Volume 3 Chapter 46

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Volume 3 Chapter 46: Plotting

"However, we feel it is unsuitable for Jiuhua Gate to keep the ‘Xuanwu Token’ now, so please, Taoist Friend Zhang, hand it over to us for safekeeping until the truth is revealed."

When Qinglingzi spoke, the crowd was once again in an uproar. Younger, lower-level disciples like Xu Qingfan were not overly concerned, but the older cultivators were visibly shocked.

It turns out, 800 years ago, the cultivation world did not have the term "Holy Land," or rather, there were too many sects claiming to be "Holy Lands," so it did not have the same powerful reputation as the current "Six Great Holy Lands" in the cultivation world. That was a time of many powers competing for control.

Later, the "Spirit Purging Cult" emerged suddenly, using the mysteries of the "Hualing Technique" to plunder the secret spiritual treasures of major sects in the cultivation world to forge their own "Spirit Control Object." The weakness of these sects at the time only made the Spirit Purging Cult bolder and stronger.

Later on, the major sects suddenly realized their mistake, but it was already too late to resist. After acquiring enough "Spirit Control Objects," the Spirit Purging Cult’s power had far surpassed that of the major sects in the cultivation world, and countless sects ended up being destroyed by the Spirit Purging Cult in their attempts to resist.

This calamity ravaged the cultivation world for nearly a hundred years. The once-dominant "Spirit Purging Cult" was eventually driven beyond the Eastern Seas by the united sects of the cultivation world. However, after this battle, the entire cultivation world was left severely weakened.

By reviewing the reasons for the severe losses during the historical disasters in the cultivation world, some wise cultivators discovered that although the instigators were very powerful and far beyond what ordinary sects could contend with, they were still no match for the entire cultivation world.

However, the Shenzhou Continent is vast and its limits are unknown. The major sects of the Immortal Realm are scattered in all directions across the Shenzhou Continent, and it often takes several days to communicate, let alone rush to provide assistance. This gave disruptors like the "Spirit Purging Cult" the opportunity to defeat them one by one.

In light of this, after that great calamity, the six strongest remaining sects in the cultivation world formed a defensive alliance and combined their power to create a set of rare treasures called the "Xuanwu Token," which consists of six pieces, each secretly stored by these six sects.

The "Xuanwu Token" has many remarkable uses, but the most significant are threefold. First, the six sects can communicate with each other without being constrained by distance. Second, teleportation between two arrays blessed with the Xuanwu Token ignores distance limitations. But the most crucial point is, the "Xuanwu Token" symbolizes the alliance between the six sects and can be used to demand full support from the others.

Because of the presence of the "Xuanwu Token," these six sects, despite facing many challenges over nearly three thousand years, received timely support from the other Five Holy Lands and avoided significant losses, growing stronger over the millennia and surpassing other sects, thus forming a true alliance.

As a result, the status and power of these six sects were never threatened by any other sect.

Later, these six sects with the "Xuanwu Token" were also called the Six Holy Lands in the Cultivation World.

Eventually, one of the sects weakened due to internal strife, even losing the "Xuanwu Token," which was inadvertently found by Immortal Mo Han, the founder of the "White Lady Palace." With the rise of the White Lady Palace and the decline of the original sect, the White Lady Palace was recognized by the other Five Holy Lands as the new Holy Land.

Therefore, in some ways, possessing the "Xuanwu Token" symbolizes a sect’s status as a Holy Land.

The agreement between these six Holy Lands is also called the "Pact of Xuanwu."

At that time, only a few high-ranking members of these six sects knew about this pact, but as time passed, especially after the White Lady Palace became a new Holy Land, the "Pact of Xuanwu" also became a public secret in the cultivation world.

Because of this, when the elders of Jiuhua Gate heard Qinglingzi’s words, they were so shocked, and Taoist Jiuze and Man Tian were so surprised, because the confiscation of the "Xuanwu Token" meant that the other Five Holy Lands no longer recognized Jiuhua Gate’s status as a Holy Land!

The cultivators present fell into silence upon hearing Qinglingzi’s words and looked towards Zhang Hualing, keen to see how the Master of Jiuhua would respond to this demand.

At that moment, Xu Qingfan finally remembered the significance of the "Xuanwu Token." Years ago, he had browsed through Lu Huayan’s notes, which mentioned the Xuanwu Token.

