Actually, it wasn't just the cultivators from the two sects at Foundation Establishment level who felt panic.
In the Qinghua Sect, within the Assembly Hall of Piaomiao Peak, there was a heavy silence.
Outside the hall, mist surrounded the towering building, making it appear like an island suspended in mid-air. Inside, the flickering candlelights played on the faces of the high-ranking members dressed in purple robes with sect tokens at their waists, casting shifting shadows.
These people were all Master Fake Pill cultivators of the Qinghua Sect, usually lofty within the sect, carrying themselves with the demeanor of a grandmaster. Yet at this moment, faced with the words "Nascent Soul True Monarch," they lost all composure.
The life and death of tens of thousands are decided with a thought by a Nascent Soul True Monarch, and in front of such a person, these Fake Pill cultivators were merely slightly stronger ants.
"Ahem..."
Hua Yufu, sitting in the main seat, finally broke the silence:
"Let's hear it, everyone. From the information gathered so far, it seems that the Nascent Soul True Monarch is likely a cultivator from the Chu Country and has old ties with the Tang Clan of Yuquan. In this situation, what path should our sect take?"
As soon as the words were spoken, a low murmur of discussion began in the hall, yet it lacked the confidence of past meetings, with anxiety lacing everyone's tone.
"What else can we do? We must first restrain our sect's disciples!"
A bearded Master Li, a prominent figure within the Law Enforcement Hall, spoke with furrowed brows. Normally the most stern, his expression was now heavy:
"I heard that the demonic cultivators from Chu Country have all hidden within the mortal world, even those few Fake Pill Masters have vanished. Our Qinghua Sect disciples are spread across the Chu Region, and if any unwise ones provoke the True Monarch, the entire sect would suffer!"
"The Law Enforcement Hall Master is right!"
Another Master Chen quickly agreed:
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"Not only must we restrain the sect's disciples, but also manage the offspring of affiliated families. In these critical times, anyone who causes trouble should have their cultivation crippled and be expelled from their family!"
Of course, everyone knew that if the True Monarch decided to act against the Qinghua Sect, it wouldn't matter how well-behaved the disciples were.
After all, how could they fathom the thoughts of a Nascent Soul cultivator?
It's worth mentioning, this sense of not having control over their own lives was truly unsettling for those standing at the top of the food chain in the Chu Country.
Hua Yufu felt somewhat relieved in his heart: "It's fortunate that the True Monarch likely isn't from the Demon Dao, otherwise..."
Wu Xiaoyu, the Pill Hall Master, sat in a corner, silent, with a furrowed brow, seemingly deep in thought.
The voices of discussion echoed in his ears, his heart growing increasingly hesitant—there was something he wasn't sure whether to say.
After pondering for a moment, Wu Xiaoyu finally gritted his teeth, took a deep breath, stood up, and bowed with cupped hands:
"Sect Leader, Fellow Daoists, actually... our Qinghua Sect may also have a connection with this Nascent Soul senior!"
"Oh?"
Hua Yufu suddenly raised his head, a hint of light flashing in his eyes, his previously tense body slightly leaning forward, even his voice rising a few notches:
"Fellow Daoist Wu, what do you mean by this? Please tell us!"
The other elders in the hall also turned their eyes, their previously downcast heads now lifted, the light of the candles reflecting eagerness and anticipation in their eyes.
Feeling the gaze of everyone, Wu Xiaoyu steadied himself and began to speak slowly:
"Just a few days ago, while I was in closed-door refinement in the Pill Hall, I accidentally received a transmission of teachings."
"That transmission didn't manifest a figure, only a golden light echoed within my mind, imparting to me a Pill Transformation technique of great intricacy. After practicing this technique for just three months, I feel the pill qi in my body becoming more refined."
"The senior who transmitted this must be a Nascent Soul True Monarch knowledgeable in void powers, able to manifest in my abode with a single thought."
He paused, noting the astonished expressions of the others, and continued:
"In such a short time, it's impossible for two Nascent Soul cultivators to suddenly appear in Chu Country—the one who transmitted to me is most likely this Nascent Soul True Monarch!"
"Pill Transformation technique?"
