CHAPTER 724: 599 MYSTERIOUS SECT CONVENTION

Shi Feiyang convened a grand meeting of the Mysterious Sect at Yuan Yang Palace in the Capital to discuss how to eradicate the evil cults from Central Earth.

In fact, he could eliminate these evil cults himself by killing each of the cult leaders and hierarchs, and with the assistance of the government forces, destroy their strongholds and flatten their temples, that would be it.

However, such a course of action only treated the symptoms, not the root, much like mushrooms growing on wood that sprout again after a rain.

He also sought to solidify his position as the "Leader of the Mysterious Sect," and thus, he intended to gather all of the Mysterious Sect Sword Immortals from across the lands to brainstorm and pool their wisdom.

Of course, this invitation was limited to the orthodox Mysterious Sect, as this was his fundamental support base.

The main invitees were the seven major sects of the Mysterious Sect: Qingcheng Sect, Snow Mountain Sect, Emei Sect, Wudang Sect, Kunlun Sect, Huangshan Sect, and Wutai Sect.

Having suffered tremendous losses during the third swordfighting event, Wutai Sect had not yet recovered much of its Primordial Qi.

Originally, after that event, Jiang Sangun from Wutai Sect, who was the oldest and possessed the highest Daoist Technique, knew the stakes and dared not take on the role of Sect Leader. Following Shi Feiyang’s method, she brought her son, Situ Ping, from Wushan Mountain to take over as the leader of Wutai Sect.

The Dharma Collection of the Wutai Sect was compiled by Shi Feiyang, containing elements from both the orthodox Mysterious Sect and the heterodox factions.

Currently, the family of three from Situ Ping, along with Fang Ying and Yuan Hao, mainly focused on cultivating the Daoist Techniques from the orthodox Mysterious Sect.

Shi Feiyang, intending to support them, also summoned them, positioning them as the last among the seven great Immortal Sects.

Among these seven sects, Qingcheng Sect and Snow Mountain Sect were his staunch supporters, also currently the largest two Sword Immortal Sects in Central Earth, with disciples all over the world.

Whatever Shi Feiyang proposed, these two sects would be the first to express their support, not to mention Huangshan Sect.

Li Yingqiong of the Emei Sect, being straightforward, would speak up if she had any dissatisfaction. As a part of the orthodox Mysterious Sect dedicated to eliminating demons and eradication of evil, her nature abhorred evil. Always feeling that her Purple Ying Sword wasn’t strong enough during her swordfights with demons, she wished she could obliterate them completely. Additionally, Qi Shuming had specially instructed her to maintain a good rapport with Shi Feiyang before her departure, thus she not only agreed with him in every possible way but also took the lead charging with her Purple Ying Sword.

To exterminate the evil cults was not particularly difficult for these seven great Immortals, it was just exceptionally tedious, demanding time, effort, and a great deal of patience.

Shi Feiyang termed this operation as "East Wind," dividing it into three stages.

The first stage was to eliminate designated enemy leaders.

He brought out a list, comprising one hundred and forty-two primary leaders of various evil cult organizations and secondary organizers, including eight thousand nine hundred and sixteen middle-layer leaders!

Each of the seven sects chose their targets, claiming whom they wished to eliminate.

Shi Feiyang had only one requirement, "If possible, capture them alive, seal their Mana, and escort them back to the Capital for trial before sending them all to Caishi Kou for execution."

Once the fabricated "Divine Status" of the cult leaders was demolished, the faith of their followers crumbled.

You claim you can fly to the skies, why don’t you escape through the air?

You say your Mana is limitless, how come you are still shackled and can’t even step out of the prison cart?

You speak of being immortal and indestructible, how come you can still be slowly executed?

While beheading these enemy leaders, local governmental forces, bailiffs, Jinyi Guards, etc., would assist by destroying all temples, Dharma Platforms...

Those that could be reformed were transformed, those that couldn’t were demolished.

The third stage was to pursue and eradicate the remnants. Shi Feiyang assigned a significant responsibility zone to each of the seven great sects. Should any cult organization appear within their designated area, they were to immediately take charge of its eradication.