So now, like everyone else, Xu Qingfan quietly watched Zhang Hualing, waiting for his response.

Xu Qingfan knew that Zhang Hualing would surely refuse the request from Qinglingzi and the others. Because Xu Qingfan was well aware of all Zhang Hualing had done since becoming the Master of Jiuhua, all to preserve Jiuhua Gate’s position as a Holy Land. How could he easily hand over the "Xuanwu Token" now?

But if he didn’t hand over the "Xuanwu Token," how could they safely leave Huandao Island?

Currently, due to the intervention of the Four Holy Lands, the factions that had lost their elite disciples hadn’t besieged the cultivators of Jiuhua Gate. But if Zhang Hualing rejected Qinglingzi’s request and lost the support of the Four Holy Lands, these factions would have no reservations and might attack Jiuhua Gate, which could not withstand such a siege from so many high-level cultivators.

To Xu Qingfan’s surprise, after listening to Qinglingzi, Zhang Hualing’s face showed no emotion. He sighed softly, then with a gesture of his hands, a roughly foot-long, ancient-looking token appeared before him. It depicted entwined images of a tortoise and snake, with a powerful yet subtle Spirit Qi, floating quietly three feet above the ground.

This token was indeed the "Xuanwu Token" held by Jiuhua Gate!

Then, with a wave of his right hand, Zhang Hualing sent the "Xuanwu Token" flying towards Qinglingzi. Though it seemed slow, it was fast, reaching Qinglingzi in the blink of an eye, who caught it effortlessly with a sweep of his sleeve.

After accomplishing this, Qinglingzi raised his voice to the assembled cultivators, saying, "Dear Taoist friends, I understand the grief of losing your elite disciples. But upon carefully reflecting on the incident at Huandao Island, everything seems truly strange. Although all evidence points to Jiuhua Gate, there are still many unexplained gaps, and Sect Master Zhang has sworn that Jiuhua Gate is not responsible for this. Therefore, after thorough discussion with Master Xu Heng, Sect Master Zeng, and Venerable Xuan Jian, we have decided to give Jiuhua Gate one month to investigate thoroughly and then provide an explanation to the entire cultivation world. What do you all think, Taoist friends?"

Upon hearing Qinglingzi’s words, a silence fell over the crowd. Clearly, they were dissatisfied with the decision of the Four Holy Lands but were too intimidated by their power to object.

Noting the cultivators’ expressions, Zeng Lianxian smiled slightly and said aloud, "In the past three thousand years, our Six Holy Lands may not have done everything perfectly, but we’ve always upheld fairness in our actions. Surely, no one can deny that?"

Seeing the cultivators nod slightly, Zeng Lianxian said again, "The recent events on Huandao Island have greatly impacted our cultivation world. Our Six Holy Lands will not let those responsible go unpunished, but we must also not wrong the innocent. Therefore, we will give Jiuhua Gate one month to find evidence to prove they are not at fault. I assure you all, that one month from now, our Six Holy Lands will gather with all the Taoist friends present at Jiuhua Gate. If Jiuhua Mountain cannot prove their innocence by then, even if it leads to war in the Immortal Realm, we will seek justice for you. What do you think, Taoist friends?"

Hearing Zeng Lianxian’s words, although the cultivators were still reluctant, a light murmur of agreement arose.

But at that moment, Li Tianying scoffed, "What if Jiuhua Gate takes this time to flee? Shenzhou Continent is so vast, where would we find them? Didn’t the ‘Spirit Purging Cult’ escape beyond the Eastern Sea three thousand years ago, and we couldn’t pursue them?"

Zhang Hualing seemed to have regained his usual calm by now. He smiled slightly and said, "Junior Brother Zhou, Brother Deng, Junior Martial Brother Xu, Nephew Bao."

Hearing Zhang Hualing’s words, the Jiuhua Gate cultivators were slightly surprised. Four people stepped forward—Jiuhua Gate’s Supreme Protector Zhou Huahai, the top expert Bao Qingfang, and two elders, including Elder Xu, who had previously occupied Lu Huayan’s former residence, Changchun Residence.

These four approached Zhang Hualing, bowed slightly, and said in unison, "Sect Master, please give us your orders."

