The Nine Cauldrons
chapter-474

The first glimmer of light shone in the sky. Yet, the entire Gui Yuan Sect expected a great storm. Many of the sect members were prepared to die, but the higher-positioned people of the Gui Yuan Sect were different.

“Haha, there is hope for the Gui Yuan Sect!”

Zhuge Yuanhong, Elder Yan, and Elder Ni were rushing toward the city wall. With an elated expression, Elder Yan couldn’t help commenting, “I didn’t expect that Senior Jing Yi would be in the Gui Yuan Sect at this time. With Senior Jing Yi, the Gui Yuan Sect will be fine! Haha…”

“I didn’t expect the guest to be Senior Jing Yi.” Elder Ni, who usually appeared cold and stern, turned and stared at Zhuge Yuanhong as he spoke. His eyes beamed with unsuppressed excitement. “Sovereign, where did you find Senior Jing Yi? Did you go to Wuan County? Why is Senior Jing Yi willing to help Gui Yuan Sect? This is really… Sovereign, by asking Senior Jing Yi here, you have saved the Gui Yuan Sect!”

The whole world knew of Jing Yi’s great name.

Elder Ni and Elder Yan had both been raised by the Gui Yuan Sect. So, both of them already viewed the Gui Yuan Sect as their home.

Before they knew about this, the two had been very pessimistic and depressed, especially when they knew that Elder Wu had died. They were prepared to die with the Gui Yuan Sect.

However, suddenly realizing that an Emptiness Realm Expert was in the Gui Yuan Sect, they became so excited to the point that they couldn’t control themselves.

“Look at you two! Are you two still acting like the Law Enforcing Elders?” Zhuge Yuanhong said while laughing. In actuality, he felt slightly sad. Still, he explained with a smile, “Senior Jing Yi has relations with the Gui Yuan Sect. He immediately came to help when he came to know that the Gui Yuan Sect is now encountering a great disaster.”

“Hm. We can only see one’s true form during times of danger.” Elder Yan’s eyes reddened. “The Gui Yuan Sect will definitely remember this favor.”

“We cannot forget this,” Elder Yan said with a nod.

At this moment, Zhuge Yuanhong had already gone up onto the city wall. They stopped speaking of Jing Yi since there were a great number of soldiers on the walls of the inner city.

“Sovereign.”

“Elder.”

The Elders, protectors, and the other members of the sect all saluted and greeted them.

“Teacher,” a voice rang out. It was the voice of a tall, big, and stern-looking young man with a mustache. This mustached young man staring at Zhuge Yuanhong was the third Law Enforcing Elder of the Gui Yuan Sect, Zhang Feng! Zhang Feng had recently attained the Innate Realm.

So, Zhuge Yuanhong had specially arranged for him to lead the most mysterious army of the Gui Yuan Sect, the Longgang Guards.

“Ah Feng,” Zhuge Yuanhong whispered, “Is everything ready?”

“Yes, all six thousand Longgang Guards are ready.” Zhang Feng nodded with a solemn expression.

“Hm. We will be depending on them when the crucial moment comes,” Zhuge Yuanhong spoke, nodding slightly. However, Zhuge Yuanhong secretly hoped that the Blind Swordmaster would retreat because of Qingshan’s appearance.

……

Teng Qingshan was in Elder Wu’s mansion, and he had just comprehended the Earth Elemental Dao. He opened the wooden box he always carried on his back and retrieved his personal weapon, the Splitting Mountain Axe!

This was because Teng Qingshan’s alias, Jing Yi, used the Splitting Mountain Axe.

“Whew~~Whew~~”

The fierce wind howled. Teng Qingshan gripped the Splitting Mountain Axe, which illuminated a faint purple glow, and performed the moves of the 《Thirty-six Splitting Mountain Forms》 continuously. Although he didn’t utilize the Powers of the Heavens and the Earth, and the Internal Supreme Force, the space around him completely twisted for a brief moment.

Sometimes, it was as though the moves were about to hack and crush the heavens and the earth.

Other times, the moves were like the sun that was about to raze the great earth.

Additionally, occasionally, the moves were as heavy as an enormous millstone and portrayed the vast, great earth.

……

The moves of the axe were like flapping blades of leather, enveloping Teng Qingshan’s entire being. This time, the performance of this axe art was the smoothest. The moves of the axe art became quicker and quicker. They soon transformed into a psychedelic swirling light, flashing and moving everywhere across the land.

