Chapter 1404: Central Plains Turmoil Begins

The Nine Nether Token is the symbol of the Nine Nether Sect's leader and the main control disk for the sect's protective formation. Logically, Shangguan Wei has already secured her position as the Nine Nether Sect Master. Even without the Nine Nether Token, she is still the Sect Master, and no one would dare to defy her orders.

The Nine Nether Sect has a Nine Nether Tree that is ten thousand years old. This tree grows in a mutated underground fire pool. Without the Nine Nether Token, it's impossible to approach this fire pool. Shangguan Wei wishes to go to this mutated underground fire pool to cultivate a certain secret art. If she succeeds, she might be able to advance to the Spirit Transformation stage.

This concerns her potential advancement to the Spirit Transformation stage, so she naturally takes it seriously. Her pursuit of Ye Lin is largely for the Nine Nether Token, which was originally in the safekeeping of Ye Lin's father.

"No, after repeated investigations, the Nine Nether Token might have been taken by Elder Zhong. It's not necessarily with Ye Lin. Elder Zhong, who is part of Ye Lin's faction, has been on the run for over three hundred years. It's extremely difficult for us to track his whereabouts in such a vast world."

Lei Yiming explained cautiously. He didn't know Shangguan Wei's urgent motive for finding the Nine Nether Token, but her repeated insistence on recovering it indicated that it must have other uses.

"Issue a proclamation offering a reward of ten million spirit stones for the capture of Elder Zhong. A substantial reward will also be offered for anyone related to him. Besides spirit stones, Nascent Soul spiritual items and magic treasures can also be given as rewards. Anyone who dares to hide these traitors will be executed without mercy."

Shangguan Wei's face was filled with murderous intent. Because the Nine Nether Token was lost, no one could approach the Nine Nether Tree. This meant the Nine Nether Sect couldn't collect the "Nine Nether Jade Liquid" produced by the tree, which is the primary ingredient for refining Nine Nether Pills. Nine Nether Pills can increase the chance of forming a Nascent Soul by twenty percent. If the Nine Nether Token isn't recovered and the Nine Nether Pills in the treasury run out, cultivators of the Nine Nether Sect would have to risk their lives in dangerous places to form a Nascent Soul. In the long run, the Nine Nether Sect would inevitably decline.

What she cared about was not the decline of the Nine Nether Sect, but her own advancement to the Spirit Transformation stage.

"Yes, Sect Master."

Lei Yiming and Fang Sisi naturally dared not refuse, agreeing in unison.

"Sect Master, five of the disciples transferred to the Central Plains have now advanced to the Core Formation stage. Should we recall them?" Lei Yiming suddenly remembered something and asked cautiously.

Shangguan Wei's willow-like brows furrowed slightly. "No need," she said. "Let them continue to gather information in the Central Plains cultivation world. Ye Lin and Elder Zhong might have gone there. They've been in the Central Plains cultivation world for nearly two hundred years, which hasn't been easy. Increase their stipends!"

These individuals were the ones who carried out the extermination of the Wang family. The Wang family is no longer what it once was. If they were to discover that these cultivators were sent by the Nine Nether Sect, it would lead to trouble.

Shangguan Wei hadn't expected that the Wang family, once a small clan confined to a corner, had now become an unshakeable behemoth. Acting against them would trigger a chain reaction, and the Nine Nether Sect already had enough enemies; it was not advisable to create more. Shangguan Wei currently wished to retrieve the Nine Nether Token, seclude herself to cultivate the secret art, and thereby advance to the Spirit Transformation stage.

Once she cultivated to the Spirit Transformation stage, exterminating the Wang family would be an effortless task.

"Yes, Sect Master."

Central Plains Cultivation World, Great Yan Dynasty.

Black Wind Valley is located in the northeastern part of the Great Yan Dynasty. The terrain here is treacherous, the spiritual energy is sparse, and cultivators rarely appear.

