Please, Nine Elders, Take Action!
Eight hundred miles away, in the void interlayer, the three tracking auras suddenly froze.
Shadow Three, the Great Chu secret guard in charge of monitoring, suddenly opened his eyes, his face grave. "Something's wrong. The Mount Shu Warships have changed course."
Beside him, the True Martial Immortal Sect Xuanming Sect's Xuanming True Lord sneered, "Changed? Which direction?"
"Southwest, heading towards the Netherworld Trench." Shadow Three's voice carried a hint of disbelief. "Almost no one travels this route. It's shrouded in Netherworld Qi year-round; even Heavenly Monarch feel uncomfortable going down there."
A hint of hesitation flashed across the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion Shadow Fiend's face as he asked, "Should we give chase?"
"Pursue them," Xuanming True Lord said decisively. "No matter which route they take, our mission is to keep an eye on them. Increase the distance even further, follow them from a thousand miles away."
Three figures adjusted their direction in the void, carefully trailing behind the Mount Shu Warship.
Two thousand three hundred miles away, on the surface of the Ten-Thousand-Mile Heart-Link Mirror in the hand of the Ji Clan Grand Elder, the trajectory of the crimson-gold light suddenly shifted.
"The flight path has been changed?" The black-robed Heavenly Monarch frowned slightly.
"It's alright." The Ji Clan Grand Elder smirked coldly. "The ambush points in Falling Star Gorge and Sky-Reaching Mountains were just bait. It's expected that Chen Changqing, that little beast, would sense the anomaly after his soul transformation and his perception surged."
He took out a jet-black Communication Jade Talisman from his pocket and crushed it.
"Execute the backup plan. Spread the word."
The black-robed Heavenly Monarch accepted the second Jade Talisman, hesitated for a moment, and said, "Elder, once this news gets out, countless forces across the Nine Provinces Continent will be eyeing Chen Changqing. What if Mount Shu is enraged—"
"So what if they're furious?" A ruthless glint flashed in the eyes of the Ji Clan Grand Elder. "We'll remain anonymous and leave no trace. The news of the Heavenly Void Divine Pool isn't a secret to begin with, and it's reasonable to assume that Chen Changqing underwent a transformation within the pool and that residual Chaotic Origin Energy remains in his body. Even if Mount Shu wants to investigate, they won't be able to trace it back to us."
He stood up, put his hands behind his back, and looked towards the southwest horizon.
"Moreover, those Cultivators from third-rate forces, and those old monsters stuck at the True Lord Realm for many years—they don't care about Mount Shu or anything like Mount Shu. The allure of the Chaotic Origin Energy is enough to make them lose their minds."
The black-robed Heavenly Monarch nodded and activated the communication talisman.
Invisible waves of information spread out from the flying boat, piercing through the void and spreading to every corner of the Nine Provinces Continent.
Nine Provinces Darknet.
This is a vast intelligence network hidden beneath overt forces, a hub for countless shady deals and information.
At noon, an anonymous intelligence report, like a stone thrown into water, stirred up ripples.
[Chen Changqing, the Champion the Heavenly Void Grand Tournament, retained traces of Chaotic Origin Energy within his body after his transformation in the Divine Pool. He sailed southwest, returning to Mount Shu via the Netherworld Trench.]
A short sentence, accompanied by a rubbing of the aura's characteristics.
In less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the number of views for this news item exceeded 100,000.
"Chaotic Origin Energy? Really?"
"The Heavenly Void Divine Pool is High Antiquity relic, and the Chaotic Origin Energy within it has miraculous effects on the transformation of the soul. This is known throughout the Nine Provinces. It's understandable that Chen Changqing would have some residual energy on his body after soaking in the pool for an hour."
"People from Mount Shu, aren't they prone to making trouble?"
"Don't even think about it! You dare try to steal the Personal Disciple of the Mount Shu Sect Master? That madman Daoist Wuzhen, would wipe out your entire family."
