The operation to annihilate the Myriad Sound Sect was not a large one for Xiao Yunlong. Besides the three mysterious Black Armored Guards and a few trusted subordinates like Zhuge Wushuang, there were also the three Guardian Elders and over ten elite generals from the Southern Border, including Zhou Yun.
More than ten SUVs roared along the mountain road in the dead of night, quickly reaching the depths of the mountains. Beyond that, there were no more roads, and they had to proceed on foot.
The two Guardian Elders, Taiyi and Xiu Er, were waiting at the mountain path entrance. They emerged upon seeing Xiao Yunlong and his entourage.
"Greetings, King Xiao Bei. If you follow this mountain path, then traverse a canyon into the depths, and finally cross a broken cliff, the valley below is where the Myriad Sound Sect's lair is located!" Elder Taiyi stated.
"Thank you for your hard work, elders. If that's the case, let us depart!" Xiao Yunlong commanded, then swiftly leaped forward.
He controlled his speed to a certain extent. Everyone in tonight's operation was at least a Grandmaster of Hua Jin, so they could naturally keep up.
The mountain wind howled, and the biting cold air assailed them. In the darkness, sounds of whooshing echoed as streaks of black figures continuously darted into the depths.
About an hour later, Xiao Yunlong and his group arrived at the cliff face described by Elder Taiyi.
"King Bei, the valley below is where the Myriad Sound Sect resides!" Elder Taiyi, standing beside him, pointed to the valley below.
Xiao Yunlong stood with his hands behind his back, gazing down from the cliff. The valley below was shrouded in a dark haze. Even with his current night vision, the mist obscured his view, preventing him from discerning the exact situation below.
Vaguely, Xiao Yunlong could only see scattered points of light, resembling the glow of oil lamps.
"Everyone, rest here. Remember, this is the outer perimeter of the Myriad Sound Sect. No one is to move around without my permission!" Xiao Yunlong said sternly.
The others complied and sat down cross-legged to meditate and recover their internal energy. After all, the prolonged journey and rapid movement had taken a significant toll on them.
Half an hour later, at Xiao Yunlong's command, everyone began descending the cliff using the ropes prepared by the two Guardian Elders.
At the bottom of the cliff, the entire area was enveloped in mist. Illuminated by the dim lights ahead, Xiao Yunlong was astonished to find that the mist itself shimmered with a brilliant, peculiar glow.
"Something's wrong, this mist is poisonous! Everyone, hold your breath and follow me quickly through it!" Xiao Yunlong shouted, no longer concerned about alerting the Myriad Sound Sect.
"Damn it, when we came last time, there was clearly no such mist. It seems the Myriad Sound Sect became aware, so they deliberately created this poisonous miasma to prevent outsiders from sneaking in!" Elder Taiyi gritted his teeth.
This was clearly not the time to dwell on such matters. Xiao Yunlong waved his hand, "Everyone, follow me quickly!"
Led by Xiao Yunlong, the group swiftly moved forward. Since they had already been discovered, there was no need for stealth; they simply proceeded at their fastest pace.
The area covered by the miasma was not large. In just about ten minutes, they passed through it, and the scene ahead opened up dramatically.
In the narrow valley ahead, a river flowed through the middle, and rows of wooden stilted buildings were densely constructed on both banks of the river.
It looked more like a village deep in the mountains, but unlike ordinary villages, it was more orderly. Furthermore, in the village square stood a seven-story pagoda with an imposing aura.
Suddenly, the lights in the pagoda all illuminated, and then people dressed in strange, colorful attire emerged from the pagoda.
Leading them were three individuals with youthful complexions and white hair. Although they all leaned on walking sticks, they moved with vigorous strides, exuding an aura of authority.
In addition, the dozens of people in strange clothing were all skilled. The weakest among them were at the peak of the Xiao Zong Shi realm of Nei Jin, and there were quite a few Grandmasters of Hua Jin.
