Chapter 168: Tongtian
Yanwu Great General’s Mansion.
An incredulous voice rang out:
“What did you say? The Demonic Sect Headquarters was wiped out in one fell swoop?”
General Yanwu looked at the middle-aged great general clad in armor before him, revealing such a discomposed expression for the first time.
The middle-aged great general was also shocked in his eyes. After receiving the news, he had rushed over immediately:
“Great General, a few days ago, mysterious intelligence arrived at my hands, detailing numerous pieces of information about the Demonic Sect, including the locations of some secret branches and the deployment of masters.”
“At first, I thought it was a Demonic Sect trap, but the information was so detailed that it didn’t seem fake, so I decided to test it by launching a siege on one of the branches.”
“Unexpectedly, the information was real! The Demonic Sect masters in that branch were caught completely off guard and had no time to react.”
“So I launched an operation overnight, following that information and joining forces with others to surround and suppress them, ultimately capturing several important figures from the Demonic Sect.”
He swallowed several mouthfuls of saliva, the incredulity in his eyes growing even denser.
“After some interrogation, I learned that the Demonic Sect Headquarters was actually in the Myriad Flame Grotto, and most bizarrely, that grotto had been wiped out in one go! This wasn’t just the word of the Demonic Sect masters; I personally went there to investigate, and there were indeed traces of a great battle. What they said was true!”
The middle-aged great general finished in one breath, feeling as if a weight had been lifted off his shoulders.
Originally, he had planned to suppress the news temporarily and report to General Yanwu only after establishing monumental merit.
But he never imagined that while digging, he would uncover that the Demonic Sect Headquarters had been destroyed.
In this situation, it was beyond what he could handle.
In the pavilion, there was a deathly silence.
After a long while.
General Yanwu finally let out a long breath, slowly suppressing the myriad guesses in his heart.
His gaze was profound:
“It seems that the one who gave you the information and the force that destroyed the Demonic Sect Headquarters should come from the same faction.”
“Who could it be?”
He felt an inexplicable unease in his heart.
This matter was truly extraordinary.
The Demonic Sect had entangled with Great Yan for so many years without being exterminated, and one key reason was the secrecy of its headquarters location. But now, it had been silently destroyed by this mysterious force. Such methods and strength truly made him unable to rest or eat in peace. This meant that beneath the lands of Great Yan, there was now an unknown power beyond the control of the Great Yan Dynasty.
The middle-aged great general cautiously said:
“I do have a guess.”
General Yanwu raised an eyebrow, and the middle-aged great general continued:
“Listening Wind Elder, ranked first on the Heavenly Human Ranking! This person has always come and gone without a trace. If there’s anyone in the world who could do it, it would probably be him. If it were someone else passing information to me, I would still be able to detect something.”
General Yanwu immediately shook his head:
“Absolutely impossible, unless… Listening Wind Elder has already stepped into the Martial Saint Realm. The Demonic Sect’s power is no small matter; they have a Martial Saint Secret Treasure, which is not something a Heavenly Human Realm expert can deal with. Destroying the Demonic Sect Headquarters this time likely involved more than one person. Either… there is Martial Saint level power, or a group of Heavenly Human Realm Perfection martial artists!”
“Either way, it cannot be underestimated!”
He let out a long sigh.
“Keep a tight watch on this matter for me. Secretly search for the identity of this mysterious force, but do not show any hostility. Notify me immediately if there’s any news about them!”
The middle-aged great general immediately perked up:
“Yes, Great General!”
General Yanwu pondered for a moment:
“However, this mysterious force crippling the Demonic Sect by making a move can be considered a good thing. At least this stubborn ailment is finally going to be removed. Now that Southern Border stands alone without support, they won’t dare to continue stirring up trouble. The pressure from now on will be less.”
The pressure in his heart had been great because the Great Yan Martial Saint had not given a response. Now, he finally had some decent good news.
The middle-aged great general also nodded in agreement, but then he added:
“But… according to the ravings of several core members of the Demonic Sect, it seems the Demonic Sect still has a Sect Leader outside, and the Saint Pill Method is also with that Demonic Sect Leader.”
General Yanwu narrowed his eyes, then waved his hand:
“No matter. Just keep a close eye. Without the Demonic Sect’s support, one Sect Leader alone can’t cause much trouble. What you need to do next is seize this opportunity to thoroughly nail the Demonic Sect! Lest these sticky candies reignite.”
“Yes, Great General!”
Under the circumstances unknown to the vast majority, dark currents surged within Great Yan.
Although the Demonic Sect’s high-level combat power had suffered heavy casualties, its subordinate branches were deeply rooted and intertwined, integrated into various parts of Great Yan. Cleaning them up would not be easy.
Of course.
Regarding all this, the True Martial Sect knew the truth and also knew exactly who this so-called mysterious force was.
But they pretended not to know and silently cooperated with the Imperial Court’s actions.
