Volume 5 Chapter 57

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Volume 5 Chapter 57: Emerging From Seclusion

"Since the various sects of the prosperous West of Middle-earth have moved to the prospering Central Middle-earth, our Eight Wilderness Hall originally took care of these blessed lands on their behalf."

"’Kunling Sect,’ ‘Nine Palaces Sect,’ ‘Wen Tian Sect,’… and seventeen other sects from the prosperous West of Middle-earth have voluntarily merged into our ‘Eight Wilderness Hall’ to seek shelter during the catastrophe. We ask for the understanding of the Righteous Alliance and the six great Holy Lands."

"In light of the catastrophe descending upon the cultivation world, our actions here at ‘Eight Wilderness Hall’ are purely for self-preservation, and we hope all respected taoist friends will understand…"

…

The mountainside of Ronghua Mountain was filled with abundant Spirit Qi, lush greenery, and beautiful scenery. Building a few pavilions here not only did not spoil the scenery but added to its spiritual elegance. Since the founding of the Righteous Alliance, this place became a gathering site for Mahayana Stage masters, where they discussed celestial matters or strategized the current state of the cultivation world.

At this moment, the masters were gathered in one hall, some deeply focused, some with solemn expressions, others lowering their heads to sip tea, all listening to Xuan Ling’s discourse.

Moreover, the abbot Master Guangheng of "Mercy Cloud Temple," sect master Zeng Lianxian of the "Five Elements Sect," the representative Venerable Xuan Jian of "Penance Valley," and some other highly esteemed individuals in the cultivation world stood respectfully aside, with Deng Tianao of the "Liuhe Gate" mingling among them, though Chou Xuan was nowhere to be seen.

After Xuan Ling delivered the message brought by the messenger of "Eight Wilderness Hall" to the masters, he bowed and stepped back, waiting for them to decide.

"They have arrived!"

"Finally, they are here."

"Who would have thought that the disaster was caused by the ‘Eight Wilderness Hall’?"

…

As Xuan Ling’s words faded, these masters either talked to themselves or whispered among each other, their expressions showing some relief.

The message from "Eight Wilderness Hall" made it clear that the prosperous western part of Middle-earth was now their territory. They were willing to go to war with the Righteous Alliance for it, meaning the half-year peace in the cultivation world would be broken. The chaos was about to begin, clearly marking the start of the disaster, though not in the way the masters had expected.

Based on their previous judgments, the power of this disaster would far exceed the previous eight, which left the masters feeling uneasy, as many had fallen in past disasters.

However, if the disaster was caused by the "Eight Wilderness Hall," then things would be much simpler for them. After all, the "Eight Wilderness Hall" had been in the spotlight for years, yet to them, it was merely a stronger child.

To be honest, the cultivation world had been incredibly calm during this period, making them quite tense. Although the previous actions of the "Eight Wilderness Hall" might stir chaos in the cultivation world, it didn’t reach the magnitude of a disaster in their eyes. So, hearing these words, the masters felt somewhat relieved.

"It has finally come," Immortal Zizhen said slowly after hearing Xuan Ling’s account.

Speaking, Immortal Zizhen furrowed his brow slightly, turned to Xuan Ling, and asked, "I had already instructed you to keep a close watch on the ‘Eight Wilderness Hall.’ They have been expanding amidst chaos. Even if they’re not the main cause of the disaster, they might be a part of it. Yet, why didn’t we receive any information before they acted?"

Xuan Ling bowed and replied, "All our fellow Taoists placed at various points to monitor the ‘Eight Wilderness Hall’ are currently unreachable; their fate is unknown."

Immortal Zizhen furrowed his brow slightly once more and said after a long pause, "Regardless, this ‘Eight Wilderness Hall’ might very well be the source of the disaster. We must proceed with caution. I suggest that for prudence’s sake, I, Venerable Deaf Mute Blind, and Fairy Xia lead some of our finest disciples to capture the leaders of the ‘Eight Wilderness Hall,’ while the rest of you remain stationed at Ronghua Mountain to guard against unexpected events. Although facing the disaster is important, our main goal is to confront the ‘Nether’ organization."

Hearing Immortal Zizhen’s words, the gathered masters nodded slightly in agreement.

Immortal Zizhen was the convener and organizer of the Righteous Alliance, and his cultivation had reached the "Third Decline of Heaven and Man." Also, as the masters were currently at Ronghua Mountain, where the Qingxu Gate was located, Immortal Zizhen naturally assumed the role of the leader.

But at that moment, a gray-haired elder with a youthful face suddenly spoke, "Do you truly believe that this matter will be so simple?"

When the old man asked the question, all the masters were slightly taken aback and looked at him, but after he finished speaking, he leisurely sipped his tea as if nothing had happened.

