Gou Zai Fei Men made up myths

Shen Mo walked to the window, gazing at the distant, mist-shrouded mountain peaks with a deep look in his eyes. "So, before we take action, we need to find them something to do so they won't have time for anything else."

"What does the sect leader mean?"

"Su Xiao," Shen Mo called softly.

A blurry shadow quietly emerged from the corner's shadows, coalescing into Su Xiaoqing's aloof figure. "Sect Leader."

"The secret of the Blazing Sun Sect's refining of the 'Crimson Sun Demon Fire,' which we obtained 'by chance,' requires a large amount of the essence blood of 'young boys and girls' as a catalyst."

"And copies of evidence that Jian Wuhen of the Heavenly Sword Sect secretly cultivated the 'Soul Devouring Sword Technique' and slaughtered villages of rogue cultivators to consecrate the sword were 'sent' to the Xuanbing Pavilion, the Hundred Herbs Sect, the Green Wood Temple, and... the 'Black Fiend Sect' and the 'Five Poisons Sect,' which have a long-standing feud with the Blazing Sun Sect and the Heavenly Sword Sect."

"Remember, do it cleanly, as if they found it themselves."

Su Xiao's eyes flashed, and he instantly understood: "Your subordinate understands. The Blazing Sun Sect and the Heavenly Sword Sect must be in a state of utter chaos right now, unable to take care of themselves."

"In addition," Shen Mo added, "have our people planted within the Lieyang Sect and the Tianjian Sect spread rumors at the right time, saying that the Xuanyin Sect's blood sacrifice this time is aimed at opening the ancient demonic gate and inviting the extraterrestrial demons. When the demonic energy pours in, the Southern Region will be devastated."

"But the Blazing Sun Sect and the Heavenly Sword Sect have long colluded with the Profound Yin Sect, intending to use the power of the Heavenly Demon to eliminate dissidents and unify the Southern Region. Remember, rumors should be half true and half false, and sound plausible."

Han Lin listened from the side, secretly clicking his tongue in amazement. This tactic of diverting blame and confusing the public was a complete undermining of the situation!

If handled properly, the Blazing Sun Sect and the Heavenly Sword Sect will not only be unable to launch an attack, but they will also be extremely busy with their own backyards in turmoil!

"Master's plan is brilliant!" Han Lin praised sincerely.

Shen Mo shook his head: "These are just minor tricks, only a temporary measure. The key is still the battle in the Northern Desert. We must interrupt the blood sacrifice and severely damage the core of the Xuan Yin Sect. Otherwise, everything is just empty talk."

He turned to Han Lin, his expression grave: "Elder Han, I entrust the sect's internal affairs to you. Activate Level One combat readiness, open the mountain-protecting formation, and defend it at all costs. If anything untoward happens to Shi Tie and the others on this trip... then follow the instructions I left behind, which will ensure the sect's survival."

Han Lin's body trembled, his old eyes reddened slightly, and he bowed deeply: "Sect Leader, rest assured! As long as I am here, the sect will stand! We will certainly not fail your trust! I wish you... a victorious start and a safe return!"

Shen Mo helped Han Lin up, patted the back of his hand, and said nothing more. Everything was understood without words.

That night, the moon was dark and the wind was high.

Behind Liuyun Peak, in Qingyun Valley, in front of the newly built Qingyun Hall.

Shen Mo stood alone in the square in front of the palace. The moonlight was as clear as if it had been washed, shining on the black and white yin-yang fish pattern, giving it a cool and clear luster.

Behind them was a main hall with its doors tightly closed, inside which were enshrined the remains and legacy of Qingyunzi, creating a solemn and dignified atmosphere.

He looked up at the sky. The night was cloudless, the Milky Way glittering and boundless. In the depths of his being, the feeling of loosening at the bottleneck of his Nascent Soul cultivation became increasingly clear.

The immense karmic force, under the guidance of the Myriad Laws Source Pearl, transformed into a pure and powerful driving force, continuously impacting that barrier. The divine soul was condensing, the magical power was surging, and the physical body was resonating with a yearning for transformation.

"Three days later, at midnight, in the Valley of Burial Souls..." Shen Mo murmured to himself, his eyes reflecting the starry sky, deep and unfathomable.

The opportunity for a breakthrough has arrived, but a formidable foe looms ahead. Should one risk a breakthrough first, increasing the odds of victory, even at the risk of an unstable foundation or a failed breakthrough leading to backlash? Or should one suppress their cultivation level, using their Golden Core Perfection state as a foundation, leveraging their power and strategic planning to gamble on that sliver of hope?

The moonlight, like water, flowed quietly over the newly built white marble square in Qingyun Valley, casting a hazy and cool glow over the distinct black and white yin-yang fish pattern.

