Chapter 149: The Bottom Line of an Immortal

To begin with, the Iron Feathered Taoist and his two companions fled deep into the southern border, heading toward the main altar of the Blazing Sun Demonic Cult.

The main altar of the Blazing Sun Demonic Cult, also known as the Thousand-Avian Peak, was a towering and treacherous giant mountain standing three thousand zhang high. This peak was lined with jagged cliffs, soaring steeply into the clouds, and served as the habitat for numerous ferocious birds.

The Demonic Path cultivates turbidity, generally choosing barren and desolately wicked places to extract the turbid veins of the earth and transform them into demonic killing power. Viewed from the south, this Thousand-Avian Peak looked like a gigantic, headless bird spreading its wings in flight.

The reason the flying bird was said to be headless was that during the previous Immortal-Demon tribulation, immortals of the Profound Gate had severed the "Cinnabar-Feather Peak," which formed the head of the demonic cult's main altar.

By smashing the "cinnabar-feathered head" part of the bird, the three-thousand-zhang high peak was reduced to twenty-four hundred zhang, ruining the geomantic fortune of the Thousand-Avian Peak and causing the Blazing Sun Demonic Cult to decline accordingly.

However, there were supreme experts within the demonic cult who subsequently used broken rocks nearby to erect a small mountain ridge. After bestowing spiritual energy upon its feng shui, they used it to sustain the earth vein fortune of the Blazing Sun Demonic Cult. Although it could not compare to the divine peak originally molded by celestial immortals, it at least kept them from ranking at the bottom among the Ten Demonic Sects.

As the three men hurried to the Thousand-Avian Peak, Yang Fei and several disciples had been waiting for a long time.

Upon seeing Yang Fei, the Right Roc Envoy's eyes lit up. "Young Cult Master!"

The Left Roc Envoy and the Iron Feathered Taoist also stepped forward to pay their respects. "Greetings, Young Cult Master."

Seeing the disheveled appearance of the three men, Yang Fei understood a thing or two in his heart. "It seems these people suffered a defeat over at the Immortals' Dwelling of the Vault of Heaven?"

The Left Roc Envoy wore a gloomy expression. "Young Cult Master, please announce our arrival. The three of us have important matters to report to the Cult Master."

Yang Fei shook his head. "Left Envoy Chen, if you are here to speak of the Immortals' Dwelling of the Vault of Heaven, my father already knows and has ordered me to wait here."

"He knows?" The Left Envoy's heart sank. Thinking of the demonic cult's punishments for failure, a chill gripped his soul. The current Cult Master of the Blazing Sun Demonic Cult was by no means a kind-hearted man. If he learned that they had acted privately, what good could they possibly expect upon returning?

Anxious and uneasy, the Right Roc Envoy carefully said to Yang Fei, "Young Cult Master, our Roc faction was careless this time. I ask the Young Cult Master to put in a good word for us before the Cult Master." He and Yang Fei were considered old acquaintances, so he took a step forward to speak.

Yang Fei smiled. "Uncle Wang need not worry. This failure at the immortals' dwelling was anticipated by the Divine Cult long ago."

He said to the three of them, "This killing tribulation stems from three causes. First, the successor of the Vault of Heaven Pavilion has emerged, and the Primordial Origin Palace, planning for a millennium hence, has triggered the killing tribulation in advance. Second, the Great Hong Imperial Dynasty acts perversely and brings great disaster to the world, for which the Immortal Dao has long made preparations. Third, the various gods are wrathful, and the divine paths of various regions have joined forces to alter the heavenly mandate, seeking to shatter the rivers and mountains of the Great Hong and establish a new dynasty. Although the lineage of the Vault of Heaven Pavilion employs ancient methods, since they are leading the tribulation, it is only right that a battle be fought at the Immortals' Dwelling of the Vault of Heaven."

"That immortals' dwelling is the gateway to the southern border, and our Divine Cult bears an inescapable duty. Father was well-prepared for this chaotic battle at the immortals' dwelling." As he spoke, a leaf drifted down from the Left Roc Envoy's body.

Yin and Yang dual qi emerged from the leaf, transforming into twin dragon scissors that snipped off a wisp of the Left Roc Envoy's hair.

随后, the leaf transformed into a letter.

Yang Fei took it, looked it over, and sneered, "The successor of the Vault of Heaven Pavilion is that fellow named Qinghong, right? I heard he is even sworn brothers with someone from the Underworld Sect? Who would have thought both of them would be such meticulous thinkers." With a flick of his wrist, he shattered the letter into pieces, then turned his gaze toward Left Envoy Chen.

