Inside the Dragon Clan Council Hall, there were only four people.

The Dragon Clan Patriarch, the Five-clawed Golden Dragon Fang Tian, the first member of the Yan Family and the Silver Dragon of Twelve Tribulations—Yan Shan. Also, there were two Elders from the Ao Family, the Black Dragon of Eleven Tribulations Ao Xu and the Golden Dragon of Eleven Tribulations Ao Yan. These four were the highest echelons of the Dragon Clan.

"Patriarch, not long ago, led by Wu Kongxue, the Independent Demons launched an attack on the Star Pavilion, but they did not break through the Defense Array of the Star Pavilion," the first Elder on the left, Ao Yan, spoke up.

The Dragon Clan Patriarch, Fang Tian, raised an eyebrow, "Wu Kongxue and his group of Independent Demons didn’t break through the Defense Array of the Star Pavilion? Are you sure?"

Fang Tian certainly knew of Wu Kongxue’s strength; in the entire Mortal World, apart from himself and Zong Jue of Pengmo Island, no one else was confident they could certainly defeat Wu Kongxue, whose strength was formidable. Yet, even Wu Kongxue, together with a group of Independent Demons, could not break a Star Pavilion’s Defense Array—what kind of array was it?

"I’m sure, Patriarch, I doubted it initially too, but that is the fact. I even sent people to communicate with the Qingxu Temple and the undercover agents from the Green Dragon Palace placed in the Star Pavilion reported the same," Ao Yan affirmed with certainty.

Even though Ao Yan was shocked by this news, it was, after all, the truth.

The second strongest in the Dragon Clan, Yan Shan, slowly said, "Patriarch, I think we might have underestimated that Independent Immortal behind the Star Pavilion initially. Even if this Independent Immortal is just an ordinary Twelve Tribulations Independent Immortal, his ability to set up arrays can indeed be regarded as the number one in the Mortal World."

The number one in the Mortal World.

If truly capable of setting up a Defensive Array that even Wu Kongxue and others could not break through together, he indeed deserved to be called ’the number one master of arrays in the Mortal World’.

"In the Mortal World, the number one array is the ’Ten Variations Illusion Array’ surrounding the Upper Heavenly Palace on Qingxu Mountain in Tenglong Continent. It is said that this array is a secret array from the Immortal Realm. In the entire Mortal World, only I and Zong Jue can forcefully break through this great array, and no one else can," Fang Tian said calmly, his words naturally imbued with dominance.

Apart from him and Zong Jue, no one else could. Fang Tian said so firmly, which also represented his confidence, and he indeed had the strength to be confident. A Twelve Tribulations Super Divine Beast, his power simply was not comparable to the likes of Wu Kongxue, True Master Ming Liang, and others.

"The Ten Variations Illusion Array is an illusion array, while the array at the Star Pavilion is that kind of absolute defensive array. Wu Kongxue and other Independent Demons joined forces and still failed to break through. Even if I took action... I’m afraid the hope of breaking through would not be great," Fang Tian frowned and said.

His strength was strong, but he was not conceited to the point of arrogance.

Could a Defensive Array that could stop Wu Kongxue along with a group of Independent Demons be that easy to break through?

"By the way, since Wu Kongxue and his group couldn’t break through the Defense Array of the Star Pavilion, what did they do afterward? I can’t believe they would just retreat," Fang Tian said with a smile.

Ao Yan nodded with a smile, "Just as the Patriarch said, since Wu Kongxue and the others couldn’t break through the Star Pavilion, they then headed to the Qin Dynasty Capital in Hidden Dragon Continent. I estimate they intended to capture Qin Yu’s brother, the Emperor Qin Zheng, as a hostage."

"They really are unscrupulous," Ao Xu and Yan Shan both scorned.

The Dragon Clan, being of the Divine Beast lineage, naturally had immense pride.

To seize treasures, the Dragons always did it openly and aboveboard. To capture relatives and threaten? Such acts were definitely scorned by the distinguished Dragon elders.

Ao Yan laughed and said, "Ao Xu, Yan Shan, Patriarch, I think you will never guess how this matter ended..." Ao Yan confidently stated.

"Stop beating around the bush," Fang Tian said with a light smile.

"Wu Kongxue and others probably just wanted to capture Qin Zheng to threaten Qin Yu, but who would have thought... The Sky-breaking Map was actually on Qin Zheng, who handed it over to Wu Kongxue upon his arrival. However... It was at this very moment that True Master Ming Liang made his move."

Ao Yan’s recounting of events was also based on intelligence summaries.

Ao Yan knew that Wu Kongxue and his group were the first to arrive at the Capital, followed by True Master Ming Liang’s appearance, after which a fierce battle ensued between the experts from both sides. Even the Sky-breaking Map eventually fell into the hands of True Master Ming Liang. With just a bit of extrapolation, the logical relationships could be aligned, revealing the true nature of the events.

"True Master Ming Liang made his move? Ha, how exciting," Fang Tian laughed, while the other three also smiled.

