Temptation

"With the word 'demon' in its name, the Heavenly Extreme Demon Sword naturally brings calamity, not fortune!"

Grand Elder Song Huangting spoke. "But Ten Thousand Swords Manor is Ten Thousand Swords Manor, and the Pure Yang Sword Sect is the Pure Yang Sword Sect! Our sect is fundamentally of the Spirit Refining lineage. The arts we cultivate inherently seek peace of mind and harmony of spirit, uniting with the Dao and attaining truth."

His expression was solemn. "The Heavenly Extreme Sword could throw Ten Thousand Swords Manor into chaos, but it may not be able to do anything to our Divine Intent grandmasters."

Spirit Refining!

Everyone could not help thinking of the Pure Yang Sword Sect's founder...

The Chunyang Patriarch!

A True Lord who had cultivated a Yang Spirit!

In that era, the reigning emperor had personally climbed the mountain to pay his respects every few days.

How could powers like Ten Thousand Swords Manor and Overlord Blade, founded only a century or two ago, possess such deep foundations?

They...

Were different.

"Besides... first came Overlord Blade, then Penglai, and now it is Ten Thousand Swords Manor's turn... the Heavenly Martial Bureau is pressing us relentlessly. Anyone can see that great turmoil is approaching. If our Pure Yang Sword Sect wishes to remain untouched by this upheaval and preserve its standing and legacy, we must have sufficient strength!"

Song Huangting slammed the table. "Breaking through to Martial Saint is our only hope!"

Clearly, his position was unmistakable.

Perhaps he had even been the driving force behind convening this Council of Elders.

"Grand Elder, I beg you to reconsider."

The master of Sword Discussion Peak could not help rising to his feet. "The Heavenly Extreme Demon Sword vanished without a trace a hundred years ago. Its sudden reappearance is suspicious in itself. Perhaps the Heavenly Martial Bureau deliberately released it and placed it in Ten Thousand Swords Manor's hands. And that Manor Master Ye may have originally thought exactly as you do..."

"I am fifty-nine this year. Cultivating Divine Intent does indeed allow one to better retain one's vital essence and delay the decline of one's blood and qi. But once one reaches sixty, how much longer can that delay sustain one? Better to borrow life from Heaven and fight for a chance to defy Heaven and change one's fate!"

As Song Huangting spoke, his gaze swept over Li Wangxu, Lu Jianping, Mu Xingchui, Yan Chixia, and Xie Caixia. "Even if something happens to me, as long as any one member of our sect succeeds, our future circumstances will be entirely different!"

"But..."

The master of Sword Discussion Peak was momentarily at a loss for words.

Shen Chenxing hesitated briefly, then could not help speaking up as well. "The Grand Elder's words are certainly reasonable, but... Ten Thousand Swords Manor's present fate stems entirely from the Heavenly Extreme Demon Sword... the overturned cart ahead is right before our eyes. Our Pure Yang Sword Sect should heed its warning..."

"Peak Master Shen, you are mistaken."

Yan Chixia smiled. "What deserves to be called 'demonic' has never been a weapon or a cultivation art, but our own character."

He declared in a ringing voice, "Ten Thousand Swords Manor was destroyed by brothers fighting within its walls! Had the previous manor master not failed to educate his sons and favored his eldest, Ye Hui, how could the seeds of today's disaster have been planted?"

Other elders, peak masters, and hall masters also spoke up, offering their opinions.

Listening to their discussion, Qin Lian discovered that most agreed to aid Ten Thousand Swords Manor.

Even Cloudmist Peak's master, Liu Xu, favored going to war.

She looked radiant and full of vigor, seemingly still hoping to carve out a fearsome reputation for Cloudmist Peak in this battle.

As for the older members, that went without saying.

Aside from strength, the greatest difference between a grandmaster and a Martial Saint...

Was that once a grandmaster broke through to Martial Saint, they could truly live another lifetime and regain their youth!

Of course, they would not actually turn from an adult into a child, but the vitality within their bodies would be stimulated a second time. Their physical state would reverse from that of someone in their fifties or sixties, or even their sixties or seventies, to that of someone in their twenties or thirties, or even their late teens or early twenties.

Flowers could bloom again, but people could never be young twice.

Yet the Martial Saint realm truly could return an old man past sixty to the most vigorous, energetic years of his twenties or thirties.

For any aging cultivator, that temptation was immense...

So immense that it surpassed Qi Refining into Spirit!

"No wonder the disaster brought by a single Demon Sword could swallow up all of Ten Thousand Swords Manor."

Qin Lian felt a chill as he listened.

Deep down, he did not want the Pure Yang Sword Sect to wade into these muddy waters. It would inevitably disrupt his plan to cultivate diligently in seclusion and reach Second Grade as soon as possible.

But...

Those in the Council of Elders who supported sending aid already formed a majority.

And most were either older members or those whose words carried greater weight.

For the moment, he could only turn his gaze toward Sect Master Li Wangxu.

"What is your decision, Sect Master?"

His words brought a slight lull to the discussion.

Many others also turned their gazes toward the sect's second-ranking figure.

