Teacher, I Have Not Slacked Off

Mist shrouded the mountains and forests.

Inside the thatched cottage, the scarlet Stone Lamp shone eternally.

Zen Sea Observing Mist, dressed in red, walked to the wooden door. Just like that afternoon three thousand years ago, his expression was solemn, his face ageless, and his youth undiminished, as he looked at Taishi Cong, who had returned from his playful days.

However, what he held in his hand was not a ruler, but the Void Sword.

Duke Taishi stood before the fence gate, his eyes blurred with tears, and he whispered hoarsely and tremblingly, "Teacher, have you come to take me away? At the end of my life, you have come to take me away. I am so happy."

"Only a thousand years have passed, how did you age so much? You haven't been cultivating properly all these years, have you?" Zen Sea Observing Mist also felt the vicissitudes of life.

Duke Taishi closed his eyes, wiped away his tears, and smiled, finally accepting the reality before him. The woman from years ago had returned; it wasn't just a figment of his imagination.

Old Zhuo and Yao Qingxuan drove back to Chaoran Mansion.

The array's Light Veil closed again.

"Bang!"

A bulging black cloth bag made of a special material was thrown out of the car and landed heavily on the ground.

The bag's surface was covered in soft scales, made from the demon king's skin. It was not only tough and unbreakable, but also able to isolate internal and external auras and senses.

Yao Qingxuan, disguised as a man, stepped out of the carriage and looked at the Cooking Elder was quickly approaching and Li Weiyi. Her eyes were cold and sharp, almost shouting, "What are you doing back here? Lingxiao City is more dangerous than ever now."

The Old Zhuo looked like a coachman, also frowned.

I'll explain later.

Li Weiyi asked, "Who's in the bag?"

Yao Qingxuan said, "The head of the Song family Song Yulou."

"What?"

Li Weiyi couldn't believe their audacity, so he quickly squatted down, untied the ropes and runes from the bag, and released the handsome man who was sealed and bound inside.

It really is Song Yulou!

Song Yulou was conscious, but his eyes were rather dazed. He couldn't speak and his gaze swept over the four people in the courtyard.

He breathed a slight sigh of relief upon seeing Li Weiyi.

The battle at Six Thoughts Zen Temple revealed Li Weiyi's character and sense of responsibility to many. Even Longevity Realm Giants would feel admiration for such a person, because they themselves might not be able to do the same.

"You two, one an elder and the other hundreds of years old, how can you act so radically and recklessly? Is Song Yulou someone we can just arrest at will?"

Li Weiyi quickly looked out the door, then looked up at the sky.

I have a feeling that this place is about to be surrounded by the Imperial Court army. I also feel that the Third Palace Master will unleash a beam of light from the array and raze the entire Transcendental Mansion to the ground in the next instant.

Yao Qingxuan remained remarkably calm. "With the Zhu Clan defeated, the enemy will undoubtedly make their move within ten days, or even sooner. Song Yulou has already been controlled by the Dao Sect and occupies an extremely important position; he must be eliminated immediately."

"We must force the enemy to act prematurely within three days, at all costs."

"Only by disrupting the enemy's rhythm will they pay the greatest price."

Yao Qingxuan's strategy coincided with Zen Sea Observing Mist's idea.

Song Yulou sat on the ground, his limbs bound, his eyes sharp, shaking his head vigorously.

Li Weiyi glanced at Song Yulou, recalling his life-or-death struggle with the Demon Child on the plains of Fuzhou. Although he had long suspected him, he always felt that Song Yulou shouldn't be someone blinded by hatred, unable to distinguish right from wrong or prioritize matters.

Longevity Realm Martial Cultivator in their sixties is truly an exceptional individual.

"Let him speak, and see what he has to say," Li Weiyi said.

"Whoosh!"

Sitting in the car, the Old Zhuo pointed a finger out of the air, and a flash of inspiration struck Song Yulou's neck.

Song Yulou collapsed to the ground, finally able to speak, shouting, "I did have contact with the cult, but it was just a pretense, a feigned control. I want to know their true purpose. Only by understanding our opponents can we know when to strike back and deliver a crushing blow."

"I have already reported this matter to the West Sea King. You can verify it and I will be cleared of any wrongdoing."

The Old Zhuo sneered, "The West Sea King is far away at Shenming Pass, how could we possibly have time to find him?"

Yao Qingxuan took out a book and tossed it to Li Weiyi: "This was taken from him. Luckily, we acted in time. Based on his route, he should have been heading to Six Thoughts Zen Temple."

Song Yulou looked puzzled. He tried to recall the events, but he couldn't remember what happened after nightfall, or even how he was captured.

My memory seems to have been interrupted for several hours.

Li Weiyi opened the book and carefully flipped through it. He immediately held his breath, and his pupils contracted sharply.

Inside, there are diagrams depicting the locations of various array hubs and their Formation Script throughout the Cloud Heaven Immortal Plain.

There are even Formation Script from the Nine Heavens Beyond the Clouds Great Formation.

Song Yulou asked, "What is that?"

Li Weiyi walked over and opened one of the pages to show him. "The ink is fresh! The Shaoqing of Qilin Platform is in charge of inspecting the key points of the array formations, so it's not surprising that you could get your hands on the Formation Script catalog. But how did you copy the Formation Script of the Nine Heavens Beyond the Clouds Great Formation? Isn't the Third Palace Master on the top of Qilin Platform Mountain?"

"This is..."