An elder abruptly stood up, the sound of the chair scraping against the floor piercing, his eyes full of shock:
"Fellow Daoist Wu, you've hidden so well! If we can obtain the teachings of the Nascent Soul senior, wouldn't all our sect's Fake Pill cultivators have hope to breakthrough?"
"Indeed, indeed!"
The other elders also chorused, their previous anxiety replaced with excitement, each eye alight, looking at Wu Xiaoyu with eager anticipation:
"Fellow Daoist Wu, you must share that Pill Transformation technique with us so we can study it together!"
Wu Yuxiao nodded slightly, having chosen to disclose this matter, he had already decided to share the teaching, especially since the senior had placed no restrictions, evidently permitting it.
Hua Yufu's burden instantly disappeared, he exhaled deeply, a long-lost smile appearing on his face:
"Then, it seems this Nascent Soul senior might be from the Pill Furnace Peak!"
"Yes!"
An elder familiar with the sect's history immediately nodded, he walked to the sect map hanging in the hall, pointing to the area marked with the Myriad Beasts Mountain Range:
"The Myriad Beasts Mountain Range is exceedingly dangerous, ordinary cultivators can't possibly traverse it, only the Fake Pill seniors of our Qinghua Sect and the Li Xiao Sect have a chance of safely passing through. If that senior is from the Pill Furnace Peak, everything makes sense!"
Another elder suddenly frowned, speaking with a hint of doubt:
"But the Soul Lamps of the Hall Master Dragon Void and Hall Master Chen Sheng of the Pill Furnace Peak... from what I remember, their lamps have all extinguished, which means they should have already fallen, shouldn't they?"
Hua Yufu followed up, his eyes flickering with a thoughtful glow:
"Perhaps it's a descendant!"
"It's possible those seniors left a legacy back then, and now an exceptionally gifted descendant has emerged, breaking through to the Nascent Soul Realm. If so, our Qinghua Sect, with this senior, would also have an indirect connection!"
The atmosphere in the hall became lively, the candlelights seemed to glow brighter, the worry vanished from everyone's faces, replaced by excitement and anticipation.
The shadow of the "Nascent Soul True Monarch" that originally weighed on everyone's minds has now become a "benefactor" that might bring opportunities to the sect.
Hua Yufu looked at the scene before him, his heart completely at ease. He raised his hand to signal for everyone to be quiet and his voice regained its usual authority:
"Since that's the case, on one hand, we must continue to restrain our disciples to avoid causing trouble."
"On the other hand, Fellow Daoist Wu, I'll have to trouble you to organize that Pill Transformation method, so that we can quickly study it. If we can use this opportunity to enhance the sect's strength, it would be a worthy return for the senior's passing on of the technique!"
...
Elsewhere, Chen Sheng was unconcerned with the waves his appearance stirred in the Cultivation Realm of Chu Country.
At this moment, with ripples undulating in the void, Chen Sheng's figure silently descended into a dense forest at the northwest corner of the Myriad Beasts Mountain Range.
The area was lush with vegetation, the branches and leaves of ancient towering trees blocked out the sky and sun, while the air was filled with the damp scent of earth and the faint fishy smell left by demon beasts, exactly the place where Tang Xichen disappeared years ago.
Chen Sheng stood in front of a giant moss-covered stone, his gaze sweeping over the familiar yet strange surroundings. He still remembered that before leaving Chu Country, he had come here for the last time to search for Tang Xichen's tracks.
At that time, he only had Fake Pill Cultivation. As soon as he approached this area, he inexplicably felt a pang of heart palpitations and chose to leave.
Now that he was a Nascent Soul True Monarch, he carried an innate majesty with every gesture. The dread of the past had long dissipated, replaced by a strong urge to explore.
"It should be here,"
Chen Sheng murmured quietly, his voice low yet filled with indisputable certainty.
As soon as he finished speaking, an invisible wave of Divine Sense spread out from between his brows, radiating outwards from him.
His Divine Sense swept over the dense forest, and every leaf vein, every drop of dew on blades of grass, appeared clearly in his mind.
As it passed through secluded valleys, streams flowing at the bottom, and demon beasts hidden beneath the earth were all revealed, and the sprawling mountain ranges, ore veins within the mountains, and deep-rooted ancient tree systems underground did not escape his investigation.
In just a few breaths, the thousand-mile landscape was imprinted completely in his mind's eye, yet no matter how hard he searched, he discovered nothing amiss.
