Chapter 471 : Target of Public Criticism
471: Target of Public Criticism
Not counting Sect Leader Qingxiao, twenty-seven sect leaders had gathered in Lingyun Hall. Each representing their own sect's influence, which meant that beyond allies like Buddha Sect, Crimson Blood Sect, and Harmony Sect, Xuanqing Sect was sheltering at least twenty-seven additional factions—a somewhat motley assembly, yet such diversity wasn't always without its uses.
Just as now, Sect Leader Qingxiao wasn't intimidated by these people's pressure. He merely set down his teacup and said coolly: "Our sect has its own plans, so there's no need for all of you to concern yourselves with our internal affairs. As for eliminating demons and upholding the righteous path, if you're so inclined, you're welcome to lead your troops and provisions to battle those seemingly endless demon forces."
The hall was already quiet, and after Sect Leader Qingxiao's words, no one dared to make a sound. Even the purple-robed fat man who had just been so righteously indignant now slunk back to his seat, as if he had never spoken.
After quite a while, someone weakly asked: "So are we just going to let the situation continue unchecked?"
Of course not!
Sect Leader Qingxiao and Jiang Mo both answered in their hearts simultaneously, then glanced up to meet each other's gaze. Facing his juniors, Sect Leader Qingxiao's stern expression softened slightly as he finally spoke: "We must first identify the enemy's weaknesses before taking action."
This explanation clearly couldn't convince everyone. Jiang Mo even detected malice in some people's eyes. However, these individuals were currently under Xuanqing Sect's protection, and their strength fell far short of Xuanqing Sect's, so they suppressed their hostility. Nevertheless, having such a group of people with conflicting interests residing in Xuanqing Sect felt like a hidden danger to Jiang Mo—who knew when problems might arise?
The two now stood in a corner of the great hall, not approaching Sect Leader Qingxiao, so few people noticed them. Yun Qingyue, observing Jiang Mo's increasingly furrowed brow, took the initiative to hold her hand and squeeze it gently, signaling her to remain calm.
Xuanqing Sect maintained its dominance, as did Sect Leader Qingxiao, and those people ultimately left "empty-handed."
……
Once everyone had departed, Sect Leader Qingxiao beckoned to the two and asked: "Well, have you seen your Master? How is she doing in the Lightning Pool? That demonic energy has been attached to her wounds for some time now; I wonder if the Lightning Pool is effective for her."
Hearing this, Yun Qingyue responded seriously: "Reasonably well. I observed that Master's injuries are healing."
Jiang Mo didn't interject. She glanced at her senior sister's solemn profile, thinking: Master's injuries were indeed improving, but the situation in the Lightning Pool probably wasn't very good. She wondered how Xuanqing Sect had arranged things, actually putting Fei Yuan and Sect Leader Zhu together, and then sending Peak Master Qingyu to the same Lightning Pool—it was essentially a live battlefield.
However, she didn't voice these thoughts, and Sect Leader Qingxiao certainly couldn't have anticipated such dynamics. After hearing Yun Qingyue's response, he nodded and then asked the two: "You came looking for me; do you have some matter to discuss?"
Yun Qingyue didn't beat around the bush, nodding in acknowledgment: "I wanted to ask about Master's recent experiences." She paused briefly, then added: "When I visited Master at the Lightning Pool, Elder Fei Yuan from Harmony Sect was also present, so it wasn't appropriate to speak freely."
Sect Leader Qingxiao pondered: "I see..."
There was nothing confidential about Qingyu's rescue mission, so Sect Leader Qingxiao narrated the events. The specific details matched the news they had previously received—essentially the standard rescue, betrayal, and pursuit sequence. He didn't elaborate on the dangers involved, as neither Qingyu nor he would speak of such things, but he emphasized one point: "Mount Puhua has been destroyed. Among the Buddhist cultivators who returned with Qingyu, barely one in ten survived."
Jiang Mo and Yun Qingyue couldn't fathom the vastness of the Buddhist cultivator community. But they had visited Mount Puhua before and still vividly remembered the connected temples and monks everywhere. Now not only was the place destroyed, but nine-tenths of the Buddhist cultivators had perished, highlighting the brutality of their experience.
Jiang Mo couldn't help asking: "So severe? Just how many people were mobilized?!"
Sect Leader Qingxiao shook his head, then meaningfully remarked: "The demon race certainly doesn't lack manpower."
This was indeed true. Sect factions typically developed their forces through cultivation. It took decades to nurture a batch of Golden Core cultivators, centuries for Nascent Soul cultivators, and millennia for Void Crossing and Spirit Division cultivators. The process was time-consuming, resource-intensive, and risky—if a disciple perished prematurely, all resources invested would be wasted.
But the suddenly emerging demon forces operated differently, directly infecting cultivators through demonic energy and curses to control them. This was essentially like stealing people directly from sects—if successful, they gained; if not, they lost nothing, and they certainly wouldn't mourn casualties.
