271: Chapter 269 Circumstances

Xuan Continent Cultivation World.

The far east of Xuan Continent, Duanyun Cliff.

The terrain here was steep and perilous, the cliffside as precipitous as if carved by a knife, overlooking a vast sea of clouds, with astral winds howling incessantly.

At this moment, on the Peak of Duanyun Cliff, four tall, straight figures with condensed auras stood quietly.

Three of them wore uniform moon-white Taoist robes with flowing cloud Dao patterns embroidered on their cuffs. Their auras were gentle, long-lasting, pure, and righteous. They were none other than the core Elders of the Xuan Continent's number one Sect—the Qingxuan Taoist Sect. The leader had a calm face, half-white hair and beard, and his Undergoing Tribulation Realm pressure was restrained and deep. His gaze was as sharp as an eagle's, scanning the churning turbulent sea of clouds below. The other two, one middle-aged and one young, were both of the Dou Emperor cultivation level, possessing immense combat strength and seasoned experience.

In the center of the three, firmly bound by a spiritual energy Restriction and half-kneeling on the ground, was a pale Loose Cultivator in tattered clothes and covered in wounds.

This Loose Cultivator's spiritual energy was in disarray, and his Dao foundation was damaged. He was shivering at this moment, his eyes filled with lingering terror.

"Speak. Is every word you just said true?" The leading white-haired Elder's voice was low and majestic, carrying the solemn pressure unique to the high-ranking members of the Sect. "Did you truly see with your own eyes two Elders of our Qingxuan Taoist Sect flee in the direction of this Duanyun Cliff and disappear?"

The Loose Cultivator bound by the Restriction trembled all over and hurriedly nodded desperately, not daring to hide anything, his tone urgent and sincere: "Re- Report to Elder! Every word of this Junior is true, absolutely not a single lie!"

"A few days ago, this Junior happened to be gathering Spiritual Plants on the outskirts of Duanyun Cliff and accidentally ran into three Elders of the Taoist Sect passing by. This Junior's cultivation is low, so I didn't dare to step forward to disturb them, only daring to watch from afar. I clearly saw two Elders speeding all the way, finally stepping into the core turbulent area of Duanyun Cliff, and then they completely vanished without a trace, never appearing again!"

"At first, this Junior only thought the Elders were entering the cliff for training or exploring a Secret Realm, and didn't think much of it. But immediately after, the spatial fluctuations around Duanyun Cliff became increasingly bizarre. Driven by curiosity, this Junior entered to investigate, only to be mangled by spatial force as soon as I entered. I fled in panic and have been hiding to heal my wounds these past few days until you found me!"

The middle-aged Elder in Qingxuan Taoist robes frowned deeply and spoke in a heavy voice, his tone full of gravity: "Both Elders are Dou Emperor powerhouses, with stable cultivation and resilient Dao Hearts, possessing countless life-saving methods. Ordinary spatial turbulence or planar rifts could not possibly trap them, let alone quietly swallow and destroy the Elders!"

"With the two of them joining forces, their combat strength is enough to sweep through most of the perilous places in Xuan Continent. How could they vanish into thin air at Duanyun Cliff on their own plane? This matter is far too strange!"

The young Dou Emperor Elder also showed doubt and agreed: "Indeed. Although Duanyun Cliff has spatial turbulence, they are all localized spatial rifts native to Xuan Continent, and their danger level is limited. Countless generations of Sect Disciples have explored them, and there has never been a tragedy where high-level Cultivators completely vanished. For three people to lose contact simultaneously with no trace left behind, there must be something bizarre going on!"

The white-haired Elder's expression was solemn, his gaze locked tightly onto the vast sea of clouds below, and he said in a deep voice: "You two stay on guard here and watch this man. Do not leave even a single step. I will personally enter the cliff to investigate the spatial traces!"

As his voice fell, his figure flashed, turning into a moon-white stream of light as he leaped into the churning turbulent sea of clouds.

In an instant, wild winds howled, and astral winds tore through. Countless tiny spatial fragments crisscrossed, frantically battering his protective spiritual light. The white-haired Elder walked steadily, his Divine Thought fully spread out, searching inch by inch for surrounding spatial pathways, energy remnants, and Great Dao traces.

