Chapter 42 The Apex of the City

Ancient trees soared into the clouds, lush and verdant.

A winding river, its waves turbulent and roaring, flowed out from the Southern Wilderness, surging toward the thousands of miles of barren wilderness in the territory of Crimson Crow City.

Chen Xuan followed the crowd to this place, his gaze sweeping around to observe the situation.

"Every major power has sent people here."

Hundreds of people had gathered here, roughly divisible into four factions.

The first consisted of the green-robed cultivators from Azure Deer Mountain; the second, the ascetic monks from the Temple of Hanging Air.

The remaining two factions were the Qi-refining aristocratic families of Crimson Crow City.

One was the Wang family, to which Chen Xuan belonged; the other was the Xie family, who practiced the black Qi of the Water Virtue. Among them was the foul-tempered old Daoist priest Chen Xuan had encountered a few days ago while catching treasure fish.

"Yan Yushu has actually ended up with the Xie family, one of the Qi-refining aristocratic families."

Chen Xuan was taken aback. In the area where the Xie family was stationed, he caught sight of Yan Yushu. Her demeanor was cold and aloof, ethereal like an immortal maiden. Standing amidst the crowd, she was like the moon surrounded by a multitude of stars, dazzling to the point that people could not tear their eyes away.

Several dashing and extraordinarily handsome direct descendants of the Xie family, along with other young Qi-refining practitioners, surrounded the peerlessly beautiful Yan Yushu, laughing and talking merrily. It looked like a painted scroll of talented scholars and beautiful ladies on an outing.

"I heard that after entering Crimson Crow City, Yan Yushu deliberately passed by the gate of a Qi-refining aristocratic family to attract suitors. So she was referring to the Xie family all along."

Chen Xuan muttered to himself.

Far in the distance, over a hundred ascetic monks from the Temple of Hanging Air kept their eyes tightly closed, their heads lowered, silently chanting Buddhist scriptures without glancing at Yan Yushu's location.

Chen Xuan could not understand why these ascetic monks, failing to capture Yan Yushu, did not simply leave instead of coming here to join the excitement.

"Lady Yushu, please rest assured. With our Xie family here, how could we allow the Temple of Hanging Air to act presumptuously? We will definitely protect you with all our might."

Chen Xuan vaguely heard a young hero speaking with utter confidence, giving repeated guarantees so that Yan Yushu would not worry.

"Thanks to the young master of the Xie family and all the heroes for your care. Yushu is endlessly grateful."

Yan Yushu's voice was crystal clear. She bowed slightly in a greeting, executing a maidenly etiquette that was near-perfect. Under the morning light, it was as graceful as flowing water, stirring the heartstrings.

"Is she trying to seduce people?"

Chen Xuan muttered inwardly. He distinctly sensed that the young cultivators from those aristocratic families had their breathing stall for a few beats, followed by rapid, heavy gasps, their hearts pounding as if they were about to leap out of their chests.

Chen Xuan only glanced at her a few times before looking away. With so many eyes and ears around at the moment, it was not a good time to look for Yan Yushu; he would have to wait until the negotiations concluded.

"The great monsters of the Southern Wilderness have arrived!" At that moment, someone exclaimed in shock. In the distant, boundless forest, the vegetation swayed, and a figure emerged, drawing closer and growing clearer.

"Whoosh!"

A snow-white turtle with soft limbs and a slow, undulating gait reminiscent of deep-sea tides strolled leisurely out of the mountain forest.

It sat cross-legged on the ground, its deep eyes gazing across the river at the human Qi-refining practitioners.

Behind it, one bizarre, grotesque, and fantastical monster after another appeared in succession.

"Bang!"

Among the Xie family crowd, an elder in a black Dharma robe suddenly broke away from the group, dropped to his knees, and began kowtowing to the old white turtle, the impacts sounding like thunderous claps.

"The head of the Xie family, a cultivator in the Dao Repository realm, is kowtowing! That old white-shelled turtle cultivates the black Qi of the Water Virtue!" Someone shouted in terror, their expression filled with extreme panic.

A mighty cultivator in the Dao Repository realm, usually a high-and-mighty head of an aristocratic family, was at that moment instantly manipulated by immortal Qi, kneeling before the monster like a puppet.

"The Southern Wilderness is trying to intimidate our Crimson Crow City right from the start."

Wang Zhenyang's expression was unsightly as his six palms violently crushed the armrests of his chair. However, the old white turtle was at a higher realm than him; right now, he was also no more than an ant, and if he dared to make a move, he would be swatted to death in an instant.

"This is what a true top-tier mighty figure looks like."

