86: Chapter 86 Destroying Yan Mountain

Mieyan Mountain.

This was a long-dormant dead volcano, with a record of only one eruption fifteen hundred years ago.

Its location was only five hundred li away from the Tianhuo Sect.

Originally, the venue for the Qing State Wending Assembly was not here, but rather on the banks of the scenic Qing River—Qingxiao Mountain.

However, just a short while ago, a decree from the envoy of the Cangmu Upper State lightly erased Qingxiao Mountain from the list and replaced it with this Mieyan Mountain.

The deep meaning implied within this was self-evident.

At the peak of Mieyan Mountain, a magnificent and imposing grand hall stood toweringly.

The layout inside the hall had clear rankings; at the very head, there was a wide main seat, clearly reserved for the envoy of the Upper State.

Below the main seat on both sides, there were three noticeably secondary, exquisite seats—the left and right secondary seats.

Further down were the numerous third-tier seats surrounding the hall.

Tianhuo Sect Sect Master Song Lushan and Earth Flame Sect Sect Master Wu Chunhua were sitting upright on the two secondary seats on the left.

The secondary seat opposite them was empty.

This position, which should have belonged to Liuyun Temple, was currently empty.

But this did not mean Liuyun Temple had not arrived; Temple Master Jing Hong and Grand Elder Perfected Yunshui were currently sitting on one of the third-tier seats closest to that secondary seat.

Both men had grave expressions, sitting uneasily.

Perfected Yunshui had a grave expression and quietly transmitted his voice: "Sect Master, Moonshadow Sect... why haven't they arrived yet?"

Jing Hong forced himself to remain calm and similarly replied via voice transmission: "Rest assured."

In his mind, the promise of Sect Master of Moon Shadow Sect Ling Hao from that day surfaced: "Go without worry. As long as Moonshadow Sect exists, you shall exist."

Looking at Song Lushan, who had an unkind gaze on the secondary seat opposite, bitterness churned in Jing Hong's heart.

I believe in your strength, Sect Master Ling, but you should hurry up and come! I should have asked for the specific arrival time of Moonshadow Sect in detail back then!

Jing Hong's reason for choosing to come was very realistic.

If he did not attend the assembly, once Moonshadow Sect was destroyed, he would be like lips without teeth, and his Liuyun Temple would have no chance of survival; if he came, and Moonshadow Sect could not stop Tianhuo Sect, Earth Flame Sect, and the Upper State envoy, it would be death either way.

But if he followed the arrangements of Moonshadow Sect, and if by chance Moonshadow Sect could actually hold out or even counter-kill... Liuyun Temple might be able to win the impression of "merit of following the Dragon."

After thinking it over, he had no choice but to brace himself and walk this path to the end.

The silence in the hall was broken by a cold laugh from Song Lushan. The voice was not loud, but it clearly spread to every corner inside and outside the hall: "Heh, this Moonshadow Sect has such airs! With the Upper State envoy about to arrive, they dare to be so late? Could it be that they want the Honorable Envoy to wait for them?!"

Once these words were spoken, they instantly ignited the long-suppressed atmosphere inside and outside the hall.

"That's right! Simply arrogant!"

"Could it be that they got cold feet before the battle?"

"Didn't Moonshadow Sect claim half a year ago that they would destroy both the Tianhuo and Earth Flame Sects? Now that both Sects are gathered, it is a 'good opportunity,' why are they shrinking back instead?"

"I think it's just bluffing!"

Sounds of mockery arose, mixed with awe for the authority of the Upper State envoy and disdain for Moonshadow Sect's lack of appreciation.

Jing Hong looked around and saw that these people who were speaking were basically all in the third-tier seats opposite.

The loudest one was the middle-aged man sitting behind Song Lushan; the mockery and schadenfreude in his eyes as he looked at Jing Hong were undisguised.

Jing Hong frowned; this was the Sect Master of the Guanhuo Sect, a third-Rank Sect under the Tianhuo Sect, who had provoked him earlier when he arrived.

Without a Nascent Soul Old Ancestor to deter them, many Sects wanted to step on them to gain the favor of the Tianhuo Sect.

Song Lushan turned his gaze to the Liuyun Temple seats, the corners of his mouth curling into a sneer: "Temple Master Jing, I heard that your Liuyun Temple has already acknowledged Moonshadow Sect as its master and even offered up two-thirds of your Sect's resources?"

He sighed deliberately, "Why bother? It would be better to offer half of your resources to my Tianhuo Sect and become an affiliate under my Sect. Considering that we were both fourth-Rank Sects in the past, I will definitely ensure the continuation of your Liuyun Temple's lineage. Wouldn't that be a hundred times better than following that ignorant and reckless Moonshadow Sect?"

Jing Hong withdrew his gaze, sneering inwardly.

Both your Tianhuo and Earth Flame Sects have the intention to annex my Liuyun Temple, don't you? You probably don't even believe such nonsense yourself.

