Heavenly Listener Immortal Official

The north wind howled, and the ice crystal walls of Changbai City gleamed with a bluish-gray hue in the morning light.

You Su wrapped his felt hat tighter and looked at the black banners surging outside the city—tens of thousands of cultivators were arrayed on the snowfield, and various spiritual halos fell to the ground like stars, tearing the vast world into colorful fragments of jade.

Changbai City is not the first city in the northern border of the Northern Ao Continent, but at this moment, surrounded by thousands of cultivators, it looks like a giant in armor and armed with weapons.

You Su hid in a corner of the city wall, draped in a concealment cloak specially made by the Qianhua Pavilion. The clanging of swords being drawn filled his ears, and he unconsciously stroked the hilt of his sword.

Previously, he had only experienced battles, but now he was witnessing a real war.

However, given his inconvenient identity, revealing to these thousands of cultivators before the deed was done that the person guiding them was a wanted criminal would likely only destabilize the army. Revealing his identity after the deed was done would be more likely to change public opinion about him, so he had no choice but to avoid crowds.

Suddenly, twelve bells rang out from the city tower, breaking through the snow, and nine Mysterious Ice Chi Dragons emerged from the clouds.

Ganlong Venerable stood suspended in mid-air, riding on the dragon's spine. She had changed back into the extremely gorgeous priestess dress she wore when they first met, which fluttered in the gale like a battle flag. Behind her were five powerful Void Glimpse Venerable.

While You Su followed Ganlong Venerable to block the third Sea Well, City Lord Nalan carried her message to several places, not only gathering effective manpower from various cities, but also summoning many Void Glimpse Venerable were traveling abroad.

As Ganlong Venerable had predicted, they were also unaware of what had happened, yet they unwittingly became the ones abandoned by the group from the sacred mountain. Thus, under the Sovereign Lord's call, they quickly decided to save Bei'ao from its dire straits.

"I never expected that even Qianhua Venerable would take action for my Bei Ao."

An old man wearing a bronze mask flicked his sleeve and snorted coldly. He was Venerable Xuanji, a master mechanic who had been forbidden from entering the sacred mountain for privately forging military equipment. At this moment, twelve golden-armored puppets floated behind him, each engraved with terrifying and soul-stirring secret patterns. It was thanks to them that his Xuanji Sect had been able to protect the people within a hundred miles.

"These twelve golden-armored puppets of Venerable Xuanji are nothing compared to the lavish investment I've made," Qianhua Venerable retorted coldly, but then smiled sweetly at Ganlong Venerable, who was addressing thousands of cultivators. "If we lose, Sovereign Lord, you'll have to become my dual cultivation vessel."

"How could the Qianhua Pavilion be someone who lacks a cauldron?" To the right of the stunningly beautiful cultivator was a pale-faced young man with even whiter hair. He was holding a huge, snow-white silkworm pupa, the silk threads wrapped around his fingertips as if they were alive.

"I think Ice Silkworm Venerable is trying to offer himself as a concubine, isn't he? As far as I know, the Snow Silkworm Silk of the Qianhua Pavilion is all provided by you. Why don't the two of you become even closer through marriage?" Another upright and dignified middle-aged cultivator interjected in an unfriendly tone.

"I only regard Qianhua Pavilion as a partner," the young-looking Ice Silkworm Venerable replied softly. The middle-aged male cultivator looked at him with disdain, clearly disgusted by the Ice Silkworm Venerable's act of letting the benefits go to outsiders.

"Venerable Baishu is a scholar, yet he's so fond of playing matchmaker?" Qianhua Venerable chuckled. "If you like that Snow Silkworm Silk, just go and buy it yourself. Didn't my Qianhua Pavilion buy it with money?"

Upon hearing this Venerable Baishu snorted coldly and remained silent.

There was a hint of pride in the Ice Silkworm Venerable's eyes, as if he felt that the beauty was arguing for him, so he quietly thanked the female immortal.

As the effeminate-looking youth made his way towards her, Qianhua Venerable's smile unconsciously stiffened. She actually disliked this 'youth' who had a effeminate appearance but was actually over two hundred years old. She already considered herself hypocritical, but the hypocritical aura emanating from this youth made her feel even more uncomfortable.

She was well aware that the other party was willing to provide her with the unique silkworm silk of Bei'ao because they coveted her beauty. If it weren't for the Snow Silkworm Silk, she would never have had any contact with such a person, let alone let him have such unrealistic fantasies.

