High Martial Arts: Starting with a Martial Saint Peak Cultivation

Deep within the Nine Nether Valley, a colossal palace is shrouded in spiritual mist.

The entire palace was constructed from nine-colored celestial jade.

With upturned eaves and carved beams and painted rafters.

A long white jade staircase was laid in front of the hall, with intricate patterns of the Nine Netherworlds carved on it, leading all the way to the hall's entrance.

The palace doors were wide open, and the interior was brightly lit.

This palace is called "Nine Nether Palace", and it is a place in Nine Nether Valley used to entertain distinguished guests and reward meritorious officials.

Ordinary disciples don't even have the right to step in.

At this moment, dozens of jade tables had already been set up inside the hall.

Each jade table was piled high with delicacies, rare fruits, and exquisite wines.

Some dishes emitted a faint golden glow, some exuded a slight chill, and others released an enticing aroma the moment the lid was lifted...

The ingredients were so precious that even the well-informed elders nodded in approval.

When Immortal Lord Xuanying led his exploration team into the hall, the disciples behind him were all stunned.

A young disciple stared at the plate of golden-patterned spirit fish closest to him, his throat involuntarily bobbing.

"That's a Golden-Striped Dragon Carp! I saw it in the Mission Hall; one costs three hundred contribution points!"

He lowered his voice, his tone filled with disbelief.

"The sect leader actually brought this out to entertain us?"

A female disciple standing nearby also stared wide-eyed.

"That dish over there is even more terrifying; isn't that a soup made with Ice Soul Snow Lotus? I heard even the Celestial Elders are reluctant to eat it casually!"

"And that! The Purple Jade Spirit Fruit! Good heavens, I couldn't even exchange a single one of my contribution points in a year!"

The disciples grew increasingly alarmed, exchanging glances, none daring to make the first move.

These ingredients are too precious; normally, they would never be willing to use sect contribution points to exchange for them.

Now, however, they are neatly arranged in front of us, and the sect leader himself hosted the banquet.

The same thought popped into everyone's mind at the same time.

"Could it be... that the Sect Master is going to host a banquet for us?"

Xuan Ying Immortal Lord looked at the table full of delicacies, and his heart stirred slightly.

With his cultivation level at the mid-stage of the Celestial Immortal realm, some of the dishes would also be beneficial to him.

He withdrew his gaze, cupped his hands in greeting to the Immortal Lord Youxuan who was walking ahead, and spoke with a hint of uncertainty in his tone.

"Sect Master, this is...?"

Immortal Lord Youxuan turned around, a gentle smile on his face.

He raised his hand and waved it towards the hall. His voice was not loud, but it clearly reached everyone's ears.

"You were willing to risk exploring that unknown land, and now you have all returned unharmed."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the young faces.

"You are the heroes of my Nine Nether Valley."

The tone of the Immortal Lord Youxuan carried a rare air of solemnity.

"In addition to the contribution points promised in advance, we will naturally also treat you with great hospitality."

He pointed towards the jade table.

"Don't stand, sit down and enjoy your meal."

"After we've eaten and drunk our fill, we'll describe the situation in that unknown land in detail."

After he finished speaking, the hall fell silent for a moment.

Then, a young disciple took the lead in clasping his hands in greeting, his voice filled with barely suppressed excitement.

"Thank you, Sect Master!"

Immediately afterwards, the other disciples also bowed.

"Thank you for your kindness, Sect Master!"

"We disciples swear to serve our sect to the death!"

Xuan Ying Immortal Lord also bowed deeply, his tone earnest.

"Sect Master's kindness is deeply appreciated, Xuan Ying will remember it."

Immortal Lord Youxuan waved his hand and walked towards the main seat with a smile.

"Alright, stop thanking me. The food won't taste good if it gets cold."

He took the lead and sat down in the main seat, raising his hand to the crowd.

"Let the feast begin."

Immortal Lord Xuanying and his disciples no longer stood on ceremony and took their seats.

The disciples were initially a little reserved, and they were very careful when they picked up their chopsticks.

The golden dragon carp melted in the mouth, the ice-soul snow lotus soup was clear and sweet, and the purple jade spirit fruit burst with juice with every bite.

After a few bites, everyone completely relaxed.

A low murmur of amazement and satisfied chewing sounds filled the hall.

"This golden-patterned dragon carp... my god, its spiritual energy is directly dissolving into my meridians!"

"After drinking the Ice Soul Snow Lotus Soup, my whole body feels warm and cozy. How many spiritual herbs must it take to brew this?"

"I've never eaten anything this good in my life!"

Some disciples ate until their eyes were red, whether from being moved or from being overwhelmed by spiritual energy, it was hard to tell.

