BXBX NOVEL Chapter 48 - 48 Reactions from All Sides_1
In the Xuantian Hall, a pall of gloom hung heavy.
Although Tianxuan Mountain was one of the Four Great Sects of Leizhou, with a Hollow Realm Master sitting at its helm, it fell far short of the level of the Daqian Empire, not even ranked among the Ten Major Sects.
Faced with the formidable Daqian Empire, Tianxuan Mountain had no choice but to comply with its orders. Otherwise, the Daqian Empire wouldn’t hesitate to annihilate any disobedient sects.
Caught in this great maelstrom, Tianxuan Mountain did not hold the Daqian
Empire in high regard, yet it was forced to side with it. This didn’t mean that Tianxuan Mountain would serve the Daqian Empire wholeheartedly and willingly.
“Prince Wu’an’s presence in Sanzhou surely has hidden agendas. Exterminating the remnants of the White Lotus Cult is just the first step, a test for the various factions in Sanzhou to see if they are aligned with the Daqian Empire,” spoke an Elder of the God Refining Realm in a deep voice.
Qiu Shuilin nodded and continued, “What we need to do is to appear united with the Daqian Empire on the surface while sparing our efforts as much as possible to preserve our strength, so we don’t end up as cannon fodder for the Daqian Empire.”
The other three Elders also put forth their opinions and suggestions and then collectively turned their gaze to Sect Leader Gongsun Yun.
After pondering for a moment, Gongsun Yun slowly said, “Let’s do this, Junior Brother Qiu, go to the inner courtyard to announce this matter, calling upon the disciples to join and trace the remnants of the White Lotus Cult.”
“We don’t need to exert much effort, just participate, and of course, if we accidentally discover the traces of the White Lotus Cult’s remnants, we must immediately report it to the sect.”
The five Elders let out a sigh of relief upon hearing this, and smiles emerged on their faces. They were fortunate that the Sect Leader was not blinded by the rewards promised by Prince Wu’an; otherwise, Tianxuan Mountain might be in trouble.
Among the three provinces of Sanzhou, Leizhou had four major factions, Huozhou also had four, but Qingzhou was the strongest with five, among which the Canghai Sect was one of the Ten Major Sects.
Tianxuan Mountain, Sword Cleansing Pool, Canghai Sect, and even Hehuan Sect shared this sentiment; none were willing to go all out for the Daqian Empire. If the Daqian Empire fell, they could survive by allying with other forces – merely exchanging one overlord for another.
Leizhou, Hehuan Sect.
A high-level meeting was also convened in the main hall, and the countermeasures were quickly determined.
Watching the various Elders depart, Sect Master Yan Liulong sighed. Being a Sect Master was truly exhausting.
In the past, when the Yinyang Sect wanted to get involved in the Daqian Empire and place their agents within, they sent out four groups. In the end, only her group succeeded in gaining a foothold in Leizhou.
The other three groups, including three Hollow Realm Masters, all perished when they attempted to establish sects in neighboring provinces, serving as a warning from the Daqian Empire.
Her lineage survived mainly due to luck, as Leizhou was adjacent to Yinyang
Sect’s territory. The Daqian Empire’s bottom line was to allow Yinyang Sect to establish a presence in Leizhou. If they attempted to do so in other provinces, the Daqian Empire would not hesitate to crush those chess pieces.
Her decision to come to Leizhou took this into account, as the Daqian Empire could not afford to push Yinyang Sect into a corner, leaving some room for retreat, which was Leizhou. Without support from behind, she wouldn’t have been able to choose Leizhou.
Hehuan Sect had been based in Leizhou for over a hundred and forty years, but had yet to make a significant breakthrough, as they were tightly controlled by the Daqian Empire.
The Daqian Empire dared let them in because they were confident they could keep Hehuan Sect in check and prevent it from infiltrating other provincial cities.
“But the end is in sight at last.”
Thinking of the message received from her master, a smile crept onto the seductive face of Yan Liulong.
In just a few years, she would be able to return to the Yinyang Sect and obtain the treasure she had long coveted, allowing her to ascend to the rank of a Great Grandmaster in the Myriad Phenomena Realm.
As for the tasks assigned by Prince Wu’an of Daqian, Yan Liulong did not care. Hehuan Sect was nominally under the rule of the Daqian Empire, but who didn’t know it was a branch of the Yinyang Sect?
