Soon, word of what had happened at the Sun Moon Divine Cult suddenly spread across the Eastern Domain. Someone had deliberately leaked the news, hoping to make a laughingstock of the cult.
Many factions turned their attention to it, unable to believe it was true.
An elder and a Half-Saint ancestor had been killed before the eyes of everyone in the Sun Moon Divine Cult!
And that man had escaped unscathed even after the Sun Moon Cult Master deployed an emperor weapon!
Holy shit!
What a badass!
"The Sun Moon Divine Cult really lost face this time. A mighty Supreme Dao Holy Land, toyed with just like that."
"Exactly. They even used an Ultimate Emperor Weapon and still couldn't obliterate him. They must be furious."
"I just wonder who this man is. How could he be so fierce?"
"The Sun Moon Divine Cult seems to want to know too. They've announced that anyone who finds him will be rewarded with a saint weapon!"
"Holy shit... That's a saint weapon! Plenty of major factions don't even own an artifact like that, and they're offering one as a bounty. A Supreme Dao Holy Land really does have money to burn!"
"Heh, money to burn? I think they've been driven into a corner."
"Haha, exactly!"
Rumors rang out across the Eastern Domain. As countless people waited for the Mysterious Yellow Emperor's Mausoleum to emerge and the Immortal Ranking to open, the Sun Moon Divine Cult's humiliation became a favorite topic of amusement.
Every word brimmed with praise for that badass. He was simply too fierce, killing two experts of the Sun Moon Divine Cult right before all its powerful cultivators!
Even the Yaoguang Holy Land couldn't have pulled that off, could it?
"What a fierce fellow. I'd love to meet a man like that and share a good drink."
Most people were tempted by the Sun Moon Divine Cult's offer, but some scoffed at it.
After all, anyone with eyes knew about the Sun Moon Divine Cult's rotten deeds. Who would willingly wade into those muddy waters?
They might live to report him, but not to collect the reward.
The cult had plenty of experience robbing its own partners in crime.
When the time came, no one would listen to their cries of injustice.
"Damn it!"
The Sun Moon Cult Master flew into a towering rage inside the Sun Moon Divine Hall.
He had deployed the Sun Moon Star Seal and still let the other man escape. It was utterly infuriating.
The old fossils and elders stood there, not daring to breathe loudly. Their expressions were dark, their hearts seething with pent-up anger.
In the millions of years since the Sun Moon Divine Cult's founding, when had it ever suffered such humiliation?
What were people across the Eastern Domain saying about the cult now?
They said its title as a Supreme Dao Holy Land was undeserved, that it looked strong on the outside but was hollow within.
Its former reserves were long gone, its strength depleted. Now it merely borrowed the emperor weapon's might, like a fox borrowing a tiger's terror!
The Sun Moon Divine Cult's reputation had been damaged, and the Sun Moon Holy Emperor's prestige tarnished. That was what they could least tolerate!
He was their faith!
"Go to the Ancestral Land and ask Ancestor Luoning to leave seclusion!" The Sun Moon Cult Master drew a deep breath, his voice trembling.
At those words, the elders raised their heads in shock.
Ancestor Luoning was... the cult's only Sage Tier ancestor currently awake.
Moreover, Ancestor Luoning had already had little lifespan remaining a thousand years ago. He had long since entered a state of light dormancy to slow the dwindling of his lifespan.
Were they really going to disturb him over this matter?
They felt things had not reached that point yet. They could still wait.
The Sun Moon Cult Master stared at them, his imposing face filled with bitter disappointment. How could they be so blind to the situation?
Their opponent possessed One Qi Transforms Three Pure Ones, and his strength had probably reached the pinnacle of the Half-Saint realm. An enemy like that setting his sights on the Sun Moon Divine Cult was a grave threat.
He had already used the emperor weapon to divine the Black Robe Man's whereabouts. The man was still roaming near the Sun Moon Divine Cult, his movements unpredictable. Clearly, he intended to fight them to the bitter end and give them no peace.
As things stood, none of the Sun Moon Divine Cult's publicly known experts could match the Black Robe Man.
With the emperor weapon, the cult master was certainly stronger than him. But his opponent was adaptable and elusive, making him impossible to lock onto.
