52: The predicament of Qingyuan Sect: the prohibition of gods!

While the Southwest region of the continent fell into a frenzy, the atmosphere in the Kang Country Cultivation World was becoming increasingly strange.

Half a year had passed since the Qingyuan Sect announced the sealing of their mountains.

The sphere of influence of the Qingyuan Sect was being continuously compressed.

At first, people hid their identities to test the waters, both openly and in secret. Then, they began to suppress the Sect in broad daylight. Now, it had escalated into blatant encroachment!

Sealing the mountains for the Qingyuan Sect didn't just involve a single mountain.

Besides the Qingyuan Main Peak, which possessed a Second Grade High Grade Spiritual Vein and stood over five thousand zhang tall, there were dozens of other Peaks within a two-hundred-mile radius, including more than ten First Grade Spiritual Veins and three Second Grade Low Grade Spiritual Veins.

It was the convergence of this massive number of Spiritual Veins that formed the final essence of this realm's spiritual land, sustaining the many Disciples and Elders of the Qingyuan Sect.

There were even surplus Spiritual Veins used for planting Spirit Medicines and Spiritual Plants, and for breeding Spirit Beasts and mounts.

However, since the sealing of the mountains, the Qingyuan Sect's peripheral Resources were being constantly seized. The Disciples were exhausted from rushing to protect these Resources, and their grievances grew by the day.

By now, people even dared to attack Qingyuan Sect Elders in broad daylight and spy on the Qingyuan Sect mountain gate.

"Wouldn't it have been better if the Sect Master had killed all these people before he passed away?"

"How could there be such troublesome matters today?"

Almost all Qingyuan Sect Disciples thought this way.

Atop Qingyuan Peak, within the Great Hall.

The Great Hall, which used to be solemn, majestic, and overflowing with Spiritual Qi, now appeared somewhat empty and cold.

The position of Sect Master remained vacant.

Over a dozen figures stood within the hall.

They were the final high-ranking members of the Qingyuan Sect; all twelve Elders of the Dao Foundation Realm were present.

They were lined up on both sides, sitting on cold white jade chairs, with no one speaking.

A suffocating silence froze the entire space of the Great Hall.

Grand Elder Venerable Weiyun kept his eyes closed, his fingers unconsciously twisting an old jade pendant at his waist, his knuckles turning slightly white from the force.

"We can't endure this any longer!"

The dead silence was finally broken.

Sitting at the head of the right side, the Disciplinary Elder and Mid Dao Foundation Realm Peak Cultivator, Venerable Weizhen, slammed his hand onto the armrest. The hard jade chair groaned under the strain.

This man was burly with a resolute face.

At this moment, his eyes were bloodshot, and his chest was heaving violently.

"Endure! Endure! Endure!"

"We've endured for half a year. How much longer must we endure?"

"Our Qingyuan Sect has stood for ten thousand years, with a continuous Legacy of Immortal Masters in every generation. Our Ancestral Master was even a Dharma Aspect True Lord! When have we ever suffered such a humiliating disgrace?!"

"If the Sect Master were still here... if he were..."

His voice choked up, and his subsequent words turned into a heavy, powerless gasp.

"Senior Brother Zhenyue, calm down."

Sitting opposite him, Elder Weiyu, who was in charge of the Sect's secular affairs, spoke slowly, his tone carrying his usual caution and composure.

"Calm down? How can you tell me to calm down?"

Elder Weizhen snapped back immediately, seemingly wanting to vent all the grievances he had suffered over the past few months.

"Those people didn't just snatch our Spiritual Veins; they even dared to attack me! Five people besieged me!"

"If I hadn't acted quickly and run fast, you wouldn't even be seeing me today!"

Elder Weizhen's roar made the entire Great Hall tremble slightly, but the others did not speak again.

Elder Weiyu, feeling snubbed, sighed deeply and remained silent.

In truth, everyone could understand Elder Weizhen.

Those outsiders were becoming more and more excessive. They also wanted to go out and make an example of someone, but unfortunately, the Grand Elder wouldn't allow it.

"Grand Elder, are we really going to shrink back here and let them insult us at will?"

"Are we going to wait until their numbers grow so large that one day the Formation breaks, and they rush in to slaughter us like pigs and dogs, plundering our Qingyuan Sect's ten-thousand-year foundation and our Ancestral Master's Legacy?"

