For some reason, it seems that some previously sealed Ancient Demons have awakened. They took advantage of our two sides being at war and infiltrated the Ten Thousand Peaks Mountain Range.
This is because there is an Ancient Demon Altar in the Ten Thousand Peaks Mountain Range. These Ancient Demons seem to have found a way to reactivate this altar, which is why they were able to demonize so many barbaric beasts.
"But unfortunately, our Cangyuan was already severely weakened at that time and was unable to counterattack. By the time we received the news, Tianli had already initially stabilized the barbarian beast chaos, so we could only take this opportunity to recuperate."
Hermit Xuyuan continued with great regret.
Ning Fa's eyes suddenly flashed, and he thought of the sea of Demonic Qi he had encountered in Moon Reflection Valley before.
"If that's the case, then that place was very likely also an Ancient Demon Altar."
Ning Fa further thought, "Could it be that the Demonkin that Zhuo Qing merged with didn't die and infiltrated the Ten Thousand Peaks Mountain Range to activate another Ancient Demon Altar?"
Ning Fa felt it was very possible, after all, that Demonkin was clearly no ordinary individual.
"Now that Tianli is launching a full-scale attack again, could it be that the threat of barbaric beasts behind them has been controlled?" he immediately asked.
Hermit Xuyuan nodded: "That's right. In fact, we learned from the news of that spy several years ago that Tianli seemed to have received powerful reinforcements.
With the help of these reinforcements, their progress in clearing out the barbaric beasts was much faster.
However, that spy's position was not high, and he did not know where these reinforcements came from.
It is only now, through fellow Daoist Ning's words, that we have learned that their powerful reinforcements actually came from the Myriad Bone Gate in the Rakshasa Immortal Realm.
With the assistance of the Myriad Bone Gate, Tianli eventually forced all the surging barbaric beasts back into the Ten Thousand Peaks Mountain Range and, by modifying an ancient formation, sealed off the entire mountain range.
With no worries in their rear, Tianli then began their large-scale offensive."
Hermit Xuyuan paused at this point, his expression becoming solemn.
Ning Fa's eyes flickered, and he vaguely guessed what Hermit Xuyuan wanted to say.
"Fellow Daoist Ning, to be frank, our Spiritual Pivot Pavilion happens to have records of that ancient formation set up by Tianli, so we have some understanding of it.
Although Tianli has made some modifications to this formation, it should still be based on the original formation structure.
Therefore, after learning of this matter, I had an idea: that our Cangyuan send people to the Ten Thousand Peaks Mountain Range to destroy that ancient formation.
This way, Tianli will naturally have trouble in their own territory. Even if they cannot be forced to retreat completely, it will greatly reduce our pressure.
The setup of that ancient formation requires a massive amount of resources. As long as we can destroy it, I believe Tianli will not be able to set it up again in a short period."
Ning Fa's expression remained unchanged, and he thought, "As expected."
His gaze flickered as he said, "If I understand correctly from fellow Daoist Xuyuan, you seem to be hoping for me to go?"
Hermit Xuyuan said frankly: "That's right, precisely.
In fact, that ancient formation is very special, and destroying it is not an easy task.
However, I have already selected some fellow Daoists who happen to cultivate special Divine Abilities, along with some special treasures from our pavilion.
As long as we can reach the Ten Thousand Peaks Mountain Range, it should be possible to break this formation.
Moreover, over the years, we have been working hard to build a long-distance transmission array in Tianli's rear, which is nearing completion. This will allow us to strike directly into Tianli's rear.
However, even so, this mission is extremely difficult and requires a fellow Daoist of sufficient strength to lead.
Before fellow Daoist Ning appeared, we had intended to choose one person between fellow Daoists Kong Li and Xu Yi to lead the team.
But now that fellow Daoist Ning has arrived, in my opinion, fellow Daoist Ning is naturally more suitable.
Furthermore, speaking of which, this matter is also related to fellow Daoist Ning – because this infiltration into Tianli's rear is also related to fellow Daoist Zhu Lingyun of the Divine Heart Sect."
Ning Fa's expression remained unchanged when he heard the beginning, but the last sentence caused his face to suddenly change drastically.
He looked at Hermit Xuyuan with tightly furrowed brows.
He had returned in a hurry this time and hadn't had time to go to the Divine Heart Sect to find the Divine Maiden Zhu Lingyun.
But he never expected that, from Hermit Xuyuan's words, this sabotage mission into Tianli's rear was actually related to Zhu Lingyun?
Thinking of Wu Hong's strange expression when she mentioned Zhu Lingyun earlier, Ning Fa's heart sank.
"Fellow Daoist Xuyuan, what exactly is going on? Please explain it more clearly."
Ning Fa's expression had already turned somewhat unpleasant.
Hermit Xuyuan sighed slightly: "This is a long story. I think it would be better for someone else to explain it to you, fellow Daoist."
After speaking, he looked towards the horizon: "He has arrived."
Ning Fa also looked towards the sky on the right. A dazzling streak of light was rapidly approaching them.
Not long after, a beam of light stopped in front of the two of them, revealing a young cultivator dressed in snow-white robes with a handsome face. This person was True Lord Kongli.
Kong Li nodded to Hermit Xuyuan and then looked at Ning Fa. He saw that Ning Fa's expression was cold, even with a hint of undisguised disgust.
Ning Fa's heart skipped a beat. The more Kong Li was like this, the more he felt that Zhu Lingyun's situation might be even worse than he had imagined.
