"Is it truly appropriate to have Qin'er fight? Her identity..."
"Appropriate! Why wouldn't it be? She is Qu Lingjun's Dao companion, and Qu Lingjun was once the sole successor to the Luotian Sect's Supreme Elder. There is no identity more justifiable than that."
"You know that isn't what I meant. Qin'er is an outstanding disciple of our Fenghua Palace in this generation. If she takes the field, it means our Fenghua Palace is personally intervening in the Luotian Sect's internal strife. When that happens, the Five Elements Divine Sect will seize the pretext to cause trouble."
Night was falling as a gentle breeze drifted across the exquisite palaces, whispering in low, mournful sighs whenever it eddied in the corners.
Within one of the halls, Fairy Fengyue fell silent under her fellow disciple's skepticism.
Yet only a moment later, a smile touched her lips.
"Senior Sister, do you truly think refraining from intervening in the Luotian Sect's strife would keep the Five Elements Divine Sect from finding an excuse?"
Light on her feet, Fairy Fengyue paced slowly across the hall.
"It is known to all under heaven that the Luotian Sect enjoys the protection of our Fenghua Palace. Now, the Five Elements Divine Sect and Motian Cliff have instigated Sima Wenjie to provoke this internal feud, using the pretext that the Luotian Sect once received favors from the Divine Sect to demand that after the Ten Duels of Decision, the Luotian Sect be absorbed under the Divine Sect's banner.
"Such conduct is practically an open slap across our Fenghua Palace's face!
"If they were truly allowed to succeed, how would the world view our Fenghua Palace?
"If we sit by and do nothing, then after Luotian, they will move on to incite the rest of our vassals. In time, will this territory bear the name of Fenghua, or Five Elements?"
Behind her, a gentle, elegant woman dressed in splendid court robes nodded thoughtfully.
Her reasoning was undeniably sound.
Yet the woman harbored a different concern.
"Even a battered ship still retains a few nails. The Five Elements Divine Sect has preserved its strength fairly intact, boasting three powerhouses at the Nascent Soul realm alone! If we add the one from Motian Cliff, they form an immense force. Our Fenghua Palace has only two Nascent Soul Perfected Persons; we truly cannot afford a head-on collision."
Fairy Fengyue whipped around. "What is there to fear? Right now, with the Minyuan Sect keeping them in check, would they dare launch an all-out war? At most, they will use petty tricks like meddling with our vassals to slowly nibble away at the Fenghua Domain. What I must do now is sever whatever tentacles they extend. As many as they reach out, I shall chop off!"
At this point, she voiced a touch of exasperation at her companion's timidity.
"Senior Sister Hua, I told you years ago that we should have absorbed vital forces while the other domains ahead were collapsing. But you refused. Now that they have retreated all the way to our doorstep, our Fenghua Palace is stretched thin for manpower instead. Being forcibly shoved to the forefront by those legacy sects behind us is bad enough, yet now those fellows are brazenly provoking us head-on."
Senior Sister Hua let out a soft sigh. "Indeed, my foresight was lacking."
Fairy Fengyue waved her hand. She knew the temperament of this Sect Master sister of hers all too well; had she not been engrossed in the Dao of alchemy in her early years, the position of Sect Master would have been hers in the first place.
"Fortunately, I seized the opportunity early. I brought a genius like Qu Lingjun into our sect and personally arranged his marriage to Qin'er, winning his complete loyalty."
At the mention of Qu Lingjun, a smile appeared on Senior Sister Hua's face as well.
Qu Lingjun was indeed exceptional. At merely the mid Foundation Establishment stage, he could concoct top-grade Jade Dew Pills, and could even brew soul-refining elixirs like the Nether-Passage Pill! It was precisely thanks to his aid that Fenghua Palace had been able to produce a continuous stream of rising stars like Meng Qin'er over the past century.
The only pity was that his aptitude was too poor. Even with Fenghua Palace pouring in all kinds of resources, he would likely never have a chance of forming a core in this lifetime.
