Chapter 443: This Heavenly Court Sect Is Very Likely the New Demon Sect

Great Xia Imperial Palace.

The Xia Emperor dismissed the eunuchs and palace maids to hold a meeting with the five great immortal sects. In the vast imperial palace, only six people were present, making it seem empty.

"Fellow Daoist Yun, long time no see.""Palace Master, you are too kind.""Fellow Daoist Qiu, I hear you were fully involved in the events at Hanshui City?""I was fortunate to survive."

The six exchanged brief pleasantries, with only the Abbot of Suspended Temple remaining silent, as he was practicing silent meditation.

Seeing that everyone had arrived, the Xia Emperor stated the day's agenda: "Regarding the matter of Hanshui City, I presume the five of you are already generally aware of what transpired. Had it not been for the appearance of an unforeseen individual at the end, I fear the Great Yu would have seized the power of national destiny."

Originally, Yunzhi intended to convene a righteous path conference, but after learning about Hanshui City, the Xia Emperor took the initiative and summoned the five individuals. From the outcome's perspective, there wasn't much difference.

The Xia Emperor's eyes showed indignation. The seizure of national destiny was a monumental event; the Ancestor would likely have to intervene personally to reclaim it, and once the Ancestor acted, all subsequent plans would be disrupted.

"Old Qiu, you were personally present during the Hanshui City incident. Please recount what happened," said the Sect Master of the Prison Suppressing Sect. He had a rugged build, with hints of tattoos visible on his neck, wrists, and ankles, indicating that his entire body was covered in battle runes, a mark of mastery in battle-rune cultivation.

Qiu Jin'an had already completed the aftermath work in Hanshui City and came to the imperial palace for the meeting.

"My presence in Hanshui City was purely coincidental. I was ambushed by evildoers and afflicted by a curse, which required the power of national destiny to remove. So, I went to Hanshui City, the nearest place, to seek assistance from the power of national destiny."

"At that time, Hanshui City was plagued by ghosts and disasters, orchestrated by Great Yu cultivators, though no one realized it at the time."

"Then, Wu Youdao appeared. Using the formidable rule power of a Tribulation Transcendence stage cultivator, he blockaded Hanshui City's information and wreaked havoc throughout the city."

"Wu Youdao, the sixth Emperor of Yu?" A woman interjected at an opportune moment. She was Luo Hongxia, the Palace Master of the Moon Laurel Immortal Palace.

"Yes, that's him. He possessed an imperial demeanor and even used Dragon-Tiger Qi during our fight, making him very difficult to handle. Governor Lu and I only managed a draw by combining our efforts."

"Just as the battle reached a stalemate, a man wearing a white paper hat appeared. His combat strength was nearly on par with mine."

"Nearly on par with you?" The Sect Master of the Prison Suppressing Sect was slightly surprised. He knew Qiu Jin'an's strength, and someone of similar caliber could not be an unknown figure.

"Although that person never revealed his identity, his combat style strongly resembled that of the Nine Nether Sect. And among the Nine Nether Sect members, only their Sect Master could match me!"

"Afterward, I investigated him and found his presence everywhere in Barren Province in recent years. He used clone techniques to commit crimes, leading to his wanted status by the Barren Province authorities. However, he relied on his intellect for his schemes, not displaying his true cultivation, which is why the Barren Province authorities underestimated his actual power."

"As the three of us were about to defeat Wu Youdao, Venerable Xuanlei appeared. Even more despairing was that the Sect Master of the Corpse Driving Sect had been possessed by Venerable Wuji, meaning Hanshui City faced the threat of three Tribulation Transcendence stage cultivators."

"Venerable Wuji further utilized the identity of the Corpse Driving Sect Master and the Grand Seal of Barren Province to temporarily strip Governor Lu of his control over the power of national destiny."

"Just as I was preparing for a desperate struggle, a female cultivator appeared. Her strength was unknown, and her true form unclear. She proclaimed herself the Supreme Great Heavenly Venerable of the Heavenly Court Sect—Bean Heavenly Venerable. Relying on the unmastered power of national destiny, she single-handedly, and with overwhelming power, defeated the three, including Wu Youdao!"

