Life Tablets Shattered, Soul Formation Experts Emerge

Azure Realm, Blazing Flame Valley.

The forbidden area of the sect, the Hall of Life and Souls.

The disciple responsible for guarding this place was yawning listlessly.

Sudden!

"Snap--!"

A crisp cracking sound rang out, particularly jarring in the otherwise silent hall!

The disciple shuddered and abruptly looked up!

The jade slip representing the Valley Master "Huo Fentian," enshrined at the highest point, was now... shattered into pieces!

"The Valley Master... has fallen?!"

He was so terrified that he scrambled out of the way!

"Something terrible has happened! Something horrible has occurred!"

The news caused an uproar throughout the entire Blazing Flame Valley!

Inside the council hall, the elders looked at each other, their faces filled with fear and disbelief.

"The Valley Master is Late-Stage Nascent Soul expert! Who could possibly kill him?!"

"Could it be... that old devil from the Mysterious Nether Sect who did this?!"

"Impossible! Although our two families don't get along, it hasn't come to this point where we've completely broken ties!"

"Whoever can kill the Valley Master can easily wipe out all of us here!" the Grand Elder said in a deep voice. "This matter must be reported to the Ancestor immediately!"

Deep within the Blazing Flame Valley, at the base of a volcano.

Amidst the churning lava, sat an elderly man dressed in a crimson Daoist robe, with red hair and beard.

He is none other than the Soul Formation Ancestor of Blazing Flame Valley — Venerable Huolie!

"What?! Fentian is dead?!"

Upon hearing the message, Venerable Huolie suddenly opened his eyes, and two beams of fire, as solid as physical flames, instantly pierced through the Xukong!

"How dare you! You actually kill someone from my Blazing Flame Valley!"

He laughed in fury, and a terrifying pressure from Soul Formation instantly swept across the entire volcano!

"Investigate! Investigate for me! Where did Fentian go in the end?!"

Soon, the news arrived.

"Reporting to the Ancestor, the Valley Master ultimately... went to the Water and Fire Sect!"

"The Water and Fire Sect?" Venerable Huolie frowned. "That bunch of trash? They wouldn't dare lay a finger on Fentian even if they had a hundred lives!"

"However..." A cold glint flashed in his eyes, "Since the incident happened there, you must give me an explanation!"

"Boom--!"

The next moment, he transformed into a pillar of fire that shot into the sky, tearing through the Xukong and hurtling towards the direction of the Water and Fire Sect!

Azure Realm, Water and Fire Sect.

Inside the sect's main hall, Shui Yunrou was overwhelmed with various complicated matters.

Sudden!

"Boom--!!!!"

Two terrifyingly powerful pressures descended almost simultaneously!

A blazing heat, as if it would burn the heavens to ashes!

A chilling, icy aura emanated from the air, as if it would freeze everything!

"Soul Formation?!"

Shui Yunrou's expression changed drastically, and her delicate body trembled!

"And... there are two of them?!"

She dared not delay in the slightest and immediately led the elders out of the main hall!

In mid-air, two figures, resembling gods and demons, faced off against each other.

One of them was none other than the Venerable Huolie of Blazing Flame Valley!

The other person was an old man with a sinister face, wearing Xuanbing armor—the Supreme Elder of the Mysterious Nether Sect, the Ancestor Xuanbing!

"It's you?!"

A hint of surprise flashed in their Central Capital when they saw each other.

"Old Ghost Xuanbing, what are you doing here?" Venerable Huolie Lie asked coldly.

"Hmph! I had the same question for you!" Ancestor Xuanbing's face was gloomy. "My sect master, Xuanmingzi, had his life tablet shattered! The last place he appeared was none other than this Water and Fire Sect!"

"What?! Xuanmingzi is dead too?!"

Venerable Huolie was startled!

Two Late-Stage Nascent Soul died at the same time in the same place?!

This is... not a simple matter!

The two exchanged a glance, and both saw deep apprehension and... gravity in each other's eyes.

"Shui Yunrou! Get out here right now!"

The two roared simultaneously, and the terrifying sound waves shook the protective array of the Water and Fire Sect!

Shui Yunrou braced herself and flew up, bowing deeply to the two of them.

"Junior Shui Yunrou greets the two venerable ancestors!"

Suppressing her fear, she asked with a blank expression, "May I ask what brings you two esteemed elders here? What... what have I done to offend you?"

Stop pretending!

Venerable Huolie Lie had the most fiery temper. He pointed at Shui Yunrou, his voice booming like a bell, causing cracks to appear in the surrounding space.

"Let me ask you! Did my good-for-nothing disciple, Huo Fentian, visit your Water and Fire Sect a few days ago?!"

"And there's also Xuanmingzi, the sect leader of my Mysterious Nether Sect!" Ancestor Xuanbing spoke in a sinister tone, emanating a chilling aura. "His last breath also vanished right here with you!"

