Gazing at the Game

Yao Xuanzhou and three experts from Bamboo Mountain were ready to set off, following the trail Li Fan had calculated, to separately hunt down the enemies of North Star Guard.

The others stayed behind near Ink Bamboo Mountain to clean up the mess and keep watch during the patrols.

The Daoist priest and the abbot of Hengshan are still playing chess!

This game of chess was incredibly long; it actually lasted for three days and still wasn't finished. It dragged on until all the True Lords from the north and south of Ink Bamboo Mountain were arriving from various places to provide support.

Seeing the arrival of the Real Persons of Lou Guan, Li Fan dared to leave the cave and personally take a look at Lou Guan Tower.

Then he was surprised to discover that the Hengshan Sect really did come to 'visit'!

Of the four Nascent Soul Realm cultivators from Hengshan who intercepted him earlier, it seems one of them escorted the remaining half-Divine Lord to safety. Now, only one Dao Lord and three True Persons from Hengshan remain at Lou Guan Tower!

Actually, apart from North Star Guard being too unexpected, the many demons and monsters that attacked that night were not particularly formidable. Old adversaries like Jade Toad Granny and well-known demon kings from the Ten-thousand-mountains didn't even show up.

But now, with just one Dao Lord, a single chess piece, and the surrounding anti -Ink Bamboo Mountain forces tacitly sending out a few miscellaneous cannon fodder, the entire Ink Bamboo Mountain has been easily restrained and rendered immobile!

They were truly unable to move. Separated only by a river, so close yet so far, no one knew when these "Guests from Hengshan" would suddenly turn on them and start a fight. No one knew if there were any ghosts lurking in the shadows, ready to strike. And no one knew when a major battle would suddenly break out between the north and south battlefields.

Even if they realized that the other party's purpose was to contain them, they still had to be on guard at all times and chase after them to take revenge. This delayed their strategy of conquering the south first and then the north, as well as their campaign against the Ten-thousand-mountains, not to mention getting involved in other matters.

At this point, Li Fan found it rather strange.

Since such a small number of people can already cripple Ink Bamboo Mountain, why not put in more effort and send more experts to directly turn against them and wipe out the entire Ink Bamboo Mountain sect? To be honest, he was almost cut down to the second stage!

Upon closer reflection, aside from killing many new disciples, these people didn't actually attack the secret realm of Ink Bamboo Mountain. Why didn't they just turn on them and attack directly? Was it really just a probing attack? Did they find out how capable 'Qingyue' was, and then immediately change their plans and retreat? They couldn't possibly think that much of him...

However, as news from the Central Plains continued to arrive from the Xuanmen, Li Fan's doubts gradually began to be answered.

At Ink Bamboo Mountain, all talk and no action.

But in other parts of the world, the storm has passed the stage of impending doom and the wind is howling; it has entered the final stage of cataclysmic destruction!

Yes, the Golden Summit of Mount Emei remains out of contact, and there are increasingly more and more confirmed eyewitness reports that a large number of unidentified masters are fighting and swordsmanship in the sky above the Golden Summit. The battle is extremely fierce and has almost changed the surface of the earth, reaching the level of uprooting mountains!

Unfortunately, most of these intelligence sources were provided by cultivators at the Golden Core Nascent Soul Realm, and no experts could see through the scene inside the Emei Grand Formation.

Not long ago, the Central Plains were blessed with divine dew! And Emei Mountain was closed off from the world. As a result, many old Daoist sects who had been living in seclusion in the deep mountains of the country broke out of their seclusion and entered the world to compete for Heavenly Treasure in preparation for their tribulations!

These were originally staunch supporters and allies of Emei, elderly people who frequently graciously attended the Peach Banquet for free, but when Emei faced this great calamity, they were all nowhere to be found! All the peaches were wasted...

Well, although I don't know whether it was a genuine coincidence or a carefully planned scheme, this time it definitely wasn't aimed at Ink Bamboo Mountain.

Ink Bamboo Mountain is indeed not yet qualified to attract so many forces on the chessboard to join forces and besiege it.

Only one company has the right to be targeted by everyone.

Yes, Emei.

Emei was originally invincible.

