Azure Province, Southern Region.
In the midst of an expansive mountain range, rows of grand palaces and pavilions were hidden among lush greenery.
This was the headquarters of the Blood Spirit Sect, the most powerful sect in Azure Province.
The sect leader, Yan Shan, was a frail and skinny old man. His prominent cheekbones and sharp gaze exuded a shrewd and ruthless aura.
Upon returning to the main hall, Yan Shan’s expression darkened completely. He had just come back from the Profound Azure Sect, where he had met with Yan Changkong.
In Azure Province, the hostility between the Blood Spirit Sect and the Profound Azure Sect is no secret.
All the major sects are aware of it.
The two sects are not far apart and, in their struggle for various resources, it is inevitable that they clash frequently.
However, these conflicts mostly favored the Blood Spirit Sect.
But this time, after the diary of the Immortal Emperor was exposed, the Profound Azure Sect rose with overwhelming momentum.
The spirit stones earned from selling the Emperor’s information were enough for the Profound Azure Sect to cultivate a large number of young disciples.
With this ebb and flow, the gap between the two sides would be visibly narrowed.
After all, in cultivation, resources are extremely important.
At Yan Shan’s side, the Blood Spirit Sect’s Great Elder, Lei Lie, spoke in a harsh tone:
“That Yan Changkong is truly deluded! Does he really think that his so-called path can elevate his entire sect to new heights?”
He continued angrily, “Our Blood Spirit Sect is willing to ally with him, yet he dares to refuse?”
Yan Shan’s expression turned even darker at these words.
After pondering for a moment, his sharp gaze landed on Elder Lei Lie, and he said coldly, “I’m afraid this old bastard, Yan Changkong, has other intentions!”
Lei Lie’s face grew serious, he asked, “Could he dare to act against our Blood Spirit Sect?”
“Who can guarantee that?”
Yan Shan lowered his head in thought, his eyes flashing with light:
“Yan Changkong smiles on the surface but has always refused our request for an alliance. This is enough for us to take action!”
A surge of killing intent rose in Yan Shan’s eyes: “We cannot sit back and wait for our demise!”
A grave expression appeared on Lei Lie’s wrinkled face as he worriedly said, “But the Profound Azure Sect is currently on the rise; if we act against them, it might…”
“When did I say we would act against the Profound Azure Sect?”
“What do you mean, sect leader?”
Yan Shan’s mouth curved into a sly smile as he replied, “It’s only natural for Yan Changkong to harbor animosity toward us! After all, our relationship hasn’t been good during his thousand years as sect leader.”
“But what if a different sect leader takes over?”
Yan Shan continued, “We can completely support an elder who has no hostility toward us to take the position.”
Lei Lie still seemed worried: “What about the Immortal Emperor?”
“Don’t worry!”
“What the Immortal Emperor cares about is only whether the Profound Azure Sect still exists. Who becomes the sect leader? To him, it’s insignificant!”
Yan Shan’s tone was calm yet filled with calculation. “As long as the Profound Azure Sect remains intact when he returns, who will bother with Yan Changkong?”
After a moment of silence, Lei Lie’s face lit up with understanding. He smiled and praised, “Sect Leader, your wisdom is unparalleled!”
“However, Yan Changkong has reached the Divine Transformation realm. It won’t be easy to deal with him without leaving traces.”
Yan Shan nodded and sighed, “The specifics of our actions need to be planned out carefully, and I shouldn’t take action myself.”
“Let’s find someone from the Shadow Kill Hall to do it!”
The two discussed and settled the specific details.
They also decided that even if they wanted to eliminate Yan Changkong, it couldn’t happen now.
They would wait ten or eight years until the heat died down before taking action to avoid drawing attention.
An hour later, Elder Lei Lie sighed and gritted his teeth, “How can the Immortal Emperor belong to the Profound Azure Sect?”
“If he belonged to our Blood Spirit Sect, unifying Azure Province would be just around the corner!”
Yan Shan shot him a glare and said, “As long as we can be mentioned in the diary, I’ll be satisfied.”
“I want the entire cultivation world to know of our Blood Spirit Sect’s reputation!”
After pondering for a moment, Lei Lie thought it made sense.
If the diary of the Immortal Emperor could mention their position as the top sect in Azure Province, it would bring great benefits.
At the very least, the number of disciples coming to pay respects would surely increase.
Due to the influence of the Profound Azure Sect, the recruitment of new disciples among the major sects in Azure Province had been significantly affected.
