After the path was cut off

Tianzhu Peak.

Gu Xiangyang walked side by side with Liu Ruyan and Zhou Mingyuan, stepping onto the stone steps leading to the summit.

The farce at Wenxuantai, which seemed to be suppressed by the sundial master's lamp, was in fact just a way to push all the open competition back into the shadows.

The decree forbade the true disciples from interfering in the Yunmeng Spiritual Land, and also revoked Li Wangxiang's and Siam's positions as true disciples. However, it was clear to everyone that what the decree truly pointed out was not "punishment," but "direction."

Especially the Rotten Water Abyss.

The Tianxuan Sect originally only had one old site in that area—Yunyin Lake. If it were just about guarding the territory, one person would be enough, but the imperial decree insisted on sending Li Wangxiang and Siam there together.

This doesn't seem like the idea of ​​having the two of them live a simple life by a lake.

It was clear that they wanted to use these two people to tear open another gap in the treacherous, intertwined swamp of the Seven Sects.

Therefore, in recent days, the busiest people in the sect have been the true disciples who have never been involved in worldly affairs.

Some went to the General Affairs Hall to retrieve the old files of Yunmeng, some went to the Law Enforcement Hall to subtly inquire about the old realms of the Seven Sects, and some simply invited Gu Chenglan, Du Heng, and other newly assigned outer sect cultivators to the spiritual land to the mountain to be questioned behind closed doors.

For a time, tea invitations, invitations, and messages flew among the peaks more frequently than flying swords carrying messages.

The wind direction has completely changed.

Gu Xiangyang gazed at the scenery between the peaks and sighed softly:

"The True Lineage Peak is indeed different."

"With such abundant spiritual energy, it's a bit too empty that only the master and his four disciples live here."

A thoughtful look flashed across Liu Ruyan's eyes, and she smiled:

"When the True Lineage Peak accepts disciples, it doesn't consider talent or background; it only considers fate."

"In my opinion, there must be a system of measurement for this word 'fate' that we don't understand. For example, the weight of the soul."

Zhou Mingyuan couldn't resist arguing again:

"I don't think it's that far-fetched."

"It's simply a matter of whether they like the look of someone or not, and whether it's convenient for them. The fact that there are few people at the True Lineage Peak doesn't necessarily mean they can't recruit them; it's just that they find it too troublesome."

Liu Ruyan glanced at him:

"If the immortal on the peak heard you say that, he would probably punish you by making you stand facing the wall."

As Gu Xiangyang listened to the two bickering, he felt a little relieved.

Since they plotted to leave the sect and establish their own, they hadn't felt this relaxed in a long time.

After the three of them passed the last bamboo grove, the long corridor came into view.

Under the eaves, Li Wangxiang had already brewed tea and was waiting.

Today, he was no longer wearing the moon-white robe with gold trim that a true disciple would wear; instead, he wore a plain blue shirt with the cuffs pressed flat, and his expression was calmer than before.

An Ting sat beside him, dressed in the same old clothes, but the new True Inheritance Token at her waist didn't seem to suit her at all.

Gu Xiangyang paused slightly, then bowed with his hands clasped in greeting:

"I have met An Zhenchuan."

An Ting frowned immediately. This form of address was extremely awkward. She suppressed the urge to run away and spoke her mind.

"Just get to the point, don't worry about me."

Gu Xiangyang didn't take it seriously, and his expression wasn't as respectful as he claimed. He found it hard to feel any respect for this cultivator who was about the same age as his disciple Li Shun.

The group took their seats one by one.

Li Wangxiang personally poured tea for the three of them before looking up and saying:

Congratulations, Senior Brother Gu.

"This top-quality spiritual land, Still Water Bay, has ultimately fallen into the hands of the Seventh Peak."

Gu Xiangyang smiled upon hearing this:

Congratulations!

"Junior brother, didn't you also get Cloud Hidden Lake?"

Liu Ruyan chimed in from the side:

"In the end, we still have to thank Senior Brother Li. If it weren't for a word from Tianzhu Peak, the Law Enforcement Hall might not have given us Jing Shui Bay."

Li Wangxiang shook his head.

"Junior Sister Liu flatters me."

"Even without that statement, it was almost certain that Seventh Peak would take Jing Shui Bay."

"The Enforcement Hall was merely using my senior brother as an opportunity to test the attitude of Tianzhu Peak."

Gu Xiangyang nodded.

"Judging from the results, the situation is similar to what we found before the bidding."

"The real variables lie in only two places—"

"Du Heng got the best fertile land, but Gu Chenglan ended up in the worst place, Yanbo Ferry."

He paused here, then laughed self-deprecatingly.

"However, after asking Xuantai, who still cares whether Yanbo Ferry is good or not?"