Eventually, Immortal Zizhen was the first to ask, "Mr. Liu, could you please clarify what you meant by your words?"

It was evident that Immortal Zizhen held Mr. Liu in high esteem, using respectful language during their conversation.

"Three points of doubt," Mr. Liu sighed softly before continuing, "First, does the strength of the ‘Eight Wilderness Hall’ truly warrant a catastrophe in the cultivation world? Given their current power, the chaos they cause is unlikely to even match the previous signs of unrest. In my view, the ‘Eight Wilderness Hall’ either experienced a significant power increase or they’re merely the starting point for the catastrophe, with more changes to come. Of course, both scenarios are likely."

After a brief pause, Mr. Liu continued, "Secondly, if the ‘Eight Wilderness Hall’ intends to cause havoc, why would they send us such a message? Wouldn’t a sudden assault be more effective? These words only boost our vigilance without benefiting them at all. There are two possibilities: either they are deliberately exaggerating their power to hide something, or they wish to prevent being used as pawns by ‘Ming’ and thus aim to de-escalate the conflict with this message. Upon reflection, these words carry significant meaning."

If Man Tian were present at that time, he would have been astounded by Mr. Liu’s words because his guesses were almost entirely accurate.

The "Eight Wilderness Hall" indeed experienced a significant increase in power, but it remained only a trigger of the catastrophe without the ability to lead it. The reason for sending a message to the Righteous Alliance was indeed to conceal "Ming’s" next move, following the instructions of "Tian" and "Di" two elders. On one hand, they wanted to hide "Ming’s" next actions, and on the other hand, they were dissatisfied with the "Eight Wilderness Hall’s" secret power expansion. What they needed was fierce fighting among each other; only in this way could they reach their expectations.

Hence, they pressured Man Tian into delivering this message to the Righteous Alliance, and while he felt helpless, he had a sudden thought of subtly revealing in the message that ‘Eight Wilderness Hall’ was neither the main force behind the catastrophe nor wanted to escalate the conflict. If one listened carefully, these nuances were clear.

"And the third point?" the scholar from Western Desert quietly inquired as Mr. Liu fell silent again.

"Thirdly, based on the information we know and the letter obtained by Taoist Friend Zizhen, it is clear that the ‘cultivation world’ has been secretly manipulated by an organization called ‘Ming’ in past catastrophes. As for the current actions of the ‘Eight Wilderness Hall,’ it seems they too have long been under Ming’s control. So the question arises: what is ‘Ming’ doing while inciting the ‘Eight Wilderness Hall’ to launch a catastrophe?"

Upon hearing Mr. Liu’s three questions, everyone present wore contemplative expressions.

…

Regardless of the conclusion reached by the Righteous Alliance, the calm that had lasted for over half a year in the cultivation world was finally broken.

The Righteous Alliance began officially taking action against the ‘Eight Wilderness Hall,’ but surprisingly, the alliance formed by various schools could only battle the ‘Eight Wilderness Hall’ to a draw.

For some reason, the strength of the ‘Eight Wilderness Hall’ had suddenly increased, with each disciple’s cultivation doubling, wielding unique and powerful abilities. Even the elite of the Righteous Alliance found themselves at a disadvantage, while those who defected to the ‘Eight Wilderness Hall’ gained similar power increases and inexplicable loyalty.

The Righteous Alliance had the advantage of several Mahayana Stage experts assisting them, but the ‘Eight Wilderness Hall’s’ strength lay in their fearless cultivators with mysterious powers, and anyone captured by the ‘Eight Wilderness Hall’ would inexplicably return loyal and stronger, making their strength seem unending.

Originally, the elite strength of the ‘Eight Wilderness Hall’ consisted of eight hall masters, twelve Evil Immortals, and seventy-two Flying Generals. Yet, through continual sect absorption, they grew to thirty-six Evil Immortals and three hundred Flying Generals, each far surpassing their previous strength. When opposing the Righteous Alliance, they even had the capacity to strike those allied with the Righteous Alliance and capture cultivators from the ‘cultivation world’ to join them, even attacking the ‘Liuhe Gate.’

Suddenly, conflicts erupted throughout the Shenzhou Continent. In the first year alone, over a hundred Condensed Core Stage cultivators were killed, with even more casualties among lower stages, and countless ordinary people were caught up in the aftermath… The entire Shenzhou Continent was engulfed in smoke and battles, leaving both cultivators and ordinary people in a state of fear.

The catastrophe grew increasingly severe.

Yet all of this, in the grand scheme of the catastrophe, was merely the beginning.

Four years after the battle between the "Eight Wilderness Hall" and the Righteous Alliance, Xu Qingfan emerged from seclusion at Jiuhua.