Chapter 546

「Our Blasting Heaven Sect will absolutely not take even a thread or a hair from the cultivators of Bright Moon Immortal Prefecture. 」

「Alright, I've finished speaking, let's set out! 」

At Qing Yan's command, their massive troop split into three orderly waves and entered the great transmission formation in single file.

Within seven days, the three major sects—Blasting Heaven Sect, Dragon Gate, and Heavenly Dance Sect—had each planted their banners in the immortal prefectures they were headed to, beginning to stir up the winds and clouds.

Within each of these major sects were countless heaven‑chosen disciples and experts as numerous as clouds; from the senior elders down to the menial elders, all were present, making their overall strength extremely formidable!

As these three mysterious forces gradually developed, their fame spread widely throughout the Nine Heavens Dao Realm, attracting the attention of many major powers and wandering cultivators.

「Recently, a powerful force has risen in Phantom Dream Immortal Prefecture, called Dragon Gate; have you all heard of it? 」

「This force's origins are unknown, yet it rose swiftly, and its development path bears considerable resemblance to that of the Azure Cloud Immortal Sect; I estimate that Dragon Gate is surely backed by a major power, otherwise it could not have risen so quickly. 」

「Phantom Dream Immortal Prefecture actually has one too? My Radiant Cloud Immortal Prefecture has also recently risen a major power, called the Heavenly Dance Sect. Its disciples are mostly myriad‑postured fairies, truly graceful and elegant; to be able to cultivate in this sect would be the pinnacle of life! 」

「You consider that good? You don't know the force that has risen in our Bright Moon Immortal Prefecture! It seems to be called something like the Blasting Heaven Sect. 」

「Any power that opposed them was utterly crushed; they even claimed that those who surrendered would not lose a thread or a hair, yet the result was that the surrendering powers were left with nothing but a thread or a hair. 」

The commotion caused by these three major forces was great; countless cultivators, when idle, would gather and discuss, giving rise to many differing opinions.

Recently, the last major continent of the Nine Heavens Dao Realm, Purple Spirit Immortal Prefecture, has also been tumultuous.

The long‑silent Supreme Immortal Sect and the aloof Misty Immortal Palace jointly announced their entry into the world, and this news caused an even greater uproar!

Who is the Tai Shang Shen Zhu of the Supreme Immortal Sect? He is none other than the sole personal disciple of the Seven Tribulations Immortal Emperor, and the lord of the Misty Immortal Palace, the City‑toppling Divine Lord, is the Seven Tribulations Immortal Emperor's beloved confidante!

If not for a heaven‑shaking upheaval, would they have jointly announced their entry into the world?

Thus, amid countless speculations, numerous immortals and dao masters of the Nine Heavens Dao Realm turned their gaze toward Purple Spirit Immortal Prefecture.

「The entry into the world of the Supreme Immortal Sect and the Misty Immortal Palace is certainly not simple; friends, do you still remember that aura that erupted on the Path of Destiny not long ago? 」

Above the firmament, several terrifying figures coincidentally gathered here; it is obvious they all came for a shared purpose.

「Remember, I was asleep then and was startled awake; that familiar aura is deeply etched in my memory—it is the aura of the Seven Tribulations Immortal Emperor, who has long since fallen! 」

「But that one had already perished in the Fallen Immortal Dao Tribulation; you also know how terrifying that tribulation is—those struck down by this forbidden tribulation lightning have no chance of rebirth. 」

Upon saying this, they all fell into deep thought, and one figure suddenly had an idea: 「Everything is possible; don't forget that legend—rumor has it that the Seven Tribulations senior may possess in his hands an unsurpassed, heaven‑defying secret method for an Immortal Emperor to break through his realm. 」

「Huh? You mean he might very well have used this method to escape a tribulation and now returned with great force? 」

「Yes, that explains everything. 」

「If that were the case, it would be wonderful! A single dominant power does not serve everyone's interests; we might as well temporarily pledge allegiance to the Seven Tribulations senior, so that we can counter the Azure... 」

He hadn't finished speaking when another figure forcefully cut him off: 「You're mad? Absolutely cannot speak plainly! You nearly got us all killed! 」

「Sorry, it was my oversight; since that's the case, let's prepare to head to the Misty Immortal Palace. 」

The Golden Feather Immortal Island, one of the four major continents of the Xianhong Dao Realm, is a chaotic region located at the border of the immortal prefectures.

Within it lie numerous Spirit‑Gathering Grand Formations set up by the major powers, the immortal qi is extremely rich, making it an excellent place for cultivation; outside, there are the two natural barriers of the Miasmic Mist and the Heavenly Trace Immortal Forest, and its geographical location is superb.

Thus, for a long time, this place has been a paradise for all manner of strong ones, and who knows how many great beings have here proclaimed themselves as lords of the Dao.

The fighting there is extraordinarily fierce; almost every day, countless cultivators are slaughtered in the conflicts.

Either they are refined by the Miasmic Mist before even entering, or after leaving the mist they are devoured by the demonic beasts of the Heavenly Trace Immortal Forest.

In this way, the place earned a chilling epithet: the Dark Domain Forbidden Zone.

Ordinary cultivators, upon merely hearing this name, are already trembling with fear.

Outside the grayish Miasmic Mist, dozens of figures descended silently like ghosts.

They all wore uniform dark‑blue attire and donned strange‑shaped ghost‑visage masks, resembling a group of hellish emissaries from the netherworld.

Several dozen stood silently, making not a sound, showing how strict their discipline is.

「Brother Li, these are the shadow guards of our sect's Dark Tower, right? 」

Behind the dozens of shadow guards walked two youths, one plump and one thin; the plump one was broad‑shouldered and thick‑waisted, white and chubby, radiating jewelry aura all over.

The other had white hair flowing over his shoulders, a very refined appearance, and an otherworldly demeanor.

They were precisely the inner‑disciple Zhao Jinzhu and the core disciple Li Yin of the Azure Cloud Sect.

「I usually only hear their name but never see their face; I never expected to be fortunate enough today to see so many shadow guards. 」

Zhao Jinzhu stared unblinkingly at the dozens of figures ahead.

The shadow guards belong to the Dark Tower, which is one of the five floors of the eight peaks of the Azure Cloud Sect, and they constitute a comprehensive department responsible for gathering intelligence, assassinating enemies, and protecting our own side.

Usually they come and go without trace within the sect, rarely showing their faces.

「Still, you've thought this through well, Brother Li! I originally thought this journey would be fraught with hardship and danger, and I had prepared myself to face death without hesitation. 」

Zhao Jinzhu wore an expression of admiration; earlier Li Yin had told him he wanted to venture into the forbidden zone and make a name for himself with just his fists, which had already frightened him quite a bit, but he never expected Li Yin to go to such extremes.

「I only recently received the news myself; an elder and I said that the sect's Dark Tower also intends to take over this Dark Domain Forbidden Zone, which happens to match our destination. 」

「That's good; with the Dark Tower present, we can at least guarantee our safety. 」

Li Yin gazed solemnly at the gray mist at the forefront of the forbidden zone's perimeter; this forbidden zone is even more dangerous than he had imagined.

【Miasmic Mist】—I had read about this mist in an ancient text; it has a strong hallucinogenic effect, and cultivators who are not greatly affected will see everything around them as illusory phantoms, and as time passes they sink deeper and deeper until they are refined by the mist.

If the Dark Tower had not arrived, he would surely have changed his previous plan; Brother Zhao would follow him ready to die, and how could I truly let him fall into danger?

Just then, three more figures tore through space and descended, each exuding the aura of an immensely powerful Supreme Divine Lord.