"From this moment on, you four will act as liaisons between Jiuhua Mountain and the other Four Holy Lands. You will follow Master Xu Heng, Sect Leader Qinglingzi, Sect Master Zeng, and Taoist Friend Xuan Jian. Do you understand?"

When they heard Zhang Hualing’s words, the four of them were slightly stunned. Although they bowed in response, their eyes flickered with uncertainty as they lowered their heads.

Upon hearing Zhang Hualing’s words, all the cultivators present understood that although Zhang Hualing said these four would act as liaisons between Jiuhua Gate and the Four Holy Lands, in reality, he was using them as hostages given to the Four Holy Lands.

Zhou Huahai, the number two figure and renowned expert of Jiuhua Gate; Bao Qingfang, the top disciple of Jiuhua Gate’s younger generation, who might even become the next Sect Master. Along with two elders, having these four as hostages would prevent Jiuhua Gate from making a complete escape.

So, after hearing Zhang Hualing’s words, Li Tianying just let out a cold snort and said nothing more.

"With that said, Sect Master Zhang, a month from now, we will join the sect leaders and elders of various sects to go to Jiuhua Mountain. We hope that Sect Master Zhang will have uncovered everything by then; otherwise, it will be difficult for us to explain to the Cultivation World," Master Xu Heng said, clasping his hands towards Zhang Hualing after seeing the situation settle.

Zhang Hualing gave a faint smile, bowed slightly to Master Xu Heng, and said, "If I haven’t found the evidence by then, I naturally won’t put any of you taoist friends in a difficult position."

Implicitly, this meant that if Jiuhua Gate hadn’t found evidence in a month, they would let the Four Holy Lands judge them as they saw fit.

…

Three days later.

Beneath the azure sky, a cloud bathed in a rainbow-colored glow swiftly swept by.

On the cloud, nearly a hundred cultivators, both young and old, stood solemnly with furrowed brows.

They were the cultivators from Jiuhua Gate hurrying from Zhantai to Mount Jiuhua.

Especially the young cultivators, who were once filled with excitement and anticipation, now gazed ahead with confusion and uncertainty.

After making an agreement with the Four Holy Lands, all the sects worked together to quickly repair the teleportation array on Huandao Island. As soon as they returned to Zhantai, Zhang Hualing led some elite disciples quickly towards Mount Jiuhua.

However, most of the disciples who followed Zhang Hualing to Zhantai to witness the Newcomer Competition were left behind by Taoist Jiuze and Man Tian, citing the "long and inconvenient journey."

Upon learning of the unusual events that occurred on Huandao Island, these young disciples found themselves in a state of confusion and panic.

If no evidence was found in a month, wouldn’t Jiuhua Gate face ruin? Elder Ma Huaguang had always been in seclusion on Mount Jiuhua, yet his body appeared on Huandao Island. Could something have also happened on Mount Jiuhua?

If, in a month, the major sects of the cultivation world really plan to attack Jiuhua Mountain, and if Jiuhua Mountain has truly undergone a change, then what should these low-ranked disciples do?

Thinking of this, the disciples became even more bewildered and panicked.

Unlike the other disciples, Xu Qingfan was still carefully recalling everything that happened on Huandao Island.

For the past three days, Xu Qingfan had been pondering the events on Huandao Island, feeling that something was amiss but unable to pinpoint what it was.

Watching sect leader Zhang Hualing standing silently at the edge of the cloud, Xu Qingfan felt a slight stir in his heart. Amidst the curious gazes of the others, he approached Zhang Hualing and whispered, "Sect leader, I have something to report."

Zhang Hualing seemed to be deep in thought, his eyes flickering, but he turned with a smile and asked Xu Qingfan, "What is it?"

Seeing the smile on Zhang Hualing’s face, Xu Qingfan was momentarily taken aback, wondering how he could still smile as if unconcerned about the current situation, but he softly replied, "After Martial Brother Wang’s body was blown to pieces, I found a note on his severed hand. There were some words I couldn’t understand."

With that, Xu Qingfan handed Zhang Hualing a bloodstained note, on which four sentences were written:

"When the real seems false, the false seems real. Emptiness is presence, presence is emptiness. The emperor’s unfairness reverses yin and yang. A Buddha’s revenge has spanned a thousand years."

