Chapter 817: The Shangqing Grandmaster

The fragment of white jade from the fourteen-pearl Enlightenment Grounds had allowed Xiao Nanfeng to break through to the peak of the True Immortal realm. What would this fragment of blue and white jade from the nearly two-hundred-pearl Enlightenment Grounds allow for?

Xiao Nanfeng's main body handed several possessions over to his avatar as he sat cross-legged in meditation. He confirmed that his body was functioning at peak condition before switching to his physical body and swallowing the fragment of blue and white jade.

His ten golden crows shattered the jade fragment, causing a surge of energy to spread throughout his body.

Xiao Nanfeng's body shuddered as a storm of flames burst out from him, forcing everyone to step back.

Standing beside Xiao Nanfeng's avatar, Lan Yaoguang asked, "Nanfeng, will you be able to break through to the Golden Immortal realm this way?"

"It should be enough, I think," Xiao Nanfeng replied, though he frowned uncertainly.

Lan Yaoguang was silent for a moment before she burst out laughing. "All this energy, and you're uncertain if you can break through?"

"I'm focusing on my foundations, after all," Xiao Nanfeng replied with a smile.

"Very well. But was it really necessary to fight with Saint Lun Hui? The Heavenly Emperor was watching, wasn't he? What if something had gone wrong?" Lan Yaoguang asked, worried.

Xiao Nanfeng shook his head. "The Heavenly Emperor wasn't watching at all.

"What?" Lan Yaoguang was stunned.

"I never reported this matter to him."

"But why not?"

"He's already protected me several times. I feel deep gratitude toward him. He's currently preparing for war and can't afford to be distracted. How can I trouble him now?"

"But—"

"I know what you're concerned about, but everything was within my expectations. I did end up scaring Saint Lun Hui, didn't I?" Xiao Nanfeng grinned.

"What if it hadn't worked?"

"I stationed someone outside the Heavenly Palace as backup. If things were under control, he would know not to disturb the Heavenly Emperor; otherwise, he would report the matter at once," Xiao Nanfeng reassured her.

Lan Yaoguang nodded in relief. "Very well."

"So, how does it feel to be a Deific Yin cultivator?"

"I can sense that there's a lot of power newly accessible to me, but I've only just breached the realm and can't use my cultivation to its full potential just yet. According to the Shangqing Yin Body, a Deific Yin cultivator can create a world, but I'm far from that level."

"Take your time. Just look at how far you've come in such a short time," Xiao Nanfeng encouraged.

Thinking back to her past cultivation from even just a week ago, Lan Yaoguang was astonished. The rate at which she had advanced was unbelievable.

"Being by your side is wonderful," she murmured affectionately.

"I could say the same to you," Xiao Nanfeng replied.

Suddenly, Lan Yaoguang's expression stiffened. Her eyes grew wide and alert.

"What's the matter?"

"I see someone on the blue praying mat. What a fearsome aura he has..."

"The blue praying mat?" Xiao Nanfeng frowned.

He looked up to see the blue praying mat hovering in the air, even though the pillar of white light had already vanished. According to his spiritual moon, the blue praying mat was responsible for stabilizing the Enlightenment Grounds, and couldn't be disturbed for the time being.

To Xiao Nanfeng's sight, there was no one on top of the blue praying mat. He couldn't even sense the terrifying aura tha Lan Yaoguang did.

"Are you certain?"

Lan Yaoguang turned to him in shock. "Can't you see him?"

Indeed, Xiao Nanfeng couldn't see anything, but he had a suspicion as to just who the invisible figure was. In the past, there had once been an invisible figure seated on the Taiqing Grandmaster's praying mat, visible only to Zhang Lingjun.

Since the blue praying mat was the Shangqing Grandmaster's relic, that invisible person must be none other than the Shangqing Grandmaster.

Xiao Nanfeng frowned. Had all three Qing Grandmasters revived?

"This must be the Shangqing Grandmaster," Xiao Nanfeng replied.

"What?" Lan Yaoguang exclaimed.

She suddenly recalled Xiao Nanfeng mentioning how a man no other could see had been present on the Taiqing Grandmaster's praying mat.

"Lan Yaoguang, holy maiden of Shangqing, greets the grandmaster," Lan Yaoguang began, bowing deeply toward the blue praying mat.

"Xiao Nanfeng, Eastern Aspect of the Imperial Court and Sect Master of Taiqing, greets the Shangqing Grandmaster," Xiao Nanfeng said, bowing deeply as well.

The black-robed subordinates around them were confused, but all did as Xiao Nanfeng and Lan Yaoguang had done.

Even so, the blue praying mat remained motionless.

Xiao Nanfeng turned to Lan Yaoguang. "The grandmaster glanced at all of us, then closed his eyes and resumed meditation."

"Did he say anything?"

"No," Lan Yaoguang replied, shaking her head.

"Can you lend me your Deathbane Sword?"

Xiao Nanfeng's avatar summoned his blue spiritual moon and held the Deathbane Sword that Lan Yaoguang passed him, but to no avail.

