Hunyuan Immortal Sect

Chapter 378 Everyone Shows Their Magical Powers

Dark clouds covered the moon and it rained heavily.

The torrential rain poured down, pounding against the eaves with a crackling sound.

Tao Jinyuan sat upright in the room with his eyes slightly closed, seemingly resting, but the occasional furrowing of his brows showed that his mind was not at peace.

After a while, he opened his eyes and shouted, "Someone come here!"

"What are your orders, Sect Leader?" A disciple entered from outside and bowed.

"This rain is so noisy, send an order to activate the sect's grand formation."

The disciple was stunned, almost unable to believe his ears, and looked up at him in surprise.

Just because the rain is noisy, we have to activate the mountain gate formation to keep the heavy rain out. You should know that activating the mountain gate formation completely, even without doing anything, will cost thousands of spirit stones.

What's wrong with the sect leader? He wanted to ask to confirm and offer some advice, but seeing Tao Jinyuan's gloomy face, he swallowed his words and simply said "yes" before turning and leaving.

Just as they reached the doorway, Tao Jinyuan's clearly weary voice came from behind: "Never mind, no need to go."

"Yes." The disciple replied, wondering what was wrong with the sect leader today, but he didn't dare to ask any more questions and simply closed the door quietly.

Tao Jinyuan took a deep breath, got up and went to the window. He opened the window with a snap, letting the torrential rain lash him down, and gazed into the distance with a deep, unfocused look.

He was well aware that the Luoyun Sect was on the verge of life and death.

Just a month, or even half a month, the situation was very promising.

But suddenly, things took a sharp turn, a complete 180-degree turn, which he never expected.

The war in Xijiang County has been going on for more than 20 years, and Xuan Yuan Sect has always been a bystander. Now, it has suddenly intervened without any warning, catching him completely off guard.

If the Xuan Yuan Sect had shown signs of intervention from the beginning, he wouldn't have betrayed the Beast Taming Sect and sided with the Yun Xuan Sect.

He believed he had been cautious enough. Yun Xuanzong had extended olive branches to him more than once, but he had not responded. He knew that changing allegiance was a matter of life and death for the sect, and one wrong move could lead to total defeat. Therefore, he would rather lose some sect interests than make too many changes.

Only when the situation had become almost one-sided, with the Yunxuan Sect supported by the Murong family and the Fengxing Sect, and financially aided by the Yunxiao Sect, while the Yushou Sect was struggling and the Xuanyuan Sect was watching coldly with no sign of taking action, did he decide to switch sides with the Yunxuan Sect.

Unexpectedly, the Xuan Yuan Sect intervened, and in an unusually forceful manner, demanding that the Yun Xuan Sect and the Murong family withdraw their troops and return the occupied territory and resources without compensation.

Clearly, the Xuan Yuan Sect is aligned with the Beast Taming Sect.

If he was so tough on Yun Xuanzong, then he would be even tougher on the various city sects that rebelled under his command.

Regardless of the circumstances, Yunxuan Sect has Qi Xiaofeng, a great cultivator from Qianqing Sect, as its backer. If Xuanyuan Sect dares to treat them like this, then what about the fate of these small sects that rebelled against the Beast Taming Sect?

Xuan Yuan Sect wouldn't care about their lives at all, while Yun Xuan Sect and the Murong family were suppressed and were in dire straits themselves, so how could they care about them?

In a matter of one or two months, or at most half a year, but less than a year, the Beast Taming Sect will definitely send troops to attack the Windwalking Sect, followed by the Falling Cloud Sect.

At this moment, footsteps sounded outside, and as the heavy door was pushed open, Jin Yuanxing strode in and bowed.

"Senior Brother Jin is back. How did things go?" Tao Jinyuan quickly turned around and sat back down in the main seat.

As soon as the news of Xuan Yuan Sect's strong intervention spread, he sent Jin Yuanxing to Xijiang County to discuss countermeasures with Yun Xuan Sect and the Murong family.

Jin Yuanxing shook his head with a gloomy expression and recounted the events of the trip.

After arriving in Xijiang County, he first visited Yunxuanzong, but did not meet Qi Yunxuan himself. Only Ma Quan met with him. When discussing how to deal with the current situation, Ma Quan only offered a few words of comfort and told them to put their minds at ease.

Afterwards, he met with the Murong family. Compared to Yun Xuanzong, the Murong family was even weaker. They didn't even offer any words of comfort, only perfunctory responses.

Later, Emperor Yunxuan and the Murong family held another meeting, which was attended by representatives from various city sects.

Luo Ziquan, a member of the Yunxuan Emperor's faction, stepped forward and said some high-sounding words, but he had no practical solutions.

"The Murong family is in a state of panic, and Emperor Yun Xuanzong is all bark and no bite. According to information I have learned privately, Emperor Yun Xuanzong and the Murong family have decided to withdraw from the resource territories they have occupied, and it is estimated that they may have already withdrawn their troops."

