Internal Hidden Dangers, Aftermath of the Seven Immortals

Southeast of Golden Turtle Island lay a range of mountains shrouded year-round in pale golden rosy clouds, known as "Radiant Treasure Ridge."

The spiritual energy here was abundant, with exotic flowers and rare herbs carpeting the land. It also produced several unique spiritual materials used in refining magical artifacts, hence its name.

Among them, the most majestic peak, shaped like a colossal beast lying prone, was the dwelling of Qiu Shou Immortal, one of the Seven Attendant Immortals—Golden Light Cave.

At this moment, deep within Golden Light Cave, it was not radiant and resplendent as its name suggested. Instead, it felt somewhat dim and oppressive.

Within the spacious hall of the cave abode, the pearls set into the four walls had been deliberately dimmed, illuminating only the three figures seated around a square table of black jade.

The man seated at the head of the table had a pale golden face, five long strands of beard, a golden crown, and a Daoist robe embroidered with golden cloud patterns. He was none other than Golden Light Immortal.

His brows were tightly furrowed, and his fingers unconsciously tapped against the jade tabletop, producing dull, muffled knocks.

To his left sat a man with a blue-black face, a wide mouth full of fangs, and a pair of huge white tusks extending from the corners of his lips. He was Lingya Immortal.

His eyes were bloodshot, and his breathing was heavy. Clearly, his anger had yet to subside.

Qiu Shou Immortal, seated to the right, had a formidable appearance, with coiled whiskers and a lion's nose. His hair curled like a lion's mane, yet his eyes flickered now, gloomy one moment and anxious the next.

The atmosphere within the cave abode was grave. Layer upon layer of restrictions sealed it off from the outside world, ensuring that not a word of their conversation could leak out.

"...Long-Eared Immortal, and Dingguang Immortal, just like that, they're gone!" Lingya Immortal finally could not hold himself back any longer. He growled, his voice echoing through the sealed cave abode. "Their bodies and souls were utterly destroyed!

"And that Xuan Chuan brat carried out the execution himself! What gave him the right? Just because he held the Purple Lightning Hammer? Just because Master Tongtian favored him a little?"

Golden Light Immortal's tapping fingers stopped. He said in a low voice, "Junior Brother Lingya, silence. Junior Brother Long-Eared Immortal...

"...made a misstep himself. He colluded with external enemies; the evidence was conclusive. Xuan Chuan... Eldest Senior Brother acted according to the sect rules. There was nothing improper about it."

"Nothing improper?" Lingya Immortal abruptly rose to his feet, his tusks nearly stabbing into Golden Light Immortal's face.

"Senior Brother Golden Light! Are you afraid? Junior Brother Long-Eared Immortal may have been at fault, but his crime did not warrant the destruction of both body and soul, did it? Xuan Chuan was clearly making an example of him—killing the chicken to frighten the monkeys!

"And what happened to Junior Brother Qiu Shou last time..." He glanced at the silent Qiu Shou Immortal and lowered his voice. "Has Xuan Chuan set his sights on you as well?

"That so-called 'registration of artifact karma' he has introduced, and his demands to inspect every disciple's cultivation techniques and training experiences, supposedly to sort out Karmic Force and avoid tribulations—bah!

"Isn't he just trying to uncover all our secrets, so he can control us later, or even... seize our treasures?!"

He nearly ground out the final two words through clenched teeth.

For cultivators of the Primordial World, methods, companions, wealth, and territory were all essential. Magical treasures and cultivation techniques were often their most vital secrets—the very foundation upon which they lived and stood.

Xuan Chuan's implementation of "registration and record-keeping" had won the support of many disciples through the proven facts of Merit.

Yet in the eyes of certain disciples who harbored secrets or possessed precious treasures, it was no different from naked prying and a looming threat.

Golden Light Immortal's expression turned even uglier. How could he not understand?

His own natal magical treasure, the Golden Light File, had been obtained from an ancient ruin in his early years. Its power was immense, but it concealed Sha Qi and carried heavy karma.

If he registered it, and Xuan Chuan ordered him to surrender or destroy it on the grounds that its Karmic Force was too heavy and might invite calamity, how could he possibly accept that?

"Junior Brother Lingya's words are not without reason," Golden Light Immortal said slowly. "Eldest Senior Brother Xuan Chuan is determined to reform the sect, and his methods are... rather fierce.

"The matter of Junior Brother Long-Eared Immortal has already established his authority. Now, Zhao Gongming and the Three Xiao Sisters openly support him, while Eldest Senior Brother Duobao seems to have tacitly approved it. Even Senior Sisters Jin Ling and Wu Dang have not voiced any clear opposition.

"The Outer Sect disciples have tasted the sweetness of Merit and now follow his lead one and all. If we continue to resist him openly, I fear..."

"Then are we just supposed to let him shit on our heads?"

Lingya Immortal roared. "What kind of bullshit Eldest Senior Brother is he? A junior who entered the sect only a few thousand years ago, who merely had better fortune and received Master Tongtian's rewards, and he truly thinks he is the master of Jiejiao?

"We Seven Attendant Immortals have served Master Tongtian for countless years. Even if we have no great merit, we have at least endured hardship. And now we are to be controlled and investigated by this brat?"

Qiu Shou Immortal, who had remained silent all this time, suddenly spoke. His voice was hoarse and low. "Senior Brother Golden Light's concerns are correct. If we oppose him openly, we are currently outnumbered and weak. We are no match for him.