"Unfortunately, Wu Youdao and the other two still managed to escape later."

Although the Xia Emperor had already heard Governor Lu's report of the events, he was still very surprised to hear Qiu Jin'an recount them again. To defeat three opponents with such overwhelming force meant that Bean Heavenly Venerable's true cultivation realm was far beyond that of the three, including Wu Youdao. At the very least, she was a Half-Immortal!

"What kind of force is this Heavenly Court Sect? Why have I never heard of them?" asked the Sect Master of the Prison Suppressing Sect, voicing the question everyone else had.

Everyone racked their brains, and after a long time, could only recall descriptions of "Heavenly Court" in ancient texts. However, there were too many versions of these descriptions, making it difficult for historians to ascertain whether the Heavenly Court truly existed. What was the relationship between the Ancient Heavenly Court and the Heavenly Court Sect?

"I've never heard of them either. Judging by the reactions of Wu Youdao and the other two, they hadn't heard of the Heavenly Court Sect either."

"However, judging by the reaction of the Nine Nether Sect Master who was with me, he seemed to know of the Heavenly Court Sect's existence."

"When he saw Bean Heavenly Venerable appear, he was also surprised, but more so delighted. Afterward, he told me that Bean Heavenly Venerable was an unspeakable great figure, capable of manipulating stars as easily as beans."

"Manipulating stars? Is Bean Heavenly Venerable an ancient figure?" The Xia Emperor tapped the table rhythmically.

Those present were all high-ranking authorities in the cultivation world; nothing was a secret to them. They all knew that the myriad stars had vanished, replaced by Yunzhi's Golden Core. In other words, no one in the current cultivation world could manipulate stars as easily as beans. Bean Heavenly Venerable could only be an ancient figure.

Since the emergence of cultivators from the Great Yu and Great Qian dynasties, even older ancient cultivators had appeared, even ancient grand masters. It was unknown which ancient grand master this was; even if ancient history had too many omissions, it wouldn't omit the honored name of a cultivator of this caliber!

"More and more forces are getting involved in this grand struggle of the age," mused the Sect Master of the Prison Suppressing Sect.

Qiu Jin'an nodded: "I think so too. I suspect this Heavenly Court Sect is somehow connected to the Ancient Heavenly Court. While there are many versions of the Ancient Heavenly Court, one constant remains: the Heavenly Court was the ruler of ancient times!" His scholarship was exceptional, particularly his familiarity with ancient knowledge. He proposed a bold hypothesis, cautiously seeking confirmation: "Further deduction suggests that the Heavenly Court Sect's goal might be to restore the rule of the Ancient Heavenly Court. This would also explain why Bean Heavenly Venerable attacked Wu Youdao: their interests conflicted."

Luo Hongxia continued Qiu Jin'an's analysis: "The Nine Nether Sect Master's familiarity with Bean Heavenly Venerable of the Heavenly Court Sect indicates a connection between the two sects!"

The Sect Master of the Prison Suppressing Sect also seized on a clue for analyzing the Heavenly Court Sect: "A figure like Bean Heavenly Venerable means the Heavenly Court Sect must be incredibly powerful. Our complete ignorance of their existence implies that the Heavenly Court Sect has always operated in the shadows, only now making their first appearance to announce their presence to the world with absolute strength!"

The Abbot of Suspended Temple also wanted to speak, but he couldn't, as he was practicing silent meditation. It was the Xia Emperor who stated the conclusion for him:

"This Heavenly Court Sect is highly likely to be a new demonic sect. With the Immortal Sect's demise, only three of the four great demonic sects remained. Now, with the addition of the Heavenly Court Sect, there are still four great demonic sects!"

Everyone nodded in unison, affirming the Xia Emperor's conclusion.

At this point, Qiu Jin'an noticed Yunzhi, who had been silent throughout, and asked: "Fellow Daoist Yun, you are highly learned and possess the highest cultivation among us. What are your thoughts on the Heavenly Court Sect?"

Yunzhi calmly scanned the group and stated: "I am the Sect Master of the Heavenly Court Sect."