"Gu Chenglan's place is even more lively than my Seventh Peak right now."

Liu Ruyan picked up the conversation, her tone carrying a hint of schadenfreude:

"Yu Hui Peak invited him for tea, and the other True Transmission Peaks also sent invitations."

"Du Heng's situation isn't bad either. With the decline of Woye, the threshold of the Third Peak has almost been flattened by the trampling."

"On the contrary, after we, the Seventh Peak, took Jing Shui Bay, most of those who actually came to us were people who wanted to borrow a route or join us."

Li Wangxiang was not surprised by this.

Yunmeng, Fushuiyuan, the decree of the Sundial Master, and the simultaneous relocation of two former disciples to a dangerous place...

So many unusual things are enough to make those high above them have designs on them.

He picked up his teacup, remained silent for a moment, and then finally said what he needed to say.

"In the end, the chaos that Wen Xuantai caused was actually fueled by my senior brother."

"If I hadn't insisted on this, the final division of seats might have happened, and the Seventh Peak would have benefited more."

"Junior Brother still remembers this matter."

Upon hearing this, Gu Xiangyang immediately waved his hand.

"If you say that, then you are looking down on me."

"Thinking about that situation more deeply, one can understand it—whether the division of seats is successful or not, the decree of the Sundial Master will likely still be issued."

Zhou Mingyuan spoke, though it was rare for him to, and his tone remained as calm as ever:

"Moreover, even if they are truly divided into different groups, the Seventh Peak may not necessarily have a peaceful end."

"Eating too much and not being able to control it is worse than not eating at all."

Liu Ruyan nodded slightly.

"So you don't need to worry about this, senior brother."

"We know in our hearts what we gained and lost at the Seventh Peak."

Seeing that the three of them had already gone this far, Li Wangxiang stopped pressing the matter.

He never wanted to owe anyone a favor.

Now that I can finally let this matter rest in person, I feel a sense of relief.

Gu Xiangyang took a sip of tea, put down the teacup, and finally steered the conversation back to the real reason for his visit today.

"That's enough small talk."

"Let's get down to business first."

He winked at Liu Ruyan.

Liu Ruyan understood, took out a map from her sleeve, and slowly unfolded it on the table.

"No matter how good Jing Shui Bay is, it cannot be transformed into a habitable place overnight."

"Settling relatives is not something that can be done overnight."

As she spoke, she pointed to a spot on the map.

"This place is located in the eastern part of Zhongzhou, right between Zhongzhou and Yunmeng."

"The place is not big, just a first-level spiritual land with thin spiritual energy. Its advantage is that the location is safe and inconspicuous, and it is convenient for future travel and guidance."

"The original owner was a down-on-his-luck minor sect, which we bought a few days ago."

"Senior brother, you can move your relatives here first. Once things are mostly settled in Jing Shui Bay, we'll arrange for someone to pick them up."

Li Wangxiang stared at that dot on the map, remaining silent for a long time.

Seventh Peak handled this matter extremely well.

His thoughtfulness left him momentarily at a loss for words to express his gratitude.

After a few breaths, he stood up and bowed respectfully.

"Thank you all for your hard work."

Liu Ruyan turned slightly to the side and accepted the bow without hesitation. She didn't say anything more, but simply pushed the map and a token to Li Wangxiang, leaving the room for reply to Gu Xiangyang.

Gu Xiangyang shook his head.

"This is all as it should be."

"Since I promised to settle my junior brother's relatives, I naturally have to do it carefully."

"But I also need to ask a question first—"

"When does Junior Brother plan to set off?"

Li Wangxiang said:

"The day after tomorrow."

"My master will emerge from seclusion tomorrow. I will first pay my respects to him, and then return to Zhongzhou to receive my relatives."

Gu Xiangyang nodded and noted it down. Then, his expression turned slightly serious, and he asked the question that had been weighing on his mind.

"Junior brother."

"How far are you planning to expand your operations in the Rotten Water Abyss?"

"Should we just defend Cloud Hidden Lake for now, or... should we really bring the mortals in step by step as well?"

Li Wangxiang looked at the map in the direction of Yunmeng and spoke calmly:

"It's only a matter of time before ordinary people can live here."

"If I don't even dare to think about this, why should I go there to set up a gate?"

After a moment of silence, Gu Xiangyang finally made his point more explicit.

"I'll ask one more question."

"The Heavenly Profound Sect has only been allocated one spiritual land in the Corrupted Water Abyss—Cloud Hidden Lake. But since the imperial decree has appointed you and the one from Duoling Peak to go here together, does this lake mean that the two of you must govern it together?"

