Xiuxian: Start with the medicine boy

Speaking of which...
The Palace Master of Beiming Palace raised his voice slightly, and his gaze sharpened:
"After all, if a half-Venerable rogue cultivator harbors hatred and seeks revenge at all costs, the destructive power they can cause is absolutely astonishing."
That would be enough to make the Monks' Guild pay a heavy price.

Therefore, they wouldn't be foolish enough to leave themselves with such a major threat...

Therefore, the situation will absolutely not escalate to an uncontrollable level.

Upon hearing this...

The elders of Beiming Palace raised their heads, the despair in their eyes gradually fading, replaced by a glimmer of light.

They pondered the Palace Master's words carefully, and the more they thought about it, the more reasonable and logical it seemed.

If the Northern Underworld Palace were to be wiped out...
Only the patriarch, a half-saint, remains alive. Even if he cannot overthrow the Cultivator Association, he can still stir up a huge wave.

Moreover!

The ancestor has already reached the Half-Saint realm, and is only one step away from the Divine Transformation realm.

What if, after his defeat, he one day seizes a mysterious opportunity and successfully enters the realm of Nascent Soul...?
That would definitely become the biggest threat to the Cultivator Association.

The monks' association will surely regret it then.

Although the possibility is extremely small, almost nonexistent, it is not entirely impossible.

Thinking about this...
The gloom in the hearts of the elders was instantly swept away.

Their faces gradually regained color, and hope rekindled in their eyes. Their gazes toward the Palace Master held a newfound respect and trust.

however!
Unbeknownst to them, the Palace Master of Beiming Palace, who uttered these calm words, was not as composed as he appeared.

These words were nothing more than lies he used to comfort people and stabilize the situation.

He knew better than anyone else that the Cultivator Association now had a Nascent Soul Venerable in charge.

If the ancestor truly commits a blood feud, that Nascent Soul Venerable will inevitably take action.

As long as this Nascent Soul cultivator is backing me up...
The will of the two half-saints of the Cultivator Association is absolutely unshakeable.

Moreover, these two semi-saints act ruthlessly and decisively, never showing any mercy.

How could I possibly fathom their thoughts?

With the patriarch defeated, the fate of the Northern Underworld Palace was no longer in its own hands.
His so-called glimmer of hope was nothing but self-deception.

It's simply giving everyone a chance to survive.

at the same time,

Above the icy plains of the Northern Region, a deafening clamor also erupted from within the several cultivator association warships that hovered silently in the void, exuding a majestic aura.
In stark contrast to the deathly silence and despair of the Northern Underworld Palace, it was filled with cheers and joy.

One of the cultivators, clad in heavy black armor and with a resolute face, was the first to react. He abruptly stood up, his eyes filled with wild joy.

He couldn't help but let out a deafening scream.
The sound echoed throughout the entire warship:
"We won! The two palace masters have won!"

They actually defeated the patriarch of the Northern Underworld Palace! That's incredible!

Followed by.

Another cultivator, clad in the black armor of the Conquest Hall and wearing a smile, spoke with an air of matter-of-fact certainty:

"Isn't this what should be done?"

Don't you even consider who the two palace masters are?

They come from top sects, are exceptionally talented from a young age, cultivate top-tier techniques, and wield powerful divine abilities!
Although many Nascent Soul cultivators lost contact after the battle at the Forbidden Sea, and top sects declined as a result...
But even a starved camel is bigger than a horse!
Their foundation is far beyond what a sect like the Northern Underworld Palace, confined to a remote corner of the northern region, can match.

“Of course!” someone immediately echoed, their tone full of reverence.

"Regardless of the sophistication of the techniques?"

Or is it the grade and quantity of supernatural powers?
Even the patriarch of the Northern Underworld Palace cannot compare to the two palace masters.

"With the two Palace Masters joining forces, let alone just a veteran Half-Saint, even two Half-Saints working together might not be a match!"

"That makes sense!" another cultivator nodded, his face full of admiration.

"Moreover, although Ancestor Xuanbing has the advantage of the northern ice plains and can use the spiritual energy of the ice plains to amplify his own combat power, the two palace masters' supernatural powers are extremely domineering and have long suppressed the advantage of the terrain."

He had no chance of winning; losing was only a matter of time.

"Not bad, not bad!" someone else added with a laugh, their tone full of pride.
"Besides, it's two against one. How could Ancestor Xuanbing possibly win?"

"If they can lose even in this way, then the two hall masters shouldn't need to stand in the Cultivator Association!"

"Hahahaha!"

A burst of hearty laughter rang out, and a burly cultivator slapped his thigh, his tone full of delight.

"Now that's bad, with Ancestor Xuanbing defeated, the Northern Underworld Palace is leaderless and its people are in a state of panic."

