Chapter 910: Attention from Top Demonic Sects, Return to Jiang Kingdom

In the Central Region of the Southern Desolation, at the Tianmo Sect.

A massive palace stood on the northern side of the Tianmo Sect’s main peak, wrapped in countless demonic vines and glowing with intricate forbidden lights.

No one knew what materials had forged this palace. Its surface shimmered with a silver glow like scattered stars, and inside stood rows of spatial pillars and colorful teleportation arrays.

This grand hall served as the Tianmo Sect’s Teleportation Hall.

Only those with the sect’s official decree and a teleportation token could come here to use the arrays.

After all, building teleportation arrays cost a fortune, and they required maintenance after a certain number of uses.

Even a top-tier power like the Tianmo Sect in the Southern Desolation couldn’t afford to let disciples use them freely.

At that moment, one teleportation platform surged with five-colored light, intertwining with the nearby spatial pillar to create rippling waves of space.

A young man in ink-black robes with white hair and handsome features appeared on the platform, alongside a black-robed old man and another black-robed youth.

“Greetings, Little Ancestor! Greetings, Elder Xun!”

Several guards in the Teleportation Hall spotted them and immediately bowed in respect.

“Mm.”

These three were Qu Changge, Lu Quanzhen, and Elder Xun, returning to the Tianmo Sect from Jin Kingdom.

Though the Tianmo Sect had many teleportation arrays that could reach the Northern Region directly, they weren’t scattered across every country in the Southern Desolation’s Northern Region.

Arrays existed only at a few key outposts.

So Qu Changge had handled some matters on the way back with his nephew. Even with the arrays, the journey took half a year.

Without further delay, Qu Changge led his nephew out of the Teleportation Hall toward the Sect Master Hall.

“So this is the Tianmo Sect.”

Over the past months, Lu Quanzhen had traveled with his uncle Qu Changge to several places and witnessed prosperity far beyond Jiang Kingdom or Jin Kingdom.

Yet the sight of the Tianmo Sect still left him awestruck.

Towering peaks stretched endlessly into the sky.

Above, amid drifting clouds and mist, grand halls floated in the air, radiating immense power and majesty.

These peaks and halls pulsed with faint fourth-rank spiritual pressure, even the Teleportation Hall he’d just left.

Black vines coiled around the massive palace, seemingly third or fourth-rank demonic plants.

“Those vines come from the Demon Blood Vine King.”

“That’s why the Teleportation Hall needs only a few Core Formation cultivators as guards. If outsiders try to invade through our arrays, the Demon Blood Vine King awakens instantly.”

Qu Changge noticed his nephew’s awe and began explaining the Tianmo Sect’s features.

Beyond the Demon Blood Vine King, the sect boasted many such defenses, showcasing the deep foundations of a top Southern Desolation power.

And this was just the visible side.

The true core secrets remained known only to the sect’s highest echelons. Ordinary disciples never saw or touched them.

A late-stage Nascent Soul great cultivator could challenge the Tianmo Sect from outside and might escape if they didn’t push too far.

But daring to闯 inside meant no return—only death awaited!

Moments later, Qu Changge brought Lu Quanzhen to meet the Tianmo Sect Master.

Though he was a disciple of the Tianmo Grandmaster,

he remained a junior before the Sect Master, slightly lower in status.

Still, the Sect Master treated Qu Changge with great courtesy, no airs at all, as if they were equals.

“Sect Master, this is my junior—Zhao Wuzhen, the one who cultivated the Kunpeng Swallowing Heaven Demon Art in the Starry Sea.”

Qu Changge got straight to the point, revealing Lu Quanzhen’s identity.

Years ago, he’d taken the Kunpeng Swallowing Heaven Demon Art and a pile of natural treasures back to Jiang Kingdom. He couldn’t hide that from the Tianmo Sect.

If the sect wanted to investigate, it was only a matter of time.

“Cultivated the Kunpeng Swallowing Heaven Demon Art?”

The Sect Master eyed Lu Quanzhen closely, as if peering through him entirely.

After all, the Kunpeng Swallowing Heaven Demon Art was created by a Tianmo Sect ancestor, innovating from several top-tier techniques.

Over thousands of years, few had fully mastered it.

For one, it demanded exceptional talent and comprehension.

On top of that, cultivation required Kunpeng blood essence as a catalyst.

Even in the Tianmo Sect, Kunpeng blood essence was incredibly rare.

Yet another issue: truly gifted cultivators rarely chose this art.

Not because it was lacking—far from it. It had once caused waves even in the Central Domain.

