The two appeared to have been sitting idly here for quite some time. The young Daoist grew impatient and said, "Brother Qiu, how arrogant of Ye Fengbo! Why must the two of us wait for him this long?"
The old Daoist’s eyelids lifted lightly, his voice steady, "Junior Lin, do calm yourself. I’ve heard Elder Ye returned to the mountain gate to borrow a treasure, likely encountering some difficulties. A slight delay is well within reason."
The young Daoist snorted coldly and said, "If he fails to borrow it, I will make sure he pays for it."
Before his words had finished, a laugh split the skies, accompanied by a voice: "Lin Daoist, what a fiery temper you have."
Following the voice, a Daoist with a coiled Daoist bun and long green beard stepped on cloud and arrived above the chessboard in the blink of an eye. He clasped his hands in greeting and said, "I beg forgiveness for keeping the two fellow Daoists waiting. My utmost apologies."
The two at the chessboard stood and returned the salute.
Noticing the unassuming green gourd at his waist, Daoist Qiu said, "Daoist Ye, could this perhaps be..."
Ye Daoist patted the gourd with a chuckle and said, "Indeed, this is the Nine Inverted Yang Gourd, given to me by my senior brother."
Daoist Qiu’s eyelid twitched. "It’s really that treasure?"
Ye Daoist replied, "That Tao Zhenhong possesses astonishing mana and is merely a step away from the Cave Heaven Realm. Moreover, he has the Six Jia Xuan Turtle aiding him. Without this treasure, how could the three of us stand a chance against him?"
The young Daoist laughed coldly, "Naturally, Brother Tao, being from our Nanhua Sect, is no ordinary cultivator that anyone can compare to."
Ye Daoist caught the hint of sarcasm in his tone. He glanced at him, yet merely smiled faintly, showing not the slightest anger.
Daoist Qiu furrowed his brow with displeasure and said, "Junior Lin, Tao Zhenhong’s name has long been removed from the Ancestor Hall, and he has harmed quite a few of our sect disciples. How can you still refer to him as ’Brother’? Don’t say it again in the future."
Lin Daoist chuckled slyly, "Brother Qiu, let’s avoid talking about this. While Tao Zhenhong may have defected, have you ever seen him truly go all out? The last time, had he not spared us deliberately, would Brother Wei have managed to return alive?"
Daoist Qiu, knowing his junior brother’s stubborn disposition, merely shook his head slightly, unwilling to argue further. Besides, in front of Taihao Sect’s Ye Fengbo, he did not want others to watch them bicker idly.
Ye Fengbo smiled, glancing around as he said, "Tao Zhenhong is about to establish a sect of his own. Why is Daoist Xiao nowhere to be seen here?"
Daoist Qiu shook his head, saying, "We’ve long lost track of his whereabouts. Even after releasing messenger hawks, we haven’t been able to locate him. It’s as if he vanished into thin air."
Ye Fengbo remarked in surprise, "Has he returned to the Mingcang Sect?"
Lin Daoist mocked coldly, "That’s entirely possible. The Xiao Family, being a noble Xuanmen clan, has always walked a different path from us."
Ye Fengbo and Daoist Qiu, hearing this, neither refuted his words. Both were not from Xuanmen Families and, if not for their shared interest in opposing Tao Zhenhong, would hardly have wished to associate with the Xiao Family.
Ye Fengbo laughed heartily, tapping on the gourd at his waist. "He comes or not, it matters little. At least we won’t need to heed his posturing. With my Dharma Treasure here, the three of us combined can undoubtedly take down Tao Zhenhong."
Daoist Qiu stroked his beard thoughtfully and said, "Dealing with Tao Zhenhong with the three of us is assured, but his disciples—such as Zhao Zhengcheng, Wang Yingfang, and Yang Lin, all Hua Dan cultivators—even the most mediocre, Guo Lie, has formed a Small Golden Core. How does he manage to train them? Our own sect disciples pale in comparison."
Lin Daoist shook his head and said, "Fortunately so. Tao Zhenhong’s brilliance is unparalleled. Were it not for these disciples, he might have already ascended to the rank of Cave Heaven True Master."
Daoist Qiu’s voice lowered. "We must come up with a more secure plan."
His disciples, Qiu Ju, and Ye Fengbo’s disciple, Chu Jiu, were both Xuan Guang cultivators. If they faced Tao Zhenhong’s disciples directly, they might hold them off briefly but would certainly fail to counter them effectively.
If Xiao Mousui were still present, such concerns would be unnecessary. Yet now his disappearance left them in a bind.
Ye Fengbo broke into laughter and said, "No need for you two to worry. I visited the Wudang Spirit Hall before coming here and managed to convince Master Pei to bring his disciples to assist us."
"Wudang Spirit Hall?" Daoist Qiu frowned deeply.
Lin Daoist sneered repeatedly. "How generous of you, Daoist Ye."
Wudang Spirit Hall was a loose sect built by highly-advanced Loose Cultivators. Its informality often made it look down upon by cultivators from Great Xuanmen sects.
Their current mission had two purposes: to deal with Tao Zhenhong and to vie for the Purple Jade Langhan Immortal Mansion.
They had long regarded this Immortal Mansion as theirs to claim. Now, Ye Fengbo’s decision to invite people from Wudang Spirit Hall implied that they’d have to share the spoils, and thus neither of them could feel pleased.
Seeing their displeased expressions, Ye Fengbo quickly added, "Please hear my thoughts, fellow Daoists. This time, as the Immortal Palace emerges, Tao Zhenhong has invited several Demon Kings from the East Sea to attend. Perhaps he might rely on their presence to challenge us directly. Furthermore, do not forget—among the East Sea’s forces, Chongyue True Temple might be lurking, perhaps waiting to reap the benefits from us behind our backs. This cannot be overlooked."
Daoist Qiu pondered and nodded, saying, "Daoist Ye’s concerns are valid. Compared to Chongyue True Temple’s schemes, while Wudang Spirit Hall may be a loose sect filled with Loose Cultivators, they operate with integrity. They are unlikely to resort to any underhanded tactics."
Lin Daoist grumbled coldly, "I’ve long despised Chongyue True Temple’s actions. If there’s a chance, I’ll ensure they pay."
Ye Fengbo laughed and said, "Speaking of which, I’ve heard some good news. Chongyue True Temple’s Daoist Xu recently failed in his breakthrough and has passed away, ridding us of a formidable foe."
Daoist Qiu paused momentarily before slowly saying, "Daoist Xu’s lifespan had reached its limit. If he hadn’t attempted it, he’d have perished anyway. The question now is—to whom has he left the Yin Slaughter Saber?"
Ye Fengbo replied, "I’ve heard it was given to one of his disciples in the Xuan Guang Realm."
Lin Daoist scoffed dismissively, "Using Xuan Guang cultivation to wield such a blade, they can barely unleash a fraction of its power. What a waste of its potential."
Daoist Qiu, however, shook his head and said, "And yet, relying on the ominous might of the blade alone would still make this disciple invincible against our own sect disciples. We must send word to warn them. If they encounter this individual, retreat would be the wisest course, lest they meet needless deaths."
...(To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please visit Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation votes and monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation.)