Hunyuan Immortal Sect

Chapter 446 On the Verge of Explosion (Part 2)
Seeing this attitude, Tian Xuan knew that the Bright Moon Sect must have contacted the Xuan Yang Sect privately in the past few days, making demands through either coercion or enticement.

This was because when he approached Gu Xuntao before, Gu Xuntao was also very worried about this. Although Gu Xuntao only agreed to announce the alliance, he did not promise to send troops to fight against the Mingyue Sect.

However, his attitude then was completely different from now. If he hadn't had a private conversation with the Mingyue Sect, Gu Xuntao certainly wouldn't have refused outright; he would have at least considered it.

"Sect Leader Gu, I don't know what promises the Bright Moon Sect made to your sect, but I'm certain it's a delaying tactic. Sect Leader Gu, you absolutely must not fall for their trap," Tian Xuan said earnestly.

"The Bright Moon Sect harbors wolfish ambitions. If they take Yongning City, they will inevitably turn their attention to Tianshui City in the future. The Bright Moon Sect's promises are nothing more than a strategy of befriending distant states while attacking nearby ones. Sect Leader Gu, do not be deceived by their sweet words!"

Gu Xuntao waved his hand: "Fellow Daoist Tian, ​​I understand your feelings very well, and I also sympathize with your sect's plight. However, our sect is truly powerless to help in this matter, please forgive us."

"If your sect is willing to send troops, our sect will not only fulfill the previously agreed conditions, but also offer a Golden Yuan Pill."

"Golden Essence Pill." Gu Xuntao's eyes narrowed, and he unconsciously sat up straight.

The Golden Essence Pill is an essential item for cultivators to break through to the Golden Core Realm. Gu Xuntao has already reached the ninth level of Foundation Establishment. If there are no accidents, he will be able to reach the Great Perfection of Foundation Establishment after another twenty-three years of hard cultivation. Many years ago, he ordered the sect to do everything possible to find clues about the Golden Essence Pill, but so far they have found nothing.

Not only is the Golden Essence Pill difficult to refine, but the required medicinal herbs are also extremely scarce, unlike the Foundation Establishment Pill, which is readily available on the market and can be purchased as long as one has the money.

The Golden Essence Pill is no longer just expensive; it's truly priceless. Even a powerful force like the Beast Taming Sect cannot easily refine it, making each pill extremely precious.

Within the Beast Taming Sect, only inner disciples can obtain Golden Essence Pills provided by the sect. Due to their rarity, not every Beast Taming Sect disciple who joins the inner circle receives a Golden Essence Pill; one must reach the Great Perfection realm in cultivation before applying to the sect.

It's not like you can get it immediately after applying; sometimes you have to wait for decades or even centuries to receive it.

This is because the main ingredient of the Golden Essence Pill, the Mysterious Crystal Lotus, takes at least three hundred years to mature and can only be cultivated in a third-tier spirit pool. Moreover, the Mysterious Crystal Lotus is extremely delicate. Even with the most dedicated and meticulous care, there is no guarantee that it will grow smoothly. If anything goes wrong in the process, all previous efforts will be wasted.

In addition, the Golden Essence Pill is difficult to refine, and there are very few cultivators with this alchemy skill, which makes the Golden Essence Pill extremely scarce. No sect or force will hand it over to outsiders after refining it, so it is not available for sale on the market.

"Does Sect Leader Luo really have the Golden Essence Pill?" Gu Xuntao's eyes flickered slightly. He had originally decided not to get involved in the affairs between the Bright Moon Sect and the Xuan Yang Sect, but faced with the temptation of the Golden Essence Pill, his heart couldn't help but be stirred.

With the Golden Essence Pill, he would have the opportunity to break through to the Golden Core Realm. Once he broke through to the Golden Core Realm, it would be a qualitative improvement for both him and the entire sect.

Although Mingyue Sect promised never to harm them, he knew in his heart that this was just a temporary measure. Not to mention empty words that have no binding force, even a written contract is nothing but a piece of waste paper.

When the balance of power between the two sides is unbalanced, any treaty is worthless.

The main reason he didn't want to participate in the war was that he thought it was not worth the effort, and the cost and reward were disproportionate. But now that he had the Golden Elixir as a bargaining chip, the scales in his mind were slowly tipping back to normal.

“How dare I boast and deceive Sect Leader Gu? This Golden Essence Pill was obtained by our sect leader during a search for a secret treasure. Originally, he intended to use it himself, but now that the sect is facing a life-or-death crisis, he can no longer care about this Golden Essence Pill. As long as your sect sends a team to enter the city to assist in the defense, our sect leader will immediately offer the Golden Essence Pill.”

Gu Xuntao narrowed his eyes slightly: "Let me consider this matter."

"Xu Zhuoxuan has personally led his troops and will soon arrive in Yongning City to engage in a decisive battle with our sect. Time is running out for our sect, so please make a decision as soon as possible, Sect Leader Gu. If your sect refuses to help, our sect will have no choice but to go to Hunyuan Sect, offer this Golden Yuan Pill, and ask them to take action."

