Neutralizing an Enemy Before They Become One

A pair of giant hands descended from the sky, protecting Chu Tianshu's descendants.

The aura of peace, though no longer manifesting as distinct flower petals, still emanated continuously from the silkworm cocoon.

Inside and outside the valley, everyone sat from day to night, single-mindedly examining their own cultivation techniques.

Shangguan Yunyan was also on a grassy area outside the valley. After meditating for several hours, he suddenly felt as if thunder was striking his abdomen.

A series of gurgling sounds followed.

A plume of black smoke billowed from his mouth, turning into many ashes like burning paper, which fell onto the grass in front of him.

"Call!"

Shangguan Yunyan opened her eyes, patted her chest, and felt an indescribable sense of refreshment.

"This Fang Zhen; even the breeze here is sweeter than in the valley."

The moment the thought crossed his mind, he immediately condemned it in his heart.

"Shangguan Yunyan, Shangguan Yunyan, you've truly fallen from grace. What good is the Heavenly Wolf Sect? How can you say it's better than our own Incense Valley?"

Even so, when he looked up, he saw two different scenes in the sky.

Moonlight shone through the mist, thin clouds hung low, and owls occasionally flew by.

Only the sky above the valley remained a clear, empty expanse of night.

Several hours passed, and the ten-mile-long night sky not only did not shrink, but actually expanded.

Now, the area within a radius of several miles is shrouded in that unique crystal cloud dome.

"It's not that the Heavenly Wolf Sect is better, it's that this Fellow Daoist Chu is better."

Shangguan Yunyan couldn't help but feel emotional.

By practicing qigong here, one can detect evil spirits and impurities within the body, and the body becomes clear and transparent.

But just by gazing at that dark, crystal-like sky, even without using any internal energy, one feels a greater sense of peace and clarity.

Just seeing it is a pleasure in itself.

After a moment of contemplation, Shangguan Yunyan came to her senses. Her gaze became complicated, her thoughts a jumble of emotions. After much deliberation, she quietly left the meadow, found a grove of trees, and walked behind a large tree.

He took out an incense burner no bigger than a thumb from his pocket, then pinched out a needle-like incense stick and inserted it into the burner.

The incense burns spontaneously without any wind once it is placed in the burner.

Shangguan Yunyan made up her mind and whispered to the incense burner for a long time.

On the grassland closest to the valley.

Yue Chunfeng opened his eyes a crack and stared silently at a certain grove of trees.

"Hey bro, what are they talking about?"

"Very vigilant, I can't hear you clearly either."

Yue Gude said softly, "I think this Elder Shangguan is a good person at heart. There's no need to be too wary of him. Even if you are wary, don't show it."

Yue Chunfeng said, "I will keep that in mind."

He sighed softly, his tone a mixture of joy and worry.

"Fellow Daoist Chu must have made great progress, but I wonder how long it will take him to break through, and I also wonder if the strange phenomenon of the hand reaching out in the night sky will continue to protect him."

"If the Demonic Sect were to attack—"

Yue Gude pondered for a moment and said, "This is our territory. We have countless formations, our brothers are united, and we are ready for battle at any time. We don't have the same flaws as Tianyin Temple. If the Demonic Sect hadn't brought the Dragon-Subduing Cauldron, we could have held out for them."

"If you bring the cauldron, aren't you afraid that Fellow Daoist Chu, who is undergoing transformation, will be even more coveted and craved by the Blood Sha within the cauldron?"

"The Master of the Hall of Longevity is a domineering person. He will definitely find a way to tame the Blood Sha first, and he will not act hastily."

This statement was reasonable and well-founded, and Yue Chunfeng couldn't help but nod in agreement.

His gaze caught sight of Shangguan Yunyan walking back to the grass. His eyes flickered, and he got up to strike up a conversation.

Shangguan Yunyan, however, was a seasoned pro. She engaged in casual conversation, remaining silent and not revealing any intentions whatsoever.

And in Incense Valley.

Valley Master Shangguan Ding, along with the two elders responsible for Chuanhuo and the Chuangong, sat together in a quiet room, looking at the small incense burner in front of them with somewhat suspicious expressions.

"Yunyan has always been radical, convinced that since it was discovered by our Incense Valley, we should monopolize the benefits and not reveal it to outsiders."

Why would you proactively suggest sharing this information with outsiders?

