Volume 1 Volume 7 Chapter 108

Volume 7 Chapter 108: The Battle of Rumors

After the people of the Human Alliance were somewhat settled, rumors suddenly appeared all over Yongzhou State.

One rumor went something like this: Xu Qingfan, who sacrificed himself to save all the masters of the Human Alliance, had repeatedly rescued the Righteous Alliance and possessed noble character, great wisdom, and infinite power. As he entered the "Azure Crystal Treasure House," he outlined a very clever plan.

The plan involved using the power of the "Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands," which he had created to represent justice and humanity. The people here emphasized this point. He aimed to take advantage of the lack of leadership from both the Zhong family and the Shura Clan, launching a surprise attack on both sides. Then, he would draw the two forces together, ultimately leading to a chaotic battle. In the end, the Zhong family would be destroyed, and the Shura Clan would suffer heavy losses, eliminating one major threat to humanity and severely weakening another.

Although the "Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands" faced heavy losses to achieve these goals, Xu Qingfan and everyone in the "Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands" were willing to make sacrifices for humanity and justice.

However, just as Xu Qingfan’s plan was about to succeed, the despicable, shameless, and selfish people under Zhang Xusheng took the opportunity to attack the Shura Clan. If they were acting for humanity, that might have been acceptable, but they were only doing it to steal the Shura Clan’s "Shura Holy Pearl" for themselves. This ultimately enraged the Shura Clan and led to the great battle from six years ago, costing humanity dearly because of Zhang Xusheng’s selfishness.

As a result, the rumors became more and more outrageous, until Zhang Xusheng himself was portrayed as a conspirator of the Shura Clan, a sneaky traitor hidden within the great and righteous Human Alliance.

The rumors spread so widely, so quickly, and so exaggeratively, outpacing the expectations of the rumor-mongers like Liu Ziqing, and there was a reason for it.

First, many cultivators within the Human Alliance had benefitted from Xu Qingfan and were happy to accept and spread such rumors. Secondly, many of the cultivators in the Human Alliance were descendants of the masters who had escaped from the "Azure Crystal Treasure House" this time and were also eager to accept and share these rumors. Finally, the righteous forces had been suppressed by Zhang Xusheng for too long, their strength gradually consumed by him, making them even more willing to accept and spread such rumors. Those who always pretended to be virtuous became the main force behind the spread of this rumor.

As for Xu Qingfan’s past troubles with darkness, they were…

Most importantly, this rumor aligned with some facts, making it hard to tell what was real and what was false. It conveniently explained the earlier battle between the Zhong family and the Shura Clan, as well as why many Shura Clan members specifically targeted members of the "An" organization during their attack.

Although rumors stop with the wise, the wise are very few in this world. Even in the world of cultivation, the number of "wise people" is not optimistic. There is a saying, "Three men make a tiger."

As a result, Xu Qingfan and Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands built their reputation, while Zhang Xusheng gradually lost the support of others under the impact of rumors, even those cultivators who had joined him over the years.

Go ahead and be greedy; who in this world isn’t greedy? Besides, the "Shura Holy Pearl" is also a treasure. If I were you, I might be greedy too, but why did you bring the Shura Clan people here? How many of my master, brothers, and disciples died because of your greed in this great battle? Most importantly, when the battle ended, you didn’t even share the "Shura Holy Pearl."

That is very unfaithful.

Therefore, in the Human Alliance, those members of the "An" organization who followed Zhang Xusheng often felt that others looked at them strangely for a long time. Occasionally, some who thought they were strong would challenge them to a duel… whether it was a competition of skills or a duel… as if they had become the source of evil in this world.

Even when Zhang Xusheng gathered with other masters, he noticed something was off between himself and the other masters; even the usual fake smiles were gone, replaced by cold noses and cold looks.

When Zhang Xusheng finally heard the rumor, he suddenly laughed.

Because he felt that Xu Qingfan was very likely still alive.

To counter the harm of the rumors, Zhang Xusheng’s approach was simple: to use rumors against rumors.

First, to exaggerate the rumors, he personally sent his subordinates to spread Liu Ziqing’s rumors hundreds of times larger. For example, some said that Zhang Xusheng himself was a member of the Shura Clan, or that he belonged to an even older tribe, deliberately deepening the harm between Shura and humans, so that his race could dominate the world. Others said that Zhang Xusheng fell in love with a woman from the Shura Clan and was willing to betray his own race for love, etc.

Then the opposite rumors spread, claiming that the noble and righteous Zhang Xusheng was leading the Shura Clan and the Zhong family to fight, while the deceitful and hypocritical Xu Qingfan took the opportunity to send people to steal the "Shura Holy Pearl" and so on.

It must be said that combining the rumors created by Zhang Xusheng and Xu Qingfan is now very close to the truth.

When the rumors become exaggerated, most people will notice something is wrong. After all, the appearance of the women from the Shura Clan is very different from that of humans, leading to doubts that someone is trying to harm them. Gradually, many people began to distrust the rumors. This is good news for Zhang Xusheng; although many still think Zhang Xusheng is extremely evil and selfish, it is much better than at the beginning of the rumors.

