Mountains collapsed, and rivers altered their courses.
Across the land lay a desolate expanse of broken walls and crumbling ruins. Amid the wreckage, a single stone pillar thrust abruptly into the sky, its intricate and exquisite carvings silently telling the tale of the past glory that once graced this land.
Three figures swept across the sky.
They were three cultivators clad in identical standard disciple robes, their cultivation mere Foundation Establishment.
Yet the black steeds beneath them radiated an unruly, fierce aura that marked them as creatures not to be trifled with.
The trio seemed long accustomed to the sights below and did not pause for an instant.
Before long, they rode their black mounts outside a towering mountain peak.
Faintly visible among the mountain ranges were buildings of varying heights scattered across the slopes, surrounded by dense, rich spiritual energy.
Seeing this, the leader of the trio let out a cold snort.
"A minor sect relocated from some backwater corner, yet they presume to occupy such a prime spiritual vein of our Five Elements Domain. I truly have no idea what the elders above were thinking."
The companions beside him chimed in with agreement.
However, amid the consensus, a different opinion arose.
"Though a fallen minor sect, it still has its merits. That War Demon Wang Yuan, Great Elder of the Luotian Sect, possesses truly extraordinary body refinement!"
"Indeed! I heard that during the demon chaos in the Eastern Desolation back then, twenty-seven renowned great sects were stationed on the frontlines. When the war broke out, aside from Nascent Soul superior sects like our Five Elements Divine Sect, most were buried in the initial beast wave. Only a handful of Golden Core sects managed to break out. This Luotian Sect was one of them, and War Demon Wang Yuan was the primary contributor who preserved the sect! It is said that the battle shattered the heavens and tore the earth asunder, halting rivers in their tracks. Amid that mountain of corpses and sea of blood, who knows how many profound experts perished..."
Listening to his juniors recount past events, Ran Feng, a cultivator in the late Foundation Establishment stage, narrowed his eyes slightly.
War Demon Wang Yuan was indeed a remarkable figure.
Even the elders of his own sect spoke of him with respect.
Yet in the Luotian Sect, he was the only one who amounted to anything.
The rest were not worth fearing!
"Let's enter the mountains. Once we deliver the order, our mission will be complete."
With that, he urged his black steed forward, charging directly toward the Luotian Sect.
The sentry disciples of the Luotian Sect had already spotted the trio's abrupt arrival.
Seeing them advance, a disciple rushed forward to meet them.
"Halt and dismount! Please state your name and business..."
Before he could finish, Ran Feng casually tossed out a token and dashed straight into the mountains, paying no heed to the guard's reaction.
"They are from the Five Elements Divine Sect!"
"Those are Wind-Hissing Beasts! The one leading them is Ran Feng, renowned among the Five Elements Divine Sect's Foundation Establishment disciples!"
The Luotian Sect disciples' expressions shifted slightly, and they hurriedly gave chase.
Even as members of a Nascent Soul superior sect, they had no right to be so insolent!
Seven or eight disciples hurried as fast as they could, finally coming to a halt on a mountain path halfway up the peak.
Someone had blocked the trio's path.
It was a burly, middle-aged man with metallic wings spread across his back, brandishing a massive broadsword.
A long, deep fissure lay across the ground between the two sides, gaping like a natural chasm.
*Thump!*
The broadsword planted firmly into the ground, and the burly man spoke with a face full of baleful malice: "This is the Luotian Sect! It is not a place for you to run wild. Even if Master Linmu of your esteemed sect were to arrive in person, he would observe proper courtesy. You lot are far too presumptuous."
Ran Feng pulled back his disdainful expression, looking at the man with a slightly solemn gaze.
"Who are you?"
The burly middle-aged man said coldly, "I am one who never changes his name under the heavens—Zeng Yilong!"
At the mention of this name, Ran Feng's brow furrowed. There was no such person in his memory!