Zhang Hualing took the note, scrutinized it for a long time, and finally seemed to have an idea. With a slight smile, he raised his hand, and the note disintegrated into dust, vanishing in the air.

Seeing Zhang Hualing’s actions, Xu Qingfan was slightly taken aback, but he heard Zhang Hualing’s voice in his ear.

"Wang Qingjun, this child, usually just buries himself in cultivation, yet he can’t even write a neat poem."

Hearing Zhang Hualing’s indifferent words, Xu Qingfan didn’t know whether to laugh or cry but said, "Sect leader, you previously asked me to observe Wang Qingjun closely. May I ask why? Did you have any suspicions about Martial Brother Wang? It is indeed strange that Martial Brother Wang’s corpse ended up in the hands of the White Lady Palace disciples. Is there a connection between that and your request to keep an eye on Martial Brother Wang? Moreover, I feel this poem holds hidden meanings, possibly linked to the events on Huandao Island."

Zhang Hualing gave Xu Qingfan a slight smile and said softly, "In the current cultivation world, everyone is so focused on cultivating for longevity that they neglect their own knowledge and wisdom. You are quite rare in this regard."

Xu Qingfan said quietly, "Sect leader, you flatter me. I lack talent and have achieved nothing in cultivation, nor do I have great ambitions for immortality, so I spend my time with books."

"Balancing work and rest is good. Being overly focused on cultivation results in less efficiency. Cultivation also requires a calm mind, which you have achieved well," Zhang Hualing said and then suddenly changed the subject, "What do you think this poem is saying? What parts don’t you understand?"

Xu Qingfan was glad Zhang Hualing finally got to the point and quickly replied, "The first line, ‘When real seems false, and false seems real, where there seems to be nothing, there is something’, seems to describe the situation on Huandao Island. It suggests that some things on Huandao Island are real, while others are false, and even Martial Brother Wang’s and Martial Uncle’s bodies seem this way. But the second line, ‘The Emperor is crooked, yin and yang shift, Afo seeks revenge for a thousand years’, is not clear to me."

Zhang Hualing asked, "Do you know these figures, the Emperor and Afo?"

Xu Qingfan nodded, "I know a bit. These figures are mythological; the Emperor is a god controlling all things, while Afo is a demon who opposed the Great Spirit King. He later ambushed the King’s friend, the Star Peak Deity, disguised himself as Star Peak, and unexpectedly killed the Great Spirit King."

Zhang Hualing nodded slightly and then asked, "Alright, tell me, in this Huandao Island Newcomer Competition, who is playing the role of Emperor Wei and controlling everything?"

Hearing Zhang Hualing’s words, Xu Qingfan seemed to suddenly recall something, his body trembled violently, and he asked incredulously, "Sect Master, are you saying Emperor Wei refers to the cultivators from Penance Valley?"

The Newcomer Competition on Huandao Island is organized entirely by the cultivators from Penance Valley. After the competition begins, the Penance Valley cultivators secretly protect the disciples from various sects, so it’s no exaggeration to say the Penance Valley cultivators control everything on Huandao Island.

Then, what does the phrase "Emperor Wei is unfair, and yin and yang are reversed" mean? Could it be that the Penance Valley cultivators are unjust?

Actually, with Xu Qingfan’s intelligence, he should have realized this earlier, but because of the events in the Southern Wasteland, he had such a good impression of the Penance Valley cultivators that his thoughts unknowingly fell into a misconception and he didn’t consider this aspect before.

…

Meanwhile, some others were discussing Penance Valley.

Zhantai, no matter what changes occur in the cultivation world, is always surrounded by mist, with beautiful mountains and waters.

Since they were all going to Jiuhua Mountain for justice in a month, the cultivators didn’t return to their own sects after arriving at Zhantai but remained there, making it convenient to go to Jiuhua Mountain together in a month.

Therefore, at this moment, not only did the number of cultivators on the Zhantai not decrease, but it seemed to be increasing. Those sects whose disciples were killed sent summons arrows after returning to the Zhantai, calling upon the elders left behind at their mountain gates to boost their strength, so that when they seek justice at Jiuhua Mountain in a month, they wouldn’t fear any conflicts arising.