Although Sect Leader Qingxiao hadn't formally confronted these demon forces yet, hearing various accounts made the situation seem extremely troublesome. Moreover, he cherished his disciples and had no intention of sacrificing the youngsters he had painstakingly nurtured to fill this bottomless pit.
The current situation was therefore both vexing and passive.
Jiang Mo was quite worried and asked: "So what do we do next? We can't just do nothing and await our doom, can we?" As she spoke, she glanced outside the hall, though she could see nothing but swirling clouds: "The sect's protective formation is powerful and not easily breached. But the spirit stones required to maintain it are substantial; we can't keep it activated indefinitely."
Beyond these concerns, Jiang Mo left something unsaid. The mutated flowers were spreading like a zombie virus, highly contagious. Xuanqing Sect had thoroughly eliminated them internally, but not externally. What if they eventually spread throughout the entire cultivation world? Wouldn't Xuanqing Sect find itself facing universal hostility?
Contemplating the consequences made Jiang Mo shudder, feeling a chill down her spine.
These considerations that occurred to Jiang Mo naturally also occurred to Sect Leader Qingxiao. His deep eyes gazed at the two before him, as if wanting to say something, but ultimately he swallowed whatever additional words he had.
Although Sect Leader Qingxiao ultimately said nothing, Jiang Mo could tell he already had a plan in mind.
This was reassuring, and Jiang Mo felt considerably relieved. However, she still had a small question for Sect Leader Qingxiao, which she now asked directly: "Crimson Blood Sect, Harmony Sect, Buddha Sect—regardless of whether they're righteous or demonic, these sects have all sought refuge in Xuanqing Sect's territory. Has the Sect Leader considered forming an alliance with them in the future to jointly confront the enemy?"
This was an obvious matter, and Sect Leader Qingxiao didn't conceal it: "Naturally, I've already discussed this with several sect leaders. When the time comes, we'll form an alliance to deal with the demon race, each leveraging our respective strengths."
Hearing this, Jiang Mo thought: This is exactly "vertical and horizontal alliances." Indeed, she had won without effort this time.
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Sect Leader Qingxiao firmly declined to immediately go out and directly confront the demon race, feeling it would be essentially suicidal. However, understanding the external situation, especially how many people had been infected by demonic energy or curses, was crucial information.
Xuanqing Sect's caution didn't mean they were passively awaiting destruction, so sending people to investigate was necessary.
Upon hearing about this mission, Yun Qingyue was the first to volunteer, bundling the little tiger along as well. With her ice flames at hand, which were incredibly effective against demonic energy and curses, Sect Leader Qingxiao hesitated only briefly before agreeing to entrust her with the task, while reminding her: "Qingyue, though your ice flames are formidable, your opponents aren't just minor lackeys. Should you encounter danger, remember not to be reckless."
Before Yun Qingyue could respond, Jiang Mo answered on her behalf: "Sect Leader, rest assured, I'll watch over her. When we encounter enemies, we'll fight if we can win and flee if we can't. Preserving our lives is never wrong."
Hearing this, Sect Leader Qingxiao smiled and nodded: "Precisely."
The matter was thus simply settled. With a new mission, the two were no longer idle. However, Sect Leader Qingxiao didn't require Yun Qingyue and Jiang Mo to explore too far, only asking them to patrol around Xuanqing Sect. If they encountered enemies, they should capture or kill them; if they saw mutated flowers, they should burn them. Overall, the area around Xuanqing Sect remained peaceful.
Yet it was precisely because of this peace that more and more small sects continuously arrived at Xuanqing Sect seeking protection. Despite Xuanqing Sect's vast territory, Jiang Mo, observing the daily increasing population, doubted whether those spirit peaks could accommodate everyone.
This concern soon became reality. One day, Jiang Mo received a message from the Mission Hall, directly stating they needed to use her Purple Cloud Peak to house new arrivals.
Jiang Mo was reluctant, but since the spirit peak had been allocated by Xuanqing Sect, she couldn't really refuse the sect's request. Moreover, she would receive compensation for the use of the spirit peak, meaning she wouldn't lose out but would actually make a small profit.
Besides, before her, her senior sister's Ice Peak had already been given over to house people, as cultivators weren't picky about accommodation.
In the end, Jiang Mo compromised, keeping only the peak's summit sealed off as a residence for herself and her senior sister, while leaving the rest of the spirit peak for Xuanqing Sect to accommodate external cultivators. From that day on, the usually quiet Purple Cloud Peak gained vitality, and even when the two returned late at night, they often saw the spirit peak illuminated with lights.
This created a different kind of scenery, but as Jiang Mo watched Xuanqing Sect fill up more and more, she felt a sense of urgency—with cultivators gathering in increasing numbers, Xuanqing Sect was becoming increasingly conspicuous. Sooner or later, wouldn't this place become the target of all arrows?