The Fierce Peak Zombie Alliance!
Currently one of the greatest powers in the Southern Border.
In earlier years, it had remained hidden in the shadows, shrouded in mystery.
Only in recent years, through frequent moves, had it gradually surfaced.
And the origins of its relatively active powerhouses revealed to the world just what kind of colossal behemoth this faction truly was.
Its Alliance Leader, Perfected Songyang, was a Supreme Elder of the Songshan Sect, a late-stage Nascent Soul Great Cultivator.
Its Vice Alliance Leader, Granny Hongye, was the Supreme Elder of the Hongye Cult, likewise a long-renowned Great Cultivator rumored to be exceptionally skilled in array formations.
These two alone, along with the forces behind them, already stood at the pinnacle of the Southern Border.
United together—and joined further by Nascent Soul factions like the Purple Blood Cult and the Baiyun Abbey—the world could scarcely imagine what they intended to achieve by joining hands.
Yet what was once unimaginable had now become a semi-open secret.
To confront the Gate of Life and Death!
The Gate of Life and Death—that was the Southern Border's sole Soul Formation sacred ground!
Even if it had slightly declined compared to the sacred grounds of the other four continents, retaining only a single Soul Formation mighty figure overseeing it, it was still an existence no Nascent Soul force would dare provoke.
The Fierce Peak Zombie Alliance's move seemed no different from throwing eggs against a stone.
But they had no choice. They had to do it!
Furthermore, those seeking to join this grandiose venture were by no means few.
"They are all driven by desperation, forced into it as well!"
Atop the summit of Mount Mijie, amidst shifting phantoms, an elderly woman clad in red with hair as white as snow muttered softly with a look of compassion on her face.
Beside her stood a man in loose robes and a cloak, his brows etched with fierce resolve.
Hearing this, he let out a cold snort.
"Forced by desperation, perhaps. But more than that, they covet the wealth of the sacred ground!"
Granny Hongye was startled and looked at the man in confusion. "Songyang, what do you mean by that?"
Perfected Songyang clasped his hands behind his back, gazing down into the distance, his eyes sweeping across every person climbing the mountain.
"You have dwelled within the Hongye Cult for too long, unaware of the turbulent shifts across other continents, blind to how the overarching tide of this realm is moving."
Granny Hongye frowned. "Speak plainly; no need to keep me in suspense."
Perfected Songyang curled the corner of his lips. "First, the Hanging Temple of the Western Desert closed its gates, and then the Yuan Demon Sect of the Northern Sea was wiped out. Throughout this time, the Gate of Life and Death has gradually reduced its influence over the Southern Border until it finally sealed its mountain gates. Clearly, an undercurrent exists throughout the entire Mountain Sea Realm that even sacred grounds fear and avoid at all costs. Crossing its path means facing utter destruction."
"You are being far too alarmist!" Granny Hongye shook her head, rejecting his claim.
In the Mountain Sea Realm, Soul Formation stood at the very peak of the world. What kind of undercurrent could strike fear into them?
"Then how do you explain the downfall of the Mingyuan Sect?" Perfected Songyang countered.
Granny Hongye’s brows knitted slightly. "I heard they provoked a peerless great demon, which was why their gates were breached."
Perfected Songyang nodded, then shook his head. "A grand sacred ground—how could it merely be a matter of 'provoking' someone? Don't they boss everyone around regardless? Just look at how the Tianyuan Dao Sect is striking in all directions right now. Eighty percent of the Northern Sea's cultivation world has already fallen into their hands. The Eastern Desolation now nominally belongs to them as well, and they are leading armies in fierce combat against the demon race. On top of that, their fingers are already beginning to stretch into our Southern Border. Under these circumstances, who dares raise their voice against them?"
"The Tianyuan Dao Sect?" A look of bewilderment appeared on Granny Hongye’s face.
That was a true colossus!
Dominating an entire continent, an entity no one dared cross.
Lying dormant for three thousand years, it remained quiet until it moved, and once it did, it held the world in its thrall.