"That's true, but the Chaotic Origin Energy... I've been stuck at the Late True Lord Stage for three hundred years. If I could absorb even a trace of Chaotic Origin Energy, breaking through to the Heavenly Monarch wouldn't be a dream!"
"The Netherworld Trench... That place is dangerous, but it's not inaccessible. As long as we're careful, we can sneak in and check it out, right?"
Countless Cultivators at the True Lord Realm had their eyes turn red with envy.
The elders and retainers of those third-rate forces, and even some leaders of the Rogue Cultivator alliance, all had their eyes on it.
The Sacred Ground will not intervene, and the Ten Great Sects will not offend Mount Shu for such a small matter.
But they are different.
They were beings who had been struggling to survive in the cracks Nine Provinces. If they could take a gamble and seize a trace of Chaotic Origin Energy, it would be like a carp leaping over the Dragon Gate.
Even if we fail, at worst we can escape to the borderlands and live a life of hardship for a few hundred years.
It's worth the gamble.
In an instant, countless streaks of light rose from all over the Nine Provinces, heading towards the Netherworld Trench in the southwest.
The Shu Mountain Sacred Land, the forbidden area behind the mountain.
When Daoist Chen Yuan received the message from the sect, his expression suddenly darkened.
"Master, someone on the Nine Provinces Darknet is spreading rumors that Chen Changqing still has residual Chaotic Origin Energy within him." A Mount Shu elder rushed over, his voice urgent. "Right now, all the True Lord Cultivators in Nine Provinces are heading towards the Netherworld Trench!"
Daoist Chen Yuan crushed the communication talisman in his hand, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.
"Can you find out who spread the news?"
"We can't find anything. The other party is using an anonymous channel on the Nine Provinces Darknet, so we can't trace the source at all."
Daoist Chen Yuan took a deep breath and turned to walk towards the forbidden area deep within the sect.
That is where the true essence of Mount Shu lies.
The Nine-Layer Heavenly Palace.
Nine Independent Void Worlds, each with a powerful being at least at the Fifth Layer of Tribulation Immortal.
They are the Nine Elders of Mount Shu, the true trump card that allows Mount Shu to maintain its position as the top of the Ten Great Sacred Lands.
Daoist Chen Yuan arrived at the entrance of the First-Layer Heavenly Gate, took a deep breath, and pushed open the ancient stone door.
Silence reigned in the void.
Countless stars floated in the darkness, emitting a dim light.
A Bronze Dao Platform floated in the center of the starry sea, and an old man with gray hair sat cross-legged on it.
The old man wore a simple Cyan Daoist Robe, his face was thin and gaunt, his eyes were slightly closed, and his breathing was long and even, like the tides of heaven and earth.
Daoist Chen Yuan knelt in the void, bowing respectfully.
"Disciple Wu Zhen greets Master."
The old man slowly opened his eyes.
Those eyes were as deep as an abyss, as if they could see through all the illusions of the world.
"Wu Zhen?" The old man's voice was hoarse and ancient. "You haven't been here for eight hundred years. What brings you to visit your master today?"
Daoist Wuzhen raised his head, smiled wryly, and said, "Master, I'm in trouble."
"Explain."
"That kid Chen Yuan has taken on a Personal Disciple named Chen Changqing. This boy has amazing talent; he's already at the Middle True Lord Stage cultivation before he's even twenty years old, and he recently won Champion in the Heavenly Void Grand Tournament."
The old man nodded slightly. "To win first place in the Heavenly Void Grand Tournament is indeed quite impressive."
"But precisely because of this, he's been targeted." Daoist Wuzhen's tone was grave. "Someone is spreading rumors on the Nine Provinces Darknet, saying that he has residual Chaotic Origin Energy within him. Now, all the True Lord Cultivators in the entire Nine Provinces are rushing towards him; there are at least several hundred of them."
The old man remained silent for a moment.
You want me to take action?
"This disciple wouldn't dare," Daoist Wuzhen quickly shook his head. "This disciple only wishes to ask Master... to swallow his pride and make a trip to the Fifth-Layer Heavenly Palace."