Chapter 319 : The Calamity of the Yin Residence
Chapter 319: The Calamity of the Yin Residence
Aside from the True Transmission Disciples who were away, more than seven thousand True Transmission Disciples still gathered within the Profound Heart Hall. Quite a number of them had cultivation levels below the current threshold for True Transmission Disciples. Yet no one had any objections—instead, they greatly approved of the sect’s approach.
Every few years, the sect would raise the threshold for True Transmission Disciples. It had now reached the Sixth Layer of the Nourishing Vital Energy Realm. Without such a rule, many disciples would inevitably worry about being eliminated and might take extreme actions.
The newly promoted True Transmission Disciples would not mock the older disciples whose cultivation had stagnated. After all, the Clear Sky Sect had never lacked geniuses—they too would one day be surpassed.
Once all the disciples had gathered, they spoke in low voices, waiting for the Sect Master to appear.
Li Qingqiu did not keep them waiting long and soon revealed himself.
He appeared out of thin air atop the steps, standing behind the Hall Masters. The Hall Masters had already spread out rather than standing together, allowing the disciples to immediately catch sight of him.
The moment Li Qingqiu appeared, the Profound Heart Hall fell silent.
Zhang Yu raised his hand, bowed, and loudly said, “Greetings, Sect Master!”
More than seven thousand True Transmission Disciples followed suit in perfect unison, bowing together in a grand and awe-inspiring display.
“Greetings, Sect Master!”
Every disciple held genuine respect for Li Qingqiu, their voices resounding loudly as they merged into a single wave that seemed capable of overturning the heavens.
The Hall Masters also turned around and bowed toward Li Qingqiu.
Li Qingqiu turned and walked toward the throne behind him.
Originally, he had not wanted such a throne, but the other high-ranking members had insisted, saying that he must sit at the highest position to display the bearing of the Sect Master of the Clear Sky Sect.
In front of the throne were nine steps. The throne itself was broad enough for a person to lie upon, entirely crafted from white jade. Nine treasured swords were embedded in its backrest, with radiant light flowing across them.
Li Qingqiu turned and sat down. He had to admit—viewing the main hall from this height indeed gave a feeling of looking down upon all.
This seat was called the Clear Sky Dao Seat, and only the Sect Master could sit upon it.
“Very thoughtful… though this is also prepared for future generations, isn’t it?”
Li Qingqiu thought silently. By common understanding, no one would hold absolute power forever. Just like the Sect Master of the Clear Sky Sect, the position would one day be passed on to future disciples.
But Li Qingqiu had no intention of relinquishing it—he planned to sit on this seat to the very end. Of course, that was something he could not say aloud.
As he sat down, everyone looked at him, and he could read the emotions in their eyes.
There was admiration, respect, yearning—and expectation.
“Today, we shall first determine the Ten True Lord Seats.”
Li Qingqiu’s very first sentence caused the True Transmission Disciples’ eyes to light up. Discussions about the Ten True Lord Seats had long been circulating among them.
To select ten of the strongest and most prestigious individuals was no easy task.
However, certain people were bound to be included.
“Jiang Zhaoxia…”
Li Qingqiu continued. The first name he announced came as no surprise—it was entirely reasonable.
Jiang Zhaoxia smugly raised his brows toward Xu Ning, who responded with a faint snort.
Li Qingqiu continued reading:
“Xu Ning, Shen Yue, Yuan Li, Xue Jin, Yun Cai. These six shall occupy the True Lord Seats. The remaining four seats will be determined later.”
Hua—
An uproar erupted throughout the hall, including among the Hall Masters. None of them had expected Li Qingqiu to leave four seats vacant.
As for these six True Lords, no one could find fault with them. Yun Cai had achieved remarkable accomplishments in recent years—she frequently appeared on the Contribution Rankings of the Tempering Hall and even had the formidable record of single-handedly slaying a Spirit Perception Realm demon ghost.
As for the other five, their battle achievements were even more illustrious and beyond reproach.
