The Race for First Place

"That last palm strike was Kui Shui Yin Lei, and he also used earth escape techniques well. He must be a direct descendant of the Qingcheng Sect."

"Thunder magic is supposed to counter blood magic, yet it was still killed; its power was at least half that of thunder magic."

"That Qin Family member is probably the reincarnation of some Dharma King from over there."

"That Blood Radiance Flying Star move looks pretty good, it's interesting."

"His swordsmanship is quite impressive. This young man from the Shi Family is only half a step away from becoming Martial God."

"This year's competition has produced two monsters right from the start; they're probably no less formidable than those from back in the day."

"Heh heh, as expected, when the world is in chaos, a demon star is bound to be born. Another good fight is about to begin, heh heh."

Who do you all think will win the championship at Yuntai Peak this time?

"Yeah, those two kids are really good, but they've suffered too much damage; they probably won't last until the third round."

"The current generation of Hengshan disciples is really not good enough. However, it seems that Mao Mountain has taken in a first-rank Daoist disciple, but we can't let Supreme Purity take all the opportunities."

"I think the Daoist from Penglai has the best chance of winning. Look how many pills he brought! And that damned manipulator..."

"But I heard that Penglai isn't competing this year?"

"It's hard to say. Whenever there's a ranking dispute, they're always the most enthusiastic. Would they give up so easily? I think it's all a conspiracy in the making."

On the mountain path, Shi Kai was carrying Qin Jiu as they fled, pursued by a large group of people on flying swords. It was a race against time, and there was no chance to strike a pose. So, the crowd at the Peach Banquet started chatting, appreciating the Cultivation Method, and eating a peach to moisten their throats.

Good heavens, Li Fan was also sweating bullets. Luckily, he got Shi Kai and had formed a tiny bit of goodwill with the Shi Family, otherwise Qin Jiu's head would have been chopped off in one fell swoop... Speaking of which, being cut in half at the waist can be reversed, I wonder if being beheaded can be restored, I'll have to try it when I have the chance...

At this moment, the two elders from Songshan rushed out, one grabbing Li Fan's left shoulder and the other grabbing his right arm.

"Boy, you actually taught the Blood Record Sword Scripture your disciple! I bet you're a spy for the Demonic Sect!"

"Very good, very suspicious, very suspicious! We will represent the Xuanmen and the righteous path to judge you! Let's go!"

Before Li Fan could react, the two old men pulled him up, and the world spun around him, taking him from the Peach Banquet to a dark, airtight room.

Li Fan looked around. The ground was marked with the Nine Palaces and Eight Trigrams, and above his head were the Seven Stars of Taiyi. Apart from the futon next to Li Fan's position in the center, there were eight other altar seats around him. Ji Qingyan sat on Kun 7, Xia Baishu sat on Qian 1, and Xianhua sat on Zhen 4.

Li Fan narrowed his eyes, "What are you guys doing...?"

The manifestation pointed, "You may temporarily reside in the detached palace."

Ji Qingyan smiled and patted the seat next to him. Li Fan was puzzled, but this didn't seem to be the seat for interrogating prisoners, so he went forward and sat down.

Xia Baishu spoke up,

"This is the Taiyi Nine Palaces Formation. Once placed within the seat, it transcends the mysteries of Heaven and Earth, and the yin and yang are unfathomable. It transcends the Three Realms and is not bound by the Five Elements. Speak freely, do whatever you wish."

Li Fan was stunned. He looked down at his backside and then at the dim, chaotic space around him. His Divine Sense swept across the surroundings, as if he had fallen into Void Abyss. Although the three old bastards were right beside him, he couldn't see anything through his blind gaze. He couldn't help but swallow hard. "Could it be..."

Ji Qingyan smiled, "That's right, these are the positions of the Nine Great Xuan Sects."

Holy crap, do you think I'm supposed to sit in this seat?

Li Fan was so excited that he shifted his position slightly.

Manifestation glanced at him sideways, "What are you thinking? I just need a place to talk."

Xia Baishu nodded and said, "Business is important. Qingyue, I have a question for you. Why did Wuyang recommend you to participate in the arithmetic exam?"

Li Fan was taken aback, and before he could speak, Ji Qingyan interjected, "Speak freely, the consequences outside won't affect this place."

The manifestation slowly spoke, its voice resounding like a tolling bell from the chaos.

"We know you are Outer Heaven Demon and an immortal from beyond the realm, but you have never harmed humanity, so we have left you alone. This calamity is originally unrelated to you, but the Grand Tutor's actions are of great importance, and this calamity may directly affect the destiny of Heaven, so we must ask you about it."

Tell me the truth, what is hidden at the foot of North Mang Mountain?

Li Fan's mood dropped significantly.