"What exactly happened to Lingyun?" Ning Fa asked with a dark expression.
Upon hearing this, Kong Li immediately frowned and looked at Ning Fa, saying unceremoniously: "Watch your address, Lingyun is not someone you can call casually!"
After speaking, he snorted coldly: "If you want to know Lingyun's situation, then come with me."
With that, he flew south without looking back.
Kong Li's attitude was atrocious, but Ning Fa couldn't bother to dwell on it at the moment. He cupped his hands towards Hermit Xuyuan and then also took to the sky, following him.
As Hermit Xuyuan watched the two figures gradually disappear, a strange look flashed in his eyes. He sighed, "Pure Yang True Fire... could this truly be the will of heaven..."
True Lord Kong Li's escape speed was incredibly fast, showing no intention of waiting for Ning Fa. However, with Ning Fa's current cultivation, he could easily keep up.
Moreover, although Ning Fa hadn't fought Kong Li before, judging by his ranking on the Profound Ranking, he should still only be a lower-tier Great Cultivator.
Ning Fa recalled that Kong Li had advanced to Great Cultivator four to five hundred years ago, so his lifespan should be nearing its end. It was said that the Divine Maiden Zhu Lingyun was also his personal disciple, treated like a daughter.
If Zhu Lingyun truly met with misfortune because of him, it would be understandable for Kong Li to have such an attitude. Thinking this, Ning Fa's brow furrowed even tighter.
The two exchanged no words during their journey. At their escape speed, they had already traversed tens of thousands of miles in just over half a day. Ahead, a continuous mountain range shrouded in mist appeared.
Before they even got close, pure spiritual energy washed over them.
Ning Fa's expression shifted. He knew this must be the mountain range of the Divine Heart Sect – the Tianxin Mountain Range.
For tens of thousands of years, the Divine Heart Sect had been the strongest sect in the Yunhuang Alliance. Therefore, the spirit veins within the Tianxin Mountain Range were extraordinary, incomparable to the spirit vein Ning Fa had just occupied in Xuguo.
With True Lord Kong Li, a First Elder of the Divine Heart Sect, leading the way, their passage was naturally unimpeded. They flew directly towards the core of the mountain range.
As they drew closer, Ning Fa's anxiety grew, leaving him no mind to appreciate the beautiful scenery around them, which resembled a mortal paradise.
Before long, dense white mist suddenly appeared ahead, obscuring the view. Ning Fa's spiritual sense probed forward but was unceremoniously repelled by a strange force.
Ning Fa's expression tightened slightly. This was clearly a very powerful barrier.
Kong Li took out a formation control disk and gently waved it towards the white mist ahead. Instantly, the mist churned, revealing a passage several feet high, into which the two flew.
Within this white mist, Ning Fa encountered several other extremely powerful barriers. The more this was the case, the more uneasy Ning Fa felt.
Soon, the white mist dispersed, revealing a towering ice mountain over a thousand feet high. An astonishing cold air rushed towards them.
Kong Li, as if unaffected, led Ning Fa to a spot on the mountainside. After performing some incantations, a hazy white opening appeared before them.
A palpable, icy chill surged out, a hundred times colder than the surrounding air, causing Ning Fa's expression to change.
Kong Li glanced at Ning Fa with a blank expression before directly leaping into the opening.
Ning Fa's face was solemn as he followed.
This winding ice cave descended for over a thousand feet. The further down they went, the more astonishing the cold became, forcing even Kong Li to condense a thick spiritual light shield around himself.
His expression shifted slightly as he glanced at Ning Fa. Ning Fa seemed to be enduring the surrounding cold with only his physical body, without employing any defensive measures. This caused Kong Li's pupils to contract slightly.
Finally, the ice cave reached its bottom, revealing a hall of cold ice, its length and width exceeding a hundred feet.
Ning Fa scanned his surroundings and then, with a violent tremor, looked towards an ice wall on his right.
Within that ice wall, a breathtakingly beautiful woman, dressed in a white dress and appearing like a celestial being descended to earth, was frozen.
Her cloud-like hair cascaded around her, and her flawless jade-like face was serene, her eyes closed as if in deep slumber.
Ning Fa froze like a statue.
Though he had harbored grim expectations, he had never imagined Zhu Lingyun would be in such a state. He couldn't even sense the slightest trace of life from her.
Ning Fa's heart sank.
Then, his pupils suddenly constricted, and he stiffly turned his neck, slowly looking towards Zhu Lingyun's abdomen.
Zhu Lingyun's lower abdomen was noticeably swollen, and her delicate hands were tightly covering it, as if protecting it.
"That... that's my child with the Divine Maiden!?"
In that instant, Ning Fa's heart stopped beating.
"Boom!"
A piercing thunderclap erupted, and terrifying lightning, like a tempest, burst from Ning Fa's body, enveloping him in dense, five-colored lightning that resembled a sea of thunder.
His long hair flew wildly, his face contorted in ferocity, his eyes filled with blood, and a terrifying spiritual pressure capable of destroying the heavens and earth erupted from him.
Kong Li's pupils contracted sharply. At this moment, Ning Fa made him feel no desire to resist.
After just two breaths, the anomaly around Ning Fa suddenly receded. However, even so, his body was still trembling slightly, as if he were desperately suppressing himself.
His face a mask of ferocity, he stared intently at Kong Li, his voice as chilling as the deepest abyss.
"What... in the world... is going on!!!"