Even as they spoke, the Sky-Shrouding Profound Array enshrouded Tenglong Cliff, its pitch-black canopy spreading outward.
Su Zinan and the others sensed the shift and fell silent, each raising their eyes to the sky to intently observe the array's transformations.
With their keen vision, they could naturally discern that the Sky-Shrouding Profound Array was not merely intended to seal off the Taiyue Sect; it was even capable of undermining and sabotaging the sect's mountain-protecting grand array.
Seen from the outside, the Sky-Shrouding Profound Array seemed all-pervasive, embedding itself directly into the interior of the Taiyue Sect's mountain-protecting grand array.
The two spirit arrays virtually overlapped, the dark canopy clearly expanding from within the mountain-protecting grand array itself.
Two entirely different formations, which ought to have been mutually incompatible, had now merged seamlessly, indistinguishable from one another.
Certain crucial nodes of the Taiyue Sect's mountain-protecting grand array were either invaded by the Sky-Shrouding Profound Array, deceived, or damaged, severely diminishing its power.
From this alone, one could see just how exquisite the Sky-Shrouding Profound Array was.
As the heir to a Deity Transformation cultivator, Su Zinan possessed a breadth of knowledge second to none present. Precisely because of this, he understood all the better just how extraordinarily difficult this feat was.
A peculiar gleam flitted through his eyes. Secretly channeling a divine ability, he attempted to deduce the array's subsequent variations in his mind, yet even with the preceding movements as a guide, the deduction proved surprisingly strenuous.
Glancing in astonishment toward the white-haired elder, Su Zinan raised his estimation of the man another notch.
There was no telling how long the white-haired elder had plotted against the Taiyue Sect; he knew its mountain-protecting grand array like the back of his hand. Even for a grandmaster of formations, accomplishing this would require an immense expenditure of painstaking effort—it was practically impossible.
Furthermore, sealing the Taiyue Sect was merely the initial preparatory phase, barely even counting as the first step; as of yet, they had not seen so much as a shadow of the Wuxiang Immortal Sect.
A single person, or even a single major power, could never pull this off!
Unless they had begun scheming long ago, managing and laying the groundwork across several generations to step by step bring this plan to fruition.
This was indeed something only descendants of the Wuxiang Immortal Sect would do.
"By my foster father's standards, Fellow Daoist has already attained great mastery in the Dao of Arrays. I am full of admiration!"
In public, Su Zinan had always maintained an air of elegance and refinement. He never used his status as an heir of a Deity Transformation master to bully others; he admitted his mistakes when wrong, and never held back praise when encountering a true expert.
None could perceive his cruel, savage nature beneath the surface.
"Never did I imagine that Tianhao Tower hid another master besides Sect Master Yu and Elder Fan. The Quyang Mountain lineage of Tianhao Tower is obscure in the outside world; for Fellow Daoist to conceal yourself within that branch is truly wasting your talent. In my humble opinion, your abilities are sufficient to replace either of those two. Had I not accompanied my foster father and dealt with Sect Master Yu and Elder Fan in the past, I might have thought one of them had assumed a disguise just to toy with me."
The white-haired elder's subordinates had all worn long robes to obscure their identities, but the moment they traded blows with the Taiyue Sect, their methods gave them away. With how sharp the eyes of Su Zinan and the others were, they had finally seen through his background.
The grotesque-faced man clearly knew the elder's identity already, but the others were somewhat astonished, not expecting him to hail from such an illustrious background—the foremost demonic sect.
The white-haired elder controlled the Sky-Shrouding Profound Array with ease, still capable of dividing his attention to reply, "Fellow Daoist Su flatters me. Sect Master Yu and Elder Fan possess profound demonic arts, and their breakthrough to Deity Transformation is just around the corner. Meanwhile, this old man can only rack his brains plotting to unearth the old ruins of the Wuxiang Immortal Sect in search of fortune. The difference between us is plain for all to see."
These words also subtly pointed out that he was not walking the same path as Sect Master Yu and Elder Fan.
The others caught his meaning.
Tianhao Tower was by no means a monolith. The hearts of demonic cultivators were inscrutable, and internal discord ran deeper there than in other sects.