The Blood Spirit Sect, as the top sect, was no exception.
———
Profound Azure Sect.
At this moment, it was a completely different scene.
In front of the mountain gate, a sea of people stretched out in a long line, all cultivators from various places who wanted to join the Profound Azure Sect.
There were those from Azure Province and others from different states.
Even some disciples from ancient clans and immortal dynasties came to seek admission to the Profound Azure Sect.
This was a considerable honor for a sect.
Moreover, it had immense benefits for the Profound Azure Sect, quickly establishing strong ties with various powerful forces.
“Hahaha!”
Great Elder Chen Xiu stood at the mountain gate, looking at the scene of people surging like a tide, laughing until his eyes nearly disappeared.
Such a spectacle had probably not occurred many times since the establishment of the Profound Azure Sect.
He could actually witness it with his own eyes and even preside over it!
This marked a significant moment in the history of the sect’s development.
Such a grand occasion is only seen when certain top sects or holy lands recruit new disciples.
Despite the repeated emphasis on the talent requirements for new disciples, it still couldn’t dampen the enthusiasm of many young cultivators.
The Immortal Emperor!
That name alone was a golden badge of honor.
Joining the Profound Azure Sect means that, at the very least, you would be a fellow disciple with the Emperor.
Moments later, a sect disciple approached and said with a wry smile:
“Great Elder, we’ve already raised the standards for aptitude and spiritual roots multiple times, but the number of those passing the tests still far exceeds our capacity.”
Chen Xiu heard this and couldn’t help but reveal an expression that was both amused and exasperated.
He didn’t know whether to be happy or frustrated.
For the sect, recruiting so many exceptionally talented young disciples was undoubtedly a tremendous boon.
Given time, as these talented disciples improved their cultivation levels, the strength of the Profound Azure Sect would rise correspondingly!
After all, the younger generation is the hope of the sect.
But the problem was that all of this was happening too quickly; the Profound Azure Sect was already bursting at the seams!
The sect was almost overcrowded.
At that moment, Yan Changkong appeared silently behind him and said in a deep voice, “From the next group onward, raise the standards for talent even further.”
It was a necessary decision.
After a brief pause, Yan Changkong continued, his tone serious, “Also, our current territory no longer matches the speed of our growth.”
Chen Xiu’s expression changed as he asked, “Sect Leader, are you suggesting we expand our territory?”
This was no small matter.
Hundreds of sects in Azure Province had long since divided up all the prime locations suitable for cultivation. What remained were mostly places with sparse spiritual energy, not suitable for long-term cultivation.
Yan Changkong nodded, saying, “We need to reclaim the territories that were once taken from us!”
These words instantly ignited a spark of excitement in the surrounding elders.
As the sect leader, Yan Changkong had always prioritized harmony, often giving off a rather weak impression.
As a result, the Profound Azure Sect had lost a considerable amount of territory, which was seized by the Blood Spirit Sect.
Now, they could finally seek revenge.
After pondering for a moment, Yan Changkong added, “However, determining the first target will require careful planning.”
“We must act with just cause.”
The Great Elder nodded in agreement. “Precisely.”
———
At the same time, Jiang Youlong and the others had already navigated their giant skyship to the skies above the Yunluo Mountain Range.
Looking out, the endless mountain range resembled a colossal dragon coiled upon the earth. The undulating ridges were like the dragon’s spine.
From within the mountains, the earth-shattering roars of monstrous beasts could be heard, intimidating to behold.
At times, terrifying ripples of energy swept through the area, toppling vast expanses of ancient trees like a flood crashing through a valley…
Jiang Youlong retracted his gaze, looking seriously at an elderly man with white hair:
“This is the Yunluo Mountain Range, Elder Mu. I entrust everything to you.”
Upon hearing this, Hua Hongyi and Zuo Qingtian also turned to look with serious expressions.
Elder Mu, clad in a dark robe with flowing white hair, possessed an ethereal demeanor.
He was enveloped in a mysterious aura that made it difficult to discern his true appearance, giving an impression of both presence and elusiveness.
This man was a powerful figure revered by the Jiang family.
Not only had he reached the mid-stage of the Void Refinement realm, but he also mastered the art of karmic divination.
With his abilities, he could trace karmic threads to exploit the flaws in an opponent’s cultivation techniques.
In a real confrontation, a typical cultivator at the late stage of Void Refinement would be no match for him.