Who let him join the Sword Sect?!-Chapter 857 - 428: Li’s Cunning Plan for Small Ascender

After Zhang Ze dug into Li several more times, all the preparations were completed.

Even though his head was bitten by Li all day, it was all worth it.

Now, the originally silver-white abandoned city was filled with many yellow and white talisman papers, and spirit stones that ordinary people couldn't even imagine were piled at various critical spots.

Under the spirit stones, dark red array patterns spread like roots. On top of the spirit stones, several Five Elements Little Ghosts leaned against each other, staring blankly at the non-existent sky above.

Only half a day remains until takeoff.

Logically speaking, it should be quiet at a time like this.

But due to the provocation from Li and that cup of Fuji, the atmosphere was overly lively.

Mental illness can be contagious, especially for something like the Firefly Spirit, which is easily influenced.

To the north of the abandoned city, in front of the largest pyramid, Li dressed in floral attire was singing passionately into a microphone.

In front of it, led by that cup of Fuji, the Firefly Spirits swayed furiously like waves, an embodiment of sound waves.

Nobody knew what Li was howling about, but nobody cared, the main thing was to have fun.

The atmosphere was so intense that even disciples from the Six Sects and people from the mountains and fields, who usually prided themselves as cultivators, joined in, holding the soft little hands of the Firefly Spirits, twisting together.

It's no wonder they were like this; although Tang spoke reassuring words, claiming everything would be fine, in the end, their hearts were uneasy.

After all, life and death rested on the whims of Tang and Zhang Ze.

As for the Firefly Spirits, they were simply happy.

Life or death, what's the big deal?

Zhang Ze and Shi Xiu sat quietly at the top of a building, watching in silence.

Over several days, although Shi Xiu's body had not healed, his spirits had improved significantly, and he looked forward to the days outside.

Watching the madhouse scene over there, pondering the innate and acquired Dao body, Shi Xiu suddenly asked.

"Do you think these little things really want to go home?"

By little things, Shi Xiu was naturally referring to the Firefly Spirits.

Zhang Ze was taken aback by the question and rubbed the metal balcony in front of him, tapping along to Li's offbeat rhythm with his fingers.

This place was likely used as an observation deck in the past, where nobles could survey the entire silvery city.

"Who knows." After thinking for a while, Zhang Ze responded with a vague answer.

At the same time, a silver-white pendant appeared in his hand.

Its mechanism lost function in this era filled with spiritual qi, and Zhang Ze barely applied any force before easily popping it open.

Inside was a blurry photo, the people in it seemed to be a family of three based on their size and positioning, but their specific images were indistinct.

If anything, they looked like three green onions.

The original owners of this silvery abandoned city were a green onion-like race.

After the onions were wiped out, their resentment transformed into Da Tou Cai, whether this made sense or not, Zhang Ze didn't know.

After handing the pendant to Shi Xiu, Zhang Ze continued.

"Over the past few days while arranging talismans, I found many similar items, all carefully kept in storage by the Firefly Spirits.

"But as for the obsolete equipment and metal plates storing star map information, they haven't given them a glance.

"I think they truly want to go home, but aren't particularly concerned about where home is.

"Otherwise, they wouldn't have had disagreements initially. If those white Firefly Spirits regarded the sea as their home from the start, we might now be watching Groudon battle Kyogre."

"Groudon? What's that?" Shi Xiu didn't understand.

"Don't mind it, just consider me babbling like Fuji," Zhang Ze chuckled it off.

Shi Xiu laughed, "Ah, Fuji… I do envy her…"

He didn't push the conversation further, appearing to be just chatting.

After a pause, Zhang Ze suddenly shifted the conversation topic, asking something else.

"By the way, Senior Brother Shi, do you remember how you were captured?"

Zhang Ze referred to the matter of Shi Xiu being captured.

According to his sect leader's projection analysis, Xiao Jing's left hand's main body wasn't personally present.

Despite the difference in realms, with Shi Xiu's skills, he shouldn't have been defeated that quickly.

"I don't remember." Shi Xiu tapped his head, "But judging by their arrangements on me, I probably didn't resist much…"

Feeling ashamed, Shi Xiu sighed before continuing. "The issue likely lies with that black stone, it can mislead the mind, making one see what they desire, but…"

"But you don't remember, nor know what kind of temptation could control a Tribulation Crossing Cultivator." Zhang Ze filled in.

Shi Xiu nodded, "Correct."

The black stone that controlled Shi Xiu had long since vanished, disappearing from the crime scene, likely destroyed by Xiao Jing's projection. Zhang Ze had no chance to examine it.

After going over things, there seemed to be only a few items that could tempt a Tribulation Crossing Cultivator…

However, if the heavens went blind and allowed Lily to cross the tribulation as well, then perhaps gold, silver, spirit stones, copper coins, jewelry, jade, etc. might be included.

Kicking Lily's big face out of his mind, Zhang Ze asked, "Could it be the path after Mahayana that tempted you?"

Zhang Ze felt this was the most likely, after all, this thing muddled everyone who saw it.

"Impossible, I'm not stupid; such things can't be fabricated," Shi Xiu shook his head.

"Besides, if they had truly glimpsed the path after Mahayana, why resort to such schemes and intrigues? Wouldn't it be better to appear directly and conquer the Four Continents? Who could stop them?"

Recalling something amusing, Shi Xiu chuckled.

"You see, after Sect Leader Tang started anew, he has been bantering with us daily.

