Chapter 592 - 324: Xuannü Palace

Aboard the Tianzhou Skyboat.

"...These guys don’t seem convinced, do they? Should I go teach them a lesson?"

In Ling Changqing’s arms, Luo Binghu asked with a beaming smile, her ample, magnificent chest brushing against his face.

Bai Qingyi turned her lovely head and shot her a small glare. "Let’s not bully them too much, alright? We have important matters to attend to."

Slaughtering them on their own territory just to satisfy a craving, and then wanting to teach them a lesson on top of it, was indeed going a bit too far.

Ling Changqing nodded. "My dear wife is right. There’s no need to stir up unnecessary trouble while we’re away from home. Let’s leave."

If they really fought, their opponents had over a dozen experts at the Void Refining Realm and the home-field advantage. The combat power they could unleash would be terrifying. It would be difficult for Ling Changqing’s side to gain the upper hand unless he used some of his trump cards.

Besides, even if they could defeat this group of local tyrants, who knew if there were even more terrifying beings behind them? If they lured out those old fossils, the trouble would be immense.

"Of course, my husband."

Dressed in magnificent, bright red palace robes adorned with cloud patterns of the Li Huang, the fragrant, charming, and graceful Meng Feiyu agreed. She formed a Spirit Technique, and the Tianzhou Skyboat suddenly erupted in a great ball of golden light, instantly accelerating into the distance.

On the surface of the churning, angry sea, the host of Demon King titans did not give chase. With grim expressions, they watched the Tianzhou Skyboat disappear over the horizon.

These were not good-tempered individuals. It wasn’t that they didn’t want to fight; rather, a vague premonition of crisis forced them to suppress their bloodthirsty impulses and let the uninvited guests leave.

In the cabin.

Ling Changqing was embracing Luo Binghu, his hands roaming all over her, causing her jade-like face to flush red as she feigned playful anger.

’This guy is great in every way, except that he’s too lecherous and doesn’t care about the time or place for intimacy. This often left newcomers like Luo Binghu and the others both embarrassed and annoyed, and they had ganged up to "discipline" him on more than one occasion.’

Ling Changqing, for his part, was a good sport about it. Whenever his stamina faltered, he would decisively wave the white flag and surrender, only to come back for a rematch once he had recovered.

His lovely consorts never made it too hard on him. After all, as long as they could engage in Dual Cultivation, they could continuously obtain the Spiritual Mechanism Dao Rhyme of a Child of Destiny, allowing their own Cultivation and fortunes to grow steadily.

A moment later, the flames in Ling Changqing’s heart burned even higher. His hands lingered deep within the loli beauty’s dress, and just as he was about to make a further move, Meng Feiyu, who was beside them, suddenly had a change in expression.

"Something’s wrong! It seems more outside Cultivators have broken into the Sect’s grounds, and quite a few of them, too!"

"Hm?"

Ling Changqing froze, halting his actions. He pressed, "What are their Cultivation levels? Can the Array Restrictions there handle them?"

"That won’t be a problem. The arrangements from last time are enough to keep all of them there."

Meng Feiyu replied, not looking worried at all.

"That’s good to hear."

Ling Changqing breathed a sigh of relief. Ever since they left last time, the Hongmeng Divine Hall had been sealed, and no other Cultivators had entered. He never thought some blind fools would come knocking now.

However, Meng Feiyu’s Primordial Spirit projection was now standing guard inside, and all the Defense Arrays and Restriction Traps were active. They could absolutely ensure that any intruder would be utterly defeated.

"Sister, can you determine their identities and origins?"

Beside them, Su Qinglian, dressed in snow-white robes, elegant and radiant, spoke up to ask.

Meng Feiyu was silent for several breaths, seemingly communicating with her avatar projection, before she finally answered:

"Judging from the style of their Cultivation Techniques and Divine Techniques, they are most likely Cultivators from the Chiying Demon Sect. There are also quite a few from the Li Huo Divine Palace."

"I see,"

Bai Qingyi said with a smile, "They must have suffered too great a loss last time, including several important figures, so they decided to send people in to investigate, right?"

Ling Changqing nodded slightly. Such a deduction was reasonable. Unfortunately for them, they had underestimated the severity of the situation and were doomed to lose everything.