Had this man been in league with Yu and Fan, with him included, Tianhao Tower could have simply called upon an ally to unseal the Wuxiang Immortal Sect without going to such great lengths.
It was not only the Daoist and Buddhist factions that had targeted the Wuxiang Immortal Sect back then; the demonic sects had also reaped substantial benefits, and Tianhao Tower was thoroughly merciless whenever it encountered remnants of the Wuxiang Immortal Sect.
Preventing the resurgence of the Wuxiang Immortal Sect seemed to be a consensus among the major sects of the Central Plains; otherwise, traces of the sect would not have been erased so completely.
For the remnants of the Wuxiang Immortal Sect to have infiltrated Tianhao Tower and established their own lineage—truly, the most dangerous place was the safest place, just as the ancients said.
As the others conversed, the sword-bearer had remained quiet and reserved throughout.
Clearing his throat, the sword-bearer said in a deep voice, "As far as I know, the peak master of the Quyang Mountain lineage should only be at the middle Nascent Soul stage. Observing Fellow Daoist's divine abilities, your breakthrough was by no means recent. Have you been hiding behind the scenes all along?"
"This old man is indeed Zhu Wudao, Peak Master of Quyang Mountain," the white-haired elder nodded.
The sword-bearer was surprised. "You managed to conceal this before Yu and Fan for so long?"
"My late master passed down a few minor tricks, hardly worth mentioning," Zhu Wudao remarked indifferently, offering no further explanation.
A moment later, Zhu Wudao withdrew his hands, letting the spirit array evolve on its own. Sensing the outside, he let out a long breath. "With Fellow Daoist Mo and the others personally stepping in, all should be well! The overall situation is decided; it is time for us to begin as well."
Pausing briefly as something came to mind, Zhu Wudao looked toward the grotesque-faced man. "Where is the Poison King right now?"
The grotesque-faced man pinched his fingers in calculation. "The Cave Master and I laid a diversionary trail outside. Barring any mishaps, he should have been lured into the heart of Man Prefecture by now."
"That is good. The Poison King alone cannot stir up much trouble!"
Zhu Wudao nodded. "As long as the Poison King is drawn away for a time, even if the appearance of the Wuxiang Immortal Sect draws him back, by the time word reaches Jinyu Province, it will already be too late. We have ample time."
***
While they conversed, sky-shaking battle cries had already erupted outside Tenglong Cliff.
*Dong!*
*Dong!*
*Dong!*
...
Within the Taiyue Sect, the sound of a drum suddenly boomed.
Each beat was more hurried than the last.
This was no ordinary drum; it seemed to resonate from the earth itself, commanding all the mountains to move in unison. The drumming was deep rather than sharp, yet anyone who heard it could clearly sense the urgency laden within, their hearts trembling with a suffocating heaviness.
With each resounding strike, terror seized everyone across the Taiyue Sect.
This was the Taiyue Sacrificial Drum, erected atop the main peak and constructed by the founding ancestor of the Taiyue Sect himself. It was not a supreme treasure, but it held immense significance for the sect.
Only when the Taiyue Sect faced its direst crisis would the Taiyue Sacrificial Drum be struck. Ever since the Taiyue Sect grew into the overlord of Nanzhou, countless years had passed without its sound echoing through the sect.
Upon entering the sect, disciples were informed of the drum's existence, yet none had ever heard it sound.
Once the sacrificial drum rang, all within the Taiyue Sect—regardless of cultivation level or cause—were to gather at the main peak immediately.
To make matters worse, night fell without any warning.
Deep within the darkness, it seemed as though a hundred ghosts paraded through the night, driving the Taiyue Sect disciples into deeper panic.
All knew that disaster had struck their sect, but never had they imagined the upheaval would begin from within. Had their fine mountain-protecting grand array become a mere decoration?
In an instant, chaos erupted across the Taiyue Sect. Streaks of escaping light flared from all directions, speeding toward the main peak.
Little did they realize that this only made them more glaring targets.
Against the invaders, the low-level disciples possessed no power to resist. Massacres unfolded one after another; clusters of escaping lights were extinguished in rapid succession, with only occasional curt screams piercing the air.
Most died silently, just like the guards at the mountain gate.
