One month later.
Qin Sang was in secluded cultivation at Sandie Pass when he received a message summoning him to Tianxing City for council.
Jing Lin and his companion had not been invited, so Qin Sang set off alone, first heading to Hukou Pass to rendezvous with the Snake King.
The one receiving them was still Elder Ji.
Qin Sang and the Snake King followed Elder Ji to an ice-crystal palace enveloped in wind and snow. It was said to be the birthplace of the Celestial Alliance, founded by cultivators of the Tianxing Plateau, and stood as the alliance's sacred ground.
"A few fellow daoists have yet to arrive, so I must go outside the city to receive them. Please make yourselves at home, Fellow Daoists."
Elder Ji led Qin Sang to the front of the Ice Crystal Palace and gestured forward with an open hand.
"Thank you for your trouble, Fellow Daoist Ji."
Qin Sang and the Snake King cupped their hands in farewell.
As they approached, the doors of the Ice Crystal Palace swung open on their own, and the voice of Daoist Zhenyi drifted out from within.
"The Snake King and Fellow Daoist Mingyue have arrived! Forgive this poor daoist for not coming out to greet you; I hope you will not take offense."
Qin Sang and the Snake King exchanged a glance, stepped into the palace, and immediately saw Daoist Zhenyi descending from the high seat.
At this moment, several cultivators were already seated inside, all of them renowned masters from across the two realms.
Behind Daoist Zhenyi stood two armored warriors, one on his left and one on his right. It was said that the two were twin brothers who had shared a telepathic connection since childhood. They practiced an art created specifically for twins, cultivating a breath of Extremely Yang Qi that was exceptionally potent against evil and demons.
Working together, they possessed strength rivaling the peak of the mid-Nascent Soul stage.
Daoist Zhenyi had taken notice of the pair during their Qi Refinement days and accepted them as his disciples. They were fiercely loyal to him, which was one reason Daoist Zhenyi's position within the Celestial Alliance remained unshakeable.
The Celestial Alliance was tightly united, and the old Daoist Zhenyi alone was enough to represent them; thus, no other elders of the alliance were present in the Ice Crystal Palace.
By contrast, the factions of the Xiaohan Realm were intricate and scattered like loose sand.
Three figures sat to Daoist Zhenyi's left.
The first was Qingjun, disguised as Leng Yuntian.
Qin Sang had recently learned that her identity went far beyond simply being the Sect Master of the Yuanshen Sect. Even the City Lord of Yinshan Pass, who represented the rogue cultivator factions, had proactively paid her a visit to foster goodwill.
Qingjun no longer deliberately hid her secret, and quite a few Nascent Soul cultivators already knew she was an impostor.
However, back then even Patriarch Chifa had kept tight-lipped about it. These cultivators were all shrewd, calculating figures with no deep ties to Leng Yuntian and no enmity with Qingjun, so none of them was foolish enough to expose the matter unprompted.
The second was Daoist Chongyi, the master of Si Di.
Although his cultivation fell short of Dongyang Bo's, his sect boasted three Nascent Soul cultivators, giving him tremendous influence and enabling him to stand as Dongyang Bo's equal within the righteous path.
The last person was the very man Qin Sang had long wanted to meet: Xiang Qing, the current Sect Master of the Qingyang Demonic Sect.
Though he had only recently advanced to the Nascent Soul stage, his mastery of the Qingyang Demonic Fire was consummate. Over the years of war, he had performed brilliantly, proving capable of challenging opponents beyond his level. He was hailed as an exemplar of late blooming, and was practically the number two figure in the demonic path today, second only to Demon Monarch Tongyou.
Xiang Qing looked like a young man in his early twenties, with sword-like brows and star-bright eyes, sitting bolt upright with a cool, stern bearing.
Once Demon Monarch Tongyou and Dongyang Bo arrived, representatives from every faction would practically all be present—a gathering of top masters assembled in one hall.
As Qin Sang and the Snake King walked in, the crowd rose to their feet.
After exchanging courtesies, Qin Sang and the Snake King found seats and sat down.
Before taking his seat, Qin Sang turned his gaze toward Xiang Qing and gave him a gentle, smiling nod.
Xiang Qing was somewhat baffled. This was his first time dealing with this masked Demon King Mingyue, and for some reason, he sensed that the other was deliberately extending goodwill.
