548: This cannot be explained simply by calling someone a genius!

"Envoy, the relationship between Shen Tianxing and Mo Qi is extraordinary. I suspect Shen Tianxing is not from this Outer Domain."

"The two are very similar in the Way of the Blade. Your subordinate suspects that the forces behind Mo Qi and Shen Tianxing have other origins."

This was the most probable guess of Jin Yang, the Saint!

However, he was, after all, an Outer Domain Cultivator, completely ignorant of the Inner Domain, and thus knew nothing of Mo Qi's background.

And Shen Tianxing?

This fellow's background was even harder to investigate.

On the surface, he was just a nobody from a Human Dynasty in the Northern Wilderness, but which nobody could achieve the Immortal Realm from scratch in just a few years?

This couldn't be explained away by simply calling him a Genius!

In the Outer Domain, other Cultivators who wished to Cultivate to the Golden Body Realm and Immortal Realm needed vast amounts of Cultivation resources: Medicinal Pills, martial arts scriptures, secret arts, secret methods, and various divine weapons. These were definitely not something ordinary forces could provide.

But what about Shen Tianxing?

Not only did his Cultivation progress astonishingly fast, with his Cultivation Realm skyrocketing every so often, making it impossible to fathom.

It was as if he didn't need any Cultivation resources, and he even managed to open a Trading Firm specializing in selling various Medicinal Pills, martial arts scriptures, and divine weapons. This was simply outrageous!

Among the Five Domains, only the Myriad Treasures Pavilion, which specialized in this business, could achieve this. Even their Meteorite Sect couldn't.

Therefore, the only possibility was that Shen Tianxing came from the Inner Domain, and his origins were very mysterious. The relationship between Mo Qi and him might not be as simple as it appeared on the surface.

Mo Qi's Way of the Blade might have originated from the forces behind Shen Tianxing.

Dugu Fei frowned, glancing at Jin Yang, the Saint.

Now even he was starting to have some doubts.

He felt a mix of confusion and sudden clarity.

How could he, with his astonishing talent, have been defeated by Mo Qi three hundred thousand years ago?

Mo Qi's Sect was not actually that strong; it had already been destroyed by them. With his Sect alone, Mo Qi certainly couldn't have reached this Realm.

Therefore, there was a high possibility that Mo Qi relied on other forces!

Now, with the sudden appearance of Shen Tianxing, this possibility seemed even more reasonable.

"You've done well!"

"To obtain so much useful information in such a short time, there will definitely be rewards once I report this to the Family."

Dugu Fei felt a little more confident.

He felt that the gap between himself and Mo Qi was not actually that great.

Mo Qi had, after all, been trapped in the Outer Domain for three hundred thousand years; his strength had not recovered, and his injuries might not have healed either. Shen Tianxing's arrival might have been for him.

But the time was too short. Even with Shen Tianxing's help, Mo Qi couldn't recover quickly.

As for himself, he had been living in seclusion in the Family for many years, his injuries had long since healed, and although his strength had not returned to its Peak Realm, it was not far off.

Comparing the two, he felt that his decision to personally come to the Outer Domain this time was absolutely correct!

Slaying Mo Qi and reclaiming his honor seemed to be a foregone conclusion.

"Thank you, Envoy. We, the Three Saints of the Golden Crow, will always remember your great kindness."

"As long as the Envoy has any command, we will not hesitate to die!"

The Three Saints of the Golden Crow were overjoyed to hear this. If they could gain Dugu Fei's approval this time, then their efforts during this period would not be in vain.

They no longer cared much about rewards or lack thereof.

What was important was to seize this opportunity to cling to Dugu Fei's leg. Perhaps this Contest of the Imperial Son would truly give them a chance to enter the Inner Domain.

Dugu Fei nodded and said, "There are still two months until the Contest of the Imperial Son. You should start preparing now. As long as this Contest of the Imperial Son concludes successfully, there will be benefits for you."

"However, you must also keep a constant watch. If Mo Qi and Shen Tianxing appear, report to me immediately!"

Dugu Fei came for Mo Qi, so he certainly didn't need to go looking for him himself.

He believed that Mo Qi would not give up this opportunity to enter the Inner Domain, and he would definitely return to the Meteorite Sect.

Once he discovered Mo Qi's presence, he would strike without hesitation!

"We obey the Envoy's command!"

The Three Saints of the Golden Crow immediately agreed without any hesitation... A few days later, news of the destruction of various Immortal Great Sects in the Western Ridge spread throughout the Five Domains.

Along with it, many other relatively large forces in the Western Ridge, with almost no power to resist, had all their Cultivators above the Golden Body Realm killed!

The Western Ridge was the Great Domain with the most Immortal Great Sects, and their contact was also relatively frequent. After learning that Shen Tianxing had destroyed the Star Picking Hall, the various Immortal Great Sects united, preparing to jointly resist Shen Tianxing.

However, after the Star Picking Hall was destroyed by Shen Tianxing, he never appeared again.

