Just one strike!
A warning strike from the Ancient Origin Bell—the Heaven Sect's oldest and most mysterious sect-protecting artifact, symbolizing the source of the Dao—had instantly left the two council elders, representatives of the empire's highest authority and Nascent Soul Cultivators, in a sorry state, even faintly injured!
With that single toll of the bell, the surface of the barrier covering the entire Heaven Sect, centered on the Soaring Cloud Heavenly Palace, erupted with an unprecedentedly brilliant radiance as billions of flowing runes flashed to life!
In particular, the immense energy contained within the eighteen sky-piercing pillars supporting the grand formation was instantly triggered, transforming into eighteen roaring golden torrents of energy that surged wildly through the mysterious network of veins inside the barrier toward the depths of the Heaven Hall!
Zhao Ting and Lai Zong's eyes simultaneously burst with terrifying light!
They had sensed a deadly threat!
The lingering echoes of that vast, desolate bell tone 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 withdrew their auras and brushed away nonexistent dust from their official robes, yet their slightly disordered breathing and the lingering fear deep in their eyes revealed the danger of that brief instant.
Elder Zhao's mellow voice was now filled with gravity and strain. "What a... Ancient Origin Bell!"
Elder Hu narrowed his eyes and swept his gaze over the two beams of light locking onto them. Feigning composure, he said, "Dao Tianzun, you still possess such strength?! Has that Law of Destruction not affected you?"
"The empire need not concern itself with my injuries. Please return. How our sect's Holy Son is dealt with 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. We two shall await Li Huo Tianzun's arrival at Hanlin Prefecture."
"Let us go!"
The two elders flicked their robes. Blue-violet mist formed beneath their feet as they swiftly departed in the direction of Hanlin City.
As the terrifying thunderclouds constantly 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 one after another from the rooftop.
Dong Lin stared at the now-clear skies, unable to recover from the shocking scene he had just witnessed for a long while.
Could an individual's power truly reach such heights?
And that had only been a probing clash of power between two sides.
Dong Lin could not help marveling at the might of peak cultivators. How was this any different from a walking humanoid nuclear bomb—one that could be detonated over and over again? This was far too absurd!
Spurred by this shock, Dong Lin returned to his cultivation chamber, ready to begin a new round of cultivation.
Oppressive, solemn.
Massive coiling-dragon pillars within the hall supported the lofty dome. Night-luminescent pearls embedded in the walls gave off a cold white glow, yet they could not disperse the heaviness permeating the air.
The hall doors were tightly shut, powerful restrictions completely isolating the outside world and leaving behind only deathly silence and heavy breathing.
Sect Master Xuan Sheng sat upright upon a Xuan Yu cushion at the head of the hall, his expression as still as an ancient well, his eyes deep as an abyss.
His aura was grave and condensed, as though he had fused with the entire Heaven-Seeking Hall and even the whole Heaven Sect. He was the pillar holding steady this weighty atmosphere, yet he also bore the greatest pressure.
At his lower side sat a figure whose presence was even more ethereal and weighty than Xuan Sheng's.
He was an elderly man dressed in a plain gray robe, his beard and hair entirely white, his features lean and refined. He was the Heaven Sect's true stabilizing pillar—Supreme Elder Fu Li.
He did not open his eyes, as though his spirit wandered beyond the heavens. He merely sat cross-legged in silence, yet an almost law-like Dao Rhyme radiated from his body, making even the surrounding space seem faintly distorted.
Surrounding these two central figures were over a dozen core members of the Heaven Sect's upper ranks.
Some sat while others stood. Every one of them possessed unfathomable auras and was at least at the Nascent Soul Early Stage, yet their faces were as dark as water and their brows tightly furrowed.
The air in the hall seemed like solidified lead, every breath carrying an invisible weight.
"Outrageous!"
A burly man with resolute features and a huge crimson sword on his back suddenly slammed his palm onto the table and rose to his feet. His voice boomed like a great bell, making the spirit lamps in the hall sway.
Bao Hei, the master of the Law Enforcement Hall, could not hold himself back and stepped forward.
"That Zhao Ting and Hu Zhencai look down on us from above and throw their weight around!
They clearly intend to use Bai Jinhai's affair to suppress our Heaven Sect and sever the very foundations of our sect!
Hand over the Holy Son? Never!
What wrong did Jin Zhi commit?
He slew vermin and protected the common people!
If they want war, then let there be war! What does our Heaven Sect have to fear?"
"Junior Brother Bao, watch your words!"
An elder with refined features and an elegant bearing spoke in a deep voice, a jade-handled whisk in his hand.
He was Hong Ye, the third elder of the inner sect.
"War? With whom would we wage war?
With the empire?
The council elders came in person; the imperial will cannot be defied.
No matter how deserving of death Bai Jinhai was, he was still an imperial official!
Jin Zhi slaughtered his entire household without authorization. His methods were ruthless, and the law was not on his side!
This has handed them a weapon to use against us!
Showing such momentary courage now will only drag the sect into a place of eternal damnation!"
"Senior Brother Hong is mistaken!"
A female elder wearing a water-blue Daoist robe spoke coldly. Her temperament was gentle, but her eyes were sharp.
She was Tang Lin, the 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 irrefutable. He colluded with demonic evils and concealed the bloody massacre of an entire village. He deserved to die! What Jin Zhi did was an act of righteousness!
The dozen or so elders each held their own opinions, but they all stood united against the outside and refused to hand over the Holy Son.
Within the Heaven-Seeking Hall, the auras of the Nascent Soul Cultivators clashed against one another. The spiritual pressure in the hall rose and fell unpredictably, making the atmosphere tense.
Xuan Sheng remained silent throughout. His gaze slowly swept across every arguing elder before finally falling upon Supreme Elder Fu Li, who still sat with his eyes closed.
At that moment, Fu Li's long, snow-white brows twitched slightly.
The gazes of all the elders turned toward this true foundation of the sect with reverence.
Fu Li did not open his eyes. An ancient voice directly resounded in the depths of everyone's souls, slowly flowing forth with a calmness that saw through all things and a decision that could not be questioned:
"The Heaven Sect... cannot be humiliated. The Holy Son... cannot be surrendered."
Those few words were like a divine hammer that settled the fate of 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, possessing the grand majesty of heaven. We cannot confront its edge head-on. There truly is a weakness to exploit in Bai Jinhai's case."
"Seal the mountain. We must give them some sort of explanation."
Having said that, Fu Li closed his eyes.
Understanding and resolve flashed through Xuan Sheng's eyes. He slowly rose and gave Fu Li a deep bow. Then he turned to the elders.
"Seal the mountain for five years. Recall all disciples outside the sect."
"Are we simply handing over the hundreds of resource sites under our Heaven Sect's control outside?"
Fifth Elder Hua Yuan was somewhat indignant.
"We can take them back in five years. The empire is powerful; this is not the time for us to tear all pretense with it."
"So be it. The Holy Son was indeed somewhat careless in this matter, allowing others to seize a weakness."
"Indeed. The Holy Son still needs to temper his character. Let this matter serve as a warning to him."
Xuan Sheng lightly waved his hand at everyone.
"Enough, everyone. Disperse. I will negotiate with the empire."
Before you continue