Elder Council

The next morning, Li Xuan was awakened by a knock on his door.

It was Yun Qingxuan.

She stood outside the courtyard gate, holding a jade slip, with no intention of entering.

"Elder Council, at the hour of the dragon." She handed over the jade slip. "Grand Elder Bai Chen specifically requested your attendance."

Li Xuan took the jade slip without rushing to check its contents.

He noticed that Yun Qingxuan had changed her attire today—a deep cyan robe with silver Cloud Pattern embroidery on the cuffs, and she had swapped her red sword for a more formal Long Sword, the scabbard inlaid with a pale blue spirit stone.

This was the attire for formal sect occasions.

"You don't look like you just woke up," Yun Qingxuan said. Her gaze lingered on his face for a moment before shifting away.

"Let's go."

The Discussion Hall was at the peak of Crimson Firmament Peak, higher than both the Contribution Hall and the Cultivation Method Pavilion.

When Li Xuan arrived, seven people were already seated inside.

Bai Chen sat in the main seat, his hair and beard white, his face lean and refined, with steam rising from the teacup before him.

To his right was Ziyue, an elder of the Inner Sect Pill Department, dressed today in a luxurious purple gown with her hair pinned up by a white jade hairpin.

To his left was Hei Yan, the Discipline Hall elder, still in his dusty grey robe, his heavy sword resting across his knees, eyes closed as if dozing.

Zhou Qian sat below Hei Yan, his black Shadow Division combat gear standing out sharply among the elders.

He had several sheets of paper spread out before him, a pen in his hand, writing something.

Yun Qingxuan sat in the very last seat, her back straight, hands resting on her knees.

There were two others Li Xuan had never seen before.

One was a middle-aged woman sitting below Ziyue, in her forties, with a gentle face, wearing a plain robe and a string of medicine pouches hanging from her waist—likely someone from the Medical Hall, a successor to the position after Qin Henian died.

The other was an old man sitting opposite Bai Chen, sixty or seventy years old, with greying hair, wearing a washed-out cyan Daoist robe and cloth shoes, holding a folding fan in his hand with a mountain painted on the surface.

"Everyone is here," Bai Chen said, his voice not loud, yet everyone in the hall fell silent.

He looked at Li Xuan: "Sit."

Li Xuan sat down next to Yun Qingxuan.

Bai Chen picked up his teacup, took a sip, and set it down.

"I called you here today for three things. First, recount the events in the Northern Territory again. Second, the Elder Council must discuss the threat level of Gurqin's Main Body. Third, decide on our next steps."

He paused and looked at the old man with the folding fan: "This is Elder Xiao Tieyi, a Grand Elder of the sect who has been wandering abroad for years. He just returned yesterday."

Xiao Tieyi nodded at Li Xuan, spinning the folding fan in his hand.

Li Xuan stood up and began from the Black Stone Market. He kept it as concise as possible while covering all the key points.

When he spoke of his breakthrough, his tone was very flat, as if he were talking about something unrelated to himself.

The hall was silent for a moment.

Hei Yan opened his eyes and stared at Li Xuan: "You said you broke through to the Inner Qi Realm Level 6?"

"Yes."

"Less than a month ago, when you first entered the inner sect, you were only at Body Tempering Realm Level 9. A whole major realm in one month?" There was clear skepticism in Hei Yan's voice. "What did you eat?"

Li Xuan looked at him: "Blood. The blood of Gurqin."

Hei Yan frowned.

Xiao Tieyi's folding fan stopped for a moment, then began to spin again.

Bai Chen raised his hand, stopping Hei Yan from further questioning: "Steward Liu has already verified the breakthrough. He visited Li Xuan last night and said his foundation is very stable; it doesn't look like it was piled up with pills."

Li Xuan's heart skipped a beat. Steward Liu came last night? He didn't know. He had fallen asleep quickly after lying down and hadn't sensed anyone entering the courtyard.

Hei Yan snorted and said nothing more.

Ziyue spoke, her voice gentle: "How are your injuries? I heard from the Medical Hall that you had quite a few old wounds on you when you returned."

"They have already healed," Li Xuan said.

"The recovery speed of the Blood Fiend Diamond Body is indeed fast," Ziyue nodded. "But don't push yourself just because you have a good physique. Injuries to the meridians aren't visible; if they accumulate, they will cause problems. Come to the Pill Department in a couple of days, and I will take a look at you."

Li Xuan nodded.

Bai Chen brought the topic back: "Regarding Gurqin's Main Body, what is the Shadow Division's assessment?"

Zhou Qian put down his pen and pushed the papers in front of him forward.

