Chapter 678: Top 10 Divine Gates: Divine Power Sect

True Monarch Qinghuang’s gaze swept across the many experts gathered. “Very good,” he said slowly. “Now that everyone is here, I’ll be brief. The position of Peach Blossom Village Chief is extremely important to our Star Sect in the Ten Thousand Mountains. To hold this position, one requires not just seniority, but also sufficient cultivation and the corresponding abilities. All of you Vice Village Chiefs and Mountain Lords present meet these criteria. Unfortunately, there is only one seat!”

“No matter who I give it to, the rest are bound to be dissatisfied. Thus, we will follow tradition and hold an ancient trial. The mission is clear: each of you will lead an army to assist my Shaoyang Stronghold in attacking the Golden Light Demon Country. You will rely on your own abilities. The Golden Light Demon Country has thirty-one cities; whoever conquers the most Demon Cities will become the next Peach Blossom Village Chief. This will also be revenge for the previous Peach Blossom Village Chief!”

“What? Attack the Golden Light Demon Country?”

The expressions of all the Cave Masters who had rushed over—and even some of the Martial Arts Strongmen who were purely there as spectators—changed drastically.

The Golden Light Demon Country was one of the overlords of this vast region.

Behind it stood the Golden Crow Fire Clan, one of the Twelve Royal Families under the Demon God Temple.

‘Are they preparing for an all-out war with the Demon God Temple?’

The faces of the various Mountain Lords turned grim.

Even the two Vice Village Chiefs wore frosty expressions, as if they could already see mountains of corpses and a sea of blood drifting toward them.

“This is going to be a disaster!”

“Yeah, attacking the Golden Light Demon Country? It’s one of the six great Demon Kingdoms; they won’t be easy to deal with. I hear the Golden Light Demon Monarch is a Sixth Rank Great Saint! Under him are the Twelve Demon Marshals, each a Quasi-Saint at minimum. Some are even Ancient Demon Kings who have already attained the Saint Dao!”

“Besides, this will have widespread repercussions. The other five great Demon Kingdoms won’t just stand idly by!”

“But this trial is truly something else. We’re talking about conquering cities and seizing territory, not just some solo mission of sabotage and assassination!”

“That’s right. The Golden Light Demon Country has thirty-one great cities, each one as formidable as the capital of an Upper Grade County in our Domain of All Stars. It’s teeming with Demon Race experts!”

Several Cave Masters were left speechless.

Normally, it was the six great Demon Kingdoms that held the upper hand. They counted themselves lucky if the Demon Race didn’t attack their Cave Mansions.

‘Attack the Demon Cities!’ Qin Feng’s gaze fell. It was obvious he was at a disadvantage in this kind of competition.

‘True Monarch Qinghuang said we would each lead an army.’

‘But he never said we couldn’t bring our own forces.’

‘And right now, I’m basically a general without an army!’

Evidently, the other Mountain Lords had realized this as well, and their eyes glinted with amusement.

“Looks like a certain someone is already out of the running.”

A Cave Master sneered under his breath.

Many resented the fact that a mere Cave Master like Qin Feng was even allowed to compete.

It was only natural.

‘We’re all Cave Masters, so what makes you so special?’

These experts had weathered countless storms to achieve their current status, each undertaking an extraordinary climb to the top.

To be put on equal footing with a young upstart was galling enough. Now that he possessed a privilege they themselves did not, their dissatisfaction grew even stronger.

The entire Peach Blossom Stronghold was in an uproar.

Eleven tokens flew down from Qing Mu.

Qin Feng caught one of them. It had a matte, special texture in his hand, as if it corresponded to the stars in the sky.

“These are Star Soldier Tiger Talismans. Each of you gets one. With this talisman, you can mobilize ten thousand Star Soldiers. Of course, to prevent conflicts among you, Shaoyang Stronghold has designated specific routes of attack. Anyone who deviates from their route will be deemed to have automatically forfeited their right to inherit the Village Chief position!”

True Monarch Qinghuang’s eyes carried a stern warning, and a grim silence instantly fell over the entire Peach Blossom Stronghold.

It was like the dead of winter.

