Starting as a Grandmaster, all of my cultivation techniques are at max level.

Just as Xia Jin left Great Xia and headed to the Lieyang Dynasty.

The highest mountain in the territory of the Lieyang Dynasty is the Misty Peak.

The clouds and mist that never dissipate swirl and surge here, making it impossible to see the summit even when standing halfway up the mountain.

At the summit, an unremarkable gray-blue Taoist temple stands quietly amidst the sea of ​​clouds. If one doesn't look closely, the three large characters "Qingfeng Temple" on the plaque might be overlooked.

Inside the main hall of the temple, two figures sat cross-legged on two prayer cushions.

These two are the greatest source of strength that has enabled the Lieyang Dynasty to maintain its position as one of the two hegemons of the Central Region: Master Ziyang and Master Xuanming of Qingfeng Temple.

"Senior brother," Master Ziyang on the left said, his gaze falling on a large yellow dog that was dozing at his feet.

He casually picked up a piece of dried meat from the jade dish beside him and tossed it into the ceramic bowl in front of the big yellow dog. "You know, those two 'old fogies' in the Great Qian Imperial Palace, and that Wolf Lord of the Northern Frontier... why did they suddenly join forces to attack my Lieyang? Could it be... that they've discovered some treasure?"

Sitting opposite him was Master Xuanming, whose eyelids were slightly lowered and whose white eyebrows almost reached his ears. Upon hearing his junior brother Master Ziyang's words, he trembled almost imperceptibly.

After a long while, he slowly opened his eyes.

"Who knows what kind of cooperation conditions they reached in private to join forces! But according to the news from over there, it might be because of Lu Tiancheng's... fall." Master Xuanming shook his head and said thoughtfully.

"To be able to kill Lu Tiancheng near the Great Qian Heavenly Imperial City without alerting the 'Black and White Ghosts' within the Imperial City... the person who made this move is no ordinary person. If fate allows, this old Daoist would like to get to know this fellow Daoist."

Master Ziyang looked at his senior brother opposite him, his brows furrowing slightly. He picked up another piece of dried meat and tossed it out: "Senior brother, you and I generally know the backgrounds of those who have reached the Land Immortal Realm in the Eastern Xuan Continent. There are those who can defeat Lu Tiancheng! But to kill him near Tianyu City without being noticed by those Black and White Demons..."

"Aside from the black dragon in the Blackwater Swamp and the two demonic beasts, the Flame Bird in the Southern Volcano, and now that you and I are working together, there are no more than three other terrestrial immortals capable of achieving this."

"But the remaining few have long since gone into seclusion, no longer concerned with worldly affairs. It couldn't have been them who did it, so it must have been someone else!"

"The others!?" Master Xuanming's gaze fell on the three sticks of incense burning quietly on the altar, and suddenly a sharp glint flashed in his eyes.

"Junior brother, have you perhaps forgotten the Tianqi Continent beyond the Eastern Xuan Continent?"

"Tianqi Continent? Senior Brother, do you think the person who killed Lu Tiancheng came from Tianqi Continent?" Master Ziyang was taken aback, remained silent for a moment, and then shook his head. "Impossible. Between Tianqi Continent and Dongxuan Continent, one must cross the 'Valley of Immortality.' The gales there have been ceaseless for eternity, and anyone below the level of a Land Immortal will die upon contact; even for those of our level, attempting to cross it would be a perilous situation with nine out of ten chances of survival."

"Furthermore, in our hundreds of years of life, we've only ever met one person from the Tianqi Continent. Besides, Lu Tiancheng rarely leaves the Central Region; how could he possibly have formed a deadly feud with a powerful figure from the Tianqi Continent?"

"Therefore, I believe that those who killed Lu Tiancheng were most likely still from my Eastern Xuan Continent..."

"Is that so?" Master Xuanming withdrew his gaze from the incense and looked back at Master Ziyang. "If it is truly as you guessed, then there is only one possibility! The Azure Lotus Secret Realm! Someone entered the Azure Lotus Secret Realm and came out safely."