.........

In Bianxi City, on Luoyun Mountain, on the vast back mountain, Song Xian spread his arms wide, his hands forming a circle and pressing together. His spiritual energy swirled within him like a whirlwind, and he slowly pulled his hands apart, as if he were using all his strength to push a mountain.

Between his palms, a tiny crack could be faintly seen, like a knife slicing across a smooth piece of paper, leaving an almost imperceptible fissure.

Unless you look closely, no one else would notice anything unusual.

However, in Song Xianzhen's discerning eyes, the true situation was far from what the naked eye could see.

He could clearly see the stable structure of the space boiling and undulating like magma erupting, while in his palm, the space was torn open with a crack several inches long, but it was only a surface crack.

It's like a sharp knife slicing through your arm, leaving a shallow wound on your skin, but the flesh, bones, and veins inside remain completely unharmed.

Following the method of the Gate of Revelation, Song Xian rapidly circulated his spiritual energy along several fixed meridians throughout his body, then concentrated it at the very center between his palms, surging into the torn spatial rift.

As spiritual energy continued to flow in, he felt increasingly strained. Veins bulged on his forehead, veins appeared on his arms, and his face gradually turned red.

Even after he opened his palms and the spiritual energy that had gathered in his body dissipated, the torn space did not expand; instead, it quickly closed up.

Song Xian let his hands fall limply to his sides and took a few deep breaths.

After this period of cultivation, he has been able to concentrate more spiritual energy in his body at a certain point, but he is unable to maintain a stable flow of spiritual energy.

This means that although he can tear open tiny gaps in space, he cannot expand the torn space.

To successfully traverse space, a spatial passage must be established between the two points. He tried his best but could only tear a crack in the surface of space. He was still a long way from successfully using the Gate of Revelation.

But Song Xian was not discouraged at all. He already knew the principle of space travel. With his True Eye of Observation, he could easily see through the changes in spatial structure and find its weaknesses. For most cultivators, the most difficult key to the Space Travel Technique was something he could see through without breaking a sweat.

The rest can be achieved through persistent practice, so he is very confident that he will be able to completely master this technique sooner or later.

After resting for a while, he sat cross-legged and, following the cultivation method of the Gate of Revelation, controlled the gathering and concentration of spiritual energy within his body.

Just then, a disciple landed on a flying artifact in the distance, quickly approached, and bowed respectfully: "Sect Leader, Ding Mingde, the Second Elder of the Bright Moon Sect, has arrived at the mountain gate to request an audience."

"Understood. Tell Junior Brother Zichen to take him to the council hall." Song Xian gave the order calmly. He was not surprised by Ding Mingde's visit again, because he already knew that Xuan Yang Sect had sent troops to Yongning City to assist Hua Yuan Sect in its defense.

It was expected that the Mingyue Sect would send someone to persuade the Hunyuan Sect to join the alliance between the Xuanyang Sect and the Huayuan Sect, as they were certainly worried that the Hunyuan Sect would also be convinced. To be honest, the fact that the Xuanyang Sect was willing to send troops to help was something he hadn't anticipated.

He originally thought that the alliance between Xuan Yang Sect and Hua Yuan Sect was just a bluff, since alliances are more of a statement than a real help.

For example, when Yunxiao Sect and Yunxuan Sect formed an alliance in Huayang County, Yunxuan Sect and Yushou Sect were fighting fiercely at the time, but Yunxiao Sect, as the allied party, never sent a single disciple to help Yunxuan Sect in battle.

When the situation turned unfavorable, before Xuan Yuan Sect could officially intervene, Yun Xiao Sect quickly broke off relations with Yun Xuan Sect.

Even when Yun Xuanzong was ambushed and scattered, Yunxiao Sect, in order to absolve itself of any responsibility, sent people to search for Yun Xuanzong disciples who had fled to Huayang County, as if there were some deep-seated grudge between them.

This shows that the alliances were all empty promises.

When Hunyuan Sect was in Bianxia Town, it had formed an alliance with other sects to deal with the threat of rogue cultivators. It had a deep understanding of this. The so-called alliance was nothing more than sticking together for warmth, while each sect had its own ulterior motives.

Therefore, he didn't really believe in the value of this alliance from the beginning, but he didn't expect that Xuan Yang Sect would actually send a team to Yongning City to help Hua Yuan Sect resist Ming Yue Sect.

It is unknown what conditions Hua Yuanzong offered that made Xuan Yangzong willing to completely offend Mingyuezong and risk his life to get involved in this vortex.

Regardless, Song Xian was pleased with the outcome. He never wanted the Mingyue Sect to become too powerful, and now that the Xuanyang Sect and the Huayuan Sect had joined forces, it would be extremely difficult for the Mingyue Sect to take over Yongning City.

This fulfilled his wish without getting himself involved, which was the best possible outcome for him.

.........

Inside the spacious and bright hall, Jiang Zichen was chatting idly with Ding Mingde. Since the person in charge hadn't arrived, the two naturally wouldn't discuss serious matters.

