It had been only a few days since Nangong Renshe left for Little Meng Mountain when bad news came back.
"What? The Sect Master has gone missing?"
When the Five Elders received the news, they were greatly alarmed.
It turned out that after Nangong Renshe arrived at Wu Dao Sect, he had encountered a powerful foe, suffered a crushing defeat, and fled. Then he vanished without a trace.
"The Path Clearing Envoy of the Dragon Ascending Holy Sect made his move."
The First Elder quickly got to the bottom of it.
The Ascending Wu Clan had invited a powerful expert from the Dragon Ascending Holy Sect to serve as a guest elder.
The Path Clearing Envoy had intercepted Nangong Renshe at Wu Dao Sect. They had fought a great battle, and Nangong Renshe had been soundly defeated and fled.
Cloud Rising Sect had never feared the Ascending Wu Clan, because Cloud Rising Sect had two experts in the Reception Divine Treasury: Nangong Renshe and the First Elder.
The Ascending Wu Clan had only Ascending Wu Rong, an expert in the Reception Divine Treasury. In terms of strength, Cloud Rising Sect was more powerful.
Now the Ascending Wu Clan had invited a powerful expert from the Dragon Ascending Holy Sect to serve as a guest elder. Their purpose was clear: to crush Cloud Rising Sect.
"The Sect Master has gone missing."
When Liu Chengfeng heard the news, he was startled as well.
"Don't worry. The Sect Master fled in the direction of Great Meng Mountain. That's Su Family territory. Even if he's missing, the Ascending Wu Clan can't do anything to him."
The Fourth Elder comforted Liu Chengfeng, then discussed a countermeasure with the other elders.
"The imperial house has already agreed. Let's go to Great Meng City."
"The Sect Master went missing at Great Meng Mountain, so it'll be convenient to search for him there, too."
After discussing it, the Five Elders decided to have the Fourth Elder take Liu Chengfeng and a group of disciples to Great Meng City.
Before this, the Fourth Elder had contacted his family, hoping to have Liu Chengfeng practice the Su Family's Sage Scroll cultivation method. The Great Meng Su Family had agreed to give him a chance.
Going to Great Meng City now would kill two birds with one stone.
The Five Elders called Liu Chengfeng over to discuss sending him to Great Meng City.
"So this is a way to keep me out of danger?"
As soon as Liu Chengfeng heard the Five Elders' decision, he understood what they had in mind.
"That's only one reason. You must go to practice the Sage Scroll. Besides, the Sect Master went missing in the direction of Great Meng Mountain, so we'll have to go to Great Meng City to look for him."
The plan made sense, and Liu Chengfeng was worried about Nangong Renshe's safety, too.
"If I go, I can draw the Ascending Wu Clan away as well."
Liu Chengfeng agreed to go to Great Meng City. What the Ascending Wu Clan wanted wasn't Cloud Rising Sect—it was him.
"Whether the Ascending Wu Clan heads to Great Meng City or attacks Cloud Rising Sect, we have to be prepared."
The First Elder and the other three elders would stay behind to defend Cloud Rising Sect, while the Fourth Elder would take Liu Chengfeng and a group of disciples to Great Meng City.
If the Ascending Wu Clan attacked Cloud Rising Sect, four elders would be holding the fort. And the First Elder was an expert in the Reception Divine Treasury, so they could defend the sect.
If they really couldn't hold out, Liu Chengfeng and the other young disciples would be in Great Meng City and could escape disaster.
"The Su Family is in Great Meng City. The Ascending Wu Clan wouldn't dare cause trouble there."
There was another reason the Fourth Elder was taking Jiang Yu and the other young disciples to Great Meng City: the Great Meng Su Family was part of the imperial house and had great strength.
More importantly, the Fourth Elder himself belonged to a branch of the imperial family. The Ascending Wu Clan wouldn't dare massacre people in Great Meng City.
The decision made, the elders immediately told Jiang Yu and the other disciples to pack up and leave Cloud Rising Sect.
For a time, panic spread through Cloud Rising Sect. It seemed as though a storm was brewing, and the sect faced the threat of annihilation.
"Go. Once you reach Great Meng City and master the Sage Scroll, you'll surely achieve greatness."
As they parted, the First Elder still had high hopes for Liu Chengfeng.
Liu Chengfeng felt a pang of sorrow. Although he hadn't been at Cloud Rising Sect for long, Nangong Renshe and the Five Elders had treated him like family.
"Elders, take care."
Liu Chengfeng and Jiang Yu said their farewells to each of the four elders. Neither Jiang Yu nor the other disciples knew when they would meet again after setting out.
"Don't bawl like a bunch of children. We'll see each other again soon. Besides, I haven't lived these two thousand years for nothing. If Ascending Wu Rong dares come back, I'll leave his life here."
