Chapter 318: Elder
Chapter 318: Elder
After much deliberation, Chen Mu still felt it was unnecessary.
Although relying on the Cosmic Dragon Lock Array to temper his body could greatly improve his cultivation efficiency of the Heaven-Earth Martial Body, the Qiuan Sect was currently facing internal and external troubles. There were unknown issues within, and outside, the Mystic Mechanism Pavilion and other sects were watching like tigers.
Especially with his cultivation of the Heaven-Earth Grandmaster, if exposed at this time, it would likely cause a stir not only in the eleven states of the north, but throughout the entire Grand Xuan realm. When the attention of the world turned to the Qiuan Sect, it wouldn't just be the Mystic Mechanism Pavilion!
Even though the Qiuan Sect was powerful, with Supreme Elders and the Cosmic Dragon Lock Array as its foundation, if it were to truly trigger a shift in the world's dynamics and attract the threat of more than one Blood Replacement Realm expert, the situation would become extremely unfavorable.
The biggest problem was that he himself didn't have the ability to face Blood Replacement Realm cultivators alone.
Not having comprehended the Heaven-Earth Domain, and with the Heaven-Earth Martial Body only in its initial stages, he could only rival some of the top grandmasters in the world. In front of the most elite Blood Replacement Realm experts, he was still weak and lacked true self-preservation abilities.
If he could cultivate the Heaven-Earth Domain, he would have the power to retreat unscathed when facing Blood Replacement Realm cultivators. Even if his realm was revealed, it wouldn't matter. At that time, he could truly go anywhere in the world, even if it attracted worldwide attention. He could just run, not staying in the Qiuan Sect, going to other states, or even overseas. Who could stop him then? With numerous enemies, he still had no fear.
However, at this moment, he still needed to lie low and avoid drawing the attention of Blood Replacement Realm cultivators, preventing a storm that would shake the world.
Considering this, Chen Mu suppressed the craving in his heart, calmed his emotions, and maintained a state where his inner breath was connected to the Cosmic Dragon Lock Array. He relied on the array to perceive and comprehend the Heaven-Earth Intention."
Time flew by.
In the blink of an eye, six or seven days had passed.
Chen Mu stood upright at the rear cliff of Lingxuan Peak, leaning against the side of a mountain rock, gazing up at the sky as if quietly perceiving the world. His entire body seemed like a lifelike stone statue, without any movement.
Finally, Chen Mu's body, which had remained motionless for six days, slightly moved. He withdrew his hand from the rock and slowly opened his eyes.
His eyes were calm, like a still well, and he calmly summoned the system interface for a glance.
Martial Dao: Heaven-Earth Intention (Second Step)
Experience: 3328 points
Available Simulations: 0 times
In just seven days, his Heaven-Earth Intention experience increased by nearly two thousand points, almost in line with his previous judgment. In a month, he would complete the eighth tempering of the Heaven-Earth Intention.
At this time, he hoped the Qiuan Sect wouldn't start a war for a while, allowing Qin Mengjun to continue her seclusion for a period. This would give him more time to comprehend the Heaven-Earth Intention at this array point and cultivate the Heaven-Earth Domain.
However, what was destined to happen eventually arrived.
"Chen Guardian, come to the Great Mysterious Hall."
A solitary voice condensed into a line, transmitting from a distant unknown place, and echoing in Chen Mu's ear out of thin air.
Chen Mu's expression remained calm, and his eyes showed no ripples. He stood at the rear cliff, took a step forward, and leaped from the peak of Lingxuan Peak. He was as light as a feather, tapping a few times in the air before landing at the distant Taixuan Peak.
Silently, he climbed Taixuan Peak, the main peak of the Qiuan Sect, and arrived at the towering main hall. He looked up at the hall, then stepped inside.
Before entering the hall, he sensed many extraordinary auras filling the main hall. Almost every one of them was thick and condensed, belonging to Bone Marrow Cleansing Realm grandmasters. There were nearly over ten such auras!
"Chen Mu has arrived."
As soon as Chen Mu stepped into the main hall, numerous gazes turned towards him.
Inside the hall, over ten figures with weathered faces, white temples, or tall and imposing statures stood. They wore various different clothes, with Qi Zhiyuan at the head, and the rest standing on both sides.
These people were the peak masters of the various peaks of the Qiuan Sect and the sect's elders. Apart from Shi Zhenyong, Feng Hongsheng, Wu Changxi, and Qin Mengjun, who were not present, almost all of them had gathered. However, Chen Mu didn't recognize half of them, which was normal given his short time in the sect and the fact that many elders were often away.
At this moment, when they saw Chen Mu enter, the elders and peak masters, their gazes varied. Some had bright eyes, some scrutinized him, and some tried to sense Chen Mu's aura, but they only felt a unified whole, unable to discern any details. Their eyes showed a hint of surprise.
"Chen, there's no need for excessive courtesy. Your strength is no less than us old fellows. You can sit with us, truly a fearsome younger generation."
The person closest to Chen Mu stroked his beard and smiled at Chen Mu.
Chen Mu slightly cupped his hands and said, "How can a junior compare to the seniors?"
"No need for modesty."
Qi Zhiyuan nodded lightly at Chen Mu and said, "In the path of martial arts, the capable always stand out. With your current strength, who dares to underestimate you? By the Supreme Elder's order, from today onwards, you are the deputy peak master of Lingxuan Peak and a member of the Elder Council."
"If it's just the Wind and Cloud Rankings' top ten, even if one's strength can rival that of a typical Grandmaster, becoming an Elder of the Qiuan Sect would still be debatable. But being in the top three of the rankings is sufficient to be on par with a Grandmaster, and thus, he is qualified to be an Elder. Moreover, Chen Mu has slain the Bone Piercing Marquis, and his strength may very well be the first in the Wind and Cloud Rankings."