But early practitioners in the Tianmo Sect had slain others, devouring their physiques and essences to strengthen themselves. This tainted the art’s reputation, making it intolerable to other powers.

Even fellow Tianmo Sect disciples shunned anyone practicing it.

They feared that during true disciple or holy child competitions, someone might strike from the shadows and plunder their essence.

Moreover, absorbing too many essences could overwhelm the body or soul, leading to Qi deviation if not balanced.

Under these circumstances, the Kunpeng Swallowing Heaven Demon Art faded into obscurity, gathering dust on high shelves.

Qu Changge had sought a top-tier art back then and recalled this one, which could split into the Five Elements Kunpeng Art and the Kunpeng Swallowing Heaven Demon Art.

“Young friend, demonstrate the art for me.”

The Sect Master said.

Lu Quanzhen took a deep breath and activated the Kunpeng Swallowing Heaven Demon Art. Black vortexes swirled around him.

Then, an endless black ocean surged behind him. A Kunpeng roared forth, its presence terrifying, as if ready to refine and devour the heavens!

“Excellent! Truly the Kunpeng Swallowing Heaven Demon Art!”

The Sect Master clapped and laughed. “I never expected the Young Lord to have such an outstanding junior. On this merit alone, this young friend can join our Tianmo Sect as one of the 108 true disciples!”

“However…”

The Sect Master shifted tone, turning to Qu Changge. “Young Lord, I can appoint Zhao as a true disciple, even a pre-selected holy child. But our Tianmo Sect thrives on survival of the fittest, strength above all.”

“If Zhao arrives and jumps straight to pre-selected holy child without proving himself, he’ll face endless troubles.”

“I see he’s at Core Formation seventh layer, with robust blood energy and a strong physique—likely dual cultivating body and magic, plus a top-tier physique.”

“With such strength, he can challenge current true disciples. How about this: handle the entry procedures first, enjoy true disciple benefits, then when the time’s right, challenge others. Once he shows enough power, I’ll step in and appoint him as a pre-selected holy child.”

The Sect Master suggested.

If Qu Changge insisted, he’d oblige to save face.

But in his view, it wasn’t necessary. Better to follow the normal process.

It would also test Lu Quanzhen’s combat prowess.

After all, cultivation, arts, and physique were key factors in battle strength, but not absolute.

He gauged Lu Quanzhen’s bone age as just over a hundred years.

If the boy was merely a product of piled-up treasures—a waste—then making him a pre-selected holy child would tarnish the Tianmo Sect’s prestige.

“Uncle, I’m willing.”

Lu Quanzhen caught the Sect Master’s implication and bowed to his uncle, eager to test himself against the Tianmo Sect’s disciples.

To see the gaps between him and these top Southern Desolation cultivators.

“Good.” Qu Changge nodded in agreement.

As Qu Changge took Lu Quanzhen to handle entry procedures, Elder Xun reported the trip’s events to the Sect Master.

Though Qu Changge held immense power and status in the Tianmo Sect,

his every move was watched by the Sect Master and Tianmo Grandmaster.

The destruction of Wu Demon Island and killing Shi Hai didn’t faze the Sect Master.

If not for the vast distance between Starry Sea and Central Domain, and the lack of follow-up on the Kunpeng egg incident years ago, he’d have sent people after them long before.

But hearing that Qu Changge’s sister married a suspected reincarnated great cultivator made the Sect Master’s eyes narrow.

Normally, a reincarnated great cultivator wouldn’t concern him.

But with Qu Changge involved, he took it seriously.

He worried the man wed her with ulterior motives.

Or perhaps he wasn’t reincarnated at all, but from another power.

The Sect Master noted this, planning to send investigators to monitor and avoid disrupting their grand plans.

Meanwhile, Mo Luo returned to the Blood Sea Sect and reported on Yangming True Lord.

Normally, a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, even reincarnated, wouldn’t draw high-level attention from the Blood Sea Sect.

But if he possessed a quasi-Celestial Treasure, or even a true Celestial Treasure, that changed everything.

“Quasi-Celestial Treasure?”

The Blood Sea Sect Master dismissed the Celestial Treasure possibility outright.

Celestial Treasures were incredibly precious.

In the entire Southern Desolation cultivation world, only Central Domain top powers had them to suppress fate and foundations.

One couldn’t just appear out of nowhere.

Even quasi-Celestial seemed unlikely to him.

Perhaps Mo Luo, after years abroad without major achievements, was exaggerating.

