The Xinying Sect Master stood on the mountain peak, gazing at the sprawling Huyang City.

When he saw the dark grand array enveloping the entire city, the Xinying Sect Master’s eyes turned cold. He stated calmly, “Let the looting begin. We will make a considerable fortune from Huyang City.”

“Yes,” they replied.

The three elders behind him excitedly assented and quickly departed to execute the looting plan.

The Xinying Sect Master gazed at the city, muttering, “Ever since we lost the sect’s foundational territory, my Xinying Sect has had no income. We’ve been depleting our past savings.”

A powerful sect, with thousands of Eternal True Gods, a massive number of Void True Gods, and countless True God disciples, had enormous expenditures every epoch. While they could sustain themselves for a short period, prolonged reliance would deplete their resources, causing the Xinying Sect to fracture further.

“A thorough looting of a massive city like Huyang is worth decades of slowly collecting residence fees,” the Xinying Sect Master pondered. “Although the odds of victory are high in this war, if Marquis Jiujiang invites sufficiently powerful aid, my Xinying Sect could still be defeated.”

Marquis Jiujiang’s current forces are indeed no match for the Xinying Sect. However, if a God-King from the Yu Kingdom dispatches elites to support Marquis Jiujiang, that would be a significant problem.

“‘Protect the Xinying Sect’s elites and then seize a substantial fortune,’ the Xinying Sect Master thought. ‘Even if we are defeated, we will still have profited.'”

He didn’t care if mediocre disciples died when the sect was weak; their deaths would even save expenses.

“‘I wonder how much can be looted from the entire Huyang City.’ The Xinying Sect Master’s eyes were filled with anticipation.”

Nine colossal mechanical secret treasures, carrying hundreds of large flying boats, arrived at a prosperous commercial area in Huyang City. This area housed branches of major powers, large shops selling weapons, secret treasures, and rare bloodline items, as well as numerous entertainment venues.

“‘Excluding the eight branches of major powers and River Luo Divine Monarch’s cave mansion, all other Eternal True Gods and Void True Gods will be targeted without exception,’ a voice announced. ‘Those who dare resist will be killed!'”

“‘Yes!’ The numerous disciples on the hundreds of large flying boats were ecstatic.”

They knew well that while True Gods were the most numerous in the city, they were also the poorest. After painstakingly earning a few Chaos Stones, they were reluctant to take risks and would only seek more once their current supply was exhausted. Firstly, looting all the True Gods in the city would be troublesome due to their sheer numbers. Secondly, the returns would be meager, with each True God averaging only a few Chaos Stones. Thirdly, the Xinying Sect might govern Huyang City in the future, and the countless True Gods of Huyang would become their subjects.

For these reasons, they left the True Gods untouched.

However, with the exception of the eight major power branches and River Luo Divine Monarch’s cave mansion, the Xinying Sect would spare no other Eternal True God or Void True God. Within a city, the majority of wealth resided with the Eternal True Gods and Void True Gods.

“‘Seal it all off,’ commanded one of the sect members. A large group of disciples quickly blockaded the ‘Cloud Treasure Pavilion,’ a branch of a major power. The Cloud Treasure Pavilion occupied a vast area, its pavilions displaying numerous secret treasures.”

“‘What are you doing?'”

“‘We are the Huyang City branch of the Cloud Treasure Pavilion. Are you trying to attack us?'”

At the Cloud Treasure Pavilion branch, three Eternal True Gods and many Void True God members watched in shock as the Xinying Sect disciples surrounded them.

A blood-robed woman from the Xinying Sect entered the Cloud Treasure Pavilion branch and sighed. “My Xinying Sect has been impoverished for too long, so we request some assistance from the Cloud Treasure Pavilion. All treasures within this branch, including all items on your persons… hand them over.”

Her voice was soft and gentle, but her words chilled the hearts of the Cloud Treasure Pavilion’s Master, Deputy Masters, and all other members.

“‘Not even a single Chaos Stone can be left behind,’ the blood-robed woman said calmly. ‘My Xinying Sect will personally search your entire bodies. Those who resist will be killed!'”

The Cloud Treasure Pavilion Master, the two Deputy Masters, and the numerous Void True God members trembled with despair upon hearing this. They had worked for the Cloud Treasure Pavilion to accumulate resources. Now, all their resources were being plundered.

“‘This Cloud Treasure Pavilion branch belongs to my Marquis!’ the Cloud Treasure Pavilion Master said urgently, his huge single eye filled with anxiety. ‘The Marquis will surely know about this!'”

“‘Your Marquis knows, and he will probably understand our Xinying Sect’s situation,’ the blood-robed woman replied.”

“‘Handing over all our treasures, not even leaving a single Chaos Stone, isn’t that excessive?’ a nearby Void True God couldn’t help but interject. They had accumulated this much over long ages, and now it was all being seized.”

