Upstream of Hidden Mist River, outside the Cosmos Sect.
Dharma Boats skimmed in from the distance, arriving at the mountain gate.
After presenting their invitation, disciples led the visitors inside the sect.
Deng Tianyu and Li Shishi temporarily parted ways with Aunt Rong, joining Grand Elder Xu Qing and following the reception disciple onward.
Looking up, they saw pavilions and palaces arranged in graceful disarray, wreathed in cloud and mist, dense with spiritual energy.
Walking the bluestone path, they occasionally glimpsed disciples wearing Cosmos Sect attire.
“The Cosmos Sect ranks first among the Six Sects. The spiritual energy within their grounds is far denser than anything back in the Purple Cloud Sect.”
Feeling the rich spiritual energy around him, Deng Tianyu sighed inwardly.
As far as he knew, the Purple Cloud Sect had placed fifth in the last Six Sect Martial Tournament.
Thus their Spirit-Gathering Grand Array could only be set downstream on the Hidden Mist River, where the spiritual energy was naturally far more sparse.
Just then, Li Shishi pulled back her wandering gaze and asked, “Shishu Xu, does the Six Sect Martial Tournament officially begin tomorrow?”
Xu Qing smiled faintly and explained, “The Six Sect Martial Tournament spans ten days.”
“The first four days are for the six sects’ disciples to debate the Dao and test their understanding.”
“The formal tournament begins on the fifth day.”
“So that’s how it is!” Li Shishi’s expression lit with understanding.
For her, this arrangement was perfect.
She wouldn’t have to return to the Purple Cloud Sect so soon, and she could stay by her senior brother’s side.
Most importantly, under the pretext of discussing the tournament’s tactical matchups, she could be close with her senior brother even more.
“Elder Xu, this is your residence.”
“Should you need anything, you may instruct the attending disciples.”
After giving the Purple Cloud Sect group a brief tour, the Cosmos Sect elder led them to an exceptionally spacious and elegant courtyard.
A plaque marked with the name “Purple Cloud Sect” stood there, clearly prepared in advance.
“Much obliged!” Xu Qing said softly, then began assigning rooms with the sect’s other elders.
The Purple Cloud Sect’s delegation wasn’t large. Including Deng Tianyu, Li Shishi, disciples, and elders, they numbered just over a hundred.
After his room was assigned, Deng Tianyu tidied up briefly and began cultivating.
In truth, his mental state and comprehension of the external world had already reached the King-Sealing Realm.
Yet Deng Tianyu hadn’t broken through in haste; he kept consolidating his foundation over and over again.
Naturally, there were reasons for this.
First, the Bloodfall Mountain Range expedition—those above the King-Sealing Realm couldn’t enter at all, so he had to suppress his realm.
Second, both his Fourth Aunt and his Shizun had told him that, if possible, he should strive to enter the Divine Ability Extreme Realm before sealing his kingship.
What was the Extreme Realm?
It meant that cultivation base, mental state, and world comprehension all reached a state of consummate perfection.
Entering the King-Sealing Realm from the Extreme Realm state would grant even greater combat power and allow one to walk further on the path ahead.
According to them, the Heaven’s Prides of the ancient era all cultivated to the Divine Ability Extreme Realm before stepping into the King-Sealing Realm.
And for Deng Tianyu right now, his mental state and world comprehension were already perfect.
As for his cultivation base, by rights it should also be considered perfect.
But because he’d refined so much Yin Sha and Baleful Yang Energy, the Spirit Mansion within his body had expanded considerably. He still felt it wasn’t perfect enough, that it could be made even broader.
At the same time, inside the Cosmos Sect’s Main Hall!
A figure sitting cross-legged opened their eyes and exhaled a breath of turbid air.
“Li Xun, Spirit Cod King… once this Seat refines the Myriad Soul Banner and the Blood Pill, I will annihilate you both.”
Remembering that battle at West Rime Lake, Qian Yuan’s face was pale, his eyes swirling with an utterly intense hatred.
“Sect Leader!”
