I'm in Yellow Maple Valley, and I have one equipment slot!

"Brother Zhou, the opening ceremony is such a grand event, Nanlong is late! Please forgive us!"

Just as the guests were toasting and laughing, and the atmosphere in the square was in full swing.

One with a strong voice.

A hearty, unrestrained laugh suddenly rolled in from the distant horizon.

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound.

In the western sky, a dazzling light shone, and a group of about twenty people, all late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators, dressed in uniform golden spirit armor and exuding a powerful aura, were speeding towards Xingyi Mountain.

The chariot was gilded and inlaid with jade, and the curtains were woven from rare "ice silk," fluttering gently in the wind.

It exudes nobility and luxury.

Such a grand display and such a spirit beast mount are rare sights in the cultivation world of Tiannan.

Many knowledgeable cultivators had already guessed the identity of the newcomer.

The carriage slowly descended at the edge of the square. The curtain was lifted, and a middle-aged man with a dignified face, three long wisps of beard, and a tall and straight figure, dressed in a purple brocade robe, stepped out.

It was none other than the Marquis of Nanlong, who was equally renowned among the rogue cultivators of Tiannan and who had escaped after exploring the Cangkun Ruins with Zhou Yuan and others several years ago!

After several years, Marquis Nanlong had a ruddy complexion and a deep breath, clearly indicating that the serious injuries he suffered on the Mulan Grassland had been healed.

"Your Excellency's presence is an honor; I have failed to greet you properly. How can you say I am late? Please, have a seat!"

Zhou Yuan stood up, a sincere smile on his face, and personally greeted them off the platform.

Although everyone had their own agendas during the trip to Cangkun's former residence, Marquis Nanlong was a man of integrity.

Even at the last moment, he didn't stab us in the back; Zhou Yuan remembered this "friendship" as a colleague.

"Brother Zhou, you're too kind!"

Marquis Nanlong strode over, cupped his hands to Zhou Yuan, and nodded to Wei Wuyai, Tianhen Laoguai, and others on and off the platform. His gaze swept over the guests and members of the Ascension Sect gathered in the square, and his eyes flashed with admiration.

He then proclaimed loudly, "Brother Zhou, you have established your own sect and become a powerful figure in this region, truly a model for us independent cultivators! I, Hou, have come today for two reasons: first, to offer my congratulations, and second... to shamelessly inquire whether Brother Zhou's Ascension Sect is lacking an elder to guard the sect and run errands? If you do not mind, I, Hou, am willing to bring my men to join Brother Zhou's sect and contribute to its great achievements!"

His words were loud and clear, echoing throughout the square.

Immediately, the room erupted in discussion!

Marquis of Nanlong!

This is a veteran mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivator who has been famous for hundreds of years. He is incredibly powerful, and although his status among the rogue cultivators of Tiannan is not as high as that of Tianhen Old Monster, he is definitely among the top.

He even took the initiative to suggest it.

Want to join the newly established Ascension Sect?

Zhou Yuan, the Heavenly Hatred Old Monster, and the Marquis of Nanlong!

The Ascension Immortal Sect will have three mid-Nascent Soul cultivators!

Moreover, Zhou Yuan and Tianhen Old Monster are both recognized as top combat forces in the mid-Nascent Soul stage.

Even in the late game!

The Marquis of Nanlong was no ordinary man.

The high-level combat power of this newly established sect is already comparable to or even surpasses that of many established first-class sects!

Like the Ghost Spirit Sect, they now only have one Nascent Soul mid-stage Soul Shattering True Person and two or three Nascent Soul early-stage True Persons.

The rise of the Ascension Sect is simply unstoppable!

Many guests looked at Zhou Yuan with a more complex expression, a mixture of awe, envy, fear, and a desire to befriend him.

Zhou Yuan was also slightly taken aback, not expecting the Marquis of Nanlong to be so direct.

But he reacted quickly, his smile widening as he reached out to support him: "Your Excellency is too kind! Your Excellency's willingness to join us is an honor for our Ascension Immortal Sect, and I, Zhou, could not have asked for more! From this day forward, Your Excellency will be a Supreme Elder of our Ascension Immortal Sect, on par with Fellow Daoist Tianhen! The affairs of the sect will require your continued attention!"

"Good! Brother Zhou is straightforward!"

