Hunyuan Immortal Sect

Chapter 381 Everyone is in danger
Dark clouds obscured the sun, and the sky became gloomy.

Layers of dark clouds blanketed the sky, and a fierce wind howled. Clearly, a storm was imminent.

Inside the brightly lit main hall at the Yuyuan Sect's mountain gate, the atmosphere was extremely heavy and oppressive.

Ding Yuan sat in the second seat on the left below, next to Zhang Ji, the elder of the Zhenjiang Liuzong sect.

Opposite them were Liu Chong, the elder of Qianfeng Sect in Xuanhuan Town, and Fei Ming, the elder of Huaxuan Sect in Jiangting Town.

There were only four people in the main hall. They were all invited by Wang Xuan, the leader of the Jade Abyss Sect, and Wang Xuan only invited these four forces.

Bianxi City has seven towns under its jurisdiction: Fengyuan Town, Xuanhuan Town, Jiangting Town, Zhuxi Town, Huatian Town, and Bianshang and Bianxia Towns.

Bian Shang and Bian Xia towns were transferred to the jurisdiction of Bian Xi City forty years ago. Due to their special historical reasons, Bian Shang and Bian Xia towns are a mixed bag, with various forces entrenched there.

The other five towns are basically dominated by one sect. For example, Fengyuan Town is the territory of the Yuyuan Sect, and there are no other legitimate sects besides it.

The same applies to Xuanhuan Town and Jiangting Town; Qianfeng Sect and Huaxuan Sect are both dominant in their own territories.

The total area of ​​Bianxi City is about two thousand li in size, with the city area accounting for nearly half of it, stretching for a thousand li in all directions.

The five subordinate towns were each only about two hundred li in size.

The situation in Bian Shang and Bian Xia towns is much more complicated. Although they are called towns, their actual area is about the same size as Bian Xi City, not including the Tian Shan mountain range.

The two towns spanned approximately a thousand miles in size, and due to various factors, various forces were entrenched within them.

After years of fighting, several independent cultivator forces have been wiped out, and several other forces that migrated here have either fallen into decline or collapsed.

In the current power structure, the Jiang Liu Clan is the most powerful force in the border town, while the Ding family is the most powerful force in the border town.

Therefore, Yuyuan Sect only invited Jiangliu Sect, Ding Family, Qianfeng Sect of Xuanhuan Town, and Huaxuan Sect of Jiangting Town.

As for why the forces of Zhuxi Town and Huatian Town were not invited, it is because these two towns are controlled by the Luoyun Sect.

The Luoyun Sect supported the development of the independent cultivators of Puqing Valley in Zhuxi Town, and also supported the Xunyang Sect in Huatian Town.

These two families have already left Bianxi City along with Luoyun Sect and gone to join Yunxuan Sect.

Interestingly, none of the four invited leaders showed up; instead, they all sent their second or third-in-commands.

Clearly, everyone was aware of the conflict between the Jade Abyss Sect and the Hunyuan Sect, and did not want to have too much contact with the Jade Abyss Sect at this time to avoid being implicated. However, they were also worried about the situation ahead, so they all chose to send representatives to participate.

"What exactly is the purpose of Senior Wang Xuan's summons to us? Fellow Daoist Zhang, do you know?" Ding Yuan asked Zhang Ji beside him in a low voice.

"I don't know either. The situation is still unclear, so we can only wait and see."

"I heard that the Beast Taming Sect said that they would only deal with the Windwalking Sect and the Falling Cloud Sect, and would not interfere with the others. I don't know if the news is true or not."

"Anyway, Luoyun Sect is definitely on the list of targets for the Beast Taming Sect's purge, otherwise they wouldn't have abandoned Bianxi City, which they had cultivated for so many years, and fled in a sorry state to Xijiang County to seek refuge with Yunxuan Sect."

"Why did the Xuan Yuan Sect suddenly intervene so forcefully? They had been fighting for over ten years without intervening, but now they've changed their tune. Do any of you fellow Daoists know the details?"

"Who knows? Who knows what might suddenly happen with those major sects? Why did they have to get involved now of all times? Isn't that just asking for trouble?"

"Now I'm worried that the Beast Taming Sect won't let us go. If they settle scores later, we'll be in big trouble."

As the group whispered among themselves, footsteps sounded outside. The four of them fell silent and looked towards the outside of the hall, where they saw Wang Xuan leading two disciples into the room.

Upon his arrival, the four of them stood up.

"Greetings, Senior Wang."

"Greetings, Headmaster Wang."

Wang Xuan's expression was solemn. He nodded to each of the four people in response, then walked to the head seat and sat down, waving his hand: "Please, everyone, don't stand on ceremony."

The group took their seats one after another, all eyes fixed on him. No one spoke, waiting for him to give the order.

"I won't bother with formalities. I've invited you all here today to discuss matters, both for the future of Bianxi City and for our survival." Wang Xuan's expression was very serious. He didn't mince words or beat around the bush; he went straight to the point.