The First Elder was open-minded and broad-spirited.
Back then, the First Elder had been unable to break through his bottleneck for a long time and enter the Reception Divine Treasury. His two-thousand-year lifespan had nearly run out.
Just as he was about to pass away, he broke through his bottleneck, entered the Reception Divine Treasury, and renewed his life.
The First Elder's boldness inspired every disciple, kindling their courage.
"Ascending Wu Clan, one day I'll wipe you out."
Liu Chengfeng took a deep breath, a fearsome light in his eyes.
"Once you master the Sage Scroll and break through into the Reception Divine Treasury, you'll surely be able to do it."
The Five Elders had confidence in Liu Chengfeng and placed all their hopes in him.
As they parted, they reminded him once more that he had to master the Sage Scroll.
"We're off."
The Fourth Elder summoned a flying vessel and took Liu Chengfeng, Jiang Yu, and the others toward Great Meng City.
Great Meng City was far from Cloud Rising Sect, but the flying vessel was fast. They arrived in a day or two.
From a distance, Great Meng City looked like a giant beast sprawled across the land. Its walls were built from massive stones, and it was backed by Tiger Mound, making it easy to defend and hard to attack.
When they reached the outskirts of Great Meng City, they found its defenses were strict. Armored guards stood ready with weapons in hand, their murderous aura and surging blood energy pressing down on them.
These weren't ordinary soldiers, but an iron cavalry of cultivators guarding the city.
Great Meng City had not only a group of powerful Su Family disciples from the imperial house, but also an iron cavalry guarding the city, among whose ranks were experts in the Treasure Mountain Divine Treasury.
Returning to Great Meng City was like coming home for the Fourth Elder. He led Liu Chengfeng and the others to stay in a large residence inside the city.
Cloud Rising Sect was a major sect in the Qiuchi Kingdom and owned its own businesses in Great Meng City.
More than half the businesses on the long street where the residence stood belonged to Cloud Rising Sect.
It was no wonder the Five Elders had settled Liu Chengfeng, Jiang Yu, and the other disciples here.
To Liu Chengfeng's surprise, Zhou Yinfeng was here too.
"Young Master—"
Zhou Yinfeng was overjoyed. Seeing Liu Chengfeng safe and sound put his mind at ease.
"Uncle Feng, what are you doing here?"
Wu Dao Sect had been burned down, but Zhou Yinfeng was safe. Liu Chengfeng let out a breath of relief.
"The Sect Master sent me here."
It turned out that Nangong Renshe had found Zhou Yinfeng first and sent him to Great Meng City, allowing him to escape disaster.
Liu Chengfeng was deeply grateful for Nangong Renshe's thoughtfulness. No matter what, he had to find the Sect Master and bring him back safely.
"You can rest for now."
After settling them in, the Fourth Elder prepared to go out and gave Liu Chengfeng some special instructions.
"Don't worry about the Sect Master's disappearance. I'll look into it. Focus on your cultivation. Leave the Sage Scroll to me."
The Fourth Elder belonged to a branch of the imperial family. The Great Meng Su Family was one branch of the imperial Su Clan, so he had plenty of connections in Great Meng City.
There was no one better suited to search for Nangong Renshe, who had gone missing at Great Meng Mountain.
The main reason the Five Elders had sent Liu Chengfeng to Great Meng City was for him to practice the Imperial City Mad Monk Thirty-Six Pestles.
It was a royal cultivation method, and without permission, even the Fourth Elder wouldn't dare pass it on.
"Brother, Great Meng City is bustling. Want to go out and look around?"
After arriving in such a prosperous place as Great Meng City, Jiang Yu could barely sit still. He wanted to take Liu Chengfeng and the other disciples out to see the sights.
"I'm going to meditate for a while."
Liu Chengfeng declined Jiang Yu's invitation.
"With talent like yours, you're still working yourself to the bone. How are the rest of us supposed to live?"
Jiang Yu couldn't help but click his tongue. If even Liu Chengfeng was training himself to death, how could they dare go out and have fun?
Liu Chengfeng sat cross-legged and looked inward. He didn't circulate his cultivation method, but instead activated his Celestial Body to sense the world around him.
Worried about Nangong Renshe's safety, he extended his senses toward Great Meng Mountain, hoping to hear some news about him.
Great Meng City faced Great Meng Mountain, which was even larger and more expansive than the ranges and peaks around Cloud Rising Sect, stretching for ten thousand li.
Liu Chengfeng's senses spread into Great Meng Mountain, where he heard all kinds of sounds. Old trees whispered, rivers sang, and even the mountain peaks let out a groan...
He heard nothing about Nangong Renshe, so he continued pushing his senses deeper into Great Meng Mountain.
