Covering the Heavens

The Immortal Venerable was a fat man.

Well, it's not really surprising. He's the supreme ruler of the world, possessing all the wealth of the four seas; can't he at least eat a few more pieces of fatty meat?

As for the discrepancies with later depictions of immortals and deities, that's understandable. It's to avoid offending the revered ones. Even if their faces were truly covered in sores, who would dare to chisel them out with such meticulous detail?

Besides, the Immortal Venerable isn't some acne-covered, pockmarked face, or a monster with a purple beard, blue eyes, a dragon nose, and a crocodile face. If you look closely, his face is still a human face. It's just that the skin has been smoothed, the lines have been adjusted, and the jawline has been reduced. It's like a beauty filter has been applied. You can still recognize the same person's features.

Moreover, the Immortal Venerable was also dressed in heavy armor, wielding a divine weapon, and sitting on the command platform like a tiger. His size was so large that it looked like a mountain from a distance, weighing at least several tons. He could support it with ease, so he was obviously not just bloated.

It's like that kind of person: handsome and refined in youth, with bright, sparkling eyes in young adulthood, a burly and imposing figure in middle age, and with a beer belly and superhuman strength reaching their peak in middle age. Since they can destroy the world with a flick of their finger, they can't just casually burn off excess calories. As a result, sitting on the throne for too long, their physique gradually becomes plump and wealthy...

So even immortal beings age and gain weight...

Li Fan suddenly thought of something and couldn't help but shiver.

Wait, wait a minute! When he himself was cultivating his Gui Xu Nascent Soul, he would also lose weight when his killing energy was insufficient, right? So the reverse is also true, isn't it?

Moreover, the malevolent energy in this world will only become more abundant in the future! And his various attack skills are already off the charts in terms of damage! What if, in the future, his cultivation level becomes too high, and if he accidentally misses a move with a single skill, it could destroy the world? Wouldn't he then be unable to act recklessly? Wouldn't his excess Dao power just turn into fat and accumulate? Good heavens!

Li Fan's mood dropped a little.

Then a basketball bounced back on its fins.

Kun, burp

Kun! You've gotten this fat after eating just one demon god!

Li Fan's mood dropped a little more.

Even the Kun (a mythical fish) couldn't digest it all, which is quite something. I guess the flesh of a demon god isn't easy to digest. Sigh, it seems everyone's destined to be fat sooner or later, or perhaps they're already on their way to becoming fat...

To get back to the point, after casually defeating the demon god and revealing his rank as a Flying Cavalry Captain, the plot unfolds with him trembling, bowing down, and being taken as a subordinate.

Li Gan the situation to Li Fan, the Martial God of the same clan. Upon hearing that tens of thousands of years had passed and the Immortal Venerable had ascended to some unknown place, the mecha did not insist on returning to the Three Realms to pledge allegiance. However, it also refused to follow Li Fan back to Ink Bamboo Mountain and was left hanging on the shelf.

"My remnant soul has awakened, and only by constantly fighting can I remain conscious; otherwise, I don't know when I'll fall into a deep sleep."

"What, you plan to fight your way all the way to Mikaki? Look, the meat sauce has crammed all the parts together, you should go back and fix it..."

Li Gan replied, "It's alright, I just enjoy the feeling of being bathed in blood and flesh! I'm just a remnant soul now, and I can't remember many things. Only when the Blood River washes over me can I regain some clarity! Besides, there's no need to return to the Central Plains. I sense a murderous aura rising from the north, and there must be a large army confronting each other not far away. Please, Flying Cavalry Captain, let me join the battle! It's worth it to have a good time before my soul is scattered!"

"..."

Li Fan was speechless for a moment, but now that his hands were stained with blood, he could understand the hunger and thirst for the thrill of robbing someone after sitting still for so long. It wasn't that he was inherently bloodthirsty; it was simply like an internet addiction flare-up...

However, with a large army gathered around the Border Prefecture, it might indeed be possible to use a Martial God to assist in the battle. And even if it went berserk, it would still be the Nangong Family that was attacked. So Li Fan agreed to the mecha's request, waved his sleeve, took a bunch of weapons, equipment, Divine Beast with him, and returned to the Taiji Realm to see what the situation was like on the northern border.

