Translator: She.Wee

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Chapter 105: Peace In The World And Four Seasons In Harmony 

Chi Muyao sought guidance from Guannan Tianzun many times regarding the method of array formations. Each time, Chi Muyao asked so persistently that Guannan Tianzun lost his patience and became somewhat irritated. Only then would Chi Muyao take a brief break, allowing Guannan Tianzun the time to sip a cup of tea before resuming his questions.

In the end, Guannan Tianzun even took a deep breath and sighed, “Thank goodness you’re not my disciple.”

Chi Muyao felt wronged. Guannan Tianzun’s impatience was truly unsuited for taking on disciples. He couldn’t understand how Yu Yanshu and Xi Zihe managed to endure it.

Feeling aggrieved, Chi Muyao responded, “Luckily, my master isn’t you.”

Before their mutual irritation could escalate, the array diagram Chi Muyao had submitted for Guannan Tianzun’s review finally received approval. “This time, you’ve actually improved. Seems like you used your brain.”

“After this, I’ll trouble you, Shizu Gong, to stay at Hehuan Sect and wait.”

Chi Muyao was also worried that Guannan Tianzun might secretly inform Nuan Yan Pavilion and leak his array to Tianzun Xianyue, which would completely ruin their plan.

Guannan Tianzun, rubbing his temples, replied helplessly, “Yes, after teaching you the array, I indeed need a few days of rest. Return Si Ruoyu to me quickly once you’re done.”

“Understood.”

“If something happens to her, I’ll hold you accountable.”

“Understood.”

From Guannan Tianzun’s perspective, he had only instructed Si Ruoyu’s grand-disciple in array techniques and hadn’t participated in anything else.

This array was placed at Qingze Sect, designed based on its terrain, so it had strong limitations. It couldn’t be used elsewhere and could only serve as Qingze Sect’s defense.

Having done all this, Guannan Tianzun felt no guilt.

However, if Nuan Yan Pavilion were to exploit this opportunity and attack Qingze Sect to prevent a Divine Transformation Stage cultivator from emerging, then this would become a terrifying killing array.

Guannan Tianzun originally had no desire to get involved in these matters and had even thought of leaving Nuan Yan Pavilion early.

He only wished for a peaceful, unambitious life.

Unfortunately, he was born into the cultivation aristocracy of Nuan Yan Pavilion, gifted with a rare single spiritual root, and had excellent qualifications, so great expectations were placed on him from birth.

From the moment he was born, he had been tethered to Nuan Yan Pavilion.

After experiencing so much, he had become numb. Sometimes, when he saw Yu Yanshu’s ambition, he even felt a bit envious.

He had long lost that drive.

If this time, this matter was Yu Yanshu’s choice as well…

He stood up, walked leisurely into Si Ruoyu’s cave, and never came out again.

During these days, he never left Hehuan Sect, nor did he send any communication talismans.

This seemed to be proof to Chi Muyao that he hadn’t contacted Nuan Yan Pavilion.

Standing at the door, Chi Muyao said, “I’m sorry for putting you in a difficult position.”

“What puts me in a difficult position is Nuan Yan Pavilion!” After this, Guannan Tianzun said no more.

The root of all this chaos stemmed from the twisted ambitions of Nuan Yan Pavilion, didn’t it?

Human chaos, worldly chaos, in the ever-turbulent world, it seemed that as long as one absorbed Qi into their body, they were already entangled in the rivers and lakes’ disputes.

Having embarked on the immortal’s path, how could one avoid the turmoil?

If one didn’t want to compromise, they had to resist.

It seemed that only by standing at the top, wielding absolute authority, could one truly discard their worries and find peace of mind.

The only hope was that all this would soon be over.

A gentle breeze blew through the courtyard of Hehuan Sect, stirring the brilliantly blooming peach blossoms.

Chi Muyao stood under the peach tree for a long time in silence before finally turning and walking away slowly.

The ultimate illusion realm could be so detailed that those who entered wouldn’t notice at all.

The surroundings remained the same, with steep cliffs and valleys, a breathtakingly beautiful landscape. The ground beneath their feet was solid earth, the sensation and sound of their footsteps on grass identical to reality. Even a Nascent Soul stage expert couldn’t detect any flaws.

Moreover, Yunwaitian was naturally a mountain range shrouded in mist. The range stretched for thousands of miles, with vast mountains seemingly buried in the clouds. The interplay of mist and clouds made it impossible for ordinary vision to see the end.

Everything in the illusion was so real that they could tell how many times the wind had blown and how often the birds had chirped. The mist was cool, and the flowers gave off a delicate fragrance.

