Chapter 93: Chapter 93: The Fall of the White Water Sect

White Water Sect.

It was situated on White Water Mountain, on a lone island in the depths of Baisui Lake. Surrounded by a hundred li of water, the area was rich in resources. The Baisui crabs, in particular, were sought after by countless people.

The lake’s bounty alone was enough to sustain all the disciples of the sect.

Today was the grand occasion of the White Water Sect’s internal Dharma assembly. To ensure the assembly would not be disturbed by outsiders, the White Water Sect had deliberately closed the two docks leading to the Central Island and dispatched dozens of Inner Sect Disciples to stand guard, making it absolutely foolproof.

The Dharma assemblies of Taoist Sects were always this secretive, as if they were terrified of outsiders learning anything.

After crossing the serene surface of the lake and passing through dozens of li of reed marshes, one could see a massive island. On the island stood a forest of pavilions and towers—this was the White Water Sect.

At this moment, two teams of disciples stood guard around the White Water Sect’s main gate. Passing through the gate and crossing the densely built Outer Sect, one would behold a scene of pavilions and terraces that seemed to exist only in a painting...

The most breathtaking sight here was the waterside pavilions from which cascades of water fell, the streams connecting into a single sheet. Pavilions were dotted throughout, some built against the cascades, others directly on the flowing water’s surface. These structures were connected by corridors of white jade, which appeared chaotic yet were arranged with a distinct order.

The liveliest spot right now was outside the grand pavilion built against the island’s only mountain peak. Hong Chengde, the Sect Leader of the White Water Sect, and Gao Zishi, the Sect Leader of the Iron Art Sect, stood outside the pavilion’s main entrance. They watched the Inner Sect Disciples gathered in the small plaza before them, unable to contain the smiles on their faces.

"After today, the White Water Sect will have no rivals south of Nanlin Road..."

Hong Chengde was brimming with heroic spirit. He looked at Gao Zishi beside him and said, "When spring comes next year, you go test that Changqing’s skills again. Best to lure him over. As long as he dares to enter Wudao Prefecture, the four of us will strike together. I refuse to believe he won’t die!"

"He’s very clever. It won’t be that easy to trick him!" Gao Zishi shook his head gently. The memory of the poison from last time sent a phantom pang of pain through his back.

"That’s only because the stakes weren’t high enough. With the right bait to stir his greed, even a Saint could be lured over, let alone a junior. It would be best to draw in his master and Gu Heng from Sanhe Temple as well."

A glint flashed in Gao Zishi’s eyes. He knew what "bait" Hong Chengde was talking about—it was none other than the Outer Realm Demon in his possession.

"Alright, but we need to plan this out carefully. Next year is too soon."

"True. There’s no need to rush. We can take our time. We have all the time in the world to prepare, anyway."

The two men’s conversation stopped abruptly. They saw a disciple walking briskly toward them. The disciple stopped at the bottom of the steps before the pavilion gate, clasped his hands in a salute, and said, "Master, Martial Uncle, Mr. Li and Mr. Yang have arrived at the Inner Sect’s training grounds."

"Good!"

Hong Chengde gently tugged at his sleeves. "We should go and receive them."

Without waiting for Gao Zishi’s reply, he flicked his Duster, descended the steps with a formal, wide-legged gait, and started down a straight, broad avenue of white jade. The disciples gathered below immediately formed two orderly lines, clearing a path. After Hong Chengde passed, they fell in behind him at a deliberate pace according to their status.

Gao Zishi followed behind Hong Chengde. He suddenly felt that something was not quite right about this whole affair...

’Two Entering Cultivators who are poor at both Magic and cultivating their spiritual souls... It’s strange no matter how you look at it.’ But the facts were right in front of him. Besides, he knew Hong Chengde was coveting the Cultivation Technique in their possession, which was why he was acting in such a hurry.

The strangeness of the situation was obvious, yet no one brought it up. It was as if the event itself perfectly concealed its own bizarre nature.

Before long, the large procession crossed the wide jade corridor. Below the corridor steps stood Li Xiangwen and Yang Tian, dressed in long robes and wearing jade crowns.

