Zhao Gongming Is Still Alive—Why Have the Three Aunts Come Down the Mountain?

"The Three Cloud Sisters have come down the mountain."

The smile on Lin Yuan's face froze at once.

Those three names.

In the entire Investiture of the Gods Calamity, they were all heavyweights.

Once the Nine-Twist Yellow River Formation was unleashed, the Twelve Golden Immortals had the Three Flowers atop their heads shorn away, the Five Qi in their chests dispersed, and that group of Saint disciples who normally stood high above everyone else were beaten until their cultivation suffered tremendous losses.

It was satisfying, truly satisfying.

But the consequences were truly enormous as well.

In the original storyline, the Three Cloud Sisters had come down the mountain in fury because Zhao Gongming had died.

Now, Zhao Gongming was still alive and well.

Even the altar for the Nail-Head Seven-Arrows Book had been dismantled.

So why had the Three Cloud Sisters still come?

Lin Yuan's first reaction was that something had gone wrong somewhere.

Zhao Gongming, on the other hand, did not think much of it.

"My three younger sisters heard that I nearly died at Lu Ya's hands. It's only natural for their tempers to flare."

"Especially Bixiao."

"With her temperament, if she heard that I'd been cursed behind the scenes for more than ten days, there was no way she could stay peacefully on Three Immortal Island."

Lin Yuan: "..."

That was true.

Bixiao was the sort who, if you told her, "The matter has already been resolved," would most likely ask first—

Where is he?

I'll go resolve him again.

"Uncle-Master."

Lin Yuan asked, "Did the three aunts merely come to take a look, or are they planning to go to West Qi?"

Zhao Gongming glanced at the message.

The smile on his face gradually turned somewhat strange.

"They're preparing to have a round with the Explanatory Sect."

Lin Yuan's heart immediately skipped a beat.

As expected.

Though history had been altered by him.

Some conflicts had not vanished into thin air.

The battle of the Ten Ultimate Formation.

The Explanatory Sect's Twelve Golden Immortals had personally entered the fray.

Then Zhao Gongming had been plotted against with the Treasure-Dropping Coin.

And after that, Lu Ya had secretly tried to curse him to death.

After that entire chain of events.

The anger within the Intercepting Sect had long since risen to their throats.

What was more, Zhao Gongming surviving did not mean the two sects would shake hands and make peace.

Quite the opposite.

The Twelve Golden Immortals had suffered losses in the Ten Ultimate Formation.

Then Zhao Gongming had given them a beating head-on.

The two sides now looked at each other in a way that made them seem anything but capable of sitting down for tea.

"Let's go."

Lin Yuan did not hesitate.

"To West Qi."

Zhao Gongming gave him a look.

"You've just been listed by Teacher as a candidate Dao Child, yet you won't even return to your cave dwelling?"

"The cave dwelling can wait."

Lin Yuan touched the Supreme Purity Guardian Sword Token in his sleeve.

"The three aunts are more important."

This time, he had far more confidence than before.

What had been the most difficult part of the Three Cloud Sisters' dead end in the original story?

A Saint stepping in.

No matter how powerful the Nine-Twist Yellow River Formation was.

If a Saint truly came personally to clear the field, the Three Cloud Sisters would have no room to resist at all.

Before, Lin Yuan could only find ways to avoid it in advance.

Now, things were different.

Tongtian had just given him a Guardian Sword Token.

If they truly ran into someone beyond the proper level.

Everyone could call their parents.

That made things much fairer.

Zhao Gongming did not delay either.

The two swiftly left Golden Turtle Island and returned to the Shang-Zhou battlefield.

Before they had even approached the Shang Camp.

Lin Yuan sensed three extremely powerful immortal auras from afar.

One was steady as the sea.

One was clear and lively.

The last one...

Carried rather heavy killing intent.

There was no need to guess who it was.

Outside the military camp.

Three female immortals already stood there.

At the head was Yunxiao, dressed in plain robes, her aura restrained. Even without actively displaying her cultivation, she gave off an immensely deep pressure.

Beside her, Qiongxiao had a somewhat gentler disposition.

At the far right, Bixiao wore an expression that said, "Someone had better come out and take a beating today."

The moment Zhao Gongming landed.

Bixiao had already walked over.

"Elder Brother."

"I heard you nearly got cursed to death by Lu Ya?"

Zhao Gongming coughed.

"It's already been resolved."

"Who resolved it?"

Bixiao asked.

Zhao Gongming pointed at Lin Yuan.

"It was mainly thanks to Nephew Lin discovering it in advance."

Three gazes fell upon Lin Yuan at the same time.

Lin Yuan immediately bowed.

"Greetings, three aunts."

Bixiao looked him up and down several times.

"You're Lin Yuan?"

"Yes."

"The one who saved Junior Sister Shiji, saved the four from Kowloon Island, and fished all the Ten Heavenly Lords back out?"

"It was mainly because all the senior brothers were capable themselves..."

"Don't be modest."

Bixiao cut him off directly.

