Wayfarer

Chapter 934: Formation of the Mirrored Heart

In an Immortal city in Dachi, Xiao Nanfeng's proclamation spread rapidly, leaving countless cultivators stunned by its content.

"The Immortal Emperor is a pawn of the heavens? He secured a token of protection for himself to survive the upcoming calamity, but is leaving us to die?"

"Su Tianxin is merely raising us like livestock. We're to be slaughtered by the heavens...?"

"It seems like I was mistaken. Is Dazheng's army actually here to help us?"

All manner of discussions erupted among the citizens.

Soon, a booming voice echoed throughout the city.

"Citizens, hear me! The announcement from Xiao Nanfeng is pure fabrication! It is baseless slander meant to sow discord and confuse the people. Xiao Nanfeng seeks to attack Dachi. Do not believe his lies! Do not spread them! Dazheng is our enemy, and we cannot allow ourselves to be manipulated by their schemes!"

The public announcement reverberated across the city.

While many of the common people continued to trust Dachi, not everyone was convinced.

Some of the major clans of the empire, with their own information channels, did have a record of someone resembling a saint visiting Dachi's capital. He was personally received by Su Tianxin. Subsequently, Xiao Nanfeng had arrived at the capital and openly called for the Void Saint to appear. That was no secret.

The content of Xiao Nanfeng’s proclamation, therefore, seemed highly credible. Within these influential clans, heated debates broke out.

In a certain hall, members of a prominent clan had gathered to discuss the news.

"Refute the claims? Su Tianxin ordered us to refute Xiao Nanfeng’s proclamation, and you complied just like that? He’s a pawn of the heavens! Why should we help him deceive the people?" an elder roared angrily.

"I am the city’s governor, and it is my duty to maintain order in Dachi," the clan patriarch argued.

"Are you protecting Dachi or Su Tianxin? When the heavens return, he’ll survive the calamity with his token while our entire clan is slaughtered! Will he give you a token for your loyalty?"

"Exactly! We should stand firmly with the people and refuse to be tools of the heavens!"

A chorus of voices from the elders condemned the patriarch's decision.

"But if I refuse, what if Su Tianxin destroys our clan in retaliation?" the patriarch asked, troubled.

"Then we rebel against Dachi! If we’re doomed either way, we might as well fight!" one elder declared.

"Agreed!" many others echoed.

"Calm down! What if Xiao Nanfeng is lying? What if Su Tianxin doesn’t have a token of protection and isn't affiliated with the heavens?" a more cautious elder asked.

"Oh, shut up! Compared to Su Tianxin, I’d rather believe Xiao Nanfeng!" another retorted.

The grand hall descended into chaos.

Just then, a younger family member rushed in and bowed deeply. "Patriarch, elders, a representative from Dazheng is here. He claims to be an envoy of their Ministry of Rites and requests an audience."

"Hmm?" The hall fell silent.

Similar scenes unfolded in other cities across Dachi.

The envoys from Great Zheng’s Ministry of Rites, personally trained by Wen Zhong, were masters of rhetoric and persuasion. Their speeches—filled with psychological insight, empathy, appeals to righteousness, and promises of rewards—quickly won over many influential clans.

The possibility that Su Tianxin was a pawn of the heavens was too damning. Fresh from witnessing the Heavenly Emperor’s self-sacrificial battle against the heavens, the people were still grappling with their shared despair and unity against a common enemy. How could they possibly align themselves with an agent of the heavens?

Of course, some doubted Xiao Nanfeng’s claims and remained loyal to Su Tianxin. However, Dazheng was undeterred by these holdouts. When the time was right, no one would be able to stop Dazheng's advance.

At the border between the two empires, in the barracks that housed Dazheng's army, Ye Sanshui and his generals were reading Xiao Nanfeng's proclamation together.

"Hahaha! His Majesty’s foresight is unmatched! This proclamation will be Su Tianxin’s undoing. He truly is a pawn of the heavens, then? He’s doomed."

"His Majesty should’ve issued this proclamation sooner. If we’d had this earlier, we’d have conquered even more cities by now!"

The officials burst into laughter.

They could tell how potent this proclamation had been. The heavens were the enemy of the world, and the saints were their underlings. If this were true, Su Tianxin would quickly become the target of public condemnation. Why hadn't Xiao Nanfeng issued such a proclamation earlier?

Ye Sanshui shook his head. He understood that releasing such a proclamation was no simple task. If anyone else had tried, it would have been destroyed by a saint long before it could spread. Dazheng had endured countless dangers to make this possible.

"Be patient. Let this proclamation spread for a few days. We’ll march forward then," Ye Sanshui said.

