The gaze of the Drought Fiend grew increasingly affectionate, even tinged with indulgence.
"..."
This truly made him feel as if he were being raised as Xuan Yu!
Xu Qing finally understood where that strange feeling originated from.
In the past, when he meticulously cared for the Nine-Life Profound Cat and the Nine-Tailed Spirit Fox, wasn't this exactly the sentiment the Drought Fiend was showing now!
Those splendid creatures, all facing the threat of extinction, were difficult for him not to take in and protect.
Xu Qing never imagined that one day he would become a Kui Ba cub on the brink of extinction in the eyes of the Drought Fiend.
"The resting place of Kui Ba..."
Xu Qing noted this but would not truly choose to let the Drought Fiend retrieve that spiritual artifact.
After Kui Ba's death, no bones remained, only the spiritual artifact existed in the world. That artifact was both the transformation of Kui Ba's fortune and the convergence of all its resentment and karma.
Xu Qing would at most attempt to use the Sutra of Salvation to transcend that artifact. If unsuccessful, he would abandon it.
...
Zhuoshui Dojo.
While Xu Qing was transcending the dead, he did not forget to plant the Fierce Banner on the remains to gather new Fierce Generals.
The Yin River's yin energy was strong, and the geomantic omen of the General's Dojo was formidable enough to be considered ominous even in the Underworld.
The quality and quantity of these remains were enough for Xu Qing to forge a new army of Fierce Generals!
Three or four hundred thousand generals, as opposed to mere soldiers, provided a sense of security that others could not comprehend.
Xu Qing kept raising the stakes, all to carve out more survival ground amidst the machinations between the Dharma Master and the Celestial Emperor.
...
After transcending spirits at the Zhuoshui Dojo, Xu Qing stayed by the Yin River for seven more days, but no celestial beings descended through the open heavenly gate above.
"Isn't that law corpse of the Underworld and those celestial beings even planning to come down?"
Beside him, the meditating Drought Fiend opened her eyes and said, "In heaven, a day equates to a year on earth, and so it is in the Underworld."
"We must be patient. If you leave of your own accord, you risk being falsely accused by those with malicious intents."
The Drought Fiend, who had once resided in the Heavenly Palace, understood the scheming of those celestial beings better than anyone. The impending catastrophe of heaven's collapse was inevitable; they would surely seek a villain to bear the brunt of their divine wrath.
Just as, when there was a great drought, they would find a Drought Fiend as a scapegoat.
These traditional arts are similar everywhere, heaven and earth alike.
"Do they have the right to dawdle? I'm a Sect Leader with countless tasks to manage daily; how can I afford to idly wait here? Every day of delay is a loss to my sect."
"Moreover, my disciples are still waiting for news outside, and if this continues, things might spiral out of control."
Upon hearing these words, the Drought Fiend glanced up at the heavenly gates and said, "Celestial beings differ in nature from mortals. When Kong Ren was exiled to the extreme cold of Northern You, there were polar days and nights, with a half-year each for day and night. The upper world is much the same."
"We've been here for seven days, but in the eyes of celestial beings, that may not even amount to a stick of incense's time."
With that in mind, the Drought Fiend agreed, "You may go to the mortal world to handle matters; I will manage things here for now, but don't take too long."
Behind a successful zombie, there are often multiple silent contributors.
Xu Qing felt deeply moved. In the Cat Immortal Hall, he had Xuan Yu to manage affairs for him; at the Bao Sheng Temple, Senior Sister Yizhen took charge; and now, even the vast legacy of Da Luo Sect had the Drought Fiend to share his burdens.
How fortunate to meet such a companion, what more could one wish for!
Filled with emotion, Xu Qing cupped his hands toward the Drought Fiend and couldn't wait to rush back to Xindu territory.
Xindu, Zhuolu Prefecture.
The people around Ascendant Fuluan were like ants on a hot pan, restless and uneasy.
Xinyuan sat on the ground, fanning endlessly with a broken palm fan.
"The Sect Leader is blessed, for there has never been a mishap even when he eradicated the Ghost Law, and now it's just confronting the General and the other four protectors..."
Ascendant Fuluan paced around before Xinyuan, his voice gradually fading until he could no longer utter the self-deceptive words.
With a single Ghost Law, the Sect Leader might prevail against the two protectors, but facing the first-ranked General of the Yin River, as well as the other four protectors combined, how could the Sect Leader fight against them?
Even if every Celestial and God from the Department of War descended from the upper world, they might not win, let alone the Sect Leader facing them alone...
