Chapter 466 : A String of Bad News
466: A String of Bad News
There was nothing on Ice Peak, so Jiang Mo and Yun Qingyue didn't stay long. However, the ice spiritual energy on the peak was indeed abundant; for cultivation purposes, it was definitely more suitable for Yun Qingyue than other places.
Jiang Mo didn't have many requirements for cultivation locations, so she planned to accompany her senior sister back here to cultivate once things settled down.
Unfortunately, the cultivation world was in a time of chaos—how could things settle down so easily? Just as Xuanqing Sect had finally stabilized internally, bad news arrived in succession—
The first piece was that the demonic faction conflict at Mount Xuanyin had finally reached a conclusion: Celestial Demon Sect had suddenly allied with Nine Abyss Sect, and their combined forces had defeated Crimson Blood Sect in one strike. This wasn't even the worst part; more devastating was that Crimson Blood Sect's stronghold had been ambushed, leaving the defeated sect members nowhere to retreat. They had no choice but to send a request for aid to their former ally, Xuanqing Sect.
Sect Leader Qingxiao found this news troublesome, but before he could decide how to respond, a second piece of bad news arrived—a message from Qingyu and the others who had been out of contact for some time.
It turned out that when Buddha Sect had requested help, they had sent messages not only to Xuanqing Sect but also to Tiandao Sect. Later, when Qingyu led Xuanqing Sect members to provide assistance, Tiandao Sect had likewise dispatched their Grand Elder to lead a team. Although the three sects maintained a competitive relationship, they had always supported each other when it came to matters of greater importance. Neither Buddha Sect nor Xuanqing Sect had ever doubted Tiandao Sect, but unexpectedly, the Grand Elder had stabbed them in the back at the critical moment.
Xuanqing Sect had lost many disciples as a result, while Buddha Sect—or rather, the Buddhist cultivators—had suffered even heavier casualties. In the end, Qingyu and several Grand Achievement elders from Buddha Sect had joined forces to barely save some people, and they were now heading back to Xuanqing Sect.
Upon receiving this news, Sect Leader Qingxiao's expression changed drastically. He couldn't fathom why Tiandao Sect would betray them.
Divine Lord Zhiming hit the mark with a single statement: "The mutated flowers that appeared in Xuanqing Sect must have been brought back from outside. It was only by coincidental early discovery that we were able to eradicate them in time. What about Tiandao Sect? Who knows what calamities may exist there?"
This explanation was logical, but Sect Leader Qingxiao still had his doubts, because Tiandao Sect also had a divine beast presiding—if Divine Lord Zhiming could identify the mutated flowers' problems at a glance, there was no reason why the qilin nurtured by Tiandao Sect couldn't see it. Moreover, unlike Divine Lord Zhiming who spent all his time sleeping, the qilin should have discovered the problem even faster and earlier.
No one could explain this issue, but at this point, further investigation would be meaningless. The immediate priority was to safely escort everyone back; other matters would have to wait until they returned for detailed questioning.
Jiang Mo and Yun Qingyue had barely enjoyed a few days of leisure when they received these two pieces of bad news in succession.
In private, Sect Leader Qingxiao didn't conceal anything from them: "Sect Leader Zhu's group is being hunted and besieged by two sects, while Junior Sister Qingyu's group is being intercepted by Tiandao Sect. For Qingyu's situation, I'll request the Supreme Elder to intervene and escort them back to the sect. As for Sect Leader Zhu... Although Xuanqing Sect cannot openly associate with the demonic path, the sudden alliance between Nine Abyss Sect and Celestial Demon Sect greatly impacts the overall situation. We must learn the inside story."
Sect Leader Qingxiao spoke clearly, and both Jiang Mo and Yun Qingyue understood his meaning—Sect Leader Zhu and Qingyu were simultaneously in danger, and both had sought Xuanqing Sect's help. Qingyu was one of their own, so Sect Leader Qingxiao could request the Supreme Elder's assistance, but Sect Leader Zhu's situation was different. That's why he specifically informed Yun Qingyue, her daughter, hinting that she could intervene to save her.
As for how to arrange matters after the rescue? Given the current situation, the only option was probably to bring them to Xuanqing Sect.
After listening, Yun Qingyue didn't waste words and immediately agreed: "Thank you for informing me, Sect Leader Master-Uncle. Leave this matter to me; I'll depart at once to find my mother." She paused briefly, then added, "If possible, I'll bring them back here."
She spoke conservatively, and Sect Leader Qingxiao didn't immediately agree, since it was unclear how many people remained in Crimson Blood Sect. If their numbers were few, temporarily sheltering them would be no problem, as this was Xuanqing Sect's territory. But if there were too many, reaching an uncontrollable level, then not even Buddha Sect, despite their excellent relationship, would be completely given free rein, let alone Crimson Blood Sect with its demonic origins.
The two maintained an unspoken understanding, and there was no time to delay. Yun Qingyue prepared to leave immediately.
