Chapter 21 Part 1
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Chapter 21 Part 1: I Like People Like My Master (1)
The deaths of several elders and the former sect leader had struck a devastating blow to the once-thriving Lingxu Sect.
Standing before the Sword Valley, which split Xili Mountain in two, the current Sect Leader of Lingxu gazed at the fortune-seekers who had traveled from afar upon hearing the news. He remained silent for a long time.
He couldn’t even begin to imagine the intensity of that fierce battle.
But one thing was certain—Lingxu Sect had truly declined.
With the loss of its high-ranking members, the entire sect was shaken. Many stewards and disciples fled, abandoning what remained.
At this moment, the Lingxu Sect resembled a thatched cottage battered by the autumn wind, on the verge of collapse.
Those who understood the ways of the world could see that the existence of Sword Valley had turned Xili Mountain into a place of contention.
The waters here ran deep.
How could a small sect like Lingxu possibly hold on?
The sect leader had no choice but to leave, taking with him only those willing to abandon their ancestral land.
This was not what he had wished for.
But… there was no other way.
As the sect leader, he could not remove himself from the tides of time.
All he could do was prioritize survival before even considering future growth.
He knew that in the years to come, the Lingxu Sect might never see another day of prosperity.
“There are thousands of sects in this world, but how many have fallen from the heights of power, like the Duxian Sect, only to rise again?”
His voice carried a deep melancholy.
The autumn wind was truly bitter.
Yet, for a brief moment, he had felt hope.
When he first learned that the old sect leader had come back to life, he had been thrilled. He was painfully aware of his own inadequacy—he lacked the strength to lead Lingxu back to greatness.
And when he discovered that Elder Si Yunshang was, in fact, the former Demon Woman Zhi He, his joy had only grown.
If Zhi He was willing to return, it meant she still cared about the Lingxu Sect.
With these two figures, how could the sect not flourish once more?
But his hope had lasted less than half a minute.
The old sect leader had fought with Zhi He.
And in the aftermath of their battle, the Lingxu Sect had been utterly destroyed.
“Drawing water with a bamboo basket—nothing remains.”
The sect leader let out a bitter sigh, realizing that internal strife had led to their downfall.
At that moment, a voice came from behind.
“Sect leader, it’s time to go.”
“Alright.”
He nodded.
As the morning glow enveloped the landscape, he cast one final, lingering gaze upon the towering buildings nestled within the dark and rugged mountain ranges.
From this distance, something seemed odd.
Why did the heavy buildings press so firmly against the black earth below?
A voice spoke again from behind him.
“Sect leader, perhaps this isn’t such a bad thing after all?”
He turned slightly. “What do you mean?”
“At least the ones willing to walk with us now are those who truly care about Lingxu. From here, all we need to do is focus on rebuilding the sect.”
That was true.
Once, the Duxian Sect had grown from a single individual—Yan Xiyi—into a renowned presence in the East Divine Land.
Even though he was far from possessing a hundredth of Yan Xiyi’s ability, reestablishing the foundations of Lingxu should not be impossible.
The sect leader chuckled.
“We…”
His voice abruptly cut off.
He saw someone.
A woman.
She was standing merely two yards away from him.
Tall and slender, her jade-like feet peeked out from her pink shoes. She stood around five feet two inches, not counting the bun of her hair.
Her chest rose high like lofty peaks, her eyes held the depth of autumn waters, and her lips were tinged with a captivating red.
She looked like a fairy descending from a painting.
She wore a fitted short shirt, its hem ending just below the midpoint of her thighs. A tight band was wrapped around her right leg.
Her arms were bare, save for lace gloves that shimmered like sapphire.
And in the palm of her right hand, she held a peculiar black stone.
The stone twisted the surrounding space as if tearing apart reality itself.
Its aura was terrifying.
Yet even that paled in comparison to the aura of the woman herself.
The sect leader’s throat tightened.
“W-Who… are you?”
His voice barely escaped his lips.
It felt as though just looking at her was draining his strength.
A Demon Woman?
No—this was a true Demon Woman.
The one before him was none other than Yue Wuyang.
She absentmindedly played with the black stone she had retrieved from Sword Valley, not even sparing the sect leader a glance.
The silence stretched.
The sect leader dared not speak, nor move.
Yue Wuyang felt an inexplicable sense of strangeness.
This stone was imbued with laws far too complex for her to comprehend.
Could such a multitude of Dao laws truly exist in the mortal realm?
And then, she caught a familiar scent.
Her brows furrowed.
“Who is it?”
The sect leader was startled. “Who?”
“Who left this sword scar?”
The sheer weight of her presence left no room for deception.
“…Zhi He. Si Yunshang.”
Yue Wuyang slowly repeated the names, tasting them on her tongue.
“Only she survived?”
The sect leader hesitated before shaking his head. “I don’t know if she’s still alive.”
“Tell me her story.”
And so, he did.
Yue Wuyang listened carefully.
Then, she shook her head.
“That’s not right.”
The sect leader tensed. “What do you mean?”
“If she was truly an Immortal Emperor, why would she cultivate a technique that benefits others at her own expense?”
The sect leader was at a loss.
Her words made no sense to him.
Yue Wuyang waved her hand.
“You can go.”
The sect leader didn’t hesitate. He turned and led the others away as fast as he could.
As he soared through the air, he heard a voice behind him.
“A person without strength or ambition is better than someone without strength yet filled with ambition.”
His body trembled.
Ambition?
Was she referring to the old sect leader?
He wasn’t sure. But for some reason, her words eased his heart.
The Lingxu Sect had already been broken. They no longer had the strength to take part in greater conflicts.
Let the storm rage. Let the calamities unfold.
All they had to do was survive—live to see the next era.
He turned back to look at Yue Wuyang.
She was gone.
Yue Wuyang walked swiftly.
Her thoughts were in turmoil.
She still couldn’t recall why that scent was so familiar, but she had the vague sense that she was inching closer to the truth.
And the closer she got, the less she could remain calm.
After all, the one she sought had once been an Immortal Heavenly Lord, a master of eight Great Daos.
Even if her master were to become a Heavenly Lord, he would still be no match for that person’s peak strength.
There was a difference in both quality and quantity.
If she truly found the Immortal Heavenly Lord, could she even send word back in time?
But Yue Wuyang was not someone who turned back.
“All for the sake of my master!”
The day she descended, she had prepared herself for the possibility of never returning.
Now, she had at least learned something.
Si Yunshang had once been close to Nishang of Niguang Mountain.
And the Demon Lord had sent an avatar to Xili Mountain.
“Could that sword strike have come from the Demon Lord?”
Regardless, she had no choice but to take another step forward.
