The Calamity of the Immortal Mansion of Empyrean Clouds

People always say that the successor of the Supreme Sect has a mind as open as a valley, tranquil and inactive, embodying all the finest virtues of the various supreme Daoist sects. But in Ji Feichen’s eyes, this was simply someone who loved to insert himself into any lively commotion wherever he could find it.

Wherever there was a conflict, he would head straight toward it.

How many times had he dealt with this person by now?

"Last year at Golden Turtle City, one could say we crossed paths alongside several heirs of the sacred lands. When we went to the Liling Immortal Abode, it was also a battle concerning the fortune and fate of the immortal path. Heading to the East Sea, it was because the Seafinding Demon-Subduing Flag had to be seized, and far too few immortals could make the journey to the Eastern Sea, leaving him with a duty he could not shirk. But what does the emergence of my immortal abode have to do with him? Our acquaintance is hardly deep enough to warrant him personally coming to offer congratulations!"

Furthermore, the personal arrival of the Supreme Sect's successor at the Empyrean Immortal Abode carried immense significance and provoked endless speculation. If Ji Feichen were in his shoes, he would never have done such a thing.

"From my observation, this person is intelligent. Logically speaking, he shouldn't make a move at a time like this. Could it be that there are circumstances here of which I am unaware?" Ji Feichen, using the alias Qinghong, secretly communicated with Fairy Yuzhi.

The fairy pondered slightly, her slender hands concealed within her cloud-sleeves as she hurriedly cast a divination, gaining a slight insight into the current heavenly mandate.

"Junior Brother, deal with these people first; we can talk about this later." Fairy Yuzhi manipulated the Primordial Golden Dipper, joining Qinghong to maintain the grand array within the immortal abode.

The Eight Desolations Cloud-Light God-Locking Array was the protective formation of the Empyrean Immortal Abode. Inherited from the Empyrean Pavilion, Fairy Yuzhi was naturally familiar with it. Outside the Flying Cloud Island, there was also a copy of this Eight Desolations Cloud-Light God-Locking Array.

This formation secretly corresponded to the Eight Trigrams and the Nine Palaces, capable of generating and transforming seas of clouds, and was a prized array used by the Empyrean Pavilion to guard the "World Amidst the Clouds."

"Although Junior Brother's array here is incomplete, it is still sufficient for the two of us to unleash its full might and resist peak human immortals." Fairy Yuzhi used the Primordial Golden Dipper to shift Yin and Yang, revolving the Primordial Primordial Breath to generate pairs of Yin and Yang immortal cranes that danced across the sky, interpreting the sea of clouds.

Qinghong glanced at it casually and also cast the Azure Tide Pearl into the immortal abode: "Since Senior Sister is using the Primordial Golden Dipper to mobilize spiritual energy, I will take charge of the array."

The twenty-four pearls evolved into the Eight Gates and the Twenty-Four Solar Terms. Three precious pearls merged into one gate, containing the Gate of Rest, the Gate of Life, the Gate of Hurt, the Gate of Delimitation, the Gate of View, the Gate of Death, the Gate of Shock, and the Gate of Opening.

The eight gates shifted unpredictably, and watery, hazy phantoms rose within the sea of clouds, drifting and misty. Those five thousand White Crow soldiers and the members of the demonic sect were all suppressed as they were driven into the array. Lost among the eight gates, drifting within the vaporous auspicious clouds, they one by one grew drowsy and collapsed to the ground, utterly incapable of forming any combat effectiveness.

"Suppressing these people is convenient enough, but I wonder how things are going over on their side." The two immortals stood inside the immortal abode and looked out.

Following Wuming's arrival, streaks of Profound Virtue sword light brushed perilously close to Daoist Ironfeather's side. Qin Wu conjured a sea of azure lightning, azure thunder condensing into individual precious pearls in mid-air to hinder Daoist Ironfeather and the others from fleeing. There were also Supreme sword qi, Morality golden light, Primordial True Water, and other Daoist arts and wondrous techniques, weaving an airtight encirclement.

They surrounded without killing.

These Daoist immortals of the Profound Sect were well-versed in the essentials of military strategy. Now that their numbers far exceeded the demonic cultivators, why should they risk rushing forward to kill the enemy?

Thus, they stood back to back, manipulating immortal arts and flying swords, leisurely depleting the cultivation and magic power of the two.

Seeing that these people were entirely at ease, even rotating in shifts and treating them with complete disregard, Daoist Ironfeather raged, "You members of the immortal sects, if you have the ability, come down one-on-one for a duel!"

"Pbah! You led five thousand White Crow soldiers to launch an invasion, and you expect us to foolishly duel you one-on-one? Your idea of a duel wouldn't happen to be five thousand of you fighting one of us, would you?"

The immortals had long since understood the shamelessness of the demonic sect and simply ignored Daoist Ironfeather, patiently entangling the two while waiting for them to reveal an opening.