"According to Li Xuan's description, Gurqin's Main Body currently has at least the strength of the Grandmaster Realm. Furthermore, he spent three hundred years recuperating beneath the Black Abyss; he has more hidden cards than what we have seen." He paused. "But there is one piece of good news—he hasn't fully recovered. After Qin Lie shattered his physical form thirty years ago, his soul entity couldn't find a suitable vessel. His current body is one he temporarily condensed using Yin Fiend Qi, and it is unstable."

"How unstable?" Bai Chen asked.

Zhou Qian looked at Li Xuan: "When you punched through his chest, how did it feel?"

Li Xuan thought for a moment: "Like punching through rotten wood. It was brittle, but it gathered back together quickly after shattering."

"That is instability," Zhou Qian said. "His body is like a pile of sand; it can reform after being scattered, but every time it reforms, it consumes a portion of his soul power. If we can attack continuously and force him to keep reforming, his soul power will dwindle."

Hei Yan sneered, "Continuous attacks? Who can even get close to him? His Wolf Soul and Stone Wolf are enough to give us a hard time."

Bai Chen did not respond, looking instead toward Xiao Tieyi.

Xiao Tieyi folded his fan and tapped it twice against the table.

"I traveled through the Northern Territory for a few years and saw things similar to this," he said. "A soul-body like Gurqin's doesn't fear blades or axes; it fears 'intent'. Pure Yang intent, killing intent, protective intent—as long as the 'intent' is strong enough, you can damage his foundation."

He looked at Li Xuan. "What was that new ability of yours called again?"

"Crimson Blood True Gang Qi."

"The name isn't important," Xiao Tieyi said. "The key is that you have fused the Red Sun Scripture with the Blood Fiend Gang Qi, possessing both 'Pure Yang' and 'killing' intent. Although it is still crude, the direction is correct."

Bai Chen nodded. "So, Li Xuan is the key."

The hall fell silent for a moment.

Hei Yan spoke up. "Are you saying we should send an Inner Qi Realm disciple at the sixth layer to fight Gurqin, who is at the Grandmaster Realm?"

"Not to fight him alone," Bai Chen said. "But to lead a team."

Li Xuan looked at Bai Chen, waiting for him to continue.

"The Shadow Division will send a team to follow you. The sect will also allocate resources," Bai Chen said. "But only your Crimson Blood True Gang Qi can harm Gurqin's true form. The others' mission isn't to kill him, but to create opportunities for you."

Li Xuan remained silent for a few seconds.

He was thinking about how to agree while securing the most resources.

"I need three things," he said.

Bai Chen raised his chin, signaling him to continue.

"First, all the files Qin Lie left in the Northern Territory. The Shadow Division has them, but I haven't finished reading them. Second, a piece of protective gear that can resist Yin Fiend Qi. The Yin Qi at the bottom of the Black Abyss is too heavy; I can withstand it, but those accompanying me cannot. Third..." He paused. "The whereabouts of Yan Wugui."

This last name caused the expressions of several people in the hall to change simultaneously.

Hei Yan's brows knitted into a knot. Zi Yue's fingers paused on the tabletop. Even Bai Chen fell silent for a few seconds.

Xiao Tieyi, however, showed no reaction, merely spinning his folding fan once more.

"You want to find him?" Bai Chen asked.

"He said something once," Li Xuan said. "He didn't help Gurqin for power, but to save someone. I want to know who that person is."

"And what if you find out?"

"Perhaps it could make him turn against Gurqin," Li Xuan said. "Perhaps not. But at the very least, before killing Gurqin, I want to know what really happened thirty years ago."

Bai Chen looked at him for a long time, then nodded.

"The Shadow Division will compile Qin Lie's files for you. As for the protective gear, Zi Yue, you go check the treasury; there should be something suitable." He looked at Zhou Qian. "How much have you found out about Yan Wugui's whereabouts?"

Zhou Qian flipped through the papers in front of him. "Three months ago, someone saw him in the Southern Territory. In Qing Prefecture, a small town near the barbarian border. He stayed there for three days, then vanished."

"The Southern Territory?" Hei Yan frowned. "What is he doing in the Southern Territory?"

"I don't know," Zhou Qian said. "But near that small town, there is an ancient barbarian tomb. It's three hundred years old and is said to be the burial site of a shaman."

Li Xuan memorized this information.

Bai Chen tapped the table. "The third matter—who is going to the Northern Territory with Li Xuan?"

Yun Qingxuan was the first to speak. "I will go."

Hei Yan glanced at her without speaking, though his expression was unpleasant.

