Book 02 Chapter 052: Barging into the Clear River Sect
At a pavilion in the Clear River Sect:
Song Pingsheng looked at a red-clad First Song Sect disciple before him. “Gu Hai laid another Twenty-Eight Line-Pair World Ritual Array at the First Song Sect not long ago?”
“Yes! That ritual array is incredible. The primogenitor did not hold any advantages over it. It even left hundreds of wounds on the primogenitor’s body!”
“A flood dragon? Even the body of a flood dragon cannot handle it?” Song Pingsheng said with an unsightly expression.
“Sect Master, I think that we still need to be careful despite being in the Clear River Sect. That Gu Hai is very crafty. Furthermore, he has his ritual arrays,” that red-clad disciple said worriedly.
“What are you afraid of? Didn’t Fu Xue say it before? Gu Hai needs a large number of spirit stones to lay the ritual array? Does he still have spirit stones? Previously, he used the spirit stone mines in my First Song Sect. Now, there are no spirit stones at all. How is he going to lay his ritual arrays? Without his ritual arrays, he is just an Innate Realm cultivator!” Song Pingsheng retorted coldly.
“Yes, the crux is spirit stones. Gu Hai does not have spirit stones!”
“I have a report!”
A white-clad disciple rushed into the hall.
“Why are you back? Didn’t I tell you to monitor the Gu Residence? Did something happen at the Gu Residence?” Song Pingsheng demanded.
“Yes. This subordinate is here to make a report. That Gu Hai is borrowing spirit stones from all the nearby cultivators!” the white-clad disciple said anxiously.
“Borrowing spirit stones? What a joke! Those people are there to rob Gu Hai; why would they lend their spirit stones to Gu Hai?” Song Pingsheng scoffed coldly.
“However, they did. Furthermore, they lent everything they could!” the white-clad disciple said bitterly.
Song Pingsheng: “…!”
“How could this be possible? Are they crazy? They are lending spirit stones to Gu Hai?” Song Pingsheng said with a furious glare.
The white-clad disciple immediately explained everything.
Song Pingsheng: “…!”
“Sect Master, Gu Hai already has spirit stones!” the red-clad disciple at the side said with an unsightly expression.
Song Pingsheng quivered. That’s right. Gu Hai has spirit stones now. He can lay his ritual arrays?
“Gu Hai cannot possibly be borrowing spirit stones to leave them at home. He is definitely going to make a move. He is going to either the First Song Sect or the Clear River Sect. He might even be on the way already!” the red-clad disciple said with an unsightly expression.
“There’s no need to worry. It would be useless even if he came. We have already activated the Clear River Sect’s ritual array. He cannot enter!” Song Pingsheng said.
“However, the Twenty-Eight Line-Pair World Ritual Array is very incredible. We cannot get careless. Back then, a thunderous roar came from the ritual array before it pushed back the primogenitor!” the red-clad disciple said worriedly.
“Don’t worry. He cannot break the Clear River Sect’s ritual array. By the way, what was that first shout from the Twenty-Eight Line-Pair World Ritual Array?” Song Pingsheng said with a frown.
“I can’t quite recall. It seems like…it seems like…” The red-clad disciple tried to remember.
Just at this moment, a thunderous roar came from outside the Clear River Sect.
“I have the strength to pick up mountains, and my might conquers the world!”
Boom!
An earth-shaking sound rang out, and the Clear River Sect suddenly shook. The pavilion that Song Pingsheng was in shuddered intensely.
“Sect Master! Gu Hai is here! Gu Hai broke the ritual array!”
“Sect Master! The defensive ritual array is broken! Gu Hai is here!”
The cries of the First Song Sect disciples came from the surroundings.
“Right! Right! That is the shout! ‘I have the strength to pick up mountains, and my might conquers the world! the red-clad disciple suddenly exclaimed.
“Scram!” Song Pingsheng bellowed, scowling, as he kicked that disciple to the ground.
Do you think I don’t know at this point? Do I still need you to point it out?