In the entire cultivation world, only Si Ruoyu could wield illusions to such perfection.

Even Chi Muyao had to admit that, when it came to illusion techniques, he was far inferior to Si Ruoyu.

Because she had concealed her identity in Nuan Yan Pavilion for many years and hadn’t used her illusions in battle since returning to Hehuan Sect, her illusion techniques remained a secret weapon. Today was the first time they had come into play.

Tianzun Xianyue and her group had originally come in secret, naturally hiding stealthily in the forest.

They rarely ventured into the territory of the demonic sects and were unfamiliar with the Yunwaitian mountain range. Combined with the assistance of the mist, they entered the depths of the illusion without realizing they had already been trapped.

In their perception, they had used magical tools and moved silently through the forest. In reality, they were moving farther and farther away from Yunwaitian.

To the person who set the array, they appeared to be sneaking along an open path. Occasionally, they would raise their hands as if moving something—perhaps a branch obstructed them in the illusion—though in reality, nothing was there.

The more cautious they were, the more ridiculous they looked.

When the Mixed Primordial Extreme Spirit Array activated, the beauty of the mist suddenly became eerie and unfathomable. Only then did they realize they had fallen into a trap.

This array displayed the profoundness of spiritual energy in the cultivation world.

“Mixed Primordial” refers to primordial Qi before division, a state of chaos, the beginning of all energy.

“Extreme Spirit” is the true form of the ultimate, without shape, without color, soundless and formless, without beginning or end, indescribable, thus termed “ultimate.”

Innate primal Qi, the manifestation of the Dao, is the Mixed Primordial One Qi, which is also the ultimate.

Once this array is activated, those who enter are already in the realm of the ultimate.

Among the group were some adept in array formations. After sensing the abnormality, they immediately calculated, spreading their divine sense in all directions.

Knowing they had been ambushed meant they were aware their presence had been exposed. At this point, there was no need for further concealment, and they began to fight openly.

Tianzun Xianyue had been severely injured in the last battle and had spent over a decade in seclusion to barely recover.

However, her once-prized beauty had been ruined, and this had worsened her temper. Nowadays, fewer and fewer people were willing to follow her.

Without authority, no one was willing to follow her blindly anymore. The cultivators who came today only shared her same objective—they couldn’t let Qingze Sect possess a Divine Transformation Stage cultivator first.

Xi Huai’s talents were so outstanding that they shook the entire cultivation world. Many people had heard of this cultivator, who, despite his young age, had already reached the peak of the Nascent Soul stage before even reaching the end of the first cultivation phase. Such unprecedented talent made many suspect he could successfully break through to the Divine Transformation stage in one go.

It was such smooth progress that it drove others to madness with jealousy.

No cultivator in the world had yet reached the Divine Transformation stage, so no one knew just how powerful a Divine Transformation expert would be.

It seemed that Divine Transformation cultivators existed only in ancient legends, almost mythical.

If Qingze Sect gained a Divine Transformation stage cultivator, Nuan Yan Pavilion might be overtaken by Qingze Sect, and the unification of the Three Realms by the demonic sects would be within reach.

To prevent this possibility, Nuan Yan Pavilion had gathered these people to stop Xi Huai’s seclusion.

From Chi Muyao’s perspective, this seemed rather amusing, as if they were using a petty mindset to judge the heart of a nobleman.

Before they attacked the demonic sect, the cultivators of the demonic sect had never bothered with Nuan Yan Pavilion. Everyone was busy refining corpses, absorbing blood, and engaging in internal fights within the demonic sect. They simply had no time to pay attention to those old Taoists.

If there were ever conflicts, it was usually due to disputes over resources within a large formation. In a world where strength reigns supreme, these things were inevitable.

Even if Xi Huai were to successfully break through to the Divine Transformation Stage, the first thing he would do wouldn’t be to attack Nuan Yan Pavilion. Anyone who knew him would be aware that his first priority would be to test how much spiritual energy he could transfer to Chi Muyao through dual cultivation now that he was in the Divine Transformation Stage.

Afterward, he’d likely get caught up in the pleasures of dual cultivation, gradually forgetting about the outside world and its troubles.

By the time Xi Huai finally remembered that he could attempt to unify the three realms, perhaps by then other Divine Transformation Stage cultivators would have already emerged in the cultivation world.

Yet, the people of Nuan Yan Pavilion still felt the need to come this time.

They believed that the demonic sect cultivators were growing too arrogant and had to be nipped in the bud!

