Fantasy: I, the Great Celestial Venerable of the Dao

The Black Fiend Valley incident did not subside despite the Qingyun Sect's private clarification.

Instead, it spread like wildfire, growing ever stronger.

The rumors were fueled by Baixiaoge's subtle encouragement and the deliberate exaggeration by certain forces.

As the story continues to evolve and ferment, it has evolved from the initial "suspected existence of a rare treasure" to "Qingyun Sect has secretly taken the treasure," "Dao Xuan's seclusion is actually to refine a powerful treasure," and "Qingyun Sect intends to dominate the region."

Several more inflammatory versions, such as "excluding like-minded people," were also used.

This wind finally reached the ears of the top sects in the Central Continent that truly had Taiyi Golden Immortals in charge.

The first to be unable to contain themselves was the "Heavenly Sword Sect," which was closest to the Qingyun Mountains.

The Heavenly Sword Sect has been established for three thousand years, and its mountain gate is located in the "Ten Thousand Ren Mountains", about three billion miles northeast of Qingyun Mountain.

The sword techniques of this sect are known for their fierce, sharp, and unstoppable nature.

The current sect leader, Ling Juexiao, known as "Lingtian Sword," is a sword expert who has survived two Taiyi Heavenly Tribulations.

His "Heavenly Gang Sky-Piercing Sword Technique" is renowned throughout the Central Continent.

His disciples are mostly unruly individuals who have always considered themselves the orthodox masters of the Central Continent's swordsmanship.

In recent years, the Qingyun Sect has risen to prominence, especially with the emergence of Dao Xuan, who has slain several Taiyi from other races.

His reputation was at its zenith, and he seemed poised to overshadow the swordsmanship of the Heavenly Sword Sect.

This had already made the entire Heavenly Sword Sect quite uneasy.

The rumors about Black Fiend Valley have caused quite a stir within the Heavenly Sword Sect.

They believed this was a good opportunity to suppress Qingyun's arrogance and demonstrate the majesty of Tianjian.

On this day, the atmosphere inside the main hall of the Heavenly Sword Sect, the "Breaking the Sky Hall," was solemn and tense.

Ling Juexiao sat high above, his face as cold and stern as ancient ice, with a sharp sword aura swirling around him, cutting through the air with a hissing sound.

Your Highness, several elders and true disciples stood solemnly.

"Sect Master," an elder with a face as red as a jujube said in a deep voice.

"Qingyun Mountain is now surrounded by wolves, and various forces have gathered because of the 'treasure' in Black Fiend Valley."

Our sect is the closest; if we don't step forward soon, others might seize the opportunity.

This also makes our Heavenly Sword Sect appear timid and hesitant.

Another, younger elder chimed in, his tone tinged with disdain:

"What kind of extraordinary treasure?"

In my opinion, it's probably all just a fabrication.

However, the Qingyun Sect has become too powerful in recent years, and Dao Xuan is even more arrogant.

Whether this rumor is true or false, it is a good opportunity to give Qingyun a warning.

Let them know that the Central Continent cultivation world isn't ruled by the Qingyun family alone!

Ling Juexiao closed his eyes slightly, his fingers slowly stroking the cold hilt of the sword, without immediately expressing his opinion.

A moment later, he opened his eyes, a flash of sword light in them:

Whether or not there are truly extraordinary treasures in Black Fiend Valley is not important.

Importantly, this matter has attracted worldwide attention.

As the host sect and a neighboring major sect, how can our Heavenly Sword Sect stand aside?

Order: Elder Ling Yue, the Third Elder, shall lead ten Golden Immortal disciples and one hundred True Immortal disciples to the outer perimeter of the Qingyun Mountains immediately.

They've moved in under the guise of "searching for rare treasures and maintaining order"!

Remember, observe more, listen more, speak less, but... if the opportunity arises, don't hesitate to speak up.

"We will obey the Lord's command!" His Highness and the others perked up.

Soon, the Heavenly Sword Sect's flying sword streaked across the sky, heading straight for the Azure Cloud Mountains.

Their arrival was like throwing a piece of ice into a boiling pot of oil, instantly triggering an even more violent reaction.

"Look! Even the Heavenly Sword Sect has come!"

"As expected! Even a major sect like the Heavenly Sword Sect can't sit still anymore. It seems the Black Fiend Valley incident is no joke!"