Chen Xuan's expression was grave. Not long ago, he had witnessed Wang Zhenyang's formidable strength, and now he saw the head of the Xie family—also in the Dao Repository realm—directly kowtowing to the old white turtle. This sight was simply astonishing... The old white turtle should be an existence in the third realm of the Qi-refining path. Yet, he did not make things difficult for the lowest-tier Feather Transformation cultivators, deliberately showing a degree of leniency.

"The top-tier mighty figure of Azure Deer Mountain has arrived!" Everyone instantly wore expressions of joy, looking toward the distance.

In the distant sky, a blue radiance blotted out the sun, covering half the firmament, devouring the sunlight and blue sky as it approached. At the edge of the horizon, an imposing, green-robed figure slowly materialized.

"The Sect Master has arrived!" A vast multitude of Qi-refining practitioners from Azure Deer Mountain dropped to their knees in a sea of green.

Qing Yazi was tall in stature, appearing to be in his forties with a dignified and scholarly countenance. However, his eyes were terrifying, resembling a thousand streams of blue light surging forth as they levitated a three-legged, two-handled elixir furnace.

He appeared before the crowd of Azure Deer Mountain, his hands clasped behind his back, gazing coldly at the old white turtle.

Master of the Azure Tripod, Qing Yazi!

"Qing Yazi, you are growing more infantile the older you get. You flaunt your might in front of minor Feather Transformation cultivators, and you even harbor delusions of refining immortal elixirs? You will never have a chance in this lifetime to temper yourself in the mortal world and attain Daoist immortality."

The old white turtle squinted sideways at Qing Yazi, his tone deeply unkind.

Because behind him, a large swarm of demons and ghosts who practiced blue Qi were kowtowing with such violent force that some of them had already smashed their foreheads open, blood flowing in rivulets onto the ground.

"I haven't settled the score with you for last month's Millet Dream incident yet. Today, we shall decide the ultimate outcome in a single match!"

Qing Yazi let out a cold snort, his wide sleeves fluttering. Composed and confident, he demanded in a resonant voice, "Where is she? Tell her to come out and see me."

"This is... about to start a war?" someone muttered softly. Qing Yazi was extremely overbearing; as one of the few top-tier mighty figures in the territory of Crimson Crow City, the moment he made his entrance, he immediately went tit-for-tat with the monsters of the Southern Wilderness.

Moreover, they were horrified—did Qing Yazi actually suffer a major defeat in last month's Southern Wilderness Millet Dream incident?

Chen Xuan's gaze swept lightly past Qing Yazi and immediately shifted elsewhere, fearing he would be acutely perceived.

At this moment, the few giant hands that could act as they pleased and toy with thousands of cultivators in the Crimson Crow City region were finally stepping onto the stage.

"Hmph!"

Suddenly, a heavy roar resonated between heaven and earth, and the sky grew dim.

A pair of huge, pure golden eyes rose from the mountains of the Southern Wilderness, resembling two massive lakes, unfathomably deep. Across the dome of the firmament, an imposing character for "King" filled the entire sky.

"Qing Yazi, what kind of thing are you? You are not worthy to behold her true countenance. Call the Fire Emperor of Chu to come instead!"

This voice was like a tiger's roar, shaking heaven and earth, causing a stifling sensation in people's chests. Some Qi-refining practitioners with weak foundations instantly had blood seep from their ears and collapsed to the ground.

"It's him!"

Chen Xuan's heart trembled as he recognized this gigantic monster. When the first batch of Qi-refining practitioners arrived at the Southern Wilderness, this pair of golden eyes had risen from the mountains of the Southern Wilderness, patrolling the land under the cover of night.

Its coercive aura extended over a hundred miles away, heavy enough to make one unable to breathe.

"There really are tigers in the mountains..." Someone felt a chill in their heart. The Southern Wilderness possessed a profound foundation, and yet another top-tier monster had manifested. With a two-against-one scenario, the human side instantly fell into a disadvantage.

The pair of golden tiger eyes hung suspended behind the old white turtle, gazing disdainfully at Qing Yazi with extreme oppressiveness, causing everyone's hearts to palpitate with terror.

"This tiger-eyed demon has pushed the path of the physical body to its absolute limit, its form so massive that its boundaries cannot be seen." Someone sighed, while simultaneously deeming it excessively arrogant for daring to demand that the Fire Emperor of Chu come here to see *her*.

Who on earth was *she*? Was a third top-tier monster of the Southern Wilderness about to manifest?

"What is the use of merely wagging your tongue? If she dares not show herself today, then forget the Peach Blossom Spring—we will force our way into the Southern Wilderness as well!"

Qing Yazi radiated immortal Qi, but his tone was exceptionally frigid as he continued, "Every twenty years is a cycle. In this four-against-three situation, you in the Southern Wilderness have acted lawlessly and brought this upon yourselves. It is time you were taught a lesson."

Four against three?

"There are three more human top-tier mighty cultivators coming?" Everyone was filled with confusion.

