469 - A Sect Leader’s Ascension

Chapter 469: The Sect Leader's Dilemma Toggle Night Mode Font: Large Medium Small [Previous Chapter] [Table of Contents] [Next Chapter] According to the "Treatise on Cultivation" by Chu Zhen, there exists an unspoken rule within the Qi Yun Sect: 'One cannot be the sect master without ascending the Heaven and Earth Peaks.' Due to this, Chu Zhen and Lu Yun, the only two Nascent Soul late-stage cultivators of appropriate age from the Heaven and Earth Peaks, have been vying openly and covertly for the position of sect master for over a millennium. The result became evident when Lu Yun ascended to the position, assuming the name 'Yunzi', while Chu Zhen was forced to withdraw from the power center of Qi Yun. Eventually, before his fall, he aggressively eliminated another arch-nemesis, Gao Guangsheng of the Guanghui Pavilion, who posed a future threat to the Chu family and was also a Nascent Soul late-stage cultivator. "The esteemed sect master of Qi Yun, why does he need to discreetly disguise himself just to meet someone? Merely for a secret Qi practice manual?" "Why is the Jiang family involved in this scheme? And what does Jiang Yan have to do with it?" "Logically, the Chu family doesn't get along with him, so why does Chu Hongshang have an apparent closeness with him instead?" "In any case, with the factional duties in Qi Yun wrapped up, what exactly is a sect master supposed to do?" Facing Lu Yunzi, who had been ushered into the crystal throne by Chu Hongshang, Qi Xiu had many questions. Not letting him wait long, Lu Yunzi casually tossed back the Qin family's Huangting Technique. "I've been seeking these unconventional practices as of late. If you come across more, feel free to show them to me. There's always something in it for you." Respectfully acknowledging, Qi Xiu laughed, "Why bother the elder with such trivial matters..." "Haha, I've heard you're quite the worldly person." Lu Yunzi, astutely aware of the implications in Qi Xiu's words, pointed at him with amusement, "A mere Foundation Establishment cultivator mingling with ghost cultivators; it's not a big deal. That Huangting Technique was just on my way to look at; the real purpose of this visit..." With that, his expression turned stern, all his previous warmth vanished, and his tone became chillingly oppressive, "From the beginning of the Jixia trials until you saw me, explain everything you've heard and seen, every single big and small event." Qi Xiu felt a tightening in his heart; these past events involved Nangong Mu! He vaguely guessed the underlying motives and thought, no wonder the grand sect master had to come incognito; it was to seek secrets about the presence of a Soul Transformation cultivator... Without hurriedly replying, he glanced again at Chu Hongshang. Having cooperated for years, with numerous battles fought side by side, they shared a natural rapport. "Old rascal..." Chu Hongshang understood and playfully chided Lu Yunzi, "Didn't the Jiang family trick him here saying there was a deal? Are you planning to extort a junior's debt too?" "Hahaha, a deal, hahaha..." Lu Yunzi laughed while helplessly shaking his head, "Who would've thought that the once pure-as-paper, stubborn-as-an-ox little Hongshang would now even reckon with me." Though spoken with a smile, his words carried a palpable sense of disappointment, leaving Chu Hongshang somewhat embarrassed. "Having upheld my family for so many years, I had no other choice," she explained with a touch of melancholy, now lost in a moment of nostalgic silence. "Ah, one word from you and I'm silenced, what use are you?! In the end, it still falls on me to use my tongue." Quickly discrediting Chu Hongshang in his mind, Qi Xiu nonetheless recognized the beauty in her character. For those on the righteous path, a silver tongue still held some sway, and on this, he had no doubt. "No one can easily make me speak the truth, even if you're the sect master of Qi Yun." Once he made up his mind, knowing he'd have to face the choice between primarily supporting Nangong Mu or Lu Yunzi, he steeled his resolve and outwardly demonstrated an unyielding refusal to comply, retorting defiantly, "Matters concerning a Soul Transformation