179: Chapter 179 The Central Region Shakes, Seven Sects Gather

Central Region, Ten Thousand Swords Sect, Heavenly Sword Peak.

In the majestic hall, seven figures sat in two rows.

These were the representatives of the seven major Sects of the Central Region.

In the primary seat was the Sect Master of the Ten Thousand Swords Sect, "Sword Origin Master," a Cultivator at the Early Spirit Transformation Stage with sword-like eyebrows and starry eyes, exuding an air of natural authority.

On the left, in order, were: the Grand Elder of the Qingyang Sect, "Ancestor Chi Yang," at the Mid stage Soul Transformation, with red hair and beard and a fiery temper; the Grand Elder of the Xuantian Sect, "Xuan Mingzi," at the Early Spirit Transformation Stage, with an indifferent expression; the Sect Leader of the Heavenly Talisman Sect, "Fu Yunzi," at the Late Nascent Soul Stage; the Sect Master of the Beast Taming Sect, "Beast King," at the Nascent Soul Peak; and the Pavilion Master of the Pill Cauldron Pavilion, "Immortal Master Danxia," at the Late Nascent Soul Stage.

And the first seat on the right... was currently empty.

That was the seat of the Heavenly Secret Pavilion.

"I presume everyone has received it?"

Sword Origin Master spoke slowly, his voice as clear as the ring of a sword.

He held a Jade Slip in his hand—it was the intelligence sent back urgently by the Star Track Pavilion Master, detailing the entire process of Heavenly Derivation Master's betrayal and Lin Yue's kill.

The hall fell into a dead silence.

After a long time, Ancestor Chi Yang slammed the armrest, his crimson hair and beard moving without any wind.

"Heavenly Secret Pavilion... what a Heavenly Secret Pavilion! To think they dared to collude with the Spirit Devouring Clan for three thousand years!"

"I've long found them eyesores, always acting all mysterious and playing god. Turns out... they had a ghost in their hearts!"

His anger flared, and phantom flames rose around him, causing the temperature in the hall to skyrocket.

"Fellow Daoist Chi Yang, calm your anger."

Xuan Mingzi spoke indifferently: "Getting angry now is of no use. The priority is how to respond."

"How to respond? We slaughter our way over, of course!"

Ancestor Chi Yang glared: "Leave not a single soul in the Heavenly Secret Pavilion! As for the Southern Border... hmph, though that brat Lin Yue killed Heavenly Derivation Master, he is ultimately just at the Late Nascent Soul Stage. What can he achieve? In my opinion, we should directly send an army to take over the Southern Border, set up an inescapable net, and wait for the Spirit Devouring Clan to come to their deaths!"

At these words, the expressions of the others varied.

Immortal Master Danxia frowned slightly: "Fellow Daoist Chi Yang, the Southern Border is now the territory of the Luoxia Sect. Lin Yue killed Heavenly Derivation Master with a Late Nascent Soul Stage cultivation; his strength cannot be underestimated. Forcibly taking over might cause trouble."

"Trouble? He wouldn't dare!"

Ancestor Chi Yang sneered: "A mere Southern Border bumpkin who luckily obtained a Star Lord Inheritance dares to challenge us? My Qingyang Sect can send any Soul Transformation Elder to suppress him!"

"Not necessarily."

Sword Origin Master finally spoke, his voice calm: "According to the intelligence, when Lin Yue killed Heavenly Derivation Master, he displayed a Nascent Soul resulting from the Fusion of four Origins, as well as... True Dragon Might."

When the words "True Dragon Might" were spoken, the faces of everyone in the hall changed.

"True Dragon Might? True Dragons have long vanished from this world. Where did he get..."

"It is the Corrupt Poison Flood Dragon Soul."

Sword Origin Master said: "Within the Star Lord's Legacy, an ancient flood dragon soul was sealed. Lin Yue refined it into his Nascent Soul to possess True Dragon Might."

