A gentle breeze swept through the bamboo grove, rustling leaves sending a soft swishing sound into the hall.
Qin Sang had assumed the seat of honor, sitting high upon a grand preceptor's chair.
Zhou Jin stood respectfully in attendance behind Qin Sang.
Xie An stood in the center of the hall.
Qin Sang told him to take a seat, but Xie An only replied that he did not dare.
Listening to the quiet whisper of wind outside brought Xie An not the slightest relief from his anxiety. He desperately signaled to Zhou Jin with his eyes, hoping for some hint.
Zhou Jin kept his gaze fixed straight ahead, his thoughts also unsettled.
For the one who had come with him was not Qin Sang's true body, but his external incarnation, going by the alias Daoist Qingfeng.
Zhou Jin was ignorant of the inside details and merely assumed Qin Sang was in disguise, pondering his purpose—could he truly intend to clash head-on with the Liuxu Sect for the sake of the Xie Clan?
Constrained by his cultivation, the information Zhou Jin had uncovered while investigating the Liuxu Sect remained superficial and failed to reach core secrets, yet from clues and traces he could still deduce certain things.
The Liuxu Sect held sway over several commanderies in Zhuozhou, preventing Mount Bunian's reach from extending beyond the commandery seats. This was likely more than what just three Nascent Soul elders could accomplish. Offending the Liuxu Sect would very likely provoke some colossal behemoth.
Such were the Central Plains: various factions intertwined in intricate webs of mutual restraint.
Calm on the surface, yet undercurrents surged beneath.
Concealing his identity intentionally suggested that Qin Sang lacked absolute certainty as well. Would pawns like them end up being treated as discarded pieces?
Qin Sang did not care what Zhou Jin was thinking; he merely cast a glance at Xie An.
Xie An's condition could not escape Qin Sang's discerning eye. It turned out this man had not failed to form a core; rather, he had suffered grave injuries and was knocked down from the Core Formation stage, leaving behind hidden wounds that prevented his cultivation from recovering.
Qin Sang spoke in an offhand manner, "Has the Xie Clan still not opened the Qingxu Illusory Realm?"
To Xie An's ears, those words struck like a thunderbolt from the blue.
Xie An's pupils contracted violently, his face stricken with sheer terror.
The Qingxu Illusory Realm was the greatest secret guarded by the Xie Clan, known to no one outside the clan. He himself had only learned of it from the previous clan head upon inheriting the leadership, and he had even placed a suicidal restriction in his essence soul to prevent soul searching.
Neither the Luoyan Sect nor their backer, the Liuxu Sect, knew anything of the Qingxu Illusory Realm.
Just who was this person?
Cold sweat drenched Xie An's back instantly. As the wind blowing through the bamboo grove swept over him, he felt a chill shoot from the crown of his head all the way to his Yongquan acupoints. His entire body froze, his composure completely shattered.
He did not know how to answer, nor did he dare deny it.
This secret was the Xie Clan's sole hope of resurgence.
The Xie Clan had already confirmed that the Qingxu Illusory Realm had not been destroyed; it had simply closed for reasons unknown. After being driven off Mount Pu by the Luoyan Sect, the Xie Clan had endured humiliation, never giving up.
Once they discovered a method to reopen the Qingxu Illusory Realm, they would scheme to return to Mount Pu, though no one knew how long that would take.
Qin Sang ceased teasing this junior. "Poor Daoist is acting on someone else's behest. That person shares deep origins with your Xie Clan and has entrusted me to help you return to the Qingxu Illusory Realm."
Hearing this, Xie An froze. The terror on his face turned to astonishment, and he blurted out, "May I ask which ancestor?"
Qin Sang merely smiled without answering.
Xie An dared not press further, his head clearing somewhat. Thoughts raced through his mind as he recalled the last words of several generations of Xie Clan ancestors, yet he could not fathom who it could be.
Since this man had directly named the Qingxu Illusory Realm, the secret could definitely no longer be kept.
Moreover, he was a Nascent Soul Patriarch who could obliterate the Xie Clan with a flip of his hand.
Whether his words were true or false, the Xie Clan had no choice but to believe!
Gritting his teeth, Xie An made up his mind and bowed deeply. "Junior cannot make this decision alone. Could Senior grant a few days' grace? The Grand Elder is not with the clan at the moment; Junior will contact him immediately."
