"It vanished?"
Zhang Bairen’s gaze fell upon the surging, churning, yet utterly empty sea, and an exclamation of shock broke from his lips.
As one of the four hall masters of the Four Imperials Halls of the Tiannan Dao Palace, he knew all too well what had been sealed within God Burial Valley.
He had envisioned the ghost god awakening, and he had envisioned the seal being broken, but never had he imagined it would simply vanish into thin air, leaving behind barely a trace of residual aura.
The other four bore similar expressions.
To resolve the hidden menace of God Burial Valley, while the Tiannan Dao Palace had not mobilized its entire force, the majority of its supreme combat strength had arrived.
Abbot Zhan Bingtao, accompanied by all four hall masters.
Hui Yuanhong of the Hall of Stars snorted coldly. "In such a short time, I don’t believe it could have fled far!"
As he spoke, his majestic divine sense flooded outward, continuously expanding across a radius of thousands of li.
Yet as he searched, his expression gradually shifted to one of startled bewilderment.
"Hall Master Hui, there is no need to waste your effort. They have long since vanished without a trace."
Zhan Bingtao took a step forward, standing atop a shattered cliff to gaze down at the utterly devastated ruins below.
His eyes narrowed slightly, a grave look spreading across his face.
"They?"
Among the five, Hall Master Long Ting of the Hall of Longevity was the most skilled in formations. Looking appalled, he blurted out, "The Kui Ox Ghost God did not break free on its own! Someone destroyed the seal here, allowing it to escape the suppression left behind by the Sword Monarch!"
At those words, everyone’s expression changed.
Zhan Bingtao nodded slightly. "Junior Brother Long Ting is correct. The Kui Ox Ghost God indeed received outside assistance."
"Who could it be?" A melodious voice sounded from the sole woman among the five, her eyes filled with perplexity.
Zhan Bingtao waved his hand. "This person moved too quickly. Striking without warning, they shattered all nine seals in one fell swoop, leaving us no time to react. One can easily imagine that someone with such capability is no simple figure. We cannot catch them now, but we can search for the traces left behind to see if we can deduce who was responsible."
The others voiced their agreement and took flight in different directions, searching for lingering traces across the vast expanse of God Burial Valley.
Regrettably, when the Kui ox broke free, the commotion was so immense that the surging waves had thoroughly ploughed over nearly all of God Burial Valley, submerging more than half of it into the boundless Eastern Sea.
However, Hui Yuanhong, who was likewise a late-stage grand cultivator, used his secret art to detect a sinister, soft strand of magic power aura that seemed utterly out of place.
Yet one glance at that soft, yin magic power revealed it also belonged to the nature of yin souls and ghostly entities.
Once everyone reconvened, he shared this discovery.
Zhang Bairen could not help but speculate, "Could it be ghost cultivators from elsewhere who came here to rescue the Kui Ox Ghost God?"
Long Ting was puzzled. "That makes no sense. If they freed it, why would they simply depart? With the strength of that Kui Ox Ghost God, it could imperil the entire Tiannan Continent. So long as the Ancestor does not intervene, there is nothing we could do against a freed Rank Five ghost god."
Zhan Bingtao looked toward the green-robed woman, who seemed somewhat distracted.
"Junior Sister Qinglan, did you find anything?"
Fu Qinglan subconsciously shook her head. "Like Senior Brothers Zhang and Long, I found nothing."
Zhan Bingtao grunted in acknowledgment and began discussing the wisp of yin magic power Hui Yuanhong had discovered with the group.
It indeed belonged to the ghost cultivator path.
Yet the fundamental nature of this magic power was not particularly strong; by reason, its master should not be very powerful either, lacking the strength to destroy nine seals at once.
Furthermore, it was exceedingly strange that the Kui Ox Ghost God had not vented its fury upon the Tiannan Continent after breaking free.
After a round of discussion, they still had no clue.
Instead, Long Ting, who was versed in formations, relaxed considerably after his initial shock passed.
"In truth, this may also be a good thing. The seal on this ghost god was never entirely stable, and Ancestor Liancheng could not spare the effort to thoroughly obliterate it, leaving us to reinforce it periodically. Yet it is, after all, a Rank Five ghost god rivaling a Deity Transformation almighty. So long as it was not eliminated, it hung like a suspended blade over the entire Tiannan Continent. Strange though its departure may be, at least one lingering danger has been removed."
