Chapter 23: The Change in Human Affairs

In the Ghost King City, a shocking battle of the ages is unfolding. The Black River Ghost King is being besieged by the top six experts, including the Bloodthirsty, the Undead Blood Reaper, the Unseen Ghost Fiend, the Illusionary Phantom, the Shadow Grim, and the Soulless Ghost, as they attempt to reclaim their stolen soul. The scene is one of earth-shattering proportions, with the clash of powers causing mountains to crumble and the earth to shake. The unparalleled might displayed is truly a sight to behold. Meanwhile, on the other side, Jian Wuchen is trapped by the twelve ghosts, engaged in a desperate struggle for survival.

With a furious roar, Jian Wuchen's eyes flash with purple light as his divine sword slashes out with immense force. A dazzling rainbow pillar of light collides fiercely with the tightly compressed green light sphere, the clash between their mighty holy energy and sinister aura causing another explosion of power. From a distance, one can only see a rainbow pillar slicing through the green sphere, encountering significant resistance after traversing a distance of ten feet, and being pushed back. Within the light sphere, Jian Wuchen's body trembles, and he spits out a mouthful of blood, his eyes dimming considerably.

After a wave of fluctuations, the intense pressure within the green light sphere contracts once more, making it difficult for Jian Wuchen to move and leaving him breathless. Sensing the imminent danger, Jian Wuchen's eyes grow cold, tinged with a hint of fear. Glancing at Liu Xinghun and his companions, who are also entangled by the ghostly spirits, Jian Wuchen's heart sinks; he knows there's no time to wait for rescue, and he must rely on himself now.

His gaze turns ice-cold in an instant as a purple aura envelops his entire body, forming a vortex of purple light around him. With Jian Wuchen at its center, the vortex spins rapidly within the green light sphere, creating a powerful whirlwind that devours everything in its path.

In a hidden corner, Lu Yun watches Jian Wuchen with a hint of astonishment in his eyes. He can't decipher the technique Jian Wuchen is employing at this moment, but he can sense its terrifying power. Glancing at Aoxue and Cangyue, who also wear strange expressions, Lu Yun's mind races with thoughts.

Suddenly, a fierce roar echoes through the area, drawing everyone's attention to the Bloodthirsty Ghost Elder.

At this moment, the Bloodthirsty Ghost Elder undergoes another transformation. The meridians and blood vessels on his blood-red battle armor become clearly visible, and a blood-red mask emerges from the blood-colored Yanluo head at the center of his forehead, covering his face. As the mask settles on his face, the Bloodthirsty Ghost Elder is replaced by the living embodiment of the Bloodthirsty Yanluo within the Ghost Domain City.

Adorned with a dark red grimacing face at his chest, the Bloodthirsty Yanluo is wielding a bloodthirsty battle axe in his right hand, exuding an overwhelming aura. His flaming eyes sweep the surroundings, pausing for a moment in the direction where Lu Yun and his companions are hidden, a hint of sinister smile playing on his lips.

The Ghost King's expression changes drastically as his two red and black eyeballs rotate incessantly, clearly contemplating how to deal with the Bloodthirsty Yanluo, who is rumored to possess an immortal body. Meanwhile, the Unseen Ghost Fiend disappears with a flicker of black clouds, leaving silently. As he departs, the Shadow Grim, unwillingly, lets out a roar and signals his underlings, vanishing into thin air as well. With their departure, only the Ghost King, the Undead Blood Reaper, the Soulless Ghost, and the Illusionary Phantom remain.

The Illusionary Phantom, looking at the Ghost King, softly asks, "Your Majesty, what should we do now? Shall we continue our attack, or retreat for now and come up with another plan later?" The Ghost King gazes at the Undead Blood Reaper and the Bloodthirsty Yanluo without speaking.

"Now, while it has just been resurrected and its power is unstable, let's give it our all once more. Perhaps there's still a glimmer of hope. Once it stabilizes its strength and reaches its peak, we won't stand a chance of eliminating it in the future. Come, one final strike, let's give it our all," the Soulless Ghost speaks up amidst the silence.

Glancing at the Bloodthirsty Yanluo, who shows no objection, the Ghost King nods, saying, "Alright, one last time. If it doesn't work, we retreat! Begin!" With that, he spins in mid-air, summoning a black tornado imbued with soul-eroding ghostly aura, charging toward the Bloodthirsty Yanluo.

