330: Chapter 238 Six Void Refinement Venerables, All Prisoners

The voice of the Founding Ancestor of Divine Forging Sect sounded again, as steady as before, but with a hint of scrutiny. "How did you get in?"

Yun Ming was silent for a moment.

He did not mention the colored entries. "I don't know. A Void Refinement Divine Lord from the Cangmang Demon World killed me, and I died once. When I opened my eyes again, I was here."

As his voice faded, the ice field went silent for a moment. Then, the fifth voice—the Supreme Elder of Cangwu Divine Mountain—suddenly rose in pitch. "Cangmang Demon World? Did you say Cangmang Demon World?" His voice was sharp, carrying an irrepressible shock.

The first voice, the First Palace Master of Star Palace, was weak but clear. "People from another Small World have invaded?"

Yun Ming nodded; although he could not see them, he knew they could perceive him. "Yes. The Cangmang Demon World wants to devour the Origin of the Xuanhuang Small World. There is more than one Void Refinement Divine Lord among them; I have seen at least three outside. There are even more Soul Transformation Cultivators, too many to count. The Zifu Immortal Dynasty is finished, Tianyuan City has been destroyed, and the Shenduan Sect and Xuanhuang Pill Mansion were forced to abandon their Sects and flee, leaving the Xuanhuang Small World through a Teleportation Array."

Silence. Only the sound of the wind and falling snow remained on the ice field. After a long time, the Valley Master of Samsara Valley spoke, saying only two words. "How long?"

Yun Ming knew what he was asking. "The Yao Race's full-scale invasion has been going on for about a few years. The The Old Emperor of the Zifu Immortal Dynasty has been holding on, fighting a Void Refinement Divine Lord of the Yao Race for several years, with neither side gaining the upper hand. But I don't know how much longer he can hold on."

The deep voice of the Grand Elder of Taixu Grotto-Heaven rang out. "The The Old Emperor... when we were still there, he was at the Great Perfection of Void Refining. Among us, he had the highest Realm." He paused. "But that was a long time ago. His Lifespan was already running low, and now, I fear..."

He did not continue. But everyone knew what he wanted to say. For a Void Refinement Divine Lord whose Lifespan was nearing its end, it would be good if his cultivation did not regress. Facing multiple Void Refinement Divine Lords from the Cangmang Demon World, he could not hold on alone.

The Supreme Elder of Cangwu Divine Mountain let out a sharp sigh. "We are trapped here, and with such a major event happening outside, we cannot help at all." His tone, rarely without a smile, was filled with a heavy sense of powerlessness.

Yun Ming did not reply. He understood the feelings of these six people. Being Void Refinement Divine Lords standing at the pinnacle of the Xuanhuang Small World, yet trapped in a hellish place unable to leave, they could only listen to the outside world being invaded and devoured, unable to do anything.

After a long silence, the First Palace Master of Star Palace was the first to speak, his weak voice carrying an indescribable emotion. "Outside... is my Star Palace still there?"

Yun Ming thought for a moment. "Star Palace... I heard of it when I was in the East Xuan Region; it is one of the top powers. After the Yao Race invaded, I had no news of them. I don't know if it still exists."

The First Palace Master of Star Palace did not speak again.

The Palace Master of Myriad Demon Hall spoke, his voice hoarse and stiff. "What about Myriad Demon Hall?"

Yun Ming shook his head. "I have only read about Myriad Demon Hall in the *chronicles of the xuanhuang continent*; I have never truly come into contact with it. After the Yao Race invaded, the internal affairs of the Yao Race also became chaotic. The Yao Race from the Cangmang Demon World is not friendly to the native Yao Race, and many native Yao Race members have been devoured. I do not know how Myriad Demon Hall is faring now."

The Palace Master of Myriad Demon Hall fell silent.

The Valley Master of Samsara Valley said only two words. "Samsara Valley."

Yun Ming shook his head. "Samsara Valley is too mysterious; I have never heard any news about them from beginning to end. Perhaps they have hidden, or perhaps they have been destroyed. I do not know."

