428: Chapter 428 Foul

"Greetings, Fellow Daoist Heavenly Sword!" An Haoran returned the greeting politely, then personally stepped forward to lead him to the upstairs terrace.

Heavenly Sword True Monarch appeared quite aloof; aside from necessary pleasantries, he spoke very little and simply stood there quietly.

After a while, another Nascent Soul True Lord flew over. Liu Xuan didn't recognize him, but hearing him speak with True Lord Haoran, he learned his name was True Monarch Wuwang, whom An Haoran had invited from the Azure Profound Sect.

Initially, Liu Xuan thought An Haoran had invited them to deal with the Peach Blossom Demon Lord, but after listening to their conversation for a while, he realized something was off.

An Haoran didn't mention the Peach Blossom Demon Lord at all; their discussion was entirely about how to divide the Peach Blossom Sect's territory.

The Peach Blossom Sect's mountain gate possessed a Tier 4 High Grade Spiritual Vein, with several Tier 4 Low Grade branch veins nearby.

Furthermore, within the entire hundred-thousand-mile radius of the Peach Blossom Sect, there were countless Spiritual Veins of various sizes, Spirit Stone mines, metal mines, as well as various resources and spiritual fields that all needed to be redistributed.

Once the Peach Blossom Demon Lord died, the Peach Blossom Sect would be in the South Courtyard's pocket. Since the South Courtyard was only a loose Alliance, the issue of distribution was the top priority.

An Haoran's intention was to give up a portion of the business benefits to secure the assistance of Heavenly Sword True Monarch and True Monarch Wuwang; he wanted to completely control the distribution of spoils from this local war.

As the three were deliberating, a cloud of mist and a brilliant sword light appeared simultaneously in the sky to the left.

An Haoran frowned and murmured in a low voice, "True Monarch Yunshang, True Monarch Chongming!"

Grand Elder True Monarch Jimie had the same idea as him and had also invited two True Monarchs to bolster his side.

The external war hadn't even ended, yet an internal war was already about to begin. Liu Xuan shook his head and focused his gaze on the distant direction of the Peach Blossom Sect.

'Peach Blossom won't die. If she defects to the Beast Taming Sect, it will inevitably affect the distribution issue. What should be done then?'

"Rumble~"

"Rumble, rumble~"

Everyone was drawn by the commotion occurring in the direction of the Peach Blossom Sect. Thousands of Dao Rhymes descended from the sky, and a wave of pressure bore down, making one's heart feel stifled.

Could she really be about to succeed in her Breakthrough?

This thought suddenly occurred to the Nascent Soul True Lords, mainly because the commotion caused by the Peach Blossom Demon Lord was too immense, completely exceeding the level of the Nascent Soul Stage.

True Lord Haoran, Heavenly Sword True Monarch, and True Monarch Wuwang involuntarily stopped their discussion and used their Pupil Arts to look toward the Peach Blossom Sect.

The blood-colored Spiritual Qi surging from the Myriad Spirits Grand Array had reached an extreme density, already at the level of a Tier 5 Spiritual Vein. The power of the Divine Soul gathered within the array was so thick it had turned deep black, all converging onto the pitch-black tree trunk. The terrifying pressure was emanating from that very trunk.

"Is the Soul Transformation barrier truly this difficult?!"

A look of deep emotion appeared on Heavenly Sword True Monarch's face, his brow furrowed with gloom. The fact that it was nearly impossible for the Peach Blossom Demon Lord to break through despite having such profound foundations made him directly sense the difficulty of becoming a Spirit Transformation Dao Lord.

True Lord Haoran and True Monarch Wuwang also felt a sense of shared sorrow. Their ultimate goal was also Soul Transformation, and seeing someone countless times stronger than themselves fail was a massive psychological blow to them as well.

Fortunately, the Heart-Nature of those who could become Nascent Soul True Lords was extraordinary. Although they were moved, they did not fall into despair or lose their drive to progress.

Unlike the Nascent Soul True Lords, many Golden Core True Persons in the battlefield formation watched with surging emotions.

The Golden Core True Persons couldn't sense the difficulty of the Soul Transformation barrier; they only saw the grand celestial phenomena created by the Peach Blossom Demon Lord.

A thousand miles of blood-red sky, pressure weighing on all living beings, the world changing color with a single thought—wasn't this exactly what they pursued?

