Zhang Yuhe casually controlled the sword formation, sweeping away the demons that had entered Mirror Sky City, while looking up at the vortex in the air.
"This passage won't remain open forever, will it?"
The passage in the air continually released demons, and Zhang Yuhe felt a headache coming on. Although the demons' strength was not great, the endless influx could be problematic.
They couldn't possibly leave Mirror Sky City to guard this passage indefinitely, could they?
It would be better to find a way to close it.
Clearly, this was a blind spot in Zhang Yuhe's knowledge. He didn't know much about these types of interdimensional passages.
But Litian should know, right?
Thinking of this, Zhang Yuhe turned to Litian and asked, "Senior Brother, can this passage be closed?"
Litian was about to answer when a faint voice echoed from the distance.
"Don't worry. The temporary passage opened by the Tiangang Boundary-Breaking Array can only last for half an hour. The passage will close automatically once the time is up."
Zhang Yuhe looked toward the voice's source, where a white-robed figure slowly emerged from the void.
It was none other than Lu Mingfang, the Elder of the Dao Saint Sect.
"Disciple Zhang Yuhe greets Elder Lu."
Zhang Yuhe couldn't help but wonder: had Lu Mingfang just arrived, or had he been here for a while?
It seemed like a strange coincidence.
Compared to Zhang Yuhe's puzzled expression, Litian remained indifferent, clearly unfazed by the situation.
Lu Mingfang glanced over at them both and noticed Zhang Yuhe's confusion. With a smile, he spoke.
"I have been here for some time. I originally wanted to see if Zhao Mingyue would appear, so I kept to the side and observed. But as expected, she was as cautious as ever—her real body never appeared, only an avatar came to stir trouble."
Lu Mingfang turned to Zhang Yuhe with a smile and said, "I must admit, I was initially blinded. I never expected that not only were you extraordinarily talented in cultivation, but also in the use of supernatural powers."
"Is the sword formation a power you've developed from your own cultivation?" he asked curiously.
Lu Mingfang had been observing from the sidelines. When the Horned Demon appeared, he had planned to step in. But when Zhang Yuhe used the Nine Heavens Mixed Yuan Sword Formation combined with the Dehydration Thunder Array to defeat the Horned Demon of the Void Refining Realm, there was no need for his intervention.
In the world of immortal cultivation, it's not uncommon for geniuses to challenge opponents above their level. However, Zhang Yuhe's ability to defeat a demon of the Void Refining Realm head-on, especially one at the mid-stage of that realm, was extraordinary. Even more impressive was the fact that demons were generally stronger than monks of the same cultivation level.
Lu Mingfang was intrigued by the sword formation. In his recollection, the Dao Saint Sect had never had such a technique. Considering that Zhang Yuhe practiced the Mixed Yuan Heavenly Scripture—something no one else had, it piqued his curiosity further.
"Yes," Zhang Yuhe nodded, confirming.
"The ancestor's teachings are truly extraordinary," Lu Mingfang sighed in admiration, then turned to Zhang Yuhe and asked, "Do you know the origin of the Mixed Yuan Heavenly Scripture?"
Zhang Yuhe shook his head. "No, I don't."
How could he know? For the past hundred years, he had been cultivating on Galaxy Peak, and all his knowledge of immortal cultivation came from the Dao Saint Sect's study building. If it wasn't recorded in the sect's library, he had no way of knowing.
Lu Mingfang glanced at Zhang Yuhe, then looked up at the sky as he spoke slowly.
"A long time ago, Yu Fantian was a primitive world. About a million years ago, a powerful incarnation from the Immortal Realm descended upon Yu Fantian, spreading the Immortal Dao civilization in this realm and establishing the Dao Saint Sect."
"This ancestor is the founder of our Dao Saint Sect."
"However, when Yu Fantian's Immortal Dao civilization began to flourish, the ancestor's incarnation left."
"Before leaving, the ancestor left behind a stone tablet in the scripture building, which contained a practice."
"This practice is divided into two volumes. The second volume is kept in the Immortal Realm Sect, while the first volume is the Mixed Yuan Heavenly Scripture you have cultivated."
Upon hearing Lu Mingfang's words, Zhang Yuhe's mouth hung open in shock.
Although he had suspected that the Mixed Yuan Heavenly Scripture originated from the Immortal Realm, he hadn't expected the Dao Saint Sect to have such an origin.
The Dao Saint Sect was founded by the incarnation of an Immortal Realm power, and there was an actual Dao Saint Sect in the Immortal Realm. Yu Fantian's Dao Saint Sect was technically a branch.
No wonder the Dao Saint Sect had been able to dominate Yu Fantian for so long. With the Immortal Realm backing them, it wasn't surprising that they could control such a vast region.
Zhang Yuhe couldn't help but think: if they could connect with the Immortal Realm Sect, things would be much easier. Whenever they encountered difficulties, they could reach out for support. With that kind of backing, no problem would be too difficult to solve.
Curious, Zhang Yuhe asked, "Elder Lu, is it possible for us to contact the Immortal Realm Sect?"
If they could establish communication, it would be like having a powerful ally at their backs.
But when Lu Mingfang heard the question, his expression darkened, and there was a long silence before he spoke.
"Although it was difficult to contact them, we were able to keep in touch with the Shangzong in the past. However, about a hundred years ago, something happened, and suddenly we lost all contact. We don't know if something happened to the Immortal Realm Sect."
As Lu Mingfang spoke, sorrow filled his face. Whether it was due to the loss of their connection or a deeper worry about the Immortal Realm Sect, it was unclear.
Zhang Yuhe was momentarily stunned.
He had thought the Immortal Realm Sect was a solid ally, but now it seemed something had gone awry. Lu Mingfang's demeanor made it clear that the loss of this connection was a serious blow.
Zhang Yuhe could only blink, a little speechless. The fairy world, which he had once thought of as a powerful ally, was now uncertain.
"But... surely you could still ascend to the Immortal Realm and ask them directly if the connection is broken, right?" he mused.
While that was a possibility—if one cultivated to the Mahayana Realm and survived the Great Heavenly Tribulation, one could ascend—such cases were extremely rare. In the Dao Saint Sect's millions of years of history, only a handful of Mahayana monks had ascended. Most had perished during the Heavenly Tribulation.
Zhang Yuhe had read about this in the sect's records. The Great Heavenly Tribulation was so immense that it could shake the entire world of Yu Fantian. Anyone facing such a challenge would be under immense pressure.