Two Sides Ally, the Mountain Gate Opens Wide

The Holy Maiden of Southern Xinjiang remained silent, but her gaze became noticeably colder. The Snake Granny snorted coldly:

"You say he's dead, so he's dead? Who knows if it's true or not? Besides, even if this person is dead, who knows if anyone else in your Demon Sect also possesses this kind of deadly poison power?"

At this point, it's impossible to admit that it was their mistake, otherwise they would be in a very passive position in the subsequent negotiations.

Furthermore, this is somewhat related to Granny Snake, since she was the one who detected the potent venom. Now that she claims the wrong person was identified, she bears some responsibility.

Ghost Face ignored Granny Snake and instead looked at the Holy Maiden of Southern Xinjiang, continuing:

"Since the Holy Maiden has discovered that this power is unique to Elder Wang of our Holy Gate, she must also know that he previously served in the True Martial Sect, and that he has never revealed himself before."

"It was during that incident that Elder Wang perished. We have no reason to lie to you. The situation is now quite clear: someone is impersonating Elder Wang, destroying your Qingzhou stronghold, and trying to incite a bloody battle between our two sides. If we continue, it will only benefit others."

Everyone's eyes turned cold, filled with a kind of anger at being fooled.

Qin Yun was startled, because Ghost Face brought up the incident of the Celestial Person's night raid on the True Martial Sect again, and Elder Wang was involved. He inexplicably felt that this matter might be related to the True Martial Sect, which was not something he wanted to see. Being caught between two behemoths like the Demon Sect and the Southern Frontier Alliance was not a good thing.

The Holy Maiden of Southern Xinjiang finally spoke, raising a delicate eyebrow:

"But what we heard was that Elder Wang of your family escaped with his life from the Prince of Zhenbei?"

Speaking of this, Ghost Face suddenly became somewhat annoyed.

"Hmph! The Prince of Zhenbei is cunning. After severely injuring Elder Wang, he didn't openly pursue him, but secretly followed him. Taking advantage of Elder Wang's moment of recuperation, he suddenly attacked and blasted him to death. We found traces of his unique skill, the Zhentian Fist, in the mountains where we learned it."

"If you don't believe me, you can come with me to see for yourself."

The old snake woman said with a serious expression:

"You mean this was done by the Prince of Zhenbei? But how could he possess Elder Wang's unique poisonous power? The traces of power from the Qingzhou stronghold are absolutely genuine."

She still had some doubts, but deep down she believed most of it. After all, the Demon Sect had suggested that they visit the place where Elder Wang had died. Even though so much time had passed, she could still tell whether they were lying to her.

Ghost Face let out a long breath:

"Now it seems that this is indeed the case. Perhaps the Prince of Zhenbei obtained Elder Wang's unique skills after killing him, and is using this to sow discord between our two forces. After all, if we were to fight to the death, the one who would be happiest would be the Great Flame!"

He felt he was close to the truth.

Qin Yun's eyes flickered. He had other guesses, but he didn't want to talk about them because they involved the True Martial Sect.

But the Holy Maiden of Southern Xinjiang slowly shook her head and said:

"No, perhaps we should change our approach."

Everyone was stunned.

Then the words of the Holy Maiden of Southern Xinjiang were like thunder:

"What if the 'King of Zhenbei' who killed Elder Wang was also an imposter?"

The demon's pupils contracted violently.

The slender fingers of the holy maiden from southern Xinjiang tapped rhythmically on the table:

"Suppose there is someone who is extremely skilled at imitating the power of others, and whose strength is in the middle or even high range of the Celestial Person Ranking. Then, it is highly likely that he would first impersonate the 'King of Zhenbei' to kill Elder Wang, and then impersonate 'Elder Wang' again to destroy our Qingzhou stronghold."

"Such a person could come not only from the Great Flame Dynasty, but also from other places."

She was implying something.

Ghost Face immediately understood, and his expression turned solemn:

"The Holy Maiden is referring to... the True Martial Sect?"

The Holy Maiden of Southern Xinjiang nodded slowly:

"That's right. Elder Wang of your sect went there to destroy the True Martial Sect, but he was ambushed. From the perspective of benefiting from it, the True Martial Sect is a suspect. It's just that you've been ignoring it because of the True Martial Sect's strength. To be honest, the destruction of our Qingzhou stronghold in the Southern Frontier also involved the True Martial Sect."

"Although there is no direct evidence, the fact that such strange events have been repeatedly linked to the True Martial Sect makes one suspicious."

