After the group finished discussing further details, Zhao Mingyue flew away, accompanied by a member of the Lianxu demon clan.
Ten years later.
The Demon God Cult set up the Tiangang Breaking World Array in Beilin Prefecture, Yuanzhou, opening a temporary passage between the two worlds.
Countless demons poured into Yufantian through the rift.
Because of the cult's covert operations, the Daosheng Sect's inner disciples stationed in the area failed to detect the incursion in time.
By the time the passage was sealed and the demons had dispersed throughout the surrounding regions, it was already too late.
The demonic invasion swept through several states like a natural disaster.
Upon receiving news of the attack, Lu Mingfang acted swiftly.
He dispatched over 300 inner disciples and nearly 10,000 outer disciples, led by several elders.
They formed a formidable force of cultivators and rushed to eliminate the demons.
After more than thirty years of relentless combat and purging, the disaster was finally brought under control.
However, just as Lu Mingfang began to recover from the ordeal, the Demon God Cult struck again—this time opening another temporary passage in South Bridge Mansion, Nanqiao Prefecture.
This passage, located in a desolate region on the outskirts of the prefecture, went undetected by the Daosheng Sect.
Under the command of Demon God cultists, the invading demons quietly scattered across nearby lands.
By the time the sect discovered the breach, several days had already passed.
Thus began the most devastating demonic disaster in nearly ten thousand years.
Despite continuous mobilization of forces by the Daosheng Sect, it took over fifty years to suppress the crisis.
Daosheng Peak, Feixian Palace
Lu Mingfang stood before Feng Xiaotian, the sect leader, reporting the latest intelligence on the Demon God Cult.
"In less than a hundred years, the Demon God Cult has opened temporary passages three times—in Yunzhong Prefecture, Beilin Prefecture, and Nanqiao Prefecture—inflicting heavy damage across the regions," Lu Mingfang said solemnly.
"Some with malicious intent have taken advantage of the chaos to commit lesser crimes under the cover of disaster."
"But more importantly, the cult's sudden surge in activity is alarming. I wonder if Zhao Mingyue's actions are part of a larger conspiracy."
Feng Xiaotian, dressed in white, stood silently in the center of the hall, listening.
Though he said nothing, his gaze was sharp and thoughtful.
He had never held the Demon God Cult in high regard.
If it relied solely on Zhao Mingyue, the cult would never amount to much.
Despite its secrecy, the cult lacked true strength. Apart from Zhao Mingyue, it had no true masters.
If an all-out confrontation occurred, the Daosheng Sect could easily crush them by dispatching a few Fusion Realm elders.
Though historically an enemy of the Taoist sects, the Demon God Cult had rarely posed a significant threat.
However, their repeated opening of passages to the Demon World now raised alarms.
While the Tiangang Breaking World Array could only support the entry of lower-level demons, even these lesser demons could cause considerable havoc in Yufantian.
Still, it was nothing the Daosheng Sect couldn't handle if it acted seriously.
What troubled Feng Xiaotian most was that Zhao Mingyue would never act without purpose.
She wasn't one to waste effort or expose her hand without reason.
This pointed to a hidden agenda.
Perhaps she was testing improvements to the formation, aiming to summon stronger demons in the future.
Or maybe she was creating confusion to conceal her true intentions.
Most likely, Feng Xiaotian thought, she had found a location in space where the barrier between worlds was especially weak—capable of supporting a stable portal, one strong enough to bring Mahayana-level demons into Yufantian.
And for reasons unknown, she hadn't used it yet.
Instead, she distracted the Daosheng Sect by opening short-term passages elsewhere.
With centuries of experience behind him, Feng Xiaotian quickly pieced together a likely scenario.
After pondering a while, he turned to Lu Mingfang.
"What do you think Zhao Mingyue's true objective is?"
"It's hard to say," Lu Mingfang admitted, frowning.
Though he had battled the cult many times, Zhao Mingyue's current behavior seemed irrational.
She had opened inter-world channels three times in rapid succession—as if possessed.
Each time, the Tiangang Breaking World Array had to be constructed, a costly and laborious effort.
And though Zhao Mingyue rarely appeared in person, her incarnations were at constant risk of destruction.
Given that she had already lost several avatars, such recklessness seemed uncharacteristic.
He couldn't make sense of it.
Feng Xiaotian spoke slowly.
"I suspect Zhao Mingyue is preparing to open a permanent passage."
"Impossible," Lu Mingfang blurted, shocked. "Except for the back mountain of our sect, no other area has space barriers strong enough to support a stable interdimensional portal. And she definitely can't get into the back mountain."
"That's just what we believe," Feng Xiaotian replied. "Yufantian is vast and boundless. Who's to say there's only one weak spot? With enough time and effort, she could have discovered another location."
"She surely understands this. Otherwise, she wouldn't be acting so aggressively."
"Master, then what should we do?" Lu Mingfang asked. "Should we mobilize the entire sect to search for it?"
His mind raced, filled with dread. If the cult succeeded, the consequences would be dire.
Feng Xiaotian sighed, a trace of helplessness on his face.
"It's too late," he said. "If Zhao Mingyue has found such a place, she's already blocked it off and hidden it. Finding it now would be like searching for a needle in a haystack."
"Then what should we do? We can't just sit and wait for the demons to come!"
Lu Mingfang's voice trembled with frustration. They were in a passive position, reacting rather than acting. Yet he couldn't think of any effective countermeasures.
One thing was clear: they couldn't afford to do nothing.
Though the current generation hadn't lived through the catastrophe of a hundred thousand years ago, historical records described it as unimaginably brutal.
Even among the Daosheng Sect's Mahayana cultivators, three perished in that war.
Their strength had never fully recovered.
Where once they had five Mahayana masters, now only two remained.
If demons came in force again, could they truly stop them?
Could they allow the legacy of their ancestors to fall into demonic hands?