Dan Sect, You Go Too Far!

Peacock Islet! A fairly renowned Tier 3 spiritual ground in the Fenghua Domain. Not particularly vast, yet exquisite and beautiful. A Core Formation sect had established itself here, bearing the very same name: Peacock Islet. Yet in recent decades, this sect had been forced to relocate to an exceedingly barren, ordinary spiritual ground. The reason was simple: Peacock Islet had once been usurped by the Five Elements Divine Sect. Only recently had the seven or eight hundred disciples of Peacock Islet managed to hurry back. "We're finally back!" Standing atop the peak shaped like a bird spreading its wings to take flight, the sect master of Peacock Islet spoke with deep heartache. First, their mountain gate had been seized by the Five Elements Divine Sect, and later they had endured the devastating beast tide sweeping across the Fenghua Domain. Peacock Islet, once considered quite strong, could not even muster a thousand disciples now. The only surviving Core Formation elder beside him consoled, "Sect Master, do not despair. As long as we endure and our spiritual ground remains, there will always come a day when we recover." Hearing this, the sect master nodded heavily, forcing himself to rally his spirits. "Indeed. We must never allow our heritage to decline; we must bring our name to glory once more." "I have three strategies to share with you, Elder. Please offer your counsel." "First, open our mountain gates wide to recruit mortals with spiritual roots in large numbers as well as rogue cultivators with clean backgrounds, replenishing our sect's vital strength." "Second, tilt internal resources by temporarily reducing the monthly stipends of early Foundation Establishment cultivators and pooling cultivation resources into Xue Xiao and six other late Foundation Establishment disciples to help them form their cores sooner. That way, Peacock Islet can once more assemble three Core Formation cultivators and rejoin the ranks of major sects." "As for the third: in these times when everything awaits revival, several Nascent Soul upper sects are preparing to launch opening wars. We can also take part to secure some long-term benefits." Hearing these three strategies, the prudent elder stroked his beard in approval. The sect master's three proposals were remarkably solid. They neither dwelled on the past nor neglected the present, even factoring in the division of future spoils after the opening wars. With such a sect master, how could Peacock Islet fail to prosper in the future? However, certain details still required careful consideration. "Most mortals on the front lines have perished. If we wish to recruit disciples, we must go to other large domains farther to the rear. Crossing domains to recruit mortals can easily offend other sects, so we must proceed with great caution." "As for nurturing Core Formation cultivators, casting a wide net is ill-advised. In my view, we should concentrate our efforts on Xue Xiao, Lu Jun, and Shu Miaomiao." "As for taking part in an opening war..." The elder fell into contemplation, voicing his misgivings. At present, five factions were openly preparing to launch opening wars: the Five Elements Divine Sect, Motian Cliff, the Luotian Sect, the Nine Spirits Sect, and the Divine Talisman Sect. Peacock Islet's strength was too meager, so they certainly could not diversify their investments; they needed to weigh their options carefully and stake everything on one. When success came, even if they could not claim a spiritual ground, securing one or two shops would still provide a steady stream of revenue. Which one should they choose? Just as the two were hesitating, cries of alarm suddenly echoed from the distance. Instinctively, both looked up. A colossal dark cloud was drifting across the sky, flying toward Lingtian Pass. It appeared sluggish, but in truth its speed was astonishing! In just a blink of an eye, the dark cloud was already looming above Peacock Islet. "Is that... a flying ship?" The sect master's mouth fell open, utterly entranced. The Core Formation elder gazed upward and caught sight of several hundred cultivators standing on one corner of the vessel. Among them, the men were handsome and valiant, while the women were graceful and lovely. They bore neither the arrogance of an upper sect nor any trace of timidity or self-doubt. Every one of them possessed a resolute expression and calm, steady breath, as though Mount Tai could crumble before them without making them flinch. Such bearing was entirely distinct from that of other sects, large or small. Especially after the century and a half of human-demon warfare, most cultivators harbored lingering fear and unease; few could display such composure. "Which sect do these cultivators belong to?" Snapping back to his senses, the sect master involuntarily muttered three words: "The Luotian Sect!" Enlightenment dawned upon the Core Formation elder. Though the Luotian Sect had few cultivators, their reputation had always been stellar. Now seeing them in person, the rumors were indeed well founded. With such mettle, even if their cultivation realms were not exceedingly high, they were bound to achieve great things in the future. As long as the Luotian Sect settled down and rested properly, they were destined to flourish! "Have they begun their opening war?" "It must be so. Look at the banners upon it: the Panshi Gang, the Tianlang Society... Even Gale Valley has joined!" "Wasn't Gale Valley decimated by the beast tide?" "Even we of Peacock Islet managed to preserve a remnant of our strength by sheer luck, let alone Gale Valley, which had mountain defenses to rely on!" "So many Core Formation sects have joined. How can our Peacock Islet fall behind? For this opening