The Sect Master pressed for more details.

“He calls himself the Eastern Emperor, but as far as I know, no legendary great cultivator named Eastern Emperor has appeared in the Southern Desolation in the last thousand years.”

Mo Luo said, still unwilling to believe Yangming True Lord was the Eastern Emperor he knew of.

“Eastern Emperor…” The Blood Sea Sect Master frowned in thought, recalling no such legendary figure in the Southern Desolation.

But the Blood Sea Sect’s archives held many cultivation secrets, even records from beyond the Southern Desolation.

Like the Eastern Sea, Western Desert, Northern Plains.

He knew of a power in the Eastern Sea cultivation realm called the Sun-Moon Star Palace.

Its successive rulers were titled Eastern Emperor!

Yet like Mo Luo, he instinctively rejected the idea.

It seemed too absurd for this man to be the Eastern Emperor of the Eastern Sea’s Sun-Moon Star Palace.

He pondered a moment before asking, “Tell me about his treasure and divine abilities.”

Mo Luo reported truthfully.

“A mirror? Emitting scorching, tyrannical Solar Divine Light!?”

The Sect Master’s heart skipped a beat.

“Wait here!” He vanished from the hall, heading to the scripture repository to scour the sect’s records.

After a while, he found a record on the Eastern Sea: the Sun-Moon Star Palace’s supreme treasure included a mirror.

It could unleash Solar Divine Light to incinerate all things.

“Eastern Emperor…”

The Sect Master murmured the name, his heart filled with shock.

At this stage, even a reincarnated legendary great cultivator wouldn’t concern the Blood Sea Sect much.

But a reincarnated Deity Transformation True Venerable was different.

Even if the chance was slim, he gathered several high-level members to discuss.

“A Deity Transformation True Venerable reincarnated? Impossible!”

“Agreed. Deity Transformation masters wield vast powers. Legends say they can use secret arts to protect a wisp of true spirit and reincarnate willingly. The Eastern Emperor rules the Eastern Sea’s top power, the Sun-Moon Star Palace. If reincarnating, he’d stay in the Eastern Sea, not come to our Southern Desolation.”

“This man must have heard rumors of the Eastern Sea and Sun-Moon Star Palace, using it to bluff!”

“He’s likely from the Daylight Golden Crow Sect. They have a pseudo-Celestial Treasure, the Haoyang Mirror.”

“Makes sense. He could be Old Monster Zhao from the Daylight Golden Crow Sect. That guy’s fond of baiting traps, perhaps luring our people in.”

The Blood Sea Sect elders chimed in, doubting Yangming True Lord was the Sun-Moon Star Palace’s Eastern Emperor.

They suspected this ‘Eastern Emperor’ was a disguised Nascent Soul great cultivator from the Five Grand Mystic Gates’ Daylight Golden Crow Sect, setting a fishing trap.

After all, at Nascent Soul stage, killing a peer was tough.

Many mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivators couldn’t even fully slay early-stage ones.

Late-stage was even harder.

Without elaborate setups and multiple methods, even a Nascent Soul True Lord struggled to kill a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator.

This made righteous and demonic paths resort to schemes to eliminate enemy great cultivators.

Now, with the Blood Sea Sect busy preparing for the Blood Sea Calamity, they were stretched thin.

Losing a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator would derail their plans.

But the matter was grave. Speculation aside, the Blood Sea Sect couldn’t ignore it.

The Sect Master decided to send Mo Luo back to the Northern Region to investigate and monitor Yangming True Lord.

If he wasn’t their suspected Old Monster Zhao or a Five Grand Mystic Gates cultivator—just a reincarnated mid-stage Nascent Soul with a quasi-Celestial Treasure—then the Blood Sea Sect would strike without mercy!

Jin Kingdom.

Five Poisons Sect, Artifact Refining Hall.

Lu Changsheng worked with refiners from Jin Kingdom’s three major demonic sects, replicating the Small Misty Dust Banner.

At the central forge, the Misty Dust Banner intertwined with five-colored lights, linking auras with a palm-sized square banner.

After a long while, Lu Changsheng cast a spell, and both the Misty Dust Banner and the small banner landed in his hands.

“Still a bit off.”

Lu Changsheng gripped the Small Misty Dust Banner, channeling mana to inspect it. Though replicated successfully, this first attempt had flaws, inferior to the Misty Dust Banner’s original sub-banners.

If the distance grew too great, sensing the subtle aura connection would fail, preventing round trips.

“Traveling between Jiang Kingdom and Jin Kingdom should work, but consumption will rise by twenty to thirty percent.”

