Chapter 79: The Annual Crisis Arrives! - Part 2 (Part 2)

Chapter 79: The Annual Crisis Arrives! - Part 2 (Part 2)

So, he would be the villain.

Moreover, he wasn't entirely a villain, as the pills were obtained through materials and hard work.

It was just that his son possessed the potential of an Emperor.

Remembering this, Wang Yulin suddenly recalled that Lin Fan had once muttered about the potential of an Emperor.

Could it be...

Is there a spy within the sect?!

At this moment, he couldn't be bothered to comfort Wang Teng and instead began to ponder who the spy might be and how to expose them.

Wang Teng was completely stunned.

Not only had he suddenly become a generation younger for no reason, but he didn't even understand why!

He turned to the elders.

But to his surprise, the elders shook their heads and refused to speak.

How could they possibly tell him? Although they were from the same sect, who wouldn't want a few high-quality pills for themselves?

If they told Wang Teng, he might demand more pills for himself.

...

As soon as the six sect leaders returned, they immediately took action.

First, they issued a 'Joint Statement' announcing the alliance of the seven sects.

Next, they arranged for a dedicated team to monitor any 'wind of change'. Once there was news, they would immediately send a message using a Communication Jade Slip to Lan Yue Sect.

However, due to the fact that all six sects were third-rate, their influence was limited to their own small territories. As a result, the news spread slowly.

Fortunately, the seven sects had a combined population of nearly ten thousand, and they were also connected to Lan Yue Sect, which had gained some fame recently. So, although the news spread slowly at first, it picked up speed as time went on...

Many powers and cultivators were surprised when they heard the news.

"Yu Lin Palace, Phantom Spirit Valley... These six sects have been bewitched by some kind of potion?"

"They do have the guts. Lan Yue Sect is destined to be destroyed, and they still choose to ally with them. Are they not afraid of offending Ling Jian Sect?"

"There must be something hidden here!"

"Nonsense, it's you who's talking. Who doesn't know that?"

"I've met Wang Yulin before, and he's a man of his word. Unfortunately, he was born in the wrong place. The fact that he agreed to this proves that there's definitely something going on!"

"Could it be related to the Liu family? If the Liu family is pressuring them, wouldn't Yu Lin Palace be forced to comply?"

"That's not impossible..."

Everyone had their speculations, but most powers didn't pay much attention to the matter.

After all, it had nothing to do with them.

Although they wanted to take action against Lan Yue Sect, they couldn't, as Ling Jian Sect had already issued a stern warning.

So, they could only observe from the sidelines.

However, Yun Xiao Valley was paying close attention.

When the Valley Master, Yun Ru Fu, heard the news, his expression turned cold. "Lan Yue Sect..."

"They killed my seventh junior brother and my direct disciple. Do they still dare to expand?"

His eyes narrowed slightly as his thoughts raced.

With Ling Jian Sect's presence, he couldn't directly take action against Lan Yue Sect. But the world of cultivation wasn't just about fighting and killing; more importantly, it was about relationships and connections.

Although Yun Xiao Valley couldn't make a move, it didn't mean that others couldn't.

"Come!"

"I'll write a letter and send it to Hong Wu Xian City."

"Yes, Valley Master."

"..."

After a moment, seeing the Elder leave, Yun Ruo let out a cold laugh.

"Although I don't know why the Bright Moon Sect didn't take your life when you were sick, it's likely to preserve their reputation. And with the Moonseizing Sect's decline over the years, they won't need to take action."

"But now, they seem to have a resurgence, and..."

"They shouldn't just stand by and watch."

...

Hongwu Immortal City.

One of the three great families, the Chen Family, upon receiving the news, immediately gathered their high-ranking members for a discussion.

"This matter is undoubtedly related to the Liu Family."

"Although the Moonseizing Sect is showing signs of revival, they alone cannot make the Jade Lynx Palace and the other five sects submit. It must be the Liu Family secretly assisting them."

"The Liu Family's actions reveal their ambitious intentions, it's as clear as day!"

"Our three great families have dominated Hongwu Immortal City for many years. Aside from the City Lord's Mansion, our three families have the greatest influence and strength. We maintain a balance of power, forming a tripod stance, none of us can easily overpower the others."

"Now, the Liu Family's actions are disrupting this balance."

"The alliance of seven sects, nearly a hundred Spirit Mountains, close to ten thousand disciples, and over twenty Fifth Realm and above experts. Their numbers will likely continue to grow..."

