Chapter 110: Leading
Outside the borders of Silent River Hill, the atmosphere had become stranger than any cultivator could remember.
The mountains surrounding the forbidden territory had gradually turned into gathering grounds for every major force that had sensed the terrifying fluctuations spreading throughout the region.
Countless cultivators stood upon flying swords, spirit beasts, floating lotus platforms, and ancient treasure ships, yet despite the enormous number of powerful experts present, not a single force dared become the first to launch another large-scale assault.
Even the Ascendant Realm elders who had arrived from distant continents merely watched from afar, their expressions carrying unprecedented solemnity.
Every pair of eyes remained fixed upon the scorched landscape before them, where the once peaceful Silent River Hill now resembled the scar left behind by a heavenly catastrophe.
Adding to the unsettling scene was the enormous number of demonic beasts surrounding the area. They did not charge recklessly toward one another despite belonging to different species. Instead, they occupied their own territories around the perimeter, occasionally baring their fangs or releasing threatening growls before falling silent once again, as though every creature instinctively understood that something incomparably more terrifying existed within the forbidden region.
Some of the beasts possessed bodies as large as mountains, while others slithered beneath the earth, causing entire valleys to tremble with every movement. Several enormous birds circled high above the clouds without daring to descend, and their wings alone cast shadows large enough to engulf forests beneath them.
Most alarming of all were the Ascendant Realm demonic beasts that had quietly appeared over the past few hours. Those ancient monsters rarely left their territories, yet now they remained motionless, staring toward Silent River Hill with unusually cautious expressions, their instincts warning them that entering recklessly would likely end in death.
The human cultivators secretly observed those beasts while keeping their own distance.
Ordinarily, such a gathering would have erupted into a bloody war long ago, yet an invisible balance had formed. Neither side wished to provoke the other while the true mystery remained unsolved.
The appearance of the strange deity, the impossible spiritual fluctuations, the disappearance of countless experts, and the terrifying phenomena surrounding Silent River Hill had become mysteries far more important than fighting over territory. Every sect wanted answers, but no one wanted to become the next sacrifice.
Several groups quietly discussed possible methods of entering the forbidden land without attracting attention. Ancient maps were produced. Formation masters inspected the surrounding terrain. Elders exchanged theories regarding hidden spatial passages and damaged formations.
Every suggestion was carefully examined before eventually being rejected. The more they investigated, the more they realized the region no longer followed ordinary cultivation principles. Even spiritual sense became unreliable once it approached the boundary, vanishing as though swallowed by another world.
Finally, a middle-aged cultivator wearing faded gray robes stepped forward from among the crowd. His cultivation had already reached the late stage of Soul Transformation, and throughout the surrounding continents he possessed a respectable reputation for infiltration techniques.
Countless inheritances had been stolen by relying upon his nearly flawless concealment arts. Rumor claimed that he once entered the treasury of a first-rate sect without alerting a single guard before leaving with three heavenly treasures.
Naturally, his confidence remained high even after witnessing the strange events surrounding Silent River Hill.
Without speaking, he formed dozens of intricate hand seals. His body gradually became transparent until even his spiritual fluctuations completely disappeared. Moments later, his outline merged with the surrounding wind itself. Those standing nearby could no longer locate him through ordinary perception, and only a handful of Ascendant Realm cultivators could barely detect a faint distortion moving slowly toward the blackened borders of Silent River Hill.
"He truly intends to test it."
"As expected of the Shadow Veil Technique."
"If even he succeeds, perhaps there truly exists a hidden passage."
Many cultivators quietly whispered among themselves while carefully observing the boundary.
The invisible figure continued advancing. Every step remained cautious. Every movement was calculated. Whenever spiritual fluctuations appeared nearby, he patiently waited before continuing forward. To every observer present, his concealment appeared flawless.
Several breaths later, he finally crossed the invisible boundary.
Nothing happened.
The surrounding cultivators exchanged excited glances.
