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Wuji Holy Sect, Taixu Hall.

Seventy-two Profound Iron Coiling Dragon Pillars stood in silence, holding up a vaulted ceiling shrouded in swirling mist.

The dim yellow glow of Everlasting Lamps flowed over the dark stones of the hall, casting long, silent shadows from the three figures standing within.

Qi Yun sat upon the cloud seat atop the Nine Level Black Jade Tier, wearing a deep blue Daoist Robe beneath a great cloak of black trimmed in gold. The Sect Leader’s Badge glinted with a cold luster in the light.

His hands rested lightly on the armrests, his calm gaze sweeping over the three people below.

The tea had grown cold, and the attending disciples had long since been dismissed.

In the hall, only the smoke from the incense burner remained, rising in a straight plume before slowly dispersing about ten feet up, like some kind of silent timer.

The gray mist surrounding Nether Bone Master suddenly billowed.

A voice as hoarse as a night owl’s slowly seeped from the mist, each word striking the stagnant air of Taixu Hall:

"Does the Holy Sect intend to launch a counteroffensive against Central Earth?"

The moment the words landed, it seemed as if even the rising plume of smoke slowed its ascent.

A soft, almost inaudible hum came from the sword sheath on Ling Xuzi’s back.

For an instant, the fiery patterns within Zhu Yun’s crimson pupils flared to life.

Qi Yun lightly tapped his index finger against the Profound Iron armrest.

TAP.

The soft sound was exceptionally clear in the dead silence.

He slowly raised his gaze, letting it rest for a moment on the roiling gray mist that was Nether Bone Master before turning to Ling Xuzi and Zhu Yun. His voice was gentle and serene, yet it carried a piercing quality that seemed to see through everything.

"Did you two come today for the same reason?"

Ling Xuzi took half a step forward, his cyan robes stirring without a breeze. "The Cyan Sect is of the same mind."

Zhu Yun followed right after, her voice booming like a great bell, "As is Fengduo."

The positions of the Three Sects were now clear.

Qi Yun suddenly gave a soft laugh.

It was a quiet laugh, but it made the already tense atmosphere in the hall grow heavier still.

He leaned back slightly, sinking into the depths of the cloud seat. His great cloak of black draped in folds over the edge.

The posture seemed relaxed, but the eyes he fixed upon the three of them were even sharper than before.

"Since the Three Sects have already conferred..."

He paused. His voice was still gentle, but each word was like polished jade, its smooth warmth concealing a cold hardness.

"Then did you come today to consult with the Holy Sect—"

"Or to inform us?"

The moment those last words were spoken, the temperature in the hall plummeted.

The gray mist around Nether Bone Master froze, and two points of eerie green light within it flickered erratically.

The hum from the sword on Ling Xuzi’s back fell completely silent.

But the fiery patterns in Zhu Yun’s crimson pupils burned even more fiercely.

All three of them heard the sharpness in his tone—it was not a question, but an accusation.

’Are you trying to tell the Holy Sect what to do?’

The silence lasted for three breaths.

Zhu Yun suddenly took a step forward.

This Fengduo Flame Hall Master had a voluptuous yet powerful build, hair like fire, and a scorching aura. Yet when she spoke, her voice was steady, in stark contrast to her appearance.

"Qi Master, please do not misunderstand."

She cupped her hands in a salute, her posture respectful but not subservient.

"Our Three Sects have no intention of isolating the Holy Sect. The only reason we came to consult with the Holy Sect last is because...

The Holy Sect first replaced its Sitting Sect True Monarch, and then its Acting Sect Leader."

She raised her head, her crimson eyes looking directly at the cloud seat, her words flawless.

"Changes in a Sect’s leadership are a matter of utmost importance. The Three Sects did not dare to disturb you rashly. We thus conferred amongst ourselves first and waited for the situation to stabilize before daring to approach your gates to discuss this grand strategy with the Holy Sect."

Her speech explained their tardiness, adopted a humble posture, and subtly hinted at the reality that the Holy Sect was not what it once was.

