116: Chapter 116 Northern Foothills, Poisonous Miasma Gully

The Elders of each faction stood behind their respective Sect Masters. The tent was packed to the brim, yet not a single person spoke.

Inner Sect Elder Han Song swept his gaze over everyone and spoke. His voice wasn't loud, but everyone present heard him crystal clear.

"The approximate location of the Secret Realm has been locked down. It is directly beneath the Mass Grave, about thirty zhang below the ground. The entrance is sealed by a layer of Restriction. I have called you all here today to discuss breaking the Restriction."

Ding Yuan leaned back in his chair, expressionless. "Discuss breaking the Restriction?"

"What do you mean? You want us to provide Spirit Stones, and now you want us to break the Restriction? And you still want to take the lion's share?"

"Why, is that not allowed?"

Inner Sect Elder Han Song tapped his finger gently on the desk, completely ignoring Ding Yuan.

"My Xuanyi Sect plans to set up a Five Elements Restriction-Breaking Array. Your three factions will each provide two Foundation Establishment Cultivators to assist in stabilizing the array's foundation. In addition, each Sect will provide thirty Qi Refining Disciples to channel spiritual energy."

He paused, his gaze falling upon City Lord Zhao Kai. "The City Lord's Mansion will provide three Foundation Establishment Cultivators to assist in defense."

"As for Young Master Xiao's side, they will provide two Foundation Establishment Cultivators to offer support from the flanks."

"Does anyone have any objections?"

As Inner Sect Elder Han Song finished speaking,

Ding Yuan suddenly stood up and slammed his palm onto the table with a loud bang. The teacups leaped up and fell back down, splashing tea all over the table.

His face flushed red, veins bulging, and his voice sounded as if it were squeezed through his teeth. "Fuck you! Inner Sect Elder Han Song, let me tell you, your Xuanyi Sect better not push people too far!"

Inner Sect Elder Han Song leaned back in his chair without even raising an eyelid. A cold sneer slowly curled on his lips as he spoke unhurriedly.

"How can this be called pushing people too far?"

"Don't forget, this Secret Realm originally belonged to my Xuanyi Sect. Allowing you to help break the Restriction is already giving you an opportunity. Otherwise, just like those small Sects from the outside, even if they handed over Spirit Stones, my Xuanyi Sect could still refuse to let them in."

With those words, he flipped his hand, and the xuantian mirror flew out of his sleeve, hovering above his palm.

The mirror's surface was pitch-black as ink, the golden runes along its edges lit up, and seven dark red gems glowed simultaneously. A sharp Spiritual Pressure surged from the mirror, instantly locking onto Ding Yuan.

The Spiritual Pressure was silent and invisible, yet it was as heavy as a mountain. It pressed down so hard that the candle flames inside the tent suddenly dimmed, and the faces of several Early Stage Foundation Establishment Elders turned pale.

"What are you doing?!"

Ding Yuan was greatly alarmed.

"Furthermore!!"

Inner Sect Elder Han Song's voice turned cold, like a blade scraping against bone. "When I speak, I do not like people slamming tables. If Fellow Daoist Ding is unwilling to participate, you can get lost and go back right now."

Deathly silence filled the tent.

Ding Yuan's hand pressed against the hilt of his sword, his knuckles turning white. The muscles on his face twitched a few times, but facing the Xuanguang Mirror, it felt as if something was stuck in his throat, and he couldn't squeeze out a single word.

"Alright, alright."

City Lord Zhao Kai spoke up at this moment.

"Calm down, everyone. The breaking of the Restriction hasn't even begun, and our Long City forces are already fighting among ourselves. Aren't you afraid of becoming a laughingstock if word gets out?"

His gaze swept from Inner Sect Elder Han Song to Ding Yuan, and then back again. His face was expressionless, and his tone wasn't heavy.

"Elder Han, the Xuanyi Sect has a grand enterprise and doesn't need to be so stingy. Elder Ding, watch your words as well. Slamming tables and cursing, how is that any different from a street ruffian?"

City Lord Zhao Kai leaned back in his chair. "The Secret Realm is right beneath our feet; no one can carry it away."

"How to divide it and how to enter, let us proceed according to what the Xuanyi Sect has proposed for now."

"Hmph!"

Ding Yuan let out a cold snort through gritted teeth, released his grip on the sword hilt, and plopped back down into his chair.

