Da Xuan Martial Saint

"It's time to discuss matters with them."

After a brief moment of contemplation, Kun Wu nodded slightly towards Qu Lin, saying, "Then go make contact. Invite the Heavenly Corpse Sect and the Wumeng factions to discuss the affairs of Han Prefecture. Indeed, we cannot disregard the Seven Profound Sect any longer."

"Yes."

Hearing Kun Wu's words, Qu Lin immediately responded and was about to leave.

But almost at that moment.

Whether it was Kun Wu, Qu Lin, or the other members of the Sky Demon Sect who were in the midst of absorbing demon qi for body refining, almost all of them suddenly looked up, their gazes unanimously shooting upward, and their expressions swiftly changed.

At the same time that everyone's expressions were changing, a very dull booming sound was heard coming from afar, reaching all the way underground, causing the entire belly of the mountain to tremble, and ripples spread throughout the intertwining demon qi in the void.

"What's going on!"

A Demon Venerable asked, their expression changing.

"Quickly, go and see!"

This was the Main Altar's forbidden land situated in the deepest part of Secluded Silent Valley. The trembling just now was clearly not due to the fluctuation of Earth's veins and the fact that it could reach here showed it was no trivial matter.
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At this moment, in the hearts of Kun Wu, Qu Lin, and the others, almost all harbored an ominous premonition.

Could it be...

——

Outside.

Outside the Secluded Silent Valley.

The entire Secluded Silent Valley was an expanse of rugged frozen soil stretching over dozens of miles, a deep valley recessed among hills and gorges, and right now, atop the cliff edges of the hills and gorges, stood over a dozen figures in a line.

Among them, some were in plain clothes fluttering in the wind, while others stood steady as a mountain, each exuding an aura deep as the abyss. Every one of them was a renowned figure in the Eleven States of the Cold North Path with names that would resonate like thunder once spoken, all Grandmaster existences.

At a glance.

One could see Qi Zhiyuan leading the group with Fang Yuan, Liu Tong, and others standing separately, including Feng Hongsheng, Shi Zhenyong, and nearly all were present. Just the number of Marrow Cleansing Grandmasters alone shockingly reached a total of fourteen!

Although they were not all the Grandmaster existences from the Seven Profound Sect, with a few like Qin Mengjun not present, it was almost a case of the full force emerging, revealing the true foundation of the great Seven Profound Sect!

Beyond that.

There were also Murong Yan, Xu Yang, and some Main Peak protectors, who could barely exert Grandmaster-level battle prowess. They were nearly all present, amounting to a force comparable to Grandmaster standards, reaching as many as twenty in total!

Chen Mu was also present. Dressed in his simple commoner's garb, he just stood on the side of the gorge, positioned alongside Grandmasters like Feng Hongsheng, standing in the same area as Murong Yan. He didn't stand out at all and simply focused his gaze down towards Secluded Silent Valley.

"This Sky Demon Sect has been hiding in Secluded Silent Valley for so many years without being rooted out, indeed, they have some tricks up their sleeve."

Firstly, the location of Secluded Silent Valley is too remote, towards the northwest border of Ice State, belonging to the truly infrequently visited areas which even Ice Extreme Palace doesn't concern itself with much.

Secondly, Secluded Silent Valley is not a specific terrain feature; in fact, within a thousand miles radius, stretching all the way outside of the border to the Wilderness's frozen soil, there are no less than a hundred such landscapes. Secluded Silent Valley is just one of them, neither the largest nor the most noticeable, appearing utterly unremarkable.

If one did not have a precise report in advance, even as he searched along the way, it's very likely he would overlook it entirely, unless he went deep into the valley. Only then might one detect something unusual. But the Sky Demon Sect could detect him as well, and once someone were to venture deep into the heart of the Sky Demon Sect's Main Altar, even if that person were an unparalleled Grandmaster, it would still be extremely dangerous.

