The blood boiled eerily at his fingertips, turning into a wisp of black smoke and dissipating.
His brows furrowed tightly.
"Just like last time at Qinglan Sect, but the concentration is ten times greater."
Yun He suddenly pointed to the sky.
"Look!"
The three looked up to see dark red clouds gathering in the previously clear sky, with lightning faintly flashing within, emitting a suffocating pressure.
Changfeng felt the spiritual power within him suddenly become sluggish, as if suppressed by some invisible force.
"We must go!"
Changfeng shouted, and the three quickly soared into the sky.
Just as they left the ground, a blood-red lightning bolt struck the spot where they had stood, evaporating the blood pool entirely.
After reaching a safe height, the three looked back at Five Mountains City in shock.
At this moment, a giant blood-red vortex had formed above the ruins of the entire city, with red lightning constantly descending from its center. Each lightning strike intensified the bloody atmosphere among the ruins.
"We must report to the Holy Master immediately!"
Changfeng took out a purple jade talisman from his pocket, biting his finger to drip blood onto it.
The talisman emitted a blinding purple light, transforming into a luminous bird that flew toward the core direction of Purple Mist Sacred Land.
At the same time, at the highest point of Purple Mist Sacred Land within the "Observing Heaven Pavilion," a white-haired elder suddenly opened his eyes.
The crystal ball before him reflected the tragic scene of Five Mountains City, with the blood-red vortex slowly rotating within.
"Holy Master!"
A disciple ran in hurriedly.
"Senior Brother Changfeng sent an urgent report, Five Mountains City..."
"I already know."
Purple Mist Saint Master raised his hand to stop the disciple, his voice deep and hoarse.
"Send an order to immediately gather all elders in Tianshu Hall for a council meeting. Additionally..."
He paused, a resolute look in his eyes.
"Issue the Heavenly Order to the other six sacred lands."
The disciple’s face changed dramatically upon hearing this.
"The Heavenly Order? But that’s only issued in times of survival crisis for a sacred land..."
"Go quickly!"
Purple Mist Saint Master shouted sharply, and the disciple quickly retreated.
When Purple Mist Saint Master entered Tianshu Hall, all thirty-six elders had already gathered.
The atmosphere in the hall was so heavy it nearly solidified; everyone was silent, only the candle flames flickered uneasily.
"Everyone."
Purple Mist Saint Master approached the main seat without sitting down.
"You all must already know about the situation in Five Mountains City. This is not an isolated event but a sign of heaven’s imbalance."
A red-faced elder pounded the table and stood up.
"Holy Master, your words are mistaken! The incident in Five Mountains City is strange, but how can we easily speak of heaven’s imbalance? Purple Mist Sacred Land has stood for three thousand years, what storms haven’t we weathered?"
"Elder Zhao, please calm down."
Another female elder rose slowly.
"Since the Holy Master speaks in this manner, there must be evidence. Doesn’t the Holy Master remember the incident at Tianlan Sacred Land a century ago?"
The hall immediately erupted. The mention of Tianlan Sacred Land seemed to touch a taboo, making several older elders visibly uncomfortable.
Purple Mist Saint Master nodded slightly.
"Elder Qingyin has hit the point. A century ago, Tianlan Sacred Land also faced similar natural disasters, with countless casualties. But later..."
He glanced around.
"Gu Sheng emerged out of the blue, and the disasters at Tianlan Sacred Land suddenly stopped."
"Is the Holy Master implying..."
Elder Qingyin’s voice trembled.
"These disasters are related to the Heavenly Dao Marriage Certificate? With that legendary Heavenly Dao Curse?"
Before Purple Mist Saint Master could answer, commotion erupted outside the hall.
A disciple stumbled in, his face pallid.
"Report— the six sacred lands have responded; they... they’ve also encountered similar natural disasters!"
This news was like a heavy hammer striking everyone’s heart. Purple Mist Saint Master closed his eyes, opening them again with resolve.
"Issue my command, hold the Seven Great Sacred Lands meeting in Starfall Valley in three days to discuss countermeasures. Additionally..."
His voice lowered.
"Intensify the search for Gu Sheng, remember, capture him alive."
While Purple Mist Sacred Land descended into chaos, a thousand miles away from the core of the sacred land, above Qinghai Lake, two figures leisurely flew with the wind.
"Gu, are you sure this road is safe?"
Ling Xiao stood cautiously on a green flying sword, inspecting his surroundings.
"This is already the heartland of Purple Mist Sacred Land."
Gu Sheng’s brows furrowed tightly, his blue robe fluttering loudly in the wind.
"I know time is pressing, but robbing someone else’s treasure..."
"Hmph!"
Ling Xiao sneered coldly, interrupting him.
"The Cultivation World is, after all, survival of the fittest. How do you think those renowned sects rose to power? They climbed up over the corpses of others!"
Gu Sheng remained silent, his gaze turning to the distant, rolling Cloud Sea.
How could he not understand this principle? But the concept of "cultivation starts with cultivating the mind," instilled in him by his master since childhood, was like a thorn piercing his heart.
"Without an appropriate treasure as a price, we can’t even enter the gate of the Descending Immortal Realm."
Ling Xiao’s voice deepened, tinged with allure.
"Think about the opportunities inside, it might allow us to break through to the Heavenly Palace Stage in one fell swoop."
Gu Sheng finally nodded slowly.
"...Alright, but we’ll only target those who’ve committed countless evil deeds."
Ling Xiao’s lips curled into a satisfied smile.
"That’s more like it! Let’s go, it seems someone is coming up ahead."
The two concealed their presence, hiding behind a cloud layer.
Before long, a pair of young man and woman flew over on a Flying Sword. The man was around his early twenties, with a firm expression, while the woman was petite and delicate, with a touch of innocence in her eyebrows and eyes.
"Brother, can we really enter the Purple Mist Sacred Land?"
The young woman’s voice was crisp, carrying a hint of unease.
The young man gently patted her head.
"Don’t worry, the Clan Leader has given us the Qingluan Feather, a legacy of the tribe for thousands of years. We will definitely pass the test. The hope of the entire tribe rests on us, and we must not fail."
Hearing this, Gu Sheng’s finger trembled slightly. This pair of siblings was carrying the hope of their entire tribe. If they robbed them of their treasure...
"It’s them!"
Ling Xiao’s eyes gleamed.
"That Qingluan Feather is a good thing, and it suits us perfectly."
"Wait!"
Gu Sheng grabbed Ling Xiao, who was about to make a move.
"Didn’t you hear? They’re the only hope of their tribe!"
Ling Xiao impatiently shook off his hand.

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