Chapter 445: Tai Miao Divine Sect, The Earth Cloud Cave

Chapter 445: Tai Miao Divine Sect, The Earth Cloud Cave

The Life-Saving Jade Talisman was a precious item, only possessed by a handful of people besides his disciples.

And these individuals were either closely related or had some special connection with Li Xuan.

Since giving out the talismans, none of the owners had faced a crisis significant enough to activate them until now.

"It's not Xu Yan, Meng Chong, or Jiang Buling," Li Xuan mused, surprised. He had expected one of his three disciples, who were venturing in the Divine Realm and facing powerful forces, to be the first to trigger the talisman.

Yet, to his surprise, the first person to activate the Life-Saving Jade Talisman was none other than Du Yu Ying!

"She's like an honorary disciple. I wonder what kind of crisis she's facing? She's a disciple of the Tai Miao Divine Sect, located in the Tai Miao Realm, which is one of the major powers in the Divine Realm, ruling over an entire realm." Li Xuan was intrigued.

He looked up in the direction of the activated talisman, and with his Heavenly Eye, he could sense the power emanating from it, a power that belonged to him.

With a slight flick of his hand, he momentarily manipulated the Heavenly Dao's rules, infusing a portion of its power into the talisman. In an instant, the talisman's power surged to the level of the Heavenly Realm.

With his understanding of the Great Azure Heaven and his mastery over the Heavenly Dao's rules, he could easily channel and enhance the talisman's power, despite the vast distance.

After all, it was his talisman, imbued with his power, and within the Divine Realm, it was a simple task for him to bolster it with the Heavenly Dao's might, given his current strength.

"Even if she's besieged by a group of Immortal Honored Sages, she'll be able to annihilate them effortlessly," Li Xuan said with a calm smile.

The talisman's power began to retract, returning to Du Yu Ying's body, indicating that the crisis had been averted.

...

In a remote area of the Divine Realm, an unkempt old man lay on a large stone, seemingly asleep.

Suddenly, he bolted upright, his eyes fixed on the sky above, his brow furrowed in confusion and suspicion.

"Who dares to tamper with the power of the heavens? Who has such ability?" he muttered to himself, astonished.

"Who has secretly entered the Divine Realm?"

A frown creased his brow as he racked his brains, trying to recall familiar figures, but none seemed connected to the disturbance in the Heavenly power he had just sensed.

"This is odd. The manipulation of Heavenly power is extremely subtle. If not for my keen senses, others would likely be unaware of it. Only a handful of people possess such skill, but they..." The old man's brow remained furrowed as he continued to puzzle over the situation.

"Could it be that someone has survived?" he wondered, perplexed. Only a select few had the ability to elude his detection while tampering with Heavenly power, and they had all disappeared long ago.

"Could it be him?" A thought suddenly occurred to him, but he quickly dismissed it. "No, it can't be. If it were him, he wouldn't be so low-key, and he wouldn't be able to get out anyway."

The old man's expression grew solemn as he struggled to make sense of the unknown presence in the Divine Realm—a presence that could be either a blessing or a curse.

"Those rascals, Tian Sha and Di Ying, sure know how to stir up trouble. Let's see what they're up to this time. I hope they don't bring about their own downfall," he muttered, a cold smile playing on his lips.

With that, he lay back down on the stone, his curiosity apparently satisfied. "Oh well, if the sky is going to fall, let it fall. I'll stop worrying about it."

He exhaled, closing his eyes once more and resuming his slumber.

Divine Realm, Tai Miao Realm.

"Ancestral Grandmother, are you alright?" Du Yu Ying asked, supporting a pale-faced and injured Xin Mengrou.

"I'm fine," Xin Mengrou replied, taking a deep breath as she glanced at the spot where their enemies had once stood. Her heart still raced from the awe-inspiring display of power she had just witnessed.

"What do we do now, Ancestral Grandmother?" Du Yu Ying asked, her eyes filled with concern.

Even though she had activated the Life-Saving Jade Talisman in their moment of peril, effortlessly obliterating their foes, she knew that their troubles were far from over.

Among their enemies had been an elder of the Tai Miao Divine Sect.

"Let's return to the sect," Xin Mengrou said, taking a deep breath. "If anyone asks, just tell them we were saved by a mysterious senior. Don't mention the Life-Saving Jade Talisman."

The scene that had just unfolded was too astonishing to ignore.

A figure had appeared, exuding the might of the heavens themselves. With a mere wave of their hand, they had demonstrated absolute control over the power of the universe, reducing Immortal Honored Sages to mere specks of dust, eradicating them without a trace.

Even the most elite Immortal Honored Sages would suffer the same fate.

