Chapter 1028

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Protagonist:

Xu Zhangqing

Yin Jiuyou — Xu Zhangqing did not know him.

Xuan Yan and Qin Baili, however, showed a flicker of recognition upon hearing this name.

This man's reputation in the Immortal Sect was not small; he had committed more than a few outrageous acts.

The gaunt man continued: "When Lu Chen Yuan was alive, Vice Peak Master Yin was his right-hand man.

After Lu Chen Yuan died, Xuanming Peak was left a group of dragons without a leader; several senior brothers and Elders recommended him to temporarily assume the Peak Master position, and it has continued to this day."

Xuan Yan gave a slight nod: "Lead the way."

Upon hearing this, a trace of hesitation flashed across the gaunt man's face.

He looked at Xuan Yan, then at Xu Zhangqing and the others; his lips moved several times, but the words reaching his mouth were swallowed back down hard.

He then lowered his head, stepped aside to clear the entrance, and drew his short staff through the void; the restriction at the mountain foot let out a low hum, and the barrier instantly dissipated.

"Great Elder, please; various seniors, please."

The stone steps were steep; on the stone pillars on both sides, dark green spirit patterns constantly flickered bright and dim.

The air was cold and gloomy; the higher one went, the thicker that faint, barely perceptible decaying qi became.

On both sides of the mountain path, caves chiseled into the rock walls could occasionally be seen; inside they were pitch black, and one could glimpse all manner of bottles and jars placed within, soaking things of unrecognizable shape.

Along the way, the Xuanming Peak members and Disciples who saw Xuan Yan all froze for a moment, then their expressions changed one after another — some hurriedly saluted in panic, others quietly retreated to the side of the road.

No one dared step forward to block the way, and no one dared speak to question.

For Xuanming Peak's people, Xuan Yan was more effective than any token.

Even though the Dongting Immortal Sect no longer existed today, no one dared show disrespect.

The group passed through several side halls at the mountainside and a stone bridge spanning across a cliff, finally arriving at the main hall at the summit of Xuanming Peak — Xuan Ming Hall.

The hall was towering, built entirely of an unknown black stone.

The roof ridge soared like a sword; on both sides crouched five bone bird stone carvings, each with a different posture.

The hall doors were tightly shut; a massive Myriad Ghosts of the Netherworld Painting was engraved on the doors — ten thousand ghostly shadows surged silently on the panels; a single glance made one's spine chill.

The gaunt man stepped forward briskly and pushed open the hall doors, ushering everyone inside.

The hall's interior was even more cold, gloomy, and desolate than it appeared from outside.

The vaulted ceiling was extremely high; black stone pillars stood like a forest, their shafts inlaid with dark green Ghost Fire Lamps, illuminating the entire hall like a ghost realm.

There were no superfluous furnishings in the hall — only a massive black stone platform; behind the platform stood a statue several zhang tall, but its features were blurred, leaving only a majestic posture.

One hand held the Netherworld Spring; the other gripped the Tempering Soul Sword.

In fact, Xuanming Peak was founded by Lu Chen Yuan.

This statue's face was Lu Chen Yuan's face.

Only, this man not only died, but also betrayed the Immortal Sect.

To avoid suspicion, someone deliberately blurred the statue's facial features.

And beside the stone platform, a man was standing at this moment.

He looked to be only in his early forties, tall and thin, wearing a wide purple long robe.

His face was gaunt, cheekbones high, eye sockets sunken.

In a pair of narrow eyes, the pupils were an unnatural dark green.

The corners of his mouth held a faint, barely-there smile, making it impossible to tell whether he was truly smiling or his mouth was simply born this shape.

A head of gray long hair was not tied up, casually draped over his shoulders; the ends curled slightly, as if scorched by something.

This man was precisely Xuanming Peak's Vice Peak Master, Yin Jiuyou.

In fact, he had not been here originally; he heard the commotion outside, and with someone transmitting a message, he came here to wait deliberately.

