84: Chapter 84 Gu Shengzi truly has the heart of a bodhisattva!

Xu Henian flicked his wrist, and his longsword emitted a piercing Dragon's roar.

The two Celestial Phenomenon Realm Elders behind him moved simultaneously.

Three Primordial Spirit manifestations shot up into the sky.

Xu Henian's manifestation was a hundred-foot-tall sword immortal in purple robes, holding an ancient seven-star sword, its tip pointing downward, locking onto the Chief Disciple's head.

The second Elder summoned an abyssal iron flood dragon, its dragon whiskers curling and tearing through half the firmament.

The third Elder was the most irritable; before his manifestation had fully solidified, a purple river of swords had already been slashed out, heading straight for the Xuanhuang Immortal Mansion's formation.

"Are you trying to start a fight?" Zhou Baichuan stepped forward, his white scholar's robe fluttering without a breeze.

Behind him appeared the manifestation of a majestic literary sage holding a scripture; the sage's eyes were lowered, and an aura suppressing heaven and earth poured out from the scripture.

The purple sword river collided with the white light emitted by the scripture, exploding into a sky full of fragmented light in mid-air.

The canyon floor cracked, and gravel flew everywhere.

People from second-rate Sects scrambled backward in a panic, and a few Loose Cultivators with low cultivation were directly sent vomiting blood by the shockwaves.

The Chief Disciple gritted his teeth and retreated half a step; the Xuanhuang Disciples behind him were deathly pale, their legs trembling.

Xu Henian's eyes were bloodshot, and he pushed his sword tip forward by three inches.

"Zhou Baichuan! You can protect him for a moment, but you cannot protect him for a lifetime!"

"One hundred and forty lives! If Zifu Sword Pavilion cannot collect this blood debt today, I will tear your Xuanhuang Immortal Mansion apart from top to bottom!"

Veins bulged on Zhou Baichuan's forehead, and the other two Elders of Xuanhuang Immortal Mansion also revealed their Primordial Spirit manifestations; for a moment, the vast righteousness of heaven and earth persisted.

"Xu Henian, do you think I fear you?"

Six manifestations faced off above the canyon, the Spiritual Pressure crushing the surrounding vegetation until it withered, and the air became viscous.

On the edge of the battle circle.

Gu Changsheng leaned against Yousheng, arms crossed, looking like he was watching two packs of wild dogs fighting.

Song Yun shrank his neck and leaned in.

"Saint, if they keep fighting, I'm afraid this canyon will collapse."

Gu Changsheng glanced at the cracks that had opened beneath his feet.

"Let's go."

He stepped out of the Daoxuan Immortal Sect's ranks, his dark gold black robes motionless in the storm of Spiritual Pressure.

"Two Seniors."

Gu Changsheng's voice was not loud, but it pierced through the roar caused by the collision of the manifestations, falling clearly into everyone's ears.

Xu Henian and Zhou Baichuan turned their heads simultaneously.

Gu Changsheng raised his hand and pointed to the outskirts of the canyon.

"Three hundred miles south of here is the Yongan City of the Great Zhou Dynasty, with a million Mortals inside."

Gu Changsheng withdrew his finger, his tone calm.

"With several Celestial Phenomenon Realm powerhouses bombarding each other with manifestations here, the Spiritual Pressure will overflow, and the Mortals of Yongan City will likely suffer."

Xu Henian snorted coldly.

"Young Lord of the Gu Family, this is a matter between my Zifu Sword Pavilion and the Xuanhuang Immortal Mansion; there is no need for the Daoxuan Immortal Sect to interfere."

Before his words had even faded.

Three deep and majestic auras rose simultaneously from the Daoxuan Immortal Sect's camp.

Zhou Hongdao walked out side-by-side with two other Celestial Phenomenon Realm Elders.

Three manifestations appeared in the air, echoing Zhou Baichuan's literary sage manifestation from afar.

Six manifestations against three.

The firmament above the canyon was pressed into a visible depression by the Spiritual Pressure.

Xu Henian's pupils shrank to pinpoints.

Six against three.

Zhou Hongdao stood by Gu Changsheng's side, hands behind his back, staring at Xu Henian expressionlessly.

"Elder Xu, did you not hear the Saint's words clearly?"

Zhou Hongdao's voice was calm.

"This is not the place to fight; whatever grievances you have, take them back to your respective Sects to discuss later."

Veins bulged on the hand Xu Henian used to grip his sword.

He glanced at the six manifestations in the sky, then looked at the only two remaining fellow Disciples behind him and the blood-covered Sword Child Jian Wushuang.

His fists clenched and unclenched, then clenched again.

Three against six, he couldn't win.

If they really forced a fight, the three of them might not even be able to withstand the three from the Daoxuan Immortal Sect, and with the Xuanhuang Immortal Mansion added, it would be pure suicide.

"Fine." Xu Henian spat out the word through his teeth.

He suddenly retracted his manifestation, and his sword blade traced an arc in the air before returning to its sheath.

"Zifu Sword Pavilion will remember the grudge of today!"

Xu Henian scooped up Sword Child Jian Wushuang, turned around, and transformed into a purple beam of light, shooting into the sky.

The other two Elders followed closely behind, and the three streaks of light disappeared into the western horizon.

The Spiritual Pressure in the entire canyon suddenly dissipated, and the Loose Cultivators who had been pressed to the ground gasped for air.

Zhou Baichuan retracted his manifestation and let out a long, turbid breath.

He turned around and bowed deeply to Gu Changsheng with folded hands.

"Saint Gu, thank you for your righteous intervention today. On behalf of the entire Xuanhuang Immortal Mansion, I am deeply grateful."

The Chief Disciple also walked forward quickly and bowed.

"The Chief Disciple thanks the Saint for saving us."

