Double Brightness Prospered with Hidden Calculations; News of True Person Moon Hidden's Death Chilled the Northern Camp

----One year later, Yangming Mountain

Jiang Qing's Golden Core Ceremony had just ended, Chongming Sect finally felt relieved, having completed their task of welcoming and seeing off guests.

This time, Sect Leader Kang Da did not insist on a grand celebration, nor did he publicize Jiang Qing's character, so there were not many outsiders visiting.

However, once people of some renown in the surrounding area heard of this, as long as they had no old grudges against the Chongming Sect, they would send envoys to offer their congratulations and express their gratitude.

After all, Kang Dabao's love for receiving gifts was already well-known, so sending some reasonably priced treasures at this time would be a cost-effective and worthwhile endeavor.

You should know that there are indeed many highly skilled cultivators under the Office of the Duke of Qin, but these people from the capital are used to being arrogant, and many of them will hardly give you a kind look even if you give them Spirit Stone for free.

Even so, it's still difficult for ordinary people to find a way to curry favor.

In contrast, Sect Leader Kang Da is quite different from those who put themselves on a pedestal.

Even if he was too harsh on some unorthodox practitioners, which caused him to have a bad reputation among many superior cultivators.

But his fondness for bullying women was also endearing, and he was also from the same hometown as Shannan Circuit. All these things made it easy for people to become close to him.

Perhaps Kang Dabao himself didn't realize that, when it comes to the civil and military officials from the Three Southwest Circuits within the entire Office of the Duke of Qin, he could be considered one of the most outstanding.

He was one of the few figures who was valued by the cultivators in the capital region.

In other words, if another conflict between the natives and the Hakka were to break out within the Office of the Duke of Qin, they might even have to elect Sect Leader Kang Da as the leader. However, this is, of course, just a joke circulating among some cultivators who love to engage in philosophical discussions, and should not be taken seriously.

Even though outsiders don't know the quality of the pills of this so-called Double Brightness Sword Immortal Third Master Jiang, the fact that the Chongming Sect now has two Golden Core cultivators, and both Kang and Jiang are not yet two hundred years old, already makes it seem to outsiders that the sect is thriving and difficult to hide.

This also means that the era when the rise and fall of the Chongming Sect depended entirely on Kang Dabao is over. Unless there are major upheavals, even if the Chongming Sect stops progressing, it can still prosper for another two or three hundred years.

The confidence that the outside world places in the Chongming Sect is also reflected in this year's Immortal Ascension Assembly.

On the arena where skilled Rogue Cultivator were being selected, what was supposed to be a competition of various cultivation arts somehow escalated into a murder case.

Yang Wuwei, the patriarch of the Yang family in Ye Prefecture Yang Household, didn't even bother to convert his inner energy; he immediately led his disciples to pay homage to the mountain gate.

The number of immortal seedlings from the two states attending the meeting exceeded 10,000 for the first time, and even two immortal seedlings with Single Spirit Root came out, which saved Kang Rongquan and Jin Shilun from another confrontation.

In this way, the disciples within the sect will naturally feel a sense of pride and honor.

However, Sect Leader Kang Da was not captivated by the lavish scenery. These days, unless necessary, he stayed outside Jiang Qing's room to act as a protector. He even sent Yuan Jin to He Degong's funeral on his behalf.

At the same time, Kang Dabao frequently admonished his disciples, telling them to guard against arrogance and impetuosity, and simply to focus on their work and business.

This special opportunity for recuperation granted by the Duke's government cannot be wasted. Chongming Sect, who has just settled in Xian Prefecture, has plenty of things to do. Otherwise, if he falls short of the Duke's government's quota of grain and taxes, he will really be in deep trouble.

Furthermore, the emergence of only one Golden Core cultivator is far from sufficient to encourage all disciples in the Shannan Circuit to seek comfort and develop spoiled, arrogant personalities.

These days, the Merit Points Hall of the Chongming Sect is filled with dispatches, such as sorting out the earth veins for the Golden Pivot Spirit-Gathering Origin-Guarding Formation, reclaiming spirit fields on the original site of the Ghost Sword Sect, refining spirit materials from a batch of rough materials that Sect Leader Kang Da just received from the Office of the Duke of Qin, and training local militias in various counties of Xianyun and other prefectures.

These days have exhausted Han Xundao, who is in charge of dispatching tasks, to the point that he has lost weight. He has even missed several of the Daoist gatherings that Kang Rongquan never misses.