They were all contemplating fighting to the death.

The blood-robed woman glanced at them, and instantly, a group of Void True God members in that area silently disintegrated into dust, dying one by one, leaving only their weapons and treasures behind.

“‘A mere Void True God dares to speak so much?’ The blood-robed woman looked at the three Cloud Treasure Pavilion Masters. ‘Are you going to resist?'”

“‘I’ll hand it over,’ one Deputy Master immediately said urgently. ‘I am willing to comply. Can you please not search our bodies?'”

“‘A body search is mandatory,’ the blood-robed woman stated, looking at the three of them. ‘Resisters will still die!'”

The ‘body search’ meant allowing the other party to infiltrate their entire bodies with divine power, including their ‘True God Hearts.’ This was akin to completely surrendering their lives, a prospect few Eternal True Gods would willingly accept. However, facing the threat of death, the three Cloud Treasure Pavilion Masters eventually submitted.

“‘A body search is mandatory?’ A simple-looking old man questioned, looking at the Xinying Sect disciples before him and then at the colossal mechanical secret treasures in the sky. ‘I’m willing to surrender all my accumulated treasures. Isn’t that sufficient?'”

“‘A body search is mandatory,’ an Eternal True God from the Xinying Sect told him.”

If it were entirely voluntary, most cultivators would likely hide their treasures; handing over half would be considered generous.

“‘Sigh, I merely wished for a peaceful life in my homeland, but you insist on forcing my hand.’ The simple-looking old man sighed, then instantly transformed into a black shadow, whooshing past. Wherever he went, dozens of disciples, including the Eternal True God, instantly died.”

“‘Hm?’ The colossal mechanical secret treasure high in the sky was instantly alarmed. ‘Kill him!'”

“Buzz!”

The dark grand array in the sky erupted, and terrifying dark power enveloped the black shadow.

“‘Xinying Sect, since I began traveling the Origin Continent, no one has ever been able to search my body!’ The simple-looking old man shrieked wildly. As his voice echoed in all directions, the black shadow vanished.”

“‘Escaped! Unexpectedly, another master was hidden in Huyang City besides River Luo Divine Monarch.’ The colossal mechanical secret treasure in the sky could not detect its target and immediately contacted the Xinying Sect Master. ‘Sect Master, a formidable enemy has been discovered. We need to use karmic tracing to locate the culprit.'”

The Xinying Sect immediately mobilized and began to hunt down the simple-looking old man. Having created such a karmic link and having been locked onto by the sect’s grand array, the Xinying Sect could easily trace him through karma.

Just moments later.

The colossal mechanical secret treasure, a massive plant life form commanded by an elder, waved countless vines. These vines, like a vast net, strangled the wisp of black shadow, which struggled fiercely in resistance.

“‘So be it,’ the old man thought. ‘I’ll die in my homeland after all. Killing thousands of Xinying Sect disciples before my death isn’t a loss.’ Ultimately, the black shadow was completely annihilated, leaving behind only a few remaining treasures.”

“‘Hmph, not everyone is qualified to provoke the Xinying Sect,’ the massive plant life form declared, exuding intense killing intent. Wielding the colossal mechanical secret treasure, its unleashed power as one of the eighteen elders already rivaled that of Elder Xinyan.”

Meanwhile, at the headquarters of the dark force known as ‘Thousand Mountain Tower.’

“‘All treasures belonging to our Thousand Mountain Tower Masters must be handed over to you?’ Facing the two colossal mechanical secret treasures hovering in the sky and the numerous Xinying Sect disciples surrounding them, the seven Thousand Mountain Tower Masters and many Void True Gods were all utterly shocked and enraged.”

As a dark force, they were accustomed only to plundering others. Never before had they been plundered like this.

“‘Hand over everything, and a body search is required,’ a green-robed man stated.”

“‘A body search too?’ The seven Masters were enraged. ‘Even if the Five Great Families ruled the entire city, they would still grant us some respect!'”

“‘In the future, Huyang City will be ruled by my Xinying Sect,’ the green-robed man stated calmly. ‘My sect’s territory has no need for any dark forces.'”

In cities ruled by the Xinying Sect, apart from branches of major powers, all other commercial and local family forces are established by Xinying Sect disciples. Relatively independent forces like Black Butcher, Dream Flower Master, and the Zhushi Clan cannot exist in Xinying Sect territory. The Xinying Sect’s control over a city far surpassed that of a mere City Lord’s Mansion.

The seven Thousand Mountain Tower Masters exchanged glances.

“‘We are willing to hand them over, but without a body search,’ one Master offered.”

The green-robed man smiled faintly and glanced to his left. Instantly, a large group of Thousand Mountain Tower members turned to dust, including Suoyun.