The Sitting Sect True Monarch had been replaced, from Desolate Halberd to Wu Dao, and the Acting Sect Leader had been replaced, from Black Mountain to Qi Yun.

Everyone in the Northwest was aware of the treacherous undercurrents behind these changes.

Atop the cloud seat, Qi Yun listened quietly.

When Zhu Yun finished speaking, the mask of indifference on his face slowly melted away, the corners of his lips curling into a gentle smile.

"I see."

He nodded slightly, as if he had been convinced.

"Now that Zhu Master has put it that way, I understand."

"The thoroughness of the Three Sects’ considerations is truly a mark of prudence."

But then his tone shifted.

"However—"

Qi Yun placed his hands back on the armrests and leaned forward slightly. His gaze was like the moon reflected in a deep pool—clear, yet impossibly deep.

"A counteroffensive against Central Earth is a matter of great importance."

"If the Three Sects are merely acting on a whim, or believe the time is ripe simply because of the defeat at Spirit Mountain... then my Holy Sect has no desire to wade into these muddy waters."

The words were polite, but the meaning was clear: without absolute certainty of success, the Holy Sect would not easily enter the fray.

Hearing this, Ling Xuzi finally spoke again.

"Qi Master, you may rest assured."

His voice was crisp and clear, like a sword drawn three inches from its sheath.

"We would not have brought this matter up lightly if we were not certain of victory."

"Oh?"

Qi Yun raised an eyebrow, revealing a perfectly measured hint of curiosity.

"Then how do you propose to win?"

The light in the hall seemed to dim for a moment.

The gray mist around Nether Bone Master began to rotate, slowly and eerily.

A hoarse laugh drifted from the mist, tinged with a cold certainty.

"Because... aside from us, the Northwest Four Sects—"

He paused. The two points of eerie green light within the mist flared, aiming straight for the cloud seat.

"We have also invited another power to join us."

Qi Yun’s gaze narrowed. "Who?"

Nether Bone Master’s voice was deliberate, each word like the clash of cold iron from the Nine Netherworld.

"The Overseas Dragon Race."

"The Dragon Race?"

As Qi Yun repeated the name, the very air in the hall seemed to freeze.

"As far as I know," Qi Yun began slowly, his voice still steady, "the Dragon Race has always remained aloof. Why would they make an exception this time?"

Ling Xuzi said grimly, "The Dragon Race may be aloof, but they are not without desires.

During the battle at Spirit Mountain, the North Sea Dragon Lord was wounded by the World Honored One’s Handwriting. His Dao Foundation was damaged, and he is in urgent need of healing. That is the first reason."

He looked up, his gaze meeting Qi Yun’s.

"Second, the Dragon Race and the Buddhist Sect share an ancient enmity."

Qi Yun was silent.

He was, of course, aware.

In ancient times, the Dragon Race commanded the Water Essence of Heaven and Earth, summoned clouds and rain, and were the sovereigns of all scaled creatures.

Later, when the Buddhist Sect spread eastward, it established the doctrine of the Eight Celestial Dragons. On the surface, this revered the Dragon Race as protectors, but in truth, it used Buddhist Skills to convert them and Wish Power to bind them, usurping their authority and draining their karmic fortune.

This enmity has festered for millennia, seeping deep into their very bloodline.

"The Dragon Race wants to use this counteroffensive to wash away their past humiliation and restore their clan’s destiny,"

Zhu Yun interjected, her voice resonant.

"And we, the Northwest Four Sects, can clear the path for them, so we can vie for Central Earth together."

Nether Bone Master let out a hoarse laugh.

"It is merely a matter of mutual benefit."

The hall fell silent once more.

Qi Yun leaned back into the cloud seat, his eyes half-closed as if weighing his options.

The plume of smoke from the incense burner rose straight up, dispersing and reforming before him as if tracing some invisible web of causality.

After a long moment, he slowly opened his eyes.

"On this matter, I must report to Ancestor Master Wu Dao before a final decision can be made."

