428 - A Sect Leader’s Ascension

Chapter 428: Smoky Mists Rise Over White Mountain "Previous Chapter" [Table of Contents] "Next Chapter" "The joint forces of Lingmu and Lihuo are rather restrained. Given the sly nature of someone like Chai Yi, I expected this to be a ploy of lulling the enemy into complacency. But now it seems they have issues of their own." At the grand hall on the cliff, Mo Jianxin handed the letter around for all to read, leaving everyone rather surprised once they had finished. When the letter reached Sha Nuo, he exaggeratedly cleared his throat before dramatically reading aloud: "Both sides in the conflict have gathered at the east and west ends of the Thick Earth Desert, where the standoff has dragged on for over a year with no incidents. The Five Elements Coalition's discipline appears lax, with the Lingmu and Lihuo alliances even allowing cultivators to roam freely. Rumors from the south suggest envoys frequently travel between White Mountain sects, yet none of the Nascent Soul ancestors have appeared. There's even talk that the He Huan sect might mediate, hinting the war could take a turn..." "Are they not going to fight anymore?" Qi Bingyan extended her voice comically, displaying a look of mixed feelings. In the Chu Qin Alliance, her family's profit from 'fortune-turning' ranked only below the Chu Qin Sect. Naturally, halting the conflict through negotiations would not be in her favor. Her behavior drew laughter from several other family heads. Realizing her gaffe, Qi Bingyan joined in the laughter, albeit with some embarrassment. The Chu Qin Alliance found themselves in a complex situation. While none wished to see the Five Elements Coalition's forces triumph—rumored to number around forty thousand in the Thick Earth Desert—no battle meant no spirit stones could be earned. "A war lasting a thousand years would be ideal!" Xiong Tiebi waved a large hand, his brash tone exaggerating despite likely having only a few years left to live. Indeed, a prolonged stalemate between both sides appeared advantageous for the Chu Qin Alliance. Nobody desired a victory for the formidable sword sects of the Five Elements Coalition, uncertain of their future demeanor. Conversely, if the Coalition triumphed, the fate awaiting Danmeng and Chu Qin would undoubtedly be dire. Thus, balance was key. Additionally, given the disputes involving Nascent Soul cultivators, it was prudent for the Chu Qin Alliance not to get too deeply involved. As things stood, it was satisfactory. The same applied to Qi Xiu, who anticipated a journey to Jixia City in a few years. The word 'trial' left him feeling uneasy, as it historically brought less than favorable recollections for him. "What exactly is happening at White Mountain? That is the crucial question." She Yishan brought up the old topic once more, and the room fell silent. For the past year, every so-called Chu Qin Alliance meeting had dissolved when broaching this ultimate topic. Today was no exception, as Mo Jianxin uttered a few perfunctory remarks before everyone dispersed. Chu Qin Sect's assembly consisted of four seats—one for each of the four subordinate families and one for Sha Nuo of the White Sand Gang. The nine-member council, however, only required rotating representatives for daily matters. In these regular meetings, Mo Jianxin usually represented the Chu Qin Sect alone, symbolizing their four votes, to discuss significant affairs alongside the other five members. Typically, these regular meetings yielded little result, and this time was no different. As Mo Jianxin watched Sha Nuo and the four family heads leave, he sighed, "Truly tedious." As he observed, Qi Xiu made decisions on major issues, so there usually weren't any problems. Minor matters were reviewed on a rotating basis, and everyone generally understood this, rendering things smooth. Despite this, the regular meetings remained onerous; while there were no disputes, no resolutions emerged, merely squandering time. The four family heads, all cultivators unable to form Golden Cores and nearing the end of their lifespans, were enthusiastic about gathering to deliberate significant matters, reminiscing about past glories. Mo Jianxin, also having no hope for a Golden Core, felt himself different from them. Reflecting on this, he returned to Chu Qin Mountain to practice his old craft: refining swords. On Chu Qin Mountain, several rough sword embryos lay submerged in the Jianxin Spring. A disciple watched over them from the spring’s edge. With sword prices soaring recently, the profits from sword refining became substantial. Nevertheless, Mo Jianxin’s expertise lay in the time-consuming water refining technique, so others prepared the sword embryos beforehand. Naturally, this task fell to a junior member of the Mo family. However, this particular junior had neither outstanding cultivation potential nor the necessary insight for sword refining, leaving Mo Jianxin perpetually dissatisfied. With his prospects for longevity dim, thoughts of family succession, long neglected, returned to him. Since the Mo family settled in Immortal Lin'ao over a century ago, its population steadily grew, yet only this one cultivator emerged, without hope even for Foundation Establishment. "It seems I should do something in these last fifty years of my life, leave something for my Mo family descendants," he thought. "Gu is below." Gu Tiesheng, a former peer now advanced to Golden Core stage, was briefly referred to as disciples reported his presence—deliberately omitting any respectful title to avoid hurting Mo Jianxin's feelings. After the Chu Qin Sect's relocation, only a spiritual value cultivator was left to manage this place, thanks to the sulfurous earth fire and Jianxin Spring—limiting visitors to Gu and Mo. "Acknowledged." Nodding slightly, he indicated no need to report it. Sitting cross-legged beside the spring, he executed a spell, drawing various materials from his storage pouch, which he then attached to the sword embryos in the water. Satisfied, he closed his eyes to begin refining, opting not for