However, the disciples who have just graduated from the Nurturing Qilin Hall have ushered in a good time. As long as they have the ability and courage, they will not lack Spirit Stone in the short term.

This thriving scene naturally pleased all the leaders of the sect.

Even Yuan Jin temporarily put aside his anxious thoughts about rebuilding the Azure Jue and Crimson Zhang Guards, handing the Duan Anle and Jin Shilun, and began to focus on his own cultivation.

Previously, Yuan Jin had asked Sect Leader Kang for the Snow Forest Pill in order to quickly achieve a pseudo-pillar. Although the latter did not grant his request at the time, he also expressed his opposition. After all, Yuan Jin was only 150 years old this year, which was considered young for a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

It is true that Kang Dabao needs some capable individuals to stand on their own within the sect, but there is no rush for him to disregard Yuan Jin's Dao Path.

Therefore, Yuan Jin's ability to devote himself to cultivation for a while still greatly pleased Sect Leader Kang Da.

Both of his junior brothers were engaged in cultivation, and Kang Dabao did not slack off either, barely even stepping into the doors of his two concubines a few times. While Anxin and Jiang Qing were protecting the Dharma, he also summoned many disciples to teach them.

The Spring and Autumn Brush Edge, which I picked up from Daoist Peng's Storage Bag, is indeed a fine educational treasure, enough to be considered half of a top-notch instructor for passing on skills.

Many disciples have made significant progress even after repeated requests for instruction. Outstanding disciples like Kang Rongquan and Duan Anle, who are among the eighth generation, seem to have already reached the threshold of the Foundation Establishment Peak.

However, what surprised Sect Leader Kang Da the most was that Pei Xiangcao, a descendant of Pei Yi, seemed to have attained enlightenment after reaching the Foundation Establishment. Originally, she was only considered average in terms of the effectiveness of True Cultivator cultivation within the sect, but now she has already ranked among the top.

Furthermore, it is unknown what items Kuai En gave Pei Xiangcao when he came to pay respects to Pei Yi and his wife last time. These items would be enough to enable Pei Xiangcao to steadily gain the upper hand in a battle, even against someone like Zheng Wanbi, whose cultivation level is higher and who has mastered the Swordsmanship of Jiang Qing.

It's rare to see that the younger generation are all so ambitious and have broken through their bottlenecks. Fortunately, Kang Dabao brought a lot of pills suitable for cultivators in the Foundation Establishment and Qi Refinement Refining stages from the Office of the Duke of Qin's mansion's treasury. So, without much consideration, he put them all into the Merit Points Hall for exchange at a discounted price, as a way to add icing on the cake.

Han Xundao, who was temporarily in charge of all matters of the Merit Points Hall, naturally had more tasks to attend to, but the cultivators of the Alchemy Hall, who were so exhausted that they had to keep burning pills, breathed a sigh of relief.

You should know that these days, all kinds of pills and elixirs within the sect have been in short supply.

If it weren't for the Chongming Sect everyone in Chongming Sect had been taught by Sect Leader Kang Dabao, and that in previous battles, regardless of victory or defeat, the disciples had rarely returned empty-handed, which is why the treasury was still relatively well-stocked, otherwise the disciples would have long been running out of the pills they needed.

The actions of Sect Leader Kang Da have relieved the urgent needs of the Alchemy Hall, led by Qi Ke.

However, just when everything at the Chongming Sect was stabilizing and improving, Sect Leader Kang Da received two more pieces of news.

Both pieces of news came from the front lines of Mountain North Circuit. One was that Qin Sufu, the elder brother of Kang Dabao, had also formed Lower-Grade Golden Core two months ago.

To achieve such accomplishments in less than two hundred years with only Azure Leaf Dao Foundation is quite remarkable in the vicinity.

Of course, like Sect Leader Kang Da, Qin Sufu's success was also due to the Kuang Household and cultivation of him because of his humble origins. However, Kang Dabao, who was also a member of the Ma Gu sect, was too prominent, which is why Qin Sufu rarely appeared in public.

Over the years, Sect Leader Kang Da and this elder brother have had very little interaction.

However, upon hearing this news, after hesitating for a long time, he still chose a storage bracelet embroidered with dragon and tiger patterns and a low-grade magic Law Treasure that had been properly nurtured, and had it delivered by a special person.

The second piece of news came from Martial Uncle Lian, who served True Person Crimson Snow. His letter said that the Hehuan Sect worked very hard this time and had repeatedly received praise from Kuang Liuting.

