182: Chapter 182 Battle of the Golden Core

"Really? Revered Master must keep your word."

Chu Linger's eyes sparkled, reflecting the bright moonlight, even more brilliant than the distant lanterns.

Xu Changsheng nodded. "I keep my word."

"Then good, I believe Revered Master. I'll go find Revered Master right now."

He called her to a stop: "Don't be in such a hurry, I have one more condition."

Chu Linger stopped abruptly and turned back suspiciously. "What condition? Revered Master wouldn't want to go back on your word and make Linger run for nothing, right?"

"No, it's just a small request. You cannot mention the matter of me making an enemy of that Golden Core Cultivator."

A look of confusion appeared on Chu Linger's face. "Why?"

Xu Changsheng rubbed his forehead. It turned out this girl really intended to just pass the message along; it was a good thing he was cautious.

"If Fairy Chu repeats exactly what I just told you, not only will it expose the special relationship between us, but Yellow Ox will almost certainly not take action."

Chu Linger suddenly recalled Xu Changsheng's constant warnings. "Oh right, Revered Master doesn't allow me to say that."

But her face still held a puzzled look. "But why wouldn't Revered Master be willing to take action? As the City Lord of Yellow Ox Immortal City, Revered Master is generous and kind."

She continued, "He even set up a Dengwen Drum in the City Lord's Mansion. Anyone who suffers injustice can go to the hall to cry out their grievances, though those cases are usually handled by us fellow disciples."

She lightly propped up her cheek. "Since Revered Master is in such big trouble, why not go beat the Dengwen Drum? Since this matter is so serious, Revered Master will definitely take action."

Xu Changsheng let out a cold laugh and shook his head. "Yellow Ox will not take action."

"Why? Revered Master doesn't understand my Master. Although he is busy sometimes, this kind of thing..."

"He won't take action."

Xu Changsheng interrupted her suddenly.

"Think about it. If you were Yellow Ox, and you had two paths before you: one is to kill a junior who is like an ant, and the other is to fight to the death with a Cultivator of the same rank, which one would you choose?"

"Uh, Linger feels like neither path is easy to take, it's just..."

"Stop. After you go back, say that a patrol from the Guard Department accidentally bumped into that Golden Core Cultivator. As for who bumped into them, say you don't know and let them check for themselves!"

Xu Changsheng didn't want to waste any more time with Chu Linger; now was not the time to teach her about the ways of the world.

"Go now!"

"Mhm."

Chu Linger's figure quickly disappeared into the alley. Her whisper drifted back into his ears: "There was clearly a third path to take..."

Xu Changsheng's expression was grave as he looked at the bright moon hanging in the western sky.

"I hope I can get through this."

If he could survive this calamity tonight, he might have to leave Yellow Ox Immortal City or even the Chu Kingdom Cultivation World.

Gu Lingye was in the light, while the Ghost Shadow Sect was in the dark; they were impossible to guard against.

Living in constant fear every day, he wouldn't be able to Cultivate, let alone get a good night's sleep.

...

Half an hour later.

Xu Changsheng returned to Zhaiyue Tower once again.

Zhaiyue Tower was not just a name; the entire pavilion could adjust its orientation to follow the rising and setting of the moon.

Standing on its terrace, the moon seen every night was the clearest.

The terrace was not large, suspended on three sides. The railing was carved from a single piece of white jade, engraved with cloud patterns and laurel shadows, feeling cool to the touch.

The floor was paved with a layer of extremely thin polished Moonlight Stones, with a faint glow flowing underfoot.

As the moonlight spilled down, one felt as if they had stepped into a pool of solidified moonlight.

Xu Changsheng stood side by side with Su Tinglan.

The latter was somewhat puzzled. "Fellow Daoist Xu was in such a hurry to leave just now, why have you returned?"

Her voice, accompanied by the moonlight, was somewhat cold.

