Chapter 334: Master of Courting Death
"What cultivation technique is this?"
This scroll was a golden scripture scroll, extremely difficult to damage. There weren't many words on it, and the few scattered characters were very brief, such as "Magpie Bridge," "Mystic Attraction," "Divine Crossing," and the like, their meanings unclear.
Banggong Cuo's gaze fell on the illustration on the first page of the golden scripture scroll. The picture depicted a resplendent celestial court, magnificent and dazzling. The golden light that had just illuminated the entire hall was precisely the radiance emanating from this painted celestial court.
Although it was a painting, it was so realistic that it seemed as if a real celestial court was hidden within the scroll.
In front of the celestial court was a broken bridge, and a god-like figure stood at the end of the broken bridge.
Banggong Cuo was slightly startled. This scene looked somewhat familiar. He then looked around the illustration, saw the sun, moon, and the five luminaries, and finally confirmed: "This is the Divine Bridge Divine Treasury! This god-like figure should be the Primordial Spirit! Why did this golden scripture scroll paint this picture? Isn't the Divine Bridge of the Carefree Realm complete? Why is this picture still broken?"
Besides this picture, there were other illustrations. These pictures respectively depicted different meridian circulation routes, how primordial qi operated within the spiritual embryo, how to harness the five qi from the Five Luminaries Divine Treasury, how to stabilize the Six Directions to secure heaven and earth, how to link the Seven Stars, how to unify the soul with primordial qi to consolidate the Primordial Spirit, and how to traverse life and death to behold the Netherworld.
By the eighth picture, it was again the Divine Bridge Divine Treasury. Banggong Cuo's heart suddenly pounded violently several times. He saw the foundation laid by the previous seven pictures. By the eighth picture, the primordial qi had undergone a marvelous transformation. A multitude of primordial qi seemed to be drawn by an inexplicable force, spreading forward along the broken bridge like magpies.
"Magpie Bridge!"
Banggong Cuo's heart thumped loudly. This was the cultivation method of the Magpie Bridge. The Magpie Bridge Art recorded in this golden scripture scroll could reconnect the broken bridge!
He hurriedly turned to the next page, only to see that the Primordial Spirit in the picture had already reached the end of the Magpie Bridge, but there was still an insurmountable distance before the celestial court ahead.
At this moment, the meridian circulation route of the primordial qi underwent another wondrous change, creating an inexplicable resonance with the celestial court. The primordial qi was drawn to fly towards the celestial court, and a bridge was also slowly forming within the celestial court.
"Mystic Attraction Art!"
Banggong Cuo was so excited that stars danced before his eyes. He quickly tried his best to steady his mind and continued to look at the next page.
This page was the last page of the golden scripture scroll. It depicted the Divine Crossing Art. By activating this technique, one could have the Primordial Spirit fly across, crossing from one end of the Divine Bridge to the other, thereby stepping into another profound realm!
"Such a complex technique—how was it ever created?"
Banggong Cuo suppressed the urge to cheer. The methods recorded in this golden scripture scroll were far too complex. If it were him, he couldn't have conceived such an intricate and ingenious technique to connect the Divine Bridge. The fact that the people of the Carefree Realm had actually created this technique was truly incredible!
"One golden scripture scroll surpasses all my accumulated knowledge from my previous life! So what if that brat surnamed Qin took away part of my previous life's wealth? With this golden scripture scroll, I can break through the Divine Bridge realm and become a deity!"
Banggong Cuo stood up, feeling dizzy and lightheaded. He knew his mind was too agitated, so much so that his Dao heart was also shaken by this immense good news. Although he was an old monster who had lived for ten thousand years, he was still overwhelmed by this great joy, unable to calm his Dao heart.
"As long as I cultivate to the Divine Bridge realm and unlock the Divine Bridge Divine Treasury, becoming a deity will be no problem! I need to rapidly increase my cultivation!"
Just then, the Witch Venerable outside the sacred hall of the Golden Palace reported, "Great Venerable, the frontline is in a tight spot. Khan Luandi Di has sent word that the Yan Kang National Teacher has arrived at the front. In the past two days, someone called the Heavenly Demon Cult Leader also came. His swordsmanship is divine. He showed his skill, and his sword light was like an ocean, controlling the battlefield for hundreds of miles around."