In the past, she might have feigned compliance, but now that she was about to achieve great things, mere Snow Silkworm Silk was no longer worth mentioning.

Not to mention, at this very moment, all she could think about was her master, making her increasingly uncomfortable with the pale-faced boy's overtures.

Thinking of this, she couldn't help but feign a flippant tone and said, "Ice Silkworm Venerable, there's no need for thanks. If you really want to express your gratitude, it would be more practical to find me a few strong young men from your Northern Ao region, preferably the kind of resolute Sword Cultivator with well-defined muscles."

Although her words were vulgar, they fit her persona.

Upon hearing this, the Ice Silkworm Venerable's face turned extremely ugly. The man described by the woman was completely different from him, yet her familiar tone seemed to have no malice, as if she were genuinely asking a friend for a favor. He found it difficult to tell whether she was subtly mocking him.

The Venerable Baishu laughed heartily, displaying a gloating expression of someone who thought a sycophant deserved a terrible death.

"I misunderstood. I thought Qianhua Venerable liked those pretty young men from Nanyang who looked like rabbits. But if you're looking for such a man, you've asked Ice Silkworm Venerable Bingcan the wrong person. The men in his Silkworm Palace are nothing like what you're looking for!"

Upon hearing this, Ice Silkworm Venerable gritted his teeth even more, and the Ice Silkworm in his arms trembled slightly, just like the anger that could not be hidden in his thin chest.

Just then, Ganlong Venerable, having just boosted the morale of the army, turned around and glared at them with a chilling gaze that silenced the whispering Void Realm cultivators, who dared not make a sound.

Although the woman had personally admitted that her power had declined, her majesty was still intact. The fact that the Sovereign Lord had suppressed the Northern Ao cultivators for a hundred years had long been a shadow in the hearts of many cultivators. However, Qianhua Venerable was not very reserved. She even looked at the young man she had been longing for from afar.

"Venerable Baishu will lead the charge, with Ice Silkworm Venerable and Qianhua Venerable guarding the left and right flanks, Venerable Xuanji and Venerable Qingsong anchoring the army, and I will bring up the rear. We will depart for the Divine Mountain in a quarter of an hour!"

The woman's voice carried an authority that seemed to emanate from her very bones, compelling one to submit involuntarily.

Venerable Qingsong, an elderly woman with white hair and beard, did not participate in the whispers among the group, but was the first to agree. The other powerful figures followed suit in turn, except for Qianhua Venerable, who looked on incredulously.

Because of her inconvenient status, You Su was assigned to the group of the Qianhua Pavilion cultivators who were accompanying her. However, the Qianhua Pavilion cultivators were not known for their fighting prowess, so they were part of the logistics team. Logically, she should have been with her own cultivators, but this woman claimed to be the rear guard and sent her elsewhere. This was clearly a case of ulterior motives!

She had even prepared the Jade Curtain Flying Boat!

"My Sovereign Lord, please wait. My cultivators from the Qianhua Pavilion are positioned at the rear of the army. My presence at the rear will better stabilize morale."

"Qianhua Venerable, you are mistaken. You are a cultivator from another region, yet you are willing to lend your full support. You should naturally stand at the forefront as an example for the entire army." Venerable Qingsong spoke slowly. She was a highly respected elder in the Northern Ao Continent, and her words carried great weight.

Even Qianhua Venerable dared not argue further. She knew very well that the old woman was just saying nice things; they simply didn't want to put their backs on her, an outsider. Helpless, she could only swallow her anger. However, a hint of resentment crept into her eyes as she looked at Ganlong Venerable.

The Jade Curtain Flying Boat hangs in the clouds, its ice-crystal-carved portholes refracting countless fragments of light.

You Su leaned against the cabin wall, wiping the Ink Pine Sword. The reflection of the sword's edge was not of the luxurious Black Gold Qipao, but of the Ganlong Venerable's skirt embroidered with dragon patterns, trailing gracefully to the ground. The ice dragon earrings hanging from her wide sleeves made a clear sound, like some unspoken coded message.

"Changbai City is only eighty miles from the sacred mountain. We can start the battle today. You can stay in this flying boat then." The female immortal gently stroked the hem of her skirt and sat opposite the boy.

