491 - A Sect Leader’s Ascension

Chapter 491: The End of an Era "Wait!" As they approached the destination, Gu Tan doggedly followed behind. Hearing a distant call, Mingzhen pursed her lips, descended her light, and landed on the small island that had been her home for years. The inhabitants, both mortal and immortal, had moved to [Dongzong Island], leaving behind an empty landscape with deserted mountain gates, farmlands, and village houses. The remaining cats, dogs, and livestock roamed freely, having become the new masters of this forsaken realm. Pots, pans, and other household items lay scattered at the dock, tossed about by the sea breeze, evidence of the Ming family's hasty departure. Upon hearing Gu Tan land, she deliberately turned her back, adopting an uninterested stance. "My plan might be a naive attempt to deceive, but it's the best I could do under the circumstances. The Lord of Dongzong Island has only temporarily allied with us; I cannot control his actions. This may seem deceitful, but isn't everything in this world deceitful to some degree? I'm an outsider here; island massacres have been a tradition for as long as anyone can remember. Even the righteous, like those from Nanlin Temple, have never cared to correct it. At most, they occasionally act condescendingly like Miao Qing. Aren't they just as hypocritical?" Gu Tan's words carried a hint of sophistry, which Mingzhen found distasteful. "Seeing death and doing nothing is different from conspiring to kill. But forget it; the Long family also considered massacring Dongzong Island, so they aren’t innocent themselves. It's not about that," she frowned. Suddenly, the sky darkened, clouds gathering over the vast expanse of sea. "Then what is it about?" Gu Tan asked, surprised. After a moment of silence, he continued, "Is it because of the things I said when I revealed my feelings? I just formed my core, and my state isn't stable—sometimes I just say what's on my mind. Maybe I'm a bit scheming, but that was the truth, and I didn't want to hide it from you." "Speak your mind? What's that got to do with your unstable state?" Mingzhen asked curiously. "Uh, it’s related to my theory about core formation. After successfully forming my core, sometimes I can't hold back my words; they slip out even if I know I shouldn't say them," Gu Tan admitted, a hint of embarrassment on his face. "You have that issue?" Mingzhen's eyes twinkled with intrigue. "Interesting, interesting, interesting." She clapped her hands, shed her defensive demeanor, and turned around with a smile as bright as a flower. "So, what’s your theory about core formation? Why does this happen?" "I don't think our relationship is close enough to discuss this topic," Gu Tan said without thinking, immediately clamping a hand over his mouth. "Damn it, there I go speaking my mind again!" he groaned. "You!" Furious, Mingzhen pointed at him, stamping her foot. "Then why did you chase me all this way?" 'Crack!' The clouds accumulated heavily, the first bolt of lightning struck, and the rain began to pour, growing ever heavier. "I..." Just as Gu Tan was about to explain, his face suddenly turned pale, and he fell backward like a log. Mingzhen quickly used her spiritual power to catch him, but he was already unconscious, his jaws clenched, with a faint black aura on his forehead. "What is this?" she wondered, not knowing the cause. She quickly set up a temporary protective array around them, pinpointed the black aura on his forehead with her fingers, then took out emergency pills from her storage bag and fed them to him. 'Crack!' Another bolt of lightning struck, the raindrops as large as beans. "Don't let anything happen to you!" Mingzhen shouted, her mind flashing back to the scene in Wake Lion Valley when Pan Jialuo died, her heart gripped with pain. Suddenly, ten-plus flying swords sliced through the protective array seamlessly, revealing a ghostly figure of a woman with long black hair, her face bloodless. "This is due to an external evil invading his body because of his unstable state after forming his core. Screaming won't help," she said coldly, her voice eerie in the thunderstorm. But Mingzhen was overjoyed. "Master!" she cried, tears flowing like an avalanche, "You came just in time. Please save him!" "Now you should call me Senior Sister. Let go!" The newcomer was Qizhuang. Her words carried a touch of warmth. She ordered Mingzhen to lay Gu Tan flat on the ground. "Go!" With a wave of her hand, dozens of flying swords pierced Gu Tan's body like a swarm of bees, creating numerous holes. The control was masterful, inflicting only minor flesh wounds. With the blood, a mass of pure gray evil energy bounced around frantically, cornered by the swords, and eventually fled the body, hurtling towards Mingzhen’s chest. "How bold!" Mingzhen swiftly deployed her needle pouch, but it wasn't full of silver needles anymore; it contained spiritual energy with a hint of sandalwood fragrance, imbued with Buddhist elements. The spiritual energy wrapped around the gray evil, cleansing it completely in moments. "Where did your Magnetic Needles go?" Qizhuang's eyes turned colder upon seeing the new technique, asking sharply. Seeing the black aura recede from Gu Tan's face, and his breathing steady, Mingzhen fed him another pill before replying, "I made a vow before Buddha to harbor kind thoughts and avoid using weapons of slaughter." "Hmph!" Qizhuang's heart harbored secrets; she distrusted Buddhist ways and disliked Gu Tan. Discovering that Mingzhen, who had been away for decades, not only had a complicated relationship with Gu Tan but also abandoned Qizhuang's direct teachings for Buddhism, the closeness between master and disciple vanished. With a flick of her sleeve, countless swords gathered, wrapping both of them and ejecting them from the island. "I will be in seclusion here. Do not disturb me unless necessary, or don’t blame me for being merciless!" Her voice lingered as she turned and flew into the original Ming family mountain gate. The countless swords disbanded, scattering across the island in its woods, grasslands, rocks, and houses, with many even