Chapter 363: First Encounter with the Dao Court

Several days later, Southern Frontier.

Lu Yang transformed into sword light and sped all the way. However, he stopped abruptly just as he entered the Southern Frontier. Then he retracted the sword light and stood in the clouds, looking into the distance.

In the next second, a jade slip appeared in his hand.

The jade slip was bestowed by Perfected One Vanquishing-Demon. Besides recording intelligence on the Myriad Poison Cult’s Perfected Ones, it also contained another piece of intelligence that Lu Yang valued highly:

I didn’t expect that after wearing out iron shoes searching in vain, it would be found without any effort!

The Myriad Poison Cult in the Southern Frontier actually had clues to [Xin Metal] as well.

Inside the Myriad Poison Cult, there is a Sacred Pool capable of aggregating moonlight and transforming it into [Emperor’s Fluid]. If a bottle is accumulated and then refined, it can serve as [Xin Metal]…

Simply inconceivable!

The pool is named [Moon Worship]. The Myriad Poison Cult cultivated it with secret methods for many years and only succeeded just over ten years ago. It is a superior treasure land!

Reading this, Lu Yang’s gaze suddenly brightened.

This Myriad Poison Cult… already has a path to death!

Such a treasure land could only be occupied by the virtuous. And looking across the world, as an Immortal Spirit and Heaven’s most beloved child, he was naturally the indisputable choice!

The reason he had no hope for Seeking Golden Core within sixty years before was that the Immortal Spirit required too long a nurturing time.

Especially the last step, which could only be achieved through grinding effort over time, with almost no shortcuts. However, if there were the enhancement of a treasure land, it would undoubtedly significantly increase the efficiency of nurturing!

That being said… this needs a long-term plan.

After all, the Southern Frontier was completely different from the Northern Frontier.

The Myriad Poison Cult was also much smarter than the [Divine Martial Sect]. The [Divine Martial Sect] could be considered to have been deceived by the Sword Pavilion, foolishly running to the Northern Frontier to establish their sect upon believing the Sword Pavilion’s promise.

But the Myriad Poison Cult wouldn’t trust the Saint Sect.

Therefore, besides the Saint Sect, the Myriad Poison Cult privately found another backer. Precisely because of this, the Myriad Poison Cult’s development was much better than the [Divine Martial Sect]’s.

That other backer was precisely the Dao Court!

Rumble!

Just as Lu Yang was pondering, dark light surged from the clouds in the distance. The originally ten thousand li of white clouds instantly turned into black clouds pressing down on the city, covering the sky and earth.

In the center of the heavy dark clouds, a majestic military formation appeared prominently. Inside the camp, blades and spears stood like a forest. Countless soldiers and generals performed their duties, their auras connecting to seal the sky and lock the earth, like a city wall blocking Lu Yang’s path to the Southern Frontier. A large flag fluttered in the formation, displaying two large characters:

[Zhen Nan] (Suppressing South).

Below the large flag, a dragon-horse pawed the ground. Sitting atop it was a heroic man, dragging a long spear behind him, tracing a rolling trail of flames.

He stood in the clouds just like that, laughing loudly: “I wonder which Perfected One from the Sword Pavilion is present.”

[King Zhen Nan] Wu Taian…

The jade slip had long since described the Dao Court’s deployment in the Southern Frontier. This [King Zhen Nan] was no ordinary person; he was a genuine direct descendant of the Tianwu bloodline.

In the Dao Court, bloodline possessed real mighty power.

Perhaps many officials of the Dao Court, who falsely held their realms, were slightly inferior in strength compared to other cultivators of the same realm. However, the imperial clan was the sole exception.

Generations of the Dao Court imperial clan cultivated their own nature; the official position was merely an embellishment.

For example, this [King Zhen Nan]. As a Prince of the Dao Court, he was at Foundation Establishment Perfection. But even if the official position were discarded, he still had the cultivation of the Foundation Establishment Late Stage!

If I had to say, he’s about the same as Suo Huan back then…

That said, Lu Yang didn’t have much fear. After all, this place was still Jiangnan. Unless the Dao Court went mad, it was impossible for them to attack and kill him in Jiangnan.

“This humble one is Ming He, traveling to the Southern Frontier on my Master’s orders.”

Lu Yang stood in the clouds and cupped his hands. “I wonder why [King Zhen Nan] appears here? Could it be that you are colluding with the Myriad Poison Cult and want to block my path?”

