NOVEL NEXT Chapter 289: Year-End Gathering
Winter snow fluttered down at the end of the New Year, and the southern Zhenwu Sect suddenly welcomed a heavy snowfall. The scattered snowflakes dyed the Zhenwu Seven Peaks white, setting off the festive red lanterns with a unique beauty.
Qing Yu, seated alone cross-legged on the high building of Chonghe Peak, lightly placed a letter that had just arrived on the coffee table as snow drifted outside.
"The Blood Tribulation in Ji Province had finally been suppressed; Daqian must be breathing a sigh of relief," Qing Yu murmured to himself.
Today, on New Year's Eve, the Blood Tribulation that had lasted for over a year had finally been forcefully suppressed by Daqian.
The many warriors of the Daqian Court had finally liberated their combat strength. Next, Daqian might start taking action against the Shadow King.
To secure the outside, one must first secure the inside. Although the Shadow King had a vast influence and formidable strength, it would be like cutting deep into the bone for Daqian to move against him. Yet, using a soft knife to slowly slice away was still feasible.
It could be foreseen that the coming days for the Shadow King would not be easy.
As he thought this, the black jade pendant in his embrace began to emit a faint glow.
"Indeed..." Qing Yu revealed a smile as if he had expected this.
The retreat of the Blood Demon Sect was related to Nine Heavens' next plan. For Daqian, which had now freed its hands, it was extremely disadvantageous for the group from Nine Heavens.
With a thought, his Primordial Spirit responded to the summons of the jade pendant, and in a blink, Qing Yu's projection appeared amidst the Heavenly Vault.
Looking around, the other eight had also gradually arrived. Except for Jun Heaven and Bian Tian, who occupied their thrones, the others either covered their figures with white mist or outright confused their appearances with their own power, not showing their true forms.
Qing Yu looked towards the northwest and saw the Heaven Pillar engulfed in dark shadows.
"Shadow King."
The northwest was precisely where You Tian resided. The Shadow King, hidden within the ghostly shadows, yet revealed a figure exuding noble and extraordinary charm.
Looking towards the others, Cangtian's throne was incredibly huge, resembling a enormous beast squatting on the ground. Within the white mist, one could faintly make out a tall and imposing figure seated there.
Qing Yu was quite curious about this person. Since the Cangsheng Sect revered Cangtian, Qing Yu wondered if this Cangtian was the same person as Mu Cangsheng, the Cangsheng Sect Hierarch who ranked tenth on the Heavenly List.
If Cangtian was also among the strongest, then the strength of Nine Heavens could be said to be extremely astonishing, even the greatest in the world.
Following Cangtian was Yang Tian, who seemed like a round of bright sun, radiating light in all directions, making it hard to see his figure. From the looks of it, Qing Yu had roughly guessed Yang Tian's character. He must be a lord who regarded himself as paramount.
Next were Flame Sky and Hao Tian, both of whom were covered by white mists, obscuring their visibility; among those present, they were the most low-profile.
If not for the occasional movement within the mist revealing a glimpse of their figures, others might have thought they hadn't arrived yet.
Zhu Tian, too, was a unique lord. Although she covered her form with white mist, she did not completely envelop herself, instead subtly revealing silver-white luxurious clothing and graceful curves.
She was a female, and possibly the only female among the Nine Heavens.
As Qing Yu surveyed everyone, the other members also cast their gazes towards him. Though they did not know Qing Yu's exact identity, they were aware of the change in Xuantian.
Most Nine Heavens members were curious to see who the new Xuantian would be.
Regarding the probing or assessing gazes, Qing Yu simply leaned back lazily against his throne.
His throne, which seemed to be made of obsidian, was simple yet imposing, occasionally flashing a stream of light. Below the throne, instead of seeing the Heaven Pillar, there was a brilliant Star River, endlessly revolving celestial bodies embellished with streaks of starlight, truly awe-inspiring.
Qing Yu casually sat on the throne, clearly uncovered by white mist. People could see Qing Yu himself, dressed in black gold-trimmed luxurious clothing, but his face remained elusive.
"Heh, interesting," Cangtian laughed, "This reminds me of those monks from Dharma Temple. The new Xuantian is definitely not inferior to those monks in Primordial Spirit cultivation. You have enough qualifications to be ranked among us."
"The monks from Dharma Temple focus on cultivating the consciousness of the human heart and cannot evolve such a magnificent scene. I rather think that the Xuantian who evolves the Star River is more like a member of the Dao," said Yang Tian.
"Perhaps you've forgotten that Xinyuan Abbot from Great Zen Temple is also a master of Primordial Spirit, and the Primordial Spirit Secret Technique of Great Zen Temple is definitely not weaker than that of Dharma Temple," Zhu Tian also remarked softly.
Flame Sky and Hao Tian, these two maintained their low-profile style, merely glancing at Qing Yu a few times without further comment.
With this display, Qing Yu had already gained the recognition of the members as the new Xuantian. However, the necessary probing would still continue, with Cangtian, Yang Tian, and Zhu Tian all trying to ascertain Qing Yu's identity, each suggesting possibilities while observing him.
However, they were disappointed. Although one of their guesses was correct, Qing Yu, skilled in acting, did not show any flaws. His casually seated figure seemed nonchalant yet appeared to be listening attentively.
"Xuantian has seen all of you, and from now on, I will be a fellow path-seeker among you," Qing Yu said with a gentle smile.
His words were soft, but they contained a power that made everyone take him seriously. The Primordial Spirit power displayed by the newcomer even exceeded some of those present, and considering his nonchalant demeanor, this was not even his full strength.
"Cough cough," Bian Tian of Fate then cleared his throat and said, "Gentlemen, I suppose you have guessed why I gathered you today. Yes, it is indeed about Daqian.
Daqian has repelled the Blood Demon Sect and reclaimed Ji Province, though their losses were not small. The remaining six provinces were also quickly pacified by Daqian. Originally, it was time for Daqian to recuperate after the war. However, the current state of the world is such that the Daqian Court is not foolish; they know that great chaos is approaching and have thus decided to strike first."
Bian Tian reached out and a map of Daqian appeared in the sky above, "Gentlemen, please see, the Murong Family of Ji Province and King Renyi have a close personal relationship, and they are extremely loyal to Daqian. Now that Ji Province has undergone the ravages of the Blood Demon Sect, the Murong Family has not suffered much damage. Rather, because the Blood Demon Sect cleared out the various powers in Ji Province, the Murong Family quickly brought the entire province under their control."
"King Renyi of Ji Province, born with a hypocritical face, could he be loyal to Daqian?" scoffed Cangtian.
"Whether King Renyi is truly loyal or not, at least for now, he is one of the core warriors of Daqian," said Bian Tian indifferently, "From my personal investigation, King Renyi is not far from reaching Divinity Realm. Seizing the opportunity to clear out the Blood Demon Sect, King Renyi has plundered quite a few treasures from various powers, perhaps becoming a warrior of the Divinity Realm by now."