"As this alliance expands, it poses a significant threat to our Chen Family. If they collaborate with the Liu Family, in time, this tripod stance will no longer exist."

"Indeed, we cannot let this matter slide."

"Contact the Jiang Family. They won't want to see the Liu Family rise, so we'll temporarily join forces with them!"

"However, the Spirit Sword Sect has issued a warning, forbidding outsiders from interfering. This complicates matters."

"Then let's leave the Moonseizing Sect for now and focus on the Jade Lynx Palace and the other five sects. Once they're eliminated, the Moonseizing Sect will be left alone, and what can they do?"

"That makes sense! By destroying the Jade Lynx Palace and the other five sects, we can also intimidate other forces, making them aware that allying with the Liu Family is a dead end. But for this, we need to involve the Jiang Family. It's unreasonable for just our Chen Family to fight the Liu Family while the Jiang Family reaps the benefits."

"..."

...

Jiang Family.

Family Head Jiang Wuwei looked at the Chen Family's messenger and smiled lightly, "You may leave for now. We'll discuss and contact you afterward."

The Chen Family Elder nodded and temporarily withdrew.

Jiang Wuwei chuckled, "That old fox Chen Qingquan is just as we guessed. He doesn't want to act alone and wants to involve us."

"That's good."

"Although there may be some conflicts, the balance between the three families cannot be easily disrupted."

"Tell the Chen Family that we agree, and then we'll start preparing."

"Destroy the six sects..."

It seemed like a trivial matter.

As for their concerns, they weren't worried about much.

The three great families had existed for many years, and although there had been ups and downs, ultimately, none could destroy the others. At the same time, each family wanted to eliminate the other two and become the sole dominant power.

Ally with one of them? Without absolute certainty that they could eliminate the third family and then finish off the remaining one, they wouldn't dare to form an alliance.

After all...

Triangles possess stability.

Ah, it should be said that the tripod stance, with mutual entanglement, is even more 'peaceful.'

They couldn't destroy the Moonseizing Sect, but the six sects... could be considered a side quest? However, they couldn't be too careless, as the Liu Family would surely be prepared.

Jiang Wuwei paused, then continued, "Also, tell the Chen Family not to be hasty. We'll each contribute to investigating the Liu Family's deployments, and then take targeted action."

"If we act, we must crush the six sects and make it clear that the Liu Family will suffer a loss!"

"Yes, Family Head."

...

"Brother Lin."

"Brother Lin, please put the Essence Stone in the teleportation array. I have an urgent matter to discuss with you in person."

Liu Xun was 'knocking' on the door.

They had received the news, and hearing the rumors outside about the 'Liu Family's assistance,' they weren't as 'confused.' Instead, they instantly realized that the Moonseizing Sect had used pills to attract the Jade Lynx Palace and the other five major sects.

However, this didn't mean they could ignore the situation. On the contrary, they were very concerned.

Lin Fan didn't avoid them.

He leisurely placed the Essence Stone back into the teleportation array, and not long after, Liu Xun hurriedly arrived.

"Brother Lin, what's this about?"

He smiled bitterly.

He also felt a bit regretful.

Just yesterday, he had sent them intelligence about the surrounding forces, and today, you're forming an alliance with them, using pills as bait? No matter how he looked at it, he felt like he had made a bad deal!

Lin Fan chuckled, "Brother Liu, don't worry. Your Liu Family won't lose a single pill. We will still prioritize supplying you, as I've made a Dao Heart Vow."

"It's not that I'm worried about this."

Liu Xun smiled bitterly, "We Liu Family can understand your actions, Brother Lin. As the saying goes, the more friends, the better. It's always better to have friends than to make enemies everywhere."

"However, from our Liu Family's perspective, this action is inappropriate."

"It's very likely to make the Chen and Jiang Families uneasy, causing them to take action."

"They might not dare to act against the Moonseizing Sect, but the Jade Lynx Palace, Phantom Spirit Valley, and the other four sects..."

Liu Xun paused, then lowered his voice, "Our Liu Family isn't concerned about the survival of those six sects. We're afraid that the pills you sent out will be wasted."

"It's not worth the risk."

"They're inferior quality, it's fine."

Lin Fan assured them it was no problem.

In reality, he wasn't worried at all.

