Chapter 220: Chapter 220

Young Lord Yang Tai maintained a composed expression, but his mood was far from calm.

The sudden turn of events at Zhu’an Grotto had disrupted his ritual, leaving his efforts on the verge of failure. Then, encountering Wei Anchang, the master of the Blood River Sect, at Sleeping Dragon Lake only worsened his already sour mood.

Top experts like Yuan Shanji and Xiong Gang were just as frustrated as Yang Tai, as if they'd swallowed a fly. But Yuan Shanji had no choice but to halt his retreat and turn back to fight Sang Lu and Li Tianqing, delaying them at Sleeping Dragon Lake. After all, they were powerful foes directly tied to him. Now that he had the chance to eliminate Sang Lu, he was willing to be used by Wei Anchang if it meant achieving his goal.

Xiong Gang, too, had no choice but to bow his head to the Blood River Sect Master he had never truly submitted to, cooperating with his orders. Otherwise, he might never get such an opportunity again.

When Wei Anchang sent his message, his tone was calm, not overbearing. Yet his ability to manipulate the situation, bringing various factions under his control, left Yang Tai both helpless and resentful.

Disrupting the southern wasteland’s earth veins to establish a new dragon vein for their own destiny—capable of standing against the Tang Dynasty of the central plains—was a plan the direct descendants of the Sui imperial line had worked on for generations. They had poured their entire foundation and countless resources into it, finally bringing it to fruition.

Without their efforts, Yang Yuqi, Yang Tai, and the others wouldn’t have been forced into such a predicament, dragged into this power struggle by Wei Anchang.

If not for the direct descendants of the Sui imperial line interfering with the earth veins, Wei Anchang could unify the southern wasteland as he pleased. He would even serve as a perfect distraction, drawing external attention while they continued to grow in the shadows.

But after so many years of secret cultivation, they had no intention of exposing themselves prematurely.

...But those people weren’t from the Sui imperial line!

It was that ambitious bastard Wei Anchang!

Later, Yang Yuqi used the Jinzhou Ye Clan to leak information, exposing Wei Anchang’s true origins and shifting the world’s focus onto him. But with so many top experts from the central plains flooding southward, the entire southern wasteland fell into chaos, spiraling beyond the control of the Sui imperial line.

Now, the command of many key operations had fallen into Wei Anchang’s hands.

Upon arriving near Sleeping Dragon Lake, Wei Anchang contacted Yang Yuqi in front of Yang Tai:

“At this critical moment, unity is paramount. Only through sincere cooperation can we hope for the empire’s resurgence. Your Highness, I ask for your support.”

Wei Anchang spoke politely and didn’t make things difficult for Yang Tai, even instructing him to leave the soon-to-be battlefield at Sleeping Dragon Lake.

After a brief silence, Yang Yuqi replied calmly, “Sect Master Wei speaks wisely.”

After leaving Sleeping Dragon Lake, Yang Tai went to meet his father, Yang Yuqi.

With Yang Yuqi was Gao Pu, an elder of Golden Castle.

The two of them were about to head north to intercept a formidable opponent—

The Grand Marshal of the Tang Divine Strategy Army, General Shangguan Yunbo.

More precisely, Shangguan Yunbo, who was personally leading the elite warriors of the Shangguan family southward, wielding the legendary martial weapon, Dangkou Golden Halberd.

Yang Tai knew well why Shangguan Yunbo had come in person. His most favored nephew, Shangguan Peng, had perished in the southern wasteland.

And he had died at the hands of Yang Yuqi and Gao Pu.

Under normal circumstances, Yang Yuqi wouldn’t have made a move against someone whose death could cause instability.

But Shangguan Peng’s death had served two purposes. First, Gao Pu desperately needed fresh souls for refining evil spirits and corpses, and he was becoming increasingly reckless. Second, it was meant as part of Wei Anchang’s schemes.

Yet it was clear that Wei Anchang had his own plans.

He wasn’t afraid of battle.

But he had to be the one in control!

With most of their ritual ruined, Yang Yuqi had little left to lose.

Anyone else might have simply walked away and refused to bow to Wei Anchang.

As the direct heir of Shengkang’s bloodline, he bore the responsibility of one day restoring the Sui Dynasty, marching north to reclaim the empire from the false Tang.

He could scheme and build his power in the shadows, but he couldn’t remain hidden forever.

Not when Wei Anchang was already out there, with strong branches and a weak trunk.

“If only the ritual had succeeded! We managed to salvage a few dragon pearls, but most of the treasures and materials were destroyed.” Yang Tai was filled with shame upon seeing his father.

But Yang Yuqi remained calm. “Those who wish to achieve great things must endure countless setbacks. These obstacles are but fleeting waves.”