"Hail!"

One of the disciples shouted the cry. Then, the disciples following Hong Chengde, including Gao Zishi, performed a Taoist Family fist-and-palm salute to Li Xiangwen and Yang Tian.

The two men at the bottom of the steps reacted differently to the salute. Li Xiangwen’s expression was placid, while Yang Tian showed a hint of fear. Seeing Yang Tian’s reaction, Hong Chengde couldn’t help but feel a surge of pride. ’It’s as if I can already see an Entry Technique that doesn’t require a Spirit Vein floating toward me.’

He composed himself and descended the steps with a benevolent smile...

As Li Xiangwen and Yang Tian stepped forward, they simultaneously raised their left hands and formed a Spell they had practiced thousands of times.

In that instant, their faces were resolute, yet also held a trace of relief and longing.

The next moment, Five Elements Spiritual Qi appeared, swirling around their bodies. Then, in a flash, the Five Elements Spiritual Qi formed an Energy Vortex. Above them on the steps, Gao Zishi’s heart leaped in his chest when he saw this, and Hong Chengde, who was in front, felt his own heart sink.

A curtain of light suddenly spread out from the two men, completely engulfing them. In that instant, with Li Xiangwen and Yang Tian at the epicenter, all the Spiritual Qi gathered by the White Water Sect’s Spirit Gathering Array shuddered. A thousand fleeting thoughts flashed through everyone’s minds like lightning, only to be reduced to nothingness by two rising, five-colored beams of light.

Then, the two five-colored beams of light radiated outward from Li Xiangwen and Yang Tian. Where the beams intertwined, they formed countless energy storms like razor-sharp blades. In a mere instant, the five-colored light enveloped the entire White Water Sect, and everything in its path turned to white dust.

And just like that, the island in the center of the lake vanished into thin air. The calm surface of the water sank into the newly formed crater, soon creating a whirlpool.

On the shore, all who witnessed this were momentarily lost in a daze!

...

「Mozhou Road, White Crane Mountain.」

Feng Miao and Cheng Ji went to the mountain gate together to welcome Wang Ping. The three of them, along with his attendant Ah Jiu, then entered Feng Miao’s Dao Field.

Unlike the scenic beauty of Qianmu Mountain, this Dao Field resembled a post-apocalyptic landscape. An occasional smell of sulfur drifted through the air. The Spirit Gathering Array was also arranged with dry, fire-attributed Spiritual Objects, which made Wang Ping feel very uncomfortable. Yu Lian was even more ill at ease than he was.

"My place is hardly as comfortable as your Dao Field, Fellow Daoist Changqing."

Feng Miao lived in a mountain cave that looked as if it had been baked by fire. After inviting Wang Ping and Ah Jiu to sit, she took out an unopened jar of rice wine and a few porcelain bowls from her storage bag.

"Aren’t you afraid of being cooked to death living here?" Yu Lian spoke, directing her complaint at Feng Miao.

"Haha!"

Feng Miao laughed heartily. "I cultivate fire spirits! This is also to help me better adjust my condition. The method for entering the First Realm with our True Yang Sect’s Three Yang True Inheritance is no secret. You have to constantly absorb the Solar Power of the rising sun, swallow it, and digest it. If you don’t adapt to the heat beforehand, you might just be burned to a crisp."

"The method might not be a secret, but very few people know the details of the cultivation process!" Ah Jiu couldn’t help but add.

"Bullshit! Young man, do you think you can just enter the realm without paying any price? Do you really think this is some fantasy novel where cultivating makes you free to do as you please and roam the Cosmos?"

Feng Miao, with her usual short fuse, stared at Ah Jiu and said, "Even if the cultivation method were made public, an ordinary Cultivator could fail at the Foundation Establishment step alone. Even if they get lucky and succeed with Foundation Establishment, they’ll be burned to ash when they try to enter the next realm. That’s because the first step to cultivating the Three Yang True Inheritance is to join the True Yang Sect and gain the recognition of a True Spirit. Only then can we even begin to talk about the success rate of entering the realm."