Chapter 352 - 350: Inner Hall Seating Order

Chapter 352: Chapter 350: Inner Hall Seating Order

In the inner hall, jade railings wound around the steps, and colorful, carved dragon heads gleamed.

Unlike the grand and imposing outer hall, this space was more exquisite and beautiful. There were only a dozen or so elegant seats, nearly half of which were empty.

"Master Zhu, please rest for a moment. Junior Martial Uncle Bai will be here shortly."

The stunning yet reserved Female Cultivator carried herself with poise. Her slender wrists, white as snow, were revealed as she bowed gracefully and led the way.

"Hall Master Longx is truly deserving of her reputation as a pillar among the Qingfeng Sect’s rising generation. We in the Danxia Sect would be hard-pressed to find a disciple with such poise."

Master Zhu slowly took his seat. He was exceptionally polite to the Foundation Establishment junior, showing none of the typical arrogance of a Core Formation True Man.

In recent years, the Danxia Sect had found it extremely difficult to operate, thanks to the Blood Demon Sect’s indiscriminate and frenzied campaign of annihilation.

Fortunately, as home to more than half of the Tier Three Alchemists in the Liang Country Cultivation Realm, the Danxia Sect held a special status within the Demon Extermination Alliance. This meant its Sect Disciples wouldn’t be pushed into the most dangerous positions.

However, the Danxia Sect, having already made a private agreement with the Qingfeng Sect, had used the pretext of a joint collaboration to dispatch dozens of disciples to live on Black Mountain for several years, all under the guise of exchanging alchemy techniques.

Although Longx Longx, the Hall Master of the Law Enforcement Hall, was only at Late-Stage Foundation Establishment, she held a high and powerful position within the Qingfeng Sect and was also renowned for her beauty.

Even Master Zhu had long heard of her name and was now intentionally making an effort to befriend her, despite his higher status.

Now that True Monarch Ge Cang had successfully formed his Nascent Soul and elevated his sect’s status, he had become the fourth Nascent Soul Cultivator in the Liang Country Cultivation Realm.

The Danxia Sect had already made an internal decision: to fully align themselves with the Qingfeng Sect, even if it meant becoming a vassal Alchemy Sect, an outcome they were willing to accept.

Otherwise, by remaining in the Demon Extermination Alliance and fighting daily battles against the Blood Demon Sect, they would continue to bleed members without any new blood to replenish their ranks. In such a state, even a great sect would quickly decline.

The Demon Extermination Alliance, which had started off with ferocious momentum, had been worn down by decades of brutal fighting. There were now several sects whose Mountain Gates had not been breached, but who could no longer withstand such a savage sect war.

More than half of their core members had been killed in battle, and young disciples had no time to mature before being thrown onto the battlefield like little more than cannon fodder.

They were organized into Battle Arrays to act as cornerstones that supplied Magical Power, operating with numb, mechanical precision.

A single casual strike from a Core Formation True Man could capsize an entire Battle Array, killing all the hundreds of disciples within it.

For the sects that had suffered the heaviest losses, the number of new Foundation Establishment Cultivators had dropped to nearly zero.

As a sect that held a monopolistic advantage in the Alchemy Dao, it was relatively easy for the Danxia Sect to find a way out.

Compared to other Core Formation Level Sects, they even had the luxury of choosing who to negotiate with.

They not only possessed the most Tier Three Alchemists in Liang Country, a massive number of Pill Formulas, and all sorts of common and rare Spirit Grasses.

More importantly, they possessed a complete system of inherited techniques for training Pill Masters, as well as unique expertise in the cultivation of Spirit Grass.

Furthermore, through the Pill King Conference and similar exchanges of High-Tier Spiritual Pills, the Danxia Sect had built a network of contacts that spanned the entire Northern Domain.

While this network might not always be of monumental use, the Danxia Sect’s experience and worldly knowledge far surpassed that of most Core Formation Level Sects, whose vision was forever limited to their own small plot of land. When their disciples traveled through the four countries, they could usually find a friendly sect with whom they had decent relations to provide assistance.

If Sect Cultivators wished to purchase a rare Spiritual Object, this network could also prove useful.

Besides the few Nascent Soul powers in Liang Country, the Danxia Sect could just as easily find patrons in other countries, who would willingly vacate a Tier Three Spirit Vein for the arrival of an Alchemy Sect and resolve any and all of their worries.

