After Li Dalong arrived at the cultivation chamber, he said nothing and immediately began setting up a Spirit-Gathering Array, inscribing its patterns. This was his second time setting one up, so he finished quickly.
He handed Zhou Yong the jade slip he had prepared beforehand to control the Spirit-Gathering Array, along with a storage pouch containing supreme-grade spirit stones.
Then he said to Zhou Yong, "Junior brother, this jade slip controls the Spirit-Gathering Array. The storage pouch contains supreme-grade spirit stones. From now on, use them for your cultivation."
"Do not slack off. Break through as soon as possible and raise your cultivation."
"Yes, senior brother."
Zhou Yong answered.
"All right, get to cultivating!"
Without waiting for Zhou Yong's response, Li Dalong vanished in a flash from his cultivation chamber and returned to his cave abode in the forbidden grounds. Without wasting a moment, he activated the Spirit-Gathering Array and began another round of cultivation.
Several years passed in the blink of an eye. Li Dalong broke through from the early Out-of-Body stage to the late Out-of-Body stage, marking the point at which both his realm and his actual combat strength rivaled those of the Cultivation World's foremost experts.
Over those years, Zhou Yong became increasingly low-key in his management of the sect, devoting much of his time and energy to improving his cultivation. With the aid of the Spirit-Gathering Array, he broke through from the golden core realm to the nascent soul middle stage.
Yet the Righteous Qi Sect's quiet development only made several of its vassal factions increasingly unruly.
The Heavenly Determination Sect was the most aggressive among them. Its sect master, Shi Hao, thought very highly of himself. Since taking charge, he had thrown himself into strengthening the sect, and it had developed rapidly. In little more than a hundred years, his own cultivation had risen from the golden core realm to the late nascent soul realm. As his strength grew, ambition began to sprout, and for years he had wanted to replace the Righteous Qi Sect as their new leader.
Dong Zhilan, sect master of the Heavenly Crane Sect, valued freedom and independence. Seeing the Righteous Qi Sect's waning power, he wanted to break free of its control.
The Purple Rainbow Sect and the Red Lotus Sect wavered, occasionally allowing the Heavenly Determination Sect to stir them into delaying or withholding their annual tribute.
The Nine Tripods Sect, meanwhile, was weak, and its territory consisted entirely of resource-poor areas. It resented the greed, corruption, and prolonged oppression of certain elders of the Righteous Qi Sect. Thus, over the years, the conflicts between these vassal factions and the Righteous Qi Sect had deepened, and they had drifted further and further apart.
Through Shi Hao, the sect master of the Heavenly Determination Sect, coordinating and rallying them, they formed an alliance and planned to launch a surprise attack on the Righteous Qi Sect three days later. In Shi Hao's eyes, his late nascent soul realm cultivation put him on par with Dongfang Leng, the Righteous Qi Sect's former sect master. But Dongfang Leng was nearing the end of his lifespan, old and feeble, with none of his former valor. Although the current sect master's cultivation had advanced with astonishing speed, he was only in the middle nascent soul realm and hardly worth mentioning.
The Righteous Qi Sect's elders and supreme elders were not particularly strong. With the allied sect masters and their elders combined, the alliance already surpassed the Righteous Qi Sect in both the number and strength of its top combatants. Although its mid-level forces fell far short of the Righteous Qi Sect's, victory would be assured as long as they defeated everyone ranked elder and above. Disciples below the golden core realm could stir up no great waves. As for the mysterious expert who had slain Blood Demon, the Blood Devil Race's grand elder, many years ago, informants bribed by the Heavenly Determination Sect within the Righteous Qi Sect had investigated thoroughly for years. No one in the Righteous Qi Sect knew that senior or had ever seen him. Even the sect itself could not confirm whether he was part of its hidden strength, or whether he was still alive. Shi Hao had therefore set aside his apprehensions and prepared to carry out the plan he had spent years devising.
Yet during those years, Zhou Yong had spent most of his time cultivating in seclusion, leaving most sect affairs to the elders of the various halls. As a result, the elders' infighting and struggles for power and profit had grown increasingly fierce. Their oversight and management of outside factions had sunk to rock bottom. They knew nothing of the vassal factions' planned surprise attack.
That day, the date agreed upon by the Five-Sect Alliance arrived. Using discussions over the annual tribute as his excuse, Shi Hao led the other four sect masters and several of their strongest elders to the Righteous Qi Sect. He ordered the remaining elders to lead their golden core realm disciples into hiding beforehand in a valley several dozen li from the sect. For cultivators at the golden core realm or above, crossing several dozen li on flying swords took only a few breaths.
When Shi Hao and the others arrived one after another at the Righteous Qi Hall, neither Zhou Yong nor the elders noticed the sinister intentions concealed by the Five Great Sects alliance. Once everyone had entered the hall, Shi Hao exchanged a meaningful glance with the other sect masters. They suddenly attacked at the same time, striking the Righteous Qi Sect elders beside them whom they had already chosen as targets. Caught completely off guard, the elders were hit and fell to the ground one after another.
"Protect the sect master!"
"What are you doing?"
The surviving elders immediately retreated in front of Zhou Yong, raising their defenses as they demanded answers.
But this was only the beginning. A cold sneer curled Shi Hao's lips. He looked toward Zhou Yong, seated at the head of the hall, his voice full of mockery. "What are we doing? Sect Master Zhou, don't you always fancy yourself exceptionally clever? Today, we'll send you all straight to immortal ascension!"
Expressionless, Zhou Yong slowly rose. A powerful aura radiated from him as he looked at Shi Hao and said coldly, "Shi Hao, you dare betray the sect and slaughter your fellow members? Do you not fear the sect's punishment?"
Shi Hao burst into laughter, arrogance written all over his face. "Punishment? From you? The Righteous Qi Sect no longer deserves to sit on our heads and lord it over us! If you know what's good for you, surrender! Or cripple your own cultivation, and perhaps we'll leave you a way to live."
He then turned to the surviving elders. "As long as you join us, we might even reward you with an elder's position. Otherwise, you die today!"
"Enough wasting words on them. Fellow Daoists, send them on their way!" With that, he and the other four sect masters charged at Zhou Yong and the elders.
Zhou Yong was not intimidated by Shi Hao's arrogant words. He gave Shi Hao a long, penetrating look, then raised his hand. A streak of golden light flew from his fingers and instantly transformed into an enormous golden dome, enclosing him and the elders.
"Hahaha! Sect Master Zhou, do you think you can still stop us?" Shi Hao laughed wildly as he and the other sect masters swung their magical artifacts, unleashing powerful attacks at the golden dome. Yet the dome was like an indestructible shield, blocking every attack.
Zhou Yong watched them without expression, then slowly spoke. "Shi Hao, even if every last member of the Righteous Qi Sect dies in battle, we will make you pay. Elders, join forces and purge these traitors from the sect!"
Before his words had faded, Zhou Yong directed his flying sword to slash at Shi Hao. Yet a gulf in realms could not be bridged by hot blood alone. Shi Hao merely raised his hand and knocked Zhou Yong's flying sword away with a palm strike.
"Pfft!" Zhou Yong suffered a backlash and spat out a mouthful of blood. He was clearly badly wounded.
Shi Hao gave Zhou Yong no chance to catch his breath, sending a streak of sword light hurtling toward him. Alarm bells clanged in Zhou Yong's heart as he prepared to resist with his life.
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