Then a head popped out of the earth. The Six Legged Bladelike Chi had emerged to watch Teng Qingshan’s practice of the axe art, and its protruding eyes widened.

“Whiz~”

Teng Qingshan stopped.

“Haha, now that my Earthly Elemental Dao has achieved culmination, the result is truly different.” Teng Qingshan was elated as he said, “Emperor Yu is indeed Emperor Yu. As expected of the most powerful Omnipotent Expert. He even created the two most supreme secret codex, the 《Nine Cauldrons Heavenly Book》 and the 《Thirty-six Splitting Mountain Forms》. This axe art is truly powerful!”

Teng Qingshan was extremely excited.

“In comparison to the arts Emperor Yu created, the Five Elemental Spear Arts that I created are not strong enough.” Teng Qingshan truly had to admit this.

Previously, Teng Qingshan had only comprehended the Golden Elemental Dao and the Fire Elemental Dao. So, he hadn’t been able to perform the true power of the 《Thirty-six Splitting Mountain Forms》. This was because the beginning of the 《Thirty-six Splitting Mountain Forms》 was the Earthly Elemental Dao. How could he perform the true power of the axe art if his Earthly Elemental Dao hadn’t even reached culmination?

《Thirty-six Splitting Mountain Forms》 started with the Earthly Elemental Dao and gradually became more difficult as it combined with the Metal Elemental Dao and the Fire Elemental Dao.

One could say that...

Teng Qingshan, who had comprehended the Earthly Elemental Dao, the Metal Elemental Dao, and the Fire Elemental Dao, could at least exhibit the power of the first eighteen forms of the 《Thirty-six Splitting Mountain Forms》! This was because the first six forms of the 《Thirty-six Splitting Mountain Forms》described the Earthly Elemental Dao, while the seventh to the twelfth forms contained the Metal Elemental Dao, and the thirteenth to the eighteenth forms contained the Fire Elemental Dao. The nineteenth form and onwards contained the remaining two Daos of the Five Elemental Daos.

Teng Qingshan could only perform all the offensive moves of the 《Thirty-six Splitting Mountain Forms》when his Five Elemental Daos achieved culmination.

However—

The current Teng Qingshan could at least display the full power of the first eighteen moves of the 《Thirty-six Splitting Mountain Forms》!

“As expected of Emperor Yu.” Teng Qingshan felt extremely excited. “My Vermillion Metal Tiger Roar was just a nimble technique. However, the first eighteen moves of the 《Thirty-six Splitting Mountain Forms》 created by Emperor Yu truly display transcendency. The eighteen moves are truly too powerful!”

For example, if an ordinary Emptiness Realm Expert comprehended three types of Daos and merged them, the different types of Power of the Heavens and the Earth which originated from those Daos would resist against each other when utilized in one move. If one could control 60% of the Power of the Heavens and the Earth, the resistance between the different forces of the Power of the Heavens and the Earth would use up 10% of the total Power of the Heavens and the Earth, leaving only 50%.

An Emptiness Realm Expert who was slightly more powerful could perform moves containing 60% of the Power of the Heavens and Earth without causing an internal dissipation of the power.

As for a much more powerful Emptiness Realm Expert, not only would they be able to perform their moves without causing an internal dissipation of the power, but they would also be able to create an effect in which the different types of Daos amplified each other! Thus, even though they only possessed 60% of the Power of the Heavens and the Earth, their moves would be able to display 60.5% or 70% of the Power of the Heavens and the Earth.

The greater the types of the Power of the Heavens and the Earth you possessed, the harder it was to prevent an internal dissipation of the power!

For example...

An Emptiness Realm Expert with three types of the Power of the Heavens and the Earth could barely prevent the internal dissipation of the Power of the Heavens and the Earth. So, for someone who comprehended all powers of the Heavens and the Earth and had achieved Emptiness Realm Culmination., it would be exceedingly difficult to prevent internal dissipation. It would much more difficult to merge 100% of the Power of the Heavens and the Earth and display the most powerful effect at the same time!

At this time...

The Divine Codices left behind by the Omnipotent Experts were extremely important. This was because the moves of the Omnipotent Experts had already reached an extreme limit! Therefore, the Emperor Yu’s Hall, the Ying Family, and Mani Temple viewed their own Divine Codices as their most treasured item, absolutely prohibiting the outsiders from gaining the insight of their Divine Codices.