At this very moment, in the distant heartland of the Qinghao Continent, a one-sided slaughter was underway in the core area of the Hongmeng Divine Hall.

The Celestial Vault had turned a heart-pounding blood-red. Geomagnetic thunderstorms ravaged the area, and the space itself was sealed tight by a wondrous, great power, Shielding all remote communication methods.

Terrifying, blood-colored lightning filled the sky. Amidst the blinding light, droves of Cultivators were obliterated by the Restrictions in the core area of the Divine Hall before they could even scream, their Divine Souls not even spared.

Deep within the sea of lightning, numerous towering and ferocious figures flickered in and out of view, their auras coalescing into one. This was the Daoist Puppet Army that guarded the core area.

"...Damn it! Damn it all!"

Sang Chengrong cursed repeatedly, his face ashen. An incense-burner-shaped Spiritual Treasure, shimmering with silver light and radiating a majestic pressure, had expanded to the size of an acre, hovering above his head to block the dense barrage of attacks from all directions.

As a Supreme Elder of the Chiying Demon Sect and a Peak of Refining Void Great Power, Sang Chengrong could still protect himself, but this was only temporary.

"...Elder, what should we do now?"

Around him were gathered hundreds of High Rank Demon Sect Cultivators, all of them Disciples from his own faction.

"What else can we do?"

Sang Chengrong gritted his teeth. "This ruin of an Ancient Daoist ground already has a new master. If he were here in person, we... we would have no chance of leaving this place alive!"

If he had known this would be the outcome, he never would have taken this job. Now he was in an impossible situation, unable to advance or retreat.

In just a few moments, the pressure in the surrounding space grew increasingly terrifying, to the point that even he was beginning to struggle...

...

The Qingming Continent was also located deep within a vast ocean, and it was even larger than the Qingyao Continent.

Since the Ancient Era, it had been a rich and fertile land, abundant in resources and home to many outstanding individuals.

Over the long ages, countless Great Powers had chosen to establish Sects here or occupy some fortuitous land to create their own cultivation grounds for long-term Cultivation in Seclusion.

And unlike the Qingyao Continent, which was fragmented and filled with countless factions of all sizes, the Qingming Continent had been unified more than once throughout its long history. However, these periods of unity never lasted long before it fell back into a state of division for various reasons.

Today, control over the Qingming Continent is shared by ten super-factions: the Chiying Demon Sect, Xuannü Palace, the Yu Family, the Ye Family, the Li Huo Divine Palace, the Yan Family, the Shaohao Immortal Sect, the Celestial Jade Divine Dynasty, the Celestial Derivation Pavilion, and the Vast Sea Immortal Alliance.

As for other vassal forces, they basically do not exist. Or rather, there were once many, but they have all been carved up and devoured by these ten super-factions.

Now, these ten factions are like ten bloodthirsty beasts, constantly scheming to devour each other’s foundations to strengthen themselves, unify the Qingming Continent once more, and achieve supreme glory.

For ten thousand years, all manner of deceptions, strategic alliances, and shifting loyalties have played out endlessly on this continent.

The main gates of the great super-sect, Xuannü Palace, were located in the Qingcheng Mountain Range in the northern part of the continent.

Atop the main peak, which was over a million li high, a brilliant Spiritual Light shone. Immeasurable golden and purple glows perpetually shrouded it, accompanied by auspicious clouds and rainbow hues, creating a magnificent spectacle.

From the foot of the mountain upwards, countless gorgeous and majestic palaces, halls, pavilions, and towers were tiered one after another, interspersed with Spiritual Springs and cascading waterfalls, stretching on without end.

Within this picturesque and stunning immortal paradise, where every step revealed a new view, numerous Female Cultivators with bright eyes and pearly teeth, their faces veiled by light gauze, moved about, each with her own unique charm and grace.

Standing before the magnificent, grand, and imposing main hall of the Sect, as long as one’s Cultivation was high enough, one could take in the entire breathtaking panorama of the Qingcheng Mountain Range—majestic and perilous, winding across the land for hundreds of millions of li like a spectacular landscape painting.