Banggong Cuo was surprised and laughed derisively, "Has Luandi Di gone mad? The Heavenly Demon Cult Leader is that brat surnamed Qin. Where does he have such ability? Sword light controlling hundreds of miles? Even I didn't have such means in my previous life! The Yan Kang National Teacher might not have that ability either, especially since he's still injured. Nonsense, utter nonsense."
The Witch Venerable said, "Khan Luandi Di's request is for the Great Venerable to mobilize the experts of the Golden Palace to assist."
Banggong Cuo was in a very good mood and laughed, "This Luandi Di is too timid. I have already sent orders to the grasslands for a hundred khans to assist him. Over a hundred tribes and a hundred khans from the grasslands have all gone to lend him a hand. These khans are not weak in cultivation. Besides, the Wolf Ju Xu Kingdom is also attacking the Cold Iron Pass from the north, diverting Yan Kang's forces. And yet he still wants to borrow the strength of my Golden Palace."
The Witch Venerable hurriedly asked, "Great Venerable, how should we reply to Khan Luandi Di? What he said about the sword light being like an ocean doesn't seem like a lie."
Banggong Cuo stood up, paced back and forth, and said, "Sword light like an ocean, sword light like an ocean... I have seen this kind of swordsmanship before! Hmph, it seems that one has arrived. The old Human Sovereign wasn't very quiet before his death either."
The Witch Venerable shuddered. "The old Human Sovereign?"
"Since the old Human Sovereign has shown his face, things become much easier."
Banggong Cuo laughed. "This is a great opportunity for my Golden Palace to shine. You go to the Sacred Mountain in the Western Lands, burn incense, and invite the people from the Upper Firmament. Tell them the old Human Sovereign has left the Great Ruins. I will take the experts of the Golden Palace and head to the border first to assist."
The Witch Venerable's face changed drastically, and he blurted out, "Great Venerable, please think twice! The old Human Sovereign has arrived. With his divine swordsmanship, I'm afraid our Golden Palace..."
Banggong Cuo said leisurely, "My Golden Palace is, after all, a sacred land. Why should I fear that old immortal? Now that the National Teacher is crippled, Yan Feng Emperor is also finished, the Dao Lord and Tathagata are both old and decrepit, the Dao Sect and the Great Thunderclap Monastery have no one in charge, and the Heavenly Demon Cult Leader, that brat Qin, is just a little kid, utterly useless. It serves Yan Kang right for its country to be destroyed."
The Witch Venerable was taken aback and quickly said, "Great Venerable, Yan Kang is a small country but should not be underestimated."
Banggong Cuo tucked the golden scripture scroll securely against his body and walked out, laughing, "You overestimate them. My Golden Palace is not to be trifled with either. We have over a dozen Cult Leader-level experts, plus over a hundred grassland khans. We are not afraid of Yan Kang. In fact, the moment the old Human Sovereign appeared, Yan Kang's fate was sealed. The Upper Firmament will be very happy to help us destroy Yan Kang. This time, the old Human Sovereign has stirred up a huge hornet's nest!"
He laughed heartily, walked out of the sacred hall, gathered all the experts of the Golden Palace at the Heavenly Man realm and above, as well as those at the Life and Death and Divine Bridge realms, and set off for the border.
The Witch Venerable did not dare to delay and immediately set out for the Western Lands.
This time, Banggong Cuo brought only experts—those who had cultivated a Primordial Spirit. They traveled on a treasure ship, with a Witch King at the Heavenly Man realm transforming into bird wings, flapping them to drag the ship through the air. The speed was incredibly fast, like wind and lightning.
Even so, it took them five or six days to reach the border.
Behind the border, sheep and cattle covered the mountains and plains. Khans from all over the grasslands had brought their respective tribal armies, slaughtering livestock for meat.
Yan Kang was weak. Adhering to the principle of striking while the iron was hot, Banggong Cuo had personally ordered the unification of the grassland tribes under Khan Luandi Di to attack Yan Kang. At the same time, he contacted the Wolf Ju Xu Kingdom to invade from the north, planning to divide the territory after conquering Yan Kang.
The grassland army was blocked at Qingmen Pass. Both sides deployed more and more troops and experts. Qingmen Pass also received a steady stream of reinforcements, turning the battle into a stalemate.
