Qu Yougu was rather surprised. He had not expected the “friend” Shu Xin had mentioned to be the cultivator sitting before him.
As the Dao heir of the Myriad Dao Sect, Qu Yougu had encountered countless cultivators. Over time, he had developed a fairly keen eye.
The cultivator sitting beside Shu Xin was extraordinary in every respect—his appearance, bearing, and cultivation were all exceedingly rare.
But when had a cultivator like this appeared in the cultivation world?
“Fellow Daoist Qu, please sit.” Shu Xin greeted him with a smile before turning to Situ Jian. “Situ, this is Qu Yougu, the Fellow Daoist Qu I mentioned earlier.”
Shu Xin had always been meticulous about details.
In front of outsiders, he would never get Situ Jian’s name wrong.
Situ?
Qu Yougu’s mind began racing.
The surname was uncommon, and among the male cultivators surnamed Situ who had any connection with Shu Xin, the most famous was undoubtedly that one from the Longevity Dao Sect.
Wait.
Their relationship seemed rather different from what he had imagined.
“I’m Situ Jian of the Longevity Dao Sect. Greetings, Fellow Daoist Qu.” Situ Jian gave a slight nod, his entire bearing carrying an air that kept others at arm’s length.
It really was him!
Hadn’t they already broken off their engagement? Could it be that they had actually remained secretly entangled, merely avoiding contact in public?
If that was the case, then since they had entrusted me with their secret, I must keep it confidential as well.
This thought flashed through Qu Yougu’s mind.
“I’m Qu Yougu. Greetings, Fellow Daoist Situ.” Qu Yougu returned the salute, then sat down at Shu Xin’s gesture.
Once seated, Qu Yougu suddenly felt somewhat awkward for no apparent reason. For a moment, he had no idea what to say.
[Wow, look at Qu Yougu. He’s practically dying of awkwardness. Hahaha.] The Sword Spirit laughed recklessly at Shu Xin. [Why don’t you say something and break the silence?]
“Ahem. I think it’s rather amusing too, so I’m enjoying the show.” The moment Shu Xin saw Qu Yougu’s expression, he knew the other man was imagining all sorts of complications surrounding his engagement with Situ Jian.
Really, anyone who found out about this would probably react the same way.
Hmm. Later, I should take Jingzhi to meet my master and junior brothers and see how they react.
Shu Xin had to admit that he could be a little mischievous at times.
“Fellow Daoist Situ is truly a prodigy. A few years ago, I only heard that you had reached the Dao Infant realm. I never imagined that in such a short time, you would already become a cultivator of the Dongtian realm.” Qu Yougu could only take the initiative to break the awkwardness with a compliment.
The gap between the Dao Infant realm and the Dongtian realm was one that countless cultivators could never cross in their entire lives.
Yet Situ Jian had managed to break through in just a few short years. It was truly astonishing.
“I have now become a disciple of Dao Lord Gong Changshou.” Situ Jian knew that the speed at which his cultivation had risen was bizarre, so he did not offer an explanation. Instead, he let others fill in the blanks themselves.
The Nine Sons of Longevity?
Qu Yougu was naturally familiar with those nine renowned cultivators of the Longevity Dao Sect.
Although all of them were in the Immaculate realm, the Nine Sons of Longevity were considered the cultivators within the Longevity Dao Sect most likely to advance into the Mahayana realm. Though Xu Guan had reached the advanced Immaculate realm three hundred years ago and enjoyed unparalleled fame, the Nine Sons of Longevity had accumulated many years of experience in the Immaculate realm and could take that final step at any time. In the eyes of the other sects, there was little difference between them and half-step Mahayana cultivators.
If Gong Changshou had accepted Situ Jian as his disciple and provided him with sufficient resources and treasures, then advancing an entire major realm in a few short years might not have been impossible.
