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Chapter 544 The Storm Is Brewing
Chapter 544 The Storm Is Brewing
Burning Flame Sect, Sect Master's Hall.
Luo Zhan sat in the main seat, with divine thought clones manifesting on his left and right sides.
These divine sense clones looked solemn, their gazes towards the sect leader filled with surprise and uncertainty.
"Sect Master, are you sure?" The aged-looking Supreme Elder couldn't help but ask.
He didn't understand why the sect leader would make such a rash decision.
In terms of cultivation and combat power alone, Ancestor Mirror Moon, Zhu Wuyai, is definitely above Chen Ziang.
Even when faced with such a terrifyingly powerful expert, the Burning Flame Sect has never bowed its head over the years.
No matter how strong Chen Ziang is, he is only a Nascent Soul True Monarch, and his strength is definitely inferior to Zhu Wuyai's. He may not be able to successfully become a Divine Transformation True Venerable in the future.
Why should the Burning Flame Sect bow down to the Mirror Moon Sect for the sake of a mere True Monarch expert!
Luo Zhan's eyes flickered slightly as he looked at the person who had spoken: "If Tai Shang has a different opinion, he can certainly bring it up directly."
"For a Nascent Soul True Monarch to attain enlightenment and transform into a deity, the key lies in the heart, intention, method, spirit, will, and foundation."
Yun Taishang said in a deep voice: "Although I am old and frail, and my magical power is no longer what it used to be, and my strength is not even 80 or 90 percent as strong as it was at its peak, I am still 50 percent confident that I can defeat Zhenwu Zhenjun at the ceremony, crush his will, destroy his intentions and laws, and make his Dao heart flawed, so that he will have difficulty achieving perfection in the future."
"In my opinion, Chen Zi'ang is indeed exceptionally talented, but he is not worthy of our sect bowing down to the Jingyue Sect to show goodwill and resolve the past grievances between the two sects."
Upon hearing this, more than half of the Supreme Elders of the Burning Flame Sect present nodded slightly, agreeing with Elder Yun's statement.
Only Sect Master Luo Zhan and a few other elders who had met Chen Zi'ang frowned slightly, feeling that Elder Yun was being far too reckless.
Admittedly, Yun is incredibly powerful. Even if we trace his lineage back three thousand generations, he would still rank among the top five strongest elders in the sect. Even the Burning Flame Sect Master is no match for him.
Even Nascent Soul True Monarchs have an extreme lifespan!
Yun Busi is now 3500 years old and needs secret methods to maintain his vitality and cultivate in order to preserve his three treasures of essence, energy, and spirit.
He took the initiative to challenge Chen Zi'ang, regardless of whether he could defeat the latter's will and intentions.
If the battle becomes too intense, Yun Bushi might reach the pinnacle of power and perish on the spot after the battle ends.
In this way, the Burning Flame Sect, which caused a death at the Mirror Moon Sect's sect leader ceremony, will also offend the Mirror Moon Sect to the death.
Unless the sect is prepared to completely break ties with the Mirror Moon Sect by using Chen Zi'ang's violation of the sparring rules and the public killing of the sect's elder as a pretext, and settle the long-standing score between the two sects, doing so will only make the situation in the Earthly Realm more chaotic.
"No way." Luo Zhan flatly rejected the idea.
Despite his insistence, Pa Yun explained, "After the change in the heavens, the Great Array of Heaven and Earth Connection that covers the membrane of the Southern Wilderness Region has shown a decline in power."
"Before the sect has figured out how long the Heaven and Earth Connection Formation can be maintained, I do not recommend taking action against the Mirror Moon Sect."
Yun Bushi sighed, picked up his teacup and took a sip: "Sect Leader, you'd better think this through. It's easy to bow your head, but it will be extremely difficult to raise it again. In short, my opinion remains unchanged."
He and the Jingyue lineage have a long-standing feud.
Zhu Wuyai was able to rise to power because he killed all his fellow disciples.
Therefore, even though Yun Bushi believed that Chen Ziang was indeed likely to become a True God in the future, he was unwilling for the sect to bow down to the Mirror Moon Sect and even wanted the four sects to join forces to kill Chen Ziang.
Ke Yun was well aware that it was like trying to fight a wolf with a stick – both sides were afraid. The five sects of the Earthly Realm were closely connected, and there were inextricable relationships between the high-ranking members of each sect. It was almost impossible for the four sects to join forces to destroy the Mirror Moon Sect.
