361: First, pound for half an hour.

The Demon Race Continent stretched for endless miles, its scenery vast and majestic.

In the heart of the continent, a massive chasm resembling an ancient well spanned the heavens and earth. Its cliffs rose a thousand ren, dark and bottomless. A single glance was enough to send a chill down one's spine.

Yet, right within this perilous chasm, a solitary peak stood resolute. Its entire body was a dark gold color, piercing through the clouds like a sharp sword stabbing into the firmament.

This was the core strategic location of the Demon Race Continent: the Heavenly Demon Mountain.

Legend had it that five hundred years ago, this place was a vast plain. It was only after two Human Race Heavenly Venerables joined forces to intrude deep into the Demon Race's territory and clashed with the then Demon Race Supreme in a world-shaking battle here. That battle caused rivers of stars to reverse their flow, the sun and moon to lose their light, and the plain to shatter and collapse into this abyss. This Heavenly Demon Mountain was the sole surviving geographical remnant from that great war.

At this moment, clouds and mist swirled around the peak of Heavenly Demon Mountain, where six figures had converged out of thin air.

The central figure was a middle-aged man dressed in dark brocade robes, his expression stern. A black jade-carved armchair materialized behind him, and he sat down with an imposing posture, his fingers unconsciously tapping the armrest. Each tap seemed to make the void tremble slightly.

To the left, a figure was shrouded in hazy demonic mist, revealing only an incredibly majestic dragon head. Its whiskers were silver, its scales ink-black, and its vertical golden pupils swept across the scene with an aura of disdain for all under heaven, making it impossible for others to meet its gaze.

To the right, a woman in a pink gauze dress leaned casually against a withered tree, holding an openwork carved cattail-leaf fan which she gently waved, the breeze carrying a faint, strange fragrance. Nine fluffy fox tails swayed freely behind her, each adorned with fine, silvery-white down, faintly discernible within the mist.

The other three figures were also of varied forms: there was a Great Skeletal Demon formed from countless assembled bones, a gaunt old man in gray robes, and a Little Girl with her hair in twin buns. Though she appeared childish and naive, a palpitation-inducing fluctuation of Demonic Power surrounded her.

These six figures were not their true bodies descending, but merely Clones condensed from a wisp of their Origin power. Yet, even so, the pressure they exuded was still like Mount Tai pressing down, suffocating.

If an Integration Realm Cultivator were present here, they would likely find their breath stopping, their knees buckling on the spot, forced to kowtow repeatedly, not daring to entertain even a single extraneous thought.

After a moment of silence, the gray-robed old man spoke first, "How are things? Is the layout on the Human Race side proceeding according to plan?"

"Everything is proceeding relatively smoothly," the dark-robed middle-aged man lifted his eyelids. "At most ten years, at least five, and we'll let those Human Race Cultivators have a good taste of a living hell where they can neither live nor die."

"Speaking of which, that Great Love Immortal Venerable's methods are truly ruthless!"

The Little Girl with twin buns suddenly crossed her arms, puffing out her cheeks indignantly, "He really opened my eyes!"

"Great Love Immortal Venerable..."

The dragon head nodded slightly, "That person is indeed a force to be reckoned with. If not for him, we wouldn't be in this situation today."

"By the way," the dark-robed middle-aged man abruptly changed the subject, the rhythm of his finger-tapping on the armrest suddenly quickening, "I heard the war over in the Rain God Continent was lost? Is that true?"

The Nine-Tailed Fox Venerable spoke softly, her voice heavenly yet carrying a faint, almost imperceptible allure that could make one's bones go soft, "There were indeed some unexpected developments. But such a minor matter is of no real consequence."

"Though it may be of no real consequence, we did plan it for quite a while. Since it failed, we should at least know who ruined our plans, right?"

"It was disrupted by a suddenly appearing Sect."

The Dragon Venerable narrowed his vertical pupils slightly, "I recall the Secret Realm over in the Heavenly Tribulation Continent is about to manifest. In theory, that should tie up most of the Human Race's Sect forces. How could there still be stragglers?"

"They weren't stragglers."

The Nine-Tailed Fox Venerable shook her head, "It was a Sect that had never been heard of within the Nine Continents before, appearing out of nowhere."

"What's its name?" the Little Girl with twin buns asked curiously.

"Dao Seeking Sect!"