Zhou Jin showed a look of surprise. He had investigated the Xie Clan's background thoroughly, yet he had never known they possessed a mysterious Grand Elder.
Qin Sang, on the other hand, found it only natural. Had the Xie Clan possessed no concealed strength, they would have been devoured whole by the Luoyan Sect long ago.
"Very well."
Qin Sang nodded, in no rush for a single moment.
Xie An hurried out of the hall and returned shortly after, presenting the clan's ancient texts according to Qin Sang's request.
The external incarnation remained with the Xie Clan.
Meanwhile, Qin Sang's true body had slipped alone into the commandery office of Fudu Commandery.
Inside the commandery office.
Qin Sang sat alone in a quiet room, sipping a cup of fragrant tea.
Hasty footsteps sounded outside. A moment later, a slightly stout cultivator walked in, his face brimming with smiles. "Reporting to Senior, the message has been sent back to the sect according to your request. Junior marked it urgent, so it will certainly reach Elder Lu's hands. As for whether his esteemed self will come to keep the appointment, that is beyond Junior's power to decide."
This man was none other than the Commandery Governor of Fudu Commandery.
He originated from Mount Bunian. Because his path of cultivation held no hope, he had been assigned out to the commandery seat to assume the post of governor. By rights, he should have been bogged down in trivial administrative affairs, responsible for maintaining peace in the region and guiding the common folk.
Unfortunately, Fudu Commandery was the domain of the Liuxu Sect. Trapped within the commandery seat like a caged bird, he held the title in name only, with nowhere to exert his ambitions.
Still, backed by the prestigious name of Mount Bunian, others dared not do anything to him. Burdened with no duties, the governor found himself carefree, quite content with his lot and reluctant to leave.
When Qin Sang had paid a sudden visit, revealed his Nascent Soul cultivation, and requested a meeting with a Mount Bunian elder, the governor naturally dared not utter a single word of refusal.
Elder Lu was the Law Enforcement Elder of Mount Bunian, holding an exalted status of immense weight.
Setting down his teacup, Qin Sang smiled faintly. "My thanks for your trouble, Governor."
The governor repeatedly insisted he was not worthy of thanks.
"As for today's matter, this old man does not wish any outsider to know."
Qin Sang's smile vanished. He cast a glance at the governor, and his figure vanished into thin air.
A long while passed.
The governor shuddered. Whether his eyes were open or closed, that terrifying gaze haunted him. Fidgeting in restless anxiety, he muttered under his breath over and over, "Troubled times indeed! Troubled times!"
...
Three days later, a white-bearded old man quietly slipped into the Xie Clan's residence, following Xie An to pay his respects to Qin Sang.
Unsurprisingly, this Grand Elder was indeed a Core Formation cultivator.
"Junior Xie Qian pays respects to Senior!"
The old man's voice rang like a great bell, his aura noticeably stronger than Xie An's. Facing Qin Sang, he bore himself with neither servility nor arrogance. "Junior has arrived late and kept Senior waiting. I beg Senior's forgiveness."
Qin Sang scrutinized him and said placidly, "You must already know the circumstances. Poor Daoist intends to help the Xie Clan reclaim your ancestral land. What are your clan's plans?"
Xie Qian hesitated. "Junior is inept and knows not how we could ever repay Senior's great kindness. Moreover, the Luoyan Sect will certainly not dare defy Senior's will, but the Liuxu Sect behind them..."
Qin Sang cut Xie Qian off, his tone calm. "Poor Daoist is acting on another's behalf, so there is no need for the Xie Clan to repay me. Once the Qingxu Illusory Realm is opened, I will only need to borrow it for a period to cultivate in seclusion. As for the Liuxu Sect, I have my own ways of handling them. If there are no other questions, go down and make your preparations."
Such simple conditions!
Xie Qian and Xie An exchanged a look, both finding it hard to believe.
Perhaps this senior was not deceiving them, and it truly was a legacy left behind by an ancestor.
"We obey Senior's decree!" the two chorused.
Faced with the decree of a Nascent Soul expert, the Xie Clan dared not refuse at all. Even if it meant moths flying into flame, they had only this one road to walk.