After hundreds of clashes, Daoist Ironfeather and the Great Peng Left Envoy transformed into a pair of roc birds, darting wildly amidst the throng of immortals. Yet, with the combined might of the immortals, coupled with Qinghong and Fairy Yuzhi occasionally flicking out an "Yin-Yang Dragon Whisker" or "Primordial Dragon Pearl," they were driven to perilous straits, nearly being captured by the immortals on several occasions.

Regret flooded Daoist Ironfeather's heart: "Had I known it would come to this, why on earth did I accept the commission and leave the sect to rescue people?" He had originally thought that so-called rescue mission would be nothing more than dealing with the attacks of a few Profound Sect immortals. Transforming into a roc bird gave him immense speed, allowing him to easily snatch people away—a mere flick of the wrist.

However, upon arriving at the scene, he realized something was terribly wrong.

There was the successor of the Supreme Palace, the successor of the Supreme Heaven Palace, and another who excelled in water arts, constantly launching cold arrows from the sidelines, whose cultivation was absolute not inferior to the successors of the sacred lands. If it weren't for the fact that Qinghong's cultivation path shared deep ties with the Supreme lineage, Daoist Ironfeather would have suspected him of being the successor of the Supreme Origin Palace. This was a grand gathering of three major successors.

"Three sacred-land-level successors. Why did these young pups foolishly come to provoke them?"

Daoist Ironfeather had practiced for many years, counting as an old demon of the same generation as Master Blackflow. He had managed to evade the thousand-year kalpa of slaughter back then, but this careless trip had led him straight into a brick wall.

Three sacred land successors, a Primordial Golden Dipper—a supreme earth immortal treasure—along with the Yin-Yang Dragon Whisker Fan and the Tranquil Inactive Bead.

It was thanks to Qinghong and Fairy Yuzhi not unleashing their heavy-duty lethal weapons, with only Fairy Qinglan wielding the Inactive Bead to strike people, that Daoist Ironfeather hadn't already abandoned the Great Peng Left Envoy and fled for his life.

Suddenly, a glowing feather flew in from afar. The Great Peng Right Envoy urged anxiously, "Uncle, Eldest Brother, hurry and sacrifice to the Golden Venerable!"

The Great Peng Right Envoy had felt uneasy and secretly sent a "Knowing-Bird" to scout ahead. Seeing that the two were in mortal peril, he had hurriedly brought the sacrificial ritual items of the Great Peng Tribe.

Standing on a distant mountaintop, he bowed toward the direction of the Great Peng Tribe: "This disciple respectfully invites the divine presence of the Golden Venerable!" Chanting incantations, he leveraged the inherited ritual implements to rouse the power of the Jialuo Golden Venerable.

The Jialuo Golden Venerable was, plainly speaking, an ancient roc bird. It served as one of the thirty-three demonic god lords worshipped by the Four Directions Cult, having received the sacrifices of the Great Peng Tribe for thousands of years. It was also the guardian deity of the Great Peng Tribe. Normally, it required the joint sacrifice of three envoys. But now the middle envoy was dead, leaving a vacancy among the three.

Fortunately, Daoist Ironfeather was originally the Great Peng envoy of the previous generation. Therefore, he and the Great Peng Left Envoy rapidly chanted incantations, gathering a gale of wind and golden clouds to form a wisp of a golden roc projection above the immortal abode.

The Great Peng Left Envoy produced a ceremonial staff and pointed it toward Qin Wu and the others: "This disciple earnestly requests the Golden Venerable to slay the heterodoxy!"

The imposing and majestic roc glared at the immortals with its azure eyes.

A wave of biting chill rose in the hearts of the immortals.

"Everyone, be careful. This is an earth immortal projection. Do not take it head-on." Fairy Yuzhi tossed out the Primordial Golden Dipper, stirring up a vortex within the dipper as streaks of golden light swept toward the golden roc projection. "Retreat into the immortal abode to temporarily avoid its sharp edge."

Hearing this, aside from Wuming, whose whereabouts were unknown, the others all retreated into the immortal abode to watch Fairy Yuzhi work her arts.

Fairy Yuzhi's Primordial Golden Dipper was an earth immortal supreme treasure refined with the methods left behind by Patriarch Fang, capable of exhaling primordial breath and containing all phenomena.

The golden dipper and the golden roc battled in mid-air, the two evenly matched.

After fighting for a while, suddenly, three arrows pierced through the air from afar, shooting toward the golden venerated roc.

Gleaming with cold light and moving faster than lightning, they struck the golden roc dead on.

A low cry echoed from the giant bird, and it subsequently vanished amidst the golden light. Seizing the opportunity, the Great Peng Right Envoy hurriedly led Daoist Ironfeather and the Great Peng Left Envoy to flee deep into the Southern Wilderness.

Qinghong reacted swiftly, secretly snatching a leaf from beside him and flicking it out. It adhered to the Great Peng Left Envoy's body and disappeared from sight.

With three arrows repelling the roc, Qin Wu and the others snapped out of it and began searching for the archer.

"I wonder which senior expert is gracing us with their presence?"