“Dao Lord Changshou is renowned throughout the cultivation world. Even my master often praises him. Congratulations, Fellow Daoist Situ, on finding such an excellent teacher.” Qu Yougu offered his sincere congratulations.
As Dao Lord Gong Changshou’s disciple, Situ Jian’s status was certainly no lower than that of the Dao heirs of other sects.
“Situ and I have always been close friends. It was only because we were constrained by the Lin family’s influence in the Longevity Dao Sect that we had no choice but to part ways temporarily,” Shu Xin finally spoke up. “Now that the Lin family ancestor has fallen and Situ has taken an even better master, it’s only natural that we’ve resumed contact.”
What about the engagement?
Those three words popped into Qu Yougu’s mind.
But he immediately realized that this was a private matter. Since they had not brought it up themselves, he had no right to ask about it as a friend.
For some reason, Qu Yougu felt a faint sense of disappointment.
Perhaps it was because he had finally managed to make a true confidant.
Without changing expression, Situ Jian refilled the teacup in front of Shu Xin and pushed it toward him.
Shu Xin casually picked up the cup and took a sip before saying to Qu Yougu, “Our cultivation levels are similar, and we belong to different sects. We can visit one another more often and exchange what we need. After all, I’m afraid the cultivation world may not remain peaceful for much longer.”
“What makes you say that?” Qu Yougu asked, setting aside the strange feeling in his heart and focusing on Shu Xin’s words.
Situ Jian glanced at Qu Yougu, but made no further move.
He had said enough.
“Fellow Daoist Qu, how many years has it been since the Dao sects and the demon sects last went to war?” Shu Xin asked in return.
Qu Yougu calculated for a moment before answering, “Nearly five hundred years, I believe.”
Over the past five hundred years, conflicts between immortal cultivators and demonic cultivators had occurred frequently, but they had remained small-scale skirmishes and never escalated into a major war.
“Exactly. It has already been five hundred years. During this time, both the Dao sects and the demon sects have accumulated a large number of cultivators. Many of the formidable cultivators who emerged from the last war have since developed powerful clans of their own. Within the sects, the struggle between the clan faction and the master-disciple faction has reached a fever pitch. Even the clans themselves are locked in fierce internal conflict.” Shu Xin spoke slowly. “I imagine the situation must be even more intense within the Myriad Dao Sect, where the master-disciple faction holds sway.”
In the cultivation sects, there were ultimately only two major factions.
One was the clan faction, bound together by bloodline. The other was the master-disciple faction, whose inheritance was passed down through teacher-student relationships.
Of course, the two were not completely distinct. They frequently overlapped.
Clan cultivators would recruit outsiders to preserve and strengthen their family’s power, while the master-disciple faction would also accept outstanding descendants of their own families as inheriting disciples.
Both sides had their own obvious strengths and weaknesses.
When resources were abundant, there was no great problem. But the cultivation world had been too peaceful for too long. The resources available for exploitation by lower-level cultivators were limited, while the most powerful cultivators monopolized the vast majority of resources. As a result, the conflict between the two sides grew increasingly intense.
Whether in the cultivation world or the modern world, once the gap between rich and poor grew sufficiently wide, and nearly every path of advancement was blocked, internal struggles and contradictions would inevitably multiply. At that point, the best way to divert those conflicts was to start a war.
And the cultivation world had clearly reached such a critical juncture.
“The Spirit-Seizing Demon Cultivators have always been elusive, yet now they’ve begun taking the initiative to attack the Myriad Dao Sect,” Shu Xin said, a faint smile appearing on his face. “In addition, a powerful cultivator from the Blood Demon Sect passed through one of the affiliated sects of the Carefree Dao Sect and blood-sacrificed nearly half of its disciples. The Corpse Yin Demon Sect has also been making frequent moves lately…”
A careful review of everything that had happened in the cultivation world over the past few years would reveal that the demon cultivators had been causing trouble with increasing frequency.