Xuan Ying Immortal Lord picked up a piece of golden dragon carp and put it in his mouth, feeling the pure spiritual power slowly flowing through his body.

He nodded slightly, inwardly sighing with emotion.

"This banquet... is probably worth several years of my arduous cultivation!"

He then looked at the Immortal Lord Youxuan in the main seat, who was slowly sipping a cup of spiritual wine with a calm gaze.

A warm feeling welled up in Xuan Ying Immortal Lord's heart, and his sense of belonging to the sect became even stronger than before.

Immortal Lord Youxuan sat in the main seat, his gaze slowly sweeping over the disciples who were enjoying their meal in the hall.

"Hundreds went out, and hundreds came back, not one missing, not even a single one injured."

He silently calculated in his mind.

"It seems that Xuan Ying gained quite a lot from this trip to that unknown land."

He took a sip of the spirit wine, his expression unchanged, but another thought was swirling in his mind.

"I hope the report later will go in the direction I expect."

Immortal Lord Youxuan put down his wine cup and gently tapped the table.

"Otherwise, this whole trip will have been for nothing."

As time passed, the dishes on the jade table were completely devoured.

The disciples ate to their hearts' content, their faces still beaming with lingering excitement.

Seeing that everyone had almost finished eating, Immortal Lord Youxuan nodded slightly to Immortal Lord Xuanying.

"Xuan Ying, tell me."

He spoke in a calm and unhurried tone.

"What exactly is the situation in that unknown land?"

Immortal Lord Xuanying put down the spiritual fruit in his hand and sorted out his thoughts.

He stood up, cupped his hands in a respectful gesture towards Immortal Lord Youxuan, and spoke in a clear and solemn voice.

"Sect Master, your disciples have completed a detailed exploration of that unknown land over the course of several months."

He paused, then continued.

The local indigenous people called that unknown land the Purple Mystic Starfield.

The hall fell silent as all the elders and disciples looked at Immortal Lord Xuanying.

Immortal Lord Xuanying took out a jade slip from his storage ring and presented it with both hands.

"This is all the information I recorded along the way, including star maps, distribution of power, and cultivation levels."

Immortal Lord Youxuan took the jade slip and probed it with his divine sense.

A moment later, he slowly opened his eyes.

A hint of barely suppressed joy surfaced in those steady eyes.

"it is good."

His voice wasn't loud, but it was clearly filled with excitement.

"Very good."

Immortal Lord Youxuan checked the information in the jade slip again, then placed it on the table and gently exhaled.

"In the Purple Profound Star Domain, the strongest beings on the surface are only at the Celestial Immortal level."

He looked at the elders in the hall, his tone revealing an undisguised excitement.

"There hasn't even been a single Celestial King."

"Furthermore, there is no unified force, only a dozen or so scattered forces."

Immortal Lord Youxuan paused, a slight smile playing on his lips.

"They harbored mutual hatred and were constantly at war with each other."

After saying this, he showed the jade tablet to everyone, and a low murmur of discussion immediately arose in the hall.

The elders exchanged glances; some stroked their beards and nodded slightly, while others' eyes gleamed with shrewdness.

Xuan Ying Immortal Lord also added a sentence.

"As I have personally witnessed, the strongest force in the Purple Profound Star Domain is only at the early stage of the Heavenly Immortal realm."

"Let alone uniting with the other three major powers, our Nine Nether Valley alone is no match for those natives of the Purple Profound Starfield."

Immortal Lord Youxuan leaned back in his chair, tapping his fingers lightly on the armrest.

"Fat meat."

He made up his mind.

"This is like a piece of fatty meat delivered right to your mouth."

However, he quickly calmed down.

"However, the Ziyun Sect, Biyue Palace, and Taiqing Hall have also learned of this news."

Immortal Lord Youxuan was thinking secretly in his heart.

"Our Nine Nether Valley shouldn't try to take this piece of meat all by itself."

He pondered for a moment, then gently shook his head.

The fact that the four major powers joined forces to divide the spoils actually minimized the risks.

Moreover, the four parties joining forces can not only silence other forces but also prevent anyone from causing trouble, thus making them wary.

After all, although their Nine Nether Valley is powerful, it is not without enemies in the Cloud Ripple Immortal Realm.

If they find out, they certainly won't sit idly by and watch the Nine Nether Valley grow stronger; they might very well resort to some means to interfere...

Thinking about this...

Immortal Lord Youxuan abandoned his unrealistic idea of ​​taking it all for himself.

He raised his head and looked at Xuan Ying Immortal Lord standing in the hall, a smile of approval on his face.

"Mysterious Shadow".

Immortal Lord Youxuan raised his hand and gestured to an old man beside him.

"As agreed before departure, the Mission Hall will distribute contribution points to Xuan Ying and his disciples."