The outline of Qingyun Palace stands silently in the night, its eaves like beasts and its ridge beasts gazing at the sky, like a giant who has experienced vicissitudes of life, quietly guarding the relics and heritage that have spanned countless ages within the palace.

Shen Mo sat alone on a futon on the main altar in front of the hall, his eyes slightly closed and his breathing deep and focused.

He did not cultivate, but simply sat quietly, his mind like an invisible tide, slowly washing over the entire Flowing Cloud Peak, sensing the final tranquility of this sect that he had single-handedly revitalized and was about to lead into an unprecedented storm, on the eve of the great battle.

More than two decades have passed in the blink of an eye.

Shen Mo, the inexperienced sect leader who transmigrated from another world, took over a struggling, nearly bankrupt sect, and cautiously relied on "fabricating myths" to unite people and grow slowly, is now the leader of the Qingyun Sect and the leader of the Qingyun Alliance, who commands an alliance, is famous throughout the Southern Region, and has reached the Great Perfection of the Golden Core stage. He is only one step away from stepping into the Nascent Soul True Monarch realm.

Time hadn't left many marks on his face; he still possessed that refined and scholarly appearance. Only the composure and depth in his brows, born of the heavy responsibilities he bore, and the occasional fleeting glimpse of a world-weary air as if he had glimpsed parts of history's mysteries, made him appear much more mature than his actual age. He still wore his blue robe, but his demeanor was entirely different.

His divine sense, like the gentlest breeze, brushed over every blade of grass, every brick and tile of Liuyun Peak, and also over those familiar or somewhat unfamiliar auras.

Su Xiao's aura, like her personality, was aloof and subtle, yet possessed a deadly sharpness. At this moment, she was hidden somewhere on Liuyun Peak, at the boundary between shadow and light, almost blending into her surroundings.

Her cultivation had reached the late Golden Core stage, making her the second most powerful person in the Qingyun Sect after Shen Mo. Over the past twenty years, the Shadow Guard had grown stronger under her leadership, its tentacles reaching all over the Southern Region and beyond, becoming Shen Mo's sharpest and most secretive dagger and eyes and ears.

Countless near-death missions and a life spent in the shadows honed her skills and added a touch of mystery and unpredictability to her already aloof nature.

Only when facing Shen Mo, Shi Tie, Zhao Qingyan, and a handful of other old acquaintances would a faint trace of human warmth occasionally appear in his icy eyes.

As Su Xiao's divine sense swept over, he seemed to sense something. His concealed aura fluctuated slightly, sending a very subtle, confirming-safe fluctuation in the direction of Shen Mo before returning to silence as if it had never existed.

Shen Mo sighed inwardly. Xiao Shimei had suffered so much and been so lonely these past years. The burden of the Shadow Guard had almost entirely fallen on her shoulders. Once this matter was settled, perhaps it would be time to let her... rest?

The aura of stone and iron is like a burning furnace, intense, domineering, and full of explosive power.

He was on "Sharpening Edge Cliff," belonging to the Battle Hall, wielding a giant axe the size of a door panel, practicing some kind of fierce and unparalleled combat technique. Sweat poured down his face, his muscles bulged, and his deep shouts and the explosive sound of the axe tearing through the air could be faintly perceived even from a distance.

His cultivation level remained at the mid-stage of the Golden Core realm, seemingly having encountered a bottleneck and failing to break through to the late stage.

But Shen Mo knew that this simpleton was following the path of combining physical cultivation with magical power in ancient times. He had a body of copper skin and iron bones, and his blood and qi were far more powerful than those of other magical cultivators of the same level. His true combat strength was no less than that of ordinary late-stage Golden Core cultivators, and might even be greater.

He is the sharpest and most reliable spear and shield of the Qingyun Sect, the "Stone Yama" who strikes fear into the hearts of enemies on the battlefield. But the opportunity for this breakthrough... might just lie in the upcoming bloody battle?

Zhao Qingyan's aura was gentle yet resilient, like a mountain spring that nourishes silently yet possesses the power to penetrate stone. She was in the "Tianyan Pavilion" at the core of the array hall, endlessly deducing the workings of a huge array plate with intricate light patterns flowing around it, her delicate brows slightly furrowed, completely focused.

Her cultivation level was also stuck at the mid-stage of the Golden Core realm, but her mastery of array formations had advanced by leaps and bounds due to receiving a portion of the true explanation of Qingyunzi's "Two Elements Micro Dust Array," making her already the foremost array master in the Southern Region.

The heavy responsibility of countering and breaking the Xuan Yin Sect's blood sacrifice formation fell largely on her shoulders. Shen Mo could sense the fatigue in her consciousness, but even more so, the excitement and determination to face a challenge.

Junior Sister Qingyan truly possesses talent and sincerity in the path of array formation.