At dawn, sunlight spilled from the east, and with purple clouds drifting across the sky, Mount Hua looked especially beautiful.
Gazing at the stunning view before him, Li Mu couldn't help thinking of the Purple Mist Divine Skill. He wondered whether the foremost of Mount Hua's Nine Skills had anything to do with the breathtaking purple clouds before him.
Unfortunately, he had searched the Scripture Library from top to bottom, and all the records about the Purple Mist Divine Skill did was rave about how powerful it was. None gave any concrete details.
As expected, novels were all lies. The predecessors hadn't hidden a divine skill manual in some crack for a fated person to find as a joke.
Of course, he hadn't come away empty-handed. The Scripture Library held quite a few peerless divine skills, but they all came with various problems. If you were stubborn enough to practice one anyway, you could probably manage to become "peerless."
Compared to those divine skills, riddled with flaws and guaranteed to make you "peerless" if you practiced them, it was the common, dime-a-dozen techniques that had proved Li Mu's real treasure.
The fact that these techniques were dime a dozen proved they were widely applicable. Countless people had tested them, showing there were no hidden pitfalls.
He didn't need to practice them, but the martial arts principles, ingenious ideas, and related cultivation knowledge they contained were all precious treasures.
Between supervising his junior brothers and sisters as they trained and spending his time reading in the Scripture Library, Li Mu's entire bearing had changed over the past few months.
His bearing had changed, and his cultivation had advanced even faster. Thanks to the resources rewarded by the sect, Li Mu had also experienced what it felt like to fly. Everything had gone smoothly, and he had broken through to the first-rate realm.
And then... then he had stopped. It wasn't that he had run out of medicinal ingredients. Rather, a voice deep inside him told him that taking shortcuts came at a price.
Li Mu trusted his instincts, and the sect's books also emphasized that a martial artist couldn't rely too heavily on external aids.
At his current level, a little caution was enough to keep him safe. There was no harm in cultivating a bit more slowly; that was better than damaging his foundation and harming his future potential.
Inside Huayin City
In a luxurious silk shop, a young man dressed like a shop assistant said excitedly, "Branch Leader, our inside source has confirmed that the Mount Hua Sect's main force has all left. There are only a bunch of disciples who joined recently on the mountain.
"Reinforcements from the cult are on their way. If we pass this news along, the Holy Cult will surely..."
Before the young man could finish, a group of unexpected visitors interrupted him.
"No need. We're already here."
The moment the old man who looked like the shopkeeper saw who had arrived, his bearing changed completely. He knelt and bowed respectfully.
"Liu Changqing of the Guanzhong Branch pays his respects to Elder Jia and Elder Zhou."
The middle-aged man in purple at the front gave a slight nod, then pressed him for an answer. "Is the news you just mentioned true? Has the Mount Hua Sect really sent out all its forces?"
The young man hurriedly replied, "Reporting to the elders, this disciple wouldn't dare deceive you. We've confirmed the news again and again. Many people in Huayin saw the Mount Hua Sect's main force leave.
"Even if we missed something, it can't be much. Once the Holy Cult's main force arrives, we'll surely take Mount Hua!"
The Purple-Clad Man shook his head. "There's no time. The Mount Hua Sect's reinforcements have already set out, led personally by Feng Qingyang. They're planning to intercept our Holy Cult's forces at Weinan.
"The righteous factions are busy fighting among themselves. We have no need to brave the flames for Shaolin and clash head-on with the Mount Hua Sect.
"The First Elder sent us here ahead of the others to investigate and see if there was an opportunity to exploit. Hall Master Liu, how many men can the Guanzhong Branch muster?"
At the question, Liu Changqing's expression changed. He dropped to his knees, trembling with fear. "Reporting to the elder, this disciple has failed the Holy Cult's great trust.
"The Guanzhong Martial Arts Alliance is extremely hostile toward the Holy Cult. If our disciples' identities are exposed, they'll immediately be hunted down by the Mount Hua Sect. We can only keep our identities hidden and operate in secret.
"Over the years, we've secretly taken control of a few small gangs, but apart from that, we've achieved almost nothing.
"Excluding the gangsters who can't fight, we can muster no more than two hundred men. Only seventeen are third-rate fighters, and three are second-rate."
As the Sun Moon Divine Cult's provincial head, Liu Changqing would have been an important figure anywhere else. A powerful branch could even rival a first-rate sect.
Unfortunately, Liu Changqing was out of luck. He'd been sent to the Mount Hua Sect's stronghold, where he could only stay hidden and plan in secret, fretting over every step. He didn't even dare show his face.
The Purple-Clad Man nodded. "Get up. Guanzhong is a special case, so it's understandable that you haven't managed to gain a foothold.
"Here's your chance to redeem yourself. Secretly gather the men of the Guanzhong Branch and keep them ready to move. At the same time, send someone to verify the news once more.
"That's enough for today. We're tired from the journey, so arrange a discreet place for us to stay."
"This disciple obeys."
Liu Changqing then led the group, who were disguised as armed escorts transporting goods, to a secluded courtyard where merchant caravans often stayed.
"I'm sorry for the humble accommodations, elders. For safety's sake..."
Before Liu Changqing could finish, the Purple-Clad Man impatiently cut him off. "That's enough. You can go."
At the foot of Mount Hua, no one dared let down their guard. The slightest leak could cost them their lives, so there was no room to be particular.
After dismissing everyone, the gray-clad old man suddenly spoke. "Brother Jia, are you planning to launch a surprise attack on Mount Hua? That's far too risky!"
The Purple-Clad Man smiled faintly. "You needn't worry, Brother Zhou. I'm not a fool. I wouldn't do something without a reasonable chance of success.
"The Mount Hua Sect is currently facing off against Shaolin in Luoyang, and they've also dispatched troops to intercept our Holy Cult's main force. Even if there are still experts on the mountain, how many could there be?
"I'm not trying to wipe out the Mount Hua Sect. With the elite squad we brought, plus the rabble from the Guanzhong Branch, surely we can at least cause a scene on Mount Hua?
"At worst, the two of us can still retreat unharmed. As long as we can cripple the next generation of the Mount Hua Sect, it'll be worth it even if we have to pay with all our lives.
"You know what things are like in the cult. Cult Leader Dugu has long been displeased with us. For years, he's kept promoting newcomers and pushing us aside.
"We were pushed into this mission. If we return empty-handed, our standing in the cult will become even more precarious.
"It wouldn't be surprising if someone had leaked our route to the Mount Hua Sect. The First Elder had us break away from the main force and go ahead precisely so we could catch them off guard."
Compared to the righteous sects, the internal power struggles of the Sun Moon Divine Cult were undoubtedly even more brutal. Failure often meant death, and the chances of escaping unharmed were practically zero.
With a new emperor came a new court. The Ten Elders of the Demonic Cult, with their high rank and power, had naturally become thorns in the new cult leader's side. Before Dugu Qingyun took the throne, they had supported another candidate, so the two sides had been at daggers drawn from the start.
After hesitating for a moment, the gray-clad man said firmly, "Very well. Since you've already thought it through, Brother Jia, I won't say another word."
Before you continue