Suddenly, a middle-aged man wearing the robes of a Cosmos Sect Grand Elder appeared.
Seeing this figure, Qian Yuan asked, “Has the Five Elements Blood-Refining Grand Array been set up?”
Zhai Yun replied quietly, “Following my Senior Brother’s orders, it has been fully deployed, encompassing the entire Cosmos Sect grounds.”
“Good.” Qian Yuan revealed a smile, his expression utterly sinister. “Then this Six Sect Martial Tournament shall be its final holding.”
As if recalling something, Zhai Yun furrowed his brow. “But if all the cultivators of the Five Sects die here, how will our Cosmos Sect explain this to the outside world?”
Meeting his gaze, Qian Yuan gave a cold laugh. “If the Cosmos Sect is also obliterated along with them, do we even need to explain?”
The latter’s pupils suddenly constricted. “Senior Brother, you can’t mean you want to destroy the Cosmos Sect along with them…?”
“What use is a trifling little Cosmos Sect?” Qian Yuan glanced at him and said flatly, “If they allow the Profound Baleful Nether Art that you and I cultivate to advance another layer, we may one day have the chance to step into the Sun-Moon Realm.”
“When that time comes, let alone a third-rate power, even a second-rate power would be nothing before us!”
The Profound Baleful Nether Art was something he and his Senior Brother had stumbled upon by chance in a Secret Realm. It was a heretical cultivation method.
This art could use the flesh, blood, and souls of cultivators as nutrients to rapidly strengthen oneself.
At first, when the two of them first came into contact with this sinister and evil art, they had felt some reluctance.
But once they took that first step and tasted the benefits, they never hesitated again.
What mattered most in the cultivation world?
Power! Nothing but power!
So long as you had overwhelming power, you could do as you pleased. You could break the rules, and you could also set them.
From then on, relying on this art, their cultivation bases soared. Zhai Yun quickly reached the peak of the King-Sealing Realm, just a step away from the Imperial Sovereign Realm.
And the more talented Qian Yuan had even broken through to the level of an Imperial Sovereign Realm Mighty One.
But after reaching the Imperial Sovereign Realm, every minor breakthrough required vast amounts of resources.
How could the Cosmos Sect’s resources possibly sustain that?
Thus, Qian Yuan set his sights on the Stone Gate within West Rime Lake and allied with a rogue cultivator, scheming to seize it.
Unfortunately, the appearance of West Rime Lake City Lord Li Xun and the Spirit Cod King in the end caused everything to fall through and left him heavily wounded.
Zhai Yun pondered in silence for a long time before revealing a ruthless expression. “Then let it be as Senior Brother says. Let the Cosmos Sect be buried with them!”
Hearing this, a flash of approval passed through Qian Yuan’s eyes. He then asked, “Has there been anything unusual among the forces invited to this Six Sect Martial Tournament?”
At this point, Zhai Yun seemed to remember something and was somewhat puzzled. “For some reason, the Spirit Treasure Pavilion has sent a representative, even though they never attended in the past.”
Qian Yuan frowned. “Who came?”
The Spirit Treasure Pavilion was subordinate to the Spirit Treasure Sect, a top-tier second-rate power. If the person they sent possessed strength at the Imperial Sovereign Realm level, it could jeopardize his plans.
Zhai Yun spoke slowly. “The Spirit Treasure Sect Leader’s Wife, Qu Qirong!”
“She is accompanied by two maidservants and two experts at the Fifth Heaven of the King-Sealing Realm.”
This was the news he had just received. The Spirit Treasure Pavilion’s attendance had also taken him by surprise.
“The Sect Leader’s Wife?” Qian Yuan dismissed her completely. “That’s nothing but an empty title, a formality with no real power.”
“The plan remains unchanged. Even with two more King-Sealing Realm cultivators, they’re just two more dead souls. They cannot alter the final outcome!”
If the visitor had been a figure of real authority from the Spirit Treasure Sect, he might have felt some apprehension.
As for this Sect Leader’s Wife, she was not within the scope of his concerns.