Saying it now is nothing more than showing it to these small forces in the hall, to display the "benevolence" of your Tianhuo Sect.

On the surface, Jing Hong only shook his head slightly and did not reply.

Seeing that Jing Hong was impervious, Song Lushan felt bored.

If it weren't for the concern that the Upper State envoy was about to arrive and the need to maintain superficial order and respect, he would have wanted to make a move right now.

He glanced at Wu Chunhua beside him out of the corner of his eye, only to see her still closing her eyes and resting, as if all the turmoil around her had nothing to do with her.

Song Lushan frowned imperceptibly.

The sun quietly slid past the zenith; noon had already passed.

Inside and outside the hall, the anxious atmosphere grew increasingly heavy.

Song Lushan, Wu Chunhua, and even Jing Hong all had their brows furrowed into knots.

At this hour, not only was there no trace of Moonshadow Sect, but even that high-and-mighty Upper State envoy had yet to arrive!

"How strange, why has the Honorable Envoy also been delayed?"

"Moonshadow Sect... they probably really don't dare to come, right? Did they just abandon Liuyun Temple?"

"Most likely! Otherwise, why wouldn't they have appeared yet?"

"Liuyun Temple has really been screwed over this time..."

Low murmurs spread among the crowd, pointing directly at Moonshadow Sect, with words full of mockery and disdain, and no lack of schadenfreude regarding the plight of Liuyun Temple.

Jing Hong listened, his heart sinking suddenly, his face turning slightly pale: Sect Master Ling... did you really abandon my Liuyun Temple?!

Just at this dull, oppressive moment that had almost solidified, "Look! In the sky! What is that?!" A startled cry suddenly rang out from outside the hall, piercing the silence.

Countless gazes were instantly drawn, all cast toward the high sky.

They saw the distant sea of clouds being torn apart with a roar.

Five incomparably huge "sharp swords" pierced the firmament, obscuring a large swath of daylight, and with overwhelming pressure, they descended ferociously!

On the deck of the leading flagship, three figures stood outstandingly.

The man in the center wore black robes, his posture as straight as a pine.

To the left of Ling Hao, Yu Lingshuang wore a moon-white long dress, her temperament cold and aloof, her face peerless, exuding a chilling Aura that kept strangers at a distance.

To his right, Chi Shuying wore a pink-hued flowing cloud long dress, her figure exquisite and graceful, with a touch of gentleness within her mature charm.

And on the wide decks of the five giant ships, fifteen hundred female Disciples in moon-white and light cyan attire stood solemnly.

Their Aura was condensed like an abyss, their gazes sharp as swords, and the surging Battle Intent and murderous Aura they gathered caused the spiritual energy of this heaven and earth to become restless.

Thousands of heroic women, their Aura like a rainbow; even from afar, it was a pleasing sight, yet it also made one feel terrified!

"It's the cloud whale ship! Moonshadow Sect! They have arrived!!"

A Cultivator shouted excitedly, not knowing if it was because of this shocking scene or because of the fanaticism for the "grand drama" about to unfold.

"Five ships! Last time they destroyed the Huoyan Sect they only sent one, this time there are actually five!"

"This posture... Moonshadow Sect is truly going to fight to the death with Tianhuo and Earth Flame Sects!"

"Hiss... fifteen hundred Foundation Establishment female Cultivators? And every one of them has an Aura like a rainbow and is as beautiful as a flower... This Sect Master of Moon Shadow Sect... is truly blessed with immense fortune, making others envious!"

The crowd in the hall could no longer hold back and poured out of the hall.

Jing Hong and Perfected Yunshui looked up at the giant ships that blotted out the sky and the array of Disciples on the deck whose Aura soared to the heavens; their tense heartstrings suddenly relaxed, and they looked at each other, both seeing shock in each other's eyes.

They had originally thought Moonshadow Sect only had that one cloud whale ship... this... there were actually five! And perhaps... even more?

This foundation was simply far beyond their imagination.

And those fifteen hundred female Disciples, in terms of quantity alone, might not even reach the total number of Foundation Establishment Disciples in their fourth-Rank Sect.

But that soaring Battle Intent, that Aura condensed like iron... when they, as Golden Core True Persons, faced it, it actually made their hearts inexplicably tremble.

Thinking of their own Disciples... Jing Hong felt bitter in his heart: Compared to them, they were simply like mud!

Song Lushan and Wu Chunhua had also stepped out of the hall and stood at a high vantage point.

The two of them furrowed their brows tightly, their gloomy gazes crossing the space, locking firmly onto the black-clad figure on the deck of the central flagship.

Ling Hao seemed to sense something, slightly lowering his eyes, just in time to meet Song Lushan's cold gaze.

The corners of his mouth curled up slowly, blooming into an ambiguous arc. In that smile, there was a trace of playfulness, a trace of disdain, and even more, a trace of undisguised... sharpness!