CHAPTER 65: CHAPTER 64 THE IMMORTAL SECT FACES CALAMITY!

The Clear Wind and Moon Sect—the Sect Wu Wang once thought he could muddle through and get by in.

Now, he was somewhat relieved to have been left in the Demonic Sect.

Does a disciple’s fortuitous opportunity have much to do with their Sect? If a disciple voluntarily offers treasures obtained through fate and fortune to subsidize the Sect, that is an act of goodwill. It’s just like Mao Aowu selling his... strength outside to earn Spirit Stones to support the Annihilation Sect.

A Sect like the Clear Wind and Moon Sect, which schemes against and coerces its own disciples, should be disciplined! No, purged!

Of course, saying so might be a bit extreme; it was merely a few greedy individuals.

At this moment, Wu Wang was on the large, sky-traversing ship, with Mao Aowu and Lin Suqing standing to his left and right. Dozens of disciples from the Annihilation Sect followed behind them.

Lin Suqing didn’t hide much, recounting her experiences after returning to her Sect in full detail.

Her junior martial brother had married, and their child was almost walking. She had inadvertently revealed her wealth when she broke through to the Golden Core realm and was subsequently targeted by the Sect Elders. She had already proactively offered one-third of the Northern Wilderness treasure mine. However, several of her sect uncles believed she possessed more treasures and relentlessly probed her. They would give her small amounts of Spirit Stones, demanding she purchase high-value items for them.

Initially, she hadn’t minded, thinking it was good to contribute to the Sect.

But as this happened repeatedly...

"They truly went too far," Lin Suqing said softly. "I know I shouldn’t always listen to them, but they are my elders, after all."

BANG!

Mao Aowu slammed the table and cursed, "What is this nonsense? Such a minor Sect, treating its own disciples this way! This is even more detestable than the Ten Evils Hall by several degrees. At least the Ten Evils Hall was openly antagonistic from the start. Isn’t this Sect just bullying its own people?"

Wu Wang, however, calmed down. He pondered for a moment and said, "Greed is a trait common to all Hundred Races. There’s no need to get so worked up over this."

It was also because I gave the old dear too much spending money, he mused.

Wu Wang asked, "Brother Mao, what is your position at the Benevolent Emperor Pavilion?"

"Inspection Immortal Envoy," Mao Aowu replied immediately. "I’m normally responsible for inspecting various places. The top one hundred Sects all have one or two people in this position."

"Then, can you meet His Majesty, the Human Emperor?"

"How could I?" Mao Aowu said with an embarrassed smile, a hint of longing in his eyes. "His Majesty, the Human Emperor, is the protector of the Human Domain, an elder we would follow even if it meant laying down our lives. He pioneered the medical arts and tasted hundreds of herbs, thereby reducing the suffering from illness in the Human Domain, allowing mortals to live better. This great Emperor... I’ve only seen him from afar once... ah."

Mao Aowu sighed lightly, his eyes filled with contentment. "He was so amiable, kind, and benevolent."

Wu Wang thought, And still so childlike, deeply cunning, and dislikes wearing shoes.

Beside him, Lin Suqing blinked, sensing something subtly peculiar about her Young Master’s expression.

Wu Wang suddenly asked, "Suqing, how would you describe His Majesty, the Human Emperor?"

"Great... great?" Lin Suqing struggled to think but couldn’t form a concrete idea.

Wu Wang nodded with a smile, a thoughtful look in his eyes, then chuckled softly. "Brother Mao, regarding today’s matter, I’d like to borrow your Benevolent Emperor Pavilion identity to give the Clear Wind and Moon Sect a scare."

"That’s no problem," Mao Aowu laughed. "We often use the Inspection Immortal Envoy’s badge to intimidate people. I have some connections within the Pavilion."

Wu Wang smiled. "Later, we’ll need to allocate more Spirit Stones to you, Brother. Expanding these connections will bring more benefits than harm to our Sect."

Then, looking at Lin Suqing, Wu Wang said calmly, "Let them have what they took, but we can’t let them off easily either. Don’t soften your heart later; I won’t harm them."

