The Decisive Battle Drew Near, the Xuanwu Divine Hall Mobilized in Full Force
Beyond the territory of the Ling Dynasty, deep within the endless void, stands the headquarters of the Xuanwu Divine Hall.
It was a black celestial palace suspended in the chaotic void. The entire palace was built of rare Netherworld Divine Stones, and it was pitch black, reflecting no light at all.
The palace is covered with countless ancient and intricate celestial array patterns, the lines of which are deep, dark, and crisscrossing.
Layer upon layer of aura and oppressive power have locked the entire temple in place, silently, majestic, and terrifying since time immemorial.
There was no sun, no moon, no stars, and no clouds around the temple.
As far as the eye could see, there was only a gray, desolate void, vast and barren, unchanging since time immemorial.
In the void, long and narrow spatial rifts opened and closed silently, swallowing and spewing chaos, with scattered spatial winds flowing between them.
Each strand was enough to tear apart ordinary kings and cultivators, making this suspended black palace appear even more aloof and cold, towering above countless mortal dynasties.
Deep within the temple, in the magnificent and spacious main council hall, every seat was already filled.
More than seventy figures sat neatly on both sides of the long, dark jade table.
None of these seventy-odd people were ordinary.
Each person exuded an aura as deep and unfathomable as an abyss, their entire cultivation contained within their bodies, revealing not a trace, yet they possessed an immense, oppressive power that could suppress heaven and earth.
The weakest among them were all genuine Early Stage- Thirteenth Tier cultivators, top-tier figures capable of dominating their respective regions and establishing sects across the heavens and realms.
The atmosphere in the hall was extremely tense.
Some people had cold and solemn faces, with a deep sense of malice hidden between their brows, and sat motionless.
Some people had their eyes slightly closed, concentrating their Qi Nourishing, their entire bodies deathly still, like withered stones.
A few people lowered their voices and whispered using secret techniques to exchange information about the recent developments in the heavens. Their voices were barely audible, as they dared not break the silence in the hall.
The entire hall was oppressive, deathly silent, and rife with undercurrents of tension.
Until the heavy, ancient palace doors were slowly pushed open.
A soft creak, neither too loud nor too soft, instantly drowned out all other subtle sounds.
In an instant, all whispers ceased, those with their eyes closed suddenly opened them, and those who had been concentrating turned their heads in unison.
More than seventy Thirteenth Tier experts simultaneously concealed their auras, making the entire council hall so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
The Xuanwu Divine Hall slowly walked into the main hall.
He appeared to be in his early forties, with a lean and handsome face, fair skin, and no superfluous expression.
The hall master had long, sharp eyes with slightly upturned corners. His pupils were dark and deep, like a deep pool. When his gaze was closed, it was gentle and calm. But once he opened it, it was like two peerless thin blades hidden in their sheaths, cold and piercing, with hidden sharpness.
He wore a wide, dark, flowing robe with cloud patterns on it. The fabric was dull and lacked luster, but it was embroidered with faint patterns of dark water.
A narrow, dark gold belt cinched around his waist, with a lifelike Xuanwu totem carved on its exquisite, heavy buckle. The tortoise and snake coiled together, suppressing all directions, and faintly exuding the ancient pressure of the Great Dao.
He walked with ease, his steps neither hurried nor slow, each step landing silently, without disturbing the dust or the floor tiles, as if he were walking on thin air.
Strangely enough, with each step he took forward, the light in the entire council hall would dim a little, the surrounding temperature would suddenly drop, and a deathly chill would spread along the walls of the hall, making people's minds tense.
An invisible pressure from the superiors enveloped the entire venue, causing all seventy-odd top experts to feel tense.
He walked to the head seat at the very end of the long table and sat down comfortably.
His indifferent gaze slowly swept across the entire room, taking in the expressions and movements of everyone present, before finally settling on the white-haired elder at the head of the table on his left.
His voice was deep and calm, devoid of emotion, yet carrying an absolute, unquestionable authority. "Speak."
The white-haired elder stood up upon hearing the sound, his posture upright and his expression extremely solemn.
He composed himself and recounted the entire story of the Battle of Qingfeng Temple in great detail, word by word.
The extraterrestrial God Venerable was ordered to travel south, secretly gathering dozens of sects throughout the Southern Domain, integrating various forces, and assembling a large army.
