Chapter 537: News of the Xuanling Sect
Chapter 537: News of the Xuanling Sect
Upon hearing the beautiful woman's question, the man fell silent for a moment before replying, "This isn't exactly a well-kept secret among Jin Dan-stage and above cultivators, so there's no harm in telling you.
We all know that the Star Feather Sect annihilated numerous sects to monopolize the resources of the Beichuan territory.
As for which sects' remnants they were, that isn't exactly clear, but to be able to cultivate Yuan Ying-level cultivators after being destroyed, they must have been major powers like the Xuanling Sect, Dongyuan Sect, and Liuyun Valley."
"My speculation was right; the Xuanling Sect really has had its troubles, but fortunately, their legacy doesn't seem to have been severed."
Chu Ning, who was outside, had finally heard the name "Xuanling Sect" for the first time in over a month, and he immediately pricked up his ears to listen further.
"City Lord, I've never heard of these sects before," the beautiful woman said, puzzled.
The man smiled and replied, "That's because the Star Feather Sect has controlled the information about these sects. The destruction of these sects happened at least a thousand years ago, and some even thousands of years ago. Over the millennia, the Star Feather Sect and the Beichuan Royal Family have destroyed any related information about these sects.
So, naturally, outsiders wouldn't have heard of them, and with the Beichuan Royal Family's guidance under the influence of the Star Feather Sect, the cultivators of these sects have been branded as heretics."
"I see!" the woman exclaimed.
"Then why did the Star Feather Sect destroy these sects in the first place, and why are there still many sects in Beichuan Country today?" she asked.
"That, I have no way of knowing," the man said. "After all, it was a very long time ago. If I hadn't become the city lord, even with my Jin Dan cultivation, I probably wouldn't have access to this information. Of course, with advantages come disadvantages. As the city lord, I reap the benefits, but I also have to put in the effort to eradicate these heretic cultivators."
The man paused before continuing, "By the way, from the information we received about the remnants appearing near Tingfeng City, it seems likely that they are from the Xuanling Sect and Liuyun Valley. These two sects used to be quite famous, and although there won't be any Yuan Ying cultivators in this area, we should still prepare for a tough battle.
However, there's no need to worry too much. We'll have help from above, and the Star Feather Sect will send cultivators as well. We're just here to assist."
After finishing his sentence, the man's voice rose slightly, and his tone was filled with laughter.
"Alright, my dear, let's not talk about that anymore. Instead of a tough battle, how about we have a different kind of 'battle' first?"
"You're so naughty, City Lord," the woman teased.
Laughter and playful banter filled the room once more, and Chu Ning decided not to interrupt. After listening for a while, he realized that they weren't going to discuss the heretic cultivators further.
Seeing that he had gotten the information he wanted, Chu Ning quietly left. There was no need to take action against the city lord anymore.
As long as he kept an eye on him, he should be able to encounter the so-called heretic cultivators the city lord had mentioned.
Whether or not they were from the Xuanling Sect remained to be seen.
For the next day or two, Chu Ning remained in the courtyard in the city, cultivating and keeping an eye on the city lord's movements.
With his spiritual sense, he could detect any activity within the entire city, so the city lord's actions of mobilizing the cultivators naturally didn't escape his notice.
On the third day, early in the morning, the city lord finally left his mansion, leading a group of nearly a dozen cultivators.
Soon after, several more groups of cultivators followed, totaling nearly eighty people.
Chu Ning blended in with the second wave of cultivators, disguising himself as a plain-looking cultivator in his thirties at the Foundation Establishment stage.
He had carefully chosen this identity. Among the cultivators selected by the city lord, this particular cultivator was reclusive and rarely interacted with others, making it the perfect cover for Chu Ning to hide in plain sight.
A hundred miles outside the city, City Lord Liao Wanliang waited with three additional cultivators by his side—all of them at the Jin Dan stage.
One was at the late Jin Dan stage, two were at the mid Jin Dan stage, and including Liao Wanliang himself at the mid Jin Dan stage, there were four Jin Dan cultivators in total.
Chu Ning couldn't help but be slightly impressed. Such a gathering was equivalent to nearly half the number of Jin Dan cultivators in medium-sized sects on the West Alliance and East Saint Continents.
Yet here they were, casually assembled. It was a testament to the thriving cultivation world of the Tianmu Continent.
At that moment, Chu Ning's gaze fell upon the late Jin Dan cultivator.
The man wore a purple robe and appeared to be in his forties. He must have started his cultivation early and maintained a steady pace in recent years to retain his youthful appearance.
Moreover, from his aura, it seemed that he had been at the late Jin Dan stage for some time, explaining the hint of arrogance on his face.
Compared to him, Liao Wanliang and the other two Jin Dan cultivators seemed a bit subdued.
After Chu Ning's group arrived, the purple-robed man glanced at Liao Wanliang and asked, "City Lord Liao, where are the others?"
A smile appeared on Liao Wanliang's face as he replied respectfully, "Fellow Daoist Xu, the others are on their way. As you requested, we're trying to avoid causing too much of a stir, so we're leaving in batches."