Never mind the ordinary Golden Core True Persons; even Liu Xuan's heart was stirred. This pursuit of the mastery of power was an innate instinct for everyone.

An Haoran noticed the fanatical looks of the many Disciples and subordinates around him out of the corner of his eye, but then he saw Liu Xuan's relatively indifferent expression. He nodded slightly and praised:

"You're usually unreliable, kid, but your Heart-Nature is actually decent. To be able to remain calm at a time like this is rare!"

Liu Xuan was slightly taken aback and smiled, "Father-in-law, you've misunderstood yet again. It's not that this Junior has a good Heart-Nature; I simply have no ambition!"

"No ambition?" True Lord Haoran looked puzzled, and the other two True Monarchs nearby also looked over curiously.

"This Junior has never thought he could break through to become a Spirit Transformation Dao Lord. Without greed in my heart, I can naturally remain as calm as a still lake."

Calm as a still lake, my foot! If he didn't know that this kid Liu Xuan was prone to hiding his light, An Haoran might have actually believed this rhetoric.

Who was Liu Xuan?

A Golden Core True Person less than sixty years old, whose skills in Alchemy, Smithing, Talismans, and Formations had all reached Tier 3 or higher. He was proficient in the Dao of the sword, and while his combat strength was unknown, it was definitely not low.

All the Geniuses An Haoran had seen in his entire life combined couldn't compare to Liu Xuan alone. If such a Genius said he never thought he could break through to Soul Transformation, whoever believed him would be a fool.

"Kid, excessive pride is not a good thing. Even if your talent is peerless, the Soul Transformation barrier is not so easily broken. You must always maintain a humble heart to avoid many detours."

An Haoran guessed that Liu Xuan was relying on his supreme talent and felt certain he could reach Soul Transformation, which was why he could remain calm.

For the sake of his daughter Yun Xi, and for the sake of the many times Liu Xuan had called him father-in-law, he kindly offered this reminder.

An Haoran didn't believe Liu Xuan could have achieved what he had today if he were as lazy as he appeared on the surface. He must be intentionally acting that way to hide his light while secretly working hard.

"Xuan will keep Father-in-law's teachings in mind!" Liu Xuan cupped his hands, his attitude quite sincere.

Aside from his tendency to get angry for no reason, Liu Xuan was quite satisfied with An Haoran as a father-in-law; at least he didn't look for trouble often.

True Lord Haoran nodded slightly, very satisfied with Liu Xuan's current attitude. He intended to talk to Liu Xuan about some of the South Courtyard's future plans and have him participate in some core affairs.

His previous anger wasn't because of Liu Xuan, but more because of his daughter. Now that Yun Xi and Liu Xuan had become Dao Companions, the die was cast.

Anger aside, once the Peach Blossom Demon Lord died and Liu Xuan's background was cleared, he could completely be groomed as one of their own.

"You are skilled in cultivation arts and the Merchant Alliance's business. Once the Peach Blossom Sect war is over, you will follow..."

"Buzz~"

A sudden change occurred. A terrifying aura appeared simultaneously from the direction of the Demon Court to the south and the Azure Profound Sect to the north, as two massive, blurry figures slowly condensed.

The world suddenly fell silent. The surging army fiends aura and blood-colored Spiritual Qi were forcibly suppressed by two invisible forces.

Countless low-level Cultivators instinctively prostrated themselves on the ground, not even daring to raise their heads, as if sensing the wrath of a Heavenly God.

Many Foundation Establishment Cultivators and Golden Core True Persons were similarly shaken to their cores, as if sensing a great catastrophe was about to descend.

"D-Dao... Dao Monarch Dharma Body!!"

True Lord Haoran suddenly stood up, then bowed toward the blurry phantom high in the sky. "Greetings to Daoist Lord Lihuo!"

Heavenly Sword True Monarch and True Monarch Wuwang also stood up and bowed, shouting, "Greetings to Daoist Lord Lihuo!"

"Greetings to Daoist Lord Lihuo!"

"Greetings to Daoist Lord Lihuo!"

...The sounds of greetings and bows joined together. Those below the rank of Immortal Master instinctively knelt and bowed, completely unable to control themselves.

The blurry figure in the sky ignored everyone and simply looked toward the Peach Blossom Demon Lord's position. A voice, indifferent yet carrying a hint of anger, rang out:

"Peach Blossom, you've broken the rules!"