This time, Nuan Yan Pavilion sent a total of seventeen Nascent Soul stage elders without bringing anyone else.

Among these people, there were those who excelled in combat, as well as supportive cultivators. Although they might not be entirely united in their purpose, their combined abilities could not be underestimated. Together, they formed a formidable force.

As for Qingze Sect, all the powerful cultivators were inside Xi Huai’s cave dwelling, helping him break through, leaving those outside far weaker in comparison to the Nascent Soul stage elders from Nuan Yan Pavilion.

Fortunately, they had the illusionary formation assisting them, giving them the advantage of the terrain.

The shifting of the formation, combined with the eerie illusions, required them to focus intently on breaking through. However, ghostly figures kept appearing, and when they attacked, it turned out to be mere shadows.

At the same time, the formation launched its attacks toward them.

The formation’s changes occurred in an instant, leaving them no time to catch their breath.

“Such trivial tricks!” Tianzun Xianyue gritted her silver teeth and spat these words angrily, before throwing out a magical artifact.

This artifact was one that had recognized its master, and upon its release, the heavens and earth trembled. Before the ghostly figures could even approach, they dissipated, and the illusions could no longer manifest near her.

However, the formation’s attacks were truly fierce, preventing even the ten or so Nascent Soul stage cultivators from escaping quickly.

Soon, Tianzun Xianyue, who was familiar with Guannan Tianzun’s methods, realized that even if this formation was not personally created by Guannan Tianzun, it must have been influenced by his teachings.

She couldn’t think of anyone else whose formations had such a domineering and aggressive style.

“Guannan, you’ve driven me to this point!” Tianzun Xianyue gritted her teeth as she spoke, and then, looking around, she began forming hand seals to probe her surroundings. “Zhishan, you’re here, aren’t you? Even if I can’t stop that brat from completing his seclusion today, I will make sure to kill you!”

Si Ruoyu naturally heard her, but she didn’t respond, only smiling contemptuously.

She was the one responsible for setting up the illusions and couldn’t reveal her position, or it would cause the illusions to waver.

However, even without her moving, everyone knew the first person they needed to kill was Tianzun Xianyue, who was far more dangerous at this moment.

By now, the Azure Fox Ancestor had already managed to control three people, causing internal chaos among them.

Tianzun Xianyue immediately commanded, “Spread out! If you encounter a fellow disciple, don’t get entangled in unnecessary battles.”

The Nuan Yan Pavilion cultivators followed her orders, dispersing to break the formation and search for the formation’s core.

This was exactly the effect Chi Muyao had hoped for.

He feared the combined strength of these people, but it would be much easier to kill them if they were split up.

At that moment, someone approached Chi Muyao and stood beside him, drawing his attention.

Yu Yanshu slowly drew his sword and asked, “Is there a senior who can accompany me to kill Xianyue?”

The Azure Fox Ancestor, who had been watching him, laughed and said, “Let’s go together.”

Yu Yanshu and the Azure Fox Ancestor entered the formation side by side. Glancing at him, Yu Yanshu asked, “It seems that you don’t trust me.”

“I trust very few people.”

“You trust Junior Brother Chi a lot.”

“Because he’s foolish.” He willingly suffered just to save a spiritual beast, so naturally, he was a fool.

“We’ve met before in the Miasma Forest, haven’t we?”

“…” The Azure Fox Ancestor didn’t answer.

At this moment, two cultivators wielding swords attacked, shouting, “Yu Yanshu, how dare you collude with the demonic sect!”

The Azure Fox Ancestor merely glanced at them before murmuring, “Kneel.”

The two Nascent Soul stage cultivators immediately knelt, their eyes filled with unwillingness, yet their bodies no longer obeyed their commands.

In an instant, the Azure Fox Ancestor had taken control of the two.

He approached them, probing their spiritual consciousness while controlling them, and then gestured for the two to go attack others.

“Have you confirmed it now?” Yu Yanshu asked with a slight smile, “You saw from their spiritual consciousness that I’m not faking it.”

The Azure Fox Ancestor snorted coldly and continued pursuing Tianzun Xianyue.

Author’s Note:  

Chi Muyao: To be honest, my partner is so fixated on dual cultivation that it feels like he’s watching me like a hawk. If I’m not careful, I’ll be accused of betraying the furnace, and the pressure is immense. I really just want to rest (legs) (waist) (voice). His seclusion is actually great—I can finally walk properly again.

Xi Huai, rushing out of the seclusion cave: That’s nonsense! We have plenty of positions that allow you to stand up straight!

Chi Muyao: …

【Yao Weng, lock him up for me again!】