Yet having forced back their three Wind-Hissing Beasts and intercepted them with an overwhelming burst of vigor, he could by no means be an unknown entity.
A junior brother behind Ran Feng, who traveled extensively and was well acquainted with prominent figures of the cultivation world, promptly whispered an explanation for his senior brother who rarely ventured out: "His Daoist moniker is Shalongzi. He is the sole direct disciple of War Demon Wang Yuan, possessing immense strength, and is hailed as the number one beneath the Golden Core in the Luotian Sect."
At the title Shalongzi, Ran Feng raised an eyebrow.
"Oh, so you are that battle maniac Senior Sister Qi always talks about!"
"Fellow Daoist Qi?" Hearing a familiar name, Zeng Yilong's expression relaxed slightly, and he nodded. "If there is no misunderstanding, then she must be speaking of me."
"I heard that during the battle at the border city, you coordinated with Senior Sister Qi to slay a Tier 3 Fire-Eyed Ferocious Bull King, thereby cementing her status as one of our sect's Nine Dao Seeds. Seeing you today, you do indeed have a certain flair..."
Through this exchange, the tension between the two sides eased somewhat.
Zeng Yilong cast a subtle glance at the Luotian Sect disciples who had rushed over. Catching his meaning, they skirted around both parties and hurried toward the sect's core grounds.
Only the two groups remained, conversing in an unusual atmosphere.
Before long, Zeng Yilong's expression shifted slightly, and he stepped aside to clear the path.
"Please. Our Sect Master is awaiting you!"
Ran Feng nodded, taking a deliberate look at Zeng Yilong before moving forward.
He knew of the figure named Shalongzi, but had not realized the man hailed from the Luotian Sect.
It seemed this Luotian Sect was not entirely without merit after all!
Dismounting from his Wind-Hissing Beast, Ran Feng walked forward at an unhurried pace, setting aside his previous contempt.
His gaze swept across the surrounding environment from time to time.
*This formation... has some merits. Although it cannot compare to our Divine Sect's great formation, had I charged in heedlessly just now, I would have been stripped of a layer of skin even if I didn't die.*
*Is that back mountain where the Luotian Sect's experts enter seclusion?*
*Even with my divine sense, I feel a sense of oppression from such a distance... No wonder the sect elders warned me never to underestimate the people under heaven. These cultivators who fought their way out of the Eastern Desolation's demon chaos are indeed not to be compared to those sect brothers of mine who only know how to brag.*
Amid the churning thoughts in his heart, Ran Feng felt a few degrees more respect for this small sect relocated from a remote region, yet his eyes carried an even stronger hint of pity.
Once he delivered the orders from above, it likely would not be long before this Luotian Sect met its downfall.
Before long, he caught sight of a graceful woman's silhouette standing before a pristine new hall.
Upon seeing Ran Feng, the woman bowed courteously.
"Luotian Sect Master Yao Mingyue respectfully greets the Divine Sect's honored emissary."
Compared to the forceful Shalongzi, this Luotian Sect Master's attitude was far more humble.
Having experienced the earlier encounter, Ran Feng did not push his advantage.
He accepted the token he had earlier thrown out to prove his identity from her hands.
"I am Ran Feng, disciple of Master Yanyun of Divine Fire Peak, and granddisciple of True Person Shenhuo!"
*Divine Fire Peak?*
Hearing his background, Yao Mingyue's heart skipped a beat.
Within the Five Elements Divine Sect, Famous Sword Peak and Supreme Wood Peak were the most friendly toward them, and it was Famous Sword Peak that had decided to grant them this foothold in the first place.
The most hostile faction was undoubtedly Divine Fire Peak.
Usually, it was disciples from Famous Sword Peak or Supreme Wood Peak who maintained contact with them.
This time, the messenger had been swapped for someone from Divine Fire Peak. Could something be amiss?
***
Inside a cave dwelling in the back mountain.
Yao Mingyue stood respectfully before a red-robed woman who looked even younger than herself.