“‘I…’ Suoyun, who had been careful among the Thousand Mountain Tower members, felt his True God Heart disintegrate the moment the green-robed man glanced his way. In that instant, he knew he was going to die.”

He didn’t even have time to think before he was utterly annihilated. A weakling, who said nothing and offered no resistance, simply died, caught in the periphery of the attack.

When he and Suozi originally left their tribe, they were rescued by Luo Feng, which allowed them to successfully reach Huyang City. Within Huyang City, he and Suozi took different paths. He tried every means to seize every opportunity, even overstepping rules and risking his life without hesitation. Meanwhile, Suozi quietly learned culinary arts at the Fire Realm Eatery. Five epochs ago, he even went with his master, Black Butcher, to the Royal Capital, taken by Princess Yushui Tianyu.

And today, Suoyun died silently. No one even noticed.

“‘You…!’ The seven Thousand Mountain Tower Masters were shocked and enraged.”

“‘This is a warning,’ the green-robed man said, looking at them. ‘If you speak further, all seven of you will die.'”

The seven Thousand Mountain Tower Masters could only endure.

“‘Very well.’ The seven Masters bowed their heads, allowing the Xinying Sect disciples to search them and confiscate all their treasures, leaving them not a single Chaos Stone.”

Throughout Huyang City, with the exception of the City Lord’s Mansion, the eight branches of major powers, and Luo Feng’s cave mansion, Eternal True Gods and Void True Gods everywhere else were being plundered. Not a single one could escape. Those who resisted such plunder in anger all met their demise. The vast majority could only endure being plundered, as the power disparity was simply too immense.

“‘What’s going on?’ Luo Feng, sitting atop his cave mansion’s peak, also noticed the Xinying Sect disciples scattered throughout the city, with large flying boats and colossal secret treasures in motion.”

“‘River Luo Divine Monarch,’ Dream Flower Master suddenly contacted him. ‘The Xinying Sect has sealed Dream Flower Tower. They intend to thoroughly plunder it and also search my body.'”

“‘A body search?’ Luo Feng was surprised. Searching an Eternal True God’s body naturally included searching their True God Heart.”

“‘First, mention my name to buy some time,’ Luo Feng messaged. ‘If it’s truly impossible, don’t resist forcefully. I’m coming over now.'”

“‘Okay.’ Dream Flower Master could only hope for River Luo Divine Monarch’s help at this point.”

He cultivated the Seven Emotions Refining Heart Art, which required Dream Flower Master’s musical illusions. Furthermore, given Entropy Tianyan’s friendship with him, he felt compelled to help Dream Flower Master.

“‘Master, Master!'”

Moyu Qingyan shot to the mountain peak, his eyes red with anxiety and despair. “Master, my younger brother Moyu Liuxing is dead!”

“‘Dead?’ Luo Feng was surprised. He recalled the three Moyu brothers, particularly the younger one named Moyu Liuxing, whom he had met at the Tianyan Sect. He was very talented in artifact refining.”

Over the long ages, the eldest and third Moyu brothers would occasionally visit their brother, bringing gifts. Luo Feng was quite familiar with all three Moyu brothers.

“‘The Xinying Sect wantonly slaughtered disciples of the former Tianyan Sect, forcing other Void True Gods to obediently submit to body searches and hand over their treasures. My brother was killed just for speaking a single sentence.’ Moyu Qingyan was utterly bewildered.”

The three brothers had grown up in Huyang City, and now, his younger brother was simply gone. Though he knew there were many dangers on the path of cultivation, with his brother truly gone, Moyu Qingyan felt as if a part of his world was missing, leaving him utterly empty.

“‘River Luo Divine Monarch,’ Luo Feng received yet another cry for help.”

“‘Elder Qiu?’ Luo Feng knew that Uncle Qiu was Entropy Tianyan’s old servant and handled many affairs for the Tianyan Sect.”

“‘River Luo Divine Monarch, please, I beg you, save the disciples of the Tianyan Sect!’ Uncle Qiu, who had always been reluctant to disturb River Luo Divine Monarch, was desperate this time. ‘When the Tianyan Sect disbanded, many of its disciples went their separate ways. Many of them established artifact refining shops, the largest being the Nine Great Artifact Refining Shops.'”

“‘This time, the Xinying Sect is plundering all Void True Gods, not sparing a single one. And if there’s any dissatisfaction, they massacre them. Many disciples have already been killed!’ Uncle Qiu said urgently. ‘I know Divine Monarch is in a difficult position, but I only ask you to save those nine artifact refining shops.'”

Molosa instantly appeared beside him, looking at Moyu Qingyan. “‘What did you say? Your brother is dead? That little fellow who came to deliver food last time?'”

“‘Killed by the Xinying Sect,’ Moyu Qingyan nodded, unable to accept the reality.”