Chesia, however, got angrier the more she thought about it and could not help but ask, “So at the end of the Investiture of the Gods War, Grandmaster Tongtian still didn’t win?”
Su Fu was silent for a moment and then nodded. “Yes. Moreover, the lineage of the Sect of Interception was severed.”
“What?!” Chesia stood up abruptly. “Didn’t you say the Ten-Thousand Immortal Array was very powerful?”
“Why couldn’t he win against that bunch who were bullying him with numbers?”
“It’s not that the Ten-Thousand Immortal Array isn’t powerful,” Su Fu explained. “The key point of the Ten-Thousand Immortal Array is that Grandmaster Tongtian combined the strength of all the disciples of the Sect of Interception to set up layers upon layers of killing formations.”
“You should have seen it by now. Grandmaster Tongtian is best at arrays. He is proficient in the Great Dao of heaven and earth. By mobilizing the power of the ten thousand immortals of the Sect of Interception, he can create a powerful force far beyond that of any individual.”
“And the real killing move was the Six-Soul Banner he refined personally.”
“Six-Soul Banner?” Chesia tilted her head.
“Yes. The so-called six souls refer to the four Saints — Laozi, Yuanshi, Jieyin, and Zhunti — plus Jiang Ziya and Ji Fa. This was a magical treasure Grandmaster Tongtian specifically tailored for them after the battle of the Zhu Xian Array.”
“It only requires daily sacrifice in advance, and then activating the Six-Soul Banner within the array to slay the enemies without shedding blood.”
Chesia’s eyes lit up. “Could this Six-Soul Banner be that powerful?”
“That is what they say. After all, as a Saint, Grandmaster Tongtian could even re-establish earth, water, fire, and wind. You must know that the source of the Great Desolation world is these four major elements. Being able to influence or even reshape these elements means his control over the essence of the world had reached the extreme.”
“A Saint’s power is enough to overturn the universe. For Tongtian to make this treasure the core, it shows that the treasure possessed the potential to rewrite the battle.”
Chesia listened intently and suddenly frowned. “Wait, you just said ‘that is what they say’?”
“Wouldn’t you know just by using it once?”
Su Fu sighed, feeling regretful. “When the Ten-Thousand Immortal Array was activated, Grandmaster Tongtian handed the Six-Soul Banner to his most trusted disciple, the Long-Eared Dingguang Immortal.”
“But he didn’t expect that the disciple would ultimately betray him.”
“At the critical moment, he took the Six-Soul Banner and directly surrendered to the four Saints.”
“What?!” Chesia was shocked. “You mean the Six-Soul Banner didn’t actually do anything?”
“If I were Grandmaster Tongtian, I’d be furious. Having a killing weapon capable of turning the tide, only to be betrayed by his most trusted disciple.”
Su Fu rubbed her chin thoughtfully. “You could say that.”
“However, after Long-Ear Dingguang Immortal surrendered, the four Saints were curious when they heard about this treasure and let him try to activate it.”
Chesia asked urgently, “What was the result?”
“The result… it was indeed effective.”
“When Long-Ear Dingguang Immortal activated the Six-Soul Banner, protective wonders manifested on each of the four Saints.”
“Laozi had the Heaven-Earth Black-Yellow Exquisite Pagoda above his head. For Yuanshi Tianzun, a golden lotus bloomed within his celebratory clouds, and his righteous energy protected his body.”
“Jieyin Daoist had the Buddha’s Radiance of the Twelve-Petaled Golden Lotus, while Zhunti Daoist had sharira appear to automatically protect him.”
“In other words, the Six-Soul Banner did work; it was just blocked by these supreme treasures that automatically protect their masters.”
Chesia said crossly, “So this Six-Soul Banner can’t hurt Saints at all!”
“No.” Su Fu shook her head. “The one driving it was only Long-Ear Dingguang Immortal—a traitor who hadn’t even reached the level of a Great Zenith Golden Immortal.”
