"Lunatic."

Shen Yu cursed inwardly.

Could it be that the Cave Abyss Sect truly doesn’t know its place, daring to go to war with his Profound Origin Sect for an Outer Sect Disciple?

It’s simply illogical!

Even though several Elders promptly channeled their spiritual power to protect Song Yan, the momentary pressure still caused him to spit blood.

The might of Foundation Establishment. Such surging spiritual power and prestige... Facing Foundation Establishment directly, he already felt like a frog at the bottom of a well seeing the moon. He couldn’t even imagine what kind of Realm lay beyond Foundation Establishment... In his chaotic thoughts, Song Yan suddenly realized that the current situation was completely different from what he had imagined.

He had originally thought this was a game of chess between two Sects, merely using him, a small figure, as a fulcrum for negotiations. How had it now... escalated to the point of an all-out war with the Profound Origin Sect? Did the Cave Abyss Sect truly cherish its Disciples that much?

Buzz—

Just as everyone was in a tense standoff, they suddenly heard an ancient Sword Qi sound rise from the ground.

A monstrous Sword Qi streaked across the sky, splitting the clear sky above the Cave Abyss Sect’s mountain gate into two!

In an instant, the entire Entrance Plaza fell silent.

The Cultivators on the field, whether Cave Abyss Sect Disciples, Elders, or the people from the Profound Origin Sect, all felt time stop at this moment!

"Where did this junior come from..."

A distant voice echoed from Dragon Head Peak, reverberating throughout the entire Cave Abyss Sect.

"Just came out of seclusion and heard all this chattering, boastful talk..."

"Unnecessarily noisy."

The voice was like cold spring water striking jade, yet it made the blood of the Profound Origin Sect members churn.

The sword light that spanned heaven and earth suddenly retracted, and the chaotic Sword Qi became as fine as silk threads. In the eyes of the crowd, however, it possessed the power to drag the Milky Way and overturn the universe.

Irresistible!

The Profound Origin Sect members stood frozen in place, not daring to move an inch.

Before them, a waterfall of Sword Qi separated them from the Cave Abyss Sect members.

Trembling.

They looked up.

Above the Cave Abyss Sect, the vast sea of clouds was actually torn open by that Sword Qi, forming a rift valley. Surging Sword Qi, carrying the mist from the cloud rift, poured down.

Where the Sword Qi passed, mountains, clear skies, and flowing rivers faded into grayscale ink wash.

The Profound Origin Sect members looked up and felt the world grow dim, as if the sun had vanished.

"..."

The entire place was silent.

Everyone stared blankly at the Sword Qi that spanned the sky in the clouds.

One sword splits the clouds... Heaven and Earth unsettled!

"Go back and tell Lou Zhengze."

"If the Profound Origin Sect wants to go to war, just come and fight. There’s no need for these childish games that waste effort..."

The voice was leisurely, yet the Profound Origin Sect Cultivators were drenched in sweat.

Golden Core Realm, the Cave Abyss Sect had only one.

The Cave Abyss Sect Master, Immortal Master Li Jun.

Chen Linyuan!

"Although this Disciple of mine has mediocre Aptitude, he has diligently Cultivated in the Outer Sect and has never caused trouble."

"He was inexplicably used as a pawn by you and has now lost all his cultivation. It’s truly pitiful..."

"You all should prepare some compensation and send someone to deliver it."

"..."

The Profound Origin Sect members’ faces were ashen, and they all remained silent.

It wasn’t that they didn’t want to argue, but with the power of the Sword Qi waterfall before them, they feared that if they opened their mouths, they would suffer the pain of ten thousand swords piercing their hearts.

"If you don’t answer, this Dominator will take it as your agreement."

"It’s getting late..."

"I won’t see you out."

As soon as the words fell, the Profound Origin Sect members vanished without a trace. When they blinked again, they were already outside the mountain gate.

"..."

The terrifying sword pressure gradually dissipated, and the Profound Origin Sect members’ taut nerves slowly relaxed.

Facing a Golden Core... Not to mention those Cave Abyss Sect Disciples, even they, Foundation Establishment Realm Cultivators, had never had such an "opportunity" before.

"..."

Shen Yu’s expression was grim, and he remained silent.

The atmosphere among the Profound Origin Sect members was deathly quiet.

The Elder named Chang Ziyi looked spirited and quite young. Perhaps he had never suffered such humiliation, so he immediately snorted coldly and shouted loudly:

"We have experienced the might of the Cave Abyss Sect Master today!"

"However, today’s matter is not yet settled! We will come back to demand..."

Buzz—

A Sword Qi faster than lightning shot down from the sky. Before he could react, it landed squarely in Chang Ziyi’s mouth, swirling continuously.

