“Since Daoist Friend He is so resolute, we naturally won’t make things difficult for you. Disband the Reliance Sect and leave this place, and we won’t trouble your other disciples. You can rest assured on that point!”
In the sky, among the six powerful cultivators, an old woman slowly spoke. Her eyes were like lightning, fixed on the mountain emitting the unusual phenomenon, paying no attention to the others.
Meng Hao looked up at the sky, He Luohua’s words still echoing in his ears. He understood what it meant for the weak to be prey to the strong. Even a powerful sect master like him was forced to disband his sect.
Chen Fan was silent, as if unable to steady himself, staggering back a few steps. Xu Qing lowered his head.
“With Daoist Friend Tian Mu’s words, I, He, am at ease!”
He Luohua waved his hand, and the Reliance Sect’s formation immediately disappeared. He took a step, bringing Ouyang with him, about to leave.
The people in the sky all focused on He Luohua, none of them agreeing to his departure. Their divine senses frantically searched within the Reliance Sect.
In the main hall, Chen Fan, with a pale face, retreated, approaching the statue of the Reliance Old Ancestor.
But at this moment, an explosion in the sky shook the eight directions. Streaks of lightning descended directly, as if splitting heaven and earth. A cold voice suddenly rang out, startling the cultivators below. Even the powerful cultivators from the Zhao Kingdom changed their expressions.
“No one can leave!”
As soon as this voice sounded, an enormous light screen appeared around the entire Reliance Sect. This light screen was several times larger than the formation, covering a radius of a million li, making it impossible for anyone to leave.
He Luohua’s expression changed. He looked up and saw a large compass, about a hundred zhang in size, appear in the sky. On the compass was a middle-aged beautiful woman in a green robe, wearing a phoenix coronet, looking very noble. Around her were more than ten cultivators, mostly women, all with beautiful appearances, but with arrogant expressions, looking down coldly.
“Azure Luo Sect of the Southern Domain!”
He Luohua was shocked. The powerful cultivators of the Zhao Kingdom all showed ugly expressions; they all recognized this as a powerful sect from the Southern Domain.
“That’s right, no one can leave!”
The space suddenly tore open, accompanied by a long laugh. From within emerged a burly man in armor, carrying a golden greatsword. Behind him were also more than ten people, each with a robust physique, exuding waves of killing intent as soon as they appeared.
“This time the Golden Cold Sect has emerged, and the Dao Protector Zhao Shanling truly has a keen nose!”
The middle-aged beautiful woman on the compass spoke indifferently. As soon as her voice sounded, ripples spread in all directions.
“The women of the Azure Luo Sect are like that, so why can’t the men of my Golden Cold Sect be?”
The burly man Zhao Shanling laughed loudly.
At this moment, a soft sigh suddenly came from a million li outside the light screen. A streak of cold light flashed, arriving in an instant, directly piercing through the light screen. At the damaged spot of the light screen, a flying sword passed through and appeared in the sky.
The sword was blue and ancient in style, carrying a lingering cold aura, causing snowflakes to fly within a million li of the Reliance Sect. Under the astonished gazes of the middle-aged beautiful woman and the burly man Zhao Shanling, everyone clearly saw a middle-aged man on the flying sword.
This man wore a scholar’s long robe, with his hands clasped behind his back. He was alone on the greatsword, but his presence made people feel as if a single sword was traversing the world, unstoppable by anyone.
“One Sword Sect!”
He Luohua's expression changed; he recognized the identity of this man. This was the One Sword Sect, the number one sect in the Southern Domain. This sect had a saying: with just one sword, one sword is enough to shake the heavens.
"So it is Daoist Friend Zhou Yunyan!"
The middle-aged beautiful woman bowed her head low, and even the burly man silently clasped his fists, his expression concealing a hint of apprehension.
Meng Hao watched this scene in the air, his heart trembling. This was the first time he had seen so many powerful cultivators, the first time he had seen so many sects. Especially when the three great sects appeared last, they were the enormous forces of the Southern Domain that Senior Brother Chen Fan had spoken of.
