Chapter 882: Rushing to Beast God Mountain, The Cautious Demonic Mastermind!

“True Lord, your strategies are unparalleled and your divine abilities unmatched. Slaying True Lord Qianren with such ease! Under your command, the upcoming decisive battle will surely crush all opposition, sweeping through like a storm.”

“To follow at your side and witness your awe-inspiring might is truly my greatest honor!”

Above the Immortal City, True Lord Incinerating Wither, who was holding the line, caught sight of Lu Changsheng. Dressed in a profound black robe and cloak, wielding the Misty Dust Banner and the Nine Calamity Sword, his hair and attire slightly disheveled, Lu Changsheng struck a fearsome figure. A chill ran through True Lord Incinerating Wither as he hurried forward to offer his congratulations.

He knew full well that True Lord Yangming spared his life only because he still had value—useful for turning others and rallying the demonic cultivators of the Asura Sect and Liang Kingdom.

But once the Liang-Yue War ended, his usefulness would drastically diminish.

At that point, even if True Lord Yangming didn’t turn on him like discarding a worn-out tool, he’d still be ostracized by forces like the Hunyuan Sect, Purple Light Sect, and Heavenly Sword Sect. They’d never accept him.

So he had to seize this chance to prove himself, to earn the approval of True Lord Yangming and the other Nascent Soul cultivators of Jiang and Yue.

Sure, it was humiliating, a blow to the dignity and pride of a Nascent Soul cultivator.

But when it came to survival, pride meant nothing.

Besides, who among the Nascent Soul ranks would dare mock him?

After all, even among Nascent Soul cultivators, he’d always been at the bottom of the pecking order.

Yun Wanshang watched True Lord Incinerating Wither, a dignified Nascent Soul cultivator, fawn over Lu Changsheng with such flattery and deference. Disdain flickered in her heart.

Yet, considering his current predicament—a prisoner in all but name—and Lu Changsheng’s staggering strength, she couldn’t help but find it understandable.

Given the situation, even she stepped forward, cupping her hands toward Lu Changsheng. “Congratulations, True Lord Yangming, on slaying yet another Nascent Soul cultivator.”

Though Yun Wanshang and Lu Changsheng had spent countless days together, knowing each other’s depths, she still felt a strange disconnect.

Seeing him now, one hand gripping a vibrant long banner, the other clutching a grayish-green killing sword, his expression stern and aloof as the Lord of Dameng City, her mind reeled.

She couldn’t reconcile this imposing figure with the glib-tongued, frivolous Lu Changsheng she knew so well.

“Hm.”

Lu Changsheng nodded to the pair, refraining from teasing Yun Wanshang. “Caiyun, word of my absence from Beast God Mountain may have reached True Lord Nine Spirits. I must hurry there now. Keep watch over this place.”

With the crisis involving his wife Lu Miaoge and son Lu Lingxiao resolved, his priority was to reach Beast God Mountain as swiftly as possible.

If True Lord Nine Spirits and the Demonic Mastermind learned he was here, they might target the Golden-Winged Roc and Qian Zhuyan outside Beast God Mountain.

As he spoke, Lu Changsheng activated a Yin-Yang Sensory Talisman from his sleeve, sending a warning message to the Golden-Winged Roc.

Yun Wanshang understood the urgency and nodded without hesitation. “Don’t worry, leave this to me.”

“Miaoge, my dear.”

Lu Changsheng sent a mental message to Lu Miaoge with a final instruction.

If he strayed too far, the Three Treasure Incarnation would become little more than a puppet, beyond his control.

So he’d long arranged for Lu Miaoge to take over the incarnation using a technique of split consciousness.

Though she couldn’t wield the Nine-Nine Profound Talisman Sutra or his full array of spells and divine abilities as he did, she could still manage it, unleashing about half its strength.

“Understood.” Lu Miaoge replied, mentally instructing Lu Wangshu to take control of the talisman formation.

At that moment, the family of three worked in tandem. Lu Changsheng manipulated the talisman formation, unleashing the divine ability Great Sun Annihilation Divine Light to drive back and slay encroaching enemy cultivators.

Lu Miaoge, with the Yin-Yang Jade Purifying Vase hovering above her, invoked the divine ability of the Taiyin Ferrying Robe, shielding all three of them.

Lu Wangshu, surrounded by swirling talismans, gripped a talisman brush artifact, drawing symbols in the air to continuously refine and boost the formation’s power.

