The Showdown

Realizing that the Demon Race was launching a major operation, Li Fan immediately began preparations. He found a boulder and carved the Twenty-Eight Forms of the Ink Mountain Fist Manual and the Gu Guan Method directly onto it, which could be considered a Li Family Ink Mountain Heavenly Book.

Then he brought the boulder directly to the new cultivators, lest these Golden Core cultivators, whose aptitude was too poor, forget the moves he had taught them over time. Next, Li Fan found Asha, gave her a large handful of tofu coupons, and instructed her to cultivate her swordsmanship while also managing the cultivators in Lei Marsh.

Whether you are a disciple of Ink Bamboo Mountain, a rogue cultivator, or a celestial soldier, anyone who can master the fourteenth level of the Ink Mountain Fist or kill a Nascent Soul Stage level demon will be rewarded with a Tofu Ticket. With this ticket, you can come to Li Family Village to become Outer Sect Disciple of Mozhu Mountain, or seek his instruction in cultivation techniques and exchange for magic treasures.

Since the Demon Race army isn't around now, let this experimental team continue grinding monsters and leveling up, accumulating initial data. It's not worth him watching over such a small matter. Who knows, besides Li Sheng, they might even be able to pull out a few good SSR characters.

Li Fan then personally set off to return to Ink Bamboo Mountain to verify and discuss with the abbot the calculations regarding the alliance between the Demon Race and Hengshan to besiege the Luo Feng lineage.

Li Fan hasn't decided yet whether to go to Luofeng to provide rescue or to use Luofeng as an opportunity to buy more time for Ink Bamboo Mountain to develop.

But he felt he couldn't just stay in that position; constantly defending was just too passive.

Unless the opponent is completely brain-dead, they won't blindly run into a well-prepared defensive line. Besides, the opponent has more manpower and greater strength than Ink Bamboo Mountain, and they have far too many offensive options. Constantly running around like this, parrying and responding to attacks, will not guarantee victory.

Continuing to hold out in Ink Bamboo Mountain will always put us at a disadvantage, leaving us constantly at the mercy of others! We can only watch as the situation worsens, completely losing any strategic initiative!

If we don't go to rescue Luofeng Mountain this time, does that mean we can abandon everything we can't defend—the eastern Li Country Prefecture, the two defense lines to the north and south, the fourteen peaks of Ink Bamboo Mountain, and even the Heavenly Immortal Realm—as long as we can protect the ancestral temple of the Zhenyang Dao underground?

Or is it that even the True Yang Ancestral Temple can be abandoned, just like the Emei sect ascending to another world and Penglai fleeing overseas, leading their disciples southward, destroying mountains and temples, escaping to the Ten-thousand-mountains Mountains to seal off their cultivation, becoming cowards to continue their Daoist Tradition, and only emerging to restore order after the Central Plains are ravaged by bloodshed?

Isn't that even more despicable than Hengshan and the Divine Sect? At least they fought for their own territory.

Li Fan felt it was time to confront the abbot.

Whether it's the abbot or some other Wisdom Dharma King, if the leaders of Ink Bamboo Mountain insist on avoiding disaster, then there's no point in Li Fan bringing out more disciples and new recruits, let alone staying here. In any case, they'll still have to run away eventually anyway.

Li Fan didn't want to run away.

Just as when he recruited people, he didn't want to become an emperor and have hundreds of concubines to play with. He didn't spread the Tai Su Dao teachings because he really wanted to become an ancestor and pass it down for ten thousand generations.

If he only cared about his own safety and cultivation level, he could just take the system and fly into outer space right now, not caring whether you're a Tai Chi master or a Daoist master, he wouldn't care.

Qingyue's goal was simply to help mortals adapt to this new era, so that as many people as possible could survive instead of becoming Devil Embryo fetuses, corpses, or livestock feed, and to have more options for survival.

But if we were to sit idly by and watch these centuries of chaos unfold, doing nothing but hiding and watching people get killed, aside from the question of whether our conscience could accept it, wouldn't our moral compass crumble?

He might as well become an Immortal Emperor now and sweep across the world with overwhelming force. Although he would still inevitably become a puppet pawn in the end, allowing the Immortal Clan and the Company to win, at least he wouldn't face the extinction of his race, right?

Of course, based on Li Fan's observation and understanding of the abbot, he still had confidence in this bald old man.

Given all the effort they've put in, their status as a top-tier strategist who has attained enlightenment, and their stubborn, unyielding nature, it's impossible that they couldn't have calculated such a significant flaw as 'the defense line can be bypassed'.

The abbot certainly has his own plans for all sorts of variables, but there's no need for him to tell Li Fan everything.

Just like Li Fan didn't tell the Abbot about all the crazy things the system was doing.

