Chapter 680: Three Months of Secluded Cultivation

“I was unaware of your strength before, which is why I tried to hunt you. But you could have easily escaped, yet you insisted on fighting me. Were you deliberately exposing your position? What is your real purpose for entering this grotto-heaven?”

Batulu’s suspicion was spot on.

Mu Qingfeng had deliberately engineered the current situation. He needed many people gathered in one place to deal with Ji Lingxiao and contend for the Central Palace Array Hub.

Allowing Batulu to hunt Martial Artists indiscriminately, or letting the Martial Artists kill each other, would both be detrimental to his plans.

But Mu Qingfeng obviously wasn’t going to admit it. He said with a serious expression,

“This time, in addition to Ji Lingxiao, another formidable foe has appeared in this grotto-heaven: Xiu Chen. Both I and Brother Batu need allies. We really shouldn’t be suspicious of one another. Rest assured, Brother Batu. Before the Central Palace Array Hub is activated, I will certainly help you form your Demon Core.”

“Fine! I’ll trust you one more time!” Batulu said, then vanished into the nearby mountain forest in a flash.

…

「The Kun Palace Array Hub, in the southeast.」

Ji Lingxiao, who was sitting cross-legged on a stone platform, suddenly looked up and gazed far to the north.

A look of shock appeared on his exquisitely beautiful face as he murmured,

‘The Kan Palace is to the north, its Array Hub founded on frigid water. To think someone could actually break through the Kan Palace Array Hub and seize the Array Banner!

‘Demon Cultivators have powerful physiques, but with their Demonic Power suppressed, their strength is greatly diminished. They shouldn’t be capable of this.

‘Could it be that Innate Realm Expert?

‘That person must have comprehended the True Intent of Heaven and Earth!

‘It seems this trip to the grotto-heaven has finally produced someone worthy of my attention. My Lingxiao Sword Intent needs an expert to act as a whetstone for my next breakthrough!’

…

「A hidden canyon, in the southeast.」

The members of the Loose Cultivator Alliance gazed toward the Kan Palace in the north, expressions of shock on all their faces.

Of the three alliances, the Loose Cultivator Alliance was the weakest, and its members were the least united.

Consequently, its members were the most sensitive to any changes within the grotto-heaven.

“The Kan Palace Array Hub has been breached! To think Young Master Xiu Chen’s power is so immense!”

said Dong Yu, a pair of Golden Rings hanging from his waist, his face a mask of astonishment.

Although he was a Loose Cultivator, he had a faint grasp of the True Intent of Heaven and Earth. His strength was the greatest among the members of the Loose Cultivator Alliance, making him its de facto Chief.

“Indeed,” said Nangong Wentian, who stood nearby. He wore a blue Daoist Robe and carried a longsword on his back. His tone was cold.

“If he weren’t so powerful, the four from my Taiyi Sect would never have met such a fate!”

The others remained silent. Lei Zong, completely shrouded in a black cloak, wore an expression that was grave in the extreme.

Lei Zong was a Steward of the Blood Moon Sect, and his strength was actually comparable to Dong Yu’s.

As the Loose Cultivator Alliance’s scout, he had witnessed Xiu Chen’s pursuit of Ning Hao from a distance, and the memory still sent a chill down his spine.

Lei Zong had no intention of speaking, but Dong Yu turned to him and asked gravely, “Brother Lei, you once mentioned that this Young Master Xiu Chen hails from one of the great Noble Families of the Central State. How credible is that information?”

Lei Zong thought for a moment before replying, “I was hidden at the time and overheard some members of the Dali Alliance speculating about it. I was quite skeptical myself. However, thinking about it now, Young Master Xiu Chen does have an extraordinary, unfathomable aura, as deep as an abyss and as vast as the sea. He truly carries himself like the scion of a great Noble Family.”

“Hmph!” Nangong Wentian snorted. “Brother Lei, you’re exaggerating. This Xiu Chen fellow probably just has a Yellow Tier Spiritual Artifact that an elder gave him. He’s just showing off by relying on it!”

He didn’t mention Profound Tier Spiritual Artifacts because they were far too precious; even Puncture Realm experts rarely possessed one.

“Now, now…” Dong Yu waved his hand dismissively. “Brother Nangong, you’re mistaken. Ning Hao is the Divine Son of the Kunlun Divine Palace, and he also wielded a Yellow Tier Spiritual Artifact, the Sun and Moon Mirror Light Sword. Yet even he couldn’t breach the Array Hub. From this, we can see that Young Master Xiu Chen’s strength far surpasses Ning Hao’s. We absolutely cannot afford to be careless! If we encounter this Young Master Xiu Chen in the future, it would be better for the Loose Cultivator Alliance to befriend him. What does everyone think?”

The group of Loose Cultivators readily agreed, nodding in assent.

The members of the Taiyi Sect and the Blood Moon Sect, however, remained silent.

After all, Xiu Chen had killed so many people from their two sects. A grudge had long been formed, and befriending him now would be unconscionable.

But they also lacked the courage to make an enemy of him.

After a long pause, Lei Zong said in a heavy tone, “Xiu Chen is too powerful. The Blood Moon Sect has no desire to provoke him further.”

Nangong Wentian exchanged a look with the other two Taiyi Sect Stewards before saying lightly, “Do as you see fit, Brother Dong. However, when the Central Palace Array Hub is activated, I hope all of you will stand with the Taiyi Sect and help Ji Lingxiao secure it.”

Dong Yu quickly smiled. “But of course. And I imagine Young Master Xiu Chen won’t make an enemy of Ji Lingxiao, either.”

…

On a hillside, the members of the Sutra of Ultimate Alliance had also gathered, gazing into the distance toward the Kan Palace.

“Interesting,” Su Boguang said faintly. He was dressed in white and held a Peach Blossom Fan, a sharp light glinting in his eyes.

Beside him, Su Qiluo and Su Nishang looked rather solemn.

All three shared the surname Su. However, Su Boguang and the twins, Su Qiluo and Su Nishang, were not siblings. The surname “Su” had been bestowed upon them by their shared master.

Due to their shared Martial Dao lineage, their combined combat strength was immense.

Adding to their strength were a host of Sutra of Ultimate Sect Stewards, an Inner Sect Disciple named Fan Jinhua, and several recruited Jianghu Wanderers.

The Sutra of Ultimate Alliance had no fear of Ji Lingxiao and stood a good chance of contending for the Central Palace Array Hub.

Su Qiluo said, “Could this legendary Young Master Xiu Chen be that mysterious Innate Realm Expert?”

Su Boguang shook his head. “According to our intelligence, Young Master Xiu Chen is not yet thirty. It’s impossible for him to be an Innate Realm Expert.”

Su Qiluo grew even more shocked. “In that case, doesn’t that mean Young Master Xiu Chen’s Martial Arts Power far surpasses Ning Hao’s?”

Su Boguang replied, “That doesn’t seem right either. Ning Hao was already quite formidable, relying on his Yellow Tier Spiritual Artifact, the Sun and Moon Mirror Light Sword.