The Nine Nether Devil Ancestor held up the Comprehensive Mirror, the images in Comprehensive Mirror were directly facing the newly forged Immortal-Trapping Sword.
His face showed a wistful expression, as if he were recalling something, with a slight smile on his lips.
Sect Master Yan stood behind him, leaned forward, looked at the Immortal-Trapping Sword, and clicked his tongue in amazement:
"They actually made it? Apart from those messy Talisman Diagram, I can't tell the difference at all."
He was also quite familiar with the Immortal-Trapping Sword.
Although the real Immortal-Trapping Sword has always been on Vast Sun Mountain, there is also a Founder of the Immortal-Trapping Lineage in the Sword Pavilion, who usually exists in the form of the Immortal-Trapping Sword.
"Materials, techniques, style..." The Nine Nether Devil Ancestor glanced at him, seemingly finding him noisy, but nodded in agreement, "Even if Tianhe were here, he probably wouldn't be able to tell the difference between the real and the fake."
Sect Master Yan was quite pleased. " Zheng Fa, if you really exchange this fake one for the real Immortal-Trapping Sword, you'll have done us a favor."
The Nine Nether Devil Ancestor is not afraid of the Immortal-Trapping Sword.
But he was afraid!
Therefore, he was extremely enthusiastic about Zheng Fa's imitation of the Immortal-Trapping Sword, and even sent him a lot of records from the Tianhe Sect.
Seeing the pirated Immortal-Trapping Sword" now being made, he actually felt a sense of pride.
"What are you laughing at?" The Nine Nether Devil Ancestor glanced at him. " The Immortal-Trapping Sword originally belonged to the Tianhe Sect, but now the Nine Mountains Sect has replicated it. Are you happy about that?"
"..."
"Can you build it?"
"..."
"How can you, as the Sect Leader of the Tianhe Sect, still be laughing?"
"..."
Sect Master Yan glanced at the Devil Ancestor's dark face and thought to himself, "This is outrageous! You're about to destroy the Tianhe Sect, and you still have such expectations of me?"
But he had no way to refute it—theoretically speaking, this person might even be one of the founders of the Tianhe Sect, an absolute ancestor, so his criticism of his own descendants of the Tianhe Sect was quite reasonable.
Sect Master Yan, Spiritual Opportunity, remembered the Immortal-Trapping Ancestor in the Sword Pavilion and said, "Our Tianhe Sect also has fake Immortal Immortal-Trapping Sword..."
Under the cold gaze of the Nine Nether Devil Ancestor, his voice grew softer and softer until it was barely a whisper, "We are indeed quite different..."
Zheng Fa found Sect Master Yan's speaking style familiar, and upon further reflection, realized that this irritating way of speaking was remarkably similar to Yan Wushuang's.
Just as he was finding it amusing, he heard the Nine Nether Devil Ancestor say to him:
"A major upheaval is imminent in the Tianhe Sect. Are you prepared?"
Zheng Fa suppressed his smile and nodded silently.
Come to think of it, he had already cooperated with the Nine Nether Devil Ancestor once before, and now, unknowingly, he has found himself on the same side again because of Vast Sun Mountain.
Although he still had some doubts about the Nine Nether Devil Ancestor, to be honest, he still stood firmly on the Devil Ancestor's side and hoped that the other party could do something powerful—preferably kill Vast Sun Mountain.
The Nine Nether Devil Ancestor's face was expressionless; he simply stared at Zheng Fa, seemingly deep in thought.
I'll have someone deliver a Nine Nether Talisman Edict to you.
"Um?"
Zheng Fa's eyes widened; he hadn't expected such an unexpected surprise.
"I can't worry about you right now." The Nine Nether Devil Ancestor's voice was calm, but to Zheng Fa, it was like a gentle spring breeze, warming his heart. "Don't die."
... To be honest, at this moment, Zheng Fa felt a little ashamed, realizing that he shouldn't have treated the Devil Ancestor so cruelly.
As Zheng Fa watched the face of the Nine Nether Devil Ancestor disappear from Comprehensive Mirror Zizhi Tongjian, he turned around and saw Senior Sister Zhang frowning at him, asking, "Why is this Devil Ancestor so generous?"
Zheng Fa figured it out. "He probably values the Zizhi Comprehensive Mirror extremely."
Unless he is truly the reincarnation of Venerable Tianhe, he wouldn't be so universally loved. After much thought, only the Comprehensive Mirror could make the Devil Ancestor repeatedly place his bets.