The Chief Disciple straightened his back, his face still lingering with the anger and frustration from just before.

"If the Saint hadn't stepped forward today, those three old things would likely have attacked us on the spot."

Gu Changsheng waved his hand.

"A mere trifle, Chief Disciple, you are too kind."

Gu Changsheng paused, looking in the direction where Zifu Sword Pavilion had disappeared, and his brows furrowed slightly.

"Actually, there is one thing I am worried about for you."

Zhou Baichuan and the Chief Disciple looked over simultaneously.

"Please speak, Saint Gu."

Gu Changsheng paced back and forth with his hands behind his back, as if deliberating his wording.

"Chief Disciple, do you really think those one hundred and forty people from Zifu Sword Pavilion were killed by some ancient killing formation?"

The Chief Disciple was stunned for a moment.

"The Saint means..."

Gu Changsheng did not answer directly but countered with a question.

"One hundred and fifty people from Zifu Sword Pavilion entered the ancient realm, but only Sword Child Jian Wushuang came out."

Gu Changsheng held up one finger.

"Only one."

"He was covered in wounds, weeping bitterly, and insisted that it was your Xuanhuang Immortal Mansion who did it."

Gu Changsheng turned his head to look at the Chief Disciple.

"But ask yourself, have you ever done such a thing?"

The Chief Disciple's neck jumped twice more.

"Of course not! I, the Chief Disciple, swear to heaven that I have absolutely never done such a thing!"

"That's right." Gu Changsheng spat out four words.

"You didn't do it, yet he insists it was you."

Gu Changsheng lowered his voice by half a notch.

"Then why would he say that?"

The Chief Disciple opened his mouth; a thought was rolling in his mind but hadn't taken shape yet.

Zhou Baichuan was crafty and experienced; his pupils suddenly shrank.

"Is the Saint saying... that the death of those Disciples might have been arranged by Zifu Sword Pavilion themselves?"

Gu Changsheng did not nod or shake his head.

"I dare not jump to conclusions; after all, I have no evidence."

Gu Changsheng changed the subject.

"But Elder Zhou, have you thought about it? If Zifu Sword Pavilion really wanted to take action against the Xuanhuang Immortal Mansion, what are they lacking?"

Zhou Baichuan blurted out.

"An excuse."

This word was like a stone thrown into the water, splashing water everywhere.

The Chief Disciple was shaken, and all the fragments in his mind pieced together into a complete picture.

"A bitter ruse?" The Chief Disciple's voice tightened.

"Zifu Sword Pavilion has been competing with us for hundreds of years; they would love nothing more than to wipe the Xuanhuang Immortal Mansion off the map of the Eastern Wasteland!"

The Chief Disciple spoke with increasing urgency.

"But they have never been able to find a legitimate reason to start a war! Now, one hundred and forty people have died in the ancient realm, and they pin it on us—"

"The entire Eastern Wasteland cultivation world will stand on Zifu's side." Zhou Baichuan took over.

The color drained from his face.

"By then, Zifu Sword Pavilion will unite with several vassal Sects and come knocking under the banner of revenge. It will be justified, and no one will be able to say a word against it."

"What's even more deadly is—" Gu Changsheng raised his eyelids.

"If these Disciples of yours return safely to the Xuanhuang Immortal Mansion today, they will be your pillars in a few decades."

Gu Changsheng glanced at the group of young Disciples from the Xuanhuang Immortal Mansion.

"Seventy percent of Zifu's younger generation perished in the ancient realm; they have been severely weakened. But if this batch of yours also disappears—"

He didn't finish.

Zhou Baichuan's hands began to tremble.

"So Xu Henian wasn't seeking the truth just now." Zhou Baichuan gritted his back teeth.

"He wanted to take advantage of the chaos to kill all our Disciples too!"

"Kill your Disciples, then go back and fabricate a story about mutual destruction." The Chief Disciple continued, his voice cold.

"Zifu's younger generation is gone, and our younger generation is gone too. Everyone is injured, and no one can stand up. But Zifu's foundation is deeper than ours, and they recover faster."

"In two or three hundred years, with the ebb and flow." The Chief Disciple's forehead broke out in a sweat.

"The Xuanhuang Immortal Mansion will never be able to recover."

The canyon was silent for three breaths.

Zhou Baichuan turned around abruptly and bowed deeply to Gu Changsheng, his waist bent to ninety degrees.

"The Saint's great kindness is something the Xuanhuang Immortal Mansion will never forget!"

"If the Saint hadn't stopped those three old things today, these hundred-plus Disciples of mine would likely have all perished here!"

Gu Changsheng reached out to help him up in the air.

"Elder Zhou, you are too serious. The Daoxuan Immortal Sect and the Xuanhuang Immortal Mansion have always been on good terms; it is only right."

The Chief Disciple clutched his cuffs, coldness churning in his eyes.

"Elder Zhou, we must return immediately."

The Chief Disciple lowered his voice, speaking extremely fast.

"Since Zifu Sword Pavilion has torn off the facade, they will not let it rest. They will definitely make a big fuss after they return."

"We must reinforce all border defenses before they take action, and at the same time recall all Disciples who are out for training."

Zhou Baichuan nodded, his face ashen.

"Let's go!"

Zhou Baichuan waved his hand, and all the Disciples of the Xuanhuang Immortal Mansion quickly assembled.

The Chief Disciple walked three steps, then suddenly stopped and turned back to look at Gu Changsheng.

"Saint Gu, the Xuanhuang Immortal Mansion owes you a massive favor."

The Chief Disciple folded his hands, his words clear.

"In the future, wherever you need me, I will go through fire and water without hesitation."

Gu Changsheng nodded, watching the streaks of light of the Xuanhuang Immortal Mansion party, his smile somewhat unfathomable...