"Later we'll investigate the heretical cultivators of the Xuan Shuang True Monarch lineage. The Northern Underworld Palace will absolutely not dare to resist; they'll have no choice but to cooperate with us!"

"That's natural!"

One person, with a disdainful expression, said indifferently,
"The Northern Underworld Palace is now in dire straits, barely able to save itself. How could it possibly dare to resist our Cultivator Association?"
Perhaps we won't even need to lift a finger...

They would willingly hand over all the rebellious cultivators of the Xuan Shuang True Monarch lineage, hoping only to exchange their lives for a chance to survive!

Cheers, chatter, and triumphant laughter echoed within each warship.

The monks of the monks' association all had joy and pride on their faces.

···
Just as the cultivators from both the Northern Underworld Palace and the War Hall were discussing and speculating about the course of the battle—

In the void, the endless, dazzling light that had been emanating from the sky began to dissipate as if being slowly wiped away by an invisible hand.

The originally dazzling orb of light, which resembled two suns colliding, gradually dimmed and shrank, revealing its true form.

Thirty thousand miles above the ice field...
The space still displays distorted ripples after the breakage, like the surface of a lake where stones have been thrown in, which has not yet calmed down.

The raging torrents of spiritual energy continued to wreak havoc, whipping up visible vortexes of gale-force winds.

But none of these sights could obscure the two towering figures standing silently in the void.

Gold and purple.

The two streaks of light remained as steady as anchors in the sea, their clear outlines emerging amidst the gradually calming energy storm.

On the left, the golden light receded, revealing the slightly blurred face of Fu Banzun.

On the right, the purple glow faded...
Who else could this be but Xuanming Half-Venerable!

Immediately!

The Xuanming Half-Venerable smiled as he gazed at the solitary white figure in the distance. His voice, clear and melodious like a spring, reached the ears of every cultivator below.

"Fellow Daoist Xuanbing, you... you won't be asking us for guidance again, will you?"

His words were spoken casually, even with a hint of a smile, but the meaning behind them made all the cultivators of the Northern Underworld Palace feel a chill in their hearts.

This is the victor's declaration.

It was also an ultimatum.

The silent Fu Banzun, though not speaking, stared expressionlessly at Xuanbing Banzun.

His gaze was as heavy as a physical object, and when it fell on Ancestor Xuanbing, it even caused the surrounding void to freeze slightly.

The aura surging around him seemed to suggest that with just a thought, he could unleash another world-destroying attack.

This stance couldn't be clearer:

If you do not cooperate, the battle will continue.

On the other side of the void...

Xuanbing Half-Venerable stood in mid-air.

His white robe was torn in many places, with black scorch marks on the cuffs and hem.

The most shocking sight was the area on his chest, where there was a hole the size of a fist. A wisp of golden light still surged at the edge, eroding each other with the extreme cold magic power and making a "sizzling" sound.

But he stood very steadily.

His back was straight like a mountain peak that had stood for thousands of years on an ice field, his white hair danced in the remaining energy storm, and his face was frighteningly calm.

Only in those deep eyes did a rare ripple appear—

It wasn't anger, nor resentment, but a deep sense of powerlessness...

This feeling is like drinking ice water, chilling you to the bone.

a long time!

He spoke slowly, his voice calm and without any inflection:
"Since I have been defeated, everything... will naturally be left to the two of you to handle."

When the word "disposal" is mentioned...
His tone became somewhat dejected again.

That barely perceptible pause, that almost imperceptible tremor, revealed the turmoil deep within the heart of this veteran semi-venerable.

He was not as calm as he appeared on the surface.

At this moment, even the dignity of a sect had to bow to reality.

Upon hearing this!
Fu Banzun's wary gaze towards Xuanbing Banzun suddenly softened considerably.

The oppressive aura, so palpable, quietly subsided.

He spoke slowly, his voice still steady as iron, but with less of its sharpness:

"Fellow Daoist Xuanbing, rest assured."

"Our mission with Fellow Daoist Xuanming is solely to capture the rebellious cultivator Xuan Shuang and his accomplices; we will not implicate the innocent."

Fellow Daoist, you can rest assured about this.

The moment the words fell...

Xuanming Half-Venerable chimed in at the opportune moment, his smile remaining gentle, but the meaning behind his words was crystal clear:

“I am well aware of Fellow Daoist Xuanbing’s concerns.”

"However... when our cultivators' association detains your sect's rebellious cultivator later, fellow Daoist, please don't get 'excited'."

He used the word "excited" lightly, but the warning in it was obvious.

This is drawing a clear line.

It's also a way of giving someone a way out.

Xuanbing Half-Venerable remained silent for a moment, then gently exhaled a breath of turbid air, which condensed into ice crystals in the extremely cold air and fell down in a rustling sound.

He nodded slightly:
"That's natural."

The voice was soft, yet carried a sense of relief.

