Wayfarer

Chapter 928: The Yuqing Grandmaster's Plans

The Void Saint broke out in a cold sweat. As a saint who wielded heavenly law, he had been lording over the world—but only because the Heavenly Emperor, Yu Fuli, had finally perished.

For nearly ten thousand years, all the saints had been forced to skulk in the shadows while Yu Fuli remained alive. Who would have expected that Yu Fuli could even take on the very heavens?

If not for Yu Fuli's demise, the saints would have been plunged into despair.

But now, Yu Fuli was standing right before him. Should he take the risk of provoking him?

"Heavenly Emperor, I meant no offense. You invited me here. Earlier, Shi Tianbei was spouting nonsense, so I merely stepped in to discipline him," the Void Saint hurriedly said, dropping his pride.

Atop Mt. Kunlun, the Yuqing Grandmaster continued to stare coldly at the Void Saint. He said nothing.

His silent gaze, however, was more oppressive than anything he could have said. The Void Saint felt the pressure around him mounting. @@novelbin@@

His scalp tingled, his mind racing. He was certain that "Yu Fuli" was contemplating how to kill him.

His first instinct was to grab Xiao Nanfeng as a hostage and flee.

When Xiao Nanfeng noticed the Void Saint's gaze shifting toward him, he immediately grew vigilant. He spoke loudly. "Your Majesty, what exactly happened earlier? Was Shi Tianbei acting on orders, or was this merely a test?"

Xiao Nanfeng had a fair guess about the Void Saint's intentions, but he didn't dare expose the truth at the moment. Instead, he deliberately changed the topic. His primary goal now was to get the Void Saint to leave as soon as possible.

With the Yuqing Grandmaster present, the Void Saint might even be too scared to flee. However, Xiao Nanfeng had a plan to make him escape.

He moved swiftly and positioned himself in mid-air at a specific location.

The Void Saint's eyes lit up. Beside Xiao Nanfeng was a spatial mark, an imprint left behind from when Xiao Nanfeng had first exited the purple moon illusory realm. Such spatial marks were imperceptible to most, but the Void Saint’s profound cultivation allowed him to spot them easily.

The mark indicated the residual traces of a portal leading out of the realm.

Although the portal had since closed, traces of its formation lingered, offering a potential escape route for someone of the Void Saint’s caliber.

Filled with elation, the Void Saint wasted no time. He lunged toward Xiao Nanfeng. “Xiao Nanfeng, since you brought me here, it’s only right that you send me off.”

The Void Saint struck the spatial mark with his palm, creating a massive rift in the void. With his other hand, he seized Xiao Nanfeng.

"An exit?" Su Tianxin and Su Qingchan exclaimed in surprise.

They rushed toward the rift and hurtled toward the outside world.

Xiao Nanfeng's eyes widened. He shouted loudly, "Don't attack! No one is to attack!"

His cry resonated within and beyond the rift.

The Void Saint grinned, assuming Xiao Nanfeng was pleading with Yu Fuli not to make a move. He remained unaware that Xiao Nanfeng’s warning was actually directed at the ambushers lying in wait outside.

Beyond the rift, several concealed cultivators, cloaked in fog to hide their presence, had been preparing to ambush anyone exiting the portal according to the plan from before.

However, Xiao Nanfeng’s shout made them hesitate. They chose not to act rashly.

The Void Saint, still holding onto Xiao Nanfeng, successfully emerged from the purple moon illusory realm, with Su Tianxin and Su Qingchan close behind.

Once outside, the Void Saint, ecstatic at his successful escape, sped away. Su Tianxin and his daughter followed him closely.

After a short while, Xiao Nanfeng shouted, “Enough, Void Saint! Do you truly think the Heavenly Emperor can be threatened? Release me now, or you’ll embarrass the Heavenly Emperor further!”

The Void Saint's expression changed. He instinctively stopped in his tracks and loosened his grip.

As soon as Xiao Nanfeng was free, he lashed out with three lengths of red rope, targeting the three bronze compasses in Su Qingchan’s hands.

"Ah!" Su Qingchan exclaimed, barely maintaining her grip on them.

“Scoundrel! How dare you steal from us?” Su Tianxin roared, lunging at Xiao Nanfeng.

The Void Saint intercepted Su Tianxin’s attack with his palm and snatched the three bronze compasses from Su Qingchan.

"Saint? You—" Su Tianxin exclaimed, bewildered.

He couldn't comprehend why the Void Saint was suddenly protecting Xiao Nanfeng.

"Who told you to attack?" the Void Saint reprimanded Su Tianxin.

"I..." Su Tianxin faltered. He fell silent.

Xiao Nanfeng turned to the Void Saint. "I'm going to return. Let me bring these three bronze compasses back."

The Void Saint's expression flickered with indecision.

Su Tianxin’s protest made sense: the compasses belonged to the Void Saint, not Yu Fuli. Why should Xiao Nanfeng take them? Yet Xiao Nanfeng’s persistence and his earlier plea to Yu Fuli made the Void Saint wary.

Xiao Nanfeng's shout for the Heavenly Emperor not to attack had been a blessing for him; it would be better not to provoke the Heavenly Emperor further at present.

"Saint, you were the one who obtained these three bronze compasses! Why should you give them to Xiao Nanfeng? Don't do it," Su Tianxin shouted.

