Aspiring to the Immortal Path

Chapter 372: Formation

Shi Jingzhai was wearing coarse clothes and seemed like some docile man from the countryside, even holding a pouch of tobacco. Next to him were Liang Xingbang and Yu Wanniang, who were dressed as a wealthy old man and his concubine.

Several dozen Stone Gate disciples had dressed up as escorts and were guarding the convoy.

This operation was of enormous scale and cost, unprecedented for the Stone Gate Sect. Failure might mean the destruction of the sect, so even the three Celestial Heart True Persons were extremely cautious about any mishaps. Some of the Stone Gate Sect disciples didn’t even know what was being held inside the wagons.

After the convoy left the village, it continued toward Duskland. Once they were in a deserted area, Liang Xingbang suddenly unrolled a sleeve. A cloud emerged, which lifted up the forty-some wagons into the air.

Even if they couldn’t use Mustard Seed Bags to hold the goods, a Celestial Heart True Person still wouldn’t have a hard time transporting goods. But there was another risk that prevented them from flying for too long.

The wagons and their escort took to the skies and rapidly flew in the direction of Duskland. But as they approached a city, Liang Xingbang waved his hand, and the convoy landed and continued to slowly move forward as a regular convoy would.

There was a flash of light in the clouds above the city.

A few moments later, a Spirit Master peeked his head out of the clouds and looked around, muttering, “Strange–there was clearly a large-scale spiritual energy pulse just a moment ago. Why did it disappear?”

This was one of the various inspectors the Basking Moon Sect had stationed all around the kingdom.

There were countless more of these inspectors, cultivators who specialized in surveillance. In these last two years, while the secret mining had been going on, the Stone Gate Sect had done everything possible to get a grasp of all the inspector cultivators in Ling Province, as this was the only way they could speedily move their cargo. A normal cultivator probably would have run right into the hands of the Basking Moon Sect’s inspectors and been made to spill their secrets.

Once the convoy was through the city, Yu Wanniang said, “We’re good.”

Shi Jingzhai unrolled his sleeve, picking up the convoy and flying into the sky, only landing when they reached another inspection point.

Repeating this process, they managed to reach the border of Sageheart by the afternoon.

Yu Wanniang pointed at the large gates ahead. “Past the Lotus Pass is the border between the two kingdoms. Struggles are most frequent there, so that is the place under heaviest surveillance. We’ll have to walk the rest of the way.”

As Yu Wanniang frequently crossed the border to negotiate with the Seven Absolutions Sect, she was most familiar with how much this area was under surveillance, which was much tighter than within the country. She was often alone, so she usually wasn’t troubled when flying here and there. Even so, formations would still flash as they scanned her Mustard Seed Bag. Just bringing around those five Crystallized Sandworms had been a huge problem for her.

In comparison, transporting goods like mortals on the ground was much more convenient, and the Basking Moon Sect usually didn’t go out of its way to inspect them. This was precisely why illicit goods were usually smuggled through land-based routes.

This was understandable. Immortals that could fly were few in number, and one could go half a month without running into one. As a result, they were closely examined. But there were numerous mortals on the ground, and not even Immortals had the energy to question them all.

The convoy landed back on the ground and made its way to Lotus Pass.

Ten-some soldiers stood in front of Lotus Pass, inspecting the merchants who were coming and going.

As the convoy approached, their captain came up and asked, “Where did you come from and where are you going?”

A Stone Gate disciple came up and answered, “Sir, we’re a caravan from Canglong Prefecture, belonging to the Gu Clan. We plan to do business at Watcher River Town.”

“Another one to Watcher River Town?” the soldier grunted. “Watcher River Town belongs to an enemy kingdom. All of these people heading off to enemy territory… I have to wonder if they’re spies.”

The Stone Gate disciple paled. “Sir, this lowly one doesn’t understand what you’re saying. While Duskland is a foreign country, it has never been at war with Sageheart. When did it become an enemy country? There is free trade between the two countries, which is a rule set down by the two major Immortal sects, Basking Moon and Seven Absolutions. Why does frequently going there make one a spy?”

The soldier glared. “Oh my, what tone is this? Is it your place to speak? I don’t think an ordinary person has the ability to dare argue against a captain. With this tone of yours, maybe you really are a spy.”

