Netherworld Painted Skin Scroll

Chapter 319 External Forces
Li Wuxiang was stunned by his words, and Xue Baoping was also stunned. The two looked at each other, and Li Wuxiang saw Xue Baoping mouth the words—"I believe you."

She should say that she believed everything Xie Qi had said before was true. He really seemed to lack cunning and quick wit, and was even somewhat naive.

Li Wuxiang raised his hand to support his elbow: "Elder Xie, please straighten up before you speak—"

An ordinary person, after being lifted like that, would probably get up. But Xie Qi immediately took a step back, bowing even lower: "Divine Lord, please spare our Dapan Mountain..."

Li Wuxiang was silent for a moment, then asked, "Elder Xie, let me ask you, I spared your Dapan Mountain, but your sect leader Li Yin is going to join the Blood God Sect with Shen Dao and Qing Pu. If this comes to pass, do you think Dapan Mountain can still have a good ending? You have seen what the Corpse Demons look like, so you should know how they got into that state, right?"

Xie Qi continued bowing: "These are all our own affairs. I'll try to persuade them again. It can't come to that. Sigh, Divine Lord, can you please let us off the hook for now?"

Li Wuxiang remained silent, but Li Jianbai, watching from afar, could no longer bear it. He strode down the mountain and stood behind Xie Qi, frowning, "Master, please don't do this."

Xie Qi raised his foot and gave a feint kick behind him: "Go away, you have no right to speak."

Li Jianbai fell silent, but then looked at Li Wuxiang, seemingly embarrassed.

Li Wuxiang asked him, "Has your master always been like this?"

Li Jianbai nodded: "Sigh."

E Meifeng echoed, "Sigh."

Li Wuxiang shook his head slightly: "Elder Xie, there are some people who live in a very small world. It's not that the space they live in is small, but that their interpersonal relationships are simple and their emotions are relatively small."

"Such people mostly interact with their relatives, friends, and fellow students. Although there may be some unpleasantness, there is essentially no conflict. Therefore, they can discuss anything properly and feel that other things are the same."

"Some people live their whole lives like this, and these people are very lucky. There are also some people who will one day run into trouble from the outside world. At that time, they will still think that everything can be negotiated. But the rules of the outside world are different from the rules of their small world. Not everything is hopeful, and not everything can be accomplished. Some things are simply impossible."

"This is the kind of thing you asked me today." Li Wuxiang lowered his voice, and it sounded less gentle. "There are only three choices for Dapan Mountain. One is to return to the Taiyi Sect—you just said that we were originally from the same lineage—people can stay on the mountain to inherit the ancestral lineage, but someone has to go to the Taiyi Sect of Dajie Mountain. The other is to join the Blood God Sect, like your Sect Master Li."

"As for the sect's treasure, the Backing Mountain Mirror, Elder Xie, you should know that this thing was originally refined from the body of the Demon King Dragon. When it was refined, the founders of the Thirty-Six Sects were still following Taiyi to conquer the world. In fact, it was Taiyi who bestowed it upon them."

"So the third option is this: I and Sect Leader Mei killed the Descending God of Fate at Mount Dajie and exchanged a thirty-year non-interference agreement with the Six Departments of the Mysterious Sect. If the Shangchi Sect really doesn't want to help either the Blood God Sect or the Taiyi Sect, then don't stay on the Taiyi Sect's territory. Return your original artifact, the Mountain Mirror, and disband your sect. As long as you stop calling yourselves the Thirty-Six Sects, then I won't make things difficult for you."

Xie Qi looked up at him, seemingly surprised—the person who had been speaking so amiably just moments before now seemed to be spitting out chunks of cold iron filings.

Li Wuxiang also looked at him: "Elder Xie, you are also a Nascent Soul cultivator, so you should know that for people of our level, such a wish is not something to be taken lightly. What I just said is the wish of Mei Qiulu, the leader of Taiyi Sect, and Li Wuxiang, the leader of the Sword Sect—when a true immortal descends to earth, the people will suffer. Taiyi Sect and Sword Sect will never sit idly by and watch this happen, and the Blood God Sect will surely perish."

The word "wish" seemed to finally make Xie Qi realize that what he was asking for was absolutely impossible. So he slowly straightened up, stood there, and didn't say a word.

Li Wuxiang turned to look at Li Jianbai: "Junior Brother Li—"

Li Jianbai immediately bowed and said, "Divine Lord, I dare not accept such an honor."

"—You went to cause trouble for her last night to avenge your fellow disciples?"

Li Jianbai glanced at E Meifeng and said in a low voice, "Yes."

"Your master said that the fellow disciples he sent were all scum of the sect, and you want to avenge them too?"

Li Jianbai sighed: "Alas, we are still fellow disciples after all."

Just as E Meifeng was about to sigh, Li Wuxiang patted her on the lips and nodded, "Alright. Little E, do you recognize this old man?"

Li Wuxiang was referring to Xie Qi. E Meifeng quickly nodded as well: "Oh, I recognize him! Oh, the old man even gave me good things to eat! Oh, that old man!"

