The Cold and Aloof Palace Master's Daily Demon-Slaying Life

Chapter 142 The Frustrated Master of Nanzhang

But at this moment.

When the power of the Fruit Realm was greatly reduced, and its ability to isolate and interfere with other Fruit Realm Dao Principles was reduced to the minimum, those "vengeful" Fruit Realm Dao Principles, like sharks smelling blood, all turned their "eyes" to the Hanmo Mountains.

Thus, while purplish-black lightning struck intermittently, other strange phenomena occasionally appeared in the sky above the Fu Shui Xian Sect.

Crimson flames, as red as blood, suddenly ignited, burning a cave to the ground. The cultivators inside were reduced to charred remains before they could even scream.

A sharp, golden sword aura descended from the void, cleaving a small herb garden and its guarding disciple in two:

A heavy, earthen-yellow light crashed down, leveling a family's villa to the ground.

These "purges" from other Great Daos may not have been as frequent or systematic as those from the Yin Thunder Dao, but they were equally precise and deadly, further exacerbating the chaos and casualties within the Fu Shui Xian Sect.

In the past, if faced with such opportunistic behavior, Fu Shui Zhenjun would have been furious, regarding it as a blatant infringement on his own lineage, and would have intervened, potentially triggering another round of conflict among the Zhenjun.

But now, True Monarch Fu Shui has been defeated in the Purple Talisman Dao Competition, his origin has been damaged, and he is suffering from Dao injuries.

The blurry figure, whether real or spiritual, was in seclusion deep within the sect healing its wounds. Even if it was aware of everything happening outside, it was powerless to do anything about it and could only turn a blind eye, tacitly allowing them to "fish in troubled waters and kick someone when they're down" in its "territory".

This undoubtedly further dampened the morale and confidence of the disciples of the Fu Shui Xian Sect.

Even the most powerful Supreme Elder can no longer protect them? Is this sect still the super sect they once relied on for pride and regarded as their home?

Despair and confusion, like the deepest ink, permeated the hearts of every Fu Shui disciple.

The storm of reckoning regarding the principles of attainment and attainment, which lasted for more than ten days, finally subsided.

As a result of this battle, the Fu Shui Immortal Sect suffered at least a hundred Foundation Establishment disciples and several thousand Qi Refining disciples. Furthermore, several elders at the Purple Mansion stage were forced into seclusion due to severe injuries or damage to their Dao hearts.

(Stacked Armor Defense: It's reasonable that so many low-level cultivators die. Others get struck down for cursing a True Lord, but I get away with it. So, human nature will treat cursing a True Lord as a source of superiority, and the lower the cultivator, the harsher the curses. You can think of the True Lord's Daoist protection as an uncensored, unsupervised internet where the evil flowers of human nature will bloom freely.)

The sect's vitality has been severely damaged once again.

When the sky was no longer shrouded in sudden thunderclouds and strange phenomena, the disciples who had survived by chance dared to breathe a little easier. However, the shadow in their hearts and the fear of the "True Lord's Majesty" were deeply imprinted and could never be erased.

Amidst the aftermath of this tense and uneasy atmosphere, the envoy dispatched by Taihua Sect finally crossed thousands of mountains and rivers and arrived at the gates of Fushui Immortal Sect in the Hanmo Mountains.

The envoy was not a very important person.

He was just an ordinary elder in the early stage of the Purple Mansion realm, accompanied by two disciples.

The task is simple: return the relics of Sword Master Li Baitian, his natal twin swords "Qingping" and "Taozhi", to the Fu Shuixian Sect.

This is a form of etiquette in itself.

It is a sign of respect for those who died in battle, and also the minimum courtesy to the True Lord of Fu Shui.

However, given the current state of the Fu Shui Xian Sect, this act of "returning the relics" inevitably carries a subtle, even jarring, connotation.

The person in charge of receiving them was the current head of the Fu Shui Xian Sect, Master Nan Zhang.

Master Nanzhang was a man who looked to be about forty or fifty years old, with graying temples and a refined appearance that carried the dignity and vicissitudes of someone who had long held a high position.

He wore a deep purple robe embroidered with intricate ink-wash cloud patterns, signifying his status as the sect leader, and a black jade Taoist crown. His aura was calm and composed, clearly indicating that he possessed the cultivation level of the Great Perfection of the Purple Mansion realm.

To be able to sit in the position of sect leader under the tutelage of True Lord Fu Shui and in the talent-rich Fu Shui Immortal Sect, True Man Nan Zhang must be extraordinary in terms of cultivation, temperament, and skills.

However, the continuous stream of bad news from inside and outside the sect in recent days, the tragic deaths of disciples and followers, the low morale, and the purges by other major sects taking advantage of the chaos have exhausted this usually calm sect leader, whose brows reveal unconcealed weariness and melancholy.

He felt so suffocated that he almost vomited blood.

As the sect leader, he was powerless to do anything about it.

The Supreme Elder was injured and went into seclusion. His own Great Dao was suppressed by the rules of Heaven. He was surrounded by external enemies (the laws of the Dao) and was plagued by internal troubles (the hearts of the people).

Despite possessing the cultivation level of the Great Perfection of the Purple Mansion realm, he was like a giant with his hands and feet bound, only able to watch helplessly as the mighty ship of the sect swayed and was damaged in the storm.

When the Taihua Gate envoy respectfully yet with barely concealed aloofness presented the two swords—the Qingping Sword, sharp yet imbued with sorrow, and the Taozhi Sword, seemingly reborn from the ashes—the anger, frustration, and pent-up resentment that Nanzhang Zhenren had suppressed for so long finally found an outlet.

Li Baitian.

It was all because of this arrogant and conceited junior brother.

If he hadn't relied on the favor of the Supreme Elder and been arrogant in his swordsmanship, insisting on "asking the sword" from the Purple Void True Lord, how could he have triggered this series of monstrous disasters?

Why would the Supreme Elder fight against True Monarch Zixu just to stand up for him, only to be defeated and injured, thus harming the entire Dao lineage?

How could the sect have fallen to such a miserable state as it is being purged by other sects and their fellow practitioners?

Although with Nanzhang Zhenren's experience and wisdom, he knew that this matter was by no means as simple as it seemed on the surface.

Li Baitian's "sword challenge" may not have been without the tacit approval or even instruction of the Supreme Elder, and it may very well involve a higher level of power struggle.

Li Baitian may just be a pawn pushed to the forefront.

But his extreme anger and sense of powerlessness over the current situation made him unwilling and reluctant to delve into the complex truth behind it.

He needs a target.

An object through which he can vent all his negative emotions.

Li Baitian, the junior brother who had already died and was the one who caused all this disaster, was undoubtedly the most suitable "scapegoat".

Even in death, he would bring shame upon his sect.

To be forced to have the Taihua Sect deliver a sword to one's door even after death is an utter disgrace.

Master Nanzhang accepted the two swords expressionlessly.

It felt cold and heavy to the touch, and there were even some dried, blackened bloodstains on the scabbard.

The bloodstains were so glaring to him at that moment, as if silently mocking his incompetence and the decline of his sect.

He suppressed the urge to immediately destroy the two "inauspicious" swords, barely maintaining the demeanor of a sect leader. He said a few polite words to the Taihua Sect envoy, then signaled his disciples to see the guest out. He then took the two swords and turned back to the sect leader's hall.

The palace doors were closed, cutting off outside views.

The calm on Nanzhang Zhenren's face instantly crumbled, turning ashen.

He stared intently at the Qingping and Taozhi swords in his hands, his eyes blazing with fury, his chest heaving violently.

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