The elderly man was shocked at first before he replied,
"Sect master, isn't that too much? Though Elder Nianzu is newly promoted, he is still a soul formation expert, and with his identity as a former radiant sword heart, he should be more than capable of handling the mission.
The Crimson Wave is no more, and all they will be doing is hunting down regular blood fiend groups.."
"I don't doubt Nianzu's abilities, vice sect master. It's just that things have been radically changing over the past few years, almost as if in preparation for something.
It can't harm to be careful with these things. Even though we are considered a holy land, the number of people in the sect can't compare to that of sects led by a palace realm cultivator. They are now called rank 3 sects, right?"
"They are.."
"What an interesting grading method...oh where was I.."
The elderly man sighed to himself at the antics of the middle-aged man. Though the person before him was one of the most talented and powerful cultivators to have ever graced the sect, or worn the crown of sect master, holding a conversation with him was hard because he would easily lose himself to his own thoughts and even forget someone was there.
He had heard it was a side effect of the long seclusions that he had taken ever since he was small. He couldn't help but wonder if that was the reason he put so many restrictions on regulating secluded cultivation among younger disciples, and the social events he had been secretly promoting around the sect.
"Well, at least the disciples are less stiff and indifferent to one another now.."
"We have low numbers because of our stringent requirements on those we allow in. However, because our numbers are so low, we cannot afford to be careless with the lives of our fellow members.
I do not want what happened back then when we lost two inner elders and half the disciples to repeat itself.
I'd rather be overcautious and not lose a single member, Qian He.."
"As you wish, sect master.." the elderly man said with a sigh as he remembered the events of back then.
It was one of the greatest losses their sect had ever suffered to date. They lost two soul adept cultivators, and about a dozen disciples who were in the domain realm and had enough abilities to even reach the soul formation expert, all because they had underestimated their enemy, even though at the time, they did not think so.
"Good, though I take it, you didn't come here just to inform me they were leaving?" the middle-aged man said with a meaningful smile as he turned to face the elderly man.
"You're right, sect master.." the elderly man paused as he steeled himself.
" From Elder Han Ming's report, the Order's vice president, the chancellor who is rumored to have taught countless domain experts, and now this...they may grow beyond our abilities to control them if they haven't already.
They may one day get too full of themselves and decide to bare their fangs against us.."
"So, what is it you're asking vice sect master.."
"We need to suppress them, now, while we can.."
"Why?"
"Huh, what do you mean why?! Because of the threat they pose to us.."
"Sigh, vice sect master, this is why I've been constantly insisting for the disciples to leave the mountain and explore the outside world. The world is a big place, much bigger than you or I can imagine.
If they stay cooped up here, their visions will be a reflection of what their seniors think, and it will not be something they decide for themselves.
Holy lands., holy lands...." The middle-aged man had a forlorn look in his eyes as he stared upwards.
"This continent is known to be the richest one when compared to the others and it doesn't lose out even to the central continent. In its heyday, I read sects and other organizations that rivaled us in strength numbered in the dozens, but currently we are just two.
Where did they all disappear off to? If they had the same strength, then they could have still been around, even if it was one or two, but there isn't even one..well there is the Dragon Meadow and the Oddysey Horizon, but that's too few in comparison to the rumors of the numbers that existed back then.
The nebulous star sect, the illusory sword mountain, the Timeless Lotus sect, the celestial river garden sect, the Blue Mist Aurora Manor, the void walker sect, and their likes..even the Frozen Serenity Sect..
Each one of them is as powerful as us, if not more, and were once occupants of this continent, but not one of them exists... All we have are ruins, mysterious realms, grottos, and little bits of information and cultivation arts that serve as evidence, that they once existed, but not one explains how they disappeared.
It's like they all vanished at one point, and their traces were wiped out. Qian He aren't you curious? How could all these organizations with strength that rival ours, disappear like that with no trace, other than dead buildings and scrolls and jade slips?
If you're not, I surely am. As sect master, I would be remiss if I wasn't. If it could happen to them, it could happen to us, but alas my investigations all these years bore no fruit.
Though I'm certain the Dragon Meadow and the Odyssey Horizon have those answers, but even as the sect master of the so-called 'holy land', I'm unqualified to learn it.." the middle-aged man said with a self-deprecating smile.
"I'm sure the three ancestors know something too, but I don't want to get beaten up .."
"Qian He, though I appreciate your efforts and concern for the sect, I feel your concerns are a little bit misplaced.
I can tell you think the same of me, and that I'm lost in my fantasy thoughts again.."
"Surely not sect master.."
Even though the elderly man said that his eyes flickered slightly.
"Okay.." said the middle-aged man with a slight smile.
"Ignoring the bygone era, we could take a look at something more recent; the invasion of the continent by outside forces.
The story around is they came because the whole continent was at war, and they came to fish in troubled waters because of how rich our continent is, but we all know that wasn't it.
If it was just regular organizations, maybe, but there is no way just a spiritually rich land would manage to garner the attention of different holy lands around the continent and make them tempted enough to even traverse the dangerous bodies of water that separate our continents.
The ground that houses them is no different than ours, so there had to have been something else which we still don't know what it is..
Who's to say, they won't try again? That is where our focus should be, besides.." the middle-aged man paused as he turned to his polishing.
"Don't you think you're looking on the Radiant Sword Sect too much...I Bai Xiaodan, am I someone who is weak enough to let myself or my sect be subservient to someone else or try to weaken them so I can protect some status?
If they have the capabilities let them try, whether it's the Order, that ambitious two-faced snake Flowing Valley, Mythical races, other holy lands, I welcome their challenge any time..." An overbearing pressure that made the skies cry emanated from the middle-aged man.
An illusory sword appeared from his body and extended all the way to the skies above with its tip disappearing further and further up.
The elderly man despite being a soul supreme expert felt his blood run cold, and his legs quake from the pressure being released by that middle-aged man.
The pressure came and went just as fast, and the middle-aged man looked just like any other normal person caring for their sword while drinking tea.
The elderly man felt like he had just escaped an inferno with pools of sweat soaking his body.
"Sorry for speaking out of turn sect master.." he said as he cupped his fist.
"It's okay Qian He.. You can go make the arrangements.."
The elderly man nodded and swiftly disappeared.
"The Order huh..i felt my heart tremble, I wonder who that swordsman was..."
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