"There's barely any anomaly detected in the nearby Earth's Veins, it seems they don't rely much on Earth Pulse's Power, mainly focusing on concealing their presence."

Murong Yan stood beside Chen Mu, also exploring the situation in the valley and responding.

Feng Hongsheng stood at the forefront, right now standing at the edge of the cliff, gazing down at Secluded Silent Valley, speaking in an even tone, "Regardless of this place being an important stronghold or the Main Altar of the Sky Demon Sect, it can't possess a force comparable to our Sect's Qiankun Lock Dragon Formation. However, if we rashly barge in without knowing the situation, there's still some danger."

"How do you see it, Brother Shi?"

After speaking, Feng Hongsheng turned to look toward Shi Zhenyong at his side.

Shi Zhenyong's expression unchanged, said, "How could sinister Demon Paths withstand a single blow? If the likes of the Sky Demon Sect, who cling to life by hiding away, were to have the foundation to engage with us, the righteous path, wouldn't that suggest we are incompetent?"

"Let me be the first to try."

As his words fell.

Shi Zhenyong took a step forward, his aura surged, immediately drawing the attention of others nearby.

Within the entire Seven Profound Sect, Shi Zhenyong's strength, excluding those of the Supreme level, was only second to a few like Qi Zhiyuan and Qin Mengjun, truly a dominant figure in the Cold North. He had cultivated to Grandmaster using the Gen Mountain, Kan Water, and Xun Wind Channels, even forging a Domain. When it came to pure strength, he was even slightly stronger than Fu Jingyuan, although the difference was not significant.

At that moment, one could see Shi Zhenyong channeling his breath, the surging Yuan Gang of a Marrow Cleansing Grandmaster rising tumultuously. He raised his hand in a sweeping motion, and the cliff beneath him shattered, a titanic rock slowly ascending, supported by his right hand.

Then.

His right arm swelled up instantaneously, abundant Yuan Gang coursing within as the power of heaven and earth nearby howled furiously towards him. Accompanied by a terrifying force, he then hurled the massive boulder forcefully, throwing it towards the Secluded Silent Valley!

Given that the boulder was already a thousand jin in weight, and now further infused with the overbearing power of heaven and earth, solidified with the Artistic Conception of Gen Mountain, it was akin to a small mountain. Its surface was even entwined with howling winds, like a falling star tracing an arc across the sky.

Boom!!!

The boulder smashed into a part of the mountain within the Secluded Silent Valley, nearly instantaneously causing it to shatter, spreading cracks everywhere. The massive rock hadn't broken apart and, like a nail, pierced deeply into the mountain, plunging more than ten zhang before exploding into pieces.

The site where the boulder hit happened to be a weak area of the mountain in the Secluded Silent Valley, or rather, a support node. For a Grandmaster with deep comprehension of Gen Mountain like Shi Zhenyong, spotting this was apparent at a glance.

However.

Although that strike shattered the node, the mountain didn't suffer a cascading failure or collapse; instead, an invisible force seemed to be propping up the entire mass, maintaining its stability.

"As expected, there is some method to it."

With an unchanged expression, Shi Zhenyong slowly lowered his hand and spoke.

Clearly, the mountains within the Secluded Silent Valley contained formations and were suffused with the power of Earth's Veins; otherwise, his attack would have caused much greater destruction.

"How does Qi Senior Brother see it?"

Feng Hongsheng smiled faintly upon witnessing this and turned to look at Qi Zhiyuan, who wasn't far away.

Qi Zhiyuan, from his high vantage point, calmly gazed towards the mountains of the Secluded Silent Valley and said, "Since there are formations, we should start by destroying them from the outside. If they intend to defend with their position, we'll force them out."

If the Secluded Silent Valley had an integrated formation network, it would not be advisable to directly invade, especially without clear intelligence. Even a practitioner in the Blood Exchange Realm could suffer losses from a reckless incursion, but from the outside, there was less to fear. After all, no matter how the Secluded Silent Valley mobilized the power of Earth's Veins, its might would inevitably be far inferior to the Qiankun Lock Dragon Formation.