None of the seven sects took these evil cults seriously, swiftly assuming responsibility for large areas and quickly dividing the tasks among themselves.

Next, nearly three thousand Sword Immortals from the seven great sects, along with more than ten thousand individuals from the Jianghu Martial Arts community of various lower branches of the sects, collectively mobilized to eliminate all individuals on the evil cult list nationwide.

The world trembled for a time, and the major evil cults desperately resisted.

Initially, their resistance consisted of confronting orthodox Sword Immortals in duels and were utterly defeated; some were killed on the spot, their bodies and souls destroyed, and their undying divine souls were captured and sealed, alongside those who were captured alive, all were sent back to the Capital for Shi Feiyang to deal with.

After suffering heavy losses, the remaining cult leaders began to incite their followers to take to the streets, spreading their doctrines that the state was doomed, the entire world was doomed, demons were manifesting to harm the savior, urging all their followers to riot in the streets, vandalize, loot, and burn to protect their faith with their lives.

Local bailiffs, military units, Jinyi Guards, and others had long been prepared; they maintained order on one hand and executed these typical evil cult heads on the streets on the other, showing clearly to everyone the true colors of those they worshipped.

Shi Feiyang sat in the Yuan Yang Palace in the Capital, doing nothing but silently waiting for the reports of victory from various places, crossing off name after name on the list.

Other cults were nothing much, all annihilated like dry weeds and rotten wood.

The only stubborn resistances came from the Divine Dragon Sect, Western Sect, and Rashamon Sect.

The highest leader of the Rashamon Sect was Zen Master Xiao Yue, who was defeated in the West Sea years ago and later had his Primordial Spirit taken by the Western Sect.

However, after Zen Master Xiao Yue, three disciples of Grandmaster Ha Ha took over: Daoist Chiyan, Golden-eyed Baboon Zuo Qingxu, and Soul-chasing Youngster Xiao Tai.

These three fellows had been cultivating in the Fire Cloud Cave of Xinjiang’s Bull Mountain all year. After Zen Master Xiao Yue betrayed Grandmaster Ha Ha and joined Deng Yin, these three brothers even sought out Zen Master Xiao Yue to cleanse their master’s door.

But later, they were moved by Zen Master Xiao Yue’s appeals to emotion and reason, and Grandmaster Ha Ha especially transmitted a message asking them not to conflict with Zen Master Xiao Yue, so they ceased their pursuit.

After organizing the Heavenly Dragon Eight Divisions, Zen Master Xiao Yue felt he lacked enough support, so he called these three out of retirement to serve as his lieutenants.

After Zen Master Xiao Yue perished in the West Sea, these three reorganized the remnants and merged them all into the Rashamon Sect.

In the recent years, the northwest territory blossomed and the population exploded. The Rashamon Sect also flourished immensely, with Three Saints Temples in every major state, county, and city, enshrining these three men.

Having followed Grandmaster Ha Ha in cultivation for many years, originally they were on par with Zen Master Xiao Yue when joined together. In these years, with combined Divine Dao cultivation and the support of thousands of devotees’ will power, their mana surged, and each individually reached a level not less than that of Zen Master Xiao Yue during his prime.

Responsible for eradicating the Rashamon Sect were the Kunlun Sect and the Wutai Sect, with all masters from Kunlun Sect coming out: Sect Leader Mr. Zhong, the Heavenly Pond’s Venerable Master Moyunling, Wanderer Weishaoshao, the Bearded Hermit Cheng Di, the Little-Bearded Hermit Xiang Shan, along with Cui Heinv, Immortal Wei Xianke, and Xin Lingxiao, and they all brought out their disciples too.

For the Wutai Sect, there were Jiang Sangu, Situ Xingming, Fang Ying, Yuan Hao, and Situ Ping.

The two sects joined forces and entered the main altar of the Rashamon Sect, and after a bitter battle, they still could not gain the upper hand.

Having the support of countless disciples’ will power, these three had incredibly powerful Primordial Spirits, nearly indestructible to attacks from Flying Sword Magical Treasures or Divine Thunder. Only when Kunlun Sect brought out their sect’s most precious treasure did they barely suppress the three.