"Stop pacing! Even I, a monk, am not this worried. What are you fussing about?"
Ascendant Fuluan snatched the palm fan from Xinyuan, exasperated, "You're not worried? The sky is falling, but you're saying you're not?"
"If this involves the Sect Leader, neither of us might even get the chance to enter the cycle of reincarnation!"
Beside them, Zhang Pingsheng frowned and said, "Daoist Fuluan, if this indeed concerns the Sect Leader, do you intend to betray our sect and evade responsibility?"
Xu Qing had done Zhang Pingsheng great favors, and upon seeing Ascendant Fuluan waver the troops' morale, Zhang Pingsheng's face darkened instantly.
"Hey! You old Daoist, your words are quite provoking! Haven't I followed the Sect Leader as long as you have? Ever since the Sect Leader subdued the Ghost Law, I have been by his side. One could say that I share in the fortunes and woes of Da Luo Sect, and if the Sect Leader meets any mishap, you might find a way out, but I surely can't escape!"
Ascendant Fuluan flared up after Zhang Pingsheng's accusation. Back in the day, in his pursuit of Ascending to Immortality, he had staked everything on Xu Qing.
He even vowed with his Dao heart multiple times to break Xu Qing's ingrained impressions, tying himself to Da Luo Sect, and promised Xu Qing that after Ascending to Immortality, he would seek out the Mirage Ship Master, acknowledging his wrongs to every spirit aboard.
Going to apologize to an old adversary that instills fear deep within one's heart is a significant sacrifice indeed!
Yet Zhang Pingsheng had the nerve to turn around and treat him like a fickle pretender.
The two men bickered loudly, as Ge Hongwen, Xie Qiongke, and others hastily mediated, while only the confused Peilu from Taodu Mountain and Chenghuang from the ruins of the White Nation of Changzhou showed the naïveté of newly recruited soldiers.
They were just new recruits tricked into joining with promises of working for the Da Luo Sect, earning points for merit and eventually being ranked among the immortals. But as soon as they arrived, they were sent to the front lines as backup for the great formation.
Now, without even seeing a shadow of the great formation, they've heard that the Sect Leader might have torn a hole in the sky, leading to possible retribution from celestial deities, and could even be publicly executed on the Demon-slaying Platform as an example for all mortals in the three realms...
What fortune or virtue did they possess?
Chenghuang wore a look of utter hopelessness, thinking this must be the calamity she couldn't avoid.
Peilu was equally shaken, having asked the Sect Leader to help find sacred grounds and methods for witch clan ascension, never intending for the Sect Leader to send him to the Demon-slaying Platform for harsh cultivation.
That place was notorious for its harshness and the exceptionally high mortality rate.
Few had ever survived the Demon-slaying Platform throughout history.
"Success or failure, at least we have participated in a feat worthy of being remembered across the three realms. Even if we perish forever, it was worthwhile!"
Ge Hongwen gazed at the splendid scene where the heavenly gates opened far away, breaking into a serene smile.
"Who wants to be remembered across the three realms?"
As everyone seemed lost and hopeless, a familiar voice suddenly rang out.
"Sect Leader!"
Xinyuan, who had been sitting cross-legged chanting scriptures, leaped up at once, wishing the Buddha's precepts allowed him to worship Xu Qing as a deity!
Seeing the group of Da Luo disciples remained steadfast even in crisis deeply gratified Xu Qing's heart.
Evidently, his judgment in choosing people was not bad, at least far superior to the Celestial Emperor, whose subordinates were full of traitors.
"Sect Leader, about the heavenly path..."
Xu Qing gestured to stop him, "Let's discuss that later. I've come to the mortal world this time for the sect's replenishment plan."
As he spoke, Xu Qing produced the bodies of the four Yin River Protectors, including Kong Ren and the Stove Lord. Besides the bodies of the Protectors, he also brought the remains of the General, Lord You, and the others.
"These are the corpses of the remaining demons from the Yin River. You must proceed promptly to other states to conduct the great formation and purify all unrepentant states!"
After surveying the Da Luo disciples, Xu Qing added, "This mission is challenging. I'll search elsewhere for aid to assist with the replenishment endeavors. As for the damage to the heavenly path..."
"There's no need to worry. Even if celestial deities seek accountability, your Sect Leader alone will shoulder the burden!"
"Do not forget, your Sect Leader is no Wild Cultivator without roots."
The ten Altar Masters collectively sighed in relief. With the Sect Leader as their pillar, they needn't fear even if the sky were to fall!