Otherwise, if there was a formation and the power of Earth's Veins comparable to the Qiankun Lock Dragon Formation, the Sky Demon Sect would not have remained hidden for so long and would have been discovered by either the Ice Extreme Palace or by the former Da Xuan Dynasty Court.

The next moment.

Qi Zhiyuan suddenly raised his hand, and a pitch-black mirror appeared in it. As soon as the mirror materialized, it captured the attention of many nearby, including Chen Mu, who cast his gaze over and his eyes flickered slightly.

"Even this item has been brought here."

If the Seven Profound Sect was set on taking action against the Secluded Silent Valley alone, it was sure to be more than a simple endeavor. Not only had Grandmasters such as Qi Zhiyuan come forth in full force, but the Sect's heritage had been mobilized as well. This mirror, undoubtedly a Spirit Weapon, was one whose name even Chen Mu recognized.

The thirty-seventh Spirit Weapon of the Da Xuan Spirit Weapon Catalogue—Taiyin Mirror!

Spirit Weapons listed in the Da Xuan Spirit Weapon Catalogue were all unparalleled, and even Superior Grade Spirit Weapons like the Mysterious Heavenly Sword Diagram were not worthy of inclusion. As for those ranked thirty-seventh, their might was unquestionable!

Such ranked Spirit Weapons were either wielded by existences at the Blood Exchange Realm or by Great Sects like the Seven Profound Sect as part of their controlled heritage; other individuals, even top Grandmasters, were not privileged to wield them.

In fact.

Qi Zhiyuan could wield this Spirit Weapon because his cultivation in Martial Arts happened to be of the Taiyin path, having formed the Taiyin Martial Body and mastered the Taiyin Artistic Conception, which perfectly matched the Taiyin Mirror's affinity.

In wielding this Spirit Weapon, the power he could wield surpassed even that of top Grandmasters!

"Taiyin Mirror."

Even Murong Yan, standing next to Chen Mu, couldn't help but intake a breath at the sight of the Spirit Weapon raised by Qi Zhiyuan, her eyes very serious. In fact, she had seldom witnessed the might of the Taiyin Mirror herself.

"It is said that unparalleled Spirit Weapons not only possess Spirituality but even a hint of Spiritual Wisdom... All the Spirit Weapons listed in the Da Xuan Spirit Weapon Catalogue are refined from the essence of heaven and earth."

As Murong Yan murmured to herself.

Taiyin Inner Breath had already surged from Qi Zhiyuan's body into the Taiyin Mirror, awaking the seemingly slumbering unparalleled Spirit Weapon. In no time, heaven and earth changed color as an endless surge of Heaven and Earth Spiritual Power poured into the mirror, causing ripples to spread across the dull, black surface.

Though it emitted not even a glint of light, the black took on a life of its own, akin to an endless abyss. The dense Power of Taiyin was so intense that a mere glance could make one feel as if they were about to freeze solid.

"..."

This grand aura permeated the air, compelling even Chen Mu to observe closely.

With his current realm and strength, if there was anything among the present Grandmasters that could threaten him, it would likely only be Qi Zhiyuan, who was now wielding the Taiyin Mirror. The formidable power brewing on the mirror's surface was almost on par with his own level; probably even the top Grandmasters would struggle to take a direct hit.

At that moment.

Qi Zhiyuan, fully harnessing the Taiyin Mirror, appeared solemn. Almost all of his concentration was gathered as he fixed his gaze on the Secluded Silent Valley.

"Fall!"

A beam of jet-black mirror light, consisting purely of Heaven and Earth Spiritual Power condensed into Taiyin light, struck from a hundred zhang away and smashed into Secluded Silent Valley, piercing through a layer of rock with a single blow!

Wherever the mirror light touched, the ground cracked inch by inch, and frost spread, freezing everything in all directions.