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Chapter 390: Joyful Union Sect's Past
Chapter 390: Joyful Union Sect's Past
Cloudwood Isle.
This island, located east of the Dragonwood Sea, is named after the 'Cloudwood' spiritual tree that grows there.
Although it is referred to as an island, Cloudwood Isle is actually the second-largest island in the Dragonwood Sea, with a territory spanning almost a thousand li. With such an expansive domain, it naturally gave birth to a nation known as the Cloud Kingdom.
In the center of the Cloud Kingdom's capital, amidst the flower streets facing south, numerous flower towers stood tall. On the balconies, one could see young girls, their bodies bare, waving scented handkerchiefs and welcoming guests with their graceful movements.
Among them,
On the west side of the flower street, there was a tower with a signboard that read 'Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion'.
At first glance, it seemed like an ordinary flower tower, but in reality, it was one of the Joyful Union Sect's branch establishments in the outer sea, used for gathering and investigating various pieces of information, providing support for the sect members who ventured into the outer sea for exploration.
At this moment, behind the Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion, the open back door revealed a large gathering of people in the courtyard. On one side stood a middle-aged scholar, surrounded by knife-wielding thugs, while on the other side were several women with enchanting figures, their graceful movements creating a tense atmosphere.
"I ask you once more, will you still refuse to hand over the person?"
The middle-aged scholar, dressed in a long robe, glared at the numerous women in front of him and asked sternly.
"Lord Helian, you are being rather aggressive. Isn't this a breach of etiquette?"
A light laughter echoed among the women, and two of them stepped forward, both possessing heavenly beauty and looking almost identical. They were dressed in light silk, one in pale yellow and the other in pale green, and they were none other than the Joyful Union Sect's current guardians, Moon Petal and Shadow Petal.
Moon Petal smiled at the middle-aged scholar and said, "Lord Helian, you barged in without explanation and demanded that we hand over one of our sisters. We have never violated the laws of the Cloud Kingdom. Are you trying to bully us, taking advantage of our weakness as women?"
Helian Cheng let out a cold snort and said, "This is the outer sea, not Great Xuan. Although your Joyful Union Sect has some strength, you cannot act recklessly in the Cloud Kingdom. I know that you sisters cultivate both Yin and Yang, and can create the Yin-Yang Realm. But even so, you may not be a match for me. If you dare to defy my orders, I will raze this Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion to the ground!"
After hearing this, Moon Petal's exquisite face turned slightly cold, and she replied in a calm tone, "Lord Helian, you are a Grandmaster. How dare we oppose you? But you came here and demanded that we hand over one of our sisters without giving a reason. How are we supposed to handle such matters in the future?"
Helian Cheng glanced at Moon Petal and Shadow Petal, then spoke slowly, "Fine, I can give the Joyful Union Sect some face. Sixteen years ago, you saved a two-year-old girl who was a relative of the Yu family, who had been sentenced to execution. However, the guards were careless and lost track of the girl, and she was never found again."
Upon hearing this, Moon Petal and Shadow Petal exchanged a glance.
Sixteen years ago.
At that time, they were still young and lived in the main sect of the Joyful Union Sect, so they were indeed unaware of the matters concerning the outer sea branches. But as Helian Cheng spoke, they felt that it might not be a lie, as the Joyful Union Sect's actions were indeed as he described. If they encountered abandoned infants or children, they would rescue and raise them.
If the child had martial arts talent, they would be cultivated as disciples of the sect. If not, they would be given a place in the flower towers.
"We were unaware of this matter, but how can you be certain that the lost girl ended up in our care? You also mentioned that she hasn't been found for sixteen years."
Moon Petal spoke softly.
When Helian Cheng heard this, he seemed to struggle for words, but eventually, he said calmly, "A former acquaintance of mine visited the Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion not long ago. The moment I saw her, I knew she was identical to the relative of the Yu family from sixteen years ago. After further investigation, the timing of her arrival in your care matched the events of that year. With so many clues, it couldn't be a coincidence."
As he spoke, a faint glimmer flashed in his eyes.
