Xiuxian: Start with the medicine boy

next moment.

The old man flipped his wrist, and something appeared in his palm.

It was a palm-sized, dark-colored token that was neither gold nor wood.

The token has an ancient design with coiled dragon patterns along the edges. The front is engraved with an ancient character "尊" (zun), which is vigorous and exudes a sense of majesty.

At this moment, the token was emitting a faint, water-like spiritual light and trembling slightly.

The old man extended his right index finger, and with a flick of his fingertip, he gathered pure magical power.

"laugh!"

A thin stream of magical energy, as fine as a hair, entered the token.

"Wow—"

About a foot above the token, the air rippled, and a clear light screen suddenly unfolded.

Approximately three feet wide and two feet high.
Like an illusory mirror.

The light screen did not project a landscape, but rather a dimly lit, enclosed stone chamber.

Inside the stone chamber, dozens of figures stood in neat rows.

These people were all wearing the same clothes:
He wore a dark black fitted outfit underneath a deep purple robe with wide sleeves embroidered with gold trim. The hem of the robe was outlined with a ferocious ghost head swallowing clouds in silver thread, and a belt inlaid with dark jade was tied around his waist.

His attire was luxurious yet imposing, exuding an aura of unapproachable authority and a faint, sinister presence.

Their distinctive attire alone was enough to send a chill down the spines of countless people in the cultivation world, allowing them to recognize their origins—

The Supreme Holy Sect, a top sect that has dominated the cultivation world for millennia, is a behemoth of the demonic path!

Even more alarming is...

The cultivators within the light screen possessed solid auras and sharp eyes.
Even those with the lowest cultivation level have a subtle, rounded aura of dan qi, unique to golden core cultivators, surrounding their bodies.

The seven or eight people standing in the front row, though they had restrained their auras, still exuded an air of profound composure and a subtle resonance with heaven and earth.
This is clearly the aura possessed only by a Nascent Soul True Monarch!

however,
When the light screen stabilized, and the old man's figure seemed to be "watching" them through the light screen—

All the high-ranking cultivators of the Supreme Saint Sect within the stone chamber, whether Nascent Soul elders or Golden Core deacons, immediately straightened their expressions and bowed respectfully without hesitation.
Their movements were perfectly synchronized, revealing a deep sense of awe.

"Disciple greets the Supreme Elder!"

"Greetings, Supreme Elder!"

The voice came through the light screen, deep and respectful, echoing in the silent canyon.

Before the light screen, the old man in plain robes remained calm, merely raising his hand slightly to signal everyone to stand up.

"How is the plan going?"

The old man got straight to the point, his voice carrying through the token to the other end.

"Have the 'seeds' already safely dormant?"

Within the light screen, a Nascent Soul cultivator with an aged appearance and deep-set, hawk-like eyes, standing in the center of the front row, immediately stepped forward upon hearing this, bowing and clasping his hands in greeting once more.

The voice replied calmly:

"Reporting to the Supreme Elder, Team Xuan Twelve is doing well."

In accordance with the Supreme Lord's decree and the sect's secret orders, the disciple's team, totaling one hundred and thirty people, including three Nascent Soul cultivators, twenty-seven Golden Core cultivators, and one hundred Foundation Establishment elites, has all arrived at the designated 'hibernation point'.
All concealment formations, aura masking, and resource supplies have been arranged properly, with nothing overlooked.

The old man, upon hearing this, showed no joy, but merely nodded slightly and continued to ask:

"Have the evacuation and protection arrangements for the sect's ancestral land been completed?"

The leading Nascent Soul True Monarch's expression grew even more respectful as he replied:
"Reporting to the Supreme Elder, the ancestral land has already implemented the highest-level contingency plan."

The sect's protective formation has been fully activated, the mountain gate is closed, and only the most basic passage remains open.

Seventy percent of the sect's accumulated treasures over millennia, including ancient texts, jade slips of inheritance, core secret techniques, high-grade elixirs, spiritual materials, and embryonic magical treasures, have been transferred to three top-secret "inheritance vaults" guarded by elite assassins.

The remaining resources that are inconvenient to carry or are necessary for the daily operation of the sect are guarded by 'clean' disciples who have undergone strict vetting and have absolutely no connection with this operation.

With the power of the sect-protecting formation, even if a powerful enemy attacks, the ancestral land can be kept safe for a short period of time.

"good."

The old man uttered a single word softly, and his constantly furrowed brows seemed to relax slightly.

"In that case, you should remain silent and lie low as originally planned."

No one may act without my personal decree.

They must also not have any contact with the outside world.
Even if... they received news of the fall of their ancestral homeland.

He spoke the last sentence very softly, yet with an undeniable resolve.