The Stone Gate disciples were furious.

What sort of people were they?

Cultivators!

High and mighty cultivators!

Although the Stone Gate Sect lowered itself in front of the Basking Moon Sect, how could they not act arrogantly in front of these mere mortals?

Normally, they would only need to reveal that they were cultivators to have these soldiers groveling like dogs, but today, they were being bullied around by these dogs.

If not for their mission, that Stone Gate disciple would have unleashed a spell and massacred this squad of soldiers.

Fortunately, an older disciple came forward and stuffed something into the soldier’s hand, whispering, “Sir, we’re all honest merchants. Please, be lenient on us.”

The soldier weighed the item in his hand and then grinned. Waving his hand, he said, “Let them through!”

The convoy finally gained entry.

As that Stone Gate disciple was leaving, he glared at the soldier, silently fuming, When I come back, I’ll catch you and flay your hide!

The soldier watched the convoy leave with a big smile. Once it was off in the distance, he stopped smiling, waited a little longer, and then strode into the city.

He walked for some time, finally arriving at a residence. Knocking on the door, he said, “Honored Immortal, I seek an audience.”

The door opened, revealing a man clothed in black.

“Did you find them?” the man in black said in a raspy voice.

“Yes,” the soldier respectfully replied. “There are forty-some wagons, escorted by fifty to sixty people. Their leaders are a white fatty, a thin, dark-skinned man, and a woman who is rather beautiful. This lowly one probed them as Honored Immortal instructed, and sure enough, their tones were haughty, instantly exposing that they were not ordinary people. Otherwise, no matter how unjustly they had been accused, they would not dare to argue with a soldier.”

The man in black took out a talisman and burned it. He said, “Good job. The people you were watching were all traitors to the Basking Moon Sect, possessing immense magic power. I could not approach them for fear of alerting them, so I required your assistance. You have achieved great merit, and when this matter is done, you will be richly rewarded.”

The soldier was delighted. “Honored Immortal, you said that you would take me into the Basking Moon Sect.”

The man in black laughed. “Naturally, but there is a problem with that… I’m not actually from the Basking Moon Sect.”

“What?” The soldier reeled in shock as the man in black placed a hand on the man’s head. The soldier swayed a little before dropping dead to the floor.

The man in black giggled as he looked at the corpse, and then he walked out of the room and shut the door.

Not long after he left, another person appeared.

It was Shi Meng.

Opening the door, Shi Meng looked at the body and sighed. “So ruthless! Thank you for your sacrifice to the country. The Basking Moon Sect will take care of your family.”

Shi Meng burned a talisman, closed the door, and walked off in the other direction.

After leaving Lotus Pass, the convoy proceeded along the trade route that the Wei Clan had opened up. As they couldn’t fly, their speed was much slower, and by night, they were still in the forest. Fortunately, they had left a day early, so they wouldn’t be late.

That night, the convoy camped out in the forest.

Although they didn’t need to, they still lit campfires, which twinkled like stars.

Liang Xingbang stood next to a campfire, hands held behind his back. After a while, he said, “Strange—the wind isn’t that strong, so why do I suddenly feel rather cold?”

“Even if the wind was strong, it still wouldn’t make you feel cold, no?” Shi Jingzhai stared into the fire as he spoke. “What makes us cold isn’t the wind, but people!”

A smile appeared on Liang Xingbang’s face. “True. Look at this fire, at how freely it crackles and sparks. I have to wonder how many eyes it has attracted.”

Next to him, Yu Wanniang sighed. “The more we go on with this, the less confident I feel. Too many people watching… Maybe we really were wrong?”

“‘Wrong’?” Shi Jingzhai raised an eyebrow. “As cultivators, we struggle against the heavens, struggle against other people. If we don’t have the courage to even take a little risk, why are we even cultivating Immortality in the first place? Look here. With things having gone this far, if someone had really gone and told the Basking Moon Sect, you really think they would have waited this long? From this, we can see that everyone has their selfish desires. Since that’s the case, what do we have to fear? If they dare to come at us, we’ll destroy them all!”

After all, he was a Celestial Heart True Person. When he spoke, he had a heroic and bold aura.

Yu Wanniang saw Shi Jingzhai’s attitude and could only sigh.

