Supreme Cultivation Master

The Purple Elixir Hall Master said, "Our Purple Elixir Sect is a righteous sect, merely an unremarkable one among the thousands overseen by the thirty-six Sword Sects. The Blood Demon Sect is a subordinate of the Demon Clan, and their strength is slightly greater than ours."

The Purple Elixir Hall Master relayed all this information to Ye Fan, who then said, "I see. So does that mean each of the thirty-six Sword Sects has an expert in the Ancestor Realm presiding over it?"

"That’s right!"

After her explanation, Ye Fan realized the Martial Arts Continent was far more formidable than he had anticipated. He didn’t inquire about the Demon Clan because he knew that if these two forces had been able to contend for so many years without decline, their combat power must be evenly matched.

Ye Fan then asked the Purple Elixir Hall Master, "Have you heard of the Asura Clan or the Holy Clan?"

The Hall Master looked shocked. "I’ve never heard of the Asura Clan," she said, "but I have heard of the Holy Clan!"

"Oh?" Ye Fan looked at the Purple Elixir Hall Master, waiting expectantly for her to explain.

The Purple Elixir Hall Master said, "I read about it in the ancient texts. They say the Holy Clan was once the overlord of the Great Thousand World for an entire era. The Holy Clan ruled the Great Thousand World for tens of thousands of years. After the clan’s decline, they were never heard from again."

"So, who is the overlord of this era?" Ye Fan asked with great curiosity.

"The Di Clan," the Purple Elixir Hall Master replied.

So that’s how it is. It seems no supreme clan can rule an era forever. When one age ends, so too does their reign. Ye Fan finally understood.

He nodded. "I understand everything now."

"As long as you understand. About the Left Protector... you don’t blame me anymore, do you?" the Purple Elixir Hall Master asked tentatively.

Ye Fan replied, "What good would blaming you do? If he dares to provoke me, you won’t be able to protect him anyway. I just don’t understand. He’s a shameless villain who has committed countless heinous acts. Why do you continue to protect him and let him run rampant in the Purple Elixir Sect?"

This was something I didn’t know, something I couldn’t have predicted. What could her motive possibly be? I’m utterly baffled. After all I’ve heard, the Left Protector is an out-and-out villain. Someone like him can only bring disaster to the Purple Elixir Sect. Why would the sect be so merciful as to let him continue his destructive ways? Could there be some hidden story behind it all?

The Purple Elixir Hall Master sighed. "Martial Arts resources are scarce in every sect, especially in a fringe sect like ours. One more expert means that much more strength. Especially a Subcestor like the Left Protector. With him in the Purple Elixir Sect, our overall strength is greatly enhanced."

Ye Fan nodded, finally understanding. No wonder so many people tried to recruit me into their sects when I first arrived. So that’s how it is. It seems Martial Cultivators are in high demand no matter which world they’re in.

Ye Fan remarked, "His behavior is terrifying. If you let him continue unchecked, I’m afraid the Purple Elixir Sect will fall sooner or later."

The Purple Elixir Hall Master stated firmly, "He must live. At least until our Purple Elixir Sect has risen from among the desolate sects of this fringe region."

Ye Fan asked, "Since the Purple Elixir Sect is a subordinate of a Sword Sect, don’t they help you?"

"We must distinguish ourselves to be noticed!" the Purple Elixir Hall Master declared. "This region is under the Purple Cloud Mansion, which governs dozens of righteous sects. The Blood Demon Sect, on the other hand, falls under the jurisdiction of the Heavenly Demon Mansion. The Heavenly Demon Mansion governs over a hundred Demon Path forces, making it the direct rival of the Purple Cloud Mansion. Together, they are the two strongest powers in the Void Land."

Now understanding the situation, Ye Fan asked, "Then which are the two strongest local sects?"

The Purple Elixir Hall Master replied, "The two strongest local sects are the Kai Feng Sect and Chongyang Prefecture. One belongs to the righteous path, the other to the Demon Path."

Ye Fan asked, "Then how can the Purple Elixir Sect stand out?"

"By eliminating ten Demon Path factions in the Void Land! Then we will be able to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the Kai Feng Sect."

"And what would it take to rival the Purple Cloud Mansion?" Ye Fan asked curiously.

The Purple Elixir Hall Master was clearly taken aback by his question. "That’s extremely difficult," she said. "In this world, as long as you are strong enough, you can earn the recognition of the Sword Sects. With enough power, it’s not impossible to even replace the Purple Cloud Mansion. However, they have at least one expert at the Half-step Ancestor Realm presiding over them. In fact, replacing them is even more challenging because they have more than one. After all, they are the largest vassal under the Infinite Sword Sect, one of the thirty-six major Sword Sects."

Ye Fan nodded. "I understand. But I still don’t get it. If the Blood Demon Sect is so rampant, why are you the only one fighting back?"

The Purple Elixir Hall Master said, "Because the two sides haven’t truly gone to war yet. The top experts on both sides have yet to make their moves."

By now, darkness had fallen. She said to Ye Fan, "My Master is summoning me tonight, so I can only explain this much for now. If the Purple Elixir Sect faces trouble in the future, I hope you, as our Right Protector, will lend us your aid."

"No problem," Ye Fan replied.

The Purple Elixir Hall Master departed. Instead of returning, Ye Fan followed her, keeping himself hidden. Since she was only in the Divine Monarch Realm, she couldn’t possibly detect him.

The Purple Elixir Hall Master arrived at a mysterious location deep in the back mountains.

The Purple Pill Sect Master is supposed to be the strongest expert in the sect, but I can’t sense their aura at all. This aroused Ye Fan’s suspicion. If not for this, I wouldn’t have followed her in the dead of night.

There were many traps along the path, and Ye Fan nearly sprung several of them, but he managed to avoid them each time. He followed the Purple Elixir Hall Master through a waterfall and into a hidden cave. Inside, Ye Fan saw her kneel before a statue.

Kneeling, she spoke respectfully to the statue. "Master, your disciple is incompetent. I have failed to revitalize the Purple Elixir Sect and can only struggle to maintain it.

"They don’t know the truth, but I live in constant fear—fear that the day they learn you are gone, they will turn on us.

"The two Elder Mistresses are old and frail; they don’t have many years left. And while we still have two Protectors, they are both ambitious.

"I’m terrified that once they learn the secret, they will usurp the entire Purple Elixir Sect. What can I do?

"Why doesn’t our sect have a single truly outstanding expert?"

She poured out her deepest fears, her voice trembling under the immense pressure. After a long time, she finally turned around, only to freeze in shock.

She stared at Ye Fan in a panic. "It’s you!"

"That’s right, it’s me," Ye Fan said with a small smile.

She said flatly, "You know my secret."

"I do," Ye Fan said, his tone serious. "And you’re playing with fire. Do you realize that? By inviting a wolf into your house, you’ll be the one to destroy the Purple Elixir Sect one day."

The Purple Elixir Hall Master retorted sharply, her voice trembling with agitation, "What right do you have to lecture me? What else could I have done? If I hadn’t managed to recruit you, the Purple Elixir Sect would have collapsed even faster!

"Don’t you get it? I came down the mountain for two reasons. First, to resist the Blood Demon Sect. Second, to spread the news that our sect had gained a new Protector! It’s the only way to make those with greedy ambitions think twice!"