“Besides, he had already betrayed them at that point. Do you think he would have driven the banner with all his might?”
“If Grandmaster Tongtian had used it personally—a killing weapon refined by a Saint and activated by a Saint—the result might have been entirely different.”
Chesia looked thoughtful. “That seems right, especially with the boost from the Ten Thousand Immortals Array.”
“Exactly,” Su Fu nodded. “And when they tested it, they were already fully prepared. If it had been activated while the four Saints were completely off-guard, it could have at least injured or even severely wounded one or two of them.”
“With good luck, it might have turned the battle around. Grandmaster Tongtian didn’t necessarily lack a chance to flip the board.”
“That’s such a pity!” Chesia gritted her teeth. “So, Tongtian lost because he was backstabbed by his own person?”
“He set up such a massive Ten Thousand Immortals Array, and in the end, it didn’t even get a chance to perform—it just fizzled out!”
Because of Long-Ear Dingguang Immortal’s betrayal, the core killing move of the Ten Thousand Immortals Array failed, and the Sect of Interception completely collapsed.
Suddenly, Su Fu smiled. “So, I’m very curious. What if that Six-Soul Banner actually worked?”
Chesia was stunned for a moment, then reacted with delight. “Are you going to help Grandmaster Tongtian?”
“I support that! I’ve been sick of those hypocrites for a long time!”
“It’s not exactly helping.”
Su Fu shook her head and sighed. “The true Investiture of the Gods war is already history. What we’re facing now is just a dungeon mimicking an Anomaly. Clearing the dungeon is the real priority.”
She analyzed, “In the Investiture dungeon, the biggest threats are those Saints. Rather than letting Yuanshi’s side win completely, it’s obviously more beneficial for us if both sides suffer. The easiest way is to let the Saints fight among themselves.”
“So, during the upcoming Ten Thousand Immortals Array, we’ll lend Grandmaster Tongtian a hand.”
Chesia was happy with this decision but suddenly thought of a key issue. “But didn’t you say there’s Ancestral Master Hongjun above the Saints? If we help Tongtian and cause changes, what if he steps in? He’s a being who has merged with the Heavenly Dao!”
Su Fu gave her a puzzled look. “That’s why we need to cooperate with Tongtian and have him stand in front.”
Chesia: “…” ‘I almost forgot your habit of finding a scapegoat for everything.’
Su Fu explained, “In reality, humans are nothing more than ants to Hongjun. Heaven and Earth are heartless; they treat all things like straw dogs. Just as mortals don’t care about ants fighting, Hongjun, after merging with the Dao, has long since transcended external matters.”
“Little shrimps like us won’t even catch his eye. Unless the ants fight so hard they flip the entire nest… only then would he take notice.”
“This is why Ancestral Master Hongjun only stepped in after Tongtian lost and attempted to re-refine the elements to recreate the Great Desolation. After merging with the Dao, he’s like a programmer looking at code; as long as it doesn’t crash, he won’t intervene.”
“Moreover,” Su Fu continued, “Hongjun pushed the Investiture of the Gods for one core purpose: filling the list. The point was never who won, but whether enough people were on the list. As for whether the dead were from the Sect of Interception or the Chan Sect, or whether they were mortals or cultivators, it makes no difference to him.”
“In fact, this has always been my principle of action.”
Chesia looked thoughtful. “So what you mean is…?”
“Hongjun succeeded because of the Heavenly Dao, so he must follow the Heavenly Dao’s rules,” Su Fu stated. “Though he is the incarnation of the Heavenly Dao, he is also bound by it. His actions must align with the Dao, but he is also limited by it.”
“Therefore, my joining in only causes both sides to die… which perfectly meets the requirements of the Investiture of the Gods. I’m even pushing the process along because of my involvement.”
Chesia: “…You’ve really figured out the rules of this game.”