The "good stuff" she was referring to was probably the remaining pill residue in the alchemy room. Li Wuxiang then said to Xie Qi, "Elder Xie, this crocodile demon speaks highly of you, and the disciples you've taught are also good people. I think you're a good person too. There are already few good people in this world, and I don't want to lose another one. Should I storm Mount Dapan and cause your disciples to die in countless battles, or should you make a decision now—please?"

Xie Qi looked very troubled. Li Jianbai, standing behind him, frowned and said, "Master, tell the sect leader that you will come down and persuade the Divine Lord to leave—we've been delayed for too long now. If you don't speak up, what will happen when the people from above come down to see us?"

Li Wuxiang looked at Li Jianbai: "Oh? If your master says so, does Li Yin really call him down?"

Li Jianbai sighed, "My master is of a higher generation, and Li Yin should call my master 'Shishu' (a respectful term for a senior disciple). Li Yin agreed because he was afraid that you, Divine Lord, would kill someone."

Li Wuxiang chuckled: "Truly, one dares to promise, and the other dares to pledge."

"Sigh, you're right." Xie Qi suddenly sighed. "I'm getting senile, sigh. Before you mentioned it, I really hadn't thought of it... The Mountain Mirror was indeed originally something from the Taiyi Sect, sigh!"

He sighed three times, which surprised Li Wuxiang slightly. He had always felt that among all the good qualities in the world, things like "knowing one's mistakes and being able to correct them" were the most difficult. Because that meant overturning one's long-held worldview and values ​​in a very short time, and for ordinary people, that sense of self-denial was extremely painful, even going against their instincts.

But Xie Qi actually said such a thing... No wonder he was slow to learn but was able to cultivate to the Nascent Soul stage; it turns out he had a good temperament.

"Then may I ask, Divine Lord, now that I'm not stopping you, what do you intend to do?" Xie Qi shook his head. "If you go up the mountain, Li Yin won't hand over Kao Shan Jian. At that time, sigh, won't you still want to fight your way up the mountain? Your Sword Sect... sigh, whether it's called Taiyi Sect or Sword Sect, to put it bluntly, we all know your methods and ways. Otherwise, Li Yin wouldn't have asked this old man like me to show my face. Sigh!"

"Elder Xie is worried about our sect's disciples," Li Wuxiang nodded with a smile. "Alright, I don't want to fight my way up the mountain either. If you don't mind me being long-winded, I'll tell you what Leader Mei and I are thinking."

“I have been to the Ranshan Sect and seen what it was like there—the sect leader was only at the Qi Refining stage, and the disciples were only a few dozen, none of them very capable. Some of the independent sects and families near Deyang could probably wipe out the entire Ranshan Sect. But it was this Ranshan Sect that held on for decades, and only when the people in the sect had all left did anyone dare to go up the mountain.”

"Elder Xie, you already know this without me saying it. It's because of the so-called 'shared destiny and mutual assistance' among the Thirty-Six Sects. For three thousand years, the Thirty-Six Sects have done an impeccable job in this regard. The fact that these rules have always been upheld is enough to deter the world." "Therefore, now that the Taiyi Sect wants to reorganize the Thirty-Six Sects, it will act reasonably. Without reason and rules, no imperial ambition can last. The disciples of Dapan Mountain are also considered members of the Taiyi Sect. Since you have this intention, I will follow your wishes. Unless absolutely necessary, I will not engage in unnecessary killing. So, Elder Xie, I should ask you what to do—you are Li Yin's uncle-master, an elder of the sect, what solutions do you have?"

Xie Qi was stumped by his question, and frowned without saying a word.

Li Jianbai whispered behind him, "Master, oh! Master!"

Xie Qi ignored him and waved his hand at him, as if to say, "I'm thinking about it."

Li Wuxiang was almost amused by his stubbornness, but Xue Baoping couldn't stand it and said to Li Jianbai, "Junior Brother Li, you speak."

“Master, you should be the sect leader!” Li Jianbai immediately said, “You should be the sect leader, you should make the decisions!”

"Huh?" Xie Qi seemed to have just woken up from a dream. "Me?"

"Oh! Master!" Li Jianbai stamped his feet anxiously. "Stop dawdling! Our Dapan Mountain is the first sect visited by the Divine Lord. The Divine Lord is setting rules for the future by doing things here! Master, don't you understand? The Divine Lord might not have this patience for other sects! Stop dawdling, you're driving me crazy! If I were a Nascent Soul cultivator, I would be the sect leader!"

Li Wuxiang and Xue Baoping exchanged a glance, finding the master and disciple pair increasingly interesting. Both of them spoke quite frankly, and Li Jianbai's manner towards his master could be described as disrespectful, suggesting that the two usually got along very well, which was quite rare.

Xie Qi sighed and shook his head repeatedly: "I can't do it, I can't do it..."

Li Jianbai cried out, "Master!"