"I spent a lot of money to finally meet Li Chang, the head of the Xuan Yuan Sect stationed in Xijiang County in charge of foreign affairs. I learned from him that the Xuan Yuan Sect has a very tough attitude. Not only did they demand that the Yun Xuan Sect return the resources of the territory they occupied without compensation, but they also warned the Yun Xuan Sect that if they want to stay in Xijiang County in the future, they must behave themselves."

"As for the sects that have defected, including the Fengxing Sect, they were not included in the Xuanyuan Sect's ceasefire plan at all. In other words, the Xuanyuan Sect did not consider our lives or deaths. Nor did it explicitly require that the Beast Taming Sect not send troops against us after the ceasefire."

"I originally hoped to meet Wei Wuyai, the Xuan Yuan Sect's resident official in Xijiang County, through him, but I was unsuccessful."

"It is said that the Yunxiao Sect, which had previously supported the Yunxuan Sect, has also severed ties with it and has announced that the Yunxuan Sect is no longer an ally."

Tao Jinyuan frowned and remained silent.

Although he had anticipated this situation, listening to Jin Yuanxing's detailed explanation still made him feel extremely heavy-hearted, as if a huge, heavy iron block was pressing down on his head even further.

After a moment of silence, Jin Yuanxing continued, "If the Beast Taming Sect really sends troops to attack us, I estimate that the Yunxuan Sect and the Murong family will not come to our aid. We must save ourselves, otherwise our sect will be destroyed."

"How can we save ourselves?" Tao Jinyuan finally asked.

"It's no longer realistic to rely on the protection of the Yunxuan Sect and the Murong family. To survive, we must address the root cause and ensure that the Beast Taming Sect will not send troops to attack us."

"Senior Brother Jin, are you suggesting we surrender to the Beast Taming Sect? Will they still accept us?"

“How will we know if we don’t try? There are two directions now. The first is to get the Xuan Yuan Sect involved. If they can guarantee our safety, the Beast Taming Sect will naturally not dare to send troops to attack. Wei Wuyai, the Xuan Yuan Sect’s resident official in Xijiang County, is the key figure.”

“I learned from Li Chang that the Xuan Yuan Sect has not made any clear arrangements for our sects. In other words, how to deal with us depends entirely on what Wei Wuyai says. He has almost absolute say in this matter.”

"If he speaks up to protect us, the Beast Taming Sect will not disobey."

"The second is to get the Beast Taming Sect to accept our surrender. In the end, our surrender to the Yunxuan Sect was also due to the circumstances, and we did not have a direct conflict with the Beast Taming Sect."

"We are the third of the five cities under the jurisdiction of Xijiang County to pledge allegiance to Yunxuan Sect. The Beast Taming Sect hates the Windwalking Sect the most, so it's not our turn yet." "It's not entirely impossible for us to show our sincerity to the Beast Taming Sect first."

"My idea is to send two groups of people to Xijiang County, one to take charge of Wei Wuyai and the other to take charge of the Beast Taming Sect. If either of these groups succeeds, our sect will not have to worry for at least a short period of time. Of course, this time a huge financial loss is inevitable."

Tao Jinyuan narrowed his eyes slightly, pondered for a long time, and finally nodded.

.........

Inside the spacious and bright hall of the Beast Taming Sect's mountain gate, Song Xian idly sipped his tea, waiting until around midnight before seeing Jiang Feng slowly approaching. He quickly stood up and went forward to greet him.

"Greetings, Manager Jiang."

"Sit down! What brings you here today?" Jiang Feng waved his hand after taking the seat of honor.

"I have heard that the Xuan Yuan Sect has strongly intervened in the war in Xijiang County, and that your sect and the Yun Xuan Sect are about to reach a ceasefire. I have come to offer my congratulations. I have also heard that the Yun Xuan Sect and the Murong family's allied forces have withdrawn from the front lines. I presume that your sect and the Xuan Yuan Sect have already negotiated the specific demands for a ceasefire. I would like to ask, how does your sect intend to deal with those sects that have defected to the Yun Xuan Sect?"

Song Xian didn't waste any words and directly stated his purpose. Smart people don't need to beat around the bush. Even if he didn't say it, Jiang Feng would definitely have guessed his intention.

"Are you worried that after our sect and the Yunxuan sect cease hostilities and make peace, you won't have a chance to return to Bianxi City?"

"Master Jiang has keen insight. Our clan is worried that if we stop fighting, it will be tantamount to accepting the current situation in Xijiang County."

"Anyway, we can't hide it for long, so let me tell you the truth! Xuan Yuan Sect has demanded that Yun Xuan Sect and the Murong family return the resource territories they have occupied without compensation."

Upon hearing this, Song Xian was overjoyed. He had only guessed before, but now it had become a fact.

If the Xuan Yuan Sect treats the Yun Xuan Sect this way, then it goes without saying how they will treat the sects in the cities under the jurisdiction of Xijiang County.

