One month later.
Morning.
Song Country, Dragon Gate Market.
A green-curtained carriage, after registration, slowly entered the market.
The sound of wheels rolling over the bluestone slabs startled a few early-rising spirit birds.
The carriage driver was a lean man, quite skilled in mundane martial arts.
The carriage arrived at the Sect Inn and stopped.
The driver jumped down and respectfully lifted the curtain.
"Young Master, we’re here."
Inside was a young master with features like jade and sharp eyebrows, traveling with several maids.
All had spirit roots and were cultivators.
"Get two of the best rooms."
"Yes, Young Master."
The lean driver was a first-rate martial artist in the vicinity.
Agile in movent, quick-minded.
Only in his forties.
Unfortunately, without a spirit root.
Could only work as a transport worker in the market.
The young master was generous.
Casually tossed out a spirit stone.
The driver’s eyes brightened.
Middle grade spirit stone!
That one spirit stone is enough for him to toil for ten years!
"Take it and use it first. Keep the extra for now."
A young maid in the carriage slightly parted her lips.
"Young Master, shall we wait for you here?"
"Wait here."
The young master stretched lazily, releasing a string of bone-cracking sounds.
The lean driver’s expression changed.
He, being an expert, naturally knew this was a sign of accomplishnt in body refining technique.
"Xiao Liu, you wouldn’t take my spirit stones and flee with them, would you?"
The lean driver knelt down with a "thud."
"I wouldn’t dare!"
"Good that you wouldn’t."
The young master waved his hand: "Go open the rooms. After settling them, take to Juxian Tower."
"Yes!"
The young master was Shen Xuan.
The maids were Chen Huixue, Bai Xiaong, and Xiao Cui.
Everyone got off the carriage.
Shen Xuan looked at the familiar scenes in Dragon Gate Market.
The old Daoist selling talismans, the demon hunter carrying demon beast at, the hawking vendors on small stalls...
Shen Xuan couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.
"The world is like a chess ga, akin to a dream."
Returning to familiar grounds, things had changed while people remained.
Looking at those low-tier cultivators striving to earn a few spirit stones, Shen Xuan’s emotions surged.
Once upon a ti, he was one of them.
This kind of life, he no longer wanted to go back to.
...
Juxian Tower.
The best suite, Heaven Number One.
Shen Xuan closed his eyes and rested.
A gentle knock sounded at the door.
"Co in!"
Lv Zhengying walked in, his face full of shock.
"Senior Brother Shen, it’s really you!"
He looked at Shen Xuan in front of him, dumbfounded.
Indeed, it was Shen Xuan’s appearance.
Except, he looked too young.
At a glance, only in his twenties.
Shen Xuan gestured him to sit beside him.
"How’s the sect lately, tell , Junior Brother Lv."
Shen Xuan first inquired about the situation of the two ntors.
They were his greatest support in the Cyan Cloud Sect.
True Master Cold Jade and True Master Gu Feng, following True Master Ling Xiao, led thousands of Cyan Cloud Sect disciples to open up the wilderness.
True Master Ling Xiao was a Golden Core True Master, extrely powerful and highly respected.
True Master Cold Jade was an equivalent to a Golden Core True Master, his combat power also formidable.
True Master Gu Feng, though weak in combat, hailed from the prestigious Yang Family, with disciples mainly from sect families.
The Cyan Cloud Sect’s pioneering team led by the three achieved remarkable success.
Over a decade, they opened up two Tier Three Spiritual Lands.
Another pioneering team opened up one Tier Three Spiritual Land.
Plus, during the Seven Sects Alliance, selling the Cold Jade Pill Formula, the other six sects agreed to compensate with two Tier Three Spiritual Lands.
Cyan Cloud Sect added six Tier Three Spiritual Lands, achieving strategic goals.
According to a 1:3 ratio, they could accommodate up to eighteen True Masters.
Of course, these newly pioneered Tier Three Spiritual Lands had chaotic spirit veins and impure spiritual Qi.
Still required laying down nurturing arrays, consuming nurous spirit stones, for cultivation and purification before use.
"So, the Cyan Cloud Sect’s pioneering teams have entirely retreated?"
"They withdrew two years ago. The war at the front is tense."