"Could it have been a demon beast in the mountains back then?"
Chen Sheng frowned, a slight doubt arising in his heart:
"No! The heart palpitations I felt back then were completely different from the pressure brought on by demon beasts, more like the breath of an ocean..."
Chen Sheng did not give up. Instead, he collected his thoughts and narrowed the range of his Divine Sense.
He no longer pursued a wide coverage but instead slowed down, meticulously examining every inch, not letting a single crack in the ground or hole in the tree trunk go unnoticed.
...
Time slowly passed, the sunlight slanted westward, casting a warm golden glow over the forest.
Chen Sheng's figure flickered continuously among the trees, surrounded by Void Power, moving swiftly between the woods, his Divine Sense remaining intensely focused.
Soon, he found himself in a highly concealed valley deep within the mountains, where a dilapidated secret mansion lay at the center.
The mansion's courtyard walls had collapsed long ago, the roof tiles scattered all over, and the courtyard overgrown with weeds reaching waist-high, clearly abandoned for ages.
Chen Sheng's form slowly emerged from the void, landing in front of the mansion's entrance, his gaze vigilantly scanning the surroundings.
First, he swiftly scanned the entire mansion with his Divine Sense, then as his gaze touched the courtyard, he abruptly halted, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.
"No! This object does not appear within my Divine Sense."
Chen Sheng immediately gathered his thoughts, focusing his entire Divine Sense on an unremarkable stone in the corner of the courtyard.
It was a gray stone bead, about the size of a fist, with a rough surface covered in fine lines, seemingly no different from ordinary stones seen along the roadside.
Yet no matter how he manipulated his Divine Sense, when it swept over, it was as if it passed through thin air; the stone bead never appeared as if shrouded by an invisible barrier that isolated it from the insight of his Divine Sense.
This was the reason why Chen Sheng initially scanned over the stone without paying attention to it.
"An ordinary stone could not possibly escape my probing. This clearly is... a divine object concealing its presence!"
Chen Sheng's heart stirred, instantly grasping the key point.
Some spiritual objects containing special powers could spontaneously hide their auras, making themselves appear no different from common objects to evade external inspection. This stone bead clearly belonged to that category.
Chen Sheng dared not be careless, he quickly clapped his hands together and silently chanted a spell.
In an instant, five colors of Spirit Light — gold, wood, water, fire, and earth — surged from within his body, forming a thick protective barrier around him.
At the same time, deep within his consciousness, a faint light flickered. The "Four Symbols God-Sealing Seal" that quietly hovered there was now completely translucent, with blue, white, black, and red auras slowly revolving like four stable mountains, emitting a profound protective force.
Simultaneously, the Beidou Seven Stars Map, formed after the Concentrating and Purifying Mind Technique reached Great Success, also awoke. Seven stars suddenly lit up, countless tiny starlights spilling from the map, spreading like a fine net across the sea of his consciousness.
The aura of the Four Symbols Seal and the starlight from the Seven Stars Map intertwined, soon enveloping Chen Sheng's entire conscious sea, forming an impenetrable barrier.
With everything in place, Chen Sheng reached out his right hand, performing a void grasp towards the stone bead, an invisible force instantly enveloping the stone bead, drawing it out from the weeds to gently fall into Chen Sheng's palm.
The stone bead was icy to the touch, its weight far exceeding that of a regular stone, as though he held a solid piece of metal.
Chen Sheng attempted to probe the stone bead's interior with a trace of Divine Sense to refine it!
Yet, as soon as his Divine Sense touched the stone bead, it was rebounded by a gentle yet exceptionally resilient force, and no matter how he intensified his Divine Sense, he couldn't budge it in the slightest.
"With my current Nascent Soul cultivation, I don't even qualify to refine it?"
Chen Sheng's brow furrowed even tighter, his vigilance escalating sharply, fully aware that any object capable of warding off a Nascent Soul cultivator's Divine Sense, and not easily refined, must be special and potentially invaluable.
Yet, the more extraordinary it seemed, the more cautious he became. He stopped trying to refine it, his gaze still vigilantly fixed on the stone bead.
"An unknown item of such high quality might harbor hidden dangers. If it harbors the Primordial Spirit of some Divinity Transformation veteran, recklessly refining it would be courting disaster."