…
Seeker’s Courtyard.
Ning Qi was digesting the gains from the Demonic Sect Headquarters this time.
Several items floated before him.
Blood Demon Flower, Tianluo Vine, Xuan Yang Crystal.
They respectively had effects on the Essence Flower, Qi Flower, and Spirit Flower.
If others used them.
It would be like swallowing dates whole.
Limited by the differing medicinal powers of the three, there would be considerable waste. After all, cultivating the Three Flowers emphasizes steady progress together. It’s not necessary for the Three Flowers to progress exactly in sync, but the gap cannot be too large.
However, Ning Qi possessed peerless pill refining techniques, so he naturally wanted to maximize the use of these precious items.
He closed his eyes and adjusted his breathing.
Then he reached out to summon lightning, using heavenly thunder to temper the medicine.
Gang Qi as the catalyst turned into surging flames, stronger than many heaven and earth variant flames.
Every step was pleasing to the eye, as if naturally formed. Beside him, there was only one onlooker, the White Ape. He had begun following Ning Qi to learn the Pill Way from the year before last and had now achieved minor accomplishment. Every time Ning Qi opened the furnace to refine important pills, he would let him watch from the side.
The White Ape’s eyes revealed adoration.
An hour later.
The furnace opened, and the pills were successfully formed.
Ning Qi was relaxed and at ease.
He looked at the twelve pale purple pills in the furnace, satisfaction in his eyes. The exotic fragrance of the pills filled the courtyard. If not for him covering it, it would have wafted outside long ago. Moreover, when the pills were formed just now, anomalies vaguely manifested, with the power of heaven and earth seemingly roaring.
Without a doubt.
This was the highest level pill Ning Qi had ever refined.
“This pill can be called the Heaven-Connecting Pill, intended to clear the path to the Heavenly Human Realm!”
Ning Qi felt some emotion in his heart.
Sometimes, relying on external objects could indeed greatly shorten cultivation time. He wondered, if he had gone down the mountain to gain experience right after his cultivation was initially established, seeking treasures along the way, perhaps his strength now would be even greater.
But he had no regrets.
Going down the mountain carried risks and might lead to falling midway. Staying on the mountain to cultivate in seclusion and enlightenment, advancing steadily, was more in line with his Dao.
He picked up one Heaven-Connecting Pill and examined it closely.
These few spiritual medicines like the Blood Demon Flower were unparalleled in the world and hard to find. Obtaining even one could greatly benefit the Heavenly Human Realm, let alone fusing their essences with Ning Qi’s Pill Way.
The Demonic Sect’s numerous Heavenly Human Realm experts were inextricably linked to the Blood Demon Flower. However, those cultivated with the Blood Demon Flower were basically Heavenly Human Realm experts specializing in the Essence Flower. Ning Qi had discovered in the classics the cultivation method for the Blood Demon Flower, which went against heaven and harmony. This was also one of the reasons Great Yan classified it as belonging to the Demonic Sect.
Casting aside stray thoughts, Ning Qi did not hesitate.
He swallowed one Heaven-Connecting Pill.
In an instant, astonishing medicinal power surged through his limbs and hundreds of bones, gentle and enduring. The Three Flowers trembled, more active than ever before.
Ning Qi immediately circulated his method and began tempering the Three Flowers.
The astonishing efficiency made him intoxicated.
And this was only in the Seeker’s Courtyard. If it were above the High Heavens, the effect would be even greater!
After experiencing it, Ning Qi slowly opened his eyes. He had already estimated the time for him to reach Heavenly Human Perfection.
“One Heaven-Connecting Pill can support ten days of my cultivation. In just three months, I can naturally achieve Three Flowers Perfection!”
Ning Qi was extremely satisfied.
One must know that even with the many methods he created to accelerate cultivation, it was originally estimated to take one or two years to reach Heavenly Human Perfection. But now, this time had been drastically shortened.
“This way, I can still have three Heaven-Connecting Pills left. Based on the medicinal power felt just now, just one is enough to bring an ordinary Heavenly Human Realm to the perfection realm. However, for them to fully digest this medicinal power would take far more than ten days—probably a year.”
“Even so, compared to the long years of bitter cultivation, it is still extremely short.”
This was an unparalleled treasure pill that had never appeared in this world.
If it spread to the Martial World, it would likely instantly stir up a storm of blood and wind.
“Give one to Master, and keep the other two as foundation.”
He was not worried that two would not be enough. After all his senior brothers stepped into the Heavenly Human Realm, he might already be able to refine even more powerful treasure pills. The key was that raw materials were hard to find.
These twelve Heaven-Connecting Pills had already exhausted the Demonic Sect’s foundation accumulated over so many years.
If he wanted to find such unparalleled spiritual medicines again next time, probably only a few forces with foundations not inferior to the Demonic Sect would have them.
…
Time passed on True Martial Mountain.