Liu Xun's words made sense, but the six sects were also aware of the risks. Since they agreed, it meant they were prepared to take on the risks.

Moreover, he had approached them to 'share the risks.'

As a last resort...

Cough.

Perhaps, the Moonseizing Sect could pick up a few Spirit Mountains? But he couldn't say that.

Lin Fan didn't intend to harm them, but this was one possible outcome.

In other words...

No matter what, the Moonseizing Sect wouldn't lose out.

Liu Xun still felt it wasn't worth it. After much deliberation, he finally decided to ask Liu Erye to oversee the alliance. If there were any issues, he could be there to support them immediately.

...

Several days later.

"Father."

Wang Teng finished his cultivation and looked at Wang Yulin with a grim expression.

Unacceptable!

Why should I be inferior to him?

"Teng'er, good news."

Wang Yulin smiled, "Today, your father was seeking opportunities outside, and luck was on my side. I found a jade bottle containing high-quality pills, which are just right for you."

"Quickly take it and enhance your strength."

Wang Teng was delighted and immediately took the bottle, pouring out a pill. Seeing the 'aura' representing its quality, he couldn't help but stand tall and proud. "This is indeed a good thing!"

"With this pill as assistance, the day you rule the world is one step closer!"

"Of course. Take it quickly, and I'll protect you while you consume it."

Wang Yulin was full of anticipation.

He had always hoped for a dragon-like son, and now that his son displayed such potential, he naturally wanted to nurture him well.

...

Inside the Embrace Moon Palace, Lin Fan collected the Hundred Forging Divine Fire and left with a smile.

"These six sects do have some heritage. At least they have a few portions of materials."

For the pills given to the six sects, Lin Fan didn't involve Xiao Ling'er; instead, he took on the task himself.

Although he didn't have a pill furnace, with the unusual fire, he could use the fire to refine the pills, and with Xiao Ling'er's shared strength, pill refining was a piece of cake.

Even Lin Fan had to slightly restrain himself to refine sixth-grade pills; otherwise, most of them would turn out to be seventh, eighth, or even ninth-grade pills.

For now, it wasn't appropriate to give them such high-quality pills... Sixth-grade was sufficient!

The pills they exchanged were mostly Profound Origin Pills, Cave Heaven Pills, and Mystic Finger Pills.

There weren't many Mystic Finger Pills; the six sects' combined materials only amounted to sixteen portions.

There were quite a few Cave Heaven Pills, totaling over a hundred portions.

The Profound Origin Pills were nearly four hundred portions.

As for Essence Condensation Pills...

Sorry, for these ordinary, or rather, second and third-rate sects, second-stage Essence Condensation cultivators didn't have the qualifications to consume pills. They could either refine some beneficial medicinal powder themselves or slowly absorb a few Essence Stones.

Lin Fan only used two portions of Mystic Finger Pill materials, five portions of Cave Heaven Pill materials, and forty portions of Profound Origin Pill materials to refine all the pills they needed.

The rest were pure profit!

"Xiao Ling'er's pill refining skills are indeed remarkable. Or perhaps, the old grandpa in her necklace is truly extraordinary."

These pills were all common cultivation-type pills, and with Xiao Ling'er's shared strength, Lin Fan's pill refining experience was ample. Refining them was a breeze, and with each batch producing four to five pills at the minimum and eight to nine at the maximum, Lin Fan's smile grew brighter as he looked at the abundant materials.

"This is what I call profit!"

These materials, whether refined by himself or given to Xiao Ling'er later, were all valuable.

Even if they were sold for money?!

"Speaking of which, I should also prepare for breaking through the Fourth Realm."

With Xiao Ling'er and Fan Jianqiang's talented assistance, along with his own insignificant bit of talent, Lin Fan's leveling speed was incredibly fast.

Currently, his cultivation had already reached the peak of the ninth layer of the Third Profound Origin Realm.

Although he hadn't reached the pinnacle, with a few more pills, he wouldn't be far off.

"In the virtual world of cultivation, strength is always the top priority, the most crucial aspect."

"With the six sects acting as 'lookouts' outside, serving as 'human alarm devices,' I can at least feel a little more at ease. But I still can't skip my daily divination."

Lin Fan decided to follow Fan Jianqiang's example and play it safe.

Every day, he would perform the Heaven's Great Derivation Technique to divine once.

His target was the 'crisis' that would occur in half a year!

Soon, Lin Fan began his operation.