Lv Zhengying sighed and said, "Yan Country’s five sects are pressing hard, and several immortal cities at the border have already fallen."
"Many cultivation clans from border regions were uprooted by Yan Country sects, their entire clans wiped out, leaving only a few immortal seeds fleeing to core territories."
"The sect has frozen the auction of spiritual lands in core territories."
After muting his emotions, Shen Xuan inquired about his concubine Su Xue’Er and his adopted descendants in Qing Yun Immortal City.
"Everything is well!"
"After Senior Brother Shen disappeared. True Master Guang Wei personally ordered an increase in patrol enforcent personnel around Shen Mansion. Though receiving no special care, no one dared to bully them."
Shen Xuan nodded.
It seed True Master Guang Wei sided with True Master Mysterious Trace.
Naturally, indeed.
Qing Yun Immortal City is the core immortal city under Cyan Cloud Sect’s mountain gate.
No one can sleep soundly beneath a sleeper’s chuang.
As Sect Leader, True Master Mysterious Trace surely holds onto these matters firmly, not letting go easily.
However, his concubine and descendants were unhard.
Those cultivation influences that once cooperated with him were heavily suppressed during this period.
Such as his wife’s family, Ding Family, partner Shangguan Family, later established cultivation clan Tie Wenda family.
Lv Zhengying didn’t explicitly say.
His suppression would only be heavier.
Fortunately, Qing Yun Immortal City’s lord is True Master Guang Wei.
These cultivation clans, even if suppressed, as long as they swallowed their pride and endured humiliation, could still manage to survive.
Shen Xuan was indifferent to this.
Since they once enjoyed the benefits brought by Shen Xuan.
Faced with so losses when Shen Xuan reached his lowest, it was only right.
After all, one cannot have all the benefits and turn against when the ti cos.
Such vacillations without a firm stance make it very difficult to establish a foothold in the Cultivation Realm.
"It seems the sect’s attitude towards is still sowhat reserved."
Shen Xuan thought to himself.
He asked, "Has Uncle-Master Spirit Sword co out to take charge?"
Spirit Sword True Master is the Battle Hall Master.
When there is no war, he remains idle.
"Uncle-Master Spirit Sword is in charge of the entire battle situation. All participants and resource allocations are under his command."
Lv Zhengying stood up, looked around, and once again checked the private room’s door.
Then, he leaned closer to Shen Xuan and asked via Divine Soul transmission, "Senior Brother Shen, the Vice Hall Master of the Battle Hall, Xiao Jinsong, has fallen. There’s a rumor that it’s related to you."
Shen Xuan smiled faintly.
Not related.
He was the one who killed him.
However, it was in self-defense, an accidental slip of the hand.
There was no need to tell Lv Zhengying about this.
"Just rumors, no need to pay attention."
Shen Xuan lightly tapped the tabletop with his fingers.
He seed deep in thought.
After a while, Shen Xuan finally made up his mind.
"Junior Brother Lv, return to the sect first, and personally pay a visit to my master, True Master Cold Jade."
"Tell her I’m here and ask her to co here for a eting."
Lv Zhengying showed a happy expression: "Alright! I’ll go right away."
He still hoped for Shen Xuan to return to the sect.
In this way, he would have a strong backing.
These years, with Shen Xuan gone.
He was imdiately reduced to his original state, struggling to advance.
He couldn’t even manage to bid for a slightly better Tier Two Upper Grade Spiritual Land.
Others gave him face solely because he was a forr friend of Shen Xuan.
Even his position in the Miscellaneous Affairs Hall was forced to change.
From an Elder responsible for purchasing pills, artifacts, arrays, and talismans to a trivial Miscellaneous Elder, in charge of cleaning duties for the Cyan Cloud Sect.
"Be careful on the road."
"Rest assured, Senior Brother Shen."
...
Three hundred miles outside Dragon Gate Market, deep in the forest.
Lv Zhengying was flying on his sword.
From Dragon Gate Market heading east was all within the Cyan Cloud Sect’s sphere of influence.
No one dared to cause trouble here.
Even so, Lv Zhengying remained particularly cautious.
Flying on the sword while also splitting his Divine Sense to scan the surroundings.
