191: Chapter 19 Heaven and Earth Without Limits

That old fogey Wang Lin had no other skills, but he was a pro at playing dirty and spreading rumors.

After fleeing back to Qingyan City, he was still shaken, and the new flesh at his severed arm was still throbbing with pain.

But the wicked fire and fear in his heart burned so fiercely that he couldn't sit still.

He knew that on his own, he probably couldn't even dream of seeking revenge against Chen Zilong in this lifetime.

That kid was a monster; he could actually summon such heavenly might while only at the Nascent Soul Early Stage.

With a single move, he had blasted Tian Yin into nothingness.

With this strength, he was likely not far from the Nascent Soul Middle Stage.

"If force doesn't work, I'll use subtler means. Killing with a borrowed knife is what I do best!"

Gritting his teeth, Wang Lin hid deep within the Wang Family's secret chamber and summoned all his remaining trusted aides and affiliated rogue cultivators, issuing a death order:

"Spread out!"

"Take the news of Chen Zilong killing Elder Tian Yin of the Xuan Yin Sect in the desolate mountains, add some spice to it, and blow it out of proportion!"

"Say that he despises the Xuan Yin Sect, openly defies the majesty of the Demonic Path, and uses cruel methods just like a demon!"

"Especially the cities, markets, and black markets within the Xuan Yin Sect's sphere of influence—don't miss a single one!"

"Spend as much as it takes, hire as many people as needed to spread the word!"

"I want the entire Western Middle Region to know that a madman named Chen Zilong slaughtered an elder of the Xuan Yin Sect!"

Under heavy rewards, there will always be brave souls.

Besides, such explosive news naturally had its own momentum.

In just ten days or so, the name "Chen Zilong," along with his feats of "punching the Nascent Soul Wang Bufan to death" and "striking down Elder Tian Yin with lightning," spread through the cultivation world within thousands of miles of Qingyan City like a winged plague.

In teahouses, wine shops, markets where cultivators gathered, and even towns filled with mortals, people were whispering and mysteriously discussing this suddenly emerged baleful star.

"Have you heard? A ruthless man named Chen Zilong appeared over in Qingyan City!"

"More than just heard! They say he crippled the Wang Family's young master, that Nascent Soul Realm Wang Bufan, with a single punch!"

"That's nothing! The latest news says Elder Tian Yin of the Xuan Yin Sect's Qingyan Branch, a Nascent Soul Cultivator, was struck down by heavenly lightning he summoned! Both his body and soul were obliterated!"

"My god! Is he tired of living? He dared to touch someone from the Xuan Yin Sect? That's one of the most powerful forces in the Southern Demonic Path, and I heard their methods are incredibly ruthless!"

"Who knows? Word is he's incredibly arrogant, even claiming he'll level the Xuan Yin Sect's branch..."

"Now we'll have a good show. Can the Xuan Yin Sect swallow this insult?"

The rumors grew more and more outrageous, until Chen Zilong was depicted as a new baleful star of the Demonic Path who specifically targeted the Xuan Yin Sect and killed without blinking.

And this was exactly the effect Wang Lin wanted.

To push Chen Zilong completely to the opposite side of the Xuan Yin Sect, forcing their high-level leadership to take notice and act!

Like a spark dropped into boiling oil, the news finally reached where it was meant to go.

Tens of thousands of miles away from Qingyan City, deep within a mountain range perpetually shrouded in gray haze.

The terrain was treacherous, filled with jagged rocks and devoid of sunlight, with the air thick with a faint stench of decay and ghostly energy.

The main peak of the mountain range was like a giant black sword thrust upside down into the murky sky.

This was the location of the Heisha Mountain Branch Altar, an important branch established by the Xuan Yin Sect in this vast region.

Deep within the branch altar, inside a gloomy hall cast entirely from black nether-iron, the atmosphere was so oppressive it felt like it could be wrung out like water.

