Winds Rise Again, Change at Chentang Pass

The calm of Golden Turtle Island did not last long.

It had only been ten days since that silent gaze from the Underworld had brushed past.

Within his cave dwelling, Xuan Chuan was using "The One That Escaped," combined with Jiejiao's increasingly stable fortune, to deduce the key events that might affect the sect in the near future.

His command of "The One That Escaped" had grown ever more proficient. Especially after breaking through to the mid-stage Taiyi Golden Immortal realm and gaining Jiejiao's fortune, his powers of deduction had risen like the tide.

Though he still could not peer into a Saint's schemes or grasp the full picture of the world's great currents, he could now catch clear warnings of certain "small currents" closely tied to himself and Jiejiao, and soon to occur.

Upon the Jade-Purple Platform, violet-gold radiance flowed. Xuan Chuan sank his mind into that profound Dao rhythm, carefully tracing the unseen threads of karma.

The calamity of Shiji at Qianyuan Mountain had passed, but the karmic thread connecting Nezha and Taiyi had not fallen fully silent.

Instead, it branched into several finer streams, each steeped in venomous resentment, schemes, and grief-stricken fury, all pointing toward a familiar place—Chentang Pass!

Fragmented images and scraps of information flooded into his mind:

—Within the General's Mansion at Chentang Pass, Li Jing held a longsword. His face was dark as water, while fear, rage, and a trace of fanatical delusion intertwined in his eyes.

At his side, faint Buddhist light and Jade Pure immortal aura seemed to coil and linger.

—At a Nezha Shrine hidden among the mountains, where incense offerings had grown sparse, the golden statue glimmered faintly, containing a single spark of indomitable true spirit.

—Fire! Heaven-engulfing fire swallowed the shrine. The golden statue shattered, the true spirit wailed, and resentment soared into the skies!

—Then came even more chaotic scenes: a lotus incarnation, the pursuit of Li Jing, coercion from the dragon palaces of the Four Seas, and even several powerful auras faintly casting their gaze from the direction of Kunlun Mountains, coldly scrutinizing and calculating...

"Li Jing destroys the shrine! Nezha is resurrected! The Four Seas close in!" Xuan Chuan abruptly opened his eyes. Violet-gold light flashed fiercely within them, and his expression turned incomparably grave.

He instantly sorted through the threads. Taiyi had suffered a hidden loss in the affair at Qianyuan Mountain, and Nezha's savage nature had also been exposed.

Given Chanjiao's style, they would never let the matter rest there. Li Jing, as Nezha's father and a mortal military officer, was the easiest to manipulate.

It had to be someone from the Western Religion or Chanjiao—or perhaps both—secretly bewitching him under the banners of "eliminating a fiend" and

"preserving the Lineage," luring him into destroying the shrine where Nezha received incense offerings and gathered his soul, completely intensifying the conflict between father and son and forcing Nezha onto a dead end!

This scheme was truly venomous!

Once the shrine was destroyed, Nezha's soul would have nowhere to depend on. Either it would disperse completely, or its resentment would soar to the heavens and turn it into a vengeful ghost.

Given Taiyi's regard for this "child of destiny," he would certainly employ some method to remake a lotus incarnation for him.

And once resurrected, Nezha would surely become irreconcilable with Li Jing, Chentang Pass, and even the dragon palaces of the Four Seas, stirring up an even greater tempest.

That tempest would become a new calamity, and also the perfect excuse for Chanjiao to further meddle in the mortal world, expand the disturbance, and even trigger greater conflict!

More importantly, Xuan Chuan vaguely sensed that behind this incident, there was likely more than just Taiyi. Other second-generation disciples of Chanjiao, perhaps even gazes from higher levels, were watching and driving it forward.

This might be another test aimed at him and Jiejiao—or even a carefully laid trap!

"We cannot stand by and watch." Xuan Chuan rose sharply, cold light cutting through his eyes.

Nezha's affair seemed to be Chanjiao's family matter, but it involved the dragon palaces of the Four Seas—he had only recently established contact with the East Sea Dragon King—and could very well trigger unrest that spread through the mortal world, catalyzing calamity qi.

Since he had already saved Shiji and changed one branch of events in which Nezha slaughtered recklessly, he could not allow matters to proceed along their original course and let Nezha become an even sharper blade in Chanjiao's hand, stirring up greater storms.

He immediately sent out a divine message and summoned Shiji.

Shiji's injuries had mostly healed, but an unshakable trace of sorrow and hatred still lingered between her brows. Upon hearing Xuan Chuan's summons, she hurried over.

"Senior Brother, what are your orders?" Shiji asked with a bow.