Marquis Nanlong was overjoyed. He had always harbored the intention of attaching himself to a powerful figure and leveraging the influence of the Ascension Sect to develop his power. Now that Zhou Yuan had shown him such respect by directly granting him the position of "Supreme Elder," placing him on par with the Heavenly Hatred Old Monster, a position of great prestige, the last trace of hesitation in his heart vanished. He solemnly bowed to Zhou Yuan, saying, "From now on, Nanlong will certainly do his utmost to protect the lineage of my Ascension Sect!"

"Greetings, Sect Master!"

The more than twenty golden-armored guards behind him also knelt down on one knee in unison.

"Alright! Please rise, everyone!"

Zhou Yuan was in a good mood.

He ordered that more seats be prepared immediately and invited the Marquis of Nanlong and his men to take their seats.

The atmosphere in the square became even more enthusiastic, with congratulations and compliments filling the air.

The Ascension Sect was thriving and attracting powerful figures to join it.

It left a deep impression on all the guests.

However, just as the guests and hosts were enjoying themselves and the celebration reached its climax, a barely perceptible stream of pale golden light silently passed through the faint spiritual light barrier above the square.

It landed precisely in Zhou Yuan's hands.

It is a small transducer talisman.

Zhou Yuan remained expressionless, and under the guise of raising his cup to drink, he subtly probed into it with his divine sense.

The next moment, Han Li's slightly hurried and solemn voice rang out directly in his sea of ​​consciousness:

"Senior Brother Zhou, this is Han Li. I had already arrived in Dongyu Kingdom, intending to congratulate you on your founding ceremony. However, near Black Wind Valley, about four hundred miles from the main peak of Xingyi Mountain, I unexpectedly discovered several mysterious, sinister-looking black-robed cultivators lurking. Judging from their cultivation methods, they are extremely similar to the Yinluo Sect demonic cultivators I encountered at the border! They seem to be secretly spying on Xingyi Mountain and have set up concealment formations. I am worried that they might be detrimental to you and the Ascension Sect, so I am currently keeping a low profile and not daring to alert them. Please be extra cautious, Senior Brother!"

Yinluo Sect! It really was them!

It seems my earlier intuition was right; these guys haven't given up their evil intentions, and their ambitions are far from small!

Han Li was alert; he discovered them in advance and had been keeping an eye on them.

A cold glint flashed in Zhou Yuan's eyes.

He still wore a warm smile, chatting and laughing with Wei Wuyai, Tianhen Laoguai, Nanlonghou and others beside him.

Yet, a murderous intent already filled his heart.

On this auspicious day of establishing our sect, these scoundrels from the Yinluo Sect dare to peek outside the gate with ill intentions. If we don't wipe them out with thunder, how can we establish our authority?

How can we deter those treacherous villains who secretly covet our territory?

He calmly drank the spirit wine in his cup in one gulp, then put down the cup and slowly stood up.

The once noisy square gradually quieted down because of his action.

All eyes were focused on the newly appointed sect leader.

Fellow Daoists,

Zhou Yuan's voice rang out calmly, yet it possessed a strange penetrating power, clearly reaching everyone's ears:

"Today marks the opening of our Ascension Sect. I am deeply grateful for your kind invitation and the long journey you have taken to us. On this auspicious day, I... would like to invite you all to enjoy a good show, as a way to add to the festive atmosphere of our Ascension Sect!"

Watching a play? Adding to the festivities? The guests looked at each other, puzzled.

Wei Wuyai, Tianhen Laoguai, Nanlonghou and other Nascent Soul cultivators felt a chill in their hearts, sensing something unusual from the murderous intent that was faintly revealed beneath Zhou Yuan's calm tone.

Before he finished speaking, Zhou Yuan's figure blurred, and he transformed into a golden-blue streak, soaring into the sky without the slightest hesitation, shooting towards the west of Xingyi Mountain!

It moved so fast that it left only a faint afterimage of lightning in the air.

"Where...where is Sect Leader Zhou going?"

"Watch a play? What play?"

"Could it be that the enemy has invaded?"

A wave of astonishment swept through the square.

Wei Wuyai and Tianhen Laoguai exchanged a glance, and without hesitation, they also immediately mounted their escape lights and followed Zhou Yuan.

After a slight hesitation, Marquis Nanlong gave an instruction to the golden-armored guards behind him, and then transformed into a streak of purple light to follow.

Other Nascent Soul cultivators who came to witness the ceremony could not contain their curiosity and stood up one after another.

In an instant, streaks of light appeared in the sky above Xingyi Mountain, accompanied by the whooshing sound of air being torn apart, causing the lower-level cultivators and guests below to crane their necks in anticipation.

For Zhou Yuan now, a distance of several hundred miles is but a short while.

