Inside the Qiankun Sect, within the Sect Master’s Great Hall.
Sect Master Mo Chen sat in the primary seat, his fingers rubbing a set of battered flags.
The fabric of these flags was torn, and the poles were charred and damaged.
However, a powerful residual energy still lingered within them.
It was a pressure that made even Mo Chen, who was at Level 6 Integrated Realm, feel a tremor in his heart.
According to the intelligence gathered by his disciples, the battle scene they discovered contained traces of the gongfa used by Long Zhizheng, as well as remnants of a Heavenly Tribulation.
Furthermore, the wreckage of a severely damaged flying boat was found a short distance away.
At the center of the tribulation site, this set of flags had been recovered.
The investigating deacon reported that a demonic enchantress had appeared at the scene and made off with a copper plate-like artifact.
Thinking of this, Mo Chen flipped his palm, and a scroll appeared in his hand.
He unrolled it to reveal a portrait of a woman.
This was the likeness of the demonic enchantress, drawn by the deacon from memory.
Mo Chen stared at the portrait and took a deep breath, a ruthless light flashing in his eyes.
He then said in a low voice, “Pass down my orders. Issue a bounty for this enchantress! Offer a heavy reward for her capture!”
“Additionally, order the Law Enforcement Hall and the outer court disciples to search every town within 1,000 miles. Dig 3 feet into the ground if you must, but find her! Capture her alive if possible, but if she resists stubbornly, you have my permission to kill her!”
Even if she died, Mo Chen possessed secret methods to extract information from the remnants of a soul.
Although such methods were somewhat taboo, at this moment, he didn’t care about the cost—he had to determine the cause of Long Zhizheng’s death.
Mo Chen had just finished giving his orders when his brows suddenly twitched, and his gaze sharpened.
‘Hm? Spatial fluctuations!’
Someone had forcibly torn through space and appeared outside the mountain gate!
Only those at the Great Transformation Realm or above could easily shatter space and traverse the void.
Mo Chen did not dare to be careless.
He immediately sent a telepathic message to several elders within the sect.
“There is an anomaly at the mountain gate. I suspect a Great Transformation Realm expert has arrived. Follow me to investigate immediately!”
Before his voice had even faded, Mo Chen’s figure blurred.
He transformed into a streak of light, charging out of the Great Hall and racing toward the mountain gate.
Outside the gate, Chen Yuyang and Yan Dangmo had just come to a halt before the stone steps.
Before they could even announce their presence, they felt several powerful auras erupt from within the Qiankun Sect.
A moment later, several figures soared through the air and landed before them.
Leading the group was Mo Chen, the Sect Master of the Qiankun Sect, followed by four elders.
The weakest among them possessed a cultivation at the early Integrated Realm.
However, even with all these Integrated Realm experts combined, their collective aura could not compare to Yan Dangmo’s—even though Yan Dangmo wasn’t actively releasing any pressure at all.
Mo Chen scanned the arrivals.
When his eyes landed on Yan Dangmo, his tense nerves finally relaxed, and his expression softened.
He naturally recognized Yan Dangmo and knew that this top-tier expert of the North Domain had a decent relationship with the Qiankun Sect.
“So it is Senior Yan’s grand arrival. This junior, Mo Chen, failed to welcome you properly. Please forgive me,” Mo Chen said, immediately cupping his hands in a respectful greeting.
Yan Dangmo waved his hand, his tone somewhat flat.
“No matter. It is I who have come uninvited. I apologize for the intrusion.”
Mo Chen’s gaze then fell upon Chen Yuyang, who stood nearby.
He frowned almost imperceptibly.
The youth looked to be only 15 or 16 years old, and his cultivation was only around Level 8 or 9 Golden Core Realm.
Yet, as he stood there, an unusual aura seemed to emanate from him.
It was an aura that made Mo Chen feel the boy was anything but simple.
“May I ask what brings Senior Yan here today?”
Mo Chen stopped focusing on Chen Yuyang and shifted his gaze back to Yan Dangmo.
Yan Dangmo didn’t beat around the bush and went straight to the point.
“I am here to find your Great Elder, Long Zhizheng.”
The moment the three words ‘Long Zhizheng’ were spoken, Mo Chen’s expression changed abruptly.
A flash of bewilderment crossed his eyes.
‘Has Yan Dangmo already found out about Uncle Long?’
Otherwise, how could it be such a coincidence that he came looking at this exact time?
‘No, the news of Uncle Long’s death cannot be leaked. For now, I must deny it.’
Mo Chen suppressed his emotions and kept a calm face.
Maintaining a respectful smile, he continued, “Senior Yan might not be aware, but Elder Long went into secluded meditation immediately after returning from his recent trip. He mentioned he was going to attempt a breakthrough. He is likely at a critical juncture right now and cannot meet with you.”
“Secluded meditation for a breakthrough?”
Chen Yuyang and Yan Dangmo exchanged a look, both of them frowning.
If Long Zhizheng had truly gone into seclusion right after returning, the timing was far too suspicious.
Was he actually in seclusion, or… was he using it as an excuse to hide something?
Yan Dangmo glanced at Chen Yuyang, his eyes filled with a silent inquiry.
He was here today to back Chen Yuyang up.
How they proceeded and to what extent they pushed would be Chen Yuyang’s decision.
Chen Yuyang’s face was grim.
He took one step forward, raised his eyes to meet Mo Chen’s, and spoke with an uncompromising tone.