Shi Yong was not present, but Li Xuan knew he would go. Ying would go as well. Su Ying... Li Xuan was not sure. The last trip to the Northern Territory had nearly scared her out of her wits, and he did not have the heart to bring her again.

"The Shadow Division will send two people," Zhou Qian said. "Ying counts as one, and another is on the way."

"That's enough," Bai Chen said. "Too many people will only get in the way. Li Xuan, go back and prepare. We depart in three days."

He stood up, and the meeting concluded.

The others left one after another.

As Li Xuan reached the door, Xiao Tieyi's voice came from behind him.

"Kid, stay a moment."

Li Xuan turned back. Xiao Tieyi was still in his seat, his folding fan already closed and resting on the table. He looked at Li Xuan with a gaze different from before, as if looking at a piece of raw material that had yet to be polished.

"That old man Qin Lie, what did he teach you?"

Li Xuan thought for a moment. "He didn't teach me anything. He left a letter."

Xiao Tieyi nodded, as if satisfied with this answer.

"In that letter, did he mention that 'there is more than just Gurqin at the bottom of the Black Abyss'?"

Li Xuan's pupils constricted slightly.

"No."

"Then that's correct," Xiao Tieyi stood up, picked up his fan, and walked over to Li Xuan. "He didn't dare write it. He was afraid that if you read it, you wouldn't dare to go."

"What else is at the bottom of the Black Abyss?"

Xiao Tieyi did not answer. He patted Li Xuan on the shoulder and walked past him.

"I will tell you when you return."

The sound of his footsteps gradually faded away.

Li Xuan stood in the empty Discussion Hall, watching Xiao Tieyi's back disappear at the end of the corridor.

The wind from outside the hall blew in, causing the papers on the table to rustle.

He turned around and walked toward Courtyard 7.

In the afternoon, Li Xuan was packing his things in Courtyard 7.

Shi Yong pushed the door open, carrying a bundle in his hand, and placed it on the table.

"I'm going too."

Li Xuan glanced at him: "Are your injuries healed?"

"Not completely, but it doesn't matter." Shi Yong lifted his hem, revealing the wound on his back. It had scabbed over but had not yet fallen off, and the edges were slightly red. "Old Qin said it would be better in half a month. But I can't wait half a month."

"Why?"

Shi Yong was silent for a moment, then said in a muffled voice: "Zhou Wu came to see me yesterday. His leg hasn't healed yet, and he was using crutches. He said that the body of Zhou Wen could not be found. The Shadow Division turned the mine upside down and found nothing."

The movement of Li Xuan's hands paused.

The body of Zhou Wen.

It had been borrowed by Gurqin in the Black Abyss, and after Gurqin's power dissipated, the corpse should have remained there. But the Shadow Division didn't find it?

"He asked me to pass on a message," Shi Yong said. "'Whatever it is that killed my brother, kill it for me.'"

Li Xuan put the Blood Wolf Saber into his bundle and tied it up.

"Then let's go."

At night, Li Xuan practiced his blade in the courtyard.

The Crimson Blood True Gang Qi spread from the blade, condensing into a three-foot-long chain in the air.

The chain spun and lashed out at the old plum tree in the courtyard, leaving a charred mark on the trunk.

He tried to make the chain branch out from one into two. The two chains twisted in the air like snakes, entwining with each other before colliding, exploding into a burst of sparks interwoven with crimson gold and blood red.

It was still not stable enough.

He retracted the chain and condensed it again.

Footsteps came from outside the door.

It was Yun Qingxuan.

She stood at the courtyard gate without entering, holding a wooden box in her hand.

"Elder Ziyue asked me to bring this to you." She placed the wooden box on the threshold. "Protective gear. Profound-tier low-grade, Python Scale Armor. It's made from the skin of the Northern Territory Cold Pool Python and can withstand Yin Fiend Qi."

Li Xuan walked over and opened the wooden box. Inside lay a dark cyan soft armor, which felt cold and smooth to the touch, like snake skin. He picked it up and weighed it; it wasn't heavy, lighter even than a cotton coat.

"Thanks."

Yun Qingxuan did not leave. She stood at the courtyard gate, looking at the old plum tree in the yard.

"I'm going too," she said. "It's not an assignment from the Shadow Division; I'm going of my own accord."

Li Xuan looked at her.

"During the incident at Iron Wall City, I couldn't save General Wang." Yun Qingxuan's voice was very flat, but Li Xuan noticed that her hand gripping her sword was tighter than usual. "This time, I don't want to stand in the back anymore."

The wind blew from the north, fluttering her dark cyan robes.

Li Xuan put on the Python Scale Armor; it was a perfect fit.

"Three days from now, at the hour of the rabbit, at the North Mountain Gate."