"However, whether one can enter the Elder Council still requires the decree of the Supreme Elder, Yin Heng. After all, once one becomes an Elder of the Qiuan Sect, they gain the qualifications to participate in all external affairs of the sect. They would hold the power to influence various deployments within the sect and even have the authority to decide on major sect matters through discussions. It can be said that this is a position of true power and influence, and their actual status within the sect is second only to the Supreme Elder."
"Even the Sect Leader of the Qiuan Sect does not have the qualification to directly command the Elders. Decisions are made through the collective discussions of the Elder Council, which is in line with the principle of strength being the ultimate determinant. After all, the Qiuan Sect is not led by a Grandmaster of the Blood Replacement Realm. Even someone as powerful as Qi Zhiyuan, or Feng Hongsheng and Shi Zhenyong, are still of the same level, just slightly stronger."
"They are all Grandmasters of their generation, capable of dominating the world. Who would easily listen to the commands of others?"
"Of course."
"6◇9◇Book◇Bar"
"If Qin Mengjun were to take up the position of Sect Leader, with her top-notch Grandmaster strength, she could indeed suppress many Peak Masters and Elders. Not many would dare to defy her opinions, but the prerequisite is that she must be in her prime, not in the state she is in now."
After listening to Qi Zhiyuan's words, Chen Mu was not surprised. Ever since he displayed his strength by defeating the three great Demon Lords and rising to the third place in the Wind and Cloud Rankings, it was only a matter of time before he secured his position in the Elder Council of the Qiuan Sect. The other two in the top three, Xia Yuer and the once top-ranked Lin Han, are both Elders in the Harmony Sect and the Heaven Sword Sect."
The only thing Chen Mu lacked was his age; he was a bit too young, and he had not been in the Qiuan Sect for long enough. However, in a world where strength reigns supreme, power can decide many things. If it were just about defeating the three great Demon Lords, perhaps his entry into the Elder Council would be delayed for a few more years. But with the Bone Piercing Marquis also falling by his hand, it was no surprise that he would become an Elder of the Qiuan Sect in one fell swoop."
"Since Chen Elder may not know everyone present, I'll introduce a few."
The person closest to Chen Mu smiled and said, "I am Liu Tong, Master of the Lesser Profound Peak. Although I'm twenty years older than you, in terms of seniority, we are actually of the same generation..."
Liu Tong, Master of the Lesser Profound Peak.
Qin Mengjun once mentioned Liu Tong to him. Liu Tong was also a Grandmaster who cultivated the Heaven-Earth Martial Body, but compared to Qin Mengjun, Liu Tong had only cultivated the Heaven-Earth Martial Body and had not yet mastered the Heaven-Earth Domain. This was also related to his age; he is currently the youngest Grandmaster in the Qiuan Sect. He broke through the Mystic Gate at the age of forty-three and is now only fifty years old.
"Even as the youngest, his strength is still very formidable due to his cultivation of the Heaven-Earth Martial Body. Once he perfects the Heaven-Earth Martial Body and cultivates the Heaven-Earth Domain, he will be a top-notch Grandmaster on par with Qin Mengjun."
Chen Mu slightly cupped his fists towards Liu Tong, "Master Liu."
He remembered that when he first joined the Qiuan Sect, Qin Mengjun had mentioned Liu Tong. However, he did not end up becoming a disciple of the Lesser Profound Peak. Now, not only are they of the same generation, but they also hold equal positions.
Liu Tong smiled, extended his hand, and pointed to the Elder who spoke first, saying, "This is Elder Fang Yuan..."
Fang Yuan.
From the Jade Province, the Fang Family.
Chen Mu silently muttered to himself. He remembered that the Fang Family was the backer of Cuiyan Mountain Villa, and this Elder Fang was the one behind it. But Cuiyan Mountain Villa was associated with the Heavenly Demon Sect. Was this Elder Fang a problematic figure in the Qiuan Sect?
Or perhaps it was someone else present?
Various thoughts flashed through Chen Mu's mind, but he remained calm and composed on the surface. After greeting Fang Yuan, he was introduced to the other Peak Masters and Elders by Liu Tong.
Among the backers of the six major families in the Jade Province, they had met all but the one from the Liu Family, who was too old and had stopped participating in any sect affairs many years ago.
"Alright, now that everyone knows each other, let's not waste any more time."
"Matters should be decided promptly; delays may lead to changes."
After Qi Zhiyuan introduced Chen Mu to the Elders and Peak Masters present, he opened his mouth and said, "This is the Supreme Decree of Yin Heng, the Supreme Elder, but you should all already be aware of it."
"..."
Chen Mu stood quietly in the corner, saying nothing.
It seemed that this decision had not been discussed in the Elder Council but was a direct order from Yin Heng, the Supreme Elder. The final decision was to gather the main forces of the Qiuan Sect and head to Solitude Valley! This trip did not involve the Ice Extinction Palace or the Heaven Sword Sect. Whether Solitude Valley was the main base of the Heavenly Demon Sect or an important branch, Yin Heng and Qi Zhiyuan clearly shared the same opinion. They mobilized the Grandmasters of the Qiuan Sect and took decisive action. If the Heavenly Demon Sect's forces guarding Solitude Valley were weak, they would swallow it whole! The chaotic situation in Ice Province presented an opportunity. Many of the Heavenly Demon Sect's known forces were scattered throughout Ice Province and were also affected by the Ice Extinction Palace and the Heaven Sword Sect. The number of people guarding the main base might not be significant. If they could break through the main base, the gains would undoubtedly be substantial.
After all, even though the Heavenly Demon Sect is an evil sect, it has existed for hundreds of years, and its accumulated resources and heritage are considerable.
(End)
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