"So, is it possible they are conspirators?"

"Stop with the nonsense, once we catch the other wild beast that has run into Si State, we'll know. Judging from its remaining traces, this wild beast is also quite large. With our Spiritual Sense, it should be easy to detect it."

"Alright!"

...

Two days later.

Ziwei Mountain.

Since their last retreat from seclusion, Chen Zhixing had not secluded themselves again, and upon seeing the messages from the Celestial Saint Palace, they couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.

"Si State submerged ten thousand miles, Daluo Taoist Anan killed in battle, Master Guangtian seriously wounded?"

"Yes, according to what the Celestial Saint Palace disciple said, a wild beast had crossed over through a Void Rift from the other side. Its power lies in sound-based killing. During the pursuit by Master Guangtian and the Daluo Taoist Anan, they were ambushed. Due to lack of preparation, Anan's Sound Tao was shattered, and their three souls and seven spirits were dispersed."

At this moment, Uncle Chen Tianchen looked as serious and somber as his name, with his worries plainly written on his face.

A transdimensional wild beast, known for its large-scale indiscriminate sound-based attacks, if such an enemy were to reach Jiangzhou, even if expelled, it would at least wreak havoc on one entire county.

Thankfully,

Due to geographical reasons, Jiangzhou and Si State are separated by Huai State, so the sound-killing monster wouldn't be able to reach Jiangzhou's territory soon.

"What does the Celestial Saint Palace say? They just want us to prepare for defense without giving a solution?" Chen Zhixing examined the words on the intelligence jade book earnestly.

"No, there have been no Void Rifts detected in the Southern Domain of our few prefectures. So far, only two have been discovered: one caused by the Dragon Turtle in the Arctic Ocean, and the other by this Sound Tao Wild Beast."

The speaker was Chen Zhaosheng, who at this moment had a serious expression. He shook his folding fan as he gazed at the vast sky outside: "According to reports sent by our personnel stationed in the Celestial Saint Palace, though Master Guangtian was injured, there's an internal reason. In fact, before pursuing the Sound Tao Wild Beast, Master Guangtian and the Daluo Taoist engaged another wild beast, where Master Guangtian performed the Divine Skill Ink Kill."

"Ink Kill." Chen Tianchen's pupils constricted at these words.

The name Ink Kill is notorious throughout the Southern Domain, because one hundred and twenty years ago, Master Guangtian had used this technique to annihilate a second-rate Longevity Noble Family located at the border of Si State and Huai State. Despite the family's full activation of their Mountain Protection Array, the result was the entire mountain range being engulfed by the Ink Kill!

One must know, that was a domain spanning thousands of miles, guarded by a near Longevity Level Array!

"Yes, the opponent this time is fierce, even a Longevity Master could get caught off guard. Hence, the Celestial Saint Palace's request is just for us to defend, with no requirement to explore the other side...Of course, current intelligence is limited, and so far only two otherworldly beings are known: a thousand-zhang wild beast resembling a flying fish adept in Sound Tao, and another five hundred-zhang tall giant with a hundred arms....Giant?"

At this last word, Chen Tianchen was hesitant.

Although there are giants in the Celestial Profound Realm, a five hundred-zhang being with a hundred arms, covered in black hair, can this still be called human?

"Let's assume it's a giant for now."

Chen Zhaosheng sighed and said: "Since our family has received the news, it's likely other noble families in Jiangzhou have too. It won't be long before trouble finds its way to us."

"Handle it as you see fit, and inform me once there's a resolution. I need to familiarize myself with some Divine Techniques further, so I won't stay here." Chen Zhixing placed the jade mirror on the table, then stood up to leave.

Seeing this, Chen Zhaosheng sighed again: "I knew it would be like this."

"Hmm?" Chen Zhixing paused and looked back at him in surprise: "Otherwise? Is there something else you need me to handle?"

"Yes, there's a matter. Zhixing, you need to make a trip to the Celestial Saint Palace." Chen Zhaosheng blinked and said: "Mo Qingyue has reached the Peak. The news came with this."

Saying this, Chen Zhaosheng pointed to the jade mirror on the table beside him.