She would just have the sect disciples show some token effort while investigating the death of Cui Pingyu, giving Prince Wu’an some face.
Han Li blamed the White Lotus Cult, and Zhenyi Manor added fuel to the fire, but Yan Liulong wasn’t fooled. The absence of major action by the Leizhou officials meant that the Mother of No Birth and the Dharma King of the White Lotus Cult were still on the run between Qingzhou and Huozhou.
Qingzhou, Canghai Sect.
Sect’s grand hall.
“Bang!”
The Canghai Sect Leader smashed the armrest into dust with a single blow, and anger still evident on his face.
“This impudent whelp has pushed my Canghai Sect too far!”
In the great hall, nearly twenty Hollow Realm Masters and God Refining experts also wore expressions of rage, their resentment towards the Daqian Empire reaching a breaking point.
The loss of the Sect’s treasured Body-Cultivating Furnace was a responsibility that the Daqian Empire could not evade. Had it not been for the Empire’s failure to eradicate the remnants of the White Lotus Cult, had it not been for the Empire’s scramble for power, had it not been for the Empire’s interference at every turn… the Body-Cultivating Furnace would have been recovered long ago, or would never have been lost in the first place.
However, Prince Wu’an’s arrival in Huozhou and his summoning of the leaders of various factions to announce certain matters further stressed the Canghai Sect.
He emphasized that, as the only one among the Ten Major Sects in Sanzhou, with profound heritage, and with Qingzhou as its stronghold, Canghai Sect must contribute even more to the eradication of the Mother of Non-Existence, promising an array of rewards from the Daqian Empire upon success, which only served to disgust the Canghai Sect.
Though furious, the Canghai Sect Leader wasn’t foolish and understood that the Daqian Empire was not an opponent the Canghai Sect could confront alone. When it was time to bow, one had to bow, so he made the necessary arrangements.
Of course, they wouldn’t actually contribute effort; even if the remnants of the White Lotus Cult were to be eradicated, the Body-Cultivating Furnace could not be retrieved, and while the Canghai Sect might have gained some satisfaction, the Daqian Empire would be the one to reap tangible benefits.
“How is the progress on Bai Ye’s side?”
Having calmed his anger, the Canghai Sect Leader’s expression returned to one of calm, as he inquired of a Hollow Realm Master.
The white-bearded and white-haired Hollow Realm Master smiled and said, “Sect Leader, my disciple recently sent word, we have a lead on the
Body-Cultivating Furnace, but it still needs further confirmation.”
“Tell her to hurry, the Body-Cultivating Furnace must not fall into someone else’s hands.”
After a moment of thought, the Canghai Sect Leader added, “If Bai Ye successfully retrieves the Body-Cultivating Furnace, the spot for the End of the World Secret Realm will be hers.’
The Canghai Sect Leader glanced at the restive crowd and said indifferently, “The same goes for your disciples and grand-disciples.”
Having said this, the Canghai Sect Leader departed as the many elders of the Canghai Sect exchanged glances with mixed feelings and dispersed.
“End of the World Secret Realm, I hope Bai Ye succeeds,” the last to leave, the white-bearded Elder sighed.
In Huozhou, Province City.
Prince Wu’an strolled leisurely in the garden with his hands clasped behind his back, admiring the scenery.
“Your Highness, one would think you’re here in Huozhou just for pleasure,” a middle-aged man in a blue robe said with a smile.
Chu Hao replied with an impassive look, “Pretty much.”
Was it necessary for him to personally hunt down the mere remnants of the White Lotus Cult and the newly ascended to Myriad Phenomena Realm Mother of Non-Existence?
With a simple command, it wouldn’t be long before the Mother of Non-Existence was eliminated; Wan Guiyuan and Yang Tianxiong could easily handle it.
He didn’t care if the factions of Sanzhou made an effort or not. He needed them to make a statement, and should any Sect rebel, it would give him an opportunity to establish his authority.
He had other important business in Sanzhou, involving strategizing for the entire Daqian Empire. If successful, Daqian would have a future; if not, Daqian could be doomed overnight.
“Opportunity, oh opportunity, the Prophet said that my chance to ascend to the True Martial Realm lies within Leizhou, Qingzhou, and Huozhou, but where exactly? And when will it appear?”
Prince Wu’an, with eyes as deep as the stars, looked at the koi swimming in the pond and murmured to himself.
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