Li Mu, unaware that he had become the target of someone's attention, was making his final push to break through. He was finally experiencing just how difficult martial arts cultivation could be.
With only limited help from external aids, he had spent more than half a year in arduous cultivation just to break through one minor realm. It was nothing like the rapid progress he had made before.
And this was only the beginning. As his martial arts realm continued to rise, the time needed for cultivation would only grow longer.
He circulated his internal energy at full force. It flowed through his body like rolling droplets of water, making one great circuit after another before splitting apart.
"I've broken through." Li Mu felt no great excitement. Only when the droplets in his dantian became an endless stream would his martial arts truly have reached mastery.
Of course, that was only an ideal state. Saying that internal energy flowed endlessly was an exaggeration. If one kept unleashing powerful moves, one would eventually run dry. Even legendary innate experts had their limits.
He had just finished washing up when a familiar voice rang in his ear.
"Senior Brother Li, you've finally come out of seclusion."
"Junior Brother Xu, you look so happy. Has something good happened at the sect?"
Seeing the joy on Xu Buwei's face, Li Mu asked in puzzlement.
Xu Buwei replied excitedly, "Senior Brother, you didn't know since you were in seclusion. News came from the foot of the mountain: Uncle Feng killed the Demonic Cult's eight great elders and is bringing their heads back. The sect is going to hold a grand sacrifice."
Hearing the answer he had expected, Li Mu finally understood. Add the two unlucky fellows who had already been taken out, and the Ten Elders of the Demonic Cult had been wiped out in full.
Perhaps it was a matter of opposing attributes: the previous generation of the Ten Elders of the Demonic Cult still lay buried on the Cliff of Repentance, and now this new batch had been wiped out too.
How the Demonic Cult elders had met their end didn't matter.
For the Mount Hua Sect, this was indeed tremendous news.
It not only dispelled the shadow cast by the Demonic Cult's earlier sneak attack on the mountain gate, but also raised the Mount Hua Sect's standing in the martial world to an unprecedented height.
From now on, "The sword emerges from Mount Hua" truly lived up to its name.
"Oh, do you know how Uncle Feng killed those Demonic Cult villains?"
Li Mu pressed.
Everyone was curious, and Li Mu was no exception. He guessed that all the bigwigs in the martial world were now studying the same question.
Especially the forces with grudges against the Mount Hua Sect. Without learning the details of what had happened, they probably wouldn't sleep well.
Xu Buwei launched into the tale with animated enthusiasm. Listening to him, Li Mu wondered if he had wandered onto the wrong set. "A sword descended from the heavens," "a flash of sword light stretched for dozens of yards"... It sounded straight out of a xianxia drama.
If that had truly happened, Li Mu was sure the Ten Elders of the Demonic Cult wouldn't be the only ones dead by now. Wouldn't Feng Qingyang storm the Demonic Cult's lair and level Black Wood Cliff to soothe his fury?
The Sword Saint was now in the prime of his youth, at a stage of life where he could act on his grudges and let his passions run free. He wasn't yet the white-haired old man from Smiling Proud Wanderer who had seen through worldly affairs. His killing intent was still fierce!
Rumors could kill. Clearly, Junior Brother Xu had been led astray by some story from who-knew-where.
Of course, though the rumors were a little exaggerated, one thing was true: Feng Qingyang really was formidable.
He couldn't take on an entire nation by himself, but matching a first-rate sect was no problem.
As far as the great martial world factions were concerned, they would probably rather face a major sect than provoke a monster like him.
Li Mu knew without thinking that Feng Qingyang's return to the mountain on the heels of such a great victory would stir up trouble within the sect again.
The most immediate problem was the imbalance of strength between the Sword and Qi Factions. The Sword Sect had already surpassed the Qi Sect in strength, and its advantage was only growing with time.
After the failed eastward expansion strategy, Ning Qingyu's prestige had suffered. Some in the Sword Sect had wanted to stir up trouble, but the seasoned Ning Qingyu had skillfully diverted their attention.
With Feng Qingyang's forceful return, those people would probably be unable to hold back again. What happened next would depend on how Ning Qingyu handled it.
Gazing at the clouds in the distance, Li Mu suddenly felt he ought to do something. He couldn't keep giving way forever.
Avoiding the struggle between the Sword and Qi Factions was far too passive. It had taken the Mount Hua Sect a long time to build up its current foundation. If the two sides truly fought, it would take thirty or forty years to recover.
How many spans of thirty or forty years could a person have in one lifetime? How could they afford to squander them like this?
Li Mu could stand at the peak of the martial world and take in the view. He didn't want to swallow his anger, bow his head, and live a miserable life.
Since the butterfly's wings had already stirred, he might as well make them beat harder.
Unlike the laughter and celebration on Mount Hua, the tranquil martial world was shaken by this thunderbolt. While everyone stared blankly at the news, the Sun Moon Divine Cult had already begun to move.
Black Wood Cliff
When news arrived that the Ten Elders had been wiped out, Dugu Qingyun merely let out a cold laugh. He gave no sign of anger or joy.
But the followers below were trembling with fear. Those from the former Ten Elders' faction were especially uneasy, each feeling as if they were standing on the edge of an abyss.
"Eight elders and fifty elite followers died at the hands of a single man's sword. What a way to bring honor to our Divine Cult!"
"A bunch of good-for-nothings!"
After being scolded, the followers who had been frightened stiff actually breathed a sigh of relief.
Everyone knew what kind of man Dugu Qingyun was. The cult leader never liked to say more than necessary, especially to the dead.
If they were still here being scolded, that meant they were still of use and didn't have to die just yet.
Perhaps he had vented enough. Dugu Qingyun swept his gaze over the followers below and said coldly, "The Divine Cult's dignity must not be violated. No one can do so without paying a price.
"Since those hypocrites of the orthodox path dare to provoke us, we'll give them a taste of our power.
"All ten positions among the elders are now vacant. Whoever takes Feng Qingyang's head will become the foremost of the Ten Elders of our Divine Cult.
"The other nine will also be promoted from among those who distinguish themselves in the battles to come. Any follower of the Divine Cult, whatever their position, may compete."
Everyone knew that a new war between the orthodox and demonic sides had begun, yet no one voiced an objection.
It was not only fear of Dugu Qingyun's authority. It was also the Sun Moon Divine Cult's tradition: every cult leader, after taking power, would start a war between the orthodox and demonic sides.
If not for the internal struggle for power, this battle should have broken out several years ago. Now that the Ten Elders had all been wiped out and the force restraining Dugu Qingyun was gone, the war was bound to begin.
After a pause, Dugu Qingyun asked solemnly, "Where are the Left and Right Envoys?"
Two elders in purple robes stepped out from the crowd. They came forward, respectfully performed a full prostration, and answered in unison, "We will obey the cult leader's command!"
Dugu Qingyun nodded. "I command you two to lead the followers directly under the Ten Elders and join forces with the disciples of the Five Northern Branches. Bring the martial world forces along the way under our control, and prepare to advance into the Central Plains."
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