Within the assembly room of the Smelting Heaven Forge, powerful figures filled the space, all eyes drawn to the newcomer, a leading figure of the demon path, Huangfu Feng. As he strode forward, the expressions of others changed in various ways.
Elder Xu from the Xuanfa Academy had a gleam of excitement in his eyes, his thirst for knowledge palpable, as though he wished to dissect Huangfu Feng on the spot for study. Zhang Ruifei, the captain of the Divine Martial Army, radiated intense battle intent from his gaze.
Meanwhile, Elder Li from the Xiangcheng Yulou, who had the worst relationship with the Heavenly Demon Sect, looked as if he had seen a walking dung beetle.
Ignoring the crowd's reactions, Huangfu Feng approached Yue Qianlian and spoke, “Little Yue, I’m here. The big Yuezi…”
Yue Qianlian instinctively scratched the surface of the table and replied, “About half a month ago, shortly after Sword Ancestor and you, Brother Huangfu, explored the wild lands, an ancient city shrouded in darkness suddenly appeared in the mountainous region of the northwest part of Dongling Country. This ancient city attracted the attention of martial artists nearby.
Soon after, the monarch of Dongling Country and several small sects received news and dispatched troops, alongside their disciples. In total, five thousand soldiers, sixteen Foundation Establishment cultivators, and two Golden Core cultivators set out to investigate this ancient city. What transpired then, we are unaware, other than that all of them disappeared along with the city.
The monarch sought my assistance, so I informed the Righteous Dao Alliance and dispatched Elder Liu and some disciples to investigate. They later received further news and ventured to Xiling Country. My brother, Yue Qianren, upon hearing of this, also followed.
Then, they made contact with the mysterious ancient city, and only Elder Liu returned heavily injured.”
As he spoke, Yue Qianlian took out a recording stone and played back the images captured within its crystal, displaying scenes from the ancient city.
“Where is Elder Liu?” Huangfu Feng continued his questioning, undeterred by the others’ varied responses.
“This incident involving the disappearance of disciples from the Smelting Heaven Forge, the disappearance of your brother Yue Qianren, and Elder Liu's serious injuries may fall largely upon me,” Yue Qianlian admitted, his face grave. The Smelting Heaven Forge, renowned across the Nine Provinces and Ten Lands as a formidable refining sect, had its headquarters established atop a turbulent volcano. Over a thousand years, the disciples had utilized their skills to tame this volcano, transforming it into a furnace for forging treasures.
“The visitor from the Heavenly Saint Buddhist Sect is Master Micun. He won’t be present this time as he is gathering intelligence on his way here. Once our discussions conclude, we can rendezvous with him,” Yue Qianlian added with a sigh. “That stone tablet is accumulating power; thus, its activation is inevitable. It was merely a coincidence that Sword Ancestor encountered it. The responsibility does not lie with you. Yet, I must implore Sword Ancestor to assist me in rescuing my brother and disciples.”
The content on the recording stone showed Elder Liu leading a group of disciples to locate the ancient city, then facing the onslaught of dark beasts with long horns and thousands of Golden Core monsters approaching the disciples of the Smelting Heaven Forge. After watching the scenes unfold, a heavy silence filled the room.
“The Sword Ancestor is too willing to take on blame,” Yue Qianlian noted, trying to alleviate the situation.
“Luckily, our Smelting Heaven Forge has the habit of carrying recording stones for working purposes. From the recording stone possessed by Elder Liu, we managed to glean some useful information,” Yue Qianlian continued.
The assembly of people showed different expressions, each reacting to Huangfu Feng’s presence. Elder Xu from the Xuanfa Academy had eyes glowing with curiosity, Zhang Ruifei harbored a deep sense of battle readiness, while Elder Li’s expression mirrored his disdain, akin to a person encountering a walking dung beetle.
As the meeting continued, Bai Qiuran looked around and bowed respectfully to Yue Qianlian, stating, “It's all right; I understand everything.”
Huangfu Feng, troubled by the circumstances, encouraged, “With his expertise, your brother will surely be brought back.”
At that moment, a door creaked open as Bai Qiuran entered, followed by Su Xiangxue, veiled and mysterious, and a figure cloaked in black whose features were obscured. Together they stepped into the chamber, taking their places amongst allies.
Immediately, discussions began concerning the joint efforts of the Righteous Dao Alliance and the Demon Sect, seeking to ensure all present were in agreement.
“I apologize for my earlier intrusion, but about the recent occurrences—everything appears quite grave,” Bai Qiuran remarked.
After a while, Su Xiangxue sighed, helping to ease tensions as she spoke, “Well then, it seems we once again find ourselves in a familiar session of setting aside our biases.”
The various factions were unified in their purpose; the looming trouble from the ancient city demanded their cooperation, as old rivalries and grudges began to set aside in pursuit of greater goals.