Chapter 111: The Battle of Sakaizumi (Part II)

Mount Kunlun, the wondrous sacred land that gave birth to the Three Purities.

From the towering palace came the resonant tolling of bells, while immortal cranes and colorful phoenixes soared freely amidst the auspicious clouds. Gentle sunlight filtered through the seven-colored mists, casting its warm glow upon this mystical haven of the immortals.

“Senior Brother, I must go and see for myself,” said the Primordial Supreme Being, now a true sage, his usual calm and composed demeanor replaced by determination. Setting aside his usual restraint, he prepared to take decisive action.

Within the Chan Sect, the Twelve Golden Immortals held irreplaceable status—not merely because of their individual cultivation and strength, but because they collectively embodied the very essence of the sect. These “Twelve Golden Immortals” were arranged according to the celestial stems and earthly branches, carrying both the sect’s fortune and serving as a measure of its might.

Should any harm befall even one of these Twelve Golden Immortals, it would signify a great decline in the Chan Sect’s destiny.

Tongtian finally understood why, in his past life upon reading the Investiture of the Gods, the Jade Purity Primordial Supreme Being risked his own dignity and lowered himself to protect his disciples at all costs. It was all connected to the sect’s fortune.

“Second Senior Brother, do not panic. I, Xuan Daozi, will hurry to your aid,” Tongtian said with a calmness belying the situation. This was not his doing, but the natural consequence of the Chan Sect’s karma.

“Hmph! If even a single hair on one of our Golden Immortals is harmed, then the entire Jiuli Tribe will perish alongside them!” Although these were his own disciples and followers, the Primordial Supreme Being’s face twisted with a ruthless resolve to sacrifice even the lowliest insects rather than see his disciples suffer.

“Upon what authority do you speak so?” The Grand Supreme Elder could no longer tolerate the Primordial Supreme Being’s expression. A sage must comport himself as such. What was this behavior?

“Second Senior Brother only let anger cloud his judgment. Senior Brother, please forgive him,” Tongtian interceded, unwilling to see the two great immortals of the Three Purities at odds. For the sake of their dignity, Tongtian took on the role of peacemaker.

Meanwhile, far below, the human-tribe and shaman-tribe war at Banquan had reached its final moment.

“Your Majesty, the south-pointing chariot is ready,” Feng Hou reported. As a legendary statesman, Feng Hou was a master not only of battle formations but also of inventions, reminiscent of the great Zhuge Liang of later eras. His intellect was nothing short of astonishing.

Above, the cultivators waged their celestial battles; below, ordinary humans endured their own struggles.

Amidst flying sand and stones, tempestuous winds and rain, the human soldiers held firm.

Chi You knew well that his “Twelve Heavenly Banners” formation was but a minor trial to the myriad cultivators of the prehistoric world. Yet for him, this formation had nearly reached his original ambition.

With the great shaman Wind Lord and Rain Master commanding the formation, and Chi You leading the eighty-one tribes of the Jiuli people to assault the human army’s main camp, as long as the formation held until he could slay Xuanyuan, the world’s fate would be sealed; the revival and flourishing of the shaman tribe would be assured.

Victory or defeat would be decided in this single decisive moment.

To seize this sole sliver of hope, Chi You dared to defy heaven and earth, slaughtering all living beings along the southeastern coast in his ruthless bid to dominate the world and restore the shaman tribe’s glory!

Though Xuan Daozi and others had broken the ancestral shaman puppets from other directions, the tempestuous weather in the mortal realm remained unchanged.

When it came to controlling the weather, the Heavenly Court was unparalleled. Whether the Four Sea Dragon Kings or the Heavenly Court’s Thunder Department, these were experts in meteorological governance.

The wise Nine Heavens Mysterious Maiden immediately sensed the environment’s great influence on the tide of battle. She promptly sent her spiritual awareness to the gods of the Heavenly Court, requesting assistance.

The Heavenly Court watched the mortal realm’s events with deep concern. This was not merely a matter of celestial authority but bore heavily on the future direction of the Heavenly Court’s influence among mortals.