Fortunately, knowing long ago of the Luoyan Sect's malicious intentions, the Xie Clan had split off a branch in advance to seek survival, fleeing to distant lands to live incognito under assumed names.
Even if Xie An's branch perished, their bloodline would endure.
This was a crisis.
Yet it could also be the Xie Clan's opportunity!
...
On this day.
Several Luoyan Sect disciples were guarding the mountain gate. Watching the streaks of light constantly darting in and out, their expressions grew tense despite themselves.
"Senior Brother Wu, Martial Uncle Zhou thinks so highly of you—surely you've heard what's going on? Why is the sect acting as if facing a mortal enemy? They haven't hesitated to expend spirit stones to activate the mountain-protecting grand array, and even the Sect Master and several Patriarchs have emerged from seclusion, heading out multiple times over the past few months. Could something major have happened in the cultivation world?"
Unable to contain her curiosity, a young, greenhorn maiden seized a moment of quiet to ask the youth beside her in a low voice.
The other disciples looked over as well, chiming in agreement with the same curiosity.
Flattered by his fellow disciples' praise, Senior Brother Wu felt secretly pleased. He glanced around and whispered, "I only overheard a remark while helping Martial Uncle Zhou concoct pills a few days ago. Don't go spreading this around. A few months ago, a Nascent Soul Patriarch was reportedly undergoing a heavenly tribulation nearby. With a mysterious Nascent Soul expert suddenly appearing in our vicinity, how could the Sect Master and the others not worry?"
"A Nascent Soul Patriarch!"
The disciples gasped one after another, unable to fathom such an exalted existence.
The Luoyan Sect was powerful enough to run rampant across their region, yet they had never produced a Nascent Soul Patriarch.
"The legendary heavenly tribulation! Did that senior succeed?"
With yearning written across her face, the maiden pressed her hand to her chest, asking excitedly.
"How would I know?"
Senior Brother Wu spread his hands. "Didn't we see several seniors from the Liuxu Sect a while back? They must have come for this very matter. Most likely nothing came of it, otherwise our sect would have returned to normal long ago."
"True..."
The disciples nodded in agreement and began whispering among themselves.
Right at that moment, sharp whistles of cutting through the air suddenly rang out from below the mountain.
The disciples hastily straightened their postures and looked in that direction, only to freeze in stupor.
A dense throng of people was surging up the mountain, aggressive and clearly bearing ill intent.
The Xie Clan and the Luoyan Sect had bad blood, and their disciples frequently clashed. Senior Brother Wu easily recognized several familiar faces.
"The Xie Clan!"
Senior Brother Wu cried out in alarm and immediately crushed a warning talisman, bellowing at the top of his lungs, "The Xie Clan is attacking the mountain!"
Boom!
The talisman shattered, shooting a whistling arrow straight into the sky.
Billowing mist rolled across the mountain gate and closed toward the center without leaving a single gap; the mountain-protecting grand array was fully activated.
Instantly, the entire Luoyan Sect was shaken.
Streaks of light flew out from the mountains, rushing toward the gate.
A grey-robed cultivator arrived first. Seeing the scene before the gate, his expression shifted drastically, and he shouted in fury, "Insolence, Xie An! What is your intention, leading the Xie Clan to blockade our mountain gate without cause?!"
Xie An landed before the gate and waved his arm.
The Xie Clan disciples deployed their battle formation before the Luoyan Sect's mountain gate, spears leveled straight at them. Hearing such shameless words, each of them boiled with righteous indignation, eyes blazing with fury as curses flew from their lips.
Xie An sneered. "Everyone in Fudu Commandery knows Mount Pu was originally the ancestral land of my Xie Clan! Your Luoyan Sect bullied the weak, seizing our cave dwelling, yet you have the gall to question me? Shameless!"
The grey-robed cultivator choked on his words. He naturally knew the truth of the matter and found himself momentarily at a loss for how to retort.
The Xie Clan had declined, and the Luoyan Sect had long considered Mount Pu their own mountain gate.
They had never expected the Xie Clan would dare launch an assault on their doorstep—they were simply courting death.
The grey-robed cultivator snorted coldly. Just as he was about to unleash a torrent of abuse, he saw the Sect Master arrive. Hurriedly bowing in salute, he stepped aside.
The Sect Master of the Luoyan Sect was surnamed Mo, clad in a green robe.