"I hear that this time, the price Qu Lingjun offered to beseech our sect to intervene was the recipe for the tier-two Nether-Passage Pill?" Senior Sister Hua asked suddenly.
Fairy Fengyue acknowledged it openly.
"It might be somewhat underhanded, but I indeed made the recipe and compounding method for the Nether-Passage Pill the condition before permitting Qin'er to step in.
"Do not look down on it just because it is only tier two; it was Danchenzi's legacy creation. If taken continuously, it provides an immense boost to Foundation Establishment cultivators attempting to advance to the Golden Core stage, making the breakthrough far easier. The Luotian Sect has endured a hundred years of hardship, yet rather than declining, it has produced Golden Core cultivators one after another. That pill must have played a crucial role.
"If our Fenghua Palace obtains the recipe, we can brew it without restraint and distribute it in large quantities to the gifted disciples in our sect, quickly raising a cohort of Golden Core powerhouses!"
As the name "Danchenzi" left her lips, Fairy Fengyue felt an inexplicable pang of melancholy.
He had been a formidable figure rarely seen among those who rose from the grassroots!
By his own power, he had taken the Luotian Association, which began with mere Qi Refinement cultivators, and elevated it step-by-step into a great Golden Core sect.
He had seized the opportunity of the opening war to slaughter demons and beasts, move mountains, and establish a sect, seeking to lay a foundation that would last five centuries.
Had that opening war not gone awry back then, how could the Luotian Sect have been reduced to wandering in exile? With a stable mountain gate and an enlightened leader like Danchenzi, it would surely have been one of the foremost Golden Core sects in the Eastern Wasteland by now!
Given enough opportunity, Danchenzi might even have had a chance to touch the threshold of the Nascent Soul realm.
Unfortunately, there were no 'ifs,' no 'supposes,' and no 'might-haves.'
Everything had vanished like a fleeting dream the moment that demonic woman, terrifying as a fiend from the underworld, made her move.
***
"The Luotian Sect's Supreme Elder, Danchenzi, is not dead!"
Outside a pavilion at Lingtian Pass, True Person Shenhuo said these words to his grand-disciple Ranfeng.
"According to Sima Wenjie, Danchenzi and his Dao companion, Sima Huiniang, once planted Consonance Gu in each other, allowing them to sense the state of each other's life and death. Sima Wenjie learned from his sister that Danchenzi is not dead. This is certain intelligence."
Ranfeng looked puzzled. "But over a century has passed. Could he not have met with some misfortune?"
True Person Shenhuo chuckled softly. "A dragon or loach that clawed its way out of the mud is the shrewdest and most cunning creature of all. How could he die so easily? During the Jade Cauldron Civil War, he survived hale and hearty. During the opening war, he used cunning and force to carve out a blessed land for his sect. He even survived the legendary battle at Mount Cangwu. Could anything more perilous have happened afterward that he couldn't endure?"
Realization dawned upon Ranfeng, and his interest in that legendary figure grew even deeper.
"I hear he was personally named by our Supreme Elder?"
True Person Shenhuo twitched his lips; that senior martial brother of his was hiding his intentions less and less.
Shaking his head, True Person Shenhuo said in a low voice, "Indeed. That lad is tied to our Supreme Elder's breakthrough into the Soul Formation stage, which is why we reached out to recruit him again and again. Even though he has vanished, we must secure his soft underbelly and wait for him to surrender of his own accord."
The word "recruit" was not mere lip service.
Back when Luo Chen first formed his Golden Core, the Five Elements Divine Sect had sent an invitation across domain borders, only to be flatly rejected.
Later, following the monster turmoil, the Five Elements Divine Sect had repeatedly offered protection to the Luotian Sect, also in the hope of waiting for Luo Chen to present himself voluntarily.
Unfortunately, as the years stretched on, Luo Chen never appeared, and the Luotian Sect instead sought to rely on Fenghua Palace to slip out from under the Divine Sect's control. That was something the Old Ancestor could not tolerate.