After reaching the Treasure Mountain Divine Treasury, a World Tree had grown in his Blood Sea, allowing him to sense farther and hear more of the exchanges among insects, snakes, birds, and beasts.
As he pushed deeper, wave after wave of primeval aura swept toward him.
Each surge of primeval aura rolled in like a tide, and the waves were strangely orderly, as if a great army stood ready to march.
"Mobilize the troops! Mobilize the troops! Bring every thousand-year-old beast from Eight-Mile Cave here!"
Deep in the mountains, Liu Chengfeng heard strange beasts issuing orders and calling to one another. A vast number of them had gathered together.
"Damn, they're going to attack Great Meng City."
Hearing the beasts communicating deep in the mountains, Liu Chengfeng understood what they were up to.
They were preparing to attack Great Meng City and were mobilizing their troops.
Liu Chengfeng peered into the depths with his Sky Eye. Two treasure beasts, each seventy or eighty meters tall, were commanding the beast army. They were kings among the strange beasts.
Combining that with how heavily Great Meng City was guarded, Liu Chengfeng understood what was about to happen.
"The cultivators of Great Meng City are going to war with the strange beasts. What are they fighting over?"
Both cultivators and strange beasts fought over Spirit Veins.
Spirit Veins were not only where spiritual energy was born; they also produced precious materials such as spirit stones and spirit medicines.
Liu Chengfeng was puzzled. The Spirit Vein occupied by Great Meng City didn't conflict with the one occupied by Great Meng Mountain. Why, then, were the strange beasts going to attack the city?
The strange beasts deep in Great Meng Mountain were busy mobilizing their forces. There was no information there that Liu Chengfeng wanted.
He withdrew his senses, then sent them into Great Meng City and began searching and listening throughout the city.
With his senses, Liu Chengfeng quickly found the Spirit Vein beneath Great Meng City.
This Spirit Vein also originated in the Bayu Mountain Range of the Qiuchi Kingdom. It was one of its tributaries.
The Spirit Vein beneath Great Meng City was much larger than the one beneath Cloud Rising Sect.
Cloud Rising Sect's Spirit Vein was no more than a little stream.
The Spirit Vein of Great Meng Mountain was a river. After being diverted into Tiger Mound behind Great Meng City, it had been built into a dojo.
Beneath Tiger Mound, spirit stones inscribed with cultivation methods covered the dojo. Spiritual energy was channeled inside and accumulated, gathering into a spiritual spring that became a pool.
The Spirit Pool had accumulated for who knew how many years. It was now filled to the brim with spiritual liquid.
"This is the foundation of the Great Meng Su Family."
The spiritual energy was so abundant that Liu Chengfeng wanted to take a great gulp, but he didn't dare act recklessly.
If he used the World Tree to suck it all in, the Great Meng Su Family would surely turn on him and hunt him down.
"Something's wrong."
After looking more closely, Liu Chengfeng discovered something amiss with the Great Meng Su Family's Spirit Vein dojo.
Fine tendrils were growing from somewhere underground, spreading toward the Spirit Vein dojo. They were trying to surround the Spirit Vein beneath the ground and secretly drain its spiritual energy.
In the middle of the dojo was a mass of light, radiating the power of the Great Dao. It was suppressing the tendrils and keeping them from burrowing into the dojo to steal spiritual energy.
Two forces were hidden deep underground, locked in a struggle.
"What is that thing—"
Seeing the tendrils growing underground and spreading toward the Spirit Vein dojo, Liu Chengfeng was puzzled too.
Liu Chengfeng turned the Heavenly Mound, wondering whether it could awaken something.
Before long, he heard a voice.
"I shoot the sky, I shoot the earth, I'll shoot a god and fry him up like a dish."
Underground in Great Meng City, a voice hummed the tune, unhurried and cheerful.
"You really have shot a god?"
Liu Chengfeng searched for the source of the voice with his Sky Eye.
The humming stopped for a moment.
"Who are you?"
"Someone who can understand you."
"A junior who hides his head and tail—"
The voice was overbearing and lofty.
"Come on, then. Let's see how powerful you are."
Liu Chengfeng turned the Heavenly Mound and provoked the voice.
If something couldn't force its way into his mind, he could gauge its strength.
"Foolish ant, do you know who I am? Do you know how powerful I am?"
Provoked by Liu Chengfeng, the voice finally forced its way into his mind.
The instant it entered, golden light filled the sky, and a Golden Giant Tree appeared.
The voice was trying to project its invincible form inside Liu Chengfeng's mind.
The Golden Giant Tree towered into the sky, its branches laden with golden fruits.
Each fruit was a weapon: a pagoda, a divine cauldron, an immortal bell...
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