"He actually entered."
"It worked."
"The barrier cannot detect concealment techniques."
A few sect leaders even began preparing their own disciples.
Then, without any warning whatsoever, the surrounding space distorted.
The invisible cultivator had barely taken another step when the air itself suddenly rippled around him. Before anyone understood what was happening, a violent force erupted from nowhere. His concealment technique shattered instantly. His body reappeared in midair, and before he could even cry out, an overwhelming repulsive force struck him directly in the chest.
The impact sounded like thunder.
The cultivator was launched backward at an unbelievable speed, tumbling through the sky before smashing into a distant mountain several kilometers away. The mountain itself cracked apart from the collision, sending countless boulders rolling down its slopes.
A deathly silence followed.
No one spoke.
No one moved.
The gray-robed cultivator eventually crawled out from the shattered rocks, blood flowing from the corner of his mouth while disbelief filled his eyes.
"My concealment... my concealment was never discovered..."
He stared blankly toward Silent River Hill.
"I crossed the boundary... yet the land itself rejected me that’s why they found me."
His words caused every cultivator present to become even more vigilant.
The formation surrounding Silent River Hill did not merely block intruders.
It judged them.
Whatever method it used remained completely unknown.
After witnessing that result, every sect quietly abandoned the idea of testing the boundary for the moment. They had not traveled such a great distance merely to lose valuable experts before understanding what they were facing.
The wisest choice was patience, observation, and gathering information before making another move.
At that exact moment, a young disciple suddenly rushed through the gathered experts as quickly as he could, ignoring countless shocked gazes while desperately searching through the crowd.
His breathing had become uneven.
His robes were stained with dust from traveling at full speed.
Finally, his eyes locked onto an elderly man standing atop an enormous flying sword.
The old man’s white hair fluttered gently in the wind, while the profound aura surrounding him silently announced his identity as one of the Ascendant Realm elders of the Azure Cloud Sect.
The disciple immediately dropped to one knee.
His voice trembled with excitement.
"Master... Master... this disciple has made an astonishing discovery."
The Ascendant Realm elder of the Azure Cloud Sect slowly turned his head toward the familiar voice. Moments earlier, his attention had been completely focused upon Silent River Hill, and like every other powerful cultivator gathered outside its borders, he had been trying to deduce the secrets hidden within the strange territory.
The sudden interruption naturally made him frown, especially after noticing that the disciple who had rushed toward him looked unusually agitated.
His robes were stained with dust, his breathing remained uneven, and his eyes carried an excitement that seemed entirely out of place amidst the tense atmosphere surrounding them.
The old man narrowed his eyes before calmly studying the disciple for several moments. "Liang Feng?" he asked in a low voice, unable to conceal the surprise in his tone. "You disappeared for quite some time after your scouting mission. I had begun wondering whether you had encountered some unforeseen danger within this region. Judging from your expression, however, it seems you have not only survived but also discovered something that left even you unable to remain composed."
Liang Feng immediately cupped his fists and bowed deeply. Unlike his usual confident demeanor, his movements were respectful to the point of appearing cautious. Those subtle changes did not escape the old man’s notice.
The Ascendant elder’s brows furrowed further.
That was strange.
Very strange.
Liang Feng had followed him for many years. He understood the young man’s temperament better than anyone else.
Although Liang Feng possessed excellent talent and unquestionable loyalty toward the Azure Cloud Sect, he also carried the pride common among disciples raised within powerful sects. He was respectful toward elders, certainly, but rarely did he display such humility, especially before delivering a report.
The old man quietly observed him for another moment.
Something had changed.
Not merely his attitude.
His eyes.
His posture.
Even the fluctuations of his spiritual aura had become noticeably calmer, as though he had experienced something that completely overturned the confidence he had built throughout his cultivation.