war, let's stake our bet on the Luotian Sect!" Hesitating no further, the Core Formation elder conferred with the sect master, then personally mustered an elite cadre of cultivators and set off in pursuit. Peacock Islet did not have many cultivators—only about a hundred—trailing far behind the Tianhe Lingxu Ship. Their strength was too meager, beneath the notice of a Nascent Soul upper sect, so they naturally were not invited aboard. Yet opening wars had their unwritten rules. As long as one took part and assisted the upper sect, once a domain was quelled, any modest requests made afterward would more or less be granted. Thus, in a typical opening war, only a few sects formally organized the campaign, but the total number of cultivators frequently reached hundreds of thousands or even a million! Only a select few were entitled to feast on the meat, but the rest could at least share in the broth. The scale of the Luotian Sect's expedition this time was immense! It was not merely due to the staunch support of the Tiandu Sect and Fenghua Palace, but even more so because of Dan Sect's personal appeal. After all, back in the day, the Medicine King Sect had been magnificent merely by having the Medicine Emperor presiding over it; now, Dan Sect surpassed the Medicine Emperor, and his future was bound to be even brighter. Wherever the Tianhe Lingxu Ship passed, forces great and small along with formidable rogue cultivators would spontaneously decide to follow along. Coupled with the factions already mobilized, their numbers swelled steadily. By the time they reached Lingtian Pass, with no flight ban active, the Tianhe Lingxu Ship cruised straight across, drawing gasps of awe throughout the city. Inside the Castellan's Estate. Castellan Lingtian paced beneath the eaves, gazing from afar at the treasure ship that blotted out the sky. Within his sight, tens of thousands of sword lights whistled upward. Those were the cultivators of the Jade Cauldron Sword Sect and the Wan Jian Pavilion led by Lin Qingxuan. Then, a fortress cloaked in yellow radiance slowly ascended, flanking the Tianhe Lingxu Ship alongside the forest of sword lights. These were likely the cultivators of the Taishan Sect. Led by Supreme Elder Deng Taiyue, they had not departed Lingtian Pass, but had waited quietly for the Luotian Sect's arrival. Castellan Lingtian watched in silence. The Tiandu Sect, Fenghua Palace, the Sword Sect, the Taishan Sect—in such a brief time, Luo Chen had managed to rally such a colossal force. And this was only a fraction; surely even more great factions would join in later. "Truly a formidable figure of his generation!" "Given enough connections and time to build his foundation, few across the entire Eastern Barrens could ever stand against him." "Fortunately, such a talent has already entered the fold of our Mingyuan Sect!" Castellan Lingtian smiled faintly, marveling at the Patriarch's decisive personal invitation while feeling glad that the Mingyuan Sect had secured such an exceptional talent. With a shift of his divine sense, he sent a transmission. Shortly thereafter, his junior descendant, Ye Hong, respectfully entered. "Take my seal and inform True Person Lin and True Person Gu not to come into conflict with their neighbor, the Luotian Sect, in the future. Tell them to maintain friendly relations." ... After linking up with the Sword Sect and Taishan Sect, the Tianhe Lingxu Ship tarried no longer and cruised out of Lingtian Pass. Once past the city, two more factions soon caught up. One boasted a vast multitude of cultivators, roughly fifty to sixty thousand strong, riding various glows of spiritual light, flying swords, and spirit boats of every kind. Their vanguard was anchored by an exquisitely ornate seven-story treasure pavilion covered in talismans of every hue. In terms of size, this Seven Treasures Pavilion might not match the Tianhe Lingxu Ship, but it surpassed it by a fair margin in opulence. This was the Divine Talisman Sect. Even though they faced the dilemma of having no successors for their Nascent Soul generation, their pockets remained deep, and their spectacle lagged behind none. The other group had fewer cultivators, yet still numbered over ten thousand. Their primary flying magic treasure was a massive vessel refashioned from what appeared to be the skeletal remains of some great demon beast. The cultivators standing upon it all exuded terrifying, razor-sharp auras. The Nine Spirits Sect had arrived as well! After the forces converged, two escaping lights flew forth and landed on the Tianhe Lingxu Ship. Luo Chen, who was conversing with Fenghua Fairy, Deng Taiyue, and Lin Qingxuan, offered a slight smile. "Old Fu and Sovereign Jiuling have arrived as well!" The great doors swung open, and two figures stepped inside. "Please, take your seats!" Neither demurred, each selecting a chair and sitting down. No sooner had they taken their seats than Sovereign Jiuling asked, "Who is still missing?" Luo Chen chuckled softly. "Only True Person Xianhe is left. He should be arriving soon!" Speak of the devil, and he appears. The divine senses of the six Nascent Soul True Persons rippled slightly, scanning the horizon. In the distance, immense fluctuations of spiritual qi surged forth. Shortly afterward, thousands upon thousands of cultivators riding soaring cranes approached with effortless grace. An elderly Daoist among them gave a few instructions to his disciples before floating onto the treasure ship. "Haha, this poor Daoist isn't late, am I?" "Not at all. Fellow Daoist has arrived at the perfect time!" Luo Chen replied with a smile, his mind entirely at ease. Seven Nascent Soul True Persons, representing seven Nascent Soul upper sects. Behind them lay the righteous