"Southern Domain…"
Meng Hao took a deep breath, while Xu Qing beside him remained very calm, lost in thought.
Inside the main hall, Chen Fan quietly retreated behind the statue of Old Ancestor Kaoshan. His right hand silently rose and rested on a certain spot on the statue, gently pressing it.
With this press, the entrance to Old Ancestor Kaoshan's secluded cultivation chamber was immediately concealed. Due to the special nature of the statue, no one inside or outside the Kaoshan Sect could detect it, not even the three individuals including Zhou Yunyan.
"Old Ancestor, disciple Chen Fan must ensure your peace and safety. No one must disturb the Old Ancestor's secluded cultivation!"
Chen Fan, filled with righteousness, was very loyal to the sect. At this moment, he took a great risk and finally completed his plan. He let out a sigh of relief, his heart no longer filled with regret.
At this moment, beneath the underground palace of the Kaoshan Sect, in the secret chamber, Old Ancestor Kaoshan was smug and excitedly anticipating.
"They will quickly find the entrance to my secluded cultivation chamber. At that time, once they enter and break open my secret chamber, I, the Old Ancestor, will be able to escape!"
Old Ancestor Kaoshan excitedly spoke to himself, when suddenly his expression changed.
"Hey… hey… damn it, you, you… what the hell are you doing!!!"
Old Ancestor Kaoshan looked at Chen Fan's meticulous actions and was instantly stunned, watching helplessly as the entrance to the secluded cultivation chamber silently closed, losing all images, making him unable to believe it.
This arrangement was something he had made years ago as a precaution. He had also instructed that if strong enemies invaded while he was in secluded cultivation, this was what should be done. He had even carefully passed down the method to his descendants, transmitting it to each generation's guardian of the main hall, to prevent outsiders from entering his secluded cultivation chamber.
Once this arrangement was activated, unless a true Spirit Severing cultivator successfully arrived, no one would be able to find Old Ancestor Kaoshan's secluded cultivation chamber. This was a point that Old Ancestor Kaoshan was very proud of back then, believing it to be foolproof.
But no matter what, he never thought that after so many years, he himself had forgotten about this matter, yet someone still remembered it.
"Damn it, I should have left a note back then, saying not to accept people with staunch integrity, not to accept good people. This little bastard, you, you, you…"
Old Ancestor Kaoshan was dumbfounded, muttering to himself, revealing an expression of wanting to cry but having no tears. He thought of that stone tablet also being blocked by this person, and even the plan he had painstakingly devised, which had even made him spit a mouthful of blood, was also ruined by this person. Although the other party truly had good intentions, all for his own sake, this kind of unwavering loyalty to the sect, even to the point of death, made Old Ancestor Kaoshan tremble.
Just as Old Ancestor Kao Shan was on the verge of despair, outside the Kao Shan Sect, Zhou Yan Yun of the Yi Jian Sect calmly descended to the ground. His divine sense immediately spread out, covering the entire Kao Shan Sect. The beautiful woman from the Qing Luo Sect and Zhao Shan Ling, the burly man from the Jin Han Sect, did the same. Their powerful divine senses instantly enveloped the entire Kao Shan Sect, meticulously searching.
The powerful cultivators from the Zhao Kingdom remained silent like cicadas in winter, yet unwillingly, they too released their divine senses to search.
After a long while, Zhou Yan Yun frowned. He clearly detected the aura of the Tai Ling Jing and sensed it within the mountain, but he couldn't pinpoint which disciple of the Kao Shan Sect possessed it, no matter how hard he searched.
Not only him, but the beautiful woman and the burly man also frowned. Without speaking immediately, they descended and began searching themselves.
The powerful cultivators from the Zhao Kingdom, unwilling to be left out, followed suit. In a short time, the Kao Shan Sect was filled with figures, and even Meng Hao and his two companions were forced out. Almost everyone in the main hall was dragged out. As dusk approached, the strange phenomena in the sky gradually dissipated, but no one found any clues.