Together, even late Core Formation stage cultivators struggled to approach or challenge them.

With True Lord Yangming having cut down True Lord Qianren, and Caiyun True Lord alongside True Lord Incinerating Wither sealing off the Immortal City and the surrounding space, the demonic cultivators of Liang and Yuan Kingdoms had lost all will to fight.

Only a handful of Core Formation higher-ups clung to desperate resistance, unwilling to surrender.

After all, for Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment cultivators, surrender might mean survival.

But for these Core Formation cultivators, capture almost certainly meant a grim fate.

Yet with Yun Wanshang overseeing the battlefield, these Core Formation cultivators couldn’t even dream of escape, let alone self-destruct.

It wasn’t long before they were all subdued and imprisoned.

“Rest here and clean up the battlefield.”

Yun Wanshang issued the command, ordering her forces to tidy up the aftermath and establish the Immortal City as a stronghold.

At the same time, she produced two emergency jade talismans, relaying the news of True Lord Qianren’s death to True Lord Juejian and True Lord Hunyuan.

Though True Lord Qianren had been dealt with effortlessly by Lu Changsheng, his mastery of stealth and assassination made him a lingering terror in this war.

True Lord Hunyuan, True Lord Ziguang, and others had always feared him.

Other than Lu Changsheng, the Lord of Dameng City and True Lord Yangming, any one of them facing a Nascent Soul from the enemy side risked disaster if True Lord Qianren struck from the shadows.

Now that he was gone, they no longer had to fear his sudden ambushes.

Moreover, with one less top-tier combatant on the Liang-Yuan side, the upcoming decisive battle held little suspense!

“Now, it all hinges on Beast God Mountain…”

Yun Wanshang gazed at the battlefield below, then turned her eyes toward Beast God Mountain, murmuring to herself.

Though their forces were split, one army marching on Beast God Mountain and another on the Barebody Sect, the true crux of the conflict lay at Beast God Mountain!

At Beast God Mountain, deep within the forbidden zone of the rear mountains, True Lord Nine Spirits, still nurturing a fourth-rank dragon crocodile, received an urgent message.

True Lord Yangming had appeared at Huarong Immortal City, and True Lord Qianren’s fate was unknown!

Reading this, True Lord Nine Spirits’ expression hardened. He turned his gaze toward the clouds beyond Beast God Mountain, where the Golden-Winged Roc perched.

And to the figure standing atop the Golden-Winged Roc.

“Isn’t True Lord Yangming right here? How could he be at Huarong Immortal City?”

From such a distance, True Lord Nine Spirits couldn’t be entirely sure if the True Lord Yangming on the Golden-Winged Roc was real or not.

But of one thing he was certain: the Golden-Winged Roc, a fourth-rank demon king, was undeniably True Lord Yangming’s spirit pet!

“Could it be… this True Lord Yangming is a fake? Is the real one at Huarong Immortal City?”

“But how could True Lord Yangming know True Lord Qianren’s whereabouts and target Caiyun True Lord?”

True Lord Nine Spirits’ face darkened, a vague suspicion forming in his mind.

Yet True Lord Qianren, as a Nascent Soul True Lord of the Seven Killings Sect, was not only adept in stealth and assassination, but also carried a secret treasure to mask his aura and obscure heavenly secrets, aided by diviners from his sect.

Even with a medium or token, divining his location was near impossible.

So there was no way True Lord Yangming could have known where True Lord Qianren was or that he’d target Caiyun True Lord.

Not even with True Lord Xuanjian, a Divination Grandmaster from Yue Kingdom, on their side!

True Lord Nine Spirits took a deep breath and activated an emergency message talisman linked to True Lord Qianren.

One breath.

Two breaths.

Three breaths.

With no response, True Lord Nine Spirits knew True Lord Qianren was likely done for. He immediately relayed the news to Mo Luo.

Mo Luo’s expression also flickered with astonishment.

The plan for True Lord Qianren to assassinate Caiyun True Lord was a closely guarded secret.

Aside from himself, True Lord Nine Spirits, True Lord Yunmei, and True Lord Nightmare Eye, no one else knew.

Even they only knew an attempt would be made, not the exact timing.

Under such secrecy, there was no way Jiang or Yue Kingdoms could have gotten wind of it.

“Could it be… this True Lord Yangming is also a top-tier diviner?”