" The Comprehensive Mirror?" Although Senior Sister Zhang didn't quite understand why the Devil Ancestor wanted the Comprehensive Mirror, her expression relaxed a little, and she nodded slightly, saying, "Since the Devil Ancestor has a purpose, then I feel a little more at ease."
That's true, otherwise Zheng Fa would find it too hot to handle this Nine Nether Talisman Edict.
"In this way, the last flaw in my < Heavenly Dipper and Earthly Fiend Transformation > can almost be said to be gone."
The " Heavenly Dipper and Earthly Fiend Transformation " is not foolproof—its only weakness lies in the Divine Soul.
He was fine against ordinary Spirit Transformation, but he was never very confident against Dao Fruit cultivators above the Spirit Transformation. If the opponent had any secret Divine Soul techniques, his identity Li Hao would be immediately exposed.
But with the Nine Nether Talisman Edict, things are different.
Zheng Fa still vividly remembered how this Nine Nether Devil Ancestor had manipulated the Great Freedom Devil Ancestor back then...
This shows that the Nine Nether Talisman Edict has no flaws, at least when facing Dao Fruit of the same level as the Great Freedom Devil Ancestor.
It should be noted that the Great Freedom Devil Ancestor was also an expert in manipulating Divine Soul.
The one who came to deliver the Nine Nether Talisman Edict was also an old acquaintance— the Netherworld Immortal Qin Mu.
"Sect Leader Zheng," Qin Mu said without hesitation, handing a black talisman to Zheng Fa and explaining, "Sect Leader Zheng used his Divine Soul to connect with the talisman and incorporate it into his sea of consciousness. This talisman can alter your Divine Soul aura, making it impossible for others to discern your true nature."
Zheng Fa held the Nine Nether Talisman Edict, a hint of joy in his eyes, but also some doubts in his heart:
How did the Nine Nether Devil Ancestor know that this thing would be useful to him?
Is the intelligence really that accurate?
There's a traitor within the Nine Mountains Realm?
At this moment, Qin Mu spoke again, "But for the Holy Ancestor, this is merely a trivial skill. This Nine Nether Talisman Edict possesses other wondrous properties."
"Um?"
" Sect Leader, aren't you curious about how I managed to be resurrected from the dead in that great formation?"
"Resurrection from the dead?"
Zheng Fa's eyes widened, and he suddenly looked down at the Nine Nether Talisman Edict in his hand, his heart filled with horror.
"To conceal one's fate, to determine life and death." Even though the Nine Nether Devil Ancestor was not before them, the Netherworld Immortal's tone held a hint of fanatical reverence. " The Holy Ancestor's Divine Ability are truly awe-inspiring."
Zheng Fa watched the Netherworld Immortal depart, then looked at the Nine Nether Talisman Edict, feeling somewhat relieved.
The Nine Nether Devil Ancestor seemed unaware of the details of the < Heavenly Dipper and Earthly Fiend Transformation >, sending the Nine Nether Talisman Edict, just as he said—fearing that Zheng Fa would waste his life.
I never expected that the Nine Nether Devil Ancestor was a professional daredevil.
The power of the Nine Nether Devil Ancestor, as mentioned by Mu Qingyan, is called the Underworld, which subtly aligns with the effects of the Nine Nether Talisman Edict.
Holding the Nine Nether Talisman Edict, Zheng Fa felt only one thing in his mind: stability!
The Nine Nether Devil Ancestor is quite generous; he really gives away good treasures.
Sect Master Yan didn't think so.
He looked at the Devil Ancestor, stammering, his eyes flickering, " Devil Ancestor, you bestowed the talisman upon Zheng Fa, is..."
The Nine Nether Devil Ancestor turned to look at him, expressionless. "Didn't I say I was afraid he'd die? I don't have many helpers in Xuanwei now, and he's one of the most important. I'm also stretched thin..."
Upon hearing this, Sect Master Yan hurriedly replied, "I am also one of your helpers, Devil Ancestor..."
The Nine Nether Devil Ancestor remained silent, simply staring at him. Sect Master Yan, observing the silence, continued speaking:
" Devil Ancestor, look at this Nine Nether Talisman Edict..."
Sect Master Yan looked at the Nine Nether Devil Ancestor expectantly, knowing that his situation was ten or even a hundred times more dangerous than Zheng Fa's.
He understood the effects of the Nine Nether Talisman Edict ten or a hundred times better than Zheng Fa.
be envious!
"You made a very good point just now."
What did you say?
"You are indeed quite different..." The Nine Nether Devil Ancestor gazed outside the hall, his tone still indifferent, but Sect Master Yan felt a chill run down his spine as he listened. "It takes quite a bit of cultivation for me to condense a Nine Nether Talisman Edict."