Su Fu threw up her hands. “Besides, there are already precedents in the Investiture of the Gods. That guy Shen Gongbao did far worse than I have. How many Golden Immortals did he get killed back then with his phrase ‘Fellow Daoist, please stay’?”
“In the end, didn’t Hongjun only take Grandmaster Tongtian away? He didn’t even give Shen Gongbao a second glance.”
“Internal fighting among the Saints is what Hongjun cares about most,” Su Fu explained. “After all, only they possess the power to change the Great Desolation. The harder Yuanshi, Tongtian, and Laozi fight, the safer little shrimps like us become.”
“Of course, I’ve also prepared a backup plan.” Su Fu coughed twice. “Why do you think I logged into my main Phoenix account? If it really comes to a crisis, I’ll have the Phoenix Clan revolt.”
“With no one to suppress the Nanming Undying Volcano, the entire Great Desolation will be flooded with lava, and all living things will suffer. I don’t believe Hongjun would dare take that risk. After all, that would be a major event shaking the very foundation of the Great Desolation.”
Chesia: “…” ‘By then, the temperature of the entire world will rise, the oceans will boil, the earth will crack, and the sky will break again!’
“Exactly.” Su Fu smiled. “And if Hongjun still doesn’t care, I’ll just break through to S-class on the spot and look for Mother! Anyway, with Lady Nuwa protecting me, nothing bad will happen.”
“It’s just that if we go that far, it’ll be hard to plan for the rest of the Investiture of the Gods. And since this is the core of the dungeon, I have to take a gamble. We have to cripple all the Saints before we can pull off something big later.”
Chesia was so shocked by Su Fu’s plan that she was speechless. Only after a long while did she mutter, “You’re truly audacious, but also truly cautious. You’ve calculated everything and even set up three layers of insurance.”
“This is the Great Desolation. Can I afford not to be cautious?” Su Fu sighed. “The opponents aren’t test takers or Golden Immortals. They are Saints, and it’s the Heavenly Dao…”
—
Time flowed like water. Su Fu finally received news that Grandmaster Tongtian was nearly finished refining the Six-Soul Banner. She didn’t hesitate any longer and headed straight for Purple Grass Cliff.
Chesia, however, became a bit worried now that the time had come. “We’re going to see a Saint. Don’t we need to make some preparations?”
Su Fu laughed at the words. “If I were seeing another Saint, I might have to think about it more. But a Grandmaster Tongtian who loves small animals? What’s there to be afraid of?”
“Loves small animals?” Chesia was stunned, then remembered the spiritual birds and exotic beasts under Grandmaster Tongtian’s sect. It seemed that was indeed the case. “Let’s go, let’s go!”
At the same time, Su Fu’s form began to change. When the transformation was complete, a magnificent peacock stood tall. It was exactly the appearance of Kong Xuan.
*Cough cough.* Su Fu felt that in this form, Kong Xuan probably wouldn’t mind?
Well… probably.
On Purple Grass Cliff, the rocks were jagged and ancient trees reached for the sky. A waterfall cascaded down from the cliff like the Milky Way pouring down, making a booming sound. Not far away, a simple thatched hut was faintly visible, surrounded by overgrown weeds where a few sparrows were pecking at seeds.
Su Fu flapped her wings and landed, bringing a gust of wind that made the surrounding vegetation sway. The feeding sparrows were startled and flew away.
At that same moment, Grandmaster Tongtian inside the hut suddenly looked up, revealing a pair of eyes that shone startlingly bright amidst his disheveled hair. The bloodshot veins in his eyes had not faded, yet he laughed toward the sky.
“It’s done! It’s finally done! Hahahaha!”
Grandmaster Tongtian rushed out the door excitedly, holding a pitch-black banner high in his hand. The burden that had weighed on his heart for many days was finally lifted; he had never felt so refreshed.
After releasing his excitement, Tongtian finally noticed the peacock before him. He casually smoothed his messy hair, revealing a hint of surprise. “You’re quite a rare peacock. What business brings you here?”