Dao Court’s Nexus of Power.

In the mysterious space where purple qi rose and the radiance of dawn shone brightly, the figures of the three great leaders, Xuan Yin Emperor, Wei De Emperor, and Qinghuan Emperor, were enshrouded in auspicious light, their features indistinct and shadowy.

Whenever significant events occurred in the Great Void, the three Emperors would convene here to deliberate. Within this space, all known and unknown heavenly secrets and mystic arts would fail to discern even the slightest clue of their proceedings, not even if all the ancient relics and living fossils of Calamity Fate Palace joined forces.

“…The audacity of Shadow Assassination Hall has truly gone too far, brazenly conducting business on Dao Court’s territory. Not satisfied with one setback, they’ve sent that Holy Maiden again to stir up trouble. Do they really take us for deaf and blind fools?”

Wei De Emperor’s voice carried an unmistakable displeasure. Throughout the assembly of immortals, the various Dao Lineage forces had been up to all sorts of mischief, which might deceive others but could never escape the notice of beings such as themselves.

Shadow Assassination Hall’s reputation was already unsavory, and now they had thrown caution to the wind, targeting disciples of Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace right under the noses of Dao Court’s higher-ups. They thought themselves covert, yet they had already incurred the immense dissatisfaction of the Emperors.

It was one thing for these Dao Lineage forces to engage in their usual feuds and schemes, but to fail to show restraint within Dao Court’s domain, especially during the assembly of immortals, was to take this place for granted.

Qinghuan Emperor said with a slight smile, “Shadow Assassination Hall is ignorant of heaven’s will and blind to the grand scheme. Their decline and eventual demise are inevitable. I’m certain that once the Hidden Cave Mystical Realm closes, their leader will have to consider selecting a successor.”

Xuan Yin Emperor inquired indifferently, “Where are they now?”

“Star Peng Plain, fighting for their lives against those feathered beasts!”

Qinghuan Emperor’s smile was radiant, “It’s curious what they’ve done to provoke dozens of Thunder Feather Star Peng tribes into a frenzy, attacking them in unison. Did they perhaps ransack those birds’ nests?”

Wei De Emperor shook his head wordlessly. Given the ferocity of the Thunder Feather Star Peng tribe, it was hard to say how many from Shadow Assassination Hall would escape with their lives.

Especially since they had provoked that individual from Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace, it was all too common for the Holy Maiden to act confused and make blunders under the pressure of terrifying fate. Whether she could complete her mission, let alone survive, was up to the heavens.

Xuan Yin Emperor spoke gravely, “Shadow Assassination Hall is but a minor nuisance; let’s not discuss them further. Regarding that individual from Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace, how confident are you in your identification? If it’s as you say, do we have a chance to win him over? Such an encounter is unprecedented since the birth of Dao Court, and we cannot simply stand by and do nothing.”

Qinghuan Emperor shook her head gracefully, “At present, I’m only about thirty percent certain. But as I’ve said before, the karmic implications are too significant. Dao Court must not get involved for now. As long as that individual from Origin Star Palace is alive, we dare not act rashly, lest we draw His attention.”

The mention of Origin Star Palace silenced the Emperors.

When this place reemerged into the light of day, Dao Court had no involvement. It was the Supreme Dao Lineage forces who joined the fray, reaping many benefits. However, the most precious Harmony Spirit Seed remained unaccounted for, and many powerful figures died in the ensuing conflict.

Now, it was certain that the Harmony Spirit Seed had taken form, but its whereabouts remained a mystery, elusive to divination by heavenly secrets.

With Dao Court’s vast covert forces and intelligence network, over twenty potential targets had been identified, with Qing Muling being one of the more likely candidates.

However, as the moment of truth approached, the three Emperors hesitated. No one knew if the Harmony Spirit Seed bore any special prohibitions or seals. A rash move could provoke that individual to act, posing an unprecedented crisis for Dao Court, one they might not withstand even if they joined forces.

Therefore, Xuan Yin Emperor’s initial plan to summon Qing Muling for a personal inspection was unanimously vetoed by Qinghuan Emperor and Wei De Emperor.

If the inspection proved negative, it would simply mean Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace had gained an exceptional talent. But if Qing Muling was confirmed to be the Harmony Spirit Seed incarnate, Dao Court’s higher-ups would have no room to maneuver.

What to do then? Capture and refine him directly? Imprison and suppress him? Or coerce him into serving Dao Court?

No matter the strategy, they couldn’t avoid dealing with that individual from Origin Star Palace. If they pushed Qing Muling to a desperate corner, risking mutual destruction, it might prematurely awaken that individual, leaving Dao Court in a precarious position.

Without sufficient confidence, the three Emperors were not inclined to openly confront that individual. After all, Dao Court had not participated in the looting of Origin Star Palace, so there was no reason for them to become enemies.

Wei De Emperor finally said, “Let’s handle it this way for now: maintain the status quo. As for the younger generation’s interactions with him, let it happen naturally. If they can befriend him, it might not be a bad thing for Dao Court, and we need not intervene personally.”