"Master, that was the message from the Five Elements Divine Sect."
The red-robed woman turned around, her expression grave.
"They want our Luotian Sect to lead the vanguard, allying with seven Golden Core sects to retake the Sanzu River?"
Yao Mingyue bit her lip. "The Sanzu River is entrenched with large numbers of Tier 2 demon beasts, and there are even more than a dozen Tier 3 demon kings. Most importantly, several fallen immortal cities lie nearby. Once battle begins and the demon kings stationed within those cities pour out en masse, we will be flanked on both sides. It is practically a suicide mission!"
Indeed!
The current cultivation world of the Eastern Desolation was no longer in the era of outward expansion.
Countless demon beasts had surged from the Million Mountains, launching ceaseless assaults upon human territories.
Over the past several decades, more than a dozen great domains had fallen.
Even when the sacred ground Mingyuan Sect stepped forward to organize cultivators and temporarily reclaimed a few great domains, what welcomed them was merely an even more ferocious beast tide the next time.
Rumors had it that even battles between Nascent Soul cultivators had erupted multiple times.
The red-robed woman fell silent.
After a long while, she asked softly, "Were you able to find out whether this was the Five Elements Divine Sect's intention, or a decree from the sacred ground?"
Yao Mingyue hesitated. "The sacred ground's decrees have always been broad directives; the specific deployments of personnel are left to Nascent Soul superior sects like the Five Elements Divine Sect. This time, although Ran Feng claimed it was an arrangement from the sacred ground, as this disciple sees it..."
She did not finish her sentence.
Yet the implication was abundantly clear.
The red-robed woman sighed. "It seems factions within the Divine Sect can no longer tolerate us occupying this premium Tier 3 spiritual vein."
Shaking her head, she inquired about another matter.
"Has there been any word from Lingjun over at Fenghua Palace?"
Hearing that name, Yao Mingyue fell silent.
Qu Lingjun, the Luotian Sect's Chief Alchemist, had entered Fenghua Palace, and from then on, all word of him ceased.
What happened to relying on his alchemy to secure a foothold in Fenghua Palace, and then securing a territory in the rear of the Eastern Desolation cultivation world for the Luotian Sect to rest and recuperate?
After a long pause, she finally could not help but speak: "Master, I'm afraid Qu Lingjun has already forgotten..."
"Silence!"
The red-robed woman's expression turned stern!
"He is your senior brother! He is the Supreme Elder's disciple! How can you make reckless assumptions about him!"
Yao Mingyue lowered her head, yet a hint of resentment still lingered in her eyes.
Over these past several decades, the Luotian Sect had teetered on the brink of ruin. It was only through everyone working in concert that they had escaped death and kept the sect intact.
There was no need to speak of those guest elders and temporarily recruited itinerant cultivators—it was commonplace for them to flee at critical junctures.
Yet Qu Lingjun's departure, in the eyes of sect members who did not know the full truth, had been the heaviest blow.
She herself had forsaken her own cultivation, pouring all her energy into handling mundane chores and interpersonal relations, ensuring that the Luotian Sect would not be ostracized by the native factions of the Five Elements Divine Sect.
Who could comprehend the hardship and sacrifice involved in all this?
Why should she be expected to respect a Qu Lingjun who had not sent a single letter in twenty years!
"*Sigh*... Mingyue, you may step down for now. As for the campaign at the Sanzu River, I will naturally discuss it with the elders. When the time comes, the rear will still depend on you to oversee the grand situation."
Yao Mingyue uttered an affirmative.
Before departing, she raised her head tentatively, looking toward the red-robed woman with anticipation.
"Master, when will you be able to form your core?"
The red-robed woman spoke with apparent confidence, "Thirty years at most. You needn't worry. Our sect currently has five Golden Core elders, and your Martial Aunt Gu has already attained Great Perfection in Foundation Establishment, core formation practically within her reach. Once she and I successively attain Golden Core, the Luotian Sect will boast seven Golden Core cultivators. With such strength, the Eastern Desolation will ultimately have a place for us."
