Immortal-Exterminating Divine Venerable

"Oh? A venomous creature is causing trouble out here, beyond the Profound Sun Secret Realm?"

The moment the group came to a halt, a jade-green willow branch shot out, attempting to pierce the body of the man in the lead.

But the man noticed it with ease.

This man's aura was immense, surpassing even that of Ye Donghuang.

He wore a noble, well-tailored black robe trimmed with gold. His expression remained unchanged as the willow branch lunged toward him. He simply raised his hand and, with a light pinch, caught the seemingly ferocious branch dead in its tracks.

It couldn't move.

At the same time, he raised an eyebrow. With a sweep of his Spiritual Sense—at the Peak of the Late-stage Void Immortal Realm—he instantly discovered that the entire area outside the Profound Sun Secret Realm had become a living hell. All life had been extinguished.

Even his informant was no exception.

'Could this be the Life-taking Thousand-leaf Willow that annihilated the Ye Family Main Lineage in the Eastern Domain over six thousand years ago? What a truly malevolent creature. It even devoured and obliterated the pawn I had placed here for hundreds of years. But this is for the best. It gives me, Qin Tianyang, the perfect excuse to enter the Eastern Domain.'

The man smiled faintly.

His name was Qin Tianyang. He was the Domain Lord of the Western Domain and the patriarch of the Qin Family—one of the most ancient Immortal Dao families on the Profound Sun Continent, with a legacy stretching back tens of thousands of years.

In the past, the Qin Family had vied with the Vast Heaven Immortal Sect for supremacy. Although they were ultimately defeated, their foundations remained profound, and they became the overlords of the Western Domain.

A glance at the four people standing beside him was enough to confirm this. Every one of them was a Void Immortal Realm expert, and each was slightly stronger than Ye Donghuang.

Such was the profound depth of the Western Qin Family.

Of course, this wasn't to say the Eastern Domain was pathetic. In its heyday, it was the most formidable domain on the entire Profound Sun Continent. It was only after the great battle over six thousand years ago that the Ye Family Main Lineage was nearly annihilated, leaving behind only a few scattered survivors who submitted to the Immortal Dao.

After switching their cultivation to the Immortal Dao, they appeared far weaker than the other four domains.

After all, a mere six thousand years was not nearly enough time for an entire domain to recover its Primordial Qi. If not for the Ye Family being descendants of the Profound Sun Emperor…

They also possessed some hidden reserves.

Furthermore, the domain had suffered a great catastrophe, its Primordial Qi severely damaged, making it less desirable than the other four.

Otherwise, the position of Eastern Domain Lord would have fallen into someone else's hands long ago.

However, even though the Ye Family still ruled the Eastern Domain, its internal affairs had long been infiltrated by powers from the other domains. The Qin Family's infiltration was the most successful of all.

That was why he received news the moment the Profound Sun Secret Realm opened.

He had gathered his men and rushed over at once.

He was the first expert from an outside domain to arrive.

'Those other fellows haven't arrived yet. I'll go in first and grab a piece of the pie.'

Qin Tianyang smiled with confidence.

With a casual flick of his wrist, he tossed the Life-taking Thousand-leaf Willow aside.

He took a step, about to lead the four men behind him into the Profound Sun Secret Realm.

But at that very moment, powerful auras surged from the south, the north, and even from the west—the same direction he had come from.

Qin Tianyang's expression changed.

'These guys arrived so quickly. In that case, there's no need to be one or two steps ahead. I'll wait for them. It wouldn't do for them to think that I, Qin, am petty.'

With that thought, he halted his steps.

Qin Tianyang stood outside the Profound Sun Secret Realm, making no move to enter.

Instead, he waited for the others to arrive.

He wanted to see just who from the other domains had come.

Sure enough, after a short while, the arrivals from the north were the first to appear. They were also a party of five, but their cultivation auras were slightly weaker than Qin Tianyang's group.

But not by much. All of them were experts of the Void Immortal Realm.

Seeing them, Qin Tianyang simply gave a cold smile.

He said nothing.

When the five from the north saw Qin Tianyang, their expressions turned grim.

Of the four domains—East, West, South, and North—the Eastern Domain was the weakest and the Western Domain was the strongest. Their Northern Domain was below average, only slightly stronger than the East.

They had mobilized their full strength and rushed here, hoping to be the first to arrive, but they never expected that position was already taken—and by the strongest, the Western Domain.

The faces of the Northern Domain's members were naturally sullen.

But they didn't say a single word.

Following Qin Tianyang's example, they waited outside.

