Gou Zai Fei Men made up myths

Just as Shen Mo had predicted, the news of the Heavenly Sword Sect's crushing defeat at the Sword Debate Peak and the sect leader's blood-vomiting seclusion swept across the entire Southern Region like a hurricane, causing a huge uproar.

The smaller sects and independent cultivators were in an uproar. Teahouses, taverns, markets, and inns were all buzzing with discussion about this earth-shattering duel.

"Have you heard? Jian Wuji of the Heavenly Sword Sect had his ultimate move broken by Alliance Leader Shen of Qingyun with just one finger! He coughed up blood on the spot!"

"More than that! I heard that Alliance Leader Shen didn't even draw his sword, he just stood there, and Jian Wuji slashed at him for ages without even touching the hem of his clothes! In the end, Alliance Leader Shen's few words shattered his Dao heart!"

"My god! Jian Wuji was at the peak of the Golden Core stage! He had been in seclusion for many years, and it was said that he was almost at the threshold of the Nascent Soul stage! And just like that... he lost?"

"Defeat? That's a crushing defeat! A humiliation! Who is Alliance Leader Shen? He's the one who led us to resist the beast tide, established an alliance, and handled matters fairly! Heavenly Sword Sect? Hmph, they used to be so arrogant, but now they've kicked a hornet's nest!"

"Exactly! The Azure Cloud Alliance is the best! They offer contribution points, missions, and opportunities to exchange for pills and magical artifacts, and the rules are fair! Alliance Leader Shen is powerful and kind! I think the Southern Region will depend on the Azure Cloud Alliance from now on!"

"Yes, yes, yes! My cousin's second uncle's third aunt's son is at Qingyun Dao Academy. I heard it's great there, with any cultivation method you can choose and elders to guide you! I'm thinking of sending my son there to try it out..."

The winds of change were shifting silently. The previous awe of the Heavenly Sword Sect and the Blazing Sun Sect quickly transformed into admiration and support for the Azure Cloud Alliance.

Shen Mo's magnanimity in "not using excessive force" and "stopping when the point is right" has become a widely praised story, forming a stark contrast with Jian Wuji's "aggressiveness" and "narrow-mindedness".

In a short time, forces of all sizes flocked to Qingyun Mountain to seek apprenticeship, join forces, or cooperate. The alliance's cohesion reached unprecedented heights.

In stark contrast to the bustling Qingyun Mountain was the silence of the Lieyang Sect and the oppressive atmosphere of the Tianjian Sect.

The Blazing Sun Sect, Crimson Sun Peak.

Huoyun Daoist sat in the main hall with a gloomy expression, while the elders below remained silent.

"Sword Wuji... trash!" Huoyun Daoist spat out the words through gritted teeth, crushing the jade slip in his hand to dust. The jade slip contained a detailed record of everything that had happened on Sword Debate Peak.

"They've completely lost their way! They're so utterly pathetic! They've even brought shame upon my Blazing Sun Sect!"

"Sect Master, please calm down," an elder said cautiously. "It's good that Jian Wuji was defeated; it'll just let that brat Shen Mo get carried away. We can then..."

"What can you do?" Huoyun Daoist sneered. "Reap the benefits without lifting a finger? Do you think Shen Mo is that fool Jian Wuji? This boy is cunning, ruthless, and his strength is unfathomable! If he can humiliate Jian Wuji like this today, he can use even more ruthless methods against my Lieyang Sect in the future!"

"Pass down the order: keep a low profile for now and avoid provoking the Azure Cloud Alliance. Also, strengthen communication with the Northern Desert and Southern Wilderness... And what's that old fox Ghost Hand up to lately with the Profound Yin Sect?"

"Reporting to the Sect Master, the Xuan Yin Sect seems... unusually quiet. Since the Beast Tide and the Sword Debate Peak incident, there has been no news from them, as if... they have remained uninvolved."

Huoyun Daoist frowned deeply: "Stand aside? Hmph, that Ghost Hand bastard, he won't act without self-interest; he's definitely plotting something in the shadows. Tell the men below to be on their guard! The Southern Region... is about to change!"

Heavenly Sword Sect, Limitless Sword Palace.

The palace gates were tightly shut, and all restrictions were lifted. The days of soaring sword energy and countless disciples were gone, replaced by a deathly silence and oppressive atmosphere.

The disciples walked with their heads down, their steps hurried, and their faces no longer held the arrogance of the past.

