Chapter 149 - 11 Jiang the Witch Continues to Probe
Chapter 149: Chapter 11 Jiang the Witch Continues to Probe
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Ancient Intercepting Cult Tai Yi Mystic Profound True Person…
Inside the Biyun Palace, Jiang Liyan stood in front of the vast sea of bookshelves and patiently began to search by name, repeatedly muttering this name in her heart.
Ah, there it is.
She found a bamboo slip, held it in her hands, and carefully opened it.
According to ancient records, after the end of the Clarify-Intercept war, the great powers each went into hiding, and the Cultivation Realm entered a long period of calm.
And then it began to enter the Age of Dharma Decline.
The Tai Yi Mystic Profound True Person was a great power of the Intercepting Cult during the Age of Dharma Decline.
His prowess lay in his proficiency in multiple disciplines: profound Daoist magic, sharp swordsmanship, powerful magical treasures, and also being well-versed and talented, proficient in all sorts of side and minor paths, even his Qi Refining Technique was self-created.
The Myriad Laws Mystic Profound Sect he established was also once one of the strongest sects of the Intercepting Cult, but it was severely damaged when the Intercepting Cult fell, and its subsequent rise and decline were uncertain, eventually its teachings completely ceased four thousand years ago.
Reading up to this point, Jiang the Witch began to ponder in silence.
Tai Yi Mystic Profound True Person indeed existed, and was also the founding ancestor of the Myriad Laws Mystic Profound Sect.
This was not widely known in the Mortal Life Path, after all, not everyone is interested in ancient history.
Knowing this name, the so-called “accidental inheritance from ancient times” that Wei Dongliu mentioned seemed to gain a bit more credibility.
On the other side, within the quiet chamber in Shiping Mountain, Wei Dongliu was teaching Guo Jin “Exorcising Supreme Spirit Division of Purity and Turbidity Sutra”:
“…not the same as harnessing the yin qi of the secluded valleys, seeking the spiritual essence of galloping horses, traversing seas in search of salvation, or riding feathered chariots on fire mountains. One must be cautious, indeed be cautious.”
Having said this, he stopped the explanation and asked,
“Did you understand?”
“No,” Guo Jin honestly shook his head.
Wei Dongliu fell silent.
This was what, the seventh time he had explained it?
“Where don’t you understand?” He suppressed his impatience and asked again.
Guo Jin then mentioned several points he didn’t understand, and Wei Dongliu answered each one.
“Now your disciple almost understands,” Guo Jin pondered for a long time before finally speaking dully.
“Go practice!” Wei Dongliu waved his hand broadly.
Leaving the quiet chamber, he found that Jiang Liyan was standing by the lakeside, staring absentmindedly at the Spirit Grass planted in the hollow.
When renovating the valley, Wei Dongliu had taken the opportunity to visit Penglai once, where he purchased various materials needed to run a sect, such as plant seeds, furniture, utensils, and also brought the Hundred Poison Gold Silkworm Gu with him.
Although it seemed somewhat plain and simple compared to many small sects, it was basically suitable for long-term habitation.
“Wei Daoist Friend, your Myriad Laws Mystic Profound Sect residence is indeed well-designed,” Jiang Liyan spoke with a cheerful smile, “Though the sparrow is small, all its vital organs are intact.”
“It’s just a minor skill of carving,” Wei Dongliu waved off the compliment, “Would Daoist Friend Jiang like to have a look around?”
“This mountain belly was discovered by me first; is there a place I haven’t been to?” Jiang Liyan’s eyes flickered, “How about I take Wei Daoist Friend to tour the Taihang Mountains for a few days, and we can also gather some necessities along the way.”
Wei Dongliu pondered for a moment, thinking it would be a good opportunity to understand the real situation of the Mortal Life Path, and then nodded in agreement:
“Good.”
After telling Guo Jin not to go out and leaving him a thousand-year-old Polygonum multiflorum for sustenance, Wei Dongliu followed Jiang Liyan out of Shiping Mountain and flew northward along the Taihang Mountain Range.
“Wei Daoist Friend,” Jiang Liyan suddenly said, “In former times, the Myriad Laws Mystic Profound Sect once controlled the entire Mortal Life Path, encompassing the whole Taihang Mountain Range within the sect residence.”
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“Compared to the current situation, which is as scattered as sand, it truly makes one sigh with regret.”
Wei Dongliu was fully aware of her probing intentions and said indifferently,
“There is a regularity to the heavens, and what comes together must eventually part. How could any sect last for ten thousand years? I now only want to restore the Daoist orthodoxy of my sect; let’s not talk about the rest.”