"To be honest, I have already sent people to Xijiang County to inquire. According to the information we have received, in addition to Luoyun Sect and Fengxing Sect, Beast Taming Sect also plans to eliminate a number of sect forces. In other words, we are very likely to be on the Beast Taming Sect's death list."

Upon hearing this, the expressions of the four people below changed, and they exchanged suspicious and fearful glances.

Elder Liu Chong of the Qianfeng Sect in Xuanhuan Town swallowed hard: "May I ask, Senior Wang, where did this news come from? Is it true?"

"This information was leaked by a disciple within the Beast Taming Sect. Our sect went to great lengths to extract this information from him, so its reliability is beyond doubt."

Elder Zhang Ji of Jiangliu Sect looked visibly flustered: "Then... what should we do? Since Senior Wang has summoned us, he must have a good plan?"

Wang Xuan said expressionlessly, “To overcome this crisis, we must first unite. I urgently summoned the leaders of each faction to discuss this matter sincerely, hoping to devise a solution together. I did not expect them to be so suspicious that none of them would come. I now need you to clarify your stance: can you represent your respective factions? If not, please leave.”

"Senior Wang, please feel free to give any instructions. Although our sect leader has not yet arrived, he has entrusted me with full authority. I can represent our sect." Elder Liu Chong of Qianfeng Sect in Xuanhuan Town was the first to speak.

"The same applies to the younger generation."

Although Ding Yuan had been instructed not to express his opinion lightly before coming, he had no choice but to agree in the current situation.

"Since you can make the decision on behalf of your respective sects, I will speak frankly. As I just mentioned, this information came from a disciple in charge within the Beast Taming Sect. In addition to this matter, the disciple also revealed that the key figure in carrying out this matter is the person in charge of the various cities dispatched by the Beast Taming Sect."

"In other words, it is not yet decided which sects will be pardoned and which will be eradicated. It will be decided based on the situation after the leaders of the various cities of the Beast Taming Sect take office."

"Who is the new head of the Beast Taming Sect in this city? Is it still Senior Pang Tong?" Elder Liu Chong of the Thousand Wind Sect in Xuanhuan Town hurriedly asked.

"To be honest, I don't know if Fellow Daoist Pang Tong will still be in charge of Bianxi City. The only thing that is certain is that if we can get through to the new Bianxi City leader, we can avoid being wiped out by the Beast Taming Sect. I invited you all here because I want to unite our strength and raise a large sum of money to give to the new Beast Taming Sect leader in the future, so that he will let us go."

"How many spirit stones will be needed?"

"Let's prepare 300,000 spirit stones first! If we divide it equally, each sect will contribute 60,000 spirit stones." "60,000." The expressions of the people sitting below varied.

Sixty thousand spirit stones is no small sum, and it's uncertain whether more will be added later.

"If anyone is unable to make a decision or is unwilling to pay, please leave now. Do not participate in the following discussions. Just wait for the Beast Taming Sect to arrive and settle accounts with you! Of course, if you are lucky, you may not be targeted by the Beast Taming Sect."

"This junior can represent our sect to contribute these spirit stones." Elder Fei Ming of Huaxuan Sect in Jiangting Town immediately expressed his opinion. Huaxuan Sect's financial situation is relatively good. Although 60,000 spirit stones is a bit painful for them, it is not unacceptable compared to the risk of being wiped out.

"Our sect is also willing to contribute spirit stones," Elder Liu Chong of Qianfeng Sect in Xuanhuan Town echoed.

Elder Zhang Ji of the Zhenjiang Liuzong sect coughed lightly and then offered to contribute money.

Before Ding Yuan could speak, Wang Xuan looked at him coldly.

"Our government...our government agrees." Ding Yuan swallowed hard and nodded with difficulty.

The Ding family's financial situation was not good, and 60,000 spirit stones was not something they could easily come up with, but under these circumstances, he had no choice but to bite the bullet and agree.

Being kicked out of the game if you don't agree to the conditions is very dangerous.

Although the area under the jurisdiction of Bian Shang Town and Bian Xia Town is much larger than the five towns under the jurisdiction of Xijiang County, due to the fact that most of them are deserts and Gobi, the land is vast and sparsely populated, and the population density is insufficient. In addition, various forces are mixed together, so the overall strength of the two towns is not as good as that of Qianfeng Sect and Huaxuan Sect.

"Since everyone agrees to pool their spirit stones, I'll continue with the next step of the plan," Wang Xuan said, seeing that everyone had nodded.

“Spirit stones alone might not be enough, but let’s not talk about that for now. We’ll discuss it after the Beast Taming Sect sends the Bianxi City manager to take office. In any case, the Beast Taming Sect’s comeback this time is most likely to make an example of some forces in Bianxi City to show their power.”

"This is very likely to be a hard target. Fortunately, when Luoyun Sect withdrew from Bianxi City, it took Puqing Valley, Xunyang Sect and some small independent cultivator forces with it. This can be reported as a target."

