As the saying goes, enemies are bound to cross paths.
Just as Blackhearted Lord Zhou Taihe and his Crimson-Letter subordinates arrived at the foot of Panlong Mountain, another group descended from the sky in a grand procession.
Their numbers weren't great—only a few hundred.
This was the Crimson-Letter faction under Black Buddha Lord Dong Laohu, led by Yu Heng, Feng Xu, and the other Chixiao veterans.
It was well known that while Black Buddha Lord's business had grown larger and larger, the influence of his Crimson-Letter faction had waned. Neither their Fated Prodigies nor their top experts could compare with those under Blackhearted Lord's banner—the gap was vast. Even their Chixiao veterans numbered less than a hundred.
However.
Strangely, within Black Buddha Lord's Crimson-Letter contingent this time, there were actually no fewer than three hundred Chixiao veterans!
Everyone focused their gaze and quickly recognized that besides Yu Heng, Feng Xu, and the other Chixiao veterans of high standing in Yanluo Kingdom, there also seemed to be Elder Hong from the Great Northwest, Scarface Kui, and a host of other Chixiao veterans.
In the past two days, rumors had spread that Elder Hong and two hundred Chixiao veterans from the Great Northwest, upon hearing that Blackhearted Lord had defected to the Immortal Dynasty, had rushed over intending to join forces and launch a punitive expedition.
Although Yu Heng, Feng Xu, and their three hundred Chixiao veterans were each ferocious and extraordinary, their chances of successfully punishing Zhou Taihe appeared rather slim.
After all, Zhou Taihe's forces present today included over a dozen nine-tribulation wandering immortals, a hundred-odd lesser-tribulation wandering immortals, more than two hundred Fated Prodigies, eight hundred ancient Earth Immortals, and over a hundred fellow Chixiao veterans. Moreover, behind Zhou Taihe stood the behemoth that was the Immortal Dynasty. With Yu Heng's mere three hundred Chixiao veterans alone, it would be difficult to stop Zhou Taihe.
Then again, not necessarily.
Just two days prior, whispers had circulated that Black Buddha Lord Dong Laohu had returned.
Black Buddha Lord had been away for a long time. Although he had said nothing upon his departure, most could guess that he must have gone to the Divine Continent to seek reinforcements.
But people weren't optimistic.
Because the Crimson-Letter faction of today was fragmented—some had declared independence, some had pledged allegiance, others had defected. It had long since split into factions. And those Chixiao veterans from back in the day had either gone into seclusion, entered closed-door cultivation, or simply vanished. Even those Chixiao veterans still presiding over the Crimson-Letter factions were likely unwilling to step forward again due to various reasons.
Thus, people didn't hold much hope for Black Buddha Lord's quest for reinforcements.
Back when Hai Dongsheng, known as the Divine Continent Emperor and one of the Chixiao Nine Great Overlords, issued the Crimson Supreme Seal Edict, very few Chixiao veterans had responded.
Forget the Chixiao veterans, forget the various Banner Masters—even the Chixiao Eighteen Princes and Marquises, the Thirty-Six Heavenly Champions, and the Seventy-Two Earth Fiends from back then had barely responded. No one knew where they had all gone.
One must remember that Hai Dongsheng was one of the Chixiao Nine Great Overlords, hailed as the Divine Continent Emperor.
His prestige far surpassed that of Dong Laohu, a mere Seventy-Two Earth Fiend. If even Hai Dongsheng's Crimson Supreme Seal Edict garnered so few responses, how many reinforcements could Dong Laohu possibly bring back from the Divine Continent this time?
Some said Dong Laohu's trip to the Divine Continent must have been to beg Hai Dongsheng for aid.
Unfortunately, it was said that Hai Dongsheng, this Divine Continent Emperor, had mysteriously disappeared several years ago after issuing the Crimson Supreme Seal Edict. No one knew where he had gone, nor whether he was dead or alive.
Whispers claimed Black Buddha Lord had returned two days ago.
Whether he had managed to bring back any reinforcements, no one knew.
When Yu Heng, Feng Xu, and their three hundred Chixiao veterans arrived at the foot of Panlong Mountain, they happened to run into Zhou Taihe's contingent.
As the proverb goes, when enemies meet, their eyes blaze with hatred.