“Wei Daoist friend is truly open-minded,” said Jiang the Witch as she narrowed her eyes slightly, seeing that he was not taking the bait, “If the cycles of the Heavenly Dao dictate such retribution, then the Three Pure Orthodox Sect should also face difficulties for it to be fair.”
Her words were laden with meaning, prompting Wei Dongliu to recall the dragon clan’s turmoil at Shushan and to become more vigilant internally. However, he casually responded,
“There is a regularity to the heavens, yet it doesn’t follow a sequence of orderly changes, but rather, survival of the fittest.”
“The strong prevail, simply occupying the world. In time, they can’t help but become complacent, and from strong, they turn to weak, which is why prosperity is bound to decline.”
“What a concept, ‘survival of the fittest, prosperity bound to decline!’” Jiang Liyan clapped her hands and laughed. “Wei Daoist friend, your words are absolutely in line with the spirit of our Intercepting Cult!”
“It’s known that the Dao has fifty paths, and the heavens evolve from forty-nine, leaving one unaccounted for. This one element, I shall seize it. After all, it all boils down to one word, ‘struggle’!”
Her eyes sparkled as she spoke, and her lips curled into a seductive smile as she said,
“During the ancient struggle between the Clarify Cult and the Intercepting Cult, we, the Intercepting Cult, fell due to our lack of strength, but it was misrepresented by the Clarify Cult as the destiny set by the Heavenly Dao, which is utterly ridiculous!”
“One day, if the Three Pure Orthodox Sect falls in succession, I would really like to know if they dare say it’s the result of destiny!”
“Oh?” Wei Dongliu feigned interest and asked, “Listening to Jiang Daoist friend, it seems the Orthodox Sect’s Three Pure Ones are about to encounter disaster?”
Jiang Liyan continued smiling but did not answer directly, instead counter-questioning,
“If Wei Daoist friend were to lead the six paths of the Demon Cult against the Orthodox Sect’s Three Pure Ones, what would your strategy and arrangements be?”
After pondering for a moment, Wei Dongliu said,
“If I were to arrange the attack? I would certainly make a direct assault on Shushan and launch a surprise attack on Penglai.”
“Oh?” Jiang Liyan appeared slightly startled, “Why is that?”
“The Shushan Sword Immortals seek enlightenment between life and death and thus are extremely prone to battle.” Wei Dongliu said with a smile, “If we attack the other two sects, the Shushan Sword Immortal will surely come to their aid.”
“So the intention is to attack Shushan first, to tie down their capacity to help,” mused Jiang the Witch thoughtfully, “Then what about the surprise attack on Penglai? Why not Kunlun?”
“Because among the Three Cults, Penglai is the weakest and Kunlun the strongest,” Wei Dongliu replied. “Why would one forsake the weak to attack the strong?”
“Moreover, even Penglai, being the weakest, isn’t something the six paths of the Demon Cult could easily defeat. Penglai excels in Artifact Refining and Alchemy; the benefits of conquering Penglai would certainly far exceed those of seizing Kunlun.”
Jiang Liyan fell silent for a long while, then suddenly said,
“Wei Daoist friend wasn’t just fortuitously receiving your sect’s legacy, were you? How is it you know so much about the situation in the Cultivation Realm?”
“Since I need to enter the Cultivation Realm, naturally I had to inquire clearly about all parties involved,” said Wei Dongliu lightly.
These words, falling into Jiang Liyan’s ears and matching his mysterious persona, immediately took on a different tone.
This person… could actually deduce so much information without any clues? Jiang the Witch was secretly awe-struck.
If it were another Demon Cult Cultivator, coming to these conclusions based on the understanding of the Cultivation Realm’s situation wouldn’t be strange, but Wei Dongliu had only recently joined the Mortal Life Path, hadn’t he?
Before that, he claimed to have been a wandering Loose Cultivator, so how could he possibly know so much?
There’s definitely something off about this person! At the very least, he can’t be just an ordinary Loose Cultivator!
Jiang Liyan was thoroughly convinced of this internally, yet outwardly she chatted warmly and smilingly with him.
Wei Dongliu was unruffled, simply listening as the Kunlun Mirror reported a Synchronization Value +1 alert, his mood becoming even more elated.
As Jiang Liyan grew more suspicious about his origins, the synchronization value of his mysterious persona rose higher and higher, and he could feel the innate abilities of the Chaotic Demon Body gradually revealing themselves.
If he could later obtain Demonic Techniques or a Demon Cult Magical Treasure, as long as he activated it with Demonic Qi, he would be able to unleash power beyond the ordinary!