Chapter 396: The Spirit-Honored Mountain's Wind Spirit Tiger, Unifying Heaven and Earth

Chapter 396: The Spirit-Honored Mountain's Wind Spirit Tiger, Unifying Heaven and Earth

Having obtained the treasures he needed and learned of the True Monarch sent by the Mei Wu sect, Xu Yan bid farewell to Wan Tianlin and departed.

Wan Tianlin also candidly admitted that the Wan family's investigation would continue, and that he needed to seclude himself to meditate on the Secret Technique of the Blood Heart Fruit.

"Finally, I can accumulate the depth of cultivation and break through to the Divine Visage Realm."

Xu Yan's heart stirred with excitement.

One had to be cautious when going into seclusion, to avoid being tracked down. Xu Yan concealed his aura, altered his appearance, and evaded all forms of tracking and probing. Even an Immortal Venerable would not be able to trace him.

Once he was certain of his safety, Xu Yan set up an obscuring formation in a desolate area of Da Gai Mountain, while the Sword of Mountains and Rivers enveloped the place of his seclusion.

"Now I can accumulate the depth of cultivation and break through to the next realm."

Filled with excitement, Xu Yan began using the treasures he had obtained to gather the necessary depth of cultivation and prepare for the transformation that would accompany his breakthrough.

Accumulating the depth of cultivation took time, as did breaking through to the Divine Visage Realm, and once again, Xu Yan disappeared from Da Gai Mountain.

Neither the Tian Sha nor the Di Ying from the Qian Die Mountain, sent by the Mei Wu sect, could find any trace of Xu Yan.

Qian Die Mountain, the location of the Wu Mo Celestial Cave.

The Celestial Cave had undergone a remarkable transformation and was now adorned with colorful lights and beautiful pink flowers.

It was no longer a gloomy cave but resembled a heavenly paradise.

In an elegant small building, with curtains hanging down, a lazy figure could be vaguely seen reclining inside.

A pair of long, snow-white legs extended out from under the curtain, partially exposed.

Several enchanting women were attending to the lady inside the building; each of them was a True Monarch.

However, they were no longer the same people they had been before.

Outside the small building, several True Monarchs knelt, their eyes filled with fanaticism and infatuation as they gazed at the faintly visible, enchanting figure within.

"So, you haven't found that person yet?"

A captivating and alluring voice echoed.

"Yes!"

The person kneeling on the ground trembled slightly, cold sweat forming on his forehead, and his eyes showed a hint of uncertainty.

"Why is that?"

"We haven't been able to locate him temporarily, and he doesn't trust us."

After a moment's pause, one of them spoke up, "It seems like Xu Yan is gathering heavenly treasures and earth treasures, probably for a significant purpose."

A graceful figure flew out from the elegant small building and landed in the speaker's arms.

"You managed to find some information, so consider it a job well done. She will accompany you and ensure you find pleasure."

"Yes, yes, thank you!"

The True Monarch was thrilled and excited beyond measure, holding the beauty in his arms with an extremely fervent look in his eyes, and quickly left.

Looking down at the person in his arms, he noticed that she resembled the goddess who had captivated his heart and soul, and his excitement grew even more.

"Heavenly treasures and earth treasures?"

A seven-colored flower suddenly flew out from the small building. Its seven petals, each a different color, emanated a seven-colored halo, suggesting an extraordinary and profound use.

"Then pass on this message to Xu Yan. We have a Seven Wonders Divine Flower here. If he doesn't know about it, tell him that it can make up for a martial artist's shortcomings, enhance their divine soul, purify their martial arts foundation, and help them calm their minds and comprehend the wonders of martial arts..."

"Yes, I will definitely do it!"

The few True Monarchs glanced at the Seven Wonders Divine Flower stuck in the ground, and an infinite desire arose in their hearts.

It was an instinct that came from the deepest part of a martial artist's being.