However, after a unanimous discussion among the sect’s Elders, Master Zhu made the final decision, resulting in the choice they had made.

First, they were reluctant to leave their homeland, Liang Country. With that in mind, the Qingfeng Sect’s reputation and credibility were certainly the best; they wouldn’t have to worry about being betrayed or opportunistically annexed.

Furthermore, in addition to True Monarch Ge Cang, the Qingfeng Sect also had Master Bai, whose natural talent and aptitude were his equal, if not his superior.

This ensured that the Qingfeng Sect was not the type of sect that rose suddenly on the back of a single genius cultivator, only to fade away a few centuries later with no one to succeed them—a brief, brilliant flash in the pan.

The Ice Soul Palace was a perfect example of this situation. The reason so few powers allied with it was because everyone secretly worried that if Suihan True Monarch were to pass away, no other cultivator in the Ice Soul Palace could step up to support the sect.

The Qingfeng Sect clearly had no such worries. No one believed that Master Bai, who had slain a Nascent Soul cultivator while only at Mid-Stage Core Formation Cultivation, would fail in his own attempt to form a Nascent Soul.

Even the most conservative of cultivators had to admit that Master Bai had, at the very least, the potential to become a Great True Monarch and fill the current void in the Northern Domain.

"That cultivator up front... which sect is he from?"

Master Zhu had taken the second seat, while the head seat was occupied by a Foundation Establishment Cultivator whose clothes and general appearance were completely unfamiliar.

At the very least, with Master Zhu’s vast experience, he couldn’t think of a single sect in the Northern Domain that dressed this way.

To be seated at the head of the hall with only a Foundation Establishment Cultivation could only mean that the sect behind this cultivator was extraordinary; he had to be the representative of a Nascent Soul Major Sect.

He would never believe that Longx Longx had assigned the seats randomly.

He glanced back and saw that, apart from the man in the head seat, the other guests were all Core Formation True Men, several of whom looked familiar.

Master Zhu made a quick mental calculation. With his status as a Tier Three Peak Alchemist, on top of his Mid-Stage Core Formation Cultivation, it was true that none of the other guests should have been ranked ahead of him.

"That is Junior Brother Ma, from the Five Elements Sect... Master, you have likely never heard of them. The Five Elements Sect is far away in the Southern Domain; they are a brother sect to ours, as close as family."

Longx Longx did not try to obscure the matter, speaking quite frankly.

Aside from the Qingfeng Sect, the Five Elements Sect has no dealings whatsoever with the Northern Domain. Moreover, Dian Country is considered a desolate nation even within the Southern Domain.

Its status is similar to that of Liang Country in the Northern Domain—a remote backwater.

"I see..."

Master Zhu’s thoughts stirred. ’A Core Formation Level Sect, represented by a mere Foundation Establishment Disciple, and yet the Qingfeng Sect still placed him at the head of the inner hall, ahead of a group of Core Formation True Men.’

’It can only mean that the relationship between this Five Elements Sect and the Qingfeng Sect is anything but ordinary, something that cannot be summed up by the simple word "ally."’

’The fact that the Qingfeng Sect proceeded with this arrangement, despite the risk of provoking the dissatisfaction of some Core Formation True Men, was very telling.’

’The phrase "as close as family" wasn’t one that just any two sects could use to describe their relationship.’

’Coming from a sect like Qingfeng—one that prided itself on being part of the orthodox Daoist lineage, acted with integrity, and honored its promises—that phrase carried a different weight entirely.’

After that, a few more cultivators were led into the inner hall, about half of them Core Formation True Men and the other half Foundation Establishment Cultivators.

However, the rest of the Foundation Establishment Cultivators were all assigned to the rearmost seats; none of them were singled out and placed ahead of the Core Formation True Men.

With the host yet to arrive, a few of the Core Formation True Men who were acquainted with one another began to chat amongst themselves, some speaking aloud and others using Sound Transmission.

"Junior Brother Ma, Junior Martial Uncle Bai will see you now."

A quarter of an hour later, Longx Longx returned to the inner hall and escorted the Foundation Establishment Cultivator from the head seat out of the room.

As they watched this plain-looking, stiff-faced cultivator follow closely behind Longx Longx into the depths of the inner hall, a low buzz of chatter immediately erupted.

