Chapter 821: Little Baby

"Penglai raided Mount Shu?"

With the development of the Circle of Immortal Friends, information spread faster than ever before. Not long after the battle in Mount Shu of the Southern Regions had begun, Chu Yi of the Holy Mountain in the Northern Regions had already received news of the battle.

Lu Jiangtong explained, "That's right. Penglai has restored the Celestial Cosmic Ring. With the Celestial Cosmic Ring and the East Sea Chrono Wheel combined, they besieged Mount Shu. The battle remains at a stalemate, but things are looking grim for Mount Shu."

"The Celestial Cosmic Ring..." Chu Yi muttered.

He lifted his gaze and looked toward Mount Shu in the distance.

Back then, the Celestial Cosmic Ring and the Cataclysmic Chrono Wheel had been individually ranked near the top ten in the Catalog of the Mortal World's Ten Thousand Treasures. However, when ranked as a set, they could rival the top three legendary artifacts.

Later, the two legendary artifacts were separated. The Celestial Cosmic Ring was damaged. On the other hand, the Cataclysmic Chrono Wheel was refined into the East Sea Chrono Wheel and enhanced by Hallowed Yang's great magical power, elevating it to a higher level. On its own, the East Sea Chrono Wheel was ranked fourth in the Catalog of the Mortal World's Ten Thousand Treasures.

After the East Sea Chrono Wheel and the Celestial Cosmic Ring were reunited as a set at the battle on Mount Shu, there was no doubt that this set was the strongest legendary artifact of the present age.

To begin with, the Penglai Supreme Sect was the top immortal sect. Now that it possessed the most powerful legendary artifact, the Penglai Supreme Sect had become even more powerful. It seemed unstoppable.

Yet, Chu Yi could not shake the feeling that the Mount Shu Sect would not fall so easily.

Lu Jiangtong continued, "The reason for this battle is that Chu Liang is secretly raising a Heaven-Devouring Bug. The bug is a vessel capable of containing the Demon God's essence, so it can be used to facilitate the resurrection of the Demon God. With such an accusation, it's unlikely the other sects in the Divine Nine will intervene to defend the Mount Shu Sect unless it hands over Chu Liang."

"That's impossible," Chu Yi said decisively. "Only Senior Brother can save the Mount Shu Sect."

No explanation was necessary as to how important Chu Liang was to the Mount Shu Sect. Furthermore, this was not simply a matter of whether the Mount Shu Sect was willing to hand him over.

Based on Chu Yi's understanding of his senior brother, if the Mount Shu Sect was willing to do everything it could to protect Chu Liang, then he would likely do the same to find a way to save the sect. However, if the Mount Shu Sect chose to abandon Chu Liang, then there was no way Chu Liang would entrust his fate to such a sect.

Had this issue been resolved before the battle escalated into a full-scale war, there might have been a chance for negotiation, but it was too late for that now. Moreover, the Mount Shu Sect and the Penglai Supreme Sect were mortal enemies. Even if the Mount Shu Sect compromised, the Penglai Supreme Sect would not withdraw so easily.

If anyone still had a chance of saving the Mount Shu Sect, it could only be Chu Liang himself.

At this moment, Chu Yi's understanding of his senior brother bordered on omniscience.

Seeing Chu Yi in deep thought, Lu Jiangtong hesitated to speak but ultimately spoke up. "Young Master… Chu Liang is not a deity. Given the current situation, the Mount Shu Sect is as good as finished."

The Penglai Supreme Sect had five Heavenly Origin masters and the combined power of two legendary artifacts. Even if several of the sects in the Divine Nine worked together to fight the Penglai Supreme Sect, they might still not be a match—let alone the Mount Shu Sect, which had lost its legendary artifact a long time ago.

In recent years, the Mount Shu Sect had achieved newfound success in a different direction thanks to Chu Liang, but more time was needed for that to translate into top-tier combat strength.

If the Mount Shu Sect were given several decades, the number of eighth-realm Eminent Ones in the sect would likely grow—until there were enough of them to offset the power gap caused by the legendary artifacts. Nonetheless, that was certainly not the case now.