He instructed Yang Tai to withdraw while he and Elder Gao Pu, along with their trusted subordinates, headed north.

Though Yang Tai’s mood was grim, his composure remained unshaken. Without revealing his emotions, he made his way to another stronghold of the Sui imperial line—Jinxizhang.

The soldiers stationed at Jinxizhang’s encampment saluted him respectfully as he entered.

Yang Tai, as always, carried an air of quiet authority. His mere presence commanded respect. “Begin preparations to clean up and relocate.”

The soldiers had anticipated this. “Yes, Your Highness.”

Yang Tai nodded and was about to step forward when he suddenly sensed something strange.

He felt a surge of magnetic energy gathering—not from the ritual site’s earth veins at Jinxizhang…

Just as Yang Tai became alert, something massive appeared behind him.

Pitch black, streaked with crimson veins, over three feet long, thick on one end and tapered on the other.

As it swung, it crackled with flashes of lightning and fire.

By the time Yang Tai sensed the attack, the staff was already descending toward his head.

At that moment, a surge of scholarly energy flared around him, conjuring a dense ink script that formed a protective barrier.

Yet in the blink of an eye, the script was shattered.

Years of surviving in the blood-soaked chaos of the southern wasteland had honed Yang Tai’s reflexes. Though caught off guard, he didn’t hesitate—rather than drawing his sword, he first leapt forward to escape.

Whoever had managed to get this close unnoticed was no ordinary foe. The best move was to create distance first—

Just as that thought flashed through his mind, the scholarly energy around him surged, flowing like an immense river.

Yang Tai rode the current, like a scholar navigating the tides of destiny—a technique only mastered by Sixth Heaven scholars of the Confucian school, allowing them to sense danger and retreat instantly.

His body barely shifted before coming to a halt.

Thin strands of white light, like vines, had entwined around his feet, binding him in place.

The source of the light was a strange ritual flag fluttering in the wind.

Yang Tai’s heart sank. His sword, still at his waist, let out a dragon’s cry as it unsheathed itself, releasing a surge of righteous energy that flowed like a mighty river—

In that brief moment of hesitation, the giant staff came crashing down a second time.

This time, it struck Yang Tai squarely on the back of the head.

Yang Tai’s vision went dark as golden stars danced before his eyes. His body collapsed uncontrollably, and after days of mounting setbacks and frustration, his usual composure finally shattered. In that moment, he lost all grace and spat out a curse.

His attendants and the Sui remnants stationed at Jinxizhang were stunned by the towering Daoist who had suddenly appeared behind him. It wasn’t until now that they snapped back to their senses and rushed forward.

Lei Jun stood calmly, holding a Upper Qing Golden Bamboo that had grown significantly larger after absorbing Kui Ox blood.

Around him, strands of Black Yin Water Thunder surged forth like inky waves, instantly sweeping across the area.

The black thunder-water spread out on a massive scale, turning the entire Jinxizhang valley into a sea of darkness. Numerous Sui cultivators were immediately swallowed by the surging currents.

The guards stationed below the cliffs, overseeing the ritual, were alarmed. Some were dispatched to investigate, while others hastily attempted to send messages to the outside world.

Lei Jun, however, remained unhurried, even taking the time to comment, “Not as strong as the people over at Xinglong Abyss. Seems like after repeated losses, your manpower is starting to run thin.”

Despite years of preparation, the Sui remnants had always operated in a harsh and perilous environment. Their numbers were hard to replenish, and every loss made it even more difficult to recover.

The guardians of Jinxizhang, though not as formidable as those in Xinglong Abyss, were vigilant enough to immediately attempt communication with the outside world.

The ritual site here hadn’t been completely destroyed, and while the spiritual energy of the earth veins had been disturbed, it hadn’t reached the point of outright severing all external communication. In theory, their messaging methods should still work.

One of the commanders unfurled a scroll, its pages blank.

He quickly began writing, activating the Confucian technique Letters as Face, a divine communication method only available to Middle Heaven scholars and above.

But the ink wouldn’t settle.

The words failed to take shape on the page, remaining a swirling blur.

The entire area had been deliberately sealed off by an intruder?

A Upper Heaven expert?!

The commander’s heart sank.

Lei Jun gave a slight nod. “While I may have been working in isolation, limiting my access to Confucian messaging techniques, the results are effective enough. Though, there’s still room for improvement.”

He then placed a Heavenly Thunder Talisman squarely on Yang Tai’s forehead.

Basic talismans like Immobilizing Talismans weren’t part of Lei Jun’s Life-bound Spells, meaning they couldn’t scale with him like Wind Talisman, Spirit Strike Talisman, or Yin Five Thunder Talisman.