Fellow Daoist Xu swept his gaze over the crowd. "How strong are these cultivators?"
"Fellow Daoist Xu, rest assured. These are my most capable subordinates," Liao Wanliang replied confidently.
"Good. City Lord Liao, we trust your capabilities, and it's evident that the sect holds you in high regard, given your long-standing governance over this important Listening Wind City." The purple-robed master's words carried a hint of autumnal gravitas.
Liao Wanliang's face broke into an even broader smile upon hearing this. "Thank you, Fellow Daoist Xu, and the elders of the sect, for your trust and support."
Chu Ning, observing with a cold gaze, guessed that the purple-robed master, Xu, was likely a cultivator from the Star Feather Sect.
As for the other two mid-Golden Core cultivators, it was hard to tell since they hadn't spoken much.
After waiting a while longer, the remaining groups of cultivators arrived in succession.
At that moment, Fellow Daoist Xu casually tossed something, and a spirit boat swiftly enlarged, prompting Chu Ning and the others to board it.
Fellow Daoist Xu then piloted the boat and flew eastward.
After traveling for most of the day, Fellow Daoist Xu came to a halt above a mountain range.
About a hundred meters below, they could vaguely make out scattered houses.
"Is this the place, City Lord Liao?" Fellow Daoist Xu asked.
"Indeed!" Liao Wanliang promptly replied.
"According to my subordinates' surveillance, those cultivators entered this area and stayed for an extended period, indicating they were cultivating here. There must be something unusual about this place; perhaps there's even a hidden spirit vein."
"These remnants are getting better at finding places to hide. They've even managed to locate a hidden spirit vein in such an ordinary location," Fellow Daoist Xu said with a cold laugh. The next moment, he leaped down from the spirit boat.
As Chu Ning wondered what he was up to, he saw Fellow Daoist Xu waving his hands, causing a shower of yellow light to fall onto the scattered houses below.
A late Golden Core cultivator possessed formidable power. The houses below were just ordinary dwellings.
In the blink of an eye, more than twenty houses turned to ashes under the onslaught of the yellow light.
Chu Ning, witnessing this, furrowed his brows.
Although he hadn't intentionally used his spiritual sense to scan the area, he could still clearly perceive the situation within a hundred-meter radius.
He knew that there were mortals living in each of those houses.
Chu Ning hadn't expected Fellow Daoist Xu of the Star Feather Sect to be so ruthless, casually slaughtering innocent mortals.
By the time he realized what was happening, the mortals had already perished along with their homes, turning to ash.
This caused Chu Ning to view Fellow Daoist Xu with an even colder gaze.
While he wasn't the type to be soft-hearted, he wouldn't commit such indiscriminate slaughter against mortals.
In the unspoken rules of the cultivation world, cultivators were not to harm mortals indiscriminately, or they would face joint punishment from the major sects.
Fellow Daoist Xu's actions clearly indicated that the Star Feather Sect held absolute dominance in the Beichuan territory, allowing him to act without restraint.
Chu Ning's gaze then shifted to the left, where a house had been reduced to ashes, yet a faint barrier flickered, indicating the presence of an array.
Fellow Daoist Xu noticed this as well. He waved his hands, and several beams of yellow light converged in his palms.
The light transformed into sharp blades that shot towards the array like falling meteors.
The array below trembled violently under the assault.
Despite being a relatively strong defensive array, it seemed on the verge of collapsing under the onslaught.
A single strike with such power caused everyone on the spirit boat, except for Chu Ning, to stare in awe and fear.
Their gazes towards Fellow Daoist Xu became even more reverent.
At the same time, Fellow Daoist Xu's voice echoed throughout the sky.
"Heretic cultivators, show yourselves! You've hidden for long enough; don't tell me you plan to be turtles forever!"
A loud shout erupted from below in response. "You call yourselves cultivators, yet you slaughter innocent mortals without hesitation! How dare you label us heretics?"
Fellow Daoist Xu coldly huffed, "Hmph, these people aided your heretic sect by keeping your presence a secret. They deserve to die!"
"Nonsense!" came the furious reply from below. "We've hidden here without revealing ourselves to the mortals. You kill without discernment and blame us for your own crimes! It is the Star Feather Sect that is the true heretic cult in Beichuan!"
Hearing this, Fellow Daoist Xu's eyes gleamed with killing intent. He turned to the others on the spirit boat and said, "Everyone, attack! Don't bother negotiating with these heretic remnants. Break the array and leave none alive!"
As soon as Fellow Daoist Xu gave the order, the cultivators on the spirit boat leaped into action, each employing their unique methods to assault the array below.
Chu Ning joined the crowd but didn't immediately stop them from attacking the cultivators below.
After all, the outcome would determine whether or not he would intervene. Regardless, this place was no longer suitable for those below to remain hidden.
The defensive array, though not weak, couldn't withstand the combined might of so many cultivators.
After a short while...
"Boom!"
Accompanied by a dull thud, the array violently shook before dissipating without a trace.
At the same time, from a hundred meters away, several figures soared into the sky.
(End of Chapter)
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