Perhaps, the Penglai Supreme Sect had already sensed this looming threat, and that was why it had chosen to strike first.

"Of course, he's not a deity. But he has always managed to turn misfortune into a blessing." Chu Yi's gaze burned with intensity. "I'm betting that Mount Shu won't lose. Even if it does, it won't go down easily."

Lu Jiangtong's pupils became noticeably dilated. "What are you planning?"

There was a hint of madness in Chu Yi's eyes—enough to frighten even someone like Lu Jiangtong, known as a madman who had long lived outside the boundaries of the law. When Chu Yi previously commanded Lu Jiangtong to exterminate entire clans, he had been calm and composed throughout, but that wasn't the case this time around.

"Do you dare pull off something big with me?" Chu Yi's lips curved into a small smile. "If we succeed, our brothers in Mount Mang City won't have to worry about food and drink for the next hundred years."

"The Noble Dharma won't help you," Lu Jiangtong replied.

𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

He seemed to have already guessed what Chu Yi intended to do. Lu Jiangtong was a pretty brave guy, but Chu Yi's intentions were too terrifying to even entertain.

"I don't need him to act." Chu Yi chuckled, waving his hand to dismiss the idea. "I have my own way of doing things."

Lu Jiangtong stared at Chu Yi's excited little face, and his heart tensed up. He finally realized the child before him was the true madman.

…

"The Precious Phantom Spirit Embryo?"

Venerable Wen Yuan grasped the seven-colored stone embryo and sensed the boundless spiritual essence flowing within. In that moment, he understood how this enchanted tool was meant to be used.

It can replicate any enchanted tool in existence…

He lifted his gaze and looked at the Celestial Cosmic Ring as it continued to contract around them.

Meanwhile, Baize had finally broken through Daoist Cangsheng's Great Dao of Infinity. However, by this point, Daoist Cangsheng had already activated the combined power of the Celestial Cosmic Ring and the East Sea Chrono Wheel. With the added power of the East Sea Chrono Wheel, the Celestial Cosmic Ring's contraction accelerated at a terrifying pace.

Baize glowed with divine light, preparing to find a way to save Mount Shu. Yet, Daoist Cangsheng simply extended his arm toward her, and she was instantly frozen in place.

Equipped with the combined power of the Great Daos of Time and Space, Daoist Cangsheng could trap a person in a void for eternity.

That did not apply to Baize though. It was only a matter of time until Baize would break free from the void. Nevertheless, all Cangsheng needed was a moment—just long enough to ensure Mount Shu's annihilation!

Outside the hidden realm, the Imperial Supervisory Commissioner had begun bombarding the Celestial Cosmic Ring's barrier with the Great Dao of Tai'a. However, the barrier could not be breached that easily.

Several seventh-realm Eminent Ones could do nothing but shout warnings.

"Cangsheng! All matters can still be discussed! The disciples of the Mount Shu Sect are innocent! Do not be blinded by your resolve and persist in going about things the wrong way! "

Daoist Cangsheng's expression remained cold and unyielding. "If I cannot kill Chu Liang today, then I will destroy Mount Shu. There is no room for negotiation."

Rumble.

The Celestial Cosmic Ring contracted at a frenzied speed, causing over a dozen mountain peaks to collapse. Countless beams of swordlight, spirit birds, and exotic beasts scattered across the sky, all fleeing toward the center.

It seemed as though Mount Shu was beyond saving.

But right then, a beam of seven-colored light suddenly struck the Celestial Cosmic Ring and then shot back toward Venerable Wen Yuan's hands.

Venerable Wen Yuan lifted his hand to receive it, finding that the ball of seven-colored light had turned into a ball of white light on his palm. The stone embryo had transformed into an exact replica of the Celestial Cosmic Ring that Daoist Cangsheng wielded.

From a distance, Daoist Cangsheng furrowed his brows sharply.

In the next moment, Venerable Wen Yuan spread his arms wide and muttered, "So, this is the Celestial Cosmic Ring..."

So, this was the power of a legendary artifact.