Finally, Situ Ping’s master, the Great True Master Divine Camel Yi Xiu, arrived, directly moving a mountain peak to crush the trio’s main altar into dust, laid down a Five-Element Immortal Array with the Five Elements flags, trapped Daoist Chiyan inside, and used the Five-Colored Divine Light to draw water from the Tarim Basin, defeating all of his Fire Element Magical Treasures, split his Primordial Spirit into five parts, and sealed them in the five flag gates.

Thus, they finally achieved their ultimate victory!

The Emei Sect was in charge of dealing with the Divine Dragon Sect.

The Dongxuan Immortal left West Sea Island in a rage and returned to the Divine Dragon Island to refine the Silkworm Youngster, planning to use it as a substitute in case her tribulation went awry.

Mostly, Heavenly Silkworm Fairy and Hong Antong maintained the sect’s affairs.

The Emei Sect destroyed the sect’s platforms one by one in Central Earth, with Li Yingqiong unleashing a massive slaughter—any of the Divine Dragon Sect who cultivated the Gu Technique or Sorcery were put to death under the Purple Ying Sword, without exception!

Ordinary people were left to the government and Jinyi Guard to handle.

Due to the guile of the Gu Technique, some disciples of the Emei Sect were also injured, but they quickly recovered completely with treatment, and there were no significant losses.

Hong Antong and Heavenly Silkworm Fairy even tried to lead a counterattack in Central Earth, but were disastrously defeated by the Emei Sect. Hong Antong was beheaded by Li Yingqiong, and his body was blasted into dust by the Qian Gang Five Divine Thunders.

It was only Laguna Shi Longgu, bearing old loyalties, who managed to rescue his shattered Divine Soul from afar, figured out a way to refine and restore it, then sent it off for reincarnation.

Heavenly Silkworm Fairy narrowly escaped death under the Emei Sect’s sword and fled back in utter fear.

The remaining followers of the Divine Dragon Sect fled overseas, converging on the Divine Dragon Island, where they and the Heavenly Silkworm Fairy knelt before the Dongxuan Immortal, begging her to avenge them.

Before they could even persuade the Dongxuan Immortal, Li Yingqiong led her followers straight to them!

Originally, mature and prudent members of the Emei Sect such as Yu Yingnan, Yan Renying, and Zhuge Jing had advised Li Yingqiong, "Now that the leaders of the Divine Dragon Sect in Central Earth have been completely eradicated, and all the Gu Pits destroyed, the leftovers fleeing abroad can be ignored for now. As the saying goes, ’Don’t chase a desperate enemy.’ The master of Heavenly Silkworm Fairy, the Dongxuan Immortal, is on the Divine Dragon Island, that old demon’s mana is extremely strong, having closed off in cultivation for many years refining Gu, yet she does not come out to cause trouble..."

Yet Li Yingqiong refused to agree, insisting on eradicating evil completely: "From the actions of that demonic woman Heavenly Silkworm Fairy, one can know that the sorcery practiced by that old demon is not righteous, and it inevitably involves soul-snatching and taking lives, even using living people to refine Gu ghosts. Although she might not be very evil, all evils committed by these disciples must be accounted to her,

it’s the nature of karmic retribution! If we spare them today, once we all ascend in the future, they will continue to commit evils in the Human World and resurface, then who will deal with them? Anyway, by returning to the Capital this way, I’d be too ashamed to face Master Yuan Yang. If you don’t wish to join, I will go and confront her personally, and see if that old demon’s Golden Silkworm Gu can withstand the edge of my Purple Ying Immortal Sword!"

The disciples of the Emei Sect, always advancing and retreating together, naturally couldn’t let her go alone; thus, they mobilized in full force and attacked the Divine Dragon Island.

Dongxuan Immortal, not wishing to get involved in this turmoil, even if everyone outside had perished, it would be no loss to her as long as the Silkworm Youngster was still intact, the death of Heavenly Silkworm Fairy would not be a pity.