Eternal Tale
chapter-157

Half a year later, in Anyun Nation:

This Nation is quite powerful, covering an area nearly as big as Qian Nation, but slightly smaller. Anyun Nation is divided into seven major provinces.

It is a colossal existence among the surrounding countries because it is jointly governed by three major sects, each with Golden Core cultivators in residence. The mortal emperor is merely a puppet.

Zeping Province, bordering various countries, is the biggest province. Its capital is Yinyu City.

In a particularly dark corner, a person with a black cloth wrapped around their head and a black veil over their face was chuckling quietly.

Next to him, a big black ox was also squatting and chuckling with its mouth open. The faces of this person and ox were weathered and terrifying, clearly not good people.

Most of the common folk outside the corner had their heads wrapped in cloth due to the frequent sandstorms that ravaged the city. Only immortals could resist such storms.

However, their eyes were filled with fear, as the governor of every city in the nation was a cultivator. Offending them could result in crippling injuries at best or death at worst.

"Old Ox, only now do I realize how chaotic it is outside!" Chen Xun pulled down the half-covered veil and spat, "These cultivators would all be considered demonic cultivators in Qian Nation."

"Moo~~" The big black ox also spat. Along their journey, they saw either border wars or corpses of commoners lying in the wilderness.

The cultivators of these countries didn't reason with mortals; offending them meant death, a wanton slaughter.

Having stayed in Qian Nation for so long under the management of the Top Ten Sects, they had never seen such arrogance.

"Damn it, now I understand why the Top Ten Sects haven't expanded here." Chen Xun snorted coldly, "Taking over would be a mess, with each nation having its own historical enmities and chaos."

"Moo~" The big black ox nodded in vague understanding, trusting that whatever his boss said was right.

"Let's start with that worthless Qingchi Sect." Chen Xun slowly drew a mountain-opening axe, a cold glint in his eyes, "Old Ox, let's stake out and show them what professionals are."

"Moo~" The big black ox's eyes flashed with anger as it snorted.

The two figures instantly disappeared, leaving behind a swirl of lingering anger.

Upon arriving in Anyun Nation, they had tracked five Foundation Establishment cultivators who were transporting dozens of weeping women, all commoners with spiritual roots.

They discovered it was human trafficking, using the women as cultivation furnaces. Without hesitation, Chen Xun, and the big black ox immediately "upheld justice," deeming them demonic cultivators!

The big black ox made a few hefty marks in their merit book, confiscated the storage bags, and left without a trace. The women wept in gratitude, as being used as cultivation furnaces was an unbearable torment, worse than death.

Because of the chaos in their nation, they were more aware of the harsh realities compared to the commoners of Qian Nation. Cultivation furnaces were not comparable to maidservants; no sane woman would willingly become one.

The women fled in all directions, not knowing who had saved them. In these turbulent times, they only sought to survive.

Chen Xun and the big black ox were very satisfied with their act of justice, gaining numerous maps, information, and twenty thousand low-grade spirit stones. They destroyed all useless items and learned that the cultivators they confronted were disciples of the Qingchi Sect.

Qingchi Sect was one of the three major sects in Anyun Nation. These sects were notorious for unethical behavior. As cultivators, many of their disciples engaged in disgraceful activities.

They trafficked people with spiritual roots to various families and sold women with spiritual roots as cultivation furnaces to certain cultivators, making substantial profits.

Such a cultivation world was beyond the imagination of Chen Xun and the big black ox, as if it was an entirely different world from Qian Nation.

This place was completely lawless, unregulated, and brutal—a land of the strong preying on the weak, no longer worthy of being called a cultivation world.

Has the cultivation world regressed?

Moyu Pavilion also publicly condemned these actions, although what happened behind the scenes was another matter.

These three major powers were also entangled in the affairs of various countries. The chaos in the numerous small countries couldn't be separated from their influence. Unlike the Top Ten Sects, they lacked stability and unity.

But the ones suffering the most were still the common people. After a few decades, they might have to change their allegiance again as a new dynasty rises.

Five months later.

In the far west of Zeping Province, the terrain was extremely complex, filled with numerous hills and dense forests, with frequent appearances of swamps and miasma.

Further away lay a vast range of towering mountains, shrouded in mist. No mortal who ventured in ever returned, reportedly all perishing insides. Yet, this place was rich in spiritual energy and home to many rare spiritual herbs and spirit beasts.

Such a treasure land was not left unclaimed; the Qingchi Sect took it over, conveniently wiping out several small sects, leaving no cultivators daring to approach.

Currently, with most of the major cultivators of various countries heading to the northern part of Wu Nation, the Qingchi Sect had also become quite desolate, lacking its former vitality.

Only the sect leader and two mid-stage Golden Core cultivators, who were nearing the end of their lives, remained to guard it.

Today, in Qingchi Sect, the sect leader Qin Xianqin was walking through the air. His face was pale, with a faint tinge of green, and his expressionless face showed indifference.

Qin Xianqin had just returned from a small gathering of the leaders of the three major sects. They met monthly to discuss the current situation in the north of Wu Nation since the exploration began.

But they were all quite uneasy, as news was slow to arrive.

"Alas, if our strength is greatly diminished, the countries will inevitably become unstable." A hint of worry appeared in Qin Xianqin's eyes. "The position of our Qingchi Sect is in jeopardy."

Unknowingly, he walked into a layer of fog, failing to notice anything amiss around him.

"Who?!" Qin Xianqin was startled, only reacting after a while. The surroundings were unfamiliar. "Who is playing tricks here?"

In an instant.

Two powerful pressures descended, causing the surrounding spiritual energy to scatter. The energy within Qin Xianqin's body suddenly stagnated, his face turning ashen with terror in his eyes.

This was a suppression due to a significant disparity in realm. He had seen a Nascent Soul ancestor in action; it felt just like this.

Two bandits stood within the fog array: their eyes cold. They had scouted this place for months, setting up an array and even preparing an underground cave—an ideal spot for uprooting evil.

The black ox attacked!

Without hesitation, the ox dropped a huge black coffin from the sky, inviting the immortal into it. It was easier to reason that way.

**Boom…**

A bewildered look flashed in Qin Xianqin's eyes as a black object suddenly enveloped his body, leaving him no time to react.

"Friend, I am the sect leader of Qingchi Sect. If I have offended you, please show mercy!"

Qin Xianqin's eyes widened. The surroundings were pitch black, even his divine sense couldn't extend. He was being enveloped by deathly energy!

A sense of suffocating despair eroded his heart. In that brief moment, he thought of all his enemies over the past eighteen generations.

In an instant, he felt himself sinking, his internal spiritual energy completely suppressed, his golden core dim, unable to even summon his magic weapon.

**Rumble…**

Beneath the ground, two dark shadows grinned. After three months of staking out, they had thoroughly understood this man's travel patterns and the surrounding array defenses.