Chapter 249: Raid of the Immortal

The next day at noon, countless disciples of the Taiqing Immortal Sect gathered outside the Vault of Scriptures.

Thousands of Taiqing disciples stood at the back of the plaza, while dozens of elders stood at the front. Xiao Nanfeng was among them.

By the entrance to the Vault of Scriptures were five seats designated for the sect master and the four division leaders.

Hong Lie was seated in the Mortal division leader's spot, but the other four seats were yet empty.

Ku Jiang stood before the sect master's seat, holding the sect master's token and a letter in hand.

"The sect master is in the middle of a mission and will be unable to return to the sect. He has specially written a letter acknowledging the appointment ceremony and requesting that I lead it in his stead," Ku Jiang declared.

"We obey the sect master's token!" everyone chorused.

An elder stepped forward.

"The Heaven division leader has affairs to take care of at the Imperial Court and is unable to return to the sect for the ceremony. He has arranged for me to take part on his behalf." The elder bowed to the crowd and sat in the Heaven division leader's seat.

Another elder stepped forward.

"The Earth division leader is dealing with important matters in the Tianshu Empire and is unable to return to the sect for the ceremony. He has arranged for me to take part on his behalf." this elder likewise bowed to the crowd and sat in the Earth division leader's seat.

Once everyone was seated, Zhao Yuanjiao came forward and bowed to the gathered elders and disciples.

Ku Jiang raised his letter up high. "After calamity struck the Ascended division, its division leader Zhao Tianheng perished in the aftermath. The Ascended division cannot be without a leader. I, Ku Jiang, have written to the sect master on behalf of the elders of the Ascended division, nominating Zhao Yuanjiao as the new division leader. The sect master has approved of this selection."

The Heaven division representative stood up and announced, "The Heaven division is in support of this nomination."

The Earth division representative stood up and announced, "The Earth division is in support of this nomination."

Hong Lie stood up and announced, "The Mortal division is in support."

Xiao Nanfeng and the other Ascended elders all said, "The Ascended elders are in support!"

Then, the countless Ascended disciples gathered all said, "The Ascended disciples are in support!"

Zhao Yuanjiao had received unanimous support.

Ku Jiang took a deep breath. "Now, on behalf of the sect master, I appoint Zhao Yuanjiao the Ascended division leader!"

"We congratulate the Ascended division leader, Zhao Yuanjiao!" everyone chorused.

"Zhao Yuanjiao, pay your respects to the founding grandmaster of the sect!" Ku Jiang continued.

Zhao Yuanjiao bowed toward the Vault of Scriptures. "Disciple Zhao Yuanjiao thanks the Taiqing Grandmaster for his inheritance. I hereby swear that, as the new Ascended division leader, I will bring the Ascended division to ever greater heights."

The fourth floor of the Vault of Scriptures bore the relics of the grandmaster of the sect, including the praying mat on which the grandmaster himself had sat. As a result, the major ceremonies of the sect were largely carried out by the Vault of Scriptures as a nod to legitimacy.

Thus, Zhao Yuanjiao officially became the Ascended division leader.

Just then, a voice came from the sky.

"The appointment ceremony for the Ascended division leader? It looks like I'm not too late. For Zhao Tianjue's son to become a division leader—the Taiqing Immortal Sect really is decaying by the day, isn't it?"

A frightening aura descended from the heavens like a storm. Countless Taiqing disciples were forced back.

"Who is it?!" Everyone glanced toward the sky with surprise.

The defensive formation around Taiqing Island had activated, automatically forming a transparent barrier that prevented a man outside from entry.

The man exuded multicolored light, and a golden wheel floated by his back. He looked arrogantly down at the Taiqing Immortal Sect, baring his teeth.

"That's an Immortal?"

"What a frightening aura!"

The Taiqing disciples were taken aback.

"Xiang Pojun? You're still alive?!" Zhao Yuanjiao roared.

"Xiang Pojun? Where have I heard that name?" Xiao Nanfeng frowned in recollection.

"Xiang Pojun is the younger brother of the former Emperor Taiwu and Marquis Wu's uncle. He was Zhao Tianjue's final opponent before Zhao Tianjue's untimely death. I thought he was dead—but not only is he still alive, he's even become an Immortal!" Ye Sanshui whispered to Xiao Nanfeng.

"The Taiwu Empire, which the Tianshu Empire toppled? Xiang Pojun of the Xiang clan?" Xiao Nanfeng raised an eyebrow.

"Zhao Yuanjiao, I almost perished at your father's hands that year—but now I'm back. It's time for me to take revenge for the destruction of the Tianshu Empire. The Ascended and Mortal divisions of the Taiqing Immortal Sect assisted Nalan Qiankun in ruining the Xiangs. Starting with all of you here, I'll take down the Ascended and Mortal divisions of the Taiqing sect bit by bit!" Xiang Pojuan roared.

He slammed a palm down on the barrier with a technique so powerful it overshadowed the sun itself.

Roaring flames emerged from the palm as the formation trembled. An Immortal's might was immense. The aftershocks from the technique caused a storm to spring up in the region and the waves of the sea to rise up to a titanic extent.

"The formation won't be able to hold out much longer. What should we do?!" The Taiqing disciples began to panic.

From close by, Nalan Yunhai smirked momentarily before he schooled his expression. He seemed to have known that Xiang Pojun was about to attack, and had already made preparations to flee.

