Lying Low in the Martial World to Become a Saint

Chapter 466: Chapter 206: Purple Light (Part 2)

The Wutai Sect having two people selected this time meant they would receive a ten-year reduction in tribute!

This was undoubtedly an enormous amount of resources, enough to allow the Wutai Sect’s strength to grow explosively in a short period. The balance of power between the two titans of Yunlin Prefecture would likely be shattered soon, possibly even tipping in favor of the Wutai Sect’s sole dominance. For the Cold Jade Valley, this was by no means good news.

Everyone returned to their respective resting places.

That evening, a rumor sprouted wings and spread to every corner of Guest Welcoming Peak.

Although they had failed to enter the top one hundred in this selection, those who were willing still had the chance to enter the Celestial Treasure Upper Sect’s Outer Sect for cultivation. From there, they could obtain the qualifications to be promoted to the Inner Sect through other means!

This news immediately caused quite a stir.

Most of the eliminated geniuses scoffed at the idea, holding to the principle of "better to be the head of a chicken than the tail of a phoenix."

As elites of their respective sects, they would be highly valued Core Disciples upon returning home, with resources lavished upon them and a respected status. Why would they stay at the Celestial Treasure Upper Sect to start as an Outer Disciple, the lowest of the low, and endure all the restrictions and hardships?

However, quite a few people were still tempted by the offer.

These people were mostly from small and medium-sized sects, or they felt their potential had reached a bottleneck in their current environment and longed for a wider world and more powerful legacies.

To them, the status of a Celestial Treasure Upper Sect Outer Disciple was a stepping stone, a chance to leap over the Dragon Gate. Even if the starting point was lower, the future could be much brighter.

Shi Ziyi, Fang Rui, and even Yan Yaoyang were all lost in deep thought, weighing their options.

After dinner that evening, Chen Qing, Shen Xiuyong, Chu Jinyun, and Sang Yanping gathered in Elder Sang’s room.

Sang Yanping took a sip of tea and slowly began, "Tomorrow, we will prepare to leave."

"Leaving tomorrow? So soon?" Shen Xiuyong was a little surprised.

"Yes."

Sang Yanping nodded slightly, a trace of relief on his face. "Our business here is concluded. It’s time for us old folks to head back. There are many matters within the Sect that need to be handled—the mess left behind by the Demon Sect’s Yunlin Sub-Pavilion, the delicate relationship with the Cold Jade Valley... these things require us to return and take charge of arrangements as soon as possible."

He took a deep breath, his gaze turning serious as he looked at Chen Qing and Shen Xiuyong. "You two will remain here to cultivate. You must be extremely careful and cautious in all things, especially when it comes to people from the Chaoyang Sect."

He looked at Chen Qing. "Xiuyong knows the history of our feud, but Chen Qing, you might not be familiar with the specifics. Decades ago, the Chaoyang Sect and our Wutai Sect had a very deep-seated grudge."

"Back then, the Chaoyang Sect was at its zenith, its power far exceeding what it is today. Besides the Celestial Treasure Upper Sect, they were one of the few hegemons of a prefecture to have a True Essence Realm master presiding over them!"

"A True Essence Realm master!?"

Chen Qing’s heart jolted when he heard this.

For a prefecture-level sect to have a True Essence Realm master was like having a Stabilizing Needle; no wonder the Chaoyang Sect was so dominant back then, with its sphere of influence even radiating into neighboring prefectures.

"That’s right."

Chu Jinyun, who was beside them, lamented, "He was a true True Essence Realm expert, his might overwhelming the region. That was why they acted so unscrupulously. However..."

Her tone shifted, taking on a cold edge. "You don’t need to be too wary of the current Chaoyang Sect. That Sect Leader has long been dead."

"Dead?" Chen Qing was even more confused. "How... did this True Essence Realm master die?"

’The True Essence Realm grants extraordinary strength and extends one’s lifespan. Barring an accident, how could such a person fall so easily?’

A complicated look flashed in Sang Yanping’s eyes as he said slowly, "The matter is quite complex. Back then, that Chaoyang Sect Leader secretly led a large group of elites into Yunlin Prefecture. Their intentions were unclear, but their momentum was ferocious, causing quite a sensation at the time. Afterward, they secretly launched a deadly attack against our Wutai Sect. The Sect Leader and several junior martial uncles rose up to resist. Several old-generation masters died in that conflict. Junior Martial Uncle Li was also involved. He didn’t directly confront the Chaoyang Sect’s masters; instead, he attacked and killed many of the Chaoyang Sect’s young elites, completely enraging the other side."

"Later, that True Essence Realm Sect Leader personally took action and hunted down Junior Martial Uncle Li..."

Sang Yanping paused. "No one knows the specific details of what happened. We only know that although Junior Martial Uncle Li was in a sorry state, he ultimately escaped. The pursuit failed. The incident escalated to a massive degree and nearly triggered a full-scale war. Fortunately, the Shen Family later got involved to mediate. They reported the matter to the Celestial Treasure Upper Sect, and the Upper Sect intervened, barely managing to suppress the situation."

"After that Chaoyang Sect Leader led his people back to Celestial Balance Prefecture, it wasn’t long before news of his death spread. The Chaoyang Sect publicly announced that their Sect Leader had died from a Qi deviation brought on by his haste to achieve a breakthrough in his cultivation. But the Sect Leader, my senior brother, and I have a private theory..."

Sang Yanping lowered his voice. "I’m afraid it’s not that simple. How could a True Essence Realm master succumb to Qi deviation so easily? A more likely possibility is that he disregarded the Upper Sect’s mediation to pursue a private vendetta, perhaps even making a move outside Celestial Balance Prefecture. By doing so, he would have offended the majesty of the Celestial Treasure Upper Sect and was secretly disciplined—erased—by them."

Chu Jinyun sighed softly at the side, her tone tinged with lingering fear. "It’s a good thing he died. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have had these last few decades of relative peace. The hatred of a True Essence Realm Sect Leader would have been enough to keep our Wutai Sect on edge day and night."

Shen Xiuyong also nodded with a solemn expression. He had just joined the Wutai Sect at that time, so his memory of the events was quite deep. For the Wutai Sect, that period of history was a gray memory, fraught with pressure.

Chen Qing listened in silence, but his mind was in turmoil.

He had a gut feeling that things were probably not as Elder Sang suspected.