He personally led 100,000 cultivators northward, besieging the Qingfeng Temple, and vowed to raze the temple and purge the heretics of the Ling Dynasty.
Then, in the final battle atop the mountain, the nameless young Daoist struck out with his sword, and with just one strike, he felled Thirteenth Tier God Venerable, ending the battle.
As he finished speaking, the white-haired elder's tone grew increasingly heavy, each word ringing in the ears. "That person who has just entered the Dao realm, though not yet fifty in age, has already reached the Thirteenth Tier in terms of true cultivation."
He bowed slightly and revealed the most shocking information. "Furthermore, according to the last wisp of Divine Thought that the God Venerable desperately transmitted before his fall, this boy's level of understanding of the laws far surpasses that of all cultivators of the same level, and is definitely not comparable to an ordinary Thirteenth Tier cultivator."
As soon as the words were spoken, the hall fell into an even deeper silence.
After a long silence, the hall master, who was sitting in the main seat, became completely somber.
A thick layer of gloom has settled over his once indifferent eyes.
"A registered elder of my Xuanwu Divine Hall, a genuine Thirteenth Tier powerhouse, a top expert who commands a region."
His speech was calm, yet a chilling intent seeped through him. "Just like that, he died in this tiny land of the Ling Dynasty, at the hands of an unknown nobody."
After a brief pause, the chilling killing intent within the hall suddenly intensified several times over.
"This mere, impoverished, and isolated Ling Dynasty has actually produced such a heaven-defying prodigy." He raised his eyes, his gaze sweeping coldly across the entire scene. "In fact, long ago, he and my Xuanwu Divine Hall were locked in a life-or-death struggle."
An elder in black robes beside him immediately chimed in, his voice filled with lingering fear. "Our Divine Hall had previously underestimated the territory of the Ling Dynasty. We always thought that Qingfeng Temple was just a small temple in the mountains, and that the royal family of the Ling Dynasty and all the cultivators in the world were nothing more than ants to be manipulated by us."
This turn of events was completely unexpected. In just a few decades, the impoverished Ling Dynasty had quietly produced such a powerful figure.
Another elder with sharp features flashed a cold glint in his eyes and said resolutely, "We can't wait any longer! We could ignore it before when no one rose to prominence in Qingfeng Temple. But now a Thirteenth Tier expert who is not yet fifty has suddenly appeared. His potential for growth is too terrifying."
Give him several more decades to accumulate knowledge and grow in understanding the Dao. Once he reaches the pinnacle of his cultivation, my Xuanwu Divine Hall will surely face annihilation! This child must not be allowed to live!
The Xuanwu Hall Master slowly rose from his seat.
He placed his hands on the large, dark jade table, leaned slightly forward, and looked down at the more than seventy powerful figures present. His deep eyes were filled with a cold, murderous intent.
"My Xuanwu Divine Hall secretly controls the order of the heavens, and governs dozens of dynasties, both in the outer realms and in the mortal world."
"Ling Dynasty is merely the most barren and weakest corner of it."
"But if we cannot even completely control a barren Ling Dynasty, allowing others to break free of their shackles and rise against the tide, the million-year-old hidden foundation of our Divine Hall will surely be completely shaken."
His voice was not loud, but each word was as firm as iron. "The reason why my divine temple has stood for eternity is because we have firmly locked down all the heavens and mortals, continuously drawing upon the fortune, resources, and spiritual veins of countless dynasties to nourish ourselves and strengthen our path."
"Anyone who dares to break free from control, defy the divine authority, or rise against the tide will face only one fate: slaughter and reckoning."
As soon as the words fell, a murderous aura surged within the hall, and a chilling cold swept through the entire Void Temple.
The hall master's eyes turned cold, and he decisively gave the order, his voice chilling and piercing:
"Pass down the order!"
All registered elders of the Xuanwu Divine Hall have been assembled and mobilized, with the entire force deployed! The entire army marches towards the Ling Dynasty, with only one objective: to eliminate Chen Du of Qingfeng Temple!
We will use all the power of our divine temple, regardless of losses, costs, or consequences, to kill this person! His current cultivation level seems insufficient to shake the foundation of our divine temple.
But his extraordinary potential is enough to overturn the entire world order.
Such a peerless monster must be eliminated before there will be no peace.
This bastard must be killed!