Everyone was diligently cultivating, waiting for the day to shock the world. After receiving the Heaven-Connecting Pill from Ning Qi, Dragon Mountain Daoist stood stunned for a long time, both gratified and ashamed. In the end, he swallowed it with extremely complex emotions.
The others were all working hard, from the Sect Leader down to the disciples.
The threats from the Demonic Sect and Southern Border had greatly diminished.
The True Martial Sect finally had some peaceful time.
But during this period.
Dark currents had been surging within Great Yan.
The Demonic Sect suffered disaster, and Southern Border was initially unaware. But as the movements in the shadows grew larger, it inevitably affected Southern Border. After discovering they could not contact the Demonic Sect high-level at all, they finally realized with shock that something major had happened to the Demonic Sect!
In an instant.
Southern Border began rapidly contracting all its many operations in Great Yan. There had been some remnants before, but this time, they didn’t dare to leave even a trace.
They were immensely fearful of the mysterious force that destroyed the Demonic Sect.
From the various intelligence obtained, the Demonic Sect was not destroyed by the Imperial Court; they had merely picked up a ready benefit.
They originally wanted to contact Vice Sect Master Lin Xueshuang, who had been responsible for hunting Exotic Beast Inner Cores in the Hundred Thousand Mountains, but they discovered that at some point, Lin Xueshuang had vanished into thin air with many core members of the Lin Clan, their whereabouts unknown.
This naturally made Southern Border even more horrified.
They only felt that an invisible giant hand was pushing everything from behind the scenes.
And Lin Xueshuang had naturally arrived at True Martial Mountain.
After receiving the message from her own daughter, she pondered for several days and finally decided to bring the Lin Clan people here.
“Lin Xueshuang has come to pay respects to the True Person.” The beautiful woman in a flowing skirt looked at Dragon Mountain Daoist, whose aura exceeded her imagination, and felt some astonishment in her heart. According to intelligence, this Dragon Mountain True Person seemed to have stepped into the Heavenly Human Realm only a few years ago, yet his aura was exceptionally powerful.
She secretly praised that this Dragon Mountain True Person was a prodigy, and she approved even more of this son-in-law.
Dragon Mountain Daoist smiled amiably:
“Lin Sect Master need not stand on ceremony. You and I can be considered relatives by marriage. By reason, my unworthy fifth disciple should have come to propose marriage with the three betrothals and six rites. Now that the two of them have privately become husband and wife, please do not blame them, Lin Sect Master.”
Beside them, Jiang Baishan and Lin Ruhua both looked somewhat embarrassed, especially Lin Ruhua, who didn’t dare to look at Lin Xueshuang’s expression.
This matter was indeed acting first and reporting later, forcing Lin Xueshuang to make many concessions.
Lin Xueshuang lightly hummed, but in the end let out a long sigh:
“True Person overstates it. From now on, there will be no Sacred Sect or Demonic Sect in this world. Lin Xueshuang is merely the clan leader of the Lin Clan. In the future, residing in the territory of True Martial Mountain, I must ask the True Person for much care and support.”
The meaning was already very clear: all past matters were turned over, and in the future, she would establish a brand new Lin Clan with no relation to the Demonic Sect.
She glanced at her daughter and son-in-law again, her expression gradually softening:
“As for them, as long as the two harmonize like lute and zither, the rest are minor details.”
She also knew about the previous assassination attempt on the two and approved of Jiang Baishan’s performance. In fact, setting aside the matter of running off with her daughter, Jiang Baishan’s talent was quite exceptional, and he would surely achieve great things in the future. Having such a prodigy as her son-in-law, she naturally had no dissatisfaction.
Especially after learning that her daughter was pregnant, even more so.
The smile on Dragon Mountain Daoist’s face grew even denser.
“Thank you for Lin Clan Leader’s understanding, but rites cannot be abandoned. Since Lin Clan Leader is here now, it is only right to choose an auspicious day to hold a wedding for them.”
Lin Xueshuang also nodded with a smile:
“Naturally, but the situation now is special, so no need for a grand affair. Our two families can just invite some close ones for a small gathering.”
Everyone smiled and looked at Jiang Baishan and Lin Ruhua, full of teasing.
The two grew even more embarrassed and only said softly:
“We’ll follow Master’s（ mother’s） arrangements.”
Lin Xueshuang smiled and shook her head, then added:
“There is one more thing I must apologize to the True Person for. Without the True Person’s permission, I brought a guest up the mountain.”
Dragon Mountain Daoist quickly waved his hand:
“Lin Clan Leader need not be so polite.”
With the indication, Lin Xueshuang looked outside Mingwu Pavilion and said loudly:
“Miss Yiyi, come in.”
Everyone curiously looked over.
They saw a woman wearing a black veil slowly walking in. Although veiled in black gauze, just from her swaying, willow-like figure, it was clear she was undoubtedly a peerless beauty.