"Buzz!"
Just then, flames surged and a dragon's roar resounded.
A streak of fire descended swiftly from the distant sky, causing the Supreme Elders in the hall to react with surprise and rise to pay their respects, including Luo Zhan, who was seated in the main seat.
"No need for such formalities."
Nine Dragons True Monarch waved his hand and looked at Yun Bushi: "The world is changing, and the emergence of an unparalleled genius in the Mirror Moon Sect is not necessarily a bad thing."
Before Yun Bushi could reply, True Monarch Nine Dragons turned to Luo Zhan and said, "The Mirror Moon Sect's succession ceremony is a good opportunity to ascertain their true strength."
boom!
Nine Dragons True Lord pointed with his fingertip, and the surging Great Sun True Fire gathered into a miniature crimson bell.
Above the bell-shaped cover, nine divine dragons, each with a different posture and lifelike appearance, emanated a terrifying pressure capable of burning everything, and gently landed in front of Luo Zhan.
Without a doubt, this is the Nine Dragons Divine Fire Cover, the foundation of the Burning Flame Sect, but it is not the main body that has descended, but rather a manifestation of a portion of its power.
"Master, what... what is this?"
Luo Zhan looked at Nine Dragons True Lord with astonishment.
"A prodigy is a rare find. Senior Divine Fire wishes to meet this peerless prodigy who can shake the Heavenly Dragon, and see if he has the potential to become a True Venerable." Nine Dragons True Monarch smiled calmly.
Upon hearing this, all the Nascent Soul True Monarchs of the Burning Flame Sect present were slightly taken aback.
Strange, why is the ancestor so calm?
If Senior Divine Fire takes a liking to Chen Zi'ang and wants to select him as a fellow cultivator, wouldn't that cause the sect to lose a great treasure?
"Master, perhaps—"
Luo Zhan was speaking when he noticed that the Nine Dragons True Monarch had drifted away, leaving behind only the Nine Dragons Divine Fire Cover, a powerful structure that even Nascent Soul True Monarchs dared not approach.
At the same time, similar situations to those of the Burning Flame Sect appeared in the depths of the Green Wood Sect, the Profound Sword Pavilion, and the Heavy Gold Sect.
However, the foundations of the Qingmu and Chongjin sects are still dormant, and they have no time to pay attention to external affairs.
Instead, the two sect elders became interested and wanted to see for themselves the potential to become a Nascent Soul cultivator that they had heard about for many years.
Meanwhile, the Carefree Sword Master led a group of disciples, including Gu Wuji, and a portion of the sect's resources down the mountain.
In the vast sea, on Moon Island.
As the transportation hub of the Vast Ocean, Moon Island is surrounded by water on three sides and faces the beach on one side. Deep within the island lies an extremely powerful fifth-order spiritual vein, making it a key island for development by the Mirror Moon Sect, attracting many powerful individuals and cultivation families.
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However, the reason why Moon Island is so rich and famous is not only because the Nascent Soul True Monarchs attracted by the fifth-order spiritual veins, but also because of the constant flow of merchant shuttles around the island and the endless stream of geniuses from all realms who come to admire it.
At this very moment, inside the City Lord's Mansion in Moon City.
Shu You, Mo Li, Wang Hao, Yu Pan, and Jiang Yuyan's expressions turned slightly somber, while opposite them, ten Golden Core cultivators remained calm and composed.
As Chen Zi'ang's confidant, Shu Youping didn't rely on his lord's reputation to do anything, yet few elders in the sect dared to disrespect him.
But today, the Nascent Soul True Lord stationed in Moon True City not only did not personally show up, but also sent a group of Golden Core True Persons to deal with the matter perfunctorily.
"I will repeat myself. I am in charge of organizing the ceremony for the succession of the sect leader. Do you all intend to disobey the ancestor's decree?"
"Shu You said in a deep voice."
She was interested in power, but she also knew what was important and what was urgent. The most important thing now was to prepare for the succession ceremony of the sect leader, rather than to fight for power.
Unfortunately, wherever there are people, there will be conflict!
Following the decree of their ancestor, they led the disciples of the Beast Taming lineage to relocate to Moon True City as outsiders, but were met with hostility from the local cultivators, who believed that they were encroaching on the resources and interests of the local cultivators.