After a mere half incense burner's time, his figure returned to the cliff Peak. His face was now completely grim, and his eyes were filled with deep solemnity and astonishment.

"How is it?" The two quickly stepped forward to ask.

The white-haired Elder spoke in a deep voice, every word shocking: "The spatial anomaly here is absolutely not caused by localized turbulence."

"Deep at the bottom of the cliff, I captured extremely weak and unfamiliar extraterrestrial spatial fluctuations. This aura does not belong to Xuan Continent."

"Moreover, I captured the remnants of Venerable Ling Yue's spiritual energy, as well as the lingering aura of two other fellow Disciples. The interruption of the aura was extremely abrupt—not slowly dissipating, nor scattered by battle, but instantly severed and forcibly stripped away, as if they were directly dragged out of this plane!"

The middle-aged Elder trembled all over, his expression changing drastically: "Forcibly stripped from the plane?!"

"The disappearance of Venerable Ling Yue and the other two is far too bizarre. This is no small matter and involves too much; we have no authority to make a decision. Send a message back to the Sect immediately, report it to the Sect Master at top speed, truthfully reporting the anomalies here, the extraterrestrial fluctuations, and the disappearance of the Elders, and ask the Sect Master to make the final decision!"

"Yes!"

An Elder immediately took out a Sect transmission jade talisman, infused it with spiritual energy, and the jade talisman instantly soared into the sky, turning into a stream of light that penetrated the sea of clouds, heading straight for the main Peak of the Qingxuan Taoist Sect.

The atmosphere on the cliff Peak became increasingly heavy and oppressive, and the other two Elders went down to investigate once more.

Before long, the sea of clouds in the sky suddenly parted, and an extremely freezing pressure that reigned supreme over all things suddenly pressed down upon the entire cliff Peak.

Waves rose without wind as the sea of clouds receded. A peerless figure in a light green Immortal dress stepped through the air, her steps light, yet carrying a domineering aura that suppressed all directions.

Her black hair fell over her shoulders, her face cold and ethereal, her eyebrows and eyes sharp as cold blades without a hint of gentle softness. Her entire aura was cold and indifferent, keeping people thousands of miles away.

She was none other than the number one Prodigy of the Qingxuan Taoist Sect, Sect Leader Ling Tianjiao.

The most terrifying peerless Genius of Xuan Continent in ten thousand years, she had ascended to the Peak of the Dou Emperor Realm at a young age. Her Dao Heart was lofty and aloof, her combat power matchless. She was cold, domineering, and taciturn, always acting decisively, killing at will, and never hesitating.

Among the same generation of Cultivators in the entire Xuan Continent, no one dared to stand as her equal. Even the Sect Elders had to bow and show deference in her presence.

The missing Venerable Ling Yue was precisely her biological father.

Sect Leader Ling Tianjiao landed, her cold gaze sweeping across the field. Without any redundant pleasantries, her voice was chilly and concise, devoid of any emotion, yet carrying an unquestionable majesty: "My father's whereabouts."

The extremely simple four words, cold and sharp, carried an aura that made the three Elders' breath hitch.

The three hurriedly bowed in salute, their posture extremely respectful: "Greetings, Sect Master."

"Sect Master, a few months ago, Venerable Ling Yue went missing, and we sent people to investigate his tracks. Unbeknownst to us, just a few days ago, two fellow Disciples also lost contact here at Duanyun Cliff. According to eyewitnesses, the two last appeared here. Your subordinate's investigation confirmed that there are unfamiliar extraterrestrial spatial fluctuations here, and the Elders' auras were instantly cut off, suspected to have been forcibly dragged to an unknown extraterrestrial Realm by a temporary cross-boundary rift."

Sect Leader Ling Tianjiao's eyes narrowed slightly, a very faint cold light flashing past the depths of her eyes, unnoticed by anyone.

Without a word, she walked slowly to the edge of the cliff and tapped her fair jade finger in the air.

In an instant, her Dou Emperor Peak Divine Thought, vast as the sea, boomed open, covering the vast sea of clouds and the entire Duanyun Cliff. Her Divine Thought was as sharp as a knife, peeling away layers of spatial mist to precisely capture every thread of residual aura and spatial lines.