There are Three Elders and Four Ancestors, and Qin Tianjue; five Feather Transformation Immortal who have ascended to immortality; three who have attained enlightenment; and countless other experts who have reached the Divine Transformation stage.

Even someone like Qin Nanxin, a mere Golden Core, could fight tooth and nail against the Black Lotus Sect and the North Star Guard, surviving an entire night. Compared to that former direct disciple of the Shenxiao Sect who was instantly killed and had to be carried down the mountain by a mortal, Qin Nanxin was on a completely different level...

But the timing of their move was absolutely perfect.

The "Emperor's Dew" and "Meteor Shower" are rare, Li Fan -in-a- Heavenly Treasure events, so let's not even talk about them.

Just a few days ago, Qin Baichuan, the most powerful of the three elders of Emei, and Qin Tianjue, the Cangsong sect leader, left the Golden Summit and came to Ink Bamboo Mountain. Those who were secretly plotting against Emei had countless eyes watching this opportunity.

Since Emei acted decisively and fought a devastating battle, it's clear that these two people didn't have time to get back to Emei.

The Azure Dragon was sent away by Li Fan using a bell, so it can probably be ignored for the next few hundred or a thousand years.

Two years ago, when the Ten Ultimate Formation were broken, the Cangyun Lord, who presided over the battle on the Emei side, also led a group of Xuanmen masters to pursue the leader of the Divine Sect Leader, Dharma King, deep into the heart of Kunlun, and has not returned to this day.

In addition, there is also the Dao Lord Cangming Emei, who can be confirmed to have been in seclusion on Yuntai Peak.

So, by that calculation, there are only three members of the Cang generation remaining at the Golden Summit!

Emei is truly at its weakest point ever!

Could it be...?

Suddenly, a thought flashed through Li Fan's mind, and he had a guess.

No, it can't be called a guess anymore. To be more precise, it's a collection of fragments of memories that suddenly flashed into a single line, and in an instant, all the causes and effects became clear.

He recalled his discussion with Liu Daoming of Hengshan at the Ghost Valley Death Gate Dao ruins. He thought of the speculation that the upper echelons of Hengshan were plotting with the Divine Sect to launch a surprise attack on Emei through the Tai Xuan Gate.

He thought of the countless shooting stars that flew overhead over Yunmengze.

I thought of what I saw at Hengshan: the clumsy cover-up when the demon god's seal was broken.

Thinking about how he killed and stole swords in Hengshan, yet he wasn't hunted down in a way befitting the Xuanmen (Daoist) style.

The thought that the Nangong Family's army was ready for battle was unexpected, as they were preparing to sign a contract with Ink Bamboo Mountain to avoid war.

Could it be...?

It's not just Ink Bamboo Mountain that's short-staffed.

I'm afraid that the surrounding forces of Ink Bamboo Mountain, Hengshan, Nangong, and the Divine Sect are also short-handed!

It's not that Hengshan and his group didn't want to take this opportunity to give Ink Bamboo Mountain a good beating and remove this thorn in their side!

It was a sudden and unexpected change! A completely different, even greater, opportunity was suddenly thrust right in front of them!

Emei!

If your ambition is to conquer the world, then you must surpass Emei!

Previously, Hengshan simply couldn't do it; they could only wait for them to ascend to immortality.

But now,

The world has changed!

If eight are too many to handle, surely three can put up a fight?

Even assuming that Hengshan and the Divine Sect combined are no match for Emei, what if we add Songshan as well?

Would an ambitious man like the Grand Tutor really miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to strike at Emei?

Given the integrity of those people in the Immortal Palace, it's hard to imagine them not taking advantage of a situation or refusing to stab someone when they're being stabbed...

Hiss... This could really be bad. After all, even if Emei didn't care before, there was still the manifestation of Penglai, creating a three-way balance of power with Songshan and Hengshan. But now that he has the Ancestor Luo Heavenly Book given to him by Li Fan, he probably won't focus on the Central Plains for the next few hundred years...

This is incredible! Could this be the future that the Cangsong foresaw?!

Is this how the prelude to a chaotic era is being set off?

The Emei Sect was wiped out!

Li Fan was so startled by his own guess that he quickly ran to Nan Xin's furnace to talk to Xuan Tian and see if his calculations were correct.