The crisp sound of the sword sheath striking the deck shattered the silence of the room. As You Su rose, his felt hat slipped off, revealing his profile, sharply defined by the firelight. "I'll act according to the situation."

"Evil spirits are mindless, but cultivators are cunning." Ganlong Venerable seemed a little anxious. "Do you think Venerable Ningshuang's ice chains are just for show? I can't protect you forever."

You Su glanced at him, "Are you that afraid I'll die?"

The beautiful fairy paused, but her voice softened slightly. "You've already helped enough. Your senior sister is still waiting for you. You don't need to take any more risks."

You Su knew the woman was just being stubborn; he was always very perceptive of other people's good intentions.

"Don't worry, I don't want to die either."

A sudden gust of wind swept outside the cabin. Looking through the icy porthole, the Kong Yuan Divine Mountain resembled an inverted ice sword piercing the sky. At the foot of the mountain, a dark array of cultivators stretched for miles, and the "North" character pattern on the black banners burned brightly in the snow.

"We've arrived." Ganlong Venerable stepped onto the deck, his deerskin boots embroidered with dragon patterns crushing the ice steps, and nine Mysterious Ice Chi Dragons materialized from the void.

When she turned her head, the Divine Mark on her forehead shifted, as if she had transformed back into the peerless celestial being who looked down upon Bei Ao: "Wait here."

Ice solidified beneath their feet, and as the Ganlong Venerable descended from the sky atop the dragon's spine, a tsunami-like cheer erupted at the foot of the mountain. You Su, leaning on the deck railing, gazed at the radiant figure, finding it all rather unbelievable.

They came from the north, and their route into the city was the same as that of You Su and Archimedes Venerable, requiring them to pass through Snow City, Four Cities of Wind, Frost, Rain, and Snow, and Snow City. Surprisingly, the city Sovereign Lord of Snow City was already outside the city personally welcoming Venerable Bei Ao.

"Your Sovereign Lord, Xue Wuya has been waiting here for a long time."

A clear, icy voice pierced through the wind and snow, and the unassuming Snow City Lord stood beneath the city gate, bowing respectfully.

As fellow Venerables, few would refer to themselves by their mortal names in the presence of another, but rather by their honorific titles. Xue Wuya, however, was extremely respectful to Ganlong Venerable, simply because he, as the city lord, had been personally supported by Ganlong Venerable. Ganlong Venerable's decision to head north was also based on this consideration, as Snow City could not possibly close its doors to her.

The Ganlong Venerable billowed in the north wind like a raging sea. Looking at the lingering sorrow in Xue Wuya's eyes, she sighed softly in resignation.

How is Mount Kinabalu doing lately?

"The sacred mountain is unharmed, but the fact that evil spirits have risen up in chaos across the five continents is already common knowledge, and conflict is inevitable," Xue Wuya replied, bowing.

"Conflict? It seems there are still quite a few people supporting those ungrateful wretches." Her voice, shrouded in icy frost, fell softly.

"Wuya has been waiting for the Sovereign Lord for a long time. Within the Divine Mountain, two distinct factions have emerged. One is the righteous stream, like the Sovereign Lord, unwilling to see the innocent sacrifice of the poor people of Bei'ao. The other is the turbid stream, led by Venerable Ningshuang and others. In fact, most cultivators cannot accept the sacrifice of the people, but Venerable Ningshuang and others have been spreading rumors about it..."

"What are you promoting?"

Xue Wuya suddenly bowed even more deeply, "It is your fault that you, Sovereign Lord, secretly dug the Sea Well behind the backs of the people of the Five Continents, leading to the current situation... As a result, many of those who were originally indignant have also joined the ranks of the corrupt."

"I dug the hole." A hint of sadness appeared in Ganlong Venerable's eyes. Her own admission made Xue Wuya tremble in disbelief.

But a more resolute light flashed in the woman's eyes, "But my intention was never to harm Bei Ao. I sent flowers and plants grown in that Black Soil to the Four Cities of Wind, Frost, Rain, and Snow. Have you noticed anything strange about those flowers and plants so far?"

Xue Wuya seemed to be pondering, then shook his head.

"They're just looking for an excuse to agree with those people's views, and then they claim it's my fault." Thinking of these people's despicable faces, Ganlong Venerable felt even more enraged and demanded, "Those people knew I would return, yet not one of them dares to come see me?!"