Even though Shu You had the ancestral decree, because his strength was only at the mid-stage of the Golden Core realm, he would still be looked down upon by the local cultivators. They would accept the decree on the surface, but in reality, they would only obey orders and not follow orders.
"Master Shu is mistaken."
The leading Golden Core cultivator, Zhu Yunhu, coughed twice, gave a slight bow, and asked in return, "After you entered the city, have we disobeyed any orders in the slightest?"
"If that's the case, where are the Yuezhen City account books?" Shu You's eyes narrowed.
She knew there were some unsavory things going on within the sect, but Zhu Yunhu didn't even dare to hand over the account books, which shows how big the potential problems were.
"The account books were delivered to Master Shu three days ago. Could it be that there's a problem with his subordinates?" Zhu Yunhu remained calm and slowly looked at his colleagues behind him.
True Martial Lord Chen Zi'ang is indeed very strong; even the city lord Zhu Lingyun may not be his match. However, governing a city and doing business cannot be solved by fighting and killing alone.
He and the city lord are both members of the same clan, and they have worked hard in governing Yuezhen City over the years, even if they have not made any great contributions.
If Chen Zi'ang dares to confront the city lord without evidence, he will undoubtedly be digging his own grave, and even the sect leader of the Mirror Moon Sect might not be able to hold his position.
Of course, if the newly arrived city lord Chen Zi'ang could understand their difficulties and continue to entrust them with the management of Yuezhen City's business and spiritual resources, they would not be unable to bow their heads and help the new city lord build a prosperous city.
"Master, the account books have indeed been delivered. I have a confirmation receipt from Master Shu," another Golden Core cultivator protested.
"Such a thing is true!" Zhu Yunhu turned her head and looked at Shu You: "Master Shu, could you explain this?"
"Interesting. I confirmed the receipt, but I myself was unaware of it." Shu You's voice turned cold as she exposed him, "Master Zhu is quite capable; he can even bribe and silence my subordinates."
"Master Shu, you can't just say things like that. We all act according to the sect's rules. It's a serious crime to slander a colleague with empty words."
Zhu Yunhu's expression turned solemn: "Although I have no powerful backers and am weak and alone, I cannot accept this insult."
Shu You took a deep breath, reached out to stop Jiang Yuyan, who was standing beside her with murderous intent in her eyes, and turned to leave.
There must be a set of rules for doing things within a sect.
If killing could solve the problem and avoid causing trouble for her lord, she would have already taught the other party a lesson.
Just then, two figures suddenly stepped into the direction of the palace gate.
"Greetings, Ancestor! Greetings, Lineage Master!"
Upon seeing her lord, Shu You bowed her head in shame.
She felt she had failed her lord's expectations for her because she couldn't even handle such a small matter.
"Why is the ancestor here too!"
Upon seeing the person who arrived, Zhu Yunhu's heart skipped a beat. She bowed respectfully, trying to conceal her gaze.
He dared to call a deer a horse in front of Shu You, disregarding the latter's attitude, because he possessed overwhelmingly powerful cultivation and a decent background. He could use the name of the sect's patriarch to intimidate people, and he had always been successful.
However, in front of the new sect leader Chen Zi'ang, his meager skills and background were almost negligible.
It is no exaggeration to say that he was not even qualified to entertain a great figure like Zhenwu Zhenjun.
Only the former city lord, Zhu Lingyun, was qualified to meet with the sect's patriarch and True Martial Lord.
Noticing the intrigued gaze of Zhenwu Zhenjun, Zhu Yunhu nearly lost control of her emotions.
Fortunately, at the crucial moment, his backer appeared in time to block Chen Ziang's gaze; otherwise, Zhu Yunhu suspected that he would have confessed his guilt under that gaze.
"Greetings, Your Excellency. This must be True Martial Lord Chen Zi'ang."
"Junior Brother Chen, I have long admired you. I have guarded Moon True Island for a thousand years, and now I am over two thousand years old. It is time for me to step down as the city lord and hand over this responsibility to the younger generation of the sect."
"Junior Brother Chen has such cultivation at such a young age; in the future, no cultivator from any other sect will dare to invade MoonTrue Island!"