"Xuan Chuan is at the height of his power. Not only has he broken through to the Taiyi Golden Immortal realm and refined an Acquired Merit Spirit Treasure, but he has also won the support of many fellow disciples. If we clash head-on, we will only follow in Junior Brother Long-Eared Immortal's footsteps."

Lingya Immortal said urgently, "Then what do we do? Are we truly supposed to hand over our wealth and our lives to him?"

A dark gleam flashed through Qiu Shou Immortal's eyes. "Naturally not. If we cannot do it openly, we can do it in the shadows. Xuan Chuan can use the sect rules and the greater tide to suppress us; we can also seek a 'greater tide' to restrain him."

"Oh? What brilliant insight does Junior Brother Qiu Shou have?" Golden Light Immortal's gaze narrowed slightly.

"What Xuan Chuan relies on is nothing more than Master Tongtian's tacit approval, along with his talk of 'Merit' and 'avoiding tribulations,' which has won over most disciples who do not understand the truth."

Qiu Shou Immortal analyzed slowly. "But does everyone in the sect truly submit to him? Those Inner Sect disciples who are also of exceptional origins and deep seniority—Luo Xuan, Lü Yue, Liu Huan, Hanzhi Immortal, and the like.

"Are they truly willing to be restrained by a newly appointed Eldest Senior Brother? And those ruthless figures who are arrogant and untamed, who have spent years training beyond the sect..."

He paused, lowering his voice and enunciating every word. "For example... Junior Brother Winged Immortal."

"Winged Immortal?!" Golden Light Immortal and Lingya Immortal were both stunned.

Winged Immortal's true form was a Golden-Winged Roc. Born sacred, with extraordinary roots, he had entered the sect extremely early. In terms of seniority, he was not much behind even Duobao.

His temperament was proud and solitary, his divine abilities vast. He was particularly skilled in speed and wind-based divine arts, and his cultivation had long reached the Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal realm!

Because of his rebellious nature and dislike of restraint, he spent most of the year wandering abroad or cultivating in seclusion within the Northern Netherworld. He rarely returned to Golden Turtle Island, and even Master Tongtian showed him considerable tolerance.

More importantly, Winged Immortal had been on good terms with the late Dingguang Immortal. He had long held grievances against Master Tongtian's special favoritism toward those among the "furred and horned,

"born damp and hatched from eggs" whose roots were deemed inferior—such as Xuan Chuan, whose original form had been a black panther—believing it disgraced Jiejiao's prestige.

He had once openly declared that Jiejiao's position of chief disciple ought to belong to one with virtue—meaning strength and roots—and had been quite disdainful of Xuan Chuan's elevation to chief disciple.

"Junior Brother Winged Immortal... will he return?"

Golden Light Immortal was somewhat hesitant. Winged Immortal was certainly powerful, but his temperament was far too extreme, and he acted without restraint. If they brought him in, he might stir up unpredictable turmoil.

"Why would he not?" Qiu Shou Immortal sneered. "Xuan Chuan is now enforcing new rules and intends to inspect every disciple's magical treasures and cultivation techniques, not even sparing us Seven Attendant Immortals.

"Junior Brother Winged Immortal has obtained many rare treasures and secret cultivation arts while abroad. With his temperament, would he willingly expose his secrets to Xuan Chuan's inspection? That is the first point."

"As for the second," the dark light in his eyes deepened, "Junior Brother Winged Immortal cares most about roots and face.

"Xuan Chuan, a mere black panther who attained the Dao, now stands above so many with profound roots and orders them about. Could Junior Brother Winged Immortal feel no resentment?

"We need only guide him slightly, make him believe that Xuan Chuan is suppressing those of us born with extraordinary roots, that he is destroying the balance of the 'classes' within Jiejiao's principle of teaching without discrimination. He certainly will not stand idly by!"

Lingya Immortal's eyes shone brightly. "Wonderful! If Junior Brother Winged Immortal is willing to act, then with his Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal cultivation—

"and his heaven-piercing, earth-reaching speed and peerless combat strength, he will certainly leave Xuan Chuan covered in dust and disgrace! Perhaps... he may even overthrow him in one stroke!"

Golden Light Immortal pondered for a long while, weighing the gains and losses. Inviting Winged Immortal out was undoubtedly like seeking a tiger's skin—fraught with immense danger.

But at present, there seemed to be no better choice. If Xuan Chuan continued unchecked, the interests and dignity of veterans like them would be swept away entirely.

"It is only... how do we contact Junior Brother Winged Immortal? And why would he so readily heed our words?" Golden Light Immortal asked the key question.

Qiu Shou Immortal drew a black jade talisman from his robes. Its color was dull, its shape like a feather, and faint patterns of wind and lightning could be seen upon it.

"Many years ago, Junior Brother Winged Immortal and I traveled together. He gave me this talisman and said that if there were urgent matters, I could use it to send him a message.

"Though I do not know where exactly he is cultivating in seclusion, this talisman should be able to pierce the void and deliver the message."

He looked at Golden Light Immortal and Lingya Immortal, his voice carrying temptation. "Senior Brothers, hesitation when a decision must be made will only bring chaos.

"Do you truly intend to wait until Xuan Chuan investigates our cave abodes and forcibly confiscates everything you and I have accumulated over the years as a 'source of Karmic Force'?"

Golden Light Immortal looked at the black jade talisman, then recalled the Golden Light File deep within his cave abode, its concealed Sha Qi faintly stirring. At last, he gritted his teeth, and a trace of resolve flashed through his eyes.

"Since that is so... we shall act according to Junior Brother Qiu Shou's plan!"