Li Wangxiang lowered his eyes and stared at the dot of Yunyin Lake on the map. After a long while, he spoke softly:

"The meaning of this decree is actually quite clear."

"What the sect wants is not Cloud Hidden Lake."

"It's the entire Boiling Water Abyss."

"As for the Tongzhi Emperor..."

Li Wangxiang paused, and a very faint smile appeared on his lips.

"If Siam were willing to submit to me, it wouldn't be Siam."

"Once she reaches the Boiling Waters, she will certainly not want this lake. She will seize a new one."

After those words were spoken, everyone in the corridor fell silent for a moment.

Gu Xiangyang took a light breath.

"So, the sect wants the two of you to seize control of the entire Corrupted Water Abyss amidst the intertwined power of the seven sects?"

"This is just too much—"

As he spoke, he couldn't immediately think of a word to use.

Zhou Mingyuan habitually thought the worst:

"Once the one from Duoling Peak makes a move to seize the spiritual land, the other immortal sects will definitely respond, and thus escalate their efforts."

"That will attract attention."

Li Wangxiang nodded.

"I know."

"Therefore, my mortal relatives may stay with my senior brother for a long time."

Gu Xiangyang waved his hand; that wasn't what he was worried about.

"Junior brother, a battle is about to break out."

"To put it bluntly, if two Golden Core seedlings were thrown into a place like that, and someone were deliberately targeting them, even if there was a huge gap between them at the Foundation Establishment stage, they might still be in danger of perishing."

Li Wangxiang was not too worried about this. Although his own foundation was shattered and his strength had dropped drastically, Siam was not to be trifled with.

"The gap between Foundation Establishment cultivators is actually larger than Senior Brother thought."

"Leaving aside me, let's take Siam as an example. He has been at the peak of Foundation Establishment for many years, and his fire-element magic has been tempered to an extremely deep level. He has mastered several killing techniques to an extremely ruthless degree and has also refined several places of Dao dirt."

"And then there's the magic pouch she's holding..."

He shook his head.

"Ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivators, if there aren't enough people, don't even have the right to be surrounded and killed."

When Liu Ruyan and Zhou Mingyuan heard the phrase "refined in several places of Dao dirt," their eyes both flickered slightly.

The slight fluctuation was enough to fool Li Wangxiang.

The word "dirty" was deliberately thrown out by him.

He naturally understood that these three people had been stuck in the early stage of Foundation Establishment for many years, and what they lacked most was not ambition, but a way to advance further.

Without much hesitation, Li Wangxiang took out a jade slip from his sleeve, placed it on the table, and gently pushed it over.

"I have some unorthodox techniques, methods for nourishing the internal organs, and rudimentary ways to leverage luck and fortune."

"It's nothing to a true disciple."

"But for those who are building a foundation in the outer sect, it can save you from taking many detours."

Gu Xiangyang's gaze sharpened, and he almost instinctively wanted to decline.

"Junior brother, this—"

Li Wangxiang, however, raised his hand to stop him first.

"Senior brother, there's no need to rush to push."

"I'm not giving it away for free."

Upon hearing this, both Liu Ruyan and Zhou Mingyuan breathed a sigh of relief.

If you place too much importance on social obligations, it will become difficult to fulfill them.

But if we exchange them, things will become clear.

Gu Xiangyang also sat up a little straighter.

"Junior brother, please speak freely."

Li Wangxiang looked at the three of them, his voice low:

"I only ask my senior brother to grant me one request."

"If I ask for help in the future, please help me unconditionally once."

"I only need my senior brother to provide the man."

Liu Ruyan's expression shifted slightly, but she did not speak immediately.

Zhou Mingyuan raised his eyes first and looked straight at Li Wangxiang.

"Brother Li's statement is rather too abstract."

"Izuku——"

"How many people should we send? To what extent should we go? Are we borrowing manpower, or are we borrowing lives?"

Gu Xiangyang did not stop him.

Because that's exactly what he subconsciously wanted to ask.

Li Wangxiang seemed to have anticipated this question, and his expression remained unchanged.

"I can't say for sure right now."

"Because even I don't know where I'll end up in the future."

"But there is one thing you can rest assured about."

"When the day comes that I must take action against the Seventh Peak, I will lay out the advantages and disadvantages on the table, so that you will not risk your lives for me without understanding the situation."

"This sentence today is just to acknowledge a favor."

Zhou Mingyuan stared at him for a moment, then finally stopped pressing him for answers.

Liu Ruyan let out a soft breath, as if she had suppressed her tense thoughts again.

Gu Xiangyang didn't hesitate much. If he had come alone today, he definitely wouldn't have asked for confirmation like Zhou Mingyuan did.