Song Yulou's eyes narrowed, and after seeing the contents of the book, his scalp tingled and his spine went cold. "The Third Palace Master is engaged in a magical battle with the Demon Country Crown Prince and dares not be distracted in the slightest. He has entrusted everything to us."

"Of the 180 array hubs in Cloud Heaven Immortal Plain, Qilin Platform and the City Defense Camp managed by the Taishi Family are each responsible for half. Qilin Platform has very detailed information, which I have already reviewed, but I haven't organized it yet."

"As for the Formation Script of the Nine Heavens Beyond the Clouds Great Formation, Qilin Platform only has half of them. Many Mind Master will study them, each mastering a portion independently. This is to ensure that if a major change occurs, everyone can assist the Third Palace Master in activating the array."

"This is too detailed... Why is it my handwriting? I didn't copy any of this."

Song Yulou was utterly bewildered. He gritted his teeth and pleaded, "Li Weiyi, something terrible is about to happen in Lingxiao City! I must see the Third Palace Master immediately. I know I'm definitely in the wrong, but I swear, I swear on the honor of the West Sea Royal Mansion, I will never betray the Imperial Court, I will never betray humanity."

The Grand Historian 'Ancestral Mansion, a thatched cottage.

Duke Taishi sat properly on the wooden stool, holding the end of his staff with both hands, and looked at the Woman in Red under the lamp opposite him. "Teacher, I have not slacked off! A thousand years ago, the Netherworld swept in, and in that cataclysmic event, my physical body was almost destroyed, and my spirit was also severely injured. Since then, my cultivation has progressed very slowly."

Zen Sea Observing Mist said, "Don't tell anyone I'm back for now."

Duke Taishi nodded, noticing something was wrong with Zen Sea Observing Mist: "Master, something terrible might be about to happen to Cloud Heaven Immortal Plain."

"How did you figure that out?" Zen Sea Observing Mist asked.

The Duke Taishi, "Many things are too strange."

"In the Eastern Territory, the Dragon Gate and the Three Island Barbarians are keeping the Duke of East Sea and the Lei Xiao Sect occupied. Furthermore, the Demon Race is causing chaos in Liangzhou; they clearly intend to keep me in the Eastern Territory."

"In the Southern Territory, it's quite clear: the cult is using secret techniques Fuzhou Underground to cultivate Yin Shi Zhong Dao. The Zuoqiu Courtyard and the Jiang family are currently unable to move."

"In the Northern Territory, after Xue Jian Tang Ting crossed the Misty Grassland and captured Feng Prefecture, that old fellow from my Chen Family couldn't escape and had to keep an eye on things there."

"Western Territory, needless to say, they are already on the verge of collapse. The Second Palace Master and Cao Caishen have already set off for Shenming Pass today."

"All the transcendent beings, armies, and those at the Longevity Realm have been restrained and lured away. Lingxiao City now only has the Great Palace Master, who remains locked in his palace, the Blood Robe Steward Ye Xuanming, and the Third Palace Master."

"Currently, all of the Third Palace Master's energy is being diverted to the Demon Country Crown Prince, who is in the Six Thoughts Zen Temple. The two are locked in a standoff, their thoughts intertwined, and they are fully focused on vigilance, making it impossible for them to attend to matters within the city."

"How can Ye Xuanming, who is in charge of guarding the Imperial Treasury and the National Treasury, monitor the entire city?"

"Li Longshu and the transcendent Sacred Dark Family have vanished from the Six Thoughts Zen Temple, hiding in the shadows. No one knows when or where they will reappear to inflict the most devastating damage on Lingxiao City."

"Furthermore, cults must also have their own members who have entered the city."

"At least ten forces are involved in the ghost city and the Bone Mansion in the Netherworld of the Departed. Conservatively speaking, there are at least ten transcendent spirits who will make a move. Most likely, there are old monsters who have already entered the city."

"How could Ye Xuanming possibly monitor so many transcendent beings on his own?"

"Everyone thought that the Demon Country Crown Prince's appearance was to keep the Imperial Court's Transcendental Court occupied in Lingxiao City, preventing it from paying attention to the Western Territory. But is it really impossible for the enemy to attack Lingxiao City? How much of the Great Palace Master's deterrent power remains?"

"Teacher, have you gone to see her?"

Zen Sea Observing Mist said, "Don't have any hope for her. Cong Er, the battle of Cloud Heaven Immortal Plain will break out the day after tomorrow, barring any unforeseen circumstances. I want to ignite the war ahead of time. Do you want to join your master in a battle against which there is no chance of victory?"

Despite knowing the danger, Duke Taishi secretly returned to Lingxiao City, demonstrating his resolve. He smiled calmly and said, "I initially thought this would be a fierce, solitary battle, a painful struggle of unwillingness before death. But facing it with my teacher seems less painful; it's as if I've returned to my youth, full of fighting spirit and anticipation."

Zen Sea Observing Mist said, "Secretly summon Huo Di from the East Sea and Chen Su from my Chen Family."

"What about the Second Palace Master, Cao Caishen, Song Yanxian?" Duke Taishi asked.

Zen Sea Observing Mist said, "Let the three of them guard the Western Territory! Lingxiao City has made too many mistakes over the years and has long lost the hearts of the people. I see no possibility of saving it. Let it perish if it deserves to. But the Imperial Court can fall, but the human race cannot. You and I, master and disciple, will fight here in the Cloud Heaven Immortal Plain to give Lingxiao City a dignified end and repay the suffering inflicted on the people of the world over the past ten years."