Zhan Bingtao nodded. "Junior Brother has a point, but..."
His tone suddenly shifted, a ruthless look surfacing on his face.
"But this is the Tiannan Continent! This is the territory of our Dao Sect!
"Once upon a time, which cultivator under heaven did not revere and fear us?
"When did this place become a land where external experts could come and go as they please?
"The Libei Continent suffers incursions from sea demons, and now stealthy ghost cultivators sneak into Tiannan! Does this mean that in the future, every evil heretic will dare to come burn, kill, and plunder in our Tianyuan Dao Sect?"
Accompanying his fierce words was a towering aura unleashed from his body, which directly suppressed the surrounding waters so thoroughly that not a single wave could rise.
After venting this speech, Zhan Bingtao’s fury seemed to dissipate somewhat.
He exhaled a breath of turbid air. "Junior Brother Long Ting, lead our men to sweep the surrounding area once more, then erect formations to prevent low-tier ghost cultivators from making a resurgence here."
"Understood!" Long Ting agreed without hesitation, indignation showing on his face as well.
"Junior Brother Zhang, go to the Lanke Mountain Range on the Dongyuan Continent and report the events here in detail to Ancestor Liancheng. Additionally, ask the Ancestor how to handle the Fallen Dragon Abyss guarded by my Zhan clan."
Zhang Bairen nodded and immediately took flight, departing in an escape light.
"Hall Master Hui, return to the Dao Palace. You are authorized to mobilize the personnel of four courts under the Seven Stars Academy to conduct a sweeping inspection across the entire Tiannan Continent. Be certain to ferret out those trying to fish in troubled waters."
This was an arduous task, and Hui Yuanhong’s first instinct was to decline.
Yet under Zhan Bingtao’s overbearing aura, he ultimately did not dare meet his gaze, and accepted the assignment.
"Senior Brother, what about me?" Fu Qinglan asked proactively.
The harshness on Zhan Bingtao’s face softened slightly, replaced by warmth. "Junior Sister, accompany me back to the Dao Palace! You have already comprehended the true meaning of nomological power and are a future seed for Deity Transformation. The Dao Palace sits upon a Rank Five spirit vein that can effectively aid your cultivation. How could we let such trivial matters delay your progress?"
Long Ting and Hui Yuanhong cast glances over at her.
The former was envious, while the latter was jealous.
Fu Qinglan seemed oblivious to their looks and nodded gently.
Before departing the ruins of God Burial Valley, she subconsciously glanced back at the scenery behind her. Concealed within her voluminous sleeve, her slender hand held a broken formation flag.
Though the flag was damaged, the craftsmanship used to refine it was exquisite beyond measure.
In particular, certain refining techniques upon it gave her a feeling of familiarity.
Years ago in the Mirage Dragon Grotto-Heaven, someone had used similar formation flags to lay down a grand array and protect her.
*Was it you who came here?*
Fu Qinglan murmured to herself, her eyes carrying a hint of bewilderment and curiosity.
...
"Congratulations, Master, on capturing a Rank Five ghost god!"
Inside the shuttle, Xiao Bai looked at Luo Chen with eyes full of admiration.
Luo Chen, however, shook his head. "Only captured. To truly subdue and tame it will still take considerable effort."
Xiao Bai asked curiously, "Master captured it so easily, wouldn't subduing it be even simpler?"
"Easily?"
The corners of Luo Chen’s lips curled, though he did not explain much.
To an outsider, capturing the Kui Ox Ghost God might seem almost effortless, but the methods he had employed were anything but meager.
From the moment he noticed the Kui Ox Ghost God’s intent to break the seal, he had begun making preparations.
Every time he obliterated one of the high-tier ghosts containing a wisp of the Kui ox’s soul, he had secretly planted restrictions within it.
Even the top-grade Soul Stone used as bait bore his soul imprint.
After breaking the seals, he used Bai Meiling as a decoy in front, while secretly condensing his Origin Soul high above the nine firmaments, expending a massive amount of magic power to push the Hunyuan Cauldron to its absolute limit.
