King of Assassins-Chapter 592 - 462: 12 Profound City Celestial Demons

East Profound Continent, Qi Yun Mountain, Profound Yellow Palace.
The current Sect Leader of the Profound Yellow Sect, Xue Tiejun, is a Divinity Transformation Daoist Monarch. He sits in the Profound Emperor Ancestor Hall all day long, not stepping outside even once throughout the year.
The specific and tedious chores within the sect are naturally handled by the heads of various institutes, requiring no attention from him.
Xue Tiejun's presence here is merely to bolster the banner of the sect. As long as he sits here, other major sects have to respect the Profound Yellow Sect and dare not act recklessly.
In the past ten thousand years, major cultivator sects in the East Profound Continent have gradually declined. It has been a long time since a Mahayana Dao Venerable has appeared.
Most Divinity Transformation Daoist Monarchs choose to stay in the Divinity Transformation Realm without progressing. The Nine Heavens Thunder Tribulation for advancing to Dao Venerable is too perilous. Unless absolutely necessary, no one is willing to take the risk.
Xue Tiejun is no different. He is already two thousand years old, nearing the life limit of a Divinity Transformation Daoist Monarch, yet he still refuses to risk crossing the tribulation.
The Mahayana Thunder Tribulation allows for no use of magical artifacts and must be faced with the Primordial Spirit.
The Primordial Spirit is merely an ethereal entity formed from the Divine Soul. No matter how powerful one's divine techniques, how can they withstand the thunderous might of heaven and earth?
Unless absolutely necessary, Xue Tiejun will not risk crossing the tribulation. His long lifespan has taught him to be cautious and exceptionally steady.
But on this day, he was shocked to receive the Profound Emperor Needle that came flying from beyond the skies.
There are only nine Profound Emperor Needles, and now only three remain as the sect's ultimate treasures.
Where did this Profound Emperor Needle come from?
A divine object delivered to the doorstep naturally brings joy. However, without understanding the cause and effect, Xue Tiejun can't set his mind at ease.
Xue Tiejun inspected this Profound Emperor Needle and found it contained a residual Divine Soul.
The soul identified itself as Li Xuan Ye, the Sect Leader of the Xuanzhen Sect in Penglai Province. The ancestor of Xuanzhen Sect, Venerable Shangtian, was precisely a powerhouse of the Profound Emperor Sect.
Xue Tiejun was aware of this tale. It was after that split that the Profound Yellow Sect fell from its position as the dominator of the East Profound Continent and has not regained its former glory since then.
Speaking of all this, Xue Tiejun harbors many grievances against Venerable Shangtian.
Hearing Li Xuan Ye mention that the sect was destroyed by outsiders, he was unfazed.
What does the extinction of an affiliated branch like Xuanzhen Sect have to do with him?
Their connection was severed thousands of years ago, devoid of any emotional ties. If he were to act out of camaraderie and avenge Li Xuan Ye, then he'd be out of his mind.
Li Xuan Ye, seeing Xue Tiejun's demeanor, knew this old man was extremely pragmatic and realistic, unlikely to seek revenge on his behalf for nothing.
Li Xuan Ye then said that the other party not only wiped out the Xuanzhen Sect but also took away the Godslaying Bell.
The Godslaying Bell?
Xue Tiejun had read in the sect's records that this was an extraordinary divine artifact.
Back then, the Profound Emperor Dao Venerable wielded the Godslaying Bell in one hand and the Extreme Night Hammer in the other, unmatched across the East Profound Continent.
Unexpectedly, the Godslaying Bell ended up with the Xuanzhen Sect. What's infuriating is, with the Godslaying Bell in hand, they failed to wield it and were exterminated by a mere Nascent Soul. Truly worthless.
Seeing Xue Tiejun's interest, Li Xuan Ye further mentioned that the sect's treasure vault also contained the Sun Fire Essence and the Vermilion Bird Tail Feather.
The Sun Fire Essence aside, the Vermilion Bird Tail Feather is a supreme treasure from the Four Spirits.
With the Vermilion Bird Tail Feather, one can even withstand the thunder tribulation.
Upon hearing this, Xue Tiejun could not remain calm. The sect has many divine artifacts, but none suitable for crossing the tribulation.
The Vermilion Bird Tail Feather, however, is the essence of Separation Flame, capable of protecting the Divine Soul when refined.
Though the thunder tribulation is strong, the Separation Flame can mitigate it by seven or eight-tenths. The remaining two-tenths, he can endure.
The Godslaying Bell has been lost for thousands of years; its absence doesn't matter. But the Vermilion Bird Tail Feather is crucial for his tribulation crossing.
Xue Tiejun conversed with Li Xuan Ye for half a day, confirming that this remnant soul dared not deceive him before convening a meeting with the sect's heads and elders.
In a major sect like the Profound Emperor Sect, internal factions naturally abound.
The heads handle miscellaneous affairs with great authority, but their status is not as exalted as the elders, and they lag behind in cultivation as well.
After all, being busy with administrative duties all day leaves no time for cultivation.
After intense debate, the group of elders and heads unanimously agreed to embark on an expedition to Penglai Province.
If feasible, they may establish a Lower Institute in Penglai Province.
After all, there are too many major sects in the East Profound Continent, and resources are fiercely contested. The Profound Emperor Sect has millions of disciples, and the sect is becoming burdensome to sustain.
If they can establish a stable Lower Institute, it will greatly alleviate the sect's pressure.
Moreover, Penglai Province lacks experts. Establishing a Lower Institute would allow them to dominate Penglai Province's resources. It's undoubtedly a desirable outcome.
After the decision, Xue Tiejun decided to personally lead the expedition.
According to Li Xuan Ye, Gao Xuan seems to be the reincarnation of a peerless expert. Although a Nascent Soul True Monarch, his potential is boundless.
Xue Tiejun dismissed this notion; Li Xuan Ye is merely a Nascent Soul with limited perspective. Having been destroyed, his fear of the opponent is understandable.
But a Nascent Soul, no matter how capable, cannot wield much power.
Xue Tiejun, taking with him two Profound Emperor Needles, wielding the Twelve Profound City Celestial Demon Order, also brought along three Nascent Soul True Monarchs, dozens of Golden Core and Foundation Establishment cultivators, setting out in grandeur on a flying boat.
The East Sea begins just outside the East Profound Continent, with Penglai Province over one to two million miles away.
Li Xuan Ye's remnant soul, mastering the Profound Emperor Needle, could directly traverse the void to reach the Profound Yellow Palace.
However, Xue Tiejun's group, traveling by flying boat, was not so swift. It took them more than forty days to reach Penglai Province.
Upon arrival at Penglai Province, Xue Tiejun felt the sky ablaze with red flames, illuminating half the sky.
Though it was deep night, the blazing light covered much of the stars. Even a bright moon appeared thoroughly dyed in red.