"I heard you nearly altered the Ten Ultimate Formation beyond recognition."

Lin Yuan felt somewhat helpless.

What version had this information spread into within the Intercepting Sect?

In a few more days.

Would it turn into him, a single Profound Immortal, carrying the Ten Ultimate Formation on his back as he chased the Twelve Golden Immortals for eight hundred li?

Yunxiao, however, did not tease him.

She studied Lin Yuan seriously for a moment.

"Thank you, Nephew, for ensuring Elder Brother's safety this time."

"You're too courteous, Aunt-Master."

"When it comes to fellow disciples, naturally I help when I can."

Yunxiao nodded lightly.

Her impression of him was clearly quite good.

Lin Yuan did not beat around the bush.

"Have the three aunts truly come down the mountain this time intending to have a round with the Explanatory Sect?"

Bixiao spoke first.

"What else?"

"The Ten Heavenly Lords set up their formation, and all twelve of their Golden Immortals entered together."

"My elder brother won head-on, and then they found someone to use the Treasure-Dropping Coin."

"When the Treasure-Dropping Coin failed, Lu Ya turned around and set up an altar in the mountains."

"They couldn't win a fight."

"But every last one of them was diligent when it came to dirty tricks."

"Do they really think our Intercepting Sect has no one?"

Zhao Gongming rubbed his nose.

Listening to that.

It sounded rather like his younger sister had come to reclaim face for her elder brother.

Yunxiao was clearly calmer than Bixiao.

"This descent from the mountain."

"Is only to settle who is superior with the Explanatory Sect."

"It is not a matter of fighting to the death."

"The Twelve Golden Immortals entered formations many times before."

"So we shall set up a formation as well."

"If they can break it."

"Then the previous matters shall be set aside for now."

"If they cannot break it..."

Bixiao sneered.

"Then we'll slap back every bit of face they've lost us over this period."

After hearing this, Lin Yuan instead let out half a sigh of relief.

At least Yunxiao had not completely lost her head over Zhao Gongming's ordeal.

The objective was clear.

A contest of techniques.

A lesson.

No killing.

That was far steadier than coming down the mountain in the original storyline burdened by the grief of a dead brother.

The problem was—

If the Nine-Twist Yellow River Formation truly stripped the Twelve Golden Immortals of their cultivation.

Would Yuanshi endure it?

Lin Yuan did not need to guess.

He definitely would not.

The Twelve Golden Immortals were the core of the Explanatory Sect.

If one or two were injured, it could still be considered a contest between disciples.

But if all twelve had the Three Flowers atop their heads shorn away.

That would be close to wiping out the Explanatory Sect's entire second-generation core in one sweep.

"Aunt-Master Yunxiao."

Lin Yuan said seriously.

"This disciple does not oppose setting up a formation."

Bixiao raised a brow.

"You still want to stop us?"

"No."

Lin Yuan shook his head.

"I only wanted to remind you of one thing."

"What the three senior aunts truly needed to guard against."

"Had never been the Twelve Golden Immortals."

Yunxiao's eyes narrowed slightly.

"You mean..."

Lin Yuan raised his head.

His gaze passed beyond the direction of West Qi.

"Their teacher."

Everyone fell silent.

The ease on Zhao Gongming's face faded considerably.

He had already experienced it firsthand once.

Winning head-on did not mean no one else would step in afterward.

Yunxiao was silent for a moment.

"I will not kill the Twelve Golden Immortals."

"I will only blunt their edge."

Lin Yuan smiled bitterly.

"Senior Aunt."

"Sometimes, making someone live through a beating."

"Could anger their elders even more than killing them."

Bixiao nearly laughed aloud.

"That does make sense."

Yunxiao, too, gave her younger sister a helpless look.

Then she looked at Lin Yuan.

"Rest assured, nephew."

"If someone beyond the younger generation truly makes a move."

"We will not force ourselves to stand against them."

Lin Yuan's finger lightly touched the sword token hidden in his sleeve.

"Then that is good."

The next day.

The Three Cloud Sisters left the Shang Camp.

They chose an immensely broad stretch of land between the two armies.

Yunxiao raised her hand.

A formation diagram flew into the sky.

In an instant.

Yellow sand filled the heavens.

From the depths of the earth, an invisible Yellow River seemed to surge forth.

The moment Lin Yuan stepped outside the formation.

All the insights into formations he had accumulated from the Ten Ultimate Formation stirred at once.

He stared at the ever-changing formation before him.

For a long while, he said nothing.

Qin Wan stood beside him.

He, too, watched with utmost focus.

"Well?"

Lin Yuan slowly drew a breath.

"Senior Brother Qin."

"I used to think the Ten Ultimate Formation was quite complicated."

"And now?"

"Now I think..."

Lin Yuan looked at the yellow sand gradually blotting out the sky and sun.

"What we used to play with."

"Was more or less like children's puzzle games."

Inside the formation.

Yunxiao's voice slowly rang out.

"The Nine-Twist Yellow River Formation."

"Complete."