Because the top-tier mighty cultivators of Crimson Crow City could be counted on one hand.

The Lord of Crimson Crow City would definitely come, since both the Wang and Xie families were present, but who were the remaining two top-tier mighty cultivators?

"The Temple of Hanging Air..." someone whispered in speculation, looking toward the silent ascetic monks of the Temple of Hanging Air in the distance.

Ascetic monks never joined in the excitement; this matter must be related to them, otherwise they would not have made an appearance.

"Qing Yazi once invited a visiting top-tier mighty cultivator from the Temple of Hanging Air to Azure Deer Mountain to expound upon the Dao and discourse on scriptures. What if there was no extortion, but rather a collaboration?"

Someone muttered to themselves, feeling they had grasped the main point: "And City Lord Lu Zhuan of Crimson Crow City has turned a blind eye, allowing other top-tier mighty cultivators of the Temple of Hanging Air to pass through? Just enough to make a four-against-three, overwhelming the Southern Wilderness..."

"Something is not quite right..."

Chen Xuan's expression was grave as he looked at Yan Yushu, who was surrounded tightly by the members of the Xie family. He felt her situation was extremely delicate.

Yet he noticed her expression held no trace of anxiety; she seemed indifferent to the outside speculation, responding with utmost courtesy to the young men who took the opportunity to offer words of comfort.

"The Lord of Crimson Crow City, Lu Zhuan, has arrived!" At that moment, someone pointed toward the far end of the great river situated between the two factions, straining their eyes to look into the distance.

"Whoosh!"

The river surged turbulently as a figure bobbed up and down, making headway against the current, cleaving through wind and waves. The figure grew clearer and clearer.

"Hiss, it's a little Daoist priest!"

Chen Xuan was dumbfounded. The figure amidst the churning waves was clearly a Daoist boy of only five or six years of age!

City Lord Lu Zhuan stood less than a meter tall, his eyes sparkling, lips red and teeth white, his skin as crystal-clear as jade. He walked with his head held high, hands crossed on his hips, a haughty and proud expression hanging on his finely sculpted, doll-like face.

He wore an oversized black Daoist robe, looking like a child stubbornly wearing adult clothes, his tender, pink little feet bare. Tucked within his wide sleeves were several blue-purple talisman papers emitting a brilliant, scattered radiance.

Master of the Rain Master Dao, Lu Zhuan!

With his appearance, the entire earth fell into an eerie stillness. Everyone held their breath in tension, because Lu Zhuan was nominally the foremost Qi-refining practitioner in the territory of Crimson Crow City.

In the distance, the old white turtle and the tiger-eyed entity fell silent.

"City Lord Lu Zhuan, you too have pushed the human Dao Repository and the path of the physical body to their conclusion..." Wang Zhenyang muttered to himself. When he was a child, Lu Zhuan's form was already that of a child, and now that he himself had grown old and decrepit, Lu Zhuan remained just the same, his stature perhaps even shrinking slightly.

Chen Xuan also perceived that this person walked a path completely distinct from the sky-blocking tiger-eyed entity; it seemed every inch of his flesh and blood had undergone a metamorphosis, emitting a fragrance a hundred times more intense than medicinal flesh and blood.

"Fellow Daoist Lu Zhuan, for this joint expedition, the Six Desires Heaven shall belong to me and the Temple of Hanging Air, while the Southern Wilderness and the Peach Blossom Spring shall belong to your Crimson Crow City. How about that?"

Qing Yazi's demeanor was composed as he softly stated the mutual plotting that everyone tacitly understood. Cooperating clearly offered benefits to be divided among them.

The child Daoist glanced at Qing Yazi upon hearing this, then flicked his sleeve.

"Rumble..."

Instantly, the surging river water capsized onto the banks. A black-scaled five-clawed horned dragon, as thick as a house, lifted the child Daoist up to a height of several hundred meters into the air. White mist swreathed around it as torrential rain poured down like a waterfall, its ferocious dragon head gazing down condescendingly upon the earth.

The child Daoist Lu Zhuan gazed at Qing Yazi, the corners of his mouth slowly curving into an exaggerated arc. A voice as crisp as a child's emerged from his throat, filled with a sigh:

"Qing Yazi, you... you are nothing but a clown, not smart at all... Some people, even if they live for a thousand years, or ten thousand years, merely grow old rather than grow wise."

He paused, then posed a rhetorical question: "You lot desire the Six Desires Heaven—does this poor Daoist not want it?"

Qing Yazi's expression froze for a moment, and he blankly asked, "You, a practitioner of the Rain Master Dao and a righteous orthodox sect, what do you want with the Six Desires Heaven? Besides, the Temple of Hanging Air..."

The child Daoist instantly twisted his expression into a ferocious scowl, shouting: "You idiot! Do you think Yan Yushu grew wings and flew out of the Temple of Hanging Air of her own accord, arriving in Crimson Crow City?"

