Go into Seclusion, but Don't Bring Your Wife

After some arguing, Xiao Ming ultimately decided not to attack either of them.

However, Lu Changzhi figured it out.

Xiao Ming is probably a male.

He genuinely enjoyed it when Qin Li called his name.

Of course, this is just one of his guesses.

If the guess is wrong, there is another explanation.

If Xiao Ming were female, it wouldn't be surprising if he didn't cause trouble for Qin Li.

After all, Qin Li's White Tiger Sacred Body has been awakened to some extent.

In short, aside from failing to find Gu Chen to get revenge, Xiao Ming gained quite a few benefits.

However, just like how the house always suffers every time Mu Fan breaks through.

After becoming physically powerful and achieving a certain level of advancement, one always needs something to vent their frustrations.

Thus, under Mu Fan's guidance...

The Black Dragon in the distance suffered an undeserved calamity.

After Xiao Ming's vigorous assault, the Black Dragon finally tired of roaring.

The three people watching from the sidelines also gained a lot.

Qin Li gained insight into Xiao Ming's actions, Mu Fan's demeanor clearly indicated that he had found joy and happiness in them.

As for Lu Changzhi himself, he was much more pragmatic in comparison.

"These things will probably be useful to Flame Sun Peak as well."

With a wave of his arm, a gust of wind swept up the Black Dragon scales that had fallen to the ground—a small packet, not a small amount.

Although it can't compare to real dragon scales, the tail of a dead beast is still the tail of a sacred beast, and it's still very hard.

After watching the spectacle, Lu Changzhi got up and left, returning to Hidden Origin Peak.

"It seems that we'll need some time to prepare for this Flame Sun Peak as well."

After thinking for a moment, Lu Changzhi put his thoughts aside.

Never mind, let's bask in the sun and enjoy some peace and quiet.

Dharma Form Peak.

Xu Kun and Cang Wenyu were alone in a room.

At this moment, Xu Kun was excited, and even his voice trembled slightly.

"Sect Leader, is this really what the Ancestor said?"

Cang Wenyu looked at Xu Kun and couldn't help but laugh:

"Look at you, you old codger, you can't even handle something as simple as this?"

Upon hearing this, Xu Kun looked at Cang Wenyu, raised his voice slightly, and said:

"Sect Leader, it's easy for you to talk when you're not in the situation. Do you even know how valuable this jade talisman really is?"

"Of course, you understand it better than I do." Cang Wenyu pondered for a moment.

"But if I say I don't have back pain, it's because I'm much healthier than you, old man."

Xu Kun waved his hand. "I'm not arguing with you about this now."

As he spoke, he picked up the jade talisman, examined it for a moment, and said with a serious expression:

"Letting me decide for myself is because I'm afraid I won't be able to handle it, after all, its value..."

Cang Wenyu shook his head. "Believe in yourself. Changzhi gave it to you because he clearly believes in you. How could you possibly let him down?"

Xu Kun was slightly taken aback.

At this moment, Cang Wenyu continued:

"However, I do have a suggestion."

"What?" Xu Kun looked over.

"As the master of a peak, you have many responsibilities, especially since it's your Dharma Form Peak. With various halls and different needs, I doubt you can find the peace of mind to focus on studying the Dao of Formations."

"Why don't you step down and become the Peak Guardian Ancestor of Dharma Form Peak, and focus on improving your Dao of Formations?"

Upon hearing this, Xu Kun shook his head:

"That won't do. My strength is still too weak; how could I possibly lower the overall level of the Zhenfeng Patriarch?"

"That makes sense." Cang Wenyu pondered for a moment.

"Why don't you go to Hidden Origin Peak and become the Peak's Ancestor? Remember to send me a telepathic message every day when it's mealtime."

Upon hearing this, Xu Kun couldn't help but glance at Cang Wenyu again:

"Sect Leader, how can you say this so calmly?"

Cang Wenyu laughed heartily, at which point Xu Kun changed the subject and said:

"Alright, I'll focus on my promotion for a while before considering stepping down."

"Right now, figuring out how to properly handle this jade talisman is quite a challenge for me."

"I'd better go into seclusion for a while and think this over carefully."

With that, Xu Kun started to walk out.

Cang Wenyu watched Xu Kun leave with a smile, and before leaving, he reminded him:

"Seclusion is fine, but don't involve your younger siblings."

Hundred Beasts Mountain Range.

Another night has passed.

Everyone made numerous efforts.