When Qin Mu and the others arrived, it was the critical period for both sides to contest the Duck Tongue region. However, Village Chief's one move, "Sword Traversing Mountains and Rivers," had calmed the battle.
When Khan Luandi Di heard that Banggong Cuo had arrived with the experts of the Golden Palace, he quickly led many grassland khans to greet him personally. Although Banggong Cuo was nominally his son, his true identity was the Great Venerable, which made Luandi Di sad but even more delighted.
After the Great Venerable had taken over Banggong Cuo's body, the Golden Palace's attitude towards Luandi Di had improved significantly, and they began to fully support him in becoming the overlord of the grasslands.
"Greetings, Great Venerable!" Khan Luandi Di led the crowd in a bow, shouting loudly.
Banggong Cuo quickly stepped forward to help him up personally, laughing, "You are my father in this life. No need for such formalities. I already know about the sword light like an ocean. My coming here is to put your mind at ease."
Khan Luandi Di bowed and stood by his side. Remembering that overwhelming sword light like a vast ocean, he couldn't help but shudder and said, "The Heavenly Demon Cult Leader's skills are extraordinary, and his swordsmanship is unmatched. With him in Qingmen Pass, our grassland elite forces cannot advance an inch! Great Venerable..."
"The Heavenly Demon Cult Leader?"
Banggong Cuo laughed heartily, stomping his feet repeatedly before finally stopping his laughter, and said, "The Heavenly Demon Cult Leader is just a sixteen-year-old brat! His abilities are shallow. What has he done to deserve such attention from you? Don't worry about him. Since he's on the other side, I'll go and meet him to set your mind at ease."
Khan Luandi Di breathed a sigh of relief. "If we can have the Great Venerable and the various Witch Kings help, we will surely win the first battle and pacify the Central Plains!"
Banggong Cuo led the crowd into the pass, then the city gates opened wide, and he led them out of the majestic pass, walking towards the Duck Tongue region. When they reached the center between the two great passes, Banggong Cuo ordered someone to call out, "Heavenly Demon Cult Leader Qin Mu, the Great Venerable wishes to speak with you. Do you dare to leave the city for a meeting?"
The one who called out was a Witch King at the Cult Leader level. His voice was loud and clear, spreading throughout Qingmen Pass.
Qin Mu was in the middle of refining the Divine Thunder Rings with the others. Hearing this voice, he said in surprise, "This bastard Banggong Cuo still dares to show up? As long as we kill him, his Soul Worship Sorcery will be extinct! It's a pity Grandpa Tu isn't here, or he would be happy to kill him."
The Yan Kang National Teacher had already come to Qin Mu's side, along with Cripple, Village Chief, and many of Yan Kang's military generals. Qin Mu took out the Soul Worship Diagram he had drawn of Banggong Cuo. The deity and demon depicted were lifelike.
"I've never seen it before." Village Chief shook his head.
Cripple also shook his head. The military generals also shook their heads one after another, saying, "This deity and demon is strange. We've never seen anything like it."
Qin Mu looked at the Yan Kang National Teacher, who showed a thoughtful expression and said, "When my wife and I were invited to Little Jade Capital, I saw a similar deity and demon sculpture there, but I didn't ask about it in detail."
Outside, the calling came again.
Qin Mu put away the painting, stood up, and laughed, "If we kill Banggong Cuo, there's no need to go to Little Jade Capital! Grandpa Village Chief, you come too. If words fail, kill him on the spot!"
Village Chief shook his head. "I am the Human Sovereign. I cannot interfere in the conflicts of the mortal world, or else no one will listen to the Human Sovereign's words anymore."
"Then what use is this Human Sovereign Seal?"
Qin Mu felt like throwing the Human Sovereign Seal away. This thing was utterly useless and came with so many restrictions. But if he threw it away, Village Chief would be sad. Besides, he still hadn't defeated Village Chief at the same cultivation level, so according to their promise, he had to keep it.
"That beast Banggong Cuo dared to steal things from my Qin family and then come flaunt them in front of me. Isn't that like dancing on my own ancestral grave?"
Qin Mu was fuming with anger and said fiercely, "Grandpa Cripple, come with me! Let's steal him blind!"
Cripple's eyes lit up, and he chuckled, "Let's go, the two of us. Let's see who is the true master of thievery!"