"I understand," Du Yu Ying nodded, though a hint of worry still lingered in her eyes. The internal strife within the Tai Miao Sect had become increasingly apparent.

And Ancestral Grandmother, a master of the Tai Miao Dream Path, had developed her own unique insights and understandings within this domain, thanks to the guidance of a senior.

"Hmph, a bunch of old fools. They're afraid I'll become the master of the Tai Miao Dream Path. Well, they can keep dreaming!" Xin Mengrou coldly huffed.

This narrow escape from death signaled her inevitable rise to power.

Currently, she was on the verge of turning fantasy into reality, transforming dreams into actuality. Once she broke through, her dominance within the same realm would be overwhelming.

Apart from Xin Mengrou, Yun Miaomiao was also cultivating the Tai Miao Dream Path, albeit a different variation. Should she succeed, her strength would be formidable as well.

"Ancestral Grandmother, do you want to find an opportunity to pay respects to Senior?" Du Yu Ying suggested eagerly.

Xin Mengrou glanced at her and sighed, "That brat Xu Yan isn't by the Senior's side. You won't be able to meet him if you go."

Du Yu Ying's face reddened as she clarified, "Ancestral Grandmother, what I meant was that if you sought guidance from the Senior, you would surely be able to break through faster."

"Alright, alright, I know what you and Miaomiao are thinking. The two of you are too weak. If you don't work hard on your cultivation, you'll only hold Xu Yan back," Xin Mengrou chided.

"Forget it. No matter how hard you cultivate, the two of you are destined to hold that brat Xu Yan back. He's simply too formidable," she added with a hint of admiration.

Xu Yan's fame had already spread throughout the Divine Realm. He had single-handedly slain numerous Immortal Honored Sages and was now locked in a battle with the formidable Tian Sha Di Ying faction.

Meng Chong was also causing quite a stir. Despite being hunted by the Wanbao Alliance, he remained carefree and occasionally even raided their branches.

No wonder they were the disciples of a Senior; their strength was truly extraordinary.

"The Divine Realm is likely to undergo significant changes. You two should focus on improving your strength," Xin Mengrou advised solemnly.

With that, Xin Mengrou and Du Yu Ying concealed their auras and hurried back to the Tai Miao Divine Sect.

Half an hour after their departure, a figure appeared. Dressed in a long green skirt, her posture was like a dream. She scanned the surroundings, her expression turning solemn.

"Not a single survivor?" she murmured.

Three Immortal Honored Sages, one of them a top-notch sage, had all failed and been slain within a short period.

"Who is secretly protecting Xin Mengrou? Someone above the Immortal realm? Could it be that Xin Mengrou's Dream Path has attracted such attention?" the green-skirted woman muttered to herself, puzzled.

With a swift movement, she vanished from the spot.

In a secret location within the Tai Miao Divine Sect, a figure sat with their back to the green-skirted woman, appearing almost unreal, like a shadow. Yet, this shadow exuded a sense of tangibility.

"They failed?" the shadow asked.

The green-skirted woman nodded. "Yes, they're all dead."

"The news of Xin Mengrou's assassination attempt will spread soon, and one of the victims is a sect elder," the green-skirted woman continued. "This is an opportunity to clean up the Di Ying faction within the sect. They've overstepped their bounds."

"Since Xin Mengrou has survived this calamity, her rise to power is inevitable. Hand over the person behind the scenes and inform the Tai Miao Sect's elders. The two supreme techniques of the Tai Miao Sect originate from the same source. Anyone who continues to attack the other will face the consequences," the shadowy figure instructed.

The green-skirted woman nodded in understanding. "Yes, I understand."

However, she couldn't help but ask, "Since we knew someone wanted to kill Xin Mengrou, why didn't we take action to save her?"

"Every peak expert of the Tai Miao Sect has their own destiny. If their destiny is insufficient, and they perish as a result, they are not meant to be peak experts. This is a test," the shadowy figure explained.

"Whether it was a powerful expert who has already been watching over Xin Mengrou or someone else who saved her, it indicates that she has the destiny to become a peak expert."

The green-skirted woman was still puzzled as to why such a test was necessary. If someone died, wouldn't the sect lose a genius? However, she didn't press the matter further and bowed before leaving.

As the green-skirted woman departed, the shadowy figure trembled slightly, and a murmur echoed through the room. "Who is that? Just a token was enough to unleash such terrifying power. What kind of technique is this?"

The figure's thoughts turned to that imposing presence.

Like a Supreme Heavenly Emperor, that figure's power was immense, and despite the woman's stealth and potent technique, she had still been discovered.

Had she shown even a hint of malicious intent, she would have been obliterated with a single palm strike!

"What kind of background does Xin Mengrou's junior have to be protected by such a terrifying existence?" the shadowy figure wondered.