Xuan Yin Emperor nodded slightly, glancing at Qinghuan Emperor, “Isn’t your Dragon Ritual Princess about to emerge from seclusion? Since she has some contact with Qing Muling, it would be good to see it develop. If she has the ability to win him over, Dao Court wouldn’t mind offering her a position as an Emperor.”

Qinghuan Emperor smiled, “I’ll give her some guidance. Let’s hope the girl doesn’t disappoint us.”

If the Harmony Spirit Seed truly joined Dao Court, the power and influence of Dao Court would inevitably increase, sweeping through the various Supreme Dao Lineages and powerful families with ease. In the future, the Great Void might indeed hear only the voice of Dao Court.

Qinghuan Emperor continued, “Now, let’s discuss the issue of the Magic Clan calamity…”

…

Star Peng Plain.

The brutal slaughter continued, with tens of thousands of Thunder Feather Star Pengs trapping over two thousand cultivators, relentlessly attacking with no fear of death. Amidst the tumultuous winds and clouds, bolts of lightning illuminated the darkened skies.

The elite assassins of Shadow Assassination Hall were not to be trifled with. Under the command of the elders, they formed battle formations and counterattacked fiercely, unleashing various poisoned magical treasures and insidious divine abilities like a torrential downpour.

With each breath, hundreds of Thunder Feather Star Pengs would scream as they fell, but their desperate attacks, backed by sheer numbers, also inflicted significant casualties on Shadow Assassination Hall.

As the battle of attrition wore on, Shadow Assassination Hall had already lost nearly half of their forces. Not many had died on the spot; most were simply incapacitated due to injuries.

However, if Shadow Assassination Hall couldn’t turn the tide and repel these feathered beasts soon, it was only a matter of time before they were completely wiped out.

The cause of the incident was not complicated. Over four thousand elite assassins, led by Lan Qiyao, had infiltrated deep into Star Peng Plain. Initially, everything went smoothly without alerting any Thunder Feather Star Pengs, even after penetrating millions of miles.

Just as Lan Qiyao thought they would pass through the vast plains without incident, they encountered a large group of frenzied Thunder Feather Star Pengs, who were searching madly for something and attacking indiscriminately. A few assassins were unfortunately caught in the crossfire, revealing their presence.

Then, thousands of Thunder Feather Star Pengs converged on the scene, and countless bolts of lightning covered a radius of over a thousand miles, forcing the hidden team to reveal themselves. Soon after, the entire tribe of Thunder Feather Star Pengs was drawn to the location.

Faced with this sudden turn of events, Lan Qiyao felt helpless and frustrated. Unable to escape, she had no choice but to fight and hope to clear the area quickly.

“…Holy Maiden, something’s not right. We should retreat as soon as possible!” An elder, bloodied from battle, spoke during a momentary lull.

Lan Qiyao pointed with her hand, and her flying sword split into tens of thousands of cold sword lights, effortlessly dismembering several Thunder Feather Star Pengs that lunged at her.

She sighed softly, “I would if I could, but where can we retreat to?”

Trapped by these feathered beasts, there was no chance of escape unless they were all dead.

“We’re not far from the heart of Star Peng Plain. Why don’t we just break through? Leave some disciples behind to hold them off!” The elder suggested through gritted teeth.

This was the most viable strategy at the moment. Without a decisive move, they might all perish here.

After a moment’s consideration, Lan Qiyao finally nodded, “Alright, I’ll leave half of our people with you to hold them off, and I’ll lead the rest to break through.”

Elder: “…”

Whether he liked it or not, the decision was made. Over a thousand elite assassins, along with all the injured, were left behind, while Lan Qiyao led a thousand elites to break through the encirclement and escape.

As for how many would survive upon reaching their destination, no one had any certainty.

…

Within the palace ruins.

The numerous disciples of Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace proceeded cautiously along the jade stone path, pausing every three to five hundred steps. Qing Muling would sense the safe route, and after divining the fortunes and misfortunes with heavenly secrets to ensure absolute safety, they would continue deeper.

The cultivators of Demon Path Ancestral Court were still nowhere to be seen. They had taken the wrong path halfway and were now caught in a formation, battling a large group of golden-armored puppets.

As they ventured deeper, the misty spiritual energy became increasingly dense. Although they had not encountered any significant threats, the pressure in the surrounding space grew, and some of the sisters began to experience an inexplicable draining of their mana.

“…If I’m not mistaken, does the space here seem to be flowing? And there are random spatial ripples appearing. If one carelessly enters them, they might be sent to an unknown area, with unpredictable life or death outcomes?”

Qing Muling spoke to Fengxia beside him, while mentally noting the patterns of spatial law changes.

“You can’t hide anything from you,”

Fengxia blinked her bright, starry eyes, her voice soft, “If you’re willing to follow my guidance, in no more than a quarter of an hour, you’ll reach the scripture repository of the Dao Ancestor. There should still be many lost Daoist scriptures and secret manuals inside, all of which would be useful to you.”

“Heh…”

Qi Yalan let out a soft, cold laugh. She couldn’t stand the sight of this suddenly appearing phoenix, who clung to Junior Brother with an innocent, white lotus facade. Who was she trying to fool?

