Chapter 370: Night Ride Assault!

They said to wait three days, but on the second night, Xu Mingyuan hurried over and invited Chen Mu to the Ten Thousand Swords Manor.

Chen Mu gladly accepted, following Overseer Xu out of Ten Thousand Swords City and onto the manor's secret path.

In the night, the silhouette of the Ten Thousand Swords Manor gradually emerged—not the pavilions and towers he had imagined, but a vast complex of fortresses built along the mountain slopes.

Countless sword-shaped stone towers and sharply angular structures were scattered across the rugged peaks, gleaming with a cold, metallic sheen under the moonlight, radiating a chilling, deadly aura.

In an open-air assembly hall at the outer edge of the Ten Thousand Swords Manor, Chen Mu met Li Tianjun again.

The hall's floor was paved with a single slab of obsidian, and dozens of ancient swords of varying designs hung from its walls, their sword qi thick in the air.

Dozens of people were seated or standing, each with distinct energies, yet all undeniably formidable.

Some glowed faintly with aura-light, others stirred air currents with every breath, while a few simply stood still, as unmoving and solid as deep pools and towering peaks.

Chen Mu glanced and recognized the emblems on several outfits: the tortoise-and-snake motif of the Northern Peak Xuanwu Sect, the flame totem of the Li Huo Palace, and several others whose piercing, pure energies must be representatives of other factions.

When Chen Mu entered, Li Tianjun merely nodded slightly to him, then continued explaining the situation before the massive original dragon Dao mountain terrain map hanging in the hall, his voice steady and powerful, echoing through the empty stone chamber.

Chen Mu did not interrupt; he slipped quietly to a corner, blending into the shadows, listening in silence.

From Li Tianjun's intermittent discussions with the others, he quickly learned that those gathered here were all representatives of major sects and families responding to the Ten Thousand Swords Manor's emergency summons, united to discuss how to eradicate the newly exposed Mo Sect outpost.

One core reason the Mo Sect was hard to eradicate was that its branch nests were often hidden and elusive, with multiple escape routes.

Now that a precise location had been confirmed, these righteous experts, long harboring grudges against the Mo Sect, could no longer contain themselves.

A massive man, built like a iron tower with a voice like a bronze bell, swung his fist and advocated gathering strength for a direct frontal assault to crush the demon den with overwhelming force.

An elderly man with a grim face and hawk-like eyes argued instead for surrounding the area from all sides, setting a heavenly net, then methodically clearing inward to ensure not a single soul escaped.

A middle-aged scholar dressed in robes, fanning himself with a feather fan, calmly suggested first sending elite infiltrators to gather details on the Mo Sect's top-tier cultivators and defensive layouts before making any move.

The hall erupted in heated debate, each side insisting on their own plan; the air itself trembled slightly from the unconscious aura and willpower radiating from these experts.

Chen Mu's gaze calmly swept over the passionate faces around him, remaining silent.

His purpose here was clear: to find someone. As for how to attack the Mo Sect outpost, he trusted the Ten Thousand Swords Manor would decide.

At that moment, Li Tianjun suddenly fell silent, turning his gaze toward Chen Mu's corner, and spoke.

"Chen Xuncha Shi."

The call was not loud, yet it cut cleanly through all the noise.

The hall fell instantly still; dozens of sharp, probing, or curious eyes locked onto Chen Mu, invisible pressure converging upon him.

Li Tianjun ignored the stares and asked directly.

"Chen my lord, since you discovered this demon den, do you know roughly how many Mo Sect experts are inside? What are their strengths?"

Chen Mu met the gazes of all present without changing expression, stepping half out of the shadows, and replied calmly, "Exact numbers unknown. But there are several Tiangong realm experts."

As soon as he spoke, a low intake of breath rippled through the hall, followed by louder murmurs.

"Several Tiangong realm experts?"

The iron-tower giant frowned deeply, "This complicates things. We'll need careful planning."

"No wonder this Mo Sect outpost remained hidden this long—it's been guarded by such strength," the hawk-eyed elder murmured, stroking his beard, his eyes gleaming colder.

The others resumed heated debate, weighing pros and cons.

After a moment, Yan Borui, the sect leader of the Zheng Jianmen, who had remained silent until now, suddenly spoke. His voice was not loud, yet carried a metallic ring, instantly drawing everyone's attention.

"The Mo Sect may be strong, but the force gathered here is no less formidable. Since we have a precise location, why wait?"

"Speed is the essence of warfare. We must strike the Moon Gazing Valley before they are alert—or even if they know their base is exposed, before they expect us to move this fast."

"With the force of Lei Ting, we cut off their leaders first; the rest will collapse on their own."

He was slender, yet his spine stood straight as a sword sheathed in its scabbard; his words carried an air of decisive authority.

His words drew praise.

"Master Yan speaks wisely! Hesitation invites disaster!"

There were also opponents.

"A sudden raid—if they're already prepared or have laid traps, won't we be walking into a net?"

The hall plunged back into argument.

Chen Mu remained silent, his gaze shifting only between Li Tianjun and Yan Borui.

Li Tianjun pondered long, then said, "Master Yan's words hold merit. The Mo Sect's intelligence may not be that sharp, and even if it is, they likely never expected our decision to come so swiftly. The longer we delay, the more variables arise. I support the surprise attack."

He scanned the room. "Then, everyone, vote. Those who support an immediate surprise assault on Moon Gazing Valley, raise your hands."

The crowd exchanged glances; after a brief silence, the iron-tower giant roared first, "Let's crush them!"

His thick arm shot high.

Immediately after, the hawk-eyed elder snorted and slowly raised his hand.

The middle-aged scholar gave a light flick of his feather fan, weighing the choice, then raised his hand as well.

One by one, over half the hall raised their hands; in the shifting light, it looked like a silent forest of upraised arms.

Seeing this, Chen Mu did not hesitate—he calmly raised his right hand.

He needed chaos. He needed the Mo Sect too distracted to notice him.

"Good!"

Li Tianjun rose abruptly, his sharp sword intent naturally erupting, scattering the last lingering hesitation in the hall.

"Decision made. No time to waste. Everyone, depart at once!"

The crowd roared in unison, the sound shaking the rafters, the killing intent filling the sky.

Chen Mu's spirit stirred within.

As the crowd streamed out of the assembly hall, the night outside was thick, the stars dim.

The Ten Thousand Swords Manor was already in motion: squads of sharp, disciplined disciples silently and swiftly assembled; representatives from each sect issued signals to summon their accompanying personnel.

Within the span of a single incense stick, an elite force of over a hundred experts, led by Li Tianjun, Yan Borui, and several other top-tier masters, flowed like a silent river into the night, racing swiftly toward the Moon Gazing Valley.

Everyone was of profound cultivation, and with full speed, their pace was astonishing.

They raced through the night, scaling mountains and crossing valleys, fording rivers and threading forests, pausing only briefly for essential rest, almost without stopping.

Mountains and earth rushed backward beneath their feet, the biting night wind repelled by their protective true qi.

After a day and night, as the horizon first glowed with a faint fish-belly white—the darkest moment before dawn—the team silently arrived at a dense forest at the edge of a valley.

In the distance, two mountain peaks shaped like crescent moons flanked a deep, shadowed valley, where mist swirled and a sinister aura lingered faintly.

This was Wangyue Valley!