"That's wonderful. I wonder when your clan plans to recapture Bianxi City?"

"I haven't decided how to deal with those traitors yet, but it won't be long. Once I've taken back the territory of Xijiang County and stabilized the situation, I will naturally deal with those traitors one by one."

Song Xian said, "Master Jiang, I have a favor to ask. If there is an opportunity, I hope you can put in a good word for our sect before your sect leader. You know best about the affairs of Bianxi City. Over the years, our sect has been loyal to your sect. Although we have not made any great contributions, we have always done our utmost and obeyed your orders."

"Our sect has fallen to this state entirely because of the Falling Cloud Sect. They are not deliberately targeting our sect; it is only because our sect is loyal to your sect that they cannot tolerate us."

"The Luoyun Sect not only betrayed your sect and attempted to eliminate our sect while your sect was assisting Humen City, but also helped the Fengxing Sect to attack Humen City from both sides."

“Such wicked and cunning individuals must be executed to demonstrate the prestige of your sect. If they are allowed to live, they will have a very bad influence on your sect. If even the Luoyun Sect is not eliminated, then next time all sects will follow suit and will turn against your sect at the first opportunity.”

Jiang Feng glanced at him: "Don't worry, I guarantee you can return to Bianxi City. As for how to deal with Luoyun Sect, this sect has its own arrangements."

Song Xian didn't expect him to make a clear statement. He was already pleasantly surprised to get his promise to return to Bianxi City. He originally thought that Jiang Feng would give him a vague and perfunctory answer as before, since it was not up to him to decide what the Beast Taming Sect would do.

Although he broke through to the Golden Core Realm and gained some influence, he was still relatively inexperienced and could only offer a few suggestions on decision-making matters.

How to proceed depends on the wishes of Hong Haoran, the leader of the Beast Taming Sect.

However, Jiang Feng's ability to make such a guarantee is enough to show that the situation is now very favorable, and the outcome is basically already decided.

Otherwise, someone as cautious and shrewd as him wouldn't have said such a thing.

Having conveyed the central message he needed to, Song Xian did not press the matter further and took his leave.

The next day, he visited the Beast Taming Sect's mountain gate again to pay his respects to Xu Xiansheng's disciple, Su Rong.

If you want to influence the Beast Taming Sect's decisions, Jiang Feng's words alone might not carry enough weight.

Xu Xiansheng is a sect elder with high cultivation and seniority, and his influence far surpasses that of Jiang Feng. If he can provide support, the matter is almost certain to succeed.

Song Xian wanted more than just to return to Bianxi City; he wanted to replace Luoyun Sect. This was the best opportunity, and he naturally wouldn't let it slip away easily.

After chatting for a while, Song Xian explained his purpose: he hoped to meet Xu Xiansheng. Su Rong initially made various excuses, but after Song Xian offered him 20,000 spirit stones, he finally changed his tune and reluctantly said that he would find an opportunity to inform Xu Xiansheng.

And so he waited until late at night before he finally got the chance to see Xu Xiansheng.

As he had expected, Xu Xiansheng did not express a clear opinion after he finished stating his views.

While the two were talking, a secret conversation was taking place at a market inn thousands of miles away.

……

"Fellow Daoist Yang, it's been many years. How have you been?" Jin Yuanxing was waiting in front of the room. Upon seeing the visitor arrive, he quickly went to greet him with a smile on his face.

The man who came looked to be about sixty years old. He was thin and had graying temples. It was none other than Yang Jinzhang. He looked much older than when he was the chief administrator of Bianxi City.

Yang Jinzhang glanced at him, didn't return the greeting, and walked straight past him with his hands behind his back, entering the room.

Jin Yuanxing showed an embarrassed expression, but it was only for a moment before he regained his smile.

He followed closely behind Yang Jinzhang until he sat down, and then personally poured him a cup of wine. His attentive manner made him look like a shop assistant.

Yang Jinzhang calmly picked up the wine cup, took a sip, and then gently put it down.

"Let's skip the old times and pleasantries! Fellow Daoist Jin, you've gone to so much trouble to see me, it can't be just for casual conversation. Get to the point. You should know that I've taken a great risk by coming out to see you at this critical juncture. If it weren't for our past friendship, I wouldn't even bother with anyone else, even if they knelt before me."

Yang Jinzhang, with an air of superiority and making no attempt to hide his contempt and disdain, knew perfectly well why Jin Yuanxing had gone to such lengths and spent so much money to see him. It was simply because of the changing situation in Xijiang County, where Luoyun Sect was on the verge of collapse, and Jin Yuanxing wanted to use him to establish a connection with Song Zhongping and say a few good words for Luoyun Sect.

He actually looked down on the two-faced people of the Luoyun Sect who were always switching sides, but he still came for the sake of the spirit stones.

The reason he adopted such a high-handed attitude was intentional, his purpose being to tell Jin Yuanxing that it wouldn't be easy to get in touch with Song Zhongping through him; it would require a great deal of effort.

(End of this chapter)