The Bloodthirsty Yanluo radiates with red light, gathering the bloodthirsty energy into two highly concentrated energy balls in his palms, launching a fierce attack towards the Bloodthirsty Yanluo. The Illusionary Phantom initiates the Black Shroud, while the Soulless Ghost unleashes the Soul-Collecting Urn. The four experts pool their formidable powers into one devastating assault aimed directly at the Bloodthirsty Yanluo.

As the clash erupts, the overwhelming force emits a destructive shockwave, accompanied by earth-shattering roars, spreading outward. Just before the destructive force is unleashed, the Soulless Ghost's eyes flash with a cold light, and with a cruel gaze, he suddenly looks towards the Ghost King beside him. As the powerful shockwave approaches, the Soulless Ghost utilizes its momentum to propel himself towards the Ghost King's side, narrowly avoiding the impending onslaught.

Impact of light and shadow, the power of the fierce clash emits a wave of destruction, with a deafening roar, rapidly spreading outward. Just before the devastating force of destruction is unleashed, a cold light flashes in the eyes of the Soulless Ghost, and with a cruel and ruthless gaze, he suddenly turns towards the Ghost King beside him. As the powerful shockwave approaches, the Soulless Ghost uses its momentum to launch himself towards the Ghost King's side, coming dangerously close to the impending attack.

With a suppressed smile, the Soulless Ghost's right palm carries the corrosive power of ten layers of soul erosion. It suddenly presses onto the Ghost King's chest. Watching as the ghostly aura around the Ghost King dissipates wildly, the Soulless Ghost sneers, "This palm is to repay you for killing my subordinates earlier. As for the remaining kick, consider it my gift to you. Hehe, you deal with that Bloodthirsty Yanluo slowly, I'll take my leave first." With a kick to the Ghost King's back, a powerful force propels his body towards the Bloodthirsty Yanluo.

Roaring furiously, the Ghost King is furious. It never expected that everything the Soulless Ghost did earlier was just to find an opportunity for revenge. Now, the Ghost King is not only injured by the powerful backlash from the Bloodthirsty Yanluo but also severely wounded by the Soulless Ghost's palm strike. Feeling his body rapidly approaching the Bloodthirsty Yanluo, the Ghost King roars in anger. His entire body emits a black aura, and he instantly initiates an instantaneous transfer, disappearing from mid-air.

On the other side, the Undead Blood Reaper understands that the situation is lost the moment it is blasted away. It quickly escapes. Meanwhile, the Illusionary Phantom, seeing the Soulless Ghost's ambush on the Ghost King, is immediately enraged. Ignoring its injuries, it roars and chases after the Soulless Ghost, disappearing in a blink. With this, those who flee, flee, and those who pursue, pursue, leaving only the Bloodthirsty Yanluo behind.

While the Ghost King battles the Bloodthirsty Yanluo, the purple vortex surrounding Jian Wuchen accelerates. The powerful devouring force gradually draws the black energy band closer. Amidst roaring, the twelve ghosts resist the immense suction force frantically, attempting to break free from the vortex's restraint. However, despite their efforts, they are slowly drawn towards the center of the vortex. Eventually, after a fierce struggle, they are swallowed by the mysterious vortex created by Jian Wuchen.

Within the vortex, the twelve ghosts emit terrified screams before shattering into twelve black gas streams, merging into one black energy sphere. As the purple light continues to rotate, the sphere diminishes in size and darkness, eventually turning into a faint purple energy ball absorbed by Jian Wuchen's body. Upon absorbing the energy contained within the ball, Jian Wuchen suddenly erupts with a brilliant purple light, his aura skyrocketing.

With a wave of his divine sword, a towering rainbow light radiates in all directions, exuding an astonishing aura.

Glancing at the Bloodthirsty Yanluo, Jian Wuchen notices the Ghost King and his companions being blasted away by a joint attack, causing his expression to change drastically. With a flash, he uses his sword to push away the ghostly spirits and shouts, "Quickly, let's leave before it's too late." With powerful true energy, he lifts the four individuals and swiftly flees.

As for Lu Yun and his companions, when the Bloodthirsty Yanluo's gaze lingers in their direction, Lu Yun realizes they have been discovered. Surprised by the Bloodthirsty Yanluo's keen perception, he signals the two women to remain calm and not to act rashly. Only when the Bloodthirsty Yanluo shifts its gaze away, engaging with the Ghost King and his allies, do Lu Yun and his companions breathe a sigh of relief.

