BOOK 2: CHAPTER 436: THE SONG ENDS, THE CROWD DISPERSES—A VISION FOR THE ARMY FORMATION

Vol 2 Chapter 436: The Song Ends, The Crowd Disperses—A Vision for the Army Formation

Zheng Fa landed before the Nine Nether Emperor, feeling two pairs of eyes glued to his back, burning fiercely.

Perhaps the emperor never expected him to slash with that sword in the guise of the Tianhe Venerable.

Those gazes even held traces of dissatisfaction.

The main reason he transformed into the Tianhe Venerable was, of course, to hide his identity. Although the Nine Emperor was not afraid of the Four Sects, the Jiushan Sect’s strength was insufficient, and with the great upheaval in Xuanwei imminent, he could not afford to act recklessly.

Secondly, this sword strike was not a debt owed by Lu Mo to Zheng Fa, but to the Tianhe Venerable, even to the entire Heavenly River Sect.

Oh, there was one more reason: Lu Mo had already been slashed once by the Tianhe Venerable. Now taking another slash, the second time might feel familiar—perhaps even bring some warmth?

He was truly considerate.

But Lu Mo did not seem to think so.

He stared intently at Zheng Fa, his eyes complicated and hard to describe: a mixture of terror facing a powerful enemy, anger at being ambushed, and confusion about the rebirth of the Heavenly River, all tangled together, making him seem sluggish in response.

At this moment, the Dao Fruit cultivators from the Four Sects, including Lady Nishang, showed no better expressions.

They glanced at Lu Mo’s split form and then at the suddenly appearing “Tianhe Venerable,” their eyes filled with a collapse as if the sky was falling.

Zheng Fa could quite understand them.

This attack on the Heavenly River Sect was like watching a hot pot boil over while singing along—they were almost at the point of dividing the spoils.

And now?

The Fang Sword Realm was gone. Of course, these people were lucky not to know about it.

The Nine Nether Emperor had achieved the Taiyi Dao, established the Underworld, and the good days of being invincible were over.

That was one thing.

But now, the former Heavenly River had returned!

Anyone in their position would be troubled.

“No, you are not the Heavenly River...” Lu Mo struggled to avoid fading away, finally coming to a realization. “Heavenly River was never this weak.”

“The might of a Heavenly River sword in the past far surpassed ordinary Golden Immortals. Your sword is too weak...”

“Reincarnation? No, disguise?”

“You’re not him!”

As he spoke, Lu Mo actually curled the corners of his lips into a smile.

It seemed that life or death for this body mattered less than the authenticity of Zheng Fa’s identity.

Just the face of the Tianhe Venerable could scare a figure like Lu Mo so much, revealing the venerable’s former might.

Not only Lu Mo, even Lady Nishang and the other Dao Fruit cultivators visibly relaxed.

Everyone who had seen the Tianhe Venerable would never want such an enemy to return.

Seeing their eased smiles, Zheng Fa finally spoke:

“You are right. I am indeed not the Tianhe Venerable.”

Apparently not expecting him to admit so willingly that he was an impostor, Lu Mo and the others froze, their eyes filled with doubt.

“But anyone can be the Tianhe Venerable.”

The smile on Lu Mo’s lips suddenly stiffened.

The ease in Lady Nishang and the others’ eyes shattered bit by bit.

Behind Zheng Fa, the gaze of the Nine Nether Emperor softened.

Lu Mo’s figure gradually dissipated into the Underworld.

The Nine Nether Emperor stretched out his hand, lifting the sarira left by Zhizhong.

He glanced at Lady Nishang and the others, waving his sleeve lightly, seemingly without using any spiritual energy.

These people were uncontrollably scattered throughout the Underworld, fragmented and powerless.

This broadcast that spread across Xuanwei had finally come to an end.

After completing this, the Nine Nether Emperor nodded at Zheng Fa, then looked toward Sect Leader Yan and the others.

“Yan Changge, do you wish to stay with me, or follow Zheng Fa?”

Sect Leader Yan pondered for a moment before shaking his head: “I will stay by the Emperor’s side.”

“Oh?”