Chen Zhixing: "..."

.....

Mo Qingyue actually reached the Peak!

So suddenly?

Oh, wait, you're saying Mo Qingyue is already a hundred years old?

Then it's fine!

A hundred-year-old Peak, and a Saintess of the Three Great Sacred Lands, such a progression is quite normal within the Three Great Sacred Lands.

In other words, every hundred years or so, upon rotation of the Saint Heirs and Saintesses, it is time for the previous generation of Saint Heirs and Saintesses to ascend to the Peak.

The main reason is that the Three Great Sacred Lands have a type of great medicine that allows cultivators in the Late-stage Nirvana to smoothly ascend to the Peak with an intact form of Nirvana.

When Chen Zhixing arrived at the Celestial Saint Palace, after going through formalities, he finally met Mo Qingyue, who had already joined the Flying Immortal Palace.

After rising to the Peak, her demeanor seemed even colder. When she saw Chen Zhixing, she merely greeted him with an indifferent expression.

"Zhixing is here."

"Congratulations to Sister Qingyue for reaching the Peak, may longevity be within reach, and Great Tao be in sight."

"Hmm."

Facing Chen Zhixing's congratulations, Mo Qingyue only nodded without further words.

Her demeanor made Chen Zhixing frown slightly.

By all logic, Mo Qingyue shouldn't behave so coldly towards him; has her cultivation encountered a problem?

A moment later, Mo Qingyue, who was seated, opened her eyes again.

"I forgot to tell Zhixing, I broke through to the Peak using a sacred relic from the palace, thus I have a deficiency in the mastery of the Dao of Time. It's akin to the sense of time of an ancient tree of ten thousand years, leading to a slight loss of time perception with the outside world. I hope Zhixing forgives my negligence; once I achieve success, I'll make amends with you."

"Uh...Cultivation is imperative, Sister Qingyue, please don't be distracted. I came this time just to offer congratulations. Since it's inconvenient for you, I shall leave first and return to visit another day."

"Alright."

Mo Qingyue nodded, then watched Chen Zhixing leave.

On Flying Immortal Peak.

After leaving Mo Qingyue's courtyard, Chen Zhixing furrowed his brow unconsciously.

Something was wrong with Mo Qingyue.

He could sense it.

For someone who also recently broke through to the Peak after Nirvana, he naturally understood what it entailed.

Using a pill to charge through isn't an optimal method.

Perhaps the Celestial Saint Palace had a secretive medicine to use, but traversing the Great Tao involves integrating one's path with the already transformed body. During this period, any magical elixirs are merely supplementary, so the situation Mo Qingyue is in after the breakthrough shouldn't have occurred.

"Problem with the Sense of Time?"

Chen Zhixing doubted that, for in the brief exchange they had, he could clearly sense traces of decay emanating from Mo Qingyue.

It wasn't a matter of being possessed by an ancient soul, but rather something emitting from within, akin to...he couldn't properly describe it. A hundred-year-old Peak ought to be in the youth phase, so why does Mo Qingyue suddenly have an aura of impending senescence?

"This sense of decay certainly doesn't originate from Mo Qingyue herself, nor is it due to the ingestion of pills. So what exactly is happening?"

Chen Zhixing couldn't comprehend it.

However, he was relieved to confirm that Mo Qingyue hadn't been possessed.

"It might just be, as she said, a slight problem in cultivation...."

...

Not long after Chen Zhixing left.

In Mo Qingyue's current residence, Taoist Monarch Tihu slowly entered.

"Qingyue, are you alright?"

"Uncle Master, I'm...alright."

Sitting there, Mo Qingyue opened her eyes, the pallor on her face flashed briefly before she spoke softly: "It's just that the accumulated evening aura is quite a bit, and it will take more time to digest. It won't be convenient for me to go out in the near future."

Upon hearing this, Taoist Monarch Tihu showed a hint of bitterness on his face.

It wasn't just a bit.

This time, the evening aura his master released constituted a full thirty percent of himself. Even with two carrying it, like the newly ascended Peak Saint Heir and Saintess, it's indeed quite a burden for these younger individuals.

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