This was the location of the largest main Dragon Vein on the Qingming Continent, one of the most valuable fortuitous lands on the continent, which had been occupied and managed by Xuannü Palace for tens of thousands of years.

Xuannü Palace was once the most powerful orthodox faction on the Qingming Continent and at one point had a chance to unify it. Unfortunately, due to several strategic miscalculations, the Sect’s strength was greatly diminished, and it was now far from its former peak.

In terms of power ranking, Xuannü Palace now ranked last among the ten super-factions. If not for its deep-seated foundations from the past, which had yet to be completely exhausted, it would likely have trouble even preserving its heritage and foundation.

The upper echelons of the top-ranking factions have secretly conspired more than once to join forces and carve up Xuannü Palace’s foundation, but they have yet to put their plans into action.

Deep within the Sect’s main grounds, in an inconspicuous Secret Hall, wisps of green mist curled and lingered, and a mysterious, profound aura of Dao Rhyme silently permeated the air.

Amidst the hazy light and shadows, a graceful, slender, and poised figure stood silently.

"...Have you found out? Which faction obtained the opportunities within that Ancient Great Teachings’ ground, the Hongmeng Divine Hall?"

A soft, pleasant voice echoed unhurriedly through the hall.

Behind her, three black-robed, masked Female Cultivators were bowed over in trepidation. The woman in the center reported cautiously:

"Reporting to the Sect Leader, your subordinates are still investigating through multiple channels. We have not yet received any definitive news."

"It has been long enough."

The Elder Sect Leader’s voice was clear and calm, yet it carried an intangible pressure.

Several decades had passed since the ruins of the Hongmeng Divine Hall last reappeared. This renowned Immortal Mansion from the Ancient Era had not only had its opportunities taken by others, but control over the entire grounds had also fallen into the hands of an outsider.

When exploring the ruins, Xuannü Palace had invested heavily. Many high-level figures, including the Saintess, Immortal Monarch Mi Yue, and a large group of elite Disciples had gone, determined to succeed.

The result, however, was unexpected. This formidable expedition returned empty-handed, having gained nothing.

Of course, they were still considered lucky. The Chiying Demon Sect’s forces were completely wiped out. Even their Vice Sect Leader, Yin Xuechen, did not return, left behind forever in the depths of the ruins.

The team from the Li Huo Divine Palace was just as unlucky. Even their Sect Leader, Qin Tiangen, perished there, along with a large number of High Rank Cultivators whose Divine Souls could not even escape.

In contrast, the teams from the Yu Family and Xuannü Palace saw that things were going wrong and decisively chose to withdraw, so their Disciples suffered few losses.

When the news reached the Sects, it naturally sent shockwaves through the various upper echelons.

After all, the Chiying Demon Sect was currently the most powerful faction on the Qingming Continent. Yin Xuechen’s authority was second only to the Elder Sect Leader, and the factional power behind him was considerable. His sudden death caught many great figures off guard and left them temporarily on the back foot.

What was worse: the upper echelons of the Chiying Demon Sect were unwilling to accept this, so they organized another elite force to travel to the Qinghao Continent, attempting to re-explore the ruins of the Hongmeng Divine Hall and recover the remains of Yin Xuechen and the other high-ranking figures.

With Meng Feiyu’s Primordial Spirit projection guarding the core area of the Divine Hall, the result was a foregone conclusion. This team was also trapped inside. To this day, no message has been received from them, and it is presumed they met a grim fate.

Having lost two elite forces in a row, the Chiying Demon Sect’s upper echelons finally gave up, no longer daring to touch that deadly Extreme Forbidden Realm. Instead, they began secretly investigating the ownership of the Hongmeng Divine Hall’s opportunities through their own intelligence network.

Naturally, Xuannü Palace had not been idle either. The Elder Sect Leader had originally planned to seize the opportunities within to revive the Sect’s prestige and restore its former position as the number one orthodox lineage. Now that the plan had failed, she had to find a way to remedy the situation.

"...Sect Leader, if I may, there is an unconfirmed rumor from the Qingyao Continent regarding the ownership of the Hongmeng Divine Hall. It is said that it was obtained by the legendary Child of Destiny."

A masked Female Cultivator said in a low voice.

"..."