Sealing the Mountain

Just one strike!

A warning strike from the Ancient Origin Bell—the Heaven Sect's oldest and most mysterious sect-protecting artifact, symbolizing the origin of the Dao—had instantly left the two Grand Elders, representatives of the Empire's highest authority and Nascent Soul Cultivators, in a sorry state, even faintly injured!

As the bell rang, the surface of the light barrier enveloping the entire Heaven Sect, centered on the Soaring Cloud Heavenly Palace, erupted with an unprecedentedly brilliant radiance as billions of flowing runes flashed!

In particular, the vast energy contained within the eighteen sky-piercing pillars supporting the grand formation was instantly roused, transforming into eighteen roaring torrents of golden energy that surged madly along the mysterious network of veins inside the light barrier toward the depths of the Heaven Hall!

Terrifying light burst from Zhao Ting and Lai Zong's eyes at the same time!

They sensed a lethal threat!

The lingering echoes of that vast, desolate bell chime still reverberated through the high heavens, like an eternal gaze.

Zhao Ting and Hu Zhencai exchanged a glance, each seeing shock, wariness, and an indescribable gloom in the other's eyes.

They slowly reined in their auras and brushed away nonexistent dust from their official robes, yet their slightly unsteady breathing and the lingering palpitations deep in their eyes revealed the danger of that fleeting moment.

Grand Elder Zhao's mellow voice was now filled with gravity and strain. "What an... Ancient Origin Bell!"

Grand Elder Hu narrowed his eyes, surveying the two beams of light locked onto them. Feigning composure, he said, "Dao Venerable, you still have strength to spare?! That Dao law of destruction did not affect you?"

"There is no need for the Empire to concern itself with my injuries. Please return, you two. How my sect's Holy Son fares is not for the Empire to interfere with."

A low, ancient voice came from the depths of the hall.

"Hmph! The Heaven Sect must give the Empire an explanation for Chen Jinzhi's matter. The two of us shall await the arrival of Li Huo Heavenly Venerable at Hanlin Prefecture."

"Let's go!"

The two Grand Elders flicked their robes. Blue-violet clouds formed beneath their feet as they swiftly departed in the direction of Hanlin City.

As the terrifying thunderclouds that had been continuously gathering overhead slowly dispersed, the grand formation gradually fell silent as well.

Sect Master Xuan and several elders returned to the main hall to deliberate.

The disciples also returned from the rooftops one after another.

Dong Lin stared at the now-clear sky, unable to recover from the shocking scene he had just witnessed for a long while.

"Could an individual's power truly reach such a level?

And that was only a probing clash between two sides."

Dong Lin could not help marveling at the power of top-tier cultivators. What was the difference between that and a mobile humanoid nuclear bomb—one that could be detonated repeatedly? This is too absurd!

Stirred by this, Dong Lin returned to his cultivation chamber, preparing to begin a new round of cultivation.

--Soaring Cloud Heavenly Palace - Black Mountain Peak - Heaven-Seeking Hall--

Oppressive, solemn.

Within the hall, enormous coiling-dragon pillars held up the lofty dome. Night pearls embedded in the walls emitted a cold white glow, yet they could not disperse the heaviness permeating the air.

The hall doors were tightly shut, powerful restrictions completely sealing off the outside world, leaving behind only deathly silence and heavy breathing.

Sect Master Li Huo Heavenly Venerable Xuan Sheng sat upright on a dark jade meditation cushion at the seat of honor, his face as still as an ancient well, his eyes deep as an abyss.

His aura was deep and steady, as though he had fused with the entire Heaven-Seeking Hall, even the whole Heaven Sect. He was the pillar that calmed the seas amid this heavy atmosphere, yet he also bore the greatest pressure.

Slightly below him sat a figure whose presence was even more ethereal and weighty than that of Li Huo Heavenly Venerable Xuan Sheng.

He was an old man in a plain gray robe, his beard and hair entirely white, his face lean and refined. He was the Heaven Sect's true pillar that calmed the seas—Supreme Elder Fu Li.

He had not opened his eyes, seeming as though his spirit had wandered beyond the heavens. He merely sat quietly in meditation, yet an almost law-like Dao resonance radiated from his body, making the surrounding space appear faintly distorted.