Since making contact with Li Wangxiang, Seventh Peak has been several steps ahead of others, and has thus touched upon a trace of the will of the higher-ups, which is more important than anything else.

You should know that this world is never short of hard work, but rather of ways to get ahead.

Moreover, he genuinely admired Li Wangxiang's character.

"it is good."

"If you ever need anything in the future, just let me know."

As if that wasn't enough, he picked up his teacup and drank it all in one gulp.

When he put down the tea, his voice was a little louder.

"I, Gu Xiangyang, will tell you the truth."

"Since we met, the benefits I, the Seventh Peak, have received from you are far more than just this one jade slip."

"So if you ever need someone in the future—"

"I, Gu Xiangyang, and all my disciples will do our utmost."

After hearing this, Li Wangxiang didn't say much, but simply raised his cup and drank it all in one gulp.

An Ting listened silently to their conversation with her eyes downcast.

She was always more thoughtful and calculating than her senior brother. Li Wangxiang's words just now clearly showed that he genuinely regarded the people of the Seventh Peak as equals. Such an attitude might be natural for him, but to her, it seemed a bit too much.

Ultimately, the senior brother's weakness is undeniable—family, Central Plains, migration, resettlement—he needs the Seventh Peak's help in everything. Right now, he's too preoccupied with his own affairs, so this arrangement is naturally the safest bet.

However, to so readily entrust such a vulnerable point to someone else shows that the senior brother has once again fallen into his naive trap.

An Ting pursed her lips.

She couldn't stop her senior brother, but she also couldn't let him bear the burden alone.

After a few thoughts, she suddenly remembered someone.

"Senior Brother Gu," she looked up, "I also have a favor to ask."

Gu Xiangyang was slightly taken aback. He hadn't expected that this newly promoted disciple would have to ask him for help.

An Ting, however, appeared quite composed.

"I am different from my senior brother. I am not the kind of person who is single-mindedly pursuing the Tao and unwilling to rely on others for anything."

"Now that I've joined the True Lineage, I'll inevitably have some tasks assigned to me by the Hall of Mastery. There are bound to be some that I don't want to handle personally. Besides, these days all the True Lineage peaks are starting to reach into the secular world, and my Heavenly Pillar Peak is dwindling in numbers. I also have little contact with the other peaks involved in external affairs, so I really need someone I know."

She paused for a moment before continuing:

"You have a disciple named Li Shun on your seventh peak. I can talk to him fairly well. If you don't mind, senior brother, let him stay in the sect for now to run errands and deliver messages for me. This way, it will be more convenient for the two peaks to travel together in the future."

Upon hearing this, Gu Xiangyang frowned slightly and remained silent for a moment.

Li Shun, this disciple, was young and naive. Seeing a female cultivator like An Ting, he couldn't help but feel a touch of youthful infatuation. Because of this, he had privately warned him to be more discreet and not to keep going near Tianzhu Peak.

The difference between the peak of foreign affairs and the peak of true teachings is never just a mountain road.

Liu Ruyan, however, had already figured it out the first time, her eyes darting around.

An Ting wasn't just looking for someone to run errands for herself.

She was adding a connection for Li Wangxiang—transferring a portion of the interactions between the Seventh Peak and Li Wangxiang personally to Tianzhu Peak.

This is clearly a warning.

We must show the Seventh Peak the long-term benefits, and also make them realize one thing: even if Li Wangxiang leaves the sect, even if he loses his position as the true successor, his connection with Tianzhu Peak remains unbroken. He is still An Ting's senior brother, still a member of the Tianzhu Peak lineage, and cannot be easily abandoned.

At such a young age, he was able to think of this.

And this was exactly what she wanted to do. Liu Ruyan never wanted to abandon the stable relationship with the True Transmission Peak, but she hadn't found a suitable reason to bring it up first. Now that An Ting had brought it up, it was absolutely perfect.

Thinking of this, Liu Ruyan smiled and accepted it:

"If Junior Sister An doesn't mind, how could one Li Shun be enough?"

"Each of the three of us has a disciple who is still young and not yet ready to leave the mountain. If you are willing, Junior Sister, they can all stay and serve you. Running errands and handling odd jobs should be enough for them."

At this point, she added with a smile:

"Perfect, it saves us the trouble of taking a few teenagers down the mountain and constantly worrying about them."

"Senior brother, aren't you right?"

Gu Xiangyang glanced at Liu Ruyan. He understood what was going on, but he was still worried about his disciple and was afraid that he might not understand his place, so he answered somewhat reluctantly.

"Alright."

An Ting didn't care about these things, nor did she care about having a few more people.

"Thank you, Senior Brother Gu. Thank you, Senior Sister Liu."

Before you leave, don't forget to bring them here to familiarize themselves with the place.