The elder stood up in response, took out a jade token from his sleeve, and tapped it in his palm.

A light screen popped up.

The amount of contribution points is listed densely above.

"Mysterious Shadow Immortal Lord, lead of the exploration mission, reward: 100,000 contribution points."

"The remaining disciples will each be rewarded with between 10,000 and 50,000 contribution points."

After the elder finished speaking, a collective gasp filled the hall.

"Ten...hundred thousand?"

One of the disciples almost bit his tongue.

"It took me five years to save up 20,000!"

"The sect leader is incredibly generous, giving fifty thousand for this trip alone!"

"No wonder the banquet was so good; the rewards were even more generous!"

The disciples were so excited that their faces turned red, and their eyes were full of gratitude as they looked at Immortal Lord Youxuan.

Immortal Lord Xuanying was also slightly moved.

One hundred thousand contribution points is also a considerable sum for him.

He knelt on one knee and clasped his hands in a salute.

"Thank you, Sect Master!"

The disciples behind him also knelt down in unison.

"Thank you, Sect Master!"

Immortal Lord Youxuan stood up, walked to Immortal Lord Xuanying, and personally helped him up.

"stand up."

He patted Xuan Ying Xianjun on the shoulder, his tone carrying a hint of authority.

"The sect will not mistreat anyone who has made contributions."

Xuan Ying Immortal Lord looked up at the sect leader, a surge of warmth welling up in his heart.

"Disciple understands."

He nodded emphatically, and the disciples behind him straightened their backs, their eyes filled with determination.

Immortal Lord Youxuan then had Immortal Lord Xuanying explain the situation of the Purple Profound Starfield in detail.

Xuan Ying Immortal Lord explained the star map along the way, the distribution of various forces, and the cultivation system of the local creatures in detail.

Immortal Lord Youxuan listened very carefully, occasionally asking a few key details.

The elders inside the hall listened quietly, nodding occasionally.

After Xuan Ying Immortal Lord finished speaking, You Xuan Immortal Lord waved his hand.

"Alright, you guys go and rest now."

"You must be tired from this trip, take a good rest for a few days."

Xuan Ying Immortal Lord and his disciples bowed again before leaving the Nine Nether Palace.

The palace doors slowly closed.

Immortal Lord Youxuan stood alone in the hall, gazing at the jade slip on the table with a deep and unfathomable look in his eyes.

"Now that we've confirmed this is a piece of fat meat."

He muttered to himself.

"Then, to prevent any unforeseen complications, the four major powers must join forces and take it down as quickly as possible."

Immortal Lord Youxuan gently tapped the jade table with his fingers.

"If we attract the attention of other forces, we won't even get a hair on our heads."

He turned abruptly and shouted towards the outside of the hall.

"Someone come here!"

An elder deacon strode into the hall and bowed in greeting.

"What are your orders, Sect Master?"

Immortal Lord Youxuan said in a deep voice.

"Pass down the order: have all elders of the sect immediately proceed to the council hall to convene a sect meeting."

He paused, then added.

"I have something important to discuss."

Seeing the sect leader's solemn expression, the elder in charge dared not be negligent.

"yes!"

He bowed and withdrew, then strode quickly out of the hall.

Immortal Lord Youxuan waved to the other elders in the hall.

"You may all leave now."

The elders rose one by one, bowed, and took their leave.

A moment later, only Immortal Lord Youxuan remained in the Nine Nether Palace.

He vanished from the spot in a flash.

Then.

Deep within the Nine Nether Valley lies a secluded valley.

The valley was surrounded by a thick spiritual mist, within which countless array patterns could be vaguely seen flowing.

The concentration of spiritual energy here is several times higher than outside, and the air is filled with a pure and refreshing spiritual aura.

In the very center of the valley, there stands an inconspicuous stone house.

The stone house is made of ordinary bluestone, and its surface is covered with moss. It looks unremarkable.

However, if a master were here, they would discover that the space around the stone house was distorted by an invisible force.

Any attempt to detect it with divine sense will be silently swallowed up.

This is precisely the place where the two Immortal King Ancestors of Nine Nether Valley secluded themselves for cultivation.

The figure of Immortal Lord Youxuan appeared in front of the stone house, concealing his aura and displaying a respectful expression.

He took a deep breath and sent a divine sense into the stone house.

"Two venerable ancestors, Youxuan has important matters to discuss with you."

There was a moment of silence inside the stone house.

Then, a voice transmission filled with obvious displeasure drifted out from within.

"That kid."

The voice was deep and resonant, carrying the restlessness of being disturbed from one's meditation.

"I was deeply immersed in my cultivation when you had to interrupt me."

Another, slightly younger voice rang out.

"That's right, if it weren't for something important, I'd teach you a lesson."