"But when have you ever seen Old Sect Leader Li, my master, speak so much?

"The more powerful a person, the fewer words they use."

Zhang Ze, "Then Senior Brother Shi, you…"

"I've fallen too, and when you're down, you want someone to talk to.

"Putting it nicely, it's called retracing the cultivation path, returning to simplicity. Being frank, it's like Sect Leader Tang."

Shi Xiu helplessly rubbed his chest, then swallowed a pill to relieve his injuries.

"Jokes aside, although I don't remember anything, I have a suspicion."

Once the medicine's effects began to spread, Shi Xiu adjusted his breathing for two circulations and then pointed upwards.

"The answer might be up there."

"Up there?"

Zhang Ze was puzzled, but quickly recalled Shi Xiu's posture when he found him.

Sitting cross-legged in meditation, looking up at the sky.

Zhang Ze, "Are you saying it's related to the sky, to the stars?"

"I don't know, just guessing. Treat it as a Celestial Sect cultivator's intuition."

Shi Xiu shrugged indifferently, then took out a pill and popped it into his mouth like a candy, continuing to listen to Li's ghostly wails while pondering the matter of the Acquired Dao Body.

Shi Xiu seemed much more at ease than before.

——The Yellow Tyrant concert was in full swing——

As the concert progressed, even Li couldn't keep up and shifted from rock to pop music.

Li stood with hands on hips in front of the electric fan, tossed its wig, and after singing only the first two words, pointed the microphone at the audience for them to sing.

"You say..." 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

"You loved someone you shouldn't have, your heart is full of scars."

Zhang Ze, seeing Li's state and glancing at the time, realized it was almost time for their appointment and prepared to inform Li to pack up and catch the ride.

Going home.

Almost simultaneously, Li's performance reached its climax.

Taking a glance at Zhang Ze, Li suddenly dropped the microphone, raised its little chubby hand like a cult leader, and shouted loudly.

"Bring it up!"

Then, under Zhang Ze's watchful eyes, another "Zhang Ze" was lifted by a wave of Firefly Spirits and delivered in front of Li.

Zhang Ze, "?"

He stood dazed for a while before realizing it was his own life-sized model...

Previously used as a decoy, which he'd completely forgotten at Da Tou Cai's place.

And he had stuffed twenty to thirty Thousand Mechanism Thunders inside that model...

Understanding what Li intended, Zhang Ze exclaimed, but before he could react, Li had already hoisted his entire model, puffing and panting, to the top of the pyramid.

With a puff, the model was inserted into the array's core.

It was wedged tightly, and removing it would require resetting the entire array, which was impossible given the time constraints.

To prevent accidental triggering, the core switch of the entire chain-explosion array was divided into two parts.

"Detonator" and the switch.

Li said it had prepared the "detonator" part, and the final detonation switch was in Zhang Ze's hand.

Clearly, his own model was Li's prepared "detonator."

With Li's mischief, lighting up his model together with Luoyu Mountain was Zhang Ze's only choice.

After avenging itself by revealing Zhang Ze's hidden stash, Li made a face at Zhang Ze from afar and then waved to everyone below the pyramid, signaling,

"All aboard! Ready to go home."

Li's specially long-named vehicle emerged, engulfing everyone in a flash of golden light.

Then, Li transformed into a dragon-shaped golden light, flew to Zhang Ze's side, and effortlessly carried Shi Xiu onto the ride before diving into Zhang Ze's chest.

Leaving Zhang Ze with no opportunity to protest.

Zhang Ze looked at the top of the pyramid, pointing one finger to the sky and another to the ground, as if declaring himself supreme, his life-sized model standing there silently.

...

Outside Luoyu Mountain.

Old Tang sat in a rocking chair wearing sunglasses, gesturing.

Lily sat beside Old Tang, also wearing sunglasses and gesturing.

Old Tang was directing the Celestial Masters, making final preparations to send Zhang Ze to the skies.

While Lily was instructing the cameraman, making sure not to forget to remove the lens cap during filming.

With a principle of not wasting a penny, Lily planned to turn Zhang Ze's ascent into a Spirit Shadow Theater production, adding a few random clips to turn it into a blockbuster.

Lily had already thought of the title: "Rebirth: I Come from Chang State, Return Me to Snow White."

Opening a fan with the words "Wishing a Great Success," Lily hummed lightly.

"Everyone, all departments, ready, action!"

Of course, no one paid her any mind.

Because the entire crew comprised only her as the director and Maomao as the cameraman, with no one else around.

After all, everyone was quite busy, unlike Lily and Old Tang, who had so much free time.

...

Below Luoyu Mountain, Junior Sister looked at her mother.

"Mom, keep your hand steady, don't shake."

"Mom, when you throw it, aim well, don't throw too far."

"Mom, think it over again, how about letting someone else do it?"

"Mom..."

"Say one more word, and I'll throw you up into the sky too. Go away, stop interfering!"

Annoyed by her daughter's incessant chatter, Mo Jingchun grabbed Chen Qin with one hand and tossed her out.

The child-rearing expert Giant Turtle Zhu Luo conjured a bubble of water, catching Chen Qin securely inside and temporarily confining her there.

No matter how much Chen Qin complained inside, Zhu Luo couldn't hear a thing.

Finally relieved of the noise, the mother-in-law shook her hand and took Luoyu Mountain from Old Sect Leader Li's hand.

At the thought of soon sending Zhang Ze to the heavens,

the mother-in-law's mood improved tremendously.