Within the light screen, all the cultivators of the Supreme Saint Sect trembled, then responded in unison, their voices resolute and firm:
"Yes! This disciple will obey the Supreme Lord's decree!"

"We obey!"

The old man said no more, and simply flicked his sleeve.

The light curtain suspended in the air rippled like water, then quickly contracted and rolled inward, transforming back into a point of spiritual light that disappeared into the ancient "Supreme Lord's Decree" below.

The token's light faded, and calm returned.
It looked like just an ordinary ornament.

The old man looked down at the token lying quietly in his palm.

This token, representing one of the highest authorities of the Tai Zun Holy Sect, was slightly warm to the touch, yet it felt as heavy as a thousand pounds.

A complex emotion welled up in his eyes:

There was a trace of attachment to the sect's eternal foundation.
There are concerns about the impending storm.
There is a resolute determination to go all in.

There was also a deep-seated weariness.

"I hope... they can succeed."

The old man put the token back into his sleeve and turned his gaze back to the distant sky, where the clouds rolled and changed unpredictably.

"Otherwise, the lineage of my Supreme Holy Sect, which has continued for tens of thousands of years..."

It seems we are truly on the verge of decline, facing numerous obstacles at every turn.

The faint sigh blended into the wind in the canyon and vanished without a trace.

Clearly, this elderly man in plain robes who lived in seclusion in the Lingzhu Treasure Pavilion...
He was one of the few remaining Supreme Elders at the Nascent Soul Realm of the Supreme Venerable Sect.

The Tai Zun Holy Sect was also one of the forces involved in the ambush of Cheng Buzheng, the president of the Cultivator Association!

They are not reckless people.

Before taking action, they had already made numerous preparations, demonstrating their shrewdness and foresight.

The core strength of the sect (the backbone) was broken down into smaller, independent "seed teams," each led by a Nascent Soul elder and carrying some resources, to secretly infiltrate hidden strongholds that had been established for many years throughout the continent.

If the plan fails, they will remain like embers buried deep underground, waiting for their chance.

The sect's most precious classics, heritage, and foundation were transferred in advance to a top-secret vault unknown to anyone, ensuring the survival of its lineage.

Disciples with impeccable character and no connection to the ambush plan were left behind to guard the ancestral land in conjunction with the sect's protective formation, maintaining the sect's outward appearance of operation and deceiving the outside world.

It also serves as a buffer and a smokescreen.

This is also a way to ensure the continuation of the sect.

The Supreme Elder, who was the sect's highest combat force and decision-maker, stayed far from the eye of the storm, hiding in this unknown and beautiful place, waiting for the final news.

All of these arrangements were made to prepare for that "worst-case scenario"—

The ambush failed, resulting in a bloody retaliation from the president of the monks' association!
Which of these forces, capable of cultivating to such a level and passing down their legacy for thousands of years, didn't emerge from mountains of corpses and seas of blood?

Which one of them doesn't deeply understand the principle of "calculating defeat before calculating victory"?

Facing a behemoth like the Nascent Soul Venerable, whose power shakes the world, even with multiple allies and a perceived high chance of victory...

They would never dare to gamble their entire fortune.

Leaving a way out and preserving the flame is the way to pass on the torch.

Such is the teaching of the Supreme Venerable One.

What about the other forces involved in this earth-shattering ambush, whether they are righteous or evil?

Whether it's overt or covert, as long as it's not utterly foolish,

Presumably... they have all prepared their own escape routes.

The cultivation world has never lacked ambitious cultivators.

And there's never a shortage of... old foxes.

And just as this Supreme Elder of the Great Sacred Sect was pondering this...

Endless Sea, Zhenhai Immortal City!

In the center of the city, on the razed white ground, the remaining turbulent spiritual energy had not yet completely subsided, stirring up clouds of dust mixed with the smell of burning.

Right here on these ruins...
The auras of the dozen or so figures were obscure, yet they still maintained a certain hidden majesty despite the fierce battle.

They were the mysterious cultivators who orchestrated the assassination of the president of the Zhenhai Immortal City Cultivator Association.

Just now, the earth-shattering "Annihilation Law Array" completely engulfed Cheng Buzheng's figure.

As the destructive energy subsided, the remaining light from the array nodes at the center of the white area dimmed...

These semi-saints, who came from different top sects and might have had disagreements with each other in normal times, all felt a sense of relief as if they had survived a calamity and a secret joy at their successful scheme.

Become!

By pooling the resources of so many sects, they have laid out this deadly trap, a feat almost impossible to replicate in the cultivation world...
Even though Cheng Buzheng is incredibly fierce, he will surely not escape this calamity!
Once its demise is confirmed, the power structure of the Endless Sea will inevitably be reshuffled.