If they succeeded in the Southern Border this time, these skies would likely bear the name of "Tianyuan" as well.
Thinking up to this point, the old woman suddenly realized. "Are you saying that those rushing to join our Fierce Peak Zombie Alliance want to seize the opportunity of our alliance with the Tianyuan Dao Sect to charge into the Gate of Life and Death together and pillage its resources?"
Perfected Songyang chuckled softly without denying it.
Having personally founded the Fierce Peak Zombie Alliance, he understood it best of all.
To outsiders, it seemed immensely powerful, but in reality, it was merely an alliance of various factions' powerhouses, possessing no cohesion whatsoever.
At the tier of peak experts, there were only a handful of late-stage Nascent Soul Great Cultivators.
Against ordinary forces, they were an overwhelming presence, but pitted against the Gate of Life and Death, they fell woefully short.
Yet under such circumstances, he had boldly proclaimed his intent to attack a sacred ground.
So long as one was not a fool, anyone could roughly guess what his backing was.
The simplest answer was allying with the Tianyuan Dao Sect, borrowing the hands of the Dao Sect's mighty figures to counter the mighty figure of the Gate of Life and Death!
Enormous risk lay ahead, but so did immense opportunity.
Whether to break the shackles hindering their cultivation or to seize the sacred ground's resources, no one could remain unmoved.
"It is just a pity that the time given to us has been too short; the strength we have accumulated is far from enough." After his light chuckle, Perfected Songyang sighed with a touch of melancholy. "If only we could draw in those two old fellows from the Luo Cult and the Xuanji Sect, we would have a bit more certainty."
Granny Hongye hesitated. "Within our Zombie Alliance right now, there are already you and me, Heavenly Master Li, and that old fellow Zangsheng. Is that still not enough?"
"Not enough!"
Perfected Songyang took a deep breath. "Not only is it not enough to deal with the Gate of Life and Death, but our bargaining chips are also insufficient when facing cooperation with the Tianyuan Dao Sect."
Granny Hongye could not help but ask, "Speaking of which, you pushed so adamantly to cooperate with the Tianyuan Dao Sect—aren't you afraid of leading a wolf into the house and being liquidated by them afterward?"
At this, Perfected Songyang’s expression shifted repeatedly before he merely muttered, "There is no time to worry about that."
Afterward, he dropped the topic and turned his attention to the climbers below.
"Most of those invited this time are mediocre, but there are indeed two or three who catch the eye."
Following his gaze downward, Granny Hongye also nodded in agreement.
Indeed!
Whether it was the famed Left Emissary of the Luo Cult, Bei Puti, or that white-robed monk of striking demeanor who walked the line between righteous and evil, both were standouts.
As for the black-armored man walking in the very lead, she did not care much for him.
Merely an unrefined brute.
However, considering his reputation, Granny Hongye gave it some thought and said, "I hear that although Qi Tian is not an orthodox cultivator, his combat prowess is extraordinary. Perhaps we could invite him to join the Zombie Alliance?"
Perfected Songyang nodded. "My thoughts exactly. When the time comes to assault the Gate of Life and Death, using him as the vanguard should sweep away all before him!"
***
Meanwhile, within Mount Mijie.
Luo Chen walked on alone, unaware that anyone was watching him, much less that the reputation of a high-tier body refiner was deemed utterly laughable in the eyes of these Great Cultivators.
Yet even had he known, he would not have cared in the least.
As he walked, his eyes constantly surveyed his surroundings, the puzzlement on his face deepening with every step.
"What a strange place."
"What a bizarre spatial construct!"
When he saw the spatial pathway earlier, he had assumed Mount Mijie would be like the Netherworld Abyss, riddled with spatial rifts and exceedingly dangerous.
Otherwise, why would the outside world widely claim that fighting was forbidden within Mount Mijie?
Now it seemed that was not the case at all.
Though space was layered upon layer within Mount Mijie, it was actually exceptionally stable!
Even if one accidentally took a wrong step, they suffered no danger; it merely drew the displeasure of the master of that specific pocket of space, who would politely show them out.
