Chapter 441: Troubles Are Bound to Arise

Ever since the news of Ancestor Ning Jiao’s return to the sect spread, the next morning, almost every spirit crane from every peak of the Three Origins Sect had flown out in full force.

The spirit cranes carried bamboo tubes on their backs, launching into the air from the mountain gate and flying off in all directions.

They pierced through seas of clouds, crossed mountain ranges, and followed ancient flight paths, flying toward the frozen tundra of the North Sky Court, the surging waves of the Eastern Sea, the mists of the Cloud Dream Great Marsh...

Every single letter bore the personal seal of the Three Origins Sect’s Supreme Elder, with concise wording:

The Three Origins Sect will convene a Dao conference three days from now in advance at the Hundred Mountains of the Southern Wastes. We respectfully invite all Dao Masters to attend and discuss the great heavenly calamity together.

As soon as the news spread, the entire Xu Xuan Heaven was shaken.

As Wu Shouzhuo put it, while the Three Origins Sect dared not claim to be the number one sect in Xu Xuan Heaven today, when it came to the depth of their foundation, there were very few in the world that could compare.

With the Three Origins Sect’s decree issued, even the currently most prominent All-Through Dao Sect would have to give face to the Three Origins Sect.

If Chen Yu had not appeared, and things had continued developing as before, after another hundred years, when Gu Songyue and Feng Qingyun had cultivated to the late Golden Core stage, the Three Origins Sect would have unquestionably reclaimed the top spot in Xu Xuan Heaven.

But now, there was no need to wait that long. Perhaps it would happen right after the Dao conference.

The venue for the Dao conference was still chosen to be the Hundred Mountains of the Southern Wastes.

The Hundred Mountains of the Southern Wastes had treacherous terrain and dense forests. Transforming them into a venue capable of accommodating thousands of cultivators gathering to debate the Dao in such a short time was no easy task.

Elder Zhao Chengyi and several other elders skilled in the Primordial Yellow Kun Earth Dao had already led a group of elder and disciple specialists in architecture and engineering to set out ahead, tasked with reshaping the mountains, leveling the grounds, and constructing the Dao debate platforms.

...

At this moment, atop Cloud Mountain, Wu Shouzhuo was brewing tea over a small stove. The charcoal glowed red, and a clay pot hung from the stove rack, its spout emitting wisps of white steam.

He sat on a stone stool, an old mink fur draped over his knees, his gaze calmly fixed on the rolling sea of clouds in the distance.

Across from him sat Chen Yu, with Guanshan Dao Master and the Old Whale Man beside him.

The four of them sat around the stove.

Wu Shouzhuo lifted the clay pot and poured tea for the three of them. The tea fell into the cups, sending up plumes of white mist.

He set down the teapot and said, "Junior brother, you have been in secluded cultivation for many years and are not well-informed about the affairs of the world. Today, since we have the leisure, I will give you a general overview of which major sects and factions will be participating in this Dao conference."

He took a sip of tea to moisten his throat and slowly began: "In the current Xu Xuan Heaven, the forces worth mentioning are actually just a few places. Aside from the South Sea and our Southern Wastes, the rest are merely the North Sky Court, the Cloud Dream Great Marsh, the Heavenly Mountain, the Eastern Sea, and the Three Great Cave Heavens and Blessed Lands."

"The North Sky Court is what you are most familiar with." Wu Shouzhuo looked at Chen Yu. "Aside from the Cold Palace that guards the Heavenly Gate there, the most noteworthy is the Ten Thousand Demon Valley."

"The North Sky Court is covered in heavy snow and ice all year round, with harsh conditions. Ordinary cultivators find it difficult to endure that extreme cold. Only the cultivators of the Cold Palace who practice ice-based techniques, and demonic beasts with formidable physical bodies, can remain there long-term."

"Although the Ten Thousand Demon Valley gathers demonic beasts, most of them cultivate the path of spirit beasts and follow orthodox demonic cultivation methods. Hence, they are accepted by the righteous path and are considered important allies of us human cultivators in the northern lands."

Chen Yu nodded, silently taking notes.

Wu Shouzhuo continued: "The Three Great Cave Heavens and Blessed Lands are where even more sects are gathered than in the Southern Wastes."

"Among them, the one with the weakest strength is currently the 'first small sect' of Xu Xuan Heaven—the All-Through Dao Sect. The All-Through Dao they cultivate allows them to invite immortals to bestow the Dao upon them. It's quite impressive."

"Slightly larger ones include the Liang Yi Sect, the Seven Elephants Gate, the Seven Forms Mountain, the Four Wastelands, and others. They all have Golden Cores guarding them, and their Great Daos are all extraordinary, not to be underestimated."

