Chapter 661 - 624: Secret Confrontation, Heaven-Reaching Supreme Mountain

This was a sign of cohesion. Only a major power with a deep foundation and immense reserves could foster such unity.

Otherwise, members of a faction without loyalty or integrity would only scheme against each other. They would never risk their lives. The moment they encountered danger, they would scatter, each one terrified of being slower than the last.

"Thank you, Senior Brother. We understand," the members of the Cyan Yuan Sect hurriedly replied.

In major powers like the Merak Sacred Land, strength was paramount. Those with higher cultivation were naturally addressed as seniors, such as "Senior Brother" or "Elder." This was true even for people like Gu An, who were about to become Hall Masters of Chiyu Peak.

Of course, Liu Xuan was an exception. As the Peak Master of Chiyu Peak, he was addressed by his title even by those with higher cultivation than him. The only exceptions were figures like the Saint Master and the Supreme Elders.

Every Peak Master in the Merak Sacred Land held a significant status and wielded considerable power.

However, the actual power they wielded depended on how well they developed their respective peaks. A strong peak earned respect, while a weak one invited contempt.

While it might not be said openly, the secret scorn was inevitable.

This phenomenon of fawning over the powerful while trampling on the weak existed not just in the outside world but even within the Holy Land.

After all, the people in the Holy Land were still just people, not actual saints.

Even Blood Exchange Martial Saints were no exception. They weren’t true saints and were incapable of absolute selflessness.

"Life in the Holy Land is far from carefree. Martial Arts cultivation is crucial, as there are numerous missions. If your cultivation is insufficient, those missions become extremely dangerous."

"Hall Master Lü should have told you about the Earth Demons. That is only one of the dangers you will have to face personally. When that time comes, if your cultivation is lacking, you could be killed, your path to cultivation ending permanently!"

Liu Xuan took this opportunity to speak, adding his own explanation for the group.

He had originally planned to have this conversation with the Cyan Yuan Sect members after returning to Chiyu Peak to reaffirm his authority. However, since Feng Anliang had spoken first, he naturally had to follow up.

Feng Anliang’s cultivation was comparable to his own, so he had no reason to curry favor with Liu Xuan. In fact, one could argue that Feng Anliang’s potential was far greater than his.

Many in the Merak Sacred Land were displeased that he had become the Peak Master of Chiyu Peak, and this included quite a few from the Saintess Lineage.

If his position as Peak Master hadn’t already been confirmed by the Merak Saint Master and thus made irreversible, someone might have already challenged him to seize the title.

Though Feng Anliang was currently stealing his thunder, his words were, in a way, relatively amicable. Otherwise, the Merak Saintess wouldn’t have arranged for Feng Anliang of Xuanjin Peak to act as the guide for the Cyan Yuan Sect.

Yang Chan naturally noticed all this, but he kept his observations to himself and said nothing.

He now understood why Lü Zhenghai had been so eager to recruit him into the Merak Sacred Land. Chiyu Peak’s position within the Holy Land was truly awkward.

That was why, upon learning he had become an Advanced Pharmacist, they had so quickly arranged for his group to join the Merak Sacred Land.

’This situation really isn’t good.’

As the Merak Saintess and Merak Saint Son vied for the title of Saint Master, Chiyu Peak was facing its own set of challenges.

’However, from what I understand, the impact on me personally shouldn’t be too significant,’ he thought. ’That, at least, is good news.’

As far as Yang Chan knew, once he joined the Pill Pavilion, he would be exempt from most dangerous missions. Barring a major crisis, his tasks would be confined to the Pill Pavilion and would mostly be related to alchemy.

After all, Pharmacists weren’t known for their combat power, so it made little sense for them to undertake such dangerous missions. Furthermore, risking a Pharmacist’s life was never a wise choice.

Even in the Merak Sacred Land, the resources required to train an Advanced Pharmacist were substantial. They were chosen from countless candidates, and only a select few could ever reach that level. This was why Advanced Pharmacists enjoyed a high, somewhat detached status within the Merak Sacred Land.

It also explained why the Merak Saintess had sent two Direct Disciples from Xuanjin Peak, Feng Anliang and Sikong Qing, to greet them.

