Dragon Tiger Realm Martial Artists are known as first-class masters, sounding majestic and imposing.

However, in reality, they are merely notable individuals in the declined Sky Witch Realm. In previous realms like the Changqing Realm, Red Smoke Realm, Bingling Realm, or even in Juyun Mountain Range, they hardly hold any significance.

"Compared to Martial Arts, the Yinfu Sect is more adept at Ghost Cultivation and Enslaving Ghost techniques."

"Evil ghosts and yin souls are unpredictable."

"Therefore, disciples of the Yinfu Sect, or figures like the Purple Pavilion Wanderer who possess peculiar secret techniques, cannot be judged by their Martial Arts Realm alone."

Lu Qingfeng thought of the Purple Pavilion Wanderer.

He had personally sparred with the Purple Pavilion Wanderer and immediately recognized his level of cultivation at about the fourth or fifth layer of the Fetal Breathing Realm. According to the Purple Pavilion Wanderer himself, he had been stuck at the Martial Arts Bone and Muscle Realm for many years due to injuries earlier in life, unable to breakthrough to the Inner Strength Realm.

With this comparison.

The Martial Arts Bone and Muscle Realm corresponds to the mid-stage Fetal Breathing Realm.

The Inner Strength Realm in Martial Arts equals the late-stage Fetal Breathing Realm.

The higher Realm of Dragon and Tiger corresponds to the True Qi Realm, perhaps the early stage, or possibly more than that.

Without face-to-face interaction, Lu Qingfeng couldn't be sure.

Although the Purple Pavilion Wanderer was only at the Bone and Muscle Realm, he was considered a third-class master in the martial world. However, his masterful 'Soul Hooking Technique' combined with a smidgeon of understanding from the Observing Eight-Nine Tribulation Method allowed him to stand toe-to-toe with Dragon Tiger Realm opponents, even defeating them.

Ordinary people who underestimate him, taking his low martial prowess lightly, undoubtedly suffer a great loss.

Possibly even losing their lives.

Most disciples of the Yinfu Sect are similar.

While not as formidable as the Purple Pavilion Wanderer, being invincible among peers and slaughtering across realms are common feats. Rearing evil ghosts, nobody knows how many trump cards Yinfu Sect disciples possess. Situations where they seem on the verge of defeat but then summon an evil ghost, turning defeat into victory, are frequently seen.

The surrounding sects are utterly vexed by this.

"Yinfu Sect."

Apart from contemplating Daoist skills, Lu Qingfeng also brainstormed how to establish a foothold in the Sky Witch Realm.

Sky Witch Realm, where cultivation has vanished.

According to the information acquired from the Purple Pavilion Wanderer, so-called masters of Dragon and Tiger high-level, Outer Firmament Grandmasters, and Inner Firmament Grandmasters in the ordinary world, just develop their physical bodies to be incredibly strong, with astonishing vitality, and possess both internal and external Gang Qi.

Their combat endurance is high.

Thus, they can fight hundreds or thousands of enemies.

In reality, without the ability to introduce energy into the body and absent Spiritual Energy, no matter how much they cultivate, there is a limit.

They cannot escape the Postnatal confines.

With Lu Qingfeng being at the True Qi Realm Sixth Layer, not yet at Foundation Establishment, he poses no threat to him.

"Cultivators avoiding the secular world makes the power in the ordinary realm extremely important."

"This lifetime."

A slight smile appeared on the corner of Lu Qingfeng's mouth as he roughly planned his strategy.

...

Yinfu Sect.

Located on Feixian Mountain, counting dozens of disciples, mostly third or second-rate masters in the martial world, each strong enough to stand on their own.

Excelling in enslaving ghost techniques, common villagers respectfully address them as 'Immortal Masters.'

Although not numerous, disciples of the Yinfu Sect control surrounding villages within a hundred miles, governing over fifty thousand civilians and influencing an area of three to five hundred miles.

An extraordinary large sect.

In recent years.

For some unknown reasons, the Yinfu Sect began selecting robust men from various villages. Some are dispatched to mines for mining, others formed into military forces for training.

It seems they are preparing for a massive battle.

On this day.

Atop Feixian Mountain.

The current Sect Leader Chang Ye stood with a saber on a horse, seated in the foremost position. His bulky figure and fierce demeanor did not resemble a sect leader, but rather a belligerent brute.

Yet, he was considered the first genius of the Yinfu Sect in nearly a hundred years.