Xuan Tian, seeing this trash and that good-for-nothing, rarely encountered a rare case like Emei, whom he respected, suffering the calamity of their entire clan. He was quite interested and started gossiping with Li Fan while watching the spectacle.

Xuan Tian, "... I'm afraid it will be very difficult... It's true that the False Moon is high in the sky, but the Taiji Nine Qi is also in its final moments. It's not time for the Taiji Xian Dao to perish yet. If you can't defeat the Devil Embryo at night, do you think you can still defeat it when the sun rises and the evil energy dissipates? If you can't, then you really shouldn't be in the Xuanmen!"

I've been fighting Emei for a long time. The Three Elders and Four Ancestors are holding back their Daoist Tradition to avoid fighting, for fear that if they get too carried away, they'll shatter the void and ascend to another world. But if it really comes to the point of annihilating their entire sect, would they just tie their hands and let themselves be killed? Of course they'd fight to the death!

Li Fan also sat down on the ground, set out his counting rods, and began to play against Xuan Tian.

"What's the point of risking our lives? Most of Emei's manpower has been lured to Kunlun by the Divine Sect. Cangsong even said he would help me stop one of his junior brothers. Maybe there aren't even three patriarchs guarding the Golden Summit right now!"

But Hengshan is more than just Hengshan; it's also the main mountain of the Supreme Purity Dao! These branches of Mao Mountain are naturally their allies!

Among the Nine Great Xuan Sects, Emei stands out, Penglai quietly amasses wealth, Songshan colludes with the Grand Tutor, and Wangwu Mountain is a disorganized mess.

I originally thought that those three useless people were all together and that Hotong Mountain, Danxia Mountain, and Magu Mountain were part of the Songshan faction. Pei Shiqing of Songshan probably thought so too, so I guessed he was probably in big trouble.

I'm afraid that Hengshan's willingness to utter such words as "unifying the world" already implies that they have effectively gained the support of at least four of the Nine Great Xuan Sects. And secretly, through their connections with the Yellow Court Palace, they've likely cultivated alliances with the Hidden Daoist Tradition, perhaps gaining even more followers! Look at those adulterous couple who came to beat me up that night—weren't they just some random guy who popped out of nowhere?

If each of these five factions sends out a master above the Enlightenment level, and the Divine Cult sends a former Dharma King, former Venerable, or former Sect Leader, wouldn't that give them a two-on-one advantage? If they grit their teeth and act ruthlessly, perhaps Mount Song will also lend a hand, making their advantage even greater!

However, I also have some doubts. Even if they manage to wipe out Emei by joining forces with the Divine Cult using such methods, what face would Hengshan have left to command all the Xuanmen sects in the world? Is Emei really so utterly depraved that they only want to escape?

Silver leaves also flew out and hovered among Li Fan's counting rods for a while.

Xuan Tian said, "The concept of righteousness is irrelevant. If we can truly conceal the secrets of heaven, wipe out the Emei sect, and then wipe out the Divine Cult as well, we can just make up stories about the survivors. The Three Great Sects always Winner everything. According to your plan, it's not that you have no chance of winning, but ultimately you're still a little short..."

"Almost?" Li Fan didn't believe it. "With the conduct of the Three Great Sects, they would either be wiped out or their entire sect would be exterminated. If we had the chance to eliminate Emei, we wouldn't have left them a way out, would we?"

Xuan Tian laughed, "Hehe, kid, you already know the Three Great Sects, but you don't know Emei yet."

Do you think there haven't been many people who wanted to destroy Emei over the years? But for a sect as powerful as Emei, unless they fight Inner Sect themselves, commit suicide, split up, and fight to the point of mutual destruction, no matter how many heretical demons come, even if the Hengshan and Songshan sects joined forces to besiege the Golden Summit, they still couldn't shake the foundation of Emei!

The three, Cangsong Cangbai, and Cangwu, were all disciples of the same master, direct descendants of the Emei Sect Leader, as close as brothers, sworn brothers. Cangsong was the most skilled, surpassing his two junior brothers in strength, while the other two had been entangled with me for several lifetimes, fighting for many years, knowing each other's strengths and weaknesses, and their abilities were only roughly equal.