Li Fan was both alarmed and bewildered, suspecting that the scoundrel Manifestation was up to his old tricks again. However, the system couldn't detect anything, and two Feather Transformation Immortal were staring intently at him. So, he made a snap decision to betray the Grand Tutor.

"There are so many mice hiding there."

"I know, that's not what you're asking," Ji Qingyan said. "Besides rats, what else is there?"

Li Fan was a little confused. "What else is there? The ancient tomb of an Immortal Emperor? The Yuanfeng Liutie?"

The manifestation stared at Li Fan for a while, then said, "You're telling the truth."

Damn, you're a cat too...

Xia Baishu stroked his chin. "Then I'll say it again: why did Wuyang recommend you for the arithmetic exam?"

Li Fan thought for a moment, "The Grand Tutor probably doesn't want me to bring up the matter of the rat. You gentlemen have an uncanny understanding of the overall situation and are capable of making strategic plans. You should know better than me what's going on, right? Let's not let this kid guess. Let's get on with the plot, shall we? The competition is still going on outside."

The three old men looked at each other, seemingly exchanging glances and exchanging ideas, before finally all turning to look at Li Fan.

Manifestation: "We've decided, since you've already obtained the Grandmaster title, go and expose the Rat's affair."

Hey! Are you using me as a pawn again?

Xia Baishu shook his head, "Of course I'm not using you as a pawn. Fellow Daoist, you already possess such skill that you can sit at the same table as us. Naturally, I need to explain the reasons to you, and there are benefits in exchange for your help."

Ji Qingyan nodded, "You are just a catalyst in this matter. After all, it is Wuyang who is in the midst of this calamity. The key is not you, but how he chooses to proceed. If he can overcome this deadly hurdle on his own, then everyone will be happy. If he can't, well, well..."

Li Fan narrowed his eyes. "Well, kid, I don't understand what you seniors are talking about at all. But isn't Dao Lord Wuyang your junior brother, and isn't he going to be the head of the Songshan Sect? Why don't you talk to him directly and try to persuade him?"

Xia Baishu shook his head again, "We have done everything we could. He has to choose the Xuanmen side himself. Only then will he be our junior brother, the head of the Songshan Great Yi Dao, Dao Lord Wuyang, have a seat here. If he refuses to choose this lifeline and still clings to the purple ribbon and golden seal of the Immortal Palace, then of course we cannot convert him."

Li Fan frowned. "Not choose? If not this, what should we choose? Continue being the Grand Tutor? Surely we're not really going to change dynasties and sit on the throne of the Purple Immortal Palace?"

The manifestation looked at Li Fan and slowly spoke, "Of course it's not the Purple Star Immortal Emperor anymore. Others may not know, but don't you? The era of the Taiji Immortal Palace has passed. Next is the Supreme Plain Heavenly Dao. If you're going to sit, sit in the Tai Su Demon Palace! The Celestial Devil Emperor!"

Li Fan's mood dropped significantly.

"W-what! The Celestial Devil Emperor!"

Li Fan suddenly stood up, his mouth dry and his hands and feet icy cold. He felt a rare moment of emotion again, an emotion that had been almost forgotten over the years.

Fear.

Li Fan was in a state of utter confusion, and the two elders of Mount Song did not interrupt, so he manifested and continued speaking.

"Indeed, Celestial Devil Emperor! Heavenly Demon Lord! Now that the Heavenly Dao has been opened, what need is there for further Feather Transformation Immortal! Isn't the Great Dao of the world currently in its primordial state?"

He had clearly conceived the idea of ascending to demonhood ten years ago during the chaos in the Xun and Zhen Country.

In fact, the tripartite balance of power among the Three Great Sects wasn't solely due to the Xuan Sect God Sect's research into the demonic creatures of Tai Su and their efforts to improve their fundamental Daoist methods. Their Immortal Palace was also engaged in similar endeavors. In fact, Immortal Palace research began much earlier and was far more radical! After all, the impending shift in the Heavenly Dao and the rise of Tai Su had been observed by the Imperial Observatory of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices a thousand years ago. Their progress was the fastest!

It manifested with its eyes half-closed, buzzing as if sleepwalking, and said...

"I estimate that Ziwei Yuan inherited the relics of the Spirit Race from the time of the Immortal Venerable, and began to secretly study the Non-Thing Demon Ancestor, producing various corpse soldiers and demonic beings. Back then, it even used the excuse of the God Ranking and Immortal Register to wipe out all the rogue cultivators in the world, study ancient secret methods, and force out the chaos of the Xuanmen. Finally, the greatest synthesizer of the Non-Thing Demons, the first generation of Non-Thing Child born in the Immortal Palace, was that God Lord."

However, the Immortal Palace was plagued by numerous powerful factions and internal strife, which hindered its progress. But since the Grand Tutor unified the factions, all the secret techniques hidden in ancient texts and scrolls have come into his hands. Now that the Purple Star is weakening and the Imperial Star is wavering, he is undoubtedly the Lord of the Three Realms! How could he possibly stop what the Immortal Palace has been doing!