Was he supposed to carry the emperor weapon outside and hunt the man down? That was simply unrealistic. If his opponent learned of his intentions, he would certainly hide far away.
Thus, the Sun Moon Divine Cult now needed a supreme expert to venture out and kill this man as quickly as possible, eliminating the threat.
Ancestor Luoning was the ideal choice!
A Sage Tier expert was invincible in the present age. No matter how many tricks their opponent possessed, he could not escape. His death would be certain!
"Ancestor Luoning has little lifespan left, not one foot already in the grave! Look at your spineless selves. Go invite him at once!"
The Sun Moon Cult Master swept his sleeve and roared, his voice like thunder from the heavens. His powerful Half-Saint level pressure filled the entire hall.
His imposing might forced the elders back step after step. Not daring to say another word, they hurried out one after another.
"Pig-brained fools. They can't read the situation or tell what matters."
The Sun Moon Cult Master's chest heaved violently, his eyes red with anger. With these idiots around, the cult's important affairs never gave him a moment's peace.
"I must cultivate some sharp-minded talent. These old fools can all retreat behind the scenes. I can't let them oversee things any longer."
"Otherwise, sooner or later, they'll throw away every scrap of the Sun Moon Divine Cult's dignity."
"A bunch of old men hundreds or thousands of years old, and all those years might as well have been lived by dogs."
As the Sun Moon Cult Master muttered, he suddenly recalled the Black Robe Man's words: "Don't blame the uneven road when your own legs are useless."
That made him even angrier!
I'm furious!
Holding a teacup, True Lord Yuntian stood at the edge of Kaoshan Peak, his face rosy as he gazed down at the distant scenery wreathed in clouds and mist. He was in excellent spirits.
He had just received news that a mysterious Black Robe Man had wreaked havoc at the Sun Moon Divine Cult.
He had killed the Sun Moon Divine Cult's Great Elder and a Half-Saint level ancestor in one stroke.
And after the Sun Moon Cult Master deployed the emperor weapon to kill him, they discovered that he had been a lifelike figure formed by a divine ability.
His opponent had left a ruthless promise to fight them to the bitter end, enraging the Sun Moon Divine Cult so much that they had practically wanted to bite someone.
"Hahaha."
"Wonderful. Absolutely wonderful!"
"Cangqiong handled this exactly to my liking."
"Taking revenge on the Sun Moon Divine Cult to his heart's content without exposing himself—an excellent method. Excellent!"
True Lord Yuntian threw back his head and laughed. Of course he knew the Black Robe Man's identity. It was undoubtedly Hua Cangqiong, who had been blockading their gates.
He also had complete confidence in Cangqiong's strength.
The ninety-ninth-generation Peak Master of Dao Origin Peak was already strong enough to earn himself a resting place in the Ancestral Tomb.
Now that he had set his sights on the Sun Moon Divine Cult, he would surely give them headaches for some time.
And True Lord Yuntian believed that, with Hua Cangqiong's strength, he could withdraw and leave whenever he wished!
On Gouyuan Peak, True Lord Gouyuan wore a strange expression as he listened to his disciple's report.
"This fellow... can already toy with Half-Saints in the palm of his hand?"
"Hmm... When he comes back... I'd better keep a low profile..."
"If I keep mouthing off, one slap really could kill me!"
He silently reminded himself of that, then entered his cave abode and began cultivating diligently.
The higher his cultivation realm, the better he could take a beating.
To get by among the Kaoshan Sect's upper ranks, one had to understand that much.
Whenever a disagreement turned into a fight, everyone struck to kill. Who cared whether you were a Peak Master? Those mighty slaps came flying straight at your face.
On Limitless Peak, True Lord Wuji paced back and forth, looking miserable as he muttered incessantly, "Why did I have to run my mouth back then?"
As it turned out, when Hua Cangqiong left the sect thirty years earlier, he had declared that he would sever ties with the sect and never return.
The hot-tempered True Lord Wuji had immediately blurted out, "You'd better never come back! Otherwise, I'll beat you every time I see you!"
Now that Hua Cangqiong's return was imminent, he was starting to panic.
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