The Chuanhuo Elder was a woman with a young face and snow-white hair. She had injured her eyes in her early years and covered them with a red silk ribbon. She spoke slowly at this moment.

"Chu, Tian, Shu, what kind of bewitching potion has this person given Yunyan?"

The Chuangong had wrinkled skin and white hair, bright eyes, a goatee, and even the wrinkles on his face conveyed an air of profound knowledge.

He didn't speak rashly, but first looked at the Valley Master. Seeing that the Valley Master remained silent, he then spoke.

"The massacre of Tianyin Temple is truly horrifying. Although we will not be like those three great monks, who were so focused on their grand schemes that they were completely unprepared."

"But if the Demonic Sect attacks, our Incense Valley will certainly fight with all its might, using all its secret techniques and activating its supreme treasure, the Mysterious Fire Mirror meet the enemy."

"At that time, the Mysterious Fire Mirror be unable to concentrate, and the thing that was being pulled will break free and return to its hidden operating trajectory."

Even if this information remains confidential, it's useless now.

In the cultivation world, there has always been a saying about the Four Wonders.

This is a common record found in many mysterious ancient books.

The Zhu Xian Sword, the Dragon-Subduing Cauldron, the Mysterious Fire Mirror, and the Samsara Disc.

The Zhu Xian Sword has never been seen since ancient times.

The Dragon-Subduing Cauldron once appeared in the hands of the first generation of founders of the Demonic Sect, but was lost due to internal strife. It was only found by the Master of the Hall of Longevity three years ago.

The Samsara Disc was only discovered by Tianyin Temple in the last hundred years or so.

In truth, the Mysterious Fire Mirror is actually the earliest of the Four Wonders to appear in the world and has the clearest lineage.

Incense Valley, a blend of Witch Dao and immortal traditions, has long held this treasure, steadily and systematically exploring its mysteries.

Although its reputation is not as high as that of Tianyin Temple due to the number of skilled practitioners and other factors.

However, the arrogance of the disciples in the valley was even greater than that of those in Tianyin Temple.

In the martial arts world, whenever disciples of the Incense Valley are involved in events such as exploring secrets and acquiring treasures, they often want to take the lead.

The Chuangong's words at this moment subtly hinted at advising the Valley Master to share the news.

Upon hearing this, Shangguan Ding was immediately displeased.

But the fact that Tianyin Temple was wiped out is truly horrifying.

The Master of the Master of the Hall of Longevity is truly ruthless.

When Shangguan Ding thought about this, he felt that what the Chuangong said was hard to refute.

Seeing this, the Chuangong spoke again.

"Valley Master, although the Mysterious Fire Mirror can hold that thing back from a distance, it can't completely pull it into our world."

"We originally intended to seize the Heavenly Fire Divine Stone, even if it fell into the hands of the Heavenly Wolf Sect, we could use the excuse of researching fire-based techniques to rent it for a period of time."

"Let's see if the power of the Heavenly Fire can add a new boost to the Mysterious Fire Mirror, making the task a great success."

The Chuangong used his thumb and forefinger to pinch the sides of his chin and gently twist along the roots of his beard to the tips.

"But looking at it now, this Heavenly Fire Divine Stone is most likely a hoax."

"The one who can truly display pure extraterrestrial flames beyond all the myriad flames in the world is probably this Fellow Daoist Chu. If one wishes to borrow extraterrestrial fire elements, one must ask for his assistance!"

Shangguan Ding got up and paced back and forth until he reached a bronze mirror.

He wore a golden crown and had white hair. Dressed in a red robe, his face, reflected in the bronze mirror, was dignified and solemn.

In his early years, the previous Valley Master took him to the Wind and Moon Cave to ask the Master of Wind and Moon Cave to read his fortune.

The Master of Wind and Moon Cave is always blunt and disdainful of empty talk. He said that Fengyue Cave has the appearance of a hegemon and that as long as he does not die young, he can make the prestige of Incense Valley even higher and bring glory to the family.

The term "premature death" refers to the untimely passing away of a person at a young age.

Shangguan Ding boasted that he was now all white-haired and no longer in his youth, so of course he would never die young.

Then he would surely make Incense Valley the number one sect in the world, bringing glory to his ancestors.

But the Tianyin Temple, which they had always wanted to surpass, was suddenly wiped out, and the Demonic Sect was powerful. So where did Chu Tianshu come from?

Shangguan Ding felt depressed.