“Bunch of trash! I told you to investigate Gu Hai’s whereabouts, but you only found him after he broke the ritual array! What is the point of having you around?!” Song Pingsheng roared furiously, glaring at the First Song Sect disciples.
He soared into the air and flew towards the source of the sound.
——
Within a ritual array covered with fog outside the Clear River Sect:
“Quickly extract the spirit stones! Hurry!” Gu Hai shouted.
Rumble…!
The fog immediately scattered when the evil men collected the spirit stones. Then, they quickly rushed inside with Gu Hai.
“Milord, it’s there! That is the peak where the hall master stayed!” Chen Tianshan pointed in a direction.
“Let’s go!” Gu Hai shouted.
Rumble…!
The three thousand evil men followed close behind.
“It’s Gu Hai. Halt!”
“Gu Hai, how bold of you! How dare you barge into the Clear River Sect?!”
Some First Song Sect disciples appeared in the surroundings. They held up their weapons and pointed their weapons at Gu Hai.
“Ignore them! They are only capable of shouting, all bark and no bite!” Gu Hai ordered.
“Yes!” the three thousand evil men answered.
Indeed, the First Song Sect disciples who shouted ferociously earlier did not dare to move forward. They had already heard several times how ferocious these evil men were. There were only the few of them. If they rushed forward, they would be trampled to death before they even fought.
Rumble…!
The group of evil men quickly ran into the distance.
“Milord, it’s Song Pingsheng!” one of the evil men suddenly shouted.
“Gu Hai!” A furious shout rang out from the sky.
Gu Hai’s expression changed as he ordered, “Lay the ritual array!”
Bang!
Having received instructions ahead of time, the three thousand evil men quickly buried the spirit stones in the right places.
Whoosh!
A strong wind blew, and boundless fog suddenly appeared, enveloping everyone.
Whoosh! Song Pingsheng stopped in midair.
“Gu Hai, you are very bold. To think that you dare to barge in!” Song Pingsheng shouted while glaring.
“I have the strength to pick up mountains, and my might conquers the world!”
Shing!
Suddenly, a massive halberd charged out of the boundless fog.
Song Pingsheng’s expression changed as he swung his sword.
Boom!
A manifested sword and the halberd clashed. However, the manifested sword shattered with a loud noise, and the halberd continued without losing momentum, chopping down towards Song Pingsheng.
“Oh no!” Song Pingsheng’s expression changed as he retreated hastily.
Rip!
The attack tore off Song Pingsheng’s sleeve and inflicted a large gash on his arm.
Far in the distance, Song Pingsheng showed a ferocious expression. “Humph! Gu Hai, you are really seeking death. You managed to borrow spirit stones, but are they enough? I heard from Fu Xue that you drained a lot of spirit stones during your short visit to the First Song Sect. Is the amount you borrowed sufficient? Once you have drained the spirit stones, let’s see what you are going to do!”
The surrounding First Song Sect disciples and Clear River Sect traitors came over.
“Song Pingsheng, you are seeking death by yourself this time. To think that you dare to make a move on Elite Hall. Are you tired of living? I am here today to take you down in the name of Elite Hall!” Gu Hai said coldly from the ritual array.
“Humph! Just you? Hahahaha! You can’t move, right? Your ritual array can only remain in one spot, unable to move!” Song Pingsheng sneered.
The Twenty-Eight Line-Pair World Ritual Array could not be moved. It would be the end for Gu Hai when the spirit stones were exhausted.
Buzz!
The foggy ritual array trembled slightly and started creeping.
“What?! Sect Master, why is this ritual array moving?”
“It’s moving! It’s really moving!”
“Hurry! Quickly retreat!”
The First Song Sect disciples’ expressions changed dramatically.
Song Pingsheng’s expression also changed dramatically. This is impossible! Why is it moving? Didn’t Fu Xue say that the Twenty-Eight Line-Pair World Ritual Array could not move?
However, the large ritual array continued creeping in one direction.
