At this moment, it was not only the Grand Elder—indeed, all five other elders were staring at Li Qiye! If killing Xu Hui could still be called a miracle, after all, even horses stumbled and people slipped. Taking ten thousand steps back, Xu Hui had been arrogant and off guard, allowing Li Qiye to succeed in a sneak attack!
But the "Chaos"-Heart Forest was different. All six elders knew that for millions upon millions of years, not a single young disciple of the Nine Sacred Demon Gate had ever passed through the "Chaos"-Heart Forest, unless they were great sages!
With the six elders watching him, Protector Mo and Nan Huairen could not help secretly breaking into a cold sweat for Li Qiye.
"Reporting to the elders, the purpose of the 'Chaos'-Heart Forest is to throw the heart into chaos. It is not a place for testing one's cultivation. As long as one's Dao Heart is firm enough, one can pass through the 'Chaos'-Heart Forest. It has nothing to do with the level of one's cultivation!" Facing the Grand Elder's questioning, Li Qiye spoke unhurriedly.
"Hmph, you are merely a mortal. Could your Dao Heart possibly be firmer than that of a king or marquis?" Elder Xiong said with a dissatisfied snort.
Li Qiye lifted his eyelids and glanced at him. "Elder, what does the firmness of one's Dao Heart have to do with cultivation? High cultivation does not mean a firm Dao Heart! Since ancient times, how many True Persons and Sacred Emperors have suffered qi deviation and played with fire until they burned themselves because their Dao Hearts were not firm enough!"
"You ignorant thing! Are True Persons and Sacred Emperors figures you can comment on?" Elder Xiong shouted deeply.
Li Qiye could not even be bothered to look at him again. He said calmly, "I am merely stating the facts. If the elders believe my words to be false, you may go to the Nine Sacred Demon Gate and verify them."
Seeing Li Qiye dare to openly talk back, Elder Xiong immediately glared at him and was about to fly into a rage. The Grand Elder coughed and said, "Let this matter end here. How goes the marriage between you and Princess Li?"
Even if the matter of killing Xu Hui could be explained away, passing through the "Chaos"-Heart Forest could not. Even Sacred Emperors could not pass through the "Chaos"-Heart Forest, much less a mortal. However, these matters were no longer important to the Grand Elder and the others. What mattered was when the Nine Sacred Demon Gate and the Washing Yan Ancient Sect could form a marriage alliance! The Washing Yan Ancient Sect of today needed a giant like the Nine Sacred Demon Gate as its support!
"You will have to ask the Nine Sacred Demon Gate about that. It is not something I can decide." Li Qiye had already lost interest in continuing the conversation and could not be bothered to say more.
"So be it." The Grand Elder was helpless as well. He could not force Li Shuangyan to marry Li Qiye; their Washing Yan Ancient Sect did not have the qualifications to bargain with the Nine Sacred Demon Gate!
The Grand Elder nodded and said, "This time, you have rendered great merit. According to our previous agreement, what should be given to you will still be given to you..."
"Brother Gu—" Elder Xiong's expression changed at once, and he hurriedly spoke. However, the Grand Elder lightly waved his hand, stopping Elder Xiong from saying anything further.
The Grand Elder looked at Li Qiye and said, "First, once you reach the Body Tempering Realm, the sect will prepare a portion of Imperial Body Ointment for you. Second, you may choose one each of cultivation methods, fate cultivation, body techniques, and longevity arts from the sect. Of course, you may choose otherwise, but you may not exceed three cultivation methods in total! Are you satisfied with this?"
"That will do, but I have one more condition. The sect promised me three requests at the time." Li Qiye nodded.
The Grand Elder nodded. "Very well, speak."
"I need a weapon to protect myself. Therefore, I need to choose a treasure weapon or a True Artifact from within the sect!" Li Qiye said gravely.
The Grand Elder nodded. "Very well. You may choose any one treasure weapon or True Artifact from the lower three levels. You may also choose a Life Treasure!"
"Thank you, Elder." In the end, Li Qiye bowed, then turned and left.
"Huairen, accompany Qiye." After Li Qiye left, the Grand Elder instructed Nan Huairen.
Once Li Qiye had departed, Elder Xiong said in a deep voice, "Brother Gu, there may be something wrong with this boy. Perhaps he is a spy sent by the Nine Sacred Demon Gate!"
"What do you mean by that, Brother Cao?" An elder shook his head lightly and said, "I do not think so. The Nine Sacred Demon Gate is now unimaginably stronger than us. It controls the Ancient Niu Jiang Kingdom and has become a colossal behemoth. Why would it need to send someone to infiltrate our Washing Yan Ancient Sect?"
"Brother Sun has a point," another elder said. "Does our Washing Yan Ancient Sect have anything the Nine Sacred Demon Gate desires?"
"Not necessarily. Perhaps the Nine Sacred Demon Gate covets our Imperial Techniques, especially the Heavenly Mandate Secret Arts!" Elder Xiong said gravely.
Elder Xiong's words caused the other five elders to exchange glances, because none knew the condition of the Washing Yan Ancient Sect better than they did.
"I do not think that is necessary." Elder Sun, ranked fourth among the six elders, shook his head and said, "Li Qiye holds the Washing Yan Ancient Token. If he truly wanted to seize our Imperial Techniques, he only needed to ask. Would we give them to him or not? Taking a step back, if the Nine Sacred Demon Gate truly wanted to seize the Imperial Techniques, should the Sun-Turning Demon Emperor personally act, I doubt anyone in our Washing Yan Ancient Sect could stop him!"