At his current Sixth Heaven cultivation level, Lei Jun could craft Superior Immobilizing Talismans and Superior Sealing Talismans, but using one against another Sixth Heaven expert like Yang Tai would be too unreliable.

So he used the Heavenly Thunder Talisman instead.

It didn’t restrict movement.

But if Yang Tai so much as twitched, the sheer force of the talisman would blow his head clean off.

Yang Tai immediately let go of the book in his hand.

Even in his dazed, star-struck state, his instincts kicked in, and another scroll appeared in his grasp.

This one was far more effective than the others.

Though Yang Yuqi had taken precautions by not personally crafting message scrolls for his two sons—keeping their movements hidden—Yang Tai’s status still warranted extra measures. A Upper Heaven Confucian scholar had specially created this scroll for him, allowing him to call for help in times of crisis.

Unlike the others, his scroll did generate words on the page.

The moment the Scholarly Aura within the scroll rose above the valley, it hit an invisible barrier.

A massive surge of magnetic force enveloped the entire Jinxizhang region, completely severing all messaging techniques like Letters as Face and Thousand-Mile Transmission Talismans.

Some of the Sui remnants, realizing their communication had been cut off, immediately tried to flee.

Jinxizhang was large, and with so many people scattering in different directions, it seemed like it would be difficult for Lei Jun to contain them all at once.

Blinding white light burst to life across the mountains.

One after another, strange ritual flags unfurled in the wind, their banners rippling as they extended countless threads of white energy, writhing like living vines.

Lei Jun casually beckoned with his hand, and the Magnetic Entwining Dragon Flag that had restrained Yang Tai soared back into his grasp.

Then, without a second thought, he flung it back out.

Combined with the eleven flags he had already placed, they now formed a twelve-flag formation, locking the entire valley in place.

Two-Element Magnetic Dragon Lock Formation.

Lei Jun had been using this formation from the very start to cut off communications within Jinxizhang.

Now, under his control, the formation sealed the mountains, while the white energy vines automatically ensnared those attempting to escape.

No one in Jinxizhang could leave.

Yang Tai didn’t dare make a reckless move. He locked eyes with Lei Jun for a long moment before speaking.

“Elder Lei of the Tianshi Mansion?”

Lei Jun had no interest in conversing.

The reason he had attacked Yang Tai at close range instead of using a Magnetic Sword Pellet from afar was simple—he wanted to avoid damaging the Confucian Geographical Compass Box in Yang Tai’s possession.

Extracting information from a Confucian artifact without forcefully breaking it was a delicate process, requiring caution against hidden mechanisms or countermeasures.

Previously, Lei Jun would have needed to be extra careful.

He merely spread his fingers and made a slight motion toward the box.

Though he hadn’t fully mastered the Dark Side of the Heavenly Book, strands of shadow energy still trickled forth.

The moment they touched the compass box—

It instantly unraveled.

Normally, erasing protective inscriptions from spiritual artifacts without damaging them required meticulous effort. Lei Jun didn’t have time for that, nor did he want to waste energy being overly precise.

So he only took one thing.

The one thing he had come here for.

A Nine-Colored Radiance.

A fragment of divine energy—linked to the Tianshi Robe, one of the Tianshi Mansion’s greatest treasures.

Yang Tai had not disappointed.

He really did possess a lead on the Tianshi Robe.

Ironically, the Dragon Pearls that Yang Tai had valued so much weren’t even here. He had already given them to his father, Yang Yuqi.

This mission was already a success.

“The loss of the Tianshi Robe is truly regrettable.” Yang Tai, having regained his composure, let out a long breath and spoke in a calm, even tone. “I, too, hope it will one day be returned to Mount Longhu.”

He met Lei Jun’s gaze and continued smoothly, “Elder Lei, we don’t have to be enemies. In fact, we could work together. Historically, my Great Sui and your esteemed Mount Longhu have always had a harmonious relationship.”

Lei Jun regarded him for a moment.

Draped in fine robes, his posture impeccable, Yang Tai remained poised even in the face of capture—truly a refined nobleman.

…Aside from the glaring talisman stuck to his forehead.

“The Tang Imperial Court merely uses Mount Longhu and the other Daoist holy lands,” Yang Tai continued, his voice steady. “Even if we cannot cooperate, we have no need to be enemies. Elder Lei… let’s take a step back. As long as we exist, the Blood River Sect will always have something to worry about, won’t they?”

“Perhaps you’re right,” he said. “But that’s a question for your father, Crown Prince Shengkang. It has little to do with you.”

With that, the Heavenly Thunder Talisman exploded, engulfing Yang Tai in a sea of lightning.