Chapter 208 – Five Sources, Nine Ancestors, Return to the True Self; Four Lotuses as One; Innate Shadow Blood - Part 1
The Holy Tree Temple was one of the major powers in the Central Plains. It commanded countless subordinate sects, each one easily on par with the Blood Blade Sect in terms of strength. As a result, the Holy Tree Temple had become deeply entangled in the affairs of the Central Plains yet managed to remain firmly standing among the great forces.
Above even the Holy Tree Temple stood certain mysterious factions that seemed detached from the mortal world. At the very least, based on his theory of how this world’s power structure operated, Li Yuan suspected that beyond the five major powers of the Holy Tree Temple, Mystic Gold Monastery, Sacred Fire Palace, Moon Reflection Tower, and Mountain Hall, there had to exist an even higher-level organization, something along the lines of a Five Elements Sect or Five Elements Alliance.
“The deputy temple master of the Holy Tree Temple is Gu Xuejian. She’s a practical woman...forthright, direct, and bold in her decisions but prone to high-risk strategies. Only she would think of hiding out here. Most likely, she wants to avoid directly deploying the Holy Tree Temple’s resources while investigating the Red Lotus Rebels and undying husks,” Yan Mu recalled, describing the deputy temple master he knew.
Li Yuan gave him a curious look. “Does that mean there are moles for the Red Lotus Rebels hidden within your Holy Tree Temple?”
Yan Mu shook his head. “I’m not sure, and I wouldn’t dare ask. It’s not something you can just poke around in. But I have a feeling there probably are. After all, the Red Lotus Cult isn’t as simple as it appears.”
Li Yuan thought for a moment, then spoke. “So, you’re suggesting that there’s some larger power backing the Red Lotus Rebels from behind the scenes?”
All of a sudden, Yan Mu said, “I once saw a black lotus.”
Li Yuan blinked. “But the Red Lotus Cult would never allow their lotus to turn black. Where did you see it?”
Yan Mu scratched his head and recounted, “It was during a major battle in the Jade Capital, back when we were hunting down the Red Lotus Rebels. We drove them back and naturally wanted to wipe them out. At the critical juncture of our pursuit, we were stopped at a place called Sweethome. That’s where I saw the black lotus.
“Sweethome was just a small village on the outskirts. From the outside, it looked completely normal; you could even see villagers walking around as usual. But once our group entered, something felt off. A few of our men started shouting that their bodies were itchy. As soon as they scratched—”