"I want to see what kind of person Chu Tianshu is, that he could make that good-for-nothing Shangguan Yunyan suggest sharing information."

Shangguan Ding flicked his sleeve and chanted incantations.

The doors and windows shook, the door swung open, and a fiery red eagle flew in from outside.

This eagle was half a person's height, with a wingspan of over ten feet, and was magnificent and elegant.

Shangguan Ding muttered incantations, bit his finger, and first drew a blood talisman on his forehead, then dotted it above each of the divine eagle's eyes.

"True Fire Divine Eagle, proceed to the Heavenly Wolf Sect immediately to ascertain the details!"

The divine eagle spread its wings and flew away, like a streak of fire, straight into the night sky and disappeared into the high-altitude clouds.

Everything that the divine eagle saw was presented in Shangguan Ding's eyes.

Though separated by thousands of miles, it feels as if we are face to face.

This eagle flew at an extraordinary speed, reaching the Northern Wastes in just one hour.

"Isn't the Heavenly Wolf Mountain Range still the same as before?"

Shangguan Ding seeing the Heavenly Wolf Sect's mountain gate, Shangguan Ding silently scoffed in his heart.

The climate in the Northern Wastes is cold, and there are not many high-quality dyes available. The Heavenly Wolf Sect has always been simple and unpretentious, and its houses are not as tall and imposing as those elsewhere.

Incense Valley, on the other hand, is magnificent and full of wonders; the two are incomparable.

"Around that valley, many cultivators were sitting cross-legged; presumably, this is where Chu Tianshu cultivates."

Shangguan Ding thought to himself, "Didn't Yunyan exaggerate, saying there were strange phenomena in the valley? How come there's nothing there?"

Could it be that the strange phenomenon has disappeared after this period of time?

Despite his doubts, Shangguan Ding did not break the rules of etiquette.

The divine eagle cried out three times in succession above the mountain gate.

The True Fire Divine Eagle a renowned bird, born with intense and pure vital energy, and is irreconcilably opposed to the evil and malevolent forces of the Demonic Dao. It can be considered the iconic spirit bird of Incense Valley.

The disciples guarding the mountain of the Heavenly Wolf Sect immediately went to report to the surrounding area of the valley.

Yue Chunfeng gave his disciple a pass token and invited the divine eagle to the valley.

The disciple returned to the mountain gate, spoke a few words in the biting mountain wind at night, and presented the token.

"I wonder which senior has come to pay their respects by borrowing the True Fire Divine Eagle. The Second Sect Master has ordered me to come and guide them into the mountain, and to..."

Many like-minded people met.

Upon hearing the permission, the divine eagle was unwilling to linger and wait for the disciple to lead the way again. It immediately swooped down, grabbed the token, flapped its wings, and flew straight towards the valley.

With this token, the various formations of the Heavenly Wolf Sect along the way will not be regarded as enemy activity and will not be used to launch spells.

But the disciple guarding the mountain noticed that the divine eagle was flying in an unusual direction, so he quickly called out.

"Senior, fly slower, no, don't go that way, there's something in front of you—"

The True Fire Divine Eagle flew faster than sound, and even the disciple guarding the mountain was too late to use his telepathic magic.

The divine eagle ignored him and, under Shangguan Ding's control, intended to circle above the valley before landing.

The cultivators around the valley all looked up at the divine eagle, initially showing admiration, but then their expressions turned strange.

Shangguan Yunyan also showed a surprised expression and quickly raised her hand to shout, "Wait!"

Thump!!!

The eagle moved with lightning speed, crashing headfirst into the left arm of Night Sky's arms.

That giant hand in the night sky had arms that were hundreds of feet long.

Compared to this, the divine eagle is like a tiny ant, but the eagle flies so fast that the recoil from a collision is far beyond what a tiny ant can match.

The eagle was completely stunned by the impact, not even knowing to let out a cry of pain. At least several hundred feathers on its body were broken and scattered.

When the fiery red eagle crashed to the ground, it looked like a bald chicken.

Shangguan Yunyan quickly reached out and pulled the eagle to her side.

His heart pounded with fear, terrified that the divine eagle's collision would anger the giant hand in the night sky.

However, this eagle couldn't even penetrate the outermost layer of the heaven and earth's aura, and the giant hand in the night sky completely ignored it.

"Divine Eagle, why did you crash into it?"