"Oh," Lin Suqing replied, saying no more.

Mao Aowu asked, "What exactly should we do?"

"Simple," Wu Wang smiled. "Brother Mao, you first appear alone and swagger about for a while. Once they’re eager to cozy up to an expert of the Heavenly Immortal Realm like you, and they’re in a bind where they can’t easily back out, directly toss them a small bag of Spirit Stones. Tell them you’re currently lacking a suitable magic treasure and entrust them with buying one."

With a snicker, several female disciples standing nearby covered their mouths and chuckled softly.

Mao Aowu clapped his hands and laughed heartily. "Sect Master, you’re too devious!"

Wu Wang said nonchalantly, "Devious? This is called giving them a taste of their own medicine."

Yang Wudi hurried over and whispered, "Sect Master, the brother sent to check on the Clear Wind and Moon Sect has returned. Something seems off."

"What is it?"

"The Clear Wind and Moon Sect and the adjacent Flowing Wind Sword Sect..." Yang Wudi glanced at Lin Suqing, then slowly said, "are deserted. Both Sects are eerily silent. The foundations of their protective formations have been broken. There are traces of a duel, but many have been erased. The brother who went only took a quick look from afar before rushing back; he didn’t see clearly."

CLANG!

Lin Suqing’s teacup slipped from her hand and fell onto the table. She shot up, muttering "Master" a few times, and rushed to the bow of the ship, only to realize they were still far from her Sect.

"What’s happening?" she asked, flustered.

Wu Wang said, "We don’t know the specifics yet. Sit tight for now. If your Sect has met with misfortune, I will naturally help you."

After a moment’s thought, Wu Wang had a plan and immediately issued orders in a grave voice: "Proceed at full speed. Don’t let the ship approach their mountain gate directly; just make it seem like we’re passing by. Brother Mao, you’re swift in flight. Go and observe from a distance. If anything seems amiss, don’t reveal yourself yet. Everyone else, stay on the ship. Have the brother who scouted earlier come and report."

"Yes!" Yang Wudi acknowledged.

"I’ll go at once," Mao Aowu said without further questions. He shouldered his Giant Sword, dashed forward a few steps, and transformed into a streak of silver light, shooting into the distance.

Lin Suqing anxiously asked, "Why not reveal ourselves directly?"

"If the Sect has indeed been attacked, we need a pretext," Wu Wang said, tapping his fingers on the table and transmitting his voice directly to her. "You didn’t, by any chance, give them those few types of mines as well, did you?"

Lin Suqing shook her head vehemently. "But I gave them almost a share of everything else."

Wu Wang couldn’t help but palm his forehead.

"It’s highly probable they flaunted their wealth."

「An hour later.」

Lin Suqing paced restlessly at the bow. If Wu Wang hadn’t stopped her, she would have rushed back to check on the situation long ago.

The large ship hovered before a scenic waterfall. Wu Wang sat with his eyes closed, the situation at those two Sect mountain gates, over two hundred li away, appearing in his mind.

That insignificant Sword Sect occupied a vast area and usually had at least several hundred cultivators in residence. The Clear Wind and Moon Sect only had a few dozen members and, in reality, relied on the Sword Sect for its existence. The founders of both Sects had been close friends, but after their deaths, the relationship between the two Sects had gradually cooled.

Both Sects were deserted, which looked somewhat eerie.

However, upon closer inspection, a few dried bloodstains were visible, seemingly still retaining faint traces of energy.

Within the grounds of the two neighboring Sects, not a single Spirit Stone could be found; even the Spirit Stones from the foundations of their great protective formations had been dug out. Yet, places like scripture repositories were untouched.

"Sect Master," Mao Aowu’s voice transmission sounded in the cabin. "It seems these two Sects were plundered. Although the perpetrators were clean, they still left some clues."

Wu Wang asked, "Can you determine who did it?"

"I can’t," Mao Aowu transmitted back. "But it was likely the work of the Demon Path. I detected faint residual demonic arts."

"Brother Mao, why are there no corpses in either Sect?"