Black Wind Valley is a remote and treacherous valley with perpetual miasma and few human presence.

At this moment, in the shady corner of a secluded mountain peak, five figures shrouded in wide black robes, exuding a chilling aura, were hiding within a makeshift concealment array.

The formation isolated their aura and most of their spiritual energy fluctuations, making them extremely difficult to detect unless one deliberately probed.

The leader, his figure concealed in a black robe, his face obscured, exuded a profound and abyss-like spiritual pressure, imbued with a dense ghostly aura, clearly indicating he had reached the late Nascent Soul stage! It was none other than Sect Master Fang, the Sect Master of the Yin Luo Sect!

Beside him stood an old man in black robes, whose aura was equally strong and who had reached the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm. He was the fourth elder of the Yinluo Sect.

The other three were at the early stage of the Nascent Soul realm. One of them was petite and appeared to be a woman. Her gaze toward Sect Master Fang was filled with worry and affection; she was his Daoist partner.

"Strange...why did Zhou Yuan suddenly head in our direction?!"

The fourth elder, who was in the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm, suddenly changed his expression and whispered.

Although his cultivation was inferior to that of Sect Master Fang, his divine sense was quite sharp, and he vaguely sensed the terrifying aura rapidly approaching from afar.

"What? He discovered us?"

"How is this possible? The 'Concealment Formation' we set up is a fragment of an ancient formation. Even a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator would find it difficult to detect without careful searching! Moreover, this place is more than four hundred miles away from the main peak of Xingyi Mountain!"

A black-robed cultivator at the early Nascent Soul stage asked in surprise.

The eerie green light beneath the hood of the sect leader flickered violently, and he was equally shocked.

He wondered how the enemy could have found him so precisely, given the secrecy and careful planning of his mission.

Unless... the other side already knew, or there was an inside agent? No, impossible!

"Could he truly be able to foresee the future? Or is it that one of us...?"

Sect Leader Fang swept his cold gaze over the people around him, but found nothing unusual.

Just as the Yinluo Sect members were filled with doubt and uncertainty—

"call out!"

A golden-blue lightning bolt appeared in mid-air in front of the mountain where they were hiding, as if by teleportation.

The lightning subsided, revealing Zhou Yuan's calm and composed figure.

His gaze was like lightning, piercing through the simple concealment array's radiance and locking onto the five members of the Fang Sect Master at the array's core.

"Fellow members of the Yinluo Sect, now that you've come to the territory of my Ascension Sect, why hide yourselves and engage in such petty theft?"

"Why don't you show yourself and let me, Zhou, fulfill my duty as host?" Zhou Yuan's voice came calmly, but it carried a cold sarcasm.

"It really is him! He really did find out!"

The last glimmer of hope in the hearts of the Yinluo Sect members was shattered.

"Walk!"

Sect Leader Fang acted decisively, letting out a sharp shout and raising his hand to tear apart the formation so he could escape with his men.

The plan was exposed, the enemy came prepared, and a large number of Tiannan cultivators from Xingyi Mountain were on their way. Staying to fight head-on would not be a wise move.

However, he was fast, but Zhou Yuan was even faster!

Just as Sect Master Fang raised his hand, the escape lights of Wei Wuyai, Tianhen Old Monster, Nanlong Marquis, and others arrived one after another behind Zhou Yuan.

Further away, the figures of more than ten Nascent Soul cultivators from the Hehuan Sect, Taizhen Sect, and other sects in the southern region could also be vaguely seen, having already surrounded this area.

"You demonic brats of the Yinluo Sect! It really was you!"

Wei Wuyai recognized Sect Master Fang at a glance. Back then, at the foot of Tiantian City, this man had joined forces with Divine Master Mulan to kill many cultivators from Tiannan.

Enemies meeting are bound to be filled with hatred.

"The people of Mulan have already made peace, yet you still dare to sneak into the heart of my southern territory, acting suspiciously and plotting something sinister. You're simply courting death!"

The other four members of the Yinluo Sect turned pale and panicked when they saw themselves surrounded by more than a dozen Nascent Soul cultivators from the Southern Heaven, including a powerful cultivator like Wei Wuyai. This was a situation that the five of them could not possibly withstand.

"metropolitan!"

The female cultivator in black robes, Sect Master Fang's Daoist partner, called out urgently, her voice filled with worry.

"Fourth Elder! Take the three of them and evacuate immediately! Return to the Great Jin! Our sect will cover their retreat!"

Sect Master Fang's voice was hoarse but resolute as he instructed the fourth elder, who was in the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm, beside him. He knew that it was impossible to escape unscathed today, and someone had to risk their life to cover their retreat.