“I am now able to control 60% of the Power of the Heavens and the Earth! In addition to my physical strength, which is equivalent to 10% of the Power of the Heavens and Earth, I have control of around 70%!

“Now that I am able to control 70% of the Power of the Heavens and the Earth, I will be able to perform the first eighteen forms of the 《Thirty-six Splitting Mountain Forms》 perfectly. So, how much power will my moves display?” Teng Qingshan felt extremely excited. Through the use of both the Splitting Mountain Axe and the Stone Inscriptions, he saw Emperor Yu perform the axe art and break down the axe art into countless moves. He only managed to gain enlightenment after pondering about it for many years.

“The 《Thirty-six Splitting Mountain Forms》is not just an axe art. It is also a powerful body art!”

While he performed the axe art, his body would have to move along continuously. In the past, Teng Qingshan had merged the body art of the 《Thirty-six Splitting Mountain Art》 with the Crossing Worlds and created the Earth Elemental Art.

However, at this very moment...

After comprehending the Earth Elemental Dao, Teng Qingshan comprehended even more of the body art.

“Hm. Since the Blind Swordmaster has not arrived, I must ponder and analyze the close-combat body art thoroughly again.” Teng Qingshan didn’t dare to waste his time. “With the control of 70% of the Power of the Heavens and the Earth and the body art created by Emperor Yu, as well as the cooperation of the first eighteen forms of the 《Thirty-six Splitting Mountain Forms》and the most powerful weapon that belonged to Emperor Yu, the Splitting Mountain Axe…”

Teng Qingshan had full confidence that he would be able to defeat an Emptiness Realm Expert who possessed control of 80% of the Power of the Heavens and the Earth.

It was to the extent that even if he were to compete with the Blind Swordmaster, who had achieved the Emptiness Culmination...

“I have to comprehend more of the body art,” Teng Qingshan concluded and began practicing the axe art again.

……

Presently, Teng Qingshan was in the Gui Yuan Sect. His domain covered an area of 34 Li. Thus, he had naturally long since noticed the arrival of the Blind Swordmaster.

The beginning of summer was still very cool. However, at this very moment, the wall of Jiangning County was packed with city guards, the disciples of the Gui Yuan Sect, and the Black Armored Soldiers.

“Rumble~~”

Below the eastern wall of the city, the great army of Qing Hu Island was gradually advancing and approaching like a flowing, gloomy tide. The soldiers of the Gui Yuan Sect on the city wall held their breath. Some of them had never fought in a bloody war before. Even if they were prepared to die, their hands still sweat and their knees still felt weak.

After all, the incoming enemies were the great forces of Qing Hu Island!

……

“Rumble!”

The great forces moving below the city’s eastern wall suddenly stopped.

Amidst Qing Hu Island’s battle formation, three men dressed in dark red war armor stood respectfully before Gu Yong, who was dressed in sackcloth, and the Blind Swordmaster, who was dressed fully in black.

“Martial Ancestor.” Gu Yong stared at the Blind Swordmaster quizzically.

This was when the war should be starting.

“Eh?”

Yet, the Blind Swordmaster was staring at the walls of Jiangning County. He could distinctly sense an extremely powerful aura in Jiangning County-City. “This aura should be Jing Yi’s. However, this aura seems to have changed. Did Jing Yi achieve a breakthrough again? Why is he in Jiangning County-City now?”

The Blind Swordmaster, who had originally thought that the eradication of the Gui Yuan Sect would be very easy, felt slightly annoyed.

“Maybe Jing Yi is just here to watch.”

“He’s not part of any sect. Why would he help the Gui Yuan Sect?” The Blind Swordmaster could only think optimistically. As long as Jing Yi didn’t help, the eradication of the Gui Yuan Sect would be a very easy matter.

However, suddenly—

Through his domain, he could sense Jing Yi’s terrifying aura dashing toward the city wall at an extremely rapid speed. Within less than a second, he arrived on top of the city wall.

On the city wall, Teng Qingshan had appeared beside Zhuge Yuanhong.

“Hmph. He still came anyway.” The Blind Swordmaster’s expression darkened.

Now, the eradication of the Gui Yuan Sect would be very troublesome!