The Blade-Wielding Legend

Chapter 1579 - 803: Dragon Sacrifice Ceremony, Pacification of Tai Lake (Part 2)

"Roar——!"

A resounding and majestic dragon’s roar emanated from the void, not as a physical entity, but an earth-shaking sound produced by the convergence and resonance of the earth’s spiritual energy.

The jade scroll thrown by Zhang Jingxuan was enveloped by a fierce wind, as if some giant entity snatched it, carrying the unstoppable Heaven and Earth Qi, plunging into Xuanwu Lake.

Water splashed silently, and the ripples spread rapidly.

The Earth Vein was completely stabilized!

Almost simultaneously with the golden dragon’s entry into the water, a paper crane broke through the air, landing in the hands of the Daoist behind Zhang Jingxuan, transforming into a Yellow Talisman filled with writing.

He focused and glanced at it, his face suddenly filled with a solemn and invigorated expression, and loudly announced to Zhang Jingxuan and all present, "Heavenly Master Zhang! Everyone, the time has come!"

"Now, the demons are leaderless, and the people are in panic; it’s complete chaos. The Dragon Sacrifice Ceremony is completed, the Earth Vein is as solid as a rock, and the Yangzhou Tripod can no longer shake Jiangnan’s foundation!"

"The Navy is ready to set off, awaiting the Heavenly Master’s orders!"

Zhang Jingxuan’s eyes shone fiercely, like an unsheathed sharp sword; the gentleness of a ceremony host was entirely gone. He stepped down from the altar, his robe rustling without wind, and his voice clanged like metal clashing, "The Jianmu demon causes havoc in Jiangnan, poisons life, and steals crucial artifacts; such treason shall be punished! Now the earth energy of Jinling is corrected; it’s time to sweep away the demons and uncover their lairs!"

"Jiangnan Mysterious Sect, heed the command!"

"Here!" Leading with Linglongzi and Fire Cloud Taoist, masters from Maoshan, Lushan Magical Sect, Tiger Commandment Gate, and Golden Swallow Sect responded in unison, their voices shaking the sky, their killing intent soaring to the heavens.

"Follow me south to Tai Lake, to annihilate the Lai Yin Demon Woman and reclaim the Yangzhou Tripod! Obliterate the demon aura along the way, and any Jianmu evildoer, Silk Cocoon Sect follower, or villains causing chaos shall be killed without mercy!"

Zhang Jingxuan’s voice carried an undeniable resolve, then turned and said, "Mr. Qiu, please have the Jinling Captain’s Office and Jiangnan Navy fully cooperate, to clear the remaining evildoers on waterways and lands; any resistance, bombard them with cannons, trample with iron hooves!"

"Rest assured, Heavenly Master!" Qiu Mingyuan nodded solemnly.

With the command issued, the action was swift as thunder.

Outside Jinling City, the elite of the Captain’s Office and some Mystic Sect Disciples, long prepared for battle, under Qiu Mingyuan’s command, charged like fierce tigers released from a gate towards predetermined secret bases of the Jianmu Organization and Silk Cocoon Sect.

Without the Earth Immortal or a leader, the evil cultivators and demons within those bases floundered like headless flies, offering weak and chaotic resistance. Flames, shouts of killing, and the clash of weapons erupted briefly in several corners of the city, only to be crushed by even greater forces.

Yet the true center of the storm lay in the boundless Tai Lake.

Zhang Jingxuan, with many masters, advanced straight towards Tai Lake.

Behind them was the fully mobilized naval fleet.

Enormous battleships sliced through waves, led by Qiu Mingyuan, commanding a vast fleet, surging towards Tai Lake along the Qinhuai River-Yangtze River waterway, brimming with killing intent.

Along the riverbanks, any Jianmu banners or Silk Cocoon Sect instigated rebel bases attempting to block or attack faced the dark cannon muzzles of the warships.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The cannon fire roared deafeningly.

The new-style artillery acted like hammers of divine punishment, easily shredding flimsy camps and clustered boats into fragments.

Smoke filled the air, and splinters flew, as though plowing through and uncovering nests.

Even should there be fearless Silk Cocoon Sect evil cultivators performing Evil Techniques or driving Poison Insects and Gu to harass, they were easily dispelled by the talismans and magic swords of the accompanying Mysterious Sect cultivators.

Wherever the naval fleet passed, only devastation remained along the path.

...

Beside Tai Lake, Dongting West Mountain.

When Li Yan and others arrived with the main force of the navy, they were awed by the scene before them.

Zhang Jingxuan did not immediately launch a strong attack against the lake’s bottom.

They chose to set up an altar on a high cliff by the lake at Dongting West Mountain. This altar, unlike the ornate complexity of the Dragon Offering, brimmed with a sharp killing aura.

Nine dark iron pillars, inscribed with Thunder Talismans, were deeply embedded into the mountainside, arranged in the Nine Palace formation.

Zhang Jingxuan stood at the center, holding a simple wooden sword, an imitation of the male sword from the "Three Five Evil-Slaying Yin Yang Swords," the treasured weapon of Dragon and Tiger Mountain.

Though not the original, it also carried a trace of the unrivaled thunder power of the Heavenly Master Daoist.