As mentioned earlier, while the Ink Bamboo Mountain area was being developed and expanded, the Central Plains had already fallen into the abyss of chaos.

The biggest events in the cultivation Immortal Realm are naturally the internal strife within Emei and the massacre of Emei Nanshan disciples who were sent by Hengshan to provide support. However, even a fool knows that this matter is far more complicated than it seems, and given that it involves both Emei and Hengshan, the level of involvement is extremely high, so the uninformed onlookers are unaware of the specifics.

The various sects and schools of the Xuanmen were so terrified that any rash action would attract attention and implicate them, resulting in a temporary calm in the cultivation Immortal Realm. There were no major incidents, as if the cultivation Immortal Realm had enjoyed another peaceful day, but this was merely an illusion. At least on Daoist Qiongqi's side, his daily rivals for scraps were growing stronger. Clearly, most of the orthodox disciples of the Three Great Sects had already left their mountains, taking advantage of this chaotic situation to vie for their own immortal destiny in the mortal realm.

The situation in the mortal realm was even more bloody. Gao Xing of Gen Province had openly raised the banner of unifying Hebei and was massively annexing the regional warlords. On the land of Zhen, the armies of the Three Realms and the princes of the Xiao Family were fighting fiercely, with the traitor Hou Gu caught in the middle, jumping back and forth. Hundreds of thousands of troops repeatedly fought around major cities like Lanling and Jiangling, often besieging and massacring cities, resulting in countless deaths and injuries. On the Xun Kingdom's side, under the supervision of Hengshan, they were launching a fierce attack on the Luofeng Mountain at all costs, but the Xun Kingdom was plagued by floods and rampant foreign demons, and the outcome could not be determined for the time being.

In short, people are killing every day, and the battle lines are changing daily. Despite the bloodshed, no one can claim a victory. However, considering the death toll in the daily official gazettes, which has jumped from tens to hundreds to thousands, with more and more named dead and news of fortified cities changing hands more and more frequently, it seems that these three main battlefields will enter the final stage of the decisive battle within the year.

Meanwhile, in the Li Country, there's demonic massacre of villages and migrations leading to division; a full-blown war is probably imminent.

Li Fan first arrived at the front line of Nanzhen and met with Real Person Wei, the commander of the northern defense line. Sure enough, he learned that the Nangong army stationed at Peach Blossom Mountain on the opposite side had also been mobilized. The army had adopted a scorched earth policy, set up camps, and dug trenches, as if they were about to launch a serious attack on Beizhen.

Grand Commandant Wang E had already dispatched a portion of elite troops to threaten the rear of the Nangong outside the city, and personally went to confront them, but did not send out the entire army of the Li Country Kingdom in the Southern Garrison.

Firstly, the defenses of Nanzhen are well-prepared, and defense is always more advantageous than attack.

Secondly, the envoy from the Nangong Family is still at Ink Bamboo Mountain discussing the list of participants, procedures, and details for the duel before the battle. They haven't yet reached an agreement on the time and place for this battle.

Yes, Li Fan didn't understand at first either.

What?! They need to discuss the time, location, and battle list before even starting a war?! Is this some kind of party???

Real Person Wei, who was in charge of discipline, wasn't very knowledgeable about military matters. Grand Tutor had also gone to the front lines, but fortunately, Li Fan had an antique mecha with him who was familiar with these rules, so he asked around and was able to explain it clearly.

This act of 'challenging' was a kind of 'etiquette' among ancient feudal lords. It was usually a way for nobles within the Immortal Palace, and for a long period of time, for the rulers of the Twelve Countries, to resolve long-standing feuds and competition for interests.

To put it bluntly, it's like arranging a fight, like having a brawl in the woods after school, implying that the teacher isn't a real man. If it really gets to the point of bloodshed and bloodshed, even though they're all from the Immortal Palace, they shouldn't go too far. They should report it to the Three Palaces and ask the Celestial Emperor to mediate. Of course, if it's a fight with a foreign race, then these rules don't apply.