"Junior Sister Shiji, Nezha's affair may yet have consequences."

Xuan Chuan said gravely, "I have deduced that his father, Li Jing, has been bewitched. Before long, he will destroy Nezha's shrine. At that point, Nezha's soul will have nowhere to rely upon, and a drastic change may occur. It may even implicate innocents again and stir up trouble in the Four Seas.

Behind this matter, there may be deeper schemes from Chanjiao."

Upon hearing this, hatred surged in Shiji's eyes. "That demon child again! And that old thief Taiyi! Senior Brother, what should we do? We absolutely cannot let them succeed again!"

"We will depart for Chentang Pass at once."

Xuan Chuan decided. "Before Li Jing destroys the shrine, we must find a way to protect Nezha's soul. At the very least... we must prevent the worst from happening and expose the conspiracy within as much as possible.

You personally witnessed Nezha's savage nature. With you accompanying me, it will be easier to explain the stakes."

"Shiji is willing to go!" Shiji answered without the slightest hesitation, resolute as iron. Her hatred for Nezha and Taiyi ran to the bone, and she was even more grateful for Xuan Chuan's life-saving grace. Naturally, she would obey his every command.

Xuan Chuan nodded, then sent messages separately to Zhao Gongming and Yunxiao, briefly explaining the situation and asking them to guard Golden Turtle Island and remain vigilant in case someone took advantage of their absence.

Though Jiejiao's internal troubles had now been purged, pressure from outside was mounting by the day. They could not afford to let down their guard.

Once everything had been arranged, Xuan Chuan and Shiji mounted their escape lights, quietly left Golden Turtle Island, and sped toward Chentang Pass.

Along the way, Xuan Chuan flew while continuously using "The One That Escaped" to deduce more details, trying to foresee the enemies and traps they might encounter.

The more he deduced, the clearer that trace of unease in his heart became.

The heavenly secrets above Chentang Pass were chaotic and obscure, as though several powerful forces had deliberately stirred them up and concealed them.

Beyond Taiyi's expected aura, one or two other Golden Immortal auras no weaker than Taiyi's seemed to emerge faintly,

perhaps even more seasoned and unfathomable. There was also an exceedingly subtle intent of Buddhist "salvation" hidden within, one that made his heart turn cold.

"So it truly is not Taiyi alone..." Xuan Chuan's gaze turned icy. "Wenshu? Puxian? Or... Cihang? Perhaps even Juliusun?"

Among Chanjiao's Twelve Golden Immortals, there were quite a few who were close to Taiyi, skilled in calculation, or had ties of fate with Buddhism.

If they had joined forces to set this trap, the pressure upon him and Shiji would not be small.

What made him even more wary was the appearance of that trace of Buddhist aura.

The Western Religion truly slipped through every crack. They would never miss any chance to throw Eastern Xuanmen into disorder and save those with affinity.

Li Jing's destruction of the shrine had likely received no small amount of their secret encouragement.

"Perhaps this is also an opportunity..." Thoughts raced through Xuan Chuan's mind.

"If I can expose the Western Religion's interference in Eastern affairs and their bewitchment of mortals on the spot—perhaps even catch them red-handed—it may make them wary and allow more people to see their true faces."

Risk and opportunity existed side by side.

But no matter what, this journey to Chentang Pass was imperative.

The two flew at full speed, while mountains and rivers raced backward beneath their feet. The outline of Chentang Pass had already appeared in the distance—a mighty pass nestled against mountains and beside water, guarding a strategic choke point.

Yet at this moment, it seemed shrouded beneath an invisible cloud. Mortals could not detect it, but in the eyes of Xuan Chuan and Shiji,

they could see faintly entangled Sha Qi, resentment, and a strand of unnatural "sacred" radiance.

Just as they were about to enter the territory of Chentang Pass, preparing to descend from the clouds and conceal themselves before investigating—

A warning flared violently in Xuan Chuan's heart!

"The One That Escaped" screamed its warning!

Within the seemingly tranquil clouds ahead, a sharp, peerless beam of golden Buddhist light containing demon-subduing intent suddenly erupted like a venomous snake that had lain in wait for ages.

It transformed into an enormous golden palm a hundred zhang across, its patterns clearly visible, carrying the terrifying might to suppress all evil and seize all things as it slammed down upon Xuan Chuan and Shiji!

At the same time, a clear yet majestic voice resounded through the clouds:

"Amitabha! Fellow Daoist Xuan Chuan, Fellow Daoist Shiji, why are you hurrying so anxiously and trespassing into a mortal pass? Why not stay awhile and hear a few words from this humble monk?"

Before the voice had faded, the golden Buddhist palm was already upon them!