Qing Province, Southern Region.
Amid a vast mountain range, palace halls and pavilions nestled among lush green forests.
This was where the Blood Spirit Sect, the greatest sect in Qing Province, was located.
The sect master, Yan Shan, was a gaunt old man with prominent cheekbones and sharp eyes that gave him a shrewd, ruthless air.
Back in the main hall.
Yan Shan's expression darkened completely. He had just returned from Xuanqing Sect, where he had met with Yan Changkong.
In Qing Province, the enmity between the Blood Spirit Sect and Xuanqing Sect was no secret.
All the major sects knew about it.
The two sects were not far apart, so they often clashed over various resources.
Most of the time, though, the Blood Spirit Sect had the upper hand.
But after the Diary of the Immortal Great Emperor was revealed, Xuanqing Sect had risen with the force of a thunderclap.
The spirit stones they earned just from selling information about the Great Emperor were enough to help Xuanqing Sect cultivate a large number of young disciples.
As one side rose and the other fell, the gap between them would close at a visibly rapid pace.
After all, resources were vital to the path of cultivation.
Nearby, the Blood Spirit Sect's Great Elder snapped, "Yan Changkong is utterly unreasonable. Does he really think that one man's path to the heavens will lift even his dogs and chickens with him?"
He fumed, "Our Blood Spirit Sect was willing to form an alliance with him, and he actually dared to refuse?"
At this, Yan Shan's expression grew even more ominous.
He pondered for a moment, then fixed his sharp gaze on Great Elder Lei Lie and said coldly, "I'm afraid that old fox Yan Changkong has other designs!"
Lei Lie's expression turned grave. "Could he really dare to attack our Blood Spirit Sect?"
"Who can say for certain?"
Yan Shan lowered his head in thought, his eyes glinting from time to time.
"Yan Changkong smiles on the surface, but he keeps refusing our request for an alliance. That's more than enough reason for us to take action!"
Killing intent surged in Yan Shan's eyes. "We can't just sit back and wait for death!"
Great Elder Lei Lie's deeply wrinkled face took on a grave expression. He said worriedly,
"But Xuanqing Sect is at the height of its power right now. If we make a move against them, I'm afraid..."
"When did I ever say we'd attack Xuanqing Sect?"
"Then what does the sect master mean?"
Yan Shan's lips curved into a crafty smile. "Yan Changkong's hostility toward us is only natural. After all, our relationship hasn't been good during his thousand years as sect master."
"But what if we had a different sect master?"
Yan Shan continued, "We can simply support an elder who bears us no ill will and put him in power."
Lei Lie was still somewhat worried. "And the Immortal Great Emperor?"
"Don't worry!"
"The Immortal Great Emperor only cares whether Xuanqing Sect still exists. Who becomes sect master? What does that matter to him?"
Yan Shan said sagely, "As long as Xuanqing Sect is still standing when he returns, who will care about Yan Changkong?"
After a moment of silence,
Lei Lie grasped the crux of the matter. A smile spread across his face, and he praised, "The sect master is wise!"
"But Yan Changkong has already reached the Spirit Transformation Realm. It won't be easy to deal with him without leaving a trace."
Yan Shan nodded and sighed. "We'll have to plan the details carefully, and I can't act personally."
"Let's hire people from Shadow Kill to do it!"
The two began discussing the plan, working out the details.
They also decided that even if they were going to kill Yan Changkong, they wouldn't do it now.
They would wait ten or eight years, until the commotion died down. Then, making their move wouldn't draw so much attention.
An hour later,
Great Elder Lei Lie sighed and gritted his teeth. "Why did the Immortal Great Emperor have to belong to Xuanqing Sect?"
"If he belonged to our Blood Spirit Sect, unifying Qing Province would be just around the corner!"
Yan Shan shot him a glare. "I'd be satisfied if the Diary mentioned our Blood Spirit Sect even once."
"Then the entire Cultivation World would know our sect's great name!"
Lei Lie pondered for a moment, then decided it made sense.
If the Immortal Great Emperor's Diary happened to mention their sect, the greatest in Qing Province,
it would bring them tremendous benefits.
At the very least, many more disciples would come to pay their respects and seek entry.
Xuanqing Sect.
The scene there was entirely different.