Zhao Zhen, Ji Ya, Sword Solitary, Han Lang, Yang Dong, Xiao Wudi, and other geniuses who had already reached the Spirit Perception Realm felt disappointed.
They had no objections to the six True Lords—they were only disappointed in themselves for failing to satisfy the Sect Master.
But there was still a chance. They could compete for the remaining seats.
“The position of True Lord is not permanent. If later disciples surpass them in both cultivation and contribution, they may replace them.”
Li Qingqiu continued. These words greatly stirred the disciples’ spirits, while Jiang Zhaoxia and the other five newly appointed True Lords remained confident, unafraid of any challenge.
Hu Yan stood within the crowd, a rare trace of ambition appearing in his eyes—he too wanted to become a True Lord.
Not far from him, Zhu Qingling, who had entered the Clear Sky Sect on the same day as him, glanced at him. With just a single glance, she shifted her gaze forward again, her eyes equally filled with confidence.
One day, she too would shine with such brilliance.
“Five True Lords, step forward to receive your True Lord Clear Sky Tokens!”
Chu Jing spoke as he raised his right hand. One golden token after another flew out from his Storage Pouch, hovering before the steps of the Clear Sky Dao Seat.
Jiang Zhaoxia and the others immediately stepped forward, walking toward the Clear Sky Dao Seat.
As a Hall Master, Xue Jin only needed to turn to face Li Qingqiu. Looking at the True Lord Clear Sky Tokens, his eyes burned with fervor.
He had already restrained his sharpness, but he had always longed for recognition from the Sect Master.
His talent could no longer keep pace with the younger generation, but he did not feel discouraged. He continued to cultivate diligently without ever slacking. He had once thought he would never qualify for the Ten True Lords—yet he had been chosen.
Li Qingqiu looked at Xue Jin and blinked at him. Such a small gesture left him pleasantly overwhelmed.
The other four stepped forward one after another. Yun Cai and Xu Ning walked side by side—both resembled fairies, their auras powerful. Xu Ning appeared colder, while Yun Cai radiated spirited confidence.
When Yun Cai reached the True Lord Clear Sky Token, she proudly glanced at Li Qingqiu, her eyes seeming to convey something.
Xu Ning caught that moment and slightly curled her lips.
She decided to find an opportunity to spar with that girl.
Yuan Li, on the other hand, remained calm. His thoughts drifted to his elder brother, Yuan Qi.
If Yuan Qi were still alive, he would surely be very pleased at this moment.
……
With six of the Ten True Lord Seats decided, the news quickly spread throughout the Clear Sky Sect. The names of Jiang Zhaoxia and the other five were once again widely discussed.
This assembly at the Profound Heart Hall also clarified the status and authority of the True Lords. True Lords stood on equal footing with Hall Masters. When the sect faced danger, they could mobilize the forces of various Immortal Cities and outposts. All disciples below the Hall Masters were required to obey them.
Such authority shocked the disciples. No matter how one looked at it, their power seemed even greater than that of the Hall Masters—and without constraints.
For a time, speculation about who would fill the remaining four True Lord Seats became a hot topic among the disciples.
One opinion emerged—that the champion of the next Grand Dao Tournament would likely become a True Lord.
Thus, discussions about the Grand Dao Tournament surged once more.
Only one year remained until the third Grand Dao Tournament.
Many geniuses at the Ninth Layer of the Nourishing Vital Energy Realm began eagerly preparing, anticipating its arrival.
Meanwhile—
In the distant west, there existed a dynasty known as the Great Xia Dynasty.
It was a five-hundred-year-old dynasty with vast territory and over a thousand cities.
Anxuan City, Yin Residence.
Inside a main hall, Yin Xiao, the head of the Yin Family, sat in a chair, his brows tightly furrowed.
A woman in blue entered gracefully, holding a child in her arms—he appeared to be only about one year old.