In truth, if it were just an abandoned infant from an executed official's family, he wouldn't have paid much attention. If a two-year-old girl went missing, she might have been fed to wild dogs or faced countless difficulties trying to survive. Even if she did survive, it was unlikely that she would remember anything from that age.
But the situation was different now that the infant had fallen into the hands of the Joyful Union Sect. According to his knowledge, she had even become a disciple of the sect and possessed decent martial arts talent. If she continued to climb the ranks and learned of her identity and the truth behind the case from sixteen years ago, it would become a huge problem. The difference between a helpless child and a grown disciple with martial arts talent and the backing of the Joyful Union Sect was like night and day.
As a Grandmaster, he wasn't afraid of the past resurfacing, but if, in the future, he was no longer in this world, and the Helian family no longer produced Grandmasters, their current glory would fade. Who knew if this girl would become a threat to the Helian family? That was why he had to eliminate this possibility at its source.
"..."
Upon hearing Helian Cheng's words, the nearby Joyful Union Sect sisters all showed puzzled expressions.
A former acquaintance visited the Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion...
It sounded nice, but the person handling the matter sixteen years ago would have been at least thirty or forty years old, and by now, they would be around fifty. Although the saying 'age brings strength' was true, it was still a strange coincidence that they recognized the daughter of their former enemy. After so many years in the Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion, they had heard many strange stories, but this one was certainly unique.
After listening to Helian Cheng's words, Moon Petal's expression became pensive, and she turned to look at an elderly administrator standing behind the group of women. Seeing the administrator's slight nod, she knew that Helian Cheng's words were likely true.
However.
After understanding this, Moon Petal smiled and said, "We understand what you've said, Lord Helian. Even if we assume that this is true, have you never heard the saying, 'Once you enter the Buddhist path, you leave the mortal world behind'? Our Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion is a place where one lets go of their past and dedicates themselves to the Joyful Union Sect. Whatever happened in the past has nothing to do with us."
The Joyful Union Sect rarely accepted new disciples, and those who were accepted were usually rescued as infants. Therefore, the sect was like a family, and no matter what their past, they would never hand over any disciple. This was an uncrossable line for the sect and the foundation of the disciples' cultivation.
Despite the solemnity of the words, Helian Cheng's expression darkened upon hearing them.
"The depth of the Buddhist teachings is like an ocean..." To him, it sounded like a mockery. The Harmony Sect, with their focus on physical pleasures, was nothing more than a den of harlots. What could they possibly know about true affection and loyalty?
Even the thugs behind him, who were holding knives, couldn't help but feel a little awkward at the words of Flower Petaling Moon. They wanted to laugh but dared not, so they endured, creating an eerie atmosphere.
"I didn't intend to fight today, but if you don't know what's good for you, don't blame me for being ruthless!" Helian Cheng finally spoke, his voice cold.
He took a step forward, and with a wave of his hand, a chilling aura spread in all directions. The entire courtyard, with him at its center, began to freeze, visible to the naked eye, transforming into a winter wonderland in the blink of an eye! The nearby Harmony Sect disciples and the knife-wielding thugs all changed expressions upon seeing Helian Cheng's move, and without hesitation, they scattered in all directions, not daring to stay within the range of Helian Cheng's Frost Chill Aura.
In just a moment, only Flower Petaling Moon and Flower Petaling Shadow remained in the courtyard, facing Helian Cheng from a distance.
"Helian Cheng's Frost Chill Aura is renowned, and we admire it greatly. But in the Harmony Sect, we are all sisters, and no matter what happened in the past, how could we possibly sever our ties?" Flower Petaling Moon spoke calmly.
"If you insist on overpowering us, we can only witness your strength."
"Hmph, no more words!" Helian Cheng coldly humphed, not wasting any time. He lifted his hand and struck out with a palm.
As his palm descended, a blurry Frost Chill Aura appeared in the void, freezing the nearby air into mist that pressed down on Flower Petaling Moon and Flower Petaling Shadow.