In just twenty years, he nearly reached the Dragon Tiger Realm, viewed by the Yinfu Sect as the disciple with the most potential to strike for the Grandmaster level.

Seven years ago, the previous Sect Leader, Ting Feng, voluntarily stepped down, passing the position to Chang Ye.

Chang Ye looks barbaric and indeed is exactly that.

Whether mobilizing troops or forcing civilians to mine, all are done through harsh methods. In just seven years under his rule, countless barbarians of the Yinfu Sect have died or been injured.

Yet the power of the Yinfu Sect is overwhelming, and the barbarians dare not voice their anger.

They can only endure.

However, the Yinfu Sect has never been benevolent. A sect that rears and enslaves ghosts isn't expected to be gentle.

Only that in recent years since Chang Ye took over, the cruelty intensified.

Chang Ye sat in the foremost seat, Ting Feng sat beside him.

This former Sect Leader of Yinfu Sect appeared amiable, always smiling. At about sixty or seventy years old, his face began to show signs of emaciation.

The cultivation of martial artists ultimately struggles to break through barriers.

Even practicing up to the Dragon Tiger Realm or Outer Firmament Realm, a lifespan is just a little over a hundred years at best. Once this time ends, they all turn to dust.

Chang Ye and Ting Feng were at higher seats.

Below were gathered eight elders and protectors, all second-level masters from the Inner Strength Realm.

Either showing cruel looks or bearing inscrutably dark gestures.

Clearly, none were benevolent.

Chang Ye looked at a plump elderly figure sitting below, resembling a smiling Buddha, and vociferously asked, "Elder Feihu, have the investigations clarified how the battle with the Dragon Mountain Sect is going?"

The plump elder, Elder Feihu, with a smile on his face, cheerily replied, "The situation is dire. The Snake Extermination Technique of Dragon Mountain Sect has been thoroughly countered by Hundred Poison Sect's Poison Mist Technique. Two Dragon Mountain Sect protectors perished in the poison mist. Currently, Hundred Poison Sect is advancing forcefully, removing Dragon Mountain Sect's strongholds one by one, pressing towards Wanshe Mountain."

"Is a mere group of poison practitioners that strong?"

Hearing this, Chang Ye appeared incredulous.

How strong Hundred Poison Sect was, he did not know. But having been in opposition with Dragon Mountain Sect for over a hundred years, he was well aware of their capabilities.

Those snake charmers were even more troublesome than their ghost manipulators.

Chang Ye shuddered and grew agitated just thinking about the hissing snakes slithering through the woods.

He also thought about eradicating Dragon Mountain Sect, but he couldn't defeat them.

So he gave up.

A Dragon Mountain Sect like this, the Hundred Poison Sect just breezes through and advances forcefully?!

Elder Feihu laughed upon hearing this, "The Hundred Poison Sect is proficient in poison techniques, deploying the Poison Mist. The myriad of snakes enslaved by Dragon Mountain Sect either die or escape, completely disorganized. Previously, Dragon Mountain Sect was confident that they could form an army with those myriad of snakes, thus they did not select robust men from the villagers to assemble a military force. Now that the snakes are countered, they're caught off guard; it's too late to train any troops now, defeat is imminent within a few days."

Elder Feihu, well-informed and experienced, deeply understood the battle situation between Hundred Poison Sect and Dragon Mountain Sect.

At that moment, he spoke.

"Ha ha!"

"I knew Dragon Mountain Sect was so arrogant, that's why they repeatedly pleaded with my Yinfu Sect!"

"It turns out they are unable to hold on."

"They deserve it!"

Chang Ye, hearing this, only noticed the keywords 'Dragon Mountain Sect on its own' and 'caught unprepared', and immediately laughed heartily, "It's clear our Sect Leader is astute, for having trained a large army early. Once Hundred Poison Sect shows up, we will surely make them regret it!"

Elder Feihu listened and laughed without a word.

Ting Feng, standing aside, slightly frowned and said, "If the Hundred Poison Sect can use the Poison Mist Technique against Dragon Mountain Sect, they might very well use the same tactics against those recently trained eight hundred robust soldiers."

Hearing this, Chang Ye snorted but did not retort.

While Ting Feng spoke, he looked toward an old woman beside Elder Feihu and asked, "Yunxia, any strategies to counter this?"