"With the Heavenly Sword Sect leading the way, what are we afraid of? Let's go, follow them and see!"

Many small and medium-sized forces and independent cultivators who were originally somewhat wary of the power of the Qingyun Sect and only watched from afar were also affected.

Their courage was immediately emboldened, and they all moved closer to the Heavenly Sword Sect's group.

The overt or covert pursuit caused a sharp increase in the number of cultivators gathered outside Qingyun Mountain.

A vast, bustling crowd, filled with deafening noise.

With the tacit approval or even covert guidance of the Heavenly Sword Sect.

Several "treasure hunting teams," hastily assembled from various factions, mustered their courage.

They cautiously ventured deep into Black Fiend Valley and conducted several sweeping searches.

The result was naturally nothing, except for a more concentrated Yin energy and some low-level Yin-attribute materials.

Not even a decent remnant of an ancient restriction was found.

The greater the expectation, the greater the disappointment, which in turn transforms into deeper suspicion and resentment.

"There's nothing in the valley! It's completely clean!"

"The Qingyun Sect must have already succeeded and cleaned up the traces!"

"That's right! They have the advantage of being close by, they'll definitely get there first!"

"Damn it! We've gone to all this trouble, only to come all this way for nothing?"

Discontent spread among the crowd.

At this moment, there were Hundred Knowledge Pavilion agents mixed in with the crowd, as well as some who had received benefits from Netherworld Valley or other forces and were eager to stir up trouble.

They began to subtly fan the flames.

"How is the Qingyun Sect's behavior any different from that of bandits?"

"Even if Dao Xuan Zhenren is powerful, he shouldn't deceive his fellow cultivators like this, shouldn't he?"

"Elder Ling Yue of the Heavenly Sword Sect is here. Why not ask the Heavenly Sword Sect to uphold justice?"

"Yes! We beg the Heavenly Sword Sect to uphold justice for us!"

The shouts gradually coalesced into a stream from the crowd, and all eyes turned toward the front of the Heavenly Sword Sect's group.

On the body of the Third Elder, Ling Yue, who had a cold and stern face and carried an ancient sword.

Ling Yue was secretly delighted, but remained outwardly calm as he surveyed the indignant crowd.

He then looked towards the distant, misty, and ever-changing Seven Peaks of Qingyun, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes, and said in a deep voice:

Fellow Daoists, please be patient.

The Qingyun Sect is a prestigious and righteous sect, and Dao Xuan Zhenren is a pillar of our human race. There may be other hidden reasons behind this matter.

However, since all those who share the same beliefs have doubts...

Now that our Heavenly Sword Sect has arrived here, we should ask for clarification to put everyone's minds at ease.

He turned and instructed one of his disciples:

"Go and present my Heavenly Sword Sect's invitation letter, stating that three days from now, this elder will personally visit Qingyun Mountain on behalf of all fellow Daoists to pay respects to the Qingyun Sect members."

We demand a clear explanation regarding the events at Black Fiend Valley!

"yes!"

The visiting card was quickly sent to Qingyun Mountain.

When Wan Jianyi saw the seemingly polite but actually coercive words on the visiting card...

His face was so gloomy it was almost dripping with water.

"The Heavenly Sword Sect... they really have arrived!" Tian Buyi gritted his teeth. "And they claim to 'represent all fellow cultivators under heaven'? What arrogance!"

"They're trying to use this to intimidate us," Zeng Shuchang said, his brow furrowed.

"Ling Juexiao didn't come himself, but sent an elder to lead the charge. He can attack or defend at will. What a clever plan."

Wan Jianyi placed the visiting card on the table and tapped it lightly with his fingers:

"The visitors are not friendly. In three days, it will likely be a tough battle."

Immediately issue an order to the Seven Peaks to strengthen their defenses.

All disciples who are away should return to the mountain immediately.

The sect leader's secluded cultivation area must be protected with three times the usual number of guards; it must not be disturbed in the slightest!

The entire Qingyun Mountain was like a taut bow being slowly drawn, the atmosphere extremely tense.

Three days later, before dawn, the area outside Qingyun Mountain was already pitch black.

Led by Ling Yue, the third elder of the Heavenly Sword Sect, followed by ten Heavenly Sword Sect disciples with sharp auras, the lowest of whom were at the mid-stage of Golden Immortal.