At Huode’s command, everyone from the Yunxia Sect—from the sect head and elders down to the hall masters and disciples—all took up their flying swords and gathered before the sect gates. Looking out, it was an incredible sight: a veritable sea of people, countless and endless, stretching everywhere.
One should not underestimate the Yunxia Sect for having been established a mere ten thousand years; its disciples were as numerous as the stars. For one, Huode had absorbed all the major sects and families of the Great Northwest. For another, everyone knew the Yunxia Sect enjoyed the profound protection of the Saintess Empress and the Lady of Nature. Countless people flocked to it year after year, drawn by its reputation. To this day, even Huode himself was unsure exactly how many disciples the Yunxia Sect had.
On the opposite side, Lord Saint Yang, riding the Great Sun Dragon Carriage, arrived with a grand procession of over ten thousand Celestial Domain Immortal Officials, followed by an immense crowd of immortals.
The scene resembled two armies facing off, spectacular to behold.
Those Celestial Domain Immortal Officials seemed not to have expected the Yunxia Sect to gather so many people and were taken aback.
Of course, it was merely a startle.
These officials from the Immortal Court Residence not only wielded the Heavenly Domain Laws of the Lingluo Heavenly Domain but also controlled its Immortal Dao Laws. One could say they held the power of life and death. Before the Heavenly Domain Laws and the Immortal Dao Laws, these so-called immortals were like ants, utterly insignificant, capable of being turned to dust with a snap of the fingers.
If even these Celestial Domain Immortal Officials were so, how much more so for Lord Saint Yang riding the Great Sun Dragon Carriage? Upon arrival, he did not even glance at these immortals, nor did he disembark from his carriage. His attitude remained as unyielding as ever, stating bluntly that he had come to search for the You Emperor.
Huode, for his part, couldn’t be bothered to waste words with him. He directly stated that he neither knew the You Emperor nor had ever seen him.
Lord Saint Yang said that the You Emperor had cultivated at the Yunxia Sect in his youth, and that many Chixiao followers who had once served the You Emperor were within the sect. Using this as justification, he sought to enter the Yunxia Sect to conduct a search.
It must be said, Lord Saint Yang’s reasoning was quite substantial.
However, Huode was no pushover either. He flatly refused the search, and his reasoning was equally solid: the Nine Heavens Immortal Path had long decreed that the Ancient World was not under the jurisdiction of the Lingluo Heavenly Domain. Their Immortal Court Residence had no right to search the Yunxia Sect. If they wished to conduct a search, they could either produce a decree from the Nine Heavens Immortal Path or have the Immortal Court of the Ancient World come instead.
“Lord Saint Yang, our Ancient World is not governed by your Lingluo Heavenly Domain. For you to mobilize such a force to search our Yunxia Sect—do you have any respect left for the Nine Heavens Immortal Path? As the ruler of a Heavenly Domain, you are knowingly breaking the law!”
It must be said that Huode was quite clever. Before Lord Saint Yang could pin any blame on him, he struck first, slapping Lord Saint Yang with the heavy accusation of defying the Nine Heavens Immortal Path’s decree.
Lord Saint Yang snorted coldly in response. “That criminal You Emperor brings chaos to heaven and earth. Today, for the safety of the Common Mortals of the Great Way, I am willing to defy the decree of the Nine Heavens Immortal Path. If I can eliminate that criminal You Emperor for the sake of the Common Mortals, what do I fear even if I sacrifice this old life of mine!”
Clearly, Huode’s cleverness was no match for the crafty old fox that was Lord Saint Yang. When it came to playing mind games, Huode was utterly outmatched. Not only did his heavy accusation fail to land, but it ended up making Lord Saint Yang appear noble and principled.
“Yunxiazi, I am speaking to you politely today only because I bear in mind that your Yunxia Sect has some connections with the Saintess Empress and the Lady of Nature. I advise you not to be ungrateful. If you dare obstruct my search for the You Emperor, do not blame me for being unkind to your Yunxia Sect!”
“Oh really? Don’t bother being polite to me.” Huode sneered. “My stance remains the same: the Ancient World is not under the jurisdiction of the Lingluo Heavenly Domain. If your Immortal Court Residence wishes to search our Yunxia Sect, it’s simple: either produce a decree from the Nine Heavens Immortal Path, or have the Immortal Court of the Ancient World come.”