Deep within Black Wind Valley, at the foot of a peak over a hundred zhang tall, gray-white stones were scattered everywhere, and a dozen pale green small grasses were dispersed in various corners, making the area appear somewhat desolate.

The ground suddenly swelled into a mound, and with a flash of white light, Wang Tianwen emerged from underground.

His face was pale, and there was a gruesome bloodied hole on his left shoulder. His upper garments were stained red with blood.

The Great Yan Dynasty was considered relatively powerful in the Central Plains cultivation world. However, the sudden emergence of Zhou Sihong plunged the Great Yan Dynasty into chaos. Over a dozen Nascent Soul cultivators successively died at Zhou Sihong's hands, severely weakening the Great Yan Dynasty's strength. Seeing the Great Yan Dynasty in disarray, the Great Qin Dynasty sent high-ranking cultivators to cause trouble within it. As the Deputy Commander of the Myriad Immortal Division, Wang Tianwen had been busy apprehending evil cultivators during this period.

After Wang Tianwen returned to the Great Yan Dynasty from the Eastern Barrens, they were ordered to apprehend a group of evil cultivators. Unexpectedly, the enemies had set up an ambush in advance. Relying on three third-tier puppet beasts and Core Formation stage talisman soldiers, Wang Tianwen fought desperately to break through the encirclement.

Ignoring his need for rest, he quickly approached a steep rock face and took out a shimmering yellow cloak. As he draped it over himself, countless yellow runes emerged on its surface.

With a flash of yellow light, Wang Tianwen vanished into thin air, as if he had never been there.

A short while later, a streak of green light and a streak of blue light appeared on the distant horizon. The two escape lights rapidly flew towards this location.

Not long after, the two escape lights stopped, revealing a cold-faced young man in a green robe and a young woman in a blue dress with a peach-blossom complexion. A strong aura of malevolence emanated from them, indicating they were cultivators seasoned in battle.

"Damn it, he really escaped! What a pity. That kid had Core Formation stage talisman soldiers and third-tier puppet beasts, otherwise, he would never have gotten away."

The green-robed youth gritted his teeth, looking extremely unwilling.

"I heard he's a disciple of the Qinglian Wang family, quite wealthy, so it's not surprising. His escape speed was too fast, he must have..."

The blue-dressed young woman hadn't finished speaking when a sudden wailing ghost-like sound echoed. She pulled a palm-sized black magic disk from her embrace, activated a spell, and her brows furrowed.

"The Myriad Immortal Division's reinforcements have arrived! Retreat quickly."

The blue-dressed young woman's willow-like brows furrowed. She put away the black magic disk, and the two transformed into two streaks of escape light, flying back the way they came. Before long, they vanished into the horizon.

Three days passed quickly. During this time, no cultivators passed through this area.

At dusk, a yellow light suddenly illuminated the void, revealing Wang Tianwen's figure.

Wang Tianwen let out a long sigh of relief. This time had truly been dangerous, nearly costing him his life.

He slowly walked towards a nearby cave. The cave was somewhat dark and damp, and its rock walls were covered with greenish moss.

Not long after, he reached the end of the cave, sat down cross-legged, and took out a dragon-eye-sized green medicinal pill. The pill emitted a refreshing and unusual fragrance.

He put the pill into his mouth, where it transformed into a sweet liquid that flowed down his throat and into his abdomen. A warm current rose in his belly, circulating through his limbs and bones, followed by an unusual itch.

A dazzling white light emanated from Wang Tianwen's body, his face showed pain, and his skin turned crimson.

One day later, Wang Tianwen opened his eyes, spat out a large mouthful of stagnant blood, and let out a long sigh of relief.

He stood up and walked outside, preparing to return and report.

Just then, he suddenly sensed something, quickly took out the yellow cloak, and draped it over himself.

With a flash of yellow light, Wang Tianwen disappeared, as if he had never existed.