The Heaven's Great Derivation Technique was activated, but to his surprise, Lin Fan was shocked.

"What the...?"

"Isn't this too much?"

He clicked his tongue in disbelief.

The essence of the Heaven's Great Derivation Technique was to 'fathom causality,' which required breaking and bearing causality.

This was manifested in the appearance of a golden ball of causality in one's sea of consciousness during divination.

By breaking it, one would obtain the result and see the divination symbol.

The smaller the causality, the smaller the ball, making it easier to break and bear the consequences.

Conversely, if the causality was too great, the ball would be larger, making it more challenging to break, and the consequences of bearing the causality would be more severe.

But at this moment...

The ball of causality in Lin Fan's sea of consciousness was terrifyingly huge!

It was more like a planet, a blazing sun!

Lin Fan felt minuscule in comparison, like an ant.

He even felt the crushing pressure of causality, as if his body would shatter into pieces the next second.

How was I supposed to break and bear this?

How could I have wanted to divine this?

Lin Fan quickly ended the divination, feeling overwhelmed.

How could I have handled this?

Previously, divining the Fire Swallower Daoist's tomb was a piece of cake...

But this time, not only did I fail to get a result, but just looking at it almost made me lose myself in my sea of consciousness and turn into a mindless puppet?

Damn it!

Lin Fan hurriedly stopped the divination, his consciousness withdrawing from his sea of consciousness.

Even so, his back was drenched in sweat, and he couldn't help but gasp for breath.

"What the hell was that? So terrifying?"

Lin Fan was shocked and couldn't help but fall into deep thought.

"Is the crisis too horrifying, carrying such immense causality, or... I can't 'spoil' the crisis, can't touch this rule, so it's so terrifying?"

Lin Fan couldn't know the exact reason, but he knew this wasn't something he could divine.

If he had been a second later, he might have been completely lost in his sea of consciousness, turning into a mindless husk.

What a scare!

"Fine, I won't divine this. I'll focus on cultivation instead."

...

The next day.

Lin Fan went to the Scripture Pavilion and neatly arranged the cultivation techniques, secret techniques, and other resources sent by the Liu Clan.

He wanted to chat with Fan Jianqiang but couldn't find the guy who was 'playing it safe' somewhere. Lin Fan didn't bother searching for him and instead returned to the Embrace Moon Palace to cultivate with all his might, striving to break through to the Fourth Realm as soon as possible.

Meanwhile, Xiao Ling'er and Liang Danxia were diligently cultivating under the guidance of Xiao Ling'er.

The three elders, Li Changshou, Chen Erzhu, and Duan Qingyao, were also in closed-door cultivation, not going out to hunt.

There was no need for them to hunt for now.

The Liu Clan and the six sects provided the medicinal ingredients, and there was no shortage of essence stones.

There were no external disturbances, either.

With an ample supply of high-quality pills and the Embrace Moon Sect's significantly improved spiritual energy, this cultivation environment was something they had never dared to imagine before.

And so, they cherished this rare time even more...

Almost desperately cultivating, breaking through!

And in this effort, progress was especially fast.

A month passed.

The three elders successively entered the fifth realm!

Thus, the Moonseizing Sect's five elders, except for Elder Wu Xingyun who was injured at the source and struggled to advance further, the remaining four elders had all entered the Fifth Mystic Finger Realm, their strength soaring!

On this day, the five elders were all in tears.

They gathered, and Elder Su Xinghai personally poured drinks for the group, his expression filled with emotion: "We've all broken through, and Elder Wu is not without hope."

"I never expected this."

"I thought we wouldn't have to bear the blame, but who would've thought that the sect master we pushed forward, the duckling forced to fly, would have such ability!"

"Indeed." Li Changshou sighed, "All this is thanks to the sect master's blessing. I originally thought that in this lifetime, reaching the Ninth Layer of the Fourth Cave Heaven Realm would be my limit, but I never imagined I could take another step forward!"

Chen Erzhu spoke little, but his excitement and gratitude were evident.

Duan Qingyao pursed her red lips, "I had already given up and was waiting for the final moment to arrive. But now, I see hope again, and... in this life, I've never been so full of aspiration for the future of the Moonseizing Sect."

"We've been in decline for tens of thousands of years. Now that we see an opportunity, we must seize it!"

"Yes, no matter what, we must seize this chance. Even if it means fighting to the death, so be it."