Immortal Lord Youxuan's lips twitched, but he dared not show the slightest disrespect on his face.

"Two patriarchs, it is indeed an important matter concerning the rise and fall of the sect."

There was a moment of silence inside the stone house.

"Come in."

Immortal Lord Youxuan pushed open the wooden door of the stone house and went inside.

The stone house looked much larger inside than outside, clearly because it had been equipped with a spatial array.

Two elderly men sat cross-legged on prayer cushions.

The man on the left has white hair and beard, a gaunt face, and wears a faded gray Taoist robe. His aura is deep and profound.

It was none other than the Grand Elder of the Nine Nether Valley, the Ancestor Youyun, who was at the mid-stage of the Immortal King realm.

The one on the right looks younger, with black and white hair, a resolute face, and wears a long black robe. His aura is equally unfathomable.

It was the Second Elder, the Nether Spring Ancestor, who was at the early stage of the Immortal King realm.

Both of them frowned slightly as they looked at the Youxuan Immortal Lord who had just entered.

Immortal Lord Youxuan stepped forward, knelt upright, and respectfully bowed.

"Youxuan greets the two patriarchs."

Ancestor Youyun waved his hand impatiently.

"Enough with the nonsense, tell me what you have to say to my face."

He snorted.

"Interrupting the ancestor's cultivation will have serious consequences."

Immortal Lord Youxuan didn't beat around the bush and spoke directly.

"My two patriarchs, your disciple has just received news from the exploration team."

He spoke earnestly, enunciating each word clearly.

"Outside the border of the Cloud Ripple Immortal Realm lies an unknown star field that was recently discovered and for the time being, no force dares to be the first to explore it. The local natives call it the Purple Profound Star Field."

Ancestor Youyun twitched his brow, but did not interrupt, signaling him to continue.

Immortal Lord Youxuan continued.

"The strongest beings in that star field are only at the Celestial Immortal level; there are no Immortal Kings, let alone Immortal Emperors."

"The forces were scattered, fighting amongst themselves, and the whole place was in disarray."

"This disciple has confirmed the information; it is the result of Xuan Ying personally leading a team to investigate for several months..."

He paused, then emphasized his words.

"As long as the four major powers join forces to take it down, my Nine Nether Valley will not only receive the blessing of Heaven's Dao from the Cloud Rippling Immortal Realm for expanding its territory."

"They can also get a large share of the profits!"

The stone house fell silent.

Ancestor Youyun slowly sat up straight, the impatience in his eyes disappearing and replaced by a sharp light.

Ancestor Youquan also leaned forward slightly, his originally lazy expression turning serious.

"Are celestial beings the strongest?"

Ancestor Youyun asked in a deep voice.

"Are you sure there's no Celestial King?"

Immortal Lord Youxuan nodded emphatically.

"This disciple cannot be 100% certain, but even if there are any, they are definitely not many."

Ancestor Youyun and Ancestor Youquan exchanged a glance.

Both of them could see the barely suppressed desire in each other's eyes.

Expanding territory, blessed by Heaven...

For a Celestial King, this is more precious than any rare and precious treasure!

It concerns whether they can take another step forward!

Add to that a star field without a Celestial King in charge, and it's practically meat delivered right to our mouths.

Ancestor Youyun tapped his knee twice with his fingers, and the corners of his mouth slowly curved up.

"That's interesting."

Old Ancestor Youquan nodded, the dissatisfaction in his tone long gone.

"If that's the case, it's definitely worth the trip."

Seeing that the two patriarchs were interested, Immortal Lord Youxuan pressed his advantage.

"I have already sent someone to summon all the elders for a sect meeting."

"This matter should be addressed as soon as possible; we need to reach an alliance with the other three major powers as soon as possible."

Ancestor Youyun stood up, and the pressure of a mid-stage Immortal King silently spread from his body, causing the entire stone house to tremble slightly.

"Go and do it."

His tone returned to calm, but the light in his eyes was impossible to suppress.

"This matter is of great importance, and I and Youquan will personally oversee it."

Old Ancestor Youquan also stood up, stretched, and his lazy expression turned into a hint of anticipation.

"My old bones haven't moved in a long time."

He grinned.

"I'll just go out for a walk."

Immortal Lord Youxuan kowtowed heavily.

"Thank you both, venerable ancestors!"

He stood up, turned around and walked out of the stone house, his steps much lighter than when he came.

Inside the stone house, Ancestor Youyun and Ancestor Youquan exchanged a glance.

"This kid brought back some good news."

Ancestor Youquan smiled.

Ancestor Youyun didn't reply, but simply sat down cross-legged again, though the smile on his lips remained.

In the distance, from the direction of the Nine Nether Valley Council Hall, the bell tolled once again.

One sound after another echoed among the mountains.