Chapter Ninety-Eight: Make a Move

Very well. Tianxiong, go and notify all the disciples to gather at the square at once. I will personally go to the rear mountain to invite the Supreme Elder. We will make our decision after everyone has assembled.

Tu Tianxiong acknowledged the order and withdrew to make the arrangements.

Li Zihong said, “Dao Sansheng’s little white bird has been out for three days already, and still not a single message from him has come back. Do you think that fellow has run into trouble in the Purple Cloud Mountains?”

She smoothed the green silk by her ear, then looked up at the sky. Seeing the communication talismans flying chaotically above the sect, she suddenly felt uneasy.

“We’ve been apart from Dao Sansheng for more than a month and a half. He said he was going into seclusion back then, and I believe he’ll be fine. But looking at how the sect has fallen into such a mess now, perhaps something major has happened. I keep feeling that some great event is about to unfold.”

Chao Xiong looked up at the talismans drifting through the sky. Since coming to this place, he had never seen such a scene before. It seemed Forge-Heaven Valley really was facing a major crisis.

“You two, what are you still standing there talking about? Brother Tu Tianxiong has ordered all disciples to assemble in the square. There’ll be a spectacle to watch soon, so why are you still not hurrying?”

After saying that, the young disciple hurried off to notify the others.

Chao Xiong and Li Zihong nodded, then walked together toward the square. Along the way, they saw many disciples hurrying in that same direction.

“You usually stick together with Dao Sansheng, so why has he not come back this time? Have you forgotten this old man who brought him into the sect?”

An elderly man, over fifty and already white-haired, approached from afar and asked as he looked at Li Zihong and Chao Xiong.

“He went to the Purple Cloud Mountains to cultivate. Li Junior Sister and I came back together, so Brother Dao may return a bit later,” Chao Xiong said awkwardly, scratching the back of his head.

“I think this matter is not so simple. You and Li Junior Sister should go down the mountain!”

After speaking, Guo Tianmeng shook his head and muttered to himself.

“All is destiny. Fortune toys with men. Truly, heaven has its own myriad Dao, unfathomable, unfathomable.”

Then he took a swig of wine and, dressed in ragged clothes, staggered toward the square. His steps were unsteady, yet the wine gourd in his hand remained remarkably steady.

“Then what will you do, Elder Guo?”

“I and this Forge-Heaven Valley have long been bound together. I, Guo Tianmeng, would rather die than ever leave Forge-Heaven Valley. Fortunately, I accepted a disciple, and that can be counted as the fulfillment of my final wish.”

Li Zihong and Chao Xiong exchanged a glance, then walked on toward the square. Although they had already heard from Elder Guo that this matter was not simple, once they had entered Forge-Heaven Valley, they were not people who would betray trust or forget righteousness.

In the square, everyone stood in rows according to rank and status, while the inner sect elders also arrived one after another.

At that moment, a middle-aged man and an old man flew over from afar. The middle-aged man was recognized by everyone at once: he was the sect master of Forge-Heaven Valley. But the old man with the long white beard was unfamiliar to all.

A group of inner sect elders bent low and saluted, calling out loudly:

“Congratulations to the Supreme Elder on emerging from seclusion! Congratulations to the Supreme Elder on advancing yet again!”

The old man landed from the air, stroked his beard, and smiled with a nod.

“I only broke through a small bottleneck, and you all noticed it.”

When the Supreme Elder had gone into seclusion, he had already been at the peak of the Core Formation realm. Now that he had emerged, he was faintly on the verge of another breakthrough. That meant he was about to step into the Nascent Soul realm. By then, their Forge-Heaven Valley would no longer be a small sect.

The Supreme Elder smiled until his mouth would not close. Though he said nothing, he was very pleased inside.

“Guo Tianmeng, my nephew, when will you finally break through to the Foundation Establishment realm? I may well be stepping into the Nascent Soul realm soon. You cultivated together with Duan Tianxin, and you are even his senior brother. In the past, you were at the peak of Foundation Establishment, while Duan Tianxin was only at the early Foundation Establishment stage. And now Duan Tianxin is already at the early Core Formation stage, yet you are still at Foundation Establishment.”

