146: reason

The medicinal power spread, protecting his heart.

Zhou Leren pulled out the luan fa sword in one motion.

At this moment, the Xianyue Sect Master had already fallen into a coma.

Seeing this, Elder Qingshuang circulated her magic power and arrived before the two. Looking at the unconscious Xianyue Sect Master and Zhou Leren, who was using his magic power to heal him, she felt a trace of guilt for what she had just been thinking.

Although the conversation between the two was secretive, it could not escape Elder Qingshuang, who had been paying attention to them.

A moment later.

Zhou Leren withdrew his magic power. The Xianyue Sect Master's life had been saved. As for his recovery in the future, that was no longer his concern.

Elder Qingshuang quickly took the unconscious Xianyue Sect Master. Only after briefly checking him with her magic power did she completely relax.

"Master."

Zhou Leren dispersed the Wish Wheel, recalled the guizheng pagoda—which had been suppressing the twin moon blades in the distance—into his hand, released the twin moon blades inside, and handed them over to Elder Qingshuang.

"You should leave."

"You saved your Senior Brother's life, which is already the utmost benevolence and righteousness. From now on, there are no more grievances between you and my Crescent Moon Sect."

Elder Qingshuang looked at Zhou Leren, who had grown much older but still retained the appearance of his youth, and spoke softly.

Zhou Leren made no comment, offering no reply, merely asking another question:

"Did something happen to the Crescent Moon Sect?"

The Xianyue Sect Master had just tried to entrust him with a dying wish. Without knowing what had happened, he naturally wouldn't make a commitment easily.

After all, he represented not only himself but also the Zhou Family.

If he needlessly provoked enemies for his Family, he would be a sinner against the Family.

"This matter has nothing to do with you; it is the internal affair of my Crescent Moon Sect. If you still recognize me as your Master, listen to me and leave this place quickly."

Having finished speaking, Elder Qingshuang did not wait for Zhou Leren's reply and flew toward the main peak's hall, supporting the Xianyue Sect Master.

Behind him, Huan Bi, who had been watching for a long time, flew over. She looked at the departing Elder Qingshuang with an unreadable expression.

The Xianyue Sect Master's attempt to die, Zhou Leren saving him, and the conversation between the few people were all perceived by her Divine Sense.

"Humans are truly strange. I can't understand them..."

Zhou Leren hesitated for a moment. Ignoring Huan Bi, who looked like a curious child beside him, he flew toward Jiang Weirou, who was staring blankly below.

"Junior Sister Jiang."

Zhou Leren arrived before her and called out softly.

Strictly speaking, his interaction with Jiang Weirou only consisted of their initial entry into the Sect and the few times Jiang Weirou later sought his advice on Cultivating matters; there was no other shared history.

Therefore, he didn't take to heart the Xianyue Sect Master's suggestion that Jiang Weirou become his Dao Companion.

"Uh, Senior Brother Zhou."

Jiang Weirou recovered her senses and bowed slightly in return.

"Junior Sister Jiang, could you enlighten me?"

Zhou Leren nodded and asked.

"I..."

After all, Zhou Leren was no longer a Disciple of the Crescent Moon Sect, and the Xianyue Sect Master had previously issued a kill order against him.

As a Disciple of the Xianyue Sect Master, she should logically inherit the Xianyue Sect Master's ambition and cleanse the Crescent Moon Sect's doors.

However, it seemed that her small tricks were no longer necessary.

She had thought more than once about how she would handle Zhou Leren if she truly encountered him in the future: would she simply ask about the reason he left the Sect and let him go, or would she capture Zhou Leren and bring him back to the Sect for punishment?

Yet, among those countless possibilities, she never chose to strike a fatal blow.

She even intended to mediate and save Zhou Leren's life if he were truly captured by the Sect.

Thinking about it now, this was nothing more than wishful thinking and overestimating her own abilities.

A hint of self-mockery appeared on Jiang Weirou's face.

"The Jinyuan Sect's Grand Elder achieved a Breakthrough to Golden Core, and he wants to annex the Crescent Moon Sect. He has already issued a final ultimatum."

Jiang Weirou hesitated for a moment. Since Zhou Leren wanted to know what had happened, she might as well tell him.

However, she did not mention her own affairs.

The Jinyuan Sect was one of the four Sects in Qianmo Valley.

During the Beast Tide back then, the Jinyuan Sect reacted the fastest, suffering the least loss in Sect strength.