The Nine-Tailed Fox Venerable slowly uttered the three words, the speed of her fan-waving slowing down, "The Rain God Continent is now covered by a grand Formation set up by the Dao Seeking Sect. The Formation is exceptionally profound. In my opinion, even if a Mahayana Stage Cultivator personally arrived, it would take them several hours to break it."

"Hmph, and you call that profound?"

The dark-robed middle-aged man sneered, the Demonic Power around him suddenly surging, causing fine cracks to appear on the black jade chair beneath him, "I could shatter that worthless Formation with a single punch!"

"If you're so powerful, why don't you go to Huangji Prefecture and punch it until mountains and rivers shatter?"

The Dragon Venerable slowly nodded, "She's right. Now is not the time for rash action. We should proceed step by step according to the original plan. There's no need to disrupt the overall situation for a small Rain God Continent."

"As for that so-called Dao Seeking Sect..."

"Leave it to me," the Nine-Tailed Fox Venerable softly took over, "I will thoroughly investigate the details of this Sect. After all, this Rain God Continent affair was just an extra target. Letting those Human Race Cultivators feel smug for a moment longer is of no consequence."

...Inside the Dao Seeking Sect!

After a round of greetings and catching up, the crowd naturally split into several groups, chatting amongst themselves.

"Revered Master, this Disciple will first go into seclusion to Cultivate," Ye Hao stood up and bowed respectfully to Chen Xuan.

He wasn't very interested in these casual conversations and discussions. This trip to the Rain God Continent had not only resolved his long-standing problem of a stagnant Realm but also made him keenly aware of the inadequacy of his own cultivation base.

The feeling of helplessness when faced with injustice in his heart still lingered.

Now that he had returned to the Sect, where Spiritual Qi was abundant, his mind was filled with the urge to seize the time for seclusion, refine his cultivation, and strive to Breakthrough his Bottleneck as soon as possible.

Chen Xuan casually waved his hand, a hint of approval hidden in his eyes.

For an outstanding employee like Ye Hao, who was so proactive and constantly pushing himself, he was always happy to see it. Internally, he was overjoyed. If Wanqing and the others were like this, he would have at least reached the fifth layer of Void Refining, if not the Integration Realm.

"Revered Master~"

A sweet, charming voice rang out. Shu Shichan wore a sweet smile on her face, "You must have been extremely exhausted from going out to slay demons and quell the chaos. Let this Disciple give you a back rub to properly show my filial piety."

As soon as the words left her mouth, she diligently moved behind Chen Xuan, deftly rolled up her sleeves to reveal two fair, jade-like, slender arms resembling lotus roots, and gently placed them on Chen Xuan's shoulders, pounding with just the right amount of force.

Qi Yue, sitting to the side, saw this scene but couldn't fathom the Little Girl's intentions. She shook her head and stopped overthinking it.

She picked up a white jade Go piece and gently placed it on the stone Go board before her, producing a crisp sound. Then, she methodically began reporting to Chen Xuan about the recent trivial matters concerning the Sect and the Flame Continent.

"Sect Master, the Cloud Sea Sect and Bibo Palace sent letters a few days ago proposing a joint Four-Sect Prodigy Assembly."

"In my opinion, they likely want to use this grand event to showcase their Sect's strength and gain some fame and popularity. However, with the recent demonic chaos in the Rain God Continent causing widespread panic, no one has come to our door to mention it again these past two days."

She paused before adding, "Now that the crisis in the Rain God Continent has been resolved, I presume they will send people again soon to discuss the matter."

Chen Xuan placed a piece absentmindedly. The black and white pieces intersected on the board, forming a peculiar situation, "Since they are interested, then let's do it. Wanqing, Spirit Immortal, and the others' cultivation far surpasses their peers. Sending them would just be bullying, no need for them to get involved."

"When the time comes, let Xu Mo, Xie Xingyao, and a few others go and show their faces. It'll be good experience for them."

"Yes, Sect Master," Qi Yue respectfully acknowledged.

As soon as she finished speaking, a soft, sweet, and clear voice reached her ears, "Revered Master, this Disciple has something she'd like to discuss with you~"

Chen Xuan smiled faintly. The Map of Yan was still a bit too short.

"Want to discuss something? That's fine."

He then changed his tone, "However, first, pound for half an hour."