“The so-called major project you want me to invest in is dividing up the Profound Spirit Dao Sect’s legacy—or rather, its assets?” Xu Guan was deeply unsettled. He nearly suspected that he had fallen victim to an inner demon attack. Otherwise, how could he have heard such an absurd proposal from his eldest disciple?
The Profound Spirit Dao Sect had not even been destroyed yet, and Shu Xin had already divided up its “legacy” piece by piece.
“Master, you need to think bigger. Your horizons are too narrow!” Shu Xin analyzed earnestly. “An age of great strife is about to begin. The nine great sects and ten major schools are bound to undergo another reshuffling. The Profound Spirit Dao Sect has already shown weakness before this age of turmoil has even arrived, which makes it the perfect target for slaughter. When the time comes, the top sects led by the Longevity Dao Sect, Myriad Dao Sect, and Carefree Dao Sect will certainly do everything they can to bring about the Profound Spirit Dao Sect’s downfall. After all, even if the great clans outside swallow up a thousand or ten thousand smaller powers, none of them would compare to a single Profound Spirit Dao Sect.”
The table in the cultivation world was only so large. It could not accommodate too many sects and factions dining upon it.
The Profound Spirit Dao Sect was already showing signs of decline—a fact that many people knew.
All it would take was one final straw, and the entire wall would collapse as everyone pushed against it.
“Master, the Profound Spirit Dao Sect lacks an Earthly Immortal. As for its only two Mahayana cultivators, they absolutely will not take action unless they are driven to the brink. Our Seeking God Sect isn’t asking for much either. It will be enough if we simply follow behind the major sects and pick up a few scraps.” Shu Xin tried to encourage Xu Guan. “As long as the Mahayana cultivators do not come out, with your ability, Master, claiming a little territory will be easy. Besides, I guarantee that when the time comes, you won’t be standing alone. Someone will come to your aid.”
Xu Guan looked at Shu Xin with a frown. “Are you referring to that Mahayana sword cultivator who serves as your backer? Disciple, there is an unwritten truth in the cultivation world: never bargain with a cultivator whose cultivation is far above your own, and never believe what they tell you. At their level of cultivation and at their age, promises and the fate of living beings mean nothing to them. In their pursuit of greater cultivation, they can be even more terrifying than demonic cultivators.”
Once a cultivator reached the Mahayana stage, their Dao heart was certain to be complete.
That meant they possessed a logic of their own, and could no longer be judged by ordinary standards.
“Don’t worry, Master. I know where the line is.” Shu Xin gave an awkward laugh. That so-called Mahayana cultivator was actually herself. How could she possibly not trust herself?
“If the Profound Spirit Dao Sect truly faces the calamity of annihilation because of this, then I may consider your proposal,” Xu Guan said after hesitating for a while.
Of course, he wanted the Seeking God Sect to rise again. Even if it could not return to its former glory, it at least could not remain as it was now—on the verge of disappearing at any moment.
“Then it’s a deal, Master.” Shu Xin had never expected Xu Guan to agree outright. When a sect’s future was involved, one could never be too cautious.
“This is an invitation from No-Thought Manor.” In recent years, Xu Guan had received far too many invitations. Usually, he chose which ones to attend based on how far away they were.
Otherwise, if a sect was millions of miles away, the travel expenses alone would exceed the value of the return gift he would receive for attending. Naturally, all he could do was let such invitations gather dust.
This time, however, the Manor Lord of No-Thought Manor was becoming a cultivation partner with a disciple of the Profound Spirit Dao Sect. Naturally, every prominent figure in the cultivation world had received an invitation. Whether they chose to attend was another matter entirely.
“Thank you, Master.” Shu Xin immediately put the invitation away.
Xu Guan had no choice. He was merely Shu Xin’s master in name, having taken her on halfway through her journey. Rather than saying that he had sheltered Shu Xin, it would be more accurate to say that the Seeking God Sect had been pulled back from the brink of bankruptcy thanks to her. Naturally, he could hardly put on airs as her master.
“If No-Thought Manor really is as you describe, then it will probably be filled with hidden dangers. If anything goes wrong, have Qu Yougu and Situ Jian take the lead. At the very least, they have major sects backing them and should be able to hold out for a while.”
Having said that, Xu Guan glanced at Shu Xin again and sincerely added, “Both of them count among the outstanding young cultivators of their generation.”
Shu Xin truly had some remarkable ability.