diving into the surrounding sea waters, resembling narrow schools of fish patrolling vigilantly against intruders. Realizing Qizhuang turned hostile because of her decision to forsake the needles, Mingzhen understood the irreconcilable differences in their paths. She carried the still-faint Gu Tan back to Haimen Island. Sensing their departure, Qizhuang looked toward Qin Weiyu's soul-cultivating [Shadow Island]. "The sect master was right. Human life is fleeting compared to ghosts. If I want to be with you for a long time, I must start striving for the path. Without me, take care of yourself." With a whisper, she sat back down, closed her eyes, and resumed practicing [Illumination Sutra]. For the first time in decades, her spiritual power rose. The quarrels in the outer sea of Chu Qin Sect settled down, turning attention back to Baishan. In the closed chamber of Siguo Mountain’s leader, honored guest Yao Qing cheerfully presented a book to Qi Xiu. "[Baishan Queries], by Master Knowing-All." Qi Xiu read out the title, flipping through the pages while asking, "What trick has Wan Xuan pulled now?" "Hehe, after two generations with Lao Bai, we've finally reached this day!" Yao Qing showed unabashed excitement. "Oh?" Qi Xiu turned to the preface and indeed saw Master Knowing-All spinning a tale about his history in Baishan literature before coming to a veiled yet clear announcement: he was putting down his pen and leaving the world of Baishan literature. "That Wan Xuan!" Qi Xiu chuckled, "Even when no publishers south of the Artifact City take his books, he dares to write 'I know this move is a great loss for Baishan.'" "Look at this," Yao Qing turned to a middle page, reading, "Over a hundred years of ceaseless writing, unparalleled in the land..." "Ha ha ha." The two laughed loudly, calling Master Knowing-All shameless. After laughing for a long time, Yao Qing's smile gradually faded as he gazed silently at the books on the shelf, wiping a tear from his eye. Qi Xiu understood he was reminded of Bai Xiaosheng. The friendship between the old and the young, spanning over a century, devoted to a reason so naive others might find it laughably childish: to overshadow Master Knowing-All in Baishan's literary world and restore Bai Xiaosheng's reputation. This day's arrival was both unexpected yet inevitable; they had finally achieved it. However, Bai Xiaosheng would never witness this moment, and Yao Qing was now over 120 years old. Given his current mid-Foundation Establishment cultivation, the path seemed unreachable... "By the way, I nearly forgot to mention something serious." While Qi Xiu pondered how to console him, Yao Qing suddenly snapped back, retrieving a scroll from his cloak and presenting it as if nothing had happened, saying, "The aftermath of Ying Bo's ascension has reached a breaking point." "Oh?" Qi Xiu quickly took and examined it. While the internal strife drove many from Baishan to flee north to the outer sea, a few reckless souls from the outer sea headed south, employed by the fierce factions in Baishan; Yingbo was just one among them. Not long after the peace talks, Qi Xiu, under the guise of debt collection, allied with Zhong Xingjun to depose Han Yanlao and install Yingbo. With Han Ping and Ji Xinlong, who had pocketed a large sum of spirit stones as backers, coupled with a successful fundraising auction, Yingbo effortlessly managed the mundane duties as leader. After gaining power, the three 'brothers' of the Ying family, who had ventured south alone, spent the past decade expanding their clan with multiple wives and concubines. They were determined to deeply root themselves in this area. With the strong support from Chu Qin Sect and Hehuan Sect, their foundation grew increasingly stable, naturally pushing out the Han family faction within the Dan Alliance. Other sect leaders in Baishan observed this development and unanimously decided to dismiss any guest cultivators from the outer sea to avoid becoming another Han Yanlao. On the other hand, the peace following the Baishan talks brought about the anticipated stability and prosperity. Many cultivators who had fled north found themselves unsatisfied and began returning home. After the great battle, the number of cultivators had drastically decreased, leaving numerous low-grade mountain gates vacant. Independent cultivators with some power found it easier to secure a place of their own, a far better option than being hired for dangerous battles in the outer sea. As such, these returning individuals from the outer sea and Baishan gradually congregated along the Heihefang and Artifact City line, forming numerous new factions. The largest among these was the Canghu Sect, originally part of the Lianshui Alliance, which, upon Lianshui Sect's announcement of joining Qiyun, chose to migrate north. They allied with Sang Jia, a late-stage Golden Core cultivator and former Thick Earth Alliance guest of the outer sea, establishing a new formidable force. "Someone is secretly supporting these factions, allowing them to operate in Heihefang for several years, sheltering cultivators and families moving north and south. This alliance grows ever larger, seemingly poised to capitalize on Lianshui Sect's inability to lead, aiming to become the second Yingbo," Yao Qing concluded. Reflecting on Yao Qing's analysis, Qi Xiu found it plausible. Although Yingbo and his faction's coup had heightened the risk of splitting the Dan Alliance, it had also visibly strengthened their power. Similarly, if Canghu Sect and its allies could seize control of the Lianshui Alliance like Yingbo did, without bloodshed, it would bolster the Lianshui Alliance's strength while sowing the seeds for future division. Nevertheless, the true intention of those covertly providing support remained unclear—whether it was simply to enhance the strength of the Lianshui Alliance or to enjoy the spectacle of escalating conflict, or even to gamble on potential future disunity. "We'll just have to see whether Shui Lingyi's response surpasses that of Han Yanlao," Qi Xiu mused. As usual, Qi Xiu chose to grab a seat and watch the drama unfold. (To be continued)