At the same time, the various great Daoist sects had begun promoting their outstanding disciples and sending them down the mountain to gain experience.
It was obvious that everyone was making preparations for an impending war.
Qu Yougu’s expression grew increasingly solemn.
He rarely thought about such matters in his daily life, but once he carefully followed Shu Xin’s reasoning, he could easily reach the same conclusion.
For example, his master had recently been urging him to travel outside as much as possible and make a name for himself as quickly as he could. The missions assigned by the sect to disciples like them, who had been selected as Dao Seeds, were also all about eliminating powerful demon cultivators.
“Fellow Daoist Shu believes that an age of great struggle is about to begin, and that we should watch out for one another?” Qu Yougu had more or less understood what Shu Xin meant.
“No. Passive defense will always leave us one step behind.” Shu Xin shook her head. If an age of great struggle truly began, cultivators of the Grotto-Heaven realm like them would clearly become the primary fighting force among the sects. At that point, it would not matter whether they were Dao Seeds or Saintesses—if they were supposed to die, they would all die.
The best course of action was naturally to establish their reputations before such a time arrived. That way, when the time came, they could rally others to their side and would not be discarded so easily and reduced to cannon fodder.
“We have to accomplish one or two things that will shake the entire cultivation world before that day arrives,” Shu Xin said seriously. “At the very least, whenever people mention young cultivators, our names should be the first ones that come to mind.”
Only by reaching that level could they ensure that they would not die without making a sound.
“I’ve actually gathered some information about demon lairs.” Shu Xin took out a jade slip she had prepared in advance. It contained the locations of several large and medium-sized demon lairs, each of which was guarded by at least one, and sometimes several, demon cultivators in the Grotto-Heaven realm.
As for those in the Immaculate realm, Shu Xin did not want to provoke them just yet.
“Yaaah! Are you finally going to help me fully recover?” The Sword Spirit began howling excitedly upon hearing this.
It had to be the blessing of all its previous masters. Shu Xin had been keeping a low profile for so long, dragging her feet and refusing to completely cleanse the sword’s body. At last, she was finally about to make a major move.
“The demon cultivators have been acting so aggressively lately. There’s definitely something suspicious going on. Of course it’s more beneficial to me to help you recover sooner.” Shu Xin was still quite sensible. Besides, Situ Jian had already reached the Grotto-Heaven realm. Together, they could now be considered top-level combatants in the cultivation world, unlike before, when they had struggled miserably just to survive. Their survival strategy naturally needed to be adjusted accordingly.
To be honest, Shu Xin felt that the cultivators of the cultivation world were far too tolerant.
How had none of them risen up in rebellion yet?
But with spiritual energy running low and resources becoming increasingly scarce, a war between the immortals and demons was inevitable. She naturally had to make preparations in advance.
“I never expected Fellow Daoist Shu to be so deeply devoted to the greater good, making so many preparations for the prosperity of the Daoist path.” After seeing the detailed information in the jade slip, the admiration in Qu Yougu’s eyes deepened.
Gathering such information must have required an enormous amount of time and effort.
“Yaaah! All of this is information I told you about because it would help me recover. It’s been gathering dust in your storage ring for decades!” The Sword Spirit could not help grumbling. “I’ve already investigated things to this extent for you, and only now are you finally going to start clearing them out.”
“Yes, yes, yes. Back when I was only in the Dao Nascent realm, you gave me the locations of demon lairs occupied by cultivators in the Grotto-Heaven and Immaculate realms and told me to go slay demons. Anyone who didn’t know better would think you wanted me to die early so you could find yourself a new master.” Shu Xin snorted. “It’s not that I won’t eliminate them. I’m just doing it slowly, delaying it, and using tactics.”
In the past, Shu Xin had only been able to act alone. Now, she had gained two helpers, and her master, Xu Guan, an Immaculate-realm cultivator, could provide support at any time. Thus, the plan to increase the Sword Spirit’s strength could quietly be put on the agenda.