backing of the Mingyuan Sect, accompanied by the assistance of the Tiandu Sect. The cultivators gathered under their banner numbered over a hundred thousand and were still climbing. Compared to the million cultivators who took part when the Luoyun Sect opened the Howling Moon Mountain Range, this number seemed somewhat meager. In truth, however, it could not be judged that way. When the Luoyun Sect waged its opening war, ninety percent of that so-called million were disorganized rogue cultivators, predominantly Qi Refinement practitioners. Yet these hundred-odd thousand cultivators assembled under the Luotian Sect were absolute elites preserved through the baptism of the human-demon war! Each possessed diverse arts and copious combat experience. Far from merely fighting multiple foes at once, when applying cultivation suppression, it was no exaggeration to say they could take on a hundred by themselves. If pitted against demon beasts... Luo Chen chuckled. In this battle, his enemy was no demon beast! Having just arrived and seeing everyone laughing and talking freely, True Person Xianhe asked curiously, "Everyone seems so confident. How do things stand over in the Motian Domain?" Luo Chen replied, "Lingfengzi has already gone to scout; general intelligence is being relayed back in succession. A total of three sects are assisting Motian Cliff: Seven Caverns Mountain, White Deer Cave, and the Five Elements Divine Sect." True Person Xianhe raised an eyebrow. "I never knew Old Ghost Motian was so popular." "Haha!" Deng Taiyue chuckled heartily. "Fellow Daoist guessed correctly. While nominally three sects are aiding them, Seven Caverns Mountain and White Deer Cave are actually rallying behind the Five Elements Divine Sect." True Person Xianhe came to a sudden understanding. "So in other words, our true opponent in this battle is the Five Elements Divine Sect?" Sovereign Jiuling snorted coldly. "With our seven sects joined together, and Dan Sect backed by the Mingyuan Sect, I doubt they will dare resist." Fenghua Fairy shook her head. "One cannot put it that way. The Motian Domain was originally Motian Cliff's territory, and the Divine Sect's Supreme Elder is a late Nascent Soul grand cultivator. I fear this campaign will not go smoothly." At these words, varied expressions appeared across their faces. Some merely intended to go through the motions, currying favor with Luo Chen without sacrificing their own cultivators—such as Lin Qingxuan, Fenghua Fairy, and True Person Xianhe. Others wished for an intense battle so Luo Chen would better remember their debt—such as Deng Taiyue. As for Sovereign Jiuling and Old Fu, they faced the pressure of their own upcoming opening wars, leaving them in a conflicted state of mind. They wanted to fight to deepen their ties with the Luotian Sect so Luo Chen would lend greater assistance in their own campaigns, yet they did not want the conflict to be too fierce, lest it hinder their subsequent opening endeavors. Luo Chen saw through everyone's thoughts clearly. Reining in his smile, he said gravely, "Rest assured, everyone, this excursion will not degenerate into an all-out bloodbath. After all, I possess the backing of the Mingyuan Holy Land; even if they give me no face, they must respect the sacred sect behind me." Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Yet Luo Chen's next words made their hearts leap into their throats once more. "However, forcing a grand cultivator to back down and swallow his pride for no reason will certainly not be an easy feat. Therefore..." Luo Chen's gaze swept over the gathered figures, and he tapped his finger firmly against the table. "There will be no full-scale war, but a contest must certainly take place—confined strictly among us True Persons!" "I already have a plan. When the time comes, simply follow my lead." The others exchanged glances, then nodded one after another, refusing to contradict Luo Chen. ... The army of the Luotian Sect marched eastward. Departing Fenghua, crossing Lingtian, traversing the spiritually bereft Blade Dominance Domain, and skirting the Jiuling and Taihu domains, they gradually drew near to Motian Cliff. Along the way, countless cultivators were shocked by the drastic transformations of the land. Blade Dominance was devoid of spiritual qi, Huoling blazed with scorching heat, and the golden gales of the Bikong Domain raged in all directions, showing clear signs of spreading further. The ancestral territory of the Nine Spirits Sect, the Jiuling Domain, was now a vast ocean; Sovereign Jiuling was seized by quiet grief at the sight. The Taihu Domain was thousands of li of scorched earth, an appalling sight. And all of this had been wrought by the battles of Soul Formation cultivators. Looking back at the path they had traveled, Deng Taiyue felt a surge of emotion. "How I rue that I cannot attain Soul Formation!" As he said this, his gaze repeatedly flicked toward Luo Chen. His opportunity to enter Soul Formation was pinned entirely upon Luo Chen. He wondered in what year and month the Empowerment Pill could finally be deciphered. Luo Chen noticed the hint, yet made no promises. He had assigned a split soul to study that pill formula ceaselessly, but completing a broken formula was by no means the work of a single year or month. And right now, a far more pressing matter awaited him. An army of a hundred thousand arrived before Motian! Having received word long ago, Motian Cliff had assembled all their cultivators, blocking the boundary stele between the two domains. Withered to the point of appearing barely human, Old Ghost Motian stepped forth from the crowd. Under the gaze of ten thousand eyes, his voice amplified by magic power, he roared: "Dan Sect, you go too far!"