Surrounding these two central figures were more than a dozen core members of the Heaven Sect's upper ranks.

Some sat, some stood. Their auras were all unfathomably deep, and even the weakest among them was at the Nascent Soul Early Stage. Yet every one of them now wore a dark expression, their brows tightly furrowed.

The air in the hall seemed like solidified lead; every breath carried invisible weight.

"They have gone too far!"

A burly man with a resolute face and a massive crimson sword strapped to his back suddenly slammed the table and rose. His voice boomed like a great bell, making the spirit lamps in the hall sway.

Bao Hei, Hall Master of the Law Enforcement Hall, could not help stepping forward.

"That Zhao Ting and Hu Zhencai look down upon us and issue orders with a wagging finger!

They clearly intend to use Bai Jinhai's affair to suppress our Heaven Sect and sever our sect's foundations!

Hand over the Holy Son? Absolutely impossible!

What wrong did Jinzhi commit?

He slew vermin and protected the common people!

If they want war, then let there be war! What does the Heaven Sect have to fear!"

"Junior Brother Bao, watch your words!"

An elder with a lean, refined face and an elegant bearing spoke in a grave voice, a jade-handled whisk in his hand.

He was Hong Ye, the Third Elder of the Inner Sect.

"War? Against whom?

War against the Empire?

The Grand Elders came in person; the imperial will cannot be defied.

No matter how much Bai Jinhai deserved death, he was still an imperial official!

Jinzhi slaughtered his entire household without authorization, and his methods were harsh. By the law, he was in the wrong!

This gives others a handle to seize!

If we show courage for a moment now, we will only drag the sect into a place of eternal damnation!"

"Senior Brother Hong is mistaken!"

A female elder in a water-blue Daoist robe spoke coldly. Her temperament was gentle, yet her gaze was sharp.

She was Tang Lin, overseer of the Mystic Yellow Spirit Chamber.

She was one of the Heaven Sect's few female immortals who had attained the Dao.

"Bai Jinhai's crimes are beyond dispute. He colluded with demonic evils and concealed the bloody case of a village massacre; he deserved to die! What Jinzhi did was an act of great righteousness!"

The dozen or so elders held differing opinions, yet they all stood united against outsiders and opposed handing over the Holy Son.

Within the Heaven-Seeking Hall, the auras of the Nascent Soul Cultivators surged against one another. The spiritual pressure in the hall rose and fell erratically, and the atmosphere was tense.

Xuan Sheng remained silent throughout. His gaze slowly swept across every elder engaged in the dispute before finally falling upon Supreme Elder Fu Li, who still had his eyes closed.

At that moment, Fu Li's long, snow-white brows twitched slightly.

All the elders turned their gazes toward the true foundation of the sect with reverence.

Fu Li did not open his eyes. An ancient voice slowly flowed directly through the depths of everyone's souls, carrying the calm of one who saw through all things and an unquestionable decisiveness:

"The Heaven Sect... cannot be humiliated. The Holy Son... cannot be handed over."

Those brief ten words were like a divine hammer that settled heaven and earth.

Fu Li's voice continued to echo in everyone's hearts:

"Heaven and earth are like a chessboard; one must know when to advance and when to retreat. The Empire is powerful, its heavenly might grand and vast. We cannot meet its edge head-on. In Bai Jinhai's case, we do indeed have a handle for them to seize."

"Seal the mountain. We must give them some sort of explanation."

After speaking, Fu Li closed his eyes.

A trace of understanding and resolve flashed through Xuan Sheng's eyes. He slowly rose and gave a deep bow in Fu Li's direction. Then he turned to the elders.

"Seal the mountain for five years. Recall all disciples outside the sect."

"The hundreds of resource sites under our Heaven Sect outside—are we simply handing them over?"

Fifth Elder Hua Yuan was somewhat indignant.

"We can take them back five years from now. The Empire is powerful; this is not the time for us to tear all civility apart with it."

"So be it. In this matter, the Holy Son was indeed somewhat careless and allowed others to seize a handle."

"Indeed. The Holy Son still needs his temperament tempered. Let this matter serve as a reprimand."

Xuan Sheng lightly waved a hand at everyone.

"Enough, everyone. Disperse. I will negotiate with the Empire."