After confirming that there was indeed no trace of any aura remaining in the palace.

A group of powerful individuals set out to dig three zhang (approximately 10 meters) into the palace.

Three zhang, three zhang, and three zhang again.

I have nothing.

"We can't waste any more time here." Elder Zhou stopped what he was doing.

The other elders nodded slightly.

Right now, they're searching here like headless flies.

But after such a long time, nothing was gained.

Moreover, there are quite a few powerful individuals coming, which is not a good thing for the Holy Land.

Upon hearing this, the Holy Lord took a deep breath and said:

"In that case, Elder Zhou, you should head back now."

Given Elder Zhou's condition, it is not appropriate for him to stay outside for an extended period of time.

However, this is not due to old age, but rather a problem with the environment.

Elder Zhou's status and realm are both quite high. His cultivation has come into contact with a great deal of Origin Spiritual Power. Compared with people of the same realm and grade, his strength and the possibility of breaking through are much greater.

However, with gain comes loss. In this world where Origin Spiritual Power is scarce, the more Origin Spiritual Power one absorbs, the more one needs to stay in places with Origin Spiritual Power or where the spiritual energy is sufficiently abundant.

Otherwise, the Origin Spiritual Power will spread to the place where the spiritual energy is located.

Although physical cultivation, which directs the energy into the dantian, prevents the body's Origin Spiritual Power from collapsing and dissipating, it can still cause some unstable fluctuations due to changes in the external environment.

Especially in the Eastern Region right now, where even spiritual energy feels very scarce, this fluctuation will be further amplified.

Of course, he had never experienced any of this. Although he was a Holy Lord, he had never come into contact with the Origin Spiritual Power.

Not to mention him, even Fang Ling, as the Sword Master, needs sufficient contribution and realm to absorb the Origin Spiritual Power.

After all, Origin Spiritual Power is extremely scarce; once used, it diminishes.

However, given what happened this time, Fang Ling, as the person in charge, bears a heavy responsibility for losing the Sacred Artifact.

It will only become more difficult to obtain the Origin Spiritual Power in the future.

Elder Zhou got up and left, not lingering any longer.

The Holy Lord put aside his thoughts and stopped thinking about these things. Instead, he looked outside, his gaze falling on the people of the Azure Cloud Sect. Then he spoke and asked them:

"With all the elders here, what are your thoughts on the Eastern Region?"

Upon hearing this, an elder spoke up:

"There have been quite a few rumors circulating about my Cloud Heaven Holy Land lately. Since that's the case, why not go all the way and occupy this place? This will allow us to expand our Holy Land's territory and attract more talent."

Immediately following, dissenting voices emerged:

"It's a waste of effort to occupy this Eastern Region. Look at the Azure Cloud Sect, a top power in the Eastern Region, yet it's full of such low-quality people. The disturbances here are even a trap. This place is clearly not a good one, not worth it."

"Not necessarily. The palace itself is a trap, but the outer perimeter still has some advantages. Besides, if there are any other unusual movements, who can guarantee they won't all be bad news?"

"That makes sense. I've heard that things aren't going well in the Western Region either. They've unusually sent people to other regions. Those guys are very shrewd; there must be a reason for this. We should strike first and seize the initiative."

Listening to the discussion, the Holy Lord remained silent until the time was right before speaking:

"The Azure Cloud Sect has annexed the Mystic One Sect, making it the largest in terms of territory. Although its strength is somewhat lacking, it can still be of some value if used to detect any unusual activity that might be dangerous in the future."

"However, now that we've come to the Eastern Region..."

The Holy Lord paused slightly, at which point an elder's expression shifted, and he spoke up:

"Does the Holy Lord mean the Five Symbols Sect?"

The Holy Lord nodded gently.

Upon hearing this, an elder frowned and said:

"The Five Symbols Sect is considered weak in the Eastern Region, what use are they?"

"A bunch of weaklings are useless."

The Holy Lord shook his head and said again:

"However, their location is just right to combine with the territory of the Azure Cloud Sect, thus occupying a third of the Eastern Region. Moreover, they are closest to my Holy Land, making them easy to control."

Upon hearing this, everyone briefly recalled the general distribution of power in the Eastern Region, and it was indeed as the Holy Lord had said.

At that moment, an elder looked at the Holy Lord and asked:

"If that's the case, then will the Five Symbols Sect surrender or be destroyed?"

PS: This is the update at 00:01 on January 30th. It is updated daily at 00:01.