The benefits their respective sects have seized will far exceed the price they are paying today.

however!
In this atmosphere of suppressed joy, there was only one exception.

He was a slightly thin monk with a fox-shaped mask carved from warm white jade on his face.

The mask was exquisite, with slightly narrowed fox eyes that seemed to be smiling but weren't, concealing all the emotions beneath.

The telepathic messages from his companions around him conveyed a sense of ease.

They even began discussing the details of dividing the profits and erasing all traces.
But behind the jade fox mask, the brows furrowed slowly in a subtle way that was not easily noticed by others.

wrong.

It's too quiet.

suddenly
With his extraordinary perception, he sensed that a more subtle and profound "existence" was slowly gathering, rather than dissipating.

His fingers twitched slightly within his sleeve, as if he wanted to do something, to issue a warning, but the next moment—

"not good!!!"

A sharp, indescribable scream rang out.

It pierced the brief silence like an icicle!
A cultivator wearing a hood woven from black gold and patterned with runes that isolate divine sense appeared to be witnessing the most terrifying sight in the world.

He suddenly raised his hand and pointed to a seemingly empty void at the edge of the white ground.

His arms were trembling uncontrollably.

"Look what that is?!"

The moment the voice rang out...

The group of mysterious cultivators, who had just emerged from their concealed state in the void and were preparing to discuss the aftermath, abruptly stopped all their actions and all their telepathic communication.

It felt as if an invisible hand was choking me.

They all looked in the direction the terror was pointing, a mixture of bewilderment and sudden, overwhelming unease.

The sight before them sent chills down their spines.

In that void, countless tiny, almost transparent, and dust-like particles of light appeared out of nowhere.

These light particles, though seemingly faint, emanated a majestic aura that was so powerful that it made all the half-saints present tremble!

Those are... highly condensed, almost primitive particles of the laws!

Moreover, those particles of law are frantically converging and merging at a speed beyond their comprehension!
Just a fraction of a second...

A blurry yet incredibly resilient human silhouette was then clearly revealed.

Within the outline, the illusory images of the internal organs, meridians, and bones flashed by.
The surging blood energy and vast spiritual fluctuations, like a slumbering ancient beast, began to slowly awaken.

Seeing this scene.

The group of mysterious cultivators, who had just been secretly delighted by the success of their plan, now wore expressions of relief at surviving a calamity and greedy calculations for the future.

Like a poorly made clay sculpture, it instantly stiffens and solidifies, then cracks inch by inch.

In the end, it turned into a deathly gray.

despair!

Like the deepest, coldest tide, it surged from their feet to the top of their heads in an instant, completely swallowing and drowning the light in their eyes.

"Quick! Use all your cards!"
Otherwise... we will all be buried here today!!!

A hoarse, distorted voice, filled with endless fear, burst forth from the crowd in a final struggle.

However, what he received in return was a deeper despair.

"It's no use..."

All forbidden objects capable of countering a Nascent Soul cultivator, including the core array eye of the 'Ten Directions Annihilation Array'...

That last attack used up all my resources!

This old monster...this old monster is an absolute monster!

With his terrifying strength, what chance do we... what chance do we have of survival?!

The other cultivator's voice was choked with sobs; his Dao heart was on the verge of collapse.

Oh, cruel Heaven! How can you be so cruel to us?!

Some people roared to the sky, full of resentment and bitterness, but they seemed even more powerless.

"escape!!

Hurry! Get away from here!
"The farther away from this Zhenhai Immortal City, the better!!"

Finally, a more rational voice emerged.

The sound was like a thunderclap, jolting the group of mysterious cultivators who had been nearly scared out of their wits and stood there dumbfounded back to their senses.

Then,

Another cultivator spoke at breakneck speed, his divine sense frantically scanning his companions:

"good!
Fighting him now would be tantamount to courting death!

Escape in different directions! Burn your life essence, tear through space, at any cost!
He was all alone; perhaps... perhaps there was a glimmer of hope!

"As for who will ultimately escape this calamity... that's up to fate!"

"..."

The exchange of divine senses among the mysterious cultivators, seemingly intense, lasted for several breaths.

But in reality, driven by extreme fear and the will to survive, their thinking was pushed to its limits.

The whole process...

However, in less than a moment, they had already hastily reached a consensus.

Run! Scatter and run!
Betting on that slim chance of survival!
"Om-!"

"boom--!"

A moment later...
These top-tier semi-saints, who usually held high positions and wielded great power in their respective sects and whose mere presence could shake a region, could no longer care about their composure or concealment and unleashed their full cultivation power!

The immense spiritual power, mixed with the crimson light from burning primordial blood essence, soared into the sky.

...(End of this chapter)