Chapter 672: Hidden Worries

Chapter 672: Chapter 455: Hidden Worries

Inside the secret chamber, Fang Qingyuan was probing Sikong Chen’s perspective on the matter. He first needed to ascertain Sikong Chen’s true thoughts before he could determine how to proceed.

If Sikong Chen refused to let the matter drop, that would require one course of action. If he simply accepted it as a misunderstanding, that would warrant a different approach. Each side’s attitude would shift in response to the other’s. Thus, they were currently in a phase of mutual probing.

“According to procedure, when a Golden Core Perfect Cultivator like Yan Nanxing goes to White Mountain to break through to the Nascent Soul Realm, doesn’t he sign a contract with your Pavilion Master, Sikong Ji, beforehand? Now, Brother Yan has died without a trace, and all you do is deliver a single sentence, saying nothing more. It’s truly disheartening, don’t you think?”

In response to Fang Qingyuan’s pointed questions, Sikong Chen simply replied calmly:

“White Mountain has operated this way for countless years. Apart from A Bronze Oil Lamp, the sects receive nothing from the Nascent Soul Cultivators on the summit. As for last words… after successful Nascent Soul Formation, one can manifest a projection via the Bronze Oil Lamp and naturally communicate with others. However, the ancestors from every sect only ever speak of matters below the mountain, never mentioning a single detail about what happens on it. No one has ever been an exception…

Yan Nanxing is not the first, nor will he be the last. No one wanted to see him die failing to break through to the Nascent Soul Realm, but that is the outcome. We can only follow our procedures and notify his sect.”

Fang Qingyuan was far from satisfied with Sikong Chen’s explanation. ‘Are traditions correct simply because they’re ancient?’

‘The past is the past, and the present is the present. The rules established back then were enforced by the Divinity Transformation Ancestor of White Mountain, but he has fallen now.’

It came down to the old saying: rules without the power to enforce them are worthless. Everyone was still observing these rules out of sheer inertia. A habit thousands of years in the making couldn’t be broken in just a few short years. It needed a catalyst.

And Yan Nanxing’s death was that very catalyst.

For the longest time, the inner workings of White Mountain had been a complete mystery to the White Mountain People. When they spoke of White Mountain, they knew only that it was where Divinity Transformation and Nascent Soul Cultivators resided and trained. But as for its layout or its structures, they were completely in the dark.

In contrast to other major powers—be it Jixia Academy, where Fang Qingyuan had once gone for a trial, or the Nangong Family in Qinan City—the outside world had a clear understanding of them. Only the Master of White Mountain had always remained aloof and mysterious, never meeting with outsiders.

Mystery created an aura of authority, but it also created distance. And distance bred suspicion and alienation. Fang Qingyuan believed the Master of White Mountain was the primary reason the White Mountain People had developed such a fractured nature, lacking any cohesion, like a pile of scattered sand.

For years on end, the Master of White Mountain had never issued any decrees. The White Mountain People only knew they had a Divinity Transformation Ancestor presiding over them, but they had no idea what his name was or what he looked like.

‘Now he’s dead, and White Mountain has descended into chaos. At a time like this, Star-Picking Pavilion still wants to maintain its old ways? Where do they get the nerve?’

“Times have changed. The fires of war are burning across White Mountain, battles raging without end. Does the Star-Picking Pavilion have nothing to say about this?”

Fang Qingyuan was probing for Sikong Chen’s stance, but Sikong Chen refused to take the bait. He simply said:

“I have delivered the message to the Yan Gui Sect. The rest has nothing to do with me. So, may I now return to make my report?”

Seeing Sikong Chen’s attitude, Fang Qingyuan understood. He didn’t want to stir up more trouble and preferred to handle the matter quietly. The Yan Gui Sect detaining him was certainly an offense against the Star-Picking Pavilion, but if word got out that he, the main party involved, had been detained, it wouldn’t look good for his own reputation. Therefore, out of consideration for the fact that Yan Muyun’s father had just died, he was willing to treat it as an impulsive act and let the matter be settled discreetly.

But even if Sikong Chen was willing to handle things quietly, it still depended on the Yan Gui Sect and the other nine Golden Core Sects. This was the moment when the Star-Picking Pavilion’s authority was at its absolute lowest. If they didn’t seize this opportunity, they would be completely at the Pavilion’s mercy in the future.

“This is not a matter I can decide. Fellow Daoist Sikong, I am approaching this discussion with sincerity. However, if you remain unwilling to reveal anything at all, then I will have no choice but to invite your Pavilion Master, Sikong Ji, to come and speak with us in detail.”

The moment Fang Qingyuan finished speaking, the color drained from Sikong Chen’s face. He hadn’t expected Fang Qingyuan to be so audacious as to target Sikong Ji himself. It went without saying that to compel Sikong Ji to come here, they would have to use him, Sikong Chen, as leverage. Neither of these scenarios was something he wanted.

“Sect Leader Fang, do not forget. Our ancestor, Sikong Zhou, can manifest here at any moment.”

Faced with Sikong Chen’s threat, Fang Qingyuan just smiled calmly. “I’ve been looking forward to witnessing the esteemed bearing of Ancestor Sikong Zhou. My sect’s Mountain Guardian Sacred Beast has only recently entered White Mountain and has not yet had the chance to pay its respects to the various seniors. If Ancestor Sikong Zhou would be willing to grace us with his presence, the entire Qingyuan Sect would be overjoyed.”

Sikong Chen had played his card—the Star-Picking Pavilion’s Nascent Soul Cultivator, Sikong Zhou. So, Fang Qingyuan played his—Bear Wind. Both sides possessed Nascent Soul Battle Power, so who had reason to be afraid? Bear Wind was currently roaming just outside, ready to arrive at a moment’s notice.

The Star-Picking Pavilion was White Mountain’s chief steward. When the Master of White Mountain was still alive, everyone had to listen to them. But now that the Master of White Mountain had fallen, did Sikong Zhou really think he could become the foremost White Mountain Nascent Soul?

If he truly possessed that kind of power, the great war between Nascent Soul Cultivators would never have erupted on White Mountain, nor would it have incited the sects below to go to war with one another.

Cornered by Fang Qingyuan’s hardline stance, Sikong Chen felt extremely uncomfortable. ‘This mission down the mountain,’ he thought, ‘has been a complete disaster.’