"The Taiqing Immortal Sect's defensive formation doesn't seem to be very strong," Xiang Pojun remarked.

He slammed down again with his palm, sending flames flying. A crack appeared in the formation, as if it would be unable to withstand the Immortal's attack for much longer.

"Xiang Pojun, you attack us at your peril!" Hong Lie shouted, rising into the skies.

"Hong Lie? Just you wait right there. Once I destroy this formation, none of you will be able to escape. You'll pay for the downfall of the Xiangs!" Xiang Pojun roared.

"That won't be necessary. I'm coming out," Hong Lie stated.

He stepped beyond the formation and struck at Xiang Pojun with a fist.

"Insolence!" Xiang Pojun retaliated with a fist of his own.

The two cultivators met in the air. The shockwave from their confrontation formed a mushroom cloud of immense proportions. The frightening waves of energy that resulted buffeted the formation as it shook violently.

At the center of the storm, Hong Lie's body radiated with multicolored light, and a golden wheel formed by his back.

"What? Has the division leader become an Immortal too?!" Many of the Taiqing disciples were overjoyed by the sudden revelation.

"Hong Lie, an Immortal?" Xiao Nanfeng was flabbergasted.

"Hong Lie, you went to that place too?!" Xiang Pojun thundered.

"So you took advantage of the situation and obtained a pure yang blessing as well. Did you think that would enable you to show yourself here at the Taiqing Immortal Sect? Do you really think my sect this weak? Break!" Hong Lie roared.

The two Immortals smashed into each other and formed yet another gigantic mushroom cloud. Fires blazed so strongly around them that the entire sky was red.

"The might of Immortals is truly extraordinary. Without the division leader, we would all have died today..." Ye Dafu murmured.

Though he enjoyed being beaten, he still had his limits. The Immortal fight unfolding above him was beyond what he could bear. He knew that a single blow would be enough to obliterate him.

"Hong Lie, do you think you'd be able to protect the Taiqing Immortal Sect alone? I didn't come here by myself today." Xiang Pojun laughed and continued, "Crow Immortal, I'll take care of Hong Lie. You kill them all!"

Caws suddenly filled the sky.

Dozens of golden crow spirits swooped down from the clouds. Their leader was sixty meters tall and wreathed with golden flame. A rainbow glow surrounded it. It shot toward the ground like a blazing sun.

"An Immortal spirit! That crow spirit is an Immortal, too!" one cultivator gasped.

The crow Immortal smashed into the formation in a burst of flames. Its frightening strength caused cracks to spread all over the formation, which looked as though it could fall apart at any moment.

The crow immortal cawed, summoning a more intense storm of flame all around itself. It smashed into the formation again, causing the cracks to propagate further. The formation looked poised to shatter at any moment.

The crow spirits that followed behind were particularly strong themselves. There were three thirty-meter-tall crow spirits with a Wingform-realm aura, along with dozens of Spiritsong-realm crows.

"Xiang Pojun and these crow spirits—just where have they been all this time? How did they acquire such strength?" Zhao Yuanjiao wondered.

Xiao Nanfeng had taken out the Immortal's Destruction without any hesitation. He shouted for Ye Dafu and Ye Sanshui to help him set up.

"Activate all the formations that the sect possesses!" Ku Jiang commanded.

Formations activated all around the Taiqing Immortal Sect, and the plaza outside the Vault of Scriptures filled with fog.

"All disciples below Spiritsong, hide in one of these smaller formations!" Ku Jiang commanded.

"Understood!" Most of the ordinary disciples rushed toward the formations that had sprung up.

"All elders, prepare for battle!" Ku Jiang continued.

"Understood!" The dozens of elders drew their own weapons, a serious look on their faces.

"Nanfeng, I'll leave you to guard my physical body." Ku Jiang made his final preparations.

"Yes, Master!" Xiao Nanfeng replied.

Ku Jiang suddenly sat down cross-legged. A huge quantity of red light emerged from his body. The next moment, an ethereal blue figure emerged from Ku Jiang's body, a red moon behind its head shining brilliantly. This was Ku Jiang's yin body.

After a relentless assault by the crow spirits and the crow Immortal, the defensive formation around the island finally crumbled away in a blaze of smoke. The crow Immortal roared and swooped down toward the Vault of Scriptures. The killing intent that radiated from its body was shocking enough that everyone took a step back.

Ku Jiang's yin body shot into the air. He extended a blood-red palm upward, positioned toward the crow Immortal.

Another gale-wind storm formed in the air. Ku Jiang, using his tremendous reserves of spiritual power, sapped the crow Immortal's momentum and deflected it.

A fight between deities and Immortals was far too frightening. Even the resulting shockwaves alone were beyond what ordinary cultivators could handle. If the fight were to take place at ground level, the Vault of Scriptures would quickly become a pile of ruins, along with the mountains in the vicinity. Ku Jiang needed to lead the fighter away from Taiqing Island, so he had chosen to climb further and further from the sect.

Even so, the danger wasn't yet over. With the defensive formation around the entire island broken, the three Wingform-realm crow spirits led dozens of Spiritsong-realm crow spirits swooping down. The battle was just starting.

The killing intent that the crow spirits gave off transformed into a storm that terrorized the Vault of Scriptures.

"Go!" The Taiqing elders had no intention of backing down. They charged at the crow spirits.