He performed the Yu Step and recited the "Shenxiao Yushu Five Thunder True Text," his voice resounding like great bells and drums, harnessing the Qi of the Nine Heavens.

Linglongzi of Maoshan Shangqing, holding a horsetail whisk, set up the "Shangqing Thunder-Attracting Array," and clear light talismans rose up, channeling the Eastern Jia-Yi Wood Thunder; Lushan Magical Sect’s Fire Cloud Taoist, girded with a magic rope, waved a Golden Whip, his body enveloped in flames, channeling the Southern Bing-Ding Fire Thunder; also, elders proficient in the Northern Ren-Gui Water Thunder, Western Geng-Xin Metal Thunder, and Central Wu-Ji Earth Thunder from various sects surrounded Zhang Jingxuan, each with their tasks.

The combined efforts of several major sect’s magic veins easily activated the formidable Thunder Altar.

In an instant, winds arose and clouds surged atop Dongting West Mountain.

The originally clear sky suddenly turned dark, heavy leaden clouds madly converged from all directions, and amidst the clouds, dazzling electric serpents frantically slithered.

The dull sound of thunder roared like an ancient beast, from afar to near, growing louder and more frequent, ultimately merging into a deafening, fearsome thunderstorm that seemed to rip the world apart.

"Five Thunders heed my command, vanquish evil and break the sha!"

Zhang Jingxuan furiously pointed his wooden sword at the sky, then fiercely struck toward the islands of Tai Lake,

Boom—!!!

The sky seemed to collapse!

Countless bolts of lightning as thick as a child’s arm, glaringly bright, tore through the heavy clouds, bringing with them the awe-inspiring wrath of heavens, mercilessly and indiscriminately striking the islands of Tai Lake.

Boom—Thunder fell like rain!

On the water surface, huge waves exploded into masses, fiercely white steam evaporated instantly and dispersed again by the subsequent thunder.

Hidden deep within the lake waters, in the shadows of small islands, and even those trying to drive water demon creatures in rebellion—the remnant followers of Jianmu and the loyalists of the Silk Cocoon Sect—under this overarching onslaught of heavenly wrath, couldn’t even utter a scream before they and their nests, evil arrays, and bred Gu worms and poison insects were reduced to dust.

The air was filled with the intense smell of ozone and scorching fumes.

This was beyond human capability, harnessing the might of heaven and earth for destruction.

Li Yan and the others understood that Zhang Jingxuan wanted to use this most direct, ferocious, and unquestionable means to completely crush the demonic aura of Tai Lake, simultaneously deterring all the schemers of Jiangnan.

Almost simultaneously with the fall of the thunderstorm, around Tai Lake, the "troops" belonging to Jiangnan’s Cave Heaven Blessed Lands and famous mountains and rivers moved.

These were not secular armies, but the Mystic Sect’s generations of protector "yin soldiers" and "dao soldiers" gathered by incense beliefs.

In the distant mountains, yin winds howled and dark clouds surged.

The shadows of troops were faintly discernible, the oppressive and terrifying Yin Sha Qi pressed from all directions towards the Tai Lake waters, sealing all spaces above and below the lake surface.

Thousands upon thousands of troops, though without shape or substance, possessed overwhelming momentum, cordoning off the entire Tai Lake tightly, the lethal aura rendering the lake water stagnant!

At that moment, the Imperial Navy fleet sealed the main water regions of Tai Lake.

The flag signaling cannon fire waved on the flagship.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

More oppressive and violent than thunder, explosions erupted from the battleships.

Dark cannon mouths spewing long tongues of fire, scorching iron balls like fragmented bullets, with piercing whistling sounds, fiercely struck the islands and waters.

Wooden and stone structured houses, fragile as paper under cannon fire.

Structures collapsed in thunderous explosions, igniting raging fires.

The demons hiding within were either blasted to pieces or buried under fallen debris, those fortunate enough to escape faced a noose from sky to ground.

On the water surface, scattered demons attempting to escape on small boats became mobile targets, easily shot by cannon fire and arrows.

Fresh blood dyed Tai Lake red, soon scattered by huge waves and cannon fire.

This was an uncontested obliteration.

Thunder from above, yin soldiers surrounding, cannon fire ravaging!

Under the triple assault, the remnant forces of Jianmu Organization and the core strength of the Silk Cocoon Sect dissolved and disbanded rapidly like snow under the blazing sun.

Cries, screams, explosions, and burning mixed together, yet were quickly drowned out by the greater thunder and cannon sounds.

The entire Tai Lake seemed transformed into a massive furnace.

On the flagship deck, Li Yan and his group stood quietly.

Facing the scene of heavenly might combined with human force purging, their expressions were solemn.

Sha Lifei smacked his lips, watching a distant small island turn into a sea of fire under cannon fire, sighed: "Wow, this spectacle... seems the court has truly been provoked."

Wang Daoxuan slightly shook his head, muttering: "Heavenly Master Zhang intends to resolve it all in one move, thoroughly dispersing Tai Lake’s rebel army, deterring Jiangnan’s evil spirits."

Lv San rubbed the temporarily silent demon gourd at his waist and said in a low voice: "Which is good, saves us from taking action."

"But that Lai Yin... where on earth is she hiding?"