The bad news is that a few particularly foolish people believe the exaggerated rumors about Zhang Xusheng without a doubt. They see Zhang Xusheng as a monster, a Shura, or a lovesick person with a strange sense of aesthetics. Many, especially those mortals who view cultivators as immortals, are particularly susceptible to these kinds of rumors.

Next, another rumor emerged.

This rumor was seen by many, stating that as the Shura Clan quickly dwindled to only twenty-five people, they needed to recuperate. Their hunting of humans across the Shenzhou Continent had lessened a lot, while humans in that war had also consumed a great deal of resources that needed replenishing.

Thus, some human cultivators risked their lives, traveling between the Yongzhou State and various spirit stone mines on the Shenzhou Continent to collect spirit stones. Some of them returned, claiming that during one unfortunate encounter with the Shura Clan just before they were about to be killed, a group of strange cultivators suddenly appeared, swiftly killing the Shura Clan expert and saving them.

They claimed to be cultivators from the Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands, and their leader was named Chou, who was at least at the Astral Projection Stage.

So, the reputation of the "Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands" and Xu Qingfan rose once again in the Human Alliance.

After all, nobility and strength represent different meanings; even after Xu Qingfan’s sacrifice, there are still strong people in the Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands.

And this powerful being is just a disciple of Xu Qingfan.

It is said that there are many master-level experts in the Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands, like Xu Qingfan’s eldest disciple Ting’er, Wang Zegang, Liu Ziqing…

It is said that the Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands is rich in Spirit Qi and resources; as long as you are willing to work hard, you can obtain a high-level cultivation method and at least reach the Condensed Core Stage…

It is said that the Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands has beautiful surroundings and no wars…

For a moment, the information that Immortal Zizhen and Zhang Xusheng had tried so hard to uncover somehow began to spread everywhere in the Human Alliance.

Strength inspires awe, beauty sparks the imagination, and nobility earns respect, but when these three come together, the only feeling it gives is yearning.

Then, after about ten years of conflict with the Shura Clan, the Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands suddenly sent people to the Human Alliance.

For the first time, the Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands openly entered the Human Alliance, and all the Grandmasters of the Human Alliance owed Xu Qingfan a favor, so they couldn’t stop him.

They were recruiting for the Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands.

Many people gathered, and this was the situation at the time.

Many were scared by the war ten years ago, but the beauty, nobility, and strength of the Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands were what they longed for. Some, wanting to survive, sought refuge in the Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands; others admired and respected the Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands and Xu Qingfan; some wanted a safe place to cultivate and grow stronger for future battles; and others were curious about the Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands. With all these thoughts, a large number of ordinary cultivators flocked to join the Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands.

Especially for the ordinary people, who had no power and no abilities, they did not have the desire or strength to fight for humanity like the cultivators. They only sought a safe place to live.

Seeing this scene, Immortal Zizhen was anxious; if this continued, the Human Alliance would surely collapse, and they might as well move entirely to the Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands.

Yet Zhang Xusheng saw through Xu Qingfan’s hidden shadow, and even guessed Xu Qingfan’s future plans—he was fighting for control over the Human Alliance when it returned to power!

Thus, the usually discordant Immortal Zizhen and Zhang Xusheng surprisingly joined forces for the first time in front of the Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands.

For Zizhen, this was about maintaining the strength and integrity of the Human Alliance, while for Zhang Xusheng, this was a test of Xu Qingfan and a way to make the game more interesting.

However, the Human Alliance is a group and not a sect, so Immortal Zizhen and Zhang Xusheng cannot force people to stay. Therefore, Immortal Zizhen began his campaign, saying that the Human Alliance has protected you for so many years, how can you just leave? Moreover, the reason the Human Alliance has not been destroyed by the Shura Clan is that they always stand together. Now that they are divided, the Human Alliance is no longer a match for the Shura Clan. In a collapsing nest, how can there be whole eggs? You are hiding in the Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands now, but when the Shura Clan breaks through the Human Alliance and comes to the Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands, where will you hide then?

Meanwhile, Zhang Xusheng arranged for people to spread rumors, claiming that the actions of the Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands greatly weakened the Human Alliance. If they had the strength, why had they never faced the Shura Clan head-on, instead running far away to the East Sea? They are cowardly, timid, and only pick on the weak. Following them leads to no future; for humanity and justice, a true man should fight bravely at the front and not hide behind and sneak around.

The war of rumors suddenly seemed very interesting to Zhang Xusheng.

Thus, although the actions of mortals joining the Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands still had no impact, the trend of cultivators joining the Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands greatly slowed down. In fact, many cultivators who had already decided to go to the Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands changed their minds. Most of those insisting on going are weak and fearful, and such people are not needed at the Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands.

At this moment, three events changed the entire situation.