"We understand! Thank you for your guidance, Peak Master!" the Cyan Yuan Sect members replied in unison, their expressions growing more solemn and respectful.

They were, of course, far more familiar with Liu Xuan, their Former Sect Leader, than with Feng Anliang.

Furthermore, since they would all be joining Chiyu Peak and working under Liu Xuan, they naturally had to show him deference, and their behavior reflected this.

Liu Xuan saw this and nodded with satisfaction.

The group’s reaction highlighted the difference between him and Feng Anliang. It was a subtle, peaceful clash, and the outcome was self-evident.

At the very least, the people from Cyan Yuan Sect knew who was more important to them, and that was crucial.

It was an unspoken power struggle that revealed the differences between the two men.

The group continued on, leaving Celestial Origin City and heading toward the highest peak in the Profound Void Grotto Heaven. From within the city, they had only been able to see a small part of it. But now, outside the city walls, the colossal mountain stood revealed, soaring into the clouds as if to connect heaven and earth.

It seemed to reach up to the Nine Heavens and down to the Nine Netherworld, a truly shocking sight. This was also where the Grotto Heaven Spiritual Qi was most concentrated, the place where countless Spirit Veins—including the largest of them all—converged.

The true headquarters of the Merak Sacred Land was built upon this Heaven-Reaching Supreme Mountain.

To outsiders, the Profound Void Grotto Heaven was the Merak Sacred Land. But to those within it, the true Merak Sacred Land was what lay atop the Heaven-Reaching Supreme Mountain.

The true disciples of the Merak Sacred Land all conducted their cultivation on Heaven-Reaching Supreme Mountain. There, the Spiritual Qi was as thick as mist, constantly immersing them in its dense presence. It was even said that any ordinary animal living in such a region could transform into a powerful Exotic Beast.

A cultivator who hit a bottleneck could use this environment to break through it, achieving a swift advancement far faster than others could.

Yang Chan, however, could feel the incredibly dense Spiritual Qi of Heaven-Reaching Supreme Mountain on an even deeper level. The Innate Tai Chi Longevity Body within him stirred restlessly, eager to absorb it.

His Innate Tai Chi Longevity Body was exceptionally sensitive to this kind of Spiritual Qi.

Even back in Celestial Origin City, he had sensed that the Spiritual Qi was far denser than in the average area of the Purple Void Secret Realm where he had first absorbed it. It was slightly less dense than the three Spirit Vein locations within that Secret Realm, but still impressively rich.

But the gap between the Spiritual Qi at those Spirit Veins and the concentration on Heaven-Reaching Supreme Mountain was immense. And he was still a good distance away, not having even set foot on the mountain where the Merak Sacred Land truly resided. This only made the difference feel even greater.

It was no wonder the disciples of the Merak Sacred Land had been so indifferent to the dense Spiritual Qi in the Purple Void Secret Realm. The environment where they lived and cultivated had a concentration of Spiritual Qi that had long surpassed even the Spirit Vein locations there.

Under such circumstances, why would they care about a place where Spirit Veins gathered that couldn’t compare to Heaven-Reaching Supreme Mountain?

’However, if they could refine the Purple Void Secret Realm’s Secret Order and gain control of it,’ he mused, ’the Merak Sacred Land could probably set up a Spiritual Qi-gathering Grand Array. They could converge the Secret Realm’s several Spirit Veins into a single area, turning it into a region like Heaven-Reaching Supreme Mountain. Not only would this provide another place for the Sacred Land’s disciples to cultivate, but it would also allow them to nurture more Top Level Spiritual Materials.’

The higher the concentration of Spiritual Qi, the shorter the time needed to grow Top Level Spirit Medicine. They could also grow a greater quantity, allowing the Merak Sacred Land to accumulate even more Cultivation Resources.

No one would ever complain about having too much Top Level Spirit Medicine. When it came to Cultivation Resources, the more, the better. They would become part of the Sect’s deep foundation.

After all, the vast quantities of Top Level Spirit Medicine that the Merak Saintess and her followers had collected in the Purple Void Secret Realm had all been sent back to become part of the Sacred Land’s reserves.

The Merak Saintess herself had used these Cultivation Resources to greatly advance her own cultivation, which would undoubtedly provide immense help for her future endeavors!