Chapter 634 - 611: Merak Saint Master, Building Momentum

「Merak Sacred Land.」

"Saint Master, this is everything we encountered on our way back from the Purple Void Secret Realm!"

Merak Saintess He Zixuan addressed the man before her. He wore magnificent robes, his hair held in place by a Hair-Binding Jade Crown and a Daoist Pin. He had white hair but a youthful face, and he carried himself with the otherworldly grace of an Immortal. From a distance, he appeared kind and benevolent, but a sharp glint in his eyes betrayed his underlying majesty.

This man was none other than Baili Xun, the Merak Saint Master. His cultivation had long since reached the Transformation Realm, making him an expert of the Martial Saint Level.

The Merak Sacred Land currently revolved around him. He held dominion over the life and death of the entire Grotto Heaven, controlling the destinies of countless ordinary people.

His renown had spread far and wide.

To ascend to their positions, the Saint Masters and Sect Leaders of the major Holy Lands had each defeated countless prodigies on their path to power.

The competition for such a post was fierce. They had to contend not only with rivals within their own Sect, but also with experts from other powers and even established members of the older generation. Only the ultimate victor could claim such a seat and hold sway over the lives of hundreds of millions.

Every Saint Master of a Holy Land was a master of myriad techniques, a figure who completely dominated their generation.

They might appear benevolent and gentle, but in truth, they were ruthless individuals, capable of acting with lightning-fast decisiveness and showing no mercy.

"Hmm."

Merak Saint Master Baili Xun nodded slightly. His voice wasn’t loud, yet it carried clearly to everyone’s ears in the vast hall.

The matter the Merak Saintess reported concerned the Alien Race, so it was of the utmost importance. Most of the Holy Land’s key figures had already gathered, and those who couldn’t attend had sent representatives.

The Merak Sacred Land’s power was immense, its influence spreading far and wide. It held a foothold in all the major Imperial Dynasties, to say nothing of the unclaimed territories where it naturally extended its reach.

The closer a region was to the Merak Sacred Land’s sphere of influence, the more territory the Sacred Land controlled.

The powers within these regions revered the Merak Sacred Land above all, pledging allegiance not to any Imperial Dynasty but only to the Sacred Land itself. This created a unique, semi-autonomous zone.

In truth, the Merak Sacred Land was not unique in this regard. Other major Holy Lands, such as the Supreme Sect and the Celestial Fragrance Sect, operated in the same manner.

Internally, the Holy Land possessed the Free Grotto Heaven, a vast domain accessible only to its members. While some ordinary people lived there, they were invariably the descendants of the Holy Land’s powerful experts. Even those born without Martial Arts Talent could reside within the Grotto Heaven City, thanks to their ancestors’ contributions. Bathed in the rich Spiritual Qi, they could live long, peaceful lives, free from disaster.

Externally, the Merak Sacred Land had Affiliated Forces spread across the various regions of the Taiyu Divine Continent. This network allowed them to gather intelligence from most areas, giving them an expansive sphere of influence.

Although they didn’t meddle in the succession of Imperial Dynasties or their internal affairs, they would actively participate whenever a great opportunity arose, claiming the spoils for themselves. This allowed the Merak Sacred Land to amass an even greater wealth of resources, which they used to cultivate generations of prodigies. By selecting the most suitable youths from each generation, they ensured their Holy Land’s legacy would continue unbroken.

The strong grow ever stronger—this was the guiding principle of the Merak Sacred Land.

For instance, when the Taiyin Heaven appeared in the Great Zhou Imperial Dynasty and the Purple Void Secret Realm manifested on its borders, the Merak Sacred Land had been among the first to receive the news. They had promptly participated, acquiring numerous Cultivation Resources and Ancient Texts. These were all added to the Sacred Land’s reserves, yet they represented only a small fraction of its total accumulation.

With the accumulation of such resources, the Merak Sacred Land naturally grew ever stronger and more prosperous.

"The Emperors of both the Great Zhou and Celestial Wind Imperial Dynasties have already sent missives to the Holy Land requesting aid. Grand Elder, what are your thoughts on this matter?"

The Merak Saint Master turned his gaze to the Grand Elder, who was sitting formally beside him. He posed the question without revealing his own opinion.

"In my view, the Merak Sacred Land must intervene. Dealing with the Alien Race is a duty agreed upon by the ancestors of the Human Race. We cannot allow these aliens to endanger the Taiyu Divine Continent!"

The Grand Elder of the Merak Sacred Land spoke with a sharp gaze, his opening words extremely aggressive.

"However, the Alien Race has many Blood Exchange Martial Saint experts this time. We should contact the other major powers and face this threat together. The Merak Sacred Land cannot bear this burden alone!"

the Grand Elder added.

In short, he was not advocating for immediate, direct action.

The Merak Saint Master’s gaze shifted to the others in the hall.

"I must disagree, Grand Elder. This is a crisis concerning the entire Human Race. How can we afford to wait?"

"We should dispatch a contingent at once. At the very least, we must not allow these members of the Alien Race to escape!"

"Now that they are free from the Secret Realm, the restrictions on them have weakened and much of their Combat Power has been restored. They pose an immense threat!"

"We cannot allow such a threat to fester. If we do, it won’t just be the Great Zhou and Celestial Wind Imperial Dynasties at risk, but the entire Human Race!"

The Second Elder of the Merak Sacred Land directly refuted him.

The Merak Sacred Land was composed of many internal factions, with each person representing different interests. Naturally, this led to a wide range of conflicting opinions.

Also present in the hall were the Peak Masters. With the exception of Liu Xuan from Chiyu Peak, every one of them was a Grandmaster who had completed their first or second Bone Marrow Cleansing, possessing immense Combat Power.

The higher the level of a Bone Marrow Cleansing Grandmaster’s Cultivation, the more time and Cultivation Resources it required. This held true even for a power like the Merak Sacred Land.

Those who could complete the Third Bone Marrow Cleansing were exceedingly rare. The Grand Elder and Second Elder were among this elite group, but taking the next step beyond that was a monumental challenge.

The bottleneck between the Bone Marrow Cleansing Grandmaster realm and the Blood Exchange Martial Saint realm was simply too formidable. Even for a behemoth like the Merak Sacred Land, with its vast trove of Cultivation Resources, breaking through it was incredibly difficult.