All that remained was fear and unease. The smaller sects they relied on had begun to find various excuses to postpone their offerings, and were even secretly exchanging pleasantries with the Qingyun Alliance.

Within the sect, radicals and conservatives argued incessantly, leaving Jian Wuhen overwhelmed and exhausted from suppressing the conflict.

In the deepest part of the Wuji Sword Palace, in that secluded meditation room filled with malevolent energy, Jian Wuji's aura sometimes raged like thunder, and sometimes became as faint as a thread.

On the stone wall in front of him, there were messy sword marks carved with his fingers, as well as two large blood-red characters—Shen Mo! The characters were ferocious, filled with endless resentment and madness.

"My path... is not wrong... it's you... it's all you who don't understand... Shen Mo... I must... kill you... use your blood... to wash away my shame... I will become stronger... even stronger..."

A hoarse, beast-like growl echoed in the quiet room.

A faint, almost imperceptible black aura, imbued with intense resentment and destructive intent, seeped from the stagnant blood in his chest, silently merging into the raging sword energy around him, tinging the originally pure, silvery sword light with an imperceptible, eerie dark red.

......

On this day, just as dawn was breaking, Shen Mo was discussing matters with Han Lin and Su Xiao in the Liuyun Hall on the main peak of Qingyun Mountain.

Suddenly, the hall trembled slightly, then the shaking intensified, the beams and pillars groaned, and dust swirled.

"An earth dragon turning over?" Han Lin's expression changed.

Shen Mo instantly spread his divine sense, locking onto the "Falling Star Valley" three hundred miles to the southeast. His expression hardened—among the violent seismic waves, there was actually a trace of ancient, vast, and incomparably pure stellar power!

It shares the same origin as the celestial power he cultivated through the "Flowing Cloud Dao Scripture," but is even more powerful and primordial!

"This is no ordinary earthquake." Shen Mo said in a deep voice, already high in the sky outside the palace. In the southeastern sky, smoke and dust billowed into the sky, and various colored lights were rushing away.

Su Xiao whispered, "The Shadow Guards have issued an urgent report: the ground in Falling Star Valley has cracked, and ancient ruins have appeared. The aura is astonishing, and they are suspected to be related to stars. The Blazing Sun Sect, the Heavenly Sword Sect, the Profound Ice Pavilion, and others have all been mobilized."

"Fallen Star Valley...an ancient meteorite?" Shen Mo's gaze was profound. "Order Shi Tie to gather the elite of the Battle Hall, control the scene, and strictly prohibit unauthorized entry. Jin Hao will lead the 'Swift Wind Team' to investigate first. Elder Han will oversee the central command."

"Su Xiao, the Shadow Guards are mobilized at full strength, infiltrating all sides to gather intelligence, especially to watch out for any 'old friends' operating in secret."

"yes!"

The once desolate Falling Star Valley is now bustling with activity. A massive fissure, tens of feet wide and bottomless, stretches across the valley floor like an ugly scar. The soil and rocks at the edges of the fissure are churned up, revealing strange rock layers below that are as black as ink yet faintly glow with starlight.

An ancient, desolate aura emanated from the stars, both unsettling and maddening.

The earliest arriving independent cultivators and members of small sects watched from afar, filled with both greed and fear.

Immediately afterwards, the Blazing Sun Sect's "Crimson Flame Boat" arrived in a blazing inferno. Daoist Huoyun led the way, unceremoniously occupying the best position on the east side, pushing aside others with a crimson spiritual energy barrier.

The Heavenly Sword Sect's "Cloud Rift Sword Boat" landed on the west side almost simultaneously. Jian Wuhen led the team with a gloomy expression, while the disciples had gloomy eyes.

The Xuanbing Pavilion's "Ice Crystal Cloud Boat" quietly landed on the north side, with Fairy Ling Shuang observing with a cool and aloof demeanor. The south side was filled with small and medium-sized forces and independent cultivators, who were discussing the matter animatedly.

The Treasure Pavilion's "Gathering Treasure Flying Tower" landed, and Chen Hao beamed, "Ancient relics have appeared in the world! The Treasure Pavilion is willing to provide all kinds of exploration supplies at fair prices!"

Huoyun Daoist snorted coldly, and Jian Wuhen's eyes were sinister; no one paid him any attention.

The atmosphere was tense, with three sides locked in a stalemate, while the independent cultivators watched and waited, secretly vying for power.