474 - A Sect Leader’s Ascension

Chapter 474: Circling Aimlessly Toggle Night Mode Font: Large Medium Small [Previous Chapter] [Table of Contents] [Next Chapter] Chai Yi had been inside for quite some time. Countless eyes were fixed on the tent, holding their breath in anticipation. Despite this, most were silently praying for peace. A battle between tens of thousands of evenly matched cultivators was destined to be a bloody stalemate with no victor. The rogue cultivators and small sects who initially joined, hoping to gain some benefits by aligning with the Hehuan Sect, were the most disappointed. This was not a small skirmish like those in the old Luo family lands. The Hehuan Sect possessed methods to command thousands, making escape impossible. Times had changed; believing the tides were in their favor, they had come with intentions of profit. Now, they found themselves trapped, awaiting what could be their final battle. "Being drained of spiritual power by a military formation is a most tragic death. Your perception and strength are stripped bit by bit, your body slowly drained until it becomes a mummified corpse. Just thinking about it is horrifying." On a flying shuttle, an elderly steward leisurely sipped the last drop of his tea, his head nodding as he displayed his knowledge. Nangong Yan was watching the overwhelming military formations with concentrated attention, lost in thought. She reminisced about the battle outside the mountain of repentance, where many fellow sect members had perished, drained dry by the formation. “It would be better if the Spiritwood Alliance were completely annihilated this time.” This was her second encounter with the Spiritwood Alliance's Ten Thousand Green Wood Array, and it seemed particularly grating to her. Unfortunately, the heavens did not meet her wishes. As soon as Chai Yi reappeared, a chime sounded from the Hehuan Sect's tent, and their army slowly retreated. "What is happening? Are they not going to fight?" "See, I told you so! Fighting now would be mutual destruction. How could they possibly engage?" "Hmph, after lying low for so long, what’s the point of withdrawing now for the Hehuan Sect? They can't afford to lose face and reputation!" "Is face more important than future prospects and life?" "Exactly. Given the Hehuan Sect's strength, they might hold the upper hand in a straightforward confrontation. But with a stronghold ahead, how could they possibly breach it so easily?" Chai Yi entered the city of Lihuo silently, expressing nothing. The Hehuan Sect's army merely retreated to its original position without leaving. On the flying shuttle, the crowd engaged in endless debates, ultimately leaning towards the belief that a battle was unlikely to occur. Nangong Yan found an excuse to escape the idle crowd, moving alone to the control center of the flying shuttle to meditate. She waited patiently until evening when a disciple brought her a note. "Seek peace; you should return first." This was the agreed communication method between Chu Qinmen and Gu Rong. Qi Xiu had the Yi Wood Gale Shuttle suspended here as a precaution. If the Lihuo Alliance were defeated, they would see if they could extract the people of the Ancient Sword Sect. Given Nangong Yan’s noble background, even if captured by the Hehuan Sect, her life was likely safe. With Gu Rong’s position in the Lihuo Alliance, the information was credible. Nangong Yan casually destroyed the note, saying, "Let's head back." The flying shuttle turned around, passing through the intersection of the Dan Alliance, Spiritwood Alliance, and Lihuo Alliance territories, before slowly descending at the transfer point of the Nine Star Workshop. "Any news?" A few sect masters from various families within the Nine Star Workshop were already waiting in the market. Before the flying shuttle even stabilized, they flew onto the deck, inquiring about the latest news from Lihuo City. "Uh, it looks like they plan to negotiate, but nothing is certain yet," Nangong Yan could only respond this way. Among these nine families—protected by the third-generation system due to their geographical advantage as the Dan Alliance's only external trade route—the sects collaborated with Chu Qinmen for massive profits. Some even sought to operate independently, though having no third-tier flying shuttles could not support the long-distance flight bypassing Spiritwood Alliance territory. Their golden core cultivators simply transported goods manually, still earning a fortune. "Negotiations, huh!" The sect masters’ tones reflected a certain disappointment. Currently, few adventurers ventured into the Nine Star Workshop. If negotiations proceeded, the Dan Alliance would no longer need their trade route, which spelled trouble. Yannan Xing, the de facto spokesperson for these nine families, appeared thoughtful, suggesting, "Since it's not yet confirmed, perhaps we should all visit the repentance mountain and discuss with Qi Xiu?" "Good idea, it's been a while since I last saw Brother Qi." "I heard Little Brother Qi advanced to the mid-stage not long ago. I should certainly prepare a belated gift." "We should, indeed. Let's all go together." These individuals, seasoned by the war of expansion, were