"Understood!" the generals replied.

Just then, a soldier hurried into the tent.

"Commander, Su Tianxin has deployed a Boundless Immortal to attack one of our cities!"

"Oh? Which one?" Ye Sanshui’s expression darkened.

"He’s attacking the Immortal city of Tianyue. It’s on the verge of falling!" the soldier reported.

Ye Sanshui turned to the screen behind him and called out, "You two, go capture that Da Luo Golden Immortal!"

Two zombie kings emerged from behind the screen.

A general acknowledged the order and led the zombie kings out to intercept the enemy.

Ye Sanshui frowned. "Inform all scouts to monitor Dachi's forces. Report any movements immediately."

"Yes, sir!"

The tent quickly buzzed with activity.

"Commander, could Su Tianxin be attacking because he's been driven to desperation by His Majesty's announcement?" one general asked.

"It's possible," Ye Sanshui acknowledged.

"We'll have to be ready for anything, then."

Ye Sanshui nodded. "Inform the troops. Submit a report to His Majesty."

"Understood!" the general replied.

The soldiers hurried to work.

Before long, another soldier rushed into the tent.

"Commander, two more Boundless Immortals have appeared at Tianyue! The two zombie kings you dispatched are struggling to hold them off."

"Three Boundless Immortals from Dachi?" Ye Sanshui exclaimed.

"Yes, Commander!"

Ye Sanshui's expression turned grim. "Assemble the troops. We're marching to Tianyue immediately!"

"Understood!"

Ye Sanshui and his army rushed toward Tianyue.

They arrived outside the city to find a fierce battle raging. In the forests outside the city, three Boundless Immortals clashed with the two zombie kings, their blows causing the very earth to quake. The zombie kings were clearly at a disadvantage.

A group of Dachi soldiers stood nearby, waiting for their Boundless Immortals to secure victory.

Seeing the battlefield, Ye Sanshui sneered. "It's Li Four and Li Five! They might have escaped from the Sieve of Heaven, but they won't get away today!" @@novelbin@@

Ye Sanshui prepared to charge forward.

"Commander, hold on!" a voice called out.

Ye Sanshui turned to see a group of formations masters led by Blue Jade, Blue Lantern's junior sister.

The Fenghuang faction's cultivators had joined Dazheng's army in combat, and had broken plenty of formations on the army's behalf. Blue Jade had been assigned to no less than Ye Sanshui himself.

"What's the matter?"

Blue Jade frowned. "I can sense traces of a formation nearby. There's fog in the forest they're fighting in, which hasn't dissipated despite the commotion. I suspect someone set up a formation there in advance."

"Oh?"

"This is a trap. You may be the target. You can't go," Blue Jade warned.

Ye Sanshui hesitated.

Afar, the battle intensified. The three Boundless Immortals smashed the zombie kings into the ground with overwhelming strength.

The zombie kings spat out mouthfuls of black blood. Their situation grew more and more precarious.

"Return!" Ye Sanshui commanded.

The two zombie kings flew toward the exterior of the forest despite their wounds, only for the three Boundless Immortals to throw out golden chains that wrapped around them and pulled them back into the fray.

The zombie kings were suffering under the Boundless Immortals' combined assault.

"Blue Jade, can you identify what formation we're facing?"

Blue Jade shook her head. "Without more information, I can't. We need to remain cautious."

Ye Sanshui nodded. As the commander, he couldn't act recklessly.

Suddenly, white fog erupted around Ye Sanshui.

Blue Jade's eyes widened. "Something's wrong! Commander, retreat! This formation's range is far wider than I anticipated. It has activated. We have to leave immediately!"

The fog thickened, blotting out the sky. It engulfed the battlefield, and then the entire city.

Ye Sanshui frowned as he flew into the air with Blue Jade and the others in an attempt to escape the formation. However, no matter how high they flew, they couldn't escape.

"This looks like the Formation of the Mirrored Heart! Hurry—we need to contact Senior Brother!" Blue Jade cried out.

"What kind of formation is this?" Ye Sanshui asked.

"It's one of the strongest formations of the Supreme Sect of the Wild Wastes. It needs five bronze compasses to set up. It creates a realm of its own and is incredibly powerful. I won't be able to break it," Blue Jade said, panic evident in her voice.

"Five bronze compasses? Then Su Tianxin and Su Qingchan must be here too," Ye Sanshui deduced.

"Most likely," Blue Jade confirmed.

"Send word to His Majesty. If Su Tianxin and Su Qingchan are behind this, their target won't just be me. Quickly!" Ye Sanshui commanded.

"Yessir!" the soldiers responded, rushing to relay the message.