Lower Realm · Immortal Spirit Holy Land · Heavenly Alliance Grand Hall.
The atmosphere inside the magnificent, solemn hall was grave.
The core Elders of the Heavenly Alliance had all gathered, seated on jade thrones arranged on either side of the great hall.
Each one possessed a profound aura, representing the absolute authority of top powers in the Xuan Ying Continent or the Holy Land itself.
Xiao Chen sat upon the Alliance Leader's throne at the very top, dressed in dark Alliance Leader robes, his features composed, his gaze deep, commanding respect without anger. Han Yu, Ji Lingxiu, Lu Xiaoluo, Chen Xingcai, Li Hanzhou, and others were all in their places.
At the entrance, light and shadow shifted as Jiang Che's figure hurried in. Today his complexion was excellent, his brows carrying a hint of newlywed contentment, but his eyes remained sharp and clear. He quickly stepped forward, offering a slightly apologetic bow to Xiao Chen at the top, a barely perceptible smile at the corner of his lips.
Seeing this, the corner of Xiao Chen's lips also lifted almost imperceptibly, a trace of understanding and teasing in his eyes, then without a sound he signaled with his gaze for Jiang Che to take his seat.
Jiang Che quickly settled into his position, and the last trace of subtle movement in the hall quieted.
Xiao Chen's gaze swept across the assembly. Seeing everyone present, he gave a light cough, his clear voice instantly drawing all attention:
"Today I have summoned all Elders to discuss a matter of great importance concerning the future safety of our Xuan Ying Continent—follow-up strategies for the Bu Zhou Mountain blockade."
At these words, many Elders in the hall showed traces of gravity and reminiscence in their eyes.
Ten years ago, the Heavenly Alliance had undergone many trials before finally completely unifying the Xuan Ying Continent, ending the long-standing fragmentation and warfare. But unlike the iron-fisted rule of the former Great Zhou Immortal Dynasty, the Heavenly Alliance under Xiao Chen's leadership was more like a community of interests and deliberative alliance composed of various major sects and noble families, with the Immortal Spirit Holy Land at its core.
Unless matters threatened the safety of the entire continent or involved major public interest, the Heavenly Alliance would not excessively interfere in the internal affairs of each sect and family, granting them extremely high autonomy.
This relatively relaxed and tradition-respecting approach to governance greatly eased contradictions during the integration process. After ten years of development, many powers that had initially harbored doubts or even resistance had now become the Heavenly Alliance's staunchest supporters.
The "blockade" Xiao Chen spoke of originated from a rather peculiar event that occurred shortly after the integration was completed ten years ago, an event that ultimately caused a tremendous uproar.
At that time, a young man from a first-rate sect called the Flowing Cloud Sword Sect in Central Prefecture, covered in disarray and with an outraged expression, came to the Heavenly Alliance headquarters and struck the "Grievance Drum." He wasn't suing external enemies—he was suing his own sect!
With tears streaming down his face, he accused his Master and the sect Elders of acting increasingly biased and strangely in recent years, unreasonably favoring a junior martial brother who had entered the sect later, channeling all quality resources to him, and even repeatedly suppressing him without cause. Even more devastating to him was that his childhood sweetheart and dao companion to whom he was long betrothed had, for unknown reasons, become as if possessed, prioritizing that junior martial brother in everything while growing increasingly cold and distant toward him.
He had appealed and argued multiple times, even asking the sect Elders to mediate justice, only to be scolded for being "narrow-minded" and "jealous of talent." In utter despair and with nowhere else to turn, he had thought to seek help from the newly established Heavenly Alliance, hoping they would rule on his departure from the Flowing Cloud Sword Sect to find another path.
This matter caused quite a sensation at the time. Internal sect strife wasn't uncommon, but such an extreme and illogical case was truly rare. When the matter was reported to Xiao Chen, it immediately aroused his high alert.
He immediately dispatched an elite team led by Han Yu from the Law Enforcement Hall to secretly investigate Central Prefecture.
The investigation results were alarming—the Flowing Cloud Sword Sect's situation was by no means an isolated case! Centered on the Bu Zhou Mountain ruins, the closer to Bu Zhou Mountain, the more frequent and severe became similar incidents within various sects and families: "unreasonable extreme partiality," "illogical obsessive love," "incomprehensible hatred and persecution." The entire Central Prefecture cultivation world seemed shrouded in an invisible, strange power that could twist human hearts and amplify extreme emotions!
This immediately reminded Xiao Chen of his Master Chen Chang'an's solemn warning: the residual power of the Great Tribulation from the Upper Realm was extremely likely to seep into the Lower Realm through certain passages!
Bu Zhou Mountain, that legendary giant mountain that once connected heaven and earth, was undoubtedly the most likely passage!
Xiao Chen made a decisive move. While strictly sealing information to avoid panic, he secretly began deploying resources, gradually relocating sects and populations near Bu Zhou Mountain, and gathering resources to construct preliminary monitoring and protective formations around Bu Zhou Mountain's periphery, forming the initial "blockade."
For ten years, the Heavenly Alliance had secretly monitored this matter, and the blockade had been continuously strengthened and refined. But clearly, the situation had not improved—indeed, it seemed to be worsening. Thus, Xiao Chen decided to convene this high-level meeting to discuss further countermeasures, intending to relocate all forces around Bu Zhou Mountain in Central Prefecture on a large scale, establish a more secure blockade zone, and find methods to completely contain or purify the spread of this strange "tribulation power."
However, ten years had passed. The initial urgency had faded for many Elders who hadn't personally experienced the situation. Added to this, the influence of tribulation power was invisible and intangible, difficult to perceive directly. Now hearing Xiao Chen bring up old matters and wanting to deploy massive resources for large-scale relocation and blockade, many Elders showed expressions of dismissal, some even feeling this was making a mountain out of a molehill.
"Alliance Leader, this matter has passed ten years, and the blockade has been stable all along. Is it truly necessary to make such a grand effort?" An Elder from an ancient noble family stroked his beard in contemplation.
"Indeed, Central Prefecture is the heart of our Xuan Ying Continent, with countless sects and hundreds of millions of people. Large-scale relocation is no small matter—it would consume countless resources and likely cause unrest," another sect representative chimed in.
"Perhaps it's simply local restlessness and prevailing attitudes—not necessarily any 'tribulation power' at work?" Someone even raised doubts.
Xiao Chen took in everyone's reactions without changing expression, as if he had long anticipated this situation.
He didn't rush to refute, only speaking calmly: "I understand all Elders' concerns. Empty words are hard to believe."
He paused, his gaze shifting outside the hall, his voice growing slightly heavier: "Bring him in."
Everyone in the hall froze, looking in the direction of the voice.
They saw two Law Enforcement disciples, leading a young man dressed in Flowing Cloud Sword Sect attire with a pale face and eyes carrying a trace of lingering panic and indignation, slowly walking into the great hall.
He was the very one who, ten years ago, had been the first to come to the Heavenly Alliance to file a complaint, triggering the subsequent series of investigations—the former Holy Son of the Flowing Cloud Sword Sect!
Ten years had passed—why was he still here? What could he prove?
All Elders' gazes, filled with doubt and scrutiny, focused on this young man.
...
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