True Monarch Qinghuang’s meaning was clear: he wanted a fair competition, not one where they sabotaged each other.

This declaration greatly disappointed many who had been looking forward to a dramatic spectacle.

‘It’s only exciting when they start fighting amongst themselves!’

Only a small minority knew that this drama would not unfold chaotically. In fact, because of the rules, it would become even more thrilling.

“Alright, I hereby announce that the contest for the Village Chief’s seat begins now! As for the end date, it will be the day the Golden Light Demon Capital falls! In other words, whoever fights their way to the Golden Light Demon Capital first will be the next Village Chief!”

As his voice faded, True Monarch Qinghuang vanished in a flash of cyan light.

The various Mountain Lords sprang into action, scattering like tornadoes and disappearing in an instant, leaving the area empty.

Atop a tall building, Yang Qin toyed with the Tiger Talisman in his hand as he looked at Chimo. “Junior Martial Uncle Chimo, it looks like we won’t be able to deal with Qin Feng this time?”

Chimo’s gaze was icy as he let out a cold laugh. “Yang Qin, you’re wrong. This is the perfect opportunity! I will handle this myself. You stay out of it!”

Yang Qin looked startled. “Don’t tell me, Junior Martial Uncle, you plan to…”

Chimo sneered. “This time, not only will I make sure he’s hopelessly bogged down in the Golden Light Demon Country, but I’ll also use his pathetic life as a blood sacrifice for my second brother!”

「A short while later, inside Ancient Origin Cave, Tongling Stronghold.」

“Attacking Demon Cities!” Ye Ding laughed.

Hua Zixu met his gaze, and they both saw the amusement in each other’s eyes.

At the same time, the Netherworld Crow Kingdom received three special guests.

Inside a tavern, a young man knelt before three powerful figures. “Venerables, this disciple has already ascertained the whereabouts of the man who killed the young master!”

‘The young man was inwardly shaken as he looked at the three experts before him. He never imagined the sect would dispatch three such formidable figures.’

‘In terms of power, these three were not the least bit inferior to his so-called master!’

“Lingyangwei. I hear your status within the Star Sect is quite high. You’re a Direct Disciple of the Medicine King Hall Master and a Half-Step True Inheritance disciple. I also heard you nearly became a full True Inheritance disciple this time. It seems the great effort our Divine Power Sect spent to rejuvenate you, perform Bone Tempering and Marrow Cleansing, and plant you in the Star Sect was not in vain!”

A sharp glint flashed in the young man’s eyes as he kowtowed once more. “I, Lingyangwei, will never forget the sect’s kindness! I am but a wedge driven into the Star Sect, ready to lay down my life for our sect at any moment!”

“Good. For a moment, I thought you had forgotten the Divine Power Sect,” one of the experts sneered. “You’re a smart man. You should be well aware of the sect’s methods. Don’t entertain any thoughts you shouldn’t. Unless absolutely necessary, the Divine Power Sect does not abandon its own.”

Lingyangwei broke out in a cold sweat and said in a panic,

“Yes! I dare not forget the Divine Power Sect’s centuries of teachings!”

“That’s for the best. Don’t be so nervous. We are only acting this time at the request of our little junior sister, which is why we’ve temporarily activated you. Now, tell us. Where is this person?”

“He is in Fubo Cave at the Peach Blossom Stronghold, located in the Golden Crow Battlefield within the Ten Thousand Mountains. You Venerables have arrived at the perfect time. He is just about to lead troops to battle against the Golden Light Demon Country!”

At the mention of that person, Lingyangwei’s eyes filled with resentment.

“I implore you three Venerables, you must eliminate him! He is not only the murderer of Young Master Xuan Wuji but also a stumbling block impeding this disciple’s future!”

Lingyangwei gritted his teeth. “I was eighty to ninety percent certain I would be the next to lead the Medicine King Hall, but this brat appeared out of nowhere and interfered! It’s because of him that I’m now in this awkward position and had to come to the Barbaric Battlefield!”

The three Venerables exchanged a look, a cold glint in their eyes. “Rest assured. He killed our little junior sister’s son. He’s a dead man walking. You have nothing to worry about.”