The three thousand evil men had assumed the fanned-out position they had taken in the Great Feng Mafia Family in the foggy ritual array, sending their Veritable Energy forward to Gu Hai, who was at the very front.
As Gu Hai extended his hand forward, he sent out boundless fog.
At the same time, ten-odd evil men collected the spirit stones on the ground.
Gu Hai had dispersed the Twenty-Eight Line-Pair World Ritual Array. Now, he was using the Heavenly Saber Death Match.
The evil men supported Gu Hai as they slowly moved towards where Long Wanqing used to stay.
Everywhere the ritual array went, the spirit-assimilated cultivators ran in horror.
Song Pingsheng continued flying in the air. He wanted to barge into the ritual array to check out the situation but stopped every time.
The power of that halberd remained vivid in his memory. Had he not dodged quickly earlier, perhaps…
“Why can it move? Why can the Twenty-Eight Line-Pair World Ritual Array move?” Song Pingsheng questioned while appearing angry.
However, the large ritual array continued creeping, slowly heading to a mountain peak.
Song Pingsheng and his eight hundred spirit-assimilated cultivators surrounded the foggy ritual array, but they did not dare enter. However, they could not just let Gu Hai do as he pleased, either. When will his spirit stones be exhausted?
“Sect Master, that direction! They are heading in that direction!” a spirit-assimilated cultivator suddenly cried out.
Song Pingsheng’s expression changed. Isn’t that where Long Wanqing previously stayed? That is the place that I searched the most thoroughly in the Clear River Sect.
Could it be that Gu Hai knows where Venerable Liu Nian will return to? Or perhaps Gu Hai came to summon back Venerable Liu Nian?
“Yes, that must be the case?” Song Pingsheng’s expression changed.
Song Pingsheng could never figure out Venerable Liu Nian. That person appeared cultured and refined. However, when Song Pingsheng tried to eavesdrop on Long Wanqing, Venerable Liu Nian always found out. That person was extraordinary.
I need to stop Gu Hai. Wait, I have an idea!
Song Pingsheng narrowed his eyes.
Whoosh!
Song Pingsheng suddenly flew into the distance, vanishing from everyone’s sight.
“Milord, Song Pingsheng disappeared!” Chen Tianshan shouted.
“Just ignore him. Go to the hall master’s residence first!” Gu Hai called out.
“Yes!” everyone answered.
The group continued towards the mountain peak where Long Wanqing had stayed.
——
At this moment, Song Pingsheng led a few people, detouring around Gu Hai’s group while flying to Long Wanqing’s residence.
“Tie him up! Make it look more convincing!” Song Pingsheng commanded.
“Yes!”
The group of spirit-assimilated cultivators quickly chained a man to a torture rack. This person was none other than the Clear River Sect Master.
The Clear River Sect Master showed a complicated expression, one betraying pain.
“Clear River Sect Master, Li Qinghe, we are already on the same boat. Why keep struggling? There’s no return!” Song Pingsheng said coldly.
Li Qinghe showed an unsightly expression, but he still nodded. “I know. You have caused me to become neither human nor ghost; I can no longer return. However, Song Pingsheng, you won’t have a good end, either!”
“Why didn’t you say that when you were eating humans? Furthermore, Li Qinghe, you are a mutated spirit-assimilated human. Even Fu Xue is envious of the innate talent that appeared when you were spirit-assimilated. Remember, Fu Xue spirit-assimilated you; he is your primogenitor. If the primogenitor wants you to die, you will die! What is the point of continuing to be loyal to Elite Hall? Alright, I won’t waste any more time with you. Gu Hai will be coming over soon. Pretend to be imprisoned and then…you know!” Song Pingsheng said.
“Humph!” Li Qinghe snorted coldly.
“Alright, Gu Hai’s group is arriving. Let’s go!” Song Pingsheng shouted.
Whoosh!
Song Pingsheng rushed off with the other spirit-assimilated cultivators, leaving only Li Qinghe bound to the torture rack. He now appeared to be unconscious, looking haggard.