A person's fame preceded them, just as a tree cast its shadow.
Seeing Sect Master Mo emerge from the mist, not only did the entire Luoyan Sect fall dead silent, but the clamor of the Xie Clan disciples outside also weakened involuntarily.
Confronted by the Xie Clan blockading the gate, Sect Master Mo betrayed not the slightest hint of anger on his face. Narrowing his eyes, his gaze swept right past Xie An and locked onto Xie Qian behind him. He let out a light laugh. "Old Ghost Xie Qian, you truly are still alive."
"Our ancestral land remains in another's hands. What face would Xie have to meet the ancestors of the Xie Clan?"
Xie Qian took a step forward, his aura erupting as he confronted Sect Master Mo tit for tat.
Yet, being inferior in cultivation, his momentum was noticeably weaker.
Instead of becoming angry, Sect Master Mo chuckled. "Back then, the Liuxu Sect bore witness, and right and wrong were weighed with justice. Mo has no interest in futile arguments with you. Think carefully—with just this remnant band of old, weak, sick, and crippled, do you truly want to wage an all-out war...?"
Mid-sentence, Sect Master Mo suddenly caught sight of Qin Sang's incarnation standing on the other side of Xie An.
The more Sect Master Mo looked, the more unnatural it felt. A moment ago, he had not even noticed this person's presence, having overlooked him completely.
His words trailed off.
Sect Master Mo stared fixedly at Qin Sang, a look of dread gradually surfacing on his face.
At that moment, Qin Sang took a step forward.
A seemingly casual step, separated even by the mountain-protecting grand array, yet the minds and souls of everyone in the Luoyan Sect were struck as though by thunder. Including Sect Master Mo, they all took a step back in unison.
"Sect Master Mo speaks truly. Right and wrong are weighed with justice. Since the Liuxu Sect bore witness back then, it is only fitting that the Liuxu Sect judge who is right and who is wrong today."
With that, Qin Sang turned slightly and made an inviting gesture. "Why doesn't Sect Master Mo send someone to invite our Daoist friends from the Liuxu Sect? Poor Daoist shall wait and see."
...
Mountains and rivers intertwined across Fudu Commandery in picturesque scenery.
The sky stretched clear for ten thousand li.
Yet a cluster of white clouds was speeding high in the air.
Upon the cloud stood two figures; it was, in fact, a flying magic treasure.
Both appeared quite young.
One wore tight-fitting martial attire, a wooden plaque inscribed with "Law Enforcement Hall" hanging at his waist, his brow sharp with brilliance and bearing proud and imposing. The other appeared far more ordinary, dressed only in a plain Daoist robe, his expression placid and aura tranquil as he sat cross-legged with eyes closed.
In the blink of an eye, the white cloud soared over mountains, rivers, and lakes, exceptionally steady.
The youth in martial attire had been standing at the edge of the white cloud, watching the scenery below. He spoke in a soft voice, "Martial Uncle Lu, we are almost at the commandery seat of Fudu Commandery."
His demeanor was exceedingly respectful.
For although the other appeared close to him in age, he was in fact the renowned Law Enforcement Hall Elder of Mount Bunian—Lu Zhang!
Not only did Lu Zhang hold immense power and status within Mount Bunian, he was also an expert at the middle Nascent Soul stage, reputed to be the one most likely in Mount Bunian's current generation to become a great cultivator.
Lu Zhang did not respond, uttering not a word.
The youth dared not show the slightest impatience, quietly standing aside.
Right then, Lu Zhang suddenly opened his eyes. Brilliant light flared within them, and he surged to his feet.
Startled, the youth had not yet grasped what had happened when a powerful force hurled him violently backward, Lu Zhang's shout ringing in his ears: "Fall back quickly!"
Barely steadying himself, the youth discovered to his horror that fierce winds had kicked up ahead of the white cloud at some unknown moment.
A terrifying fluctuation surged from the mountains below into the heavens.
The howling gale swiftly contracted toward the center, and moments later, coalesced into an ethereal silhouette of a figure.
"Materialized divine sense!"
The youth gasped in disbelief.
The figure spoke, voice rolling like thunder.
"Fellow Daoist Lu, Poor Daoist has awaited you for a long time. Why not come down for a talk?"
Chapter 1543