"Brother, how did I fare?" Wu Yijun approached him with her sword in hand. She was a natural beauty, and years of martial training had granted her a warrior’s charisma. Approaching the age of fifteen, she had blossomed into a young lady.
"Not bad at all," Wu Yuan replied with a smile. "Swordsmanship begins with simplicity, progresses to complexity, and ultimately returns to simplicity. After three years of practice, you have mastered the basics of the Thirteen Sword Styles. This is your first set of sword techniques, correct?"
"Yes," Wu Yijun nodded. "Instructor Zhao mentioned that at my current pace, I have the potential to become a first-rate Adept before I reach twenty."
The one training Wu Yijun was none other than Zhao Baifan. After consuming a Redwood Spirit Fruit, she had already become a Savant expert.
Wu Yuan couldn't help but smile. A first-rate Adept? If Wu Yijun's physique continued to develop at a normal pace, her constitution should rival that of a first-rate Adept by eighteen. And as long as she grasped the basics of the Power Surge skill, she could reach the base strength of a first-rate Adept.
However, Wu Yuan wasn’t too satisfied with his sister's rate of progress. That was because he had given his sister a Purplewood Spirit Fruit to strengthen her soul. Without having to spend much time tempering her body, along with a competent instructor to provide her guidance, she would never stray from the correct cultivation path. Hence, her progress from ten years of practice should easily rival that of an ordinary person who had trained for 30 years.
"Good, keep working hard," Wu Yuan encouraged her with a smile. "It appears our family is destined to produce a renowned sword saintess."
Deep down, Wu Yuan knew he couldn't expect too much from his sister. Unlike Fang Xia, Wu Yijun wasn’t a genius. In fact, she was less talented than Bu Yu or Huan Jian. Nevertheless, she was set on the right path from a young age. With his guidance, if she continued to work hard, there was hope for her to become a qi refiner in the future.
Suddenly, a deep and slightly urgent voice echoed in Wu Yuan's mind. "Master! Master! Something has happened." It was the voice of Qiong Sea King, his spirit beast.
The power of their blood gu contract allowed them to communicate through telepathy. Even if they were separated by vast distances, they could speak to each other via spirit transmission as long as their souls were strong enough.
While conversing with his mother and sister, Wu Yuan inquired in his mind, "What’s the matter?"
"The Huang Temple has been destroyed! Deity Huang is dead!" Qiong Sea King conveyed the shocking news. "Creatures from the devil’s lair have reached the surface! A powerful being at the Spiritual Body phase has emerged in the Huang Continent."
A flicker of astonishment passed through Wu Yuan's eyes. The Huang Temple was destroyed? Deity Huang was a lesser-known figure among mortals but famous among Heavenly Rankers, an individual on par with beings like Jin Quan and Wan Xing. Yet, he was dead? More importantly, a Spiritual Body powerhouse was born? Devil’s lair? What in the world was going on?
Just as Wu Yuan pondered over these questions, a figure descended from the sky and landed in the square. It was The Rain Hierarch, Bu Yu.
“Wu Yuan,” she greeted.
“Rain Hierarch,” Wu Yuan returned the greeting.
"Ancestor Yu?" Wu Yijun and Wanqin were both surprised to see one of the sect’s leading figures.
Bu Yu gave Wu Yijun and Wanqin a slight nod, then looked at Wu Yuan. "The Wu Sect has sent a message. An urgent Middle Land Immortal Hall Conference is to be held. A major event that could affect the survival of the entire Middle Land has occurred, and the Huang Temple has been nearly eradicated."
"Oh?" A hint of seriousness flashed in Wu Yuan's eyes.
First, Qiong Sea King reported the news to him, then the Wu Sect sent the sect a message?
"The ancestor has already proceeded to the jade chamber," Bu Yu continued. "The Wu Sect would like to ask if Senior Wan Liu will be attending the conference."
Wu Yuan's eyes narrowed slightly. Wan Liu? The Wu Sect, which controlled the core of the Middle Land Immortal Hall voidrealm, could communicate with any Heavenly Ranker through their hall jades. But after the last Middle Land Conference, Wu Yuan voluntarily relinquished ownership over his hall jade. Naturally, he could no longer receive messages from them, thus the Wu Sect could only communicate with him through Fang Xia and Bu Yu.
"Let's meet Ancestor Fang Xia first," Wu Yuan said softly.
Swoosh! Swoosh! The two instantly turned into streaks of light, leaving Archeldritch Mountain and heading towards Cloudhill.
"Mother, Little Yi, have a rest on the mountain for now. I'll be back soon," Wu Yuan said before he left.
Wu Yijun and Wanqin were both stunned when the two left.
"Mother, is Brother...flying?" Wu Yijun's eyes widened, both shocked and thrilled.
"It seems so," Wanqin could barely speak from the shock.