time-consuming endeavors like the Moonshadow Xuanbing Sword, but rather for quick and acceptable quality items, given that demand surpassed supply. The water refining method emphasized 'calmness' and 'stability.' As the flying swords were slowly refined in the cold spring, material changes on the sword embryo's surface occurred in subtle and wondrous ways, bringing Mo Jianxin enjoyment from a young age. "If I spent less time refining swords and more time meditating..." "If I hadn't built my Foundation on sword refining..." "If I hadn't wasted ten years in wartime logistics..." "If I had been more selfish, more ruthless, focusing solely on the Dao, ignoring familial affections..." "If..." "If..." His mind reeling, he fell into unexpected remorse—'snap,' a crisp sound echoed as the sword embryo snapped in the water, accidentally ruined by his unsteady hands. Sensing his descendent’s curious glance, “Sigh! The Path is disrupted, the heart never at peace.” With a heavy sigh, Mo Jianxin found even this simple task eluding him in his distracted state, letting his junior witness his disgrace. Withdrawing from the endeavor, he strolled leisurely within the sect, hoping the sights would ease his mind. This hill, initially called Jianying Mountain, had been the true foundation of the Chu Qin Sect. Looking back, though, it amounted to nothing more than an unremarkable second-tier sect site. The once-crowded dwellings, now mostly dismantled, were transformed back into spiritual fields, cultivating easily managed spirit herbs. But the spiritual-value cultivator overseeing this area lacked proficiency, making the fields sparse and somewhat desolate. With Nan Gong Yanran preoccupied with sect affairs, the mountain gate's yield became a minor income for the sect, scarcely receiving attention. "Brother Mo, are you reminiscing about the past?" A woman's voice jolted him from his thoughts; it was Zhang Shengnan, visiting Gu Tiesheng. "Heh." Failing to notice her approach, he was embarrassed by her owning of his reverie and responded with a rueful chuckle, "There's little else for me now but reminiscence..." His melancholy was palpable, tugging at Zhang Shengnan’s heart. Having remained at the late Foundation stage, she found distance to a hundred and fifty years old shortening, foreseeing declining opportunities. "I remember those days in Jiufang Market; life in the sect was tough. Yet you still supported me, a youngster learning alchemy. I hear those spirit stones mostly came from your sword-refining income. Thinking back, I owe much to you for where I am today; thank you, Brother Mo!" Discussing their Dao issues wouldn’t lead to joy, thus Zhang Shengnan shifted topics to happier memories. "There's no need for gratitude..." Mo Jianxin waved off her thanks with a wry smile as the two began reminiscing about their shared past, lightening both their spirits. Gu Tiesheng, sensing their conversation, joined them, and the once-empty Chu Qin Mountain echoed with laughter. As they recounted the light-hearted encounters of youth, Mo Jianxin recounted meeting the Gu brothers in Lihuo City. Absorbed in nostalgia, his smiling face suddenly fell, his gaze drifting afar, lost in thought. Alarmed, Gu Tiesheng sensed he'd unknowingly scratched an old wound. Back in the day, Qi Xiu, Wei Mind, Qin Sieguo, Zhao Yao, Qin Weiyu, Qi Zhuang, alongside Mo Jianxin and Luo Xiaoxiao had headed to Lihuo City to meet brothers Gu Rong and Gu Tiesheng. It was a time brimming with youthful promise and joy; now, only Qi Xiu and Mo Jianxin remained, while Qi Zhuang ventured far, and the others had long departed. The couple, not skilled in conversation, stood in quiet reflection, each immersed in personal ruminations. Suddenly, a wave of sorrow enveloped all three simultaneously, as if emanating from the depths of their souls. Already burdened with guilt-ridden thoughts, Mo Jianxin could no longer contain himself, tears silently gracing his cheeks, while Zhang Shengnan let out a gentle sigh. "What is happening!?" Gu Tiesheng’s cultivation and life's triumphant phase lent him the greatest resistance to emotions. He immediately sensed the anomaly within them. "You two?" Aware of something amiss, he urgently shielded them with his Golden Core power, "Calm!" he shouted, jolting his wife and Mo Jianxin back to awareness. On regaining composure, they exchanged bewildered looks with Gu Tiesheng. In their over a century of life, none had experienced anything so strange—this eerie invasion of emotions sparked an unfamiliar sense of fear in their hearts. Almost simultaneously, this overwhelming emotion swept over Sigou Mountain like a gust of wind. Cultivators big and small in the marketplace found their spirits swayed, and those with weaker mental resistance lost their composure, breaking down in tears. Even Qi Xiu, engaged in focused cultivation in his meditation chamber, was affected, nearly approaching a state of inner turmoil. "Dammit!" With quick thinking, Ming Jixin was the first to break free from the emotional barrage. Activating the omniscient Heavenly Eye, he surveyed the situation throughout the mountain and within the market, realizing a change had occurred. Without delay, he injected a Taoist mantra into the control token of the mountain's protective array, enhancing its defensive and calming functions, which finally eased the situation slightly. He flew to the mountain peak to oversee, and saw that everything appeared normal. Only the cultivators were affected; ordinary people went about their business as usual, bringing him some relief. Just as he prepared to gather others to discuss this anomaly, a solitary plume of smoke suddenly rose in the southern sky. It pierced through the high winds, appearing both distant and near, unpredictably wavering. "From the direction of White Mountain?" Recognizing this kind of smoke as a typical funeral signal, Qi Xiu frowned deeply. Undoubtedly, another significant event had occurred, and likely not a favorable one. "Sigh! This place is fraught with troubles and misfortunes," he sighed helplessly. (To be continued)