Hunyuan City presents a semi-circular arc, like a pair of gigantic arms embracing an ancient tower that has stood for millennia.
This tower soars into the clouds, constructed entirely of unknown black stone. Its body is mottled and pulled by three massive chains of profound iron, suspended in mid-air like a giant eye watching over all life, known to the cultivators of the Yan Kingdom as the Heaven-Suspended Tower.
These three chains reach straight into the heavens, disappearing into a vortex in the celestial dome.
Behind the Heaven-Suspended Tower, there is a gigantic pillar of light that penetrates the sky and earth.
The light’s color is chaotic, marking the entrance to the Luoxiao Grotto Heaven.
"Bang——!"
At the top of the Heaven-Suspended Tower, the ancient bronze bell, which had been silent for five years, was struck again today.
The sound of the bell was majestic, its waves dispersing the clouds in the sky, revealing a clear sky for miles around.
Tens of thousands of cultivators gathered here, their clamorous voices loud enough to shake the heavens.
However, the core area around the light pillar was distinct, and no one dared to cross it at will.
That belonged to the five major sects of the Yan Kingdom.
As the host, the Spirit Treasure Sect occupied the prime position facing the light pillar.
Hundreds of disciples, dressed in robes embroidered with golden clouds, stood in formation, their treasures shining brightly into the sky.
Their leader was none other than Gu Tangyin, a woman in red, standing atop a red dragon war chariot.
She held a long whip, her demeanor imposing.
To her left stood four distinguished cultivators, none other than the Four Heroes of Huayue.
On the right were the true disciples of the Spirit Treasure Sect, numbering twelve. Each of them wore different expressions, some dejected, others resentful, seemingly dissatisfied with the arrival of the Four Heroes of Huayue.
Opposite the Spirit Treasure Sect.
Were the cultivators from the Ten Thousand Puppet Sect.
This group was the most peculiar, exuding an eerie aura, uniformly dressed in gray, dull robes.
At the lead was the teacher from the Ten Thousand Puppet Sect, with a cultivation at the Foundation Establishment Seventh Layer.
Beside him followed a young man.
The young man’s face was pale as he sat idly on a spiritual coffin, his eyes hollow, appearing disinterested in everything around him. Only when he looked toward the light pillar did the corners of his lips slightly curve.
"This person is not to be underestimated."
Chen Ye turned his head slightly, speaking to the disciples behind him,
"His name is Yang Qiu, with a cultivation of Foundation Establishment Sixth Layer. Unlike most Ten Thousand Puppet Sect cultivators, he has only one puppet, and that puppet is exceedingly demonic and difficult to deal with."
The clever little girl tilted her small face up, eager for praise: "Master, master! Qing Jun knows, isn’t his puppet inside that spiritual coffin?"
"Uh..."
Chen Ye held his forehead, wasn’t that obvious to everyone?
Seeing Qing Jun’s proud look, he had no choice but to praise her,
"Not bad, not bad, Qing Jun is truly smart."
The little girl became even more pleased, shaking her head: "Master, you’re wrong! This person is not strong! Before, the Four Heroes of Huayue challenged the true disciples of various sects to duels, and not a single cultivator from Yan Kingdom could beat them. This means Yang Qiu can’t beat them either!"
"Not so. That day, Yang Qiu didn’t even use his puppet and simply surrendered... This person is eccentric, a bit like Jin’er."
"Oh... like me?"
Jin’er blinked, cautiously pointing at herself while looking at her master.
"Yes. Furthermore, you must be especially careful with this person. His real name is not Yang Qiu. He changed it after his father’s death. His father was an unparalleled genius of the Ten Thousand Puppet Sect but was killed by our sect’s Bai Li in the Luoxiao Grotto Heaven... Therefore, Yang Qiu is likely to target you all."
Chen Ye explained.
Previously, Sister Qingzhu had told him that the grudge between Lingyin and Ten Thousand Puppets was partly because Yang Qiu’s father died at Bai Li’s hands.
Apart from Ten Thousand Puppets and Spirit Treasure.
There’s also the team from the Medicine King Valley.
These disciples wore verdant magic robes, their expressions indifferent, with female cultivators making up seventy percent of their number.
The most striking of them was a true inheritor named Su Qingdai. She wore a light veil, revealing only a pair of eyes as soft as water, her demeanor exceptional.
Her cultivation was precisely at the Foundation Establishment Sixth Layer, allowing her to enter the Luoxiao Grotto Heaven.
Su Qingdai’s fingertips played with a small jade-green snake. The snake was cute and loyal, flicking its tongue ingratiatingly at its owner. Su Qingdai looked at it fondly, gently rubbing its head with her index finger.
"Also, remember to watch out for this snake. Although the Medicine King Valley is famous for its medical expertise, medicine and poison are inseparable paths; they might also know some poison techniques."
Chen Ye reminded.
"Hmm... Master, are the cultivators from the Refining God Sect really not coming this time?" Zhiwei glanced at the empty spot on the east side, somewhat disappointed.
She had wanted to witness the awe of the number one sect cultivators of the Yan Kingdom.
"Now the Refining God Sect is in shambles, probably too busy for the Luoxiao Grotto Heaven. They’re either searching for True Man Ye or busy with internal conflicts... I suspect these conflicts probably have something to do with the Huayue Mansion as well."
Chen Ye sighed.
True Man Ye was not only the hope of the Refining God Sect but also their stabilizing presence. Her disappearance had grave consequences.
"Searching... Master, I met a cultivator from the Refining God Sect not long ago, he once visited the Inner Sect."
Zhiwei’s expression slightly tensed as she pondered.
"Oh?" Chen Ye was surprised, did his disciple know a cultivator from the Refining God Sect?
"Master, have you forgotten? Back in Songyang Cave Heaven, there was a cultivator from the Refining God Sect with a Foundation Establishment of the Fifth Layer named Jian Gu. He even helped you back then."
Zhiwei, with her photographic memory, remembered these details better than her master.
Moreover.
What concerned Zhiwei most was that Jian Gu had also visited Baopu Peak... Why would this person come to Baopu Peak?
"So it was him..."
Chen Ye realized that two or three years had already passed.
Back then, Jian Gu’s Foundation Establishment of Fifth Layer made him seem almost unbeatable in Chen Ye’s eyes.
But now... he himself had reached Foundation Establishment Sixth Layer.
"Furthermore, that person is indifferent but seemed to have a bit of concern for you. That time I met him on Baopu Peak, he even took the initiative to talk to me, and asked about you... Of course, he didn’t ask anything special, just some casual conversation."