The Grand Elder of Taixu Grotto-Heaven and the Supreme Elder of Cangwu Divine Mountain asked about their own Sects one after another. Yun Ming did not know much about Taixu Grotto-Heaven and Cang Wu Divine Mountain, so he could only say, "I have heard the names, but I have not had any contact with them, and I do not know how they are doing now."

The last one to ask was the Founding Ancestor of Divine Forging Sect. His voice remained steady, but Yun Ming could hear what was suppressed beneath that steadiness. "Shenduan Sect. You said they abandoned their Sect and fled. Where did they flee to? Who led them to flee?"

Yun Ming recounted everything, detailing how the Shenduan Sect and Xuanhuang Pill Mansion joined forces, how they held their ground under the siege of the Yao Race, and how they left the Xuanhuang Small World through a Teleportation Array. He spoke of the decision made by the two Sect Masters, mentioned that all the Disciples and resources of the two Sects were relocated, and described how the mountain ranges of the Shenduan Sect were refined into a mobile fortress, now left behind as an empty shell to deceive the Yao Race. He said a lot, but there was one thing he did not mention—that it was he who used his map of mountains and rivers to pack everyone inside and bring them to the Teleportation Array.

The Founding Ancestor of Divine Forging Sect listened for a long time in silence. Then, he became rarely angry.

"The Shenduan Sect, the Sect I built with my own hands, has been forced to abandon its Sect and flee by others!" His voice was still steady, but beneath that steadiness was molten lava ready to erupt at any moment. The wind on the ice field seemed to pause for a moment, and the falling snowflakes slowed down by a beat.

The laughter of the other five—not mocking the Founder, but laughing at the legend of the Shenduan Sect that had been passed down for countless years. The Supreme Elder of Cangwu Divine Mountain laughed the loudest. "A quasi-Immortal Artifact? Hahaha—that was clearly a fifth-rank Dao Artifact that failed during refining and self-destructed! The lightning strike was caused by the explosion itself, not a Heavenly Tribulation! You Shenduan Sect have been spinning lies for tens of thousands of years, and even your own people believed it!"

The Grand Elder of Taixu Grotto-Heaven also rarely spoke, his deep voice carrying a hint of mockery. "I said back then that it was not an Immortal Artifact. You still didn't believe me."

The First Palace Master of Star Palace laughed weakly. "The commotion was indeed huge. Cultivators within a radius of ten thousand miles all thought an Immortal Artifact had emerged and ran to watch the excitement. As it turned out, it was just a furnace explosion."

The Palace Master of Myriad Demon Hall added hoarsely. "It exploded quite beautifully."

The Valley Master of Samsara Valley said only two words. "Spectacular."

The Founder did not deny it, nor was he angry. His voice returned to its steady state, but with a hint of gnashing teeth. "You guys, do you want me to dig up your embarrassing stories too? Cang Wu, back then you peeked at Mortal women bathing and were chased for three streets; do you want me to help you recall that?"

The laughter of the Supreme Elder of Cangwu Divine Mountain stopped abruptly. "You—"

The Grand Elder of Taixu Grotto-Heaven laughed deeply. "Is that true? How come I haven't heard of it."

The voice of the Supreme Elder of Cangwu Divine Mountain suddenly rose. "It's fake! He made it up! Don't believe him!"

The Palace Master of Myriad Demon Hall spoke hoarsely. "You laughed at me for stealing Yao Beast inner cores earlier, and I haven't settled the score with you yet. Now it's your turn."

The First Palace Master of Star Palace laughed weakly. "Stop arguing. You're all the same."

The Valley Master of Samsara Valley said only two words. "Disgraceful."

Listening to these six Void Refinement Divine Lords exposing each other's secrets, mocking each other, and tearing each other down, Yun Ming couldn't help but let the corners of his mouth lift. But soon, his smile faded. He remembered the serious business. He spoke up to interrupt them, his voice not loud, but very clear. "Seniors, this Junior would like to ask about something."