That night, the three True Persons simply meditated rather than sleeping, but all was peaceful and without the slightest danger.

Early next morning, the convoy set off again, winding its way toward Sageheart’s border.

The border between the two countries was mountainous, with high mountains and thick forest wherever one looked. If not for the fact that the ones escorting the convoy were all cultivators, they would have found the rough journey alone unbearable. Fortunately, cultivators cared not about such things, and they moved rather quickly and soon emerged from the mountain forest. Gradually, they neared the nameless valley that Tang Jie had spotted.

The convoy slowly proceeded through the valley, everything seeming peaceful.

But as they went farther in, the scowls on the faces of Liang Xingbang and Shi Jingzhai grew nastier and nastier.

With their strength, they could already sense that someone was spying on them.

They had realized by now that they had fallen into a trap. They had expected the danger to be at Sunset Valley, but to their surprise, the ambush had come midway there.

A contest of schemes was sometimes very simple, a matter of whether one fell for the scheme or not. When one made a miscalculation, falling into a trap was simply par for the course.

But the three True Persons maintained their composure. Instead of sounding the alarm, they had the convoy keep going.

Finally, a muscular man wearing a tiger skin appeared on the road in front of them.

“Wang Juemie!” Shi Jingzhai narrowed his eyes.

Even though this was his first time meeting Wang Jiuemie, Shi Jingzhai still recognized the most talented disciple of the Seven Absolutions Sect within the last thousand years with a single glance.

He stood in the center of the road, smiling at the convoy. “True Persons, I trust that you have been well.”

Yu Wanniang’s face darkened. “Wang Juemie, didn’t we agree to make the trade at Sunset Valley? What are you doing here?”

Wang Juemie chuckled. “Oh, I changed my mind. Sunset Valley is too far, so it’s best to take the goods here.”

Yu Wanniang snorted. “Oh, is that so? Then where’s the money?”

Wang Juemie replied, “The money is in Sunset Valley. You hand the goods over to me here, and then you head to Sunset Valley to get the money.”

The reply had all three True Persons scowling.

Wang Juemie had basically announced that he wasn’t going to pay. Even though they had mentally prepared for this, the three True Persons were enraged.

Shi Jingzhai took in a deep breath and then angrily smiled. “Good! Good! I didn’t think that a sect like the Seven Absolutions Sect would break its word over a few million spirit coins.”

Wang Juemie sighed. “The Seven Absolutions Sect has vast wealth, but it also has vast expenses, so it’s best to save where one can. And didn’t the three of you already guess at it? I’m sure that you three True Persons are strong enough to have sensed the existence of my brothers.”

As he spoke, the Seven Absolutions Sect disciples emerged from their positions around the valley. They coldly looked at the valley floor, completely lacking the fear they should have had toward the three Celestial Heart existences.

Perhaps because she had been the contact, Yu Wanniang was furious at this development, her body trembling. “Good, good! If that’s the case, then call your master! I’d like to see which master of the Seven Absolutions Sect dares to carry out such ruthless actions!”

Wang Juemie tilted his head. “As you say, the seniors of my Seven Absolutions Sect disdain to do such ruthless things and naturally would not show themselves. Thus, I am responsible for this matter.”

“Wh… what?” Shi Jingzhai and company were so shocked that their eyeballs almost dropped out from their sockets.

It was true that the Stone Gate Sect feared the Seven Absolutions Sect, but what they feared was those illustrious figures at the Celestial Heart Realm or above, not someone at the Mortal Shedding Realm like Wang Juemie.

Even if he was at the peak of Mortal Shedding, it was impossible for him to beat a Celestial Heart True Person. Those battles where someone defeated a person above their level more frequently happened at Mortal Shedding and below. For the last ten thousand years, one could count with one hand the number of Mortal Shedding cultivators who had defeated Celestial Heart cultivators, and there had not even been one in the last several thousand years.

And that wasn’t even considering that there were three Celestial Heart True Persons here.

How could Wang Juemie be so arrogant and self-assured?

Shi Jingzhai glared at Wang Juemie. “Say that again!”

Wang Juemie’s face darkened. “As I said, my seniors don’t need to come out to deal with a small sect like yours. I alone am enough!”

