Chapter 668: New Vortex

Chapter 668: Chapter 453: New Vortex

Fang Qingyuan was stunned for a moment after Yan Muyun finished speaking. ‘This young man seems normal enough, but why is he so brazen at his core?’

Although the Star-Picking Pavilion had the fewest members among the ten great powers of White Mountain, its status was the most revered. Everyone on White Mountain knew that while the Star-Picking Pavilion appeared to be merely a sect specializing in Star Techniques, it actually served the Divinity Transformation Ancestor of White Mountain. It represented the Ancestor’s honor.

All promising young cultivators throughout White Mountain with a Star Lifebound or the requisite talent had to be sent to the Star-Picking Pavilion for training. This alone demonstrated the Star-Picking Pavilion’s illustrious status on White Mountain.

‘So how did Yan Muyun dare to detain the Golden Core Cultivator they sent to deliver the news?’

‘Is he relying on his status as one of the Great Zhou Academy’s Sealed Sects, still under the three-generation protection period, to go and demand justice from the Star-Picking Pavilion on Upper White Mountain?’

‘That must be it.’ Fang Qingyuan’s mind raced. The nine Golden Core Sects, including the Yan Gui Sect, were all powers that had migrated from other regions during the pioneering wars of the past. The Yan Gui Sect, in particular, hailed from a region with a relatively peaceful cultivation environment—a far cry from White Mountain.

Yan Nanxing was likely the first cultivator at Golden Core Perfection from these Golden Core Sects to ascend Upper White Mountain and attempt a breakthrough to the Nascent Soul realm. In fact, that person should have been Xiao Xuan, the first-generation Sect Leader of the Lingliang Sect, but he died an ignominious death. Thus, Yan Nanxing became the first of these “outsiders” to make the ascent.

Considering Yan Nanxing’s preparations, he shouldn’t have died so easily. Therefore, it wasn’t just Yan Muyun; the other seven or eight Golden Core Sects must also be paying close attention to this matter. After all, in due time, it would be their turn to ascend the mountain.

Fang Qingyuan drew a sharp breath as a thought struck him. ‘Yan Muyun is acting so drastically… Don’t tell me he has the support of these other sects?’

‘And now he’s come to rope me in. Is he planning to unite all the sects in White Mountain that were sealed by the Great Zhou Academy, put collective pressure on the Star-Picking Pavilion, and secure some guarantee for their future?’

After Yan Muyun spoke of detaining the Golden Core Cultivator from the Star-Picking Pavilion, Fang Qingyuan’s mind raced. In the past, he would never have thought so deeply about such things. But as a Sect Leader, he was slowly learning through experience to view matters from a different perspective.

‘If my analysis is correct, then it seems Yan Muyun is willing to act as the vanguard. After all, he’s the aggrieved party here.’

‘Wait a minute… Is this really just a matter concerning the sects on White Mountain?’

‘The Master of White Mountain fell a few years ago, plunging the major powers on the mountain into a chaotic war that continues to this day. Is it possible that some other power wants to probe the situation on Upper White Mountain and has chosen to secretly back Yan Muyun?’

‘Stop. I can’t let my thoughts spiral like this.’ Fang Qingyuan forcibly reined in his thoughts. He had initially assumed it was a simple matter, but the more he considered it, the more he began to feel a sense of dread. ‘This is a true maelstrom.’

Looking again at the kneeling Yan Muyun, Fang Qingyuan finally unleashed his Mind Divine Techniques. Although his target was also a Golden Core Cultivator, making the reading indistinct, the limited feedback he received told him that beneath the man’s sorrowful exterior, he was secretly quite calm.

‘So it really is mostly an act. Brother Yan, you have a worthy successor.’

“How foolish! The emissaries of the Star-Picking Pavilion hold a lofty status. How dare you detain one on your own authority? Is there something that cannot be discussed openly? What good does it do to detain their messenger? Go back at once and release him! On second thought, I’ll go with you. We need to make a proper apology.”

Fang Qingyuan began to berate Yan Muyun, his words causing the young man to lower his head in apparent shame. Fang Qingyuan couldn’t see his expression, but through the faint reading from his Mind Divine Techniques, he could tell Yan Muyun’s emotions remained perfectly steady.

“Someone, escort Sect Leader Yan to a guest room to rest. I will join him after I’ve attended to a few matters.”

After Yan Muyun and his retinue were escorted away to rest, Fang Qingyuan began to pace. He was contemplating whether he should get involved in this affair and, if so, to what extent.

In other words, how could he reap some benefit from this, rather than acting like some selfless hero and sticking his neck out for Yan Muyun with no expectation of reward? Though he had made a promise long ago, the most it required of him was to intervene and preserve the Yan Family’s lineage if they ever faced utter catastrophe.

As the Qingyuan Sect continued to grow in size and influence, trying to maintain its original detached status was becoming wishful thinking.

A power of this magnitude, situated in a corner of White Mountain, could shift the tide of battle for either of the warring factions, depending on which side it chose to support.

For now, the Qingyuan Sect had declared its neutrality in the great war. Coupled with the protection afforded by its three-generation charter from the Great Zhou Academy, the other powers had no time to spare for them. But once the war was over, the Qingyuan Sect would surely become a target for all.

‘If we want to be recognized as the tenth great power of White Mountain, how can we be convincing if our mettle isn’t tested? In other words, status is earned through battle. You might claim to have the combat strength of a Nascent Soul Golden Core on paper, but without a real, life-or-death fight, who’s to say you aren’t just putting up a front?’

‘Besides, speaking of Nascent Soul Cultivators, both the Spirit Wood Alliance and the Hehuan Sect have two each. The other powers have at least a thousand years of history; how could they not have some trump cards of their own?’

‘Furthermore, Bear Wind is an Ancient Beast of the Wilderness. Now that he’s on White Mountain, he’s suppressed by the Celestial Essence Grand Array. What fraction of his true power he can even bring to bear is a major question.’

After considering all this, Fang Qingyuan decided that, for the sake of the future, he had to change the Qingyuan Sect’s current position. Since they were on White Mountain, they needed to get deeply involved, not maintain a lofty, detached attitude. Otherwise, when trouble eventually came calling, it would be truly pathetic to have not a single ally to lend a hand.