Two days later.
Less than six days remained until the Sacrifice to Heaven ceremony at Tianshi Mountain.
And in the past two days, the news that Lin Qing, a celestial prodigy of Wudang Mountain, was nearly poisoned to death had spread throughout the entire Daoist sect, causing a great stir. Countless people were shocked, but no one was afraid.
Born into the Daoist sect, no one feared death.
Therefore, the battles between the heirs of various Daoist temples continued in the places of fortune and opportunity across the Five Peaks of Tianshi Mountain. Dragons and tigers battled, and it was even possible to encounter two Daoist heirs engaged in a Daoist battle on an ordinary forest path.
Tianshi Mountain was not affected by Lin Qing's poisoning; in fact, it became even more lively.
However, the murderer was not found.
So, if nothing unexpected happened, then something unexpected was bound to happen.
...
Two days after Lin Qing's assassination attempt.
Biyun Peak, in the center of Gulian Lake.
Xie Han, the Daozi of the Quanzhen Sect, had narrowly defeated a successor from a remote Daoist temple in the northwestern region, defending the honor of the great Quanzhen Sect. Before he could even get ashore to celebrate, he was assassinated.
His assassin was hidden underwater in Gulian Lake.
She was a woman, and no one knew how long she had been concealed in the pond or how she managed to avoid being attacked by the aquatic beasts within. There were many onlookers, including several elders of the Fifth Realm of the Daoist sect, yet not one of them discovered her.
So, as Xie Han celebrated his victory and stood in the center of the pond shouting, seven slender silver needles shot out from the gaps between the lotus roots on his side, piercing seven vital acupoints near his heart.
Xie Han fell. The elders on the shore, noticing something was wrong, immediately activated their domains, instantly lifting all the pond water into the sky. Only then did they discover the slender female assassin in black hidden beneath.
But before they could intercept her, the female assassin slipped into an underwater current tunnel at the bottom of Gulian Lake and escaped with extreme speed, too fast for any elder to catch.
The assassin fled, and Xie Han died.
Tianshi Mountain was shaken. True Lord Taiwu personally came forward and investigated for several hours, concluding only that the female assassin must be an insider of Tianshi Mountain and obtaining some other undisclosed clues, but nothing more.
The danger still existed.
Thus, everyone began to be cautious. Although the martial competitions continued, they were all conducted in broad daylight, under the watchful eyes of countless people.
During the day, with so many people around, this environment subconsciously gave people a false sense of security.
Therefore, on the second day after Xie Han was assassinated.
Tianshi Mountain, Tianguang Peak, there was a vast plaza called Yulong, where nearly four hundred Daoist powerhouses from all over the world gathered to witness a highly anticipated Daoist battle.
One of the combatants was from the Hunyuan Sect, and the other was from Maoshan.
The final outcome, of course, was that the one from Maoshan emerged victorious. His name was Zhang Tongling.
With his exquisite talisman art, he had completely suppressed the physical cultivator from the Hunyuan Sect throughout the entire match.
After his victory, Zhang Tongling was also assassinated. The attacker was the same female assassin. She had calculated her approach and had been hidden in a distant cloud, and as a gentle breeze blew, the white cloud unknowingly drifted over Zhang Tongling's head.
At that moment, Zhang Tongling, having just won, suddenly felt the world darken. At first, he thought it was because the clouds had blocked the sun. But the next second, he saw a dense, net-like array of talismans, each with the power of the Fifth Realm.
In a moment of crisis, Zhang Tongling crushed a protective talisman and summoned the phantom image of his master, a True Lord, to shield him. However, he was still severely injured and his life was in danger. But later, because Xu Mu intervened, he did not die.
As for the female assassin, under the pursuit and interception of dozens of True Lords present, she was severely wounded and fled into the ancestral land of Tianshi Mountain, escaping once again by utilizing the grand Dao rules within.
However, less than three hours after Zhang Tongling's assassination attempt, Yuan Tian Zhenren, the disciplinary elder of Baiyun Daoist Temple, who lived alone on Xianyou Peak and was at the peak of the Fifth Stage, was also assassinated.
This time, the attacker, a Domain Lord, was merely launching a distant spell attack, which Yuan Tian Zhenren instantly neutralized.
This matter, too, ended inconclusively.
One poisoning and three assassination attempts, all carried out in broad daylight, with four hundred Daoist powerhouses and dozens of Great True Lords present in the Yulong Plaza, who almost failed to save Zhang Tongling.
What was even more unacceptable to people was that they dared to assassinate the disciplinary elder of Baiyun Daoist Temple, showing their arrogance to the point of disregarding the entire Daoist sect.
At this point, Tianshi Mountain was in a state of panic, and no one dared to organize private martial competitions anymore, each staying to themselves.
Then, a few more days passed.
The Sacrifice to Heaven ceremony began.
...
...
The Sacrifice to Heaven ceremony began.
The location was the peak of Tianguang Peak on Tianshi Mountain, the highest peak not only in Tianshi Mountain but also in the entire Hundred Tribes Land, reaching a height of 30,000 meters, truly piercing the heavens and reaching as high as the sky.
At the summit stood a massive martial arts arena, filled with Daoist flags from temples all over the world. They fluttered in the virtual winds above the sky, emanating ancient and stern Daoist might.