Lu Changsheng tested the Small Misty Dust Banner with his mana, pondering inwardly.

“And replicating this Small Misty Dust Banner is so difficult. Without me, these folks couldn’t manage it alone.”

Lu Changsheng glanced at the refiners from Jin Kingdom’s three major demonic sects in the hall and sighed inwardly.

Though they were Jin Kingdom’s top refiners,

their skills were limited, barely touching the fourth-rank refiner threshold.

They couldn’t reliably craft spirit treasures or fourth-rank artifacts.

“Sigh, technical talent is just too scarce.”

In this moment, Lu Changsheng deeply realized how rare fourth-rank skills were.

That’s why third-rank skills earned one guest elder status in major powers.

Fourth-rank skills commanded respect even from Nascent Soul True Lords, making one an honored guest in Nascent Soul forces.

They were simply too rare.

Not just in Jin Kingdom.

Jiang Kingdom, Yue Kingdom, Liang Kingdom—all the same.

None had a refiner like him who could steadily produce fourth-rank spirit treasures.

“Even if I train them, turning them into fourth-rank refiners is like climbing to heaven. It won’t happen quickly and demands massive resources.”

These people, being Jin Kingdom’s top refiners, had solid talent.

They mostly lacked top inheritances and practice opportunities.

As long as they served him, Lu Changsheng didn’t mind sharing the refining methods from the Divine Creation Refinement Art.

But pouring huge resources into their practice? Impossible.

Even with his current wealth, he wasn’t that extravagant.

Unless they became fourth-rank refiners, abandoned their own cultivation, and slaved for him forever—only then might he break even, but profiting would be tough.

“Though Jin, Jiang, and Liang-Yue lack fourth-rank refiners, the whole Northern Region has plenty. With my reputation, if I offer enough resources, I can hire them.”

“And why look far? I can just go to the Starry Sea for refiners.”

Lu Changsheng decided to entrust replicating more Small Misty Dust Banners and crafting fourth-rank spirit treasures to Zhenhai Patriarch later.

His Zhenhai Seven Sects surely had fourth-rank refiners.

Even if not ideal, the vast Starry Sea must have them.

With Zhenhai Patriarch’s status, hiring would be easy.

“Indeed, having a power base is key. Handling everything alone is overwhelming.”

Lu Changsheng didn’t just want more Small Misty Dust Banners.

He also planned to use his harvested materials for a fourth-rank robe and weapons for his Brahma Demon True Form.

All that would take years alone, so he resolved to get help.

“Congratulations, True Lord, on crafting the spirit treasure!”

The refiners in the hall, unaware of Lu Changsheng’s thoughts, bowed恭敬ly in celebration.

Though they were masters themselves, assisting here like helpers,

refining with Lu Changsheng had taught them much.

They hoped this True Lord would guide them more.

“You’ve all worked hard these days.”

Though they fell short of his needs, Lu Changsheng respected them.

With a wave, he bestowed rewards, then shared some refining techniques from the Divine Creation Refinement Art’s refining chapter.

“Thank you, True Lord, for the teachings.” They beamed with joy.

At their level, acquiring techniques wasn’t hard; they even had fourth-rank inheritances.

But fourth-rank arts varied in quality.

Lu Changsheng’s methods were profoundly advanced.

“Next, study well and craft these artifacts. If they meet my standards, I’ll guide you further.”

Several artifact blueprints appeared in Lu Changsheng’s hand, which he passed to them.

Though he lacked no artifacts, even spirit treasures,

his wives, concubines, and children still needed them.

So he gave them blueprints for versatile, high-quality artifacts to refine.

“Rest assured, True Lord.”

The refiners accepted the blueprints with respectful nods, ready to study and self-fund the refining.

Though the replicated Small Misty Dust Banner wasn’t perfect,

infused with the Yin Ghost Sect’s earth veins, it sufficed for trips between Jiang and Jin Kingdoms.

And so, after spending half a month with Nangong Mili, Meng Xiaochan, and Yin Yuge, plus some time with his three children, Lu Changsheng entrusted Lu Mengchan’s cultivation and upcoming Core Formation to Ah Youduo, the Nascent Soul True Lord. Then, using the Misty Dust Banner, he returned to Bihu Mountain with Qu Zhenzhen.

After such a long absence, his son Lu Lingxiao and the Holy Maiden of Beast God Mountain had nearly handled Liang Kingdom affairs. Naturally, he wouldn’t delay further, lost in tender comforts.