Chapter 934: Qingluan True Lord’s Plan, War Arrives!

The Southern Desolation Cultivation Realm is vast.

Even though the Skyfire City Lord is a Nascent Soul cultivator, his knowledge of the other regions is limited.

He only knows rumors and events that shook a whole region.

“Reporting to Senior, the Central Domain has seen many major events over the years. Not long ago, a fourth-rank Black Phoenix in the Hengduan Rift Valley was killed. Its patriarch left the Myriad Beasts Mountain Range and went on a rampage in the rift valley, cutting down many Demon Kings and Nascent Soul True Lords.”

“Seven years ago, a secret realm appeared in the Central Domain, suspected to be the cave secret realm of the legendary grand cultivator True Lord Lingtian from five thousand years ago.”

The Skyfire City Lord relayed every Central Domain report and rumor he knew, true or not.

As the heart and most prosperous land of the Southern Desolation, the Central Domain sees far more opportunities and grand events than the other four regions.

Factional clashes at the Nascent Soul level, or one or two early Nascent Soul cultivators getting killed, hardly cause a ripple.

“Any news about the Mystic Gates Five Sects and the Seven Demonic Sects?” Qingluan True Lord asked.

She had been paying close attention to signs of a Demonic Calamity.

If it erupted, a rogue cultivator like her would be hit hard, so she needed a plan.

Like ducks sensing the warming river first in spring.

If the Demonic Calamity was about to break out, the Mystic Gates Five Sects and the Seven Demonic Sects would surely stir.

“These years wars have raged across the regions, and many forces fought in the Central Domain as well, but the Mystic Gates Five Sects and the Seven Demonic Sects have been extremely quiet. Only disciples crossed swords. No Nascent Soul titans took the field.”

The Skyfire City Lord instantly grasped what Qingluan True Lord sought.

He wondered if she was a Nascent Soul from the Daylight Golden Crow Sect, training divine arts here and using divine fire to break through.

After all, the Daylight Golden Crow Sect is famed for fire-path divine abilities, similar to what she had shown.

“War everywhere, yet the Mystic Gates Five Sects and the Seven Demonic Sects make no move…”

Qingluan True Lord frowned. Something about this felt wrong.

She continued asking about the Southern Desolation and the Northern Region.

Compared to the Central Domain, far fewer reports reached the Eastern Region.

“I heard a new Nascent Soul powerhouse recently appeared in the Northern Region, called Yangming True Lord.”

The Skyfire City Lord spoke after thinking over major events in the north.

Qingluan True Lord’s heart jolted. She asked for details about this Yangming True Lord.

But the Skyfire City Lord knew little about him.

Only that his origins were mysterious, suspected to be a reincarnated grand cultivator, and that he single-handedly seized six Nascent Soul cultivators, his strength overwhelming.

“He seized six Nascent Soul cultivators by himself!”

Qingluan True Lord was astonished.

It had only been thirty-four years since the Mirage Domain of Vast Sands ended and she parted ways with Lu Changsheng.

Even if he broke through to Nascent Soul soon after, his current cultivation and power would be terrifying.

She herself broke through seventy years ago and only reached mid Nascent Soul by relying on Nirvana rebirth and digesting the fortune from the Mirage Domain of Vast Sands.

Yet Lu Changsheng had reached this level in just a little over thirty years.

And the combat strength he showed faintly surpassed hers.

“Worthy of a top reincarnated grand cultivator.”

Shocked, she recalled how he had fought a Nascent Soul while still at Core Formation, and pressed for more of Yangming True Lord’s battle record.

However, the Skyfire City Lord only knew that such a powerhouse had appeared in the Northern Region, not the specifics.

So she let it go and asked for other news.

A short while later, Qingluan True Lord made up her mind to return to the Jiang Kingdom.

First, years ago she vaguely sensed the messaging feather she had given Lu Changsheng was snapped, which meant he needed her.

Given his current strength, it likely wasn’t danger but something to discuss.

If she returned, she could leverage his power to counter Luofuzi.

Second, she would join forces with Lu Changsheng to settle the old grievances from the Mirage Domain of Vast Sands.

She had risen from a rogue to what she was now, hardly a gentle soul.

The siege in the Mirage Domain of Vast Sands, the ambushes afterward, the hidden schemes—she remembered them all.

Now that she had the strength, she would settle each one.

Especially since her last battle had nearly drained her foundation.

To quickly accumulate resources, the best way was to settle accounts.

Third, her Qingluan Dao soldiers were nearly wiped out, and her Five-Virtues Qi was exhausted. She had to find a place to recuperate and gather it again.

With her current cultivation, she could rebuild an immortal city anywhere and draw in Five-Virtues Qi.

But gathering it required deeds of virtue and winning hearts.

If she founded a city in the Eastern Region, she would have to spend a lot of time building a reputation, starting from scratch.

If she returned to the Jiang Kingdom, she could rely on her early fame and foundation to quickly create a new sanctuary for rogue cultivators and gather Five-Virtues Qi.

Qingluan True Lord did not head straight back to the Jiang Kingdom in the north.

She first went to the Skyfire Immortal City under the Skyfire True Lord.