“How dare you!” An angry roar came from within the Great Sun Dragon Carriage. “A mere Yunxia Sect dares to defy the orders of my Lingluo Heavenly Domain’s Immortal Court Residence? You must be tired of living!”
As his voice fell, Lord Saint Yang shouted, “Yanze! Conduct a forced search of the Yunxia Sect! Anyone who obstructs, kill them without exception!”
“You’ve got some nerve! If I don’t show you some real power, you bastards really think our Yunxia Sect is easy to bully, don’t you!”
Huode truly hadn’t expected Lord Saint Yang to resort to force so readily. With an enraged shout, he waved his hand grandly. In an instant, the sect monument before the Yunxia Sect gates swelled violently, immediately shooting into the sky like a colossal azure dragon. In the blink of an eye, it transformed into a sky-piercing pillar standing tall within the Ancient World. Carved upon this monument were the three characters ‘Yunxia Sect,’ each imbued with a sacred and vast majestic power.
Simultaneously, a radiant seven-colored light flickered within the Yunxia Sect, bathing the entire Ancient World in a prismatic hue. This seven-colored radiance resembled a seven-colored phoenix coiled over the Great Northwest, guarding the entire Yunxia Sect.
Everyone knew.
The Yunxia Sect’s monument bore characters personally inscribed by the Saintess Empress. It was said this monument contained a trace of the Saintess Empress’s divine sense, capable of suppressing immortals and Buddhas above and intimidating demons and monsters below.
And the Lady of Nature had gifted the Yunxia Sect a Seven-Colored Tree of Life. It was said this tree not only contained the purest breath of life but was also protected by a Seven-Colored Phoenix. Legend had it that this Seven-Colored Phoenix could summon wind and rain, transform endlessly, accomplish all things, and could even manifest as a tempest of nature—truly terrifying.
However, legends were just legends. No one had ever seen it, and its truth remained unknown.
But at this very moment, gazing upon the sky-piercing pillar-like monument and the Seven-Colored Phoenix guarding the entire Yunxia Sect, everyone present was struck dumb with shock. Only then did they realize the rumors about the Yunxia Sect were true.
Because every single person present—whether the proud scions of the Great Way here to watch the spectacle or the over ten thousand Celestial Domain Immortal Officials—could clearly sense the sacred, luminous majestic power emanating from the monument and feel the vast, natural majestic power of the Seven-Colored Phoenix.
The sacred, luminous majesty of the sky-piercing monument filled them all with awe.
The natural majesty of the Seven-Colored Phoenix caused their physical bodies to tremble uncontrollably.
Lord Saint Yang himself finally emerged from the Great Sun Dragon Carriage. His expression was one of shock as he stared fixedly at the sky-piercing monument and the Seven-Colored Phoenix, his heart filled with immeasurable astonishment.
He too had heard the rumors about the Yunxia Sect. Like many, he had never witnessed them firsthand and had not quite believed them. Only today did he realize the rumors were not false; not only were they true, they were even more terrifying than imagined.
He truly could not comprehend what virtue or ability the Yunxia Sect possessed to receive such profound affection from the Saintess Empress and the Lady of Nature.
“All of you bastards, stay the hell in line!”
At this moment, Huode stood imposingly in mid-air, his face flushed red, looking utterly ferocious. Pointing at the sky-piercing monument, he declared, “See that monument? That thing contains the divine sense of the Saintess Empress! It suppresses immortals and Buddhas above and intimidates demons and monsters below! With a single thought from me, all your minds and spirits will scatter!”
Then, pointing at the Seven-Colored Phoenix guarding the entire Yunxia Sect, he roared, “See that Seven-Colored Phoenix? That was bestowed upon our Yunxia Sect by the Lady of Nature! With a single thought from me, that phoenix will immediately transform into a tempest of nature, making you bastards wish you were dead yet unable to die!”
“Don’t think I’m bluffing! Anyone who doesn’t believe me can try right now! I guarantee I’ll broaden your horizons and teach you a lesson!”