Chapter 634 - 212: Shock to the Xuanzhen Sect’s Upper Echelons

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「Morning.」

In the great hall atop the Xuanzhen Sect’s Main Peak, the atmosphere was solemn.

On each side of the great hall stood four rosewood chairs. The Seven Vein Peak Masters of the Xuanzhen Sect and Chief Elder Ouyang Jingxuan were all present, seated upon them.

Each of them wore a composed expression, their auras restrained. The faint pressure emanating from their bodies filled the entire hall with a heavy gravity.

Just then, a scholarly yet majestic figure slowly emerged from the rear hall.

The man wore a moon-white Taoist robe, a black jade belt fastened at his waist. His face was handsome and refined, his temples lightly frosted with grey. It was none other than the Sect Leader of Xuanzhen Sect, Cao Zhen.

His steps were unhurried and inaudible, yet the very air in the hall seemed to still slightly with each footfall.

He walked to the main seat at the head of the hall and stopped, his gaze slowly sweeping over everyone below.

The eight high-ranking members of the Xuanzhen Sect rose in unison and bowed, their voices synchronized. "Greetings, Sect Leader!"

Cao Zhen gently raised a hand. "There is no need for such formalities. Please, be seated."

As his voice fell, the seven Peak Masters and Ouyang Jingxuan returned to their seats in turn. Their gazes all fell upon Cao Zhen at the head of the hall, waiting for him to speak.

Cao Zhen slowly took the main seat, his fingertips tapping lightly on the armrest. His gaze swept across the eight people below as he spoke in a steady voice, "I have gathered you all here today to discuss two matters, both of which are of great importance to our Xuanzhen Sect."

The gazes of the seven Peak Masters and Chief Elder Ouyang Jingxuan instantly focused on Cao Zhen. The hall fell so silent you could hear a pin drop, and even their breathing grew softer. Everyone’s expression turned grave, knowing that what the Sect Leader had to say was no small matter.

Cao Zhen took a deep breath and slowly announced the first matter. "Traces of the Demon Sect have once again appeared within the borders of Jintai Prefecture.

"We just received word from the Celestial Sword Sect. Over ten members of the Demon Sect were discovered deep in Qixia Mountain, including a powerful Demon Cultivator at the True Qi Realm.

"When the Celestial Sword Sect disciples discovered them, they intended to encircle and eliminate them on the spot. But by the time their Elders arrived, the Demon Sect members had vanished without a trace. They were clearly prepared."

As soon as these words were spoken, the atmosphere in the hall instantly dropped to a freezing point. The expressions of the seven Peak Masters and Ouyang Jingxuan changed drastically, and ripples disturbed their previously calm auras.

For these veteran powerhouses, who had been established in Jintai Prefecture for many years, the bloody war against the Demon Sect decades ago was a memory etched into their very bones.

Back then, the five great sects had united with the government, the noble families, and various smaller sects to wage a war against the Demon Sect that lasted for years. It was a brutal conflict fought over every inch of land, creating mountains of corpses and seas of blood.

Some among them had lost martial brothers on the battlefield, others had seen their masters perish at the hands of the Demon Sect, and many more had lost Direct Disciples to the sect’s bizarre Cultivation Techniques. They all shared an irreconcilable hatred for the Demon Sect.

Li Zhihai, the Peak Master of Qingxu Peak, whose hair and beard were completely white, spoke in a low, grim voice, his eyes filled with hatred. "Have the Demon Sect’s claws truly reached the lands of Jintai Prefecture again?"

The others also wore grave expressions, their brows deeply furrowed.

For the past few decades, although rumors of Demon Sect remnants had always circulated among the common folk, everyone present knew that such talk was mere marketplace gossip, not to be taken seriously.

Back then, the allied five great sects had uprooted the Demon Sect’s branch in Jintai Prefecture, severing their foundation in the region and driving out the last of their members. In the decades that followed, there had not been a single confirmed sighting of the Demon Sect.

This time, however, the news came from the Celestial Sword Sect, another of the five great sects. The Celestial Sword Sect had always been rigorous in their affairs and would never make false claims about something so serious. The report’s authenticity was beyond doubt.

Qin Gang, the Peak Master of Zhenyue Peak, was a burly man with a resolute face. His expression was also grave as he asked in a low voice, "Does this mean the Demon Sect intends to make a comeback and re-establish its roots in Jintai Prefecture?"

Bai Bing, the Peak Master of Lingxi Peak, was dressed in a plain white Taoist robe, her beautiful face cool and distant. Beside her, Zhou Yunyi, the Peak Master of Yunxi Peak, was gentle and serene. Their eyes met, and both saw the deep gravity in the other’s gaze.

Thirty years ago, when the Demon Sect was suppressed, neither of them had yet become a Peak Master, so they had not personally participated in that bloody war. However, for decades, they had heard tales of the Demon Sect’s cruelty and bizarre methods. They knew full well that if the Demon Sect managed to establish a foothold in Jintai Prefecture, the entire region would be plunged into a storm of blood, and the situation would become unimaginably dire.

「At the head of the hall.」

Cao Zhen took a soft breath, his expression equally grave. "Whether the Demon Sect truly intends to extend its reach back into Jintai Prefecture cannot yet be confirmed," he said slowly, "but we must prepare for the worst."

Everyone in the hall nodded slightly. They all knew in their hearts that the threat posed by the Demon Sect was far greater than any ordinary heretical sect. Its Cultivation Techniques were bizarre and its methods ruthless. Once it took root, it would spread like poisonous vines. They could not afford to underestimate it in the slightest.

Cao Zhen continued, "For now, only scattered traces have been found, and no major chaos has erupted. But we must be vigilant.

"The situation in Jintai Prefecture is already complicated. It’s not far from the front lines in Caozhou, and large numbers of refugees are pouring in. The people are restless, and order is already unstable.

"If the Demon Sect seizes this opportunity to infiltrate and uses the refugees to sow chaos, destabilizing Jintai Prefecture would be child’s play for them."

Huang Zhen, the Celestial Derivation Peak Master, spoke in a solemn tone, "The Sect Leader is absolutely right. In the coming days, the Xuanzhen Sect must increase patrols around Hidden Dragon Lake and its surrounding areas. We must pay special attention to remote regions where evil can easily hide, guarding them strictly. We cannot give the Demon Sect any openings to exploit. We must nip this threat in the bud."

The others all nodded gravely, their expressions growing even more serious.