Jiang Mo, who would be accompanying her, immediately jumped in: "Sect Leader, I have nothing to do in the sect anyway, so I'll go with Ah Yue."
During the previous conversation between the Sect Leader and Yun Qingyue, Jiang Mo hadn't been mentioned once, which actually implied their assumed partnership. However, Jiang Mo herself hadn't realized this, and seeing her senior sister finish speaking and prepare to leave, she became anxious.
Sect Leader Qingxiao, both helpless and weary, waved his hand to release them: "Go then, be careful on your journey."
Jiang Mo immediately brightened and eagerly followed Yun Qingyue.
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From their return to Xuanqing Sect until now, Jiang Mo and Yun Qingyue had spent a little over a month together. However, in that time, when they left Xuanqing Sect again, the outside world had undergone earth-shattering changes.
First, as they left the sect, they passed through Xuanqing City. The once bustling city with crowds coming and going now had visibly fewer pedestrians on its streets, the entire city exuding a sense of desolation—in the past, many Xuanqing Sect disciples frequented the city, but now with Xuanqing Sect's gates closed, Xuanqing City had become considerably quieter, though still functioning normally overall.
Jiang Mo and Yun Qingyue didn't think much of it, only making a point to wander through Xuanqing City, where they occasionally discovered a few mutated flowers that Yun Qingyue burned without hesitation. However, the infection and spread of demonic patterns clearly wasn't severe in Xuanqing City; they heard that those who showed symptoms had been dealt with by the city guard.
In a hurry to meet their people, they didn't linger in Xuanqing City, departing after burning a few flowers.
However, after leaving Xuanqing City, the two discovered that the situation was far worse than they had imagined. Xuanqing City's decline was merely due to Xuanqing Sect's closure, but it was at the foot of Xuanqing Sect's mountain, under their protection. After discovering the danger of the mutated flowers, Xuanqing Sect had immediately dispatched people to notify others and address the issue.
But the outside world was different. Without the protection of a major sect like Xuanqing Sect, wildflowers growing across hills and plains went unnoticed. Unknowingly, many cultivators had been infected, causing considerable chaos.
Some small sects, far from quelling disturbances or resolving the root cause, had been almost completely wiped out in this calamity. The better ones had still suffered heavy losses. By the time Xuanqing Sect resolved its internal crisis and transmitted the information to subordinate sects, those small sects had already been severely afflicted and could only seek refuge at Xuanqing Sect with their families.
It seemed that suddenly, the entire cultivation world had been stirred up, like a pot of oil about to boil over.
……
At dusk, Jiang Mo and Yun Qingyue alighted on an ancient tree to meditate and recover spiritual energy—to travel quickly, both had transformed into their original forms for flight, moving more than twice as fast as a spirit boat. Though their cultivation levels were not low, the cultivation world was now fraught with dangers, so they didn't dare be careless, always striving to maintain their peak condition.
As they cultivated together, spiritual energy surged and gathered, soon filling their meridians.
Jiang Mo opened her eyes first, the remnants of sunset filtering into her golden pupils, illuminating the depths of her eyes. She exhaled and turned to look at Yun Qingyue beside her, who opened her eyes at that moment.
"Shall we go now?" Jiang Mo asked.
Yun Qingyue nodded, rose to her feet with a brush of her sleeves, and extended her hand to Jiang Mo: "Let's go."
Her pale hand seemed coated in a layer of light from the sunset's glow. Jiang Mo looked up at that hand for a moment before reaching out to grasp it.
The force from Yun Qingyue's hand pulled Jiang Mo to her feet. Just as they were about to transform into their original forms to continue their journey, the communication jade pendant at Yun Qingyue's waist suddenly lit up—it was the pendant used to contact Zhu Baiyi. The mother and daughter hadn't communicated much before, but since Yun Qingyue was going to meet her, she had naturally contacted her in advance and retrieved this pendant from her storage space.
As the pendant lit up, both noticed it. After Yun Qingyue opened it, she received only a set of coordinates.
Her brows immediately furrowed. Jiang Mo, not being the recipient, couldn't see the pendant's contents, and asked from the side: "What's wrong? Have the Sect Leader and her group been caught by pursuers?"
Yun Qingyue shook her head and put down the pendant: "No, there are only coordinates, likely telling us where to go."
"Then..." Jiang Mo wanted to ask, what's the problem?
However, before she could finish, Yun Qingyue continued: "These coordinates deviate quite far from the previous location, and there's only coordinates without any explanation, suggesting it was sent in haste."
So, had something else happened to Sect Leader Zhu? But what could it be to make her so urgent?!
Neither Jiang Mo nor Yun Qingyue knew; they could only speculate, inevitably feeling uneasy. The two dared not delay any longer and, after a brief exchange, set off toward the new coordinates.
A white phoenix spread its wings in the sky, its beautiful feathers cutting through the air, disappearing from sight in an instant.
The massive white tiger, seeing this, pushed off with powerful legs, treading through the void with a burst of speed, catching up in a moment, not falling behind in the slightest.