Qin Yun lowered his eyes slightly, his fist clenched tightly in his sleeve, a shadow hanging over his heart.

Granny Snake hesitated slightly:

"But... that day we witnessed the Sword Intent of Heavenly Sword Real Person firsthand; he was a swordsman who had reached the pinnacle of swordsmanship."

The Holy Maiden of Southern Xinjiang countered:

"What if it were someone else? No one says the True Martial Sect can only have one Heavenly Sword Real Person. Perhaps there's another, even more powerful, hidden expert?"

Everyone was pondering this line of thought.

The more I think about it, the more it makes sense.

"I had doubts about the True Martial Sect before, but I later dismissed them. Now, considering everything you've said, I find the suspicion against the True Martial Sect to have increased significantly."

"We cannot give up investigating the Zhenbei King's line, but we also cannot ignore the True Martial Sect."

The voice of the Holy Maiden of Southern Xinjiang resounded clearly throughout the hall.

Ghost Face couldn't help but sigh and clap his hands:

"As expected of the future pillar of Southern Xinjiang, her meticulous and astute mind has truly broadened our horizons. It's just a pity that the Holy Maiden wasn't born into our Holy Gate."

As he spoke, he glanced at Qin Yun, who had remained silent, with a hint of displeasure.

This round of peace talks was essentially orchestrated by the Holy Maiden of Southern Xinjiang.

"In the Holy Maiden's opinion, what should be done?"

The Holy Maiden of Southern Xinjiang chuckled:

"Hasn't the Ghost Face Sect Master already made up his mind? Let's form an alliance."

"If the previous events were indeed the work of the Great Flame, then we should naturally form an alliance to retaliate. If it is found that it was indeed the work of the True Martial Sect, then we should find an opportunity to join forces to destroy the True Martial Sect and then Great Flame together."

She stood up and sighed softly.

"The Great Flame has occupied the Central Region for two thousand years, which is quite a long time, isn't it?"

Everyone was somewhat agitated.

The Great Flame Dynasty lasted for two thousand years, which is indeed too long.

"Does your Southern Frontier have a method to achieve the status of Martial Saint?" Ghost Face asked the most crucial question.

If you want to overthrow the Great Flame, then the Great Flame Martial Saint is someone you have to face.

The Holy Maiden of Southern Xinjiang shook her head and said:

"The Ghost-Faced Sect Master has no sincerity, and we both know that. In this era Martial Saint Law has long been eradicated, and one can only forcibly step into the Martial Saint realm through other means. The Great Flame Martial Saint will not so easily watch a new Martial Saint be born; he has been the sole ruler of the world for too long."

"Don't tell me your Demon Sect sect doesn't have a way to become Martial Saint? If so, then disregard the alliance."

Ghost Face hurriedly said:

"Holy Maiden, please wait!"

He chuckled twice:

"Our Holy Gate has been able to contend with the Great Flame Dynasty for a thousand years, so we naturally have our own strengths. What we did just now was merely to confirm whether you are qualified to form an alliance. Since we are going to form an alliance, we need to be of one mind and one heart."

"Hundreds of years ago, our Holy Gate was about to give birth to a Martial Saint, but at the crucial moment, the Great Flame Martial Saint sensed his presence, came to our door, and destroyed him. This time, we need to be even more careful. When two Martial Saint are born at the same time, two against one should be able to suppress the Great Flame Martial Saint!"

"This old guy has lived for so long, and every time he makes a move, he's weaker than before. Even two newly-minted Martial Saint would be more than capable of contending with him!"

Ghost Face gritted his teeth.

Over the years, the Demon Sect been like a centipede that has died but not fallen, but it has not been wasting time. Almost every hundred years, it will send out the Great Flame Martial Saint to assess the Great Flame Martial Saint's condition.

The Holy Maiden of Southern Xinjiang was shocked, gaining an understanding of the Demon Sect Sect's strength and sincerity.

She sat down and took the initiative to say:

"We in the Southern Frontier need your Demon Sect Sect's cooperation and assistance in refining the Blood King Gu."

Ghost Face smiled and said:

"No problem. Our Holy Gate needs a large number of Mutant Beast cores, the higher the quality, the better! Your Southern Frontier is very close to the Ten Thousand Mountains, so this shouldn't be a problem for you."

Their eyes flashed, and they both understood the meaning behind each other's words.

This is clearly related to the methods by which the two forces cultivate Martial Saint, but wise people don't need to spell it out too clearly; this can be considered an initial display of sincerity.

Next.

It's basically a point where everyone tries to pass the buck.

When it comes to the distribution of profits, every penny is fiercely contested.