This instinct told them that if they could obtain the Seven Wonders Divine Flower, they would have a high probability of breaking through to become Immortal Venerables!

But no matter how great their desire, they did not dare to entertain any improper thoughts.

After the True Monarchs left, the person in the small building lazily turned over, murmuring, "Now that the Seven Wonders Divine Flower has been offered, I'm sure your disciple will come. When he does, you should come as well, shouldn't you?

"It's not easy to get away with offending me, Mei Wu. Let's see what you can do.

"And I haven't forgotten that sword strike, especially the one that made me almost suffer a severe injury while defending against it."

This grudge must be avenged!

"Your disciple is quite handsome, and I'm starting to take an interest in him."

Mei Wu's lips curved up slightly, revealing a bewitching smile.

After Xu Yan's disappearance and the Wan family's increased surveillance of Da Gai Mountain, Tian Sha and Di Ying, who had been unable to find Xu Yan, became even more cautious in their actions.

During this period, they killed several Di Ying members, the reason being that they were suspected of being traitors.

This caused some unease among the Di Ying members, and they became more cautious in carrying out their tasks.

Mount Hengfeng, one of the Nine Mountains of the Nine Mountains Realm.

At this moment, in a Celestial Cave located on Mount Hengfeng, there stood a massive copper palace, suppressing the Celestial Cave beneath it.

The one in charge here was a Seven Leaves Immortal Venerable from Mount Hengfeng.

At this moment, this Immortal Venerable, known as the Seven Leaves Tian Sha, wore a sinister mask adorned with seven leaves.

"Lord, what should we do next?"

Several Tian Sha members with fewer than five leaves gathered in the copper palace, respectfully seeking instructions.

"Now that the Wan family has seen through us, we'll just have to kill Xu Yan directly. As long as he dies in the Nine Mountains Realm, that will be enough.

"Once he's dead, there will be a way to incite conflict between the Qinghua Realm and the Nine Mountains Realm.

"Additionally, the Heavenly God Meng Chong from the Qinghua Realm has already arrived in the Nine Mountains Realm, so we can make a move on him.

"As long as he dies in the Nine Mountains Realm, the aftermath will be much easier to deal with. Even if Mount Hengfeng has to take responsibility, it's not a big deal.

"All we need to do is create conflict between the Qinghua Realm and the Nine Mountains Realm, and the means don't matter. We'll also send Di Ying to infiltrate the Qinghua Realm and lie in wait.

"They can hide in the Qi Men Court and the Dan Yi Court, ready to strike at any time."

The Seven Leaves Tian Sha spoke in a cold and indifferent tone.

"Yes, Lord!"

The people in the copper palace were invigorated by his words and showed signs of excitement.

The Seven Leaves Tian Sha was an Immortal Venerable from Mount Hengfeng and could represent the entire mountain. With him taking responsibility for the killing, their goal would be achieved.

This would lead to conflicts and disputes between Mount Hengfeng and the Tian Wu Sect of the Qinghua Realm, the Wan Lei Zong, and even the Da Yue Kingdom.

After his subordinates left, the Seven Leaves Tian Sha stood alone in the copper palace, his eyes gazing into the distant sky before turning towards the Celestial Cave he presided over.

No one knew that the original blood child of this Celestial Cave had already been killed, and the current blood child was merely a figurehead without the actual power.

It was a collaboration between him and the other party, where he helped the other ascend to the position of blood child, but their strength did not match that of a true blood child.

This Celestial Cave would not be in chaos, and he could temporarily leave his post at any time!

"It's time for the Divine Realm to fall into chaos!"

He muttered to himself.

The Divine Realm would not only have to face the invasion of the Celestial Caves but also engage in mutual conquest. This was the goal of Tian Sha Di Ying.

"If the Divine Realm does not fall into chaos and war does not break out, how can heaven and earth be unified?"