"Heavenly Ranker! Mother! Only Heavenly Rankers can fly," Wu Yijun exclaimed in awe, "Big Brother has become a legendary Heavenly Ranker."
Wanqin was dumbstruck. All along, she thought that her son had just become a Grandmaster. A Heavenly Ranker? That was a land deity!
She began to understand why her son always avoided discussions of marriage. How could any mortal match up to a deity?
As Bu Yu and Wu Yuan hurried to their destination, Qiong Sea King continued to transmit information to Wu Yuan. "Master, Black Jiao King came to visit me. According to him, the devil's lair..."
Wu Yuan listened in silence. Having perused several immortal slips, Wu Yuan possessed a vast wealth of knowledge. Through Qiong Sea King's description, he swiftly pieced together a great deal of valuable information.
Devils! As Wu Yuan compared the creature being described with what he knew of devils, his heart grew heavier. The gravity of the situation became clear. Of course, the exchange between Wu Yuan and Qiong Sea King was confined to words. For now, they couldn't confirm whether the situation had reached truly catastrophic levels.
I just hope it hasn’t. Wu Yuan sighed inwardly.
They quickly arrived at the jade chamber situated beneath Cloudhill. Fang Xia and Huan Jian were already present, their expressions grave.
"Ancestor, what exactly has happened?" Wu Yuan asked with concern.
Fang Xia's solemn gaze met Wu Yuan's, uncertainty shadowing his features. "We are not entirely certain. All we know is that Deity Huang has fallen, along with Han Cheng. The fate of the other Heavenly Rankers of the Huang Temple remains unknown," Fang Xia explained. "However, some Heavenly Rankers should have survived. Sang Gu has been dispatched to the Wu Continent to seek reinforcements."
Wu Yuan nodded faintly, absorbing the information.
Han Cheng was the only other publicly known late-stage Qi Sea cultivator from the Huang Temple apart from Deity Huang. Now, they were both gone.
"Old Fang, Qiong Sea King has reached out to me. He is with Black Jiao King," Wu Yuan transmitted his voice into Fang Xia's mind. "According to his account, I suspect that it may be a worm devil." No one other than Fang Xia knew about the connection between Qiong Sea King and Wu Yuan.
"A worm devil?" Fang Xia was taken aback. He was utterly clueless about such a creature.
"Ancestor, I wish to enter the Middle Land Immortal Hall," Wu Yuan said straightforwardly. "Let’s listen to what Sang Gu has to say."
"Very well," Fang Xia nodded in agreement.
Bu Yu and Huan Jian didn’t have any objections. The four of them swiftly activated their hall jades, infusing it with their Soul Force.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Wu Yuan, Fang Xia, Bu Yu, and Huan Jian materialized in the voidrealm. However, they did not find themselves within their personal halls. Instead, they appeared directly within a majestic hall. A jade platform immediately materialized beneath each of them, allowing them to take their seats without delay.
They’ve sent us directly to the Conference Hall? Wu Yuan and Fang Xia exchanged a look, sensing that things were not as simple as they appeared. It was clear that the Wu Sect didn’t wish to waste a single moment.
More than 40 Heavenly Rankers are already present. Wu Yuan, clad in a black robe, surveyed the expansive hall. This was his first time setting foot in the Conference Hall. During his previous visit to the Middle Land Immortal Hall, he had departed just before the commencement of the Middle Land Conference. As a result, he was unfamiliar with the layout of the Conference Hall.
To his surprise, Wu Yuan and Fang Xia's jade platforms were situated in the front row while Bu Yu and Huan Jian materialized in the third row, a clear indication that the Wu Sect had arranged their placement based on their strength. In the first row were other peak powerhouses such as Zhao Xing, Niu Hao, Rong Le, and the Arctic King. Naturally, the imposing figure of Qiong Sea King was also seated among them. He opened his massive eyes and shot Wu Yuan a look.
Without any change in expression, Wu Yuan silently reassured Qiong Sea King.
“Senior Wan Liu has arrived!”
The appearance of the Cloudstride Sect’s Heavenly Rankers ignited a wave of discussion that swept through the Conference Hall. Almost all heads turned.
"Senior Wan Liu," Emperor Dong Pan, wearing black armor, took the initiative to greet him. “With your presence, I can finally say we have some measure of confidence to tide over this crisis.”
"Since this matter concerns the Middle Land, I may know a thing or two. If I can be of assistance, I shall offer my aid. However, whether I will take action is another matter entirely." Wu Yuan's voice rang out, cool and detached.
The Emperor Dong Pan nodded fervently. “Of course, we are already grateful that Senior has graced us with your presence. In just a moment, we will project all the intelligence Daoist Sang Gu has brought us onto the screen. If Senior has any insights, we hope to seek your guidance."
Wu Yuan responded with a slight nod. With that, he closed his eyes, entering a state of meditation.