While chaos was slowly descending upon the Desolate Heaven Empire, sowhere else, all hell had broken loose.
Once, the Heaven Sword Sect had been known as a place of serenity.
A sect where swords were tempered by discipline rather than ambition, and where disputes were settled through duels-not factions and shouting.
That Heaven Sword Sect no longer existed.
Since the end of the war against the Demonic Forces, the sect had quietly-but unmistakably-split apart.
There had already been a crack in their unity, ever since Elder Han and the Anti-Sect Leader faction began pushing to remove Tian Yuheng.
It had only grown worse as more and more disciples chose sides between the Bai Clan and the Li-Zhao Alliance.
Inner halls beca divided spaces. Even the training grounds carried tension thick enough to taste.
There was no longer respect for the sect itself.
Many cared more about which alliance soone belonged to than the fact that they were fellow disciples of the sa sect.
The cause was obvious.
The Heaven Sword Sect's cultivation technique-once praised as refined and powerful-had fallen behind.
Even the technique reserved for Core Disciples, rumored to be Earth Grade, paled in comparison to the High Earth-Grade cultivation techniques now circulating openly through the Bai Clan and the Li-Zhao Alliance.
It wasn't even close.
One offered stability, tradition, and honor.
The other offered power.
Imdiate, overwhelming power.
Faced with such a choice, many disciples asked themselves a forbidden question:
Why beco a Core Disciple at all?
Yes, the sect still provided pills.
Yes, there were supplentary sword techniques and inheritance manuals.
But for most disciples, that was no longer enough.
Not when cultivators of the sa age-once inferior-were now leaping realms simply by choosing the "right" side.
The Outer Disciples were cultivating a Cultivation Technique much superior than the Core Disciples.
And so resentnt festered.
That resentnt had a leader.
Elder Han!
His faction grew larger even though it had slowed since Lu Xiangyuan lost against Bai Zihan.
Anyways, their faction has beco powerful and its influence was absolute.
Since the war's end, Elder Han and those aligned with him had stopped hiding their hostility.
They openly challenged the sect leader's orders.
Ignored Tian Yuheng's authority.
And mocked his ideals.
His influence had waned.
Respect for him had thinned.
***
Those who had joined or were curious about-the Anti-Sect Leader faction
gathered.
Elders.
Core Disciples.
Inner Disciples.
Even outer disciples crowded near the doors, craning their necks to listen.
At the center, Elder Han stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his voice echoing clearly through the hall.
"Stability and history?"
He let out a cold laugh.
"Sect Leader Tian speaks of stability and history as if they will raise our
cultivation!"
Murmurs rippled through the crowd.
Elder Han turned, sweeping his gaze across the assembled disciples.
"Tell how many of you broke through during the war?"
Silence!
"And how many of you have watched others-disciples from other clans- surpass you since the war ended?"
The silence grew heavier.
"That is not a coincidence," Elder Han continued, his voice sharp. "That is
stagnation!"
He raised a finger.
"Our Heaven Sword Sect is one of the top sects of the Desolate Heaven
Empire!"
His voice rose.
"And yet what do we do?"
"We bow our heads."
"We smile politely."
"We cling to outdated techniques and call it dignity!"
His eyes narrowed.
"All while the Bai Clan spreads High Earth-Grade cultivation techniques as if
they were scraps."
A ripple of anger moved through the hall.
"Is that strength?"
"No!"
"Is that dignity?"
"No!"
Elder Han's voice dropped, venomous.
"It is weakening"
The murmurs exploded.
"Tian Yuheng only knows how to lick the Bai Clan's boots! He can't even secure
the cultivation technique that's being handed out freely!"
Gasps echoed.
So disciples clenched their fists.
Others nodded.
Elder Han spread his arms.
"We are the Heaven Sword Sect!"
"Swords do not kneel!"
"Swords do not beg!"
"If the Bai Clan truly wishes to stand above us-then they should fear us!"
Not curry our favor.
Not receive our smiles.
But fear the Heaven Sword Sect rising once more!
His words ignited the hall.
"We should lead! We should soar higher than anyone!"
Applause erupted from the hall.
Fierce and unrestrained.
Not once did Elder Han ntion the Li-Zhao Alliance.
Not once did he speak of support.
Yet in the end, it was all the sa.
Elder Han accused Tian Yuheng of licking the Bai Clan's boots-but he himself
was no different.