Therefore, True Person Crimson Snow acted with fewer scruples. As soon as the disciples of the Hehuan Sect who had made meritorious contributions on both sides took leave, they inevitably did some dishonorable things that no one could stop.

Sect Leader Kang Da is quite famous in this regard, due to the previous story of the clowns in the Three Immortals Cave and some friction with the Hehuan Sect.

Therefore, even though he was far away in the Mountain South at this time and should not have encountered Hehuan Sect, Lian Xuepu still wanted to give him a word of advice to avoid any unexpected complications.

Kang Dabao was unaware that True Person Crimson Snow had recently become more interested in novelty due to her improved cultivation, which made his martial uncle feel somewhat like he was adding fuel to the fire.

If he, with his False Core, were to truly lose favor with True Person Crimson Snow, his status within the Hehuan Sect would plummet, and he would have no choice but to fear.

Lian Xuepu was, after all, an elder, so it was inappropriate for him to speak these words directly.

Therefore, the Sect Leader Kang Da only saw the former letter, which also said that because Kang Dabao was in Xian Prefecture following the old story and cleaning up the ground, if any fresh Evil Cultivator or bandits were captured, they could still be sent to the Hehuan Sect's headquarters in Three Ting Prefectures for use after a sufficient number were collected.

The Sect Leader Kang Da had already sent quite a few cultivators to Lian Xuepu's hands, and the number captured in all these attempts totaled several thousand. Yet, the Hehuan Sect had not stopped its actions, which was quite strange.

It should be understood that a major unorthodox sect like the Hehuan Sect would not only seek out Kang Dabao's Chongming Sect for its activities.

Even if others are not as capable as Sect Leader Kang Da, the number of cultivators entrusted to the Hehuan Sect over time will still be an astonishing figure.

"Next time I see Martial Uncle Lian, I'll probably have to ask him about it in person."

---- Mountain North Circuit Camp

Fei Tianqin's military tent was set up on the highest earthen slope of the Mountain North Circuit. At this moment, two hastily made giant wolf skeletons stood outside the tent, with iron chains as thick as bowls in their mouths, and countless Demon Beast skulls strung on the chains.

These were the heads of the Second Tier Demon Beast, the "Black Wind Fang," that had been slain in battle a few days prior. The claw marks and sword wounds on their skulls had not yet completely weathered away, and the faint smell of blood could still be detected.

Even when this old bird was on someone else's turf, he didn't change his generous ways. He would always leave these decent spiritual materials outside the tent, allowing any juniors who were short of them to take them at will.

The curtain is made of genuine leather from Third Tier Demon Officer, with gleaming bronze-colored runes sewn along the edges. If one could find a skilled rune master, this curtain would be an excellent material to hold a rune treasure.

Upon entering the tent, one finds it devoid of any superfluous decorations. The lamp bases of the spirit lamps are inscribed with countless names of Demon Beast, further intensifying the somber atmosphere of this small space.

Fei Nanying didn't feel uncomfortable in the military tent, but after being urgently summoned by Fei Tianqin, he felt that his ancestor seemed to be covered with a layer of dejection, as if he had lost a lot of his spirit in this messy battle.

There seems to be a rumor circulating in the Mountain North Circuit camp lately. It is said that the Fei Household's old ancestor, the Flat-haired One, seems to be tired of killing Golden Core cultivators. However, the three True Person at the top are still no match for Bai Canhong's fierce power and cannot reverse their decline. This is why the former is full of resentment.

Fei Nanying knew from hearing this that there was exaggeration involved and it was not to be believed, but seeing Fei Tianqin's listless appearance, he still felt uneasy and bowed softly:

"Our ancestor has been working very hard lately,"

"That's all nonsense. If I, your ancestor, didn't work hard and show my face more to the Duke, how could I protect the Ying Prefecture family business?" Fei Tianqin urgently summoned Fei Nanying, not to say some nonsense.

It flicked its feather, gesturing for the latter to land on the prayer mat. Only then did it speak slowly, "Has young Kang told you about the quality of young friend Jiang's pills?"

Fei Nanying was immediately startled. After pondering the meaning of Fei Tianqin's words for a while, he respectfully replied, "Logically speaking, since no one was specifically named when the announcement was made, it should be a low-grade Dan-forming pill. However, according to the Ancestor's intention, then..."