Every time she went out, not only did she win the absolute loyalty of her own disciples, she even managed to win over the chosen heirs of the major sects.
“Don’t worry, Master. I may not have many virtues, but I’ve always known how to read the situation. If I can’t deal with an opponent within ten moves, I’ll turn around and run without hesitation,” Shu Xin replied.
…There was no need to be quite that cautious.
“How do you plan to travel to No-Thought Manor?” Xu Guan asked. “Are you going to wait for those two?”
“Why make things so troublesome? I’ll go ahead first and meet them at No-Thought Manor.” Shu Xin waved her hand. “I’ve already arranged a pretty good identity for myself. I can enter ahead of them and investigate the situation.”
“Oh?” Xu Guan became somewhat interested. “What identity?”
Shu Xin briefly explained.
Xu Guan fell silent.
Although he already held Shu Xin in extremely high regard when it came to handling people and situations, there were still times when he felt that he could never compare with her in the art of being unexpected.
Myriad Dao Sect.
Qu Yougu presented the Solar Flame Essence to his master, White Crane Dao Lord, and explained the information Shu Xin had given him concerning No-Thought Manor and the Profound Spirit Dao Sect.
White Crane Dao Lord fell silent for a long time after hearing him out.
“Master?” Qu Yougu ventured, testing the waters. “Is something wrong?”
White Crane Dao Lord looked at Qu Yougu and let out an almost imperceptible sigh. “I was thinking that if this matter were handled solely by cultivators of our Formless Dharma lineage, it would certainly be a great achievement.”
“The Profound Spirit Dao Sect has been unable to compare with us for several hundred years now,” White Crane Dao Lord said calmly. “Many people are well aware of this. It is only because the nine great sects and ten major schools have maintained this arrangement for so long, and because the other sects restrain one another, that the Profound Spirit Dao Sect has been able to preserve its outward splendor. Your friend is right. An age of great strife is about to arrive, which is why I have been hoping to cultivate you as quickly as possible.”
“Disciple, the Profound Spirit Dao Sect’s only two Mahayana cultivators are senior and junior brothers. At the height of their power, they could join forces to perform a certain technique. Once combined, they could even contend with an Earthly Immortal for a short period of time. Although they have since passed their prime, that secret technique has still allowed them to maintain the Profound Spirit Dao Sect’s status. But now, the lifespan of one of them is nearing its end.”
Once one of the Profound Spirit Dao Sect’s two Mahayana cultivators died, the other would naturally no longer pose any threat.
The reason the nine great sects and ten major schools had been able to preserve their balance was that every sect possessed either a true Earthly Immortal or an existence capable of contending with one.
Among the Daoist sects, five possessed true Earthly Immortals. Among the demonic sects, there were four.
Nine was the ultimate number.
In this cultivation world, no more than nine Earthly Immortals could ever be born.
Thus, among the Daoist sects, the Longevity Dao Sect, the Myriad Dao Sect, the Carefree Dao Sect, the Nine Heavens Dao Sect, and the Truth-Seeking Dao Sect stood at the forefront. Among the demonic sects, the Blood Demon Sect, the Yin Corpse Demon Sect, the Fiend Demon Sect, and the Joyous Union Demon Sect formed the core.
For tens of millions of years, only these few sects had remained standing, while those without an Earthly Immortal were constantly replaced.
“Master, a gentleman knows both what he should do and what he should not do,” Qu Yougu said, clearly disagreeing.
If the Wu Xiang lineage abandoned Shu Xin and acted alone, he would have no face to show himself in public afterward.
“I know.” White Crane Dao Lord smiled and patted his disciple on the shoulder. “Besides, as you said, the Longevity Dao Sect is also involved in this matter. Your friend is certainly meticulous, yet at the same time audacious beyond belief. If we can bring him into our Wu Xiang lineage, he will undoubtedly become a tremendous asset.”
If Qu Yougu’s friend had told only Qu Yougu about what was happening at the Wusi Manor, then even if Qu Yougu was unwilling, White Crane Dao Lord would have forced him to take action.
There was no other reason—the benefits were simply too great.
Once the Wu Xiang lineage used its own strength to crush the Profound Spirit Dao Sect, it would surely rise to fame throughout the cultivation world. They could also take over the Profound Spirit Dao Sect’s inheritance in the process.
By then, they could become a new Daoist sect even if they broke away on their own. How could the Myriad Dao Sect not eagerly support them?
Unfortunately, the Longevity Dao Sect was involved as well.