Therefore, Li Fan felt that at this point, it was best to lay all the cards on the table.

In any case, Ink Bamboo Mountain has already paid homage to the Thousand-Faced Immortal, and the current strategic situation is becoming increasingly severe. The core leadership must reach a unified consensus and coordinate all available means in order to work together to overcome the difficulties ahead.

If the Mood System is unwilling to step in directly, Li Fan can simply follow their advice and create his own 'Moshan System' to put on a show; it's the same thing.

At the very least, we need to get a communication system like the one for Ink Bamboo Mountain. Running around like this is just too much trouble!

Yes, there are indeed spells in talismanic arts such as flying talismans to deliver messages, but those spells have extremely high requirements not only for the caster but also for the talismans themselves! Ink Bamboo Mountain is already short of silk, so where would it find the financial resources of top-tier Xuanmen sects? Besides, if they really wanted to send a talisman thousands of miles to deliver a message, they would inevitably be intercepted by someone who could predict their movements. It would be much faster and safer for him to use his own escape technique to travel back and forth!

Therefore, when it comes to intelligence communication, systems like the Stream of Systems, which allow for anytime, anywhere, multiverse, and quantum communication, are undoubtedly the most convenient. However, it's probably equally convenient for corporate legions to eavesdrop; overly advanced technology is inconvenient to use, while overly basic technology is likely useless—it's that awkward. Sigh, one can only hope that the Celestial Immortal's system contains something as useful as a telegraph machine...

So Li Fan flew straight to Lou Guan Tower to pay his respects to the abbot. Then, taking advantage of his new status as the mountain lord, he bypassed the large group of visitors at the entrance who were also paying their respects to the abbot, trying to block their way.

Just as he was about to enter the courtyard, he was met by Yao Xuanzhou, who had also flashed past in a flash of light and landed right in front of the gate!

Li Fan bowed and asked, "Greetings, Abbot. Has the assassin been killed?"

Yao Xuanzhou sighed and shook his head, saying, "He got away. Qingyue, I have urgent business with the abbot. Please wait a few days."

What urgent matter is it that you need to chat for so long?

Li Fan was speechless for a moment. "But I also have urgent matters to report, and I'm afraid I can't wait a few days. Perhaps I should..."

"Come with me, everyone."

The abbot, however, appeared precisely on time, waved his sleeve, and led Li Fan and Yao Xuanzhou away, actually flying directly to the underground Zhenyang Temple.

Li Fan and Yao Xuanzhou exchanged a glance. Seeing that neither of them was particularly surprised, they understood that they had all received the abbot's true teachings and belonged to the core of Ink Bamboo Mountain. So they bowed to the abbot together and took their seats in front of the Zhenyang Temple.

Without waiting for the two to report, the abbot spoke first, getting straight to the point.

"Emei has split into two. Xuan Yunzi defeated Qing Yunzi in a sword duel, but Cang Bi refused to pass the position of acting sect leader to him. So Xuan Yunzi declared himself the sect leader of the Southern Faction of Emei, led half of his disciples away, and, at the invitation of Purple Void Dao Lord, broke out of the mountain, saying that he wanted to re-establish the Emei Southern Daoist Tradition."

Holy crap! They took half of it! Purple Void Dao Lord, ah, Master Wei of Hengshan! Damn, so it really was Hengshan behind this...

But the abbot hadn't finished speaking yet.

"The King has been assassinated. A group of dyers in Changsi City rioted, colluding with eunuchs to open the palace gates and sneak into the Liqiu Palace at night to assassinate him. Among them were experts from the Black Lotus Sect. The King was enjoying himself in the Forbidden Garden with few guards. Fortunately, he escaped into the Left Army of the Imperial Guard and survived. However, many of the noble families and relatives of the King who were with him have died. Martial law has been declared in the Jingji, and the court is in chaos."

Holy crap...

The abbot hadn't finished speaking yet.

"The Li River flooded, and I arranged for my junior brother Zheng to manage the flood, but in the end, he still failed. Man proposes, God disposes. My junior brother has done his best, so let's not dwell on it anymore."

Although I anticipated the current situation, I had already communicated with the Censorate beforehand and arranged for the Ministry of Revenue to establish the Department of Revenue and Expenditure to manage the border defense warehouses set up in each prefecture. This matter was overseen and coordinated by Li Wenrao, the second son of the Imperial Censor -in-Chief Li Hongxian, who was in charge of the Department of Revenue and Expenditure.

I have met this young man before. He is intelligent and talented, a true prime minister capable of governing the country. Moreover, he is still young and possesses even more benevolence and ambition than his father. However, to avoid the suspicion of father and son serving in the same court, he was sent to a remote military region to serve as a military advisor. Now is the time when talent is needed, so let him preside over the finances in the local area. With his father in charge of the government, it should not be difficult for the people of Li Country to survive this year's disaster.