The group was chatting amicably, and everything seemed quite harmonious.

“Good, you really did bring everyone over here. Saves me the trouble of finding them one by one. This is my first time visiting Forge-Heaven Valley, and you certainly know how to give me face.”

Zichenyu did not care about anything else and led the men in black robes straight in, just in time to see Forge-Heaven Valley’s people exchanging pleasantries.

“You arrogant brat, Tianxin must have been talking about you!”

After the Supreme Elder spoke, Zichenyu did not even look at him. He merely waved his hand, and the group surrounded the area at once. Steward Liu brought over a stool. Zichenyu sat down on it and looked at everyone present.

“You little brat, others may fear the Zi Clan, but I do not. So what if the Zi Clan has a Nascent Soul ancestor? Our Forge-Heaven Valley is not easy to bully either. I am just about to enter the Nascent Soul realm myself.”

The more the Supreme Elder spoke, the angrier he became. The Zi Clan had always had a Nascent Soul elder in charge, which was why it had long remained the strongest faction on the Wind-Soaring Continent.

“You old fellow, you truly think highly of yourself. This time, it is not only my Purple Immortal Palace, the Zi Clan, and your Forge-Heaven Valley at odds with each other. It is the envoy, Lord Envoy, who is at odds with you. So I can only follow Lord Envoy’s orders and bring people to Forge-Heaven Valley to send you on your way. However, if any of you perform well, I may spare one of you.”

As he finished speaking, Zichenyu extended his hand. No one knew from where Steward Liu produced a teacup and handed it to him. Zichenyu crossed one leg over the other and swayed slightly, utterly at ease.

“Lord Envoy? Could you be speaking of that one who came from the higher realm? Our Forge-Heaven Valley has no old grudge or recent feud with him. Why would he target us? Back then we already agreed to his conditions, yet he broke his oath!”

The Supreme Elder grew more and more agitated. He even yanked out a large handful of his beard without noticing when he had done so.

“That was an agreement with the previous envoy. The current envoy has only just taken office, and I am merely here to carry out my duty. It all depends on how you choose for yourselves.”

Zichenyu spread his hands and looked at the old man opposite him. Then he took the teacup from Steward Liu again and continued drinking, still as leisurely as ever.

“This is outrageous. I’ll fight you all!”

A huge cauldron appeared above Forge-Heaven Valley. It rose into the sky, then slowly grew larger and larger, bit by bit. Mountains, rivers, flowers, grasses, and spirit beasts were carved across its surface. The booming sound from the cauldron forced the disciples below to cover their ears. Three large characters were engraved upon it: the Heaven-Refining Cauldron.

This was the legendary Heaven-Refining Cauldron. It was said that whenever this cauldron appeared, it would tear open immense spatial fissures, which was why it had been given such a name. It was a naturally formed ancient treasure.

It was also the heirloom treasure passed down through Forge-Heaven Valley, and only the Supreme Elder could use it. Each use of the cauldron consumed an enormous amount of spiritual power. Only a Core Formation cultivator could barely manage to operate it, which was why it had always been reserved as the Supreme Elder’s inheritance treasure.

As the great cauldron descended, the sonic attacks grew even more terrifying. The cauldron itself also seemed to expand further and further. Judging by the pressure it exuded, the surrounding space was already being crushed and torn apart; one glance at the falling attack was enough to know how horrifying it truly was.

Seeing this, Zichenyu was also a little frightened. He had never heard that this old man still possessed such a formidable ancient treasure.

Three men in black robes on the ground formed a spell array. Then, in unison, they moved their hands in the same pattern, and a massive spirit shield took shape.

The three of them pointed upward, and the great spirit shield came to rest above their heads, protecting all the men in black robes, as well as Zichenyu and Steward Liu.

The huge cauldron drew ever nearer. The sound waves alone caused the nearby Forge-Heaven Valley disciples to bleed from their ears, yet they had no effect at all upon the great shield. The moment they reached it, they simply dissipated.