Cutting one's hair in lieu of beheading was an ancient custom. Hair was regarded as one of the quintessential essences of the human body, possessing spirituality and connected to the brain. Severing the hair meant that one's life could be taken. The intent behind the battle challenge sent by Ji Feichen was self-evident.

Today I sever your hair; another day I shall take your dog's head!

This was his exact message written on the leaf.

Yang Fei read the letter, burning with annoyance in his heart.

"Young Cult Master, what was that letter?"

"A battle challenge. They, too, understand the importance of the Immortals' Dwelling of the Vault of Heaven, and they want to draw the lines with us to contend for the future ownership of the immortals' dwelling—no, that ancient battlefield region."

"Ownership?"

"He said we must engage in three bouts of magical combat to determine the five-hundred-year ownership of that territory. If we lose, we cannot touch that place for five hundred years. Of course, your endeavor this time counts as the first bout." Yang Fei turned and ascended the mountain to pay homage to the Cult Master, reporting the battle challenge sent by Ji Feichen.

Upon hearing this, the Cult Master remarked curiously, "The Vault of Heaven successor is quite the proud and lofty fellow. Come to think of it, he is about your age. You shall lead the Roc, Peacock, and Swan Goose factions to make a trip there. Probe the Vault of Heaven Pavilion and see what methods he possesses. The second bout of magical combat hardly warrants us exhausting all our methods."

With the Vault of Heaven Pavilion stationed right at the gateway of the southern border, and this "neighbor" holding different beliefs from them, the Cult Master naturally wished to observe their attitude and methods.

The personnel from the three factions of the Blazing Sun Demonic Cult set out for the Immortals' Dwelling of the Vault of Heaven. Inside the immortals' dwelling, yet another group of immortal practitioners arriving from all directions had gathered. Fortunately, Qinghong and Fairy Yuzhi had made preparations beforehand, ordering young attendants to erect thatched cottages at the entrance to receive them, serving them fruits and fragrant tea with utmost care. At least this prevented the Vault of Heaven Pavilion from losing face before their peers from various factions.

Yet now, a problem lay squarely before everyone.

How should those captured during the first bout of magical combat be disposed of?

"Daoist Brother Qin, please quickly find a way to take these demonic cultivators away. The space in my immortals' dwelling is small and cannot accommodate these people." Qinghong had several demonic cultivators locked up in the back; how could he dare let the immortals discover even a trace of this?

Thus, they hastily dispatched the Supreme Firmament Palace to escort the cultivators of the Blazing Sun Demonic Cult into the Demon-Suppression Pagoda.

"And those five thousand White Crow Soldiers..." Thinking of this, Qinghong wore a troubled expression. "Fellow Daoists, how these people should be settled—I must trouble you all to devise a plan."

The immortals were all elite disciples of their respective sects. When it came to engaging in magical combat and discussing the Dao, everyone was proficient. But facing these White Crow Soldiers, they each found themselves in a bind.

"Heaven has the virtue of loving life. Logically speaking, these mortal spirit crows should be set free. But as spirit beasts and puppets reared by the demonic cult, once released, wouldn't they plague the common people? Moreover, those puppets each possess hazy spiritual intelligence, and whether they can survive after being released is also a question."

"Yet if they remain in the immortals' dwelling, the three daily meals of these people—my immortals' dwelling cannot entertain them." With five thousand mortals causing a ruckus in the immortals' dwelling, how was Qinghong to manage?

"For now, we have rendered them unconscious, but this is ultimately not a long-term solution."

Li Jingshu and the others were speechless. Although the major sects all possessed their own grotto-heaven worlds capable of sustaining mortal life, how could they possibly have the face to send these demonic cult adherents back to their own sects?

Zhang Yuanchu said helplessly, "Every one of our sects has elders who hold evil in abhorrence; I fear they will not easily allow these beings to live within our grotto-heavens."

"As the Daoist friend said, these people have completely lost their spiritual intelligence. Might as well let us send them to undergo dissolution of the physical form so that they may have a better destination in their next life?" So suggested an immortal who had just arrived.

Upon hearing this, several female immortals furrowed their brows. Dissolution of the physical form sounded pleasant enough, but it merely meant they would slaughter these Dao-soldiers one by one.

Yet at present, there truly was no other way. Thus, everyone looked toward Qinghong. "Daoist Friend, you are the master of this place, what do you say?"

Fairy Yuzhi raised an eyebrow, silently sitting beside Qinghong to listen to his words. According to the fairy's true nature, she naturally did not wish to slaughter these innocent people. "Let us use this to see how much maliciousness my junior brother's spellcraft truly holds." Being decisive in slaughter was fine, but the fairy believed that what made a person human was having one's own bottom line. An immortal, after all, could never escape that word "human."