The Nine Nether Emperor seemed surprised by Yan Changge’s decision.

“My identity is too sensitive;

going to the Jiushan Realm might bring trouble,” Sect Leader Yan explained.

This was indeed true.

This time, Sect Leader Yan had likely offended all the Dao Fruit cultivators.

Once his identity was exposed, he would become the target of everyone’s arrows, dragging down the Jiushan Sect.

Sect Leader Yan added, “Both Yan Wushuang and Xie Qingxue are in the Jiushan Realm. Staying in the Underworld, I can leave a way out for them.”

The Nine Nether Emperor nodded without saying much more: “If you stay here, then the Slaying Immortal Sword must be handed over. In the future, the Slaying Immortal Formation Diagram and the Four Slaying Immortal Swords will be under Zheng Fa’s control.” ℝÅＮՕ𝐁Ę𝐬

“The disciple understands.”

Sect Leader Yan showed no reluctance giving up such a treasure as the Slaying Immortal Sword.

The Nine Nether Emperor frowned slightly at him in surprise.

Sect Leader Yan’s expression shifted, and hesitantly, he revealed his true thoughts: “The Patriarch has achieved Taiyi Dao, and the Underworld is still in its infancy. The disciple prefers to remain here.”

This Sect Leader Yan was truly clever!

After dismissing Sect Leader Yan and the others, the Nine Nether Emperor handed the Slaying Immortal Formation Diagram and the Four Swords to Zheng Fa together.

“Thank you, Emperor.”

“No trouble. Since you have inherited the Heavenly River Method, these should rightfully be yours.”

The Nine Nether Emperor’s expression was much calmer than before. Clearly, his temperament had changed noticeably after achieving Dao.

“I don’t have much use for this formation diagram.”

“Giving it to you is putting it to good use.”

This did not sound like mere politeness.

Indeed, the Emperor, being equivalent to Taiyi Dao in the Underworld, gained little power increase from the Slaying Immortal Sword Formation.

“Emperor, can you leave the Underworld?”

Zheng Fa asked, as the Nine Nether Emperor was his greatest support.

If he could move flexibly, the Jiushan Sect would be secure.

“Otherwise, why would I give you the formation diagram?”

The Nine Nether Emperor looked at him and shook his head.

Seeing Zheng Fa’s disappointed expression, he added, “It’s just not convenient now. The Path of Reincarnation is still incomplete.”

“Hm?”

“Yan Changge is right,” the Nine Nether Emperor explained to Zheng Fa. “The Underworld is newly established, and the Path of Reincarnation has just appeared, almost an empty shell. I made a great vow when attaining Dao, witnessed by all beings of the heavens. Now I cannot abandon my duties.”

Indeed, many things are easy to say but hard to do.

Anyone can swear an oath.

Taiyi Dao is not so easily attained.

For the Underworld to return souls and balance good and evil is not a matter of a few words. Besides the supreme treasures like the Reincarnation Compass and the Life and Death Register, it requires years of order-building and maintaining reincarnation operations.

“Yan Changge is somewhat ambitious and quite clever. If he stays, he could be very helpful.”

Zheng Fa smiled: “Sect Leader Yan is smart. Moreover, I think he has a father-son bond with Yan Wushuang from afar, but up close, they don’t get along.”

Sect Leader Yan had hardly made any wrong decisions:

He chose protective guides for Yan Wushuang—Han Lao and Xie Qingxue—both exceptional in character and ability, showing his clear judgment.

When he sided with the Nine Nether Emperor, he showed decisiveness.

Having managed the Heavenly River Sect, one of the Five Sects, he was a rare talent for the Nine Nether Emperor.

His space to exert influence was greater in the Underworld than in the Jiushan Realm.

Zheng Fa was also willing for him to remain in the Underworld.

In simple terms, though the Nine Nether Emperor could not easily leave the Underworld, the mountains do not move;

he would come to the mountains. If necessary, he could bring his family to seek refuge.

The Underworld was a fallback for the Jiushan Realm.

Having someone clear-headed building here, and a familiar face, was only beneficial to the Jiushan Sect.