But this great flood of the Li River will surely devastate the Kingdom of Xun. I have roughly calculated that, since the last Ruler of Xun Country, I fear that 90% of the military farms and reclaimed land along the banks of the Li River will be submerged. After the flood peak, there will be at least 300,000 dead and injured. If the grain exports to Xun do not double this year, I fear that a million people will not survive the winter..."

Since the conversation had turned to the Xun Kingdom, Li Fan sighed and said...

"I went to Lei Marsh and discovered that the Demon Race stationed there, with the support of Lei Marsh monsters, have withdrawn through the waterways, probably planning a pincer attack from the north and south to encircle Luo Feng Immortal Palace... Perhaps after annihilating the Luofeng lineage, they will follow the Li River westward to invade the borders of my Li Country..."

The abbot listened, did some calculations, and silently nodded, showing no surprise. It was unclear whether he had anticipated this or simply couldn't control it...

Yao Xuanzhou was shocked and silent for a while before speaking, "I chased after the assassins from the North Star Guard all the way to the Kunlun region, where I encountered the army of the Divine Cult."

They didn't come from Kun Country; they must have recently crossed the Kunlun! The leader is a Dharma King himself, commanding at least ten thousand elite soldiers with Divine Hardness and Overlord Physique, currently hiding in the mountains. I was worried they had ulterior motives, so I immediately returned to report."

Holy crap... damn it... what happened to the agreement not to fight?

A Dharma King secretly led tens of thousands of elite troops across Kunlun —were they just here for a vacation? And just a few days ago, an unreliable Saintess and an unreliable Dharma King's daughter were thrown here to their deaths... If they had killed them back then, these tens of thousands of men could have easily swept through...

Damn, everyone changes their minds faster than flipping through a book. Can't people have any sense of morality and trustworthiness?

The abbot performed another calculation, nodded, and remained silent.

Li Fan and Yao Xuanzhou exchanged a glance. Li Fan couldn't hold back any longer and asked first.

"Master, what should we do now? We're surrounded by enemies on all sides, beset by internal and external troubles. Should we go south first and then north?"

"Master, the situation is urgent, and we don't know how to overcome this difficulty. Please give us your guidance."

The abbot calculated and calculated, then suddenly frowned, remained silent for a while, and finally sighed.

"Given the current situation, if we want to break this deadlock, we'll have to resort to some extraordinary measures. I have something I need you two to do."

"But I don't know what's wrong with you two today. Why are you both so restless? I've tried several divinations, but none of them worked. Is there something you're keeping to yourself? There's no time to waste now. What is it? Tell me quickly."

Li Fan and Yao Xuanzhou exchanged another glance, and this time Yao Xuanzhou spoke.

"Yes, there is something, which may concern the secrets of Master's origins. I shouldn't ask, but it's something that's been weighing on my mind..."

Li Fan was taken aback. "Yao the Supervisor! You don't mean you know about this too...?"

Yao Xuanzhou was also startled, "What! Could it be that even Qingyue noticed...?"

The abbot was baffled. "What are you all talking about? Ask me now!"

So Li Fan and Yao Xuanzhou exchanged glances for the third time, reached a consensus, and spoke at the same time.

Li Fan: "Master, are you perhaps the Wisdom Dharma King?"

Yao Xuanzhou: "Master, you must be a member of the Immortal Palace's royal family, right?"

Li Fan was shocked. "What?! A member of the Immortal Palace family! Bloodline of the Immortal Emperor!"

Yao Xuanzhou was shocked, "The Wisdom Dharma King!! The Dharma King of the Divine Cult!??"

"Huh?" The abbot was stunned, his eyebrows furrowing. "What nonsense are you all spouting? Speak one by one."

An awkward silence followed.

Li Fan was still in a daze.

This reaction is wrong... and it can't be right, the abbot is bald, and he doesn't look like the Immortal Emperor at all...

So Yao Xuanzhou started explaining, rambling on and on, and Li Fan listened for a while before summarizing.

Actually, the first person to guess that the abbot had the bloodline of an immortal emperor was not Yao Xuanzhou, but Xu Luoyan.

Yes, that socialite Xu Xianniang from Songshan. Last time, through Li Fan's connections, she helped Yao Xuanzhou get a batch of fairy silk, so they became quite familiar. So, probably after the business was settled, during a dinner party where everyone was chatting and building relationships, Xu Xianniang asked Yao Xuanzhou a very gossipy question.

"How could your abbot, a mere rogue cultivator of such humble origins, succeed the Nangong Family, be appointed General of the South, and become the Li Prefecture Governor? Could he be the reincarnation of some immortal king or clan leader?"

