CHAPTER 1014: CHAPTER 1013: VARIOUS SCHEMES

In the early morning, the first ray of sunlight leapt out from the horizon, illuminating the tip of the Ice and Snow Sword Pavilion, dispersing a rainbow of light.

At the same time, the entire mountain peak was surrounded by piercing sword cries, swirling around the mountain peak, enduring incessantly.

The Dushan Grand Ceremony, commenced.

Guided by the Sword Sect disciples, cultivators from various sects began to converge at the Heavenly Sword Platform within the architectural complex of the Ice and Snow Sword Pavilion, located just a hundred zhang below the peak, a rare flat area,

The entire Heavenly Sword Platform was also composed of ice sculptures, three layers - upper, middle, and lower, three hundred zhang in diameter, without a roof, simply exposed; only a slender obelisk at the center soared into the clouds, resembling a longsword piercing the sky.

Jinxiu divides into mountains and seas, Sword Pavilion lies low on Dushan. Purple Border stretches thirty thousand li, Blue Tower twelve stories high. Jade Gate dust like snow, Golden Caverns horse as dragon. Today on Central Qu, distant friends may be met.

The Heavenly Sword Platform was vast, accommodating tens of thousands without seeming crowded, though only over three thousand guests were present, with seven to eight thousand Sword Sect disciples, totaling just over ten thousand, neatly arranged on the ice foundation level, without seeming cramped at all.

Sect Hierarch Hou wore a striking cloak, colorful and resplendent, standing at the highest point of the Heavenly Altar, overlooking all beings...

Honestly, no one anticipated he would dress in such attire. In a setting like this, at his level, a simple standard Daoist robe would suffice, but now, he appeared like a nouveau riche.

When trying to prevent it, this person had already ascended the high altar, impossible to change; the Masters did not overly insist on this, as they had more important matters weighing on their minds, comparing to losing a Grotto Heaven, the Hierarch’s unfitting attire seemed inconsequential.

When everyone arrived properly, no solitary person climbed the mountain anymore, the sword cries in the sky grew sharper, suddenly rising, and then abruptly ceased.

Then it was Sect Hierarch Hou’s voice, "Friends come from afar, is it not delightful..."

Waxing eloquent, a torrent of flashy but empty words burst forth, not because Sect Hierarch Hou changed his character, but the truth was there was something on his mind, still worrying about the situation with Little Peacock. Though he appeared breezy and indifferent, unaffected, the impact of the Sword Tomb’s small world on the Sword Sect was so significant, significant enough to make everyone aware uneasy.

Just following the script, actually his mind had already drifted to some unknown place.

The Sword Sect Masters below the altar, including veterans like Li Chuping and Yu Zhengxing, were also not focusing on the Hierarch’s vacuous speech, they were inconspicuously observing and surveilling the entire venue, not missing even the most obscure corners.

Because once the Otherworldly Space is replaced, it will certainly affect the caster, how much influence is hard to say, but if someone suddenly shows a brief anomaly and coincides with the change in Otherworldly Space timing, it would indicate that this person might be the culprit.

We must find this person and his backing force, otherwise the Sword Sect can’t stomach this.

According to the protocol, after Hou Niao’s speech, leaders from the Daoist, Buddhist Sect and other sects would come on stage to congratulate, representing the Jinxiu Cultivation Realm; but considering the special circumstances of this Dushan Grand Ceremony, older Nascent Soul figures were reluctant to step into the limelight, even the Daoist had been corrected by others, what face would they have to show?

Since the Sword Sect’s young figures were exclusively holding the reins, naturally leaders from other Daoist traditions also had young people to respond, needless to say, those were traveling preachers from the Upper Realm; this is an era of young people, all the elders have realized this.

With such a consensus formed, order naturally followed suit, Taiching Zhi Xuan of Qi Sect representing the Daoist, a monk of Zhao Neng Temple representing the Buddhist Sect, Lao Du of Heartless Dao representing the side sects Demon Sect, this essentially constituted the configuration of the Jinxiu Continent.

Throughout the Heavenly Sword Platform, only Sect Hierarch Hou’s modulated voice could be heard, there was no whispering here, yet cultivators exchanged through Divine Sense, so exactly how many were distracted was known only to heaven.

Most were criticizing the emptiness of Sect Hierarch Hou’s words, but some were discussing serious matters.

Cultivator A: "Sword Sect is very composed, such a major event occurred, yet nothing is revealed on the surface, are they planning to not fear boiling water as dead pigs do?"

Cultivator B: "Expected indeed, don’t underestimate these native Daoist traditions, they simply lack some experience, they aren’t foolish! With a little sense, one can realize urgency is pointless, this isn’t a problem solvable by rushing; but they indeed are composed, not even inquiring with their affiliated sects, nor sending people to seal Dushan, nor dispatching people to search suspicious individuals far off, in my view, the information is likely controlled at a very high level, very few know the truth."

"Should we spread the news through other channels, see how they continue to pretend?"

"Unnecessary! No matter how concealed the channel, it will inevitably reveal something, we’re not yet at the point of entirely backing out from Sword Sect, why attract their attention?

They’re setting a trap now, waiting for someone to step forth to create trouble, would we just step into it?

They don’t mention it, we don’t mention it! How long could they hold? Once it reaches the disciple sword granting stage, their deception will be quickly exposed, then we lend a hand to ensure they keep all the guests, searching them one by one, haha, we’re just that helpful."

Cultivator A was somewhat concerned: "I see their people intentionally or inadvertently watching the guest crowd, especially a few Golden Core cultivators, showing obvious signs, are they probing who took action?"

Cultivator B: "Likely so, but I’m unclear why they believe observing could find someone? There are so many mysteries in the Cultivation World, also unknown how they’ll respond, anyway, I have already had the one who took action leave, thus no matter what methods Sword Sect employs, they can’t detect the secrets therein."

"You had him leave? Weren’t you firm on keeping him in Dushan before?"

"This moment differs from the previous one, before I didn’t let him leave because I feared he’d expose his tracks once gone, but after observing throughout the night, I find Dushan utterly lacking defense, not even the most basic vigilance array, simply a hollow shell.

It is quite understandable to say, that just within ten years they could build the mountain gate like this has essentially exhausted all their resources and energy, where then do they have extra energy to establish a mountain gate array; as it is, why not leave?"

Cultivator A: "Truly eager to see how they explain the Grotto Heaven’s theft, still have to wait days, so anxious."

Cultivator B: "You should learn to temper your impatience, step by step, we’ve prepared several courses for Sword Sect; you should present them one by one, slowly savoring them for the full flavor, if served too quickly, won’t have the feeling."

"Senior Brother Gao Ming, discreetly organized, imperceptibly, Little Brother admires it."

"Your treasure should be used, without your assistance, my dish would always lack some flavor."

"Heh heh, just let them experience what the underlying strength of Upper Realm Daoists entails, a group of frogs in a well, what do they truly know?"