Hunyuan Immortal Sect

Chapter 484 Tooth for Tooth
Nie Liang frowned even more deeply; he had never agreed to attack Yongning City in the first place.

The last attack on Hua Yuanzong not only yielded no benefits, but also resulted in the loss of a large number of men, a complete defeat.

In fact, with the current strength and personnel of the Mingyue Sect, occupying the resource territories of Humen City and Anyuan City is already sufficient.

However, he also knew that this was Xu Zhuoxuan's inner conflict. Without obtaining the third-tier spiritual vein, he would be unable to cultivate. Since it was a matter of great importance to cultivation, no one's opposition would be of any use. If he spoke too much, it might cause dissatisfaction. Therefore, he could only express his opinion in a tactful way.

"Sect Leader, please forgive my bluntness, but even if our sect does its utmost to help the Beast Taming Sect take down the Murong family, it will be difficult to get the Beast Taming Sect to support our annexation of the Huayuan Sect. If the Beast Taming Sect attacks the Murong family and issues a conscription order, the Huayuan Sect will certainly send people to help. If we then attack the Huayuan Sect, the Beast Taming Sect will not stand idly by!"

Xu Zhuoxuan smiled slightly, appearing confident: "Once the Beast Taming Sect issues a conscription order, the Huayuan Sect will naturally send people to assist them. Our sect cannot attack the Beast Taming Sect while the Huayuan Sect is sending troops to assist them, but we can find a reason to attack them afterward."

"Make excuses? What excuses can you come up with?"

What was the pretext the Beast Taming Sect used to attack the Murong family?

"Colluding with the rebels in Nanhan County? But with the strength of Huayuan Sect, the rebels in Nanhan County wouldn't even give them a second glance. To say they're colluding with the rebels is a bit of a stretch! Would the Beast Taming Sect believe that reason?"

Xu Zhuoxuan smiled but remained silent.

Seeing his expression, Nie Liang suddenly realized that his trip to Xijiang County must have been due to a private agreement reached with Hong Haoran, the leader of the Beast Taming Sect.

No wonder he organized a thousand elite disciples and personally led the team to assist the Beast Taming Sect.

Hong Haoran's condition was presumably that the Bright Moon Sect would fully assist them in conquering the Murong family, and in exchange, the Beast Taming Sect would give the Bright Moon Sect another chance to attack the Huayuan Sect.

For the Beast Taming Sect, this deal was a sure-fire way to make money.

If the Beast Taming Sect were to annex the Murong family, its strength would rise to a new level, which is of utmost importance to them.

Compared to this, the mere Hua Yuanzong is not worth mentioning, especially since Hua Yuanzong had previously submitted to Yun Xuanzong and was essentially a stepchild.

"Even if the Beast Taming Sect tacitly approves and gives our sect another chance, it will not be easy to take down the Huayuan Sect in one fell swoop. We were defeated before because of the assistance of the Xuanyang Sect and the interference of the Hunyuan Sect. Now that the enmity has been settled, they will not stand idly by if we have to do it again."

A cold glint flashed in Xu Zhuoxuan's eyes: "We were too hasty before. Now we can plan slowly. No matter what, as long as we can get the Beast Taming Sect's tacit approval, we will have a chance."

…………

The sky is clear and the air is fresh, with not a single cloud in sight.

In Fengluofang, Xijiang County, at the auction venue, on a circular platform, two men and women were enthusiastically promoting the items they were auctioning.

The crowd below the stage whispered among themselves, creating a constant commotion, while the sounds of bidding could be heard from the rooms on both sides of the second floor.

"Thirty-six thousand spirit stones, Room 8 bid thirteen thousand spirit stones, I counted down the last few dozen, and no one else bid, so this item belongs to the senior in Room 8."

"Ten, nine, eight..."

"Congratulations to the senior in room number eight for securing this century-old spirit pearl." As soon as the man on the stage finished speaking, a figure leaped from room number eight onto the stage, revealing himself to be an old man with slightly white hair and a bulbous nose.

He took the exquisite wooden box, glanced at it, and put it into his pocket. Then he took out the spirit stones and handed them to the man on the stage. After that, he flashed back into the private room.

"The next item in this auction is the Cloud Jade Mystic Stone." Another woman lifted the red cloth covering the jade plate and introduced the next item to be auctioned.

.........

As the auction ended and the crowd dispersed, it was already dark and the moon was rising. Less than a hundred miles from the market, a figure emerged from hiding before a lake. It was the old man with slightly white hair and a wine-stained nose.

His gaze was fixed on the desolate area in the direction of the market. The next moment, golden flames appeared and transformed into a three-legged golden crow, rushing towards him. Wherever it passed, the air was filled with blazing golden flames.

At the same time, a figure slowly appeared, wearing a black robe and a bamboo hat, concealing his figure completely.

Needless to say, this person was Song Xian.

The man opposite him, with slightly white hair and a bulbous nose, was none other than Zhang Tianda of the Bright Moon Sect.