"Is it because the space here has gradually stabilized over vast stretches of time?"
Luo Chen pondered as he walked forward.
When he reached the destination, he was startled to find that Zhengguan and the others had already arrived.
He had taken the lead at the start, yet ended up lagging behind the rest?
Facing those slightly questioning glances, Luo Chen paid them no heed, remaining immersed in what he had seen and learned along the way.
Overlapping spaces would gradually stabilize following a certain underlying law.
Throughout this process, certain natural spatial restrictions also played a corresponding role.
Could the Netherworld Abyss, where the Luotian Sect now resided, be stabilized in the future using this same method?
If he mastered these natural spatial restrictions, could he discern the rhythm and patterns by which living beings traversed them, thereby preparing himself to counter Qingshuang’s elusive spatial laws?
Seeing Luo Chen standing silently, Zhengguan assumed he had gone quiet because he felt he had lost face before the crowd.
He smiled and said, "Most of you are likely visiting Mount Mijie for the first time. Whether you wish to join the Fierce Peak Zombie Alliance or came for the exchange gathering, there is no need to rush. Please take some time to rest. Tomorrow, our ten-day exchange gathering will commence."
The crowd agreed one after another and, under Zhengguan’s arrangements, each selected a dwelling to rest.
Inside his room, Luo Chen was still deep in thought, only snapping out of it when Cave Master Minglei dropped by for a visit.
"Now that we have reached this place, my task can be considered complete," Cave Master Minglei said.
Luo Chen gave a slight nod, acknowledging this.
Their original transaction had been for Luo Chen to step in and resolve the crisis at Wind Thunder Gorge, after which Minglei would introduce him into the Southern Border’s Nascent Soul circle.
Now Mount Mijie had gathered more than half of the Southern Border's Nascent Soul True Persons.
Since he had successfully arrived here and become acquainted with Daoist Zhengguan, lord of Jiu'ai Immortal City, he no longer required Cave Master Minglei's assistance for what was to come.
Even so, Cave Master Minglei still thoughtfully offered a few reminders beforehand.
"In case you didn't know, that high-tier body refinement technique is in the hands of Marquis Ziyi, Supreme Elder of the Purple Blood Cult. Yes, the very man we saw earlier at Xumi Pavilion."
"Him?" Luo Chen recalled the purple-robed man he had seen earlier; his aura was indeed extraordinary.
"Yes! He was the one who brought it out for trade last time." Cave Master Minglei nodded, then added uncertainly, "However, from what I inquired a few days ago, he might not be the true owner of that body refinement technique, but merely trading it on someone else's behalf."
"Oh?"
"The true owner is likely Heavenly Master Li, cult master of the Moon Worship Cult."
"The Moon Worship Cult?" A look of bewilderment crossed Luo Chen’s face. He had never heard of such a major cult in the Southern Border.
Cave Master Minglei explained, "The Moon Worship Cult isn't a large cult. Its disciples are exceptionally sparse, and it is renowned for refining gu. Heavenly Master Li is an illustrious, top-tier gu refiner in the Southern Border; many experts consider it an honor to have him refine gu for them. But you must not underestimate him. He is a genuine Great Cultivator, holding immense respect and prestige even within the Fierce Peak Zombie Alliance. Rumor has it that his standing is not a bit inferior to Perfected Songyang's!"
"Such a figure has also joined the Fierce Peak Zombie Alliance?" Luo Chen murmured.
Perhaps because Luo Chen had stepped in today to block Ning Yuzhuo’s furious pressure for him, Cave Master Minglei felt quite grateful and explained several details with great care.
"I know your combat prowess is immense and your means reach the heavens. But do not underestimate the experts of the Southern Border.
"To say nothing of the sacred ground Gate of Life and Death, from my inquiries along the way, even within the Zombie Alliance itself, there are quite a few peak experts holding the fort.
"Perfected Songyang of the Songshan Sect, Granny Hongye of the Hongye Cult, Heavenly Master Li of the Moon Worship Cult, and that mysterious valley lord of Zangsheng Valley, Old Man Zangsheng—not one of these individuals is easy to deal with. It may be fine to act arrogant normally, but within Mount Mijie, by no means should you provoke them."