Qin Yun composed himself and joined in, but the thought of the True Martial Sect that the two had mentioned earlier cast a shadow over him. He thought that perhaps he should find an opportunity to remind them.

Time passed day by day.

The day when the True Martial Sect will open its Mountain Gate to the public is drawing ever closer.

A few days ago.

Luo Wentian and Daoist Longshan have returned to the mountain, bringing with them the news that the True Martial Sect has risen to the ninth position among all Daoist sects in the world. This news immediately caused jubilation throughout the True Martial Sect, and the enthusiasm for opening a new sect and recruiting disciples reached an even higher level.

While making some preparations for opening his sect and accepting disciples, Ning Qi quietly cultivated his "spirit."

While further refining the Myriad Manifestations Record, he is also revising several secret techniques to make his combat power even stronger.

The art of protecting the Way must not be neglected either.

For example, the Virtual Sword Core Disintegration Technique he created earlier now has Yuan Pill. After adjustments, Ning Qi was able to condense three virtual sword cores near his own Yuan Pill to maintain balance.

In this way, if one were to unleash their full power, it would be enough to more than double their strength.

As for fake pills...

Ning Qi has already taken it out.

When he was weak, he needed fake cores to put on a show, but as his strength grew, the effect of fake cores diminished. Even the fake core disintegration technique was not very useful, its power being similar to the improved virtual sword core disintegration technique.

This completely cut off Ning Qi's last remaining use.

However, Ning Qi had no intention of wasting it.

Instead, he chose to use it as a trump card for Luo Wentian. Having studied several secret techniques such as the Fake Core Merging Technique and the Fake Core Disintegration Technique, Ning Qi's understanding of this Beast King's inner core was no longer as superficial as before.

With a few simple optimizations, a new secret technique is created.

With slight modifications, it was transplanted back into Luo Wentian's body. Although Luo Wentian could not master the secret technique of the Celestial Person, it was enough for him to unleash the power of the Yuan Pill Realm by borrowing the power of the fake core. Once he mastered it, it might even be stronger than an ordinary Yuan Pill Realm.

Therefore, in order to complement the Thunder Tiger Beast King's inner core, Ning Qi simplified some of the Heavenly Thunder Technique, giving him better control over the Way of Thunder.

However, Luo Wentian is still familiarizing himself with this fake pill.

Besides that.

Ning Qi was still refining the various variations of the Heavenly Sword Technique.

Now that he has reached the Yuan Pill Realm, the quality and quantity of his Gang Qi have surged once again, and his previous plans are gradually coming true.

now.

Ning Qi could easily separate thirty-six celestial swords to form the Heavenly Gang Sword Formation.

He even tried to integrate the Heavenly Thunder Technique with it. The Heavenly Thunder Technique was Peerless Secret Art of thunder he created, with many wonderful uses. Ning Qi had already used it in Dao of Alchemy. He discovered that if he wanted to quickly improve the strength of the True Martial Sect members, he had to focus on pills.

In his spare time, he would study some techniques, such as using the Heavenly Thunder Method to refine spirit medicine, which was more efficient and produced higher-quality pills.

However, Ning Qi would not let it interfere with his cultivation.

However, as his cultivation deepens and his martial arts realm rises, he begins to summarize the path he has taken, making the path of martial arts simpler, which can be considered as "using them as experiments" in a way.

Of course, this kind of experiment is beneficial and harmless.

Time passed.

The day that everyone had been waiting for—the grand opening of the True Martial Sect's Mountain Gate— had finally arrived.

These days.

True Martial City is already overcrowded.

Many people came from afar, including many children, most of whom were brought by their elders who wanted them to board the big ship before the True Martial Sect had fully risen to power. A very small number of them came alone, some of whom were beggars or came from impoverished places, hoping to take this opportunity to change their fate.

"Little sister, I will definitely join the True Martial Sect and give you a good life!"

The boy with thick eyebrows and big eyes solemnly addressed the thin girl beside him. His face was dirty, but his eyes were incredibly bright. However, he was very weak, and hunger was consuming him.

A glimmer of hope rose in the eyes of the emaciated little girl:

"Brother, I believe you!"

But she immediately sensed several mocking glances and instinctively shrank into the boy's arms. Both of them were dressed in tattered clothes, and if it weren't for the fact that it was springtime, they probably wouldn't have been able to reach the True Martial Sect.

A figure stopped in front of them.

The boy quickly stepped in front of his sister, not daring to look up, and nervously said:

"Sir, we'll leave right away, right away!"