In one corner of the Zhantai, inside a simple and elegant grass hut, Master Xu Heng, the abbot of Mercy Cloud Temple, Qinglingzi, the sect leader of Qingxu Gate, and Zeng Lianxian, the sect master of Five Elements Sect, were sitting cross-legged in a circle, engaging in a leisurely conversation.

In the center of the three was an incense burner, wisping with smoke.

"It seems that there’s going to be a vacancy among the six Holy Lands again. Which sect do you think will fill it? Liuhe Gate? Or Eight Wilderness Hall?" Zeng Lianxian asked slowly as he sipped his tea.

Qinglingzi smiled slightly, "Friend Taoist, are you referring to the vacancy at Jiuhua Gate or White Lady Palace?"

Zeng Lianxian chuckled, "Of course, it’s the White Lady Palace. You saw Taoist Friend Li Tianying’s performance three days ago, and those elders of White Lady Palace, aren’t they all hot-tempered? This greatly contrasts the calmness expected after cultivating the ‘Ice Cold Scripture.’ It seems to be a sign of Qi deviation."

Master Xu Heng sighed slightly, saying, "Two hundred years ago, when I learned that Benefactor Li planned to create a superior ‘Su Nu Jue’ with many elders of White Lady Palace based on the ‘Ice Cold Scripture,’ I felt it was unwise. The ‘Ice Cold Scripture’ was created by the grandmaster Immortal Mo Han and has been refined over two thousand years. It’s not something to be casually altered. Now it seems that Benefactor Li and the others might be experiencing Qi deviation because there’s a flaw in their practice of the ‘Su Nu Jue.’"

Qinglingzi said blandly, "These disciples of White Lady Palace were too eager to break free from Immortal Mo Han’s influence. Hastily creating and modifying a cultivation method without encountering issues would be surprising. I warned her two hundred years ago, but unfortunately, my words were ignored."

Zeng Lianxian sighed, "It’s a pity that the imposing might of White Lady Palace is now on the verge of collapse. It’s too late to warn them now."

After thinking for a moment, Qinglingzi said, "If the White Lady Palace is destroyed because of this, I suggest making the Liuhe Gate the new Holy Land. The ambition of the Eight Wilderness Hall is too great. And we still don’t fully understand how the Eight Wilderness Hall rose to power, which makes it seem quite mysterious."

Upon hearing Qinglingzi’s words, Master Xu Heng and Zeng Lianxian both nodded slightly in agreement.

However, Master Xu Heng then asked, "So what do you say, how should we deal with the matter of Huandao Island?"

Qinglingzi smiled and said, "Don’t you know Zhang Hualing, that old fox? That guy is shrewd and cunning, and he will definitely get through this Jiuhua Mountain disaster safely."

But Master Xu Heng shook his head and said, "I am referring to how you see the situation with Penance Valley."

Zeng Lianxian frowned and said, "The stance of Penance Valley this time is quite intriguing. Everyone knows the bond between the cultivators in Penance Valley, but three days ago, two cultivators clearly died. Yet, Xuan Jian not only didn’t pursue Jiuhua Mountain but was the first to suggest giving Jiuhua Gate time to gather evidence, merely confiscating Jiuhua Gate’s ‘Xuanwu Token,’ which greatly puzzled me."

Qinglingzi said, "Not only that, but didn’t you two notice that everything we know about what happened on Huandao Island was told to us by the cultivators of Penance Valley? We haven’t actually witnessed anything ourselves. And for so many things to happen on Huandao Island, with nearly twenty Condensed Core Stage cultivators from Penance Valley there, claiming they noticed nothing is quite unbelievable."

Master Xu Heng added, "There’s also the matter of the ‘Mirror Technique’ on the Zhantai suddenly shattering. We always thought that someone secretly interfered at the time, but we forgot that unless it was a Mahayana Stage master, wouldn’t we have noticed any interference using our Divine Sense? Upon reflection, someone must have tampered with the ‘Mirror Technique’ setup."

Everything about the Newcomer Competition was organized by Penance Valley cultivators, including the setup of the ‘Mirror Technique.’

Zeng Lianxian shuddered when he heard Qinglingzi and Master Xu Heng’s words and asked, "Are you suspecting…"

At that moment, a voice came from outside the hut.

"I am Zhou Huahai, Supreme Protector of Jiuhua Gate, seeking an audience with Master Xu Heng, Sect Leader Qinglingzi, and Sect Master Zeng."