Although the two sides weren't exactly enemies, their eyes were indeed blazing.
Especially Yu Heng, Feng Xu, and the three hundred Chixiao veterans, who stared at Zhou Taihe and his Chixiao veterans, their hearts filled with fury!
If Zhou Taihe had merely declared independence, they wouldn't have said a word. After all, each had their own ambitions; even joining some major sect was understandable. But Zhou Taihe and these Chixiao veterans had defected to the Immortal Dynasty—this was something none of them could tolerate.
They all clearly understood in their hearts that the standing they enjoyed today had been bought with the blood of countless fallen Chixiao brothers, guarded by the bodies of the Bloodfiend Dragon-Elephants, and exchanged for by the life of the Chixiao Monarch himself back in the day.
And whether it was the Chixiao brothers of old, the Bloodfiend Dragon-Elephants, or the Chixiao Monarch—all had died at the hands of the Immortal Dao and the Immortal Dynasty.
Now, Zhou Taihe and this bunch of Chixiao veterans had actually defected to the Immortal Dynasty. How could Yu Heng, Feng Xu, and the other Chixiao veterans possibly tolerate this?
Therefore.
Even if it cost them their lives today, they would slaughter Zhou Taihe and these traitors who had forsaken their ancestors and abandoned their righteousness!
Compared to Yu Heng, Feng Xu, and the other Chixiao veterans, Zhou Taihe and his Chixiao veterans each wore rather complex expressions. Their eyes shifted evasively, unsure whether from a guilty conscience or awareness of their own wrongdoing, making them unable and unwilling to lift their heads to face their Chixiao brothers like Yu Heng.
Of course.
Not all of Zhou Taihe's Chixiao veterans were like this. Quite a few not only dared to face Yu Heng, Feng Xu, and the others, but their eyes were also filled with mockery. Ma Hai, who had always supported Zhou Taihe, was one of them.
"Yu Heng, Feng Xu, my old Chixiao friends, it's been many years. You're still the same as ever—even your cultivation hasn't progressed since back then."
Clearly.
Ma Hai was mocking Yu Heng and the others for having made little improvement over the years.
"This old man hasn't just remained the same in cultivation—my heart remains unchanged as well."
Yu Heng refused to be outdone, implying with his words that the hearts of Ma Hai and these others had changed. Before his voice faded, Scarface Kui stepped forward and sneered, "A bunch of ungrateful wretches. Are you even fit to utter the words 'Chixiao'?"
"Heh, isn't this Scarface Kui?"
Ma Hai laughed. "Why aren't you staying obediently in the Great Northwest? What brings you running to Yanluo?
What?
Don't tell me you've come to deal with us?"
"So what if I have!"
"With just you people?"
Ma Hai looked over Yu Heng, Scarface Kui, and the three hundred-some Chixiao veterans, shook his head, and chuckled, as if not taking them seriously in the slightest. He said disdainfully, "I advise you to obediently crawl back to the Great Northwest. Otherwise, don't blame us for disregarding past camaraderie."
"Ever since you decided to defect to the Immortal Dynasty, there has been no camaraderie left between us!"
Feng Xu also stepped forward to speak.
"Heh, very well. You said it yourselves."
Ma Hai wore a smile, appearing condescending. "I heard Black Buddha Lord has returned?
Why isn't he here?
Could it be he doesn't dare to come?"
"Buddha Old Master will arrive shortly."
"Oh?
I'd like to see just who Black Buddha Lord has managed to invite after mixing around outside for so long."
"You'll find out."
Ma Hai wanted to say more, but Zhou Taihe, who had remained silent all along, seemed to have lost interest in listening further. From beginning to end, he hadn't uttered a single word, nor had he glanced at Yu Heng and those Chixiao veterans. Just as he lifted his foot to ascend the mountain, Yu Heng's voice came from behind.
"Blackhearted Lord, this old man will call you Earth Fiend Lord one last time today."
Yu Heng cupped his fists respectfully and asked solemnly, "May I ask, what is your purpose in ascending the mountain to the mausoleum garden?"
"One goes to a mausoleum garden naturally to pay respects."
"To pay respects to whom?"
"As Chixiao veterans, of course we go to pay respects to the Monarch."