Everyone began to speculate about the man’s background.

"Fellow Daoist Zhu, I saw you speaking with the Qingfeng Sect’s Little Friend Longx for quite a while. Do you happen to know the background of that Foundation Establishment Cultivator? I can let it slide that he was placed before me, but you are the foremost Alchemy Grandmaster in all of Liang Country! Even if he were the personal disciple of a Nascent Soul True Monarch, he shouldn’t be ranked ahead of you!"

Master Zhu shot a sideways glance at the speaker, a man with a sharp chin and sunken cheeks. He was a well-known Core Formation Loose Cultivator in the Cultivation Realm who went by the name Golden Sun Wanderer.

Together with Huang Ping Wanderer and Guu Chang Wanderer, he was known as one of the Three Great Core Formation Loose Cultivators of Liang Country, and was quite famous.

Ever since Huang Ping Wanderer had mysteriously died not far from the Danxia Sect after participating in the Pill King Conference years ago, Master Zhu, fearing he would bring disaster upon himself, had kept the matter a strict secret and never uttered a single word about it to anyone.

"Master Bai must have his reasons for this arrangement... Why don’t you go and ask him, Fellow Daoist? Present your calling card. Perhaps Master Bai simply isn’t aware that you’ve arrived. Otherwise, Little Friend Longx would have certainly called for you first."

How could Master Zhu fall for such a shallow provocation and become angry?

Besides, now that he had learned from Longx Longx just how deep the relationship between the Five Elements Sect and the Qingfeng Sect ran, he cared about this point even less.

"Heh heh, I don’t have the nerve for that. I was just speaking out against an injustice on your behalf..."

The Golden Sun Wanderer, having embarrassed himself, gave a sheepish laugh, returned to his seat, and said no more.

...

Deep within the inner hall, there was also a private chamber.

When Matuo entered, he saw a refined-looking young man standing in front of a table, studying a massive map.

His bearing was relaxed and natural, making one feel as if they were bathed in a refreshing breeze; he exuded none of the oppressive pressure of a High-Tier Cultivator.

"Five Elements Sect disciple Matuo pays his respects to Ancestor Bai."

Matuo had only been on Black Mountain for a few years and had yet to have an audience with any of the Qingfeng Sect’s Core Formation Ancestors, but he could identify this person based on his appearance and bearing.

The Five Elements Sect and the Qingfeng Sect would each dispatch one Foundation Establishment Cultivator to be stationed long-term at the other’s Mountain Gate, with all Cultivation Resources provided by the host sect.

The representative was generally rotated out once every 60-Year Cycle.

They also carried a communication Secret Treasure that could be activated to transmit messages, even across the two domains.

Of course, it was limited to the simple function of changing colors.

But the past few calls for aid had been sent via this method, informing the other party of the level of difficulty faced so that they could provide appropriate assistance.

"Are you a disciple of Master Qingmu?"

Bai Zichen looked up, giving the Foundation Establishment Cultivator a good, long look.

"To answer Ancestor, yes, that is my master."

Among Master Qingmu’s disciples, Matuo was not ranked among the most outstanding, though he was by no means bad.

His willingness to travel millions of li to be stationed at Black Mountain was mainly for two benefits: the stipend from his own sect and the Cultivation Resources from the Qingfeng Sect.

Back at the Five Elements Sect, competition was fierce—a winner-take-all environment.

Matuo couldn’t even come out on top on Qingmu Peak, let alone hope to enjoy the best cultivation conditions in the entire Five Elements Sect.

He would have very likely stalled out at the Mid-Stage Foundation Establishment realm for the rest of his life.

It was far better to travel to Black Mountain. Judging from past experiences, the post wasn’t dangerous, and the double portion of cultivation resources had allowed several of his predecessors to reach Late-Stage Foundation Establishment.

At the very least, it gave him a sliver of a chance to attempt a breakthrough to Core Formation, however faint that chance might be.

He had never expected that after arriving at Black Mountain and completing the handover procedures, he would discover that the Qingfeng Sect was completely different from what he’d been led to believe.

A sect that, just a century ago, had needed rescuing by the Five Elements Sect and had nearly failed to protect its own Mountain Gate, had somehow managed to make a massive leap in a short amount of time, its overall strength now surpassing that of the Five Elements Sect itself.