Chapter 52 Part 2

As soon as the words left her mouth, Wu Chongyun vanished, whisk and all.

Wei Mingyi looked toward the meditation room; she knew that was where Shizun was.

Everyone was cultivating; she had to work hard, too.

In February, Hua Xiaozhu emerged from seclusion. Refining a pill beyond her own realm had yielded deep insights; after digesting them, she pushed her cultivation to Golden Core Stage 2. Unlike Su Xuanjing, who followed the sword path, her method of advancement was alchemy. If she could successfully refine heaven-tier pills a few more times, she might progress even further. But for a Golden Core cultivator, refining a heaven-tier pill was nearly impossible—this time was entirely a great fortuitous encounter.

Not long after, Xie Xianqing also emerged. She hadn’t broken through in realm, but before reaching Nascent Soul, her body harbored many hidden injuries that affected her future. Xie Xianqing had grasped some techniques to dissolve those hidden injuries. Though she couldn’t fully heal her Dao body’s deficiencies and open the path upward, her gains were no less significant.

In the small courtyard of Chongyuan Sect, Wei Mingyi didn’t concern herself with the still-ongoing Evil Tide in the Wild Domain. After finishing her cultivation session, she pulled up the System panel.

Currently, Chongyuan Sect’s spirit vein was at the profound tier.

Daoists needed spiritual energy for cultivation, and the higher one’s realm, the more urgent that need became.

If they were to cultivate freely, a single profound-tier spirit vein was still too cramped.

Before, when Shizun’s Nascent Soul was restrained, she hadn’t needed much cultivation. Now, once she emerged from seclusion, she couldn’t be kept in such straitened circumstances.

After some thought, Wei Mingyi didn’t buy any new buildings from the System Shop, nor did she upgrade the Mountain Protection Array. Instead, she spent ten thousand Achievement Points to raise Chongyuan Sect’s spirit vein to earth tier, and another fifteen hundred points to upgrade the original Yellow Word No.1 Field to earth tier. As the Assistant Master’s cultivation rose, the original yellow-tier spirit field was becoming a bit insufficient.

Adding and subtracting, she was left with nine thousand six hundred Achievement Points and a hundred Talent Points.

There was no fear of running short on Achievement Points—after all, they grew steadily over time.

As for Talent Points… it seemed she’d have to wait for her Reputation to rise, or simply go around stirring up trouble to farm more hatred Reputation.

End of the month.

A Daoist from Rainbow Feather Garments suddenly came to visit.

It wasn’t the season for Chongyuan Sect to order new robes. Puzzled, Wei Mingyi also went to Chongyuan Hall to see what was happening.

The Daoist’s face was urgent: “Someone is forcibly conscripting cultivators! They want us to go to Lin Prefecture!”

Wei Mingyi raised an eyebrow. “Lin Prefecture?” It sounded somewhat familiar.

Su Xuanjing said, “The Guo Clan of Lin Prefecture, a third-rate clan.”

At the Sect Leader’s explanation, Wei Mingyi immediately recalled. Wasn’t the Guo Clan of Lin Prefecture one of those third-rate clans that had carved up the Feng Clan? Like the Feng Clan, they were subordinate to the second-rate Lei Clan of the Cloud Realm.

Su Xuanjing said, “No need to rush. Tell us everything slowly.”

The Daoist took a deep breath and said, “Half a month ago, people from the Guo Clan came. They want to conscript ten thousand cultivators in total to go build the Qilin Platform. We aren’t Guo Clan affiliates, but the Guo Clan Daoists won’t listen to that and have issued an ultimatum. In Langya City, those who resisted most fiercely have already been seized.”

Wei Mingyi’s gaze turned cold. “Oh?” The Mountain Protection Array only covered Cangwu City, but Langya City and Xingyang City were now all Chongyuan Sect’s territory. The upgraded array had grown versatile, surpassing the protections of the Wild Domain. It determined whether someone was marked as hostile and should be ejected based on enmity toward the sect; beyond that, it didn’t restrict Daoists from entering or leaving Cangwu City. If a Guo Clan Daoist came merely to deliver a message, they could still enter the city. As for the other two cities, outside the array, even though Spirit Heart Sect had repaired the forbidden arrays left by the former clans, they might not hold.