Naturally, to the outside world, the Divine Sect operated under the pretext that the Luotian Sect was ungrateful, justifying their forced merger as recovering their losses.
A righteous cause required a pretext, and it required a pawn!
Motian Cliff had established ties with Sima Wenjie years ago, and now sought to use the opportunity to stick a foot into the Fenghua Domain. That was why they cooperated with the Divine Sect to test Fenghua Palace's bottom line.
With both sides joining hands to push forward Sima Wenjie as a puppet, this internal strife within the Luotian Sect had been ignited.
True Person Shenhuo was about to say more when his expression shifted slightly.
"Let us go inside. They have arrived."
With a flick of his wide sleeves, True Person Shenhuo stepped directly from the balcony into the pavilion.
Footsteps echoed from the corridor.
Moments later, a grey-robed old man walked in, leading Sima Wenjie.
"Old Ghost Motian, how have you fared lately?"
"Shenhuo, you are as hypocritical as ever." Old Ghost Motian sneered, then reproached, "You made a mess of things today."
True Person Shenhuo seemed indifferent. "Emei lost, but it does no great harm. Did the Jade Cauldron sword cultivator I invited not win?"
"We should have won both matches!" Sima Wenjie cut in suddenly, his face twisted with resentment. "If you had followed my arrangement and sent Fellow Daoist Qu, there was an excellent chance of taking down Shalongzi!"
Two Perfected Persons were conversing; how dared a mere Golden Core junior interrupt?
Yet True Person Shenhuo merely glanced at him, uttering no rebuke.
"Have the combatants for tomorrow's duels been decided?"
Old Ghost Motian replied, "I came to discuss precisely this. It is highly likely Wang Yuan will take the field tomorrow. For that duel, I suggest you field Yin Sixiang from your sect."
At these words, Ranfeng's expression changed immediately from where he stood behind them.
True Person Shenhuo waved a broad hand without a second thought.
"Out of the question!
"Nephew Sixiang is at the Golden Core Great Perfection, right at the crucial juncture of breaking through to the Nascent Soul realm. How could we have him fight?"
Old Ghost Motian sneered. "Are you unaware of War Demon Wang Yuan's abilities? His body refinement is right on the verge of the fourth realm, the Flawless Golden Body. Barring a Nascent Soul cultivator, ordinary Golden Core cultivators cannot touch him. Only your Five Elements Divine Sect's Yin Sixiang can match him in battle. Could it be you don't wish to take down Wang Yuan tomorrow?"
"That isn't out of the question either!" True Person Shenhuo answered naturally. "Pitting our best horse against their best horse only leads to mutual destruction. We might as well concede that match and concentrate our efforts on the remaining three."
"No!" Sima Wenjie cut in again, outright dismissing True Person Shenhuo's suggestion.
Full of confidence, he declared, "Wang Yuan is the Luotian Sect's banner, the anchor of everyone's morale. So long as he falls, it will deal a colossal blow to the Luotian Sect! The remaining three matches can then be taken without shedding a drop of blood."
Having his face brushed aside twice in succession, True Person Shenhuo's expression soured.
He stared at Sima Wenjie for a few moments, then suddenly chuckled. "Are you afraid that if this drags out, you will ultimately have to step onto the stage yourself to face Sima Huiniang?"
Sima Wenjie's face shifted through shades of blue, red, and white, quite a spectacle to behold.
Old Ghost Motian spoke up at just the right moment, easing his embarrassment.
"I also believe we should take down Wang Yuan directly tomorrow. A victory gives us five wins in hand. Not only will it shatter the confidence of the Luotian Sect's disciples, but it will also place us in an unassailable position, forcing Fenghua Palace to show its face and exposing their outward strength and inner weakness for everyone in the Fenghua Domain to see.
"You need not worry for Yin Sixiang's safety either. I have a True Artifact that specifically counters body cultivators, ensuring his victory over Wang Yuan. When the time comes, not only will our objective be achieved, but it will also spread the fame of your Divine Sect's powerhouse. Why not do it?"
