My Enemy Became My Cultivation Companion

Chapter 1302: Chapter 716: Yi’s Position (Double Chapter)

Everyone simultaneously turned their heads stiffly.

At the end of the mountain path, a figure clad in green clothes walked leisurely.

He wasn’t flying away; he was merely walking slowly, as if a traveler coming from a faraway place.

Or perhaps he had taken only three steps from his seat at the Great Heavenly Mountain to reach here.

A gentle breeze swept by, slightly stirring his robe, and the mist billowed; his visage gradually emerged from the fog, looking like an emaciated yet vigorous middle-aged man.

Old Taoist Zhao Deshan felt his entire body go limp, utterly falling into the mud, his lips quivering as he almost subconsciously uttered the name again:

"True Celestial... Xu Qi..."

In the Jianghu, anyone with some fame would have a portrait circulating, much less those in the top ten of the Martial Arts List, esteemed above all.

Anyone listed on the Martial Arts List, except those truly secluded from the world, different from worldly affairs, would have a picture booklet. But if truly hidden from the world, what need is there to be listed, attracting everyone’s attention?

And the person before them, his appearance and demeanor matching the vague yet distinctly characteristic painting circulating the Jianghu, was none other than Xu Qi himself.

The Taoists from Shenxiao Sect were all struck like by lightning, standing motionless, their gazes fixed on the slowly approaching figure in green, minds shaken, nearly forgetting to breathe.

That is the True Celestial Xu Qi...

They never thought they could witness his true countenance so closely within their lifetime.

Zhao Deshan, sitting on the ground, couldn’t stop trembling, his face reflecting both astonishment and joy.

Having walked the Jianghu for decades, he prided himself on his vast experience, often boasting, "I’ve eaten more salt than you young ones have eaten rice."

Yet, even though his experience was vast, the existence before him, its height and remoteness, was something his lifetime’s imagination couldn’t fathom in its vastness and breadth.

Even if the universally acknowledged second under Heaven, Wei Gang, were present, it wouldn’t cause him such distress, such loss of composure; for Xu Qi, while still second under Heaven, had single-handedly shattered Wu Buxu’s Sword Immortal and the title of number one under Heaven, while Wei Gang was defeated within three steps by Xu Qi.

Looking over the past two cycles of sixty years, only the Bodhisattva Sword could contend with Xu Qi, yet Wuxiang Zen Master has vanished for decades seeking Spirit Mountain, even if reappearing in Jianghu, feared far inferior to Xu Qi.

Those able to look at the back of the Martial Arts List are rare figures in the Jianghu.

And those able to look at the back of the True Celestial are the top ten of the Martial Arts List.

No one hasn’t heard of the True Celestial’s prestige, hence, the crowd is all frozen, not daring to move,

The man in green, regarded by the Jianghu as the True Celestial, simply smiled lightly and said slowly, "Shenxiao Sect?"

Zhao Deshan shivered, immediately standing up; Xu Qi unexpectedly recognized their sect. Though unsure whether Xu Qi’s mention was a blessing or calamity, just the mention sparked an indescribable pride within his aging frame.

Xu Qi recognized them, perhaps he knew the Ancestors in Heaven; Shenxiao Sect’s decline since the Northern Song is a fortune accumulated by the Ancestors.

Zhao Deshan bowed deeply to Xu Qi, his disciples quickly coming to their senses and following suit.

Xu Qi glanced over the crowd, his voice calm, "No need for formalities, let’s cut to the chase. You’ve been in the Southern Border for a while; if you have anything to say, focus on the key points."

Zhao Deshan immediately fell silent upon hearing this, feeling a chill in his heart.

The divination truly came true; the man before them is indeed the True Celestial Xu Qi, but if even such an entity must inquire personally, how terrifying must this Great Demon be?

He suppressed his inner fear and cautiously organized his words: "Reporting to the True Celestial, we were commanded in an Ancestors’ dream to come to the Southern Border to warn of the appearance of the Great Demon... But although Heaven’s phenomena are frequent, winds and clouds change rapidly, the demon remains unseen..."

At this point, the members of Shenxiao Sect realized something, as if a basin of cold water was poured over them, the excitement from seeing Xu Qi gradually cooling down, replaced by piercing cold.

If a True Celestial is needed to personally deal with it, how terrifying must this disaster be? When the immortals fight, mortals suffer; how should they, with shallow Taoism, cope?

Being an old hand in the Jianghu, Zhao Deshan soon steadied his mind and continued reporting: "According to our speculations, the Great Demon’s appearance must be related to the Demon Sect. Currently, Gaoliang Mountain has the seventh ranked on the Martial Arts List, Gongsun Guan overseeing it; if he teams up with the Great Demon..."

Xu Qi said faintly, "Merely the seventh under Heaven..."

He then said, "Let’s talk more about the Great Demon."

This nonchalant remark didn’t astonish the crowd due to Xu Qi’s belittling of Gongsun Guan, instead it felt expected.

"Let’s talk more about the Great Demon." Xu Qi steered the topic back on track.

Zhao Deshan took a deep breath, his expression becoming exceptionally serious: "The Ancestors in a dream informed the name of the Great Demon, but to prevent the leaking of divine fate, sealed this memory with a Silence Zen. Now, with the True Celestial here..."

He activated the Cultivation Technique, a speck of spiritual light emerged at his brow; his brow furrowed as if bearing some pressure, intangible Primordial Qi overflowed and then returned like a gentle breeze. After a moment, he finally felt relieved, slowly uttering two words:

"Ming Venerable."

With these two words out, it was as if thunder exploded in everyone’s heart.

The young disciples exchanged bewildered glances, their faces filled with disbelief.

"Ming Venerable?" One disciple exclaimed, "Isn’t that the Evil God worshipped by the Demon Sect?"

Zhao Deshan himself also seemed astonishingly affected; he glanced at Xu Qi, hesitating to speak.

But this True Celestial turned his head slowly, his gaze extending far as if penetrating layers of mist and looking into the distance.