CHAPTER 610: SIX HUNDRED AND TEN QINGSHAN SECT’S PANIC

"Lin Hao, what’s wrong with you?"

In a certain part of the Jingyu Army, a general with a thick beard suddenly noticed a figure beside him trembling slightly, his expression also a bit strange, and uncontrollably asked out loud.

"Ah, if I had known that he would achieve what he has today, back then I...I..."

The Commander called Lin Hao had an unmistakable look of regret on his face, presumably recalling his past encounter with Yun Xiao and deeply lamenting the missed opportunity to befriend him.

This Jingyu Army Commander named Lin Hao was naturally the one who had once helped Shen Wannian and Ye Shimei in Moon Cool City and had been rather unkind to Yun Xiao.

At that time, Lin Hao’s respect for Yun Xiao was solely because the latter had shown a token from Xuan Jing, fearing blame from the Second Prince; thus he showed great reverence, but it was certainly not out of admiration for Yun Xiao’s own strength.

However, since that meeting in Moon Cool City, Lin Hao had heard more than once the name Yun Xiao shining brightly, whether as the champion of the Countries Hidden Dragon Conference or even refining Heavenly Rank Elixirs for the Meridian Refining Master Guild, feats that no ordinary person could achieve.

Later when the Xuanyue Imperial Family went through a major upheaval and the entire Imperial Palace fell under the control of Xuan Jiuding and Nie Yi, the Jingyu Army, as former subordinates of Xuan Jing, naturally found themselves in disfavor.

It was not until Xuan Jing secretly contacted the generals of the Jingyu Army, intending to make a desperate strike, that Yun Xiao stepped forward to avert the crisis, righting the wrongs within the Royal Family.

Lin Hao had reason to believe that Yun Xiao, who had accomplished such great deeds, would probably overshadow even the King of Xuanyue Country, becoming the true number one figure of both Xuanyue Empire and the entire Hidden Dragon Continent.

As one could imagine, with Xuan Jing assuming the position of King of Xuanyue Country, the Jingyu Army would naturally rise with the tide, and these devoted Commander-Generals who stood by Xuan Jing during his downfall, would all receive important positions.

And all of this could be said to be thanks to Yun Xiao; had it not been for this youngster, they would still be hiding with Xuan Jing, daring not to show their faces. Therefore, while feeling emotional, Lin Hao was also filled with immense gratitude, feeling ashamed of his own past actions.

"Don’t worry, young master Yun Xiao is generous and won’t stoop to your level!"

Hearing this, the general also remembered the past, for he had been in charge of Moon Cool City back then, and Lin Hao did not dare not to inform him of Yun Xiao’s arrival, therefore he knew some details.

And this general was absolutely right; with Yun Xiao’s current status, how could he possibly bother with a Jingyu Army Commander over a past trivial matter? Perhaps he had already forgotten about it?

"Yu Shu Sect Leader, Jing’er is still young and immature in many aspects, we hope for more support from the Jade Pot Sect in the future!"

Xuan Haoran greeted Yun Xiao with cupped fists and a smiling face as he approached, not far from whom stood the entourage from the Jade Pot Sect.

"Of course, of course!"

Hearing what Xuan Haoran said, Yu Shu did not decline. Now that he knew all this was the conspiracy of Xuan Jiuding and his mother, having nothing to do with the father and son before him, he naturally wouldn’t take out his anger on these two.

The grand hall was in tatters and littered with corpses, no longer fit for discussion, so Xuan Haoran led the people from the Jade Pot Sect directly to the most important Moon Embracing Hall in Xuanyue Palace.

It’s worth mentioning that a massive creature like the Blood Winged Fire-Eyed Lion naturally couldn’t follow inside, so Yun Xiao told it and the Fire Cloud Rat Chi Yan to go off and play on their own.

Once again in the Moon Embracing Hall, Yun Xiao felt quite emotional; recalling the first time he entered here, he had been a young Meridian Rushing Realm boy following Yu Shu, and now he could sit on equal footing with the King of Xuanyue Country.

Today’s protagonist was undoubtedly Yun Xiao, whether it was the two successive Kings of Xuanyue Empire or the Sect Leader of the Jade Pot Sect, they all had their limelight stolen by this young man.

The Xuanyue Palace held a grand feast, and whether Xuan Haoran and his son were secretly searching for Xuan Jiuding and Nie Yi, that nobody knew. In any case, Yun Xiao returned home completely drunk that day.

...

Hundreds of miles outside the North Gate of Xuanyue Imperial City!

This was a lush green forest, and hidden among these woods was an extremely concealed cave. At this moment, inside the cave, a man and a woman sat facing each other; by appearance, none other than Nie Yi and Xuan Jiuding who had escaped from Xuanyue Palace.

"Yun Xiao! Yun Xiao!"

The mother and son did not speak, but their lips moved slightly, as if muttering a name in gritted teeth, the young man who had undermined their years of planning.

Both Nie Yi and Xuan Jiuding had worked for many years to control the Xuanyue Empire, but in the end, they could never have imagined being thwarted by a young man turning the situation upside down. How could they swallow this grievance?

"Empress Dowager, what should we do now?"

Xuan Jiuding’s heart was filled with hatred towards Yun Xiao, but even if he mustered the courage, he couldn’t possibly dare go back to Baiyue City for revenge. He could only seek help from his mother.