The person didn't speak, but simply put down the buns wrapped in oil paper and turned to leave. The boy looked over in astonishment, only to see the white-haired figure walking away, with a glimpse of a corner of a mask on his face.

"Thank you, thank you!"

The boy trembled with excitement, repeatedly murmuring his thanks. His eyes were blurry; he knew the hardships he had endured along the way, with few people offering a helping hand. He was so hungry that he had no strength left, and these few buns might be enough to change his fate.

"Little sister, eat quickly."

"Brother, you eat up. After you're full, you need to work hard to pass the True Martial Sect's test, and then you'll give me back ten steamed buns!"

The boy just shook his head.

He insisted on sharing the steamed bun with the girl, and he kept that white-haired figure firmly in his mind.

Such scenes are not uncommon in True Martial City.

There were simply too many people. The True Martial disciples were already overwhelmed with maintaining order and preparing for the opening of the mountain and the recruitment of new disciples, leaving them no time for anything else.

A pavilion.

A white-haired, masked figure stood by the railing, a cold, clear voice coming from beside him:

"I never expected that the Holy Son of the Demon Sect would have such a kind heart; it has truly broadened my understanding of the Demon Sect."

Qin Yun did not look at the Holy Maiden of Southern Frontier, but slowly said:

"Since the Holy Maiden has the mind to observe me, why not consider how to infiltrate our forces into the True Martial Sect's recruitment of disciples?"

The Holy Maiden of Southern Xinjiang laughed:

"We in the Southern Frontier have our own methods, and I can't interfere with your Demon Sect. In short, the True Martial Sect's large-scale recruitment of disciples will inevitably attract spies from other forces. However, a mixed bag is good; it's a good opportunity to test the waters and see if Elder Wang and the Qingzhou stronghold's affairs were indeed the work of the True Martial Sect."

As she spoke, she suddenly turned her head, her eyes carrying a certain alluring quality:

"Speaking of which, I remember that Saint Qin was a former disciple of the True Martial Sect, wasn't he? You wouldn't feel any remorse, would you?"

Qin Yun stared at her coldly:

"I advise the Holy Maiden not to assume victory is assured. I know my senior brother well; he may seem simple and honest, but he is actually quite prudent. Since he has decided to open the Mountain Gate wide, he naturally has corresponding countermeasures. The Holy Maiden should prepare for failure."

"I disagreed with this method from the beginning; on the contrary, it might expose our intentions."

The Holy Maiden of Southern Xinjiang frowned, then finally let out a soft laugh:

I don't believe it.

Qin Yun remained silent.

Now that things have come to this, there's nothing he can do to stop it. He's done what he could; all he can do is take it one step at a time.

Mingwu Pavilion.

Ning Qi and Daoist Longshan sat facing each other.

A chessboard was placed in front of him.

With their combined strength, the two of them could naturally sense the commotion at the Mountain Gate, where many participants had already gathered, waiting for Luo Wentian's official announcement.

Daoist Longshan casually placed a black stone and sighed:

"I don't know if this time opening the mountain and taking on disciples is a good thing or a bad thing; I never expected it would attract so much attention."

"Little Nine, do you think that secret letter that was quietly delivered a while ago was real or fake?"

His eyes turned cold.

A few days ago, a secret letter was quietly delivered to me.

The above is just a simple sentence.

The Southern Frontier Alliance and the Demon Sect have formed an alliance, intending to infiltrate the True Martial Sect.

This news left everyone feeling unsettled.

Ning Qi paused in his grasp of the white pieces.

"Whether it's true or not, we'll naturally find out during the assessment later."

He had many guesses in his mind.

Since the destruction of the Southern Frontier Alliance's stronghold in Qingzhou, there had been no further activity from the Southern Frontier Alliance. He had assumed that the Southern Frontier Alliance's attention had been successfully diverted to the Demon Sect, or that they had simply failed to detect even the slightest trace of forgery.

But now it seems I underestimated him.

After much back and forth, the Southern Frontier Alliance still suspected the True Martial Sect and even allied with the Demon Sect.

However, Ning Qi was not too anxious.

Now that he has reached the Yuan Pill Realm, his formidable strength has given him ample confidence.

If he were given another year or two to advance to the Celestial Person Realm, then if the Southern Frontier Alliance and the Demon Sect dared to cause trouble, they would be courting death.

"But... who sent this secret letter?" Ning Qi muttered to himself.

Daoist Longshan also made a guess.

But there is too little information.

"Is it possible that this secret letter is a test from them? Perhaps they can't be sure that it was you, Little Nine, who destroyed the Qingzhou stronghold back then?"