The Daoist’s heart was anxious. Although they had some dealings with Chongyuan Sect, their families really had no deep connection—at most, they rented spirit veins or bought pills. In the past, small, unranked families were managed by the Heavenly Dao Alliance and the great clans that presided there. Now, lost and helpless, after two weeks of wavering, they could only turn to Chongyuan Sect.

Su Xuanjing said, “There’s no need to panic. If you feel it’s dangerous outside, you can temporarily move into Cangwu City.” These small families actually had few cultivators; even if they stepped onto the Dao path, they at most reached Foundation Establishment. In the past, they had obeyed the aristocratic clans; after the clans fell, they followed Chongyuan Sect—largely without much of their own opinion. One reason: these people kept to the rules. Another: the children of these families attended the Great Harmony Academy, so they couldn’t just be abandoned. However, the Lei Clan’s matters still needed further investigation.

Hearing that Chongyuan Sect was willing to help, the Daoist’s suspended heart fell back into place.

“The Three Cities are just remote wilderness, aren’t they? Why would the Guo Clan come looking here?” Wei Mingyi found it strange.

“Ten thousand cultivators is no small number,” Su Xuanjing said. “Perhaps the forces under the Guo Clan can’t supply that many people, and they can’t conscript all their subordinates to build the platform, so they’ve turned their attention outward.” The “Qilin Platform” they were building likely possessed spiritual nature; mortals couldn’t handle those materials, so naturally only cultivators could. And Golden Core cultivators weren’t willing to do such labor, so they seized low-level Foundation Establishment and Meridian Opening cultivators. As for finding the Three Cities… in this part of the world, Chongyuan Sect was bound to draw attention eventually.

“If we step forward, we’ll inevitably draw notice. They might even discover our identities,” Wei Mingyi murmured.

Su Xuanjing nodded with a “Mm,” then asked, “So what do you think?” With the Mountain Protection Array, even if the great clans knew who they were, they couldn’t wipe them out. But to eliminate a force, there were more ways than direct slaughter. If they acted simultaneously in both the Pure Domain and the Wild Domain to turn them into an isolated island, that would be enough.

Wei Mingyi had also thought of that. The risk of exposure existed. But if they chose to look after only themselves, then no matter how strong Chongyuan Sect grew, in the future it would just be another Jade Emperor Sect—unable to break the chains shackling this world. “We have to help,” Wei Mingyi narrowed her eyes. To become a hegemon of this region, they had to shoulder the corresponding responsibilities. She added, “As for how to conceal our identities, we still need to think on it.” After all, it was only a risk—not an immediate unmasking.

Outside Xingyang City, on Mount Shangyang, there was a small sect called Shangyang Monastery.

Although the monastery master and her three disciples were only at Meridian Opening, this modest Daoist monastery was actually closer to the secular world, with fairly flourishing incense offerings.

But now, not a single worshipper could be seen inside. Only a Daoist in an overcoat stood in the courtyard, eyeing the monastery’s Patriarch statue with clear disdain.

The Daoist was of Guo Clan origin.

The clan had spent a hundred years gathering the precious materials to construct the “Qilin Platform.” Everything was ready, lacking only the final push. A rough estimate said building the platform required ten thousand cultivators. Rounding up the cultivators under the Guo Clan’s purview barely made the number—but that would shake the clan’s foundations. So the Guo Clan turned their eyes to unaffiliated rogue cultivators and small sects.

The Guo Daoist had never thought of the Three Cities before. It was only when she heard her clansmen mention that some former Feng Clan Daoists had defected to the Guo Clan that she suddenly recalled these three cities that had once belonged to the Feng family. Word was the Three Cities were now controlled by a master-disciple lineage sect, but since enmity ran between the master-disciple line and the clans, perhaps if she left alone those sects friendly with Chongyuan Sect, she could carry off a few people without the sect caring.