Regardless of Flower Petaling Moon's words, when faced with Helian Cheng's attack, both sisters revealed extremely solemn expressions. After all, he was undeniably a Grandmaster, even if he wasn't the strongest among them. He might not be as powerful as Feng Hongsheng or Shi Zhenyong, and his true strength might not rank in the top three of the Cold North Wind and Cloud Rankings or match Xia Yue'e's level. But he had undoubtedly entered the realm of Bone Marrow Washing.
The sisters had ventured into the outer sea to gather intelligence and gain experience. Although they had made progress in their cultivation, even Flower Petaling Moon, who was the more advanced of the two, was still a step away from the Wind and Cloud Rankings. Flower Petaling Shadow, her younger sister, was even less accomplished.
"Yin-Yang Grindstone!"
Facing Helian Cheng's attack, the sisters didn't dare to be careless. From the start, they utilized their unique abilities, each raising a hand and interlocking their fingers. Their bodies simultaneously emanated the Yin and Yang realms, merging and transforming into two shadows, one black and the other white.
In that moment, their true energy and realms seemed to fuse into one, turning two individuals into a single entity. Then, with the other two unclasped hands, they struck out with a palm, creating a black and white aura that merged into a Yin-Yang Grindstone, countering the attack.
Buzz!
The Yin-Yang Grindstone collided with the incoming Frost Chill Aura in the void, emitting not a booming sound but a strange buzzing noise. Then, Helian Cheng's Frost Chill Aura began to silently dissolve under the entanglement of the Yin-Yang Grindstone.
It wasn't erased by the Yin-Yang power but seemed to retreat in the rotation, gradually reverting to its original state as the energy of heaven and earth. It then dispersed back into the void.
"Indeed, you have some skill. Your reputation is not unfounded." Helian Cheng's eyes flickered slightly as he spoke, his voice carrying a chill.
Normally, the spiritual energy of either Flower Petaling Moon or Flower Petaling Shadow would be far inferior to that of a true Grandmaster. But when connected through a peculiar cultivation technique, they became like one person, a fusion far superior to the mere connection of energy in formation techniques. Their realms and true energy merged, elevating them almost to the level of a Grandmaster!
At this point, neither Flower Petaling Moon nor Flower Petaling Shadow could individually aspire to the Wind and Cloud Rankings. However, when they combined their strengths and employed their secret technique, their power was enough to rival the top ten on the rankings, not far behind Helian Cheng.
"We meant no offense, and we hope Helian Cheng will be magnanimous." Flower Petaling Moon and Flower Petaling Shadow spoke softly.
At this moment, their state was somewhat eerie. Not only did they speak in unison, but their expressions, movements, and even their faces seemed synchronized.
"You do have some skills, but relying on these unorthodox methods won't be enough to make me back down!" Helian Cheng's voice was cold, and suddenly, he took a step, transforming into a series of afterimages in the spacious courtyard. Seven afterimages appeared, surrounding Flower Petaling Moon and Flower Petaling Shadow in the center. The afterimages moved in unison, striking out with palms towards the sisters. In an instant, seven Frost Chill Aura palm prints emerged, pressing down from all directions. These seven palm prints converged, forming what looked like a seven-petaled ice lotus from above.
Seven Steps Shadow!
Ice Lotus Palm Imprint!
These were Helian Cheng's two ultimate techniques, renowned throughout the region.
As a Grandmaster, he had undoubtedly experienced countless battles. With just a glance, he identified a flaw in the technique used by Flower Petaling Moon and Flower Petaling Shadow—a limitation in their movements. Although their spiritual energy and breath were interconnected, almost comparable to a Grandmaster, the fact that they had to be physically connected restricted their agility. This made it difficult for them to evade his techniques, forcing them to confront his attacks head-on.
As Helian Cheng predicted, Flower Petaling Moon and Flower Petaling Shadow couldn't dodge his palm technique. Their expressions were identical, with slightly furrowed brows, as if their minds were connected. Without saying a word, they each raised a hand, one from the left and the other from the right, creating a Yin-Yang Grindstone. In an instant, a black and white aura enveloped them, clashing with the incoming Ice Lotus Palm Imprint and emitting a buzzing sound.
From above, it looked like seven ice lotus petals were colliding with a Yin-Yang diagram, constantly grinding against each other in fierce conflict.
(End of Chapter)
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