Still, he had heard more than once about how this demon king had slain Nascent Soul cultivators on the battlefield and had even slipped into the Abyss Ruins, battling Old Demon Ye before escaping. He knew that this demon king, like himself, possessed the strength to challenge stronger opponents and was a rising star among the demon race.
Since they would surely cross paths in the future, establishing a cordial rapport was no bad thing.
Xiang Qing managed a slight smile and nodded in return.
The onlookers saw the exchange clearly. Their eyes shifted between Qin Sang and Xiang Qing, though no one said a word.
Since not everyone had arrived yet, the cultivators chatted, exchanging insights on cultivation.
It was rare for so many top masters to gather. As long as it did not touch on fundamental sect secrets, none of them held back. Qin Sang and the Snake King could only share some demonic cultivation experiences, which the others listened to attentively.
An incense stick's time later, Demon Monarch Tongyou and Dongyang Bo arrived together.
"Forgive us for keeping you all waiting, fellow daoists."
Dongyang Bo was adept at socializing. He first apologized and then greeted each person in turn until he finally came to Qin Sang. "Could this be Fellow Daoist Mingyue? I have long heard of your great name, but missed every chance to meet you. It is a true pleasure to finally meet you in person!"
"You flatter me! It is this king who has admired Fellow Daoist for a long time."
Qin Sang chuckled and stood to return the courtesy, his tone flat.
Dongyang Bo could never have imagined that the demon king standing before him was once a disciple he had plotted against.
Watching the two exchange hypocrisies, Qingjun curved her lips and chuckled inwardly.
After the pleasantries, the old Daoist Zhenyi wasted no words and went straight to the point, asking the Snake King and Qin Sang to recount their experience in the Abyss Ruins.
Qin Sang and the Snake King had coordinated their story in advance, leaving the Snake King to do most of the talking.
Once they finished, Xiang Qing took over. "Upon receiving word from the two demon kings, I personally ventured into the depths of the Boundless Valley's inner valley and indeed discovered anomalies. Recently, storms have erupted in the Boundless Valley several times. While fluctuations in the ancient restrictions have caused storms in the past, they were never this frequent. I located the Blood Lake, and its ancient restrictions have been vibrating continuously, as if someone were violently breaking through them. If the two blood lakes are linked, it is very likely that Old Demon Ye's actions over there are affecting our side..."
In a few brief remarks, Xiang Qing laid out his findings and conjecture.
Daoist Chongyi suddenly let out a derisive chuckle. "Could it be that all of Old Demon Ye's scheming has been aimed at the Blood Lake? Did he rally Sin Abyss and launch a fierce assault on the Tianxing Plateau just to tie up our attention here, so we wouldn't notice the anomalies in the Boundless Valley and disrupt their plot at the Blood Lake?"
The crowd exchanged glances.
Daoist Chongyi's hypothesis seemed exceedingly outlandish, yet it also seemed plausible.
It was simply too bizarre. This war had dragged on for so long; what immense benefit could the Blood Lake possibly offer to warrant Sin Abyss mobilizing such forces just to cooperate with Old Demon Ye's actions?
Seeing everyone's expressions, Daoist Chongyi chuckled. "This poor daoist was merely musing aloud. Still, Old Demon Ye cannot even be bothered with the battlefield anymore, which shows that the Blood Lake must be of vital importance to them. We cannot allow them to succeed so easily."
"The Boundless Valley lies within the territory of the Xiaohan Realm. What do the two of you think?"
Daoist Zhenyi chimed in, withholding his own opinion to look toward Dongyang Bo and Demon Monarch Tongyou instead.
Demon Monarch Tongyou said in a deep voice, "Fellow Daoist Xiang inspected it thoroughly; the Blood Lake's restrictions remain sturdy. Breaking them open will be no overnight task for Old Demon Ye. For now, we must dispatch people to garrison the Boundless Valley so that news can be sent back promptly. Daoist Chongyi is right—the matter is of grave importance, and we cannot let Old Demon Ye act unchecked. Someone must enter and disrupt their scheme. However, we must also guard against Sin Abyss turning our plan against us to lure the tiger from its mountain."
Daoist Zhenyi remained impassive, his eyes sweeping across the other Nascent Soul cultivators of the Xiaohan Realm.
These figures represented various interests and had always been fraught with internal disputes, yet they clearly shared a tacit understanding. Once Demon Monarch Tongyou finished speaking, they all showed expressions of agreement, and no one raised any objections.
Chapter 1220