Throughout the process, her expression was indifferent and expressionless. Even though she already knew in her heart how bizarre the situation was, there was still not a hint of panic or anxiety on her face, fully displaying the calm and domineering aura of a top Prodigy.

After a moment, she withdrew her Divine Thought, her lips parting slightly as she spoke in a certain and cold tone, without the slightest hesitation: "It is his aura. All three auras were forcibly stripped away by an extraterrestrial rift. There were no remnants of battle; it was caused by instantaneous spatial pulling."

"A temporary rift, random cross-boundary, closing in an instant."

The middle-aged Elder showed worry, cupping his hands and asking: "Sect Master, how shall we cross boundaries to search for and rescue the Venerable? Also, what is going on with this spatial rift?"

"Useless." Sect Leader Ling Tianjiao shook her head slightly, her tone concise and devoid of excess emotion. "The coordinates are scrambled, and the plane is unknown. Forcing a crossing will only lead to falling into the Void Realm's dead zone, throwing away your lives in vain."

She raised her eyes, her cold gaze sweeping over the three as she issued a command in a deep voice, her words resonant and domineeringly majestic: "Stay on guard here and deploy a triple spatial monitoring array. Hereafter, if there is even a single trace of spatial anomaly or extraterrestrial aura, report to me immediately. Do not leave even a single step, and make no mistakes."

"We obey your command!" The three accepted the order in unison, not daring to be lax in the slightest.

Right at this moment, the emergency transmission jade talisman at Sect Leader Ling Tianjiao's waist vibrated violently, and an urgent warning voice transmission suddenly rang out: "An extraterrestrial rift has appeared in the Qianjue Mountains, and the spatial riot is non-stop!"

Sect Leader Ling Tianjiao's gaze suddenly shifted, her expression remaining cold, silent, and undisturbed.

She calmly left behind four words, instructing once again, "Report any anomalies here to me at any time."

Before her voice could fade, her green figure had already soared through the air, turning into a startling rainbow that traversed the sky. In an instant, she covered thousands of miles, heading straight for the Qianjue Mountains, her speed terrifyingly fast.

A moment later, she arrived at the Qianjue Mountains.

At this moment, the Qianjue Mountains were dark and gloomy, the space trembling violently. A pitch-black rift several hundred feet wide hung in the sky, dark and deep, spewing black mist as a violent extraterrestrial aura swept across thousands of miles of mountains and rivers. Spatial fragments danced wildly all over the sky, astral winds tore through the earth, and countless low-level Cultivators fled in panic, with casualties beyond count. The entire region was in utter chaos.

Floating high in the sky, Sect Leader Ling Tianjiao's cold gaze swept over the pitch-black rift. In an instant, a trace of extreme astonishment finally flashed across the depths of her eyes.

This overflowing extraterrestrial spatial fluctuation was completely of the same Origin and identical to the hidden rift that had swept away her father at Duanyun Cliff!

Standing high in the sky, the cold wind fluttering her black hair and green Immortal dress, Sect Leader Ling Tianjiao quickly deduced the situation.

She was already at the Peak of the Dou Emperor Realm, the ceiling of the Xuan Continent plane, with a perfect Physical Body, a flawless Dao Heart, and a Divine Thought that could reach the heavens.

Her gaze suddenly hardened, and a look of domineering confidence that looked down upon the heavens welled up between her cold and aloof brows.

Her voice was cold and proud, carrying absolute confidence: "I am at the Peak of the Dou Emperor Realm, transcending the shackles of the plane. No one in the heavens can trap me."

There was no need to hesitate, no need to be wary.

With a movement of her figure, Sect Leader Ling Tianjiao stepped directly into the pitch-black and deep extraterrestrial rift.

The black mist instantly swallowed her peerless figure, and the rift flashed with spiritual light, quietly closing without leaving a single trace.

...

The Wuhen Martial World was a top martial world that reigned supreme over countless middle and lower planes. It did not rely on the nourishment of Spiritual Qi, nor did it follow the rules of the Immortal Dao. Instead, it solely pursued the Peak of the Physical Body and the path of vital energy that reached the heavens.

For tens of thousands of years, this great world had respected martial strength and established itself through battle. Discarding complex techniques and exquisite Divine Souls, all members tempered their Physical Bodies, condensed their vital energy, and polished their Battle Intent, carving out an incomparably domineering path of ultimate martial arts that crushed all laws.