"They must have used a corpse-burning method," Mao Aowu mused for a moment, then continued his transmission. "But this is also strange. Even the most sophisticated corpse-burning technique should leave some traces. If hundreds of cultivators died here, there should be remnant souls, and the place would look somewhat ominous even in daylight. Sect Master, this matter is very likely suspicious."

"Are such matters under the jurisdiction of patrol envoys?"

"Inspection immortal envoys are responsible for matters concerning Immortal and Demon Sects."

"Brother Mao, do as I say." Wu Wang didn’t stand on ceremony and issued his commands directly: "First, don’t reveal yourselves directly. Secretly send a message to a trustworthy senior from the Benevolent Emperor Pavilion, informing them of this event. Remind this senior not to disclose the information; otherwise, those who might currently only be captured will certainly meet a tragic end. Ask the senior to send one or two inspection immortal envoys, who are not from Sects in this vicinity, to investigate this matter covertly. After sending the message, search the nearby mountains and forests for any place where lingering souls might have gathered. If you find such a place, don’t investigate it rashly; return and rendezvous with us. I recall there’s a type of Storage magic treasure capable of holding living beings, but it’s difficult to craft and very precious. The culprits targeting these two Immortal Sects are unlikely to possess one. If their motive was wealth and they intended to abduct cultivators, they might very well have taken all the cultivators from both Sects to create confusion and mislead pursuers."

"Understood!" Mao Aowu acknowledged and cut off the Immortal Consciousness transmission to attend to his tasks.

Wu Wang stood up and paced with his hands behind his back, the relatively amiable face of True Person Zuo Dong appearing in his mind.

"Wudi, go to the market town and procure a map covering a ten-thousand-li radius. I remember some stalls sell them. The more detailed the markings of market towns and Sects, the better."

"Your subordinate obeys!" Yang Wudi, carrying his long spear and patting his bald head, immediately dashed to the stern, transforming into a streak of blood-red light that sped towards the horizon.

Not long after, Wu Wang’s Spiritual Sense detected a Jade Talisman streaking across the sky, bearing Mao Aowu’s aura.

A short while later, Mao Aowu returned swiftly via Sword Control, a hint of anger on his face. He spoke in a low voice, "Found it. About 1,600 li away, there’s a valley shrouded in mist. I can faintly sense a large number of lingering souls within; many people must have died there recently. Sect Master, what should we do next?"

Unconsciously, Mao Aowu had stopped trying to figure things out himself. He realized that despite cultivating for so many years, his mind worked less than half as fast as his Sect Master’s, and his consideration of issues wasn’t nearly as comprehensive. If Wu Wang hadn’t reminded him earlier, he would have directly revealed his identity as an immortal envoy and charged in.

Wu Wang pondered for a few moments, Spirit Light flickering in his eyes.

For the enemy to abduct cultivators from two Sects simultaneously meant they either had numerous people or were confident of completely overwhelming both Sects.

"How strong is that Sword Sect?"

"They have no Immortals," Lin Suqing stated immediately. "Nascent Soul and Ascendant God realm cultivators can serve as Elders."

Mao Aowu added, "They should be ranked outside the top one thousand Immortal Sects."

Lin Suqing quickly said, "They’re ranked around one thousand six hundred. I heard my Master and the others mention it... My Sect isn’t ranked."

Wu Wang slowly closed his eyes, thoughts surfacing one after another.

Just then, a red light flashed in from outside. Yang Wudi rushed in, clutching several scrolls. "Sect Master! The maps! I bought several!"

Wu Wang opened his eyes, a sharp glint flashing within them before vanishing. "A few of you, spread them out. Suqing, immediately find your Sect’s mountain gate on them. Brother Mao, mark the valley’s location."

The female disciples serving tea and water nervously approached. Several maps were unrolled, and Mao Aowu and Lin Suqing quickly moved across them, leaving faint traces with their mana.

"Suqing, mark the market towns your Sect frequently visits."

"Mm."

"Brother Mao, mark all the Immortal and Demon Sect mountain gates visible within the range of your Immortal Consciousness. Also, grade the strength of their Mountain Protection Arrays."

"Got it."

