Chapter 449

Chapter 449: The Betrayal of the Hundred Lineages

After five days of brewing, the surroundings of Cheng Tian Peak, including the Bokang, Dewang, and Yangwang Peaks, were overcrowded.

Now that the outside world was in turmoil, many people found connections to enter the Haotu Sect. With the various lineages engaged in secretive dealings, anyone who could pay was warmly welcomed into the sect by Miao Jade.

No money? Then just wait to die outside!

“When the upper beam is not straight, the lower beam is crooked.” The atmosphere of the Haotu Sect had gone awry. If it weren’t for Li Hui sending his External Transformation back to rectify things, no sect, no matter how deep its foundation, could withstand such corruption.

When the time came, the elders from various factions all arrived.

The sect leader’s wife still exuded grace, her eyes shimmering with a hint of chill, and the corners of her mouth slightly curled. There was no sign of difficulty or dejection in her demeanor.

Li Hui saw this and understood that this woman was strong; she was probably thinking about how to deal with arrogant juniors after turning the tables, which is why she impatiently rushed to Cheng Tian Peak and called all the elders here. This was going to be a formal reckoning!

“Please present the Jin Tian Treasure Mirror!”

“Wait!” the sect leader’s wife spoke, “Young man, who exactly are you? Why do you come to the Haotu Sect to flaunt your power when there is no figure like you in the Jin Tian Sect?”

“What?”

This was truly shocking. Previously, he had intimidated the main lineage, claiming to be a “special envoy” sent by the Jin Tian Sect to take over the Mirror Lake faction—could all of this be a lie?

Using the Jin Tian Sect as a disguise was a grave offense. Once verified, there would be no mercy; the outcome would be dire. Especially for those female disciples of Chen Tiange from the Jin Tian Sect, they would travel great distances upon receiving the news.

“Hahaha!” Li Hui laughed loudly, “I am Li Maocai, and while you do not know me, I recognize you all. Elder Xu Mao, you once tried to suppress me here at Cheng Tian Peak. Didn’t Elder Tian Maosheng check your storage to see how many Golden Jade Peaches are missing? And that you catalyzed the Golden Jade Peach Tree on Cui Wei Peak too much, so there have been no peaches for a century.”

“You’re Li Maocai’s disciple? Impossible! Li Maocai never took on disciples before he died.” The elders from various factions clearly lacked the ability to unlock the calamity of forgetfulness, having completely forgotten about it.

The sect leader’s wife waved her hand and said, “Please bring forth the disciples from the main gate. The truth cannot be faked, and the fake cannot be true.”

Mystical cranes flew to lead the way, and various birds sang auspiciously. A palace lantern floated high, and clouds gathered to create a rainbow bridge. A pure white heavenly horse pulled a jade carriage, where a young man sat.

Li Hui smiled upon seeing the newcomer, who seemed to believe it was still time to meddle in others’ affairs, evidently feeling hopeless about the competition for true disciples.

“Is that him?” The newcomer did not get out of the carriage but waved his sleeve arrogantly.

“Senior Brother Xu, why don’t you join Senior Sister Chuchu in accumulating accomplishments? Why did you come to Dalong?” With a single sentence, Li Hui stunned the newcomer, who looked him over in disbelief and cautiously asked, “You know me?”

“How sad! Senior Brother Xu has finally forgotten about me, your junior brother! Once upon a time, you, Senior Brother Guan, and I worked together to assist Senior Sister Chuchu in accumulating accomplishments.”

“Impossible! There was only Guan Tianyou with me; when did you join?” Xu Houde was terrified; how could this person know his connections?

“Oh? Senior Sister Chuchu said we are a good match and wanted to introduce us as partners,” Li Hui stated, causing Xu Houde to be utterly bewildered. Was this person human or ghost? If it were true, why couldn’t he remember?

“Speak with caution; show me the command token of our sect so I can verify it. I am also a disciple of the Mirror Lake faction,” Xu Houde barked confidently.

“Of course, I am a disciple of the Mirror Lake faction of the Luofu Sect, which means I hold a higher status than a disciple of the Haotu Sect’s Mirror Lake faction. However, Senior Brother Xu has always been approachable, and we can talk about anything,” Li Hui replied as he pulled out the token and handed it over. Xu Houde took it and was stunned.

“You, you… what is going on? This token is incorrect; why does it have a ranking from the main gate, and it’s even in thirty-ninth place?”

Li Hui’s face turned serious. Upon hearing Xu Houde’s words, it seemed the casually crafted token was indeed different from that of a genuine disciple. But what did that ranking signify?

“This is too strange; it’s too terrifying! I… I can’t recognize it…” Xu Houde, with a gloomy face, stared in disbelief, genuinely not remembering having such a junior brother.

The sect leader’s wife’s complexion changed rapidly; just as she was about to speak, Li Hui beat her to it and said, “Senior Brother Xu, do not worry. This is my conflict with Zhang Daoheng. Once I break this barrier, I can dispel the calamity power.”

“Zhang Daoheng?” Xu Houde trembled. This was the number one figure in the inner sect; could this young man truly contend with Zhang Daoheng?

“Alright! The farce ends here. According to tradition, let’s detect the fortune of the hundred lineages. Who will go first?” Li Hui took the initiative to take charge. Now that he stood at Cheng Tian Peak, he had no intentions of sparing any lineage. Those who lacked fortune of at least thirty-three zhang would be dismissed directly, and preparations would be made to establish a new Jade Symbol faction as a branch of the Jade Symbol Sect.

A dead silence fell over Cheng Tian Peak as the elders each calculated their moves.

Li Hui scoffed; these old fellows were far too old, having long lost their edge. Today, their fervor should be hot like fire, and their hatred for evil should be strong.

“Madam, why don’t you measure for the sect leader and let this boy see the grandeur of the main lineage?” Suddenly Xu Mao spoke. The sect leader’s wife’s face changed instantly; this statement seemed to support her while secretly surrendering and acknowledging the other’s authority, with an intention to keep pressing.

Tian Maosheng was the second to step forward, and he was far more straightforward than Xu Mao. He raised his voice, “Indeed! I believe the Haotu Sect should have a new leader. If this continues, there will be disasters, and a nest with broken eggs holds no triumph. I am too old to take risks; I just want to move forward with this great ship, but I don’t want it to capsize.”

“You?” The sect leader’s wife exploded in anger.

To be honest, Xu Mao and Tian Maosheng’s actions exceeded Li Hui’s expectations. They said that grass on the wall bends with the wind, but they had bent too quickly. These two old fellows, who were supposed to be obstacles, had suddenly turned into allies, leaving people bewildered.

Dozens of elders left their seats simultaneously, bowing as they said, “We are willing to accept the identification. The Haotu is below, and the Jin Tian is above. Congratulations to the Mirror Lake faction on returning to the sect!”

With so many elders immediately switching sides, Li Hui realized that only the elusive sect leader could achieve such an accomplishment within the Haotu Sect.

“Hahaha!” The sect leader’s wife laughed bitterly, “So it’s like this! In the end, I am just your puppet. You cunning old bastard! Now I understand, whether the east wind prevails over the west wind or the reverse, it all falls under your control. After so many years of leading the Haotu Sect, I will ultimately pay the price for underestimating you.”

“Very well, let’s identify the fortunes and rectify the hundred lineages,” Li Hui straightened his attire and presided over the proceedings. Regardless of the sect leader’s stance, he intended to take charge of the Haotu Sect today and usher in the era of Li Yingjun…