“I must see Long Zhizheng today!”
After a short pause, Chen Yuyang added, “If he truly is in the middle of a breakthrough, I am willing to offer compensation and assist him in reaching the next realm. But if he is not…”
He left the sentence unfinished, but Yan Dangmo understood his meaning.
Although Yan Dangmo doubted that a youth like Chen Yuyang could actually assist someone at that level of cultivation, he didn’t hesitate when he saw the boy’s determination.
He backed him up in a heavy voice, “In that case, Sect Master Mo, please summon Long Zhizheng immediately!”
Mo Chen’s gaze turned sharp, and his polite tone vanished, replaced by a hardened edge.
“Senior Yan, this matter concerns the great plan of our elder’s breakthrough. I am afraid I cannot comply!”
Even though Yan Dangmo was a Great Transformation Realm expert, the Qiankun Sect was a titan of the North Domain and would not be easily pushed around!
Mo Chen’s face darkened completely.
‘Who exactly is this youth? How can he make Yan Dangmo so obedient, even to the point of risking a total fallout with the Qiankun Sect?’
Yan Dangmo didn’t waste any more words.
The aura of a Peak Great Transformation Realm expert erupted suddenly, sweeping out like a mountain collapsing or a tidal wave crashing.
In an instant, it enveloped the entire Qiankun Sect.
Mo Chen’s face turned pale, and the expressions of the elders behind him were equally grim.
Within the sect, disciples who were close by were pinned down by the pressure, unable to move; some even lost consciousness instantly.
“Yan Dangmo, are you trying to force my Qiankun Sect’s hand?”
At that moment, an aged voice echoed from deep within the sect, carrying a hint of fury.
Following the voice, a gray-robed elderly woman tore through the air and appeared before Yan Dangmo.
The aura she radiated had also reached the Great Transformation Realm.
Yan Dangmo’s pupils constricted slightly, but a smile played across his lips.
He knew this person.
Her name was Long Yu, an Ancestor of the Qiankun Sect who usually remained in seclusion to focus on her cultivation.
Her power had reached Level 2 Great Transformation Realm.
“It hasn’t come to starting a war yet.”
Yan Dangmo’s eyes remained sharp as he looked directly at the old woman.
“I only want to ask Long Zhizheng one question! If he is willing to show his face, then all will be well. If not, then I will personally go to his meditation chamber to find him!”
Though he spoke with a smile, Yan Dangmo’s words were overbearing and left no room for doubt.
He acted without fear because there was no one within the Qiankun Sect who could truly oppose him.
Seeing Yan Dangmo take such a stand, Chen Yuyang was slightly surprised.
He hadn’t expected Yan Dangmo to go this far for him.
However, he intended to repay this favor and had already thought about how to compensate him later.
The priority now was his Master.
‘Master must be safe.’
As long as his Master and Junior Sister were alright, everything else could be settled.
But if something had happened… Chen Yuyang stopped that line of thought.
It wasn’t that he was emotionless.
Rather, he was used to controlling his feelings.
If he allowed himself to become irritable or angry over uncertain outcomes, it would cloud his judgment and cause the situation to spiral out of control.
That might end up killing his Master or Junior Sister if they could still be saved.
However, Chen Yuyang knew that despite his efforts to stay composed, his emotions were far more turbulent than usual.
‘I still need to temper my heart.’
“Yan Dangmo, why exactly do you need to see Long Zhizheng?”
Long Yu took a deep breath.
Although she was indignant, she knew that the Qiankun Sect would gain nothing from an actual fight.
“Simple. At the Alchemy Conference, Long Zhizheng had a conflict with young friend Chen’s Master.”
Yan Dangmo wasn’t unreasonable.
If a matter could be settled with words, he didn’t want to resort to violence.
However, sometimes words didn’t carry weight unless one showed some backbone first.
The Yan Family and the Qiankun Sect were both major powers that would inevitably cross paths; a total breakdown in relations would benefit neither side.
“Hmph, I thought it was something major. So you’re just standing up for a junior?”
Hearing this, Long Yu snorted coldly.
“Yan Dangmo, you’ve really regressed in your old age!”
Yan Dangmo ignored her mockery and continued somberly, “Indeed, I didn’t plan on interfering in this.”
“But the problem is, young friend Chen’s Master went missing after leaving the Alchemy Conference. Her whereabouts are unknown, and her life or death is a mystery.”
As soon as these words were spoken, Mo Chen and the others, including Long Yu, were stunned.
“Missing!”
“Might I ask who young friend Chen’s Master is?”
Mo Chen took a quick step forward and asked.
“Tai Lingxuan of the Hehuan Sect.”
“Is it that Tai Lingxuan who broke through a stage of the Integrated Realm every few days?”
Mo Chen was startled and immediately followed up.
“The very same.”
Hearing this, Mo Chen’s heart stirred, and a few thoughts began to form in his mind.
“Senior Yan, young friend Chen… please follow me to the Council Hall. This matter… may be even more complicated than we thought.”
Chen Yuyang and Yan Dangmo exchanged a look.
At this moment, Chen Yuyang sensed that the Qiankun Sect seemed to be hiding some difficult secret.
Since that was the case, there was no harm in listening to what they had to say.
After all, the truth was still a mystery to him.
“Very well,” Chen Yuyang agreed.
He and Yan Dangmo then followed Mo Chen deeper into the Qiankun Sect.
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