The Supreme Emperor Haotian immediately commanded the Thunder Department to dispel the adverse weather below and improve the battlefield conditions.

Yet, just as the Thunder Department prepared to act, the raging storms had already vanished without a trace. The Thunder Department disciples, often at odds with Haotian, found themselves at a loss. What should they do? Disperse the storm, or return and report that it had already dissipated?

One day in heaven equates to one year on earth.

Of course, once the Thunder Department arrived and then returned to report, less than a day had passed in heaven, but nearly a month had elapsed in the mortal realm.

During this month, Xuanyuan Huangdi led the human warriors in steadfast defense of the battle formation, while Chi You launched wave after wave of assaults, each fiercely repelled by the tenacious human soldiers.

To determine the enemy’s point of attack, Xuanyuan Huangdi racked his brains.

Though he knew the enemy was close, he could not discern from which direction they would strike.

Feng Hou saw the peril clearly: the enemy fought in darkness while they fought in the light. It was obvious their side suffered losses. Thus, Feng Hou had spoken as he did.

“Is that so? Wonderful!” Xuanyuan Huangdi snapped his fingers and clapped his hands in approval.

Fighting this enemy was maddening. Without knowledge of their attack direction, if not for their superior weapons and formations, he would have long been captured by Chi You.

Soon, Feng Hou unveiled a cart powered by gears, which, through the rotation of its wheels, directed the wooden figure atop it. No matter which way the cart turned, the figure’s hand always pointed south. This was the famed “South-Pointing Chariot.”

Feng Hou then explained its purpose, and the human generals and ministers nearby applauded enthusiastically.

Xuanyuan Huangdi immediately launched an attack guided by the cart’s direction.

Along the path lay scattered banners and discarded armor, but Xuanyuan Huangdi made no pause, swiftly leading his troops out of the enveloping dense fog.

“You foul demons, watch my treasured weapon!” After rescuing the Three Ancestors of the human race, Xuan Daozi hurriedly followed Tongtian’s orders to ensure the safety of the Chan Sect’s Golden Immortals. Knowing that his disciples could endure hardship, he slowed his pace.

Yet even so, upon reaching the east, only Guang Chengzi and the Daoist of Great Unity remained fighting among the Golden Immortals. Anger welled up within Xuan Daozi.

He immediately unleashed two beams of immortal light that enveloped the ancestral shaman puppets and rushed to Guang Chengzi’s side, administering immortal pills to him and the Daoist of Great Unity.

The beams of light steadily dispelled the black qi clinging to the puppets’ bodies. Xuan Daozi then took the Tai Chi diagram from the Daoist of Great Unity, waving it left and right to shatter the thunder-emitting ancestral shaman puppets into nothingness.

“Hah!” Xuan Daozi shouted as the two puppets dissolved into ashes beneath the immortal swords’ radiance.

“Are you unharmed?” Seeing the Twelve Heavenly Banners formation broken and gathering the flags into his hand, Xuan Daozi immediately assessed Guang Chengzi and the others.

“Unharmed, only drained of spiritual power,” Guang Chengzi’s aura was faint, but the pill Xuan Daozi gave him slowly revived his strength.

Xuan Daozi then checked on Ling Bao Master, Daoist Cihang, and others, sighing inwardly—they had all suffered damage to their primordial sources.

It was no wonder that among the second-generation disciples of the Three Teachings, only Guang Chengzi, Yun Zhongzi, the Jade Cauldron Daoist, the Daoist of Great Unity, and the Immortal of the South Pole held renown. Others like Daoist Cihang, Daoist of Virtue, Ling Bao Master, and Daoist Puxian were comparatively weaker.

“I will exact a bloody revenge!” Guang Chengzi, now recovered, saw the damage to the Golden Immortals’ strength clearly, and knew that Xuanyuan Huangdi had withdrawn from the battlefield below.

The Chan Sect’s counterattack was imminent.