Unlike the loose structure of the Cultivation World, which was filled with numerous Sects, complex factions, and self-governing entities, the Wuhen Martial World was a highly unified, all-in-one martial arts Alliance.

[part:gemini-3.1-flash-lite]

The entire Wuhen Martial World has no divisions of Sects, no regional boundaries, and no factional strife; all Martial Artists are under the unified jurisdiction of the Alliance.

From ancient mighty figures to newly ascended Martial Artists, from Peak Martial God to entry-level Martial Apprentice, everything is hierarchically classified, uniformly dispatched, uniformly resourced, and uniformly conquered.

Its cohesion, execution, and combat power coordination far exceed any Cultivation World plane.

The supreme ruler of the Alliance is the Realm Master of Wuhen.

This person is the inheritor of the Origin Dao Body left behind by Immortal Emperor Wuhen.

Having sat in the Martial World for tens of thousands of years, his Physical Body has long transcended the limits of mortal planes, stepping into the supreme Realm of shattering the Void Realm through martial arts.

With one punch, he can shatter mountains and rivers; with one kick, he can split the heavens.

The hardness of his Physical Body is comparable to an Immortal Artifact, and the power of his Qi and blood can suppress the heavens.

He is the universally acknowledged invincible existence of the entire Wuhen Martial World, as well as the spiritual faith and absolute commander of all Martial Artists in the Alliance.

The survival philosophy of the Wuhen Martial World has always been simple, brutal, and unchanging—plunder.

Martial Dao cultivation requires resources, bloody battles, and life-and-death tempering above all else.

The local resources of this world were long ago exhausted by past generations of experts and are no longer sufficient to support the advancement and growth of the new generation of Martial Artists.

Therefore, for millions of years, the Wuhen Martial World has consistently held cross-plane invasions, conquering the heavens, plundering resources from different planes, and capturing alien creatures for Body Refining as its core orthodoxy.

For the Martial Artists of Wuhen, war is cultivation, plunder is the Righteous Path, and invasion is the Dao.

For countless years, they have roamed the heavens and rampaged across myriad domains, plundering endless Heaven And Earth Treasure, Origin of planes, and the essence and blood of living creatures to nourish their Physical Body, temper their Qi and blood, and Breakthrough to higher Realms.

By relying on constant conquest, they maintain the prosperity of the Martial World.

The Alliance Sacred Hall is ten thousand zhang tall and majestic, made entirely of mysterious gold.

Inside, the Qi and blood surge into the sky, and the pressure is overwhelming.

High-level members of the Alliance, commanders of various war zones, and Peak experts are arranged on both sides, their auras robust and overbearing, their Battle Intent chilling and monstrous.

The entire hall is filled with a solemn, murderous, and silent atmosphere.

Above on the high seat, a towering figure sits on the throne.

His body is like a mountain, his aura like the sea.

Even though he sits quietly, he carries a supreme pressure that suppresses the world, making people afraid to look up directly.

It is none other than the Realm Master of Wuhen.

In the center of the hall, Dou Emperor Cang Luan, who had just retreated in defeat from the Canglan Domain battlefield, stood with his injuries unhealed and his Qi and blood slightly weakened.

Yet, his posture remained upright, and his Battle Intent had not faded.

He bowed in the hall, truthfully reporting the entire sequence of events from this cross-plane expedition.

"Realm Master, this time I led Peak experts to invade the Canglan Cultivation World across planes. I originally thought it would be a crushing conquest, but I did not expect that this Lower Realm plane hides peerless experts."

Cang Luan's tone was steady, neither humble nor arrogant, as he truthfully reviewed the battle situation without any concealment: "The four of us activated the Four Directions Mountain-Suppressing Combination Technique to hold the rift and contain the enemy's main force."

"We were originally holding the upper hand, but suddenly, a woman in white appeared in the Canglan Domain world, wielding the power of the laws of heaven and earth, suspected to have Immortal-level combat power."

"Her Dao charm covered the heavens and earth, imprisoning all laws. The Martial Dao combination array that the four of us were defending with all our might was shattered by her in a single blow."

