Chapter 254: CH. 254 | Plans Against Sect Reformation

The Third Prince glanced back briefly, then nodded and agreed to join their discussion, despite not being a cultivator himself, nor belonging to any sect.

The doors to the main hall opened, and Lin Tian stepped inside alongside Wu Yue and Qin Mu. The nine sect leaders rose to their feet, turning to greet Lin Tian with respectful nods.

Still, they looked visibly puzzled by the man walking beside him. None of them recognized who he was or what standing he held, that he could walk shoulder to shoulder with the Sect Master of the Lingxian Sect.

Lin Tian made his way to the hall’s altar and invited the other sect leaders to take their seats. Disciples assigned as attendants came forward, pouring tea into cups for Lin Tian’s guests.

"I apologize for not responding quickly to the news of the Sect Reform proposed by the Yuntian Sect. Still, I’ve since gathered a clear picture of what the plan entails."

"The reason I invited you all here today is to discuss that plan, whether it stands to benefit or harm the broader ecosystem of sects across the Qin Kingdom."

"I’m genuinely convinced that if this Sect Reform moves forward as proposed, a great deal of history and legacy belonging to other sects will be lost and destroyed forever."

Lin Tian turned, extending his hand toward Qin Mu, presenting him to the gathered leaders.

He introduced Qin Mu to everyone present, believing him to be a figure of real importance to how this situation would unfold.

"This is the Third Prince of the Qin Kingdom, Qin Mu."

"I invited him here personally because he has a particular connection to the matter we’re discussing today," Lin Tian explained.

"Qin Mu? Isn’t the Qin Emperor circulating notices trying to locate him?" one of the other sect leaders asked.

"If that’s true, then there must be something about him the Emperor finds concerning," another leader added.

Lin Tian invited Qin Mu to speak. The prince introduced himself once more, then laid out the plan he’d been formulating ever since the Yuntian Sect began meddling in the affairs of the mortal world.

In short, Qin Mu was determined to reverse the current situation, by regaining control over the Qin Kingdom and driving the Yuntian Sect out of the royal court entirely.

Even so, as Third Prince, Qin Mu’s influence paled in comparison to that of the Crown Prince or the Second Prince.

The sect leaders were pleased to see him present, but they remained skeptical about his actual capacity to carry out such a plan.

"At present, both the Qin Kingdom and the Yuntian Sect wield considerable influence. I had the Third Prince mingle among the common people specifically so he could understand what conditions in the mortal world are truly like."

"An ideal leader is one who understands what their people are experiencing."

The other sect leaders seemed to agree with what Lin Tian had said. None of them could argue against it, since his words rang true.

The discussion shifted back to the Yuntian Sect’s proposed reforms. Lin Tian invited each sect leader, one by one, to share their thoughts, promising he wouldn’t pass judgment on anyone’s views.

Among them, the leader of the Nanyang Sect rose to his feet. He turned and clasped his hands together, bowing respectfully to Lin Tian.

"Allow me, Nan Yun, to share my thoughts, Sect Master Lin Tian."

"Among all the sects gathered here today, it’s safe to say the Nanyang Sect stands to be hit hardest by Yun Zhao’s plan."

"Our sect is still in the process of recovering, and our disciple numbers were severely impacted by the Yuanmo Invasion disaster."

"If you’re asking for my opinion, my entire sect and I would rather take up swords and fight them head on."

"If it comes to it, we’d rather be destroyed and die than watch our sect’s legacy vanish!"

The other sect leaders listened to Nan Yun’s words, spoken with such conviction and unwavering confidence. He didn’t hesitate to voice his frustrations openly in front of the other leaders, even in front of Lin Tian himself.

Seeing Nan Yun’s fiery resolve stirred something in the other sect leaders. They began voicing similar sentiments, airing their own grievances and anxieties.

All of it was done in hopes of finding some kind of solution to this crisis, something that might spare them from the looming threat of the Yuntian Sect’s reform agenda.

Among the nine sects present, only the Lingxian Sect and the Yunlan Sect could confidently claim disciple numbers that met the required threshold. The rest fell short.

Some had as few as 500 disciples, while the highest among the remaining sects was the Yingzun Sect, with 4,500.

They all rose together, clasping their hands and bowing their heads. "We beg Sect Master Lin Tian to help us."

Li Qingxue let out a sigh, rising to her feet as well, looking directly at Lin Tian. "The situation truly is dire. So many young people and children died in the Yuanmo invasion, there’s barely any new blood left to replenish the ranks."

"Even though my own sect’s numbers are sufficient, I can feel the weight of what they’re going through. I’ll help however I can," Li Qingxue declared firmly.

Lin Tian fell silent for a moment, drawing a long breath before letting it out slowly. He looked back at the gathered leaders and asked them to take their seats once more.

"I understand this is a difficult situation. I’ve already thought through three possible plans."

"The first plan is a full-scale rebellion, one that would drag the Qin Kingdom and the mortal world back to the edge of chaos."

"The second plan is a temporary merger of sects. Those falling short on disciple numbers would unite under one shared name temporarily, while each retaining the right to preserve their individual sect identity."

"And the third plan is that we launch an invasion into the Wei Kingdom, seizing disciples from their sects to save your own."

The other sect leaders fell quiet, taking in Lin Tian’s proposals. Qin Mu offered his own view, explaining that the first plan carried significant risk, beyond having to fight both the Yuntian Sect and the Qin Emperor directly, countless mortal lives would be thrown right back into danger.

Li Qingxue rose again, sharing her thoughts on Lin Tian’s second proposal. "The second plan sounds reasonable enough on paper, but even as a temporary measure, I worry it could sow division among the sects, especially when it comes to how new disciples get distributed."

She wasn’t alone in that view, several other sect leaders shared the same concern.

The first plan was too risky, and the second wasn’t meaningfully different from Yuntian’s own reform agenda. That left them with only one real option, the third plan.

The Wei Kingdom and its neighboring territories still had a substantial pool of potential disciples, having been untouched by the Yuanmo Sect’s devastation. That made it the ideal choice for their purposes.

Li Qingxue agreed as well. She and the Yunlan Sect would join forces to invade the Wei Kingdom and claim their disciples, at least until the remaining eight sects met the required threshold.

Lin Tian fell silent for a moment, then rose to his full height, looking out over the assembled leaders. "Invading the Wei Kingdom could carry severe consequences. You and your sects could be significantly affected by it."

"That’s still better than watching our sects’ legacies get destroyed and handed over to Yun Zhao without a fight."

They reached an agreement. They were willing to move forward with the third plan, launching an invasion against the sects of the Wei Kingdom. Lin Tian had little choice but to lend them his support.

"We’ll settle on the third plan. Disciples of the Lingxian Sect will infiltrate the Wei Kingdom and begin reconnaissance."

"I want all of you to start preparing within the next month."

"I’ll personally lead the invasion into the Wei Kingdom on your behalf!"

The other sect leaders smiled, nodding as they clasped their hands together. "We’re placing our full trust in you, Sect Master Lin Tian!"