"I don't know what happened this time. Clearly the Taiyi Sect's plan was flawless, yet we suffered a crushing defeat. Not only did Fang Han seize the Key of the Desolate God, but Feng Baiyu also escaped. While Fang Han seizing the treasure is extremely beneficial to me, with Feng Baiyu escaping, the sect will likely undergo earth-shattering changes. Hua Tiandu also ran away; I don't know how the sect will punish him. He has already lost all use value."
An exceptionally strong beam of water light shuttled through the Nine Heavens Astral Wind of the Xuanhuang Great World. The Nine Heavens Astral Wind in a ten-thousand-mile radius was all scattered by this surge of water energy.
This surge of water energy was none other than Yan Shuitian.
Yan Shuitian's water energy was to the extreme in density; if spread out, it could immediately form an ocean. With a casual puff of breath, several nations, even dozens of nations, would face torrential downpours that could submerge entire cities.
She now truly displayed the power of a water deity.
In her Cave Heaven, the Five Directional Divine Beasts provided suppression, completely merging with the Cave Heaven. This granted her the power of the five great divine beasts. Combining the strength of these five great divine beasts allowed her the ability to flee at any moment, even if she encountered a World King Realm expert. If she returned to the sect this time and borrowed the power of the Eternal Divine Furnace to elevate all five divine beasts to the Creation Realm, and elevated herself to the Creation Realm as well, then perhaps even Tai Huntian would not be able to do anything to her.
She, Fang Qingxue, and these reincarnated ancient natural deities found it much easier to advance realms through re-cultivation than ordinary cultivators.
However, as she flew all the way through the Astral Wind at this moment, her heart was weighed down with worry.
Far ahead, the mountain gates of the Taiyi Sect appeared before her eyes. The mountain mist was beautiful everywhere, spaces were folded, and powerful cultivators, disciples of the Taiyi Sect, were flying within. Spatial channels one by one led to various star domains. Numerous powerful Taiyi Sect disciples flew out from assorted heterogeneous dimensions, carrying the corpses of all sorts of powerful demonic beasts in their hands. Beaming with joy, they were all discussing what magical treasures to craft these demonic beast corpses into, or taking them to the market to exchange for pills for cultivation.
This Taiyi Sect was also brimming with vitality and prosperousness.
"Ah, Eldest Senior Sister has returned!"
"Paying respects to Eldest Senior Sister. No! Paying respects to Vice Headmaster."
"Vice Headmaster's lifespan equals the heavens, Eldest Senior Sister's youth remains eternal!"
Many Taiyi Sect disciples coming out from various heterogeneous dimensions saw the strong beam of water light descend before the mountain gates, revealing Yan Shuitian's figure. They could not help but all fly over, shouting in unison, their respectful demeanor plainly showing on their faces.
About ten days had passed since the retrieval of the treasures in the Heaven Martial Treasury. For the well-informed cultivation world, some unofficial news spread rapidly. The fall of Chi Rongtian and the fact that Yan Shuitian had obtained the Black Emperor Tide Banner were spreading among the Taiyi Sect disciples.
Now, all the Taiyi Sect disciples knew that Yan Shuitian was undoubtedly the future successor to the Taiyi Sect's Supreme Headmaster. Because among the many vice headmasters, there was no longer anyone who could contend with her.
"This flock of disciples." Looking at the many vigorous and vibrant disciples of the Taiyi Sect, each face exuding the confident aura of the number one sect in the world, Yan Shuitian suddenly felt a sigh deep within her heart. "Fang Han obtained the Key of the Desolate God, and Feng Baiyu escaped. The Taiyi Sect and the Yuhua Sect have become mortal enemies. In the days to come, the Yuhua Sect's strength will certainly advance greatly, leading to battles with the Taiyi Sect and stirring up a bloody storm. Amidst these turbulent waves, where do I stand? If I were an ordinary disciple, I could stay out of it. But I am now the First Vice Headmaster, and in the future, I will surely have to lead the Taiyi Sect disciples to confront the Yuhua Sect. Amidst the slaughter, what should I do?"