cultivator, forgive me for not being at liberty to disclose." Rejection first and foremost; if you're going to be tough, then either we negotiate terms or you force it out, it doesn't matter who tries. "Heh heh." Lu Yunzi stroked his beard, studying Qi Xiu with interest before turning to Chu Hongshang, "Does he listen to you?" "Uh..." Chu Hongshang found herself in an awkward position, "Well... as the main family member, I've always treated them equally, never forcing..." Her response, fortunately, did not disappoint. Lu Yunzi chuckled and sighed, slapping his thigh to adopt a helpless stance towards them both. "Then there's no alternative. Originally, I intended to give you the opportunity of a seventh-tier secret realm, but alas, such a pity." "What!" Upon hearing "seventh-tier secret realm," Chu Hongshang's body trembled, tears welled up in her eyes, and she struggled to remain seated. Being under the protection of the three-generation system, the Nan Chu Sect essentially wasn't part of Qi Yun, nor could she join Qi Yun. Using a seventh-tier secret realm to ascend to Soul Transformation was originally inconceivable for her! She was unwilling to marry Nangong Zhi, and during countless solitary cultivation nights, the thought of the ceiling above her was unbearable, making her want to escape. Now, with such an opportunity in front of her, how could her heart not waver, leading to such a loss of composure! Once Lu Yunzi took action, he struck right at Chu Hongshang's vulnerability. For anyone on the path towards the Dao, such an offer was utterly irresistible. Observing her reaction, Qi Xiu was pleased knowing their secret was unlikely to remain secure. In his heart, he felt genuinely happy for her. If a day should come when his beloved companion could ascend to Soul Transformation, then their Chu Qin Sect would not need to worry for millennia. "That..." Chu Hongshang eagerly inquired, "Fifty years?" This time, Lu Yunzi shook his head, "Fifteen years at most." He chuckled ruefully, "For fifteen years, I can still make arrangements now. By the time you want to use it, I suspect I won't be around anymore; fifty years is too long, and a dead man's influence offers no assurances." He spoke sincerely, for he was a peer of Chu Zhen, perhaps a mere hundred years younger at most, while Chu Hongshang would probably reach Nascent Soul consummation three to four hundred years hence. "Thank you, Sect Master, thank you." Chu Hongshang knelt down again, employing a significantly more ceremonious gesture this time. With three heavy bows, her voice trembled with gratitude. "Get up then. The day your family elders suppressed your nature, deciding your future, your struggle left a mark on me as I passed by. On that day, I chose to help you, and our fates intertwined. The fifteen-year usage of a seventh-tier secret realm may be laborious for me, yet for you, it's an essential seam on your path to the Dao. Fifteen years might seem short to others, but I believe you can achieve it." Lu Yunzi lifted his palm, using spiritual power to help Chu Hongshang rise. "This isn't even a condition; I originally planned to gift it to you independent of any information you might possess. Consider it as goodwill sowed for my successors and for Qi Yun as a whole. That said, if you succeed, you must join Qi Yun; if not, after the three-generation protection ends, the Nan Chu Sect must enter into the Qi Yun family all the same." When the three-generation protection of the Nan Chu Sect ended, it would likely be years after Chu Hongshang's term concluded, and joining Qi Yun, devoid of the feudal protection, was ultimately favorable. Chu Hongshang agreed to everything faithfully, taking an oath on the spot, then encouraged Qi Xiu: "Though my Sect Leader brother has grievances with the Chu family of Qi Yun, he has always been fair and principled. Trust his integrity, and let him know everything." The matter now fell to Qi Xiu. An elder and younger, although the 'younger' was over nine hundred years old, had spoken to such lengths, leaving little reason to withhold anything. Moreover, with the exceptionally generous offering of a fifteen-year tenure of a seventh-tier secret realm, no knowledge could rival its worth. Lu Yunzi’s