What greeted the various Immortal Great Sects were still Shen Tianxing's nine incarnations.

With just these nine incarnations, the Western Ridge was directly swept through.

After this news spread, only the Northern Wilderness and the Central Domain remained in the Five Domains.

Everyone knew that the Northern Wilderness was where Shen Tianxing would definitely go.

Because he himself came from the Northern Wilderness, especially the Holy Heaven Demon Sect, which had already formed an enmity with him when Shen Tianxing had not yet grown up.

However, Shen Tianxing grew too fast, and every expert sent by the Holy Heaven Demon Sect was dealt with by him.

Among them, Wan Qianqiong, one of the Nine Peak Masters of the Holy Heaven Demon Sect, died at his hands.

The Nine Peaks of the Holy Heaven Demon Sect each represented a Legacy, and the Peak Master of each Peak was at least a Peak expert of the Eighth Level of the Immortal Realm!

They were top-tier existences in the Five Domains.

Such an important figure dying at his hands showed that the hatred between them was irreconcilable.

There would definitely be a resolution.

The Holy Heaven Demon Sect had always been a Sect that would not tolerate things, and Shen Tianxing had long been on their kill list!

...Northern Wilderness, Tongtian Peak of the Holy Heaven Demon Sect!

A magnificent palace stood at the Peak of the mountain. This palace did not belong to one of the Nine Peaks; it was the only Peak of the Holy Heaven Demon Sect that stood above the Nine Peaks.

And this palace was the most important hall of the Holy Heaven Demon Sect, the Tongtian Hall!

This was a grand hall that had existed since the Holy Heaven Demon Sect's Ancestral Master founded the Sect, exclusively belonging to the Sect Master of the Holy Heaven Demon Sect!

After the Eastern Continent and Southern Domain were destroyed, the Western Ridge, after all, could not withstand Shen Tianxing's sharp edge and was annihilated.

This news quickly reached the Holy Heaven Demon Sect.

Even Xiao Tianliu, the Demon Sect Master, who had been in seclusion for many years, emerged.

In the grand hall, Sect Master Xiao Tianliu sat cross-legged. On both sides below were eight chairs. Originally, there was a ninth one, but it had been removed.

Wan Qianqiong had died, and these nine Legacies now only had eight. The eight Peak Masters present represented the current high-ranking members of the Holy Heaven Demon Sect.

The Holy Heaven Demon Sect's true foundation was naturally more than just these.

The Nine Peaks represented the visible Peak, and there were others who had not appeared in this grand hall, all of them older generation figures, either in seclusion or self-sealed. They would certainly not appear unless the Sect was in crisis...

The Holy Heaven Demon Sect had experienced countless years of silence, always secretly contending with the Dianxing Academy for control of the Northern Wilderness. They had fought for hundreds of thousands of years, yet there was still no result.

One hundred thousand years ago, an incident occurred within the Holy Heaven Demon Sect, causing it to be suppressed by the Dianxing Academy for one hundred thousand years.

It was only a few decades ago that it once again revealed its sharp edge.

And that was also the first time Shen Tianxing had a conflict with the Holy Heaven Demon Sect.

Xiao Tianliu was tall, and runes flowed in his eyes, as if a world was hidden within them. He sat there, and none of the eight Peak Masters representing the eight Peaks below dared to speak.

Although he didn't appear much in the Demon Sect, his authority was absolutely unchallenged.

"How many years has it been? Since our Demon Sect first set foot in the Northern Wilderness, we have never been forced into such a situation."

"Not even the Dianxing Academy has managed to do so."

"I never thought that one of our Demon Sect's Nine Peak Masters would actually be killed outside. What kind of humiliation is this?"

Xiao Tianliu's voice was very calm, showing no joy or anger.

But the eight Peak Masters sitting there had known Xiao Tianliu for hundreds of thousands of years. How could they not know his personality?

The calmer Xiao Tianliu's words were, the stronger the anger in his heart.

However, at Xiao Tianliu's Realm, he was able to control his emotions.

The eight Peak Masters below, upon hearing this, all subconsciously panicked.

Although it was Wan Qianqiong who died, and it seemed unrelated to them, in reality, since Xiao Tianliu took charge of the Demon Sect, he valued the cooperation of the various Peaks the most.

No matter how great a personal conflict, in the face of the Sect's interests, everyone must cooperate wholeheartedly. Anyone who dared to disobey was seeking death!

They had already known about Wan Qianqiong's death in the Inner Sea, and even knew who did it.

But did any of the eight Peak Masters take it seriously?

Did anyone actively offer help?

None of them did!

This was what Xiao Tianliu was most angry about after coming out of seclusion!

Even the threat of Shen Tianxing, which was at their doorstep, didn't bother him as much.

"Sect... Sect Master, we were completely unaware of Junior Brother Wan's trip to the Inner Sea. By the time we learned of it after his accident, it was already too late."

"We immediately sent people to the Inner Sea, but unfortunately, by that time, the passage to the Inner Sea had already been sealed by that brat Shen Tianxing!"

