The one who spoke of reopening the sect gates was none other than the Holy Master of the Taixuan Holy Land, Geng Yiyang.
A Supreme Being who had stepped into the Tongxuan Secret Realm ten thousand years ago was now just one step away from the Immortal Tribulation Realm.
He appeared ancient, with hoary-hair, a hunched back, and skin that had lost its luster, dry as dead wood, covered with the scars left by the years.
Even True Immortals have a lifespan limit, let alone Pseudo-Immortals. Geng Yiyang's Life Origin was nearly exhausted.
Upon his declaration, the grand hall fell into silence.
The death of Fang Jiong, naturally, angered many of the elders.
But reopening the sect was not an easy task. The structure of the four dominating powers in the Southern Region had already been established; Taixuan's move to reopen the sect gate was akin to demanding a share of the spoils.
The initial decision to close the sect came from the combined suppression by the other Holy Lands. Now, ten thousand years later, within the Holy Lands, the younger generations had no pillars of support, leaving only a bunch of old-timers gasping for air.
If not for the lingering protection of their ancestors, the legacy of the Divine Fire, and the miraculous Taixuan Divine Fire Scripture, the Taixuan Holy Land would have fallen long ago.
Those Holy Lands, after ten thousand years of growth, had already solidified their foundations. At this moment, any attempt to intervene would be too late.
"Reopening the sect is not a matter of impulse. My lifespan is nearing its end, and I need to find someone to pass on the 'Flame Aura Dragon Flame'."
Geng Yiyang swept his gaze over many elders and spoke slowly:
"This mission from the Immortal Alliance is an opportunity. If we can use this man to exchange for two Superior Immortal Bones from the Martial Hall and find a Fire Spirit Body, Taixuan's revival is hopeful."
"We rely entirely on the Holy Master's judgment."
The elders in the hall all bowed in agreement. As the oldest existence in the Taixuan Holy Land, no one dared to oppose Geng Yiyang's opinions.
Moreover, Taixuan Holy Land's current situation indeed was perilously critical, lacking successors.
"In any case, we need to first ascertain the cause of Fang Jiong's death. We cannot let the death of an elder who underwent the Divine Infant Seven Transformations pass without any explanation."
"If it is the doing of the other Holy Lands, we must pursue this matter to the end!"
"Please, Holy Master, issue the order. I am willing to go to the location of Fang Jiong's demise and investigate thoroughly!"
Various elders spoke one after another, eager to take action, using Fang Jiong's death as an excuse to emerge from the sect gates.
Geng Yiyang shook his head, his slightly murky eyes igniting with fire: "This time... I will go myself."
Whoever killed Fang Jiong must belong to the Tongxuan Secret Realm. Facing a Pseudo-Immortal, sending more cultivators from below the Tongxuan Realm would be futile, like adding fuel to the fire, useless in essence.
As Taixuan Holy Land was shaken by the death of Fang Jiong, Tai Xu Holy Land was also stirred into a huge uproar.
Even for such an ancient Holy Land, losing a peak powerhouse who had achieved the Divine Infant Seven Transformations was somewhat unbearable.
Most Saint Heirs would not necessarily be able to grow to this stage without incident.
Furthermore, Ling Qi was quite young and was seen as a future hope to aspire to the Tongxuan Realm; now, he died inexplicably.
A Pseudo-Immortal from Tai Xu Holy Land took action, deducing the Heavenly Dao, wishing to find the cause of Ling Qi's death.
After several days of effort, the only outcome derived was a vast expanse of blazing fire, with no trace of any other living beings' aura.
Before Tai Xu Holy Land could respond, another decree from the Immortal Alliance arrived, urging the grand Holy Lands of the Southern Region to expedite their search for the man.
In just a few days, the deviation of the Heavenly Dao Laws had increased, nearly doubling.
In today's Cangyun Realm, the efficiency of cultivating the Immortal Path had already dropped to less than ninety percent of its original levels.
This ten percent decrease in efficiency affected tens of thousands of Immortal Path cultivators.
Under the original cultivating efficiency, a cultivator with Lower Quality Immortal Bone could painstakingly cultivate for a lifetime and might, at the end of their life, have a chance at Soul Condensing, thus extending their lifespan.
But now, this opportunity had become even more elusive.
Under immense pressure, Tai Xu Holy Land soon took action, reinforcing their team by sending out a Pseudo-Immortal and two elders who had undergone the Nine Transformations of Divine Infant, rushing to the last region Ling Qi had visited.
As Tai Xu Holy Land sprang into action, news of Ling Qi's death leaked out, causing great turmoil within Phantom Spirit Sect and Night Light Pavilion.
As the envoy monitoring intersct wars, the impact of Ling Qi's death was undoubtedly massive.
The stance of Night Light Pavilion reversed, showing no intention to cede the previously agreed upon five countries. Even within the sect, Divine Infant Cultivators began to stir, gradually becoming active, testing the attitude of Tai Xu Holy Land.
Now that Ling Qi, holding the Battle Pact, was dead, the power of the previous alliance agreements naturally weakened considerably. Night Light Pavilion already harbored the ambition to strike with the force of a thunderstorm, marshaling the full power of the sect to utterly annihilate Phantom Spirit Sect.
As for the turmoil between the two sects, Tai Xu Holy Land did not interfere at all. Compared to the troubles concerning the cultivators of an entire realm, disputes between two minor sects were insignificant, barely worthy of attention.
Phantom Spirit Sect Outer Sect.
In a corner, several Outer Sect Disciples gathered, whispering among themselves.
The news of the demise of Tai Xu Holy Land's envoy spread quickly; within just a few days, it was known to everyone within Phantom Spirit Sect.
Wei Changqing put down the Spirit Grass he was holding, squatted to one side and listened, recalling the person he had met when he first entered the sect. He was momentarily lost in thought.
"That person... is dead..."
Recalling Ling Qi's appearance, Wei Changqing's eyes inexplicably reddened, tears streaming down uncontrollably, as if harboring a belly full of grievances, yet without a way to voice them.
Outer Sect Disciples were already tasked with many menial chores. Coming from a background with no backing, he inevitably faced oppression and lived a difficult life.
Previously, Senior Brother Fu had looked after him, but for some reason, during these recent days, even Senior Brother Fu, who had been very close, started distancing himself from him. He had no idea what he had done wrong.