The first event was when Master of Jiuhua, Wang Yuhan, decided to temporarily send all young cultivators with potential from Jiuhua Gate who had not yet reached the Condensed Core Stage to join the Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands, led by five young elders at the Condensed Core Stage. The other elders at the Condensed Core Stage, along with Supreme Protector Jin Qinghan, remained in the Human Alliance. Following this, many important sects, like Penance Valley, Five Elements Gate, Zen Cloud Temple, Liuhe Gate, and others, made similar decisions.

This move made Immortal Zizhen quite angry, yet also somewhat tempted. After all, he did not want the talented young disciples from Qingxu Gate to die on the battlefield before they had fully developed their skills.

The second event was a secret talk between Mr. Liu and Immortal Zizhen. After the talk, they reached a series of agreements. Immortal Zizhen would no longer stop people from the Human Alliance from seeking refuge in the Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands, but the Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands must provide support and resources to the Human Alliance. Also, the Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands cannot actively encourage cultivators above the Condensed Core Stage to join; Immortal Zizhen can persuade them to stay, but it is up to them to decide. They must firmly prevent golden core cultivators from joining the Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands. All cultivators above the Condensed Core Stage without further progression conditions must remain in the Human Alliance.

After reaching this series of agreements, the first thing Immortal Zizhen did was select promising cultivators below the Condensed Core Stage from Qingxu Gate to join the Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands, but they can leave at any time. Liu Ziqing, in charge of the arrangements, agreed without a second thought.

After all, under such conditions, the power of the Human Alliance did not decline much, yet it left a way out for humanity and retained the potential of the cultivation world. It would only lead to needless casualties to have cultivators at levels like Qi Refining and Lingji fight against beings like Grand Tantian and Asura.

The third matter was that Liu Ziqing and the others began to clarify the rumors spread by Zhang Xusheng’s subordinates during this time. It was said that the Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands was not avoiding battles out of weakness. Over the years, the accomplishments of the Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands in resisting Shura were well-known. The reason they gathered many cultivators was simply to provide a better environment for talented cultivators to develop further, to prepare for future battles, and to gather another force to stand against the Shura Clan in their own way, all while ensuring that humanity had a way out. In short, they aimed to restore the noble status of the Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands.

After these three matters happened in quick succession, the number of cultivators choosing to join or seek refuge under the Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands greatly increased. In a short time, there were at least thirty thousand more cultivators under the Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands. Although nearly ten thousand of them belonged to major sects and could leave at any moment, and the most powerful among them were only at the early stage of the Real Golden Core Stage, with only two above that level, the strength and potential of the Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands still increased more than tenfold in just a few years.

At the same time, the number of ordinary people gathered by the Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands was even greater, reaching millions, and there were still countless ordinary people bringing their families to join. Thinking of how Wang Zegang had worked hard to fill the sea and create islands with many cultivators during this time, Liu Ziqing couldn’t help but shake his head. With so many people, it would probably take Wang Zegang three hundred years just to fill enough sea. Helpless, Liu Ziqing had no choice but to go against Xu Qingfan’s original intention and began to select among the ordinary people, prioritizing those with potential for cultivation, those with remarkable skills, and children and young people.

Thus, Liu Ziqing returned to the Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands with thirty thousand cultivators and the cream of nearly three million ordinary people. Due to the large number, Liu Ziqing spent a full ten years arranging everything.

At the Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands, Bai Qingfu took charge of the arrangements, while Liu Ziqing returned to the Human Alliance to monitor all its developments.

In this way, Xu Qingfan’s last two moves were once again successful. The strength of the Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands increased, while Zhang Xusheng was isolated within the Human Alliance.

Zhang Xusheng was not bothered by this defeat. After learning the results from his subordinates, he merely smiled slightly and said, "One cannot fight against power. This time, the Rainbow Spirit Seven Islands had the advantage, and their choice of direction for breaking through caught us unprepared. It is only natural to lose."

He then dismissed his subordinates.

After the servants left, Zhang Xusheng turned to the east, his gaze piercing through time and space, seemingly directed right at Xu Qingfan, who was in seclusion, his eyes deep and thoughtful.

"You are indeed still alive; you have not let me down… The game has just begun…"

To the east, hundreds of thousands of miles away, Xu Qingfan, still in seclusion on Yuheng Island, suddenly shivered, as if sensing something. In the next moment, he returned to calm and continued to understand the "Cosmic Secret Record."

…

Unknowingly, another sixty years had passed, and it had been nearly eighty years since the "Azure Crystal Treasure House" was opened.

This year, many things happened. The Shura Clan, which should have been resting, suddenly became active again, as if they had the ability to create new members of the Shura Clan.

Soon after, Xu Qingfan finally emerged from seclusion, but no one knew how much progress he had made during this time.

Upon emerging, Xu Qingfan’s first task was to send someone to find a way to contact Feng Qingtian, who seemed to have disappeared for many years.

Then, not long after, a cultivator from Tianzuo Camp arrived at the Human Alliance with news from Xu Qingfan and found Liu Ziqing…

The strong wind has risen again!