There were far too many factors that determined a sect's strength: whether it had a Beyond-Rank expert holding the fort, whether it had chosen the right path of development, whether it had followed the great tide, whether its inheritance and training were exceptional, whether its paths of advancement were fair, whether the sect was managed well, whether its martial research was ahead of the curve...
If any single aspect was mishandled, it could slow the sect's rise and make it miss opportunities.
Once it missed several opportunities and its problems multiplied, it would eventually trigger a chain reaction.
Over the past few centuries, Ancient Profound Mountain had made one bad move after another, especially under its previous two generations of sect masters, who had played power games to their hearts' content while neglecting the sect's development.
Later, Ancient Profound Mountain learned its lesson. The current sect master selected a disciple who could cultivate in peace and possessed considerable talent, betting everything on his ability to advance to Beyond-Rank.
As for the eventual outcome, no one knew. But a centipede did not go stiff even after death; Ancient Profound Mountain would have no trouble holding on for another forty or fifty years.
Li Qingxian chose his words carefully. "In your sect's treasure vault, I discovered something suppressing your sect's fortune. That thing is extremely troublesome—so troublesome that even merely pointing it out could damage my fortune."
The six elders' expressions shifted slightly. As members of a martial sect, they did not fear fighting with real blades and guns. What they feared most was this sort of mysterious force.
Cheng Nanxiong said, "Over the years, we have also invited Grand Fate Arts Masters to investigate our sect's fortune. There were no major problems. They only said that prosperity must decline at its