Chen Yu nodded inwardly. Listening to Elder Guo's introduction, I discovered that the scale of sect forces in this world far exceeded my initial expectations.

Truly a gathering of elites.

Wu Shouzhuo continued: "The Cloud Dream Great Marsh is entirely the territory of demonic beasts."

"There, the main force is the Seven Tribes of the Great Marsh. There is the Red Scale Tribe, descendants of fire dragons capable of controlling earth fire; the Green Savage Tribe, which tames all kinds of birds; the Black Tortoise Tribe, renowned for its defense; the Nine-Tailed Tribe, famous for its illusion techniques; the Silver Tribe, adept at poison arts; the Golden Pupil Tribe, with eyes that see through all things; and the Jade Toad Tribe, capable of neutralizing all poisons."

"But the master of these hundred demons does not come from these seven tribes. Its demonic form is a white ape."

Chen Yu was slightly stunned: "In that case, this white ape's cultivation must be extremely formidable."

Wu Shouzhuo stroked his beard and nodded: "Naturally."

"That White Abyss Elder is at the same late Golden Core stage as me, and he possesses the brutal physical body of a demonic beast—thick-skinned, with boundless strength. An ordinary late Golden Core cultivator is truly no match for him."

"Only he can keep those Seven Tribes of the Great Marsh in line. Otherwise, Xu Xuan Heaven would have been in chaos long ago."

"These seven tribes are not all docile spirit beasts. Some have sunk too deep into the demonic path, with violent temperaments, often stirring up trouble. He has been suppressing them all single-handedly."

He sighed softly and shook his head. "The reason my Heaven and Earth Spiritual Mountain Array has been so difficult to realize is not because shaping the spiritual mountain itself is hard, but because there are so many forces in this world, each with different demands and interests."

"What is truly difficult has never been the mountains and earth veins, but the hearts of men and the hearts of demons."

"Only in the Southern Wastes do I, the old man, have the chance to use the remaining heat of the Great Dao to leave something behind for this land."

"As for the Eastern Sea—" Wu Shouzhuo looked at Guanshan Dao Master. "I think Fellow Daoist Guanshan should be clearer than I am, since the South Sea and the Eastern Sea often interact."

Guanshan Dao Master put down his teacup and took over: "After the Dragon Palaces of the Eastern Sea and the South Sea successively declined, our Eighteen Islands of Zhan County took over the heavy responsibility of guarding the sea in the South Sea and established a firm foothold."

"As for the Eastern Sea, a force mixing humans and mermaids has also risen there—the Azure Tide Palace."

"This palace is closer to the shallow seas, and its cultivation methods are connected to great rivers and lakes. Its disciples are mainly engaged in commerce, following the path of nurturing the Dao through business and protecting business with the Dao."

"Their Great Daos are also mostly related to tides, ocean currents, and wind directions. Although they cannot compare to the foundation of our Eighteen Islands of Zhan County, they are still not to be underestimated."

Wu Shouzhuo nodded: "As for the Heavenly Mountain, it's even simpler."

"So far, only the Blissful Heaven and the Dao Ground have forces stationed there, keeping a close watch on demonic traces."

"Blissful Heaven is the holy land of array cultivators, while the Dao Ground is the holy land of talisman cultivators. It can be said that the talents of all the hundred arts in the world are gathered within them—alchemy cultivators, artifact cultivators, formation cultivators, farming cultivators—everything you can imagine."

"A thousand years ago, a major demonic Dao sect was born in the Heavenly Mountain. Its power was so great that it nearly swept through the entire Xu Xuan Heaven."

"Although it was long ago destroyed by the combined forces of the righteous path, because the demonic Dao it cultivated was extremely unique and difficult to completely eradicate, remnants of demonic cultivators still occasionally cause trouble in the Heavenly Mountain region to this day."

"Blissful Heaven and the Dao Ground do not involve themselves in the mundane affairs of Xu Xuan Heaven. They strictly adhere to the ancient precepts of their sects, focusing solely on eliminating demons and pacifying the world."

"It is only when a global Dao conference is convened that Blissful Heaven and the Dao Ground will send one or two Earth Immortals to participate."

After listening to this introduction, Chen Yu deliberated for a long time before finally speaking: "In your opinion, senior brother, can this Dao conference proceed smoothly?"

Wu Shouzhuo was silent for a moment, then slowly uttered four words: "Troubles are bound to arise."

He took another sip of tea. "The Three Origins Sect is renowned throughout the world and is a major righteous sect. If I vouch for you in the name of the sect, no major sect will dare to disobey. Even the All-Through Dao Sect must heed the words of our Three Origins Sect."