His eyes narrowed as he gazed into the distance. He had come to the Nine Mountains Realm to stir up trouble in the Divine Realm, ensuring that the thirty-six realms were constantly in a state of conflict and upheaval. Only through such turmoil could he accomplish his mission.

"It's time for the Qinghua Realm and the Nine Mountains Realm to fall into chaos and endless conflict as well.

Lingzun Mountain, one of the Nine Mountains, was a place where spiritual beasts dwelt and an immortal spirit beast king held sway.

Unlike the other eight mountains, Lingzun Mountain had only one Spirit Cave, but this cave was exceptionally powerful.

Thus, in addition to the spiritual beast faction, there was also the powerful Lingzun Sect stationed here.

In a sense, the Spirit Beast King also belonged to the Lingzun Sect, and could be considered the sect's guardian beast, holding an extremely revered status.

Within the ancient forest of Lingzun Mountain, a tiger beast the size of a small mountain lay resting on the ground. With each breath, it seemed like raging winds were surging forth, and a gentle breeze encircled its body. This was the Wind Spirit Tiger, one of the strongest spirit beasts among its kind.

Its bloodline rank was exceptionally high, and among spirit beasts, it held the status of the King of Beasts.

This Wind Spirit Tiger was the Spirit Beast King of Lingzun Mountain, rumored to be the strongest tiger-type spirit beast in the Divine Realm. It was hailed as the undisputed King of Tigers.

The name Lingzun Mountain was derived from this very beast, and the sect, Lingzun Sect, also owed its name to this majestic creature. The Wind Spirit Tiger was the strongest existence within the sect, and even the sect master's strength paled in comparison.

However, only a handful of people across the Nine Mountains knew of this secret.

The Wind Spirit Tiger rarely left the confines of Lingzun Mountain, and it usually didn't need to intervene to suppress the Spirit Cave unless there was a risk of it spiraling out of control.

Most of the time, the Wind Spirit Tiger lounged in this ancient forest.

Only those immortal venerables of Lingzun Mountain or the descendants favored by the Wind Spirit Tiger had the qualifications to enter this ancient forest.

A figure strode into the ancient forest, his face concealed by a sinister mask adorned with seven leaves. Though his aura was subdued, each step he took seemed to merge with the heavens and the earth.

"Tian Shiqi?" The Wind Spirit Tiger lifted its eyelids and glanced at the newcomer.

"It is I," the man acknowledged, his voice deep and solemn.

Tian Shiqi halted a hundred feet away from the tiger, his expression grim.

The Wind Spirit Tiger yawned, looking bored. "What brings you here? Spit it out."

"The Divine Realm is not in chaos, and the thirty-six realms are not at war," Tian Shiqi said, his voice steady. "How can you hope to progress further? How can you break free from the shackles of your bloodline and ascend to greater heights?"

The tiger raised one of its massive paws and licked it lazily with its tongue. "Go on."

Tian Shiqi took a deep breath, steeling himself for an attack, and continued, "Only by unifying heaven and earth can you break free from those shackles. You, one of the twelve spirit beast kings of the Divine Realm, are content to guard this place? Are you willing to remain stagnant, unable to enhance your bloodline any further?"

The Wind Spirit Tiger extended its sharp claws and lifted its head to gaze at Tian Shiqi. "Unifying heaven and earth—is that your goal? Even if we set aside the question of what 'unifying heaven and earth' truly means, do you believe you have the capability to achieve it?

"Do you think you can deceive me, the Wind Spirit Tiger, by dangling the carrot of bloodline enhancement and telling me that I must help you unify heaven and earth? Do you think I'm that easy to fool?"

As the tiger spoke, a formidable aura began to swirl around it, an imposing presence that needed no anger to be felt.

Tian Shiqi's voice remained steady. "Wind Spirit Tiger, you should understand that the Divine Realm is not the core of heaven and earth. Our mission is to create the conditions necessary for unifying heaven and earth. The actual act of unification is beyond the scope of our current realm.

