A city within Tai'an Prefecture.
Two figures received the corresponding travel permits from the city gate and then sped off towards the horizon.
Before long, the vast and boundless Spring Thunder River appeared before their eyes. Dark clouds covered the river surface, and the rumble of thunder made the atmosphere here particularly dark and oppressive.
"Mr. Ye, once you cross the Spring Thunder River, you'll reach Cloud Pine Mountain, where the Nine Tripod Sword Sect is located. These thick clouds most likely drifted in from there. This is truly..."
Looking at the mighty river ahead, Qin Han recounted all the information he knew, his words tinged with emotion. "I've heard that the sect leader of the Nine Tripod Sword Sect is a woman named Zhu Yue. From the time she first took up a sword at a young age, her Sword Dao has progressed by leaps and bounds."
"Now, not only has her cultivation reached the Half-step True Person level, but she is also revered as the number one Sword Dao below the Divine Connection Realm in Tai'an Prefecture. It is said that she can shake a ten-thousand-foot-high mountain protected by Laws with just her Sword Qi."
"According to the records within the department, for the past thousand years, this Sect Master Zhu has frequently Demon Suppression Department against external enemies."
At this point, Qin Han shook his head repeatedly, looking quite regretful. "I never imagined they would collude with foreign demonic forces."
If it were an ordinary crime, given the strength of the Nine Cauldrons Immortal Sect, it would most likely not have provoked such a large-scale siege by the Heavenly Supervision Department.
At most, they'll just find the people involved and execute them.
But the current situation is different.
Firstly, Zhu Yue, under the guise of mutual assistance among Sword Cultivator, secretly distributed those Eastern Continent martial artists who came seeking her guidance to other races in exchange for cultivation resources.
Secondly, not only is she the sect leader of the Sword Sect, with the highest cultivation level in the entire sect, but she also has a loyal and devoted High-ranking Venerable serving her. If she is unwilling to be executed, then no one in the Sword Sect can hand her over to the Heavenly Supervision Department for disposal.
Moreover, the disciples within the sect would also be subject to her control for various reasons, forcing the Heavenly Supervision Department cultivators who came to besiege her to fight to the death.
After listening quietly, Ye Li quickly made a plan in his mind.
One Half-step True Person, and three Heaven and Earth Venerable.
This is the full extent of the Nine Tripod Sword Sect's combat strength on the surface.
But to be honest, this lineup wouldn't even qualify as a first-rate Immortal Sect within the Eastern Continent; at best, it's a top-tier second-rate sect.
After all, there isn't even a true Divine Connection Realm among them.
It's just a bit of Trouble at most.
Does the Eastern Continent Heavenly Supervision Department really need to worry about even this level of disturbance at the Mountain Gate?
Thinking of this, Ye Li glanced at Qin Han and asked, "After such a commotion, why haven't those two True Person of Divine Connection from the Heavenly Supervision Department taken action?"
"There are far too few True Person at the Divine Connection Realm in the Eastern Continent's Celestial Heavenly Supervision Department."
Upon hearing this, Qin Han shrugged and said helplessly, "There were a few a long time ago, but they've all been transferred to other continents for official business."
"Fortunately, the number of experts at the Heaven and Earth Realm is still decent, and the two Divine Connection Realm currently in the department are not ordinary True Person."
"My master often helps the Demon Suppression Department defend against foreign tribes, and the other elders also lend a hand on a regular basis."
"It's just that he had some insights into his cultivation a few years ago and needed to go into seclusion to break through. Every time this happens, there is some turmoil in the Eastern Continent. Everyone is used to it. If all else fails, they just lower their heads and borrow some manpower from the Demon Suppression Department."
"This time, the Nine Tripod Sword Sect was indeed unexpected. No one expected that their Sect Protection Array was quite ingenious. In addition, Sect Master Zhu held firm on the mountain. Even though the two Half-step True Person from the Tai'a Heavenly Supervision Department joined forces to break through the mountain, they still couldn't succeed."
At this point, Qin Han's tone suddenly became more serious. "Mr. Ye, you came here as reinforcements and have the right to act independently, but you have no obligation to be the first to charge into battle."
"If those two Half-step True Person from the Tai'a Heavenly Supervision Department force you to charge into their formation, don't worry too much about it; ignoring them is the best option!"
Qin Han's idea was simple.
The Eastern Continent region under Ye Li's jurisdiction is, in essence, the [Wanjing Prefecture], a frontier area, not the treacherous and unpredictable Tai'an Prefecture.
To put it bluntly, even if the defense is breached, he won't be held responsible, so there's no need to fight so desperately.
But since Ye Li has come, he naturally wants to collect all the Malice Points before he can feel at ease.
Therefore, he did not say much.
He simply replied noncommittally, "I understand."
On Cloud Pine Mountain, the Nine Tripod Sword Sect.
It was early morning, yet the Sword Sect was shrouded in gloom.
Outside the main hall, a bizarrely designed and enormous altar stood silently, upon which lay the corpses of hundreds of the Sword Sect disciples, their skin torn and flesh mangled, a truly gruesome sight, constantly engulfed in raging flames.
A man dressed in black stood before the altar, numbly tossing corpses into it one after another, completely ignoring the chilling stench of blood.
After the last body was thrown in.
The man in black clapped his hands, turned around, and walked straight up the steps into the magnificent hall.
At this moment, above this main hall of the sect.
A noblewoman dressed in a loose-fitting sword robe sat behind a table, looking at the warm morning light streaming in and the black-clad man slowly approaching.
His expression was very calm. "Any response?"
"No, it's like a stagnant pool." The man in black shook his head blankly.
As the second High-ranking Venerable in the Sword Sect, he was also the most prized disciple of the woman before him.
A bond between teacher and student spanning over a thousand years can melt even the hardest heart.
So.
Even if they go astray, he will accompany them to the very end.
"That means the quantity is not enough."
Upon hearing this, Zhu Yue, dressed in a magnificent robe, remained calm and said:
"When the sun is high in the sky, take another group of sect deacons, plus two elders from the Sword Sect, and go down the mountain again to try to break through the formation, and then gather all the corpses of those who died in battle."
The number of powerful individuals from the Tai'a Heavenly Supervision Department was not small, but she was not afraid that her closed-door disciple would be in danger.
The reason is simple.
Without his presence, the two Half-step True Person from the Heavenly Supervision Department would definitely choose not to make a move in order to conserve their strength.
The vast territory of Tai'an Grand Prefecture is threatened by far more than just the Nine Cauldrons Immortal Sect.
As for the man in black...
Among the powerful figures from the Heavenly Supervision Department on this trip, apart from the two Half-step True Person, there were no other noteworthy threats.
P. S.: Happy New Year, everyone!