Even though the Celestial Cosmic Ring was only ranked near the top ten in the Catalog of the Mortal World's Ten Thousand Treasures, it was still far more powerful than anything Venerable Wen Yuan had ever wielded. He had once fought the Dark King Sect's leader, who controlled the True Form of Ksitigarbha. At the time, Venerable Wen Yuan had simply felt an immense pressure weighing down on him.

So, this is what it feels like to wield a legendary artifact.

In his entire life, Venerable Wen Yuan had never fought with such a powerful weapon. Moreover, the Celestial Cosmic Ring perfectly aligned with his Great Dao of Primordial Chaos.

Venerable Wen Yuan surged with the courage to face Daoist Cangsheng.

Rumble.

The rapidly shrinking Celestial Cosmic Ring suddenly halted. It was because an identical white light was expanding outward from the center at incredible speed. Without Mount Shu's Grand Mountain-Protecting Formation being in the way, the inner Celestial Cosmic Ring quickly collided with the outer ring.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Sky-shaking explosions akin to ten thousand thunderclaps reverberated all around what was left of Mount Shu. Many of the Mount Shu Sect disciples at lower cultivation levels could barely withstand the intense shockwave of spiritual energy, nearly fainting on the spot.

At that very moment, a beam of light crashed onto Silver Sword Peak.

Boom!

When Jing Yuanzi plummeted into a bamboo grove, he was partially engulfed in flames. Letting out a pained hiss, he severed his right arm without hesitation, preventing the Samadhi True Fire from consuming him further. Then he swiftly regenerated a new right arm, which hung bare by his side.

Gritting his teeth, Jing Yuanzi said, "Two against one—what kind of heroes of justice are you?"

Had it been a duel against Daoist Yan, Jing Yuanzi was confident that he could put up a very good fight against her for a short time. But with Di Nufeng added into the mix, things became far more difficult. If it had been a one-on-one fight with Di Nufeng, she wouldn't have even been able to touch the hem of his robe.

However, she seemed well aware of that and refused to leave the range of Daoist Yan's sword qi. Even after launching Jing Yuanzi skyward with a punch earlier, Di Nufeng didn't pursue him alone. She waited for Daoist Yan, then they pursued and attacked him together, leaving not even a sliver of opportunity for him to exploit.

When it came to fighting, Di Nufeng was truly crafty.

Jing Yuanzi was so angry that he could only say, "Ganging up on one person isn't fair!"

His head throbbed so badly that he rested there for a bit. That was when he caught sight of an adorable creature staring at him.

It was a round and chubby iron-eating beast. It had black and white fur and with tiny beady eyes. Looking at those eyes made others feel as if all was right in the world.

Unfortunately, Jing Yuanzi was not in the best of moods. He lifted his foot, wanting to kick the little beast away.

He snapped, "Get lost!"

What good beasts could there possibly be on Silver Sword Peak?

Seeing how harmless the creature looked, Jing Yuanzi didn't even bother using the power of his Great Dao. He just used a normal kick. Of course, eighth-realm Eminent Ones had incredibly strong corporeal bodies, so even a casual kick would send the small creature flying thousands of zhang.

Yet, at the exact moment that Jing Yuanzi swung his foot forward, a deafening explosion shook the heavens. Seemingly frightened, the iron-eating beast's pupils dilated, and something within it changed.

Distracted by the thunderous collision of the two Celestial Cosmic Rings, Jing Yuanzi turned his head to look outside the hidden realm. He was shocked.

When did Mount Shu get its own Celestial Cosmic Ring?!

Then he suddenly felt something tighten around his foot.

Turning back, he found the little beast had disappeared. In its place was a terrifying gigantic ferocious beast, and his foot was trapped within its massive claws.

"Eh?"

Jing Yuanzi immediately tried to break free, but his struggles were in vain. He was fast, but what good was that when someone had a firm grip on his leg?

The enraged iron-eating beast swung him violently—left, right, and then left again…

WHAM! WHAM! WHAM!

Meanwhile, Di Nufeng and Daoist Yan arrived just in time to see this brutal scene unfold, both looking as if they couldn't bear to watch.

Di Nufeng clicked her tongue, shaking her head. "That brute… Look how scared he made our little baby!"

GLTD Alternate Universe's Thoughts

Translator: LD