Breathing a slight sigh, Yan Shuitian's body shot like lightning into the deepest part of the Taiyi Sect. With her current identity, she was already qualified to enter the Eternal Divine Hall, and she felt there was a flesh-and-blood connection between herself and the Eternal Divine Furnace. Although she didn't know what caused this connection or how she related to the Eternal Divine Furnace.
"If nothing unexpected happens, after several thousand years when Headmaster Huntian abdicates, Senior Sister Yan Shuitian will become our Taiyi Sect's Supreme Headmaster."
"There will be no unexpected events, and I'm afraid she won't even need to wait several thousand years. Headmaster Huntian has already cultivated a world. Before long, he will hide deep in spacetime to cultivate diligently, attempting to reach the Mixed Hole Realm or even challenge the Void Immortal Realm. He will step down, and Senior Sister Yan Shuitian will definitely inherit the supreme position."
"Yes, legendary rumors have it that ten thousand years ago, Ancestor Tai Huangtian, all for the sake of passing the Immortal Realm's lightning punishment, went into seclusion and passed the Headmaster position to Headmaster Huntian, who had just cultivated to the Cave Heaven Realm."
"True. Judging by Eldest Senior Sister's cultivation, I suppose she's no longer just at the Cave Heaven Realm anymore. Who knows what miraculous encounter she stumbled upon."
"Oh, come on, you are merely a figure at the ninth level of the Divine Ability Realm with a Heaven and Earth Dharma Idol; how would you know the realm of Longevity Secret Realm figures?"
"I frequently travel to the Realm of Cultivation Great World in the extra-territorial void to do business. I've encountered countless formidable figures and know some things about identifying realms. Otherwise, not knowing good from bad, what if I ran into a terrifying individual? Wouldn't I lose my life?"
"Enough said. Let us continue cultivating diligently in hopes that we can soar into the heavens in a single bound and reach the Longevity Secret Realm."
As Yan Shuitian entered deep into the Taiyi Sect in a flash, thousands of disciples watched her retreating back. All were deep in discussion, feeling nothing but respect and admiration.
The Eternal Divine Hall, the ancient doors of that sanctuary, the void evolved by the Eternal Divine Furnace appeared before Yan Shuitian. Drawing a deep breath of the Eternal Qi, Yan Shuitian felt as if all the Eternal Qi had seemingly detected her cultivation level and generated a sense of joy.
A joyous feeling over the elevation of her cultivation.
Just as she was about to step into the Eternal Divine Hall, a green-haired, sickly-looking beauty suddenly emerged beside her. Astonishingly, it was Tai Yantian, Yan Chenyu.
"Yan Shuitian, you actually came back."
Upon seeing Yan Shuitian, a sickly smile surfaced on Tai Yantian's face. It was extremely bewitching and equally chillingly cold, as if she had grabbed hold of some secret of Yan Shuitian's and was blackmailing her.
"Oh? It is actually Supreme Elder, Tai Yantian. Is there some matter holding me up here?" Yan Shuitian already knew that Tai Yantian, Yan Chenyu, had some connection to Su Xiuyi. Her purpose for coming to the Eternal Divine Hall this time was to report this to the Supreme Headmaster, Tai Huntian. But she had never expected that Tai Yantian would actually bar her way at the doorway.
"There is no great matter." Tai Yantian gave a faint smile and casually slapped her palm toward Yan Shuitian's shoulder. It looked like a very casual movement, yet Yan Shuitian felt an eerie astral qi enveloping the major acupoints around her whole body.
That thread after thread of astral qi was invisible and formless, as dense as needles, yet it enveloped the void, with pulses of Creation Qi wrapped around it.