Xie Qi didn't reprimand him anymore, but waved his hand at him and looked at Li Wuxiang: "Divine Lord, it's not that I'm making excuses, nor that I'm afraid. Alas, I know my own limitations. You were right before, I've never left Dapan Mountain in my life, all I know is alchemy and cultivation. As a sect leader, alas, there are too many things to worry about. There are hundreds of people on the mountain, with all sorts of thoughts and concerns. Alas, I'm useless, I can't do it."

Li Wuxiang's tone softened again: "Elder Xie, you are not useless. You have self-awareness and can understand reason, which makes you more useful than most people in the world. Your temperament is the essence of the Shangchi Sect. As for this Junior Brother Li—I think you have taught a good disciple. He sees things clearly and thoroughly, and dares to speak and act. He is the courage of the Shangchi Sect."

"You have the will and the courage, the position of sect leader of the Shangchi Sect should belong to your lineage. Elder Xie, if you are unwilling, I think your disciple is more suitable—Junior Brother Li, would you like to be the sect leader?"

Li Jianbai's eyes widened in surprise: "Huh?"

The next moment, he quickly waved his hand, his movements almost identical to his master's: "No, no, Divine Lord, I can't do it. I may want to, but how can a Qi Refining cultivator like me command respect? Wouldn't that make me a member of the Ranshan Sect?!"

Li Wuxiang smiled and said, "The highest position should be held by the virtuous. As for cultivation, Junior Brother Li, you were right before. Your Dapan Mountain is a model. We should talk about the reasons and the benefits. Here, I want to let others know what the benefits of returning to the Taiyi Sect are—what level of Qi Refining are you at now?"

Xie Qi was stunned, and so was Li Jianbai, but he was a little quicker-witted than his master: "I...I'm currently at the Refining Spirit to Emptiness stage—"

"The third level of Qi Refining, the next step is Core Formation, right? Cultivation in your Thirty-Six Sects isn't too difficult. You can cultivate with pills and materials, and at least reaching the Golden Core realm shouldn't be a problem. But the difficulty lies in Nascent Soul Formation, right? I've heard that many cultivators from the Thirty-Six Sects regard the Nascent Soul Formation step as a dangerous and dangerous one. They feel that once they reach the Golden Core stage, they can enjoy the mortal world for a long time, while attempting to reach the Nascent Soul stage might lead to their death in the calamity. So they are content to live a life of mediocrity."

"Junior Brother Li, if you form your core, will you have the courage to reach the Nascent Soul stage?"

Li Jianbai seemed to have figured something out, but not quite. After a moment of surprise, he said, "Of course I have guts! Divine Lord, didn't you say I have the guts of the Shangchi Sect?"

This person is sensible and ambitious. Li Wuxiang smiled mysteriously and said, "Since you have the guts, I will guarantee your Nascent Soul stage. I will tell you when your Golden Core Tribulation will come, and it will come when you say so. Do you believe me?"

Li Jianbai glanced at his master: "I believe you!"

"Then you can become the sect leader."

Xie Qi frowned and asked, "Divine Lord, this calamity you spoke of... are you truly accurate in your calculations?"

"Elder Xie, have you forgotten the aspirations of our respective realms? Since I have said this, things will be done this way."

Li Jianbai looked at his master with a solemn expression, not urging him to speak again. After a short while, Xie Qi sighed and immediately asked Li Wuxiang, "Divine Lord, what should we do? We can't just go to the hall and say, 'I want to be the sect leader,' can we?"

"Of course not. But I have two options, you can think about which one to choose."

"One way is for you to go back and tell that corpse demon that your sect leader already knows it's on the mountain, but doesn't know it's hiding in the alchemy room. Tell it that you should join forces with it to get rid of Li Yin. The corpse demon isn't very bright, otherwise it wouldn't have been fooled by you for several days. It will definitely believe you if you say that. Then Elder Xie, you can join forces with the corpse demon to kill Li Yin and tell the sect disciples that this is the Blood God Sect committing atrocities on the mountain. Then there won't be any problems."

Li Jianbai and Xie Qi exchanged a glance. Li Jianbai shook his head: "Divine Lord, are you testing me? Li Yin has not yet done anything to join the Blood God Sect. Besides, killing our sect leader with the Corpse Demon is really... I will not choose that."

Li Wuxiang smiled: "Then the second method is as you said—go to the palace and tell Li Yin that the current trend in the world is that the Taiyi Sect will be unified again, and that Li Yin, the Divine Blade Sect Master, and the Qingpu Sect Master are going against the trend and are not worthy of their positions. They should step down!"

Li Jianbai was taken aback: "Divine Lord, are you serious?"

"real."

"Then... will you come with us to the palace?"

"If I go to the palace with you, how can I test your courage? I'll see how things go."

Xie Qi quickly waved his hand: "Hey, hey, hey—"

Li Jianbai gritted his teeth and said, "The Divine Lord is testing my courage and whether I trust you—Fine! I'll do it!"

(End of this chapter)