Xue Wuya gazed at the imposing army behind the woman. These cultivators, abandoned in the distant mountains, were all seething with rage. Northern Ao Continent was known for its deep-seated grudges, and this blood feud had forged a fearsome ferocity in these cultivators.

Xue Wuya replied with trepidation, "Both factions believe this is a matter of principle, which can be discussed. If a large-scale war breaks out, the most innocent party, Kong Yuan Divine Mountain, will suffer. Therefore, they are unwilling to rashly start a war with the Sovereign Lord. All the Void Glimpse Venerable of the Divine Mountain are waiting for you at the Dragon Seeing Palace to discuss matters."

In fact, Ganlong Venerable had anticipated this. This war was not going to break out easily, since the sacred mountain was the most important stronghold for both sides. If so many Void Realm experts were to fight to the death here and damage the sacred mountain, it would truly shake the foundation of the Northern Ao Continent's existence.

"A bunch of cowardly parasites."

Ganlong Venerable made no attempt to conceal his contempt, and led the four Beiao Venerables into the mountain, leaving Qianhua Venerable alone to oversee the army.

Dragon Seeing Palace Council Hall, a thousand icicles hung from the jade dome, each tip of which was covered with frost from the Northern Ao Continent.

The embroidered dragon-patterned skirt of the Ganlong Venerable swept across the black ice floor tiles, and the ice lotus patterns blooming beneath his feet meandered to the high platform at the head of the hall.

Thirty-six bronze divination chairs were arranged on both sides, where the Venerable Chengliang and the Venerables of various lineages of the Divine Mountain sat. Some had cold eyes, while others looked as if they had seen a savior, but they all tacitly refrained from vying for the highest position, as if everyone had tacitly agreed that the position belonged to her.

"Do you all wish for me to bind my own hands and return to the mountain to face trial?"

With a slight tremor of her wide sleeves, Ganlong Venerable turned gracefully and sat down on the throne that was exclusively hers.

Venerable Ningshuang Shuang clapped his hands and sneered, "When the Sovereign Lord slaughtered his comrades in Bei Ao, did he ever ask if their blood agreed?"

"Three hundred years ago, the ten tribes of Bei'ao exchanged their own children to eat each other. When you feasted on the sacred mountain, did you ever lower your eyes? Now that I am about to fill in the ravines, you all pretend to plead their case?"

"What a fine idea to fill in the ravines!" Venerable Ningshuang slammed his fist on the table, and ice spikes from the ground shot out like venomous fangs. "Your so-called replacement of the Sea Well with soil has only brought evil spirits devouring people! Because of you, Northern Ao Continent has become a living hell!"

"Purgatory?" Ganlong Venerable suddenly chuckled, and seventy-two ice mirrors flew out from his sleeve. The mirrors reflected boiling pools of blood, the frozen bones of infants, and the horrific sight of people cutting off their own flesh to feed evil spirits. "These purgatories, aren't they the ones you all built with your own hands?"

As soon as the scene appeared, a chorus of boos erupted in the hall.

The withered fingers of Venerable Ningshuang tapped the divination chair, and the ice mirror shattered with a deafening roar.

"We're just going with the flow! Bei Ao is already overburdened; why should they suck our blood to support those useless people?"

Ganlong Venerable's eyes turned cold, and the atmosphere instantly became icy, creating a tense atmosphere within the hall.

"Enough!"

Suddenly, the sound of chanting rang out from outside the hall, and the illusory image of the nine heavenly gates opened wide.

The celestial official gracefully entered, stepping onto the golden steps. His snow-white sacrificial robe was embroidered with the unique "Three Enclosures and Twenty-Eight Mansions" star map of the Immortal Ancestor Temple.

His face was covered by a gilded mask, and a "transparent jade" on his forehead shimmered with chaotic light—he was the only "Heavenly Listener Immortal Official" in the Immortal Ancestor Temple who could directly communicate with the Divine Sense of the Immortal Ancestor.

Even Ganlong Venerable was somewhat taken aback when she saw the newcomer. Although she was a high-ranking celestial official in the Immortal Ancestor Temple, they were all celestial officials who governed the world.

The real reason why the Immortal Ancestor Temple got its name is because it can convey the will of the Five Immortal Ancestor Temple!

The Heavenly Listener Immortal Official lightly raised his fingertip, and the murderous intent within the hall vanished instantly.

"The Immortal Ancestor has issued a decree!"