Upon witnessing Jian Wuchen devour the twelve ghosts, Lu Yun's mental waves clearly detect Jian Wuchen's power increasing significantly after absorbing their energy. His expression changes slightly, and a hint of gloominess appears in his eyes. At this moment, he seems to realize that Jian Wuchen harbors a terrifying secret, one that may pose a significant obstacle to his own future. However, he cannot fathom what exactly it is!

Suddenly, with a change in his contemplation, Lu Yun's face alters. Without further thought, he grabs the hands of the two women and swiftly flees. Aoxue and Cangyue exchange a glance, both revealing a trace of horror in their eyes. Not only because of the Bloodthirsty Yanluo's terror but also because of Lu Yun's speed at this moment, which is beyond their imagination. In their impression, Lu Yun's speed at this moment is definitely twice as fast as their full-powered sword flight, which is simply unimaginable. They wonder how Lu Yun manages it; it's terrifying!

With a sinister glance at Jian Wuchen and Lu Yun, the Bloodthirsty Yanluo's eyes flicker with a strange light, as if it senses something, and it does not pursue. Looking up at the sky, it emits a loud roar, as if venting its frustration to the heavens. The blood-red light surges, and a powerful blood mist spreads rapidly, shrouding the entire Ghost King City in a gloomy blood mist. Amidst the booming roar, the Bloodthirsty Yanluo's figure rises into the air, floating silently amidst the boundless blood mist.

As the chilling wind blows, strands of blood mist drift, and from this moment onward, the Ghost King City turns blood-red. The realm of ghosts, an invisible calamity, begins to sweep across the world!

In the Fairy Cloud Ridge, within the Immortal Sword Sect, a mysterious guest suddenly arrives today. At this moment, in the Flying Immortal Pavilion of the Immortal Sword Sect, the Sect Master Xuanxin Sword Sovereign is in conversation with a mysterious middle-aged man. The Xuanxin Sword Sovereign appears to

 be in his fifties, with an ethereal and elegant demeanor. His expression is serene yet graceful. Sitting across from him is a middle-aged man of about forty, with a slight smile on his face, and a faint purple light flowing in his eyes. Glowing with radiance, he exudes a hint of immortality.

Surprised, the Xuanxin Sword Sovereign's gaze shifts constantly, and it takes him a while to speak, "It's you. Weren't you supposed to have—?"

"It seems you still remember me. It's strange to see me here now, isn't it? Actually, I've come this time to deliver something to you and discuss a major event related to the mortal world. I also wanted to come back to see how those disciples of yours are doing. It's been many years, and your cultivation has advanced a lot. You're now at the late stage of returning to immortality. It should be time for you to avoid the calamity. Work harder; with your cultivation, you're only a step away." With a faint smile, the mysterious middle-aged man speaks softly, revealing his intentions.

The Xuanxin Sword Sovereign's face changes slightly, but he quickly regains his composure. Quietly observing the middle-aged man, the Xuanxin Sword Sovereign asks, "I wonder why you're here this time? Regarding the mortal world, are you referring to the current calamity? The Immortal Sword Sect has distanced itself from worldly affairs for hundreds of years and has long ceased to be concerned with mortal matters. Cultivating the Dao and refining the sword are our goals. The true demon-slaying and evil-suppressing duties lie with the Six Schools of Daoism. You could just return directly and inform them; that would solve everything, wouldn't it?"

With a faint smile, the middle-aged man replies, "I understand this naturally, but this matter is of great importance, involving not only the Six Schools of Daoism but also your Immortal Sword Sect, the Ten Thousand Buddha Sect, and the Wayless Dao Sect. Even the Demon Sect and the Demon God Sect will be involved. At the same time, all three realms of heaven and the three realms of domain will be completely implicated, and no one can escape. My visit is not just my personal intention; you must understand this. This time, I'm just the one overseeing this matter. Apart from me, there are other participants. In my plan, I intend to unite the Six Schools of Daoism first, forming a Six Schools Alliance. Additionally, your three sects will form another alliance. At critical moments, you will assist from the side."

Xuanxin Sword Sovereign fell into silence upon hearing this, and the Flying Immortal Pavilion suddenly became quiet. After a while, Xuanxin Sword Sovereign spoke, "I'm afraid I can't give you a definite answer to this matter. Given our relationship with the Immortal Sword Sect, you naturally understand the ancestral precepts of our sect, which forbid us from interfering in worldly affairs. So, I'm afraid this time I'll have to disappoint you. I apologize!"