He set down his teacup, his gaze growing profound. "After all, the All-Through Dao Sect was founded by the only daughter of Ancestor Cloud Cliff."

Chen Yu was suddenly stunned: "Ancestor Cloud Cliff had offspring?"

Wu Shouzhuo slowly nodded: "This kind of sect secret is known only to a few elders of the Three Origins Sect and the All-Through Dao Sect. I have only heard that she was born to Ancestor Cloud Cliff and a dragon princess. Beyond that, no more information has been passed down."

"But the bond between our Three Origins Sect and the All-Through Dao Sect is extremely deep. They are naturally closer to us than other sects, so they certainly will not ignore the matter of the great heavenly calamity."

Chen Yu's heart stirred slightly, and he couldn't help but ask: "Then... is that offspring of Ancestor Cloud Cliff still alive?"

After all, she might have a direct bloodline connection with Ancestor Cloud Cliff. If he could obtain more clues about Ancestor Cloud Cliff from that senior, it would be an invaluable gain.

Wu Shouzhuo shook his head: "She was the first generation All-Through Dao Master and ascended from this world several hundred years ago."

"However, I have heard a rumor that the All-Through Dao arts of the All-Through Dao Sect might be able to communicate with ancestors who have already ascended, borrowing insights into the Great Dao."

Chen Yu's mind stirred, and he silently noted this information.

Wu Shouzhuo reached out and stirred the charcoal ash: "As for the human lineage, there's no need to worry too much. The name of the Three Origins Sect stands tall. All sects will give some face. But those Seven Tribes of the Great Marsh..."

He frowned slightly. "Even with the White Abyss Elder overseeing them, they may not take the matter of the great heavenly calamity seriously. They might even secretly cause trouble."

"Most of those demonic beasts are short-sighted, only caring about the interests of their own small patch of land. It is difficult for them to understand what exists beyond the Abyss and what it means for the entire Xu Xuan Heaven."

"But this Dao conference will surely be the opportunity for our Three Origins Sect to reclaim its position as the number one sect in Xu Xuan Heaven."

"If junior brother does not despise it, this old man's decaying body is ready to serve at your command at any time."

Chen Yu stood up and solemnly cupped his hands: "Thank you, senior brother."

Wu Shouzhuo shook his head with a smile: "It is I, your senior brother, who should be thanking you. I have lived for five hundred years, carrying the false reputation of the number one Golden Core in the Southern Wastes, yet I have never truly done anything worthy for this world. Now, at last, I can put these old bones to good use."

"Once this Dao is realized, with you in the world, there will be no one to rival you."

...

Three days later, the Hundred Mountains of the Southern Wastes.

The morning mist had not yet fully dissipated. Sunlight rose from behind the eastern ridge line, dyeing the layered mountain ranges in varying shades of deep blue.

Among the hundred mountains, countless Dao platforms had been completely renovated within these three days by the disciples led by Zhao Chengyi.

Every single mountain peak had its summit leveled. Dao palaces were erected, paved with large green jade bricks, and surrounded by white jade railings.

Between the peaks, newly laid floating stone bridges connected them. Beneath the bridges, seas of clouds surged, looking like hundreds of celestial white rivers stretching to the heavens.

The Dao platform on the main peak was the most spacious, capable of accommodating over a thousand people seated at once without feeling crowded.

At this moment, the meditation cushions on the Dao platform were neatly arranged. Tea sets and spiritual fruits were placed on the low tables. Disciples were moving back and forth, making the final preparations.

Shao Qingsong was following his master, Elder Guo, setting up on one of the side peaks' Dao platforms.

He bent down to check if the teacups on the table were neatly arranged, then carefully wiped the tea tray's edge with his sleeve, even though there was no water stain there. He straightened up, looked around at his busy junior brothers, and felt somewhat emotional.

All around on the surrounding peaks were disciples of similar status to his. Some were pouring tea and washing pots, some were sweeping dust off the Dao platforms, and some were neatly arranging spiritual fruits one by one.

On the surface, these chores might seem a bit menial, but everyone present knew in their hearts that this was a rare opportunity to come into contact with great powers.

Being able to serve as a chore disciple in a Dao conference meant having the chance to witness those legendary figures with one's own eyes, and perhaps even being favored by a passing Golden Core elder who might offer a few casual words of guidance.

How many disciples within the sect wanted to come but couldn't? They had only managed to squeeze in thanks to their respective masters' status.

A young disciple, feeling a bit anxious, sidled up to Shao Qingsong and lowered his voice: "Senior brother, strictly speaking, today should be the opening day of the Dao conference, right? So why haven't we seen any guests yet?"

"After all the work we've put in, nothing's going to go wrong, is it?"