“If the number of targets is still not enough, then we must find some more scapegoats. That’s why I only called the four of you to discuss this, and did not gather all the forces in Bianxi City. Those who did not attend today, we can push them out to fill the gaps later.”

Hearing this, Ding Yuan breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, he had attended the meeting; otherwise, the Ding family might have been the scapegoats.

As for other forces, he didn't care who would be used as a scapegoat; in fact, he was pleased to see them all wiped out by the Beast Taming Sect.

The other three also looked relieved and satisfied.

Wang Xuan looked at the group of people, his face remaining expressionless, but inwardly he sneered.

He sought to discuss matters with these various factions for two reasons: firstly, to find someone to share the cost of spirit stones, and secondly, to win them over to form a unified camp in order to fight against the impending Hunyuan Sect.

Now, he is the one in the most dangerous situation in the entire Bianxi City. Although he is not close to Luoyun Sect, he has a real grudge against Hunyuan Sect.

Furthermore, Hunyuan Sect was a loyal subject of the Beast Taming Sect. Given their relationship, if he spoke ill of the Beast Taming Sect, he would likely end up on the sect's death list.

Therefore, he needs to prepare a generous gift for the future official in charge. If he were to bear this burden alone, he would have to sell everything he owns to come up with 300,000 spirit stones in a short time.

Winning over these four sects can not only alleviate my financial pressure, but also allow me to use them as scapegoats in critical moments.

He had already decided that if the situation turned bad, he would push these families out and let the Beast Taming Sect use them as scapegoats to settle his score.

.........

The moonlight was bright, and the sky was full of stars.

Outside the gate of Luoyun Sect in Bianxi City, a man dressed in the attire of Yuyuan Sect rode a flying magical artifact southward. After traveling for a short while, suddenly, a golden light shot out from behind him. Before the man could react, the golden light pierced through his abdomen. With a scream, he fell directly off the flying magical artifact.

Just as he was about to be smashed into a bloody pulp, a surge of spiritual energy suddenly caught him as he landed. The man endured the pain in his abdomen and looked up to see a tall, solemn-faced Foundation Establishment cultivator standing before him, looking down at him. This man was none other than Lin Zixiang.

He was sent by Song Xian to scout out the situation in Bianxi City ahead of time. He found that the Luoyun Sect's mountain gate had been occupied by Yuyuan Sect cultivators, so he attacked the Yuyuan Sect cultivator who was out.

"Senior, senior, spare my life!" Although the man didn't know what was going on or recognized Lin Zixiang, he knew that this Foundation Establishment cultivator had attacked him. He couldn't care less about anything else and was so frightened that he begged for mercy repeatedly.

"I have a few questions. Answer me honestly: Are there still any Luoyun Sect cultivators in Luoyun Mountain?"

"No, the cultivators from the Luoyun Sect have already fled."

"Why are you occupying the Luoyun Sect's mountain gate? Who gave you the order? How many people are inside the Luoyun Sect's mountain gate?"

“This junior is guarding the Luoyun Sect’s mountain gate on the orders of the sect leader. Once the Beast Taming Sect arrives, I will hand it over to them. There are only a dozen or so people inside the Luoyun Sect’s mountain gate, including myself. Please spare my life, senior. This has nothing to do with me.”

Who currently occupies Luojia Mountain and Tianshan Mountain?

"The spiritual veins of Luojia Mountain are currently unguarded. I heard that some rogue cultivators have occupied the cultivation rooms there. It is said that the Ding family has taken over Tianshan Mountain."

"Besides the Luoyun Sect's main gate, have you occupied all the resources in the Luoyun Sect's other territories?"

After asking the man a lot of questions, Lin Zixiang killed him without hesitation and left the place after he finished answering.

.........

The sky was clear and cloudless, and the spirit ship bearing the banner of the Hunyuan Sect sailed in mid-air.

In the distance, a streak of light shot out and landed on the spirit ship; it was Lin Zixiang who had returned.

"Sect Leader, the situation is clear. The Luoyun Sect has indeed completely withdrawn from Bianxi City, along with some smaller forces such as Puqing Valley and Xunyang Sect..." Inside the spirit ship's cabin, Lin Zixiang recounted the information he had gathered.

After hearing his report, Song Xian was completely relieved and ordered the spirit ship to move forward at full speed.

Traveling day and night, the spirit ship finally arrived at Bianxi City. It then split into three groups: Hu Xiaobao led twenty disciples to Luojia Mountain, Lin Zixiang led twenty disciples to Luoyun Mountain, and Song Xian led the remaining disciples to Tianshan Mountain.

For Hunyuanzong, Tianshan was the most important base, which is why he went there in person.

As for Luojia Mountain and Luoyun Mountain, the two Foundation Establishment cultivators, Hu Xiaobao and Lin Zixiang, are more than enough to handle them.

He believed that at this time, no one dared to confront the Hunyuan Sect head-on.

(End of this chapter)