Though she had broken through to mid Nascent Soul, her last battle had drained her almost dry and left her short on methods.

She planned to liquidate all her assets for things she could use, to repair spirit treasures and refine her divine abilities.

She was determined to claim the heaven-and-earth spirit fire under Godfire Ridge.

She would prepare, then subdue and refine that fire.

With the Skyfire True Lord at her side, her arrival at Skyfire Immortal City was tantamount to indirectly taking control of it.

But the Skyfire True Lord’s strength was average, and Skyfire Immortal City was only a normal fourth-rank immortal city with limited funds.

Even so, the city made it much easier to collect and trade resources and to gather intelligence.

During this time, Qingluan True Lord dug deeper and obtained detailed information on Yangming True Lord.

“In just half a year he pacified the Liang-Yue War, seized six Nascent Soul cultivators alone, and broke Beast God Mountain.”

Qingluan True Lord was stunned by Lu Changsheng’s detailed war record.

As for True Lord Tiancang, the Holy Maiden of Beast God Mountain and the Flood Dragon Holy Son, she paid them no mind.

But she acknowledged True Lord Nine Spirits.

Especially with him sitting at Beast God Mountain, yet together with True Lord Xuanjian and True Lord Juejian they still broke it in a short span.

It was shocking and hard to believe.

She had also heard of True Lord Qianren of the Qisha Sect in the Yuan Kingdom.

He was a veteran Nascent Soul expert, adept at stealth and the art of assassination.

Even such a veteran had been seized by Lu Changsheng.

“Even if Yangming True Lord can’t overpower Luofuzi, he can meet him head-on.”

Qingluan True Lord realized Lu Changsheng’s strength was higher than she had imagined.

Comparable to a fifth-layer, perhaps even sixth-layer Nascent Soul cultivator.

Together, she and Lu Changsheng could hope to defeat Luofuzi.

“But that man is a top powerhouse in the Northern Region, with broad connections and many friends, not to be underestimated…”

She remembered the helpers Luofuzi had brought in back then, her gaze turning cold.

Her Phoenix Legacy possessed the means to ward off calamity and veil the heavenly secrets.

The first time she ran into Luofuzi, she paid a heavy price to escape him.

But he found a top diviner who repeatedly calculated her whereabouts.

Several Nascent Soul cultivators who intercepted and ambushed her on the way had also come at Luofuzi’s invitation.

“So many years have passed, and Luofuzi’s injuries long since healed. Seeing Yangming True Lord’s fame soaring, he might try to cause him trouble, hoping to seize his fortunes and break into late-stage Nascent Soul.”

Staring at the reports in her hand, Qingluan True Lord murmured, suspecting Luofuzi would take the initiative to target Lu Changsheng.

Not only because of her connection to him.

But also for a chance at late-stage Nascent Soul.

After all, the way Yangming True Lord had performed would draw covetous eyes.

“I must return to the Jiang Kingdom as soon as possible!”

Originally, she planned to perfect her techniques at Skyfire Immortal City and Godfire Ridge, make thorough preparations, then return.

Now she decided to subdue the divine fire at Godfire Ridge and repair her spirit treasures, then head back at once.

Lu Changsheng rode the Abyssal Sea Dragon Whale with the Turtle Immortal Patriarch back to the waters around Penglai Island.

He did not head for the Divine Maiden Palace but for Penglai Immortal City.

He faintly sensed that many places on Divine Maiden Peak had fallen under Shen Jianjia’s control.

While he was in the Divine Maiden Palace with Shen Yiren, everything was under her watch.

It would be better to invite Shen Yiren to Penglai Immortal City.

Also, there was someone at the Divine Maiden Palace he really did not want to face.

The Second Palace Master, Shen Baishuang.

If he saw her and she suddenly attacked, Lu Changsheng wasn’t sure how he would handle it.

But as he walked through Penglai Immortal City, he heard a piece of news.

The young lady of Blade Forging Mountain Manor—now the sister of the manor lord Yuan Wei True Monarch—Lin Lanxi had broken through to Nascent Soul and was preparing her Nascent Soul ceremony.

As the manor lord’s wife, Shen Baishuang was at Blade Forging Mountain Manor overseeing the ceremony.

“So she’s not here?”

Lu Changsheng arched a brow, feeling a lot lighter.

From their previous contact, he felt Shen Baishuang wasn’t quite right in the head.

If they met again, she would likely cause trouble for him.

He wasn’t afraid.

But she was Shen Yiren’s elder sister, and there was also the elder sister Shen Jianjia.

“The Divine Maiden Palace’s connections really are broad.”

He realized that beyond Shen Jianjia as a Nascent Soul powerhouse, the Divine Maiden Palace had very wide connections.

The current magnate of the Alchemist Alliance, the top alchemist in the Starry Sea, had once pursued Shen Jianjia.

Though the two never became a couple, they remained on good terms.

The Second Palace Master of the Divine Maiden Palace, Shen Baishuang, married the current lord of Blade Forging Mountain Manor.