"I can assure you that if you join us, enhancing your bloodline and breaking free from its shackles will be but a minor benefit. Once heaven and earth are unified, the authority over this realm..."

Tian Shiqi left the sentence hanging.

The Wind Spirit Tiger pondered his words, lowering its raised paw. After a long silence, it finally spoke. "I'll consider it."

Hearing this, Tian Shiqi's eyes lit up with relief. If the tiger was willing to consider the proposal, it was only a matter of time before it agreed.

"Very well, I shall not disturb you further. I will come again." With that, Tian Shiqi turned and left.

After he had gone, the Wind Spirit Tiger stared in the direction of his departure, deep in thought.

"It's not surprising that the Divine Realm isn't the core of heaven and earth. The Divine Realm, the Spirit Realm, the Inner Realm... Unifying heaven and earth, breaking down the barriers between them? The ancient catastrophe that shaped the current state of heaven and earth, do they intend to revert it back to its ancient form?

"Who could possibly achieve such a feat? The Spirit Caves are surrounded by external enemies, and the current state of heaven and earth is vastly different from what it once was.

"However, Tian Shiqi's origins are probably not simple. There might be an immortal existence backing him. Could the Divine Realm be hiding such a powerful being?"

The Wind Spirit Tiger closed its eyes, pondering whether it should agree to Tian Shiqi's proposal and if it could gain any benefits from it, while also being cautious of being manipulated.

"This is the Yunchi Mountain region of the Nine Mountains," Meng Chong said to himself as he stood before a peak shrouded in mist and clouds, having just retrieved a divine herb from the depths of the lake. He wondered if he should go and meet up with his senior brother.

Having made a name for himself as the Heavenly God of the Qinghua Realm and establishing the path of physical cultivation, Meng Chong had left the Qinghua Realm after reaching the pinnacle of the Divine Sense Realm. He had come to the Nine Mountains in search of treasures that could enhance his foundation.

Naturally, the treasures he sought were those that focused on enhancing the physical body, and the Nine Mountains, with its abundance of mountains, was the ideal place for such treasures.

"I'm just a step away from comprehending the Small Eye of the Heavenly Dao. However, this last step is the most difficult. I wonder if Senior Brother has managed to cultivate it successfully.

"The Fourth Junior Brother's message talisman has been improved, and I should also deliver some of the new talismans to Senior Brother as spares."

After some thought, Meng Chong decided to go and find his senior brother to exchange insights about the Small Eye of the Heavenly Dao.

"The Nine Mountains is vast, and each mountain is controlled by one of the nine major factions. With Senior Brother's message talisman, the transmission distance is limited... I'll have to go to one of the major cities in the Nine Mountains and see if I can find any messages left by him."

Having made up his mind, Meng Chong turned to leave.

Suddenly, his expression turned grim, and a rumbling sound echoed as a brilliant golden light and howling winds enveloped his body, with a blazing sun appearing behind him.

Boom!

He threw a punch, colliding with a thin, cold beam of light.

Puff!

His fist was pierced, and although the beam of light was weakened, it continued to advance towards him.

"You sneaky rat!" Meng Chong coldly harrumphed, not bothering to dodge or evade. He drew his blade and slashed out, and in that instant, the mountains and rocks transformed into a domineering blade that frantically smashed towards his assailant.

Simultaneously, four figures rushed towards him, each of them a peak True King Venerable.

Meng Chong's eyes narrowed as he recognized the four masked True King Venerables, realizing that they had come to assassinate him.

"A warrior from the Qinghua Realm? No, none of the factions in the Qinghua Realm would dare to send assassins after me. If they had deployed four peak True King Venerables, it would be easy to find out, and they don't seem to be assassins from the Blood Shadows of the Underworld, either..."

Meng Chong's brow furrowed as he realized that these four were specifically targeting him. He had only just arrived in the Nine Mountains and had never offended any of the factions here. Moreover, these four didn't seem like bandits who were after his treasures.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end