Under such circumstances, these rumors flew about even more wildly, making one's head spin.
However, during these few years.
Although He Song had been concentrating on comprehending formations, he wasn't entirely cut off from outside news.
An Ning, Meng Guan, Wei Fan, and even the two True Lords Luo Jing and Yun Jing had sent He Song many messages during these years.
Therefore, He Song was quite well-informed regarding the Wind Snow Palace, the Sun Unity Sect, and even the Treasure Gathering Pavilion.
He just hadn't expected the rumors circulating outside to have become so outrageous.
According to the news He Song saw in the letters from An Ning, Meng Guan, and Wei Fan.
Although the Wind Snow Palace had indeed made significant moves in recent years, the actual major developments hadn't really begun yet.
Currently, the Wind Snow Palace occupied four states previously held by the God Locking Cult, but they hadn't yet secured a firm foothold.
Beside them, there were still three major Nascent Soul demonic sects watching them covetously.
Under such circumstances, Ancestor Phantom Snow of the Wind Snow Palace naturally couldn't invest heavily into the sect right after its establishment.
After all, although Ancestor Phantom Snow, as a Nascent Soul Ancestor, possessed immense personal strength and wouldn't be powerless even against other Nascent Soul cultivators.
But, even the power of a Nascent Soul cultivator, while formidable, still carried the risk of defeat.
If besieged by two, or even three, demonic Nascent Soul cultivators, although Ancestor Phantom Snow might not perish, the territory of the Wind Snow Palace would definitely shrink significantly.
Under these circumstances, although the Wind Snow Palace had already occupied four states, it still remained based within the Cloud Foothills Prefecture and hadn't established its main sect gate elsewhere.
This approach wasn't due to unwillingness.
It was truly an inability.
Without having established a completely stable foothold, taking such actions would only result in huge losses for themselves, serving no other purpose.
And precisely because of this.
After Ancestor Phantom Snow had settled the disciples of the Wind Snow Palace, allowing them to cultivate peacefully within the Cloud Foothills Prefecture.
She also spent considerable time lobbying the Sun Unity Sect and the Purple Cloud Sect.
However, although An Ning was a disciple of the Wind Snow Palace, she wasn't clear on the specific details of this matter.
An Ning only knew that after Ancestor Phantom Snow went out to lobby, she returned to the Cloud Foothills Prefecture several months later.
In the following period, Ancestor Phantom Snow remained stationed in the Cloud Foothills Prefecture, merely instructing the disciples of the Wind Snow Palace to focus on their cultivation.
Apart from this, An Ning, given her status, naturally had no way of knowing other hidden matters.
As for Ancestor Phantom Snow suddenly announcing two years ago that a Nascent Soul Dharma Assembly would be held in the Cloud Foothills Prefecture ten years later.
An Ning was also unaware of the specific reasons behind it.
She only knew.
After Ancestor Phantom Snow returned from her lobbying efforts, cultivators from either the Sun Unity Sect or the Purple Cloud Sect began appearing to garrison the major Immortal Cities and Immortal Markets within the Wind Snow Palace's territory.
The appearance of these cultivators did give An Ning some basis for speculation.
But unfortunately, as a disciple of the Wind Snow Palace, while Ancestor Phantom Snow personally oversaw things in the Cloud Foothills Prefecture, focusing on cultivation was mandatory.
Under these circumstances, every time An Ning came out of seclusion, she couldn't stay outside for too long.
Therefore, within her limited time, each time An Ning emerged, she would only hastily catch up on the situation outside.
Once the time was up, An Ning would enter seclusion again to avoid being reprimanded.
After all, the Wind Snow Palace was currently truly lacking in cultivators with high cultivation levels.
Ancestor Phantom Snow had personally ordered the continuous recruitment of disciples for the Wind Snow Palace and placed great importance on the cultivation progress of the sect's disciples.
A cultivator like An Ning, whose cultivation had already reached mid-stage Foundation Establishment, was actually ranked quite highly within the entire Wind Snow Palace.
The Wind Snow Palace, before this, was truly just an ordinary Golden Core Sect.
Mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivation, while not exceptionally high, wasn't considered low either.
At the very least, ranking within the top few dozen in the Wind Snow Palace should be no problem.
With the entire sect having only so few Foundation Establishment True Persons.
Perhaps Ancestor Phantom Snow already remembered her.
If her cultivation progress didn't meet expectations, facing reprimand was highly possible.