Finally, aided by the Mortal Affinity Fairy Realm and his Crimson Golden Eyes, he executed Mirror Flower Water Moon.
Together with the restrictions and soul imprints, striking from both inside and outside, he completely threw the newly unsealed Kui ox’s mind into turmoil.
Moreover, the Hunyuan Cauldron itself possessed the wondrous ability to capture a cultivator’s Golden Core or Nascent Soul.
Only through all of these measures combined could he have succeeded in a single stroke!
Of course, for all that meticulous planning, Luo Chen’s harvest was immense.
With a Rank Five ghost god in hand, once refined into the Soul Refining Banner, the Million Fiend Soul Banner would truly live up to its name.
Such a supreme soul treasure was a devastating weapon rivaling a spirit treasure.
If utilized well, it could easily cause significant trouble even for a Deity Transformation almighty.
Xiao Bai had no idea what Luo Chen was contemplating. She piloted the Frost Eagle Shuttle with spirit stones, steering with little sense of purpose.
"Master, where are we heading now?"
Luo Chen glanced outside to check their heading.
Earlier, when he used Fire Escape Art to flee with Bai Meiling, he had already put great distance between them and the Tiannan Continent. The Frost Eagle Shuttle was exceptionally swift, and without realizing it, they had traveled from south to north, drawing near what had once been the heart of the Central Plains.
"Further ahead is... Heaven and Earth Peak."
Luo Chen pursed his lips, a look of reminiscence flickering in his eyes.
"You’ve worked hard earlier. I’ll take over the shuttle now!"
Luo Chen took control of the shuttle, piloting the flying craft toward the former heartland of the Central Plains.
He was not particularly worried about running into mishaps.
It was said that after the Star Gate was seized by Monarch Qixia and Heaven and Earth Peak was snapped into two halves, that place had become an inhospitable expanse where living beings could scarcely enter.
Even the sole surviving Deity Transformation ancestor of the Tianyuan Dao Sect cultivated only in the Lanke Mountain Range on the Dongyuan Continent.
He was merely revisiting a familiar haunt, so nothing untoward should occur.
Yet three days later, the Frost Eagle Shuttle came to a halt ten thousand li away from that shattered continent.
As far as the eye could see, the majestic, towering peak connecting heaven and earth was no more. In its place remained only a flat mountainside resembling a stretch of land, and a severed celestial pillar.
The Shi River, which once surged inexorably toward the Eastern Sea, was now shrouded in endless, desolate, thick mists.
And what truly brought Luo Chen to a halt were those very mists.
A vast expanse of white, dreamlike and ethereal.
Luo Chen was intimately familiar with this mist.
It was not born of Heaven and Earth Peak, but was the clouds and mist from the Mirage Dragon Grotto-Heaven of old.
"That is a grotto-heaven formed after the death of one of the Mountain Sea Realm’s supreme great desolate beasts. Who opened it?
"Could it be Ancestor Liancheng?"
Luo Chen hesitated for a moment, but ultimately chose to leave quietly.
Now was not the time to confront that person.
Not long after he departed, a figure walked out from the dense fog.
Draped in a dark-yellow cloak and crowned with a tall headdress, his face appeared remarkably youthful, yet his demeanor radiated the dignified, commanding presence of a supreme ruler.
"By using the sect’s secret arts, I have finally opened a breach in the Mirage Dragon Grotto-Heaven and sent the Lanke Chessboard inside. Relying on the grotto-heaven's differing flow of time, I can accelerate the recovery of its artifact spirit.
"Next..."
The majestic young man looked up toward the fractured celestial pillar.
"Using the power of Earth Origin, I shall restore Heaven and Earth Peak!"
...
"Master, you reached Heaven and Earth Peak but didn’t go in. Where are we going next?"
"Why do you ask that every chance you get?"
"Because Xiao Bai hasn’t traveled much! Unlike Master, who journeys across the five continents and four seas, leaving footprints throughout the realm, I naturally have to ask you about everything."
"Haha, then we shall go to a place of absolute safety!"
Xiao Bai was filled with curiosity. Where could be absolutely safe?
Luo Chen smiled without answering.
The Frost Eagle Shuttle abruptly veered, heading straight west.
A long while later, the shuttle halted over a patch of sea dotted with reefs and churning with turbid waves.