The old woman called Yunxia heard this and shook her head, "The Hundred Poison Sect boasts of having 'hundred poisons', one might defend against one type of poison but not a hundred types. One could remedy one deadly poison, yet can't handle a hundred. To confront Hundred Poison Sect, the only way is to take the initiative to attack and slay the Hundred Poison Sect disciples leading their troops. Without their poison makers, a face-to-face combat, the eight hundred robust soldiers should suffice to contend with the forces of Hundred Poison Sect."

"This is easily handled."

Chang Ye laughed loudly, "As long as the Master and other elders summon the Evil Ghosts, killing a few mere poison users will be a breeze!"

A trace of helplessness crossed everyone's hearts on the field.

This Sect Leader indeed had remarkable cultivation talent, but his love for power ironically lacked strategic wisdom. Full of bluster, he was truly annoying.

Ting Feng then said, "We are prepared for Hundred Poison Sect, and surely they are prepared for us as well. This matter needs long-term planning. Let's see how Dragon Mountain Sect's situation unfolds first. If necessary, it is better to join forces with Dragon Mountain Sect than to face Hundred Poison Sect alone in the future. For now, everyone should continue to prepare militarily and Fire Flame Guardian needs to encourage the craftsmen to forge more weapons and spearheads. Command the village women to make vine armor, no negligence allowed."

"Yes."

Those sitting below including Elder Feihu, Elder Yunxia, Fire Flame Guardian among the eight, responded in unison.

After the discussion, everyone was about to disperse.

Then someone outside the hall came to report —

"Huwei Mountain Guang Yuan Immortal Master and Hu Wei Immortal Master have come to pay a visit."

"Guang Yuan Immortal Master? Hu Wei Immortal Master?"

Ting Feng and others looked at each other, unfamiliar with these two titles.

Still, Elder Feihu spoke, "This Hu Wei Immortal Master is worshiped in a village a few hundred miles away, occupying a Huwei Mountain, and has been called 'Hu Wei Immortal Master' by the ignorant villagers for decades. As for 'Guang Yuan Immortal Master'—"

Elder Feihu shook his head, "Huwei Mountain is too far from Feixian Mountain, we haven't paid much attention, not knowing when another Immortal Master came around."

In the Southern Border.

Information was blockaded, and it was inconvenient to communicate.

Even with Yinfu Sect's strong capability, they could only directly control a hundred or so miles of mountain tops and villages, still with many oversights.

Hundred miles away, truly too distant to reach.

They could only influence, yet not manage every minute detail.

As for an individual like Hu Wei Immortal Master from Huwei Mountain, Yinfu Sect did not know how many there were outside, most of whom were mediocre. Although Yinfu Sect had some records, they were merely approximate titles.

There was no energy to delve into detailed backgrounds.

Thus.

They were unexpectedly unaware that this Hu Wei Immortal Master was once a disciple who had left from Yinfu Sect!

"Why bother with so much."

"Let those two dogshit Immortal Masters in."

Chang Ye bellowed at the reporting disciple.

"Yes."

The disciple acknowledged and was just about to leave, but then laughter came from outside the hall—

"Ha ha."

"No need to welcome."

A rumbling from outside, then several figures crashed into the hall like wrecked kites. Subsequently, two individuals stepped into the hall, one

front, one behind.

The one in the front wore a blue long robe, a youthful starry-eyed appearance.

The latter, old yet still robust, dressed in purple.

"Courting death!"

The people in the hall saw the two individuals, and before reacting, Chang Ye was the first to bellow, rising from his seat and dashing towards them like a cannonball.

His fist clenched.

Like a heavy sandbag being hurled out, extremely ferocious.

This punch wasn't mere brute strength, but one of the external martial arts recorded in "Yinfu Secret Record" from Yinfu Sect, named 'Killing Wind Fist'. It claimed that when cultivated to the extreme, even the omnipresent winds of heaven and earth could be defeated.

This was of course an exaggeration.

However, Chang Ye had excellent cultivation talent and unparalleled martial arts aptitude.

This Killing Wind Fist was indeed well-practiced by him. With a punch thrown, a 'bang bang' resounded in the air, directly aiming for the face of the youth in blue.

However, the next moment—

"Bang!"

Chang Ye felt as though he had hit a wall, a mountain even, as if struck hard, his fist and arm felt like they were about to break.

Even faster, he was sent flying back.

"You—"

"Spurt!"

Chang Ye kneeling on the ground, looking up angrily, yet a mouthful of fresh blood spewed out, and his words were swallowed back.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by lotustale.com