"We all suffered heavy injuries, and having no other choice, we could only abandon the rift and retreat to the Martial World."

Once these words were spoken, the people in the hall were not particularly surprised.

"Immortal-level combat power? Pfft, it's not like we haven't killed Immortals before?"

"Our Wuhen Martial World runs rampant across the heavens; can't we just beat them to death?"

"Immortals are ultimately external forces; there will always be a time when they return to the Immortal Realm. These Cultivation Worlds are only capable of incompetently calling for help!"

Many high-level members of the Martial World were disdainful of this, showing no fear at all.

They had methods to kill Immortals without relying on Golden Immortals descending to the Lower Realm.

Cang Luan continued his report in a deep voice, pointing out the critical situation: "My investigation revealed that recently, the barriers of the Canglan Domain world have collapsed across the board."

"Countless plane rifts have emerged, and the space is full of loopholes with completely weak defenses. This is the best time for our Martial World to launch a large-scale invasion and plunder resources."

"Although Canglan Domain has Immortal-level experts guarding it, its bottom-layer combat power is really not very good; it is a good place to temper the new generation of Martial Artists."

Above on the high seat, the Realm Master of Wuhen slowly lifted his eyes.

His gaze was dark and deep, like an eternal abyss, without waves or ripples, yet carrying a supreme overbearingness that suppresses the heavens.

He remained silent for a moment, and his low, majestic voice slowly echoed throughout the entire Sacred Hall, every word deafening: "Our Wuhen Martial World stands in the myriad domains; what we rely on is never guarding a single corner, but constant conquest."

"Canglan Domain hiding an Immortal is an unexpected change, not a loss of combat power. One retreat is nothing to fear."

The Realm Master's gaze swept across the hall, his majesty fully displayed: "Pass on my order: the entire Alliance enters a state of war!"

"Assemble the eight great Martial Dao battle groups, prepare battle armor, condense Qi and blood, and build up Battle Intent. Wait for the spatial rift to open again."

"Our Martial Artists of the Martial World are born in bloody battles and die in conquest. Fight, fight, fight!"

As the mighty decree fell, the Qi and blood in the entire Sacred Hall surged.

Thousands of Martial Artists had their Battle Intent soaring to the heavens, responding in unison, their voices shaking the world for ten thousand miles: "We obey the Realm Master's order! Conquer the heavens and govern the myriad domains with martial arts!"

Cang Luan bowed to receive the order, his Battle Intent reignited: "This subordinate requests to serve as the vanguard, lead the group to expedition, and expand the territory for the Martial World!"

The Realm Master of Wuhen nodded slightly: "Granted!"

...

On a broken floating reef, a disheveled figure crashed down heavily, dust flying and gravel scattering.

It was none other than Tang Laoba.

His blue robe was tattered, his Soul Power was chaotic and rampant, his clothes were stained with dark red blood, and his chest was sunken in—he had clearly suffered extreme injuries.

The moment he landed, his throat felt sweet, and a mouthful of hot blood sprayed out.

His aura fluctuated violently, his bones creaked, and his state was miserable in the extreme.

Yet even though he was seriously injured, Tang Laoba still held his head high and chest out, refusing to bend or show weakness, his eyes carrying a trace of stubborn arrogance and defiance.

"Eighth Brother!"

Two figures flashed over instantly, a man and a woman, both of whom were Tang Laoba's closest kin.

The woman was gentle and anxious; she was his wedded wife, Su Wan.

The man was burly and fierce, with a heavy aura; he was his sworn brother, Hong Lie.

Su Wan stepped forward quickly, carefully supporting Tang Laoba's tottering body, her fingertips gently caressing his damaged Meridians, her eyes filled with heartache and anxiety: "How are you? Why are your injuries so severe!"

Hong Lie also stepped forward with a frown and said in a deep voice: "Eighth Brother, what kind of combat power is over there? And your subordinates?"

Facing the concern of his wife and brother, Tang Laoba suppressed the surging Qi and blood and the intense pain in his body.

He raised his hand to wipe the blood from the corner of his mouth, pretending to be nonchalant.

He put on a posture of having everything under control, only having made a slight mistake, and deliberately acted composed and strong, stiffly saying: "What are you panicking about? It's just some superficial wounds, not worth mentioning."