On this day, the Tai Miao Realm was in turmoil, engulfed in a battle to eradicate internal traitors.

As one of the major powers in the Divine Realm, the Tai Miao Realm's strength was unquestionable. In a short time, Immortal Honored Sages fell, slain by the sect's experts.

If even the Tai Miao Divine Sect has been infiltrated so deeply by Tian Sha and Di Ying, the other major powers in the Divine Realm will surely be on high alert."

For a time, the Divine Realm became even more turbulent, and the major powers began to experience their own internal strife, causing the already chaotic situation to spiral further out of control.

Meanwhile, Tian Sha and Di Ying continued to stir up trouble, fanning the flames of war everywhere.

In the Earth Cloud Cave...

This place was named as such because clouds and mist perpetually shrouded the ground.

In a certain area of the Earth Cloud Cave, where the mist was particularly dense, a massive cave seemed to appear and disappear within the clouds.

Four men, each wearing a Tian Sha mask, sat at the four corners of the cave, channeling their powerful energies into a pillar at its center.

The pillar, imbued with the laws of the Dao, pierced the edge of the cave, and as the four men poured their strength into it, ripples emanated from the pillar, slowly expanding the cave's entrance.

Suddenly, a figure descended.

"How much longer until it's done?"

Tian Shi Qi asked in a deep voice.

"You don't need to worry about this matter. We'll notify you when the time is right!"

One of the masked men replied sternly.

Boom!

Suddenly, there was a tremor beneath the cave, and a pink figure appeared, shrouded in mist.

Tian Shi Qi's expression changed slightly.

"What's going on?"

One of the men sighed, "It's a clone of Mei Wu. She insists on entering the Divine Realm through here, saying that she wants to find someone named Xu Yan to take revenge."

Tian Shi Qi was astonished. How had Xu Yan offended Mei Wu?

"You four useless idiots, it's been so long, and you've only managed to expand the cave a little bit?"

Mei Wu's angry voice echoed.

"Senior Mei Wu, we've already done our best. You should be more careful. If you enter from here, you'll only mess up our plans."

"Hmph, then lure Xu Yan here. Otherwise, I won't be able to wait any longer."

"How could Xu Yan possibly come here? Moreover, we can't expose this place."

The four masked men frowned, trying to persuade her.

Tian Shi Qi's eyes lit up, and he said, "Senior Mei Wu, Xu Yan can't come here, but I can lure him to another cave!"

Mei Wu replied coldly, "Ordinary caves can only accommodate up to the Immortal realm. How can someone of the Immortal realm possibly deal with Xu Yan?"

Tian Shi Qi fell into deep thought and said after a while, "I've heard that Senior Mei Wu has a secret technique that can cultivate a treasure that causes creatures to become lost. I have a plan to ensure success, and I want to ask Senior for such a treasure.

"In exchange, I know of a cave that can accommodate beings above the Immortal realm, up to the Heavenly Fusion realm. I'll lure Xu Yan there. What do you say?"

Mei Wu was tempted, "Really?"

"Of course, I wouldn't dare deceive Senior. However, luring Xu Yan will require some things..."

Tian Shi Qi hinted.

"You don't need to worry about that. Just lure Xu Yan there, and as for the treasure, I can give it to you. Come back here in three days.

"Also, if you dare to deceive me, I'll make that Tian Sha bastard pay!"

After Mei Wu finished speaking, the pink figure disappeared.

Tian Shi Qi stuck out his tongue. Based on what he knew about Mei Wu, this witch-like powerhouse always had a gentle smile and a charming, bewitching voice.

Now, she was calling herself "old lady," clearly infuriated by Xu Yan.

"Just what has this Xu Yan done to make Senior Mei Wu so angry?"

Tian Shi Qi wondered in surprise.

However, it was fortunate that things had turned out this way. With the treasure he would obtain from Mei Wu, the subsequent plan would surely succeed without a hitch.

"Seventeen, who is this Xu Yan?"

One of the masked men asked curiously.

"A freak with a strong backer."

Tian Shi Qi didn't want to say more, and he turned and left.

The Earth Cloud Cave continued to slowly expand, and the energy within it was suppressed, preventing any leakage.

"Xu Yan, I must capture you!"

Mei Wu was filled with resentment.

That sword within her body seemed weak, but it was extremely tricky and bizarre, almost as if it had its own consciousness or was being controlled by someone else.

No matter what methods she used, she couldn't erase it or expel it from her body.

Although the sword didn't pose a significant threat for the time being, having a sword inside her body was unsettling. She had to get rid of it to be at ease.

Especially when fighting enemies, if the sword suddenly went berserk, it would definitely affect her strength and put her in danger.

The only solution was to capture Xu Yan and force his master to remove the sword from her body.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end