The Earth Spirit Sect, another Sect in Qianmo Valley, bore the brunt of the Beast Tide's impact. Nearly all of the Sect's Foundation Establishment Stage Great Cultivators were killed or injured, leaving only one Early Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivator who barely survived the Beast Tide.

After the Beast Tide, before this Early Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivator could even breathe a sigh of relief, the Jinyuan Sect suddenly attacked, mobilizing the entire Sect and instantly destroying the Earth Spirit Sect.

The Crescent Moon Sect and the other Sect in Qianmo Valley were preoccupied at the time and had no time to react, allowing the Jinyuan Sect to succeed.

Afterwards, the Crescent Moon Sect temporarily reorganized. Just as the Sect slightly stabilized, the Jinyuan Sect grew increasingly powerful, pressuring both Sects.

The Xianyue Sect Master, having no choice, could only temporarily join forces with the remaining Sect to resist the Jinyuan Sect's influence.

Several years ago, the Xianyue Sect Master realized that things could not continue this way. He devised a plan with the Sect Head of the other Sect, the Luoying Sect, intending to lure out the Jinyuan Sect's Grand Elder, who possessed the greatest strength in the Jinyuan Sect.

By combining their efforts, if they eliminated the Jinyuan Sect's Grand Elder, the Jinyuan Sect would only be left with one newly promoted Late Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivator. At that point, both Families would naturally be safe.

Although the scheme succeeded.

They had not anticipated that the Jinyuan Sect's Grand Elder had obtained the Earth Spirit Sect's Legacy, and his cultivation had advanced another step, leaving him only a hair's breadth away from the Golden Core.

The Xianyue Sect Master and the Luoying Sect Leader were caught in their own trap and were no match for the Jinyuan Sect's Grand Elder.

The Xianyue Sect Master was severely wounded and fled, while the Luoying Sect Leader met the fate of death.

Following this, the Jinyuan Sect immediately annexed the Luoying Sect, incorporating the Luoying Sect's Legacy into the Jinyuan Sect.

Two Sects with long-standing Legacies, which had once produced Golden Core True Persons, thus came to an end.

Only the Crescent Moon Sect was left struggling to survive.

While the Xianyue Sect Master was recuperating, consolidating the Sect's power, and discussing countermeasures.

Someone from the Jinyuan Sect arrived to deliver a message.

They boasted that the Jinyuan Sect's Grand Elder, having obtained the Luoying Sect's Legacy, had already achieved a Breakthrough to the Golden Core Stage and became a Golden Core Stage True Person.

They stipulated that the Crescent Moon Sect must surrender entirely and merge completely into the Jinyuan Sect within two months. Otherwise, the Jinyuan Sect's Grand Elder would personally visit the Crescent Moon Sect two months later.

Given the Xianyue Sect Master's pride, he naturally would not agree to such humiliating terms.

Moreover, if he truly did this, how could he face the departed ancestors of the Crescent Moon Sect?

Therefore, upon seeing Zhou Leren, the Xianyue Sect Master sought to use this outsider, who clearly possessed an extraordinary background, to break the deadlock.

He hoped to preserve a spark of the Crescent Moon Sect's Legacy.

As for the matter concerning Jiang Weirou.

It was the grandson of the Jinyuan Sect's newly promoted Golden Core True Person who had specifically come to visit half a month after the messenger arrived.

He claimed that he had admired Jiang Weirou, the Xianyue Sect Master's Disciple, for many years. If the Crescent Moon Sect was willing to marry Jiang Weirou to him, he would mediate and beg his grandfather to allow the Crescent Moon Sect to establish a new lineage within the Jinyuan Sect, transforming the Crescent Moon Sect into one peak of the Jinyuan Sect.

In this way, the Crescent Moon Sect would still be able to pass down its Legacy.

This talk of admiration was merely an excuse, not to mention that the person's character and Heart-Nature were already extremely poor.

In essence, he ultimately wanted to take over the Crescent Moon Sect without bloodshed and fully obtain the Crescent Moon Sect's Legacy and accumulated resources.

How could the Xianyue Sect Master not know his intentions?

However, for someone facing desperation, any glimmer of hope would be seized, even if that hope was false.

Merging into the Jinyuan Sect, whether as the Crescent Moon Sect or Xianyue Peak, would only leave behind a mere name. How could that be called an unbroken Legacy?