"Boom!"

The next instant, the black-scaled horned dragon roared toward the sky, and then its body, several hundred meters long, violently plunged downward like a heavy chain spanning the firmament, slamming Qing Yazi—along with a large portion of the Azure Deer Mountain encampment—deeply into the subterranean earth.

The earth trembled as if in the midst of an earthquake.

"The immortal elixir this poor Daoist selected eight hundred years ago, yet you inexplicably dare to come and meddle in it!"

Lu Zhuan's angry, roaring voice caused everyone's hearts to shudder in great astonishment and unexpected realization.

"Yan Yushu was actually targeted by Lu Zhuan early on! No wonder she fled to Crimson Crow City!"

Chen Xuan's mind raced like lightning, not expecting such an unforeseen twist of events. However, he reacted swiftly, quickly distancing himself from the crowd to avoid being caught in the aftermath of the battle.

"Rumble!"

The entire earth shook, mountains crumbled, the earth split, and the sky grew dark. A heaven-shaking battle erupted swiftly and without warning.

"City Lord Lu has betrayed us!"

Everyone wore panicked expressions, hurriedly fleeing the battlefield. They had originally counted on peaceful negotiations, but before talks could even begin, infighting broke out, and Lu Zhuan directly turned coat, dealing a ruthless blow to Qing Yazi.

"Lu Zhuan, the people of the Temple of Hanging Air will arrive in a moment; stop acting like a madman!" Qing Yazi's voice reverberated from deep within the earth.

"Qing Yazi, are you fit to sit at the table and eat? By the time you finish scheming, the pot will have already been scrubbed clean!" Lu Zhuan's childish voice was exceptionally shrill.

"You're counting on the Temple of Hanging Air? You people want good things when you see them, but can you actually hold onto them?! I'll make sure you can't have what you seek—the Temple of Hanging Air is finished!"

The old white turtle and the tiger-eyed entity roared as they too joined the battlefield at that moment, not merely attacking Qing Yazi blindly, but simultaneously searching for an opportunity to ambush Lu Zhuan and attempt to wipe them all out in one sweep.

The old white turtle swung divine fists, stepping upon the Eight Trigrams diagram while dancing its fists in a Tai Chi circle, resembling a blazing sun as it charged straight into the subterranean battlefield. Behind it, the tiger-eyed entity rose from the Southern Wilderness, hoisting a towering mountain a thousand zhang tall and hurling it wrathfully toward the area...

*This is too terrifying. So this is the power of top-tier mighty cultivators. I'd better leave first.*

Chen Xuan's heart trembled with lingering fear. He had finally witnessed just how high the cultivation levels of these people were, and to think he was being plotted against by beings of this tier... Instead of feeling demoralized, the fact that enemies of this caliber were constantly eyeing him from the shadows only served to heighten his fighting spirit.

Moreover, he discovered that mighty cultivators were not truly terrifying. Although they possessed various profound and mighty abilities, they remained human at their core... A high realm merely indicated superior talent, and as long as he exercised sufficient caution, he could entirely avoid the surveillance of most mighty cultivators.

Yet he also possessed self-awareness; this was not a battle he could participate in at present. He rapidly distanced himself from the battlefield, and very soon, the Southern Wilderness forest appeared before him.

"Hey!"

Suddenly, his shoulder was gently tapped.

"Who is it!"

Chen Xuan whipped his head around. Yan Yushu beamed brightly at him, her fair face flushed with an abnormal rosy hue. She tightly grasped Chen Xuan's hand and pulled him straight toward a deserted, dense patch of the forest.

"Come with me."

Chen Xuan stood there in a daze. Not only had he spotted Yan Yushu, but Yan Yushu had also spotted him amidst the crowd, following closely behind him taking advantage of the chaos.

In the distance, several handsome direct descendants of the Xie family, along with many aristocratic youths of extraordinary bearing, were wiping the sweat from their brows as they anxiously searched for Yan Yushu's figure, acting like ants on a hot pan.

"Where is Lady Yushu? Hurry up and find her."

They were utterly soul-sapped, as if the supreme treasure cradled in the palms of their hearts had suddenly been stolen away. The sky seemed to have collapsed, and they were grief-stricken to the point of despair.

Chen Xuan pointed vaguely in their direction and asked, "What about them?"

Yan Yushu said with an expression of utter disdain, "Some irrelevant people. They're none of our concern."

Chen Xuan blinked. "Our?"

"Asking when you already know!"

Yan Yushu gave him a sidelong glance, her gaze practically spinning threads of enticement. Unable to wait a moment longer, she urged him in a coquettish voice:

"Lu Zhuan is my master. Once he finishes fighting, he'll definitely come looking for me... I don't have much time, so hurry up and do it!"