Chapter 1703 - 1700: Disintegration

Chapter 1703: Chapter 1700: Disintegration

Yan Xihua’s gaze swept over the faces of the Deciders from both sides, smiled, and continued, "Since no one has objections, I shall continue to express my personal view. May I?"

Still, no one from either side spoke.

Now, it was no longer about what they wanted; with the involvement of the Yan Family’s Outer Domain force, the course of the situation had been completely altered.

If it had been before the internal conflict within the Shang Qing Sect, such a high-profile attempt by the Yan Family to plant a flag in the Southern Domain Cultivation World would have been met with united opposition from Shang Qing Sect, Shifang City, and Wangxian Sect to ensure that the interests of the Southern Domain would not be outflowed.

But now, with the internal strife having taken shape and the disunity of people’s hearts, it was utterly impossible to unite to resist the Outer Domain forces.

In fact, both sides simply wanted to gain the support of this Yan Family force.

Yan Xihua let out a subtle smile and continued, "Since the Shang Qing Sect has now divided into two factions, it might as well be split in two from now on. Otherwise, neither side will accept the other, and such ongoing internal strife will only lead to total decline and even destruction."

Tantai Chunqiu snorted coldly, "Miss Yan, such bold words. With just one light sentence, you would have the heritage of tens of thousands of years of the Shang Qing Sect severely injured?"

Yan Xihua quickly bowed and saluted, saying, "Elder Tantai, please calm down. How could this little girl have such capability and face? But looking at the current situation, splitting the Shang Qing Sect in two, each side governing itself, is undoubtedly the best choice. After all, your sect has already become disunited within. After this battle, the factions already formed can no longer reconcile. Even if you force them together, there is no longer trust between them, much like a broken mirror cannot return to its original state. Rather than this, it would be better to separate."

Lu Qiushang smiled and said, "Miss Yan’s words are reasonable. There have long been problems within the Shang Qing Sect; otherwise, how could there be today’s chaos? In my opinion, it’s better to split in two and govern separately. Only with like-minded goals can one achieve clarity in the Dao Heart; only with clarity in the Dao Heart can one cultivate better and seek longevity."

"Wang Yuanxiao, if you want to become the Sect Master, you could simply propose it. I, Tantai Chunqiu, could step down and let you take the position. Why did you have to incite this internal conflict? The great situation of the Shang Qing Sect has fallen to this point; what face will you have to meet the ancestors of past generations?" Tantai Chunqiu glared angrily at Wang Yuanxiao, scolding him.

Wang Yuanxiao’s face burned hot, though internally he already felt a sense of regret.

He hadn’t anticipated the situation to turn out like this.

In his vision, with a sudden rebellion in cooperation with several fellow Senior Brothers, along with the intervention of Wangxian Sect’s power, capturing the power of Shang Qing Sect and stabilizing the situation should have been easy.

However, he had never imagined Shen Wanjing would bring Shifang City to intervene so quickly.

Nor had he imagined that even with over half of the disciples from the Main Peak, Tian Nan Peak, and Qingyun Peak being imprisoned by him, the leaders of these peaks remained undeterred, choosing to resist, which has now led to a stalemate in the battle, giving the Yan Family from the Central Star Domain an opportunity to intervene.

No matter what, Wang Yuanxiao had already become a historical sinner of the Shang Qing Sect.

But there was no medicine for regret in this world.

Immediately dispelling the feelings of shame, Wang Yuanxiao’s gaze was resolute as he said, "I am not afraid to face the ancestors one day underground. But what about you? As the current Sect Master, you brought about disunity among the fellow brothers, eventually leading to internal conflict in the sect. Do you not hold any responsibility?"

Tantai Chunqiu’s expression darkened.

He had long known that Wang Yuanxiao held a significant grudge against him and was aware that due to his insistence on sect rules that year, Ran Weixian had lost his beloved son, leaving him resentful ever since.

But he never imagined that these two would incite a rebellion out of selfish desire, leading the sect to its current state.

Wan Daorong saw Tantai Chunqiu’s expression darken and hurriedly comforted him, "Senior Brother, do not let this scoundrel affect your mindset. Right and wrong, clear and apparent in the people’s hearts, this rebellion will brand Wang Yuanxiao, Ran Weixian, Cao Zhengyang, and Xiao Shuhui as sinners of the Shang Qing Sect. Even if they ultimately succeed, they will be criticized forever and blamed for the sect’s decline."

Xiao Shuhui and Ran Weixian had remained silent all along. Upon being censured by name in front of everyone by Wan Daorong, Ran Weixian snorted coldly, "Senior Brother Wan, naturally you would say such things. Tantai Chunqiu has always been partial to you, empowering you, and your Tian Nan Peak enjoys great favor; you yourself are renowned as a virtuous teacher in the Southern Domain. For no other reason but to maintain your lifetime reputation for righteousness, you have to support him, right?"

Wan Daorong shouted angrily, "Absurd. Over the years, how many vile things has Wang Yuanxiao’s son committed? If it were other disciples, would Wang Xingpeng still be as free, even alive today? How dare you say Senior Brother showed leniency just because of fraternal ties? And you, Ran Weixian. That year, if not for your disciple’s heinous sins, would Senior Brother have ordered his death? Just because of that incident, you’ve harbored resentment for hundreds of years, and now you conspire with Wang Yuanxiao, choosing to betray the sect, resulting in its millennia of foundation being destroyed. Do you feel no guilt in your heart?"

"Whether it’s a Cultivation Sect or an aristocratic family, rise and fall are inevitable. I, Ran Weixian, will not take this blame," Ran Weixian argued.

Wan Daorong wanted to say more but saw Tantai Chunqiu raise his hand to stop him, looking towards Wang Yuanxiao, "Release all the imprisoned disciples and let them choose to stay or leave. From now on, our Shang Qing Sect’s seven branches should split."

"Senior Brother!"

Wan Daorong was greatly anxious, even glaring angrily at Tantai Chunqiu, his eyes almost spouting fire, "How can you, the Sect Leader, say such things?"

Tantai Chunqiu sighed heavily, closing his eyes, "The sect has deteriorated under my watch. I, Tantai Chunqiu, have failed the ancestors of the past generations. Let the blame fall on me alone. They are right; the fellow brothers of the sect have become disunited, and forcibly merging them again would only result in a scattered mess. It’s better for everyone to find their own path."

"Elder Zhan Tai’s words are indeed true."

Yan Xihua giggled and said, "Since the people’s hearts cannot be retained, it’s better to let go early. You hold the Main Peak lineage of Shang Qing Sect, with many disciples. Even if you establish a sect anew, you will still be a dominant force in this Southern Domain."

Wang Yuanxiao could only accept this outcome.

He had wanted to seize power completely but ended up failing.

Now, with Outer Domain forces intervening, Wangxian Sect also eyeing fiercely, he wasn’t willing to rely on Wangxian Sect, so the outcome Tantai Chunqiu proposed was the best for him.

The experts from Wangxian Sect were also secretly pleased.

This was indeed better.

In the end, after today, Shang Qing Sect was merely a name, no longer capable of confronting them as a One-star Sect; now, in the Southern Domain Cultivation World, only Shifang City’s Shen Family remained to oppose Wangxian Sect.

Lu Qiushang immediately spoke loudly, "This is indeed good."

Yan Xihua also smiled, "This way, everyone is happy. Hehe, in cultivation, we seek the Great Path of longevity; why must we fight to the death?"