In the eyes of the Dragon Clan experts, the deadly clashes between Independent Demons and Independent Immortals had nothing to do with them. They were merely observers from the sidelines.

Their strength was formidable, neither the Independent Demons nor the Independent Immortals side dared to target them, the owners of the Sky-breaking Map.

"It is indeed thrilling," Ao Yan continued, "How could Wu Kongxue let Ming Liang escape and be content with watching him take away the Sky-breaking Map? Therefore, a fierce battle ensued between Wu Kongxue and Ming Liang, starting from the Qin Dynasty Capital and going all the way to the sea. Many lives were lost in the Hidden Dragon Continent, and dozens of cities were destroyed."

Fang Tian and the others could imagine the desperate fight between the two super Loose Cultivators.

Those mortals were merely fish on the chopping board.

"Above the seas, the group of Independent Immortals under Ming Liang also emerged, and both sides clashed fiercely, suffering significant losses among the powerful cultivators. Several top experts were injured, but Ming Liang still managed to escape with the Sky-breaking Map back to the Tenglong Continent," said Ao Yan with a smile.

The four major Dragon Clan experts listened to this intelligence report as if they were enjoying a play.

Fang Tian pondered for a moment, then said, "Let’s not rush. I see that Wu Kongxue will definitely not let this go, and... based on the message from the Demon World’s Dragon Emperor, we can infer that not only are the Independent Demons and Independent Immortals eyeing the Sky-breaking Map, but also... those Primordial Wilderness Independent Demons!"

Primordial Wilderness Independent Demons!

Ao Xu, Ao Yan, and Yan Shan all showed a flicker of emotion.

The Primordial Wilderness is a gathering place for beast-type Independent Demons. In terms of overall strength, the Primordial Wilderness Independent Demons are not far behind the Dragon Clan.

"The Primordial Wilderness Independent Demons don’t have the Sky-breaking Map, but they must have received orders from the Demon World; they will certainly compete for the Sky-breaking Map. However, they haven’t made their move yet, and I think... a very spectacular show is about to unfold on the Tenglong Continent."

Fang Tian’s lips curled into a slight smile.

"Patriarch, with the Independent Demon side, the Independent Immortal side, and the Primordial Wilderness Independent Demon side, once they all start fighting each other, the entire Tenglong Continent will definitely be engulfed in a storm of blood and carnage. What about our Dragon Clan? Should we intervene?" Ao Yan asked, while Ao Xu and Yan Shan also looked towards Fang Tian.

Fang Tian was neither from the Ao Family nor the Yan Family, but he was a Five-clawed Golden Dragon. Thus, his status was absolutely revered.

In the Dragon Clan, the family is one aspect, but the individual’s own being is even more crucial.

The most noble are the Five-clawed Golden Dragons, followed by the Golden Dragons, then the Silver and Black Dragons; the Green, Blue, and Red Dragons are among the most ordinary.

"There’s no rush. We’ll just watch for now. If an opportunity arises, it’s not too late to make a move," Fang Tian’s eyes sparkled.

The other three Elders laughed.

Sit back and observe; if an opportunity presents itself, make a move, if not, just watch the others fight."

******

The Tenglong Continent began to tremble.

Since a few days ago, the Qingxu Temple had convened hundreds of core Cultivator Sects for a major meeting, and immediately afterward... these Cultivator Sects all stationed their elders in the Qingxu Temple, where the number of Independent Immortals increased at a terrifying rate.

In just three days, the Independent Immortals gathered at Qingxu Temple had reached over five thousand.

And this was merely a part of the elder Independent Immortals from the most steadfast few hundred Cultivator Sects of the Tenglong Continent.

In the Chaotic Star Sea alone, Pengmo Island had another three thousand Independent Cultivators of the Sixth Tribulation or higher. The total number of Independent Cultivators from the Cultivator Sects was definitely calculated in tens of thousands. It was estimated that, within half a month, the number of Independent Immortals gathered at Qingxu Temple would definitely exceed ten thousand.

Meanwhile.

The Yin Yue Palace was also convening hundreds of core Cultivator Sects, and after a grand gathering, one Independent Demon after another began to gather at the Yin Yue Palace; the number of Independent Demons there also began to rise rapidly. The entire Tenglong Continent seemed to have plunged into an unprecedented oppressive horror.

The Demon Path and the Immortal Path were finally going all out.

On Qingxu Mountain.

The number of Independent Immortals in the Upper Heavenly Palace was not many, but the lowest among them were all Sixth Tribulation Independent Immortals. Those below the Sixth Tribulation all resided in other parts of Qingxu Mountain, even the elders who were originally from Qingxu Temple and resided in the Upper Heavenly Palace were relocated.

Inside the main hall of the Upper Heavenly Palace, tens of Independent Immortals of the Tenth Tribulation or higher were gathering and drinking merrily, and outside the hall, over a thousand Independent Immortals of the Sixth Tribulation or higher were also drinking merrily.

