Chapter 68

Chapter 68: The Sacred War in the Southern Wilderness (Part I)

After six days, Ji Ning and others concluded their battles.

The youths from the Tian Wu divine clan and Lu Wu divine clan, Ning Xuan and Zhu Wuque, were all severely injured by Ji Ning alone. Ji Mingyue fought Ji Ning but narrowly lost by one move.

The rankings on the Talents List were henceforth beyond dispute.

From that day onward, Ji Ning and the others vanished completely, as if they had never existed. Their traces completely disappeared from the lands of the Southern Wilderness.

"Senior Sister Lu, Brother Chen, I shall take my leave first."

Li Ruofeng clasped his fists.

His trip to Linglong City had not been fruitless. At the very least, Li Ruofeng now understood his own standing clearly: he was the gatekeeper of the Southern Wilderness’s Talents List.

Another day passed.

The Hidden Dragon List was released.

Not only the Southern Wilderness, but the entire Yuan Realm was stirred.

Countless individuals began searching for those named on the Hidden Dragon List, the most prominent being the undisputed first rank—Nangong Zhandao.

Upon the list’s publication, the Eastern Region bustled with even greater fervor.

The Daqian Dynasty became a complete laughingstock.

The top figure on the Hidden Dragon List had been personally expelled from their own household by the Da Qian royal family.

Following that day, the Da Qian royal family issued an imperial decree: anyone providing information on Nangong Zhandao’s whereabouts would be rewarded with one sacred artifact, one holy pill, and one holy herb.

Even the Qian Emperor personally dispatched emissaries to the Southern Wilderness.

The higher-ups of the Hunyuan Sect also deeply grieved over their decision. Had they known Nangong Zhandao possessed such heaven-defying potential earlier, they would never have pressured the Daqian Dynasty but instead allowed the marriage to proceed.

It was too late for regrets.

The influence of the Hidden Dragon List swept across the entire Yuan Realm, instantly pushing the previously obscure Heaven’s Secret Pavilion to the forefront of attention, exposing it before the eyes of the world.

Even the distant Northern Cold Domain became aware of Heaven’s Secret Pavilion’s existence.

Ye Xu had thoroughly made Heaven’s Secret Pavilion a household name.

…

Red Dust Demon Sect.

Gathered within were all the Sages of the Southern Wilderness.

Myriad Phenomena Saint, clad in a blue robe, sat at the head seat. Below him sat Ye Hongchen and Demon Sage Fire Phoenix.

Old Ghost Fei, the two Sages from Dan Ding Sect, the couple from He Huan Sect—eight Sages in total—had all arrived at the Red Dust Demon Sect.

"Why haven’t Fu Tianxing and his wife arrived yet?" The Alchemical Saint frowned. "Don’t tell me they’ve reneged on their promise?"

Saint Ziyang’s death had revealed the connection between Tianxin Sect and Central Prefecture’s Dao Gate to all.

Everyone secretly speculated whether Fu Tianxing, now supported by the Dao Gate, was unwilling to honor his previous vow.

"Daoist brother Alchemical, you measure another’s integrity by your own pettiness." A hearty laugh echoed as Fu Tianxing entered the hall hand in hand with Su Qing.

Fu Tianxing was in high spirits, his face glowing. Truly, joyful events invigorated one’s entire being.

From then on, the Tianxin Sect became a branch of the Dao Gate in the Southern Wilderness.

Not only did he fulfill the dying wish of the founding patriarch, but he also gained a powerful backer for the Tianxin Sect, killing two birds with one stone.

Fu Tianxing and Su Qing would undoubtedly be remembered in the annals of the Tianxin Sect.

"Hmph." The Alchemical Saint snorted softly. Despite feeling displeased, he had no wish to offend Fu Tianxing, for the Tianxin Sect was no longer what it once was—now backed by the Central Prefecture’s Dao Gate.

"Since everyone is here, let us depart," said the Myriad Phenomena Saint. He was eager to deal with Xuanfu Palace as quickly as possible, clearing the path for the Red Dust Demon Sect.

"Should we visit the Heaven’s Secret Pavilion?" inquired Old Ghost Fei solemnly. "If we could glean more precise information from its master, we would be fully confident in this endeavor."

"Old Ghost Fei, are you implying ten Saints cannot take on one Lu Fengming?" boasted the He Huan Sect master. "The master of the Heaven’s Secret Pavilion charges far too much. Even if we divvy up all of Xuanfu Palace’s treasures, it might still fall short of affording a single deal with him."

"It truly is too expensive."

The Alchemical Saint nodded in agreement.

Demon Sage Fire Phoenix, her voice icy, asserted, "With our combined strength, obliterating Xuanfu Palace should be of no concern. Should anything go awry, we can still approach the Heaven’s Secret Pavilion."

"Let’s go!"

Not wanting to waste any more time, the Myriad Phenomena Saint raised his arm in command. The Ten Saints transformed into streaks of light, charging toward the direction of Xuanfu Palace.

All ten soared through the sky without concealing their auras.

"Such are the auras of Saints!"

"Why have so many Saints appeared today? And all flying toward the same destination?"

On the ground, the cultivators fortunate enough to witness this scene murmured incessantly.

"That’s the direction of Xuanfu Palace!"

A Divine God, awestruck, declared.

"Is it possible… these Ten Saints are about to move against Xuanfu Palace? If true, by day’s end, the Southern Wilderness might witness the complete obliteration of Xuanfu Palace!"