If the Myriad Dao Sect wanted to swallow everything for itself, the Longevity Dao Sect certainly would not stand idly by.
The matter would then become a conflict between two sects, making it difficult for sects like theirs to obtain any resources beyond what was normally allotted to them.
That was precisely what troubled White Crane Dao Lord.
A peerless opportunity was right before their eyes, yet another fierce tiger was watching hungrily from the side. All they could do was carefully maintain the balance.
How could such a feeling be pleasant?
“Forget it.” White Crane Dao Lord knew that saying any more would be pointless. Since they had already lost their chance to claim the greatest benefits, they could not afford to miss out on the next-best option. “Tell me what helpers and resources you need. Just ask. I will certainly help you complete this mission.”
Only then did Qu Yougu feel relieved.
Meanwhile, at the Questioning God Sect—
“What? Senior Sister, you’re going to leave us behind and take on the mission alone?” Yuan Dawei and the others felt as though the sky had fallen when they heard this.
They had not been back for long, and had not even had the chance to properly brag to their master and Second Senior Brother. Yet now they were hearing that Senior Sister was about to leave again—and this time, she was not taking them along.
“That’s right, Senior Sister. Didn’t you say we would go down the mountain together to gain experience?” Cao Ru nearly burst into tears. “Does Senior Sister think our cultivation is progressing too slowly? We’ll break through to the Dao Infant stage as soon as possible.”
“Yes, Senior Sister. Just give us a little more time.”
“...Senior Sister, I don’t really have anything else to say. Isn’t it my turn this time?” Yi Renjie seized the opportunity to speak up from the side. These past few days, he had become the object of his junior brothers’ and sisters’ envy. He had heard them boast about his experiences and past adventures so often that his ears were practically numb.
Seeing Shu Xin surrounded by her disciples, Xu Guan felt rather jealous.
The moment Senior Sister arrived, you all forgot about your master, didn’t you?
What unfilial disciples!
“All right, all right.” Surrounded by them, Shu Xin felt as though she were being mobbed by a pack of cats and dogs, leaving her somewhat at a loss.
Fortunately, Shu Xin was very good at coaxing children. She waited until they had calmed down before encouraging them gently. “It’s not that I don’t want to take you with me. It’s just that this matter is truly dangerous. I can barely protect myself, let alone anyone else. So, use this time to focus on breaking through to the Dao Infant stage. When I return, give me a pleasant surprise, all right?”
“Senior Sister, if it’s that dangerous, why don’t you wait and have Master go with you?” Yuan Dawei pointed at Xu Guan.
“Hey, hey, hey.” Xu Guan called out from the side. “You insolent disciple—are you giving orders to your master now?”
“Haha, Master naturally needs to save his strength for the critical moment. How could he use his trump card right from the start?” Shu Xin replied with a smile. “Don’t overthink it. Once I finish the mission, do you think I won’t come back? Besides, as a cultivator in the Grotto-Heaven realm, if I want to advance further, I have to continue gaining experience.”
“That... that’s true.”
Her junior brothers and sisters could understand. If Senior Sister kept taking them along everywhere, she would never be able to cultivate in peace.
“All right, don’t be sad. I’ll bring you presents when I return.” Shu Xin smiled and patted each of them on the head. “Now go back and cultivate properly with Master.”
Her junior brothers and sisters were deeply reluctant to part with her. In the end, they could only watch as Shu Xin waved at them, mounted her sword, and flew away with effortless grace. In the blink of an eye, she had vanished from sight.
“All right, all right, stop staring. Your Senior Sister has already flown a thousand li away.” Xu Guan looked at his disciples with exasperation and amusement.
He remembered that many years ago, when he had left home to earn spirit stones, they had watched him with those same longing eyes.
After all these years, they still had not made any progress.
“Master, is the task Senior Sister is undertaking very dangerous?”
“Yes, Master. Is it because our sect is still too poor and doesn’t have enough resources for Senior Sister’s cultivation?”
“But your cultivation is higher, Master. You could cultivate on the mountain too.”
The disciples’ questions came one after another.
Xu Guan patiently waited until they had finished before speaking slowly. “Your Senior Sister is destined to accomplish great things. I’m different from her. As long as I raise all of you properly, expand the Questioning God Sect a little, and do right by the sect’s ancestors, that will be enough for me.”
But Shu Xin was different from them.
She seemed to have been born to turn the cultivation world upside down.
