“Elder Brother Hua?” The Lord of Hugyu Mountain was slightly taken aback. “Weren’t you back to guard Hualing Mountain? Why are you here to find me?”
That day, after emerging from the Far West, everyone received messages from their respective sects and hastily bid farewell to return.
While Hualing Mountain was not as shallow-rooted as Qunyu Mountain, it had also been affected by the recent turmoil.
The Lord of Hugyu Mountain had heard rumors that a black river had suddenly appeared halfway up Hualing Mountain. Cultivators below the Foundation Establishment stage could not bear to smell or see the water from that black river; smelling it would lead to madness, and seeing it would cause blindness. In short, Hualing Mountain should have been in chaos and urgently in need of its lord.
The Lord of Hualing Mountain’s usually gentle face was filled with gravity. “I just received news, Hu Yu. Tell the cultivators of Qunyu Mountain to refrain from advancing recently.”
Hu Yu was in the midst of hosting the Lord of Hualing Mountain.
Upon hearing this, she was bewildered. “Why?”
The Lord of Hualing Mountain recounted the experiment conducted by the Xile Sect to her. “To be safe, it’s best not to even advance.”
Advancing referred to a cultivator’s promotion within the same realm, such as from the sixth layer of Golden Core to the seventh.
“I understand,” the Lord of Hugyu Mountain pursed her lips. “Thank you for coming all this way to inform me, Elder Brother Hua. Otherwise, my Qunyu Mountain…”
As she thought of the consequences, she couldn’t help but let out a wry smile.
“We are friends, Elder Brother naturally would not abandon Qunyu Mountain,” the Lord of Hualing Mountain said in a gentle comfort. “There is one more thing for you to consider. The Xile Sect claims one of their disciples has found a new secret realm entrance, and major sects plan to send people to investigate.”
“Is Hualing Mountain going?”
The Lord of Hualing Mountain nodded. “Naturally, we will go. After all these years, although the other junior cultivators may not know, don’t we great cultivators understand? New secret realms have rarely been born in the Divine Enlightenment World. With the anomalies appearing everywhere this time, it might all be because of this new secret realm.”
“Fortune favors the bold. Alright, I will send people,” the Lord of Hugyu Mountain said. “I will lead the team personally then.”
“I estimate I won’t be going. I’ll have the sect’s负责人 contact you then,” the Lord of Hualing Mountain said gently.
The two of them discussed the situations within their respective sects, and then the Lord of Hualing Mountain rose to leave.
He did not go far.
Seeing that no one was around, he waved his hand to construct a barrier before lighting a black thread.
Black smoke curled upwards, and the face of the Lord of Hualing Mountain was vaguely visible within it.
“...I don’t know how that female cultivator found our trace. This time, she offers the secret realm in exchange for our help in eliminating someone. She will help us achieve our goal…”
Another voice drifted over faintly.
“You handle it. But you know what to say and what not to say. If you leak Chongyuan’s secret, don’t blame me for being impolite.”
“Your subordinate understands.”
The black smoke gradually dispersed, and in a moment, it condensed into a mass of demonic obstruction that fell upon Qunyu Mountain, directly engulfing half of its immortal energy.
“Which demonic cultivator is being audacious in Qunyu Mountain?”
As the Mountain Lord, every tree and flower in the mountain served as her eyes and ears. As soon as the Lord of Hugyu Mountain had finished giving instructions, she sensed the anomaly in the mountain.
Qunyu Mountain, shrouded in demonic energy, came into view, as if overlapping with the scene within the chessboard earlier.
The Lord of Hugyu Mountain was both shocked and furious.
She immediately acted personally, but apart from that mass of demonic obstruction, there was nothing else present.
“Mountain Lord, we have searched everywhere. No demonic cultivators have been here.”
The Lord of Hugyu Mountain took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down, and said softly, “I understand. You may all go down now and prepare what was just discussed.”
“Yes.”
After everyone had left, the Lord of Hugyu Mountain’s expression instantly turned grim.
She walked slowly to the Heavenly Star Chessboard and touched it with both hands.
In an instant, the wind rose.
Clouds churned, birds startled, and countless images flashed through her mind, finally freezing…
“Pfft!”