With a faint smile, the middle-aged man seemed unsurprised by the response, as if he had anticipated it beforehand.

Looking at Xuanxin Sword Sovereign, the middle-aged man chuckled, "Your answer doesn't deviate from your master's expectations at all. We calculated that you wouldn't agree this time, so I specifically requested an item from your master beforehand. Once you've seen it, you'll understand." With that, he took out a jade token from his bosom and tossed it to Xuanxin Sword Sovereign.

Quietly observing the jade token in his hand, Xuanxin Sword Sovereign saw the inscription: "When the seven stars reverse, calamity befalls the world; when nothingness emerges, all shall return together." A faint trace of sorrow appeared in Xuanxin Sword Sovereign's eyes. Perhaps it was nostalgia for the past, or perhaps... well, who could say?

"Since my master has forewarned you, I won't say anything more. We have few disciples in the Immortal Sword Sect, and only twelve of them have reached the realm beyond immortality. This time, I will send six of them to intervene in the mortal world. Among our disciples, my junior brother, Zhanxin Zun, has the most experience in the mortal world, so I'll let him lead five other experts to assist. As for who will lead the alliance among the six academies, will it be the Heavenly Sword Academy or this year's top-ranked Yi Garden?" Xuanxin Sword Sovereign asked softly.

With a calm smile, the mysterious man replied, "This time, the Heavenly Sword Academy will naturally take the lead, as they have the strongest overall strength among the academies. As for the leader of the alliance, I already have someone in mind, also from the Heavenly Sword Academy, albeit a bit younger. But that's alright; decisiveness is a virtue, and with everyone's support, it will be a good opportunity for him to gain experience."

Xuanxin Sword Sovereign gave him a glance and furrowed his brows slightly. "And what about our three sects? How do you plan to assist the alliance of the six academies? Who will lead the three sects?"

"We'll inform you of that when the time comes. Rest assured, the leader of the three sects will be someone extraordinary, also from above. Well, I won't say much more for now. Once I've dealt with matters, I'll come to inform you. Now, I'll go visit the Ten Thousand Buddha Sect and the Wayless Dao Sect. You should prepare your candidates." With a smile, the mysterious man rose and glanced at him before stepping out.

Xuanxin Sword Sovereign watched the mysterious man leave in silence, his eyes filled with astonishment. As the mysterious man took his first step, he seemed to hover three inches above the ground, and a purple lotus quietly appeared beneath his feet. With his second step, his whole body was enveloped in a purple aura, and he disappeared into the air like a divine being, leaving behind an air of mystery.

Standing quietly in the Flying Immortal Pavilion, Xuanxin Sword Sovereign gazed at the flowing clouds outside the window, a hint of sigh in his eyes. He raised his hand to look at the jade token, and a faint tricolor light appeared on it. With the appearance of the tricolor light, clear words emerged on the jade token before his eyes.

"As the jade token appears, chaos descends upon heaven and earth; from nothingness emerges, and all realms cry out. The rebel against heaven, the disciples of destruction, shall meet, and the seven realms shall unite in despair."

With a soft sigh, Xuanxin Sword Sovereign gently put away the jade token and turned to leave the Flying Immortal Pavilion. A faint sadness and a shallow melancholy lingered in the pavilion, seemingly lingering in the air.

In the Tai Xuan Mountain, at the Heavenly Sword Sect, a mysterious figure appeared in the Tian Dong. Looking at the surprised Li Changchun, the mysterious man smiled, "What's wrong, don't you recognize me? I remember the last time I came, you were just over a hundred years old. I can't believe it's been over two hundred years now. How have you been?"

Looking at the person in front of him, Li Changchun pondered. Wearing a ragged robe, with a slightly chubby face that looked to be in his sixties, he gently waved a tattered fan and wore a big gourd around his waist. A law crown on his head looked somewhat strange. Upon closer inspection, a faint glow enveloped him, giving him a somewhat immortal air.

"You are? Could you be the Daoist Garden Thunder True Lord who came to congratulate my master on his three hundredth birthday? Am I seeing things, or have you returned from the Cloud Realm after two hundred years? Why are you here in front of me now?" Completely shocked, Li Changchun couldn't believe his own guess.

With a slight smile, the Garden Thunder True Lord said, "It seems your memory is still sharp. I did indeed meet you briefly back then, and you still remember. I've been in the Cloud Realm for these two hundred years, but I'm here this time at the behest of a friend, to entrust something to you."