Hearing this, the three of them nodded slightly. A matter of such importance was indeed not something a Vice Sect Leader could decide alone.

"However—" Qi Yun’s tone shifted again. His gaze swept over the three of them, finally settling on the gray mist that was Nether Bone Master. His voice was calm, without a single ripple.

"Before that, I have one more thing I need to confirm with the three of you."

"Please speak, Sect Leader."

Qi Yun leaned forward slightly, speaking one deliberate word at a time.

"The Dragon Race wishes to avenge their past humiliation, and our Northwest Four Sects wish to vie for Central Earth. These are all the ostensible reasons. But what I want to know is—"

A glint of insight flashed in his eyes.

"What... are the Sitting Sect True Monarchs behind your Three Sects... truly scheming?"

The air in the hall froze completely.

From the sword sheath on Ling Xuzi’s back, not another sound was heard.

The scorching aura around Zhu Yun retracted, like a fire smoldering in the deep sea.

The gray mist around Nether Bone Master slowed its billowing to a near standstill.

Atop the cloud seat, Qi Yun’s expression remained gentle, but his eyes seemed to pierce through all pretense, straight to the heart of the matter.

The three Masters simultaneously felt an inexplicable tremor in their hearts.

’This young Sect Leader actually made them feel a sliver of the same fear they would feel when facing a True Monarch...’

’This guy... just what kind of monster is he!’

...

「Overseas, on an unnamed, isolated island.」

A monstrous Blood Sea surged, wrapping the entire island in a dark red cocoon.

Nether Spring stood barefoot upon a Karma Fire Red Lotus in the center of the Blood Sea, his blood-red robe whipping in the wind.

He had just finished refining the last of the Merfolk Race on the island. Nine thousand eight hundred Blood God Children circled him, each one emanating the brutish power of the Foundation Establishment Early Stage.

’The Blood Spirit Scripture truly lives up to its name as a top-tier Demon Dao Cultivation Skill.’

’With the power of the Blood Sea, one can devour and refine the life essence of any living being.’

’The cultivation resources Overseas are scarce, but the bloodlines of these Alien Races have become his greatest Resources.’

"Unless a True Monarch takes action... then in these Overseas lands, I am invincible!"

Nether Spring looked north, gold and red light swirling in his blood-red eyes. He was just about to urge the Blood Sea onward to find his next target when—

—the empty space before him suddenly rippled.

A point of pure white light bloomed, forming the ethereal image of a Twelve-Grade White Lotus.

Amidst the clear light flowing from the lotus’s heart, a Divine Thought manifestation of Qi Yun’s true self quietly appeared.

"My true self?" Nether Spring’s blood-red eyes narrowed.

Qi Yun’s manifested form stood upon the White Lotus, his gaze sweeping over the vast Blood Sea below. A flicker of emotion passed through his eyes.

"Your Cultivation is progressing quickly."

Nether Spring grinned, his aura chillingly demonic. "All thanks to you."

Qi Yun said no more, merely flicking his finger.

A gentle point of divine light flew out and landed in Nether Spring’s palm, transforming into a lotus seed the size of a pigeon’s egg. It was pure white and seemed to glow with a crystalline luster.

Qi Yun said slowly, "Take this and go to the North Sea Dragon Palace to meet the Dragon Monarch."

Nether Spring raised an eyebrow. "Why am I looking for him?"

"To deliver a message." Qi Yun’s gaze was profound. "Tell him that someone can help him heal the Dao injury within his body, but he must first answer a question."

Nether Spring toyed with the lotus seed, feeling the pure life force within—the complete opposite of his Blood Sea Dao Intent. He asked with great interest,

"What question?"

Qi Yun’s manifested form slowly turned to face the boundless northern ocean.

The sea wind howled, carrying the stench of the Blood Sea.

After a long moment, his voice came, low and clear, each word branding itself upon Nether Spring’s Heart and Spirit:

"Just ask him... if the Ancestral Dragon... has already awakened."

...

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