At the top of the hall, four tall bone chairs were lined up, their backs carved with hideous ghost heads.

Currently, one of the chairs was empty.

On the remaining three chairs sat three elders with steady auras and faces as dark as water.

The elder on the far left was thin and withered, wearing a black robe covered in twisted runes.

The wrinkles on his face were deep enough to crush a mosquito, but his eyes were startlingly bright, glowing with a faint green light like ghost fires in a tomb.

He was Elder Earth Yin, in charge of the branch's punishments and external conquests, and he was the most violent by nature.

The elder in the middle was slightly plump with a fair complexion, even carrying a hint of a kind and benevolent air.

But in the shift of his gaze, there was a bone-deep coldness and calculativeness.

He was Elder Wu Yin, in charge of the branch's resource allocation and internal affairs, the most meticulous and insidious of them all.

The elder on the far right was tall with a broad frame.

Yet he was so thin he was just skin and bones, wearing a simple gray robe and resting with his eyes closed.

But the frigid Yin aura radiating from him was the most pure and solid.

He was Elder Extreme Yin, the one with the highest cultivation. He remained in seclusion year-round and rarely appeared unless it was for something major.

These three, along with the now-obliterated Tian Yin, were the four presiding elders of the Heisha Mountain Branch Sect, collectively known as "heaven and earth limitless."

Now, the chair for the "Heaven" position was empty.

In the center of the hall knelt several Wang Family cultivators who had fled from Qingyan City and were lucky enough not to die in the bombardment of the desolate mountains, along with the trusted aides sent by Wang Lin.

Trembling with fear, they repeated the words Wang Lin had instructed them to say, adding their own embellishments, emphasizing Chen Zilong's "arrogance," his "contempt for the Xuan Yin Sect," and the "details" of how Elder Tian Yin was "cruelly murdered."

"...That Chen Zilong also said... he said the Xuan Yin Sect is nothing but a bunch of rats hiding their heads and tails, and killing one elder was just an appetizer. He said he would sooner or later level Heisha Mountain and pull out the souls of all the elders to light soul lamps..."

To save his life and get a reward, one Wang Family cultivator took the lies Wang Lin had fabricated to the extreme.

"Enough!"

Elder Earth Yin slammed his hand onto the armrest of his chair, and the armrest, made from the bone of some unknown demon beast, let out a sharp "crack."

A wave of cold, baleful energy spread out, scaring the people below so much they almost wet themselves.

"Get out!"

The group scrambled out of the hall as if they had been granted a divine reprieve.

Deathly silence returned to the hall, broken only by Earth Yin's heavy breathing and the rhythmic "thump-thump" of No Yin's finger tapping on the chair.

After a long time, Earth Yin spoke first, his voice hoarse and unpleasant, like a dull knife scraping against bone:

"Tian Yin... is just gone like that?"

"Obliterated by an unknown junior using lightning arts?"

"This is an utter humiliation for our Heisha Mountain Branch Sect!"

The green light in his eyes flared. "This matter absolutely cannot be left at that!"

"Otherwise, where will the dignity of our branch sect be?"

"How will we maintain our footing in the Southern Border in the future?"

"What will other Demonic Path forces think of us?"

"We must use the most cruel methods to capture that Chen Zilong, extract his soul and refine his spirit, torturing him for a thousand years as a warning to others!"

Elder Wu Yin stopped his tapping. His fair face remained expressionless, and his voice was calm but carried a chill:

"Brother Earth Yin, please calm yourself."

"The grudge must naturally be settled."

"But there's something strange about this matter."

"Based on the news those useless trash brought back and some scattered intelligence we gathered before, this Chen Zilong..."

"...doesn't seem to be without a background."

He paused and looked at Extreme Yin, who still had his eyes closed.

"Brother Extreme Yin, you've been in seclusion for years, so you might not know."

"About a hundred years ago, there was a brilliant female cultivator in the Middle Region known as 'Fairy Liu Mei,' who came from the Xuantian Sect, a great sect of the Heavenly Region."