Qinghong pondered for a long time while Qin Wu and the others stared at him, clearly waiting for him to shoulder this karmic burden.

"If it were up to me, immortal combat inevitably involves blind swords, and bloodshed between sides is hard to avoid. The struggle between immortals and demons is all the more a dispute of the Great Dao, allowing for zero mercy. We immortal and demonic cultivators slaying one another is simply the constant principle of the heavenly way. Today you kill him, tomorrow he kills you—it is merely the cycle of heaven. However, our struggles must never involve innocent mortals."

This was the bottom line of Qinghong—no, of Ji Feichen—in his conduct and actions. Scheming and manipulating against immortals and demons meant nothing more than viewing each other as belonging to the same category. In that case, everyone could pull out their thirty-six stratagems and display their divine powers. Having rolled around in the Demonic Path for many years, his methods were ruthless, falling no short of those demonic cultivators.

Yet mortals possessed no power to truss a chicken when facing immortals and demons. Having lived through two lifetimes, Ji Feichen's bottom line was never to implicate innocent mortals. From the time he began his cultivation until now, he had genuinely never killed a single mortal.

"Although these White Crow Army puppets are people of the demonic cult, they are ultimately innocent mortals. If any of you have family or friends who died at their hands, just speak up to me; I will by no means shield them and will let you exact your revenge. But if they have committed no bloodshed with their hands, we should turn back and devise a way to save them."

At Qinghong's words, a faint smile appeared on Fairy Yuzhi's face: Junior Brother still retains some of the demeanor of an immortal saving the world. No wonder those few seniors favored him so, acknowledging his revival of the Qi-Refiner lineage. Though he rolled around in the Demonic Path, as long as this bottom line was guarded, other matters were of little consequence. As long as... as long as he did not follow in that person's footsteps and fall into the demonic path.

Li Jingshu's expression radiated brilliance as she scrutinized Qinghong up and down, seeing that his expression held no pretense. She praised, "Senior Brother truly possesses the bearing of a genuine immortal Daoist. Indeed, we immortals also cultivate step-by-step from being mortals. Mortals are our foundation; we may choose not to shelter them and watch their own karmic cycles unfold. But to strike at mortals is simply too base."

The distinction between immortals and demons largely lay right here: Should mortals be viewed as equals? Should mortals be used to practice cultivation? This was a standard by which the Profound Gate measured immortals and demons. Otherwise, a Profound Gate sect like the White Lotus Pure Sect would never have been driven into the demonic path.

"Then, how does the Uncle-Master plan to arrange this?" Fu Yutang suddenly spoke up at that moment.

Instantly, everyone present turned once more to look at Qinghong.

Qinghong shrugged. "I have no way; my immortals' dwelling cannot accommodate these people either. So I can only ask for help." He pulled out the Heaven-Covering Talisman, made contact with Tushan, and explained the situation on his end.

"Whenever you look for me, there's never any good news."

"Then will you help or not?"

"A mere wave of the hand, what's impossible to help with?" Tushan readily agreed. "I'll send people over to your side to pick them up later on. Our fox clan happens to be short on people, so send them over for me to look at. I'll have fox maidens take care of them, and later on I'll look for an opportunity to see if we can undo their puppet talismans."

Hearing the conversation between the two, Liu Zihao asked in astonishment, "Daoist Friend, you're going to send these people to the monsters' side? Can those fox demons be trusted? In case they use them to harvest yin to replenish yang..."

"Do you think everyone is like you?" Jing Xuan laughed and scolded. "Little brother Tushan has a fine personality. Since he is willing to undertake this matter, naturally he will handle it well."

Tushan? A strange glint flashed through Qin Wu's eyes. The elders in the Supreme Firmament Palace had repeatedly mentioned the potential successor of the demon race to him.

The demon star Tushan—this was an existence no less formidable than himself.

"Tushan is on good terms with these people of the Supreme lineage. Is his character truly like this, making him intellectually and emotionally compatible with the Supreme lineage? Or is this demon race successor harboring deep schemes, wishing to take the opportunity to win over our Profound Gate and prevent us from obstructing the rise of their demon race?"

Those not of our race must surely harbor different hearts. Regarding matters concerning the demon race, Qin Wu could not help but harbor a few extra doubts. Thus, he had Wu He lead the demonic cult personnel back to the Demon-Suppression Pagoda, while he remained here to await the arrival of the fox clan.