"Yan-xiong, it's been almost half an hour since you entered the Maha Pagoda. Killing the malevolent thoughts shouldn't take that long. Could something have happened?"
Outside the Maha Pagoda, Chang Shan watched with worry, his nerves on edge at the slightest stir.
As soon as he spoke, the Maha Pagoda suddenly trembled, and then a golden light sent Yan Shouyi, clad in black, out.
"Yan-xiong!"
Chang Shan stepped forward and asked, "How was it? Did you guide that malevolent thought to salvation?"
Yan Shouyi's eye twitched, and he nodded, "I did."
"Amitabha!"
Chang Shan breathed a sigh of relief and added, "With this, we have no more worries."
"Yes, Jiang Wuya's seal will be broken in half a month. I plan to set the battlefield at West Lake in Rongcheng. At the very least, we still have the Nine Dragon Yin-Yang Great Formation as our trump card," Yan Shouyi said. "We have little time left. How is your cultivation progressing? How much have you improved?"
Upon hearing this, Chang Shan began to take off his clothes.
Yan Shouyi stopped him, "What are you doing? I'm a married man."
"Ah, this… Yan-xiong misunderstands. I wanted to show you the results of my cultivation!" Chang Shan quickly explained. "I have already achieved the sixteen-foot golden body. Now, I am as tough as iron. Even a nuclear bomb might not be able to kill me!"
"Are you really that formidable? Stand still, and I'll try cleaving you with the Ancestral Dragon Sword," Yan Shouyi said, preparing to draw his sword.
Chang Shan, startled, quickly retreated, "Yan-xiong, calm down! The Ancestral Dragon Sword severs karma, and my sixteen-foot golden body cannot defend against it!"
The sixteen-foot golden body is the highest realm of the Buddhist golden body, said to be the same level as the Tathagata. However, this golden body can only defend against physical attacks. The Ancestral Dragon Sword is a magical attack, and no matter how powerful Chang Shan's sixteen-foot golden body is, it cannot defend against it.
Yan Shouyi scoffed, "I thought you were so impressive, yet you can't even take a single blow from me."
"Yan-xiong, why have you become so ostentatious after exiting the Maha Pagoda?" Chang Shan was a little annoyed. "I accepted the guidance of Master Ben Heng. This is my limit for now; I cannot improve further."
"Hmm… Han San, Yuan Jianxin, Zhao Chengxiang, and the others are also nearly ready," Yan Shouyi said regretfully. "It's a shame Old Yu couldn't participate."
Chang Shan looked a bit sad, "After the Celestial Master woke up, his fighting spirit was completely gone. If his heart isn't found, he will remain dejected and likely won't last much longer."
"Don't worry, he will rally."
After a brief chat with Chang Shan and Miaohua, Yan Shouyi didn't linger and prepared to descend the mountain to return to Rongcheng for preparations.
Miaohua and the other eminent monks were utterly exhausted and didn't even see Yan Shouyi off, returning directly to their rooms to fall asleep. It was Chang Shan who personally escorted Yan Shouyi down the mountain.
After everyone dispersed, the area around the Maha Pagoda became utterly quiet.
Suddenly, a golden light flashed on the Buddha seal atop the Maha Pagoda, followed by a bird's cry. A dark shadow soared into the sky, heading north…
…
Fifteen days later!!
The day of the final battle!!
Yan Shouyi had informed the authorities in advance that West Lake in Rongcheng would be the battleground, and thus all the residents of Rongcheng had been evacuated.
The entire city was deserted, with only West Lake in Rongcheng bustling with activity.
All the forces of the Xuanmen were concentrated here. The inner circle of elite disciples alone numbered over a thousand.
And around the outskirts of the Minjiao stronghold, more than ten thousand troops were stationed.
The disciples stationed on the periphery were of lower cultivation. In a real fight against Jiang Wuya, they would undoubtedly be cannon fodder, but they were prepared to sacrifice themselves at any moment.