"Not only was her beauty peerless, but her cultivation was also unfathomable. She was famous even at a young age."

"Later, for some unknown reason, she vanished without a trace."

"There are rumors that she took a disciple who was also her Dao companion, and he... seemed to be surnamed Chen."

Elder Extreme Yin slowly opened his eyes. His pupils were a bizarre grayish-white, seemingly without focus, and his voice was dry like two stones rubbing together:

"Liu Mei... Xuantian Sect... I have heard a bit about them."

"The Heavenly Region is infinitely far from here. The Xuantian Sect's reach cannot extend to the Southern Border."

"That may be so,"

No Yin interjected, "but if this boy truly is Liu Mei's successor, what he has learned is likely extraordinary."

"Although Tian Yin had only recently entered the Nascent Soul Stage, for him to be killed in one blow without even his Nascent Soul being able to escape... the power of that lightning art is likely far beyond the ordinary."

"We must act with caution, lest we fail in an easy task and lose everything."

"Caution? No Yin, you're getting more timid as you age!"

Earth Yin said angrily, "Who cares about Liu Mei or Yang Mei, or the Xuantian Sect!"

"This is the Southern Border, the territory of our Xuan Yin Sect!"

"Killing our elder is a blood feud!"

"If we shrink back because of some background, what dignity will our Xuan Yin Sect have left?"

"If word reaches the main sect and the Great Sect Master blames us, neither of us will be able to handle it!"

The "Great Sect Master" he spoke of referred to the elusive leader of the Xuan Yin Sect's main headquarters, whose cultivation was god-like, methods were ruthless, and who maintained extremely strict control over the subordinate branch sects.

Elder Extreme Yin's grayish-white eyes shifted as he looked at Earth Yin and No Yin, saying slowly:

"What Earth Yin says is not without merit."

"The sect's majesty must not be challenged."

"There must be an accounting for Tian Yin's death."

He changed the subject. "But No Yin's concerns must also be considered."

"This boy's ability to kill Tian Yin means his strength cannot be underestimated."

"To ensure absolute success..."

He paused for a moment, his voice resolute: "The three of us will act together."

Hearing this, both Earth Yin and No Yin were stunned.

Three Nascent Soul elders joining forces to deal with a junior suspected to be only at the Nascent Soul Early Stage?

If word of this got out, it would seem a bit...

...like making a mountain out of a molehill, and even a bit embarrassing.

Extreme Yin saw through their thoughts and said indifferently:

"Even a lion uses its full strength when hunting a rabbit."

"This boy's cultivation technique is peculiar, and he has a powerful puppet protecting him. Who has absolute certainty in facing him alone?"

"We will end this quickly, capture him, and bring him back to Heisha Mountain."

"Whether he is killed or tortured will be decided once the Great Sect Master returns or orders come from the main sect."

"By then, the credit will belong to the three of us, and if there's trouble... we'll have room to maneuver."

These words were incredibly shrewd.

Acting together ensured success and shared the credit.

Keeping him alive instead of killing him immediately provided a buffer and a bargaining chip if a colossus like the Xuantian Sect really was involved, preventing a total fallout.

Earth Yin thought about it. Although he felt a bit frustrated, Extreme Yin's words made sense.

The miserable state of Tian Yin's death had cast a shadow over his own heart as well.

He gave a heavy snort:

"Fine! We'll do as Brother Extreme Yin says!"

"The three of us old fogies will make the trip together!"

"I want to see if that kid really has three heads and six arms!"

No Yin also nodded, a cold smile appearing on his face:

"That is for the best."

"Then... it's settled."

"Capture him first."

"As for that Zhou Family in Qingyan City... I heard they have a close relationship with this boy?"

"Perhaps they can serve as a good... bait, or a bargaining chip to force him into the open."

The three of them looked at each other, cold glints flashing in their eyes.

The decision was thus made.