Having received this assurance, Yao Mingyue's mood finally eased a bit.
Her departing footsteps also seemed far less heavy.
Only, she did not see the red-robed woman's drooping eyelids.
"Core formation..."
A faint sigh drifted through the cave dwelling.
Accompanying it came another mocking voice.
"Sima Huiniang, since when did you have such confidence in forming a core? You've only barely reached the ninth level of Foundation Establishment yourself!"
A young woman clad in a white palace gown strode inside casually.
Seeing the newcomer, Sima Huiniang's expression sank.
"Gu Caiyi, you finally managed to reach Foundation Establishment Great Perfection. Instead of staying in seclusion to form your core, what are you doing wandering around? The core formation resources the sect squeezed out by gritting its teeth weren't meant to be squandered like this."
"Hmph!"
Gu Caiyi let out a cold snort. "If I didn't come out, would you all have marched onto the Sanzu River battlefield and died before I even knew about it?"
Sima Huiniang pursed her lips and shook her head gently. "Nothing is set in stone yet. It will depend on what Wang Yuan and Chu Kui decide."
The Luotian Sect's military campaigns had always been decided by Wang Yuan and Chu Kui.
The former led charges on the frontline, while the latter directed operations from the center of the battlefield.
As for the other three Golden Core elders, they were guest cultivators recruited one after another over the years.
The Luotian Alliance of the past had already ceased to exist in all but name since the day of the demon chaos.
Gu Caiyi said in a low voice, "Wang Yuan suffered severe injuries during that battle at Shifang Immortal City three years ago. This time, I'm afraid we..."
"What are you trying to say?" Sima Huiniang looked over, her brows furrowed.
"I mean that the Five Elements Domain is no place for a prolonged stay, and the Five Elements Divine Sect's attitude toward us is exceedingly ambiguous. I fear they never sheltered us out of goodwill, and now they are sending us to die. So, shouldn't we consider that plan your younger brother Sima Wenjie proposed?"
"You mean merging into Motian Cliff?" Sima Huiniang voiced the plan, then rejected it with resolute finality. "Impossible! The Luotian Sect is his foundation. Even if I die, I will never agree to a merger."
The Motian Cliff they spoke of was another renowned Nascent Soul superior sect in the Eastern Desolation.
Back then, it had also participated in the opening war of the Howling Moon Mountain Range.
In that war, several Nascent Soul superior sects had joined forces.
Yet the ultimate outcome was the destruction of the Falling Cloud Sect, the collapse of the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect under the demon beasts' onslaught, and even the nearby Medicine King Sect being forced to relocate and leave its original domain.
Only superior sects that were far removed, such as the Five Elements Divine Sect, Fenghua Palace, and Motian Cliff, preserved their strength.
Oh!
Tianfan City, a major participant in that opening war, had also been reduced to an empty name.
Though the sect remained, those directing affairs were now experts acting on behalf of the Mingyuan Sect.
After that battle, the Nascent Soul superior sects suffered ripples of damage, but the ones most heavily impacted were Golden Core sects like the Luotian Sect.
Renowned Golden Core sects of the Jade Cauldron Domain, such as Azure Pill Valley and the Ice Fort, had long since scattered like drifting clouds.
Even if their sect elites survived, they either degenerated into itinerant cultivators or were absorbed by the Nascent Soul superior sects.
Among these factions, very few had journeyed tens of millions of li while still preserving the framework of their sect as the Luotian Sect had.
From this, one could see just what an elite core the surviving power of the Luotian Sect represented.
Because of this, a Nascent Soul superior sect like Motian Cliff harbored thoughts of absorbing the Luotian Sect, repeatedly sending people to make contact in secret.
Seeing Sima Huiniang so resolute, Gu Caiyi's eyes reddened.
"Do you think I don't care about his foundation?"