"What exactly happened?" the elder asked, his voice remaining calm despite the growing curiosity within his heart. "Speak slowly. There is no need to rush. Considering the current situation surrounding Silent River Hill, I doubt any ordinary discovery would cause you to look as though your entire understanding of the cultivation world has been overturned."
Liang Feng slowly raised his head, but instead of answering immediately, he glanced toward the surrounding cultivators. The gathered experts from numerous sects were all watching him with obvious curiosity. Even several Ascendant Realm elders from other continents had shifted their attention toward the Azure Cloud Sect after noticing the commotion.
Liang Feng hesitated.
His lips parted.
Then closed once more.
The old man noticed every movement.
"Why are you hesitating?" he asked quietly. "Did you truly discover something that cannot be spoken before outsiders?"
Liang Feng nodded almost instinctively.
"Master... this disciple..." He paused once again before taking a deep breath. "This disciple truly made a discovery, but if I merely explain it with words, I fear Master will believe I have either gone mad or somehow fallen under an illusion."
The old man stared at him silently.
Those words alone immediately captured his complete attention.
Liang Feng was not someone who exaggerated.
If he spoke in such a manner, then whatever he had witnessed must have exceeded common sense.
"What did you see?"
Liang Feng slowly lowered his voice.
"I found the Silent Sword Sect."
The elder’s expression remained unchanged.
That answer alone was hardly surprising.
The Silent Sword Sect had existed on this continent for many years.
Several surrounding elders even looked disappointed.
However, Liang Feng continued before anyone could interrupt.
"I also found the being protecting them."
This time, the old man’s eyes narrowed.
"A protector?"
Liang Feng nodded slowly.
"Not merely a protector, Master. I cannot describe it properly. Even if this disciple exhausted every word known to him, I still could not accurately describe what stood before us."
The old man’s gaze sharpened.
"You?"
Liang Feng slowly nodded.
"Yes... all of us."
The elder frowned.
"Who exactly do you mean by ’all of us’?"
Liang Feng swallowed.
"The entire expedition from our Azure Cloud Sect."
The elder immediately understood the implication.
Every disciple.
Every elder accompanying the expedition.
Everyone.
"What happened to them?"
Liang Feng lowered his head once more.
His voice became quieter.
"We challenged it."
The old man remained silent.
"We attacked it."
Still silent.
"We used everything we possessed."
The surrounding cultivators had also become unusually quiet.
Several nearby Ascendant Realm experts were secretly listening without pretending otherwise.
Liang Feng continued.
"It did not attack us."
The elder slowly folded his arms.
"It did not draw a weapon."
His expression gradually became serious.
"It did not use a treasure."
Several nearby elders exchanged puzzled glances.
"It simply breathed."
The old man frowned.
"Breathed?"
Liang Feng closed his eyes.
"Master... every attack we unleashed... every immortal technique... every divine art... every treasure... every sword intent... every Dao manifestation..."
He slowly opened his eyes again.
"...was erased by nothing more than its breath."
Silence.
Absolute silence.
The Ascendant Realm elder stared at his disciple for several long moments.
If those words had come from anyone else, he would have immediately dismissed them as insanity.
Yet they came from Liang Feng.
His own disciple.
Someone he personally raised.
Someone whose character he trusted.
That alone prevented him from rejecting the story outright.
The old man looked toward Silent River Hill once more.
Then back at Liang Feng.
Finally, he asked a single question.
"Can you take me there?"
Liang Feng immediately bowed.
"Master... that is precisely why this disciple returned."
The old man slowly nodded.
Without another word, he stepped down from the massive flying sword beneath his feet.
Every surrounding cultivator instinctively made way as the Ascendant Realm elder began walking forward.
Liang Feng respectfully moved ahead, personally leading the way.
Neither master nor disciple spoke another word.
One walked with growing curiosity.
The other walked with lingering fear.
Together, they gradually disappeared into the direction of Silent River Hill.
Before long, the distant floating islands of the Silent Sword Sect slowly came into view, waiting silently beneath the vast heavens.