"Oh?" True Person Shenhuo raised an eyebrow. "I'm listening."
***
"Wenjie, once this succeeds, do not forget what you promised me."
After True Person Shenhuo departed, Old Ghost Motian held Sima Wenjie back and spoke in a low tone.
Sima Wenjie grasped his meaning at once.
"This junior will never forget!
"Once I become Sect Master of the Luotian Sect, I can naturally demand the original version of the *Micromote Origin Art* from Wang Yuan with full justification. I hear that core-formation secret art is unlike the simplified version we cultivate; it is of the supreme law tier, created personally by Luo... Luo Chen.
"With that art's aid, Motian Cliff will surely see a resurgence of Golden Core cultivators in abundance!"
*A resurgence of Golden Core cultivators in abundance?*
Old Ghost Motian sighed inwardly. That was the entirety of his ambition.
During the opening war all those years ago, his most promising junior, Wei Wuya, had fallen within the feather race's sacred grounds at Mount Cangwu.
That loss had left Motian Cliff without a worthy successor.
Had it ended there, it might have been bearable, but in the subsequent century of warfare, not only did Motian Cliff's Golden Core cultivators perish one after another, but they also faced a drought of emerging talent.
Under such circumstances, the Luotian Sect had defied the norm, with members achieving Golden Core breakthroughs one after another, piquing his curiosity.
Back when the Luotian Sect was still taking shelter in the Five Elements Domain, he had begun enticing Sima Wenjie, attempting to pry loose the secret behind the Luotian Sect's steady stream of Golden Core cultivators.
Unfortunately, the beast invasion had moved too fast.
The Five Elements Domain failed to withstand the onslaught, and the Luotian Sect threw its allegiance to Fenghua Palace instead.
This time, pushing Sima Wenjie forward to seize power over the Luotian Sect appeared on the surface to be a test of Fenghua Palace's bottom line and a bid to secure a better spiritual vein and blessed land for Motian Cliff. In truth, it was because he coveted that supreme-tier core-formation secret art known as the *Micromote Origin Art*, all to revitalize Motian Cliff!
Every person and every faction had their own desires.
Including Sima Wenjie.
Backed by the support of two great upper sects, he had swelled with unprecedented pride, and the resentment within him had magnified to the extreme.
In his eyes, there was nothing wrong with his actions.
The Luotian Sect rightfully belonged to his Sima family!
From the very beginning, it was Second Sister who managed the sect, handling all manner of mundane affairs day after day for a century without the slightest neglect.
For the sake of the Luotian Sect, Eldest Brother had given his all, working himself to the bone until his dying breath.
Now that Luo Chen had vanished, the sect naturally ought to belong to his Sima family.
Yet instead, the sect had poured all its nurturing resources into juniors like Shalongzi, Mei Ruoqi, and Yuan Yijun.
They had even handed the position of second-generation Sect Master to Yao Mingyue!
What had he, Sima Wenjie, received?
He had once confronted his second sister about it.
Her answer had left him torn between laughter and tears.
*"When my husband was here, he established the sect's heritage as our core foundation. I must naturally abide by it."*
To hell with heritage!
When he risked life and limb for the Luotian Sect, why hadn't he been considered part of that heritage?
Even that Mingyuan Pill, which Second Sister had no use for after somehow forming her Golden Core, had never fallen to him. Instead, it was bestowed upon that old fellow Min Longyu.
Meanwhile, he, Sima Wenjie—one of the earliest veterans to join the Luotian Association, a man who had once overseen critical sect affairs, the biological younger brother of the Sect Master, and the brother-in-law of the Supreme Elder—had received nothing. When he wished to form his core, they couldn't even scrape together a single share of core-formation resources for him.
When the room emptied and everyone had left, Sima Wenjie stood alone on the upper floor, his expression dark and grim, fury churning within his heart.
"All of this is simply too unfair!
"I am merely taking back what was rightfully mine!
"None of you have any right to blame me!"
Chapter 778