This was the experience the Guo Daoist had drawn from past dealings with the master-disciple lineage.

“Have you decided, Monastery Master?” The Guo Daoist fixed her gaze on the Daoist seated on the prayer mat. Meridian Opening—something she could crush with a single finger.

“There are only the four of us, master and disciples, here at Shangyang Monastery. I must give my worshippers an explanation,” the Monastery Master said, calm and even.

The Guo Daoist looked deeply at her. Given her cultivation, it wouldn’t be hard to simply take them by force—but she wasn’t like some of her clan’s brethren who favored brigand-like methods. Unless forced, she preferred people to come willingly. “Three days,” she announced a deadline.

The Monastery Master only answered quietly, “Yes.”

After the Guo Daoist left, the three previously silent little disciples could no longer keep their calm.

“Shizun, there’s been no news from Jade Emperor Sect at all.” Just as the aristocratic clans managed things layer by layer, the Three Sects also had people liaising with small sects. The question was whether anyone bothered to respond. Shangyang Monastery, tiny as it was, was still a proper sect under the umbrella of Jade Emperor Sect. When such a thing happened, their first thought was to seek Jade Emperor Sect’s help. Yet half a month had passed, and not only had Jade Emperor Sect sent no one—there hadn’t been the slightest echo.

“They’re not coming,” the Monastery Master said.

“Then what do we do? Do we really go to Lin Prefecture? That Qilin Platform requires cultivators to build. Who knows how many dead men’s bones will be buried at its base.”

“The other sects haven’t gotten any reply either. Didn’t the Perfected Ones of Jade Emperor Sect promise to shelter us?”

“Shizun, should we go to Chongyuan Sect?”

They had long known the Three Cities had fallen under Chongyuan Sect, but they usually had little contact with outside cultivators. Aristocratic clan or sect—to them, there wasn’t much difference. If Chongyuan Sect was willing to stand up for the Daoists under its domain?

The Monastery Master was silent for a long moment. Meeting her disciples’ suddenly brightened eyes, her lips moved; finally, she said, “Go.” She paused, then murmured, “We’ve had no past friendship. Even if they don’t help, we mustn’t bear resentment. Do you understand?”

If the cultivators of the Three Cities, alone and unburdened, wanted to hide away in Cangwu City to avoid disaster, they could manage it. But some had families and homes they couldn’t abandon, fearing the calamity would spread to their kin. They hesitated and dragged their feet, unable to move their entire clans into Cangwu City before the Guo Clan’s deadline.

Su Xuanjing knew this in her heart. Leaving the sect’s affairs to Hua Xiaozhu, she took Meng Bujue to Langya City. As for Xingyang City, Xie Xianqing went to watch over it.

The Guo Clan had sent six Daoists, the highest among them at Golden Core 3rd Layer.

That individual was not as amiable as the earlier Guo Daoist who had visited Shangyang Monastery. With no patience to wait at all—especially upon noticing people packing to leave—he gave a cold snort and leaped into the air. Taking a deep breath, he swelled his magical power outward. His sleeves ballooned, as if containing a world of their own.

But the very moment he made his move, a hiss of a flicking tongue sounded.

The Daoist felt an annihilating pressure crash down as though a mountain had slammed onto his spine.

“Who might you be?” the Daoist’s expression turned ashen.

Xie Xianqing stroked the patterns on her face, a strange light flickering in her golden eyes. Slowly, she said, “Xingyang, Zheng.” She didn’t like the family she’d once belonged to, but when necessary, she didn’t mind borrowing their name.

The Guo Clan Daoist’s face instantly paled.

The Zheng Clan had formerly been a fourth-rate family under the Feng Clan. But they had produced a Nascent Soul expert, unknown to all.

The highest cultivation level in Chongyuan Sect was only Golden Core.

The Three Cities belonged to Chongyuan Sect? The intelligence the aristocratic clans had received was wrong?

Ah. Back then, the Paragon Debate was about to begin; the Heavenly Dao Alliance had no attention to spare for this remote backwater.