Back then, the Xun Kingdom was in turmoil, with the two palaces vying for power and the king ascending to demonhood. My Penglai Kingdom was also involved. Although at the time it seemed that the Divine Cult provided the Beast Mother's Heavenly Book to the Ruler of Xun Country, that person was both a protector of the Divine Cult and the Dachangqiu of the Xun Kingdom. Hehe, actually joining the Divine Cult is very simple, but it's quite rare to voluntarily infiltrate the inner palace and even become a spy for the Grand Chamberlain.

Moreover, I myself participated in the Luo Sect Rebellion and the struggle for the Heavenly Book, and I know that the Divine Sect was already on its last legs back then, and not many Heavenly Books actually fell into the hands of the Divine Sect. It was just that some people were impersonating the Divine Sect. On the contrary, the Black Lotus Sect was repeatedly suppressed by the imperial court, and many of its demonic arts were collected by the imperial court.

Recalling the chaos in the Xun Kingdom, the Grand Tutor Manor arranged multiple groups of people, scheming and plotting, all in an attempt to capture the ruler of Xun Kingdom alive. It is likely that the matter of the Ruler of Xun Country ascending to demonhood was orchestrated by the Grand Tutor. He probably intended to use this Ruler of Xun Country as a model to test and study how to break through tribulations and ascend to demonhood at the cost of royal destiny, thereby shaking the laws of the Immortal Palace.

Unfortunately, although the Ruler of Xun Country's attempt to ascend to demonhood ultimately failed, the Zhen Country's Hou Gu successfully ascended to demonhood, and even the Heavenly Dao was opened ahead of schedule, which was truly beyond my expectations. This guy is indeed powerful, and I'm afraid he has more than just these two schemes under his command..."

"Hou Gu? It's that Hou Gu again?" Li Fan frowned.

The manifestation did not answer, but continued to buzz and say,

"Hou Gu massacred cities and destroyed countries in Zhen, killing countless people and eating countless people. With the level of a mere general of the Immortal Palace and the strength of being driven out by the Heavenly Soldiers Army back then, he could not have done such a thing. Nine times out of ten, he relied on the Heavenly Book and obtained the method of ascending to demonhood."

I tried to capture him myself, but I failed three times. However, when the Sanyuan army arrived, this fiend surrendered without resistance. It was probably no coincidence.

A few days ago, during the riots in the Jingji, I also sneaked into the Immortal Prison to take a look. Hou Gu's whereabouts are unknown. I'm afraid the Grand Tutor is also keeping a close eye on my movements and is on high alert against me. The Three Enclosures are his territory. If I fight him here with only a clone, I won't be able to gain any advantage."

Xia Baishu interjected, "Wu Yang is a prodigy, having mastered the true teachings of my Great Yi Dao. Moreover, he is ambitious and certainly not one to be subservient to others. Although we have offered him the position of Great Yi Dao sect leader and the master of Songshan, given his ambition and aspirations, I'm afraid he might not even be interested in such a wealth. If Shangqing becomes too powerful this time and he can't take the position of Yuntai Peak leader, he might actually be interested in using this opportunity to become the first Demon Lord of Taisu Kaitian."

"We two are of mediocre talent, and our achievements today are all thanks to the protection of the Immortal Nan Hua. In the unlikely event that Wuyang becomes stubborn and decides to do something extraordinary, we cannot attack the direct disciple of the Immortal Nan Hua out of our fellow disciples. And if we really let him undergo tribulation and ascend to demonic status, even if we really fight seriously, we might accidentally ascend ourselves and not be able to subdue him."

Ji Qingyan chuckled, "Of course, we're all old. At worst, we can just close our gates and wait for the calamity. But what will you do if another Nether Youquan appears in Sanyuan then?"

Back then, a Hou Gu caused chaos in Zhen. Now, Wu Enlightenment Stage has reached the level of a demon, and he must be at the Sixth Patriarch level. At that time, I fear the Nine Provinces will be shaken, the Twelve Countries will fall apart, and the common people will suffer."

Are you really so concerned about the world falling apart and countless lives being lost? At most, you're worried that the Demon Emperor of Non-Thing has appeared in Great Yi Dao, disgracing your sect and causing too much karma for Songshan.

Indeed, according to the calculations of the manifestation, there is a third path that Grand Tutor could choose besides leaving the world to cultivate immortality and changing dynasties.

Ascend to become the first Demon Lord of Tai Su Heaven and establish the true Tai Su Demon Palace!