Had any Dao Sect cultivator been here, they would have recognized this domain at a glance.
It was none other than the West Continent that had fractured off from the Central Plains!
Only, after the Yellow Springs Sea swept across it in the past, no vast landmass remained here—only fragmented reefs and endless, murky waters.
The shuttle circled briefly before vanishing, replaced by two figures standing in midair.
Neither figure lingered; they shot straight into the heavens, vanishing beyond the nine firmaments.
Ascending ten thousand li of heaven, tearing through biting astral winds!
Borne upward by magic power, after merely a few fleeting moments, stars appeared twinkling and shedding faint light, seemingly right before their eyes.
Gazing into the dark, boundless cosmic void, Xiao Bai was suddenly struck by an overwhelming sense of insignificance.
Subconsciously, she tightened her grip on Luo Chen’s sleeve.
"Master, where is this?"
"The Azure Empyrean!"
Luo Chen gave a soft laugh. With a wave of his hand, the Hunyuan Cauldron manifested before him.
The instant the cauldron appeared, dull thuds echoed from within, as though a trapped beast were furiously slamming against its walls in a desperate bid for freedom.
Luo Chen paid it little heed and merely opened his mouth to exhale.
*Whoosh!*
A wisp of golden flame drifted out, thoroughly enveloping the Hunyuan Cauldron.
Instantly, miserable, agonizing shrieks rang out from inside the cauldron.
Using the Nirvana Holy Fire to refine a Rank Five ghost god was an exact match.
"Xiao Bai, watch the Hunyuan Cauldron for me. If the flame weakens even slightly, let me know. Take these soul stones and refine them to strengthen your soul foundation."
Xiao Bai’s eyes lit up, and she hurried to cup the handful of translucent gravel Luo Chen handed over.
Though incomparable to that top-grade Soul Stone earlier, these gravel-like small soul stones were easier to refine and better suited to her.
"Xiao Bai will definitely keep a close eye on the Hunyuan Cauldron!"
Luo Chen smiled, took a deep breath, and sat down cross-legged.
After contemplating the void for a moment, he retrieved the blood sword, Yuantu, nurtured within the acupoint of his left arm.
This time, showing no hesitation, he spat out a mouthful of blood and smeared it across the blade of the Yuantu Sword.
The blade immediately resonated with a metallic chime, as if in response!
"If you wish to become a spirit treasure, then submit to me completely!"
Murmuring under his breath, Luo Chen inhaled. The Yuantu Sword shrank down and was swallowed directly into his mouth, passing straight into his purple palace.
The purple palace was the most ideal place for a cultivator to nurture magic treasures and True Artifacts!
It was closest to the Nascent Soul and held the purest magic power, providing continuous nourishment without end.
Years ago, fearing the Yuantu Sword might harm his Nascent Soul, Luo Chen had not dared nurture it directly, settling instead on finding a dwelling for it within his arm.
This time, however, he had no such misgivings.
The moment the sword entered the purple palace, an overwhelmingly bloody aura erupted.
Before the sword spirit could run rampant, a tiny Nascent Soul figure reached out nonchalantly and seized it.
Its other hand summoned a wisp of green flame, enveloping the Yuantu Sword.
"Behave!"
The miniature Nascent Soul uttered a decree, and the Yuantu Sword promptly quieted down.
Seeing this, Luo Chen felt a weight lift from his mind. With his current strength, he could truly suppress this sword.
With that resolved, he could free his hands to continue refining the Nine Firmaments Qi.
"Of the two hundred strands, quite a few remain—enough for me to take the *Myriad Firmaments Myriad Transformations Sword Scripture* a step further.
"Yet this is still not enough!
"This Azure Empyrean is the true treasure ground where Nine Firmaments Qi can be drawn without end."
Murmuring to himself, Luo Chen pinched sword seals with both hands. Strands of fiercely potent Nine Firmaments Qi flew out from his storage ring, swirling about his body.
The Daoist sat cross-legged in the Azure Empyrean, as if entering absolute stillness.
The Nine Firmaments Qi drifted into his mouth and streamed out from his nostrils. The acupoints across his body unfolded like twinkling stars, faintly resonating in harmony with the cosmos.
Chapter 1027