The newcomer looked young, with delicate features and a ruddy complexion, like a sixteen-year-old boy, showing no signs of aging. He did not look like an old monster who was over two thousand years old and whose lifespan was almost over.
However, Chen Beiwu was able to see the ominous aura of calamity covering Zhu Lingyun's body through the Nine Breaths Qi Absorption Divine Power, and understood that Zhu Lingyun's lifespan was not long.
"No wonder things were done so sloppily!" Chen Beiwu thought to himself.
Zhu Lingyun was, after all, a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator from the Mirror Moon Sect. How could he not know the power of a Nascent Soul True Monarch?
The fact that his subordinates still dare to resort to such petty tricks is likely because Zhu Lingyun instructed them to squeeze out one last big profit before stepping down.
Therefore, Chen Beiwu did not say much in response to Zhu Lingyun's overtures, and instead looked at Zhu Wuyai.
"Senior Brother Zhu, what do you think should be done about this?"
For Chen Beiwu, killing a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator was not something he needed to do himself; Zhiling and Xuele could easily take Zhu Lingyun's life.
But we should respect the Buddha's example, not the monk's.
Without Senior Brother Zhu's appreciation and the resources he invested in nurturing and protecting him, he probably wouldn't have had such a smooth and successful journey to where he is today.
To put it bluntly, Zhu Lingyun is, after all, a member of Senior Brother Zhu's clan and a True Monarch of his master's family, so he cannot be killed casually.
Senior Brother Chen?
Upon hearing this title, Zhu Lingyun's heart skipped a beat, and the indifference in her eyes vanished instantly.
In his view, Chen Zi'ang was one of his own, belonging to the Zhu family faction.
To avoid putting Chen Ziang in a difficult position, he had already made his disciple Zhu Yunhu a scapegoat, ready to push his disciple out as a scapegoat at any time, and then split the profits 50/50 in the name of Yun's grandson Zhu Wuyai, thus protecting his disciple's life.
But Zhu Lingyun never expected that Zhu Wuyai and Chen Ziang would be so close, so close that even he found it unbelievable, addressing each other as senior and junior brothers.
Even though he was of extremely high seniority within the clan, being the eighth-generation ancestor of the Zhu Wuyai clan, he had never received such preferential treatment!
"What do you think I should do with you?" Zhu Wuyai asked Zhu Lingyun with a smile.
Zhu Lingyun's heart tightened.
He was able to become the Lord of Moon City not solely through connections; his methods and abilities were among the best of the Nascent Soul True Monarchs, so he naturally understood the significance of Zhu Wuyai's smile.
It wasn't an exaggeration on Zhu Lingyun's part; in his memory, whenever Zhu Wuyai showed that kind of smile, it meant he was about to kill someone.
Even members of the Zhu family could not escape death, let alone his distant eighth-generation ancestor. "I have failed to manage my subordinates strictly and have allowed my disciples to embezzle sect resources. Naturally, I should be dealt with according to the sect rules."
At this point, Zhu Lingyun channeled his magic power and swiftly struck his own head with a palm: "I will atone for my sins with my death today, and I hope True Martial Lord will understand."
Seeing this, Chen Beiwu was filled with admiration.
Zhu Lingyun, who has served as the Lord of Yuezhen City for a thousand years, is indeed quite capable. He was able to make a choice between life and death in a short time, forcing him and his senior brother Zhu to save people.
The patriarch's succession ceremony is about to begin.
If the news spreads that he, the newly appointed city lord of Yuezhen City, forced a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator from the sect to his death, it would be extremely detrimental to him regardless of whether Zhu Lingyun was guilty or not.
But Chen Beiwu showed no intention of stopping him.
To be old and not die is to be a thief.
If Zhu Lingyun truly had the courage to face death, he wouldn't have resorted to embezzling resources and causing this mess in order to break through realms and prolong his life.
Even if Chen Beiwu made the wrong bet, and Zhu Lingyun really dared to commit suicide, he would accept it.
After all, Zhu Lingyun was highly qualified, even Wuya Ancestor was his junior, and he was a late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator, so he held a very important position in the sect.
Even a Nascent Soul True Monarch of such a high status had to risk his life to survive, which shows how enormous his corruption was and how shocking his accounts were.
However, if he could use his reputation to eliminate a corrupt late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator and establish absolute authority in Moon City, Chen Beiwu felt it wouldn't be a loss.