“If you want to catch up with your Senior Sister, then you’d better cultivate diligently. Otherwise, the gap between you will only grow wider.” Xu Guan glanced at his disciples and said coolly, “Otherwise, if you hear that someone has bullied your Senior Sister out there in the future, you won’t even be qualified to go demand justice for her.”
The disciples were instantly furious when they heard this.
Master’s words were simply too insulting.
They would go cultivate right away!
Together with the Sword Spirit, Shu Xin hurried toward the location of the Wusi Manor.
Along the way, she planned to gather information and take the opportunity to infiltrate the manor.
The Wusi Manor was a great distance from the Questioning God Sect. Even aboard the fastest flying vessel available to her, Shu Xin spent nearly half a year traveling before finally arriving.
Although it was nominally called a manor, it was more like a kingdom within a kingdom.
Because it was located in a remote area with a severe lack of spiritual energy, nearly all the cultivation forces in this region were insignificant compared to the Wusi Manor.
The longer Shu Xin traveled aboard the flying vessel, the lower the cultivation levels of the local cultivators became.
Earlier, she had still been able to see cultivators at the Dao Infant stage. Later, there were only Core Condensation cultivators. By the time she arrived here, nearly everyone was at the Qi Refining stage.
There were also an unusually large number of mortals in the area.
And on the ground below, what they planted in greater abundance were wheat and rice, rather than spirit flowers and spirit herbs.
Yet just looking at the golden waves of wheat was enough to give Shu Xin the illusion that she might have returned home.
However, as a cultivator in the Grotto-Heaven realm, her eyesight was exceptionally sharp. She could clearly see the mortals working in the fields. Whenever they saw the flying boat pass overhead, they would kneel and kowtow, their bodies trembling with fear. Even when the boat’s powerful gusts destroyed the wheat they had worked so hard to grow, they could only continue kowtowing, praying that the immortal would not take offense.
Shu Xin cast a spell to restore the wheat field, but she did not dare infuse it with any additional spiritual energy.
If spiritual energy appeared in a field cultivated by mortals, it would definitely bring trouble rather than good fortune.
Only after the flying boat passed through the territory around Unsought Manor did Shu Xin settle the fare in spirit stones and leave.
Unsought Manor had been built atop a lofty mountain beyond the reach of mortals. Arrays that isolated spiritual energy had been arranged all around it. At the foot of the mountain, meanwhile, several densely packed cities for cultivators had been established. Beyond the ring of cities lay a stretch of wasteland, and only beyond that did human habitation begin.
The entire area was arranged in concentric circles, each clearly distinct from the others.
【After all these years, when humans bury a grand array, they still like to use the same old tricks.】 The Sword Spirit could not help but sneer.
Humans loved to deceive themselves. Whenever they wanted to conceal a powerful array, they would build all sorts of ridiculous things on top of it, believing that this would keep it hidden.
Little did they know that, to anyone who understood arrays, such a place was as conspicuous as a spirit stone.
“An old trick is fine as long as it works.” Shu Xin shrugged. “Anyway, I didn’t bring you here to make comments like that.”
The Sword Spirit had no choice but to fall silent.
The place where Shu Xin landed was naturally one of the cities built around Unsought Manor.
The city lord’s cultivation was no higher than the Dao Nascent stage, so Shu Xin only had to conceal her cultivation slightly before she could enter openly.
【Are you planning to wait here for Situ Jian and Qu Yougu?】 the Sword Spirit asked curiously.
“Of course not. They have powerful sects backing them. The moment they arrive, they’ll definitely attract Unsought Manor’s attention. It’s enough to let them draw the enemy’s fire. My reputation hasn’t spread this far yet, so naturally I should keep a low profile first.” Shu Xin had a very clear understanding of her own position. A nobody needed to know how to act like a nobody. There was no reason for her to draw attention to herself for no good reason.
【You certainly weren’t planning to keep a low profile when you forged your identity,】 the Sword Spirit retorted.
“That’s a separate matter. I can’t make things too difficult for myself, either.” Shu Xin was utterly unapologetic. “I’ll listen to some gossip first.”
Shu Xin spent three whole months in the cities nearby, gathering every last piece of old gossip about the master of Unsought Manor, Xi Fu.