"But if all the people are slaughtered until only the bare name of the Luotian Sect remains, what use is it?"
"There's no word from Lingjun, and the Five Elements Divine Sect treats us with ambiguous intentions. If this continues, worn down through one brutal battle after another, how many of our Luotian Sect will survive?"
"Most importantly, is he truly still alive?"
Sima Huiniang took a sudden step forward, staring fixedly at Gu Caiyi.
"He is alive!"
Gu Caiyi gritted her teeth. "Every Golden Core cultivator who went to the Great Snow Mountain died! That was information later disclosed by all the sects. How can you be so certain he is still alive?"
Sima Huiniang pressed a finger against her own chest. "He is truly still alive!"
"Alive in your heart?" Gu Caiyi looked at Sima Huiniang with pity in her eyes. "I want to believe he's alive too, but the reality is that sixty years have passed without a single shred of news!"
Sima Huiniang's tone softened slightly, and she shook her head.
"I told you before: during my Foundation Establishment ceremony, Chu Kui gave me a pair of Consonance Gu. One male and one female, implanted in him and me, nourished by heart's blood. As long as mine remains alive, it means he is still alive, and living very well at that."
"Stop mentioning that Consonance Gu!"
Unexpectedly, at the mention of that item, Gu Caiyi lost her composure in a rare display of emotion.
Her face flushed crimson, her tone bordering on a roar.
Sima Huiniang shook her head, offering no argument.
She knew the other woman was jealous.
She had been jealous all these years!
Jealous that Huiniang had become Luo Chen's woman before her.
Jealous that Huiniang believed Luo Chen was alive more firmly than anyone else.
Jealous of the bond she shared with Luo Chen through those so-called 'mutual affinity' Gu insects.
Meanwhile, Gu Caiyi, through year after year of steadfast endurance, had gradually begun to doubt whether Luo Chen was still alive.
To the point that even her love had grown blurred.
Whenever she thought of her own wavering, she would be tormented by boundless guilt.
So-called love, in the face of time and distance, was the most fragile thing of all.
"Enough!"
"You should return and focus on entering secluded cultivation to form your Golden Core as soon as possible!"
"The Luotian Sect is too weak after all, incapable of withstanding the storms of the cultivation world. As for me..."
Sima Huiniang looked somewhat dejected.
Even though she had handed mundane sect affairs over to her disciple Yao Mingyue to focus wholeheartedly on cultivation, the disparity in talent and lack of resources left her increasingly apprehensive about core formation.
Most of all...
Her lifespan was running out.
She was older than Luo Chen and Gu Caiyi to begin with, having barely completed Foundation Establishment before turning sixty.
Now, only a few decades remained until the two-hundred-and-fifty-year limit of the Foundation Establishment stage.
To advance from the early ninth level of Foundation Establishment to Great Perfection, and then take that final step to form a Golden Core, the time required was simply not hers to possess.
Those thirty years she had mentioned to Yao Mingyue just now... *heh.*
She gave a self-deprecating smile, having all but given up.
Perhaps this battle at the Sanzu River would be the final contribution of strength she offered to the Luotian Sect.
Gu Caiyi rose, walking toward the outside of the cave dwelling.
Her departing figure appeared somewhat despondent.
Right at that moment!
A terrifying, spine-chilling aura suddenly erupted from behind her.
Gu Caiyi snapped her head around!
Before her eyes, Sima Huiniang's robes were in disarray, her hair falling loose from its bun.
Her hands clutched her chest with desperate force, her face drained of all color, her eyes filled with utter disbelief.
It was as if the heavens had collapsed.
Such a loss of composure was something Sima Huiniang had never displayed, not even upon learning that all the cultivators at the Great Snow Mountain had fallen into the demon emperor's hands.
Could it be...
Gu Caiyi felt as though she had plunged into an icy abyss, and asked in a strained voice:
"Huiniang, what happened to him?"
Chapter 697