Of course, the strongest in martial arts cultivation were the three elders leaning on their walking sticks!
All these signs indicated that this was by no means an ordinary or simple village.
"We've been discovered?" Tu Fu exclaimed, his eyes wide with astonishment. They had initially planned a surprise attack.
"Isn't that obvious? Do you even need to ask?" Zhuge Wushuang rolled his eyes.
Xiao Yunlong, however, said coldly, "No, we weren't discovered just now. Rather, the other side knew we were coming long ago and had already made preparations!"
With that, he strode onto the cobblestone path and entered the village, heading towards the square ahead.
Since they were here, even if the other side was prepared, there was no turning back now.
The group vaguely sensed something was amiss, but they still followed him in.
Soon, the lights of the entire village illuminated, creating a scattered, starry effect in the night sky over the valley, which was quite beautiful.
"You must be King Xiao Bei. My Myriad Sound Sect has long been secluded in this otherworldly place. Do you still intend to annihilate us? Isn't that going too far!"
The elder in the center, with a youthful complexion and white hair, spoke in a deep, stern voice. He was the current Sect Master of the Myriad Sound Sect. The other two elders were the deputy sect masters, and the eight old men standing behind them with angry expressions were the eight elders of the Myriad Sound Sect.
Xiao Yunlong stood in the square with his hands behind his back, laughing coldly, "If your Myriad Sound Sect truly retreated to seclusion and did not interfere with worldly affairs, I naturally would not have acted. But regrettably, you dared to meddle in the Southern Border camp, and even plotted to harm the two Southern Kings. This is a capital offense!"
"Furthermore, during the last century, when the nation faced peril, your Myriad Sound Sect not only failed to step forward and save the country from its plight, but you colluded with the Brahma Kingdom to profit from the national disaster. Such an evil sect, the Dragon Country has long wished to destroy you!"
"Destroy us? You, a mere unlicked cub, couldn't destroy us even when several major sects of the Southern Border joined forces last century. How dare you boast so shamelessly?"
The deputy sect master on the left couldn't help but shout angrily.
"Whether it's boasting or not, just try us. I can even kill the Protector Dharma King of the Brahma Kingdom, let alone you three stray dogs!"
Xiao Yunlong declared loudly from the center of the square, his expression arrogant and disdainful.
The Myriad Sound Sect Master's eye twitched with anger. He gritted his teeth and said, "Xiao, we naturally know you are powerful. We know that the Protector Dharma King of the Brahma Kingdom was no match for you, and you even killed several experts from the Iron Sword Sect. However, since I knew you were coming and still stayed here instead of fleeing, do you truly believe my Myriad Sound Sect is so easily dealt with?"
"To tell you the truth, before you arrived, I had already made all the arrangements, specifically waiting for you to come. You dare to attempt to annihilate my Myriad Sound Sect? What a joke! Tonight, I will ensure you perish without a burial place!"
As his words fell, the Sect Master of the Myriad Sound Sect struck the ground heavily with his walking stick.
At that very moment, a high-pitched, clear flute melody suddenly pierced the quiet night, echoing through the valley.
Everyone heard it. The flute music sounded extremely hurried and strange, causing a prickling sensation on their scalps.
Suddenly, without any warning, Zhuge Wushuang, Tu Fu, Tang Bowen, and several other trusted subordinates of Xiao Yunlong, including the three Black Armored Guards, clutched their heads and groaned in pain as they squatted on the ground.
Immediately after, Xiao Yunlong staggered and fell to the ground, also clutching his head and crying out incessantly.
Everyone was stunned by this scene. The flute melody above the valley grew increasingly rapid and high-pitched, faintly sounding like a demonic tune that caused mental disorder.
"It's the flute! This is the Myriad Sound Sect's demonic music! Oh no, we've fallen into a trap! King Xiao Bei and the others have been struck by the demonic flute curse! We're finished!"
The three Guardian Elders, including Taiyi, cried out in shock, their faces turning extremely pale.