"I don't believe that young friend Jiang can only achieve the lower grade of Dan," Fei Tianqin said, his tone becoming more excited when he mentioned Jiang Qing.

But after glancing at Fei Nanying again, it said, "Even you and Kang boy can achieve the middle grade of the elixir, so how could young friend Jiang be inferior to you?"

"Huh?" Fei Nanying was slightly taken aback, but then, disregarding the fact that Fei Tianqin's words made no sense, he still bowed and said, "Ancestor's eyes are sharp and he is certainly not wrong! But if that's really the case, why would that brat Kang Dabao hide it?"

"This is the stinginess that comes from being raised in a poor family. No matter what happens, good or bad, you have to be on guard to feel at ease. You only think about playing dumb to take advantage of others, but you're terrified of being taken advantage of yourself."

Fei Nanying was not entirely convinced, but he did not refute it outwardly.

"How easy is it to find Middle-Grade Golden Core? Even Nascent Soul disciples are less than one in ten. I am already extremely fortunate to have this opportunity thanks to the Fei Household's ancestral blessings."

Kang Dabao is quite lucky and has a Higher Vehicle temperament; he's truly blessed. If Jiang Qing can also achieve a mid-grade dantian, wouldn't that mean their Qi Refinement master is even better at choosing disciples than a True Person Nascent Soul?!

Fei Tianqin also temporarily stopped his bluntness and stopped talking about these outsider matters with Fei Nanying. Instead, he started talking about serious business:

"I overheard from the tents of the three True Person that they have met with the True Person Jiuzhen from the outer sea several times. This joint effort to repel the enemy should be able to take place in a few days."

Upon hearing this, Fei Nanying immediately grasped the key point and asked softly, "Ancestor, this is entirely orchestrated by the three True Person; is there no involvement from the Duke?"

"Perhaps it was at the behest of the Prince of the North; his relationship with that person in the outer sea doesn't seem as tense as the current emperor's with the Prince of the South."

Fei Tianqin realized his rashness after speaking, and quickly looked around before letting out a long sigh of relief. After all, compared to the Southern King and Emperor Wei, this old bird had little interaction with the Northern King Kuang Zefu and could hardly be considered close.

If outsiders were to find out about these things, it would be a real problem for it.

At this time, the battlefield had changed again compared to a few years ago. Gu Xuandao Yuejian Mountain Yunfu Zhenren and Bei Wang Kuang Zefu also entered the fray. However, because Bai Canhong was on the other side, the Immortal Dynasty had a total of four Zhenren, so it was still difficult for them to gain an advantage.

True Person Jiuzhen, under orders from the Outer Billowing Dream Palace, have been stationed in Phoenix Cry Prefecture for three years. Even if Nascent Soul True Person has a lifespan of over a thousand years, he should not waste it in this way.

He's gone far enough in his pretense; it's time for him to put on a show.

This lousy battle is utterly pointless. Today you advance an inch, tomorrow I take a step. Besides wasting lives, what benefits can we expect? Even Fei Tianqin, a seasoned veteran, is feeling physically and mentally exhausted.

In his view, Bai Canhong had been operating in the southwest for a long time and had received assistance from Joyful Sight Mountain the Supreme Unity Temple. If the True Person of the Immortal Dynasty were truly unable to do anything to him, then this Master of the Star-Picking Pavilion would be in a position of near invincibility.

If the Immortal Dynasty has no other backup plan, this grand operation may just be a flash in the pan, and maintaining the status quo would be a remarkable achievement.

The only thing that could bring some comfort to the royal family was that Kuang Liuting was truly extraordinary; even though he had only recently Core Formation, he was already invincible below the Nascent Soul by relying on the true techniques of the Kuang Household.

But now time has already turned in favor of the Immortal Dynasty. Once Kuang Liuting Nascent Soul Formation his Nascent Soul stage, the time to purify the Jade Universe may truly come.

Fei Tianqin gathered his thoughts and was about to speak with Fei Nanying about preparations for battle, so that the disciples in Xuanwei City and Phoenix Cry Prefecture wouldn't get used to being carefree. However, not long after they started talking, a red talisman shot into the tent from outside.

Upon seeing the talisman, its sharp eyes lit up immediately. It quickly tapped its feathers, removed the red talisman, and unfolded it to read it.

Fei Nanying saw a hint of panic flash in his ancestor's eyes, something he rarely saw before. Before he could ask, Fei Tianqin whispered:

"The True Person Moon Hidden has passed away."