Slaying low-level disciples left the invaders unsatisfied, and their eyes turned in unison toward the main peak of the Taiyue Sect. The sect's experts had reacted swiftly, and most were already gathered at the main peak, activating its array.
At this moment, the Sky-Shrouding Profound Array had blanketed the main peak as well, but the darkness could not submerge it, where streaks of dark yellow light flickered.
The Sky-Shrouding Profound Array could only disrupt the mountain-protecting grand array; the main peak possessed its own independent grand array.
However, the sealing power of the Sky-Shrouding Profound Array treated all alike.
The main peak's array was likewise enveloped by darkness, its yellow radiance appearing frail and dim. The anomalous phenomena here could not be seen from the outside world at all, let alone allow messages to be sent out.
"Where do you think you're going, Old Ghost Chi!"
Two streaks of light—one crimson, one white—abruptly tore through the darkness.
The white light flew ahead, with the crimson streak in hot pursuit.
The crimson streak was none other than Cave Master Qiling. After searching around earlier, he had reaped meager rewards and assumed all the Taiyue Sect experts had already retreated into the main peak. Unexpectedly, he had stumbled upon a suspicious figure sneaking about.
Even better, he bore a grudge against this man!
Inside the white light was a burly man with a face as dark red as a ripe jujube. Recognizing Cave Master Qiling, his eyes widened with rage. "It's you!"
Cave Master Qiling sneered, "Back then, you lot clamored to raze my Qiling Cave and drive this Cave Master out of Nanzhou. Did you ever imagine this day would come?"
Before his voice died away, a streak of red light shot from Cave Master Qiling's palm.
The red light was vividly scarlet, resolving into a crimson flower resembling a morning glory. Suspended upside down in midair, its opening pointed directly at Old Ghost Chi ahead.
*Wuu... wuu...*
A bizarre howling of wind emanated from the center of the blossom amid flickering red light.
There was no earth-shattering barrage.
Yet the moment the sound of the wind rose, Old Ghost Chi reacted as if facing a mortal threat. Without hesitation, he plunged toward the ground. With a tremendous crash, he slammed straight into the hard mountain rock, blasting out a deep crater.
Next, yellow light flashed around Old Ghost Chi as he fused with the bedrock, vanishing underground in an instant. Simultaneously, the earth within the deep crater surged upward, bulging past its original height to form a prominent mound.
The texture of the mound differed starkly from the surrounding mountain stone, covered with regular patterns like a stone-carved shield.
*Bang! Bang! Bang!*
A series of explosions rang out as more than a dozen saber-slash gashes instantly split open across the surface of the mound. Only as the cuts opened did several illusory blade shadows flash and vanish.
The mound collapsed with a roar.
A muffled groan sounded from within.
Seeing that this failed to force Old Ghost Chi out, Cave Master Qiling shifted his hand incantation. The crimson blossom ballooned dramatically until it was as large as a small hill, resembling an enormous bell as it crashed down toward the direction of Old Ghost Chi's escape.
Unexpectedly—
Just as the red flower was about to hit the ground, the earth suddenly split open, and black light surged toward the heavens as a stone stele flew out from beneath the ground.
The stele was square and upright, bearing neither inscriptions nor talismans—only two characters: "Wind-Calming."
*Boom!*
An earth-shattering detonation erupted.
One descending and one ascending, the red flower and the Wind-Calming Stele collided violently. Under the impact, the blinding red light bled outward, dyeing half the sky crimson.
Enshrouded in darkness, the Wind-Calming Stele did not display grandiose momentum.
Yet the red flower stalled, unable to descend any further.
Cave Master Qiling had not expected an uninvited guest. His expression shifted, but by the time he thought to remedy the situation, it was already too late.
*Whoosh!*
The stele shot into midair, heading straight for the main peak.
Cave Master Qiling hesitated for a moment before giving up the pursuit. He raised his head and glared coldly toward the Taiyue Sect's main peak, where several figures flickered faintly within the yellow light formed by the array.
It was they who had joined forces to rescue the man.
At that moment, the void beside Cave Master Qiling rippled, revealing a figure.
"Fellow Daoist Mo was too slow to act."
