Chapter 188 — The True Man Claims Mounts (Part One)

"Disaster! The Tianxuan Blood Demon and the other blood demon haven't made it out yet. If they're killed, I'll have no clones next time to withstand that Immortal-Slaying Flying Dagger. If I run into that little Daoist Yuanyuan again, I'm dead for certain. No, no!" Prince Xuanyuan grew anxious and was about to flee back into Kunlun's cave-heaven when he saw two bloody shadows following behind the trails of demon wind. Only then did he relax.

"What a vicious treasure, and with the Apricot Yellow Flag guarding him besides—we can only take a beating. Prince, what do you say we do now? Fellow Daoist Extreme Yin is already dead, and we've lost a powerful helper. Though the Blood River Great Formation has defiled Kunlun, we didn't kill a single one of them. All told, we've suffered the greater loss. Next time we meet that Daoist Yuanyuan, I don't have your clones to substitute for me—it's perilous, nine parts in ten a certain death trap. I say we return to the East Sea and take the long view. Until we can break the Apricot Yellow Flag, we absolutely must not confront Kunlun."

The Great Strength Bear King was furious; Wen Yanlan said nothing. Suddenly the Six-Eyed Toad spoke: "Eldest Brother, there may actually be a way!"

"Oh? What way?" Prince Xuanyuan's interest was roused. The Tianxuan Blood Demon and the other blood demon flew over as well, transforming into disks of blood light that circled around, gathering and scattering by turns. Prince Xuanyuan had not questioned them, and they dared not speak. But having seen their companion slain, they were afraid at heart, and unable to resist Prince Xuanyuan. When they drew together, their bodies trembled slightly—clearly from fear that Prince Xuanyuan would again confront Yuanyuan and use them as cannon fodder.

The group descended and hid themselves within the vast, ten-thousand-li stretch of the Kunlun Mountains, finding a concealed spot to discuss their next move.

"Eldest Brother, though the Blood River Great Formation is formidable, breaking the Apricot Yellow Flag still poses some difficulty. As for formations that could break and refine that little Daoist Yuanyuan's Apricot Yellow Flag, there should be two at present. The first is the Immortal-Slaying Sword Formation beneath the North Sea Eye, which Brother Bear mentioned. According to Brother Bear's sect records, only the formation diagram is there, no swords. But with the diagram, we could forge four swords ourselves with our own magic power and lay out the sword formation according to the diagram—breaking the Apricot Yellow Flag would then be a near certainty." The Six-Eyed Toad analyzed carefully.

"No good, no good. That sea eye can't be reached unless we pass through the immortal estate's formation. But that Shuyang Sect's Zhou Xuan is likely even harder to deal with than Yuanyuan. Let's hear the second method!" Prince Xuanyuan pondered a while, shaking his head repeatedly.

The Great Strength Bear King nodded as well. "Brother Dao speaks truly. Shuyang Sect's master Zhou Xuan has unfathomable cultivation, wondrous and peerless treasures, and a vicious, ruthless, treacherous nature. I fear if we're not careful we'll fall into his schemes—he truly is harder to handle. Our original intent was to wipe out the Central Plains Daoist sects, build our strength, then force Zhou Xuan to hand over the immortal estate, rescue our sect's elders, and obtain the Immortal-Slaying Formation Diagram. Now that would be grasping the branch while forsaking the root—this method won't work."

Hearing this, the Six-Eyed Toad smiled bitterly. "It so happens my second method also involves that Zhou Xuan. To break the Apricot Yellow Flag, besides the Immortal-Slaying Formation, there is the Great Formation of the Capital Heaven Divine Malevolence—which, as Eldest Brother said, is that boy's specialty. In any case, whatever we do, we'll have to deal with that boy."

At this the group found themselves in a true dilemma. Prince Xuanyuan said hatefully, "A pity! I was deceived by that boy before, and wary of his Blood-Transforming Saber, so I delayed acting. Who'd have thought the boy had some fortune too—not only did he not die beneath Changping, his power advanced greatly and he cultivated a whole set of bizarre arts. Otherwise, the old ancestor would have risked destroying his original body to slay that boy and seize the Blood-Transforming Saber—then we wouldn't be in such a fix now!"

The Tianxuan Blood Demon beside him hastily cried out: "Old Ancestor, there is actually another way to deal with that boy, with great hope. The Old Ancestor knows that the boy's dual-cultivation partner is a disciple of the Great Freedom Palace. Why not storm the Great Freedom Palace, seize a few women, and have them notify the boy, telling him to trade something for them? So long as we don't touch the boy's bottom line, he'll surely agree."

Prince Xuanyuan's face lit up at once. "That method is good. Even if the boy, for his own interests, refuses to trade, at least we'll have weakened his strength and planted a heart-demon in him—a severe blow in any case. As things stand, this is the only plan left. Only, the Great Freedom Palace is no ordinary place either; going there may not be entirely advisable."

"Haha! Haha! Prince, I see Kunlun has frightened you into timidity. How many vicious treasures can there be under Heaven? Kunlun is the ancient birthplace of the Chan Teaching, and under our siege they had to bring out their very bottom holdings—the Apricot Yellow Flag, and there's no second one under Heaven, is there? Besides, we're going to seize a few disciples, not annihilate them. With our combined power, can we not even manage that?" The Great Strength Bear King laughed heartily, goading him, and there was some sense in his words.

The Six-Eyed Toad nodded as well. "That's right. To deal with that boy, this is the only way."

Prince Xuanyuan thought it over carefully again and found it feasible. "The Great Freedom Palace's cave-heaven is also in the Western Regions, only I don't know where. Finding it will take some effort, and we must act covertly lest we betray ourselves and alert the enemy." Everyone nodded.

"This Zhenren wasn't scheming against you, and yet you've gone and schemed against me. Well, well—Heaven aids me indeed! Tianxuan Blood Demon, this Zhenren promised two disciples they could take their revenge with their own hands. This time you've harbored wicked designs—there's no escape for you!"

It turned out Zhou Xuan, mindful of the ninety-nine and eighty-one Xuanyin Banners, and since Kunlun's cave-heaven had lost its value for him to remain, had quietly followed Prince Xuanyuan and his company. Zhou Xuan's cultivation was a notch above theirs, and they were fleeing in panic besides—how could they have detected him? Zhou Xuan hid at a distance, using faint divine sense to eavesdrop on their conversation, and discovered that, talk as they might, they had come around to scheming against him. He rejoiced inwardly: these demon folk, every one a murderous fiend of profound power—if they stormed the Great Freedom Palace, the Palace Master alone truly could not withstand them.

"So be it. Since you don't know where the Great Freedom Palace is, this Zhenren will lend you a hand. Besides, it's you who seek your own deaths—don't blame me for being ruthless!" A vicious thought turned in Zhou Xuan's mind. "You want my Capital Heaven Great Formation? Then I'll let you see it!"

The Tianxuan Blood Demon, hearing Prince Xuanyuan agree, was overjoyed. If they could threaten Zhou Xuan, he would avoid the fate of cannon fodder; even if the threat failed, it would delay matters and put off the confrontation with Kunlun—living a while longer was good in itself. As Prince Xuanyuan's clone, though he had his own consciousness, it brought him no benefit—rather, it was a sorrowful thing.