“Husband, what troubles you?” the woman in blue asked. Her face was delicate, her features refined—an exceptionally rare beauty—and her voice was gentle.
Yin Xiao had a robust build. Even in casual clothing, one could sense the immense strength contained within his body. He looked at his wife, yet could not force a smile.
“The people from the Ten Thousand Yin Sect will arrive soon. I am troubled over how to deal with them,” Yin Xiao sighed, unable to hide his unease.
The woman in blue comforted him, “Do not worry. Though the Ten Thousand Yin Sect is an Immortal Cultivation Sect, they cannot act recklessly. We are within the city, under the protection of the Great Xia Dynasty. The Heavenly Son and the righteous sects will protect us.”
Yin Xiao shook his head helplessly. “I know… but if we do not hand over enough wealth, they will not let us go. And the methods of Immortal Cultivators are beyond what you and I can imagine.”
At the mention of Immortal Cultivators, his eyes were filled with fear.
He stood up and looked at his young son in his wife’s arms, finally revealing a faint smile.
“Jingxing, do not be afraid. Your father will protect you all,” Yin Xiao said softly, reaching out to grasp his son’s hand.
The woman in blue also smiled, though deep within, she too felt fear.
Yin Xiao had never been so troubled, no matter the difficulty he faced before. It meant that his previous encounter with the Ten Thousand Yin Sect had not gone well.
“If it truly comes to it, mention that Jingtian is cultivating in the Flying Rainbow Sect. Perhaps they will show some consideration,” the woman suggested.
Yin Xiao shook his head again. “Jingtian has only been there a few years. Should we burden him with enemies? The Flying Rainbow Sect cannot compare to the Ten Thousand Yin Sect.”
The woman fell silent. She too felt helpless and could only pray for heaven’s protection.
At that moment—
Thunder rumbled from beyond the sky, drawing the couple to the doorway. They looked up to see rolling dark clouds covering the sky above Anxuan City.
“Is it going to rain?” the woman asked.
Yin Xiao frowned as he looked at the heavens. “No… they’ve arrived. Why such a display?”
His unease deepened—he felt that something major was about to happen.
He immediately said to his wife, “Take Jingxing and hide in the underground chamber. Unless I come for you, you must not come out—no matter who calls for you, do not listen. Go, quickly!”
The woman’s face turned pale under his urgency, but she obeyed, carrying their child away at once.
Yin Xiao stepped into the courtyard and looked up at the rolling dark clouds. Within them, ghostly shadows could faintly be seen darting about.
“Immortal cultivation…”
He clenched his fists. Once, he too had wished to become an Immortal Cultivator—but he had no Spiritual Root and had been rejected by the Flying Rainbow Sect.
Because of this, he had placed great hopes on his two sons.
Yin Jingtian had already been confirmed to possess a Spiritual Root. If Yin Jingxing also had one, the Yin Family would rise.
But before that day could come, the Ten Thousand Yin Sect had arrived.
From their first encounter, he had known the Ten Thousand Yin Sect harbored ill intentions. He was merely a mortal—what use was worldly wealth to them?
He had considered fleeing Anxuan City, but he knew the methods of Immortal Cultivators—escape was impossible. Letting his wife and child hide underground was merely a desperate prayer.
Suddenly—
He saw a mass of black energy surge out from the rolling clouds, spiraling toward him like a tornado.
A violent wind pressed down, forcing him to retreat several steps. The flowers and trees in the courtyard shook violently, and roof tiles shattered upon the ground.
The black energy landed in the courtyard and quickly dispersed, revealing the figure of a black-clad man.
The man had a cold expression, his brows filled with killing intent. His black hair was bound with a purple jade hairpin. Standing there, he resembled an embodiment of ultimate evil.
At the sight of him, Yin Xiao found it difficult to remain composed.
“Help us with one task. You will not be treated unfairly afterward,” the black-clad man said.
His voice was devoid of emotion—like a blade piercing into Yin Xiao’s heart, leaving him unable to refuse.