Under these circumstances, much of the news in An Ning's messages to He Song was actually somewhat vague.
However, He Song understood this very well.
Being watched over by a Nascent Soul Ancestor while cultivating, one could imagine the immense pressure An Ning was under.
To still squeeze out time to send him messages under such conditions, An Ning's attitude towards him was truly beyond words.
Moreover, He Song's sources of information weren't limited to just An Ning.
Meng Guan and Wei Fan in the Sun Unity Sect, as well as Luo Jing and Yun Jing in the Treasure Gathering Pavilion, were all channels for He Song's news.
These two channels, although not as immediate as An Ning being within the Wind Snow Palace, weren't actually far behind.
At least, after integrating the various news from these three major channels.
He Song had a considerable understanding of the various events that had occurred outside during the years he spent comprehending formations.
The current He Song.
By simply comparing information within his own Fallen Phoenix Prefecture, he could grasp the situation outside over the past few years.
However, it was worth mentioning.
This time when He Song came out of seclusion and walked around Fallen Phoenix Prefecture, he did hear about the deeds of True Person White Crane and the others.
The incident where True Person White Crane and True Person Flying Crane lured Foundation Establishment True Persons out of Fallen Phoenix Prefecture and trapped them to their deaths in a treasure land had long been exposed.
Now, the names of True Person White Crane, True Person Flying Crane, and another True Person Fierce Wind were thoroughly known by all the Foundation Establishment True Persons in Fallen Phoenix Prefecture.
True Person White Crane and True Person Flying Crane, needless to say.
He Song probably understood what they had done better than anyone else.
But as for that True Person Fierce Wind, after some inquiries, He Song learned his identity.
This person was the peak Foundation Establishment cultivator who had joined the group of White Crane and Flying Crane midway.
This True Person Fierce Wind, with cultivation at peak Foundation Establishment, had colluded with White Crane and Flying Crane back then, continuously luring Foundation Establishment True Persons out from Fallen Phoenix Prefecture.
And after each Foundation Establishment True Person left with the three, news would follow that they had perished within the treasure land.
As this repeated, someone finally grew suspicious.
These Foundation Establishment True Persons lured away by the trio were not all solitary individuals.
Even if there were some solitary ones, their numbers couldn't be large.
Under such circumstances, after their deaths, their friends and family would naturally investigate their demise.
And White Crane's trio had continuously lured Foundation Establishment True Persons out from Fallen Phoenix Prefecture for treasure hunting.
Over time, when the number of Foundation Establishment True Persons who went with them reached a certain level.
It naturally aroused others' suspicion.
After repeated investigations.
The deeds of White Crane's trio were made public.
And precisely because of this.
When He Song was comprehending formations beneath that treasure land back then, he waited in vain for the arrival of White Crane's trio.
At that time, the reputation of White Crane's trio was already completely ruined.
If not for the fact that the three combined possessed a total of five Foundation Establishment combatants.
They probably would have been surrounded and killed long ago, their lives ending and Daos vanishing.
However, precisely because the three were powerful and had two Foundation Establishment spirit beasts protecting them, they survived this major upheaval.
Nevertheless, even though they survived, it was impossible for the three to trick any other Foundation Establishment True Persons in the time that followed.
Furthermore, they could no longer even stay in this Fallen Phoenix Prefecture.
During that period.
White Crane's trio fled far away, going to other Immortal States to live incognito.
Only when the storm gradually subsided did the three quietly return to that treasure land.
And He Song knew everything that happened afterward.
White Crane's trio broke the formation but miscalculated slightly, and were all slain by the Golden Core Puppet within the treasure land.
Regarding this, He Song didn't know whether to say the three had terrible luck or incredibly good luck.
Terrible luck because not only was their reputation ruined, but they also died silently in the treasure land afterward.
Good luck because they somehow survived their ruined reputation, managed to return again, and even broke the formation.
Such a situation made He Song feel a trace of emotion regarding the trio's actions.
These three.
If they hadn't encountered that Golden Core Puppet, they might have really managed to loot that treasure land clean.
Unfortunately, the path they chose from the very beginning was already wrong.
There were no precious treasures within that treasure land.
All that existed was a Golden Core Puppet.
If the three had been powerful enough, this Golden Core Puppet could indeed be considered incomparably precious.
Regrettably, the three lacked sufficient strength and were fated not to enjoy such a valuable treasure.