"The transformations sweeping across the Southern Wilderness have indeed unfolded with startling swiftness…"

"Yet every change traces its root back to the Heaven’s Secret Pavilion."

The emergence of the Ten Saints shook the Southern Wilderness to its core.

Half a stick of incense’s time later.

Ten indomitable auras descended upon Xuanfu Palace.

"Saints?!"

The cultivators guarding Xuanfu Palace paled dramatically. A senior disciple of the Complete Divine God realm shivered, his pupils tightening involuntarily. "The Myriad Phenomena Saint… of the Red Dust Demon Sect!"

"And the sect master of the Red Dust Demon Sect, Ye Hongchen herself!"

"Demon Sage Fire Phoenix of the Celestial Demon Hall has also arrived!"

"The revered Ancestor of the Dan Ding Sect is here too…!"

Panic seized the cultivators of Xuanfu Palace. The sudden appearance of ten Saints unleashed a crushing pressure, robbing them of breath, leaving them gasping and on the verge of suffocation.

“Ha! Ha! Ha!…”

A loud burst of laughter echoed from within the depths of Xuanfu Palace. The immense projection of the Jade Sky Saint’s primordial spirit manifested in the void above. Gazing down upon the ten powerful figures, it proclaimed, "My dear friends! Having traveled hundreds of thousands of li, you must be weary! Pray, come in for some tea!"

Old Ghost Fei’s eyes slightly hardened. When the Jade Sky Saint saw them, he surprisingly showed no strange light, as if he had long known they would come to the Xuanfu Palace.

"There’s something suspicious," Old Ghost Fei thought to himself.

The Myriad Phenomena Saint said indifferently, "Wan Xiaolou, we are here for Lu Fengming."

"Lu Fengming?"

The Jade Sky Saint sneered coldly, "How did you know?"

"So you knew about Lu Fengming’s existence all along."

Fu Tianxing said coldly, "He killed so many saints of the Xuanfu Palace. If it weren’t for him, the Xuanfu Palace would likely have climbed to a higher level long ago."

"Since you knew yet did not stop him, your intentions are condemnable."

"If the founding ancestor of the Xuanfu Palace had a spirit in heaven, he would not rest in peace."

"Nonsense!"

The Jade Sky Saint waved his sleeve, "Master Lu’s cultivation had reached the peak perfection. If he succeeded, the Xuanfu Palace could shine brilliantly once more!"

"The reason you came to know his existence is probably because the Master of Heaven’s Secret Pavilion leaked the secret, right?"

Before the Master of Heaven’s Secret Pavilion appeared, Lu Fengming had remained hidden for over a hundred thousand years.

As soon as Heaven’s Secret Pavilion appeared, Lu Fengming was exposed to everyone’s sight.

Naturally, it was the credit of the Master of Heaven’s Secret Pavilion.

Throughout the Southern Wilderness, only the Master of Heaven’s Secret Pavilion could accomplish this.

At that moment, the Jade Sky Saint had already pushed Ye Xu’s words aside from his mind. Lu Fengming’s existence did not frighten him but instead let him see an opportunity for the Xuanfu Palace to ascend to the peak.

Rumble!

Just then.

The vast sky suddenly turned dark and gloomy, thunder roared, and a torrential downpour poured from above.

A figure walked out from the rain curtain, graceful as if he were the master of the vast land and rivers. He walked in the rain, yet not a single drop touched him. As soon as he appeared, his presence suppressed the entire scene.

Lu Fengming was here!

Looking at this figure, all saints’ expressions tightened.

This was an old monster who had lived for one hundred and seventy thousand years, a veritable living fossil.

No one was not wary of him.

"Finally, he’s come."

Yang Xuanzhan hid inside the Xuanfu Palace, for battles at this level were not something they could participate in. He tried hard to suppress his excited feelings, but the excitement in his eyes could not be concealed.

Recently, he had felt extremely anxious, not daring even to sleep.

The moment he closed his eyes, he would dream of falling into a massive abyss, shattered to pieces.

Today, he would escape Lu Fengming’s control and gain liberation.

"Well done in coming."

Lu Fengming looked down disdainfully upon the group. His killing intent tore through the ten-thousand-li sky, splitting it into countless fragments.

"This saves me the trouble of dealing with you all one by one."

"You’ve lived one hundred and seventy thousand years, yet remain at saint level perfection. Shame on you, called Xuanfu Palace’s great talent; it’s utterly disgraceful," Demon Sage Fire Phoenix said contemptuously.

"Killing you is more than enough."

Lu Fengming fixed his gaze on Demon Sage Fire Phoenix, killing intent swirling in his eyes.

"Qi Ruyu, you are one of the juniors I value most. Given another hundred years, you could reach my current level. But you were too rash."

"Of course, I won’t give you time to grow."

Lu Fengming turned his gaze towards the Myriad Phenomena Saint. He stood with hands behind his back. The void cracked open with a snap, and the void shards rang like clanging divine daggers.

Everyone felt a wave of danger.

"It’s been tens of thousands of years since I last acted. Who knows how much my godly arts have deteriorated," Lu Fengming said as he waved his sleeve, turning the ten-thousand-li void shards into countless divine daggers.

In an instant, ten thousand li became a sea of daggers.

The Holy War of the Southern Wilderness had finally erupted.