"Collect!"
With a mere thought, Lord Pig finalized the transaction, the contents of the Fourth Volume of the Heavenly Book seamlessly integrating into his divine consciousness. The ancient, impossible knowledge now belonged to him, secured via the most dramatic, high-profile library acquisition in the history of Tianyin Temple.
The thunderous, golden script on the Wordless Jade Disk instantly dimmed.
Just at that moment, Abbot Puhong, his face a mixture of terror and spiritual ecstasy, burst into the clearing with Pukong and Pude flanking him. They had momentarily forgotten the demonic threat in their overwhelming spiritual desire to witness the sacred text revealed by the thunder.
"Lord Pig, we beg you! Spare the Wordless Jade Disk!" they cried out in unison, rushing forward heedless of the residual, lethal spiritual energies radiating from the miniature, lightning-charged Zhu Xian Sword.
Lord Pig had achieved his objective. He had his book, he had his ride, and he had his distraction. With a quick, conspiratorial wink to Dabai—who was now strategically positioned near the base of the jade wall—he began the final act of his spectacular ruse.
The Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox instantly understood the cue. With an expertly crafted shudder, she transformed back into her breathtaking human guise, her expression shifting to one of absolute, desperate surrender.
"Lord Pig, I concede! I am entirely vanquished! Please, I implore you, show mercy and spare this life that has endured for millennia!" Dabai pleaded pitifully, sinking to her knees in a posture of total defeat, her peerless beauty framed by the turbulent clouds.
"Hmph. You are indeed a creature of self-awareness and impeccable timing. Otherwise, Lord Pig's imminent, final strike of divine thunder would have reduced you to nothing but the finest golden ash!"
Lord Pig pointed the Zhu Xian Sword toward the heavens one last time. He was channeling the residual, catastrophic energy—not at the fox, but at the empty sky above them, a final, necessary flourish for the benefit of the watching Buddhist masters.
KRAK-THOOM!
The resulting energy discharge was truly apocalyptic. A bolt of divine thunder, thicker than any the monks had ever witnessed, shot from the sword into the atmosphere. The void itself screamed; thousands of echoing roars sounded as the pure power of the strike caused the very space to collapse upon itself. The storm of thunder instantly shredded the billions of miles of dark clouds into nothingness, leaving behind a yawning, ragged tear in the fabric of reality—a black space crack that refused to heal.
"H-h-hiss! The void… it shatters! That power… it is the very threshold of Immortality!" Pukong stammered, his eyes wide and vacant, fixed on the impossible wound in the sky.
The divine monks of Tianyin Temple, seconds ago exulting over their sacred text, were now paralyzed in a state of absolute, profound shock. Awe and terror blended into a single, overwhelming emotion as they stared at the tiny pig who had just casually broken reality.
"From this moment forward, you belong to Lord Pig," he declared simply, dismissing the sword and the sky-shattering threat with equal ease.
"Yes, my Lord! I am eternally grateful for Lord Pig's merciful decision!" Dabai confirmed, bowing low. She rose gracefully, instantly adopting the role of a devoted, subservient follower.
The three monks finally forced themselves back to the present. The Wordless Jade Disk was safe, and the apocalyptic threat had vanished—replaced by an even more terrifying, permanent presence.
"We thank you, most esteemed Lord Pig! Your timely mercy has saved the very foundation of Tianyin Temple! And our most heartfelt congratulations on your mastery of the Tao, which is clearly so profound that the very threshold of immortality is within your reach! To tame the Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox so effortlessly… it is a miracle!"
Puhong spoke, rushing forward to bow deeply, his face shining with sincere gratitude mixed with a healthy dose of pure, calculating veneration.
"It is nothing. Merely a morning chore for Lord Pig," he said, waving a tiny paw dismissively. He then flew up and nestled himself back into the waiting arms of Dabai, who instantly adopted a maternal, protective posture. "Lord Pig is departing now."
"But Lord Pig, this is your very first visit to our humble temple, and you have preserved our most treasured artifact!" Puhong insisted, attempting to delay the creature. "We cannot possibly let you leave without showing our profound gratitude. Please, rest a moment. Allow us to prepare a feast and offer the hospitality our temple is known for!"
Lord Pig screwed up his little fat face in an expression of absolute disgust.
"A feast? Ah, no, thank you, Puhong. Lord Pig knows what you Buddhist types eat, and your vegetarian food is decidedly not to Lord Pig's liking. All that bland tofu and insipid vegetables? Utterly devoid of flavour and entirely lacking in nourishing fatty acids! Lord Pig requires substantial protein. Farewell!"