Wu Xingyun smiled, "If it's about fighting to the death, let me take the lead."

"It's not just you."

Su Xinghai rebutted, "Even if we old folks die, as long as the sect master is still here, as long as Xiao Ling'er and the others are still here, the Moonseizing Sect still has hope!"

"There's no need to be so pessimistic."

Wu Xingyun took a sip of spirit wine and said, "The sect master's ability is stronger than we imagined. It's you who must seize this rare opportunity, quickly break through and become stronger."

"We all know that our talent is not limited to this. Previously, we were stuck at the Fourth Realm because of the environment and resources."

"Now that the conditions have improved, I hope that in the future, we can all step into the Sixth Realm, or even the Seventh Realm!"

"Only by doing so can we further contribute to the rise of the sect and clear away obstacles."

"Even the Seventh Realm might not be enough, but our talent may not be enough to support us in reaching even higher realms."

Speaking of this, Wu Xingyun sighed, "After all, our opponents are not simple."

"As of now, we have the Cloudsoaring Valley, a second-rank sect, the Spirit Sword Sect, a first-rank sect, and the Bright Moon Sect..."

The elders' hearts sank.

...

"Breakthrough."

"Fourth Cave Heaven Realm, First Layer."

Feeling the growth of his cultivation, Lin Fan smiled.

Boom!

Within his body, it was as if a mysterious Cave Heaven was resonating, and his five viscera and six entrails were all in harmony with it! Continuously absorbing essence energy, transforming it into refined energy and strength.

Fleshly Cave Heaven!

The source of power in the Cave Heaven Realm, the foundation of strength.

Bang!

Lin Fan clenched his fist, as if even the air had shattered.

"Although it's just one step away, the gap is truly significant."

"As expected, the greater the realm, the more powerful the battle. It's not something that ordinary cultivators can achieve."

"The gap is too big."

Lin Fan sighed.

He was certain that if his current self were to fight his pre-breakthrough self, even in a one-on-three battle, he could easily win. If it were a continuous battle, he could take on ten opponents without a problem.

"If it's just about fighting, then I'll do it."

Next, he tried sharing his battle power.

Hum~

His realm instantly soared, and it wasn't until the Seventh Layer of the Fourth Cave Heaven Realm that it gradually calmed down.

"Xiao Ling'er has also broken through."

"Fan Jianqiang, Third Layer of the Cave Heaven Realm..."

"Not bad!"

"Moreover, the Heaven's Pride are truly extraordinary."

Lin Fan was delighted, but he also noticed a problem.

Two at the First Layer of the Fourth Realm, one at the Third Layer, adding up to the Seventh Layer?

That didn't make sense.

Logically, even the Fifth Layer would be a challenge, how did it become the Seventh Layer? But after a moment's thought, Lin Fan understood.

The realm of the Heaven's Pride is naturally different from ordinary cultivators.

The realm after sharing battle power is the realm of 'ordinary cultivators'.

But Xiao Ling'er and Fan Jianqiang, these two protagonist templates, have their own realms.

Xiao Ling'er may only have the cultivation of the First Layer of the Fourth Realm, but if compared horizontally, Lin Fan estimated that the energy nurtured in her Fleshly Cave Heaven would be even more astonishing than that of an ordinary cultivator at the Third Layer of the Cave Heaven Realm!

Fan Jianqiang is estimated to have the strength of an ordinary Fourth Realm cultivator at the Fifth Layer.

Adding that to his own cultivation, seven layers, approaching eight layers, made perfect sense.

Next, regardless of who among the three of them breaks through a small realm, after Lin Fan shares his power, they will all possess the strength of the Eighth Layer of the Fourth Cave Heaven Realm, and their battle power will increase once again.

"Although it's worth celebrating, doesn't this also indirectly indicate how much my own cultivation and realm lag behind?"

Lin Fan smiled helplessly.

There's nothing he could do.

After all, his own talent is just so-so...

Moreover, if he dies, can he resurrect? What's the difference between dying and being a fool?

"Next..."

"Continue cultivating, waiting for the crisis to arrive. I want to see what kind of crisis it is."

"But before that, I need to go out for a bit."

This guy was preparing to sneak out to find a few safe places and bury a strand of his hair or some skin fragments.

Just in case.

This way, even if the crisis is too terrifying and the Moonseizing Sect can't withstand it, he can still rely on the Nirvana Scripture to resurrect.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end