The Nine Nether Emperor did not elaborate on Sect Leader Yan’s matter but said, “Those from the Four Sects, I cannot kill, but they cannot leave the Underworld for now.”

“Thank you, Emperor!”

Only then did Zheng Fa understand why the Emperor had scattered Lady Nishang and the others earlier.

With these Dao Fruit cultivators absent, the Four Sects’ strength would be greatly diminished for a while.

This was a golden opportunity for the Hundred Immortals Alliance.

Especially Haori Mountain!

Within Haori Mountain, aside from Lu Mo, Immortal Yun was temporarily trapped in the Underworld, and Rogue Immortal Luo Sanxian... probably, most likely lost to reincarnation’s pit.

In other words, Haori Mountain might have no Dao Fruit cultivators left!

Was this not the perfect chance for the Hundred Immortals Alliance to counterattack?

Thinking this, Zheng Fa asked again: “Does the Venerable know how Lu Mo is doing?”

Currently, the only concern from Haori Mountain was Lu Mo.

The Nine Nether Emperor extended his hand;

the Life and Death Register floated in his palm. He flipped through two pages, frowning.

“Alive, not yet reincarnated.”

“......”

Zheng Fa’s smile instantly faded.

In this case, attacking Haori Mountain required careful planning.

“Why don’t you go kill that Immortal Yun?”

The Nine Nether Emperor suggested.

Kill Immortal Yun?

With the Slaying Immortal Sword Formation, he might manage it, but Zheng Fa thought for a moment and refused.

“Inappropriate. My Shi Nandang identity still has use... Immortal Yun might be helpful.”

Among the Dao Fruit cultivators in the Underworld, Lady Nishang, Ancestor Xuanding, and Li Sanxian were somewhat unstable allies.

Zheng Fa did not fully trust them.

Yet, they needed to hold the Leiyin Temple at bay.

At least the Dao Venerable was secretly scheming against Lu Mo.

It was better for these three to live than to die.

As for Immortal Yun, he was a combat force remaining for Haori Mountain. However, after gaining the Four Slaying Immortal Swords, his threat was reduced.

He could also serve as a probe to investigate Lu Mo’s true strength.

Zheng Fa shared his thoughts, and the Nine Nether Emperor nodded gently, sighing.

“It’s better to be cautious with Leiyin Temple.”

“Does the Emperor also think Leiyin Temple is a big problem?”

The Nine Nether Emperor glanced at him and said grumpily, “There is only one Leiyin Buddha and one Lu Mo. They are almost two Taiyi Dao. If not for Lu Mo being slashed twice by you and Heavenly River, Xuanwei would have no one to counter Leiyin. Moreover, the Dao Venerable is not necessarily trustworthy.”

This was very true.

He had always thought cooperation with the Four Sects was possible but trust was lacking.

Even Lady Nishang was no exception. The cost of trusting these people was too high;

the Tianhe Venerable was betrayed and killed.

At this point, the Nine Nether Emperor showed a headache expression and asked Zheng Fa:

“The Path of Reincarnation is established. The future struggle in Xuanwei will become increasingly dangerous. What are your plans?”

Zheng Fa knew the Emperor wanted to offer guidance.

He thought for a moment and said, “On this trip back, I plan to cultivate further to advance my strength.”

In Xuanwei Realm, cultivation was the top priority.

His Yang Spirit Method had already reached Corpse Liberation.

His Dharmakaya body was of Fusang Wood, a supreme spiritual root of heaven and earth. He feared being too fast rather than too slow.

Previously, only the Heavenly River Method was incomplete. Now with the formation spells, naturally, his first thought was to breakthrough.

The Nine Nether Emperor slightly lowered his head and spoke frankly:

“Your cultivation is insufficient.”

“Slowly, it will take thirty or forty years. Quickly, a few years. Xuanwei should have a Golden Immortal emerge.”

“Does the Jiushan Sect have the strength to defend itself?”

His meaning was clear.

In a few years, a Golden Immortal would appear.

The current strength of the Jiushan Realm was insufficient.