“Of all these locations, the one that can make us famous the fastest is undoubtedly Busi Manor.” Shu Xin pointed to one of the jade slips. “Busi Manor appears to be merely a second-rate clan, but its true master behind the scenes is Cui Yuhua, an elder of the Blood Demon Sect. He was once an Immaculate-realm demon cultivator, but after losing a struggle within the sect, his cultivation fell to the Grotto-Heaven realm. For years, he has been trying to regain his former cultivation. To that end, he has spent the past several decades collecting the blood essence of disciples from all over the cultivation world, attempting to create a miniature Blood Demon Kingdom and condense a Blood Spirit Pearl to restore his cultivation.”
The person behind Busi Manor was Cui Yuhua?
Qu Yougu was deeply shocked. “Busi Manor seems to be one of the affiliated sects of the Mystic Spirit Daoist Sect. If it is controlled by a demon cultivator, how could the Mystic Spirit Daoist Sect know nothing about it?”
“And what makes Fellow Daoist Qu think that certain people within the Mystic Spirit Daoist Sect know nothing about it?” Situ Jian rarely spoke, but this time he gave an answer. “Although the Blood Spirit Pearl is a demonic treasure, it is extraordinarily effective at repairing a cultivator’s foundation and strengthening the soul. Cultivation in the Immaculate realm places great emphasis on the Dao heart and comprehension. Falling from that realm is easy, but cultivating one’s way back is exceedingly difficult. Among the Nine Daoist Sects and Ten Great Schools, there are no fewer than a few Immaculate-realm cultivators who have fallen to the Grotto-Heaven realm because their lifespans were running out.”
Essentially, among Immaculate-realm cultivators whose lifespans were nearing their end and whose foundations had been damaged, those who could not repair themselves within a century would almost certainly be unable to maintain their Immaculate-realm cultivation without the support of miraculous pills or treasures.
The so-called Immaculate realm required a cultivator’s Dao heart, foundation, and comprehension to be perfect, without the slightest deficiency. Once any shortcoming appeared, falling in realm was a common occurrence.
“Precisely because the disaster at Busi Manor will attract the attention of the Nine Daoist Sects and Ten Great Schools once it is exposed, its impact will far surpass that of the Spirit-Infesting Demon incident. We can become famous in a single battle.” Shu Xin smiled at Qu Yougu. “Fellow Daoist Qu, didn’t you obtain the Yangflame Fluid to present to White Crane Dao Lord? Why not discuss this with White Crane Dao Lord? I hear that the master of Busi Manor is about to marry a disciple of the Mystic Spirit Daoist Sect and has sent invitations far and wide. The Ten Thousand Sects Daoist Sect and the Mystic Spirit Daoist Sect have always been on friendly terms, so obtaining a few invitations shouldn’t be difficult.”
If they wanted to become figures whose names would shake the entire cultivation world, what could be faster than exposing “collusion between immortals and demons”—the cultivation world’s equivalent of a politically incorrect scandal?
Situ Jian was a disciple of Dao Lord Gong Changshou of the Dao of Longevity Sect, while Qu Yougu was the Dao Seed of the Ten Thousand Sects Daoist Sect.
Even if the Mystic Spirit Daoist Sect wanted to cause trouble afterward, it would have to consider whether it could afford to lose face.
Most importantly, among the nine great Daoist sects and schools, the Mystic Spirit Daoist Sect was the weakest.
According to reliable information from the Sword Spirit, the Mystic Spirit Daoist Sect did not possess a true Earth Immortal at all. At present, it had only two Mahayana cultivators holding down the fort.
Moreover, one of those Mahayana cultivators was already on the verge of death.
Good heavens, such a soft target had been placed right in front of Shu Xin. There was absolutely no way she would pass up the opportunity to squeeze it.
It was practically foolproof.