Faced with the interrogation of the two Soul Formation experts, Shui Yunrou felt her scalp tingle and her heart felt as if it were being gripped tightly by an invisible hand.

But as the leader of a sect, she knew that if she revealed even the slightest flaw, not only would her own life be in danger, but the entire Water and Fire Sect would also perish!

She took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down, and put on a look of fear and trepidation.

"Reporting to the two patriarchs, Valley Master Huo and Sect Master Xuan, they did indeed come."

"You've been here before?"

Venerable Huolie narrowed his eyes, his two beams of fire seemingly piercing through Shui Yunrou. "Where are they? Where did they go?!"

"They're gone."

Shui Yunrou lowered her head, her voice trembling, but her tone was very certain, "The two sect leaders... they want to 'borrow' some spirit stones from our sect."

"But our Water and Fire Sect was already at its wits' end and had no money left. So... they left in anger."

"Fart!"

Venerable Huolie Blaze was furious, Soul Formation, like Mount Tai pressing down, crashed down!

"Now that they've come, how could they possibly leave without getting anything in return?! Do you take me for a three-year-old?!"

"Speak! Did you use some underhanded means to assassinate them?!"

"I'm innocent!"

Shui Yunrou was forced to her knees in Xukong, a trickle of blood spilling from the corner of her mouth, yet she still gritted her teeth and protested, "Even if we had a hundred lives, we would never dare to lay a finger on a hair on the heads of the two sect leaders!"

"Moreover..." She raised her head, her eyes filled with grievance, "With the two sect leaders joining forces, what merit or ability does my Water and Fire Sect have to keep them here so quietly?"

Upon hearing this, both Venerable Huolie and Ancestor Xuanbing fell silent.

yes.

They knew better than anyone else the true Water and Fire Sect.

To kill two Late-Stage Nascent Soul cultivators silently, one would need to be Soul Formation cultivator!

But where did this Water and Fire Sect get a Nascent Soul Formation?

"Could it be..." Ancestor Xuanbing frowned, looking at Venerable Huolie, "That the two of them... had a falling out?"

"They killed each other in a fight for some treasure, ultimately perishing together?"

Upon hearing this, Venerable Huolie was also moved.

That's possible. After all, these two companies have never gotten along.

But upon closer reflection, he realized something was amiss.

"Impossible!" He shook his head. "Even for the treasure, they wouldn't risk their lives to the point of mutual destruction! They're all old foxes; how could they do something so foolish?"

"Unless..."

A glint One Flash in the eyes of the Ancestor Xuanbing, and he suddenly thought of something.

"If they don't get anything out of this place, where... will they go?"

"Water and Fire Sect... Water and Fire Sect..."

He muttered to himself, then suddenly looked up abruptly!

"The Lower Realm! The Immortal-Abandoned Continent!"

"What?!" Venerable Huolie was also taken aback, but then instantly realized what was happening!

"You mean... they went to the Water and Fire Sect in the Lower Realm?!"

"That's right!" The more Ancestor Xuanbing thought about it, the more likely it seemed. "There's no profit here, so they'll definitely set their sights on the Lower Realm! I've heard that the Water and Fire Sect in the Lower Realm, although declining, is still a branch of the ancestral court; they might still be hiding some good stuff!"

"Moreover..." He glanced at Venerable Huolie and said meaningfully, "If they really died in the Lower Realm... then the murderer is someone else entirely."

Venerable Huolie understood instantly!

As long as the two families don't kill each other, things will be easy!

Since the murderer is in the Lower Realm, let's go Lower Realm and find him!

Whoever did it, whoever dared to kill them is courting death!

"How dare you!" Venerable Huolie laughed in fury, "A mere ant from the Lower Realm realm dares to kill someone from my Upper Realm! This is simply outrageous!"

"Old Ghost Xuanbing, what do you have to say?"

"Hmph!" Ancestor Xuanbing snorted coldly, "A life for a life, a debt for a debt! Since you dared to touch our people, you should be prepared to pay the price!"

"Perfect timing! It's been a while since I've ventured down to the Lower Realm. I've heard things' been rather unsettled there lately. I might as well go and see if I can snag some good stuff while I'm at it."

The two reached a consensus in just a few words.

Instead of distrusting each other here, why not join forces and Lower Realm? We can take revenge and make a fortune at the same time. What's not to like?

"Walk!"

Without further ado, the two tore through the Xukong and sped off towards the teleportation array leading to the Lower Realm!

Watching those two terrifying figures disappear into the distance.

Shui Yunrou finally breathed a long sigh of relief, feeling completely exhausted, and slumped in mid-air.

[That was close...]

She wiped the cold sweat from her forehead, her heart filled with the relief of surviving a close call.

But then, she looked Lower Realm, a complex sigh flashing in her eyes.

[Lower Realm Water and Fire Sect...]

[Sigh, good luck to you.]