"I'm no senior expert." A child wearing a red bellyband appeared before the immortals with a cheeky smile. He greeted Jingxuan: "Senior Brother, Master said, 'The opening of the Empyrean Abode will bring twists and turns,' and told me to deliver the Heavenly Wing Cloud-Piercing Bow to help you drive away the demons."

The newcomer was the close personal Dao-boy of the Supreme Clear Sect Leader. He had been ordered to deliver the Supreme Clear Sect's earth immortal treasure, the "Heavenly Wing Cloud-Piercing Bow." Just moments ago, seeing the golden roc appear, he had immediately used the bow and arrow to drive the bird away.

Qinghong and Fairy Yuzhi exchanged glances, both thinking: *As expected, our small banquet at the immortal abode has actually become a part of the kalpa of slaughter?*

...

The members of the Huangyang Demonic Cult fled in disarray, and the various earth immortals of the Profound Sect immediately sensed it: "This time, I'm afraid this cannot end peacefully. I never expected the seeds of the kalpa of slaughter to sprout so quickly."

The Morality Sect Leader was discussing the kalpa of slaughter with the Supreme Clear Sect Leader. A smile touched the corners of the Supreme Clear Sect Leader's mouth, while the Morality Sect Leader beside him smiled bitterly: "The great winds are rising, and the kalpa of slaughter has finally begun. Who would have thought it would originate right here?"

This setback suffered by the Great Peng Tribe would subsequently drag the demonic sect into a massive northward advance. And since the Profound Sect was unwilling to let them dominate the Central Plains, a great battle would naturally erupt at the entrance of the Southern Wilderness.

"Who would have thought the Empyrean Immortal Abode would become the crux of contention in this kalpa."

The Empyrean Immortal Abode was a shortcut from the Southern Wilderness into the Central Plains, perfectly wedged at the entrance of the Southern Wilderness. If demonic cultivators emerged from the Southern Wilderness, they would immediately be sensed by the Empyrean Immortal Abode. If the people of the immortal abode favored the Profound Sect, they merely needed to send word through the abode, allowing the various major sects to quickly capture the demonic cultivators.

The Supreme Clear Sect Leader remained entirely unruffled: "It was their Empyrean Pavilion that stirred up this kalpa of slaughter in the first place. How could we let them stand outside the kalpa, watching us struggle and laugh?"

"However, the Empyrean Immortal Abode is, after all, an abode with an owner. You and I shall wait and see how the disciples of Empyrean handle this." The Supreme Clear Sect Leader calculated the heavenly secrets, having made thorough preparations for the arrangement of the kalpa.

"If their Supreme Origin Palace wants to fuss over dynastic succession, let them do as they please. Let us first have a battle right here at the Empyrean Immortal Abode. Kill a few more demonic cultivators, and we can shave away a few instances of karmic tribulation for our own disciples. When the great tribulation truly arrives, we will be able to maintain our advantage and safely traverse the kalpa."

"That certainly makes sense. But since it is the Empyrean Immortal Abode, why not gather the entire Supreme lineage here? Firstly, to celebrate the return of the Empyrean Pavilion to the Profound Sect; secondly, to use the tribulation of the immortal abode to weather the kalpa; and thirdly, to foster greater camaraderie among our various sects."

Having reached a consensus, the two Sect Leaders contacted friendly factions such as the Chongxu Dao, inviting friends from all sides to rush toward the Empyrean Immortal Abode.

As for Qinghong, following the arrival of the Supreme Clear Sect's Dao-boy, he had already discerned the intentions of the various Profound Sect sect leaders. He secretly consulted with Fairy Yuzhi.

The fairy transmitted her voice mentally: "Junior Brother, according to my calculations, the various Profound Sect factions today intend to use our immortal abode as a raft to weather the immortal-demon kalpa of slaughter. Yet you and I are beings who roam free outside the kalpa; now that we've been dragged into this tribulation, what is to be done?"

"Senior Sister, rest assured, I have everything under control. I just left a letter on that person's sleeve; it will serve nicely to bring back to the demonic sect to establish their prestige, and to set the rules for the immortal abode's spell-duel."

With his resolute character, how could he bow his head in submission to the Profound Sect leaders and let them casually meddle in the Empyrean Immortal Abode? He had made subtle arrangements just moments before, using a letter to provoke the Huangyang Demonic Cult and inviting them to determine the ownership of this place, thereby seizing heavenly fortune and destiny for himself.

Looking out at the dilapidated ruins before him, Qinghong thought to himself: *This ancient battlefield is filled with the abandoned abodes of immortals. If I help them find their inheritors and transform this ancient battlefield back into a blessed land of immortals, wouldn't that be a supreme accumulation of merit? In days to come, the myriad immortal abodes of this place will naturally look to me as their leader.*

Ji Feichen's goal was to forge this ancient battlefield into a gathering place for all immortals—much like Penglai, Mount Shu, or Kunlun from his past life—becoming the ancestral court where numerous immortal Daoist sects converged. Only by sheltering the myriad immortals and cultivating broad affinities in such a manner could he stand toe-to-toe with the Supreme Origin Palace.