“I understand.” Qu Yougu’s expression turned solemn. “This matter is of great importance. I’ll return at once and discuss it thoroughly with my master.”
Shu Xin nodded.
Even if Qu Yougu had not brought it up, she would have mentioned it herself.
Why would she not seek help from a powerful backer when she had one?
“I’ll report back to my master as well,” Situ Jian added.
“Then we can start making preparations,” Shu Xin said with a smile. “I’ll also go speak with my master later. If we’re going to clean up the mess afterward, we’ll need his help too.”
With their plan settled, the matters that followed became much easier to handle.
Qu Yougu no longer lingered. He needed to return to his sect and report to his master as soon as possible. Situ Jian, meanwhile, seemed to have put his mind at ease and had no reason to stay any longer.
With the two of them gone, Shu Xin suddenly felt that her cave abode had become much more spacious.
【Among all the Daoist sects and demonic sects in the world, only the Xuanling Dao Sect and the Blood Demon Sect have the largest populations of mortals under their rule,】 the Sword Spirit said to Shu Xin without holding anything back. 【If either of these two sects suffers a setback, they will certainly lose the ability to govern the mortals under their jurisdiction. What do you intend to do when that happens?】
“Use this as a test site and relocate all the mortals,” Shu Xin replied calmly. “Mortals never enjoyed many of the benefits of the cultivation world to begin with. How much worse could their situation really become?”
【And then there’s the Blood Spirit Pearl. You brought it up so suddenly because you want to help Situ Jian, don’t you?】 The Sword Spirit clicked its tongue twice. 【He’s already a grown man. He can even kill the Lin family ancestor on his own. He’s got more schemes than he knows what to do with. Do you really need to worry about him this much?】
“Worry about him?” Shu Xin gave a half-smile. “Hold on. Where did it go?”
【Hahaha, I only gave that kid a few pointers because he seemed willing to learn,】 the Sword Spirit said, entirely unconcerned at being exposed.
“Forget it. I’ll go speak with my master.”
With a whoosh, Shu Xin dashed off to find Xu Guan.
Xu Guan had originally been considering when would be the best time to enter seclusion. Now that Shu Xin had returned and was holding down the fort in the sect, he could finally relax a little.
“Master, I have a major project in hand. Are you interested in investing?”
After returning to the Longevity Dao Sect, Situ Jian did not immediately go looking for Gong Changshou. Instead, he summoned several of his subordinates and asked about the progress of their assignments.
One task was to search for the few ingredients needed for the formula of the Mirror Divine Water that the Longevity Dao Sect did not possess. The other concerned matters he had given orders about long ago.
Sister Shu clearly no longer wished to remain in hiding, so his own plans naturally had to be moved up as well.
Most of the materials required for the Mirror Divine Water had already been gathered. Those who had come to carry out the task received their rewards and left.
Only after quite some time did several other people cautiously make their way to Situ Jian’s cave abode to report on matters related to him.
“Reporting to you, Master, that person has regained consciousness and is recovering well.” The subordinate bowed respectfully, then produced a recording stone so that Situ Jian could see that his report was true.
When he saw the face on the recording stone—one that bore a sixty- to seventy-percent resemblance to the face in his memories—Situ Jian froze for a moment.
So much time had passed already.
“Have him infiltrate Busi Manor and wait for further orders,” Situ Jian said, standing with his hands behind his back. “When the time comes, he’ll naturally know what he must do.”
“Yes.”
Unlike the subordinates Situ Jian had recruited within the Longevity Dao Sect, this group of cultivators who had come to report were his true confidants.
They were the ones who understood how frightening Situ Jian truly was.
How many years had it taken him to rise from an ordinary Core Formation cultivator to a cultivator of the Grotto-Heaven Realm?
And how many cultivators had died alongside each advancement in his cultivation?
At the thought, his subordinates became even less willing to question Situ Jian’s decisions and slowly withdrew.