all shrewd, though constrained by the third-generation system. They bore no intention to expand or face external threats, focusing instead on refining internal skills and managing their sects. Taking cues from the Lingliang Sect precedent, apart from Yannan Xing, they rarely left their territory for safety. Only when events impacting future trends arose did they ponder venturing out. "Alright, let me make some arrangements." Reluctantly, Nangong Yan instructed the preparation of the finest guest rooms for these respected individuals. They traveled further west, looping around the borders of Spiritwood Alliance, Waking Lion Valley, and the Dead Marsh until they saw land again at the southwestern edge of the Chu Qin territory. Only then could the flying shuttle head directly towards their destination, the repentance mountain. Despite her worries, the sect masters grew increasingly calm and poised, exploring the top deck and engaging in friendly conversations about the geographical features of the Chu Qin territory. "Little Nangong, what place is this?" A sect master pointed below, asking Nangong Yan. Upon inspection, she realized this was the Dragon Rising Land of Chu Qinmen, originally called Sword Shadow Mountain, now Chu Qin Mountain. The sect gate, in the southwestern part of Chu Qin territory, lay right beneath their flight path. After offering an introduction, the sect master nodded repeatedly, "A second-tier sect gate, started by several foundation builders, achieving such a vast undertaking in a mere century. Master Qi is truly a dragon among men." Another chimed in, "Remember the last war of expansion? His family was among those supplying our logistics." "Oh? No wonder. I recall their arrival being quite a sight, with those rows of little cabins beneath the manta bastards’ wings on the frontlines!" The sect leaders kept conversing, even digging into Chu Qinmen’s colorful past. “What cabins?” Nangong Yan inquired, curious at their suggestive laughter. “Cough, uh, resting areas for the people…” Yannan Xing answered with suppressed laughter, graciously sparing Qi Xiu’s dignity in front of Nangong Yan, then seamlessly changing the subject, “Since we rarely travel, why not take us on a circle tour around Chu Qin territory for a more in-depth understanding?” “Certainly.” Facing a group of golden core late-stage sect leaders, Nangong Yan had no choice but to comply. Redirecting the flying shuttle once more to the east, they began a circular tour of Chu Qin territory. "This is Nanlong Mountain of the White Sand Gang, led by Sand Nuo, a son-in-law of the Gan family from Spirit Medicine Pavilion, currently at the mid-foundation stage. The population numbers around forty thousand, split evenly between the Sand family and others. The low-tier spiritual herbs they produce are excellent." No sooner had she finished this introduction than they laughed, “Isn't this the family of Qi Xiu's rumored son?" they teased. "Uh, rumors are unreliable..." Nangong Yan strained to explain, "Just a few direct teachings from our sect leader." Nanlong Mountain is located in the south of Chu Qin territory, near the Spiritwood Alliance, serving as the front line of defense. After the battle of the repentance mountain, Chu Qinmen invested heavily in fortifying this mountain, offering a strong defense. Moving further east leads to Twin Peaks Mountain, located in the southeast corner of Chu Qin territory, aligned with the Lihuo Alliance's domain. "Twin Peaks Mountain is currently owned by the Song family, numbering over ten thousand." Twin Peaks consists of two similar-sized mountains. The Song brothers each control one, representing a strength growing beyond smaller factions, yet distant from being one of the four major vassal families. "Yuanhe Mountain, the She family mountain, with over eighty thousand residents." She Yishan had followed Xing Jian in pursuing Jiang Yan, with the She family having robust successors and a steady increase in both cultivators and common people, making it one of the four main vassal families. "Kongqu Mountain, the Qi family mountain, originating from the Tool Symbol City Qi family, with nearly sixty thousand residents. Their skills in crafting and symbol making are impressive." Due to historical reasons, the Qi family had fewer migrating commoners, but their growth showed promise. In the recent White Mountain civil war, they were second only to Chu Qinmen in gains, affirming their status as one of the four vassal families. "Lishan, the Gan family mountain, with a population of one hundred twenty thousand." Gan Long led the family conservatively, growing steadily in both cultivator and civilian numbers, marking them as one of the four main vassals. "Beilie Mountain, the Xiong family mountain, hosting one hundred thirty thousand residents." As the vassal family with the largest population and the only one with a golden core cultivator, the Xiong family indisputably leads the four main vassals. After touring the various parts of Chu Qin, the third-tier flying shuttle, having circled aimlessly, finally descended on the repentance mountain. Having already received the news, Qi Xiu concluded his seclusion, welcoming them personally. (To be continued)