Soon, the upper deck of the ship was crowded with Annihilation Sect disciples. Several True Immortal Realm guards also frowned in thought.

Wu Wang began to draw on one map, his finger quickly pointing out three areas of desolate mountains and old forests. "Brother Mao, investigate these locations carefully. Inform me if you find any traces of formations."

Mao Aowu nodded in acknowledgment and closed his eyes. Wisps of blood-red light swirled around him, and a small, shimmering blood-red figure slowly materialized above his chest.

This was his Primordial Spirit, which had been a Nascent Soul before he achieved immortality.

Mao Aowu, now exerting his Primordial Spirit to its fullest, soon opened his eyes and said gravely, "The second location, over 2,000 li from here, has a formation hidden in a dense forest. However, it’s quite far from the place where we found the disposed bodies."

Wu Wang said, "That’s the one. Brother Mao, Wudi, you two come with me. Suqing, stay on the ship and don’t move about. The ship is to return to Floating Jade City immediately. The Annihilation Sect should not get involved in this."

Mao Aowu asked, puzzled, "How... how did you deduce that?"

Wu Wang simply replied, "I’ll explain on the way. If my deduction is correct, we might still be able to save the members of the Clear Wind and Moon Sect."

He looked at Lin Suqing, who nodded vigorously and whispered, "Young Master, I’ve caused you trouble again."

"We’re family. Don’t say that." Wu Wang calmly explained, "Also, she calls me Young Master because my true identity is that of a Young Master from a small human clan outside the Human Domain. My family background isn’t worth mentioning. Please help me keep this a secret. I ran away from home."

Only then did Lin Suqing realize her earlier slip of the tongue, her eyes filled with guilt.

Everyone from the Demon Path acknowledged the order.

Wu Wang fumbled in his sleeve for a mask, intending to put it on, but then he recalled his various experiences after arriving in the Human Domain...

Shoving the mask back into his sleeve, Wu Wang, along with Yang Wudi, leaped onto the Giant Sword summoned by Mao Aowu, flying off the levitating ship.

Mao Aowu couldn’t wait to ask, "Brother, Sect Master, how exactly did you determine there might be a formation there?"

Wu Wang explained, "It’s not overly complicated. Brother Mao, think about it. These culprits attacked two Sects simultaneously. They abducted disciples from this Sword Sect to deal with them a thousand li away—all in an attempt to cover up their actions and spread confusion. Clearly, they value their reputation and don’t want their identities discovered. This all hinges on the assumption that the Clear Wind and Moon Sect invited disaster by flaunting its wealth. If this assumption is true, it’s likely an ’inside job,’ meaning the perpetrators probably aren’t far from that Sect.

"Taking the Clear Wind and Moon Sect as the center, the surrounding market towns are all potential places where they might have shown off their wealth. We exclude the market towns most frequented by the Clear Wind and Moon Sect’s Elders. Then, extending outwards from the remaining market towns, we search for potential culprit Sects. The strength of a Sect is usually reflected by its public face—its Mountain Protection Array. So, Brother Mao, your strength is the crucial factor here, as it allows us to directly eliminate most of the Immortal and Demon Sects in this area. A Sect that would be tempted by this amount of wealth cannot be too powerful, but it absolutely must have Immortal Realm experts within it..."

On the Giant Sword, Mao Aowu nodded repeatedly in agreement.

Yang Wudi rubbed his bald head and chuckled sheepishly.

Wu Wang suddenly paused his explanation and turned to Yang Wudi. "Wudi, aren’t you illiterate? How did you decipher the characters on those maps?"

Yang Wudi was momentarily speechless, then gave a somewhat sheepish grin. "Heh heh heh. Well, about that, Sect Master, let me try to explain."

Wu Wang laughed. "If you don’t want to recite those rather embarrassing lines, just say it plainly. Am I such an unreasonable person?"

"Sect Master, you are indeed so magnanimous..."

"Your allowance for next year is gone."

A certain bald, burly man couldn’t help but look up at the sky and let out a long sigh, silently slapping his own face twice. Mao Aowu, however, smiled broadly, adjusting his stance to completely shield Wu Wang behind him.