Hearing Daoist Longshan's guess, Ning Qi slowly nodded.

"In short, let's remain silent for now. The longer we drag this out, the less of a threat they will pose. Today, under the guise of the opening ceremony and the acceptance of new disciples, let's eliminate all these 'snakes and rats' first."

During their conversation...

All eyes were fixed on the Mountain Gate.

Luo Wentian's voice echoed throughout True Martial Mountain, clearly indicating that the assessment was about to begin.

At the Mountain Gate.

It also attracted many participants, many of whom wanted to join the True Martial Sect, while others were just there for the fun of it.

The True Martial disciples were doing their best to maintain order.

Luo Wentian the crowd, already displaying the demeanor of a sect leader, and raised his voice:

"Today, my True Martial Sect is opening its Mountain Gate in full force, and I am grateful for your presence from afar. However, it has been clearly stated beforehand that we will only accept children under the age of ten who have never set foot in the martial arts world, and only those who have achieved mastery in martial arts will be accepted from the White Mist Realm and above."

"Those who do not meet the standards, please leave the mountain."

His voice was calm, yet it carried an undeniable air of authority.

In an instant.

Everyone was in an uproar.

"How could this be? We have traveled a long way to come, please give us a chance, Sect Leader Luo!"

"Yes, yes, our young master has only just begun his journey into martial arts and has only practiced a little of the family's traditional skills."

"I didn't expect the True Martial Sect to be so domineering; it doesn't match the rumors..."

The use of sarcastic or unsettling language began.

Many people tried to coerce Luo Wentian into changing his mind by influencing the public.

But Luo Wentian remained unmoved. This was something that had been decided long ago and would not be changed in the slightest. Moreover, this was not a spur-of-the-moment decision by the True Martial Sect, but rather the recruitment criteria had been disseminated along with the news three months prior.

Many people in front of them already knew this, but they still came anyway, simply hoping to try their luck.

Let's see if we can find an opportunity to snag a bargain.

Because the True Martial Sect has a reputation for benevolence and righteousness.

However, they forgot that the True Martial Sect has never lacked decisiveness in killing.

Luo Wentian didn't move.

Xiong Shi, standing nearby, roared angrily, his Gang Qi surging like that of an enraged lion.

"The assessment criteria were set three months ago. Anyone who spouts nonsense again will be killed!"

He threw a punch, his Gang Qi shattering the boulder and instantly silencing the commotion.

In fact, White Mist Realm is a top expert in Qingzhou. Even the strongest experts of some weaker martial arts sects may not have reached this level. He is quite intimidating, especially now that Xiong Shi has become the Elder of Punishment, his prestige is becoming more and more obvious.

The jeering crowd immediately turned pale.

Especially seeing the growing coldness in the eyes of the True Martial disciples around them, they couldn't help but shiver, realizing that their previous calculations had backfired.

One by one, the figures quickly lowered their heads and left.

The once bustling foot of the mountain suddenly became mostly empty.

However, it is also divided into two distinct parts.

Some were children, some were accompanied by elders, and some were alone.

There are approximately 10,000 children, and if you include those who left earlier, the number is probably 30,000 to 40,000. They are the main force of this assessment.

The other group, numbering only a hundred or so, consisted of powerful individuals above the White Mist Realm. Their expressions varied; some had their arms crossed, others stared straight ahead, and still others whispered among themselves. These were all Rogue Person martial artists who had come for better prospects and resources.

They have been working hard outside for a long time and rarely have such an opportunity. Now that they have the possibility of joining the True Martial Sect, they cherish it very much.

Luo Wentian carefully sensed the undisguised aura and was immediately surprised to find that there was actually a Yuan Pill Realm expert and seven or eight Jade Liquid Realm experts inside.

However, while he was surprised, he was also secretly on guard, as the Daoist Longshan had mentioned the secret letter to him before.

Looking at the crowd that gradually quieted down.

Luo Wentian said loudly:

"I hereby declare the True Martial Assessment officially commence!"

"First challenge: Ascending the Heavenly Staircase!"

He pointed, and everyone's eyes fell on the bluestone steps behind him.

Luo Wentian's gaze was filled with majesty:

"Only those who have stepped onto the Heavenly Staircase have passed the first test. Those who give up halfway or fail to reach the summit will not be allowed to enter the gates of True Martial."

The children immediately tensed up.

These bluestone steps looked ordinary, but they seemed to radiate some kind of peculiar power. As Luo Wentian finished speaking, the bluestone steps seemed to begin to become extraordinary.