Southern end of Great Xia.

Heavenly Cry Mountain.

Xia Xuanyan was in front, followed by an elderly woman with age-worn features.

"Heavenly Cry Mountain has changed a lot recently!" Xia Xuanyan suddenly spoke.

The old woman nodded: "The Heaven and Earth Spirit Mechanism is reviving, and last year the old Sect Leader also relocated a Spirit Vein and sealed it with a great array. Now, Heavenly Cry Mountain has about seventy percent of the spiritual energy concentration of a Cave Heaven Blessed Land."

"How is the Heavenly Cry Sect Leader’s health?" Xia Xuanyan asked.

"Thanks to the concern of Great Xia’s Family Head, the old Sect Leader is better than in the past years!" replied the old woman.

"Does he know I’m coming?" Xia Xuanyan asked again.

"He knows!" The old woman nodded.

Then she stopped and looked up.

Xia Xuanyan also stopped, his gaze slightly focused upwards.

A streak of purple light fell like a shooting star from above, seeming like a star from beyond the heavens.

"He’s here!" Xia Xuanyan said.

In just a moment.

The purple streak fell without causing any disturbance or ripple, its movement defying physical laws.

A figure appeared before Xia Xuanyan.

The newcomer wore a long purple dress, revealing much of her skin.

Her face appeared around fifty, covered in wrinkles.

Yet the exposed skin was as smooth as that of a youthful maiden, incongruously.

Seeing the figure before him, Xia Xuanyan understood that the Heavenly Cry Sect Leader was also like him, an avatar descended.

After the Martial Saint acted at the East Sea last time, they had completely given up on provoking such misfortune.

They all understood that the Great Xia Martial Saint had reached the twilight of his years, his days numbered.

As Immortal Dao cultivators, relying on the help of Cave Heaven Blessed Lands, their lifespan was still extensive, and it wasn’t worth risking their vast future to fight a near-death man.

With memories of over eight hundred years, they had no doubt about the power of the Great Xia Martial Saint.

Even in his twilight years, no one under heaven dared face that Martial Saint at this point.

"Just a minor matter, and the Sect Leader comes personally?" Xia Xuanyan said with a faint smile.

"With Great Xia’s Family Head arriving, how could I not personally welcome you!" Heavenly Cry Sect Leader replied.

"Sect Leader is too kind!" Xia Xuanyan said.

"Family Head Xia, I wonder if I might ask something?" Heavenly Cry Sect Leader suddenly changed the topic.

"Feel free to speak!" Xia Xuanyan said.

"I previously heard that Family Head Xia intended to recruit the Dongling Marquis as a son-in-law to join Xuanhuang Great Cave Heaven! Why now the change in attitude, paying a great price to curse the Dongling Marquis from Heavenly Cry Mountain thousands of miles away?" asked the Heavenly Cry Sect Leader.

Upon hearing this, Xia Xuanyan smiled faintly.

"It’s simple, because he does not know his place!"

"So that’s how it is!" Heavenly Cry Sect Leader nodded with a knowing expression, then said: "If that’s the case, then please accompany me to the altar."

"Alright!" Xia Xuanyan nodded.

...

A moment later.

Inside a hidden cavern.

The cavern’s dome hung high, with countless azure runes slowly writhing upon the rock walls like living creatures.

In the very center of the cavern stood an altar.

The altar was built of stones dark as congealed blood, stacked together.

It rose in nine tiers, flat at the top, engraved with a mesmerizingly intricate, bizarre formation diagram.

The center of the diagram bulged, forming a platform.

Around the platform were embedded nine fist-sized skulls, constantly exuding dark red mist.

Xia Xuanyan and Heavenly Cry Sect Leader entered the cavern, while the elderly woman respectfully waited at the entrance.

"This is the place," said the Heavenly Cry Sect Leader, her voice echoing in the vast cavern: "This altar is founded on Nine Nether Polluted Earth, infused with the lingering thoughts of three thousand years of vengeful spirits, nourished for forty-nine days with the earth vein’s Yin Sha. The Curse Power here can penetrate miles and disregard ordinary protective Magical Treasures and fortune guardianship."

Xia Xuanyan nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping over the altar, a hint of satisfaction flashed in his eyes.

He said no more, raising his hand to take out a small jade box.

Opening the jade box, inside lay a strand of black hair, about two inches long and shining ebony.

"What is this?" Heavenly Cry Sect Leader asked.

"A medium, a strand of hair that Dongling Marquis once left behind in Luoshui County!" Xia Xuanyan replied.

"Just a single strand of hair?" Heavenly Cry Sect Leader slightly frowned.

"What’s the matter?" Xia Xuanyan asked.

"A mere ordinary hair strand can also serve as a medium, but such a medium is too weak!" Heavenly Cry Sect Leader shook her head, then continued: "Does Family Head Xia know the Dongling Marquis’s birth date and eight characters?"

Xia Xuanyan shook his head: "I don’t know."

"If that’s the case, then we can only rely on this strand of hair, but the Curse Power of such will be too weak. Considering the current cultivation and physical strength of the Dongling Marquis, it can be prolonged for a very long time!" Heavenly Cry Sect Leader said.

"No matter!" Xia Xuanyan smiled faintly: "Let him weaken slowly, let him gradually feel death approaching, this is a more severe punishment." 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

Hearing these words, Heavenly Cry Sect Leader glanced at Xia Xuanyan twice, then nodded.

"Since Family Head Xia doesn’t mind, then so be it!"

As her words fell, she grabbed the strand, causing it to rise lightly from the jade box and land in her right hand.

Then, she opened her left hand, delicate as jade, and with a glow, a palm-sized doll appeared in her hand.

Upon seeing the doll appear, Xia Xuanyan couldn’t help but look twice.

He knew that in the path of Curse Killing, Heavenly Cry Grotto Heaven ranked among the top three of the current era.

And Heavenly Cry Mountain, as part of the outskirts of Heavenly Cry Grotto Heaven, positioned outside the Grotto Heaven, held a complete inheritance, making it one of his choices.