Only after they had all left did Situ Jian go to find Gong Changshou.
“You went to see your former fiancée?” Gong Changshou said when he saw Situ Jian standing below with his head bowed as he reported. He suddenly found the matter rather amusing. “If you truly like her, marrying her would be perfectly fine. Xu Guan is indeed an outstanding junior. Among those in the Wugou Realm struggling desperately to maintain their cultivation, she is one of the more exceptional ones.”
“Master is joking. This disciple has devoted himself entirely to the Dao and has no other intentions,” Situ Jian replied with a cupped fist salute.
“How boring.” Gong Changshou yawned. “I was hoping I could use this opportunity to have a little contest with Xu Guan.”
“Master, I have confirmed the connection between Busi Manor and the Blood Demon Sect. However, as the matter also involves the Xuanling Dao Sect, I was uncertain how to proceed. I humbly ask for your guidance.”
Situ Jian had already given Gong Changshou a carefully edited account of Busi Manor’s affairs, but Gong Changshou had shown little interest in it.
“The Xuanling Dao Sect? To preserve their outward appearance of splendor, what wouldn’t they do?” Gong Changshou clearly knew far more than Situ Jian. “However, if Busi Manor can truly refine Blood Spirit Pearls, then things become rather interesting. Oh, that’s right, Little Fifth. Last time, I took you to meet your grandmaster, the acting sect master. Aside from your Second Martial Uncle Ning Weixuan, who is currently recovering from his injuries, you have yet to meet the rest of your martial uncles.”
Gong Changshou had not originally given the matter much thought. But after hearing Situ Jian say that Busi Manor intended to refine Blood Spirit Pearls, and that many cultivators of the Wugou Realm from the Xuanling Dao Sect wished to use them to stabilize their cultivation realms, a certain idea had already begun to take shape in his mind.
The people who needed Blood Spirit Pearls were not limited to the Xuanling Dao Sect.
Surely his two fellow disciples needed them as well?
There were simply too many people among the Nine Sons of Longevity.
“Yes,” Situ Jian replied respectfully.
“Outsiders all believe that reaching the Wugou Realm within three hundred years, like Xu Guan, is already an unsurpassed achievement. But in my eyes, it is nothing special.” Gong Changshou smiled. “Everyone below the Mahayana Realm is an ant—and that includes me. Although cultivators of the Mahayana Realm may be called earthly immortals, they are worlds apart from true earthly immortals.”
The strength of a true earthly immortal was far beyond the imagination of ordinary people.
They could alter the fate of everyone with ease.
“Among the remaining martial uncles and aunts you have yet to meet, only Fu Ge, who ranks eighth, and the youngest, Wen Jingshu, rarely appear before outsiders,” Gong Changshou continued. “If my guess is correct, once they learn about the Blood Spirit Pearls, they will certainly head to Busi Manor.”
“This disciple does not understand. Please tell me what I should do,” Situ Jian asked.
“You need do nothing. Simply go to Busi Manor according to your own plans. As for the Xuanling Dao Sect, there is no need to worry.” Gong Changshou seemed to have thought of something amusing and rose from his chair. “I will personally tell your two martial uncles and aunts about the Blood Spirit Pearls.”
Situ Jian nodded in agreement.
“Just don’t bring shame upon your master.” Gong Changshou thought for a moment, then casually bestowed one or two treasures upon him. “You have only just broken through to the Grotto-Heaven Realm, so it is normal for your cultivation to be unstable. With these two treasures protecting you, you should remain safe for several days against anyone below the Mahayana Realm.”
“Thank you, Master.”
…
After leaving Gong Changshou’s cave abode, Situ Jian found that the sky was so blue it seemed water might pour from it.
The conversation he had once had with his senior, the Sword Spirit, flashed through his mind.
【You should know why Shu Xin brought up the Blood Spirit Pearls, and why she wanted to…】
“I know.”
I know.