He spoke of destroying the Bai Clan, of rising above them, yet in the end, he would simply beco a dog of the Li-Zhao Alliance.
There was no difference, no matter how righteous or ambitious he tried to
sound.
Tian Yuheng heard every word Elder Han said through his n stationed
inside.
Elder Han knew about it and no longer seed to care.
Tian Yuheng knew it.
More and more people were beginning to agree with him.
Tian Yuheng listened in silence as the report ended.
The final words still echoed in his mind.
Lick the Bai Clan's boots.
He exhaled slowly.
Not in anger.
In exhaustion.
The Heaven Sword Sect's main hall was empty at this hour.
Incense burned low. Sword racks stood in neat rows, unchanged-unyielding witnesses to a sect that no longer recognized itself.
"So it has co to this..."
Tian Yuheng murmured.
He had known. Of course he had known.
The Desolate Heaven Empire was slowly being divided between two forces-
the Bai Clan and the Li-Zhao Alliance.
He would be a fool to think Elder Han was not backed by the Li-Zhao Alliance.
Elder Han was no fool.
He never spoke of outright treason.
Never nad Li or Zhao.
Yet every sentence pointed in one direction.
Rise higher. Take the lead.
Make the Bai Clan fear us.
Pretty and ambitious words.
Yet the truth was far uglier.
As a sect, Heaven Sword could not openly swear loyalty to either side.
If they changed their cultivation technique entirely, would they not lose their
identity? But history and identity ant nothing in the face of power. Many clans and sects had already abandoned their original cultivation
techniques and switched to the Heavenly Mandate Assimilation Art.
Tian Yuheng closed his eyes.
If this continued, he would not rely lose his position.
He would lose his life.
And worse- He would lose the sect.
If Elder Han took control of the Heaven Sword Sect, it might as well be
renad another lapdog of the Li and Zhao Clans.
After a long mont, Tian Yuheng stood. "Looks like I can't cling to old traditions."
He walked into the inner chamber and activated a concealed formation.
Spiritual light rippled across the walls, isolating the space completely.
Only then did he take out a jade slip.
His thumb hovered for several breaths.
Then-
He sent the ssage.
Far away, within the Bai Clan.
Bai Tianheng received the transmission while reviewing clan reports.
The mont he sensed Tian Yuheng's voice, his brows knit together.
"Tian Yuheng?"
He activated the slip.
Tian Yuheng's voice erged, calm but undeniably weary.
"Bai Tianheng... I will not waste words. The Heaven Sword Sect is tearing itself
apart."
Bai Tianheng's expression hardened.
"Elder Han?"
"Yes!"
A brief silence followed.
Then Tian Yuheng spoke again, slower this ti.
"The Heaven Sword Sect cannot swear loyalty to the Bai Clan!"
Bai Tianheng said nothing.
He waited.
"But I ask this as a Sect Leader with his back against the wall."
Tian Yuheng's voice lowered.
"Is it possible-for , and for my sect-to cultivate the High Earth-Grade
technique you possess?"
The words hung heavy between them.
Bai Tianheng leaned back.
His fingers tapped lightly against the armrest.
Another voice surfaced in his mind.
If it's soone you trust, there's no need to give the technique.
Bai Zihan had said that-and Bai Tianheng understood why.
Anyone who practiced the lower version would always be suppressed by those cultivating the higher one.
Tian Yuheng was soone he trusted.
And the Heaven Sword Sect was a sect even he himself had once learned from.
Bai Tianheng did not answer imdiately.
After all, no matter the drawbacks, it could not be denied-the technique was powerful, and its results were undeniable.
"Is the situation really that dire?" Bai Tianheng asked.
A bitter smile crept into Tian Yuheng's tone.
"Yes! In the first place, why would you even share such a powerful cultivation
technique with outsiders? If not for that, I might have had ti to deal with Elder Han myself..." Tian Yuheng slipped into complaint mode.
After all, while Elder Han was the main culprit, it couldn't be denied that the Bai
Clan's aggressive recruitnt-and the distribution of such powerful
techniques-had accelerated everything. "Alright, alright. Stop complaining" Bai Tianheng finally interrupted him.
He had hesitated because of the risks, but since Tian Yuheng wanted it this
badly, he saw no reason to refuse.
"I'll send it to you," Bai Tianheng said calmly.
"Teach it to whover you wish." Then, after a brief pause-
"Even Elder Han!"
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