According to rumors circulating outside, Xi Fu was probably the illegitimate son of some powerful figure from the early days of the Profound Spirit Dao Sect. After revealing his talent, he had been given some resources to aid his cultivation. Later, relying on the relationship between Unsought Manor and the Profound Spirit Dao Sect, he entered Unsought Manor and became the former manor lord’s final disciple. When the former manor lord died, Xi Fu naturally succeeded him as manor lord.
After breaking through to the Dao Nascent stage, he became engaged to a female disciple of the Profound Spirit Dao Sect. Now, the two were preparing to formalize their marriage.
Others claimed that Xi Fu and his dao companion possessed physiques that were extraordinarily compatible. Once they engaged in dual cultivation, both of them would surely break through to the Grotto-Heaven realm.
But compared with all that, it was Xi Fu’s romantic history in his younger days that truly captivated the public.
Xi Fu was a renowned beauty in the surrounding region and had been involved in more than a few romantic scandals. Fortunately, he was generous and quite capable of winning female cultivators’ affection. Thus, although he had been involved with many women, none of the affairs had caused any major trouble.
Xi Fu might have been promiscuous, but he had never caused anyone to lose their life, nor did he have any offspring.
Everyone said that this was because his standards were too high—he would not set his sights on any woman who was not an outstanding cultivator.
Shu Xin, however, did not simply accept what the ordinary people were saying. She secretly infiltrated several nearby cities and used a few small tricks to question their city lords. The information she obtained differed somewhat from the rumors, but it matched the results of her earlier investigation almost perfectly.
That was enough to confirm its authenticity.
Now, the real show was about to begin.
Shu Xin changed into a goose-yellow robe and disguised both her appearance and her features. She now looked a little more lively and charming than before, though her eyes were slightly larger, giving her an innocent, somewhat guileless air.
Next, she suppressed her cultivation to the peak of the Core Formation stage and transformed the Sword Spirit into two hairpins. She then placed it in her hair alongside the hairpin Situ Jian had given her.
Yes, this gave her a certain old-fashioned charm as well.
Everything was ready.
Unsought Manor.
In preparation for the impending wedding, the manor had been decorated with lanterns and streamers for several years. The wedding arrangements had already been underway for nearly a decade.
Now that the wedding date was drawing near, the elders and disciples throughout the manor were even busier, rushing around without a moment to rest.
They had to worry not only about the guests’ food, lodging, and travel arrangements, but also about checking every item needed for the ceremony to ensure that nothing went wrong.
At the same time, they had to deal with uninvited guests using every method available, from threats to inducements. In short, they were so busy they could barely keep their feet on the ground.
All they wanted was to get the wedding over with so they could finally relax.
“Changsheng Dao Sect has sent back their reply. They’ll be sending disciples here!”
“Ten Thousand Daos Dao Sect has replied too.”
“Quick, go inform the manor lord. These are esteemed guests—we must treat them well.”
“Hey, you, the new arrival over there! Don’t you know the rules? Anyone who isn’t a disciple of the manor is forbidden from taking even one step inside!”
…
It was amid this noisy chaos that Shu Xin rode a cloud straight to the main gate of Unsought Manor.
“Stop right there. If you’re a guest, please present your invitation.” The guards at the manor’s entrance happened to be Core Formation cultivators as well. Faced with another Core Formation cultivator, they naturally saw no reason to be especially courteous.
“I have business with Manor Lord Xi.” Shu Xin stamped her foot, appearing displeased that the guards were blocking her. “Do you know who I am?”
“Apologies, fellow cultivator, but without an invitation, we cannot let you in. If you insist on making a scene, don’t blame us for being impolite.” Seeing Shu Xin’s manner, the guard already had a pretty good idea what was going on.
The manor lord’s wedding had attracted quite a few female cultivators who were infatuated with him and had come to cause trouble.
They had sent away at least eighty or a hundred women like this.
“Hmph. It seems you really don’t know.” Shu Xin raised her brows and folded her arms, exuding an air of unreasonable arrogance. “I am the eldest daughter of your manor. Manor Lord Xi is my father—I’m the daughter he lost years ago.”
“What’s all this noise?” The elder of Unsought Manor, who had been pretending not to speak from behind the guards, finally stepped forward. “Fellow cultivator, one may eat whatever one likes, but one must not say whatever one likes. In consideration of your youth and ignorance, I advise you to leave at once. Otherwise, don’t blame us for being rude.”
“I’m making things up?” Shu Xin laughed angrily. “Then go ask Manor Lord Xi whether he still remembers Fairy Xinrui of the Hehuan Sect, by the Luoshui River eighty years ago.”