pledge for it seemed genuinely sincere. "I arrived at Jixia alongside Chu Wen of the Qi Yun Chu family and Chu Wuying of the Nan Chu Sect, ehem, might as well start from the beginning. Years ago, I had some disputes with the Huo family’s Huo Bai of the Yu Shou Sect, leading to a duel at Hei He Marketplace’s 'Hei He Dao Palace', owned by the Nangong family. I was expected to lose, but Nangong Zhi secretly slipped me the 'Myriad Beasts Annotated', revealing the Yu Shou Sect’s secrets, and that saved my life. Later, Nangong Zhi demanded repayment, asking me to lure the Golden Core cultivator He Yu out for capture. He was a former disciple of my Chu Qin Sect, so I agreed..." Detailing all the events from beginning to end, Qi Xiu recounted the bloody trials of the Jixia stele forest, his deadly struggles with He Yu under the merit stele, Nangong Mu’s life force-consuming pursuit using the Celestial Wood Dragon, the teleportation arrays beneath the Northern Ding Mountain, Jiang Yan, He Yu, and the ghost spiders, laying everything bare. He had never described these events to Chu Hongshang, who had long been in secluded cultivation, leaving her stunned and teary-eyed as she listened, "I never knew you suffered so much over the years! Had I known, I wouldn't have given you that wretched trial medallion." "Sigh!" Seeing her remorse, Qi Xiu, knowing her sincere concern, felt warmth in his heart and consoled, "Nangong Mu was determined to capture He Yu. Even without the medallion, he would have found ways to send me in." "A divine puppet clone usable by Golden Core cultivators?" Lu Yunzi pondered for a long while, shaking his head with a knowing smile, "Hard to believe indeed—a marginal method developed by somebody atop White Mountain; just Nangong Mu grasping at straws. But wait, that's not right!" It was rare for Qi Xiu to speak the truth, only to be told he was wrong. As he mulled over this, Lu Yunzi questioned, "If it was only about the Nangong Patriarch, I wouldn't even care. Just tell me, why did Elder Xing from the Enforcement Peak, and the two factions of Gui Gu and Gui Ru from the Great Zhou Academy get involved with this Bei Ding Shen Mountain business?" Once that was revealed, everything clicked for Qi Xiu. Ultimately, it was indeed connected to Jiang Yan. The matters of the world can indeed be tangled in peculiar ways. If it was merely about He Yu and the divine puppet clone technique, Nangong Mu, a Soul Transformation cultivator, could have easily handled everything at Bei Ding Shen Mountain. However, along with He Yu, there was also Jiang Yan and the ghost spiders. There was Xing Jian, who had been obsessed with capturing Jiang Yan for many years, and his elder was Elder Xing from the Enforcement Peak—whose aspirations were as ironclad as the laws he upheld, being a Soul Transformation cultivator himself. On top of that, Xing Jian had sought guidance from someone like Qi Xiu, who harbored resentment against Nangong Mu after losing fifty years of vital energy. And that particular place was none other than Bei Ding Shen Mountain... Years ago, when the Gui Gu faction sought aid beneath the mountain, and ghost cultivators suddenly appeared, there must have been a deeply hidden secret. Due to Qi Xiu's impetuous guidance, Xing Jian truly borrowed strength from the Gui Ru faction to pressure Nangong Mu in return. Nangong Mu wanted to capture He Yu and wouldn't easily relent, while the Gui Ru faction aimed to use the affairs of Bei Ding Shen Mountain to undermine Gui Gu. Gui Gu wouldn't just idly watch as their opponents made their move. There was also Xing Jian pursuing Jiang Yan, backed by a law-abiding Elder Xing... My heavens! This chaotic situation must involve at least four Soul Transformation-level existences! Multiple factions with entirely divergent goals, yet unwilling to easily yield, were completely entangled! Qi Xiu could easily imagine just how overwhelmed and troubled Lu Yunzi was at that moment. It became clear why a sect master who had governed a super sect for several centuries would secretly come to find him, regardless of the cost—to unravel the full story... "Um... I have to start again from the beginning. Back in the days of the pioneering war..." (To be continued)