53: The bet, the origin of the Qingyuan Sect.

June eighteenth.

Late night.

A secret chamber somewhere on Qingyuan Peak.

Grand Elder Venerable Weiyun arrived here alone.

In the pitch-black darkness, a lamp slowly flickered, illuminating a gaunt figure sitting cross-legged on the ground.

"You're here."

The hoarse voice sounded somewhat weak, but its tone brought immense reassurance to Grand Elder Weiyun.

"Sect Master, everything has been investigated."

He personally presented a Jade Slip.

"Who are they?"

"The Kang Country Royal Family, Blazing Sun Palace, and Qingtian Sword Sect are leading, with over a dozen other Dao Foundation forces. In total, more than thirty-five Dao Foundation Cultivators..."

True Person Yanling's emaciated arm paused in mid-air.

"Qingtian Sword Sect? I didn't expect them to—"

This was one of the Qingyuan Sect's closest Sects in the past. Its founding Ancestral Master, True Person Qingtian, had a deep connection with the Qingyuan Sect from a thousand years ago.

"Alas..."

After a full half-incense stick of time, True Person Yanling finally sighed and took the Jade Slip. With a sweep of his Divine Sense, its contents appeared in his mind.

The familiar names on the Jade Slip truly pained him.

Those juniors who were once so obedient and diligently listened to his teachings, less than a year after he announced his demise, eagerly jumped out, preparing to seize his inheritance and attack his Sect... Grand Elder Weiyun cautiously looked up, glanced at True Person Yanling, who was showing clear signs of Death Qi, and slowly said, "Sect Master, they are estimated to gather and forcefully attack our Sect's mountain gate soon. This—"

"Don't worry, since I've already promised you beforehand, I naturally won't be soft-hearted."

True Person Yanling sighed again, "Facts have shown that you were right, and I was wrong..."

Grand Elder Weiyun was startled, immediately kneeling on the ground, "This Disciple is terrified."

Originally, True Person Yanling hadn't intended to fake his death.

He still had two years left of his Lifespan. The reason he announced it a year early was because he and Grand Elder Venerable Weiyun had made a 'bet'.

True Person Yanling had initially thought that when his Lifespan reached its limit, he would die peacefully and no longer concern himself with worldly affairs.

He would also be worthy of the Sect's Ancestral Masters.

It was Grand Elder Venerable Weiyun who had repeatedly wept bitterly before him, stating directly that after his death, the Qingyuan Sect would face a calamity of annihilation, and he would be unable to protect it, begging him to cleanse the Cultivation World before his passing.

However, True Person Yanling was truly unwilling.

Moreover, he didn't believe that these juniors, who were so obedient in front of him, would commit such acts.

He was even more unwilling to believe that the Cultivation World, to which he had shown kindness for hundreds of years, would universally rebel after his death.

However, unable to resist Venerable Weiyun's persistent pleas, they tentatively made this bet.

Only the two of them knew about it.

Even the other Dao Foundation Elders of Qingyuan Sect and hundreds of Disciples were unaware.

They all believed that the Sect Master had truly passed away.

To put on a show, one must go all out; to deceive others, one must first deceive one's own people.

According to their 'bet', after the Qingyuan Sect announced True Person Yanling's demise.

One year!

If the Qingyuan Sect remained peaceful and did not experience the Sect crisis Grand Elder Weiyun had predicted.

Then True Person Yanling would not reappear.

Just as if he had truly died a year ago, passing away peacefully.

This secret would only be known to the two of them.

And if the 'calamity of annihilation' that Grand Elder Weiyun spoke of truly occurred, as it has now.

Then True Person Yanling would come out to salvage the situation.

Although he wouldn't go completely berserk and thoroughly cleanse the entire Cultivation World.

However, anyone who harbored ill intentions towards the Qingyuan Sect... would not live!

"You don't have to be like this. Since they are heartless and unjust, don't blame me for being ruthless in my final moments."

True Person Yanling's tone was filled with killing intent, sending shivers down one's spine.

"Sect Master is brilliant!!!"

Grand Elder Weiyun excitedly knelt and shouted, his heart practically bursting with joy.