"Sect Master! No!"

The Fourth Elder and the female cultivator exclaimed in surprise at the same time.

"That's an order!"

Sect Master Fang roared, and black energy erupted from his body, unleashing a terrifying pressure far exceeding that of ordinary late-stage Nascent Soul cultivators, attempting to intimidate everyone and create an opportunity for his subordinates to escape.

"Leave? Today, none of you will leave."

Zhou Yuan's voice rang out coldly, his killing intent as tangible as a physical threat, locking onto Sect Leader Fang: "You have been lurking and spying outside my sect with ill intentions. If I let you leave, how will my disciples and friends ever have a peaceful day?"

"Fellow Daoist Wei, Fellow Daoist Tianhen, Fellow Daoist Nanlong, please take care of those four rats. This Sect Master Fang, please hand him over to me, Zhou."

"Sect Leader Zhou, rest assured, none of these little devils will escape!"

Wei Wuyai sneered, exchanged glances with Tianhen Old Monster and Nanlong Marquis, and the three of them moved in a triangular formation, instantly blocking all the escape routes of the four Yinluo Sect cultivators.

The remaining Nascent Soul cultivators from Tiannan who arrived also tacitly set up a second encirclement around the perimeter to prevent anyone from escaping.

"Zhou Yuan! You've gone too far!"

Seeing that his retreat was completely blocked, the sect leader's eyes flashed with ferocity, knowing that the only way out was to fight to the death.

He let out a fierce roar and slammed his hand on the top of his head. A long triangular banner, entirely black, engraved with countless painful and distorted ghost faces, its surface tattered yet exuding a terrifying aura, flew out from above his head and swelled in the wind.

The black banner quickly grew to several meters in size!

"Thousands of ghosts devour the sky!"

Master Fang made a hand seal with both hands.

In an instant, the cries of ghosts and wolves resounded throughout the heavens and earth! The long black banner moved without wind, spewing out thick, ink-black ghost energy. Within the ghost energy, countless hideous ghost shadows, skeletons, and vengeful spirits rolled, roared, and bared their fangs and claws.

The black mist, carrying a terrifying and sinister power that corrodes the soul and defiles magical artifacts, surged towards Zhou Yuan like a black tide of death!

Wherever it went, vegetation withered, rocks eroded, and even the light seemed to be swallowed up.

This is none other than the Yinluo Sect's most prized treasure, the "Ghost Banner"!

Judging from its power, it must have refined countless souls; it is utterly evil.

"Evil spirits and heretics, how dare they act so violently?"

A hint of disdain flashed in Zhou Yuan's eyes.

Faced with the boundless ghostly energy and myriad ghosts that were devouring him, he didn't even move a step; he only moved his mind.

"Clang clang clang clang—!"

A series of crisp, resounding sword cries, seemingly capable of cleansing the world of all filth, suddenly echoed through the sky!

Seventy-two dazzling golden sword lights, imbued with the most yang and powerful thunderous aura, erupted suddenly from Zhou Yuan's body like seventy-two small suns, soaring into the sky!

Seventy-two Green Bamboo Bee Cloud Swords!

It's all mixed with Geng Jing!

Made primarily from Golden Thunder Bamboo! It possesses an innate and ultimate restraint against Yin and evil demonic energy!

"Great Geng Sword Formation, activate!"

Zhou Yuan shouted in a low voice, his sword techniques changing like lightning.

"Buzzing—!"

The seventy-two flying swords instantly arranged themselves according to a mysterious trajectory, their energy interconnected, and their golden light surged, transforming into a giant three-dimensional sword formation covering an area of ​​hundreds of feet, woven from countless condensed golden sword lights!

Within the sword formation, the Geng metal energy raged, and fine golden exorcising lightning danced and flickered between the sword lights, emitting soft "crackling" sounds, purifying the approaching evil spirits.

"What?! Seventy-two flying swords?! And all of them are Golden Thunder Bamboo flying swords?!"

In the distance, Han Li, who had just flown out from his hiding place and reunited with Zhou Yuan, saw this scene and his pupils shrank sharply.

His face was filled with disbelief and shock!

He also cultivates the Azure Origin Sword Technique and possesses the Azure Bamboo Bee Cloud Sword, and is well aware of the difficulty and power of incorporating Geng essence and setting up a sword formation.

Senior Brother Zhou had quietly refined all seventy-two flying swords into Geng essence, forming a complete version of the Great Geng Sword Formation!

This power...

