After Huangfu Feng revealed the truth, he was personally "escorted" out of the gates of the Qinming Sword Sect by Bai Qiuran. As expected, without the Grand Elder intervening, all the sect leaders fell to him, and for a time, the Thunder Demon Sect was the center of attention. However, people soon noticed Jue Yunzi, lively and full of energy, back at the Qinming Sword Sect, and the reputation of the sect surged once again.
The reason they did not go to the Fairy City’s Jade Tower was that Huangfu Feng and the elders of the Jade Tower Sect simply did not see eye to eye. When Bai Qiuran found Huangfu Feng, he was in the neighboring Qing Province, drinking with a friend. Huangfu Feng glanced at the scroll and quickly understood its significance; his expression changed imperceptibly.
But the Grand Elder of the Thunder Demon Sect was a bit foolish. After being sent off at the Qinming Sword Sect, he immediately picked up his sword and rushed towards the Divine Martial Army. From the reports that had come in over the past few days, it seemed that Huangfu Feng had been making rounds to challenge all the five major sects of the Righteous Dao Alliance, excluding the Fairy City’s Jade Tower.
Thanks to Bai Qiuran's instructions, Supporting Cloud Master worked swiftly and translated a lengthy inscription in just over a week. “There’s more here, scribbled notes, probably added later by someone else,” he noted.
“Tell Jue Yunzi that I’m going to find Huangfu Feng.” As expected, without the Grand Elder's intervention, all sect leaders fell to him, and for a time, the Thunder Demon Sect was drawing all the limelight. However, people soon realized that the energetic Jue Yunzi had returned to the Qinming Sword Sect, further enhancing its prestige.
Bai Qiuran shook his head. The relationships between the two opposing factions, the Righteous Dao Alliance and the united Demon Doors, were quite complex. Aside from the long-defunct Blood God Sect that everyone despised, other sects had varying degrees of friendship with their counterparts.
“‘If we do not eliminate the Azure Emperor, the common folks will suffer!’” He put away the scroll and looked at Bai Qiuran. Bai Qiuran nodded, “Let’s go, to the wilderness.”
However, in the midst of this major upheaval, Huangfu Feng himself was blissfully unaware. Bai Qiuran surmised that his nature was more inclined to seek out challenges for the thrill of it. “Tell Jue Yunzi that I’m going to find Huangfu Feng.”
Despite being in the eye of the storm, Huangfu Feng remained oblivious. Bai Qiuran thought that, given his character, he was likely just driven by impulse to seek out battle.
As Huangfu Feng re-entered the scene, challenging major sects across the Nine Provinces and Ten Lands stirred the waters, the scroll containing the inscription brought by Tang Ruowei was translated steadily under Supporting Cloud Master’s leadership.
“Master, are you going down the mountain?” This indicates the relationships among sects in the cultivation world are not just black and white, but rather remarkably tangled. In the early days, the factions were resolute enemies, having fought for years; however, the current dynamic between the Righteous Dao Alliance and the united Demon Doors has shifted into a complex balance, seemingly adversarial yet joining forces against common foes like the Barbarian Demon Clan and the invasion of foreign creatures.
It’s hard to say. “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder,” and so is hatred, “We haven’t lived in that era, so we shouldn’t judge the past too hastily.”
“Tell Jue Yunzi that I’m going to find Huangfu Feng.” The tension between Huangfu Feng and the elders of the Fairy City’s Jade Tower was also rooted in their personal dislikes towards one another.
When Bai Qiuran found Huangfu Feng, he was in Qing Province with a friend over drinks. She knew the difference between herself and Bai Qiuran; going to the wilderness would be a burden rather than a help. The most sensible thing was to spend this time diligently training to improve herself, so that when the time came, she could be of use.
He put the scroll away and looked at Bai Qiuran again.
The relationships in the cultivation world, especially between the Righteous Dao Alliance and the united Demon Doors, were intricate. Apart from the Blood God Sect that no longer mattered, each sect had its allies amidst the opposing factions. Bai Qiuran, after briefly contemplating, informed Huangfu Feng of the translation's completion.
Huangfu Feng glanced over it, quickly saw through the core of the matter, his expression shifting slightly. Tang Ruowei passed him another scroll.
“It seems that the Azure Emperor’s reputation isn’t very good.” Huangfu Feng took another look at the translation and pondered the implications of its content.
As the inscription read, “In the autumn of the year forty thousand three hundred and thirty-five, the Earth Immortal Zhang Lie raised an army of chaos, leading three thousand cultivators, fifty thousand warriors, and three hundred thousand commoners at Yin Mountain, claiming the title of King Lie.
That winter, under the command of the Holy Martial Azure Emperor, the general Zhao Wu was appointed as the Grand Marshal with thirty thousand troops to quell the rebellion. In the spring of forty thousand three hundred and thirty-eight, the Earth Immortal Zhang Lie fell to the sword of Grand Marshal Zhao Wu at Yin Mountain.
The Holy Martial Azure Emperor, moved by General Zhao Wu’s martial feats, established this monument at Yin Mountain to record the event, memorialize the name, honor his contributions, and proclaim his deeds. The strategies and cleverness of General Zhao Wu, and the mighty aura of the Holy Martial Azure Emperor could not be defied by the common people.
I hope future generations remember the Emperor’s grace.”
The relationships among the two major factions are anything but simple. The early enmity was intense, with consistent confrontations, but the present has evolved into a delicate balance where they seem to oppose each other but can temporarily unite against external threats.
“Perhaps the Azure Emperor’s rule was not as benevolent as it seems,” Bai Qiuran shook his head and agreed with Tang Ruowei’s insights. The journey into the wilderness wasn’t for personal glory but for the greater good of understanding the bigger picture—what true immortality might mean for their future.
“Indeed, it could be,” he responded, aware that a deeper truth lay ahead.
When Bai Qiuran approached Huangfu Feng, he was ready for more than challenges; he was prepared to understand the implications of their quests and the precarious balance of power within the cultivation realm. As Bai Qiuran prepared for their next steps, he felt the pulse of change flowing through every choice they made.