He straightened his back, forcing his chaotic aura to stabilize.

Even though his body was in unbearable pain, he still put on an arrogant expression on his face and continued to show off: "That plane of Canglan Domain does indeed hide a few hard nuts to crack. Their combat power far exceeds our estimates. They have some skills and can barely trade blows with me."

"My injury this time is not because I was outmatched, but because I was deliberately testing their trump cards and did not use my full strength."

Su Wan silently infused gentle Soul Power to help him stabilize his injuries.

Tang Laoba rested for a moment, his aura becoming slightly more stable, and the stubbornness in his eyes slowly faded, replaced by deep gravity: "But I'm being serious. It's fortunate that I insisted on stopping you back then and didn't let you follow me across the planes into Canglan Domain."

"The waters of that world are far deeper than we previously estimated. If you had gone with me, there is a high probability that everyone would have perished, leaving no bones behind."

Hong Lie's expression turned serious, and he said solemnly: "Is Canglan Domain really that tyrannical?"

Tang Laoba's eyes flickered, and a trace of shrewd calculation flashed in his eyes.

Even though he was seriously injured, his mind remained active, and his ambition did not diminish.

"It's fine. It's not just us; there are other major Cultivation Worlds that have all opened channels to Canglan Domain."

He stood up slowly, forcing himself to endure his injuries, his tone becoming increasingly determined, carrying a tone of conceited showing off: "Although Canglan Domain is tough, it is adjacent to too many Cultivation Worlds and simply cannot withstand the invasion from outside the territory. If we can't take down Canglan Domain, we can just turn around and fish in troubled waters!"

Hong Lie's eyes lit up: "Eighth Brother is absolutely right!"

"Not only that." Tang Laoba's eyes flared with sharp light, and his tone was deep.

"With just us, our troops are thin and our foundation is insufficient. Fighting alone will ultimately be difficult to achieve anything. If we want to gain a foothold in Canglan Domain and conquer extensively, we must form Alliances."

"I plan to take the initiative to contact the Soul Hall, submit our sincerity for cooperation, and join forces with them!"

The orthodox force of the Soul Domain, the Soul Hall, is a top-tier extraterrestrial force in these heavens, with a deep foundation and countless experts.

Su Wan frowned slightly: "The Soul Hall has always been arrogant and overbearing; they may not be willing to cooperate with us."

Tang Laoba snorted coldly, once again assuming a confident posture, stubbornly putting on a brave front and pretending to be certain: "Don't worry, Canglan Domain is vast and rich in resources; it is impossible for the Soul Hall not to covet it."

His tone was resonant, carrying an aura of controlling the overall situation: "You immediately organize the combat strength list, then personally write a Jade Slip message and send it to the main domain of the Soul Hall."

"Just say that our Soul Domain is willing to shake hands and make peace with the Soul Hall, combine our forces to invade, share the dividends of this chaotic world, and share the resources of Canglan Domain!"

Hong Lie nodded heavily: "Good! I will go do it immediately!"

Three days later, the reply from the Soul Hall arrived.

The content of the reply was concise and overbearing: Cooperation granted.

The Soul Hall will send ten Title Douluo, a hundred Soul Douluo as main forces, and countless Soul Saints and Soul Emperors.

The resources obtained will be divided 70/30, with the Soul Hall taking 70% and Tang Laoba and the others taking 30%.

Seeing the distribution ratio, Hong Lie's face darkened slightly: "The Soul Hall is too overbearing; 70% of the resources is too exploitative!"

Tang Laoba, however, didn't care at all. Instead, he looked self-satisfied, continuing to show off and pretend to be strong, feigning an appearance of being in command: "Short-sighted!"

"We are currently weak and struggling to survive. Being able to get on the big ship of the Soul Hall is already enough. 30% of the resources is enough to let us grow rapidly. When I reach the Title Douluo, the situation will be different."

"For now, we must endure, it is just biding our time. Have the brothers gather!"

He held his head high and chest out, looking like he was confident and in control of the whole situation, completely unable to see the miserable appearance of having just been seriously injured and defeated, and living under someone else's roof.

Su Wan looked at Tang Laoba's confident appearance, her eyes full of admiration, and her eyes full of trust.

"Sixth Brother, we must believe in Little Eight!"