"Even so, it is merely external power."

Ancestor Chi Yang remained disdainful: "Soul Transformation and Nascent Soul are as different as immortals and mortals. No matter how strong he is, he cannot cross this chasm."

"But he has the Zhou Tian Xing Dou Great Array."

Xuan Mingzi interjected: "This array was created by the Star Lord. If it were the complete version, it could suppress Soul Transformation. According to reports, the Luoxia Sect has set up a simplified version. Although its power is insufficient, combined with Lin Yue's Domain, it's enough to contend with the Early Spirit Transformation Stage."

He paused: "Furthermore, the Southern Border has allies like the Star Track Pavilion Master and the Star Miasma Dragon Lizard. Using force would result in too great a loss."

"Then what do you say we do?"

Ancestor Chi Yang asked impatiently.

Xuan Mingzi looked at Sword Origin Master: "What is Sect Master Sword Origin's opinion?"

Sword Origin Master pondered for a moment before slowly saying: "The Spirit Devouring Clan is the great enemy of the Human Race. The priority is to unite all forces to resist the external foe together. Since the Southern Border has already established a foothold, we should not suppress them with power, but rather go there as reinforcements."

"But..."

His tone shifted: "Assistance cannot be without conditions."

"I propose: dispatch a 'Central Region Allied Army' to the south, led by three Spirit Transformation Ancestors, accompanied by ten Nascent Soul and three hundred Golden Core Cultivators."

"There are two conditions."

"First, the Luoxia Sect must open the simplified Star Lord Inheritance for the allied Cultivators to comprehend—after all, to fight the Spirit Devouring Clan, we need to improve our overall strength."

"Second, after the allied army arrives, the Southern Border's defense must be under the unified command of the allied army, and the Luoxia Sect must cooperate fully."

These two conditions seemed reasonable but actually hid a secret agenda.

Opening the Legacy meant the Star Lord's secrets might be leaked.

Unified command meant the Luoxia Sect would lose its leadership in the Southern Border.

Ancestor Chi Yang's eyes lit up: "Good! Let's do that! If that brat Lin Yue doesn't comply, we'll have a perfect reason to suppress him!"

Xuan Mingzi frowned slightly but ultimately said nothing.

The representatives of the other Sects also nodded one after another.

The course was set.

"So, who is willing to lead the team south?"

Sword Origin Master looked at everyone.

Ancestor Chi Yang took the initiative: "I'll go! I want to see just what kind of ability that brat Lin Yue has!"

Xuan Mingzi said indifferently: "The Xuantian Sect will also send someone, lest some people get too impulsive and ruin the major plan."

Ancestor Chi Yang snorted but did not retort.

The final decision was made:

The allied army would be led by three Spirit Transformation Ancestors—"Sword Origin Master" of the Ten Thousand Swords Sect (personally taking action), "Ancestor Chi Yang" of the Qingyang Sect, and "Xuan Mingzi" of the Xuantian Sect.

Ten Nascent Soul Cultivators, including Elders from various Sects.

Three hundred Golden Core Cultivators, all elites.

Departure in three days.

The news spread toward the Southern Border at the fastest speed.

Seven days later.

Luoxia Sect, Star Peak Hall.

Lin Yue looked at the communication Jade Slip in his hand, his expression calm.

Behind him, the Star Track Pavilion Master, Sect Master Mo Chen, Immortal Master Qingluan, Heavenly Craftsman, Lin Cang, and others were gathered, all with grim faces.

"Opening the Legacy, unified command..."

Lin Cang gritted his teeth: "This isn't assistance; this is clearly looting while the house is on fire!"

"And it's looting in broad daylight."

Immortal Master Qingluan smiled bitterly: "Using the name of the Human Race's righteousness to carry out an annexation. These Central Region Sects... they've certainly calculated well."

"Young Friend Lin, what do you think?"

The Star Track Pavilion Master looked at Lin Yue.

Lin Yue put down the Jade Slip and smiled.

