Schemes Abound

Without any surprise, once the conservative faction gained the upper hand, the shrewd Ning Qingyu decisively went with the flow and chose to observe the situation first.

As for his two unfortunate allies, he could only offer his apologies. To the current Mount Hua Sect, the two sects were important allies, but not indispensable.

Sacrificing oneself for an ally was clearly not the act of a wise man. Especially since the Mount Tai Sect was so far away, the Mount Hua Sect was truly unable to reach them in time.

Observing did not mean doing nothing; on the contrary, the Mount Hua Sect began organizing an Anti-Demonic Alliance in Guanzhong, inviting heroes from all over the world to join.

For instance: the Diancang Sect and Yuntai Sect of Yungui... the Kunlun Sect, Kongtong Sect, and Tianshan Sect of the Western Regions... the Snow Mountain Sect of Qinghai... all received invitations.

No one would pass up an opportunity to boost their reputation. Every sect expressed their support, though as for when reinforcements would actually arrive, that would depend on everyone's integrity.

Since it was an alliance, the Mount Hua Sect naturally could not act alone before their allies were in place.

With the establishment of the Anti-Demonic Alliance, rumors began to fly across the martial arts world regarding the Demonic Cult's sudden, large-scale offensive.

Martial arts rumors: The "Three Absolutes Divine Monk" is nearing the end of his lifespan, the Shaolin Temple is facing a succession crisis, and the Demonic Cult has set its sights on the Muscle Tendon Changing Classic.

Martial arts rumors: Five Mountains Alliance Leader Ning Qingyu is suffering from a severe illness and is now bedridden, unable to preside over the big picture, and the Demonic Cult intends to go to Mount Hua to avenge the death of the Ten Elders.

Martial arts rumors: The second ancestor of Wudang has ascended to immortality, the sect's experts are depleted, and the Demonic Cult is moving south because they have set their sights on the legacy of Sanfeng Zhenren.

Martial arts rumors: Dugu Qingyun of the Demonic Cult has broken through to the Xiantian realm and seeks to dominate the martial arts world.

Mount Heng

Ever since receiving the letter from Ning Qingyu, Abbess Lingqing had been in a state of distress. "Avoid the sharp edge," it sounded easy, but putting it into practice was not so simple.

As the largest martial arts sect in Shanxi, the Mount Heng Sect also had a massive foundation. Not to mention the properties at the foot of the mountain, the Demonic Cult would certainly cause heavy losses upon their arrival.

The sect's mountain foundation was also an external object; if they had to abandon it, they would, at most, lose some wealth. But what about the disciples in the sect?

There were hundreds of inner disciples and thousands of outer disciples, many of whom were still children. Leading such a massive group, the road would not be easy to travel.

However, they had to run. Just as Ning Qingyu stated in his letter: the Demonic Cult was coming with great momentum, and the righteous sects were not prepared, making direct confrontation unwise.

Seeing Abbess Lingqing lose her composure, a middle-aged nun nearby hurriedly asked, "Senior Sister, has some change occurred? Could it be that the reinforcements from the Mount Hua Sect..."

Before she could finish, Abbess Lingqing waved her hand: "Junior Sister Lingyuan, we have no reinforcements now! Alliance Leader Ning sent word that the Demonic Cult is too powerful and has told us to avoid their sharp edge for now."

Abbess Lingyuan was shocked and said, "How can this be? Is the Mount Hua Sect going to..."

Abbess Lingqing shook her head: "The Mount Hua Sect has its own difficulties. That old devil Dugu Qingyun and his direct subordinates have not appeared, and Junior Brother Feng just killed the Ten Elders of the Demonic Cult; it is normal for them to fear the Demonic Cult's retaliation.

Moreover, the enemies of our Five Mountains Sword Sects are not just the Demonic Cult. Alliance Leader Ning confessed in his letter that he was severely injured during the previous Luoyang incident and is currently unable to take action at all.

Furthermore, he proposed a conjecture that has shocked the entire martial arts world—that Shaolin might be colluding with the Demonic Cult in secret."