To say he had no selfish motives would be false.

He was only one hundred and eighty years old this year, and his cultivation was on the verge of breaking through to Dao Foundation Peak.

And he still had a full sixty years of Lifespan left!

Therefore, logically speaking, he still had one to two opportunities to assault the Profound Fetus Immortal Master Realm!

The Qingyuan Sect possessed abundant Resources, and with full effort, could indeed provide him with one Opportunity and Resources to assault the Immortal Master Realm.

However, there were also many Resources outside... After the Sect Master cleanses the Cultivation World, the confiscated Resources would definitely be considerable. Even if it only increased his chances of successfully assaulting the Immortal Master Realm by ten percent, it would be worth it!

If he could successfully Breakthrough, he would extend his Lifespan by another three hundred years, protecting the Qingyuan Sect for an additional three centuries.

True Person Yanling naturally saw through these intentions.

So he tacitly approved.

"Oh, and Sect Master, there's another piece of news: traces of the Luck God Dao have appeared in the Southwest region.

Moreover, this person's experience is somewhat strange. This Disciple suspects he possesses a great Opportunity—"

"Luck God Dao?"

True Person Yanling frowned deeply, "Are you sure?"

"Here is the detailed intelligence, please examine it, Sect Master!"

Grand Elder Weiyun again presented a Jade Slip, which contained intelligence regarding the Huangtian Dynasty's unification of the Southwest region.

"It truly is... It seems I'll have to make a trip to the Southwest region."

True Person Yanling murmured to himself.

Opportunities, in truth, he didn't value much.

This world has already become such a mess; what good are Opportunities, or lack thereof?

How great could even the greatest Opportunity be?

But this Luck God Dao thing is worth being wary of.

Because it concerns the very foundation of their Qingyuan Sect!

Over ten thousand years ago.

This world belonged to a unified God Dao Imperial Dynasty.

However, due to a decree from an Immortal in the Upper Realm, the vast Imperial Dynasty collapsed overnight.

Their Qingyuan Sect's founding Ancestral Master was rewarded for his meritorious service in suppressing the God Dao, thus breaking through to True Monarch and establishing the Qingyuan Sect.

Suppressing the God Dao is an ancestral teaching of their Qingyuan Sect... The next day, in the morning.

Facing the morning sun, in a place unseen by all Qingyuan Sect Disciples, True Person Yanling descended the mountain.

He brought his third-tier Magic Treasure, the star seal.

Alone... Meanwhile.

In the Southwest region of the Central Continent, Tianjing City.

As the capital of the Huangtian Dynasty, which unified the Southwest region, its prosperity was incomparably greater than that of the former Yu Kingdom's royal capital.

And it was visibly destined to become even more prosperous in the future.

Even though the enthronement ceremony had passed two full days ago, Tianjing City was still filled with songs, dances, and incessant clamor.

In a luxurious inn in the eastern part of the city, the lights of Private Room A-6 burned brightly all night.

Yu Xuzi was here.

He was diligently compiling the historical records of the Huangtian Dynasty.

From the rebellion of the three southern counties of Yu Kingdom to the present unification of the Southwest region after destroying nine countries, over seven years had passed.

He had personally witnessed the Yellow Heaven Cult's gradual growth, so he intended to record these seven years thoroughly.

He hoped to obtain the complete Huang Tian True Scripture.

As for after this record was completed, he planned to use the Myriad Heavens Star Disk to Transmigrate to other worlds and explore.

Mainly, the Yellow Heaven Cult's control over the Dynasty's territory was increasing daily, making it very unfriendly to Loose Cultivators, with Luck power everywhere.

Even the small village twenty li outside Cangqing Mountain had erected statues of True Man Huang Tian.

His Cangqing Mountain wouldn't be hidden for much longer.

"Alas, True Man Huang Tian, you have a tough fate."

Yu Xuzi shook his head, feeling regretful.

He couldn't defeat them, so at this stage, he could only flee.

After all, in the short term, the Huangtian Dynasty seemed to have no possibility of collapse.

And he didn't want to go to the Central Continent.

Without breaking through to the Dao Foundation Realm, it was still too dangerous there.