Hearing this, Shao Qingsong wasn't entirely sure himself, but he knew that as the senior disciple, he absolutely could not show weakness in front of his junior brothers.

He put down the teapot, clasped his hands behind his back, and said slowly: "You just don't understand. At the level of an Earth Immortal, it's different from ordinary people traveling."

"The Golden Light Earth-Skimming technique of a Golden Core cultivator can make a round trip between the North Sea and the South Sea within a single day. Naturally, they don't need to rush and hurry days in advance like ordinary people. When the deadline arrives, they'll just fly straight over."

Upon hearing this, the few junior disciples showed expressions of sudden realization.

"I see."

"As expected, the senior brother is knowledgeable and experienced."

Shao Qingsong nodded slightly, secretly relieved that he had managed to bluff his way through.

Just as he was about to say something else to reinforce his "knowledgeable and experienced" persona, a faint voice suddenly sounded from behind him: "What you said isn't exactly wrong."

Shao Qingsong was startled. He spun around abruptly and saw Elder Guo standing behind him with his hands behind his back, not far away. He had no idea when he had arrived.

He quickly bowed: "Master!"

The other disciples also turned around and bowed.

Elder Guo waved his hand, signaling them not to be nervous. He was about to say something when his gaze suddenly stopped. He looked up, staring into the distance.

The other disciples followed his gaze.

A five-colored divine light was streaking across the horizon at extreme speed, dragging a multicolored trail across the sky, plummeting straight toward the main peak of the Hundred Mountains.

The light abruptly halted as it approached the airspace above the main peak's Dao platform. The flowing light dispersed, revealing a figure.

The person was draped in a crimson Dao robe, with three long strands of beard hanging down his chest. A dragon-shaped green jade pendant hung at his waist.

He landed on the main peak's Dao platform, looked around at the neatly arranged platform, then let out a humph, his tone tinged with dissatisfaction: "That old monster Kui actually dared to lie to me, saying the Dao conference was set for early morning! It made me rush all the way here, urging my divine light without daring to stop, only to find out I'm the first to arrive."

As soon as he finished speaking, another light lit up at the horizon.

Then came a second, a third, a fourth... as if they had all made an appointment.

Purple qi came from the east; a cyan rainbow sliced through the clouds. Golden clouds filled the sky; a white rainbow spanned east and west... The entire sky became a riot of colors within just a few breaths, as if a jade plate filled with all kinds of paint had been knocked over in the heavens.

With each flash of light, layers of pressure fell down, like waves of invisible tide rolling over the sky above the Hundred Mountains' Dao platforms.

Shao Qingsong felt his own breath involuntarily stop.

Every single one of those lights turned out to be a Golden Core.

These Golden Core Dao Masters, rarely seen in the Southern Wastes on ordinary days, were now converging from every corner of Xu Xuan Heaven.

A moment later, Gu Songyue's steady voice suddenly spread from the main peak's Dao platform, echoing across the entire Hundred Mountains: "I am Gu Songyue, Sect Master of the Three Origins Sect, greeting all fellow Daoists. The preparations for this Dao conference were somewhat rushed. If the hospitality is lacking, I ask for your understanding. You have all traveled a great distance; you must be tired. Please, take your seats."

"No matter. Since the Three Origins Sect sent out the summons, there must be an urgent matter. If it's urgent, then naturally, it needs to be quick. Who cares about hospitality or not?"

The light dispersed. An old man in a black-yellow Dao robe, leaning on a dragon-headed staff, walked out with dozens of disciples. He cupped his hands toward Gu Songyue: "Xu of the Four Symbols Sect, greetings, Sect Master Gu. We haven't seen each other for many years. Your esteemed presence is still as radiant as ever."

And as his voice fell, the lights above the Hundred Mountains suddenly multiplied several times over.

Those faintly twinkling points of light that were still in the distant sky rapidly enlarged as they approached the range of the Hundred Mountains, like a rain of meteors falling in reverse.

Every single Golden Core cultivator had a different method of arrival.

Some stepped on auspicious clouds, followed by a procession of disciples with fluttering robes. Some transformed into long rainbows, only revealing their true forms a split second before landing. Some rode giant birds with golden-glowing wings; the wind pressure from the giant bird folding its wings blew the banners around the Dao platform into a flapping frenzy.

In less than the time it takes to burn an incense stick, the originally empty and desolate Dao platforms were now packed with Golden Core Dao Masters from all over Xu Xuan Heaven.

The entire Hundred Mountains Dao Ground trembled slightly under the unintentionally leaked auras of these Golden Core cultivators. Strange phenomena even spontaneously emerged: auspicious clouds turned golden, and golden lotuses suddenly bloomed on the clouds.