Sword Sect Internal Strife

The meeting proceeded quickly. Perhaps due to Ning Qingyu's injuries, everyone maintained a tacit restraint, and for once, no arguments erupted.

However, Li Mu knew this was merely the calm before the storm. Ning Qingyu's physical state simply did not allow him to preside over sect affairs for long; he would inevitably have to go into seclusion to heal.

Once the sect leader entered seclusion, the power of the sect would inevitably fall into the hands of the Council of Elders. No one knew what kind of chaos would ensue between the Sword and Qi Sects once the constraints were removed.

Just after leaving the Sword Qi Soaring Hall, a familiar voice came from behind.

"Junior Nephew Li, please stay a moment!"

Hearing this voice, Li Mu knew that what was meant to come would come. Ning Qingfeng had made his move; the Sword Sect would certainly not sit idly by and wait for death.

With Zhou Qingyun and Feng Qingyang both away from the mountain, this was the weakest moment for the faction supporting him. If they wanted to stir up trouble, now was the perfect time.

For instance: using the banner of righteousness to force him to withdraw from the competition.

His status was low and his words carried little weight, and his supporters within the sect were few. If he were to face a forced abdication, it would be truly difficult to handle.

A flash of inspiration struck, and Li Mu suddenly said, "Uncle-Master Wang, the major affairs of the sect are for you and the other Uncle-Masters to preside over; this disciple is shallow in learning and will not involve himself further.

It just so happens that I have had a sudden realization and touched upon a bottleneck in my cultivation. I must return to seclude myself and break through, so I cannot stay any longer."

Having said this, without giving Uncle-Master Wang a chance to speak or persuade him to stay, Li Mu immediately channeled his light-body technique and leaped away.

Direct conflict with the elders of the sect was a major taboo, especially when it involved power struggles; it was all too easy to be labeled as "greedy for power and disregarding the big picture."

To avoid such an awkward scene, Li Mu immediately decided to employ the "delaying tactic."

Breaking through in cultivation was the top priority for any martial artist. In the pugilistic world, there had always been a saying: "To obstruct one's path to enlightenment is an irreconcilable feud."

As long as he went into seclusion, no matter how many schemes they had, they would have no room to execute them.

In any case, his cultivation speed was fast enough that after a year or so of hard training, he would reach a new level, and there would be no awkwardness when they met again.

"Slippery brat!"

After cursing under his breath, Wang Qingyuan could only turn and leave in frustration.

He held no ill will toward Li Mu, but Cai Buli was the grandson of his grand-master, Cai Zifeng, and the closeness of their bloodline determined his stance.

As one of the main figures who stole the Sunflower Manual, Cai Zifeng was the first to propose the "Sword Sect Theory" and could be considered the founding ancestor of the Sword Sect faction.

Currently, most of Cai Buli's main supporters were the disciples and grand-disciples of Cai Zifeng. It was precisely because of this relationship that even after Li Mu's meteoric rise, everyone had not abandoned Cai Buli.

Seeing Wang Qingyuan return alone, Feng Qingshan, sitting in the main seat, asked:

"Junior Brother Wang, why didn't Nephew Bumou come?"

Surveying the group, Wang Qingyuan replied truthfully, "Nephew Bumou was just observing the 'Sword Qi Soaring' plaque and suddenly had a realization; he has gone to seclude himself for a breakthrough.

As it involves personal cultivation, I could not say much. Before leaving, Nephew Bumou also said that the major affairs of the sect should be decided by everyone."

Having a realization while observing the sect plaque—no one believed such a flimsy excuse.

However, no one could deny it either, as those large characters had been left behind by an ancestor who had broken through to the Xiantian realm, and it was said they contained the essence of the ancestor's sword techniques.

Whether it was true or false didn't matter; the boast had already been made, and as a good disciple, one naturally couldn't say that a sect elder was lying. If one couldn't comprehend it, it only meant one was too stupid.

Seeing that the atmosphere was off, Elder Yu decisively stepped in to smooth things over: "Nephew Bumou has exceptional talent; to be able to gain insight from the words left by our ancestor is truly a cause for celebration.

Since Nephew Bumou is going into seclusion to break through, let us begin! Senior Brother Feng, you were in such a hurry to summon us here—what is this about?"

Hearing "what is this about," Feng Qingshan felt his scalp tingle. Everything had been planned, but unfortunately, the key person was absent at the critical moment.

If Li Mu himself gave up the fight for the successor position, even if Zhou Qingyun, Feng Qingyang, and the others returned, they wouldn't be able to say anything.

But if they made the decision for him, there would be big trouble later. If Zhou Qingyun, Feng Qingyang, and the others refused to accept it, Feng Qingshan wouldn't be able to handle the fallout.

To put it bluntly, he was only an elder of the Mount Hua Sect, not the sect leader. Even if he had more say in the sect on a daily basis, everyone's status on the surface remained equal.

If the matter were truly blown out of proportion, the hearts of the Sword Sect would scatter. But the arrow was already on the string; it had to be fired.

The Sword Sect faction had twenty-three elders in total. Only eleven had clearly stated their support for Cai Buli. Of the remaining twelve, five were inclined toward Li Mu, and seven were currently neutral.

It appeared that Cai Buli held the advantage, but in reality, that was not the case. After the sect meeting ended, Feng Qingshan clearly sensed a shift in the stance of the neutral group of seven.

And this was while Zhou Qingyun and the others had not yet returned to the mountain; otherwise, the situation would be even more severe. To avoid the worst-case scenario, he had to let Cai Buli establish an advantage within the Sword Sect as soon as possible.

After some thought, Feng Qingshan said with a grave expression: "The sect leader's battle with the Three Peerless Monks of Shaolin, while greatly boosting the prestige of our Mount Hua, has also come at a heavy price.

I do not know the specifics, but judging from the battle that day, the sect leader has likely damaged his foundation and will certainly have to go into seclusion to heal.

Against this backdrop, it is very likely that a Young Sect Leader will be appointed to preside over the sect's affairs.

To avoid being caught off guard, we must unify our stance as soon as possible and put forward a successor to compete with the Qi Sect for the position of the next sect leader.

Nephew Bumou and Nephew Buli are both excellent and are rare talents of our Mount Hua Sect.

Especially Nephew Bumou's martial arts talent, which rivals even Junior Brother Feng, but he is too young and likely cannot shoulder such a heavy responsibility in the short term."

Elder Yu objected: "Senior Brother Feng, the sect leader's martial arts are profound, and his Purple Mist Divine Skill has reached the pinnacle of perfection; even if injured, he will recover quickly.

Establishing a successor is a major event; even if the sect leader has his own thoughts, he cannot decide it in a single word. I think this matter should be discussed at length, and we should wait until Junior Brother Feng and the others return to the mountain.

After all, Junior Brother Feng is the only supreme expert of our Sword Sect; there is no reason to bypass him for such a major event."

In the martial arts world, the strong are revered; as the premier expert of the Sword Sect, even if he disliked managing affairs, Feng Qingyang held significant sway within the sect.

Elder Fang, who had remained neutral on the side, chimed in: "Junior Brother Yu speaks the truth. A matter of such magnitude, one that will determine the fate of our Sword Sect for the next several decades, is best discussed when all the elders of our Sword Sect are present."

"We must also consider the opinions of the disciples under our tutelage. If we were to push forward a successor whom everyone opposes, how could we possibly command respect?"

"If we cannot even convince the disciples of our own Sword Sect, how could we ever hope to make the Qi Sect submit?"