“Perhaps we don’t need your help. My own pathfinding skills are not too shabby.”

Qing Muling said calmly. With the lives and safety of nearly two thousand fellow disciples at stake, he dared not take any risks. If something went wrong, there was nowhere to buy regret medicine.

Fengxia sighed softly, saying no more. She understood that this beautiful young man still harbored wariness towards her. Especially the women around him, each looked at her with guarded and hostile eyes, as if afraid she would abduct him.

However, even as a newcomer, the path Qing Muling deduced was essentially safe, which secretly astonished Fengxia. Without a terrifying fate and profound ability to divine heavenly secrets, achieving such an incredible feat would be unthinkable.

Perhaps her choice was correct. If she could gain his trust, she might change her own fate, which was doomed to end?

“The next spatial ripple will appear about three hundred and fifty steps ahead, lasting for about two hundred breaths, long enough for all of us to pass through. The destination is a safe courtyard.”

Qing Muling put away his jade talisman and turtle shell, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. Such divination was extremely taxing, and even with his foundation and talent, it was overwhelming. The replenishment from the Harmony Spirit Seed’s essence was also struggling to keep up.

But this task could only be done by him. If someone else took charge and made a mistake, the consequences would be unbearable for anyone.

Xuebing Xuan looked at him with concern, taking out a pill from her storage bracelet that shimmered with flowing light and had three faintly glowing halos on its surface. Qing Muling didn’t stand on ceremony, swallowing it immediately. The vast and profound vital energy instantly replenished his depleted spirit.

Soon, a spatial ripple appeared before the women, resembling an oversized soap bubble with a constantly shifting and blurry surface, large enough to accommodate hundreds of people at once.

“I’ll go first!”

Yu Lingzhou said, randomly selecting hundreds of disciples to accompany her. Despite the previous successful attempts proving Qing Muling’s accuracy, they remained cautious.

Then Yueyi Heavenly Lord led another group through, and it was only on the third attempt that Qing Muling, protected by Ice Falcon Heavenly Lord and Qi Yalan, and other women, entered the spatial ripple. Amidst the flickering light, hundreds of figures vanished.

When their vision returned to normal, Qi Yalan found herself in a spacious courtyard, surrounded by hundreds of fellow disciples. Junior Brother was already taking out his jade talisman and turtle shell, continuing his calculations.

More disciples were still being transported through the spatial ripple.

After two hundred breaths, when everyone had arrived without a single person missing, the giant bubble flickered and vanished like a dream, leaving no trace of its existence.

“It’s a bit unfortunate,”

Qing Muling said, “By the next transport, we’re very likely to encounter the people from Demon Path Ancestral Court, and a fight will be unavoidable.”

Yu Lingzhou was unconcerned, “What does it matter? With the advantage of surprise against the unsuspecting, we’ll just annihilate them!”

The women had no objections to this. There was no room for mercy in such matters. Even if they didn’t act, would the other side spare them?

“Then we must complete the transport quickly, set up an ambush, and strike before they can react!”

After a brief calculation, Qing Muling made up his mind. The other side had just been through a tough battle, and facing the well-prepared disciples of Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace, they were bound to be caught off guard.

Under his lead, the women left the courtyard and followed the palace road, moving forward. The starry sky above remained unchanged, the surroundings vast and desolate. In the distance, the jade buildings and pavilions stretched endlessly, shrouded in dazzling light and auspicious qi.

After traveling two miles, another spatial ripple appeared.

Yu Lingzhou was the first to lead a group through to scout, and only after the defensive formations on the other side were set up did Qing Muling proceed with the sisters.

This time, the destination was an open square, and about three hundred yards away was another flickering spatial ripple.

Upon arrival, Qing Muling wasted no words and entered the core of the formation. The surrounding sisters silently joined him, quickly completing and reinforcing the grand formation. As fellow disciples from the same sect, practicing the same techniques and divine abilities, joining forces to form a formation against enemies was routine.

Dozens of breaths later, there was finally movement from the spatial ripple.

As a burst of light shone, nearly two hundred figures emerged from the spatial ripple, men and women, young and old, some still bearing injuries.

After successive battles, the number of Demon Path Ancestral Court disciples who had initially entered had already decreased by more than thirty percent.

“Perfect opportunity!”

Yu Lingzhou raised her hand, and the sky changed as a giant golden palm, covering a hundred acres, formed in an instant, striking down with the force of thunder and wind.

Amidst the continuous screams and the angry roars filled with shock and fear, “Who dares to harm my Demon Path Ancestral Court disciples?”

No one answered them. The hastily summoned protective treasures could not withstand the sudden attack. Nearly two thousand sisters from Cloud Dream Heavenly Palace joined forces, unleashing countless bolts of lightning, fire clouds, and giant falling trees, completely engulfing the opposing cultivators.

When the aftermath cleared, only a large area of charred and shattered corpses remained, with fragments of magical treasures scattered everywhere, almost unrecognizable.

The group from Demon Path Ancestral Court that had struggled to infiltrate was wiped out without gaining anything substantial, perishing within the palace ruins.

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The errors have been corrected.