Yin Jiuyou originally had his back to the hall doors; he turned around upon hearing footsteps.

When his gaze landed on Xuan Yan, those dark green pupils contracted slightly.

That faint smile froze at the corner of his mouth; his whole person subconsciously straightened, both hands withdrawing from his sleeves to hang at his sides, fingertips curling slightly.

"Great... Great Elder."

"Xuanming Peak has long drawn a clear line with Lu Chen Yuan; we never participated in his plans, nor did we ever do anything for him."

"On this point, I dare swear a Dao Heart Oath!"

Yin Jiuyou's words came fast and urgent, as if rehearsed countless times.

As for whether these words were true or false — Lu Chen Yuan is now a dead man; no one can produce evidence, and no one can expose the truth.

Xuan Yan did not entangle further on this matter; he looked at Yin Jiuyou with a calm gaze and spoke straight to the point: "Our visit this time is not to demand accountability.

Xuanming Peak is now a group of dragons without a leader, hiding isolated in this poison mist; sooner or later it is a dead end."

He paused, his voice not loud, yet clearly transmitting into every person's ears: "Right now, merging into Qingmu Sect is your best choice."

As these words fell, Xuanming Peak from top to bottom was greatly shocked.

Yin Jiuyou glanced at Xu Zhangqing upon hearing this; a trace of extremely hard-to-detect disdain flashed in his dark green eyes; he lowered his eyelids and said in a tone neither servile nor overbearing: "Great Elder, I understand your meaning.

Xuanming Peak is indeed not what it used to be, but in terms of inheritance, seniority, and combat strength, back in the Dongting Immortal Sect, Xuanming Peak firmly held first place.

As for Qingmu Peak..."

He did not finish his words, merely hooking the corner of his mouth slightly; the meaning was self-evident.

To put it bluntly, Qingmu Peak is just Qingmu Sect; no matter how well it develops now, it is merely a rising newcomer — on what grounds should it make Xuanming Peak, with its deep seniority, bow its head and submit?

Xu Changqing hears this, his expression shows no change whatsoever, but his right hand raises slightly, and the Xuanhuang Mother Qi Cauldron emerges from his palm.

The cauldron body is merely palm-sized, its entire form flowing with yellowish-brown ancient patterns; the next moment, the cauldron body suddenly swells, transforming into a giant cauldron over a zhang tall, crashing down onto the black stone ground at the center of the great hall, and even the statue of Lu Chen Yuan is destroyed along with it.

Immediately after, Xuanhuang Power pours out like a collapsing mountain and overturning sea, the entire Xuan Ming Hall violently trembling in this instant.

The black stone ground cracks inch by inch, the Ghost Fire Lamps on the stone pillars swaying wildly.

At this moment, Yin Jiuyou only feels an irresistible terrifying gravity crushing from all directions, his surrounding magic power stagnant like ice; he is too late to raise his hand and form seals, his knees already smashing onto the ground, the black stone slabs beneath his knees shattering into fine powder.

Yin Jiuyou raises his head with difficulty, meeting Xu Changqing's pair of eyes calm to the point of indifference.

In those eyes there is no killing intent, no anger, not even a ripple of fluctuation.

Precisely because of this, it makes one's spine turn cold all the more.

At this moment, Yin Jiuyou finally understands, the Xu Changqing before him has long since become a different person from before.

The reason he couldn't be bothered to waste words with him was not because he lacked confidence, but because there was no necessity.

Xu Changqing asks in a flat tone: "Now, do you still have any objections?"

Yin Jiuyou's whole body sweats cold like rain, his dark green pupils contracting sharply; his lips tremble several times, all his pride, all his self-respect, all his dismissiveness, shattering completely clean before the absolute crushing power.

He lowers his head deeply, his forehead nearly touching the ground, his voice trembling as he says: "All of Xuanming Peak, willing to submit to Qingmu Sect, revering Sect Master Xu as supreme!"