"Please, have a seat first, and then tell me what business requires you to come down from the Cloud Realm. Could something major have happened in the Cloud Realm?" Li Changchun invited the Garden Thunder True Lord to sit down and asked about the reason for his visit.

Sighing lightly, the Garden Thunder True Lord said, "This time it's not an issue in the Cloud Realm, but rather, a problem that has arisen in the entire Three Realms and Seven Worlds. According to the information we've received, the reversal of the seven stars has already occurred, and no one can turn the tide. When the 'Tai Yin Eclipse' occurs, the Three Worlds of the Domain will return to the mortal realm. At that time, the entire mortal realm, including the Three Realms of Heaven, will be devastated. Almost all demons and monsters will appear in the Seven Realms, and the Seven Realms will face a catastrophe. This time, I've come to tell you that all forces in the cultivation world must unite to deal with this disaster. As long as we gather all the power of the cultivation world, we can stop this calamity."

With a pale face, Li Changchun looked at the Garden Thunder True Lord in horror. After a while, he regained his senses from the shock and sobered up. He asked softly, "How does the senior expect Changchun to assist you? Regarding the disaster facing the world, the Heavenly Sword Academy is one of the six academies, and naturally, we will not lag behind. Whatever you need us to do, just give the order, senior."

The Garden Thunder True Lord spoke solemnly, "This time, I want you to unite the six academies and form a Six Academy Alliance. Also, I want to inform you that, at the same time, the Immortal Sword Sect, the Ten Thousand Buddha Sect, and the Wayless Dao Sect will each send out experts to form an alliance of the three sects, assisting your six academies from the side. Our plan is for the six academies to serve as the main force, while the alliance of the three sects assists from the side and handles some tasks that your six academies cannot accomplish."

Li Changchun's expression changed, and he said, "I will certainly not shirk this responsibility. However, the Heavenly Sword Academy is no longer the leader among the six academies now. There are some matters that I may not be able to handle. As you know, Yi Garden is now the top academy, so it might not be appropriate for me to take the lead."

"You don't need to worry about that. This time, I'm not alone in coming here. There are many others who are also concerned about this matter. They will handle some difficult matters for you. As it stands, although Yi Garden is the top academy this year, in terms of true strength, they are still in the lower three among the six academies. This matter is of great importance, and to ensure nothing goes wrong, we have unanimously decided that the Heavenly Sword Academy should take the lead. As for the leader of the Six Academy Alliance, the person has already been decided, and they come from your Heavenly Sword Academy. But I won't tell you just yet. When things are sorted out, we will announce it. As for the Six Academy Alliance, I will personally handle the Dao Garden, and you don't need to worry about the Bodhi Academy and the Phoenix Academy. Now, there's only the Confucian Garden and the Yi Garden left."

Li Changchun's face lit up with joy, as if he realized something. He looked radiant. Looking at the Garden Thunder True Lord, Li Changchun smiled and said, "In that case, let me take care of the rest. Just tell me when the senior needs me to take action. Currently, all the disciples from the Yi Garden, the Confucian Garden, and the Phoenix Academy are gathered at the Western Shu Demon Domain. It might not be the right time to bring up this matter now."

The Garden Thunder True Lord smiled, "Everything is predestined. Sooner or later, everything will be revealed. When it's time, everything will fall into place. As for how to handle it specifically, it's up to you. As for the matter of the Six Academy Alliance, it must be completed within three months, and the sooner, the better, because the Demon Domain Gate has opened, and soon the gates of the Devil Domain and the Monster Domain will also open. The reason for forming the Six Academy Alliance is to unite a powerful force in the cultivation world before the 'Tai Yin Eclipse,' to deal with this calamity. Well, I won't stay any longer. Work hard!"

Rising calmly, the Garden Thunder True Lord slowly disappeared into the cave. Watching him leave, Li Changchun's face was filled with indescribable joy. Because just now, the Garden Thunder True Lord's words made it very clear. This time's Six Academy Alliance might be led by the Heavenly Sword Academy, and he might be the leader of the alliance. At that thought, Li Changchun couldn't help but want to shout to the heavens in joy. The lost glory was finally about to return to his hands. Ha-ha, what a happy thing!

On the mortal realm, a change was beginning, but who would be the ultimate beneficiary? The Heavenly Sword Academy, Li Changchun, Lu Yun, or someone else? At this moment, no one could guess, otherwise why would the Garden Thunder True Lord come?