The leader of the righteous path colluding with the Demonic Cult was a chilling thought. Yet, the Mount Hua Sect was not just making empty claims; they had listed real cases.

In the last few decades, almost every martial arts force that had a grudge against Shaolin had been attacked by the Demonic Cult.

Including the time when the Luoyang conflict broke out and Mount Hua was attacked by the Demonic Cult, the forces that covered the Demonic Cult's entry into Guanzhong also had the shadow of Shaolin behind them.

Once or twice could be a coincidence, but when it happened often, even if it were a coincidence, it was a "conspiracy."

Whether it was direct collusion or secret manipulation from behind the scenes, all signs indicated that Shaolin had ties to the Demonic Cult, though the extent of that relationship remained uncertain.

Abbess Lingqing was able to accept this claim so quickly mainly because she had once had similar suspicions, but the matter was so significant that she dared not speak of it.

In fact, this was nothing new. The opposition between righteousness and evil was true, but this world was not simply black and white.

There were shadows under the sun, let alone in the dog-eat-dog world of the martial arts. The territories and resources of the major sects did not fall from the sky; they were all carved out by their ancestors with sword and blade.

The only difference lay in the methods used. Those with high status, who knew how to maintain appearances and exercise restraint, eventually became prestigious righteous sects; those who were unscrupulous became demonic cultists.

"How is this possible! How could Shaolin..."

The words reached her lips, but Abbess Lingyuan swallowed them back. Although it was hard to accept, Ning Qingyu would not dare to bring such a thing up, nor would her own sect leader acknowledge it, if it were not based on something substantial.

Once this news was confirmed, whether the Mount Hua Sect's reinforcements arrived was no longer the key; what mattered more was how to preserve the legacy of the Mount Heng Sect during the coming turmoil.

"Enough, Junior Sister. Let this matter die in your stomach today; you must not let a single word leak out.

Now, pass down the order: have the disciples pack their luggage immediately. We must evacuate before the Demonic Cult launches their full-scale attack.

Alliance Leader Ning has already sent people to meet us. As long as we avoid the main force of the Demonic Cult, we will have survived this calamity."

It was clear that as she made this decision, Abbess Lingqing's heart was bleeding.

Clearly, she was also very dissatisfied with this decision by Ning Qingyu; it would be good if even half of the Mount Heng disciples could be evacuated. But in the face of the sect's survival, the Mount Heng Sect had no choice at all.

How is the peak of Dai Zong? The green of Qilu never ends.

Nature has gathered its wonders, the yin and yang divide the dusk and dawn.

Clouds rise to cleanse the chest, eyes strain to watch the returning birds.

I will climb to the very peak, to see all the mountains look small.

At the summit of the towering Mount Tai, an enraged Yuxuzi channeled his internal energy and shattered the letter in his hand into dust.

Unlike the isolated Mount Heng Sect, as the second largest sect of the Five Mountains, the Mount Tai Sect had a much deeper foundation.

Although they lacked a top-tier expert, the Mount Tai Sect was not short of first-class experts. Among the 'Yu' generation alone, there were nine, and including the sect's elders, there were as many as fifteen.

Moreover, the region of Qilu is not home to Mount Tai alone. When it comes to resisting the Demonic Cult, Thousand Buddha Temple, Meng Mountain Sect, Heavenly River Gang, and Mount Lao Sect are all their allies.

With five first-rate sects united, along with a host of second and third-rate martial arts gangs and pugilistic clans, they are not entirely without the strength to fight against a detachment of the Demonic Cult.

As long as they hold out through the first wave, the martial arts forces in the Jiangnan region, unwilling to see their own territory turned into a battlefield, will inevitably send reinforcements.

Even if they cannot withstand the vanguard of the Demonic Cult, the martial arts forces of Qilu can choose to hold a famous mountain or great river to defend themselves, ensuring their own safety.

Unless it reaches the point of life and death, Yuxuzi naturally will not abandon his foundation to flee with his disciples.

"Pass down the order: retract the outer perimeter and open the passage to the south."