"It's nothing. I just saw the full moon on my way out and suddenly felt like it."

Xu Changsheng replied indifferently, his eyes fixed on a rising shadow in the far distance.

That was the silhouette of Huangniu Mountain.

Su Tinglan stopped speaking as well, raising her head to look at the sky. Her clear and beautiful face was reflected against the bright moon in the sky, as if Chang'e had descended to the mortal world.

However, at that moment.

A pillar of earth-colored light, large enough to cover nearly half of Huangniu Mountain, shot straight into the clouds from the mountainside.

Xu Changsheng narrowed his eyes, a microscopic curve appearing at the corner of his mouth.

Yellow Ox had indeed taken action.

Su Tinglan did not react, thinking it was a nighttime ceremony in the Immortal City.

Until.

Boom!

A massive roar came from the direction of Huangniu Mountain, followed by a wave of white air as solid as substance.

Her strands of black hair danced incessantly in the wind, scattering and then gathering again.

Meanwhile, Xu Changsheng's green robes flapped loudly in the wind.

Finally realizing something was wrong, she looked into the distance.

High in the night sky, beneath the bright moon.

Several figures could be faintly seen floating.

Who else could fly in the air under the flight Restriction of Yellow Ox Immortal City besides those False Core and Golden Core True Persons?

However, at such a distance, their faces could not be seen clearly.

But in the next instant.

Moo—

The sound of an ox's lowing pierced through heaven and earth.

At the same time.

An old Yellow Ox as large as a small hill appeared before Huangniu Mountain. Its curved giant horns gleamed with a dull metallic luster in the twilight, and white mist exhaled from its nose, which was pierced by a silver ring, swirling around it.

"Is this... Yellow Ox's Dutian Yellow Ox?"

A crack finally appeared on Su Tinglan's frost-cold face.

Xu Changsheng nodded. "Mhm, it seems Yellow Ox has taken action. I just don't know who his opponent is."

Points of light flashed in the night sky from time to time; those were the lights produced by the battle.

After a while, the battle became increasingly intense.

Yellow Ox's top disciple, True Person Jin Niu, also joined the battle, his golden sword light tearing through the dark curtain.

Later on.

The City-protecting Formation was also activated, and a yellow-misty light screen obscured the bright moon.

Xu Changsheng's expression was grave. As an Earth-Grade assassin of the Yinsha Pavilion, Gu Lingye's strength was indeed unfathomable.

A combination of two Golden Core Cultivators plus a Third-Grade Late Stage Heaven and Earth Spirit Beast—an alliance that would make the Chu Kingdom Cultivation World tremble with a stomp of their feet—actually failed to take down Gu Lingye.

Looking from afar, Gu Lingye seemed to have once again activated the Spirit Bone in her body, transforming into a human-bone form.

"No wonder."

Xu Changsheng felt relieved. In this form, Gu Lingye's strength approached the Quasi-Fourth Grade; even True Man Zhuzhao, who was at the Golden Core Great Perfection, would find it difficult to handle.

But no matter how strong Gu Lingye was, it was hard for her to withstand Yellow Ox on his home turf, especially since Yellow Ox's cultivation was also at the Golden Core Great Perfection.

Bang!

The thick yellow canopy converged toward Huangniu Mountain, forming an all-encompassing net of heaven and earth.

In a short while, it shrank to the peak of Huangniu Mountain.

Xu Changsheng showed a look of anticipation. If Yellow Ox could kill Gu Lingye on the spot, his crisis would be completely resolved.

But his anticipation was soon disappointed.

The yellow light screen trembled slowly, and then a white light spiraled out, tearing through the heavenly net and flying into the air.

He thought to himself, "As expected, even they can't do anything to Gu Lingye..."

But before he could feel any sorrow, his expression suddenly turned to one of shock.

Because the white light only stayed in the night sky for a moment before it charged toward Zhaiyue Tower at extreme speed in the next instant.