After receiving the intelligence, Song Xian pondered the matter repeatedly and finally decided to personally visit the market town in Xijiang County.

Zhang Tianda's incident had already caused a great uproar in the sect. Fan Cheng, as the sect's vice hall master and one of the most senior members, was assassinated in Humen City, and to this day, the murderer is still at large.

This not only disheartened many disciples, but also made them feel insecure.

Although Song Xian rarely interacted with the lower-level disciples of the sect, he learned about the sect disciples' discussions through Jiang Zichen and Huang Ye. Many people talked about this matter in private, and most of them had nothing good to say.

They either complain about the sect's incompetence, saying that their own deputy hall master was killed and they didn't dare to fight back.

They were either worried about their own situation, afraid of becoming the next Fan Cheng. Even when Fan Cheng died, the sect didn't make any statement, so they were even less likely to.

After the incident escalated, the sect's disciples were filled with anxiety and became increasingly disaffected.

As long as Zhang Tianda lives, this matter will continue to be discussed. The sect's shame is also his shame. Those sect disciples may not curse him verbally, but who knows what they think in their hearts.

As the leader, the most important thing is to maintain prestige. Once prestige is lost and the hearts of the people are lost, all sorts of problems will arise.

To wash away the shame, this person must be eliminated.

This is why Song Xian, after careful consideration, decided to personally come to Xijiang County to ambush them.

He had considered the possibility that this was a scheme orchestrated by the Bright Moon Sect, using Zhang Tianda as bait to lure him out.

However, after carefully analyzing the whole matter, he felt that the possibility of a trap was small. First of all, Zhang Tianda's participation in this market auction was not a clear intelligence report, but rather a speculation by Wei Jiang, a disciple of the intelligence team.

Secondly, Zhang Tianda's need for the Hundred-Year Spirit Coral happened before Fan Cheng was murdered. If it happened afterward, it could be a bait deliberately thrown out by Xu Zhuoxuan to deal with him. But before these things happened, it was impossible for him to plan so far ahead.

Even if this were a trap, and he fell into it, with Xu Zhuoxuan waiting for him, he wouldn't be without a fighting chance given his current strength.

This was his greatest source of confidence. Xu Zhuoxuan was only at the first level of the Golden Core stage. Even if he was stronger than him, he was definitely not much stronger. With the power of the Taiyin Netherfire, he dared not claim victory, but he was not a lamb to the slaughter.

Therefore, he chose this place to make his move. This place is only a hundred miles away from the market town. Even if he encounters Xu Zhuoxuan, he can escape to the market town. And Luofeng Market Town is guarded by Golden Core cultivators from the Beast Taming Sect.

Seeing the three-legged golden crow carrying rolling golden flames sweeping across the sky, Zhang Tianda's pupils shrank sharply; he was already very cautious.

After receiving news of the auction of the Hundred-Year Spirit Coral, he did not mention it to anyone and quietly left the mountain gate. Knowing that the Hunyuan Sect was watching him, he disguised himself. After acquiring the Hundred-Year Spirit Coral, he first strolled around the market to make sure no one was following him before using stealth techniques to leave. However, he did not expect to be spotted by someone.

Song Xian.

Zhang Tianda was terrified. Although the newcomer was dressed in a robe and carrying a hat, he recognized him immediately. With such special golden flames and a Foundation Establishment level 10 cultivation, this person must be Song Xian without a doubt.

He didn't have time to think about which part went wrong. He quickly took out the talismans he was carrying. Several talismans shone brightly and turned into defensive shields, enveloping him in the room.

Then, he clasped his hands together, condensing his magic, and streams of water formed.

The three-legged golden crow roared past, carrying with it a deluge of golden flames that engulfed him.

Looking around, the area within a hundred feet had become a golden sea of ​​fire.

The water column that Zhang Tianda condensed was instantly evaporated, and as the three-legged golden crow swept past, the defensive light shield formed by the talismans rapidly melted. The next moment, the three-legged golden crow had already devoured it.

Zhang Tianda opened his mouth wide, as if he were shouting, but no sound came out.

His body was engulfed by golden flames, and in an instant, only a skeleton remained.

With the power of the Crimson Sun Golden Flame, dealing with a Foundation Establishment Level 1 cultivator like him who had only recently advanced to the Foundation Establishment Realm was naturally a piece of cake.

In fact, with Song Xian's current strength, there is absolutely no need for him to use the Crimson Sun Golden Flame.

The reason he chose to release the Crimson Sun Golden Flame was to clearly tell everyone that he was the one who killed Zhang Tianda.

He had previously used the Crimson Sun Golden Flame against his enemies on many occasions.

He possesses a powerful golden flame divine ability, which is no secret in Xijiang County. Many people know that he used it in front of Jiang Feng when fighting against the Fengxing Sect in Humen City.

He used the Crimson Sun Golden Flame to kill Zhang Tianda as an example of using Zhang's own methods against him.

When Zhang Tianda ambushed Fan Cheng outside the market of Humen City, he was wearing a robe and a hat to completely conceal his figure, but those in the know recognized him because he used his spirit beast.

