Free Web NovelMoxu Mountain’s status within the Western Region of the Chenping Continent’s cultivation world, though far inferior to the major ferry ports of the West Region, was still somewhat renowned as a gathering place for cultivators.
Around Moxu Mountain, there were about thirty cultivation sects in total.
None of these sects were particularly large; even the biggest among them could only be considered second-rate on the Chenping Continent.
Their disciples rarely exceeded a thousand.
As for the highest cultivation tiers, there were three people who had reached the Spirit Connection realm, and these three were praised as Moxu Mountain’s “Three Titans.”
They were the Sect Leader of the Han Crow Sect, Ma Huwei; the Sect Leader of the Jiugong Sect, Han Qianshan; and an enigmatic outsider who had arrived thirty years ago, a late-stage Spirit Connection rogue cultivator known as Elder Du.
Among the three, the rogue Elder Du was the most mysterious, and his cultivation was the most profound.
Although he was only late-stage Spirit Connection, the gap between him and mid-stage Spirit Connection cultivators was noticeable.
But thirty years ago, Ma Huwei of the Han Crow Sect and Han Qianshan of the Jiugong Sect had met Elder Du once on Moxu Mountain.
The Han Crow Sect and the Jiugong Sect had ruled Moxu Mountain for centuries.
Naturally, Ma Huwei and Han Qianshan viewed the sudden appearance of Elder Du with hostility.
No one wanted another person coming to claim a share of their territory. ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom
Yet after that meeting, Ma Huwei and Han Qianshan accepted Elder Du.
Some said it was because Elder Du’s strength far exceeded those two sect leaders, so they chose to compromise.
Others suspected Elder Du had struck some kind of agreement with those two Spirit Connection cultivators, and that was why Ma Huwei and Han Qianshan accepted him.
As for the truth, perhaps only the three of them knew.
In other words, the current order on Moxu Mountain was entirely guided by these three late-stage Spirit Connection Titans.
However, Elder Du rarely appeared in public and seldom interfered with the affairs of the surrounding cultivation sects.
Although on the surface the upper echelons of the Han Crow Sect and the Jiugong Sect appeared cordial, with Ma Huwei and Han Qianshan even calling each other brothers,
in reality, the open and covert disputes and minor skirmishes between the two sects had never stopped.
Just like now.
In Wushi Town, several Han Crow Sect disciples stepped out of an herbal medicine shop. They wore blue-black daoist robes, the Han Crow Sect uniform.
These Han Crow Sect disciples had come down the mountain to purchase a batch of medicinal herbs for their sect’s pill workshop.
Disciples without much talent like them had to run errands and do menial tasks for the sect in order to exchange for cultivation resources.
Of course, they could choose to lie flat, but that only meant they would receive the most basic resources and stipend.
These young Han Crow Sect disciples were ambitious.
Still, carrying on like this inevitably wore them down mentally and physically.
So before returning to the sect, they planned to find a teahouse to sit and rest for a while, slow their pace a little.
But just as they were about to step into the teahouse, a group of cultivators in vermilion-purple robes happened to walk out from the teahouse.
They were from the Jiugong Sect.
The previously noisy and bustling two groups of cultivators instantly went silent.
Laughter cut off abruptly, and the atmosphere tightened.
The two teams brushed past each other, treating the other side like air.
Outside the teahouse, by a small stall, three people were sitting.
Two boys and a girl, all of teenage appearance.
The one in the lead wore plain white daoist robes, while the other boy and the girl wore gray robes.
They were Chen Yan, along with Su Hongzhen and Zhou Jinyun.
The deep green daoist robes of Mirage Palace stood out way too much in a place like Moxu Mountain.
So before the three took the floating ferry to Moxu Mountain, Chen Yan had bought a set of gray robes each for Su Hongzhen and Zhou Jinyun.
Chen Yan himself still wore white.
He was simply used to wearing white.
Only now his white robes were plain, far less bright and eye-catching than the white of the Kongshan Sect.
One has to admit, the Five Great Sects had impeccable taste for robe aesthetics.
Mirage Palace’s deep green robes likewise were far more mysterious and solemn than the ordinary green robes one usually saw.
“This place feels complicated…”
Sitting next to Chen Yan, Su Hongzhen watched the Jiugong Sect disciples in vermilion-purple robes leave the teahouse and made that remark.
“Where people gather, there will be disputes.”
Chen Yan said slowly.
“Cultivators too?”
Su Hongzhen asked.
“Cultivators are also people. In fact, the friction and quarrels among cultivators often exceed those of ordinary people.”
Chen Yan answered.
Zhou Jinyun only nodded silently at Chen Yan’s words.
She agreed with what he had said.
Once upon a time, Zhou Jinyun had also believed that disciples of Mirage Palace, being the same sect, should share one mind.
But that was not the case.
Even among fellow brothers and sisters of the Weaving Dreams Tower, who knew how many scheming hearts lurked.
Chen Yan picked up the teacup on the table and took a small sip.
He originally did not care much for tea, or was indifferent to it.
But after traveling more, Chen Yan found that the flavor of tea in every place was completely different.
He began to like experiencing regional differences through local tea.
“You want to find Kang Zongdan.”
Chen Yan said quietly to Zhou Jinyun beside him.
“Yes, senior.”
Zhou Jinyun replied.
She believed the incident involving Kang Zongdan was likely heavily connected to Shen Chuan and the Grand Elders behind him.
Otherwise, it would not have warranted such an elaborate effort, with Grand Elder Jing personally going to Yunxi to take Kang Zongdan away.
Chen Yan released his spiritual sense.
With his current spiritual sense strength, any stirrings within five hundred li in radius were entirely within his perception.
This distance was enough to fully cover the entire Moxu Mountain.
Right now there were seventy-four thousand five hundred forty-one cultivators on Moxu Mountain.
Among them were two Unity realm cultivators, three Spirit Connection cultivators, one Martial Spring cultivator, one hundred and six Qi Sea cultivators, two thousand one hundred and twenty Martial Spring realm cultivators, thirty-three thousand five hundred and ninety-four Qi Circulation realm cultivators, and thirty-eight thousand seven hundred and sixteen Body Forging realm cultivators.
In an instant, Chen Yan comprehended Moxu Mountain’s current situation.
The seventy-four thousand five hundred forty-one cultivators included Chen Yan himself and Su Hongzhen.
They did not include Zhou Jinyun.
Because the treasure she carried made Chen Yan’s spiritual sense unable to detect her presence.
Just as when they were still in Jiangdu Prefecture, Grand Elder Jing of Mirage Palace had been completely unaware of Zhou Jinyun’s existence.