Moreover, these duels are not just about agreeing on a time and place for a fair and square battle. There are usually pre-battle sword fights and magical duels to boost morale. In a world where immortals and demons roam, the pre-battle duels are often the most important part. If the enemy's general, Martial God, and national advisor can all be killed in the duels, there will be less bloodshed, and the enemy can be forced to surrender without a fight.

However, this ancient ritual has not been used for a long time. After all, the rulers of the Twelve Countries have been out of power for a long time, and the world is in chaos, with blood flowing like rivers. It is quite rare to see such a civilized way of fighting. But occasionally, generals will use it on the spot according to the actual situation on the battlefield, so it is not without precedent.

In fact, this challenge was indeed proposed by the Nangong Family.

The situation is quite obvious. Bianzhou Beizhen has set up a blood sacrifice formation for Wei Gao, and Nanzhen has also amassed hundreds of thousands of troops, making it an impregnable fortress. No matter how foolish the Nangong Family is, they are not so foolish as to launch a full-scale attack without reinforcements. Moreover, the three parties have a no-war agreement, and the war with Xun Kingdom is not over yet. Why would they create more trouble at this time?

Therefore, the Nangong Family's opponent in this challenge is Wei Gao.

Their reasons were that Wei Gao had established a licentious shrine and a blood-stained tomb without receiving official recognition from the Immortal Palace; he had built high walls and magic arrays without imperial decree; and he had recruited soldiers and changed the military structure without state permission. This was clearly a plot to rebel!

Moreover, the grand formation set up by Wei Gao damaged the earth's veins in the borderlands and affected the feng shui of the ancestral homes of the local people of Peach Blossom Mountain. This violated the classification of the immortal registers and divine lists of the Li Country and was a blatant act of disrespect to the imperial court! It also ruined the destiny of the Twelve Countries and was an obvious act of a demonic cult!

Therefore, the Nangong Family, speaking on behalf of the people, collected the names of 180 hermits who were cultivating in Peach Blossom Mountain. They signed and sealed their names to prove that their words were true, and earnestly requested the governor of Li Prefecture Governor to handle the matter impartially, dismantle the blood tomb formation set up by Wei Gao, and expel Wei Gao, this black sheep in the Censorate, so as to restore a bright and just world to the Li Country Kingdom.

Then more than 20,000 burly men in full armor rushed forward, righteously declaring their intention to punish the wicked and eliminate evil. They seemed determined to personally destroy this cult's headquarters if the imperial court refused to intervene...

Damn, these people are really good at making excuses, what kind of ridiculous things are they...

"No, that's not it! Privately establishing shrines and enjoying the blood sacrifice offerings are heretical practices forbidden by the Immortal Palace! If they aren't strictly prohibited, they will give those extraterrestrial demons, Demon Path, and wandering ghosts an opportunity to take advantage, even bewitching people and causing chaos in the world!"

Li Fan, "..."

Okay, that makes some sense. Aren't all Demon Path sects and heretics like that...?

Dean Wei of the Discipline Institute also said, "The abbot is still stalling. The Censorate has already issued an edict reprimanding Wei Gao, ordering him to dismantle the shrine, dispel the blood array, and apologize to the rogue cultivators of Peach Blossom Mountain. But it seems that the Nangong Family won't let this go. They will probably attack the city directly once they are ready, without waiting for the Li Country's decree to mediate."

Li Fan shrugged. "Why delay? If the dean is inconvenient, I'll go. Who cares how many people there are? I'll lead the charge and cut them all down, right?"

Real Person Wei rolled his eyes. "Of course not. Do you think they don't know you'll lead the charge? They immediately specified that only those at the Golden Core stage should come out for sword duels. Not to mention the many rogue cultivators on Peach Blossom Mountain, there are already thousands of Golden Core stage cultivators in Nangong alone. How many people does Beizhen have? Where are they going to find so many people to challenge him to a duel!"

Tsk, this is getting a bit complicated.

