madnovel Chapter 228 The Sect Leader's Summoning
Chapter 228 The Sect Leader's Summoning
The border remained unusually calm for the next few days.
No demons crossed the border, no demonic energy alarms sounded, and even the usual small-scale disturbances disappeared. It was eerily peaceful.
Xuanheng said this was the calm before the storm. Li Xiaoyao agreed.
On the seventh day, the peace was shattered.
People from the Immortal Sect have arrived. A large flying ship sailed from the direction of the Immortal Sect's headquarters and stopped at the void anchorage of Zhenxi Pass.
The hatch opened, and a middle-aged Taoist priest dressed in a blue robe stepped out. His aura was profound, clearly indicating he was at the late stage of the Purple Mansion realm.
"Which one of you is the Supreme Yuan Immortal?" He stood at the edge of the anchorage, his gaze sweeping over the crowd.
Li Xiaoyao stepped forward: "That's me."
The Taoist priest took out a jade slip from his sleeve and handed it to him: "The sect leader has ordered you to return to the Immortal Sect headquarters immediately to report for duty. I will temporarily take over the affairs of Zhenxi Pass."
Li Xiaoyao took the jade slip and probed it with his divine sense. It was indeed the sect leader's decree, and it was stamped with the immortal sect's seal.
"A performance review? Why?"
The Taoist glanced at him: "The identity of that demon king in the late stage of the Purple Mansion realm has been verified. He is a direct descendant of the Blood-Eyed Clan, who committed a crime within the Demon Kingdom and was expelled."
Its appearance on the borderline was no accident—it was searching for a passage to escape the vast universe.
Li Xiaoyao's heart skipped a beat.
"The sect leader said this matter is related to you," the Taoist said in a low voice, "because you possess something that can help open that passage."
Li Xiaoyao subconsciously touched the storage ring on his waist.
"Which one?" he asked.
The Taoist priest shook his head: "The sect leader didn't say. He only said that you should go back as soon as possible."
Li Xiaoyao was silent for a moment, then turned to look at Xuan Heng: "Be careful over at the Netherfire Sea."
Xuan Heng nodded.
Li Xiaoyao went to check on Zhenyue again. He was still lying in bed, and his complexion was better than it had been a few days ago.
Upon hearing that Li Xiaoyao was leaving, he remained silent for a long time before finally saying only, "See you next time."
Li Xiaoyao nodded, turned around and walked out of the stone chamber.
He boarded the large airship, stood on the deck, and watched Zhenxiguan gradually disappear into the distance.
The dark band of light in the void grew narrower and narrower until it finally disappeared. The flying boat headed towards the Immortal Sect's headquarters.
Li Xiaoyao stood on the deck, his robes unmoved by the wind.
He stared at the void ahead, with only one thought in his mind—what exactly did that banished Blood-Eyed Demon King want from him?
He didn't know. But he did know that the answer awaited him at the Immortal Sect headquarters.
The flying boat passed through the first teleportation array, and after a flash of light, Zhenxi Pass was completely out of sight.
......
When the flying boat passed through the last teleportation array, Li Xiaoyao had been on the road for a full twenty days.
From Zhenxi Pass to the Immortal Sect headquarters, crossing dozens of star fields and hundreds of planes, even with the help of a void teleportation array, it still took more than half a month.
He meditated and cultivated on the flying boat, refining his third supernatural power, "Caihua Chen," once again.
The seventy-two rays of light on the robe were more harmonious than before, and the three charms of morning glow, evening glow, and cloud glow had begun to permeate each other, bringing them one step closer to true perfection.
But he knew in his heart that this progress was far from enough. The blood-red demonic light tore a hole in his robe with a single strike.
The gap between the late and middle stages of the Purple Mansion realm cannot be bridged by a single supernatural power.
The flying boat docked at the void anchorage of the Immortal Sect's headquarters.
As Li Xiaoyao stepped out of the cabin, he saw a young Taoist priest in a gray-white robe standing at the edge of the anchorage waiting for him.