Zheng Fa thought for a moment, then candidly told the Nine Nether Emperor his plan:

“I intend to promote the Heavenly River Method and combine the Myriad Immortal Formation with the Slaying Immortal Sword Formation.”

“Hm?”

The Nine Nether Emperor was stunned at first, then seemed to understand.

“Using the Myriad Immortal Formation method to set the Slaying Immortal Sword Formation?”

“Yes!”

The Nine Nether Emperor’s eyes brightened as he lowered his head to contemplate.

Zheng Fa’s idea was simple—he planned to combine the original Jiushan Sect’s immortal formation methods, the Myriad Immortal Formation, and the Slaying Immortal Sword Formation to create a mountain-path military formation never seen before in Xuanwei.

The Nine Nether Emperor was very interested: “Continue.”

“Emperor, you also know that even with four Nascent Soul cultivators cooperating, the formation diagram can only exert the power of a top-tier True Immortal.”

“That is already the limit of the current formation diagram.”

Zheng Fa did not hide this from the Nine Nether Emperor, who probably knew more about him than anyone else in Xuanwei. Only the modern world was less clear to the Emperor.

There was nothing else to hide.

If the Emperor wanted to harm him, it would be too easy.

“I am thinking of having all eligible disciples of Jiushan cultivate the Heavenly River’s four sword veins.”

“This way, a group of cultivators with a single immortal sword can achieve scattered immortal or even True Immortal level power.”

“If the forging is done properly, the quality of the four swords can be improved. Maybe with the formation diagram in hand, my strength will grow stronger.”

From the current situation, both the Slaying Immortal Formation Diagram and the Fusang Wood were Xuanwei’s top treasures.

But the boost to Zheng Fa’s strength had reached a limit.

These were the legacies of the Heavenly River, treasures beyond others’ imagination.

Therefore, to deal with Golden Immortals, relying on artifacts was impossible;

a different path was necessary.

From the start, Zheng Fa valued cultivating Jiushan’s military strength. The emergence of immortal formation methods made him very excited.

But to be honest, development of immortal formation methods was not smooth.

On one hand, disciples trained by the military academy were still weak, at best Nascent Soul.

On the other hand, it was a problem of technical accumulation in Jiushan.

Immortal formation methods originated from elders like Elder Yu, who were Nascent Souls then and only Nascent Souls now.

Their insight was not profound in Xuanwei, and their accumulation was insufficient.

Thus, immortal formation methods remained limited to Nascent Soul power, with many restrictions.

After years of turmoil, Jiushan Realm still relied on the combat power of individuals like Zheng Fa and Senior Sister Zhang.

Other disciples and cultivators were under their protection.

Not that this was bad.

But it could not unleash the Jiushan Realm’s potential in industry or disciple training.

With the Fang Immortal Formation and the Heavenly River Method, it was different.

These two methods were very compatible with immortal formation methods.

Created by the Tianhe Venerable in the previous era, after gathering legacies from various sects, they were extraordinarily profound.

Zheng Fa sensed this immediately and felt the final missing piece in Jiushan’s military strength construction was found.

For other sects, the Fang Immortal Formation might be exaggerated.

But in Zheng Fa’s Jiushan Sect, there were many people!

Other methods were not strong, but artifact forging was excellent!

Combining these, along with the Heavenly River Method and Myriad Immortal Formation, how far they could go was beyond Zheng Fa’s imagination.

This time, he relied not on any inherited artifacts or spiritual roots but on disciples he personally cultivated in the Jiushan Realm.

Watching Zheng Fa transform into rainbow light and leave the Underworld, the Nine Nether Emperor stood silently in place, gazing.

Sect Leader Yan stepped out behind him, seeing him unmoving for a long time, cautiously asked, “Patriarch?”

The Nine Nether Emperor suddenly spoke, “Anyone can be the Heavenly River. Do you believe that?”

Sect Leader Yan hesitated for a long moment before saying, “The Heavenly River Patriarch was an extraordinary figure...”

The Nine Nether Emperor smiled, watching the rainbow light disappear as his form slowly faded.

In Sect Leader Yan’s ear came his last words:

“Therefore, he should be the one to control the formation diagram.”

“I believe, and so does Heavenly River.”