Lingyun Sect

"A mid-tier cultivation technique only used in the Foundation Establishment Realm?"

The moment Lin Xuan heard those words, he paid close attention. He glanced at the two people speaking, both strangers to him. Though Floating Cloud Valley was only a third-rate minor sect in the Cultivation World, it still had over a thousand disciples. Aside from the senior and junior brothers who had entered the valley alongside him, Lin Xuan recognized very few others. Still, from their clothing, he could tell that the two were low-ranking disciples of the Spirit Movement Stage.

They had just mentioned the dissolution of Lingyun Sect and a mid-tier cultivation technique. Lin Xuan stepped forward and greeted them, "Two senior brothers."

"You are..." The two stopped walking and hesitantly looked at the youth blocking their path.

"My name is Zhao Gang. Greetings." Lin Xuan was exceedingly friendly, putting on an innocent, harmless expression because he wanted to glean some information from them.

At the same time, he deliberately released his spiritual aura, allowing them to see that his cultivation had reached the fourth layer of the Spirit Movement Stage. He dared to do this because they did not know him, so he did not need to fear them discovering that he had no Spirit Root. The Cultivation World was a place where the strong devoured the weak, and people were exceptionally snobbish. If he did not display sufficient strength, no one would take him seriously, much less tell him anything.

Still, Lin Xuan held something back. Rather than reveal his true name, he made one up at random.

The two were also in the middle stage of Spirit Movement, though their cultivation was slightly inferior to Lin Xuan's. Seeing this powerful fellow disciple greet them so amiably, they did not dare be negligent and hurriedly smiled back. "Not at all, not at all. So it is Senior Brother Zhao. May we ask why you stopped us?"

"Senior Brother?" Hearing how they addressed him, Lin Xuan secretly found it amusing. These two were clearly past thirty and must have entered the sect before him, yet they insisted on calling themselves junior brothers. Such a thing would have been unimaginable before. Once again, Lin Xuan experienced the superiority of being respected for one's high cultivation. Not bad at all.

Without showing anything on his face, Lin Xuan smiled. "You two junior brothers are too polite. How should I address you?"

"My name is Li Hai, and this is Junior Brother Chen Feng."

"Mm, let's go sit somewhere."

"Alright." The two nodded in agreement. It was not because they were easygoing or particularly warm toward others, but because Lin Xuan had deliberately released his spiritual aura and displayed the strength of the fourth layer, making them wary.

This fellow disciple calling himself Zhao Gang was still young, not even twenty by the look of him, yet he had already cultivated the fourth layer to its peak. He was only one step away from the late Spirit Movement Stage. He was surely a genius disciple with exceptional Spirit Roots, the two confidently assumed.

A genius like this would not only be highly valued by the elders of the sect, but would also have a great chance of successfully reaching Foundation Establishment and becoming a cultivator of a higher level.

In other words, in their eyes, Lin Xuan's future was boundless. Naturally, someone like him could not be slighted.

The human heart was separated by a belly, but with Lin Xuan's cleverness, he guessed their thoughts almost completely. He secretly found it amusing, while also deeply feeling the changes Blue Star Sea had brought him. If he had not been able to purify Waste Pills and obtain a vast supply of spiritual medicine to support himself, how could he possibly have been mistaken for a genius?

The three sat down in a quiet corner. After exchanging a few casual pleasantries, Li Hai was the first to lose his patience. "Senior Brother Zhao, you stopped us. What exactly did you wish to ask?"

"Hehe, nothing much. I merely heard you two junior brothers mention the dissolution of Lingyun Sect just now, and I became rather curious."

"So it was that!" Li Hai let out a sigh of relief, his face taking on a relaxed and somewhat smug expression. "I dare not boast about anything else, but when it comes to being well informed, this junior brother ranks among the best in our sect. This matter has not spread yet, so it is no wonder you did not know, Senior Brother."

"Hehe, then I must ask you to enlighten me, Junior Brother."

Generally speaking, cultivators of greater strength would put on an arrogant, lofty air before those with lower cultivation. Lin Xuan's approachable attitude greatly pleased Li Hai. At once, he held nothing back and told him the entire course of events in detail.

There were countless sects in the Cultivation World. As for Floating Cloud Valley, its strength was below average. Among its thousand-plus cultivators, ninety percent were low-ranking disciples of the Spirit Movement Stage, but it also had nearly a hundred Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators serving as guardian elders. Moreover, its sect master, Master Yunhe, was a great expert who had entered the early Core Condensation Realm.

Such strength could not be called formidable, but neither could it be lightly insulted. After all, the sect master's Core Condensation Realm cultivation was already extremely powerful, and the nearly hundred Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators were enough to make others tremble. Within this region, they could not be said to dominate and expand, but they had no trouble protecting themselves from being squeezed out or bullied.

Of course, within several thousand li of this area, Floating Cloud Valley was not the only cultivation sect. Setting aside Rogue Cultivators for the moment, there were another seven or eight minor sects of all kinds, and Lingyun Sect was one of them.

If Floating Cloud Valley could be considered third-rate in the entire Cultivation World, then Lingyun Sect was fourth-rate or even fifth-rate. It also had no few disciples—over a thousand, like Floating Cloud Valley—but it had only a dozen or so Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators. As for a Core Condensation Realm expert, that was beyond even wishful thinking. Even its sect master possessed only mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivation.

In a sect, high-level cultivators were the backbone of its strength. No matter how many low-ranking Spirit Movement Stage disciples there were, they were of little use in battle. Thus, although Lingyun Sect also had quite a few cultivators, its strength was far inferior to Floating Cloud Valley's.

Yet not long ago, this very minor sect had offended a great expert of the Core Condensation Realm. Aside from those directly involved, no one knew the exact course of events. But one thing was certain: that Core Condensation Realm expert was furious and had declared that within a month, he would slaughter Lingyun Sect until not even chickens or dogs remained.

Every time a cultivation realm rose by one level, one's strength became completely different—it was a qualitative leap. Against an enemy of the Core Condensation Realm, no number of low-ranking Spirit Movement Stage disciples would matter; they were not even qualified to serve as cannon fodder. And relying solely on a dozen or so Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators was no different from a mantis trying to stop a chariot.

Thus, for Lingyun Sect, this was truly a calamity descending upon their heads.

A minor sect like theirs certainly could not find any powerful aid. After a series of efforts and countless agonizing deliberations, Lingyun Sect finally made a painful and helpless choice: dissolution. This was also their only path to escape a bloody disaster.