Mo Luo frowned slightly.

There was no other explanation for how True Lord Yangming could know True Lord Qianren intended to strike Caiyun True Lord.

But he quickly dismissed the thought.

Divination wasn’t something one could master just by having profound cultivation.

Without innate talent, forcing oneself to practice it would only harm the body.

True Lord Yangming’s combat prowess and divine abilities were already staggering. How could he also be a top-tier diviner?

Moreover, during wartime, heavenly secrets were chaotic and obscured, making divination far more difficult.

Even a fourth-rank Divination Grandmaster wouldn’t dare delve too deeply into such calculations.

Doing so would drain refined blood and lifespan, affecting combat strength and physical condition.

“So, does True Lord Yangming have a fourth-rank diviner behind him? Someone who teamed up with True Lord Xuanjian to deduce that True Lord Qianren might target Caiyun True Lord?”

Mo Luo mulled over the possibility, staring at the figure atop the Golden-Winged Roc, still unable to discern if it was real or fake.

He wondered if this True Lord Yangming had cultivated a second Nascent Soul or an External Incarnation divine ability.

Though the threshold for mastering an External Incarnation was incredibly high, and the incarnation’s strength didn’t match the original body, Mo Luo remained deeply wary of this enigmatic, mist-shrouded True Lord Yangming.

“Master, this golden roc bird carries a rare bloodline. It shouldn’t be long before it advances to fourth-rank…”

True Lord Nine Spirits continued speaking to Mo Luo, hoping to spur him into action to capture or kill the Golden-Winged Roc.

His hatred for True Lord Yangming ran bone-deep.

Not only had the man repeatedly thwarted his grand plans for Beast God Mountain, but he’d also captured and killed True Lord Tiancang, True Lord Huangquan, and True Lord Youyue of his faction.

Given the chance, he naturally wanted brutal revenge.

If he could seize or slay True Lord Yangming’s mount and spirit pet, it would at least vent some of the rage burning in his chest.

Mo Luo remained silent.

Under different circumstances, he wouldn’t mind stepping in to kill the Golden-Winged Roc.

After all, a fourth-rank shapeshifting demon king was a rare material to him as well.

Especially since the Golden-Winged Roc carried a trace of True Spirit bloodline, perfect for cultivating certain mystical secret techniques of the Blood Sea Sect.

But now, he was extremely cautious of True Lord Yangming and didn’t want to reveal himself prematurely.

He preferred to wait for True Lord Yangming to make the first move against Beast God Mountain, using the fourth-rank dragon crocodile to test the man’s true strength and hidden cards before deciding his own course of action.

Seeing Mo Luo’s reluctance to act even in this situation, True Lord Nine Spirits’ expression soured. He inwardly cursed the man for being cowardly and timid.

He couldn’t fathom how someone like this had cultivated to such a realm.

“Master, shall I have Gold Mane go test the waters first?”

True Lord Nine Spirits took a deep breath and made the suggestion, unwilling to let this opportunity slip.

Through the demonic aura of the Golden-Winged Roc, he’d roughly gauged its strength.

He was confident his spirit pet, the Gold Mane Lion King, could handle it.

The only concern was the ‘True Lord Yangming’ atop the Golden-Winged Roc and the hidden True Lord Xuanjian lurking in the shadows.

But if Mo Luo was willing to act, those worries would be irrelevant.

Mo Luo studied True Lord Nine Spirits’ expression for a moment before nodding. “Very well.”

“Gold Mane.”

True Lord Nine Spirits immediately sent a mental command to his spirit pet, the Gold Mane Lion King.

Though the Gold Mane Lion King was his spirit pet, as a fourth-rank shapeshifting demon king, it possessed high intelligence.

Its status in Beast God Mountain was second only to True Lord Nine Spirits, even surpassing True Lord Tiancang.

Hearing the order to test the Golden-Winged Roc in the clouds above, it shook its head and let out a low growl, reluctant to act due to the perceived risk.

But upon learning that True Lord Nine Spirits and Mo Luo would back it up, and that the Golden-Winged Roc’s demon core would be its reward, it roared fiercely and soared into the sky.

High in the clouds, the Golden-Winged Roc gleamed like a golden sun, its piercing cold eyes scanning Beast God Mountain below as if hunting for prey.

Just then, it spotted a massive figure charging out from Beast God Mountain—a lion king as large as a hill, its golden mane shimmering, with two golden horns sprouting from its head. The Gold Mane Lion King roared as it emerged.