He knew that the other party was saving him some face—even though there was very little left.

He also discerned the deeper, underlying meaning in those words:
This is not the personal will of Half-Venerable Fu and Half-Venerable Xuanming, but an order from the higher-ups of the Cultivator Association, which must be carried out.

The only being who could command two semi-saints to obey his orders and personally lead an expedition to the Northern Region from afar was naturally the one standing at the pinnacle of the cultivation world.

President of the Cultivator Association at the Nascent Soul Realm.

Because I understand this...

Xuanbing Half-Venerable did not plead for mercy or attempt to bargain. Instead, he nodded to Fu Half-Venerable and Xuanming Half-Venerable and continued:

"Thank you both for your guidance."

He spoke the last two words very slowly and heavily.

As he spoke, he bowed and clasped his hands in a half-bowing gesture.

This is the proper etiquette between cultivators of the same generation, neither humble nor arrogant.

But in this context, it seems particularly meaningful—

It is both an admission of defeat and a preservation of final dignity.

Then, Xuanbing Half-Venerable's figure flashed and disappeared into the void where he stood, like ice and snow melting away.

Without a sound of air being cut or a flash of light, it simply vanished into thin air.

Looking at it again...

He had already appeared inside the protective formation of the Northern Underworld Palace, before the Palace Master of the Xuanming Palace and a group of elders.

"Ancestor!"

"Greetings, Ancestor!"

The Xuanming Palace Master and the seven elders bowed in unison, their voices filled with both reverence and barely concealed worry.

They saw the wound on the ancestor's chest, the still-burning golden-red flames, and the deep weariness hidden in the ancestor's eyes.

In this battle, the ancestor was defeated.

Moreover... he was seriously injured.

Xuanbing Half-Venerable's gaze slowly swept over everyone, finally landing on the Xuanming Palace Master.

He sighed softly, a sigh so light it seemed to carry a thousand pounds of weight:

"Issue my decree..."

“Capture all members of the Xuan Shuang lineage who have practiced reverse cultivation, send them out of the great formation, and hand them over to the Cultivator Association for their disposal.”

After he finished speaking, the square fell into a deathly silence.

Although it was expected, when those words actually came from the ancestor's mouth...

That sense of humiliation and powerlessness still seeped into the hearts of every cultivator in the Northern Underworld Palace like ice water.

Hand over your fellow disciples.

Even if he was a heretic and a sinner, he was still a member of the Northern Underworld Palace.

Now they have to tie him up themselves and hand him over to outsiders to deal with...

"Ancestor..."

The Palace Master of Beiming stepped forward, his voice somewhat hoarse.

"What about the Cultivator Association... will they be implicated afterward...?"

He didn't finish his sentence, but his meaning was clear.

As the Palace Master of Xuanming began to inquire...

The elders, who had just relaxed a little, were on edge again.

Everyone held their breath, their eyes fixed on Xuanbing Half-Venerable.

In those eyes, there was worry, fear, and hope—

We hope our ancestor can give a positive answer.

Xuanbing Half-Venerable gave them a deep look.

That look was complicated.

a long time!

He said calmly:

"rest assured."

"All you need to do is hand over that lineage of reverse cultivation."

"The Cultivator's Association...will not implicate the innocent."

The voice was calm, yet carried an undeniable certainty.

Upon hearing this, the Xuanming Palace Master and the elders finally breathed a sigh of relief.

The elders even exchanged glances unconsciously, and saw a sense of relief in each other's eyes.

At the same time, they were secretly delighted:
'really!'

'The Palace Master's previous prediction was absolutely correct!'

'As long as the Ancestor is alive, there is still hope for the Northern Underworld Palace!'

Just as their emotions were surging and they were secretly rejoicing...

Xuanbing Half-Venerable's figure flickered and disappeared again.

It came suddenly, and it left suddenly.

···
Beiming Palace, the forbidden area in the back mountain.

This is the deepest part of the sect, and also the place with the most abundant and purest spiritual energy.

Ordinary disciples are not allowed to step into the palace, and even elders need a warrant from the palace master to enter.

In the center of the forbidden area stands a palace entirely carved from ice jade.

The palace is not large, with only three courtyards, but every brick and tile exudes an ancient and weathered atmosphere.

The ice wall is covered with densely packed runes, which are the inheritances and restrictions left by the sages of the Northern Underworld Palace throughout the ages.

This "Mysterious Ice Palace" has existed since the founding of the Northern Underworld Palace!
Only the successive palace masters and semi-saints are qualified to enter.

At this moment, the palace doors were tightly closed.

Inside the hall!

The figure of Xuanbing Half-Venerable suddenly appeared.

Instead of walking slowly in as usual, he appeared directly in the center of the palace's main hall.

The moment she appeared, her carefully maintained calm expression crumbled instantly.

"puff--"

...(End of this chapter)