Li Wangxu glanced at Qin Lian and said thoughtfully, "Recently, large numbers of refugees from Yi Province have poured into Dragon Lake and other commanderies. Unless something unexpected has happened, this should be the Heavenly Martial Bureau acting again, seeking to destabilize Jiangzhou and drag our Pure Yang Sword Sect into the water."

He shook his head. "We would like to keep waiting, just like the three great sacred grounds-Zhenwu, Jixia Academy, and Heavenly Dragon Temple. Presumably, Liu Wuya and the others from Overlord Blade originally thought along similar lines. But... time will not wait for us."

Those words sent a chill through everyone present.

"The Heavenly Martial Bureau will not sit idle with such a favorable situation before them. If we do nothing, they will inevitably accelerate their arrangements in Jiangzhou and Qing Province until, little by little, they have eaten away every last bit of room we have to resist."

Li Wangxu continued, "So rather than letting the battlefield fall in Jiangzhou and Qing Province, at the foot of Shouyang Mountain, we might as well first use Ten Thousand Swords Manor to cross swords with the Heavenly Martial Bureau's people in Sword Province. Even if we cannot win, delaying their progress here in Jiangzhou would still be better than sitting and waiting for death."

Hearing Sect Master Li Wangxu's well-founded reasoning, Qin Lian and many of those present could find no way to refute him.

They wanted to wait.

Li Wangxu and the others actually wanted to wait too.

But circumstances were changing too quickly...

They could not afford to wait.

For a time, even the opposing peak masters and elders fell silent.

"Since we have decided to aid Ten Thousand Swords Manor and fight a round with the Heavenly Martial Bureau in Sword Province, Hall Master Lu, sorry for the trouble, but please lead a force to sweep through Jiangzhou and Qing Province first."

Li Wangxu looked toward Lu Jianping. "Once our main force goes to Sword Province, factions will inevitably emerge in Jiangzhou to stir up wind and rain. But after a sweep, every day of peace we gain will count."

"All right."

Lu Jianping nodded slightly.

Mu Xingchui, however, frowned. "Ye Yingxiong practices both inner and outer cultivation, and reached Second Grade in both ten years ago. His mastery of the Edgeless Heavy Sword has also reached the pinnacle of perfection. To deal with him..."

"I will go."

After learning of the sect's decision, Shen Chenxing was instead the first to volunteer for battle. "I have long yearned to experience Ten Thousand Swords Manor's Edgeless Heavy Sword. This is the perfect opportunity to learn a thing or two."

"Though I am reluctant to admit it... you alone cannot take down Ye Yingxiong, Peak Master Shen. Count me in. Only by joining forces will the two of us have a chance."

Sun-Viewing Peak's master, Yan Chixia, spoke.

"The two of you together may have a chance of defeating Ye Yingxiong, but killing him would still be beyond you. Since we are intervening in Ten Thousand Swords Manor's affairs, we must cut out the grass by its roots, or there will be no end to the trouble afterward."

Mu Xingchui stood. "I will go as well."

"Enough. There is no need to argue."

Song Huangting waved a hand, cutting them off. "I will go myself."

"Grand Elder, you intend to leave the mountain?"

Mu Xingchui was startled.

"Once we obtain the Heavenly Extreme Sword, I will be its first user, and no one else. Since I will receive the greatest benefit, I should naturally be responsible for clearing away the greatest obstacle."

As Song Huangting spoke, he looked toward Li Wangxu. "Furthermore, since Ten Thousand Swords Manor has said it will cede the Six Southeastern Commanderies of Sword Province, we should secure the benefits of those six commanderies as soon as possible. Only benefits we have swallowed are truly ours. This step should proceed simultaneously with Lu Jianping's operation."

"That was precisely my intention."

Li Wangxu turned to those present as he spoke. "How about placing the Six Southeastern Commanderies in the hands of the six peaks? After you drive back Ten Thousand Swords Manor's forces and seize the stockpiled supplies in the six commanderies, the sect will not take a penny. We will only begin calculating its share next year."

At those words, the eyes of everyone from the various peaks lit up.

"We are willing to follow the Sect Master's arrangements."

"Good."

Li Wangxu's gaze swept over the six peak masters as he assigned their tasks one by one.

However, when he reached Cloudmist Peak, he paused slightly and turned his gaze toward Qin Lian. "Grandmaster Qin, would you be interested in leading Cloudmist Peak to take Spirit Radiance Commandery?"

"Me?"

Qin Lian was somewhat surprised.

Even someone like him, intent solely on cultivating hard in seclusion to reach Second Grade, had to take action?

"Every commandery in the world has its own specialty. Spirit Radiance Commandery has a spiritual tree called the Heavenly Splendor Treasure Tree. It flowers every three years and bears fruit every three years. These next few months should be its fruiting period. And this Heavenly Splendor Fruit... enhances spirituality and awakens wisdom. It is no less precious than Enlightenment Tea."

Li Wangxu transmitted his voice privately. "I recently heard Grand Elder Shanhui mention that you are only one step away from comprehending Divine Intent. I imagine this crop of Heavenly Splendor Fruit should help you break through."