Seeing that no one opposed him, Venerable Weizhen felt emboldened and immediately turned to shout at the Grand Elder.

As soon as he finished speaking, several Elders chimed in.

"Yes, Grand Elder, we can't go on like this!"

"Grand Elder, say something!"

"Perhaps... perhaps we could talk?"

A weak voice sounded; it was Elder Weiling, who was in charge of Alchemy. His character had always been somewhat weak.

"If we surrender some of the Sect's peripheral mineral veins and herb gardens in exchange for a moment of peace, they might even start fighting among themselves..."

"Junior Brother Weiling! You're being foolish!"

Elder Weizhen's eyes widened in anger. "If we give up the herb gardens today, they'll want the Spiritual Veins tomorrow! The day after, they'll want the Legacy Jade Slips from the Ancestral Hall and the Immortal Master's Magic Treasures!"

"Is this a negotiation? This is a surrender!!"

"Then what do you suggest we do?"

"I say we should just charge out and fight them!"

"Do you know how many Dao Foundation Cultivators outside are hostile toward us? At least thirty have surfaced!"

"I don't care. It's just one against three. Just do it!"

"You've lost your—"

The atmosphere in the hall suddenly became noisy.

Over a dozen Elders were all talking at once, without a clear consensus, and even started passionately insulting each other.

In the past, they were used to having that person on the Sect Master's throne who made them feel at ease.

If the sky fell, the Sect Master would hold it up!

But now that True Person Yanling had passed away, disagreements began to arise.

Even with the presence of Grand Elder Venerable Weiyun, he could only suppress them for a moment, not forever.

They were the number one Sect in the world; when had they ever suffered such grievances?

After half a year, everyone was suffocating with frustration.

"Alright, everyone listen to me."

Venerable Weiyun spoke, and the hall instantly fell silent.

Everyone's gaze turned toward him.

"I understand what Junior Brother Weizhen said, but everyone is exaggerating."

"Our Sect is protected by a Third Grade mountain-protecting Formation. With us Elders and hundreds of Disciples here, the mountain gate is absolutely safe."

Elder Weizhen grew anxious and immediately spoke up: "But in the long run—"

"There is no such possibility!"

Venerable Weiyun interrupted him decisively.

"Rest assured, I have a plan in mind. Those outsiders won't be able to act presumptuously for much longer."

"Everyone, disperse and comfort the Disciples."

They looked at each other and could only sigh and shake their heads before leaving.

The Grand Elder was now the decision-maker of the Qingyuan Sect, appointed by the Immortal Master before his passing.

Although they felt frustrated, no one was foolish enough to start internal strife.

Besides, what the Grand Elder said wasn't wrong.

As long as they were determined to seal the mountains and defend to the death, the mountain gate was indeed safe.

If they had to be frustrated, so be it... After everyone had left, only Venerable Weiyun remained in the Great Hall, sitting there expressionless.

However, at that moment, a dark shadow suddenly appeared.

"Reporting to the Grand Elder, we have identified everyone who has come forward."

"In addition... there is urgent news from the Southwest region!"

Venerable Weiyun frowned slightly.

The Southwest region?

What could possibly be worth an urgent report in that remote corner?

It seemed that no Dao Foundation Cultivator had emerged there for two hundred years. They had long since regarded it as a barren land and paid little attention to it.

He took the Jade Slip and immersed his Divine Sense into it. Information about the Huangtian Dynasty unifying the Southwest region appeared in his mind.

A Dao Foundation Cultivator appeared? No big deal.

Unified the Southwest? Just so-so.

Gathering faith?

Hmm?

Venerable Weiyun's expression changed drastically, and he stood up abruptly.

"Faith?"

"The Divine Path of Luck?"

This realm once had practitioners of the Divine Path of Luck, who had even unified the entire world.

This was recorded in the Secret Library Pavilion of the Qingyuan Sect.

However, about ten thousand years ago, it was forcibly suppressed by an Immortal's Decree from the Upper Realm, and even all the methods for collecting faith were completely wiped out!

Naturally, the Qingyuan Sect didn't have them either.

He didn't expect there to be any remnants left in the outside world.

"You certainly hid it well, but what a pity, you're still young..."