"..."
" Zheng Fa's life is more valuable than the imperial edict."
Sect Master Yan opened and closed his mouth repeatedly before finally closing it tightly. He turned and walked to a corner of the main hall, remaining silent.
When Zheng Fa returned to the Divine Fire Mountain, he had a pirated Immortal-Trapping Sword hidden in his Storage Bag and the Nine Nether Talisman Edict in his sea of consciousness. He felt as relaxed and at ease as if he had returned home.
However, the atmosphere at Divine Fire Mountain was far from relaxed.
" Senior Brother Li."
Junior Sister Ye stood at the mountain gate, as if she was waiting for him on purpose.
"Is there something you need?" Zheng Fa looked at this junior sister he had taken for granted, showing considerable concern. After all, she was a member of the Ninth Elder's clan and a major customer of his Nine Mountains Marketplace.
Vast Sun Mountain has made considerable contributions to the Nine Mountains Sect in recent years:
Previously, only Zheng Fa was exploiting Vast Sun Mountain.
Since the Comprehensive Mirror became popular, the disciples of the Profound Mystery Sect have been using the resources transported from Vast Sun Mountain to shop and spend lavishly within the Comprehensive Mirror.
As the acting Sect Leader of the Profound Mystery Sect, Zheng Fa was well aware of the Profound Mystery Sect's resource allocation.
According to his calculations, 80% of the spiritual materials Spirit Stone transported from Vast Sun Mountain fell into the hands of the Nine Mountains Sect.
He even knew who bought what, based on the online store's orders and the distribution records from the Profound Mystery Sect Affairs Cave.
This Junior Sister Ye is a crazy shopaholic.
Actually, Zheng Fa was a little reluctant to fall out with a major client like Vast Sun Mountain...
" Senior Brother Li, is there... any way out for us?"
Junior Sister Ye remained silent for a long time before asking softly.
Zheng Fa stopped and looked at Junior Sister Ye Junior Sister Ye didn't look at him. Instead, she gazed at the mountaintop and muttered almost to herself, "Those disciples of the Spirit Transformation elders have all left."
Junior Sister Ye is not stupid.
Moreover, Shi Nandang actually wasn't entirely tight-lipped about some things.
These disciples of the Profound Mystery Sect had long been able to vaguely sense their own destiny.
The departure of the disciples of those Spirit Transformation elders was like the tolling of a final death knell, leaving them with no way to escape or numb themselves.
Those disciples of the Spirit Transformation elders are just here to cheat for rewards; they won't die alongside these people from the Profound Mystery Sect.
Seeing that Zheng Fa remained silent, Junior Sister Ye turned to look at him and suddenly smiled, "That's right, Senior Brother Li is valued by Venerable Shi, unlike us."
His emotions were hard to conceal in his words.
Zheng Fa wasn't angry. He just looked at her and found it somewhat amusing—the Ninth Elder was truly tight-lipped; it seemed this Junior Sister Ye had no idea of her own identity.
Junior Sister Ye added, "Actually, I've thought about taking my junior brothers and sisters and going to the Nine Mountains Sect."
"..."
Zheng Fa's lips twitched, a hint of surprise in his eyes. This junior sister of his had really gone too far today.
Seemingly understanding his gaze, Junior Sister Ye gave a bitter laugh, "Someone has even tried it."
"Um?"
This made Zheng Fa even more surprised.
"He was captured by the Eighth Elder."
No punishment was given?
"... Punishment?" Junior Sister Ye gave a bitter laugh. "The way the Eighth Elder looks at them is like he's looking at dead people. Do they really need punishment?"
"Now, no one cares what we say or do." At this point, Junior Sister Ye's tone became even heavier. "That no one cares makes us even more desperate."
Zheng Fa now understood why the disciples of the Profound Mystery Sect were spending so recklessly—this wasn't revenge spending; it was simply because they were afraid of not having spent all their money before they died.
How come I didn't know?
"Senior brother, you're either on the mountaintop or outside the mountain most of the time, how could you possibly know?"
"..."
Zheng Fa was increasingly confused, so he simply asked, "Junior Sister, what do you want with me?"
Junior Sister Ye took out a Storage Bag and handed it to him.
"Um?"
"Senior brother and I have been like brother and sister for a long time, and he has trusted me immensely. I will always remember that. If I were to..." Junior Sister Ye didn't finish her sentence, but continued, "Here are some Spirit Stone, Law Artifact, and pills that I've accumulated. I'm giving them to Senior Brother as a keepsake."