Before the mountain gate, a human sea stretched into a long line. They were cultivators from all over who had come hoping to join Xuanqing Sect.
Some were from Qing Province, while others had traveled from different provinces.
Even disciples from some Ancient Clans and the Immortal Dynasty had come, hoping to join Xuanqing Sect.
For a sect, this was a tremendous honor.
It also brought Xuanqing Sect a great advantage: the chance to quickly forge deep ties with all the major powers.
"Hahahaha!"
Great Elder Chen Xiu stood before the mountain gate, gazing at the crowds packed before him. He laughed so hard his eyes nearly disappeared.
Since Xuanqing Sect was founded, it had probably never seen a scene like this more than a handful of times.
And now he was witnessing it with his own eyes—and personally presiding over it!
This would be a glorious entry in the sect's history.
This sort of grand occasion was usually reserved for top-tier sects or Holy Lands when they recruited new disciples.
Even though they kept raising the bar for new disciples' talents,
it still couldn't dampen the enthusiasm of the countless young cultivators.
The Immortal Great Emperor!
That name alone was a golden signboard.
Once they joined Xuanqing Sect, if nothing else, they would at least be fellow disciples of the Great Emperor.
A moment later, a sect disciple came over and said with a wry smile,
"Great Elder, we've already raised our requirements for talent and spiritual roots again and again!
"But the number of people who pass the tests still far exceeds our estimates."
Chen Xiu couldn't help but wear a rueful smile.
He didn't know whether to be glad or frustrated.
For a sect, being able to recruit so many young disciples of exceptional talent was naturally a wonderful thing.
In time, as these talented disciples advanced in cultivation,
Xuanqing Sect's strength would rise right along with them!
After all, the younger generation was the sect's hope.
The problem was, it had all happened too quickly. Xuanqing Sect could barely fit everyone now!
The sect was practically bursting at the seams.
Just then, Yan Changkong had somehow appeared behind them. In a deep voice, he said, "Then starting with the next group, raise the requirements for talent again!"
This was a necessary choice.
After a moment's hesitation, Yan Changkong added solemnly, "Also, our territory really can't keep up with our rate of growth anymore."
Great Elder Chen Xiu's expression shifted. "Sect master, are you saying we should expand our territory?"
This was no small matter.
The hundreds of sects, large and small, across Qing Province had long since divided up all the cultivation paradises.
All that remained were places with relatively thin spiritual energy.
They weren't suitable for long-term cultivation.
Yan Changkong nodded. "It's time to take back the territory they once stole from us!"
At this, the several elders nearby all looked excited.
As sect master, Yan Changkong had always favored peace.
He had even seemed rather weak to others.
As a result, Xuanqing Sect had lost quite a bit of territory, seized by the Blood Spirit Sect and other sects.
Now, at last, they could settle the score.
Yan Changkong pondered for a moment, then added, "Still, we'll have to think carefully about whom to move against first."
"We need a just cause!"
The Great Elder nodded. "Exactly!"
Meanwhile,
Jiang Youlong and the others had already piloted their enormous flying vessel to the skies above the Cloudfall Mountain Range.
As far as the eye could see, the endless mountain range resembled dragons coiled across the earth.
The ridges rising and falling were like the dragons' spines.
From within the forests came the earth-shaking roars of demon beasts, their terrifying might reverberating through the mountains.
Or astonishing fluctuations swept through the area, sending swathes of forest tumbling like a raging flood...
Jiang Youlong withdrew his gaze and looked solemnly at the white-haired elder beside him.
"This is the Cloudfall Mountain Range, Elder Mu. We're counting on you."
At this, Hua Hongyi and Zuo Qingtian also looked over with grave expressions.
The elder, Elder Mu, wore a dark robe, his white hair floating in the breeze. He had the air of a transcendent immortal.
An enigmatic Daoist aura enveloped him.
It made his true appearance impossible to discern. Even as he stood there, he seemed to waver between presence and absence.
He was a powerful cultivator in the service of the Jiang Clan.
Not only had he reached the middle stage of the Void Refinement Realm, but he was also skilled in Causality Divination.
He could deduce cause and effect, and calculate the flaws in other people's cultivation techniques.
In a real fight, ordinary cultivators in the late stage of the Void Refinement Realm were no match for him.