Moreover, this is probably not just the old ghost Manifestation spreading alarmist rumors. After all, isn't that old ghost Manifestation also secretly studying the Ancestor Luo Heavenly Book? Isn't Xuan Tian also worshipping the Void Star? These extraordinary talents, once they reach the Enlightenment Stage, if they had other paths to choose from, how could they be willing to become insects? The probability of Grand Tutor following the old path of the Nangong Seven Friends is simply too high!

Moreover, according to the intelligence Li Fan obtained from the Ink Bamboo Mountain side, the Grand Tutor may have developed a demonic heart earlier than the chaos in Xun Kingdom.

Back when Nangong Wubu, the leader of the Nangong Seven Thieves, fell into the hands of the Nangong Wubu Immortal Palace.

No, it might even be earlier than that!

Back when an ordinary, unremarkable Censor-in-Chief from the Three Realms first heard the names of the Tai Su Six Ancestors, the Nangong Seven Friends, and the Thousand-Faced Immortal —these Celestial Devil —from a country bumpkin reporting to the authorities, he must have already harbored covetousness for Taisu Heaven, for the Material Dao, and for this opportunity to create the world and change the course of history!

Grand Tutor, Dao Lord Wuyang —could he be yet another ambitious man like Nangong Wubu, determined to seize control of the entire world?

Moreover, he's a Nangong Wubu with brains, a true emperor-demon lord...

Li Fan's eyes darted around, he regained his composure, sat down with a gloomy expression, and asked in return,

"Three seniors, you two are Feather Transformation Immortal, and one is the strongest in the Enlightenment Stage. You have calculated the cause and effect variables in this situation clearly. How could you not make a move when the Demon Emperor was about to appear, and only send me to fight?"

Even if you're unable to show yourselves for various reasons right now, isn't there a gathering of immortals outside? Why bother with these Demon Path and demons about chivalrous rules? Just swarm him and take him down, isn't that enough?

Ji Qingyan chuckled, "That's not how it works. After all, Wu Yang hasn't shown up yet, so there's no real evidence. He'll definitely choose this path, won't he?"

No matter how meticulously we calculate, it's still all unfounded, and the truth won't be revealed until the very last moment. If the Supreme Purity, it will ruin our plans and damage the harmony of the Xuanmen. We're just asking you to test the waters as a precaution.

This isn't difficult at all. You just need to see for yourself whether he's still human or not.

Xia Baishu laughed heartily, "Exactly, exactly! If you ask me, the task of saving the common people, upholding the righteous path, and leading the Xuanmen sect in the future belongs to you, young friend!"

Young friend, please don't underestimate yourself. In terms of the study of the Tai Su Dao alone, you are still the most skilled in the world! As for Zi Xu's ugly face, I don't even want to look at it twice, yet you can chat and laugh with her so easily. Your composure and ability far surpass mine.

Believe in yourself! I think you can do it! In another hundred years or so, you'll definitely have a place here!

Li Fan sneered, thinking to himself, "If I agree to this, I'll get a place just by taking a look, isn't that enough? But what if I don't agree? Does that mean, like those two old men were shouting, I've gone from being a Daoist chosen one to save the world to a traitor infiltrating the Xuanmen, now representing the Xuanmen and judging justice? What a bunch of bastards..."

The manifestation, however, didn't resort to threats or inducements like the two of them, and continued to hum and whisper.

"This is the last chance... He missed several opportunities, but he held back. If he delays any longer, this tribulation will pass, and this opportunity will be gone... If he wants to ascend to demonhood, he can only do so when all the immortals of the Xuanmen are focused on the Cloud Platform Grand Competition..."

When he last sent you a letter, you, or your disciple, may have already had the opportunity to find his hiding place...

The fate of Yuntai Peak is still uncertain, and our connection is not yet over. You should hurry back; you should be able to catch a glimpse of him.

If he is willing to return and become the Dao Master of my Xuanmen, then so be it; I will also yield Yuntai Peak to him. As for the Tai Su Dao Ancestor, there will be plenty of opportunities in the future; he can afford to wait. But if he refuses to yield and insists on fighting for it..."

Manifestation opened its eyes, its two diamond-like pupils flashing, the azure starlight piercing Li Fan's eyes like swords.

"Then tell him I'm leaving seclusion immediately! I'll lead the Xuanmen sect to fight him!"

It doesn't matter who the leader of Yuntai Peak is, nor does any Daoist Tradition have anything to do with me, but everything must be done in order of priority!

"The First Ancestor of the Primordial Chaos! The First Merit of Enlightenment in the Mysterious Sect! It must belong to my Mysterious Sect! It must be manifested by me!"

The two elders from Mount Song also stopped smiling and nodded in unison, clearly having reached a tacit understanding long ago.

Having said that, there's nothing more to say.

"... Yes, as the decree commands."

Well, at least this time, Li Fan has managed to get a feel for the Xuanmen's true strength.

The rules that are now manifest are the rules of the Xuanmen (Daoist school).