At the sight of the Gold Mane Lion King, the Golden-Winged Roc didn’t hesitate. Its wings flared wide, streaking across the sky like a meteor, tearing through layers of space as it sped toward Huarong Immortal City.

It wasn’t that the Golden-Winged Roc, dubbed True Lord Golden Roc, feared the Gold Mane Lion King before it.

Rather, its master had instructed it to retreat at the first sign of danger, avoiding unnecessary conflict until he arrived.

Though the Golden-Winged Roc didn’t fear the Gold Mane Lion King, with its master absent and the enemy’s master right there at Beast God Mountain, Little Roc King wasn’t foolish enough to engage.

Of course, the main reason was that the Golden-Winged Roc wasn’t confident it could defeat the Gold Mane Lion King and saw no point in a meaningless fight.

Better to conserve its strength, wait for its master to arrive, and then hunt down this lion king together!

Qian Zhuyan, seeing this, used a message talisman from Lu Changsheng and True Lord Xuanjian to warn the hidden True Lord Xuanjian to stay cautious.

Her master was already on his way.

Receiving the message, True Lord Xuanjian, lurking in the shadows, instantly realized the figure atop the Golden-Winged Roc wasn’t True Lord Yangming.

He’d sensed something off about this ‘True Lord Yangming’ earlier, but never imagined the man had used a decoy to intimidate and restrain Beast God Mountain.

Such audacity was staggering.

Within Beast God Mountain, True Lord Nine Spirits and Mo Luo were caught off guard as they watched the Golden-Winged Roc turn and flee at the sight of the Gold Mane Lion King.

“You keep the dragon crocodile under control. I’ll go take a look.”

Though the Golden-Winged Roc’s retreat might be a ploy to lure them out, Mo Luo had confidence in his divine abilities and methods.

He gave True Lord Nine Spirits a brief instruction before his form shimmered into an intangible blood light, vanishing silently.

“Huff!” True Lord Nine Spirits exhaled wearily, a flicker of hatred burning in his eyes as he turned back to the fourth-rank dragon crocodile before him, casting a secret technique.

By now, this dragon crocodile had reached the mid fourth-rank stage.

If the seals and restrictions were lifted, even he wouldn’t be confident in re-sealing or suppressing it.

Yet he didn’t stop nurturing it, continuing to stimulate and push the dragon crocodile’s life potential to its limits.

After all, the sole purpose of this dragon crocodile was to force out True Lord Yangming’s true strength and hidden trump cards, ideally wounding him severely.

As for its lifespan, that was utterly irrelevant.

In the northern reaches of Liang Kingdom, True Lord Juejian led his army forward, pressing toward Beast God Mountain.

Just then, he received a message from Yun Wanshang.

True Lord Qianren had been slain by True Lord Yangming, and there might be developments at Beast God Mountain.

“What!?”

True Lord Juejian’s heart jolted, his face a mask of shock.

Though he’d long known of True Lord Yangming’s formidable strength, especially after the man’s recent feat of capturing four Nascent Soul cultivators, this was still staggering.

Having fought in the Liang-Yue War for so long, he had a clear grasp of the strength of Liang and Yuan Kingdoms’ Nascent Soul cultivators.

If True Lord Nine Spirits ranked first, then True Lord Qianren was undoubtedly second.

Not because True Lord Qianren’s cultivation or combat power surpassed True Lord Yunmei or True Lord Nightmare Eye, but because an veteran Nascent Soul cultivator skilled in stealth and assassination was a terrifying, unpredictable threat.

Yet now, this True Lord Qianren had been dealt with by True Lord Yangming.

A simple message, delivered so casually, with no details of the process.

It echoed past reports: True Lord Yangming capturing the Holy Maiden of Beast God Mountain and reclaiming Red Peak Immortal City; True Lord Yangming slaying True Lord Tiancang, True Lord Huangquan, and True Lord Incinerating Wither.

True Lord Juejian’s heart trembled with awe, burning with curiosity over how True Lord Yangming had managed to take down True Lord Qianren.

“Wait a moment. Wasn’t True Lord Yangming supposed to be at Beast God Mountain, working with Senior Brother to keep True Lord Nine Spirits in check? Why is this message coming from Caiyun True Lord?”

A sudden realization struck True Lord Juejian, his mind pausing on a critical question.