Zheng Fa was taken aback and looked at the Storage Bag in Junior Sister Ye's hand.
He never expected so many people to send him gifts recently.
Seeing that Zheng Fa didn't reach out, Junior Sister Ye said somberly, "These things are probably useless to me, and they'd be the same to others. Only Senior Brother..."
Looking at Junior Sister Ye's slightly stubborn eyes, Zheng Fa thought for a moment and then took the Storage Bag.
Junior Sister Ye chuckled, then boldly added, "Senior Brother, Vast Sun Mountain is no safe place. You'll have to be careful in the future."
These words surprisingly reveal the idea that a dying person's words are often kind.
" Vast Sun Mountain is one of the Five Sects under heaven..."
"Senior brother, if I don't know what the Nine Mountains Sect is like, then Vast Sun Mountain certainly lives up to its reputation as one of the Five Sects."
... It seems that the Profound Mystery Sect enjoys a great deal of freedom of speech.
Or rather, since doing nothing also carries the risk of death, what's the big deal about courting death?
"If we could go to the Nine Mountains Sect, with Senior Brother's talent and aptitude..."
At this point, Junior Sister Ye smiled wistfully, seemingly finding it impossible.
She bowed slightly to Zheng Fa and said, "I won't disturb you any longer, Senior Brother."
Zheng Fa glanced at her retreating figure, then looked up at the Divine Fire Mountain, where several pairs of emotionless eyes seemed to be watching the entire Profound Mystery Sect.
Passing through the misty formation, Zheng Fa reached the Divine Fire Mountain, where he heard Shi Nandang ask with a laugh:
"That disciple surnamed Ye is quite bold."
Sure enough, at this moment, Shi Nandang keeping a close eye on the Profound Mystery Sect.
"Master, with the Profound Mystery Sect, what will become of them in the future..."
"What future is there?" Shi Nandang laughed heartily, seemingly unconcerned. " The Heaven-Earth Divine Baleful Array is about to be completed. What they think is unimportant."
Zheng Fa looked into the crater of the volcano.
The Immortal-Trapping Sword lay quietly inside the mountain, amidst the subterranean fire.
Seven stars in the sky shot down seven beams of light, which condensed into seven thick, silver-white chains, binding the sword.
The surface of the jet-black Immortal Sword now bears many new runes, making it resemble the Fake Immortal-Trapping Sword.
With the assistance of the Immortal-Trapping Sword Spirit, this Heaven-Earth Divine Baleful Array can indeed be said to be 99% complete.
" Li Hao," Shi Nandang suddenly asked, "Now that the formation is complete, that disciple surnamed Ye's life is in danger."
Zheng Fa looked up at him.
"If you couldn't bear it, you could have pleaded for her life, and I might have spared her life, but her intentions..."
Shi Nandang speaking, he stared intently at Zheng Fa.
"It is up to the Lord to decide."
Shi Nandang glanced at him, nodded slightly, and didn't say whether he was satisfied with Zheng Fa's reply or not. He simply looked at the Eighth Elder beside him and said, "You will be in charge of the Profound Mystery Sect for the next period of time."
The Eighth Elder was taken aback, then his face lit up with surprise. He glanced at Zheng Fa again and hurriedly went down the mountain.
Zheng Fa said nothing, then heard Shi Nandang say, "It's not that I don't believe you, it's just that I'm afraid you'll make a mistake."
"This disciple understands."
"Good that you understand." Shi Nandang's gaze fell on Dharma Body, and he suddenly smiled, saying, "Don't let her words sway your thinking."
"You are a disciple of Ancestor Lu, unlike them."
At this point, Shi Nandang was still making empty promises to him:
"Once the grand formation is complete, we will have rendered a great service to the sect. When we return to Vast Sun Mountain, we will all be considered direct descendants of the clan, and we will have a bright future ahead of us."
"This disciple is very grateful for your guidance, Venerable One."
Zheng Fa understood somewhat; Shi Nandang really treated him as a trusted confidant.
That's right, he was practically promoted from within the Profound Mystery Sect by Shi Nandang himself.
In Shi Nandang's view, if it weren't for him, Li Hao and Junior Sister Ye would have died in the great formation—in other words, he was Li Hao's savior.
In addition, Li Hao's displayed talent was indeed extraordinary.
That's why Shi Nandang is saying these things to himself today.
Sure enough, upon hearing Zheng Fa's gratitude, Shi Nandang finally showed a genuine smile. He thought for a moment, then his tone suddenly became somewhat contemptuous:
"Your Junior Sister Ye only sees how wonderful the Nine Mountains Sect in the storybooks, but she doesn't know that while the storybooks are entertaining, the day the Immortal-Trapping Sword is refined by us will be the day the Nine Mountains Sect is destroyed."