The Taoist priest had a handsome face and his aura was at the early stage of the Purple Mansion realm. Upon seeing Li Xiaoyao, he cupped his hands in greeting and said, "Senior Shangyuan, the Sect Leader is waiting for you in the Council Hall. Please follow me."
Li Xiaoyao nodded and followed behind him.
The council hall is located at the highest point of the Immortal Sect's headquarters. It is an ancient stone hall with two stone beasts standing on either side of the hall's entrance. Their faces are ferocious, as if they are guarding something.
The young Taoist priest stopped in front of the hall and stepped aside, saying, "Senior, please come in. This junior has no right to enter."
Li Xiaoyao took a deep breath and pushed open the door to enter.
The hall was dimly lit, with only a few ever-burning lamps casting a faint glow on the stone walls. In the center stood a stone table, around which sat three people.
The sect leader, Meng Yang, sat in the center. He had a thin face, slightly high cheekbones, and his half-white, half-black hair was casually tied behind his head.
He was wearing a faded blue Taoist robe, with an antique jade pendant hanging from his waist, and a cup of tea in his hand, which he was slowly sipping.
Minghuang Zhenjun sat to his left, still with that calm and composed demeanor. When he saw Li Xiaoyao enter, he nodded slightly.
Sitting to Li Xiaoyao's right was someone he didn't recognize.
He was an old man, hunched over, wearing a drab gray linen robe. His face was wrinkled like a cracked riverbed, but his eyes were surprisingly bright.
His aura was as deep as an abyss, and Li Xiaoyao couldn't see through his cultivation level—at least late Golden Core stage, or even higher.
"Young friend Shangyuan, please have a seat."
Meng Yang put down his teacup and pointed to the empty seat next to the stone table.
Li Xiaoyao sat down as instructed, cupped his hands, and said, "Sect Leader, may I ask why you summoned me back?"
Meng Yang did not answer directly, but instead glanced at the old man.
The old man took out a jade slip from his sleeve, placed it on the table, and gently pushed it to Li Xiaoyao.
"Take a look at this first."
Li Xiaoyao took the jade slip and probed it with his divine sense. Inside was a detailed file containing the identity information of the late-stage Purple Mansion Demon King.
The Blood-Eyed Clan, the direct lineage, is known as "Blood Eyes".
Having cultivated for 1,300 years, reaching the late stage of the Purple Mansion realm, his innate divine power, "Blood Fiend Demon Light," can break through most protective spiritual lights.
This demon committed a grave crime within the Cangmang Demon Kingdom, stealing a forbidden item from the clan, and was hunted down by the entire clan.
It fled to the border, attempting to escape the vast universe by passing through the territory of the Immortal Sect.
After reading it, Li Xiaoyao looked up at the sect leader and asked, "What forbidden item did it steal?"
Meng Yang didn't speak, but looked at the old man.
The old man spoke, his voice hoarse: "A Void Token. It can tear apart the barriers of the universe and allow one to escape to the outer realms."
"Void Token?" Li Xiaoyao frowned slightly.
"An ancient relic, extremely rare," the old man explained. "In the entire universe, there are no more than ten known Void Tokens."
The Blood-Eyed Clan had guarded one of these tokens for generations, but it was stolen by Blood-Eyed. Now, it carries the Void Token and hides in the void gap between the Immortal Sect and the Vast Demon Kingdom.
Li Xiaoyao was silent for a moment: "Then why is it looking for me?"
The old man glanced at Meng Yang. Meng Yang nodded, and the old man continued, "The Void Token needs to be activated before it can be used."
Activating it requires two things—one is the essence blood of a cultivator at the Purple Mansion level or above, and the other is…” He paused, “the Dao trace from beyond the heavens.”
Li Xiaoyao's heart skipped a beat.
The celestial traces. That was his mark as a transmigrator, the foundation of his Void Proof Divine Power, and the most fundamental difference between him and all the native cultivators in this vast universe.
"It sensed the celestial traces on your body."