Next, the group from the south arrived. Their overall strength was comparable to the northern arrivals, but their leader's aura was incredibly intense. Before he even drew near, it felt as if a terrifying ball of flame was lunging at them.

Upon seeing this man, Qin Tianyang's expression darkened.

It turned very grim.

The man was slightly startled to see Qin Tianyang, but then he broke into a smile. "I didn't expect that even after rushing all this way, I still couldn't be the first to arrive. Speaking of which, Domain Lord Qin, your Western Domain should be the furthest away, yet you arrived even before my people from the Southern Domain. It seems you've put a great deal of effort into the Eastern Domain."

"Yan Chihuo, the pot calling the kettle black. Your Southern Domain is no better. Besides, I was invited by the Eastern Domain's Lord, Ye Donghuang, to help him eliminate a venomous pest like the Life-taking Thousand-leaf Willow. My presence is perfectly legitimate. You, on the other hand… why aren't you staying put on your Nanming Mountain? What are you doing here?"

Qin Tianyang said coldly.

"Invited by Ye Donghuang? Save that for the children. Who doesn't know what schemes you're plotting, Qin Tianyang? Besides, I don't believe for a second that Ye Donghuang would invite you into the Profound Sun Secret Realm."

Yan Chihuo sneered.

Qin Tianyang shot him a cold glare.

But he said no more.

Both were overlords in their own right and naturally had to be mindful of their status.

They couldn't lose face in front of their subordinates.

Besides, neither of them knew what lay inside the Profound Sun Secret Realm. Starting a fight before any treasures were even seen would be a most unwise move.

It was a mistake neither of them would make.

Just then, from the west—the same direction Qin Tianyang had come from—the other auras arrived.

This time, the contingent was even more imposing.

However, it seemed they were not a single party, but two separate groups.

One group wore black robes. Unlike the gold trim of the Qin Family, theirs were embroidered with a white border in the pattern of mountains and rocks, which looked rather strange.

The other group looked far more conventional. They were all dressed in luxurious purple robes, but the most eye-catching feature was the golden sun emblazoned on their chests, signifying their identity.

'Zhenyou Immortal Sect and Golden Sun Immortal Sect! Two of the Central Domain's Ten Great Immortal Sects are here. This Profound Sun Secret Realm really is a juicy piece of meat that everyone wants a bite of.'

The people from the Northern Domain sighed to themselves.

They were beginning to have regrets. Among all the groups from the four domains, their Northern Domain was the weakest.

Getting involved would likely not end well for them.

Yet, with the Secret Realm of the Profound Sun Emperor open before them, they couldn't bring themselves to leave.

The same was true for everyone else.

No one was willing to pass up such a prime opportunity.

"Since everyone is here, let's head in. This time, I have come bearing the Vast Heaven Decree. All of you will follow my command. Any objections?"

The Sect Leader of the Zhenyou Immortal Sect declared brashly the moment he arrived.

The expressions of Qin Tianyang, Yan Chihuo, and the others all changed.

But when they saw that the people from the Golden Sun Immortal Sect—especially its Sect Leader, Jin Chengyi, who was grinning from ear to ear—had no reaction at all...

...their hearts skipped a beat.

They all stepped forward in unison.

"We shall obey the Vast Heaven Immortal Lord's decree."

Seeing this, the Sect Leader of the Zhenyou Immortal Sect let out a hearty laugh. With a flash of golden light in his hand, an object flew out. It was the very Vast Heaven Decree he had mentioned. Upon it were large, golden characters and the unique Golden Seal Secret Pattern of the Vast Heaven Immortal Sect.

The experts from the Three Domains were all shaken.

This was especially true for the Northern Domain Lord, Zhang Xuanming. He knew full well that his faction was the weakest. If he hadn't stepped forward just now, the outcome would likely have been disastrous.

"You all are sensible. Otherwise, I might have had to use this decree to eliminate a few of you. Now then, follow me inside."

The Sect Leader of the Zhenyou Immortal Sect sneered.

He put away the decree and strode into the Profound Sun Secret Realm.

And so, the arrivals from the various domains, a full twenty-five Void Immortal Level experts, followed him. Among them were four powerhouses at the Peak of the Void Immortal Realm: Zhen Dongyue, Sect Leader of the Zhenyou Immortal Sect; Jin Chengyi, Sect Leader of the Golden Sun Immortal Sect; Qin Tianyang, Lord of the Western Domain; and Yan Chihuo, Lord of the Southern Domain.

They stepped inside.

After a brief moment of sensing their surroundings, they headed straight in the direction of Ye Donghuang.