"Ah! Ugh..."

Violent Sword Qi ravaged his mouth, shredding his tongue, yet the Sword Qi’s intensity was just right, allowing his Foundation Establishment Realm spiritual power to automatically repair and restore it.

The Sword Qi continuously sliced apart Chang Ziyi’s tongue and mouth, blood gushing out like a torrent.

"This Dominator is in a very good mood today and does not wish to create more Karma..."

"However, from now until you all return within the Profound Origin Sect’s mountain protection formation, if you dare to utter another word, you need not return."

He actually dared to make a move!?

Chang Ziyi was on the verge of unconsciousness before he cut off the circulation of spiritual power in his body, allowing the Sword Qi to chop his tongue and mouth into a pulpy mess.

How could Shen Yu dare to linger any longer? With a flick of his sleeve, he led the Profound Origin Sect members away.

He didn’t even dare to utter the word "go"... Inside the Cave Abyss Sect.

Song Yan suddenly felt a chill all over, as if an invisible gaze had seen through him completely.

"Among the Cultivators of this world, there is no such thing as innocent or evil..."

"Killing and fighting, as long as it doesn’t go against one’s original intention and doesn’t accumulate Karma for no reason, if you kill, then you kill. Why hide it."

"This matter is concluded."

"Elders, let’s discuss the various incidents that occurred during my seclusion in the Lingxiao Hall."

The Elders bowed respectfully towards Dragon Head Peak: "We obey your command."

The surrounding Disciples gradually dispersed, but Song Yan still stood rooted to the spot, gazing at the sword mark in the distant sky... This was the Cave Abyss Sect Sect Leader, Immortal Master Li Jun.

The Cave Abyss Sect was somewhat different from the other major Sects, one could say very different.

If one were to carefully review the history of the Cultivation world in Chu State, they would find that most of the founders of the other Five Major Sects today only had Foundation Establishment Stage cultivation.

Later generations of Disciples painstakingly managed, and after a long period of time, with the mountain gate imbued with spiritual essence, did Golden Core Realm Grand Cultivators emerge.

In terms of the age of founding, the oldest among the Six Major Sects was Huadu Temple, located in Chen Prefecture, which had been established for eight thousand years.

Most of the Ancestral Masters of the various major Sects had already passed away.

But the Cave Abyss Sect was different. Immortal Master Li Jun only came here about three hundred years ago, established the mountain gate, and founded the Sect.

The Sect, from top to bottom, had only gone through a few generations.

He was a living Ancestral Master... The large and small Sects of Chu State had actually always kept an eye on the Cave Abyss Sect’s auspicious land.

Firstly, the Cave Abyss Sect only had this one Golden Core Realm Cultivator on the surface, and in recent years, there had been no reports of any Cultivators in the Cave Abyss Sect experiencing anomalies indicating a Breakthrough to the Golden Core Realm.

Secondly, a Cultivator who Breaks Through to the Golden Core Realm gains three hundred years of Lifespan, allowing them to live for about five hundred years.

When Immortal Master Li Jun traveled here back then, he was already at least at the Middle Stage of the Golden Core Realm or above.

How difficult is it to Cultivate to the Golden Core Realm?

In a remote and barren region like Chu State, the record for the youngest Breakthrough to the Golden Core Realm came from a Cultivator named True Person Qing Yan.

He entered seclusion for Breakthrough at one hundred and twenty-six years old, and after three years, achieved the Great Dao of Golden Core at one hundred and twenty-nine years old.

Unfortunately, he later left Chu State to travel and disappeared. The small Sect he originally belonged to, called Ziyuan Sect, had long since been destroyed.

Even if Immortal Master Li Jun possessed similar extraordinary talent, he should now be approximately four hundred and thirty years old.

Everyone speculated that Immortal Master Li Jun’s Lifespan was running out.

But this one sword today would likely make the surrounding covetous Sects temporarily abandon those unrealistic notions.

"..."

Song Yan lowered his head.

He wasn’t sure if the Sect Master’s words were directed at him, but whether they were or not, what he said was correct.

No one is innocent.

"In this world where powerful individuals can truly turn the clouds with a flip of their hand and cover the rain with another, being weak and powerless is inherently a sin. How can there be innocence?"

"If one lacks strength, then as the Sect Master said, they are merely straw dogs and ants..."

"Nothing more than pawns on the board of various Sect forces and powerful individuals, playthings in their hands!"

One day... Song Yan looked up, his eyes devoid of resentment and malice, only calm and resolute.

One day... One day he would achieve the Great Dao, no longer relying on the protection of others, and become the Dominator of his own destiny.