"Advising you to go to the Nine Mountains Sect? That's incredibly short-sighted; it's like pushing you into a fire pit."
Zheng Fa listened without refuting, only nodding repeatedly, indicating that the Master's teachings were correct and invaluable advice. Then, he suddenly paused, looked up at Shi Nandang, and his expression became somewhat strange.
Could it be that you, Venerable Master, are also a customer of the Nine Mountains?
Shi Nandang seemed to understand Zheng Fa's look and coughed lightly, "This Divine Fire Mountain is really monotonous; it's inevitable to get bored when resting."
At this point, he sincerely lamented, "I actually know Zheng Fa; he was truly a prodigy... what a pity."
The Ninth Elder in the formation twitched his lips, looking at Shi Nandang's expression with a slightly eerie look.
Shi Nandang didn't notice anything amiss, and just became more and more excited as he spoke, "Although there were some setbacks in refining the Immortal-Trapping Sword earlier, we have now completed the sect's goal in less than ten years."
"Once we return to Vast Sun Mountain, the sect will surely reward us handsomely!"
"At that time, you'll also get a share of the credit."
It was clear that Shi Nandang looked expectant, as if he were already calculating what rewards he might receive.
Zheng Fa did sense that Shi Nandang actually had some goodwill towards him.
Today, the authority of the Profound Mystery Sect is being handed over to the Eighth Elder, partly to avoid putting me in a difficult position. By letting the Eighth Elder play the villain, it's clear they're taking good care of me.
Zheng Fa scanned the Fake Immortal-Trapping Sword in the Storage Bag with his Divine Sense.
Although this person wasn't a good person, he was genuinely kind to me and understanding of my difficulties.
It seems a little heartless to make him take the blame...
The main problem was that the pot was too big, and Zheng Fa was worried he wouldn't be able to carry it.
Shi Nandang is only a Spirit Transformation after all. If he were to damage the Immortal-Trapping Sword, Vast Sun Mountain would definitely send someone to investigate.
It wouldn't be good if problems were discovered later.
Just then, a Communication Talisman suddenly flew from afar and landed directly in Shi Nandang's hand.
Inside Zheng Fa's body, the Creation Jade Disc was also trembling violently, as if someone was sending him an urgent message.
When he immersed his Divine Soul into the Creation Jade Disc, he saw that the sender was none other than the First Seat Mingde of the Supreme Dao, who had sent eight or nine Spirit Message to Zheng Fa.
"A change has occurred within the Tianhe Sect; Sect Master Yan has suddenly dismissed all disciples below the Spirit Transformation."
"The territory of the Tianhe Sect seems to be sealed off by a powerful being, and our informants from the Supreme Dao have lost contact."
"The immortal Loose Immortal Luo of Vast Sun Mountain has left the mountain, seemingly heading towards the Hundred Immortals Alliance. Be careful!"
"..."
Following First Seat Mingde's reminder, Zheng Fa took a deep breath, and a realization dawned on him:
Although the two Nine Nether Devil Ancestor and the other, had acted without anyone noticing, Shi Nandang had told him before that the Supreme Dao and the Tianhe Sect had both made unusual movements. It seemed that the Five Sects were scheming against each other and had planted spies, and had already noticed something was wrong.
Now that Sect Master Yan is really going to make a move, the Supreme Dao and Vast Sun Mountain have discovered it immediately.
Even Vast Sun Mountain reacted extremely quickly; Loose Immortal Luo, who had previously Five Sects Dharma Assembly, actually came directly to the Hundred Immortals Alliance —this shows that Vast Sun Mountain's fear of the Tianhe Sect was no less than its fear of the Nine Mountains Sect.
Zheng Fa looked up at Shi Nandang and saw that his expression was one of astonishment, mixed with barely concealed grief and indignation.
Seeing Zheng Fa looking at him, Shi Nandang a bitter smile, his previous excitement completely gone, and simply said, "It seems we won't be able to get this credit."
Others couldn't understand, Zheng Fa did.
This Loose Immortal Luo is probably here for the Immortal-Trapping Sword.
Seeing Shi Nandang's dejected expression, as if someone had stolen his credit, Zheng Fa felt that Shi Nandang fortune had arrived— Loose Immortal Luo was clearly there to take the blame for him!
To be honest, the higher-ups at Vast Sun Mountain are all quite considerate.
(End of this chapter)