When Song Xian entered from outside, Ding Mingde stood up, bowed, and said, "Master Song, I apologize for disturbing you."

"Fellow Daoist Ding, it is an honor to have you here. I am sorry for not welcoming you sooner. Please have a seat." Song Xian smiled and invited him to sit down, then went straight to the main seat and sat down himself. "I heard that Sect Leader Xu has led his troops to Yongning City and should already be at war with Huayuan Sect! I did not expect that Fellow Daoist Ding would come to our sect at this time."

Ding Mingde said with a serious expression: "Sect Leader Song is a smart man. Let's not beat around the bush. I have important matters to discuss with you today."

"Fellow Daoist Ding, please speak."

"Fellow Daoist Song must know that Xuan Yang Sect has sent troops to Yongning City to help Hua Yuan Sect fight against our sect. If it were a head-on confrontation, our sect would naturally not be afraid of them. However, they are relying on their defenses and hiding in the open. It will probably not be so easy to wipe them out in one fell swoop."

"Therefore, our sect wishes to request your sect's assistance. If we join forces to take Yongning City, our sect will share a portion of the resources and territory gained with your sect. What does Sect Leader Song think?"

Song Xian remained expressionless, still smiling: "I am not as ambitious as Sect Leader Xu. My sect is content as long as we can protect this small piece of land in Bianxi City. We dare not have any other delusions."

Ding Mingde looked up at him and said, "I'm afraid Sect Leader Song isn't being sincere! Your sect has grown from an unknown little sect in Bianxia Town to the number one sect in Bianxi City. First, you annexed Tianshan, then you slaughtered the Kong family, and then you replaced Luoyun Sect. If Sect Leader Song didn't have grand ambitions, he should still be staying at Guzi Peak in Bianxia Town, not Luoyun Mountain."

"Fellow Daoist Ding, you are mistaken. Although our sect has grown stronger in Bianxi City step by step, we have always acted on the orders of the Beast Taming Sect. Whether it was annexing Tianshan, annihilating the Kong family, or replacing the Luoyun Sect, it was all the intention of the Beast Taming Sect. Our sect was just following orders."

"So, without the Beast Taming Sect's order, your sect will not assist our sect?"

"Please forgive me, Fellow Daoist Ding."

Ding Mingde looked directly at him: "In other words, without the order of the Beast Taming Sect, your sect will not assist the Huayuan Sect? I can understand it that way!"

"Of course, our sect will never be an enemy of your sect; this is our bottom line."

"In that case, I won't say any more. Farewell." Ding Mingde nodded and then stood up.

His purpose in coming here was to make Song Xian's attitude clear, because he had received news that Hua Yuanzong had repeatedly sent people to visit Luoyun Mountain in recent days.

He worried that if Song Xian and Hua Yuanzong reached an agreement, and Hunyuanzong also sided with Hua Yuanzong, then it would be even more impossible for them to attack Yongning City and seize Hua Yuanzong's mountain gate.

Rationally speaking, Hunyuan Sect shouldn't make an enemy of Mingyue Sect for the sake of Huayuan Sect. After all, there's no benefit to them in helping Huayuan Sect, while offending Mingyue Sect would not only jeopardize their future safety, but also result in significant losses due to the hundreds of thousands of spirit stones exchanged annually in their cooperative affairs.

But better safe than sorry. Xu Zhuoxuan had previously concluded that the alliance between Xuan Yang Sect and Hua Yuan Sect was just a bluff, and that if they launched a strong attack on Yongning City, Xuan Yang Sect would never dare to send troops to help.

Therefore, on the day of the Bright Moon Sect's celebration, Xu Zhuoxuan openly declared in front of the Xuan Yang Sect elders that he would settle old scores with the Hua Yun Sect, and anyone who dared to interfere would be considered an enemy of the Bright Moon Sect.

Unexpectedly, when they gathered their forces to attack Yongning City, Xuanyangzong actually dared to send a large contingent to assist them.

This made Xu Zhuoxuan doubt his own judgment, and he was no longer so confident that Hunyuanzong would definitely stand idly by. Therefore, he sent Ding Mingde to test Song Xian's attitude.

His previous proposal to ask the Hunyuan Sect for help in taking Yongning City was just a casual remark, a gamble with no real hope.

His true purpose in coming here was to confirm that Hunyuanzong would not help Huayuanzong. Therefore, after receiving a clear answer from Song Xian, he immediately got up to take his leave.

"Knowing that your sect is currently at war, and Fellow Daoist Ding is busy with many affairs and his time is precious, I will not keep you any longer. I will see you off." Song Xian escorted him to the mountain gate.

"Regarding the matter of jointly taking Yongning City, I would appreciate it if Sect Leader Song would reconsider. Please feel free to state any conditions you may have. If Sect Leader Song is willing to cooperate, please send someone to inform me at any time."

"Thank you for your kindness, Fellow Daoist Ding. I would like to reiterate that our sect does not wish to be involved in the feud between your sect and Huayuan Sect. Please understand."

Ding Mingde didn't say anything more. He rose up in a flash of light and quickly disappeared from sight.

(End of this chapter)