Lingbo Fairy softly said. "In addition, for those participating in this matter, we will not treat everyone unfairly. The Holy Mother has already agreed to give each person two petals of Thousand Bells Immortals Dew to act as remuneration. The Fellows participating in this Five Poisons Mountain mission will forever have the Ten Great Sects as their ally!"
"As we have said, if there are people who want to drift and live an existence without purpose, it would be better to allow This Ancestor to might as well send them off." Ancestor Qianli laughed aloud, his tone containing a slight killing intent.
These Great Cultivators were you speak, I speak, big stick with a radish, a kind and powerful exertion. They basically did not allow these cultivators to have a second option.
Besides suffering in silence, everyone had no alternative but agreement. There were also some cultivators that secretly used their heads to stealthily leave.
Enviless of the East seemed to have anticipated this. The corner of his mouth hung a disdainful grin: "I forgot to inform everyone, but the disciples of the Holy Mother have been careless the past few days. They carelessly poured 'Evil Conch Blood'4 into the liquor. It would be hard to say what happens if you do not ingest the antidote within seven days."
What!!
Everyone was alarmed, showing furious expressions.
"Evil Conch Blood?" Fang Xin'gu was startled.
Su Xing thought, As expected, these Great Sects leave no room to maneuver when they do things. Evil Conch Blood was a colorless and tasteless Strange Poison. After ingestion, if the cure was not taken within seven days, the Evil Conch Blood would activate. The cultivator's entire body would twist, bleed from the seven apertures of the head and then die. Furthermore, this Evil Conch Blood was not an ordinary poison. "Detoxification Pearls" and the like could not be used to cure it.5 The Evil Conch Blood was a Poison Art of the Vermilion Bird Territory's Hundred Flowers Clan. Without their magic, the poison would induce death in seven days.
Su Xing actually did not fear this. Star Masters with the Star Nests could rely on the Star Energy of their Star General to expel the poison. Seeing that Fang Xin'gu's expression was calm, Su Xing could not help but raise his eyebrows.
"Why should Senior be so overbearing!" The big man gnashed his teeth.
"As matters stand, so long as we pass this Five Poisons Mountain, the antidote will be self-offered. Do not resent our heartlessness. I am also afraid a traitor among everyone present may leak information to Falling Dragon Mountain. Then that would be anything but reassuring. I ask for your forgiveness!" Enviless of the East sincerely said.
Although everyone knew these were superficial words, they dared only to be angry, but they did not dare to speak.
"It seems this matter is indeed severely dangerous. Then, we can only agree." Su Xing smiled.6
When all the cultivators heard that, they had no alternative. They could only inwardly curse. These Supercluster Stage Star Cultivators had completed things to this stage, and for them to dare say no, they certainly would be treated as traitors and be disposed of.
"Very well! We will not forget everyone's loyalty."
Enviless of the East and the other Sect Ancestral Masters glanced at each other, showing satisfied expressions.
Then, Holy Mother Qi Xia's maids actually gave each cultivator two flowers of the Thousand Bells Immortals Dew. As far as Galaxy Stage Cultivators were concerned, this was considered a sizable consolation. They thought only of passing Five Poisons Mountain, and with the protection of the eight Great Ancestral Masters, perhaps it would not be dangerous. Thinking of this, they calmed.
"This is something the Holy Mother wanted Slave Servant to give to Your Majesty for use as protection." When the maid gave Su Xing and Wu Siyou their share of the Thousand Bells Immortals Dew, she stealthily brought out a treasure mirror and gave it to Wu Siyou along with ten more flowers of the Thousand Bells Immortal Dew.
"Thanks." Su Xing thanked them on Wu Siyou's behalf, glancing at Holy Mother Qi Xia. This Holy Mother Qi Xia really was not that cold-blooded. It was just that when he raised his head to gaze at that Enviless of the East, that smug Ancestral Master Star Cultivator, this trip to Five Poisons Mountain seemed to be one way.
Author’s Note:
One chapter today, three chapters tomorrow. I have been preparing the past few days to finish the city. 青蓮真人, lit. Daoist Master Green Lotus ↩ 凌波仙子, lit. Ascending Ripple Fairy ↩ This is being used sarcastically, a la “Captain Obvious.” ↩ 惡螺血 ↩ Raws say they can, but that wouldn’t make sense for such a powerful poison. ↩ Su Xing’s scheming again… ↩