He still couldn't see anyone atop the blue praying mat.

Xiao Nanfeng smiled weakly, resigned. "Alright, then. I can't see him even with the Deathbane Sword.

He passed it back to Lan Yaoguang.

"I already have the Cursebane Sword. Why don't I lend you the Deathbane Sword to use for the time being?"

"I'm not sure that's a good idea. The four Shangqing swords belonged to the Shangqing Grandmaster. He must have left them behind for a reason. I might have been able to use it in the past, but now that the Shangqing Grandmaster has returned, he must have his own plans for the four swords," Xiao Nanfeng replied.

Lan Yaoguang nodded helplessly.

"Why don't you try to attune to the Deathbane Sword? As the Shangqing Grandmaster's own disciple, you may be able to wield two of his swords simultaneously."

"Got it!" Lan Yaoguang nodded firmly.

She sat cross-legged in meditation as she held the Deathbane Sword in her hand. With a hum, it began to glow in resplendent blue.

"It seems like I really can do so!" Lan Yaoguang exclaimed in surprise.

"That's great. Focus on refining it, then. The rest of us will guard you."

Lan Yaoguang nodded and began to focus on meditation.

Meanwhile, Xiao Nanfeng turned to the blue praying mat, then retrieved the Immortal Emperor of Dahan's physical body that his main body had passed him.

The body was badly wounded, almost to the point of being crippled.

"Tu Feng, please heal the Immortal Emperor of Dahan's physical body," Xiao Nanfeng said.

He could do so himself, but he would have been far slower with it than Tu Feng.

"Understood!" Tu Feng began treatment immediately.

A large cloud of white fog surrounded him and the Immortal Emperor of Dahan's body as he used a secret technique.

The cultivators waited for a day and a night before the Enlightenment Grounds began to shake and rumble. Xiao Nanefng realized that it was finally breaking down as its energy flowed into his main body's physical form.

Over a day earlier, in a hidden forest in a mountainous region, a group of cultivators was in a standoff.

Two cultivators were in the lead: the Immortal Emperor of Daliang and a black-robed man to her side with a hulking physique. His arm was around the Immortal Emperor's waist as they observed the giant Enlightenment Grounds before them.

"The Shangqing hierarch has finally activated his treasured artifact, I see. I was starting to think it was a legend," the man remarked with a chuckle.

The Immortal Emperor of Daliang frowned. "Husband, all the Enlightenment Grounds associated with Shangqing have fused together here except for the ones we've already claimed. There's far too much energy in this territory now. Will we really still be able to secure that Shangqing artifact?"

The man considered it for a moment. "The Shangqing hierarch probably only collaborated with the overseer to take down Xiao Nanfeng. Once they kill him, they'll turn on each other. That'll be our chance to strike."

"Understood," the Immortal Emperor of Daliang replied.

"It's a shame that we lost Daliang's capital and much of its fortune," the man murmured.

They glanced up at the sky to see that half the fortune in the sea overhead had dissipated. This was Daliang's capital, after all; its destruction would naturally have serious consequences.

"Don't worry, Husband. As long as we're alive, we can easily rebuild. All that fortune will soon be ours again."

The man nodded. Upset though they were, they seemed to care not a whit for the countless citizens of the capital who had perished in the assault.

They waited patiently for over a day as the giant Enlightenment Grounds suddenly began to rumble.

"Why does it look so unstable? It's almost as if it's about to collapse!" the Immortal Emperor of Daliang exclaimed.

"Could the Shangqing hierarch and the overseer have turned on each other? Is he trying to use that artifact to forcibly separate the Enlightenment Grounds...?" the man exclaimed as well.

"You mean they've started fighting?" the Immortal Emperor of Daliang asked eagerly.

"I don't know, but let's send someone in to check," the man said.

The Immortal Emperor turned to one of her subordinates. "You, head inside with your avatar and have a look!"

"Understood!" the subordinate replied.

He shot straight into the Enlightenment Grounds, only to find it shaking violently as if it were about to collapse. The moment he entered the Enlightenment Grounds, however, Xiao Nanfeng's subordinates sensed him.

"There's a spy over there," one of the black-robed cultivators called out. "Go take him down!"

A group of black-robed cultivators shot over as the subordinate reported what he had seen to the Immortal Emperor of Daliang.

"What? The Shangqing hierarch is gone, as is the overseer? Xiao Nanfeng's deep in meditation, and Lan Yaoguang's attuning to the Deathbane Sword..." the Immortal Emperor of Daliang repeated in shock.

"Yes, Your Majesty! There's a blue praying mat floating high in the air. Xiao Nanfeng is surrounded by flames, and he seems to be absorbing the Enlightenment Grounds." The next moment, his eyes widened. "They've caught my avatar!"

"So both the Shangqing hierarch and overseer have perished? Xiao Nanfeng managed to take advantage of the situation!" the Immortal Emperor of Daliang exclaimed.

She turned toward her husband, who frowned. They were both equally perplexed by this unexpected turn of events.