Li Kuohai, as the eldest Senior Brother present and in charge of the First Peak, was duty-bound to step forward regarding this matter. He was certainly going to take responsibility.

If he dared to shrink back, he might not have a good outcome today!

Zhou Wenqing, standing next to Li Kuohai, also respectfully said, "Sect Master, what Senior Brother Li said is true. Please be lenient, Sect Master."

They indeed had not done their best in Wan Qianqiong's matter.

But they had also tried to compensate, though their previous actions were merely for show.

Anyway, the person was already dead, and Xiao Tianliu couldn't possibly truly punish them excessively.

The other Peak Masters, though silent, had identical expressions on their faces.

As the Great Master of everyone, how could Xiao Tianliu not understand the intricacies of this?

But just as Zhou Wenqing thought, he couldn't possibly truly punish these Senior and Junior Brothers for the sake of one Wan Qianqiong.

The current reprimand was merely a warning to them.

"Enough!"

"Junior Brother Wan has passed away, but his hatred, we fellow Senior and Junior Brothers, must not forget."

"Shen Tianxing has already swept through three domains, and his next target must be the Northern Wilderness, and our Holy Heaven Demon Sect will definitely be his next target to act upon."

"The purpose of gathering everyone here today is to discuss how to deal with Shen Tianxing."

Wan Qianqiong's matter was brought up with great emphasis and then gently set aside.

Xiao Tianliu's warning objective was achieved, so he moved the next topic to Shen Tianxing.

The expressions on the faces of the eight Peak Masters present were all very obvious.

Angry, sullen, disdainful... Every expression on every face was seen by Xiao Tianliu.

Xiao Tianliu, however, dared not be careless.

A person who could sweep through three domains, with more than a dozen Immortal Realm experts under his command, the Holy Heaven Demon Sect did not have such a vast foundation.

Did he dare to be careless?

Naturally, he didn't dare.

However, these eight Peak Masters each had their own opinions.

Mainly, they knew too little about Shen Tianxing, and they were high and mighty existences, so it was inevitable that their thinking was somewhat rigid.

"Sect Master, the foundation of our Holy Heaven Demon Sect is not something those Immortal Great Sects can compare to. If it weren't for our low profile, among these Five Domains, besides the Dianxing Academy and the Meteorite Sect, who would be our opponent?"

Zhou Wenqing patted his chest and said.

They knew their own affairs well and had a deep understanding of their Sect's foundation.

"Sect Master, it's just a mere Shen Tianxing. If he doesn't come, so be it. But if he does, our Holy Heaven Demon Sect's Nine Peaks Grand Formation hasn't been activated for many years. It's a good opportunity to test it on him!"

The Nine Peaks represented nine Legacies, and these Nine Peaks themselves were an ancient Grand Formation inherited by the Holy Heaven Demon Sect, unknown to outsiders.

With the Holy Heaven Demon Sect's foundation, coupled with the Nine Peaks Grand Formation, in the eyes of these Peak Masters, even if they were to confront a Heaven and Earth Sealing King Realm expert head-on, they would dare to try!

This was where their confidence lay.

"Sect Master, this old man feels that what the two Senior Brothers said is very true. If Shen Tianxing dares to come, we don't mind letting him witness our foundation."

"That's right, even if they have more than a dozen Immortal Realm Cultivators, so what? If they don't reach the Heaven and Earth Sealing King Realm, we have nothing to fear!"

"Exactly. This is also a good opportunity for us to become famous throughout the Five Domains and let other Sects in the Five Domains see how strong the Holy Heaven Demon Sect truly is!"

One after another, the old fellows spoke.

They completely didn't feel that dealing with Shen Tianxing would be difficult.

Xiao Tianliu frowned, a surge of anger rising in his heart.

These old fellows were truly becoming more and more out of line. After years of not leaving the Sect, they had developed an arrogant personality, completely losing the vigilance they once had.

No wonder they had always been unable to gain the upper hand in their struggle with the Dianxing Academy.

The difference was not in strength; their strength was not weaker than the Dianxing Academy, and even a little stronger!

What they lacked was brains!

With the minds of this group of high-ranking Nine Peak Masters being so stubborn, how could they contend with the Dianxing Academy?

Shen Tianxing appeared to be only an eighteen-year-old youth, but to be able to Cultivate to the Immortal Realm at that age, would it be that simple?

What kind of force was hidden behind him?

Where did these more than a dozen Immortal Realm experts come from?

These crucial pieces of information were not noticed by any of the eight Peak Masters present.

"No wonder Wan Qianqiong didn't want to play with them. There was a reason for it."

Xiao Tianliu felt a little tired.

Among the Nine Peaks, he actually valued Wan Qianqiong more. Wan Qianqiong was completely different from these others.

His schemes and tricks were endless, he never confined himself to his identity, he knew how to use his advantages, and his mind was sharp.

It was just a pity that he met Shen Tianxing and died too early!