"Gentlemen, this time, I, True Master Ming Liang, along with our friend Xue Yuyang from the Lanyang Sect, True Master Chi Yang from the Purple Sun Sect, my disciple brother Ming Shan from our sect, and friend Lan Bing, led more than a dozen friends to the Hidden Dragon Continent and finally returned not in vain, having obtained this Sky-breaking Map." True Master Ming Liang, sitting at the head, spoke in a clear voice that echoed throughout the Upper Heavenly Palace.

The thousand Independent Immortals listened intently.

"The Xian Jie Immortal Emperor has ordered us to obtain the Sky-breaking Map, and now that we have finally got one, let us all drink this cup together for this achievement," declared True Master Ming Liang, raising his glass.

Instantly, all the Independent Immortals raised their glasses.

Celebratory voices were incessant.

True Master Ming Liang’s expression turned serious, "But... the Demon Path side will definitely not rest satisfied. From now on, we must protect this Sky-breaking Map. Whenever the Immortal Realm Envoy descends to the mortal plane, all those who have contributed will be rewarded, and the forebears of our Cultivator Sects in the Immortal Realm from our Tenglong Continent will also benefit from our actions."

True Master Ming Liang then said with a faint smile, "However, you need not worry too much. The ’Ten Variations Illusion Array’ surrounding our Upper Heavenly Palace is so strong that even Wu Kongxue from the Demon Path wouldn’t dream of breaking through it. Our task is not heavy; we have obtained a Sky-breaking Map, and if we get another one, the Xian Jie Immortal Emperor will definitely be most pleased."

"True Master speaks wisely. We have the Ten Variations Illusion Array for defense, and the Demon Path falls far short of us in terms of formations. Let’s also seize the opportunity and take that Sky-breaking Map; such a treasure should only belong to those who are virtuous," said True Master Chi Yang of the Purple Sun Sect loudly.

"Well said, such treasures should indeed be possessed by the virtuous."

Agreement echoed incessantly in waves.

...

Human greed is hard to satisfy; having obtained one Sky-breaking Map makes them think of another.

The Independent Immortals wanted to seize another Sky-breaking Map, while the Independent Demons were furious. The Sky-breaking Map that was nearly in their hands had been snatched by True Master Ming Liang and his group, and naturally, Wu Kongxue and others were extremely angry and also wanted to seize the Sky-breaking Map in the possession of the Independent Immortals.

For now, both sides had gathered a large number of powerful Independent Cultivators. Should a battle commence, the entire Tenglong Continent might very well run rivers of blood.

******

Traveling from the Chaotic Star Sea to Gold Wood Island, it had taken the three brothers, Qin Yu, some time.

Within the ancient Transmission Array of Gold Wood Island, Qin Yu and his two brothers were present.

Upon channeling their energy into the ancient Transmission Array, the entire array began to glow, and the surrounding space also started to tremble; soon after, a flash of light, and Qin Yu and his brothers vanished from Gold Wood Island.

To the south of the Chaotic Star Sea, there was another island—Xue Yu Island.

This island was covered with snow all year round, and atop a small mountain on the island was a curved lake filled with a special type of fish. Because these fish were entirely snow-white, paired with the snow-covered island, these fish were named ’Snow Fish’.

Xue Yu Island, not far from Snow Fish Lake, was an ancient Transmission Array.

Light flickered within the ancient Transmission Array, and as the light faded, three young men appeared inside the array—it was Qin Yu, Hou Fei, and Hei Yu, the three brothers.

"Big Brother, do you know who the murderer is?" Hei Yu asked.

Qin Yu, suppressing the sadness and fury in his heart, shook his head, "I do not know, but... in just a moment, I will know who the murderer is."

With that, Qin Yu took out a Communication Order.

"Lady Yan Ji, I am Qin Yu. That day, under the orders of my Uncle Lan, I left the Sky-breaking Map with my second brother. I just learned that the map has been taken. Do you know who took it, where is that map now?"

Qin Yu’s first query was directed at Yan Ji.

"Ah, young brother Qin Yu, forget about the Sky-breaking Map. That day, Wu Kongxue and others were headed to Hidden Dragon Continent, and your shrewd second brother was about to hand over the Sky-breaking Map to Wu Kongxue when suddenly that Independent Immortal Ming Liang appeared and snatched the map away. Although Wu Kongxue and Ming Liang had a fight, they still failed to retrieve it. Humph, both Wu Kongxue and my Lady Lian Yue are extremely angry. Right now, over ten thousand Independent Demons are gathered at the Yin Yue Palace; they will definitely snatch the map back," Lady Yan Ji didn’t keep it secret.

In fact, this was hardly a secret on the Tenglong Continent; nearly everyone from both the Independent Demons and Independent Immortals sides knew about it.

The Independent Immortals celebrated over it, while the Independent Demons were furious.

Lady Yan Ji didn’t keep it a secret at all; in her eyes, telling Qin Yu about this had no consequences.

At this moment, Qin Yu already received the information he sought.

"Wu Kongxue, Ming Liang. As I had guessed, it’s the Independent Demons and Independent Immortals respectively." Qin Yu now knew his targets.

(The first Chapter of today)

(To be continued, for further information, please visit WWW.CMFU.COM, for more Chapters, support the author, support genuine reading!)