Death of the Sect Leader

Sure enough, a few days later, the Cloud Saint Sect convened a high-level meeting for all elders and above. The meeting lasted for two full days. Two days later, Jing Yifei returned to the Fire Cloud Hall with a gray, somber expression, and Sanbao offered his concern at the appropriate moment.

"Master, what has made you so unhappy?"

"Follow me inside." Jing Yifei did not say much, merely shaking his head as he led Sanbao into a secret chamber.

"The Grand Sect Master has been killed; I fear Cloud Mountain will be full of trouble from now on." Jing Yifei went straight to the point, which perfectly confirmed Sanbao's suspicions. It was indeed the sect master of the Cloud Saint Sect, and the one with the greatest strength at that.

"Master, do you know who killed him?" Sanbao feigned surprise and asked in a low voice.

"According to the Third Sect Master, it should have been the work of a seventh-rank spirit beast."

"Some time ago, a powerful spirit beast arrived at our Cloud Mountain. Zhao Hong, a disciple of Zhao Youdao, was killed by it. Upon hearing this news, the Third Sect Master went alone, intending to capture or kill it, but unexpectedly, he was beaten back with heavy injuries. When he returned to report to the sect, the Grand Sect Master went out personally, only to discover that the opponent was actually a seventh-rank spirit beast."

"Because the spirit beast's strength was too formidable and no one in our Cloud Saint Sect could rival it, the Grand Sect Master decided that as long as it did not actively harm people, we would let nature take its course. However, after observing it for a few days, the Grand Sect Master discovered that this was no ordinary seventh-rank spirit beast, but one on the verge of a breakthrough."

"Just like how we humans break through the profound to become saints, the breakthrough from the seventh rank to the eighth rank is incomparably difficult. Without the aid of external objects, the probability of success is less than one in a hundred. And most importantly, during the breakthrough, a spirit beast's spirit power is consumed in massive quantities, causing its strength to drop to less than one percent of its peak."

"This gave us a heaven-sent opportunity. You must know that a seventh-rank spirit beast is a treasure from head to toe. If it could be killed, it would likely be worth more than a true-grade Spirit Weapon or spirit pill; its value is unimaginably high."

"The Grand Sect Master was killed by a single strike, his body even split into two. We judge that the spirit beast must have succeeded in its breakthrough; otherwise, it could not have been so effortless. The Grand Sect Master calculated everything, but he could not have calculated this, and thus he met with a catastrophic disaster..."

After Jing Yifei slowly finished recounting the speculations of the Cloud Saint Sect members, his expression grew even more solemn. Then, remembering something, he hurriedly added:

"By the way, Sanbao, you must not spread these things. To maintain the dignity of the sect, the sect has announced to the outside world that the Grand Sect Master was assassinated while in cultivation!"

Sanbao nodded in agreement; he had never been one to wag his tongue.

Comparing this to the scene at the top of the lonely mountain that night, Sanbao secretly thought that the Cloud Saint Sect had many capable people, as they had managed to guess the truth with high accuracy. It was just that they would never imagine that the beginning of all this was caused by two insignificant entry-level disciples, Wang Liang and Sanbao.

Cloud Mountain was a treasure land of spirit veins. With the Cloud Saint Sect having lost the protection of a Spirit Emperor expert like the Grand Sect Master, it would likely face provocations and attacks from many large and small factions in the future. This was a situation that no member of the Cloud Saint Sect wished to see.

"There is one more thing that concerns you slightly. The Third Sect Master has ordered all entry-level disciples under the age of twenty to gather at the Cloud Saint Hall in three days. No one is allowed to be absent. However, since you are now at the Spirit General realm, you only need to go to the Cloud Saint Hall to verify your status. Once you become a core disciple, you won't need to go. Do as you please; a storm is coming to Cloud Mountain, so cherish your opportunities..."

Jing Yifei's mood was extremely low.

Only then did Sanbao notice that his master seemed to have aged significantly overnight; faint wrinkles had appeared at the corners of his eyes, revealing a look of exhaustion.

"Master, are you too tired? Why don't you go back and rest for a while?"

"Yes, I am indeed tired. I will be going into seclusion in a few days, and I don't know when I will emerge. Now that you have reached the Spirit General realm, you can barely control the Bronze Cauldron. I will leave the Earth Fire Hall entirely to you. The things inside are very important; do not be negligent." After giving these instructions, Jing Yifei drifted away.

"Suddenly summoning all entry-level disciples? Could it be related to the killing of the Grand Sect Master? Right, it must be that Xie Mei'er wants to find me. After all, she very likely saw that I had fainted beside the Colored Deer. If she says I colluded with the spirit beast, I would truly have no way to defend myself."

"Fortunately, I have advanced to the Spirit General realm. I should go to the sect to register immediately so I don't have to attend the gathering. Let that girl search among the entry-level disciples all she wants." Thinking of this, Sanbao chuckled to himself, feeling somewhat smug.

The Cloud Saint Hall was still bustling with noise.

Sanbao pricked up his ears and listened; the vast majority were discussing the killing of the Grand Sect Master. The high-level officials of the Cloud Saint Sect were truly interesting; they didn't know how to hide such significant negative news, and within a few days, it had become the talk of the town.