With one final, disdainful wrinkle of his nose, Lord Pig pointed forward. Dabai, suppressing a small, amused smile, shot into the sky, carrying the disgruntled pig at unimaginable speed.
"G-g-goodbye, Uncle Pig!" Puhong's facial muscles froze in an expression of strained politeness. He managed the awkward farewell as the golden blur vanished from sight.
Puhong, Pukong, and Pude watched the horizon until the last trace of the demonic and divine auras had faded. They turned to one another, their shared secret tightening the atmosphere around them.
"Brother… did you not feel that the actions of that Nine-Tailed Fox and Lord Pig seemed… pre-arranged?" Pukong whispered, his voice still shaky from the raw power he had witnessed.
"Yes, and the object hanging around Lord Pig's neck… it was undeniably the Xuanhuojian of Fenxiang Valley," Pude added, his brow furrowed with suspicion.
Puhong stared at the miraculously preserved, gleaming Wordless Jade Disk. He let out a long, weary sigh.
"That was indeed the Mysterious Fire Mirror," he confirmed, his voice grave. "And their encounter was clearly a staged confrontation. Regardless of Lord Pig's true motives—whether he came for the Fox, for the artifact, or for the Heavenly Book—the outcome is all that matters to us."
He turned to his companions, his gaze sharp and commanding.
"We have suffered no losses. The Wordless Jade Disk is safe, and the world believes Lord Pig came here to save us from the escaped Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox and demonstrate the overwhelming power of the Qingyun Sect. That is the only version of the story that will ever leave these grounds. You will not mention the Xuanhuojian, the staged surrender, or the true purpose of his thunder. We must never appear to question the motives of a power so close to the immortal realm."
Pukong and Pude nodded solemnly, a profound fear of Lord Pig's casually destructive capability cementing their silence. "Brother Abbot, your wisdom is absolute. We shall speak of nothing else."
The matter was settled. The most terrifying library break-in in Buddhist history was officially filed as a heroic act of divine intervention.
Meanwhile, far away in the desolate remnants of the Xuanhuo Altar, the news of Lord Pig's rampage and subsequent 'taming' of the prisoner had reached the enraged Fenxiang Valley elders.
Shangguan Ce, still nursing his wounds and supervising the humiliating reconstruction of his sacred guard post, was incredulous.
"The Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox went straight to Tianyin Temple only to be subdued by this Zhu Hao of the Qingyun Sect?" he repeated, his voice laced with venomous surprise. He had been guarding the Altar for decades and dismissed the rumors of the Qingyun beast as fanciful exaggeration.
"It is true, Elder," confirmed Lu Shun, an elder known for his meticulous intelligence gathering, his face grim.
"The rumors claim that this Zhu Hao is a spiritual beast of unimaginable power—a follower of the very original Qing Yunzi—and that he wields the Immortal Execution Sword! His use of the Divine Sword Controlling Thunder Technique at Tianyin Temple resulted in a blast so potent it shattered the void and left a visible rift in the sky. The power is considered by many to be nearly that of an Immortal."
"What?! Near-immortal strength? The Immortal Execution Sword? That is simply impossible!" Shangguan Ce erupted, slamming his fist onto a scorched stone table. "Even the legendary True Man Qingye, who unified the righteous path, could not shatter the void with such ease, much less a mere spirit beast! These are just the fantastical rumors of desperate monks!"
He paused, a sudden, cold realization dawning in his eyes. He leaned closer to Lu Shun, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper.
"You asked how the Fox escaped. I examined the remains of the Black Fire Chain. It was not burned or unsealed. It was severed—cut—by a peerless divine artifact. I am now certain it was the Immortal Execution Sword."
Lu Shun's eyes widened. "Then the Mysterious Fire Mirror…?"
"The Mysterious Fire Mirror is absolutely in the possession of that contemptible creature, Lord Pig!" Shangguan Ce hissed, his composure completely gone. "He used the Fox as bait, set fire to our holy ground, stole our most treasured artifact, and made the entire righteous world believe he did us all a massive favour by consolidating Qingyun's power! We must retrieve the Xuanhuojian at any cost!"
"Indeed, Elder. No matter the risk, the artifact must be returned to Fenxiang Valley!" Lu Shun agreed, the flames of revenge now burning brightly in their eyes.
