Chapter 1221: A Gathering of Elites
Chapter 1221: A Gathering of Elites
One month later, Qin Sang had been quietly cultivating at Sandi’e Stronghold when he received a summons to attend a meeting in Tianshing City.
Jinglin and Si Di were not invited, so he set off alone, first heading to Hukou Stronghold to meet up with the Snake King. The one receiving them was still Elder Ji.
Qin Sang and the Snake King followed Elder Ji to an ice crystal palace surrounded by wind and snow. It was said that this was where the cultivators of Tianxing Highland had established Tianxing Alliance, making it a sacred site of the alliance.
"Several Daoists have yet to arrive. I still need to go outside the city to receive them. Please make yourselves at ease," Elder Ji said, gesturing forward as he led them to the palace.
"Thank you, Daoist Ji." Qin Sang and the Snake King gave a fist-and-palm salute in farewell.
As they approached, the crystal palace doors opened on their own. From within came the voice of Daoist Master Zhenyi.
"The Snake King and Daoist Ming Yue have arrived. I failed to welcome you two in person. Please forgive me."
Qin Sang and the Snake King exchanged a glance and stepped inside. At once, they saw Daoist Master Zhenyi descending from the main seat.
Several cultivators were already seated within the crystal palace, all renowned experts from the two domains.
Behind Daoist Master Zhenyi stood two armored generals, one on each side. It was said they were twin brothers who had shared a mutual understanding since childhood. The cultivation art they practiced had been created specifically for twins, refining a strand of extreme yang qi that was especially effective against evil beings.
Working together, they possessed strength comparable to a middle-stage Spiritual Infant cultivator.
These two had been taken in as disciples by Daoist Master Zhenyi during the Qi Refining Realm and had remained absolutely loyal to him. Because of this, his position within Tianxing Alliance had been unshakable.
The unity of Tianxing Alliance largely rested on him alone, so no other elders of the alliance were present in the crystal palace.
By contrast, the forces of Small Cold Domain appeared far more fragmented and disorganized.
To Daoist Master Zhenyi’s left sat three individuals. The first was Qingjun, disguised as Leng Yuntian.
Qin Sang had recently learned that her identity was not limited to being the sect leader of Yuanshen Sect. The city lord of Yinshan Stronghold, representing the rogue cultivators, had even taken the initiative to befriend her.
Qingjun no longer deliberately concealed the truth. Many Spiritual Infant cultivators already knew she was an impostor.
However, even the red-haired grandmaster had once kept silent about the matter. These were all seasoned figures. Since they had no deep ties to Leng Yuntian and no enmity with Qingjun, none were foolish enough to expose her.
The second was Daoist Master Chongyi, the master of Si Di. Although his cultivation was inferior to Dongyang Bo, his lineage included three Spiritual Infant cultivators, giving him considerable weight. Within the righteous path, he could stand on equal footing with Dongyang Bo.
The third was the one Qin Sang had long wished to meet: the current sect leader of Devilish Qingyang Sect, Xiang Qing.
Though he had only recently advanced to the Spiritual Infant Realm, his mastery of the Devilish Qingyang Fire had reached extraordinary heights. In years of battle, he had performed brilliantly and was capable of challenging opponents above his level. He was widely regarded as a late-blooming genius and was now considered the second figure of the devilish path, second only to Devil Lord Tongyou.
Xiang Qing appeared to be a young man in his early twenties, with sharp brows and bright eyes. He sat upright, exuding a cold and stern aura.
When Devil Lord Tongyou and Dongyang Bo arrived, the representatives of all factions were essentially present. A gathering of top experts had filled the hall.
As Qin Sang and the Snake King entered, everyone rose to greet them. After exchanging formalities, Qin Sang and the Snake King found seats and sat down.
Before taking his seat, Qin Sang glanced toward Xiang Qing and gave him a faint smile and a slight nod.
Xiang Qing was momentarily puzzled. It was his first time dealing with this masked Demon King Ming Yue, yet he felt that the other party was deliberately showing goodwill toward him.