But Cangbi is quite capable! Although he is from an unorthodox sect, he managed to find a way out and used some tricks and schemes. During the Inner Sect election, he even outsmarted and outmaneuvered Cangsong to seize the position of sect leader of Emei!

In any other family, this would have resulted in a huge fight. But Cangsong was a martial arts fanatic who had no interest in power and was devoted to martial arts. He also knew that Cangbi was more suitable to be the sect leader, so he was willing to step down.

However, Cangbai and Cangwu are not to be underestimated, yet Cangbi has been able to steadily suppress their faction for many years, demonstrating his true skill. If it really came down to a fight, Cangbi might not be able to defeat Cangsong's Heavenly Silkworm Skill, but he wouldn't be far behind.

At that time, my divine skills were not yet fully developed, and I was aware of my own limitations. I estimated that in a direct confrontation, I would be no match for Cangsong, and even if I resorted to Cangsong tactics, I might not be able to gain the upper hand against Cangbi. Therefore, I never considered forcibly taking the Heavenly Book from Emei. Later, I decided to take a different approach and first go to the Divine Cult... What are you doing?"

"Oh, just grab a handful of sunflower seeds and crack them open. Don't mind it, go on, go on."

Xuan Tian, "... In short, even if Cangsong is not here, with Cang Bi, plus Cangbai or Cang Wu guarding the mountain, they are not easy to deal with. There are people in the Xuanmen who can defeat them one-on-one, but most of those old monsters are in seclusion."

Although becoming the leader of the Nine Great Xuan Sects is certainly no easy feat, among the new generation, only that one manifestation might have reached our level back then, capable of stopping one person; the others are probably a level below.

Hehe, I'm not bragging, but even if you practice the same skills and cultivate the same methods, the path you comprehend will be different. In our time, the Three Great Sects fought the most fiercely. Everyone was of similar strength, and even the Immortal Palace had its share of top-tier Martial God. The Divine Sect was at its peak, with countless masters. In the end, it was us 'old folks' who wiped out all these opponents, allowing our Daoist Tradition to survive.

"Hmph, they've only ever seen one Luo Sect sword fight, and they think it's so tragic? Who can even imagine the bloodbath at Kunlun Mountain back then? Heh heh, but the chaotic times are back again, they'll all be back soon, no need to rush, hehehe..."

Seeing that Xuan Tian still didn't believe Emei was in trouble, Li Fan couldn't help but shake his head and say, "Xuan Tian, you're still intoxicated by the glory of the past. Can't you see that the times have changed?"

Some ancient trails, no matter how powerful they were in the past, are now impassable due to changing times. No matter how glorious the past traditions or how rich the accumulation, they are now ultimately useless.

With Nan Xin's talent, despite countless years of rigorous training, she still couldn't defeat us, who have been worshipping the Moon for two years. Even if Cang Bi is as powerful as you say, can she withstand one attack, let alone a second or third?

"Emei had already lost before it even embarked on the path of the Azure Dragon."

Xuan Tian snorted coldly, "Hmph, you brat, you're lecturing me now. If I didn't understand this superficial principle, how could I have improved the Tai Sha Sword Embryo? I've already said that none of those old ghosts are inferior to me, do you think they can't see that?"

Upon hearing Xuan Tian's words, Li Fan was stunned. "You mean that besides the Azure Dragon's Dao, Emei also has..."

"That's right. The Cultivation Method this girl practiced has been improved somewhat. Otherwise, she would have been poisoned by the evil energy long ago and wouldn't have been able to hold on until now. Her loss has nothing to do with the cultivation technique. It's purely because she's inexperienced, lacks experience, hasn't killed enough people, and doesn't know how to apply what she's learned."

In my opinion, Emei must have considered what would happen to those who were forced to remain in this world if their ascension to the Golden Summit failed.

Li Fan narrowed his eyes. "So... not everyone within Emei wants to ascend? Could it be that these people actually identify more with Hengshan than with Emei?"

Xuan Tian immediately understood Li Fan's meaning. After a moment of silence, he slowly replied, "Perhaps you're right. It seems a bloodbath is brewing on the Golden Summit of Mount Emei..."