Although Yuan Wei True Monarch was not as capable as his father,

with Nascent Soul cultivation and fourth-rank artifact-forging skill, he could hold the foundation and keep the manor a first-tier force in the Starry Sea.

As for the Third Palace Master, she was even more remarkable.

The father of her child was a Nascent Soul giant renowned across the Southern Desolation and the Northern Region, the Supreme Sovereign of the Zhenhai Seven Sects, a top power in the Starry Sea.

After receiving Lu Changsheng’s message, Shen Yiren came from the Divine Maiden Palace to Penglai Immortal City.

She wore a simple pale-cyan dress, her figure soft and graceful. A light veil covered her head, hiding her face.

Even so, her elegant curves and noble serenity marked her as a peerless beauty.

“If life could always be like our first meeting, seeing you like this brings me back to that day—so beautiful and moving.”

Lu Changsheng smiled at the sight of Shen Yiren dressed much like when they first met. His eyes were clear and steady, full of admiration.

Shen Yiren paused, recalling those early days. She said softly, “Lu True Lord, have you finished your affairs?”

With Lu Changsheng, she could no longer be as relaxed as she had been back then.

“I’ve wrapped up some things, but there’s still plenty to do.” Lu Changsheng smiled and invited her to rest at the small courtyard he rented.

Though he had repaid the Green Dragon King’s favor,

the Jiang Kingdom still had a pile of matters waiting for him.

“Lu True Lord, if you have things to handle, go ahead. You don’t have to spend too much time on me.”

Shen Yiren knew his situation.

A household with many wives and children meant endless affairs to manage.

“How have your spirits been these days, Yiren?” Lu Changsheng asked with a smile.

“Much better thanks to your help earlier,” Shen Yiren replied softly.

Seeing Lu Changsheng again and learning his circumstances had been a shock to her.

But after facing it and passing through several heart-demon illusions, she was far more open and calm.

“Oh?” Lu Changsheng raised a brow. He drank tea and chatted with her, then cast his heart-demon secret art for her.

Sure enough, Shen Yiren’s condition had improved greatly.

Given this, he felt that with more targeted illusion simulations, her problem would not be difficult to resolve.

For example, if she could not let go of the White Dew Palace incident, then have her live through it a few more times with variations.

If she minded his situation, then draw them closer and even weave her into his large family within the heart-demon illusion.

In the days that followed, Lu Changsheng stayed in Penglai Immortal City, closing the distance with Shen Yiren and deepening their bond.

As for their son Shen Yuanming, he knew she was still conflicted, so he planned to wait until she was fully at ease before meeting him.

Thinking of the night he and Shen Yiren became one, he could not help thinking of Ao Long, who had returned to the Eastern Sea.

“System.” Lu Changsheng called inwardly, checking the system’s offspring tab to see if any new children appeared.

There were none.

“It’s been so long. Looks like she didn’t get pregnant.”

Lu Changsheng sighed. A little regretful, but not too disappointed.

Given his situation with Ao Long, the odds were very low. He hadn’t held much hope.

And if she did conceive, the child would, like Shen Yuanming, be left behind, perhaps not seeing him for a hundred years.

He could still come to the Divine Maiden Palace.

But he would not head to the Eastern Sea cultivation realm anytime soon, not for thirty to fifty years at least.

Just as Lu Changsheng and Shen Yiren were drawing closer, outside the Jiang Kingdom’s Immortal City of Damengze, ripples spread through the void and a huge rift tore open.

Three Nascent Soul cultivators stepped out.

Their vast, abyssal spiritual pressure swept through heaven and earth, blanketing the entire city.

Even with a top third-rank grand array, the city guards and the cultivators inside went rigid, struggling to breathe as tremors ran through them.

“They’re here.”

Bai Zhaozhao, who had been living in the city these days, sensed it. Her gaze fixed on the three Nascent Soul cultivators above, and she saw they came with ill intent.

According to her divinations, calamity choked the city. Only Yangming True Lord could resolve it.

Bai Zhaozhao’s pupils shimmered with pale gold as she looked at the three, then glanced into the Great Void.

“Yangming True Lord, back in the Mirage Domain of Vast Sands, you and Qingluan True Lord killed my clan’s patriarch. I’m here today for an explanation!”

Of the three, a tall cultivator in a purple brocade robe with eagle eyes spoke in a deep voice. His Nascent Soul might and his voice rolled like thunder, shaking the world.

“T-three Nascent Soul True Lords!”

“H-how could three Nascent Soul True Lords come to the Immortal City of Damengze to cause trouble?”

“Yangming True Lord captured six Nascent Souls in the Liang-Yue War, his divine abilities unmatched. How dare they pick a fight with him?”

“There were rumors the City Lord was gravely injured. Are they true?”

Many cultivators in the city stared at the three figures above, throats dry, faces pale with fear and awe.

Nascent Soul True Lords were usually high and unseen, yet now three appeared at once. How could they not tremble?

Even now, some had come to the Immortal City of Damengze to pay respects, seek an audience with Yangming True Lord, or fish for news.

Seeing this scene, they were uneasy yet full of expectation.

Uneasy because they feared being caught in the coming battle.

Expectant because they might finally see the famed Yangming True Lord!