Chapter 614: Dark Clouds Loom, the Sect on the Brink of Collapse

Suddenly, Qu Yang’s muttering grew more and more frantic as he waved his arms forcefully.

Cracks spread across his face, and the green sprouts swelled, nearly obscuring all his features.

The phantom of a lotus leaf unfurled, enveloping Qu Yang until the sounds faded into silence.

…

Several Core Formation cultivators from the Holy Lotus Sect exited the Three Worlds Hall, exchanged greetings, and went their separate ways.

The gaunt Elder Daoist declined a fellow sect member’s invitation to drink Spirit Wine and sullenly started back toward his Spirit Land.

He was a Tier Three Peak Talisman Master, and all his skills lay in Talismans; his combat abilities were abysmal.

If the Celestial Principle Sect’s next assault intensified, he would need to prepare more Tier Three Talismans to feel any sense of security.

He couldn’t help but grumble inwardly. If they hadn’t been besieged after going to war with the Celestial Principle Sect, it wouldn’t be difficult for him to break through to Tier Four, given his Talisman Dao mastery was already at the threshold. All he needed were the right Talisman-Making Materials.

“Senior Brother Ke, why are you walking so fast? In a rush to go home and make a baby, setting an example for the younger generation?”

The Core Formation cultivator with the sarcoma passed by, laughing heartily as he mocked him.

“You imbecile! You’re not worth scheming with!”

The gaunt Elder Daoist shot him a glare. He traced something in his left palm with his finger, then held it open. On it were the three words “Walls have Yang.”

‘Don’t worry. That brat Qu Yang might have Nascent Soul-level strength thanks to the Snow Lotus, but his Realm isn’t there yet. There are many techniques of a True Monarch he can’t grasp. His Divine Sense is a bit stronger than ours, but there’s no way he could have directly overheard our Sound Transmission. We’ll meet in the Medicine Garden Secret Realm in one hour.’

The Core Formation cultivator with the sarcoma snorted coldly and swaggered away.

The gaunt Elder Daoist’s face was a mask of fury, but inwardly he was surprised. ‘That’s something I didn’t know.’

However, the master of the cultivator with the sarcoma—who had long since passed on—had been a veteran Core Formation cultivator of the Holy Lotus Sect and had also reached Core Formation Perfection.

He almost had a chance to be named Ancestor Jiulian’s successor, but unfortunately, he was too old. In the end, the more promising Qu Yang was chosen.

Some years ago, during the great war between the sects, he was struck by a palm attack from Le Zheng, the Saint Heir of the Celestial Principle Sect, causing his qi and blood to roil violently.

After returning, he coughed up blood continuously. Coupled with his advanced age, he soon passed away.

His understanding of the Sect’s secret legacies far surpassed that of the five current Elders, so it wouldn’t be surprising if he had informed the cultivator with the sarcoma of this before he died.

An hour later, the gaunt Elder Daoist used the excuse of needing to pick some fresh thousand-year-old Spirit Leaves to head toward the last Secret Realm still under the Holy Lotus Sect’s control.

He first went to the Medicine Garden to pluck three thousand-year-old Spirit Leaves, then concealed his presence in a deserted area before arriving at a valley where cultivators and mortals lived together. He entered a mortal’s house.

The Core Formation cultivator with the sarcoma had been waiting inside for a long time. Seeing him arrive, he waved his hand, and an invisible Forbidden rose up.

“Don’t worry, Senior Brother Ke. My master left this place to me. Everyone from the Outer Sect Elders to the Stewards was promoted by him. This Forbidden doesn’t have much blocking power, but if anyone tries to probe it with their Divine Sense—even a Nascent Soul True Monarch—it will react instantly.”

The Core Formation cultivator with the sarcoma spoke nonchalantly, sitting sprawled in his chair.

“It’s still better to be careful. You and I pretend to be enemies, like fire and water. If Qu Yang discovers we’re secretly colluding, there will be hell to pay! I have no desire to end up like those Human Puppets, refined into those things that are neither human nor ghost, forced to detonate my Golden Core and die for him!”

The gaunt Elder Daoist said irritably.

“That’s exactly why we need to speed up our plans! If this goes on, he’ll drag everyone down into the abyss with him. He’s not trying to save the Sect at all—he’s trying to sever the very roots of the Holy Lotus Sect!”

The Core Formation cultivator with the sarcoma leaned forward, his eyes fixed on the gaunt old man.

“I plan to surrender to another sect soon, to find a way out… I still have several hundred years left to live. As long as I survive to pass down our Cultivation Techniques, isn’t that just another way of preserving the legacy of the Holy Lotus Sect?”