As He Song continued walking through Fallen Phoenix Prefecture.
Before long.
He Song, who originally thought he had heard all the news from the past few years, quickly heard another piece of information.
That Golden Core True Lord who had appeared west of Fallen Phoenix Prefecture in recent days, emanating his Golden Core aura all the way towards the Myriad Demon Realm.
Had also, just today, left the territory of the Golden Snake Sect and entered the territory of the Nether Blade Sect.
However, after this Golden Core True Lord finally stepped out of the Golden Snake Sect's territory and entered the Nether Blade Sect's territory.
For some unknown reason, he suddenly began fighting fiercely with another Golden Core True Lord.
The Golden Core True Lord fighting him was a mid-stage Golden Core cultivator, with the Dharma title Gray Eagle, named after the Foundation Establishment gray eagle spirit beast he possessed during his Foundation Establishment days.
This True Lord Gray Eagle held some renown within the Immortal State under the Nether Blade Sect's territory.
Not only had he entered the Golden Core Realm quite some time ago, but his personal strength was also quite remarkable.
He belonged to the ranks of powerful Golden Cores within the Immortal State occupied by the Nether Blade Sect.
But for some unknown reason, this True Lord Gray Eagle, after a chance encounter with this person, directly attacked the Golden Core True Lord heading towards the Myriad Demon Realm.
Currently.
The two True Lords, Gray Eagle and the other, were battling incessantly at the border between the Golden Snake Sect and the Nether Blade Sect, causing countless cultivators to flee in droves.
This news naturally spread rapidly outwards as the two Golden Core True Lords fought.
Right now, this news had just emerged.
The situation described in the news seemed to have just occurred.
Moreover, He Song heard this news while walking down the street, overhearing it from a restaurant beside the road.
The person in the restaurant who spoke of this news was a Foundation Establishment cultivator.
This added another layer of authenticity to the news.
But precisely because of this.
After suddenly receiving this news, He Song changed direction and immediately headed towards this restaurant.
He wanted to hear the follow-up.
If that True Lord Gray Eagle managed to slay the Golden Core Puppet, or if something else happened during the process, he needed to form a judgment about the matter.
After all, He Song had personally watched that Golden Core Puppet silently depart before his very eyes, heading westward all the way.
He hadn't acted against it.
He Song hadn't even considered following it to see.
If True Lord Gray Eagle were to slay it directly this time, or capture it and take it back to his immortal cave.
Then the one who would offend that demonic Golden Core master in the future would likely be this True Lord Gray Eagle.
He Song would probably only need to pay attention to news about this True Lord Gray Eagle afterward to know whether this Golden Core Puppet truly had a master, and what that master's cultivation level might be.
Besides this.
If something unexpected happened while True Lord Gray Eagle was fighting the Golden Core Puppet.
For example, if the Golden Core Puppet's master suddenly launched a sneak attack on True Lord Gray Eagle.
He Song would probably need to feel quite fortunate about the choice he made back then.
The main reason He Song hadn't acted against the Golden Core Puppet back then was his unwillingness to bear the consequences of attacking it.
To thoroughly offend a demonic Golden Core cultivator to death just for a Golden Core Puppet, or a cultivator's Golden Core.
Such a thing was absolutely unacceptable to He Song.
One must know, He Song was completely unaware of the cultivation level of this Golden Core Puppet's master.
If the other party happened to be a peak Golden Core cultivator, He Song would likely have to pay a huge price even if he could escape.
He Song was definitely unwilling to pay such an enormous price for just a Golden Core Puppet or a cultivator's Golden Core.
And this was precisely the reason why he had watched that Golden Core Puppet leave back then.
He Song had no idea whether the master of that Golden Core Puppet was hiding in the shadows.
Waiting to ambush whoever attacked the Golden Core Puppet, ultimately refining them into their next Golden Core Puppet.
Such speculation was highly possible.
He Song was unwilling to take that risk back then precisely because this concern existed.
But now, this True Lord Gray Eagle disregarded all these concerns and directly attacked the Golden Core Puppet.
Faced with such a situation, He Song naturally wanted to listen carefully to the subsequent developments.
After all, what True Lord Gray Eagle encountered next might very well be what he himself would have encountered had he attacked the Golden Core Puppet back then.
Whether it was encountering an ambush, being pursued afterward, or making a huge profit, all were possibilities.
End of Chapter