However, as he flew over a small mountain.
A Fake Pill Spiritual Pressure descended like a mountain overwhelming him.
Ten zhang ahead, a Purple Robed Daoist stood in the air.
"True Master Ge!"
Lv Zhengying’s expression changed.
This person was the newly advanced Fake Pill True Master Ge Chengming of the Spirit Pill Hall.
Also, the actual manager of the Spirit Pill Hall of Cyan Cloud Sect.
"Lv Zhengying, why so panicked? Did you do sothing guilty?"
Ge Chengming said faintly.
The purple daoist robe fluttered without wind, and the Fake Pill Spiritual Pressure enveloped Lv Zhengying, making it hard for him to breathe.
"True Master Ge, I am under the orders of True Master Tong Xuan, out to procure pill talismans, and I am on my way back to the sect."
"Oh? How co I heard that your purchasing position was revoked long ago."
Ge Chengming gently pinched a spell, and a dark purple barrier array suddenly rose, trapping Lv Zhengying within.
"A restraining array?"
Lv Zhengying’s face changed drastically.
This Ge Chengming clearly intended to deal with him.
"Junior Brother Lv, you are still as unwise as ever."
Ge Chengming chuckled lightly, but there was no trace of laughter in his eyes.
"Did you receive news about the whereabouts of the traitor Shen Xuan? Reveal his hiding place, and I will spare your life."
Lv Zhengying asked tremblingly, "Do you intend to attack ? If you do, you will break the sect rule against internal fratricidal strife!"
"Aren’t you afraid of punishnt from the Law Enforcent Hall?"
Ge Chengming shook his head.
"Stubborn and unrepentant!"
After speaking, a vertical eye suddenly split open on Ge Chengming’s forehead, pitch-black like ink, with demonic energy surging—a magical eye cultivated by the Thousand Eyes Demon Lord!
"Buzz"!
Demonic light shot out.
Lv Zhengying’s Divine Soul felt pierced by a thousand needles, his head pounding, blood oozing from his seven orifices.
"Senior Brother Ge, you colluded with Demon Cultivators!"
The demonic eye surprisingly spoke in a human voice: "Hehe, this person surprisingly still has so courage. Once I defile his Divine Soul, I can control the flesh body and refine it into a zombie puppet."
Ge Chengming said faintly, "Lv Zhengying, you heard it. If you don’t confess, your Divine Soul will be damaged, turning you into a walking corpse."
"Even if I wanted to help, I couldn’t help you."
Lv Zhengying clutched his head, crying out miserably.
"Stop, fine, I’ll talk!"
Ge Chengming halted the demonic eye’s assault.
"Speak."
"I— I just went to Dragon Gate Market and received a secret ssage."
Lv Zhengying’s trembling hand reached into his robe.
"Die!"
What he pulled out was not a secret ssage.
But a stack of exquisite [Nine Heavens Divine Thunder Talismans].
As many as ten or more.
They were gifted to him by Shen Xuan in the past.
To serve as a lifesaving thod.
"Hmph, stubborn!"
Ge Chengming summoned a Blazing Furnace, spinning to shield in front of him.
The thunder from the dozen or more [Nine Heavens Divine Thunder Talismans] all struck the Furnace Spiritual Artifact with crackling sounds.
Lv Zhengying mustered all his Spiritual Power and deployed his Lifebound Flying Sword, shooting towards the dark purple barrier.
He wanted to pierce through the array and escape.
However, how could Ge Chengming allow him to flee?
Murderous intent surged!
Ge Chengming wore a ferocious smile.
The Blood-red Blazing Furnace spewed scorching spiritual flas, coming down to engulf Lv Zhengying!
"Junior Brother Lv, since you refuse to speak, then die!"
Lv Zhengying gritted his teeth, propelling his flying sword, the sword light raced like a golden rainbow, yet under the furnace’s pressure, it shattered inch by inch.
In his view, the furnace’s opening flas surged, about to devour him whole.
The late stage of Foundation Establishnt Realm and Fake Pill Realm are too vastly different.
Lv Zhengying exerted all his strength but couldn’t oppose.
He sighed, closing his eyes, awaiting death.
At this mont.
"Moo!"
A dragon roar resonated through the barrier array.
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