Li Fan could be unreasonable and rush in to kill the Nangong Family members. However, considering the flies they encountered earlier, it's clear that the Nangong Family also has Dao Lords, Nangong, and many demon gods acting as spies within the Li Country.

Now that the Nangong Family has a handle on the situation, sending troops wouldn't be considered a breach of the non-aggression pact. If Li Fan were to directly intervene, it would escalate into a full-scale war between the two sides. The Nangong Family is probably already prepared, but all of Ink Bamboo Mountain's forces are trapped in the Ten-thousand-mountains.

However, we cannot remain silent, because it is clear that this time, the other party is testing the waters first.

Let's test the strength of Beizhen, test the preparations of Nanzhen, and test the response of Ink Bamboo Mountain.

How should we respond and retaliate? How much power should we display? Is the other party genuinely testing us, or are they trying to attract our attention for other purposes? What other tricks, conspiracies, or ambushes might they have up their sleeves...?

Having gone from being a pawn to a player, Li Fan had to consider these things carefully, especially now that he was no longer alone but the Grand Master of Mo Shan. He couldn't just flip the table and wipe out his opponents as easily as before...

But 'Qingyue' can't, but 'Li Yaoshi' can! And a berserk mecha can too! Hehe!

"Lieutenant Li, actually, the Nangong Family is like this and that..."

"What?! How dare you rebel?! Traitor!!!"

Dean Wei narrowed his eyes, watching Li Fan pull out a mechanical puppet wearing tattered armor from his sleeve, whisper something in his ear, and then the puppet went berserk, snatched the halberd from the gatekeeper's hand, and creaked and clattered all the way north.

"... Lord Li, releasing puppets so blatantly is easily detected..."

"Ah, it's okay, it's not mine..."

Then Dean Wei took out a black gourd from his sleeve, pulled out the stopper, and silently chanted a spell. Rolling black clouds from the gourd, like exhaust fumes from a motorcycle, gushed out, filling the sky and blotting out the sun. They quickly covered the clouds and obscured the divine weapon's head, not only concealing its whereabouts in the blink of an eye, but also making the sky dark and the ground pitch black, as if it were the dead of night.

"Hiss... Brilliant, Dean, I wonder if this spell to conceal the secrets of heaven can..."

Real Person Wei patted the gourd to empty the dark clouds inside, then turned the gourd over to show Li Fan the bottom.

"This is a secret-forged Magic Treasure. The 'Heaven-Covering' talisman inside is something I secretly refined using alchemy. Each use reduces its quantity. If you, Lord Li, remember this talisman, you can control the celestial phenomena once you cast it."

Li Fan glanced at it, nodded, and said, "I see, I understand. Thank you for teaching me, Dean."

So he conjured a talisman on the spot, borrowed a cloud to wrap himself up, and took to the air. He followed the mecha at a leisurely pace, secretly protecting it. Of course, he couldn't forget to transform into an old man. Just as he was about to change into the cult's outfit, Li Fan suddenly had a flash of inspiration and realized that he could go even further.

After recalling the Daoist techniques of the <Blood Demon Great Path Body>, Li Fan cut open his wrists, opened his heart and lungs, took out his heart, and forced the blood out of his body. Using his heart as the core, he refined the blood into a Blood Demon Dao Body using the Dao Body technique!

Looking at the appearance of this Dao Body, it is exactly the same as the original body, just like a freshly skinned blood person. Li Fan was also interested in trying out this so-called number one mystery of the divine sect's divine skill, the Dao Body used by the God Lord, to see what was so different about it!

He immediately threw the divine cult outfit in his hand to his clone to wear, his face darkened, his murderous aura surged, and he was wrapped in celestial robes. His whole body transformed into the Tai Su Dao Body, lying flat at the clone's feet like a shadow, hiding in the dark clouds that covered the sky, almost indistinguishable.

So 'Blood Demon Li Yaoshi' wrapped himself in the blood-stained robes of the Divine Cult, took the Blood Talisman Sword, and rode on a black cloud to chase after the divine soldiers, flying towards the Nangong.