Now Song Xian also concealed himself completely and used his unique supernatural powers to kill him.

The intention was to let everyone know that Zhang Tianda died in the same way Fan Cheng died.

Since Mingyue Sect does not admit that Zhang Tianda killed Fan Cheng, he can naturally use the same excuse to refute Mingyue Sect.

Coincidentally, both men were ambushed while participating in a market auction.

One is outside the market town of Humen, and the other is outside the market town of Xijiang County.

It truly is a cycle of karma, and retribution is inevitable.

At this moment, several cultivators had gathered around to watch. This place was not far from Luofengfang. Although the fight just now was short, it was quite a spectacle and had already attracted many passing cultivators.

Song Xian didn't care at all. After dealing with Zhang Tianda, he used the Profound Heaven Fusion Fire Technique to retract the Crimson Sun Golden Flame into his body, and then his escape light rose up and headed west.

The cultivators who had been passing by and watching gathered around him as he walked away.

Inside the magnificent council hall of Luoyun Mountain, several members of the Hunyuan Sect's inner cabinet entered one after another and took their seats.

"Junior Brother Jiang, what happened? Why the sudden call for a meeting?" Yu Lian was the last to arrive. He sat down next to Jiang Zichen and, seeing that Song Xian had not yet arrived, asked him in a low voice.

"I just received the news and came to participate in the meeting. I don't know the specifics of what it's about." Jiang Zichen's gaze swept over the group.

At this moment, Xiao Ling and Qi Xiaobai also looked puzzled and were discussing it with their heads down.

Shen Fan remained expressionless, sitting silently in the last seat.

Huang Ye, on the other hand, kept his eyes down and remained completely still.

Occasionally, Xiao Ling would say a word or two to him, and he would simply nod or shake his head in response, or utter a few words without moving his head, as if he were an old monk sitting still.

"Today is not a day for discussion, so the sect leader's sudden summons must be for something important. Could it be that the Beast Taming Sect is about to take action against the Murong family?"

Jiang Zichen shook his head, indicating that he didn't know either.

"Junior Brother Huang, do you know what this is about?" Yu Lian looked at Huang Ye again.

Within the sect, if we're talking about who knows the most secrets, there's no one else but Huang Ye.

Song Xian discussed many things with Huang Ye alone, without even Jiang Zichen participating.

"I don't know." Huang Ye's expression remained unchanged, still as composed as an old monk, and his answer was quite simple.

Most people wouldn't ask any more questions after seeing his indifferent attitude, but Yu Lian didn't care at all, and was shameless enough to keep asking until he got to the bottom of it.

"Junior Brother Huang, you are in charge of the sect's intelligence. Have you received any news about the changes in the situation in Xijiang County?"

Huang Ye simply shook his head without saying a word.

"That's strange. Recently, only the Beast Taming Sect and the Murong family have been on the verge of conflict. If it's not about this, then what could it be?" Yu Lian was still talking to himself, and the others didn't respond.

Just then, the group seemed to sense something and looked outside in unison. Soon after, footsteps could be heard outside.

Song Xian strode in, followed by Hu Xiaobao and Lin Zixiang.

The group rose and bowed. Song Xian went straight to the main seat and waved his hand, indicating that everyone should take their seats.

"The purpose of today's meeting is to prepare for possible retaliation from the Bright Moon Sect," Song Xian said calmly.

“A few days ago, I received intelligence from the sect that Zhang Tianda of the Bright Moon Sect was about to go to Luofengfang in Xijiang County to participate in an auction. So I left the sect and ambushed him there, capturing this scoundrel.”

"Although the dead cannot be brought back to life, this can be considered a consolation to Brother Fan Cheng's spirit in heaven."

“I expect the Bright Moon Sect will soon learn of this letter and guess that it was done by our sect. The Bright Moon Sect is very likely to retaliate afterward, so we must be prepared.”

These words elicited various reactions from the crowd.

After a brief moment of surprise, Jiang Zichen became thoughtful.

Yu Lian, on the other hand, looked delighted, as if he had received some treasure.

Xiao Ling frowned slightly, looking somewhat worried.

Qi Xiaobai looked at Song Xian with some surprise, then glanced at Lin Zixiang.

Shen Fan and Huang Ye both had no expression on their faces; one was taciturn, and the other remained calm and composed.

Song Xian glanced at the group and continued speaking to himself, "Junior Sister Xiao, immediately send someone to inform the disciples in the markets and shops of each city to be careful, especially the disciples stationed in Humen City, and instruct them not to leave the market."

"Disciples who are on missions outside, such as those transporting goods, should stop their operations. If they must continue, they should avoid Humen City."

"Junior Brother Zichen, order all disciples of the sect not to leave their respective camps except when necessary."

"Senior Brother Zixiang, summon all disciples of the Martial Guard Camp to be ready to obey orders at any time."

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P.S.: (I'm asking for leave tomorrow.)
(End of this chapter)