Half a month later.
On the surface, Taihua Sect remained calm and unruffled.
That was only natural. After all, Ma Daoliang had not truly held the sect's reins for two hundred years, having remained in seclusion to cultivate.
Only after Zhenhai Island's seven-day lockdown was lifted did He Ming learn the truth. Her expression turned dazed, as though her soul had left her body.
Soon afterward, Qing Lao announced to the entire sect that Sect Master Ma Daoliang had perished while forcibly crossing the Third Nine Heavenly Tribulation. His memorial tablet would be moved into the Founders' Hall that very day, to receive the incense offerings of later generations.
Thus, beneath the tranquil surface of Taihua Sect's lake, undercurrents finally began to stir. The position of sect master stood vacant, with no one at its helm.
For a time, the eyes of the Four Islands and Thirteen Branches all turned, as though by prior agreement, toward Whisperwind Island.
He Ming of Zhenhai Island swiftly gathered her old followers and convened an alliance upon the island, intending to contend for the position of sect master.
Yet strangely, despite He Ming's imposing momentum, not a single island master came in person when the appointed date arrived.
Even Hua Chanyu of the Cloud Dream Marsh branch, who had once supported her most fervently and shared a close friendship with her, did not appear in the end.
The waters beyond Whisperwind Island were calm, yet island masters came one after another to pay their respects. Spirit boats often docked along its shores.
Qing Lao's faction made no attempt to hide it either. Their visits to Whisperwind Island became so frequent that they were almost brazen.
Everyone in the sect knew full well that only two people now had the qualifications to lead Taihua Sect.