Han Li only sensed the terrifying sharpness and aura of warding off evil from the sword formation from afar, and his heart pounded with fear. His longing for the complete version of the Great Geng Sword Formation reached its peak.

Wei Wuyai, Tianhen Laoguai, and the others also showed expressions of surprise.

Although they knew that Zhou Yuan's swordsmanship was divine, this was the first time they had seen him unleash this complete sword formation at full power, and its might far exceeded their expectations!

"go!"

Zhou Yuan pointed his sword at a point.

"Whoosh whoosh whoosh—!!"

The Great Geng Sword Formation suddenly activated!

Countless golden sword lights, like divine punishment swords that have come to life.

Carrying the purifying and exorcising divine thunder, it crashed headlong into the boundless ghostly aura.

"Hiss hiss hiss hiss—!!!"

Like a red-hot iron placed into ice and snow, or like sunlight dispersing darkness.

The extremely yang and powerful exorcising thunder, which is specifically designed to counter yin and evil, produced a terrifying annihilation effect when it came into contact with the extremely yin and evil ghosts and vengeful spirits!

Wherever the golden sword light passed, the dark ghostly energy seemed to have encountered its nemesis, emitting a violent "sizzling" sound as it rapidly dissipated and evaporated.

Those hideous ghosts, skeletons, and vengeful spirits, upon contact with the golden sword light or the leaping divine lightning, let out extremely mournful howls. Their souls were instantly pierced, torn apart, purified, and turned into wisps of green smoke and dissipated!

The ghostly energy emanating from the Myriad Souls Banner, though seemingly powerful, was easily torn apart and purified like paper before the dazzling golden and lightning-filled Great Geng Sword Formation!

In a single exchange, the terrifying, boundless ghostly aura was shattered into pieces by the sword formation, and the wailing of the myriad ghosts quickly faded away.

"puff!"

Sect Leader Fang let out a muffled groan, his eyes filled with horror and resentment.

His Ghost Banner is incredibly powerful.

Having refined countless souls, even the magic treasures of cultivators of the same level can be corrupted and eroded.

Who would have thought that someone would be so restrained?

This Golden Thunder Bamboo Flying Sword and the Evil-Repelling Divine Thunder are simply the natural nemesis of his Yinluo Sect's techniques!

Under such restraint, he could only unleash half of his full power.

It was extremely frustrating.

Zhou Yuan's attack had only just begun.

The sword formation operated continuously, with countless golden sword lights surging like waves, one higher than the next, sweeping towards Chairman Fang Zong.

The evil-repelling divine lightning contained within the sword light was like a persistent affliction, constantly eroding his protective demonic light and the spirituality of his magical artifacts.

Sect Master Fang roared repeatedly and summoned several more demonic treasures, some for defense and some for attack.

He even unleashed several powerful demonic abilities.

However, under the terrifying, all-pervasive, and all-powerful offensive of the Great Geng Sword Formation, all his methods seemed pale and powerless, and he was forced to retreat step by step, his protective demonic light swaying violently.

Wounds, caused by sword energy, began to appear on his body. Although they were not deep, the attached evil-repelling divine lightning caused him excruciating pain.

"No! This boy's flying swords are too effective against me! The power of his sword formation also far exceeds my expectations! A prolonged battle will surely result in defeat, and I might even perish here!"

The more Fang Zongzhu fought, the more alarmed he became.

The more they fought, the more desperate they became.

Zhou Yuan's strength was even more terrifying than he had expected, especially the complete Great Geng Sword Formation, which, with the blessing of the Evil-Repelling Divine Thunder, was simply a nightmare for a demonic cultivator like him!

Escape! We must escape immediately!

While Wei Wuyai and the others were being held back by the Fourth Elder and his group, a glint flashed in the eyes of Sect Master Fang.

He suddenly bit the tip of his tongue.

He spat out another mouthful of blood essence onto the Ghost Banner in front of him, whose luster had dimmed considerably, while simultaneously rapidly forming hand seals with both hands.

"Blood Escape! Ten Thousand Ghosts Clear the Way!"

The Ghost Banner trembled violently.

The remaining ghost faces on the banner let out a final, mournful shriek and exploded with a deafening roar!

It transformed into a thicker, dark red blood mist with a pungent, bloody smell.

The figure of the sect leader was completely submerged.

The churning blood mist temporarily blocked the surrounding golden sword light from attacking it.

At the same time, an extremely fine line of blood silently shot out from the blood mist.

The bloodline shot out hundreds of feet away in an instant at an astonishing speed in a certain direction!