A side hall of the main building was the location of the Execution Hall of the Cloud Saint Sect. People of all kinds were coming and going, appearing exceptionally busy. When Sanbao clearly explained his intentions to a deacon, the other party was very enthusiastic.

"Then I shall congratulate you first, Junior Brother. Come into the inner hall; once the sitting elder verifies your cultivation, you can be promoted. From then on, you will be like us, permanently stationed at the peak of Cloud Mountain."

"Many thanks, Senior Brother."

Sanbao followed the senior brother who was handling the affairs into the inner hall of the Execution Hall. Sitting high on the dais was a middle-aged man with a dark face and thick eyebrows. The sitting elder today was none other than the head of the Execution Hall, Zhao Youdao.

"Elder Zhao, this junior brother is here to be promoted to a core disciple. I hope the Elder can verify it."

"Good." Zhao Youdao raised his eyes and looked, his gaze meeting Sanbao's eyes. Both were startled for a split second.

"So this is Zhao Hong's uncle, Zhao Youdao. They really do look somewhat similar!" Sanbao thought to himself.

Sanbao had seen Zhao Youdao before, but had never paid him much attention. Zhao Hong's death had something to do with him, and since the other party was Zhao Hong's uncle, Sanbao could not help but feel a bit worried.

"This child is so young, yet he has such a sharp gaze. I wonder whose disciple he is?" Zhao Youdao was also surprised by Sanbao's powerful soul force.

The eyes are the windows to the soul and the color of the spirit. Sanbao's eyes were pitch-black and spirited, making Zhao Youdao feel that he was extraordinary.

"Whose disciple are you? When did you enter the sect?" Zhao Youdao slowly walked in front of Sanbao, his powerful aura pressing down upon him.

"Disciple Luo Sanbao, under Elder Jing of Fire Cloud Peak, an entry-level disciple from last year," Sanbao replied with his head bowed in trepidation.

"Elder Jing? Is she doing well?" Hearing that he was a disciple of Jing Yifei, Zhao Youdao's voice dropped a few degrees. He seemed to have a special respect for Jing Yifei, with a hint of vague sadness.

"Master is doing well, though she may be going into seclusion for a period of time. Many thanks for your concern, Elder Zhao." Sanbao had not expected his master to have such prestige; even the top elder of Cloud Mountain treated her with such respect. A Treasure Refiner was indeed highly regarded.

"Oh, very well. Your talent is excellent. Follow Elder Jing and cultivate well in the future. You have passed here; go and collect your token." Zhao Youdao seemed preoccupied and waved his hand at Sanbao, returning to his seat.

Sanbao hurriedly thanked him and withdrew. Everything had turned out to be so simple.

Just then, a young woman in light-colored clothing suddenly appeared from a side door of the inner hall, just in time to see Sanbao's retreating back.

"Elder Zhao, my father requests your presence. By the way, who was that man just now?" The person speaking was none other than the Third Sect Master's daughter, Xie Mei'er.

"Oh, just a core disciple with no power or influence," Zhao Youdao said with a hint of sarcasm.

He was also somewhat angry in his heart. This woman had clearly been very close to his nephew, and yet, not long after his nephew's death, she was already looking to hook up with other men. She was truly a fickle woman.

However, this Xie Mei'er was no ordinary person; not only was she the daughter of the Third Sect Master, but she was also the crown princess of the Yunli Kingdom, so he dared not offend her.

"A core disciple? Then it wasn't him," Xie Mei'er muttered to herself, not noticing that Zhao Youdao had misunderstood her expression.

Sanbao, who was in the middle of collecting his core disciple token, was completely unaware that he had narrowly escaped a disaster.

After presenting Sanbao with the token signifying his status as a core disciple, a senior brother from the Execution Hall kindly began to explain:

"Junior Brother Luo, now that you are a core disciple, according to sect rules, you may accept various missions here at the Execution Hall. The rewards for these missions are very generous. Take a look at these; they were just posted by the sect. Discovering a Grade 5 spirit beast or higher within the Cloud Mountain range rewards three thousand gold coins and three hundred sect merits. Discovering a Grade 6 spirit beast or higher rewards thirty thousand gold coins and three thousand merits. Gathering intelligence in Qingyun Town at the foot of Cloud Mountain rewards thirty gold coins and twenty merits per month..."

"Senior Brother, besides gold coins, what are these merits actually used for?" Sanbao asked with interest.

"Sect merits are excellent things! You can exchange them here at the Execution Hall for money, cultivation techniques, Spirit Skills, and you can even trade them for Spirit Weapons and spirit pills," the senior brother said, handing over a small booklet that clearly listed the various items available for exchange using merits.

The most valuable item recorded was a mid-grade Spirit Weapon, which required six hundred thousand merits.

High-grade cultivation techniques and Spirit Skills were priced at around one hundred thousand merit points.

Access to the Library Pavilion cost three hundred merits per day.

And so on...

"Many thanks for your guidance, Senior Brother. I have some matters to attend to back at my sect residence, but I will certainly come back to accept missions when I have the time," Sanbao said with a polite excuse before calmly taking his leave.

With his master in seclusion and the Earth Fire Hall left unattended, it was impossible for him to leave the Fire Cloud Hall. Furthermore, having just advanced to the rank of Spirit General, he had yet to master his various Spirit Skills to their peak, so now was not the time to venture out.