"The only plan for now is to head back to the Lingtian Empire first. Don’t worry, Jiuding, your mother will definitely avenge this!"

Nie Yi was more composed than Xuan Jiuding, and she was, after all, the biological younger sister of the current ruler of the Lingtian Empire. She was not an unsupported drifter but had an alternative retreat.

"Heh heh, perhaps in addition to the Lingtian Empire, there are some who desperately wish to kill Yun Xiao and then revel in their achievement!"

For reasons unknown, even at this moment of desperate fleeing like a dog that had lost its home, Nie Yi let out a laugh, causing Xuan Jiuding’s spirit to calm down slightly. Now, he could only follow his mother and take it one step at a time.

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Northeast of the Xuanyue Empire!

This was the headquarters of Qingshan Sect, one of the three major sects of the Xuanyue Empire. However, the atmosphere inside the Qingshan Sect had been somewhat gloomy recently, especially after news of the royal family’s upheaval reached them, adding insult to injury.

If one spoke of the Qingshan Sect from a few months ago, it was full of pride and vigor, nearly annihilating the Jade Pot Sect in joint efforts with three major families and the Royal Family, becoming the sole dominant force in the Xuanyue Empire.

Yet, a Heavenly Rank Expert Shen Xingmou shattered their surefire scheme to obliterate the Jade Pot Sect, and the following period was nothing short of a nightmare.

That young genius of the Jade Pot Sect, who was thought to die at the hands of Shen Xingmou, made a forceful return, annihilating the three major families of the Imperial City, and even dragged down the newly appointed ruler, Xuan Jiuding. Essentially, with his own strength, he reshaped the entire situation of the Xuanyue Empire.

Within the most important hall of the Qingshan Sect, several formidable individuals with extraordinary presence were seated, representing the powerholders of the Qingshan Sect. This included the Sect Master Li Feng, as well as the Great Elder Yang Lin.

However, the expressions of these Qingshan Sect experts were not exactly pleasant, the atmosphere in the hall grim. None of them dared to speak out of turn, fearing that they might incur the wrath of the Sect Leader and receive a tirade of abuse.

"Sect Leader, in my opinion, we might as well lay low for a while," suggested the Great Elder Yang Lin, holding a letter just received and struggling within himself for a long time before being the first to break the silence. Possibly, as the Great Elder of Qingshan Sect, he was the only one who dared to talk to Li Feng like this.

Upon hearing Yang Lin’s words, the other Qingshan Sect Elders nodded subtly, quietly thinking that with Yun Xiao and the Jade Pot Sect’s power rising, both the Luoyi Sect and the Royal Family might intervene, and a mere Qingshan Sect might not be an adversary.

Although the overall strength of Qingshan Sect was far beyond that of the three great families of the Imperial City, it wasn’t much stronger. Facing the Jade Pot Sect alone with Yun Xiao might be unmanageable, not to mention the potential three-way encirclement this time.

The situation once bearing down on the Jade Pot Sect seemed to have now fallen on Qingshan Sect, giving these elders an extreme feeling of suffocation. But compared to their sect’s obliteration, they preferred the chance for a comeback.

In front of the dominant Jade Pot Sect, if Qingshan Sect remained here, it would be as futile as a mantis trying to stop a chariot, an overestimation of one’s abilities. The old adage goes, "As long as the green hills last, there will be wood to burn," which is also the founding maxim of Qingshan Sect.

"Hide? Tell me, with the vast Xuanyue Empire, where could we possibly hide? Are we to flee to other empires?"

Unexpectedly, just when all Qingshan Sect Elders thought Yang Lin’s suggestion was sound, the cold sneer of Li Feng followed, silencing them immediately.

According to the news from Baiyue City of the Imperial City, the Jade Pot Sect was now the town-guarding sect of the Xuanyue Empire. Yun Xiao’s status was tantamount to the former ruler Xuan Haoran, implying that the entire Xuanyue Royal Family was likely now under the control of the Jade Pot Sect.

True to what Li Feng said, since the Jade Pot Sect had joined forces with the Xuanyue Royal Family, no matter where they hid, escape seemed impossible unless they really didn’t want to stay in the Xuanyue Empire anymore.

But Qingshan Sect’s roots were in the Xuanyue Empire; after countless years of establishment, how could they just pack up and leave? And other empires have their deeply entrenched sect forces; how would they allow an outsider like Qingshan Sect to meddle?

"So what do we do now? We can’t just do nothing and wait for the Jade Pot Sect to come knocking, right?"

Yang Lin was somewhat agitated, thinking that if nothing works and they just wait for the Jade Pot Sect’s visit, wouldn’t that be the same as waiting for death? At present, Qingshan Sect was nowhere near a match for the Jade Pot Sect.

"Hmph, the centuries-old foundation of my Qingshan Sect is not something that can be extinguished so easily. If worst comes to worst, the Sect Protection Array left by the founding master should show its might!"

As the Sect Master of Qingshan Sect, Li Feng knew much more than the other Elders. Upon his declaration, the eyes of many Qingshan Sect Elders brightened as they recalled some obscure legends.

Legend has it that the founding master did not establish Qingshan Sect on a whim, but after countless years of careful consideration. However, over the centuries, the so-called Sect Protection Array had never been activated. Was it finally time to unveil its magnificence to the world?