This was because each Daoist flag was planted at a nodal point of the Tianshi Mountain's guardian formation. The 1,471 Daoist flags symbolized the 1,471 nodal points of the formation.
This was a peerless formation, truly gathering the spiritual energy of heaven and earth and absorbing the essence of the sun and moon. It could only be activated by successive Heavenly Masters. Once activated, its power would undoubtedly be far greater than the guardian formation of the Nangong family.
"The day has finally arrived."
On the peak of Tianguang Peak, Xu Mu sat cross-legged among a large group of Daoist powerhouses. Standing beside him was the Wine Immortal Daoist, who had disguised his identity.
"What do you refer to, the succession of the Heavenly Master position, or the impending internal conflict war of Tianshi Mountain?" the Wine Immortal Daoist asked calmly, stroking his newly applied black eyebrows.
"Both, I suppose," Xu Mu said, looking at the Daoist True Lords and elders in the arena, who were powerful but wore solemn expressions. He couldn't help but sigh again.
The Daoist sect, as the foremost sect in the world, had disciples spread across the entire continent. Whether in its birthplace, the Hundred Tribes Alliance, or in the Great Xia, Great Zhou, and the Golden Tent Khanate, countless people believed in and practiced its teachings. His past experience as a night watchman was proof of its extensive influence.
The night watch artifact issued to him by the Demon Slaying Division, besides the large red lantern and copper bell, included some Daoist cultivation techniques, demonstrating its widespread influence.
Therefore, the powerful image of the Daoist sect had long been deeply ingrained in people's minds, and Xu Mu was no exception. But now, the world's Daoist powerhouses were gathered together, and instead of the expected spirit of contention and scholarly debate, or harmonious gatherings and pleasant conversations, there was an atmosphere of solemnity.
Solemnity, or perhaps fear.
Yes, the people of the Daoist sect were afraid. They feared not death itself, but the unknown. The assassination incidents of recent days had thrown them into a state of panic, for they knew that the events of the past few days were merely the faint mist before the storm arrived.
The truly significant events would undoubtedly occur during this Sacrifice to Heaven ceremony, which was crucial for Tianshi Mountain and even the entire Daoist sect.
Perhaps it would be an internal war within Tianshi Mountain, perhaps a chaotic struggle of an unknown conspiracy. It might even involve other forces, as the identity of the assassins had not yet been ascertained. No one knew if the female assassin and the Domain Lord who assassinated Yuan Tian Zhenren were truly from Tianshi Mountain.
What if they were spies planted by the Demon Slaying Division or the Golden Tent Khanate? If that were the case, what impact would it have on the Daoist system?
"Don't worry. No matter what happens, Baiyun Daoist Temple will protect you. You won't be in any danger today," the Wine Immortal said, patting Xu Mu's shoulder and looking at the silent Daoists before him.
He knew about what had happened in recent days. Although Yuan Tian Zhenren had also been assassinated, the Wine Immortal did not believe that anything could truly affect them.
Baiyun Daoist Temple stood tall and unyielding. No matter what happened next, they would surely protect Xu Mu.
"If you say so, does Baiyun Daoist Temple have any backup plans?" Xu Mu asked casually after taking a sip of wine.
"Hehe, no," the Wine Immortal replied with a smile.
"Tsk." Xu Mu rolled his eyes at the Wine Immortal and stopped thinking about Baiyun Daoist Temple, as the Great True Lords from various peaks of Tianshi Mountain had already arrived, and the Sect Master True Lord was also in place.
With an air of immortal grace, he stood at the highest point in the center of the plaza, holding a holy fire torch, and ignited the central fire tower.
The fire tower blazed brightly, displaying noble patterns that extended to the thousand-plus great flags planted on the plaza floor, as if igniting the entire guardian formation of Tianshi Mountain.
The holy fire shone brightly, and the great formation illuminated the world. The plaza, tens of thousands of meters wide, instantly became warm, and the biting cold winds in the virtual realm at the highest point were kept outside.
"The great formation has been activated."
"Next, we invite the 467th Old Heavenly Master of Tianshi Mountain in recent history, True Lord Chunyang, to make his appearance!"
The voice of True Lord Bixu resounded throughout the plaza. As he spoke, the procession of elders from Tianshi Mountain parted to reveal a long pathway, which was inexplicably scattered with noble red silk-like pear blossoms, resembling tassels.
Then, a palanquin was carried out.
The ones carrying the palanquin were the most powerful elders from the various peaks of Tianshi Mountain, all of them in the Fifth Realm.
It might sound preposterous, even humiliating, for True Lords of the Fifth Realm to carry a palanquin for others and do so with such care. However, Xu Mu saw no trace of reluctance on their faces.
They were all happy to carry the palanquin for the Old Heavenly Master, even considering it the utmost honor, much like commoners in an earthly dynasty willingly bowing to their emperor. Among cultivators, no one did not respect or admire the Old Heavenly Master.
Even Baiyun Daoist Temple.
Therefore, the moment the palanquin appeared, all the tens of thousands of Daoists present, including the True Lords of Baiyun Daoist Temple, knelt on one knee in reverence.
"Welcome, Old Heavenly Master!"
...