Sure enough, a madman from the Sword Pavilion!

King Zhen Nan cursed inwardly, but his smile remained unchanged on his face. “Little friend misunderstands. This Prince is stationed here also to guard against the Demon Cult of the Southern Frontier…”

—This was a lie.

In fact, the entire Dao Court tacitly understood this. Whether King Zhen Nan was stationed here or secretly recruiting the Myriad Poison Cult, what they were actually guarding against was the Sword Pavilion.

After all, everyone knew the Sword Pavilion’s nature.

If they didn’t try to guard against them, maybe one day they would suddenly charge into Jiangdong and go on a killing spree within the Dao Court’s territory. They might even tell you they were delivering all living beings from suffering!

While the two sides were conversing.

Far away on the horizon, atop a mountain peak, two other cultivators were also looking towards Lu Yang’s direction from a distance. Their auras were unmistakably also at Foundation Establishment.

The appearances of these two were quite bizarre.

One of them looked handsome at first glance, but when his lips parted, there were no red tongue or white teeth to be seen, only a fierce-looking Gu worm.

Beside him, the other cultivator was even weirder. He was just a sheet of skin, flat and open, without facial features or seven apertures. Only a human-faced Gu worm rested in his palm, fused with his flesh. Whether conversing with others or circulating spiritual power, it all came from the Gu worm in his palm.

Just by their appearances, one knew they were Perfected Ones of the Myriad Poison Cult.

One was named [Hui Gu], and the other was named [Long Wu].

“Is that person Yan Xiao?”

Perfected One Long Wu spoke first. “Our hidden spies in the Sword Pavilion reported back that although this person just reached Foundation Establishment, he is a sword cultivator, and his cultivation is extraordinary.”

“Do you think King Zhen Nan can stop him?”

Perfected One Hui Gu shook his head. “The Dao Court won’t antagonize the Sword Pavilion. Unless the Sacred Cult is willing to give up the Southern Frontier, the Dao Court will absolutely not intervene.”

“Then what do we do?”

Perfected One Long Wu frowned. “[Moon Worship Sacred Pool] was condensed with great difficulty, and the refining of the [Myriad Tribulation Gu] has reached the final stage. We cannot give up.”

Hearing this, the Gu worm in Perfected One Hui Gu’s palm let out a hiss, and a trace of ruthlessness appeared in his tone. “Hesitation leads to disaster. This person just reached Foundation Establishment after all. You and I will join forces to take him down. No need to kill him, just trap him and drag it out for a year or so first.”

“Reasonable!”

Perfected One Long Wu nodded and laughed. “Both of us are at the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage. Dealing with a junior who just reached Foundation Establishment shouldn’t result in any accidents.”

At the same time, in the distant sky, King Zhen Nan had already made way.

“Since Little Friend is going to the Southern Frontier, this Prince won’t disturb you further. However, the Southern Frontier has poor mountains and vicious waters; it is a land of the Demonic Path. Little Friend, please be extremely careful.”

“Thank you for your concern, my Lord.”

Lu Yang cupped his hands and watched King Zhen Nan’s military formation depart.

This Prince… harbors bad intentions! Appearing with such fanfare deliberately exposed my whereabouts, making it difficult for me to infiltrate secretly.

But it wasn’t a big problem.

Anyway, he didn’t plan to infiltrate secretly from the beginning.

After all, the current him could be considered a Great Sword Cultivator at the Foundation Establishment Late Stage. As long as Perfected Lords didn’t emerge and he didn’t encounter Foundation Establishment Perfection cultivators, he had absolutely no scruples!

Besides, it’s just an Incarnation. What is there to be afraid of?

Just right to test the sword’s edge!

In the next second, Lu Yang rode the sword light and charged into the Southern Frontier openly. Seeing this scene, Perfected One Long Wu and Perfected One Hui Gu instantly changed expression.

“Such guts!”

Originally, the two thought Lu Yang would enter the Southern Frontier quietly, so they planned to follow secretly, lure the enemy deep, and then find a remote place to obscure the heavenly secrets and trap him.

They never expected Lu Yang to be so audacious, flying directly into the Southern Frontier without disdain to hide his tracks at all!TN: In Xianxia/Wuxia genres, “Demonic” sects (魔教) often refer to themselves internally as the “Sacred Cult” (圣教) to sound righteous and elevate their status, while outsiders call them the “Demonic Cult.”

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