The Lord of Hugyu Mountain suddenly coughed up a mouthful of vital blood, kneeling on the ground. The cracks on the Heavenly Star Chessboard deepened, splitting directly into two halves.
But she could not spare a moment for that. She stood up in a panic, “Someone! Someone! Go and investigate for me!”
She had seen it.
A woman in flowing red robes, her figure slightly turned, half her face obscured by the darkness of Qunyu Mountain, the light and shadow flickering, like a deity.
…
Yueqing Mountain, the City Lord’s Mansion of Nuigui City.
Yue Bufan hosted Qing Lan and Bai Qingjiang. “Brother Qing Lan, and you too, sit anywhere you like, and rest for a while.”
Bai Qingjiang did not mind Yue Bufan’s peculiar attitude and sat down calmly. A small beast also followed him and squatted obediently beside the chair.
Yue Bufan looked at this scene with a complex expression, unsure whether it was jealousy or envy.
A Void Beast!
And a young beast that had willingly recognized its master!
I’ve been to Fengtian Valley over three hundred times, how come I’ve never encountered such a sensible and well-behaved young beast?
“Is your Void Beast alright after leaving the Mustard Seed layer?” Yue Bufan asked with a scowl.
Bai Qingjiang: “Little Ye said it’s fine.”
“You even gave it a name?” Qing Lan looked over indifferently.
This Void Beast had approached them on its own as they were about to leave the Mustard Seed layer.
If Bai Qingjiang hadn’t said he recognized it, Qing Lan and Yue Bufan would have already killed it. However, none of the three of them expected the Void Beast to directly recognize Bai Qingjiang as its master and leave the Mustard Seed layer with him.
“Yes, it’s called Little Ye.” Bai Qingjiang paused. “Great Venerable Qing Lan, is there a problem with giving it a name?”
Bai Qingjiang also knew that cultivators valued karma.
He had hesitated before whether to name Little Ye. However, the first time it recognized him as its master, Little Ye had actively asked him to give it a name, and for some reason, he had agreed.
“It’s nothing,” Qing Lan said faintly.
Yue Bufan took a sip of tea. “I’ve already notified my son to immediately contact the people from Shenqi Academy. I believe we’ll have news about young friend Bai soon. Let’s wait a while.”
Meanwhile, within the Mustard Seed layer.
Due to his special connection with the Heavenly Dao, Qin Si quickly found the location of the Heavenly Dao Ravine.
However, after searching the surroundings, he could not find Bai Qingjiang’s figure.
Qin Si’s phoenix eyes slightly narrowed, and he flashed into the ravine.
As soon as he entered, the red boundary lonely flower cozily nudged against him, as if asking why he had abandoned it.
“Go away,” Qin Si’s expression was cold and sharp as ice. “I ask you, have you seen this person?”
The boundary lonely flower turned its flower disc and looked at the image in Qin Si’s hand.
The place where three petals had been plucked earlier had grown new petals the size of fingernails. The flower disc swayed left and right.
Qin Si frowned slightly and leaped into the air.
Looking into the distance, the clouds churned and lightning crisscrossed. Even from afar, one could feel the violent energy contained within, yet not a single sound escaped.
The Heavenly Dao Ravine remained grayish and silent.
As if sensing the pressure, the spiritual beasts that had emerged from the swamp retreated into the mud. The Void Beasts that had been gathering also stopped in their tracks.
Just then, a bolt of lightning fiercely struck towards Qin Si.
Qin Si waved his sleeve, easily dispersing the lightning.
The heavenly thunder condensed again.
Qin Si said coldly, “Tell me, what do you think would happen if everyone knew that the so-called Heavenly Dao is merely a great tonic of heaven and earth spiritual essence?”
The heavenly thunder suddenly paused.
It was then followed by a sky-shattering, violent roar.
However, no more lightning fell. The gray clouds, as if sensing its vulnerability, immediately intensified their attack and entwined around it.
Qin Si ignored it. Seeing that Bai Qingjiang was not in the Heavenly Dao Ravine, he tore through space and left. This time, he took the boundary lonely flower with him.
No sooner had he left than the space within the boundary rippled again, and a white figure emerged.