He had heard more than once of this figure slaying the enemy's Spiritual Infant cultivator in battle. He had also learned that this demon had infiltrated Abyssal Ruin and escaped after fighting Old Devil Ye. It was clear that this person, like himself, possessed the ability to challenge opponents above his level and was a rising star of the demon race.
There would surely be opportunities to interact in the future. Forming a good relationship would not be a bad thing.
Xiang Qing forced a slight smile and nodded in return. Everyone saw this exchange clearly. Their gazes shifted between Qin Sang and Xiang Qing, yet no one spoke.
Since not everyone had arrived, the group began casually discussing insights of their own cultivation.
It was rare for so many experts to gather. As long as fundamental matters were not involved, no one was overly guarded. Qin Sang and the demon kings could only share insights related to demon cultivation, yet everyone listened attentively.
After the time it took for an incense stick to burn, Devil Lord Tongyou and Dongyang Bo arrived together.
"Apologies for keeping you waiting, fellow Daoists." Dongyang Bo was smooth and sociable. He first offered his apologies, then greeted everyone one by one. When it came to Qin Sang, he said, "You must be Daoist Ming Yue. I have long heard of your reputation but never had the chance to meet you. At last, I can see you in person!"
"You are too kind. It is I who have long admired you," Qin Sang replied with a light chuckle, rising to return the courtesy, his tone calm.
No matter what, Dongyang Bo could not have imagined that this demon king before him had once been a disciple he had plotted against.
Watching the two exchange insincere pleasantries, Qingjun curled her lips slightly, laughing inwardly.
After the greetings, Daoist Master Zhenyi did not waste time. He went straight to the point and asked the Snake King and Qin Sang to recount their experience in Abyssal Ruin.
They had already aligned their stories in advance, so the Snake King did most of the talking.
Once they finished, Xiang Qing spoke up. "After receiving news from the two demon kings, I personally entered the depths of the inner valley of Endless Valley and indeed discovered abnormalities. Recently, storms have occurred several times within Endless Valley. While storms have been triggered before by fluctuations in ancient barriers, they have never been this frequent. I located Blood Lake, where the ancient barriers have been constantly trembling, as if someone were forcibly breaking them. If the two Blood Lakes are connected, it is very likely that Old Devil Ye’s actions have influenced this place..."
In just a few sentences, Xiang Qing outlined his observations and speculations.
Daoist Master Chongyi suddenly let out a cold laugh. "Old Devil Ye has been scheming all this time. Could it be that his target is Blood Lake? By rallying Sin Abyss and launching a full assault on Tianxing Highland, is he trying to keep us occupied here so we won’t notice the anomalies in Endless Valley and interfere with his plans in Blood Lake?"
Everyone looked at one another. Chongyi’s speculation seemed rather far-fetched, yet it was not entirely unreasonable.
It was too astonishing. This war had lasted so long. What kind of benefit could Blood Lake possibly hold for Sin Abyss to mobilize such massive forces in coordination with Old Devil Ye?
Seeing their expressions, Daoist Master Chongyi chuckled. "I am merely speculating. However, Old Devil Ye has even neglected the battlefield, which shows that Blood Lake must be of great importance to them. We cannot allow them to succeed so easily."
"Endless Valley lies within Small Cold Domain. What do the two of you think?" Daoist Master Zhenyi interjected but did not state his own opinion. Instead, he looked toward Dongyang Bo and Devil Lord Tongyou.
Devil Lord Tongyou spoke in a deep voice. "Daoist Xiang has already conducted a thorough inspection. The barriers of Blood Lake remain stable. It will not be easy for Old Devil Ye to break them in a short time. For now, we should station people in Endless Valley to relay information promptly. Daoist Master Chongyi is correct. This matter is of great importance. We cannot allow Old Devil Ye to act as he pleases. Someone must enter and disrupt their plans. However, we must also guard against the possibility that Sin Abyss is using this as a diversion."
Daoist Master Zhenyi remained expressionless as he swept his gaze across the other Spiritual Infant cultivators of Small Cold Domain.
These individuals represented various factions and were usually rife with conflict. Yet it was clear they had already reached a tacit understanding. After Devil Lord Tongyou spoke, all of them showed agreement, and no one raised any objections.