Back at Qingyun Gate, in the venerable Yuqing Palace, the atmosphere was one of palpable, triumphant joy.
"Sect Master, your complexion is radiant! Surely, some great auspicious event has occurred?" Tian Buyi, the head of Dazhu Peak, asked, the relief in his voice evident now that he knew he hadn't been summoned for bad news.
Daoxuan, the current Sect Master, beamed, his spirit lifted by the sudden, dramatic spike in Qingyun's prestige.
"I have just received an official dispatch from Abbot Puhong of Tianyin Temple," Daoxuan announced, his gaze sweeping across the assembled peak masters. "Our great Lord Pig saw fit to grace their mountain with a visit."
Before he could elaborate, Cangsong, the perpetually disgruntled head of Longshou Peak and one of the only people who actively hated Lord Pig, seized his chance.
"Grace them? Has that reckless creature finally gotten himself into serious trouble, then?" Cangsong asked, a barely suppressed cheer in his voice. "Lord Pig is notorious for his heedless and capricious nature. I assume he caused some international incident?"
"Such petty slander, Cangsong," Shuiyue of Xiaozhu Peak sneered, cutting him down instantly. "The Sect Master is clearly elated. This is good news, not trouble. Unlike some others, Lord Pig serves the sect's interests perfectly."
"Oh, I know I cannot compete with Junior Sister Shuiyue," Cangsong retorted with a poisonous, saccharine tone, "who seems capable of making Lord Pig entirely infatuated and subservient with a mere flutter of her eyelashes!"
"What did you say, you despicable man?" Shuiyue roared, leaping to her feet, sword half-drawn from its sheath.
Cangsong stood, his own magical power surging, ready for the inevitable, long-delayed clash.
CRACK!
"ENOUGH!" Daoxuan roared, slamming his palm onto the heavy ceremonial table with enough force to shatter the wood into a dozen splintered pieces.
The noise silenced the hall instantly. Shuiyue and Cangsong sullenly returned to their seats, turning their backs to each other. The joyful atmosphere was instantly choked by oppressive tension.
Daoxuan fixed the room with a gaze that brooked no further dissent.
"When Lord Pig departed, he was already capable of controlling the Zhu Xian Sword. I received confirmation today that he held the Immortal Execution Sword at Tianyin Temple, used the Divine Sword Controlling Thunder Technique to an unbelievable degree, and publicly subdued the notorious Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox—all without a single loss of life to the righteous path. This feat has shaken the world, consolidating the power and prestige of Qingyun beyond measure! This is a cause for celebration, not childish squabbling!"
He looked pointedly at Cangsong.
"Lord Pig should be returning to the mountain shortly. All of you, prepare an honorable and grand reception. Let there be no failure, and no disrespect offered to our greatest benefactor."
"Yes, Sect Master!" everyone, save for the silently fuming Cangsong, responded instantly.
"Daoxuan, you arrogant fool. You will not flaunt this victory for long," Cangsong thought darkly, his fists clenched beneath the table.
"I had prepared a final, devastating scheme specifically for you, but it seems that tiny, irritating pig is the greater threat. If the general trend of my plans remains stable, the ultimate trump card will simply be redirected. I will ensure that Zhu Hao is eventually nothing more than a crispy, well-seasoned roast suckling pig!"
The dramatic events on Mount Xumi did not merely ripple through the righteous sects; they crashed like a tidal wave upon the infamous Evil Sects.
From the shadowy depths of the Ghost King Sect, the poisonous laboratories of the Ten Thousand Poison Sect, and the secretive halls of Changsheng Hall, the same reports were being studied with intense, cautious gravity. The news that a spiritual beast from the Qingyun Sect had casually shattered the void and subdued the Nine-Tailed Heavenly Fox—a creature the Evil Sects themselves had coveted for decades—was impossible to ignore.
While they dismissed the rumors of 'near-immortal' power as exaggeration, they fully accepted that Lord Pig wielded the Zhu Xian Sword and was a destabilizing force of unparalleled power, utterly loyal to Qingyun.
The result was unanimous: every major Evil Sect immediately began revising their elaborate, long-term plans for conquering the righteous path.
The name Zhu Hao was written in blood-red ink at the top of every new strategic document, replacing several major figures who had previously been deemed a higher priority. The pig was now a central, urgent variable in their schemes.
Lord Pig had gone out seeking books and a mount. He returned having unwittingly become the single most important and feared figure in the entire world of cultivation.