“Audacious!” Shi Jingzhai furiously roared, thrusting out a palm.

A giant palm the size of a small mountain hurtled toward Wang Juemie.

Wang Juemie laughed. He looked at the approaching palm and suddenly roared, unleashing a furious punch.

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As fist met energy palm, there was a thunderous boom, and then the palm disappeared. Wang Juemie had actually managed to dispel it with a single punch!

Shi Jingzhai was taken aback by the sight. “I have long heard that the Great Brother of the Seven Absolutions Sect cultivates the Nebulous Heaven Origin Mantra and the Indestructible True Demon Body Refiner Art, that he specializes in body refining, turning his body into an art relic, and possesses incredible combat power without external aid. I now see that your strength truly is extraordinary, resisting my palm with your fist. But that palm just now was not a serious strike. If you can take this attack, I’ll be convinced!”

Shi Jingzhai bent his finger and flicked, firing a bolt of wind into the sky. This bolt curved in the air and descended toward Wang Juemie like an arrow.

The Heavenly Arrow Finger!

Wang Juemie laughed as this finger bolt came down. “I’ll take it! Nothing to be afraid of!”

He shook his arms, leaped into the sky, and punched at the finger bolt.

The fist slammed into the bolt, releasing a powerful shockwave. Wang Juemie’s fist exploded with spiritual light, and he really did succeed in blocking the finger strike.

Whether he won or lost this battle, the fact that he, a peak Mortal Shedding Realm cultivator, could block the spell arts of a Celestial Heart True Person was proof enough of his terrifying strength.

As he blocked the finger, Shi Jingzhai’s eyes suddenly flashed with a cunning light. “What about this one?”

He moved his left hand, and the earth trembled. A moment later, a giant stone hand emerged from the ground, reaching for the airborne Wang Juemie.

The Earth Soul Hand!

Shi Jingzhai’s Daoist title was “Deep Earth”, indicating that his actual expertise was in Earth spell arts. This Earth Soul Hand was one of his most proficient spell arts, and he knew it so well that he could cast it with a raise of his hand.

Although he was surprised that the Seven Absolutions Sect hadn’t sent a True Person, Shi Jingzhai did not get careless. He wanted to end this battle quickly using overwhelming force, not even caring for his dignity or pride.

At the same time, Liang Xingbang and Yu Wanniang, as his colleagues of many years, struck at the valley sides in unison.

Liang Xingbang raised his hand and unleashed a powerful wave of wind, which twisted into a black dragon that lunged toward one mountain.

Yu Wanniang took out a string of bells, and as the bells shook in the air, they released a strange sound that dizzied the mind.

The power of the three Celestial Heart True Persons attacking in unison was truly something else.

But the moment the Earth Soul Hand emerged, Wang Juemie laughed and said, “I knew you guys would try a trick like this! You dogshit Celestial Hearts, go die!”

With this bellow, the entire valley quaked, and then countless golden pillars of light emerged from all around the valley.

These golden pillars of light exuded a powerful aura as they extended across the sky.

These golden pillars appeared like the Fire Beacon Smoke Net Formation that Mu Yi had used in the Immortal Fortune Conference. Just like that formation, the pillars gathered together in the sky, forming a giant golden cage, like a golden version of the Fire Beacon Formation.

But it wasn’t actually a Smoke Net Formation.

As the golden pillars emerged, Shi Jingzhai watched in shock as his Earth Soul Hand silently dissipated.

It wasn’t just his Earth Soul Hand. Liang Xingbang’s dragon and Yu Wanniang’s bells lost their effect.

The wind dragon dissolved into spiritual light while the golden bells dropped to the ground.

A storm stirred within the valley.

This wind hadn’t come from outside the valley, but had started from the inside, like something had exploded. In a flash, the wind had engulfed the valley.

A moment later, the entire valley had transformed.

Although the valley was still the same valley, apparently unchanged, any cultivator could sense that a most important thing was now missing.

Spiritual energy!

The golden cage still spanned the world.

And within the cage, there was not a single trace of spiritual energy.

“The Heaven Earth Spirit Isolation Formation!” Shi Jingzhai cried out.

It’s time for the showdown! But Wang Juemie taking on three True Persons? Seems a bit much.