In the inner circle, the inheritors of the Minjiao and disciples of the renowned sects were neatly arrayed according to their affiliations, wearing different attire.
There were corpse handlers who controlled zombies, night watchmen wielding great sabers, and蠱 masters covered in蠱 worms…
There were disciples of the Laoshan Sect holding peach wood swords, disciples of the Longhu Mountain wielding talismans, and disciples of the Wudang Sect in fitted attire…
Members of both factions, united as never before, shared a common goal—a mottled green bead on the verge of shattering!
At this very moment, the Sui Hou Pearl was placed in the very center of the Minjiao stronghold's training ground.
Beside it stood nothing less than the leaders of each sect.
Yan Shouyi, clad in black, holding the Ancestral Dragon Sword, with the Soul Slayer floating beside him, stood next to the Sui Hou Pearl.
Behind him were Jiang Qingxue, Wen Yuxian, Wei Changqing, Hou Jingchen, Li Chongxi…
On the other side were Han San of the Maoshan Sect, Yuan Jianxin of the Laoshan Sword Sect, Zhao Chengxiang of the Wudang Sect, and Chang Shan of the Hanshan Temple.
Everyone's expression was solemn, their eyes fixed on the Sui Hou Pearl.
The Sui Hou Pearl was about to shatter.
Jiang Wuya would soon return to the world.
The moment of decision for the Xuanmen's survival was today!!
And today was also Lin Zitong's due date.
It was an unfortunate coincidence, yet it seemed destined.
On the day of the great battle, there was no safer place in the world than the Minjiao stronghold, which was why Lin Zitong had not left.
If Jiang Wuya were killed and the child was born safely, it would be a joyous occasion.
If they lost to Jiang Wuya, even if the child were born, it would live in the dark age dominated by Jiang Wuya, making life and death meaningless.
Yan Shouyi stood on the front line. One step back was Lin Zitong's birthing room, so he had nowhere to retreat.
Looking at the Sui Hou Pearl, about to shatter, Yan Shouyi gripped the hilt of the Ancestral Dragon Sword, and the image of his father, Yan Chou, pale and sitting in a wheelchair, flashed in his mind.
"Dad, we will definitely win this battle!!"
The faces of those who had died because of Jiang Wuya repeatedly appeared in his mind.
This time, Jiang Wuya would be utterly annihilated!!
*Bang!!!*
Suddenly, the Sui Hou Pearl shattered!
A surge of malevolent energy shot skyward, forming a vortex above everyone's heads!
Within the vortex, a thin figure appeared, soon to be flung out.
Wei Changqing soared forward and caught the person – it was Lü Jingsheng, the former sect leader of the Lüshan Sect!
Lü Jingsheng was now emaciated beyond recognition, his spirit incredibly weak, as if he could die at any moment.
Although Lü Jingsheng had made thorough preparations, he had still suffered torment from Jiang Wuya within the seal. Had the seal been opened any later, he might have even died at Jiang Wuya's hands!
"Second Uncle, escort Sect Leader Lü to the rear to rest!"
Yan Shouyi's gaze did not leave the vortex of malevolent energy.
"My… child!" Lü Jingsheng weakly extended his hand to Yan Shouyi. "You… you must kill him!"
"Hahahahahahahahaha!!!"
From within the vortex of malevolent energy, Jiang Wuya's wildly arrogant voice echoed: "Kill me? With you lot? Overestimating yourselves, overestimating yourselves!!!!"
The vortex suddenly contracted, forming a human shape – it was Jiang Wuya, wrapped in a black robe.
Compared to before he was sealed, he had somehow become even stronger!
"Lü Jingsheng, I should thank you. You painstakingly refined your soul, intending to suppress me within the Six Paths of Hell, but instead, you became nourishment for my recovery! Now my strength has returned to its peak. Who can stop me now?!!!"