Yao Xuanzhou laughed it off at the time, but upon reflection, he thought, "Hey? That's right... that seems to be the case."

Although the Grand Tutor has the support, all those who rise from the rank of Marquis must be approved by the Ziwei Yuan with imperial approval! Not to mention that the Grand Tutor did not completely control the Three Palaces back then, even today, when the Grand Tutor Manor is trying to win people's hearts and sow discord among local forces, it cannot be too obvious in granting official titles and ranks. After all, the real positions in the Immortal Palace are all won through money and political struggle.

Given the way the Immortal Palace treats lowly cultivators, bestowing upon them a marquisate or cavalry captain would already be an extraordinary honor. The class divide in this world is so vast, literally insurmountable even for immortals. How could it be so simple as to appoint a commoner cultivator as a high-ranking general, a regional governor, or even a powerful clan leader?

Even if Ink Bamboo Mountain can be considered a powerful local force, you have to understand that the abbot who was appointed at that time was only at the Transformation Stage, not at the Dao Lord level, where even the Immortal Palace has to grovel! Look at the powerful clans within the Li Country, they only truly submitted to Ink Bamboo Mountain after it joined the Xuanmen sect and the abbot attained enlightenment!

Therefore, based on her years of experience at the Three Palaces banquet, Xu Xianniang made the most reliable guess: the abbot was probably, or in his previous life, the son of a powerful family, a member of the imperial family, protected by his ancestors, or a second-generation heir with a huge backing. He had a huge backer and political supporters in the Three Palaces, which is why he caught the eye of the Grand Tutor and was so actively courted.

If it was just a sudden reminder that seemed a bit strange at first, after Yao Xuanzhou returned and paid attention to the details, he also began to doubt whether it was the truth.

An obvious example is that here in Li Country, the abbot has set up many magical formations that few people in the Central Plains have even heard of, which are meant to protect the fortunes of all people!

Just like the blessings for favorable weather, bountiful harvests, the suppression of evil spirits, and the protection of the nation's destiny, these are all unpopular and useless magic spells in the Ancient Immortal Palace. In this era where everyone is only concerned with selling official positions and exploiting the people for money, it is rare for local guardian deities to take the initiative to perform these spells and do good deeds for the local people.

Of course, Yao Xuanzhou felt it didn't matter what the abbot's origins or reincarnation were, but if there really were powerful clans or political alliances in the Three Realms, and given the current urgency of the situation in the Li Country, if there were any hidden, powerful allies who could be brought in to help, then cultivating those relationships wouldn't be a big deal, right?

After Yao Xuanzhou finished speaking, it was Li Fan's turn. Li Fan no longer repeated his suspicions about fabricating numbers. Now that Yao Xuanzhou was with him, Li Fan simply laid his cards on the table and revealed his True Yang Dao Fire.

"I heard from the protectors of the cult that this is some kind of 'Holy Flame' that the Wisdom Dharma King is looking for..."

Li Fan was still wary of the abbot suddenly rushing over to pat his head, but strangely, the abbot seemed to be deep in thought? And his expression was one of sudden realization?

Wait a minute... Could I have guessed wrong? Is the Abbot not the Wisdom Dharma King?

Li Fan couldn't help but say, "Master, if you have connections with the Dharma King of the Divine Sect, why don't we use that connection to negotiate with them and get them to withdraw their troops? Maybe with some networking, they might even recommend you as their Sect Leader! Wouldn't it be even better if you were the reincarnation of a Celestial King! Wouldn't it be wonderful if Ink Bamboo Mountain unified the Three Great Sects?"

Yao Xuanzhou was also shocked, "Hiss... unifying the Three Great Sects..."

Li Fan and Yao Xuanzhou held their breath, waiting to see how the abbot would respond.

The abbot thought for a long time before slowly speaking.

"But I'm really not a reincarnation of a Celestial Emperor, nor a reincarnation of a Dharma King..."

Li Fan and Yao Xuanzhou nodded quickly.

"Yes, yes, yes, Abbot, you are indeed the Abbot, the leader of Ink Bamboo Mountain!"

"Yes, Master, we don't care about our past lives. Who cares? If it wasn't, it wasn't."

"Just pretend you don't remember. It's normal not to remember your past life."

The abbot couldn't help but glare at the two of them.

"I remember, that's why I said it really wasn't..."

Since you care so much, I'll just be frank.

"... In my past life... my name was Nangong Wubu."

Holy crap? The Nangong Family?? Their IQ seems a bit off...

"What the hell?!" Yao Xuanzhou was startled and almost spat out his flying sword. "Former Immortal King! Nangong Wubu!"

The abbot sighed, "That's right, I am an incarnation of Nangong Wubu."

"Within Feng Qingniu's physical body lies the heart he has abandoned."