"What is the meaning of this?" Yan Shuitian's heart stirred, yet she was not surprised. If she were in the Cave Heaven Realm, under the strike of Tai Yantian's palm, she would probably suffer greatly. But now, she was at the peak of the Zhouguang Realm, and her own Cave Heaven possessed the reckless, massive strength of the Five Directional Divine Beasts.
Gulu, gulu!
From inside her Cave Heaven, a sound akin to a ox's roar echoed out. It was the Sky Mirage King transmitting his power out, surging into Yan Shuitian's palm. As her slender palm rotated slightly, streams of Creation Qi flowed out as well, condensing into one hallucination after another—bizarre and motley, sprawling like fish and dragons, seemingly like a kaleidoscope.
Crackling and rattling.
Yan Chenyu's face shifted once again. She had not expected that the presence of Creation Qi would actually exist on Yan Shuitian's body. Furthermore, although the laws of creation contained within this surge of Creation Qi were not as perfected as her own, their raw power vastly surpassed hers.
Her current power had not reached a hundred billion yet, hovering near the a hundred billion mark.
But this power firmly sat above a hundred billion, step by step shattering the magical power of her palm in an instant. Furthermore, the various hallucinations atop that magical power formed a kaleidoscope, apparently trying to sweep her body into a vortex.
She hurriedly shifted her body, the Great Disaster Technique flowing from her fingertips as a surge of disaster qi filled every hallucination, breaking apart all the magical power.
Yan Shuitian, riding on her momentum, pressed forward, launching a palm strike precisely toward her chest.
She hastily retreated three steps in a row, dodging the attack.
Yan Shuitian's body suddenly drew back, her voice going sharp. "Yan Chenyu, although you are a Supreme Elder, raising a hand against a Vice Headmaster has already violated sect rules. What do you aim to do?"
"Oh? I merely intended to test Junior Sister's strength just now, to see just how many benefits you reaped in the Heaven Martial Treasury." Tai Yantian's face still held that sickly smile: "Who would have thought that Junior Sister's strength had actually reached such a degree, escalating a realm once more right to the peak of the Zhouguang Realm. In your Cave Heaven, it seems you have suppressed a divine beast of the Creation Realm. The Creation Qi is dense. Surely you must have received someone's help, yes? I wonder who the person is that helped you?"
"I received someone's help?" Yan Shuitian smiled: "I did see you mingling with someone from the Demonic Dao. The reason I came back this time is precisely to report this matter to Supreme Headmaster Tai Huntian. I suppose you knew, which is why you arrived at this grand doorway to openly intercept me."
"Me, mingling with someone from the Demonic Dao?" Yan Chenyu smiled and nodded: "That is no big deal either. I am merely following a decree from the Immortal Realm."
"Is that so? Do not think that just because your father, Yan Yutian, ascended to the Immortal Realm, you can use an Immortal Realm decree to shirk off everything." Yan Shuitian gave a slight smile. "The Immortal Realm is vague and ethereal; those who go up cannot come down. Do you think I don't know the workings of the Immortal Realm? We had better bring this matter before the Supreme Headmaster, Ancestor Tai Huangtian, and the others to sort out."
"That is exactly my intention. You've come back today just in time." Yan Chenyu said without a care, "Today, a major event occurred in our Taiyi Sect. The Immortal Realm sent down another decree. After receiving the decree, Ancestor Tai Huangtian issued an All Heavens Call to Assemble, summoning all Supreme Elders and Vice Headmasters for a meeting. Surely you have received some messages as well?"
Yan Shuitian's body shifted slightly. The very reason she had left Fang Han so hurriedly was indeed because she received the Taiyi Sect's All Heavens Call to Assemble.
"Yan Shuitian, Tai Yantian, there is no need to dispute at the doorway. Come in, swiftly." A resonant voice like primal chaos resounded. It was precisely Tai Huntian, the Supreme Headmaster of the Taiyi Sect.