Elder Sun's words made the other elders fall silent. If the Nine Sacred Demon Gate truly intended to seize the Washing Yan Ancient Sect's Imperial Techniques, it could absolutely massacre the Washing Yan Ancient Sect. If the Sun-Turning Demon Emperor acted personally, who in the Washing Yan Ancient Sect could stop him? In fact, even if an elder of the Nine Sacred Demon Gate acted, their six great elders would be no match!
"Brother Gu, I believe we must be on guard. Better safe than sorry," Elder Xiong said gravely in the end.
"Report this matter to the sect master." In the end, the Grand Elder said in a deep voice, without stating his position any further.
Elder Xiong merely gave a soft snort at those words. Perhaps it was dissatisfaction toward the sect master.
"The elders suspect Senior Brother of being a spy sent by the Nine Sacred Demon Gate." After leaving the ancestral hall, Nan Huairen spoke quietly to Li Qiye. He was adept at handling every side and best at reading others' thoughts, so naturally he could guess what the six elders were thinking.
"Let them think whatever they wish." Li Qiye merely smiled and lightly shook his head. There was a reason the Washing Yan Ancient Sect had declined. The six elders, though they held elder positions, not only could not reach the level of kings and marquises in cultivation, but more importantly, none could stand alone and hold up one side of the sky.
Speaking of this, Li Qiye asked, "What is Elder Xiong like?" When Li Qiye had sought to become the Chief Disciple, Elder Xiong had supported him. Yet today, his attitude had changed too drastically.
"Be careful of Elder Xiong." Nan Huairen looked around, then lowered his voice. "The Second Elder, Cao Xiong, once always wanted to contend with the sect master for the position of sect master, but he never succeeded. Later, he wanted his disciple He Yingjian to become the Chief Disciple, but the sect master refused. He has never given up on becoming sect master. Even if he cannot become sect master himself, he hopes his disciple He Yingjian can. Moreover, Cao Xiong has guest elders supporting him."
"I understand. If I were trash, then even as Chief Disciple, I would have no chance of becoming sect master. But if I form a marriage alliance with Li Shuangyan, that would be another matter." Li Qiye smiled. He understood why Cao Xiong's attitude had changed so dramatically.
Nan Huairen nodded lightly and said in a low voice, "In the past, Elder Cao kept watching the sect master's side, afraid the sect master would take in a genius disciple. The position of Chief Disciple had remained vacant. He discussed it with several elders many times and always wanted He Yingjian to become Chief Disciple, but the sect master never agreed."
"What about the sect master?" Li Qiye could not help feeling curious. Ever since entering the Washing Yan Ancient Sect, he had never met Sect Master Su Yonghuang. Su Yonghuang seemed like a transparent, nonexistent presence.
Nan Huairen shook his head. "The sect master has never lived within the sect grounds and has always cultivated outside. In truth, I have only met him a few times."
As he spoke, Nan Huairen looked around and, seeing no one nearby, lowered his voice even further. "There are rumors in the sect that the sect master was driven away by the elders. No one knows the details. In any case, the sect master is rarely within the sect, and when he left the sect grounds, he took some Protectors and hall masters with him."
Li Qiye rubbed his chin. "So our sect is divided into several factions." It seemed the situation within the Washing Yan Ancient Sect was even more complicated than he had imagined.
"Some say there are four factions." Nan Huairen said, "Some Protectors and hall masters follow the sect master. Some hall masters follow Elder Xiong; they have always wanted Elder Xiong to become sect master. Another group comes from the Grand Elder's branch. As for the other four elders, most of them likely hold a neutral stance."
"Does the Grand Elder want to contend for the position of sect master?" Li Qiye asked.
Nan Huairen shook his head. "No one knows what the Grand Elder thinks. I have heard that he may not support the sect master, but he has never contended for the position either. Still, the Grand Elder's influence in the sect is immense. He commands the sect's disciplinary force and is extremely strict, so many disciples fear him by three parts."
Nan Huairen's words gave Li Qiye a certain understanding of the Washing Yan Ancient Sect's situation. At this, Li Qiye smiled and said nothing more.
Divine Crow Peak was an important place of the Washing Yan Ancient Sect—one could even call it a forbidden ground. Without permission from the sect master or elders, no disciple was allowed to ascend Divine Crow Peak.
At the same time, Divine Crow Peak was the Washing Yan Ancient Sect's tallest and largest main peak. Upon Divine Crow Peak stood an ancient triangular courtyard, where all the Washing Yan Ancient Sect's cultivation manuals, secret scriptures, treasure weapons, True Artifacts, rare metals, and divine stones were stored...
Divine Crow Peak was guarded with extreme strictness. There was a sentry every three steps and a lookout every five; not even a mosquito could fly inside. The entire Divine Crow Peak was defended by elite disciples of the Washing Yan Ancient Sect, and ordinarily two of the six great elders took turns guarding it.
To the Washing Yan Ancient Sect, Divine Crow Peak was far too important. One could even say that everything belonging to the Washing Yan Ancient Sect was stored within Divine Crow Peak.
At the same time, there was also a legend concerning Divine Crow Peak. Legend had it that before Immortal Emperor Mingren became the bearer of the Heavenly Mandate, he received guidance from heaven. A divine crow descended from the skies and landed upon this peak. Immortal Emperor Mingren received a divine decree, and thus established the Washing Yan Ancient Sect here!
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