He knew what the Void Saint was thinking, but he had already started thinking of the three bronze compasses as his property. How could he simply give up on them now?

"Void Saint, I need to report back to the Heavenly Emperor. Don't waste my time," Xiao Nanfeng urged.

The Void Saint grimaced. Su Tianxin wasn't wrong, either—these were his spoils, and Yu Fuli wasn't the one requesting them outright. Why should he give them to Xiao Nanfeng? Even so, he didn't dare make an enemy of Yu Fuli right now.

"You can have one," the Void Saint said reluctantly.

With a wave of his hand, he severed two lengths of red rope from Xiao Nanfeng's hand, leaving one compass for him.

"We're leaving!" the Void Saint shouted.

In a flash, he, Su Tianxin, and Su Qingchan disappeared into the distance.

Xiao Nanfeng was left in mid-air, stunned by his success. "I was just testing my luck. I can't believe it worked. The Void Saint must have been utterly terrified."

Pocketing the bronze compass, Xiao Nanfeng soared into the air and returned to the location corresponding to the Sieve of Heaven in the real world.

The Void Saint had brought him an incredible distance in just a short period of time.

He quickly returned to the void near the portal.

"Nanfeng, what happened just now? How did you escape the Void Saint?" Yu'er asked, incredulous.

"Those from the Yuqing holy land, head into the purple moon illusory realm with me right now. Everyone else, wait outside. My main body will explain things to you later," Xiao Nanfeng commanded.

Though the cultivators were perplexed, they nodded and carried out his instructions.

Xia Xingchen opened up a portal leading into the purple moon illusory realm as Yu'er, Yang Chuan, Yang Xingyan, Xia Xingchen, and Xiao Nanfeng stepped within.

They immediately saw Shi Tianbei lying on the ground, bloodied and barely alive.

Then, they looked up and saw a figure in purple robes at the summit of Mt. Kunlun.

"The Heavenly Emperor?" Yang Chuan exclaimed.

"No—it's the Yuqing Grandmaster!" Yu'er replied.

Yu'er, having seen the Yuqing Grandmaster’s projection before when she first entered the purple moon illusory realm, recognized him immediately. Despite his resemblance to Yu Fuli, this figure’s demeanor was distinct.

Xiao Nanfeng bowed. "I, Xiao Nanfeng, former Eastern Aspect of the Imperial Court, master of the Taiqing Immortal Sect, and Emperor of Dazheng, greet the Yuqing Grandmaster. Thank you for your assistance earlier."

"The Yuqing Grandmaster?" Yang Xingyan and Xia Xingchen murmured in shock.

Yang Chuan also noticed the difference. Though this figure looked just like Yu Fuli, his bearing was entirely different.

"Yuqing disciple Xia Xingchen greets the Yuqing Grandmaster."

"Yuqing disciple Yang Xingyan greets the Yuqing Grandmaster."

"Yuqing disciple Yang Chuan greets the Yuqing Grandmaster."

"Xia Yu'er greets the Yuqing Grandmaster."

The four cultivators bowed deeply.

The Yuqing Grandmaster stood cold and impassive, his gaze sweeping over the gathered cultivators before settling on the near-dead Shi Tianbei.

Shi Tianbei immediately reported, "Grandmaster, Shi Tianbei is an imposter from another sect. He murdered the previous hierarch and stole his position, then sacrificed countless disciples in a blood ritual to steal the Yuqing yin pillars..."

The Yuqing Grandmaster's gaze remained emotionless, as if he were looking at a dead man.

With a wave of his hand, a burst of purple light enveloped Shi Tianbei. His qi was forcibly extracted from his body, leaving it frail and aged.

The purple energy coalesced into a radiant sphere, the essence of the twelve Yuqing yin pillars' energy.

Instead of absorbing the energy himself, the Yuqing Grandmaster turned to Yu'er. "You've already absorbed the first pillar's energy, haven't you?"

"Yes, Grandmaster. The pillar you bestowed upon me has been fully integrated into my body," Yu'er replied.

"Well done. These thirteen treasures were meant for you. Since you've already absorbed the most important one, you'll be able to handle the rest."

With another wave of his hand, he sent the purple sphere into Yu'er's body.

Everyone watched in astonishment as all thirteen pillars' power merged together.

Moments later, a chilling aura burst forth from her, spiraling outward like a tornado and freezing everything in its path. In an instant, the entire area was encased in ice, and Yu'er herself froze into an ice sculpture.

"Yuqing Grandmaster, will Yu'er be hurt?" Xiao Nanfeng called out anxiously.

The Yuqing Grandmaster ignored Xiao Nanfeng. "Inform all Yuqing disciples to gather here for secluded cultivation. They will guard Xia Yu'er until she finishes absorbing all the energy within her body. Before she awakens, no outsiders are to enter the purple moon illusory realm."

He eyed Xiao Nanfeng, as if pointing out that he was an outsider himself.

"Understood!" Xia Xingchen, Yang Chuan, and Yang Xingyan chorused.

His response also made it clear that Yu'er was alright, that she was simply in the process of absorbing all the energy from the Yuqing yin pillars.

"I will leave the purple moon illusory realm at once, Grandmaster." Xiao Nanfeng bowed deeply.

The Yuqing Grandmaster eyed everyone again, then headed deep into Mt. Kunlun and vanished from sight.

Only then did the gathered cultivators feel the pressure surrounding them slowly fade away.