The smile was faint but carried a hint of coldness.

"They want to pick the peaches."

"But peaches... aren't that easy to pick."

He stood up, walked to the window, and looked out past the mountain gate.

In the distant sky, dozens of streaks of light were tearing through the air.

The aura was vast, and the pressure spanned a thousand miles.

The Central Region Allied Army... had arrived.

"Let's go and meet these... 'reinforcements'."

Lin Yue took a step forward, and his figure vanished.

Everyone exchanged glances and followed closely behind.

Outside the Luoxia Sect mountain gate.

Three figures hovered in the air: Sword Origin Master, Ancestor Chi Yang, and Xuan Mingzi.

Behind them, ten Nascent Soul and three hundred Golden Core Cultivators stood in formation, their auras merging into one, as deep and vast as an abyss or an ocean.

Below, the Luoxia Sect Cultivators were also waiting in full battle array.

The atmosphere was... tense and explosive.

"Where is Lin Yue of the Luoxia Sect?"

Ancestor Chi Yang's voice was like thunder, rolling out across the area.

"Lin is here."

With a flash of starlight, Lin Yue appeared in the sky above the mountain gate.

He was still dressed in white, his aura restrained, appearing no different from an ordinary Late Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator.

But Sword Origin Master and Xuan Mingzi both narrowed their eyes at the same time.

Because they sensed that Lin Yue... had injuries within his body.

Moreover, the injuries were not light; his four Origins were out of balance, and his combat power was likely only at seventy percent.

"It seems the battle with Heavenly Derivation Master cost him a price."

Sword Origin Master thought to himself.

Ancestor Chi Yang, however, directly sneered: "You are Lin Yue? A mere Late Nascent Soul Stage dares to make us wait here?"

Lin Yue looked at him calmly: "If you are here as guests, I would naturally welcome you warmly. But if you are here to flaunt your power..."

He paused, his tone turning cold:

"The Southern Border does not welcome you."

"Presumptuous!"

Ancestor Chi Yang was furious, and his Mid stage Soul Transformation pressure erupted like a volcanic explosion, pressing down on Lin Yue!

But Lin Yue merely flicked his sleeve lightly.

The Starry Sky Domain expanded—its range only three meters around him.

The pressure crashed into the Domain and vanished without a trace, like a clay ox entering the sea.

Ancestor Chi Yang's pupils constricted.

"A Domain?!"

And it was a Domain that, with a Nascent Soul cultivation, could withstand the pressure of a Soul Transformation!

"Interesting."

Sword Origin Master finally spoke: "Sect Master Lin, we have come to resist the Spirit Devouring Clan together. This is a collective decision of the seven Central Region Sects. I hope Sect Master Lin will prioritize the big picture and accept the conditions."

He emphasized the words "collective decision," intending to apply pressure.

Lin Yue smiled.

"Conditions can be discussed."

He said slowly: "Opening the simplified Legacy is fine—but it is limited to the personal comprehension of the allied Cultivators; it cannot be shared with others, and they must swear a Heart Demon oath."

"Unified command... is also fine."

Everyone was stunned.

Even Ancestor Chi Yang was dazed.

He agreed that easily?

But Lin Yue's next sentence caused their expressions to change drastically:

"But the leadership of the Southern Border's defense must belong to the Luoxia Sect. The allied army can coordinate in battle, but the final decisions... will be made by me."

"Absurd!"

Ancestor Chi Yang roared: "You, a Nascent Soul junior, are worthy of commanding Soul Transformation Ancestors?!"

"Whether I am worthy or not, you will know after a trial."

Lin Yue looked at him, his gaze calm:

"If Ancestor Chi Yang is not convinced, we can step down for a spar."

"If I lose, the Southern Border's defense... will be at your disposal."

"But if I win..."

The corner of his mouth curled into an arc:

"Then please, Ancestor, shut your mouth and follow my orders."

"How about it?"