Seeing this, Inner Sect Elder Han Song also put away the xuantian mirror. He shifted his gaze away from Ding Yuan and swept it across everyone present.

"Since that is the case, do you have any other objections? If not, then we will do as my Xuanyi Sect has said!"

...

Compared to the Human Race's side,

Taiyue Mountain was different.

Deep within the Stone Forest,

inside the Limestone Cave, water vapor filled the air.

Wu Li squatted on a blue stone by the edge of the pool, his claws gripping the stone surface, completely motionless.

The Rift-Wind Wolf King lay on a boulder to the left, his tail draped over the edge, flicking back and forth.

The Azure-Horned Deer King stood on the right, the antlers atop his head glowing with a faint green light in the darkness.

The Iron-Backed Bear King sat at the entrance of the cave, his massive body blocking more than half of the exit. A few withered leaves clung to the fur on his belly. He patted his stomach, letting out a dull thud that caused the water in the pool to ripple a few times, and burst into hearty laughter.

"What a thrill! Truly thrilling!"

The Bear King's voice was muffled and resonant, echoing back and forth in the Limestone Cave. He laughed so hard his eyes almost squeezed shut.

The Rift-Wind Wolf King licked his paw, slowly opened his eyes, and curled his lips, revealing his sharp fangs.

"The fight was indeed satisfying, but what comes next will be a bit troublesome. Those humans aren't fools. Having suffered a loss, how could they not retaliate?"

Wu Li squatted on the blue stone, his blood-red pupils reflecting the water's gleam as he spoke unhurriedly, "Human hearts are complicated, and the Human Race is even more suspicious. With this incident, even if they want to band together, they won't be able to bind themselves tightly."

The Bear King scratched his belly, patted it again, and asked in a muffled voice, "So when are we going to make our move again?"

Wu Li fell silent for a moment, then raised his head. His blood-red pupils pierced through the mouth of the Limestone Cave, through the Stone Forest, and looked toward the direction of the Mass Grave.

The night wind poured in from outside the cave, causing his feathers to tremble slightly.

"No rush."

"We will wait for them to break the Restriction. Once the Restriction is opened, we will strike."

"According to my estimation, it will only be a couple of days."

Having said that,

Wu Li looked at the Azure-Horned Deer King again. "How are things on Great King Qing Lin's side? Still no news?"

The Azure-Horned Deer King snapped out of his thoughts and replied.

"Last night, word came from Qing Lin. Those two... have strange temperaments and are quite unsociable. They aren't frequent visitors to the mountains and don't usually associate with us."

"One lives at the bottom of the Poison Miasma Ravine, rarely coming out all year round and seeing no one. The other... had a conflict with Qing Lin half a year ago, having had her territory seized once. If we want to invite her now, Qing Lin must first resolve this grudge."

"She said it might take some talking and a few more days of persuasion."

Wu Li fell silent for a moment, then nodded.

The Rift-Wind Wolf King grinned, revealing half of his sharp fangs, and said in a raspy voice, "Those two are skilled in poison techniques. If they can come, our chances of success will increase by twenty percent."

"We'll wait one more day!"

Wu Li said.

...

Meanwhile, at the northern foothills of Taiyue Mountain, in the Poison Miasma Ravine.

Moonlight could not penetrate this place. The grayish-black miasma was like a thick blanket, tightly wrapping the entire ravine.

Not a single blade of grass grew at the bottom of the ravine. Occasionally, a few withered white roots of some unknown thing poked out from the crevices of the rocks. The air was filled with a sweet, metallic scent that made one dizzy after smelling it for too long.

At this moment,

deep within the Poison Miasma Ravine,

the Green-Scaled Python shed her human form and revealed her original shape, her green scales gleaming faintly in the darkness.

At the deepest part of the ravine's floor, there was a natural stone pool. Its water was pitch-black as ink, bubbling with tiny, dense bubbles.

Beside the stone pool lay a heap of skeletal remains, some of the Human Race and some of Yao Beasts. Their flesh had long since rotted away, and the bones had been licked clean and white by something, gleaming with a cold light.

Beside the pile of skeletons, a massive toad crouched on a rock. Its back was covered in dark red venomous pustules, and its two eyes bulged roundly, with pupils like vertical slits.