90: The Qingyuan Sect Master went into seclusion, and the East Sea Dragon appeared.

The eighteenth year of the lunar calendar, early January.

The New Year has just passed.

The winter chill could not dispel the rolling heatwaves of the Great Desolate Kingdom's western desert.

Inside Thousand Mechanisms City.

"I haven't seen you for several years. I didn't expect Fellow Daoist Taiyin to have already achieved a Breakthrough to the Mid Dao Foundation Realm. Truly, congratulations are in order."

Upper Master Qianji laughed heartily.

"I see that you have also made a Breakthrough, Fellow Daoist Qianji. Congratulations to us both."

Yu Xuzi nodded with a smile and returned the salute.

"Sigh, it's all thanks to the Spirit Stones you gave me, Fellow Daoist Taiyin. Through painstaking effort, I've finally reached the Mid Dao Foundation Realm."

Upper Master Qianji shook his head and sighed, "I only have a few decades left to live anyway, so what's the use of reaching the Middle Stage? Unlike you, Fellow Daoist, you are so young that you might even have a chance to condense a Profound Fetus in the future."

Yu Xuzi smiled without saying much, then casually changed the subject and asked, "How come I don't see Fellow Daoist Qiankui?"

"Junior Brother Qiankui is currently in seclusion, so he cannot come out to meet you this time."

"I see."

Upper Master Qianji subtly sized up Yu Xuzi and asked tentatively, "I wonder if Fellow Daoist Taiyin's visit this time is because you need help from my Thousand Mechanisms City?"

Yu Xuzi shook his head and said bluntly, "I have been in seclusion overseas for the past few years and am unfamiliar with the affairs of the mainland Cultivation World, so I came to gather information."

At this point, his tone became somewhat teasing, "Fellow Daoist Qianji, I wonder if the Qingyuan Sect is still searching for me everywhere?"

"Ah, this—"

Upper Master Qianji first nodded, then shook his head, "I won't hide it from you, Fellow Daoist Taiyin. In the past few years, the Qingyuan Sect was indeed searching for news of you. They even sent people to my Thousand Mechanisms City three times just to inquire about your whereabouts."

"But rest assured, Fellow Daoist. My Thousand Mechanisms City naturally didn't reveal a single word about you. We kept our lips sealed!"

Yu Xuzi nodded and smiled, "That's good."

"However, they can't be bothered with you right now."

"Oh?"

Yu Xuzi raised his eyes in surprise, "Did something happen to the Qingyuan Sect?"

Could it be internal strife?

Could it be that he has another chance to pick up the pieces?

Upper Master Qianji said in a heavy voice:

"Fellow Daoist Taiyin may not be aware, but just last year, the new Sect Master of the Qingyuan Sect, Fellow Daoist Weiyun, announced his seclusion.

Therefore, most of the Qingyuan Sect's forces have been recalled to the mountain gate to act as Protectors for him."

"Seclusion?"

Yu Xuzi narrowed his eyes.

"Exactly. I presume you know what he intends to do?"

"Isn't that a bit rushed? Doesn't he have at least a few decades of Lifespan left?"

Yu Xuzi shook his head inwardly, not quite approving of Venerable Weiyun's decision to enter seclusion.

It had only been a few years since he reached the Dao Foundation Peak, yet he was already thinking about entering seclusion to condense a Profound Fetus. Too impatient!

"Isn't that the truth."

Upper Master Qianji nodded, "Perhaps there's some inside information we don't know about. Regardless, Fellow Daoist Weiyun has already entered seclusion; whether he will succeed, no one knows."

"If he succeeds, then the Qingyuan Sect deserves to prosper for another five hundred years!"

"But if he fails..."

Upper Master Qianji's tone became somewhat mysterious.

He didn't finish his sentence, but Yu Xuzi could guess the consequences.

Since the fall of True Person Yanling, although the Qingyuan Sect still had over a dozen Dao Foundation Elders, including three new Dao Foundation Cultivators born in recent years, and seemed to be flourishing...

...the new Sect Master, Venerable Weiyun, was the undisputed leader of the Qingyuan Sect!

His prestige was outstanding.

Aside from Venerable Weiyun, there was no second person who could unite the Qingyuan Sect; the various internal factions all had their own interests.

If Venerable Weiyun failed his Breakthrough, a serious injury would be one thing, but if it were more severe—for instance, if something went wrong during the Profound Fetus Heart Demon Tribulation and he accidentally perished—then things would get very interesting.

Who would be the next Sect Master?

Disaster would not come from the outside; it would arise from within!

Infighting is human nature, and Cultivators are no exception.

Especially at a time like this, when there are no external threats and they are invincible in the world.

"Fellow Daoist Qianji, what do you think his chances of success are?"

"Definitely no more than twenty percent!"

"That low?"

Upper Master Qianji said helplessly, "That's already considered high."

"The fact that he chose to attempt the Breakthrough so decisively suggests he might have some hidden cards; otherwise, I don't think he'd even have a ten percent chance!"

Did he think the age of decadence was a joke?

A century ago, the Spiritual Vein of Mount Qingyuan had already dropped from the Third-rank to a Second-rank High Grade Spiritual Vein.

Even when True Person Yanling was in charge and the Third-rank Spiritual Vein existed for several hundred years, the Qingyuan Sect failed to produce a second Immortal Master.

Let alone now.

Yu Xuzi nodded silently, his mind racing with calculations.

"By the way, besides this matter, another major event occurred in the Cultivation World three years ago."

"Oh?"

Upper Master Qianji leaned in and whispered, "A Demon King has appeared in the East Sea."

"A Third-rank Demon King?"

Yu Xuzi's pupils constricted as he looked at him in surprise.

The Qingyuan Realm actually still had a Third-rank being in existence!

"Yes, a black single-horned Flood Dragon. I heard it's over a hundred zhang long; it's truly powerful and terrifying!"

"You even know this?"

"Sigh, Fellow Daoist Taiyin, you don't know the half of it. That Flood Dragon even came ashore and stayed at the Qingyuan Sect for a day. Countless fellow Cultivators witnessed it with their own eyes."

"It went to the Qingyuan Sect? And it didn't go on a rampage?"

This is the only Third-rank being left in the world. If it wanted to go mad and stir up chaos, the entire Cultivation World might be finished.

"Not only did it not go on a rampage, but the Qingyuan Sect announced to the outside world that the Demon King Flood Dragon even offered a stick of incense to True Person Yanling."

"Perhaps it was out of sympathy for its own kind."

A Third-rank Demon King can already speak human language and possesses high intelligence, so such thoughts are indeed not surprising.