Ye Tianlong was so full of regret that he could puke. Why had he provoked such a little brat just out of boredom? The [Yin-Yang Hammers] that he had purchased with a great fortune had been split into two, and who knew how much it would cost to get it repaired? Additionally, it could be said that his reputation was in ruins now that he’d been chased into hiding by a newly recruited valley disciple.
However, these were not the most pressing matters at the moment. He needed help, and he needed it now.
Message Talisman after Message Talisman was lit and activated as he yelled into it, "Dear Shifu, please help! Please help me!"
—
At this time, the chief elder of Duanzhen Valley—Tie Rukuang—was in truth not actually in the valley, but at the Qing-Yun Peak with the rest of the chief elders as Sect Master Chen Xuanhua spoke to them. "There are quite a few events happening lately. Shishu Bai just began his life-or-death seclusion, and there are also reports saying large amounts of Demonic Qi has settled in the areas of Mount Desolation. The seal binding the beast king seems to have loosened once again, so it’ll need to be repaired."
Danxia Valley’s chief elder Qin’nyao tightened her brows. "It’s been hundreds of years. That old freak still hasn’t died yet?"
Chen Xuanhua nodded in agreement. "When our supreme elder and Shishu Bai sealed it under Mount Desolation, they said it would take a minimum of three hundred years and up to five hundred years before its Demonic Qi was cleansed by the seal. At that time, there would only be a single wisp of its demonic soul, and it would evaporate into the air once we opened it. It has been almost four hundred years now, so I don’t believe it’s capable of doing much. The fact that some Demonic Qi has leaked out must be from its final struggle before death. Even then, it’s still not safe to open the seal right now; it’d be best if we send someone to add another layer to the seal and keep it inside for another hundred years. If we do this, it will be much more guaranteed."
Shanhe Valley’s chief elder Xiao Shanhe added, "In that case, we only have to send out the younger generation of disciples."
Chen Xuanhua nodded. "I’ve been thinking the same thing. The Demonic Qi of this beast king is still somewhat strong and has infected numerous beasts around Mount Desolation, causing the environment to change completely. This is the perfect chance to test those youngsters’ abilities. When these children live in peace for too long without the need for real battles, they tend to forget how cruel and bloody the real world is. It is better for them to experience some hardship."
Upon hearing this, all of the chief elders agreed in unison, "Indeed, Sect Master!"
Shuwen Valley’s chief elder Bai Fujian also quickly added, "There are over four hundred inner court disciples. Who should we send out?"
Chen Xuanhua continued, "Although this is a practical experience with risks, it is also a great opportunity for these youngsters. The seal of the beast king has loosened, which has allowed for the Demonic Qi to leak out and stimulate the growth of many rare herbs and plants, all resources waiting to be harvested that ordinary disciples aren’t qualified for. To be fair, each of the four valleys will pick ten of their own disciples apiece to be sent out via a Duty Talisman. Their rewards will be all of the resources they obtain from Mount Desolation."
"You mean…." A quick flicker of understanding flashed in Qin’nyao’s eyes; she’d caught the true purpose behind the sect master’s words.
Chen Xuanhua let out a sigh. "That is correct. We’ve been left with no other choice but to borrow some of the methods the dark sects use to choose their disciples. Since only the five of us are here, there’s no need to hide anything anymore. Our supreme elder went into a life-or-death seclusion eight years ago, and Elder Bai has gone into a life-or-death seclusion as well. Only the five of us are left of the Qing-Yun Sect now, and we won’t be able to endure any serious hardships.
"The Melodic Ice Palace, Ephemeral Butterfly, and smaller second and third-rate Chufung Kingdom sects might be restrained by fear towards our supreme elder and Elder Bai so as to not touch us for the next ten years… but we don’t know if things will be the same even ten or twenty years from now. If we don’t want the sect to be annihilated, we must begin preparing for the storm well in advance.
"From now on, the Hall of Heaven’s Tribute will begin recruiting additional disciples, and each one that successfully makes it in will be treated the same as a core disciple. Hopefully we’ll have enough time to nurture a few good saplings."
The chief elders all became silent. Chen Xuanhua may have spoken in a calm voice, but the contents were gravely serious. Now that both their supreme elder and Elder Bai had gone into seclusion, it could be interpreted that they had completely lost their protection against their rivals; the Qing-Yun Sect could be in serious danger at any time now. Ten or twenty years might be long to an ordinary person, but it was no more than the flick of a finger to a cultivator. Something like this was an urgent matter—an emergency.
"Who shall we send, then?" Elder Qin’nyao asked.
"In order to preserve fairness, ten disciples apiece from each valley!" Chen Xuanhua replied.
Qin’nyao continued with her questions, "Ten disciples apiece from the four valleys is not a problem, but the Hall of Heaven’s Tribute isn’t planning on sending out a few disciples as well?"
Sect Master Chen Xuanhua smiled. "I plan on having Xiao Jianming going as well. With his protection, there shouldn’t be any problems at all." As he spoke, he looked towards Xiao Shanhe, to which the latter remained silent and emotionless.
"I see." The rest of the elders felt a sense of relief at these words. With Xiao Jianming—the top disciple from the Hall of Heaven’s Tribute—coming along, the safety of all of the valleys’ disciples would be guaranteed. Granted, it wasn’t that they were bothered about losing a few during the mission, but if unexpectedly severe danger showed up, there might be the possibility of a complete wipeout.
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