"The Azure Lotus Secret Realm!?" Master Ziyang was somewhat puzzled, but then, as if he had thought of something, his expression suddenly changed. "Even with our abilities, we can force our way into the Azure Lotus Secret Realm! But once we're inside, getting out safely will be as difficult as ascending to heaven."

"But it's not absolutely impossible, is it?" Master Xuanming said calmly.

"The Azure Lotus Sword Immortal was a peerless genius, unparalleled in his era. The Azure Lotus Secret Realm... is rumored to contain his insights left behind after breaking through to a realm beyond the terrestrial immortal!"

"You should know what that means!"

"Senior brother, do you mean that they might have guessed that the person who killed Lu Tiancheng had entered the Azure Lotus Secret Realm? This time, they joined forces to try and find out what's going on in the Azure Lotus Secret Realm!" Master Ziyang's breathing became slightly rapid. The big yellow dog at his feet seemed to sense his fluctuations, raised its head, and let out a low whimper.

"That's right!! This Azure Lotus Secret Realm happens to be within the territory of my Blazing Sun Dynasty. If it were just the Black and White Old Ghosts, with the two of us here, they wouldn't have dared to casually intrude into the Blazing Sun Dynasty. That's why I guessed that this time they joined forces with the Wolf Lord of the Northern Frontier!"

Master Xuanming slowly stood up and looked towards the north.

"Let's go, the two of us, to see that Wolf Lord. What we said earlier was ultimately just our speculation. But if it's true... since they can join forces with the Wolf Lord and direct their attacks at our Blazing Sun, we might as well do the opposite, join forces with the Wolf Lord, and turn the tables on Great Qian!"

"Alright, then the two of us will make the trip!" Upon hearing this, Master Ziyang's eyes flashed with a sharp light.

He patted the head of the big yellow dog at his feet, "Be a good watchdog and don't be greedy and miss the appointed time."

The big yellow dog seemed to understand him, let out a soft "woof," rubbed against his palm, and then lay down again, its ears perked up as it watched the two of them go.

The two brothers exchanged a glance, and the next moment, the prayer mat was empty, with only the smoke from the three sticks of incense in the hall slightly disordered for a moment.

......

The northern border where the Lieyang Dynasty and the Daqian Dynasty meet.

On the edge of a steep cliff, a middle-aged man with disheveled hair sat casually, holding a whole takin hind leg covered in blood in his hand, tearing and chewing it in large bites.

Even as blood trickled down between his fingers, he seemed completely unconcerned.

This person is the Wolf Lord, who is revered as a totem by the three kingdoms of the Northern Frontier!

Beside him, a young man silently handed him a leather bag filled with wine. The Wolf Lord took it and tilted his head back to gulp it down.

"Master," the young man said slowly as he saw him pause, "this time, our alliance with the Great Qian Dynasty to attack the Blazing Sun Dynasty... is it truly for the legendary 'Azure Lotus Secret Realm'?"

"Xiao'er! Do you think that's possible? Your master's brain isn't fried." Upon hearing this, the Wolf Lord chuckled and casually threw the cleanly gnawed leg bone off the cliff.

"Those two old Taoist priests from Qingfeng Temple are not so easy to deal with. Moreover, those two are very cunning in their actions!" He clapped his hands, then took the wine flask and took a sip.

After letting out a burp, he wiped the wine stains from the corner of his mouth and sneered, "Although that old black-and-white ghost of Daqian is very strong, even if he joins forces with me, he may not be able to do anything to those two old Taoist priests."

"In that case, why do you think I would do something so thankless?! I believe that once the news of the alliance between the three kingdoms of the Northern Frontier and the Great Qian spreads, those two old Taoist priests will soon come knocking on our door!!"

"Hahahaha!!" The Wolf Lord stood up, his dark green pupils seeming to brighten even more.

The young man beside him seemed thoughtful, but still somewhat skeptical. "Master, are you sure... that the two True Immortals of Qingfeng Temple, Ziyang and Xuanming, will come to us seeking cooperation, as you predict?"

"Just watch, Xiao'er. In three days, at most three days, they will come..."