Faced with these words of advice, Luo Chen countered with a half-smile, "You think I normally act arrogant?"
Cave Master Minglei was stunned.
In the next breath, Luo Chen shook his head and chuckled.
"Regardless, thank you for the warning."
Cave Master Minglei breathed a sigh of relief and continued, "Aside from them, there are other experts you need to watch out for, each possessing astonishing skills. People like Daoist Zhengguan, Marquis Ziyi of the Purple Blood Cult, Left Emissary Bei Puti of the Luo Cult, the master of Cangjian Tower, the Huanhua Sect..."
Listening to these names, some familiar and some novel, along with their respective backgrounds, Luo Chen gradually put away any trace of contempt.
After his fierce battle against three Demon Emperors and personally slaying Perfected Shenyuan, he had indeed developed a bit of disdain toward the world's experts.
If he could slaughter Great Demon Emperors and Great Cultivators, what was there to fear as long as Soul Formation experts stayed out of the picture?
In fact, even a Soul Formation mighty figure had died a tragic death beneath his sword.
But now, having witnessed the wonders of Mount Xumi and taking into account the miraculous ways the Southern Border utilized gu insects, he knew that in fields he did not yet understand, it was indeed wiser to be cautious.
Luo Chen reined in his smile and teased, "You looking like such a know-it-all doesn't match what you said earlier about having scarce intelligence and knowing nothing of the Southern Border's affairs!"
Cave Master Minglei replied helplessly, "Back then, wasn't I just focusing on my own tiny plot of land at Wind Thunder Gorge? Besides... this is really all I can help you with."
Hearing this, Luo Chen fell somewhat quiet instead.
Cave Master Minglei was certainly not a good person.
One could clearly see this from how he could unhesitatingly sacrifice subordinates loyal to him to cultivate his technique.
Yet in his dealings with Luo Chen, he had indeed done his utmost.
Evidently, this information was all painstakingly gathered by him over this recent period.
"By the way, do you plan on joining the Fierce Peak Zombie Alliance?"
In the end, Cave Master Minglei abruptly asked this question.
Luo Chen countered, "What about you?"
Cave Master Minglei waved his hand. "I know full well how much I weigh. The Fierce Peak Zombie Alliance is teeming with experts, and they even plan to attack a sacred ground later; there's no place for someone like me to get involved. As for those sacred ground resources that make Nascent Soul experts green with envy, they certainly aren't something I can covet. Therefore, after attending the exchange gathering for a few days, I will probably slip away quietly."
The rogue cultivator’s philosophy of self-preservation was displayed to the fullest in Cave Master Minglei at this moment.
Luo Chen pursed his lips slightly and said calmly, "I will join!"
Cave Master Minglei frowned, wanting to advise against it, but swallowed his words as they reached his lips.
In the end, he left only a single remark: "I wish you good luck!"
Cave Master Minglei departed.
Leaving Luo Chen alone in the room, silently reciting the series of names of the powerful that Minglei had just listed.
Could the Demonic Heart Gu Emperor be among them?
Whether he was or not did not truly matter.
Using this sprawling, convoluted faction of the Fierce Peak Zombie Alliance, he could also search for the other's tracks through its intelligence network.
He did not believe that a generation's Nascent Soul powerhouse could truly vanish from the mortal world without a sound or trace.
The Fierce Peak Zombie Alliance encompassed the vast majority of factions throughout the entire Southern Border; he was bound to find some clue.
Moreover!
Only by joining the Fierce Peak Zombie Alliance would he have the opportunity to remain on Mount Mijie and study those stabilizing spatial restrictions.
***
The next day.
Mount Mijie appeared as ordinary as ever.
Yet powerful streaks of light began escaping from separate pockets of space, flying toward the summit of Mount Mijie.
At this grandest Nascent Soul gathering in the Southern Border convened by the Fierce Peak Zombie Alliance, Luo Chen happened to be right in the middle of it!
Chapter 947