Cave Master Qiling's tone carried displeasure.
This person was none other than Mo Xingdao. Had he not hesitated and instead struck in time, they surely could have kept Old Ghost Chi from escaping.
With such indecisiveness, how could he be the foremost rogue cultivator of the Northern Barrens?
"You're injured?"
Mo Xingdao did not answer, instead asking in return.
Cave Master Qiling had not expected Mo Xingdao to be so perceptive. He nodded reluctantly. "I was outsmarted by the Poison King."
"The Poison King?"
Mo Xingdao was surprised. Seeing that Cave Master Qiling was unwilling to elaborate, he did not press further, instead following his gaze toward the main peak. "I must guard against others breaking through the encirclement."
This served as an explanation for his inaction just now.
Hunting down the Taiyue Sect's experts was not their goal; their objective was to ensure no news leaked and keep the Taiyue Sect besieged on the main peak.
Cave Master Qiling begrudgingly accepted the explanation.
Upon the main peak, wails of grief filled the air among the Taiyue Sect disciples.
Even those fortunate enough to escape onto the peak showed not the slightest smile; many of their relatives and friends had been slaughtered by the invaders, while others had fallen into the hands of demonic fiends, never to find salvation in reincarnation.
The Nascent Soul cultivators remaining behind to guard the mountain gathered in one place, pouring everything into sustaining the array—their final barrier.
These cultivators centered around a wrinkle-faced old man.
They had no time for fury now; they had to find a way to break through the encirclement.
Just then, a figure dashed over through the air, speaking in a panicked tone: "Grand Elder, the transmission array has failed! Someone tampered with the mountain gate long ago!"
The old man was none other than the current Grand Elder of the Taiyue Sect. His cultivation had reached the peak of the middle Nascent Soul stage. Though he had no hope of breaking through further, his divine sense had already achieved shape-transformation, making him a renowned figure in the cultivation world.
Hearing this dreadful news, a commotion broke out among the crowd.
The Grand Elder's expression was as tranquil as an ancient well. His voice was not loud, yet it clearly reached everyone's ears: "Calm yourselves, everyone. When the turmoil began, I already sent a warning to the Sect Master. We need only hold the main peak to the death, and reinforcements will arrive. Then we shall strike back against these villains and avenge our brethren and kin!"
These words steadied their morale.
The Taiyue Sect disciples grew less frantic.
The Grand Elder's eyes were half-closed, appearing half-asleep, no different from an ordinary mortal elder.
None noticed that his gaze pierced through the array, looking out at the asura purgatory beyond the main peak.
Those Taiyue Sect disciples had been vibrant lives just moments ago.
His eyes were not completely devoid of emotion. Although he had already sent away the disciples with the greatest potential under various pretexts, seeing these innocents die in vain still brought an ache to his heart.
Little did these disciples imagine that they had been abandoned by their revered Grand Elder and Sect Master—they were pawns discarded by their own sect!
This plan had been set in motion the moment the goal of the Wuxiang Immortal Sect remnants was confirmed.
Although the driving force behind the plan was Daoist Zilei, Master of Eight Views Abbey, neither he nor Yue Lingtian could find any reason to refuse. In fact, one could say they had agreed without the slightest hesitation.
All because after this matter, the Taiyue Sect would earn the right to enter the South Sea Immortal Hall!
The reason Eight Views Abbey and Ganlu Zen Monastery could endure and prosper indefinitely was precisely a secret realm within the South Sea Immortal Hall.
Both great sects were anchored by Deity Transformation masters and jointly held monopolistic control over the South Sea Immortal Hall, leaving no room for outsiders to intervene. Every generation of their great cultivators could enter the hall to increase their odds of breaking through.
Who could enter the South Sea Immortal Hall was entirely up to the two sects.
Rumors in the world were not false: the Taiyue Sect's rise as the overlord of Nanzhou had been secretly backed by Eight Views Abbey.
Even so, Eight Views Abbey had never been generous enough to yield a quota spot to them.
Daoist Zilei had promised that when the South Sea Immortal Hall opened in the future, Eight Views Abbey would surrender a spot to the Taiyue Sect!
Faced with such terms, who could refuse?
Chapter 1611