Shangguan Yunyan quickly channeled her inner energy to heal it, asking, "Were you struck by a spell cast by the Valley Master, or by the Chuanhuo Elder, the Chuangong Elder—"

The eagle stared blankly at its dwindling feathers, then turned its head and saw that its chest and wings were covered in bald patches. Enraged, it grabbed Shangguan Yunyan's hand and began to peck at it fiercely.

It seems to be the Valley Master.

Shangguan Yunyan understood.

In Incense Valley, both elders saw the Valley Master's face suddenly turn fiery red, and his teeth clenched tightly.

Even when performing a sympathetic spell, one shouldn't lose face. Removing body hair in public—what kind of decorum is that?

At this moment, Shangguan Yunyan had already torn off the sleeves of her outer robe and wrapped them around the divine eagle.

The eagle, undeterred by its rage, dropped the token from its claws onto the ground and pecked at it three times.

"No, no, there was no formation activated by the Heavenly Wolf Sect above the valley just now."

Shangguan Yunyan felt somewhat embarrassed by everyone's gazes, but after understanding the divine eagle's meaning, she felt a strange sensation in her heart.

"Divine Eagle, didn't you see the two giant hands in the valley?"

Many cultivators were also greatly surprised upon hearing this.

Those two giant hands stretched from the sky down to the earth.

Given the altitude and vast field of vision of a divine eagle, it could probably be seen from Hundred Li away. How could it possibly crash into something like that?

Yue Chunfeng and Yue Gude exchanged a glance, and a guess formed in their minds.

The energy field of this world is incredibly profound.

Those who are in this place are first touched by the peaceful atmosphere before they can see all the strange phenomena.

The divine eagle had just arrived and was flying very fast, so it was unable to sense the auspicious atmosphere. Even though it was in tune with the Incense Valley and could borrow some of the eyesight of experts, it was still unable to fully appreciate the peaceful atmosphere.

It's still like being blind with your eyes open.

If the mind cannot see, then the eyes cannot see.

But if your body hits it, it really hurts.

Hearing the hushed conversation, the divine eagle looked up in surprise.

In its field of vision, there was still nothing in the valley.

No, that's not right, I think I smell flowers.

Gradually, something appeared in the Divine Eagle's field of vision.

A dark, crystal-like sky, beneath which lie two giant hands, seemingly formed from the starry heavens.

Like a jade cocoon held up by the heavens.

The emerald-green silkworm cocoon suddenly emitted a thick layer of flame, which burned and disappeared from bottom to top.

White boots, white trousers, the hem of a robe, the belt, and the front of the garment emerged one by one from within the cocoon.

The outer robe was not simply snow-white; it also had many bluish-gold specks.

Even the very topmost cocoon was burned away and disappeared.

With his black hair flowing freely, Chu Tianshu opened his eyes.

In Incense Valley.

Shangguan Ding seemed to be facing those eyes directly.

He suddenly had a feeling that, even with the Mysterious Fire Mirror right beside him, he would have no chance to activate it when facing those eyes.

To stand firm under such gazes, you can only rely on yourself.

The two elders looked at their valley master with puzzlement.

Watching Shangguan Ding stand up, as if facing some kind of pressure, he straightened his back little by little, took a deep breath, and looked up straight at the sky.

The Valley Master's hands had unconsciously clenched into fists.

With a spirit as fiery as fire, they stood resolutely upright.

In Heavenly Wolf Mountain.

The hands that appeared from the night sky gradually faded and returned to the sky. Chu Tianshu floated out of the valley and landed in front of the divine eagle.

"Fellow Daoist—"

He gently raised his left hand, and the divine eagle was lifted by an inexplicable force to a height equal to his line of sight, where it could clearly see his smile.

"Hello."

Shangguan Ding took a step back, looking bewildered.

So, the other party wasn't putting pressure on us just now?

"Chu, Chu Tianshu."

Shangguan Ding slumped back onto the futon, murmuring the name, feeling a surge of intense hostility rising within him, yet never quite reaching its peak.

He was confident that he could fight to the death if he were facing Wu Shanjun.

But why was I facing Chu Tianshu? Was it because I didn't really want to be an enemy of the righteous path, or to use any means necessary to become number one?

Shangguan Ding repeated the name two or three times, his face contorted in pain, and slammed his fist into the ground.

How could there be such a person?

"This era no longer belongs to my Incense Valley!"